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| Horror [Complete]; [GRP] [P] Emery | |
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| Topic Started: Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:01 pm (416 Views) | |
| Vivianne | Sat Dec 17, 2011 4:01 pm Post #1 |
 
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Something is wrong here. I know it. I feel it. What’s happening? The girl looked around the peaceful forest warily, her emerald eyes narrowed in distrust. She wore a white fur cloak that dwarfed her slender frame, trailing behind her on the ground and erasing her tracks. Underneath the winter garment she wore a collection of brown and green attire that would blend into the environment during any other season. Vivianne had weathered out winters in Norwood before, but never had she seen the forest so still and silent. The roads through the woods had no tracks at all, and even the rangers and druids that usually frequented the forest were nowhere to be found. Although she would usually welcome the lack of people, the unnatural stillness had gone on for long enough that it was eerie. It felt like she did not belong here despite living amongst the trees and the animals her entire life. The girl was not alone in her investigation. A massive boar trundled along at her side, its snout burrowing under the layer of snow from time to time to search for edible tubers. The beast had two curved tusks protruding from its snout that were razor-sharp and thick, black bristled covered the majority of its bulk. Hephaestus was a dreadsnout, a magical creature that could breathe fire on command. Vivi had trained the beast to control its exhalations so it would not burn down the woods, and now the two were inseparable. On her other side was a lithe feline. Its coat was sleek and golden in color, with a spotted pattern. The cheetah bounced through the snow happily, stopping from time to time to sniff at the air or stare at a fleeing rabbit. Hermes was the newest addition to her pack, a cat she had saved from horrid conditions in a menagerie. Vivi looked up towards the sky, sensing that her last animal companion was still above them. Artemis was a Norwood peregrine falcon, a small raptor that had sharp eyes and was capable of diving at tremendous speeds to catch its prey. She had been partners with the bird for many years and knew that the avian was keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior. The girl had a special connection with all of her animals; she was a skinsharer, a human with the rare gift to possess the body of any nearby animal and control it as if it was her own. Each of the animals in her pack trusted the girl entirely, allowing her to change bodies effortlessly when necessary. She hoped that they would not need her gift currently. Perhaps she was just being paranoid and there was nothing wrong in Norwood… |
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| Emery | Sun Dec 18, 2011 12:38 am Post #2 |
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Emery crunched through the snow in his slightly too big boots, listening through the hush of the winter woods for any signs of life. There were none here, however. Things were silent, blessedly silent. He breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe here, it seemed, on this tiny path through the forest. It was cold, yes, and all he had for warmth was his cloak and clothes, and he couldn't hope to find any food about, but at least he was alone here, and that meant he possessed a layer of safety he could never find in a city. His pointed ears perked, however, as the quiet sound of jingling bells and laughter began to fill the air. He stood still, gripping his staff tightly. He wasn't certain what that sound was, or where it was coming from, and it was confusing him to no end. What was it? "Welcome!" cried a chorus of voices from behind him. He swirled around, coming face to face with a crowd of tiny winged creatures that glittered and tinkled. They smiled at him. "Welcome, friend! Welcome!" "Ahhhhhh!" he screamed, swinging his staff wildly. What were those thing?! What did they want?! He panicked and ran, but he could hear the jingling behind him. "Wait!" the tiny things called out. "Wait, friend! Wait!" "Stay away from me!" he screamed, swinging his staff behind him. He didn't know if he was hitting any of the damned things, but he hoped he was knocking them all out of the air. "Go away! Leave me alone!" "We only want to - ow!" said one of the freakish things as one of Emery's swings connected with a satisfying thunk. "Go awaaaaaay!" Emery screamed. Why couldn't things just stay quiet? He liked it when it was quiet and the world was white and empty of scary flying sparkling things. |
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| Vivianne | Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:31 am Post #3 |
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The girl continued through the forest for quite a while before she saw a sign of another person in the woods. The girl finally saw a trail through the snow. The edges of the footprints were still well-defined, suggesting that they were relatively new. Vivianne bent down next to the tracks, staring at them with a practiced eye. Although she had never been trained at tracking, the girl had lived and hunted in the forest for her entire life and knew the basics of the art. The skinsharer began to follow the footprints, traipsing through the woods after the first sign of human life she had seen thus far. Although she usually tried to avoid other humans in the Norwood Forest, but perhaps this person knew what was happening that was scaring away travelers. She nodded to herself and began to jog down the trail, following the footprints and with her animal companions following her through the woods. Vivi didn't notice the eerie, stunted figures flying in the trees along the path, watching her with their tiny, beady eyes. After a little longer she thought she was getting close to the stranger. There was a fierce scream from ahead of her, a shout warning someone to stay away. She frowned and hurried up her pace, running as fast as she could through the snow-encrusted forest to find the other traveler. However, before she could reach him the girl noticed Hermes was staring off to one side of the trailer, his feline features curled back in a vicious snarl. The skinsharer stopped her mad rush through the woods, staring into the bushes with narrowed eyes. There was clearly something wrong here, and she wanted to find out what it was. She cautiously edged towards the frosty foliage, reaching underneath her thick, fur-lined cloak and gripping the knife hidden in her sash. There was a fierce, inhuman growl from the woods as a creature straight from the girl's nightmares leapt out of the flora, snarling harshly. It had a short, deformed torso with twisted limbs that had unnatural joints. Its face was squashed in a fierce snout, with jagged, razor-sharp teeth. Its fur was as black as night, although patches of its coat had apparently fallen out. The beast lunged at the girl, opening its terrible maw wide and trying to tear a chunk out of her limb. Vivianne knew she was about to be bitten when Hephaestus lashed out, slamming into the nightmarish creature with its thick brow, sending it flying away into the woods. There was a staccato crack as the deformed creature's ribs snapped, its snarl turning into a pitiful yowl as it tumbled through the bushes. Vivi smiled at the dreadsnout, running her hands thought its bristly hair in thanks. "Let's hurry up. We need to help whoever is being attacked!" She suspected that the screaming man had probably been attacked by these creatures as well. |
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| Emery | Sun Dec 18, 2011 8:19 am Post #4 |
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"Get away!" Emery yelled. He'd put his back against the trunk of a large tree, flailing at the sparking human bug things. "We only -" one said, and ducked out of the way. "If you would just -" another said, and dived clear. "Please!" one said who chose to try diplomacy from a safe distance. "These are our woods, and you are our guest! We only want to welcome you, give you good food to eat and a place to rest! We mean no harm, little elf!" Emery stopped flailing, peering with suspicion from under his hood. "That's all?" he asked, his staff raised but still. The assorted bug people nodded. "You want to give me food and shelter?" More nods. "Why?" "Because we wish to welcome you and -" "You said that," Emery interrupted. "What do you want in return?" "Nothing!" the head sparkly bug person said. "Everyone wants something, and if you were truly giving this away for nothing, these woods would be packed, and I've not seen anyone the entire time I've been in this forest." "Poor little elf," one of the bugs flew closer. "So suspicious and sad..." "Stay away!" he said, aiming his staff at the approaching bug. "I just want to get out of these woods now." "We can show you the way!" the bug person's ambassador said. "But, please, you look hungry and tired. Please, let us help you, little elf." Emery glared, still not trusting these things. He blinked and let his vision soar far into the air. He looked down on himself, the bugs mere twinkling lights above the snow. The trees weren't helping his vision, but through the bare boughs he could see someone running toward them, a woman, it seemed, with a small entourage of animals. Were they with the bug people, though? They were approaching fast, so he'd soon have his answer. |
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| Vivianne | Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:43 am Post #5 |
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The girl soon reached the clearing, although what was happening was not entirely what she had expected. The skinsharer slid to a halt in the snow, staring at the scene with a combination of caution and confusion. A entire flock of small, humanoid creatures were flocking around a strange looking individual. He had the pointed ears of an elf, but his skin was as black as tar, with hair that was just a shade darker. His eyes were an unusual shade of gray, and he wore only a simple brown robe despite the winter chill. Vivi hissed at the fairies as she approached them, her fingers clenching around the knife in her sash. She had lived in the forest for entire life and was quite familiar with the mischievous, yet innocent behavior of the magical creatures. They liked to play games on travelers and hunters and would fiercely protect their nests, but otherwise they were friendly and hospitable to everyone. "What's h-happening? What's w-wrong?" There was a slight stutter to her words, evidence of her discomfort in being around other people. "We just want him to come and have a meal with us!" One of the fairies zipped through the air, hovering in front of Vivi. It was only a foot tall, with thin, spindly limbs. Extended from its shoulder-blades were translucent, gossamer wings that moved so quickly they were only a blur. Its flesh seemed to glimmer and sparkle in the light, making its exact feature impossible to pick out. The fairy rocketed around the girl so quickly she felt dizzy, chattering incessantly. "You should join us too! We have a huge feast out, ready for you!" The skinsharer watched the gathered fairies with a conflicted expression. Just because they did not intend harm did not mean the forest sprites could not be dangerous. Their tricks and pranks often injured travelers. However, she had never heard of the elusive creatures actually inviting outsiders to one of their nests for any kind of meal. She relaxed her grip on the knife, glancing at her animal companions. They did not seem to be scarred of the spirits, another indication that she should trust the fairies. However, there was still something that she was curious about. "W-we saw a deformed b-beast earlier. Do you k-k-know anything about t-that?" She could not shake the image of the twisted, grotesque creature from her mind. It was unlike anything she had seen in these woods before. The fairy did not respond immediately, and for an instant she suspected that the question actually made it uncomfortable. The tense moment passed before she could press for details, the spirit giggling shrilly. "Nope! No idea! Come, eat, drink, sleep, be merry!" The creature zoomed down, gripping Vivi's wrist with both hands in a useless attempt to tug her forward. The girl did not budge, glancing at the other traveler and shrugging. She honestly had no idea what was happening here. Edited by Vivianne, Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:43 am.
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| Emery | Mon Dec 19, 2011 8:41 pm Post #6 |
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Emery's eyes darted from the bug people to the animal woman to the bug people as they spoke. The newcomer stuttered as she spoke, and seemed to be trying to shrink away and step forward simutaneously. Still, she had some impressive creatures at her side: a spotted cat, a large boar who snorted smoke, and a bird darting above her head. She seemed suspicious of the bug people, but not overly afraid. Besides that, Emery was hungry, and they've done nothing to harm him, even if they were freakish. Perhaps, if he could convince the animal woman to come with him, he could eat in safety and leave. "Maybe, maybe we could eat together..." he said, staff still at the ready. "It could be pleasant..." "Hooray! Hooray!" the bugs cheered. "New friends! Come! Eat! Relax! Enjoy!" "Yes, we're all friends, right?" Emery followed the cheering bug people. Best to befriend the animal woman now, in case things turned out badly. "Hello," he said to her, pushing his hood back. "My name is Emery. Um...do you know what these things are?" Unspoken, since the twinkling things were all around them, was the question of whether they could trust them, even for a free meal. |
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| Vivianne | Tue Dec 20, 2011 7:07 pm Post #7 |
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The girl tried to smile at her companion, but the expression seemed to freeze on her face in a nervous grimace. She was truly uncomfortable around strangers. In her experience, travelers in the forest cared nothing for the plight of the animals surrounding them, only wanting to move through the woods as quickly as possible. Worst were the bandits, poachers, and outlaws that ran rampant through the woods, preying on animals and humans alike. Still, she knew she had to make an effort to introduce herself to this man and figure out what was going on. "Um. M-my name i-i-is Vivianne." She swallowed after the sentence, wishing she could overcome the stutter that made her words almost comprehensible. The skinsharer had grown more comfortable around others since a friendly bard had taken her to visit a coven of witches, but it was still a struggle for her to not flee away from contact with other people. "T-They're fairies. S-s-sprites. Spirits o-of the f-f-forest. They're usually not t-this overbearing..." She flicked her wrist, dislodging the creature that had been pulling on her arm. It zoomed ahead, joining its brethren and leading them off the trail into the woods. Vivi followed cautiously, her emerald eyes flicking from side to side in search of more abnormal creatures. Hephaestus and Hermes seemed to understand her caution and walked on either side of the girl, also watching for any signs of trouble. Yet it was difficult to feel apprehensive when surrounded by a cloud of giggling, chattering fairies. The sprites were constantly flying down to land on her shoulders, braiding her hair and asking her about her pets. Vivi shook her head to dislodge them, glaring at the forest spirits with annoyance. They're acting so strangely... She had quite preferred the fairies when they kept to themselves and hoped this new, more enthusiastic strain would not become common. She liked living a life of quiet solitude in the forest and would hate to be besieged by the spirits on a regular basis. The girl gasped when the feast came into sight. There were more fairies here, hovering in the air and crying out in greeting. A table had been fashioned from a fallen tree, its trunk covered with a fine silk tablecloth for the dishes to sit on. Entrées of every size and description adorned the makeshift buffet, some of the dishes completely unknown to the skinsharer. She saw thick slabs of venison that had been glazed and treated with spices, salads made of local greenery, carefully arranged slices of fruit, and even a whole roast boar with an apple stuffed in its snout. Hephaestus grumbled at the sight of this last course, but was quickly distracted by the piles of food to one side that were clearly meant for her animal companions. There was a heap of raw meat for thew cheetah and a truly gargantuan stack of tubers and other vegetables for the dreadsnout. Her pets looked up at the girl for permission to eat, immediately setting off for their respective meals when she grudgingly nodded. "T-thank you for the f-f-food..." The girl sat herself on one of the provided chairs, awkwardly looking at the boy to see if he would follow her example. The dark-skinned individual still looked incredibly uncomfortable here, an emotion she understood all too well. She slowly began to fill her plate with food, trying to ignore the cries of welcome and encouragement from the surrounding legion of fairies. Now that they had arrived at the feast the cheerful nature of the sprites seemed more strained, as if they were waiting for something to happen. Vivi suspected that they had some sort of entertainment planned for the meal, but was unsure of what it possibly could be. "S-So, Emery..." Her voice seemed hassled, as if it were a struggle to even say those few syllables to her companion. "W-what brings you t-t-to Norwood?" Vivi could hear a slight hissing noise from the canopy of forest spirits above them, unaware that they were breathing out the invisible toxins that would soon usher her into a nightmare-laden slumber. |
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| Emery | Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:41 pm Post #8 |
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Emery, thankful the fairy bugs were keeping their distance and hadn't attempted to touch his hair as they had the woman Vivianne. He wished he'd been a girl when she stumbled across him. Even considering how small he was as a male and the fact that the cat and pig and bird who walked with her seemed powerful and capable of defending her, she was so nervous she was stuttering. He didn't want a woman with such a menagerie to choose to attack out of panic, and she might be more comfortable with someone her own gender. This was all a background thought, however, to the feast laid out before them: meats and fruits and salads tastefully arranged and, according to their winged hosts, free for the taking. Taking the bugs up on their offer might not be wise, he admitted to himself, but he was cold and tired from traveling, and the foods presented were mouthwatering alternatives to the stale bread in his pocket. He sat himself down as Vivianne asked why he was traveling through the forest. "Oh, ah...just traveling," he said, cutting into a lightly seasoned piece of venison he'd topped with mixed greens. "I was...thinking about going to..." he chewed to buy himself time, and the taste of the savory meat and crisp vegetables effectively shut down his thought so he could focus far more on the sensations his mouth were undergoing. "This is delicious," he said aloud, cutting another piece. "You need to have some, Vivianne." He ate another piece and cut some more for himself as he chewed, keeping up a steady stream of food from his plate to his lips. It'd been years since he'd had food like this in such large quantities, not since he was little. He took a sip of water, finding it crisp, cool, and flavored with an infusion of mint. He didn't even worry about how it was the bug people who used their teeny hands to prepare all this. He didn't engage in his usual caution that reminded him that no one gave without taking. He ate until he was full, and then ate some more, not bothering with conversation since that meant keeping his mouth empty. "Thank you for the meal," he said, deciding such talented chefs deserved some manners, even if they were fairy bug things. He yawned. "Um, I think I ate too much..." He felt lethargy set in, his eyes heavy and fluttering shut. "Come, then, and rest," the fairies said, gently helping him to his feet. He was too tired to protest, and the small hut woven from vines, leaves, and animal skins looked so cozy, and the fleece bedding within was so soft and warm. He might as well sleep. "Come, friend, you must be tired, as well," he could hear the fairies say to the woman. "Come, rest. Rest your head. We will watch over you as you sleep." Emery curled the blankets around him and transformed into a small cocooned ball of warmth and security, the fairy dust tickling his nose, speeding him to dreams. |
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| Vivianne | Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:36 pm Post #9 |
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Vivi listened to the man's explanation, but it was rather obvious that he was paying more attention to the meal than to their conversation. She could not really blame him for the rudeness. The meal was delicious, after all. She speared a piece of the venison with a fork, lifting it onto her plate and digging in. She had to agree with the dark-skinned man, she had never eaten anything this delicious. The skinsharer scooped up a serving of salad as well, drizzling the vegetables with a honey sauce out of a small beaker. She continued to eat as quickly as possible, not even noticing the encroaching drowsiness until it had almost overcome here. Suddenly it was difficult to even raise the utensils, her eyelids drooping and her head slumping forward. The fairies noticed the shift in her behavior almost immediately, zooming down to help her stand up from the table. "You look tired!" "Come on, it's time to fall asleep!" "Rest your head!" The girl gave in to their requests, slowly standing up from the table and stumbling over towards the empty bed rolls. Emery had been ushered over there already, his slender form curled up underneath the blankets. Vivi suddenly realized how odd it was that she was feeling so tired in the middle of the day, but it was impossible to resist the looming exhaustion. She fell down on the bedroll, gathering up the sheets and wrapping them around herself. She could hear Hephaestus and Hermes nearby, the animals making worried, anxious noises, but she couldn't seem to focus on what was concerning her pets. "Sleep now." Vivi shot up, staring around herself in confusion. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, after all, and it was extremely odd that the forest sprites had provided them with bedrolls and blankets. The skinsharer looked around, but there was no trace of the fairies. She stood up slowly, stretching her arms above her head. "This is... Well. Odd." There was no sign of the feast either, or her pets. The only other person near her was Emery, still sound asleep. She bent down to shake the man's shoulder to wake him up. Before she could seen if he had been roused, she heard a low, piteous noise from behind her. Vivi turned instantly at hearing the sounds of an animal in pain, rushing towards the sound with no thought of her personal safety. "Wait, I can help!" However, when she crashed through the bushes there was nothing she could do. There was a wolf there, its side ripped open so its ribs were protruding into the open air. Blood and entrails were scattered on the ground near its form, and each breath was obviously a burden. "No... who did this..." She rushed forward, falling to her knees and trying to push the canine's ruptured organs back in its body, tears streaming down her cheeks. |
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| Emery | Fri Dec 23, 2011 12:42 am Post #10 |
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Emery felt something nudge him awake. When he rose, there was no one there. He raised his hands to block the glare of a sudden light. An archway, too bright to see through, appeared before him. He stood, eyes closed to slits, and walked toward it. The light enveloped him, and he stood in a expansive hall lined with mirrors, glittering gems, and candles reflecting their flame everywhere. People danced and laughed, swirling beautiful people dressed in lovely light and dark gowns and jackets. An ethereal music, the sound the stars would make if they could play, drifted everywhere. He walked inside, fully grown and dressed in white, his outfit streamline, edged in sequins, and expertly tailored. The him he knew he was, the him he should have been. He nodded and smiled as he walked through the ball, nodding to the smiling, masked people who returned his grin, blessed by being acknowledge by the child of belle of the ball, the most beautiful person they'd ever have the grace to meet, his mother. And there she stood, her lovely white skin contrasted by her freeflowing black hair, her dress black and slim, mantled by her folded wings. She spoke with the master of this hall, her consort and servant, but turned her attention away immediately at his approach. She smiled, and Emery felt that blessing his own smile gave, but multiplied by the number of sands on the beach. He dropped to one knee, kneeling before this perfect creature of creation. "Rise, my dear Emery," She said was a tinkling laugh the rebounded across the crystals and mirrors, filling the world with the sound. "You are my beloved. You need not debase yourself so." A pale hand entered the vision of his bowed head. His black hand took it. He rose, and his mother took the held hand and swept him into a dance. They stood alone, the other dancers standing to the side, knowing to intrude upon the two was the gravest of sins but to watch them dance, ah, that was something to share with their children's children. Emery's heart soared, finally feeling things were right after years of pain and loneliness. "You've become such a lovely man, my Emery," his mother said, her smile filling the room with light. "And..." A dip later, and he rose a woman, her small childish breast now filling out her bejeweled white gown, her hair decked only with a small tiara of diamonds. "A beautiful woman. I couldn't have asked for a better child, my dear Emery." "Mother," she began to say, but was silenced with a kiss from those lovely grey lips. She abandoned speech. There was need for that here. Her love for her mother transcended such base things as language, and now they were together, and she would stand at her side forever... Her mother pulled away, gasping and chocking. Something wet spattered Emery's gown. She looked down to see the dark stain of blood, the same blood that trickled between her mother's lips. She was bent at the waist, clutching her belly as she heaved again, staining the tile below, which spread into a darkened forest lit only by a gibbous moon. "Mother!" Emery cried, her tears of happiness flowing free as they were pushed away by her fear and sadness. "No!" "Emery..." she said, looking up, so pained, so hurt, but smiling still, blood staining her perfect teeth with its taint. "Mother! No! I won't lose you again!" "That's my good Emery," her mother said through the blood, echoing the final words she ever heard her mother speak. "I'll be right back." "NO! Don't go! Don't leave me!" Her mother's eyes rolled back in her head, her illness overcoming her great strength and power. She collapsed to the ground, her beautiful white wings crumpled and ragged, the eyes that were filled with such life and laughter and love now dead and empty. Her image distorted, Emery rushed to her mother's side, tears working to escape from not only the now child's eyes but her nose as well. She collapsed, shaking her mother, but knew it was hopeless. She was gone, dead, forever. And Emery...Emery was alone. Forever. She abandoned words. Like her love, her sadness and grief couldn't fit into mere words. She screamed, screamed until her voice was only a croak and the strength of her outrage faded into exhausted despair. The child curled up next to her mother, taking what comfort she could from the cooling corpse and still wings. If only she had come with her mother, she said to herself again and again, as she had for years. If only she hadn't stayed where her mother commanded. If only she'd been there to help. Even if it would have killed her, it would have been worth it if her mother had lived. She cried, alone, in the forest of darkness, content to stay there until her own body expired and cooled. A fitting end for the child who abandoned her mother at her darkest hour. |
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| Vivianne | Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:07 pm Post #11 |
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The girl gasped as the wolf expired, its agony finally replaced with the infinite calmness of death. The fact that its suffering had been cut short did not encourage the girl, but rather filled her with an insurmountable sadness. She staggered to her feet, her hands coated in blood from fingertips to elbow with viscera. It had been enough. The wolf had still died. She swallowed as she stared down its corpse, reaching down to lightly brush the pommel of her dagger. Vivi knew that she could have eased the animal's passing by stabbing the knife in its throat, but the thought had never even crossed her mind. She was a skinsharer, a human gifted with the ability to slip inside an animal's body and control its movements. She had spent far too much time living as an animal to willingly harm one, especially if that meant her actions would cost it its life. There was a low, yearning howl from behind her that made the girl's blood run cold. Another one? No! She turned and dashed away again, her mind rifling through possibilities. A poacher must have come through the area while she had been asleep and slaughtered that wolf. However, that theory still didn't explain why the animal's pelt had been left intact. It was almost like some unseen forest had slaughtered the canine on a whim, ending its life for its own sick amusement or some purpose she could not fathom. Any belief she had that the wolf's death had been an accident disappeared when she broke through the foliage into the next clearing. Her stomach rebelled at the sight, forcing her down to both knees as she vomited. Bodies were scattered around her in rotting heaps, the creatures of the forest maimed and disfigured. Few, if any, of the creatures were still able to draw breath. Their innards had been thrown into the canopy like grisly decorations and the dirt was so saturated with blood that it had turned to a thick, dark red mud. She weakly crawled towards the nearest beast, a deer whose head had been twisted until its spine splintered, one side torn open so its organs were exposed to the open air. Vivi's hands were shaking as she reached out to the animal, but she knew her ministrations would be useless before she even began. She closed her eyes, refusing to look at the grisly scene for a moment longer and turning away, trudging back into the woods. She shakily rose to her feet, staring down at herself in mute horror. Every inch of her clothes was coated in a fine layer of dried blood. The girl's face screwed up in an attempt to keep herself from sobbing, but her effort was in vain. A steady stream of tears rolled down her cheeks as she blindly sprinted into the woods, not caring where she went as long as it was away from the slaughtered beasts. Blinded by tears and horror, she did not see Emery until she had tripped over the girl, sending her falling to the ground in a tumble of arms and legs. |
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| Emery | Fri Dec 23, 2011 10:26 pm Post #12 |
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Emery's somber despair was interrupted by something barreling over her, knocking her away from her mother's corpse. She struggled, entangled in her attacker's limbs. Her rage rose, burning away the depression, and she growled at the person detaining her. "Let me GO!" she screamed her voice ragged and sore. Emery reached out a single finger. She only applied a tap, but the force was multiplied so that it seemed a battering ram had struck. Glaring, she saw the person who'd knocked her over was the woman from the woods. How she was here, Emery wasn't certain. Blind emotions cut off any chance she might have had of wondering about this rationally, though. In her state, the reason this woman was here was clear: to take her away from her mother again. "Stay away from me! I won't leave her again!" Emery screamed madly, then collapsed into sobs. She crawled back, too exhausted to stand, and curled back up next to her mother, curling a limp wing around her to fend off the growing cold. It was a poor imitation of being held by her when she was alive, but it was all Emery had now, and more than she had in years. |
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| Vivianne | Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:18 pm Post #13 |
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Vivianne looked up through her tears, staring at her surroundings in shock. All of the color had seemingly been leeched out of the world, leaving it in black and white and shades of gray. She looked down at herself, but whatever influence had erased the rest of the world's palette had thankfully skipped her own form. Her clothes were still caked in blood, but at least they were a natural color. Only after confirming that she was still in color did she look up to see who she had tripped over. It was a slender girl, with the same black skin, hair, and gray eyes of the boy she had met in the forest before falling asleep. "Emery? Is that yo-" Her words were cut off when the girl flicked her in the left shoulder, a blow that should have barely fazed her. Instead it sent her flying backwards, as if the slight girl had actually punched her with all her might. Vivi cried out in pain at the blow, falling back into the gray grass. She left a smear of bright red blood on the colorless surroundings, a bright scar on the bland surroundings. She slowly got to her feet, holding the aching shoulder with her right hand, her left arm numb. "What... What was that?" She stared at the strange, small girl. She was wearing a white dress and clutching the body of an older woman that was obviously dead. The girl wrapped on of the figure's wings around herself, huddling underneath the corpse. Vivi took a tentative step forward, calling out to the child. "The woods aren't safe. You have to come with me!" She didn't know what was killing all the animals around her, but she knew that the malevolent force would probably not refrain from injuring a crazed, defenseless child if it got the chance. She could hear more moans and bestial screams from the lush surroundings, but she knew that her conscience would never forgive her if she left the small child alone in the forest. |
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| Emery | Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:36 pm Post #14 |
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"....No," Emery said, her voice muffled by feathers. "I don't care. Don't you understand? She's dead, and if I'd been there...maybe then....maybe she'd be alive!" She emerged from her winged shelter to shoot another angry look at this horrid woman, but it died into confused fright as she finally registered the sight of Vivianne rather than just her presence. Her sadness found itself put aside as she tried to registered what she was seeing. "Wha...what's wrong with you? What are you covered with?" Vivianne was covered from head to toe with...she wasn't certain. There were things that looked like normal colors, but they were enhanced with...Emery couldn't settle on a word for it, for she had no words. She shut her eyes. Looking at Vivianne was like missing a step in the dark, that name nauseous confusion as the world and one's expectations failed to mesh. "It...It's all over you. What is it?" |
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| Vivianne | Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:33 pm Post #15 |
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She could barely make out the girl's words due to the layer of feathers between them, but Vivianne could hear the hurt and sorrow in the child's tone. Clearly the dead woman was important to her, so important it was worth losing her life, but the skinsharer wasn't about to let that happen. She responded how she would to an injured and crazed animal, slouching her shoulders so that she appeared less smaller and less threatening. She did not look directly at the girl either, turning her eyes away in a declaration of submission. Vivi wasn't very familiar with children, but hopefully they functioned like animals. "Shhh now, it's okay. You can't help her now." Her voice was low and soothing, as friendly and slow as possible. The girl had managed to coax an angry bear out of its cave before, she was sure she could convince the little girl to run away from danger. "She wouldn't want you to die." The child finally responded, peering out of the corpse's wings at the skinsharer. Her anger was quickly replaced with a fearful and confused expression and she wriggled further away from Vivi, slamming her eyes closed and asking what was wrong with her. The skinsharer looked down and grimaced at her own appearance. Her clothes were stained with dark splotches of blood, and her hands were still covered in crimson viscera. She hurriedly wiped her palms on her hips in a vain attempt to clean them. "I'm sorry, it's dangerous here so I got some blood on me... It won't hurt you, I promise." The girl had no idea that the child was actually referring to the fact she appeared to be in full color. There was a rustling from behind her and Vivi glanced over her shoulder, her eyes going wide. The wolf she had tried to help was emerging from the trees, but there was something clearly wrong. First of all, it should have been dead. Organs trailed out from its yawning ribcage, and one of the eyes sockets was a gaping hole. It panted from the exertion of moving its broken body, but it still managed to inexorably creep closer to them. More shapes began to emerge from the bushes, the dead and mangled bodies of the slaughtered animals staggering towards them. Vivi looked back to the girl and ran straight towards her, hoping the child wouldn't be stupid enough to attack her with her incongruous strength again. "We have to go! Now!" She pried back the woman's wings, trying to pick up the girl so she could carry her away from the undead animals. |
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