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 Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:55 am
 Okay, this is the beginning of The Wasteland: how it came about, how people started getting there...why people started getting there. It is in story format, so different pieces of information will be released at different times. I didn't know whether to post it here or in OOC, but I figured since it was more of a story than a chat, I'd post here. The first entry is actually, the pic. That's where the story begins.
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Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 1:11 am
The leopard-beast lowered itself closer to the ground, ready to pounce. The two eyed each other for a moment, anticipating the next move. Silence filled the surrounding emptiness, not that it wasn’t always silent. But in times of danger, it seemed to get quieter.
There was a moment that seemed to drag on, tugging at the silence, ebbing the monster to leap upon its prey. Neither blinked. Neither breathed. Neither thought, just waited.
There was a flash, and the instant was upon them. The beast leapt, unsheathing its claws to their fully extended position. It lashed out, grabbing at the young girl’s flesh. It was upon its prey, then, a split second later, it fell to the ground. The leopard-beast stood and looked around, searching for where its meal had gone. It was just there.
A movement in the corner of its eye. A flash of skin, striking its throat. The monster fell to the ground once more, no longer breathing. The girl stood above the beast, looking down at its lifeless form. She shook her head and knelt beside it.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, caressing its fur.
Survival of the fittest. This beast had lived, possibly happily, before it met her. It had managed to survive, eating whatever it could find. It was probably the epitome of a hunter; keen eyes, strong legs, and sharp claws all adding to this prime animal. But then a foreign entity was thrown into the middle of this monster’s life, consequently making it the end. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. It was never supposed to be like that.
She stood and looked towards the horizon, her vision marred only by two desolate trees. Other than that, the scenery was completely barren, void of life. Well…except her.
The sole living being in a tremendous desert of lifelessness.
It was unlikely she’d find anything else for a while.
She’d better fill herself up with what she had.
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:31 pm
She dragged her feet, trying to keep going. It didn't matter where she was going, as long as she kept moving. The essence of life is the hope for life, she thought to herself, repeating it like a mantra. The repetitions weren't helping at all. She was still tired, she was still hot, she was still lost, and she was still thirsty beyond belief. "I seriously didn't think this would be how I die," she mumbled to nobody. "I thought I'd die of cancer, or some rare illness that only people who've led good lives get. I'd rather be remembered for my death." She kept going, but ceased speaking for a moment, conserving her energy. After a moment, she realized she felt better when she talked. "I'd rather've died some way that people would say 'Oh, yeah, she died of that special disease. She was the first one to have it. Poor her. Poor..." She stopped talking and walking in utter realization. An empty spot filled her throat, clinging to her tongue and teeth. It felt like a giant ball of nothingness, shoved down to her stomach, then stretched up to hang on her brain. The emptiness pressed at her, forcing her to only speak a single syllable. "Wha-?" Her name? What did people call her? Why couldn't she remember? Oh, yeah, it had ONLY been the word that had been said to her more than any other in her entire life. it was only the single shred of a clue she had towards her identity. In total defeat, she sunk to her knees, then fell to the ground. A tear slipped from her eye and carressed her cheek, riding on her nose, then dripping onto the ground. That was the one thing she could hold on to, and now it was gone. More tears fell from her eyes, dampening the ground beneath her face. Slowly, her own sobs lulled her to sleep. She was so thirsty.
Water. Everywhere. Tearing at the ground, but there is none. Trying to scream, but only bubbles stream from her mouth, dashing for the surface. She follows them, reaching and clawing for the expanse of air she knew to be above her. She was so weak. And now she was expected to swim? Where had the water even come from? There definitely wasn't any as far as she could see into the distance. Her lungs were getting tighter, consticting, gasping for air. She sucked in, getting a mouthful of water. Fresh water. Fresh water? Good, fresh, water. Tasty and cold. Refreshing. Her lungs shot pain through her body, making her remember the possibilities of a watery grave. With one last ounce of energy, she tore through the surface, letting out a scream of triumph. The sight that greeted her surprised her even more than waking up under water.
She was still in The Wasteland. The vast expanse of nothingness still stretched towards the horizon, the barren, gray ground was still covered in that disgusting dust. The only change was the twenty-foot pond around her. She slowly swam to the edge, then pulled herself up onto the sand. Odd, she thought, then laughed. As if everything else here isn't? She quickly thanked whoever was watching over her and drank from the water. When she was completely hydrated, she leaned back on her elbows and placed a pained expression on her face. Now I'm hungry, she thought.
A small pressure nagged at her left elbow, almost like a pinprick, but dull. She lifted her elbow to see a small patch of green poking out from the ground, rapidly growing. She pulled her feet from the water and stood on the shore of the pond, staring at the now five-foot tree, cotinuing to grow. If finally stopped, peaking at a massive twelve feet tall, bearing all sorts of fruits and vegatables. She continued staring for a moment, then smiled and reached for the food. She picked an orange and an apple, a peach, a pear, a nectarine, and a banana. She picked a plum and a tomato, and a cabbage and celery. The tree bore every kind of plant she could imagine. There were several pine cones poking out from beneath the homogonized foliage and what looked like a small cannibus leaf at the base of the tree. Not wasting any time, she dug into the feast laid out in front of her, leaving the pits and seeds scattered all around the pond. "Maybe they'll grow," she said to no one again. Then she shrugged. "Maybe they won't." Smiling, she looked at the horizon, then make at her own personal oasis.
In such a Hell as The Wasteland, this place deserved a name of its own. The sole good, green thing in a desolate plain. The Oasis, she thought. Not very original, but it fits with The Wasteland. She smiled again and looked back towards The Wasteland. "Looks like you haven't killed me yet, Wasteland," she called. A faint wind blew through her hair, the first one since she'd been there. It seemed to whistle and speak as it flew through the tree. "Not yet," it seemed to say. "Not yet."
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Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:11 pm
Four days passed. The seeds that had fallen were growing rapidly into other trees, though were still not as tall as the first one. The girl took some of the larger leaves and branches from the trees and made a makeshift tent. It wasn't much, but it would do. Everyday, the fruit on each of the trees was replenished, as well as the clean, fresh water in the pond. She was content.
After a week had passed, though, she began to feel anxious. Something about this place wasn't right. She was cast into The Wasteland, then all of a sudden, an oasis springs up around her? It couldn't be a coincedence. She felt the urge to find the reasons. She needed to understand why The Oasis was there, and why she was even in The Wasteland to begin with. On her twelfth day there, she began preparing. She wove a bag out of the tough grass that now grew around the pond, and filled it with various fruits. She made a small knife out of tree bark and a flat stone, fastening it together with vines that now fell from the trees. On the fourteenth day, she had one final preparation to make. She stood a ways away from The Oasis, which was now rather large, and kneeled on the ground. She placed both hands on the soft, gray soil and closed her eyes. The Oasis couldn't have sprung up for no reason. It was either a coincedence, or she had caused it. She was thinking of food at the moment. And she didn't believe in coincedence. She focused her mind into the earth, training her energy into a green shape. In a moment, she felt a release of pressure, almost as though she had pushed through something. She opened her eyes to see a small sprout poking from the ground. She concentrated again, leaving her eyes open. The sprout wove upward, careening towards the sky. It grew and spun and twisted until it was a small tree, just like the others. She smiled and stepped back, placing her hands away from the tree. She concentrated one last time, this time focusing on a blue shape. The ground dipped and bowed, sinking deeper. A dampness ran across her palms, then raised around her hands. A trickling of water raised from the ground, filling the small moat around the tree to the brim. The girl smiled and brought her hands out of the small stream.
She wouldn't need the back-pack anymore. She'd still bring the knife, though. She'd need that to protect herself from future encounters with the leapord-beasts.
She left that day. She spun around in a circle with her eyes closed, a finger pointing in front of her. She stopped and opened her eyes, then laughed a little. What does it matter which way I go? She thought. I'll find something eventually. She began walking, not looking back to The Oasis until she knew it was out of sight. She smiled and continued walking.
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:34 pm
Day: 48
ive been walking for such a long time now. im not tired, but i am rather sore. my shoes were NOT made for walking. im glad i left them at the last place i stopped. my feet are hardened now, practically covered in callices, but i dont care. its not like anyone cares what people look like here, if there is anyone else. ive stayed in camps a couple times now, making trees and little ponds to drink from. but somehow, all the trees die quickly. maybe theyre not getting enough water.
im running out of parchment for my journal now, ill probably make more in a few days.
i think theres something on the horizon, coming closer. i cant really tell what it is, though. oh, wait. yeah, its just a leapord beast. i can handle it.
and ive really been wanting meat lately.
nows my chance.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:59 am
Day: 50
ive been having leapord meat for the past three days now, and man is it good. with a bit of lemon on it and a tiny amount of spices. mmmmm... this place isnt really all that bad...if you can handle yourself. i wonder how the beasts usually stay alive. id think itd be difficult due to the lack of life around here. maybe theyre like camels.
i can tell im close to something, i just can tell what. theres a small line on the horizon that gets bigger every day, but it seems so far away. im hoping to get there within the next ten days, but seeing how far away it is, i think it may take more.
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:52 pm
Day: 65
i cant believe i thought it would take me ten days. its been fifteen and its still just a line on the horizon. i think that means that itll be really big when i finally get there.
ive run out of leapord meat, so now ive just been eating plants. i havent even seen any animals for eight days. maybe this place is more void of life than the rest of the terrible world.
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Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 1:58 pm
day: 84
its closer now. i can actually see it, now. it looks like a giant jungle. a city of trees. its still far away, maybe three days walk, but its there, not just an illusion.
i saw a new monster, today. a giant gorilla thing. it snuck up on me while i was sleeping. luckily, i managed to kill it. the skin is too thick to get at its meat, so i just keep eating plants. the teeth are good for weapons though. ive made a better knife, one with barbs on it. now im really a force to be reckoned with.
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