Hey everyone!
I’ve been working on a post-apocalyptic story called The Sun Died Twice. The world has been fractured after a mysterious event decades ago, leaving humanity in small enclaves. The sun is weak, nights are long, and nature itself has gone wrong — rivers run backward, forests shift, and animals are aggressive or grotesque.
The biggest danger for the survivors are mimics: creatures that can imitate humans, voices, or even loved ones to lure people into danger. They’re cunning, predatory, and unpredictable, which makes survival a constant challenge.
The story follows Lio, a quiet, calm, and precise leader who guides a small group of kids through this dangerous world. She has a complicated mindset — obsessive, focused, and deeply committed to keeping hope alive for her friends, even when the world is falling apart. She has ritualistic habits and mental mantras that help her stay composed under pressure, which sometimes makes her seem almost “superhuman” to the others.
Here’s a snippet from one of the opening scenes, where Lio and her friends are heading out to help some kids being preyed on by mimics:
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Beck River ran backward, greenish and sluggish. Lio knelt, steadily pulling on her fishing line, checking her trap. Mira grunted, gripping her arrow, pulling the bowstring taut. Kyle snickered under his breath at his friend’s struggle.
“This is impossible! It’s going to pull my arm out of its socket!” Mira groaned.
“Keep calm, Mira,” Lio said softly. “Inhale through your nose and focus.”
Breathe in. Count to four. Exhale. Count to four. Step steady. Hand steady.
“Easy for you to say! You’re always calm!” Mira whined.
“That’s ‘cause she’s not a crybaby,” Kyle muttered, smirking.
“Ex-CUSE me?!” Mira barked.
Before anyone could respond, Kieran jogged over, tall and blond, eyes scanning the group. “Lio, mimics — east side. They need your help.”
“How many?” Lio asked, already rising, her calloused hands brushing mud from her knees as she scanned the forest beyond the riverbank. Stay calm. Hope alive. Alive.
“Dunno. Sounds like more than one, though,” Kieran said, shrugging. “They’re preying on the Colby kids… contorted into their mom or something.”
“Okay, coming. Mira, you’re with me. Kyle, go get Varen and meet us at Townhall.”
“Lio, let me get Varen! Take Kyle with you!” Mira protested.
“No, Mira. It’s time. You’re ready,” Lio insisted. Her eyes scanned the group once more. Step steady. Breathe steady. Focus. Hope alive.
Lio gave Kieran a reassuring smile, mouthing silently, She’s got this.
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I’d love feedback and i’m hoping my portrayal of OCD is realistic. I’m somewhat pacing it off of my own experiences! Truly, any feedback would be helpful.
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