Storyline

James is a storyteller that enjoys using the creative power of other peoples' imagination- his stories are crafted out of suggestions given by his audience, and often times end up wild.

James leaned back in his seat, arms crossed behind his head, lips curved upward as he let his lazy gaze sweep over the busy restaurant. His attention wandered from table to table; it was a busy evening. A flick of his wrist revealed his watch. 9:03.

For over two years, every Friday, James told his stories in the small (but well loved) restaurant. Something about the dim glow of the lights and the lingering smell of countless different meals brought out his creative spirit. Always an opportunist, he had decided to let himself shine.

James pushed away from his table. The soup he ordered remained untouched- even with all his practice, it was hard to eat before the show. He didn't let his nerves control him, though, and his walk to the center of the room stayed relaxed and confident. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen," He called over the bustle, "If I may have your attention, please?" All eyes turned to him. "Thank you. Tonight, everyone in this room has a chance to be part of something great."

He'd repeated the speech hundreds of times, and he knew every word by heart, "I will tell a story- but this is no ordinary story, as I will use your suggestions to craft my little tale. We will start with a man. Does anyone have a name for him?" The expected silence. Audiences were often quiet at first. "Come on, don't be shy! How about you, Sir?"

The round-faced man James chose faltered. 

"Um," His voice was unusually squeaky, "Sebastian?" James didn't give the man time to rethink; he sped to a different table and drew the attention of the woman sitting there.

"And where might we find Sebastian tonight, Ma'am?" He controlled his wince when the woman's baby daughter screeched beside him. 

"I don't- Marie, please- on an island! Now please, Marie!" The woman yanked a fork away from the little girl. 

James smiled so wide his jaw ached, and after a quick breath, he started the story.

-

Sprawled on an unfamiliar beach, with most of his supplies washed away, Sebastian felt that life was about to get a whole lot more difficult. He spat sand and blinked away seawater. Lifting his head stretched all sorts of pained muscles, so he laid there a moment longer before struggling to his feet. 

Blond hair fell into his eyes. He blew it away with a tired huff. His legs shook underneath his weight, exhausted from the day's panic under the waves. He knew he needed to find shelter before the sun set, and there didn't seem to be any civilization nearby. 

Around him the beach was silent except for the gentle wash of waves against the shore. Sebastian smelled salt on the breeze, and flowers. The forest behind him flourished with bright colors. Sebastian wandered along the waters edge, stretching his sore legs and searching for signs of life while the sun sank into the horizon.

-

Here, James paused. Sensing the room's hesitance, he clasped his hands and swiveled on his heels. 

"Well?" He arched his eyebrows. "Is there life on this island?" He directed his gaze to one of the restaurant's regulars. The woman gave him an easy smile. 

"A tribe." She offered.

-

Despite his discomfort, Sebastian slept deeply, underneath a tree with leaves the length of his arm. Waking up was just as pleasant as his dreams. A gentle swaying lulled him back to the world; still sleepy, he wondered if the island was only a nightmare, and his boat remained intact. 

Pain flared when he moved, in his wrists and ankles. He hissed through clenched teeth. All traces of sleepiness were washed away by the flash of adrenaline, and his eyes snapped open to identify the cause of his pain. 

The sight that greeted him made little sense. The entire world had been flipped upside-down, and it blurred, a jumble of tree trunks and legs. Panicked, Sebastian lifted his head. His hands and feet were tied to a pole. His mind took a moment to process the knowledge.

Sebastian shouted in surprise, jerking against the restraints in an attempt to free himself, even though he already knew it was futile. Around him there was laughter, and he twisted, trying to see his captors. 

"Put me down!" His voice cracked from disuse, so he cleared his throat before trying again, "Put me down!"

The laughter spread again, and heat rose to his face. Someone poked his side. He twisted to glare at the chuckling people, then started at their appearance.

-

James barely paused before a cluster of expensively dressed teenagers piped up, listing traits, and some of their suggestions had James grinning widely. 

-

The first, most startling trait of the group was the thick, stark white hair that stuck out from underneath their silver helmets. When Sebastian looked closely, he could see that it was laced with purple ribbons. 

Thick tattoos wound around their arms; the dark ink contrasted almost painfully against their paper white skin. Sebastian realized after first mistaking them for veins that the tattoos were of vines of some sort. 

All of them wore tidy silver armor that shone in the light like diamonds, and Sebastian looked away, letting his head drop once again. Silently, he wondered what they wanted. Was he trespassing? The answer evaded him, so he turned his attention to his surroundings. Thick tree trunks slowly passed by. Bushes were few, and laced with sweet scented flowers. To keep himself calm Sebastian counted the pink blooms as the forest passed, and after a while his heartbeat slowed. 

At last the small group stopped. There was a silence, thick and heavy, before the soldiers started moving again. They had arrived at their destination.

-

James tapped his chin thoughtfully. 

"I wonder what kind of place these interesting people might live?" He paced the length of a table for ten. 

"Underground!" A darkly dressed man told James, blue eyes flashing cheerily, "With a well defended entrance!"

-

It was dark, at first, and Sebastian watched the bright forest disappear as they trudged underground, green trees replaced with dirt walls, singing birds replaced with the roar of water, sweet flowers replaced with the heavy smell of mud. Sebastian twisted in his bonds, desperately trying to see through the soldier's legs and figure out where they were going. All he could see was the dull shine of armor in torchlight. He growled with frustration. 

The sound of water grew louder the further they walked, until it was all Sebastian could hear. The dirt below turned into thick planks of wood secured by heavy chains. When Sebastian leaned far enough, he saw muddy water rushing beneath the wood. 

Tired of holding himself at such an awkward angle, he relaxed and let himself hang from the pole. His head pounded from being upside-down for so long, and he was sure his face was red as a tomato. 

Instead of dirt on the other side of the moat, the ground was paved neatly with flat, round stones. Sebastian saw row after row of unfamiliar faces marching past- soldiers, he presumed, due to their armor. Like the ones that held him now. 

Columns rose from the pavement here and there, carved with designs depicting great battles and strange monsters. In better circumstances, Sebastian would have enjoyed the art, but as it was he couldn't stop to admire. 

The group passed through a doorway, large and carved from stone. They were in a room made of white marble, lit with brightly burning torches. 

The world spun around Sebastian confusingly. He'd been upside-down too long, and he felt the consequences in his ears and stomach. Through the haze he heard the sound of metal against leather, but the blade was only slipped into the ropes binding him to the pole.  

He lost his breath falling to the floor. The marble was hard and cold- Sebastian was just glad to be free of the bindings. He scrambled to his feet, panting for breath, and waited for his vision to clear of the fog. 

A woman reclined on the arm of a throne. Her pale blue eyes pinned Sebastian to the floor with their scrutiny. 

-

James could sense the rising tension of the story, and the first interruption occurred at last, spawned from the teens that had given the description of the tribes' people.

"It was love at first sight- for her!"

-

The woman faltered. She sat up, leaned forward, and stared deeper into Sebastian's eyes. Bone white fingers tightened on the arm of the throne. 

Sebastian looked away to count the soldiers, and he steadily ignored his pounding headache. Seven. Five that brought him, and two standing by the vast door. No way for him to escape, especially considering the many soldiers outside those doors.

"A trespasser, of the South beach," One of the soldiers stepped forward and bowed, "Your Majesty. He appears to be a spy, although not a very good one." English? They spoke English? A spark of anger rose in Sebastian. 

"Spy? I'm not spying! You're the ones that kidnapped me!" He clipped, and the woman's pale brow furrowed.

"He speaks the truth," She spoke at last, rising to her feet, "He does not hold the traits of the East. This is a... traveler." She waved her hand dismissively, and the soldiers left, including the ones at the door.

His chance-!

"Do not run. I wish you no harm," The woman called before Sebastian could bolt, "My name is Sarah." 

"Sebastian," He bit through gritted teeth. He paused and took a deep breath to calm himself. "This is all just a big misunderstanding-"

"You are not one of us," Sarah murmured, walking slowly around him. He turned to keep her in his line of sight, eyes narrowed and suspicious. 

"You're right. I'm from-" He scowled when she interrupted once again.

"You come from the sea, yes, I can tell." She smiled.

-

"She helps him escape!" The suggestion came from the far back of the restaurant, and James almost missed it.

-

Sarah tapped her elegant fingers against her purple-clad thighs. "There are too many guards up front to let you go by yourself."

"Let me go?" Sebastian felt a weight lift off of his shoulders and he smiled in relief. Sarah went on as though she hadn't heard him. 

"I will have to leave with you," She looked him up and down, then started walking "You look enough like one of us, except for your eyes. Green, you see, and we all have blue or grey."

"Why are you helping me?" Sebastian stepped in front of her to stop her pacing, ducking his head to catch her sharp gaze. 

"I can't see you executed." She sighed. "When I saw you, I just- something happened. Love at first sight, you could say."

"What? Love?" Sebastian backed away a step.

"Let's not discuss that right now!" Sarah pleaded, "Can we just get you out of here safely? Please?" Sebastian nodded reluctantly. If he wanted to make it out of this place, he supposed a little trust couldn't hurt. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, anyway. 

"What's your plan?" He crossed his arms. Sarah snatched a thick cloak from the armrest of her throne and slipped it on. She made quite an imposing figure, with her purple clothing and silver cloak, sharp-faced and cold-eyed, and Sebastian realized that there was a reason she led the tribe, even if he didn't know it. 

"We'll walk right through the main hall," She stopped to stand beside him. "You pretend to be going for a horseback ride with me, and so long as no one sees your eyes, we'll be okay. After that we can seek refuge in the East."

"Alright then," Sebastian looked at her. With a determined expression on her face, she reached out and touched his cheek, then turned and marched for the door. 

The cobblestone streets were packed with people; some in armor and others dressed more casually. Sebastian had never been more grateful for his fare hair. Everywhere he looked, the crowds were blonde. 

Upright, Sebastian allowed himself a moment to examine the pillars, and they proved to be extremely detailed. As they passed through the throng of people, Sebastian was surprised to find himself enjoying the beauty of the underground city. 

-

"They almost get caught!"

- 

His smile died when one of the soldiers pulled away from the row he was marching in and approached Sarah. Sebastian kept his eyes down, mindful of Sarah's warning, and shrank back a little. 

"Your Majesty!" The soldier saluted and bowed. "General Marcus requests your presence at the Table." 

"Tell him I am going out for a ride and cannot join him." Sarah snapped, glancing back at Sebastian protectively. The soldier marched away, and Sebastian let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding. Sarah gave him a searching look before turning away. "Let's go."

Sebastian didn't get the time to further admire the underground city. Sarah sprang into a jog, her jaw taut and her lips tilted into a fierce scowl. 

"Who's General Marcus?" Sebastian asked. His muscles were all sore from being tied, and he enjoyed the way the fast trot stretched them back into shape. 

"A powerful man with a sharp sword that you don't want to meet," Sarah grunted in reply, taking a sharp turn. A row of soldiers marched past with the force of a train. Sebastian grimaced. Ahead, he saw the round entrance to the tunnel he first arrived through, and there was already the distant sound of water. His jog sped up, and he moved ahead of Sarah in his excitement. Freedom! So close he could almost smell the flowers of the forest and the salt of the sea. 

Sarah reached out and grabbed Sebastian's arm, her grip almost painful, and forced him to stop. 

"Your Majesty!" Someone was shouting over the din of the crowds, "Your Majesty!" Sebastian gazed towards the dirt tunnel longingly, over the sea of blonde hair. 

"General! I told you- I'm going out!" Sarah tugged Sebastian closer, like she could sense his desire to simply run for it. Sebastian startled when he realized her words. Wasn't the General the guy with a sword? He spun on his heels to face the man. 

Sebastian forgot. He looked up and right into the General's stormy eyes. 

He knew he made a mistake immediately, because the General wasted no time in wrenching his sword free of its scabbard.

"Traitor!" He bellowed, with a voice just as large as himself. Sebastian recoiled, and Sarah dragged him away just as the General slashed outward with his sword. Pain flared across Sebastian's cheek. Finally, his legs decided to cooperate, and he ran, surging for the tunnel. Sarah sprinted beside him. The General raged like a madman, calling the attention of the crowds.

"Faster!" Sarah screamed, speeding up. She was ahead of Sebastian now, and he did his best to catch up, but his legs were tired and his body sore. 

They flew into the tunnel, and at the bridge Sebastian faltered. The water had risen. The planks of the bridge were wet, maybe slippery. By the time Sebastian dared to step onto it, Sarah was half way across. 

"Traitor!" The General was in the tunnel. Sebastian gritted his teeth and sprinted after Sarah.

The last stretch of the tunnel felt almost suffocating; Sebastian was panting and sweating and his mouth was too dry. He hadn't eaten since the day before. 

Then, outside. They made it outside, where the sun filtered brightly through the canopy, and the birds sang cheerfully. Sarah kept going. Sebastian forced himself to follow, legs burning and chest heaving. 

They ran further and further into the forest, away from the cries of the soldiers. Sebastian gasped for air with every step he took. It seemed to be working though- the bellows of the General were becoming more and more faint the deeper into the forest Sarah led them.

"Hurry!" Sarah cried. She was too far ahead to be safe.

The roaring of the army suddenly grew in volume, and Sebastian cursed his luck, forced to keep going despite his need for rest. 

"Any better plans?" He asked through desperate breaths. 

"This way! They will stop at the sea!" Sarah put on another burst of speed, and Sebastian smiled despite himself. The sea was his home, and it would be a relief to return to it. 

The trees started to thin. Sebastian started to stumble, adrenaline not enough to keep him going forever. They broke free of the forest, and there was sand underneath Sebastian's boots, and the smell of salt on the wind. 

It was a short sprint across the beach, then they plunged into the water. Unable to catch his breath, Sebastian choked momentarily, and Sarah thumped his back until he could breathe again. The water was as high as his chest- it felt like a vice, squeezing the air from him before it could refresh his body. While he gasped and wheezed, soldiers poured onto the beach, but stopped at the water's edge. 

Sebastian laughed hysterically with the air he had left, a wild grin lighting up his face. They made it!

-

"Arrows, of course!" 

-

The first arrow landed less than two inches to Sebastian's side, disappearing into the water with hardly a splash. Sarah was once again the first to react. She latched onto Sebastian and yanked him away- he fell backwards and swallowed water before he caught himself and started to swim away. 

His entire body ached with his exhaustion. More than once he slipped under the waves and came back up coughing, but he knew it was swim or die, and he chose to swim. 

It felt like an eternity to get out of the arrow's range. When they finally did, Sarah was the one to laugh, and Sebastian did his best to tread water. 

"We made it!" He gasped, struggling to keep his head above the waves, "We made it!" 

Sarah pressed her forehead to his with a smile. Her breath smelled like grapes, and Sebastian momentarily worried that he hadn't brushed his teeth that morning, but quickly realized that it didn't matter much. 

"I love you," Sarah whispered, and she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. 

-

"Ew!" James looked down at the little girl clinging to his leg. "Kisses are gross! And I don't like that girl! She should get eaten whole by a shark."

"A shark?" James laughed. The girl nodded.

"Payment for kissing."

-

They stayed there, treading water, for a moment. Sebastian could hear the soldiers calling and jeering from the shore. A sudden thought hit him. 

"Why don't they just swim after us?" He asked. Sarah looked a bit off-put by his blunt dismissal of her affection, but he was too tired to care. 

"There is a monster that lives in these waters," She admitted, glancing around at the green-blue sea. "We call it-"

And then Sebastian was shoved away from Sarah by something that surged upward, knocking into him harshly and dazing him momentarily. He sank, unable to keep himself up, and watched from below as the shark dropped back into the water. 

He screamed, and choked, thrashing for the surface. The waves caused by the shark's weight pushed him further down. Already exhausted, his struggles slowed, until all he could do was kick once, twice, and the last time. 

Sarah. 

They never really got to talk about the whole 'love at first sight' thing. 

-

"Woah," James interrupted the startled silence, "That was intense. Anyone want to give Sebastian a good chance to get out of this?" He wasn't particularly fond of tragedies. 

"Give him to the other tribe!" 

-

Sebastian woke to the soft sigh of waves against sand and the warm light of the setting sun. When he blinked, there was the oddest sensation of sand moving underneath his eyelashes. 

His throat hurt from the salt water, and when he swallowed he realized how thirsty he was. Was it only a day since he'd arrived on this island? A day was a long time without water and food. 

He didn't move for a moment; he simply let the sun warm his back and bring life back to his limbs. His side throbbed from where the shark rammed into him. His entire body ached from its abuse. The fact that he was alive felt like a downright miracle, and when he shifted, he realized that one of his feet was bare. 

Did the shark eat his boot? The thought was more than slightly hysterical. He laughed anyways. 

He took his time getting up, well aware of his pain, and once he was standing a wave of dizziness hit him. He swayed. 

"That looks painful." He didn't have the energy to startle. He slowly turned to see the person that spoke. 

The man had to be the most unusual person Sebastian had encountered yet. He had vivid green hair cropped short against rough grey skin, and hard, stony eyes peered out at Sebastian from a broad face. 

"Are you here to kill me?" Sebastian asked bluntly. The man shrugged.

"Depends on who you are," He leaned back on his heels and winked playfully at Sebastian, "If you're a spy, you're doomed."

"I'm not a spy," Sebastian snapped as he brushed sand off of his clothes, "I shipwrecked here by accident, and got nothing but trouble for it."

"Ah." The man smiled. Sebastian ignored him, choosing to examine the colorful scrape and bruise on his arm. He must have gotten it when the shark smacked into him. That thought reminded him of Sarah, and he sniffed. Even though she was the leader of the crazy tribe, she helped him escape, and she didn't deserve to get eaten. 

"Who are you?" Sebastian asked the man. He gave his one bare foot a glance. Did the shark really eat his boot?

"Gordon, of the Eastern tribe." Gordon bowed almost mockingly, a smirk playing across that odd face. 

"I'm Sebastian." Sebastian nodded, scanning the nook of beach he had landed himself on. It was quite pleasant in the red light of the setting sun, with a gentle breeze playing through the leaves of the forest, and the sand was dotted here and there with driftwood. The trees were much closer to the water here than they had been on the other side of the island. Sebastian looked back to Gordon. 

-

"Boring! He doesn't need friends, he needs to steal a boat and get out of there!"

-

Another glance to the beach and Sebastian spotted something bobbing on the waves. A boat. Just sitting there, tied to a post. 

"Sebastian? Cool name. What are you doing over here?" Gordon was saying, "I mean, no one ever comes over here- hey! Hey, where are you going!" Sebastian ran for it. 

His legs almost crumpled underneath him the moment he started to move, but he utilized every drop of determination, desperation and stubbornness left in him to force himself forward. The boat wasn't far- 

Gordon caught on to Sebastian's shirt and dragged him to the sandy ground, a task made all too easy by Sebastian's exhaustion. 

"No!" Sebastian snarled, kicking the man in the chest, "Get off!" They rolled. Sebastian was first to break free, and he stumbled to his feet, panting. 

"Where are you going?" Gordon barked, rising from the sand, bristling like an angry lion. 

"Away from this crazy island!" Sebastian shouted back, scrambling away and to the boat. So close! He could make it! He had to. 

He made it. Gordon was too far away to catch him, and he untied the ropes with frantic energy, heart pounding in his ears. In moments, he had the boat released and the sail down- the wind was in his favor, and he moved away from the beach quickly. 

Finally! Off of that island and back on the water, where he belonged. Upon searching the small boat he found enough supplies to last him for days, and enough fishing gear to catch more fish. Hopefully the next shore he found wasn't as odd as the last. 

He sat on the bench and sighed. At last, he could relax.

-

"Don't forget the shark!"

-

There was a powerful nudge to the underside of the boat. 

Author's Note

Give me harsh criticism, please. I'm writing it for my grandfather, and I require an outside opinion to help me perfect it.