A Bizarre New World, Chapter One: Cat’s In The Cradle

[Jcogginsa]

"Silly nilly, you can't find someone by pressing your ear against the door!" She chirped cheerfully, "Here, let me help!"

Without hesitation, the girl knocked on the room door, her cheerful looks plastered across her features.

The door opened and the man from before looked out, "Hello--?!" Upon seeing the girl, his features paled and he quickly slammed the door.

"Awh, looks like he doesn't want to talk. So saaaaaad..."

The air around them grew ominous and heavy, that creeping dread rearing its head forth.

John took a step back, wary of the girl. He shot his compatriot a look, trying to tell her to step back as well. The man was clearly afraid of this girl, and that meant standing near her was an unwise prospect

[Tami]

"Silly nilly, you can't find someone by pressing your ear against the door!" She chirped cheerfully, "Here, let me help!"

Without hesitation, the girl knocked on the room door, her cheerful looks plastered across her features.

The door opened and the man from before looked out, "Hello--?!" Upon seeing the girl, his features paled and he quickly slammed the door.

"Awh, looks like he doesn't want to talk. So saaaaaad..."

The air around them grew ominous and heavy, that creeping dread rearing its head forth.

John took a step back, wary of the girl. He shot his compatriot a look, trying to tell her to step back as well. The man was clearly afraid of this girl, and that meant standing near her was an unwise prospect

A moment of stubborn indecision broken by John's reaction lead to Jinny also taking a step back. She then remembered the way the person inside the room reacted, "Who or what are you?" She asked the apparent little girl.

[Yun Lao]

John took a step back, wary of the girl. He shot his compatriot a look, trying to tell her to step back as well. The man was clearly afraid of this girl, and that meant standing near her was an unwise prospect

A moment of stubborn indecision broken by John's reaction lead to Jinny also taking a step back. She then remembered the way the person inside the room reacted, "Who or what are you?" She asked the apparent little girl.

"~I'm sorry~" She replied, in a singsong tone, "Daddy always tells me not to give my name to strangers..."



The menacing dread was smothering by this point and adding to it was the sudden fluctuation of the lights, initially a slow pulsation it quickened to a strobe-like effect.

"You should leave Mr. Weathermaker alone. It's for your own good."

[Yun Lao]

Jamie frowned as she looked over the various blunt hardware items, picking up those that caught her interest to test the weight of them. Some felt too heavy for her liking, others seemed a bit too dangerous. Slowly but surely she limited the options until she was left with a tire thumper or a dead blow mallet.

As she looked at the two remaining choices, Jamie thought 'Hmmm... Do I go with the "tire thumper" or the "dead blow mallet"?'

Testing the weight of each in turn, she eventually returned the mallet to its place and stuck the tire thumper into her basket with a decisive nod. With her shopping done, Jamie moved to the register to pay, then head to the Cattail Grill to wait for their ride to the Manor.

As she stepped out of the store, Jamie catches sight of a large dog charging towards Suzie.

She isn't the only one, as Lucy, amidst of doing odd tasks for the locals, is able to see the animal as well.

[Tami]

"~I'm sorry~" She replied, in a singsong tone, "Daddy always tells me not to give my name to strangers..."



The menacing dread was smothering by this point and adding to it was the sudden fluctuation of the lights, initially a slow pulsation it quickened to a strobe-like effect.

"You should leave Mr. Weathermaker alone. It's for your own good."

This was the Bus all over again, a thought that scare the daylights out of her. Part of her wanted to run, another part was just too stubborn to leave when someone else might be in danger.

Standing her ground, just barely, she got out the words, "Where is your Daddy? I need to speak to him."

[grampagen]

From her peripheral vision, Suzie could see a dark shape bounding towards her.

Where she'd taken her seat upon the curb, even if adrenaline had spiked through her, the best Suzie would manage was a listless turn of her head.

Perhaps it was the August sun that somehow crept into the shade of the building behind her, or perhaps her system had already been taxed by the manic driving through the Driftwood down square. She felt her pulse rise and malaise spread through herself, the foggy intoxication of a loathesome virus working its way through joints and nerves.

Whatever it was, her 「Jigsaw Feeling」stood at the ready, even as a finger reflexively snapped the shutter of her little camera.

[The Dog]

As she stepped out of the store, Jamie catches sight of a large dog charging towards Suzie.

She isn't the only one, as Lucy, amidst of doing odd tasks for the locals, is able to see the animal as well.

"Suzie! Watch out!" Jamie called out in terror at the sight of the large dog charging one of her family members. With a small frown, she instinctively dug into the plastic bag hanging from her arm and grabbed the handle of the tire thumper. Pulling it out, she charged herself toward the dog, waving the thumper above her head and trying her best to let out an intimidating yell, hoping her display would scare the dog off.

[grampagen]

".....So....I'm the little sister...?" Lucy turned, and let out a sigh of absolute defeat, for a moment even Suzie could see the disappointment in the girls normally stoic face. "...."

After a moment of contemplation, Lucy Shrugged. "....Thing about me and decency...I'm self taught. So if I slip a little, I apologize. If you hate me now....its fine. As long as your alive you can do whatever you want." Shouldering her bag, Lucy started stepped back towards the ice machine...freeing the path back into the hallway and towards the elevator. She seemed to be looking at something on the ice machine, but it couldn't be more obvious she was simply moving herself out of the way so Suzie had a path to leave.

Confusion visibly littered itself over Suzie's face, her eyes like strange, staring pools out of a rorschach blot. Self-taught? On top of this, the way Lucy seemed to wither a bit at the mention of age was nothing short of bemusing, to say the least.

"...suppose that you are?" The broken stoicism was matched by a still worry wort, "Just...mind, not everyone is out for you, right...?" Under the duress, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd believed her own words.

Sliding off the wall, Suzie lingered her gaze on her newly minted younger sister, and took a long, solitary trek down the remaining seven floors to the lobby.

[grampagen]

As she stepped out of the store, Jamie catches sight of a large dog charging towards Suzie.

She isn't the only one, as Lucy, amidst of doing odd tasks for the locals, is able to see the animal as well.

*Click*

"...uhhh..."

The animal charged forward. The captured shot lit up on the digital lcd, a moment of time in stereo with the real deal. Suzie blinked slowly as her lips shrank to a twisted spot on her face.

Very poor choice of last words.

"Suzie! Watch out!" Jamie called out in terror at the sight of the large dog charging one of her family members. With a small frown, she instinctively dug into the plastic bag hanging from her arm and grabbed the handle of the tire thumper. Pulling it out, she charged herself toward the dog, waving the thumper above her head and trying her best to let out an intimidating yell, hoping her display would scare the dog off.

Her heavy eyelids shot open. Someone was calling her name, shouting loud and shaking about what seemed like a bobbie-baton.

"...oh nooo..."

Part of her wanted to get up, move out of the way. Maybe run into the shop behind her and find a stall to hide in.

The rest of her nerve seemed to have burned out, and it was as if she stood entirely outside of her own mind.

Which in a matter of speaking at this moment, she did. The spirit that followed in her shadow moved forward...

[Yun Lao]

Where she'd taken her seat upon the curb, even if adrenaline had spiked through her, the best Suzie would manage was a listless turn of her head.

Perhaps it was the August sun that somehow crept into the shade of the building behind her, or perhaps her system had already been taxed by the manic driving through the Driftwood down square. She felt her pulse rise and malaise spread through herself, the foggy intoxication of a loathesome virus working its way through joints and nerves.

Whatever it was, her 「Jigsaw Feeling」stood at the ready, even as a finger reflexively snapped the shutter of her little camera.

"Suzie! Watch out!" Jamie called out in terror at the sight of the large dog charging one of her family members. With a small frown, she instinctively dug into the plastic bag hanging from her arm and grabbed the handle of the tire thumper. Pulling it out, she charged herself toward the dog, waving the thumper above her head and trying her best to let out an intimidating yell, hoping her display would scare the dog off.

*Click*

"...uhhh..."

The animal charged forward. The captured shot lit up on the digital lcd, a moment of time in stereo with the real deal. Suzie blinked slowly as her lips shrank to a twisted spot on her face.

Very poor choice of last words.



Her heavy eyelids shot open. Someone was calling her name, shouting loud and shaking about what seemed like a bobbie-baton.

"...oh nooo..."

Part of her wanted to get up, move out of the way. Maybe run into the shop behind her and find a stall to hide in.

The rest of her nerve seemed to have burned out, and it was as if she stood entirely outside of her own mind.

Which in a matter of speaking at this moment, she did. The spirit that followed in her shadow moved forward...

In the span of the second, the dog was nearly upon Suzie; however, at the last moment, the dog juked the young photographer, spinning a full rotation before running through her legs.

Those watching the animal would find its path headed directly to the hospital.

[Yun Lao]

This was the Bus all over again, a thought that scare the daylights out of her. Part of her wanted to run, another part was just too stubborn to leave when someone else might be in danger.

Standing her ground, just barely, she got out the words, "Where is your Daddy? I need to speak to him."

"Why, don't have one of your own? ~Oh... wait~"

The fluorescent light above the girl burst, dimming that section of the hallway.

For just a moment, Jinny and John might have seen something - perhaps a trick of the eye- standing behind the girl.

"~Last chance~ Go back downstairs and get that shoulder looked at, else I'll have to give you a real reason to be here."

[Tami]

"Why, don't have one of your own? ~Oh... wait~"

The fluorescent light above the girl burst, dimming that section of the hallway.

For just a moment, Jinny and John might have seen something - perhaps a trick of the eye- standing behind the girl.

"~Last chance~ Go back downstairs and get that shoulder looked at, else I'll have to give you a real reason to be here."

"How did you know about my..." Jinny stopped, then backed another step to move in closer to John, "There's someone or something behind her, did you see it?"

[Jcogginsa]

"How did you know about my..." Jinny stopped, then backed another step to move in closer to John, "There's someone or something behind her, did you see it?"

"I thought I did. This situation is getting serious. Whatever you want to do, I'll back you up. "

[Yun Lao]

"How did you know about my..." Jinny stopped, then backed another step to move in closer to John, "There's someone or something behind her, did you see it?"

"I thought I did. This situation is getting serious. Whatever you want to do, I'll back you up. "

She seemed... surprised and then began stifling laughter.

"Are you... are telling me you're still blind? ~huehue~ How pathetic. Sending me to deal with a buncha babies."

A murderous smile slashed across her lips as she pointed to them, "I don't know why you haven't ran, but you should."

[Tami]

"I thought I did. This situation is getting serious. Whatever you want to do, I'll back you up. "

"What I want is to not turn the hospital into the highway after Toby's wild bus ride." Jinny looked past the girl and to the shut door of room 214, "We can leave, but I need to know that those people inside are alright."

She seemed... surprised and then began stifling laughter.

"Are you... are telling me you're still blind? ~huehue~ How pathetic. Sending me to deal with a buncha babies."

A murderous smile slashed across her lips as she pointed to them, "I don't know why you haven't ran, but you should."

"You leave first, I need to speak with the people inside that room." Jinny had already decided that she was not going to be scared off by a child, even a creepy one.