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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 27, 2008 12:48:36 GMT -5
Continued from: Small Town TrapThe white wooden door swung open on creaky hinges and Kasen pushed his way into his somewhat small but well kept motel room, swallowing down the rest of his muffin as he did. He was pretty sure that was going to be the one thing he missed about this little town. There were less enjoyable memorable points about the town like the nutmeg coffee, the maniac drivers, the crazy girls attacking people with shovels, and that whole digging up a grave thing, but apple cinnamon muffins, those were a delectable point on the plus side. Maybe he'd stop in one more time before he left and pick up one more for the road. He closed the door behind him and locked it before glancing at the clock radio on the bed stand. He had more time than he'd thought. He sighed and looked down at the bed upon which lay the journal he’d been keeping pretty much since the start of his self-proclaimed mission to bring down those who’d wronged him and his family. He picked up the black, beaten up book and glanced through it at the notes and figures for a moment before tossing it gently back down. He didn't exactly have a next destination in mind. He just figured he should get out of town before the locals got all huffy about their defiled graveyard. Again he glanced to the clock. He could actually take a nap... But the coffee and cold air had actually done a good job in waking him. He looked about for things to do, but there wasn’t much. He'd already packed his few possessions in his navy blue duffel and the black backpack covered with patches of favorite bands and random quotes. He glanced to the television, but remembered the motel owner's declaration that the cable was out. "Ok...A shower then," he said to himself. Despite the one he'd taken last night, he still felt like he was dirty. Part of that might be because he’d already worn these clothes once since he'd last washed them. He tossed his coat, shoes, and wallet on the duffel bag. The man made his way to the bathroom, taking off a leather bracelet and placing it on the sink. It was then that a particular golden shine caught his eye in the mirror. Reluctantly, Kasen slipped Wheton's Shield over his head and squinted at it. Should this thing get wet? It probably didn't matter... Then again, he didn't know for sure. Instinctively Kasen looked around for some menacing figure, half expecting to see one watching him through the window of the main room, but there was no sign of anyone. He was being paranoid. "Ten minutes, that’s all. What could happen, right?" Kasen asked, looking at the amulet. He placed it on the sink, trying to feel defiant, but his somewhat superstitious upbringing had him knock on the nearest wooden object just in case. He closed the door, scowling at the lack of a lock. It reminded him too much of college, though there the logic had been that maintenance didn’t want suitemates to start locking each other out of the bathroom. At a motel... Kasen wasn’t quite sure what the thought process was. He placed the amulet gently inside his tall leather bracelet as if to prevent it from rolling away or from being seen immediately by greedy eyes. ...Greedy eyes that could see through the door while he showered... The thought creeped him out and he quickly forced it away with a laugh at how ridiculous his life in fear had made him. He flipped on the hot water and mentally he flipped through a playlist of songs before settling on one that fit his mood. By the time the water was warm enough and he stepped into the stall, pulling the ugly green curtain closed behind him, he’d pretty much pushed his worries to the back of his mind, concentrating instead on the lyrics of Coldplay’s The Scientist.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 27, 2008 12:52:22 GMT -5
The early morning air was no less frigid than that of the night before, and if Eve hadn't been sick then she definitely would be by tomorrow. Following her mark hadn't been difficult - for someone who had just come into possession of a rare and powerful amulet, he seemed more concerned with his muffin and coffee than checking around him for someone who might want to steal it. Having the amulet as a protective measure must have been giving him some sense of security.
That didn't mean that Eve wasn't taking measures to keep herself hidden, of course. Staying at least 1 block behind the man, keeping a wary eye out for anything she could quickly move behind if he happened to glance back, and even putting on her sweatshirt inside out so that the white fleece showed, rather than the telling blue he had seen the night before, were just a few of the tactics that made the girl feel like she should have been taking part in a bad spy movie. Eve frowned, wishing she'd thought to bring her dark sunglasses and an upside-down newspaper, in order to bring the ridiculousness of the moment to its greatest possible conclusion.
The frown bled into an ironic smirk as the man finally reached his destination - the town's only motel. She should have figured that he would be staying not three doors down from the little room that she was calling home for the week. Amazing she hadn't noticed him there the day before. Just went to show, she supposed, that you really do go about life missing a whole lot until it's staring you in the face, swinging a shovel at your head.
She perched beneath the window, leaning against the motel's outer wall - to any casual observer she might have been waiting for a friend to return from breakfast - and listened for the sounds of his movement from within the thin walls. It didn't take long for her to hear the tell-tale click of him entering the bathroom and, moments later, the shower beginning to run. Perfect.
Breaking and entering was a skill that Eve had long ago shamefully added to her repertoire, and an expired credit card that she had once found lying in the street and a long, thin pin she tugged out of her hair and pulled straight were enough to grant her entrance to the small motel’s low-security room.
A quick glance around failed to reveal the amulet, and a once-over found all of the room’s drawers empty. Eve was beginning to get nervous – there was no way that this stranger had decided to bring a precious, two hundred year old amulet into the shower with him, was there?
She doubted it was the type of metal to rust, and couldn’t well think of any ill effects that showering with it would bring but it still seemed somehow… disrespectful. Not to mention that it would make it a lot more complicated to steal it from him without his noticing.
His duffle was her last the last place she could check before she was forced to make her way into the bathroom itself, hoping that he didn’t decide to reach out for some shampoo before she was prepared to make a move. Unfortunately she didn’t find much to interest her: clothes, a fancy looking notebook, some other personal items, but no sparkling gold-and-red jewelry.
Eve sighed and made her way toward the bathroom door, opened it, and peered cautiously in. From the counter, a glint of red caught her eye...
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 27, 2008 12:58:44 GMT -5
Ten minutes, he thought to himself as he rinsed the soap from his face. It hadn’t been that much time yet. And the hot water was just too inviting after being outside. He scratched his fingers though his newly cut hair, thinking that a buzz cut in the winter might not be the best thing. He hadn’t really noticed how cold his head could get until last night when he could feel the slightest breeze brushing along his scalp.
He’d cut his hair not long after the police started making it public that he was a possible suspect for the murder of his brother and father and attempted murder of his mother. Back then his brown hair had gone down past his ears so the chop had made a pretty good difference. But it hadn’t been winter and it hadn’t been a buzz cut.
Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” was next on his repertoire. He’d made it to the middle of the first chorus when a little stream of soap slid down his forehead, down the bridge of his nose and into his eye.
“And nothing else ma-ack! Man...”
Grumbling under his breath he reached around inside the shower stall for the washcloth he knew he’d brought in...
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 27, 2008 13:01:52 GMT -5
The man didn't seem to hear the quiet squeak of the door sliding open over the sound of the water and his own voice. Good thing he was the singing in the shower type - and not bad vocals, either. She squinted into the room as the warm, steamy rush from the shower heated her face, wasting a precious second trying to place the song. Didn't sound familiar. Maybe it was something he'd made up in a high school garage band or something...
When she was satisfied that he remained unaware of her presence, Eve took a cautious step forward, inching over to the amulet, which was blessedly off of his neck and tucked away within a punk-rock leather armband.
The more she saw the more this guy seemed the "garage band" type.
A second small, careful step, and she was before it. It was in her hands. She had curled her fingers along the golden chain and was carefully pulling it up from around the confines of the band that had encircled it. Freedom was in her grasp...
"And nothing else ma-ack!"
The soft, steady rhythm of the song cut short with a sudden, sharp sound, and Eve tensed, hands clenching around the amulet and holding it protectively against her chest. He'd seen her.
Caught, caught caught...
For nearly three full seconds she was a rabbit in headlights, and then there was the soft, aggravated "man..."
He wasn't leaping out at her, and that certainly didn't sound like the tone of a man who had just discovered a girl in the bathroom, stealing his precious amulet. Whatever had caused his annoyance, she was still in the clear, and the way to stay that way would be to get out ASAP.
So get out Eve did, taking two quick, quiet steps, sliding the amulet around her neck as she did. She paused at the door, and, after a moment's consideration, pulled it shut behind her as with a creeping, careful slowness.
And then she was in the clear. She had the amulet around her neck. After so long searching, after all the time and effort and travel and hardship, she could have really have a cure in her possession.
A nagging whisper in the back of her mind reminded her to check her left wrist, to remember her elation when she'd first felt that supposedly powerful symbol being inked into her skin, and the depth of her misery when she'd realized that it was a fraud. It would be better to wait until she'd tested the amulet to get really excited about it... but she couldn't help it. She could have jumped up and down, screamed her nearly assured victory to the world... except that kind of behavior might ever so slightly give away her presence.
And suddenly she was feeling exhausted again.
Right, so list of priorities: get some sleep, and then jump around excitedly. No... scratch that. Get out of town, get some sleep, and then jump around excitedly.
She made her way toward the door, revising her list as she went: get back to her room, gather her stuff, get out of town, get some sleep, and then... Should she wait for the bus out of town or risk hitching? Hitching would mean no chance of sleep, but the bus station would be an easy place for the man to find her again.
Maybe... maybe she could rest before she left...
Her head had begun to pound violently.
First Advil, then leave town, then get sleep...
She made it to the motel room's door, reached out for the handle, and missed it entirely. Her vision swam.
"What the..."
And darkness came again.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 27, 2008 13:11:01 GMT -5
Oblivious wasn’t something he’d thought to have labeled himself. There were times when he preferred to turn his thoughts inward, but he liked to think he was pretty good at observing his surroundings. After he’d gotten dressed, reached for the amulet and came up with nothing however, ‘oblivious’, ‘idiot’ , and a few other self-deprecating names came to mind as he felt a cold chill grip his heart.
“No, no, no-“
After a quick check of the sink and the floor, turned up nothing, panic took him and he recklessly ripped open the bathroom door and leapt into the next room. He scanned the room quickly and noted that someone had gone through his things, leaving drawers open and the contents of his duffel bag in a pile on the floor, but he didn’t see any movement.
He charged for the motel door, praying that he would see someone running suspiciously away when he spotted something unexpected. There, on the floor lay the crumpled form of a woman. Shocked, he just stood there for several moments, staring. She lay on her side, her long dirty blonde hair covering her face. Even so he had a feeling he knew who it was. Tentatively he reached out with his foot and nudged her. When she didn’t respond he bent down and rolled her onto her back, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
It was her. The girl from the night before. How had she found him? And, more immediately, what was wrong with her?
“Hey!” he exclaimed, but just as the night before, she didn’t respond. He shook her, but again nothing. “Playing possum isn’t going to help you any.”
No response. And he noted that she was pale. Very pale.
Eyes widening, he felt for a pulse and it took several moments for him to find it. He gave a small sigh and frowned down at his stalker. What was it with this girl? If she was ill, what was she doing chasing him around for the Shield?
His fingers moved down around her neck in search of anything that might be choking off air or blood flow and he wasn’t surprised when he found a golden chain. It wasn’t tight however so it couldn’t be choking her. Even so, he removed the Shield from the girl and pocketed it.
Should he call the cops? An ambulance? He swallowed hard and frowned down at this newest complication. He’d rather not draw attention to himself both for last night’s graveyard expedition and for... other reasons... He felt again for the thief’s pulse and found that it was already a little stronger. Kasen frowned.
“Same as last night...” Maybe he didn’t need to call an ambulance after all.
He remained crouched for a few more moments, pondering, before searching the girl’s pockets, looking for anything that might give him some sort of clue as to her nature. He didn’t find much, but a key to the room just a few doors down caught his attention... Coincidence? He scowled and his mind raced through the options. He could just leave her here and make a run for it.
Yeah, because that worked so well last time, he thought.
Kasen looked the girl over again. He needed to find out her motives. He needed to know what she was up to and make sure that he was safe from unwanted attention.
Still not sure he was doing the right thing, he lifted the girl from the floor and placed her on the bed. Using the short cable from the tv that didn’t work, he tied one of her wrists to the headboard. He looked about for something for her other wrist, but he realized there wasn’t much else around that would do a good job of keeping her down. His belts seemed the obvious thing, but they weren’t exactly the tying people up type. Instead he settled on putting a cool washcloth on the girl’s now rather warm forehead and plopped himself down in the armchair across from the foot of the bed, his journal and pen in hand, deciding to wait until she woke up.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 27, 2008 13:43:02 GMT -5
Consciousness returned gradually, comfortably. Eve shifted on the blessed mattress – any mattress was a blessing after the rocks and roots digging into her back through summer and autumn – and murmured wordlessly as the remnants of a dream tried to tug her away from reality once more. She sighed softly, knowing she couldn’t sleep again without checking the height of the sun, and stretched her arms above her head to…
Wait… why wasn’t one of her arms moving? The restraint didn’t feel like the cold metal of the shackles she normally kept her wrist locked up with on full moon days, just in case, but instead some sort of a tightly bound cord.
Her eyes shot open and she tried to tug herself upward, not getting far before a small, cool cloth slid down over her eyes, obscuring her vision. She pulled it off with her free hand and then held it out in front of her – a pathetic weapon to ward off whatever attack might be coming her way, but then any weapon was better than none. Maybe she could throw it in her captor’s face, distracting him long enough to free her wrist...
The first thing her eyes homed in on as she examined the room was the faded, paisley wallpaper. She frowned at it. This was the very wallpaper that had covered the walls of her latest motel room, she was sure. So… someone had sneaked into her motel room while she was sleeping and tied up one of her hands? For what purpose?
It hit her in an instant and her hand darted to her throat. The golden chain, and the amulet it held, was gone again. Self-disgust hit her fast and hard – anger and frustration at having been beaten out by that man a second time. First choked into unconsciousness and now… what? Crept up behind and hit over the head? Eve gritted her teeth, turned her head to examine her bonds, and then caught sight of him.
She did the only thing she could think to. She raised her damp washcloth to defend herself, and waited.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 27, 2008 13:57:13 GMT -5
The girl’s sudden movement had startled him, drawing his attention away from the book he’d been reading for the last hour or so. He looked up as her eyes searched the room, taking several moments to notice him. She looked both angry and frightened as she tugged at the cord that kept her tied to the bed and held the washcloth high like a droopy knife. At that, he couldn’t help but smirk.
“Calm down,” he replied, making sure to keep his voice even. Neither mocking or arrogant. “That’s not what exactly what it’s for. You weren’t looking so good earlier.”
He took a moment to organize his thoughts while trying to get a good read on his ‘guest’. He placed the book he’d been reading down on the floor, next to the journal he’d abandoned a couple hours earlier, and crossed his legs so that he sat Indian style on the armchair. Despite this informal look, he kept himself ready for anything the girl might try.
“So... Apparently you’ve got a room in this place too. I can’t decide if that’s coincidence or if you’ve been following me. And then there’s Wheton’s Shield.” Kasen pulled the amulet from his pocket and held it up for the girl to see. “Care to elaborate on why you’re so eager to get this trinket?”
As he spoke, he kept his voice casual, almost flippant. He’d learned long ago that with some people, if you made something that was obviously important to them sound unimportant, it could rub them the wrong way and make them want to explain themselves.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 27, 2008 19:14:26 GMT -5
"Trinket?"
The word inflamed her already volatile attitude toward this stranger. It just proved what she had suspected since she had first laid eyes on him. Wheton's Shield, which was everything to her, was her hope of salvation, he thought of as a trinket.
Eve barely restrained the urge to throw the washcloth at him, realizing at the last second that such an action would seem just a little bit childish. Instead she vented her frustration by tossing it to the bed, risking a quick glance at the state of her bound wrist. The cord, whatever it was, didn't look like it would be difficult to untie, but it would take a few seconds to work loose, and in that time the stranger would easily be upon her. Maybe if she tried the old "What's that behind you?" trick... unlikely.
Looking back at the man, she decided that trying to play it cool and not let him know how important the amulet was to her wasn't really a valid option by this point. She had already let her desperation show plainly the night before, whatever good that had done her. So she decided to steer closer to the truth. After all, he had placed that washcloth on her forehead after knocking her out, and that had to signal some spark of compassion, didn't it?
"Look, I don't know who you are or why you want the Shield, but it isn't just a toy or a prize to stick on your shelf or sell off to the highest bidder. Some people actually need its powers. I need it... or a lot of terrible things could happen."
She watched him steadily for another hint of compassion, and hoped that, this one time, being honest wouldn't blow up in her face.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 28, 2008 14:35:36 GMT -5
Kasen frowned thoughtfully in a poor attempt to hide an offended look. He’d pretty much asked for that sort of response with the ‘trinket’ comment. He met the girl’s gaze head on. She was passionate, that much was certain. She also seemed honest (key word there being “seemed”), but there were some things that didn’t add up.
“You said something like that last night too. Right before you fainted,” He replied. “Kudos to you for finding it a second time, but... if the Shield is so important...”
He hesitated before rephrasing and continuing. He wasn’t sure about this, but he’d had a while to mull the idea over and it did seem to fit.
“Why are you looking for something that seems to be hurting you? Who are you?”
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 29, 2008 0:24:08 GMT -5
"Why are you looking for something that seems to be hurting you?"
Hurting her... the words seemed to rattle in through her ears to hit her brain at a strange angle. For a moment she could literally make no sense of them. The only thing that seemed to be hurting her was him, and she was fairly sure he knew that she wasn't chasing after him...
Eve was actually relieved when the man immediately followed up his first question with a second.
"Who are you?"
As he spoke this question Eve posed to herself another: time for truth or another lie? Which would be more likely to get the man to help? "I'm a werewolf" would either set him laughing, screaming, or trying to lunge at her with the nearest silver object he could find. And not a one of those options much appealed to her. On the other hand, the man had proven that trying to steal the amulet off of him wouldn't get her far. The best way to end up with it now seemed to be through his consent... and she couldn't imagine up a story more desperate and deserving of sympathy than her own.
So... the truth then? With a resigned sigh Eve opened her mouth to explain...
"My name's Sarah... Reese."
Well, so much for honesty, then. Over her years on the road mouth had acquired this problem of thinking it knew better than her brain. Someday she would have to have a sit down and explain to each one its proper place in her body's hierarchy. Silently reprimanding her mouth for the reflexive lie, her mind slid back into control.
"Look, you want to know the truth?" She gritted her teeth, searching for the right blend of honesty and vagueness. "I've been... cursed. When I was sixteen I had this... this horrible curse placed upon me, and if I don't have something to counteract it then people around me will keep dying. It already killed my dad." Against her will her eyes began to tear and she slid them shut, fighting back the onslaught of sorrow and guilt that always hit her when her thoughts turned to Kevin Vardell. "For three years I've been away from my family to keep them safe, out on the road, never getting close to people so they don't get hurt too. Searching for some kind of cure... and this is the only thing that seems like it has a real chance of fixing things. A chance of letting me go back home, have a normal life. Of seeing my little sister again... and making sure she doesn't die when I do. Look... whatever price you can fetch off the amulet, it can't possibly equal the price of people's lives."
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 29, 2008 11:44:36 GMT -5
Kasen held up his free hand to silence her, shaking his head in aggravation. She’d had him with that story, but he couldn’t take more of her insults.
“Look, Sarah, I’m not a collector and I sure as hell don’t plan on selling this amulet to one. I’m not some selfish, greedy low life. I’ve got my own sob story,” he replied harshly. He glared at the teary eyed girl a second then forced himself to calm, ashamed he’d let himself get so angry.
He didn’t care what people thought about his clothes, his looks, his tastes, but he could only take so much of people thinking he was some selfish snob who put money before other people. But how could she know that? He sighed and looked sadly down at Wheton’s Shield, its ruby center shining up at him.
“Sorry,” he replied quietly. He sat back in the armchair and turned his thoughts back to her words. Though he didn’t think she was being completely honest, he found that her story struck a familiar chord.
“I’m sorry for what happened to your dad. I know what it’s like to lose a father to something you can’t control... And I nearly lost my mom in the same incident. I guess in a way I did.”
He stopped himself right there. It had been a while since he’d let himself think about that and he didn’t want to think too much about it now. This girl may have lost her father to a curse, but she hadn’t killed him with her own two hands while under the power of someone else. She didn’t have to carry the weight of the memory of watching the light going out of his eyes as she beat him to death. He did.
He pulled his dejected gaze away from the amulet to look hard into the girl’s, Sarah’s, eyes. If what she was saying was true, then it was going to be difficult to convince her that his was the better cause. With this amulet he would have no fear of the Group’s powers over him and he could break them once and for all. He could stop them from continuing their games unchecked and from forcing others to hurt those they loved. Once he found them...
“But I notice you’ve avoided my first question,” he said finally, uncomfortable with having the attention of the conversation on his problems. “Am I wrong? Last night you lost consciousness not long after picking up the Shield, and I’m pretty sure that didn’t have much to do with me. Today I know it had nothing to do with me and both times that I take the Shield away from you, you get better within minutes. Though waking up is something else. I mean... I guess you could be sick or something, but then I'm not quite sure why taking the Shield makes you better...”
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 29, 2008 12:01:57 GMT -5
"Look, Sarah..."
Good, he hadn't caught her ridiculously dangerous Terminator name reference. That could have well invalidated everything that she'd said after it, in his mind. Relieved from that near-miss, she decided not to snap back at him right away when he revealed that he actually wasn't planning on selling the item, but using it himself. Did that, she wondered, make him more or less selfish? Was it selfish of her to still want it for herself, whether doing so hurt this stranger or not?
No... whatever might be after him, the numbers still didn't add up. If he got hurt without it, even killed, it still wouldn't compare to the number of lives that would potentially be saved from the threat of the wolf lurking within Eve. He would never know what it was like to have to live every day with the paralyzing fear of slipping up, of losing control for just one second and waking up the next morning with fresh blood on his hands.
He could find another solution. There were dozens of wards, amulets, and spells floating around out there to protect against whatever curse or creature was flying his way. A talisman to literally negate the supernatural, however, was not something she was likely to come across again.
She opened her mouth to say so, but was cut off as the man settled back into his chair, tone suddenly softer as he began speaking again. So... he'd lost his father too. Eve's righteous certainty began to ebb as he continued to gaze down at the amulet dejectedly. For the first time she was seeing the man as something other than a rival for the Shield, and the new viewpoint made her decidedly uncomfortable.
If this had been all a matter of Eve's well-being versus his then she would have left him with the amulet and her best wishes in a heartbeat, but there were greater things to consider. The lives of every person in every town she ever spent the full moon amongst, for one. Even after all of the measures she'd taken, even if she decided to spend the rest of her life in isolation, there was still a chance...
She couldn't bear the thought of that chance.
The return of the man's voice cut through her darkening thoughts, drawing her attention from her own fearful imagination and back to the world around her and his words. And then she wished she'd stayed lost in her own mind.
"The Shield..." What he said now had struck that same, uncomfortable chord in her mind that they had hit earlier, and left her a little dizzy from the stress of contemplating it. "No. No, I was knocked unconscious by you. Last night you were suffocating me and today... you must have come out of the shower and hit me from behind." Never mind that no part of her head seemed to be hurting as if he had struck it. Never mind that pressing down on her chest with the shovel should have in no way made her lose consciousness so quickly. That was the only explanation. "Don't try to trick me into just giving up the amulet. I mean, it's only meant to incapacitate..."
And suddenly she recognized the impression the words had left in her mind, the reason they made her so uncomfortable, the feeling tightening up her chest right now, making it harder to breathe.
"...The supernatural..."
Truth.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jun 29, 2008 12:13:58 GMT -5
The look on her face was all he needed. He was right. It was the Shield that made her ill.
He’d been trying to figure out how that was possible, but he hadn’t come up with anything concrete. Understanding the ‘supernatural’ world was not a strong point of his and it had hindered him greatly in the past, but even he understood that, assuming the Shield worked the way the rumors said, something about her had to be supernatural for it to hurt her. He had been starting to wonder about the truth in it all, but the look on the girl’s face dashed all but the smallest doubt. Perhaps it had to do with this ‘curse’ that had been put on her?
He swallowed hard, feeling that cold tightness in the pit of his stomach whenever he came up close to the supernatural, and gripped the Shield a little tighter, fully aware of how hypocritical the action was.
But now what? Kasen looked back to the girl, noting her entire expression, her entire posture, was one of shock and defeat and it hit him even harder than before just how much this item and its power meant to her. Not knowing what to say or do, Kasen just sat quietly, waiting for inspiration to strike.
And then there came a loud rap on the door. Kasen’s eyes went wide as the gruff voice of the motel owner filtered through the wood.
“Mr. Rowe, are you still in there?! It’s past checkout time. You still haven’t told me if you wanted the room for another night! If not, I must ask you to hand in your key! I’ve already had to deal with another case of late payment today,” the old man shouted, annoyance clear in his voice.
Kasen looked at the digital readout on the clock on the bed stand. How was it already after 12? He could have sworn he still had at least half an hour! And what about the girl? If she shouted for help, the owner would know something was wrong. There would be almost no chance of getting out of this place in the middle of no where without being caught by police.
His hazel eyes went pleadingly to her.
“Please don’t say anything. I swear I’ll let you go. Maybe we can help each other.”
“Mr. Rowe?!” the owner called again.
“Just a minute!” Kasen shouted at the door before turning his attention back to the girl, waiting for an answer. Or at least the lack of a scream. She held the upper hand now...
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jun 30, 2008 12:17:37 GMT -5
Eve barely noticed the sudden banging outside the door, too caught up by her revelation to notice much of anything beyond the confines of her own mind. She was too shocked to even be upset at herself for being so very stupid until now.
Everything that she had read, everyone that she had talked to, had given her cause to believe that this would not work. As her old mentor and would-be murderer had put it – “Once someone goes wolf there’s no bringing them back. Their blood’s wolf blood from the second those fangs sink into them until the day they’re in the ground.” Eve hadn’t wanted to believe that, and had always held steadfastly to the hope that the wolf was something else, a separate entity that just happened to live inside of her. That’s why she’d been so sure that the amulet would save her. It would incapacitate the parasitic wolf and leave her - its host, its victim - safe and free.
But she was bound to the wolf too deeply to be safe from the amulet’s spell. She didn’t have something supernatural within her; she was something supernatural. And if that were true… then was there any hope left for her at all?
The man’s soft, pleading voice caught her attention, and she lifted her listless gaze to meet his eyes as he spoke.
“Please don’t say anything. I swear I’ll let you go. Maybe we can help each other.”
Help each other? After learning this, was there any hope left of helping her?
Someone banged on the door again, and this time the sound managed to make an impact in her mind. Eve narrowed her eyes, recognizing the manager’s voice from the evening before, when she’d reserved her room in anticipation of the dawn. If she shouted for help then she could get away from this man… but then the police would get involved. She would be taken in for questioning about this “abduction,” and word would probably come out eventually that she had been the one to break in. Her belongings would be searched, and they would find all sorts of incriminating items: the daggers… her voice recorder. All of the messages she had spoken over the years in hopes of one day helping Anna understand what had happened to her would be listened to by skeptical police officers, who would no doubt then send her off to the nearest psychiatric hospital.
No, calling out would do nothing to help her now… and maybe, just maybe, this man could. She didn’t know how he was involved in the supernatural, but maybe he would know something... and her search could resume again.
Drawing in a slow, steadying breath, Eve narrowed her eyes at the man, and replied in an echo of his hushed tone, “Untie me and I won’t scream. Then we can talk.”
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jul 1, 2008 17:54:12 GMT -5
“Untie me and I won’t scream. Then we’ll talk.”
Kasen hesitated for only a moment, sizing up the truth in her words before setting his jaw and standing.
“Fine.”
He strode to the bedside, bare feet padding on the worn down carpet. He slipped Wheton's Shield over his head and beneath his t-shirt both to get it out of his hands as well as to make it less accessible to the girl. Just in case.
He didn't take his stern eyes off her as he untied the knot in the chord, though that meant it taking a few extra seconds than it might have. Once the deed was done, he inclined his head slightly as if to say "there", then spun around, vaulted over the second twin bed, pulled out his wallet, and opened the door to the frustrated owner.
Luckily the door opened so that the far wall and not the beds was visible. Kasen allowed it open only enough so that the man could see him fumble in his wallet for some cash.
"I'm really sorry, sir, " Kasen replied, as humble and as sleepy sounding as he could manage. "Late night."
The old man grunted, looking him up and down with an apathy that bordered on distaste.
"I guess I'll be paying for another night then," Kasen replied, holding out the proper amount.
The man took it, counted, then replied, "I have another customer who is looking for a room. If you were to make it worth my while, I could tell him I've got no room..."
Kasen frowned, humble manner quickly dissipating. "That's crap. I know you've got other rooms. Besides, I was here first."
The owner shrugged. "Those are the rules. Pay up or kindly leave."
Kasen glowered, highly doubting that there even was some other customer. He would have gladly picked up and left the motel right then and there, and he almost did until he remembered Sarah. He couldn't leave just yet. So with a set jaw Kasen handed over another $30.
"There goes my bus money. I hope you're happy," he grumbled.
"No worries," the owner replied. "Next and last bus leaves in 15 minutes. You probably couldn't have made it anyway." The old man tipped his hat and turned away. "Have a nice day, Mr. Rowe."
Kasen watched the greedy man go, slack jawed, before closing the door and leaning back against it, suddenly weary.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jul 2, 2008 20:19:18 GMT -5
Eve idly rubbed her wrist, watching the man dive for the door and swing it hurriedly open. She couldn’t see the manager outside, but could clearly hear his aggravated tone.
As she waited for the man to settle his debt she tried to decide what to do once his attention turned back to her. Alone and unarmed, and without the amulet, Eve didn’t possess any bargaining chips that she knew of. The man said that she might be able to help him, but as far as she could tell he already had what he’d wanted. That made it a little difficult to plan out what to do or say next. She would just have to think on her feet and play it cool… which had never particularly been her strongest point.
Eve quirked a brow as the man closed the door and leaned back against it, looking tired.
“So, I guess we’re stuck in town together for another day or so.” On the last night of the full moon, no less. Well, maybe if she was really exhausted from all this drama she could just ask the man to lend her the amulet for the night. Apparently it would knock her out, after all. She would get a night’s sleep and no one in town would be murdered by morning.
See? This really was a win-win situation after all.
The sarcastic thought hit her hard, and Eve grimaced, forcing her thoughts from that path before they darkened into a depression she couldn't pull herself out of.
“I guess if we’re going to be speaking civilly now we should properly introduce ourselves. You have a name?”
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jul 3, 2008 15:14:24 GMT -5
Stuck in town... Wonderful. He just hoped that there were enough hooligans in this place to keep the police from looking around for other people who might have disturbed Wheton’s grave.
Kasen sighed and rubbed his neck as he considered her question. Introductions on his end, huh? Did it matter if he told the truth or if he lied? Probably not. He was fairly certain the girl had nothing to do with him, or wouldn’t if he didn’t have the Shield. If he were any good at getting out of wrist locks or that other jui-jitsu hand-to-hand ninja-action-flick type stuff, he would have considered shaking the girl’s hand as a sign of peace. As it was, he wasn’t sure he trusted her or himself enough for that. With a wary eye on the girl, Kasen padded back to his armchair and sat cross-legged again.
“My name is Kasen Rowe. I’m not a fancy item collector, full-time grave robber, or supernatural hunter. I’m just a guy,” he replied, ending his description there. He didn’t know enough about this opponent (was she an opponent anymore?) to give her much more than that and yet he suddenly didn’t have the energy bother attempting to think through some reverse psychology to get her to talk more. Instead he just went with honesty. Kasen sat forward and twirled the silver ring on his middle finger, feeling awkward again. “Sorry about tying you up, but I wasn’t sure what else to do with you. You were already out cold when I found you. I didn’t want you waking up and catching me unawares a third time.”
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jul 3, 2008 17:47:18 GMT -5
Sitting down to a civil conversation with a man who had just had her tied up seemed a bit too surreal for Eve. She elected instead to stand, and slowly moved away from the bed toward the room’s window, glancing out and wondering how much time she would have before the greedy manager decided to clear her duffel out of her room and start looking through it for loose change.
The man’s name caught her attention. Kasen… there was no way he’d thought that up as a last second alias. She turned back to fully face him, considering going back on her earlier statement and giving her own name. Then again, she couldn’t particularly see the point in changing her story now. It would only lose whatever trust he had in her. So Eve decided that she would stay Sarah for the time being. After all, chances were they would be parting ways long before a false name would become an issue.
“Well, I guess if we’re apologizing, I’m sorry with hitting you with a shovel last night. That was… well, I’m really not usually the kind of girl to hit people with shovels. Or break into their motel rooms and steal stuff. Like I said, the amulet was really important... but I guess that doesn’t matter now."
Her eyes moved reproachfully to the chain visible around the man's neck for several seconds, and then, trying to bring the conversation in a more helpful direction, she met his eyes and asked, "So, what is it that you want protection from, anyway? Some sort of creature? Demon, vampire... werewolf?"
Very subtle, Eve...
But she figured that a werewolf threat wasn't, after all, a terrible theory. After all, he had been looking for protection during the full moon. Maybe if she got him talking about things that went bump in the night she could get a lead, and find an idea of where to go next.
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Post by Kasen Rowe on Jul 5, 2008 11:00:51 GMT -5
The way she paced, it was obvious that she trusted him about as much as he trusted her. The apology he hadn’t expected, but was appreciated. He considered for a moment joking that if she really wanted to apologize she could pay for the ice pack he’d bought to bring down the swelling, but decided against it. Joking around wasn’t something he did much of these days.
“I’m really not usually the kind of girl to hit people with shovels. Or break into their motel rooms and steal stuff.”
That made him smile perceptively. He knew what she meant.
And then she asked him what he needed protection from. “Demon, vampire... werewolf?”
The idea simultaneously made him want to laugh and sent a chill down his spine. Kasen sat forward and went back to twisting his ring around his finger. He noted the pause before ‘werewolf’ and stored the tidbit for later, first intending to answer the question.
“No, nothing quite so...”
‘So’ what? These things were real, not fiction. He had to accept that some day, though he was pretty sure the only way he’d believe it in his core was if he met one of the afore mentioned beings. And he wasn’t particularly fond of that idea.
“-Singular,” he finished. Then he felt the need to elaborate. "It's a group I'm after. Demon worshipping humans." He scowled. "Greedy, selfish killers who think it's just fine to go around using magic, hoodoo, or whatever on others just so they don’t-" He cut himself off. He was doing that a lot lately. That's what you get for keeping it all bottled up for years, he guessed. Whatever it was, he had to tread carefully. It probably wasn’t good to tell this new contact that the Group he hunted had made him a killer and agent for the ‘dark side’ for several years of his life. It might rub her the wrong way. Instead he waved a hand and sat back in the chair. "Never mind, it's not important. But it's because of them that I need the Shield. The closer I get to shutting them down the more crucial it will be to success. And when I succeed, they won’t be able to hurt anyone else. Ever.”
He let that sit for a few uncomfortable moments then motioned to Sarah. He wanted to get on with his own mission, but besides eventually asking her for information, he also felt somewhat guilty for getting what he wanted and leaving her with nothing. "But what about you? You said people would die without this thing's powers. ..What did you mean?" Even as he asked it something vaguely ominous prickled senselessly at the back of his mind.
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Post by Eve Vardell on Jul 5, 2008 19:47:42 GMT -5
Eve was surprised at how emotional the man became at her question. And then she was surprised that she had been surprised. After all, even revealing her half-truth had nearly brought her to tears. She couldn’t help wondering just what this “group” had done to Kasen, to make him despise them so.
“But what about you? You said people would die without this thing’s powers. …What did you mean?”
Eve’s fingers clenched around the edge of the curtain still caught between them, and she eyed the man levelly. It had been so long since she’d been able to speak the truth that it almost came spilling past her lips as soon as he asked her. Her heart ached to find someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, maybe even someone who would be able to understand. There was even a chance that Kasen could be that person. After all, Eve had met a few rare Hunters in her time who had learned what she was and still been willing to help her out. It wasn’t unheard of.
But for every Thomas Zane out there, there were a dozen Molly Rourkes – people who would never understand, never even try to. People who would equate her curse with an evil nature, and decide that she deserved to die for it.
Until she knew which side of the fence Kasen Rowe fell on, Eve would have to keep her story vague. No more lies, she told herself firmly, but no need for soul-bearing honesty, either.
“I, um… like I said, I was cursed. When I was sixteen I was out walking where I shouldn’t late at night and I… I got in the way of some forces a lot bigger than me. It was more of an accident than anything. I was hit by a stray curse and now it’s trapped inside of me. If I don’t find a way to counter it or negate it then I’m going to be a threat to anyone around me for the rest of my life.” Then, concerned that she might scare the man off too quickly she added, “Not right now or anything. The uh… the curse only strikes at certain times, and if I’m vigilant I can keep people out of danger. But it’s just… if I slip up…”
She sighed. Speaking, even in such vague terms, about her affliction, was emotionally draining.
“Great cautionary tale to little kiddies, huh? Don’t ever go sneaking out of your house at night or you might get cursed and start killing people. You want my advice? Now that you’ve got the amulet, got protection from these guys you’re after, you should just cut your losses and run. You have a chance to get out of this life. Don’t make an effort to stay trapped in it.”
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