ROLEPLAY HQ - in-the-shadows

Stratford was a small town, a town where everyone knew everybody, where nothing really happens. The people there knew that when you leave Stratford, it’s rare for anyone to return. Surrounded by forest, and having its own little community, it seemed to be a perfect place. Stratford was a normal town, one that didn’t get visited by outsiders usually, but that was okay. Of course, that was only on the surface of this small little town. Eden was used to this town, having been the exception to the “never return” rule, having moved back to help her mother out with her father’s funeral arrangements. That was three years ago, and Eden never had left. In some ways it was a good thing, being back in the community that knew her, that felt for her loss. Yet, other times it was a curse. Such as now, with her car being stuck on the side of the road, currently stranded. She tapped the leather steering wheel nervously trying to keep her eyes from the edges of the forest. Trying to ignore the hair on the back of her neck standing up. Her mother would chastise her for letting her “imagination” run wild, because there was nothing out there to be scared of. Yet, Eden knew that what she saw was real, even if the others ignored it. They said a town couldn’t be haunted, that it wasn’t possible. Eden, however, knew different. The dead didn’t stay gone, the ghosts aways seemed to stay in this town. And Eden always had the ability to see them, always able to feel them. The town of Stratford was suppose to be a normal town. But that was far from the truth. And right now, Eden couldn’t ignore the fact that something was out there in the forest, watching her.

7:24 AM

@Blue Hound

Eden was right, there was something in the forest watching and waiting. Whatever was in there had no name, for she could not remember it, but that was ok for her. There was no point to remember nor to try and find it. No one has helped her find her name for the past decade, so why should she bother to keep on hoping for something that would never come. She was just about to leave the forest's shadows fully prepared to torment the poor woman stuck on the side of the road, but the sudden sound of a car engine approaching made her stop. Even though she knew no one would hurt her, she still preferred to target people who were alone rather than in a group. So she left to find someone else to bother, not sparing a second glance as the newcomer's vehicle slowed to a stop beside the useless car. ------ "Moshi ka shitara, moshi ka shitara Kimi ni "kizuite" to ima mo sono mune wo Uchinarasu~" Saeva idly sang to herself while blasting the song out her car windows as she drove down the beaten road, it was the only thing keeping her from passing out in the driver's seat. She made a mental note not to drive straight through the night and the majority of the day ever again. She saw an old sign beside the road reading 'Welcome to Stratford', her new home. Her grandmother had passed away a few months ago and she had promised the young brunette that she could have the house once she passed. Despite never having met her grandmother in person, they had FaceTimed one another a plethora of times whether that be to bake, do crafts, or play games. Due to her father's job involved him traveling a lot and her being unemployed at the moment, she was home alone all the time. She had no friends to hang out with, so her grandmother was the next best thing, not that she minded.

8:21 PM

"What do we got here...?" She muttered to herself as she spotted someone on the side of the road. Driving closer, she noticed someone inside the car; a woman about her age. Never one to leave someone stranded, she slowed her car to a stop beside the other car and turned down her music. "Everything all good here?" She asked with a kind, open smile.

8:21 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Eden looked up when headlights entered her vision, lighting up the dark road. She risked a glance to the forest now, seeing that whoever was watching, was now gone allowing her to breathe easy. She looked over out her window and rolled it down. “It seems my car won’t start.” Eden replied looking over at the woman watching her. “I have some jumpers in the back if you don’t mind helping me start it.” There was a small pause as she glanced to the tree-line. “Honestly glad to see someone else here, thought I would have to walk back to town.” She realized she never seen the brunette before, someone new in town? It was rare, but not impossible. The redhead shook those thoughts from her head as she leaned a bit to the side towards the glovebox, retrieving a flashlight from it before stepping out. The cold air hit her as her feet made contact with the pavement, causing the woman to shiver slightly. She opened the trunk of the small beat-up buggy retrieving the emergency duffle bag that she kept tucked away in the corner. Slinging it over one shoulder, Eden put her long hair up in a ponytail to keep her hair from her face.

2:52 PM

@Blue Hound

"Course, I don't mind at all!" The lass chirped happily. "And I don't blame ya. It seems like quite a walk from here and with it getting darker, I wouldn't want to stay out here longer than wanted." Despite being in the town limits now, the walk from here to the actual town was still a good few hours. Putting her car in drive, Saeva maneuvered her car till it was nose to nose with the ginger's car, not wanting to block the road in case another car decided to drive down the road. She shut off the engine, unlatched the hood, and hopped out of her car with her own small flashlight. Due to having her windows rolled down from the start and just liking cold weather, her body had already acclimated toward the chilly air, so she wasn’t as sensitive to the temperature when she stepped out of the car. She opened the hood all the way and attached the cables to the battery once the other car was hooked up. When everything was in place, she hopped back into her car and started the engine before getting back out to check up on the other lass. "How's it on your end?" She called out over the running engine.

6:44 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

Eden took a deep breath, and went to start her car, holding her breath slightly as the ignition key clicked. Then the engine came to life, the car finally starting leaving Eden to sigh in relief. “I got it working!” She called back before hopping out to help unhook the cables, and put everything back into the bag. “Thank you again!” She gave the woman a grin before pausing, realizing she never gave out her name. “Oh, I’m Eden. Eden Prescott.” It felt natural to introduce herself to someone who helped her, even if she was a stranger. An old habit that she picked up once again since coming back. She pulled out her phone to look at the time, a little past midnight. Before noticing she finally had service again. “Ah shit.” She mumbled seeing how many missed calls she gotten from her mom. “Uh thanks again, you’re heading into town right? I can repay you tomorrow. I’ll be at the little cafe downtown, be sure to pop in.” She threw the bag in the back of her car as she pulled down the hood.

3:13 PM

@Blue Hound

Hearing that the car was able to start brought a smile across the brunette's face. "Great!" Her smile only grew as the lass introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, Eden. I'm Saeva Day." She wasn't sure why considering she just met the girl, but she decided that she liked the ginger. She gave off good vibes. Albeit, her gut told her that there was something peculiar about her. It wasn't a bad feeling though, just... odd. She didn't dwell on that thought too much though, her best friend gave off the odd vibe too and he's the biggest softy in the world. Her complete focus returned when Eden asked if she was heading toward town. She nodded vigorously. "I am!" she gestured to her car, "Just moving in actually." It took her a moment to process her next words, which she shook her head to and a wave of her hand. "Please, there's no need to repay me. But I'll gladly go to hang out." She popped down the hood of her car before stepping toward the driver's door, knowing they neither one of them wanted to be out here longer than needed. "Have a nice night and I'll see you tomorrow!" She chirped happily before hopping into her car. Due to facing the wrong direction, she signaled Eden to leave first before turning around to continue on her way back to town. Eventually, she pulled up to a pale yellow, single-story house with a pastel purple front door. It was located on the other side of the town with the backyard facing the forest that surrounded the town. The mailbox near the street had a painting of the comet from the anime movie 'Your Name' on its sides. She pulled into the driveway and got out of the car with a stretch before walking up the door. After fishing out the key and unlocking the door, she went back to the car to unload everything she had. By the time she got everything inside the house, it was around 2:30 in the morning.

11:19 AM

She huffed, placing her hands on her hips as she stared at all the trash bags, containers, and boxes scattered about in the entranceway. "I'll deal with all this crap in the morning." She muttered after a moment of contemplating on what she should do. She slipped off her shoes near the door before peeking into the doorway on the left of the small hallway. It revealed a small kitchen. Walking past that, the room hallway opened up into the dining and living room. The dining room was on the left while the living room was on the right. Leading into the hall from the dining room showed five different doors. The first door on the right led into the guest bedroom, the door on the left led to the bathroom, the second door to the right was the closet for the washer and dryer, the third right door led into the master bedroom, and the door at the end of the hall led to the 'office' room. The entire house still held everything her grandmother had, so she didn't have to buy any new furniture right away. Even though this was her house now, it felt a tad strange sleeping in the master bedroom, so she entered the guest bedroom. The bed itself was placed in the back left corner of the room with an orange storage chest at the foot of the bed. On the far right upper corner, there was a wooden desk that faced the window. In the bottom left corner of the room held a closet inside the wall. On the floor, there was a rug that had a cute pattern of pine trees on it. Not even bothering to change into her night clothes, she promptly fell onto the bed and passed out.

11:19 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

The night continued on, seemingly getting colder. The time on the red alarm clock by the bed now read 3:30am. No one should’ve been out this early, but Nico Reeves already started his day, mainly by sneaking out. Nico looked out the open window, making sure it was clear before lowering the backpack down as much as he could. He let his backpack land with a soft thud, as it landed in the grass, and looked back at the locked door that lead to the rest of the house, as though waiting for the incessant knocking that would come from his parents by morning if he wasn’t back in a certain time. It wasn’t that he didn’t love them. No, they were supportive of him when he came out, they always seemed to worry about him. But there was always that tension in the air, ever since Mrs.. No, don’t think about it. He commanded himself before taking a deep breath. He couldn’t let himself think of Mrs. Days, the sweet old lady that had lived next door. The one who practically watched as he grew up. Taking a deep breath, Nico blinked, gave a soft frown, and climbed out of the window letting his feet hit the ground. Slinging the backpack over his shoulder, he let his hand drift against the blue paneling of the small house. Rounding the corner, Nico glanced over to the house, to that familiar house. Then he stopped. Because there was a car parked in the driveway. There shouldn’t be a car here, there shouldn’t be anyone. Nico’s frown seemed to get deeper as he found himself walking closer. He hadn’t seen this car before in town, and that meant someone new. His eyes drifted over to the door. “No, don’t go knocking, don’t get involved.” Nico spoke to himself. Shaking his head hard, besides, the chances of the car staying longer than a day was slim. •

6:50 PM

Still, out of habit Nico found himself walking up the steps quietly, looking for the little cat dish that was always there. Kneeling down in front of it, Nico reached into his bag grasping for the ziplock of cat food he carried with him. Pouring a good amount. “Alright, one stop down.” He mumbled to himself, knowing that the black cat that hung around would find the food like usual. Instead he now started to walk towards the forest, knowing he had a few hours before he had to be back. He didn’t know when this had started, going into the woods, just walking. He didn’t know why he felt the urge too. Whether it was to test the bounds, or just to get away that’s what he was doing. So Nico just started walking.

6:50 PM

@Blue Hound

A groan escaped her lips as she sat up from the ground where she lay. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palm before removing them with a huff. Her head was killing her, but she found nothing strange about that. She just assumed it was the typical death wounds acting up again. Was she aware that she could only feel her injuries if she took her death appearance? No. But was there anyone to tell her what she was feeling was wrong? No. Thus, she remained unaware of the 'unnatural' discomfort she was currently experiencing. Glancing around, she noticed that she was in the part of the woods just east of town. Her brow furrowed in confused thought, trying to remember how she got here... She was looking for someone to annoy! "That's it!" She shrieked as she jumped to her feet with determination gleaming within her lifeless, icy blue eyes. She always enjoyed picking out who to harass, especially since it helped ease the headaches whenever she got them. ------

2:37 PM

She was about at the halfway mark from her starting point and town when she heard it. She froze in her tracks with a cocked head. It sounded like footsteps. Intrigued, she followed them to their source. Once she got closer, she slowed her walk and made sure to be mindful of any autumn leaves on the ground. Despite currently being unable to interact with physical objects, old habits from when she was still alive died hard. When the figure came into view, she hid behind the closest tree before peaking her head out from behind it. It took her a moment to realize who exactly was romping around the forest at the butt crack of dawn, but once she did, a toothy smile appeared across her features. "Well look who the cat dragged in! How's it going Nico-Weeko?? I haven't seen you in ages!" She yowled happily as she pranced over to him. Her voice was slightly echoey and distorted; a common auditorial trait amongst the dead. She knew he couldn't see her per se, but she knew he was able to sense her one way or another based on past interactions. (edited)

2:37 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Nico had traveled deeper into the forest, the only light illuminating his way was the flashlight that he carried. The sky had grown dark quick, the smell of rain filled his nose. The weather always seemed to change quickly in this small town. He pulled his backpack closer as he kept walking. He was getting further and further away from the town when his flashlight flickered for the brief moment, plunging him into darkness for just a moment before it flickered back on, dimmer than before. “Dammit..” He whispered, tapping the flashlight. His eyes scanning the forest. Then, the ringing sound in his ears started, a sharp sound that almost made his head hurt. Nico shivered as the hair on the back of his neck began to stand up. He knew what this meant, he knew something was near. Nico gritted his teeth, letting the ringing subside, though the headache didn’t leave. “Can we not do this?” He hissed out. Not out of anger or frustration, but trying to talk through the pain. “I know you’re here but you can give me more of a warning.” He continued to walk, though in a slower pace. He didn’t fully understand how these.. spirits worked. He knew that they were there, everything pointed to it, but there was still some hesitance to acknowledge it all.

4:15 PM

@Blue Hound

She slowed her approach to a halt as she heard his last statement. She remained still for a moment, expression stuttering to one of contemplation. It was as if she was trying to process what he had said before abruptly jumping back to her annoying, bothersome self. "Well I'm sorry I didn't notice the flashlight in your hand!" She scoffed with no real bite. It was true, she was too excited to see the lad to notice the beam of light flickering about. How she was that oblivious was beyond anyone's guess. "But if you want the warning now, I can give it to you!" Her large smile immediately dropped into a concentrated pout with the tip of her tongue poking out between her lips as she dropped her gaze onto the flashlight as he began to slowly walk away. Her brow furrowed as her eyes narrowed sharply. Her mouth suddenly twisted into a silent snarl as the flashlight suddenly started to rapidly flicker. . . . . . . -.-.-- A harsh, panting gasp rushed out of her as she pitched forward to rest her hands on her knees in exertion. Typically, it took hardly any energy for her to turn the flashlight on or off with a moment or two of a break in between each flash, but the rapid intervals of turning the light on and off with Morse code took a good bit of energy out of her to get simple words with punctuation out like 'Hi!' and 'By(e)!'. Letters and short words without punctuation weren't as taxing if she spaced out the time of communicating though. By the time she managed to feel well enough that her legs wouldn't buckle underneath her, Nico had walked a good few paces away. "Hey! Don't leave without me!" She yelped as she scrambled after him. (edited)

9:17 PM

"You know it's rude to leave a damsel in distress out here all alone in the woods!" She barked as she slowed her walk to keep pace beside him. "I mean come on. Did you not see Snow White? She got left in the woods and got abducted by seven dwarves!" She harped while reaching over to poke his arm accusingly. For her, when she poked him, she was able to feel the faintest bit of heat before it dissipated. And by the faintest, it was horrendously pathetic. . . . . . . -.-.-- = Hi! (edited)

9:17 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Nico stared at the flashing light. It was easy enough to decipher, with the time he had spent in the woods, and when it stopped he just couldn’t help but to sigh. This had started many months ago, this routine. As long as Nico was back at home before the sun rose he was good. Still he continued on his path. When Mave touched though, he stop. While she felt the warmth that comes from him, the area that was touched felt like ice entering his veins, the pinprick of needles dancing on his skin. He shuddered from the cold as Nico turned in her general direction, glad he at least knew where exactly the spirit was. “We’re almost there.” He spoke, mainly to himself, letting the words echo around the empty space. The main reason he came out here, at least once a week, was to not only check on the forest itself but to check how far he could get out before having to turn back around. The only people who left for years, only to come back was one known person. Nico had tried, months before Mrs. Days had passed. He barely remembered that night, the forest had seemed to come alive, every turn seemed to just be the same thing. The only thing he remembered was the whispering, before waking up at the edge of the forest near his house. It was like he was tethered to Stratford. Like he couldn’t leave. “I’m guessing you’re going to come with me?” Nico asked staring straight ahead as he walked to a tree with a X marking it. Past this point, Nico never made it far. “I mean, it would be..” His voice trailed. Nice to what? To have company? He set the flashlight down on the ground rummaging through his backpack for the notebook he brought opening it up. Markings were scribbled on the page, simple notes showing how many times he had tried to venture out. Putting everything back into place, he yawned. “I’m getting tired of this.” He whispered, shaking his head. He had to keep on doing this. .

3:43 PM

Without further response, he started to go deeper into the forest, feeling an electric static in the air. It made his head buzz as he pushed on. Counting the trees as he went. One.. Two.. Three.. He counted in his head. Making sure to touch them. Out of the corner of his eye he could’ve sworn he saw shadows stalking him, hearing the whispers start. Nico ignored them. Four.. Five.. Six.. His head started to feel light as he came to a stop dizzy, his lungs felt as though they were filled with static. He had to turn back, he knew it, but he hadn’t even gotten as close as he usually did. But it was better than turning up dead. Quickly turning around, Nico stumbled back for the safety of the marked tree. Gasping for air as his head felt so heavy. “Fuck..” He mumbled. “Fuck, I’m going to have to talk to her myself..”

3:43 PM

@Blue Hound

When Nico turned to face the ghost, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope shoot through her. Could he finally be able to see her? After all this time? No, that hope quickly faded upon staring into his eyes. Even though his gaze was on her, it was through her. She remained unseen. Her shoulders drooped slightly at the realization. Her gloomy thoughts didn't stay for long as she shifted into a more serious mindset upon hearing his words. Despite her typical light-hearted and goofy nature, there are those rare occasions where she could become quite serious. Knowing the gravity of where Nico was heading, she knew now wasn't the time to play around. When they reached a tree marked with an X, her attention shifted back onto the brunet as he spoke again. Not wanting to send either of them into pitch darkness this close to the border, she refrained from responding to his question through the flashlight. Instead, she reached out again to briefly touch him to signal her support. She wasn't going to leave, not anytime soon. "I know it's tough doing this, but don't stop. We'll find a way to get out." She said confidently. She had been tethered to this land for far too long. She wanted to find a way to escape this town almost as much as he did. As Nico began his trek forward, she followed without any hesitation. While they advanced, similar to him, she too felt a buzzing in her head as they walked. The only difference for her was that it was accommodated with dread, terror, and pain. Her form briefly flickered. Her attention fell onto shadowy figures emerging from the darkness. They were slowly making their way toward the two of them. Her eyes narrowed as she heard their whispers. "Come... come... closer...." "Stay.... stay here...." "Be.... one..."

9:13 PM

"Get back! He's mine!" She snarled, rushing at the figures before they could get too close. Luckily, these figures; shades, were one of the weakest entities out there. They were the husks of former spirits from the town; spirits who tried to escape but became too destabilized to be able to return to their original forms. However, despite them being utterly harmless, she did not like the thought of them getting too close to Nico. As the duo proceeded further, the pained, dreaded, and terrifying feelings swirling within her became more oppressive. Her form began to flicker more rapidly. One moment she was a girl dressed in an oversized light blue hoodie with baggy, ripped blue jeans and galaxy-colored Converse shoes. Her skin was unmarked and uninjured. But then the next moment showed her stripped of her clothing aside from her underwear. Rope burns were visible across her wrists and there were brutal bruising across her arms, legs, and eye. A stream of blood seeped out of a clean-cut slash right across her jugular vein. Despite already having died, all the pain she had experienced during her death came back in full force. She staggered, nearly dropping to the group from the agonizing wave of pain as she scared off another batch of shades. Soon enough, instead of flickering between her living and death form, it was now just her death form and darkness; a growing sign of the final stage before complete destabilization. Even though she was reaching this stage, she was still able to force herself forward before the pain became too overwhelming and the flickering became too great. When the sound of Nico's ragged breathing caught her ears, she turned around with a worried look, noticing that he was showing signs of reaching his limit sooner than usual. "We need to turn back." She strained out as another surge of pain crashed into her.

9:14 PM

It was out of sheer coincidence that he turned back around right after she spoke. Her chest swelled with relief as she retreated with him. She didn't want either of them to die out here and become a shade. Once they reached the marked tree, she collapsed onto the ground and merely lay there as Nico tried to recollect himself. "Talk... to who... now?" She panted out.

9:14 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

If Nico heard her, an unlikely thing, he didn’t answer as he started to gather his bag again. Stopping every once in a while to stabilize a shaking hand. When he finally got up, he couldn’t help to look around as though trying to see if Mave was still around, even if he couldn’t see her. “I have to go into town.. See an old friend. Come with me?” He asked, almost to nothingness as he started to walk. The sun rising just a little higher. With each step. In his mind a clear plan formed. Go home, hide his stuff, try and go about the morning without thinking about how he almost died, and then go to the little cafe down town to find an old friend. ——— The little cafe in town, which doubled as a bakery, always seemed to open at 6:00 am on the dot. Most of the early workers would file in, get their coffee and leave. People who remembered the little shop being open for the first time was regulars who would get breakfast, sit in the booths that lined the windows and talk. Eden worked at that little cafe almost every morning, and the regulars always seemed happy to see her. Including the ghosts that haunted this establishment, such as the one who she had nicknamed Jerry, who seemed to be just content with hanging around her every move when she was behind the counter. Starting at her. Such as now, as Eden slid in a new tray of pastries into the glass display. She was this close to asking him to leave, but the bell in the front door ding ever so softly, indicating that another costumer had arrived, quickly she straightened up, a smile on her face. “Hi welcome in!” She greeted, her voice carrying through the cafe.

9:21 PM

@Blue Hound