September 2020 Writing Prompts

Day 7 - Proximity

Their shared proximity to the blast must have caused it. They were surely dead, and they both knew it. They had both screamed in anguish as the explosion burned their mortal flesh away and ripped away their souls from their bodies in seconds.

They must be dead. There was no other way they would be floating in this space if they weren't. The dark abyss, littered with small dots that could only be stars, comforted their shared panic, almost as if it were an old friend they had had from long ago but had lost contact with.

Neither wanted to speak, too shaken and panicked. They couldn't remember anything from before the blast, just that it had happened and now they were here, wherever here was. They weren't even sure they knew each other, but the deep sense of belonging and understanding only grew stronger as they stared at each other, each wanting the other to explain their circumstance.

Time stood still as they stared at each other, neither moving or even considering doing so, as they studied the other, still unsure of themselves. One had bright pink hair that barely reached her shoulders, though it had changed colors at least three times since they had begun their age-long staring contest. The pinkette's eyes were a dark brown and her face was littered with freckles, almost as if someone had decided to dot her face with a sharpie one day and the marks had stuck. She wore a long sky blue dress that would have left yards of fabric heaped around her ankles had gravity been working correctly in that vast black space. Instead it just fell, trailing underneath her as she floated next to the other.

This woman's hair reached halfway down her back and was a light brown, though hints of blonde locks being seen upon closer examination. Her eyes were lighter than her counterpart's, being a soft hazel. She had freckles, but they were few in comparison to the other before her. She wore a light green jacket over a black shirt and jeans that fit her form snuggly.

The woman in the dress spoke first. "How long are we going to do this?" She asked finally, her tone monotone and uninterested.

"Depends. Are you going to tell me what happened and who I am?"

"You act like I know. You're the one who should be telling me."

The woman in the jacket laughed, though there is no humor in her tone. "Really? You're going to stand there and tell me that you don't know what happened?"

"I believe we're floating, but that's not your point." She retorted coldly. "I don't remember anything before waking up here. Well, there was a blast. An explosion. I think...I think I died in that explosion."

The woman's eyebrows raised, her shock evident. "I remember one as well. I...was with somebody, I think. Someone I cared about..."

The two drop off into silence, both thinking over this new revelation. It wasn't a coincidence, surely? There must have been a reason the two of them had both presumably died in a blast and then were taken here. It couldn't be random chance. The similarities were too similar, their stories exact replicas.

The two were interrupted by the sound of clicking. It was slow, methodical as if it were being slow to get their attention. They both turned, almost in sync, to examine the sound. It was coming from a typewriter, black in color. It had no paper in it, yet it was typing just fine. As they watched, the typing quickened to be a pace that was only just faster than normal.

H-E-L-L-O. J-a-e a-n-d K-a-e. Y-o-u h-a-v-e t-h-e g-i-f-t o-f c-r-e-a-t-i-o-n a-n-d d-e-s-t-r-u-c-t-i-o-n. L-i-f-e a-n-d d-e-a-t-h. C-h-a-o-s a-n-d O-r-d-e-r. U-s-e t-h-e-s-e g-i-f-t-s w-i-s-e-l-y, o-r y-o-u w-i-l-l s-u-f-f-e-r t-h-e c-o-n-s-e-q-u-e-n-c-e-s.

The two looked at each other in confusion. The typewriter had stopped, its message sent. The world was silent again. There was nothing to make noise. No water or people or anything to ruin the suffocating silence.

Kae was the first to speak. "Creation? Life and Death? What is this?" She brushed a strand of her long hair out of her face as she spoke what the two had both been thinking since the typewriter's message had come to a close.

"I believe...that we were saved for a reason, Kae." Jae spoke after a minute, the word didn't feel weird to say, like she had thought it would. She didn't know how she knew that that was the woman's name, but it felt right, like she had used it daily but had suddenly stopped.

Kae felt the same way. The name was forign, and didn't sound like her at all, but she knew in her heart of hearts that it was her's. Her name that she had somehow forgotten.

"The only thing we can do is create, for now at least." Jae had continued, drawing Kae's attention back to her. "The only question is how..."

Almost before the statement had left her mouth, she felt herself being almost pulled towards the typewriter. As she laid her fingers down upon the worn keys, an overwhelming sense of familiarity washed over her like a tidal wave. She didn't notice as her fingers began moving or how the blackness surrounding them gave away, being replaced with the dark grey of stone and rock.

Water came rushing at them from all directions, soon crashing into them. Neither being moved, Jae still typing rapidly at the typewriter. They couldn't see the top of the water if they had wanted to. A large fissure appeared in the ground below the duo and Kae moved away from it instinctively. It was an unnecessary action, but one she had taken regardless.

Kae reached out, feeling the worn stone beneath her fingertips. The shock of seaweed skyrocketing from the spot her hand touched the rock was minimal, the only reaction being a slightly shocked expression that appeared on her face for a mere instant before being replaced with a knowing look as she swam away, Jae's small bubble of air following behind her slowly.

They spent many hours like that, Jae making new oceans or landforms as Kae would fill them with life. It took a lot longer for Kae to make animals, but they had found that after designing the male and female counterparts, all Kae needed was Jae to increase their rate of reproduction until there was enough for the area. It got easier and faster with each new creation.

Sometimes, Kae would sit and watch Jae's creations spring to life. Jae couldn't create the bright colors and diversity Kae could, but it was still impressive how land could spring up from an ocean or sink down to create massive valleys. Other times it would be the opposite and Jae would watch Kae run around, making her previously dull designs bright with color and life. They were happy with their balance, even if they hadn't admitted it.

Holy crap. I haven't given this up yet. Y'all should be proud!