Please don\'t laugh. I\'m horribly self-consious about my writing.


My heart pounded in my chest as I dashed down the street, fully knowing I was attracting a lot of attention, but unable to slow down. “Hey, you! Stop! STOP!!!” the shouts rang out behind me, echoing inside my head. I could barely think. How long had they been chasing me? What would they do if they caught me? What would I do if they caught me? I looked around wildly for an answer, but there was nothing I could do without using alchemy. And if I did that, they’d know what I was for sure. “Damn…. it….” I muttered between gasps. I’m going to die here. I’m actually going to die! What will the others think? Will they come looking for me? What am I going to… My thoughts were drowned out as a shot was fired from behind me, grazing my right arm just enough to make me scream in pain. They really were going to kill me. Throwing all caution to the wind, I ran into an alley and sealed it off with alchemy. It wasn’t strong enough to hold them back for long, but it’d give me enough time to escape. I was relieved until I saw a woman standing in a doorway at the end of the alley. She stared at me, her mouth hanging open, her eyes wide. I froze as she raised a shaking hand to point at me. “You… What are you? Are you one of those inhuman beasts they call alchemists?” I approached her slowly. “It’s true, I am an alchemist. But I’m not a beast. I’m as human as you are. Now if you could just let me through here, I’ve got some food I need to take to someone.” I said, pulling a few carrots out of my pocket. Warm red blood dripped down my arm, creating a small puddle near my feet. The woman looked startled. “See? I bleed just like you do. I can talk to you, and I can stand on two feet. I’m as human as they come. Please, let me through.” Seeing that she wasn’t going to give in, I sighed heavily. “I hate having to resort to this, but… If you don’t let me through, I’m going to have to kill you and anyone else in there. So, have you changed your mind yet?” The woman let out a shriek of terror and jumped to the side. I dashed through the door and out the other end of the tiny house, shouting behind me as I left. “I wouldn’t have done it, you know!” And with that, I ran to the only place I knew was safe, and the only place I had ever called home.

This belongs in fanwork.

I must laugh, but not at your writing..I generally laugh at fanfics as a whole. Heh..fanfics..

At least it\'s not at my writng. And sorry about the forums thing again. I really need to work on that.

yes i agree

*requesting to move*

[Edited on 29-11-2005 by Masterman.EXE]

Thanks guys. I\'ll post the second chapter. Oh, and alchemy is supposed to be a science, but it really looks more like magic on the show.

Chapter 2
I squinted against the flash of yellow light from my transmutation, immediately drawing my hands away from the newly made hole in the ground. \"Coming down!\" I cried as I jumped into the ground. Another flash of light quickly sealed the hole behind me, and I land, cat-like, on the packed earth below. \"Where have you been? We\'ve been worried sick for two whole days!\" a tall, dark haired girl shouted at me. \"I\'m okay... really... and you don\'t have to yell.\" \"She\'s right, Mira. Put a sock in it. Can\'t you see the kid\'s hurt?\" I scrunched up my eyes so I could see the boy in the corner better. He rose to his feet and approached me, suddenly grabbing the wrist of my injured arm. \"Hm...\" he mumbled as he examines it. \"Not a knife... They pull a gun on you?\" \"Alex, you should let me take a look at that. I\'m better at this kind of suff than you...\" \"Again, Mira, shut it. It\'s my job to look after her, not yours. Go watch the younger ones or... or sew something. Just beat it.\" \"Hmph! Fine! But when that gets infected and we have to cut her arm off-\" \"Go!\" Mira reluctantly walked away, mumbling to herself. \"Now, as I was saying, you wanna tell me what happened, or are you gonna make me guess? Either way, I will find out.\" \"It\'s no big deal. Some of the morons in blue caught up with me, and I got a little scraped up. I\'m still in one piece, aren\'t I?\" Alex laughed, his long, mud colored hair falling in front of his eyes. \"Yeah, I can give you that much. But you know what this means, don\'t you?\" I sighed heavily. \"Can\'t you skip the punishment for once? It\'s not like you\'re really my parent or anything.\" \"True. But your mom asked me to look after you if anything ever happened to her, and that means I can groung your sorry ass if I think it\'s nesesarry.\" \"You aren\'t even that much older than me! And you were just the neighbor. Don\'t know what she was thinking...\" \"Watch it...\" I stuck my tounge out at him. \"So how long am I grounded? Not that it matters, since I barely ever get out of this hole, but I\'m just dying to know.\" \"Until your arm heals. Speaking of which, we should probably get that fixed up.\" I nodded, and Alex turned his head to say something. \"Mira, bring me the first aid kit!\" Although she immediately came over, she had to complain first. \"Now you want my help. Every time you want something it\'s \'Mira, get this\' but then you don\'t want me around. I swear, Alex, I don\'t get you. And you look after Cassie as if she was your own daughter. You won\'t even let me look at her arm, you\'re so overprotective!\" \"One; I\'m not overprotective. If I was, I wouldn\'t have let her go up there in the first place. And two; shut up and give me the damn kit.\" Alex didn\'t give her enough time to hand the case to him, he snatched it away from her so fast. I watched as he took out a bottle and poured some of it\'s contents onto a cloth, barely stifling a laugh at the look on Mira\'s face. \"Ouch! Geez, that hurts!\" I complained as he placed the cloth on my arm. \"Don\'t be such a baby. You\'ve dealt with worse.\" I bit my lip as he wrapped my arm in a white bandage. \"There.\" he said when he finished. \"Take that bandage off and I\'ll kill you.\" \"Thanks. I really feel loved.\" He smiled. \"Then you\'ll really feel loved in a minute. I\'m sending you to bed.\" \"No complaints here. Being up for two days is no picnic.\" I replied, yawning as if on cue. \"Then beat it. I\'m sick of you.\"Alex joked, shoving me toward the \"room\" we shared. It was really just one of the many dug out chambers in our hideout. There were about six of them, all with at least two alchemists. I walked into ours and flopped down on my bed, which Alex had transmuted for me when we had first come here six years ago. There hadn\'t been so many people here then, since the authorities hadn\'t started publicly killing so many alchemists. Alex\'s parents were killed when he was only seven, and he had lived alone next door to me and my mother for four years after that. Then they killed my mom. Even though I was only eight when it happened , I can still remember every little detail. I shivered, burying my face in my pillow and shoving the thoughts out of my head. I hated remembering. Pulling the covers up over my head, I allowed my eyes to close, and gave in to sleep.

It\'s really nice, Rose, congratulations.
But I advise to use some more returns, especially when somebody is saying something. Alrighty?

Now, I take just one look at your mood and siggy and can tell you don\'t feel great. What\'s the matter? Are you sick? Hey, if you need comfort, you got some people to turn to.

*creepy story-telling mode on*

Even here, in this isolated place... *blowing wind with snow-sounds*

Nah, there\'s not anything physically wrong with me, except for this cold. That\'s no big deal. I\'m just going through a tough time right now. And I\'ll work on formatting for this chapter.



Chapter 3
My eyes flickered open, unsure if they wanted to stay that way or just go back to sleep. Judging by the silence, I guessed everyone else was just asleep, so I rolled over to get a better look at the other bed in the room, where I knew I would find Alex sleeping. I was right. He looked like an idiot, and I smiled when I saw him. His arm hung over the side of the bed, just grazing the floor, the blankets thrown to the foot of the bed in a crumpled heap. Grinning to myself, I quietly got out of my bed and pulled the thin blanket up over Alex\'s shoulders.


He stirred slightly, but didn\'t wake up. I gently brushed his hair out of his eyes and proceeded out of the room, walking as quietly as I could. I could hear soft breathing and snoring all around me from the ten other people that lived with us. Mira was the oldest at eighteen, and even though Alex was a year younger than her, he had more authority. The youngest of us all was Reyna, who was six years old. She was Mira\'s cousin, and an amatuer alchemist. Talented for her age, but not as good as anyone I had ever seen. Of course, most of the most talented alchemists were dead now.


I took another few steps forward, shoving my arms out in front of me so I wouldn\'t run in to anything. I had completely forgotten where I was going. I don\'t think I ever really knew in the first place. I wandered around for a little while longer until I finally realized it was way too dark to see, so I felt along the wall for one of the many lamps that lit the place.


My hand hit one, and it took a few tries before I could light it with alchemy. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I slowly came to realize where I was. I stared, horrified, at my surroundings. I honestly have no idea why I was so startled at the time, but I was. The lone bed in the corner was neatly made, and a thin layer of dust had formed over it. A trunk lay open at the foot of the bed, it\'s contents spilling over the edge, all as equally covered in dust as the bed. No one had been in this room for months. It had once belonged to Andrew Davids. He had gone out to get food for the rest of us, but never came back. He was 21 when he left, and acted as sort of a father to the younger children, and no matter how many times I went up into the real world, I never found a trace of him.


I quickly blew out the lamp and backed out of the room, feeling as though I had disturbed a grave. It wasn\'t a very good feeling. Finally recovering from the shock, I decided I needed some fresh air. Living underground, fresh air was something I always craved. It was much better than the moldy air I was forced to breathe most of the time.


I had the chance. I had the time. But most of all, I had the freedom. Even if it was only for a little while, I wanted to feel like a non-alchemist. I hated being a fugitive. I hated having to keep my head down whenever I went to get food. It had to be dark out, so I could move freely. So, before I had the time to think about what I was doing, I clapped my hands together and slammed them into the wall, transmuting a ladder to the outside.


Okay, probably STILL didn\'t do it right, but I\'ll work on it.

[Edited on 1-12-2005 by SoulofaDeadRose]

thats a cool story and one of the first Alchemy thing i\'ve read

Thanks. Here\'s chapter four.



Chapter 4

I took a deep breath, taking in the smells of fresh, non-contained air. It smelled sweet. After spinning around like and idiot a couple of times, I resealed the entrance to our hideout. The sun hadn\'t even begun to rise yet, so I had plenty of time to myself. My only problem would be if Alex or one of the others woke up before I got back. Then I\'d be in trouble. Shaking all thoughts of danger and caution from my head, I dashed away from the only safety I knew.


The cool night air blew my hair back away from my face. It was something that I hadn\'t been able to feel in a long time without it being accompanied by fear. In spite of my situation, I laugehd. I felt like a normal person again. I stopped running when came to what looked like a school playground. It took a minute to realize that I recognized it.


Staring up at the towering building, I counted three windows to the left on the second floor. That had been my third grade classroom six years ago. I hadn\'t even finished the year before Alex and I had to hide from the government. I turned back to the playground, silently remembering better times. The swings were old and rusty, the slide half collapsed, and the monkey bars missing half of the bars. Everything else that used to be there was gone, making the place I once loved seem small and empty. But, then, why shouldn\'t it feel that way? Isn\'t that how I usually felt now? I had lost control of my life before I had ever really had any control at all. I had never done anything that wasn\'t taken care of by someone older than me, and all of a sudden, I had to do everything by myself.


Even then, I still had Alex looking out for me, but he wasn\'t a parent. He could never replace the family I had lost. I could tell he tried really hard to act like my big brother or my dad most of the time. He always told me that we were the lucky ones because we were still alive. \"Most of the other alchemists are either dead or in jail, Cass. We\'re lucky. Nobody\'s killed us yet, and nobody\'s locked us up. And they\'re not going to. We\'re smart, Cassie, and we\'ve got heart. Nobody can ever take that away. And when the non-alchemists realize their mistake, we can go live up in the real world again, start new lives. This is only temporary. Never forget that we\'re the lucky ones. As long as you remember that, you\'ll be okay.\"


I got this speech from Alex whenever I felt depressed. It hadn\'t sounded ironic to me until recently. The dead alchemists didn\'t have to go through this hell. And when all this was over, none of us had a family to go back to. Our families were the unlucky ones. They were dead. They were dead, and they weren\'t going to come back when all of this was over. Nothing was ever going to be the same, even if alchemists were allowed to live among non-alchemists again. Non-alchemists had taken away things we could never replace. And for what reason? Because they were afraid of us? What reason had alchemists ever given those without alchemic ability to fear us?

My hands clenched into fists at my sides as hot tears slid down my cheeks. I hated them. I hated every single one of them. But it was more than just hate. I wanted them to feel this horrible pain I was forced to carry. I wanted them to want to die from it, just like I did. In the heat of my anger, I turned and ran down the street.


I knew exactly where I was going, and I knew the way to get there. The only thing I needed was a reason to turn back.

I can see you are really talented as a writer, Rose, cheers to you. *raises a glass of vanilla coke*

I hope you still have enough time for other stuff. You know, *whispering* homework??? >.>...<.<

I haven\'t seen much of FMA, but somehow, I just feel I\'m gonna like it. There\'s no other way.

Is this \'inquisition against alchemists by non-alchemists driven by fear\' also in the \'real\' FMA, or just part of the story? \'cause it\'s good. Real good. Like with the witches in the Middle Ages.

Thumbs up, Rosey! d^_^b

Write, Rose, for everlasting reading fun!

Thanks guys. And I do keep up with my work this thing\'s been done for a month. Oh, and the plot in this isn\'t in the real Fullmetal. It\'s just something I made up for fun. Here\'s chapter five.


Chapter 5
My breath came in staggered gasps by the time I had reached my destination. I stood in front of what used to be my home, nearly unable to breathe from crying so hard. The two story house was almost unrecognizable compared to what it had once been. The white paint was peeling in some places, completely gone in others. The windows were boarded up and broken, as well as the door.


Staring up at it made me feel as if I was in another dimension.

\"Oh... but it... it...\"

I struggled to find the right words, but none seemed to fit. I hadn\'t been back to this place since they killed my mom, and it had looked like my house then, not this rundown old shack. Tears clouded my eyes yet again, threatening to stain my face. I stubbornly brushed them away as I walked around to the back of what used to be my home.


Bracing my foot against the wall, I grabbed a board with both hands and pulled. The rusted nails came out easily. Three boards later, I had uncovered a shattered window, a perfect entrance. Within seconds, I was back inside the house that held so many horrible memories. It was much different than I had expected. In the back of my mind, I had hoped that everything would still be there, exactly how it had been when I left, but there was barely anything left at all.


The room I was in had been like our study. The only things left in it were a chair and a rotting old bookshelf. I took a few steps forward, afraid that the floor would collapse under my weight because it creaked so violently. Gently, I pushed on the door to the rest of the house. When it wouldn\'t budge, I pushed harder until it swung open with a horrible groan.


The noise made me cringe, but I continued on anyway. The rest of the rooms were as cold and empty as the first. Nothing was there. It felt to me like graverobbers had come through and stolen everything. I slowly made my way toward the stairs, placing my foot lightly on the first step. When nothing happened, I continued up the rest of the way.


The upstairs landing was sunken and collapsing, so I jumped over it to get to my old bedroom. Holding my breath, I pushed the door open and went in. I couldn\'t stop the tears now, so I let them flow down my cheeks. Inside was like a broken battlefield, with more in it than the rest of the house put together.


Old, broken toys were strewn across the floor, reflected endlessly in the mirror shards among them. Most were unrepairable even with alchemy. Everything else was gone. It was almost like whoever had come through here had a need for destruction, and when they couldn\'t find anymore people to kill, they had destroyed anything they could.


Almost disbelieving what I saw, I bent over and picked up a piece of glass to draw a transmutation circle with. Pressing hard on the wood floor, I managed to carve one into the wood. Being careful not to cut myself, I sorted out the familiar pieces of my favorite childhood toy from the dissarray and scooped them into the circle. Then, I transmuted them into the form they had been all those years ago. The glass pieces of the music box shone in the moonlight, making me smile.


I wound the key on the back and listened to the familiar melody, softly humming along. I was so lost in the simple comfort of it that I didn\'t notice someone walk into the room. That is, until I felt someone\'s arm wrap around my neck.

\"Hey!\" I cried.

My protests were quickly silenced by the arm tightening and pulling me to my feet. I could barely breathe.

\"Who are you and what do you want? I\'d better like your answer, or I\'ll fuse you with the floor.\" a voice hissed in my ear.

I bit my tounge. Fuse me with the floor? Normal people wouldn\'t say that. So that would mean...

\"You\'re.. an alchemist!\" I managed to choke out.


The arm tightened even more, nearly strangling me.

\"Yeah, so? What are you going to do about it? You can\'t fight me. You non-alchemists are all the same; weak.\" the voice snapped.

I could tell it was a boy by the way he said it.

\"Now, answer my question. What are you doing here?\"

\"I... lived... here.\"

The lack of oxygen was making me feel lightheaded. I felt the arm loosen its hold just a little.

\"Then... you knew Emma?\"

\"She... she was my mother.\"

I was quickly spun around to face my captor. I was right, it was a boy. He looked to be in his late thirties or early forties, with black hair tied behind his head in a ponytail. His eyes were a cold and unfeeling blue, but they softened when they looked at me.

\"It can\'t be... Cassie?\"

I jerked away from him, stepping on the music box and reducing it to shattered pieces once again.


\"Who are you, and how do you know my name?\"

\"Let me explain. You probably don\'t remember me now, since you were so young, but I was a very close friend of your mother\'s. We went to school together. When I found out about the alchemist killings in this area, I came back to warn her, only to find that she was already dead. I thought you were dead as well, until just now, that is. I just can\'t believe you\'re still alive. And, don\'t think I\'m strange for bringing this up, but you look exactly like your mother.\"


I took a few steps backwards.

\"I... it\'s um, nice to meet you, mister...um...\"

\"Geddinger. Simon Geddinger. Cassie, you have to tell me where you\'ve been all this time. You can\'t have been very far.\"

\"I... it\'s not too far from here. Maybe you should come with me and stay there for a while. It\'s probably safer. Plus, I want to ask you some questions about how you knew my mom.\"

Mr. Geddinger smiled. \"Yes, I\'d like that very much.\"

*whistles on fingers * Hey! I did not know I could do that!

I think you deserve more than us dumb little whinyasses, Rose, really. Though I\'d be really sad to see this go.

I just knew something like this was going to happen. Clichéd stuff never bores, does it?

Okay... what did you know was going to happen?

Heh. Always does. My versions just a little more twisted. here\'s chapter six.


Chapter 6
\"I can\'t always find the right spot, so hold on a second.\" I said, searching the ground for the familiar transmutation circle that was permanently etched in the earth.


The sun had just barely begun to rise,casting long shadows across the ground.

\"It\'s all right. I don\'t mind waiting.\" Mr. Geddinger said politely.

I got down on my hands and knees to see the ground better, clearing the brush away with my hands.

\"Um, Mr. Geddinger? Would you mind telling me a little bit about how you met my mom? I\'d love to know, if you don\'t mind too much. But... ah! Here, I found it.\"

I quickly clapped my hands together and slammed them into the ground, creating a large hole.

\"You go first. It\'ll be safer if I come in last. Alex is going to kill me when I get down there.\"

\"You mean there are more of you? How many?\"

I turned to him, gesturing toward the hole. \"You\'ll see soon enough.\"

He looked down, gulped, and took a step back.

\"It\'s... it\'s, um... not too far a drop, is it? I don\'t much like the idea of... well, you know, jumping into a dark hole in the ground.\"

I laughed. \"You don\'t really have much of a choice. Now that the sun\'s up, someone could come along any minute and turn us in.\"

Mr. Geddinger didn\'t seem too worried for some odd reason. I gave him a puzzled look.

\"Mr. Geddinger? Aren\'t you afraid at all? I mean, if they find us...\"

\"Hm? What? Oh yes, the government. Terrible, awful people. I\'m extrememly terrified of them. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it. Now let\'s go meet those friends of yours, shall we?\" he said a little too dismissively, then jumped into the hole.

Puzzled by his suddenly strange behavior, I hesitated before following him. Why was he acting so strange all of a sudden? Shaking my head, I jumped into the hole. As soon as my feet hit the ground, Alex had me by my good arm.

\"Cass, what the hell were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed!\"

I winced. Alex almost never yelled at me, and I hated it when he did.

\"I... I was just...\"

\"Just what? Just putting your life in danger? I had no idea where you were! What if you had gotten killed, Cassie? What do you think I would have done?! What would I have done without you?!\"

Without warning, Alex pulled me close to him in a hug.

\"Cassie, I\'m going to kill you.\" he said in my ear. I laid my head on his shoulder, fighting the urge to cry. I had completely forgotten about Mr. Geddinger, who was standing near the entrance. He cleared his throat.

\"Well, isn\'t that sweet? Now that we\'ve got all that sorted out, would anyone like to invite me in?\"

I turned toward him, pulling away from Alex.

\"Um... Alex, this is Simon Geddinger. He was living in my old house, and he\'s an alchemist, so I thought I\'d bring him here.\"

Alex quickly walked over to the wall, resealed the entrance, and looked Mr. Geddinger up and down.

\"Alchemist, huh? You don\'t look like much of an alchemist.\" Mr. Geddinger turned the palm of his hand toward Alex, revealing a transmutation circle branded into his skin.

\"Proof enough for you?\"

Alex still looked suspicious. \"Yeah... fine. You can stay here. I can\'t exactly turn you away, can I? All alchemists are welcome here, whether I like them or not.\"

Mr. Geddinger smiled and bowed. \"Thank you. I promise I won\'t be a burden, young man.\"

Alex looked taken aback. \"Yes, well, Cassie, find him a room. And be careful not to wake Mira. She\'ll take it out on all of us if you do.\"

I nodded. \"Right.\" Turning toward Mr. Geddinger, I added

\"Come on. I think there\'s an empty one down the hall.\"

I led him down the passage, passing Andrew\'s room and still continuing forward.

\"What was wrong with the last one? It looked empty.\"

I shook my head. \"Not that one. Here.\" I said as we reached the end of the hall. It was a small room, but it had a bed and blankets.

\"You can stay in here.\"

Mr. Geddinger immediately laid down on the bed.

\"Thank you, Cassie. This will do just fine.\"

I smiled. \"You get some rest, then. I\'ll come back for you later when we eat.\"

\"Alright. Good night.\" I turned to go back down the hall.

\"G\'night.\" With that, I went back to Alex. This Simon Geddinger seemed like a nice man, but he also seemed like he was hiding something. I shook my head. He\'d be staying here for a while. I\'d have plenty of time to question him. But for now, all I needed was some sleep.

I just have the feeling...

Chapter 7
Mr. Geddinger had been staying with us for a week, and everyone had taken a liking to him, especially the younger children. Alex still acted strangely around him, but since it was Alex, I didn\'t think much of it. But one day, when Alex and I were making dinner for everyone, he leaned over and quickly whispered

\"I don\'t trust this Geddinger guy, Cassie. I\'ve been watching him, and I think he\'s up to something.\"
I shot him a confused look. \"Are you sure you\'re not just being paranoid?\" I asked.

\"No, I\'m not. There\'s something about him that bothers me. Like last night, I heard him talking to someone in his room, but when I went in to check it out, there was no one there.\"

I rolled my eyes. \"Maybe he was talking to himself. You know what effect living down here can have on you. Hell, even I talk to myself sometimes.\"

\"Cassie, just listen to me for a second! When I went in there he acted like he was all afraid of me, and he was leaning against this one part of the wall. It was like he was hiding, or guarding, something from me. Don\'t you think that\'s just a little wierd?\"


I bit my bottom lip and continued to chop potatoes. I had to admit, that was a little strange. Maybe Alex had a point. But, then again, Mr. Geddinger had been really nice, and I didn\'t want to suspect him. The way he acted around me, it was almost like having a dad.

\"Yeah... maybe you\'re right.\" I said quietly.

Alex let out a sigh of relief.

\"I\'m glad you believe me. I can always count on you, Cass.\"

A jolt of guilt made my stomach twist into a knot. The truth was, I didn\'t really believe him. I actually thought he was acting kind of nuts. But Alex was Alex, and nothing could change his mind once he had it set on an idea. It was best to just agree with him. Even so, I hated lying to him. After all the ingredients were ready, Alex and I dumped them all into a pot and shoved the pot onto a transmutation circle to cook them.

\"Okay, here goes.\" Alex said, clapping his hands together and slamming them into the circle.

The contents of the pot quickly changed into stew.

\"There. Think that\'ll be enough for everyone?\"

I nodded. \"I hope so. I hate cutting vegetables.\"

Alex ruffled my hair. He knew how mad it made me when he did that.

\"Do you?\"

I tried to swat his hand away, making him laugh. He jumped away from me, sticking out his tongue like a little kid.

\"Why you...\" I mumbled, lunging after him.

\"Cassie, Alex, what are you doing?\"

I turned a little too quickly and lost my balance, tumbling not so gracefully to the floor. I expected Alex to laugh at me, but when I looked up at him, his face was stern. Then I saw why. Mr. Geddinger had entered the room, practically sucking the happiness from Alex\'s body.

\"What do you want?\" Alex said coldly.

I had never heard him speak that way before. It almost scared me.

\"I was just coming to see how dinner was coming along, but it looks like you two were just messing around. Cassie, do you need some help?\" Mr. Geddinger replied, extending his hand to help me up.

I took it and was pulled abruptly to my feet.

\"Thanks, Mr. Geddinger.\"

I said. He smiled down at me.

\"Cassie, you\'ve known me for a while now, so you can stop adressing me like a teacher. Call me Simon, please.\"

I stole a quick glance over at Alex, who looked as if he could spit acid.

\"Um... sure. Right. I\'ll do that.\" I mumbled quickly.

\"That\'s my girl.\" Mr. Geddinger said, giving me a quick hug.

I kept my eyes on the floor, afraid to look at Alex again.

\"Well, how about I serve up dinner for everyone? You two have done enough work already, so it\'s the least I can do.\"

\"It\'s fine, I can--\" Alex began

\"I insist.\"

I hurried quickly to Alex\'s and my room, followed by Alex after a strong shove from Mr. Geddinger.

\"The nerve of that guy! I ought to beat the shit out of him! And Cassie, what were you thinking? He\'s the enemy!\"

As we entered the room, I turned on my heel to face him.

\"Alex, will you stop being so paranoid?! Not all people are against us! Simon\'s just another alchemist hiding from the state, just like us!\"

I could feel the anger rising to my cheeks, making them turn hot.

\"Since when do you call him by his first name? I swear, Cassie, ever since you found out that he knew your mom, you\'ve been acting like the guy\'s your father or something! You have to stop trusting everyone who tells you a stupid lie about your past!\"

\"It\'s not a lie! He knew her name and mine! How could anyone possibly know all that from just one look unless they\'ve seen me before?!\"

\"Did he ever actually tell you how he met your mother?! Did he, Cassie?! Or are you just so desparate to know about your past that you\'d trust the first guy who knows your name?!\"

Angry tears burned my eyes, but I held them back.

\"Alex, sometimes I just don\'t understand you!\"

With that, I threw myself into my bed, pulling the covers up over my head. I waited until I heard Alex leave before I allowed my eyes to close, and, my heart heavy with sadness and anger, shut out the rest of the world.

Okay, I got it. This is the only one I\'m posting today. Then you\'ll just have to wait until I get back.


Chapter 8
I don\'t know what in the world made me open my eyes that night, but I had always hoped I never really had. I saw Alex crouching by the doorway, a look of confusion and fear frozen on his face, a look that I had never seen him wear in his life.


Even when his parents were killed, when we had to leave our homes to come here, I had never seen Alex without a look of complete and total determination. Now it was like he was robbed of all that, and just seeing him took away the last bit of my courage.

\"Alex, what\'s going---\"

\"Shh... quiet.\"

I threw the covers off of me and tried to get up. I could see flashes of light coming through the doorway, making me feel jumpy.

\"Stay there!\" Alex hissed.

I froze in place at his words. What was happening? Why was Alex acting so strange? Suddenly, I heard a loud thump coming from somewhere in the hideout. Then another, followed by several more.

\"All right, everyone search the place. No one comes back empty-handed.\"


I could feel a scream clawing its way up my throat, but it never had a chance to escape. Alex dashed over to me, pulling me out of my bed and holding me close against him. He pulled me over to the wall and tried to draw a transmutation circle, but it was already too late.

\"Hey! You! what do you think you\'re doing?!\" someone called from the doorway.

I buried my head in Alex\'s chest, hoping he could somehow protect me. A strong pair of hands siezed my waist,pulling me away from him. I screamed. Alex only wrapped his arms tighter around me.

\"Let go of her!\" he cried.

I held on to him for dear life. Soldiers. They had finally found us. Another man came in and grabbed Alex\'s arms, and with one strong pull, ripped the two of us apart.

\"Cassie!\" Alex called for me, trying to break free of his captor.

I struggled in vain against the hands that held me, only to have both my arms twisted behind my back in such a way that I thought they would snap. I cried out in pain.

\"Don\'t touch her! Cassie!\"

\"Alex!\"

I felt myself being dragged along the floor, but I barely noticed. I kicked and screamed like a little kid, doing everything I could think of. Screams echoed all around me from all the other alchemists, who I guessed suffered the same fate I had. It sounded to me like the world was ending. Suddenly, everything seemed to freeze. The noise stopped, and I realized that I was no longer moving. I looked around for the first time and saw that we were all held by soldiers in a large circle, Alex directly opposite from me.

His face was grim and angry now, but quickly turned to that of a worried older brother as his eyes met mine. I tried and failed at an attempt to smile at him. I was too scared. Then, one man walked into the circle, who I immediately recognized as Mr. Geddinger.

\"Hello, children. Sleep well?\" he sneered.

I was too focused on his clothes to really listen. He was wearing a military uniform, but not just any uniform. It was exactly like the uniforms state alchemists used to wear. But... there were no more state alchemists. They were dead. Weren\'t they?

\"You bastard! I knew it! You were planning this all along, weren\'t you?! You betrayed us all!\" Alex spat.

Mr. Geddinger turned to face Alex, so his back was to me. He chuckled.

\"Alex, Alex, Alex.\" he stretched the words out, like a parent talking to a child.

Then, almost like lightning, pulled a gun from his belt and pointed it at Alex.

\"I never liked you much.\"

I watched his finger pull the trigger as if in slow motion, then everything sped up again. Alex\'s body jerked where the bullet hit him, blood gushing from his chest and pooling at his feet. He coughed and sputtered, choking on his own blood, until finally, his body went limp, and the slodier that held him let him drop to the ground.

I screamed, a horrible, earth shattering scream as tears ran down my cheeks. They had taken it all now. Everyone I had ever cared about. In a split second, what was left of my world had shattered, and for the first time in my life, I was truly alone.

O.O

*screams*

*panting*

...I just hope Alex will return somehow... :sad:

How many chapters are there anyway?

[Edited on 14-12-2005 by Morphman]

There are eleven chapters, but I\'m sticking to my promise. No more today.

Hey, upon request, I\'m upating this. So here\'s chapter nine.



\"Alex! Alex!\" I screamed, although I knew he couldn\'t hear me anymore. He would never hear me again.

\"Let me go!\"

\"You can put her down, now. She won\'t do anything.\" Mr. Geddinger ordered.

As soon as I was free, I rushed over to Alex\'s body and knelt down next to him, pulling his head onto my lap. His blank brown eyes stared up at me, although not really seeing me.
I brushed the hair out of his face and wiped the blood from his mouth with the edge of my shirt. It just made me cry even harder.

\"Why? What happened to being the lucky ones? You said we\'d be able to live up in the real world again when this was over. So why did it turn out like this?\" I sobbed.

I could hear crying and screaming all around me, but I was numb to everything except my own pain. I stared down at Alex\'s lifeless body, and even though I hated to do it, I reached down and closed the familiar brown eyes for the last time. I held his head close to mine, silently pleading for him to wake up.

I never spoke the words aloud, though, because I knew it would never happen.

\"He was a bad influence on you, anyway. You\'re better off without him.\" Mr. Geddinger said from behind me.

I didn\'t move or look up, sitting frozen in my place. It had only just occured to me that he was probably going to kill me, too.

\"If you\'re going to kill me, just get it over with. It doesn\'t matter anymore.\" I spat, still holding Alex\'s head.

\"Cassie! What are you thinking?! Alex wouldn\'t have wanted this, and you know it!\"

I barely recognized Mira\'s voice over the screams and cries of the younger children.

\"I... I know that. But where\'s Alex now? That\'s where I want to be.\" I whispered so that only I could hear.

\"Cassie, my dear little Cassie, I never told you how I met your mother, did I?\" Mr. Geddinger said, trying to torment me.

\"You never knew her. That was a lie!\"

\"Oh, but I did. Only briefly, however. She died only a short while after we met. Would you like to guess?\" He was messing with my head. I knew he was, and yet I couldn\'t ignore his taunts. I turned my head even further away, trying to think of something, anything else.

\"Oh, don\'t want to guess? Well then, let me tell you a little story. It was about six years ago, actually, that I met her. Let\'s see now, that would have made you... about eight, correct? It all ended with a big bang, and then a lot of quiet. Even you can understand that, right Cassie? Have you finally figured it out?\"

I felt myself freeze up, rigid with shock. It couldn\'t be.

\"No...\"

\"Oh, yes. I knew your mother, Cassie. I knew her, because I\'m the one who killed her.\"

Suddenly, I couldn\'t breathe. It had been him all along. He was the start of all my pain, and I had brought him here. It was my fault that Alex was dead. All my fault.

\"Take them away!\" Geddinger ordered.

A soldier quickly came forward and tried to pull me to my feet, but I wouldn\'t let him. I held tight to Alex\'s hand, not wanting to let go, not wanting to say goodbye.

\"I\'m not leaving! He needs me here! I won\'t leave him here!\"

I cried, tears flowing freely from my eyes. Geddinger walked over and took the gun from his belt yet again. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for him to shoot me, still holding Alex\'s hand as if it were a lifeline.

\"Now, Cassie, don\'t be stupid. It\'s time to go.\"

I turned my head towards him, focusing my eyes on his.

\"No.\" I said through gritted teeth.

Geddinger raised the gun and and brought it crashing into my skull. Lights seemed to flash in front of my eyes, and I felt Alex\'s hand drop from mine before everything went black.