CHAPTER ONE: Cecilia: Checking In

[Kadael]

Cecilia snatches up the pool cue and drops her purse on the floor. It's not heavy, but it's long and easy to hold. She could probably throw the pool balls at it from a distance.

She takes a deep breath, but it doesn't leave her feeling any steadier. She was supposed to be safe here.

Maybe there's still a chance the thing will leave...?

OOC,Any idea on stats for a pool cue/pool balls?

[Laraqua]

The hands keep rattling the door. It can't see her from this angle nor can she see it. Moments pass and then the hands beating at it began to slow and then stop. She can hear the sounds of the creature moving away.

Hide,40% to use it. 1d4 damage. It works for 1d6 rounds before breaking.

[Kadael]

Cecilia lets out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Is this really happening? She stands there in stunned silence... then remembers she's not out of the woods yet.

Trying to be as slow and quiet as she can, she sinks underneath the pool table. If the thing is really leaving, she'll stay there for a few minutes, just to make sure it's gone.

[Laraqua]

The kitten peeks up at her as she crawls under the pool table with it. The poor thing is trembling so hard its teeth rattle. Its fur is entirely puffed out and its eyes are almost entirely pupil. The two wait under the pool table as the hand slaps grow dimmer and then disappear off into the distance. And Katie's out there, somewhere, in all of that.

[Kadael]

Carefully, Cecilia sets the pool cue on the floor and invites the kitten into her lap. She strokes its soft fur and leans back against one of the table legs.

I am going to kill Jack when he gets back.

She should turn the lights off, but her body doesn't want to get up. She realizes she's trembling. Tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

God, it's been an awful day. She's frightened, alone, and utterly exhausted. Her eyes close, and she tastes salt on her lips.

Bloodstains smear across the darkness before she forces her eyes open again. No rest.

[Laraqua]

It feels like hours have passed buts its likely to have been only a few minutes. In the silence of her mind's ear, she can almost hear her daughter screaming for her in fear and terror as the monsters claw at the door that guards her. Cecilia hadn't been paying attention when Katie'd gone into the toilet. Maybe she'd slipped out to take a look around and someone had grabbed her from the pine tree covered slope. What if Katie had called out that she was going to check out that hiking trail, perhaps just the start of it, and Cecilia hadn't heard her and drove off. So many terrible possibilities.

[Kadael]

Why did she let Jack convince her to stay? She should be out there, looking for Katie, doing something instead of waiting around with a goddamn pool cue. That's what a mother does, right? She does everything for her children, because she loves them...

The school picture in the coloring book. The fake disappearances. The way she never seemed happy after the divorce.

I should have listened. I should have known. I should have...

Cecilia stands. She looks for a lightswitch. Katie's voice is still ringing in her ears. Maybe the shadows in the bar will seem less harsh if she turns out the lights.

Maybe she'll stop seeing Katie everywhere she looks.

[Laraqua]

The light switch is nowhere she can see it within the bar. Maybe the switch is just behind the doorframe of the 'Staff Only' door.

[Kadael]

Cecilia pushes the 'Staff Only' door open and shuffles into the corridor. There's still fluorescent light streaming from the kitchen. It doesn't matter.

The smell lingers, but it's not as strong. If there's no switch here, she'll head right - away from the blood.

[Laraqua]

The switch is just behind the door. Flicking it, turns off the lights in the bar. There's also a switch labelled Neon which is probably for the neon sign out the front.

[Kadael]

She flicks the Neon switch as well, then heads back out to the bar. Is it her imagination, or are things a little quieter with the lights out? The dark no longer seems ominous. It's almost soothing.

Cecilia eyes the whiskey that still sits on the bar. Maybe she could erase this entire day from her memory. It was certainly easy enough yesterday. That might be nice.

Guilt washes over her. How could she even think of forgetting any of this? She'd wake up not knowing where she was, or what happened to Katie... or anything she's learned about this town. She still can't remember Ash, and something important happened with her...

She crawls under the table where the kitten is. Maybe she can sleep a little longer this time.

[Laraqua]

The darkness is soothing and calm and the kitten is quite soft and fluffy when she crawls back underneath the 8 Ball Table. It's so easy, so very easy, to feel herself drifting away to sleep. The kitten curls up in her arm and is soon purring quite softly. Her own personal barometer of how safe this place is. Just a shame she hadn't drunk the whiskey to relax herself further.

OOC,If she goes to sleep, she'll be out for awhile and probably won't awaken until Jack returns. Would you be up for an NPC in the meantime? Perhaps [b]Ms. Latham[/b]?

[Kadael]

The tension seems to dissolve as she drifts off. It's good to have a moment of peace.

OOC,Haha, sure. Flirting with a cute author ought to be a nice change of pace.

[Laraqua]

Well,her sheet is now in the NPC thread. Feel free to post away. I'll give you any advice if there's anything else you need to know, presuming you've kept up with Travis' thread. Enjoy!

[Seon]

*Ka-click* Jack opened the doors and neatly stumbled through them. He spotted Cecilia under the table, curled up in sleep, and growled.

He locked the doors to the bar behind him. He walked silently over to the fridge, took out the health drink, and then downed the bottle, feeling much better afterwards.

He then walked over to Cecilia and lay beside her. "Wake up, hon," he said. "I SAID WAKE UP."

His arms closed around her neck.

[Laraqua]

The Health Drink doesn't do anything to assist him with his wounds. He remains feeling woozy and exhausted, like his eyes are going to snap shut and he's going to pass out at any moment.

Hide,arms or hands?

[Seon]

Spoiler:

Hands.

[Kadael]

Mid-morning sunshine streams through the window, warming the bed. It's a lazy Saturday, and nobody's really awake yet. Katie's excited because Cecilia promised they would bake cookies together.

Nathan holds her close. It's why she's so reluctant to get up. Slowly, she opens her eyes, and gazes into--

his face

no eyes he has no eyes a black mouth devours

hands scratching tight on her neck crushing squeezing get out katie is gone the walls are bleeding GET OUT

Cecilia wakes with a strangled gasp, too aware of the hands around her throat. She tries to shove her attacker back, not knowing what it is, not caring.

She looks.

Jack?

[Seon]

"Morning, Kitten," Jack said. "RIse and shine, smell the coffee, smell the ashes, smell the lake." Jack laughed. He held onto her neck with all the force remaining that he could bear to bring.

"My my, you are looking rather unwell, dear! Restless night? Nothing that a little breathe of outside air can't solve!"

[Kadael]

Cecilia kicks and struggles against his hold, but even though he's battered and weak, she can't push him away.

As her desperation mounts, she gasps for air, staring at this face that should be friendly. What happened at the police station? Did he even make it there?

"Why?" she manages to cough, her fingers clinging limply to his arms.