Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

“I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

“Some people center the universe around themselves; while making other people nothing but decorations to their existence. "I will do this and then I will do that and then people will think this about me and then people will think that about me, and then I will add that person to my life when the convenient time arrives, and this person over here would make a very convenient addition as well..." They build their own thrones for themselves, and add decorations all around their thrones. The problem with that is: it does not bring happiness. A throne must be built for you; it must not be you who builds your own throne. If so, everything that you think you are is only an illusion! And illusions dissolve one day. Poof!”
― C. JoyBell C.

“Here's to love at first sight, and here's to getting over it the moment you blink.”
― Ahmed Mostafa

“I've always liked Belgian waffles, but I must say, I didn't think I would one day be having Belgian waffles in Belgium! I just sort of POOF found myself there and there I was with a gigantic Belgian waffle in my hands, standing on a sidewalk in Belgium!”
― C. JoyBell C.

“How do we stop them?â€� Edilio asked. He raised his head, and Sam saw the distress on his face. “How do you think we stop them? When your fifteenth birthday rolls around, the easy thing is to take the poof. You gotta fight to resist it. We know that. So how are we going to tell kids this isn’t real, this Orsay thing?â€�
“We just tell them,� Astrid said.
“But we don’t know if it’s real or not,� Edilio argued.
Astrid shrugged. She stared at nothing and kept her features very still. “We tell them it’s all fake. Kids hate this place, but they don’t want to die.�
“How do we tell them if we don’t know?� Edilio seemed genuinely puzzled.
Howard laughed. “Deely-O, Deely-O, you are such a doof sometimes.� He put his feet down and leaned toward Edilio as if sharing a secret with him. “She means: We lie. Astrid means that we lie to everyone and tell them we do know for sure.�
Edilio stared at Astrid like he was expecting her to deny it.
“It’s for people’s own good,� Astrid said in a low voice, still looking at nothing.
“You know what’s funny?â€� Howard said, grinning. “I was pretty sure we were coming to this meeting so Astrid could rank on Sam for not telling us the whole truth. And now, it turns out we’re really here so Astrid can talk us all into becoming liars.”
― Michael Grant, Lies

“My little man,â€� she said.
“N´Ç.â€�
She stretched out her hand to him. “Come.�
“I can’t,� he said.
“Sam, I’m your mother. I love you. Come with me.�
“M´Ç³¾â€¦â¶Ä�
“Just reach out to me. I’m safe. I can carry you away, out of this place.�
Sam shook his head slowly, slowly, like he was drowning in molasses. Something was happening to time. Astrid wasn’t breathing. Nothing was moving. The whole world was frozen.
“It will be like it was,� his mother said.
“It was never�,� he began. “You lied to me. You never told me…�
“I never lied,� she said, and frowned at him, disappointed.
“You never told me I had a brother. You never told—�
“Just come with me,� she said, impatient now, jerking her hand a little like she would when he was a little kid and refused to take her hand to cross the street. “Come with me now, Sam. You’ll be safe and out of this place.�
He reacted instinctively, the little boy again, reacted to the “mommy� voice, the “obey me� voice. He reached for her, stretched his hand out to her.
And pulled it back.
“I can’t,� Sam whispered. “I have someone I have to stay here for.�
Anger flashed in his mother’s eyes, a green light, surreal, before she blinked and it was gone.
And then, out of the bleached, unreal world, Caine stepped into the eerie light.
Sam’s mother smiled at Caine, and he stared at her wonderingly. “Nurse Temple,� Caine said.
“Mom,� she corrected. “It’s time for both my boys to join me, to come away with me. Out of this place.�
Caine seemed spellbound, unable to tear his gaze away from the gentle, smiling face, the piercing blue eyes.
“Why?� Caine asked in a small child’s voice.
Their mother said nothing. Once again, for just a heartbeat, her blue eyes glowed a toxic green before returning to cool, icy blue.
“Why him and not me?� Caine asked.
“It’s time to come with me now,� their mother insisted. “We’ll be a family. Far from here.�
“You first, Sam,� Caine said. “Go with your mother.�
“No,� Sam said.
Caine’s face darkened with rage. “Go, Sam. Go. Go. Go with her.� He was shouting now. He seemed to want to grab Sam physically, push him toward the mother they had not quite shared, but his movements were odd, disjointed, a jerky stick figure in a dream.
Caine gave up trying. “Jack told you,� he said dully.
“No one told me anything,� Sam said. “I have things I have to do here.�
Their mother extended her arms to them, angry, demanding to be heeded. “Come to me. Come to me.�
Caine shook his head slowly. “N´Ç.â€�
“But you’re the man of the house now, Sam,� his mother wheedled. “My little man. Mine.�
“No,� Sam said. “I’m my own man.�
“And I was never yours,� Caine sneered. “Too late now, Mother.�
The face of their mother wavered. The tender flesh seemed to break apart in jigsaw-puzzle pieces. The gently smiling, pleading mouth melted, collapsed inward. In its place a mouth ringed with needle-sharp teeth. Eyes filled with green fire.
“I’ll have you yet,� the monster raged with sudden violence.
Caine stared in horror. “What are you?�
“What am I?â€� the monster mocked him savagely. “I’m your future. You’ll come to me on your own in the dark place, Caine. You will come willingly to me.”
― Michael Grant