So, this is just a little insight on what I'm writing . I know, it's nothing extremely huge, but I hope you enjoy it. I hope it puts enough questions in your mind to want to know what's going on :) Tell me what you think!!
And this is to you, silent readers. I know you're out there!!!! Yes, I'm talking to you! You, who just clicked the litle shuffle button or clicked on the title 'cause it looked interesting. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!
-Abbie
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Inside was a calm, if peaceful, land. We were in the middle of a clearing of a vast forest. Thick trees lined the edges, leaves scattered among branches. The sky was a clear, forget-me-not blue, sun shining brightly. Birds chirped, sang their hearts out, and I could only imagine what challange we had next. The key lay in the very middle, perched against a small grey rock. Was it really that easy? Did we simply have to walk up and take it? My instincts said not. Obviously when we attempted to get it something would attack us, and some whole new obsticle course would go into play. I glanced at Jack, Lyla, and Devon, whose expressions mirrored my own. Tense, suspicious, worried. I knew we were all thinking the same thing as we stood there, soaking in our surroundings: Sooner or later, we had to at least attempt to go get it.
We all exchanged glances, and Jack opened his mouth to speak. "Well, who wants to go first?"
Lyla glared at him, her face still streaked with dried tears and eyeliner. "It's nothing to joke about, Jack," she said, her voice suprisingly strong considering the events that had just passed. "One of us could..." She broke off, a lost expression on her face. Devon hurried and put his arm around her shoulders, squeezing lightly.
"Well, I wasn't exactly joking was I?" Jack muttered tensly, clenching a fist. "One of us is going to have to go and trigger it."
Assuming "it" was the oncoming challege waiting to jump out at us, what he said actually made sense. If one of us would actually volunteer to see what's coming, it would make it a whole lot easier than the whole lot of us marching out there waiting to get scewered. The only problem was that whoever went out there had a pretty good chance of dying first. They were taking a huge risk on their lives. But really...isn't that what the whole purpose of this was? To see who was willing to risk their lives for the greater good?
"I'll do it." I mumbled quietly. Suprisingly, everyone else heard me. Lyla looked up in suprise, and I saw Jack's fist tighten. I shrugged. "Someone has to, and it obviously it won't be you, or you." I pointed a finger at Devon, who nodded solomely, and Lyla, who glared at me as usual. I looked pointedly at Jack.
"And what about me?" he said tightly.
"On that leg? You wouldn't last three steps." He exhaled, tensing his jaw and looking at the sky. "So that just leaves me."
They all just looked at me.
"What?" I said, feeling self concious.
"Well, you're...tiny," said Lyla, squinting and poking a finger at me. I scowled.
"Well, thanks, for reminding me." Like I needed it. "Now if you don't mind, we're wasting time here." I shuffled forward, pushing her out of my way. Before I could actually reach the spot where leaves turned into grass, however, another person stood blocking my way. Jack.
"What?" I exhaled in exasperation. It seemed like we'd just been standing there for ten minutes doing nothing but cower in fright.
"You can't just go out there and see what happens, Danny," he said, a hard line in his brow. "You'd get crushed."
"Well, if I don't recall, it was your idea in the first place." That seemed to have stumped him. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it shut. Slowly, reluctantly, he moved out of my way.
I stepped forward, a bit confused. Why would he care if I got crushed? Didn't he seem to be pushing and pushing at me until I broke? After all, it was me that caused him to sprain his ankle. He seemed to have hated me from the moment he set eyes on me, no matter how hard I tried to make peace. Always arguing, talking back. Yet, whenever I seemed in danger, he was also always there, protecting my back from danger. And again, just now when he refused to let me pass. Could I have been wrong about him? Could he...
No. I pushed that thought out of my mind. I couldn't think about that right now, of all times. I had to focus on what was in front of me, which was the little stone with the key. That was my goal. Just reach that, and it will be okay. Just reach the stone. Just reach the stone.
As soon as the toe of my boot passed through the boundary between leaf and grass, a giant mass loomed up in front of me, all spikes and limbs and wings, a startling screech thudded in my eardrums, and I was knocked flat on my side as something long and thorny hit my ribcage.
A dragon.
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