My Story

It all started with a rainy day.

A rainy day in September to be exact, and while there were many people who could not handle this type of weather Zayne actually loved it. It helped him think about what he was going to write about next when he got home. Guess that was one of the advantages—or disadvantages, depending on where you stood—of not having many friends outside of school.

That didn't bother Zayne for the most part.

When it came to his writing he liked to have as few distractions as possible so it didn't hurt his concentration.

However, right after school ended the rain had pretty much died down and the little town of Fairy Creek Iowa remained quiet. Light rain fell as Zayne made his way back home. Dressed in a grey denim jacket and dark blue jeans, Zayne began his walk home from school on his favorite path through the main park.

A town of a little over six thousand people Fairy Creek had the name of a town that sounded like it should have been in a work of fiction, and to be honest that was what Zayne liked about it. Maybe that was one of the reasons he got into writing fiction in the first place.

Fairy Creek wasn't a bustling town; it was a quiet retreat that people would see as a place to relax or for people to retire to. It also had a good amount of scenery on top of it. All around the town were willow trees and various small creeks and woods that had a fairy tale vibe when viewed in the right circumstances. Spring and summer were the best times to enjoy the view, but with autumn in full swing the trees around the town were in the middle of changing color from green to yellow and red and the leaves were falling from the tress.

The park was the town's main attraction, though you wouldn't find it high up on any tourists' destination list. Along the paved concrete paths one could easily get lost in the scene around them. There were the usual willow trees mixed in with oak and pine, a few well-tended to gardens here and there, and a number of small streams that had white wooden bridges for people to cross them.

One of the small wooden bridges was where Zayne stopped to stand on it for a few minutes. He took a big breath of fresh air, taking in the scent of pine and oak and looking down at the water flowing under the bridge.

From his outward appearance Zayne would probably be described as an emo, wearing a black denim vest with a medieval crest on the left side of his chest. The vest was a piece of memorabilia from one of his favorite television shows about knights and dragons in a fantasy realm. He also wore white cargo pants with black markings on them, made by him to give his clothes more flash and flair. His dyed charcoal black hair was combed to the sides so they weren't covering his eyes. Though he could be classified as emo in truth Zayne wasn't like that. He was a reserved individual who liked to keep to himself, but he did have a nasty temper that shocked people whenever they saw him angry. Guess that would be why he didn't interact with a lot of people in his free time.

"Hey Zayne!"

Forced out of his tranquil daydreaming Zayne turned and saw a familiar face running towards him.

A boy the same age as him, though shorter and with reddish brown hair that heavily contrasted with his dark green hair, ran up to him.

"Figured you'd be here," he said trying to regain his breath.

Zayne put his book bag on his back again, "What's up Arthur."

"Nothing...just had to get out school as quickly as possible...the cheerleaders were going to kill me..."

Arthur Cunningham had been one of Zayne's only friends since he had been living in Fairy Creek, though one would be hard pressed as to how they could be friends. Arthur was well known for being outgoing and had a notorious reputation at school for being a playful skirt chaser while Zayne was someone who would prefer to be out of the spotlight and had a mean-streak. More often than not he stayed out of his friend's escapades to try and get lucky with the girls. Not that he wasn't interested in girls, far from it, he just preferred to live long and healthy instead of dangerously like Arthur wanted to. Still that didn't stop the guy from trying on an almost everyday basis, and each time it earned him a little more scorn but he was either brainless or fearless since he didn't stop.

"Hellcats have little sense of humor or fun..."

Zayne shrugged his shoulders, "One of these days they will cut you like a fish for sneaking into their locker room all the time."

"I can't help it if they look good, goddesses in the flesh man, you should join me sometime."

Shaking his head Zayne reminded Arthur of something he may have forgotten about, "It's thanks to your antics that we got detention and have to stay after school tomorrow, pal."

Arthur laughed, "Which still doesn't make any sense considering you had nothing to do with it, save for being in the wrong place as the wrong time."

This was true, as Arthur had gone and snuck into the girls' locker room during gym class and stayed in there until the class ended. The girls found him, tried to murder him, and he escaped out the back. The first person he ran into? Zayne, of course, and given their friendship the gym teacher assumed they were in it together with Zayne being the lookout. Zayne protested but he had received a detention as well as a house call, and the consequences of that house call awaited him at home when he got there.

The two teens finished walking across the bridge and continued through the park until they reached the end. The park in Fairy Creek began at a stone bridge that was as old as the town itself, covered in moss and was over thirty feet tall and at a curve. Below was the creek the town was named after, barely two feet deep at any time during the year.

"Circumstantial evidence, huh, sucks for you man," said Arthur trying to hold back a smile. He was happy he didn't have to be alone in his detention for once.

"Whatever, man, I'll see you tomorrow," said Zayne, looking out at the creek. Other than the smaller bridge in the park this was his favorite spot to think and pass the time. Right now he wanted to kill some time before he headed home.

Arthur knew it too, waved and went on his way.

Zayne sighed, taking a look at the sun as it began to set in the horizon. He pulled out a notebook from his book bag and wrote a few sentences down on the paper:

'The hero came to a halt at the entrance to the kingdom, a bridge of stone that held secrets of its own. Were he to take another step he would be in the Fairy Kingdom, a land of enchantment and beauty, though he was hesitant to take it. He had to make sure he was ready for the journey ahead, and though excitement over such a trip made him soar at the thought he still had his mind and feet planted on the ground.'

Below that little piece of fiction he wrote 'Sounds grounded and original, just have to write the rough draft now'.

Feeling better as well as satisfied with himself, Zayne put his notebook away and went on home.