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You live in a land that is divided in two. The eastern side is a hot barren desert, where the temperature never dips below a sweltering 85 degrees Fahrenheit (except for during some nights, where it can drop to 70 or rarely 65, which is still very warm compared to most deserts at night). The people there have never seen snow, hail, sleet, or any rain that is harder than a quick five minute downpour or a light shower.
The western side is the exact opposite. Snow falls constantly, never seeming to end for about 3/4 of the year. This period of time is called "The Storm." The other 1/4 of the year is called "Summer," and it is the time when some snow melts, and the occasional blade of lush green grass dares to poke itself through the many layers of powder that blanket the soggy ground. The temperature during this season never rises to anything above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it is still a season of miracles to the western people. They have a huge festival at the start of the season, and another one when the first snow falls, and "Summer" is officially over. The people on the western side have never seen a perfectly clear blue sky, or seen more than a few inches of uncovered ground at one time.
One night, the two sides mysteriously switch. When people wake up, they are greeted with weather that they have never seen before, but only heard in legends that they assumed to be myths. A huge blizzard slams into the eastern side, and a heat wave turns the western side into an enormous puddle. No one knows how to live in their new environments, and something will have to be done that has never been done before. The two sides will have to work together. Only those who work together will survive this brutal swap.
------------------------------------------
Anyway, I hope you guys like my idea! Anyone can join, and there's a maximum of 2 charries per person. When I think enough people have joined, I will start, but if anyone wants to join right after we start, they still can. Our charries will be the people who team up with each other to help everyone survive in case you couldn't tell. Here's the charrie sheet, I'll post my charries soon. :
Name:
Age (10-16)*:
Original side (Eastern or Western):
Appearance:
Personality:
Other:
*There will be adults and the occasional younger child helping too, but I want our charries to be within this age range.
submitted by Dragonrider
(March 1, 2017 - 9:42 pm)
(March 1, 2017 - 9:42 pm)
Ahh, the relationships of siblings. Things I know very well, as I've got 5 of 'em.
Aspen~
As soon as I take a few steps towards the shed, I realize that I have to go on foot. The snow is slushy and the air temperature seems to be rising. Wind and small particles fly at high speeds through the air, but it can't be snow. Wind sucks the air from my lungs and fills my mouth with the dry stuff. Instictively, I spit the gritty particles out. A word that I haven't used in forever rises from my memory: sand. Why would there be sand? It doesn't matter, I tell myself, breaking into a run, all that matters is that Evergreen is out here somewhere and I have to find him.
After only a few minutes of running aimlessly in the wind, struggling to call out my brother's name, I have to strip off my coat and drape it over my head to try to gain a little protection from the whizzing sand. Besides, I don't need the coat anymore. The air is no longer carries biting, freezing chill. I keep running. And running. Blinking the sand out of my eyes, trying to see through flying particles. Each time I call Evergreen's name, sand flies into my mouth. Beside me, I see Grannie Bird's hill. Well, I don't so much see it as sense its shadowy prescence in the tumultous reverse-blizard. Could Evergreen have gone has far as the border? I wonder. It is possible. Stupid kid. Stupid, lovable, amazing, annoying...gosh, I can't bear the thought of not finding him.
"EVERGREEN!" I yell for the thousand time. And this time I get an answer. Although I can't make out the noise, I recognize Ever's voice, and hurry towards it. After an eternity, I see his little green jacket in the midst of the sea of sand. He's curled up into a ball, head down. I sprint over and grab him around the shoulders.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" I roar through the noise of the wind, "IDIOT! You could have gotten yourself killed. You could've gotten me killed. In fact, I don't even know how to get back to the house from here! What the he—"
"I did exactly what you would have done!" Evergreen yelled defensively, "since when have you had any regard for family? Since when have you ever cared about safety? I was just curious!"
His truth hits me in the chest like a brick, but I ignore it.
"I HAVE COMMON SENSE!" I exclaim, which is probably the most idiotic thing to do because we both know that I have none of the sort.
"YEAH? WELL—" Evergreen lifts his head out of his arms and leaps to his feet. Flying sand gathers in his hair and trickles into his ears. Suddenly, I hear Pine's voice spring from nowhere.
"GUYS!"
~
Ugh it's past my bedtime. GTG. Keep up the awesome story!
(April 8, 2017 - 9:18 pm)
Evergreen~
Aspen and I stare in shock at Pine as she finishes her tirade.
"This weather's affecting everyone," I comment finally. I don't know where the statement came from, but I realize that it's true. Change isn't something that we take to kindly in the West. Actually, I don't think anyone really likes change. Not at first. Aspen mutters something about Pine being a stupid girl. I try not to feel hatred towards my older brother. Common sense? Ha! He just thinks he has the freedom to do whatever, but everyone else has to follow what he says. Suddenly, the wind picks up around us. Sand gets in my eyes and nose and mouth. Wind roars in my ears and tosses thin strands of hair all over my head. The sudden force of the wind drives me backwards a few steps. Pine screams. All I can see and feel and hear around me is the feirce, driving wind. Aspen yells something, but I can't make out what he says. Squeezing my eyes shut, I try not to inhale any of the flying particles.
Tossed in the confusion, I keep stumbling backwards until I trip and fall. The ground is no longer cold. The noise of the wind escalates, getting louder and louder until
BOOM! Just the sound alone is enough to set me screaming. But of course, it isn't just sound. An explosion of force pushes me over and over again. All around me is sand, sand sand. Closing my eyes, I will the confusion to stop, but it doesn't.
~
Aspen~
The whirling sandstorm roars to its full fury before: BOOM! A huge invisible force disperses it, throwing me backwards. I hear Pine hit the ground beside me, yellow something about Mt. Everest...or does she mean my best friend Everest? As the sand stops writhing in the air, I realize she isn't saying Everest, she's saying Ever Izots. Sitting up, I feel as if I were transported to a different world. Where there once were snowy mountains, there is now only spreading sand. I can see the beautiful evergreen trees wilting in the sun, which is 50X hotter than even the hottest summer recorded (which, incendentally, was the day both Everest and I licked an icicle and got most of the skin ripped off our tongues). There are no icicles now. Not even dripping ones.
Also, there is no Evergreen.
"Ever?" Pine calls as she sits up in the sand. Scanning the dunes for my brother, I eventually spot a spot of bright green-blue. His PJ shirt. Pine scrambles up and rips off her winter coat, shaking out sand all over the place. She jogs over to Evergreen, but I stop and stare at the shimmering barrier. This can't be happening. Suddenly, I spot something lying beside the barrier. Pine apparently notices it to, because she turns back to me calling, "is that a girl?" Oh my *dufflepuds*, she's right! I realize. The girl isn't moving. Sprinting towards the barrier and kicking up sand behind me, my mind races through ideas of what had caused that boom and the sudden extreme weather. Could that girl have caused it? Or been caught up in it? *Dashboards!* what if she's dead?
~
*I'm replacing Aspen's langauge with some exclamations Queen Elizabeth and I made up. Don't laugh, okay? I know it's pretty silly, but I'm not going to write his exact phrasing down.
(April 9, 2017 - 7:55 pm)
I'm joining, I'm joining, I'm jooooiniiing!!! Please?
Name: Everest Summit
Age (10-16)*: 14
Original side (Eastern or Western): Western
Appearance: pale brown hair, clear blue eyes.
Personality: he has an great sense of humor, and loves to take a dare. is training with Aspen for the ice games.
Other: Is Aspen's best friend
Will post later.
(April 9, 2017 - 7:40 pm)
Pine~
Something goes off in Aspen's head. While I tend to the passed out Evergreen, he goes over to the girl on the other side of the border. There's nothing wrong with that, but he seems a bit scatterbrained.
Ever starts to stir, so I prop him up on a higher ground and hug him quickly before going over to Aspen.
He's leaned over a girl, about two years older than me, so Aspen's age, and she isn't moving. But she starts to wake up, and her grey eyes are clouded. But suddenly, they are sharp, and she jolts up, looking around in confusion.
"Calm down, you're not dead," Aspen reassures.
I roll my eyes. "What he meant to say was, there was a storm, and you were knocked unconscious. It happened to our brother too."
"Who are you?" she asks. She looks over at Aspen. "Oh wait, I thought I saw you at the border a few times."
"A few times?" I ask, raising an eyebrow and looking over at Aspen.
He snickers nervously and looks back at the girl. "Who are you?"
"My name is Feyre, but you can call me Ashes."
I see Evergreen get up out of the corner of my eye and join us.
"Well I'm Pine," I start. "This is my older brother...um...Snow, and this is my younger brother, Evergreen," I finish, ruffling Ever's hair.
"Oh, you have siblings," she says.
I slowly nod my head. "Yep."
"Well so do I," she begins. "Nesta, Luz-"
"Look," Ever interrupts. "Don't we have a bigger problem on our hands?"
"You're about to have a big problem if you interrupt again," Aspen growls.
"Oh look at you, Aspen, with your new girlfriend," Ever teases.
Good job, Ever. You've just initiated another argument.
They're fighting head on, and even my yells can't get them to stop. Finally, I shove them both to the ground. Ever looks up at me in surprise, Aspen at me in anger.
"Stop! Both of you!"
Suddenly, I hear another sound of footprints, and Aspen's friend Everest joins us. It was always funny when we were friends, and our parents couldn't tell the difference between Evergreen and Everest's names.
"What's going on here, Pine?"
"They're being idiots," I snap.
I never really liked Everest's sarcastic tone with me, as if I was a messenger or a small child, only to update him with obvious news.
"Oh, better not be an idiot, or Pine will yell at you again."
Aspen rolls his eyes, which I almost kill him because of that, and he glances at me in an annoying way before Everest helps him up and they do that boy handshake or whatever.
While the three idiots exchange greetings, I talk to Ashes.
"So you're from the Eastern side?" I ask.
She nods. "Yeah. I was visiting the border, and....Oh no."
Her eyes widen, and I look at her. "What?"
"How long was I gone for?" she exclaims.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not sure. We just got here."
She hisses through her teeth, struggling to get up. I offer a hand, and she takes it, bouncing up.
"Thanks."
"No problem," I reply.
I look back at the boys, who are inspecting the force field. Or, what was left of it. All of us need to find out what is going on.
(April 10, 2017 - 8:37 am)
Everest~
Snow and I have been friends for around three years. It seems like longer. Our personalities are very similar, some people say, but I am totally the one that keeps us from dying every time we pull a crazy stunt. Probably. We pull a lot of crazy stunts. Snow and I had been skiing down a rather steep slope practicing for the Ice Games. However, there was a tiny bit of a long dropoff at the end of it... and well, you get the idea. And then there was the time when we went to the summer festival and Snow and I dared each other to lick an icicle...and of course, the infamous festival where we met. I was around eleven, which meant he might have been twleve, and he was daring his victimized younger brother to slide down a snow-patched hill. This woudn't have been daring if there hadn't been some construction going on around it; lots of dead trees litterd the base and slope of the hill. So he was daring Evergreen, and Ever said no. Overhearing, I immediatly volunteered for the danger, mainly because my parents had explicitly told me not to slide down it. So we slid down th hill. Snow's been my closest friend ever since.
~~~~~~
Boom!
Pushing down the panicked emotions that tear through me, I flee from the house, searching for my friends. My parents were not at home, they had gone to a conference concerning wildlife safety or something, so I left the house in search of information. It was warm outside, much warmer than it had ever been even in the hottest summer, which I seem to recall being the summer I stuck my tongue to an icicle with Snow.
Gtg, will post more later!
(April 10, 2017 - 5:45 pm)
Evergreen~
So I'm the only one who noticed that Aspen blushed when Ashes said "a few times?" Really guys? I look at Everest for help, but he's on Aspen's side, as usual. As we inspect what's left of the border, everyone looks at Aspen for leadership. Typical. Follow the oldest, even if he'd win a "most likely to get everyone killed" award if we voted.
"Let's try to get across the border," Aspen suggests. Both Aspen and Everest step forward slowly. The former grins at the latter.
"1..2..3..." Together, they plunge their hands into the force feild. Nothing happens.
"It's solid," Everest confirms.
"Maybe we should—" Ashes begins, but she is cut of by the sound of a dog barking.
"FROSTY!" I exclaim even before our husky bounds into veiw.
(April 10, 2017 - 7:38 pm)
Pine~
I race towards Frost right as Ever screams his name.
I fall to my knees and pet him, almost shaking him, asking the same question over and over again.
"Where's mother, Frosty? Where's mom?"
He whines and barks in circles, finally dashing back to the house. I nod at Ever and Aspen, and all five of us run, following Frost.
Finally when we arrive at our house, the sight is horrific. The roof has caved in with water, and sand blows lightly on top of it.
"Mom!" Ever yells. "Mom, are you there?"
He seems to be on the verge of tears, and so I go with Frost to what's left of the top of our house. I look back, and Aspen is still in shock.
"Let's go," I gently say.
He nods his head slowly and helps me with moving around the wreckage. While Ashes comforts Ever, Everest joins our search.
With tears in my eyes, I see a family picture that was taken last winter among the ruins.
(April 11, 2017 - 9:12 am)
Everest~
We run. As the small band reaches the Izot's house, we all stand in shock, horrified.
No. Not Mrs. Izot.
Evergreen runs into the house, on the verge of tears. Pine runs after him, calling to Snow to come on. I stand frozen by his side, unable to offer any help right now.
"Let's go," he mutters, dashing towards the house. I follow. As we enter the house, I hear Ever and Pine calling for their mother. I feel weights pressing down on my chest as I sprint towards where her bedroom used to be. Snow arrives right behind me. We stand at the door, afraid of what awaits us on the other side. Finally, Snow makes a move to bust down the door. It's stuck. Something is tightly wedged into the doorframe. No matter. We clamber, like a pair of monkeys, over the framework and into her room. Snow fights through the dust and debris to the bed. I stare at the bed, shocked beyond belief. The bed is perfectly made. Mrs. Izot is gone.
~~~~~~~~~~
dun dun duuuuuuuun!
(April 12, 2017 - 4:08 pm)
top top top!
(April 13, 2017 - 5:33 pm)
Actually, the sides have switched, so the snow would be sand.
Aspen~
"C'mon, we've got to get up to the village. People probably need our help, and Mother will surely be there...right?" Pine's satement tips up into a question.
"Yeah...but, what about..." I look back at Ashes. I can't meet her eyes. They're so big and full of hope and adventure that somehow I feel like I'll never stop staring if I even begin. It's so strange...I quickly shake the feeling off.
"Me?" Ashes answers, "I'm coming with you. To help. Maybe your people can find a way back across the border."
"All right!" Everest butts in, "I hope everyone's ready for a long trek, because—"
"Are you kidding?" Evergreen exclaims, "what about our stuff? What about our house? Our snow? It's all...gone." The weight of Ever's words suddenly dawns upon me as I see the torn Ice Games poster sticking out from under the remains of my bunk bed. He's right. It's all gone. I'll never hear the light sound of Evergreen's feet against the wood floor again. I won't have to help my younger siblings wrench open the heavy front door anymore.
"We have to keep going," Pine reminds us, "come on, Aspen." She grabs Evergreen by the collar and beckons to me. As she turns away, her hand goes up to her face and wipes furiously beneath both eyes. I fall into step beside Everest.
"Snow..." he starts.
"Not right now."
"I wasn't going to talk about your stuff, though I am very sorry. I just wanted to say, I know a shortcut to the village. It's the one in the forest through the old tunnel in Riser Peak. Think the girls are up for it?"
"Who cares? Let's go for it. I need a challenge right now," I answer through gritted teeth.
(April 14, 2017 - 8:41 pm)
Top!
(April 14, 2017 - 7:26 pm)
Pine~
After their brief discussion, Everest and Aspen turn back to face us.
Everest takes a deep breath. "We've decided to go through the tunnel that's at Riser Peak-"
But before he can even finished, I interrupt. "It's always you and Aspen deciding where and what we do, isn't it?"
Aspen shoots a glare at me for using his real name, but I shoot an even icier glare back at him.
"Do you have any better ideas, Pine?" Everest asks in a mock sweetness.
"Yes, I would have them if you got your stupid face out of my way so I could think," I reply with the same tone.
He hesitates but steps aside.
I look towards the sand, something I thought I would never see. My thoughts are clouded by everything that is going on, but I have to think of a better solution. Riser Peak was mnostly held up by snow, and once the snow starts to melt...we could be suffocated.
"Pine, we don't have the time of the world!" Aspen yells.
"But we can spare it if it means we don't die!" I yell back.
"We're going to Riser Peak, with or without you Pine," Everest replies.
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!"
We all look towards Ever, his face red.
Oh shucks. We're about to get in a small domestic.
Before I can stop it, Everest has backed out and is standing by Ashes, both of their eyes wide. Aspen and Ever are at each other's necks, and they're full on fighting. I'm yelling at the both of them, but they can't be contained. I look desperatly over at Everest, who raises an eyebrow but sighs and shakes his head, going over to the two of them. He manages to pull back Ever while I stand directly in front of Aspen. He's never hit me before and will stop.
Well, he did one time, but it's when we were three and four, and I kicked him hard and he didn't do it again.
I look into his eyes, and I can see he's just as confused and hurt as everyone else. But there's something else in there. Sadness...no...love. Love for me? No, he's my brother, he always loves me. No, it's Ashes. Every single time he looks at ehr, his cheeks turn slightly red.
Looks like Aspen realises that he's made a mistake of staying still. I've always been able to read him. Younger sister ablities, I suppose.
I smile and he glares at me but can't help but smile back. He's Aspen, what can I say?
I give him a silent hug before I turn back to Ever and do the same.
"Okay, are we all calm now?" Everest asks in an overly cautious voice.
"Yes," Aspen replies. "But we need to figure something out. Pine, it's Riser Peak or nothing."
I get it. He also needs to feel an adrenaline rush again.
"Fine. If it's the only way, that's the way we'll go."
(April 14, 2017 - 10:30 pm)
Whoa. Lots to catch up on. On the other hand, I love the way the story is going! I'm so happy to be back to this (It's probably my favourite thread on the CB at the moment)!
Feyre (Ashes)~
My heart aches for the siblings as I look back at their destroyed house one last time before we head out. I can also tell that they are struggling in the heat of the desert sun. I shudder to think of what it would be like for me alone in the snow. I listen curiously as Snow and Everest talk about what they call Riser Peak. Out of nowhere, though, Snow's expression sobers.
"What if the area's unstable? You know, it's not snow holding it up anymore. It's sand. We don't know the mechanics of this stuff," Snow says worriedly.
"Ah, we'll be fine. Since when are you such a worry wart?" Everest says haughtily. I get the sense that Lucien would really dislike him. I start. Mother and Luz. Where are they? How are they handling the switch? Are they alive? Tears spring to my eyes at the thought of losing my brother, but I blink them away. Quit it, Feyre. They're fine. I chide myself.
I look towards Aspen to see if he noticed and I catch him looking at me, not for the first time. I can't help but smile as I step up to walk alongside him.
"You okay?" he asks me. I can't tell if he's talking about my emotions or my physical well being.
"For now," I respond, referring to both.
He falls silent as if searching for something to say.
"So, what exactly is Riser Peak?" I ask, going for a safe topic.
Snow gives me a sidelong glance, the grins.
"Look and see for yourself," he tells me, then gestures ahead.
I gasp aloud at the sight.
"Looks like we're here," says Pine wryly.
(April 16, 2017 - 12:43 pm)
TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP! TOP!
(April 17, 2017 - 7:12 am)
(April 18, 2017 - 7:39 pm)