RuneScape Forum Archive | Feel the Silence

Well folks, I disappeared again, as I always do. Things got away from me again this quarter. I'm trying really hard to reduce my stress and make time for writing and the things that matter to me. This quarter I tried reducing the number of classes I take (by becoming a part-time student, having all the credits you need to graduate helps

) and reducing my involvement in some extracurriculars. But I still found myself mired in stress. Mental health is a big problem at my school right now and I'm working hard to make sure it doesn't become a big problem for me. The next step is reducing my involvement in student film - it's been a huge part of my life (I've produced a student film four out of my last five quarters here) but it's not as much fun as it used to be and it's causing a lot of stress. Thus, for the remainder of my senior year, I'm done with producing, and at least for the next quarter, student film in general. It's time to start looking toward my future, which is, I hope, writing.

So what's the point of all this rambling? As always, for anyone still reading, I want to reiterate that I haven't given up on this story. I've allowed life to get in the way of my writing, and I want to change that. Writing shouldn't be a task I have to "get to," but a fun thing I do to relieve stress. Somehow it's gotten a little confused for me, and I'm going to work hard on changing that.

So basically...once again, I apologize for disappearing. I plan to take more control and make significant progress on this story in the next year. I've also noticed that writing over time like this, my ideas have changed, as well as I've just forgotten some things I wrote previously - there are a ton of continuity errors and things I did a terrible job explaining. I want to apply strategies I've learned in writing classes, so hopefully things will be more cohesive from here on out. Bear with me on that

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and hopefully I will begin adding again soon.

28-Nov-2013 19:41:51

Chuk

Posts: 14,177 Opal Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Take your time, Smeeze. I've been fighting the burn out for a while, and it seems like that's what you're dealing with. It's no fun, and then it's less fun because the stuff that should be fun isn't anymore. I'm just happy to know you've still got this story in mind and that you'll get to it when you get to it. Take care.

04-Dec-2013 03:55:24

Crystal Smee

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"I won't just sit here and wait for them!" someone yelled.

"Let's light a torch, see what's out there!"

"Be quiet!" Jonah roared. "Anyone who lights a torch will end up left behind like Athyr. I guarantee you, you do not want to be left behind here."

"Why, sir? If you say it's not the natives, what's the harm?"

"Maybe it'll scare whatever it is off!"

Jonah hung his head. How could he explain it to them, without telling? If they knew, they'd light fires anyway. And he couldn't - he didn't want to see what the fires would show. He believed it would ruin them all. He'd come too far to fall apart now, and his men -

The wind picked up, whipping around them all, carrying the whispers on the breeze. They were louder now, more insistent, but the voices still indistinguishable. Everyone fell silent, and all heard the sound.

"I'm sorry commander," someone said - a man named Gavin, "but we have to know what's going on here." He saw a spark as a match scraped stone.

"Don't, soldier. You will regret this," Jonah growled.

"Mayhaps. I'll take that chance, ser." Another spark, and it caught, a blinding glow of orange in the black. He held it to a branch and the fire blazed brighter, spreading down the makeshift torch. The light spilled over the group, illuminating their pale, scared faces. They all watched Jonah anxiously to see his response to Gavin's defiance. Jonah wanted to look away from the fire, to stay in the darkness, but he boldly met Gavin's gaze. He focused entirely on Gavin’s eyes, refusing to glance away behind him where the light illuminated the treeline.

"Last chance, soldier. Trust me that you don't want to know, trust me that you're not in danger. The place we are in is a sacred space to the natives; they won't attack here. They do not come here."

18-Dec-2013 22:46:19

Crystal Smee

Posts: 7,994 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

"Then who's voices are we hearing?" someone said.

"And how would you know that?"

"To hell with it, let's go find out," Gavin growled.

Jonah searched for Sorokin, found him standing slightly behind. "Help me out here?" he asked. Sorokin’s eyes were wide, his mouth agape. Gavin had begun to march off, and Travis, ever loyal, moved to block him. “Commander said to stop.”

“I’m gonna find out what’s going on.”

Travis moved closer, the fire just next to his ear, the flames practically touching his shaggy hair. He put his face up to Gavin’s. “The commander told you. Listen to him.”

Gavin’s chest swelled with air and he opened his mouth, but was cut off by someone yelling, “What’s that?” Jonah scanned to find one of the younger soldiers standing with his arm outstretched. He followed the boy’s pointed finger, his heart sinking even before he saw the cause of shock. A figure, hunched over, standing in the shadows just outside the rim of the firelight beyond Travis’ shoulder. Gavin lurched backwards, bumping into someone else and nearly dropping his torch. The crowd of soldiers lunged for their weapons as Travis turned, screamed at the sight, and drew his blade in challenge. Gavin steadied himself on his feet and held the fire closer. Murmurs and gasps rumbled through the crowd.

“Martin?” Gavin asked.

Jonah saw Myren shoving his way through the crowd toward Gavin. The kid looked like he was barely holding down the contents of his stomach.

Orange light spilled across the specter before them. The figure of a soldier, bent nearly double at the waist, dressed in the tattered remains of his uniform. From his back protruded the remaining foot of steel of a large, bloody sword; the rest of it was buried in the body of the soldier. His face, even in the warm firelight, was a yellow-gray color, his cheeks sunken and hollow.

“Gavin!” the specter proclaimed jovially.

18-Dec-2013 22:46:48

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Feel the Silence