Post by Griffin on Sept 14, 2010 23:00:39 GMT -5
So...this was supposed be like a page or so of creative prep writing for an essay in my AP language arts class...but I love creative writing and got carried away.
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"Erin!" he called out. His words hung in the stale air. "Erin!!" he shouted again. Just now he realized the monsters might still be around. Hector dropped a hand to the sword at his side. His presence already made, he began walking steadily, fearlessly, into the ruins. Amongst the rubble, fallen infrastructure, and shattered pillars, Hector realized he could be attacked from any side without notice. The chilling whisper of steel against leather rang out as he drew his sword, standing ready for danger. His instincts were dead on. From his left, a squat dog faced creature leapt from the rubble. Like a furry little man, the creature dove at Hector’s ankles. Hector lowered his shield and stuck the blade through the monster’s chest.
“Erin!” he called again, louder than before. A clatter of rubble up ahead alerted him. He raised his shield and advanced slowly. More small pieces of rubble clattered about. If this were a monster, Hector thought, it would have attacked by now. “Erin?” he said. A muffled response came from beneath the rocks and rafters. “Knock against the rocks twice if you’re hurt.” He waited. One knock. She was fine. Placing his sword at his side and his shield on the ground, he began to move piece by piece away from above his old love. Ironic, he thought, that only he, the man who shattered them, would be the one to save her. He did not love her anymore, but he would save her.
As more rubble piled up behind him, Hector reflected on the piles he left with Erin. His broken promises, his obsession with work...his affair she still doesn’t know about. Maybe it was the tiring work and the fear of attack that made him philosophical at this point. The ruins he stood in were once a great castle. Three great towers marked the places of power. All it took was the burning of three rafters beneath the great keeps to topple them and break down the walls from the massive structures crashing against them. Burning one rafter brought down the first tower. One little rafter. Twice more and the entire castle was fallen. The situation made Hector’s mind parallel himself and the castle. After his affair, he felt no guilt. He realized he did not love Erin. They built the castle together. Hector burned the rafters.
It felt like hours before he could hear Erin’s panicked breathing. His pace sped and she took notice of this. She shifted around. Soon, Hector saw her eyes. Red, puffy, clearly distressed. He cleared more rubble away from them and saw her more clearly. Scrapes covered her bare arms and legs. Dust was caked on her face and chest except in the trails her tears cut through the grit. She was shivering in the brief sleepwear that barely covered sensitive places. Hector sighed heavily and pulled her from the wreckage. Instantly she wrapped her arms around his neck and she cried into his iron shoulder. Hector gently held her hips. He took his cloak and wrapped it around her. “Thank you,” she whispered. He smiled in reply. Despite the rubble, the fallen infrastructure, and the shattered pillars, he saw she was beautiful. They were broken, though, like the fallen towers. He did not love her.
Clad in his cloak, following close behind, Hector led Erin from the ruins to safety. The setting sun followed behind them as they moved into a forest to camp. Erin sat quietly by the fire, clutching the fibers of Hector’s cloak as close to herself as possible. He mixed dry provisions with hot water to make a simple stew which Erin thankfully gulped down. They sat in silence, warm and safe at last. Erin wanted to break the silence. That’s all she had underneath the broken towers. “Hector?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes?” he replied.
“I...umm...thank you again.”
Hector ‘mmm’ed through a mouthful of stew. Her gaze fell, confused by his inwardness. She was always confused by him. Why he ever left her was a mystery. Sure, they had struggles, but she felt he was happy. She never stopped loving him. She thought their love was like a mighty fortress. She was right of course, but she didn’t know about the rafters beneath the towers.
“Hector?” she asked again.
“Yes, Erin?” he replied.
She paused for several seconds, at a loss for words. Eventually she got up and sat down next to him. She looked into his eyes and he returned the stare. Steadily, almost unconsciously, their faces inched closer together. Their lips were but two inches apart when her hand slid atop his. She jerked her hand back, retracted her face, and gasped lightly all in one brief moment. Her eyes confirmed the feeling of cool brass wrapped around Hector’s finger. “You...ah...”
Emotions flared inside her as she scooted off by herself. Hector rose and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Erin turned toward and gently rubbed her cheek on his hand.
“Don’t be...you saved me.”
“I made you need saving,” he choked out. Erin moved to castle that fell only when Hector left. That’s why he felt obligated to come and find her.
“You couldn’t have known...” she said, getting to her feet. “Hector...do you love her?”
“...yes.”
They smiled at each other and he kissed her cheek.
Morning broke and they made for the nearest town. Upon arrival, Hector bought mounts and provisions for both of them. They made their separate way from there, leaving all the ruins behind.
____________________________
"Erin!" he called out. His words hung in the stale air. "Erin!!" he shouted again. Just now he realized the monsters might still be around. Hector dropped a hand to the sword at his side. His presence already made, he began walking steadily, fearlessly, into the ruins. Amongst the rubble, fallen infrastructure, and shattered pillars, Hector realized he could be attacked from any side without notice. The chilling whisper of steel against leather rang out as he drew his sword, standing ready for danger. His instincts were dead on. From his left, a squat dog faced creature leapt from the rubble. Like a furry little man, the creature dove at Hector’s ankles. Hector lowered his shield and stuck the blade through the monster’s chest.
“Erin!” he called again, louder than before. A clatter of rubble up ahead alerted him. He raised his shield and advanced slowly. More small pieces of rubble clattered about. If this were a monster, Hector thought, it would have attacked by now. “Erin?” he said. A muffled response came from beneath the rocks and rafters. “Knock against the rocks twice if you’re hurt.” He waited. One knock. She was fine. Placing his sword at his side and his shield on the ground, he began to move piece by piece away from above his old love. Ironic, he thought, that only he, the man who shattered them, would be the one to save her. He did not love her anymore, but he would save her.
As more rubble piled up behind him, Hector reflected on the piles he left with Erin. His broken promises, his obsession with work...his affair she still doesn’t know about. Maybe it was the tiring work and the fear of attack that made him philosophical at this point. The ruins he stood in were once a great castle. Three great towers marked the places of power. All it took was the burning of three rafters beneath the great keeps to topple them and break down the walls from the massive structures crashing against them. Burning one rafter brought down the first tower. One little rafter. Twice more and the entire castle was fallen. The situation made Hector’s mind parallel himself and the castle. After his affair, he felt no guilt. He realized he did not love Erin. They built the castle together. Hector burned the rafters.
It felt like hours before he could hear Erin’s panicked breathing. His pace sped and she took notice of this. She shifted around. Soon, Hector saw her eyes. Red, puffy, clearly distressed. He cleared more rubble away from them and saw her more clearly. Scrapes covered her bare arms and legs. Dust was caked on her face and chest except in the trails her tears cut through the grit. She was shivering in the brief sleepwear that barely covered sensitive places. Hector sighed heavily and pulled her from the wreckage. Instantly she wrapped her arms around his neck and she cried into his iron shoulder. Hector gently held her hips. He took his cloak and wrapped it around her. “Thank you,” she whispered. He smiled in reply. Despite the rubble, the fallen infrastructure, and the shattered pillars, he saw she was beautiful. They were broken, though, like the fallen towers. He did not love her.
Clad in his cloak, following close behind, Hector led Erin from the ruins to safety. The setting sun followed behind them as they moved into a forest to camp. Erin sat quietly by the fire, clutching the fibers of Hector’s cloak as close to herself as possible. He mixed dry provisions with hot water to make a simple stew which Erin thankfully gulped down. They sat in silence, warm and safe at last. Erin wanted to break the silence. That’s all she had underneath the broken towers. “Hector?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes?” he replied.
“I...umm...thank you again.”
Hector ‘mmm’ed through a mouthful of stew. Her gaze fell, confused by his inwardness. She was always confused by him. Why he ever left her was a mystery. Sure, they had struggles, but she felt he was happy. She never stopped loving him. She thought their love was like a mighty fortress. She was right of course, but she didn’t know about the rafters beneath the towers.
“Hector?” she asked again.
“Yes, Erin?” he replied.
She paused for several seconds, at a loss for words. Eventually she got up and sat down next to him. She looked into his eyes and he returned the stare. Steadily, almost unconsciously, their faces inched closer together. Their lips were but two inches apart when her hand slid atop his. She jerked her hand back, retracted her face, and gasped lightly all in one brief moment. Her eyes confirmed the feeling of cool brass wrapped around Hector’s finger. “You...ah...”
Emotions flared inside her as she scooted off by herself. Hector rose and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Erin turned toward and gently rubbed her cheek on his hand.
“Don’t be...you saved me.”
“I made you need saving,” he choked out. Erin moved to castle that fell only when Hector left. That’s why he felt obligated to come and find her.
“You couldn’t have known...” she said, getting to her feet. “Hector...do you love her?”
“...yes.”
They smiled at each other and he kissed her cheek.
Morning broke and they made for the nearest town. Upon arrival, Hector bought mounts and provisions for both of them. They made their separate way from there, leaving all the ruins behind.