It was a wet and sleepy Sunday morning in the city. Only a few cars rolled up and down the streets at this hour. Of course there are a few places that are up and ready to take on the day. One of those places was the 'Fluer De Grande' flower shop. A young lady could be seen dragging a large garbage bag out towards the back alley's dumpster. She heaved the thing in and leaned against the dumpster to regain her breath. Her long white hair was damp from the rain.
A long sigh escaped her lips as her mind lingered on a reoccurring dream she had been having for the past few days. She was falling, no gliding among the tall buildings. It was terrifying yet thrilling at the same time. It was almost like the wind was playing with her. Picking her up and letting her fall over and over again. She had been having this dream for almost a week and they were all she could talk about to the people at work and her aunt who was the only family she ever knew. Now done with the trash, the girl went back into the shop and pulled her apron from the hook near the door. The embroidery over the chest read 'Elly' in silvery wispy lettering.
It was the weekend so she wouldn't need any help opening the shop that day. They hardly had any customers before noon so it allowed for her to get a lot of prep-work done. She had already swept the floors and threw out the old wilted plants that didn't sell along with the trimmings from dressing other plants. Now she had the task of tidying up, which was where she would meticulously comb over the displays to see if anything needed to be cleaned or adjusted. Once everything appeared to be in order, she slowly sat behind the bar with a large cup of coffee. There was something about Sunday mornings that was so relaxing to Elly, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.[IC] Human-Born (1x1) [oOWonderKinOo]x[XxLyraxX]
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oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
It was a wet and sleepy Sunday morning in the city. Only a few cars rolled up and down the streets at this hour. Of course there are a few places that are up and ready to take on the day. One of those places was the 'Fluer De Grande' flower shop. A young lady could be seen dragging a large garbage bag out towards the back alley's dumpster. She heaved the thing in and leaned against the dumpster to regain her breath. Her long white hair was damp from the rain.
A long sigh escaped her lips as her mind lingered on a reoccurring dream she had been having for the past few days. She was falling, no gliding among the tall buildings. It was terrifying yet thrilling at the same time. It was almost like the wind was playing with her. Picking her up and letting her fall over and over again. She had been having this dream for almost a week and they were all she could talk about to the people at work and her aunt who was the only family she ever knew. Now done with the trash, the girl went back into the shop and pulled her apron from the hook near the door. The embroidery over the chest read 'Elly' in silvery wispy lettering.
It was the weekend so she wouldn't need any help opening the shop that day. They hardly had any customers before noon so it allowed for her to get a lot of prep-work done. She had already swept the floors and threw out the old wilted plants that didn't sell along with the trimmings from dressing other plants. Now she had the task of tidying up, which was where she would meticulously comb over the displays to see if anything needed to be cleaned or adjusted. Once everything appeared to be in order, she slowly sat behind the bar with a large cup of coffee. There was something about Sunday mornings that was so relaxing to Elly, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
”I think you’ve wiped that table enough. Anymore and it will start to erode away.”
The sudden voice jolted Raven out of the thoughts that had been stealing his attention. The boy glanced up from the booth table to see Jack standing in front of him. His uncle stood at a good six feet with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. His legs were long and lean which allowed him to move and move fast. The man had a strong jaw with prominent cheekbones and full lips. His eyebrows, set over bright blue orbs, were bushy. Jack had one eyebrow raised, staring at his adopted nephew with an inquisitive look, wondering what it was that had distracted Raven so. Normally the boy was very focused but over the past few days Jack noticed that Raven’s concentration seemed to be elsewhere.
”Are you feeling alright Raven? You've been in a daze all morning.
Raven straightened, rag still clenched in his hand. ”I apologize Uncle. I assure you I am fine.” Jack’s eyebrow raised even higher at that statement. ”Fine? Now don’t give me that lad, you are most certainly not fine. Or are those bags under your eyes simply a new fashion statement?” Raven’s hand subconsciously reached up to touch the bruise-colored mark under his right eye. Yes, he would admit that they looked bad when he had seen his reflection in the mirror this morning but it was just lack of sleep. He told his uncle as much. ”It’s fine. I just haven’t been sleeping as well as I normally do.”
He did not know why he did not want to tell his uncle the reason he had been getting so little sleep but he wanted to figure it out on his own. The dream was his problem and he didn’t need to burden his uncle with anymore worry, especially since things were hectic at the bar with them losing a few workers and having to up the work load.
Jack frowned, sensing that there was something that Jack wasn’t telling him. ”Are you sure? Because you know that you can talk to me about anything that is bothering you.” Raven gave him uncle a forced smile. ”If anything does come up I’ll be sure to some to you.” Jack stared at the boy for a few moments before sighing, realizing that this was all that he was going to be able to get out of Raven. He nodded and told the boy that he would be in the office if he needed him before heading off.
With his uncle no longer hovering over his shoulder Jack returned to wiping down the tables, mind returning to his problem at hand. That dream. That strange dream. He just couldn’t make heads or tails of it. For the past few days he had been having a dream where he is under water. In the dream the water had been so clear that he could see for miles on all side. He had seen the surface simmering above him but no matter how hard he had tried he just couldn’t reach it. The really odd thing was that he could breathe and that his clothes remained strangely dry though he could feel the currants dancing around him. Eventually, he would be able to see a dark mass slowly swimming towards him but he always wakes up before he could catch a glimpse at what it might be. It made him curious and he could just not stop thinking about it. But he hadn’t realized he had been that lost in thought until Jack had said something. He really should stop it, it wasn’t good to be absent-minded when there was work to be done.
With that thought strongly in his mind he forced himself away from the mystery and back into the present. He cast a look around. The bar part of the establishment didn’t open until after five but the restaurant portion opened at around seven. It was generally slow in the mornings and didn’t pick up until lunch time. Which was why Raven and Sal were the only two waiters until Ryan and Sarah clocked in at eleven. Speaking of Sal, where was he? Raven scanned the area and finally spotted the boy taking an order from a man in a suit. Realizing that he had spent way too long wiping tables, Raven put away the rag and took out his notepad as he made his way over to one of the regulars. ”Good morning James. What will you be having this morning.” He said as he approached the old gentleman. James grinned at him, the gap where his two front teeth used to be showing prominently. ”How many times have I told you Raven, call me Jim. And I will have my usual, like always.”
Raven nodded as he scribbled down the order of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast with a cup of coffee. ”Anyway Raven, are you alight? You’re looking a little worse for wear there.” Raven smiled cordially and repeated the same answer he had given his uncle. Jim looked skeptically at him for a moment. Before he could interrogate him even further, Raven bowed his head and hurried over to give the cook the order.
”Oi, Raven. Come’ere.” Raven turned when he heard his uncles’ voice and saw him standing by the bar, beckoning him over. Raven sighed and made his way over. ”Yes?” He asked, brushing his bangs out of his face. ”I need you to run an errand for me. Here are directions to the place and the order.” The man replied, handing Raven a piece of paper. ”Errand? What kind of errand?” ”Flowers. I need you to go pick-up some flowers. I placed the order yesterday and it should be ready.” Raven blinked. ”Flowers? Whatever for?” ”To put on the tables, what else? This place could use some bright colors.” ”But it’s only Sal and I, I just can’t leave to wait tables by himself.” Jack raised an eyebrow. ”There are only two customers here and besides, I can step in if need be. Now get going.” He replied, giving Raven a gentle shove in the direction of the door.
Raven sighed as he took off his apron and hung it up before heading outside into the rain. He pulled his hood up as he glanced down at the directions his uncle gave him. He sighed once more before turning right and walking down the sidewalk. A few wrong turns later he finally managed to locate the flower shop. He pushed open the door, a cheery bell signaling his arrival as he shoved his hood down and approached the counter.GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
Cars rolled by the shop with a gentle hiss from the wet roads. Elly sighed with her gaze looking over her steamy cup of coffee and out the shop window. Over the view of well kept flowers, and across the road, was a small bench with an overhang and a reflective wall that showed a murky image of the shop. She would stare at the vague image almost as if she was looking into a portal or alternate dimension. It would be a place where things would be similar but different. A place where the air would dance like it did in her dreams.
With that thought, she slipped into a memory of how her dreams often began. Elly would be either on a high balcony of a classy hotel, a rooftop of a tall business building or another place where she could see for miles and miles. The air would push past her with a wild aggression. It would rush over her again and again, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. At first, she would be terrified and tried to fight against her elemental aggressor, but only to be struck with another power blast of wind. There were times where she would fall backwards and other times where she would fall face first. The first fall of the dream would always seem new and terrible. She would scream and look down at the ground growing closer and closer unable to tear her eyes away. Then, the same powerful gusts of wind would save her. It was like some sentient force was within the wind or perhaps it was a living thing. Elly would rise high into the air and fall like a leaf, but a sign that the dream was about to end would be whispers on the wind. They would first be very faint like the sound of rustling leaves, but they would grow louder and louder. It seemed like each time she had a dream, the whispering was getting closer to actual words. It was almost like someone was trying to tell her something.
Elly looked down and blinked seeing she had drank all her coffee whilst in the midst of her daydream. She hurried to the sink in the back of the shop to rinse it out. There was also a notepad and a cordless phone that rested near the counter where they would dress the flowers. There were rows of different ribbons and ties. They kept different vases in another room for fear of breaking them. She looked over the list of orders by the phone and made sure there weren't any orders that had been overlooked. Nothing seemed to be out of place.
The high tone of the bell chimed through the shop. She looked around the doorway to see a young man stepping out of the rain and up to the counter. "Hello!" She smiled while walking from the back room to greet him. "Is there anything I might assist you with today?" It was the normal scripted response she told people when they entered the shop. It was so reflexive that she would say it even if someone who worked there walked in.
Aquamarine eyes glanced around as they took in his surroundings. He didn’t come to shops like these much, having no need for flowers or other plant life. Why his uncle wanted to add flowers to the tables when it looked fine as it was escaped Raven’s understanding. Yet, it was Jack’s bar and he could add hot pink stools and put glitter all over the walls if he wanted. Raven sincerely hoped it didn’t come to that because knowing Jack, he would keep with the theme and make them wear pink aprons or something. Raven would rather not have suffer that so if Jack was walking safe lines and using flowers to decorate the place then Raven would gladly acquire as many flowers as his uncle desired.
The scent of flowers filled the air though it wasn’t unusual since it was a flower shop. Thankfully Raven wasn’t allergic to pollen or he would be in trouble with the number flowers filling the place. As he continued to look around he noted how well kept it was. No petals scattered about the floor and the vases were neatly arranged. All in all it was a nice establishment, just not one he had real need for.
”Hello! Is there anything I might assist you with today?”
The piping up of a voice drew him from his investigation of the shop and turned his attention towards the counter. A girl around his age was standing there and he approached her, that piece of paper still clenched into his hand. ”Yes. I am here to pick up an order for Jackson Perce. He said he received a call yesterday that stated the order was ready for pick-up.” He said, tucking the paper into his pocket.
Suddenly, his phone rang and he pulled it from his back-pocket, checking the screen before answering it.
”Where are you lad?”
”You told me to pick up flowers, remember?”
”I know but I need you to get back here right now. It seems all of the church across the street decided to have breakfast at the same time and Sal and I are swamped.”
Raven sighed through his nose before telling his uncle he would be there soon then turned to the girl. ”I’m gonna need that order quickly. I’m terribly sorry about this.” He uttered.
He stood there waiting patiently and when he was handed the order, however long that took, he would then bow his head to the girl before turning towards the door and heading out into the drizzle.
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
"That's fine! I understand." She smiled politely and hurried to the back room with the order slip. "Hmmm Perce Perce..." She muttered to herself looking over the completed orders in the refrigerator. The order was a large cardboard box and another small one. Within the boxes were different assortments of spring flowers that were wrapped and carefully placed in order to reduce damage to them during their trip. The larger box was a little heavy for her, so it took a moment for her to heave it up and bring it to the counter. Elly tried her best to let the box down gently on the counter. "You guys paid in advance so, here ya go." She pushed the box closer to him. "Be careful ok? It's getting worse out there." When the young man reached down to take the box from counter, Elly's fingers brushed against his causing a strange tingly sensation to travel up her arm and throughout her body. "Whoa!" She breathed looking up at him. Was her eyes playing tricks on her or did the boys eyes seem to be brighter than before. It was almost as if they were glowing blue orbs resting in his head rather than eyes.
"Sorry about that! I didn't mean to zap you." She laughed off the strangeness of the situation and opened the door for him since his arms were now full with his order. Elly's eyes followed the guy as he walked away and disappeared into the rainy distance. So strange, she looked down at the hand that brushed his. She excused it for static electricity but it didn't feel quite like that. It was like a chill that started from her fingertips and rushed throughout her body. Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she stepped back into the shop's back room only to spot a small cardboard box. "Seriously?!" She exclaimed taking the box and flipping the sign around to say 'We're closed'. She left a note to one of the other workers saying that she stepped out to take a delivery that had been left behind and would be back shortly. After locking up the shop, hurried after him. Careful not to shake the flower up too much, Elly walked with a brisk pace. Though she was only walking, she passed a couple people jogging which caused them to give her a double take. Her thoughts were on returning the order to their buyer rather than taking notice to how fast she was moving. Spotting the back of the boys shirt, she tried to pick up the pace without running for fear of hurting the flower. "Hey! You forgot the small box!" She called.
Raven walked slowly down the street, mind not really focused on where he was going. He was stuck on the odd occurrence that happened in the flower shop. He could have sworn that for a second after their hands had touched that her eyes had started glowing white. Like, the pupil completely disappeared and the eye was a solid color. It was rather freaky but it was probably because he was tired and was just seeing things. It had to be that because he was pretty sure human eyes were not supposed to do that unless of course someone was wearing contacts or something but that was beside the point. And what was up with that strange feeling that happened when their hands touched? The girl had laughed it off as just her shocking him but he didn’t think that was it. It didn’t feel like a static shock, it was more in the tingling category. It felt like for a moment like ice water had been injected directly into his veins. He could still feel the aftereffects even now and he just couldn’t figure out what could have caused it.
”Hey! Watch where you’re going!”
The sudden loud voice started Raven out of his revere and he managed to lurch to the side just in time to miss a pedestrian walking down the sidewalk. He glanced down anxiously at the flowers, hoping they were still intact and breathing a sigh of relief to find that they were. He raised his head to apologize to the man he almost collided with but he was nowhere to be found. Raven sighed, shook his head and continued on his way but the ringing of his cell phone stopped him before he could get very far. He stepped up against a shop so he wouldn’t get run over by the other people traversing the city and juggled the box of flowers around so he could fish his phone out of his pocket. After a few close calls where the box almost slipped out of his arms, Raven finally pulled the shrill device from the depths and answered it slightly breathlessly.
”Where are you?”
”Calm down, I have the flowers and I’m on my way. How bad is it?”
”Bad. A family of six showed up along with about five or six elderly couples. Please tell me you’re close.”
”I’m a few minutes away but I’m not getting any closer with you keeping me here talking on the phone.”
”Smartass. Fine, see you in a few.”
With that Jack hung up and Raven was struggling to put his phone back into his pocket when a call gave him pause. He turned back the way he came, phone half-way into his pocket. He felt a jolt of surprise run through him when he recognized the flower shop keeper was power-walking towards him. As soon as she got closer he realized what it was she had called to him and he blinked, looking down at the small box in her hands. ”Hey thanks. It would have sucked to get all the way back to the restaurant only to realize I forgot part of the order. I’m sorry you had to bring it all the way here though.”
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
Elly gave another kind nod then waved him off again. Looking at the guy made her feel sorry for him. She knew the name of the business and it was very popular. Flower shops only saw tons of people at once for things like holidays, birthdays, prom, weddings or business socials. Plus, it was a Sunday. She would either have small orders or the occasional walk in where someone wanted to grab a quick bouquet for their love or dear family member.
The door was still locked and no one was waiting out in front, which simply showed how slow their weekend mornings were. The bell chimed happily, the sign flipped back over to say that they were open. Elly reached out for her apron only to notice that she forgot to take it off. The peace and calm of the flower shop was something she knew she took for granted. There were days where it was tense but it was not near as bad as other places like restaurants or bars. People usually came and left unless they were picking out flowers for a wedding. Glancing over the store once again, she took her place behind the counter and pulled out some scissors and some paper.
During slow days like this, she would make paper flowers. To the people who worked at the shop and saw flowers everyday, the act of receiving them as a gift seemed more like an act of laziness. It was always easy to buy flowers from work and give them to someone, but it often lacked a intimate touch. That feeling that the person really put a lot of thought into it before making the purchase. This was what drew Elly to making paper flowers. They required a lot of time and practice to make. Depending on what it was, the process would take days or weeks. Lately, she had been making small paper roses to give to the other people who worked with her. They could pin them to their aprons without fear of them dying or having to bear the putrid fake fragrance that was often put on plastic flowers.
Elly placed her iphone into a speaker system and poked at the screen until the internet radio turned on. The shop filled with the soft melodies of some new age song. She was a firm believer in mood music as well as vibrations from either talking or music helped keep plants healthy. The song picked up in beat causing her to hum along happily. What she wasn't aware of was the small bits of freshly cut paper were twitching and moving slowly across the counter. The pieces slid off the edge as if caught by a very gentle breeze, but there were no fans on or air conditioning on at the moment. The breeze seemed to have no origin, but it continued to carry the spare paper petals across the shop. Elly, who was cutting and placing the petals she was currently working with, was too preoccupied to notice the other missing petals.
Raven watched the girl turn and walk away, back in the direction of the shop. He didn’t know what it was but there was something…different about her that he just couldn’t put his finger on. Deciding he didn’t need yet another mystery to keep him up at night, Raven put the matter out of his mind and continued on his way. He reached The Silver Dragon and spent a few minutes trying to juggle the two boxes in order to open the door. Finally, an elderly couple took pity on him and opened the door for him. After them a smiling of gratitude Raven headed inside, ears immediately noticing the sound volume of the room.
His uncle wasn’t joking, business had indeed pick up in the time he had been gone. Raven’s bright blue eyes scanned the floor, seeing Sal over by a family of six. He then spotted Jack over by a few church-goers. As the man turned he spotted Raven standing over by the register. ”Oh thank god. Stow those boxes in my office and get back out here, I need you covering table five through seven.” Raven nodded and did as he was asked before grabbing his apron. He headed over to three elderly woman and asked them what they would like to drink. After a few minutes of them criticizing his hair color, Raven finally managed to get their beverage order and quickly made his escape.
Their peach tea was made, Raven delivered the glasses and had to suffer a few more minutes as they kept trying to get a breakfast on a discount. They just didn’t seem to understand that while the pancake combo was on discount last week, it wasn’t on a discount this week. After explaining it about five times they finally relented and ordered scrambled eggs and bacon instead.
He let out a sigh as he gave their order to the kitchen and turned only to crash into Sal while he was carrying a tray of water. With a loud crash and the sound of braking glass, Raven was knocked to the floor with the water spilling all over him. Sal, in a flustered manner quickly apologized and gathered up the broken glass and disappeared into the kitchen. Raven sighed once more and sat up, dreading the fact that he would have to spend the rest of his shift soaking wet. He then noticed something weird. The floor around him was covered in water but he himself was perfectly dry. ”What the-“
”Raven! Clean that up and then get back out here!”
Raven just shook his head in a confused manner and climbed to his feet, going off to find a mob. Why in the world was he dry? He should have been completely drenched in water but he wasn’t. It reminded him about his dream, where he had stayed dry even though he was underwater. What in the world was going on? First that weird event with the flower shop girl and now this. Was he going crazy? Was the lack of sleep finally taking its toll on him?
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
Like always, more people popped in and out of the shop around the afternoon. Some people were just browsing with excited whispers like, "If I were to get married, I would have this color but in orchids.". These types of conversations affected Elly differently depending on the day. Some times, she would find it funny, but other days, she would find it rather annoying. "Why don't you have any natural aqua colored daisies?" Asked one woman who seemed to be upset. "I'm sorry, they aren't in very high demand and the ones we sell aren't naturally grown that way." Elly explained calmly.
"What do you mean they aren't grown naturally? Flowers grow in every color don't they?" This notion that their shop had a secret cache of natural flowers with every color, shade and hue imaginable was something that all those who worked at the shop had to suffer. Not wanting to be rude, Elly explained that they would have to order that particular kind of daisy if she was willing to wait a few days. This didn't seem to go over well either. The woman looked very much like an over decorated bird who had just been ruffled the wrong way.
"I know the owner of this shop and she would go to great lengths to see her customers satisfied." She sniffed.
Elly raised an eyebrow at her and sighed,"I'm terribly sorry, the soonest date I can get those daisies here for you is a little less than a week from now."
"Tcht! You should have had them here in the first place! Aqua is a natural spring color! All the other shops have aqua decor!" The woman began shouting.
She wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that this woman thought there was a flower for every color under the son or the fact that her shop not having a her particular color appear out of thin air was a crime. Then the woman mentioned her aunt who owned the place. Of course she would go to great lengths to see a customer happy. She would probably do what Elly was doing now, which was trying to get the flowers sent to them as soon as possible. The door chimed again and a tall thin woman with dreaded hair pulled back with a large rubber band entered the shop while tying her apron on. The stitched on name read, 'Hyacinth'.
"Hi Ell!" She smiled then it quickly disappeared when she saw the purple faced woman at the front counter. "Oh boy.." the girl whispered skating behind the counter next to Elly.
"Well, I guess I'll take my business to a more competent shop!", the woman roared intentionally being loud so that everyone was watching.
"I'll call the owner and tell her what horrible service I received! I'm never recommending this terrible place to anyone at my business social." With that, the woman stormed out. Both Elly and Hyacinth stood perfectly still as well as the couple of people who were still browsing. Several seconds passed, then Elly felt it was safe to breath again. "Yeeesh! It's the weekend, why get your undies in a bunch over plants anyway?" Hyacinth sighed trying to lighten the mood. She gave Elly a pat on the back then spotted the small set of paper roses. "Ahh you made more!"
Elly blushed a little and tried to squeeze out a small laugh after receiving a verbal assault from a very displeased customer.
"Roses are getting easier to make than tulips." She grinned wiping bits of paper into her hand to put in the trash.
"Do you mind if I step out for a sec Hye? I just need to shake 'that' off for a bit."
"Only if I get to keep this one!" Hyacinth chimed holding up a particularly well crafted paper flower.
"Sure, it's yours"
Elly stepped out the back entrance where the dumpster was along with a few storage crates that used to house vases and large wheels of wire. They had already been stored in the back of the shop somewhere. "I know the owner of the shop! I can't believe you don't have any aqua colored daisies" Elly mocked while kicking the dumpster. People did not seem to understand that their shop was NOT this fantastical place where all you could find all of your botanical dreams come true. People like that woman made Elly seriously wish should could get a job that didn't deal with the public.
She huffed and paraded around the back alley in an exaggerated version of the woman. The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt. She kicked the dumpster again, but this time a gust of wind cut up against the side of the dumpster and pulled the cover back for a moment only to have it smash back down loudly. Elly looked up the ally way then back down. A freak wind gust? As soon as it came, it went. This was a pleasant distraction though. It had successfully taken her mind of things. "Everything ok out here?" Called Hyacinth.
"Yea! I'm coming back in" Not thinking twice about it, she hurried back into the shop.
As the crowd picked up, the water incident was put to the back of his mind as he ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Thankfully, when Sarah and Ryan clocked in the mad rush died down slightly though it picked right back up as a large lunch crowd spilled through the doors. He didn’t know if it was lack of sleep or simply he was having an off day but Raven found himself messing up orders and almost running into the other waiters as the day dragged on. After nearly colliding with Sal who had been carrying three bowls of soup, Jack finally sent Raven to the kitchen to help with the cooking and the dishes.
Raven sighed deeply into the soapy water his arms were currently submerged in, he gazed down at the sink. The accident from earlier crept back into his mind as he frowned thoughtfully. He scooped a small handful of water up and flung it at his shirt before he could second-guess himself. The water hit him in the chest and he yelp as the water soaked the front of his apron.
”You’ll wanna be careful there Raven, nothings more uncomfortable than wet clothes.” Pete, the cook spoke up as he eyed Raven from his station at the stove. Even he had noticed how tired the boy looked but he knew that if Raven didn’t want him to know he wouldn’t get a peep out of the boy. And so he let the lad be and turned back to the orders filing in. Raven gazed down at the dark stain, perplexed. Had he simply imagined what had had happened earlier. His eyes then fell on the bin next to the stove. Glinting at the top of the pile was none other than the broken glass from the mugs that had been dropped. No, he couldn’t have imagined it because that would mean he was having a seriously crazy hallucination.
He continued washing the dishes, wondering if he was truly losing his mind. As the day continued to mosey on by, Raven grew more and more frustrated as he kept making mistakes. By the time his shift was over he was ready to punch something. He gave a curt good-bye to Jack and escaped out the door before the man could catch him. He sucked in a lung-full of the air before releasing it slowly and tucking his hands into his pockets as he headed in the direction of his house. After a few minutes he unlocked the door, calling out a greeting. There was a scampering of feet and soon his kitten, Blaze came barreling into the living room and threw himself at Raven’s feet as soon as his shoes had been kicked off.
Raven chuckled and scooped up the feline, petting his head. ”Well hello to you too.” Kitten tucked into his arms Raven made his way to the kitchen, flicking lights on as he went. As he opened the cabinet, Blaze perked his ears up; knowing exactly what it was that Raven was reaching for. The kitten was placed onto the floor along with a bowl of wet-food. Raven crouched there a moment, petting his pet’s back. ”Blaze, do you think I’m crazy?” He murmured. The soot black kitten paused in his eating and looked as his master with large blue eyes, giving a meow as he licked his lips and went back to chowing down.
The boy smiled as he stood. ”I don’t know if that was supposed to be comforting but I’m going to take it for what I will.” He then exited the kitchen and headed to the bathroom. After a long soak in the tub, a sandwich for dinner and a little bit of TV., Raven headed to bed. He placed Blaze on the bed and the kitten curled up on his pillow. Raven smiled and laid down after shifting the feline over a little bit. He received a disgruntled mew in return and he laughed as he turned out the light, settling under the blankets as his mind started fading away into dreamland.
The water shimmered around him, bubbles escaping his mouth and floating to the surface. Like he did every time in this dream, he panicked and struggled to reach the surface before it dawned on him that he could breathe just fine. He floated there for a few moments, soon realizing that his clothes were perfectly dry. He frowned, looking around the crystal waters that encased him. Suddenly, something brushed passed him and he jerked back. His eyes widened and his mouth opened in a silent scream, his mother’s dead eyes staring back on his lifelessly.
He floundered back, eyes wheeling wildly as his heart thumped erratically in his chest. In the distance, a black shape was slowly swimming towards him. Already panicked, Raven turned around only to meet the glazed over eyes of his father as the body bobbed gently in front of him. Another scream welled up inside him…
And this time it did escape, echoing around the house as he bolted into an upright position. He panted heavily, eyes wheeling around frantically as his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest. ”J-Just…Just a dream…It was just a dream..” He whispered in a hoarse voice, clicking on the bedside lamp. As the golden glow filled the room, Raven felt himself calm. He wiped a hand over his face, feeling even more tired than when he had laid down. He glanced at his phone and groaned at the time. 4:05 a.m. stared up at him from the illuminated screen. Knowing he wasn’t going back to sleep any time soon, Raven swung his legs over to the side of the bed and stood. As he did a hiss emitted from under his bed.
Frowning, Raven knelt down and looked under the skirt. Blaze crouched there, spine arched and hair standing on end. It took a few minutes for Raven to coax his startled pet out from his sanctuary but he finally managed it and he petted Blaze soothingly as he made his way to the living room. He laid down and turned on the T.V. onto the news and reclined there. Before he knew it his eyes had slid shut and he fell fast asleep. He woke up a few hours later and with a glance at the clock on the wall and a muttered curse, he jumped to his feet and dressed as fast as he could.
He locked up the house and sped towards his work. He received a reprimanding look from Jack when he arrived at last, out of breath but the man left him be as he clocked in. Raven stood there a moment, catching his breath before grabbing his apron and starting the day.
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
The rest of the evening went on without a hitch. Hyacinth and Elly closed up the shop together, then Elly made sure that Hyacinth got on to her bus safely. After locking the shop up, she made her way to her apartment above. Her cell-phone chimed and it was her aunt. Taking a deep breath, she answered. "I'm guessing that you got a very angry customer today?" Her aunt sighed across the line.
"I doubt you guessed it. She contacted you right?"
"Yea.." There was a long pause between the both of them. Elly could hear her aunt breathing on the other side of the line. "I tried to get her the blue tinted daisies she wanted but they had to be ordered." There was a tone like she was trying to make some sort of excuse for what happened though she knew she did the most she could with the situation. "Yea, I know. You did what you could. Do you think we should order some and keep them in the shop for a couple weeks? Maybe we can use that woman's aggravation to our advantage."
"Do you really think people would buy them?" Elly asked sighing softly while tossing a microwave dinner in for a couple minutes. "We can order a small case of them and see how it goes." The thought that the shop was actually going to have badly colored daisies because of that impossible woman made Elly want to kick something. Trying to stay calm ,she asked. "You want me to order them tonight or tomorrow morning?"
"Tomorrow is fine." There was another long pause. It was hard to talk about things other than work. Aside from the shop, there wasn't much to their relationship. "Well," Elly yawned. "I'll text you once the order has been finalized."
"That sounds good. Good night Elly"
"Night" Pressing the end button on her iphone screen, Elly tipped her head back and let out a loud aggravated groan.
After a long hot shower, Elly stepped into her room. It was filled with little decorations that one would see in gardening sections and flower shops. There was a few wind chimes tinkling lightly as she passed, some sun catchers around her windows and a different assortment of stone figures like toads and turtles. Sinking into her bed after a long day was wonderful. Sleep would come rather easily that night. Her dreams where the same as before. She was moving about like some sort of airborne spirit when the whispering started. "oming..." She heard. Then she woke up. The wind chimes were sounded more so than normal and she looked towards the windows to see if she had accidentally left them open. She had not.
The shop opened again bright and early but this time Hyacinth was there to help her. Still drowsy, she waved to her co-worker and started a pot of coffee. "You look like she just came out of a coma." Her friend joked while carefully pinning one of Elly's paper roses on to her apron. "Yea. Have you ever had one of those dreams that seemed to last a long time and when you wake up you feel tired?"
"Yea?"
"I guess that's what it is. I had a long dream" Elly sighed. She didn't want to share this morning though. Getting onto the computer for a moment, Elly clicked for google and typed in the name of one of their greenhouses. "What is it? Did the boss ask you to order something?" Hyacinth had a knack for guessing things like that. "Yea, I have to order a case or two of those horribly colored blue-tinted daisies."
"No way. That hag called her?"
"Yep, and she thinks we should at least try to see if they'll sell." They both sighed. Elly finished the order and texted her aunt once it confirmed. 'Thanks' was her response.
The day moved on at a steady pace. Elly and Hyacinth took turns watching the front of the shop while the other worked on prep. Elly had been preparing vases with different varieties of flowers and decorated them with warm pastel colored ribbon. Spring, thought it was a time for bright colors, there were also more subtle ones like pastels. She huffed thinking about that horrible woman from the day before. It really urked her thinking that they were going to have those horrid things on display just because that woman whined to the shop owner. Thinking about it caused Elly to tie a ribbon too tightly making it pucker in an unattractive way.
"Hey Ell! Wanna get some air and grab us some lunch?" Called Hyacinth from the front of the store. "Sure, where from?"
"Let's try that Silver Dragon place." Shrugging, she took off her apron and grabbed her phone. "I don't really know what they have there." Elly frowned walking up to the front counter with her friend.
Hyacinth nodded. "Just call me when you get there and tell me what they have ok?"
"Sounds like a plan."
Elly stepped out of the shop and took a bus towards the restaurant. All evidence of rain had been long since dried up. More people were bustling about since it was lunch hour. This now occurred to Elly that the place might be packed with lunch rush people. She was just about to call Hyacinth when she sighed. It would be a nice long break from the shop. Instead she decided that she would text her if it took a long time.
Hopping off the bus, she walked a little ways before reaching the restaurant. The thick smell of cooked food filled her nostrils and she smiled. Now she was hungry.
The morning had been a busy one, much more so with people having to go to work and stopping in for a quick coffee and a bite to eat. Raven still felt dead on his feet, another sleepless night weighing down on him. He didn’t know what was causing these dreams and last nights had been particularly harsh. He used to have nightmares about the boat accident when he was younger but they had stopped bothering him. Until last night. He honestly didn’t know why he had dreamed about his parents last night so suddenly. And that black shape had been there too. He wondered why.
Gah, so many questions and not enough answers. Raven shook his head sharply, scolding himself. Now was not the time to get lost inside his head. Sal had called in sick and Jack had been unable to get Sarah and Ryan to come in early because they had school or other business to attend to. Jack himself was buried under paperwork and so it all fell onto Raven to wait the tables. And of course it seemed like every person that normally came in for a coffee all decided to come in at the exact same time.
If Raven thought he had ran around like a chicken with its head cut off yesterday he was sorely mistaken as he struggled to carry a tray laden with mugs of hot coffee. He had to walk slowly so he wouldn’t spill anything and he was given grief about it when he arrived at the tables. The customers were cranky at having to be up so early and they all seemed to think that they were the only one he was serving. Thankfully after the morning rush was over things calmed down. He was able to take a breather and eat a quick bite to eat since he hadn’t been able to eat breakfast in his mad rush to get out of the house.
He then groaned when he realized he had forgotten to feed Blaze. The kitten wasn’t going to let him forget it anytime soon. The last time Raven had accidentally forgotten to feed the feline, Blaze had shredded every magazine in the house as well tear up a pair of his favorite socks. From then on Raven learned to feed his pet or risk the destruction of anymore of his clothing. Hoping his wardrobe would be safe from Blaze’s wrath, Raven threw away the peel of the banana he had been eating and drank a glass of water before getting back to work. The lull didn’t last long as the lunch hour grew nearer and soon Raven was once again running around. Thankfully Ryan and Sarah arrived but the place was packed and so all three of them weren’t given a break.
Lunch hour was usually chaotic but Raven didn’t think he had ever seen it this crazy. Did the whole city deicide to come to The Silver Dragon for lunch? It sure looked that way. Thankfully he had yet to run into anyone today and he was hoping it would stay that way and he would avoid getting soaked. Of course Fate always had to get a laugh at his expense.
”Here you are sir.” Raven said as he set a hamburger and a glass of coke in front of a man dressed in a suit with a Bluetooth piece in his ear. The man took one look at the food in front of him then glared at Raven.
”What kind of fool do you take me for? I didn’t order this garbage! I asked for a water and a salad, are you trying to make me fat?!” Raven blinked in surprise because he distinctly remembered this man ordering no such thing. Raven then apologized and said he would take it back. Clearly it was not what the man wanted and so he then began to rant at Raven. The boy’s facial expression into a neutral visage, turning into an emotionless mask as the man continued to explain in great detail how Raven was such a stupid and incompetent child. The man didn’t seem to like the fact that he wasn’t getting a raise out of Raven and so he stood, face very red. He then snatched up his glass of coke and upended it over Raven’s head.
His mask slipped, revealing a stunned expression as the man shoved past him and stalked towards the door. Raven stood there, soda plastering his hair to his head and dripping down his face. He slowly turned, aquamarine eyes tracking the man as he headed for the door. Rage, swift and hot, surged through his body and his fists clenched. As he retrained himself from going after the man, the customer passed next to a shocked Sal standing there holding a tray full of glasses of water. Suddenly, the glasses tipped over. The water would have just splashed to the floor but somehow covered the man’s suit. He cried out, staring down incredulously at his soaked clothing. A little boy sitting with mother started laughing, the woman trying her best to quiet her son as he pointed at the business man.
Said man’s face grew red and he stormed out. Raven continued to stand there, having no clue what just happened. The water should just have fallen to the floor but it landed on the man. How? He hadn’t been close enough for it to soak him so. Perplexed and confused he jumped slightly upon feeling a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up into Ryan’s sympathetic eyes.
”You okay man? That was rough. I have a spare uniform in my locker if you want to borrow it. You can just give it back to me tomorrow.”
Raven nodded in agreement and followed along as Ryan led him to the back. Sarah lent him a pack of wipes and so with that and the uniform in hand Raven locked himself in the bathroom to get cleaned up. Thankfully the coke missed his pants but his shirt was absolutely sopped. He threw it off and it hit the linoleum with a wet slap. He turned on the facet and ducked his head under it, running his fingers through it. He pumped some hand soap into his hand and lathered it through his hair. He knew it wouldn’t work as well as shampoo but hopefully it would help rid his hair of the stickiness the soda caused.
After rinsing his hair out thoroughly, he then got down to business of ridding his skin of the rest of the soda. After going through most of the wipes he finally was soda free. He shrugged on Ryan’s uniform shirt and fingered the ends of his hair. Drying it was out of the option unless he felt like trying to use paper towels. Deciding it could just air dry he shoved his soda soaked shirt into a plastic bag that was used for food deliveries, Raven exited the bathroom and stowed the bag in his locker to take home later. He took a deep breath and entered the main room again. He shot Ryan and Sarah grateful smiles, turning to survey the room. He heard the bell over to door chime and he turned to the door to welcome the new customer and show them to a seat.
A jolt of surprise ran through him as he recognized the girl from the flower shop. He blinked before mentally slapping himself and running through the rehearsed lines. ”Welcome to The Silver Dragon. Table for one?” He asked, grabbing a menu and some silverware.
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
Seeing the guy from the day before, she smiled and gave a polite wave. Glancing down at his name tag, she finally got to know his name so it wouldn't be as awkward. "Oh! Umm ...Raven! Do you guys do to-go? I promised my friend I would would call her once I get to look at the menu! I'm sorry for being a bother!" Looking around, she saw that the place was packed to almost full complicity. Now she really felt bad for coming. In a way she was only adding to the workload. More people came in behind her and she stepped forward to make room for them. The place was too crowded and too loud. How could anyone handle this regularly? Elly missed the quiet of the flower shop now. Another couple people came in causing her to step forward again but she accidentally bumped into one of the people standing beside her. "Oops! Sorry!", She cringed stumbling away. Elly seemed to have lost her balance and flailed reaching out for anything that would keep her from falling.
Her hand grabbed someone's elbow but suddenly everything changed. It was silent in a way but her ears felt like they were full of something, maybe, water? Actually, even her vision was blurred now. Everything seemed murky, where..what happened? Everything was in a blue tent like she was in a pool. No, it was bigger than a pool. Was she underwater? How did that happen? This she gasped suddenly realizing that if this was water, she needed to get air. In reality, Elly's eyes looked wide and oddly bright. She blinked seeing the restaurant then in another blink of an eye the depths of a watery pool of some sort. Was she hallucinating? That had to be it, but why? Still holding on to someone, she tried to clear the fog in her head. She could hear people asking her is she was ok. Too many people. Too much noise. Elly needed out, she needed..air. It was like she was drowning, but she wasn't. Bits of her hallucination were sifting through. The people around her looked distorted like she was in a fish bowl looking out at them. Still having trouble breathing she coughed and spluttered. Do you need me to call an ambulance? Are you ok? She's going to faint. All these words made her feel like each voice was a body lying against her, smothering her. "I need air!" She cried, and with that gusts of powerful wind burst through the front door and open windows. It was like some sort of invisible serpents were causing table clothes, decorations and napkins to fly about. Everyone was so distracted by the havoc that Elly managed to regain her footing, let go of whoever she was clutching so tightly for support, then stumble out door still coughing and gasping.
Still very disoriented, her hand trailed along side of the wall of the restaurant as she shuffle around to the back. Her legs gave out due to lack of air and she fell to her knees in the lot behind the establishment. The same odd wind that had surged through the main dinning hall, seemed to escape and revolved around Elly for a moment. Her eyes began to glow brightly and she got her first clear breath of air. The wind died down shortly after she re-established a normal breathing pattern. Elly began to shakily look up. What the hell happened?
As Raven opened his mouth the answer the question on whether they had take-out or not, some customers came in the girl had to dart out of the way. She bumped into someone and lost her balance. Raven instinctively lunged for her and caught her elbow. Suddenly, he felt wind tearing at his hair and his eyes widened when he realized that he could see the street far below him. What…Where…Where was he?! He blinked and he could feel the solid ground beneath his feet, someone clenching onto him tightly but then in the next instant he was in the air again. His stomach churned as he realized how far he was up and his breathing began to speed up in panic. Heights. Why the hell did it have to be heights?! Wait..if he was this high, what was holding him up?
As if the thought broke a spell that was suspending him in the air, he began to fall. The wind tore at his hands and clothing as his stomach dropped as if he was on a roller-coaster. A scream lodged in his throat, a choked sound being the only thing that escaped. He closed his eyes and he could see the restaurant again but it was like he was seeing it from afar. He was clenching onto to something tightly as if to anchor himself. Raven? Raven are you ok? What’s wrong? He could hear voices faintly over the wind screaming in his ear. The noise bumped around in his head and made him feel dizzy. His vision blurred and he was seeing the ground coming closer and closer. The scream that was lodged in his throat did escape then and it echoed inside his head, the sound being thrown away by the fierce wind.
Suddenly, he heard a voice cry out clearly as well as a large gust of wind hit him. Whatever he had been clutching to disappeared and he would have fallen forward if not for the strong arms that wrapped around him and supported him upright. He was seeing double now, the blurry restaurant and the street he was about the crash into. Right before impact everything went dark and his body jolted. When his eyes fluttered open, the world was spinning. Jack was staring down at him in concern as noise echoed around him. Something about an ambulance…Raven felt dizzy and his breathing was coming out in terrified pants. Jack was saying something but his ears were ringing and he couldn’t make out what it was. Finally, after a few minutes of taking deep breaths the dizziness faded and he was able to sit up from here Jack had laid him out on the ground.
His uncle protested but Raven tried to tell him he was fine. ”Fine? Fine?! You looked like you were having a panic attack. That is not fine!” Raven was a lot of words, not really sure what had happened himself. There was a loud noise outside that resembled the screech of sirens and the doors burst open as two EMP’s came in and knelt next to Raven. After checking him over and after answering countless questions, the medics declared that there was nothing wrong with the boy. His uncle wasn’t convinced and after the medics left, he lead Raven to his office.
”What happened out there? One minute you were fine and the next you were acting like you were about to faint. Are you okay and don’t try and tell me it was nothing.” Jack said, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at his nephew. Raven stared down at his hands. ”I don’t know what happened. I guess maybe it was the lack of sleep finally catching up with me.” He finally said. Jack sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get anything more out of his nephew. He then told the boy to go home and get some rest and that he didn’t need to come in tomorrow. Raven tried to protest but anything he said fell on deaf ears and so Raven stowed his apron away and grabbed his jacket before he was on his way home.
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
She sat behind the restaurant for a very long time until her cell phone range. With shaky hands, she pulled it out of her pocket and answered.
"Where are you? Some sort of freak accident happened at the Silver Dragon and you never called!" cried a frantic voice on the other end of the line. It took Elly a moment to realize where she was. Looking around with glassy eyes and haggard breath, she replied, "I'm behind the restaurant."
"Why on earth are you there?!" Hyacinth cried, then calmed herself. "Never mind, I'm closing up the shop and coming to get you. Stay put!"
The call cut out and she sat there in the cold ground rather lamely. Everything that happened seemed to
have left her feeling numb. The sirens, the commotion going on out front. What happened anyway? She was having a difficult time remembering. All she could think about was how nice it was to be taking full, clear breaths of air.
It took about 20 minutes for Hyacinth to find her and even longer to help Elly back to the flower shop. The entire time, she kept asking her what happened only to have Elly remind her that she didn't know. She remembered stepping into the restaurant, it being very crowded then she had trouble breathing. "I guess I just panicked?" she said, while they were both sitting in her apartment now with cups of coffee. Hyacinth put a big blanket around her shoulders. They were sitting in her small living room that also counted as her dining room. The apartment was decorated much like her room. There were little wind chimes and light catchers everywhere. "It sounds horrible."
Elly shrugged. "What about the shop?"
"I had some people come in early since it was an emergency." This meant she would be receiving a call from her aunt sometime that day.
Elly sat there quietly. She knew she felt better but also wanted to rest. Even though her job wasn't very difficult or stressful, she wanted a break. Hyacinth got up and took their finished mugs of coffee. "I'm going to run to the store and grab some stuff. You stay here and rest."
As Hyacinth left, Elly went got up to take a shower.
The hot steam only made her feel dizzy and smothered so she resorted to opening the window in her bathroom. Her first thought was to soak in a bath, but thinking about that strange hallucination, she decided it would be better to take a shower. Now wrapped in a towel, she began wrapping her hair when she noticed little flecks of dry skin. She scratched at it only to see the skin come off like a scab and underneath was a smooth but hard texture beneath it, sorta like a nail but it was pearly white. Elly found more while she was drying herself. They were everywhere, her arms, legs shoulder and some parts of her chest near the collar bone. Maybe it was stress? She really hadn't been stressed though. Other than the woman from yesterday, she had been pretty relaxed aside from wanting to take a break from the shop.
Fully dressed and hair dried, Elly curled up on the couch and plaid around with her cell phone again. The whole apartment seemed stuffy for some reason, so she hopped up and opened all the windows. The breeze was relaxing and it made the whole space breath better. Settling back onto the couch, the apartment door opened and Hyacinth came in with a bag of produce. "I know your lazy butt could use something that wasn't flash frozen." She smiled. This only made Elly roll her eyes while she walked over to help her friend with the groceries. "I don't like cooking Hye you know that." She frowned looking at what she brought. "I'll cook it, you need to rest anyway." Hyacinth seemed determined to fuss over her. Then she jumped mumbling about forgetting to check on the others in the shop below. She ran out the door leaving Elly with all the unwashed produce and other groceries.
Turning on the faucet, she started cleaning the produce until she caught a whiff of something that smelled wonderful. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed around for a bit. Her hands seized the delectable treat and she took in a deep breath of it's scent. It was enough to make her mouth water. She slowly opened her mouth and bit in, the texture was tough, but she tore it away and continued to chomp on it hungrily. It wasn't until she heard someone coming up the stairs that she realized that she had just bitten through the husk of a pineapple and pineapple juice was all over the floor as well as her mouth, hands and shirt. As the door was opening, she ran with the pineapple in hand to the bathroom and dripping juice everywhere.
"Elly? You ok? Where is the pineapple?"
After a stop at the store for stuff to cook for dinner the walk to his apartment was quick and soon he was unlocking the door and stepping through. The sight that greeted him made him wince. There sat Blaze, the remains of a pair of Raven’s underwear scattered around the feline. The kitten was glaring as best as an animal could glare, tail waving stiffly behind the kitten. Raven sighed as he knelt in front of the feline. ”I know, I forgot to feed you but I can make it up to you.” He said, shaking the bag in his hand. Blaze gave the bag a curious look, padding over to sniff it. Raven stood and the kitten followed him to the kitchen. He washed out the cat’s food bowl and opened the can of cat food he had bought. Upon smelling the food, Blaze’s eyes lit up and began to mew and paw at Raven pants gently. The boy laughed at his pet’s behavior and set the bowl down, watching Blaze pounce on it. He normally bought the cheap cat food because he didn’t always have to money to buy the kind the cat loved. But he had today in way of an apology.
After Blaze had finished eating he rubbed against Raven, purring. Raven laughed as he petted the kitten before standing and unloading everything else he had bought. He had been in the mood for spaghetti tonight. He set a pan of water on to boil and set another pan on the stove and added oil. As he waited for the pan to heat up he grabbed a bowl and began mixing ground beef, garlic and other ingredients. Soon he was humming to himself as he rolled the meat into balls. As the motions became automatic, his mind drifted away to what had happened this afternoon. It puzzled him. What in the world happened? Did he hallucinate? But it seemed so real. And what happened to that girl? He hadn’t seen her when he came back to his sense. Had he scared her off when he had that freak out? Probably. He couldn’t blame her really. He just hoped he hadn’t scared her too badly.
As his mind continued to drift, he began placing the meatballs in the oil. Sizzling filled the kitchen and soon, the smell of cooking meat. He added the noodles to the water and turned the meatballs every now and then. His stomach grumbled in hungry as he began unpacking some fruit he had bought as well. He decided a snack before dinner couldn’t hurt and without thinking he brought the fruit he was holding to his mouth and sank his teeth into it. He tore off a piece, chewed, swallowed then repeated the actions. The taste filled his mouth, running over his taste buds. A mew suddenly brought him from his daze and he blinked down in shock at the orange he held. He…He had been eating it, peel and all. The orange fell from his limp fingers and landed on the cabinet as he stared down at his hand. He didn’t understand. When he was younger he had been dared to eat an orange peel. He had been sick for the rest of the day. He knew some people ate orange peels but he just couldn’t stomach them. So…how was he able to eat the orange just now?
As if his stomach finally realized just what he had eaten, it lurched and he lunged for the trashcan just before he retched. After a few minutes he rinsed his mouth out under the tap. He leaned under the cabinet before throwing the orange away and cleaning the stickiness off the surface. Luckily, he barely saved his meatballs from burning and as he added them to the sauce he realized that after what just happened he wasn’t all that hungry. He mitotically finished everything before loading half of the food into bowls and heading next door. Mrs. Forester answered and blinked in surprise at the boy standing at her doorstep.
”Hello, Raven. What can I do for you?” Raven gave her a small smile before holding up the bowls. ”I got a little too carried away making spaghetti and I was wondering if you would like some?” The woman smiled. ”Of course, you know my family and I would never turn down your cooking. It’s the best thing we have ever tasted.” A small blush crept over his features as he handed over the bowls and waved goodnight. As the woman was closing the door, Raven heard Mr. Forester ask who it was. Upon hearing his wife’s reply on who it was and what he brought them, Raven blushed darker at the sound of Mr. Forester’s whoop of delight.
Raven returned home and put the rest of the food away in the fridge for later. After that he headed to the bathroom to draw a bath. He added some lavender scented oil before stripping and sinking into the warm water. He sighed, leaning his head against the side of the tub as he closed his eyes. ”What a weird day.” He murmured, allowing himself to sink under the water. He kept his eyes closed, the peaceful silence around him causing him to relax. He didn’t know how long he had been under there for but after about ten minutes he opened his eyes and gasped, shooting up into a sitting position. Water dripped down his face and he wiped it out of his eyes. He had been under for far longer than he should have been able to hold his breath. Wait…had he been holding his breath at all? He wasn’t really thinking about when he went under. Deciding it was high time for bed, he drained the water and got out. He reached for his towel and began drying off. He happened to glance at himself in the mirror and froze. He frowned, stepping closer to examine what it was that caught his attention.
He raised a hand and picked at the dry skin he saw, eyes widening when it fell off to show a black-blue spot. He ran a finger over it, surprised at the hard, smooth texture he felt. He tried to pull it off but hissed in pain. As he stared at himself he noticed that there were more of the black spots scattered all over his arms, chest, and legs. Worry and fear ran through him. Was this some type of disease?! He began pacing around his small bathroom, fingers picking idly at the black spots on his arms. He took a deep breath. ”Just calm down. Go to bed. You've already had one hallucination today, this is probably just another.”
He finished drying off and pulled on his night clothes. Soon he was turning out the light and sliding under the blankets. Blaze curled up next to him and he stroked the kitten, feeling his eyes becoming heavy with sleep. It wasn’t long before he was fast asleep.
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
Quickly closing the bathroom door behind her, Elly looked down at the now half eaten pineapple with an expression that was confusion mixed with fear. What on earth caused her to do that? How could she bite through the husk of a pineapple without even noticing? It didn't even seem hard to chew. "Elly? Did something happen to the pineapple?" she could hear Hyacinth calling from the kitchen.
Looking at the pineapple then at her juice covered shirt, she couldn't explain something that she could barely understand herself. So, she lied.
"I somehow dropped it and it cracked all over me and the floor. I guess it's rotten or something."
"Ick! Well, get cleaned up and I'll cook us some stir fry."
After watching off again and changing shirts, she noticed more scaly bumps on her arms. She tried putting on some lotion thinking it was a rash, but it didn't seem to help. Deciding to deal with it later, Elly pulled on a long sleeved shirt and walked into the kitchen.
Hyacinth was already cooking the ingredients by the time she came to the counter. "Smells good." Elly smiled leaning over the counter to look.
"I'm glad you got all cleaned up. I'm guessing you tossed the pineapple?"
"Yea, I'll take out the trash tomorrow so it won't stink up the place."
After dinner, Elly began to feel ill and went to the restroom. Her gagging and coughing could be heard from the table.
Tapping gently on the bathroom door, Hyacinth winced hearing Elly groan from within. "Are you ok in there?" Then there was a belching noise. "I thought I cooked the fish enough." Elly responded with another cough and the sound of the toilet flushing.
"I'm sorry Elly.."
"...Its okay.." She whined from her fixed spot near the toilet. "Maybe it's just your nerves affecting your stomach." Hyacinth suggested. Elly hacked again and saw bits of pineapple with stir fry. "I dunno..." She grumbled laying her head on the toilet seat.
"I'm going to call your aunt and tell her you got some bug and can't some to work tomorrow. That way you can chill and have a stress free day. Sound good?" After a long pause she let out a feeble 'uh huh'.
Her friend left after cleaning up and helping Elly get in the bed. Elly sighed looking at the 'rash' that had progressed more since her after dinner bathroom visit. It was a long and difficult day. She thought back to the restaurant and the host Raven. Everything seemed to happen after she saw him. Then again maybe it was the stress of being around so many people at once. Why did she panic, hallucinate, develop a rash, eat pineapple in its rawest state? Why did all this seem to hit her at once? Could it all just be stress from having the same mundane pattern over and over? Perhaps a day of rest would make all these problems go away. Maybe she would wake up and feel better. She hoped so. Rolling over, Elly fell asleep. Little did she know, the bizarre happenings were just beginning.
The familiar sight greeted him the moment he closed his eyes only this time he started on the edge of a building. The visual of the ground far below him made his head spin and he tried to take a step backwards but his legs wouldn’t move. The sudden pressure against his hand made him aware that he wasn’t alone in standing on this precipice. He turned his head slowly, afraid even a little movement would cause his body to decide it wanted to go forward. He blinked in shock at the sight of snow white hair being snapped around by the wind and golden eyes smiling at him. What was the girl from the flower shop doing up here? He frowned. ”What are we doing up here?” He tried to ask but the wind threw his voice back at him. Whether the girl heard him or not he would never know. She merely smiled at him, gripping his hand tightly as she began to tip forward. Before he knew what was going on, he felt a hard tug on his hand and the feeling of his feet leaving solid ground followed by his stomach dropping to his toes.
A scream ripped its way from his chest and was thrown away by the fierce wind. He looked wildly at the girl still gripping his hand, seeing that she was smiling contently like they weren’t going to have to be scraped up from the asphalt once this was all over. His eyes involuntarily returned to the ground that was growing closer and closer to them by the second. It seemed the fall lasted forever yet it also seemed like they were falling very quickly. Feeling like his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest, Raven could only watch in terror as he freefell towards the street. Right as they were about to hit Raven squeezed his eyes shut and tensed his whole body.
When the impact never came Raven blinked his eyes open in confusion. He looked around, seeing that he was in a tunnel of some soft. Braziers lined the walls, the warm flames making the shadows flicker and dance out of the corner of his eyes. The smell of dust and earth invaded his nose and he sneezed a few times. He then spotted a white glow at the end of the tunnel. Curiosity warred with common sense. Dare he go closer? What if it was a trap? However, it also could be a way out. He frowned as he stood there for several minutes. Finally curiosity won out and his feet began moving before he could second-guess himself.
His quiet footfalls echoed down the tunnel, making them sound louder than he would have liked. He didn’t know if there was anything there with him or if it knew he was there but if it wasn’t aware of his presence he would very much like to keep it that way. No need to add being chased by a monster to this very bizarre experience. As he drew closer to the light it began to take shape. First an oval before it morphed to resemble a more humanoid shape. Once Raven drew close enough he blinked in surprise when the light faded away slightly to reveal the flower shop girl.
She stood there smiling at him with her head tilted before turning and walking away. ”Hey, wait!” Raven cried before racing after her. No matter how fast he ran she always stayed a few paces ahead of him. In fact, it looked like the faster he ran the farther away she got. He panicked when she suddenly disappeared through an open door. He skidded to a halt before it and peeked inside. He almost flinched back at the blackness that greeted him. He had never been fond of the dark either. Gathering up all of his courage Raven grasped the door handle and pulled the door open, a dank odor wafting out of the abyss.
.As he stepped inside a few inches the door suddenly slammed shut behind him, knocking him into the room slightly and taking with it his only light source. After stumbling forward a bit and regaining his balance, Raven froze, breath halting in his chest upon realizing just how dark it was. He was too terrified to breath let alone move. As he stood there, wide eyes trying to look though the gloom covering his vision a small sound reached his ears. The sound made his veins fill with ice and his heart stop in his chest.
tap tap tap
The sound of footsteps drew ever nearer and Raven found himself pressing back against the solid wood of the door, the handle digging uncomfortably into his back. Suddenly, a brightness filled the room, making him cry out and shield his eyes against the harsh glare. After a few beats the light dialed back and he was able to open his eyes, blinking away the spots that popped up across his vision. What he saw made him blink again. Flower shop girl was standing in the middle of the room smiling at him. He let his eyes wonder the room, seeing that it was round in shape. Murals depicting winged creatures covered the walls. As he gazed at them he had to blink because it looked like they were almost…moving. A swishing sound drew his attention away from the wall art and he brought his attention back to the girl to see she had stepped closer.
She raised one slender arm and pointed off to the side, his gaze following her. He saw a red curtain that rustled in an invisible breeze. It slowly started to rise and he glimpsed a dark shape crouching in the opening behind the curtain. Bright blue eyes bore into his own and he squinted, unable to make out the rest of the shape. As he took a step closer to try and see the mass better, he gasped as a rumbling shook the room and the stones that made up the floor began to fall away. A type of weightless washed over him and Raven gasped, looking down to see there was nothing but darkness under his feet.
He turned panicked eyes upwards, spotting the girl standing but a few inches from him. He threw out an arm to reach out to her but just as his fingers brushed her hand the weightless feeling disappeared and a cry escaped him as he began to fall, the girl’s smiling face the last thing he saw before everything went black.
A gasped escaped him as he shot up into a sat position, breath escaping in harsh pants as his eyes wheeled wildly around. As his heartrate calmed down and his breathing slowed, he ran a hand over his face as he took a deep breath. ”Just a dream.” He sighed as he flopped back against the sheets. Sunlight was filtering through the cracks in the blinds and he glanced at the clock, seeing that it was eight o’clock in morning. Deciding he wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon, Raven swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He groaned as pain rushed through his head and he stumbled as his and ache. The longer he stood, the more his body hurt. It felt like that time he had the flu only his nose wasn’t stuffy.
He sighed once more and stiffly made his way to the bathroom. After doing his business he grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste. He smeared the paste over the bristles and brought the brush to his mouth. As he opened his mouth, he frowned and leaned closer as he stared at his teeth. Were his canines…pointier? They certainly looked sharper. He gently brought his tongue to poke at one and winced at the drop of blood that welled up. Still frowning, he slowly started brushing his teeth. Things were getting weirder and weirder. After finishing that task he turned to the mirror. Remembering what he saw last night, he gripped the hem of his shirt before hesitantly lifting it over his head. His eyes widened and the cloth fell from his limp fingers. There were more of them, covering a good part of his chest, the top halves of his arms and his calves and thighs. He slowly brought a hand up to touch one of the spots.
It was hard and smooth…like…like a…scale. Freaked out, he quickly grabbed his shirt and tugged it back over his head. Raven’s vision wavered for a moment and he stumbled as his headache grew, leaning against the wall as he took a deep breath. He stumbled to the medicine cabinet and blindly reached out for the aspirin. He swallowed two dry and stumbled back to the bed, collapsing on top of it. He laid there with an arm throw over his eyes, waiting for the medicine to kick in. As he laid there, a sudden twisting of his stomach had him leaning over the bed and retching into the trashcan he kept next to his nightstand.
Groaning, he wiped his mouth off with a tissue from the box on the nightstand before rolling back over onto his back. He began shivering as sweat began beading on his forehead and he reached for the comforter, pulling it over him as he moaned, stomach twisting and doing somersaults. Was he sick? It sure as hell felt like it. Blaze mewed, nudging Raven’s head. When the boy made no move to respond, the kitten tucked himself against the boy’s neck, purring in hopes to sooth his owner. Raven dimly heard the phone ring but he felt too horrible to move and felt his consciousness slip away.
GM
oOWonderKinOo ~The curious~
Member
Seen
5 yrs ago
Elly wasn't greeted with the same dream that had been repeating each night. Instead she opened her eyes to find herself underwater again. It was just like the hallucination she had at the Silver Dragon restaurant. The same fear of not being able to breath caused her to panic once again. She grabbed at her throat and kicked her legs wildly in attempts to reach the surface. Her eyes pinches shut hoping that she would wake up from this nightmare. Then she felt hands gently take hers away from her throat. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the bright aquamarine eyes of the host from the Silver Dragon. What was his name? Yes, it was Raven. He held her hands gently for a moment then opened his mouth. She saw his chest rise then fall. He was breathing? How could he? Looking to her, he nodded like he was telling her to try. With eyes filled with terror, she shook her head and kicked her legs. Despite her struggles she didn't go anywhere. He seemed to be waiting for her to calm down. Not being able to hold her breath any longer she screamed with a couple bubbles escaping her mouth then she took a deep breath instinctively. She was breathing? Looking at him questioningly, he responded by showing his hands holding hers. For the moment, it seemed to make sense. He was helping her breath somehow, but them again, it was a dream. Right? This couldn't be real. Once he saw she was ok, he started pulling her along towards the surface.
The dream changed or jumped forward somehow. She looked around and she was standing next to a small round pool. She was standing in some sort of cave and the only light was coming from the pool. Where did Raven go? Was she in that pool? She couldn't have been, she was completely dry. There was a whistling sound touching her ears. "We're...om.....ng..." she heard the whisper again. Looking around, she saw some stairs leading up and away from the pool. There was a large door. at the top of the stairs. The whispering was coming from there. She seemed to climb the stairs rather fast. She didn't even have to really push the door open. It seemed like it was being sucked open. The wind was no longer blowing out to her, but pulling her in. She stumbled into the door to have it slam shut with a loud echoing bang. Something took her hand again. It felt like Raven's but she really couldn't see very well past the door. He gently led her down the poorly let corridor until she began to see a light at the end. The light helped her see Raven's outline a little better. He didn't look back but kept his face forward to the light. The light seemed so bright that she really couldn't see past it.
Once they stepped into the light, it took a while for her eyes to adjust. They were in a a circular room and Raven seemed to disappear again. Looking around there were luminous markings all over the walls of creatures. Some were flying, some were breathing fire. They were all so bright and glorious that she wanted to watch them more, but the whispering came to ears again. She looked around for the source but the gentle breeze seemed to be flowing around her. Something bright glimmered out of the corner of her eye. She saw a small curtain and Raven stood beside it. He looked at her with bright glowing eyes then gestured for her to investigate the curtain.
Slowly, Elly stepped forward and moved the curtain away. It was another room but far smaller than the other. As soon as she saw the interior, it was like her legs were moving of their own accord into the center. There was something glowing from above. Looking up, she heard the whispering again. "we're ...o.....ing..." Towards the ceiling was a sheet or some sort of drapery bellowing in the breeze. Something seemed to be shifting beneath the fabric as if struggling to break free. Elly wanted to get a closer look. The fabric seemed to stretch downward towards her with something facing her. It had bright eyes of gold.
It opened it mouth and breathed out a thin mist. "We're.....Coming..." As soon as she heard it, a violent tremor shook the room and the ground she stood on.
Elly fell to the ground and looked up to see the creature trapped within the cloth move back towards the ceiling, curl up and rest upside down on the ceiling. What was that thing? The ground quaked again. She looked towards the entrance and saw Raven's outline near the curtain. Pushing herself back to her feet, she ran out of the room, but once she stepped past it's threshold, the floor of the circular room was gone. It was replaced with a great big hole and she just stepped right into it.
Unlike other dreams, she was really falling this time. Elly flailed and screamed only find herself flopping onto her floor in a tangle of covers. Her head was pounding and her stomach was just as upset as it was before. Crawling to the bathroom, she reunited with her porcelain companion and dry heaved for a few minutes. After she leaned over the toilet bowl with nothing coming out, she concluded that she must have had nothing left. It took her a long time to gather the strength to stand. Once she did she looked into the mirror and gasped. More smooth pearly bumps had appeared on her face. Some were on her cheekbones while other were around her eyes and forehead. Upon further inspection, she found more on her neck as well as the rest of her body. Though she applied plenty of lotion to them the day before it seemed like they were only multiplying. She tried to pick one off but she yelped only seeing that it hurt to try to remove them.
The over all appearance was like she was covered in little pearly pebbles. What was going on? She felt more tired than when went to bed and her stomach was still raging though she was sure it was empty. Elly rather mindlessly ran her tongue over her teeth and felt the nasty texture that greeted anyone who just woke up. Sighing, she leaned over her sink and began to brush her teeth. Due to her nausea and irritation, she refused to look up at her oddly textured face. After she finished brushing her teeth, she ran her tongue over them again to make sure did a halfway decent job. Her brows drew close together and she reached up to feel her teeth. They were unusually pointed and sharp feeling.
Taking a hand mirror with her, Elly flopped back into her bed. Slowly rolling onto her back she felt a rushing sensation in her head causing her to groan. She laid there for a few minutes then raised the hand mirror to look at her teeth. Her limbs felt unbelievably heavy, so she quickly gave up and laid there. It was like her body was getting more and more weak as time passed. The thunderous headache wasn't letting up. She was in too much pain to even think about her dream, she just wanted to sleep or have something happen to make the pain go away.
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