hot garbage / my old writing

sotd | three pt. 2

The smell of Magic was overwhelming. (okay that's kind of a weird thing to focus on) What does Magic smell like? (enlighten me.) It smells like fresh cookies coming out of a Zurite oven, or the smell of a lawn when I'm done cutting it. (that's a strange combo.) It smells like sparkling stars, if that can be used as a description of smell, (it can't) or maybe it smells like acres and acres of woods and glades, filled with lilacs, cherry blossoms, pine trees, and lilies. (in what part of the world are there acres of cherry blossoms and pine trees together?) Magic smells like... the best things you could ever imagine all rolled up into one. (apparently.) It felt like a warm, sunny day that wasn't too hot but not too cold, a kind, gentle hand squeezing yours when you're scared, and doing something exciting for the first time ever, like completing lifetime goal.

(now you see why young mckenna thought she was a great writer. wow, how eloquently put, young mckenna. -_-)

All too soon, we hear Calliope say, "Okay, you may open your eyes now." (why couldn't they open their eyes while they traveled, you may ask? because young kenna was too lazy to describe what it looked like.)

Adrian and I both open our eyes, and are amazed to see we are at Cassem Corner. "We're in Cassem!" I whisper to Adrian. (astute observation, mara.)

"Would you mind letting go of my hand? Squeeze any harder and I won't be able to use it for a week." Adrian says, trying to pry his fingers out of mine.

I don't even notice I'm still grasping onto his hand until he mentions it, and I don't want to seem weak to him or he'd never let me hear the end of it, so I let his hand drop. He starts dramatically rubbing it to show me how tight I was wrenched around his hand. I would laugh if it was any other circumstance, but it isn't, so I keep my mouth shut. (i hate this.)

Two girls and a boy walk up to the Cassem platform, which I notice for the first time. (what did you notice for the first time? the platform that you're literally standing on?) It is much nicer than ours, made of mahogany and painted with swirls of silver, gold, green, and blue.

Calliope talks to the boy and girls for a minute, and then they walk up to us. "Men," She says to us, gesturing towards the boy. "This is Sephtis."

Sephtis has flat, brown hair and hazel eyes, the normal Cassemite look. He looks awful familiar. Adrian holds out his hand to shake Sephtis', but Sephtis just sniffs and ignores it. He smiles and us and says, "Wow, real Brinkani! I would say I've never seen Brinkani before, but I have. There's this lousy Brinkani girl who mows the lawns around our neighborhood. Mom feels sorry for her, saying she has to mow lawns to get enough money to feed her family of five!"

(why is that all under one paragraph?)

(also i hate that entire dialogue so much.)

It only takes a second to realize he's talking about me. (wait, really? wow) No doubt he thinks I'm lying, because he's never had to lift a finger and he gets food immediately. Enough food to fill my whole family's bellies, probably. Just for him. (okay for the last time, we get it, you're poor and nobody else suffers as much as you.)

Adrian senses that Sephtis is talking about me, and tries to smooth things out by saying, "Nice to meet you Sephtis." (wow nice save.)

"I'm sure it is." Sephtis says. (lol)

I roll my eyes under my cloak. Then Calliope directs out attention to one of the girls. "This is Ebony, men."

I take one look at Ebony and automatically think of Shiva. She has the same nose, the same face shape, even short hair that's dark brown enough to mistake for black. Except it's wavy. (i hate this i hate this i hate this i hate) And, of course, she's older. (of course?) Adrian tries again and holds out his hand to shake hers, but draws back. I follow his gaze to her left hand. Or what would be her hand. Instead of a hand, just a stump of one rests. Her hand is gone. (lol oops)