Coming Home

Hello all!
I finally have a week break from Uni, so I am looking forward to staying at home with my family. Still got Uni work to do... But at least I don't have to travel much.
So, first off... One of my classes were cancelled so students could go to the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial that is on display at the art galleries (Check it out, there some neat art, though I'm more of a Impressionist/Baroque/Tradiational type of art fan). So while I was on South Bank...

Yes. I went to the museum. It really shouldn't be that much of a surprise

In one of the entrances

Robot dinosaurs are always a plus in my book!

Once I was away from the dinosaurs, I found a spy training area. These are lasers (although you can only see where they are coming from) and you have to pick your way through them to get to the other side. It was fun!

 Right. So how about a story? I wrote this one a little while ago, so enjoy!

Home – Azure

    Azure knew two things about travelling. Two warnings she was repeatedly given:

1) Those you meet at the crossroads you may never see again or you may see over and over.

2) Home may not be the same home you left.

The second warning terrified Azure. Her parents travelled a lot and sometimes her friends would go on an extended holiday. Azure would wait for them to come back, eager to greet them when they arrived so they knew they weren’t forgotten about. Eventually circumstances changed and Azure was by herself, away from the world and people she knew. She travelled along many paths, determined to find her way back. Hours turned into days, and days to weeks and each night Azure’s thoughts would drift back to those warning. She was scared of what might happen if she returned home and found things had changed so drastically that she no longer fit in. That was if she even made it back.

Along the way she met many people and she asked them her burning question…

“What if your home doesn’t exist anymore?”

“Someone is thinking of me, as long as they do my home is with them.”

“What if no one remembers you?”

“They might forget, but I won’t forget them, so I’ll just remind them.”

They told her what they thought, even offered to help her find her way home, but after they travelled together they would come to crossroads and each would walk their own path once again.

Azure reached a place, a lake the colour of ash, a large town to one side and a single path to the mountains on the other. At the crossroad with no one there, she took a deep breath.

“How long are you going to make me search?!” She shouted to the world, “I just want to go home!”

She chocked back the sobs that started and collapsed to the ground. She repeated the word ‘home’ between the tears and closed her eyes to see her family and friends as she remembered them.

“Azure?”

Azure turned around to the person that called her name. The person was a familiar face for Azure, a female friend of hers.

“Light?” she asked the girl, not believing what her eyes saw.

“Hey, we’ve been looking everywhere for you. You were hard to find. Lucky for us, we ran into some people who knew you,” Light offered her hand to Azure, “Come on, I’ll tell you everything later. Everyone is waiting.”

Azure wiped her face of remaining tears, took her friend’s hand with a smile and walked along the path that would finally take her home.

And FACES!! Because I am still going to finish a 29 faces challenge.

...

Eventually.

So, meet Vangelis, T.J, Drift and lastly Azure (this is a better picture than the previous one)

So - Days 19-22 are completed! Have a wonderful day everyone!

Strike

Hello. Been a while hasn't it?
I've been busy with university work (and have two essays due next so I need to get to work on them!). Here's a story I've had around for a while.
Also, does anyone know how to spell pre-emptive correctly?

Pre-emptive Strike – Kibwe 

    The night was bleak and the moon only just broke through the barrier of thin clouds to give a sinister appearance to the compound and surrounding bush. Kibwe could feel the cold that nipped at his skin through his layers of protection against it.

He was on patrol duty in the forest that was around the compound, constantly checking for signs of intruders, scanning heat signatures on his sensor and investigating every suspicious sound. He had done many practice routine patrols back on his base, but it was his first time on a real one. And his partner had slipped off somewhere to ‘pee’ but Kibwe knew he just left to go back to bed.  A sudden sound to his left caused Kibwe to stop and aim his gun at the cause, a native owl to the area. He lowered his weapon with a relieved sigh and continued walking.

He entered a small clearing and noticed a faint outline of something foreign just along the edge. He carefully approached and examined it. A sleek and polished metal with no visible opening and a faint heat signature, Kibwe guessed it was a drop ship. He surveyed the ground and saw strange footprints that lead to the area of the compound. As humans had yet to create anything remotely similar to the drop ship and did not have feet shaped like the ones in the prints, he radioed the base and let them know of his findings. He was told to head back to base and regroup with a squad. However Kibwe took another look at the heat signature from the drop ship and told his superior he was going to follow the tracks. His superior tried to say something but was cut off halfway with a flick of a switch. Kibwe raised his weapon and followed the tracks.

Once several heat signatures appeared on his sensor he dropped and crawled to a vantage point. Through his scope he saw the intruders, their jagged skin even more dreadful than he thought possible in the light given off by the moon.  There were five, all of them faced the other way to the compound wall, their guns aimed and ready for someone to walk by and end up splattered. Kibwe ran possible outcomes through his head. If we waited too long for back up to arrive then the enemy would surely kill at least one human and catch the base in the chaos, but if he shot one first and drew their attention away from the base then he would have to deal with the remaining four. He silently considered his options while he looked through the scope.

He then took in a deep breath and pulled the trigger.

And have a wonderful day everyone!!