Character Profile

Character - Avian
From -The Order's Experiments


Avian is originally best friends and partners with Ellie as a trainee in the Order. She is a highly intelligent young girl with a high IQ. She is described as slender, pale, with natural white blond hair and crystal blue eyes, a 'snow queen' by description. She grows nervous and withdrawn as the book continues, presumably as a result of not coping as well as she'd hoped in the Order, so is assisted by Fallen in her martial arts and fighting skills to regain confidence. She's the quietest of the Order trainees and the least violent. She has a patient, kind and gentle disposition with a mild sense of humour. She's the person people seem the least bothered with, the most easily forgotten, but as she gains initiative she becomes her own woman.

The Distroying, Part 2

*A Station of Strays

When morning came Inna slipped out of her basement and quietly scampered through the streets untill she reached the train station. That massive, impending building, neo classic style, even through its weary age and scars from the torment of the Distroying, it had reamined a great land mark. It was wonderful, but for Inna it was also a gold mine. Full of busy, unsuspecting people with money for travelling, it was one of her prime scavenging spots.

She slipped inside and headed to one of the large halls where climbed the wall next to a large clock. She could hear the machinery working from behind the smooth face of the piece, but was enough in the shadow so as not to be noticed by those checking the time. She looked over the crowd and scanned the floors. Dropped change, food left unfinished in the café, her eyes darted left and right to see. She noticed a café getting crowded and darted down to watch. Sometimes people left things unfinished, so just as the opportunity arose she would snatch up the left over coffee, cake, pastry or cookie for herself. Next she would scour the floor looking for dropped notes, cards, anything she could see that might be of the slightest use she would slip in and steal. If she saw it, it was hers.

She watched over the people, by now she knew the layout of the train station and the train time table by heart. She noticed a café getting busy and climbed down to watch its movement. Inna knew how to blend, she knew how to remain unseen, so she let herself become invisible as she watched the people eat and chat, and if she was really lucky, leave their bags behind. Though she was against stealing and pickpocketing from regular people, anything left behind, by her books, was a free for all.

She walked through the tables to one recently abandoned. As she came past she collected a half-eaten pasty and a tip left behind in her stride. Successful, she kept walking unhindered and back out of the café area before she was noticed.

Back on her perch she ate her pastry gratefully. It wasn’t this bad, this life, she mused, when she had enough to eat that is. She smiled and casually looked over the station then something new, but extremely familiar caught her eye. Strays. A group of them, younger than her, were in the train station. They were not obvious as strays to the common eye, they didn’t even look like a group, but from her view up so high Inna could clearly their pattern while it remained invisible to the crowd. She could see them as they sneaked out amongst them, pick pocketing and snatching things off the ground. They stole what they could then took them back behind a corner to meet with the rest of the group. Inna crouched down and singled one out. There was a little girl, maybe eight years old as Inna watched her she noticed she was in the dangerous sight of one bulky-looking security guard.

She continued to watch and follow the girl through the crowd. She saw as one of her friends, a young boy, tugged on a woman’s sleeve and asked her if she knew where the toilets were? As the woman bent down to answer the girl came in from behind and slipped her hand into the woman’s bag. She drew out a fist full of stuff then stuffed the lot into her pockets. Inna watched as she slipped away back into the crowd and eased down the wall to follow her. 
Once in the crowd, Inna had to take a moment to find the young girl again. She watched her go round a corner and followed to the edge of the wall. There she stood with her back against the paint and listened as voices became from around the corner.

“Here!” hissed one, a female and young, probably the girl she’d been following.

“Set them down,” came another, male this time and a little older. “Anything good?” whispered another voice,

“Check later” - the boy again - “we need too much to waste time now.”

Inna risked a look round the bend, it was always smart to keep track of other strays in your area for many reasons, if nothing else they could be competition. She looked at who was there and counted four, the young girl she followed, the boy who’d distracted the older woman, an older boy and an older girl.

One of them, the older boy came started walking to the bend. She backed up to the café on her right and the younger boy walked past, followed by the young girl. They walked by leaving her unnoticed. 

They seemed to work mostly in pairs, Inna watched as they went around pick pocketing and stealing. They didn’t get much really, they were actually quite lacking, it was easy to see why they would run out of money and food so fast. But she wasn’t the only one who noticed their work. Looking up she saw the same security guard that had noticed the young girl earlier was now watching them all.

She lagged behind and blended into the crowd. She needed to observe without being seen herself. She tracked the young girl’s footsteps, watching the strain of her black hair from behind and she continued, oblivious towards to burly security. Ideally she would brush past the kid and whisper the quick warning, but now she watched in horror as she saw him head towards the kids and stood in even more alarm as they still failed to notice.

She started to manoeuvre her way back through the people towards them, but already the guard was much closer to the kids than she was. She waved at the young girl, but caught her friend’s attention. The young boy looked up, but when recognised Inna as a stray went hostile. It took a moment for him to register the desperate warning in Inna’s face then he looked round, only to see the security guard, was right on top of them, barely a foot from the young girl.

The boy grabbed her by the wrist and pulled, but it was too late. The guard leaned in and snatched up her other wrist. She looked up in sheer terror.

Inna asses her stand point as the girl started to struggle. The guard held her still and leaned in, “This isn’t a free for all, rat. Come with me.” He turned to drag her away then - “Ugh!” Inna felt the contact too, her fist and his ribs. She winced, punching hurt! She didn’t waste time, she grabbed the girl and pulled her away through the crowd, trying to mingle before he could spot them again. Only now the burly man was pissed, perhaps because now his ribs hurt. Inna wondered if she'd bruised any.

He started through the people after them, navigating through the crowd. She took a fleeting glance back at the purpling face and quickened their pace, “Come on!” she urged her tag-along. She cursed under her breath and pulled the girl again, “Quick! I’m not getting locked up for you,” she hissed. She dodged and drove through the herds of people until she spotted a dark corner. She smiled, shadows always invited the strays. She took one look back, ducked down and dove to their familiar folds.

She stood up and pressed herself and the girl against the wall, wishing her flesh would disappear into the stone. Then she peered out to look for the guard. She heard the girl gasp, about to say something, and pressed her hand over her mouth. Her dark eyes looked for him, tried to single out possible peoples in the crowds. When she singled out his frame he wasn’t six meters away. He stood above everyone, scouring around above their heads, searching for the two kids he had just lost. Inna held her breath. She surveyed the space around him again and waited. Only when he’d walked completely from her sight did she breath again.

She removed her hand from the girl and she looked up at Inna. “Who are you?” was of course the first question.

“Inna.” The girl looked up at her suspiciously.

She shook her head, “Don’t worry, I won’t turn you in.” The kid didn’t replay, “Hey, I’m a stray too. I’m not going to walk you to the authorities,” she pointed out.

This seemed to settle the kid. “Well, duh. I could see that by the way you hit that guard,” her voice was amazingly condescending for one so young, “thanks, it would have been a close call without you.”

A close call? She raised an eyebrow, seemed to her like ‘close call’ would be a bit of an understatement.

“Don’t I get your name?” Inna asked.

“I guess, Yumie’s fine.”

“Yumie? That’s what, Japanese?” 

“Yeah, what's your name again?"

"Inna."

Silence.

Yumie was dirty, with ashen brown-black hair and a stubborn face which, Inna realised, did look part Asian. “Look, you’d better get back to your group,” she said.

“Well yeah, though I guess you should come meet the others.”

Inna glanced down suspiciously “For allies or competition?”

Yumi’s gaze turned hard, “Depends on circumstances."

“Well, either way, for now it’s a no, I’ve got to go, trailing after you has lost me enough time today, and I still need to eat.” She made to leave.

“But that guard knows your face now, he’ll be after you.”

Inna sighed, “Well that’ll fun.”

Yumi looked confused, whether it was because of her sarcasm or lack of major concern about the guard, Inna couldn’t pick. She sighed, “Don’t worry about it; I can take care of myself.”

Yumi shrugged, and Inna, tired of the brick wall of distrust, made again to leave.

She started up the wall shelf up to her perching point once more. She could see the security guard clearly from up here and smiled at the expression on his face. It was then that she heard a “Pist!” and turned around, “Hay! Inna.” 

The male voice came from behind her in the wall, she smiled.

“Timothy!”

Reading Warnings

Picture Source

Whenever I'm uncertain about what to post next on this blog I always remember something fantastic I found elsewhere, and presto! 

All writers know that to write you have to read, and the more you pay attention to what you read and the more you absorb and use to cultivate your mind, the better your writing will become. Personally, I love the train, my 55 minute commute is great for reading!

I recently, at the advice of my wonderful teacher, read White Horse, fantastic book, and I most certainly recommend it, for ideas on women, humanity, post apocalyptic ideas and for anyone looking at wring examples that use the flash back, flash forward techniques, analepsis and prolepsis.

Also, no writer could ever be their best without looking at classical writing. By that I primarily mean the Odyssey and its kind. I'm re-reading it now for Classics, and it truly is one of the greatest pieces of story work ever, and imperative to understanding modern work. Remember, JK Rowling studied classics!

Anyway, that aside, reading is fun! Especially when you're lost to reality. 

Happy reading!

The Destroying - Part 1

• A Stray in the city

The city slept. It was late and the moon was creasing the city with fingers of soft light. She could see. From deep in her blankets Inna could see. She looked out of the window, so close to sleep, but unable to make it through that final gate that came before sleep.

She looked about the room, even in the dark she was able to make out, able to sense, every detail. The instincts, the noticing, they tormented and rescued her most of her life. Acute intuition and instincts, trade marks of survivors and many of which had developed during the Chaos. Every corner of wood and shadow of fabric stood out in their detail, their own unique and tormenting identity tempted out her sharp senses and intuition whilst keeping her from the sublime bliss of sleep. 

She took another breath and closed her eyes. It didn’t work. Five minutes later her eyes had opened and she was looking out through the glass. A stray cat had perched on the fence a small distance from her building. It was glowing, it's white fur seemed to soak up the moonlight creating a white silhouette against the dark. Inna wished she was asleep.

Cats reminded her of Elissa, a gypsy girl she had met in her childhood. Inna had never before known anybody to have as sweet a temperament as Elissa. She did what she wanted, in the way a stray wayward kitty would, sweet and soft in her own right and in each of its own actions. Inna wondered how she was. Was she alive? Was she in the city? Was she driving herself insane on purpose! She rolled over, every inch of her awake, and, as if simply to prove it, she punched her mattress in frustration. The action seemed to do little and grew tiresome quickly. She sat up and hugged her knees.

She was in an old abandoned basement beneath a factory, one man lived in it but he was old and easy to avoid. In her pocket of the building it was pitch black but for the moonlight that could be seen from the window above the side of her bed, but fingers of light didn’t caress the room, the beams were visible from it but only residual light made it through the window plane.

She felt her head droop, and the side of it rested on her knees. She had done this to herself, from the moment she had run away her fate had been sealed, who was she to complain? She had done this to herself. She didn’t cry, things were better now anyway, better then they were at least. She was still a stray, still alone, but she was out of Russia and surviving, getting better and better, she even had a home! This place was good, safe and it suited her, hell, compared to what she had before it was a five star hotel, a free one.

She sighed and tried to stop thinking. She sat there for almost half an hour and barely a thought crossed her mind, then she took one last look out the window then lay down and hoped she would finally manage to sleep. What she hoped was a blanket of sleep seemed to creep over her but naturally it didn’t last. 

She woke she cried and out with exasperation. Pulling the covers to the side, she got out of the bed. Had she even slept? Was it just a doze? She groaned and left the room to walk into the street. The moment she stepped out she wondered if the night had been waiting for her. The air was cool and sweet, and seemed to draw away her frustration like poison from a wound. From the stars she guessed it was two thirty, she smiled, she should have come out earlier.

She walked through the streets, hoping for no trouble, but doubted it. She wasn’t unhappy, she liked the night, it was better then the day, being so cool, quiet and soft, it was simply the lurking danger and lack of people that made it second choice to the day. However looking around Inna saw it was peaceful compared to the day and it's loud confusion. She walked around making the most of her time, but also ready to drive a knife into her belly. She had been hungry for the last two days. 

She had been more unlucky then usual, and her stomach didn’t like it. But maybe tonight was her lucky night. She decided if she was out she had best put her time to use, she wanted that meal soon, so she went around the streets looking for fast food outlets and cafés. Eventually she came to a familiar fast food joint and went around the back to look in the bin. Opening it she went on tip tows to look inside. From the smell alone she knew she could celebrate. Food only a day old that could not be served, she almost squealed with glee, and thanked the elusive God. 

She reached in and pulled out all things decent she could reach. Two apple pies in boxes, five cheese burgers of different sorts, a pastry and two wraps. She took them out and whispered a silent pair of thanks then clutched them tightly and ran off to find somewhere she could eat.

She’d always been fussy about where she could eat. She never minded eating around people, but on her own or with just two she always had to find a descent spot. Tonight it became the fence where the cat still sat, staring at the moon.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked the moonlight fur-sponge. She pulled herself up and positioned her self next to it, “The moon has always seemed a mother figure to me, someone to look after you while you sleep, or a guardian angel if you will, though I think most people have that idea at one point or another.” But then she could no longer speak. By then she had taken out the burger and taken a bite and was so gloriously intoxicated with the food she could no longer bring herself to think about anything else. Food! Oh, how she had missed it. She chewed fast, it was heaven, she decided, pure eatable heaven.

She ate two burgers and an apple pie, after the first burger and a half she savoured every bite, slowing her intake so it lasted longer, though it was hard to make her self stop. To try to force herself to eat slow she started talking again to the animal besides her.

She decided it to be female, when she was young someone had told her, ‘Animals can hear every word we say, and usually understand them better then we do, that’s why they’re worth talking to, even if they can’t answer back.’ It was a notion that had grown into a habit and a habit she still had not grown out of. In truth it was just another thing she clung to, something to straighten her own sense of self and remind her of her own identity. 

She smiled at her temporary ear, “Where I come from you could see the moon and all the stars easily. Out in the country, have you ever been there? I suppose not, though I guess you could have come here with your old owners. No collar though, did they set you free, Little Miss? You should have seen my home. Great green stretches of grass and stone, we alway were lucky family, though, as I'm sure half the world could guess, we left to come here.”

The cat looked up at her with its glorious eyes Inna raised her eyebrows, wondering if the creature was expecting her to share her food. Not likely, this creature cold hunt birds and eat things from bins that she could never eat. 

“If you think your getting anything, you can think again,” she warned.

The creature looked away, as if disappointed and soon left, birds and mice taking its interest. Inna, calmed from her exploits and renewed after the distraction, went back inside her room.

However, once inside she didn’t immediately head back to her bed. She was bored, but still far to wakeful to try to attempt sleep again. She needed something to do, something useful or at least entertaining.

She pulled the string that hung from the ceiling and a dull gloomy light tainted the room grey. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, then she knelt down and pulled a box out from under her bed. Stacks of paper and small objects were piled inside, and a dull ache started in her chest. She reached in and pulled out the first bundle. Stories, short stories, the completed ones, some were written by her, but others were not. They were tied together from her childhood and hidden away for safe keeping. She picked one up and started to read.

I know it took a while but here is the carry on from the prior Blurb and Prologue, please read and I hope enjoy (though you may not) part 1 of the distroying. Comments again are sorely welcome.