Come on, lil cloud, you can do it!

lil_cloud @ 2005-01-24T22:49:00

2005-01-24T13:08:32Z

I had not a clue what to write about and then Maddy suggested "writing about haters".
And so here I am.
Ficful.

Alan picked up his shovel and pulled his hat lower over his eyes, willing his lower lip to stop quivering. It wouldn't do to show them they'd won. They knew it already, though. He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, stumbling over his own feet as he followed the dusty road back to camp. This was only his second day, his second hole, his first morning, and everything was still going wrong. He needed to be tough, if he was going to survive here. He didn't want to wimp out, as he knew others had - a quick rattlesnake bite, a splinter that gets infected, a twisted ankle - they would just prove to the others he couldn't handle it.

He made it back to camp in time to watch the sunset over the desert, and he dropped the shovel in the rather large pile of them before trying to remember where his tent was. 'D', he thought, for detention. 'D', for derailed. 'D', for desperate.

He barely had time to react when his stomach exploded with pain, his vision blurring as the tears from before slid easily over his face, down to his parched lips and dripping, accompanied only by a small gasp as he inhaled, onto the ground below.

Over the course of that week, Alan got better at reacting. He spent most of his nights lying awake, listening for the smallest noises to alert himself of the others. Eventually, the bags under his eyes deepened, the need for sleep lessened, and his body got used to flinching away from anyone coming near. Eventually, he could slide away from anyone approaching, earning himself the nickname 'Squid'. He could steal things just as quick as he could get away, too. It wasn't anything he was proud of, though.

Ricky tapped twice on the wooden table, mouthed the word 'boom' at X-Ray and winked easily at Squid, hair moving in any which direction. It was facinating, Squid thought, his eyes following the waves of lighter colour through the new boy's hair. He looked down again to realise Ricky was in the middle of another story, fingers tracing a crack in the table as he told it. The boys sat, spellbound, as he recounted the way it was easy enough to light a fire in the school, how easy it was not to get caught, and then how such a small detail - his bracelet, getting him caught.

"It twisted itself around the handle of the room as I was leaving, and in my frustration I pulled away, figuring the plastic would melt into nothing. I forgot, of course, that the only person in the school who had a green plastic bracelet everyday was me, and that was my downfall. They didn't need to even prove it, really, because I had such a history behind me. They hated me there."

"And we hate you here," X-Ray said happily, slapping a hand on Ricky's broad shoulders. "But it's better then back there, because we're all in the same position."

Dinner had faded into boring conversation again, and Squid didn't bother listening at all.

The next morning, when he got up just before the morning call, he looked over to see X-Ray and the others all up as well, staring at the new boy's bed. There he lay, too long to fit in the bed any which way, arms up as far as they could go and knees bent to create a crooked sort of 'Z'.

"It's like a zigzag or somethin'," Armpit said, pointing out the outline, the other boys agreeing. "Crazy Zigzag."

SHE SAID SEX gasp

2005-01-18T13:15:37Z

I need a life

The first time Zig had sex was with a girl called Mary. She had short red hair and they had done it in her bedroom while her parents watched CNN on the kitchen tv.
It had been awkward and Mary, who was more experienced than Zig probably ever would be, had faked an orgasm in an attempt to avoid him being embarressed. She wasnt a very good actor. Afterwards he had wanted to lie with his head on her chest but she wanted a cigarette and had gone outside to smoke. He had felt lonely and immature.
It was nothing like his second time.
Afterwards he and Squid had lay in the dusty lake, staring at the sky and talking about the things they missed most about home.
Zig had felt really good.

lil_cloud @ 2004-12-30T21:07:00

2004-12-30T11:20:39Z

"What're your resolutions, dude?" The mess hall was loud, everyone scrabbling and protecting their food from would-be stealers. Squid's eyes were wary as they focused on Zig, whose hair was wet from the shower he had just had. He was slouching slightly, as he always did, away from the light and the attention tall people usually got.

"Resolutions?" He asked, mind clicking over the possible resolutions he would need. Why? What did you have to have resolutions for, he wondered. Suddenly, in a flash, he recalled back to 'normal life' - outside this hellhole. His eighth grade teacher, passing around a box...collecting their resolutions for next year. His eyes darted from Zig's face to his plate, and then up to the far wall, on which a large clock and calendar sat. Sure enough, Christmas had been crossed off without so much as a second glance, and New Year's Day was fast approaching. Two days.

He thought fast, trying to recall even a single other thing he wanted to achieve in his life, other then getting to the bottom of the hole, and finding true love, which seemed very lame in the stark sunlight. Finally he smiled half-heartedly and shrugged, stabbing his fork gently into the potato that had grown cold on the side of his plate.

"I've decided I'm not going to have any this year. I'm perfect in every single way." He shovelled the food off the grimy plate and into his mouth, not caring about the hundreds of possible diseases he could be getting. People who thought like that here ended up dead, if not from starvation then from the cold, or from the very opposite of the thing they feared.

"Perfect. Yeah, I'd say you're pretty darn close," Zig muttered, smiling quickly before also digging into his meal.

lil_cloud @ 2004-12-20T18:04:00

2004-12-20T00:30:56Z

humour of the LAME sort.

Squid pulled up to the party, jeans low and spirits lower. He'd just returned from Camp Greenlake, finally clean and almost happy, and had been plunged right back into the gang, where his friends had saved his position for him. Now he had to act all tough and that when he really wanted to just go to sleep for days. Right now he was at some random party he had been told he had to go to, to keep up the good name of the Fire Hawks wide spread and known. People tended to relax about rules when a gang didn't keep up its rep.

There was some stupid pop song - Eminem or something - blasting as they walked through the gate and positioned themselves on one side of the yard, close to the refreshments table. People always came over to the refreshments table - and then they'd see them, Squid with his two close buddies protecting him. Like bouncers, but they hit harder.

Soon a few girls were dancing around their proximity, and there were at least a few drunken boys trying on high heels, and the like. One such boy, taller then most people, was walking perfectly in the heels, stumbling only over his words. Someone pushed him from behind, and before he knew it, Squid's arms were enveloping him and the rest of the room was crushing in, keeping them pressed together and making them bounce in time, or be squashed.

"Squid man, what're you doing all the way here...? I would 'ave thought you'dve moved or something..." the voice was slurring into his ear, and he looked down in surprise. No one outside of Camp Greenlake called him Squid. Here everyone called him "False" or "Starch", for reasons he didn't go into.

"Zig-Zag? What the fuck are you doing in my hood? Where'd you come from? Aren't you like, hella fucking rich? What're you doing out here? It's the slums, boy." His accent sounded funny, jarring with the New York ones around them. It was weird how he had retained his accent, over all the years.

"I was invited. I came. We had a little drinking contest, must have been before you came. I won, you know?"

"Only just, obviously," Squid muttered, pulling Zig upright against himself as he swayed slightly. Zig made to say something back, a witty reply, but instead he just leaned his head forward and moaned quietly, hands raising to the small of Squid's back, fingers massaging his own forehead.

"I've got the worst headache, Squid. Worster then...anything. Oh god. Pain." Squid was tempted to leave it for a moment, just to feel Zig's hands on his back, but he decided Zig's health was more important and untangled himself, waving a hand above the crowd. Soon his 'friends' had cleared a path and the two struggled out behind them, into a less crowded area.

"You want some water, Starch?" One of the guys asked, cocking his head at the table in front of them. Squid shrugged, palms up, and they both immedietly went to look for bottled water. You could never be to certain, he knew.

"You okay, Zig?" He muttered, helping Zig sit down on an abandoned stool. He did a double take as he watched Zig rub his nose, and then he moved closer to rest his head against his friend's shoulder. Time was against him, he knew, soon his 'friends' would be back and he'd have to be tough, so he would have to be weak for just one moment now, while no one was watching.

"Sorry about this," He muttered, pressing his lips hard against Zig's and closing his eyes tight, fingers curling around Zig's jean material, tasting the bitter tang of alcohol still left on Zig's lips, feeling the little crevices on each lip of Zig-Zag's against his, and then he broke away, turning away quickly and letting his head settle. At least that was done now.

lil_cloud @ 2004-12-20T16:51:00

2004-12-19T22:59:54Z

School marks always frustrated Squid. He never did very well, which was why he dreaded the week that came when report cards would be sent out. Occasionally, he would work extra hard and get a C, maybe a B if he was really good, but most of the time his report had read D's the entire way through, punctuated by the random D+ and C. It was very rare that he passed anything.

The reason it didn't bother him as much as it bothered the others from school, he guessed, was because he didn't have anyone to show it to. He didn't have to worry about what his father would say, or how his mother would react, because his father was gone and his mother was off her face too much to care.

Until Camp Greenlake, there was no one who was worth doing well for. There were a few teachers who thought they could bribe him, some who guenuinely liked him, but they never motivated him enough to actually try. At Camp though, he had soon found that the only person he wanted to impress had been a nearly straight A student, who just had a likening for fire. He frowned when Squid had boasted about his marks to the other boys, but had said nothing, keeping himself quiet.

So Squid started giving a standard for the only thing he could out here, his holes. He'd smooth out the edges, and carefully pile his dirt, flattening the bottom when he got to it. When he pulled himself out, he'd smooth away the marks his hands had made, and he'd shine up his shovel carefully with his sleeve, til he could see his reflection, and further back, Zig's reflection.

And usually, after he had shined it enough to see into like a mirror, he would see Zig-Zag's blue eyes watching his reflection and winking slightly, before drawing a breath and continuing to dig. It was that communication that told him he was doing good. So good, in fact, he might get to stay after one day and help out. Maybe when no one else was around. After all, the holes they were digging were a mighty long way from the rest of the camp. No one could hear anything you did out here.

lil_cloud @ 2004-11-15T22:24:00

2004-11-15T03:57:10Z

Writing to make the fic-demon-pinky less desperate for her zuig.

"When was the last time you saw a girl"

Zig was lying on his bed as was his habit on hot days. He hadnt been expecting this question and it had left him dazed for a second. He turned on his side and stared at squid with his trademark crazy-grin.

"Squiddy, I am looking at one right now"

"You know you love it"

It was a rare occasion that squid said somthing in return to an insult. Zig laughed, lent over the edge of his bed and wacked squid round the head with his hand. Then he went back to lying on his back. It was too bloody hot.

lil_cloud @ 2004-11-15T20:12:00

2004-11-15T02:12:26Z

And so Maddy decreeded, a challenge shall be set.

And it was done.

"Fly me to the moon"
Mountains
Someone feeling sick

"Fly me to the moon, let me play, among the stars, let me see what life is like, on jupiter or mars..." Stan sung, washing his hair as quickly as possible. It was hard to do in this two minute shower, but he had saved up his shower tokens and was now relaxing in the cool water as it soaked through the caked mud, like some sort of hippo.

"Hey, are you singing Frank Sinatra?" Magnet asked, in his comical accent. Immedietly the rest of D-Tent, who just happened to be hanging around the showers innocently, turned on him in a hostile manner.

"What's so wrong with Frankie?" Squid asked, hoping he sounded menacing. Stan grinned, glad for once he wasn't the one being singled out, watching the scene unfold before him. He had seemed to have forgotten he was naked, and wasting precious water.

"Nothing, nothin'," Magnet said hastily, adjusting his bandana and muttering "If you like old people music."

"YOU CAN'T TALK, TACO-BOY!" Zigzag yelled over Squid's shoulder. His glare could have frightened off mountains, which was saying something. He gradually calmed down, Squid's small hand patting him on the back quietly.

"You better hope you didn't just insult my accent," Magnet said, rounding on Squid, who quailed in front of Zigzag. Zig stepped in front of his friend, pushing a hand gently into Squid's shoulder as he cleared a circle around them.

"Stay out of trouble, Squiddy. Don't want you to get hurt." They shared a brief glance, accompanied by a smile from both boys and confused looks from the rest of D-Tent. They were just weird though, and had their own club. Probably had badges.

"Don't do it Ziggy. Don't hurt." Squid said softly, so only Zig caught it, and only just. He frowned, twisting around to stare at Squid for a long moment, before X-Ray cleared his throat and Zigzag turned back to see Magnet fuming. This wasn't going to be good.

Magnet had just spat on the ground, in front of him, when Squid let out a godawful wail, clutching his head.

"I FEEL SICK. OH GOD. I FEEL SO SICK EVERYONE HAS TO PAY ATTENTION TO ME. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

Zigzag hid a grin as he rushed to Squid's side, forming a king's chair with X-Ray and Magnet, all hostility forgotten, and Armpit overseeing. Stan was still naked, and was watching after them with an anxious look on his face, when he realised the water had shut off sometime ago. He swore quietly and pulled out another shower token from his clothes, pushing it in and rinsing out the home-made shampoo from his hair.

They all knew that trick. But it always worked for Squid, for no real reason.

wooo i suck. XD

lil_cloud @ 2004-10-13T21:08:00

2004-10-13T04:18:21Z

Santa never brought him anything. It was nothing personal, just an agreement they had together. That's what he TRIED to tell Zig-Zag, who refused to believe him. It was a game the two had -- at camp they gave each other rocks and stole kisses quickly in the shadows, at home they now had the chance to 'save up', to anticipate each other's reactions, to steal kisses in bright daylight, if they dared.

It was just a game, though. It all ended when the mistletoe was put away, until the next year. It was like a fairy-tale, something he waited all year for, and maybe that's why they both loved it so much. No one at school understood his love for the winter months, why he grinned more and more as the lake froze over, why he seemed to positively glow during those seasons.

That was why he was so suprised when, at seven am as he stepped out into the already hot summer morning, he almost trod on a little flower. Nothing special, just a little daisy. He tucked the flower into his backpack, musing on the mysterious giver of such an odd gift and tracing the same path to school.

Except he didn't get there, that morning. A guy in black clothes - black jeans, tight black shirt, black runners - was leaning in the alley that he normally ran down between the main streets. And it wasn't just any random guy, either.

It was almost like Christmas again. Except, this time, there was no stupid sleigh bells jingling, and he had a valid excuse to take off his shirt.

lil_cloud @ 2004-10-09T14:30:00

2004-10-08T21:39:52Z

There are many fearsome predators in the world. Sharks, Lions, Piranas...But none of them live up to the fearsome pinky.
She attacked me today.
And I have the battle-challenge-scars to prove it.
I hear chicks dig scars.

"what's with you and so and so?" <~ use that line
glitter, and guy's hatred of it
sifting sand
a cucumber

Squid was afraid of glitter. It was somthing he was deeply ashamed of and somthing that had affected him most of his teenage life. He remembered the day the fear was born. He must have been about 5 because he still had the horrendous mullet of the early 90's. He had been sitting in the school sandpit, alone that day because Lucy-Christine had been calling him Pissy-Pants-Alan for the past week. He remembered that the castle he had intended on building wasnt turning out the way he wanted and he had ended up shifting sand from one corner of the box to the other. The next thing he remembered was being unable to breath and not knowing why. He felt tiny things poking into his windpipe and when he tried to open his eyes they stung.
He didnt know what happened next but he knew that having a bag of glitter tipped into your face on a windy day by boys who think you wet your pants is not a fun expereince.

Of course Camp greenlake wasnt exactly glitter-land. In the entire time he had been there he had never been confronted by his arch nemesis. That was until the new kid arrived. The boys called him cucumber because he had about four in his bag when he turned up. But not just cucumber...glitter. A big fucking bag of glitter. At first squid thought he could handle it. He stayed away from cucumbers bags and avoided the subject of the kids wierd obsessions. But no matter how hard he tried it was obvious somthing was wrong. He wasnt digging as fast, he couldnt sleep and whenever cucumber was nearbye he would make a stupid excuse and leave.

One night, as squid trudged back to camp, having spent the whole day digging so he didnt have to be in the same room with 'it', he was confronted bya dusty and grumpy zigzag

"Whats with you and cucumber"

Squid blinked, Looked at the cabin, his feet, the sky then back and zig.
And burst into tears.

tell them how i've defied gravity.

2004-10-04T03:15:50Z

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby

Quote from Maddy: "RUB ME RUB ME RUB-a-dub dub ME OH YEH"

"And then she's all like "RUB ME RUB ME RUB-a-dub dub ME OH YEH"...guh." Squid shook his head, throwing himself down on the couch.

"But don't you just enjoy saying that..." Zig-Zag said slyly, turning to watch as Squid grinned as well.

"Only a little. But you know, it's meant to mean THAT."

"And what, exactly, is 'that' meant to mean?" Zig asked, his tone implying he knew quite well. Of course, this 'tone' passed right over Squid's head, as most do, and he stuttered, trying to find the words to explain. There were some embarrassing actions and half words before he finally shrugged and just fluttered his hands helplessly.

"You know. birds and bees and things." Zig choked on his coke, laughing so hard he nearly spilt it everywhere.

"BIRDS AND BEES AND THINGS? OH DEAR GOD SQUID. Next you'll be saying garden hoses and flowers and things."

"well, that's just the way i describe it and STOP IT! Could you describe it better, huh?" When he was upset, Squid got bitchy, which was funny.

"yeah, i can. in three letters, actually. S-e-x. Simple. Easy. Is fun to say, not to mention do. Come on now Squid, say it with me. Sex. Sex. SEX." Squid blushed rather quickly, shaking his head and wondering if anyone could hear. Or if anyone could see.

After deciding no one could, he leaned over (Zig-Zag was already sprawled along half the couch, it wasn't hard to reach him), and stuck his fingers into his friend's pocket, pulling himself onto Zig's lap. Which didn't bother either of them, particularly.

"I can say it. Sex. You're right, it is fun. So's this though, I've found." And with that, he reached up and pulled Zig's face down, wondering what the fuck he was doing.

""And you know how to spell Alan, right? It's A-l-a-n. And, and, and, just be careful. If it..."

2004-10-04T02:42:37Z

"And you know how to spell Alan, right? It's A-l-a-n. And, and, and, just be careful. If it looks weird, my mum'll open it. And, um. you have my address, right? And um..." There was a silence, in which Zig looked very amused and Squid looked uneasy. It didn't last for long.

"Oh fuck it." Squid said quickly, throwing his arms around Zig-Zag and burying his face in his friend's collar for just that one second. He didn't care what ANYONE thought. And besides, it was something he had wanted to do forever.

He breathed in deep, trying to remember everything in the short time he had. Then he let go, and turned away real quick, letting his fingers brush along the railing of the mess hall one last time. There was a small, faint smile that crept onto Squid's face, making him sigh and stare back at D-Tent, where six other boys stood, all looking miserable. The most heartbreaking, a stony sort of glare from Zig, which he always 'put on' when he was upset. It was a defense mechanism.

Who was gonna watch TV with him anymore?

lil_cloud @ 2004-10-02T03:47:00

2004-10-02T03:49:28Z

There was something in the way he was staring that made Squid uncomfortable.

It was that he couldn’t look away.

It was that he had to meet Zig-Zag’s eyes, had to watch as he would dart them away, staring at the sky with fascination.

And it was the way he would always look back, when Squid had once again diverted his own eyes.

It was really annoying too.

It meant he couldn’t dig one foot without looking up, or checking his hat and blankie were still covering his AWFUL hair, or wiping the sweat from his brow. He wondered how ZigZag could dig any of his hole at all, if he was always watching him.

And it’s not like he said anything to him. Squid would be happy if Zig-Zag taunted him like X-Ray, or laugh at him like Magnet, or even just joke with him, in a LAME way, like Stan. But no. Nothing was said, nothing was done.

There was a far off rumbling and Squid looked up, resting his fingers on the side of his crumbly hole.

There was a storm. That’s what it looked like anyway. More then three clouds in the sky, which was a phenomenon out here. Zig pointed to the biggest one, a dark looking one, and said something synonymous with doom, for Squid anyway.

“Looks like an electrical storm to me.”

Squid whimpered quietly to himself. He hated electrical storms more then any other. They frightened him so much he wanted to hide under his bed until they faded away, wanted to never come out. And Zig was always right about the weather. It was something to do with his hair.

Only Zig, whose hole was closest, heard him. Under his breath, the slow scraping of the other boys digging and Stan’s grunting, he had said something to Squid, that he swore he didn’t hear right.

But he had.

“I’ll protect you.”

And somehow, for some reason, it didn't storm that night. The other boys blamed the mountains, blamed the arid desert, but Squid knew better. Somehow, he knew that with that wise grin and crazy hair, Zig had redirected the storm away from them. For him.

lil_cloud @ 2004-09-23T21:33:00

2004-09-23T04:37:07Z

The Sandman

There was SAND in his bed. He could feel the grains in his back. He HATED it when he got sand in his bed, because every fucking day he was surrounded by fucking sand, and then he came back here, the only place NOT sandy, only to find some idiot had stood in his bed. Or done something in his bed, he thought quietly, twisting under the harsh woollen blanket. It was suddenly very uncomfortable in this bed, and he pulled himself out of it and lurched towards the nearest bed. As he fell in, he realised tiredly, it was Zig’s. Not that that mattered much to him as he was usually the first one up anyway.

"Squid? Why're you here?"

"sand. in my bed." he said rather quietly, pulling his blanket tighter around himself. It was suddenly quite cold in here.

"Oh yeah. Forgot I put that in there..." Zig muttered into Squid's ear, grinning as he tightened his grip on his friend's waist. "Oh well. Guess you'll have to stay here..."

The two boys grinned in the darkness and settled down to sleep, both glad of the sand in Squid's bed.

suddenly everything has changed.

2004-09-20T15:49:11Z

w00t. This was my Two Lines Challenge (which was due on...Saturday...but I did last night/this morning.)

Shivvy gave me the words 'Richard' and 'improvement'...which sort of but not really helped. XD

word count: 1,087

(click)

she said it symbolises awesome powers

2004-09-11T03:32:19Z

Maddy Challenge

- 'revolution'
- Tears (of joy or sadness or ow-i-just-fell-over you decide)

it's some sort of roll i'm on.

or i just haven't written any b/m, b/w, j/w or anything else today. Must. let. writing. out.

The boys dug silently, the only sound the scrape of the metal against the dirt and rocks as they hurried through their six feet. Occasionally the rhythm would slacken a bit, someone stopping for a drink or to wipe the sweat off their forehead, Zig often patting his hair awkwardly. But always, eventually, they would fall back into a rhythm, something they could all dig to, something that was not too fast, not too slow, just that right speed.

“Pistol grip PUMP on my lap at all times…” Squid muttered rather wheezily, his breathing causing the words to come out with the wrong emphasis. Magnet looked up from his hole, so startled that he managed to trip over himself and fall back. Armpit started laughing slowly, in his way, leaning forward on his shovel as he peered at Squid interestedly.

“I know that song…” he said quietly, casting his mind back. Back, back, back. It was an old song, one that everyone used to sing, one he used to like. “Why’d you sing that song?” He asked, still remembering the way that song used to get everyone.

Squid shrugged and looked up from under his hat, running a finger along the brim of the cap, eyes following its path. “You know what that reminds me of?” Stan said, surfacing from the bottom of his hole, gloves flapping. Zig’s low baritone was added to the conversation, making Squid grin at the difference of his voice to everyone else’s.

“Does it remind you of that…youth of the nation song?” The other boys were silent as they thought, trying to remember that particular song.

“NOOO!” Stan said loudly, but no one was paying attention to him anymore.

“How’s it go, Zig?” Squid asked softly, wanting to get him to sing. Sometimes, at night when he couldn’t sleep and he thought everyone else was, Zig would sing. Everyone would be silent, hushed, waiting to see if he would, because he had such a great voice.

“No one ever listens to me…” Stan said, nearly sobbing. Still no one paid attention to him, knowing the tears would soon go away, knowing, from personal experience, the trails went away quite quickly.

“Um, it’s the one…we are, we are, the youth of the nation…we are, we are…” He trailed off, glancing around furtively, and then furrowing his brow. “I’m sure there was SOMETHING about a revolution or something…”

“Um, I think you’re getting your songs confused. Because doesn’t it go on about the girl and her um...well, you know…habits? I’d swear it does.” Squid thought again, and then nodded, convinced.

“Not ONE single revolution mentioned in the whole song. If you were singing ‘We’re Here’ by the Hippos, then, oh then, there’d be mention of a revolution…”

“Wait, how’s that one go? I think I hearded it before.” Magnet was standing again, swaying under the heat of the midday sun, his hand shielding his eyes against the reflection.

“The time has come, to choose which side you’re on; we’ve been waiting for so long…the revolution’s near…” Squid said quickly, embarrassed that he had even mentioned it. It was only the theme song of his entire life.

“Why were you singing it, anyway, Squid? How’d you just remember it?” Squid turned a bright red and shifted some sand with his foot, obviously not wanting to answer.

“It’s hard to let go of some memories, no matter how hard you try, right Squid?” Zig said softly, making all the boys nod and mutter in agreement.

It was later that night when the full force of his statement actually hit Zig. He was lying, pressed against the wall, fingers curled around Squid’s hips, hearts beating in time, listening to the sound of silence.

This was something he’d never let go of.

challenge: free, new shoes, boredom

2004-09-10T23:57:55Z

it wasn't so bad, he supposed. there would nice...well, it wouldn't be so hard after a while. And he would most probably, almost definetly, meet really nice people who he could be friends with. And he wouldn't have to go to school, right? No assignments, no exams, it was like a holiday. It was even hot there, apparently, so he could get a tan or something.

Squid ambled over to the showers, leaning against the wood support carefully as the bright, yellow bus pulled into the dusty center. It was a sight he had gotten used to, having been here so long, and sometimes he remembered back to when he first got here, a small little annoying wanker, who everyone hated. It was understandable.

The doors pulled open and he shifted, boredom evading him for just a moment as the boy was led out by the wrists, still handcuffed. They usually didn't keep them in the cuffs after they arrived here. There was nowhere to go.

"My name's Alan. You can call me A if you want. That's what I alway-oof-" He heard his whiney little voice in his own head and his eyes stung as he remembered the harsh blow he had been dealt not five minutes after arriving. They didn't like him much, and he had learnt to live with that, because who needs them anyway?

"You can let him free, it's not like he'll go anywhere." Mr Sir's strange voice echoed around the camp, making the guard look up from where he was nervously standing.

"If it's all the same, I'd rather leave him cuffed until we have to leave. I'm not taking any chances. I've met some weird ones, but this one...this one's unpredictable." Mr Sir scoffed at the man and handed him a bottle of coke, which the guard hastily took and quickly unlocked the handcuffs, rushing to get onto the bus so he wouldn't have to be around.

"NOW, you! Stand up straight, boy. No use slouching. You're here because you have to be taught a lesson. Do you know what that lesson is?" His beady stare bore into the boy, but he obeyed and stood up, standing taller then Mr Sir and looking down at him quietly.

"Well, if you're not going to answer, i'll tell you. You've done something WRONG and you have to say SORRY. You'll do this by digging HOLES. ONE every day, for the next EIGHTEEN MONTHS. IF you run, you'll DIE. Your best bet, BOY, is to JUST dig the hole as QUICKLY as you CAN. GOT THAT?" the boy nodded mutely and Mr Sir dusted off his hands, striding quickly away in the direction of where Squid knew the supplies to be kept.

But the new boy didn't follow him. Instead he stood stone still, eyes glancing around quickly, taking note of everything. Finally, exasperated, Squid stepped forward quickly and cocked his head at the boy.

"You gonna folla him? You better. You need some new shoes anyway. Gooo on." The boy looked up and met his eyes, then shrugged slightly, saying "Might as well. Don't think you're ordering me though. Going of my own free will."

Squid rolled his eyes and gave the boy a quick push in the middle of his back, feeling a grin spread across his face. The boy turned around and gave him the finger - almost in a friendly way though, and continued walking, in a sort of crooked, zigzag line. Maybe he wouldn't be so lonely now. Maybe, just maybe.

Because pinky attacked me with a broom

2004-09-10T23:31:15Z

She did. I was sitting alone, doing charitable works and then out of the mist came the fearsom figure of the Mighty Pink.
And she beat me up.
With a broom

And bade me write her fic of sexy proportions.
She said
"maddy, only you are sexy enough to write me fic that is as sexy as you...plus shivvy and smo are not around for me to attack"

So here goes, its been so long I might SUCK
wait thats nothing new

When squid first came to camp...or as he liked to refer to it now- hell, he didnt think it would be so bad.
He had looked out at the dusty expanse of heat and thought
"hey its not so bad"

It was a really depressing moment when he realised he was wrong. It had hit him like a tonne of bricks and it wasnt fun. His hands were blistered, his back was aching, his feet stunk and the guy they called armpit stunk more. He had no friends and the guy with the crazy hair was staring at him.

"what do you want" he spat the words out making the guy flinch like he'd been hit. Squid felt like he'd just kicked a puppy.

"You have nice eyes"
Squid smiled. The crazy haired guy smiled too.

lil_cloud @ 2004-08-01T14:32:00

2004-07-31T21:33:48Z

*stretches* Old challenge here...

MADDY CHALLENGE

"all we need is our lives in a suitcase"
Fire
Orange peel
Something stolen

“Did you get the matches?” You whisper loudly in the dark, face full of fear as you stare at me. I grin and toss the light box in the air, catching it deftly in my palm. You grin and hold out your hand, impatiently wriggling your fingers at me. I hold them up, just out of your reach and laugh softly as you try to get them from me.

“Just give ‘em here ZIG!” you say, crossing your arms over your chest and pouting. I toss them at you and sit down, spreading myself out lazily over the cold nightscape. After a few seconds and two burnt out matches, there’s a small fire glowing between us and you sit up, feeding it orange peel and bits of paper that you’ve collected. Finally you stop, content with the size of the fire, and lean back on your hands, watching me as the fire flickers, creating strange shadows across both our faces.

“Whadya wanna do after alla this, Ricky?” You ask pensively, still studying my face. I shrug and turn away, staring up at the bright stars as I think of an answer more then a little bit true.

“I guess maybe…go somewhere. Far, far away. And never return.” I laugh mockingly, wondering why I had said that, when I didn’t care where I went as long as you were near by. You don’t reply for a bit, only a soft “oh” punctuating the silence. Finally I look over to you and see you studying the far off landscape, eyes nearly glazed over as you think.

“What ‘bout you?” I ask quickly and you jump, having forgotten I was there and having forgotten, probably, what we were talking about.

“Uh…oh, um…you wanna know the truth Zig? I don’t care. All I need is my memories and maybe a small suitcase, and I’m out of here. It won’t be easy but it’ll be me, and that’s what I want. Somewhere I can settle down’d have to have…well, people important to me. You know?”

I nod in the darkness and we return to our silent brooding, content in our silence.

lil_cloud @ 2004-07-07T20:08:00

2004-07-07T03:09:18Z

Because Maddy wanted some, and I am COLD.

She has given me a challenge and Smo has original fiction she wants too, so it shall be a WRITEY night for me.

Squid’s toes curled under the thick blanket as he shivered in the dark. It was way too cold for him, even with the three blankets, flannel pyjamas and Zigzag lying next to him, his body radiating heat as per usual. He turned over and sighed as the cold night air slipped under the blanket, infiltrating his warm-ish cacoon.

“nnngh.” He muttered into the mattress, his body wracked with shivers again. He felt Zig chuckle next to him and a warm hand slide under his pyjama top and wrap around his waist before he could stop him.

“COLD.” Squid whisper-screamed, his teeth chattering slightly. Zigzag hefted himself out of his warm position and pulled himself onto his friend, his goal to keep him warm. Squid grinned slightly and shuddered again, cursing everyone and everything in sight. Soon enough though, he relaxed into a position that was semi-comfortable, his heart beating slowly in time with Zigzag’s, his hand twined with Zig’s, Zigzag’s bare chest pressed against his own.

“Warm?” Zig muttered, his chin tucked against Squid’s shoulder.

“Warm.” Squid agreed, his head nodding weirdly and his eyes closing quickly. It was much warmer now, his body encapsulated by Zigzag’s, his breathing becoming slow and calm as sleep overpowered him.

here ficcy ficcy ficcy

2004-06-22T04:23:18Z

So I was given a beautiful, wonderous and amazing challenge by Pinky. I then wrote a story, read it and realised I didnt refer to any of the things she asked for. *woe*

Oh challenge I pine for thee.

And so, tonight I bring you an extravaganza of writing.
A fic-a-palooza of the shinyest type. Hold on to your seats folks and prepare yourself for the most mind boggling, disjointed, caffeine inspired, strange and migrain inspiring story of your lives.
tonight...we dance

It sometimes occured to squid that when he was young he had been full of determination and ambition. At the age of six he had decided he was going to be an actor. He would watch the movies in shop windows and imagine how maybe one day there would be a six year old boy, just like him, watching the movies through a shop window and wishing that was him. Maybe one day he would be someones hero.
But that dream, like all those that followed, was demolished by constant negativity. His father was like that. He didnt even have to be around for his anger to be felt.

these days Squid didnt dream about much. In the days before camp greenlake he had spent all his time smoking, drinking and stealing things. petty acts of juvenile delinquancy.
These days his time was taken up be sheer exhaustion. He didnt bother thinking about what he would do after camp greenlake. For all he cared he would die out here.

That was, of course, before Zig had taken him aside one day and told him about "plan squiz".
He had been sitting on his bed staring at the ceiling and thinking about the plural of the word Moose when zig had sat down dramaticly next to him and whispered in his ear.

"I have a plan. Its for you and me only so I'll have to whisper...or the cameras...you know. Anyway I call it Plan Squiz."

Squid remembered that the name hadnt seemed funny at first. Now whenever he thought about it he would laugh out loud, causing people to stare at him.

"Heres what we do. we get out of here and then we meet exactly 2 meters to the right of the entrance to disney world at 3pm July 12th 2005. Ok. Make sure its the right time and the right place because we might look different, long hair or a beard or whatever."

He had looked up at squids head and given a his hair a knowing glance before starting again.

"then you and me go and become somthing cool...like firemen or a chef...or interdimensional travellers. And we work together and live together forever. Thats plan squiz."

Zig had stopped talking, looked around quickly and then stalked out of the room as if nothing had happened.
And for the first time in his life squid had a dream that wasnt being taken away. Interdimensional travel with zig sounded prety fun.

lil_cloud @ 2004-06-15T20:13:00

2004-06-15T03:18:20Z

wow. it's been a while.

you can shit upon the stars
lucus
'The Red Crayon"
a purple cigarette lighter

“Hey, I’m Lucus. I like to burn things.” Zig mocked their newest camp mate, who was a pyromaniac. He was kind of insane, kind of weird, and most definitely annoying. Constantly hanging around them, trying to be ‘cool’. Out here in the desert it was practically impossible for anyone to be cool. It was too hot. And yet somehow, no matter what, no matter how long he had been slaving, Zig never looked like the others. His skin stayed the same tone, never acquiring the huge red sunburns like a brand, never changing or wavering in colour. He never looked like he sweated, never admitted how hot he was, just looked as if he always was cool.

It was one of the things Squid envied about him most. Sure his height was enough to make you jealous, and he had huge hands (and you know what they say about guys with big hands), but what Squid really wished for was that beautiful look Zigzag seemed to always have, the I-bet-you’re-dying-of-heat-well-ha! Look.

“What abou’ his annoyin’ freakin’ ponytaile?” Squid muttered, tossing a rock across the horizon. Zig grinned and pulled his hair back, scraping it into a ponytail as he tried to imitate Lucus again. “Yeah, you almost got it. Ya just need the red crayon colour in your hair, then you gots it down perfect.” Squid peered up at his friend through half shut eyes, squinting as he tried to see Zigzag with anything but the mop of frizzy blonde hair that was him. He couldn’t.

“You’re really good at imitations, ya know?” Squid drawled, chewing ferociously on his toothpick. It tasted woody. Zig smiled softly down at him, stealing the speed stripe hat from his head and trying it on for size. It fit almost perfectly, and he slouched carefully, chewing on an imaginary toothpick and trying to imitate his accent. It was so bad he almost laughed, but Squid caught himself in time and watched as Zig did his “walk” perfectly. How long had he watched him to get that RIGHT?

He threw a rock in Zig’s general direction and lay down in the hot dust, tired again. It seemed he was always tired now, especially after digging. And before digging. And around times when they were going to dig soon. He sighed quietly and wished for his hat back, to block out the sun, to let him get a few winks while he was waiting for Zigzag and Lucus. Then suddenly a long shadow was cast over him and he looked up to find Zig standing over him, that funny smile on his face again. Then, before he could protest, he was sitting on his chest, palms flat on it.

“Say Squid? How ‘bout we play…a little game of…pretend, eh?” Zig muttered, leaning closer to Squid. Squid nodded dazedly, wondering what kind of game Zigzag wanted to play in the middle of the day.

“Kay then. You close your eyes, and I’ll surprise you.” Squid screwed up his eyes shut, wondering where the pretend part of the game came in. Zig hadn’t mentioned anything about that yet.

“Now, here’s where the pretending comes in. You’re going to pretend that I don’t do this, alright?” Zigzag’s voice was breathy, making Squid want to open his eyes. He felt a large hand clamp over his fluttering eyelids and he sighed, relieved he didn’t have to concentrate on that. He didn’t want to ruin the game. Not now.

He felt Zig flatten himself against Squid, his heartbeat fast against Squid's ribcage. "Whatch-" Squid's question was cut off by a soft, hesitant kiss from Zigzag, something that wasn't, completely, unexpected, but was still interesting. And totally wanted. Squid gasped as his friend pulled away uncertainly, but before he could go far, Squid sat up and pulled his friend back down, so he was lying on top of him again.

"Say, Zig? Do that again, will you? I can pretend that one away too."

lil_cloud @ 2004-06-06T12:32:00

2004-06-05T19:36:50Z

Old, unfinished challenge from Smo that I felt like tidying up.

1) Something about a Cupid's Bow
2) making love to you is such a thrill
3) pinstripe, sleepy, swallow

Squid had always slept on the left hand side of the bed, always. Ever since he was little, that's where he had slept. But then again, so had Zigzag. And Zig was the more...predominant of the two, that was true. So he got the left hand side, but Squid always grumbled about it, no matter how much he didn't mind. It was more of a game, really.

“You know Squid…you have a really defined Cupid’s bow…see?” Zig ran his fingers along Squid’s upper lip, tracing the soft curve of it almost lazily. Squid just half grinned and pulled the blanket up a bit, to cover his body from the cool night air. It was cold when you didn’t have any pyjamas on, he mused silently.

His eyes lit on the pair of pinstripe pyjama bottoms that he had been wearing about half an hour ago, that were now crumpled in a pile, discarded in their haste. And now they were lying in the single bed, pressed so closely together Squid could feel Zig’s every breath, trying to stay on the bed. And failing. He slid off the side again, only to feel the warm, reassuring hand clamp around his waist and drag him back into the cacoon of warmth under the blankets.

He yawned sleepily into his friend’s chest, feeling Zigzag shiver as his lips gently brushed across his chest.

“You know I love you, right?” he muttered, his head spinning as he tried to stay awake. Maybe he should fall asleep now; maybe it would be for the best. “And you know…making love to you is such a thrill…” Zig smiled as he whispered these words, running a hand softly across Squid’s face. Squid grinned tiredly and raised his face, wanting a kiss. His jaw worked furiously as he tried to keep up with ZigZag, who was suddenly making him stay awake, making him want to suspend time forever.

“Zig, stop, please.” He swallowed nervously, pushing away, letting his brain think for just two seconds. “Ok, don’t worry. Just…kiss me again?” Zig’s grin grew and he wrapped his long arms around his friend’s torso, complying with his request as he muttered softly. “but of course, anything for Alan.”

The moonlight lit up Squid's body as he leant backwards to kiss Zig, his fingers gripping Zig's hands that were resting on his stomach tightly, his feet curled up as he delighted in his friend's actions. There was no noise, except for the short seconds in which they would break apart, and then there would be frantic, fast gulps of air, before Squid couldn't handle the seperation and he would tug ZigZag's shirt, pulling him in for more.

lil_cloud @ 2004-06-06T12:03:00

2004-06-05T19:06:53Z

Bah at the length.

Bah at it not doing anything for me.

Bah at my no talent.

the challenge was water.

“ALAN! GET OUT OF THE DAMN SHOWER!” Caitlyn pounded on the bathroom door, sighing as her brother pretended not to hear her. “ALAN I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME YOU BUM! GET OUT!” The water slowly turned off and the door opened to reveal Squid, in a fluffy blue towel that had a big ‘A’ embroidered on the corner, scowling fiercely.

“What do you do in there anyway?” She asked, sighing as he stormed down the corridor to his room. When he was safely inside, he looked down at his arm and sighed, rubbing it gently. The reason he spent so long in the shower everyday was that he would scrub his skin, scrub and scrub and scrub, but the dirt would never come off. He was permanently dusty, from Camp Green Lake. It would never come off, even after six months of scrubbing. It was like a second skin now.

Squid let the towel drop to his feet, kicking it off under his bed before throwing open his cupboard to rummage around inside for some clothes. It was getting cold, something he couldn’t remember, all he could remember was hot weather, dry throats and not enough water. At the thought of it he grabbed the water bottle that sat on his bedside table and took a big mouthful, letting it swirl around in his mouth. Then he went back to searching in his cupboard, pulling out a pair of dark jeans and a dark sweater before pulling them on with a doubtful glance at the sky.

lil_cloud @ 2004-06-06T10:57:00

2004-06-05T18:31:33Z

1) "just one more goodnight kiss"
2) twirling hair
3) pretty things eg rainbows, flowers
4) orange being a hated colour

So I am tired and bored and full of a great yearning to write fic.
Thats a lie but this place was getting dusty and neglected so i decided to right the great wrongs of civilizations by writing fic.

PINKY CHALLENGE. go team go

"you know what I just realised"

squid looked up from digging to see zigzag staring down at him with a look of absolute tragedy.

"Yeh what?"

"I havnt seen a rainbow in like...two years." His expression almost made squid cry. He looked so upset.

"I can remember the last time I saw a rainbow. It was a saturday and I was lying in our backyard in the rain watching it." he flopped down on the ground, his head hanging backwards into squids hole, his hair flying and twirling in every direction.

Squid sat down with his head next to zigs and closed his eyes. He tried to remember exactly what a rainbow looked like but he couldnt. It had been far too long and all he could remember was the colour orange. It seemed like everything out here was orange, even the sky. He hated the colour orange.

"your lucky you can remember the last time you saw a rainbow...I cant"

Without even bothering to say anything in reply, zig stood up, kissed squid quickly on his forhead and walked off.
Squid smiled and went back to digging. Crazy zig.

MY GOD
what a bad fic. oh my god thats vbad.
I apologise profusly.

lil_cloud @ 2004-05-29T20:58:00

2004-05-29T03:59:19Z

*Playing of some sport. Like football or tennis
*When I wake up in the morning (interpret this how you wish. I dont care how it is used)
*a thing from nature, flower, leaves, grass, petals whatever
*I cannot sleep and I won’t bother trying (again interpret how you wish)

“You know what I love? I love…” X Ray began, making Squid sigh and toss a shovelful of dirt over his shoulder. They went through this every day, each time naming a different object that they really, truly loved. The one thing he wanted to say, of course, he couldn’t, his throat stuck every time he even thought about saying his name, his heart skipped a beat every time he heard the soft, low rumble of his friend’s voice, his mind spun when his friend even laid a finger on him.

“So what’s your choice today Squid?” There it was, the heavenly, honey coated, slick voice of Zigzag’s. He gulped nervously and raised a hand to his throat, tugging uselessly at the collar of his shirt. “Uh…umm…uh, Chocolate Covered Teddy Bears.” He muttered, choosing the first thing that entered his mind. He met Zig’s laughing eyes, blushing slightly.

“And just what’s wrong with Chocolate Covered Teddy Bears?” he asked defensively, raising his hands to his hips. Zig chuckled softly and grabbed a handful of dirt, showering Squid with it. Squid ducked away, squealing as some of the dirt and pebbles got down the back of his jumpsuit.

”Everything’s wrong with Chocolate Covered Teddy Bears when you’re talking about your favourite thing about NATURE, you fool!” Zig reached out to cuff Squid but stopped himself, his arm resting against the side of his face, their eyes meeting again for a few scant seconds, before being interrupted by Magnet.

“You guiys…My favourite thing would have to be...a mountain. You know with the avalanches and the psheei…” he made movement actions with his hands, trying to show an avalanche, when in actual fact he’d never seen one before in his life, and his accompanying noises were quite crap. Endearing, but crap.

“I like…grass. You know, like the kind you…” Stan was interrupted by X Ray, who had chucked his empty water bottle at him. “NO really! Listen! You know the kind of grass you get on like a soccer pitch? It’s like…soft and run-on-able and you know?” Everyone stared at him, trying to work out what the fuck he meant. Finally Zig nodded uncertainly and sighed, running his fingers absentmindedly through his hair.

“I like the feel of grass under your bare feet…just after you’ve woken up in the morning. You know what I mean? When I wake up, I like to go for a walk…but that’s just me, I think.”

“I can never sleep, I don’t even BOTHER anymore.” Squid said moodily, throwing a stone at Stan, who was still trying to get him pissed off. “I hate the fact that I’m so easily attacked in my sleep, I just don’t trust anyone enough to sleep fully anymore.” He didn’t add that he probably could if Zig was watching over him, it didn’t seem the appropriate time.

There were a few minutes silence as the other boys thought about this. Finally Zig ruffled his friend’s hair playfully and took his pinkie to pinkie promise, saying “If you ever want to sleep Squid, I’ll be there for you.”