Trying to pry into this business doesn't sound like a wise choice for you. Whatever Sharron has running sounds rather sketchy, even if it doesn't really fit her...digging around will just cause you more trouble then it's worth. If you get some alone time with Lawrence later, then maybe you can just try to casually bring it up.


"Think that's your friend?" Ashley asks, starting to walk over to where the exit door is.

"Probably, he said he wouldn't take too long to get here..." How much time has passed? You have no idea where this hospital or clinic or whatever is, or how long it would take him to make his visit. If it is Sam, then it would be polite of you to greet him when he comes in at the very least. And on the off chance that it's not him...at least you'll know in that case too. "Can I come with you to see?"


"Yeah, of course." You follow Ashley, just a step or two behind. It always seems like you do that with people. Why? So you can run away faster? That's selfish of you, isn't it? Isn't that the same thing as throwing another person to the wolves chasing you? Then again...they wouldn't be after the person you're with. They're after you, not anyone else like Ashley. Giving you a head start is a smart idea in that case, right? Especially if it's someone who has a family who will miss her...

"Hey, do me a favor," Ashley asks, and you nod. "Don't go spreading around what happened, alright? Not to any of the other students walking around here or anything. I don't want to lose this job."


"I understand." And you would rather not get kicked out of one of the few safe spaces you have. Then again, if Sharron ends up having something sketchy going on here...that could mean more trouble then you're prepared to take on.


You make sure to stand a few feet back when Ashley answers the door, nearly holding your breath as she does. Being this on edge is annoying, but it might also be the thing that saves you life in the end.

"Good afternoon."


That's not Sam's voice. Ashley is taken aback too, an older officer standing at the door. You don't run off, but instead try to look around him, seeing if Sam is anywhere near by. No Sam, no other officers...


"Erm, hello!" Ashley greets, a bounce in her voice. Of course she doesn't have a reason to distrust cops. You can't help but turn away, and are reminded of the blonde wig you sport. "Can I help you officer?"


"Sorry if this is an inconvenience. Took me forever to find this door, guess no one can hear knocking from the front one?"


"Not if we're walking around unfortunately." Ashley is, of course, handling the conversation while you just opt to listening in. It's true that you guys had been walking around earlier, but you also were standing in the lobby for a good amount of time too. How lost was the officer? You're fairly certain you guys would have been able to hear him if he had been knocking then.

[1/2]

>416747
"It's not a problem, I just have a question or two for you, if you don't mind." He speaks politely, but you still stand on edge.

"Um...sure? Should I go get Ms. Faraway?"

"You'll be fine, they aren't anything too serious."


As you listen, you try to think about what he could be asking. Maybe someone is just parked in the wrong spot, or maybe they left their lights on...normal stuff. He'll ask his question and then be on his way, and nothing will be wrong.


"Alright, sure. Ask away." Ashley seems confident now.


"We noticed there's a motorcycle parked out back..." Your blood runs cold. "Do you know who it belongs to?"


"Motorcycle?" Ashley crinkles her nose, trying to think it over. "Um...I don't know who would drive it. Sorry..."


"That's fine, just one more question." Okay...okay, maybe one of the guys from the other room drives one too. Not that you saw another when you guys came up, or saw anyone else come in....maybe it's just parked wrong, and he'll ask you guys to move it.


"Do you know if a man named Lawrence Talbot is on the premise?" The officer asks, and you feel like throwing up.


"Lawrence...?" Ashley at first doesn't recognize the name, but when she looks over at you, her eyes widen in realization.


You could try to shake your head, let Ashley know to not say anything. Or maybe it's better if you take the situation over, explain that Lawrence left a little earlier and won't be back for a few hours...or days....

What if it's something simple though? Maybe you should just tell the officer that he's here, or try to ask him if Lawrence is in trouble...

What do you do?

>>416750
Shake head to signal Aschley to keep Lawrence out of this...
and ask the officer what this is about? Has something happened? Is there a motorcycle gang around? Lawrence Who? Never heard of him.

Can we warn Lawrence somehow, hang the police-is-here handkerchief out the window?

>>416750
Shake our head at Ashley. No way we're gonna let some mystery cop showing up out of nowhere asking questions about Lawrence actually find him.

Stay just out of sight, under the shadows. Try to make ourselves look like just another blonde, long-haired girl. Ask if this 'Lawrence' person is dangerous, what he's done to warrant police interest, what he looks like, and if we should call the police if we see him. If he's interested in the reward, he'd probably not tell us to call the police station, would he?

If he tries to get in, we need to get Sharron.

You do your best to remain subtle, shaking your head and mouthing the word 'no' to Ashley.


"N-...Not that I k-know of," Ashley stutters, returning a nervous smile to the man. "It d-doesn't sound familiar to me." She must not be used to lying to someone in uniform. A kind of off looking uniform...


"I see, thank you for the cooperation."

"Wait," You were wanting to stay silent, but it may be good to see what information you can dig up. "Is that man like...dangerous or something? Do we need to be worried? What does he look like?"


You're trying to think of what Lawrence could have done to have the cops after him. There's actually a lot, isn't there? Is it all catching up to him now? You're praying not, that it's just some kind of misunderstanding.


"I didn't mean to scare you girls," The man tries his best to calm you down. You notice that he hasn't mentioned his name yet either. Don't cops usually do that? "But the man we're looking for is rather tall, taller then me. White guy, short dark hair, ah...has an injury right here." He runs a finger across his cheek in reminiscence of Lawrence's cut. This confirms it to Ashley too, and you can notice a slight shake in her hands. You look back, making sure that Lawrence or anyone else isn't going to walk in on this. If he does...what the hell are you supposed to do?


"Um...okay. I haven't seen anyone like that around," You say, covering Ashley. "What did he do though? Why do you think he would be here?" You were going to look the man in the face, but decide that keeping your chin down would be the best option. Need to pick up information, but not too eager about it either.


"Well I shouldn't probably be telling you all this, but it's very important that we find this man. We have reports of the motorcycle that he's been driving was stolen from the owner." That's a lie, it has to be. Why would Faraway file a report like that, when he gave Lawrence the keys?


"Reports of him running away from officers." Has he done that? You can't recall that happening while you've been with him...then again, there are times when you aren't with him.


"Complaints about violent and irrational behavior." That part is...you hate to admit it, but there's a good chance that he could have actually had a police report filed for that. But by who? You doubt the people you've seen him tousle with before would turn to the police, they seem like the type of folks who would avoid the law as much as possible.


"And, this part is really important," You and Ashley are listening to each of his words carefully. It looks like she's almost frozen with fear and worry, not that you could blame her. "This man has been seen multiple times with a young girl, about the age of you two. She's been reported missing, and we are worried that he may be coercing her to come along with him and possibly be in an illicit relationship."

[1/3]

>>417172
It feels like your heart bursts when the sound of a door opening echoes through the hall, but looking back you can see it's just the boy intern from earlier. Seeing that you two are talking to a police officer, he backs up so the conversation can continue. Ashley looks over at you, trying to process all this information she's heard. Now Lawrence sounds like some sort of monster, even if some of that information is true...

"And w-why do you think he's here?" You repeat, hoping to move on before you hear any more of his horrendous deeds.


"The motorcycle out back matches the little description we have for the one on file. Course he may just be using it as a way to cover up where he really is. Are you sure he wouldn't be able to sneak inside though?"


"No...no all the doors are locked tight. Only someone from the inside could let him in," Of course you have no idea if that's true, but as long as you can keep him out then the better your odds are. If it turns out this guy is a real cop then you can't let him take in Lawrence. "And I...I was the last one let in."


"What about the other cars outside? Do you suppose someone driving one of those could have let him in without your knowledge?"


"Nope. Ms. Faraway is in a meeting with all of them. W-...We're the only ones walking around." Ashley's voice is cracking on her words, but she finally steps up to help you.


"I see. Sorry to bother you girls, but could you do me a favor?" He asks, and Ashley nods slowly. "If you happen to see him, or get any information on his or possibly the girl's whereabouts then please don't hesitate to give me a call."

The man writes down a number and passes it over to Ashley, who barely looks at it.


"W-...Will he have the g-girl with him?" Ashley asks, and you have to resist yourself from stopping her.

"Possibly. We've got brief descriptions of the other people she may be with-"

[2/3]

>>417179
"Alright! We'll keep an eye out!" You butt in before Ashley can try to say anything else. "We have to get back to our duties now, if that's alright."


"Of course, sorry for bothering you. Just keep an eye out for me."

You let out a sigh of relief when the door is finally closed before rushing to the front doors. Looking out their windows, you scan the streets in front for a police car. There's not one in sight, but that doesn't eliminate the possibility of him being parked in the back or the alley.


Ashley walks back towards you, the paper in her hand.

"Can I see that?" You ask, taking the scrap. It's a phone number, but it's definitely not 911. "Is this one of the area codes from around here?"


"Huh? Oh, y-yeah, I think so..." Ashley mutters as you pocket the paper for now. Looking at her, you can see that she looks confused and scared.


Should you tell her the truth, that Lawrence isn't your brother but someone trying to help you? How you doubt that man was a police officer?

Or maybe you should try to keep it vague, just let her know that you aren't being held against your will but that she has to keep this a secret. It would be probably be good to try and tell her that Lawrence isn't dangerous, even though that might be hard to accomplish now...

The idea of a threat or guilt tripping comes to mind too. Nothing too overt just...just let her know that she has to keep this a secret. Tell her that if she doesn't, then she will be responsible for the bad things that happen to you...seems kind of terrible though...

>>417184
keep it vague, but be sure to mention that there are bad people after us, and that there was no police car in sight, and that the uniform looked off

>>417184
Tell her that bike definitely wasn't stolen, and that man probably wasn't a police officer. There's some bad people trying to get us.

>>417184
May as well let her in on the secret, even if only slightly. Clear up some of the lies. How Sharron's brother lends the motorcycle to Lawrence, or that he only really gets violent if he or we are being threatened.

That that most likely wasn't even a real cop, but someone dressing up to help a man hurt us. Hurt us worse than that guy suggested Lawrence was.

"Um, listen. I know this all looks and sounds um...pretty awful," You need to do some damage control now. "But it's...it's not exactly like that officer said-"


"That man isn't your brother, is he?"

"No, he's not. I'm sorry that I lied about that but it's just...just easier to say he is, instead of trying to explain that I need to stay with him," You can see that Ashley almost looks...sad? All mixed together with her previous confusion, you doubt this will do much to settle her. "I don't think that man was a cop though. He didn't show off his badge or give a name, aren't they usually supposed to do that? I think he was just pretending to be one, because he wants to find my friend."

"And why would he want to do that...?"


"That man was really trying to look for me, I think. But um...he must not have recognized me," You run a finger through the wig, knowing that it did its job. "But it's really important that he doesn't know that me or Lawrence are here."

"Your friend sounds pretty uh,..."


"Scary?" The description she received about him doesn't help any, that's for sure. If you were told that about someone you didn't know, then you'd be scared of them too. "I know it sounds bad but the bike isn't stolen. We were given the keys by the owner, Ms. Faraway's brother actually. You can ask her about it if you need to. And...and Lawrence does get kind of upset and um...I guess angry sometimes, but that's only when him or I get threatened, you know? Just a defensive sort of thing, he wouldn't hurt you, I promise."


"So you lied to me." The way Ashley said it makes her sound hurt, and you start to feel bad. Why should you, it's not like you know her. It's for your own safety anyways. Still, that tingle of guilt remains.


"I had to. If...if that guy, or the ones he works with end up getting me then they'll take me away to a man who wants to hurt me."

"Why not just call the police?"


"It's...it's complicated." You admit in bitter defeat. Go to the wrong person and you might as well walk right into Bower's arms. Even if they did believe you and put him behind bars, then what about you? Not like they would let you live on the streets with Lawrence or the others, and foster home is still not appealing in the slightest.

[1/2]

>>418017
"..." Ashley remains quiet, and you try to think about how you could make this better. You can't really, can you?


"I'm sorry about lying to you," Even though you shouldn't. "But now we can keep each others promises, right? I won't say anything about the whole um...speakeasy thing or whatever, and you won't mention me and Lawrence, right?"


You offer a hand out, hoping to seal the deal. Ashley looks at it like you are offering her something odd, but with a limp wrist returns the shake.


"Okay...I can do that." She says, and you try to smile at her. Ashley returns it, but it's forced. That's okay, you can deal with her not trusting you as much as long as she keeps her half of the agreement.

"I um...I need to go to my bro-....Lawrence now."

"Yeah. I'll um, keep an eye out for your other friend."

"His name is Sam. He's an old guy with a crutch and he's missing a leg."


"Got it." Ashley sounds much less enthusiastic then before, and that's partially your fault. It's fine, she'll go home tonight, maybe stew over it, and never have to think about it again while you have to wonder where you'll have to sleep.

You excuse yourself from her, your fingers messing with the number in your pocket. If you were to call it...who would answer? Do you even want to know?


When you enter the dressing room again, Lawrence is sitting in a chair, arms crossed and head nodded down. Being in here alone and with everything going on the way it is, of course he would fall asleep.


You need to tell him about the man, it would be stupid not to. Should you tell him everything the man said though? There's a lot in there that would probably upset Lawrence...maybe you can just tell him the gist of it.

And of course the number you received too, should you talk about the possibility of calling it? Lawrence could even dial the number, it's not like you guys would have to talk to whoever was on the other end. But if you did it somewhere safe like a pay-phone, you could maybe try to dig for information? The idea of talking to Bower's men though...gross.

Dammit...is there anything else you want to tell him before Sam gets here too? You wouldn't really want to mention the illicit relationship part around him, that's for sure. That is, if you even mention it to Lawrence too.

>>418024
Telling him the gist of it should be fine, it's not like all of it is relevant. A fake cop looking for Lawrence and who knows he rides the Brough, trying to convince us it was stolen and that Lawrence was dangerous.

When, or if, we get back to the others, we can ask one of them for help calling the number. Maybe try to misdirect them?

... why would that guy even suggest we had a... an "illicit relationship" with Lawrence? What does that even mean, like sex or something? That's not even true... Maybe he didn't and was just trying to shock us into cooperating?

What an asshole.

Gotta go be social for a bit, sorry sorry

>>418024
wake him with a lap dance

You'll just be brief with it, no need to get Lawrence worked up even more about this.

It doesn't take much to nudge him awake, and though it's obvious that Lawrence would very much like to go back to sleep, he sits up and gives you all his attention instead.


"Don't freak out," You warn, watching him carefully. The warning is already futile, as shown by the worry already etched to his face. "But there was a guy who talked to me and that Ashley girl, he was trying to tell us that he was a cop. I don't think he was one, he didn't show a badge or anything, but he tried to say that you stole Bowie, er...Mr. Faraway's motorcycle, and that you were a dangerous person."


"Did he....see you?" Lawrence looks ready to grab you and run out, much past high alert now. You're glad that you didn't go further into detail about what he said, especially about the violence and the...the illicit relationship part. He had to have just been saying that to make Lawrence look terrible, right? Of course, now Ashley probably thinks that the two of you are having sex. She's probably looking at him like some sort of monster...if that's the case, then that man's scare tactic did its job.


"I stayed behind Ashley, and I don't think he recognized me with this wig on. I didn't recognize him either...Oh! And um, so he said that if we saw you, then we were supposed to give him a call?" You pull out the paper and show it to Lawrence, letting him take it to read. "But he would have just told us to call 911 or something if he was a real cop, right?"


Lawrence is looking over the numbers and pulls out his notebook, flipping past the many previous notes with a shaky hand. You can just see a string of numbers written on his pages, matching up the ones you were given.


"Wait, where did you get that?" You ask, Lawrence going pale. If that man really was one of the men chasing you, then how did he end up with the number too? He had to have done it when you weren't with him, that's the only way you wouldn't have been able to notice. Just what does he do when you're not around?


"They're in here." You can hear the voice of the boy who had brought you guys in earlier, and the door swings open to show him leading in Sam.

"Thank you thank you. Sorry bout banging on the front door so long." Sam says, nodding at the two of you. The boy closes the door, giving the three of you some privacy.


"Nearly didn't recognize you with that thing on," Sam notes, more then eager to take a seat. "Which is pretty weird, considering you were blonde when you first showed up."

[1/3]

>>421433
"Oh? Y-Yeah, I guess it works alright then." You look around, trying to find some others that you could try wearing too. Maybe you could just borrow one for a bit...


"Sorry boy," Sam says, and you can see that Lawrence already wrote him a note. "Took forever to go in and see that man, not to mention I still only got the one leg to walk around with."


"How is John?"

"Had him hopped up on a whole mess of things, course I think he might have done some of that to himself earlier." Sam says this with a grim look on his face. You can't help but think back to Michele in the bathtub, blood down her nose and specks of powder...it makes you feel sick. Was John trying to do the same thing?


"But he was awake when I came in, kind of anyways. Managed to get a few words in anyways, tell him where we would be going and all that jazz. He'll be released in a couple days, so long as all his work checks out." Sam concludes, and you're relieved to hear that John is fine. Mostly fine, anyways.


"So you have a new place?"

"For the time being. Gonna work on moving everyone over today, but we have to take it slow, I can only take them in a few at a time."

"Wait, why? Is this place dangerous?" As you ask this, you can't help but notice how on edge Lawrence is right now.


"No, it's actually a pretty nice place. Problem is, we have to sneak in," Sam explains. "Talked with a buddy of mine, briefly explained our little problem. He's got family or something that are renters, own a bunch of property all over town. Turns out they got quite a few that are in crappy condition, at least enough to make 'em hard or even illegal to rent till they get fixed up. Guy did some poking around, and they aren't even going to consider the renovations till the spring time. Long story short, we're going to take up temporary residency in one or two of those places till it warms up."


"So we're going to be breaking in?"

"If you wanna call it that. Probably not the most illegal thing we've done, but it's fine. I think the place we got today has running water, no electricity though. And we've got to be extra careful about what we use, but at least it'll have four walls and a roof. And no damn rats."


"Okay, what's the plan then?" You hope you're asking all the questions Lawrence would have. It just seems easier for you to do the talking then to wait for him to write out every little thing.


"Gonna get the kids over first, take them two or three at a time. John was supposed to help with that, but I can probably get Mabel to help, Sarah if she's back from all the funeral stuff." Sam sounds confident about this, and you can't help but feel somewhat better too.

"Okay, what can I do to help?"

[2/3]

>>421438
"...that's the thing," Sam leans in, holding out a key in his hand. "It'd be best to sneak you in afterward, maybe way late in the evening or early in the morning. That way, we can see if you're being tailed right now, and if you are we can come up with a plan to shake them off you. But I can't just let you be running around the place, so I called in an old favor and managed to get you two nights at one of the more decent hotels around here. Nothing top notch, but it'll be safe."

You take the key, looking over it. The name on the tag sounds a little familiar, and if you recall correctly then it's somewhere near the Plaza, maybe a fifteen minute drive from there.


"I guess the best help I can give is just staying out of the way..." You mutter, realizing that makes you sound petty. "Sorry, I just wish I could help more though..."

"You're fine, at the very least the kids can crash there with you if something ends up going wrong, and you'll at least get a nice bed and a breakfast. Enjoy it while you can."


"Do I have to be there alone?"

"Maybe for a bit, I'll see who we can have to stay with you, or at least bring you over. I know the number to that place too, so I can at least call you if something happens. If there's an emergency then you can at least go back to your friend, the one who owns this place right?"


"Um, yeah. I guess I can." You pocket the key, but the thought of being abandoned comes up. What if they leave you there and never come back?

"Yeah, let me write down the address for you," Sam says, writing on the note Lawrence gave him. "Now we need to head out. I'd rather get the kids out of there while it's still daylight, and it's going to take some time going back and forth. You can go ahead and go to that hotel."
You probably shouldn't protest the hotel key. Sam worked hard to get it for you, and if you are in a nice enough and public place then you shouldn't have to worry about getting snatched up. Not like they would know where you would be, right?

Or maybe you can just pretend to accept the offer, and try moving around instead. That sounds pretty risky though...maybe the hotel would just be the best bet. You'll keep an eye out for anyone following you, keep everything locked up tight...

Should you go with Sam or Lawrence though? Lawrence can probably take you there faster, and he's got strength to back him up...not that Sam couldn't knock a few heads together, plus he has that gun. But with Sam, you'll be taking time away from him helping the others...that would be selfish, wouldn't it? But the danger with Lawrence...at least it would get you there faster...

Who do you want to go with?

>>421441
Sam, and put a different wig on maybe

>>421441
If that guy knows Lawrence rides the Brough, who's the say others don't, like the guys who tried to break into Mr. Faraway's apartment or anyone else Bower might have sent looking for us? They'd probably be staying in the area looking for Lawrence even if they thought he'd parked it here as a diversion, so it might be safer to go with Sam, right?

... even though it means getting separated from Lawrence once again.

Maybe we can find Sharron quick-like and ask if we can grab take the wig. And Ashley so we can reassure her that... Lawrence isn't forcing us to have sex with him or something.

"Is it alright if I go with you?" Looking at Sam as you ask this, you do your best to ignore Lawrence. You wonder if it hurts him just as bad as it does for you, having to go everywhere with out him. If it's only you being needy, then you'd rather him not know.


"I suppose it may be best if I take you there, we'll need to head out right about now then," Sam rises to his feet. "You gonna keep wearing that?"


"This?" You point to the wig and look around the room again. "Maybe not this one, but um...I think I'm going to b-...borrow one."


"Alright, don't take too long. Lawrence, you head back over to the hotels for me, alright? I'm counting on you keeping an eye out till I return. I'm going to the restroom, find your hair and then let's go." Sam slips out to the hall, and you remove the blonde from your head. Lawrence stands up and waits by the door, keeping an eye out as you search for a new wig to find.


Blonde wouldn't be smart to walk out in, they know you with that color. A long black one might be fine, but brunette would be the best option to go with. You spot your prize and with help from the mirror, fix the wig in place. Long brown locks, teased and wavy, travel down your back. This is a heavy length you haven't felt since you were young, but the warm color and style of this makes you look older. That might come in handy, right?


Tearing yourself away from the mirror, you glance over at Lawrence, fingers running through the fake hair. How long are you going to go without seeing him this time? Anything that forces you to not see him already makes this too long. Just need to get over it, you're doing this so you can eventually have a better life.

Right?


You walk in front of Lawrence, looking everywhere else in the room as you continue to mess with a curl.

[1/2]

>>422294
"Um," You take a deep breath and look back towards Lawrence. "You're supposed to give your lover a proper goodbye, you know." You say this with an unfamiliar haughty tone, trying to complete your mature look. Lawrence raises an eyebrow when you say lover, probably realizing that you are just repeating romance shlock from movies.


It works enough to have him lean down to your level, giving you permission for a goodbye kiss. You move in, ready to accept it, but in a childish decision you opt out for hugging him, earning his squeeze back.


"Be safe," You warn, trying to keep your voice steady. "Don't go off r-running around and do something stupid, okay? If you do, then I'll be mad at you, and you'll have to make it up to me."

"I'll be...fine." It feels like there was a strange pause in his words, different then his usually wait. You don't bring it up and hug him closer.

You're going to be there for two days, and you'll be alone for some time. That feels like forever to wait without Lawrence at all...you're going to be so lonely there too.

Do you want Lawrence to come and visit you for a little bit while you're there, or do you want to play it safe and have him stay away?

>>422299
Let's have Law stay away, but let him know that we'll miss him.
>tfw Sue starts running as soon as you're about to go to sleep ;_;

>>422299
Want to? Yes. Should he? Probably not, but we can at least tell him we'll miss him.

Maybe it'll be fine if he makes sure he's not being tailed, though? But only if he isn't, so he'd need to be careful.

... we could finally be properly alone with him again, too.

File: asd.png (12 KB, 578x72)

12 KB PNG

Okay that was the wrong image, sorry

>>422460
Oh shit, I haven't caught up with the quest yet noooooooooooo

"It'd probably be best if you didn't come around," You say with a heavy heart. "I want you to, but if they're chasing after you too then it's probably for the best, isn't it?"


"Probably."

You continue hugging him, thinking about how two days feels so long already.


"If you need to though, or I g-guess if you want to and you're sure no one is following, th-then maybe you could stop by for a visit at some point? Just once so I know that you're not doing anything bad." You feel Lawrence nod, feel slightly better. Not by much, but maybe it'll at least be something for you to look forward to.


"Will see...what I...can do." Lawrence promises, and he gives you a kiss on the cheek.

"You'll have to make up for being gone so much to me later, okay?"

"I will."


"I love you," You say, and quickly add in, "you don't have to say it back yet..." You don't want to have to follow the promise you two made about this, even though you want to hear it back more then anything right now. You think back to earlier, about the marriage thing.


"So um, w-...when are you going to ask me to be a p-...proper wi-...wif-..." The words become stuck in your throat, and you decide to lay it to rest for now. If he comes by to visit then you'll ask him for sure. It'll give you better time to prepare yourself too.


"I guess I better go now," You say, pulling away all too soon. "I don't want to make Sam wait on me longer then he should. Will you try to make sure Buttercup is okay? And everyone else too, and will you make sure my stuff is okay?"


Lawrence nods, and you feel a little better. It's not like you have much, but knowing that you'll have it again makes you feel slightly better. Course, till that happens you're at the mercy of yourself as you wait alone in that room. It does make you nervous, knowing you'll be there. Better then staying at someone's house and risking bringing them over there, Sharron has a child to look out for after all. If anything you should be grateful for a chance to sleep in a bed again, to have heat and running water while everyone else doesn't.

"And um, I look okay in this one too?" You ask, pulling back to brush the fake hair out of your face.


"Course you...look fine."

You smile at him, but know that it's better for you to go wait for Sam before you feel even worse about leaving.


"I should go find Sam now." You start to leave, but Lawrence stands up and gives your hand a quick squeeze. You want to keep holding it, but free yourself before going out.

[1/2]

>>422699
You two find Sam easily enough in the lobby, and you give another goodbye to Lawrence, a brief one that feels cheap. Lawrence promises to let Sharron know that you left here safely, giving you two some time to head out first before he goes back to the apartments. Sam goes out first, assuring that it's clear enough for you to go out and follow him. Not that you really need to worry in this area, there's enough people walking by that someone trying to snatch you up would have to be a combination of brave and stupidity.

"Pretty smart of you to grab one of those," Sam comments to you. "Somebody would have to come right up to see who it really was."


"That's good. It's not really my style though," You want to bring some normalcy to the situation. "I feel like this is for an adult."

"It's fine. So long as it works, right?"

"Yeah, you're right."

You keep a constant eye out as you walk alongside Sam, just as you usually do. There's a manilla envelope stuffed into his pocket, one that you're sure he didn't have yesterday.


"I'll make sure you're settled in fine, but then I have to run over and start moving people. Might have to take two days now," Sam says, looking back at you. "You've got cash on you?"

"Yeah, and Eric's credit card too."


"Good, then if something happens you won't be left with empty pockets. Remind me to give you something when we get there. It's important that I don't forget to, okay?"

You nod, and remember that Sam has the gun from earlier on him.

You're not sure if you trust yourself with it, but a gun on hand might be handy.

But what if Sam needs it too? Might be better if it stays with him...

If you don't ask about the gun, is there anything you need to talk to him about before he leaves you?

>>422700
Ask him what we should do if the... withdrawal rears its ugly head. The blood thing. It probably won't since it was sated recently, but what if it does? It's not like there's anyone who could help alleviate the symptoms, and he asked us to let it run its course. It's just... excruciating.

Also, ask him to tell Eric we're sorry for holding on to his credit card for this long, but that we at least haven't needed to use it.

"I know you told me to not do the whole uh...blood thing," This thought has been worrying you for a while now, and it would be best to bring it up before it became an issue. "But I'm a little scared. What am I supposed to do whenever I start getting the um...the cravings and all?"


"If it's really how you say it is, then I'm afraid you might be in for a bit of a tough time," Sam says, and while you're glad he's not sugar coating it, this also makes you worry more. "You'll end up feeling sick, headaches, your muscles may feel sore. May feel exhausted constantly yet won't be able to sit still and of course mood swings. There's not really an easy way to get over it, else there wouldn't be so many people in rehab centers. Hopefully you won't be alone when it happens, but the best thing you can do is to make sure you stay hydrated, eat, and probably try to sleep it off. I can try getting you some pain reliever if your aches are too bad, but unfortunately this whole thing is-"

"It's going to suck..."

"If you really do go through withdrawal symptoms, then I'm afraid so."


You grimace at his answer, and think back to the times before. The last time you got any was from John at the field two days ago, and you only got a bit. How long is that going to last you?


"The less you think about it, the better," Sam says, noticing your worry. "Stewing over it will just make it harder on yourself. Try to keep yourself busy with something, keep your mind off of it."

You nod at this, but already know that this is one of those easier said than done times.


"When we get to the room, I recommend you stay inside as much as possible. If you need to go down for breakfast or to get something from the lobby then you should be fine, but the less you 'expose' yourself the better. There should be a phone in the room too, I've already got the extension for your room so if anything happens I can contact you. The front desk can also relay a message to you if needed. Now, and listen to me carefully on this part," Sam waits till you confirm that he has your undivided attention. "If you pick up the phone, don't say anything. Wait till I or someone else answers first, understand?"

"Yes sir."


"If somehow you end up in a situation where you feel like you're no longer safe, but can't tell me what's going on, then just ask me to bring the newspaper. Repeat it if you have to. It'll be our code phrase, that way, even if they're in the room with you, then I'll know to come down and help."


"Erm...okay. I can remember that, I think," It feels like there's extra pressure on you now. Hands in your pocket, you feel Eric's credit card among the other items you carry. "When you go back, can you tell Eric that I'm sorry that I still have his card? And could you please make sure he knows that I haven't used it or anything yet?"

"I'll make sure he knows. Him and Sarah have been busy lately."

[1/2]

>>423680
You remember what Marilyn had said earlier, how the two of them were looking into a place to live. You resent the bitterness you feel, knowing that soon they will just be able to pick up and move away from this mess.


"So I've heard." You mutter, and remain mostly silent on the way over. It's not too far, but walking still gives you time to think and worry. Not that you won't have plenty of free time for that later.

...


The hotel is only a few stories high, you count five levels of windows before Sam and you duck inside. Already having a key, you go straight up to the room on the third floor. While the place is nothing to write home about, it's quality is miles better then any motel you've been in for sure, and infinitely better then some rundown apartments.


A lone bed awaits you, along with a television, phone, and a window with a view of the back of the building.


"Everything looks safe and secure," Sam comments, and once again you feel guilty about staying in a room like this while everyone else has to move. "Before I head out, can I ask you a favor?"


"Of course. Even if I can't really do much..."

"Hold on to this for me," Sam brings out the envelope, passing it over to you. "It's important that I keep this safe, alright?"


The envelope is filled with as much as it can carry it feels like, and you notice something small and hard near the bottom.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave with me then?"

"Better here than to have me try to keep up with it between places. I'd rather not leave it alone till it's somewhere safe either, and this room is safe. Just bring it back to me when I see you again, okay?"


"Okay...okay, I can do that. Easy enough."

"Thank you. Now I have a lot of work to do, and not enough time to do it in. Remember what I told you, and we should see you again soon enough."


You're left alone in the room all too soon, locking the deadbolt and chain on the door in front of you. With little else to do, you flop onto the bed with envelope at hand. Looking at it, you can see that only the metal bracket in the back has been fastened, and that no glue is holding the paper closed.


If you wanted to take a peek, you could open this easily and no one else would be the wiser. Do you want to try and take a look?

>>423683
Sam trusts us enough to let us keep it safe, better we don't betray that trust, even if we'd be the only ones to know it'd been opened.

>>423683
We already did enough snooping around for one day. Best to just leave the envelope as it is and watch the news for anything that might be related to you or Lawrence.

>>423703
This. Besides, what are the chances the papers will be interesting out make us happier? Either it will boring or another thing to worry about when really don't need that.

Sorry about the wait, I was trying to get the keys for the new place today I didnt get em;-:

You place the envelope to the side, feeling guilty for even having the thought of peeking. Sam finally gives you some responsibility, and you considered betraying his trust.


He said you need to keep your attention on something else, and decide to flip on the television. You hate to admit how much you enjoy getting to lay on a real bed again, feeling and rolling around the cosiness as you watch the news. Or at least try to.


You're only really watching it to make sure there's no mention of you or Lawrence. All they seem to be talking about are something about relations with China or whatever. Nothing you really understand or care about. Still, you watch all the boring reports in fear that you'll end up catching wind about something pertaining your situation.


It doesn't seem like that's the case, and you realize that you sat through all of that for nothing. Well, maybe nothing. It helped you pass some time. Now you just have two more nights alone.


You worry about how the move will be for everyone. If Lawrence is helping, at least he will stay out of trouble, right? He better be behaving right now, you can't deal with him getting in any
more trouble right now.


Though it seems to be mostly, if not all, your fault there is so much trouble. Or at least, you're the reason why John is in the hospital. You had nothing to do with Claire, and it seems like a lot of what happens to Lawrence is because of himself.


Maybe the two of you were just meant to cause trouble constantly.

As long as he's okay, then maybe that's fine.


You close your eyes, and without realizing it fall asleep for a brief moment. Only two hours have passed when you open your eyes, some cheap after school program on the screen. It's way too childish for you, but it's too much of a bother to change it. If anything it's nice background noise.

Getting up, you take a look into the bathroom.

[1/2]

>>426130
As soon as you see the bathtub and soap placed out, you can't help but feel excited. You might not have clean clothes to change into, but you can finally take the bath you've been craving. Of course, it's at the cost of everything that's been happening but...it's best to just focus on that. You'll wait till to do it, you want to enjoy it after all.


You look out the window, where parking for the hotel wraps around. Not an interesting sight to say the lease. Still, it's something to do as you watch a handful of people come and go from their cars. When you see a young girl step out with her grandmother, you close the blinds.


A phone book is laying available on the table, and you look through it for your grandmother's number. It may not do anything, but you still have some hope that she'll pick up. Watching the cartoon on television, you hold the receiver to your ear and listen to the ringing. Of course no one picks up, and you put down the phone.


You watch the screen, but don't pay it any real attention. It's useless, but you find yourself punching in the number once again.

As the show's credits begin to roll and another set of rings pass, you feel the last shred of hope pass away.


What were you expecting?

Briii-


You nearly drop the phone when the ring stops midway, the sign that someone has picked up the other end. You say nothing and listen, but you can't hear anyone else speaking.

What should you do?

>>426135
Do as Sam said and keep quiet, waiting for someone to answer or hang up. Don't even breathe into the receiver.

... if we did it a few more times while staying completely quiet, maybe whoever it is will think it's just a faulty line, right?

>>426135
What kind of Wafui shit is this?
Fucking Sue kill yourself

>>426135
Say nothing

>>426135
Say what kind of Wafui shit is this?

>>426135
BE SILENT
DON'T PANIC

>>426135
Say what kind of Wafui shit is this?

It feels like you could pass out right now. No one was supposed to answer, even though you wanted it. Well, no. Your grandmother was supposed to answer. That's what you were hoping for. The eerie silence that answers is a thousand times worse than no answer at all. In instinct, you cover your mouth in hopes of masking your breathing. Still trying to listen in, you attempt to hear any sign of who the person on the other end might be. That might be breathing coming through, but you can't even tell if it's a man or woman.


As you sit there and hold the phone, you wonder if you should wait or let the other person hang up. You aren't going to speak, but you also feel scared about hanging up. It doesn't seem to be an issue, as there's a slight shuffling and a click of the other person hanging up.


Starring at the phone, you try to comprehend what that was. Maybe against better judgment, you dial the number again. You won't say anything, but maybe their connection was off? If it was grandma, then maybe she dropped the phone? If you can at least hear if it's a woman on the other end at least, maybe the phone was broken and you just can't hear whoever it is properly. If anything, a second call should clear that up...maybe.


You put the phone to your ear again, but this time you are greeted with a busy tone. Whoever was on the other end must have made a call right after hanging up. You're half expecting your phone to ring, but nothing comes about. Setting it back down, you wait. You wait and wait and wait, another show already half way through before you try dialing again. This time the phone rings, but there's no answer. You dial it two more times, but receive only the repeating tones.


Someone was in your grandmother's house, and they answered the phone. There's no way they could know who you are or where you are, but the idea terrifies you. Being alone doesn't help, but at least the sun is still up. The occasional noise in the hallway or in the room above comforts you some. You may feel like it, but you're not alone here.


Just remind yourself that. If something happens, scream bloody murder at the top of your lungs. There are families staying here with kids, there has to be someone here who would come to your aid, right? Not like you should need it...hardly anyone knows you're here. You might try giving Faraway a call later, but you aren't sure what you would say to him either. It feels like you want to let him know that you're fine, but is that weird? It's not like he's family or anything.


You resign to the bed for now, watching the show on TV instead. You know that after these, the news will be on again in a few hours. If anything, you can try to enjoy cartoons you used to like as a kid.

...

[1/2]

>>426471
...the cartoons you used to like as a kid sucked. A lot. Sure you were like seven, but you wonder how you were able to get past twenty minutes of that stuff. Better than starring at the wall, but not by much.


You're almost thankful when the news rolls about, but you realize that it is just as boring. As they start to talk about the police stopping a shipment of some sort of pills entering the country or whatever you tune out. They have a funny name, and you repeat it to yourself.


"Quaa-...Quaadudes. Qu-aa...-luuuudes...." You look up at the ceiling, rolling the words around as you pay no attention to the talk of community projects going on next. "What's so special about a bunch of pills anyways..."


Well, you kind of know that answer. Before, pills made you think of stuff like aspirin, but now? Now you know that there is stuff like Oxycontin, and the type of people who use it. But not all the people you know that have used drugs are bad, right? Now like how the programs at school warned you...most of them are good people with bad things happening to them. Course some of the bad things that happen might be because of the drugs but...


You pull out the contents of your pockets and lay them on the bed. The film canister stands out among them, and you pick it up. Carefully you pop off the top, looking at the white contents inside. You take a sniff at the smell, but quickly pop the lid back on.


Michele said that this would ease the pain you were in. If your cravings and headaches get too bad then maybe...maybe you could try just a little.

Not a decision for now though.

You're hungry, but there's no food in here. You recall passing by a vending machine down the hall, and decide that a quick dash over there is better then starving.


A woman passes by, but you manage to grab some snacks and rush back without any further incident. Now if everything could be like that...


It's all junk food, but better than nothing. You munch away at the cheap chips, flipping through the channels. Nothing much is on, and you think about just how boring it will be in here. Any company would be good right now, but there's nothing.

A commercial interrupts the game show you were watching, and you think back to the phone call.


Then you begin to wonder, should you try to check on your grandmother's house again? Would it be futile or stupid to try? Not now, and certainly not alone, but if you get the chance to soon...if she's still missing, then someone is bound to notice and report her missing and then you'll never have a chance of getting to that house again.

Or what about your mother? Maybe you should try to plan on visiting her first, especially since you know where she is. Not that she would be any help right now...

Or maybe you shouldn't plan on doing either? Don't try going over to your grandmother's place again and don't try visiting your mother...

What should you try to do when you get the chance? Visit either place or neither?

>>426473
Might be worth checking up in both cases. We don't need to go into grandma's house, passing by for a cursory glance should be enough, right? And visiting mom might be fine as long as we don't draw attention to ourselves, if we stay out of sight and let someone else get permission to see her.

And we can't rely on Lawrence helping us out with either. Even with us wearing a wig, Bower's goons would know to look for him.

... maybe we could use that as an excuse to call Mr. Faraway? If he doesn't have anything important on his schedule, that is.

>>426473
What kind of Wafui shit is this?

>>426594
I don't know, you tell me.

>>426473
If we visit either, we should maintain a good distance from each to avoid being spotted.

Paying a visit to both would probably be smart, just to check up on them. If you grandmother really is home, then maybe her phone just isn't working properly. If she isn't...well, maybe at least you could try and see if someone broke into her house instead. Not that you should get up close to it in that case. Just the thought of someone else being in the house when you walk in is pretty frightening. You look towards the door, making sure all the locks are secured.


It has been forever since you last saw your mother, for all you know she has been released. You should at the very least try to keep a tab on where she is, especially since you already lost track of your grandmother...


You can't go with Lawrence either. No matter how well you try to disguise yourself, none of it matters if they can just recognize him. Not that you can go alone, and going with him would certainly make you feel better but...dangerous. It's too dangerous to be around Lawrence now.

It's not fair.


Grabbing a pillow, you clutch it in your hands and prepare to scream against, to voice your frustration. No sound escapes your chest, and instead you hug the pillow to your chest and stare at the patterned carpet.

You'll make up for all the time away. You won't back out from asking Lawrence about the marriage thing. In fact, you'll just ask him to marry you if you need to. At least that way you don't have to worry about him finding someone else...


Those petty jealous thoughts rear their ugly head, and you try to shake them off. Do something useful instead, what little you can do in here anyways. You plan to see your grandmother's house and check in on your mother, and you need someone to go with you.

Faraway has a car, maybe he wouldn't mind?


Sitting at the phone again, you wait for him to pick up. If his door isn't fixed still, then he may be at Sharron's again. The fifth ring is interrupted midway through, and you light up. At least you don't have to worry about any creepy silence this time.

"Hello, Albert Faraway here."

"Hello? Mr. Faraway? It's me." You refrain from saying your name out of habit.

"A-Ah, yes...how are you dear?"

"Um, fine kind of. I'm staying at this hotel for now. It um, seems safe enough anyways.


"Uh huh, yes I see I see, that's good." Faraway seems a bit...over enthusiastic with his answer, his words rather silted too.

"Erm, anyways...I was wondering if it would be possible for you to take me t-"


"Yes, I remember our plans!" Faraway's interruption startles you, and for a moment you struggle to think of what to say. Just faintly in the background is the sound of voices, and where you had originally thought of it being the television you have a sneaking suspicion that Faraway is not alone at this moment.

[1/2]

>>427604
"Do I need to call back later?" You lower your voice while speaking, just in case you give away his ruse.

"Just our normal spot again is fine. Around oh...seven? Seven thirty?"

"Are you trying to tell me something? I'm not sure I understa-"


"I'll talk to you then! I have to run now! Take care!" And with that, Faraway hangs up the phone, and you are left holding the receiver in confusion. Was he really trying to suggest that you meet him up somewhere? That could have all just been an act for whoever was in the room, but why confuse you with that? Even if you were supposed to meet hi, did he mean seven in the morning or in the evening? Why do things have to be so complicated...

And why did he need to do that in the first place? You at first consider Bower's men, but it doesn't really make much sense to you. If anything, they certainly would not have let him answer the phone like that, right? Or they would have listened in or something, right?


You write down what Faraway said on the notepad provided in the room, even if you don't know what to do with it. Calling back right now obviously isn't an option though, and you can't think of anyone else you could call except for Sharron. You don't have anything you need to say to her though, do you? Can't think of a reason to right now, anyways.

You hate the fact that there is nothing for you to do in here, you feel so useless. Is this how a princess feels when she's waiting locked up in her castle? It's awful...

Maybe tomorrow you can go down to the lobby and see about getting something to read, but for now staying inside is the best option. It doesn't make you feel better, but for now you'll find something to play in the background, maybe take your bath, and then sleep.

As you flip through the channels, you only spot a few things that would interest you right now...

>A documentary halfway through, talking about addicts in the US or something
>A romance movie just about to start
>One of the local stations talking about local events

Which one do you want to leave on?

>>427623
the local station would be better, just in case anything relevant comes on

>>427623
The movie might make us feel better, but keeping some kind of tabs on what's happening around town might be helpful.

>>427623
>One of the local stations talking about local events
Need to keep an eye out for anything related to you or Lawrence.

It may be boring, but keeping to the local stations would be the smartest thing to do. You flip to the channel and watch with listlessness eyes. A bunch of kids your age are standing at a park, announcing their plans to put up a new playground or something. You don't care about most of this stuff, you're just worried about hearing yours or Lawrence's name. Or like a picture...that would be worse.


You remember the photo booth pictures that you had. The ones you lost, along with your copy of The Princess Bride. Having those around would be nice, even just a picture of Lawrence that you could carry around would be great. Or like what they do in the movies, with a heart shaped locket that can hold a little picture...that would work. You could always wear it and not have to worry about it getting stolen.


As the subject shifts to a garden being built at one of the elementary schools you pull the ring out from around your neck. Still too big of course, but you fancy yourself with the image of it resting on your left ring finger. It shouldn't be too long before it fits on you properly, right? You twist it around, playing with it. Even if you don't have any pictures then you at least have this.

Putting the ring back around your neck where it's safe, you try to pull through the rest of the reports. A lot of it are just repeats of what you heard from the show Sarah played at, and you keep your finger on the remote, ready to switch the channel in case that dreadful man shows his face. He doesn't, thank God, but something else catches your attention instead.

[1/2]

>>429437
"A truck was pulled over by police after nearly running off another car from the road. Suspicious activity from the driver led the officer to believe he was intoxicated at the time. A look at the trailer revealed that the Tylenol that he was carrying had been tampered with before arriving to it's destination, and at least two of the bottles looked at were discovered to have been filled with pills recently outlawed in the US. The driver is being questioned, as is the company he works for.

This is the fourth alleged carrier found this month alone, and a rising number of drug labs and operations have been reported in the past few years. The exact reason for this is unknown, but there has been discussion about several factors adding up to this. Police urge civilians to not get involved if they believe they see this happening, but to call the number listed below and to leave an anonymous tip."


This kind of stuff might have scared you more a year ago, but now it doesn't do much to phase you. Not that you wouldn't be scared if it happened right in front of you, but it feels like there are worse things for you to worry about now.


With nothing else being offered up, you finally decide to draw up your bath.


You're more than delighted to see the steam rise from the water, slowly starting to fill the tub. Bubble solution is added in, and the white foam begins to rise up too.


Waiting for the tub to fill, you think back to the drug report. Maybe the people who use drugs aren't always scary, but what about the people who deal them? You'd probably be afraid to meet one of those.

For some reason, the thought of your grandfather comes up. You try to remember what he did for business, but it just isn't coming to you. They had to discuss it with you once before, right? Maybe you were just too young to remember...which is weird, because you remember what your grandmother did.


Now that you think about it...didn't your grandfather die a little sudden? You're pretty sure it wasn't from natural causes or old age...

How did he die again?

oh god I hate moving, now i gotta carry another load over to the new place augh

>>429442
They said he was in a car accident, which seems weird now, thinking about it. Pop-pop always seemed like a great driver, deftly avoiding animals in the road and remaining unfazed by the weather.

You only remember small details about the funeral, it happening when you were so much younger. It feels like they avoided mentioning the cause of his death, but when you pestered your father about it enough he mentioned that grandpa had died due to a car accident. Which is really weird for a few reasons, now that you think about it.

Grandpa was a good driver, so you doubt that he would ever get involved with a car accident. Course that could mean someone else caused the accident, but you saw grandpa's car again after the funeral. There might have been a few dents, but none of them looked huge or were by the driver's side. If anything, what you remember most from the car is how the windows on his side were shattered.


And don't victims in a car wreck usually look a little messed up? Then again you didn't get a good look at the body, you said your goodbye to him in the casket but didn't look very long. Knowing that it was a dead body in front of you was scary, and you hid behind your father for the most part.


The bathtub nearly runs over with water and you rush to stop it from doing so. You put the sad thoughts of your grandfather's death out of mind and step into the water.


The heat almost hurts your skin, but you've missed this. Bubble baths used to be your favorite, and getting to have one now is like a sort of Godsend. Sinking into the mountain of bubbles, you try to remember the last time you had one of these. It's been too long, way before you moved to this place. It reminds you of before all this, before you were having to constantly running around and trying to hide. Before you were hurt, and before you hurt other people. Maybe you wouldn't call that life easy, but more simple then all of this.

[1/2]

>>432667
Then again, you have met some nice people, even if it's because of not nice things. Would you even have made friends at your new school? Maybe, and then again they would all be your age at least. They all would have been pretty similar to one another though, you've met rather...interesting people.


If none of this happened, would you just have been a normal girl too? Would you have a boyfriend right now...one your age, at least? You doubt that if things were like they were a few years ago then you wouldn't have had the the thought much less the chance at something like this. Not that you would really consider the word boyfriend for Lawrence, it feels a bit weird.

You think back to that annoying boy from your grandmother's house, Jeffery or whatever his stupid name is. Would you be dating a boy like that if things were normal? You can't even imagine what that would be like, it sounds awful.


Remembering that annoying boy puts grimace on your face, and you sink further down into the bubbles. You'd rather not think about that boy right now and ruin your bath. Instead you close your eyes, trying to just enjoy the near quiet, the distant sound of the television from the other room providing some background noise.

The peacefulness is nice, but Faraway's call comes back to mind. There's not much you can do about the call to grandmother's place, but his? How are you supposed to interpret that...


The more you think about it, three options come to mind. It could mean that you aren't supposed to see him at all, and that he was just saying that to get you off the phone.

But what if he wanted you to call him back at seven? That's a possibility right? But if there's people there and he couldn't talk then, would he be able to at that time?

What if his apartment isn't safe anymore, and he meant for you to meet him up at the theater again? That's a safer place this his apartment, but would he really expect you to go out alone and meet him there?

Which was Faraway trying to tell you to do, call or meet him? If he does want you to meet him at the theater, then should you actually try to do it? Or are you over thinking this, and he wasn't trying to tell you anything like that...

>>432671
call him at 7, don't go out alone

>>432671
Stay within the vicinity of the theater and call him at 7.

>>432671
Calling him again would be prudent, risking getting caught out without backup is less than appealing.

>>432671
Mr. Faraway's behavior seemed more like a ruse than an actual plan, so maybe he did mean to call him back. It's not like we've agreed on some predetermined meeting place in case of an emergency, right?

Besides, whoever was there could've followed him if they suspected he was meeting us...

Trying to write and pack, sorry sorry

Calling him would be the safest bet for you. Leaving him waiting at the theater, though a bit rude, is much safer then risking having you go out. Faraway should understand that too, and if turns out you were wrong then you'll just apologize profusely.


Now at least you don't have to worry about if he mean in the morning or evening, you can call at both times. So long as your guess is right, that is. Having something to look forward to helps too, better than just sitting around waiting for nothing.


The bubbles dissipate, leaving you the imagine of your near naked body in the murky water. Looking at your own body still leaves a mix of senses in you. On one hand you hate and fear what it has brought you, especially bare like this. The bright white dots on your hip add to these negative feelings, and you run a finger over them.

On the other hand, you still feel like you need to look pretty, like a proper girl. The conflicting need to cover yourself up to keep from being hurt and the desire to be the type of girl someone would want as a girlfriend. Or a wife, if you get your way.


Well, once you can grow your hair out again then you can try to wear nicer looking clothes too. Maybe.


With the bubbles gone and the water going cold, you know that it's nearly time for you to get out. You'll enjoy another bath tomorrow night, it'll be who knows how long before you get the chance again. You clean yourself up and step out, enjoying the feeling of the towel wrapped around your body. It would be nicer if you had clean clothes to change in to, but at least you've only worn these for a day.


Drying your hair with another towel, you pull back the blankets on the bed and try to settle down. An infomercial is playing now, and you switch the channels for something to play in the background. Even if it's just talking, then it will keep you from feeling too alone here.


The CBN Family Channel sounds like the best choice to have, at least you don't have to worry about waking up to something weird or scary. Volume way down low, you settle into bed, enjoying the comfort of the mattress but hating how big it feels. If it's getting to have your sorta-sleepover with the girls or cuddling next to Lawrence, you miss sleeping next to others now. You don't even really need the physical contact, though that would be nice. Just knowing that there are others around you was nice.


You couldn't do it often with them fighting so much, but when you were really young then sometimes you would wake up early in the morning and crawl between your parents in bed. Mom would try to make you go back to your room, but Dad would always convince her to let you stay there. Often times you didn't even fall back asleep, you just enjoyed snuggling in between them.

[1/3]

>>433368
The times you did fall asleep, you were always carried back to bed. That was nice, even if you were scared to curl up against Mom. If she went back to sleep right away then you would cuddle up against her. Usually it was covered up by the smell of alcohol, but there was a lotion or a perfume your mother liked to use. The times that you could actually smell it you enjoyed it. If only you could remember what it was now...

...

YOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDME

Knelt on the ground, you cover your ears. The screams of a dying man are not quieted by this, and his words continue to swirl around you.

"No I didn't...you wanted to hurt me..." You whisper, lost in his screams.


YOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDME

"You wanted to hu-"

YOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEYOUKILLEDMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The ground beneath you opens up, and a smashed eye stares back at you.


"I'm...I'm sorry..." You try to say, but it doesn't matter. What you could barely call an iris melts away and screams in pain. Backing away from the scene, your back hits a wall. Rough bricks tower high above, and looking around the corner you see a person knelt above a man. What used to be a man, anyhow. A mess of red is flying away with each hit, the attacker turning to look at you.


Once you look down, you can see the red mess on your hands, the only thing remaining of the man is his face. The dead face of a man who lost his brother, and now his blood remains on your hands.


"I'M SORRY!" You scream, pushing away from the scene. Running from the scene, you go out to the darkness of nothing, trying to run from your sins.


Arms around you bring you to a sudden stop, and you can't help but to beg.

"Help me!" You cry into the person, unsure if you're scare of what you saw or yourself.


"I could," The voice that comes out from above you is a woman's voice, and the strong arms turn to a thin but tight grasp on your shoulders. Looking up, you scream. "But it will cost you."


A crushed in head of a woman stares back, and with all your strength you push her away. Her body crumbles to the ground, and all you can do is back away and gasp for air, to gasp for help. The ground beneath your feet begins to shake, and the jaws of a monster begins to open up to drag you away. At first you think you're ready for this, to be dragged away forever. Your feet touch air though and you reach out with a desperate hand.

[2/3]

>>433372
A soft one meets yous, and you're pulled away from the angry teeth. This time you're pulled against the body of a woman, a hand going through your hair. A wetness spreads from her stomach and onto yours, the smell of iron rising up. You want to pull away but don't, terrified to do anything else.


"Poor lil bunny, getting chased by the big bad wolves" The woman coos, relaxing you despite the blood. "It's not fair, is it? They always chase the ones who can't fight them back cause they're too scared to pick on someone their own size"


"I don't know w-what to do..." You sob. "I hate running away b-but I don't want them to hurt me..."

"Fight back, they ain't got any right to hurt you"

"B-But hurting people makes me s-sick, I hate it...I hate myself..."

"Then hide. But don't let them take you without fighting tooth and nail first. Make them regret chasing after this bunny"


Blood continues to drip from her stomach and makes a puddle on the ground. You don't feel as compelled to pull away from her, there's little else to fear right now.


"I don't want him to get hurt anymore..."

"He's used to it"

"I love him..."

"So do I"

"It's my fault you're gone."

"I was going either way"

You fall to tears again, unsure of what to say.

"I'm scared."

"I would be too"

"I...I don't want to be a-alone, but I don't want anyone else getting h-hurt..." You're pulled in closer, this time a much stronger and thicker grip around your shoulders.

As long...as you're...safe

You lean your head against a familiar shoulder and look out past it. It'll be okay...things will be fine...things will be...

The monster of a wolf running towards you says otherwise, and it leaps at you with claws and teeth extended.


You have to watch as it tears away at the body that once was holding you, making a mess of it. Hungry eyes are set on you, and the wolf leaps again. You brace for it to carry you away, nothing left to defend yourself with. A rabbit ready to be carried away for a quick meal...that's all you are.

Mid leap, and a bloodied hand comes up to grab the wolf around the throat-
...


"I do!!!"


Opening watery eyes, you look at the TV to see a wedding taking place in whatever show is playing now. People on screen cheer, and your heart is racing wildly.

"Help..." You whisper, watching the happy bride and groom kiss. "Help me..."


You need to calm down...think of something to calm yourself down...it feels like you could just die right now...

>>433378
Breathe. Just breathe. Recognize that we're safe, and that Sam knew what he was doing when he chose this place for us to hole up at.

Maybe we can watch the night sky, the stars would be out, right? Unless the light pollution is too heavy...

Sitting up and turning on the lamp, you fill the room with light in order to help put yourself at ease. The best you can in this situation, anyways. Your hands shake near violently, and it feels like you need to go throw up. Before you wondered why you didn't dream as often anymore, but now you realize what a blessing that might have been.


It feels like you're suffocating, and you dash for the window. It takes several tries, but you manage to open the pane enough to let in brisk winter air. The draft against your skin makes you realize that you had been in a sweat, and there still remains a heavy weight on your chest.


Over and over again, you remind yourself that this place is safe, that Sam would know better than to just leave you somewhere that wouldn't be okay. No one can hurt you here, and you won't be able to hurt anyone. It's just you, here all alone. Try as you might, that thought doesn't make you feel any better.


Forehead against cold glass, you try to steady your breathing, counting each in and out to relax your heart. Closing your eyes, there's the sound of music playing. The show must be at the end, credits playing now. Happy and warm lyrics, you try to focus on those too. You keep this up till it feels like you won't throw up anymore, and open your eyes again. Looking up at the sky, you can only just see a few scattered dots of stars, the rest drowned out by the lit up buildings and streets down below.

You want nothing more right now than for it to be summer, so you could go out and away from here. Just a little longer, just a bit more of this terrible winter.


It's only been a few hours since you went to sleep, and while your body feels exhausted your mind is all fired up, ready to fight or flight. There's no reason for that, it's only you in this room. All of the cars below are empty, and you realize that everyone else must be asleep. You should be too, and you fasten the window close.


Laying in the middle of the bed alone feels wrong, it's much too large for one person to sleep alone. Though you have no one to share it with, you scoot over to the edge, leaving room for someone to slide in next to you. Of course no one does, and you go to sleep the same way you wake up; completely alone.


You near have a heart attack when you see the time, ten minutes past seven. In your haste to call Faraway you nearly knock over the phone, your hand shaking as you dial the number. It's only a bit past the time, and Faraway mentioned 7:30, he should still be available either way.

[1/2]

>>435199
The phone rings and rings but you get an answering machine. You hang up and try again, once again earning the machine. Just one more time, you'll call once more and if he doesn't answer then you will try tonight.

You count each passing ring, not expecting anything to change. It comes to a pleasant surprise when the phone picks up past the fifth one, and you hear a voice answer.


"Hello?"

"It's me, Mr-"


That voice wasn't Faraway's.


Your hand begins to tremble. First the person who answered the phone at your grandmother's, and now this?

You're damn near ready to slam the phone down when the voice sends a chill down your spine/

"Is this Delilah?"

Frozen in place, phone read to be hung up, and the calm voice of a man speaking to you.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Are you Delilah?"


Just hang up, hang up and make sure the door is locked, that's all you have to do, that's it and then you will be safe-

"If you are Delilah, I have a message for you."


Don't listen, it's just a stupid trick.


"A message from your grandmother."

You feel sick again, and your hand shakes as you think of what to do...

Just a heads up! I may do one or two more updates, but I am afraid that a forced hiatus will happen for, at most, a week. I will hopefully be in the new place by tomorrow/Wednesday and will need to wait for internet to get hooked up. I will announce in the general and on twitter when the new thread will be up!

>>435206
Stay calm. This isn't a nightmare, so they're not gonna reach a hand through the phone and grab us.

Let's just do what we do best and lie through our teeth. Make up a name, and tell them to put Mr. Faraway on the phone because something came up. Ask them who the hell this Delilah character is, and if this guy is usually weird to random people on the phone. With any luck, we can pretend to be one of the girls from the club.

... and let's call Ms. Faraway and tell her someone's in Al's apartment. It'd probably be easier if she get the police to respond.

>>435206
Remain calm, continue listening, and closely watch our surroundings for anything that moves

I haven been here since thread 14. Busy summer. But good to see that this is still going on.

Listen.

OP here, it looks like the ninth is the soonest that I will have proper internet access! I will announce on Twitter and the general when the new thread will be made. I apologize for this!