I bring you a second story, one that my friend Brylee Rose and I are co-writing, The Writing on the Wall. Enjoy!
A small girl cried. Her hands had grown cold when he had left. He could always keep her warm, but now he was gone. She shook the spray bottle, and added another flourish.
Natsu could hear the shouts of the angry jocks behind him, trying to catch him despite knowing Natsu had never once been caught by anyone. Kicking off his shoes to silence his footsteps, Natsu jumped a fence and sprinted through the tall grass. The stupid bastards just didn't understand that he hadn't been trying to pick up any girls. It wasn't his fault that one slut was hanging all over him when all he wanted was some damn quiet time. The jocks could have the slut. Natsu just wanted to be alone.
After running over the rough rocks he knew preceded the railroad tracks, he ducked under the bridge and waited twenty minutes. After they didn't find him, he eased out of the corner he'd wedged himself in and stretched out. Normally, Natsu would have just beat up the bastards, but when there were eight of them and one of you, sometimes odds were just odds. So Natsu ran. The sun had gone down at some point, leaving him in near darkness. He sniffed around, finding no trace of any human beings, and so lit a fist to cast some light around. This power could have easily removed the annoyance called 'jocks', but it would also have labeled him a danger to society, and he would have been mercilessly hunted for the rest of his life. He wandered down the hill and decided to read the obvious graffiti on the concrete embankment that held up the bridge above him. Stupid things like "Jack rules" and "Rebel heart" decorated most of it, but some more organized art attracted his attention.
A huge red circle covered a large portion of the wall, its center containing a strange bird-like symbol Natsu wasn't familiar with. In large blocky writing around the symbol, someone had inscribed,
"ALL THE LOST WILL FIND THEIR HOME AND THEIR WINGS WILL FLUTTER AGAIN"
Written in various writings within the circle and the words were names. Names such as Rori, Allie, Chandler, Sake, Echo, Del, and Rover. What caught his eye though was one name written in flaming graffiti letters in the bottom, as though a short person wrote it. It was his name, Natsu. He ran his hand over the paint, making sure that he wasn't just seeing things. Why would his name be on this wall? There was zero chance there anyone else shared his name, so someone was clearly looking for him. Not to mention they knew about his fire power. Why else would the name be written in flaming letters?
"Recognize a name, my friend?"
A low, throaty voice that sounded like it belonged to a young boy startled him out of his thoughts. His head snapped around to the pillar the boy had come from behind, fire blazing now. There was no point in hiding it; the boy would have already seen it. Strangely, the boy had his face and head covered by a black bandana and a black beanie. Only his fringe poked out of the hat, bright blond and long. Everything the boy wore was black and loose, hanging off a thin, short frame.
"So what if I do, kid?"
"Well, do you recognize your name at all?"
"That's none of your business."
"Fine, then. I'm only the one who did half of this graffiti, so this is your last chance to ask any questions. I just came to make sure no one had dared graffiti over my work."
Natsu debated asking, but realized that he could be stuck if he did. For all he knew, this whole thing was just some nasty trap designed to get even for some wrong he had committed.
"I have no questions for you. Get lost before I burn that fringe off."
The boy's face crinkled in what would have been a smile if Natsu could have seen his face. Nonchalantly, the boy swiped his fringe out of his eyes to reveal stunningly brown eyes.
"Maybe you don't have questions now, but you will later, Natsu. I recommend going home the back was; the jocks are waiting at the front entrance to your house. Have a pleasant night."
Before Natsu could ask the kid how he knew his name, the kid leapt backwards into a hole Natsu hadn't noticed in the dark. The hole closed behind him as if it was never there. Natsu let his fist burn out, stunned beyond belief. Someone else had some kind of power, and they knew who he was? Someone was looking for him? Nobody had given a shit about him since his dad disappeared, let alone someone who could potentially have something in common with him. Running home, he noted with interest and a smile that the boy had been right; the jocks were at his front door. He climbed in through the fire escape soundlessly, locking the window behind him. Natsu had a very hard time sleeping that night between thoughts of the boy's identity, his powers, and the mysterious new turn his life seemed to be taking. Could this be bigger than he had originally imagined?
A girl cried in her room. The tears were different now, though. Her heart was breaking; lack of room to hold all her joy overwhelming her. For the first time in fifteen years, her hands felt warm.
So this is chapter 1, and I hope that you see fit to give Brylee and I feedback so we can consider writing another one or at least continuing this one. Tell your friends about this one, and tell us what you think! Thank you!