The Monster is on Maple Street

*Huff......huff*

Dean Jones felt as though he had been running for days. It was difficult to tell in this town which seemed to have been lost in time. He was no architect, but this place reeked of pre-war construction. Or at least it looked that way. Everything was too crisp and clean to be a historically preserved town. What he thought had been a crack in the malt shop's foundation looked like it had been painted in. But that was ridiculous...

Right?

This unnamed town had no traditional limit. There were just immeasurable drop offs in the treelines behind the houses. Houses with no occupants. They were completely furnished, though. Dean had ventured inside a few of them. And slept in a few. He felt like Goldilocks as he broke in and entered, something he'd arrest himself for later if he ever got back to Fort Worth, New Jersey. The cop couldn't even seek aid from the local precinct since there wasn't one. In fact, there no people at all inside this ghost town.

There wasn't even a ghost to give him directions.

Dean was completely alone. He could have sworn there was something lurking in the shadows. His paranoia had kicked in when he found the first edge of the 'world.' There was just this gray expanse in all directions outside the town. It wasn't like a haze though, more of an eternally overcast sky before a storm. He didn't hear the crunch of the leaves until he headed back from the edge to the neighborhood on Maple Street. Once inside, Dean had promptly pushed a couch or a table in front of every door. There were no locks and he felt like he was loosing his mind.

The Jersey cop had spent the next day going from house to house, never feeling comfortable in any one place for more than a few hours. Even the days didn't seem right. There was no clear passage of the sun. It seemed more like someone was playing with a dimmer switch. At least he the comfort of knowing his off duty service weapon was strapped to his ankle.

Presently, Dean ducked into Hill's Drugs. Hopefully old Hill had something to take the edge off his thirst and hunger. None of the houses had working utilities, which meant no water. Even the food looked waxen. He came close to trying an apple but decided to see if the pharmacy had cookies or anything real looking. The bell over the door rang when he stepped in. Dean cringed at the sound. The town was incredibly quiet. What he wouldn't do to hear a bird or a cricket. The only sounds were the ones he made.

And from whatever had been stalking him for the last three days.

Dean browsed the shelves and rattled a few bottles. For a pharmacy, the bottles sure felt empty. Fury and helplessness caused him to throw a fit. Shelves were overturned. Bottles were tossed everywhere. Pleas to various higher powers were made. When he finally calmed down, Dean climbed up on the stool behind the cash register. He saw two options now: search the town again for a way out, or use the revolver on his ankle.

*Ding ding*

The shop door opened on its own accord. Dean clearly saw it move. He reached down for the gun and peered through the glass case under the register.

"Oh my G---"

The town out of time became still again after the bell dinged one more time.

==Please see the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] page for more information regarding this storyline.==

Dinner.

It had been going nicely. He wasn't eating, but she was enjoying some of the fine Japanese fare to be had in the country of Japan. Enjoying the company of a man who had rescued her from dying in the cold. A man, who she was coming to know slowly but surely. Still, it felt strange, that she was suddenly, thrust out of the dinner, and the world she had been sitting in, once more.

Apparently, transportation on her own was becoming a habit. She feared it was a new power, another one that she could not control.

Fantastic.

Kimber remembered getting a post card. Two actually. One for herself, one for Senshi. Somehow, someone, knew they were together, and she had no idea how. She had been teleported somehow to Japan, and now, she had no idea how she was teleported here. The picture on the card. Was of the street, in the town, where she now stood. Her eyes shifted around, the blue hues taking everything in slowly. But quickly. Trying to absorb this whole scene.

It was like a movie set.

Her hand reached out, instinctively for Senshi. Grabbing hold of his hand, out of fear, and need for comfort more than anything else. She knew that, by touching him, she caused her silence to transfer. But for the moment, she just.. needed to have the touch of someone else. Her wide eyes looked over at the man who had rescued her. Wondering if it was him, or her. But then perhaps, neither, their postcards were the exact match of one anothers.

Letting go of his hand, she looked back down at the street. This was the strangest thing ever. It was so.. werid. Everything looked old. But smelled new. Nothing moved. There were no people. There were no birds, or bugs, or just general noises of life. It was eerie. It was creepy. And she was quite concerned. Fearing that this could have been because of her.

Taking his hand again, she tugged slightly. Trying to get him to understand she wanted to go walking. They needed to figure out where they were. It was frightening to say the least. To not know where you were, and now it had happened twice in such a short time period. She was absolutely frightened. She hoped he didn't mind her holding his hand. She doubted it. But even still, she knew that he could take it back at any time. She wondered if there was anyone else here. She walked slowly, cautiously. Afraid of what might be waiting them in this little town.

Senshi watched happily as Kimber ate her fill and warmed herself in the room light by the fire that cackled a few feet away. He sat in his armor as he always did and his sword rested upon his left hip now rather then his right. It was a custom for samurai to show respect for being allowed in someone else home by moving the blade to the opposite hip. This was because it would now mean a longer draw time which meant his defense was to be weakened if something should happen. He knew the woman who owned this home and her daughter who referred to him as the wooden man. They had met not to long ago when he had defeated two ronin in the town square for disrespecting and harming the woman's daughter.

He felt as though the energy in the room shifted a bit and the flame of the fire began to lean to one side as if someone was bending it without actually being in the room. His reality began to melt away before him as he was slowly sucked into a new reality and Kimber seemed to be going with him as well. He stood calmly and adjusted his blade so it now sat on his right hip and once they became fully submersed in the new realm he took a long long around himself and Kimber. The postcard he had gotten was written in his native language and Kimbers was written in hers and they had both been identical. He nodded his head as he pieced that part of the puzzle together as he had to assume that whoever sent them was playing some kind of game.

The postcard remained in his hand as he was reading it when the pair was taken and he looked it over again only this time the words had changed. The way in is the way out. It was cryptic but it showed that someone was indeed messing with them. He was brought back to the present as Kimber reached for his hand and gripped it to which he turned to her and smiled. He was not scared or worried because every morning he woke up and prepared himself for death. He would see it in his mind each day and got to sleep with the vision each night and while some might view it as crazy or sad he felt truly free in living each day as if it was truly his last.

He held her hand gently so she would know that he was not going anywhere and then held the card out to her as if telling her she needed to look at it. His was in Japanese and he doubted that she would be able to read it but if the same thing was to happen with hers then she would be able to pull her own out and see the change in words. He took note of the bus stop and then his card once more before Kimber started to tug at his hand once more as if telling him to follow and so he did. She was his charge now and he swore to get her home safely so he would follow and defend her till his dying breath.

He followed her aimlessly as he thought the words over again and again in his mind and he came up with three ideas after such thought. The first was that he would need to find a mailbox or a postal office of some kind and look for another postcard with his name upon it. The second was to find a paint store and change the image upon the card back to his home setting to activate whatever magic was on the card. The problem with the last idea was that it was most likely the one that would be the biggest waste of time. The final idea was for him to recreate the dinner they were having and set everything in place as it was and then read the card again to be transported back.

These were the three ideas that first came to his mind and they would be the first ones he tried once Kimber had satisfied her curiosity. He held her hand and marched along with her as he began to think a bit deeper on the issue and took in the scene around town. At first glance it looked like a typical ghost town but when he looked closely at one of the buildings he had seen what he thought looked like the signs of a brush stroke on a canvas. He would have to pay more attention to the buildings and the signs to see if he was right because at the moment none of it made sense. However he was samurai and all things would be figured out with logic and thought rather then fear and panic.

==For Kimber and Senshi==

The fourth building after Hill's Drugs was a quaint little coffee shop called Nona's. No one was seen in the front, but coffee cups and donuts had been served to several of the seats. T-shirts and other memorabilia (including tourist postcards) were hanging above the pastry display case. Turning left at this intersection would take the couple down to the town park and pond, or they could continue on towards Maple and Beech streets. A large blue U.S. Postal Service drop off container was bolted to the cement just next to the lamp post. Turning right at Nona's would take them to Harper's Hardware right next to Susan's Thrift Shop.


==For Sybil==

There was no reply to the Were's introduction. Only shocked eyes on a wood carved [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] communicated to her. The man-equin at the counter was doubled over as though he was trying to tie his shoe. It was disturbing how lifelike the craftsmanship had been in the production of this piece. But why would anyone make such a scared looking figure? The town didn't look to be decorated for Halloween or some such other festival of fear.

If Sybil were to move around the counter, she would see a rolled up pant leg with wooden fingers grazing the metal of an ankle mounted pistol. Certainly mannequins would have no need for firearms. This man's clothes did not fit in with the profile of the town, however. They appeared too modern for the pre-Conflagration theme going on. The only identifiable article on 'him' was a police shield tucked onto his belt.

Just as Sybil would realize the carving didn't belong to the landscape, she would would hear the hydraulics of a large vehicle hiss to a stop outside. The direction of the sound would originate from the bus stop and would coincide with the arrival of Kimber of Senshi. However, the couple would not be aware of the noise as it happened just before their shift.

((The link I used to show what happened to Dean is a .gif. In actuality, he is completely still. New players are still welcome to join in.))

Kimber took the cue. Looking down at her card, she furrowed her brows. Feeling naked without her musical instrument, she felt quite lost. Knowing, that if it was not for Senshi standing beside her, she would silently be freaking out to a major degree at the moment. Senshi had a calming nature about him, and she liked that he was the one standing right beside her as the cryptic postcard had sent them off somewhere.

She could only shrug, and continue to take his hand as they walked. The city was rather full. Of buildings, but it seemed to be the most empty city that she had ever seen. They walked. There was a sort of coffee shop. Peeking into the window it was deserted. Donuts here and there. Coffee. Nothing was steaming. A few donuts had bites taken out of them. But, there wasn't a single person, not a single napkin out of place. Nothing to prove that there was anything live going on here.

She pointed to the postcards that were in the big window as well. Something to remember if they needed to revisit at some point.

They continued to walk, and then she pointed. Seeing the dark blue banner that located the Postal building. She could see the happy squat blue box sitting out front ready to accept mail. Beside that was a lamp post. Then, there was the actual building itself behind them. Kimber chewed on her lower lip. Not actually, sure what was going to go on today. It was night when they had left Japan but it was day now.

She pointed upwards to the fact that the sky was blue. Then made the sign for 'sun'. It wasn't night. Which meant they were likely on the other side of the world. Were they in America again? She wasn't sure. But it seemed like it was possible. She figured maybe there was someone in the postal office might know something. It made sense, these cards had to be sent from somewhere and it seemed like a place they might find an answer.

It was quiet, too quiet. Malik didn't mind silence when it was necessary, but he did mind it when there was supposed to be a family making noise. Perhaps it was time for him to move on and find another path. Malik shook his head trying to dismiss those thoughts. That was why he didn't like the quiet. It was too easy to think when it was quiet, and sometimes Malik did think too much for his own good. It was human nature, and for better or worse, both the man and the animal were a part of him. The Mule was becoming a reminder of the things he thought about so Malik decided it was time for some fresh air. He grabbed his jacket and his backpack on the way out the door, locked it behind him, and pulled the military surplus ATV motorcycle from the roof of the trailer.

The Trailripper was the unholy offspring of a crotch rocket and a dirt bike. Sleek structure and thick tires were melded with a rugged suspension and gripping tread to create a maneuverable vehicle that could achieve great speeds in any terrain. The military camo design was covered by dull black primer that would bend into the darkness, and not reflect light to make it a target during the day. He threw his leg over the seat, turned the key, and pushed down on the kick starter to bring the bike roaring to life. The rumble rolled through his body causing hairs to stand on end. Malik took a moment to close his eyes and enjoy the sensation before cranking the throttle, popping the clutch, and kicking up a cloud of dust. He sped across the wastelands towards Librium. That massive city was always noisy and there was always something happening there. It was the fresh air he needed.

Malik sought to take advantage of the free time while in the city. He had a number of errands that he had been putting off. The first of them was to check his post office box. Because he was on the movie so much thanks to the nature of his profession, he needed to keep a steady location so he could receive any packages or correspondence that needed to reach him. It was also a good and easy way to remain distant from anything that could bring trouble to the pride. It was easy to burn one box, and get another at a different post office. He parked his bike at the curb down the street from the post office, and made his way inside. He walked over to box 4265, produced his key, and opened the box. Inside were a number of envelopes that he flipped through looking at the sender, but his fingers slowed when something caught his attention.

The single square of thick compress paper stuck out above the edges of the other envelopes. The telltale black line dividing the two addressing fields drew his eyes. He didn’t recognize the return address, and in the ‘To’ field it simply had his name painted in big letters, ‘MALIK’. It made him arch an eyebrow in curiosity. He wondered how the card could find its way here without an address, or even the P.O. Box listed. The lion flipped over the card and looked at the colorfully detailed painting. Crisp paint lines made shapes that collected to form a complete picture. It was well done. Eyes moved across the surface, taking in the large friendly letters. ”Wish you were here….“ he read.

The world seemed to elongate around Malik and then collapse in on itself. He was at the center of one world ending and something new beginning. Malik blinked his eyes and the world was something completely different when he opened them again. He was now outside, standing at a bus stop. The air didn’t sit right with him. The entire world seemed flat, and nothing stood out from anything else. Wood, steel, concrete, plastic, and grass all smelled the same. The sameness of the world’s scents made the three trails stand out to his nose like beacons. There were three people that he could pick up distinctly. They all started at this point and then radiated out from here, traveling in different directions. One went off by itself, it smelled female, and the other two went away together. One was human and one was something else entirely, it smelled like a forest. Keen eyes caught sight of two backs retreating into the distance.

He looked down at the postcard he held in his hand and saw the message that was written on it had changed. The sound of a loud whistle ringing out in the distance took his attention from the postcard and put them on the strange looking horizon of grey. Malik shifted his upper body so that the pack on his shoulder swung around to his front. He unzipped the main compartment, stuffed his mail inside, and pulled out the .45 that he had stored in there. It was the twin of the one that he wore in the holster at the small of his back. Something wasn’t right here and he was going to find out what so he could get home. Now armed, he followed his senses towards the sound of the loud whistle, but he did so cautiously.

Sitting at the edge of her seat, Arwyn stared dully at her own reflection in the vanity mirror she faced. Images of stags and other wildlife danced at the edges of her vision, which made up the handmade frame that the oval mirror sat in. Polished woodland creatures circling around and turning into intricate carvings laid into the surface of the table. The entire piece down to the chair she sat on; the same polished wood topped with a cushioned seat covered with a silky pink fabric, stitched with white threading was a gift to her from Caladwen.

Dressed in her court finery, a floor-length gown of green silk, threaded with a golden leafy design in the skirt and topped by a brown leather corset that laced up the front with green thread. Beneath that she wore her brown boots; the leather faded and wrinkled from years of wear and thankfully hidden by the skirt of her gown. Arwyn huffed with annoyance, feeling put out at having to attend the birthday ceremony of another court member when she'd rather be out in the forest working on her abilities.

Picking up the horse hair, silver-backed brush laying in front of her she began to pull the bristles through her blond hair. She brushed the bulk of it over her shoulder and plaited it into a single braid, her most used hairdo. She wasn't much for complicated hairstyles, nor did she like using bobby pins. They always fell out or ended up getting lost somewhere inside the hair. So Arwyn went with what she knew best. Jewelry was also a no-go for the blond elf. As pretty as the pieces were that she inherited from both her parents, they remained locked in her jewelry box for safe keeping.

"Excuse me, my lady," interrupted a voice from behind her, causing Arwyn to turn slightly to face the maid. She came bearing a sealed envelope in her hands, making first a customary curtsy before presenting it to her mistress. "This just arrived for you, Lady Arwyn." The missive was placed in an ordinary cream colored envelope and sealed with a dark wax. There was no insignia imprinted to the wax and her name was the only one that marked the envelope. Did you see the messenger? she inquired while tearing into it.

The maid shook her head, staring with interest at the contents her mistress pulled out. Arwyn eyed the picture on the postcard, studying the details and then flipping it over to read the message on the other side. Wish you were here...

The resulting transition from the palace in Elyria to a street corner of an unknown place in a past time left Arwyn more than a little bewildered. She looked at her surroundings, which matched the postcard picture but the message had changed, The way in is the way out. Well that was certainly cryptic. To her left, not far in the distance walked a lone figure, his firearm held at the ready. It didn't cross her mind to be cautious of him, because well, she was the Princes' Proxy. Excuse me, you there with the gun, she called to him, waving the postcard and lifting her skirts from the ground as she walked.

She smiled, hoping that she didn't appear as lost as she felt. Can you tell me where I am and how to get out of here?

Senshi looked within the shop as Kimber pointed to it and be began to take note ot everything within as his own eyes scanned the whole of the place. He released her hand and reached for his blade after waving for her to step backwards a bit. He pulled the blade free slowly and his eyes stared at the reflective surface of the metal as he seemed to be checking something. The "sun" lent its light to the blade and reflected off it as was normal and settled to a sharp shine at the point. He nodded as if it was all that he needed and then in a flash he struck out for the glass of the coffee shop which shattered upon contact and fell to the ground.

The sound echoed through the silent town and he was sure that although it did not help him confirm what he was looking for, it would draw the attention of those who might be around. He climbed through the shattered window and headed in the direction of the postcards which he began to look over. He seemed to be looking for something in particular as the thumbed through the from front to back. He turned to Kimber after finishing his search and made his way back outside the shop to look about the town. His eyes caught sight of two figures in the distance and he clutched the hilt of his blade a bit more tightly and seemed to stare.

He moved to stand before Kimber to put himself between them and her as a sort of moving shield. He motioned to them with his head and waited to see what Kimber would want to do. She would either tug him away from them or begin to move in the direction of the two. He was curious to see exactly who it was that stood there as the place as a ghost town and he wondered if they had come here via the same means himself and Kimber did. His eyes never left the pair and his grip did not loosen upon the blade as he sized them up from a distance.

The woodling's eyes flickered for a moment at the sound of a loud whistle in the distance but returned to the two figures standing just down the way from them. Strength in numbers was always a good idea but the issue was in knowing who it was that made those numbers up and if you could trust them. He was unsure of what to do in regards to the others but he was damn sure he needed to know where that whistle came from and what is signaled. He turned to kimber and waited for her confirmation on what they were to do.

(Senshi was looking for a postcard of Japan. Would like to know what he found if anything dear sculptor.)

{This post is in direct response to Arwyn}

Malik had managed to get about thirty feet away from the bus stop when a voice called out behind him. What was said by the voice didn't matter much at first because he had just come from that direction, and there was no one around or even close enough to get there without him knowing. He was startled by the sudden arrival. Training took over and Malik quickly spun around, rising the .45 in his hand to eye line, and took aim on the source of the voice. Keen eyes took in what he saw, and an experienced mind processed it. Elf, the ears were a dead giveaway. The fine features and unnaturally elegant clothing that looked like it belonged in a fairytale were further confirmation.


"I was going to ask you the same thing, but it seems you don't know either," he said in a very calm voice. He didn't want to startle her even though he was pointing a gun at her, but he didn't lower the gun either. When you were born for the express purpose of fighting an enemy, and spent your entire life killing them while they killed your comrades, it was difficult to lower a gun and simply trust one of them. A piece of paper with a handful of names that declared peace didn't mean much to Malik. Deeds were what mattered to him, and in the decade after the Enlightenment only a handful of Others managed to get passed his prejudice. Malik didn't make it easy for them, but nothing was impossible.

"How did you get here?" he asked in the same calm voice as slow, but long steps brought him closer to the elven woman. Malik wasn't hesitant about his movements, he was cautious. After a few steps towards her and a few moments looking over her attire, Malik began to lower the gun from where it had been aimed at her heart. He had been trained to aim for the heart or the head when dealing with Fey creatures. The heart was the better of the two targets even if it was less lethal, because it was harder to move out of a bullet's path. The gun was lowered, but the former soldier did not sheath it.

Malik wouldn't volunteer any information until she answered his question and then he would open up slightly. "I was checking my mail and found a post card. It had my name on it, and no return address. I read the front, and the next thing I knew, I was here." He was all alone here, and wherever here was, there was magic involved. He had no talent with magic, and didn't know much about it beyond how to not get killed by it in a fight. Having another set of eyes, and another perspective could come in handy, even if she looked like she belonged at a ball. "When I got here the post card said 'The way out is the way in', I heard a whistle, and then you showed up."

Malik had missed the sound of breaking glass, because he had appeared after Senshi entered the shop to investigate its contents. What he did see was the 'sun' glinting off of the steel of his well cared for sword. Like a true cat the flashing light of something moving in the distance caught his attention and refused to let it go. He twisted his head slightly so that he could bring the source into his field of vision without letting Arwyn slip from it. Malik still didn't trust her even if she did seem innocent. He brought his gun up, and his eyes easily saw across the distance, to make out the two figures. What he saw of the first one before the second stepped in the way marked her as female.

The one who stepped in the way was something else entirely. A normal man's eyes would have been able to see them across the distance, but Malik's inhuman vision was sharp enough to make out the wood grain of his face, as well as the strange clothing, and oddly curved sword he bore. Whatever it was, it wasn't human. It was also looking directly at them. "There's someone over there....two someones." he said to Arwyn. Malik's arm relaxed slightly so that he could lower the gun from pointing at the target which was well outside the pistol's effective range. "Why don't you go over there and ask them if they know how we got here, and how we're supposed to get back home." Malik waited and watched. If Arwyn approached them, he would follow and keep a safe distance, to make sure his gun had the advantage over the sword if the need to use it ever arose.

Dean's attacker crept through the artificial grass behind the pharmacy. In its perspective, the grass was natural and Dean was the artificial one. Dean didn't belong here in his flesh body but had been preserved as a permanent addition to the town. As he should be. Flesh and bone crumbled over time, but the Creator had given it power to remove Life from such a curse. Dean was now saved but it wasn't ready for Sabre. The fleshlings sometimes travelled in packs and tt was alone.

Outside, the silence had been broken by the shattering of glass. Someone was destroying the Creator's work. That could not be tolerated. The attacker swerved through the back lots towards the source of the vandalism. A forked tongue made of felt tasted the air. The vandal was up ahead. A small being who's head resembled one of the Creator's clean brushes stood alone in the not-grass. The fleshling was looking into the corner structure. Dean's attacker kept to the blind spots. It noticed everything became much quieter around the flaxen haired being, which would make the conversion much more subtle.

A [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] the size of an adult anaconda rounded the corner of Nona's bistro. It reared its head and gazed straight into Kimber's eyes. Her own aura prevented Senshi from hearing her screams of terror. Her lips took on a painted look as they became precisely that. Kimber's skin turned to the same resin'ed wood that now made up Dean Jones. In her adrenaline boosted state, the toy-turned-basilisk was now deaf to the model world around it.

The ronin, not finding a postcard depicting Japan, had turned his attention back to the street. The woman he had spent so much with recently was in danger. Senshi rushed out of the diner and drew his katana. The postcards he had picked up now fluttered to the floor. Only one landed face up, a picture of the same town now looking to the ceiling. As a being of Nature, he recognized a sort of kindred spirit within the construct. Unfortunately, it was doing something he couldn't quite see to Kimber. He didn't risk putting Kimber in the line of fire, so Senshi whipped his blade to activate as a Nenshō Burēdo instead of one his ranged attacks. Fire raced down the blade and was brandished towards the snake. Dean's attacker was oblivious to the taunt, so Senshi went with a more direct approach.

Sound may have been negated, but smell certainly was not. The basilisk realized a section of its body was now charring around the segment that had been cut off. It turned its attention now to Senshi. Kimber had reached the point of no return now. Her petrification was just about finished and irreversible. The snake needed a moment before it could turn Senshi. At least the warrior seemed disinclined to break eye contact. In the meantime, the serpent's body rolled over to smother the smoldering hide. It squared off with the ronin, neither one provoking the other just yet.

Beady black eyes glowed with an arcane power...but to no effect. The woodling was already made of wood. That made Senshi immune to the petrification. The basilisk had never encountered this before. Its prey always succumbed. What did it do now, especially when the prey could injure it so. Its tail rattled about and caught Senshi off guard for just a moment. More than enough time to bullrush the ronin. The magic implement was now pinned harmlessly against the wielder's body.

So this was the Vandal after all. A traitor. It did not deserve to enjoy the finished product of the Creator's project. Nor did it deserve to be a focal point. The basilisk continued to wrap itself around the woodling. It had no idea how long it would take to snap this animated decoration, but it would certainly find out.

A whistled sounded in the distance. The Creator had sent it more decorations to convert. It wouldn't disappoint the Creator, but it still had business to attend to.

==The above was done with Kimber's approval and permission from the staff.==

She paused in her steps toward him when faced with the raised gun, however when he didn't shoot, she stood there with her arms crossed. His determination at keeping her sighted down the barrel as he approached made the blonde elf smirk with amusement. You are very rude, to point a gun at an unarmed woman. Are you afraid I will give you a paper cut with this card? Arwyn was openly mocking the bald, dark-skinned male. Though she didn't take any sort of offense to his being cautious. It was understood that most of Terra now was untrusting of the Elven race because they kept to themselves and shut out the outside world as much as they could.

His question did not catch her by surprise, but his rendition of events to how he came to this place did. Well, at least she wasn't the only one who had received one of these mysterious little letters. At his indication Arwyn turned in the direction he motioned to see who these 'two' persons were. A pretty little blonde girl, meandering out of a shop and accosted by a large wooden...snake? She was dumbfounded as she spectated the events unfolding in front of her. It was like some reverse Medusa wherein instead of turning to stone the victim was made into a life size Pinocchio. But then there came a third party who was already made of wood. And he had a sword.

Arwyn was baffled by all this, but still she maintained her demeanor befitting a lady of the Light Court and turning back to the bald man, arched a slender brow as she said, Looks like your someones are useless to answer your questions. Why not put your little gun there to use and get rid of that thing, hm? However she would not be going anywhere near that giant wooden serpent. Another whistle in the distance and her green eyes focused beyond Malik in the direction the sound came from. A train, perhaps somewhere further into the town. Where there were trains there were people because a whistle couldn't blow on its own...could it?

Malik wasn't one to take offense easily so the comment about his gun being little rolled off of his back. He was, however, a man of quick wit, but he stifled the retort that blossomed on his tongue. He doubted an elf would understand what he meant when he said, 'Perspective sweetheart, I've got really big hands', so he didn't say it. Instead he turned his attention to the couple that were up the street a short distance away. They had apparently turned around at the right moment to see this strange painted world come to life, however artificial it may be. It wasn't at all what he was expecting, but then again, how could one expect anything in a world made of paint.

Eyes that were more than human cut across the distance that lay between him and the pair near the drug store. The massive snake rose up on its coils near the pair and went after young blonde woman. Malik could see the details of the serpent, and knew it wasn't a real living creature. There were no scales on it, just the pattern of wood grain. It was just like the wood grain on the face of the man holding the sword. What happened next, Malik watched in horror.

The serpent leveled its eyes with the young blonde who looked like she was screaming, but there was no sound from her. He would have been able to hear any murmur or shuffle, but there was nothing. Malik watched as the young blond froze stiff, and her flesh started to change. Smooth supple flesh hardened and took on the grainy texture of wood that his eyes could clearly pick out. Malik had seen this type of thing before, during the war, and after it while hunting rift beasts. Monstrous creatures that could kill with a single gaze, but the ones he saw turned flesh to stone like the beast of legend. "Basilisk...," Malik whispered, ".... this isn't good."

On instinct alone Malik averted his eyes from looking at the sneaks head, and focused on its body and anything, but its head. It wasn't anything like the creatures he encountered in the past, but the indisputable truth had played out before his very eyes. He didn't want to risk looking it in the eyes. "Whatever you do," he said loud enough for Arwyn to hear, "don't meet the snake's gaze. You'll die." Malik lifted his gun and leveled the barrel at the snake's body. Using that as a guide, he lifted it slightly to target its head, and fired without looking directly at the beast. Three shots rang out and Malik spoke again to Arwyn, "Can you do anything useful?"

Since Malik wasn't aiming directly, only two of the bullets struck the snake. The one that missed shot out the other window in Nona's. Radial fractures decorated its surface before the pane finally gave out. The snake lost its grip on Senshi and dropped him outright. Something was assaulting it from afar. It refocused its attention on the fleshling that struck him. A tail like a rattlesnake shook furiously at the physical insult.

When the toy got the dark one its sight, something else altogether pounced. It had never encountered such resistance before. The visitors its Creator had sent in the past were such easy prey. Past tactics would not work against this latest batch. It needed to retreat...to formulate a new plan. But first, it needed to deal with the attacker from above.

The Sybilbeast was able to claw a few gouges into the snake's back, but it did no serious damage. The helltoy rolled over before Sybil could get to its head. In a one against three engagement, the snake decided not to constrict Sybil even though it probably could have easily. It just continued its attempt to steamroll over her before correcting its axis. Once upright, the snake headed for the lake. It was quite swift despite its clumsy construction.

==Despite your best shots, it will still sink below the surface of the water before you guys can kill it.==

All of a sudden things were happening without so much as a warning. The dark-skinned male with her was firing his weapon at the snake to no avail and then by leaps and bounds they were joined by a dark-haired female. She had her hands clapped over her ears, muffling the sound of gunfire as it blazed around her. Elves were not accustomed to the loud fire of these weapons since they did not use them. Or most of them didn't. In truth Arwyn had never held a gun in her life.

Then she had one thrust into her hand by the female. She was holding it by the barrel, with the grip facing out. Again she was warned to avoid the creatures eyes; well that should be too hard considering she was looking at her two companions as if they too were some oddities thrust upon the elf without warning. What was she to do with this?

Ready to hand the thing back, their newest companion darted off and left her there with Malik. She turned back to the dark-skinned man with a scowl on her face and thrust the gun towards him. Here, take this. I have no use for it. Whether he did or not, Arwyn would release the pistol and then turn back to their large, wooden foe. It was in her mind to set the thing ablaze when it slithered off to disappear beneath the surface of a nearby lake. Now just where in the name of Terra had that lake come from?

This was all so very strange. She was very much regretting now every wishing to avoid that nameday party back home. Well it is very much a moot point now, isn't it? Our slithery, wooden foe is departed and we are still stuck here in this...this place. She glared up at Malik, as if this were somehow all his fault. He hadn't been very accommodating to her since she happened upon him so Arwyn couldn't be blamed for being slightly cross with the man. Sybil she had no quarrel with since the girl hadn't said more than a handful of words to her.

So, the million dollar question was, what do they do now? For starters Arwyn needed to ditch the gown. She was feeling vastly over-dressed compared to Malik and Sybil. Lifting the skirt up, she gripped a section of it in each hand and jerked hard enough to tear the fabric in two so that it cut off just above her knees. Beneath the dress she wore a pair of dark brown leggins that were tucked into some well worn boots, not at all indecent or over-exposed. The extra fabric she junked, having no need for the silk. She had more freedom now to move around without being hindered by the heavy skirts.

Arwyn folded the postcard in half and stuffed it down the front of her leather corset top, between her cleavage. Well. Who are the two of you?

The snake had his arms pinned to his sides and eyes were locked for what seemed like hours. The snake seemed content on attempting to petrify the samurai but if it looked deeply into those eyes it would see a hatred unlike anything that words could explain. The woodlings eyes would shift and look past the snake only to focus on the woman it had turned to wood behind it. Senshi felt his arms free and saw a figure jump upon the wooden serpents back but none of it drew his attention away from Kimber who stood frozen in time. He did not try to strike the snake, he did not look at its attacker, and he did not look to see who had fired the shots that allowed him his range of movement once more. His attention was completely transfixed upon the wooden statue that was Kimber. He walked over the retreating wooden serpent and made his way to the statue and his wooden hand reached up to brush against its face along the neck and to the shoulder. He gently shook it as if trying to wake her from the state that she was in but it was no use and he simply stared for a moment.

He swore that he would get her home and that he would protect her from harm and it was because of his own blind desire to impress her that she had been turned to wood. A single amber droplet rolled from his eye to slide along the fine grain texture of his cheek and slide under his chin before falling from its perch to slap against the pavement below. The others spoke behind him and he ignored the foreign language while he struggled to think his way out of the situation. He shook his head as the idea hit him like a ton of bricks and he laid his hands on either side of Kimber's wooden face and pressed his forehead against her own. He was a woodling and he had control over all manner of plant's and even some animals and by all rights the wood was a plant-like construct. It was a long shot to be sure but he would do whatever he could to reverse the tragedy and set her free once more even if it meant having to take the affliction himself.

He summoned his power and a green glow forced itself from his hands and forehead and onto the wooden statue before him.He was attempting to force the wood that had grown and taken its hold on her to reverse its flow and release her from its grasp. He was not sure if he held that kind of power but if there was ever a time to test it then this would be that time. The glow from his hands surged outward and soaked into the wood as he tried to force his will upon it desperate to get the woman that was Kimber back. His mind flashed images of the past few days they spent together and each one only added to the amount of energy that he put into reversing the spell that had its hold upon her. As he poured more energy into it he himself began to lose more and more and he knew that at the rate he was going he would kill himself if it didn't start to work soon. He opened his eyes and looked to see if there was any kind of improvement while silently mouthing prayers to any god he could think of.

Kimber could see. Kimber could hear. But, Kimber could not move. She could not really move her eyes either. They were stuck forward. She could see him. Senshi. The man that had taken her under her wing. Lost, as she was, she had found a home within him that she had never expected to find anywhere. A home, where despite her issues, despite her silence, she was not hated or despised. Instead, cherished.

Kimber fought to remember. The beautiful trees. The lush snow. The flower mural. The teachings of language. He knew some words now. Her frozen hands ached to show him more.

His face was there, in front of her. She could not feel his hands. Though her heart wished that she could. Ached that she could, and yet she could not. Only stand there, as he tried to feed all his energy into her. Trying to pull the wood from her body. But, it held fast. She tried to shake her head. Tried to move. Tried to explain to him in anyway that she could, that this was not what he wanted or needed to do. To save his energy. It was no use. She could feel no change.

Ropes, came from the sky. Snapping into place in various places on her body. Fear, gripped her heart. Two snapped onto her knees. Two on her elbows, then wrists. Two on her shoulders. One on her lower back. One on the back of her head. Where the ropes were now attatched, wood broke and joints were exposed. Kimber now hung limply from the ropes. Facing dowwards. Her head could move now, though she could not move it. She had a little control over her eyes, but hanging so low she could not see anything of Senshi except his shoes. Her hair was no longer wooden, but the same hair she had always had.

She was now, a marionette.

Having the strange girl come out of nowhere was a bit startling.  She made very little noise, and even though she looked human, Malik caught scent of something else coming from her.  Just her smell alone wasn't enough to engender trust in the lion, but it did give her a few points in his book.  It was difficult not to let the beast's instincts overrule his rational thoughts.  The fact that she gave Arwyn a gun to defend herself with, and she seemed to be just as trapped there as they were also worked in her favor.  Satisfied that some of his shots hit their target at this distance without being able to directly look at it, Malik was about to fire off a few more rounds.  He held his fire when he saw Sybil jump on to the wooden snake creature's back to attack it.  Even if he didn't know her, hitting a potential ally was friendly fire, and that was unacceptable.


The snake retreated, leaving behind the two intended prey behind.   When Awryn spoke to him Malik turned to look at her and unceremoniously took the gun from her hands.   "Give me that before you shoot yourself. " he said as he turned it it in his hand to flip a switch and engage the safety.  Sliding the confiscated weapon into his cargo pocket, Malik jogged the short distance to the trio, and recognition brought him more horror.   "Holy shit...." he said coming to a stop,  "that's Kimber Grace." Now that he could see it close up, there was no mistaking it, even if those features were carved in wood.  


He'd seen her face countless times.  It was displayed on the cover of every music disc of hers he bought.   During his time at the sanctuary the corporate caretakers would play classical music to soothe the rowdy adolescents, and he developed a deep love for the complex tones.  In sixty years he'd never lost the passion and Kimber Grace's music was no exception. He took notice of her when she was still young, and followed the prodigy's career religiously.  It was his moment of zen during the long treks across the wastelands. Now here she was, no longer in the flesh, and the world was a darker place for having lost her.  Malik's ensue moved to the strange wooden man.  He didn't entirely trust him because he was made Of the same material as the snake, but Malik knew the the look in his inhuman face all to well.  A heart wrenching pang of sorrow echoed through Malik.  He'd been there, feeling the world shattering the loss of comrades and loved ones. 


The fact that an Other was feeling this for a human astounded him. Malik had been taught to hate his enemy, to desire nothing more than the pleasure of extinguishing their light.  As he grew he decided he did not hate them, but the hurt they caused him by ending lives he cherished was something he carried even after the Treaty.  He knew he was responsible for just as much hurt among the enemy, but that meant less than his because they were at war.  It didn't make much sense, but emotions rarely did.  Malik felt the beast with in him sympathizing with the grief stricken creature, and the man he was agreed.  The world had been turned upside down and there was someone somewhere that needed to be made to suffer until they didn't have to strength to live on. 


Malik looked to Sybil and then Arwyn.  There was pain in his eyes but it was a pale reflection to what the stranger displayed.    "When he's done grieving, we track that snake to who ever owns it, and make them suffer until they let us out of here.  Then we kill them." Malik's deep voice was as hard as stone when he spoke.  While she Senshi morned his loss Malik went to the spot the snake slithered away.  He circled the area and the dropped down to hands and knees.  His strong jawed face lowered to the ground and he inhaled deeply.  He stood up and looked to Senshi and said,  "I have it's scent.  I can track it." He didn't know what to make of the strange goings ons that suddenly took place so he stood back and left it to people who knew more about magic than he. 

"Oh not just you, my dear." A manic laugh emanated from the edge of the group. Kimber's body jerked up and down as though someone was trying to make her belly laugh. It was all very macabre as the limbs flailed about without direction. "All of you are being followed." Kimber jiggled again. It was clear now that the source of the male voice was coming from her body. Her mouth opened and closed like a ventriloquist dummy.

Clumsy wooden hands fumbled for the right hip pocket. "But I'm in a sporting mood, so I'll tell you what I'll do." Another string dropped down from the sky and landed in the pocket. All the strings tightened or relaxed to bring the right hand out, while the new string dangled a round flask over the open palm. The flask contained a blue liquid that swirled about with a soft glow. Kimbette's head lolled about to 'look' each of them in eye. Her dummy mouth flapped as she spoke the words to the deal. "This here will undo the changes brought about by my pet. Just shove it down the throat and voila.....back to your fleshy self."

The flask zipped up above all their heads. "But you only get one," s/he said as the figure crossed her arms. "So choose. Doesn't have to be now. Who knows? Maybe another one of you will become a new resident of my little town. Isn't it beautiful? No crime here.

Peaceful.

Now why should any of you care if this lovely girl or that handsome fellow remains this way?"

The tone changed to sound like a crazy game show host.

"Because one of you will get your very own ticket back to your miserable life." Another string came down to dangle like a carrot. A postcard with the same image as the ones that brought them all here spun around on the end. "That's right, folks. You can all work together or scramble on your own to find. I suggest you all start soon though. My pet won't power nap forever."

Both the potion and postcard zoomed off to what was presumably northwest. Kimber's arms were manipulated so that her hands were resting on her hips. Her head lolled about again.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go, already!"

Hands flapped out in an attempt to shoo them away.

==Think of Mark Hamill's Joker voice coming out of Kimber.

Edit on 12/18: I was just made aware of Arwyn's leave announcement. The posting order will be Senshi, Malik, and then Sybil. Kimber can still post, but she is not in control of her body. Senshi's spell preserved her mind and all she can do is observe the events going on around her.

Malik's tracking skills would lead him, and possibly the group should you choose to follow, towards the lake behind Nona's cafe. The scent was difficult to place, for the snake had recently been rolling all around this area. However, some areas had a high enough concentration of sawdust to bring the kitty to water. The lake is real water, but the color of the bottom makes it impossible to determine depth from the shore. It could only be ankle deep. It could be more.

Near the lake is a picnic gazebo that provides a nice shady for a nap. There is a shovel sticking out of a mound three feet away from the gazebo. A note is dangling off of it.==

A voice.

She had a voice.

But, it was not hers. It was not her words, her voice. This was no longer her body. Imprisoned within the flesh, that held onto the memory of what she once was. It was strange. Hearing her body. Knowing that it was a voice. And it was to be hers, temporarily and yet, she could.. she could not use it.

Her body moved.

Jumped and jived. Talked and gestured. Yet it was not Kimber. She tried. Tried desperatly. Senshi knew, a few signs, and yet she could not make her hands work. She could not make her arms bend or her eyes move. She could not brush her hair out of her face or decide which direction she wished to go in.

She was an entity. Along for the ride.

Possessed, and wooden.

Silently, she wondered if it were true that she would forever be a doll. A doll that would have a voice not her own. A soul not her own. If she would find a hole in the back of her mind, a dark shadowed place where she could curl up and slowly fade away. Kimber realized, this sounded terrible. A cliche movie, book, some sort of entertainment and yet at the same time, it was a rational fear when she had no control of her body.

She tried, desperatly she tried to bring her eyes to Senshi. To glance at him one last time. One last time because she was not sure how long her mind would be able to hold on. Her fingers twitched, and whether it was her or not, she wasn't exactly sure. But, she could not make a sign. She could not achieve anything.

Nothing but an observer.