Twinkle's Story: Chapter 12

DUKE

Twinkle's parents and I talked in the car for a bit afterwards. From what they said, I've learned that Twinkle has a misinterpretation about her parents. Twinkle thinks that her parents locked her in their house because they hate her- or something like that anyways. Now I know the truth. Her parents locked her in the house because they wanted to protect her. So she wouldn't end up like her sister, and due to the fact that she's the 'ice'. To protect her from the prophecy being known to everyone. Twinkle's parents knew about the prophecy before, ever since she was born, so that's why they gave her a heart locket. That news was very intriguing when they told me it. I didn't expect Twinkle's parents to know about this whole prophecy thing. I knew about the prophecy before they informed me about it. This mysterious, faint voice. Saying words like messages and omens. That voice freaked me out, to be honest. I wonder if Twinkle ever got the news of the prophecy from the mysterious voice yet. That I'm the 'fire', and she's the 'ice'. I don't yet fully understand how/why I'm the 'fire'. I would expect Twinkle's father to be more 'fire' than I am because he has bright orange colored fur- the color of flames. However, my own fur is brown. I conclude that I'm a 'dead fire' since brown is the color of a fire that has burned out. Or maybe it's because twigs and tree branches, which are also brown, can create a fire. I suddenly lose my train of thought about the prophecy and what it means.                    

Twinkle's dad parks the car in the hospital's parking lot. Then I remember that the ambulance that Twinkle's in went to the back of the hospital where we couldn't follow it anymore. We step out of the car and walk to the hospital entrance. This hospital makes the one we went to before seem like child's-play. Like a complete joke. The other one had a wooden-like feel to it with its green and brown theme. However, this hospital on the other side of fox territory is larger, white in color. I think sadly about why Twinkle went to this more professional-looking hospital instead. Twinkle's probably in more serious and critical condition than last time. That she's even more sick than before. Twinkle's parents and I walk up to the hospital's sign-in desk, which is right in front of us when we walked through the hospital doors. On the oak colored sign-in desk, there's a sign that reads, "WELCOME. PLEASE SIGN-IN HERE." Next to that is a stack of papers on a clipboard with a pen attached to it. On the papers there are columns for patient name, parent/guardian signature, time in/time out, telephone number, etc. Off to the side, a much smaller sign reads, "HELLO. HOW MAY I ASSIST YOU TODAY?" Behind the desk sits a light orange colored fox with the nametag, "BLOSSOM" attached to her hospital shirt. Blossom spins the chair she is sitting in around, so she's now actually facing us. She adjusts her reading glasses on her face and says, "Hello. How may I help you folks today?"  As Twinkle's dad is about to sign-in, Blossom turns her chair around some more. She looks right at me. Blossom speaks so that I can only hear her. "This is gonna be a long wait, kid. How about instead of waiting in this waiting room, I'll get someone to escort you to a more fun room. Better than being bored in here. Okay?" I look around the waiting room and notice that no young foxes are here. The youngest in their early 20s or something. I allow them to take me to this 'more fun room' reluctantly. How could anyone have fun in this place? One of the only foxes I actually care about just arrived here in an ambulance, and I'm supposed to have fun.? I sigh, annoyed. Blossom introduces me to another fox with a nametag that reads, "JUNIPER" and tells Twinkle's dad to sign in and fill in some paperwork. I walk down a few hallways with Juniper escorting and leading me. Then Juniper says at a door, "Okay. Here's the room Blossom's talking about. Seriously, I recommend you being in here than having to wait out there. Also, some of the more healthy hospital patients may be playing in here as well. So that's pretty much it. Call me if you need anything." I nod and enter the room.

I see chairs surrounding the room. I look around and don't see anyone else here. I shrug as I pick up a box of darts on a table that's right by the door. I then walk towards the part of the room where the targets are located against the wall. I keep a distance from the target and pull out a dart from the box. I toss the small box onto the floor next to my feet. I'm decent at throwing darts at targets because I would do this in my room at Sparkle's house. I like to think that a target is a body of someone I hate, despise. The body being my mother's. The center of the target being the 'bulls-eye' symbolizing the body's heart. As I would throw darts at the target that hangs from my bedroom's door, I imagine that instead of darts they're arrows from a bow or swords/knives. This includes today, especially. I take another step back from the target in front of me, and I focus on the 'bulls-eye' of it. I aim, take a breath, step forward, and throw the dart.  I growl to myself as I see that the dart has ended up just above the 'bulls-eye'. I stomp my foot, annoyed. Suddenly a young fox says happily, "Whoa. You're really good at throwing darts. Cool! I'll never be as good as you are. Oh yeah. My name's Junior. What's yours?" As I bend down to take out another dart from the box, I reply. "The name's Duke. Look... Junior. I'm not really here to make new friends or anything, so will you stop talking to me and leave me alone.? Thanks." Junior gives me a disappointed look but speaks with me again the next second. "Can you teach me how to be a good dart thrower? Please, please, please!" I sigh, get up, and look at him. I obviously wasn't going to tell him my 'secret' to being such a good dart thrower: Imagining it's my mother; aiming for her heart, the 'bulls-eye'. Instead of it being a dart I'm throwing, I imagine I'm throwing an arrow from a bow igniting the arrow tip, so that the arrow tip is on fire. The fire spreading through the entire arrow until the arrowhead is on fire as well, just as it reaches the target. I say, "Watch and learn." as I hold the dart in the right position, aim for the 'bulls-eye', and throw. I take a breath and look at the target. I stomp my foot, aggravated again at my result. This time the dart ended up just below the 'bulls-eye'. Junior loudly (to me anyways) says, "Ooh! So close, Duke. Let me try this time, please." I sigh and reluctantly give the 6-year-old looking fox a dart. He just blinks at the target, takes a step forward, and throws. The dart ends up in the 2nd outermost section of the target. Junior stomps his foot as well. He gives a disappointed look and complains. "Oh come on! I was this close! So close. Come on! Darn it!" I roll my eyes away from Junior having a fit to another fox I haven't noticed before sitting in a chair.

 The fox in the chair is an older fox, in his late teens I guess. I don't really like the look he gives me. It's as if he's glaring at me with jealousy perhaps. Being annoyed, I take out another dart from the box. I trace one of my claws along a side of the dart, take a step back, aim, take a breath, and throw. I imagine the dart turning into an arrow lit on fire as it flies to the target. I have a small smile and sigh triumphantly as I see where the dart is located on the target. In the center of the 'bulls-eye' section; my mother's heart. I look at an open-mouthed Junior then to the quiet, glaring fox. I give him a mocking look; he still has the same expression. Then I realize he might be sad, as well as mad and jealous. He has that look because he can never throw darts or anything like that. I remember Juniper saying that hospital patients may come here too. I look at the fox again. He doesn't have a paw, I realize. I just made a patient feel even more bad and embarrassed by his disability. Wide-eyed, I look around the room seeing if any more foxes are here. No others, thankfully. I take the darts off of the target, place them back in the box, give Junior the box, and say, "I'll better go now. Bye." I slowly back away from them, heading towards the door. Then I open the door, take a look back, and close the door behind me.

TWINKLE

I don't know if I'm conscious or not anymore. For the past few hours ever since encountering the phantoms in the town square, I've been constantly getting in and out of consciousness. Changing so constantly and quickly, that I now think being conscious and unconscious are mixed together. The light of being conscious; the dark of being unconscious. Black, white, black... the pattern seems to never end. I conclude that it's not a good sign. I'm finally conscious for a full three minutes, since the phantoms attacked me. I still feel the pain of phantom bolts hitting me with such great force. I put a paw on my back, the place where the bolts hit me the most. I expected my back to hurt at my paw's touch, but instead my back feels nothing. I see my paw tapping on my back, but I feel nothing from my back. My back is numb. I remember that I'm in a hospital room now. I get an idea. I pray to Mira and Zios that it's true. That doctors put some antiseptic on my body, or whatever it's called that you don't feel pain anymore. "Please be true. Please be true." I whisper to myself. Suddenly the mysterious voice speaks in my mind again. It says, "He has suffered some things that most of us will never experience in our lifetimes. Traumatic things. Fearful things. Many, many, many bad things. 'Bad' isn't even a good enough word for it. This means that he'll do things we'll think as 'unbelievable' or 'absurd'. Take this as a suggestion, Twinkle. A warning, perhaps. So you'll be prepared for future consequences." Consequences? Wait, what? I know that it's referring to Duke. I get a sick feeling throughout my body, and drift away from consciousness yet again. Just before I become unconscious again, I remember what Duke told me. 'not careful about it... you'll maybe die'. Oh no. Had I not been careful enough? Is this how I'll die? More questions. As I begin to panic, I feel the dark pushing out the light; I'm unconscious yet again. Now all I see is endless darkness. Somehow, this darkness makes me think that it symbolizes something more. That something involving Duke.

Twinkle's Story: Chapter 11

TWINKLE

I decided to head towards the center of fox territory where all the shops are located. The town square for fox territory, I suppose. I wipe away the last tears on my cheek from the argument Duke and I had previously. I take a deep breath and sigh. I feel guilty because I ripped out one of the hairs on Duke's head. Which has exposed something Duke is really focused and keen on hiding: scars; the truth. I just got so frustrated at him for a moment there. He declaring that he would've gladly destroyed my dj headset on the spot. I still miss not having my dj headset and listening to its amazing music. I almost love it as much as my heart locket, and I really, really love my heart locket. I don't know why I love it so much. Especially since I'm the only fox in all of Jamaa that has one- I think. I really don't know anymore. Duke has kept tons of secrets away from me; could there possibly be more to come.? Duke saying that made me so frustrated that I just had to do what I did. But what he said previously made me more angry at him- as well as terrified. I shudder. He said that he'll kill his monstrous mother. And I said, 'I bet you wouldn't have the guts to do it anyways!' Maybe me saying that and pulling out his odd-looking hair made him furious because he thought I was referring to him saying he'll kill his mother as well as destroying my dj headset. I should've thought that sentence out before I said it and done the hair scene. I frown thinking, it's too late now. I calm myself down, and I focus on heading into one of the shops to look around and whatever. To put my thoughts about the argument away; to relax from all the endless troublesome news I've heard recently.

I step off the bridge between the road the Tall Tower is (the direction I came from) towards the street that leads you to the foxes' town square. My ears perk up, confused. I am extremely confused right now. In this part of fox territory, there's always lots of chattering and commotion; stands and bargains. Other foxes. However, as I walked more into the center of the town square, I didn't hear a single peep except for the tap of my feet against the hard ground, and my own breaths. I look in all directions as I stand in the middle of the town square. All I see is the shadows of buildings and my shadow on the ground, and the sun striking a bright ray in the middle of the town square onto my back. It makes my fur feel like it's on fire, burning and burning away.  All I hear is silence; deadly, deadly silence. I suddenly become cautious and afraid. I gulp. Very, very afraid. I try to calm myself down again by taking slow, deep breaths. I can feel my heart rate go up, and my teeth chatter. Between shuddering breaths and shaking, I whisper out loud but only for myself. "Why are you so scared, Twinkle? It's just not a busy afternoon to go shopping. The stores are closed..." I think I'm still speaking out loud, yet now it feels like thoughts somebody's telling my brain; not my own thoughts. A faraway voice. I try calming down yet again, but now I feel sweaty. "... It's just another day. But why do I feel so petrified suddenly? Something really wrong is happening here...." My paws shake as the two voices speak and argue in my head: my own thoughts that I can control, and the thoughts that are sent to me from a mysterious force. "... No. Nothing's wrong. Everything is as it usually is. Just another day... day..." I hear the word, 'day' slowly fading away.  "... Do you really love him?" The mysterious voice asks me. My controlled mind says, "Love who?"  even though I know who it's referring to.  The voice rumbles. "Duke." I say, "Uh yeah I love Duke. So?" The voice says in its mysterious and faint voice, "Do you really love him? You don't know the real Duke; the truth. When the truth is spoken out, it will spread like a forest fire destroying everything in its wake. What he told you isn't the end of Duke's true life and self. You think he's just a handsome fox that suffered some... things. Haha- wrong. Looks can be quite deceiving. Deep, deep in the inside hidden from others, Duke is similar to his mother. The abusive mother, wife... murderer. Duke deep, deep down is a monster that is insane, and he'll do absolutely anything to get what he wants. Hurting others, killing others, himself... anything. How devastating of the news I must inform you with. You and Duke are pieces of a puzzle. Two puzzle pieces that match exactly. Duke, a flame.   
You, a drop of water that eventually turns out as an icicle. Duke is the fire. You, Twinkle, are the ice. You two are part of a prophecy so big you can't even imagine. Fire and ice together can make some pretty nice things, but beware. Even the strongest ice will melt to the powers of fire. You ever wonder how you're fur turned out to be ice blue? Normal cells would bring your fur color back to its original. But in your case, no. Dr. Fox lied to you and your parents. Not really, even he didn't really know. Ever wonder how you're the only one with a heart locket, Twinkle? The heart locket is there to trap in and seal your true self. Your powers. The icy powers. The colors of your icy powers have spread to your fur. Your parents gave it to you for a few reasons. To wear as a fashion accessory, to store memories, to keep your icy powers concealed in a heart locket. Now go into a store and look around, shop. Nothing to be afraid of, dear..."

The mysterious voice fades away entirely this time. Some things the voice said were very shocking and wondrous to me. Does Duke know of the prophecy? That he's the fire, and I'm the ice? Endless questions bubble in my head. I tremble at what it said. 'When the truth is spoken out, it will spread like a forest fire destroying everything in its wake', 'Fire and ice together can make some pretty nice things', 'Even the strongest ice will melt to the powers of fire'... More questions. I shake my head. Should I even listen to this strange voice? Something tells me I have to. I enter the closest store I find (a clothing store) and just sit by the door. The door closed behind me. I silently wait by the door for a while. I'm no longer in the mood to look around and shop. The eerie feeling that's in the back of my mind. Later on, I hear noises outside. I don't know who- or what. I infer that must mean that the town square is no longer empty; that foxes have finally came back to walk around the foxes' town square. I open the door and peer out. Poisonous gas fills the air. Huffs and puffs are heard, but I'm not sure from where. I try to hold my breath. I try to shut the door again, but I'm too slow. The dark clumps in the thick, purple and black poisonous gas rush toward me. They pull me by the ears out of the store. I stand in the middle of the dark purple and gray clouds that appeared in the town square. I try to escape, but it hurts- a lot. I breathe in the poison; I suddenly begin suffocating.  Bright blue bolts are produced by these things. It hurts badly when they hit me. I slip and fall to the ground. More clumps rush toward me. All I see is endless darkness. Then I see the pale, white, empty eye from among the blackness.  A look full of cold hatred. I gasp, astonished. Phantoms! But what are phantoms doing in this part of Jamaa? They've never been seen in this part of Jamaa before. I shudder and shake as another phantom bolt hits me, in the middle of my back. A sad thought comes to mind. Duke isn't here this time; nobody is. Nobody's going to save me this time around. Then I close my eyes, my mind blank.

DUKE

I decided to start looking for Twinkle towards the road leading up to her house. Something is wrong, and I know it. I just don't know what it is. I continue walking up the road when a red car pulls up. It's Twinkle's family's car. The car stops speeding down the otherwise abandoned road, and pulls up at the edge of the road, right where I'm walking. I shrug and continue walking. I see Twinkle's dad lean out of his driver's seat, the windows rolled down, talking loudly to me.

 Who else? Then I see Twinkle's mom next to him. I know she is nice and all; a good mother. But what really bothers me is she has a slight resemblance to my own mother. Just a bit. It makes me cautious, so I try my best to avoid her. "Hey you! Duke, right?" Twinkle's father begins. "Do you still really love Twinkle?" I sigh. We both had quite an argument, but I still love Twinkle. Of course I do. Why wouldn't I? "Uh. Yeah?" I say, questioningly. "Okay, that's enough for me. Now come into the car. We're following that ambulance." He points a claw at an ambulance that just rode over a hill and into the distance. "Twinkle's in there. It's an emergency, and we're (Twinkle's mother and father) both very scared. It would be nice of you to join us."

 Twinkle's mom opens the car door and takes my paw, helping me get inside. I get comfortable and sit down. Being comfortable as in sitting as close to the window as possible; away from Twinkle's mother. Twinkle's father (the driver) immediately starts driving down the road again. A determined look in his eyes. Twinkle's mother turns toward me. She observes me up and down, and says, "You do know you don't have to be squished up by the window like that." I reply back quickly and quietly, "I like how I am. Anything wrong with that?" I frown at her. "Uh... nothing, Duke." Her eyes are wide-eyed now. I push myself as far as I can from her, the car door and window pressing into my side. "What's wrong, Duke? You okay?" I grit my teeth and say, "I'm fine. It's just that well... you look a slight bit like my mother. My mom and I don't have quite a good relationship. And no, I just can't fix it. It's way more complicated than that. Actually, I'm quite terrified of her actually." I hang my head down; I can't even look at her. "Oh. Don't you worry, Duke. I'm not her, I'll be okay with you. I promise." I sigh still a bit reluctant as I push myself more towards the center of the car. For a bit, we're all completely silent. The only sound is the car engine rumbling among the rough roads. Twinkle? In an ambulance to a hospital? What in the world happened? Is she okay? Will she be alright? What happened? A bad feeling comes to mind. Somehow, everyone is trying to break me. I stare ahead, determined just like Twinkle's dad. But I won't let them break me, and I'll do whatever it takes. The car goes over a bump in the road, and then it continues speeding down the lonely road.

Rare Blue Fedora, Some Clearance Items, & Gazelles Have Migrated Back to Stores

Today's Cute Pup of the Day is this handsome and fluffy dog. Congratulations to Bowie the Old English Sheepdog! Hmm, I wonder if Bowie really likes bows.? ^w^ Found on: DailyPuppy.com

The Daily Puppy
http://www.dailypuppy.com/puppies/Bowie-the-Old-English-Sheepdog_2014-06-16

Now on with my post! As you can probably guess, this post is finally going to be about AJ! Shocking indeed- just kidding lol. I'll be listing the "latest and greatest news of Jamaa." I bet that's from somewhere when I think of it, actually.

Today's Rare Item Monday is this multi-blue colored Fedora Hat. Sold in Jam Mart Clothing for 950 gems- surprisingly more expensive than Gazelle Horns. Onto that later. AJ is really into blue nowadays. I have my crazy penguin, Count who can prove that to you. In fact, I think he looks a bit less insane with this outfit! XD

See? RIM Fedora, RIM Big Bow, RIM Mustache, Freedom Bands... all (besides the Freedom Bands) are relatively recent RIMs that are blue. Now here's Count's reaction to this new item. I think he likes it.

Here's the Daily Explorer post with quite some interesting info:

It is RARE ITEM MONDAY and we present to you this sky-blue Rare Fedora! Your animals will look quite dapper sporting this hat while exploring Jamaa!

The first fedoras appeared in 1882. They were used in a play titled Fédora, by Victorien Sardou. The hat was named after the lead female character whose name was, you guessed it, Fedora!

The traditional fedora is made of felt, one of the oldest known fabrics. Since its production doesn’t require a loom, many ancient cultures were able to produce this sturdy textile.

Some of the oldest felt in the world was discovered in the frozen tombs of nomads in the Siberian Tlai mountains and was made around 700 BC!

Now onto some Clearance Items I found while scrolling through racks of clothing in Jam Mart! ^.^

Be sure to purchase these necklaces before they're out of stores! I already have these 2 Clearance Items. Which brings back some ol' nonmember days. When I was a nonmember, I would wear that color Moon Necklace to make my wolf (still Precious) look tough-looking. Now when I think of it, that wasn't tough-looking at all. Me in the days back then scare me, to be honest. XD

Now onto Gazelles! No, I'm not talking about those graceful animals that live in the African Savanna- kinda. Well, just their horns... uh, not exactly either. Let me explain.

Yesterday, Sunday June 15th, one of the most wanted and rare items ever in Jamaa have returned to stores- Jam Mart Clothing to be exact..All colors (besides Rare Gazelles and Scary Antlers) can be bought. Even the supposedly previously unreleased ones. So not exactly real Gazelle Horns- last time I checked, gazelles don't get natural-growing red, green, purple, orange, etc. gazelles! Except if you dye their horns, I guess.

I bought some Gazelles, and I absolutely love my arctic wolf, Myth, with red gazelles instead of just a top hat. Looks so cool in my opinion! Brings more red into the outfit. :)

Here are other outfits I made with some of the colors of gazelles. I bet I'm gonna change these outfits sooner or later.

Countess- pink gazelles

Miss- black gazelles (basically same outfit, but with gazelles instead of top hat)

Precious- lavender/light purple gazelles

Wow! That's quite a lot of info! So anyways, Jam On fellow Jammers!! ^.^