and already receiving anonymous gifts heart heart
Just leaving behind this amazing story.
From: An anonymous benefactor
Message: #18 ) Delta Wave
The night was young, but the streets of downtown Barton were utterly deserted. The only sound for miles was the rhythmic tap, tap, tapping of her heels on the snowy walk and the frosty exhale of her breath. Sammy hugged her arms as she made her way from the cafe to her apartment building. Though not a soul lingered in the early stage of twilight, she couldn't help from stealing glances over her shoulder every few minutes. Something didn't seem quite right. The air felt thick, almost...sentient, in a way. Perhaps it was her nerves finally getting to her, or, perhaps...things were not nearly as barren as they appeared. Her muscles twitched as she passed each alley between the buildings. Her reflexes anticipated the worst, and with each safe passage her suspicions only grew for the next uncertain corner.
Finally she could see hope. After what seemed like ages she arrived at the apartment entrance. Fighting off her shivers in vain, Sammy reached a shaky hand out for the doorknob. Just as her fingertips grazed the cold, hard metal, a spark suddenly ignited, its bright flicker reflecting in her wide, questioning eyes. The waitress recoiled as a fiery column spontaneously burst from the ground. The element spread rapidly - invading every nook and cranny before she could even process the inexplicable event...and before long, the whole building was engulfed in flame. The icy winter flakes boiled out of the air. Sammy stumbled, back-stepping as fast as she could until she realized she wasn't actually moving. A fiery tendril reached out and hooked around her wrist, pulling her toward the blaze. Sammy cried out in pain and dug in her heels. The aggressive embers burned her skin and lapped along the hem of her clothes until they caught. The fabric started to scorch and fall away as she struggled desperately to break free. Her waitress ensemble tore apart like hellish confetti, her heroine uniform revealed underneath without her having to transform...
But then it, too, began to ignite...
With a determined grunt and a final yank, Solsi managed to free herself from the entrapment and fled as far as she could from the building. The streets flashed in a hysterical fit from the roaring blaze. Her feet pounded against the pavement, but her shadow was soon devoured by an even greater silhouette rising from the burning tribute to her old life. The enormous bird burst from the smoke and swept down after her, its shadow growing as it neared. Without thinking Solsi dove to the ground and covered her head with her hands. She could feel the strong gust it generated steal her hat clean off her head as it soared within arm's length. The thunder in her ears told her when it had passed, so she dared herself to look as soon as she could. Her eyes suffered in the intense heat rippling from the inferno, but soon the prehistoric creature came into focus. The phoenix carved a fiery path through the air, shedding its burning feathers to rain down throughout the city. The legendary symbol wove tales of hope to many before her, but in its presence the magical girl knew only terror.
She scrambled to her feet as it turned a wide arc in the air and circled back around. Solsi panted heavily, her panicked breath timed with the mad pace of her strides carrying her along. The hot tar curdled like melting cheese, slowing and eventually sealing her in place. She tried to pry loose from the masterful hold, but she could only manage one more step... There was an earsplitting cry and her eyes darted skyward. The stars looked down upon her. They were silent, and the farthest she'd ever known them to be. She pleaded their intervention, but little could it do when mere seconds stood to determine her fate.
Solsi shut her eyes right as the phoenix closed in...
Silence. There was a brisk wind. Her eyes flashed open and she was somewhere else entirely, somewhere...dark. Flames lapped in small puddles all around her, though there was no such thing as a floor here. Her eyes darted protectively around, searching for the predator. The embers discreetly gnawed at her uniform, eating the fibers to little by little become dust in the wind. The tails of her bow were slowly vanishing like a lit fuse. Suddenly, there came a sound. She turned to face it, her eyes wide and fearful. The dim image of a body came into view just ahead of her. Still, light. Calm. His back facing her. Whoever, or, whatever it was, she wasn't going to be surprised again. Solsi took a step in the stranger's direction but a wall of flame shot up and blocked any means of passage. She scurried back, heart sent to racing in her chest. She swallowed uneasily, trying to figure out what this meant and how to use her voice again. Thoughts interrupted, gradually, the man began to turn. She gasped slightly as the seconds ticked away...until the moment...where their eyes...met...
A panicked yelp escaped her throat as the girl thrashed in her sheets and finally sat up in her bed. It was the middle of winter, but the room was sweltering. A bead of sweat rolled down her face beside wide and fearful eyes. Heart pounding and already hyperventilating, she fought to make sense of her terrors. It was just a dream? No... There was no way... It couldn't have been... Her mind reeled between the possibilities, back and forth and back again, weighing the thoughts and symbolism, until. She realized. She wasn't alone. Her breath stopped altogether. Slowly, ever so slowly, afraid she might trigger the yet unseen presence, Sammy turned and peered out from her bed. It was him, the being from her dream. Translucent like a phantom he looked down on her with lucid and knowing eyes. "Y-you," she stammered to him, her voice cracking a little. "Y-you're the one who -" He shook his head before she could finish. He uttered only one word, one that would continue to haunt her long into the daylight hours.
"Beware...."
His lips never moved. His voice came as a whisper directly into her thoughts, and then, like a humble messenger, he faded from the room. Sammy blinked. She was confused and frightened. She wished almost immediately she could call him back, ask him who he was and what he meant. Her eyes raced along with her worried thoughts, trying to figure it out like a complex math problem. Fire. Destruction. Danger... These nightmares were more than just a coincidence, like she had hoped they were... Now she was tempted to blame them on the mysterious figure but... Come to think of it... He probably wasn't the one causing them. He was probably just...witnessing them. Sammy shook her head and threw her covers back, determined to shake it off and get her head on straight once and for all. As she swung her legs over the side of her mattress however...
"N-no..." she whispered to herself. "It can't be..." She was wearing her magical girl uniform. Somehow she had transformed in her sleep...and there were burns all over her skin. She stared in disbelief at the throbbing sores, heart beating an uneasy pace loud in her ears. "Something's wrong..." she finally admitted to herself. "Something's coming."
Finally she could see hope. After what seemed like ages she arrived at the apartment entrance. Fighting off her shivers in vain, Sammy reached a shaky hand out for the doorknob. Just as her fingertips grazed the cold, hard metal, a spark suddenly ignited, its bright flicker reflecting in her wide, questioning eyes. The waitress recoiled as a fiery column spontaneously burst from the ground. The element spread rapidly - invading every nook and cranny before she could even process the inexplicable event...and before long, the whole building was engulfed in flame. The icy winter flakes boiled out of the air. Sammy stumbled, back-stepping as fast as she could until she realized she wasn't actually moving. A fiery tendril reached out and hooked around her wrist, pulling her toward the blaze. Sammy cried out in pain and dug in her heels. The aggressive embers burned her skin and lapped along the hem of her clothes until they caught. The fabric started to scorch and fall away as she struggled desperately to break free. Her waitress ensemble tore apart like hellish confetti, her heroine uniform revealed underneath without her having to transform...
But then it, too, began to ignite...
With a determined grunt and a final yank, Solsi managed to free herself from the entrapment and fled as far as she could from the building. The streets flashed in a hysterical fit from the roaring blaze. Her feet pounded against the pavement, but her shadow was soon devoured by an even greater silhouette rising from the burning tribute to her old life. The enormous bird burst from the smoke and swept down after her, its shadow growing as it neared. Without thinking Solsi dove to the ground and covered her head with her hands. She could feel the strong gust it generated steal her hat clean off her head as it soared within arm's length. The thunder in her ears told her when it had passed, so she dared herself to look as soon as she could. Her eyes suffered in the intense heat rippling from the inferno, but soon the prehistoric creature came into focus. The phoenix carved a fiery path through the air, shedding its burning feathers to rain down throughout the city. The legendary symbol wove tales of hope to many before her, but in its presence the magical girl knew only terror.
She scrambled to her feet as it turned a wide arc in the air and circled back around. Solsi panted heavily, her panicked breath timed with the mad pace of her strides carrying her along. The hot tar curdled like melting cheese, slowing and eventually sealing her in place. She tried to pry loose from the masterful hold, but she could only manage one more step... There was an earsplitting cry and her eyes darted skyward. The stars looked down upon her. They were silent, and the farthest she'd ever known them to be. She pleaded their intervention, but little could it do when mere seconds stood to determine her fate.
Solsi shut her eyes right as the phoenix closed in...
Silence. There was a brisk wind. Her eyes flashed open and she was somewhere else entirely, somewhere...dark. Flames lapped in small puddles all around her, though there was no such thing as a floor here. Her eyes darted protectively around, searching for the predator. The embers discreetly gnawed at her uniform, eating the fibers to little by little become dust in the wind. The tails of her bow were slowly vanishing like a lit fuse. Suddenly, there came a sound. She turned to face it, her eyes wide and fearful. The dim image of a body came into view just ahead of her. Still, light. Calm. His back facing her. Whoever, or, whatever it was, she wasn't going to be surprised again. Solsi took a step in the stranger's direction but a wall of flame shot up and blocked any means of passage. She scurried back, heart sent to racing in her chest. She swallowed uneasily, trying to figure out what this meant and how to use her voice again. Thoughts interrupted, gradually, the man began to turn. She gasped slightly as the seconds ticked away...until the moment...where their eyes...met...A panicked yelp escaped her throat as the girl thrashed in her sheets and finally sat up in her bed. It was the middle of winter, but the room was sweltering. A bead of sweat rolled down her face beside wide and fearful eyes. Heart pounding and already hyperventilating, she fought to make sense of her terrors. It was just a dream? No... There was no way... It couldn't have been... Her mind reeled between the possibilities, back and forth and back again, weighing the thoughts and symbolism, until. She realized. She wasn't alone. Her breath stopped altogether. Slowly, ever so slowly, afraid she might trigger the yet unseen presence, Sammy turned and peered out from her bed. It was him, the being from her dream. Translucent like a phantom he looked down on her with lucid and knowing eyes. "Y-you," she stammered to him, her voice cracking a little. "Y-you're the one who -" He shook his head before she could finish. He uttered only one word, one that would continue to haunt her long into the daylight hours.
"Beware...."
His lips never moved. His voice came as a whisper directly into her thoughts, and then, like a humble messenger, he faded from the room. Sammy blinked. She was confused and frightened. She wished almost immediately she could call him back, ask him who he was and what he meant. Her eyes raced along with her worried thoughts, trying to figure it out like a complex math problem. Fire. Destruction. Danger... These nightmares were more than just a coincidence, like she had hoped they were... Now she was tempted to blame them on the mysterious figure but... Come to think of it... He probably wasn't the one causing them. He was probably just...witnessing them. Sammy shook her head and threw her covers back, determined to shake it off and get her head on straight once and for all. As she swung her legs over the side of her mattress however...
"N-no..." she whispered to herself. "It can't be..." She was wearing her magical girl uniform. Somehow she had transformed in her sleep...and there were burns all over her skin. She stared in disbelief at the throbbing sores, heart beating an uneasy pace loud in her ears. "Something's wrong..." she finally admitted to herself. "Something's coming."
<3,
Radiant Anon Solsi
Radiant Anon Solsi
Oh my gosh! What's gonna happen? Is this a cliffhanger? I guess so!
Happy new year everyone, and see you in 2016 with more stories!
Happy new year everyone, and see you in 2016 with more stories!
