Sure, there were flames before. But nothing compared to the fire that left charred remains. I left for a new home, then that home was taken away. I had words to speak but no place to speak them and no one to hear them...properly, that is.

The metaphor of this website being a bar and the users being the patrons of said bar was used on more than one occasion. There was the drunk that we kicked to the curb, the hussies that put out, the quiet but smart lurkers, the outlandish singers and several outspoken few that used the bar as their soapbox for the whole scene to hear them speak.

I was one of the latter, I had a group of users on here that I got to know fairly well and even had contact with them outside of these quarters. Then Eschel came, he was a lonely man that wanted nothing but to fit in. But in trying to fit in he offended many that were called friends by several, so he was outcast. He tried to spit fire but we were of water and couldn't be hurt by him. In the end someone here started real-life pranks on him, and he fell to the wayside as they all did. We stayed a tight-knit community as if to spite the world.

We had achieved much. We were a noticeable section of a high-ranking video and picture website. We, as a community were able to gain recognition through our words in a world that couldn't read. We didn't belong, we didn't care. If we needed it, we asked for it, if it wasn't granted, it was taken. We faced verbal assaults from people that disliked our intellect, we also faced questions from those that didn't understand us. Everyone was welcome, no one got in for free though.

I left this place when it became a ruin, following a man that is a local legend where I live. I was then outcast from the new site and at the same time my life broke down in the real world too. I tried to keep a facade up, but in the end it was too much work. Now, more than a year has passed and I do miss this place, but I return to a home that is built on a new foundation. Several girders still exist, but this place is PVC to my hardwood. I will try to build an addition, hopefully I will succeed.

I am Arisen, and this is my short story.