It was extremely odd you know. Being the only person in here with a personal reason as to why I was only able to speak with my hands, but was also blessed with the ability to hear still. I don't feel like giving you the in depth story to it all, but I can tell you that when I met Natalia, I was genuinely surprised.
A friend of mine introduced her to me when I told him that I couldn't tell him a lot of problems about my past.
At first, I thought she was a dirty liar. When I saw her face the first time when we had "spoken" over my friend Josephine's computer, she was extremely shy, and was so bad with her sign that I wanted to just start rubbing the underside of my chin at her and call her a liar. But it wasn't because she was some liar. In flesh and blood, which I had neglected to register at the time, she was one and the same as me. We spoke more frequently as time went on over the break from school. We got so close that while I had early on learnt that she was born with damaged vocal cords, she was also chronically anxious. She desperately wanted to catch the attention of the world with her cute and charming looks and amazing drawings and penmanship, but she lacked the intestinal fortitude to go out and claim territory in some form of media for herself.
Truth be told it became evident as to why my old friend ended up telling me about Natalia. She was orphaned at a young age, and grew up moving from household to household, never settling down as her anxiety attacks and quiet personality, mixed with her lack of ability to speak, began to distance her from the families that adopted her.
But one night stood out the most to me, during one of our fifteen minute sign sessions. She entered the video channel balling, tears streaming down her cheeks as her shoulders sagged.
She told me through the most utterly painful sign ( sorry Natters XP) that she had been strong for so long, and that all she wanted to do was rest.
At first, I jumped to conclusions, snapping forward in a flurry of angry hand motions that were literally a blur to her side of the session. After I slowly went back over everything, she wept harder.
["I did not mean an eternal rest."]
That same night I comforted and consoled her, she broke free from most of her anxiety. Sure she was still afraid, and shrunk back when people intimidated her, but she was still a sturdy girl, none the less.
She taught me a lesson as well. I had to take care of myself before I took care of others. I dropped fanfictions entirely. I literally went from, 'just starting to gain fans' to - 'nobodies home'.
True now, Natters is retyping and correcting all of this, but the story is still ours- directed by me and orchestrated by her finishing writings. She is truly my "shero".

(-)

Reclining in the chair, I gave the chilly air of my room a deep breath, before leaning forward again, and looking at the computer.
She's late... Thinking quietly to myself, I felt my heart beat pick up. What if she got hurt? Maybe I should message Grey to see if she's alright...
A second later, as I was just about to rise and pace the room like a crazed motherly figure, a caller icon popped up, and the smooth faced brunette with a light eyeliner on and a shy smile appeared, holding a cat up to the picture.
I slapped the enter key, and motioned a hello to an empty screen.
What the heck? Leaning forward as close as I possibly could without JAMMING my face to the screen, I looked hard at the monitor. The room beyond Natalia's empty seat was mostly bare, the white walls void of the band posters that used to litter the vast expands that was her dry wall.
Natalia?
Something wasn't right; the air felt heavy in my room and the lights seemed to dim... I bit my lip and fear fitted me most as the overall ambiance of the situation grew sinister and mysterious. A small dot suddenly appeared on my screen, almost like a laser pointer was hitting the camera, but not producing he same glare you would expect.
Backing up in my seat slowly, I rose. I wasn't quick enough. Maybe. Maybe if I had just flung my laptop against the nearby wall, none of what was about to happen would have taken place.

"Wwwrrraawwww!" Natalia's single, rather iconic word made me screech in fear, and I reeled back, swinging my chair backwards and ramming into the carpeted floor of my room.
Flying to my feet, tears teasing my eyes as I raised my hand, I signed angrily.
["What the hell, Natalia! Do not do that!"]
Giggling, she slumped in her seat, and I sighed. Pulling my chair upright, I gave her a tired look as she replied to me.
[" Why are you angry? I am only kidding."]
["... all right. How has the day been going for you?"]
I watched my friend raise her hands to reply, a smile on her face. But an instant after she read my sign, her face flickered as if some sort of pain came over her, and her posture went from perfect to poor.
["Everything is alright."]
["..."] With my hands in sight of the camera, I froze.
How do I... Reply to her?
["Natters?"]
She looked up at me, her head tilted down and her bangs falling almost over her eye.
["...yes..."] Hesitating, she signed slowly, frowning.
I opened my mouth as if to speak, but ended up shaking my head.
["You know you are a horrible liar, right."]
We began ending our sentences not as questions, and because of that, the whole ambiance of the video call darkened quickly.
["Hey..."] Natalia sighed after an uncomfortable minute of silence. Her small hands got harder to spot after her sweatshirt's sleeves began to clump down by her wrists. ["Can you - k to Ottawa- I - help -for- sake- of sanity."]
Raising my hands up in alarm at her sudden flurry of sign, I almost made a frown from my expressionless face- almost said, 'hold on, what?'
Sadly, Natalia visibly and forcefully brought her fist down on the keyboard, cutting off the video feed, and dropping the call.
Jumping as I was startled, my mind flashed with the images of Nat's last facial expressions.
Her smile... was contorted. Her eyes saddening.
My god, Natters. I thought fearfully, standing up from my set so quickly it fell back. What have you gotten into this time.

(-)

The air was cold as I trudged on through the snow, looking forward with a rather determined face. The drive to the Ontario side was long, and I lost the first day of my precious weekend.
Not that I am doing much anyway...
Sighing into my hands, I kept them cuffed over my mouth, as my scarf was currently not level with my nose, but in my backpack.
The sidewalk of Ottawa was coated in freshly falling snow coming from a rather bright, gray sky. The clouds overhead were indeed not as thick as yesterday.
Maybe that's a sign that brighter days are to come?
My mouth twitched into a smirk, and my inner persona began laughing.
You're not a psychic, Lunacora! And even than...
Shaking myself from thinking rather pessimistically again, i moved onward, weaving around the slow moving walkers on the street.
There aren't a lot of people walking about today...
Snow crunching lightly underfoot, i turned at a corner, and spotted my target; a library that me and a few of our other friends had once met. Now it was just a stinging reminder of the fallout that we had had. Shaking my head to rid the coming thoughts of the past, I stepped inside the warm building.
The lone librarian, a rather young but over worked man, shuttling a cart of books down the aisles, paid me no attention as he disappeared to complete his work. I looked around the warm lobby, trying to find the brunette I had come to love.
Where are you at?
A crack and a snap made me leap away from the door leading outside. Spinning around and stumbling, I turned. There was somebody outside…

Shooting someone!?

Rushing towards the door, I looked through the thick glass. The sounds were getting closer. Backing away somewhat slowly, I ducked behind a shelf of books.

What is that sound?

The noise didn't die, and the increase of the pops sent sounds of screaming down the streets. Fear lanced up my spine, and a stabbing pain hit my gut.

W-…

"Luna?" A soft voice made me jump, and I hit my head on the cold metal as my heart throbbed.

Gasping, I spun, and huffed emotionally.

Natalia was alright, standing slightly behind the speaker. My anger softened, as did my fears. The boys standing in front of her were twins, Nic and Phill, two of Natalia's friends. Both were a bit alarmed, and the least quiet of the two, Nic, stepped towards the door.

"What's going on out there?"

["How the hell should I know?"]

"Sorry, but-." The sound of exploding glass made us all jump, and the screams grew. I spun to the sound of running footsteps, and saw the librarian turn the corner. I raised my hands to sign to him; to warn him of the possible dangers the lay in the opening of the lobby. He began to turn his head towards me, just as his eyes widened. He jerked back as red sprayed the air in front of his chest. The body hit the floor heavy, creating a sickening thud that would forever scar my thoughts and haunt my dreams to come.

I knew what it felt like to be dead. Being in a coma for half a year was not as fun as anyone would think, but Natalia, Nic, and Phill…

Jumping from behind the bookshelves, I got my first glimpse of the killers.

Thugs with an assortment of goods and gun strapped to themselves had weapons pointed right at us. My own fear was what drove me on.

"GET THE FUCK DOWN!"

My hands shook only a little as I remained standing. Natalia backed away as I pushed Phill towards the shelves.

Oh would I give to talk…

"DID YOU HEAR ME?!"

"She can't speak ma-." Blood hit the side of my face, red staining my dyed teal hair, and I jumped a little as the sound scared me half to death. Looking down, Nic was collapsed, staring into the void…

Gasping, I fell to my knees. Sobbing, tears burned my eyes and screams of sorrow scratched my dry throat.

No! NO!

Pounding the floor beside him, I screamed again. Swinging my head around in fury, I glared at the gun barrel staring down at me.

"I asked you a fucking question."

I sighed, closing my eyes.

Goddammit.

(-)

Natalia couldn't breathe. Her heart was about to burst. Lunacora was…

All she could do was stare at the body. This was all her fault, in her eyes. Her friends were dead because of her.

"She shoulda said something."

"You dumb ass, that kid was talkin' an' you shot his ass!"

"Well, so-ree for bein' a little trigger happy! We almost got what we need-."

"We NEED hostages!"

Phill pushed her gently. "Go."

"…"

"Get away from here."

"…" She could only stare. Her legs wouldn't move for her. Her arms were latched on to the necklace, the cross that she had convinced herself that would always protect her.

"Luna's gone. Nic is gone. Go…" The boy was finished speaking. There was nothing left to say. When he took his first step towards the bickering group of killers, Natalia finally snapped from her trance. Her breathing went wild, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to keep from screeching.

Phill!

She watched him glance back once, and she staggered back.

Go…

Stumbling backwards, Natalia watched Phill catch the attention of the men.

"Hey kid, stay where you are. KID. I'm warnen ya-." A heavy masculine growl made her flinch, and the last Natalia saw of her friend Phill was when he lunged for a gun.

The staircase echoed as she flew up the steps.

(-)

The sounds of pursuit made her only move faster up the stairs, and Natalia cried, tears streaming down her face. She had to get away. Phill distracted them for her, so she could escape…

No…no…no…no…

She didn't take notice to the floor numbers, and only realized there was nowhere left to go when she ran into a dead end and a stairwell leading up to the rooftop door. There was no way back down, she could see them nearing the floor below her.

Gasping for breath, her throat enflamed by bile and dry air intake, she pushed through the door, stumbling into the darkening snow covered rooftop of the library. Staggering forward towards the obvious ledge, she sniffed and sobbed, trying to regain her emotions and shattered thoughts. Eyes wild, she saw the ski masked men stumble through the sudden snow, pointing towards her.

"Come'r girly!" One, with a gruff voice, the "trigger happy" one, took aim with his gun.

Natalia choked another scream, before spinning to the ledge. An almost empty alley way lay below. Looking back, they were making their way towards her. Spinning, she gasped for breath. Fighting her instincts, she clambered onto the ledge.

"Now don't there do that, lil' girly."

"Yeah, yea lil' girl. Your too lil to die yah know."

Natalia sniffed, stepping back. Wobbling, she swung her arms about to maintain her balance. Looking back, the snow she knocked off the ledge went down like a rock, and hit the ground with a splatter. Looking back, the man in the lead got close. Too close.

He lunged for her leg. So she jumped.

Gravity pulled her back and under, and she didn't fight the pull. Tumbling felt like ages, and slowly, but surely, the open expanse of grey clouds faded as the alley walls closed around her like a maw of malevolent darkness.

(+++)

Violet opened her eyes, gasping for breath for the first time, in the world of minecraftia, and cried. Though, for some odd reason, it felt like it wasn't because she spawned. It was because of something she just could not ever again remember.