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Author Topic: Can Never Run Fast Enough [One-Time Thing]  (Read 281 times)

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Can Never Run Fast Enough [One-Time Thing]
« on: October 21, 2017, 08:04:44 pm »
[One shot]

First it was Soleas, leaving Aspen to move to Stage 5. Next was Matt, moving on to Stage 5 and graduating in the blink of an eye. Slowly Aspen felt like she was watching all of her friends leave her behind while she was stuck forever. Viktor was still around, but his silence after Soleas left wasn't very encouraging. It was like her entire support system had fallen to peices in the blink of an eye. Now all she had left was Vanessa, who was one of the few remaining candidates she felt she could fully trust with anything.

Turns out a few fellow candidates were heading to the cafeteria for a late night snack and as appetizing as that sounded, Aspen didn't feel much like being around people right now. She was still greiving in her own way. Happy that her friends were moving on in life, but sad they left her behind in the process. The world kept turning, everything moving with time while Aspen was at a standstill.

Music roared in her ears as she completed yet another lap around the track. She could feel it now, the burning in her calves and lungs that ignited the will to push on beyond what her body thought she was capable of. It wasn't pain to her, but instead a fire that ignited her will to be more than what everyone thought she could be. She may not have been the smartest, funniest, prettiest, or bravest. But Aspen was determined that if she could be anything, then the fastest was what it would be.


Lap after lap Aspen pushed on, embracing the exhaustion slowly overtaking her body. It was working, slowly she was beginning to forget about all the things she saw wrong in life and instead realizing that she was capable of more than she was given credit for. Screw her parents, screw the other candidates that thought she was nothing but a problem. Screw anyone that ever held a single doubt for Aspen, the girl who would one day rise up and make a name for herself.

Just screw all of them.

From her temple to the floor Aspen had reached her limit and beyond as sweat fell. Each droplet a dark memory as she shed it. After all of that she was feeling quite great, despite the physical exertion she had just caused herself. Maybe she would catch a bite to eat with them after all. No sense in excluding herself when all she wanted was to build bridges anyway.

Flipping open her Com she navigated to the candidate blog to see if Vanessa and the others were still enjoying their late night snack. Maybe she would even enjoy a pudding, just for Soleas since he was no longer there. That is assuming that Tink didn't eat them all before she got there.

All of it, the running and then release of pent up frustration, led Aspen to not realize she was not alone at the track.

"Hey!" another voice causing Aspen's attention to avert away from her Com.
"Come here!" Yet another voice coming from a group of candidates standing a few hundred feet from her. How long had they been there anyways?

Cautiously Aspen made her way over, placing her Com and earbuds back in her pocket. She even managed to offer a genuine smile once she was close enough, offering the group of Stage 2 candidates all the kindness she could. Had this been a while ago, back when she herself were a Stage 2, Aspen would have just ducked her head down and went the other way. However, in that time Aspen had learned that people weren't always as bad as she thought and not everyone was out to get her. The likes of all of her friends had taught her that.

These candidates though were ones she had only seen in passing. She barely knew any of them, only familiar faces here and there every once in a while. Maybe she could change that, invite them to the cafeteria with everyone for some food.
"Hi, I was just about to he-" The blow to her stomach catching her off guard as she fell, clutching at her shirt as she attempted to catch her breath.

"What kind of freak are you!?" One of the candidates yelled out, kneeling down to get eye level with Aspen. "You got some kind of psyionic that helps you run? That's cheating... we don't like cheaters here."

Still short of breath Aspen could barely respond. Instead her lids clenched shut as she attempted to breathe through the pain. Another blow but this time to her temple as Aspen was knocked down.

"I said are you some kind of freak!?" The entire group was laughing by now, making Aspen the center of some kind of freakshow they were turning this into.

"I don't cheat" she finally managed to choke out. "I work hard..." Digging her fingers into the floor Aspen started pushing herself up, still using one arm to brace the aching muscles in her gut. "... I work just as ha-" Again Aspen was hit, knocking her back down and erasing any progress she had made in standing up.

"Oh, so then you're just a kiss ass then?" A different member of the group chimed in as he took a step towards her, sinking the toe of one of his boots into her side this time.
"Nah she's a freak! I've seen her before. She's an illumino. When she gets really scared she dissapears like some kind of freakish ghost." Again the group was laughing.

"Hel-" An attempt to cry for help before yet another blow was delivered to her face. Not like anyone would come anyway. These things happened all the time in here... Aspen was already walking around on borrowed time.

"Dissapear for us freak!"
"Yeah C'mon! Do a magic trick and dissapear!"

The one time Aspen wished she could control her ability like that. Making herself unnoticeable, that she could do. Completely dissapearing on the other hand... an aspect of her ability she had yet to master. There was always the other option, one she hadn't relied on since she was placed into the program. The option she thought she would never have to use again after making friends.

The taunting and tourment continued on for several minutes. Each member of the group seemed to have some kind of special message to relay to her, all of them belittlting her in one way or another. Each one reminding Aspen why every step she had made towards trusting others was a mistake.

People were monsters. Plain and Simple. All they did was leave or beat you down. Nothing more.... nothing less.

She wasn't sure how long she layed there for. A few minutes? An hour? No not quite that long. All Aspen was sure of was that while she just lay there no one came. No one came while she attempted to cry for help. No one came while they beat her or stole her shoes.

Numb to anything else Aspen reached and pulled her Com out of her pocket.

'Vanessa? Are you still in the cafeteria or are you back in our room?' Her hand flopped onto the floor while she waited for a response.

Maybe if she were lucky she could just sneak in and pretend this never happened. Nothing some makeup and long sleeved clothes couldn't hide for a while. There was also the option of just saying she fell.

'Vanessa: Uhh. I'm in the room. Why?'

Dammit.

"Okay"

Slowly Aspen pushed herself up, pulling whatever energy she had left towards cloaking herself the best she could. Now was the perfect time to be unnoticeable. With any luck she would make it all the way back to her room without raising any alarms. Once she got there she would figure out how to explain to Vanessa what happened. Something along the lines of it was her own fault.

Another 'ding' as her Com went off again.

'Tink: if you want food Garza and I are still here.' Avoid the cafeteria... got it.

"No thanks. Maybe another time."

Her Com dinged again shortly after, but Aspen was too worried about getting to her room to read it.

 

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