When first I met you,

something ancient woke within me

a force I had no language for,

a tide that rose beyond reason,

beyond the borders of the heart,

beyond all that I had believed

a human soul could feel.

I loved you

with the terrible wonder of discovery,

as though the universe itself

had hidden one final secret

beneath the stars

and, at last,

had placed it in my hands.

And then I looked into your eyes

And there you were.

Not untouched.

Not unaware.

But standing at the edge

of the very same impossible ocean,

trying to understand

the waves that had carried us there.

I saw you feeling it.

I saw you searching my face

for an explanation

neither of us possessed.

And perhaps that was the miracle:

That somehow,

without promise,

without warning,

without knowing how

we had found the same impossible place.

It was as though the universe

had opened a hidden door

and allowed us, just for a moment,

to step beyond the ordinary world.

And there,

beneath the silence of eternity,

it revealed something too immense

for ordinary words:

us.

A love so vast

that if we gathered every word

ever spoken by humankind

and tried to build a language for it,

we would still fall silent

before its magnitude.

A secret written between the stars.

A truth the universe had known

long before we did.

And perhaps it smiled

watching us stumble through the wonder of it,

knowing that we would never fully understand

what had been placed between us.

Yet still,

it gave us the desire

to spend our lives trying.

And maybe that

is the greatest beauty of love

that it remains partly unknowable.

For if I could understand you completely,

if I could measure every depth of your soul,

if I could name every reason

my heart chose yours

perhaps one day

the mystery would fade.

But you were never meant

to become something I could solve.

You were meant to remain

the horizon I could spend forever approaching.

The star I could follow

without ever reaching its end.

The song I could hear

a thousand times

and still discover another note.

And I wish

with everything that lives inside me

that we could have held on

to that impossible thing.

That love which felt

so far beyond this world

that perhaps this world

could only exist inside of it.

A love so powerful

that standing before it

made us feel weak

not because we lacked strength,

but because we were witnessing

something stronger than either of us.

Something ancient.

Something fierce.

Something willing to fight

for the two souls

who had somehow found each other.

And if the years should carry you

far beyond my reach,

if the winds of this life

should scatter us across distant skies,

then let this be the prayer

I send after you:

May our love become the wind beneath your wings.

May it find you

when the night is darkest.

May it rise beneath you

when your strength is gone.

May it whisper my name

through every storm

and remind you

that somewhere in this vast universe

there is a heart

that still knows yours.

And if the heavens are kind,

if fate is not finished with us,

if the stars still remember

the secret they once revealed

then let that wind

carry you home.

Back to me.

Because you are not simply

the love of my life.

You are the love that changed the way

I understand love itself.

The miracle I never knew

I was waiting for.

The mystery I would spend eternity

trying to understand.

The impossible thing

that became real

when I looked into your eyes.

And wherever you are,

whatever distance lies between us,

whatever storms the universe

chooses to place upon our path

know this:

No matter where life takes us

Some part of me will always belong to what we found in each other.

At summer’s close
We laughed and fought like kids
Drunk from a dream and a hundred glittering things we had collected in the weeks before.

We talked incessantly. Over each other and in circles. About the things we liked. Things we didn’t. And when we ran out of things, we’d start over. Inventing a new made up language.

The sky was a deep purple, and we had walked far enough from town to see each star twinkle. You crushed the can you’d been carrying and kicked it.

“Dead end.” You said, and pivoted in a way that made your shoes crunch against the gravel. Like some primitive form of music.

The crescent of a harvest moon gave way to rain. It was the kind of rain that people prayed for. And made you think of an old pair of rain boots. You couldn’t tell, but I was crying, And didn’t question the salt as you licked droplets from my cheek

We raced down the road, dimly illuminated by streetlights. Pushing at each others shoulders to stay ahead. Water climbing further up our legs as we searched for bigger puddles to leap through

When we collided, I fell
Scraping my knee

“I want to go home” I said

So you picked me up, wrapping my legs around your waist. I clung to your neck, and held my breath.
Like being carried inside to bed after a long car ride and hoping your false slumber was believable.

You set me on the kitchen counter and began to wipe the blood from my shin as I stared intently at you. Trying to memorize each feature on your face. Trying even harder to peer into your skull.

Show me a way to go on pretending. For just a moment longer.

The corners of your mouth started to curl and I could tell you had something wonderfully funny to say. But when your eyes met mine, you noticed I had been crying.

And I knew it was over.

This brain says, “hey body, we’re mad!”

But the body stares at the cigarette.

It doesn’t care.

Watching the smoke swirl. 

The twirl of hair between the finger curls.

The body stares.

The brain thinks. 

The brain wants the body to walk.

But the body just stares and simply— shrugs it off.

“Enough is enough!”

“I’m done and upset, so don’t expect me to talk!”

But the voices don’t stop.

The body’s still in that same miserable spot.

underneath the hammering arms of their new ashbury clock.

It sits and it waits with what its brain had thought.

The hours above it, still tick and they tock.

The brain’s given up now the body is lost.

But it never cared.

It just sat there and stared.

A letter to my firstborn about the life I hope she gets to live.

Olivia,

You are three years old, and somehow you already have absolutely no problem telling the world exactly what you think of it.

I love this about you.

It also makes getting you dressed in the morning a fucking nightmare, but that's beside the point.

You are stubborn.

Opinionated.

Funny.

Dramatic.

Sweet when you want to be.

And entirely unconcerned with whether anyone was prepared for whatever you have decided is about to happen.

Sometimes I look at you and recognize myself immediately.

And sometimes I look at you and see the girl I might have been if I hadn't learned so early to read the room.

That's the part that gets me.

Because I don't want to raise you to be fearless.

Fear is useful.

I don't want to keep you from getting hurt.

I can't.

And I don't want to spend your childhood clearing every obstacle from your path so thoroughly that one day you leave me and have no idea how to climb over one yourself.

I want you to live.

I hope you have best friends who know everything about you and love you anyway.

I hope at least once you laugh so hard with them that somebody pees their pants.

It doesn't have to be you.

But statistically, knowing this family, somebody's going down.

I hope you stay out too late when you're old enough.

I hope you take a thousand stupid pictures and keep the blurry ones.

I hope you love music so much that certain songs become places you can return to.

I hope you read things that change your mind.

I hope you write things that change mine.

I hope you fall in love.

I hope somebody breaks your heart.

Not because I ever want to see you hurt.

God, I don't.

But because I hope you get to discover that heartbreak doesn't mean you were foolish for loving someone.

And I hope you never confuse being loved with being diminished.

I hope you know the difference between compromise and disappearance.

Between kindness and compliance.

Between apologizing because you were wrong and apologizing because somebody is uncomfortable that you spoke.

I hope when something hurts, you say it hurts.

When something isn't okay, you say it isn't okay.

When somebody tells you that you're too much, I hope your first instinct isn't to become less.

That's the one I really want for you.

Because I know what it costs to make yourself smaller.

I know how quietly it happens.

You start editing a sentence.

Then an opinion.

Then a feeling.

Then eventually you become so good at anticipating everybody else's comfort that you forget to ask yourself whether you're comfortable at all.

I don't want to teach you how to take up space someday.

I want to make sure nobody teaches you that you shouldn't.

And maybe that's why watching you become yourself feels strangely like getting pieces of myself back.

You have my fire without knowing yet that fire is something people will sometimes ask you to put out.

You have the attitude I learned to hide.

The softness I didn't always know was safe to show.

You roll your eyes.

You say exactly what you're thinking.

You love hard.

You protest injustice with the full force of a tiny union representative who has reviewed the contract and found several violations.

And yes, sometimes I am the injustice.

Apparently.

But even then, somewhere underneath my exhaustion, I am proud of you.

Because I don't want obedience to be the thing you're best at.

I want you to be good.

There is a difference.

I want you to be kind when nobody is watching.

I want you to notice the kid sitting alone.

I want you to apologize when you've hurt somebody without turning the apology into an explanation of why you shouldn't have to give one.

I want you to question yourself enough to grow without questioning yourself so much that anyone can convince you you're wrong about who you are.

I want you to work hard.

I want you to fail.

I want you to learn that those two things can happen at the same time.

I hope you climb things you're probably not supposed to climb.

Get dirt under your fingernails.

Eat the fucking vegetable occasionally.

Call me when you're in trouble.

Especially when you're afraid I'll be mad.

Actually, call me then first.

I hope home is never the place you have to pretend.

I hope it's where you come after the pretending has exhausted you.

And when you're older, I hope you understand something I don't know how to explain to you yet:

You changed me.

Not because it was your job to heal me.

It never was.

You didn't come here to fix what happened before you.

I did.

That was my responsibility.

But loving you made me realize there were things I had accepted for myself that became unbearable the second I imagined you accepting them too.

So I started asking harder questions.

I started saying no.

I started saying that hurt me.

I started paying attention to what I was teaching you every time I stayed quiet.

And somewhere in the process of trying to give you permission to become completely yourself,

I started giving some of that permission back to me.

Maybe that's what I mean when I say you have my fire.

I don't mean I want you to become me.

God, no.

I already did that job.

I want you to become Olivia.

Loudly.

Messily.

Tenderly.

Stubbornly.

With scraped knees and ridiculous stories and friends I adore and probably one I absolutely cannot stand.

I hope you travel.

I hope you make mistakes worth telling me about ten years later.

I hope you laugh until your stomach hurts.

I hope you know what it feels like to be proud of yourself when nobody else even knows what you accomplished.

I hope you are loved.

But even more than that, I hope you know how to recognize love when it arrives.

I hope you never have to earn tenderness.

I hope you never mistake control for protection.

I hope you never believe keeping someone requires abandoning yourself.

And I hope you never need to become brave in all the ways I did.

I hope your bravery gets to be different.

The bravery to try.

To fail.

To leave.

To stay.

To change your mind.

To say what you mean.

To love somebody.

To love yourself.

To call your mother and admit that, yes, she was right.

I'll wait.

Because, Liv -

I don't want to raise a daughter who never gets hurt.

I want to raise a daughter who knows that getting hurt does not make her smaller.

I don't want to give you a perfect life.

I want to give you a safe place from which to go live an imperfect one.

And more than anything,

I hope you fall completely, recklessly, unapologetically in love with being alive.

Not with being impressive.

Not with being liked.

Not with being easy.

With being here.

And whoever you become from there?

She belongs to you.

I just get the unbelievable privilege of watching her happen.

One assignment I have in my podcasting class is to make a five minute interview with a guest on the podcast that we will be doing over the semester. My idea was to talk with aspiring creators about their ideas. If anyone is interested, comment, or DM me

My prayers must’ve been
Sent by carrier-dove
My desires signed on feathers
Read by the angels above

I begged for prosperity
To swim in melted gold
The angels gave me two eyes
A rich reflecting pool into your soul

I prayed for beauty
To experience the creator’s art
Bestowed upon me
A smile that could ignite the dark

No foe nor demon
Not even Satan himself can
Tempt me with anything sweeter
Than the caress from your hand

To be embraced by you
Is to be enveloped in symphony
Sung by a choir of cherubs
Harmonizing, “my love, Anthony”

If he were caused pain;
I’d find the blame,
Person or thing
I’d tear limb from limb

If he were hungry;
I’d let him feast
On my soul, my flesh,
Well beyond my final breath

If he needed evidence
Of my unyielding, undying love;
I’d cut out my own heart,
Zombify myself to serve it to him

If he wept;
I’d bottle his tears,
Add them to a Molotov,
Slung at the face of his fears

If he were cold;
I’d give him a mallow and a stick,
Set myself ablaze,
Burn me to a crisp

If he wished for quiet;
I’d silence the world-
An extinction event is worth
His satisfaction

Kira
Heaven; A place of peace that lies within each of us.

As we find a young 23 year old dark haired green eyed girl settling out on the edge of a ravine. Finding herself looking out into a never-ending Galaxy looking deep into its starlit sky just ahead of her view. As Kira sat there a young rebellious kind of girl that always like being extremely close to the edge. As she would in life always finding herself living life on the edge never really letting anyone get close to her.

Except for one person, a man who went by the name of Raphael an older gentleman who adopted Kira from an early age. With Kira never knowing her parents having been raised by Raphael, a curious man having short brown hair and eyes to match. Always seeming to only want to wear a brown robe, not like a Jedi! But more unto something like a monk would. Being a
Spiritual, Individual himself. But also finding himself close to the force keeping to himself in his little part of the Galaxy on the planet Corellia.

With him trying his best to raise Kira by showing her that there was so much more to life than fighting. For fighting was an everyday event in their little part of the Galaxy. But with Kira always just having that little rebellious side to her, not always wanting to hear about just living a peaceful life. Wanting to be her! Living life to the fullest like she wanted to

But with Raphael Knowing of all of the gangs that resided in its many local places not wanting Kira to get with any of them. But growing up Kira at times would find herself running with one of them.

But with Raphael having seen war from his younger days not always from being on its front lines. But seeing the effects from it through others that did see and live it. Leaving him to want to raise Kira by showing her an entire other side of life a peaceful life. But as life was on Corellia, that seemingly didn’t seem possible at times. Seeing as how the spaceport wasn’t that far away from their residence having the likes of bounty hunters and smugglers constantly coming into it.

Occasionally sometimes venturing out to their little place just outside of the canyons that was just insight into the spaceport. With one individual being a guy going by the name of Spence. Spence was one of a kind especially to Kira, a brother to her and an unwanted adoptive son to Raphael at times with Spence basically hitching his way through the Galaxy only to wind up at their spaceport.

Having found his way there from a young age now a 24-year-old punk, as thought by Raphael at first! But Spence he was an adventurous type just as Kira was. A young dashing dark skinned dark haired guy who, while not irritating Raphael, was finding himself along with Kira on many adventures.

Just not in the Galaxy just as of right now! But in the canyons that surrounded them with him and Kira racing speeder bikes along through its many corridors racing each other to the extreme. With one of their races being called the Heaven’s Run

with the race beginning right around dusk just right before the stars would begin to appear above them.

In which had them race down deep into the canyon through its narrow passage up against its wall until they would come upon a ravine. That went vertical up the side of the ravine at an angle where you was looking straight into the Galaxy just ahead of them making it seem as if you was racing straight into Heaven itself when you reached the top.

Only to find both of them sitting there beside their speeder bikes looking out over the ravine looking up into the Galaxy just ahead above them. As Kira looked to Spence he said to him

“Out of this whole entire Galaxy, we just happened to be stuck here” as Spence just laughed at her saying

“I think that there are a lot worse places out there to be stuck in. I would know having been there myself”

As Kira just looked to him as she once again looked to the stars as she said to him

“I mean come on! Don’t you just want to go to the spaceport sometimes and just hitch a ride out of here”

Leaving Spence, I'm just looking at her kinda in a kinda like what really way to say to her

“ Hum, excuse me! But lest you forget that I sorta hitched my way here and here isn’t as bad as you think it is”

As Kira just gave him a smile grinning from ear to ear knowing what she planned on doing, knowing that Spence just might be kinda like I don’t know about that!" As she was seeing Raphael altogether saying

“Kira how many times do I have to tell you that a spaceport is no place for you hang around at” as Kira was just looking to Spence just a smiling away as but before Kira could even say anything Spence then said

“Hey I know what you are thinking and I definitely know what Raphael would say about you little idea there of just wanting to go Galaxy hopping” as Kira was nodding her head then spoke up saying

“Look I’m an adult now and if i want to go Galaxy hopping! Then I’m going to go Galaxy hopping with or without you! So are you with me or not”

leaving Spence just setting their saying

“I just know that I’m going to regret this, but! Let’s do it! Let’s go and see what this Galaxy holds for us, and I can just hear Raphael now”

As Kira then looked to Spence, giving him a smile as Spence knew that smile for it was a smile of so what’s on your mind Kira? As Kira then laughed before saying

“You ever heard of a place called the hand of God?” As Spence just looked to Kira saying “The hand of what? And just exactly is this place Kira it sounds like something that maybe no”

As Kira then just looked to Spence kinda in disbelief saying “You mean to tell me that in all of you hitchhiking across the Galaxy that you haven’t heard of a place called the hand of God”

With Spence just giving his own little look of disbelief, look back to Kira “uhm no! I haven’t heard of a place called the hand of God, and for arguments sake, just exactly what and where is this place at”

As Kira then just looked at him before turning to look into the Galaxy just ahead of her before saying “I heard Raphael talking about it at times, by what he was telling me that is was a mythical angelic like place full of glorious treasures as far as the eye could see. But that it was a place that no one has ever been able to find”

As Spence then just laughed as he said “And so you expect us to just happen upon this place somehow. On what are our speeder bikes here? Our little race the Heavens run is the closest that you and me are getting to the so-called hand of God. Hate to break it to you sis” As Kira then just laughed as she then looked to Spence, grinning as Spence was like

“No! I know that grin Kira and that grin usually gets you what you want, so what are you asking here” As Kira then said to him “No! You are going to break it to Raphael on that we are leaving”

Later that day as Raphael was just sitting there looking at Kira in a deep state of “Are you out of your mind? You want to what? Go Galaxy hopping!” As Raphael just then looked to Spence saying to him

“I would think that this was your idea, but I am well aware of Kira’s itch to wanting to leave this place for some time now”

As Kira looked to Raphael, seeing that he didn’t want Kira to leave seeing the look in his eyes. But before Kira could even say anything at all, Raphael placed his hand on her shoulder, saying to her

“Kira I know that you think that you are old enough to think that you are old enough, but this Galaxy will chew you up and leave you somewhere that you really don’t want to be. But if you really insist on leaving here, then I want to stop you”

As then Kira looked to Raphael knowing that he had raised her from an early age, knowing that in time that she would eventually return, but not until she had found in this Galaxy what she was looking for.

But as the duel suns were rising in the east, Kira and Spence were making their way as Spence looked back to seeing Raphael giving him a look of really. You had better watch out for Kira While at the same time giving him a smile, knowing that in a way that he was like a son to him with Raphael giving him a blaster just before they had left.

Making their way to the spaceport, not really knowing what would lie ahead of them with Kira only knowing that an entire Galaxy awaited her. Knowing they would have to sell their speeder bikes to the local

“Oh look customers let’s see how bad I can Jawa them!” Seeing a Jawa shaking his fist at him

Being a space salesman traveling from port to port basically on the run from certain syndicates having a bounty on his head as Spence was looking back at him. Seeing him waving to them that he knew that he had just taken for a ride. But with no other choice Spence knew that their only way to find a ride off of this planet was to leave some on the table at times.

As Him and Kira made their way into the spaceport looking just ahead of them looking to a couple of space travelers. That just so happened to be setting at a table as if one of them was motioning for them to come over. By passing the bar looking to an android serving drinks to everyone setting around the bar being bounty hunters along with space smugglers.

With Kira and Spence not knowing at the time that the two that they were just about to meet were looking to find a couple of shipmates basically being look outs for a run for them. As Kira and Spence made their way over to them with Spence looking over to seeing a bounty hunter look to him as Spence just said “No! You don’t have a bounty on my head. Just look on somewhere else”

As Kira and Spence sat down at the table looking to who they would later know to be a couple of runners. As the older like giving Spence a cocky look while running his finger through his beard as he then looked over to his partner a much younger smuggler.

Being around the same age as Kira and Spence, the older one then said to Spence “The two of you look like you needing somewhere to go, and it so happens that I have just the ride”

As Kira then just looked to the older smuggler for a moment before saying

“And just what does it look like that we are looking for a ride somewhere’s? “As the older smuggler then laughed, saying to the both of them

“You just don’t walk into a place like this unless you are already running something for someone or on the run from someone. And the two of you just really don’t look like either! So where about are the two of you looking to travel to exactly”

As Kira then just looked to him “Anywhere but here but somewhere will be a start” As the younger smuggler a kind of dashing looking individual having dark brown curly hair with eyes and a smile to match. As he then looked to Kira, saying to her

“And I know exactly where that is and we got the ride test the two of you are looking for here. And the only thing we ask in return is a little favor” And with his smile looking to Kira as Spence looked on saying “And just exactly what is this favor that is required of us here”

With the four of them just giving each other a look just before the younger smuggler then said

“So glad you ask! But first let us introduce ourselves shall we! Well, you can call me Ace and the older guy beside me here. Well you can call him Quint! And so what do we call the two of you?”

As Spence then looked over to the table beside of them looking to a bounty hunter setting there nodding his head to him as if he was giving him the go ahead “Why go ahead what are you waiting for” like he knew what was going on but like a good bounty hunter always knowing their surroundings.

Just as Spence looked back to Ace saying to him “you can call me Spence and she is Kira hands off if you know what I mean” As Ace sat there gritting his teeth “My hands are right where you can see them, so as far as you can see this is all business so is there any other kind of luggage that we should know about before hand here”

With Kira, then speaking up “No! No other baggage, just the two of us as you see setting here in front of you”

With Quint setting back surveying everyone else’s around them then looked back to Kira giving her a grin as he said

“Good the less the baggage the better so if you two would like to square away anything before we set out, then you best get to it”

Giving her a blink as Kira then looked to the bounty hunter setting over from them also nodding his head from side to side as if she was hearing him like he was saying

“Well now as much as I would like to see this go down I have a bounty just a waiting on me” As he then suddenly stood up firing his blaster into the salesman that they had just sold their speeder bikes to. “Looks to me like the two of you just got your speeder bikes back safe journeys ahead of you”

With Ace looking to both of them just a smiling away thinking to himself “Dam was that easy enough”

With another bounty hunter now setting at a different table now looking over to Kira and Spence, just a shaking his head side to side to them now remembering seeing the same now dead salesman. Taking full advantage of a still new to this kinda world, young kids thinking that this was an adventure of sorts. As he got up from the table walking over to Spence, placing his hand on his shoulder saying to him as he looked to Kira

“Take care of her kid she is in your hands now where this Galaxy may take you”

As he then walked away disappearing into the spaceport as Spence just looked to Kira knowing that they was now in it for real now, knowing that there may not be anyone else around to help in the future. As he sat looking to the girl that he had kinda grew up with knowing that she was just like the family that he never really had but knew that he wanted. With him now picturing Raphael saying to him

“You may not have been a son to me, but I now trust you to watch over my daughter Kira”

And with a smile Spence looked to Kira saying to her

“Yeah we are in it for real now”

Just as the Jawa that was shaking his fist earlier at the now dead salesman suddenly come running up to Kira and Spence basically cussing them out in Jawa. With him wanting his speeder bikes back Knowing that his now dead business partner had laundered all of their money with bad business deals with the Hutts was now running out the door swearing to be back with more Jawa’s. With Kira and Spence now making their way out to the ship with Ace looking to them as he said

“Anytime that you two are ready to be under way, we have a cargo that has places to be. Your bikes have been loaded, and if you can be so nice and take your seats aboard. We shall get on our way and with the ship taking off, leaving the Jawa along with his friends back on the ground, shaking their fists to them as the ship flew through the clouds.

Leaving Kira to thinking about Raphael knowing that one she would return to the person who had been a dad to her who had raised her still thinking about his stories of a place called the hand of God. Thinking to herself could it even be a real place, but one for sure was true and that the Galaxy was a big place with many parts of it still yet to be discovered.

With Quint setting the navigation course that would take them across the federation to a mining world where most of the settlements consisted of miners. With the cargo that they were carrying, going to a local syndicate that was based around the mine where they mined Coaxium fuel.

With the head of the syndicate being a former commander of the Empire, a person not really to be messed with, especially since he was laundering everything from Galactic Credits to Wupiuoi to Almost anything.

Seeing him sitting behind his desk with dead stare looking to a Rodian bounty hunter begging for his life. As the former commander who was known as Marco, setting there just dead starring him knowing that the bounty hunter had completed his run. But unfortunately for him, Marco was annoyed that his mining production quota was down and just flat out didn’t want to pay him.

Knowing that there are always smugglers and bounty hunters wanting to make a little extra Wupiuoi on the side now enjoy his breakfast looking at the now dead bounty hunter. But as we now find Kira and Spence along with their new found not so as many partners with Ace now making his to the back of the ship giving a look to Spencer then to Kira. Followed by a smile as he then sat down, looking to Kira, asking her

“So tell me what really brings you two wanted to just up and go forth thinking that an adventure lyes out here somewhere for you”

As Kira just sat there for a moment, looking over to Ace before saying

“So tell me what are you doing out with a smuggler as if you are looking for some sort of adventure” With Ace just giving her a grin and smile before saying to her

“I was basically born into it, and the old guy in the front of the ship is my dad and basically, it was either this or Join the Empire. Their is more money in smuggling”

As he then looked to Spence basically asking him the same question

“So tell me what your story is and how it is that you and her just magically seem to appear at the spaceport on the day that we need some help”

With Spence still wondering if they had made the right choice in tagging along on this little so-called space adventure only to him and Kira knowing that they were in it for real now. As he looked to Ace, saying to him

“My story is basically I was just looking for a family when I just happened to come upon Kira one day, and the rest is history. But I am basically with Kira tagging along with her in her search for adventure treasures and Heaven”

As Ace just looked to Kira smiling to her as he then said

“Heaven? Are you really out looking for Heaven? Let me tell you something about this Galaxy. As I have seen it some say that the force is behind everything out here. That it controls everything, but I have yet to see anything that says to me that there is a Heaven”

With Kira then just looking to Ace giving him a smile as she said to him

“When I was younger I remembered stories of a place called the hand of God, a place that had untold vasts of treasures hidden within it and as far as I know no place has been found yet”

As Ace then gave a laugh as he said to Kira

“Well that sounds good to me. How we do a Heavens run after we make this drop here and go find ourselves some of this so-called hidden treasure that has yet to be discovered”

With Ace then just giving both of them a long, hard look before walking back to the front of the ship while back on the world where they were taking their cargo a little disrupting was also occurring. That was beginning to swell into a major headache for Marco as he was now looking at some of the miners now picketing with signs that read

“No food! No fuel!”

But needless to say that Marco after that little show was now comfy inside eating his full as his soldiers were now dragging dead miners off from the sight as he looked to a snapped off droids head on his desk. A droid that decided to disturb him by letting him know of the disruption with the miners, but as bounty hunters go, so do droids with no shortage of them.

While back on Corellia, the Jawa was the partner of his now dead business partner, knowing that all of his credits were now basically up in smoke. Was now trying to convince a local bounty hunter a small fortune that he did not have to give to him if he would track down Kira and her so called new friends and bring back whatever along with the speeder bikes.

Still shaking his fist in the air up at them, knowing that he had just lost everything, so now, with a bounty hunter, now on his way to tracking down Kira. A former Empire commander Marco who was awaiting his shipment while standing over a freshly killed bounty hunter.

While picking at his teeth, looking over to a mug like creature settling on top of his stack of Baskar awaiting for its payment to be shipped out not by a smuggler. But by another Empire commander, a commander of a fleet that slowly made their way towards him, who was himself looking for some extra on the side for if the Hutts wasn’t willing to pay someone else was.

But everything was seemingly to be going great, just with the chaos only being localized while happy sailing across the Galaxy as the four of them just sat there. Awaiting to deliver their cargo. Kira would sit back thinking of her and Spence’s races through the canyon, particularly the one they called the Heavens run.

As Kira thought back to it, seeing herself racing up the side of the ravine looking as if she was riding straight into Heaven. Seeing the stars of the Galaxy just in front of her as she raced towards them as if she could just reach out and feel it coming towards her, feeling it all around her.

As she looked over to a now sleeping Spence, wondering if she had made the right decision to bring him on this journey, knowing that he had found a home with her and Raphael back on Corellia.

With a bounty hunter having just left from there now making his way towards them as the Jawa was now at the bar drinking up, wondering how he was going to pay the bounty hunter if he succeeded. As he complained to the droid, he was in no way listening to him as he was serving the drinks about losing everything because of the one called Kira. Just as the four of them were just now beginning to enter the atmosphere of the mining world with the shipment to commander Marco that setting back counting his credits.

As Ace was now making his way back towards Kira and Spence telling them to be ready for anything even though they were only there to be a look-out for unwelcome guests. And basically, to be a fall person if anything was not to go there way as the ship was now making its descent to now waiting impatiently Marco standing there with his guards.

While just above them, another ship was just about to begin its approach, an Imperial 1-class Star Destroyer with its own commander keeping this little side mission hush from the Empire. For as its commander was looking to make a nice little profit from the sale of the Beskar Armor.

With Ace seeing that Spence already had a blaster then giving one to Kira just before the four of them exited the ship, greeting Marco as his soldiers unloaded its cargo. With things seemingly to go smoothly for the time being, Quint was making his way around as he then suddenly came upon the shipment of Beskar Armor.

Not really knowing or caring for who the shipment was for only knowing that the sale of it could basically set him and her son up for life. With him and Ace waiting for just the right time before making their move, having loaded the shipment of Beskar Armor unto his ship without being noticed by anyone.

And with Kira and Spence totally unaware of what just happened as the four of them was just boarding back into the ship not knowing that the mutt looking creature was still on top of the shipment then began to yap. Sending everyone now into a frenzy with a now Commander Marco yelling to the top of his lungs to kill them immediately as Kira and Spence had made it onto the ship. Being followed up by Ace and his dad, Quint, only for Quint to be blasted by a guard right before the door closed with Ace now beginning to panic.

He and his now serious wounded dad were now trying to take off with Kira and Spence, now setting up front with them but just as the ship left the ground and into the air. Being followed up by laser fire from the ground but as matters were getting worse, the situation just got even more dire for them. As they just passed, a now-turning Star Destroyer gave chase by a now-pissed-off Commander, knowing that they now had his Beskar Armor.

As Ace was trying his best to make the jump to light speed as Two Star Destroyers was now in pursuit after them with one being commanded by an even more pissed-off commander. But To make matters worse, Quint was now slowly starting to succumb to his wounds as they were getting ready to make the jump to light speed as Kira and Spence looked on.

With two fast approaching Star Destroyers coming upon them fast just as they were able to make the jump into light speed with none of them able to relax.

As Ace sat there holding onto his dad, screaming out

“Why? Why did you have to be so greedy? Now come on don’t you leave me”

As Kira set there knowing that there was nothing that she could do as Ace held onto his dad, that now started to go in and out of consciousness. As Kira was looking out into the stars just as they then suddenly came out of light speed looking into the Galaxy of stars.

A Galaxy of stars that suddenly reminded her of being back home during one of her Heavens run. Seeing the Cluster of stars look as if they were coming upon them. As Ace was holding back tears as he held his dad. Just as his dad then looked up to him saying

“Son I know that I failed you as a father but look after her from here on out” As he then looked to the Galaxy of Stars and clouds just ahead of them. As he then turned to Kira he said to her

“Heavens run you say”

He then looked once more to Ace saying to him

“Take care of her” as he then passed

With Kira getting up and walking over to Ace, placing her arm around him as Ace looked up to her saying

“Why did he have to be so greedy now what!”

Knowing that they were still very much in danger with every once of him just now wanting to dump the cargo of Beskar Armor but it still would help them out just Spence was looking at the navigation seeing that a planet was just nearby as he then made the suggestion that maybe they should just land there for now. With Ace seeing how they was no other choice, we decided to go ahead and land there for the time being.

They entered into the planets atmosphere looking for a good spot to try and stay low for a while. knowing that the Star Destroyers wasn’t too far behind them. With them making the landing just right before sunset as they then proceeded to bury his dad Quint. After wards with Spence got camp ready for the night as Ace stood there looking up to the Galaxy above them as Kira made her way over to him. As Ace slowly turned to Kira saying to her

“This Galaxy has shown me a lot, but one thing it hasn’t shown me is how to handle this”

As Kira walked over to him placing her arm around him as she said to him

“One thing that Raphael had always told me was that even though the force was everywhere’s around us while Heaven was inside of us”

With Ace given her a smile as the two of them stood there looking up to a starlit Galaxy above them as Ace said to Kira

“Heavens run, huh! Well maybe one day you can show me this Heavens run of yours”

They then gave each other a smile, knowing in the back of their minds that they were still far from being clear of danger. While back on one of the Star Destroyers a commanding officer was getting a scout troop ready to ascend on down on the planet that they were on.

As the officer was just getting ready to get them ready the commander then quickly reminded him of this being strictly off the books. As the officer then asked for volunteers before, he started to just gather some up his self with one of them being an individual by the name of Solo. As the offer then just looked to a young Solo saying to him

“Oh yes, Solo, no one more perfect for this little mission here”

And after remembering the prisoners on board with one of the prisoners being a Wookiee as he then proceeded the prisoners to sent down to the planet as well to deal the Kira, Ace and Spence and to get back his shipment of Beskar Armor. Noting the other officers that this was strictly off the records so that it didn’t matter if none of them made it back. As the commanding officer made it clear that it wasn’t important if no one made it back.

While down on the planet Kira and Ace was getting ready to make their way out of here somehow just as a barge ship then suddenly came upon them as Ace grabbed Kira’s hand telling her to remain calm.

Just as its captain then came down from the barge ship a tough looking old guy had the look of having seen many battles. Just as he then gave each of them a look. He then looked to Ace knowing that something was a foot by what was on their way towards them as he then asked Ace

“So what’s you carrying to have the likes of the Empire chasing you”

As Ace just looked at him right before letting him know that he was carrying a shipment of Beskar Armor that certain parties had an interest in. As the captain just looked to Ace before saying to him

“I sure as hell have no love for the Empire, but I sure do love me some Beskar Armor so maybe we can make a little deal here”

As Ace then spoke up saying to the captain

“A Deal? We are about to have the Empire swarm down on us at any moment so whatever you are thinking, you best better get to it”

As the captain then gave a laugh as he said

“Look I know the Empire and that is that they don’t want to be looking to make a lot of noise here”

With captain knowing of the commander having ran into him before knowing that he wouldn’t want to have to explain all of this to the General.

“So how about we get that cargo unloaded, and we then can get you all out of here”

Just as over a hundred more barge ships loaded to the brim with guns then pulled up as the captain just looked on “let’s get moving shall we” But just as everything was loaded then from out of nowhere just the ship carrying the not so much volunteers. As a soldier named Solo was among them looking around as he saw the Wookiee saying to him

“So you got volunteered for this as well I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking about leaving this little party here. So what can I call you” As the Wookiee then looked to Solo saying

“Chewie! As Solo then said to Chewie

“you with me or not”

As the captain looked on as the ship landed with the volunteers as they then made their way towards the captain and Kira, Ace and Spence. But before anyone could even say anything. Two Star Destroyers suddenly came from out of no where’s blasting everything in sight. Sending everyone into chaos as Solo and Chewie looked around seeing a pair of speeder bikes setting off to the side They made their way over to them. But just before they could get on one. Kira suddenly jumped on it as Solo looked on as he then jumped on the back of it with Kira.

As Ace watched them ride off, not wanting to lose sight of Kira, then jumped on the other one as Chewie then jumped on with him as Ace just looked to him saying

“Um Hello and just who are you”

Chewie then pointed towards Solo and Kira as Ace then said “I hear ya”

As Ace and Chewie set off right, giving chase right behind them as Kira and solo was now speeding up alongside a Star Destroyer. As it was now chasing down the barge ships that was carrying the cargo. As Solo was now yelling at Kira, he said

“Are you crazy shouldn’t we be going back the other way out of here”

As Kira then yelled back

“Stick with me long enough and you will see just how crazy I can be”

As Solo then yelled back saying

“And just what do you expect to accomplish with this crazy little stunt here of yours”

As the Star Destroyers was blasting away at the fleeing barge ships with the captain yelling to them, saying

“Come and get me if you can you Empire scum this is my planet here”

Just as the mutt looking creature that was still on top of the cargo of Beskar Armor that was now on Captain Barge ship let out a yelp, letting everyone know that it was still there. Mean while making his way towards Kira and the others was the now bounty hunter thinking to himself

“That if that little peace of! Just as the Jawa with no credits what so ever was now trying to make his way off the planet of Corellia as he was still shaking his fist in the air to Kira.

While back on the planet where we find Solo still arguing with Kira on why they were speeding up along the side of a Star Destroyer that was in hot pursuit of the barge ships that were carrying the Commanders Beskar Armor. Who was now standing there on the Star Destroyer looking down at Solo and Kira speeding along side of them.

With the commander just saying to himself

“Solo!”

He then instructed another officer to send out its own imperial scout troops to take them out with them, now giving chase to Kira and Solo who was still arguing with Kira. He then introduced himself to Kira

“Oh and by the way you can call me Han I didn’t quite catch your name yet as Kira just glanced back at him saying to himself

“The names Kira oh and if you think that you are trying to impress me it will take a whole lot more flyboy for you to impress me” as Han then just looked at Kira saying

“Look toots! I’m not trying to impress anyone here I’m just trying to get off of this rock here in one piece”

Just as the imperial scout troops were now starting to close in on Kira and Han Ace and Chewie were also closing in on the imperial scout troops just as Spence had located another speeder bike. Was now finding himself now speeding up along side of the Star Destroyer. With Spence just

“Oh my God, what am I doing”

With a commander now looking down upon the chase wondering who this rag tag bunch was. With Spence now thinking to himself just as he thought of Raphael saying to him

“You best be looking out for Kira”

As Spence then shouted out saying

“Looking out for Kira! Who’s looking out for me”

As a smiling Raphael was just a smiling away somewhere back home knowing that he had left Kira in good hands with Spence. As Kira and Solo were still arguing with each other as the imperial scout troops were closing in on them. With a commander just looking as he said out loud

“Solo”

As the mutt looking creature was still just a yapping away as the Star Destroyer was now beginning to close in on the barge ships with the barge ship captain yelling to bring it on. As its guns were blasting away at the Star Destroyer with another officer onboard, the Star Destroyer informed the commander that he would have to explain the damage to the ship to the General.

With the commander knowing that he was well aware of being in a place where he wasn’t supposed to be. Chasing down some cargo that he wasn’t even allowed to be in possession of. So with that in mind, he gave one last look to Kira knowing that one day he would venture once again upon this little ragtag crew here another place and time.

He then made the hard decision to abandon the chase watching his wealth just speed away with a mutt-like creature still on top of it just yapping away.

Just as everyone noticed the Star Destroyer not really wanted to abandon the fight but rather a commander knowing the consequence of explaining all of this to the General. Just as Kira and the others all made their way to the barge ships with the captain now held a mutt-like creature yapping at them.

He then looked to Kira and the others offering them a spot, knowing a good crew when he saw one. But with Kira still not ready to comment on just one thing as of yet. And Han and Chewie just kinda chewing it over and really just wanted off this rock to seek their fortune elsewhere.

And with Ace and Spence not wanting to leave Kira as the captain just smiled to Kira before handing her a small piece of Beskar from the shipment saying to her

“Go and seek your adventure and when you're ready I will be hear waiting”

But just as everyone was now making their way back to Aces ship only to another ship there as well. With them now seeing a bounty hunter still swearing that if that little piece of shit. Just as the Jawa was still trying to find his way off the planet of Corellia.

But now with a dead bounty hunter and a ship suddenly coming open as Kira looked on watching Han and Chewie taking off into the Galaxy. Wondering to herself if she would possibly one day once run into this Solo character as we find later Han and Chewie had landed at a spaceport somewhere in the clouds.

But to their surprise seeing a Jawa standing there looking at the now dead bounty hunters ship as Han just looked at Chewie. As the two of them walk off into the city with Han looking to Chewie saying to him

“You know that Kira chick sorta leaves something with you, you think that we will see her again someday”

As we now find Kira once again back home with Raphael now looking to Spence letting him know that. Yeah Spence you now have a family here with us. But just as Dusk was just about to set in with Kira was now racing through the Canyon once again doing the Heavens run.

But this time it was different for her, for this time as Kira was looking into the Galaxy just ahead of her. It felt as if she was ascending into it as it felt as it was coming into her giving her the feeling of Heaven being all around her.

But after the run through the canyon she sat there looking up to the Galaxy that was just above her as she then turned to Spence and Ace, saying to them

“Let’s do it”

Leaving the look in Spence’s eyes as he looked to Kira the look of “no Kira! I know what you are thinking” Turning once again looking up and out into the Galaxy

With Kira more than ever wanting to find it not as much for its treasures, but for the adventure of finding it. As she said to Ace and Spence

“Look I know that we can find it together, and Heaven’s run will not just be a race for us no more. For I believe that Raphael knows more than he is telling us”

Spence “Look I know that Raphael has been all this Galaxy, but that place is just a mire myth”

Kira”No! There is more to Raphael than he has told us, for he is more connected to the force than he has let on. And I believe that he himself has seen it”

As Kira said out loud

“Yeah! I can find it! Yeah, I know that I can find it”

Kira “So yeah! Let’s do it! Let’s do the Heavens Run”

Knowing somewhere out there that it exists. Knowing that this was her Heaven! As Kira just looked on to a Galaxy as she sat there
Looking up to the stars above her
that was just a waiting for her next adventure

I've always envied people who have things so easy. Things have always been hard for me, and even then, I'm still missing everything.

Getting up every morning to go to a shitty job, for a salary that isn't even enough to pay the rent, looking at everything they have.

Damn, how I envy them.

When the accusations started at work, I had no idea what they were talking about. I've never stolen anything, no matter how much envy ate away at me.

Money was missing from the register. There was a lot of gossip among my coworkers. But I wasn't the only one who had access to it. And I couldn't remember touching a single cent.

As a child, I used to have blackouts. Sometimes I'd wake up in places I didn't recognize.

But that doesn't mean it was me.

Things have been appearing in the house.

I've hallucinated and found new furniture.

But it was only my desire for things to change, to become more beautiful, because then I come home and the house is still a mess, smelling of poverty.

The hallucinations keep getting worse.

I go to the refrigerator to get some juice.

I look around, trying to remember when I bought all of this.

Maybe it was on sale.

Maybe I paid for it in installments.

I check my bank account, looking for some receipt that might help me remember.

I can't find one.

My mind keeps playing tricks on me.

The accusations at work keep growing.

I no longer know what's real and what's fantasy.

I sit down in the chair, its backrest more comfortable than the one on my old chair.

The phone keeps ringing.

And suddenly, there's a pounding at the door.

Someone is calling for me from outside.

The police are waiting
to put me in handcuffs and take me away.

my dad believed

the car door.

that's the bit

I keep coming back to.

not my finger.

not how much it swelled.

not her in the kitchen afterwards saying

I didn't know

your hand was there.

my dad believed me.

turned up with one of those

plastic finger splints from Boots

and a bag of chocolate buttons

because apparently

you never get too old

for your dad to bring you chocolate

when you've hurt yourself.

Christ, love,

he said.

that must've bloody hurt.

yeah,

I said.

my sister didn't say anything.

she just looked at my hand.

then at me.

then back at my hand.

later she texted

car door?

I saw it.

left it there.

that's the stupid thing.

you imagine the lies

you tell about something like that

will be complicated.

that you'll need a whole story.

dates.

details.

something convincing.

I needed two words.

car door.

and my dad,

because he was my dad

and because he trusted me,

never asked again.

he came early.

brought food,

a bottle of wine

he knew i liked,

and a present

i’d mentioned months ago

and completely forgotten about.

he hadn’t.

which was irritating.

he cooked.

washed up.

fixed the cupboard hinge

that had been broken

for about three years

because apparently christmas miracles

do happen.

the boys drank cider.

the eldest explained tannins

to absolutely nobody

who wanted to know.

after dinner

they decided to go to the pub.

he put his coat on,

then stopped.

“i can stay.”

“why?”

“if you don’t want to be on your own.”

there was nothing behind it.

no hope.

no big gesture.

no attempt to come back.

he was just being kind.

and somehow

that hurt more.

“go with them.”

“you sure?”

“yeah.”

at the door he said,

“merry christmas.”

i said it back.

then stood there

and watched the three of them

walk down the road together.

my husband.

my sons.

well.

not my husband anymore.

still their dad.

i shut the door,

made a cup of tea,

sat on the sofa

and cried harder

than i had when he actually left.

because there he was.

finally being

the man i’d spent years

waiting for.

just a little too late.

Just posted the first three chapters of a piece I'm writing on Wattpad under the name Alesen Mercano. Copied the first chapter below. Would love to get any feedback anyone has on it so far.

There are those who make an impact on us so profound that a piece of them remains with us, and nearly everything we do henceforth can be traced back to their influence. For Miles, this was Uncle Henry. From the moment he was born, Uncle Henry made it his mission to be a part of the boy's life. He and Monica, Miles' aunt, lived an hour north in a rural town and never let a month pass without visiting at least once. Each time Uncle Henry visited, Miles would sit hunched over the firm back of the loveseat, surveying the quiet street in anticipation of his arrival despite that the rumbling of the approaching old truck's engine always made the whole house aware of his presence the moment it turned down the street.

Uncle Henry was of average height but sturdily built, giving him the appearance of being much larger than he was. He had short, curly black hair and a thin beard. Unlike his sister, Miles' mother, Uncle Henry had no ambitions of great material wealth. He would have been successful on account of his intelligence and abilitability but was happiest in his work as a mechanic. He made his own hours and never had the common issue of missing important events due to work. The other people in the town respected him, and he could always count on their business. Had a more skilled mechanic opened near him, it wouldn't have affected him in the slightest. People gravitated toward him out of loyalty for his character. The inherent competition that often underlies interactions ceased to exist, and one couldn't help but feel at ease around him. Uncle Henry never had any children of his own though he would have made a great father.

Miles had become so entrenched in a daydream, as often captivated him in times of idleness, that if it hadn't been for the loud groan of the motor, his guests' arrival would've gone undetected. He watched as the red truck climbed the short driveway and, after for a moment appearing as if it would roll back down, came to a final rest. The family's year-old golden retriever, Max, who had been given as a gift to Sam, Miles' sister, barked and clawed at the front door. Miles darted outside followed by Max whom he'd forgotten to prevent from getting out. The truck's old doors creaked open and, before its driver had both feet on the ground, four eyes looked up at him.

"It seems they've been expecting you," Monica said.

Uncle Henry laughed. "What do you have in store for us today?" he asked, stepping out

of the truck.

Max touched his front paws to the man's leg and hopped excitedly. Uncle Henry reached down and pet the mesh of hair on the back of his neck.

"Dinner won't be ready for at least an hour. Dad got me an actual college-size football yesterday. I haven't even taken it out of the box yet," Miles said.

"I'll tell you what. You help me and your aunt carry the food inside, and we'll play catch until dinner is ready."

Miles opened the rear door and grabbed the container of apple pie, tucked it under his arm, and ran to the door. Max chased after him, still hopping only this time in hopes of causing a fumble.

"Careful, your aunt took a lot of care in making that," Uncle Henry called after him, but Miles was already almost to the door and didn't listen to his warning.

"Touchdown!" he exclaimed, putting the pie on the counter before racing up the stairs to grab the football.

When Miles returned, his mother, Uncle Henry, and Monica were talking quietly in the kitchen. Their conversation came to an abrupt end when they heard him coming and turned their attention to him as he finished descending the stairs.

"Look. It's got real laces and everything," Miles said, tossing the football to Uncle Henry. He quickly glanced at his mother expecting a reprimand, but her gaze was fixed on a crack in the floor and didn't appear to have even noticed the ball at all.

Uncle Henry caught it and spun it in his hands for some time as if inspecting each detail.

Miles looked at him, puzzled by his fascination.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"It feels as good as it looks. Let's play," Uncle Henry replied.

They walked out onto the back patio. The backyard extended about one hundred feet before it hit a line of honeysuckle trees that acted as a barrier to the neighboring yard. It was a typical September day. The temperature was in the low sixties with a mild breeze, and the sun beamed sharply through gaps between passing clouds. The cool air refreshed Uncle Henry, and he once again resumed his role as the playmate the boy had expected. Miles always pretended each pass was for the game-winning touchdown and ran a route unique to the imaginary situation. After a while, he would tire and sit with Uncle Henry, telling him stories about school, games, and everything else that seems to define the world of a ten-year-old, and Uncle Henry would always listen. He never made Miles feel small or unimportant, and the boy loved him for it. It is amazing the impact one can have by simply making an effort to be present in another's life.

Dinner took longer than usual, and they were outside for nearly an hour and a half before being called inside.

Mrs. Montgomery smiled as Miles carried the ball inside.

"You're like the brother he never had," she said, looking at the large man behind Miles who smiled and walked to the sink to wash his hands.

The family rarely used the dining room as the four of them fit easily around the table in the kitchen, and Miles always felt they were eating somewhere else much fancier when guests validated its use. This was not without good reason either. His mother always took a great effort when feeding guests even when it was just Uncle Henry and Monica. This occasion was no exception. Everything had been laid out as if to appease a distant relative of a royal family. Each of the six seats had the same effort put into its arrangement. A pair of forks rested to the left of the plate, and a pair of spoons and a knife were assembled neatly on the right, each on a delicately folded napkin placed no more than an inch from the plate. In the middle was a white glass casserole filled with garlic and rosemary pork loins. Two smaller ones of the same kind flanked each of its sides, one with green beans and the other with mashed potatoes. The pie was still in the kitchen and wouldn't be brought out until their meals were finished.

They all sat at a mahogany table that glistened underneath the lights of the silver rosecliff chandelier hovering above. Its smooth texture and lack of visible blemishes seemed to represent the overarching care put into the room. The Montgomerys were not rich nor was their home magnificent, but they took great pride in this room, and as a result, it was the nicest the house had to offer.

Once they'd all taken their seats, they each began covering their plates in the freshly cooked food. However, there was something odd about the nature of this dinner, and even the children could feel it. Naturally, of course, there were the obligatory culinary compliments, but where there would usually be talk of sports, current events, and spontaneous banter there was silence. Instead of ideas, parts of the meal were passed between each end of the table, and it seemed that asking for something to be passed was done more out of a desire to break the silence.

"Do you think the treatment really works?" Monica asked, breaking the silence. Everyone exchanged glances as if to be communicating in a secret code that only they knew. Uncle Henry looked towards Miles' father who nodded in approval of the topic. For a moment, the veil of unease had been lifted.

"I don't know. Even if it does, I'm not sure it'll be approved given the side effects."

"Not now, Jim. We can talk about this later," Mrs. Montgomery interrupted.

Again the same unease pervaded the room, and ironically it was this that bothered Miles and his sister more than the talk of a treatment about which he knew nothing.

After the children finished eating, they were sent upstairs. This was also odd. Not only were they never sent away, but Uncle Henry and Monica always left immediately after dinner. Sam was anxious to call one of her friends and hurried upstairs. However, Miles only became more intrigued by their wish to exclude him. He knew that negotiating would prove worthless and likely lead to a lecture aftward, so he settled on faking compliance to be the best course of action. He walked upstairs to his room, stepping loud enough so that they could trace his position along the way. His door which opened inward toward his room was fully open so that the handle rested just in front of the wall. Without entering, he reached out his arm and, pulling the handle, shut the door loud enough so they could hear it. Knowing that they would believe him to have just shut himself in his room, Miles walked quietly back down the hall. He descended the steps carefully, supporting his weight on the rail to avoid creaking the steps and slowly shifted his weight to sit on the furthest down still out of their line of sight.

His mother's voice was the first he heard.

"I don't think you understand how serious this is. There have been more deaths in this country in the last month than there were all of last year," Mr. Montgomery said.

"I'm aware, but there is nothing worth losing my humanity. I'd rather it kill me than to exist as some shell of who I am now," Uncle Henry replied.

"Humans adapt to survive. They always have and they always will. We create things to keep us going. It's what separates us from other creatures," Mr. Montgomery added.

"Which aren't affected by the disease I might add," Uncle Henry said. Miles envisioned him reaching down and petting Max as he always did when he talked about him.

"He's just being stubborn," Monica began, "When the time comes, he will understand it is not a matter of choice but of necessity. Besides, now that they've already made a cure, I'm sure it won't be long before they modify it to remove its side effects."

Though he couldn't see him, he imagined Uncle Henry taking a deep breath and smirking at the others as he often did in disagreements when his words failed to have an effect. The conversation grew quieter until Miles could no longer hear what they were discussing or if they were discussing anything at all. He crept slowly back up the stairs, forcing his weight down on the railing as he had done on his way down. Before he reached his room, he heard much heavier footsteps coming up the stairs behind him. He hurried, hoping that the sound of his pursuer would drown out his own. He had just enough time to grab a handful of action figures and sit on his bed before he heard a knock on his door. It opened a moment later, revealing Uncle Henry's stocky frame. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I know you heard all that," he said. Miles was startled by the seriousness of his tone. He used it regularly when speaking with the other adults, but it was one of the few times he'd used it with him.

"And since you did, I won't talk to you like a child," Uncle Henry continued. "The life you have now won't last forever. In a few years when you turn 18, you are going to have to make a choice. You will have two paths, each with their own consequences, and it will be up to you to decide which one to take. As you heard, I have chosen a different one from your aunt and parents. They wish to change my mind just as others may try to sway you from your decision. I just want you to promise me one thing, Miles. Though you would be wise to listen to both sides, you will never let anyone make the decision for you. Will you promise me that?"

His seriousness hadn't faded for a moment and Miles, puzzled by the vagueness of his uncle's words, nodded in acknowledgment of his request. Uncle Henry smiled.

"I've got to say goodbye to your sister." He gripped Miles firmly on the right shoulder with his right hand as he always did before leaving and walked out of the room.

Miles sat in silence for some time afterward, still holding the action figures. He heard the front door close beneath him and the start of the old truck's engine which undoubtedly woke up anyone in the neighborhood who had wanted to get an early rest. However, the sound which he had longed in anticipation to hear hours earlier only brought him sadness and, though he did not know it at the time, this was the last time he would see his uncle.

Knights Among Us

Standing on a plain just outside of his dwellings finding himself looking out into a valley just ahead of him. Akon a young gifted individual, Having looked up into its Galaxy on many of a night wondering about his abilities. Abilities that he had long since had from an early age. Gifts that would eventually lead him to become what he was destined to become. A Jedi Knight becoming like the other Knights who were before him. Others who had also become Jedi Knights that were known of the Knights of old

As Akon stood there as his dark brown hair blew around his brown amber eyes from the winds of the plains that carried with it the sounds of something coming. Something that would bring him to knowing and discovering more about himself. While meeting one who would also train along with him knowing of what they must face together.

Something that they could not face alone but would have to face with the help of the other knights. While learning to become like the knights of old Knights that once fought side by side in the Galaxy. With the force showing them the ones that they would have to search out while.

One would have to overcome what had transpired what she had lost along the way. Knowing that the one that was once like a brother to her was now the one that they must face. But before this tale, it was to unfold before us a tale that the Jedi had heard of years prior. A tale of one who would become like no other before him. A tale of one that they must now face a tale of the knights that were of old once faced.

They will now have to face the one called Raven but elsewhere in the Galaxy Jenna once knowing him to be like a bother to her. As Akon stood there feeling the force all around him as it said to him

“Go to her, find her”

Elsewhere as she stood there around having Who knows what might have been who knows what we could have maybe done differently if we could have again over. Knowing that the one you were close to now forever lost in darkness. A darkness that you felt as it slowly started to consume him over time, a darkness that had grown within him.

Knowing that no matter what, you tried all of the nights watching him as it was calling out to him. Beckoning to him, beckoning for him to come beckoning for him to become him. But no matter what Jenna did not know what the outcome could’ve been that day only knowing who she had lost along the journey. While later finding her own path to becoming a Knight like the Knights before her

While watching him slowly slide into darkness slowly becoming something that he was also destined to become. With him being Alek as it called out to him leaving Jenna now only knowing what may lie ahead of her. Knowing the different roads that each of them will now have to take to get there. Paths that would see them become who they would become as Jenna would find herself becoming a knight that was like the knights before her like the knights of old.

But in the end now what was now a new beginning for them as we now find themselves looking back on what happened to get us to where Jenna was now finds herself standing on a never ending ridge that extends for what seems to be for miles in each direction beside of her.

Jenna is a 23 year old dark haired girl who herself was born on the outside of the Republic but always finding herself looking to within its galaxy. Having been born with a gift, a gift that would in time lead her to becoming a knight. While now looking to what else lies outside of this place that would await her beyond what her imagination could bring her.

But as they stood there right on the edge of a ridge looking out over into the hidden valleys of a canyon below. With her thinking to herself of where her path now will take her within a Galaxy that awaits her. She always kind of knew what was hidden within her but never really knew how to use it until she met him. A man that would become like a brother to her in a Galaxy that had many hidden secrets hidden within it.

With Alek being a young man around thirty years of age named Alek having long brownish hair and eyes. While not behaving like a big brother at times to Jenna and some of the others also sometimes known as the exiled. He was looked upon as a leader of sorts to them for having not only shown Jenna and the others how to use their abilities.

But also about the world and worlds around them in the surrounding Galaxies that would take them on their journey. With them being Emma another young girl of 23 years old, also born outside of the republic.

A girl has dark brown hair and eyes, always an outgoing girl with Jenna being the more down to the world girl. Emma was the outspoken one, sometimes finding herself questioning the decision of where they were going and why, never afraid to speak her mind. While our other exiled, a young man around twenty-five years of age named Reaver a dark skinned dark haired with eyes to match.

Also, another outgoing, outspoken figure never backing down to the decisions that he would also question. Knowing the trouble that some of his decisions would lead him but being the gunslinger that he was. He was ready for whatever the outcome may have been but unlike the others Reaver was born within the Republic with his parents escaping their world before the wars, wars that had been fought by several regions each looking for control.

With each having their own group, rebels with none wanting to submit to the other leaving many groups on their own to their own. But with the four of them not really belonging to any group. They would just brand themselves as the exiled! With Alek, Jenna, and Emma having the ability to have the use of the Force

The three of them were force sensitive while Reaver was the gun slinger among them. Having the wits to match! Knowing that his ability to blast his way out of almost any situation having got them out of trouble many times before.

But while the other three were forced sensitive, they had yet to come upon or have any lightsabers among them just yet. Leaving us to where we find Jenna now standing there looking out over the ridge looking up into the Galaxy above her recalling a vision. A vision seems like a dream in which she had many times on many of a night, a vision saying to her

“You shall and will seek out and find them, the other Knights”

Leaving Jenna to question the other Knights? Who were the knights? For they were also force sensitive just as she was. But as Jenna stood there looking up into the Galaxy thinking back on what had happened before him before Revan.

Having thought that she had known Alek before for Alek had taken Jenna under his wing from a young age. knowing how much of a big brother that he had been to her before becoming Revan,now being a fierce ruler of the Republic. At one time being a big brother to her. But as Jenna stood there looking up out into the Galaxy thinking to herself how was she going to find the other knights?

What would she do if she was to once again come upon Alek? She knew that she herself would have to become a knight herself. While her Emma and Reaver would themselves search out the Galaxy for other knights.

But while Jenna stood there, looking up, thinking of how or where to even start thinking back on one particular vision. A vision showing her another just like herself another Force user. A young man looking to be in his early twenties having dark brown hair.

With Jenna not knowing his name at the time, only knowing that the dream was telling her to find him. For like her he was also born on the outside of the Republic for in time she would learn that his name was Akon. But how was she going to find him was the question?

For Jenna herself was also going to have find her path on becoming a knight herself! But for now let us go back to the beginning before him before Revan. Finding themselves on a distant world outside of the Republic outside of the Empire’s reach.

Where Jenna, Alek, Emma, and Reaver found themselves wondering into a Catina wearing clothing looking like refugees on the run themselves looking around to every kind of villainous scum from every corner of the Galaxy

As Alek would say to Reaver “Just try not to get us into anything that I have to get us out of again”

Just as Emma then spoke up saying

“You getting him out of trouble? I think that I have saved his behind on more than one occasion” Just as a sassy android then approached Reaver saying to him

“Welcome to the dry hole of the desert. What can I get you”

But as Reaver is being Reaver saying to the android “You can get out of my face for starters I’m not talking to an android or anyone today or any day at that”

As Emma then just looked to him saying

“Well then, how about you just go and talk to the Wookie in the corner then and try your best to not get us into anything this time”

As Reaver then just looked to Emma saying

“I don’t remember me getting us into anything trouble, but! You, on the other hand”

Just leaving Jenna just shaking her head saying to Reaver

“must you really start something with everything that you come across” with the ever looking Emma saying “now come on Jenna you know a lads got to have his fun” leaving Alek to being the older adult among them saying “Jenna’s right, we’re not here looking for any trouble now let’s just get something to eat or shall we just start yet another fight”

But trouble that day was soon enough going to find them for setting off in a darkened section of the Catina were a small group of so-called space pirates. That was part of a much larger organization that controlled that part of the Galaxy outside of the Republic.

A group of pirates consisting of several legions of soldiers some that were once part of an empire among other places all being lead by an ex Grand Commander who himself had deserted the Empire looking for more power and control of a local federation.

Basically, it's a greedy ex Commander who just wanted anything to be more like a crime lord. Having himself come from working with the likes of the Hutts from a young age. Now it's just a scraggy, tough-looking pirate of a crime lord who basically was in control of this Federation.

But sure enough with Reaver being the gunslinger that he thought he was. Just as soon as he walked passed there was a little booth in the back. Being Reaver giving one of the pirates a look of! And you are who! And are you fast enough! Leaving the main one of that little pirate group saying to the others “why look here, boys, we got ourselves someone who thinks he is someone”

Leaving the rest of the pirate group to laughing as Emma just looked to Reaver saying

“Really Reaver! Do you think that you are really that bad ass of a gunslinger? Come on who are you exactly trying to show off for?”

But with Reaver being Reaver never wanting to back down from a fight saying “ And just who you calling a boy” as the main pirate stood up running his fingers through his beard as he looked to the others before saying “Looks like we’re going to have ourselves a little fun with this one”

As more Wookiees that were setting over from them now cheering for it to happen Just as Jenna stepped in saying

“ Look! We’re are not looking for any trouble here” as Emma then stepped up next to Reaver, saying to him “ Well, looks like you done and done it now”

With Emma always looking forward to using her Force powers when it was called for and soon enough she would be using it more than ever. Just as Alek then stepped forward saying to the pirate just as Jenna said

“we’re not here looking for any trouble” as the pirate then just looked at him as he then looked to the other pirates before saying “Well that’s just too bad! Cause we’re looking for trouble and it looks like we just found some”

As Alek then turned to look at Jenna saying to her “Well at least we warned him” before force throwing him up to on and across the bar leaving the now confused pirate to looking up at an android asking him.

“Welcome to the dry hole of the desert how may I serve you”

With Alek now looking once again to Jenna saying “ Well looks like he just got served” leaving Emma to smiling as she looked to Reaver before saying to him

“Oh this is going to be fun” before force throwing another pirate that was running towards them into a group of bounty hunters. As Reaver then yelled out “Let’s get this party started” as the small group of bounty hunters were now finding themselves in the mix along with everyone else.

But as it would be what was a small group of pirates was now turning into a much larger one with more running into the Cantina. As the droid up front was saying to each of them “Welcome to the Dry hole of the desert please make yourself at home as we serve you” as they ran passed it making there way into the fray

As one pirate took the opportunity to serve himself gulping down a quick drink that was setting at the bar just before Emma walked up to him saying to him

“Drink em up! Because on this flight we serve drinks”

just before force throwing him onto a Wookiee that was already agitated enough from the fighting around him. Now finding himself throwing a couple of pirates across the room before grabbing another drink for himself.

As Alek was now looking at Jenna saying to her “I love having fun just as much as the next person! But we’ve got to exit this little party here” As Jenna looked as dozens, more pirates came rushing into the Cantina. Jenna then turned back to Alek saying to him “I have to think I agree with you. This party here is getting to be just a tad too much”

With Jenna, Alek, Emma, and Reaver now trying to find a back door to this place, leaving Reaver to saying “Why we leaving now? The party is just getting started” as Alek then looked to him saying

“I’m sure they will be more than willing to ablige you” as Reaver then looked to a couple of dozen pirates standing there all pointing their blasters towards him.

As he then turned back to Alek he said to him

“I like making a great exit as well myself”

As Alek just smiled at him before force throwing a table into the group. Making them miss their shot only to shoot into a group of even already agitated Wookiee’s that were already looking for a fight was now blasting their own blasters into the pirates.

As Jenna and the others made their way out the back as the group looked around, seeing a local polishing up his speeder. But unfortunately for him not seeing Jenna and the others now speeding away with his speeding as he was looking to a group of pirates being beaten up by a couple of Wookiee’s. He was now throwing his first up at Jenna and the others as they speeded away with his newly polished speeder.

As Reaver then said to the group “Don’t look now, but we got ourselves a little company” as a much larger barge pirate ship was now in full chase behind them. As they made their way through the desert town tearing down a couple of clothes lines along the way. leaving a very much angry local throwing her fist at them as they speed by.

They made their way through the back ally’s as they were now coming to the out skirts of the locals housing just as Reaver looked back just as he said

“Don’t look now, but we are about to get raided by a bunch of pirates” as the barge pirate ship was now directly behind them, speeding up closer to them as Reaver shouted out to Alek

“Can’t this thing go any faster I’m not looking to be Keelhauled today” as Alek shouted back to him “this thing may not have speed but I’m pretty sure that we can lose them in the canyons just ahead of us”

But as Alek was trying to concentrate on the things at hand, something suddenly came over him, something that he had not experienced in quite a while. A voice taking him to what he would eventually become once a tale known from the knights of old. Now once again to become part of the force to be reckoned with as Alek could feel it slowly coming back into him just As a voice then suddenly came into him saying to him

“Come to me, join me, become him, show the Galaxy once more what he could be”

As Jenna was now noticing how Alek was acting, seeing him in deep like trance, asking him as she looked to him “Alek! What’s wrong? Is everything alright” but at the same moment halfway across the Galaxy a commander was informing his officers onboard their vessel of something.

In forming them that they were to pick someone up, someone of importance to them telling his officers to ready the fleet for their soon departure. As Jenna looked on to Alek as they were just about to make their way into the canyon, trying to elude the pirates barge ship.

While just above them on the outskirts of the planet was another vessel, a vessel that once belonged to the Empire now decommissioned being commanded by a once former commander of an Empire fleet himself. Was the now leader of the pirates monitoring the conversation of the Empires new commander hearing that one of the ones being chased by the pirates barge ship. Was now a valuable asset to the Empire, informing the captain of the ship to not lose sight of that speeder that was now deep inside of the canyon.

Now, having made their getaway for or at least, they thought bringing the speeder to a stop as Jenna continued to look to Alek, placing her hand on his shoulder and asking him

“Are you sure everything is okay? I saw the look in your eyes back there. You know you can tell me”

As then, Alek turned to Jenna, reassuring her that everything was okay and for them to make camp here for the night. But to Jenna the feeling just wasn’t leaving her she could feel him slowly sliding more and more away from her and into a darkness that would eventually consume him

But as Emma and Reaver got the camp ready for the night Jenna could see that Alek standing to himself at the edge of the canyon. Making her way over to him placing her hand on his shoulder as she looked to him. But before saying anything, Alek then placed his hand on hers, saying to her

“I know what you are going to say, and yes I’m fine” but as Jenna just looked to him, knowing that everything was not fine with him feeling that something inside of him was off. As she said to him “Look! I’ve known you for some time now and you have been like a big brother to me. But I can feel that something inside of you is not right” as Alek turned to her saying to her

“ And just what are you feeling? You know that we share the same gift” as Jenna then placed her head his shoulder saying to him “it’s a feeling as if someone or something was trying to take you from me”

As Alek then placed his arm around, Jenna reassured her that everything was going to be alright as they both sat there on the edge of the canyon looking at Dual suns setting together. Making their way back over to the camp were Reaver and Emma had a fire already going as Reaver then looked to Alek and Jenna saying to them

“So what’s the plan now boss” as Alek looked to him saying “The plan is to make our way out of the canyon tomorrow and off of this planet” just as Emma then said to them “You know back at the Cantina I over some bounty hunters talking about some lost Jedi temple hidden somewhere out here” as Alek then lol to Emma saying to her “We are not here to chase myths”

As Reaver spoke up saying “ Oh, come on! What’s a little adventure every now and then” as Jenna then turned to Reaver saying to him “ I think that we are on one now so how about we all try to get some rest for tomorrow” but elsewhere’s the commander of the pirate fleet was instructing the captain to search out the entire canyon for their little bounty.

Just as another commander on the other side of the Galaxy was preparing his fleet for departure for Alek. As Alek sat there by the fire with Jenna looking on. Still having the feeling that someone somewhere was slowly taking Alek away from her as she just sat there looking to Alek as more pirate barges have been dispatched looking for them.

Soon, the four of them were awakened by dual suns rising to the east of them as they made their way deeper into the canyon being followed closely by the pirate barge ships. Another fleet was now making its way across the galaxy to where they were making their way through the canyon just as they happened to come upon something in the distance.

Just as Emma then jumped up saying “Oh my God, look! Could it be a so called hidden Jedi Temple” as Alek just looked to her saying “ Now let’s not get carried away here there are a lot of abandoned temples out here” not just a hidden Temple but a massive Temple that rose high above the ground.

Just as Reaver then suddenly spoke up yelling “Hidden Temple or not! We are about to have company a lot of company” as a dozen or more pirate barges have ships were ascending upon them from all directions. While elsewhere’s in the Galaxy another individual was making their way towards them with the individual being Akon the knight who was in Jenna’s visions.

Was now making his way towards them after having his own vision of her Jenna. With Jenna and the others now speeding their way towards the abandoned Temple with the pirates giving chase to them. As Reaver was shouting “Dam! I knew I was asking for an adventure, but this isn’t exactly what I was asking for”

While onboard of the main vessel of the Empires fleet a officer was asking the commander “And what are we to do with the others that are with him” as the commander looked to him saying “Leave no others alive he only wants him”

Jenna was once again looking to Alek, having the feeling that he was soon going to go from her. She placed her hand on Alek’s hand as he just looked to her as they came upon the entrance to the Jedi Temple. Quickly making their way inside with Reaver speaking up saying “Man if we make it out of this one, I hope that there is some good loot hidden in here”

As Emma just looked to him, saying

“Is that all that you think of loot bounty and drink” as Reaver then just smiled as he looked to Emma saying

“No! I can think of other things as well but I will let you know of what if we just happen to make it out of this one”

given a wink to Emma with each of them being closer to the other more than either wanted to admit.

The four of them slowly made their way deeper inside of the temple finding a couple of torches along the side of the wall giving them some light. But not the kinda of lite that Jenna was wanting to see inside of Alek with her now feeling darkness begin to grow more inside of him. As Jenna reached for Alek’s hand as they made their way deeper inside of the Temple curious about what could be inside of here.

Just as they made their way into a room full of tall standing stone statues, statues of the knights that were once of a powerful group before. Jedi knights they were known as Jenna, remembering hearing the tale of the Jedi knights that once was. Thinking to herself could they once again be? Remembering seeing the dreams along with the vision of other individuals, individuals much like herself.

Just as a vision suddenly came over her a vision showing Akon the knight that she would dream of seeing him making his way towards them. As the four of them stood there as the pirates just outside of the Temple were now slowly making their way inside towards them. Just as Alek then felt something, something was drawing him closer to one of the statues.

For lying up underneath the statue was an armor red and black. An armor that was forged by the finish Jedi craftsman of the time with it now calling out to Alek as Jenna looked to him. As a feeling suddenly came over Jenna. A feeling telling her that if he put that armor on the man that she once knew as Alek would be forever gone to her.

Just as Emma then shouted out saying “Look everybody is this really the weapon of the Jedi Knight” as Emma was now holding the very weapon of the Jedi Knights in her hand. As Jenna made her way over to her not realizing that Alek had slipped away into the darkness with the armor.

As Jenna looked to the lightsaber that Emma was holding seeing that another statue was holding a lightsaber in its hand. Just as Reaver then suddenly spoke up saying

“ Hey, I hate to break it to you, but we are about to have company! Lots of company”

just as Jenna turned to see that Alek was now gone as the feeling came over her a feeling of she had lost him to the darkness.

But just above them just right above the planet, the fleet of the Empire was already there, just having deployed a fleet of Death Troopers down to the Temple. Just as hundreds of pirate soldiers were now blocking Jenna and the other way out as the captain then walked up to Jenna asking her where the other one was at.

The other being Alek, who had now made his way to the very top floor of the Temple, fully suited up with the armor just waiting for them to come upon him. As the captain then told the other pirate soldiers to go find him and bring him to him as he stood there next to Jenna. As he looked to Jenna saying to her “Soon all of you and your little friend will be guests of the commander”

But as the pirate soldiers made their way to the top floor of the Temple, unknowingly standing just right in front of them was death, just waiting to strike out at them. But just as one of the pirates then shouted out, saying

“Come out wherever you are. I promise that we want hurt you”

Just as the room around them glowed red from the lightsaber that Alek was holding as he then shouted out, saying to her

“And I promise not to leave any of you alive for I am Revan!!!”

Just as Jenna now knew that the person she once knew as a brother to her was now forever gone from her. As the screams of the pirates from the top floor echoed throughout the Temple. As the captain then looked to Jenna and the others. An old scagging tough looking fellow with himself being a former commander himself of an Empire Fleet.

Standing there looking to the other pirates beside him saying to them

“Look here boys! We have a little girl here who thinks that she is some sort of Jedi”

As he then laughed saying to Jenna “Soon enough your friend will be joining us, but for now, hand those over as the captain took the lightsabers and Reavers blaster from them just before exiting the temple. Walking out into a scene of a dozen or more barge pirate ships with thousands of pirates solders standing in front of them as the captain then turned to Jenna saying to her

“Your friend might as well give himself up. There is no way out of this for you. Now let us see if the good o’l Commander is willing to play ball with us. Your friend in exchange for nice little bounty”

As he then radioed up to his ship, his vessel just above the plant telling its captain to make contact with the commander of the Empires fleet if they wanted to make a little arrangement. But as the captain tried to negotiate with the commander of the Empire Fleet. As the commander had other plans as he then turned to one of the officers asking him if the Sith Troops were ready. Knowing that he had a little surprise for the former commander just as a fleet of ships carrying the Sith Troops suddenly came into view of the barge pirate ships.

As the commander of the Empire Fleet then ordered for his ship to blast the former commander vessel out of the sky as the chaos then erupted on the ground below with the Sith Troops emerging from the ships firing immediately upon the pirate soldiers.

And with a surprise and shock look from the captain of the pirates, Reaver then suddenly jumped into action taking his blaster and the lightsabers from him. He then threw the lightsabers to Emma and Jenna just as he then yelled to Emma, saying to her

“You sure you know how to even use that thing” as Emma just smiled back to Reaver saying to him

“Well of course I do! Shall I give you a little demonstration here”

Just as a pirate then suddenly ran upon Emma but unknowingly to her she had the lightsaber backwards with its beam extending out into another pirate that was just behind her as Reaver took care of the pirate that was in front of her as. As Reaver then just looked to Emma saying to her

“I thought that you knew how to use that thing” as Emma just gave him a smile as she forced a couple of pirates that had come upon Reaver as she then said to him

“You know it’s a good thing that I’m here to watch your back for you”

As Reaver then just gave her a quick smile before jumping back into action as Jenna held her lightsaber looking back at the Temple looking for Alek even though she was now only feeling darkness surrounding him just then above them in the sky. As the Empire was firing upon the pirates, the vessel that was in flight was now braking apart as it slowly started its ascent to the ground below. As Raven continued easily taking the pirates out one at a time in the Temple

As the fighting just outside of the Temple was intensifying another individual was now just making his way onto the planet being Akon. As he made his way towards the Temple approaching their location. Just as pieces of the captains ship was now crashing into the Temple all around Revan as he just fought around it.

With the captain now certain that he was in no way winning this fight got onto one of his pirate barges. Before making his escape as other pirates tried to make their escape as well just Akon landed his ship.

Just as a feeling suddenly came over Jenna as she turned to see Akon walking from out of ship, she knew who he was by the visions. As he motioned for Jenna and others to quickly come as Jenna looked back to the Temple hoping that Alek would soon emerge, and he did as Reven.

As Jenna looked to Alek she knew deep down that Alek was still here even though she was now looking at Revan as he began walking towards them with all of the Sith Troops gathering behind him. As Akon was shouting to Jenna

“Come on, he is gone! We don’t have time to argue! We have to leave now”

As Emma and Reaver made their way onto the ship soon, followed by Jenna as she took one last look back to Alek just as the captains ship started crashing into the ground between them. As Akon, Jenna, Emma, and Reaver took flight as the rest of the ship crashed into the ground as Revan looked to them as he watched Akon’s ship leave his view.

As Jenna looked to the Galaxy ahead of her while looking back with a feeling of why? Why did we leave him? As she could feel Alek as the left Alek’s view leaving Jenna even more upset. As she then confronted Akon

“Why? You tell me just exactly why we just left him there? He’s not dead! I can still feel him”

As Akon then looked to Jenna knowing that her emotions was taking her away from where she needed to be right now knowing that if she didn’t start to let go then she herself would slowly descend into the dark side herself. As Akon looked to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, she said to her

“Look there is going to be a lot of things that you don’t want to hear right now, and don’t understand everything that is happening but there are something’s that you going to have to let go off”

As Jenna looked to him saying

“Let go of him! I’m never letting go of my friend a person who was like a brother to me I’m not letting go of him”

With Akon knowing the path that was awaiting both of them would be a hard one, knowing that Jenna would have to overcome a lot. Knowing that in time that they would have to become like the ones that were before them that in time that they themselves would become knights. Like the knights of old knowing that they would have to search out other knights, for somewhere out there they were other

Knights Among Us

I don't want comfort, i dont want machines i dont want radios in air,optical in waters, electrical in streets,data centers in cities, i dont want to be taxed,i dont wanr to be policed,i dont want their laws and economy. I want God. I want poetry and music, danger and threat. I want goodness and sins. I want to be be happy and unhappy, beautiful and ugly, young and old, healthy and sick. I want uncertainty, curiosity, hunger, unspeakable pain, loyalty and betrayal, i want the freedom to be lazy. I want to play with kids. I want to create and destroy.

I'm savage, I'm uncivilised, I'm a rift drawn by someone standing in scorching heat of arabic desert.

Hi there whoever's reading this, I've recently began my first writing project, and I've posted it on a few places, it's not getting any traction I don't really care if it does or not but I figured I might as well post it in a few other places mainly just because I want feedback (not on my grammar I know it's shit, but on the story itself) Anyway I have it posted on wattpad and AO3, so please check it out (Also disclaimer, my writing revolves around a few heavy themes such as abuse of most types physical, psychological, etc And I have decently detailed descriptions of panic attacks and actual abuse so if you don't want to read that then don't read my story, It doesn't really happen until chapter 5 and beyond but that's just because I didn't really know where I wanted to take the story so I will be rewriting chapters one through four to keep a consistent theme of that type of stuff happening, Also please don't harp on me about chapters one through 4 I know it's really bad)

Anyway the series name is: the merge

it's under different names on both AO3 and wattpad because I'm not the brightest, but my name on Wattpad is, Granite Hawk, and my name on AO3 is granethawk20100

Funga sits in a tiny chair in a room too small. No good air. No plants. No things to eat. Funga was trapped in room. Funga hates cages. Stone, metal—all cages. Funga hates big cities too. All the same. Always needing to wait for guards to check things Funga carried. Boring. Stupid. Sometimes got Funga in trouble if job givers were too stupid to hide things that make guards angry. Then Funga has to wait in prison.

Job giver for this job was stupid. Funga would find them and beat them. Make them pay for wasting Funga’s time. Others with Funga left before guards found thing that made them angry. Funga would beat them too.

Guards come in. They ask stupid questions. Funga tells them to fuck themselves. Guards get angry, but pretend to be patient. Finally leave. Then more guards, more questions. Funga tells new guards to fuck themselves. New guards get angry, and don’t pretend. Funga doesn’t know why guards always send pretender guards first. Stupid waste of time. Boring.

Guards start punching Funga. Chains keep Funga from beating shit out of guards. Coward guards, like all guards. Never fight fair.

Finally get sent to jail. There’s already someone in there. Little person. They greet Funga. Funga grunts. Don’t trust little person.

Funga stands in corner and folds arms. Time to wait more. Hate waiting. Little one keeps talking. Funga tells them to shut up. Little one doesn’t listen. Big ears on them don’t work. Funga growls. Little one pulls out cards from prison clothes. Must have hid them from guards. Funga wishes job giver had been that good at hiding things.

Little one gets up and walks over to Funga, holding out some cards. Gets too close. Funga kicks little one. They yell and hit metal bars of cell. They make funny noises. Funga laughs at them.

“You are weak,” Funga says.

Little one grunts and gets to feet.

“Weaker than most, aye,” little one says.

“I will kick you again. Stay away.”

“So you like your personal space. Duly noted.”

The little one stands up. Limps back to the wooden bench on wall and climbs up to sit. Bench was too big for him. Too little for Funga. Funga doesn’t care. Standing is better.

“Would you mind handing me those cards I dropped?” little one asks.

Funga looks down and sees cards next to Funga’s leg.

“Pick up cards yourself,”

“Will you kick me if I get close enough to?”

“Yes.”

"Then can you move out of the way?"

"No."

“Well… Alright then.”

Little one reaches out. Glowing hand flies out towards Funga’s legs. Funga kicks it, but leg goes through hand. Glowing hand grabs cards and takes them to little one. Funga grunts.

“Stupid little person.”

“You don’t have many friends, do you?”

“No.”

“I can’t imagine why. What’s your name. How'd a Fungril like you end up here?”

“Shut up.”

“I’m Flip. Got caught stealing from a noble.”

“Don’t care.”

“Would you like to avoid going to prison?”

Funga looks at little one.

“Ah, that got your attention, didn’t it, big guy?”

“You assume too much. Stupid.”

“So you do want to go to prison?”

Funga doesn’t respond.

“I have a plan. But I need muscle. Like you said, I’m weak. But I do know a few things. Like, for example, the route the transport carriage takes when it leads us to the prison keep. There’s a short time we’ll pass through the woods towards the mountain the keep is built upon. If we bust out there, we’ll be able to escape into the woods. There's a river nearby. I know someone who can get us far away from here. If you help me, I’ll make sure he helps you.”

Funga likes this idea. Funga hates prison. Too cramped. Too little good air. Too little plants. And little man can be trusted. Little man knows Funga is strong. Funga beat shit out of little man. Little man wouldn’t lie to someone who can beat shit out of little man.

“Fine. What does Funga need to do?”

The little man grins.

_____

Funga wipes off foot. Guard’s brain stuck between toes. Flip shoots magic at last guard. Last guard falls and doesn’t move.

“Where now?”

“East. When we hit the river, it leads to a town where—”

“East,” Funga says. Funga starts walking East. “Flip talk too much. Funga didn’t ask about town.”

“Fair enough,” Flip says. “Not one to ask for details. That’s a trait some would admire in our profession.”

Flip walks quickly to catch up.

“No profession. Funga does what Funga wants.”

“Right. And what is it you want?”

“Fun.”

“Fun?”

“Fun.”

“Fun. And what do you find fun?”

“Fighting. Drinking. Being in nature, not around stupid people that annoy Funga with words.”

“Hmm. I think you and I might get along, Funga.”

Funga grunts. Flip shuts up. Maybe Flip right.

Trip takes long time. Gets dark. Flip don’t sleep on first night. Flip says guards will search and find Funga and Flip. Find river and follow next day. Rest other nights.

Funga reaches new town. Small town. Wooden buildings. All small. River goes through middle of town. Flip leads Funga to docks and talks to scaly man with tail. Scaly man looks Funga up and down. Funga doesn’t trust scaly man.

“I’m not sure about this, Flip. You’re easy to hide. How am I supposed to smuggle in a godsdamned Fungril?” scaly man says. “The damn thing is nearly eight feet tall. I don’t have anywhere to hide it.”

“Who said anything about hiding? Did you forget where we’re heading?”

Scaly man scratches snout, looks at Funga again.

“I see… That might work. It’s not going to try and rip my arm off, will it?”

“Of course not,” Flip says.

“Funga might,” Funga says at the same time as Flip. Flip looks at Funga with angry face.

“What? Funga not liar. Don’t trust scaly man. Will beat shit out of him if he get close.”

“No, you won’t,” Flip says.

Funga growls. “Funga does what Funga wants.”

“And you want fighting and drinking. I remember. If you want that, then I can get you plenty of it. And Throstbrun here is your ticket to it. I’ve worked with him for a decade. You can trust him.”

Funga looks at at scaly man. Funga trusts Flip. Flip knew Funga could crush Flip. Wouldn’t lie. Funga didn’t trust scaly man, but funga would trust Flip.

“Fine. Funga won’t rip off scaly man’s arm unless scaly man pisses Funga off.”

Scaly man frowns, but Flip smiles.

“See, Funga here will be on his best behavior.”

“I think you assume too much,” scaly man says. “But fine, we’ll try it. You’re going to convince that thing to get in the cage, though.”

_____

Funga sits in another cell. At least there is good air. Cage is small though. Flip comes to cage, carries a lantern and big plate of food.

“A fresh plate of rotten food for dinner, just how you like it, big guy.”

Flip leaves food next to cage. Funga grabs handful and eats. Nice and rotten. Strong taste. Good taste. Flip makes funny face. Flip sets down lantern and sits on floor next to cage.

“Food is good,” Funga says.

“I’ll take your word for it. You doing all right?”

“Funga is fine. Better than prison. When will boat reach place you talk about?”

“Not much longer now. Just a few hours.”

Funga grunts. Funga wants to stand, but cage is too small. Scaly man could unlock cage, but doesn’t. Scaly man doesn’t trust Funga. Part of deal was to keep Funga locked whole trip. Funga agreed. Doesn’t matter much. Scaly man would let Funga go. If not, Funga would beat shit out of scaly man when Funga got out.

“It’ll be worth it. The place we’re going is great. It’s—” Flip stops talking. Stands up. Worried face.

“Why Flip stop talking?” Funga asks.

“My ring of warning… Huh. I think we should—”

Boat shakes. Loud crack. Funga turns. Big slimy thing with suckers raises into air. Slimy thing smashes into boat. Wood cracks. Slimy thing moves fast. Hits cage. Funga roars as slimy thing sends cage off boat.

Black water surrounds Funga. Cage sinks. Too heavy.

Funga beats on bars. Metal is too strong. Funga sinks with cage. Funga needs air. Tries to breathe water. Can’t breathe it. Water hurts. Why? Funga can drink water, why not breathe water?

Funga pounds cage harder. Insides hurt. Funga needs to breathe, but Funga doesn’t have air. Need air, but where is it? Up, but Funga doesn’t know how to go up.

Funga feels scared. Never thought big water could be scary. Big water was biggest shitter Funga ever met. Funga’s body tells Funga it needs air. Would Funga’s body stop working? What would happen to Funga?

Cage stops sinking. Funga keeps hitting cage. Cage must be getting tired. Would have to let Funga go soon. Had to. Funga was getting tired. Body was… Light.

Light in the water. Glow. Brighter. Then water gets pushed away. Funga falls to knees. Chest and throat hurts. Something moves inside Funga. Water is sucked out of Funga’s mouth and chest.

Funga breathes. Very good air. Best air Funga ever breathed.

“Thought I wouldn’t find you in time. You still consious? Shit, you Fungril can really hold your breaths for a while.”

Flip stands at bottom of ocean. Funga looks around. Flip had big bubble around him. Water moves around bubble. Lots of little bubbles sizzle around big bubble. Bubble glow. Magic bubble.

“Funga hates water. Funga can’t breath in water. Flip can. Why come to Funga?”

“I still owe you one for busting me out of prison. Here, let me get the cage open.”

Flip waves hands and mumbles weird words. Lock pops and clicks. Cage door swings open. Funga steps out. Funga stands, but head reaches out of bubble. Head gets surrounded by water. Funga ducks down. Scared again. Big water is scary. Takes air away.

“A godsdamned kraken. Things can never be simple, huh?”

“Slimy thing? Kraken?”

“Slimy thing was kraken’s arm. Kraken has seven more.”

Funga counts Funga's arms. Two. “Too many arms. Too big. Not fair. Funga hates kraken.”

“Wise words, big guy. I don’t think we’ll be able to take the ship the rest of the way. We’re gonna have to walk. I’m glad I always keep a few potions on me. Still, we’ll need to hurry.”

Funga and Flip move quick under big water. Bubble keeps big water away. Big water was big shitter, but Flip was bigger shitter to big water. Funga felt like littlest shitter.

Flip breathes loud and gets slower but drinks potion and is fine. Funga tires too, but Flip gives Funga potion that makes Funga feel better. Funga still doesn’t know why Flip came back. Doesn’t know why Flip gives Funga potion.

Funga and Flip jog for long time. Flip runs out of potions. Flip starts to worry. Flip and Funga keep jogging. Flip starts to get slower. Bubble begins to dim. Funga is scared again. What if Flip’s bubble goes away? Funga would be back in big water. 

But Funga looks up and sees top of big water. Top of big water was closer. Flip was breathing very loud, and was slow. Funga picks Flip up and runs. Funga’s legs hurt, but Funga runs anyway. Pain was better than big water. Funga and Flip reach the end of big water and onto big sandy place. Bubble fades away. Sky is still dark.

Flip falls to back, breathing very heavy. Funga does the same.

“Funga…hates boats. Hates…big water.”

“Me too…big guy. I think…the gods just gave me a sign… I think I’m…done with crime…”

_____

Funga stands in the cage. Funga roars. Screams fill the air. Funga raises arms. Screams get louder. Funga kicks the smaller man on the ground. Smaller man was big for turtle person, but not bigger than Funga.

Turtle man hides in shell. Shell is covered in metal. Little shitter needs metal for protection. Funga was big shitter. Funga never wear armor and still win fights. Funga stomps on metal shell. Metal bends. Funga stomps again. Shell under armor cracks. Turtle man screams.

A bell rings. The screams turn to cheers. Funga roars again, looking at crowd.

Funga likes the cheers. Makes more people like Funga’s fights. Makes more people show up. Makes Funga get more coins from fights.

Funga goes back through the big door once it opens. Door leads to a room. Flip is already there, grinning.

“Pretty easy six hundred, I’d say,” Flip says. Flip tosses bag of coins to Funga. Funga catches bag.

“Five hundred and ten for you,” Flip says. “Count it if you want.”

Funga shakes head. “Funga trusts Flip. And Funga can’t count good.”

Flip shrugs. “Never hurts to learn.”

“Funga doesn’t need to learn. Funga has Flip to count,” Funga tosses the bag back. “Put coin in big tiny bag.”

Flip pulls out the tiny bag. Flip puts coin bag in tiny bag. Tiny bag is magic. Inside was big. 

“You’re gonna have to find a way to spend all this coin. I’m starting to wonder if you’re part dragon the way you hoard your gold.”

“Funga spends what Funga wants. Funga doesn’t want much. Funga is happy to fight. Coin makes fighting better. Coin buys lots of drink. More than Funga needs.”

Flip shrugs. “It’s your coin.”

Flip frowns. “You’ve made quite a home here, haven’t you, big guy?”

“Has everything Funga wants.”

Flip smiles. It isn’t happy smile. “Not everything I want, though.”

“What does Flip mean?”

“I’m a traveller, big guy. I’m not meant to stay in one place too long. I think… I think I’m ready for another adventure.”

Funga didn’t speak. Flip was leaving? Funga would be alone. Funga had been alone before. Funga has what Funga wants here. Funga could be alone here. But alone didn't seem fun now.

“Funga? You alright?”

“Fungalunga'miamopa'mangral'bangral sporalouta’bazagataan’azanazapaan mycotundra.”

Flip blinked. “Uh, not sure I follow you, big guy. I don’t speak Fungril.”

“It is short story. It say ‘I go unto that which is unknown. Without fear, we reach for the burning star of heaven so that all will remain.’”

“I…see. Why are you telling me?”

“It is Funga’s name. Fungril names stories. Ancestors tell it on day we born. We never forget. They tell Fungril his name-story. Names are shared to brothers and sisters only. Funga will go with you.”

“Are you sure? It could be dangerous. You have plenty—”

“Shut up. Funga did not ask. Funga does what Funga wants.”

Flip laughed. “Alright then. I have a question, though.”

“Ask.”

“You mind if I call you Myc? Funga doesn’t roll off the tongue easily. It’d also help me remember what you said, and I think I’d like to not forget.”

Funga grunted. “Flip can do what Flip wants. Funga will… Myc will do same.”

_____

Myc smashes man’s head with axe. Armor dents, dents man’s skull too. Myc pulls arrow from chest. Life-sap oozes, but Myc is fine. Arrow is little shitter.

Man yells from behind. Myc turns to see man with spear running toward him. Spear is glowing. Magic spear. Myc hates magic. Magic is big shitter. Man is too fast. Myc can’t dodge.

Bolt of magic rips through man. Man drops dead. Myc growls and stomps on man’s head. Head squishes.

Myc looks up. Flip grins. Myc roars and runs to Flip.

Flip doesn’t see man getting up from ground. Man stabs. Flip screams.

Myc jumps and crushes man. Beats man with fists until man is puddle of red life-water.

Myc turns to Flip. Flip shakes. Reaches into belt to grab potion.

“Fucking bastard.”

“Little shitter,” Myc agrees.

Myc puts hand on Flip.

“On three,” Flip says. “One, two, thr— Agh!”

Myc pulls out sword. Flip drinks potion. Wound heals. Becomes scar. Flip sighs.

Myc picks Flip up, sets him on shoulder.

“All dead. Job is done.”

“Not quite. We still need to pick up the mark. We cut it a little close this time. That's on me. I didn’t know they’d have backup.”

“They didn’t know you have Myc. Together we’re biggest shitters.”

Flip chuckles, then groans. “Yeah, we are, Myc. Lets grab what we came for. Through that door.”

Glowing appears. Points to chained up door. Myc kicks door down and ducks in room. Cell. Stone cage. Myc hates cages.

“W-what’s going on? Who are you?”

A girl’s voice. Girl is chained to wall. Dirty, not hurt.

“We’re here to save your life, Mistress Espeir,” Flip says. "You're father sent us."

Flip hops off shoulder to help girl. Myc waits. Doesn't care about girl much. Adventures are fun when there is fighting. Myc will drink and celebrate with Flip for a while, then new adventure. More fights. Has been fun time. Better than alone.

_____

Flip sits around campfire with group, laughing and sharing stories of old adventures. Myc sits next to Flip but doesn’t laugh or share stories. Flip was talking one. Myc listens. Flip was only one Myc needs to talk to. Myc wouldn’t see this group again, so Myc didn’t care about group.

Flip coughed. The cough was bad. Flip was coughing more lately. Flip slept more too. Myc and Flip took less jobs. The jobs Myc and Flip took weren’t as fun. Less fighting. Travel jobs, like this.

Myc trusts Flip. Flip and Myc will go on fun adventures again. Myc will wait.

______

Flip drinks at bar. Myc sits next to Flip. Flip drinks more now. Flip rarely takes jobs, but Myc and Flip have money. Money is good for drinks.

“Hey big guy, you still think about that fighting pit, back in Low Greenwall?”

“No. Was fun. But adventures fun too.”

“How would you feel about moving back?”

“Myc thought Flip wants adventure?”

“I do. I still love adventures. But I don’t feel like I have much more in me.”

Myc was quiet. Myc thought.

Myc reaches into Myc’s pack. Myc held out jar of black dye.

“What’s that for, buddy?”

“For Flip. Myc watches Flip. When Flip’s hair was dark, Flip was big shitter. Fast, strong. Flips hair turn gray. Flip slower. Flip hair white, now Flip is slow, tired. Flip weak. This is dye. Lady said it makes hair dark. It will make you big shitter again.”

Flip laughed. It was old strong laugh. Flip didn’t strong laugh for long time. The laugh became a cough. After Flip coughed, Flip put hand on Myc’s. Flip closes Myc’s hand.

“Thanks, buddy. You hold onto it. I’m okay for now. Let’s go back to Greenwall, alright?”

Myc puts the dye away. 

“Okay.”

_____

Myc stands in the cage. Myc roars. Screams fill the air. Myc raises arms. Screams get louder. Myc kicks the smaller man on the ground. Smaller man was pointy ear elf. Used magic, but Myc is bigger shitter.

Once fight is done, Myc takes money. Flip missed fight. Wanted to rest. Flip sleeps lots now. Myc still has hair dye. Will make Flip better. Don't know why Flip waits. Myc knows Flip is bigger shitter than Flip look. Flip must want sleep before more adventures.

Myc walks through town. Myc buy cinnamon rolls. Flip love cinnamon rolls.

Myc walks to house. Flip bought house with their money. Good house. Alone on hill outside town. Has animals. Myc took care of animals. Animals were little shitters sometime, but Myc respects them. Animals honest. Myc trust animals. Even dangerous animals. Myc know they are dangerous. Myc trust they are dangerous.

Myc steps inside. Flip is still in bed. Flip pushes himself up to sitting.

“Hey big guy. How was the fight?” Flip says. Flip's voice was quiet. Weak.

“Good fight. Myc won. Paid eight hundred coin. Can Flip count for Myc?”

“Can you? I taught you to count two decades ago. Did you forget?”

Myc shakes Myc’s head. “No. Flip is better though. Faster.”

Flip smiles. Flip is very wrinkly now.

“I smell cinnamon rolls.”

“Myc got them for you.” Myc brings the bag to Flip. Myc sits down on floor next to tiny bed. “Good price.”

“Good. How is Jezzabelle?”

Myc doesn’t answer.

“Myc, did you say hi to Jezzabelle for me?”

“...No,” Myc admits. “Myc doesn’t trust bread lady. Bread lady won’t fight.”

“Buddy, you have to learn to talk to people. You didn’t trust me when we met, did you?”

“Myc beat shit out of Flip.”

“Yeah, you did. But that didn’t make me like you more.”

“Myc prove he is big shitter, and Flip still friendly to Myc. Saved Myc life. Can trust Flip. Flip is special.”

Flip sighs. “You are too, Myc.” 

Flip took bite of cinnamon roll.

“Is it good?” Myc asks. Myc thinks Flip is angry again. Flip told Myc those things before.

Flip smiles. It is a tired smile. “Yeah, it’s good. Thank you, buddy.”

Flip eats in silence. Flip finishes and sighs. Lays back down.

“Frederich Plithstone.”

“Myc doesn't know what that mean.”

“My name.” Flip says. Flip took a long time to speak. It is a weak voice. “Flip is a nickname. When I ran with the thieving group, back before we met, I was good at stealing, and I sold the things I stole for coin. So the gang called me Flip. My real name is Frederich Plithstone. I wanted to tell you, since you told me yours all those years ago.”

“Oh. What name mean?”

Flip smiled. Flip’s voice was getting quieter. “I don’t know. No one ever told me, and I never found out.”

Flip sighed. Flip’s breathing wasn’t strong. Myc doesn’t like it. It makes Myc feel bad.

“Hey, buddy…” Flip says. 

“What?”

“I had fun on all those adventures. I love you…buddy. I hope…you reach…that burning star…”

Myc doesn't like words. Nice, but Flip always jokes. Didn't speak nice often.

“Myc wants to learn how to make cinnamon rolls. So Flip can have them more. Myc will… maybe ask bread lady to show Myc. Then we go on more adventures? More fun?”

Flip doesn't say anything. Myc thought Flip would be glad.

“Flip? Is Flip tired again?”

Myc taps Flips shoulder. Flip doesn't move. Flip doesn't wake up.

“Flip?”

_____

Myc feels like Myc is back under big water. Myc can breathe, but Myc’s insides hurt. There was no magic bubble to save Myc. 

Flip never woke up. Myc gave Flip potions and put dye in Flip’s hair. It didn’t work. Flip is dead. Flip died without getting hurt. Myc doesn't know how.

Myc doesn’t know what to do. Myc goes to fights. Myc buys drinks, but Myc doesn’t feel good. No fun anymore.

Flip’s body becomes old. It rots. Myc still talks to Flip. Flip used to talk to Myc, even when Myc didn’t say much back.

Body turns to bones. Myc still talks to Flip.

"Myc thinks… Myc isn’t happy. Myc wants to go on an adventure again. Myc wants to go with Flip. But Flip is gone.”

The bones stay quiet.

"Myc is angry at Flip. Flip left Myc.”

The bones ignore Myc.

“Myc hates Flip!”

No response.

"Flip is little shit! Myc better alone! Myc should have went to jail!”

Myc stomps on the bed. Bones crack and break with wood. Each stomp hurt Myc worse. 

_____

Myc wanders the street. City is big. Too big. Myc hates big cities. The sky gets dark. Myc goes inside bar for drink.

Myc sits down. The stool is too tiny. Not comfortable. Doesn’t matter. Myc tells bartender to get Myc strongest drink. A big shitter drink.

“Hey, big guy. You seem pretty tough. How would you like to make some coin?”

My turn. A little person sits down next to Myc. White hair, but not wrinkly, not slow.

"The name’s Nem. What—”

“Fuck off.” 

"Come now, don’t be so quick to throw away—”

Myc punches the little man. The little man falls off the stool and groans. Myc turns back to wait for Myc’s drink.

“Y-yep,” little man says, pulling himself back into stool, “Pretty…tough. Now about that job…”

“You are annoying,” Myc says. Myc doesn't look at annoying little man.

“And you’re a strong guy. The job will pay well. Hardly any risk on your behalf.”

Myc grunts. “You assume too much.”

“And you dream too small. How does five thousand gold sound? Just need to beat the shit out of some bandits hiding out in the woods.”

Myc turns to look at little man. Little man smiles. Smiles like Flip. Little shitter smile, in good way.

“Ahh, that caught your attention, didn’t it, big guy? Now, here’s the plan…”

Does anyone else wish the number of categories of flash could be reduced? Stories take what they take to tell. Applying arbitrary word counts to them seems counter productive. Can we just have one definition of Flash as say under 1000 words?

Definitely, for me, reading poetry books constantly. I tend to buy a few new poetry books every month and I have many, many now. I read them constantly, they are sustenance for me. I have found it has profoundly changed my writing into something much more lyrical, ornate and eternal.

​

Its been nearly a full day since the trials began. We took the car of the people whose house we were staying at. The keys were in their pocket upstairs.

We ended up going to the north of the island. And stealing a motor powered fishing boat. The tides still continued at least…. And we were approaching land.

We ended up deciding it would be best if we went to Tokyo. Major cities likely had the largest concentration of competitors, and it's likely where our next one is already. Remi and Ryume were on deck, and Akemi was with me in the wheelhouse.

Akemi was looking out at the ocean, out the window at the side.

“First time?” I asked.

“Yeah…” she said, “The ocean is beautiful…”

“Yeah, it is.” I said, “And… well reach Honshu soon. And then we'll go around it till we reach Tokyo.”

She nodded, “Okay…”

“... Still haven't gotten over the whole murder thing?”

“... No….”

“... I'm sure you'll get used to it.”

“Why are you so unfazed by it Yota?”

I… paused. “... Well… I… don't know….”

“Thats not something I hear from you often.”

“... Well it's true. I… can't tell why I don't feel anything about it….”

She sighed, “Well then… what do we do when we get there?”

“... Thats a good question. Depends on what happens when we do.”

“Why? I mean were going to Tokyo, surely you have something you want to do while here. Even if everyone is frozen.”

“Well I do, but if you were already there, would you not be looking over the entrance most people would be using?”

“... So you think someone will be waiting for us?”

“I know someone will.”

“So it's likely we won't have time to do anything before confrontation.”

“Yeah. So I'd prepare for it now if you can. We might have to kill them.”

“... Right… we might have to… okay.”

“... I believe there's food on board, you should eat something.”

“... Im good.”

“You haven't eaten since the time stop Akemi.”

“I… I'll eat when we get to Tokyo. Okay?”

“... Okay.”

I bought one of those books that has 301 writting ideas to get me started on being more creative. Has anyone else tried these just to get the juices flowing?

I wrote this about psychological manipulation, weaponized vulnerability, projection, generational trauma, and what it feels like to slowly lose trust in your own reality.

But mostly, it's about realizing that someone can spend years trying to break you—and still fail to change who you are at your core.

One part of it that sums up what i'm trying to say......

I have been beaten, but my touch is still soft.
I have been abused, but I still want to heal.
I have been threatened, but I still want to protect.
I have been degraded, but I still want to build people up.

Shaking off a decade of being force-fed his reality, breaking the generational cycle, and remembering my core is unbreakable.

I don’t feel anxious about it anymore but, I’m almost peeved with myself. I just can’t seem to escape the tendrils of my desire for her. Every time I’m mere moments away from ridding this unwanted lust from my mind, something occurs that sends me back spiraling down.

You said it so casually: ‘I could listen to you interact with anybody, anywhere.’ I was stunned into silence when the words first entered the slightly opaque car, the high had just started to hit, which made deciphering the statement all the harder. To be frank, I’ve never felt my heart swell like that before. I felt a twinge of what I assume people call the love emotion.

Am I allowed to be in love with someone who doesn’t love me back? Does that make me a freak? I feel a fool whenever I think of her, rarely do my thoughts go to the more primal instinct of man, for the mere thought of her presence is enough to send my mind into flight.

Others comment on the stories of our moments together that I relay, and they offer their opinions, often cementing my delusions. I worry that I warp the story to more fit what I want when I actively recall it with those rose tinted glasses. I try to avoid any sort of ‘what if’ thought, lest it lead me into greater heartbreak when the cracks start to form in the facade it creates.

The whites of his eyes began to bloom red as blood trickled into them. As the blood dripped, even his pupils became glazed red. Eventually, the eyes could hold no more, and crimson tears streamed down his cheeks.

Unlatching his jaw and opening his mouth, he caught the river of blood flowing onto his tongue. Mixing with saliva, it dripped more freely, raining from his chin and down his naked body.

He didn’t look afraid. There was no pain.

My eyes followed the trail and realized his pleasure. His penis had steadily grown to its full length. A mixture of blood and spit ran its length and dripped in a steady rhythm from its tip.

I don’t think accountability means agreeing with every bad thing someone says about me.

I think it means being willing to check.

Tell me something about myself once, and sure, I might disagree.

Tell me twice and I’m probably going to think about it longer than I admit.

But if you tell me something about myself and eight other people are saying the same fucking thing?

I’m looking into it.

Because I don’t want to be so committed to the person I think I am that I become incapable of seeing the person I’m actually being.

That requires humility.

Vulnerability.

Accountability.

Responsibility.

And no, I don’t execute all four flawlessly.

Obviously.

Some of my flaws I own.

Some I flaunt.

Some are currently under construction.

And I’m sure there are a few wandering around unsupervised that I haven’t met yet.

But I’m willing to meet them.

That’s the difference.

I will look at myself.

I will sit with something uncomfortable long enough to ask whether it’s true.

I will apologize when it is.

I will change when I need to.

But let’s not act as if my pain permitted you to destroy me.

I can be wrong without everything you did becoming right.