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~Kyle's Compilation~

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Dark Enmity

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*´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•Winter Weather

“Are we there yet, Mommy?” A young child asked pleadingly from the back of her mother’s supply cart, wedged between boxes of armour and worthless trinkets. She had soft hazel eyes and
blond—nearly white—shoulder length braided hair. Her name was Katelyn.

Winter had arrived without haste this year. They had not expected the sudden cold which was forcing them to move to a warmer climate. Al Kharid was in their minds. Where the birds could fly freely in the endless blue sky. Katelyn liked that idea.

“Nearly there, my love,” Katelyn’s mother replied, keeping her attention solely to the frozen lake they were crossing. Katelyn hugged her stuffed bear, Angela, closer to her chest.

“Good because I am really cold, Mom. I think it will be nice to be in the desert. I know it will. We can lie under the sun all day, drinking lemonade and playing games. Oh, can we Mom?” Katelyn’s eyes began to burst with excitement at the prospect of their new home. Her mother nodded distantly, zoning Katelyn out and focusing on the ice.

Katelyn didn't mind. She was in her on little world right now, imagining the wonders of Al Kharid. The plants were supposed to be vivid and colorful. She gave herself a mental note not to touch the cacti. They were told the heat there was scorching. Katelyn gave a high-pitched giggle. Boys apparently didn't were shirts in the desert. All the other girls her age thought boys were icky but she was best-friends with Lenny in Varrock.

The winter winds whipped her ponytail violently and she shivered. She quickly picked a quilt from the bottom of the cart and cloaked herself in it. The warmth covered her body instantly. Katelyn was considered the most independent ten-year-old. Only last week she had collected the mail all the way across town. She had only gotten scared twice. Once from the shadows in a dark alley. And again when she was lost for ten minutes.

30-May-2009 15:38:23 - Last edited on 31-May-2009 17:06:07 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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She jerked forward. The cart was halted to a stop and the horse gave a long whine. Katelyn’s mother, Johanna, cursed under her breath and ordered Katelyn to stay were she was. They were stuck in the snow.

Johanna walked to the rear wheels and attempted to push the cart through. Her breaths became coarse and rapid as she struggled. After about a minute of no luck she returned to the cart for a coat jacket.

“I will be back shortly, honey. Varrock is still in sight and I will bring back help, okay? You just stay here and be a good little girl.”

“Yes, Mommy,” Katelyn said and pressed Angela tighter. She never took her eyes off her mother. Johanna walked over the ice with fear billowing inside Katelyn. The cold felt so much crueler then only a few minutes ago. Her mother was only fifty feet from the cart when Katelyn heard a stomach-sinking crunch. A thin hairline crack began from the outer east edge of the lake and started racing down through the center...right were her mother was standing.

“MOMMY!” She squealed at the top of her lungs, desperate for her mother to see. Johanna thrashed her head to her right and spotted the crack. It raced towards her like lightning, zigzagging sporadically. Another sound pierced the air, only this one sounded low and hollow. The ice around Johanna’s feet was pushed up into the air plunging her down in the cold icy water. She gave a cry and scraped her fingernails into the snow. For a moment Katelyn believed that it would hold, that her mother would be able to grip her way out. Katelyn started to climb out of the cart when the block of ice Johanna was grasping split a final time.

Johanna was completely immersed in the dark blue liquid, splashing puddles onto the surface. The ice began to bob up and down until it leveled itself flat along the horizon. It appeared as if there was no break, except for that clear hairline crack.

30-May-2009 15:38:41 - Last edited on 31-May-2009 17:09:19 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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Katelyn waited apprehensively beside the cart. She kept believing her mother would resurface, that she would burst under the ice and snow and hug her only daughter. A twisted, malicious voice vibrated in her head.

‘She won’t come back. She won’t come back because people under the ice don’t come back. They disappear forever. And the people that do come back come back in coffins.’ Katelyn never knew she had such an evil part of herself inside her.

“Shut up. You don’t know anything so just be quiet," She retorted trying to be defiant but quivered. The voice kept silent. It was satisfied with the damage it had done. Katelyn’s mother was gone.

The lake seemed tranquil aside from Katelyn’s heavy breathing. She could only stand there staring at the place where her mother took her last gulps of air. ‘I have to do something. She could still be alive. How long can people last?’ she edged closer to the catastrophe point. The vile voice replied.

‘Unless you want to find out how long you can last underwater, I suggest you step back and think.’ Katelyn obeyed. The ice was weak, and could collapse under even her weight. Besides she thought that cold water made breathing even hard. Maybe her mom was already dead.

She flinched. How could she think that? Did that make her a bad person? Or is leaving her mother rational?

“I have to sit and think,” She told herself, saying it aloud to calm her down more. It pained her to say it but her mom could be gone. So what did that mean?

“It means I need to save myself.” She thought grimly. The mountain winds were picking up and her face was turning pale. Katelyn decided to get whatever she could and get help. If Johanna could get out then she could be saved as well.

30-May-2009 15:38:46 - Last edited on 31-May-2009 17:05:40 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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She returned to the cart and scavenged through all the bags. What she managed to collect was a coat, two matches, some rope, a knife and a long red canister that Katelyn assumed to contain candies or rations. She wasn’t allowed knives or matches but she thought that her mom could make an exception. Her pockets were full and that meant she had to make a hard decision.

“Good-bye Angela. You will be fine. I will get some help to rescue you. Be strong for me, okay?” Katelyn was careful not to cry; for fear that her tears would freeze on her face. She hugged Angela a final time and tucked her snug under the quilt.

“Where to next?” The fastest way to Varrock was across the lake, but that idea frightened her. She agreed that through the forest would be best. It would also provide shelter if...it got dark.

She wobbled her way towards the trees in her pretty pink leather boots. She wasn’t wearing any socks and was careful not to let any water creep in. The trees were tall and menacing. She had to be determined to walk in a straight line or risk becoming lost. Katelyn decided to pick reference points throughout the woods. The first was a large rock that was shaped like a dome.

She repeated this for several hours. There was no way for herself to know the exact time. She remembered a saying that the moss grew on a certain side of a tree but it was winter. And the sun was masked by the jungle terrain, trying to get through the filter of foliage.

A sound echoed through her ears. It sounded almost bubbly. She recognized it when she went camping last summer. It was a brook.

Her mouth felt parched. She needed to dose her throat with water. The whole time in the forest she never considered eating the snow. Katelyn broke into a run, desperate to reach the river of water. Oh how cool the liquid would feel running down her esophagus, filling her up completely until—

30-May-2009 15:38:51 - Last edited on 30-May-2009 15:45:52 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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Katelyn froze. A steep slope covered with snow and an occasional plant poking through. It looked like she could walk down it in the summer but right now it was imminent that she would slip. She could slide down into the rocks. She could crush her skull and bleed into the creak. She could die.

The thought terrified her. She buckled onto her knees and sat in the snow, pleading for a way. Her mouth felt on fire, craving for something to drink. Katelyn sunk her hand into her pockets and felt a slender, long object inside. Katelyn’s first thought was that it was a deadly snake, baring itself to bite. She flung it out of her pocket and saw its brown abrasive body.

“Idiot,” she mumbled to herself. She had forgotten all about the rope in her pocket. A brainstorm crossed her mind. She could scale down the hill, like those mountain climbers. Instantly, Katelyn grabbed the rope and wrapped it around a large oak. She tied it in a single knot, not bothering to check its stability. She was too impatient for the water.

She threw the rope down the grade and began to climb down. It felt easy and effortless. Her hands glided over the rope like butter. The snow did not seem slippery at all. “Look Ma, I am as good as those mountain hikers!”

She jolted as her hands got caught at the knot in the end of the rope. Panic now flooded her. Katelyn was only halfway down. There was no way she could reach the bottom. Another tough choice for herself. She couldn’t decide to either climb up or risk going to the bottom.

It turned out that she didn't need to make the choice. The rope at the top of the hill had been crudely tied and loosened itself from the tree. With nothing to hold her up and no time to brace herself Katelyn toppled backwards down the hill. She shrieked as she face-planted in the snow, somersaulting down the knoll. Every time her eyes came up from the snow she saw those oversized rocks at the bottom, the only thing to stop her fall.

30-May-2009 15:39:00 - Last edited on 01-Jun-2009 14:03:09 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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Katelyn twisted her body to the left. She knew what she was aiming for. The rolls were speeding, and she couldn’t determine what was sky and what was ground. She shut her eyes firmly leaving the rest to chance.

It happened suddenly. There was a sharp incline and a Katelyn was airborne for a brief moment. The feeling was scary, like she was going to fall forever into an endless hole. Instead, there was a sharp pain all over her body as arctic water connected to her body. It was as if she was being electrocuted. ‘This was what mom felt when she fell through the ice.’

She opened her eyes only to be stung more by the water. Katelyn was facing against the current, causing water to force into her mouth when she started to scream. The water was cold and she new she couldn’t last much longer without oxygen. ‘Don’t breathe underwater,’ she thought. ‘You’re not supposed to breathe underwater.’

Chance was all she had left. Without hesitation, she thrust her head in a random direction, uncertain if it was up or not. 'Oh please let it be up I can’t be under any longer.’

Her face was exposed with cold air and she drew in a long, sobbing breath. She coughed out the remaining water in her mouth as she crawled onto flat ground. Katelyn’s was blue and shivering. Her toes and finger were numb but still had a little feeling. She rubbed them vigorously with no luck. Her whole body hurt.

‘What next?” She asked herself in a trembling voice. Katelyn knew the answer. Johanna had told about what people do when they get cold and stuck in the woods. They start a fire.

Katelyn emptied everything out of her pockets onto a large, dry rock. She picked up the knife and the two matches when a sinking thought crossed her mind. ‘What if the matches are wet?’

“They aren’t. They can’t be wet. That would be too cruel.” But she was lying to herself. Katelyn was certain the freezing water had snuffed the matches. When she pulled them out they would be unusable.

30-May-2009 15:39:28 - Last edited on 01-Jun-2009 14:06:44 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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Yet she still had to try. Katelyn reached into her jacket pocket and realized the zipper had been done up. ‘That doesn’t matter water can get through a flimsy zipper.’ She unzipped the compartment and reached inside feeling around for two thin sticks. Katelyn pulled them out staring at the dry red tips.

“Oh God oh thank God they are dry! Thank you!” Katelyn was streaming tears (though careful not to let the tears touch the matches) If she had been lucky enough now that meant she could be saved.

“They will see my footprints and come into the forest and find me here.” This kept repeating in her mind while she collected twigs from the try. The ones on the ground were wet and soggy with snow so she cut the tree branch with the pocket blade careful not to cut herself. She put them all in a small pile making a crude, tent-like shape.

She didn't realize how cold she actually was until it was time to light the matches. Her arms and fingers were shaking fiercely as she tried to pick up the match. Katelyn felt she had no strength to be able to strike it across the rock.

“Oh please oh please stop shaking I am begging you please.” The match vibrated in her hand loosely. Squeezing it tight sent a shock of pain through Katelyn’s arm. The feeble match was thrown out of her hands when it hit rock. Her eyes saw the match fall, realizing the awful truth.

“Oh God NO!" Katelyn screamed at the match. It landed softly in the snow creating a small pencil thin hole. She had one match left.

“Focus or you will die. You need to focus.” Talking to herself vivaciously calmed her hands down. They were vibrating, but not trembling. She picked up the match trying to think of a prayer. She had never been to church.

30-May-2009 15:39:32 - Last edited on 30-May-2009 15:48:42 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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“Please I just want to be safe. That’s all I want. Please God I am just a girl.” It wasn’t a prayer, but it felt like a good enough one for her. Katelyn’s hands were still. She picked up the match, seeing the frosty mist from her breathing in front of her eyes. Katelyn struck it against the rock.

At first, nothing. Then, a small orange dot appeared on the tip. It expanded and turned into red. The flame flickered once and Katelyn thought that that was the end that the match had gone out. But it reappeared after that unlucky gust shinning upon Katelyn’s incredulous face.

“Yes! I am saved!” She knew she wasn’t saved, but it felt nice to have all the luck in the world. She turned around to the kindling and stuck the match under. Those were the longest seconds of her life but when the fire came alive it was like magic. Bright colors danced in the wind and rose to the sky. Katelyn’s shrieks of joy seemed to help the fire grow. Feeling was returning to her skin. She could flex her toes. Her fingers could make a fist.

She was certain she would be found. Someone must have spotted the cart by then and a search team would be out to find her. She would wait, and wait and—

Katelyn blinked. Something had hit her eye. It felt cold and white, but as it touched her face she could see it melting. There was another one. And another. They were falling from the clouds like feathers. It was snowing.

“No, don’t snow! I don't want it to snow!” Some five-year-old would be looking out of his window with a smile on his face and sled in his hand but not Katelyn. The snow would cover her footprints. She wouldn’t be found. They may find her skeleton in the spring or summer but not now. It was—

“Like I never existed.” Katelyn sunk into the snow beside the fire. She wanted her mother. She wanted Angela. The world apparently thought it was her time to die. Katelyn would obey. She closed her eyes.

30-May-2009 15:39:39 - Last edited on 30-May-2009 21:17:28 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

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Katelyn would open her eyes four hours later in a hospital. A group of ice-fishers had spotted the cart and the footprints into the forest. When it started to snow halfway in the prints became masked and they were convinced that whoever got lost in there would stay lost. Katelyn had been right about the search party. What she had been wrong about was the red canister of candies. It didn't carry candy at all or even food for that matter. A gust of wind that night had pushed the cylinder off the rock and into the fire. It immediately lit up, sending sparks high into the air above the trees. When the search party saw it there hopes were reignited. The flare had saved Katelyn’s life.

They did not find Katelyn’s mother that night. It was assumed that nobody could survive that kind of trauma even if they did escape. No search was organized for Johanna. A trawler would find her five months later, her upper torso inside the belly of a whale.

Coincidently the hospital that Katelyn had been taken to was in Al Kharid. When she would awake she would be able to see the birds and the plants. But she wouldn't. Instead, she would scream. She would continue to scream until a small brown bear recovered from the cart was placed inside Katelyn’s tense, rigid arms.
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30-May-2009 15:43:30 - Last edited on 31-May-2009 22:51:15 by Dark Enmity

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