love it!

Water Under The Bridge-III "Hey Dee", Jack said with the same goofy smile that always seemed to make her heart skip a beat. "Hey Jack, ready to go?" Jacks smile faltered. "Go?" Dhalia smiled. "Yeah, "go" , it's after second bell." Jacks eyes tripled in size. "What?! Oh my GERD DEE!" Laughing, Dhalia noticed that his blonde hair was greasy and messy and stuck out in every direction possible. As Jack ran to the rear of the room, koala boxers poked into view when he turned to fix his hair and she laughed harder. "Oh shut up!" he yelled from across the room and threw an embroidered pillow she had bought for him last Christmas. Dhalia dodged it in record time. "See ya later!" she yelled as Jack rushed around like a chicken with its head cut off. As she neared the next room, she could hear Ed Sheeran pouring from every corner. The lights were off and threw distorted shadows of the tanks and blueprints lining the walls making the room seem eerily calm. On the bed sat Julius, his red hair stuck to his face in clumps and tangles and losing a Tanki battle horribly. Sounds from his laptop overlapped with the music and made Dhalia want to cringe. Without a hint of surprise, Dhalia spotted Kristie sprawled at the foot of the bed in a deep sleep. With an eyeroll and a sigh, Dhalia grabbed Kristie's ankle and yanked firmly. Within seconds, Kristie was on the floor yelling obscene language in her direction. "Get out!" Dhalia screamed over her whining. "Why should I listen to a screw-up like you?!" Kristie snapped back. "Because I said so, and unless you want to get kicked from this clan for sleeping with every member that'll take you, I suggest you listen!" Dhalia retaliated. A hint of fear and resentment passed through Kristie's eyes but was gone within seconds. With a eyeroll and a hiss, Kristie removed herself from the floor and walked out with an unnecessary swing to the hips she didn't have. Dhalia turned her attention back to Julius, who was very much still in deep concentration on his failed battle. "Look," she began. "I know you have certain...things you need...tending to; But we don't fraternize and you should be the main one who knows this. You are my XO and I expect you to act as such." Julius didn't answer. "Fine. Suit yourself. I'll let Jesse know of your insubordinate actions and see how he handles it." No answer. "UGH!" Dhalia got up to leave but Julius caught her by the wrist and gave her the look that made every girl submit. Every girl but her. "Cupcake," Julius begins. "If you don't like the idea of her and me, maybe you should take her place instead." A bored look crossed Dhalia's face. They'd been through this more times than they could count. "Number one, Julius" she began, "Don't ever call me that again. And two, I wouldn't even dream of doing anything with you even if you were the last guy on Earth." Sass spilled from her every being and Julius just smiled. He beckoned her to come closer and she obliged. "If i'm the last guy on Earth," He whispered and drew her closer. "Who will be there to stop me?" Dhalia sat flabbergasted for a moment while Julius laughed his head off. She shut him up with a note of the time and raced from the room to get to the dining hall in time for breakfast. Today was her favorite day, Wednesday, Breakfast Chimichanga day!! The sun rays poured into every skylight bathing her in the early sunlight. She stopped to take in a deep breath and gaze around. Today would be great. Just then an explosion came from the kitchen..she spoke too soon. No time to think as she raced back to her room, grabbed her katana and pushed past the crowd already gathering at the top of the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time, she mentally prepared to protect everyone and everything she loved.

Water under the bridge - II Dhalia woke to her alarm clock blaring its melodic siren like it had been doing for years. She silenced it immediately, groaning from the slight headache it conjured every morning. She rarely woke from the alarm before its 3rd round of blaring 15 minutes of annoying goat-like yelling. The curtains were still drawn and only a thin line that played across her dim room with posters of every anime she had ever watched and laundry way past due, gave way that it was early morning. 9 am. Maybe 10. She was always last to wake...a loud snore echoed through the wall adjacent to her door and parallel to the 4 poster bed equipped with a net to keep out any unwanted critters. Well almost always. Drawing the covers back, she winced from her sore body that had been pushed to its limits in the vigorous work out that Jesse called "training". Dhalia rolled her eyes remembering that conceited smile that never managed to leave his lips. A deep buzzing downstairs interrupted her reverie. Breakfast. She lazily slipped out of her most comfortable "Fairy Tail" joggers and T-shirt and replaced them with her traditional skinny black cargo pants and "Magikarp" shirt. Walking around the room stretching her aching muscles, she worked her way cautiously around the "minefield" she called a room. One wrong move and she would be would find herself buried under a mountain of journals, filled with songs, poems, and unfinished stories; laundry scheduled for 3 weeks ago, and other things she believed were lost months ago. Pausing for a minute with her hand on the doorknob, she gazed into the mirror that hung on the back of her door, rarely used. She mentally noted her brown eyes that always seemed to glow and her hair that never seemed to want to stay straight and her figure that matched her personality. Seemingly unimportant to her but irresistible to others. A second, louder bell rang through the dorm indicating that the breakfast bell had not done its job. Dhalia flung open the door and started down the hallways meticulously filled with doors. Behind the mahogany doors, yawns, music, and occasional snoring could be heard. Knocking on the door next to hers, the snoring abruptly stopped and Jack came scurrying to answer the daily knock.

The Way You Move Shy light shone through the shutters on a cold, cloudy morning. A seemingly insignificant beast laid in wait. Watching...Waiting. Jason rolled over to avoid any further exposure. If only he knew, this beast would invade his mind,changing his life forever. A knock at the door...*tap,tap*.....A second louder knock.. *thud tap* "Go away." Mumbled Jason. The door squeaks on its hinges, signaling that it was now ajar. "5 more minutes." Jason stirred. Light footsteps echoed through the hallway beyond the door. Growing louder every step It took......IT. *thump....thump..*Silence* A low gurgling voice hissed just inside the door. "I'm at the door, Jason" IT said almost inaudibly. *thump....thump........tink* "I'm at the desk, Jason" IT whispered. *thump..tink....tink.* "I'm at the closet!" IT sneered in a hushed voice. *tink........thump..........ti...nk* "I'm at the foot of the bed!!" It said. *thump......tink........flop!* "I'm next to you, Jason!!!!" IT gurgled in a raspy voice... Jason lay wide awake facing away from the voice, too scared to investigate the haunting intruder, he's been here many time before. "Ignore IT and it'll go away." he thought. Time passed. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes to an hour. Jason becoming stiff from the constant, non-changing position, decided to risk a look at the creature. Bad move. Slowly..cautiously.., Jason sat up and let the blanket fall to his waist. He felt his presence, His hot breath that could kill a colony of fish on the back of his neck prickling his hair, IT's eyes.... following, analyzing his every move. Very calmly, Jason turned to look at IT, his hair falling to his shoulders, falling in uneven symmetry. What he saw could send even the sanest person alive over the edge..... Black, long hair matted in places only God knows where. Mismatched eyes...one green, the other red, The only clue that this being was once human, and teeth. So many teeth...Not just in his mouth but...EVERYWHERE. Hands caked with molars...canines in the place of fingernails...and a face full of wisdom teeth. Jason open his mouth to scream but no sound came out. IT smiled. "Hello, Jason. Nice to finally see you face to face again. I'm known as Algernon but you can call me...The Tooth Fairy." A hideous grin crossed over IT's face and Jason bolted. Out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and to his parents room....Noone was there. A cackle drifted throughout the house. "Oh, Jason. Playing these games with you tend to get quite boring. Same routine. You ignore me until you realize that you have to defeat me or this nightmare restarts, you bolt. Crying to your mommy and daddy." Algernon descended the steps with minimum patience, dragging his deformed, bare feet so that all was heard under his words was a sharp..*thump...Thump...thug...thug..thump...tink* Jason ran deeper into the heart of his parents room, finding a hidden door, one that appeared only in time of needs. Algernon was at the end of the steps. Jason quickly unlatched it with the key that was given to him on his 5th birthday....when the "nightmare" first began. Then they were dreams, now they were real. Algernon was at the door to the bedroom. Jason hurriedly stuffed himself into the cellar only large enough for one body embedded in the floor in the bathroom. Algernon was in the bathroom, walking closer. *thud......thump....tink*Silence*. Minutes passed. hours... Awaken by the complete silence Jason waited and listened....He was gone. Relief swept over him like a tidal wave and he slowly climbed from the cellar. Slowly approached the stair and came to his room. Looking into it and not seeing a single life form, Jason strolled in, Victorious. From behind the door came a hand. Laden with teeth and a scythe retreated from its owner and impaled his body...Darkness came quickly. Blood flooded the wood floors.. Jason had lost. Again. Cackling can be heard in his ear. haunting his every muscle, breath, blood, skin. Everything. Jason was dead. Every time was different. They all hurt. He felt helpless. He would never defeat IT. A sudden wave of calmness washed over him. "I will not be beat!". Jason woke in his bed. Healed and replenished, In the same clothes. No blood. No scars. He quickly jumped from bed and checked the time....9:00 pm. Good he still had 3 hours. He ran downstairs and gathered every weapon and armor possible and sat on his bed. Ready. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes to hours. At 12 pm sharp came the familiar...*tap, tap*...

As Dhalia opened her eyes with reluctance, the night sky came into focus. The moon to her right shining concentrated moonlight over a grassy plain she only vaguely remembered. A sudden chill ran down her aching body, laden with bruises and cuts. A low, painful moan came from somewhere off in the distance to her left. Using all of her remaining strength mustered in one quick movement, she turned her neck and a sharp, hot pain shot behind her left eye knocking every drop of air out of her overworked lungs. As her air supply came spilling back in painful gasps that shook her body and forced her to feel every inflicted injury, a horrific site came into focus. "No! This isn't real." Dhalia hoarsely whispered in disbelief through her extremely parched lips that felt as though they hadn't touched water in weeks. Struggling to her knees in a grotesque movement that nearly snatched her consciousness. Dhalia was allowed a clear view of the wreckage...Tanks lay scattered in a silent aura of a wrongful deathbed to whomever sought a position in the war that took place only hours before. Turrets ripped from their hulls lay diligently in the dry grass throwing haunting shadows across the land. Dust and tank debris settled over the Mammoths, Hornets, Hunters....what Dhalia once built with her friends....Friends! A painful memory surfaced from the vague depths beyond her pain giving her a boost of adrenaline that made her forget the pain.....forget the war. Fighting through the rubble and debris she searched for any life still holding on. Hot, searing tears rolled down her sweaty cheeks and fell onto her traditional cargo pants, usually filled with tools when a busy day at the garage ensued, blue T-shirt now ripped and filling with blood from a deep gash just above her left breast , and boots covered with mud and oil from a leaking tank with twins still intact. Her tank... Ignoring the overwhelming feeling of sleep, she continued her search passing many dead enemies and abandoned tanks. "Maybe they survived and are in a safe house, But left me behind..." Dhalia thought out loud. She collapsed at the thought. "Don't be so foolish." came a low, pained voice filled with confidence. Too much for her taste. She recognized the voice before he stopped speaking. Turning around and not believing her eyes, Now crying harder. "Jesse!" His usual cocky smile returned for a moment. "Hey Dhali, missed me?"

You're doing great. Keep up the good work :P