The day had been rather uneventful and the frei had been doing nothing at all but lazily laying around the house reading a new book he found on the bookstore application. As he scrolled through it's pages on his cell phone, a message notification banner ran across the top of the screen. Assuming it was Reuben just trying telling him dinner was ready, he ignored it and swiped up. Then another banner flew across the screen, and another, and another. The phone just incessantly buzzed with each subsequent text received, interrupting the frei's reading. He glared at the phone and decided to open up the text message only to see more texts pouring in. As his eyes ran over every letter, the frei lit up. So, this new raevan did tell stories? And his name is Emyr!? But he...lies? Ryder shrugged off the latter notion and instantly beamed with excitement. He had been in a rut lately with some of his own storytelling, so maybe a new view on some stories would be a breath of fresh air and get his imagination flowing again.
Without a second thought, Ryder set the phone on the bed and floated out into the living room to deliver the great news of Emyr's birth to his guardian, who was still making dinner in the kitchen. "Reuben, guess what!" Ryder stated excitedly, floating into the kitchen. Reuben was slaving over a large pot of soup when Ryder floated in. He glanced at his charge and noticed the extreme excitement on his face. "What is it?" "Emyr is born!" "Who's Emyr?" Reuben questioned curiously. "Mark's raevan!" Reuben's face crinkled. Mark? The name rung a bell, but he couldn't quite place the name with a face. "Mark from the park, remember, with the monkey," Ryder clarified. "Oh, monkey man Mark. Well that's great, congratulations to him," Reuben said, only a second later questioning how he knew this. "Wait...and how did you find out this information?" the guardian inquired. "He texted me," the frei said, almost a questioning tone not truly understand why it mattered. "And how did he get your number?" "I gave it to him, why?" "When did you do that?" the guardian questioned, ignoring the latter end of his frei's words. "Oh, umm. He asked me for it that day at the park. Gave me his phone so I could put my number in it." Reuben shook his head. "But he didn't, I was there with you the whole time." "Yes he did, while you were playing with the monkey, why does it matter?" the frei reiterated the question, now just becoming annoyed with his guardian for pushing the issue so much. Reuben's eyes narrowed. "Because, I want to know who you're talking to. You don't even know who he is, Ryder. And why didn't he ask you for the number with my knowledge?" The frei took a deep breath and let out a sigh. "I don't know, Reuben. I was just letting you know. There's no need to get defensive about it." "You're right. Well, thanks for letting me know about it. I'll give him a call and we can plan a date for you and his frei to meet," the guardian huffed as he went back to stirring the pot of soup on the stove. "Oh, he said he'd call you once Emyr is settled in." Something about this stranger telling Ryder that he would get in touch made the whole situation worse. It would have been one thing if Mark had said something like, "let your dad know and we'll set a date" or "have your dad call me". But no, now the ball was still in his court, and things just didn't set well with Reuben. Not that he was going to necessarily stand in the way of Ryder making new friends, but why was this Mark character so shady about stuff? "I'll text you when dinner's done," the guardian said plainly, still stirring the pot. Without another word, Ryder turned around and floated back to his bedroom, the entire vibe being killed by Reuben's overreacting. With narrow eyes, Reuben couldn't help but feel a bit defensive. First, the man questions his parenting during their initial meeting and then gets his charge's phone number without permission so that he can talk to him behind his back? What was this guy's deal? It just seemed a bit off to the tarotist. But, he didn't say another word to Ryder, and instead, he decided to wait for the call from the monkey man. Click the image above to be taken to the doc RP. ◈ WHO: Emyr, Mark, Ryder, & Reuben (HaiLaSin & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Late evening on September 27, 2017 ◈ WHERE: The Rothmore Household ◈ WEATHER: Indoor air conditioning abounds. Click the image above to be taken to the doc RP. ◈ WHO: Xiu, Cesc, & Ryder (Rapidashtrainer, Atmadja, & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Afternoon on September 30, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Wooded clearing near Barton Town ◈ WEATHER: Sunny and warm. Darkness overcame her with the setting of the sun only to be eradicated by fire hours later. Flames burned and licked at the castle walls below as the woman stared out her window to see nothing but fire and smoke. Screams could be heard from all directions, an ominous sound they made. The sky burnt umber as the blood moon hung overhead. The dark castle walls seemed to encroach upon her dusty blue colored dress. Her golden brown hair flowing down her back as sweat began to bead upon her skin. Her silhouette was all that could be seen amongst the flames. Her demeanor calm, complacent, and accepting of what was happening around her. As the flames burned brighter, hotter, and higher, all she could do was stand still in the darkness of her tower as if to accept her fate. A faint hum could be heard, as though she was trying her best to stay positive through the piercing cries of those below. And then... ...he awoke. Opening his eyes, there was nothing but darkness except for the dim red glow from his clock which read 3:13. The toadstool laid in bed staring at the ceiling, contemplating what he seemingly just witnessed. He always had dreams, but this one seemed different, a nightmare perhaps? There was so much more going on beneath the surface that he couldn't quite understand. The flames seemed so real, it was if he was there himself. Something had to be done. Sitting up, the frei took to his desk where Renard slept soundly in his tank. The raevan took out a piece of paper and imagined the words "The Tower" written at the top in a fancy font. With a faint golden glow, the words magically appeared on the paper and as the illuminated letters faded, the words sat on the page plainly in black. After that, the toadstool closed his eyes and imagined the scene again from his dream. The fire encroaching on the open window, the woman standing, staring, calm and collected, the ominous screams being heard all around, and finally the blood moon that hung in the sky. With a quick synopsis flowing through his mind, the frei took to the paper again and imagined the small paragraph of what was happening directly onto the paper. That same glow, and the same fade only to leave behind a paper with a written account of what had happened in his dreams. Ryder had done this before, using his imagination on the paper. One minute, the paper would be just fine and full of his wondrous ideas, but over time, as he either slept, or began to forget, the magical imagination ink would fade away to nothing and the paper would be blank once more. He was far too impatient to learn how to correctly write holding a pencil to the paper, and even if he did, it wouldn't be easy to write his ideas fast enough to remember the details. But, what else could he do but try and keep a record as best he could. Laying back down in bed, the frei stared back up at the ceiling. "The Tower...by Ryder Rothmore," the words slipped from his lips in the silence of the bedroom. A grin grew upon his face soon after the silence returned. Oh, how he hoped to turn his nightmarish dream into a story to be proud of. The cold, dark and damp stone walls enclosed around him. Screams and cries let out from all directions as he sat peacefully in this prison. It wasn't until steps could be heard coming down the corridor that any sort of tension could be felt. The keys jangled as they knocked against one another with each step taken. The sounds this one person made seemed to echo throughout this prison louder than the ominous cries for help. All the focus was on those steps, the keys, the dank cellar encasing him in darkness. Large, cold steel rods barred him from moving. As the echoing steps finally reached him and the clanking of the keys ceased, all he could see was a figure cloaked in darkness. Taking the bronze keys, which seemed to appear from darkness entirely, he unlocked the cell door and swung it open and through the darkness one could see a grin most evil as the keys were, once again, enveloped in darkness. This time a long whip of chains began to reveal itself, emerging from the dark and held by a dirty, husky hand. Now, the perspective changed to that of the darkness. With whip in hand, he glared at his victim with a grin most foul. The sufferer, a brawny elemental, head ablaze and anger in it's eyes. As the darkness pulled back on the whip and lashed it forward, the elemental let out a bellowing roar, which shook the entire room until... "AHH!" Ryder screamed, sitting straight up in his bed, covered in sweat, panting in fear. His head fell into his hands as he quickly glanced at the dim clock on his nightstand which read: 2:15 on the dot. Rubbing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths and laid back down, staring at the ceiling. "What's going on with me?" he asked himself. Who was that darkness? And what about the large, angry elemental? The dream was scary to the frei, it was definitely a nightmare. He rolled to his side and stared at the clock as the minute ticked to 2:16. With a heavy sigh, the frei closed his eyes, finally feeling some sort of relief from the startling nightmare. Why had the last few dreams he woke up remembering been nightmares? One thing Ryder was always proud of was his dreams, he dreamt every night and oftentimes they were inspirations for stories or creatures he could imagine during the day. The toadstool hadn't ever had nightmares like this. Typically his dreams were very much peaceful or full of adventure. But now, this looming darkness always seemed to encase the characters within them. But they were just dreams after all. With that in mind, the frei slowly drifted back off to sleep. The thunder could be heard from the confined space. It wasn't long before he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He held his breath as best he could to help hide the fact that, internally, he was screaming. Three Hours Earlier... "You're absolutely sure you don't want to go?"
"Positive," the frei's voice rang in an obviously annoyed tone. He had heard that question all day. Wasn't answering it once enough? "Okay...well, we'll only be gone a few hours." The guardian reassured his charge as he fixed his collar in the mirror. "Great. Enjoy." "Okay, it's seriously your last chance to-" Reuben began, only to be interrupted. "Leave the kid alone, Reu! God, I've only been here twenty minutes and you haven't shut up. He doesn't want to go. It's settled. Now come on before we're late." Calista said, anger bubbling up in her voice. The only thing heard in response was a heavy sigh. The frei laid outstretched on the living room couch reading a new horror manga he found on the iBooks store. Scrolling through the pages on his phone, he didn't even look up once. With a heavy heart, the guardian laid down a few rules for the raevan. "Don't leave the house; it's going to be nasty out there in an hour. And text me if you need anything," Reuben said, slowly being ushered out the front door by Calista. "Bye," Ryder stated coldly, swiping his finger to reveal the next page. As Reuben had said, within an hour, the storm had rolled in. The faint sounds of rain pattering on the roof could be heard from the couch. Lightning struck, lighting up the dim room for a brief moment, only to be followed by a soft roar from the heavens. It was nights like this that were too few and far between for the frei's liking. He absolutely loved the rain. It made things damp, which he loved. Ryder was still quite invested in his new manga. His brain swirled with different ideas of whodunit. The mystery behind the pages intrigued the young frei. And the pictures only proved to help his fading imagination out. The frei swiped page after page. The soft rain pattered down, tapping at the windows in the living room. The thunder roared and the lightning flashed. ~~~ Ryder awoke in his bed in complete darkness. He sat up, only to see two orbs of glowing red glaring through the mirror across his bedroom. The frei, feeling his heart beat faster, floated over to the mirror, the glowing orbs seeming to follow him like eyes as he made any movement. As he stared into the mirror, the orbs glowed stronger, brighter shades of red. The frei's heart began to race even faster than before. Suddenly, Ryder felt strong pressure on his chest. Quickly opening his eyes, the frei saw nothing but a dark figure looming overhead with a hand pressing down on his chest. A quick yelp escaped his lips and the startling jump caused an unforeseen reaction in the frei. From every freckle on the frei's body, colored smoke quickly emerged in a large cloud all at once. The rainbow smoke, much like that of his essence, quickly filled the area as the frei quickly fled the living room towards his room, dropping his cell phone on the floor in the process. The victim of his smoke cloud began to cough and wheeze uncontrollably as the frei made his escape. What had he just done? Fumbling and coughing seemed to cease as the frei found himself in his closet. The thunder could be heard from the confined space. It wasn't long before he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He held his breath as best he could to help hide the fact that, internally, he was screaming. Hiding in the closet just wouldn't do, but where else was he to go? He couldn't confront the ominous figure. Not yet, anyway. He didn't have the power to do anything. His cell phone was still in the living room. Footsteps could be heard outside the small closet's doors. Even peeking through the small gap in the wood didn't seem to do much, as not much could be seen. Suddenly, the small sliver of the bedroom that could be seen was now covered by darkness. Chills ran down the frei's spine as the doors of the closet flung open. There the figure stood, tall, looming, staring down at him. "What the hell was that, Ryder!?" That voice. Ryder's fear turned into sheer anger the instant the voice was recognized. "What do you mean!? Why would you scare me like that!?" The frei emerged from the closet, arms crossed. The guardian let out a heavy sigh and began to chuckle. Between the nightmare and the scare, the frei had had enough for the night. Little did he know that the horrors were just beginning. Reuben sat on the couch in the living room with strong brewed tea in hand. He stared down at the invitation he received from Adrian about the opening of a new tech cafe, The Silver Fox. It was happening on halloween this year, and of course, Reuben wasn't as fond of going out to the festivals like Calista was. He had been asked to go out with her again this year like last, but declined, for he was going to support a friend at the grand opening of their shop.
The tarotist knew he wanted to go with Ryder, but in the back of his mind, he knew that he wanted to reconnect with Evan. The two hadn't spoken for a few months, ever since the fiasco between Ryder, Calista, Evan, and his girlfriend, Valerie. Reuben knew it was worth a shot, after all, it was halloween the year prior that they had first met. Maybe this was the shot he needed to take in order to rekindle that friendship with him. Reuben didn't like to admit that he had stronger feelings for Evan than just friendship, but Evan wasn't gay, or, at least he wasn't single. Reuben never pried into the details of Evan's relationship with Valerie, especially because he had never met her personally. The falling out a few months ago was rough on the guardian. He didn't know what to do when Evan had stopped returning his texts altogether. The pain aside, Reuben took a deep breath as he sat the invitation on the coffee table and stood up, waltzing into the kitchen, stopping at the bar and leaning upon it. Did he dare text Evan? He probably already had plans with Valerie, so he'd likely decline the offer anyway. But, was it worth a shot? The man stared out the window as he watched a woman jog by down the street, and an elderly couple slowly walking along on the farther end toward town. A small smile grew on his face as he turned around, taking another sip of tea and setting it down before walking back out to the living room. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and quickly swiped through it until he saw Evan's name come across the screen. His heart began to race a bit, but it was definitely worth a shot. What's the worse he could say? No? Definitely worth it. Clicking the text message icon, he quickly began to type:
With that, he clicked the lock button on his phone, setting it on the coffee table next to the invitation and laid down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. It only took a few minutes before his phone lit up, a response from Evan.
That was all Reuben needed. A smile grew upon his face as he laid the phone upon his chest. ◈ WHO: Cordelia, Adrian, Reuben, Ryder, & Evan (Ebony Shade & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Evening on October 31, 2017 ◈ WHERE: The Silver Fox Tech Café & Lounge - Isle de Gambino ◈ WEATHER: Chilly. Darkness filled the room as Ryder sat up in his bed in the dead of night. In the mirror across the room, two red orbs floated within it, as if to entice him to approach. Curious, the frei floated over. As he approached however, the two orbs floated just over his own eyes in the reflection. Suddenly, his mouth in the mirror widened, opening up to reveal nothing but an eerie, echoing laughter.
Ryder shot up, drenched in sweat. It was all a dream. He looked into the mirror across the room and shook his head. Yes, it was all a dream. What was that thing in the mirror, though? He quickly laid back down and rolled to his side, throwing the blanket over his head in order to shield himself from the outside world. "It'll be okay...it'll be okay...it was only a dream..." the toadstool repeated to himself over and over until he drifted off to sleep once more. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. A loud knocking was at the front door in the early hours of the morning. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. It didn't cease. It continued for a few moments before it awoke Ryder. "I'm coming!" the frei called, floating down the hallway mid stretch. He didn't care to be disturbed, and since Reuben hadn't gotten to the door, the toadstool knew that his guardian had to be meditating or away doing something else (because heaven knows Reuben would be awake at this hour). Hair a mess, eyes half open, the frei opened the door to a delivery man who looked at him with a strange, wide eye. "Uhh, d-delivery!" "Thanks," Ryder stated annoyed, grabbing the envelope from the man's hand and closing the door, only to see him through the window a moment later running away as if he feared for his life. Geez, had he never seen a raevan before? Upon inspecting the letter, it was addressed to Reuben, of course. But why didn't the mailman just drop it through the slot? Why have a courier deliver it? It had to be important. Ryder set it on the kitchen counter and went back into his bedroom, not wishing to be disturbed any longer. "Oh my god," a soft voice came from the kitchen as Reuben read the letter.
Ryder was at the kitchen table eating a bowl of wet bark Reuben had collected on a walk earlier that morning. "Oh, yeah, you got that letter this morning. What's it say?" he asked, curiously. "M-my dad...he's dying." Ryder's eyes widened. All he knew about death was that the victim was no longer of this world, even though their physical body was. And, of course, that their physical body began to decay. He also had noted that death wasn't typically a good concept, especially of friends, family, and others that's lives are tied to yours in some way. "Okay, what're you going to do?" "My mother wants me to come visit him. Wow. I haven't heard from any of them in years." Silence filled the room. "What're you waiting for? Go," Ryder stated mid-bite. Reuben's eyes narrowed, he crinkled the letter and walked over to the trash and tossed it away, shaking his head. "No, I won't," he said, voice soft and shaky. Ryder raised a brow. It wasn't any of his business, he knew that. But he could sense something deeper was going on in his guardian's mind. And he knew that if Reuben didn't go, he'd just be miserable and mopey. If anything, Ryder knew he needed to talk to him just to alleviate that negative vibe in the house that would occur if he didn't go. With a sigh, he spoke up, "Well, you don't have to go. But wouldn't you regret it if you didn't at least try to see him one last time? I don't know a lot about your family since you've never opened up about them. I just know what little I do from the stories Calista has told me. They didn't seem like nice people from what she had to say. But, if you're just going to sit there and be angry about it, wouldn't it be good to go for a visit. Maybe get some closure, perhaps?" Reuben leaned up against the counter and sighed in return. His charge was so wise for his young age. "You're right. Let's pack up and go to Durem," the man stated as he walked to his bedroom. Ryder's eyes widened, almost spitting out his most recent bite. He didn't suggest that so he could tag along. He didn't want to go. When he swallowed the food in his mouth, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Slowly, he rose from the seat and made his way towards his own bedroom. "Why do I do this to myself?" he stated as he closed the bedroom door. "Are you ready?" Reuben asked from the threshold of Ryder's bedroom. The frei nodded as he zipped up the mushroom duffle bag Reuben had found online and just had to get. With a sigh, he threw it over his shoulder and floated to his guardian's side. With that, the two packed up the Prius and began their trek to Durem, the place in which Reuben held many terrible memories. "Gods, why am I here? I don't actually want to be here. Why the hell did I come? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," Reuben stated softly to himself as he sat parked across the street from the house in which he grew up.
Ryder rolled his eyes and shook his head, listening to his guardian go through a miniature meltdown. He gazed upon this house, which seemed pretty well-to-do. The front lawn was freshly cut and green as could be. There was a large, towering tree in the front yard that stood tall and proud, yet bare in the autumn season, yet not one dried leaf was on the ground. If anything, Ryder saw a beautiful home, one which took much care in the way they were perceived. He opened the passenger door, causing a shocked Reuben to shoot a glance at him. "What're you doing!?" Reuben shouted in shock. "We're here, right? Let's go," Ryder stated coldly as he shut the passenger door and floated around the car to the driver's side. "This is really happening. Shit. Oh my god," Reuben stated aloud. His palms were sweaty, his hands shaking. He felt as though he was about to go on the most important date of his life. This could end in either a renewed life for him and his family, or a terrible, tragic death of his father in which he never found closure. Ryder opened the door to usher out his guardian. Reuben took a deep breath before getting out and fixing his button up shirt and wiping any 'imaginary dust' from his pants. Clearing his throat, he strode across the street, Ryder in tow, up the small pathway to the front door. Knock. Knock. Knock. Three sturdy blows to the beautifully crafted wood door with exquisite glass paneling. The anticipation killed. Reuben could hardly stand the thought of his mother, or worse, his father, opening the door. A swift creak pierced the air as the door flew open. There stood none other than Reuben's brother, Pete. "You came," a deep voice spoke as a large man emerged from within the house. He looked about just about Reuben's age, and very similar, except much more brawny with a fade haircut and no glasses or stubble. Very clean cut, to say the least. "Mom! Reuben's here!" he called back into the house, opening the door wide and ushering him in. Reuben's heart raced, he was about to see the woman who birthed him, and who also disowned him all those years ago. "Y-yeah, I did. I had to," he said, turning to Ryder and waving for him to follow. "What the hell is that?" Pete stated as the two entered. "I mean, sorry. Who're you?" Ryder stayed silent, not really knowing what to do or say in that moment. Obviously this man hadn't seen a raevan before, or many extraordinary creatures that the world had to offer. "This is Ryder, my-" "Son! You're here!" a woman interrupted as she ran down the small hallway with arms open wide right into Reuben, grasping around his smaller frame and squeezing tight. "M-mom, hi." "Mom, get a load of this," the deep voice stated, pointing directly at Ryder. The woman's eyes widened bigger than Ryder had ever seen eyes go. It almost gave him the creeps, but he floated there, barely inside the doorway waiting for something, anything. Reuben opened his mouth to speak, but Rubi had beat him to it. She turned to Reuben and grabbed his arm, pinching it in turn and with a stern, quiet tone, she began to speak, "What did you bring into my house? One of your 'projects'? Is it some demon? Tell me now." Reuben's eyes narrowed, his heart raced and he could feel the adrenaline building. "No, he is my charge. My son, so to speak, and your grandson. He's a magical being called a raevan. You-" "Magic!? In MY house!? You know how this household feels about magic! I can't believe you'd do this to our sacred home. And it is not my grandson. It's filth and demonic. Now we have to have the priests come out for a cleansing! Pete, get rid of the demon, please." "Fuck you! This is one of the many reasons I left in the first place! What the hell is wrong with you!? He's a living creature just like you. He's-" "Ugh! It's disgusting is what it is. I think this was a very bad idea, summoning for you. Your father would be very disappointed." As Pete opened the door and grabbed Ryder's arm, Reuben stepped in between. "Don't you ever touch him! And you're right, this was a very, very bad idea. We're leaving. Tell dad I said hi." With that, Reuben pushed Pete off of Ryder and the frei floated out the door, a bit shaken by the sudden hostility he had never witnessed before. Reuben then stormed out of the house and straight to his car, face red with anger and tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't you ever come back!" his mother yelled from the doorway before slamming the door. Reuben shook his head as he got into the car, Ryder following suit right behind. As soon as both doors were shut, Reuben took off to home, shaken, visibly upset, and completely appalled at his mother's actions towards his charge. Ryder just stared out the window, not really knowing how to feel. He wasn't extremely upset, because he didn't care about the opinions of people he had never met. He was more saddened for Reuben having to go through a traumatic experience like that. The two had been sitting in silence the entire car ride home. As Reuben pulled up to the house and parked. He turned to Ryder and spoke, "I'm so sorry that I dragged you into that. I knew it was a bad idea to begin with. I...wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. Rubi is just a complete bitch...sorry, I just mean she's-" "A bitch. It's okay. I'm fine. I've read enough literature to realize that prejudices exist, and something two people I've never met, and probably won't ever have to see again, say doesn't affect me. I'm more sorry for you having to deal with her. Let's just get inside." Ryder definitely seemed to be growing up. All those books Reuben had bought over the past months had really been turning him into a smart young frei. He understood a lot of the world, all because he read so much. Reuben couldn't be more proud in that moment. Ryder hated going to sleep. Oftentimes he would just lay awake in bed for hours, hoping not to fall asleep. His dreams lately had been nothing but problematic for him. They were nightmares, and they didn't do him any good. He always awoke in a panic. To make matters worse, Alice wasn't there when he woke up. Of course, being fashioned from imaginations, the frei often had dreams, nightmares, and the like, depending on what he had gone through for the day. Some dreams were fantastical adventures in far away lands. Some were nightmarish horrors in the fogged dreamscape. But the one dream that kept recurring in the poor boy's mind at night was hard to forget.
The nightmare began like any other. The mirror sat across the room. The red beady orbs floated to where his eyes were while the crooked smile in the mirror opened up to allow the eerie laughter through. The frei's heart began to race, but he pursued on, allowing the laughter to continue, staring at this darkened, dim figure in the mirror with the wide mouth and red glowing orbs for eyes. Ryder lifted his hand to touch the mirror. But its reflection was not that of Ryder's hand. A dark, twisted version of his own hand was what showed itself in the glass. Confused, Ryder tapped the center of the mirror, the dark hand within it doing the same. The moment the two fingers touched, the mirror rippled like water from the center to its edges. The laughter became deeper, more dark and muddled. The unease began to set in. What had Ryder done? Suddenly, without warning, the dark hand from before burst through the center of the mirror, which rippled outward like before. The voice deep and demonic, laughing at the sheer horror on the toadstool's face. The frei quickly floated backward and jumped back into bed, his breath short and the fear very apparent in his being. The demonic arm continued to stretch out of the mirror until finally, the long, jagged fingers grabbed ahold of the frei's arm. They held tight as the frei tried to get free. He tried to pry the fingers from his arm, to no avail. Then, the frei felt the tug on his arm, pulling him towards the mirror. Ryder screamed, but nothing escaped his lips. He closed his eyes tightly and the tugging stopped. The pressure of the fingers on his skin dissipated. He opened his eyes to see the ceiling above him, his covers completely drenched in sweat. He sat up quickly, noticing a sharp pain on his arm. The frei looked down to see nothing but a dark bruise formed on his arm. It was then that reality set in. He was no longer dreaming. The eerie laughter wasn't there, the room wasn't as reddish and dark. It was just his plain, real life room. But there on his arm was the proof. His proof that the dream he had just endured, was real. Reuben was running around the house like a chicken with it's head cut off. Getting everything cleaned and ready for the party. Even though the gathering was literally just Evan and Calista, he wanted the evening to be perfect. The winter solstice was upon them. Plus, Calista and Evan hadn't had a very close relationship ever since the falling out months prior. Evan and Reuben had only just began truly connecting again, hanging out during the weekends, spending time with each other whenever possible. The entire time just being 'buddies', although Reuben couldn't help but think of it as more than that.
Ryder stayed put in his bedroom, because as he had realized, when Reuben was going crazy cleaning, it was best to stay away. After all, he didn't want to be put to work, and he knew that he would be told to do something to help if he was even seen. As the night continued, the guests arrived, and Ryder was told to come out and be courteous and spend time with everyone. As it was, Ryder did as he was instructed. He played the 'outgoing kid', and tried to be as "normal" as he could. The night went on, and Ryder was socially and mentally exhausted. Trying to be outgoing and act like he wanted to be there was the hardest thing to do. He'd much rather be in his room reading or...well...even attempting to practice magic. But he couldn't, for if he wasn't socializing, Reuben would be angry. Thus, the Winter Solstice passed. The cold came and went. But around the Rothmore fireplace, friends gathered to enjoy a day of peace in a rather solemn time. An entire month had passed since his last nightmare. Each night before bed, Ryder would stay up late, staring down at his small bruise where the hand had pulled and grabbed him. It was sore a few days after the initial incident, but after the pain subsided, it was just ugly to look at. Pale white skin surrounded the blue tinted handprint. With each passing day, the blue became lighter and lighter, turning a grayish peach, and finally, his pale skin with the colorful freckles returned after a few weeks.
Every night still, he would stay up long after laying down in bad, staring down at the spot his arm was attacked, and from there staring at the ceiling, afraid to even fall asleep because of the fear behind that nightmare. He hoped it wouldn't return, it was the worst feeling in the world. Of course, the frei hadn't thought to tell Reuben, or anyone for that matter, about this nightmare. He didn't want to worry anyone, and seeing how Reuben acted in some circumstances didn't make Ryder feel all that comfortable sharing. So, he kept it to himself, hoping that it would stop and never return. Hours passed and sleep began to beckon. The weight on his lashes were far too heavy to sustain. Sleep had won. The dreamscape began hazy, blurred. But soon enough his focus returned, allowing the frei to witness the disturbing blip and ripple of the mirror. It was almost as though he wasn't in control of his body any longer. This nightmare began basically where the last left off. As the mirror rippled outward, the dark hand burst from the glass, grabbing hold of the toadstool's arm once again. The red orbs staring into the depths of his soul, the cackle emitting an eerie echo about the room. Ryder could feel the tugging on his arm, the immense pressure and pulling. The arm pulled through a shoulder and finally, a head burst forth from the mirror, the red floating orbs following suit as eyes, the widespread smile popping out from the mirror to be visible in the real world. More and more of the dark creature's body was being pulled from the mirror, and Ryder seemed stunned, he wasn't in control. He was stuck in place as a post to be tugged at and pulled on to save this creature from it's mirror prison. Once the dark figure was fully free, it let go of his arm, and Ryder looked up to see nothing but a dark, looming shadow of himself with deep red glowing eyes and a wide, sharp toothed smile. It was himself, a dark shadow self. A stinging pain emitted from his arm, and the pain throbbed and throbbed. The shadow cackled again, and Ryder finally felt as though his dream was coming to an end. As the raevan opened his eyes, he quickly sat up in bed, gasping for breath. Fear filled his eyes as he glanced around the room. The throbbing pain of his dreams still emitting in reality. He looked down at his arm, only to see a deep cut and dark bruise. It was a stinging pain. He quickly floated into the bathroom to clean up the cut and wrap it like he was taught to do when such a thing had happened. Once he calmed down and the wound was cared for, questions began to fill his mind. What was happening? Why were his nightmares becoming reality? Why were they happening in the first place? Should he even alert his guardian? It was time to do some research. ◈ WHO: Pohl, Ryder, & Reuben (Smerdle & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Almost sunset on January 10, 2018 ◈ WHERE: Outside somewhere... ◈ WEATHER: Clear and cold. |