Life's Novel (Black and Life)

[Castello]

~Life's Novel~

"He who destroys a good book kills reason itself"


- John Milton




This is a tale of two readers who's imaginations fly high into the clouds. They are the ones who have studied each book, skimmed each comic and learned from such mediums. However they grow tired of experiencing and want to be the God of their own life. Thus our two writers formed a club like event in which they meet up and write their minds dry. Looking for the enjoyment of reading they have begun to loose.​

 

[Life.]

The snow continued to fall as the sun descended into the horizon. Small puffs of mists condensed into the air as the busy life of the small town continued to bustle. A young girl was walking down the icy street, sliding down patches of ice every so often but luckily catching herself. Many others slid past her on the sidewalk. The faint lights of the streetlamps illuminated the small flakes of snow that fell. The young girl tugged on her scarf trying to cover her exposed face. Already being bundled up with a hefty amount of coats, she was still feeling the chill of the weather. A slight discontent was visible on her face until the warm light of a bookstore appeared in front of her. A smile replaced her slight frown as she walked into the cozy store. The store owner just granted her a wave already knowing who it was who entered. "Good evening Janelle," the elderly woman grumbled. Janelle, the young girl, waved back and wandered into the lonely aisles of the store.


Many spines of the books shined their bright text in front of her, wanting her to read them. But over the years she has rather gotten bored of the same original plotlines being used. She then found her seat that she normally sat in. Janelle gently pushed up her glasses and fixed her coat and scarf to make her appearance pleasant. The faint color of pink were on her cheeks to show the heat was finally rising up inside of her to compensate the cold chill from the outside. Janelle leaned into the seat and looked up at the clock nearby reading it as 5:49 pm, awaiting on someone. Just the thought of the person sent shivers down her spine. She didn't know why but being around this certain someone made her happy.

 

[Castello]

Frost embedded onto Lewyn's eye lashes as the the chilling wind blew onto his hazel eyes. With each blink the strands of hair stuck to each other, making the sidewalk in front of him hard to navigate. Quickly he pulled his toque over his eyes and melted the frost and continued forward. He'd be cold if it wasn't for the adrenaline taking his mind off of it. Knowing the future ahead of him, spending time with the one he fawned over made a crisp heat course throughout his body.


Within the grasp of his eye the library closed in within his vision. Its quaint atmosphere quickly brought fond memories and a sentimental smile to Lewyn's face. All the books he read, all the things he wrote, the text drowned his entire mind. And now he had someone to do it with.


As he came towards its entrance he noticed the old librarian working within the walls. He opened the doors and entered the building, quickly noticing Janelle.


"I see you've come to join Janelle, Lewyn. She is sitting in the usual spot." The lady explained and went back to her business. Lewyn quickly spotted her and walked over to his brown haired friend.


"Hey Janelle! Sorry I'm late, hehe." Lewyn greeted awkwardly and took a seat across from her, taking out his notes and pencil.

 

[Life.]

A slight jump came to her heartbeat when she heard the voice of Lewyn. A small smile came across her face as she turned around and saw the curly haired boy approach her. Her eyes followed him as he took a seat across from her. Already she was feeling above the warm temperature. She smiled, "No worries. I wasn't here for long myself." She moved a strand of stray hair from her face to behind her ear and asked, "So how should we begin this cold evening with? A travels to the moon where there you can find crystals that can grow abnormal creatures? Or to the desert where beneath all the sand lies a futuristic civilization? Or the wondrous forest filled with the lives of nature as well as myths?"


As Janelle asked each question her hands flailed around as if to express the image more. A light came onto her eyes just thinking about all the possibilities that can be written down on just a single blank sheet of paper and a pencil full of lead. Even a bubble of laughter came out of her mouth as her eyes stared into the boy's hazel ones.

 

[Castello]

As their eyes met a light blush overcame his face, but he soon flushed it away and smiled back, tilting his head in thought.


"Hmmm..." Lewyn mumbled to himself as he let his mind run free. Her suggestions were surely interesting, but he wasn't feeling so adventurous today. If he were to be honest, he felt slightly romantically inclined. But he didn't feel like bringing up such a topic. That's when a simple idea came to mind.


"Errr, I like all those ideas, but how about we do something simple to warm us up? How does two people lost in the clutches of a shrouded forest sound?" He brought up, trying to offer more suggestions.

 

[Life.]

Janelle thought she saw a slight blush coming onto Lewyn's face but was quickly replaced with a smile. Her eyes watched his reaction intently to see what he desired for today since most often they went with her ideas. "Mmm. Well at least we still keep the forest part. But eerie, dark, and spooky? Sure why not?" Janelle responded. She leaned forward in her seat and looked down on the sheet of paper then back up to Lewyn. "Alright so what 'clutches' shall they encounter? Evil witches? Monsters? Ghosts? Or shall they happen to become lost?" she asked as she examined the paper thinking about how the story shall begin.

 

[Castello]

Lewyn's mind ran wild for a moment. He had yet to realize all the possibilities. There were so many combinations for this one idea. But he felt like taking a risk.


"How about... All of the above? Maybe they could be soldiers in training who get lost in the forest. However little do they know they aren't only lost, but they're in the prescence of nefarious beings as well!" Lewyn begun with inspiration running out of his ears like steam. "The story continues until they find their way out, but we'll have a twist. The exit could be like a test or something. Maybe the victory over a fear?" Lewyn added.

 

[Life.]

Janelle's eyes lighted up with life. "Let the story begin..."


The wind ominously blew through the bare and empty trees. The wind seemed to have been screeching and screaming cries that would fill the human souls with fear. Little critters shook in fear as wild monsters roamed their territories. The moon was gone for the night for it was a new moon. No light seemed to shine upon this forest.


This setting happened to be where two humans were located. Lucky were they to have each other. The woman right beside the man had luminous white hair with piercing golden eyes who was dressed with a brilliant blue dress that emphasized her ivory skin. Her hands were clung to the man that stood beside her. Fear was written all over her face as her eyes flitted left and right as every little sound spooked her.

 

[Castello]

"You said it, let us begin!" Lewyn sung and prepared to write.


The wind blew through the broad shouldered man, blowing his golden hair to the right. He held onto the white maiden that shivered next to him. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to emphasize the fact that he was by her side and that he had no intention of leaving. But deep within the man, where his spirit would reside. Was an engulfing fear, waiting to ignite into total anxiety. He closed his azure eyes and held onto the woman, latching onto the last source of heat and security he knew. While all this happened he left his spare hand on his curved scimitar. Knowing a murderous desire waited for them somewhere beyond the plants and trees.

 

[Life.]

Her thin hand moved up to her mouth as a creature of the night began approaching them. At first it had no dignified shape but as her mind began to slip the shadow began to take form. Her frightened golden eyes illuminated brighter as the minutes flew by. Her hand moved down to the wand clung onto the tiny belt on her thigh feeling the murderous desire emitting from the man beside her. "Azrael, please. Control yourself. You mustn't lose yourself now...I need you," she pleaded. The young woman's head turned back as the darkened figure approached them. It held the ominous shape of a man that stood taller than most. It had no eyes but rather sockets and goop fell from its mouth. With a quick reaction, the woman flicked the wand up from its rightful place and casted a spell forward towards the creature. A light flew from the tip of the wand to the creature and at first nothing seemed to have happened until the creature blasted away into bits. A cry from the ominous forest responded to its end.

 

[Castello]

The monsters demise slowly caused his hand to reach for the hilt of his sword, but he slowly stopped his creeping hand. He looked over to Olivia and grasped onto her hand, pulling of a feeble smile.


"Y-yes, you are right. I must stay true to myself. Come, let us find the exit together. Together... we can prevail, Olivia." He said with the utmost confusion. He barely knew what had occured or how they ended up where they were. One moment they are out for a walk in the angelic orchards of his farm, the next they stare fear right in he eye. With Olivia's hand in his he gently tried to pull her along deeper into the forest. Now he felt a bit stronger, now he was able to fight what he would call a fear of his.

 

[Life.]

A smile of relief came upon Olivia's face as she felt the rising fury inside of him subside. She felt her hand finding his. The warmth of him comforted her even more as her golden eyes looked through the gnarled roots of the forest that contained many nightmares and fears of human beings. She moved her wand back down to the strap on her thigh and turned to look back into Azrael's azure eyes. Her white hair blew among the dark winds as she continued to cling onto Azrael. Her eyes focused onto his to make sure that he was really Azrael and not one that is lost to the madness inside of him. "Yes...together," she whispered as she rested her head against his chest giving a sigh of relief to hear the regular heartbeat of Azrael.

 

[Castello]

Azrael slowly brought Olivia's body closer to his chest and cuddled into her embrace. For a moment it was like he was back in the orchards, where all was tranquil. Slowly though, as a harrowing breeze chilled his bones he realized he was within a new domain. One that struck the only he fear he knew, that which is unknown. As the seconds passed he could hear an incoming threat. Like field mice they rushed through the plantation as if it was nothing. The figure was like a dogs, but deformed in many different ways. It was coming towards Olivia's back, but he would not allow such a being to harm his shrine of hope.


Quickly he got Olivia behind him and faced the.... monster. It was harmed, its skin burned, scars on covered every inch of its body, skin peeling and teeth rearranged and misplaced. It's yelps screeched right into Azrael's ears, rocking his bones like a boat. As it lunged onto Azrael he pulled out his sword and blocked it's jaw. Slowly it gnawed on his blade but like a small bug, Azrael whipped it onto the ground, killing it instantly.


He turned around to Olivia and grabbed onto her hand. In the distance he could hear more growling. The mutt had come with back up...


"Come Olivia we must go." He said to her, trying to remain calm and motioning towards the bushes in which oncoming rustling could be heard.

 

[Life.]

That slight moment of serenity...oh how she yearned to live it more. Being enveloped by such wanting caused her guard to lower. Luckily Azrael was there. Olivia felt the moment of such change of bliss to horrendous fear. Her sudden movements felt like jello as her head turned slowly her hair flying wildly around her. Her golden eyes widened with shock, her mouth widening to allow screams to escape. But no sound came out of her. Olivia's hands gripped tighter around Azrael as she watched in slow motion his arm swinging around her with his savior sword. The terrifying mongrel tore at it, gnawing it. Her eyes looked into its. Golden into crimson. She saw nothing in it except hatred. A gasp came into her mouth sending shivers down her whole body. Scars and blood coated its muscular body. Hatred defined its drive though. Its sole purpose was to wreak havoc and kill.


She couldn't help but feel pity for such creatures. Her nurture of upbringing was one where she saw the light in all. But these creatures had none and maybe that's why they were this way. Her golden eyes sent a single tear down her cheek when she saw its corpse fall to the ground when Azrael's sword ended its rampage. To see its lungs take a single breath to grasp as much of this world as it could astonished Olivia. These creatures still wanted to live. But couldn't.


Olivia then returned back to normal time which made everything seem to be moving faster. She just nodded and followed along Azrael. She kept silent though glancing back once at the decaying corpse that was fading away like a shadow, as if it never existed. With no light in its soul there was no reason for it to continue and stay in this world, that is why creatures of the light sink into the ground rather than fade to dust. To help grow future generations of hope.

 

[Castello]

Azrael drifted his eyes upon the mutt one last time before he who would pull Olivia's gentle hand away. It had a petrified gaze, blood seeped from its mouth and the dogs neck was no longer straight on. It caused a sigh of pity to release from Azrael's lips as he sheathed the blade he had slain it with.


Closing his eyes to rid him of the awful image, he then made away from the scene at a brisk pace, but one Olivia could keep up with. The forest was a fearful sight to behold. Each tree was charred black, each bush embedded with thorns that dug into the skin like a knife and the breezes were sharp and chilling. The whole atmosphere caused Azrael's head to go into disarray. He had no idea where to go, which way was the right way. His mind was only set on escaping.

 

[Life.]

Olivia ran, skipped, and jumped through the dead landscape. Sharp thorns attempting to pierce her unscathed skin. Howls and cries crawling up her back. Everything that could sum up fear was here. The only light that seemed to shine were from them. Everything all around her seemed to be closing on around her, suffocating her, wanting to take the light that she has within her. Nothing was safe here. She continued sprinting alongside her shining prince. Her feet avoided most obstacles but many still pricked and stabbed her. Not even flinching she continued. They ran for their lives, searching for the light, searching for life, searching for anything that can help them bring them back to where they belong, the light. Nothing seemed to shine hope upon them and it seemed as if the darkness was having its influence on her as her golden eyes began to dull over. Her white hair becoming a dull gray. The life upon her eyes dissipating as she continued to run. A gnarled root grabbed its opportunity as it wrapped around her ankle that brought her down to the dead ground. No screams or fear came from her. She just laid there stretching her arm out and whispering one word, "Azrael..."

 

[Castello]

A sudden halt came to Azrael's surprise. He believe it only to meager, he wanted it just to be a quick trip of Olivia's feet. But soon a light voice came his way and he turned his head around like an owl. At first glance it looked like she was simply tripped by a log, just a minor inconvenience. Though as his eyes drifted onto her ankle, her skinny ankle, he saw the root. His pupils shrank for a moment and anxiety pored outside his skin. As if it was a natural instinct, he tore out the blade of its sheath and began to cut away at the root. However to his disbelief it wouldn't cut so easily. However it was now he was beginning to realize the situation better.


"Don't worry, I'll get you out. Just remain calm."He assured the white haired woman.


After many slashes to the base of the root led to a small dent within its flesh. Azrael's arm felt numb, but he wanted to free her as soon as possible. Something told him the wolves would not give up so easily on human prey. Realizing the slashing posed a potential threat he switched his style of removal. Like a piece of bread he began to chisel the vine, which seemed to be working better than his actions from before. But carelessly his hands slipped and a minuscule cut appeared on Olivia's skin. Finally the vine released her, but that only revealed what he had done to her.


"Olivia, I'm so sorry." He told her. Slowly he put his arms behind her back and lifted her onto foot. "Can you stand Love?" He asked, hoping the cut had not burdened her so.

 

[Life.]

Olivia's dull eyes lifelessly looked at the figure of a panicked man in front of her. A neutral expression appeared on her face as it met the beautiful man's anxious face. Her eyes followed his in the direction it was looking at. There she saw what appeared to be an ankle wrapped around a root. A root that kept digging into the ankle as if it wanted to devour the whole thing. An ankle...is that my ankle? I feel no pain though...I feel nothing...nothing. Her eyes then traveled back to the man's face as he spoke some words to her.


Then her eyes moved back to the root. At first he tried slicing it, that soon was changed into chiseling it. It worked well except at the last moment the sword slipped and landed momentarily onto the ankle's skin. Olivia felt a sting. Huh...as soon as the sword touched the ankle I felt a sting...is that my leg...it can't be...


Lost to an abyss of darkness she could not associate what was hers and what was fantasy. She was beginning to lose sense of her identity, her body, her, Olivia. Then the man wrapped around the body connected to the ankle. The woman turned her head over to the man. No word was understood from his mouth except for 'Love'. Love?


As her brain registered the word. She began to feel her lungs expanding, her blood flowing, and her eyes brightening. Then a stinging sensation flared at the bottom of her leg. Her eyes traveled down to the ankle that was bleeding, feeding the ground beneath her. She then looked up at the man, "That is fine. It is but a mere flesh wound. Thank you Azrael. Thank you. I was almost lost to the darkness." She placed her hands on his cheeks and brought his face close to hers. Her golden eyes looked into his azure ones, studying the life within them. The closeness between them thrilled her despite the darkness that surrounded them. Then without a second thought she brought her lips onto his, wanting to feel warmth once more.

 

[Castello]

As Olivia drifted closer towards his body, Azrael felt his arm drift behind her lower back. For the moment they stood face to face was the warmest feeling he had ever felt. The winds that blew against them, even though cold, could not penetrate the sensation he felt. Slowly his lips met hers. They felt exactly like a flower petal, smooth and soft. His eyes slowly closed as he descended off to a happier place. Where life could ensue peacefully, where death laid idle. A heavenly jolt ran through his veins, but soon, reality set in. His lips left hers and his eyes opened, gazing into her golden iris. As he relished in their beauty, the warmth remained with him, but not for long. An abrupt gale blew his hair dry, but he continued his embrace and managed a smile despite the fear that had returned to him.


"With my glowing sun by my side, I know I can escape anything, even the devil itself. Thank you Olivia, you bring great strength to me." He told her, not a hint of falseness anywhere in his voice.

 

[Life.]

Warmth flowed through her veins, arteries, it swam in her blood. The humane greed within her wanted more of the warmth and comfort, the reassurance of life. The sensation of the kiss sparked new found energy within her. She could feel her heart racing and breath shortening. From the thrill and excitement, greed underlined both wanting more passion and feel. And when his arm wrapped around her tighter she felt herself gasp slightly. A slight heartache can be felt within her when she felt the warmth starting to fade. Her closed eyes fluttered open to look into his azure ones. A slight disappointment could be seen in her eyes when he finished the passionate embrace but as her mind began re-registering their situation she did not complain. She felt herself breathing in once her lips disconnected from his feeling her lightheadedness. Olivia held a small, satisfied smile on her face as her hands were still resting on his cheeks. They slid down to the back of his neck.


"With you my shining star I would have been lost to the abyss of darkness. I have confidence that we will live with you by my side. I thank you for bringing me back to the light," she whispered back to his response.

 

[Castello]

As her words came too an end Azrael pulled a warm smile and went for one final embrace before he would let go of her. It was now he discovered that his arms where shaking with happiness and contempness. As a matter of fact he had never been happier, but before he knew it, the haunting forest began to outlined his glowing sun.


"Come we have a future to experience and I swear by our love it will not be here. Stay close Olivia, I promise I'll keep you safe." He swore to her holding onto her hand softly.