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Okay... so uh, I decided that I should post a little part of a book I've been working on for a while now. The book is called "Painting Secret Scars." Basically it's a book based upon how I view the world- both online and real life. Several things have been exaggerated to make a point. It's a hugeeee work in progress, but I'm doing my best to go back and adding or removing things. I would also like to take a moment to thank all the amazing wonderful people on this server who gave me permission to use them as a character in my book! This story wouldn't be possible without the countless amazing individuals who I've met over the past two (almost three) years! Please do note that this story does contain some content that may be triggering to some users... (violence, ableism, corrupt politics) This story means a lot to me, so please try to avoid telling me it's overly depressing, unrealistic, or in general make rude comments... Also, if this post gets enough support, I will share more sneak peaks/updates AND share the full story once it has been completed. If you are interested in helping with the writing, or have any questions please let me know in the comments or message me on Discord (Nothing#6166). Enough of me rambling! Onto the story, enjoy :D
Council Ranks:
Watchful Eye- the leader of the Council and has the last word. They are also the very heart of the city. Basically the equivalent to a president/prime minister in real life and the owner in Minecraft.
Cold Snappers- they are second in command reporting any suspicious activity to the Watchful Eye. They have annual visits to the different districts to check in with the Blackfoot in charge of that district. Highly trusted by the Watch and longtime council members. Basically the equivalent to admins in Minecraft.
Blackfoot- they are in charge of their assigned district. Also in charge of giving orders to any Vorkax even if they are from another district. Basically the equivalent to mods in Minecraft.
Vorkax- lowest rank in the council, they do all the dirty work the Blackfoot are too lazy or can’t be bothered to do. Basically the equivalent to helpers in Minecraft
Rebellion Ranks
Commander: leader of the rebellion (equivalent to Owner)
Aloro - Aloro (he just wanted to be called Aloro)
Lieutenant: second in command (Admin)
Annie - rangedhealer77
Captains Experienced veterans that have shown courage and selflessness. They get to be in “staff meetings” (Sr. Mod)
Kylie - LiLKayla
Josh - P2
Sio - Hallowqueen
Spies: highly trained warriors that have proven themselves worthy to the rebellion. They may be asked to train a scout (Mods)
Jules - ChaoticPhoenix7
Nova - Anxii_
Issy - gapplegal
Sol - Selfoccate
Amber - Ambibug
Emily - emilyrenee_
Scouts: training to become spies, the newest members of the rebellion. (Helpers)
Jhae - Nihilxstic
Brian- BlueDragon
Prologue
Gunfire sounded, mingled with the screams and shouts of people as they tried to flee. A girl is shoved to the ground, “Thought you could hide from us? Your kind will never slip past us!” Another girl rushed through the crowd, panting from exertion.
“No! Don’t hurt her, please… she didn’t do anything wrong!” The man holding the girl down sneered at her, “You know that’s a lie, she’s a traitor!”
“Grace… please, go… it’ll be okay, I’ll be okay…” Grace shook her head, tears filled her eyes as she watched the man strike her friend with the butt of his gun.
“Sarah, no!” The man let out a raucous laugh, dragging the limp form of the girl past a crowd of people and out of sight.
Chapter 1 (Years later)
The March rain pounded relentlessly as I lay awake. Some people hated the rain, but personally, I find the rain soothing. Some nights, I cry myself to sleep to the sound of rain drops splatting against the bedroom window; especially on nights I feel all alone, which might as well be all the time.
The thing is, people in my world who have a disability are seen as a threat. Many try to hide their disability, afraid of being persecuted. The Watch will only support those that provide for the city, “the strong will thrive and the weak will die…” Those are the words that every child knows, including myself.
Few people understand the pain I feel, but I don’t need them to. My whole life I have lived with multiple disabilities. I would always watch videos on the web, of a world where anything was possible. When I turned thirteen, I finally convinced my parents to let me buy my own computer and I started playing a variety of MMORPGs.
In game, my name isn’t Grace, it’s StormySkiesYT, or just Stormy. I made lots of friends, and I felt free because I was no longer weighed down by my disabilities. I could do whatever I want, and the only limit being my imagination. If the real world functioned like that, I don’t know what kind of things people could come up with!
Still… despite the countless communities I’ve dedicated countless hours to, I feel very alone. Few know about my condition; and even though they say they understand, I sometimes wonder if they actually care. Then there were the almost unbearable days at school, people throw rude comments like “cripple” or “retard” at me which only makes my life more miserable.
A tear runs down my cheek. Sure I have it better than some, but it still hurts to be degraded like that. I clench my fists, letting out a groan as I drag myself out of bed. A chill runs up my spine as my feet touch the ground. Walking towards my dresser, I pull out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I grab a hoodie from my closet, slipping it over my head. After brushing my hair, I run downstairs.
My parents are already awake, I don’t say anything, grabbing an apple from the fridge. I run back up the stairs, closing the door shut behind me. I go over to my desk where my computer sits. Turning it on, I open up Discord. I see that I have two new messages from Ernesta, one of my newer friends.
We met on a Youtuber’s Discord server, and she was super nice so I reached out to her. That’s when we really started talking.
I read the messages, “Hey, I know you’ve been having a hard time recently. Just wanted to let you know I care about you, and I’m always here for you. <3”
A pang of sadness settles in my gut as I take a bite of my apple. “I don’t know… I have a math test today, and me and my sister got into a fight last night. I don’t understand why she hates me so much.” I hit send, waiting for Ernesta to respond, taking another bite of the apple.
I don’t have to wait long, her response pops up on my screen seconds later, “Just keep hanging in there, you’re so strong you can get through it. Ignore your sister, she’s just trying to get in your head. Don’t doubt yourself, just take your time and you’ll finish that test, I know it.”
"I know… I just feel, like... there's something wrong with me... that everything the High Council has taught us is true..." Several tears run down my cheeks as I hit send, drawing in one shaky breath after another.
There is a pause, maybe she won’t respond at all… isn’t the first time people just leave me hanging like this…
Before my mind is able to form anything else, another message pops up, "There is NOTHING wrong with you, don't listen to the High Council, or anything your parents say. They are all living in fear..." Another message pops up onscreen, but before I can finish reading, my sister, Britney, bursts in. I try to close Discord, not wanting her to see the messages. She grabs my arm, looking at the screen.
“You’re going to be late for school. Also, I thought I told you to stop tattling on me to your fake online friends.”
“You’re wrong, they are my real friends and they actually care about me unlike you!” I yank my arm free of her grip, snatching up my bag on the way out. Half running half stumbling down the stairs, I head straight for the door racing out letting the door slam shut behind me. Tears stream down my face as I continue to run despite my throat burning and legs protesting.
By the time I make it to school, my legs are throbbing and my lungs feel like they are on fire. I draw in a shaky breath as I wipe my tears with the back of my hand, heart thumping in my chest like it was about to explode.
I stumble through the front doors of Lakewood High. Students stream through the hallways, the bell ringing as I get to my locker. I fumble with the lock, hands shaking. Footsteps sound from behind, and I let go of the lock turning around. Standing before me is none other than Nova. “Hey, I see you’re struggling with that lock, let me help you.” A scowl instantly crosses my face, I glare at her, my fists clenching. “Great I’m already late, and now Nova wants to mess with me.”
“I don’t need your help to unlock my locker thank you very much, now can you just leave me alone?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see a few people gathering to see what all the fuss was about. I can hear a few of them talking to one another, despite them knowing I could clearly hear every word they were saying. I turn back towards my locker, trying to shut out their voices.
“Isn’t that the weird lesbian girl?” The door swings open with a squeak.
“Yeah, I heard she plays video games, that’s so not cool… who does she even think she is?” I shove my bag inside, snatching up my books.
“She’s really just a charity case, I don’t know why Nova even bothers with her.” The door slams shut, my face flushing. Turning on my heel, I glare at all of them. Nova rests her hand on my shoulder, I knock it aside, feeling the rage consuming every part of me. She ignores my aggression, looking pointedly at the people who had been whispering about me.
“Come on guys, give the poor thing a break. Can’t you see she’s mad? We don’t want her to go wolf on us like she did at Sophia's party.” I hear them snicker, a big smirk on Nova's face. Something snaps inside of me, dropping my books, I leap at Nova, my face an angry tomato red.
“SHUT UP! Why can’t you all just leave me alone?!” I feel the rage coursing through my body as Nova lets out a gasp of fake shock, managing to dodge at the last second. She sticks her foot out, causing me to stumble to the ground. I put my hands out to avoid hitting my head, landing with a thump.
“Oops! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there, let me help you.” I feel tears spring up in my eyes, my face hot with a mix of rage and embarrassment as the sound of laughter echos in my ears. Clenching my fists, I stumble to my feet grabbing my books as I push past Nova before she could make a move.
“Oh my gosh, what a cry baby! That’s right cry baby, run!” I don’t look back, heading towards my first period math class and what was most likely my doom.
Council Ranks:
Watchful Eye- the leader of the Council and has the last word. They are also the very heart of the city. Basically the equivalent to a president/prime minister in real life and the owner in Minecraft.
Cold Snappers- they are second in command reporting any suspicious activity to the Watchful Eye. They have annual visits to the different districts to check in with the Blackfoot in charge of that district. Highly trusted by the Watch and longtime council members. Basically the equivalent to admins in Minecraft.
Blackfoot- they are in charge of their assigned district. Also in charge of giving orders to any Vorkax even if they are from another district. Basically the equivalent to mods in Minecraft.
Vorkax- lowest rank in the council, they do all the dirty work the Blackfoot are too lazy or can’t be bothered to do. Basically the equivalent to helpers in Minecraft
Rebellion Ranks
Commander: leader of the rebellion (equivalent to Owner)
Aloro - Aloro (he just wanted to be called Aloro)
Lieutenant: second in command (Admin)
Annie - rangedhealer77
Captains Experienced veterans that have shown courage and selflessness. They get to be in “staff meetings” (Sr. Mod)
Kylie - LiLKayla
Josh - P2
Sio - Hallowqueen
Spies: highly trained warriors that have proven themselves worthy to the rebellion. They may be asked to train a scout (Mods)
Jules - ChaoticPhoenix7
Nova - Anxii_
Issy - gapplegal
Sol - Selfoccate
Amber - Ambibug
Emily - emilyrenee_
Scouts: training to become spies, the newest members of the rebellion. (Helpers)
Jhae - Nihilxstic
Brian- BlueDragon
Prologue
Gunfire sounded, mingled with the screams and shouts of people as they tried to flee. A girl is shoved to the ground, “Thought you could hide from us? Your kind will never slip past us!” Another girl rushed through the crowd, panting from exertion.
“No! Don’t hurt her, please… she didn’t do anything wrong!” The man holding the girl down sneered at her, “You know that’s a lie, she’s a traitor!”
“Grace… please, go… it’ll be okay, I’ll be okay…” Grace shook her head, tears filled her eyes as she watched the man strike her friend with the butt of his gun.
“Sarah, no!” The man let out a raucous laugh, dragging the limp form of the girl past a crowd of people and out of sight.
Chapter 1 (Years later)
The March rain pounded relentlessly as I lay awake. Some people hated the rain, but personally, I find the rain soothing. Some nights, I cry myself to sleep to the sound of rain drops splatting against the bedroom window; especially on nights I feel all alone, which might as well be all the time.
The thing is, people in my world who have a disability are seen as a threat. Many try to hide their disability, afraid of being persecuted. The Watch will only support those that provide for the city, “the strong will thrive and the weak will die…” Those are the words that every child knows, including myself.
Few people understand the pain I feel, but I don’t need them to. My whole life I have lived with multiple disabilities. I would always watch videos on the web, of a world where anything was possible. When I turned thirteen, I finally convinced my parents to let me buy my own computer and I started playing a variety of MMORPGs.
In game, my name isn’t Grace, it’s StormySkiesYT, or just Stormy. I made lots of friends, and I felt free because I was no longer weighed down by my disabilities. I could do whatever I want, and the only limit being my imagination. If the real world functioned like that, I don’t know what kind of things people could come up with!
Still… despite the countless communities I’ve dedicated countless hours to, I feel very alone. Few know about my condition; and even though they say they understand, I sometimes wonder if they actually care. Then there were the almost unbearable days at school, people throw rude comments like “cripple” or “retard” at me which only makes my life more miserable.
A tear runs down my cheek. Sure I have it better than some, but it still hurts to be degraded like that. I clench my fists, letting out a groan as I drag myself out of bed. A chill runs up my spine as my feet touch the ground. Walking towards my dresser, I pull out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I grab a hoodie from my closet, slipping it over my head. After brushing my hair, I run downstairs.
My parents are already awake, I don’t say anything, grabbing an apple from the fridge. I run back up the stairs, closing the door shut behind me. I go over to my desk where my computer sits. Turning it on, I open up Discord. I see that I have two new messages from Ernesta, one of my newer friends.
We met on a Youtuber’s Discord server, and she was super nice so I reached out to her. That’s when we really started talking.
I read the messages, “Hey, I know you’ve been having a hard time recently. Just wanted to let you know I care about you, and I’m always here for you. <3”
A pang of sadness settles in my gut as I take a bite of my apple. “I don’t know… I have a math test today, and me and my sister got into a fight last night. I don’t understand why she hates me so much.” I hit send, waiting for Ernesta to respond, taking another bite of the apple.
I don’t have to wait long, her response pops up on my screen seconds later, “Just keep hanging in there, you’re so strong you can get through it. Ignore your sister, she’s just trying to get in your head. Don’t doubt yourself, just take your time and you’ll finish that test, I know it.”
"I know… I just feel, like... there's something wrong with me... that everything the High Council has taught us is true..." Several tears run down my cheeks as I hit send, drawing in one shaky breath after another.
There is a pause, maybe she won’t respond at all… isn’t the first time people just leave me hanging like this…
Before my mind is able to form anything else, another message pops up, "There is NOTHING wrong with you, don't listen to the High Council, or anything your parents say. They are all living in fear..." Another message pops up onscreen, but before I can finish reading, my sister, Britney, bursts in. I try to close Discord, not wanting her to see the messages. She grabs my arm, looking at the screen.
“You’re going to be late for school. Also, I thought I told you to stop tattling on me to your fake online friends.”
“You’re wrong, they are my real friends and they actually care about me unlike you!” I yank my arm free of her grip, snatching up my bag on the way out. Half running half stumbling down the stairs, I head straight for the door racing out letting the door slam shut behind me. Tears stream down my face as I continue to run despite my throat burning and legs protesting.
By the time I make it to school, my legs are throbbing and my lungs feel like they are on fire. I draw in a shaky breath as I wipe my tears with the back of my hand, heart thumping in my chest like it was about to explode.
I stumble through the front doors of Lakewood High. Students stream through the hallways, the bell ringing as I get to my locker. I fumble with the lock, hands shaking. Footsteps sound from behind, and I let go of the lock turning around. Standing before me is none other than Nova. “Hey, I see you’re struggling with that lock, let me help you.” A scowl instantly crosses my face, I glare at her, my fists clenching. “Great I’m already late, and now Nova wants to mess with me.”
“I don’t need your help to unlock my locker thank you very much, now can you just leave me alone?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see a few people gathering to see what all the fuss was about. I can hear a few of them talking to one another, despite them knowing I could clearly hear every word they were saying. I turn back towards my locker, trying to shut out their voices.
“Isn’t that the weird lesbian girl?” The door swings open with a squeak.
“Yeah, I heard she plays video games, that’s so not cool… who does she even think she is?” I shove my bag inside, snatching up my books.
“She’s really just a charity case, I don’t know why Nova even bothers with her.” The door slams shut, my face flushing. Turning on my heel, I glare at all of them. Nova rests her hand on my shoulder, I knock it aside, feeling the rage consuming every part of me. She ignores my aggression, looking pointedly at the people who had been whispering about me.
“Come on guys, give the poor thing a break. Can’t you see she’s mad? We don’t want her to go wolf on us like she did at Sophia's party.” I hear them snicker, a big smirk on Nova's face. Something snaps inside of me, dropping my books, I leap at Nova, my face an angry tomato red.
“SHUT UP! Why can’t you all just leave me alone?!” I feel the rage coursing through my body as Nova lets out a gasp of fake shock, managing to dodge at the last second. She sticks her foot out, causing me to stumble to the ground. I put my hands out to avoid hitting my head, landing with a thump.
“Oops! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there, let me help you.” I feel tears spring up in my eyes, my face hot with a mix of rage and embarrassment as the sound of laughter echos in my ears. Clenching my fists, I stumble to my feet grabbing my books as I push past Nova before she could make a move.
“Oh my gosh, what a cry baby! That’s right cry baby, run!” I don’t look back, heading towards my first period math class and what was most likely my doom.