Writing Little Deaths

[Revelation]

[quote name='Raiha'][i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]With a slow hand, he drew back the curtain just an inch, and looked up as far as he could. Orange tracers lit up the night sky. Brilliant hues of red and yellow, fiery against a backdrop of inky blackness. Not that the beauty meant anything to him.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]For some reason, I really like this part. I mean next to the flying shrapnels and flying heads, it's notthing; but maybe it's the detail. Yeah, I am a sucker for detail.

Well then, let's bring on the blood and gore for the next victim![/size][/color]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]As I told you over AIM D, Neil's death was a great piece, I just like everything about it, the pace, the imagery, it all just fits very well together, not that I'd expect anything less out of you. ^_~[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The bar was full of people, drinking, laughing, nudging each other with good cheer and general humor. The game played on the TV over the counter, and I struggled to keep myself under control. Nearby my master sat with smile on his face, as if he knew what this unnatural calm was costing me. I?d been dragged from my own plane to the world people liked to think was the real one. Here I was simply Raiha again, but a little bit more than that. She Who Consumes was me as well. In my mind the snapping and raging was barely contained. But I?d been taken here to kill. Summoned by the spirit of Crystia. Now long gone in a terrible night much like this one.

Raped and killed in a dark alley not ten feet from where I was sitting now, hunched up in a corner table, nursing my drink. And the alcohol didn?t make me sleepy. It made me angry. I could see them all sitting pretty, laughing it up while they were all guilty. She screamed and sobbed and cried for help, and when nobody had come, she?d fought with her teeth. ?Gentlemen? Andrew, Pete, James, Allamorph. None of them had helped her. Gavin, a man I?d once loved when I was human, stood behind the bar, cleaning a glass with a dirty rag. He hadn?t lifted a finger, but he?d seen so much suffering over the years, it?d almost make me sad to kill him too. Conrad, Justin, Prem, Kenneth...all of them would die. Die by my hands.[/i]

?Bastards...every one of you will pay.?

[i]It was the death of an innocent that had really called me here. Darren, my handler, my gentle jailor, waited for the right moment, when everyone was there. And through the door came the last two. And in his eyes, a flash of unnatural light glowed and burned, mirrored in mine. He turned in an instant, moving hands that weren?t really there, and knocked over his glass. The container sailed through the air, and in slow motion, I watched it hit the concrete floor and shatter into a thousand pieces. The signal given, I jerked up and laughed hysterically, a quick sob that hung in the air. I ripped off my dress in a burst of energy, revealing the knives in my spine sheath, the ones down my arms, and the two on my hips. The first two whistled through the air and pulled away Conrad and Prem?s lives before they could even blink. Their heads, pierced through and through, jerked back and slammed against the nearest wall, the blood making jagged splatters against the smooth surface.[/i]

?Fucking shit! Who the fuck!??

[i]Boss Andrew had stood and knocked up his table, his cronies surrounding him, opening fire on me, missing and inadvertently hitting some of their own. I leapt into the air, vertically, defying the gravity that meant very little to me, and slammed down on Justin, the next knife lodged deep into his throat, before I yanked it out and turned in almost the same motion, whirling one leg around the table quickly to slice it across Kenneth?s face. Two more quick slashes, and blood sprayed in all directions from his ruined eyes. With a swift chortle of berserker?s laughter, I threw myself forward onto Pete, who had lifted his gun and began to empty the clip into me. The bullets ripped through my flesh, but I couldn?t feel them. No pain, no nothing. I wasn?t really there to be shot anyway. With one hand I disarmed him and slammed down his gun so hard it cracked the concrete. He looked down at it, then back up at me, an expression dawning on his face.[/i]

?You- ...you..-?

?Were sent by Crystia. You scabrous dogs!?

[i]With that I swung my face forward and jerked his shirt wide open at the throat, my teeth sinking into the exposed flesh, tearing through tendon and meat alike. The taste fresh in my mouth, I threw down his useless body and drew the last two knives I had on me. James raised up one hand, but it went through that, and into his chest, his body twitching uselessly as it sank to the floor next to Andrew. Allamorph yelled out something incomprehensible and threw a chair at me. Kicking up one leg, I knocked it aside uselessly and smirked at him. Snatching up an abandoned mug from a nearby table I threw it horizontally away from my body, to smash into Gavin?s face. The fool had stood up one second too long, to see what had happened. And it crushed his head, and knocked him down, so he lay in the ruins of what had once belonged to him.

All that was left was the man who had let this killing happen. Who had condoned it, planned it, yearned for it. And he would pay the price that was being demanded, regardless of the cost to anyone else. It didn?t even matter now. [/i]

?Did you think...there would be no consequences for this?! Did you think you could just go on forever without a thought for the dead that have gone before you??

[i]His eyes widened with terror, and I saw nothing but red. My last human thought was how splendid a revenge I had wrought for the one girl I?d cared for when I?d been real. And as my fingers sank into the chest of her murderer, my laugh turned into a howl. The sound of the Hellhound rising again, crackling tension in the air. The smell of blood on fur, and the gleam of manic eyes in the dark of a burned out, empty bar. No life flickered there. She Who Consumes flicked her tail once across her body, and then stepped up onto nothing and disappeared.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Well... that was... O_O Definitely one of the darker posts and deaths so far. Also, I rather liked the war death as well since it was put together so well and I especially liked the final words since they wrapped it up so neatly. Anyway, now I'm curious to see how Petie's request comes out.

[Gavin]

[quote name='Rachmaninoff']Well... that was... O_O Definitely one of the darker posts and deaths so far.[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Yeah, I particularly liked being killed by having my head smashed in with a mug, makes me regard my tea as being potentially more sinister now.

Petie's request reminds me a little of Kill Adam, at least when he was talking about the leader and three minions biting the dust, or The Crow.[/SIZE]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Gavin'][SIZE="1"]Yeah, I particularly liked being killed by having my head smashed in with a mug, makes me regard my tea as being potentially more sinister now.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]Can't say I cared for my death. But since you all got nailed for doing nothing, that makes up for it. Though honestly, that's really out of character, for everyone. :p[/COLOR]

[Magus]

[COLOR="Red"][SIZE="1"]First thread that I've posted in in this part of the forum.. "Officially devirginized".

Err.. I'd like to how my death would turn out. I've always been a fan of flashy gun-fights (Yay for John Woo movies), and one man reckon armies... Perhaps you can use that for something. Excuse the corn.. It's the best thing I can come up with for now. (Insomia kills, haha.)[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Andrew]

[size=1]Not exactly sure that's how I'd like to picture my own death but never the less it was a nice little segment. Very descriptive and especially brutal. Very good qualities that all writer's should have! ^_^[/size]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]So there I was in the dead of night, the sun high in the sky. It was half past the wrong time in the wrong place but it was too late to leave. It was cold. So cold. My knickers were in a twist and my pants were on fire. But whatever. I had a job to do after all. I walked down the alley, right in the open, and saw them all. Premonition, D.B., and Aceburner were lounging uselessly in front of the club. I knew their boss, Mr. Sinster Knickers, alias Allamorph was inside, thinking himself safe. But not for long.

I stepped out into the light, letting it wash over me, just to turn and hear Premonition say,[/i]

?You look like ten miles of bad road.?

[i]D.B. Looked up and added his own input,[/i]

?I was wondering when you?d show up. Trying to find you is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.?

[i]Aceburner chuckled and fondled the handle of his baton, trying to look appropriately evil but ending up just making me want to snort right into my handkerchief. He tapped it in his free hand and walked towards me, the others following suit.[/i]

?Many hands make light work, so I say we make light work of her!?

?Now now, that?s no way to treat a girl.?

?Don?t you fret your pretty little head about it.?

[i]I felt my head at that point experimentally. Didn?t feel particularly little, but I suppose it was pretty ...well...pretty.[/i]

?Don?t put off tomorrow what you can do today!?

?Eye for an eye!?

[i]Well at least that last cliché made sense. I mused inwardly; I really had taken Mr. Sinster Knicker?s eye one night in a fight, and now I was back to finish the rest of him off. Perhaps that was why I was ten seconds away from being eviscerated. Instead of lying there and taking it however, I leapt into action. Drawing my sword in one movement, I took out the first of the unlucky ones in one fell swoop. Premonition fell, stabbed right through the chest and I leaned forward to get a better look at his face.[/i]

?Get the point??

?Damn. I?ve bought the farm...?

[i]Famous last words over with, he hurked up his last breath and died. I withdrew the sharp and pointy object from his chest and turned around to face DB and Aceburner, both hurtling towards me like it was going out of style. Both fell, their heads separated from the rest of their body and I sheathed my still bloody weapon with a smirk.[/i]

?What?s that up on the road ? ahead??

[i]Kicking open the club doors I saw Mr. Sinister Knickers jump to his feet and knock over his table. The aquarium next to him was the only light, and it washed over us like two toads in a Cuisinart.[/i]

"Where did my guards go?"

"Well one bit the dust, and the other two kicked their buckets. Right down the street... And now it's time for you to be sleeping with the fishes."

[i]He drew his gun and started firing at me, predictably emptying his entire clip into the air, since every single shot missed me entirely. Not one to miss an opportunity, while he uselessly tried to fiddle with his 'speed' loader, I tipped him backwards into the 200 gallon aquarium that had been so conveniently placed right next to him. His head banged against the glass at the base of the tank and the fish watched him with some interest. Unconscious and soon to be deader than a doorknob, I let him drown and brushed my hands against the back side of my pants.[/i]

"My work here is done."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"]Fun, even though I think Allamorph would willingly jump off a cliff instead of becoming the ringleader for that particular trio. :p[/COLOR]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]He stood on the roof, his head tilted back slightly. It was a bad night, with a dog moon half full, hanging in the sky. The skin on the back of his neck prickled slightly, but he had a job to do, and his fears wouldn?t stop him. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he saw for perhaps half a second, a specter of a beast, trailing behind him in the corner of his eye. It flashed between four legs and then two, and then disappeared entirely when he tried to look at it directly. He shrugged off the thought and looked back down at what he had to do. The alley below was crowded with people, all of them demonstrably guilty of crimes that had as of yet not been paid up in full for. Their boss had already gone down. Someone had drowned him in an aquarium the week previous, and taken out his body guards as well. Now that was all left to deal with were the rest of his underlings.

And his boss?s boss.

Tough world, and he had to do it alone. Nobody to help him but his guns. Speed loaders ready. Holsters empty. Heavy and dull in his palms, he gripped his only friends left in this world, and stepped out over the empty air. The hero fell forward, face first, the wind whistling and pulling back his hair, the corners of his jacket, the cuffs of his pants. He flipped forward, landed on one foot with enough force to shatter the asphalt, which he did. People looked up, looked at him, and then fell back, rag doll physics taking the front seat as he began to take steps forward, knees bent slightly. One arm up higher than the other, both filled with five pounds of gun each, both jerking back with every shot. People fell, their chests full of hot lead and blood, spurting, gouging, covering everything. Across the narrow concrete walls, men, women, old and young fell, covered with their own deaths. And he kept going forward.[/i]

?Have to finish what she started.?

[i]And she?d started good. Nobody had expected her to take out the boss and his closest underlings armed only with one sword and bad clichés. And he, armed with industrial grade guns, was going to do the rest. Fighting for a higher cause than just greed, pride, honor. He?d die doing the right thing. If he?d known what events he?d set in motion, what he?d summon to his side, perhaps he wouldn?t have been so afraid, but swallowing down his fear. He went.

The doors to the club were open, and bullets ripped around him, tearing his clothes but not his flesh. He wasn?t wearing a vest, but they didn?t reach him regardless, and it made no sense. He didn?t understand why he wasn?t dead yet, and he didn?t understand why. But the gangsters that died around him did. In their hideous last moments of life, as their souls were ripped from their still warm flesh, they saw Her following in his footsteps like a loyal pet. For she was loyal, if not a pet. Clearing out the wide open space was easier than he thought. Reloading in a corner as the concrete around him shattered and sprayed, he still yet lived. Full of blood and hopes he charged forward, towards the back room. And he kicked open the doors.

The boss was there, standing cocky with one shotgun in his hand, pointed towards him. The man pulled the trigger, but nothing died except those behind the hero. The man himself was still alive and breathing. Covered over in a glow, eye shine in the darkening quiet, filled with a righteous burning rage that singed the clothes still left to him, made his guns flash and shiver in his palms.[/i]

?You- you?re supposed to be dead.?

[i]He fired again, frustrated, pumping rounds into him, the shells clattering on the floor, to no avail. Once he?d finished shooting fruitlessly into thin air, our hero jerked himself forward, gun in the mouth of the man who stood for everything evil in the world, and pulled the trigger. Brains splattered outward, backwards, everywhere. Skull littered the ground, people shouting all around. But he turned, the gun a bloody mess of saliva and gore in his hands, hearing nothing at all. It was quiet, so quiet he could hear his own slow breathing. The carnage around him was glorious. And he could finally see what he?d seen before ever so clearly. He sank to his knees in sudden exhaustion, breath louder in his ears than before. Nothing living stirred in the building, but he could see She Who Consumes. The legend he?d heard of, read about, even seen once before, now before him. She drew back black lips from pale pearly teeth and smiled at him once.

His voice echoed dully in the room, the sound swallowed up by the legions of corpses surrounded them both.[/i]

?Have you come to take me home??

?Your work here is done. She?s come to reward you. Follow the cord.?

[i]He blinked a few times. The Hound of Hell hadn?t spoken to him, but Her master had. And he?d sent a Scion of Darkness, a Hellion, to bring him to his glory. Such as it was. A cord stretched from his chest beyond the beast, and She dipped her head at him once, then trotted out of the club, and upwards onto air. Into light. Into nothing at all.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Petie]

[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]Two more excellently written stories. I thoroughly enjoyed them both - especially the one with all of the ridiculous cliches in it. That was a genius idea, whoever thought of that ;) Haha, seriously though, well done.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

Those ridiculous cliches were both painful and funny to read. And they were well suited to the trio that were using them. Heh. Seems like you need more death requests now. Can't help you there though, I'm already dead and I wouldn't know who to request that you kill next anyway. XP

[Magus]

[COLOR="Red"][SIZE="1"]:D I enjoyed the shooting blood bath quite a bit.

That's some talent you have there. Gonna be an author? (That is if you're not one aleady..)[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Heh, like Rach and Petie, the clichéd one was definitely my favourite of the two blood-fests. Awesome to get another serving of this series D, we should maybe get some of the artists to try and animate certain scenes.[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The hit went down just like they?d planned it. They knew when they took the contract, it would spell their deaths. But they didn?t care. There were some things worth dying for. And they?d die together. Both came home, feeling the dancing behind their eyes. Little pinpricks of light that swirled to their breathing, their beating, and they paused at the door. Raiha left it unlocked and leaned against the last person who would see her living. He stood still, letting her breathe for just a few moments. He stroked her hair with a hand that nearly covered an entire side of her head. Both were exhausted, her jumpsuit splattered with blood and sweat. His suit was covered as well, and the two turned, returning to their routine. He set down his guns, the weapons heavy against the floor and wall. She set down her own, crossing against his.[/i]

?Do you think they?ll give us enough time??

?They don?t have a real rush. We did the job. Now all they have to do is clean up the gigantic mess we made for them.?

?If they interrupt us, I?ll be pissed. The least they could do is let us do it our way.?

[i]In the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes, tossing them carelessly against the wall, leaving her with enough time to undress her husband. The lights dimmed, they kissed, nobody watched them. It grew quieter, the sound of their breathing and skin brushing against skin heavy in their ears. The clocks around the house ticked themselves into oblivion, silent in the face of death. On the oversized California King bed, assassins reclined. Taking her repose, curled up against the giant of a man she?d made her way in life with, she seemed as small as a child. His hand could cover both of hers, her body pressed against his, the sheets tucked up around her chin. He looked down at the exquisite woman, pressed against his bare chest, her eyelashes fluttering in rest. Both had been poisoned earlier this evening, both were going to die soon.

But on their own terms, they?d take their deaths as they pleased. Raiha stirred, Gavin covering over her shoulders with his fingers, pulling her up to his level. Perched over his stomach, she leaned down and kissed his lips slowly, her tongue flicking across his own. Her fingers tugged against his hair, scraped against his neck, felt the puckered wound under his left arm. She passed over it carefully, and stroked his cheek with the back of her hand instead. He pulled her closer, her fingers digging into his shoulders and the kiss enveloped their thoughts, pressing back their death.[/i]

?Tell me you love me.?

[i]He kissed her desperately, clung to her like she?d just melt away if he let her go for a minute. Raiha pushed herself up slowly, leaning over him, dark brown hair slipping down the side of her cheek, her lips pursed slightly.[/i]

?I?ve always loved you.?

[i]Gavin sighed, pulled her close again , a faint smile on his lips, the sheets tangled around their legs, the sweat from both the poison and the excitement. Time stopped for their sake, hand grabbing, touching, wrenching, scratching. Grievous wounds under the skin, death pressing against the door now, pushing his luck, pushing his rights. Raiha hunched over her husband, the knife in her hands, the other pressed against his one empty hand. His own blade pressed up against her chest, and she looked into his eyes, the pain dulling their once brilliant sheen. And she shoved herself forward, reflexively stabbing back down against him. Both dropped their blades, both writhed into their deaths, Raiha falling forward, collapsing against her husband, shaking fingers clasping his, a soft sob in her throat.

.................

The men stood over the bodies, holding their rifles, looking down at the corpses of Raiha and Gavin. One flipped over the girl, her hair glittering in the harsh lights. The wound in her chest flecked with dark red blood, the wound under her arm dark green. It?d only been a few hours, but both were cold, empty, hollow. Gone.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Gone but not forgotten I'm sure. A great piece D, and I'm not just saying that because it was about us. It was filled with mood and drama. What a pair we make huh ? Half Romeo & Juliet, half Mister and Mrs Smith.[/SIZE]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]The new starcrossed lovers: Gavin and Raiha. I actually like the sound of that; in fact, the tragic story you've written really adds to that effect.

Granted there wasn't a lot of action in the story, there was great emotion. It featured a lighter atmosphere with a romantic notion. It was definitely grade A stuff, D.

And yes, yes, I'm still figuring out my request.[/size][/color]

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#6d527f][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="1"]Well seeing as this has been quiet for a bit I'd probably like to add my own request. Torture would be a good means of death. The kidnapping would probably be because of a frustrated love relationship. As far as torturing goes as long as its a metallic weapon I'm kine, knives, barbed wires, daggers and everything in between is good. Make sure Revelation does it though, lord knows she has been wanting too the last couple of weeks. Other than that have fun and enjoy yourself.[/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]
Eriju stroked Iki?s brow, even as he slept in his bed. She wore black, always nowadays, with heels, a hood, gloves, like the black widow she was going to be very soon. He hadn?t seen her in months, but she?d known where he was, every time he?d taken home a girl that wasn?t her, she?d known, and followed. The one that was with him right now was already dead, throat slit wide open, on her way to the bathroom. This one would die soon enough, but making it quick would just end the fun all too soon. Instead she slipped the hypodermic needle into his vein and watched him slip into a deeper sleep than before. And when he woke up, he was sitting in her play room, cuffed to the chair she?d had built. He struggled briefly, until he realized who had him.

Her dark brown eyes glared right into his, and if he?d only seen anger, he wouldn?t have been so afraid. But it was. In the corner smirked the eyes of She Who Consumes, wearing a human skin if only to watch. He opened his mouth to say something, when she leaned forward and put a single bare finger against his lips.[/i]

?Shhh, honey, be quiet. I have to kill you now.?

?But ...but-?

[i]She Who Consumes chuckled. A dry thin sound that hung empty across the stone and concrete of Eriju?s torture chamber. The rack on the wall was flecked with old dried blood, even though the floor had been hosed completely clean. He squirmed, but the leather cuffs were stronger than he?d ever be, and she?d buckled them securely, more securely than he?d expected of her. She whimpered with pleasure, and he his eyes finally drifted down from the expression on her face to what she was wearing. A colorful ripped shirt, tights, nothing else. Her hair had been piled up on her head messily, kept in place with innumerable pins. And she leaned down over him and forced his head back slightly, the tip of a stiletto tickling his flesh. One scratch, another, and one more, in vertical stripes down his neck. They welled up bright red blood, but not much. She was staying her hand, and he was flinching away from the touch of the cold steel as much as possible. Her charmed laughter rang and jangled in his ears, far more painful than even the chuckle of their watcher.[/i]

?You shouldn?t have left me all alone like that. It made me so sad.?

[i]As she spoke she walked across the floor to the table he could only see a small corner of. And she picked up a riding crop, whirling around on him to lash him across his naked chest. His fingers, his knees, his feet, and knees. The flinching and harsh moans he had to choke on excited her to no end, Eriju growing slightly more excited the more she saw his pain. It was about the time she had bent back one of his fingers and snapped it, when he realized that the drug she?d used to aid in her kidnapping of him had weakened him to the point where even if he hadn?t been cuffed, the most he could do was crawl away slowly while she hurt him even more. Even as he thought it she uncuffed him and bodily slammed him into the wall, his wrists shackled up above him to the cold bare walls.[/i]

?Hmmm, not enough??

?What are you going to- Oh god!?

[i]His anguished cries echoed across the room as she slammed a pair of daggers into his palms. One each. Blood gushing upwards, slithering down his wrists and arms. The nerves shrieked and howled in agony, twitching desperately underneath the cold steel. Eriju giggled maniacally and licked the torn flesh on his neck, rubbing up against him, feeling him respond even though he didn?t want to. Too late. She fondled him almost absentmindedly, then turned back and slapped him across the face, anger in her eyes mingling with the lust. Barbed wire twined around his ankles, and he didn?t struggle enough for her. Frustrated, furious, Eriju lost her patience, and slammed the stiletto she?d used earlier into his chest, followed by another. He yelped, choking on his own blood, this time struggling, the wire ripping into his ankles, tearing flesh.[/i]

?You?re better off this way.?

[i]Iki twitched a few times underneath her hands, as she pushed his face back and forth under her palms, just until he went limp. Much better. She felt so much better.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#8B008B]Poor little [B]Ikillion[/B] should have just stayed faithful. Another excellent installment, and I'm not just saying that because it involved [B]Ikillion[/B] and myself. But this was different; it was more macabre and darker than the others. It really painted a colorful picture, so to speak.[/size][/color]

[Anakoni Stark]

[SIZE=1] Kudos to you, Raiha, for writing out executions, that are really creative and very violent. =]

After reading a couple of the entries, I've wondered how I'd die...

I thought about it, and since hasnt happened, I want to go out with a really bad surf trip in my homestate of hawai'i.

keep up the good work.[/SIZE]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Yeesh, poor Ikillion, glad you seem to go mild or at least quick enough when you kill me in these that I don't suffer. ^_^;

Still planning to continue this D ?[/SIZE]

[Raiha]

[i][COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Felix watched the waves, timing, waiting for just the right moment to go for it. The beach was quiet, the tourists, the bikinis, the bonfires, all gone. It was late, with the moon hanging gravid in the sky, watching silently over the waves that rolled in from all around the world. The Marquesas, Baja California, the Ivory Coast, everywhere and anywhere all at once. Sure it was risky to board at night, but it was a small price to pay to not have to hear the shitty music and shouted conversations of people who didn?t understand what surfing was all about. He guessed a move to Kuaii might?ve solved it, but this was Oahu. The best waves were here. Just so happens that the worst people were here too. His best friend leaned against her board, one leg out in front of her, the curves of her bikini something he always ignored.

It wasn?t worth it was it? Ruin a friendship for one night? She smirked at him, her teeth very white against the deep tan of her skin. Her head tilted to one side, the thick braids of her hair hanging in drying strands down her slender back.[/i]

?Good night tonight??

?Looks like it. At least that?s what they said on the reports.?

?Well go for it. Don?t be a kak.?

[i]He saw his chance and took it, going out further than he needed to, floating while waves lapped at his legs, crashed all around him. First wave rose up, languid, whipping towards him, and he took it, rode it, all the way down. Smell of salt, feel of his suit, wax on the board, humidity in the air. The moonlight glinted on the water, rising all around him now friendly, now upset, ever changing, never the same. It was never the same for him. His friend chuckled at him from the safety of the beach, still wet, all done for the night. She?d always been around to see him, to be friendly to him, to insult him when she thought he wasn?t doing it all right. But she wasn?t a beachhead. No, that was him.

As far as he knew, nothing of importance happened more than a mile and a half away from the beach.[/i]

?She?s great. Wouldn?t give her up for anything.?

[i]If she?d known that would?ve been his last living thought, she would?ve been consoled, not minded so much what happened next. Caught by a rogue wave, just bad luck. Tugged his ankles, jerked him down, the water not too cold, but angry. Furious now, pulling him further down than he knew was safe. Ripped away from his board, being maytagged out of the blue, but his friend wouldn?t have even known it. She had been watching him, but leaned back against her board, she?d closed her eyes for just a moment. And in that moment he was gone. Just tugged away from her view, never going to see him again. Just a blink, and he was gone. The waves drowning her childhood friend without a backwards glance. They?d always gone out together, rode the waves, catching and then letting go, always making it back more or less alive.

She waited longer than she felt was safe, knowing it wasn?t safe to go out if he?d already been taken down. She reported it, but they never found him. Never. And she never went back.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Wow, very emotional D. As much as I enjoy reading you mangle and murder people in new and exciting ways, I have to say, these more subtle ones are among my favourite. Another awesome job.[/SIZE]