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Both were printed on paper. C=

Hasn't beat my Tetris score yet.

Traffic traffic traffic taf**** I was hit by a car. Full stop ends the bad pun.

I've been vacillating on whether I should join or not, but I've stopped as you can see and have decided to want to at least give this a shot. That said, I probably won't be the most active, friendly or useful member.

Also, I was reading through the first post and I thought I'd say that random name generators are probably a bad thing for mature writing. Names need to have meaning in my opinion. It's a waste of words when they can only serve one purpose. Sure, some people go overboard with it but I'm willing to bet that giving a character a meaningful name makes it deeper and overall better, especially if you want to use it as foreshadowing or just an extra confirmation of characterization. That said, I hate symbolism, so double usage isn't always a good thing I suppose. Eh, just putting it out there. Don't have to listen if you disagree.

That's it. Does this count as like a job application or something?

The end. One of them at least. I'm pretty shaky on this one so I might take it down for corrections if I really don't like the note that I'm ending this on. Just something to bear in mind.


1-6

Spoiler: 1-6 original

“How can you always be there for me, when we parted ways so long ago?” Erica thought to herself as she awoke. She’d been dreaming of something that seemed so very close at the time but now was as unobtainable as a floating speck of dust that dances out of your hand every time you draw near to it. She reached out for it slowly, cautious of the air she’d displace, but still couldn’t get a grasp of what it was that she’d dreamt of. The slant of the sun’s rays filtering through her windows onto her outstretched fingers told her it was sunset.

Either she’d been sicker than she’d imagined and it was Saturday afternoon or she was exactly as sick as she’d imagined and it was still Friday and she had another two days of lying in bed to look forward to. A test of her balance proved only that she shouldn’t get up so soon after waking and that she’d have to take it slow for a bit. But that was fine. Everything had to be taken slow sometimes. Even if it seems like a waste. Haste makes waste was the saying actually. Erica stood motionlessly preventing her body from wavering and tipping over with half her mind and considering her own surroundings with the other.

There was a note on her desk next to the dully glowing red numbers of the alarm clock. It was evening and the note was clearly from Hughes, a signature that would put Hancock’s to shame and a drawing of a small creature was all it took to identify him, even at a distance at which neither could be properly distinguished. He’d come to see her and left already. Erica stirred herself to motion with a sigh of relief that she’d managed to sleep through it. A steadier stride was quickly coming to her legs as she tottered over to her workspace and lifted the small folder scrap of paper that had been left for her.

It was one of his unnecessary little pep talks on a page. The girl rolled her eyes at it and threw it away without more than just a skim that told her that he had nothing new to say. Kira hadn’t told him a thing and so it fell to her to set things straight. She turned to face the door and was struck with a bout of dizziness and vertigo. Once it passed Erica stepped out into the hallway connecting the living room to the bedrooms and saw her mother stepping through the front door.

“Erica!” cried her mother in surprise. “You should be in bed.”

“I’m fine.” The girl replied dismissively as she made an attempt to walk evenly enough to fool the woman.

“You always say you’re fine. That’s the kind of attitude that makes you collapse in the middle of school.”

“What day is it?” She asked without taking notice of her mother’s concern. The only way to deal with her was to ignore these sympathetic advances, they’d only lead to disappointment in the end if accepted.

“Friday still dear.” She was dearing her. It was galling almost.

“Thanks.” Erica said offhandedly. “I think I’ll go back to bed if it makes you feel any better then.”

“Would you have said the same if I told you a different day?”

“I’m not sure, I didn’t really have plans at least.” She paused to stare momentarily at her mother. “Well, I’m off to bed again, not like I haven’t gotten used to it.”

“Erica wait.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it Mom.” “It has nothing to do with you.”

“But Erica dear, you’re my daughter it has everything to do with me.” Erica wanted to say something back, but the door was closed and neither one of them was for serious conversations. Anything more than a status report and batting back and forth of meaningless chit chat in that family usually ended badly, so Erica bit her lip thinking over what to do next with herself in an attempt to push thoughts of her family out of her head. It wasn’t easy but it was doable.

If living out the past year as she had taught Erica anything it was that many things were difficult to get one’s mind off of but few were impossible. So she sat on her bed thinking of how to convey her message to Hughes. There was no good way of going about it. Whether she was blunt and terse with it or kind and gentle with it, she’d be telling him that the girl he’d been friends with since he was a toddler practically didn’t exist; hadn’t existed for some time now. No one would take it well, especially not a boy like him. But now probably wasn’t the time to be concerned with what he needed. She’d spent all of her time worrying about what was best for him so long that she’d all but stopped caring about anything else. And yet the world had kept on turning.

“I’m such an idiot.” Erica sighed as she walked back out into the living room. “One more question Mom.” The woman’s head poked up from behind her book quickly.

“What is it?”

“I have to go back in for observation this weekend right?”

“Of course you do, every two weeks the doctor said.”

“I’d forgotten. I should rest up until then. Don’t need another reason for them to worry. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The girl said, turning to return to her room. She could tell that there wouldn’t be a response after that, at least it felt like business as usual again. If nothing else that gave Erica a center to start from again. Usually she wouldn’t be so emotional. Usually she would think less about what she felt and more about what she did. Usually she would just let things roll off her back like water.

Usually she would be more focused. Usually she wouldn’t be so depressed. Since the day she returned home from the hospital for the start of the new term nothing had been as usual. This past week had been even less so if that was at all possible. Erica cast a glance around her room as she sat on the side of her bed. Everything seemed so normal. Lamp, desk, closet, window, door, walls, ceiling, floor. Everything around her had a place and it was sitting right in it. The only thing that seemed to be out of place in that little room was the girl leaning off the side of the bed thinking about thing that must never have happened.

They were far too fantastical to have happened to a real person. They were far too unrealistic to have happened to a real person. Erica could only think that either they’d never happened or she was the product of a deranged imagination. The fake her was a work of fiction the real her was a flight of fancy. What was the difference then? Erica couldn’t think of an answer, so she lay herself down and stared up at her ceiling. There were lots of things without answers in the world and not every answer that did exist was a right one anyways.

She turned on her side and reached over into her nightstand’s drawer and retrieved a single slip of paper. It was like her, a vestige of an age gone by. It was probably a bad idea to keep it around; it wasn’t hers and it wasn’t useful. There was absolutely no reason to keep that frail rectangle of pulp and ink that she squinted through the darkness at. Still, even things that hurt to have can hurt just as much to abandon.

“I’ll still do it. There’s no other way to solve this.” She whispered to herself before closing her eyes and waiting for her body to give in and just take another few hours of sleep.

---

At the hospital Erica was met with the standard procedure that had become the hallmark of all of her tenures, visits, and dealings in general with the doctors. Her personal physician, Dr. Parish, had, at her grandparents’ request, followed her back to the city to take care of things. He was a young man who was the pride of his graduating class and had ambitions of using his position at his home hospital as a springboard into a research position and yet Isaiah Parish was looking after some girl instead. Erica couldn’t help but feel he resented her underneath that perfect mask of congeniality.

“So how have things been going Erica?” He asked.

“The same.” She quickly responded. If there was a way to get straight on to the examination and the out of the hospital she would very much have liked to have it happen. “I’ve gotten a bit of a cold, but that’s all.”

“That’s good. I trust you’ve been keeping up with the exercise regimen laid out for you?”

“I have.” She lied. The goal of the regimen was to get her back to how she was before the injuries so that she could continue with her life as uninterrupted as possible they had said. That was either a joke or a gross miscalculation of the meaning of three to five years. She had neither the dedication nor the patience to spend over three years taking baby steps, hoping that one day she might be a mediocre athlete again.

That’s all she ever was anyways. Always got the lowest qualifying times, never made the top ten, and couldn’t ever connect with the team. They were better off without her and she without them. So she lied with a straight face. She’d gotten it down to a science, pleasing people. Tell them what they want to hear and they’ll ignore everything else, you don’t even have to be a good liar.

“That’s also good. If the tests go well it’ll be all good across the boards.” He said flipping through a chart and leading her down to the testing rooms. There she’d run on a treadmill, sit around, get blood drawn, sit around, answer more questions, sit around, get poked and prodded, sit around, get lights shined in her eyes, sit around, and finally she’d get out of that ridiculous looking hospital gown and go home to wait for it all to repeat in another few weeks.

“Alright.” She said following obediently. The less resistance you put up the more they like you. The more they feel like you’re acting as you should the more comfortable they are.

“That’s the way. You’ll be better in no time.” He lied, just as straight faced as Erica. Dr. Parish had also turned pleasing people into a science; he didn’t pretend a second, he just spouted the mendacious and twisted reality to fit his words. He knew that more than half of what he was saying to patients was false and he kept doing it to preserve a positive outlook or peace of mind. The more you encourage someone the more they’ll feel like they’ve got to something they can do. The more hope you dangle in front of someone’s face the more they’ll chase after it. But Erica wasn’t in the mood for chasing dream. So she just followed him and his instructions. Remove whatever articles of clothing; sit for whatever tests, all of it.

At the end of the first day she pulled at her sweater and stared at the affable man as he scribbled something down on a chart as if it meant something. Suddenly, he paused and looked up at her. He didn’t say anything at first, it looked like he was mulling over what to say and examining her face concurrently. The he abruptly began their final conversation of the day.

“Well, so far everything looks pretty good. Tomorrow we’ll be moving on to the second battery but if today is any indication you’ll be out sooner than usual. So get rest, eat well, and stick with it. I know that recovering from a car accident like this can be tough, but you’re really fortunate to be so well off as you are. Things will start looking up again, I promise.”

“Thank you. My mom is probably waiting for me.” She said to excuse herself.
“One more thing. I know you’re not exactly thrilled with all of this but I’m glad that through all of this you’ve managed not to fall behind or let it get to you. It’s a reminder to me that a good attitude is sometimes the best treatment.”

“Thank you.” She repeated in the same deadpan monotone. “Things will start looking up again. I promise.” And with that she hurried off before either her falsified smile could fade or he could answer her. She knew it was probably badly played to throw his words back at him like that, but it was irresistible at the time. Erica leaned against the wall around the corner from where her mother waited in all likelihood. She took a deep breath, arranged her features and rounded the corner with a blank, but less than apathetic, face on. Her mother wouldn’t-- couldn’t-- notice a thing. And so the car ride back home was as silent as the dinner that followed and the sleep even after that.

The next day Erica and Dr. Parish didn’t exchange any words and the man didn’t seem even slightly in the mood for chat. Perhaps Erica really had revealed herself too much yesterday. She frowned when his head was turned and kept doing so to aid her thought for the rest of the day. However, after hours of interrupted and truncated thoughts flowing through her mind she ended up with nothing. Dr. Parish was as inscrutable as ever he could be so Erica just left it as it was. She’d wanted him to shut his mouth about hopefulness and the future and he had, there was nothing wrong at all.

As promised though she was out of the hospital an hour earlier than the last time she’d been for a second round of tests and exams. It was pleasant but in exchange for Dr. Parish’s silence she had to put up with her mother’s pleased ramblings. Erica would occasionally answer in the affirmative and then let her mother run the topics into the ground one after another. Erica wasn’t sure if she should be sharing in the enjoyment that her mother got out of the positive look of the initial tests or whether it was another thing to simply ignore.

So she paid attention to it but stayed clear of contributing to it.
Erica would sporadically yawn or sigh, longing for the times when she could deal with her friends and family without worrying about everything she’d say or do triggering a huge fiasco. But as much as she wished it, nothing changed. Nothing would ever change unless she changed it.

“Tomorrow’s the day.” She whispered to herself as she pressed her forehead against the cool window of the car as her mother chattered on all the way home and into the night.

---

“Monday.” Erica said to herself as she awoke. Usually the most coherent thing she could get out at such an hour would be a complaint or curse, but as she’d told herself today was the day. She slipped herself out from under her covers and drew herself before the bathroom mirror without really looking at the pale surface against the darkness that she virtually bathed in. Without the artificial light on and with the natural light streaming in she could see herself how she wanted to.

Nothing but a vague outline, a darker spot that must be an eye or nose, and dark uniform skin, unblemished and clear. But when the light flicked on again the lying, hateful face and the hideous scars came back into view. But not for much longer she thought. The next time she looked at her own countenance things would be different. So she smiled at her reflection and prepared to leave for school.

Skin and hair were washed, clothes were changed, breakfast was eaten, teeth were brushed, a door was opened and she was off. The walk to the bus stop wasn’t long, neither was the wait nor the ride. School didn’t look any different on the face of it but it felt different being there with a reason.

The reason, unfortunately however, didn’t make the first three hours pass any faster. But pass they did, in their own due time, and the lunch hour arrived to take their place. Erica avoided anywhere she’d normally be found in favor of the sidelines of one of Fred’s cheer club meetings. It was anything but normal for Erica to deviate from routine to sit around people she didn’t know but it was definitely allowed and definitely more conducive to Erica’s plans to behave a little strangely.

“I’m glad you’ve finally decided to show up here Ere.” Fred said with a congratulatory clap on the back.

“Why’s that?” Erica asked her friend suspiciously.

“Well I’ve been telling you to come watch since last year and you’re here, which means my diligent waiting has paid off.” She smiled and her friend stared.

“Okay.”

“Come on. This was my great triumph of the day.” Fred replied with exasperated gesticulations.

“I’m happy for you, now go finish.” Erica answered dryly.

“You’re never any fun anymore.” She pouted.

“I know.” Erica replied softly as she cast her gaze past Fred’s face.

“You weren’t supposed to agree with me.” The blue haired girl fumed at both being ignored physically and verbally.

“You were supposed to join practice thirty seconds ago.” Erica pointed out both physically and verbally.

“This isn’t over Erica.”

“Sure it isn’t.” Erica scoffed playfully as her friend departed to join her squad mates. So Erica sat out the rest of the time waiting for it to end. As she waited, she noticed two things. It was boring sitting around with no one to talk to or listen to at the very least and that most of the people watching the practice were boys. Creepy boys; the types that Erica made fun of when she noticed them and ignored the other three hundred and sixty four days in the year. Erica wanted to shift away from the awkwardness but knew it was less than practical given where she was. So she just tried to ignore them as usual and wait for the lunch hour to reach its conclusion in silence.

Unfortunately for her she wasn’t going to be ignored as easily as they were.

“Hey.” He had come from nowhere and sat next to Erica like he was her friend. He was, again unfortunately, someone she knew. Needy, or Neils, if his real name came to mind. It didn’t so she avoided it.

“I thought I made it clear that you were never to speak to me again.” Erica growled.

“And now you’re here with the gawkers. What does that say about you?”

“I’m here to see you. Fred told me you’d be here since she thought I was, I quote, ‘not as bad as the others.’”

“She doesn’t speak for me. Now get out of my face. I finished my business with you and I don’t want to make anymore.”

“I just came to make sure you weren’t really that girl who said yes when I asked her out.” He said with a sigh. “You were a brilliant actor. So much that I prefer the falsification.”

“Doesn’t everybody?” Erica replied grimly.

“I’m not sure what you mean, but if you—“

“I don’t want to talk. Now just go away, you’re making me feel sick.”

“Alright, jeez. Never expected you to be this disagreeable out of character.” He frowned and pushed up his glasses. He was a walking poster boy for geek but he still managed to captivate the hearts and minds of enough of the student body to get him a certain level of celebrity. Erica wasn’t sure what to make of either that or what he’d just said.
“You see I thought the break up was also at least partly an act after you called all of us to apologize.”

“Leave. Now.”

“Got it.”

“Handled like a pro, Erica.” She said to herself sarcastically as she turned back in time to see the cheerleader’s dispersing and hear the bell ringing. “Like a pro.” Said the girl as she rose to join the flow of students in the hallways.

The next few periods went by uneventfully and school ended without a hitch. Now, Erica thought, things could have their start. With that thought in mind and a hand firmly gripping something in her pocket, she set of down the hallway to the other side of the school. Her destination was on the other side of the school and in the opposite direction from her usual route, so she felt awkward going there.

But as she pressed on around the faces, vaguely familiar and unrecognizable alike, she felt her heart rate increase and her adrenaline kick in. By the time she rounded the final corner she was practically running, but when she saw the two of them staring back at her from across the atrium Erica stopped dead for a moment.

“Hey Hughes.” She called over the tide of students that stood between them when she regained herself. “Got a minute?”

“Sure.” He called back merrily. Erica smiled slightly and pushed her way across to the stairwell Hughes and Kira stood next to.

“You stay after school a few hours today right?” Erica asked, trying not to speak to quickly.

“Yeah. But I—“

“I’ll be waiting here.” She said pointing to the ground between them. “Kira can come too if she doesn’t mind hearing me repeat myself.” The dark haired girl’s eyes shifted slightly but she made no other indication that it meant anything to her.

“I don’t mind. I’m not the jealous type.”

“As you like.” Erica said with an odd alacrity in her voice. She felt light, like she did when the adrenaline was pumping through her veins at a meet or in a fight. It felt good. Endorphins made even the painful thoughts a source levity. “See you then.” She waved and disappeared from sight before either of the others had a chance to reply. It was better that way. Because like any adrenaline rush this one was bound to end soon. It was all she could do just to get that much out. From there, things would only get harder. But they had to be done.

“Isn’t that right?” Erica thought to herself as she fingered the chip in her pocket. One week earlier at the very bridge she was making her way toward she had received that chip. During that week she’d looked up what kind of demon could have given it to her and she’d found the results that she’d needed. Erica smiled. The rush hadn’t quite worn off yet. It was fun feeling good, even if it was an artificial high, it was nice.

The tilt of the sun was quite a bit steeper than when she’d last met that man when she did arrive and the bridge, but she figured being early wouldn’t matter. She wasn’t going to meet him, just to deliver and answer. So she leaned over the rail on the footpath and stared into the murky water. She didn’t feel any presence or change in the atmosphere as she stood, but she knew he was listening and watching. So she began her response.

“I’ve seen quite a few monsters in my time. Thought most of ‘em died of or went into hiding when Kira and Hughes finished off the big bad. But apparently, you’re a different class of thing. Less what I’d call a demon and more what I’d call a devil.” She laughed.

“But you devils work in strange ways. You have power, but you can’t use it on an unwilling party. If I accept your offer, then I’d be accepting something from you, something that I’d then owe you. I’d be in your debt, you pocket.” Erica didn’t shift her gaze and kept smiling away at the casino chip.

“I don’t know why you’ve picked me or why you’re here now, but I don’t need to. These scars are proof that I don’t need to stick my nose into things that don’t concern me. So I’d like to tell you that I’m still”, suddenly, she flipped the disc off her thumb and into the water. “Not interested.”

So she straightened herself up, shoved her hands into her pockets, and started off back towards school. She wasn’t sure if that old man was behind her this time, but she was sure that it was over. No. That it hadn’t begun. That was her comfort and her motivation. So she left the bridge, not turning to see the old man smiling behind her fingering the chip thoughtfully before vanishing into thin air.

When she arrived back at school a quick glance at the screen of her phone reminded her that she’d be waiting for another ten minutes before Hughes would appear. It was both nerve wracking and calming to be there alone in the school. She knew what she was going to say, what she’d do down to the last word and mannerism. But she couldn’t suppress the feeling that she wouldn’t be able to go through with it at all. It wasn’t supposed to be an option but failure always is one, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. So, all she could do was stand there fidgeting and going over her lines in her head before the curtain rose and she was called upon to take center stage.

“Hey.” She turned around so quickly she almost ran into him. He always did stand too close when he talked. “Sorry, hoe you didn’t wait too long.”

“Not at all.” Erica bit her lip. It was now or never.

“So what did you have to tell me that was so important?” He was so oblivious. How could she just tell him that the Erica he’d come to know and accept was a fiction, nothing more than a little mask to hide what was really inside her head? No matter how she went about it he wouldn’t get it and there was no way to ease him into it. The only way to tell him something was to be forthright and blunt as he was.

“We aren’t friends.” Erica could barely believe what she was saying but at the same time she felt her momentum begin to pick up. “We haven’t been friends for a long time.”

“What?”

“The girl you know. The girl you think you know. She doesn’t exist. She’s who you thought I should be and who I pretended to be for your sake.” She dropped her eyes. It was harder than she thought it would be. She still felt lingering emotions clinging to her, trying to drag her back to how things were. Back to a place that didn’t exist. “When I told you that I was fine with just being friends, I lied. I was never fine with just that. I’d wanted more for so long and when it didn’t come to anything I—I just couldn’t handle it properly.

"So I tried to support you. Tried to make you happy because I thought that would make everything alright, but when you and Kira finally confessed your feelings and got together. I felt empty. I didn’t share your happiness at all. I can’t continue acting. It just dredges up all those feelings. It’s been so long since we were really friends that we’ve become strangers to each other. I couldn’t tell you anything about you now, everything I know is obsolete, ancient.” She swallowed hard. “From this point on we’re strangers. Goodbye.” She said sobbing silently beneath her words.

“Erica…”

“I’m sorry. Have we met?” Erica raised her face to him, tearless and honest. Hughes looked back at her for a few seconds. Confused at first but increasingly calm as the cogs and gears in his head turned.

“No. I think you just reminded me of a friend I used to have.”

“What was she like?”

“She was a very nice girl. Never asked much from anyone but always tried to take on other people’s problems. Even when she had no time she’d never hesitate to take on more if it was to help someone out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she used to protect me from bullies and make sure I stayed out of trouble. Even when I got bigger than her she still kept a watch over me like I was still a kid. I always wondered why she was like that. But she was nice to everyone. It must have had nothing to do with me I thought.”

“You were probably right.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. Some people are like that.”

“Selfless. She was the definition of it. I wonder if I’ll ever meet her again.”

“You will.”

“Yeah?”

“When you think about people, you’ve got think about what lies beneath. You’ve got to think about what is always going to be there with them. I’ve got to get home. Didn’t catch your name—“

“It’s Hughes. Justin Hughes.”

“I’m Erica. It’s nice to meet you.”

Spoiler: revised

“How can you always be there for me, when we parted ways so long ago?” Erica thought to herself as she awoke. She’d been dreaming of something that seemed so very close at the time but now was as unobtainable as a floating speck of dust that dances out of your hand every time you draw near to it. She reached out for it slowly, cautious of the air she’d displace, but still couldn’t get a grasp of what it was that she’d dreamt of. The slant of the sun’s rays filtering through her windows onto her outstretched fingers told her it was sunset.

Either she’d been sicker than she’d imagined and it was Saturday afternoon or she was exactly as sick as she’d imagined and it was still Friday and she had another two days of lying in bed to look forward to. A test of her balance proved only that she shouldn’t get up so soon after waking and that she’d have to take it slow for a bit. But that was fine. Everything had to be taken slow sometimes. Even if it seems like a waste. Haste makes waste was the saying actually. Erica stood motionlessly preventing her body from wavering and tipping over with half her mind and considering her own surroundings with the other.

There was a note on her desk next to the dully glowing red numbers of the alarm clock. It was evening and the note was clearly from Hughes, a signature that would put Hancock’s to shame and a drawing of a small creature was all it took to identify him, even at a distance at which neither could be properly distinguished. He’d come to see her and left already. Erica stirred herself to motion with a sigh of relief that she’d managed to sleep through it. A steadier stride was quickly coming to her legs as she tottered over to her workspace and lifted the small folder scrap of paper that had been left for her.

It was one of his unnecessary little pep talks on a page. The girl rolled her eyes at it and threw it away without more than just a skim that told her that he had nothing new to say. Kira hadn’t told him a thing and so it fell to her to set things straight. She turned to face the door and was struck with a bout of dizziness and vertigo. Once it passed Erica stepped out into the hallway connecting the living room to the bedrooms and saw her mother stepping through the front door.

“Erica!” cried her mother in surprise. “You should be in bed.”

“I’m fine.” The girl replied dismissively as she made an attempt to walk evenly enough to fool the woman.

“You always say you’re fine. That’s the kind of attitude that makes you collapse in the middle of school.”

“What day is it?” She asked without taking notice of her mother’s concern. The only way to deal with her was to ignore these sympathetic advances, they’d only lead to disappointment in the end if accepted.

“Friday still dear.” She was dearing her. It was galling almost.

“Thanks.” Erica said offhandedly. “I think I’ll go back to bed if it makes you feel any better then.”

“Would you have said the same if I told you a different day?”

“I’m not sure, I didn’t really have plans at least.” She paused to stare momentarily at her mother. “Well, I’m off to bed again, not like I haven’t gotten used to it.”

“Erica wait.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it Mom.” “It has nothing to do with you.”

“But Erica dear, you’re my daughter it has everything to do with me.” Erica wanted to say something back, but the door was closed and neither one of them was for serious conversations. Anything more than a status report and batting back and forth of meaningless chit chat in that family usually ended badly, so Erica bit her lip thinking over what to do next with herself in an attempt to push thoughts of her family out of her head. It wasn’t easy but it was doable.

If living out the past year as she had taught Erica anything it was that many things were difficult to get one’s mind off of but few were impossible. So she sat on her bed thinking of how to convey her message to Hughes. There was no good way of going about it. Whether she was blunt and terse with it or kind and gentle with it, she’d be telling him that the girl he’d been friends with since he was a toddler practically didn’t exist; hadn’t existed for some time now. No one would take it well, especially not a boy like him. But now probably wasn’t the time to be concerned with what he needed. She’d spent all of her time worrying about what was best for him so long that she’d all but stopped caring about anything else. And yet the world had kept on turning.

“I’m such an idiot.” Erica sighed as she walked back out into the living room. “One more question Mom.” The woman’s head poked up from behind her book quickly.

“What is it?”

“I have to go back in for observation this weekend right?”

“Of course you do, every two weeks the doctor said.”

“I’d forgotten. I should rest up until then. Don’t need another reason for them to worry. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The girl said, turning to return to her room. She could tell that there wouldn’t be a response after that, at least it felt like business as usual again. If nothing else that gave Erica a center to start from again. Usually she wouldn’t be so emotional. Usually she would think less about what she felt and more about what she did. Usually she would just let things roll off her back like water.

Usually she would be more focused. Usually she wouldn’t be so depressed. Since the day she returned home from the hospital for the start of the new term nothing had been as usual. This past week had been even less so if that was at all possible. Erica cast a glance around her room as she sat on the side of her bed. Everything seemed so normal. Lamp, desk, closet, window, door, walls, ceiling, floor. Everything around her had a place and it was sitting right in it. The only thing that seemed to be out of place in that little room was the girl leaning off the side of the bed thinking about thing that must never have happened.

They were far too fantastical to have happened to a real person. They were far too unrealistic to have happened to a real person. Erica could only think that either they’d never happened or she was the product of a deranged imagination. The fake her was a work of fiction the real her was a flight of fancy. What was the difference then? Erica couldn’t think of an answer, so she lay herself down and stared up at her ceiling. There were lots of things without answers in the world and not every answer that did exist was a right one anyways.

She turned on her side and reached over into her nightstand’s drawer and retrieved a single slip of paper. It was like her, a vestige of an age gone by. It was probably a bad idea to keep it around; it wasn’t hers and it wasn’t useful. There was absolutely no reason to keep that frail rectangle of pulp and ink that she squinted through the darkness at. Still, even things that hurt to have can hurt just as much to abandon.

“I’ll still do it. There’s no other way to solve this.” She whispered to herself before closing her eyes and waiting for her body to give in and just take another few hours of sleep.

---

At the hospital Erica was met with the standard procedure that had become the hallmark of all of her tenures, visits, and dealings in general with the doctors. Her personal physician, Dr. Parish, had, at her grandparents’ request, followed her back to the city to take care of things. He was a young man who was the pride of his graduating class and had ambitions of using his position at his home hospital as a springboard into a research position and yet Isaiah Parish was looking after some girl instead. Erica couldn’t help but feel he resented her underneath that perfect mask of congeniality.

“So how have things been going Erica?” He asked.

“The same.” She quickly responded. If there was a way to get straight on to the examination and the out of the hospital she would very much have liked to have it happen. “I’ve gotten a bit of a cold, but that’s all.”

“That’s good. I trust you’ve been keeping up with the exercise regimen laid out for you?”

“I have.” She lied. The goal of the regimen was to get her back to how she was before the injuries so that she could continue with her life as uninterrupted as possible they had said. That was either a joke or a gross miscalculation of the meaning of three to five years. She had neither the dedication nor the patience to spend over three years taking baby steps, hoping that one day she might be a mediocre athlete again.

That’s all she ever was anyways. Always got the lowest qualifying times, never made the top ten, and couldn’t ever connect with the team. They were better off without her and she without them. So she lied with a straight face. She’d gotten it down to a science, pleasing people. Tell them what they want to hear and they’ll ignore everything else, you don’t even have to be a good liar.

“That’s also good. If the tests go well it’ll be all good across the boards.” He said flipping through a chart and leading her down to the testing rooms. There she’d run on a treadmill, sit around, get blood drawn, sit around, answer more questions, sit around, get poked and prodded, sit around, get lights shined in her eyes, sit around, and finally she’d get out of that ridiculous looking hospital gown and go home to wait for it all to repeat in another few weeks.

“Alright.” She said following obediently. The less resistance you put up the more they like you. The more they feel like you’re acting as you should the more comfortable they are.

“That’s the way. You’ll be better in no time.” He lied, just as straight faced as Erica. Dr. Parish had also turned pleasing people into a science; he didn’t pretend a second, he just spouted the mendacious and twisted reality to fit his words. He knew that more than half of what he was saying to patients was false and he kept doing it to preserve a positive outlook or peace of mind. The more you encourage someone the more they’ll feel like they’ve got to something they can do. The more hope you dangle in front of someone’s face the more they’ll chase after it. But Erica wasn’t in the mood for chasing dream. So she just followed him and his instructions. Remove whatever articles of clothing; sit for whatever tests, all of it.

At the end of the first day she pulled at her sweater and stared at the affable man as he scribbled something down on a chart as if it meant something. Suddenly, he paused and looked up at her. He didn’t say anything at first, it looked like he was mulling over what to say and examining her face concurrently. The he abruptly began their final conversation of the day.

“Well, so far everything looks pretty good. Tomorrow we’ll be moving on to the second battery but if today is any indication you’ll be out sooner than usual. So get rest, eat well, and stick with it. I know that recovering from a car accident like this can be tough, but you’re really fortunate to be so well off as you are. Things will start looking up again, I promise.”

“Thank you. My mom is probably waiting for me.” She said to excuse herself.
“One more thing. I know you’re not exactly thrilled with all of this but I’m glad that through all of this you’ve managed not to fall behind or let it get to you. It’s a reminder to me that a good attitude is sometimes the best treatment.”

“Thank you.” She repeated in the same deadpan monotone. “Things will start looking up again. I promise.” And with that she hurried off before either her falsified smile could fade or he could answer her. She knew it was probably badly played to throw his words back at him like that, but it was irresistible at the time. Erica leaned against the wall around the corner from where her mother waited in all likelihood. She took a deep breath, arranged her features and rounded the corner with a blank, but less than apathetic, face on. Her mother wouldn’t-- couldn’t-- notice a thing. And so the car ride back home was as silent as the dinner that followed and the sleep even after that.

The next day Erica and Dr. Parish didn’t exchange any words and the man didn’t seem even slightly in the mood for chat. Perhaps Erica really had revealed herself too much yesterday. She frowned when his head was turned and kept doing so to aid her thought for the rest of the day. However, after hours of interrupted and truncated thoughts flowing through her mind she ended up with nothing. Dr. Parish was as inscrutable as ever he could be so Erica just left it as it was. She’d wanted him to shut his mouth about hopefulness and the future and he had, there was nothing wrong at all.

As promised though she was out of the hospital an hour earlier than the last time she’d been for a second round of tests and exams. It was pleasant but in exchange for Dr. Parish’s silence she had to put up with her mother’s pleased ramblings. Erica would occasionally answer in the affirmative and then let her mother run the topics into the ground one after another. Erica wasn’t sure if she should be sharing in the enjoyment that her mother got out of the positive look of the initial tests or whether it was another thing to simply ignore.

So she paid attention to it but stayed clear of contributing to it.
Erica would sporadically yawn or sigh, longing for the times when she could deal with her friends and family without worrying about everything she’d say or do triggering a huge fiasco. But as much as she wished it, nothing changed. Nothing would ever change unless she changed it.

“Tomorrow’s the day.” She whispered to herself as she pressed her forehead against the cool window of the car as her mother chattered on all the way home and into the night.

---

“Monday.” Erica said to herself as she awoke. Usually the most coherent thing she could get out at such an hour would be a complaint or curse, but as she’d told herself today was the day. She slipped herself out from under her covers and drew herself before the bathroom mirror without really looking at the pale surface against the darkness that she virtually bathed in. Without the artificial light on and with the natural light streaming in she could see herself how she wanted to.

Nothing but a vague outline, a darker spot that must be an eye or nose, and dark uniform skin, unblemished and clear. But when the light flicked on again the lying, hateful face and the hideous scars came back into view. But not for much longer she thought. The next time she looked at her own countenance things would be different. So she smiled at her reflection and prepared to leave for school.

Skin and hair were washed, clothes were changed, breakfast was eaten, teeth were brushed, a door was opened and she was off. The walk to the bus stop wasn’t long, neither was the wait nor the ride. School didn’t look any different on the face of it but it felt different being there with a reason.

The reason, unfortunately however, didn’t make the first three hours pass any faster. But pass they did, in their own due time, and the lunch hour arrived to take their place. Erica avoided anywhere she’d normally be found in favor of the sidelines of one of Fred’s cheer club meetings. It was anything but normal for Erica to deviate from routine to sit around people she didn’t know but it was definitely allowed and definitely more conducive to Erica’s plans to behave a little strangely.

“I’m glad you’ve finally decided to show up here Ere.” Fred said with a congratulatory clap on the back.

“Why’s that?” Erica asked her friend suspiciously.

“Well I’ve been telling you to come watch since last year and you’re here, which means my diligent waiting has paid off.” She smiled and her friend stared.

“Okay.”

“Come on. This was my great triumph of the day.” Fred replied with exasperated gesticulations.

“I’m happy for you, now go finish.” Erica answered dryly.

“You’re never any fun anymore.” She pouted.

“I know.” Erica replied softly as she cast her gaze past Fred’s face.

“You weren’t supposed to agree with me.” The blue haired girl fumed at both being ignored physically and verbally.

“You were supposed to join practice thirty seconds ago.” Erica pointed out both physically and verbally.

“This isn’t over Erica.”

“Sure it isn’t.” Erica scoffed playfully as her friend departed to join her squad mates. So Erica sat out the rest of the time waiting for it to end. As she waited, she noticed two things. It was boring sitting around with no one to talk to or listen to at the very least and that most of the people watching the practice were boys. Creepy boys; the types that Erica made fun of when she noticed them and ignored the other three hundred and sixty four days in the year. Erica wanted to shift away from the awkwardness but knew it was less than practical given where she was. So she just tried to ignore them as usual and wait for the lunch hour to reach its conclusion in silence.

Unfortunately for her she wasn’t going to be ignored as easily as they were.

“Hey.” He had come from nowhere and sat next to Erica like he was her friend. He was, again unfortunately, someone she knew. Needy, or Neils, if his real name came to mind. It didn’t so she avoided it.

“I thought I made it clear that you were never to speak to me again.” Erica growled.

“And now you’re here with the gawkers. What does that say about you?”

“I’m here to see you. Fred told me you’d be here since she thought I was, I quote, ‘not as bad as the others.’”

“She doesn’t speak for me. Now get out of my face. I finished my business with you and I don’t want to make anymore.”

“I just came to make sure you weren’t really that girl who said yes when I asked her out.” He said with a sigh. “You were a brilliant actor. So much that I prefer the falsification.”

“Doesn’t everybody?” Erica replied grimly.

“I’m not sure what you mean, but if you—“

“I don’t want to talk. Now just go away, you’re making me feel sick.”

“Alright, jeez. Never expected you to be this disagreeable out of character.” He frowned and pushed up his glasses. He was a walking poster boy for geek but he still managed to captivate the hearts and minds of enough of the student body to get him a certain level of celebrity. Erica wasn’t sure what to make of either that or what he’d just said.
“You see I thought the break up was also at least partly an act after you called all of us to apologize.”

“Leave. Now.”

“Got it.”

“Handled like a pro, Erica.” She said to herself sarcastically as she turned back in time to see the cheerleader’s dispersing and hear the bell ringing. “Like a pro.” Said the girl as she rose to join the flow of students in the hallways.

The next few periods went by uneventfully and school ended without a hitch. Now, Erica thought, things could have their start. With that thought in mind and a hand firmly gripping something in her pocket, she set of down the hallway to the other side of the school. Her destination was on the other side of the school and in the opposite direction from her usual route, so she felt awkward going there.

But as she pressed on around the faces, vaguely familiar and unrecognizable alike, she felt her heart rate increase and her adrenaline kick in. By the time she rounded the final corner she was practically running, but when she saw the two of them staring back at her from across the atrium Erica stopped dead for a moment.

“Hey Hughes.” She called over the tide of students that stood between them when she regained herself. “Got a minute?”

“Sure.” He called back merrily. Erica smiled slightly and pushed her way across to the stairwell Hughes and Kira stood next to.

“You stay after school a few hours today right?” Erica asked, trying not to speak to quickly.

“Yeah. But I—“

“I’ll be waiting here.” She said pointing to the ground between them. “Kira can come too if she doesn’t mind hearing me repeat myself.” The dark haired girl’s eyes shifted slightly but she made no other indication that it meant anything to her.

“I don’t mind. I’m not the jealous type.”

“As you like.” Erica said with an odd alacrity in her voice. She felt light, like she did when the adrenaline was pumping through her veins at a meet or in a fight. It felt good. Endorphins made even the painful thoughts a source levity. “See you then.” She waved and disappeared from sight before either of the others had a chance to reply. It was better that way. Because like any adrenaline rush this one was bound to end soon. It was all she could do just to get that much out. From there, things would only get harder. But they had to be done.

“Isn’t that right?” Erica thought to herself as she fingered the chip in her pocket. One week earlier at the very bridge she was making her way toward she had received that chip. During that week she’d looked up what kind of demon could have given it to her and she’d found the results that she’d needed. Erica smiled. The rush hadn’t quite worn off yet. It was fun feeling good, even if it was an artificial high, it was nice.

The tilt of the sun was quite a bit steeper than when she’d last met that man when she did arrive and the bridge, but she figured being early wouldn’t matter. She wasn’t going to meet him, just to deliver and answer. So she leaned over the rail on the footpath and stared into the murky water. She didn’t feel any presence or change in the atmosphere as she stood, but she knew he was listening and watching. So she began her response.

“I’ve seen quite a few monsters in my time. Thought most of ‘em died of or went into hiding when Kira and Hughes finished off the big bad. But apparently, you’re a different class of thing. Less what I’d call a demon and more what I’d call a devil.” She laughed.

“But you devils work in strange ways. You have power, but you can’t use it on an unwilling party. If I accept your offer, then I’d be accepting something from you, something that I’d then owe you. I’d be in your debt, you pocket.” Erica didn’t shift her gaze and kept smiling away at the casino chip.

“I don’t know why you’ve picked me or why you’re here now, but I don’t need to. These scars are proof that I don’t need to stick my nose into things that don’t concern me. So I’d like to tell you that I’m still”, suddenly, she flipped the disc off her thumb and into the water. “Not interested.”

So she straightened herself up, shoved her hands into her pockets, and started off back towards school. She wasn’t sure if that old man was behind her this time, but she was sure that it was over. No. That it hadn’t begun. That was her comfort and her motivation. So she left the bridge, not turning to see the old man smiling behind her fingering the chip thoughtfully before vanishing into thin air.

When she arrived back at school a quick glance at the screen of her phone reminded her that she’d be waiting for another ten minutes before Hughes would appear. It was both nerve wracking and calming to be there alone in the school. She knew what she was going to say, what she’d do down to the last word and mannerism. But she couldn’t suppress the feeling that she wouldn’t be able to go through with it at all. It wasn’t supposed to be an option but failure always is one, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. So, all she could do was stand there fidgeting and going over her lines in her head before the curtain rose and she was called upon to take center stage.

“Hey.” She turned around so quickly she almost ran into him. He always did stand too close when he talked. “Sorry, hope you didn’t wait too long.”

“Not at all.” Erica bit her lip. It was now or never.

“So what did you have to tell me that was so important?” He was so oblivious. How could she just tell him that the Erica he’d come to know and accept was a fiction, nothing more than a little mask to hide what was really inside her head? No matter how she went about it he wouldn’t get it and there was no way to ease him into it. The only way to tell him something was to be forthright and blunt as he was.

“We aren’t friends.” Erica could barely believe what she was saying but at the same time she felt her momentum begin to pick up. “We haven’t been friends for a long time.”

“What?”

“The girl you know. The girl you think you know. She doesn’t exist. She’s who you thought I should be and who I pretended to be for your sake.” She dropped her eyes. It was harder than she thought it would be. She still felt lingering emotions clinging to her, trying to drag her back to how things were. Back to a place that didn’t exist. Back to a place she couldn't ever return to. “When I told you that I was fine with just being friends, I lied. I was never fine with just that. I’d wanted more for so long and when it didn’t come to anything I—I just couldn’t handle it properly. So I tried to support you even more. Tried to make you happy because I thought that would make everything alright, but when you and Kira finally confessed your feelings and got together. I felt empty. I didn’t share your happiness at all. Like I had lost the ability to feel emotions at all. I didn't feel a thing at first. But then it set in my nerves had chance to feel it out. The reason why I'd lost my emotions was because my heart was gone and that pain that suddenly shot through me was me realizing how it'd been torn out. That's what it felt like for me. That's why my life has been...” She paused and swallowed. She'd already made it so far, but there was more to say yet.

“I can’t continue acting like this, anymore. It just dredges up all those feelings, opens those old wounds. Don't you get it? It’s been so long since we were even really friends that we’ve become like complete strangers to each other. I couldn’t tell you anything about you now, everything I know is obsolete, ancient. Like me.” She swallowed hard.

“I'm so sorry. I didn't know.”

“I've been told I'm a good actress.” She laughed, sounding eerie and cold in spite of herself.

“Erica...” He began to move towards her like he was going to give her one of his trademark 'everything is gonna be alright' hugs but she held up an open palm, staying his advance.

“Please, don't. I've spoken my piece. If you have even the slightest bit of decency you'll just let me go at that.”

“How do you expect me to do that. You're my best friend.” He protested frantically.

“What's my favorite color, bestie?” She asked with a forlornly knowing smirk.

“Blue.” He answered immediately.

“Lavender. What's my favorite season?” She replied without missing a step.

“Spring.” He responded with just as much confidence.

“Winter. What's my favorite food?” She began shaking her head at him, the smirk thinning and cooling.

“Uh, pasta.” He showed doubt finally. Erica laughed and turned away from him before answering.

“Sushi. Alright, we'll go easier. What color are my eyes?” She asked, keeping her eyes tightly shut against his view even though she was turned away from him.

“Grrreen?” He ventured uncertainly. She opened her electric blue eyes, turned to him and smiled, she'd half hoped he'd get at least this one right, seeing how right her first inclination was could only make her smile that meaningless smile that had taken the place of tears.

“Wrong again. Can you tell me anything about me?” Hughes paused to think. Erica was going to let him. She was certain, confident even, that this one time she was right and nothing he'd say could change that.

“When you were three I first met you, I was looking for a place to sit and you were the only one who let me sit next to you.”

“I was four. You were three.”

“When you were ten you broke your arm falling out of a tree getting my kite when it blew away.”

“I sprained my wrist.”

“When you were fourteen you told me to go out and be a hero, that I had it in me to save the world. You told me that you'd be waiting for me when I got back.”

“...” She hadn't expected this, it was another one of his little flashes of insight and conversational genius, but after a second's thought she knew what to say. “And so I've been waiting.”

“But Erica, it's not... I came back and you... what about...” He fumbled, trying to explain that feeling of confusion Erica had grown so used to. So she understood well enough to clear the air.

“I'm not asking you to come back to being who you were over a year ago. Even you can't do that, and let's be honest why would you want to? So please, just understand that I'm just telling you that I'm not going to keep waiting anymore.”

“So what now? Do we just never talk again? Do we pretend we never knew each other?” His dismayed voice waxing ragged and pathetic. Erica didn't like it. She'd done this and now she had to live with it. But there was certainly no turning back now. Not when she was still so sure.

“The girl named Erica, who was the first to accept you, who retrieved your kite, who told you to go out and see the world, save it. She'll always be right over there in that courtyard behind the track and field house, waiting for you. But me, I'm not that girl. So from this point on we’re strangers. Goodbye.” She said sobbing underneath her words.

“Erica…”

“I’m sorry. Have we met?” Erica raised her face to him, tearless and honest. Hughes looked back at her for a few seconds. Still confused at first but increasingly calm as the cogs and gears in his head turned.

After a long time, just staring at her sadly he spoke. “No. I think you just reminded me of a friend I used to have.” He finished with a sigh, looking at her as if he was trying to remember what that other girl looked like. Trying to separate the two in memory so that he wouldn't get them confused. So that he'd be able to keep both of them.

“What was she like?” Erica replied softly, more delicately than she'd ever spoken to anyone before. She was genuinely curious now.

“She was a very nice girl. Never asked much from anyone, but always tried to take on other people’s problems. Even when she had no time she’d make it work if it was to help someone out.” He reminisced with a vacant smile.

“You mind if I sit? My legs are kind of tired.” She said, finally coming off the adrenaline that had propelled her this far.

“Yeah, got ahead.” He replied sitting down against the wall of the school building as well. “You know, she used to protect me from bullies and make sure I stayed out of trouble. Even when I got bigger than her she still kept a watch over me like I was still a kid. I always wondered why she was like that. But she was nice to everyone, even the people she probably hated. It must have had nothing to do with me I thought.” He sighed again.

“You were probably right.” She assured him with a friendly punch to his arm.

“You think so?” He said rubbing it in mock pain.

“Yeah. Some people are like that.” She shrugged.

“Selfless. She was the definition of it.”

“She sounds amazing.”

“She wouldn't like it if you said that. She'd probably say something like, 'if I can do it, it must not be anything special' and then grouse about it until you let it drop. She never did like the spotlight. It's a shame because she was a pretty good actor. I found that out well after we last met unfortunately. I wonder if I’ll ever meet her again.”

“You will.” Erica assured him sweetly. Her body was heavy, but her voice felt light, like she could say anything without worrying anymore.

“Yeah?”

“When you think about people, you’ve got think about what lies beneath. You’ve got to think about what is always going to be there with them. I’ve got to get home. Didn’t catch your name—“

“It’s Hughes. Justin Hughes.”

“I’m Erica Smith. It’s nice to meet you.”

Crit/review if you want, I'll appreciate it. Thanks for your time citizens.

Side Note: As one of you knows I'll be continuing Darunter along a different story path as well. It'll be less talky probably. That's what I meant by one ending at the top. Feel free to tell me I'm a genius/idiot for this.

Some people of /a/ sang this song and posted it on youtube.com a while back. I was expecting someone to respond accordingly.
/answer

No seriously. I w/a/sn't referencing that iteration.

No one has even come close.

How does that make you feel?

Antimony or parsimony?

Pass or fail?

If you had eight hands where would you put them?

Popes or pedobears?

Can you count backwards from ten?

Is it just me or is it drafty in here?

Why can't I decide whether you should live or die?

Would you take a look over your shoulder for me?

Vine or creeper?

Profanity or obscenity?

You didn't fail a test or try to rip all your hair out. So I'm going to assume you discovered element zero.

Idea 1: Come up with your own idea by writing down one word for each alphabet letter. The word must end with the letter it's representing. Take said words and arrange them in concentric polygons. First a triangle, then a square, and so on. Select one word from each shape. Take those words or any forms of those words and try to decipher a meaning from them. There is your premise, begin story from there.

Idea 2: Write about yourself. Be as egotistical as you want. Write every detail and facet of what you are feeling and then project it onto a character you'd love to sleep with.

Idea 3: Stop reading this, I'm clearly not going to help you and there is no good stuff to get to in this post.

Idea 4: Find ten books, movies, comics, television programs, et cetera that you like and take one thing from the first chapter/half hour/episode and make it into a Franken-creation that resembles none of the inspiration sources.

Idea 5: No seriously, stop. I'm half asleep. You might be half asleep. Everything that I'm saying right now amounts to "blargity Blargity hoy humbaba blarg hoy."

Idea 6: Write about a disgruntled grammarian who finds a love letter on his desk full of grammatical errors but still falls in love with the sender because she's such a great person and teaches him to be more laid back. It'll be the feel well story of the season.

Idea 7: Blind. Dogs. Playing. Poker. Now.

Idea 8: Never thought I'd get to 8 did you? Write about the number 8.

Idea 9: Write about how much being immortal would suck if you aged and watched all your friends die and got ostracized for looking disgusting and not dying.

Idea 10: Take a dictionary. Read it. Ideas will appear spontaneously.

Idea 11: Cheetahs don't have a book with them talking in it yet.

Idea 12: Write about someone who, just like you, has no idea what to write about.

Idea 13: If you've read this far then you're either not what's-his-face who started the thread or you're sure that I'm holding out on you. I'm not.

Idea 14: Go outside and write about nature. Nature is good yeah?

Idea 15: Look through every paper you own. Take the fifth word on each paper and arrange them into a series of first words for a series of sentences. Write around the sentence starters you've picked out.

Idea 16: Ask kh-v for story ideas.

Idea 17: Draw a picture. Give it a name and backstory. Do not post this picture anywhere. Write about it even after you've folded it into a paper airplane.

Idea 18: Pick a country. Learn its history from the year 100 A.D. to 900 A.D. write about that, but add flying cars.

Idea 19: Pick a planet. Imagine what life would be like on that planet. Planet need not be real. It could be a cube if you want it to be.

Idea 20: Write about when robots save the world from humans.

Idea 21: Write about a dragon blackjack dealer.

Idea 22: This story must being with some people playing catch and it must end with someone dropping a ball.

Idea 23: See? I told you I wasn't holding out on you.

Idea 24: Write a story with no characters.

Idea 25: The earth has lost 1/4 of it's population for no reason. Mystery of solving the missing 25 percent begins.

Idea 26: Write about an alternative universe where you didn't ask kh-v for ideas.

Idea 27: If a balloon is full of helium then it floats in air. If a balloon is full of helium then it doesn't float in helium. Start all sentences with the phrase "if a balloon."

Idea 28: Pacman fanfic.

Idea 29: The world is flat and the unverse is not infinite. Go.

Idea 30: pi day 2015 rolls around. Everything becomes a circle.

Idea 31: Earthbound malcontent dreams of overcoming arachnophobia. Fails and adds acrophobia to the list.

Idea 32: Bowzar the Dragon.

Idea 33: Stop reading.

Idea 34: Pick your own ideas.

Idea 35: Eat some cheez curls.

Idea 36: Write about squares and how they finally get their revenge.

Idea 37: See Idea 8.

Idea 38: ???

Idea 39: Profit!

In the end nothing was lost.

Proof is but a google search away. Sorry if you're scarred for life.

@Wolfie: My 12th grade Lit teacher sang this song in an Elmer Fudd voice.

I know a guy like you in real life. Three days ago he nearly set my friend on fire and he just got arrested for marijuana possession.

I'd post an example of how wrong you are. But...