Post by Tim E. Vortex on Apr 28, 2011 6:20:10 GMT
“I don’t believe in werewolves.”
I reassured myself as I came to. I was in the room where I had previously seen the sanctimonious rose, the very room that upon entering I was struck by the beastly blow that rendered me unconscious. I was lay down on some sort of bench where the red cushion did little for comfort.
“I don’t believe in aliens or time travel, so you’re not on your own.[/color]”
Michelle sarcastically stated in an unusually calm tone of voice. I shot up into a sitting position where she was crouched down beside me. I frantically threw my eyes around the room, taking note of the silhouetted figure that stared longingly out of the window, which forced me to jump up and rather hastily stand pugnaciously.
“Who are you? What do you want?[/color]”
I protested. The figure roamed forward into the candlelight, confirming my suspicions that he was indeed what I imagined. A lump generated into my throat and although I will defend to my grave that I wasn’t afraid, I reached for Michelle’s crucifix that hang in clear view on her neck and thrust it in front of him.
“It was worth a shot. Planet of origin?[/color]”
He was uncomfortable unthreatened and instead begin to chuckle at my innocence. Michelle joined in as she pulled her necklace away from her.
“I am a beast.[/color]”
It had become apparent that he wasn’t the evil monster that I had presumed him to be. It appears that he struck me in a panic and not with any malicious aforethought. I’m sorry to disappoint, but this would not be the horror story I may have led you to believe. I said nothing and the beast returned to his window, dressed in charming clothes that one would expect a prince to be attired in and I listened intently to his story.
“Not so many years ago on a night much like this, I had a visit from an old woman. Her appearance was... different. She came to this palace looking for shelter and as selfish as I was, I turned her down. Little did I know of the great power she held. I laughed at her... mocked her... and she left to roam the woods. The next morning I woke up and came down for my breakfast as I typically would. My maid, she screamed the most horrific scream I have ever heard and ran... ran as fast as she could. I held up my silver platter and I screamed just as hard. The witch had cursed me.[/color]”
He explained. I still felt weary about the whole situation and kept my place. Michelle was braver than I and advanced towards him, affectionately placing her hand upon his hairy shoulder. He turned to face her, gazing into her arms.
“What about the rose?[/color]”
“The rose is a symbol. She compared me to it that night, and I keep it here to remind me.[/color]”
Lightning begins to flash outside, which admittedly startled me slightly.
“You must be hungry. What time is it?[/color]”
He rhetorically asked before reaching into his royal blue jacket, pulling out a white-gold pocket watch. In a perfect caricature, my jaw reached the floor below me and Michelle’s eyes burst from their sockets. I put my original fear to one side out of an incredible intrigue and approached him. Without words, I took the watch out of his hands, forgetting for a moment the fact that he was a werewolf, and had the situation been different, I probably would not have done so.
“It can’t be! Where did you get this?[/color]”
I enquired out of pure fascination. It was identical to my own, down to every detail. I turned it over to observe whether there was an inscription that twinned that of my own, but as I did so, the beast took the watch back.
“My father gave it me, just like his father gave it to him.[/color]”
The thought then occurred to me; if this is a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, and if indeed by suspicion is correct and ‘Vortex’ is written on the back... then maybe I’m not who I think I am. Maybe I’m not merely a product of the space-time vortex, which whilst lacking a memory, I am forced to believe. Maybe I have a family... This is why I was brought here. I did input Paris, but I was brought here. I knew I wasn’t wrong. The watch had brought me here for whatever reason. Could this be the enigma?
“I need to know. That watch... on the back... is there an...[/color]”
Michelle shrieks, interrupting me. Curse my chivalry, I forgot all about the watch and paid her the attention she saught.
“What is it, dear?[/color]”
“There’s someone out there. They pointed at me, I saw it![/color]”
She becomes hysterical.
“The witch returns every full moon. Tonight it ends. Sir, you stay here with Belle.[/color]”
I turned towards Michelle.
“Belle?[/color]”
“I told you it’s my middle name. And it sounds far more exotic.[/color]”
“No, I have a better idea. Maybe I can reason with the, erm, ‘witch’. You stay here with... Belle.[/color]”
I tell the beast. Michelle grabs me by the arm with her vice grip, whispering into my ear.
“Are you crazy? A door shuts and you leap into the nearest person’s arms, never mind a witch. You have no idea what’s she’s capable of.[/color]”
“I know exactly what she’s capable. She’s from Lunato. It’s a planet that worships its moon, but unlike our thirteen a year, they only have one full moon, which occurs every one-hundred-and-two of our years. The gravitational alignment acts as a trigger, activating their DNA, which then transforms their entire body into this wolf. It’s a celebration for them, but it gets a bit hairy. Hahaha. A bit hairy? No?[/color]”
Well, I thought it was funny, although the beast appears confused.
“Are you trying to tell me that that woman is from another world?[/color]”
Ah, I often neglect to mention where me and Michelle come from. Although “hello, we’re time-travellers” is never an appropriate way to introduce oneself. Nevertheless, I was now running on adrenaline and my bravery had kicked in.
“Forget what you know, or forget what you think you know about the universe. It’s more complex than what you can ever imagine. Tonight, two world collide.[/color]”
And with what I thought to be a powerful and dramatic speech, I exit. The forest had gotten darker. I looked up and the black clouds began to slowly drift away from each other, but that didn’t hinder me in any way. I roamed between the trees, but saw nothing of this mysterious woman. One tree in particular caught my attention. I slowly edged my way up to it and there, scratched into the bark was the word ‘ENIGMA’. I had no time to full engulf what I had just witnessed and I drew my attention to the deafening howl that came from behind me. I rotated and stood face-to-face with the hooded witch.
“I know what you are. Lunation. Yeah... it scares you, doesn’t it?[/color]”
“Timothy Edward Vortex.”
She whispered. I confess, I was indeed frightened by her notion.
“We’ve met before. It was a long time ago for me, but for you, it has yet to happen.”
“It’s you. You’re the enigma![/color]”
I demanded. She removed her hood, unveiling her scarred face. She then looked up at the sky and watched as the clouds fully separated, revealing the moon in all its glory. She chuckled as she turned back to face me.
“No, I’m not. You told me all about the prophecy. I scratched it into the tree as a trap. You told me it would end for me on this night. This, the night of the full moon. But time can be re-written, you of all people know that. So now, I’m going to change history. For my planets sake, I must stop you for the sake of my planet.”
“You’re planet? Lunato’s there, I’ve been. Not for a while, but I have been.[/color]”
“And if you survive tonight, you will surely go again. And I can’t have that. You destroyed the great Lunation race, but not anymore. Time can be re-written and this will not be the end for me. It’s time to dance in the moonlight!”
She began to scream as if in a vast amount of pain before dropping down onto her knees. Her face began to morph and hair grew at a rapid rate. Long claws emerged from her fingertips and she stood as a beast. Hey wild eyes targeted me and she began to advance. Unable to remove myself from her hypnotic stare, I backed off against the tree, praying to any God that I could think of as the werewolf crept towards my shivering self.”
“Lunato rises!”
Suddenly, our regal beast dives at her like a bullet, knocking her to the ground as Michelle runs out after him. She affectionately places her hands on my cheeks, making sure I came to no harm. The two of us then turn to face the brawling beasts.
“William![/color]”
“Who?[/color]”
“Who d’ya think?[/color]”
Michelle asks angrily. The beast now known as William hits the witch with a clubbing blow, which the witch returns, scratching him on the back. She then sinks her teeth into his neck, causing a hallowing bawl. Blood begins to gush from William as he collapses. The witch turns to us. In his final act of bravery, William pounces on the witch, tearing her head off before dropping to the ground again.
“No![/color]”
Michelle screams out before leaping to his aid. I slowly begin to approach the body of the beast, inspecting his wound.
“My dear, I’m sorry. It’s too late.[/color]”
“You did this. You! If you didn’t bring us here, then none of this would’ve happened![/color]”
She barks at me in tears as she stands. I accept no responsibility for this. It is deeply tragic, but it wasn’t my fault. Yes, William was protecting me and Michelle, but I didn’t bring us here, not really. Of course, this is an opinion that I must keep to myself considering the circumstances. Michelle needed someone to blame... someone to vent out her anger on, and I suppose... I’ll be the victim of this. She knew deep down that it wasn’t my fault, which is clearly indicated by the hug that she gives. I pat her gently on the back to show my understanding. Moments later, I pick William up. He was heavy, but out of respect for this man, I carry him back into his palace with Michelle following. I slowly lower him onto the floor beside the sacred, dying rose.
“This isn’t fair. IT’S NOT FAIR![/color]”
“I know. I know.[/color]”
“He may have been ugly, but on the inside... he was so beautiful.[/color]”
We spent most of the night talking in front of the stone fireplace until I eventually fell asleep. Unfortunately, during my slumber I was unable to witness the events that unfolded, and so I am merely reciting what Michelle told me the following day. A single petal fell gracefully from the rose, down onto William’s body as Michelle sprawled over him, still unable to accept his fate. A tear streamed down her face, landing neatly into his dark eyes. It was then that she noticed the illumination of the rose, transforming it back to its full form of beauty, a luscious red colour. Amazed, Michelle stood. At this point, the same light devoured William. She watched in awe as he stood, not the ugly beast, but as the handsome man he once was.
“William?[/color]”
“Belle... my Belle.[/color]”
And that’s all she told me. I arose the next morning, lonely. A blanket had been placed over me, which I was grateful for, but both William and Michelle had gone. It wasn’t long before Michelle entered with a satisfied grin on her face.
“Be a dear and tell me what on earth you did with the body.[/color]”
The handsome man walked in and I could immediately recognise that it was indeed William. Questioning where the two of them had been... alone... and together... did not enter my mind and I was more excited to see him not only alive, but human. The curse had been broken.
“Haha! William![/color]”
I immediately hugged him, which he joyfully returned with a smile. For a life filled with pain and anguish, I do love a happy ending. William pulled out the watch again, laughing.
“You were right. I really didn’t know anything about the universe. Thank you, Timothy. And thank you, Belle... for so much.[/color]”
He wept. I nodded gently and Michelle ran up to him. He twirled her around in his arms before they embraced in a passionate, and disgusting, kiss. He then pushed the button on top of his watch and began his adventure into the space-time vortex.
“What happened? Where did he go?[/color]”
“To all the places in space and to all the moments in time. He went to begin his own journey.[/color]”
“Well, how do we get back? Your watch is broken.[/color]”
“No, my dear. His watch was merely blocking my signal. Come on, it’s time we were getting off. Big night ahead of us.[/color]”
She linked my arm and I activated my watch, returning us safely to the twenty-first-century. William had just begun his journey, and now I will begin a journey of my own. Something Old, Something New. Some faces that you all recognise, and some faces that in the future you will be sure to know of. You can trust me on that.
“You said that all ideas from stories have to come from somewhere, right? So... did I just inspire Beauty and the Beast?[/color]”
“Oh, my dear... he wasn’t that beautiful.[/color]”
Michelle scowls at me before giving me an affectionate nudge as we advance towards the locker room to begin me preparation. Genesis VII is going to be the biggest match of them all, but will it be my biggest night? Only time will tell.[/color]
I reassured myself as I came to. I was in the room where I had previously seen the sanctimonious rose, the very room that upon entering I was struck by the beastly blow that rendered me unconscious. I was lay down on some sort of bench where the red cushion did little for comfort.
“I don’t believe in aliens or time travel, so you’re not on your own.[/color]”
Michelle sarcastically stated in an unusually calm tone of voice. I shot up into a sitting position where she was crouched down beside me. I frantically threw my eyes around the room, taking note of the silhouetted figure that stared longingly out of the window, which forced me to jump up and rather hastily stand pugnaciously.
“Who are you? What do you want?[/color]”
I protested. The figure roamed forward into the candlelight, confirming my suspicions that he was indeed what I imagined. A lump generated into my throat and although I will defend to my grave that I wasn’t afraid, I reached for Michelle’s crucifix that hang in clear view on her neck and thrust it in front of him.
“It was worth a shot. Planet of origin?[/color]”
He was uncomfortable unthreatened and instead begin to chuckle at my innocence. Michelle joined in as she pulled her necklace away from her.
“I am a beast.[/color]”
It had become apparent that he wasn’t the evil monster that I had presumed him to be. It appears that he struck me in a panic and not with any malicious aforethought. I’m sorry to disappoint, but this would not be the horror story I may have led you to believe. I said nothing and the beast returned to his window, dressed in charming clothes that one would expect a prince to be attired in and I listened intently to his story.
“Not so many years ago on a night much like this, I had a visit from an old woman. Her appearance was... different. She came to this palace looking for shelter and as selfish as I was, I turned her down. Little did I know of the great power she held. I laughed at her... mocked her... and she left to roam the woods. The next morning I woke up and came down for my breakfast as I typically would. My maid, she screamed the most horrific scream I have ever heard and ran... ran as fast as she could. I held up my silver platter and I screamed just as hard. The witch had cursed me.[/color]”
He explained. I still felt weary about the whole situation and kept my place. Michelle was braver than I and advanced towards him, affectionately placing her hand upon his hairy shoulder. He turned to face her, gazing into her arms.
“What about the rose?[/color]”
“The rose is a symbol. She compared me to it that night, and I keep it here to remind me.[/color]”
Lightning begins to flash outside, which admittedly startled me slightly.
“You must be hungry. What time is it?[/color]”
He rhetorically asked before reaching into his royal blue jacket, pulling out a white-gold pocket watch. In a perfect caricature, my jaw reached the floor below me and Michelle’s eyes burst from their sockets. I put my original fear to one side out of an incredible intrigue and approached him. Without words, I took the watch out of his hands, forgetting for a moment the fact that he was a werewolf, and had the situation been different, I probably would not have done so.
“It can’t be! Where did you get this?[/color]”
I enquired out of pure fascination. It was identical to my own, down to every detail. I turned it over to observe whether there was an inscription that twinned that of my own, but as I did so, the beast took the watch back.
“My father gave it me, just like his father gave it to him.[/color]”
The thought then occurred to me; if this is a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, and if indeed by suspicion is correct and ‘Vortex’ is written on the back... then maybe I’m not who I think I am. Maybe I’m not merely a product of the space-time vortex, which whilst lacking a memory, I am forced to believe. Maybe I have a family... This is why I was brought here. I did input Paris, but I was brought here. I knew I wasn’t wrong. The watch had brought me here for whatever reason. Could this be the enigma?
“I need to know. That watch... on the back... is there an...[/color]”
Michelle shrieks, interrupting me. Curse my chivalry, I forgot all about the watch and paid her the attention she saught.
“What is it, dear?[/color]”
“There’s someone out there. They pointed at me, I saw it![/color]”
She becomes hysterical.
“The witch returns every full moon. Tonight it ends. Sir, you stay here with Belle.[/color]”
I turned towards Michelle.
“Belle?[/color]”
“I told you it’s my middle name. And it sounds far more exotic.[/color]”
“No, I have a better idea. Maybe I can reason with the, erm, ‘witch’. You stay here with... Belle.[/color]”
I tell the beast. Michelle grabs me by the arm with her vice grip, whispering into my ear.
“Are you crazy? A door shuts and you leap into the nearest person’s arms, never mind a witch. You have no idea what’s she’s capable of.[/color]”
“I know exactly what she’s capable. She’s from Lunato. It’s a planet that worships its moon, but unlike our thirteen a year, they only have one full moon, which occurs every one-hundred-and-two of our years. The gravitational alignment acts as a trigger, activating their DNA, which then transforms their entire body into this wolf. It’s a celebration for them, but it gets a bit hairy. Hahaha. A bit hairy? No?[/color]”
Well, I thought it was funny, although the beast appears confused.
“Are you trying to tell me that that woman is from another world?[/color]”
Ah, I often neglect to mention where me and Michelle come from. Although “hello, we’re time-travellers” is never an appropriate way to introduce oneself. Nevertheless, I was now running on adrenaline and my bravery had kicked in.
“Forget what you know, or forget what you think you know about the universe. It’s more complex than what you can ever imagine. Tonight, two world collide.[/color]”
And with what I thought to be a powerful and dramatic speech, I exit. The forest had gotten darker. I looked up and the black clouds began to slowly drift away from each other, but that didn’t hinder me in any way. I roamed between the trees, but saw nothing of this mysterious woman. One tree in particular caught my attention. I slowly edged my way up to it and there, scratched into the bark was the word ‘ENIGMA’. I had no time to full engulf what I had just witnessed and I drew my attention to the deafening howl that came from behind me. I rotated and stood face-to-face with the hooded witch.
“I know what you are. Lunation. Yeah... it scares you, doesn’t it?[/color]”
“Timothy Edward Vortex.”
She whispered. I confess, I was indeed frightened by her notion.
“We’ve met before. It was a long time ago for me, but for you, it has yet to happen.”
“It’s you. You’re the enigma![/color]”
I demanded. She removed her hood, unveiling her scarred face. She then looked up at the sky and watched as the clouds fully separated, revealing the moon in all its glory. She chuckled as she turned back to face me.
“No, I’m not. You told me all about the prophecy. I scratched it into the tree as a trap. You told me it would end for me on this night. This, the night of the full moon. But time can be re-written, you of all people know that. So now, I’m going to change history. For my planets sake, I must stop you for the sake of my planet.”
“You’re planet? Lunato’s there, I’ve been. Not for a while, but I have been.[/color]”
“And if you survive tonight, you will surely go again. And I can’t have that. You destroyed the great Lunation race, but not anymore. Time can be re-written and this will not be the end for me. It’s time to dance in the moonlight!”
She began to scream as if in a vast amount of pain before dropping down onto her knees. Her face began to morph and hair grew at a rapid rate. Long claws emerged from her fingertips and she stood as a beast. Hey wild eyes targeted me and she began to advance. Unable to remove myself from her hypnotic stare, I backed off against the tree, praying to any God that I could think of as the werewolf crept towards my shivering self.”
“Lunato rises!”
Suddenly, our regal beast dives at her like a bullet, knocking her to the ground as Michelle runs out after him. She affectionately places her hands on my cheeks, making sure I came to no harm. The two of us then turn to face the brawling beasts.
“William![/color]”
“Who?[/color]”
“Who d’ya think?[/color]”
Michelle asks angrily. The beast now known as William hits the witch with a clubbing blow, which the witch returns, scratching him on the back. She then sinks her teeth into his neck, causing a hallowing bawl. Blood begins to gush from William as he collapses. The witch turns to us. In his final act of bravery, William pounces on the witch, tearing her head off before dropping to the ground again.
“No![/color]”
Michelle screams out before leaping to his aid. I slowly begin to approach the body of the beast, inspecting his wound.
“My dear, I’m sorry. It’s too late.[/color]”
“You did this. You! If you didn’t bring us here, then none of this would’ve happened![/color]”
She barks at me in tears as she stands. I accept no responsibility for this. It is deeply tragic, but it wasn’t my fault. Yes, William was protecting me and Michelle, but I didn’t bring us here, not really. Of course, this is an opinion that I must keep to myself considering the circumstances. Michelle needed someone to blame... someone to vent out her anger on, and I suppose... I’ll be the victim of this. She knew deep down that it wasn’t my fault, which is clearly indicated by the hug that she gives. I pat her gently on the back to show my understanding. Moments later, I pick William up. He was heavy, but out of respect for this man, I carry him back into his palace with Michelle following. I slowly lower him onto the floor beside the sacred, dying rose.
“This isn’t fair. IT’S NOT FAIR![/color]”
“I know. I know.[/color]”
“He may have been ugly, but on the inside... he was so beautiful.[/color]”
We spent most of the night talking in front of the stone fireplace until I eventually fell asleep. Unfortunately, during my slumber I was unable to witness the events that unfolded, and so I am merely reciting what Michelle told me the following day. A single petal fell gracefully from the rose, down onto William’s body as Michelle sprawled over him, still unable to accept his fate. A tear streamed down her face, landing neatly into his dark eyes. It was then that she noticed the illumination of the rose, transforming it back to its full form of beauty, a luscious red colour. Amazed, Michelle stood. At this point, the same light devoured William. She watched in awe as he stood, not the ugly beast, but as the handsome man he once was.
“William?[/color]”
“Belle... my Belle.[/color]”
And that’s all she told me. I arose the next morning, lonely. A blanket had been placed over me, which I was grateful for, but both William and Michelle had gone. It wasn’t long before Michelle entered with a satisfied grin on her face.
“Be a dear and tell me what on earth you did with the body.[/color]”
The handsome man walked in and I could immediately recognise that it was indeed William. Questioning where the two of them had been... alone... and together... did not enter my mind and I was more excited to see him not only alive, but human. The curse had been broken.
“Haha! William![/color]”
I immediately hugged him, which he joyfully returned with a smile. For a life filled with pain and anguish, I do love a happy ending. William pulled out the watch again, laughing.
“You were right. I really didn’t know anything about the universe. Thank you, Timothy. And thank you, Belle... for so much.[/color]”
He wept. I nodded gently and Michelle ran up to him. He twirled her around in his arms before they embraced in a passionate, and disgusting, kiss. He then pushed the button on top of his watch and began his adventure into the space-time vortex.
“What happened? Where did he go?[/color]”
“To all the places in space and to all the moments in time. He went to begin his own journey.[/color]”
“Well, how do we get back? Your watch is broken.[/color]”
“No, my dear. His watch was merely blocking my signal. Come on, it’s time we were getting off. Big night ahead of us.[/color]”
She linked my arm and I activated my watch, returning us safely to the twenty-first-century. William had just begun his journey, and now I will begin a journey of my own. Something Old, Something New. Some faces that you all recognise, and some faces that in the future you will be sure to know of. You can trust me on that.
“You said that all ideas from stories have to come from somewhere, right? So... did I just inspire Beauty and the Beast?[/color]”
“Oh, my dear... he wasn’t that beautiful.[/color]”
Michelle scowls at me before giving me an affectionate nudge as we advance towards the locker room to begin me preparation. Genesis VII is going to be the biggest match of them all, but will it be my biggest night? Only time will tell.[/color]
