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 Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:34 pm
If she were to be honest with herself, she was nervous. All she had wanted, all she'd planned and plotted for every minute she'd sat on the cot in that cell was to find her way out of her jail and destroy her jailers, in a fit of rage and vengeance. And yet, when suddenly informed that she was going to undergo a very special test today, she found herself suddenly anxious of the details. She was still very weak, and very much unaware of everything that had transgressed in the past few years. She'd lost a valuable part of her life - and more importantly, knowledge.
And, if she was to believe the plague doctor, she'd lost something even more improbable. Love.
Nevertheless, when she was informed that she would be headed to Amityville that evening, it didn't quite sound like freedom to her. She would be at Vek's side every step of the way.. and one wrong move meant the test would end at his behest. Quickly, and violently.
The look on that bogeyman's face when she saw him that morning told her he was hoping she would make a wrong move.
She'd been allowed a fair amount of leeway. Be presentable, Sinclaire had said. It was a special event, after all. Riley knew what that meant, and she knew that somewhere in that building, the one they claimed she had lived in this entire time, she must have appropriate attire. She never went anywhere without appropriate attire. So she led Vek to the demon dorms, never quite getting close enough to let him touch her, and definitely not engaging him in conversation. She understood fully well that the man was her warden, not her date. He was treated as such, until proven otherwise. When she opened the doors, her eyes flickered behind her, watching him carefully. She walked down the hall, turned right, and stopped in front of a door, all while her attention remained distracted on Vek's ever obvious presence - but when she looked up, she took a step back in startled surprise.
The door said "Riley" on it. What's more, there was a giant board, filled with notes from people. A second, digital board, had even more notes that no longer fit on the crowded dry erase board.
She'd made a subconscious beeline to her door without even realizing where she was going.
A quick check on the knob, and the door creaked open with an ominous sound. Inside, the room was dark, but she didn't care.
Make yourself at home, I suppose. I'm going to find my room. The first thing she'd said to the bogeyman since they'd left.. and it sounded half-hearted. She didn't even know if she could make herself at home, let alone let Vek do so.. but she started walking through her rooms one by one regardless, committing the layout to memory.
The kitchen smelled terrible. Rotting brains left out, it seemed.
The bathroom was pristine.
She pushed a hanging black cloth out of the doorway it hung from, and disappeared out of sight.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:41 pm
Vek grunted softly and leaned against the room's door, arms folded over his chest. The reptilian Boogeyman was in his typical dark cloak, leaving no clue as to if he had dressed up to blend or not. Likely not. He may be playing babysitter and watchdog tonight, but that was as far as it went. Prinny had been devastated that it hadn't been invited along, which was kind of a highlight, really. The faerie was no doubt bothering the succubitch during her off-duty hours even now, and that was even better.
Taloned fingers tapped slowly against the door frame as he waited.
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Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:52 pm
Riley had stopped once she'd entered the little room past the black flap of cloth. She was in a room, and it was clearly hers - every title on the bookshelf and strategic layout on the desk nearly screamed out Aen'ryllis to her - but she remembered none of it. And she couldn't understand how that was possible.
Yet here she was, touching a piece of paper with her own flawless writing on it. A half written letter to someone named Barth. She didn't bother to read it, she simply stared and tried, with all of her might, to simply remember sitting at that desk and writing it. Her face crunched up in agony as she pushed, and pushed, and the pain began to throb in her head..
She knew her limits. She knew all she needed was a little push.. and her test would be over. She took a deep, cleansing breath, and let the attempt go. There would be time to remember, to push her boundaries.. when she was well again.
When she was whole.
She stepped into the darker room and found what she'd initally been looking for - the bedroom. Her bed was large, and ornate, but stripped of all bedsheets. Had someone come in to clean up after her passing? The thought struck a moment of anxiety through her, and she headed quickly to the closet to open it up -
Only to find it half filled with her typical style of long, elegant dresses. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked in, plucking through the designer outfits one by one. Her taste was impeccable - see? She remembered that! That certainly hadn't changed! Why, then, could she not remember buying these specific dresses and placing them in this specific closet? Had she even bought them at all? Were they a present from admirers? Stolen by thralls? Sewn by slaves?
How could she have forgotten?
She ripped out dress after dress, throwing them to the floor. They were all unacceptable. If she could only remember one - just one, single dress, she would feel better. But she couldn't. None of them brought back a single shred of memory. Not even a vague hint.
Her hand brushed against a certain fabric, and her fingers stopped there. It still had no memory attached to it, except.. now that she thought of it, it actually did. She held tight to a memory that occurred after her re-animation; a color memory, at least. A powerful one.
She had always loved the color red. Even before she'd met it. The feelings that surged through her when she touched the dress surely had to have come from that. Or; she relented, negotiating with herself; a mix of both. The plague doctor had left a strong impression on her, after all.
The irony of that thought did not escape her.
This might take a bit longer than I thought. Riley sent out to the bogeyman in the other room, as she pulled the dress out carefully and set it on the stripped bed, staring at it. You know how women are about dressing. She had entirely no intention of spending a great deal of time putting the dress on. Riley was now intent on scouring through the room, to touch and see anything she could. If a memory could be found in the ruins of her leftover life, she would find it here.
Sadly, the room had been stripped bare. All the tables were clear, the shelves clean, and everything seemed just a little emptier. All that she saw left was a slightly open drawer at the very bottom of her dresser. Something dark lay within it, and Riley bent down to open the door and look inside.
A phone. She had a phone. It was a delightful connection to the outside world that she never would have expected. When she opened it, the phone did not light up, and Riley assumed that meant it was dead. When she tried to turn it back on, however, it seemed to work fine - perhaps this had been a spare, then. Waiting for her. Waiting for it's chance to live.
She held it in her hand, staring at it intently, as if willing it to say something.
When it obliged with a sudden vibration, she dropped it with a clatter to the floor and cursed. She scooped it back up and waited to make sure Vek hadn't heard that, before opening the phone once more.
She was still getting messages.Quote: From: Malodore Frightday, 4th Day of 5th October, 10:00pmI don't know why I'm doing this. But I miss you so much. I love you so much. I always will. Quote: From: Malodore Frightday, 4th Day of 5th October, 10:03pmI swear to you, I will find you and bring you home. I'll keep Jericho safe. I won't let them take him. Quote: From: Malodore Frightday, 4th Day of 5th October, 10:08pmI miss everything about you, mia cara. I miss your embrace. I miss the way you kiss me. I miss the way your skin feels. I miss your mind. I miss your voice. I miss every curve of you. I need you, please come home, please. I'm waiting for you. Quote: From: Malodore Frightday, 4th Day of 5th October, 10:10pmThere will be cake. Per favore? The buzzing stopped, and Riley quirked her head when the phone got fuzzy, before realizing that it was her eyes, not the phone, at fault. She reached up and pressed her fingertips to her eyes, brushing away the moisture she found there and staring at it curiously. Huh.-> ReplySosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:13pmI believe it is a custom to have cake at events such as proms.
All she had was this.Sending...
-> SentShe got up and began to undress.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:38 pm
A few minutes after sending her text, a reply came. Nio Love To: Riley Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:19 pmIs it? I have not checked to confirm this hypothesis, I must admit. Then, a few seconds later- Nio Love To: Riley Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:20 pmWhere are you?
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:53 pm
Riley had slipped the dress on in exactly two minutes. She was back in the closet, picking out shoes, when the text arrived, buzzing her phone against her bed. She nearly tripped out of the closet trying to turn and run out of it - was a fluffy dress really the right choice for this event? She was starting to regret it already.
She picked up the phone and laid down on the bed, flipping it open to reply.Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:24pm In my room. Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:25pm Someone has stolen my bedsheets. Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:28pm I am dressed, in case you are wondering if I am decent.
Yes, texting was fun.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:53 pm
Nio Love To: Riley Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:30pm Have they let you come back? I would like to see you, if so. If you would like.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:18 pm
Vek was being frighteningly quiet in the front room. It worried Riley a little bit, as she waited for her reply. But as soon as the phone buzzed, all thought of Vek left her mind.Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:33pm They have. You may. I would. Be cautious, one of the bogeymen are in the front room. There is no chance for a daring escape this night, I fear. Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:35pm I will be waiting for you.
She shook her head and got up to continue the search for shoes.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:33 pm
After a few minutes, the phone buzzed again. Nio Love To: Riley Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:39pm I will be there. Do you have any particular plans for this evening? Or any plans imposed upon you?
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:43 pm
One high heeled set of shoes later, Riley was standing in front of her cabinets, looking for jewelry. There was none. Had she been robbed? She sat back down on the bed, sighing in frustration. Her wrist pressed against the only piece of jewelry she currently owned, and she lifted it to look at the simple silver colored bangle against her skin.
Her fingers reached up to run across it. It was cool to the touch.
It was enough.
The buzz knocked her out of her reverie, and she picked up the phone quickly.Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:43pm Prom is my intended destination. They believe it will be a test of my ability to.. well.. not die, I suppose? So, yes. I will be attending. Eventually.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:54 pm
Nio Love To: Riley Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:48pm I approve of your continued existence. Shall I come now?
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 3:06 pm
Riley stared at the new message, and then quickly, almost impatiently, she typed back.Sosiqui To: Malodore Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:49pm ...Are you not already on your way?
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 3:16 pm
The response came with similar speed. Nio Love To: Riley Frightday, 22nd Day of 6th October, 7:50pm I had to set a few things to rights before departing, but yes. I am on my way.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 3:39 pm
Good. Good.
Riley closed the phone, and held it clutched in her hands tightly.
This was a good thing. She was happy about it. It would be better to enter prom beside the person who, she supposed, people might expect her to be with. Certainly it would be less jarring than if she entered on a bogeyman's arm.
But he would still be there. He still was there. She finally pressed the phone down into the folds of her dress and stood up, walking out into the front room. She was glad it was still dark, she felt a sort of unease at the privacy of the room, dressed as she was.
Malodore is joining us. I thought it would help with my re-integration into the social circle of the event. She stated, quite firmly. There would be no asking permission from her. It will be here shortly. If you don't mind..
She walked directly over to the bogeyman, and pushed herself past him so that she stood in the doorway, instead of him. She would be the first thing Malodore saw, not that sour face. It was important.
Besides, She grumbled quietly, giving Vek a sidelong glance. I thought I told you to make yourself at home.
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 3:52 pm
It wasn't long before the door at the end of the hallway creaked open. Malodore quietly closed the door behind it, then turned-
-it hadn't been expecting to see Riley there, right there, and- Jack, she was beautiful. It had never seen her like this before, just as aesthetically delightful as she'd ever been, the Insanity striping her skin now almost proudly displayed. Despite how much it detested that symbol of her affliction, the thing that had taken her away from it... she looked stunning. Indeed, it froze in the middle of the hallway as if it had walked into a wall.
Finally, it opened its beak. "You, ah... you look... exquisite, mia ca...ra..." Did it have the right to call her that any more?
No. No, it was not going to be like this. It was not going to let its fear ruin this. It started moving again, coming up to her, a pleased shock running through it as it realized she was wearing its feather still. "I am glad your things were still there for you. I, ah, took a few items for safekeeping, when I thought you would not be returning for them... I can get those for you, later..."
Why, why couldn't it stop looking at her?
"... Could we talk? Er..." Oh yes, there was the Bogeyman, like a shadow behind her. Well, it could talk in front of him. Right?
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Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:07 pm
"Not bad," the boogeyman gave her a toothy leer. "At home, huh? That wouldn't be in your best interest." He still let her past and did't comment on the plague doctor joining them. It could play babysitter for the ghoul as well as he, and would probably enjoy it more.
He remained quiet at Malodore's entry, not bothering to make any reassurance, or even a polite just pretend I'm not here.
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