Life In Ruins Novels & Stories

Creepy because it made the ice coffins even clearer and I could just imagine myself being added to this terrifying collection of this psychopath. “I am not beautiful!” I blurted out, more in fear than in an attempt to make sense. I took my every breath cautiously. “We might have a clash of opinions on that,” Ruin said, strolling into the room until he stood right in front of me. Gulping hard, I looked into his eyes, “I am ugly and I will be an eyesore to this marvelous collection of yours.” He lifted his sleepy eyes over my shoulder and let out a chuckle.

But it wasn't empty. I saw thousands of tiny, orange sparks flickering in the ruins of the shanty towns. Fires. "They’re waking up," Sarah said, not looking back. "Five billion 'Assets' just realized their 'Life-Licenses' are expired. They have no food, no clean water, and no 'Insurance'. They’re terrified." "We saved them," I said, though my voice lacked conviction.

My muscles lock, the throbbing pain fading as I watch his finger dance over the trigger. “You’re wrong.” he looks at me. “Let’s say you did destroy all the rings, X. Let’s say you accomplished what you’ve set out to do. Do you honestly believe, for one second, it’ll stay that way? Ha! The second the dust settles, evil will already be rebuilding their empire, this time stronger and better than before.” he stares at me as if I'm delusional. “You'll never get rid of evil. Never.”

Hans, the butler, cried out, trying to stop him, but Lucas shoved him aside. "Get away! Ella is still inside! She's inside!!" Lucas roared, rushing into the scorching ruins like a madman. Ron and Reid arrived. Seeing the devastation, their legs gave out, and they dropped to their knees. "How could this happen... how..." Reid muttered, tears instantly streaming down his face. In the center of the ruins, the temperature was terrifyingly high. Lucas seemed to feel nothing. He knelt in the burning rubble, digging frantically with his bare hands.

Teeth changing. I'm human again. Lying naked on my destroyed living room floor, covered in cuts and bruises and my own blood. Every part of my body hurts. I'm too exhausted to move. Too broken to care that I'm lying in broken glass and scattered books and the ruins of my life. I did this. I destroyed my own flat. Everything I worked for, everything I owned, ruined in one night. The sun's rising. Light streams through my broken window. I need to assess the damage. Need to figure out if this is salvageable.

I hear her suck in a surprised breath and I force myself to look around at the wreckage. Everything is broken. My second-hand couch, my cheap coffee table, all my thrift store plates and mugs and glasses, all of it smashed. My television, cracked and playing static. My new clothes are strewn around the hallway, and even my toiletries are smashed to paste in the bathtub. My life lays in ruins around me and I can't feel anything but a cold and persistent terror. I've never had my own space before. This apartment isn't much—a small kitchen, tiny living room, miniscule bedroom, and a bathroom fit for ants—but it's mine, and that meant everything.

Dam burst energy with nowhere to go but into everyone’s speech, their gait, the way even the Market’s squawk seemed pitched higher, like something was about to rupture and no one wanted to be the one to name it. From up here, Sanctuary sprawled into its patchwork: the huddle of solar panels, the tatter of green roofs, the artery of skywalks threading old office blocks hacked into communal housing. Xander was somewhere in the jumble, mid-shift at the property desk. Mira was probably still asleep or orchestrating some kind of noon coup in the food commons. Carolina eyed the curls of bluebells strangling the comms tower. Life, unchecked, amplifying itself even in ruin.

After he did what he had to do, he stood up from the bed and gave me a smirk before leaving my room. I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest crying, when will all this torture end? To him, i'm like a toy to him which he treated anyhow he wanted, life is cruel for me. I'm no longer the girl i used to be, although i was still beautiful but i never saw myself as that. I have scars on my skin in hidden places, my heart was hurting. I stood up with tears still plastered on my face. I went back to the bathroom and splashed water on my face hoping that would clear everything.

I let out a thankful sigh and grabbed it, opening it to retrieve my phone. I unlocked it to see over eighty-eight missed calls, voice mails and almost a thousand messages from Maya. “Oh my God,” I murmured, brushing my hair away from my face. I didn't know what to do for a second, confusion dwelling within me. I found my heels by the bedside and grabbed it, hurrying towards the door but stopped dead in my tracks when I caught a reflection on myself on the floor-to-ceiling mirror. I looked like a total mess, my hair everywhere and my eyes red and swollen with my dress way too indecent and inappropriate to even be regarded as a dress.

I had only told one person that secret a long time ago when I was drunk and vulnerable. Ethan was the only person I had told. “That fucking bastard!” I screamed, snatching the first thing I laid hands on and sent it flying at the full length mirror in my room, smashing it to pieces. “Fuck!” I sobbed, upturning my room in a fit for rage until I was spent. My legs gave under me as I wept — hurt and heartbroken beyond words — feeling empty and blissfully numb. My phone buzzed again and I glanced at it to see a message from an unknown number: