The Damned, A Warning Message

September 14, 2008 – 3:48 pm

The previous installment of thirteen-year-old Chloe Bradshaw’s tale is here.

“Don’t worry about me.” I say as I walk toward our den, in the direction of the screams. “Marius, have you brought your sword with you?”

“Yes.”

“If I don’t come back within an hour, run, and whatever you do, don’t look back. Take Neo with you.”

“Alright,” he draws his own sword.

I walk towards the den. I turn the corner and notice a figure standing outside the old abandoned building that I and the others have rendered our own. The figure is holding a dagger.

“I wondered how long you would take to show up.” I can’t make out who it is, though I am certain he is a Hunter and knows who and what I am.

“What do you mean?” I tighten the grip in my sword.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Lilith, you who I am.”

“How do you know my name? Show yourself, Hunter!” Read More »

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The Damned, The Birth of the Demons

August 28, 2008 – 10:41 am

The previous installment of Chloe Bradshaw’s tale is here.

We, the Demons, came to this world like this:

Thousands of years ago, there were Angels. They were the guardians of the world, when everything used to be sacred. The world was a happy place where darkness couldn’t set foot. It was a time when magic reigned.

People knew about the Angels for they sometimes came down. Once such an Angel visited a dark witch, wanting to try and stop the witch from using Dark Magic. The witch had other things in mind. She chained the Angel to the wall, so she couldn’t escape. The witch then tainted the Angel’s blood with that of her own. It sent the Angel mad, turning her into a demon. The witch, seeing her malevolence at work, decided to carry on doing the evil deed.

After she turned her the third Angel into a demon, her first creation succumbed to its hunger, and nobody saw anything of the witch after that. The former Angels themselves either killed or turned the humans into one of their own. Ever since that day Demons have ruled the earth and stalked the darkness. Read More »

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Hand Cat Wife

August 27, 2008 – 4:10 am

Dear Readers, please note that this story is meant to be contained within a single paragraph.

How to begin. That is the difficulty. There are always innumerable points of entry. And the point of entry need not necessarily be the beginning. The beginning can situate itself at the beginning. I mean our point of entry can be the beginning, if that is the way it works. I only mean to begin by stating that it is unnecessary for it to be so. So where do I begin? My birth? No. Let us never speak of it again. Read More »

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The Damned, Hunters and Demons

August 11, 2008 – 10:59 am

Chloe Bradshaw is thirteen. This is her second publication with GlobalComment.

I have arrived in a house under cover of darkness. I can feel the hunger overwhelming me as I crawl upon the ceiling. I can hear voices in the other room. I try to hear what they are talking about, but then decide it’s pointless; humans lead boring lives. I sometimes I think that I am doing them a favour by killing them.

Killing them will at least stop them complaining about how dreadful their luck is. Ha! They have no idea about bad luck. I have a right mind to turn them into demons just now. Then they’ll see how rotten life can treat you!

I need to feed, however, and the hunger is uncontrollable. Maybe some other time, I think absentmindedly.

I hear the floorboards creak and look down to see a figure standing in the doorway.

“Hello,” I say in a particularly malicious voice.

“Who… who’s, there?” I hear an uncertain female voice answer. Read More »

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The Revenge, The Final Price

July 4, 2008 – 10:00 am

This is the final chapter of thirteen-year-old Chloe Bradshaw’s dark tale. For the previous installment, click here.

As I looked at my father’s murderer, the feeling of fear subsided and was overcome by anger. I lunged at the pirate and both Jay and Luke tried to hold me back. They just about managed to restrain me from ripping the man’s throat out. He ambled over with a silver jug in his hand.

I stood up straight as he came closer and brushed myself down.

“Can I help you?” He asked with a voice which made my blood curdle from both anger and fright. I didn’t answer him; I just couldn’t find my voice. I had the idea that neither could Jay and Luke could for they both didn’t breathe a word. The man looked even more menacing close up, like a shadow that could suffocate you.

“I tried to look in his eyes but I couldn’t bring myself to doing it. I swallowed as a cold sweat came over me. “I said-” He started, but I cut him off.

“You killed my father,” I finally said. Read More »

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The Revenge, Finding the Pirate

June 13, 2008 – 10:39 am

The previous installment of 13-year-old Chloe Bradshaw’s dark take can be found here.

“I seek information,” Luke told the vampire before him.“I wish to know the whereabouts of a pirate.”

“And what pirate is that?”

“Jace has seen him.”

Morwena’s face turned to me. “What does he look like?” She asked.

I closed my eyes and re-lived the scene of my father’s murder, something which I had done many a time. I described him as well as I could. I grimaced when I remembered the sword plunging into my father’s belly.

I opened my eyes and, surprisingly, saw sympathy in the face of the vampire. I was confused, I had no idea that vampires were capable of feeling this way.

“I am sorry.” She whispered. I nodded, uncomfortable because her dark eyes were gazing solemnly at me.

“Did he have a gem in the hilt of his sword?” She asked.

“No.”

“Alright then.” She paused and her eyes travelled the room, as though searching for something. “Did he have a large necklace?” She finally said.

I was about to say ‘no’ again when I remembered a large gold necklace and a great ruby talisman on it.

“I thought as much.” Morwena uttered when I described it. Read More »

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The Revenge: The Fellow Undead

May 7, 2008 – 2:00 am

The previous installment of Chloe Bradshaw’s tale can be found here.

That morning, I asked Luke what our plan was.

“I know people who will give us a ship for free,” he answered mysteriously as we headed towards Land’s End.

“And I have money for food,” Jay announced.

“You two go on and buy some food for the journey whilst I get us that ship, I won’t be long meet me back at the port, ” Luke told us when we reached Land’s End.

Jay and I walked into a shop and bought some salted beef, salted pork, limes, biscuits, and rum, all of that came to about eighteen guineas. After that we headed back towards the port, where Luke told us to meet him.

We saw Luke standing proud at the docks, pointing to a ship behind him. I was amazed at how he got it, considering that he didn’t pay for it.

“I told you I could get you a ship for free!” He shouted with joy.

“How did you manage it?” I asked.

“Old friends,” he winked.

“At least we have enough food this time,” I joked. I looked at the ship, it was small, but the wood was beautifully carved and the masts looked strong and sturdy. We all took a small dinghy over to the ship.

On board, I gazed into the sky at the clouds that passed by, without a care in the world. Jay stood next to me, watching the clouds like I.

“Shall we get a move on?” Luke asked, shattering the silence.

We hoisted the anchor. The ship soon set sail. I had a good feeling about going out of port this time, with a ship manageable enough for three people, and with no other crew members to worry about.

“Do we have any extra weapons?” I asked.

“No,” Jay told me, I looked over at Luke who shook his head.

“Fine, we shall stop at the next port to stock up on weaponry. Where is the closest port?”

“It’s where we will be going, Falmouth.” Luke told me.

“Right then, next stop Falmouth.”

The sea was not as bad that day, however it was still pretty rough. Come to think of it, the sea was never still round there and it still isn’t to this day. Read More »

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The Revenge: The Bane of Immortality

April 24, 2008 – 2:45 am

The previous installment of Chloe Bradshaw’s pirate saga can be found here.

While I thought about my brother and contemplated my undead state, Luke sat nearby, eyes closed.

“I am ready to leave.” I told him when the thinking got to be too much.

“Alright.”

I followed his lead as we both walked to the edge of the rock and jumped in. I was expecting the water to be cold, even after Luke said it wouldn’t be. I didn’t even feel wet. The current moved me up and down. The birds stayed away from us and wouldn’t come near.

“Animals are nervous around us, for we are not entirely human now,” Luke explained.

Swimming felt effortless, like I wasn’t even moving my arms and legs. Land seemed to be bearing closer, faster then possible. I felt the wind in my hair, but not the cold.

We reached Land’s End and its port. When we we climbed onto the wooden dock, I looked down at my clothes. They were bone dry. I glanced at Luke and noticed that he too had come up dry.

We started walking. Silence filled the air like a plague. The hills were breathtaking, heather covered most of them, making the hills look purple. I saw horses grazing in the nearby fields, as well as sheep. People were wrapped up warm and the leaves blew in the wind, the only sign that it was cold. As before, we came upon Sennen at record speed.

I was so content just walking through the cobbled streets of my home town. The sensation of being back really was wonderful. It felt like I had been gone for a life time. I saw Luke looking around and I had the feeling that he had not been here before.

“No,” he said when I asked him. “I never saw the point, I favoured going to places far away from home, and Sennen is too close to home.”

I felt great sympathy for Luke. It must have been grim, spending so many years alone. And I was also grateful that I would not spend years alone without anyone to talk to. Read More »

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The Revenge: The Drowned

April 16, 2008 – 6:11 am

The previous installment of Chloe Bradshaw’s pirate saga can be found here.

Floating in the sea I looked around in search for the other members of my doomed crew.

I couldn’t see through the sheet of rain. I did manage to glimpse Mr Williams’ figure, head bobbing up and down over the waves. With the last ounce of strength I had I swam towards him. When I arrived, he looked in pretty bad shape

He couldn’t stay afloat and I couldn’t keep him at the surface. Tears came to my eyes. I still feel responsible for his death, and as I am writing this, the same tears are forming again. I couldn’t save no matter how much I wanted to. He looked at me, eyes wide with fear. His expression froze before he sank to the sea bed.

I glanced around in hope that I would see someone else. Alas, no one was in sight. I looked around desperately once more, before I started to swim towards Long Ships. The water was freezing and my heartbeat was slowing. I was running out of hope.

The rain was still pounding and the storm still taunting. I wasn’t that far away from Long Ships, when I realized I couldn’t go any further. It was painful when I breathed in, like someone was pounding upon my ribcage with fists of steel.

My eyes were shutting. I felt numb, the coldness didn’t reach me now. I wasn’t in pain just awfully tired. I stopped panicking, there was no point. I let my eyes close and the current took me. Read More »

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The Revenge: The Ship’s Death

April 7, 2008 – 4:35 am

Chloe Bradshaw is 13. The previous installment of her pirate saga can be found here.

The man who stood before me was supposed to be dead, and yet he wasn’t.

“How?” I said in a gasp.

“I cannot answer that, for I don’t know either.”

“How old are you?”

“I have been around for about a century.”

“Have you ever died?” Mr Williams interrupted.

“Yes, once, …” Luke’s mind seemed to wander. “It was awful.”

My face must have betrayed a rush of sympathy toward him.

“Do not feel sorry for me, I have seen many things in my time.” He insisted.

“Yes, I’m sure you have but haven’t you ever wished that you could die?” I asked.

“Most of the time. However, I have learned to live with immortality. One has to, after a while.”

I wanted him to meet my crew, deciding to keep mum about his amazing abilities for a while.

Up the stairs we went, the steps creaking underfoot as they had before, seemingly a million years ago. I noticed that Luke’s feet made no sound, as though he was walking on air. Read More »

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