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 Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:49 pm
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Forest Green Forest:
(Yes, I really named it the "Forest Green Forest")
The Forest Green Forest in a newly-discovered area, consisting of a lush forest.
The door leading to here opens into a small clearing in a lush, thickly-forested area. Sunlight shines into the clearing and is filtered through the trees deeper into the forest.
The clearing is lush with undergrowth, a circle of smooth stones of varying sizes lines the clearing, the larger stones gathering moss. Gentle sounds of birds chirping and the wind rustling through the leaves surround the clearing.
The door is free-standing towards the back of the clearing.
Rough, overgrown paths run off in every such direction, the largest leading directly away from the door.
Dawn's Treehouse
After heading down the most obvious path from the forest clearing, one will come across a somewhat mid-sized treehouse of excellent craftsmanship built into a large, obviously old tree of unidentifiable species. The treehouse is built from a dark wood and has a slightly-sloping roof and is simplistic in design, looking more to blend in with the tree than call for attention. A single window looks over the path and on the wall adjacent is an opening for the entryway. Leading up to the entrance is some kind of rope ladder that blends into the bark of the tree with eerie effectiveness.
The tree house is, in fact, very nice on the inside--almost more like a real house than a kid's play area. There is a large canopy bed in one corner, a book shelf made of strange, pale wood, and a white couch and a table. Sheer white curtains grace the windows. There is even a little kitchen area, though that was more what you'd expect for a kid; there is no refrigerator, and certainly no stove. There is a cookie tin and a basket of fresh fruit, though. There is also a play area, complete with an intricate doll house, dolls, and paper for drawing. All and all, the treehouse seems... much bigger than it does from the outside. It is a little odd, but not entirely unexpected.
Crystal Creek
Crystal Creek is a small creek that runs through the Forest Green Forest, probably one of several bodies of water present in the forest. It is roughly three feet across and is where the Blue and Brown Beetles were first encountered. The water is crystal clear and fresh.
The Underground Oak Tree
Deep within the Forest Green Forest is an ordinary-looking cave penetrating deep into an impressive rockface. The cave entrance is anything but mentionable. Just beyond the large entrance is a three-way split and each of those paths inevitably lead on to more and more splits. White mushrooms and glowing fungi crowd every nook and cranny, offering a dim but workable source of illumination. Adding to the faint glow of the fungi is the multicolored glow of thousands of colorful caterpillars clinging to the ceiling high above the ground. Several pale insects, many of which appear strange and unfamiliar, crawl along the walls as they move to retire to their homes in the walls.
Should one know which splits to take, they will eventually come to a complex maze within the cave. If the person also knows the way through the maze, they will come across what appears to be a dead end. However, they should know better and simply walk on, for the rocky facade is only an illusion. Beyond the fake wall is a massive dome-shaped cave.
The cave is approximately seventy-five feet from the entrance to the back wall and the ceiling is unfathomably high. Only because of the glow of the caterpillars (which covered nearly every inch of wall in this part of the cave) could the height of the ceiling be estimated. The cave is illuminated by sunlight filtering in from some unseen opening above. Within the cave is a beautiful garden decorated with plants of all sorts, many recognizable as from the Guest's world and many more of bright and colorful species unseen by any of them. In the center of the garden stands an impossibly large oak tree. It stands almost one hundred and fifty feet tall and its branches span out about twenty feet from the thick trunk. There is a brass doorknob on the trunk facing the entrance and the vague outline of a door. A rock path leads to the treedoor, around the tree, and presumably throughout the garden. There's some unknown creature living in the tree.
The door supposedly leads to a city in Empyrea where the Majesty of Colours and the Workmen reside.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:35 pm
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:37 pm
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:38 pm
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:42 pm
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:53 pm
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After waiting for Ton'yell and swallowing the bitter taste of his fear, Alex pushed through the blackness. He didn't want to. He preferred being able to see - but Dawn had gone safely through. So, relying on the senses remaining to him, he followed.
The jolt of weightlessness flipped his stomach, but somehow, he held back the bile that was rising in his throat. He stumbled once his feet hit land again, and fell to his hands and knees in the grass. Looking up, he stared in wonder at the scene around him: the smooth stones, the vibrant flora, the forest inside of a castle, and most importantly - once he finally looked behind him - the door, standing inconspicuously atop the grass. Afraid he might get in someone's way, he scrambled to the side and narrowly avoided the next "guest."
Finally regaining his feet, although a little unsteadily, he waited for his brain to sort out that he was hearing the chirping of birds, and wandered somewhat dazedly over to Dawn. A smile was forming at the corners of his lips. Magical, nonsensical, and downright unexpected as it was, the place was beautiful. He asked the strange little girl, "Where are we? Are we still... inside?" The sky seemed to disprove that, but he had been wrong before. As Chris was fond of telling him... he missed her.
"She'll be back - you know that. Women never stop yapping."
Alex's smile broadened a little. "Thanks, Jesse."
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:24 pm
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Ton'yell went in immediately after Dawn. Though the dark should have scared her, she felt no fear. If something were wrong, either Dawn or Pierre would have said something. Once arriving at - from what she could tell - forest, she stepped to the side of the door to wait for the others.
She crouched on the grass and waited for her nausea to pass. She held her hand to her forehead. This wasn't happening. This was all just a nightmare. When she opened her eyes, she'd be in bed with a couple of files on the bed for her to read. How can forests fit inside a castle? This was one question too many, and Ton'yell felt ready to cry. No, I can't cry. Alex needs me. That was probably not true, but the African American lady needed something to hold onto. If it helped her keep her sanity, then she was going to utilize it.
When Ton'yell got back up, she felt a little better. I'm not alone in this. I have Alex and Pierre. Dawn and Jasper were with her as well. She should feel grateful for what she had. And I do feel grateful. She walked over to Dawn to rub the girl's head. She was happy the girl was fine. "Thanks for leading us here, Dawn."
When Alex came out, she went over to him to ask if he was okay. She knew that he wasn't the strongest boy on the block. "Are Jesse and Chris alright as well?"
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Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 7:57 am
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Dawn, who had still been peering around at the trees expectantly, turned to Ton'yell with a surprised look. "You're welcome," she replied happily after a moment. Then she turned to reply to Alex. She immediately beamed, delighted with the look on his face. "See? I toooold you. This is the Forrest Green Forrest, and it's one of the nicer areas. I'm not even allowed to peek through door 2," she added somewhat sullenly, "... Um... Anyway... It's not really inside, still; the door is... erm... What did Smith call it? Uh... It's kinda like... a gateway...?" She paused, obviously still thinking hard. After several seconds, she gave a little shrug, her expression cleared, and she went back to looking around at the foliage. "I don't really get it, either."
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 7:26 am
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The young boy blushed a little to have Dawn look at him that way, and nodded, not really understanding, but at least understanding that it was confusing. So they had teleported. That was... strange.
"Well, it's really pretty." He smiled at Dawn and looked back at Ton'yell, who seemed to have been having an internal debate of one kind or another. His features clouded when she asked about his other personalities.
"Jesse's fine," he mumbled, looking at the ground. "Chris couldn't take it. I dunno when she'll be back. I hope it's soon, 'cuz I need her. And Miss Jordan?" he asked quietly, beckoning her to bend her head so he could whisper in her ear, "There's someone else and I don't know what it is." He was clearly scared of it, and when he backed away to meet her eyes, he found himself rubbing his scar again and quickly stopped himself.
He had never really questioned the scar. It was mostly faded, now; a thin line of paler flesh that ran from the outside of his right thumb all the way to his shoulder. To anyone with basic medical knowledge, it was clearly made with almost surgical precision; it was clean rather than jagged, and it was too thin and even to have been made in haste. All Alex really knew about it was that it had appeared on the night that one "lover" of his mother's had disappeared.
Shaking his head to clear it, at Jesse's urging to avoid those thoughts, Alex walked back over to the doorframe and started looking from one side to the other curiously. It made no sense at all to him.
"Jesse, we really need to figure out how to bring her back." But it was kind of like the paradox of needing your glasses to find them.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:36 am
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Ton'yell listened carefully to Alex and bended when needed to listen to the boy's whisper. She looked a little worried at the disappearance of Chris and emergence of another personality, but tried to reassure Alex. "For a girl like Chris, this place makes no sense. I'm sure after getting her bearings, she'll return to you and Jesse," she said. "She cares for you a lot." I don't know about this new personality. It usually meant a further crack in the mind - the original person couldn't take what was happening around him/her. She couldn't blame Alex; this place was enough to drive anyone mad. Perhaps having me shocked was too much? We STILL don't know what exactly happened, but I suppose he hated the thought of me getting hurt. She hadn't missed his unconscious rubbing of the scar on his arm. Maybe that mark has something to do with this?
She watched as Alex left to stare at the door frame. With an inaudible sigh, she followed him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Whenever we stop to take our first long break, I want to know how you felt when this new person came. I'd also be very interested to know where you got that scar on your arm." She gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "But for now, we should keep moving. And Alex," she turned to look at him straight in the eyes, "I am proud of you, Jesse, and Chris for being able to handle this as well as you have. You've done an amazing job of staying steady." With a pause, she moved to slightly rub his head. "I think your mother would be proud, too." She dropped her hand and moved away to give him some space. I can't imagine how much he misses Chris right now. And possibly his mother. She'd give him a few minutes by himself.
Ton'yell now turned her attention to Dawn. The cute child was still looking around the foliage, but for what, the older woman couldn't tell. "Hey sweetie," she rubbed the girl's head lightly, "do you know of a place that we could go to rest? I think we all need a bit of a break."
She found the child adorable. However, Ton'yell couldn't help but think that Dawn had a tragedy occur to her. I wonder where her parents are. "If you like," she added, "I'll give you a piggy back ride to wherever we need to go." She'd seen how much Dawn liked to be carried by Carpenter. Or maybe she enjoyed it because it was Carpenter who gave her the piggy back ride. Still, she thought it best to ask.
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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 6:15 pm
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:08 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 1:56 pm
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At first, all Alex did was nod, not really wanting to talk about Chris's disappearance. He also shied away from from the comment about his scar, although he brightened a bit at Ton'yell's encouragement. Trying not to brood, he followed slightly behind Ton'yell and the rest.
It would take more than time to bring Chris back. It might take need, but... if that need involved too extreme of an emotion, then that other presence might take over, and Alex didn't want that. He rubbed his scar, then jerked his arm away.
"Alex, calm down, dude. I'm the pissy one, remember?"
"Yeah... I just... want her back."
"She'll be back."
"But how, Jesse? How? We can't think without her!"
"Alex, come on, dude."
"She's the only part of me that has a working brain cell! And we're out in the middle of nowhere with crazy people who are trying to kill each other over a crazy disease I never knew existed!"
"Yeah, but Alex, we can do this - you know she'll come back."
"But what if she doesn't?!"
"That's a stupid-a** thing to-"
"Shut up."
Alex abruptly stopped walking, a dark look frozen on his face, one finger almost magnetically attached to his shoulder at the site of the scar. Ton'yell and Dawn hadn't noticed, chatting as they were. Meanwhile, there was a deathly quiet in Alex's mind.
"...Alex?"
"Alex is gone."
"Then... then who are y-you?"
"My name is B."
"Huh! The hell it is!"
"Hell is ri- WHAT?!"
With a demonic twitch, Alex's body shot a bolt of electricity out at Ton'yell and Dawn. "MISS JORDAN! TONY! Something's wrong with- with Ale-!" Jesse fell on the ground and froze, nearly comatose, the abrupt switch of personalities briefly blanking his mind entirely. He stared up at nothing.
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:54 pm
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Ton'yell occasionally jiggled Dawn in order to get a better grip on the little girl as they walked. Ton'yell had been chatting with the young child when a bolt of lightning shot out of nowhere. It had just missed the two by a little, so they needn't have worried about the electrical outcome. With a quick spin, Ton'yell faced where the lightning came from and crouched (she dropped down so Dawn could get off the counselor's back and run if need be).
"Jesse? What's wrong!?" Hearing Jesse's warning and watching him go into a catatonic state nearly sent Ton'yell into a panic. Calm down. You can't help anyone if you panic like a maniac. She ran to the teen's side and touched the side of the boy's face. "Jesse? Alex?" She tried shaking the boy into consciousness. "Chris? Sweetie, please," she pleaded (to whom she was calling sweetie wasn't clear), "talk to me."
She continued to shake him even though it wasn't doing anything. "I'm sorry that this has been so hard. But I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you while we're here. I promise to keep you safe. I can't do that if you run from me though. So please, talk to me and let me help you." Tears were starting to show in her eyes, but she refused to let them drop. He's gone into a catatonic state. That's not too surprising given everything that we've been forced to accept. She'd known it was a possibility for him to go into catatonic state, but she never thought she'd have to witness it. And of all places, it had to happen here. And now.
Until he came out of that state, there was nothing she could do to help. The return to reality could take minutes to hours. I'll keep talking to him. That could help. "Alex, I'm going to carry you now. And maybe you can hear me, maybe you cant. I just want you to know that I'm going to keep you safe. And sweetie, I hope you come back soon." With a deep breath, she picked Alex's body up princess-style.
She turned to Dawn with a strained smile. "I'm sorry darling, but I'm going to have to carry Alex for a little while now. I promise to give you another piggy back ride soon."
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Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 10:22 pm
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Alex felt like he was floating... floating in a great, black, uncomfortably tepid sea. It was quiet, dark, and tense. He didn't like it. It felt like he was being stretched out, all the way across the ocean. And chained down, deep at the bottom of it, was something he didn't want to think about. Next to him, he thought he could see someone else. "...Jesse?"
"Alex?" came a whisper. In his mind's eye, Alex saw the other boy. Blond, like himself, short and unassuming, smoking a cigarette, wearing a leather jacket that was one size too big and torn jeans, tossing a pocket knife with one hand (until he flipped it closed and pocketed it), and smiling broadly as he realized he had found Alex. "Alex, dude, I thought I'd lost you there!" He 'ran' forward and hugged the slighter boy roughly. "Don't f**king do that again! You're the nexus, you idiot. You leave, the rest of us are up sh*t-creek without even a f**king boat." He finally let go and stepped back, a nervous edge cutting his smirk. The pocket knife came out again. "Now, don't you worry about Chris. That b***h'll be back like f*ckin' Elton John, you got me?"
"Yeah- yeah. I'm sorry, I don't know what happened..." He shuddered, and watched Jesse answer the movement. He could still feel that monster - it was like ants crawling up his arm, all over his scar. It growled, sending pulses of hate and madness through both of their beings, and making Jesse grip his knife until his knuckles turned white. He scowled, folded it, and shoved it in his pocket.
"We gotta figure out that scar, dude. You're good for now - B or whatever the f*ck his name's backed the hell off."
"What? Who's B? What happened?" Taking long drags on his cigarette, Jesse related the short story, including the fact that he had "chained the f***ing sh*t out of that God-damned demon p*ss-head," but didn't know whether it would last.
The quieter of them listened with alternating fear and understanding, and finally gratitude. "Wow, Jesse... thanks," Alex said, smiling sincerely. "That's really cool."
"Yeah, well," the 'other' boy answered sheepishly. "It is a part of you, you know. Don't forget we're all just pieces of you."
Alex nodded slowly. "Yeah, I just... it's easier this way. I think." As the two had been speaking, Ton'yell's words had begun sifting their way into that ocean, like raindrops, ruffling the surface and giving the two of them something to listen to, something to hold on to. They had been mostly ignored at first, but now that the conversation was winding down, her voice rippled into Alex's mind, beginning to recall him to the surface. He spent a few moments in thought, then looked up with a smile. "Thanks, Jesse. I'm glad you're a part of me."
"It's a f*cking pleasure, ya nut case."
Alex woke up giggling under his breath, and slowly realized where he was. He heard the last few words from Ton'yell, and looked up at her. "I'm back, Miss Jordan." He did his best to hug her while Jesse complained of impending diabetes. "Thanks; I can walk, I think."
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