Aries and Valerius Notes
1st Person switching between characters, starting with Valerius (the beast)
Characters:
Aries (Belle) - similar in character to the girl from Book of a thousand days. Has gumption. Has a normal family. :)
Valerius (the Beast) - dark hair, grizzled from living on the planet, dark coloring. Disease makes him look rocky?
Leo (Gaston) - Not so much like Gaston.
All characters from same planet, of the same species.
Valerius was an explorer (or something like that) and was poisoned somehow, crashed onto a deserted planet. Destroyed his ship in rage and is stuck there. His "disease" makes it look like "an earthquake erupted on his skin."
Aries is a healer, crashes onto the same planet. She works on fixing her ship and meets the beast in the process. He doesn't tell her his name, so she makes up a name for him. A distress call is sent out from her ship and Leo arrives to help her. She knows who he is, but doesn't know him very well. (Maybe they were at school together or he's a well known pilot or something.)
Aries wants to help heal the beast, so she leaves with Leo to get the medicine or herbs or whatever. She left behind a device (like the mirror) that allows her to keep an eye on the beast. She starts falling in love with him while watching him on the device?
Ends with Aries healing Valerius and they travel around together. Leo will live to fight another day (hangs himself...? haha if we want to go dark :) )
We talked about the planet being forested or rocky.
3 Comments:
I remember that day being unusually warm. I remember hiking the canyon to scavenge for berries and ripping a hole in my jacket in my attempt to take it off. She sewed the tear for me. I remember that.
I remember thinking how nice it felt to lie in the river and float downstream, staring up at the radiantly blue sky. I remember the sound of the rustling leaves on the trees that lined the bank and I remember the moment I saw the ship tear across the horizon, black smoke billowing from its left wing.
I watched in astonishment, not only because the ship was undoubtedly going to crash, but because I had not seen a ship like that in a very long time. I watched it come closer and closer and saw when the person inside bailed with their parachute.
I waded back up the river and dressed, getting my clothes sopping wet in the process. I felt the shock when the ship crashed and saw the smoke rising above the trees not too far from where I stood. I remember thinking I should go back to my cave, back where no one would see me. But something in me wanted to make sure the person was alive.
I waded across the river and entered the coolness of the forest. It was hard to see the smoke among the trees, but I could hear the ship sizzling and crackling and there was a slight glow coming from it. I remember worrying that the trees would catch on fire.
I reached the ship and could tell immediately that it would take a lot of repairs to fix. It was gray with a red stripe down the side and the numbers 357-H3 written on its right wing. The left wing was mostly torn off and a small fire was producing acrid black smoke. I took off my shirt to put out the flame but before I could I heard a branch snap from the other side of the ship. I silently stepped back into the shadows of the trees to hide myself.
I watched as the person stomped through the trees, making what seemed like the most noise as possible. The parachute had been ripped off, and the helmet was still on, but I could tell that the person was rather small. I backed up further into the trees as the person reached the ship, and taking off the helmet, revealed herself to be a woman with long brown hair. She inspected the ship in silence and then let out a long sigh and a quiet, “Shit. Well at least I’m still alive.”
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It was always the look of terror in their eyes that thrilled me. That looks that screams fear. That look that lets me know I’m the predator, they are the prey. There’s no thrill without the fear. Their fear fuels me, makes me feel alive, and makes me feel in control. After all, killing is all about control. I have to wait patiently, watching, listening. I have to control my breath and my heart rate. Not too hasty, I tell myself. The leaves rustle, the branches sway in the wind, a bird chirps, but I don’t rustle, I don’t sway, and I definitely don’t chirp. Silence. Silence is my truest companion. I can control it. I can use it. A new sound approaches from the right. A quick look through the brush, a gentle inhale, and I know. Dinner has arrived.
I haven’t always been proud of my hunting skills. In fact, I’m sure an earlier version of myself would be repulsed by what I’m about to do. But that man is dead, dead like the animal I’m about to devour. I take a final deep breath and lunge. It’s sad really. The poor beast doesn’t stand a chance. Before he can run away I’ve got him around the neck. For a few twisted seconds I look into his panic filled eyes. I let their fear wash over me. I let it empower me. Killing is all about control. I’m in control now. A quick flex of the arm and twist of the wrist and it’s over. I have to admit I’m always a little sad when it’s done. There wasn’t enough struggle. It went too fast. I crouch for hours in the bushes for a few seconds of delight. But that’s my life. I easily sling my dinner over my shoulder and head home. I don’t know when I started calling it “home.” It’s pathetic really. A little cave tucked among the trees, littered with carcasses. I used to clean up after myself. Hell, I think I even had a bed of moss in the beginning. Now, it’s just lonely cave with a lonely monster devouring a dead animal.
After dinner it’s time for my usual walk through the forest. Everyday I wander among the trees, checking for changes, checking for sign of human existence. I don’t know why I think I’ll find evidence of humans. I guess I just developed the routine back when I still had hope and it stuck. Eventually night falls, and I crawl into my cave to sleep. Sleeping is the one activity that lets me forget where I am. In my dreams I get to be somewhere else, leading a different life. I welcome them gratefully and drift away till morning comes and it starts all over again.
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