Strife | Teen Ink

Strife

February 22, 2016
By KingToxicShadow BRONZE, Ormond Beach, Florida
KingToxicShadow BRONZE, Ormond Beach, Florida
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

“Nothing has ever lived that will not die.”

Everyday, I see him; everyday, I watch him. Everyday, I love him. To my creator, please love me, because without you… I would not exist, and you would have no protection. I only want to keep you from harm, but you can be so stubborn. Be safe in your travels, and in your life away from your once safe life. Please.
I beg of you…
?
‘I hate this new school…’ He thought, riding his bike for the second day of his new school. Though it had been such a short time, he knew he would not like it. Making it to school, everyday, riding his bike there and back. He learned to deal with it. Accepting that his old life, old friends, and everything from his old home was gone. He continuously blamed himself. ‘Stupid… Stupid stupid…’ He would think to himself.
How I wish I could help you, oh bearer mine, but you close your mind to such distractions as I.
He didn’t know that his new life would bring such diversity, he was astounded. It had only been a year since his… Incident… That he had nearly forgot about his old school. His old life and family… And close friend. ‘I still miss you Bell, and I will always love and remember you…’ His sadness was not gone. The depression only rooted into his being, turning him into a rose, who turns towards the sun each day, but whose roots grow deep in darkness.
“Hey, you new?”
“Yeah..”
“I’m Lila,” she extends her hand to him. He was confused, but subconsciously brought his hand forward to meet her’s.
“Tristan.. It’s nice to meet you Lila..” He smiled a little, feeling a glint of something new. Hope.
?
Months later, he felt genuine in his happiness. Though the dark days still followed his footsteps, he had new help. “I am glad we met that time ago.” He held her close, laying his head on her shoulder.
“Mhm,” she smiled, looking at him with her lovely light brown eyes. The glow of the paint splatter on the wall shone dimly in the dark room, but each word or hand print was totally visible.
“What is that spot from?” He points to a splatter on the opposite side of the room.
“Where? If you are pointing, I can’t see where.”
“Next to the closet, your left.”
“Oh that one, it was from Nikki’s birthday party. We had it here since her mom is mean, but for some reason she loves my mom.”
“Everyone likes your mom.” The boy smiled a little, then thought of his own mother.
“Except for your’s.” They both laugh, knowing how sadly true it was that their mother’s hated each other.
“I love you Lila~.”
“I know you do.” She smiles.
?
The shadow of his former self manifested, and was reborn. The dark of the night seemed to drain, and all the life felt less… Lively… As the strange aberration showed his true form, and true colors. A tall young man, hair styled back with gel, but leaving his bangs hanging over his forehead, parted down the middle. His clothed showed him to be a scholar of a private institution. Collared button down green shirt, matte grey tie, and black dress pants. His magenta irises have a soft glow to them.
He chuckled and looks around the area, a vast area with little life and virtually no light. “Oh the possibilities.” He chuckled darkly, becoming invisible in the low light.
Memory corrupted… Reboot Required… Initiating Total Reset.
?

‘This sucks..’ He thought to himself as he walked around, alone. He couldn’t face them. Not in the state he was in. His friends could never see him like this. Not after what he had done. He turned a corner quickly, nearly running into her.
“Hey! I have been looking everywhere for you! I was getting worried.”
“...” He stood awkwardly, staring into her hazel eyes. Noticing a slight tinge in her slower eye, trying not to stare.
“Are you ok..?” She looked worried, she knew something was up.
“I’m ok… Thank you for finding me…” He sniffled a little and hugged her tightly. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore… I don’t want to hide…”
“Shh, it’s alright.” She pat his back softly, “No more hiding. No more keeping us a secret.” She smiled at him softly.
“Dakota…”
“Yes Tristan?”
“I love you… So much…” He was apprehensive to say it entirely, something felt different.
“And I feel the same to you.” She held out her hand, “Now let’s show them.”
?
A small spark slowly grew in power immensely, true being and freedom manifested and was reborn. The area seemed to flow with energy from this new conduit of positive energy. The spark grew into a wonderful presence of freedom and joy, showing its magnificent form in full color. A tall young man, hair styled messily and quickly, a very relaxed look on his face. A light blue tank top on, exposing the wing tattoo he has stretching across his back, with parachute pants of grey and blue. He looked to be a hard working blue collar man from the definition on his arms and chest, though two large bracelets on either arm would throw many for a loop. Looking as though they were… Batteries… Of some sort.
His soft blue irises looked around the dense, untouched forest. He smiled, “Look at all this life.” He stood firm and walked briskly into the forest.
Memory error… Restarting...
?

‘What… Did I just do… What did I even say?!’ He questioned himself angrily, he knew not how to answer or even if there were an answer. All he knew was to avoid being found. He needed to forget what just happened, and fast. Oh no…
“Hey Tristan… Are you… Ok..?” The small teenage girl asked, her earbuds hung down on her small chest as she looked down at him.
“Yeah… Fine… I guess…” He didn’t have the courage to look up at her from his seat, tucked tightly into a corner of the hallway, on the opposite side of campus. He was astounded that she was able to find him.
“Oh… Well… I just, I couldn’t help it… I needed to talk to you, about what you said…” She sighed, catching his attention. She had never been one to get nervous like this, let alone be lost for words. “It’s just… Seeing you, and talking to you… I have never felt this feeling before with anyone else except… Once, but a while ago. You are just amazing and I can’t shake this feeling…” She looks away, “Sorry… I am wasting your time…” She starts walking away. He quickly stands up and takes her hand, looking at her.
“You are never a waste of my time, and… I want to know this feeling better as well…” He smiled a little.
“Oh Tristan…” She hugged him with love and deep affection.
“Skylar…” He hugged back gently. “I love you.”
“Hehe, I love you too~”
?
An echo was heard throughout the empty city streets, but no one was around to hear it. The echo got louder and louder, the lights of the city turning on one by one. A young wolf walked out into the empty streets, next to it walked a boy. They both seemed to have the same thick black hair and deep blue eyes. The boy wore jeans with a dark blue shirt and sneakers. Headphones over his ears drowned out all the noise as he looked around. Slowly he lowered the headphones to sit on his shoulders. The wolf looked up at him, and he pet the young wolf. As the boy smiled, his teeth seemed rather… Sharp, almost jagged like they grew incorrectly.
The boy looked around the empty city and said, “This place, it needs a fresh note to be played.” He started walking deeper into the city and the wolf followed.
Memory malfunction… Restarting...
?

He breathes deeply, looking around the pool area. He had been home alone with her for so long and still no one had come home.
“What’s up?” She looked at him with her soft blue eyes, her long brown hair drooping down into the pool, covering most of her bathing suit.
“Just wondering why my mom is taking so long to get home, she said she would be back in a little bit.” He continues looking at the sliding glass door for any signs of his mother.
“Does it really matter when she is coming back?” She puts her hand on his cheek and moves him gently, making him look into her eyes. He smiles a bit.
“No, I guess not..” He chuckles, moving back and ducking under the surface of the water. He felt weightless underwater, and it was his favorite place to be. He resurfaced, they were face to face. He blushed softly, “Well hello there…”
“Hello to you too.” She giggled and kissed him softly on the cheek, then got out of the pool, flaunting and looking back at him. Knowing he would be embarrassed and blushing. “Hey guess what, Tristan” She started drying off with a towel, hung over a chair near the pool.
“What is it, Luna?” He looked curiously at her, having an idea of what she was going to say.
“I love you,” she said with a big smile.
“I love you too, and guess what,” he said as he got out of the pool and stood next to her.
“Heh, what?” She didn’t look back at him, but felt his hand on her back.
“This.” He pushed her into the deep end of the pool, jumping in behind her. As they surfaced, she gasped and had grin on her face. They swam over to the shallow end and hugged. “I love you too much to not go in without you~” He smiled and rested his head on her shoulder.
?
As the wind whipped and howled over the ice covered tundra, far below the surface laid a cave. The cave had little light, but that is not to say it was not bright, for on the ceiling hung worms that glow like stars. The entire cave glowed because of this reason, and also the massive crystal structures that formed over thousands of years. One would not know the difference if a crystal looked to be… Moving? Slowly a six foot tall collomb began to bend and crack, shaping into what looked like the statue of a young nobleman. He wore a long brilliant green coat, and his hair was a mess of brown and black. His emerald eyes looked about the cave, feeling the warm moisture all around him. He took a deep breath and sighed contently.
He turned towards an opening in the ceiling where the cold wind blew in harshly, and he smiled. “This.. This is my domain.” He nods his head with assurance. He makes his way over the jagged cave floor.
Memory overload… Restarting… Failure to restart systems…
?

“Listen to me. You are losing yourself. You need to calm down.” The man with electric blue eyes looked at his colleague with concern.
“No, YOU listen to ME! I was here FIRST! I deserve to have ALL the land to MYSELF!!” His magenta eyes seemed to scream as he protested.
“Hang on, I want to expand my city! The city is my home, and you all are so behind the times. I think I should be in control.” The boy with deep blue eyes looked between the two men as they battled verbally.
“I have an idea..” The young nobleman stood up, standing taller than all of them. “Why don’t we divide up the world? There are four of us and no one else seems to be alive on this entire world besides the plants and animals.” The other three looked between each other, seeming not to object the idea. The nobleman smiles, “Then it is settled. We all rule, together.”
?
“Wait! Lila, you know I didn’t mean it!!” The boy ran up next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Quickly being rejected, Lila turned to him quickly.
“Just don’t talk to me! Go away!” Her eyes full of pain and sadness. A sight that would haunt him forever… Permanently scarring him. He just sat there and watched her walk away, unable to speak a word. Trying desperately to think of something to say. That was always his downfall, being unable to think of things quick enough to formulate a sentence that makes sense. Suddenly he looked to his left and noticed the hazel eyed girl standing there, looking hurt and confused.
“Why did you do it… You left me confused and worried… Just tell me why, please.” The boy tried to think of what to say, so lost in thought he doesn’t even know where he is anymore. She just stood there looking at him, looking to be angry, but he had learned by now that this was her look of sadness, and maybe even fear. “Well?? Was it to go back to her?? Tristan just tell me!” He stood silent. She shook her head in disbelief and just left without another word.
“No…” The boy whimpered softly to himself, shaking his head. “This can’t be happening.” He finally looked over to see another girl, her earbuds hanging on her chest and her face full of confusion mostly, but moreover. Sadness… “Please Skylar, you have to believe me…”
“I…” She sniffled, “I don’t even know what to think anymore…” She stood sobbing, nothing hurt worse than seeing someone cry. Especially not her… He didn’t want that image to ever enter his head, and now it was there right in front of him. It’s ok creator… You didn’t mean it… I know you didn’t, I believe you.
“Asshole.” The first girl growled as she walked up, almost sounding like a dog.
“Faggot.” The second girl walked up, looking pissed as hell.
‘This can’t be happening…’ He looked between the four, his mind racing in an entirely new manner. One he had yet to fully experience, but it was bound to happen at one point. All at once he felt his heart, soul, and mind separate and begin to argue. His head further clogging full of words of sorrow and anger to try and repair what had been broken, but none could agree with the other three.
?
“Get out of this castle. You are never allowed here again.” The man’s magenta eyes gave a serious vibe as he stared at the young man.
“Make me, Shadow. You’re nothing more than the trash left over by my light.” His electric blue eyes stared back at Shadow, not backing down.
“You are really testing my patients Tesla.” Shadow growled, a somewhat dark energy flowed out of him. Seeming to taint the ground around him.
“Oh am I? What button did I press this time?? This one?” Tesla pushed him in the chest, “Or this one?” He pushed harder, moving Shadow slightly. He slowly raised his hand, “Or this one.” His fist sparked brightly as he punched the man straight in the chest. Sending Shadow stumbling backward. After only a moment, it was met with another fist. Flying from the darkness on the ground, a fist formed and hit Tesla in the jaw, staggering him as Shadow stood up and smirked.
“I hate your freakin’ guts.” Shadow said with a slight laugh.
“Yeah, I hate your guts too.” Tesla retorted, rubbing his jaw as he chuckled.
?
“No holding back on me now!” The boy laughed as he jumped quickly after landing on the ground. His headphone resting upon his head but unmoving as he performed several combat moves.
“Wouldn’t dream on it.” The nobleman kept a keen eye locked on the boy, slashing with his sword just as the boy would land in attempts to catch him off guard. After so long of moving and dodging, the two stopped and rested, the boy lowered his headphones to his neck and breathed heavily. The nobleman seemed ready to go, not worn out at all after the long training.
“How *pant* are you *pant* not worn *pant* out, Zircon??” The boy looked up at him as he bent over, trying to regain his breath still.
“I guess it is because I’m not human, and why are you so tired Base? We have only been training for two hours.” He looked confusedly down at the boy.
“I guess... Because I AM human...” Base chuckled and stood up once again. “Alright, I am ready to go.” He walks over to his bag and pulls out a high tech looking rifle.
“You are using your weapon on me?” Zircon looked with uncertainty at the boy, but Base chuckled again.
“You used your sword on me to practice my maneuvering, so I am using my weapon. I made it myself.” He states proudly, but Zircon stares at it. Having no clue what it will even do. “Just trust me.” Base walks a few feet away and readies the weapon, “Ready?”
“Yes, begin when you wish.” He stands firm, yet with a nimble sense about him.
“Well first I was thinking we should do some stretches.” Base says in a joking fashion.
“Base, this isn’t the time for that.” Zircon stands up normally. Just as he does so, Base lifts his rifle and pulls the trigger, aimed at Zircon’s feet. A high frequency shock wave travels from the barrel and hits his legs, sweeping him off his feet. Zircon quickly rolls and gets back to his feet.
“You said when I was ready!” Base laughed a little manically as he pulled the trigger in rapid success. Letting loose a barrage of shock waves, but the nobleman was nimble. He jumped and dodged with great precision. “Now we’re talkin’!” He smiles and keeps going.
?
‘Make it stop make it stop!’ He pleaded, looking at the two angry individuals, then to the third girl who had not spoken. Still sobbing. He whimpered, stepping back a little from them all, finding himself on the edge of a tall building. He looked down to the spot where his friend used to eat, patches of grass missing all over the small area. He turned back and looked at the three girls, two still yelling insults, the other still crying. He whimpered and tears began to form in his eyes.
Corrupted… Error… Malfunction… Overload… Initiate total purge.
?


“Let thy will be done…” He said to himself, loud enough for the other four to hear. Suddenly as his foot left the edge, he heard their insults turn to pleas.  Beginning to fall.
“Don’t do it Tristan!”
“We all care about you so much!”
But the third girl continued to cry, scared of seeing who she cared about fall to his inevitable death. They all four screamed.
They could only mourn the one they loved. They did not understand that only a fourth of him had loved them each. They only saw one death out of the four that had occurred. All they know is one, inevitable truth. There was no problems, until he started them.

“To die twice is a strange land: first by your love’s hand, then by yours.”
 


The author's comments:

This was part of an assignment in my English class, though it was required of me to write something, I am very proud of this piece. 


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