(really, really, really late) Creative Thursday // C.C.C.WC :: Chapter Five

Hey, guys!
Here is my Creative Thursday. I know... I know. Bethan didn't post on time. And not only not on time, but 3-4 days late. That...that is a new record for me.... I'm so sorry! I started this on Thursday but had homework to do, and then more homework on Friday. Saturday... Saturday, I have no excuse because I read all day.. actually, that is an excuse - read Looking for Alaska in a day. :) Did nothing else.... #socialskills.
Anyway, so here it is! Chapter 5 for Celia's Writing Challenge. I am having so much fun! Click here for her amazing blog, here to find out more about Chapter 5 and here for more info on the Writing Challenge.

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Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

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Crow closed the hatch behind him before making his way down the stairs. Rosie's curls bounced in front of him, gradually faded into the darkness around them. He had once needed a torch to light his way down the steps, but now he knew every nook, every crack, every uneven surface.
The black began to lighten until Crow could see the long white corridor, lit up by fluorescent lights. People moved along the hall, moving in and out of rooms, shuffling papers, fiddling with blades and guns.
Rosie winced again, pressing her fingers against her arm. The blood had nearly stopped now - a small drop was winding its way between her fingers, along her tanned hand and down her arm, a tattoo in red ink, swirling around her wrist and twisting on her forearm.
"Come on. Rhea should be in the planning room," Crow said as he placed his hand in the crook of her arm. A drop of blood landed on his fingers. He ignored it.
They walked along the main corridor, then turned left. Nobody was walking down here. It was still and quiet, the white walls and floor muffling any sound. Rose glanced down at his hand on her arm before staring up at him, smiling. There was a glint in her eyes that made Crow feel uneasy.
He stopped abruptly, taking his hand away from her arm. She looked confused as he began to speak, "Listen, I love Gracie. She's beautiful and funny and intelligent and... Not that you're not any of those things. You're..you are beautiful. I just don't like you. I mean, of course I like you. Just not in that way. I love... I love Grace. Okay?"
There was an awkward silence, heavy and suffocating. Crow shuffled his feet, staring at the white tiles, up at the ceiling, anywhere but at her. Rose gazed up at him, her eyes flitting over his face, before breaking into a grin,
"Honestly, Crow, get over yourself. I'm not into you, if that's what you're suggesting. I know that you and Grace..." She trailed off, looking awkward, her grin slipping. Then, after only a second, the smile was back, "So can we get me to Rhea before I bleed to death?"
Crow sighed with relief, and took her arm again, guiding her to a door at the end of the corridor. He knocked, four times, slow, once, four times, fast, then twice. The sound of several locks being turned and pulled back echoed through the corridor before the door was opened, revealing a severe looking man - dark hair, dark skin, dark eyes. But his mouth was pulled into a huge smile, white teeth gleaming.
"Hey, Crow! And Rosie!"
"Hiya, Scott." Rose grunted.
Scott noticed her gritted teeth and the blood winding its way down her arm and the smile left his face, "Oh my... What happened? Rhea! Get Will here. Rosie's bleeding."
Scott ushered us in, locking the door behind us. Rose sat down on a chair, clutching her arm.
The planning room was a mess, papers scattered on tables and empty food packets littering the floor but it was still beautiful. The walls and ceiling were a map of the stars, all the constellations painted and labelled with extreme accuracy. A telescope sat in the corner, ready to be taken upstairs and out into the woods for star-gazing. But there wasn't time for that anymore. There was only planning, nothing else. Not after...
Crow shook his head, helping clear maps and pencils from a long conference table. Will came in, his shoulder-length blond hair tangled and flying over his face as he lay bandages and antiseptic on the now empty table.
Scott turned to Crow, "What happened? Was it... them?"
Crow blushed. "No, it was me. I came in and heard a noise upstairs. I didn't know she was up there. I thought it was one of them. I couldn't see her face - it was too dark. So I swung. I'm sorry."
Scott nodded and clapped Crow on the back, "Don't worry about it. We all would have done the same."
Rosie looked up as Will wrapped a bandage around her arm, smiling at Crow, "I'm fine, Crow. Don't worry about me."
Crow nodded as Rhea walked back in holding a water bottle. Her long white hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she wore the same knitted cream jumper and worn jeans as yesterday. She was young, 23 years old, but her dyed silver hair and severe frown lines from recent worries made her look older.
She listened carefully as Scott told her the story, then burst out laughing. "So, you cut Rosie? Wow, Crow. You idiot!"
Crow smiled. Rhea used to laugh so much, but he hadn't heard her in so long. It was a relief to hear her warm, rich laughter in this miserable time.
She hugged him then. Her jumper was thick and warm and she smelled of sweat and acrylic paints and vanilla and safe. She was home for Crow. She acted like Crow's mother and big sister and teacher and occasionally army general but really, she was just home.
Rhea pulled back and smiled at him, but her eyes were worried. "Come on. I'll show you the plans."

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Want to do it too?

Well, I hope you liked that. :) I love Rhea - I think she might be my favourite character. She's so strong for everyone but she herself is so vulnerable and weak. I also love Scott. He's the one that gives big bear hugs and cracks jokes.

So, yeah. Sorry it's late!
I decided to post this instead of my usual Words post, and I won't be posting tomorrow - it will probably be Tuesday or Wednesday. :] - as I have my Grade 4 piano exam on Tuesday morning, so I'll be practicing hard for that!

Thanks for reading ♥

Mockingjay Teaser Trailer

Bonjour!
Quick, short post just to show you the new Mockingjay teaser trailer. Here it is below:

It looks so cool! And Peeta *sobs* Noooooo..... :(

I am so excited for this film! November must come sooner!

Anyway, that's all for today. Celia has posted Chapter 5 for her writing challenge, so you'll be able to read that tomorrow. :)

And just a little note: my friend Megan has just started her blog, The Life of Meg, so please go check that out! She's only just started it, but she will be getting it designed properly, it's just in the beginning stage at the moment! She'll be posting about books and films, as well has life-updates and stuff like that. So go check it out here please. :)

Thanks for reading ♥

Hmmm...What to post?

Hey, guys! I hope you had a great weekend. :)
Another general life update post today, as I've had a bit of a lapse in blog post ideas...Let me know in the comments below if you enjoy and would like to see some book tags, because I will do some (I have a list from watching far too many BookTube videos....)
Reading update, I finished Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins on Friday (I know the title makes it sound a bit weird....but it's because she's kissed...in France...by someone French...do you see? It isn't weird, I swear) It was so cutesie and adorable! I really enjoyed it, but Anna (the main character) annoyed me a little bit. She just seemed a little bit whiny and back-stabby? But she had her good moments, and the other characters were great.
I then read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith on Saturday, which was so. adorable. I definitely preferred this to Anna and the French Kiss - I loved the main character and the whole story idea and the way it was written was awesome. :) It was only around 218 pages, so I finished that the day I started it, Saturday, and then did homework, so I didn't read anymore that day (but I'd just finished a book, so I wasn't feeling too bad. ;) ) I then started 0.4 by Mike Lancaster on Sunday. This. Book. Oh. My. Goodness. SO GOOD. I JUST..... I wuv it... I am really hope there is a third book... I started it in bed when I woke up, at around 8 and finished it at 10. It was around 270 pages (I think it was 273, something like that) but I think having read it before helped me read it faster as I didn't have to pay as much attention as I usually do to books. 2 books in a weekend isn't bad, in my opinion.
I'm now reading The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks (as you can see over there, under my 'Currently Reading' title thing ------>) and it is really good so far! It won the Carnegie Medal (officially) and I can see why. Really good at the moment, I can tell it's just going to get better and better. It's also super disturbing, so if you pick it up, don't read it before bed....

Also, have any of you guys seen TFIOS yet? Oh. My. Gosh. It was just a room of teenage girls sobbing for 2 and a half hours... I cried so much..Going into the toilets afterwards was really funny, because it was full of girls wiping their eyes, dabbing at mascara, reapplying foundation and fanning their eyes with their hands. I was one of them. Charlotte refused to go in there because she knew what it would be like, haha! I sobbed like a baby. It's amazing though, seriously. :}

As it is finally Summer and finally warm, it's time for the upbeat, summer music! And I have been loving listening to Postcards by James Blunt. It's sooooo good! I wuv it!

It's such a great summer song. :)

Urgh, I am so tired...Maybe it's the heat, or that Summer Holidays are so close, but I'm just exhausted... I'm kind of panicking about my Science coursework - it makes up 25% of my grade, so it's really important. We've already done 2/3 of it, and I have the final third tomorrow and Thursday - I'm stressing!
I'm looking forward to the Summer Holidays so much - I have a lot of reading I want to get done!

It's so nice now that it's warm finally, but it's bordering on too hot, which isn't so great. I hate being too hot - it gives me a headache. :( Summer gives me so many opportunities for photos, so I've been taking advantage! You guys will probably have a photo post soon. :]

I hope you've been enjoying my story for Celia's writing challenge - please leave me any feedback you have in the comments below - I'm really enjoying writing it. Hopefully she'll post about Chapter Five in time for this week's Creative Thursday, or at least soon. :)

Thanks for reading, guys ♥

Love you all!

Words #5: The Small Things

{photo 1 | 2 | 3 }


Small
adjective

1. Of a size that is less than normal or usual.

2. Insignificant; unimportant.

When you curl up with a blanket, a hot drink and a good book on a rainy day. When an idea arrives, a spark of inspiration after staring at a blank page for so long. When you're with your best friend and you laugh so hard your mouth hurts and your stomach aches. When somebody calls you pretty. When the sun is shining for once. When your mum hugs you tight and you feel safe. When someone plays with your hair. When you crawl into a bed of freshly washed sheets. When somebody remembers something insignificant about you - your piano lesson last night, what you did on the weekend, your life-long dream. When you're crying so hard you feel like you're about to break and then somebody hugs you. When you're about to shatter inside and someone says "I know you're not okay. Talk to me." When some random, beautiful, person decides to follow my blog. When a stranger comments on a post saying how amazing my writing is, how beautiful I am, how much they love my blog. These small, unimportant, tiny things make my day, my week, my year, my life. Thank you to everyone who does something small to me. Because you don't understand how much it means to me, how much my heart sings and swoops and dives and bursts whenever somebody hugs me, talks to me, comments, follows, remembers me, loves me.

Thank you for reading. I love you all ♥


P.S. I am sooooooo sorry for not doing a Words in so long. How long has it been? *checks blog archive* Okay, so it's only been 2 weeks - I last did one on 1st June. But it's still a long time and it feels like ages! I really hope you liked this one. :) Love you guys!

P.P.S. I stopped myself from saying Little Things because everybody would be off singing One Direction... ;)

Banana and Bear's Photo Challenge #2

Hey, guys!
Quick post. This is my entry for Anna's Photo Challenge: Category 2! It was Summer Fashion. Here it is!

It's not very good, sorry, but I had to rush it!

Check out Anna's blog here and more information about the challenge here.

Thanks for reading ♥

Creative....Wednesday?! Six Word Story #5

Hey, guys!
Wait....what? Bethan....posting a Creative Thursday.... early?!
Yes, guys. I'm posting early for once. That's right. I can be organised when I want to be....haha....not often...
But, I am going to see The Fault in our Stars tomorrow (because that's when it comes out over here in the UK) with the beautiful Charlotte - I'm so excited! I am taking a tissue box. Literally. I will be posting a movie review I think, or maybe just say my thoughts in a general post...probably the latter because I'm lazy and I'd probably mess up the review haha! - so I won't be able to post tomorrow - well, I would be able to, but it would be late, rushed, and, let's be honest, I'd probably forget... >.<
And I didn't want you guys to miss out on a Creative Thursday. So, it's early. Yay! *sprinkles glitter everywhere*
Celia is letting a few people catch up with their Writing Challenge chapters, so hasn't posted a new challenge. So, it's back to the good ol' days of six word stories and poems for this week. :) Feels so weird...

{photo via Pinterest}

Let's go on an adventure together.

Let's leave and never come back .

Let's go. Let's disappear. Right now.

+++

Okay, so three six word stories... 3 for the price of 1. ;)

Well, thanks for reading ♥

I hope you've all had a great week so far. Love you all!

Oops...Another Book Haul...

Hey, guys! I hope you all had a great weekend! I really hope you're enjoying my entries for Celia's Writing Challenge - Let me know any improvements or feedback you have in the comments below!
Anyways, I may or may not have added more books to my TBR....I'm sowwy... Let's just get straight into it!
The two books I bought at the Carnegie Shadowing event I was telling you about ages ago. I ended up reading out the book summaries before each performance and it was amazing! Everybody was super nice - I got chocolates at the end to say thanks! - and I met a girl in her second year of university (she was a judge) called Bethan who was basically me....Other teachers and judges were saying how similar we were :) She was reading A Tale of Two Cities, which is my favourite classic....So weird!
The first book I bought there I have mentioned in a previous book haul that I was reading. It is Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell:

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue has - the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers - urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie's mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.
{blurb via}

I love this book and I'm so glad I have my own copy now. It's a lovely, heart-warming book and the cover is beautiful! I mean, look at it!

The next book from Carnegie is The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks. Here's the blurb:

I can't believe I fell for it.

It was still dark when I woke up this morning.


As soon as my eyes opened I knew where I was.

A low-ceilinged rectangular building made entirely of whitewashed concrete.

There are six little rooms along the main corridor.

There are no windows. No doors. The lift is the only way in or out.

What's he going to do to me?

What am I going to do?

If I'm right, the lift will come down in five minutes.

It did. Only this time, it wasn't empty.
{blurb via}

Okay, so that doesn't really explain it much...Basically, Linus Weems (pronounced Reems) is 16 years old and thinks he's helping a blind man. But then the "blind" man kidnaps him. And then he shoves him in this bunker and starts to kidnap more people. I haven't read it yet but my friends have say it's amazing. They warned me not to read it before bed, though, because according to them it's "very disturbing". So I'm looking forward to reading it!

Next book!

These next four I got from the library. The first book is 0.4 by Mike Lancaster:

It's a brave new world. 'My name is Kyle Straker. And I don't exist anymore.' So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on to old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world...If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie. And if everything we know is a lie does that mean we are, too?
{blurb via}

I have read this before and oh my gosh.... This. Book. It  got me into sci-fi and if you haven't read it, please do. It should be a lot more well-known than it is. Please read this if you like sci-fi. SO. GOOD!

The next book is Fated by Sarah Alderson. Here's the blurb:

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?


When Evie Tremain discovers that she's the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she's being hunted by an elite band of assassins - Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them - she knows she can't run. They'll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfill a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another's, what will it take to sever it?
{blurb via}

It sounds really good, so I decided to pick it up. Really excited to read this!

This book is called The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (bit of a mouthful!) by Jennifer E. Smith:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
{blurb via}

This isn't the type of book I normally read, but after reading and loving Fangirl (by Rainbow Rowell) I decided to pick up another cutesie book. I have head great things about Jennifer E. Smith's books - I really want to read all of her books; this one, This is what Happy Looks Like and the Geography of You and Me. I am really looking forward to reading this. :)

And the final book I picked up is Every Day by David Levithan. The blurb is below:

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There's never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It's all fine until the morning A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with - day in, day out, day after day.
{blurb via}

I am so excited to read this one! It just sounds like a really great read.

UPDATE: Got another book from my school library today, so I thought I'd add it as it is the book I'm currently reading. It's Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. Here's the blurb:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Etienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?
{blurb via}

Really enjoying this book so far, despite only being on page 23. That's the end of my update. ;)

And that concludes the book haul! I hope you enjoyed it. :)

Thanks for reading ♥
Love you all!

C.C.C.WC :: Chapter Four // Banana and Bear's Photo Challenge #1

Hey, guys! Here is Chapter Four of Celia's Writing Challenge. Check out her (wonderful) blog here, more info about the challenge here and the post about the fourth challenge here.

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Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

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Grace woke up with her hand clutching a piece of paper. It was a note, scrawled in a red felt tip pen, the words sloping diagonally across the page,
'Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I know I've been distant lately. I'm so sorry. I am trying - I'm trying so hard. For you, more than anything. I love you so much, my beautiful girl. xxxxxxx'
There was a tiny heart drawn in the corner of the paper. Grace smiled and folded the note neatly, placing it on her desk before heading down the creaky stairs.  Her mum was sat at the old wooden table, applying peach lipstick. Another job interview today, then. Presents were in the middle of the table, arranged in height order, ready to be opened. She grabbed a slice of toast and a jar of Nutella before sitting down opposite her mum.
"Hi, mum." She spread Nutella thickly over her toast, licking the knife clean before screwing the lid back on.
"Morning, sweetie. Happy Birthday!"
Grace smiled, and grabbed her toast. "I'm going over to Jess' again. She wants to give me her present. I'll be back soon, though."
Her mum looked disappointed, but nodded, "Have fun, sweetheart. I'll see you later!"
Grace disappeared upstairs and quickly changed, throwing on old, faded jeans, a paint-splattered t-shirt and a hoodie. She picked up her iPod, shoving the ear buds in, escaping through the music. Scooping up her toast, she stuffed her feet into worn converse, the sole peeling off the left shoe.
She ran out the door, listening to the classical music trickling into her ears. She took another bite of her toast, thinking about the boy from yesterday. His hair the colour of ink contrasting with his smooth, pale skin, and grey eyes. He was like light and darkness, sunshine and shadows mixed into one beautiful being.
Grace shook her head. Why was she thinking about him? He was nothing - she didn't know him at all, no name, no age. Just a face. A stranger on the street. But how had he known her name? That's what was really bothering her. How did he know her?

***

Grace was sat on Jess' bed, Otis lying in her lap. He was a beautiful cat, shiny black fur, green eyes and his little pink tongue always poking out. She gave him a quick squeeze as Jess came back into the room, carrying a big bag and a card in her hand. Grace frowned, "I thought you said you were going to cut down on the presents this year?"

Jess looked confused, biting her lip as she sat down on the bed, "I did cut down."

Laughing, Grace took the bag from her, placing it next to her on the bed. 

"Are you not going to open them?"

Sighing, Grace gently nudged Otis onto the pillow, where he snuggled down under the duvet. "I need to talk to you about something first."

Jess looked worried, turning to face her on the bed, "Okay....What do you want to talk about? Is it Evan?"

"What? No, it's not Evan." She tucked a loose strand of mousy brown hair behind her ear. Jess's red hair was perfectly straight and swept up in a messy bun, tilting slightly to the side as she waited for Grace to speak. Even sitting down, it was obvious that she was tiny compared to Jess. She felt even smaller now, worried what she was about to talk to her about would push away her best friend.

"I just...I bumped into this guy yesterday. And...I thought  I knew him. But I've never met him before. I don't know his name, but I...I swear I've seen him before. Am I going mad?"

Jess looked at her strangely, horror in her eyes. Grace started to panic, 'That's it. Now I'll officially have no friends. She thinks I'm crazy. I never should have said anything.'

But Jess fell out of her daze and shook her head, "Don't worry about it, Gracie. You probably saw him around here somewhere, or saw someone like him." She put her arms around Grace and squeezed her tight, "Come on, now. Open up your presents!"

I hope you liked it! I know it isn't as long as the others, but I am sooooo tired today. Do you ever have those days where you just want to sleep, but you have so much to do? That's me. Every day. I had to write this, do my homework, take a picture for the thingy below, try and read as much of my book as possible and clean my room. But I just wanted to sleeeeeeppppp. It's been horrible :(

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It's not too late (...)

And part two of this post, it's the beginning of Anna's (from Banana and Bear) Photo Challenge! Check out her amazing blog here, the photo challenge information here, people taking part here and the first challenge info here.

The first category is Summer Snacks. Here's my picture:

Ta da!

Thanks for reading ♥

P.S. Now I have 40 followers. Thank you all so much! If I reach 50 followers, I'll do a contest or something :) Love you all!

Late Creative Thursday // C.C.C.WC :: Chapter Three

Hey, guys!
So sorry this is late. I started writing it on Wednesday, but was so busy doing other things I couldn't finish and publish it. And I was away yesterday 9am - 9pm, so I couldn't finish it and publish it then either :) So here it is, even though it's a bit late...This is Chapter Three for Celia's Writing Challenge. Click here for more information on the challenge and click here for the Chapter Three post.

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Chapter I

Chapter II

Crow stumbled through the streets, running and tripping, never looking back at Grace's street. He'd just wanted to make sure Rosie was okay with doing the watching shift - he hadn't expected to bump into...her. When she feel into him, he forgot how to breathe. She felt so warm and comforting and normal against him for that second she was pressed against him. His heart had been beating so fast, she must have felt it. But then the moment passed and she was looking at him, but not seeing him, seeing a stranger, her eyes sweeping right over his face, not so much as a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. She didn't remember him. At all.

He entered the forest and tripped over a tree root, falling painfully to the ground. He cried out, but it was his heart that was hurting. He pulled himself up, scratching his hands on the rough bark of the tree he was clinging to.

Crow stared at the forest around him and let out a sigh of relief. He knew where he was. He wasn't too far now. He picked a leaf that was dangling in his face out of his hair and headed straight on, deep into the forest.

***

Around an hour later, Crow arrived at the base, panting from his uneven trek through the woods. He'd only gone that way once before and even then, it hadn't been for long - he'd cut away from the trees onto a different street. Wiping his forehead, he dragged his feet towards the old house, his feet feeling like weights on his jelly legs.

He pushed open the door, feeling the hidden camera in the old wood and smiling. This house might look like nothing to anybody passing by, but to him - to them - it was home. The familiar sound of the squeaking floorboards was so comforting, Crow wanted to break down and cry about Gracie, like a toddler would in the arms of their mother.

Instead, he pushed forward, lifting open the hatch in the living room, hidden by a thick rug. He put his foot on the first step when he heard a creak coming from upstairs. Subconsciously, his hand fell to the blade hanging from his belt. Closing the hatch slowly, he began to climb the rotting staircase, hopping away from the creaky and weak areas of wood. He stood in the middle of the landing, dagger in hand. He was perfectly still, listening for any noise - another creak, a rustle of clothing, a muffled breath. Another squeak came from the room opposite Crow. Stiffening, he crept forward like a cat. Holding his dagger tight, he leaped into the room, blade swinging at the girl standing there. She jumped pack, gasping as the knife glided through the air past her, slicing a thin cut along her upper arm. She shouted at him, "Stop it! What on earth do you think you're doing, you stupid idiot?!"

Crow squinted at the girl, focusing on her instead of the warnings in his head, "Intruder, intruder, danger, enemy, intruder, intruder, intruder." He dropped the dagger, hearing the metal clatter against the hard wood floor. He covered his mouth with his hand. "Wait...Rose?"

Rosie glowered at Crow as she dabbed at the cut on her arm. She winced and he lowered his hand, biting his lip. "I'm so sorry, Rosie. I thought it was...one of them," his voice turning into a harsh whisper on the last three words.

She looked up, understanding obvious in her eyes. She nodded, and sat down on the floor. Looking down, Crow saw paper scattered everywhere, drawings and maps and notes covering the floor like a rug. He crouched, watching Rose work. Her long black hair hid her face like a curtain, a few curls falling across her back. She was wearing shorts and a vest top - her long tan legs and sharp shoulder blades were visible. As she sketched on a new piece of paper, he could see the muscles moving under her skin. She glanced up at him, her brown eyes warm and twinkling. Blushing, he looked away. He didn't want to giver her any false ideas. Gracie was the only girl he cared about...But what if she never knew who he was?

Glancing back at her, he spoke. "So, wh-" He broke up. His voice had turned deep and hoarse. He cleared his throat, "What are you doing?"

Rosie tucked a curl behind her ear, keeping in in place by sticking a pencil there as well. "Drawing,"

Crow rolled his eyes, "Ha ha."

She stuck out her tongue at him, before picking up a blue pencil and sketching a curve on a new piece of paper. "I swapped shifts with Scout. I told him I wanted to make some plans," she gestured at the papers, "Maps, sketches of the various rooms, drawings of the house. I thought with plans, we could make a strategy, and find the best places for people to keep watch. What do you think?"

She took the pencil out from behind her ear and swept her hair over her left shoulder. it fanned out like the feather's of a raven's wing. Crow picked up a drawing of Grace's house and then another sketch, a bird's-eye voice of her bedroom. "I think it's great. It's...Yeah. It's great. Good idea, Rosie,"

She smiled. He touched her shoulder lightly and she winced. Blood dripped onto a map of Gracie's area, splattering dots onto random locations. Pulling back his hand and ignoring her blood tracing a path from his palm to the crook of his elbow, Crow looked at her cut. It wasn't too deep, but it was still oozing blood. Rosie bit her lip - it obviously hurt a lot.

"I'm really sorry," He took her hand and pulled her up gently, "Let's get you to Rhea and the doctors."

Well, I hope you enjoyed! So sorry it's late. I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow and then I'm up to date!

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Want to do it too? I'm sure it's not too late....

Thanks for reading ♥

P.S. 37 followers? When did this happen?! Thank you all so much, it means the world to me every time somebody clicks Follow This Site. I love all of you. When I started this blog, I didn't really care how many people followed me, but it's so lovely to know that I have 37 people reading my words, commenting on my posts saying lovely things. I really do love it when you comment - every word from you beautiful readers is a burst of joy in my heart. :) Love you guys so much! ♥

The Fear Landscape Tag

Hello!
I had an idea a few weeks ago about a new tag, but I had other ideas for posts and I got tagged in a few things, but here we are!
I was thinking about Divergent and I thought "I'd love to know what would be in everybody's fear landscape" So then I thought, why not create a tag to find that out?!
So I've decided to create my own tag - the Fear Landscape tag! *applause and confetti*

Rules:
1. Thank the blogger(s) that tagged you and link to their blog.
2. The Fear Landscape Button must be in the post.
3. Answer all of the questions
4. Tag a few bloggers and let them know on their blog

Right, how this works is I have written a few questions for you to answer (related to Divergent) and then, once you have answered the questions, you must go through a few fears you think would be in your fear landscape in Divergent. State your fear and then how you think it would be shown in your landscape. Put your fears in order from least to most scary. Okay, here are the questions:

1. Which faction do you think you would choose?
I think I would pick Amity. It's between Amity and Erudite because Erudite is basically just a huge library - I'd love it! But I don't think I could spend all my time learning. So I'd pick Amity because they're so peaceful and happy and so relaxed - I'd love it there :) Definitely not Dauntless! I would be factionless 2 seconds after choosing them...

2. Which faction do you think you would be born into?
I think I'd be born into Abnegation or Erudite because my parents are so selfless and are always doing things to help us instead of thinking of themselves. But they're also really clever. Maybe Amity as well.

3. Would you choose a different faction to your family?
I don't know... (I ask hard questions...) Maybe? It really depends on which faction I was born into. I think if I was born into Abnegation I would move - I couldn't be selfless all the time. If I was born into Amity or Erudite, I wouldn't. I would rather be in Amity but if my family were in Erudite, I would stay.

(Tobias.) 4. Would you go zip-lining?
Erm.....Yes? I think I would. I don't know how that would happen because I wouldn't be in Dauntless, but yes I think I would. Well, I like to think I would but I'd probably get scared and say no....

Okay, now onto my fear landscape!

1. Public humiliation.
I get so scared of being humiliated and embarrassed in public. I think it would be me standing in front of a lot of people and they were all laughing at me.

2. Bugs.
I am genuinely afraid of bugs, especially spiders. But just bugs in general. I will run away if I see any bug. I have to get my dad to deal with them. I feel sick if I see a bug in my room - it's terrible. I think this would probably come up as a giant room that I needed to cross but it was filled with moths and wasps flying everywhere and spiders/daddy long legs crawling on the floor. Everywhere, bugs.

3. Failing at life/Not accomplishing my dreams.
I don't want to leave this world with any regrets. I would hate to die without having traveled the world, had a family, published a book. This would probably come up with a publisher turning down my book, and saying I'd never get published.

4. My nightmares.
I have an....over-used imagination. It tends to work over-time, which can be good but often it isn't. My nightmares can be really quite disturbing and scary. I am afraid of having nightmares because I know how bad they get. They were so bad when I was smaller, I'd wake up screaming sometimes - I don't get them so much now, but when I do, I wake up in tears. Probably just one of my nightmares would join my fear landscape, but boy are they bad....

5. Being completely alone.
I rely on my family, especially, but also my friends, a lot. I couldn't live alone - I need someone to support me and to care about me. But I need to care and support someone else as well, otherwise it feels wrong. Being completely alone, in the dark, with several obstacles in front of me - that scares me. I need somebody to help me get through the obstacles in life (...wow that was deep...)

6. My loved ones dying.
This kind of ties in the #5, because it involves me being alone. But this one would just....it would end me, it would break me in a literal sense. I would be a shattered person. Especially if in my landscape it was like Tris' and I had to shoot them myself... Argh, I can't even think about this!

Right, tagging time! I tag:

Lauren from Pretty Things & Polka Dots

Kenzie from think. eat. write. read.

Rose from Truly. Madly. Deeply.

Cindy from Eat. Sleep. Read. Fangirl.

Bekah from Found and Cherished

Have fun. :)

Well, I hope you like my idea for this tag!

Thanks for reading ♥

Guest Post // Best Friend Questions

Hey guys!
I'm here with my best friend Lauren from Pretty Things & Polka Dots *cheers and applause* Say hi:
HIIIIIII!
We're hyper because we just ate too much Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Icing - it tastes like happiness and rainbows.
As we both have blogs - *whispers* go check out Lozza's here. It's really good. Trust me on this one. ;) - we decided to do guest posts on both of them because we had nothing else to do, hehe.
Below we have some questions (from Google) about our friendship. Enjoy!

This colour is moi and this colour is Lauren.

1. How and when did you meet, and what were your first impressions?

I first met the lovely Lauren when I moved to Wales. It was my first day of Primary School and I was a wickle bit nervous, but then she asked if I wanted to play in the shoe shop. So naturally, we played doctors ;) Been inseparable ever since! I thought she was really cool and I remember pointing her out to my mum and saying I liked her hair - I still do :)

What Beth said basically. She came in the second class of Primary School so I had been there for a year already. She was quite shy so I decided to show her around :)

2. What's your favourite memory together?

In 2010, she came over my house and we used a little kit thingy to make a gingerbread house. It was magical. Although it soon crumbled as we had eaten most of the icing/glue before sticking it together....oops! I have so many happy memories of me and Lauren together, though. It's so hard to choose just one!

I remember coming home from Beth's house with her and her Mum in their car. She went really, really hyper and was singing at the top of her voice and we were all crying with laughter. It was just hilarious and although small, is definitely one of my favourite memories :)

3. Describe each other in one word.

Lauren is just so FLAWLESS! That is the one word. Because it describes her perfectly. :)

Unicorn...Yeah, guys, she is actually a unicorn. The pictures of her in previous photos is actually just a model... (It's true..I'm so sorry you had to find out this way...)

4. What is the other's dream job?

I know Lauren would love to be a Broadway actress - she loves musicals, singing, acting and dancing and is awesome at it. She'd be amazing!

Beth's dream job is an author, she'll definitely be successful one day because she's amazing at writing!
(Aww, thanks Loz >.<)

5. If you could go anywhere together, where would you want to go?

Maybe just travelling Europe. Or to America together. Yeah, I'd love to go to New York with her - shopping! Yup, definitely NYC.

Umm... I would like to go to New York with Beth and shop! I went with school and I know she'd love it. :) 

6. What is something that annoys you about each other?

She doesn't believe me when I tell her how beautiful and talented and amazing she is...She doesn't realise I speak the truth ;)

She's so good at everything!

7. What do you like most about each other's personality?

That she is so kind and considerate. She cares about me so much which is such a nice feeling :] She's also really understanding. I love that because I have some weird problems but I can ring Lozza up, crying about dropping my chocolate or something and she doesn't judge me :)

I like that she's so easy to talk to and we talk forever on the phone. :)

8. Who takes the longest to get ready?

Lauren. Beyond a doubt.

Me... Definitely!

9. What is it like having a best friend that blogs?

It's really nice, actually. I can talk to her about followers and page views and nag her to post something. I feel like a proud mother because I kind of persuaded her to start a blog and helped her set it up and now she has 18 followers and I just... *sniffs* It's like my child is growing up!

It's amazing, because we get to do stuff like this and we can ask each other's advice and stuff...

10. What do you do when you miss each other?

I text her or I ring her up and we have a chat. I also put on this really nice t-shirt she gave me when she grew out of it #perksofbeingthesmallfriend. It's really soft and it still smells like Lozza, so it's like she's there giving me a hug :)

I'll just ring her up and then we end up talking for an hour... I miss you a lot sometimes... (Same :( )

11. What is your best friend talented at?

Lauren is amazing at everything. She's a really good singer and actress, and an awesome writer and blogger!

Everything! But she's a really good writer and amazing at English and Art. :)

12. What is the other's favourite animal?

Oooo, I know this one! Lauren loves monkeys - I can understand why... I mean

{photo via Google}

Umm... Is yours a dog Beth? I'm guessing here! (Yeah, it is. Good guess! I mean, I love Meerkats as well, and penguins. But dogs are my go-to answer.)

13. If your best friend's house was burning down and their entire family was safe, what do you think they would save and why?

Definitely not her laptop - I think Lauren would see her laptop burning as a miracle sent from Heaven, so that she could get a new one >.< Not her phone either because she doesn't use that a lot *coughs* answer my texts, girl. Maybe her little 'happy box' she has (which is super cute, by the way) Or the cards I've given her and the Hogwarts canvas? Because I know she loves them.

I think she would save (I'm counting Ruby as your family!) her laptop because it has all of her memories and photographs on it and stuff like that... And maybe favourite books? (Definitely my favourite books... ;) and my Peter Capaldi autograph!)

14. What is your favourite inside joke that you have with your best friend?

Ummmm..... I don't really know. We don't really have inside jokes - we just tend to say something and then burst out laughing....

Do we have an inside joke? I'm trying to think...

15. What is your favourite film to watch with your best friend?

Any rom-com really, but especially Bride Wars. I also love watching horror films with Loz - she makes me less scared :] But definitely Bride Wars!

Bride wars! We watched it one rainy afternoon and it was so funny. :)

Well, I hope you liked this post! I decided to do this instead of my Words post because 1) I wasn't sure what word to do this week and 2) I couldn't post it tomorrow because I have something planned (for once.)

If you would like to do these questions, feel free! I'd love to see your answers.

Thanks for reading guys ♥

C.C.C.WC :: Chapter Two

Hey guys!
The wonderful Celia posted her second writing challenge prompt...thingy (I don't know what to call it, haha!) Read about the second challenge here. Quite a tricky one this time, trying to fit everything into one chapter. So sorry if it's really long! Here it is: Chapter Two. Enjoy!

Grace slammed the door behind her. "I'm home!" She shouted up the stairs, pausing for a second to listen for a reply. None came. She dropped her rucksack at the foot of the staircase before pulling off her red boots and placing them on the shoe rack. She wriggled her toes, feeling the worn carpet under her feet. There was a faint gurgling sound as the heating turned on, same time as always.
Swinging her bag back onto her back, Grace crept up the steps, hopping from corner to corner, avoiding the creaking stairs with ease. She trailed her hand along the peeling floral wallpaper, tracing the tears and bumps.
At the top of the stairs, Grace paused, smoothing her hair and dabbing her fingers under her eyes. Had she looked like this all day? Frizzy hair and smudged mascara? Still, it obviously hadn't mattered to Evan. She grinned. Her first kiss.
Something nagged at the back of her mind.
"That was wrong."
"This is wrong." 
"You shouldn't have kissed him."
"You don't love him."
She pushed it away. Nerves or butterflies or something. Of course she loved Evan. Of course it wasn't wrong.
Seeing that smoothing her hair wasn't working, Grace pulled out the hair tie, shaking out her wavy hair and ruffling it until it fell back into its parting. Pulling strands free from her rucksack straps, she moved along the landing and pushed open her bedroom door. She yanked off her jacket and pulled out her sketch pad, half a broken crayon and a scrap of paper before finding her phone in her bag - seven texts from Jess. She smiled before walking back to the first door. She pushed it open, catching the handle before it reached the squeaking spot on its hinges. Her mum was sprawled across the double bed, her clothes and shoes still on. There was something clutched in her hand. Grace crept forward and plucked it from her mother's long fingers - pianist's fingers. Her mum had always loved to play the piano, her fingers darting along the keys, as swift as a bird taking flight, or someone conducting an orchestra, or a couple dancing the waltz. The notes came out smooth and precise and beautiful. She could remember sitting on her mother's lap when she was younger, gazing as her mother played Mozart to her. She remembered starting piano lessons and instantly feeling at home, her fingers as talented as her mother's. She hadn't stopped playing since. But her mother had. She hadn't played in months, not since Grace's dad had.... she choked back a sob, glancing down at the thing in her hand - a photo of her parents on their wedding day. This time, she couldn't hold it back. A hiccup of pain jolted through her body, waking up her mum.
She sat up groggily. She looked terrible. Her hair was hanging in matted, greasy ropes, knotted and tangled together, nothing like the long, soft hair the colour of melted chocolate that Grace had played with as a child. Her makeup was smeared across her face, her foundation all gone, rubbed into the blanket. There were blue shadows under her eyes, like bruises, with a streak of black from her eyeliner on her cheek and most of her eyelids. Her skin was sickly and pale and her red lipstick had smudged onto her chin, making her look like a vampire that had just fed.
Grace sighed. She had thought her mother would have washed and changed since her job interview yesterday evening. Obviously she hadn't woken up from her daze recently.
"Gracie." Her mum croaked, rubbing her eyes and smearing more of her eye makeup onto her cheeks.
"Hey, mum." She smiled tightly, brushing a strand of her mother's long hair behind her ear. With most of her mascara and eye shadow gone, Grace could see how red and puffy her mum's eyes were. She lowered her eyes. "Do you want me to run you a bath?"
She looked confused, staring into the distance with glazed eyes. She slowly nodded her head.
Leaving her in the bedroom, Grace grabbed some fluffy white towels out of the airing cupboard and turned on the hot water. She drizzled in some bubble bath that smelled like lavender and began adding cold water.
She plodded back into the bedroom, a wet flannel and makeup remover in hand. She sat her mum up and and began erasing the smears of makeup before wiping her face with the warm cloth. Handing her mum a towel, Grace walked into the bathroom, turned off the taps and sat down on the toilet seat. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, scrolling through her texts. She had to hold back a laugh - she could hear Jess' voice clear as day in her head;
'Did Evan kiss you? xx'
'Please tell me he kissed you! xx'
'If he didn't kiss you, then there is something wrong with him. xx'
'I mean, come on. How often are you two alone together? xx'
'Maybe he doesn't like you....No he has to. All the quizzes say he does. xx'
'If he kissed you, 2 things. 1 - Awwwwwww and 2 - I called it. Just sayin' xx'
'Grace Marie Daniels, answer your phone! I need details! xx'
She smiled as she replied simply with, 'He kissed me :) xx'
Her mum wandered into the bathroom wrapped in her towel. Grace slipped her phone back into her pocket and held the towel in front of her as her mother slipped into the bubbles. She folded the towel and placed it where she had been sitting before picking up her hairbrush. She combed through her mum's hair before pouring warm water over it, lathering in shampoo and conditioner. Her mum sat still and upright, gazing into nothingness. She closed her eyes obediently as Grace rinsed out the soap and rubbed shower gel into her arms before washing it off. Grace's phone chimed but she ignored it, holding out the fluffy towel for her mum and wrapping her hair in a turban with the other one. "Thank you, Gracie." She had regained some colour and had begun to dry herself.
"You got this, Mum? I have some homework to do."
Her mum smiled at her a little and nodded. Grace walked out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her before checking her phone.
'I knew it! Give me details, pls xx'
She replied as she walked into her room. 'No, creep! Wanna meet up now? Need help with my History anyway xx'
Seconds later, her phone chimed. 'Sure. Come round - Mum's making her brownies. Need someone to help me eat them all.'
Seconds later, another text, 'Actually, I probably don't, but I want you to come round anyways :P xx'
Grace laughed. Jess knew how much she loved those brownies. "Heading out now. Be with you in 5. I'll give you details then. xx' Grabbing her pencil case and her History book, she headed downstairs. She shoved on her boots and pulled on her coat before shouting up the stairs, "Mum! I'm going over to Jess'. I'll be back later! Do you want me to bring you back a brownie?"
She waited, knowing a reply meant her mum had awoken from a daze for the rest of the evening. No reply meant no change. After a heartbeat, she shouted back "Ooo, yes please, love! Give Jess and her family my best!" Grace exhaled with relief - her mum was back, at least for now. She grabbed her keys and left, locking the door behind her.
Her phone buzzed against her leg. 'Cool beans. Aw yeah, I knew you'd tell me all about it! xx'
She turned the corner, replying to Jess - 'You're such a weirdo. xx' not noticing the boy until it was too late. They slammed into each other, the boy catching her before she fell back. "I'm so sorry, Grace."
She stared at him as he clapped a hand over his mouth, surprise and horror flickering through his grey eyes.
"How do you know my name? I've never seen you before in my life."
The horror was replaced with a deep sadness that made Grace feel sick. She couldn't bare to see him so sad...but why?
"Grace," he whispered softly before sprinting across the road and disappearing before she could question him again.
She shook her head, trying to rid his sadness from her mind. But those eyes...she'd seen them somewhere before.
As she walked toward Jess' house, she remembered. Last night's dream...
She'd been hiding in a forest, crouched behind a tree. She was watching a boy leap across fallen branches and tree roots. He looked like he was dancing, spinning through the trees like a spider making its web. She leaped out at him, stopping his beautiful dancing as he stumbled over a log. She laughed at him before helping him up. He smiled before offering her a sandwich - tuna and sweetcorn, her favourite. They hugged, his grey eyes reflecting her smile.
Grace rang Jess' doorbell, hopping from foot to foot on her front step. Jess' mum opened the door.
"Grace, hi. How are you? How's your mum?"
She stepped inside, pulling off her boots and hanging her coat on a peg. "Hi, Julie. I'm good thanks. And I think Mum's feeling better."
"That's great! Let her know if she needs to talk, if she needs anything, she can always come round."
Grace nodded, "I'll let her know."
She padded up the stairs, passing Jess' little brother on the way. "Hi, Grace," he said, smiling at her.
"Hey, Tommy! You're getting so tall!" She ruffled his hair before continuing toward Jess' room.
The door swung open under her touch. Jess was sat on her bed, several books and her laptop spread around her. Otis, her beloved cat, was lounging on her pillow. He stretched when Grace picked him up, dropping her book and pencil case onto the bed.
Jess looked up through a curtain of shiny red hair, "Hey, Gracie!" She closed her laptop, shuffling around papers to make room for her.
Grace plopped onto her bed, Otis in her lap. "Hi, Kit-Kat. You doing History?" Kit-Kat had been Jess' nickname since they were seven years old. They wanted cool nicknames, as most seven year olds do. Grace's nickname had soon faded away and out of memory, but Kit-Kat had stuck, even after nine years.
Jess nodded, showing her a page of scribbles and highlighted areas. She was about to speak when they heard Julie shout up to them "Girls, my brownies are out!" There was the hint of a smile in her voice - apparently everyone knew Grace's weakness for her brownies.
They looked at each and moved at the same time. Grace dropped Otis back onto the bed, who meowed in surprise before falling asleep with his head on Jess' laptop, and Jess leaped off her bed, pushing her hair back off her face.
"Brownies come first," she said seriously, heading towards the door.
"Homework can wait," Grace finished off, smiling.

So, I hope you enjoyed that :) I'm sorry it was so long - there was so much I wanted and needed to fit into this chapter.

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Want to do it too? Head over to this page. I'm sure it's not too late!

Thanks for reading ♥

Creative Thursday // C.C.C.WC :: Chapter One

Hi, guys!
I'm taking part in the wonderful Celia's Writing Challenge. Yay! Click here to check out the first challenge and click on the button on my sidebar to read more information about it. Seriously, this could not have come at a better time - I've been really struggling to write lately, and I just can't come up with a decent plot. Hopefully while taking part in this, I'll get some ideas :)

"Why wasn't it me?" The thought entered his head before he could stop it. He pushed it away roughly. She wasn't who she used to be. She was different now. She didn't know him anymore.
He watched her from the other side of the road, his grey eyes flashing like steel in moonlight as she walked past him, a smile plastered on her pretty face. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes sparkling and the tips of her ears were as red as her boots. She'd had boots just like those when she was... He choked on the memory, pushing it down, shoving it into the dark room he kept for memories just like that. Memories of her. They way she used to be.
He wanted to jump out at her, to shake her out of this delirious state she was in and make her remember. Remember her past, her family, him. Everything. He imagined the conversation they would have, the way she would suddenly throw her arms around him and whisper his name over and over. Not his real name, but the name known by everyone, "Crow."
He clenched his fists, his face turning red as he watched her stop and touch her pale fingers to her lips where that...boy had kissed her. Her first kiss. And it wasn't with him. He hadn't been the one to run his fingers through her soft, honey-coloured hair, to trace her perfect features or to whisper her name as he cupped her face upward to meet his, "Grace." He hadn't been the one to press against her smooth, pink lips, to feel her arms around his neck and her hair against his face. It should have been him.
Stop.
He couldn't think of her like that. She didn't know who he was. She didn't even know he existed.
Crow sagged against the brick wall behind him, watching her smooth hair swing back and forth like a pendulum as she strolled dreamily toward her house.
The sky was the same grey as his eyes, birds appearing like black ink splattered on a page. It had stopped raining but the pavements were still wet and the darkening sky promised more to come. The trees were nearly bare, red and gold leaves carpeting the ground in fiery colours, falling into soggy piles that filled the cool air with the sweet scent of rotting leaves mixed with the lingering smell of rain.
He leaned his head against the building behind him and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as colourful patterns swirled on the back of his eyelids. Crow ran his fingers over his left hand, feeling his bruised knuckles. He opened his eyes and she was gone. Pushing off from the wall, he stretched like a cat, his black t-shirt riding up a little, showing his scar. He quickly pulled it down and stretched his neck, working out the stiffness. The cold had settled into his bones, spreading through his veins. He cracked his knuckles before pulling his hands through his already messy black hair and flipping up his hood. He needed to get back. But he couldn't get the image of that boy kissing Grace out of his head. She looked so happy.
Stop it. Remember what Rhea said. You need to focus.
Still, his thoughts kept on coming back to Grace. He bit his lip hard and clenched his hands into fists, hoping the pain would bring him back. All he ended up with was blood in his mouth and white half-moons on his palms where his nails had dug into the skin.
The thought came again.
Grace.
Without realising what he was doing, Crow had crossed the road, half running towards her house, her name a constant mantra in his brain. He was sprinting now, spinning around the corner, his heart beating fast, blood pumping... SMACK!
Pain and shock burst through him, concrete and stones digging into his back, the dampness seeping into his hoodie. His raven hair had fallen across his face, obscuring his view. Brushing it away from his eyes, he looked up. Above him stood a tall boy with broad shoulders and a tanned face. There were lines around his chocolate brown eyes from smiles and laughter, his hair swept back off his face in a curly brown mess. His calloused hand was held in front of him, a slight smirk on his thin lips.
"Scout. What are you doing here? Did you just slap me?!" Crow propped himself up on his elbows, gripping Scout's hand as he was pulled from the ground.
Scout pushed a hand through his hair, blowing a curl away from his face. "I'm sorry. I couldn't let you run to her. She can't know somebody's watching her, Crow! You know that. And Rhea sent me. She didn't trust you watching Grace on your own. Apparently, she was right not to trust you. I thought you had it under control."
Crow studied him, thinking of possible lies, excuses, to get him out of this hole. If he told the truth, Rhea would never let him watch Grace again. That couldn't happen. He needed to make sure she was okay. That she was safe.
Scout was eyeing him up, watching his face closely for any tell of a lie about to be told. Finally, Crow sighed, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. It was a mistake."
Scout shook his head, brown curls falling into his eyes. "I knew it was a bad idea letting you-"
Crow interrupted him. "I do have it under control. That wasn't the reason I ran after her. I..." He hesitated, knowing once the lie was told, things would change. More people would be watching Grace - he wouldn't be alone with her anymore. But it was either more people with him included, or someone else. It was an easy choice, "I thought I saw someone following her. I was wrong, obviously. If there was a person going after her, they would have passed you."
Scout frowned, his thick eyebrows drawing together, wrinkles forming on his brow, "You're sure it wasn't anything?"
Crow nodded, "I'm sure." He held his breath, hoping that Scout wouldn't think anything of it. But no.
"We'd better add more people to the watch. Just to be safe."
Crow gulped, his heart wilting like a flower cut from the roots that helped it live. Disappointment flooded every cell in his body, but he knew it was coming. He licked his dry lips, tasting blood from the cut he had inflicted on himself. He should have tried to focus harder. Slowly, he bowed his head, "I think that would be appropriate."
Scout bobbed his head, biting his stubby nails - a nervous habit from years ago - before pulling his hand away from his mouth, forcing his arms to his sides, "Great. Let's get back to Rhea. Rosie's in position now." Crow glanced up the road to where her house was. Scout watched him worriedly. "Crow."
His head whipped around at the sound of his name, his gaze focusing on Scout staring at him.
"Right, yes, of course."
Scout put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, don't worry about Grace. You know Rosie has it covered. She's great at this kind of stuff."
Crow scratched his temple, "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'm not worried about her. Well, I am, of course, but I know Rosie's gonna be fine... It doesn't matter. Let's just go."

That was really fun :) I hope you liked it! I'm sort of going along with the theme of this story scene from a while ago because I was really interested in the characters, their back story, and what was going on all around. I'm loving writing about Crow - even I'm not sure what his background is! He surprises me more and more :} I feel like Scout is going to be fun to write as well!

Anyways, I hope you liked this. This is my Creative Thursday, and it will be for a while. Celia is planning on posting a new challenge thingy every Monday and Friday, so when she posts on a Monday, I'll link it in to my usual routine and use it for my Creative Thursday. And for the Friday one, I'll post on Saturday, so that it isn't straight after the previous chapter but I don't have to change my "Words" post schedule :)

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If you would like to join in with Celia's Writing Challenge, head over to this page. 

Thanks for reading ♥

P.S. Oh. My. Gosh. I have 31 followers. Is this real life?! Thank you all so much, I never thought I'd get 1 follower, let alone 31. I love you all - you mean so much to me, every comment, every click of the follow button, every mention of me on your beautiful blogs. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! >.< ♥