Story Requests

Coraline and Tyler

The girl was wearing a red cape, just like the other Cryptos. She was dressed fully in black and had a small dagger hanging from her belt. Her eyes were a dark green and her hair was blonde, which curled softly around her shoulders in ringlets. She looked friendly, but there was a flicker of annoyance in her face as she held out a hand to help Tierra up. 

Tierra grabbed it and was yanked up onto her feet immediately. She stood on the boat dripping wet and shivering.

The blonde haired girl climbed over a chair and threw a yellow towel to her. "Here you are," she said gruffly, striding over to the front. She plopped down into a black leather chair and took the wheel. 

Tierra wrapped the threadbare towel around her shoulders, flipping her hair back so it was on top of the towel. The movement flung water droplets everywhere. She sat down on a chair beside the girl and asked the question was lingering at the back of her mind: "Why are you being kind to me?" 

The girl ignored her for a second, concentrating on the world ahead of her as the boat skimmed over the tops of the waves. A long pause followed and an awkward silence hung in the air. She answered after a moment. 

"My name is Coraline. I was kidnapped by the Cryptos three years ago. They forced me to work for them. My job is picking up the hostages they've taken from other planets and transporting them to the main base. Then I head back for more. More people." She breathed out, deeply and slowly. 

"I have to wait for days, weeks, months sometimes, for passengers. I don't even get paid. But..." she pressed a button on the side, and the engine revved up. She waved a hand. "But it's a good job. I love driving speedboats." She almost murmured the last few words. 

Coraline ran a hand through her hair. "What about you? Where did you come from?" 

Tierra hesitated. She didn't know this girl. But she felt she could trust her. So on the way to the main base, she talked. She poured out her story and everything that had happened. Everything that happened to her over the last week. Coraline didn't interrupt, sometimes she glanced over at Tierra sympathetically, but she mostly kept her gaze on what was ahead. 

"I'm sorry," Coraline said at the end of the story. "I am. I have a brother who was taken by the Cryptos. His name is Flynn. They took him and forced me to work for them, like I said before. They told me they'll set him free eventually as soon as I finish this job. I just don't know if they mean it." 

There was silence in the boat for a moment. 

"Deep down, I hate them," Coraline confessed. "But I have no choice but to work for them. Really, I'm pretending to be on their side. They'll kill my brother if I refuse to work for them." She turned to Tierra, a desperate look in her green eyes, pleading. "I don't know why I told you this. But I just had to tell someone. I've kept it a secret for such a long time. Please, don't tell anyone." 

Tierra nodded. She felt sorry for this girl. "I wish I could help you," she said. 

And she meant it. She just didn't know how she could. "Your secret is safe with me." 

"We're here!" Coraline announced wearily, a while later.  "The  base of the Cryptos. Be prepared." 

The boat bumped against the side of a wooden platform and stopped. She jumped out, fingers clasping against a thick rope. Coraline tied the boat to a post, checking the knot was firm and secure. She whirled around, cape fluttering in the soft breeze. "Follow up the steps up the cliff and walk inside the doorway." 

She whipped out her dagger, noticing Tierra's hesitation. "Go on," she said, smirking. 

Tierra threw down the towel onto the soaking wet floor, smiled once more at her new friend, and stepped out of the boat. It rocked as she exited, splashing the dock; salty water washing over the wooden boards. Tierra turned towards the tall cliff that towered above her. Large, stone steps had been cut out of the rock, with large gaps in between. 

It didn't look very inviting, but, looking at the fierce face of Coraline, she had no choice, so, she trudged up the steps that were cut into the rock. They jutted outwards and were small and slippery. Some had already crumbled away, leaving it barely manageable to continue on. 

Halfway up, she leaned against the sides of the mountain, breathless. Coraline nudged her. "There is no choice of going back now."  

Just as she reached the top of the steps, one of them crumbled away as she took her foot off it. It fell, before smashing into smithereens on the ground far below. 

There came a mumble from Coraline. "Hurry up. Go inside." She pushed Tierra into a gaping, black doorway in the mountain. Silence came from inside, followed by a few shouts and screams. Then more silence.

Tierra took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She continued on, but noticed that Coraline had stopped. She didn't dare to turn around, so she walked faster. 

A few minutes later, Coraline had gone. 

Then suddenly Tierra reached a large, empty room. Guards in red capes were everywhere. Two came over and began pinning her down onto the floor. "Stop!" 

She resisted and struggled, but couldn't get free of their grasp. She didn't know what was happening. Panic filled her lungs. They ignored her pleas and one of them grabbed six of the blue-lightning-weapons. 

"Oh no," Tierra murmured. All she could do was wait in suspense for the crackling torture weapon to burn into her skin. As the blue lightning connected with her arms, legs and neck, screams travelled across the room. The paralysing feeling returned. The numbness took over. 

Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes, and she went cold. Everything disappeared as the blackness took over, and she gave in to the pain. 

Tierra woke. She couldn't move. She couldn't remember anything. What had happened? She didn't know. Her eyes opened, and she looked up into a familiar face.

 The face of her boyfriend, Tyler.