"What are you doing here?" the man asked again, his voice cold and authoritative. 

Without care for dignity, Iris began to crawl toward him. He was handsome, and he didn't seem to want to kill her, which instantly placed him high in her books. 

"This feral bit me!" the child complained, his voice the perfect match for 'spoiled brat' title. 

When Iris turned around to glance black, he was about to take a step forward, toward her. Her fur stood up as her horror rose, and she turned back at the man, begging him to save her. Yet her voice… it sounded so wrong, high-pitched and eerie. It was nothing like the soft meowing of kittens or yipping of puppies. 

'How can anyone want to save me when I sound like this?' she complained internally, crying tears of disappointment. 'Does life seriously want me dead? Is that why it's making it so complicated to survive?'

The man took a couple steps and squatted down before her. She looked up at him, but there was nothing in his eyes; they were two black voids that hid whatever he was thinking. 

"Hey, mister, don't touch it!" the boy shouted out that moment, when the man was about to reach out to her. "It's crazy, must have rabies!"

"Why are you not rushing to the doctor then? Weren't you scratched by it?" 

The kid only then seemed to have realized the implications. He glanced at his hand, then at Iris, then back at his hand, and after another angry glare, he rushed off.

Iris breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing. But then, the man's big hand descended on her now dirty fur. "What are you doing here, though? Expensive creatures like you normally don't wander the streets on their own." 

'Yes, yes!' Iris swiftly agreed. If he thought she was important, wouldn't he bring her somewhere with food, warmth, and no maniacal kids? She even brushed her head against his arm to express her approval of his thoughts. 

"Mhm… You don't seem scared of humans. Did you run away from home?" he asked while gently brushing her back. It was a comfortable sensation, and Iris closed her eyes, happy. This was the best thing that had happened to her this day. It seemed small, but in her new animal life, she called it a victory worth celebrating. 

Then, she realized what he was talking about. Run away? Didn't that imply that she had an owner? It instantly destroyed her good mood, and the moment his hand left her, she darted away. Her body still hurt like hell, but after a bit of lying about, she could move at least. 

Not fast enough, though. The man grabbed her by the tail, and she yelped in indignation. When she turned around to bite him for such an act, he quickly picked her up and stood up. 

"Shh, be quiet. I'll help you find your owner, so be nice and don't struggle now. It'll be better for everyone." 

For a moment, Iris debated continuing to fight, but when she saw how high up she was, her fighting spirit evaporated. Why was he so tall?! If she fell from this height, wouldn't it be the same as jumping out of the second or third floor building? She didn't want a broken arm or leg!

'Fine, I'll agree to this, but just because you're holding me hostage.' 

The man looked down at her, his expression having changed for the first time since they met. He stared at her with incredulity. "You- No, that's crazy," he said to himself, shaking his head. "It's almost like it understood what I said." 

'You bet I did,' Iris replied with a roll of her eyes, then shut them closed. Might as well sleep for a bit, now that there was no obvious danger around. After all, she'll need her energy later to escape this stranger who thought to find her an owner.

Iris didn’t think much of her life until one day she found herself in the body of a baby fox. Before she could wrap her head around it, she was bullied by a kid and saved by a handsome stranger. It was almost like a fairy tale ending, just why is she still a fox?! Is there like a certain duration or will she need to stay like this forever? No way!

If you want to chat about the novel or ask me anything, visit my discord ^^ https://discord.gg/ZegeFhH

The first time Marjoe saw Billy smile after his mother's death was three weeks later.
Susanna and the two boys had wandered off to the nearby lake and were now skipping stones over its smooth surface.
Marjoe, who was horrible at skipping stones, had instead decided to climb on top of a large boulder that laid near the lake, to recite one of the many stories that Yuma had read to him over the years.
He gestured with his hands as if he was telling the most fantastic tale to a giant crowd instead of a children's story to his friends. When he came to the climax of his story, he whirled around on top of his bolder before jumping in the air. 

Susanna gasped in horror as she watched her friend bouncing around two meters above the ground. Billy, on the other hand, started giggling softly. When Susanna stared at him instead, his giggle turned into a burst of hysterical laughter that left him gasping for air.

After Sanna had convinced Marjoe to join them on the much safer ground, they sprawled out in the wet grass and watched the clouds slowly float over them.

"Joey, can I ask you somethin'?" Billy asked after a few seconds of silence.
"Sure, what's up?" Marjoe replied, absent-minded while his eyes followed an oddly shaped cloud.
"Where are all the stories your brother tells you coming from?"
"Well, from the books, of course."
"Yeah, I know," Billy said, leaning on his elbows to look at Marjoe. "But, where does he get the books from?"

That got his attention. He had never thought about where Yuma got the books he brought home on a daily basis. It had always been natural to him that they would appear and disappear in their room pretty regularly. He had never even thought about questioning his brother. That was just how things were done in this town. Everything that happened was simply accepted without demanding any answers at all. The same pretty much happened with the Undertaker. Nobody really tried to find out more about him or anything at all, really.

"I don't know," Marjoe said slowly more and more questions forming in his head.
"Well, you could just ask him," Susanna proposed with a smile on her pink lips.
Marjoe just nodded and went back to staring into the sky.

The sun had just disappeared behind the horizon when Marjoe arrived home. He kicked off his muddy boots in the entrance and went to the room he shared with his brother.
Yuma was already there, solving the homework he had brought home from school.

Because Yuma was twelve, six years older than Marjoe, he was about to finish the five years of school the kids in town were supposed to complete. Is wasn't mandatory, but most parents decided to send their kids to school in the morning and have them help with the chores when they got off in the afternoon. 

They mostly learned the basics of writing, reading, and maths as well as discipline and some fundamentals of agriculture and so on.

"Hey Yuma," Marjoe chimed and plopped down on the bed next to the tiny desk. The room was so small that there was barely enough space for the two beds, the table and chair, and a small dresser. Which meant that one of them usually had to sit on either the mattress or the floor.

Yuma only grunted too concentrated on his assignment to really pay attention. 
"Yuma," Marjoe said again. "Where do you always get the books from?"
Yuma's hand stilled, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he just stared down on paper in front of him.
"From the library," Yuma said, trying to sound nonchalant and failing miserably.
Marjoe shook his head.
"That's not true," he declared after thinking about it for a second. "I've been to the library with mom. There are only boring books. Aboud fields and math and trees. I've never seen any of your books there."

Yuma just shrugged.
"What does it matter, anyway?"
"Because!" Marjoe reasoned with the conviction only a six-year-old could have.
"That's a dumb reason," Yuma accused.

At that moment, they heard the front door open and close as their mother called out to them.
Marjoe grinned evilly at his brother and jumped off the bed.
"Fine. If you don't wanna tell me, I'm just gonna ask mom."

A panicked look crossed over Yuma's face. He knew that as soon as Joey started asking questions about them, his mother could no longer ignore the strange books he kept bringing home. He leaped off his chair, grabbed his little brother, and covered his mouth with his hand when he tried to make a ruckus.

"Ok, ok," he hissed into Marjoes ear. "I'll show you tomorrow. Just stop asking stupid questions."
"You promise?" Joey asked with gleaming eyes after pulling his brother's sweaty hand off his face.

Yuma just sighed. "Yeah, I promise."

Marjoe grows up in a world without a god. There is only the Undertaker. He's the boogeyman under your bed, the nightmare of your sleepless night. Nobody knows where he came from or what his goal is. The only thing Marjoe knows it that wherever he appears, someone dies in the next 24 hours. 
When one day, the Undertaker takes his mother with him, Marjoe has to go on a journey to retrieve his mother's soul.

She didn't expect to be invited to the penthouse so soon. Claire was just as surprised as Debbie was when she received a call from Mr Wilde telling her to prepare the study for a guest. The head maid didn't question anything and did as she was instructed. She was also curious as to why the CEO wanted to know Scarlet's schedule. The kids were going to survey the various clubs and extracurricular activities today, so Claire was miffed when Mr Wilde told her to arrange for someone to pick Scarlet up after school in a car. Wasn't she supposed to take public transportation?
Jasper and Alex weren't too bothered with the special treatment Scarlet got. In fact, they looked genuinely happy for her when they heard someone coming to get her in a car.
"You should go home and rest, standing and walking too long isn't good for your leg."
Alex agreed and felt guilty seeing the cast on Scarlet's leg even though they made up. She wanted to help Scarlet carry her bag and reduce the burden, but even her own backpack was too heavy for her to handle. The Wilde princess didn't know what she could do for Scarlet except to walk beside her, but Scarlet was faster than she was. She'd never felt so useless before. When she heard that someone was coming to get her sister, Alex was overjoyed. At least Scarlet didn't need to put up with her pathetic speed now.
Scarlet didn't question it and followed the driver when he arrived. Claire didn't provide her with any more details, so the blogger was left to speculate what could have happened all alone in the car that seemed too big all of a sudden.
With nobody around, her thoughts drifted off to the darker side. Could it be that she'd done something wrong unknowingly and Mr Wilde called her back alone to scold her?
While the blogger was bashing herself mentally, Debbie was admiring the tasteful tapestries and sipping on Darjeeling tea. Wilmer decided to take some time and dress down so he would be more comfortable for the long discussion that was about to take place. There was just something about Debbie that clicked, and he just had a feeling that the girl would come to like Ms Connor too.
"Scarlet was once a Liu, but her parents were those in the middle class trying to make it rich. It was a marriage of partnership more than love and Scarlet was born from necessity. Before my wife met her, Scarlet was just like an expressionless doll and did things perfectly as expected from her. We wanted to raise her as our ward because she possesses an incredible talent that could become one of Alex's strongest pillars within her inner circle of friends when she becomes the Wilde heiress. However, when we tried to negotiate with the Liu's, they promptly sold their daughter to us for a blank cheque. It was at that point that my wife decided to adopt Scarlet legally instead of grooming her to become Alex's pillar."
"They sold her for money... Are they really her biological parents? How can such monsters exist!? The poor child..."
Wilmer sighed and nodded. "My wife and daughter tried everything they could, but the trauma and damage were already done. We don't want to resort to calling for a psychologist, but if the situation gets worse, we might have to. I do hope that we do not need to resort to such an option with your influence in Scarlet's life as a governess. I'll say I'm pleasantly surprised by how well I think you'd do well for the governess position. The focus should be more on Scarlet, but I hope you can help all three of my children grow, even if one of them isn't my legal child."
Debbie smiled. "I'm not very confident about playing the faux therapist here, but I will do my best. I am interested to meet all the children, but I would like to know to know more about the dedication of this job. As you might have heard, I am recently married and am living with my husband in Singapore. I understand that governesses are usually required to live with their employers much like the maids and butlers under your employment. However, I would like to request a more formal position, like a tutor, who can travel over for classes and return after the lesson is over..."
Wilmer thought about it. "I have no reason to object to such an arrangement. I also understand that you're busy with your freelance career as an editor, so I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time. Alex and Jasper will be having extracurricular activities after lessons and they will be interning at my company for two days a week. Once Claire has a better grasp on their schedules, we can discuss the arrangements again."
Just as their discussion came to an end, there was a knock on the door. Claire bowed as she entered and announced that Scarlet was home and was currently settling down in her room.
Wilmer shared a look with Debbie and told the maid to bring Scarlet to the study when she was ready. The two then proceeded to chat about less important matters as Claire excused herself.
When Scarlet heard that Mr Wilde wanted to see her, she quickly changed out of the uniform and combed through her messy hair. Once she was ready, Claire escorted her and knocked on the door before ushering the blogger in. She was clearly not expecting another person to be in the room, because the blogger froze up when she saw the unfamiliar lady.
To ease the tension, Wilmer smiled and told Scarlet to have a seat before asking about her day. Debbie noticed how upright Scarlet was sitting. Her ramrod spine and professional answers made the ex-lawyer raise her brow. She could understand a little more about what the CEO meant by behaving perfectly. She must have gone through a very harsh education to be able to carry herself with such prim and proper conduct.
Wilmer pouted. Scarlet wasn't easing up, so he mustered his most pitiful voice and asked childishly. "When are you going to call me daddy?"
The girl stiffened and Debbie giggled at the father and daughter interaction. 
Scarlet deadpanned. "Not even Alex calls you daddy."
Wilmer mocked horror and pretended to weep. Debbie couldn't contain her laughter and Scarlet seemed to ease up a little at that. With the ice broken, the ex-lawyer introduced herself as a friend of Benjamin's.
"You know Benjamin?"
"Yes," Debbie nodded. "We studied in the same institute before. However, I left my law career behind and am now helping budding writers publish their books. I'm a freelance editor!"
At the mention of 'editor', Scarlet's eyes lit up and she snapped back to Mr Wilde.
"She's an editor!"
Mr Wilde nodded slowly. "I know."
"But she's an editor... She helps make books!"
The Ceo was amused and nodded slowly again. "I've heard."
"I write books!" Scarlet was almost bouncing in her seat, much to the amusement of the adults present.
"And...?" Wilmer pretended not to get the inference.
Exasperated and mentally debating if she should shamelessly request for Debbie to teach her how to write books or be polite and let the chance fly by, the better choice was obvious to her.
"Daddy, can I please learn from Ms Connor? It doesn't have to be very often, just once in a while over tea is good too... I... I've actually started writing one secretly from Alex and Jasper, but I don't know if it is any good..."
Wilmer couldn't stop the smile from infecting his mood. It spread from his face to his entire personality, and the CEO pointed at Debbie.
"You're hired."


At age 10, Scarlet Liu Xiu Wen was tested with a Mensa IQ of 156.

By age 12, she was publishing books with the pen name Permanent Frost. By age 14, she was a successful vocalist-composer in the band called Britannia. By age 16 Scarlet had a successful career as a model and actress going by the stage name of Liu Xiu Wen.

However, there was a secret that the world didn't know. Away from the limelight, Scarlet took on yet another persona online as Pirate S - the eccentric half-genius. Everyone who lurked in the forums knew her name. Known for her unusual takes on life and mostly popularly for her "Human Observation Diary" blog, Scarlet enjoys the nerd life in secret.

Human Observation Diary has always kept to a very standard format but one day, a reader pointed out that the blog has recently been differing from its usual format. Intrigued by the trigger, Scarlet investigates her latest human observation - an online NEET by the name of Jedd77.

From further interactions, Scarlet finds herself helplessly drawn to him. As their friendship develops into something more, Scarlet has to make a choice.

To give up her secrecy and allow Jedd77 to be a part of her life? Or continue the game of cat and mouse even after the face reveal.

***

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After stumbling around for a while, Meng finally found herself in front of the royal library. Her eyes lit up when saw it and a small spark of hope started in her heart. 

The reason why Feng Wi turned bad had to be because she didn't know how to raise kids right. Therefore, as long she learned, wouldn't she be able to fix this mess easily? 

 Meng's steps were hesitant as she walked into the library. 'Please let this one last thing turn out right for me.'  

Cultivation books were easy to find as they were plentiful in numbers. However, when it came to books on raising children, it was most likely limited to around at most ten. 

Her heart felt helpless as she stared at the legion of books in front of her. Her lazy nature fought with her need to protect Feng Qi, creating chaos in her mind. Inhaling a breath, Meng forced her first foot toward the endless sea of books. 

Soon came the second, third, and forth step as she accepted her fate and walked up to a book shelf. 

Seeing that the one book shelf out of a hundred, already had approximately two thousand books, Meng felt miserable inside. 

For the first time ever, she felt like a stranger among books. Then again, she never had to search for a needle in a hay stack before either. Actually, it was more accurate to say the past her would have never even tried to find a needle in a hay stack. 

Yet, thinking of Feng Qi's resilience in 'Defying Moonlight', she hardened her heart and picked up a random book. 

Flipping through the first few pages, Meng put back the book and picked up another one, repeating the task.  


'Not it.... Nope...Nothing here...hmm Tigress Creates a Dragon? ... Nope that's smut... All done with this shelf,' 


At the moment that Meng's sore hands traveled to the next book shelf to grab another book a noise sounded out from behind her.


[Cough, Cough]  


The sound broke through her focus causing Meng to turn her head as she raised an eyebrow in confusion. Behind her was the little old man who claimed to be Rong You. 

His wrinkled face was filled with dissatisfaction as her glared at her with accusing eyes. His foot tapped on the ground in aggravation, but the entire time this intense glare was happening he didn't say anything. 


"Are you ok R-master?" Meng looked at him in utter bewilderment. Why did he look like she killed his puppy when she wasn't even paying attention to him? Could is be his psychosis acting up?  


"Humph. After being gone for five days you dare come in here and not even acknowledge this old man!?" He turns his head away as if dismissing her presence. 


Meng's eyes grew wide with horror as she processed this information. She was asleep for five days? Who knew how many things had changed during that time! 

The emperor was probably still waiting for her to explain why the maid ripped of their own arm and to fix the situation. Feng Qi's problem probably got worse without treatment.... 

A crease formed in the middle of Meng's eyebrows as her face was covered with worry. Seeing his disciple like this Rong You felt pleased and decided that he wouldn't hold a grudge this time. Bai Yao Ling seemed to have accepted that she was in the wrong, therefore how could he be petty?

Meng Yin, a shut in, dies of a broken heart when the author of a novel kills off her favorite character. She wakes up as a mob character of that very same novel called Ru Gu Meng. 

Realizing that she had transmigrated in the same novel of the character who gave life to her horrible world, she swears to make sure that this time he won’t be the one that dies. Reborn as a princess of a lowly kingdom, Meng has to dig herself up through political turmoil and murderous sect’s to protect the only light she has left. 

Follow Ru Gu Meng into a mystical world of cultivation, demons, and magic. Where she uses her intellect, power, and instinct to carve a way for the person she will always protect. 

No matter the cost, those who harm the one’s she protects will die!

———————————————————————

*Main character is not sane at all at the first part of the story due to extreme child abuse. Therefore while reading the story please keep that in mind if she accidentally or meaningfully murders some people or acts wildly.

*The main character does not start out smart as she is literally a shut in who has only been outside a few times in her entire life. 

*Release: Book is being edited.

*Picture does not belong to me.

*Tags:

[Femaleprotagonist] [Reincarnation] [Yandere] [AntiHero]

Following Jamie, the discussion continued.
By now, everyone let out their scarce fear that retained within and expressed what they love to do in the future.
It became interesting to chat and get motivated together at that age. Seth's plan worked well as he saw those gleaming faces shine brightly.
'Everyone is doing great.' – Seth thought.
"That sounds great, Annie; a detective sounds so cool," one of the kids praised his classmate, Annie, who revealed her dream to be the greatest Detective.
"That is great, but Detectives in the movies are very different from real life. I hope you get enough exposure and knowledge of the world you want to enter. By the way, Annie- your father is working in the police department, right?" Seth inquired.
Annie nodded.
"Then, I guess you can get a lot of help in terms of getting there," Seth remarked.
"Annie, the detective sounds very cool. Best wishes, Annie. Go catch those criminals and-"
Seth paused.
"You will be protecting us from the bad guys, I guess," he announced.
Instantaneous gasps heard across the walls.
"Woah, Annie, the protector of our city!"
"All hail, Annie; the female Sherlock Holmes!!!"
"Annie! Annie! Annie!"
The guys turned into a cheering squad as they supported Annie's dream.
Annie sat down, passing down the torch to Samuel.
Samuel is the average student. He scores a little above the average and maintains stable conduct.
"It's Samuel, hey Sam, tell us what's your dream?" a classmate shouted from the other side.
Samuel did not pay any attention. He concentrated at Seth for a few seconds profoundly.
"Mr. Seth, I only want to get a job and live a normal life."
"Frankly, I don't understand why you are doing this in the first place. I mean, I get it that you want to motivate the ones who have a dream to achieve, but I think most of us-"
Samuel paused, taking a glance at his classmates.
"There are also people like me who wish to live a peaceful, normal life and not go on a crazy, adventurous journey."
He finished and sat down in a swift.
His opinion dropped the rising mood inside the classroom. At once, the kids looked stumped, not being able to respond.
Samuel's words were valid as well if you consider the people who don't necessarily have a specific goal to achieve in their lifetime and solely hope to live a peaceful life without any regrets.
"Woah, Sam, don't you think that you sound a little harsh. We're only asked to share our dreams. Why do you have to be a downer?"
"Am I being a downer or natural?" Samuel countered.
"I am only saying that you all are thinking that everyone has some weird dreams to achieve. Look at the reality, not all want to become a detective or a singer or a designer or an actor," he added.
"But, passion is what drives you to live your life fullest, Samuel," Seth intervened.
Samuel and the kids stopped arguing. They all looked at Seth.
The other kids appealed to Seth for Samuel's mood-ruining speech.
"Everyone stop arguing. Samuel is right, don't you think?" Seth spoke.
"What he said is indeed true, but Samuel- Sam, right?" Seth eyed.
Samuel listened.
"Sam, I think everybody in this world is capable of becoming something special if they work hard and nourish their curiosities, don't you think so?"
Seth threw the ball at Samuel, intending to inspire the student to develop a passion in his life.
As much as Seth wants everyone to live their life without any regrets, he also noticed Samuel's lack of interest in any area might make him regret his decision later.
"We humans can achieve anything as long as we set our wits to it."
"Living a normal life is also a dream. I am not discouraging you."
"All I'm trying to say is that young plants like you should find the gifted potential that is hiding within yourself and try to harvest it. As much as living a normal life seems appealing and that dreams like being a singer or an actor, or a veterinarian are not crazy too."
"Take me for an example, from your perspective- I'm simply a high school teacher. However, to me, this is my passion. I want to be there for the kids who are at their primal time of growing and exploring. If I can help you find your destiny or encourage you to pursue your dream and make you all a better person, then that is my accomplishment."
Seth concluded his thoughts and waited for Samuel to react.
As expected, his words of wisdom stirred Samuel's regular grimace. The boy appeared to be in a loss of words to respond.
"May I ask what do you like to do when you're free?" Seth pushed his luck for one last time.
Samuel thought about it for a while and then answered.
"I draw," Samuel replied.
"See? Haven't you thought of becoming an artist?" Seth suggested.
"Artist? But that is not a steady job," Samuel replied.
Seth frowned slightly from his response, but he dared not to reveal it to him and retained his composed face.
"Well, I'm not sure if you want to become an artist. However, I can say this: the moment when you get truly inspired is the moment you go crazy. You will become one of us then," Seth expressed.
"Until then, maybe go with the flow because passion can happen at any time, any age in a human's life. It is the moment and your mentality that will help you to either chase after it or think that it's too late to try."
Seth's words slapped the average boy pensively as he did not reply. Meanwhile, the other kids cheered and praised Seth for his wisdom.
Though his words were meant to attack a single soul, it awakened a lot of thought for the others as well. A few of those seem to get moved from his word of advice.
"Sam," Seth called despite the loud cheering.
"Don't think that you are normal. You do have something special laying dormant inside. Tap it, and keep it burning. That will drive you to places that you won't even imagine."
"The satisfaction of accomplishing feels very good, and I want you to experience that. Until then, feel free to explore the things around you."
Samuel's nod was diligent and full of respect.
Seth returned to hushing the overpowering noise.
It became tranquil once again.
"I can't leave you guys for a minute, and you all go make some noise already."
"Let's keep this going, now," he announced.
Like this, the students returned to talk about their future.
….
"I'm not sure of what position I would take up, but I'm interested in working in the fashion industry, Mr. Seth," Anna spoke as it came to her turn.
"Hmm… that suits you too. I like your attitude because you are not particular yet, you know what intrigues you, very well, keep going, Anna. I'm rooting for you. My best wishes for you to succeed in your career," Seth supported Anna with his encouraging words.
"Wow, Diego wants to study Economics, Anna is interested in Fashion, I wonder what will Lillian Grey say," a random comment heard across the room.
Ignoring it, Seth continued with the activity.
…
"Next up, Lillian Grey, I'm surprised that you aren't distracted today," Seth called out.
Lillian Grey hissed lightly from his subtle remark.
Standing up lazily, Lillian Grey looked at those eyes glaring at her eagerly.
"Mr. Seth, I don't have a dream right now."
Her words caused everyone to sigh in disappointment.
"We have another bummer here," Seth commented.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Seth. I'm still exploring," Lillian quoted, stressing every word to enunciate to stop detailing further down the lane.
"Sit down, Lillian Grey," Seth exhaled while instructing the girl to take her seat.
Lillian listened.
"Alright, we're not going to leave you like this. Now, tell me, what do you like to do in your free time?" Seth asked.
As if it is a counseling session, Seth spoke to her comfortably while the other kids watched them in utter silence.
"I like reading novels," Lillian answered.
"BINGO!" Seth raged in satisfaction.
"Why don't you write a book?" he added.
The silence intensified.
Everyone sat on the edges of their seats while grinding their teeth in anticipation as if watching a melodrama.
Lillian thought for a while and then instantly agreed.
"That was fast, what made you agree to soon?" Seth questioned.
"No-" Lillian started but hesitated.
She glanced at the side and watched Giselle. They both locked on eyes; Giselle instantly retracted her gaze as if lightening got struck.
Lillian Grey's heart sulked from the girl's reaction. The twinge she felt it hard inside, and it ached more than anything.
'She is still avoiding me!' - Lillian thought.
"Ms. Grey?" Seth kept repeating until Lillian Grey reacted.
"You were saying what made you accept it so fast?" Seth helped her continue talking.
"Yeah, No- but someone wanted- more like wished for me to write a book one day. So, maybe I'll become a novelist," Lillian revealed, exactly knowing who wished for that; Giselle.
//
Giselle's gift to Lillian Grey included a hand-written note that said- she hoped to read Lillian Grey's book one day.
//
Ever since reading that note, Lillian got inspired about being a novelist. It is in her lane, and the thought of creating a story intrigues her. However, she wasn't able to finalize that it is her career plan to become an author. 
Now faced with such a question, also, told by Seth, Lillian Grey realized it might be her destiny.
..
"Make sure you buy my books and read it, Mr. Seth," Lillian added.
No one spoke against it. It all happened so fast that there wasn't time to react.
Seth quickly agreed instead of dragging the conversation. Subtly, he could see the tension between Lillian Grey and Giselle, who is surprisingly not being herself today.
"What are you going to write, Lillian?" a question popped up.
"Horror, thriller, action maybe; she likes those things," an answer presented itself.
"What about a romance novel?" – One of the girls asked.
"Romance, no way she can't write cheesy stuff," another one replied.
Soon, it turned into a debate- whether Lillian Grey can write Romance Novels or not!
Lillian Grey patiently watched them judge her skill, which she hasn't discerned yet.
"Alright, calm down," she yelled at once to stop this irrelevant discussion.
"See she agrees to it,"
"No way, you heard it wrong,"
"I'm correct,"
"Exactly!" Lillian quietly walked into their debate, which didn't stop even after her yelling.
"See, I told you, didn't I?" one noted.
"I'm going to write a romance novel!" Lillian quoted.
At once, no matter what side the others chose, everyone froze together.
"WHAT?" they sounded in the chorus.
Seth waited patiently for the kids to stop by themselves. Watching them argue needlessly, he had to step in once again.
"Alright, that is her wish, and let's all wait until she finishes."
"Keep working on it, Lillian Grey. Best wishes."
Seth concluded the topic and moved on.
Next up was Giselle, Seth hissed within, thinking about how troublesome for Giselle to follow Lillian Grey immediately.
Sighing to himself, he stood up from the desk and walked moved around a bit to stretch his long gone numb legs.
"Tell us about your dream, Giselle," Seth announced.
Giselle hesitated. All of her classmates knew about her secret when it got aired. Including the Bridgette, even the gossip girls focused on her.
With everybody's attention on her, Giselle sweated at first. She felt fear, and deep down, it tried to stop her from speaking out. Still, the spirit of her voice wanted to scream and yell out loud.
Struggling and battling to herself, Giselle finally decided to listen to her voice.
She began to speak.
"I wish society could not ostracize people like me."
"I wish people to stop calling me with names."
"I wish there is no bullying people like me."
"I wish to be treated equally."
"I wish people could understand me."
"I wish people would accept me." - Giselle's voice cracked while sprouting these words that she kept it to herself for years.
By now, the expression on everyone's face changed from anxious to guilt.
A pang of guilt that all shared knowingly or unknowingly.
So far, Giselle lived her high school life in silence, and this is the first moment she spoke.
Listening to her wishes, everyone felt ashamed deep down. Dared not to show it out, but it still prevailed inside everyone.
Nonetheless, Giselle kept going for it.
All while she spoke, her gaze fixed straight ahead. However, before delivering her final wish, she peeped at the person sitting next to her: Lillian Grey.
Grey was shocked with her eyes grew wild, as it pierced back at Giselle.
..
Stuttering to herself, Giselle blew her final words.
"It is alright if I don't get any of those wishes come true. Nevertheless, My only dream in this world is-"
She paused, heavily considering if she should say it out loud or not.
"My wish is- to be with the one that loves me dearly."
Giselle ended.
The usual chattering that follows after every reveal did not happen.
Everyone stayed quiet. Seth was left speechless too. He did not expect Giselle, the girl who preferred silence to be bold and loud for once.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You are about to read an LGBT Novel. It is a beautiful love story of two women. 
Lillian Grey and Giselle.
**************************************************
"Here's my message for you in case if you even care about, don't ever show yourself in front of me, ever again. 
Why?
Because I can't stop myself from loving you if I ever see you again. What you gave me is irreplaceable, I still have it in my heart. It didn't let me live my life in peace."
***
Lillian Grey and Giselle are two souls bonded by love yet, pulled apart by the external entities.
The two women meet years later, the subtle fire still tingling inside, allows them to reconcile but, the question to be asked is:
Will they accept it or not?
***
Author's Note:
Greetings to all, welcome to the world of 'Get Back to You.'
Thank you for choosing my novel to read. 
A little bit about myself before I take you on this journey:
I'm a 25-year-old female who believes in her fiction world.
There are two things I love the most in this world:
Music and Stories.
Both are my best buddies, and without them, I won't be able to define myself.
So, I request you to listen to the stories I create and have fun reading them. 
Once again, thank you very much for choosing this novel. I hope you have a great time reading it. 
Lots of Love and Gratitudes.

'Get Back to You' is my first child. She came out of nowhere but made a strong impression on my life.
I have had story plots of various genres, but this one became the starting point for me.
'Get Back to You' is my First Novel as a writer. 
I strive to give you good content through my writing, and so, I will avoid mistakes at all costs. If, and only if you were to find any blunders, feel free to give me your views. 
Tell me your opinions and thoughts. Share your favorite moments through comments after reading each chapter.
Support me by voting, liking, and adding my novel to your library.
What else?
Just have fun reading the story. 
Why?
Because I want you to, that's why I created them in the first place.
My stories are not my fantasies but, something that I want people to listen, read, and feel. 
If I can move your emotions through my stories, then that's a victory to me. 'Get Back to You' is a project of mine where I want people to think 'Love is Love.'
I will work hard to achieve it.

Want to reach me, kindly use the discord link:
https://discord.gg/Jdvpn3a

**************************************************
ANNOUNCEMENT: If you like/love my novel and want to show your support, kindly visit my patreon page.
As of now, I have a single-tier with one dollar per month for you guys to support my novel. All of the money goes into 'me existing as a writer.'
New tiers will appear in the future.
Supporting me on Patreon is solely your wish, and this is just a formal request to place, NO pressure! 
Thank you for listening to my shameless self-promotion. You have my gratitude for that.
Here's the link to my Patreon page:
https://www.patreon.com/ljack_ace 

FINAL WORDS: I love comments, so feel free to voice out your opinions, and you could see me responding to it. My innermost wish is for people to read my novel and have a good time with it.
So, stay awesome and rock it.

"I'm sorry, but I'm too old for Halloween," Amy said when her friend brought up the subject.

"Oh", Agnes said with sadness in her eyes. "Yeah, maybe we're too old for that."

"No, wait. I was talking about me."

"That's the same, right?" Agnes said with a wry smile. "We're the same age."

Amy knew that Halloween was her friend's favorite day of the year. For Amy, a fifteen years old girl, being obsessed with witches, monsters and horror stories was silly. However, seeing her friend's happy face when she talked about that, Amy always suppressed her opinions. Amy thought that side of Agnes was cute.

Agnes was a girl with blond and wavy hair. She looked like a princess but always wanted to be the witch when they played as kids. Amy, with her black hair and pale skin, looked way more like a witch. She was also taller than Agnes. And yet, her friend always gave the cutest costumes for her.

They were childhood friends and Amy felt like Agnes never grew up.

But walking around the city asking for candies with other kids while wearing a costume was too much for her. No matter how much she loved Agnes, she wanted some more mature entertainment.

"Ok, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate it in a different way," Amy said. "A grown-up way, for example."

"Grown up? Like a party, maybe? I remember our class was making a Halloween party this year"

"Yeah, that would be cool. But," Amy knew how uncomfortable Agnes was on those parties, so she always avoided it. Somehow, she also didn't want Agnes in that place. "How about a private party? Or a sleepover, maybe. My parents won't be home on Halloween night and they asked me to give candies to the kids. So, you know, if you don't mind, maybe, huh…"

Agnes jumped and clapped her hands with a smile.

"We could spend the night watching horror movies, right?!" she said.

"Ah, that's, huh," Amy wasn't good with horror movies, or horror stories in general. Still, the bright smile her friend gave was hard to resist. "That would be nice. Yeah. Horror movies. I don't mind it at all."

"That's great! So I'll bring the movies. I guess we'll need food as well, so…"

"Oh, I'll take care of that, don't worry. Making food isn't your best skill, so yeah. Better safe than sorry," Amy laughed at the grimace Agnes made. "Just make sure to bring some good movies."

Not too scary, please, Amy though, but didn't voice it.

Agnes giggled.

"Leave it to me. I'll make the scariest selection I possibly can!" Agnes said while rubbing her hands. "I won't let you sleep that night!"

Amy felt a shiver. Yet, the bright smile on Agnes' face was enough to stop her from complaining. She couldn't believe she was doing that. Amy suddenly wondered how important her friend was for her and how far she would go to make her smile.

 

***

 

When Amy answered the door on Halloween night, there was a cute blonde girl wearing a witch costume waiting on the other side with a smile on her face.

"You're still wearing a costume, huh?"

"Yeah. I had bought it already and I didn't want it to go to waste," Agnes put her finger on her lips. "Is it weird?"

Imagining Agnes happily buying that costume just for that night while planning their Halloween together, Amy felt like her heart was being stabbed. Agnes really loved Halloween night.

Amy had dressed herself to wait for Agnes. Not in a Halloween costume, that would be too much. The purple scrunchie tying her hair was a present from Agnes. So was her jeans shorts. Or her black tights. Almost everything she was wearing was a present from Agnes. Agnes loved dressing her up too much.

"It's not weird. Actually, since you're in the mood already, you can answer the door when the kids come," Amy looked away before adding: "And, well, you look cute."

Agnes giggled behind Amy's back.

"A-Anyway," Amy tried to change the subject. "You brought movies, right? We can start watching them. We also have food for when we get hungry. Mom left juice since she knows you can't stand soda."

"Oh, that's right! I spent this whole time making a selection with the most brutal, bloodiest and scariest horror movies I ever saw."

Amy felt a shiver running down her spine by listening to her friend's enthusiastic words.

"Y-You could've brought something you didn't watch yet," she said, taking the bag Agnes passed to her and looking inside. "W-Wait. There's at least ten!"

"I said I won't let you sleep tonight," Agnes gave a smile.

"No, no, no, wait! Forget about sleeping, we don't even have that much time."

"We do," Agnes looked at her clock and showed it to Amy. It was 8 PM. "Come on, it's Halloween. You don't want to sleep during Halloween, do you?" She threw herself on her friend's couch. "Choose something and put it on already."

Looking at those titles, Amy was sure they were as terrifying as Agnes made them out to be. She couldn't even look at the cover without feeling uneasy. She just took something and put it inside the blu-ray player and sat beside Agnes, who just looked at her with a mischievous smile as the movie started.

The first few scenes weren't as scary as Amy feared.

Agnes had her legs bent, putting her feet on the couch. She always felt at home when she and Amy were alone at Amy's house. Her knees invaded her friend's space a little and her long skirt touched Amy's legs.

Glancing at Agnes, Amy realized she had her eyes glued on the tv screen. She had watched that movie already, but her excitement looked the same as always. Amy could feel how much her friend loved horror movies.

Amy's body flinched as a long buzz sounded inside the house. Agnes looked at her and Amy was sure she was holding herself to not make a joke about it.

"P-Probably kids looking for candies," Amy said, hitting pause on the controller.

"You can keep watching it. I already watched that one."

"N-No. I'll… wait for you," Amy said while dreading the thought of watching it alone. Agnes giggled.

The front door wasn't that far from the living room, but she had to cross a hallway to get to it. Agnes almost skipped through the house as she went to open it.

"Tricks or treats!"

In the other side, there were three kids. Two boys wearing a werewolf and a vampire costume and a little girl wearing a ghost costume.

"I'm a witch, why would I carry candies?" Agnes said and grinned. "But I don't want to be pranked, so let's see what I can do…"

With a fast movement, Agnes managed to get candies from the bowl on her side and hide it on her sleeves. With a theatrical gesture, she made it fall on the three kid's bags. The sleeves of her dress were long, so it looked like the candies were coming out of her hands.

"Wow!" the three kids said, amazed. When they looked at her again, the first boy let out a shout.

"Eh!? Agnes!?"

"Oh, you found me," Agnes said, clapping her hands.

"What are you doing there?! We're against the children from the other street this year. If we can't get enough candies, we lose. You're our secret weapon!"

"I'm sorry. I'm a grown up now and grown-up girls spend Halloween in a grown up way! I can't be a kid forever."

"No way!" the little girl said.

"You're our leader!" The third boy said. "We can't win without you!"

"Of course you can!" Agnes said and pointed her finger towards the kids. "From today on, I elect you three to be the leaders. Pass this message to the others and say that their order is to win! That's my word, so if you lose, you'll stain my name forever!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the three children yelled and turned away running, soon meeting other kids at the street.

Agnes let out a sad smile and turned to meet her friend waiting for her, leaning against the wall in the hallway.

"Back to the movies," Agnes said and walked towards the hallway.

"You're so good with kids," Amy said. She had a serious face and didn't move from her place. "Any plans for having some of your own?"

Agnes stopped. She looked at Amy and gave a nervous smile.

"N-No. We're too young to think about these things, right?"

"We should always think about our future."

"Well, true," Agnes looked away. "I don't think I wanna have kids, actually. I wouldn't be a good mother. And I think spoiling other people's children is good enough for me."

"That's not true. You would be a great mother. You're so great with kids, so not having any would be a great waste."

"I-Is that so?" Anges was fiddling with her skirt. "G-Guess it can't be helped, though. I don't think I want it."

"Are you sure? I could be the godmother."

"Jezz, Amy, could you shut up?!" Agnes blurted.

Amy felt her body jump. She gave a startled look to her friend.

"I-I," Amy stammered, looking away. "I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"I don't want to hear that from you," Agnes stared right into Amy's eyes as she said it. "That's what mom is always saying. How she wants a grandchild. But I'm an only child and I really don't want one. I know mom will be disappointed, but…" Agnes lowered her head, asking in a low voice: "Am I being selfish?"

"No, you're not," Amy rushed to put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I, I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you like that. I don't know what got to me. I think I'm just upset. You really wanted to be out there tonight, right?"

Giving her friend a sad smile, Agnes went back to the couch. When Amy followed her, she met her friend with the controller on her hand, but the movie was still paused. Amy sat beside her.

"It's true that I wanted to be out there," Agnes said, staring at the paused movie. "At the same time, I understand we're getting too old for that. Can't help it, I guess. I'm just like a big child."

"I'm sorry," Amy said without facing her friend.

"And that's why," Agnes turned to Amy with a smile on her face. "I want Halloween to still be fun for me. One way or another, I want to get excited for these nights all years. And so," Agnes leaned against Amy, resting her head on her shoulder. "That's your responsibility now."

Amy gave a nervous smile as the movie resumed.

 

***

 

For the first twenty minutes of the movie, kids came to get candies interrupting them a lot. Amy sighed in relief every time her friend hit the pause button. But after some time, the kids stopped coming. Even the voices outside couldn't be heard anymore. They probably had gone to another street already.

So Amy was starting to get worried. It was just the first movie and she felt like she wouldn't be able to endure it to the end. With each minute, the atmosphere would get more intense and dark and the silence at the house wasn't helping. Her only comfort was Agnes' warmth. Her friend was still leaning against her.

She felt her heart beating strong. Part of it was the movie. But for some reason, her friend's perfume was starting to affect her as well.

When the girl on screen got inside a dark room and a shadow passed behind her back, Amy gave up.

"You know!" She said, taking the controller and hitting pause. "I'm kinda hungry."

"Already?" Agnes said. Her smile showing that she had seen through her friend's fear.

"I didn't eat anything during the afternoon. I was nervous…"

"Nervous? Why?"

"No, I mean. Huh…"

"Well," Agnes put her finger on her closed lips. She pretended to think for some minutes. "I might enjoy some snacks. Do you have anything sweet?"

 

***

 

There were all kinds of snacks already prepared in the kitchen. Amy's mother had left it for them. It was Halloween snacks. Some of them were sweet, some were salty. Agnes liked sweet food while Amy always liked the salty food the best.

Agnes threw a chocolate truffle inside her mouth and let out an expression of pleasure.

"Delicious! Did you mom make it?"

"I helped her."

"Is that so? So I'm sure they're all tasty!"

Amy hid her face so her friend didn't realize that she blushed with the compliment. Agnes couldn't take her eyes from the snacks Amy was putting on the table.

"I'll handle this," Amy said. "Go serve the juices. I don't want you ruining anything."

"Hey, I'm fine with food as long as it's done already!" Agnes pouted, but still obeyed her friend and walked to the refrigerator.

Inside there was a jar with strawberry juice, which happened to be her favorite. She grabbed it, as well as two glasses.

"Don't spill it," Amy said.

"Hey! I'm not that big of a disaster! And I'm a witch right now, so respect me or I'll curse you!"

"Is that so?" Amy looked at Agnes with the side of her eyes. "What can you do with these so powerful witch powers?"

"I can, for example, make this a potion!" Agnes poured some juice on a glass and gestured her fingers in its direction. "If you drink it, you'll be under my spell!"

"Oh?" Amy smiled and grabbed the glass from the table. She drank the whole juice in one gulp and threw a defiant look at her friend. "So, what happens to me now?"

"That was, let's see, a love potion! So you'll fall in love with me now!"

Silence fell between them.

Amy stopped and gave a serious look at her friend. Agnes covered her own mouth, feeling embarrassed. They just looked at each other for a long minute.

"W-What are you even saying?" Amy asked, finally.

"I, I," Agnes tried to look away. Her face getting red. "It's a joke."

Amy giggled.

"Well, stop joking around. We have a movie to watch, right?"

Saying that Amy took the snacks and walked away. She wanted to get away from Agnes for the moment so her friend wouldn't realize how fast her heart was beating.

 

***

 

Amy couldn't even understand why Agnes' joke had such an impact on her. It was common for her friends to do that kind of silly joke. But Agnes' words just didn't leave her mind.

The movie started to play again. Agnes had her legs on the couch again, too close to Amy. Sometimes she would incline her body to get the snacks in the chair in front of them and Amy would get a glance at her white neck. She couldn't keep her eyes away from her friend for long.

She tried to focus on the movie. It was getting to the scariest part, with grotesque creatures following the protagonists in the dark house. Amy felt a chill.

"You're bad with horror movies, huh?" Agnes said, examining her friend's scared face.

"If you know that, why do you keep suggesting them?" Amy replied, letting out a nervous sigh.

"Because I love horror movies and supernatural stories a lot. And I love you a lot, too," with her friend's words, Amy's heart skipped a beat. "So I wanna share things I love with you. You're my best friend, so I would love to talk about my favorite things with you. But if you really hate it that much…" Agnes gave a sad smile that made Amy shook her head.

"I don't hate it. I'm not good with it and, well, I'm not a fan either, but I still enjoy watching. If, if you're watching it with me, at least."

"I see," Agnes said with a happy grin seeing Amy embarrassed face. "Well, if it gets too scary for you, you can hold on to me."

"A-And what good would that do?" Amy said while sighing, but discreetly linked her own arms with her friend's.

Hugging Agnes was common for Amy, but she felt somewhat different about that situation. That gesture was usually shared by lovers, and yet she never thought about it before.

 

So you'll fall in love with me now!

 

Her friend's words echoed in her head again. Glancing at Agne's face, Amy felt her whole body react to her friend's smile. She knew that she was blushing.

"Agnes," she said with a low voice, making her friend look at her. "I think your potion might be working."

A surprised expression painted Agnes' face. She opened her mouth, but Amy talked before she could say anything.

"Just kidding…"

 

***

 

The movie seemed to be close to the climax. Amy was too distracted to be scared. She was hugging Agnes's arm, feeling the warmth and softness of her friend's flesh so close. She was confused. As a kid, they even took baths together, but she had never felt like that. They had lots of sleepovers even after becoming teenagers and in fact, they were planning to share a bed that night.

Why she had to say something like that?

Amy knew that Agnes was cute. Sexy as well. There was an occasion before when a boy asked Agnes out. That made Amy jealous, she remembered. She always thought that was because Agnes was her best friend, so she was protective of her. But now she was wondering if that was all.

Another buzz rang through the house. Probably kids from other streets were getting close. Agnes paused the movie and jumped from the couch to go after them. Amy looked at her friend's back as she walked to the hallway. The most she got away, the loneliest Amy felt.

That was bothering her. Suddenly she couldn't understand her feelings anymore and wondered what Agnes felt for her. That was scary.

She walked to meet her friend with careful steps, so she wouldn't be heard. When the door closed, Amy covered Agnes' eyes with her hands. Agnes gave a confused gasp.

"Tricks or Treats?" Amy almost whispered in Agnes' ears.

Agnes seemed to think for some time in silence. Amy was so close that she could sniff the shampoo on her friend's blonde hair.

"I don't have all the time," Amy said and Agnes giggled.

"I'm not sure. A prank can be good sometimes."

"Remember that you asked for it. Now turn around," Amy said and took a candy from the bowl. She started to unwrap it. "Now, close your eyes."

Agnes did as her friend asked. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth, waiting for the candy.

Amy stared at her friend. Her heart almost jumping through her throat. She was sure her face was completely red.

She put the candy on her own mouth and approached Agnes. Wrapping her arms on the girl's hip, she pulled Agnes close and joined their mouth. She felt the soft lips of her friend on hers. Her warm and pleasant breath. She opened her eyes while kissing to see her friend's surprised expression looking at her.

Amy pushed the candy to her friend's mouth with her tongue, brushing Agnes' own tongue on the process. She closed her lips, locking her friend's lower lips on them before parting their lips. She gave two steps back.

Agnes touched her lips. She gave a confused and startled look at her best friend.

"Happy Halloween, Agnes," Amy said. Her face completely red. "How was that for a prank?"

The two girls stared at each other. Agnes' face was just as red as Amy's.

"That," Agnes broke the silence. Her fingers still on her lips. Her voice was failing. "Was sweet. I mean, nice. I mean…"

Amy was nervous. She didn't know what her friend's reaction was going to be. She was sure of her feelings after that kiss, but what about Agnes. Maybe she would turn back and run away now.

Instead, Agnes held her hand. Her soft fingers playing with Amy's skin.

"W-What now?" Amy asked, fearing the answer.

"Now," Agnes gave her a reassuring smile. "We go back to the movies."

Amy let out a relieved sigh and her lips turned into a smile.

"Really? As a punishment?"

"Don't worry. I'll hold your hand through all the night so you won't be afraid," Agnes said, pulling her friend with her. In the middle of the way, she turned back with a giant smile on her face. "Oh, and by the way, that was hardly a prank!"

That night, the girls' hands didn't part anymore.

Lily Bouquet is a collection of different short stories with a common theme: they're all stories about love between girls.

The stories might vary in themes and genre, but they're all focused on the romantic relationship between two or more girls. While some stories might be a continuation of previous ones, this will be mentioned at the start, so any story can be read by itself.


Fresco closed the door behind him before turning to look around. He felt instantly overwhelmed. The large, high-ceilinged office was crammed with stuff. Piles of old newspapers and magazines and books were everywhere, bowing the bookshelves and stacked in unsteady piles in corners, often leaning against each other for support. The rug on the floor, what was visible of it, used to be a rich red, but was faded with time to a pinky-orange with a heavy shag pile. Across the mountains of paper he spotted a path to a large wooden desk and a gray haired man hunched over it.
The man looked up through his round glasses, long hair falling around him, squinting at Fresco.
"Yes?" His voice emerged in the quiet, warm and rich. "What is it?"
Fresco took one step forward, toes encountering the shag rug. Even through his socks it felt marvelous.
"Parker told me you wanted to see me?" Embarrassment tweaked when his voice broke. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm Fresco."
The man's face lit up. He surged to his feet, easing around the stack of books next to the desk, the space between them just enough for him to make it. He held out his lean hand, his tall, skinny frame slightly slumped from years of reading. He smiled a big, genuine smile, contagious. Fresco found himself grinning back.
"Yes, of course, well now, nice to see you up and around," the man said, one hand on Fresco's shoulder, guiding him to a chair. He sat on the edge of it, the only space remaining from the pile of papers stacked on the cushion behind him. The man perched on his desk, long arms crossing over his faded plaid shirt, worn denims brushing his bare toes.
Despite his new untrusting ways, Fresco liked him immediately.
"Thanks," he said. "I feel..."
"Not exactly better, right?" The man nodded in sympathy. "I understand. But with any luck, you will. You all will." His eyes drifted away as he lost himself in a train of thought. Fresco waited for the man's attention to return.
"Sorry." He shrugged with a grin. "Lots on my mind. You too, I bet. Questions and more questions." He shook his head. "Serves me right, getting myself involved with a bunch of kids. All you have are questions." He laughed.
"I do have a few," Fresco said.
"Fire away." The man threw his arms wide. "I'm all yours."
"Who are you?"
The man stared at him, arms dropping. For a moment, Fresco worried. Then, the man laughed with his whole body, making Fresco grin again.
"I'm sorry," he said, eyes sparkling as he continued to chuckle. "Of course. I know who you are, but you have no clue except what Parker has told you. We'll get to that. John Garris. But please," he spoke with some pain in his voice, "if you ever address me as mister, you and I will have words. Just call me Garris. All the other impudent children do."
"Garris," Fresco said, trying it out. "Okay."
Garris grinned and pulled off his glasses, examining them before beginning to polish them on his dangling shirttail.
"Now, Fresco my friend, ask your questions." He settled the glasses back on his nose and crossed his arms over his chest again.
"What is this place?" Fresco shied from the tougher questions, deciding to ease his way into it. Garris didn't comment on it, but plunged in.
"We call it Last Stand," he said. "The only stop between you kids and the blue enemy. I bought this place about ten years ago, been trying to save you all ever since."
"Trying?" Fresco slumped slightly, the hope built from the refuge of the house fading a little. "Failing?"
Garris sighed, his shoulders slumped. "The honest truth? Every single kid I've rescued has ended up back in the arms of Wasteland before turning up dead, and there's been nothing I've been able to do to stop it." His voice sounded very sad, but Fresco wasn't with Garris. He was thinking about lying under the bridge with eight vials of the drug in his system, trying to smother the horror of ever ending up in that place again.
Might as well just go back there now, Justin's cruel voice whispered.
Garris obviously saw where Fresco's mind was going. "I'm not giving up," he said, soft but firm. "Every day we make inroads, improvements on a possible treatment. We're going to beat this thing, Fresco, and I'm hoping you can help."
Fresco pulled himself out of the dark and fought to focus. He needed to know everything.
"Why is this happening? Why us?"
Garris retreated and collapsed his long frame into his chair, stretching his legs out under the desk.
"I don't know," he said. "That's one of the big questions. But let me ask you this first. Before, in your old life, did anything weird happen? Like, right before the shit hit the fan?"
Fresco hesitated before nodding. Garris waited for him to pull the memories together.
"An accident," Fresco whispered.
the blaring of the radio, Justin answering the text
Garris listened. Fresco concentrated, trying to remember.
"I should be dead."
time slowing down in the gray, the terror of the woman, the toddler in the back seat
"I couldn't let him die..."
his mind reaching for the boy
"I did something. With my mind. There was a headache, and fire. We were on the sidewalk. Watching the accident I already saw happen. But we were safe." Fresco rubbed his temples with shaking fingertips. "How did I save us?"
"The impossible, unrepeatable, is often the trigger." Garris didn't offer more information, instead asked another question. "That wasn't the only incident?"
Fresco shivered as the reality of it crawled down his spine, followed by a jab of the hunger.
"They were whispering," he said.
the girl with the damaged life who was going home to kill herself
"I saw them, who they really were."
Justin's truth superimposed over his mask of friendship
"They were all around me."
the man and woman, so loving on the outside, so full of hate on the inside
"And I dreamed of the City."
the gorgeous City, his home, how he loved its glittering streets
"Then it all went to hell."
the attack, the seizure, feeling the pressure build, Daniel calling to him
Fresco hugged himself, hunkering down on the edge of the chair. He looked up at Garris. "They came."
"The Garbagemen," Garris said in a breath.
"My parents!" Fresco slammed both hands down on the arms of the chair, fury surging, making the need worse. "They let them take me! My father called them! He knew them, knew this would happen to me..."
He trailed off as Garris nodded, not a trace of surprise on his face.
"I'm not the only one," Fresco said, knowing it. "You've heard this story before."
Garris sighed. "Versions of it. Please, go on."
Under the steady, gentle gaze of his savior, he finally went where he was so afraid to go.
The City. The glory of the Diamond City. The man with the honey smile behind the shining glasses. His sweet voice.
The pain.
painandpainandpainandpain-
Fresco was shaking by the time he was through. Garris said nothing, offered nothing. At long last, Fresco straightened a little. "I woke up in the park near my house. The yearning was there, but I didn't know what it was. I went home. My parents were gone. I tried to find out what happened. My best friend, no," Fresco stopped himself, the hissing hum of his guilt haunting him as he thought it through, "he was never my friend. Justin told me my parents were dead and that everyone thought I killed them. That I was a junkie and killed them. Did I?" Tears threatened, but understanding what he was capable of, how Wasteland consumed him utterly, he needed to know.
Garris shook his head. "I highly doubt it," he said. "Those who made you this way created that story to isolate you."
Fresco so wanted to believe. Chose to. Garris must have seen it in him because he shrugged. "Can you see them releasing a murderer back into the streets? No, this was a ploy, my young friend. So no one would trust you, force you to turn to Wasteland and the street."
Fresco stilled inside, relief washing over him, the truth of it penetrating his deep self-doubt. It left room for the anger to return. Anger was definitely better.
"Why? Why would my parents do this to me?"
"I hate to have to tell you this," Garris said, "but it's quite likely they weren't your parents at all."
As soon as he heard it, he knew it was true.
tell him this is the last one we'll take... we're done doing his dirty work... either the plan works on what he's done or it fails
Ray's voice was so clear in Fresco's head. He repeated what he heard to Garris who sat up in his chair.
"Did he say who?" He was suddenly intense. "Think, Fresco. This is very important. Did he mention a name?"
Fresco shook his head. Garris fell back into his chair again, his disappointment obvious on his face.
"Sorry," Fresco whispered.
"Not your fault, kiddo," Garris said. "I've been trying for years to get close to this bastard. Years!" Garris climbed to his feet and began to pace in the short corridor behind his desk, the only area free of papers and books.
"Why are you helping us?" Fresco's need to trust was as powerful as his fear of it, his faith in his whole life shattered and crumbling around him. Garris stopped pacing, resting his hands on the back of his chair, leaning into it.
"My daughter," he said. "Gina. One day she was a beautiful, wonderful young woman with dreams and a life and the next she suffered a psychic breakout and disappeared. She came back to me Wasted."
Fresco waited while Garris pulled himself together and went on. "As far as I can tell, she was the first. I've tried to figure out how they modified her, but it could have happened anywhere."
"Modified?" Fresco shivered at the term.
Garris nodded. "You and your psychic abilities aren't natural, Fresco," Garris said. "Yes, humans have them, but they are latent, unused. I think we will evolve to a point where everyone has them, but someone has been augmenting them artificially, using Wasteland as a trigger."
"So, we're an experiment?" Fresco's anger shifted focus from his fake parents to the Garbagemen.
"Yes," Garris said. "But to what end, I have no answers. They are trying to create some superhuman, Fresco. But so far, all of their efforts accomplished only the death of you kids."
either the plan works on what he's done or it fails
Fresco looked up at Garris. "They modify us somehow, wait for our first psychic breakout and get us hooked on the drug. But, what does Wasteland do? Build up our power just to have it kill us?"
"You have a firm grasp of it, my friend." Garris sank back into his chair. "From what we can tell, Wasteland is a test of some kind. Trouble is, everyone who goes through it ends up dead. No one survives. At least, no one has yet."
It was supposed to make him feel better, but it didn't. Still, it kept the guilt away so he'd take it over the alternative.
"What happened to your daughter?"
Garris shrugged. "She died," he said. "Horribly and in great pain. I tried going to the police, to the authorities, but no one would listen. I knew she wasn't an addict, not a real addict. I witnessed her psychic outburst. I knew something more was happening, as huge and improbable as it was."
"So why do you think my parents weren't my parents?" Fresco and Daniel had played at such a scenario years before. Did they know somehow it was truth even then? "If your daughter had it..."
"My daughter died fifteen years ago, Fresco." Garris's eyes brimmed with tears. "She was sixteen. This program has been running for a quite a while. How old are you now, eighteen?" Fresco nodded. Garris removed his glasses, rubbing his fingers into his eyes, the traces of moisture leaving imprints behind. "They must have realized early on it would be much more convenient to put kids with fake families so when it came time for their change there would be no one for them to turn to and no pesky parents to ask questions.
"I tried to help her, but the hold of the drug was so strong, hit her so hard. They've made refinements to it since those days. The old Wasteland tore the kids apart. I went looking for help, but instead found more kids and a wall of silence. Finally, I pushed so hard, they pushed back." Garris adjusted his glasses as his voice cracked. "My daughter disappeared one last time, and I was personally and professionally destroyed. My wife left me shortly after they found Gina's body in a dumpster." He sighed again. "I had no one and nothing. But there were you kids. The least I could do was try to help you all where I failed with Gina."
"Thanks." Fresco pushed it out around the lump in his throat.
"You're welcome. In the mean time, I've been studying Wasteland and its effects. In my former life, I was a research scientist. Biology." Garris made a face. "At least I know my way around a microscope. I've been at this so long, I'm an expert. That is, as much of one as I can be on the outside of it." Garris's face was filled with sympathy. "I've been around Wasted kids forever, I forget sometimes what normal kids are like. Not nearly as fun, I bet."
"Not hardly," Fresco said. He was amazed at his ability to joke, even a little.
Garris chuckled.
Fresco thought of one last question. "What about the Diamond City? Where does it come from? And why do we all dream about it? End up in it?"
Garris started nodding as soon as Fresco mentioned it.
"Yes, it's one of the common threads, something every one of you knows, talks about. In fact, it's the same for each and every one. I've sat down with ten kids and had them draw a map of the City, and they are all identical." Garris shook his head. "I don't know, Fresco. It's obviously important, but I don't have an answer."
They both fell into silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Fresco was the first to shake himself free.
"Will they come after me?"
"No. More likely, the hunger will take you over again and you will go to the blue enemy. But," Garris held up one hand, "I plan to make sure it doesn't happen. I don't know who is responsible," Garris stood and came around his desk to sit in front of Fresco. "CIA? FBI? Aliens? But I do know this is a created thing and if it is man made, it can be unmade by man. And I plan to do everything I can to make sure it is."
"How long? Can we survive?"
Garris didn't answer right away, but when he did, his voice was careful.
"It depends. Why?"
"My brother, Daniel," Fresco said. His parents lied to him all along. Did they lie about Daniel, too?
"And he was taken...?" Garris left it hanging.
"Two years," Fresco said, watching Garris's face. It was too long. The man's look confirmed it. But Garris just shrugged.
"I'll have some of the kids ask around," he said. "But, two years... Fresco, I've never met a kid that lasted so long. I'm sorry."
He nodded, knowing Garris was probably right.
"In the meantime, you need to rest up and eat up." The man stood. "I'll have you back in the morning, do some blood tests and see if we can find out any more about you."
 Fresco stood as well, knowing a dismissal when he heard one. He went to the door and opened it, but paused when Garris called after him.
"By the way, for my records, how much time are you missing?" Garris sat back down, looking at Fresco over his glasses. "From your breakout to finding yourself on the street."
"I was told it was three months," he said.
Garris gasped, pulling off his glasses to stare. "Are you sure?"
"What's the date?"
Garris glanced at his desk and the calendar there. "March 15th."
Fresco paled, realizing Justin told him the truth about his extended disappearance.
"I was taken November 24th," Fresco said before closing the door behind him.

***



I’m an international, multiple award-winning author with a passion for the voices in my head. As a singer, songwriter, independent filmmaker and improv teacher and performer, my life has always been about creating and sharing what I create with others. Now that my dream to write for a living is a reality, with over a hundred titles in happy publication and no end in sight, I live in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada, with my giant cats, pug overlord and overlady and my Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn.

The blue joy is calling... but can Fresco survive it?

"Do you know what happened to you?" Joey's voice broke a little. Fresco shook his head. The kid nodded, like it was no big surprise." Yeah, me either. No one seems to. We just have normal lives, you know? Then suddenly you wake up with this thing eating into you," he swallowed hard, "and that's it. The rest is Wasteland."

Seventeen-year-old Fresco Conte is an ordinary All-American kid from an upper middle-class family. He plays football. His girlfriend is a cheerleader. Life is good. Until unexplained things, scary things, start to take him over. Like surviving an accident that should have killed him. Or hearing the thoughts of the people around him whether he wants to or not.
 
When the men in the dark blue coveralls come for him, Fresco is forced into addiction to the blue joy known as Wasteland and set free on the street, with no answers and only his hunger to keep him company.

Don't miss the rest of this dark YA urban fantasy series! Wasteland and Diamond City are now available.

Once upon a week ago, I was a normal guy just trying to get some extra cash for my rent delivering pizza's I had no beef with anyone, I minded my own business and tried to get along with everybody and now I am in an alternate dimension being hunted down by a beast!

I'm also pretty sure this place is hell...how can I be so sure? 

Well, there was fire raining down from the red sky, it smells like old man farts and there are a lot and I mean A LOT of screaming souls, heck even the roads are lined with bones and skulls that screeched and whispered like those stupid ghosts you saw in kids cartoons when you walked past,

"Please...help...me..." one said.

"No..more...spare...me...." another begged.

"Expect ...light showers of brimstone in the afternoon..." the last one said in a voice that left a lot to be desired, it sounded like nails scratching a board while to cats did the nasty in the middle of a death metal bands sound check.

"Thanks, I guess?" 

"You're welcome, may hells light be merciful to your damned soul..."

"Okay..."

I gave the skull a thumbs up and kept walking as fast as I could.

So yeah, I'm pretty sure I am in hell.

This is all that guy's fault!

 What did I ever do to deserve this?!

I was a decent human being, sure I bullied some kids back when I was in middle school and maybe I lied to my girlfriend every once in a while but I didn't deserve divine punishment decked out by a half dead looking guy carrying a baby!

I'm pretty sure I've never done anything to that guy 

Why the such a heavy grudge?

To despise me to the point of sending me to hell...what did I do?!

And the worst part of it is the massive thing that's hunting me down!

The unholy fusion of Bull and man! 

It straight up looks like the godfather of all cow life forms, it's so damn ugly with its yellow eyes hulking horns and furry biceps.

Thankfully it was so massive each step it took sounded like a sledgehammer smashing the ground so I could successfully hide whenever I heard the thunderous hoof steps.

Besides I had read enough of my little sisters twisted books to know what demons usually did with human slaves... so no thank you I'd rather not be caught I'll jump in a lava pool before that happens!

Though he'd probably eat my flame roasted body afterwards so I'd be doing the cow a favour...he will probably never have such a well-cooked meal again...speaking of which I am rather hungry but the triple meat deluxe extra large pizza I was sent here with had long been lost after I threw it at the Minotaur to buy myself some time to flee!

It was a noble sacrifice, but man cannot live on sheer fear and adrenaline alone, he needs sustenance and maybe some water.

Turning a corner I saw some stairs and since I was trying to get to low ground (better for hiding) I decided to take them.

In the near future, I would realize I was the architect of my own downfall.

Making it down the stairs I found myself in an incredibly cute garden though there seemed to have been a fire recently the ground near the metal platform was charred into black coal, on the platform were three eggs one blue one violet and the last one purple... I think?

They were massive eggs, enough to feed a family for three weeks but though my stomach screamed for me to make an omelette the problem was, eggs that size probably had a big mama, who would make short work of the fool who tried to steal her eggs.

I am no idiot a nest is no place to be when you're trying to survive a horror movie, I had watched enough Dwayne the rock Johnson movies to know that the best course of action was to climb back up those stairs and take my chances with the minotaur, literally take the bull by the horns.

and so with the dignity and poise of a starving man trying to escape a potential death trap I  hobbled back up the steps only to meet with the most terrifying thing I had ever seen.
 
Empty eye sockets glowed green in an angry fire as the rage of a scorned woman burned hotter than the fires of well...hell.

"Intruder!" it hissed Long tentacles whipping out in rage, slime flew everywhere and I desperately hoped it wasn't acidic as I ran back down the stairs screaming like a strangled rat.

"I'm sorry!" I yelled ducking into some very fragrant flower bushes as I dodged a whip-like tentacle, she lashed out again and again like an insane dominatrix in some seriously fucked up S/M play...

Woman calm down with the kinky fuckery I'm trying to leave your nest!

We both want the same thing why are we fighting??!!

"Those who dare try harm the great Lords brood must suffer!" her fangs elongated as the thin wisps of dark hair billowed in the gusts of wind from her whip attack

"It was an accident, I'm a vegetarian I would never eat an egg!" the desperate lies of a man on his last legs as he faced death left my mouth.

"General Chu what is this commotion?" a regal voice asked

"My Lord!" the tentacle nightmare yelped bowing in respect, I looked up expecting a noble king with a flowing robe and golden crown looking down upon my haggard self his eyes filled with disdain, instead I saw a hulking black furred goat man that made the old Minotaur look cute.

Was this some kind of joke, fate couldn't be this cruel right?

Apparently, she could for I received a triple blow!

What little blood I had drained from my face as I heard something come closer...the sledgehammer hoof-steps that I knew were of a hulking Minotaur.

Honestly, I had the luck of a bastard born on the fourth day of the fourth month in a leap year.

"Ah Minos," the goat said smiling all the while the slime creature lady came closer nearing her prey for a probably very painful death...

"Big brother Lucifer!" The Minotaur, Minos said happily

"I see you've found your gift."

Dear diary,

Today I was dragged into hell by a seven-foot tall man with four horns who yelled at me for abandoning my children.

Do you remember Yu Yang? yes, apparently she was a spider demon who got pregnant after our one-night stand and had a litter of seven babies...

Seven demon babies who are going to rule the underworld someday...

I'm not gonna lie, I am scared but I will take responsibility and raise these children the best I can.
---------------------------------------------------------

After a one night stand, he can barely remember... Li Jun is accused of impregnating Lucifers beloved daughter and leaving her to raise seven demon kids on her own now, so Li Jun is dragged to hell by Lucifer himself and ordered to be a good father or burn in the fires of hell.

With these limited options he accepts responsibility to become a single mortal father to seven demon children
---------------------------------------------------

A few hours later.
The convoy had safely and successfully arrived at Hope 101, where they were greeted by soldiers and nurses, as they lead the survivors towards the Quarantine Zone.
No one made a ruckus as they soldiers who accompanied the survivors earlier had already explained what would happen to them when they arrive here.
As the kids slowly got down from the bus, a few of them noticed six kids from different ages curiously looking at them from a distance.
"Hey, do you think they are the kids that Mr. Bald Soldier was talking about earlier, earlier?" one of the boys said as he pointed towards the six kids watching them from a distance.
"Could be, after all, they certainly are having better lives than us" one of the girls commented when she saw that the kids are cleaner and have better clothes than them, especially when she saw that the shortest boy among them is even eating bread in his hand while watching them.
"Wow, one of them is even eating bread" someone said with envy.
"Hey, they are coming towards here" 
The group of kids started heading towards them, which made this group of rescued kids stopped in their tracks, and when one of the soldiers was about to tell them to continue moving, he saw a group of six kids heading towards their direction, which the soldier stopped in his hands and discreetly called out his fellow soldiers towards him and gestured towards the incoming group of children.
Three soldiers immediately came over, and stood from a distance as they watch them, in case a trouble happens between these two groups of kids.
"Why do I feel like this a meeting between members of two opposite gangs, except that their kids" one of the soldiers whispered.
"Shh, let's just watch and immediately stop them if something bad happens" one of them replied.
And Leo who was issuing orders to his men, immediately notice this what's happening behind Austin, which made him tilt his head, and Austin, and another two soldiers turned around as they were curious about what caught their Commander's attention.
"Oi-" 
"Shh! Let's watch for now. I want to see what this troublemaker is up to again"
One of the two Captains was about to call them out, when Leo suddenly interrupted him, as his eyes shone with anticipation.
"So, you guys are the new bloods?" Andy or also known as Wen Wen said it like a gangster from the hood!
"What?" the kids looked at each other confused, but those kids who grew up in black communities immediately understood what the little dude meant.
"Why is he talking like that?'
"I don't know, ask him"
"Is he acting like a gangster or something?"
Three black british kids started whispering with each other while looking at Wen Wen.
"Ouch, ouch, d-don't pull my ear, it hurts!" Wen Wen was suddenly flustered when Olivia started pulling his ear.
"Hmmp!" Olivia snorted, then she looked at the newcomers with an apologetic smile, "Sorry about that, this brat is just asking for trouble again"
"What do you mean brat!? You're only two years older than me!" Wen Wen had tears in his eyes as he rubbed his, what made it worse for him is that some of the new kids is actually laughing at him.
The two of them started glaring at each other, while Lea, Jess and Michelle started mingling with the other kids, and Jacob being the oldest in the group just stood there and watched them, but when he turned his head to the side, he suddenly turned rigid when his eyes saw Leo grinning at them from afar, with a few soldiers with him.
He just showed him a stiff smile as he rigidly waved at them.
"Hey guys, let's go! We don't want to delay them any longer!" Jacob immediately turned towards the kids and yelled at them.
"What? But we just got here!" Wen Wen replied to him while showing off his fire manipulation ability in front of the girls.
"Come on, let's go!" Olivia said, as she pulled his ear, as she also notice her brother Leo watching them from a distance.
"Ow! Ow! Stop it!" Wen Wen didn't have a choice but to move his feet and follow her, this scene made Jess and Michelle giggle as they also followed behind them.
"Remember! I'm the boss here! Ouch!" Wen Wen yelled at the new kids from afar, and he got rewarded by a knock on his head by Jacob.
"Shut up! Don't drag us with you if you're sent to the Study Room!" Jacob yelled angrily at him.
Hearing about the Study Room made these kids shiver in horror, except for Lea who still have that same angelic smile on her face.
The Study Room is actually known as the Punishment Room, where kids who causes trouble are sent into, and that room full of books, it's a mini library for kids around ages 15 and below.
In that place, the kids that get sent there would need to read three books in total, and those books are as thick as two iPhones stack together!
And you know kids, most of them hate studying the most, especially reading school books!
"Yeah, and Mr. Leo is here, we don't want him finding out we skip class" Jacob whispered.
And like a mouse that suddenly smelled his nemesis, Wen Wen quickly turned his around as he checked their surroundings, and not even a second later, he saw Leo smiling and waving at him.
"Ha,ha" the kid laughed dryly as he also waved back.
"Gotta go!" Wen Wen immediately ran away out of there, his friends looked at each other a bit and also hastily followed behind him.
*****
Seeing the kids running away the moment they saw him, Leo turned towards the soldier who is the commanding officer of the Sentinels.
The Sentinels are the ones who patrols inside the base and where those newly graduate recruits would be sent the moment they finish training, unlike before where they are immediately deployed outside the base.
"I'm guessing those kids skipped class again, right?" Leo sternly asked.
"Y-yes sir!" the soldier stuttered under Leo's deadly glare.
"Next time, I don't care if it's Wen Wen and whatnot, I want them back inside the school if you spot them lingering around during class, do you understand!? That includes all of you! No exceptions!" Leo coldly said.
""Sir, yes sir!""
Leo then turned back towards the Sentinel's Commanding Officer, "Give me ten laps on the training ground! Set an example to your men!"
"All of you! Whoever turns a blind eye to those kids skipping classes would be dealt with ten laps around the training ground! Do you understand!?"
""Sir, yes sir!""
"You're all dismissed" Leo said, as he made them scram.
And the poor Captain ran around the training ground ten times. Everyone needs to know that the training ground is almost as huge as a football stadium, so anyone can imagine how tiring that would be, circling the place ten times, and anyone is already lucky enough if the weather is cloudy and not the scorching heat shining over your already tired body!
"That was a bit...harsh" Austin suddenly quipped.
"Is it now?" Leo smirked.
"You do know how wide the training ground is, right?" Austin turned towards him and said.
"Oh yeah~ It's huge alright. I want these soldiers to know what would happen to them if they turn a blind eye towards them again. I don't want my men giving them preferential treatment just because my parents and my two girlfriends are fond of them. I want everyone to know that everyone has the same treatment, no matter if you're a mutant or not. I don't the people thinking that I'm being biased towards Jess and the others" Leo replied.
And then he added, "Except for soldiers though, as they are always risking their lives out there almost everyday just to give them peace them and security, so their families and loved ones staying here could live without worrying about the threats of the zombies"
"Ohh..that makes much more sense," Austin said, understanding him as he was once a soldier..well, he is still a soldier even now though.
"Uhmm...you can go back to Cambridge now" Leo said.
"I'll be going then" Austin saluted to him as he immediately walked away smiling.
"Now then..I think I should go visit mom, hahaha..ha..ha!" Leo said as he laughed weakly.
"Maybe, I shouldn't after all? I sure as hell know that it would be long hours full of sermon if I go see her" Leo started having second thoughts if he should go see his mom.
Leo's eyes suddenly narrowed as he saw someone approaching him from a distance, and so he immediately turned around at the opposite direction, and just when he ran for a good fifty meters.
"Leo! Get back here!"
"Nope! Sorry mom! I don't want to hear your sermon for the time being!" Leo yelled back as he immediately ran away, he was so fast that he was at least accelerating at fifty miles per hour!
"Where do you think you're going~?"
Suddenly, a dark and eerie voice sounded from behind Leo, and when he turned his head around, he saw Rachel with a dark look on her face, easily running just behind him.
And the people in the street immediately scattered as they didn't want to be pulled into this trouble.
"Hii~! What the f*ck!? How come you're running as fast as me!?" Leo grew terrified, that he even used his [Ghost Stride]! But even then she could still catch up to him!
"Did you forget? It's my mutant ability~" Rachel whispered to his ear.
'Shit' Leo cursed as only did he remember her mutant ability!
"Open the gates! Quick!" Leo yelled at the soldiers manning the gates.
The soldiers were stunned at the scene before them that they didn't even managed to process his orders.
"Open the f*cking gate!" Leo yelled once more.
"Y-yes! Open the gates! Quick! Quick!" the gate guard yelled at his other comrades as they hastily opened the gates.
*Rumble*
Leo and Rachel immediately passed through the gates, as everything they passed through were swept with gales resulting from their speed.
"Oh boy, here they go again"
Austin who was just preparing to head out with his men, witnessed this scene as he smiled helplessly at Leo, and at the same time, he really respect him a lot, because even though he's already more powerful than their entire army combined, he's still filial to his parents and respects them a lot, even though their family is a bit abnormal than the rest of the families out there.
"Give up! You can't run away from me! In terms of speed, no one can outrun my [Windrun]!" Rachel yelled from behind him.
"Just me leave me alone, you old hag!!!"
"Argggh~!"
A pitiful howl of a man sounded from the distance.


The world is facing an incoming Apocalypse, as Earth is under going another Evolution. 

Mankind will face its greatest crisis in the face of the Destructive Apocalypse with Zombies, Mutated Beast and many more.

Follow Leo, as he became the last hope of Mankind, using the most awesome cheat System given to him by Gaia.

Will he fall or survive and rise to the top?
--------------------------------------------------
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Artwork by jbrown67

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