Futureboy3000

Arnold strolled down the gritty sidewalk.  The city was alive with movement against the evening sky.  Cars hummed down the street, the all-too-familiar sounds of traffic collecting in the distance.  The scuffle of hundreds of feet moving along pavement mixed in the air.  Arnold stopped at a street corner, waiting for the light to change.  His hands shuffled in his jean pockets as he stood.  Here he was, off to meet Helga for drinks at his favorite bar.  Humph.  Arnold felt his lips twist into another half smile at the thought.  He never thought he would even believe it, but he was actually looking forward to seeing her again.  There was somet

A flock of seagulls squawked by overhead.  Arnold watched them coast through the sky, flying in a chaotic clump of flapping wings.  They were headed for the sea.  He followed them with his eyes before they disappeared behind a tall oak tree, their noises fading away.  Arnold sat on the park bench in front of the black top, waiting for Gerald and Stinky.  Even after running into Helga, he was somehow still early.  Arnold glanced down at his wristwatch.  He had been waiting for nearly twenty minutes.  What was taking them so long? Arnold wondered.  Hearing the all-too familiar slam of a car door, Arnold glanced over his shoulder at the asphalt

Thud. The front door closed behind him as he turned to slip the key into the lock.  The early afternoon sun shone through the light-blue sky, reflecting off the hoods of the parked cars along the avenue.  Arnold turned to walk down the stoop, taking in a deep breath of the city air.  The odd mixture of concrete, car exhaust, and the corner hot dog stand buzzed through his nostrils.  He smiled, longingly.  He loved the city.  Ever since he was a boy he lived here, and he never cared to live anywhere else.  Even though he sometimes tried to deny it, he knew that he was a city boy. Arnold casually hopped down the steps and onto the sidewalk as

Helga's Obsession, Chapter 1. The clear evening sky made the perfect background against the city of Hillwood.  The orange sun disappeared just behind the horizon, the few brightest stars just barely visible in the twilight.  Arnold rested his cheek in his palm, leaning over the fence at the end of the docks.  He sighed, contently taking in the atmosphere.  A gentle gust of wind teased his sandy blonde hair, pushing some into his face.  Lifting a hand, he brushed it back before resting his hand back on the fence, on top of a smaller, more delicate one.  There, with him, was his girlfriend of the last two years.  Lila Sawyer.  Arnold glanced o

Clunk. Helga flung her hockey bag around her shoulder and into the trunk of her car.  She shoved the rest of her paraphernalia in behind it as best she could.  One of her teammates passed by her on his way to his own car.  "Hey, Helga," he waved, "nice game tonight.  See ya tomorra' for practice."  Helga half smiled at him, giving a lazy wave in return. "See ya," she replied casually before closing her trunk.  Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out her keys as she stepped around to the door.  Sliding the key in, she tried to turn to unlock it, but the key would not budge. "Oh, come on…" she grunted as she lifted her second

The lights in the rink dimmed.  The spotlight focused on the hallway to the locker room.  The dramatic music blared through the speakers.  It was game time.  The teams lined up behind the benches in their respective hallways.  Helga took a deep breath as she stood at the front of the line.  Staring out at the rink, hearing the announcer thunder his voice through the speakers, she bit her lip.  Tonight was the night to start things right.  It was their time.  It was her time. "Ladies and Gentlemen, YOUR HILLWOOOOOD RRRRAVENS!" The booming voice of the announcer echoed throughout the stadium, bringing the supporting crowd to their feet, appla

The final class bell sounded, signaling the end of the school day.  It's shrill sound echoed through the hallways.  Students filed out of their classrooms, fillng these same halls, the shuffling noise of crowds and scuffing shoes quickly drowning out the school bell. Helga casually shuffled down the main hallway, backpack over her shoulder, heading out the front doors of her high school.  The mass of students did the same, all anxious to leave the assumed 'prison of youth' most called high school.  Helga slid off to the side, leaning against one of the rusted iron stair railings, lending the right of way to the flood of students around her.

The tiniest bead of sweat dropped from the tip of her nose, falling between the crisscrossed titanium bars of the mask only to disappear into the frozen bed of ice beneath.  Deep, methodical breaths are heard as she stared down at the blue-paint in front of the goal.  She stood there, crouched over; silent.  Her bright blue eyes closed momentarily to shut out the world to focus on the situation.  A tied score had pushed the game into overtime, and now, into a shootout.  Each team would use three players to shoot on the goalie one-on-one.  Two shooters had their chance against her-and