|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:17 pm
Quote: The Leaves (6) : With the changing seasons, there are piles of leaves all around Destiny City. It’s a difficult job to try and keep up with them all, and sometimes the allure of these leaf piles is impossible to ignore. Who doesn’t want to relive the childish joys of their youth? And no one’s around to see, right? So why not jump into a pile of leaves? Oh–because, when you do, you jump through one pile and come out of another somewhere else across the city. The leaves all seem ordinary, but there’s a few odd seconds between when you jump into the leaves and when you jump out; it feels like falling, tumbling, somersaulting through the air. It’s not scary, just odd. You see walls of leaves–brown and orange and yellow and red–and they crunch magnificently. Overall, it doesn’t seem menacing, just a bit of trickster fun. If you try to jump in a pile of leaves again, you might wind up somewhere else entirely–or right back where you started.
It was night by now, having been nearly dark when he reached the store, but the darkness didn’t bother him, if worst came to the worst he could always power up and teleport himself to safety. It wasn’t an easy thing to do but he was capable.
For now though, he took a shortcut through the wooded park that was near the store. It was a beautiful night at least, the air was crisp and cool, and it made Jacob feel pretty pleased that he had some apple cider in his fridge, it was a perfect night to have some.
Between that, the weather and the sale, Jacob was feeling pretty good about everything.
…At least until the moment he stepped into a leaf pile and…
Ended up falling through the leaf pile and landing in an unfamiliar yard, flat on his back. The contents of his bags spilling out around him from where they landed.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 9:32 pm
Erica had been outside in her front yard working on some basic maintenance before Waste Management showed up to collect her yard debris the next day. Piles of deep red to vibrant yellow colored leaves were stacked high by the bin. Those that had not fallen yet made the maple tree look like a dancing flame when the wind swept through the branches. The air was crisp yet, with all the moving and lifting, she still felt overheated after spending almost three hours trying to get as much done before it got too dark out to see. Among the leaves were some small branches that had fallen and it was while she was gathering them up that she heard a rustling behind her. Erica rose, turned towards the sound, and nearly tossed her armful of wood on top of the man that was struggling to get up while his belongings rolled away from him. Nearly… Instead, there was a very audible gasp as she stared wide-eyed at the man in complete confusion. “Um… what are you doing?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2022 11:43 am
“Wish I could answer that, I was walking home and stepped through a leaf pile and…now I’m here.” Jacob blinked in utter confusion and moved to sit up gingerly, rubbing his back. “...Not really sure what’s going on. But. Guess. I’m in your yard now. Sorry about that.”
Stranger things had happened in this city, he supposed but…
If something strange had to happen, why couldn’t it have happened when there wasn’t someone to witness it? It seemed a little too unfair that he had to be made to look like an idiot and drop all of his things and startle a perfect stranger.
“I’ll be out of your hair and your leaves and your lawn in just a second I um. Just where is this? I was cutting through the woods by River Street.
On the other side of the city, pretty much but, he didn’t know that yet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2022 1:10 pm
River street? Erica had to take a moment to remember where that was at. “The only one I know of is at least twenty-five minutes away from here.” For all the routes she’d taken while working, either for patrol or responding on a call, Erica knew that there were some names that were duplicative as you travel between subdivisions and neighborhoods. But for one reason or another, only one River Street came to mind. After setting the rake down she moved to help the young man gather his belongings, “Right now you’re near Kangley Drive.” The community of houses here along her street was part of Pheasants Hollow. “If you need, I can drive you back to where you were.” she offered hesitantly only to glance over at her driveway where her police vehicle was parked. Not at all a threatening gesture but so that he knew that she was not an off-duty Uber driver.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2022 5:15 pm
Jacob frowned slightly, but murmured a soft thanks when she helped get his supplies back into their bags. “I…don’t know how I ended up over here but…all right then.”
It didn’t seem possible that he was all the way over here but…he supposed stranger things had happened in this city, so. Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised.
Even so, he let his eyes flicker to her police cruiser and he shook his head, managing to hide a grimace. “No, that’s all right, thank you for your help in getting my stuff together…I think…I’ll just walk back. It’s a nice day regardless. Nice night. Whatever.”
Samir lived somewhat near to here…it wouldn’t be too difficult to bum a ride off of him…or just spend the night. “I’m sorry to have bothered you, I really…wish I knew how…”
His words trailed off and he turned to make his exit, turning to look at the woman who’s yard he had barged into. “I hope that you don’t have any other strangers that–”
As Jacob took a step forward…back into the leaf pile, he fell through once again, the strange vortex of leaves and sticks making him feel rather sick.
…At least…
…At least when he opened his eyes this time, he was flat on his back right back where he had been before.
…No…harm done…
Jacob was quick about getting his items organized again and this time, steered quite clear of any and all leaf piles he passed.
He wouldn’t be making that mistake again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2022 9:33 am
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Erica might have thought the man was some creeper. A stalker wandering around the neighborhood marking homes for someone else to come back later to rob. But nothing that spilled from his bag seemed out of the ordinary and his confusion appeared to be genuine.
Still, might be wise to review her security camera footage regardless just to make sure he wasn’t some Negaverse officer that randomly teleported into her yard by mistake. The absence of weapons was not enough to rule out the potential and would require a more critical eye in looking at what he was wearing.
For now, though, she had a yard to finish cleaning up before the next wind gust blew her hard work all over the place. Her bin was only a quarter full and could fit maybe the rest of this leaf pile and a few broken branches from her backyard if she cut them down a bit.
[Fin]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
