Random Writings, 1000 word exercise - Code Name: Sandstorm (Part 1)

Finally, after twenty years, the man who had killed my family and left me for dead stood in front of me. He didn’t look so intimidating from this distance. He appeared older, but I knew his age was misleading. These powerful beings didn’t age like the rest of us mere mortals. They were all thought to be immortal; none of them had died or even been weakened in their twenty-six years of power. Sandstorm was no different.

His cruelty was only matched by his powerful control of one of the six elements. If his name didn’t give it away, his towering castle of dirt and stone did, carved in to a mountain somewhere in old Russia. It had took a long time to track him down, but when it came right down to it, he wasn’t even hiding. He was bored. He killed for fun, killed for pleasure. Not even that entertained him anymore.

Rumor had spread that he was in arguments with one of his brethren, another controller of elements. There was no way to confirm this rumor, however. It was mere gossip amongst the common folk. Now standing before him at last, I might finally be able to know the truth.

“So, I’ve heard whispers of pathetic worms that can control the elements as well,” Sandstorm breathed out of his mouth. He used as little effort as possible to communicate. “The powers we Six possess seems to have bled over into the world of peasants. However, the small power you have can never amount to even the slightest competition.”

He shifted his weight from one side of his enormous throne to the other. His eyes narrowed as if trying to read something far away. Then, without warning he stood up and his temper exploded.

“You are nothing to me!” His voice boomed, shaking the earth. “I can squash you with a flick of my wrist. You pitiful little rat!”

He stretched for his hand and point at me. I had learned recently that this was gesture that resembled shooting a gun. My sense heightened in response to attack that would shortly come. I knew I couldn’t even compete with him, but I was quick, and if possible I would drive my sword through his heart.

I slowly unsheathed my sword from my back and held it to my side. It was a sword of my own design, wider and longer than usual. It took a little getting used to, but eventually my muscles learned and I became faster than humanly possible. At least, not including Sandstorm or his brethren.

Sandstorm slowly closed one eye and looked down the barrel that was his finger until he had me in his sights.

“Bang,” he whispered.

Instantly, I was being hurled back. Or maybe down. The floor had given out and I was flying or falling whichever way until I slammed against a wall of rough stone. The rock exploded into my back and would have broken my spine if it wasn’t for my raised awareness and pure will to survive.

I crashed into the ground, wiped some blood from my mouth and slowly got back to my feet.

Sandstorm looked at my curiously and then began to laugh.

“Excellent!” He boomed. “You are much stronger than any of the others that I’ve faced. That one tiny show of power normally kills whoever it hits.”

This time my eyes narrowed and Sandstorms eyes narrowed.

“My turn,” I said confidently.

I forced my body to flow with energy. I didn’t know where it came from or how I was able to do this, but after I saw my family killed, it’s all I wanted. It came slowly, my body start to glow yellow. It was the same glow that Sandstorm gave off on his attack, but brighter. He had the power to control the earth, but so did I.

I pushed the light into my sword, creating a glowy essence that surrounded the blade. Sandstorm did not look shocked, but intrigued. It wasn’t the first time he had seen a commoner use powers, but he had probably never seen somewhat force that power into an inanimate object as a weapon. Once I was sure that all I could muster was in my sword, I sprinted forward.

Sandstorm didn’t bother to get in to a defensive stance at all. He merely watched me as I ran forward. I thrust my sword back as if to deliver a mighty blow, but I was well short of actually hitting anyone. This is when the look on Sandstorms face finally shifted to surprise. Instead of trying to cut him down physically, I summoned an enormous sword from the earth around. It made the shape of the sword I held, but ten times larger. It a sudden, swift movement, I brought the sword down. The earth-made stone mimicked my movement and crashed into Sandstorm all in a fraction of seconds. There was no way he had time to block. His arrogance had been his downfall.

The sword exploded and dust and earth clouded the area where Sandstorm had been standing. It was one of those moments of anticipation where you think that one thing has happened, but you can’t know for sure until the dust has settled, literally. I looked on with hope, knowing that an attack like had previously taken the lives of several men. That battle seemed like eons ago, as the seconds stretched to years and my eyes narrowed in on the spot that had been struck down.

The dust finally settled. The spot where I looked was covered in debris. There was no movement, but more importantly there was no sign of Sandstorm. Was this it? Had I finally avenged my family after 2 decades? One simple surprising attack was the way to devastate and eventually cure the world of the plague that was these element wielders? My hopes started to rise, but stuck in my throat as an explosion ripped through the

Random Writings, 1000 word exercise - Code Name: Soliloquy (Part 1)

I was drowning. Liquids filled my lungs with a taste of salt and other unknown horrors. The black viscous element consumed me until there was nothing. It faded slowly, ever so slowly to white. It was a bad dream. My mind was clearing. There was a light beginning to form, but it was reddish as if looking from behind my eyelids. That’s exactly what I was doing. I was coming out of a nightmare. My eyes slowly opened.

It took a moment for me to realize where the light was coming from. There was a glow from underneath me and from the walls themselves. A harsh blue from below, and a yellowish white from the walls. Why were these details so peculiar? They were in themselves not fascinating or alarming. It must be the setting.

I slowly sat up and put my feet down on what felt like a hard tile floor. I was in a white jumpsuit. Most everything in this room was white. Four matching beds spaced evenly through the room and one wardrobe with three other jumpsuits lined the inside.

Instead of analyzing the present, my thoughts started to wander to the past. I was instantly overcome by a great weight, like something was in my mind preventing me from reviewing my memories. I tried again and like before I encountered a wall that prevented me from knowing who I was or what I was doing here.

I felt like I should be panicking, but I didn’t know if this is how it had always been. Perhaps this was normal. There would be no reason to panic if there were no memories to be had. Was I just born? Am I new?

I felt like I couldn’t be alone. Someone had to be here.

I looked around and located an opening that led up some stairs. A redish glow emanated from the top. I was already completely dressed with shoes. Why would I sleep with my shoes one? But then it occurred to me, why wouldn’t I?

I proceeded up the stairs to the landing at the top. What I saw surprised me. I was greeted by an enormous room with pillars full of liquids that slowly pumped from one unseen place to another. As big as the room was, there was nothing here. It was a circular room that had 4 openings, one which I had just come from, but the other 3 were a mystery. The room was indented softly to the middle where a small pyramid of light rose out of the ground.

I walked down the steps and approached the light. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it seemed peculiar. I passed my hand through the light and was greeted by a warm sound. Slowly materializing from the light I found myself looking at face. I did not know who it was but it was floating in the light. The face looked at my expressionless and then opened its mouth.

“Good morning Malena.”

The voice was startling.

“Malena?”

“Yes. That is the name that which you are designated and have been since you came here,” it replied.

“Where exactly is here?”

“This is a testing facility. You, along with your three colleagues are here to try and solve the disease that has threatened humanity.”

I looked around. There was nobody else here.

“Who are my three colleagues?” I asked.

“I’m sorry. I do not have that information.”

“Well where are they?”

“I’m sorry. I do not have that information.”

This was frustrating. I was supposed to be here with three other people but they weren’t here and this giant talking face didn’t know where they were.

“What are through those doors?” I pointed to the three other doors.

“The first one is the bath and wash area. The second is the kitchen and dining area. The third—” the face cut off. “I’m sorry. I do not have that information.”

This talking head was hiding something or withholding something. Either way, it didn’t seem trustworthy.

“You mentioned we were here to solve a disease? What disease are we here to solve? And how exactly do we go about doing that?”

“Ah, yes. The disease that is in question is the ICD-10 G30.6. It is related to the classic Alzheimer’s Disease, however this one is quite different, almost in every way. The scientists who discovered/released it described it as such and thus that is how I am describing it to you.”

The head paused briefly enough to allow me to scour my brain for Alzheimer’s Disease and what it was. It had something to do with memory loss.

“The G30.6 is disease that had been weaponized to make people forget things that happened. It was first used in the middle east when the former United States invaded former Syria. They wanted the citizens of that then country to forget that they were ever there, thus neutralizing on threats with no opposition. The plan backfired and became a lethal virus that spread rapidly throughout the globe. It started slowly. It took a few years for it to even show itself. By then it was too late. Everyone was infected, but everyone was forgetting. Research facilities such as these were created to research the virus, and overcome it with either a vaccine or other methods.”

“Great so how do I research this virus or disease or what if it is if all I have is a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchen?” I said it as sarcastically as possible knowing that the great and powerful Oz wouldn’t pick up on it anyway. The reference I just used didn’t make any sense I tried to remember where I learned that phrase and how it applied to this situation but to no avail. That was odd. I should write that down.

“There are research stations along the wall. They are labeled and a simple palm scan should open the facility and equipment for use. If you have...