RuneScape Forum Archive | ~~English's Forgotten Tales~~

Englishkid62

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“Aww, sir! Do we have to have him?” Jordan moaned. It wasn’t unusual that Alex was picked last in any activity that we did, but it seemed that we were the ‘unlucky’ team today, and the ‘unlucky’ team always loses. Alex walked towards us with a smile on his face (how I wanted to wipe it off!), which Jordan returned with a cold glare.

I loved football – it was simple. All one needed to do was to kick that ball right into the back of the net. Smash. Boom. It didn't really matter if it hit the goalie in his face though – I didn't really mind that – it would be a good laugh. Secondly, there was always a second shot at everything, always. It didn't matter how many times I missed: there was always a second chance.

At least, I believed so at the time.

Nail, now the striker on the opposing team, groaned as I booted the ball away again, putting a halt to his advance. Our plan was that I’d kick the ball somewhere inside their box, and let Jordan do the rest from there. We expected the plan to work out.

Thanks to our keeper, Alex, who was sent to his position by Jordan – we were losing five goals to nil. That was just rubbish - it was equivalent to one goal every five minutes.

Did we have to have him? If he was in the other team, we could be the winning team, leading by five goals to nil, if not more. Why was he always the root of our problem? Just because the other team had finished picking, it didn't mean we deserved to lose. Alex did nothing to stop a ball getting past him – in fact, he seemed quite happy to stand aside and get out of the way. He was hopeless.

Six goals to nil – and one minute to go.

This was stupid.

I walked up to him, and shouted: “Do you even know how to play football?”

He looked at me, as if he was concerned about my tone of voice, then, he shook his head vigorously.

12-Feb-2011 17:48:26 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 11:59:39 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

Posts: 9,782 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Okay…” I was in real disbelief. Come on! Everybody was expected to know how to play football. “Your job is to stop the ball – with your hands – from getting into the net. My God, are you serious?” Maybe Alex was just a liar. I had known the rules of football since I was three years old. His ignorance was inexcusable. Alex nodded, as if he finally understood his current task, then he smiled at me in a strange way.

“What?” I asked him.

He pointed right behind me – Nail was advancing again, not twenty yards away. Seven goals to nil was only a David away.
Nail faked a shot, and I was tricked, giving him a perfect opportunity to get past me. “What the hell…” I muttered as I watched the scene from afar, helplessly.

Then, a miracle happened.

The ball now bounced towards me and I passed it forward. With Alex lying face down on the grass and Nail singing right behind me, I knew for certain that it was hell of a shot. It wasn’t exactly a bad shot – I praised Nail for his supreme accuracy, being able to hit Alex in the face in such a close distance.

At this moment, the whistle was blown and the game had officially ended.

“Hahaha … losers!” Nick boasted as he walked past me, heading towards the changing room.

“Oh, shut up.” I then turned to Jordan who had just joined me. “Well, it could’ve been worse.”

“He’s an idiot!” Jordan spat, and we walked towards Alex, who was still recovering from the blow as he stood up – his face was red as if he had been, or was about to cry.

“You stupid, stupid Noob!” Jordan screamed at him. “God! Do you even know how to play football?”

Only this time, he nodded to Jordan and we returned to the changing room in silence. There were still excited voices in the changing room, talking about the precision of Nail’s shot.

Lucky git.

I was on my way back home when I was roughly pulled aside by an unexpected person. The force was so strong that I almost tripped. It was a moment before I recognized her face.

“Katie?” I asked.

12-Feb-2011 17:48:26 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 11:53:23 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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“Hi, David.” She replied in her deep voice. She was slightly taller than me, and her curled, brown hair was rough-looking – it was as if it hadn’t been washed for days. Her face was dark and there was no hint of smile or trace of happiness. She looked serious – and a little depressed. I had never seen her depressed before. I remembered the times when she was jolly all the time – she was in the year above us (now graduated) and I remembered the times when she used to hang around us a lot. The thing was – I liked her. Some years ago, I had even convinced myself that I loved her. Yet, I never made a move – I thought she could feel it too, and that she would always be mine – I was wrong. I knew I was too late when Nick told me he had taken her. Oh, how I wished things would go back to the way they were! Looking at her right now, I could almost recall a time of peace, a time when there was no hatred in the world – where nations get on and compromise, and where prejudice was far from our minds.
I remembered something.

“How’s the baby?” I asked quietly – my voice was tinged with sadness.

“Very well. Thank you for asking.” Still, she didn't smile, “Mum and Dad weren’t exactly so nice about it, though.”

“Why?”

“They wanted an abortion,” she said. “They thought I made the mistake of my life.”

“You could get an abortion – nothing is stopping you, I hope.” I shrugged.

“No..." She looked at me sadly, “I want to give this a go, and I want to try my best. I want to put the baby’s fate in his own hands.”

“Nick is the father, isn’t he?” I returned her gaze, and I saw her eyes were full of passion. “You still love him, don’t you?”

“Nick doesn’t care about anyone but himself.” She sniffed and closed her eyes for a while, and then nodded to my questions. My heart sank – if only I had someone who cared so much about me, someone who’d love me for who I am, just as well as Katie had loved Nick…

“I’m sorry.” I mumbled, and to my surprise she gave a cold laugh.

12-Feb-2011 17:48:26 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 12:00:06 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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“Anyway, that wasn’t why I wanted to talk to you.” To my horror, she smirked – as if it was all a trick of some sort,

“Do you want children?”

I raised an eyebrow, for I was partly amused, and partly disturbed by her question. Sometimes I really couldn’t connect to the way she thinks and it upset me. Maybe we just weren’t meant to be together, after all. Katie however, seemed satisfied at my reaction.

“No no no no no no no no no…” I backed off quickly and defensively as she raised her right knee, indicating a potential strike, “I mean – yes!”

“Good.” She laughed, “but seriously – please don’t hurt my brother. Or else. I know Alex is a strange business and he’s hard to accept … but please don’t hurt him. That’s all I want to ask.”

“…I’ll try.”

“You’re not -?" She looked at me, bewildered, as if she was delighted in my reply. Her breath quickened in excitement.

She regarded me for a while, and then her amazement faltered. My lack of understanding in her reaction had brought a horror to her lovely face.

“He hasn’t given it to you, has he?” She asked furiously, “Did you get it? Did he give it to you? Tell me!”

“He has given me what?” I questioned.

I destroyed her. Her eyes were wide in horror.

“God! How many times does he need to be told? It’s his last year in school and he’s going to regret this for the rest of his life. He even spent hours colouring it last night…” She screamed on as she turned away from me, for the last time. “Coward! Coward! Coward!”

And she walked away, without looking back – not once. There I stayed and watched her until she had turned the corner. I could still hear her yelling that word.

***

“What are you up to?” Alex asked.

“I’m in the middle of Jordan’s party at the moment.” I said.

Today, we were celebrating Jordan’s mastering of the skill ‘Fire-making’ in RuneScape today, in his rather fancy wooden bungalow.

“Can I come too?” He asked me.

“Um … okay.” I took what Katie said on board – I tried to be nice.

“Where do I go?”

12-Feb-2011 17:48:26 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 12:00:50 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

Posts: 9,782 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“Head east, until you’ve arrived in the town of Catherby, then turn north east from there and pass the white wolf mountain. You’ll see where we are straight away.” I returned his message.

“Is everyone here?” Nick asked as he looked around the house for familiar faces.

"I think so…” Nail mumbled.

“Alex is coming.” I informed the group, and they looked at me – shocked.

“My God!” Jordan screamed with a sense of alarm as if a monster was approaching. “How did he know about this?”

“David must’ve told him.” Philip said accusingly.

“No, honestly, I swear –” I was interrupted by the intensity of their glare. Alright – I lied. They looked at me as if I was the ultimate traitor – the traitor in their midst.

“What the hell, David?” Nick asked threateningly. “We’ve been through this before.”

“I just wanted –”

“You wanted what? Our friendship?” Jordan snapped. I was unable to make a reply – what was I trying to achieve, anyway? Katie would never love me either way. Why must I risk the loss of all my friends for her sake? Why must I be put under this huge, heavy burden, to tell the good from the evil? Why must I be caught in the middle of a battle between Reality and Idealism?

I thought about it – I didn't exactly say ‘yes’ to Katie’s promise, not really. In fact, I believed I was bullied into it. Now that I had, at least, ‘tried’ being nice, I had fulfilled my promise. Either way I was not to blame. I was not responsible for his well-being, remember? I was not expected to keep him happy. I was only doing what a good, law-abiding citizen was expected to do. Come on – get real.
“You’re gonna have to get rid of him once and for all, David.” Nick warned, “you must act – today.”

“Okay…” I sighed. Promises, after all, were made to be broken.

“Can’t we just kick Alex out of the house when he arrives?” Nail suggested. “I think he’ll get the message."

12-Feb-2011 17:48:26 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 12:01:11 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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“No, he wouldn’t.” Jordan replied, “He’d just try to enter the house again and again until I am fed up of kicking him.”
“David’ll have to do it,” Nick said resolutely. “He only listens to David. Now, it is much easier to tell him to b*g**r off through a computer screen, isn’t it, David?"

"I don’t know…”

“What is your problem, dude?” Philip asked, “You’re not in love with him or something, are you?”

“No!” I yelled in protest.

“Then prove it,” Nick said. “Prove it to us and prove it to yourself.”

I groaned. Sometimes I wished the world wasn’t so black and white – if only there was such a day. If only. I made a mistake – and as a good, and law-abiding citizen, it was my responsibility to tidy it up.

When Alex rung the door bell, I answered him. I opened the door with the others standing close behind me. I bet they were all frowning in his direction.

“Hello, David! Hello, everyone!” Alex said happily. It was obvious that he put on his best suits for this evening – which consisted of steel plate-body and legs. He looked up at me as if he was anticipating acceptance. Goodness – didn't he notice I wasn’t smiling at all? Didn't he notice he was not welcomed? He tried to get past me to gain entrance to the house but I side-stepped and barred him from doing so.

“Alex – we don’t want you here.” I said politely.

“What do you mean?” He asked, still smiling, still looking hopeful. He didn't get it.

“I said – we would rather have the party without you.” I said, more firmly this time, expecting him to pick up our unfriendly glances. A no, is a no. Somehow, I thought he knew – but he just couldn’t face up to the truth of rejection.

“Are you sure?” He laughed heartily, “I won’t ruin it, I promise!”

That angered me.

12-Feb-2011 17:48:27 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 12:02:22 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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He still didn't get the message. I doubted if he would ever get the message. He was of a different race and he was a weirdo – he would never become one of us. We wouldn’t let him. He should never be standing with the cool guys in the first place, or even wanting to join the upper-class. It was beyond him, and he couldn’t accept it. His presence was repulsive, and now I was furious at him.

“Do you not get it, Noob?” I screamed at him, “We don’t want you here. Do you hear me? Get lost and go ‘home’, where you belonged. Go away and leave us alone.”

“But –”

“What? You think we’d have you?” I continued, “We don’t like you – we never liked you. How could we like you? We’ve tried very hard to like you, but you’re beyond hope. It was impossible to like you. You’re a tumour of our game – you’re unwanted. You’ll never be wanted. You’re an ulcer and you drain our happiness like a despicable parasite. We’d hate to have you around us all the time like a filthy stray dog. We’re not your friends – we HATE you.”

“But –”

“No, I’m not your friend either.” I declared violently, “Me? Your friend? No way – don’t even think it. You’re poor, you’re stupid and you’re a Noob. Your ignorance disgusts me. You face makes me sick. You’re pathetic and needy – you’re weak and you depended on others to give you a meaning and a purpose in life. YOU are the cancer of our lives!”

Alex was silent for a while – he was staring as his feet again. I thought I saw two large droplets of tears fell on to the floor, and we remained there, in silence. A moment later, he looked up at me, and his child-like face was red and wet – his eyes were flooded with water, and it seemed to say: “enough”.

I saw his person began to blur. I saw his tiny figure vanished in midair along with his haunted look. Enough. He had logged out.

“Bloody hell, David.” Nail grimaced.

12-Feb-2011 17:50:28 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 12:02:42 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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***

Five years later…

Yes, Danny – I had made a mistake. I would put my hand on my heart and tell you that I had made a mistake. A simple error of judgment. An error that I would regret for the rest of my life – a deed so foul, so poisonous and unforgettable. I knew what I did was not redeemable, and I knew where I went wrong. I was - confused. I was naïve and immature – and I had yet to experience the cruelty of the real world. I had yet to experience the poison of remorse - I took the wrong turn. I had yet to experience you, the best thing that had happened to me. My mistake could’ve been easily prevented. Please.

It was the biggest regret of my life – I should not have rescued him. I should not have let lose a monster that would ruin my life, my future, my love. It was all my fault, because I should’ve left him in the dark abyss in which he and his kind belonged. I made a mistake. I wished I had never met him, and I wished I had never offered him my friendship. If only I could change one event in the past. If only I could change just one event – you would be mine, Danny. I loved you. Please, forgive me – everyone had errors of their own. I had but taken a wrong turn.

Please … forgive me …

I was but a human being.

~~End~~

12-Feb-2011 17:50:28 - Last edited on 09-Apr-2011 12:03:39 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

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Notes on The Noob

I chose to start off with a scene from The Abomination of Men.

Somewhat the least well-received of the three works, but I refused to admit this for some time. In context it was written inside two months (well short of the four months development of the other two) and about an incident where Miles Letum, upon having his/her sticky put on by a Mod as the story of the week, the Stories Forum went on to a rage and ripping the piece to shreds. The author, of course, isn’t here anymore.

What strikes me however is the snobbish attitude that exists in the Stories Forum. It repulses me. Why should someone else get praise and the attention when my stuff is better? This outrage had offended me and it prompted me to reflect on humanity once more. What is acceptance? Why do we tolerate others that are not like us?

I set about designing the sympathetic character ‘Kipplin’ to be humiliated and cast out, and it is a story that sets the stage for The Priceless. There are elitist circles in the story everywhere. And the final scene was…well, it was a personal lesson for myself, perhaps saying that David never liked Kipplin to begin with. Perhaps it was all in Kipplin’s head.

The story itself suffered from unrealistic characters, similar to the previous two. Only now was this problem brought to me, and I was impatient to begin with a new approach to characters…

12-Feb-2011 17:50:28 - Last edited on 19-Nov-2011 10:30:39 by Englishkid62

Englishkid62

Posts: 9,782 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

~~The Life of a Noob~~

(December 2008)

‘Go away, you noob! I don't want you.’

The very mouth once filled my heart with sweet music spoke daggers into my ears. How was this possible? A minute ago we were as close as one, now far and wide as if we were separated by an eternity – an unending ocean. A minute ago we were still comrades, fighting side by side, battling against the forces of evil goblins on the plain field by the virtuous river Lum. We were a perfect pair – for a minute. You smashed my world with a few brisk words. The ultimate rejection.

You didn't stop there; I wished you did. Did you remember what you said next? You told me I was an ignorant fool, an existence most foul, pestilent and unnatural, a tainted leech of happiness that would stop at nothing to spoil ‘your’ game. You named me a superfluous blister; a weed undesired. I was defenceless to your venomous words. You were my best friend and for a moment I even hated you; you told me how you really felt, all this time. You told me the truth, and it hurt – physically.

An unwanted epiphany.

Why must you hate me so? Was I born inferior to the culture of your own, an inferior to your standard? Did you think I was a machine without feelings? Did you think, just because we were schoolmates and I had the ‘privilege’ to work until midnight to support sickly mother, that I could do without a tiny bit of human compassion and empathy? Did you think, just because I couldn’t play games all day, just because I had no time to waste, I was therefore abominable and worthless? You thought wrong! I had just as much heart as any of you. I had just as much right to be happy and be who I am – a noob.

I sank. It was when I realised I had nothing left in the world. There was no one for me – no one cared. It was as if my identity was somehow confiscated; deprived was my right to belong. You were my best and only friend – you were my meaning of existence. I didn't expect a dagger from behind.

12-Feb-2011 17:50:29 - Last edited on 19-Nov-2011 10:35:06 by Englishkid62

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~~English's Forgotten Tales~~

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