Midsummer Shadows

[myahoo]

”Good question. Only one way to find out now is there.”

 

Mark watched curiously as Sophia got up and walked to the door, opening it a crack and peering outside. They didn't even lock the door? Wow. He shook his head incredulously. She's going back to her seat, so that must mean that they're guarding us. Ah well. I don't really feel like trying to escape at the moment anyway.

 

”Well that the answer of one of the many questions. What now? They won’t give us the answers we want so how do we “narrow” down the subject? Don’t you two have an ability of some sort you know of? With nothing to do, no lead and plenty of time to kill we might as well make use of our caged time together. Anyone has a suggestion to make or will you all remain silent until our captors decide to move a bit faster before we die of old age in this cage?”

 

"Uh... I could try to ask some plants to eavesdrop or tell us about what's happened around here. I mean, I'm sure there's something growing in this carriage, given how cr@ppy and run-down it is."

 

"I suppose you could try, if you really want to," Mark replied to Sen, still doubtful, before answering Sophia. "Don't know how we're supposed to 'narrow' down the subject. You should probably ask Sen, since it is his idea.” He shrugged, eyes narrowing slightly at the implications of her last sentence. "Not so sure about the ability either. If you mean something like Sen’s, then no, I don’t have an ability.” He hesitated. ”Although, there was this one time where this thick fog bank came out of nowhere and helped me..." Although he kept his voice pretty even, his eyes narrowed at the memory and he clenched his fists angrily. He shifted and his shoulder moved slightly into the path of the light streaming in through the window, illuminating the light fog that had condensed around him. Forcing his hands to relax, he continued, “This would be easier if we knew what the possible abilities were. We have Sen’s plant-talk and that’s it. Should we ask them about it or should we just try to puzzle it out ourselves? And besides, you haven’t told us yours, Sophia.”

 

[Sesshia]

Evelyn's face suddenly darkened; the lines etched on her face suddenly doubling in thickness and anger. She didn't flinch as he let go of the girl he was holding, before she noticed a shiny metal blade pointed at her throat.

 

As his words ran through the woods, she couldn't help but to smirk a little in response. He made her so furious, so angry, and so alive. She reached up and held the sword, ignoring it as it cut a little into her palms.

 

"I've never experienced it-" she hissed, her voice venomous and almost as lethal as his, matching his sour tone, "but why not start now?"

 

She didn't know exactly what it was, but adrenaline pumped into her veins. She was so ready. She could hardly care if she died now - there was no one, and nothing keeping her in this world. Might as well go down with a bang, she thought.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Sesshia

[Mangaholic]

When the blonde girl reached up to take hold of his sword, the snarl on Kiril’s face grew, as well as his hatred for her. Her venomous words caused him to shake with uncontrollable anger, and just as the words left her mouth, Kiril drew the sword downward from her grip, cutting the palm of her hand to the bone. Her blood ran the length of his blade, staining the stage as it dripped from the metal.

 

He wasn’t done yet; the sight of her blood had only cooled a tiny ounce of his anger. He swiveled the sword in his wrist, and raising it upward slightly for momentum, he brought it down upon the girl’s right foot, sneering, "There's your start."

 

He looked up to glare into the girl's amber eyes with his own gray ones. "With a daughter like you, I wouldn't be surprised if your father killed himself and if your mother was crazy from despair."

 

[Odio]

When he woke up that morning he'd forgotten all about the dream and the strange feeling from the day before. He'd felt rejuvenated and brand new and ready for whatever hit him. Except, of course, his reflection. Instead of his tan that he'd been so proud of, now he looked white as paper, and his hair looked as white as an old man's, except full and long still. He didn't know who could've done this to him, or how, but after the initial shock Gordon decided he kind of liked the new look.

 

It was still just past dawn when he'd gotten up, and he dressed in some shorts and a t-shirt and went for a quick run around the block. He got home, ate some breakfast and took a cold shower (he didn't even think twice about forgetting to turn the temperature up). Then he got dressed, put some mousse in his hair so it stuck up all over the place like Einstein, but in a younger, cooler way. He put on a pair of shades and a gray shirt and light blue jeans, and on the way out the front door he slipped on his favorite thin, faded blue zip-up jacket with a hood. He was going to the mall to meet up with some friends and he had to wear his favorite jacket and his favorite sneakers if he was gonna be seen walking around the mall.

 

When he was walking around one of the trendy stores with a couple friends, one of his friends snapped a tag off of a pair of sunglasses and put them on her face and walked out the store. Then another of his friends snuck a wallet out. It was his turn. He couldn't back down even if he knew it was a bad idea. Gordon grabbed something, he didn't even know what, he didn't even care. He was too excited with the rush of stealing things. He felt the blood rising in his cheeks, and he could barely contain his smile as he approached the exit....

 

"Hey!" a lady said. "Are you gonna pay for that?" Gordon acted like he didn't hear her, or didn't know she was talking to him, and bee-lined for the exit. He was out of the store, and there were his friends, waiting impatiently for him.

 

"Watch it, buddy! Get back here!" It was a security guard! He locked eyes with his friends and in that brief glance their eyes said the same thing: RUN!!

 

They bolted in different directions. One headed for the food court, one for a knot of people, and Gordon went straight for a janitor's exit. The guard went after him. Gordon could hear the security guard's huffing echo in the dank white back halls, and then he slammed against the brown doors and then he was out of the mall and the sun flashed in his eyes and felt hot on his white skin. He shielded his eyes with his hands and ran down the sidewalk and around the corner. He looked around and then ran across a crosswalk, then ducked down an alley or two. He was breathing kind of hard but he still felt plenty good, but then he looked up and realized he'd somehow made it back to the back of the mall, and the guard had cut him off around a shorter way.

 

Gordon turned back around and turned in a different direction this time. He found himself crossing a road and coming up to a pair of wrought-iron gates. He skidded to a stop, and leaned back to look up at the iron gates and the wall, and blinked. Forest Park....? he thought to himself. But then the thought was gone and he dashed through the gates and scurried inside the park. He heard the gates ring shut behind him.

 

 

***

 

Gordon had been walking around the park for a while now, he wasn't sure how long because he'd forgotten his cell phone back at home, and he didn't wear a watch. His sneakers were scuffed, and he felt a little warm in his jacket, but he didn't feel like carrying it, either. He didn't think the guard had followed him into the park. He was surprised the security guard had chased after him at all. He didn't think the security around the mall did much of anything.

 

He was jarred from his thoughts when he came across a scene as shocking as his reflection that morning. Words drifted through the trees to his ears:

 

"With a daughter like you, I wouldn't be surprised if your father killed himself and if your mother was crazy from despair."

 

The words were fairly dripping with emotion, and as the scene came into view he suddenly felt self-conscious of his hair and skin that must stick out like a sore thumb in the brown woods. From the direction he was walking, he was standing behind a girl, and there was a young man, the apparent speaker, up in her face. Gordon's eyes grew to circles when he saw the sword stuck in the girl's foot. He gasped in horror as a splash of blood spurted out. Even though he'd grown up in New York City and he acted like a tough guy in front of his friends, Gordon had never seen anyone get stabbed before and the sight shocked him. His hand went up to his mouth and his steps faltered. He cursed, sure that the man with the sword noticed him, and his muscles tensed to bolt back in the direction he came.

 

 

 

~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~

 

 

 

Gregor was back on the train, heading into New York City. His compartment's window was missing the glass, and the air outside was blowing in, whipping his hair around his face. He felt like he was high up on a mountain. It was exhilarating. Greg watched as the countryside gave way to urbanity, but noticed that they weren't heading the same way as last time. The train weaved in and out of the city streets, passing people and taxis and buildings as if it didn't exist to anyone but Greg and the other people in the compartment. Greg realized with a start that he was not alone anymore. There were several people sitting in the booth with him, but their features were blurred. He had a vague impression of violent hair colors and strange skin pigmentations. He didn't recognize any of them, and turned away, back to the scenery. His eyes watered from the air blowing all around him, and his long brown hair twisted about his face until he pulled it back with his hand.

 

Presently, the train approached a walled-in park. A sign out front read, "Forest Park." Greg started having a strange feeling in his belly. He felt feverish all of a sudden. His stomach felt like it was ripping out of his body, and suddenly his back and shoulders were shot with pain. He cried out in pain, but his cry sounded like the grating of rusted iron. Then the train was inside the park, and pulling to a stop. The pain had subsided, but Greg still felt hot, and lightheaded. He blinked.

 

The train was gone, and the people too. He was standing alone, on a platform, and he could hear pounding wingbeats in his ears like a pulse. He covered his ears and scrunched up his eyes against the growing temperature. Something was bubbling beneath the surface, fighting to break through. He could feel it heaving and rising beneath him until -

 

He was scorching hot! Everything was red and orange and flaming around him! His skin felt like fire! After a moment the redness subsided, and Greg found himself lying in a cooling pool of rock. He heard a woman's soothing voice mutter something, but he couldn't make out what it was.

 

Greg sat up in bed, panting. He was confused. He'd been woken up by a loud scratching noise, and the sound was screwing up his thoughts, he couldn't remember where he was. He crawled to the foot of the bed, tumbling out of the sheets toward the sound that nobody but he seemed to be able to hear. Everyone else in the room was sound asleep. Greg half-sleepwalked his way over to the window. They were on the fourth story, what could be making that noise outside the window? He peered through slumber eyes past the curtains. He didn't see anything. The noise was rising to a crescendo. Greg couldn't believe that nobody else had heard the noise yet. He was just reaching to open the window when the sound abruptly halted. Sighing, and confused, Greg drifted back into bed, and slept.

 

***

 

Gregor woke later that morning, but it was still very early. For a second he didn't know where he was, but then the last couple days came rushing back to him. He was in a hotel room, with six other boys from his orchestra group, and they'd arrived in New York City a few days before. He rolled to his right, noticing that his skin felt dry and cracked. He needed a shower. Greg reached up to brush his hair from his face, but something strange happened, and his breath caught in his throat with surprise. He reached up to touch his hair with his usually callused fingertips, but his nails were long and hard and dark, and they caught on the skin on his face, which felt like paper, and tore.

 

Greg was horrified. He stared at his trembling hands, turning them around before his wide, frightened eyes. His hands were overly long, as usual, but the skin looked old and pulled. It sagged around his joints. It was freaky looking. He touched his palm to his cheek, and felt three dry torn marks on his face, but there was no blood. He got up hurriedly, scared now, and rushed into the hotel bathroom.

 

He locked the door and looked at himself in the mirror. His skin was grayish, like it was dead and old. He reached up and pinched at the torn skin on his face, and pulled.

 

The skin tore off, in one large flake. Greg swallowed down his bile. Beneath the old skin, there was a new skin. It was harder to the touch, and greenish. Greg started slowly tearing off the skin on his face and hands, uncovering the new, fresh skin underneath. He peered closely at it. It felt bumpy, and patterned. Greg thought it felt like there were more layers of skin underneath, but he couldn't tell. This was strange. He hadn't heard of anything like this happening to anyone before.

 

Greg showered and brushed his teeth, noticing with shock anew that his teeth were now pointy, and that his back had a strange hunch at his shoulerblades. It gave him an effect of having a bad posture, making him look as though he was even taller, except hunched over. In the shower, the last of his old dried skin fell away. His new skin was harder, slightly green, and made of fine, tiny scales. Greg only noticed the scales when his skin was a few inches from his face. As he dried off, he could hear stirring in the other room, and felt fear. He didn't know how the others would take in his new appearance. He started panicking. What would he do? He decided hastily.

 

He opened the door, quietly. Nobody was up yet, but they were starting to wake. Greg got dressed quickly, grabbed a few things, and hurried out of the room. He tied his hair behind his head as he walked down the hotel hallway. He made his way downstairs, and outside into the city. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't know what he was doing. He was going to get in so much trouble when they couldn't find him, but he didn't want anybody he knew to see him like this, with a greenish hide peeling through and claws and fangs...

 

Greg bought himself breakfast and walked around the city all morning. He was thoroughly lost, but he didn't much care. He wouldn't be able to play in the concert tonight anyway with his hands like this.

 

Eventually Gregor found himself approaching a walled-in park. The iron gate looked familiar. It was swinging a little, as if somebody had just passed through. He'd heard bits of the news as he'd walked around town. Was this the park that all the disappearances had occured in? Common sense told Greg to walk away, but something about the iron gate drew him nearer. He felt his face grow hot, and he remembered something, as if from a dream...

 

He looked around, to make sure nobody was watching the gate to keep people out. He pushed the gate open just enough to slip through. It clanged shut behind him. He looked around, taking in the pleasant nature. Now that he was inside, he felt anti-climactic. He supposed he could go exploring. He started walking around.

 

It didn't take long, but eventually he heard voices, and faltered. He watched from behind a tree, unnoticed by the group. He saw several people about his age file into a carriage, and how a brutally beaten girl was tossed into another carriage with another boy. His eyes widened with fear, and he prayed they wouldn't notice him. These were probably the culprits to the murders! He wished desperately that he had a phone to call the police, but he didn't.

 

He decided to get away from the scene. He started to creep away, but he was clumsy, and his foot hit a stump or root or something.

 

"Ooof!" he cried. His arms windmilled, and he crashed to the ground, making a racket. Oh no! They probably heard him! He lay still for a moment, listening. Then he heard leaves crunching, like someone was approaching. His heart caught in his throat and he pushed himself up to a stand and started to dash away.

 

And tripped, again. He groaned as the sound of crunching leaves grew closer. He rolled over, onto his back. He'd been caught.

Edited February 15, 2010 by Odio

[Skarx]

When Sophia saw Sen raise his hand the lower it she forced herself not to laugh. The way he acted was so funny sometime. Still she also saw it as a mark of respect for others, pointing that he had an idea or a suggestion. She waited for him to say what he had in mind and didn’t regret it.

 

"Uh... I could try to ask some plants to eavesdrop or tell us about what's happened around here. I mean, I'm sure there's something growing in this carriage, given how cr@ppy and run-down it is."

 

She was about to say it was a good idea when Mark said it before her. She only nooded to Sen to give him her approval then said a plain “Sure.” Then that Mark talked to her.

 

"Don't know how we're supposed to 'narrow' down the subject. You should probably ask Sen, since it is his idea.”

 

”How… constructive of you. Any other good ideas like that? If you don’t have any then don’t say it.”

 

Then listened to his second part.

 

"Not so sure about the ability either. If you mean something like Sen’s, then no, I don’t have an ability. Although, there was this one time where this thick fog bank came out of nowhere and helped me..."

 

While he was talking she noticed, after he had moved, that there was strange fog around him. So making fog was his power? When he went on talking she couldn’t help thinking he really had a lot to say, but remained silent. She was too quick to being bothered right now. Probably the stress.

 

“This would be easier if we knew what the possible abilities were. We have Sen’s plant-talk and that’s it. Should we ask them about it or should we just try to puzzle it out ourselves? And besides, you haven’t told us yours, Sophia.”

 

She suddenly felt like her sitting position was very uncomfortable. Her power? Did she even have any?

”My power… I don’t know if I have any, I had absolutely no sigh of having some. Maybe I don’t have any either…”

 

She really wished she knew if she had any. Looking like this and having nothing in return would make her so angry and sad, at the same time. She looking angrily had her skin. Stupid side effects of her blood heritage. She glanced at Sen.

 

”So? Any success with your talk?

 

[RheaZen]

Sarin listened and asked, wondering if he could communicate telepathically. Just to make sure he was heard, he whispered his questions. Many voices responded.

 

Something young and small with thin branches, maybe a bush... No, nothing...

 

High-strung. Winter and darkness are bad. Especially for us. You'll help, right?

 

Sarin frowned. "What, wait, what? I don't even know what's going on!"

 

This one sounded thick, as if there was mucus in its throat. If that were possible for a tree. The faeries. The ice and dark want to take us all. Bad for us. Bad for your kind.

 

""My kind...?" I'm not some weird hippy, yanno. Look, I just want to-"

 

*chitterchitterchitter*

 

"What the hell is that?"

 

Sen had tried to listen and talk to outside plants, with little luck. Worse, some weird noise had gone up. It was almost like static, if the static sounded organic and like chattering.

 

”So? Any success with your talk?

 

Sophia had spoken to him again. Sen frowned once more and stuck a finger in his ear to try and block out some of the strange chattering. "Uh... not really. They really don't like Winter and Dark faeries, though. Which makes sense, since they're plants, and kinda rely on warmth and sun to survive." He clapped his hands over his ears several times, wondering if it was some sort of version of ringing in the ears experienced by faeries of his kind. The noise didn't stop, though. He looked around for its source, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere.

 

Unnerved, Sen looked at the people in the carriage and asked timidly, "Uh, can anyone else hear a sort of... weird noise? Like lots of people whispering at once?"

Edited February 16, 2010 by RheaDark

[Mangaholic]

Sadness dwelled in Brunor’s eyes as he watched the three teens, Hadyn, Rhiannon, and Tristan, trudge away toward that place where the two motorcycles had been parked. Of course he felt a great despair at seeing Rhiannon cry. After all, having no children of his own, he had come to care deeply for his niece and his nephew, or rather, only his niece, as his nephew had met an untimely death no more than two days ago, and it pained him just as much as it did her father, Hadyn, and Tristen to see Rhiannon wallowing in anger and grief. His old, weary sigh melted into the cool, melancholy breeze that stirred the leaves hanging limp on the branches and the blades of grass. None of the other Umbralatronis stirred; each seemed to be lost in their own deep thoughts as they waited anxiously for the return of Emilia and Kiril. Where could they be? he thought, concern joining the sadness within his eyes. They’re not in trouble, are they?

 

He whirled around to face Belinos, who was gazing blankly into the distance as if searching for something and yet nothing at all, about to suggest a search for the two missing Umbras. However, before the words had found the time to leave his mouth, another noise, different from the whispering winds and the sighs of the trees, completely distracted him, and his hand flew to the hilt of his weapon, as did the others, though none drew their weapons yet.

 

Gazing toward the direction of the cry, he caught sight of a rather tall boy crashing gracelessly to the ground, most likely in an attempt to flee from the terrifying spectacle that the Umbralatronis and their steeds had made. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Malduk glance at him, and with a grim nod, he strode toward the boy, who then leapt to his feet, probably desperate to escape from his two pursuers. Unfortunately for him, he tripped yet again, though he would’ve been caught either way. It was just simpler for the two of them if he tripped now, since they wouldn’t have to go much farther. By the time the boy had rolled onto his back, Brunor and Malduk were both towering over him, just as Malduk had towered over Mark when he had been caught by the pond. Brunor remained silent, observing the boy’s tinted green and scaly skin, as Malduk growled, “As you’ve probably realized, you can’t escape now, so you have no choice but to join them too.”

 

[Odio]

Gregory saw the two men standing over him and gulped. They didn't look friendly. He closed his eyes for a moment.

 

I'm not here, I'm not here, I'm back at home, this is a dream. I'm back home! he thought to himself. But when he opened his eyes, they were still there, and one of them spoke.

 

“As you’ve probably realized, you can’t escape now, so you have no choice but to join them too.”

 

Greg dashed back, scuttling across the leaves. His butt felt damp from the cold dirty ground. He was sitting up against a tree trunk, tense and afraid. He eyed the two warily. He doubted that he could outrun these two people. Maybe they weren't responsible for the disappearances this morning, but Greg doubted it. Except for the one girl, the others had seemed just fine, if a bit peeved. Who were these people?

 

"Alright, fine," he said, standing up cautiously, brushing himself off with as much dignity as he could muster (considering he'd just fallen over twice). "You've got me, whoever you are." He was watching his words, trying to think quickly of how to escape, but nothing spectacular came to him. He would just have to follow them into the carriage. He let them lead him to the cages, his face growing red with the indignity of it all. He wanted to lash out at them. He eyed his clawed fingers, but instead he bit his lip. He was bigger than that beaten girl, but not by that much. He knew he wouldn't beat his captors in a fight. Greg wrinkled his nose against the stink, but he barely noticed. He was too awed by the sight of the winged horses. His mouth fell agape, and he paused outside the unopened carriage door.

 

"Do those horses have - wings!?" Greg was dumbfounded.

[myahoo]

”How… constructive of you. Any other good ideas like that? If you don’t have any then don’t say it.”

 

Mark winced at those words, not quite believing that he had said something so stupid. He’d left himself wide open for that one, so he couldn’t hold that against her. Even so, he realized that he must have been more tired than he thought to have said something like that. Putting those thoughts away for the time being, he noticed that his statement about her powers had caused Sophia to become uncomfortable. He listened to her response, feeling slightly lighter at being able to get back at her this quickly.

 

“My power… I don’t know if I have any, I had absolutely no sigh of having some. Maybe I don’t have any either…”

 

He was slightly surprised that she had willingly admitted that she didn’t know, but made no comment on it. After all, he already admitted to not knowing and there were a lot of things that they didn’t know in this situation.

 

“So? Any success with your talk?”

 

"Uh... not really. They really don't like Winter and Dark faeries, though. Which makes sense, since they're plants, and kinda rely on warmth and sun to survive."

 

Mark nodded, watching as Sen frowned and stuck a finger in his ear. He clapped his hands over his ears and looked around, causing Mark to feel slightly concerned about the small boy. He was about to ask what was wrong when Sen spoke first.

 

"Uh, can anyone else hear a sort of... weird noise? Like lots of people whispering at once?"

 

”I can’t and the only people in here are us three. Maybe it’s some kinda small plant or something,” Mark replied with a shrug. Well, that explained what was up with Sen. Glancing around again, he stood up and walked to the door, deciding that he wanted to move a little. He opened the door a crack, just enough to see that the man that led him here and another man were moving towards the forest. They stopped near the edge and Mark watched as another kid started to walk towards the cart. He closed the door again, turning to the others in the cart.

 

”Looks like they found another one,” he stated, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

 

[Skarx]

Sophia tried and avoided Mark sight. How could she have shown so much vulnerability! Especially after getting back at him about his useless comment. How she had liked seeing him wince from her sharp answer. Only to have herself reveal her ignorance about her powers.

 

When she got Sen’s answer she was a bit confused.

 

"Uh... not really. They really don't like Winter and Dark faeries, though. Which makes sense, since they're plants, and kinda rely on warmth and sun to survive."

 

She nodded, but was taken by surprise by his next question, especially since he had put a finger in his ear, clap them and looking around.

 

"Uh, can anyone else hear a sort of... weird noise? Like lots of people whispering at once?"

 

"A what?" She tried and listens to her surrounding and heard voices outside saying something about someone having to follow and winged horses. Someone else was probably joining them, but lot of whispering voices… "No I don’t hear whispers, but I think someone else got trapped."

 

She then looked at Mark grinning.

 

"How quick you are to forget about our Shira girl sitting right there." She pointed Shira, the silver haired girl in their cage. "Do you have amnesia or maybe you are too concentrated on what you are doing to pay attention to your surrounding?" The boy had moved to the door and talked about the new one. "Oh really? Big surprise there. Wonder what kind of person it is."

 

[jaina]

Shira had quietly watched and listened to everything that was going on. When Sen asked about hearing whispers she shook her head and replied, "I don't hear anything like that, all I've heard is all the bickering going on both outside, and inside this carriage." She was feeling more then a little resentment about her situation, being held inside a carriage to wait as the day heated up. She could already feel the warmth from the sun beginning to penetrate the carriage and she could guess as to just how hot it was. Hopefully they would be moving soon and those a**holes outside would explain things to them. "I'm not sure if it signifies what I am, but kept feeling static crawling around on my fingers earlier." Shira added after a moment of contemplation.

[Odio]

Greg realized stalling wasn't going to get him anywhere. He ducked his head and opened the cage door sheepishly. He felt like a fool, being pushed around like he was a little kid or something. He could feel his blood boiling as he crouched into the carriage and squeezed in next to the other teens. When he'd been watching them get filed into the carriage he'd noted that they had similar strange attributes like himself, but he was still quite a sight to have them all gathered together like that. He sat down and shut the door behind him. He felt the blood rising in his cheeks.

 

"Okay," he said, turning to the small group of prisoners before him, "I'm Greg. What the hell is going on?" He felt like such a fool, but he supposed he had to say something, and it seemed like they were all in this together, whatever it was. "We've got horses with wings outside, I'm trapped in a cage with a bunch of strangers in the middle of New York City, and I woke up today with my skin peeling off!" He hadn't meant to blurt that last bit out, but he was beginning to feel a little panicky. Because, despite all the strangeness of it, this was really happening. He sighed and reached up to rub his face, but then he noticed how dirty his hands had become and grimaced, wiping his hands on his jeans. He could still feel his blood boiling, and it wasn't just from the heat. He felt claustrophobic in the tight space, and his shoulder blades were itching. He just felt like springing out of there.

[RheaZen]

Sen quickly got several responses.

 

”I can’t and the only people in here are us three. Maybe it’s some kinda small plant or something.”

 

"A what? No I don’t hear whispers, but I think someone else got trapped."

 

"I don't hear anything like that, all I've heard is all the bickering going on both outside, and inside this carriage. I'm not sure if it signifies what I am, but kept feeling static crawling around on my fingers earlier."

 

Sen sighed and shrugged at the responses. Nothing that matches my... situation. And the noise isn't going away. He clapped his hands over his ears again, vexed. The closest thing to his problem was Shira's static-fingers. "Maybe I'm getting pointy ears...?" he thought out loud, just as he noticed the newest arrival.

 

"Okay, I'm Greg. What the hell is going on? We've got horses with wings outside, I'm trapped in a cage with a bunch of strangers in the middle of New York City, and I woke up today with my skin peeling off!"

 

Sen waved. "Hi! I'm Sen! Yeah, the horses are weird an- skin peeling off?!" He scooted away, backwards, then yelped again and jumped up. You have GOT to be kidding me... He gingerly felt his bottom and pulled out an inch-long splinter. At least my pants helped stop it from going in... all the way. And that annoying noise! He clapped his hands over his ears again, to no avail. Muttering under his breath, he checked his seat again and sat down. "Keeps getting better and better, stupid noise and splinters and falling out of trees and now the new kid might have some sort of horrible disease. I dun wanna die of ebola!"

Edited February 20, 2010 by RheaDark

[Odio]

Gregor shot a look of death at the little spazzoid in the corner, but he didn't think Sen noticed, he seemed to be preoccupied with hearing something nobody else could hear. Greg knew he didn't have ebola - well, he hoped not, anyway. He knew that something fishy was up, though. His forehead was noticeably red now, and he was beginning to sweat. He felt trapped in here, and he didn't even know what they were waiting for. His back felt tight, like he need to give it a good crack. He reached up to wipe the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, but when he pulled his hand away, a thin layer of skin stuck to his hand.

 

Horrified, he hoped none of the others noticed, and he flicked the leaf of dried skin back into a grimy corner. He felt his face. It seemed a bit harder and smoother now, and a little less hot. He still felt claustrophobic, though.

[Sesshia]

 

Evelyn's face contorted with pain as the blade sunk into her palm. As the sword cut in deeper, she could almost feel the metal grating into her skin. She felt a little sick as she saw her own red blood force coat the katana and drip onto the ground. With a quick wrench, she felt the sword rip out of her hand and into her foot - luckily just grazing her second toe but otherwise going in between joints.

 

The pain was... excruciating. But something about it reminded her that she was alive. It wasn't like she enjoyed the stinging in her hand and foot, in fact she felt her eyes begin to glaze over from her reaction to the agony. She bit her lip as she held back a little shriek, until his next words hit her.

 

As each word sunk in, it felt more painful than the physical pain she was just subjected to. She bit down harder until she bled. Her eyes darkened in color, until they were pits of black.

 

...if your father killed himself and if your mother was crazy from despair.

 

"Do not. Talk. Of. My. Parents." She said slowly, emphasizing each phrase. "Do not speak of them like you know them! Like you understand them! Like you understand me! No one understands me!!"

 

Her voice turned shrill and it lost the humanity in it, becoming crazed and pitchy. She turned her black eyes to him, glaring a death stare at him. Her hair rose up and seemed to start to cackle, fizzing out of her scalp.

 

Jerky like a doll, she rose a few inches off the ground. Her arms swung forward, palms flicking up to aim at Kiril. With a very inhumane and high pitched screech ripping from her throat, her whole body began to cackle. It was strangled-sounding and she screamed again, this time in agony. Suddenly, electricity shot out of her palms, at a very fast rate and aiming for the fey. As the bolts honed into her target, her black eyes widened and the blood from her hands, feet, and mouth made its way down her face.

 

Her eyes faded back to the normal color, though the whites in her eyes nearly drowned out the auburn. Her hair slicked back to normal and fell on her shoulders again. Then she was spent, collapsing in a heap on the ground in her own blood.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Sesshia

[Mangaholic]

"Do not. Talk. Of. My. Parents. Do not speak of them like you know them! Like you understand them! Like you understand me! No one understands me!!"

 

At the sudden change in the girl's voice, so that her previous rage and anger seems to be naught compared to that of her current disposition, Kiril realized the danger he was in. He hastily pulled his sword from the girl's foot, just before she began levitating several inches above the ground, and stumbled backwards, his gray eyes still fixed on the Thunder hybrid. They widened in horror as the girl's arms sprung forward, her palms crackling with immense energy. Before he could react any further, electricity shot from her palms, hitting him square in the chest.

 

The pain was indescribably agonizing, and yet it faded away in a second. There was no realization in Kiril's mind that he had flown backwards and hit the platform of the stage with such tremendous force that blood forced its way from his mouth. All he saw before the darkness swallowed him was the clear, blue sky stretching far and wide above him.

 

---------------------

 

No sooner had Kiril slipped into the shadows to escape the pain was the air ripped open by a terrible shriek of horror and dread. It was Emilia. In a flash, she was by the unconscious man's side, naught but dismay and anguish in her fearful, blue eyes. She laid her head upon his burnt chest, desperately searching for the beating of his heart. It was there, and she thanked the heavens for it, but it was horribly faint, like a sputtering candle left out in the harsh, howling wind.

 

"Oh God, Kiril. You better not die. Don't die on me now. Please wake up. Wake up, I say!" she whispered hoarsely in his deaf, unhearing ear. The angry tears in her eyes had spilled over, but she paid them no mind. Raising her head to glare at the crumbled, bloody heap on the stage floor, she angrily spat, "You filthy little creature. Don't you ever dare hurt him again, or I swear I'll tear your throat out with my own bloody hands!"

 

Rising to her feet, Emilia struggled to bring Kiril to his feet and draped his limp arm around her shoulder. She began dragging him across the stage, to where the steps were, faltering several times beneath his weight and her own despair. As she reached the stairs, she turned her head only slightly to stare at the Breckin and Sadine, and then the unconscious girl. ”Breckin or Sadine,” she murmured to them, the desperation clear in her voice, ”Can one of you, if not the two, carry her for me, please?”

 

She didn’t know what she would do if the two Summer hybrids refused her request. If she left them to escape, then Kiril being seriously wounded would have all been to no avail. They would probably leave the blonde girl there, hopefully, for the demons to come out and finish her off. She would deserve it. If they come, I’ll just have to go back without them. I won’t let Kiril die, no matter what.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Mangaholic

[myahoo]

Mark grimaced as Sophia pointed out his mistake. He really was tired if he had forgotten Shira, but her comment irritated him. Static, though...maybe she was some kind of lightning fairy? He heard the door close behind him, and he turned to look at the new kid. The first thing he noticed was the guy's skin. Slightly green and peeling, he reminded Mark of a snake shedding its skin. His back was hunched over, too, making him seem taller than he already was.

 

"Okay. I'm Greg. What the hell is going on? We've got horses with wings outside, I'm trapped in a cage with a bunch of strangers in the middle of New York City, and I woke up today with my skin peeling off!"

 

Mark returned to his seat as Greg finished speaking, watching as he wiped his hands on his jeans. Probably fell when those guys noticed him. Reminded of his own capture, Mark realized that his clothes were still damp. Shrugging, he quickly brushed it off and listened as Sen started speaking.

 

"Hi! I'm Sen! Yeah, the horses are weird an- skin peeling off?! Keeps getting better and better, stupid noise and splinters and falling out of trees and now the new kid might have some sort of horrible disease. I dun wanna die of ebola!"

 

Mark shook his head, amused by Sen's response. Sen reminded him of Jason sometimes and the thought caused a small smile to appear, despite the pang in his heart. Only a little, though. He noticed the death look Greg gave to Sen and Mark examined the guy, curious. The poor guy was sweating and he looked really uncomfortable. His hand came up to wipe his forehead and a horrified expression grew at something Mark couldn't see. Slightly disgusted when he realized Greg's skin had come off, Mark turned his attention to Shira. Might as well apologize now that I'm sitting again.

 

"Sorry 'bout forgetting you earlier. I'm just distracted and tired," Mark said quietly, trying not to let Sophia hear. He hoped Shira hadn't been too offended by his thoughtlessness, but he never knew. Girls were complicated like that and he'd learned not to wonder about it long ago. Ridding himself of those thoughts, he spoke to Sen, "If he had ebola, you'd have to touch something that came from his body to get infected, I think. And doesn't ebola eventually kill you? I don't think those guys outside will let us die after goingthrough all this trouble to catch us alive." He decided to ignore Sophia, even if that would be taken as a defeat, since he didn't really want to admit to her that he was tired. He just knew that she could and would use that against him.

 

Facing Greg instead, he decided to introduce himself. "The name's Mark and, as far as I can tell, the winged horses, strangers, and weird physical changes are all connected for all of us. The only people who have any complete answers to whatever's happening to us are standing right outside this cart."

[Odio]

"I wish I could say it's good to meet you guys, but, considering the circumstances, I'm not so sure," Gregor retorted sarcastically. "And I don't have ebola," he added. Greg turned his head toward the door, where the strange captors were standing guard. The sensation of claustrophobia was beginning to ebb away, but his back still itched some. As he settled more comfortably into his seat in the corner next to the door, he felt some more dried skin tear underneath his shirt on his back. He stifled a sigh and ignored it. Fortunately, his back stopped itching. He spared a glance for Sen, wishing he could do something to help. He blinked with discomfort. The pressure behind his ears was back. He suddenly had a thought.

 

"Did any of you see what happened to that girl?" he asked, concerned. "She was beaten up hard. Was it one of them?" He stuck a thumb toward the door, indicating their guards.

 

~~~

 

Back behind the stage, Gordon watched the scene unfold in horror, ducking behind a tree to stay hidden. The woman crying didn't even notice him, but she was distracted by her fallen comrade. He hoped everybody was okay.

 

”Can one of you, if not the two, carry her for me, please?”

 

"I'll carry her," he blurted out. Gordon knew he would regret this, but the woman seemed doubtful that the two would help. Obviously, there had been some sort of fight. Gordon wasn't on anyone's side at the moment, and he didn't want to get mixed up in somebody else's drama - but that girl crumpled to the floor hard. He still wasn't sure he believed what he'd just seen. Whatever had happened, she might need to be taken to a hospital after a fit like that. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and knelt by the fallen girl's side. He couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. In her unconscious state, her features were smoothed and calm, despite her dishevelment and bloodied attire.

 

Blood! He quickly took off his shirt and wrapped up her bleeding hand. He'd always wanted to do that, he'd seen them do it in the movies. With her hand attended to, he delicately removed her shoe to inspect her foot. It was only a flesh wound, nothing too dire. He slipped her shoe back on, and donned his zip-up jacket. He grimaced. "I hope I don't get blood on my - jacket," he sighed as blood smeared on his jacket before he could even finish his sentence. Rolling his eyes, he slipped his arms under the girl and heaved. In a moment he had her cradled in his arms. Whoo! She was heavier than she looked! He trudged up to the crying woman, the girl's head lolling over his arm. Gordon shifted her weight, in an attempt to support her neck better.

 

"Err, to the closest hospital?" he asked uncertainly. She looked a bit older than the rest of them, he automatically felt like she should be in charge.

[Kira1]

Danni watched as the two argued, taking a step back to get away from them. When Kiril mentioned something about the Evelyn's parents, she became infuriated, and then something that seemed out of fantasy movie happened. The girl rose off the ground slightly, shrieking in an inhuman way that made Danni cover her ears, before raising her palms as she glared at Kiril. In the next instant, lightning shot from her hands and struck Kiril in the chest, knocking him back into the stage. Danni stood there stunned as she saw his wounds, her legs not moving as she stared, feeling her stomach turn at the sight.

 

Emilia ran to Kiril, checking to see if he was still alive, and by the looks of it, he was, but he was badly wounded. Evelyn fell to the ground, and when Emilia asked for someone to carry her, a boy volunteered and went to fetch her.

 

Well, now that Danni had seen that, this whole thing probably wasn't some weird coincidence or a strange twist of fate that she could walk away from. Though, even if she wanted to run now, her feet were glued to the spot. The question now was, what was she going to do? Did she have powers like that? Danni hoped she wouldn't go crazy like that and attack someone, only to end up in a bloody mess herself.

 

Her eyes were on Kiril and Emilia, wondering what they were going to do now. The boy had made a good suggestion about going to a hospital, considering the state of Kiril and Evelyn. Though, she had a feeling that Emilia might not want to go to a hospital.

[RheaZen]

"If he had ebola, you'd have to touch something that came from his body to get infected, I think. And doesn't ebola eventually kill you? I don't think those guys outside will let us die after going through all this trouble to catch us alive."

 

"I wish I could say it's good to meet you guys, but, considering the circumstances, I'm not so sure. And I don't have ebola."

 

Sen, still not reassured, hunched over in the corner where he was sitting. Sure, it could be that he doesn't have ebola and it's just part of his... transformation, like my hair. At the same time, the people outside have freakin' bows and arrows. They aren't exactly high-tech. Plus, with us no longer being human, for all I know we could have... uh, dysntery. Or whatever it is dogs get. We could be subsceptable to diseases of other species! Sen opened his mouth a little, then sank back down and mumbled incoherently to himself. It wouldn't do any good to worry, as there was no way out of the situation. Making the others worry would probably create more problems anyways.

 

"Did any of you see what happened to that girl? She was beaten up *chitterchitterhahahachitter*"

 

Sen blinked and poked his pinky into his ear. He hadn't imagined it, had he? The weird sounds had definitely laughed. Maybe it is some small plants... the grass? I wonder if I can hear mold. Hm... He attempted to speak to the source of the voices, whispering under his breath so that he wouldn't interrupt the others.

 

"Hello? What are you? And can you stop talking, please?"

 

*Chitterchatterchitchit*

 

"Please? Hello? Can you hear me?"

 

Unexpectedly, the sounds grew louder. Sen looked around the carriage in mild disbelief. How can the others NOT hear this racket?

[MURDERcomplexx]

The rather annoying little girl and Kiril continued to argue, much to the laid back Breckin's annoyance. He'd begun to regret ever coming to this blasted park. He cast a sideways glance at Sadine cautiously, her being the only one he felt near comfortable by.

Suddenly, a flash of metal. Breckin watched as Kiril drew his sword, hatred etched in his eyes as he let the blade run against her skin. Blood ran down the silvery edge, dripping down into the ground with a sickly drip. Breckin shivered. He hated blood.

And yet it seemed like he was not done. The now pink blade ran into the girl's foot, impaling it with a crunch that made him flinch.

Such violence. Was it really a good idea that they would travel with them?

"Do not. Talk. Of. My. Parents. Do not speak of them like you know them! Like you understand them! Like you understand me! No one understands me!!"

"Oh grow up, you whiner. I'm so tired of hearing that dejected, sorry little argument."

Breckin came close to vocalizing his thoughts, but stopped. He watched the fury build up in the girl, building and turning, and finally exiting, in the form of otherworldly sparks that flew into Kiril's body, and both of them ending unconcious.

"What happened? That annoying girl just...shocked him?"

He turned to the other woman, seeking answers, only to be met by her shrieks and screams. It was evident they both severely detested her.

At least Breckin wasn't alone.

 

Before he could respond to her request to lift the girl, yet another voice came, offering to do the job. Breckin had no time to respond. He backed away from her bloody body, watching as he lifted her with care.

"What...do we do now?"

He wasn't so sure what, after a situation like that.

[Skarx]

Sophia waited a bit to see what was going to happen, especially now that there was a new guy inside their cage. Though for Shira she could only think she had electric related power. As soon as the new one had sat she noticed his face had gained a reddish tone. He also looked like he had some kinds of scale on him. Then she was quite disappointed when he asked them the same question they all had. What was happening?

 

”Oh great. Hell if we know what is happening. As you must clearly have seen we all have some problems here. Big deal if you peel skin now.” Then Sen mentioned some disease. ”Come on, he’s just changing like us. He’s just much grosser than us.” She added seeing him peel another piece off.

 

She had yet to hear Mark answer her and when he didn’t after a while she knew she had a victory. That Greg seemed to be really uncomfortable in the cage, more then they were anyway. Then he talked about the beat up girl.

 

“The black haired one? Yes they did. In front of me. That tall freak with a lot of scar did it and he was having fun doing it too.” She shivered at the memory. Sen was there too, but from his answer he probably didn’t see or remember it. ” They hate us, that’s clear and they seem to hate some even more, probably because of their heritage. Such a stupid way of seeing thing hating someone for something they did not choose.”

 

She looked back at Greg. She had yet to introduce herself.

 

”My name is Sophia. Do stay away from me I don’t want any of your dead skin on me. She looked outside again, making sure not to go close to the new guy. She then noticed Sen’s behavior. ”What is it Sen? Do you still hear voices? If the plants bother you so much maybe you should find a way to block their voices.”

 

She sat back, tired. It was getting warmer outside and hotter in the cart. She was getting more and more uncomfortable. Where they going to have to cook inside these cart before they leave? Was that another way of making them suffer?

 

[Mangaholic]

At the appearance of a white-haired boy that Emilia had never laid eyes upon before, the young woman raised an eyebrow in surprise, though she said nothing. Instead, she watched in impatient silence as the same boy knelt beside the Thunder hybrid, wrapping her hand in his own shirt and then proceeding to examine her foot. Inside, she could feel her anxiety mounting as she willed for the boy to hasten his pace and haul the girl over. The only thing that was keeping her calm was the irregular sound of Kiril's breathing, which was the only way she knew that he was still alive, even if it meant that he was barely. She closed her eyes, muttering some silent plee to the heavens.

 

"Err, to the closest hospital?"

"What...do we do now?"

 

When Emilia's eyes opened again, the white-haired boy, with the blonde girl limp in his arms, had already trudged over to her, asking her if they were headed toward the hospital. At the same time, Breckin asked his own question, though both were pretty similar.

 

"We need to get back there, now," murmured Emilia, her voice growing frantic with each word. "Just follow me. Please. I really don't want to deal with any arguments right now."

 

She glanced at Carlie and Danni as she walked down the small steps and into the cover of trees. From Danni's earlier reluctancy, Emilia had a feeling that the girl was probably going to make a run for it now. Well, she wasn't going to stop her, if that was what the girl was planning to do. It wasn't like she could, and she wasn't going to leave Kiril to expire while she gave chase to some bratty teenager. The same went for Carlie.

[lilyice]

“Oh man, that was crazy!”

 

“Hell yeah, we so totally should’ve gotten their signatures! That would’ve been so much more wicked!”

 

“Or, you know, get a kiss from Chris!!”

 

”No way, you don’t mean it! Oh my gosh, I’d die if that was to happen.”

 

Three teenaged girls, giggling and partially drunk, pushed open the door to a dark, three-roomed flat. Their arms were linked and they were walking side by side, but the one in the middle pushed the two others away and stepped in before them. She blinked groggily as her hands fumbled for the light switch. Her right hand felt along the smooth wall, finally reaching what it was looking for after what seemed like an eternity. Bright, fluorescent lights suddenly blinked on, temporarily blinding the three girls. They all groaned a bit, shielding their faces with their frenzied hands, and one mumbled something about how the lights here were always too bright.

 

It was the evening of June 23rd, and Kathy had just returned home with her two best friends, Emma and Lynn, from a Bowling for Soup concert; one of the best they’ve been to, that was for sure. The young blonde looked over to the wall clock that hung crookedly in the living room. Only 11 o'clock? You’ve got to be kidding me, she rolled her eyes and groaned again. She had half-hoped that it would’ve been much later. At this rate, Em and Lynn will want to stay for another hour or so. Kathy just wanted to be alone today. She should have been enjoying herself with her girlfriends, like usual, but she’s been inexplicably tense today, a dreaded sense of foreboding shadowing her everywhere. It had grown worse as time passed, and the feeling made her stomach feel queasy. Not like she’d ever tell anyone.

 

Putting on her best smile–one that she hoped look natural enough to the two people who knew her best–Kathy cheerfully said to her two girlfriends, ”Make yourselves at home,” and spread her arms out in a hostess-like manner. The other two teenagers chuckled. It was somewhat of an inside joke; Kathy’s home was already practically their home. They came over every day, without exception, and more often than not just crashed at Kathy’s for the night. Sometimes, she was the one who had to ask them where something was when she'd forgotten where she'd put it.

 

However, tonight, both the girls’ mothers had requested them home before midnight. Kathy silently thanked the gods, or whatever great forces out there that looked over her. Not a hell of a lot, she self-retorted, a drip of resentment and sarcasm creeping into her thoughts. Stepping over piles of scattered furniture, toys, papers, and cardboard boxes, the blonde trekked her way to her kitchen while Emma and Lynn threw themselves atop two separate leather sofas. They had already retrieved the blankets amidst the piles of junk on the floor, and had threw those on top of themselves.

 

”Yo! Guys! Don’t fall asleep!” Kathy yelled warningly as she opened her fridge and grabbed a carton of milk.

 

“We know, we know! We’ll leave in a bit,” a muffled voice came from underneath one of the blankets.

 

”Yeah, make sure you do. You know where the key is.” Pouring herself a cup of cold milk, Kathy downed it in one, huge gulp. She washed her cup, put it back into the cupboard, and swept a glance at the kitchen and living room. The entire house was now silent, save for her heavy breathing. Connecting to the dining room was another hallway, and it was into this one that Kathy then walked. She passed by two doors, one of which she stopped briefly at, then moved on, and finally reached a third. Her slim fingers wrapped themselves around the golden doorknob and her hand twisted, applying force to push the door open. The interior was simply decorated, with a single bed, night stand, a desk, and a dressing table. The blonde girl literally jumped into her bed, and lay unmoving.

 

Kathy didn’t know how much time had passed, when she was startled awake with a knock on her door. She hadn’t even realized that she’d fallen asleep. Rubbing her auburn eyes, Kathy sat up cross-legged on her bed. Two brown heads poked in from the door, and two similar hazel eyes stared back at her.

 

“Kat, they left,” the first one said.

 

“Took most of the food with ‘em too,” the second grumbled.

 

The teenage girl smiled softly. “Thanks. Go back to sleep now.”

 

They nodded simultaneously and began to leave. Before closing the door completely, Jonathan, the older brother by a fraction of a second, leaned back and looked at his sister, serious. “Don’t drink so much,” his voice didn’t waver, but his eyes held a pleading tone. Kathy softened her gaze, and nodded.

 

With a click, the door was once again closed. The teenager sighed and closed her eyes.

 

------------

 

The wind roared.

 

A lone girl stood amidst a raging thunder storm. The air crackled with the force of electricity. Lightning flashed brightly, lighting up the surrounding environment. The girl was lost; she was confused. A crack of lightning hit her. She screamed, but no voice came out. Her clothes lit up, but not in flames – in electricity. It wrapped itself around her, directing her somewhere. She had questions to ask, but she couldn’t speak; she didn’t event know what she wanted to ask, but her brain was burning with the intensity of a question.

 

You will find your answer at Forest Park… Go there… A voice whispered upon the wind. It whispered, but the girl heard. She ran.

 

------------

 

Snapping her eyes open, Kathy abruptly sat up in bed. Her entire back was wet from sweat, as were her palms. The lamp on her night stand flickered dimly on and off. The alarm clock beside it read 5:30 AM. Kathy’s breathes came in short, ragged gasps. That was some dream.

 

Suddenly, she was made aware of another noise. A strange scrrrtttchhhh, scrrrtttchhhh sound. Oh great. First a dream, now this scratching? I’m going back to sleep. Without another thought, Kathy forced herself back down, pulled her covers over her head, and kept her eyes shut until her breathes evened out to a long, smooth lull.

 

------------

 

“Mornin’ sis. You read the news- Woah.” Jason was up about in the kitchen, fixing all three of them toast for breakfast. As soon as he stopped mid-sentence, Jonathan looked up and followed his gaze. “What happened to you?”

 

“Huh?” Kathy, wandering out of the hallway into the dining room, still in her pyjamas, stifled a yawn and tried to blink the sleepiness out of her eyes. “Thought I’d give school a try today; nothing else to do.”

 

“No, not that. You. Go grab a mirror and look. Here,” the boys ran off to the washroom and came back with a hand mirror.

 

Kathy snatched it from one of the twins, and stared confusingly down at her reflection. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.

 

Her normal purple highlights were all gone, for a start. Her short, spiky hair was now entirely white-blonde, a much lighter shade than it was before, and it was more…spiky. It was standing straight up, its locks gathering themselves into many different spikes; it made her look like a porcupine. She was about to scream at her brothers and give them a few lessons when her eyes then locked gaze with themselves and…her eyes! They were amber. On the verge of hazel, no less! She knew they sometimes turned colours from her usual auburn when she was extremely angry–her brothers informed her that–but were they ever this…orange? And specked with green? Upon further examination, the skin on her face seemed to have hardened and grown…hide-like, even scale-like, on her forehead, her cheekbones, and more noticeably, her hands.

 

“What. The. Hell?” Kathy glared daggers at her little brothers.

 

“We did nothing! We swear!” Both had their hands up in front of themselves, backing away slowly.

 

Enraged, Kathy turned abruptly away from them and back into her room. She changed swiftly, forced on a hat, then grabbed her wallet and her cellphone.

 

“I’ll be out, take the bus to school today!” And with that, the front door slammed shut.

 

------------

 

Throughout the entire day, Kathy tried tens and twenties of different hair-stylers and body care shops. No matter what dye they used, no matter what lotion or cream she tried, nothing seemed to work. She was getting more strange looks. On top of that, her skin had started turning slightly pale, too. It had none of her usual rosy glow.

 

By now, it was past noon. Kathy, in her hopeless search and frustrated mood, was ready to take this out on something. F*** this, I’m going home. But something tugged her away from her flat; something that has been tugging at her ever since this morning. If she could only remember! She had so many questions…Questions. Forest Park. That dream. That was it! That stupid dream she had, why’d she have to remember it now? Forest Park isn’t a bad choice though, Kathy mused. At least nobody will give her strange looks there, as it was always perpetually empty.

 

Her feet took her on the road to the park that she’s only visited once as a child. And that was with her mother, when her twin brothers weren’t even born yet. Kathy didn’t remember much about it, other than the fact that it was exactly what its name implied: a forest. Nearing the park, however, the same sense of foreboding came back to the blonde girl. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but there was something wrong about the place; something sinister. Kathy debated on going back, for there was still a ways to go before the main gate, but she thought better of it. What’s with her and silly, unnecessary feelings, anyway? She wasn’t superstitious. Or at least that’s what she told herself. Upon reaching the gate, the teenager pushed it open and strode inside. Unexpectedly, it clinked close behind her. A sense of urgency arose within her.

 

A few more steps forward, Kathy saw something that was originally hidden from her behind the trees.

 

Unreal… she breathed, for in front her, there stood two carriages. Those in itself already offered some level of awe, but what was more surprising were the steeds attached to them. They look like regular horses, albeit a bit larger in size and having much darker coats, but they had… horns. Yes, horns. Kathy was pretty sure she wasn’t hallucinating. If that wasn’t enough for a day, a bit further off, there were five other horses-that-were-not-horses. They had large, black, feathery, majestic wings, for God’s sake. Did she just enter some kind of mysterious fantasy world here? Kathy wondered if she was going crazy.

 

Well at least there was that dome stage that she remembered. She could just barely see its tip a bit of a way into the park. So it is Forest Park, and not some fantasy world. Or if it was one, it was made to look like it. Why anyone would do that is beyond her guess. Then, she noticed people around the carriage. They appeared to her to be guards.

 

Feeling bold and wanting to know what’s going on here, Kathy walked up to the carriage. The "guards" outside looked to be at least twenty years of age, but Kathy was used to dealing with grown ups. Then again, these probably weren't her averge adults, seeing as how some had swords slung across their belts.

 

“Excuse me,” she spoke clearly, without stutter, “but I would very much like to know; what’s going on here?”

Edited December 19, 2011 by lilyice

[RheaZen]

*Mumblemutterchatterchatterchatterchittermumble*

 

*Chitter?*

 

*Chatterchatterchichichichichi*

 

Sen clapped his hands over his ears and kept them there, frowning when his efforts were useless once again. He took his hands off his ears just in time to catch Sophia's question: "What is it Sen? Do you still hear voices? If the plants bother you so much maybe you should find a way to block their voices.”

 

Sen mumbled to Sophia, "I've already tried asking them. They didn't seem to care much. Probably aren't very intelligent, even for plants..." He stuck his fingers in his ears again. Under his breath, he asked again. "Hey, can you, like, please stop talking? Please? Really, I think I'm starting to get a headache..." He wriggled his fingers and sighed. You'd think that living in New York would desensitize me to noise... then again, if I were those idiots in math class wouldn't be nearly as annoying as they are. Can't they ever shut up?

 

Meanwhile, the noises hadn't stopped...

 

*Chitterchitterchitter*