Hollow Purposes

[Eikre]

ooc: The reason this took so long is because of homework issues, amongst others...I'll edit later with more when I get the chance...sorry it's lacklaustre...writer's block is a rightful pain in the ass

Calvin was packing his belongings at home in Russell, Ontario. There was quite a miscellany packed in the two suitcases: A Dual-necked guitar in the shape of a dragon, a laptop, a sketchbook and an overstuffed pencil case, several sets of fresh clothes, a cd case, and a photo album. He closed the two cases and took them downstairs, and out of the townhouse. After he put the two cases into his 1967 Fiat Spider, he took one last look at the house he was leaving. Not sure when, and if, he'd be back home, Calvin had put the house up for sale. Having the extra money was going to help. He looked at the house one last time and spoke aloud,

"Well...whatever happens down there, I know one thing...nothing is going to be the same afterwards..."

He jumped into his car and turned it on. He put in an MP3 cd, and out flared the beginning of the Guilty Gear XX Sound Alive concert, as Calvin drove out of the driveway and turned southbound.


As soon as you have finished reading this, I am probably in Mamora right now for Curling regionals for the weekend.

 

[Morpheaus]

You're welcome to join, Killswitch, but I'll expect more effort for your lateness. I'll have another post up tomorrow evening. Night all.

 

[Alaude Drenxta]

*Heh, a vacation, is it? Well, it's been quite some time, hasn't it? I wonder what they've all been up to. For all I know, and expect, half of them still live in Pleasantville Nowhere. Wonder if Morgan is still on about those wild fantasies, always was good for a laugh. Uugh, I wish this boat would go faster. I honestly don't see why they call it a speedboat, not to mention the complete shit it is for having a SPEED LIMIT on the water. I say, go out onto open waters we can go faster, but nooooo, too dangerous he says, we could get lost he says. Scared little bastard I say. Doesn't matter....I'll be home soon.....*

The waves rippled along, miles behind Andrew's streamliner boat, buzzing along the coast nearly half a mile out, going 80 miles an hour to boot. Surrounding the boat, however, an enormous riptide curled up over the sides, splashing the sea spray over the deck of the ship, that sweet tasting salty morning air drafting up Andrew's nose. Laying inside his cabin, the windows open and the curtains drawn about, he could see the peak of the sky, the endless ocean stretching out onto the horizon. It seemed almost as if the sky and sea were one with the sun reflecting itself so vividly on the surface of the water.

Sitting up slowly, he heard a loud, shrill whistle, and knew they were being called in to port. They had arrived at the Virginia dock. Only a short drive to Ashbury from here. Darting out of the bed, he crammed the few things he'd strewn out of his suitcase back in and shuffled out the door. Heaving the sack over his shoulder he traipsed out of the cabin with a yawn and a nod at the captain.

"Eh, dock up here if you like, or head back home. I may be here a while, I don't expect you to wait around. So, whatever you're doing, I expect you'll not dilly dally. I don't pay you to sleep on my deck." Heading off the docks with his luggage in tow, Andrew headed for the cab that had been awaiting his arrival. The captain loaded in the rest of Andrew's luggage, and the cab driver bolted off down the road with a start, launching Andrew on the final stretch home.

*Damn. Where to now......guess I'll drop by the old place and poke around, see if anyone still lives around here. I expect Portland, at least, is still around. He never seemed the type to aspire to great things, a humbly happy man. I'd say I envy him, but I think I'd get bored of it fast.*

His eyes had become quickly latched onto the window beside him as the scenery outside became gradually more and more familiar. The trees along the roadside were thick and full of green, the children played among them without a care, and an air of livid peace drifted in through the window. Yes, this was definitely Ashbury. It certainly was nothing like New York, where trees were myth and peace was but a subtle dream.

Alot had changed since his childhood for certain, but to Andrew it would forever be the same Ashbury he remembered. The same Ashbury that hosted the single most traumatic event in his life, something he'd never been able to get over.....even to this day.

"STOP THE CAR! I'm getting off here." Andrew whipped out a 50 and slipped it into the man's tray, pushing the trunk button himself and heading out the jarred door of the cab. "Keep the change." Grabbing his things quickly, he heaved his bag over his shoulder and dragged his suitcase along on it's wheels down the sidewalk. Yes, that forest was drawing near, along with their secret entrance. He'd not be one to enter it, but he'd much rather pass by it alone. Bad things happened to people he was with around that wood.

"Back to Ashbury, eh?"

 

[Morpheaus]

OOC: RICK GOTTA PAYCHECK TODAY! -Wraps the six of you in his arms, delivering a crushing bear-hug-of-love.- Well...Now this post is going to suck, but I'll kick things up with my next three posts. Two of which will be on Saturday.


The glossy black of Portland’s sunglasses did more than protect his eyes from the sun; they helped him hide the discomfort created by an old friend’s presence. Isaac had been the first to arrive in town after mid-night, and spent a few hours on patrol with Portland. They’d shared some periodic chit-chat, but Portland managed to keep quiet for the most part. A constant ache in his stomach made it difficult to keep even a small cup of coffee down. Surprisingly really, how well he’d been able to hide the discomfort he felt; the stone-faced sheriff routine proved useful time and again it seemed.

Gripping the steering wheel in one hand, Portland used his freehand to bring up a display of the surrounding area on the G.P.S. “Looks like she’s arrived in time for breakfast,” he said, referring to Amalia.

“We’ll swing through the Statham property and come up behind the bus depot. Let’s hope she doesn’t have a problem sharing a seat with Al.” He turned to Isaac offering him a less-than sincere smile.

Would Amalia’s presence add to his discomfort? He surely hoped it wouldn’t; as a matter of fact, he was hoping the others would all distract each other. Cowardly as it sounded part of him just wanted to get them all together, and surreptitiously sneak off to work. Commonsense told him it wasn’t a workable plan, but it was comforting nonetheless.

“My parent’s signed the town house over to me before they moved to Ontario,” he spoke into the silence which had once more filled the truck’s cab. “This is the slow season, so I’ll be putting you all up in your own rooms. I hope everyone still enjoys a big meal because the staff doesn’t know how to prepare anything less than five courses.”

Another smile sprang to life on his face-this time a real one. Portland’s grandfather had moved from Canada to Virginia eighty years ago, purchasing a dilapidated old farm along with some miles sixty square miles of property. He’d torn down the farmhouse and built a grand plantation style town house, which had eventually become a family owned bed-and-breakfast.

Portland wasn’t responsible for the success of the business, but he’d made several significant updates to the building itself, and he was proud of that. It was probably the only thing he felt that way about. Holding onto that though, he slipped drove silently through the old back roads, trying not to countdown the last five minutes he had before he would see Amalia for the first time in five years.

 

[Eikre]

ooc: We lost...but gods damn if we didn't come close to winning. We stacked up awesome versus the team going to the OLYMPICS. Thanks for the hug to cheer me up though.


Ic:

"Welcome to Maryland indeed." Calvin noted as he sped passed the sign to enter the state. Making decent time, he bypassed dilapadted gas stations, Bed & Breakfasts, and the occasional farmland. Speaking of Gas Stations, ESSO was open for about 2.00$ a gallon. Seeing a tank at nearly empty and no other options...it was time to empty a bank account. He pulled in and while he was filling the tank, the reality of the situation was filling in...finally. To say the least, seeing everyone would be a blessing, combined with a curse. While everyone would no doubt be happy to see eachother again, the memories....ugh.

"Well...good news is...I'll figure out all of these issues when we get back together...no doubt Portland hasn't moved, and should be able to fill us in when we get there." Calvin muttered, "Just think...maybe when I get back, I could tell Captain Fenton why I was awesome...and all of the stories to tell 5 Cyclone squadron." He closed the tank and paid the automated teller. Jumping in, almost literally, Calvin sped off. Another hour on the road...after a good five.

 

[GuardianOfHearts]

Morgan tipped back her head and closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples. All this travel was beginning to give her a headache. Car, plane, taxi, why not boat?

"Almost there, Miss," the cab driver told her, glancing over his shoulder before turning back to the road. Morgan looked up and out the window, rubbing the back of her neck. It was true, they were close: she was beginning to recognize the landscape, though they hadn't reached town yet.

For a moment, she was thrown into an acute feeling of mental vertigo; the sense of everything being turned upside-down and changing all you knew. She grasped the comforting weight of her bag, trying to anchor herself. Was she nervous? They were her friends after all ... even if she hadn't seen them since high school. But it hadn't been that long ago....

But it felt like forever.

Forever and never, she thought to herself, a theme present in her first novel. Ironic.

Yes, she was nervous, Morgan admitted to herself. Nervous and guilty. Ever since her first book had been published, she'd been wrapped up in her writing. True, they'd all gone their seperate ways, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd lost herself in her work ... forgotten-

What? What had she forgotten? Because she had-

Something, it was definately something. That nagging feeling in the back of her mind that was not quite deja vu. More ... irritated. As though she was annoyed at herself.

What am I missing?!

Morgan groaned and put her head in her hands, bending over to try and quell the almost palpable turmoil that was roiling her memories. Warm summer grass under bare feet, wonder in her voice and a warm light, incongruous with the evening woods. But she couldn't get a clear thought out of all the confusion of senses in her memory.

On the verge of tears, Morgan nearly jumped out of her skin when the taxi came to a stop and the driver announced, "Here we are, Miss. Downtown Ashbury."

Starting up, she slung her bag over her shoulder and hurridly got out, paying the man and making her way to a nearby bench as he drove off.

Through her frustrated confusion, she was still able to take in her surroundings. Ashbury was much the same as it had always been, albeit having a slightly surreal aura around it due to the fact that she hadn't been there in so long. She noticed that there was now a clothing store where a crafts shop had been, but across the street, the family-run Cloud Nine Ice Cream was still there. They'd always had some of the best ice cream, she remembered fondly.

Digging in her jacket pocket, Morgan flipped her black hair over her shoulder and withdrew her cellphone, in the act of dialing Portland's number. She hesitated, however, gripping the phone and staring down at its lit-up buttons, unable to complete the call. As if dialing his number would somehow open up a portal to the past that she couldn't close ... one that held all the love, happiness, hate, and anguish she had kept locked away for years.

Memories, too? she wondered. I need to remember what happened that summer, to Bella and the others. Even if it means I'll get hurt. I can't go on with a piece of my life missing.

Dropping her cell back in her pocket, Morgan slung her bag over her shoulder again, getting up and making her way down the street. Despite the purposefullness to her strides, she really had no set destination. Merely hoping that retracing the steps of her childhood would awaken her memory of that summer once more.

 

[Lord of Chaos]

Isaac had enjoyed Portland's company. It was a welcome respite from the recent void of noise and pleasantry that occupied his life. There wasn't just a lot of talking, but there was enough to keep things from getting too awkward. Then again, Portland had done most of the talking, while Isaac just listened and nodded. He did speak once in a while, but mainly stayed quiet during their little "road trip" to and from different places.

Then again, Portland had been one of Isaac's first friends. If not the first one, at least, here in Virginia. He had saw Isaac take out that kid one day that had been bullying, and invited him to eat lunch with him. From there on out, it was a very respected and rewarding friendship. They had always had each other's back at one time or another. It was almost sad when Isaac left Virginia... he had offered Portland a job with him. At any rate, he looked kind of happy being here. That was all that mattered -- his friends' happiness.

"Sounds great", was all Isaac said when Portland told him of inheriting the Town House. He remembered staying the night there with all their friends when he was younger. It was such a huge place... and it was scary and adventurous when the electricity was out... but... that was what inspired them to go into the woods...

It happened there.

Isaac shook his head as he looked up and snapped back into reality. They were almost there, to pick up Amalia. He hadn't see her in quite some time either. For a moment, he closed his eyes, but then slowly opened them again as he stifled a yawn and shook his head slightly. Jet lag... he hated it so badly. It was more a pain than a need for energy. He looked back at Al and smiled before petting him, then looking back forward, watching the roads. "Is...the...fishing still good?... I mean... have you been back...there...since ...." his voice trailed off as he looked at Portland a moment, before looking back at the road.

 

[Alaude Drenxta]

Andrew licked his thumb lightly, grabbing the chain hanging from the bottom of the telephone booth phone, and sliding the phonebook swiftly into his hands. Flipping through it, guided by nothing but instinct, he searched through it for Portland's name. Luckily, Portland was a guy, so he'd not have to worry about Portland's last name changing from marriage. Though, that DID bring up a question. Was he married? Andrew himself never really took the time to settle down, nor did he feel the need to this early in life, but for all he knew in a small place like everyone is married, why would his friends be any different?

*There.*

His finger landed right on Portland's listing. The phone number, address, code....everything was the same. That boob either still lived with his parents or still in the same house. Either way, his earlier suspicion was reassured. Portland WAS still a homebody. With a smirk, he looked about aimlessly, pondering where he was and tracing back to his past to find the way to Portland's house from here. The memories came flooding back in droves, suddenly dragging back all sorts of repressed childhood memories, the happiness he carried on his back all through those days.

Striding off down the road, he continued walking with his baggage in tow, calmly making his way toward Portland's. It was nothing like home out here, back home where everyone is in a hurry and walking was for a destination, not just to enjoy the walk. However, destination or not he was certainly surprised to see what fruits his walk would turn up......

"Well well. If it isn't ms. Adenos, or should I say Le Fay, the writer no?" A slight smirk passed over his face as he saw Morgan across the junction turning the corner on the other side of the road.

 

[Joy]

If Kill doesn't post a temp., may I join?

 

[call_me_canada]

“Everything is clear? You are fully aware of every precaution you must take in order to make this successful?”

“Yes, everything is as clear as it will ever be. I’ve looked into it probably more then you have, can’t you just have a little bit of trust in me?” A teasing tone was present in her speech as Bella turned to face the other speaker, a small smile making its way uneasily on her face. “I’ll be back sooner then you could expect. We’re a step ahead of them for once, everyone has confidence in that. It’ll all be over soon.”

The other speaker had stepped forward placing his hand on her shoulder, a look of clear concern present on his face. “Just remember to come back, alright? I know that we’re one step ahead but I’m still worried about this, something could go wrong though I pray that it doesn’t.”

“I’ll be fine and of course I’ll come back, this is my home now.” The words stung slightly as they escaped her lips, had she given up her old home? Bella’s hand rested on his as she lifted it from her should and letting it rest at his side once more. “I should go before I change my mind. Have confidence.”

A door of crystal like material had begun to form behind her and she turned to face it as scripture of a bright blue light raced across the frame. Her hands had begun to shake as she fought back a nervous fit, her left hand clutching tightly to the messenger bag that hung off her shoulder to try and quell its vigorous jolts. Free hand now resting on the knob she turned it with all the effort she could conjure and opened the door, taking her first step and freezing. She stepped through the door, her hand slipping away from the knob as she let it close slowly behind her. Her past was ahead of her now, Bella was returning to her small home in Ashbury.

The trip took merely seconds as Bella walked through the light, the dark wooden door opening itself to let her through. A calmer light spread across her body as she stepped out into a thick forest, rays of sunlight trying to make its way through the thick canopy of branches above her head. This exact scene had been haunting Bella for the all these years, always being the place she wished to go must but knew it would be impossible to return too. Her body sank to the floor, her legs crossed with her bag in her lap now.

Bella’s hands moved quickly through the hand bag, grabbing a small mirror and flipping it open. Looking back at her from the mirror’s surface was her former self, it looked as if she had only aged around two or three years since the day she had and left this world. Her 24th birthday had just come and gone only a month ago and yet she was staring at her 14 year old self once again.

“Must’ve been an effect of the jump, who knows what the date actually is.” Placing the mirror back into the container she opened a small container to reveal a small needle and vial. Within the next 24 hours she had to find him, she had to put him to rest no matter what stood in front of her. The existence of her new world was dependent on it.

The town stood only a mile away from the main roads of the city, a seemingly short walk now compared to when they had been younger. The path that they had once existed from their constant trek over the ground had grown over completely, but Bella knew the way by heart. She had soon reached a crossroad where the three alternate roots were available. In front of her stood the main parts of town while to her left lay the road that would take her to her old house, the one place where she wished she had been all these years. Thoughts of her parents began to fill her mind but she quickly pushed them aside as she made her way down the main road towards the bus station.

¬¬¬¬Kyle had recently been moved to a smaller, low key asylum a short thirty minute drive outside of the town. When they had come across the information for the first time his location on Earth had currently been unknown but they had been keeping close watch on the situation. Only a few weeks back had they discovered that his transfer would be bringing him back home, to a location where he would be easily reached. Bella was the only one who had been qualified to actually follow through, she had a personally history with him and felt it her obligation to put him at rest. If it hadn’t been for her and her friends thirteen years ago things might not have turned out the way they had.

Bella snapped back to reality, a horrible feeling sinking into her gut. She could sense them but it seemed almost impossible that she would find them all here within the town. Not a trace of them could be found when she had last looked into it, curious about what had become of their lives. A car began to roll down the street behind her causing Bella to quickly dodge into the small book shop, gazing through the windows as it approached.

Her friends were there, in that car she had no doubt about it. She could sense them, their personalities their actually being—it was almost like seeing them once again. Bella had been told that her connection with Earth and its people would be stronger now having been exposed to the many new wonders of her life now, but she didn’t imagine it would be like this. Instinct opened her mind further as a few others began to appear in her mind. Excitement ran through her body, an almost uncontrollable happiness that was soon consumed by the reminder of why she was here. As much as she wished to see them, it would be impossible and would cause to many troubles if she were seen.

She now just had to wait. Wait for the moment where she could slip from the bookshop and continue on with what she was here for. Bella pushed her friends to the back of her mind as she waited for them to pass before making her way out the door once more.

 

[Eikre]

ooc: writers block + puke + late assignments = one hell of a bitch.

As Calvin neared the centre of Ashbury, "Don't Leave Me" by Blink-182 on the stereo, thoughts came unbidden...and as if someone else had placed them in there along with the cobblestones of the road.

~What are you going to do if history repeats itself...it usually does...and wouldn't that be a best case scenario?~

Compared to what, if I may ask?

~Imagine what other kinds of magic...and monstrosities could result of you guys toying with the magic again

Now who said we were going to the damn treehouse in the first place?

~You know it's going to happen...give it a while...

Fine, then riddle me this,mister ominous voice, do you think Portland is still in the same house we all used to meet up in?

No answer was garnered. I think that would count for a yes. Calvin shifted the steering wheel and turned up the road to a junction. And then something...spectacular had happened. All six of them were there. Issac and Portland on the street and side opposite him, Morgan and Andrew on opposite sides of the junction...and I spy the silhouette of Bella in a bookstore? After a minute of his jaw hanging loose, Calvin saw everyone as they last met thirteen years ago and yelled out to everyone,

"Hey y'all! Long time, no see! How the hell have y'all been?"
Not exactly the subtlest way to greet everyone, but hey, what else do you expect for a ten-year old kid stuck in a twenty-four year old body?

 

[Eikre]

ooc: Should I consider this thread as dead?

 

[Morpheaus]

No, not at all. I've let things slip recently, but I'm not letting this role play die. If you'll all stay with me, I'm working on a post as we speak, and will do my best to post on a consistent basis.

 

[Morpheaus]

>.> Gah, Eikre, you’re post kind of throws the storyline into disarray, since none of us are supposed to be aware of Bella for a few more posts. I’m going to have to void that part if you don’t mind. I also home Crimson Butterfly will forgive me for a miniscule amount of power playing. It’s necessary to keep things cohesive as well as catch everything up.



“I haven’t had time for fishing since oh-four,” Portland said. “Too much leg-work being the sheriff of a small town, or at least, that’s what I tell my father whenever he asks me to go out on the lake.”

A low dip in the road shook, but failed to wake Amalia who lay sleeping in the back seat, her head tucked against one of the folded blankets Portland kept in the truck’s storage-bin. Portland caught a quick glance of her in his rear view mirror before turning to eyeball Alvin. He’d cleverly found a way wedge his head under Amalia’s left arm; if the rhythmic patter of his tail against the leather seat was any indication, the over-sized beast was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“For some reason I think I should feel guilty about that, but I really don’t. Strange, isn’t it? ”

Turning down a small road, Portland followed the tree lined road for a half-mile before turning right and entering one of Ashbury’s larger neighborhoods. Large in Ashbury terms meant five or so picturesque townhouses built in a shaded grove.

“I’ve gone back more than any of you,” Portland said, answering the question he’d been avoiding for the last half hour.

The tone he spoke in sounded much more accusing than intended; would this conversation simply a precursor to the way he would behave for the rest of this “reunion?” Hopefully not, if he still knew his old friends, he knew they’d most assuredly put him in his place. Regardless of that, he certainly didn’t want to embarrass himself, or worse, degrade people he’d been thinking of nearly every day for the last five years.

Without turning his gaze from the road, he spoke, “I didn’t mean that to sound as condescending as it did. Honestly, heading back there reminds me why I stayed here. I suppose a part of me always hoped Bella or Kyle would just pop-out of the tree one day, and the world would feel right again.”

They’d reached downtown by now; a red light gave him the opportunity to remove his hands from the steering wheel.

“You probably think I’m being childish, huh? Planting myself in this town and refusing to leave, all in the vain hope that some-way-some-how I can reverse it? Can’t say I don’t feel a bit selfish...All of you moved on, but I’m still here picturing myself as some sort of pariah or victim. It’s just that...I don’t know, a part of me has this feeling that they’re not really gone. Morgan once told me she’d have similar feelings, but after awhile I think she decided to forget the entire thing. For me that wasn’t enough, I just can’t let it go. Sometimes I think, if I wasn’t such a coward, I’d open the door and use one of those books to find a way to bring them back.”

 

[GuardianOfHearts]

Morgan let her blue eyes rove the familiar-unfamiliar store windows, hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. Some of the stores had changed so little that it was both comforting and laughable, while others had changed so much that she felt something akin to dismay, like finding a childhood toy you hadn't seen in years rusted over.

All the while, as she walked, Morgan tried to clear away the shadows of her memory, hoping that some sight or sound in Ahsbury's streets would help illuminate that summer thirteen years ago.

But it was as useless as trying to keep water from slipping through your fingers, and just as chilling.

Morgan stopped at a curb and waited to cross the street. But the roads were apparently busy today; car after car flashed past her eyes until she was watching them pass methodically.

Perhaps it was the state of mind the monotony of waiting put her in, but things suddenly seemed clearer.

Her thoughts felt strangely empty, as though pierced through to let their substance drip out, alerting her to things she hadn't considered before.

The woods. They had always been back there, morning, noon, and- night? Yes. Nighttime in the woods ... the tree.

It was as if Morgan had held her hand to a freezing flame, jumping a little and shivering all at once. Someone next to her glanced over her way oddly, but she ignored that, too preoccupied with her thoughts, which, even for her sudden revelation, were still foggy. She had yet to remember why the woods, the night, the tree, were so significant.

Suddenly, the wind picked up, tangling grasping fingers in her thick black hair and tugging it around her cheeks, rollicking around her coat. With the unexpected force came a strange sensation on the back of her neck, an eerie prickling that somehow felt hot and cold at once and made her whip about, certain to see someone behind her. But there was no one.

Fading to just an innocent breeze, a strand of air caressed the side of her face, sending her ear ringing.

Little witch, a whisper hissed in a mocking voice, and Morgan couldn't tell if it came from the wind or her own mind. All she knew was that it stilled her own breath and sent her heart racing.

"Um, miss?"

Morgan whirled around, but it was only younger girl, gesturing to the flickering-green WALK sign. She muttered a quick thanks and began to cross the street, focusing on smoothing out her breath and quieting her heart.

Morgan wasn't sure what she was more afraid of at the moment: what would happen if she met her friends again or what would happen if she didn't.

 

[Alaude Drenxta]

OOC: GoH D=

Check the end of my last post please, it has some information in it that I figured might help push the story along.

 

[GuardianOfHearts]

{ Aww, don't worry, I didn't leave ya hanging [too much, haha x.x]. I was waiting until this post, 'cause I wasn't sure that a preoccupied Morgan would immediately recognize a childhood friend across the street.

-kicks some life back into this place-

I'll get my post up tomorrow morning, when I have the time. }

 

[Lord of Chaos]

There's not a whole lot I can do right now... I'll try and come up with a meager post later though.