Paleton High
Elizabeth Sorrel did not consider herself a bad person. Certainly not a good person, she felt, simply not bad. Then again, who in the world truly considered themselves bad? Even Hitler thought he was saving his country. Though, any statement that relied on a comparison to Hitler was admittedly not a strong one.
Elizabeth sighed, turning her head so she could face Malcom. He sat on some student’s desk, not bothering with a chair, as there was nobody else in the classroom. As always, his black olive skin was notably smooth and moisturized. His hair was closely cropped and styled so that no stray springy strand would pop out. Elegantly curved glasses, which no doubt cost a fortune, were currently tinted as the rays of the sun beat down on them. He had the trappings of quite the handsome man, she mused, if it weren’t for the fact that he was a good 80-100 pounds overweight. Even then, if he put in the effort he could be quite the charmer, as he was naturally a likable person.
Unlike Her. It was why he was always the go between for her little business
“Elizabeth, are you listening to me? “Malcom spoke, exasperated.
“Of course I’m listening, when am I ever not listening,“ she snapped, frown taking hold of her face. She absolutely wasn’t listening. Yet could you blame her. She had just spent the day settling small fires throughout the school. Apparently, the district administrator had somehow caught wind of her little black-market schemes and had been rabidly trying to track down just what it was she was selling. So far all they had managed to find was a fake I.D. that Bobby McManus had loudly proclaimed he had gotten from one of her employees. He hadn’t been so bold to proclaim he had gotten it from her, as one didn’t proclaim to get anything illegal from the daughter of the mayor. Especially, since they didn't have any concrete evidence that linked her to it. Just the boy's disreputable word.
It was an open secret in Paleton High that Elizabeth Sorrel had her hand in every illicit activity that happened within the school. From the potheads selling weed to the photography students forging fake I.D. 's, there wasn’t a backroom deal that she didn’t get her cut on. She even dealt in favors, as she could set up an amazing sweet sixteen where the entire football team would carry you on a literal throne, or arrange for a certain delinquent to pull the fire alarm during a Calculus exam. If you could pay her price of course.
Yet, the principal had hardly seen fit to go after her for the past three and a half years she had attended Paleton high. For on one hand was the weight of her father’s wrath, and on the other was the bitter fact that the school was better off for her having been there. She had gotten rid of the heroin dealers on campus, settled the petty disputes between the fledgling gangbangers, and had all together brought a certain amount of peace to the small city's only high school. The fact that she did it by using less than legitimate means had grated on people’s moral fibers. However, no one could find fault with her results. As a matter of fact most people looked forward to the day that she would take over her father’s space as mayor of Paleton, including her father.
And then came Bobby.
It was one thing for every one to mutually ignore something that was in their periphery, another when some idiot decided to shout it from the rooftops. All because she had refused to give him a date with Helena Taylor. His infatuation with the buxom blonde was well known, as was his desire to “fill those cheeks” as he put it. His demeanor towards Helena and his attitude towards women overall had made sure he would never come near Helena. Figuratively or literally. Elizabeth did not need to be some poor girl's 13th reason.
“Alright, Miss ‘I was listening,’” Malcom spoke, bringing Elizabeth once again out of her thoughts, “what do you want to do about Bobby then?”
Elizabeth stared at Malcolm, as she tried to appraise what approach would best suit Bobby.
“What are my options again?”
This time it was Malcom’s turn to sigh.
…
Jacob Guerreros knew he was a terrible person. Jacob, Jack to his friends, was currently walking through the school’s depressingly gray hallways to go confront some idiot that decided it was a good idea to get in the way of his girlfriend’s business. He didn’t particularly know why he was doing it. He also didn’t particularly care. Jack hardly cared about anything to be honest. He was a C student whose only claim to notoriety was that he was relatively athletic. Oh, and he was one of his girlfriend’s “enforcers.” If you could call it that. He, once again, didn’t particularly care.
Most people didn’t really understand why Lizzy and him were together, as their personalities were far from aligned. Jack was laid back to a fault, and Lizzy was so concerned with everyone else’s business that she became the mini-crime boss of a shitty little school. Which irritated him to no end because she kept wrapping him up in her schemes, but in the end that’s what love is, isn’t? If setting up some racist trailer trash so your girlfriend can continue selling weed to high schoolers wasn’t being a good boyfriend, he didn’t know what was
Jack rounded the corner, making his way to the school doors leading to the yard. Lizzy said Bobby McManus normally hung out around the benches near the basketball courts, and lo and behold there he was busy chatting with a petite little freshman. Judging by the way she was cringing away from him, Jack could guess the topic of the conversation.
Jack began walking over to the duo, debating just how he should go about getting his own ass kicked. Elizabeth told him he needed to get Bobby angry enough to start spouting a bunch of that neo-nazi crap the little ass loved to preach before getting into a fist fight and losing. She tried to explain the reasoning behind it but Jack just waved her off. After all it was relatively simple. In the age of political correctness and forward thinking, who'd listen to a nazi? If word got out Bobby beat up a Mexican kid right after spouting a bunch of racist propaganda, then it didn't matter just what the man had to say about anything. Even if Bobby was right about Elizabeth, publicly speaking the district administrator could never use the word of a known racist to justify going after her.
See? Simple.
Now all he had to do was figure out how to push Bobby over the edge. In theory this should be easy, Bobby was one of those guys who seemed habitually angry, but in practice this was going to be harder than he thought. Elizabeth had managed to get Bobby's student file from one of the school's clerks and gave him the rundown on Bobby's academic past.
Turns out neo-nazi's are punctual. Bobby hadn't missed a day of school in 4 years. On top of that he was a b-student who had only ever got into one fight in middle school. This was surprising considering Jack knew for a fact Bobby cheated on every test he could and had got into more after school brawls than everyone in their senior class excluding Jedidiah and Jack himself.
Man was Paleton High shitty at keeping track of its kids. There wasn't even an entry about that one time Bobby made Manuelo Rivera piss himself. Though admittedly watching the small freshman jump out of the window to avoid an ass-whipping was a sight to see .
Jack was getting side-tracked. He shook his head trying to bring himself back to the present. He was spending too much time trying to figure things out. Bobby wasn't an idiot, but he wasn't exactly the smartest man in the world either. All Jack really had to do was push him for a bit and Bobby would respond in the only way he knew how.
With a smile, Jack stepped out into the yard.
...
The Void of Space
The entity didn't exist. Then it did.
Space and time folded as a mad thing's laugh tore through the empty void. A naked woman astride a bloody and broken horse-thing emerged from the endless darkness. The horse-things face was concave and bruised, with mush seeping out its eyes and the bottom half of its canine jaws was missing. It's six legs broken in countless places, and yet it stood. Then it whinyed and the sound was the last gasp of life, a thing fleeting and transient, ever embracing death. Any human being that saw it would be stricken with terror, and any human being that saw the woman atop the horse-thing would be stricken with insanity. She looked every bit a human at first glance, though the edges around her seemed to fray and twist. As if they were trying to flee her presence. Yet the length of her was gorgeous: pale, slender legs, delicate fingers, soft and supple skin with hair like spun midnight, stars glittering in her mane.
Then you saw her face and knew her for the monster she was. She had no nose, no eyebrows, no discernible human feature. Just six endless eyes full of death and misery and terror so impossibly deep, and teeth, to many to possibly fit upon her face for her maw was that of an abyss, and when gazed into saw flesh being torn from bone, knives cutting through skin, carrion birds peeling rotten flesh from the famined and the diseased. She was Death in all but name.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The woman that was not a woman gazed upon the starry sky she sat within, eyes glancing over a cosmos that seemed to shy away from her sight. She looked and looked until her eyes came upon a small planet of blue, green, and growing brown. She held it within her sight for a long while before turning to her side.
“What of this one brother,” the not-woman spoke to the void.
Then at her side appeared a man of incomprehensible beauty and vigour, atop a steed of true elegance. The steed was whole where its counterpart was broken. The dog like jaw intact, and sturdy, and flowed seamlessly to the head which boasted a main of soft silk. It's legs like smooth marble. Upon it sat a man every bit the not-woman's counterpart, only instead of the skinny and seemingly frail body of the not-woman, was a man not out of place among the statues of ancient Greece. His body radiated warmth and tranquility with the void around him rushing towards his presence in a desperate embrace. His hair was as radiant as the sun. Only his face betrayed his inhumanity. For instead of the six eyes of endless terror, sat six eyes of endless warmth. Like a father's proud stare, or a mother's doting gaze; the eyes of a lover after a kiss, or a friend in the midst of joviality. His mouth was a baby's laughter and a crowd’s cheer. Endless soft words and forthwrite love.
The beautiful man looked upon the planet the not-woman indicated, before frowning.
“There are lives here sister,” he spoke
“Yes, but no gods,” the sister replied.
“That is not true,” the beautiful man chided
“No gods worth anything,” the not-woman retorted.
“All life is worth something” the beautiful man reproached lovingly.
“No, it is worth less than dirt,” the mad not-woman laughed, full of scorn, before carrying on,“besides dearest brother it is the only planet near us that is both compatible and not protected by a powerful guardian.”
“Then perhaps we should search further out?”
“Any further and your precious planet would not survive the transition.”
“I cannot destroy a People sister.”
“You need not destroy anything, brother,” the not-woman lashed out, striking its brother across it's chest leaving a deep gash which quickly faded to nothing, “after all, I am the one carrying out the transition, lugging your little misshapen ball of fools throughout the Void. What is one more task in the face of that.”
“Even still the death of so many… Perhaps our watcher can contribute?”
“That thing has no say in this.”
“It is it's planet that we are discussing, we should at least give it a chance to voice an opinion,” the brother pleaded, gazing at his sister droopily.
“Hrm. Fine. Stop looking at me like that, you know I hate it,” The sister replied sounding grumpy and yet somewhat pleased at the light in the brother's eyes upon hearing her response.
“Come out now child we wish no immediate harm, only to discuss,” the brother spoke, voice dripping of honey. Yet nothing happened.
“Come out now you misbegotten thing before I tear apart your very essence,” The not woman spoke, words ringing of promises owed and fulfilled.
“Easy sister, perhaps it is newer than we thought. It may not know how to manifest yet,” The brother spoke, quick to ease his sister's ire, before turning back. “It is okay, my sister will not harm you, not unless you attack. I'm going to help you manifest now, okay? Do not be alarmed.”
Then the brother reached out and-
The entity shook with unknown fright as the brother touched it, panic flooding it's senses it squirmed trying to flee, afraid of the sudden and new sensation. The beautiful man kept saying calm words and tried to bring it into the world, yet the entity had never known touch, it had remained a silent observer for its entire existence, so this new sensation, no matter how pleasant, was causing it no small amount of internal peril. It kept squirming in the brother's grasp growing more and more violent until finally the not-woman grew irritated.
“Enough” she bellowed before shoving her brother aside, wrapping the entity in its hands. The entity felt the power in her and knew her to be the stronger of the two. Much stronger. The not-woman ignored the entity's renewed fear and tore it through the very fabric of space and time. Bringing the entity into the corporeal for the very first time in its comparably short existence. The entity hovered there for a while, a spherical blob of constantly shifting energy, scared and confused.
“You're out now Thing, your power is your own. Now give yourself Shape.” the not-woman spoke. The entity now only realised that it was alive, that it was conscious, and more than that, the two gods, for they could be nothing but those, had been talking to it the entire time. The entity had never been acknowledged before. It had never known or even thought that it could be. It had only watched earth and its surroundings, gaining knowledge from the denizens of the small planet. It did not know what it was. It did not know how to give itself shape.
The not-woman stared at the thing for a moment before grunting, reaching out to the entity. The entity did not squirm this time for it knew the not-woman could snuff out its life, if she so desired. A feeling of inevitability weighed upon the entity's being. Yet instead of death the not woman turned the entity's attention inward.
“Our power is inherent to ourselves,” the not-woman spoke, “it is endless and pure but unfeeling and unknowing. We give that power definition and in doing so give ourself personality, look within, little thing, learn of yourself, then with that learning give Definition.”
The not-woman turned the entity's attention within, laying bare the truth of its existence before removing her influence. The entity did not notice for it had become enraptured by itself. The entity had been born with the collapsing of the star that birthed Earth's solar system. It knew nothing but the sun's plasma and the flaming rocks. Until life bloomed.
The entity was there when the first cell, though it had not yet earned that name, had been formed. It watched as life blossomed on the small planet, ever growing, ever changing, giving rise to the current rulers of this little ball of mud.
Humanity.
The entity watched as the first true human discovered fire. Watched as it went on to become leader of its tribe, before being cast down by another more daring than he. It watched as they banned together to fight against the dark and its ever hungry beasts, learning of spears and clubs to master their adversaries. It watched as they learned. As they grew. As they spread.
All across the planet they traveled, in tribes along rivers and valleys, claiming the land for themselves and learning the ways of violence to protect it. It watched as they built kingdoms and empires. Watched as those kingdoms and empires fell, allowing new ones to take their place.
They built castles and cities, crafted guns and art, sailed across the world warring against and loving each other. They preached of peace, prosperity, and acceptance. They killed and brutalized each other in the streets, fighting over ideology and resources. They crafted miracles to prolong life. They crafted terrors to end them.
They were as hypocritical as they always were.
And the entity loved them.
The entity looked within and knew itself. So it looked without and gave itself shape.
It was not one face the entity dawned, but hundreds of billions. Faces currently worn by others, faces worn by those long ago, young and old, man and woman, the entire sum of humanity reflected in a creature beyond their reach.
Oh but they will try, the entity thought. For if it knew nothing else about humanity, it was that they always sought more, sought greater.
They are fools, it thought, trying to fly towards the sun. It would most likely end in tragedy. Oh, but the brilliance. The brilliance of that dreadful flight.
“Interesting,” the not-woman spoke, bringing the entity out of its thoughts, “you have more talent than I thought.”
“Yes it would seem so. Hm. An ever-shifting form. Reflection of those whom you love. Do you see now sister we cannot destroy this planet. For what kind abominations would we be should we destroy a people that inspired such beautiful form,” the beautiful man spoke admiringly. Yet the sister did not respond, only gazing at the entity. The entity realized then that the not-woman was waiting for its response.
“ I cannot allow you to destroy them. They have so much more to learn,” The entity spoke.
The not-woman looked at the entity for a long time, before gazing at her brother, and finally looking at the little ball of blue, green, and ever growing brown. Then the not-woman smiled a vicious and ugly smile.
“Very well then, I will not kill your precious pets. However, my brother, my dear stupid, ugly, idiot of a brother, has allowed his creations to fabricate their own doom. As such he has begged me to save them, along with those pathetic little debris he calls his pantheon. And as the smart, beautiful, and loving sister that I am, I am but beholden to his pitiful cries. As such,” the not-woman spoke leaning forward with a menace, “I give compromise, those most deadly of things. Instead of replacing your pets with my brothers, I shall take the remnants of my brother's planet and fuse them with yours, allowing for both to fit.”
“Sister that would be chaos for my-”
“That would kill many of my-”
Both the entity and the beautiful man spoke at the same before stopping to look at one another.
“Hush now you idiots, you seem to think you have a say in the matter. You don't. I am tired of lugging this ball of mud around the universe and wish to give the little thing a chance. Thus my comprise. Thus my decision, and my decision will be abided. For neither of you has the wits, will, or power stop me,” the not-woman paused for a moment before turning back to the entity.
“However, I will give the little thing a chance to give her pets a boon before the merge to better let them survive the turmoil. Looking at the wretches now, it is likely that the creatures of my brother's planet would decimate them in the chaos of the merge. Yet do it quickly, Little Godling, for it will take me but a few moments to prepare,” the not-woman finished, throwing the entity a small ball of pure power and turning her attention towards her task.
The entity held the power in its hand, mind racing between awe of the shapeless thing the not-woman gifted it and frantically recalling upon billions of years of observation and knowledge in search of a way to save its loved ones. The entity then looked to the earth gazing through eight billion eyes, thinking with eight billion minds, trying to find a way for humanity to survive.
Then it saw a young girl, in her room, playing a game where she hacked apart a series of faceless monsters. In a stroke of brilliance the entity set to working, power being called to it as if it was always there. The entity did not fully understand what it was doing or how it was doing it. Only that it could and it needed to. Bridging the gap between its thoughts and reality, it created a system, similar to its own emergence. A way to give humanity definition on its own terms, a way for it to grow, to change to learn, to-
“Oh cool,” the girl in her room spoke, “I leveled up.”
The entity smiled.