Dave's 100 Theme Challenge

Subject: Dave's 100 Theme Challenge Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:45 pm

This is a thing I found a long time and wanted to do waaay back when. But I just finally got the urge to continue with it now. I'm going to ask anyone who reads this to post a number. But I don't want to double up. I will write a story based on the word associated with the number.

If you are going to bother posting a number. Make sure it's between 1 and 100 and NOT something I've already written something for. Please and thank you.

Finished Stories

21. War
66. Snow
77. Testament

Subject: Re: Dave's 100 Theme Challenge Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:46 pm

66. Snow

Snow. So pristine, falling to the ground in a peaceful dance. It was truly amazing to watch; a real wonder to behold. Something that Alexander loved and loved dearly.

When the snow fell he held out his hands and caught it in his palm. He brought it up to his face and examined the flakes, the always different shapes. But they were always so perfect. So dear to him. A constant in a life that seemed to hate him so much.

Ever since his mother went away he had been home alone a lot. He missed his mother a lot. He remembered all of the stories she used to tell him. About fairies and forest creatures, elves, and how wonderful they were. When she went to go adventure, went to go look for all of these wonderful creatures she never returned. She never came back to the home they shared.

Alexander's father came home from time to time. He would make sure Alexander was fed and comfortable, but he was never really there not like his mother had been.

Now all that was there was the snow that drifted to the ground.

”Alexander. My dear little Alex. Look at the snow outside. Isn't it beautiful? Every single flake that falls is different, just like every human on the planet. They show us... how fragile life is though, don't they? There one second and gone the next. Don't they show us... how important it is to do what we can with our lives while we have it? Like making the perfect snow ball or snow man... or maybe even a snow castle. Just you and all those that you care for, all of those unique bodies in your life uniting to form something so magnificent.”

She had once said that to him. He remembered being seated on her lap having his amber eyes locked on the white flurries that blew by his window. He remembered as his eyes had widened with his mother's words, a look of awe crossing his face. He remembered how right then and there he had decided that he would do something important with his life. He would not make a snow man of himself and those around him, he would not make a castle. No he decided there and then that he would make a snow civilization, a true wonder to behold.

”Alexander. My dear little Alex. Do you remember what I told you, all those years ago. About the snow flakes? About how we are meant to do something with our lives when we have it? Well, I'm going to go and live my life. I'm going to go find all of those creatures I told you about in my stories. I'm going to go find the ones who craft all of the little snow flakes for us. And when I come back I'll have even more stories to tell you. I will see you in a while. I love you Alexander. My dear little Alex.”

Those were her last words to him, those words ran through his head all the time. His mother had told him she would be back, she would be back with stories to tell, and Alexander waited for that day- no he longed for that day.

It was especially on days like this, when the snow danced through the sky, that he would think about all of those words his mother had told him. He held the snowflakes in his hand and counted them as they fell into his open palm. He laughed slightly as he did so. “1. 2. 3. 4. But I need... yes I need more.” He said before closing his palm. “How can I make my mom happy... with only four snowflakes. I can't make a civilization that way. I need to make something... so I can have a story to tell.”

~~

Many years later Alexander sat at his desk upon the world. This land was his and his alone.

He looked out of the large window behind him, standing up and holding his hands behind his back, his amber eyes widening, almost in awe, as he looked out at the snow that danced around the building. He smiled, a brief smile, but a true one.

“Mother. Look at the snow. Isn't it beautiful. And now it has been cleansed.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, a shaky sigh left his mouth and his mind raced into thoughts. He thought about the words his mother had spoken to him, all of those years ago... oh so long ago. The words she had spoke to Alexander. Her dear little Alex, who was little no longer.

I made this world for you and me both. My snow civilization is ready and I have so many stories I want to tell you. When will you come home so I can tell them to you, when will you come home so I can show you what I've done with all of these snow flakes.

He no longer counted the snowflakes in his palm, he no longer waited or longed for the day his mother would return. Deep in his mind he knew what had happened to his mother, but he refused to believe it. His mind went on thinking that his mother was out gathering her stories; collecting things to bring to him. Watching the people who made the snow. All so she could come back and show her love in the form of stories to Alexander.

Dear little Alex.

Subject: Re: Dave's 100 Theme Challenge Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:47 pm

77. Testament

“Vulcan?” The brown haired young man said looking at his orange haired friend. Blue eyes were strained upwards, towards the metal sky.

“It really has begun… hasn’t it, Jeremy…” Vulcan responded to the question that lay under his name. His blues were locked on a hole that had appeared in the metal ceiling of the country in which they lived.

~~~~~

During the late 21st century the world had been overcome with the fear of nuclear warfare and had begun to build, around entire countries, protective barriers. They had started in the east but the Americans quickly stole the idea, seeing it as a sure fire sign that this nuclear war was about to begin.

The entire country had been built upon; huge walls had been erected all over most of the United States and Canada. Very little of the continent was left outside of the walls. Even docks were made inside the wall, with doors that led out to the sea, keeping trade up and running, though tension between the countries of the world had been incredibly tense since 2087 when America’s president at the time had agreed with the Canadian government to extend the walled area up into the north. People in the east saw this as a threat and did not like it one bit.

The wall had been completed in 2127, with hundreds of thousands of people working around the clock on every side. Tens of thousands of people lost their lives working on creating this two tiered ‘utopia’ and the families of those who passed lived a tough life when their civilization was completed.

Upon the completion of this ‘building’ the governments involved decided it would be in the best interest to create a new government system to suit this new way of living. This… did not turn out as expected though and a ruler quickly came into power that should have never come into power. A man who changed his name to Constantine, naming himself after a powerful Roman emperor and taking complete control of the entire continent, the entire ‘New America’.

~~~~~

Gregor, nicknamed Vulcan, was a man who worked in the government building. Not the one on the second floor of their massive walled country, but the one that happened to be outside of the country. This company, hidden in a place no one would expect, was the real backbone of the country, what really ran everything. They listened to the rules that Constantine made and did everything to enforce them and keep the entire continent running, making Constantine nothing but a face, nothing but a face that had the last word on everything that was done.

Jeremy was the CEO of this company, though the man was far too relaxed to really be seen as such a powerful man, a façade he truly played very well. The man was a pacifist who would only ever do something to keep everything in check and he had never thought about actually taking a step against Constantine. It was Gregor who ended up changing his mind on that fact. Gregor that initiated what would eventually lead into a rebellion that would overtake the man and give the ‘land of the free’ back to those who deserved it.

~~~~~

Now though they stood their looking up at Constantine’s platform as it lowered down from the second floor so he could address the people of his country, his voice would boom all over but Vulcan and Jeremy could watch the large, bloated, man as he gave his ‘magnificent’ speech.

Vulcan crossed his arms and kept his cold blue gaze trained on the greying haired man as he opened his mouth to speak into his microphone, “People of my America. A new testament has been made, written to better improve your lives, to get rid of those who do not find success in this land of ours!”

“A… ‘testament’. What the hell is this man doing…? Vulcan asked under his breath his eyebrows drawing together. “Shouldn’t he consult with us before he makes such ridiculous statements…?” Vulcan growled, his brows furrowing. Jeremy looked over at his angry friend and frowned, though he did agree with what the other was thinking he wouldn’t be so quick to get pissed off with it. No matter how much he wished that Constantine would go over these things with Jeremy and company before announcing them to his ‘world’.

“I have been too soft on you. You are strong people who can be worked harder. We need to be ever vigilant against the terrorist threat! Taxes will be raised for us to be able to defend ourselves. I vow to keep our place as a wall. An impenetrable force! We will rise above the rest of the world under my guidance under my brilliant ideas. Brilliance that the world has never seen before! I will bring us up from where we are to the top of the world! And you all are the support that will keep us there! I love you all, my nation! Godspeed!”

It was gross to Vulcan, knowing that when he said ‘nation’ or ‘God’ he meant himself. His lips pulled back and he snarled slightly his blue glare only intensifying.

Jeremy noticed how angry Vulcan was getting, he noticed it quickly. Albeit, it was hard to not to notice it when the angry aura of his resonated off of him in waves more powerful than those off the ocean on a stormy day. “You have to calm down…” Jeremy said putting a calming hand on his friend’s shoulder.

Vulcan didn’t move for a moment but when he did he directed his cold eyes on Jeremy, “We have to stop him. If we don’t want him to run this nation into the ground… we have to stop him.” He said shaking his head slowly and speaking in a low voice, hardly audible.

Jeremy nodded at an equally slow pace, “Yes my friend. Yes… I believe you’re right.” He said.

And with this a rebellion was born. A rebellion that worked from the inside to knock Constantine off his high horse. This was a mission that could very easily get them killed, they had no idea whether it would work or not at the time, and in reality it would take years before this mission of theirs began to bear fruit…

But that is another story.

Subject: Re: Dave's 100 Theme Challenge Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:48 pm

21. War

“Alexander, is it?” The elf king said tilting his long pointed nose upwards and looking down at the human he was now face to face with.

“Yes. My name is Alexander. Your highness, Lars.” Alexander sneered turning and taking a few paces away from the elf, not really wanting to be looked down on as he was. There was no way he would allow himself to be looked down upon by such an inferior creature like that. It was disgusting.

Lars was silent for a moment, but his fingers twitched. Lars had never liked humans, but there was something about this one… that he… just couldn’t stand at all. He held his tongue, not wanting to say something about the tone of voice that the black haired human was using. “What is it that you want with us?” Lars asked keeping his sharp grey eyes on the black cloaked human and his largely muscular ‘bodyguard’.

“What I want… well that’s a very simple request.” Alexander said, turning to look at the short haired elf king again. He smiled a sly and wiry smile that made Lars want to spit in contempt. “I want you to hand over all of your land and give up your ‘throne’. We both know it shouldn’t belong to you and your people.”

“WHAT!?” Lars yelled in a powerful voice. The elves that surrounded the entirety of the building drew their bows in an instant, every pointed tip trained on Alexander. “What are you saying!? We have lived on this land for eons and you’re saying it does not belong to us!? What give you the right!?” Lars yelled taking steps forward, the long robe of his outfit flying out around his legs as he walked.

Alexander acted as though all of what Lars had said hadn’t been anything more than a whisper. His amber eyes looked around at all the armored elves who had weapons drawn. “Humans… are the superior race… the moment you understand that things will become much simpler. You should give your land, your throne, and your lives to the ones who deserve it. It is only fitting.”

“Where do you get off…” Lars started, standing close enough to Alexander that their noses brushed. “A civilization that hides behind a wall for generations… that is your ‘superior race’? Is it Alexander? We who are a proud people, who have been in charge of this land for longer than your kind has even been around, are inferior to you?” Lars said, his lips pulled back in a snarl. “Get that thought out of your head.”

He backed off, taking a step back and turning to face the other way with a flourish, he rose his hand and the elves who had their weapons drawn lowered them and stepped back into the shadows to hide once again, “Get out of my castle. Get out of my village. And don’t come back. I will surrender nothing to you, Alexander.” Lars said, looking at the calm man over his shoulder, his grey eyes still set in a glare. He hated how calm and collected the amber eyes he met were. It aggravated him. He was just happy to see that the other man did as he was told, turning and leaving the building.

Lars had hoped that would be the last he saw of Alexander Chain, but it wasn’t. It was far from the last time he would have to deal with the other man. And the next time they met was in much less civil circumstances.

~~~~~

The screams and yells of both sides were blood curdling. The ground was littered in the bodies of the fallen, blood socked the soft earth and everything had been brought down to hell.

Lars stood atop a hill, overlooking the battle below him. His chest heaved and his face and arm bled heavily. The armor that covered most of his body had many dents and scratches and he was already starting to feel weak, the fighting was starting to take its toll on him. He had already had to fall back once, but the other party was persistent. He himself was starting to lose the use of one of his arms and had had to stop using a sword, opting with his bow and arrow. His eyes though… they scanned for one person in particular.

Alexander Chain.

That man was out there and Lars knew it, he wanted to be the one who put an arrow through that man’s pretty little head. It took a lot longer than he would have liked to be able to find him in the sea of bodies and blood. His grey hues did eventually find the man he was looking for.

Alexander rode atop a large horse that had what looked like a mane of spike instead of hair. It was hairless and looked as though it didn’t have eyes. One of the ‘war horses’ Lars had heard about.

Next to Alexander was the body guard he had had with him the last time he had seen him, riding a much larger horse with large shell like armor and a huge blade atop of its head like a mane. That man was named Lucien and he was a rare breed of half-elf, a warlock, which Lars hadn’t known beforehand.

Lars took aim… aiming to put the arrow right between Alexander’s eyes. Then… Alexander looked at him. The human looked at him and smiled. Lars froze, that was it… he put the bow and arrow down and growled to himself. He took the horn off of his belt and blew it into the air, all of the elves immediately took off, that was it, they weren’t fighting here anymore, Alexander knew to much right now, he had the advantage. They would have to regroup.

Alexander may have won this battle… but there was no way Lars was going to let him win the war. He looked over at the dark haired human and they exchanged looks before Lars took off with the rest of his people.