ATTENTION ALL WRITERS! C'MON!!!

[PioneerChicks]

I am going to take a break from my Robin Hood book for a while to follow a new inspiration. Yes, I have done the terrible and have started yet another book!

This one is about field crickets and is sort of a dystopia. I have only a basic, basic, idea of the plot so I guess we'll see how it turns out. Here is the first chapter, unedited and fresh.

Spoiler: Cricket Book Chapter 1

I was born with a rhythm in me. As I fought my way out of the shell, I pushed to the beat inside my head. When I came out, I heard a tune in my gasps for air.

Only a few moments after I hatched, an adult cricket came up to me. "19Y11, please follow me to the Learning Center." Her voice was almost robotic, as if she had said the same thing so many times she no longer had to think what to say.

"Why?" I panted.

"Because that's where all nymphs go." She said, exasperation clear in her voice.

Frightened by her unkind tone, I staggered to me feet and swayed tiredly. I wanted to know more, but was too nervous to ask.

The cricket started away hopping at a slow pace, not waiting to see if I was following or not. A group of nymphs followed her. One looked back and saw me staggering slowly after them. She turned and came toward me, bouncing cheerfully.

"Are you coming?" She asked, excitedly.

"Coming where?" I asked shyly.

"To the Learning Center, silly!" She said teasingly.

"Oh." I said plainly. I tried to walk but tripped over my own legs. She pressed against my side to support me, her brownish-red coloring contrasting against my black body.

"I'm 19Y6, who are you?" She chattered.

"I don't know." I wanted to curl up and hide, embarrassed at my lack of knowledge.

"Of course you know! What did Nurse 24 call you?" Her voice was eager and friendly, not criticizing. Seeing my confusion, she added, "Nurse 24 is what that cricket told us to call her. I don't like her very much. 19Y6 made a face.

"Oh." I thought hard. "I think she said 19Y11."

19Y6 mouthed my name silently. "That's long. Can I just call you Blacky?"

I giggled. I liked this nymph. "Only if I can call you Skip!" Skip just seemed to fit her, though I couldn't decide why.

"Skip." She said aloud. "I like that. Deal!"

Skip and I hooked legs and shook, mock serious. We did not know why we did this, or how we were so coordinated, but we did. It just seemed natural.

We tried to keep strait faces, but eventually the laughter bubbles up so high that it burst out of us.

Nurse 24 glared back at us. "Come on, or you'll be left behind!" Her anger scared me into obedience, and I shuffled after her as fast as I could.

"What a grump!" Skip hissed to me as she kept pace, our feet creating a steady beat in the dirt.

"Grumpylump!" I whispered back.

We couldn't help but laugh again, and this time when Grumpylump scolded us she did not seem half as terrifying as before.

And so Skip and me created a friendship that would last for as long as we both lived.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I am going to take a break from my Robin Hood book for a while to follow a new inspiration. Yes, I have done the terrible and have started yet another book!

This one is about field crickets and is sort of a dystopia. I have only a basic, basic, idea of the plot so I guess we'll see how it turns out. Here is the first chapter, unedited and fresh.

Spoiler: Cricket Book Chapter 1

I was born with a rhythm in me. As I fought my way out of the shell, I pushed to the beat inside my head. When I came out, I heard a tune in my gasps for air.

Only a few moments after I hatched, an adult cricket came up to me. "19Y11, please follow me to the Learning Center." Her voice was almost robotic, as if she had said the same thing so many times she no longer had to think what to say.

"Why?" I panted.

"Because that's where all nymphs go." She said, exasperation clear in her voice.

Frightened by her unkind tone, I staggered to me feet and swayed tiredly. I wanted to know more, but was too nervous to ask.

The cricket started away hopping at a slow pace, not waiting to see if I was following or not. A group of nymphs followed her. One looked back and saw me staggering slowly after them. She turned and came toward me, bouncing cheerfully.

"Are you coming?" She asked, excitedly.

"Coming where?" I asked shyly.

"To the Learning Center, silly!" She said teasingly.

"Oh." I said plainly. I tried to walk but tripped over my own legs. She pressed against my side to support me, her brownish-red coloring contrasting against my black body.

"I'm 19Y6, who are you?" She chattered.

"I don't know." I wanted to curl up and hide, embarrassed at my lack of knowledge.

"Of course you know! What did Nurse 24 call you?" Her voice was eager and friendly, not criticizing. Seeing my confusion, she added, "Nurse 24 is what that cricket told us to call her. I don't like her very much. 19Y6 made a face.

"Oh." I thought hard. "I think she said 19Y11."

19Y6 mouthed my name silently. "That's long. Can I just call you Blacky?"

I giggled. I liked this nymph. "Only if I can call you Skip!" Skip just seemed to fit her, though I couldn't decide why.

"Skip." She said aloud. "I like that. Deal!"

Skip and I hooked legs and shook, mock serious. We did not know why we did this, or how we were so coordinated, but we did. It just seemed natural.

We tried to keep strait faces, but eventually the laughter bubbles up so high that it burst out of us.

Nurse 24 glared back at us. "Come on, or you'll be left behind!" Her anger scared me into obedience, and I shuffled after her as fast as I could.

"What a grump!" Skip hissed to me as she kept pace, our feet creating a steady beat in the dirt.

"Grumpylump!" I whispered back.

We couldn't help but laugh again, and this time when Grumpylump scolded us she did not seem half as terrifying as before.

And so Skip and me created a friendship that would last for as long as we both lived.

I can’t wait to read the next part, it seems so fascinating.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

(SAME DISCLAIMER)

Spoiler: P3 my off the top of head story

Aclaira looked longingly at the stable block down the end of the drive, she plucked up the courage and moved down the drive. She embraced the scent of horses that hugged her as she arrived. “Aclaira? Sweetie!” Alice, her instructor ran out of the barn to hug her. “Have you decided to ride again?” She asked excitingly, “Alice I fractured my spine, I can’t walk let alone ride” Aclaira fought back tears. (I will write more later)

Spoiler: P3 continued

”Well come on. Let’s go see the ponies, they love having guests who don’t ride them” Alice walked towards the pony pen to the left of the main stable block.
“Alice! Wait up” Aclaira pushed herself after Alice, “oh sorry Clair I keep forgetting you can’t keep up” Alice smiled sympathetically. Aclaira nodded, she started to head towards the pony paddock. “Look our loose horse!!!” Someone shouted, she turned eyes wide, she screamed as the large grey mare reared striking with her hooves narrowly missing Aclaira’s head. “Easy girl” a boy with messy black hair and blue eyes that stood out against his dark complexion appeared at the mares side. “Control your horse” Aclaira snapped, she wheeled herself over to the pony paddock. “Wait just one second, this isn’t my mare, she belongs to Silvia and she misses her paddock mate Bluey” the boy argues, Aclaira felt her stomach drop “B-bluey?”

 

[PioneerChicks]

I can’t wait to read the next part, it seems so fascinating.

Thank you!

Spoiler: P3 continued

”Well come on. Let’s go see the ponies, they love having guests who don’t ride them” Alice walked towards the pony pen to the left of the main stable block.
“Alice! Wait up” Aclaira pushed herself after Alice, “oh sorry Clair I keep forgetting you can’t keep up” Alice smiled sympathetically. Aclaira nodded, she started to head towards the pony paddock. “Look our loose horse!!!” Someone shouted, she turned eyes wide, she screamed as the large grey mare reared striking with her hooves narrowly missing Aclaira’s head. “Easy girl” a boy with messy black hair and blue eyes that stood out against his dark complexion appeared at the mares side. “Control your horse” Aclaira snapped, she wheeled herself over to the pony paddock. “Wait just one second, this isn’t my mare, she belongs to Silvia and she misses her paddock mate Bluey” the boy argues, Aclaira felt her stomach drop “B-bluey?”

 

[Cutiechook15]

This is super long, but hopefully I made it interesting enough, lol. XDXD

Content warning: some violence and a bit of melting flesh.

Spoiler: Chapter 7

All, right my little guinea pigs! Wakey wakey, rise and shine! A new day is dawning! Well, you can’t see the sunrise, but I can, and let me tell you! It is beautiful!

I groaned, forcing my eyes to open. They felt swollen. Had I been crying? Then I remembered. A small throb remained, pulsing behind my eyes. My nose was stopped up, and my throat was parched. I sat up. I glanced to the side as I saw movement, and Mason sat up beside me, just now waking up himself.

He smiled at me. “Morning.”

I nodded, a smile flickered around my mouth, but I was too tired to give much more of a response.

Well, well, well… Mason and Skylar. Who’d have known?

I jumped at the sound of my name, then I glanced at Mason, who seemed to be distracted by something. I followed his gaze down to… Our hands. He must have fallen asleep holding my hand the previous night. I pulled my hand out of his immediately, my face burning red. People were getting up all around us, a few kids glancing at us and snickering.

The voice chuckled. Anyway, you ducklings had best pack up quickly! Your next test will begin very soon! You don’t want to be caught in this one, let me tell you! Also, this next test will be focusing on your perseverance and stamina. You will definitely need those to defeat the Foils! Tata, Test subjects! I will get back to you once this test is over! Also, Mason and Skylar, you’ll find new shirts after this test is over. The blood doesn’t suit you, even though you look cute when you match.

At this point the voice changed, becoming deeper and more serious.

Skylar, my little guinea pig… Last night was a warning. Do not do what you did ever again. Next time it might be worse. Understand, dearie?

I nodded, my temples aching slightly. I knew what the voice was talking about. I had tried to remember. I wasn’t supposed to remember. My memories were gone for a reason. Submit. That was the point of the warning. How had they known what I was thinking? How had they known I was trying to remember?

I got to my feet, aching as if every rock had made a permanent impression on my bones. Leaning backwards, I cracked my back, releasing tension. Mason stood up beside me, avoiding my gaze. I tucked my hair behind my ear, feeling icky. A warm shower and a change of clothes sounded divine.

Making my way towards Nina, who had been one of the first ones up, I yawned, rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes.

“Hey,” I said quietly when I reached her. “Where did you get that string you used to tie your hair?”

Instead of speaking, she took the string out of her pocket and ripped it in half. It was long enough that we would both be able to use it. I nodded my thanks, and made my way back towards the organized supply pile.

Lucas was directing Nox and Mason to fill up bags with the food, canteens, and blankets. I blocked them out, their noisy voices adding to the dull ache behind my eyes. Picking up a canteen, I ripped a piece of cloth from a fuzzy brown blanket. Going away from the rising group, I set the cloth and canteen on a rock, taking time to tie my hair in a ponytail at the base of my neck. A faint breeze from somewhere tickled the back of my now bare neck. I picked up the cloth, and dampened it with water from the canteen.

Not too much, I told myself. You don’t want Lucas getting mad at you for wasting our supply. I ran the cloth over my face, back and forth, a small chill running across my body from the cold liquid. When I pulled back, the cloth was faintly red with the residue of dried blood on my face. After relieving myself behind a rock, I quickly wiped my nose, took a swig from the canteen, and jogged back to the makeshift camp, throwing the piece of cloth into the now crackling fire.

It was a bit cold, that chilling breeze from who knows where nipping at my heels. I picked my socks and tennis shoes from beside the rock where Mike and I had sat watch. What had happened after my incident? Had Mike stayed by himself for the rest of our time, or had Lucas and Vicky stepped in earlier?

The leftovers, including Camaryn, stood near the fire, trying to keep warm as Lucas packed up the blankets in the leather bags. They gnawed on some sticks of jerky, shivering as the breeze picked up slightly.

I glanced upwards, squinting in the bright light. The artificial lights were no longer a dull yellow, but a bluish white, creating a daytime iridescence in the cavern.

Sensing someone behind me, I turned, and found Mike holding out a stick of jerky for me. His expression held a bit of trepidation, as if he was afraid he would break me if he did something wrong. I took the jerky.

“Thanks,” I said, giving him a smile.

“Wha--what happened to you last night?”

“I…” I hesitated. What would happen if I told him? The voice could see us, and most likely hear us. And somehow it knew if we were trying to remember. Would it hurt Mike or the others if I told him that I had remembered something? What if the voice didn’t know I had actually pulled up a small memory out of the blackness? I… I couldn’t risk getting anyone hurt. I couldn’t tell him. Not yet. “I just had a migraine. That’s it.”

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Is that what happens when you have a migraine?”

“Yeah, they just usually don't happen as bad as they did last night,” I lied, my heart beginning to race. Was my face turning red?

“Oh... okay.” He still looked unsure.

We somewhat awkwardly parted ways, and I hissed quietly as he passed me, not allowing my lips to move, “I’ll tell you later.”

Mike hesitated only slightly, then kept walking. Hopefully the voice and whoever else was watching them somehow missed that interaction.

Hopefully I could find a time where I could tell him, or someone the truth. What would happen if another one tried to remember? Why hadn’t any of them tried to pull up a lost memory? Were none of them curious about their past?

I shuddered. Why couldn’t the voice have just told us not to try to remember? Why let me learn the hard way? I leaned back against the wall, sliding down and ripping a piece of jerky off of the stick with my teeth. Too many questions. Too much to process. I contented myself with sitting there and eating my jerky in peace, listening to the quiet chatter from the group surrounding the fire to my left.

After a few minutes, I shoved the last piece in my mouth and stood, yawning. Lucas noticed me, and his eyes darkened.

“Quinn, if you don’t get over here right now, so help me…” He left the threat unfinished, but it didn’t matter. My fear and frustration battled for a few seconds, but my anxiety won. I frantically scrambled over to Nox and helped him shove the last blanket into a bag. Forcing down my anger, I repeated to myself what Mike had told me the night before. He’s just getting things done.

I thought about our conversation the previous night. When we had talked, Mike had somehow been able to pull the bolder side of me out. The snarky side? Did I even have a snarky side? I chuckled softly at myself. Still, how was he able to get that out of me? My eyebrows furrowed. One day I would be bolder. I would not hide. I wouldn’t be afraid to speak my mind. My jaw clenched.

A faint rumbling sounded from down the left side of the cavernous tunnel. Heads turned, but nothing out of the ordinary was seen. The rumbling stopped, and everything was quiet.

I closed the bag as Nox turned away with a quiet, friendly order to carry the bag with me. The fire was doused, the strange breeze growing stronger. The silence was deafening, the chatter having ceased. Tensions grew with the silence as we quickly packed up the rest of the necessary supplies.

Nina tensed suddenly. “What is that?” Immediately, everyone stilled.

The voice could faintly be heard, eerily saying one word over the invisible speakers in a singsong tone.

Run, run, run. Run, run, run…

The rumbling began again, and I shivered. Something was wrong. “We need to hurry,” I called out to the Probablies.

“Last bag,” Lucas said, shoving the remaining pieces of unused firewood into a bag. He then tossed it to Mason, who caught it almost instinctively.

Each of the Probablies had at least one bag with them, Mason and Lucas each carrying two. As I slung the pack over my shoulders, Lucas turned to our group.

“All right. Get ready to jog quickly. We don’t need to waste our energy just yet. We still have a while to go. If you start getting tired, just stare at a point in the distance, then set a goal in your mind to get to that point. Then set another one when you reach it. Do not stop running. Understand?”

There were both nods of understanding and ripples of curious whispers. Everyone seemed to be more lucid than the day before, though not all had completely grasped the situation they were in. I felt as if I hadn’t even grasped what I was going through either. It was too confusing. At this moment, I just went with it. If I didn’t, I would die. Easy choice.

Lucas began jogging in the direction opposite of the rumbling noises, and we followed, the half-whispered words of the voice ringing in our ears.

Run, run, run.

So we ran... And ran... And ran…

Within an hour of a steady jog, many of us were dripping sweat, our muscles shaking with excursion. Mason, Mike, Nina, and Lucas seemed to be the only ones who weren’t bothered by the physical strain. Camaryn also was unaffected, as she had turned into a large cat just moments earlier. She gracefully bounded next to Lucas, who was leading the group.

As I ran, it was as if I could feel my strength depleting slowly, like I could see a gage that showed me how much I had. I dismissed it, however, as I heard footsteps coming up from behind me.

Mason’s bobbing head appeared in my peripheral before I saw him fully. He was jogging backwards, that lopsided grin of his appearing on his face.

A bit of frustration grew in me. How can he not be tired? He seemed like he wasn’t trying at all. The little meter of strength in me grew slightly with my irritation.

“Hey,” Mason said lightly. He seemed to have gotten over his sheepishness from this morning.

I ignored him, giving him a little shake of my head, indicating that I did not want to talk now. I couldn’t waste my breath.

He either didn’t see the motion, or he was just oblivious. Most likely the latter. “I’m bored.” He pursed his lips, making his already defined jaw even sharper.

I raised a sweaty brow. “Don’t patronize me.”

Smirking, he gave me an extremely awkward wink, both of his eyes blinking twice. It almost seemed fake, considering the smooth one he had given me the first day we had met.

I snorted, and he smirked, which reminded me faintly of Mike. My eyebrows furrowed. What was his point of view on their feud?

“Penny for your thoughts,” Mason asked me, his eyes twinkling curiously.

“Why did you fight with Mike yesterday?” I asked bluntly.

Different emotions played out on his face like an old film. Confusion, realization, anger, frustration. Then he covered it all up with an eye roll, as if he didn’t care. “Ah, I just lost my temper a little. We’re cool now.”

“Last night you sounded like you didn’t trust him.”

“I don’t.”

“Why?”

Mason shrugged. “Something about him… It’s just off.”

“Like what?” I panted.

He shrugged again, seeming flustered. “I don’t know how to explain it. Instinct, I guess.”

“Well, I think you’re wrong,” I said stubbornly.

He gave me one last little shrug, then turned, quickening his step and jogging up to Lucas.

I increased my pace as well, not wanting to be in the back of the pack. How much longer would these people make us run? What was the point of these so-called “tests?” And why were we chosen to be in these tests? Why not use adults who were stronger and more capable?

So many questions. My chest felt heavy, as if a darkness was laid upon it. I hated this.

A familiar feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Dread. Inevitability. Something was coming.

I could tell that others felt it too. They muttered uneasily amongst themselves as they ran, their gate becoming faster and more urgent.

The rumblings continued. They had gotten louder, as if they were following us. And they were catching up.

I risked a glance backwards, but I saw nothing. I shuddered, continuing with my head facing forwards. It’s fine, I told myself, though I knew otherwise. My gut twisted with the nauseating feeling.

I peered once more over my shoulder. There… There was something odd. A light misty substance floated along the breeze a couple hundred feet away. As I watched, the milky white mist grew thicker, tendrils reaching out as if pulling itself down the corridor. It was moving fast.

Whatever that was, it didn’t look good. The voice had even said that we didn’t want to get caught in this test. I cursed quietly, alerting the attention of those near me. They, in turn, looked back, and, seeing the gaseous mist, they began running faster. It turned into a sprint, and soon some of the more tired kids were passing Lucas.

As I neared him, I called out, “Lucas, we need to go faster! Look!”

He looked back at the white substance, which was rapidly closing in, and understanding dawning on his features.

Everything turned into a mad dash, our fear of the unknown giving us the strength we needed. A couple of people needed help along the way, their bodies not having the same enhancements as the others. Lucas picked Vicky up completely off of the ground as she began to lag behind.

I struggled to keep up, my lungs feeling like they weren’t getting enough oxygen. I was gasping, wheezing. Every breath burned in me as I sprinted down the cavern, pack bouncing against my shoulder blades. My heart pounded in my ears, and the small meter of strength I saw in my mind's eye was almost empty. Slowly, inch by inch, my pace slowed, and I began drifting towards the back of the group.

Sweat began dripping down my forehead and into my eyes, stinging them and making them blurry. I fought desperately to keep up with the rest, but I couldn’t. I risked a glance backwards and the white mist was getting closer and closer.

I looked straight ahead, my determination renewing slightly. It was no longer a matter of if I could do it. I had to do it. I sprinted with all my might, heart racing, lungs burning. Mason was directly in front of me, somehow seeming completely calm. He looked backwards, double checking to make sure no one was lagging behind. Our eyes met, and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. He slowed slightly until he was beside me, then he placed his hand in mine and pulled me, speeding up.

I froze for a moment, stumbling over my own feet in shock. When he touched me, I immediately saw his strength meter in my mind. It was ginormous. I almost felt as if I could... touch it. I tentatively poked at it. I don’t know how, but somehow I did. I could feel it. I could-- I grabbed a small portion of strength from his meter and added it to mine. It had no effect on Mason, but my meter immediately filled. My energy renewed, and my lungs stopped burning.

What on earth? I let go of Mason’s hand, my pace immediately matching his. He glanced at me again, confusion marking his features.

“I’m good,” I hissed. “Go help her.” I pointed to a shorter girl with curly blonde hair who was struggling to keep up.

He nodded, still looking perplexed as he drifted to the side towards her.

I glanced backwards at the wall of white mist. It was still coming quickly. Too quickly. Where was our destination? We had been running for almost an hour and a half and our surroundings looked practically the same. How much longer? Gosh, I think like a child.

As I sprinted, I tucked a few loose strands of hair that had fallen from my ponytail behind my ear. Sweat was still dripping in my eyes, stinging and burning, though I was not exhausted any longer. What had that been? My second power? Why had the voice or the writers of our papers not expounded on that ability? I wondered whether they would ever tell me what my second ability was. Maybe it was taking strength from others… Maybe I could give my strength to others. I grinned. That was way more useful than just doing impressions.

Lucas’s bark brought my attention back to our situation. “We’re nearing a curve! This could be it! Speed up!”

I breathed in, then exhaled, checking on my strength meter. It was still three quarters of the way through, but, unfortunately, it was depleting quicker than before. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to move faster. I glanced back again, and fear churned in my stomach.

The mist. It was moving faster, pulling itself with its finger-like tendrils. It was almost on top of us. My jaw clenched as I saw a small, thin boy with dark skin and short but thick curly hair, who could not have been any older than fourteen trip, falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs. I will not let them die today. It was no longer a matter of people watching. At the moment, I could have cared less. A human life was priceless. Important.

I came to a skidding stop, and my legs immediately wobbled weakly. I sprinted over to the kid, picking him up. His meter was empty. Could I give my strength to him? I looked at my quickly depleting strength gage in my mind’s eye. No. I needed to find Mason again. I picked the boy up, the wall of mist behind him growing closer and closer.

“Come on,” I said encouragingly, trying to keep any anxiety from my tone. No need to worry him more. I grabbed his hand with my left hand and put my right on his elbow. Then I ran. With my hands in these positions, the boy had no choice but to move his legs along. It released the pressure placed on his legs by his body, allowing him to move more easily. But, I had almost a hundred more pounds added onto my own weight I was carrying.

I searched for Mason and the blond girl. They couldn’t have gone far. As I ran, I realized that I was already quite behind the others from just stopping and helping the kid. They had been moving at a quicker pace than I had thought. I ran as fast as I could, the burn in my lungs and ache in my side slowly returning.

The boy beside me let out a cry of pain, and I glanced at him, a small bolt of panic slicing through me.

“My-my foot!” He panted.

I looked down. Oh, no. A tendril of the strange white mist had reached forward, as if sensing a human presence. It had eaten a hole into his right sneaker and had begun toying with his heel, as if licking it. Tasting it. The flesh that the unnatural substance had touched melted, like a candle held to a hot flame. Blood mixed with the liquid skin, leaving a trail of dull red behind us. Bile rose in my throat at the sight, my stomach churning. What would happen if an entire body was left to the mist?

I forced myself to quicken my pace, but the others were so far ahead. There was no way I could catch up with this boy dragging me down with his weight.

An evil thought wiggled its way into my mind. Just leave him. It said. No one is watching. You could just leave him behind, and no one would ever know. For a moment, I even considered it. The thought grew stronger, as if sensing my hesitation. I glanced at the boy, who was panting, trying in vain to go faster.

Tears and snot mixed together, streaming down his terrified face. He knew. He knew that he was going to die. I was torn. Torn between self-preservation and guilt. Would it be murder to leave him here? It was either he died or both of us… I looked at him again. He looked so young.

My strength meter was half empty.

I loosened my grip on his arm. It was the only way.

What the heck am I doing? My eyes widened, and I pulled the boy close to me, my mortification at myself boosting my strength up slightly. I sprinted as fast as I could down the now curving cavern. Where was Mason?

Then I saw his curly head bobbing alongside the little blonde.

“Mason!” I screamed desperately. After not getting a response, I screamed it again.

Nothing. He couldn’t hear me over the cries of the terrified girls and the pounding footsteps.

A dry sob escaped my lips as my feet slammed on the rocky ground. I was going to die. It was only four into the twelve tests the voice said that we would go through and I was already about to die.

But, I kept running, even as I felt a tendril of mist bite into my lower calf. Even as I saw a blurry shape zooming towards us. Even as the boy cried out as he was yanked from my arms.

I gasped, automatically reaching for him. Then I realized it was Mike. His form streaked towards the group, carrying the small boy.

Relief flooded through me, the dragging weight of the kid no longer slowing me down. These tests really knew how to push me to the edge of literal insanity. We were reaching an end to the curve, and, sure enough, in the middle of the dead end, a small door sat, about half my height. Maybe three feet tall.

I saw Mike’s form open the door and shove the little boy in before the main part of our group had even reached it.

I could make it. Mike and Lucas filed the group one by one into the small door, most having to duck down to enter. I felt the spike of mist dig deeper into my calf, but I ignored it. If I could just reach that door, I would be safe.

Almost. There.

Nox entered, and I realized that once again I was the last person in the cavern save Lucas and Mike. At least this time it was because I had been helping someone. Both of the boys saw me at the same time, and they began yelling at me to hurry. The encouragement (and curses) made my strength meter fill slightly, and I pushed ahead in spite of my exhaustion.

Right before I reached the door, Mike and Lucas moved partially to the inside of the door, concern etched on their faces. They weren’t looking at me, however, and I looked backwards.

The enormous white wall of mist loomed only a couple of yards behind me, churning and swirling, as if it were angry. Angry at me.

My breath caught in my throat, and even if I wanted to scream, I couldn’t.

I stumbled slightly, then righted myself. Only a few more yards… I sprinted recklessly, my long legs pumping as fast as they could.

I reached the door, and a bit of panic flared inside me at the tightness of it. It seemed to lead into a tunnel.

“GET IN!” Lucas roared, shoving me forward.

I ducked in, and began crawling down the tunnel as Mike and Lucas entered, closing the door behind them.

We were safe.

 

[PioneerChicks]

This is super long, but hopefully I made it interesting enough, lol. XDXD

Content warning: some violence and a bit of melting flesh.

Spoiler: Chapter 7

All, right my little guinea pigs! Wakey wakey, rise and shine! A new day is dawning! Well, you can’t see the sunrise, but I can, and let me tell you! It is beautiful!

I groaned, forcing my eyes to open. They felt swollen. Had I been crying? Then I remembered. A small throb remained, pulsing behind my eyes. My nose was stopped up, and my throat was parched. I sat up. I glanced to the side as I saw movement, and Mason sat up beside me, just now waking up himself.

He smiled at me. “Morning.”

I nodded, a smile flickered around my mouth, but I was too tired to give much more of a response.

Well, well, well… Mason and Skylar. Who’d have known?

I jumped at the sound of my name, then I glanced at Mason, who seemed to be distracted by something. I followed his gaze down to… Our hands. He must have fallen asleep holding my hand the previous night. I pulled my hand out of his immediately, my face burning red. People were getting up all around us, a few kids glancing at us and snickering.

The voice chuckled. Anyway, you ducklings had best pack up quickly! Your next test will begin very soon! You don’t want to be caught in this one, let me tell you! Also, this next test will be focusing on your perseverance and stamina. You will definitely need those to defeat the Foils! Tata, Test subjects! I will get back to you once this test is over! Also, Mason and Skylar, you’ll find new shirts after this test is over. The blood doesn’t suit you, even though you look cute when you match.

At this point the voice changed, becoming deeper and more serious.

Skylar, my little guinea pig… Last night was a warning. Do not do what you did ever again. Next time it might be worse. Understand, dearie?

I nodded, my temples aching slightly. I knew what the voice was talking about. I had tried to remember. I wasn’t supposed to remember. My memories were gone for a reason. Submit. That was the point of the warning. How had they known what I was thinking? How had they known I was trying to remember?

I got to my feet, aching as if every rock had made a permanent impression on my bones. Leaning backwards, I cracked my back, releasing tension. Mason stood up beside me, avoiding my gaze. I tucked my hair behind my ear, feeling icky. A warm shower and a change of clothes sounded divine.

Making my way towards Nina, who had been one of the first ones up, I yawned, rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes.

“Hey,” I said quietly when I reached her. “Where did you get that string you used to tie your hair?”

Instead of speaking, she took the string out of her pocket and ripped it in half. It was long enough that we would both be able to use it. I nodded my thanks, and made my way back towards the organized supply pile.

Lucas was directing Nox and Mason to fill up bags with the food, canteens, and blankets. I blocked them out, their noisy voices adding to the dull ache behind my eyes. Picking up a canteen, I ripped a piece of cloth from a fuzzy brown blanket. Going away from the rising group, I set the cloth and canteen on a rock, taking time to tie my hair in a ponytail at the base of my neck. A faint breeze from somewhere tickled the back of my now bare neck. I picked up the cloth, and dampened it with water from the canteen.

Not too much, I told myself. You don’t want Lucas getting mad at you for wasting our supply. I ran the cloth over my face, back and forth, a small chill running across my body from the cold liquid. When I pulled back, the cloth was faintly red with the residue of dried blood on my face. After relieving myself behind a rock, I quickly wiped my nose, took a swig from the canteen, and jogged back to the makeshift camp, throwing the piece of cloth into the now crackling fire.

It was a bit cold, that chilling breeze from who knows where nipping at my heels. I picked my socks and tennis shoes from beside the rock where Mike and I had sat watch. What had happened after my incident? Had Mike stayed by himself for the rest of our time, or had Lucas and Vicky stepped in earlier?

The leftovers, including Camaryn, stood near the fire, trying to keep warm as Lucas packed up the blankets in the leather bags. They gnawed on some sticks of jerky, shivering as the breeze picked up slightly.

I glanced upwards, squinting in the bright light. The artificial lights were no longer a dull yellow, but a bluish white, creating a daytime iridescence in the cavern.

Sensing someone behind me, I turned, and found Mike holding out a stick of jerky for me. His expression held a bit of trepidation, as if he was afraid he would break me if he did something wrong. I took the jerky.

“Thanks,” I said, giving him a smile.

“Wha--what happened to you last night?”

“I…” I hesitated. What would happen if I told him? The voice could see us, and most likely hear us. And somehow it knew if we were trying to remember. Would it hurt Mike or the others if I told him that I had remembered something? What if the voice didn’t know I had actually pulled up a small memory out of the blackness? I… I couldn’t risk getting anyone hurt. I couldn’t tell him. Not yet. “I just had a migraine. That’s it.”

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Is that what happens when you have a migraine?”

“Yeah, they just usually don't happen as bad as they did last night,” I lied, my heart beginning to race. Was my face turning red?

“Oh... okay.” He still looked unsure.

We somewhat awkwardly parted ways, and I hissed quietly as he passed me, not allowing my lips to move, “I’ll tell you later.”

Mike hesitated only slightly, then kept walking. Hopefully the voice and whoever else was watching them somehow missed that interaction.

Hopefully I could find a time where I could tell him, or someone the truth. What would happen if another one tried to remember? Why hadn’t any of them tried to pull up a lost memory? Were none of them curious about their past?

I shuddered. Why couldn’t the voice have just told us not to try to remember? Why let me learn the hard way? I leaned back against the wall, sliding down and ripping a piece of jerky off of the stick with my teeth. Too many questions. Too much to process. I contented myself with sitting there and eating my jerky in peace, listening to the quiet chatter from the group surrounding the fire to my left.

After a few minutes, I shoved the last piece in my mouth and stood, yawning. Lucas noticed me, and his eyes darkened.

“Quinn, if you don’t get over here right now, so help me…” He left the threat unfinished, but it didn’t matter. My fear and frustration battled for a few seconds, but my anxiety won. I frantically scrambled over to Nox and helped him shove the last blanket into a bag. Forcing down my anger, I repeated to myself what Mike had told me the night before. He’s just getting things done.

I thought about our conversation the previous night. When we had talked, Mike had somehow been able to pull the bolder side of me out. The snarky side? Did I even have a snarky side? I chuckled softly at myself. Still, how was he able to get that out of me? My eyebrows furrowed. One day I would be bolder. I would not hide. I wouldn’t be afraid to speak my mind. My jaw clenched.

A faint rumbling sounded from down the left side of the cavernous tunnel. Heads turned, but nothing out of the ordinary was seen. The rumbling stopped, and everything was quiet.

I closed the bag as Nox turned away with a quiet, friendly order to carry the bag with me. The fire was doused, the strange breeze growing stronger. The silence was deafening, the chatter having ceased. Tensions grew with the silence as we quickly packed up the rest of the necessary supplies.

Nina tensed suddenly. “What is that?” Immediately, everyone stilled.

The voice could faintly be heard, eerily saying one word over the invisible speakers in a singsong tone.

Run, run, run. Run, run, run…

The rumbling began again, and I shivered. Something was wrong. “We need to hurry,” I called out to the Probablies.

“Last bag,” Lucas said, shoving the remaining pieces of unused firewood into a bag. He then tossed it to Mason, who caught it almost instinctively.

Each of the Probablies had at least one bag with them, Mason and Lucas each carrying two. As I slung the pack over my shoulders, Lucas turned to our group.

“All right. Get ready to jog quickly. We don’t need to waste our energy just yet. We still have a while to go. If you start getting tired, just stare at a point in the distance, then set a goal in your mind to get to that point. Then set another one when you reach it. Do not stop running. Understand?”

There were both nods of understanding and ripples of curious whispers. Everyone seemed to be more lucid than the day before, though not all had completely grasped the situation they were in. I felt as if I hadn’t even grasped what I was going through either. It was too confusing. At this moment, I just went with it. If I didn’t, I would die. Easy choice.

Lucas began jogging in the direction opposite of the rumbling noises, and we followed, the half-whispered words of the voice ringing in our ears.

Run, run, run.

So we ran... And ran... And ran…

Within an hour of a steady jog, many of us were dripping sweat, our muscles shaking with excursion. Mason, Mike, Nina, and Lucas seemed to be the only ones who weren’t bothered by the physical strain. Camaryn also was unaffected, as she had turned into a large cat just moments earlier. She gracefully bounded next to Lucas, who was leading the group.

As I ran, it was as if I could feel my strength depleting slowly, like I could see a gage that showed me how much I had. I dismissed it, however, as I heard footsteps coming up from behind me.

Mason’s bobbing head appeared in my peripheral before I saw him fully. He was jogging backwards, that lopsided grin of his appearing on his face.

A bit of frustration grew in me. How can he not be tired? He seemed like he wasn’t trying at all. The little meter of strength in me grew slightly with my irritation.

“Hey,” Mason said lightly. He seemed to have gotten over his sheepishness from this morning.

I ignored him, giving him a little shake of my head, indicating that I did not want to talk now. I couldn’t waste my breath.

He either didn’t see the motion, or he was just oblivious. Most likely the latter. “I’m bored.” He pursed his lips, making his already defined jaw even sharper.

I raised a sweaty brow. “Don’t patronize me.”

Smirking, he gave me an extremely awkward wink, both of his eyes blinking twice. It almost seemed fake, considering the smooth one he had given me the first day we had met.

I snorted, and he smirked, which reminded me faintly of Mike. My eyebrows furrowed. What was his point of view on their feud?

“Penny for your thoughts,” Mason asked me, his eyes twinkling curiously.

“Why did you fight with Mike yesterday?” I asked bluntly.

Different emotions played out on his face like an old film. Confusion, realization, anger, frustration. Then he covered it all up with an eye roll, as if he didn’t care. “Ah, I just lost my temper a little. We’re cool now.”

“Last night you sounded like you didn’t trust him.”

“I don’t.”

“Why?”

Mason shrugged. “Something about him… It’s just off.”

“Like what?” I panted.

He shrugged again, seeming flustered. “I don’t know how to explain it. Instinct, I guess.”

“Well, I think you’re wrong,” I said stubbornly.

He gave me one last little shrug, then turned, quickening his step and jogging up to Lucas.

I increased my pace as well, not wanting to be in the back of the pack. How much longer would these people make us run? What was the point of these so-called “tests?” And why were we chosen to be in these tests? Why not use adults who were stronger and more capable?

So many questions. My chest felt heavy, as if a darkness was laid upon it. I hated this.

A familiar feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Dread. Inevitability. Something was coming.

I could tell that others felt it too. They muttered uneasily amongst themselves as they ran, their gate becoming faster and more urgent.

The rumblings continued. They had gotten louder, as if they were following us. And they were catching up.

I risked a glance backwards, but I saw nothing. I shuddered, continuing with my head facing forwards. It’s fine, I told myself, though I knew otherwise. My gut twisted with the nauseating feeling.

I peered once more over my shoulder. There… There was something odd. A light misty substance floated along the breeze a couple hundred feet away. As I watched, the milky white mist grew thicker, tendrils reaching out as if pulling itself down the corridor. It was moving fast.

Whatever that was, it didn’t look good. The voice had even said that we didn’t want to get caught in this test. I cursed quietly, alerting the attention of those near me. They, in turn, looked back, and, seeing the gaseous mist, they began running faster. It turned into a sprint, and soon some of the more tired kids were passing Lucas.

As I neared him, I called out, “Lucas, we need to go faster! Look!”

He looked back at the white substance, which was rapidly closing in, and understanding dawning on his features.

Everything turned into a mad dash, our fear of the unknown giving us the strength we needed. A couple of people needed help along the way, their bodies not having the same enhancements as the others. Lucas picked Vicky up completely off of the ground as she began to lag behind.

I struggled to keep up, my lungs feeling like they weren’t getting enough oxygen. I was gasping, wheezing. Every breath burned in me as I sprinted down the cavern, pack bouncing against my shoulder blades. My heart pounded in my ears, and the small meter of strength I saw in my mind's eye was almost empty. Slowly, inch by inch, my pace slowed, and I began drifting towards the back of the group.

Sweat began dripping down my forehead and into my eyes, stinging them and making them blurry. I fought desperately to keep up with the rest, but I couldn’t. I risked a glance backwards and the white mist was getting closer and closer.

I looked straight ahead, my determination renewing slightly. It was no longer a matter of if I could do it. I had to do it. I sprinted with all my might, heart racing, lungs burning. Mason was directly in front of me, somehow seeming completely calm. He looked backwards, double checking to make sure no one was lagging behind. Our eyes met, and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. He slowed slightly until he was beside me, then he placed his hand in mine and pulled me, speeding up.

I froze for a moment, stumbling over my own feet in shock. When he touched me, I immediately saw his strength meter in my mind. It was ginormous. I almost felt as if I could... touch it. I tentatively poked at it. I don’t know how, but somehow I did. I could feel it. I could-- I grabbed a small portion of strength from his meter and added it to mine. It had no effect on Mason, but my meter immediately filled. My energy renewed, and my lungs stopped burning.

What on earth? I let go of Mason’s hand, my pace immediately matching his. He glanced at me again, confusion marking his features.

“I’m good,” I hissed. “Go help her.” I pointed to a shorter girl with curly blonde hair who was struggling to keep up.

He nodded, still looking perplexed as he drifted to the side towards her.

I glanced backwards at the wall of white mist. It was still coming quickly. Too quickly. Where was our destination? We had been running for almost an hour and a half and our surroundings looked practically the same. How much longer? Gosh, I think like a child.

As I sprinted, I tucked a few loose strands of hair that had fallen from my ponytail behind my ear. Sweat was still dripping in my eyes, stinging and burning, though I was not exhausted any longer. What had that been? My second power? Why had the voice or the writers of our papers not expounded on that ability? I wondered whether they would ever tell me what my second ability was. Maybe it was taking strength from others… Maybe I could give my strength to others. I grinned. That was way more useful than just doing impressions.

Lucas’s bark brought my attention back to our situation. “We’re nearing a curve! This could be it! Speed up!”

I breathed in, then exhaled, checking on my strength meter. It was still three quarters of the way through, but, unfortunately, it was depleting quicker than before. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to move faster. I glanced back again, and fear churned in my stomach.

The mist. It was moving faster, pulling itself with its finger-like tendrils. It was almost on top of us. My jaw clenched as I saw a small, thin boy with dark skin and short but thick curly hair, who could not have been any older than fourteen trip, falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs. I will not let them die today. It was no longer a matter of people watching. At the moment, I could have cared less. A human life was priceless. Important.

I came to a skidding stop, and my legs immediately wobbled weakly. I sprinted over to the kid, picking him up. His meter was empty. Could I give my strength to him? I looked at my quickly depleting strength gage in my mind’s eye. No. I needed to find Mason again. I picked the boy up, the wall of mist behind him growing closer and closer.

“Come on,” I said encouragingly, trying to keep any anxiety from my tone. No need to worry him more. I grabbed his hand with my left hand and put my right on his elbow. Then I ran. With my hands in these positions, the boy had no choice but to move his legs along. It released the pressure placed on his legs by his body, allowing him to move more easily. But, I had almost a hundred more pounds added onto my own weight I was carrying.

I searched for Mason and the blond girl. They couldn’t have gone far. As I ran, I realized that I was already quite behind the others from just stopping and helping the kid. They had been moving at a quicker pace than I had thought. I ran as fast as I could, the burn in my lungs and ache in my side slowly returning.

The boy beside me let out a cry of pain, and I glanced at him, a small bolt of panic slicing through me.

“My-my foot!” He panted.

I looked down. Oh, no. A tendril of the strange white mist had reached forward, as if sensing a human presence. It had eaten a hole into his right sneaker and had begun toying with his heel, as if licking it. Tasting it. The flesh that the unnatural substance had touched melted, like a candle held to a hot flame. Blood mixed with the liquid skin, leaving a trail of dull red behind us. Bile rose in my throat at the sight, my stomach churning. What would happen if an entire body was left to the mist?

I forced myself to quicken my pace, but the others were so far ahead. There was no way I could catch up with this boy dragging me down with his weight.

An evil thought wiggled its way into my mind. Just leave him. It said. No one is watching. You could just leave him behind, and no one would ever know. For a moment, I even considered it. The thought grew stronger, as if sensing my hesitation. I glanced at the boy, who was panting, trying in vain to go faster.

Tears and snot mixed together, streaming down his terrified face. He knew. He knew that he was going to die. I was torn. Torn between self-preservation and guilt. Would it be murder to leave him here? It was either he died or both of us… I looked at him again. He looked so young.

My strength meter was half empty.

I loosened my grip on his arm. It was the only way.

What the heck am I doing? My eyes widened, and I pulled the boy close to me, my mortification at myself boosting my strength up slightly. I sprinted as fast as I could down the now curving cavern. Where was Mason?

Then I saw his curly head bobbing alongside the little blonde.

“Mason!” I screamed desperately. After not getting a response, I screamed it again.

Nothing. He couldn’t hear me over the cries of the terrified girls and the pounding footsteps.

A dry sob escaped my lips as my feet slammed on the rocky ground. I was going to die. It was only four into the twelve tests the voice said that we would go through and I was already about to die.

But, I kept running, even as I felt a tendril of mist bite into my lower calf. Even as I saw a blurry shape zooming towards us. Even as the boy cried out as he was yanked from my arms.

I gasped, automatically reaching for him. Then I realized it was Mike. His form streaked towards the group, carrying the small boy.

Relief flooded through me, the dragging weight of the kid no longer slowing me down. These tests really knew how to push me to the edge of literal insanity. We were reaching an end to the curve, and, sure enough, in the middle of the dead end, a small door sat, about half my height. Maybe three feet tall.

I saw Mike’s form open the door and shove the little boy in before the main part of our group had even reached it.

I could make it. Mike and Lucas filed the group one by one into the small door, most having to duck down to enter. I felt the spike of mist dig deeper into my calf, but I ignored it. If I could just reach that door, I would be safe.

Almost. There.

Nox entered, and I realized that once again I was the last person in the cavern save Lucas and Mike. At least this time it was because I had been helping someone. Both of the boys saw me at the same time, and they began yelling at me to hurry. The encouragement (and curses) made my strength meter fill slightly, and I pushed ahead in spite of my exhaustion.

Right before I reached the door, Mike and Lucas moved partially to the inside of the door, concern etched on their faces. They weren’t looking at me, however, and I looked backwards.

The enormous white wall of mist loomed only a couple of yards behind me, churning and swirling, as if it were angry. Angry at me.

My breath caught in my throat, and even if I wanted to scream, I couldn’t.

I stumbled slightly, then righted myself. Only a few more yards… I sprinted recklessly, my long legs pumping as fast as they could.

I reached the door, and a bit of panic flared inside me at the tightness of it. It seemed to lead into a tunnel.

“GET IN!” Lucas roared, shoving me forward.

I ducked in, and began crawling down the tunnel as Mike and Lucas entered, closing the door behind them.

We were safe.

I like how she is trying to protect everybody else, even when she has no idea if it is effective!

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Spoiler: P3 continued

”Well come on. Let’s go see the ponies, they love having guests who don’t ride them” Alice walked towards the pony pen to the left of the main stable block.
“Alice! Wait up” Aclaira pushed herself after Alice, “oh sorry Clair I keep forgetting you can’t keep up” Alice smiled sympathetically. Aclaira nodded, she started to head towards the pony paddock. “Look our loose horse!!!” Someone shouted, she turned eyes wide, she screamed as the large grey mare reared striking with her hooves narrowly missing Aclaira’s head. “Easy girl” a boy with messy black hair and blue eyes that stood out against his dark complexion appeared at the mares side. “Control your horse” Aclaira snapped, she wheeled herself over to the pony paddock. “Wait just one second, this isn’t my mare, she belongs to Silvia and she misses her paddock mate Bluey” the boy argues, Aclaira felt her stomach drop “B-bluey?”

Spoiler: P4

”Yeah, he belonged to a girl who used to ride here. Good rider, but an accident happened and-“ she cut him off “I don’t need to know.” Deciding she would play dumb to the whole thing she cocked her head “do you know if this girl still rides?” She asked. “Nah she gave up riding according to Alice” he said “want to meet a few of the horses here?” Aclaira nodded deciding she wouldn’t tell him she was Blueys owner “come on then” he grinned and set off towards the stables (continued tomorrow)

 

[PioneerChicks]

Spoiler: P4

”Yeah, he belonged to a girl who used to ride here. Good rider, but an accident happened and-“ she cut him off “I don’t need to know.” Deciding she would play dumb to the whole thing she cocked her head “do you know if this girl still rides?” She asked. “Nah she gave up riding according to Alice” he said “want to meet a few of the horses here?” Aclaira nodded deciding she wouldn’t tell him she was Blueys owner “come on then” he grinned and set off towards the stables (continued tomorrow)

Interesting twist!

 

[Cutiechook15]

Spoiler: P4

”Yeah, he belonged to a girl who used to ride here. Good rider, but an accident happened and-“ she cut him off “I don’t need to know.” Deciding she would play dumb to the whole thing she cocked her head “do you know if this girl still rides?” She asked. “Nah she gave up riding according to Alice” he said “want to meet a few of the horses here?” Aclaira nodded deciding she wouldn’t tell him she was Blueys owner “come on then” he grinned and set off towards the stables (continued tomorrow)

Ooh I like this! Can't wait to read more!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Here is chapter two.

Spoiler: Cricket Book Chapter 2

"What is that pile of pebbles doing there?" a brown nymph asked as we hopped.

"That is not a pile of pebbles," Grumpylump snapped, "that is the Wall, as should be regarded as such."

"Why is the Wall there?" Another piped up.

"It's a long story. You'll hear it in the Learning Center." She dismissed.

"Please, Nurse 24?" Begged the first.

Grumpylump sighed loudly, but gave in.

"A long time ago, before anyone here hatched, crickets used to sing." Grumpylump started her story. "At nights, male crickets would run their wings together, file and scraper, to create the music.

"But then the Ormia came. They would follow the sound of cricket chirps and lay their eggs inside of the crickets. The eggs would hatch and eat away at the victim from the inside. Within two weeks, the Ormia would eat their way out and fly away, to lay more eggs in more crickets.

"And so you see, chirping endangered crickets. The solution was simple; to stop chirping. So we did. The males grew flatwings, like the females. We did not sing anymore. No crickets sing anymore. For the safety of all cricket kind, we gave up our music for survival. And it must stay this way forever. If the Ormia were to find us, we'd all be goners.

"A couple crickets -oh how wise they were!- gathered all the remaining crickets together and guided them in building a wall to keep the Ormia and other predators out. It keeps us safe. It keeps us alive. We need the wall, without it we would all be dead." Grumpylump finished the speech on an ominous note.

There was silence for a moment, except for the tap, tap, tap, of feet against the dirt.

"If we don't chirp, then why do we need the wall?" I asked, quietly.

Grumpylump either didn't hear, or she purposely ignored me. "Here we are, at the Learning Center. Goodbye 19Ys." Then she promptly turned and hopped over our heads towards the direction of the Nursery.