Can you write a poem or short story based on the first image that shows up on Pinterest?
07.06.2025 19:47
while he was lost in his own thought, he heard a train whistle from the distance. soon enough the train zipped past him, the tail of his trench coat swaying in the gust of wind. the train came to a stop and the doors swung open, welcoming people to go in. mateo managed to some how push his was through the crowd and find a seat to quietly sit in. as he saw the conductor of the train come around to punch wholes in the tickets, he held the piece of paper out and waited for him to finally come to him.
“my aunt is an alchemist. i live with her. if you want i could ask her if she could teach you. i’ll warn you, she’s probably going to a strict teacher.”
after about a long 5 minutes, he was able to distinguish where the nearest motel was located. it wasn’t too far so he figured that walking was the best option. it was a quick 10 minute walk before he was standing infront of a two doored entrance to a quite large building, for wickaton standards.
Why do humans sweat while stressed?
“maybe you should, i don't know, leave? you wouldn't want to get drenched while your drunk on a beach.” the girl suggested she walked closer to him to examine his face. “gosh you look awful.”
“aww, i thought we were had a special connection after last night.” mateo said, flashing a quick wink at her which earned him an annoyed look from the girl in front of him and he thrived off of it.
“oh my gosh i am so sorry. thank you so much for helping me.” he hasn’t met someone who was this nice to him in a while.
Do other British people agree that the UK should reconquer Ireland?
whatever the girl had told him after the point of his head feeling like it wasn’t attached to his body was completely whipped away from his memory. “to be completely honest, no i don’t. sorry…”
he was done. it’s no use. he will always be nothing but a hot mess.
after much convincing and a few minor dramatic episodes, his family were finally willing to let him, a little 18 year old boy, to leave their home for a few weeks. all he can hope is that he doesn’t let them down. him and his family are barely managing to survive in lerway. money is extremely tight and his family is quite large. he had 4 sisters, the oldest who was a year older than him named elenore, and 3 younger ones, anais, dara and jena, and 1 yonger brother, jasper, who was twins with jena.
“wow. thanks for the words of encouragement.” mateo said in a overexaggerated annoyed voice. maybe he should be annoyed but having some company around does seem nice right now.
it started maybe 10 days ago. he still remember those awful screams and the droplets of spit against his red cheeks. he stood quietly in a practically empty room that had only but one wobbly table at the center of it, as his head tilted low.
“can you not get anything right mateo? all i’ve done is try to help you and what do you give me in return? disappointment and failure?” his teachers voice echoed through the walls of the bare room. no matter how much mateo tried to apologize, giving empty promises that he would do better next time, as he usually does, it doesn't seem to work this time.
How much of lounge pianists playing is from repertoire, and how much is improvised?
“oh i’m not from here.”
“you just can’t handle my charm.” she rolled her eyes before she turned on her heels walked the opisit direction. mateo took this as a sign that he should probably leave before he gets on her nerves too much, especially since she has been extremely nice to him since they met.
“oh i see.”
as his head hung low, eyes fixed to the pavement ground, a piece of paper flew right in front of his feet. the bright colors stood out against the gray of the side walk. mateo reached down and picked up what had fallen beneath him. his eyes wondered around the paper, quickly gazing over the bold words. ‘want to become a professional alchemist? come to wickaton where we can make all your wildest dreams come true!’ the title had read. he had heard many things about wickaton. it’s where all the high level alchemists live. while it is a small town, it’s probably one of the most well known here in the east. mateo wasn’t from wickaton, even though he desperately wishes he was. he himself was born and raised in lerway. unlike wickaton and its surprisingly small population and size, lerway had a huge population and size. with all those people, lerway also had an alarmingly high homeless rate and a lot of criminal activity. yet people outside of lerway still dream on coming here, living that lavish life, visiting all the millions of cafe’s, shopping till their feet are sore with blisters and attending all the festivals in the parks. but that lifestyle was only for the rich.
“look i can’t help that i’m an honest person. and besides im just trying to help.” she put her rifle down on the rocks. “your drunk. do you need help going back home?”
“you’re an alchemist?” she asked.
★´ˎ— new story in rara’s library . . . !?
“so i did.” his gaze shifted back to the water infront of him as he watched the waves crashing down with a calming splash sound. “say, why are you here? it’s getting dark and most people don’t take a leisurely walk in by the beach with a rifle in there hands.”
“no, a sharpshooter.”
How do I become a Buddhist, and can someone explain Buddhism to me?
“ my aunt’s number: ###-###-####
“well, not every. don’t you remember the offer that i gave you yesterday?”
maybe wickaton isn’t that bad after all.
How can someone effectively handle a targeted individual?
——— ★
——— welcome to wickaton. ———
“what happened?”
HBO’s New Movie Fiercely Splits Critics & Audiences On Rotten Tomatoes - Screen Rant
mateo spend a concerning amount of time trying to figure out where to go next. he had picked up one of the travel maps that were in a pile beside the train door just before he got out. mateo had never been good with maps since he practically knew lerway like the back of his hand, but it never hurts to achieve a new skill, right?
“oh quite being so delusional. its the address to my aunts house, which is this bookshop, and her landline number so you can contact her.”
⠀my aunt’s address (the book store): 169 westly avenue, wickaton.
he sat by the ocean for about an hour now, on the rocky surface with a bottle of alcohol in his hand, taking sips out of it ever so often. he watched as the waves crashed on the shoreline. his thoughts were empty and he started feeling feverish, probably because of the warm sensation of alcohol in his stomach.
“can i book a room for tonight. preferably the cheapest one.” mateo answered, murmuring the last part out of embarrassment. of course he doesn’t want some random lady to know he’s broke, but he also doesn’t want to waste money on some crappy room with a bed that is maybe an inch bigger.
it took him a while to adjust to the lights that were light above him. his vision was still foggy and gosh he felt more hungover then ever before. he sat up straight in what he now noticed was a sofa covered in a floral print, like the ones that the rich people in lerway had. the room that he was in was covered in bookshelves from head to toe with what seemed like hundreds upon hundreds of books. where was he?
mateo glanced up at the mostly gray sky as the wind around him started to pick up. “really? i hadn’t noticed.” his gaze shifted back to the water as he took another sip from his bottle.
his feet dragged heavily across the pavement. no matter how many times this has happened and no matter how much he tries to act as if getting kicked out of another alchemy class once again was no big deal, he couldn’t brush off the truth. he’s been to every single alchemist in the city and asked all of them if they were willing to offer him an apprenticeship. most of them would close the door on his face, telling him to get lost and stop bothering them. he couldn’t blame them. who would want to teach a low class boy wondering around the streets? the few that did accept him would always be met with disappointment at the end.
“it’s okay! maybe i just wasn’t cut out for alchemy.”
before he could allow her to finish what she was saying, his head slowly drifted to the side, landing on whatever was beside him, which happened to be the shoulder of a sharpshooter.
“well technically yes. my aunt owns this place, you know the one i told you about before you crashed down on my shoulder. so i live here.”
mateo didn’t know how long he was asleep for but when he woke up, there were significantly less people around him. as if his mind has been read, a voice in the intercom of the train stated “15 minutes till wickaton, i repeat, 15 minutes till the train reaches wickaton!”. had he really fell asleep for a while 4 hours? he was lucky that he woke up just on time because if he slept any longer, he would have missed his stop.
the train ride to wickaton was at least 4 hours long so mateo had some time to spare. he could be doing tones of things at that time such as reading, drawing or maybe even looking over his alchemy notes, but instead he decided to lean his head back against the back of his seat, closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.
once he found the room he had been looking for, he placed the key on the keyhole, slowly turning it and unlocking the door. his suite had walls colored a maroon red and the bed was laying on top of a wooden frame carved with a swirly design. this room looked 10x better then he expected, almost like the ones rich people in lerway would have.
★´ˎ— now leaving rara’s library . . . !?
“aw why not?”
just as mateo was about to turn the handle of the door he felt a light poke on his back. he turned around to see her standing behind him with a small piece of paper in her hands. “here.”
“but you did lie!” she exclaimed back in a joking manner which managed to get a small chuck from him.
“train station? heading back to lerway already?” she questioned.
“you’re trying too hard.”
he isn’t quite sure how he managed to end up here but he’s standing on the platform of a busy train station with a small luggage in his right hand and a ticket in his left. he stood still as people around him walked in all different directions, the chatter enough to burst his eardrums.
——— ★
for the remaining time mateo’s gaze was glued to the large window beside his seat as he peered out at the fields. soon enough the train came to a stop and the few people who were left came along with him out the doors. the train station in wickaton was far less crowded than the one in lerway. there were maybe around 30 people and that's it.
“well what i said was my aunt is an alchemist and she may be able to offer you an apprenticeship.”
“i was out practicing my aim in the woods and decided to visit the beach while im out here.”
as he got far enough to see that the bookshop he was in was merely just a grain of rice, he decided to open the now crumply piece of paper that the she had given him.
“yeah i mean-”
it had been eight days in wickaton, and nothing has gone right. for the past week all he had been doing was going door to door to random alchemists houses and practically begging them an apprenticeship, like some orphan going around begging for money. he preformed some simple spells, yet somehow he still managed to mess up.
the alcohol in his body started to kick in and his head began pounding. he doesn’t know if he should spill all the mistakes and flaws of his life to a girl he has just met, but what does he have to lose now? “nothing, it just that… i’ve been kicked out of every apprenticeship i’ve had. some of the alchemists don’t even dare to give me a chance in even trying to prove myself capable.”
“hello young man, how may i help you today?” she asked as she walked on the other side of the desk. in her hand was a clipboard, which he guessed was for writing how long visitors stay for.
“i have no where else to go now. i asked every alchemist in this city for an apprenticeship and i’ve gotten no where so far.”
mateo wasn’t sure why but his body was aching, which wasn’t like him at all. he even slept on the train so what's the issue now? he placed his suitcase down beside the door way, unable to drag it any further and almost immediately collapsed on his bed. the silence around him felt odd and uncomfortable. back at home, he couldn’t remember the last time it was actually quite. his siblings would always either be fighting about something or, gossiping so loud that practically the whole neighborhood could hear them. but now, what is that he hears? is that the sound of the crickets outside? as he was somewhat appreciating the silence, his eyes felt heavy and no matter how much mateo told himself to stay awake, the exhaustion got the best of him and he was off to sleep, once again.
“get out before i regret helping you.” she said with an annoyed look as she pulled open the door and singled him to leave. without any argument he brushed his feet against pavement of the side walk.
he pushed open the door and was met with a quite extravagant foyer, decorated with a grand red carpet and even a chandelier hanging on top. he made his way to what he assumed was the front desk and rings a small bell that was placed in front of him. the ding sound echoed the through the walks and almost immediately, an older women wearing a red uniform walked in, her hair in a slick bun.
mateo cringed at himself as she recalled what happened last night. why couldn’t he just have handled the alcohol like normal people do. “oh i see. well i should probably get going now. um do you know where the train station is from here?”
“what’s this? your number? have i flattered you so easily?”
“what about you? why are you here?” mateo was hoping she wouldn’t ask him that question because now he has to awkwardly explain whys he’s chugging down a bottle of whisky while staring that the ocean like the male hero in a tear-jerking romance movie, except the romance is non existent and he isn’t much of a ‘hero’.
“it looks like it’s about to rain you know?” mateo heard a feminine voice say behind him. he turned his head around to see a girl, around his age, standing behind him with a rifle in her hands. through his foggy vision he could make out that she was wearing a white blouse tucked into a olive green skirt that reached down to her ankles. her hair was tied back in a low ponytail with a few strands loose on the sides.
“of course sir. you seem a bit young to be travelling alone though?” mateo knew the woman's intentions were good but he couldn’t help but feel like an outsider.
“it’s no problem. but i think you should leave no, no harsh feelings. if my aunt comes back and see’s a drunk man on the couch — i don’t even want to know what would happen to me.”
“aw i thought i had you all head over heels for me already.”
being one of the oldest, along with elenore, it was really all their responsibility to make sure that their family had enough to live, and he hasn’t been doing his job well. he’s tried many times to get a normal job like everyone else, no one would hire him, and plus his heart was always with alchemy. so after a while hopelessly looking for a job, he decided to give up and try towards finally putting all his heart and soul into alchemy. but he might as well quit this too.
“i’ve had enough of this. i can’t keep teaching you anymore. get out of my sight.” she yelled at a voice that could practically be heard by the whole town. mateo knew it would happen one day, he’s just surprised how long he was able to last. most of his teachers would kick him out after the first 3 classes. he stood their with a blank expression pastured on his face. he’s used to this. it’s his norm.
wickaton. a town they say where all dreams come true. a place where you can be happy and free. that’s what everyone told him. it had been 8 days since he had step foot in wickaton. 8 dreadful days.
“your a hunter?” he asked
mateo gave himself a small smile as he gently folded the paper and placed it in the pockets of his trousers. so agatha was her name? pretty. as he was mindlessly walking, he thought to himself…
“really? you would do that? woah i didn’t think people were this nice over here.” mateo replied in a genuinely shocked manner, even though he thought it might have been out of curtesy, or pity.
“’basics of alchemy’ and ‘how to not fuck up a basic spell’? sure sir, what ever you say.” she said as he looked over to the books that were laid down flat beside him. mateo knew she was joking because of the slight line like smile on her lips.
“oh your awake.” he heard a familiar voice call out to him. he looked to where the voice came from and saw the same girl from the beach, standing between two of the bookshelves as she placed down a small stack of books she had in her hands.
“it’s no problem.” she said as she was about to turn on her heels and leave.
mateo’s eyes fell to the words bellow the title that read ‘wickatons’ most well known alchemist are now offering alchemy classes for amazing deals!’. a thought popped up in his head. what if he headed to wickaton? maybe one of the alchemists over there would be able to finally knock some sense into him and teach him properly. plus what did he have to lose? but the thought of breaking the news to his family made him want to squirm. they would defiantly be against it but maybe with some convincing he’ll be able to sway them.
——— ★
“you passed out at the beach so i had to drag you near the road and wait for a taxi to pick us both up. i didn’t know where you were staying so i took you to where i live.”
⠀⠀!¡ ready to go on the ride of your life . . . ??
“planning on being one, or was planning. i don’t know if it’ll happen though.”
⠀⠀!¡ hope you enjoyed this story . . . ??
“your maybe 20 at most, already graduated so fast?”
“wait! you live here? in a bookstore?”
⠀⠀⠀⠀←previous post . . . !!⠀⠀⠀⠀back to home page . . . ?⠀⠀⠀⠀latest post . . . !! →
“where are you from then?” the girl asked as she walked up beside mateo and sat beside him. now that she was closer to him, he noticed that her eyes were a shade of hazel brown and lips were a rosy shade of pink.
“wait really? oh wow thank you so much for you’re help. you don’t know how much this means to me.” mateo replied back with genuine delight. how is she so nice?
“oh i just wanted to uh… clear my head. i thought the beach would be a nice place to go.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀— agatha (the girl from the beach ) “
“i’m from lerway. i came here for uh, work related reasons.” he lied. of course he doesn’t want people to know he’s a poor city boy begging around for training.
——— ★
“fine, fine, you caught me. i thought i was pretty convincing not going to lie.”
for a while the both of them sat in silence looked out at the horizon as more clouds started to roll in. mateo started to feel lightheaded and it was as if he was going to collapse any time now.
“heading to wickaton i see?” the conductor posed, “you don’t seem like the type of kid that belongs there.” mateo kept his head down, not knowing what else to do. he gave a slight nod of understanding as a way of saying that he heard what the conductor but didn’t know how to respond. the guessed that the conductor understood his memo because after that remark, he didn’t speak another word.
“i’m eighteen ma’am, i think i’m old enough to travel on my own.” in hindsight, his words sounded a bit harsh and overkill, but he was just exhausted from people always giving baseless assumptions about his life. by the tone of his voice, the front desk lady could tell he was not in the mood for a conversation. she slid over his room keys and bid him off goodbye before he made his way into one of the lifts, pressing the button for the forth floor. in just about no time he arrived to his floor and looked for the room number that was written on a small tag attached to the key.
“i could be a teacher you know? you shouldn’t assume things, love.” he didn’t know if the last word was because of the alcohol in his stomach or was he just getting comfortable with a woman he just met?
“oh. im so sorry.”