Natural Selection Samples

Sample #1: Freedom Lies Within The Forest

Aydris didn't know where she was going to sleep tonight, but she didn't care, not as long as she got to rest her eyes-

Then she saw it.

It was faint at first but it grew brighter in the night covered forest.

She finally understood why they were named auroras... because it was those beautiful northern lights that they embodied. They were floating rivers of light weaving through the water by her feet and the trees in the distance; weaving through her fingers in front of her and the clouds rolling in overhead. Greens and blues and purples and white stained the sky like ink in water. Every inch of her that called for sleep vanished as she witnessed the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

Harlows' cognac eyes had golden auroras threading in and out of her irises'. She took Aydris's shoulder and flashed a quick smile.

"Go." She said quietly edging her towards the tree line. Aydris followed her glare and saw the beautiful jade and ivory auroras spreading through the bark and leaves. At witnessing it, her blood seemed to roar for the sweet freedom of the forest. A slight rumble sounded miles away as clouds blanketed the moon.

The voice of her fiery lead cleaved through her awe, "What are you waiting for, Aydris! Live a little!" with her last word the drums exploded into a powerfully wicked cadence pushing Aydris and her new allies into action as they took off into the dark forest. The clouds overhead were a stark grey against the endless night sky. And as she ran, she never felt more alive.

The fierce tempo of the drums behind them faded with the distance and was replaced by the steady patter of rain and the thrumming of their own wayward heartbeats.

At first, the rainfall was light, merely a drizzle but within a matter of seconds, it started to pour. And the auroras still shone, through the downpour, through the clouds and the winding forest they shone just as brightly, threading through everything that was real and wasn't.

They had no end and no beginning.

They just... were.

As Aydris and her allies ran they followed the arteries of the universe into oblivion. In a matter of moments, Andra vanished from her left, disappearing somewhere in the woods. Then so did Callan following the siren's call. Only her and Lukas were left, they laughed as they ran their hands through the beautiful energy around them.

Smiling with him... here, with these rivers of light-

The rain fell in such a torrent, puddles of mud collected on the ground. It painted their clothes a pale brown, but Aydris didn't care. Apparently, neither did Lukas as he let out a wicked laugh. They ran as fast as their feet could carry them, spinning and eddying around trees. Never before had Aydris felt so... alive.

Her and her best friend reunited in what seemed like a different life, a different light. Everything so wonderfully obscure they didn't see the great looping tree roots protruding from the ground at the bend. It caught their feet and they tumbled into the watery mud rolling until their momentum carried them no more. Then they laid there, side by side, laughing as they stared into the beautifully woven fabric of the universe.

The chaos was perfectly serene.

The only sounds were their thundering heartbeats, the pouring rain, their breathing... Aydris glanced sidelong at her friend only to find him staring at her.

His eyes of forest green turned into the essences of jade and emerald gems, knitting themselves together creating a mosaic of life. Such a hidden beauty that most people won't notice in their euphoric trance tonight. Something of understanding was established between them as they laid on the forest floor.

They felt alive. They felt as if, for the first time in their lives, they both woke up. Lukas reached over and gripped her hand gently, giving her a weak smile. He felt alive but his smile was also laced with worry. His family, he left them in order to fight for them. He stayed so that they may live.

Aydris glanced down at their intertwined fingers. Faint bands of white energy traced through their veins leading to the point of contact between them. He inched closer admiring the auroras with her, he was so close she could feel his breath as it meshed with hers. She breathed in his scent of white pine and savored the warmth it welcomed her with.

She didn't know if it was primal, or just the sheer joy at finally being alive, but she leaned closer letting their lips brush slowly, then lock- For the first time since her parents passed, she felt safe. He gently pulled her closer- For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt comfortable. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face- For the first time in too long, she felt like she was finally home.

The word tasted foreign, but in Lukas' arms, she found home.