🍀 Novels Event 🍀 A Lucky Encounter (Chance to win 30,000 Ink!)

Hi,
This is my submission. I hope you all enjoy it.
-Author
Tapas page: https://tapas.io/lostemail0023
Content warning Strong Language

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For as long as I could remember, I've been a dog. A trash-eating, leg-humping dog. They called me Rex. I'd sit when they told me, shut up when I'd bark too loud, and only shit outside, even in winter. It was a simple life. Boring, but nice. I had that terrible condition to love anyone who fed me. I'd learn soon enough that no matter how much I loved them, no matter how much I listened. They would never love me.

My simple, boring existence would all come crashing down on me the day I turned two. They who'd pat my head and call me a "good boy" would split my head open and shove a microchip inside my brain. They who'd play fetch with me would put me in a ring with other robot, brain-dead dogs and make me play their stupid sick games.

They who thought I was just a simple and boring dog would learn my bite is way fucking worse than my bark.

"Rex!” The call was muffled at first, like it was trapped in a glass jar. “Rex! You lazy dog. Get your ass up!”

I let out an involuntary whine and put my paw in my specially designed gun holster. It didn’t need damn thumbs to work.

“Marcus,” I said with a growl. “Call me a dog one more time and I will make sure you can never walk on two legs again.

I didn’t have to see Marcus to know he was rolling his eyes. He huffed, “Is your brain glitching, or are you having another woe is me moment?”

“Marcus!” I barked and caused the boy in front of me to take a step back. He wouldn’t show the fear in his face, but his scent gave him away. I toned down my aggression, but kept the authority in my voice, “What do you want?”

Marcus pressed his lips together stubbornly before speaking. He knew he let his own fear get the better of him. And I knew the human part of him hated that it was me that caused it. He finally let out a sigh, “We’ve received a distress signal on-”

“No,” I said, cutting the boy off. “I’m on vacation.”

“But!” Marcus tried again.

“Fuck off, Marcus. I just finished getting the stench of Ezeerb guts out of my fur.” I buried my head in my paws and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to go back to sleep.

“It’s in the eighteenth quadrant. On the planet Loon.”

My ears twitched.

I kept my eyes shut as I spoke, “Is that the bird planet?”

I could hear Marcus’ smile widen as he said slowly, “Yes.”

I popped up on all fours and strapped my gun on my back. Marcus looked small next to me. Standing proudly, my head could easily reach his chin- not including my ears of course. We probably weighed about the same, but Marcus was mostly made of skin and bone, whereas I was made of pure muscle and a cunning brain.

“Well, come on those poor pigeons need our help,” I said trotting over to the command deck of the ship.

“You can’t eat them, Rex!” Marcus called from behind me. He walked around me and opened the display of our coordinates. “It would be counterproductive to make an oath on protecting the universe and then eat the beings we were supposed to help.”

“You made that oath,” I remarked as I hopped onto the captain's chair. “I just joined the guild for the guns so I-”

“Can destroy the monsters that turned you into a monster.” Marcus sighed as he set up the ship for hyperspeed. “Honestly, I’ve heard this a thousand times.”

“And you’ll hear it a thousand more. And then when I do kill them you’ll hear that two thousand times too.”

“You’ll keep me around long enough to see that happen? I feel so honored.”

“Shut up and punch it.”

Two large eyes blinked down at us. First the right, then then the left.

“Is it sentient?” Marcus whispered.

“I don’t know,” I took a step forward, but the ostrich-like creature only blinked a couple more times.

“Hello,” Marcus said to the bird. Again, the bird just stared.

We landed on a part of the planet covered in sand. The air was hot and dry, but every now and again a small breeze would come by. When Marcus finished his tests to make sure the planet was safe to enter without much protective gear, we walked outside. All we were greeted with was this dumb bird.

“Fuck this,” I said crouching down. “My paws hurt and this thing ain't talking.” My eyes grew wide with excitement.

Marcus sensed my change in mood immediately. “Rex, no”

“Don’t tell me no.” I barked at him and then charged at the bird.

It squawked and fluffed up its feathers.

“Lunch,” I said before charging after it. My tongue flopped out of my mouth and the planet wind felt good coursing through my fur.

“Rex! The oath!” I could hear Marcus shout behind me.

Fuck the oath. Fuck order. I could feel my body shaking with excitement. I let out a howl.

It was only after I was done howling did I realize my body was still shaking. I stopped and watched my lunch run out of my reach. In the next moment, I was thrashed to the side by Marcus.

My face was covered in sand and my mouth was filled with more of it. I spit out, “What the hell, Marcus that-”

My anger quickly turned to shock as the earth opened up right where my lunch was standing. A large pale mouth that was at least fifty feet wide with jagged teeth consumed the ostrich with ease. There was a loud crunch and the bird was gone.

Marcus and I screamed.

We screamed hard and loud.

And just when we thought things couldn’t get worse, a black eye the size of a small asteroid looked at us like we were his main course.

Marcus was still screaming when the beast started to move. And it moved quickly.

“Get to the ship Marcus!” I shouted as I stood on my hind legs. I pulled the gun off my back and started shooting.

Marcus scrambled to his feet and I shot a few more times at the beast, which was causing minimal damage at best. I let out a curse and caught up to Marcus.

“Holy shit! It has wings!” Marcus shouted looking over his shoulder.

The ground had stopped shaking and a large black shadow turned everything around us dark.

“Of course it does,” I said pissed off. “We’re on a fucking bird planet.”

It was only a matter of seconds before the creature was going to attack us and the ship was barely in sight. If I timed it right, I could charge at Marcus and throw him far enough away that he wouldn't get eaten at the same time as me.

I gritted my teeth.

Humans.

The beast above us let out a screech as it swooped down at us.

Even after all this time, I still cared for them.

“Marcus,”

The boy turned around.

“I’m lucky I met you.”

Here’s the chapter 1 from my story, which has the same topic as given
https://tapas.io/episode/20554824

Some days I watched the waters swell
Looking for a glimpse
Of silver blue

Some days I hear the gulls
So proud a flock
On driftwood

Some days are in autumnal paint
Beautiful for the moment
They lasted

Some days are below winter sky
Raindrops on the gray sand
Water’s footsteps

Some days are filled with spring
New green on trees
Flowers sweet

And some days are summer drunk
Bright and warm and filled
With butterflies

I remember mercury eyes
The days plodding by
The glimmer

The world I could always taste
The salt of sea
Blindly sweet

Cruises in the distant waves
Ripples come to me
To my shores

The odd things I glimpsed
In the corner
Of my eye

I remember the glint of a penny
Rusted and green
Old wishes

How everyday I’d skip to
The lonely sands
Waiting there

Looking for a child’s wish
Summer smiling back
White lace dress

The water’s always empty
But sparkling
Nonetheless

And I remember how one day
I saw ocean’s fae
Before me

How the waters came to life
How my little heart grew
Fairy wings

So I’ll wait and wait and wonder
Til dawn and dusk
Fall away

Waiting for
Just one more
Lucky day

Here's my entry! Good luck to everyone

https://tapas.io/episode/20924802

Here's what I got.
https://tapas.io/episode/2094443

Entry chapter: https://tapas.io/episode/2094580

Creator page: https://tapas.io/risingshards

This was a lot of fun to work on!

Here's my profile page:

.......Leon stood on the street corner, whistling to himself as he waited for the light. He stopped whistling when he heard the clip-clop of heels coming up behind him. The heels parked themselves next to him and he looked up to see a very tall woman in a green dress. He waved politely, and she waved back, less politely.
.......Despite trying to keep his eyes on the traffic lights, Leon found himself very distracted by the woman to his left. Her hair was the color of grass and flowed over her left eye. Her eye shadow, lipstick and even her blush were also in various shades of green, and sparkling.
........She’s probably a performer he thought and turned back to the light, hoping she hadn’t caught him staring. It was Las Vegas, that kind of thing wasn’t weird enough to warrant prolonged (and likely unwanted) attention on the street. The light changed and Leon stepped off the curb.
........“Stop.” The woman commanded. Startled, Leon froze in his tracks, and just as he did a large red car sped through the spot where he would have been had he taken another step. He felt the wind rush by his face and the sound echo in his ears. Leon stumbled back onto the curb and pressed a hand to his chest, trying to steady his now pounding heart.
........“That…” He huffed, trying to speak, “That almost hit me!” He looked up at the woman. “If you hadn’t…” He struggled, “If you hadn’t stopped me I’d be…” He looked up at the woman square in her only visible eye, “Thank you.”
........“It was nothing.” She shrugged. “Just catch you breath, you’ll need it for the day we’re going to have.”
........“W-what do you mean?” He asked, standing up, “Who are you?”
........“I’m Lady Luck.” She stated, “You can call me L.”
........“Lady Luck?” He asked, “Is that, like, a stage name or something?”
........“No.” She said, sounding a little annoyed, “I am literally the physical embodiment of good luck. And it’s your lucky day.” She explained as if she were discussing the weather. Leon stared at her incredulously.
........“What?” He finally managed. She let out a long sigh.
........“Look kid, everyday is someone’s lucky day. That means that they get twelve hours to do whatever they want, and I make them have perfect luck for that whole day. Today is your lucky day, understand?” She sounded as if she had given that spiel many times before.
........“Um… I think I can wrap my head around that.” He said slowly. “But I’m not a kid, I’m twenty seven.”
........“That’s cool. I’m over two hundred thousand.” She snarked, and Leon took a gulp at the implications.
........“It’s Ten AM. You got until Ten PM to do whatever you want with perfect luck. If you have work today, take the day off.” She looked down at him expectantly.
........“Uh-u-um… o-okay.” He sputtered and took out his phone. “Wait, no it’s Saturday, I don’t have work.” He said and put the phone back away. “Sorry, I’m just really- my mind is spinning.”
........“Yeah that’s great. So what do you wanna do? Slots? Cards? What are we doing here?” She asked briskly.
........“The comic raffle!” Leon said excitedly. “Tha-that’s where I was going! I was going to the raffle at the comic shop!” Now it was L’s turn to look incredulous.
........“You live… In Las-fucking-Vegas… and you want to use infallable luck… in a comic book raffle?”
........“Well, yeah, I mean, I’ve been going to that shop’s raffles for years now and I’ve never won. It would be really cool to actually win.” He explained somewhat bashfully.
........“Alright, you're the boss.” L shrugged. The two continued on Leon’s original path. On the way Leon found a twenty on the ground, was given a free ice cream sample, and when a car ran through a puddle it managed to splash everywhere around him, while he stayed perfectly dry.
........“You really weren’t kidding about perfect luck, huh?” Leon asked.
........“No.” L said flatly. Leon was almost bouncing by the time they got to the comic store. He dove in with L following close behind. The shop’s walls were lined floor to ceiling in all manner of nerdy paraphernalia. Enough boxes of comics to build a tower to the moon filled every available space. What little room there was to walk around was taken up by a cluster of twenty or so people ranging widely in age.
........A young woman sat behind the register with her combat boot-clad feet up on the counter. She was reading (what else) a comic book, but looked up from it when Leon stepped in.
........“Hey Leon. I was wondering when you’d show up.” She said nonchalantly.
........“Hi Martha!” Leon greeted, “S-sorry I’m late I kind of almost got hit by a car? I missed my light- is what I’m trying to say.” L rolled her eyes and muttered sarcastically at his awkwardness. Leon suddenly seemed to remember she was there.
........“Oh, sorry, this is-”
........“She can’t see me dummy.” L cut him off. He shut up immediately.
........“This is what?” Martha asked as she stepped out from the counter.
........“This is… the day I win.” Leon stumbled, “I can feel it!” He smiled tightly. Martha shrugged.
........“I’m rooting for ya.” She said and held out her hand. He gave her the dollar for admission and she gave him a ticket with a number on it.
........“Alright people. Let’s do this.” Martha called out. She was small in stature but commanded the room with a powerful presence and strong voice. “Everybody got their numbers?” She checked and then plunged her hand into a promotional lunch box and drew out a small folded paper.
........“Number 14 you are our winner!” She announced. Leon looked in disbelief at his card which did indeed read 14. “That’s me!” He said excitedly.
........“Well I’ll be damned, he finally won!” Martha said with a grin. The crowd dispersed, some leaving a few tooling around the shop.
........“Well Leon, you know the prize, ten free comics. Go make your selections.” Martha winked. Leon nodded and raced to the back of the shop giddily. After he had been combing through comics for fifteen minutes without choosing anything, L finally spoke up.
........“I wouldn’t waste time if I were you. Your luck clock is ticking.”
........“S-sorry I just…”
........“Just what?”
........“I’m all caught up in everything I follow… I want to try something new but I just don’t know what to choose.” He explained. L responded by pulling her hair away from her left eye, which was revealed to have green sclera and a white pupil. The eye began to glow brilliantly. She pointed behind the awestruck Leon. He turned around to see that ten comic books were also glowing. Nine of them were together in a cluster, and one was on a different shelf entirely.
........“What did you do?” He asked, amazed.
........“I gave you the luck of a perfect decision.” L explained. Leon picked up and leafed through the nine comics that were together, which were revealed to be the first nine in a new series.
........“This looks good!” He said.
........“They should. They’re literally the perfect choice for you.” L said and handed him the last comic, the one that was apart from the others. Leon’s eyes went wide as he took it from her.
........“Oh my god! I’ve been looking for this forever!” he exclaimed.
........“What is it?” L asked, sounding genuinely interested.
........“It’s the second issue of Artemis and Sunsetter!” He said with glee.
........“You don’t have that one?” L asked.
........“I did, but…” Leon blushed a little, “I kinda spilled coffee on it.” He looked up at her with joy again, “It’s the only one I’m missing!” His grin threatened to encroach on his ears’ territory.
........“Can I see?” L asked, sounding almost surprised at herself. He handed her the comic and she glanced through.
........“Geez, this is violent.” She mused, “Didn’t take you for the type.” She handed it back to him.
........“Well… don’t judge a comic book by it’s cover.” He said and took the stack to the counter.
........“Jeez, I thought you’d be back there for at least an hour.” Martha grinned as she rang him up. She paused for a moment. “You know, you’ve entered that raffle enough times to pay for these several times over.”
........“It’s the spirit of the thing Martha!” Leon convicted. Martha chuckled, then suddenly stopped when her eyes wandered out the large window.
........“Uh-oh. Dean O’clock.” She said, “Hit the deck if you don’t want to be seen.” Leon dropped down onto the floor and waited with his hands over his neck like there was going to be an earthquake. L watched in confusion as a person in a tie-dye shirt walked casually past the storefront.
........“Are they gone?” Leon whispered.
........“They’re gone.” Martha chuckled and handed him his comics as he got up. He thanked her and walked out with L.
........“What the hell was that?” She asked.
........“Oh, that was Dean.” Leon said, scratching the back of his neck.
........“Yeah, I got that, but why’d you duck and cover?”
........“I um… I sort of have this thing for them I guess. I get really nervous around them.” Leon sounded really embarrassed.
........“Damn man, that’s pathe- that sucks.” L surprised herself again by catching herself about to be mean to him, "I have to tell you that you could use me to have a conversation with them, and it'll go perfectly." She said.
........"That sounds kind of manipulative." Leon responded.
........"It is, isn't it?" L said, sounding an odd mix of proud and regretful.
........“Yeah…” Leon said uncomfortably. There was an awkward silence. L mercifully broke it.
........“What do you want to do now?” She asked. Leon thought for a moment. Then his face lit up.
........“So you can help me make the perfect decision on anything?” He asked.
........“Yup.” She responded. He made an excited noise and started running down the sidewalk.
........“God dammit Leon! Tell me before you just start bolting down the road!” L shouted and chased after him in her heels. She caught up with him when she was stopped outside a dog shelter.
........“Oh, so this is the big decision, eh?” She asked.
........“Yeah, see I’ve wanted to get a dog for months but I always get overwhelmed and then I can’t make a decision, and…”
........“You have a real problem with decisions.” L commented, then remembered the situation with Dean, “Or rather, just doing anything you mind do wrong, am I correct.”
........“Uh…” Leon looked up at her like a deer in headlights.
........“Let’s just go pick out a dog.” They walked in, greeted by a man who seemed equally used to Leon as Martha had been, but significantly less patient.
........“You know where they are, Leon.” He groaned, “Though I don’t know why you keep bothering.” Leon went to the room filled with dogs in their cages. He looked around a bit before turning to L.
........“Well, which one?” He asked. She once again pulled up her hair and set her eye a-glow. In the corner a small, scared looking spaniel shivered as it began to glow green. Leon peered into it’s sad little eyes and his lip quivered.
........“Yeah,” He said, his voice breaking a little, “She’s the one.” They headed back to the front room and up to the counter.
........*“Let me guess,” the man behind it said, “You couldn’t pick one.”
........“A-actually I did. The spaniel in the corner. Please.” Leon said sheepishly. The man behind the counter looked aghast.
........“Well blow me down.” He whispered. “You actually picked one.” The man handed Leon some paperwork and told him to come back the next week. Leon was positively twirling when he and L walked out. He looked her in the eye.
........“Well, that’s everything I want to do.” He proclaimed.
........“That’s it? That’s all?” L said, bewildered, “That can’t be all. You have ten more hours left!” She grew exasperated, “Decade upon decades have gone bye without anyone telling me they were done after two measly things!”
........“That’s all I wanted.” He shrugged, then thought for a moment. “What do you want to do?” he asked. She looked stunned.
........“No, no, no. That’s not how this works. It doesn’t matter what I want. It’s your lucky day, you're supposed to do everything you want to do.”
........“Well, I already did that. So what do you want to do?” He repeated. She wracked her brain. She thought through the zillions of other people she had worked for and all the near infinite things they had wanted. What did she want? Her face grew contemplative, then sad.
........“Can I tell you something Leon?” She asked quietly.
........“Sure.” He replied.
........“I’ve done this for a lot of people. More than you could ever imagine. Not all those people have been… good.” She winced. “I have to help them do.. Whatever they want, no matter what that is.” She looked almost ready to cry. Leon put a hand on her shoulder.
........“I’ve helped murderers, drug lords, war criminals, abusers,you name the atrocity, I’ve seen it, I’ve helped it happen.” She began to hyperventilate, then breathed long and deep, “I want to do some good in the world, you know?” She asked. Leon’s gaze grew sympathetic. His heart heavied at her pain.
........“I don’t want pity, I want action.” She said, “If you want to, that is. You're still the one with free will, after all.”
........“Yeah, let’s do it.” Leon nodded, “What did you have in mind?” Now it was L’s turn to let him chase her to a new location. This time as she ran she felt free, she enjoyed the wind against her face. She could do something, she was real, No matter that no one but Leon could see her, no matter that she didn’t eat or sleep or go to the bathroom, she was real now, and maybe ever.
........Meanwhile, Leon thrilled at this, at doing something good and at that he had decided to do so without question. He was doing something real, and he wouldn’t let himself be his own obstacle. He would do this, for her, for the world, for himself, for everything.
........They stopped in front of a casino, the biggest flashiest one around. L looked up at it in disgust, and Leon in confusion.
........“What are we gonna do here?” Leon asked.
........“See him?” L said, pointing to a gilded statue of a smug looking man, “I helped him once. He’s a real bastard. He makes his money taking advantage of addictive personalities with rigged machines.” She turned sharply to Leon, “Plan is for you to go in there, win as many jackpots as you can before ten, and then after I’m gone you donate it to all the charities you can. You in?” She asked. Leon paused, then resolved to abandon any indecision.
........“I’m in.” He said strongly, “But won’t I get kicked out if I keep winning?”
........“Perfect luck, remember?” L grinned.
........“But what about after you're gone, I can still get caught.” He asked, trying not to sound too unsure.
........“Nah, anything you do today is free.” She said. Then scowled up at the statue, “For better or for worse.”
........Several hours of very successful gambling later, the two once again stood in front, now with more money than Leon had ever fathomed, and more than L had seen in a while. He was shaking from exhilaration, and she was grinning emerald earring to emerald earring.
........“I can’t believe I just did that!” Leon gasp-giggled, “I can’t believe I fucking did that!”
........“You did good. Or you will, once that’s all in good hands.” L said serenely.
........“I have five minutes left,” Leon said, checking his phone, “You got anything else to tell me about?”
........“Uh… let me see.” L looked to the sky in thought, “Book a dentist appointment soonish. Uh, don’t go to work on April third, just trust me on that one. And… your doggy is gonna like the food with the shooting star on the package.” As she finished a glittering green door appeared behind her. She opened it and was about to step through, but paused.
........“Thank you,” She said, “For today, it was fun, more fun than I’ve had in a while.”
........“Same here.” Was all Leon could manage.
........“Do good things with that money,” She said, “But keep some for yourself. Spend it on that doggy. And talk to Dean for God's sake!” She winked and then she was gone.

Thanks for this opportunity!

I'm Idris

Luck Be a Lady

Asha DeMornay met her soulmate on a street corner. Well, that's what she tells her friends, but in truth she met her soulmate on a crosswalk, in the hair's breadth between the sidewalk and the truck that very nearly ran her down.

The day had been typical. City-hot, muggy and smelling of car exhaust. She loved her big city, thrived on its sights and sounds, and even its awful smells. She had on her face mask, rendering the smoggy reek almost tolerable to her sensitive sinuses. She planned to see her sinusologist the minute his office started taking appointments again. It had been the better part of a year since she'd seen any kind of doctor at all.

She pushed past a throng of day traders outside the New York Stock Exchange to get to the traffic light. She pressed Walk and waited with all the other sharp-dressed professionals sweating in their N95 face masks between errands. She had a lunch date with her best friend. Tapas and margaritas to tide her over during her upcoming nerve-wracking acquisitions meetings. She had good books to buy, if only she could get the Powers That Be to loosen the purse strings.

Her mobile phone trilled in her handbag and she scrambled around in the clutch for the blinking mobile. She was putting out fires all day today. Authors tweeting madly, agents behaving badly. She was just an editor who wanted to buy and sell good books, make some readers happy as these books made her. Come on, guys, make this easy on me.

An email marked URGENT caught her eye and she groaned. It was from a reporter at Vox. Forget the margaritas. This calls for wine.

Just as Asha as debating the merits of deleting the email unread a sports-jacket clad venture capitalist bumped her from behind on his last-second dash across traffic. She swore and tipped off the curb, pointed heels first.

In that instant, the crosswalk signal switched from WALK to WAIT.

Asha flailed, dropping her face with a crash. She was rapidly losing her battle with gravity.

The traffic light turned green.

Oh shi-

A delivery truck roared toward her, the driver gazing down at his lap, preoccupied by a text.

Asha closed her eyes, thinking Definitely not gonna make that meeting and began to fall...

A pair of strong arms grabbed her around the waist and lugged her bodily out of the path of the racing diesel vehicle.

She landed on her feet. She felt her body. All the pieces were there. I'm alive? I'm alive!

She spun around. There was a surprisingly petite woman dressed from head to toe in athletic wear. Sports bra, running shorts, and expensive sneakers. She had arms like tree branches, legs like tree trunks, and the most gorgeous smile Asha had ever seen.

"You okay," she asked Asha.

"I guess so. Thanks for the rescue."

"No problem." The buff woman offered her hand. "Hey, I'm Lucky. Well, Lucretia, but everyone calls me Lucky."

"Asha," she replied. "And now that I've met you, I guess I'm pretty lucky, too."

Asha met her soulmate on the crosswalk where she nearly died, but she got to know her on the street corner. She'd never live down that pick-up line.

Here's my Entry.

How many years have I been doing this?

Will I still be able to face it all?
Even after years enduring this every night and every time i feel like my own consciousness were being sucked into nowhere, i began to fall...one by one.

I closed my eyes without realizing it. But I also immediately opened my eyes as I was having difficulty breathing and my brain seemed to be sucked into the depths of darkness in the corner of my dream.
My heart beat was loud enough to make me deaf and my visions are blurry. I held my chess tight and take a deep breath. I was like being imprisoned and tortured...
My hot tears shed to my cheeks, a silent sob that i keep holding back to make a sound made me almost dying from pain that i was carrying for a long-long time.
My hand trembled as I opened my Drawer. I stared for a long time at the paper I had most carefully guarded in my entire life.
I gently stroked it and took it out of the drawer.

I opened my drawing book and the first thing i saw was a drawing of an an old imperial clothes. In the following pages of the drawing book, different era of clothing were worn by a one man, who i draw. Every decade ... every century ...every different era...

I have already draw.

But until now ...

"Why?" I bitterly asked myself.

I caressed carefully the very last thing I have drew.

A strong man was wearing an expensive dress and from his posture I can tell it that it has an overwhelming authority.
I smiled in pain and sorrow.
I have already collected all of my memories of you...But why?
"Why i cannot see your face after all of these years of pain i have endured?"
A silently cried in agony as i hugged tightly the book.
"Where are you?" I whispered crying.
I WOKE UP with a head ache. And careful knock caught my attention.
"Come in."
The door opened a little and there peeked out a small child.
"A-aunty ..." I listened to her worried voice.
I smiled. "Morning." I greeted.
"Good morning!"
She ran up to me and jumped on the bed. I patted her head and smiled.
"Where's your papa?" I mentioned my Older brother.
"Papa's out Aunty,"
I nodded and stood up, starting to clean up my room.
"Then what do you want to do while i'm here? We can play again whole day if you want."
"What? Really? A-am i really allowed to play?" Her puppy eyes melted my weak heart for cute kids.
I chuckled and pitched her chubby cheeks. "Of course you are!"
Her eyes widened in excitement. "Then-then can we go out and play on the park?" She asked me hoping i'll let her go.
"Sure! But first we need to take a bath and eat okay?"
She repeatedly nodded her head " YES! YEHEY! We're going to the park! we're going to the park!" She run out of the room singing and calling her nanny telling the good news.
I shook my head and continued what i was doing. I stopped for a moment when i saw the book that i was holding last night until i feel asleep.
I picked it up and stared it for a minute.
I smiled and stroked it softly. "Morning,"
"Last night i saw you smiling in front of me, holding a flower that you just picked and called my name..."
If ever someone saw me talking to a drawing, i'm sure they'll think of me that i have finally lost my mind. I laugh and shrugged my shoulders.
My smile became a bitter smile. "But today isn't today as well hm?"
I slept and dreamed of you, remember the every piece of that dream until it ends and woke up like nothing happened. But every dream i have since i was a kid, your face is still a mystery to me.
"When will i able to finish you?" I asked the drawing in front of me, hoping it'll answer back.
I Laugh and sigh. I'm crazy...yes...I already have lost it.
**
"Aunty! Aunty!" Abygail happily jumped while looking up to the sky and running chasing the butterfly she saw.
"Don't go too far Aby,"
"Okay!"
I sat on the grass under the tree and placed the picnic basket on the other side and took out the drawing book and pencil and began to draw.
Time passes quickly and i didn't even felt it. Aby's playing with the other kids not too far from me. I went back to drawing when there's something caught my vision and made my heart beat so fast. I immediately put down my drawing book and when I saw that person clearly and looked in my direction, thousands of images flashed in my head as if water had dripped from a glass.
My heart throbbed so loud, it pierced my heart and the chills down to my spane. My Eyes widened and hot tears falls to my cheeks.
Our eyes met and his smiles vanished looking at me straight. My body freeze and different emotions hit my heart.
ha...
How come..."You still look the same..." I whispered as every memories with his face intact flows to my head.
How come i'll see you here...Smiling under the sun. Community Verified icon
For so many years i have already regained our memories. And the last piece of that memories break my heart to dust.
I see...
Now i know why i still keep remembering you every lives i had. Now i know why my heart keeps aching like it was ripping apart. A scenes of you dying in my embrace telling me that you still love me at find me even the afterlife. A memories that even in my last breath my heart still beating for you. And a promise i had made in my previous life...
I saw him half running towards me, chasing the basketball that slipped in his had. I followed his moves, remembering every corner of his face so next time i couldn't forget him. When he got the ball back he look at me. I cannot waste this opportunity that heavens gave me.
He walked slowly and carefully towards me. Our eyes level was different. I was looking up to him like he's too far too reach.
"Uhm..are you okay?"
His voice made me unconsciously tear up again. I thought this opportunity would never come. I thought I would never hear your voice again.
I smiled while trying to wipe my tears. "Yes..." I said. "Yes, i'm really okay....happy..to see..you..again.." Every words came out of my mouth was in whispers a words that i want to tell him out loud and hug him so tight.
But I couldn't.
"Here," He handed out his handkerchief to me.
"I cannot stand to see a lady crying...it's...also breaks my heart," A warm yet pain in his eyes was visible to his face.
I know...I know that very well.
I accepted his handkerchief and wipe out my tears.
"Here, please also accept this flower," stopped and stared at the flower he was holding. This is the same flower he gave me in my memory of last night's dream.
"Where...did you get that?"
"Where did you get that?"
A same scene from my dream flashed to my mind.
"I just picked it up,"
"I just picked it up,"
Same answer and same smile flashed to my head. It's just the same like in the past...
I smiled and reached it.
"Thanks..."
This is the same flower that made me feel pathetic yet happy.
I stood up and faced him. I stared and memorized his face. I saw his lips moved.
I know what is next after this. I know...because every encounter we had in our past life he's always asking the same questions.
But this time, he wont be the one asking.
"Wha---"
"What's your name?" I cut him off and asked him for his name.
I noticed him freeze when i asked his name.
Right...
If i cannot forget him. I will cherish him forever.
Later on he smiled and offer his hand. Looking straight in my eyes, waiting for my reply.
"I'm Scott, Scott Vouge,"
"Your name suites you well," I reached out his hand.
The familiar electricity that flowed from there reminded me of the promise I had made before i died.
"I'm...Nayeli,"
Your new name will never be forgotten even the end of this world shall remain. Because this name will be the last you'll tell me.
"Auntyyy! Papa's here!" A shout from Abygail remind me that whatever i was holding back, whoever i'm facing right now.
I should let it go his hand.
I turned to aby's direction and smiled. I let go of his hand, and the warm i felt when holding him vanished and cold covered my whole body.
I turned back to him and picked up the basket lying down on the lawn.
"I should be going now..." I said and look at him for the one last time.
My heart began to ache again. My hands are shaking. I look at him carefully, because there's no next time again.
"Thank you..."He's staring at me and I couldn’t read his expression.
I'm thankful for loving me repeatedly even afterlife's we had before. Thank you for dying for me from the start til the end. I missed you so much...i've long for you...I'm sorry and I love you.
"Thank you for everything," Tears from my left eyes run down to my cheeks.
I'm lucky that he cannot remember me. I can cry without him knowing why.
I turned around and started walking away from him.
I will do what i promised before.
A promise that will never met him again, so that his end won't be the same again.
"I will come find you...love you and die again for you."
My heart shank and stopped, my feet freeze and my ears went deaf. A bunch of tears flows from my eyes, widened in shock and filled in different kind of emotions. My whole body feels weak. My throats hurts.
"I will be the same...even if you choose a different path,"
I slowly turned around and my heart broke by seeing his warm yet sad smile. I dropped the basket and covered my face.
" I'm sorry...i came so late, I will reclaim your heart no matter what."

*********END*********
I dunno why... but i'm broken with his lines Q.Q
The "Destined Encounter" is not just a Lucky encounter to them. It was already planed by the destiny for their story. To remember that "Love" cannot forgotten even thousand of years had already passed. Too be happy, to be hurt and feel the pain. And to satisfy the Author's Imagination, I Thank you!

Here it is! I call it "Strays" similar to the Mark Richard short story hehe.

Jeremiah roamed the streets of Hailgan, looking for his beloved dog, Barry. It was easy to get lost or hurt in the streets of Hailgan, but luckily, Jeremiah was used to navigating them. The crowds of Haligan were known for not looking where they were going--they had stepped on Jeremiah before--and now he knew to stick to the side of the road to avoid them.

It was Jeremiah’s ninth birthday, and Barry had been missing for a year now.
Jeremiah remembered the first day he had met Barry. Jeremiah was whistling, dragging a stick along the fence of a house, when suddenly, a man sitting on the porch of the house called to him, “You! You stole a loaf of bread from my shop yesterday!”

Jeremiah ran as fast as his legs could carry him—but it was nothing compared to how fast an adult could run. Eventually, the man caught him by the back of his shirt. Jeremiah was in tears, claiming he hadn’t stolen the bread when he knew full well that he had. The man held up a closed fist, but miraculously decided to let Jeremiah go with a heavy sigh.

“Find yourself a family, kid. That way you won’t have to steal.” He had said.
He made it sound so easy. It wasn’t as if Jeremiah liked being an urchin. Quite the opposite. He had been abandoned by his parents three years ago and had been on his own ever since. It had just been awful experience after awful experience since then.

He would never forget the night his parents had lovingly put him to sleep with an affectionate song, kissed his forehead, and then turned out the lights.

Jeremiah felt the immense comfort he always felt when they put him to bed. He knew he was safe and sound, and would awaken the next day to go to school and play with his friends when he came home. Life was predictable, and a child his age couldn’t possibly envision what an unpredictable life would be like.
Until he had awakened the next morning and found that his parents were gone. He looked in all of the rooms in his small house—which amounted to four—calling their names. When he couldn’t find them, he began to panic a little. His parents had never left him alone like that. He checked in with the neighbors, who also said they didn’t know where they went to.

Bravely, Jeremiah made himself breakfast and went to school by himself. He had been incredibly quiet that day, as discomfort seeped into his bones and unseated him from a predictable and happy life. When he had returned home, he flung the door open cheerfully, calling for his parents, but they were nowhere to be found.

He had stopped going to school three days after his parents hadn’t returned home. He sat in the chair in front of his house, unblinkingly searching for his parents within the crowds that would pass by, but he never found them. Eventually, his stomach had started growling at him, and he had begun stealing, and before he knew it, he no longer had the comfort of knowing where and when his next meal was coming from, where he would be sleeping—due to his house being sold to someone else--or who was friendly and who was not.

An older urchin had offered to share food with him once, but it was a trick. The older urchin stole what little food he had and ran away. Jeremiah learned, at the age of six, not to trust anyone.

He had become somewhat of a lovable town rascal after that—stealing when he had to steal and begging when he had to beg. Most people recognized him and gave him coin, but it wasn’t enough to feed him on most days.

Sometimes, he was so hungry that his stomach felt like an empty pit. Jeremiah remembered sitting on a street corner in the rain a year ago, sneezing while performing a silly dance for money, and wishing more than anything that he had a roof over his head.

It wasn’t just a roof over his head and a full stomach that he wanted. His heart ached, too. He was an unwanted child, discarded because he wasn’t good enough to be his parents’ son. Nobody wanted him, because there was something fundamentally wrong with him.

But something remarkable happened the next year. He was humming a song on the street corner for cash when he noticed something lying in the road. Curiously, he approached it.
It was a four-leafed-clover. He remembered his parents telling him that they were lucky. He crouched, picking it up. He took a moment to pray to god, “Please let something wonderful happen to me. You gave me this clover, after all!”

But a week passed. And then another. And nothing happened.
Angrily, Jeremiah threw the clover to the floor with tears in his eyes. I was stupid to think that that would work. Jeremiah walked away from the clover, sniffling bitterly. When he was a yard away, he glanced over his shoulder.

He saw a brown bulldog nuzzling the leaf with its nose. Jeremiah gasped, not realizing he cared so much about the clover. He dashed back to it, calling to the dog, “Stop it! That’s mine! What are you doing?”
The dog sat on its rump innocently, barking cheerfully. Jeremiah growled. He swiped the clover leaf up. “That’s mine! Stupid dog!”

Jeremiah began walking away, but the dog whimpered sadly. Jeremiah turned around. The dog’s eyes were lowered sadly. Jeremiah sighed. He pet the dog’s head. “I guess you don’t have a family either, huh…? Want to be friends?”

The dark barked cheerfully, and it began following him around. The two were inseparable, and finally, Jeremiah felt secure in something again; he had the undying loyalty of his dog, Barry, who was with him day or night, preventing him from being mugged, and even got him a few extra tips when he begged.
He had someone to play with again—someone who wouldn’t abandon him—and it gave him a sense of home. He was the happiest he had been since he had lost his parents. He liked racing his dog from one side of town to the other, teaching his dog tricks, and even playing fetch with items he would find in the street.

He and his dog were two peas in a pod; cast aside, living on the streets, jeered at… and now, they could be castaways together.
Everything was good, until one day, he had fallen asleep—using his dog as a pillow—and when he awoke, his dog was gone, just like his parents were years earlier.
Jeremiah was alone again and cried for his lost pup. He wasn’t good enough to be his parents’ child, and he wasn’t good enough to be a dog’s companion. And it wasn’t just that Barry had disappeared; he had taken the clover with him.

Now, Jeremiah was more bitter than ever. He trusted no one, and relied more on stealing than ever—having no remorse for a world that had abandoned him. He had no more joy or hope left in his heart, and resented the fact that he had ever given the last shred of love to a creature who only used him as a meal ticket.

But then, one day, Jeremiah saw another clover in the road. He picked it up, and with a grunt of anger, intended to rip it. But then, he heard a bark.
He looked to his right and saw Barry.

Tears sprung to his eyes. “Barry!” he embraced the dog, who licked his face. But then, the dog wrestled free of his embrace and began barking.

Jeremiah cocked his head to the side. “You want me to follow you?” Jeremiah followed the dog through the town until they left it, and then followed him further. “Where are we going? I’m getting tired Barry!”
Jeremiah followed Barry until night fell, and they had to rest. In the morning, Barry continued at the same pace, and Jeremiah followed him until they arrived at a different town—one that was quite a bit wealthier than his old one. And finally, Barry brought him to a house—a white, two story house with a beautiful garden out front.

Jeremiah was devastated. He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Is this your new home, boy? Well… I’ll tell them that you’re back. I’ll miss you…”

Jeremiah embraced Barry for what he thought would be the last time, and then knocked on the door. A man and a woman answered—a handsome couple by any standard—and beamed at seeing Barry. “Oh! You’ve returned Barry! We were so worried about you!”

Jeremiah looked at his feet. “I brought him home. I’m glad he has a nice place to stay…” Jeremiah knelt next to Barry, nuzzling his face into the dog’s fur. “Goodbye, boy. You were the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Jeremiah turned away, intending to head back to his old town, but Barry whimpered, nuzzling him affectionately. The handsome couple knelt by Jeremiah. “What’s your name? Where are your parents?”
What Jeremiah was not expecting, was for the couple to adopt both him and his dog.
Truly, meeting Barry was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him.

Hi, here is my piece of lucky encounter!

You can read more here: https://tapas.io/series/For-a-Slave

Hi there! Here is a chapter of my novel that I recently posted that suits this prompt! Thank you! 🖤

https://m.tapas.io/episode/2087417

A lucky encounter

The butterfly bracelet

You might call this fate or whatnot, but I guess he might be the one.

One day, there I was along with my girlfriend at the mall, as we entered a jewelry shop I saw you. You were wearing a red shirt with a yellow jacket on top and skinny jeans a bit weird I may say but that doesn't matter because I really didn't notice you back then, but how can I remember all of this when I didn't notice you, funny, I guess maybe I had my eyes on you since then. You had soft curly hair and were looking at a butterfly bracelet that had red strings and a gold design on them. My girlfriend wanted that, but, that was the only piece left, you looked at my girlfriend and smiled while giving it to her, you looked like you were about to cry but yous still gave it to her. We broke up, my girlfriend, and a few weeks after buying her that bracelet, she was now gone from my life. But, I saw you on another day wearing a white sweatshirt and I might say that fate brought us together, you also wear a butterfly bracelet now, but much prettier than the one before. The bracelet was our chance encounter and fate may have brought us together

I was so inspired with this prompt event. I hope you like the story I've started writing.

Here is my profile https://tapas.io/MillyLowelle

Here is the chapter/episode of my story that I'm entering for the "A lucky Encounter" event. It's a mature chapter with the correct setting so read the trigger warning first. https://tapas.io/episode/2095520

With love,
Millie Lowelle

Tie-in to Little Distractions on my profile page https://tapas.io/KGBrightwell

I get why people shipped us. I do. And we probably would have made a great couple, Only I really don’t go for the whole bad-boy thing. Either the bad, or the boy. But I get why people went there: because I defended him whenever he went off half-cocked, and he was a bit overprotective where I was concerned. It’s always been the case, ever since we first met in Biology class freshman year.

This was classic Richard.

I should have known better. I can’t stand the sight of blood. But I thought I’d be fine so long as I didn’t look at the screen.

Honestly, the teacher said we could leave if we wanted to—that it wouldn’t harm our grade in any way. I couldn’t tell if she was talking to me in specific or the class in general because I already had my eyes shut. I remember shaking my head in case she was looking in my direction. I was fine. I wasn’t really fine. I was just a tad on the stubborn side.

The kid in the desk behind me—of course it was Richard—muttered something I couldn’t quite hear because at about the same time he started speaking, the circular saw started cutting through the breastbone of the patient. And I fell out of my desk.

When I opened my eyes, our teacher was on her way over— but the video of open heart surgery was still running. I thought I might throw up.

Richard had left his seat and was hovering over me. He asked me if I was okay and then yelled at the teacher to turn the damn video off.

Yeah, you all laugh now. But the teacher didn’t find it quite so funny at the time.

I tried to get up, claiming to be fine, but Richard glared at me and told me to stay put. Which was probably a good thing. I was pretty woozy. At least the video wasn’t playing anymore.

Poor Ms. Morgan. She was a new teacher. I felt bad for passing out during her class. I'm sure there was paperwork involved.

Then get this: Richard bent down and actually picked me up off the ground. I tried to object, but you can imagine how that went. He just looked at me with his fierce brown eyes and I shut my mouth.

He all but carried me to the nurse’s office. And then demanded that some poor kid who showed up looking for a bandaid run to get me some orange juice from the cafeteria. And to cap it all off? He got in school suspension for refusing to go back to class. Or swearing at the teacher. I can't quite recall.

The whole thing would have been a lovely meet cute for a straight couple. Instead he got in school suspension for refusing to leave the nurse’s office and swearing at one of the teachers. And then I broke his heart a few years later when he thought he was in love with me. But it all worked out.

And I couldn’t be more pleased to be here today as his best woman. Congratulations to Richard and Jesse.

“And then I said, look—if you’re going to expect me to keep these working hours in the middle of the hottest season of the year, I’m going to need some compensation for it. That’s not unreasonable, is it?”

“Not at all.” Marlin leaned back, stretching his legs. “Say, would you mind—”

“Oh sure, sure.” Drakos splayed the fine webbing between his fingers, wiggling them to help Marlin nestle into the hammock they created. It tickled when Marlin’s boots nudged the edge of a scale in his palm. Drakos giggled, mirth escaping in a cloud of steam.

Marlin shifted again, settling his boots at the joint between two of Drakos’ fingers, head coming to rest against the base of a wicked, curved claw. He was such a tiny thing, so fleshy and adorably human, and Drakos counted himself lucky one of their kind had chosen him, out of all his brethren, to be a Companion.

Well. The choosing was mutual, really, and if one got technical, there were far more humans than there were Dragonkind. But riders with skill and wit like Marlin were a rare breed, and Drakos had been the envy of his pack when they’d made their match in a lucky encounter at midsummer a year past.

Marlin gave his scales a friendly pat. “Look, the Dragonmistress knows the solstice is right around the corner, and I can’t imagine she’s forgotten about your Week of Holy Fire. She’s piqued lately, what with the wyvern invasion on the southern border, but I’m sure you’ll get your time off.”

Drakos heaved a sigh. Smoke curled from his nostrils, hot enough to bead sweat on Marlins forehead. “Ah, sorry. I forget about that—”

“No worries, mate.” Marlin wafted a hand between them, clearing the smoke. “You’re new to the whole ‘Human Companion’ thing, I get it. Anyway, if you ask me, I think it’ll all sort itself out. In the mean time, why don’t we blow off some steam, so to speak? What say you?”

With a groan at the pun, Drakos shifted, setting Marlin onto his shoulder. He lost sight of him soon thereafter, but tracked his progress by the tip-tap of booted feet along his spine to where the wyrmsilk saddle wrapped from back to belly. The saddle wiggled beneath Marlin’s weight and then his boots connected, warded spurs locking into the chinks in Drakos’ plating to link them. He could feel it, the burn that he and Marlin shared, the need to go up, up, up that was so rare to find in a Human Companion.

Drakos spread his wings and launched for the sky, baring his teeth at Marlin’s delighted whoop.

How’s the new saddle?

His thoughts shimmied over the bumps in his spine and bled into the metal of Marlin’s spurs.

Amazing. An experimental shift in the wyrmsilk gave away Marlin’s intentions, and Drakos banked right even before the request came through the spurs. Lords, did you hear that already? This is great!

Another shift. Wind traced over his scales, cooling his body in delightful ripples. Drakos hung for a low pass around the belfry, grinning at the crowd of little waving humans who greeted them as they passed.

You really do like us, huh? Something warm passed through the wyrmsilk, warmer again through the spurs. It’s mutual, friend.

Now let’s fly.