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The Hawkins Cemetery (10) - Between constant destruction and expansions, Destiny City is always changing–and yet, forgotten by time, something of an old world remains. An old, unfinished, eyesore of a building finally gave way and crumbled, and while the city was clearing debris, they found something strange–an old dirt path that led downwards. An exploration of the area led to an underground cavern, but the greater mystery is that there is an unmarked cemetery underneath Destiny City. An old metal gate marks this as the Hawkins Cemetery, and Destiny City is alive with questions. Articles have popped up online and in the papers, podcasts are aplenty, and even the local news is eagerly asking questions.
The Hawkins Cemetery is not exactly open to the public, but it really isn’t too hard to sneak in. The City is quick to respond to disturbances, but as long as you aren’t making mischief, you’re mostly free to explore. There are no lights leading into the cemetery, or in the cemetery itself, but once you arrive it is impossible to miss the strange glow illuminating the area. Bioluminescent mushrooms grow all around, casting a soft white–and sometimes grey–glow about the room. It’s enough to make your way around, but if you want to see, you should come with your own lighting. There are rows of tombstones and statues, and even a few strange trees. You aren’t alone down here; if you keep to yourself, you’ll find that while this might be a cemetery, there’s still life all around you.
The Hawkins Cemetery is not exactly open to the public, but it really isn’t too hard to sneak in. The City is quick to respond to disturbances, but as long as you aren’t making mischief, you’re mostly free to explore. There are no lights leading into the cemetery, or in the cemetery itself, but once you arrive it is impossible to miss the strange glow illuminating the area. Bioluminescent mushrooms grow all around, casting a soft white–and sometimes grey–glow about the room. It’s enough to make your way around, but if you want to see, you should come with your own lighting. There are rows of tombstones and statues, and even a few strange trees. You aren’t alone down here; if you keep to yourself, you’ll find that while this might be a cemetery, there’s still life all around you.
A new, mysterious cemetery in a hidden underground cavern was, if Reiko was honest, absolutely bait for her. Sure, sometimes she was breaking into places where she wasn't supposed to be just to explore and see what she could find. Sometimes it was the eight millionth wrecked building with nothing to it. Sometimes it was the leftovers of what was obviously a magical battle if you knew what to look for.
But this. This was different. This was something that had been under the city all along, that was perhaps the strangest thing she had yet heard of in the annals of the city's odd supernatural world. Who put a cemetery underground? Who thought that was a good idea? It was terribly inconvenient, and also probably eerie to visit, and she couldn't remember reading about it in any of her perusals of city historties and city records...
So of course she had to visit. Not as Reiko, though, no. As Asuka--as the Senshi of Onryo, who could pass for a revenant haunting this strange, dark place. If you asked her, it was brilliant; she would even be able to get away if she got caught by the police or by other explorers, and give them a fright that would stick with them for a long time if she had to pull out her magic (not that she relished the idea of using magic on civilians or anything, but if she had to makea quick getaway, it made for good insurance to prevent them from coming after her, if they were convinced she was an evil spirit come to tear them apart for their sins!)
She had her camera with her, of course--it would be good material for the video she was scripting on the subject, and the footage could be donated by an "anonymous friend" to ensure that no one tracked Reiko the Youtuber to Asuka the Dark Mirror Senshi, if they saw the footage and put two and two together or something absurd like that. Would ti have been easier to do this powered down and record as she went? Sure, but she was also a little worried aobut running into one of the city's monstrous residents down here in the dark and being unable to defend herself, and the security of having magic at hand outweighed the hassle of editing the video to make sure her voice wasn't in it in a way anyone could make a connection with.
So, camera in one hand and flashlight in the other, she descended down the path.
It was, in a word, beautiful, and as she took her first sweeping shot of the softly illuminated cavern, she was struck into a reverent silence.
This was....a special place, she knew from the moment she stepped in. Anywhere that had this particular gravitas would certainly be striking, but this was...more than that.
And more than that--she couldn't hear any other people, but she was, from the first moment she stepped off the path and through the gates, certain that she was not alone.
The dead were here, for certain. But it wasn't just the dead. There were more than ghosts here, and more than just her.
This was, she realized, going to be a very long, very interesting night.
[wc: 546 words]
