Play@YSDC

The trip to the car, normally so mundane, feels almost unearthly this time. There is an expectation in the air as they open the door to the garage, as they tread those few steps, as they approach the car. Thankfully, the expectation is not met.

The car, empty of any other form of life, or un-life, starts with ease.

As they start on their way, Jill looks at the floor and, with significant hesitation in her voice, says, "Um, Charlie? You're really in the CIA?"

Charlie looks up surprised, but is happy the facts finally started to sink in.

"Eversince I left college. So not long after we first met." Charlie replied "Studies in economics, good results in ROTC and part of the sportsteam must have drawn someone's attention."

"Remember the first firm I worked for? That was In-Q-Tel, the financial wing of the CIA. We moved from the US to the UK because my status was upgraded to field operative. They needed more eyes on the ground with the War on Terror, so they boosted people with management and administrative jobs like me. But don't think of any James Bond stuff, that's not how it works... It couldn't be further from the truth."

Jill is quiet for several minutes as the truth of it sinks in, and as she traces her past memories, interpreting them in a new light.

Finally, "Are you allowed to tell me this?"

"Most certainly not, but with everything that happened I think it was fairly obvious that you'd start having doubts..." Charlie replied "Might as well come clean and avoid making a fuss."

The rain patters off the windshield as the wipers rub them aside. The world outside is strangely still, as though waiting with bated breath. Yet even with the clouds, the sky itself is nowhere near as dark as it was before. Jill remembers the darkness.

There is another long pause. Jill shivers. "So, you guys have been trying to figure out what's going on with all the comas? Was it an attack of some sort? Was it just here, or all over?" She shivers again and turns on the heat.

"Ever since you were affected, I tried to get me assigned to this case." Charlie replied "At first, it wasn't easy, but as time passed & no progress was made people requested to be transfered off the case, so I could get in easily. Sadly, we are still completely in the dark as to what happened..."

Again Jill doesn't know what to say. She leans back in her seat and stares out the window. In a small voice she whispers, "Charlie, I'm scared."

"I'd be worried if you weren't..." Charlie simply replied with a hint of sadness.

Jill stares out the window and doesn't respond.

The silence stretches thickly between them as though sound were syrup. The world takes on a dream-like quality with lights washing across the wet road as the rain comes down. The windshield wipers make a muffled sound against the windshield as they go. And in the distance, looms the hospital, Mercy Cross, so close they could now glimpse it, shadowed beneath the storm clouds.

The radio comes on by itself and a song starts to play:

"A groan of tedium escapes me, startling the fearful.
Is this a test? It has to be. Otherwise I can’t go on.
Draining patience. Drain vitality."

It seems strangely familiar to Jill. Idea roll to remember.

OCC: ooooh, where do i know thatone from? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xk8YCmJMuE (slow to start, give it a moment)

IC: Charlie is startled by the radio coming on, eventhough he knows love the song. He tries to figure out if he accidently pressed the radio button on his steeringwheel, but he's quite sure he didn't...

ooc: Idea (80) (1d100=22)

Jill shivers. "Oh, turn it off, please. The last time I heard that song was just before things went bad." She scrutinizes the stormy sky. "In my, nightmare, I mean."

Charlie tries to turn it off with the radio button on his steeringwheel.

It switches off with ease.

A scooter materializes from seemingly nowhere and runs head first into the car. The man on the bike jumps at the last second and sprawls on the hood. His face squishes up against the windshield and Jill recognizes Louie. He holds onto the hood until Jason stops and then rests his head on the car with a sigh of relief. Dazed Louie still doesn't know where he is.

ooc going off a pm from laraqua.

Jill screams as the man flies into their car. "Charlie! It's Louie!"

"Is that good or bad?" Charlie simply replied as he unbluckled and prepared to draw his pistol.