The Final Fight: War Of The Gods (Pt. 3 Reborn) / July 20, 2019 by A.M. Molloy

STORY NOTE:

This story was originally written for a school paper for a gaming interactive storytelling class (which also had a word limit hence the fast pace of the story).  

            I decided to do the Hero's Journey, but with a twist. Instead of the 'hero', I decided to have the villain go on the journey to see if I could go on the 'heroes journey' but with evil intent. It's no secret Zemir is the 'bad guy' in this story while the god of justice, Nah'Zhul, is the hero we would normally play in a game. Turns out, the formula works just as well for villains as it does for heroes.

            As a side note, this was my first time writing a fantasy story. For the dialogue I tried to imitate speech patterns from shows such as Spartacus and Game of Thrones. I pray it not too confusing.

            That being said, I hope you enjoy the final part of The Final Fight. In cased you missed it, don’t forget to check part 1 Into Darkness and part 2 Age of Gods for a refresher on the beginning and middle of the story.

PS: This isn’t my usual writing style and I’ve improved vastly as a writer since I wrote this in 2016. This is merely a fun thing to share.

PART TWO:

Age of Gods

Zemir had everything where he wanted. With his wife by his side, he was ready to kill the High Gods while they slept. Yet before he could strike the lethal blow, the ground on which he stood shook and dust fell from the ceiling. He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. After the room settled, Zemir conjured a sphere of black flames and cast it towards his enemies.

A white, shielding, light appeared and absorbed the flames. Standing in front of the High Gods was Nah'Zhul.

"Na—Nah'Zhul!" Zemir exclaimed in disbelief. "You had perished! How is this possible?"

Nah'Zhul pointed his sword toward Zemir. "Kidaha gave me her life and in turn all of her power. Her sacrifice will allow me to put an end to this and bring justice upon you."

"Impossible," Mehélia gasped. "Kidaha was the heart of the planet. Without her, Spira would be destroyed and we'd all have lost our divinity."

"Correct you are, Lady Mehélia," said Nah'Zhul. He placed a hand over his chest with sorrow. "But her sacrifice would not be in vain. She would never allow her people to die as Zemir has. No, my lady, I am now the heart of the planet."

"Let me end this now," said Zemir. "I care not for you Lord Nah'Zhul. I will kill you and steal your heart in the process. I will be reborn a High God with the heart of the plant and reign over all!"

"You fool. You cannot win now," boasted Nah'Zhul.

Calling forth the magic of old, Nah'Zhul struck down Zemir from where he stood with a radiant beam of magical light. Zemir's flesh burned and withered and he fell to the ground with immense pain. As his body refused to move out of agony, Zemir watched as Nah'Zhul used his combined powers of himself of the fallen Kidaha to awaken the three High Gods.

With Shinoda, Ouganda, and Shiesta awakened, their wondrous fury could be felt by mortals and gods alike. Unleashing their might of creation, Shinoda reversed the damage Zemir had caused. He brought back all those who had died and returned the land to normal, returning time to before they were poisoned. Shinoda spoke words of a long forgotten language and erased the memories of pain and death among his people.

When all had been restored, Zemir stood alone with those he despised. The punishment was his alone to bare, yet he knew he deserved none of it. He had created his perfect world and it was all shattered in an instant.

"Zemir," Shinoda bellowed. "You will return to the underworld as temporary ruler of the realm. But when Mehélia has the child, you will be stripped of your godly powers and forever reside as one of them. You will no longer be the god of the underworld, but a soul cursed to wander those he despised for eternity. Your child, when of age, will take your place as ruler of the underworld.

"For your wife, she is to remain the goddess of air under the careful watch of Nah'Zhul. She is to suffer in silent and solitude.

As I am the morning and evening star, as I say is so. Farewell, Zemir."

*****

A shaking hand, covered with the blood of torture and silt, weakly raised to the air, begging to be grasped by a savior. Its owner gasped for air among the deadly toxins surrounding him. All around the vast wasteland lay thousands of bodies of various races, all screaming to be released from their torment.

Zemir stood watch over his realm, the heavy shackles keeping him low to the ground next to the souls unfortunate enough to be damned to the underworld. He was back to where he had always been, a captive of his own realm. And before long — when his heir would be born — he would lay forgotten among those he was alleged to watch over.

The Final Fight: War Of The Gods (Pt. 2 Age Of Gods) / July 13, 2019 by A.M. Molloy

Remember last week when I released Part 1 of The Final Fight: War Of The Gods? Great! Because I’m here to satisfy your curiosity with part two, Age of Gods.

Go forth and enjoy reading!~

PS: I am aware of the story and writing flaws. This was original written years ago.

PART TWO:

Age of Gods

Though the ground glistened like rain had fallen, the liquid that shone wasn't clear, but red. The suffering souls of children screamed in pain, clutching their grievous wounds as orbs of fire rained from the sky into the never ending battle. The sun beat down on them furiously as the heat wave continued, unaffected at such chaos. The people of Spira screamed until they could no more, until they rested into nothingness. The source of their chaos hovered proudly in the skies as he watched his fellow gods send terror onto the ground below.

Zemir flew over the capital city of Bal'Thor, watching as Yava, the goddess of the sun, conjured up an intense heat that ignited Florydia, the goddess of beauty, on fire. The flames grew too unstable for Florydia to contain and she sent them flying in every direction, burning the citizens below.

Anuik, god of fire and destruction, attempted to overthrow Keowa, the god of fertility, by erupting all the volcanoes on Spira but in turn burned Keowa to ashes. Zemir smiled to himself at the sight, knowing it was one less god to overthrow.

His plan for dominating all the gods was in full effect as he watched the battle ensue. Once Zemir had poisoned the High Gods, word soon spread that the position for the new High God was up for the taking and soon every immortal being fought for their rightful spot.

With one breath of black fire, Zemir torched the citizens of Bal'Thor. A smile crept upon his face as he watched the people below burn. He flew down and landed next to a dying young boy whose hand reached out for a savior. Zemir flicked his powerful tail and ended the child's life.

"Does no one dare oppose me?" challenged Zemir.

"I shall," came a voice.

"Rarity?" Zemir laughed. "Of all the gods, you are the last one I'd expect to see fighting. Tell me this, Lady Rarity, do you wish to rule, such as I, or is it too unharmonious for you to bear?"

"I've no interest in fighting, Lord Zemir… You know that as well as I," Rarity said meekly. She fidgeted with the fabric of her dress. "But… I cannot let you continue disrupting the balance of harmony. It will… it will only end in vain."

"Ha! You wish to converse me to death? Is that so? I'm afraid I've no interest in such matters. My wife is with child, you see. I must think of my child's future and I do not want him to be born in the blasted underworld."

"F-forgive me, my Lord," Rarity stammered. "I do what I must… to keep the harmony of this planet in balance."

With a few choice words of magic, Rarity unleashed a spell that trapped Zemir's legs in place.

"What trickery is this?" yelled Zemir.

He struggled with all his might to budge from his spot but he remained fixed.

"I beg of you to tell me, my Lord. How… What did you do to the High Gods?"

Zemir was not going to let the puny goddess of harmony stop him on his quest. How dare she attempt to stop him on this glorious day, where all would suffer under his hands. How dare she believe she could come close to his power and wonder. Yet for all his struggling, he could not move. But her magic could be broken and he knew what he had to do.

His upper lip curling, and muscles twitching, Zemir bellowed out the sound of thunder, raising his fists to the air. Rarity cowered to the ground, her hands covering her ears.

Out of desperation, Zemir took hold of his legs, and with all his strength, ripped them from his body. At last, he was free. Rarity was already on the defense, muttering another spell while Zemir's legs were mending themselves.

The dark god charged at Rarity with top speed, impaling her with his horns. She clutched onto them with bloodied hands and attempted to pull herself free. Zemir shook his head free of Rarity and she fell motionless on the ground.

"I will send a pestilence and plague upon the gods and mortals," Zemir proclaimed loudly to The Heavens. "I will send the thunder from the sky and the fire raining down upon the land below, with hail of burning ice on every field, village, and continent. May it be known I will reign terror such as the world has never seen.

Never mind how high the cost may grow. This will still be so. I will never let the High Gods rise from their slumber and in turn, I shall gain power and become the new High God of Spira. All those who would oppose me will suffer my wrath."

Zemir's steady heart suddenly beat louder and a writhing pain was felt in his chest. He clutched his breast and gasped for air. His vision blurred. Soon, he fell to the ground, wondering what had happened.
When he awoke, he found himself chained in a dark and unknown location. His eyes darted around the room for a clue as to his whereabouts.

A being clothed in armor of pure light energy came into view.

"Zemir, this madness has to end," the being said. "Poisoning the High Gods and trying to take their place as your own? You dare commit such an act when it was they who made all of creation? They who had created you!"

"Come forth and face me, Nah'Zhul, you coward!" said Zemir.

Nah'Zhul placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "With you away from the heat of battle, the other gods will surely cease this war. We are sworn to protect the mortals but our fighting has only caused them suffering."

"What do I care if a few mortals die in the process of victory. I want a world where I can do as I please and not abide by the rules of Shinoda. He has gone astray in his ways. The mortals I will rule over will be worthy of my praise. I do not care for the weak, Lord Nah'Zhul. I've only place for the strong in my world."

"Is that why you've lead all the gods on this rampage with you?" Nah'Zhul questioned. He sighed. "Then you are a fool. There will be nothing for you to rule if you continue down this path."

A deep cackle emerged from Zemir's throat. "Don't you see? I've already won."

"You are bound in shackles, your legs torn from your body. I see not how—"

Nah'Zhul's hands rushed to his throat as he gasped for air. "I— ah… gack—"

From Nah'Zhul's mouth came a wisp of wind. He choked as the air escaped his lungs. When there was no more air left to take, Nah'Zhul fell to the ground, lifeless.

"My love," Zemir said as he watched his wife finished her work.

Picking up Nah'Zhul's sword, she swung at Zemir's chains and released him from his prison.

"Go my love. The battle is almost over. With so few deities remaining, you may now have the power to become the new High God of Spira."

She was right. He could feel the power of the fallen gods flow through his veins. For it was once written that if a god should die, their power would be divided among the remaining deities. It was the one good rule Shinoda had written.

The Final Fight: War Of The Gods (Pt. 1 Into Darkness) / July 5, 2019 by A.M. Molloy

You may be aware I made a little world-building blog about the history, culture, and language of the Hikaran people not too long ago. Or maybe you aren’t. Either way, it was a super short version of everything I created on that culture and I posted that first for it kinda has a purpose linking to today's blog post.

I once wrote a fantasy short story taking place in the Hikaran capital city of Bal’Thor on the planet Spira revolving the gods that looked over the land. It was my first time writing a fantasy, and though it could be improved, I am still pleased with how most of it turned out.

So, today, I’m going to share with you this story. It is done in three parts and today's post will be of part one. Be on the lookout for parts two and three!

The Final Fight: War Of The Gods
by
A.M. Molloy

PART ONE:

Into Darkness

A shaking hand, covered with the blood of torture and silt, weakly raised to the air, begging to be grasped by a savior. Its owner gasped for air among the deadly toxins surrounding him. He was soon buried by another victim of suffering. All around the vast wasteland lay thousands of bodies of various races, all screaming to be released from their torment.

Among the figures walked a large beast. His body was mostly the shape of a Hikaran, but on his head he bore two large horns and pointed ears. His legs tapered into equestrian-like appendages, his tail long with a tuff of black fur at the end, and on his back were large, leathery, wings as black as the night sky. He was bald, save for the black puff of hair growing on his chin and his skin and eyes matched the blackness of his wings.

The beast scowled in disgust at his surroundings.

"Pathetic creatures," he spat, crushing an old Deskravesk man with his hoof.

He waved his hand and shot black flames at the dammed, setting thousands on fire.

"Zemir!" called an angelic voice.

Zemir glowered, the muscles in his arms twitching. He clenched his hands into fists and spun around to face the voice.

"What say you, Kidaha?" Zemir's voice boomed. "You've no business in my realm. Speak and be gone."

For everything Zemir was, Kidaha was the exact opposite. She was as radiant as the sun and adorned in bright white clothing.

"I seek no ill towards you, Lord of the Underworld. I've come on behalf of Shinoda to sum—"

A dark flame erupted around Zemir's being and his wings flared. "You dare speak his name in my presence?"

"I beg of you to hear me out," Kidaha pleaded.

Zemir waved a black hand, his tail swishing in annoyance.

"The High Lord Shinoda has requested your audience immediately. He fears you are abusing your position as ruler of this realm."

"The High Lord Shinoda," Zemir scoffed. "That old fool hasn't lifted a finger to help any of us gods in centuries. He has no right to sit as part of the three High Gods. None of them have that honour. Shiesta and Ouganda are just as guilty. It comes as a surprise they would think I am abusing my power when I've done nothing but my duty since the day I came into existence." Zemir crossed his arms, his chest puffed out. "I'll see your High God. I've business I wish to discuss."

"I pray you come at once then, Lord Zemir."

"In time, Lady Kidaha. I must see to my wife before I depart to The Heavens. She is with child."

Kidaha's eyes widened. "The goddess of air was fertile?"

"Never underestimate the miracles a god can do," Zemir reminded with a sly grin upon his face. With one fell swoop of his massive wings, Zemir took flight and left the bright Kidaha behind.

Before long, the god of the underworld found himself in his chambers, where his wife was tending to her duties. He stood watching her graceful movements as she conjured up the correct breathing air needed for the day on the planet Spira. Her pale blue skin gave off a white aura as she waved her arms around in wide circles. A smile peeked through Zemir's lips as he glanced at his wife's midriff, where a small bump was beginning to form.

"Mehélia, my love. Might I have a word?"

Without a glance, the goddess of air spoke. "Speak, my love."

"I've been called to The Heavens. Shinoda seeks words with me."

Mehélia turned her head, revealing a face with hollowed-out eyes and no image of a mouth. "What need has he of you, my love?"

"To pass on his wisdom, no doubt." Zemir took a step towards his wife. "Yet I've a different motive for going. If it pleases you, I will share when I return."

Mehélia turned her gaze back towards The Heavens. "And why may that be?"

A mischievous grin crept up upon Zemir's face. "For when I return, I will change The Heavens."

*****
Shinoda was a large god, made of metal, symbolizing the fabric of creation. He had been around since the dawn of time with the other High Gods; Ouganda, a falcon-headed humanoid god, and Shiesta, a black dragon-like god. Each of the three High Gods ruled over the gods and goddesses of Spira.

When Zemir finally made his presence known to the High Gods, his entire core shook with blind rage. It was no secret that he and the other gods did not see eye to eye.

"Zemir," called Shinoda, the leader of the High Gods. "It has come to our attention that your care for the departed souls has gone astray."

Zemir hissed. "My Lord Shinoda—"

"Silence." Ouganda waved a slender hand. "Your High God speaks."

"In light of the situation, we set forth that you shall live among the mortals so that you may see their pain and suffering in life. You must gain compassion, Zemir. The underworld is a place for the damned, yes, but their souls are not to be maimed."

"This is an outrage!" yelled Zemir. "Those who reside in my realm are whores and criminals, those who Sinaz deems unfit for the joyous afterlife in The Heavens. You can't expect me to treat them with dignity."

"I can and you will." Shinoda's eyes blazed with fire. "They may be dammed from eternal salvation and rebirth, but that does not mean they are to suffer any further from the hands of the one meant to teach them compassion."

"My Lord Shinoda," Zemir spat. "Compassion is something I know not for those who were condemned to spend eternity in the underworld. How I rule my realm is not for you to decide. This role I play was your gift that you so charitably bestowed upon me if you so recall."

"Do not question my judgment, Zemir!" Shinoda exclaimed, standing to full height, with strong, unblinking eye contact. "You will live amongst the mortals. Take leave now and do as I command."

Zemir's lips twitched with fury, his nails digging into his clenched fist. "As you wish," he said, with his eyes shooting daggers at the other gods.

*****

"Fear not, my love, for I will not go," Zemir informed Mehélia. His gentle touch brought shivers up her spine. "I've other arrangements instead."

"My husband, you cannot disobey the High Gods. It's never been done. You must do as they say."

"Do not worry about the High Gods for they will not be so high and mighty much longer."

Mehélia took hold of her husband's hands, concern in her voice. "What talk is this? You would go against Lord Shinoda's wishes?"

"I would." Zemir caressed his lover’s hands. "Hear me as I speak. I grow tired of this life," he began, fire burning in his blood. "I wish to overthrow the High Gods. For too long have we gods suffered under their negligence. Lord Shinoda himself puts too much effort and time into protecting the lost goddess of magic, Aowyne. Lord Shiesta has not lifted a claw in years to answer prayers and instead spends his time perfecting the art of tea making, as if it is a task important to a god! Heaven only knows what Ouganda does.

Do you not tire of their antics as well, my wife? Do you not want a chance to leave this barren underworld and rule among The Heavens, nay, ruleThe Heavens?"

Mehélia tilted her head to the side.

"Rule The Heavens," she said, tasting the words. "Yes. I agree. I would much like to return to where I was born. I too grow tired of working in the underworld. Was this plan the different motive of which you spoke of earlier?"

"Yes, it is," Zemir affirmed. "I gave Lord Shinoda a chance to ask of me what he needed, but his wish was not what I had hoped for. I know now that I must overthrow them."

Mehélia walked over to a nearby shelf filled with dusty old tomes and bottles. Picking up a bottle filled with pink liquid, she inhaled deeply, trembling the room in the process. With a precise exhale, she blew air into the bottle. The liquid inside began to bubble as she blew and a hint of blue flashed when the air mixed with the liquid. When she ceased blowing, the liquid slowly returned to its normal pink state.

"Then may this help you on your journey," she said, handing him the bottle.

A smile appeared on Zemir's pursed lips. "Indeed it shall. Many thanks, my love."

He spread his wings and took to the air, leaving his wife and unborn child behind.

Under the cloak of darkness, Zemir administered the poison his wife had given him. No poison she could create could kill a god. Only the power of a true and powerful being could hope to conquer and kill the High Gods. The poison she gave him would put his enemies in a deep slumber until he was powerful enough to kill them himself.

Once the poison was administered, Zemir could only retreat into the shadows and wait for the toxin to spread and lay claim to its victims. His eyes darted around at every movement, his shoulders hunched, his breathing quickened.

There was no turning back now.

20 Facts About Me: A.M. Molloy / May 17, 2019 by A.M. Molloy

Hello everyone! Welcome back (or to) my blog.

Today I thought I would share with you all 20 random facts that you may or may not know about me. These factoids may not have to with my writing life, but they’ll help you understand who I am as a person. So! Let’s take a dive into my life.

Sorren1 — Sorren

Literally my soul-kitty

If you didn't know this already, I have a cat named Sorren. She is my soul-kitty and the love of my life. We’ve barely been apart the 11 years she’s been in my life. I wasn’t going to accept any job abroad unless I could bring her.

I love to travel. In fact, my first big travel was to a summer camp in China when I was 15, way back in 2004.

Great Wall - 2004

15 year old me on the right in China.

So far, I’ve been to (in order), China, America, Japan ( x3 ), Korea, (x3 ), Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Being Canadian, I’ve obviously been to Canada, though I haven’t travelled as much within my own country. I do plan on visiting more countries soon, but for now, I’m planning another return visit to Japan for my upcoming summer vacation.

I’m in the front row, middle. Taken right after the test was completed so I’m still wearing my 1st degree black belt uniform.

I am a 2nd-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, although it’s been a few years since I practiced due to financial issues. I would love to practice again, especially as I live in Korea now, but now is not the right time for me. I still have all my equipment and remember most of my forms so perhaps someday!

Side note, back in the day when I did practice, I used to go to competitions and would usually win first or second place. Usually first for forms and second for sparing. I rarely got lower and if I did it was for sparing. Forms were my strong suit.

I used to be an animator. I went to an art school studying animation and graphics and working in my field after graduation. Though if I’m being honest, I was never the best at animation. Still, art was more my thing. So when I worked for Contendo, I eventually gravitated towards mostly audio work and eventually becoming their Senior Audio Editor. I still do art, but it’s now for fun rather work. And let’s be honest, the art I did for Contendo isn’t what you would have expected me to be doing. At Contendo we made training videos for oil and gas companies.

Below is my super old demo reel, and I have improved since 2009 But this is to just show you what I used to do. I was by far the best but I enjoyed doing it all the same.

Note: The video is from my old YouTube channel from college. I do not use that channel anymore. If you want to see more up to date videos and life in Korea, check out my actual YouTube channel: Canadian Abroad: A.M. Molloy.

I have a total of 11 tattoos! (So far). Below is a slideshow from my very first tattoo (the tribal dragon when I was 17) to my latest, number eleven done this year in Korea (Sorren).

I am fluent in English, French, Spanish and I can speak intermediate Japanese (taught myself) and beginner Korean (also teaching myself).

My dad is French (from Quebec) so I learned English and French growing up in my household. I majored in Spanish at university and spent a semester in Spain as an exchange student.

I used to do a lot of cosplay, but I haven’t done so in years. I haven’t cosplayed very much and I reused the same cosplay for many cons (and halloween costumes) but I still enjoyed doing it all the same. I can’t sew so I always had help making them. I still appreciate a good cosplay from other cosplayers.

Yuna FFX Cosplay

Not the greatest, but the best cosplay I ever did.

I love photography, though I’m still learning. I’m far from good but I’m getting better every day. I mostly take iPhone photography shots because I don’t always lug around my Nikon D3200. Honestly, with a bit of practice, anyone can make iPhone pictures turn out great. Featured below are a few of my favourite shots taken with my iPhone 8 and (later) with my iPhone 11 Pro.

I have a wall of all my shots but my favourite will always be of my best friend, Leila, holding the Polaroid picture I just took of her. The picture of her holding the picture (INCEPTION) was also another iPhone shot.

I made my own language/culture because reasons. Mostly RP though. The language is called Hikaran and is spoken by a race on the planet Spira. I go into full length on said language and people in a previous blog post, so please, go ahead and check it out!

Admittedly, I made most of this up during math class in high school. It’s safe to say I’m not very good at math.

Anyway, instead of going into full detail here (because it’s in the blog post), I’ll just leave this popular Hikaran saying here:

Anel he baka ei = Evil is here in Hikaran. — *Anel he baka ei* = *Evil is here* in Hikaran.

While on exchange to Spain back in the summer of 2016, I met and shook hands with the queen of Spain in what I call a happy accident. One day I was walking around my school and taking a stroll around town and I noticed a blocked road a crowd starting to form where there usually isn’t. So, naturally, I had to get up front to see what was going to happen. Turns out the queen of Spain was in town and she took time to shake hands with people and I got lucky enough to be one of them. Moral of the story: when you see a tent or a barricade and people starting to gather where there usually isn’t, get up front because awesome things are gonna happen.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture with her, but I do, however, have a picture of her. (Pictured above).

Back in high school, when it was time for graduation photos, we were told we could bring an item, like a soccer ball or baseball bat, if we wanted for our pictures. Being the cat-obsessed weird person that I am, I legit brought my cat, Marbles (AKA Mibs) in a duffle bag (it was open) to school for my picture. Needless to say, I was the talk of the school for bringing a cat haha.

I lived super close to my school so I took my picture and brought her straight home. She hated going to school but was a good girl and took an amazing picture.

I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. Literally grew up with it. I was in the 6th grade reading the first three books because that’s all that was published at the time. When the first Harry Potter movie came out, I’ll never forget the experience. It was amazing and I loved every bit of it.

PS: I’m a proud Gryffindor. I also have many friends from all of the houses, but most of them are from Slytherin.

I grew with Pokemon. I was around when it was all first released and Pokemon Red was my first ever game I owned to go with the first ever consul I opened, Nintendo Colour. I buy every game, still collect cards, and I used to watch the anime. Pokemon will always have a special place in my heart.

My new all time favourite game is Life is Strange all other games in said franchise. THAT GAME IS MY LIFE, YO. I mean, if you noticed on fact number 5 that one of my tattoos is Life is Strange themed.

My favourite author is Rachel Vincent.

Literally, anything she writes is golden to me.

My favourite series of hers will always be the Soul Screamers series. I still can’t believe how she ended that series. Love it! I just get so invested in each world that she creates that I feel like I’m right there with the characters and I don’t know what to do with my life when I finish each book.

If you love reading, I highly recommend checking her out.

The origin of my author name: A.M. Molloy is basically the initials to my given name, Alex Molloy. However, in person, I prefer to be called Mina. Mina is my Korean name and to be honest, I was never fond of Alex. Since I live in Korea, everyone here calls me Mina. It makes me happy to hear people call me Mina. :3

My novel is in its third round of edits and beta reader stage. One of my beta readers created SOUTH’s very first meme! I’m so in love with it that I’m sharing it here.

So, my university had this mini ball pit kept in the student center. Once during a society meeting at my university, my friend and I decided to completely organize the ball pit into a rainbow. It literally took us forty-five mins straight but we did it! And then no one wanted to sit in the ball bit for like a week because they didn’t want to mess it up so we had to mess it up again so people would use it again.

During my second visit to Japan, I had the pleasure to meet a real sumo wrestler. It was an honour. I wish I could have seen an actual match but this was still awesome all the same.

I loved volunteering at my university for many things, but my favourite was being an NSO Leader. My last year at uni I had the privilege to be on the best team, Yellow Team, and had the most amazing crew. It was truly the best experience. I loved helping all the newcomers to UPEI and I would do it again in a heartbeat if I was still in school.

Well, you’ve made it this far! Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about me. For now, this concludes my new post, 20 facts about me.

Take care.

— Mina (A.M. Molloy)

World Building - Spira / May 2, 2019 by A.M. Molloy

Not too long ago I made a blog post about a poem I once wrote. Well, for today’s post, I want to share the world where that poem belongs. Below is a brief history, background into the culture, and brief language introduction to the Hikarans of Spira, a world I created long ago for a roleplay.

Hikarans © to A.M. Molloy.

The people of Spira, a planet located in a distant galaxy, are proud races, yet none are more proud than the Hikarans who inhabit 87.6% of the planet. Most Hikarans reside in the capital city of Bal'Thor, located of the coast of the Hüinzha Sea in the Ezhrainen continent. They are said to have been the first race created when the gods made the planet inhabitable.

Hikaran's have a humanoid appearance at first glance, however, there are ways to tell them apart from humans. Because Hikarans are a tribal race, their best features are their legs. They are usually longer and more muscular than humans to provide an excellent jumping range. Because of this feature, most Hikarans are hunters, the majority of them being female. All Hikarans are born with pure white hair and the colour of their hair does not change as they age. On the off occasion, the pigment may be off in their hair, and sometimes eyes, and can vary to a very light blond.

The key factor in noticing a Hikaran from a human, however, is once glance at their eyes. Hikaran eyes are pure white, with no visual pupil. The healthier one is, the whiter their eyes are. If one is sick, or injured, you can tell by the color of their eyes, which turn blue, also with no visible pupil. The darker the blue their eyes become, the closer they are to death. When their eyes are completely black, it means they have passed on and are sent to Sinaz, the God of Death. When a Hikaran becomes blind, their eyes turn grey, sometimes with a slight shade of green. If blind and not well, their eyes become grey-blue, with the gray being prominent. If they have passed on, their eyes are completely dark grey, with a light blue mix.

For the Hikarans, another key difference that separates them from humans is their aging process. A Hikaran will stop aging after puberty, usually around the ages of sixteen to eighteen, and remain looking youthful for the rest of their lives. This may cause confusing in other races when meeting a Hikaran family, for those of all ages, grandparent, parent, and child, all appear to be the same age. Hikarans are almost immortal in this sense, for they can live to be thousands of years old. They can die from sickness or be killed in battle, however.

As a tribal race, Hikarans have painted blue markings on their bodies, while royals can use gold if they chose. Each symbol on their arms mean something different, but only a Royal can wear the markings for Life and Death. As shown below, these are a few examples of said symbols. The first symbol shown represents life while the second represents death. Other symbols include community, peace, family, and so on.

(Hand Ref: http://www.dragoart.com/tuts/11554/1/1/how-to-draw-muscles.htm)

The markings on their bodies are painted using special paint, Ha’kar, that stays on permanently like a tattoo until removed by a special kind of remover paint. Only by using the removal paint, He’kar, can the markings be removed from the body.

Hikaran culture is rich in history and unique rules. A few cultural notes are worth looking into.

There aren’t many thieves in the capital city of Bal’Thor. The people who are thieves are very good at what they do, however, so that they don’t get caught. Thieves keep low on Spira. First offence is branding, second is loss of your writing hand and third is hanging. Whether it’s the Royal’s crown or a loaf of bread, it makes no difference.

At sixteen, female Hikarans would build their own doll to remind themselves that they are no longer a child. Also, in marriages it is the oldest sibling who gives the approval of whether or not the female gets to marry the male, or vice versa. If there are no siblings, the task falls unto the mother of the child to be married.

Hikarans always throw a big town party right before a war, (hosted by the royals), to get the town pumped and ready for war. The Hikaran battle cry is ‘For Life, For Country, For Honour!’

The current royal, and ruler of the Hikarans, is Svetla Sa’Den. It is also worth noting that royal members must learn and master as many instruments as possible, as it is they who entertain their guest at parties.

Right before doing what is commonly known as ‘The Tradition’ (or sex in our culture), one usually says “I give myself to you. I surrender”. (Girls say ‘I give myself to you’. Boys will say ‘I surrender’) If these words are not said, it’s usually considered prostitution.

When near the presence of a graveyard, a Hikaran will always walk with their heads bowed down and breath out slowly. They will never intake air near the dead out of respect for those who cannot breath no more. This is possible due to a Hikaran's lung capacity being larger than a human's.

The most noticeable cultural aspect is how a Hikaran will greet one another. Hikarans great each other by placing both hands, in a fist, to their chest, and thrusting them forward. This symbolizes that they as a person and the gods up above recognize them as a whole. This gesture also signifies the standard greeting, "I myself, see you, as the Gods above."

Hikarans are a very religious race and they worship many gods and goddesses. The goddess Kidaha is the literal heart of the planet Spira and she is one of the few gods who reside on the planet as opposed to the heavens with the other immortals. To many of the planets residents, Kidaha's decision to live amongst the mortals was a foolish one and some even fear for their lives. If Kidaha were to ever be killed, the planet would die alongside her, and with it, the people. Yet the goddesses love for her people and the planet was too strong to live her immortal days among the heavens. She enjoys life as a peaceful woman and is said to live in the capital city of Bal'Thor.

Other gods tend to visit the mortal realm from time to time, the most common being Shinoda, who enjoys aiding the lost goddess Aowyne in her attempts of a normal everyday life. A tragic event in the heavens left Aowyne wounded on the planet Spira with no memories of her former godlike self. If she were to ever recall, her powers would return tenfold and in turn destroy the planet. Therefore, Shinoda exercises his power so that Aowyne may life out her life in peace as a mortal and keeps her from finding out who she really is.

Below are the most prayed to gods and goddess of Spira, worshiped not only by the Hikarans, but by the rest of the planet as well.

Kidaha (Goddess of Spira and the heart of the planet)

Shiesta (3rd), Ouganda (2nd), Shinoda (1st) (The 3 top Gods. Rulers of the Hikaran Gods and Goddess’)

Aowyne (Lost goddess of magic)

Sinaz (God of death)

Zamir (God of the Underworld, husband to Mehélia)

Mehélia (Goddess of air, wife of Zemir)

Yava (Sun goddess)

Umon (Scribe and Scholar to the Gods)

Florydia (Goddess of Beauty and very vain)

Uffa (Cat-like god. God of strength and war)

Iyana (Goddess of health)

Keowa (God of fertility)

Rarity (Goddess of harmony. She is the only Goddess to appear completely Hikaran in form and is extremely shy)

As part of their religious beliefs, a Hikaran promise is more than just a word. To a Hikaran, a promise is what keeps the natural balance of the world in order. They never make a promise they cannot keep. To them, promises are a legal bind between them and whomever they made the promise with. It was once said that an unnamed god came down from the heavens and gave the lesson of the promise. This lesson was about keeping honour between yourself and your comrade and in turn aiding you keep honour with the gods. Therefore, as long as one can remember, no Hikaran would ever make a promise they can't keep.

As set forth by the royals, if one did happen to break a promise, depending on the severity, they will be banned from, (in order), their house, town, country, and eventually, the planet. Hikarans firmly believe that the reason people die is because somewhere in their life, they forgot about a promise they made and broke it and therefore the gods punish them by death. As a result, being called a ‘promise breaker’ is the worst possible insult you can give to a Hikaran. Therefore, instead of saying 'I promise' they would say 'I swear', which holds just as much value as a promise, without the threat of banishment and death.

As part of the Hikaran tradition, the Starlight Celebration is the most celebrated holiday in their culture. It is believed that during the 27th moon of Ishtar (November 18th in the human calendar) was the date that the gods created Spira. Many festivities are done and no one is to work on this day. A more modern tradition, however, is the telling of the tale of Isolde and Seryestin. For on that day they stopped a war between their planet and the planet Bashira. Every Hikaran knows the story of the two war heroes and some even worship them just as they would a god.

The story tells of how the Hikaran born werewolf, Isolde, and his werewolf Deskravesk lover, Sereystin, died heroes of Spira. They saved millions by defeating the corrupt General Mudurk at Prison Guard. Prison Guard is a ruthless place on the planet Bashira where every captured person is tortured beyond recognition. The tale tells the story form beginning to end and is sung every year during the Starlight Celebration festival in honour of these war heroes. Though the two lovers died, it is rumored that Isolde and Sereystin are actually still alive, hiding from the people of Bashira, and along with their twin children, Sorren and Rhyx, live happily somewhere on Spira.

The Tale of Isolde and Sereystin

The moonlight bathes the road to redemption

Sweet howls of the night; the melody sings

Crazed yet sane, blood shall be shed

War rages on in the world

Kill the horror that lies in the soul

Unable to break free from sins committed

Cry out, cry out; silence fills the land

Poisoned veins will stand alone

Behold thy beauty of sweet summers night

Hail to the captive; sweet innocence arises

Wanting without knowing; unable to achieve

Darkness falls over the land once again

Be swift for death shall chase; killer of the night

Arise the sun to darkness still

Wanting without knowing; separated against will

Death to many, death to all, once again

Races of the world reunite; self inflicted damage

Captured once more; break free from hell

Twice dawn comes, blood still floods the land

Clash of blades; six hits, one death

Adorned blackness; victory arises

Fighter of love, fighter of peace

Striking blow through heart and soul

Death has been defeated

Rest well sweet child. Fear no more

Peaceful night now fills thy heart

Young love will last forever; sweet dreams

Eyes of sorrow have lifted

*****

The Hikaran Language:

Though Hikarans populate 87.6% of the planet Spira, the Hikaran language is the fifth most common language on the planet, the first being Deskravesk. The written word is considered a gift from the Gods. Therefore, when writing traditionally, it is written from top to bottom, left to right. Signifying the Gods sending their gift from above to be received by mortals below; and from doing wrong, (left), as in doing bad choices, to be righted, (right).

There are twenty seven letters in the Hikaran alphabet, however, there are a total of thirty-two characters in the written language.The Hikaran alphabet and symbols.

The Hikaran Number system:

0 = nok 6 = ni

1 = sīg 7 = rah

2 = kō 8 = nō

3 = nā 9 = dõs

4 = sar 10 = re

5 = me 100 = sīgnokkō

A simple sentence in Hikaran follows the following sentence structure: subject - object - verb, unlike English where it is subject - verb - object. The verb always goes at the end of the sentence. It is believed that because verbs are actions - and actions done by a person are gifts from the gods - that the verb goes at the end so the gods above know that the people below understand their spoken gift.

The Hikaran language is also filled with particles that tell the listener what the subject is about. The most common particle is the subject marker he (pronounced heugh with a hard h and emphasis on the ugh). Others include the possessive marker, ko, (similar to the 's in English), the sentence enders ne, kra, and shi. Each of the sentence enders add a different feeling to the sentence and have no real grammatical value.

An example sentence in Hikaran would be the following common phrase, uttered often due to the inherent evil that resides within the un-pure body.

Ex: Anel he baka ei.

Translated, this sentence means 'Evil is here', or a literal translation, 'Evil he here is'. The red symbol in the Hikaran text represents the sentence marker, he. The green characters is the highlighted verb, ei (part of the verb to be conjugation). The very last symbol, the small one at the bottom right, represents the Hikaran version of a period.

In Hikaran, the vowels are pronounced as follows:

a as the 'a' in 'father'

e as the 'e' in 'get'

i as the 'i' in 'pin'

o as the 'o' in 'lot'

u as the 'u' in 'put'

The consonants are pronounced the same as in English for the most part. However, a few of them change sound depending on where they are placed in a word. For instance, 'h' has a hard guttural sound when it is placed at the start of a word where 'e' is the next letter. An example is in the subject marker he.

To understand the other sentence particles, we will continue to use the common phrase, 'Evil is here'.

When showing possession of something, the marker ko is used. In this example, 'Anel he ko baka ei', translates to 'Evil is mine'. The subject particle he is never left out, and the possessive particle ko follows the subject particle. Because of the use of ko, the verb of ei becomes 'mine' when translated.

The particle ne, when added to the end of the sentence, gives off a feeling of agreement, most commonly translated as 'right' or 'yeah' in English. 'Anel he baka ei ne' translates in English as 'Evil is here, right?'. It may also give off a feeling of uncertainty.

The particle kra, when added to the end of the sentence, gives off a feeling of wanting. It's commonly used at the end of a question sentence and implies that you want more information from the listener. 'Anel he baka ei kra?' will translate to 'I want evil to be here?'

The particle shi, when added to the end of the sentence, is almost as if expressing a verbal exclamation point. It also gives of the air of excitement. 'Anel he baka ei shi' will translate to 'Evil is here!'.

*****

As the Hikaran's would say, "Anel he baka ei. Kashaha, mazqa yc yba ocklz hkwer." (Evil is here. So remember to bring peace to the world).

The Tale of Isolde and Sereystin: A Poem / January 22, 2019 by A.M. Molloy

The moonlight bathes the road to redemption.

Sweet howls of the night; the melody sings.

Crazed yet sane, blood shall be shed.

War rages on in the world.

Kill the horror that lies in the soul,

Unable to run free from sins committed.

Cry out, cry out; silence fills the land.

Poisoned veins will stand alone again.

Behold thine beauty of sweet summers night.

Hail to the captive; sweet innocence arises.

Wanting with ought knowing; unable to achieve.

Darkness fall's over the land once again.

Be swift for death for death shall chase: killer of the night.

Arise the sun to darkness still.

Wanting grows stronger separated against will.

Death to many, death to all, once again.

Races of the world reunite; self inflicted damage.

Captured once more; break free from hell.

Twice dawn comes, blood still floods the land.

Clash of blades; 6 hits, 1 death.

Adorned blackness; victory arises.

Fighter of love, fighter of peace,

stroking blow through heart & soul.

Death has been defeated.

Rest well sweet child, fear not no more.

Peaceful night now fills thy heart.

Young love will last forever;

sweet dream, eyes of sorrow have lifted.

Level 30 Achieved / November 27, 2018 by A.M. Molloy

First off, I would just like to apologize for the lack of updates on social media. It’s not for lack of wanting. I’ve just been very busy with personal stuff, as well as being sick for like a month. Always fun. Thankfully things are cooling down and are returning back to normal.

That being said, I’m here to say the day has finally come. The day where I leave my 20s behind and level up to start a new chapter in my life. I’m talking about today, my 30th birthday.

Now, I’m going to admit, I’m a little scared. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because I’m leaving my youth behind (so to speak) and getting older. However, I’m ready for this new journey.

My 20s were the best years of my life. I’ve done so many things in these past ten years (wow, ten already?) and I’m now excited to see what more I can do. I’ve done things I never thought would happen to me. I’ve got to work for an amazing company called Contendo, where I was at one point promoted to their Senior Audio Editor. I’ve gone back to school and done everything I’ve ever wanted in a post-secondary education, and more. (Such things included, getting scholarships and bursaries, being in society, volunteering, getting on the deans' list every year and even graduating first-class standing, and my favourite, getting to be an exchange student to Spain!). Not to mention I FINALLY cracked down and wrote a novel and with the help of my editor, edited it three times and it’s almost ready completion.

In travelling, I’ve achieved my dream of going to Japan not once, but three times! Even got interviewed for a TV show in Tokyo this year. I’ve been to Korea with my friend and later my dad. I went to school in Spain — and met and shook hands with the queen of Spain! Visited Portugal for a weekend while on the exchange. Checked out Germany and Hong Kong Disney land during super long-ass layovers. Taught English in Thailand. Visited the capital of Canada. And my favourite, achieve my lifelong dream of moving to Asia.

Posing with my friend and Olympic athletes in at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics

I’ve been in South Korea for over a year now and I’ve even done so much here. I’ve seen the Olympic torch relay pass right in front of me here in Seosan. Saw EXO in concert (and a bunch others, like SHINee, during a k-pop music festival). Went to the Olympics with my best friend from Canada in PyeongChang and saw history live. Had my cousin and friend come to visit me. Met my best friend, Leila, as well as meeting my girlfriend, Leah. Travelled for PRIDE all over Korea, from Seoul to Ulsan, to Busan, tp flying to Jeju. It was a good year for travelling this year.

Speaking of my girlfriend, I honestly thought I’d never find anyone like her. I had accepted I was going to be single forever and accepted that I’d probably never find anyone in Korea because Korea is suuuuuper conservative. But I found her and she’s amazing. To sum it up, here is a short story. Months ago I was in Seoul with my friend Leila and we were on the subway going somewhere and we saw this guy. His phone would buzz and when he’d look at the text on the screen, his face would light up with happiness I’ve never seen before. He’d reply, put his phone away, then when another text came, his happy smile would return. Leila and I watched him every time he’d get a text, and every time his smile would widen. Leila said to me, “I wish I could find someone who makes me smile like that.”

Few months pass and I met Leah, and as time passed we started going out. And I realized something that I had to tell my friend. I told her, “Leila, I found someone that makes me smile like that.” And THAT is what I want for those of you who are reading this. I hope that you find someone that makes you smile, sees you for who you really are and loves you the way you deserve to be loved. I also hope that you realize that your life is amazing and worthwhile, too. You don’t have to travel the world and meet royalty to know you are worth it. It’s how you behave in this life that makes the difference.

Everything happened exactly when I needed it to. If I had gone to university sooner, I wouldn’t have met the friends I made there. If I decided to move to another country but Korea, I wouldn’t have met my girlfriend. Every event, every person, everything I’ve seen has come into my life (or left) exactly when it needed to be there, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Now that I’ve hit 30, that is the understanding I’ve come to know.

The Original SOUTH: Silent Tears ch 8 / September 19, 2018 by A.M. Molloy

Well, here is the final chapter of Silent Tears. These 8 chapters took forever to write. Like over a year. (You know it wasn’t a good story when haha) I mean, heck, I wrote 10,000+ words last week, way more than all 8 chapters of Silent Tears. I also didn’t really know where I was going with this original story. It was poorly planned, and the characters were bland.

The reason I decided to show you all eight chapters of Silent Tears was so that when SOUTH is published, you can see how much you can improve if you keep at it. Never stop writing. Never stop creating. You will improve and be proud of what you produce.

So, I hope you’ve all enjoyed reading the story that eventually did a 180 and became SOUTH. Enjoy!

Thank you for sticking around until the end! I will go back to talking about the far superior SOUTH novel and my writing progress shortly.

****

A little about the story:

Minami Kyuki’s hearts a battle ground of despair. Faced with more difficulties in her life than the normal teen, Minami copes by living one day at a time. But how long before the tragic events of her past haunts her to her death?

****

Chapter 8: Over?

INT. OLD ABANDONED HOUSE CAMPBELLTON

OFFICER TOMAS, BRENT and TIM rush down stairs, screaming for
order. DEREK turns his gaze around, seeing the cops, finally
losing his sanity. The fast grip he holds on his gun
loosens and drops to the ground. Raising his hands to his
head, his legs slowly give way and falls to the ground
muttering nonsense to himself; his face twisted with pain
and anger. MINAMI eyes are slightly open, but it looks as if
no one is there. She slowly tries to get up to go towards
her friends. KAYLA is huddled over a body on the floor. MARK
is on the floor, blood bleeding profusely from a gun shot
wound. He silently screams on the floor, writhing in pain.
KAYLA looks up to see the cops and gets up, grabbing her
friend in the process, trying to take her with her. MINAMI
stays frozen, her eyes unfocused, her vision becoming
impaired from the blood coming from a huge gash in her
forehead. The twins, VENESSA and NATALIE take comfort by the
arms of BRENT as he whisks them away from the danger. KAYLA
speaks, trying to convince MINAMI of something, however,
slowly swaying in her spot, does not seem to hear her.

TOMAS
We need an ambulance! Get back up
in here now!

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) It’s over…
But…

MINAMI slowly begins to waver towards unconsciousness,
OFFICER TREVOR catching her.

SLOWLY FADE TO BLACK

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) Is it ever
really? No….

BLACK

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) Never. This was
only the beginning.

INT. HOSPITAL CAMPBELLTON

MINAMI is laying down on a white bed, her eyes closed, a big
bandage around her head. KAYLA lying on the second bed,
covered in a variety of band-aids & gauzes. Both MINAMI’s
and KAYLA’s parents are in the hallway, talking to the cops.
MINAMI slowly opens her eyes. KAYLA looks over to her friend
and turns on her side to get a better view.

KAYLA
Mina! Hey! You’re awake. How you
feeling?

MINAMI looks towards her friend. A big smile plays against
her face.

MINAMI
(Laughs) The best.

KAYLA’s smile fades away, her face becoming more serious.

KAYLA
How in the world can you be so
cheery?

MINAMI
Oh, right. I forgot. The world
ended for you. Actually, after the
first few murders I saw, well, you
tend to zone them out.

KAYLA
Gee, I thought you of all people
would be more sympathetic. A boy
got murdered. In FRONT of OUR eyes!
F***.

MINAMI speaks, her voice now held sympathy.

MINAMI
I know. It bothers me to. DEREK had
no right to do what he did. No one
deserves that.

A shot of a masked killer.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) Except him.

MINAMI
I’ll be here for you, whenever you
need to talk about it. It’s hard to
see death and believe me, you never
get used to seeing it. It’s over
now.

KAYLA
Yeah….

MINAMI looks at the ceiling, at something it seems only she
can see.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) A life was lost
and I doubt the twins or KAYLA
would ever be the same. I don’t
blame them. But I did learn one
thing from this horrible
experience. I know he is still out
there, and I’m going to find him.

MINAMI
I’ll make it my mission in life to
find him and bring him to justice.
It may be unusual, but it’s the
only way I know how….

KAYLA looks at her friend, confused.

KAYLA
Wha-?

MINAMI starts and comes back to earth. She looks at KAYLA.

MINAMI
Haha, sorry, went into my own world
there for a minute. Won’t happen
again!

KAYLA
Pft, yeah right.

MINAMI
Haha yeah.

They both laugh, the wave of terror that had surrounded them
now fading away. MINAMI slowly sits up, her hand
automatically going towards her head.

MINAMI
Man I hope this doesn’t scar. One
big gash on my head is enough.

She looks around the room searching for something.

MINAMI
Where are the twins and how long
was I out? What are our parents
doing? Why aren’t they in here?

KAYLA
Haha, always quick to ask
questions. Let’s see. Our parents
are talking to the cops about what
happened, getting the full deets I
guess. Also cause the doctors
complained that there was too many
people in the room and kicked them
out. The twins weren’t injured so
they sent them home for some rest,
or therapy, I’m not sure which.
Probably both.

MINAMI
And-?

KAYLA
Couple of hours. You got a
concussion or something I think. I
dunno, you hit your head pretty
hard. I’m not doctor so I can’t give
full details.

MINAMI jumps out of the bed then jumps right back in.

KAYLA
Where the heck are you doing?

MINAMI pulls the sheets around her neck.

MINAMI
Where are my clothes!? I got
hospital junk on! I can’t be seen
in this!

KAYLA
Why not?

MINAMI
It’s uncool!

KAYLA rolls her eyes.

KAYLA
Oh you.

They both laugh again.

INT. SUGUARMOUNT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL HALL WAY

Two weeks has passed since the incident with DEREK. Kids can
be seen in the hall ways gossiping every time they saw
MINAMI, KAYLA, VENESSA and NATALIE.

GIRL 1
I heard DEREK KILLED a boy!

BOY 1
Yeah and he shot one of his crew
MARK! Heard he survived but is
still in the hospital. Haha.

BOY 2
Bet he cried like a baby! Haha.

GIRL 1
Poor girls. I heard they’ll need
hard core therapy for the rest of
their lives!

BOY 1
Yeah. But that Japanese chick, she
still seems as pumped about life as
ever.

INT. SUGARMOUNT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLASS ROOM

MINAMI, VENESSA, NATALIE, and KAYLA are seen walking through
the class room doors. The twins and KAYLA are talking
amongst themselves.

NATALIE
Wow they’re still talking about
what happened. Jeez, do kids ever
stop gossiping?

VENESSA
Yeah, it’s hard enough to try and
forget what happened with ought
them bringing it up every 5
seconds.

KAYLA
My parents are thinking of taking
me out of choir, just so I can stay
close to home more often.

NATALIE AND VENESSA
No!

They take their usual seats in class, all surrounded by each
other. MINAMI laughs at the twins’ reaction, but her eye’s
are somewhere else.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) Every day
and every night it’s the same.
Put on a face in the day so
you don’t scare the kids.
Unveil the mask at night,
where nightmares plague my
once happy dreams.

MR. GARRET enters the room, telling the class to stop their
talking and take out their books to prepare for another
boring lecture.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) I see him
more clearly now than I have
before. I see him as if he
were standing right next to
me.

A shadow of the killer lurks behind MINAMI as she thinks. CU
of MINAMI, staring into nothing, her book open on her desk.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) I got to
bring him to justice. He’s got
to pay for what he has done.
He’s just got to….

CU of her hands clenching into a fist. A shot of her body,
hand in a fist, her face fighting back the rage within.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) I’ll take
his life, lay it out for the
world to see. See if he can
hide from his past then. Make
him suffer first, then do to
him as he has done to me.

A shot of the class room, where some kids in the back
whisper amongst themselves, others passing note, others
taking note, actually paying attention.

MINAMI
(Narrative Bubble) A life for
a life. It’s only fair. Even
if life isn’t.