The following are beginning excerpts for two (out of a lot) of my stories I am currently allowing to be seen by the public. You can find me on Wattpad and/or Neobook! Support is greatly appreciated.
Despite the hell that reigned upon it, there was something comforting about the city. Adelmir’s often dark and cloudy skies contrasted the neon lights that lit up windows and signs around the city in order to make it a bit less dreary. That being said, the sun didn’t show much. Most of the time it rained, and if it wasn’t raining, it was windy. The sun coming out was rare, but not as much of a welcoming sign as it once was. At this point in time, everyone was used to the darkness and the light would mostly just hurt their eyes and keep them indoors. It made people’s skin tones paler than they would be otherwise, giving the city even more of a washed out, dull look behind all the neon lights and friendly advertisements used to distract people.
Buildings towered over the already-dark streets, casting more of a shadow over the people who walked along the sidewalks. No one really drove unless they weren’t from the area. Adelmir was big, but most people still preferred to walk over drive. Besides, the city was overcrowded and there wasn’t much space for parking lots and parking garages. If someone was too far away from their destination, they took a subway. Nowadays, only two subways were running, which often made it easier just to walk anyways. There were six subway conductors who filtered out throughout the day. However, there was only one who people really cared about because the other five were bitter - this was Roger. No one cared enough to know his last name, but they cared enough to treat him well if they happened to see him around the city.
Not by any means, however, was Adelmir considered ‘close-knit.’ Most people lived by the phrase ‘every man for himself’ and didn’t give much of a second thought to anyone else. It was pure selfishness, but it was widely understood selfishness. There wasn’t much room nor much time to care about another person when the sovereign seldom did it himself.
However, this lack of care for other people left a lot of room for crime. Adelmir wasn’t crime infested, but it sure had its fair share. Criminals tended to work for each other, making their community shockingly closer than the entirety of Adelmir. It also made them more dangerous than what they should have been. Some criminals, though, did not have any affiliation with the others - namely the ones with the largest prices on their head who weren’t going to risk another of their kind turning them in for a cash grab to skip town and go somewhere better.
One of these criminals was Richard Alann. His name was all over the town, as he was greatly despised by the sovereign. He had quite possibly the largest sum under his name which made it natural for him to not trust anyone. He had been on the run for seven years since his alleged murder of the sovereign's father, Aaron Black - who had, ultimately, been far better than his son, Blake, could ever be at keeping Adelmir safe and under control. After Aaron died and Blake took over, Adelmir got progressively worse and worse.
Richard Alann was Blake Black’s biggest enemy. A master at escape, a clever and witty man who made his way through his criminal life with a smile whenever he was caught. He didn’t let the cops or Blake’s soldiers get under his skin at any point, which made him even more of an annoying target for them. He was stubborn, determined, and absolutely difficult to work with. His personality wasn’t very flawed, but his tactics were. Granted, they kept him safe for seven years, but they put him in more danger than what he should have been in. He got into too many fights, too many chases, and too much danger. A lot of it was unnecessary. He had every option to stay hidden in whatever base he had for himself, but he seemed to enjoy the rush.
Sometimes that got him into trouble. Miraculously, and to the annoyance of Blake, he always found his way around it.
⇤⇥
Crashing into the brick wall, Rich found his vision jumbled like that of a jigsaw puzzle thrown to the floor. He didn’t have time to regain his senses nor the partial consciousness he lost in the impact. Every second he wasn’t moving, Blake’s soldiers just got closer. Pain pulsed through his whole body, but he refused to let that stop him. It took him years of practice to learn how to numb out the pain for a little while. But, hell, was he glad he had that skill now.
Long story short, Rich’s plans didn’t go so smoothly. He had one goal and one goal only - the only reason he was still in this forsaken city after seven years of being framed for first degree murder. However, today had simply been the wrong day to try and succeed in his mission. He often tried every once in a while, and the closest he had gotten was a few months ago where he was within steps of victory and escape. This gave him the idea that he was close. Today had just been a bad day. At least that was what he liked to tell himself.
Not only had he been caught by ten different soldiers at once because he made a wrong turn, he also came face-to-face with Blake, was caught and tied to a chair in the interrogation room (within a series of hallways and similar rooms in a catacomb-style space which lied under Black Tower), had to fight his way out by flattering Blake (rather unsuccessfully, but, hey, he wasn’t in that chair anymore), then book his way out of the tower at full speed. Now his legs were shaking under him as he was being chased through the Adelmir streets by about 20 or so soldiers with plenty of cops well on the way. The sirens filled the surprisingly busy streets, but those same busy streets had saved Rich. Being hit by a car was the least of his problems.
TW//Mentions of su*cide
In October, I was invited to partake in an investigation in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan. My boss, Mr. Christopher Atkinson, insisted that it was something that I would enjoy despite the fact that I never alluded to being interested in that sort of thing before. The investigation itself didn’t sound too pleasant to me in theory or practice, but after I heard about the situation, I felt a tinge of guilt if I were to say no. I didn’t get much information on it from Atkinson, who was the person one would assume would give me the most details on the case. Instead, it was coworkers I heard about it from before Atkinson even approached me about it. Namely, a man in the office named Elton Fancoate who was always up-to-date with all the news around the world as if he had ears around the globe. Knowing Elton, though, he probably did.
I didn’t really have much holding me back in Leicester, either. I was a single man and I didn’t go out of my way to make many good friends. I didn’t dislike people in general, I just had trouble finding people in person that were likable at all. After the investigation, I knew I would be back anyway, so the few things that I had wouldn’t remain lonely for too long. I wouldn’t mind getting out of my small apartment on the east side either. I didn’t live with anyone, no, but with how much work piled up, having such a small living space wasn’t exactly ideal. If I wanted to, I could get a bigger place, but I also didn’t quite like the idea of being alone in a bigger place. I was told by Atkinson I contradicted myself a lot. Honestly, I don’t think I have it too bad.
Atkinson informed me that I wouldn’t be amongst a huge group with the investigation nor would I be alone. He had been reached out to specifically by a wildlife preservationist in Fujikawaguchiko named Isana Yamashina who was working with the police department of Fujikawaguchiko for the investigation, telling Atkinson that she was contacting a selected few different corporations around the world for specialised help. According to Yamashina-san, good things had been said about Atkinson’s workers, and Atkinson favoured me over a lot of others in the building (though I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that). Yamashina-san explained that a biologist would be helpful in the case to track down the culprit which was thought to be some sort of animal that wasn’t native to Fujikawaguchiko. However, that wasn’t what got me to accept the invitation.
About one month ago, in early September, a 12-year-old boy was found dead miles away from his home on the forest floor of the infamous Aokigahara Forest. Once I heard the name, a certain spark lit inside of me. I didn’t like to admit that I was too familiar with that place. There was no clue as to how that young boy got there or why he was killed. Any suspicions that it could have been suicide were ruled out due to deep claw marks slashing through his clothes and skin, and a sharp tooth dug into the side of his neck.
Before Atkinson could explain any further, I stood up from the chair I was in across from him at his desk, and said I would do it. I didn’t ask a single question, but neither did he.
“You’ve always had spunk, Kingston, that’s why I like you,” Atkinson had said with a smile mixed with sadness and appreciation. It was a grim case, even to him, and I walked out of the office once he handed over a stack of printed sheets that Yamashina-san sent him over email. I still didn’t fully understand why Yamashina-san was looking for people outside of Fujikawaguchiko, but I figured I’d figure out the answer to that question whenever I got there. The paper on top had a date I would have to be at the preservation center by, and I could get a plane there anywhere before that date. When I decided to leave would be my choice, so I set on leaving Saturday. It was Monday, so I had a bit of time to prepare myself. I had to be at the preservation center on Tuesday, which I thought was very last minute, but I couldn’t bring myself to be annoyed about it. Not with the situation that was going on.
I had a soft spot for cases like this. While I generally hated the thought of any murder case, when children were involved, it invoked a different level of empathy. I returned to the second level of the building (Atkinson’s office was on the third - the top) where I worked in an office with a few others. I was right next to Elton, who never failed to talk to me multiple times a day about new things that were happening. I was certain I knew more about his family than they knew about themselves at this point, and I rarely questioned what people were talking about anymore because I didn’t understand. I would say that Elton’s habitual chattering did bother me at times, but I didn’t ever say anything to him about it because (as I was told), I was nicer than my own good.
Despite the hell that reigned upon it, there was something comforting about the city. Adelmir’s often dark and cloudy skies contrasted the neon lights that lit up windows and signs around the city in order to make it a bit less dreary. That being said, the sun didn’t show much. Most of the time it rained, and if it wasn’t raining, it was windy. The sun coming out was rare, but not as much of a welcoming sign as it once was. At this point in time, everyone was used to the darkness and the light would mostly just hurt their eyes and keep them indoors. It made people’s skin tones paler than they would be otherwise, giving the city even more of a washed out, dull look behind all the neon lights and friendly advertisements used to distract people.
Buildings towered over the already-dark streets, casting more of a shadow over the people who walked along the sidewalks. No one really drove unless they weren’t from the area. Adelmir was big, but most people still preferred to walk over drive. Besides, the city was overcrowded and there wasn’t much space for parking lots and parking garages. If someone was too far away from their destination, they took a subway. Nowadays, only two subways were running, which often made it easier just to walk anyways. There were six subway conductors who filtered out throughout the day. However, there was only one who people really cared about because the other five were bitter - this was Roger. No one cared enough to know his last name, but they cared enough to treat him well if they happened to see him around the city.
Not by any means, however, was Adelmir considered ‘close-knit.’ Most people lived by the phrase ‘every man for himself’ and didn’t give much of a second thought to anyone else. It was pure selfishness, but it was widely understood selfishness. There wasn’t much room nor much time to care about another person when the sovereign seldom did it himself.
However, this lack of care for other people left a lot of room for crime. Adelmir wasn’t crime infested, but it sure had its fair share. Criminals tended to work for each other, making their community shockingly closer than the entirety of Adelmir. It also made them more dangerous than what they should have been. Some criminals, though, did not have any affiliation with the others - namely the ones with the largest prices on their head who weren’t going to risk another of their kind turning them in for a cash grab to skip town and go somewhere better.
One of these criminals was Richard Alann. His name was all over the town, as he was greatly despised by the sovereign. He had quite possibly the largest sum under his name which made it natural for him to not trust anyone. He had been on the run for seven years since his alleged murder of the sovereign's father, Aaron Black - who had, ultimately, been far better than his son, Blake, could ever be at keeping Adelmir safe and under control. After Aaron died and Blake took over, Adelmir got progressively worse and worse.
Richard Alann was Blake Black’s biggest enemy. A master at escape, a clever and witty man who made his way through his criminal life with a smile whenever he was caught. He didn’t let the cops or Blake’s soldiers get under his skin at any point, which made him even more of an annoying target for them. He was stubborn, determined, and absolutely difficult to work with. His personality wasn’t very flawed, but his tactics were. Granted, they kept him safe for seven years, but they put him in more danger than what he should have been in. He got into too many fights, too many chases, and too much danger. A lot of it was unnecessary. He had every option to stay hidden in whatever base he had for himself, but he seemed to enjoy the rush.
Sometimes that got him into trouble. Miraculously, and to the annoyance of Blake, he always found his way around it.
⇤⇥
Crashing into the brick wall, Rich found his vision jumbled like that of a jigsaw puzzle thrown to the floor. He didn’t have time to regain his senses nor the partial consciousness he lost in the impact. Every second he wasn’t moving, Blake’s soldiers just got closer. Pain pulsed through his whole body, but he refused to let that stop him. It took him years of practice to learn how to numb out the pain for a little while. But, hell, was he glad he had that skill now.
Long story short, Rich’s plans didn’t go so smoothly. He had one goal and one goal only - the only reason he was still in this forsaken city after seven years of being framed for first degree murder. However, today had simply been the wrong day to try and succeed in his mission. He often tried every once in a while, and the closest he had gotten was a few months ago where he was within steps of victory and escape. This gave him the idea that he was close. Today had just been a bad day. At least that was what he liked to tell himself.
Not only had he been caught by ten different soldiers at once because he made a wrong turn, he also came face-to-face with Blake, was caught and tied to a chair in the interrogation room (within a series of hallways and similar rooms in a catacomb-style space which lied under Black Tower), had to fight his way out by flattering Blake (rather unsuccessfully, but, hey, he wasn’t in that chair anymore), then book his way out of the tower at full speed. Now his legs were shaking under him as he was being chased through the Adelmir streets by about 20 or so soldiers with plenty of cops well on the way. The sirens filled the surprisingly busy streets, but those same busy streets had saved Rich. Being hit by a car was the least of his problems.
TW//Mentions of su*cide
In October, I was invited to partake in an investigation in Fujikawaguchiko, Japan. My boss, Mr. Christopher Atkinson, insisted that it was something that I would enjoy despite the fact that I never alluded to being interested in that sort of thing before. The investigation itself didn’t sound too pleasant to me in theory or practice, but after I heard about the situation, I felt a tinge of guilt if I were to say no. I didn’t get much information on it from Atkinson, who was the person one would assume would give me the most details on the case. Instead, it was coworkers I heard about it from before Atkinson even approached me about it. Namely, a man in the office named Elton Fancoate who was always up-to-date with all the news around the world as if he had ears around the globe. Knowing Elton, though, he probably did.
I didn’t really have much holding me back in Leicester, either. I was a single man and I didn’t go out of my way to make many good friends. I didn’t dislike people in general, I just had trouble finding people in person that were likable at all. After the investigation, I knew I would be back anyway, so the few things that I had wouldn’t remain lonely for too long. I wouldn’t mind getting out of my small apartment on the east side either. I didn’t live with anyone, no, but with how much work piled up, having such a small living space wasn’t exactly ideal. If I wanted to, I could get a bigger place, but I also didn’t quite like the idea of being alone in a bigger place. I was told by Atkinson I contradicted myself a lot. Honestly, I don’t think I have it too bad.
Atkinson informed me that I wouldn’t be amongst a huge group with the investigation nor would I be alone. He had been reached out to specifically by a wildlife preservationist in Fujikawaguchiko named Isana Yamashina who was working with the police department of Fujikawaguchiko for the investigation, telling Atkinson that she was contacting a selected few different corporations around the world for specialised help. According to Yamashina-san, good things had been said about Atkinson’s workers, and Atkinson favoured me over a lot of others in the building (though I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that). Yamashina-san explained that a biologist would be helpful in the case to track down the culprit which was thought to be some sort of animal that wasn’t native to Fujikawaguchiko. However, that wasn’t what got me to accept the invitation.
About one month ago, in early September, a 12-year-old boy was found dead miles away from his home on the forest floor of the infamous Aokigahara Forest. Once I heard the name, a certain spark lit inside of me. I didn’t like to admit that I was too familiar with that place. There was no clue as to how that young boy got there or why he was killed. Any suspicions that it could have been suicide were ruled out due to deep claw marks slashing through his clothes and skin, and a sharp tooth dug into the side of his neck.
Before Atkinson could explain any further, I stood up from the chair I was in across from him at his desk, and said I would do it. I didn’t ask a single question, but neither did he.
“You’ve always had spunk, Kingston, that’s why I like you,” Atkinson had said with a smile mixed with sadness and appreciation. It was a grim case, even to him, and I walked out of the office once he handed over a stack of printed sheets that Yamashina-san sent him over email. I still didn’t fully understand why Yamashina-san was looking for people outside of Fujikawaguchiko, but I figured I’d figure out the answer to that question whenever I got there. The paper on top had a date I would have to be at the preservation center by, and I could get a plane there anywhere before that date. When I decided to leave would be my choice, so I set on leaving Saturday. It was Monday, so I had a bit of time to prepare myself. I had to be at the preservation center on Tuesday, which I thought was very last minute, but I couldn’t bring myself to be annoyed about it. Not with the situation that was going on.
I had a soft spot for cases like this. While I generally hated the thought of any murder case, when children were involved, it invoked a different level of empathy. I returned to the second level of the building (Atkinson’s office was on the third - the top) where I worked in an office with a few others. I was right next to Elton, who never failed to talk to me multiple times a day about new things that were happening. I was certain I knew more about his family than they knew about themselves at this point, and I rarely questioned what people were talking about anymore because I didn’t understand. I would say that Elton’s habitual chattering did bother me at times, but I didn’t ever say anything to him about it because (as I was told), I was nicer than my own good.
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