The Pandemonium :: Ink and Blood

[sakura_blossom]

I am well aware that I write too much, but what can I say? It's my life pretty much. This story is a story, or series actually, that I had actually hoped would be published (though I don't believe I'm a good enough writer for that), but since I've shared my bad crap in the past, I figured I'd share the good stuff, the stuff I actually take time to think about before I write. Anyway, the first book is called Ink and Blood. Blah Blah Blah, you should know the deal by now so I'll just get started with the informational part of this...

And don't any of you dare say this reminds you to Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instrument Series because I made damned sure this wasn't like it. By the way, this is the edited version (language). One more thing...the chapters are more than likely going to seem long, if you don't want to read a wall of text, don't. Its your loss.


Summary:
Screw for now, when I have a good one made, I'll post it.

Archive:
Part 1: The Pit and the Pendulum
Prologue :: In the Shadow's Wake
Chapter 1 :: Runaway (http://naruto.viz.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5754278&postcount=2)

[sakura_blossom]

Prologue :: In the Shadow's Wake

The last of the snow had melted, leaving the ground soggy and muddy. Puddles that were once sheets of black ice filled the streets and flooded the storm drains. As the wind blew, the trees shivered in the still cool spring air. Some flowers had already started blooming and some trees began to bare leaves once more and other held on for just a bit longer.
Magdalene MacCarrow ran down the busy streets, holding her jacket close to her body to keep the chilling wind out. Her favorite black drawstring bounced against the curve of her back and her heels clattered on the concrete sidewalk. Long, soda can curls flew behind her.
“Late again!”
She skidded to a stop in front of the small cafe. The owner, Sam, was leaning against the doorframe, a broom in his hands. The green apron that had been tied around his waist was stained with tomato juice and egg. Bits of powdered sugar and flour dotted his curly brown hair.
“I’m so sorry!” Magdalene pleaded. “I had detention and I tired to get here as fast as I could!”
“Excuses, excuses!” Sam said shaking his head, none too happy. “My kitchen is a mess! Get in there and do your job. If it happens again, you’re fired!”
Magdalene nodded and hurried inside. Carefully weaving around tables and customers, she made her way into the backroom and opened her locker. Dressing in what was probably the fastest she’d ever dressed, she ran into the kitchen and washed her hands before grabbing a knife and began cutting a chicken. All around her, people hurried, shouting out orders or instructions.
“Good to see you finally showed up!” Abigail laughed as she slapped a dead bird onto the cutting board across from her.
“You know I had detention! Why didn’t you tell Sam?!” Magdalene asked throwing the knife against the counter; it stuck with a loud thud. After shoving the unwanted parts of the chicken away, she began dicing the good meat.
“It was so busy and Sam wouldn’t let me say anything.” Abigail sighed. Her long blood red hair was pulled severely off her face and thrown into the tight chef’s hat she wore. Her deep amber eyes were glued to the lifeless hunk of meat before her. Magdalene simply ignored this. Once again she slammed the knife into the cutting board, clearing and sanitizing the work place before starting on the vegetables.


* * *

The evening progressed as it usually did. Magdalene’s mother, Lilliette MacCarrow, had seated herself at the grand piano in the living room. Her long black hair had been pulled severely off her face into a tight bun that looked as if the clip that held it in place would snap. Her bright sea blue eyes expertly examined the black and white keys before her. A piece of sheet music had been placed on the stand before her, its pages covered with more black than white.
On the couch behind her, his favorite book in hand, her father, William MacCarrow sat with his legs crossed and the book, Eragon, held between his fingers. His deep red hair was brushed off his face in one of those rich boy hair styles and his hazel eyes were glued to the pages of print before him; his thin reading glasses were close to falling off the tip of his nose. Beside him her younger brother, Malcolm MacCarrow, played with an oversized Buzz Lightyear doll, his deep green eyes shining.
Magdalene was sitting in the white loveseat by the large spiral staircase that lead to the second and third level of their huge, mansion like house. Her small black laptop was balance on her knees as she searched Google for a link to the latest Family Guy episode.
“How are your studies coming along, Maggie?” Lilliette asked as she excused herself from the piano. She was tall with a small ribcage and rather small breasts as apposed to Magdalene’s whose were larger than normal. She wore an elegant green satin gown that reached her feet, spreading around them like a wave of cloth. The back of the dress was completely open, connecting with the skit just before her waist. The front came to the top of her chest and stopped, held in place by a small green loop that snaked around her neck.
“Great.” She replied with no particular interest. Magdalene had never liked school, especially her school. Dwanger High was a private school for the wealthy and well off. Magdalene’s parents, to say the least, were more than well off, sometimes it seemed more than wealthy even.
“Good. Just what I’d expect from the heir to the MacCarrow fortune.” When he mother walked by, Magdalene noticed the odd tattoo her mother sported on her back. There was a small mass at the center, which was right under her right shoulder blade, and from it all sorts of swirling lines trailed down her right arm, around the front and across the collar bone, finally snaking up to a spot just beneath her left ear lobe. She had always thought it was a strange tattoo, there was absolutely no pattern to it whatsoever, and completely out of characteristic for the sophisticated and elegant woman.
“Mother…what’s with that tattoo on your back?” Magdalene asked finally expressing her curiosity towards it.
Lilliette stopped in her tracks as William’s head snapped up from the book he was reading. They looked at each other as if holding a conversation and then back at their daughter.
“Just something from when I was younger.” She replied. “I was much like you; dark, free spirited, and rebellious.”
There was a certain tone in her voice, one that indicated she was hiding something. Magdalene, picking up on this, lifted her left eyebrow.
“You’ll find out when you’re old enough.” Her father cut in quickly. He was wearing a typical suite and tie, nothing fancy or expensive.
“I’m sixteen!” Magdalene protested. Everything she asked her parents was answered with the same reply ‘You’ll find out when you’re older’. “I’m old enough to know whatever it is you need to tell me!”
“No.” Lilliette shook her head. “Not just yet.”
Magdalene gave and exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. “Even when I’m sixty I’ll never be old enough.”
“Darling, this isn’t something we can just tell you, you have to understand. You have to come to the realization on you own. You’re not who you think you are.” Her father sighed and regretted saying as much, Lilliette gave him a glare that was probably capable of disemboweling a cow from a rage of fifty feet.
“This conversation is finished.” Lilliette said tightly and began down the hall, her heels clacking against the glossy black marble floors. Magdalene looked pleadingly towards her father. He looked at her with kind eyes, but shook his head and followed his angered white down the dimly lit hall.
With a heavy sigh, she turned the laptop off and set it to the side and ambled towards where her baby brother sat, now playing with a plastic triceratops. Bending down she took the toy from Malcolm, causing him to whimper. Ignoring this, she lifted him off the ground and carried him out of the living room, turning the light of as went.

* * *

Sleep refused to welcome her, and when it did, I trashed her mind with images and voices of people unknown. After what seemed like an eternity of floating through empty space, the images blurred into one big movie that played before her, like the movies on a cinema screen.

Soft feet thudded painfully against the brush covered ground; every rock, pointed twig, and thorny vine scraped her aching soles raw. Her lungs screamed for air, every time said wish was granted, it was gone again, casing more need for their screaming agony. Her ribs felt as if they were going to burst as her heart hammered against them like a pile driver. On her back, a small spot, about the size of a golf ball, burned as if her skin had been set on fire, a fire that was slowly spreading through out her entire body. She wanted to stop, but if she did, she knew she would be dead.
The sounds of muffled shouts and blood curdling screams echoed through the vast expanse of woods behind her. The woods before her were engulfed in black flames and the moon above seemed to break and chip as if mad of glass. Smokey clouds drifted slowly through the black slate as if watching the pandemonium below. She could feel them gaining on her, their soft and silent footsteps not far behind her own. She tried to scream out, but it was to no avail; her throat was raw and bleeding from the screams she’d emitted earlier.
Moving became increasingly difficult as pangs of immense pain began to erupt from the spot on her back. Hot, salty tears welled up in her eyes and she fought to keep them back. The pain, coupled with extreme fatigue, took its toll on the girl. Before long her knees collapsed under her weight. The sounds of crackling laughter had finally caught up with her, but her world was already fading. Off in the distance the shadows seemed to be watching her.

[sarutobi17]

Nice work! Sakura_blossom.

[sakura_blossom]

Thank you (:

[jenny]

good good! ^^^

[sakura_blossom]

Chapter 1 :: Runaway

The sunrise the next morning was beautiful; the white clouds looked like cotton painted in a myriad of shades of reds, oranges, purples, and pinks. The river that ran behind the large house was crystal clear; she could see the fish and occasional otters swimming in the cold water. The grass that edged the dirt walls was a deep luscious green, unphased by the several months of ice and snow.
As if awakening from a thousand years of slumber, Magdalene sat up slowly, rubbing her sleep filled eyes. Her messy brown hair fell around her in thick waves that curled ever so slightly at the ends. The small black tank top she wore was slipping from her slim shoulders; she lazily pulled it into place and pushed the light green comforter back, exposing her bare legs to the cold air that circulated through her room.
She climbed from the bed, slowly and wobbled at first, still not fully awake. Once she gained her balance, she padded to a large white door stuck into the wall at the foot of her bed. It led to a massive and brightly lit bathroom. The back wall was taken up by a black Jacuzzi tub, racks of towels, shampoos, sponges, and other bathing necessities hung from the beside it. On the wall adjacent to the bathtub was a glass shower, the door slid open revealing the black tiling. The front wall was taken up by long single sink counter, the empty space taken up by several hair styling items, hair products, lotions, and make up.
The bright tan tiled floor was cold beneath her bare feet, so she moved quickly to the tub and started the water. After stripping herself of the little clothing she wore for sleep, she threw her wavy hair into a bun and climbed into the warm water that was filling its container. She let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back against the wall.
Her mind concentrated on the conversation she had with her parents last night. Despite the fact they had told her she was too young, she had the feeling it was something they were never going to tell her, no matter how much she whined and begged them too. There was something about it that unsettled her. Her parents were desperate to hide it from her and she needed to know why.

* * *

“And that is the Big Bang Theory.” The teacher said motioning towards the whiteboard that was more green than anything else. “You’re home work is pages one seventy two. It’s due next class.” Just as he finished speaking, the bell rang and the students darted for the door.
“God that teacher talks too much.” Abigail sighed as she played with the combination on her lock.
Magdalene leaned against her wall, sighing as she fumbled with her phone. “I don’t think he even realizes that absolutely no one was paying attention. I mean you were sleeping, one corner of the class room was playing poker, and I was on Facebook the whole time.”
“When aren’t you on Facebook?” Abigail asked with a slight laugh. She slammed her locker closed and threw her coach bag over her shoulder before starting down the hallway. “So do you have anything planned for tonight?”
Magdalene shook her deep brown curls. “I don’t have to work so I imagine I’ll be stuck baby-sitting Malcolm while my parents go out and gamble.”
“Sounds fun.” Abigail mused.
“More like extremely boring.” Magdalene said with a roll of her sea blue eyes. “I have to get home as quickly as possible. I’ll see you on Monday.”

* * *

Pale moonlight shone through the tall stain glass windows, painting the floor in a myriad of colors. Sitting on the black bench in front of the glossy grand piano, was Magdalene. Her brown hair had been pulled off her face in a messy bun and she wore a simple black slip. On her knees she had balanced a binder full of music and in her right hand was a pen that tapped impatiently on one of the C keys.
Her mother had instructed her to rewrite one of Malcolm’s lullabies as an attempt to teach her daughter a thing or two about composing music, but all it had accomplished so far was infuriating Magdalene. In her opinion it would have been easier to simply compose a whole new piece, but still she fumbled over the pages, trying to cheat it by simply rearranging the melodies. Nothing seemed to work.
Malcolm was sleeping in his room upstairs and Magdalene could no longer play the piano for fear of waking the child. Despite the fact that Malcolm was nearly three, he cried, whined, and slept like an infant. With a defeated sigh, she let the binder fall to the floor. She pushed the bench back and rose; shaking eraser shavings from the silk and lace slip before moving towards the stairs. When she reached her room, she fell onto the bed. She was out the second her head hit the pillow.

Magdalene ran, her feet pounding the ground, lungs aching for air. Her clothes were wet with sweat and the black cape flapped silently behind her as she moved through the stone building, weaving in between pillars. Heavy footsteps padded behind her, chains clanking along the ground. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Words echoed through her mind. The voice was unfamiliar to her; it was silky and low, almost as if an angel was speaking to her.
Suddenly she turned a corner and found herself standing in front of the most gorgeous boy she’d ever seen. His light blue eyes seemed to pierce through her very existence and his deep brown hair was barely notice able in the dark of the corridor. His pale skin was visible where his black outfit didn’t cover it.
Suddenly the image changed and she heard the sound of shattering glass. A black mass of glass lay on the floor before her feet, coved in blood; its contents spilled on the floor mixing with the dark fluid from her mouth. She staggered backwards and landed on the floor with a thick thud. Blood dripped from her mouth and her eyes were wide; her chest unmoving. A caped figure stood behind her lifeless body. There was a blood curdling laugh and the lifeless body of Magdalene was lifted off the ground and the sound of retreating footsteps echoed.
“Magdalene…..” A voice echoed in her head. “Wake up, child. Wake up and let me see your eyes.”

Magdalene suddenly bolted up right, her body shaking. She’d seem a lot of scary things in her life, but nothing much like what was standing before her. A huge shadow, in the shape of a human was looking down at her. The horrifying part was the huge smile of jagged teeth it possessed. Magdalene’s body went numb as she stared in horror at the shadow before her.
Faster than she’d ever moved before, she darted from the bed, barely avoiding a huge glistening blade. She rolled onto the floor and backed against her door, reaching for the handle. She couldn’t find it for some odd reason. Fear began to take over her and her thoughts became confused and scattered. Unable to think Magdalene acted on instinct, inhuman instinct. She instantly reached for the small pocket knife she kept inside her book bag.
“Good.” It hissed. “Fight back. Give me the thrill of spilling your blood and guts onto the floor you now stand on.”
Magdalene finally found the door handle. She threw her door open and sprinted down the hallway as fast as she could. The bottom of the stairs was just inches from her when the shadow suddenly appeared, the blade still in its hands. She shrieked as it swung at her. Taking the opportunity she rushed past it and tried to lash out at it, but to no avail. The pocket knife slid right through it.
“How the hell do I get rid of it?!” Magdalene asked and ducked as the blade swung past her head.
Magdalene stood back on her feet and darted down the hallway and into her parents’ room, the creature following her all the way. The thing suddenly grabbed her leg and pulled it out from underneath her. She fell back into the wall and something fell off the shelf above, landing in her lap. It was a knife. Pulling it from the sheath she discovered the blade was black and tipped with a bit of silver. The hilt had a black jewel stuck inside if it and soft leather covered the rest of the handle.
There was deafening clash of metal as she threw the blade up in an effort to defend herself. Magdalene didn’t think it was going to work, but to her shock, it did. The thing struggled to move the blade but she managed to hold it still. The shadow drew the blade back and Magdalene took the chance. She swung the blade at the shadow. There was a tearing sound and the thing shrieked. Magdalene her ears as it writhed and screamed in agony. Suddenly it disappeared, dropping the blade in the floor.
The room fell silent once again and Magdalene pushed herself to her feet.
Get out of the house. Take your brother and get out.
She didn’t know where the voice had come from, only that it was in her head and with the incident that had just occurred, she wasn’t going to disobey it.

[jenny]

Good, great!

Except..who is Amber? Where did she come from? And why did you only mention her name once and then make her disappear?

[sakura_blossom]

e.e I was writing two different things at one time.

[jenny]

I see. well. cool =]