Wernerite Short Story Contest

9:08 PM 09-Aug-24 Entered Wernerite Short Story Contest from @TeenFix. Will be assigned 2 genres, pick one and write to prompt. 

TheGemmeCommunity and kreads01 are doing the contest.

Add Azurite Activity Book to reading list. One entry1500 words, no more.Top 3 get follow and promo on message board, and choose to add story to their blog. And winner sticker!I picked Fantasy as my genre.

Might add to this after the contest ends.

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My friend Janie and I walked past Lake Clara Meer in Piedmont Park. "Ooh, look at that black swan! Isn't he magnificent?"

He swam to the bank and flapped to get over a rock, then came waddling to us. "Oh, my, aren't you a big fella!" I moved closer.

Janie backed up. "He's got a beak that could break your arm, Emer!"

"You girls are too fast for me! Ahh!" Mama's voice behind me startled me. But the swan flapped and waddled closer.

He stretched his long neck so his beak almost touched my hand.

"Emer, run! Remember your name! Be swift!" The fear in Mama's voice didn't make me move.

 The orange beak pressed against my hand. If he was going to bite me, it'd be open, wouldn't it?

But his powerful wings flapped. Those webbed feet landed on my shoulder! And, held on. He had me by both shoulders of my brown bomber jacket, and his wings lifted me! "Put me down!" The shocked faces of Janie and Mama as I went up, shrank between my feet.

"Let her go, ya demon!" Mama got a stick and threw it. Missed.

We soared higher, across the lake, and towards the silver cylinder of the Peachtree Plaza. Bare treetops showed beneath my black boots. Wind from each beat of his wings made my hair cover my face before the force of the strong breeze ahead of us blew it back again. "Please, put me down!"

"Oh, you're going to be polite, now? First, you acted friendly, then you ordered me. I'm not your slave."

My heart beat up in my throat. He talks? And, how are his webbed feet anywhere near strong enough, to lift overweight me? "I just wanted to pet you. Then, I got scared. I'm still scared. Please, can't you just take me back to Mama and Janie?"

"No. Even if I wanted to, I can't. I was just looking for a mate, because I'm lonely. But what happens? That lovely voice wasn't a lady swan, it was an ugly man with black eyes. He grabbed me by the neck, and he has my family hostage. Now, I'm different. I'm his slave. And he wants me to tell you, so are you."

"What does he want? Is he the people SETI's talking with?"

"You ask too many questions. All I know is, nothing's the same. I could be in my pond with my family, swimming, or flying where I want, eating green stuff or maybe an orange someone throws me. Instead, I'm hungry, and tired, and this man keeps me bringing people to him. Not one of you asked me if I want to be here!"

I sighed. "I'm sorry. So, why can't you just go back?"

"You haven't felt it yet. His voice is in my head! If I don't do what he says, I get a terrible headache. I was stubborn, at first, but he can kill me, with his thoughts. And, he can make my family suffer, which is even worse! I have sisters, a mother, and he killed my father. Now, I have to bring him people. We're here. Do as he says. He killed three men already."

We dropped into the courtyard of an old, 2-story apartment building, right on Peachtree Street. I'd admired these old pink apartments from the bus.

And, a wrinkled man with dark curls--he does have black eyes! The swan put me gently on my feet. "Go bring another one! Hurry!"

The swan took off. This man grabbed my wrist and pulled me after him into the nearest apartment. "Did you talk to them?"

"Talk to who?"

"Aliens! Do you have a green cube?"

"No! I don't even have my backpack or my purse! My phone's in my purse, and my mother has it--" I looked and there were several of my classmates at Midtown High. All sitting on that hardwood floor. Some were scraping contents of notebooks into them and putting stuff back in their backpacks.

A pile of cellphones and iPads laid on the table. One phone rang.

A boy eyed it. 

"Tell them something so they'll think you're where you're

 supposed to be!"

"I'm not at school. The school knows I'm not there!"

The man said some angry things in another language. "Answer it and give it to me!"

"Hello. I'm with this man." Then his hand shook as the man snatched it.

"What do you want?"

"Who are you? Where's my son?"

"If you want to ever see your son again, you'll get me a green cube from the aliens. Don't mention me. Just come here with it." He hung up.

What's with him and green cubes?

He went out and left the door open. I moved towards it, but that boy grabbed my arm. "Don't. See that man?"

In the dark corner behind the door was a body. A policeman's body.

That man dragged Mama in here. "Put your phones and any other devices on that table. Don't answer it."

"Get him! He's just one man!" Mama hit him with my backpack.

I got a wooden chair and hit him with it. He went down!

Mama grabbed my arm and we ran out.

Black swan was just landing with my sister. "You're free! He's on the floor in--"

That swan ran in past all the people and pecked at him. I couldn't watch!

A police car pulled up and we ran for it. An empty police car had doors open on the street. "All of you, stay here! What happened?"

Everyone talked at once, then that bird came out with blood on its beak. "He's dead! I killed him. He took my family hostage! Now I have no reason to hurt anyone, so I'm leaving. All of you, I'm sorry I brought you here, but I'm glad he's dead! Thank you for giving me courage." He flew off.

The second officer stayed with us while the first one got all the phones and tablets and let the owners have them. They put yellow tape that said DO NOT CROSS at the street. Interviewed all of us.

I looked, but I didn't have any blood on me. That man was still breathing when Mama pushed him away and I hit him. We were honest about everything.

Two men in suits talked with the officers, then went in that apartment. Other people came and went in there, apparently to investigate.

After they got our info and phone numbers, they let us go. "Janie went on to school, they said. They'll let her know we're okay. I'm going home! I'll talk to the school when they call. I think they'll let you stay home today."

I nodded. After all that happened, I'm ready to just have some quiet time at home! Didn't say much on our bus ride.

When we got off the bus and walked to the light, Mama hugged me. Still held my backpack and purse, so I took them. "I'm proud of you, Emer! Don't know what I was thinkin', to shove your backpack at 'im! Didn't do nothin'."

"I didn't even think! Just grabbed that chair. But, he was still moving. That black swan saved us! If he'd come after us--" I shuddered.

"I'm glad he left! 'S not natural! Talkin' animals!" We reached our tiny bungalow in Cabbagetown, just barely in the school district. And, sitting on the porch was that black swan.He waddled over and put a green cube in my hand. "This is from Janie. The bad guys are still around, so I'm going to get my family--"

A green circle of light brought them. "What was that? Son, we need to go back home!"

"We can't go back there, Mama! There's a spaceship. We need to go there. Bad people are here, more like that horrid man!"

"I will port you, now." My green cube glowed, and a green light appeared in front of us. In the middle, we saw a crowd.

Behind us, a man like that other one ran towards our porch! "You killed my bahie! I--"

The portal sucked us in and we stood on a red-violet ship with a curved hull. Through it I saw a mansion and a quiet street.

"Nae be afraid! We are here to answer your questions." This man was orange and had twin, flat fingers.

Mama fainted!

Janie ran to me. "Thank goodness! Emer, these are the good guys! A friend gave me a cube, and it told me to come here. My parents are there. Oh." She noticed the swans. "Don't tell me you're going to stop talking so they won't believe me!"

That swan sat down, plop! "Now that I can talk, I won't let anyone stop me! I'm hungry."A holographic menu came up with fruits, vegetables and some insects. He pecked an orange and a peeled one fell at his feet. His sister ate a dragonfly.