Puzzle Pieces of Stories I Probably Won't Write

3, 4

3.

I didn't care. I didn't care that Timon was stuck, I didn't care what people might think or what I looked like with my messy bracken hair snagged with bits of twigs and dead yellow grass. I didn't care about the tear streaming down my cheeks, or the way Grayson might feel as I walked out of there without helping. I just wanted to get away. I just needed to get away.

As soon as I passed the fence, the oddest thing happened. A dark portal, swarming with purple and black, opens up the vortex in front of me. Without thinking, without caring where I'd end up or if this would be my doom, I step into the scourged world.

4.

It was a harmless night game. What could go wrong? There were plenty of us - and plenty of our parents too. It seemed completely safe and reasonable. Us sixth graders just wanted to have a bit of fun. No one ever said that being out on the streets ten o'clock at night in Florida would be a good idea, but then again, they had never said it would be a bad one. But nobody died, so we're good. At least, I don't think anyone died. It's kind of hard to tell when you have a black bag over your head in probably pitch-darkness.

"Finnley," I said. "We've been taken hostage."

I heard a groan, then shuffling as others awoke. Also a muffled, "No duuhh..." I felt that someone else was tied to me, and I prayed it wasn't a boy.

"I told you not to call me that..! It sounds girly..!"

"Does that really matter right now?" I asked, exasperated. Why couldn't it have been Ellie or  Clara? At least I know them! All I really know about Finn is that he likes animals and he's good at tech...

"Yes of course it does! What if they hear you and decide to torture me!?!"

"I don't really think that could be avoided if they plan to do that," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but that just gives them an upper hand on knowing what I don't like! You know, so they could torture me better?!" I rolled my eyes, though I knew he couldn't see.

"Whatever, dude. We gotta see who else is in here."

"I'm here!" a voice called.

"Same!" another voice called.

"Right here!"

"Is that everyone?"

"I'm here too." I groaned when I heard the voice. Colin... I thought. Colin was a guy in my third-period class. I hadn't really met him, but I knew he was kind of annoying.

"OK," I called. "So we got me, Finn, Elode, Remie, Colin, and Chloe?"

"Yep!" several voices chorused.

"We have to start thinking of a way out -" a voice started, but I didn't process who said it before I started talking over them.

"No. We need code names."

...

"So we're agreed?" I asked. "Everyone's happy with their names?"

Several voices chorused their agreement. Suddenly, there were clanging noises and a screech of a metal door as it was opened. Everyone fell silent. I heard lowered voices, and some shuffling as someone tore the bag off my head. I was fast enough to close my eyes. Finn wasn't.

"This boy's awake!" a voice called from next to me. "Doesn't seem like the girl is though!" I felt shifting as the man turned away from us and I peeked through the slits of my eyes. We were situated in a dark room, but it wasn't impossible to see. Most of the walls were bare, cold, lifeless. Except one.  

A beautiful mosaic filled it, with little pieces sticking out farther than others. And if I knew anything from TV and books, that difference was our ticket out.