Prisca's_Writing_Area

Title: A Future without Casey
Characters: Zeke Tyler, Casey Connor
Prompt: regret
Words: 151

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„I will miss you!“ Casey murmured.

Zeke put on his smuggest grin. „No, you won't. You are going to live your dream. There won't be much time to miss good old Herrington.“

„I wish you could come with me. MIT together with you would be double the fun.“

Zeke sighed with relief when the announcement at the airport saved him from answering. „Guess, it's time to go, geek boy,“ he said, pulling him in a last fleeting hug. „Don't look back! Just have fun. You deserve it!“

Ignoring the tears in Casey's eyes, he pushed him toward the gate. Inwardly, he could feel regret growing in his gut. All the time, he had tried to tell himself that letting Casey go was the only right thing. But maybe he had only been a coward, much too afraid to admit his true feelings. Now, it was too late.

Title: A Future for the Children
Characters: Jeremiah
Prompt: 7 days, 7 stories / post-apocalyptic
Words: 672

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Jeremiah didn't find much sleep this night. His thoughts were circling around Libby, and Smith, and the future of the world.

Libby, the woman he had loved, so funny, so smart, so pretty. He had trusted her blindly, but she had betrayed him. Not only him, but all the good he did believe in, all the people living on the Mountain.

It had almost broken him. Only his hatred of Smith had kept him alive. Without this weird little guy who insisted on being god's messenger, nothing of all would have happened. Libby would still be at his side, her betrayal never revealed. What did he care about the consequences? What did he care about the world? He would have done all to get Libby back. But this would never happen; all that was left behind was a grave, deep in the woods, no one knew about but him.

Jeremiah stared at the paper in front of him; so much time had passed since he had written the last letter to his father. Only to burn it at the end. A comforting ritual that had kept him alive all these years. Fifteen years since a virus had killed all adults, including his parents.

When Libby stepped into his life, he no longer needed this ritual. He had shared all his thoughts and feelings with her, and he had felt alive like he hadn't since these horrible days. When she died, all she left behind was darkness and hate, much too disturbing to put into words.

Today, though, something unexpected had happened. He had met Rose, Smith's daughter. A little girl, maybe six years old, with long blonde hair, a red shirt, and flap trousers. She had looked at him with her green-brown eyes, so similar to Smith's, and anger, ever hate, had crept up in him. But when he wanted to turn away quickly, well knowing that nothing that had happened was her fault, she had grabbed his hand. „My dad found a kitten mom with her babies in the woods. Do you want to see them?“ And against his will, he hadn't been able to refuse. For the first time in weeks, he had left all pain and grief behind, hadn't had a thought for Libby for some time. So scaring, so confusing, but yet...

He grabbed the last remaining pencil, thinking that he would have to find a new one soon. Dear Dad, he wrote. I know, it has been much too long since the last letter. I lost myself in a dream and almost couldn't find the way back. All you told me once, all that kept me going all the time, suddenly had lost any meaning. But today, a little girl reminded me of one of our last conversations.

Can you still remember your words? Mom was gone, and it was only a matter of time before you would follow her. No chance for the adults to survive. I was young, I was confused and scared, and I asked you to take me with you.

But you put your hands on my shoulder, and told me that giving up is never an option. I want you to live, Jeremiah, I want all the children to live, you have told me. I want to believe that, in the end, something good will come out of war, and destruction, and death. The adults have failed. Maybe the world needs to fall apart to be open for a new beginning. A future for the children, a chance to make it better next time.

Jeremiah paused shortly, re-reading his words. He felt tears burning in his eyes; since Libby's death, he hadn't been able to cry. To mourn about his lost dream, about the woman he had loved. Still loved, maybe he would never stop loving her, despite the dark secrets she had carried around. But finally, he could feel some peace, some hope again.

He put the pencil down, grabbed the letter, and held it nearer to the candle. Watched the flames eating it up. He felt at one with the world around him, dark and torn apart, but ready for the first hesitant steps back into the light. Well knowing that the way would not be an easy one, but it needed to be gone. For the future of the children.

Title: Broken Hearts
Characters: Casey Connor. Delilah Profit
Prompt: 7 days, 7 stories / any, any, These Truths / heartbreak
Words: 571

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„Delilah, please, don't make a drama.“ Casey felt uncomfortable, but he knew that if he didn't find the courage now to say what was long overdue, he might never find the courage again, and everything would end in a complete mess for Deliah and for him. „We both knew that it would end like this. It never was a true relationship between us.“

She looked at him with a mixture of anger and disappointment. „How can you say this? We are together...“

„No, we are not!“ he interrupted her. „It's just me and you, Del, no media around. So you can stop putting on a show. We never were the dream couple we made people believe. You never meant me when you talked about love! It was all about the fame and the interest I got,“ he paused and shrugged, „and about all the money the media was willing to pay for our story. The hero who stands up against an alien all alone, to save the girl he loves.“ He huffed. „That's stuff cheap movies are made of, not reality. And you are much too smart to say otherwise.“

„You think I am smart?“

„I think you know what you want and how to get it. And I don't complain. First, it felt good. I mean, since I can remember, I was the geek in school, bullied, teased, and ignored. But then Mary Beth came along, and my world was turned upside down. The police investigation, my parents, who looked at me as if I had lost my mind, the media everywhere. I felt confused and afraid, and I didn't know how to deal with it.

It was good that someone else took the reins. I just let it happen and followed your unwritten script. It was easier that way. But it never was real. And I can't move on like this forever.“

She narrowed her eyes. „Great. And what's with me? Have you ever thought about my feelings?“

„Don't act as if we going separate ways is the end of the world. People might have called me a hero for a while, but let's face it. Deep inside, I stayed the geek all the time. I still love photography and chess, and too much attention makes me feel uncomfortable.“ Casey smirked. „I don't think you'll suffer from a broken heart for long. Jeremy Tremblay has an eye on you for a while already; he is a sports ass, he is goodlooking and it seems he's coming from one of the most famous families in Quebec. To cut a long story short, he fits much better in your future plans than I ever did.“

Delilah wanted to protest first, but then she kept quiet. To Casey's surprise, she was even blushing slightly. „You have noticed it,“ she murmured.

„Yes,“ Casey admitted, „and I guess this was the moment I realized that it was time to bring the charade to an end. The media interest is slowly waning anyway, and without that, there isn't much left for us. Let us do the right thing now; let's bring it to an end without any drama.“

Some moments later, a smile turned up on Delilah's face. „Maybe a tiny bit of drama and broken hearts? For the media and all our followers who are still out there?“

Casey laughed. „Agreed! Let's prepare for the last big show.“