A Collection of Short Stories

A Parallel Universe

It was nothing but dark trees blurring together like lines and the pale moon shining in the ever-growing darkness. Michelle stood beneath a tree, its branches stretching out its massive arms. Her eyes adjusted against the dull light. She remembered she was sleeping in her bed, but now she's immediately transported to this situation, an unknown place but familiar. 

She looked down and saw that she was wearing a pale yellow cape, with ribbons of cream wrapping around her. In her left hand, it held a weird weapon that looks like a stapler. More like a gun. She was wearing white gloves as well. Her free hand reached the top of her head, gripping something above her. It was the hood connected with the cape. It felt silky and soft when touched, like a pillow. 

Where am I?

Michelle squinted to the horizon. She heard faint clashings of the sword against sword, an arrow pulled taut, a dragon roar and the shouting of an unknown language; she still couldn't see what's happening and started to walk towards the voices. As she near the clearing, more crumbled walls appeared in her vision, the bricks fell into a pile. A trench nearby filled with planks of wood stood in her way. She was careful not to step on the muddy pile, to not get her shoes wet and muddy, stepping on the planks. The planks creaked under her steps, squeaky but firm. 

Suddenly an arrow shot towards her left side and hit a bunch of bricks. Michelle immediately flinched but kept her position. An archer hidden in the trees? She scanned the trees, but her vision was still blurry since she started to walk into unknown territory. All she saw was darkness from the trees, an ever-flowing black hole that never stops sucking. Someone shouted from her right, faint but undecipherable. The next second, she saw a glint from the arrowhead, pointing at her direction. Her legs wouldn't move but her brain was screaming at her muscles to move, to move into some other direction. The arrow shot straight for her chest, straight for her heart. 

Something red flashed through her vision, no, red hair. He slid into a stop right in front of her, holding a sword that shone with an unnatural pink light. He swung the sword, slicing the arrow in half. He was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. All the words merged and covered each other, like colors blurred together on the canvas. 

"...okay? " he shouted to her.

She managed to get the gist of it. She nodded her head slowly. He was asking whether she was okay.

"...get...healer...Veronica...her, " he commanded someone. It's still really tough to hear him speak. Her vision is still terrible and her muscles still refuse to accept the authorities of the brain.

A lady with grey-ish hair approached her on a horse, wielding a staff. The appearance of the staff and the horse's decoration had the same color and design as her cape. The lady was saying her name, soothing her with words she couldn't understand.

"Michelle?" the lady asked.

Suddenly, like someone lifted some of the weight on her shoulders, she was renewed. Her vision immediately sharpened, her ears giving a loud pop followed by sharp pain and the smell of fresh grass and fire overwhelming her. The sounds of battle increased a tenfold. She now realized she was standing on a battlefield, the smell of blood and magic surrounding her. 

"Where am I?" Michelle said. She looked around and saw four people staring at her, brows furrowed in worry. The red hair boy who saved her from an arrow was still holding his sword, his armor streaked with lines of blood. His blue eyes were shining under the moonlight, unwavering. The lady who healed her earlier stared into the distance, gripped her staff with white knuckles. Another boy, on a white horse, held his lance on his shoulders and stared her with his turquoise eyes, an ocean of battles. Someone stood in front of her, a girl wearing light armor and a blue cloth that is tightened around the waist with multi-colored ribbons. She offered her hand to Michelle, who grabbed it with unsure strength. 

"You're here, commanding us. Thanks to you, we manage to kill off all the enemies around the area," she spoke, her tone light. 

Michelle couldn't believe her sentence. Command? She didn't do anything except plunging through a trap. 

Several footsteps were heard from a distance. Is another enemy coming? 

"They're coming," the red hair boy said. He turned towards the sound. It was coming from the dense forest. He readied his sword in front of him. 

"Aye," the girl said, "We must get ready for our last battle." She took out an arrow from her quiver, which is full of arrows. 

All four of them faced the direction of the sound of the footsteps, bracing themselves. A hulking figure, wearing gold armor with a red line at his eye, roaring at them while raising an ax at them. A girl riding a wyvern clad in black feathers dived towards them. Another girl raising her sword, amber glinting against the fire that surrounds them. An army with black and gold armor marching towards them, magic ready to be spoken. 

"You're a worthy opponent..." the guy on the white horse snarled at them and smiled wickedly at them. He swung his lance in front of him and into a battle stance, narrowing his eyes. 

"It's time to end this..." the girl sighed, pulling two arrows out of her quiver. Her posture was calm like the wind breeze that surrounds them as she pulled the string taut, aiming at the army. 

"By my blade..." the red-hair boy shouted, his sword ready to be unsheathed, his eyes on the three figures. 

"You will be mine!" the lady exclaimed, showering them with a soft and gentle light. 

The light grew even brighter and brighter until she had to squint her eyes...

...just to wake up from her bed, with the sun shining in her eyes. 

Was that a dream?

Michelle shook her head. She checked the time; it was 7 in the morning. She woke up earlier than her alarm. 

But that dream, it was a beautiful but haunting and dangerous dream.