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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 19, 2021 3:56:49 GMT -8
Lucas had to bite back a laugh when Dani almost jumped out of her seat but she managed to collect enough resolve to hang on and not scream.
"The thing is, I was disoriented and having trouble seeing straight to begin with. By the time I had gathered my senses, the ghost had gone poof. When I look into the Twilight, sometimes I see the same structure that's in the physical realm, sometimes it has been altered and it becomes a ghost building. If a ghost scoots through a wall, I'm not going to be able to see it any more."
He finished off the last of drink and polished off the mozzarella sticks that came with the sampler platter.
"This pattern continued for another half an hour or so. I learned that if I heard the tapping sound, the ghost was following me. It still scared me every time the ghost would scream at me and I would see the equipment. However, I realized that in its own way...the ghost was trying to send me a message."
He emphasized the last word by speaking with his hands.
"I realized that the anchor that was keeping the ghost stuck to the hospital was somewhere in the operating room that they had died in. I followed the tapping sound, which grew more intensive until it lead me into an operating room on the third floor."
Lucas paused again for dramatic effect.
"The operating room had been abandoned when the staff cleared out. They didn't bother to clean out the biohazard box. The smell was absolutely putrid. I could taste the vomit in my mouth but managed to steel my stomach because I didn't want to have to find something to clean myself with.
The operating room was heavy with despair. It felt like the very foundation of the room was made by misery. The horrors that happened there had permanently altered that wing of the hospital. The ghost that had been following me was but one of the many victims there. I could see other ghosts flicking in and out of the walls. They tried to reach out to me, but they were too weak. Their families had forgotten them over the years. No one told their stories any more. Whatever keepsakes they had brought into them with the hospital were discarded like trash."
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on May 23, 2021 14:09:16 GMT -8
Dani continues listening intently and she can feel her heart just dropping as he talks about the forgotten ghosts and the soul leading him to where they had died. There is something sickening about that in the most sorrowful way - being forgotten. Is that something she herself feared? Maybe, but it wasn't her greatest fear. Still, that kind of anchor, keeping you from whatever lays beyond. That's terrifying. It makes her heart ache with a sympathy. She hopes she never experiences that.
Her mind immediately pulls to the Hedge. Hedge ghosts. Will she become one one day? She'll no doubt die there, right? Probably not very old either. Will she be stuck as a wandering figure and is that scarier than what she truly fears?
"That is absolutely horrifying and terrible." She can't help but say in a quiet voice and there is something almost watery in her eyes, "Fuck, you said this was scary! This is a heart wrenching story of loss, sadness, and show of what humans are really capable of. Which is being major assholes with no humanity... ironically enough."
She is a lot more of an emotional, sensitive creature than one who doesn't know the Summer very well might think. Of course, the moment you really pay attention to her, it's the first thing you likely notice after the intimidation wears off.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 27, 2021 1:06:22 GMT -8
"It is scary...but sometimes the horror lays in human nature rather than anything supernatural. Humans can be much more terrifying than anything the great beyond has to happen. Once someone loses sight of their humanity, well, like you said, they become big ol' assholes and then some."
The Gravewight wait awhile before continuing, intentionally wanting the heaviness from the tragedies to hang in the air between the two of them.
"I've never been a fan of the phrase "everything will be okay". There are things that happen in life that are never okay. No matter how much someone wants to put a positive spin on it, such as "everything happens for a reason", that doesn't make it okay. But...things do get better. Even if the normal we know never returns, we can find a new sense of normalcy."
Lucas polished off the rest of his drink and then he dove into the climax of the story.
"In order for things to get better, we need to be brave. I held onto that mantra while I was in the operating room. Because in addition to the scratching...I heard a dragging sound as well. The best way I can describe it is that it sounded like a gurney that lost it's back wheels being dragged along the floor, while the front wheels wobbled. I knew I didn't have time to investigate, I need to keep searching.
If I was smart, that would have been the best course of action. Unfortunately, when I heard the squealing of the wheels arrive at the door, I dared a look towards the door. I almost lost all my courage in that moment. There was a older woman who had multiple gun shots all across her body, including in her face. I won't go into too much detail other than she lost the lower half of her jaw and all that remained was a rotten tongue that flailed around widely.
I quickly returned to my search, throwing away every scrap of rubble I could until I spotted a faint glow. I found a medical chart that had a faded photo. I could barely make it out but it looked vaguely like the first ghost I had seen. There was pair of rusty dog tags attached to the chart as well. I read through what I could. William D. Lafayette was his name. He had served in the Vietnam War and suffered health issues off and on since his return. He did not have any emergency contacts and there was a note about him being homeless.
I found myself wondering when the last time anyone said his name with any sort of kindness to it. There are some people out there who are so isolated and lonely that they'll call a credit card customer service line, just to hear someone say their name.
I rolled the dice and said his full name out loud: William D. Lafayette. William D. Lafayette, you are not forgotten to me. I won't forget your name even when you leave. Your name won't die here with you in these decayed walls.
The mood in the room changed. I stole a glance to the wall and I saw William floating through it. He no longer mumbled about being hurt. He instead stared at me and then titled his head to the side.
I turned just in time to see the other body leap at me. I held a hand up just in time to use my kith power and knock the spirit out of the corpse, just like I ended up doing during the Reverent Crisis. After that...William stopped scratching. That's all he wanted. He wanted someone to say his name and acknowledge the pain that he went through."
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on May 30, 2021 17:05:08 GMT -8
Okay, this is indeed when the story got scary. Fire hadn't realized it, but she was gripping onto the edge of the table. She had been waiting for the good jump scare, but really It was more a slow horrific build up to a climax. She might have had to cough to find composure at the very end.
"That is absolutely incredible. You have significantly more guts than I would ever peg you to have. I hope that's not offensive." She chuckles a little, but there is a good level of respect in her tone. Serious respect to; not the kind of respect you give to a person who can chug a whole keg. More like the person you give hella respect to for rushing into a battle. ...Did that make them similar?
"Spirits are odd things. You know at some point I'm going to ask you a million and five more questions about them, right? But tonight is probably not that night." She laughs a little bit.
She looks down at their finish plates of food and her nearly finished drink. "I think I'm going to finish this drink and then go contemplate scary existence and the possibility of my nightmares tonight," another laugh. But at least if she's having nightmares about ghosts, she's not having nightmares about other things. So, that almost makes them dreams right?
"I'm going to look forward to the next time we hang so you can tell me that bomb romance one. If it is as good as this one, I'll buy your next alcohol adventure."
Alcohol adventure was indeed a fun way to put it. Oh no... this is possibly an actual friendship forming. Is that a bad thing? No, just something to not keep from Riley. They'd flip if she kept it to herself. But how to bring it up? In her mind there is a major grimace. It'll be fine. ...right?
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Post by Krakenbox on Jun 8, 2021 13:48:52 GMT -8
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