Category : Stories

Sub Category : Fantasy

Prompt by Adalie Zupancic from the “Writing Prompts” app:

“Take it. It’s safer with you than it is with me.”

That’s the last thing they said to me before turning and running into the darkness. That was the last time I saw them. That is, until today.

“Glad to see me?”

My Story:

There he was, towering over me. Ralk’s lean muscular body sang power and cocky grin sang arrogance. “Glad to see me?”

I yawned, casually leaning on the sticky brick storefront, and glanced the few people who walked by. Most people were at the beach because of the cloudless sky and humid air. “last time you were here, you gave me something very special. Let's see here... It went along the lines of ‘Take it. It’s safer with you than me. Oh yeah! I'm gonna rudely disappear now!’” I mimicked Ralk’s deep voice.

He groaned, roughly shaking his head. “come on, Lily. I know you have it.”

I detach from the greasy wall, wiping my grimy hands on my already dirt-caked pants. “how do I know you won't run away again, brother?”

Ralk flinched at the title. “I will. I have to.”

I thrust my hands in the damp air, puffing out my chest. “Why? When you left, mother began to drink. She lost dad, then you! And not soon after, I came home to a sweet little note and a dead mother!” I stomped right into Ralk’s personal bubble, craning my neck to glare into his sad gold eyes. “and it was, all. Your. Fault.”

Ralk tumbled back, tears soaking his face. “Mother’s gone?” 

I crossed my arms, taking a deep breath of the perfume shop nearby, letting the children’s laughter from the ice cream shop soften my heart. But not too much. “I went to her funeral. Then, I discovered this.”

I reached towards the stars hidden behind the sun, listening for their sharp whispers. They flooded my ears, asking what I was looking for. I called for one, a strong, confident start. He ran down, in the form of a milky white stream of light, collecting at my fingertips. They were dense, making me shiver, and simply lingering there as I pictured a wolf from my school books. It took some convincing because this star is stronger than most I've worked with but it reluctantly shifted into the strong, proud wolf. 

Ralk’s smirk returned but it was warier than before. “you’re just like me!”

He snapped his fingers and flam ball appeared. I shivered, the humidity around us was suddenly gone. “we're different, you and I. And there are more just like us out there. Give me the gem, little sister. I need it.”

“don't give it to him.” a gentle voice came from the shadows. Ralk glared intensely as I jumped with a little squeak. A man dressed in all black materialized, his face concealed by a large, brimmed hat. “I know I might look shady but I can't reveal my identity to him.” the hooded figure gestured to Ralk. 

Ralk snarled. “don't listen to anything he says.”

The hooded figure sighed. “Ralk isn't the good guy.” He reached out to snatch my hand but I easily evaded him. My star wolf growled in my defense.

The hooded man retreated. “that’s a remarkable piece of art, young lady. And how long ago did you retrieve?”

I frown, not knowing what he meant. My star wolf barked, wordlessly warning me to turn around. I swiveled around, just in time to see Ralk’s flame ball hurtling towards face. “catch!” I yelled and my star wolf leaped into the air, catching the flame ball in its mouth then happily dropping into my waiting hand.

Orbiting the flame was a bit of starlight, making it so I can control it. I smirked at Ralk’s pale face. “care to explain?”

Ralk simply turned and dashed away as the hooded man yelled, “coward!”

“oh, yeah!” I turned to the hooded man. “I don't trust you either.”

Then, I threw the ball at him and ran. The thing is, before Ralk fled a few years ago, he warned me not to let anyone take the gem he trusted me with. His reason? There are no good guys or bad guys. Only different views with different limits and agendas. But, they’re all dangerous in their own way.