enigmaticwriting

[enigmaticwriting]

Hey guys, sorry for the massive delay there. Had some work stuff go all wonky, but now that that's sorted, I can focus on my hobbies again.

Have some mildly sad Teen!Eliana time while I get the next few pieces ready.

Story under the cut. :>

Was it too much to say "I miss you?"

Eliana's thoughts surged like a monsoon; sudden, harsh, but brief. Here, she stood on the curb of her own family home, watching as curls of smoke lifted into the dark sky, obscuring glinting stars that littered the void above.

One argument and she stormed out, a brash decision to get space. Freshly thirteen, wrung out on the daily by hormones and emotions that didn't make sense, like salt rubbed into the wounds from stresses at school and among the handful of people she'd call friends.

But friends didn't launch fireworks into your windows in the early hours, did they?

Friends didn't tell you how terrible you were at games. Friends didn't create problems for you to take the blame.

So... why did she call them friends?

Was she that desperate for human connection outside of a loving family?

The chaos unfolded before the preteen, flames licking the outside of the house as glass shattered from heat. A heat so unbearable, it was a wonder Eliana could stand there on the curb. It didn't go like this.

"Eliana Watkins," a voice chided, feminine, poignant, and simmering. "Please focus on the question."

She tipped her head back, gaze lifting from the bloodied edges of her nail beds. She'd been picking her nails again, an unfortunate habit that served to quell the seemingly everlasting anxiety.

"Sorry, Mrs. Mallard..."

"Millard."

"Mrs. Millard."

"Better."

The principal studied the disgruntled teen skeptically. "Do you really have any idea what you're capable of if only you applied yourself, Ms. Watkins?" Eliana blinked. "... like sunscreen-" "No, Eliana.."

Mrs. Millard sighed, a glimpse of frustration behind tired brown eyes. "You need to respect the adults in your life. It'd also be greatly appreciated if you focused in class-"

Eliana piped up, interjecting over the principle. "Why the heck does it even matter? It's the same damn stuff from last year-" "Language, child."

Eliana stiffened, bristling behind a practiced neutrality.

"I know you have difficulty focusing. This is not the concern. The concern is that you lack the discipline to even try."

The teen scoffed. "You don't even try to see it my way."

"I don't have to."

"That's bullshit!"

"Language."

The phone call that came next only served to make matters worse. Eliana leaned back into her chair, the uncomfortable padding providing little to ease the frustrations of the day. Upon answering the phone, it took mere moments for the stern expression of Mrs. Millard to fall into something distantly akin to sympathetic pity.

><><><><

Fourteen weeks.

Fourteen weeks was all it took for the world to take Eliana's brother from her. Shipped off to God knows where, told to do things he couldn't write to his own family about, and suffer the consequences of a war he didn't start.

The ride home from school was grim and silent. A sharp stabbing, followed by a hollow ache and the spark of defiance, all wrapped up into her chest like some demented Christmas gift.

She pulled the dark denim jacket over herself further as though to hide within its loose embrace. The scent hung heavy on somber thoughts. It was her brother's jacket; one that he'd handed to her on the day of his deployment, asking her to keep it safe for him until he got back.

But he wouldn't be coming back.

There were a lot of things she missed, wading in the absence of, as she searched for landfall somewhere ahead. But it was like every time her proverbial boot found purchase, she slipped under the waves again.

Was it too much to say she missed him, too?

The older man in the driver's seat glanced at the rear-view mirror, noticing how not a single tear slipped from the otherwise deflated teen in the back seat. Shock, probably.

"Hey, Ellie..."

...

"You wanna talk about it, sweetheart?"

...

"I know you miss him. I do too, so does your auntie."

...

"We're here for you, Sprout."

Her uncle almost gave up initiating conversation, when a thought passed by.

"... Your auntie's making shepherd's pie tonight. You still like those, right? I know Alexander did, too." Eliana finally looked to meet his gaze in the mirror. Hearing her brother's name hurt, though she nodded nonetheless, the forced neutrality hemorrhaging with the new glisten of damp eyes.

Her uncle smiled, giving an encouraging and sympathetic nod. "It's gonna be okay, Sprout. Let's just get you home, okay?"

[enigmaticwriting]

Hey guys! Here's the update I promised. :)

Expect a lot of inaccuracies when it comes to the military side of the story! I'm doing research when I can and trying my best to make it accurate and fun, lol. Most of what I know comes from a handful of stories from veteran family members and the internet, and Call Of Duty.

Please let me know if there's any improvements I can make so I can create something everyone can enjoy. DMs are acceptable but please keep it civil. :)

Thank you for reading! Story below the cut.

TW(?): Implied loss

\/\/\/

Eliana sat there. Perched atop one of many ammunition and equipment boxes, waiting out the minutes or hours for the call to load up and deploy.

Holding her right hand in her left, she studied the watch pressed under her wrist as it ticked; the hour hand just barely passing the 0200 mark.

She stared at the watch face, the scuffed timepiece, and twice replaced quartz glass. The few scratches from training bore new scars over the smooth surface. Eliana owned this watch since she was fourteen, passed down to her from someone now lost.

Someone who became nothing but a fuzzy memory.

It didn't matter how hard she tried to remember them. Eliana wished she could remember them. It didn't matter how many dreams she couldn't recall upon waking. It didn't matter with the yelling or the crackling fire and splintering beams of that barn-

Eliana jolted, quickly brought back to the present as a familiar hand pat her shoulder, beckoning her to follow the captain it belonged to.

She scooted off the crate, dropping to her boots as she reflexively made to fall in line. The captain had his eyes on the horizon, his hands resting on his hips. He waited for the sniper to fall into step with him, a glance in her direction from the corner of his eye.

“You ready for this?” He inquired, his Southern accent cutting through the still air. "Yes, sir." Eliana would nod once, adjusting her two-point sling and beloved rifle as they boarded the steel cabin of the aircraft.

She'd have to be ready regardless.

[enigmaticwriting]

Little busy atm, but I have some short stories floating about. Something coming soon!

[enigmaticwriting]

Here's some more of Teen!Eliana, more to come later! Please let me know what I can fix or adjust to make it more enjoyable for anyone who reads it. Much appreciated, guys! ^^

The ticking of the clock was driving Eliana up the wall.

She sighed heavily, pursing her lips, fidgeting with her pencil. The fourteen-year-old looked up to the clock above the door as if she could somehow have time to go faster if she stared hard enough.

Scribbling and scratching of various pencils and pens filled the silence between ticks, numerous students writing out whatever answers for the test.

This bloody test...

Eliana turned her gaze over to the window on the left side of the room, noting the clear blue outlining the churning, stark white clouds, like the freshly plowed snow lining the sides of the road below.

She wasn't sure how long she'd stared for until the bell rang, and she realized her paper wasn't even finished. She'd spaced out around question five. As everyone else began to get up and leave the class, she remained where she was in a brief panic.

'Uh-oh.' Eliana thought, glancing at her half-written answers and hastily scrawled math equations. The teacher stood from his desk. 'Double uh-oh.'

"Ms. Watkins, I couldn't help but notice your focus has been... lacking... these last few days." Mr. O'Halloran, the teacher, said. He paused his approach, hands in pockets as he tilted his head to look at her work.

"...You're 'doodling' again."

Eliana bit her lip, glancing sheepishly at the random sketches and doodles along the margins of her papers, depictions of unrealistic military equipment and weapons, a handful of rough-sketched layouts for local marts... Hell, there was even a breach plan for the corner store down the road.

"Just... distracted, Mr. O'Halloran. I can finish this tonight and get it to you tomor-"

"No. This is the sixth time in two weeks, Eliana. Is everything okay at home? Are you taking your medication?"

Eliana frowned slightly, to which the teacher raised a brow.

"Sir, it's for ADD..."

"My question still stands."

"Then make it sit, damn."

"Excuse me?"

"Make it si-"

"Front office. Just go."

With another sigh, Eliana gathered her notebook and pencils, stuffed them into her backpack, and stood. She glared at Mr. O'Halloran, as she made her way out of the classroom with a huff.

[enigmaticwriting]

Oh good lord... first writing post in nearly seven years, here we go. This is a small scenario that I've thought about for a few days and decided to write out as a mini-story.

Yes, it's an OC with an AU of Call Of Duty: Ghosts. This takes place a bit before the game story, I guess? I just wanted to try this out for like.. I don't know, really. Character building? Backstory? Random late night idea dump? Still learning. ^^'

Also- I expect this to be cringe and dumb, but I wanted to try and share a small story in a 3AM-spur-of-the-moment thing. I don't have much else to think about while I'm at work during the day, so this gets me by. :p

Please feel free to leave feedback so that way I know where and how I can improve my skills in writing and storytelling! Constructive criticism is appreciated and welcome. Hope you enjoy the thingy here, and if not, I apologize in advance. :>

I will also warn that this was typed out on my phone... so... apologies for grammatical errors and typos.

/\/\/\

A large roll of thunder rattled the house, startling Eliana from her sleep. The six year old curled up, hugging the blankets around herself protectively as she stared at the darkened window with wide, watery eyes.

The pattering of heavy rain danced along her window, temporarily providing a moment of solace for the child. A minute distraction from the initial fright. A flicker of light in the distance, streaking across the sky, caught her attention, her fear replaced by awe as light filled the room.

But only for the moment.

A clash and low rumble of thunder rattled the house again, causing little Eliana to scream and hide under the covers of her bed.

The bedroom door creaked open, and a soft voice called out. "Eli? Are you okay?" It was her older brother.

. . .

Eighteen years later.

The harsh cold seeped through the waterlogged fabric and material of the ghillie suit, caked in mud and debris. Under the cover of the stormy night, the sniper within remained still, lying prone along the crest of the ridge, hidden in tangled brush and overgrown grasses.

A brief flicker of a brilliant, blueish white light danced across the dark skies above, bathing the war-torn terrain with artifical daylight for a half second. A distant rumble breached the ambient rain. The sniper held firm despite the minor tension from the weather overhead, rifle propped on a bipod, and well hidden with various surrounding materials tied along the frame and stock to create an almost seamless camouflage with the surrounding nature.

A crackle of the radio broke through the sniper's focus. "Aspen, what's your status? Over." It was her comrade, Lieutenant Calvin Peters; her superior and teammate.

The sniper, Aspen, shifted carefully, speaking quietly into the comms system. "This is Aspen, nothing yet, sir. Over." "You getting cold out there?" Peters asked, almost teasing. "Negative, sir. I thrive in this weather." Aspen said in return, letting a bit of amusement bleed through her tone.

"No, but seriously, Eliana. I don't want you to get bloody hyperthermia over this." Aspen sighed softly, lifting her gaze away from her scope to glance in the general direction of her comrade, somewhere in the bushes nearly sixty-seven meters away.

"Hey, watch the names." She mumbled as she glanced back towards her scope and the target beyond. "I'll watch the names when you watch out for yourself. What happens if I'm not here one day? Hm? Just gonna freeze to death while skipping meals and ignoring your basic needs-"

"Okay, that's enough, I think we get it." A third voice entered the comms channel, their team captain. "Focus up. Both of you."

"And stop skipping your damn meals."