RPG Sanity's Gift [M-LV possible S]

[JJ]

[B]Prologue: The Shadows Of The Past[/B] [B]Players[/B]: Sakura, Corey, Sean, Daniel [B]Big Picture[/B] A regular day for everyone, before the voices began to talk. [B]Notes[/B] I would really love for this one to lead up to the events you wrote about your introductions. Posting order is as above. This will be a "cheat sheet" type of thing for later, so if anyone has any problems, don't hesitate to PM me or post them in the thread. Other than that, have fun.

[Sakura]

[color=Navy][b]OOC: Are we supposed to write in First Person POV? I may have changed tenses without knowing so sorry about that.

Let me know if I should change anything, I think this is what you meant.
Did you want us to add in the part that was in our Character Snippit?
[/b]
I awoke from the shafts of light that entered my room through my window and the infernal rapping at the door to wake me up.

[b]"I'm up, I'm up!" [/b]I cried.

There were retreating footsteps and I sat up in bed. I could feel that my short hair was messed up from sleeping and my eyes were half closed, still tired from sleep. I reluctantly rolled out of my warm bed, my feet landing on the cool wooden floorboards that covered the entire house. I padded lightly over to the adjoined bathroom and washed up, brushing my teeth, my hair and cleaning my face. When I was happy with my appearance I returned to my bedroom to change into my usual clothes that I was always seen in.

I slipped on her black leather pants and tight black top with long sleeves that I kept pushed above my elbows. I picked up two items from the bedside table, one was my cell phone that I slipped into my pocket and the other was my set of goggles that I pushed onto my head.

I glanced at the clock and cursed, gathering my books that were splayed around the room and shoving them into my backpack I ran out of my bedroom and down the stairs. Mother knew I was late so had just made me some french toast instead of their usual proper Japanese meal. I was passed my obento which I put in my backpack quickly and thanked my mother, then put on my shoes before running out the door.

I jogged quickly, I was a fit person and went at a fast speed comfortably. Soon I saw the looming building of the school ahead and pushed harder, I had to make it before the second bell or they'd close the gates.

I relaxed as I passed the iron gates, moving quickly through the still crowded halls, I put some books in my locker and went off to class. First session was when I would get results for a maths test that I did. I felt like I did well, but the results would either support or contradict that.

It turned out that I had indeed passed, which I was proud of, seeing as I usually failed maths, failed badly.

The rest of my day was rather uneventful, I got the results of two other tests, and surprisingly I had passed them too! I was incredibly pleased today. It had started off roughly but in the end, it was one of my good days.

I left the school in a happy mood, but instead of going straight home, I decided I would go to my favourite park which wasn't far to see the sakuras in bloom, since it was Spring. But little did I know that my day would take a turn for the worse.
[/color]

[Corey]

[size=1][b]Corey-[/b] "What'd you get for lunch?" Corey looked over at his friend Anthony and the pile of steaming glop on his plastic lunch tray. Anthony poked it with his fork.

[b]Anthony-[/b] "I think it's supposed to be lasagna..." He took a small bite. "It's not doing a good job of being lasagna though..." Corey grimaced and took a bite of his muffin. Blueberry. Good muffin. Up to that point, the day had been pretty uneventful. He'd gone to his first three classes without any kind of complaint, other than school started too early, and had gotten out of them with a minimum of homework. He glanced out of the cafeteria windows and noticed the clouds starting to creep into the sky from the west. Overcast was good. Good biking weather. The wind was a little bit brisk, but that just made the workout all the better. Headwinds were great to bike through. Bumps your stamina up a lot.

[b]Corey-[/b] "What're you going to write you paper on? For Literature." Anthony shrugged and forked another mouthful of the lasagna glop into his mouth. It looked almost as bad as the stirfry they served yesterday.

[b]Anthony-[/b] "I dunno... Probably on Frued. The Death of Ivan Illych was too boring for me." Corey nodded and ate some more of his muffin. The bell rang and the massive amount of student packed into the cafeteria rose and began to make their way to their next class. Corey continued to sit, munching his muffin and sipping at his Powerade. "C'mon dude. You'll be late." He shrugged.

[b]Corey-[/b] "It's the upside of being a senior, man. You just stop caring after a while. I mean, what does it matter if I miss the first minute or two of class? It doesn't. Half the time Doc isn't even there on time."

[b]Anthony-[/b] "True enough. I'll see you in a few man." Corey gave him the peace sign and bit some more off of his muffin. Today seemed like a good day. Hopefully that damn lecture on financial aid wouldn't be boring as hell. He didn't think it would be, but who knows. The late bell rang, and Corey got up. He brushed the muffin crumbs off the table, grabbed his books, and started off to class.[/size]

[Guest Sean]

[COLOR=Purple]I woke up to the vibrating sounds of my phone against wood, even the sound of that woke me from my little slumber, but I wasn?t really tired for once, I knew I had school, but I had done all my homework, which was new for me anyway. All my jotters were neatly arranged on the desk beside my bed, my room was tidy, again for once, and I was early.

It started off a good day, nothing really could go wrong, nothing at all, so I got up from my cosy bed with any hassle, and went downstairs to have breakfast, my parents left early in the morning so I never saw them until after school, but breakfast was sitting out for me this morning, just add milk, and off we go.

Breakfast came and went, the house was silent, but a calming and beautiful silence, I went back into my abode of a bedroom and played some games, I had a lot of time under my hand, and I would have been a tad bored if I did nothing for the next two hours before I really had to have a shower.

And tow hours passed, what can I say, I?m a gamer at heart, body and soul, and two hours passed like 5 minutes, but I knew I would have to have a shower and go soon, so I saved my game and got into the shower, the warm shower of water cleansing and even more revitalising.

Getting changed into my uniform, pulling up my tie, and putting earphones in both of my ears, I was out of the door before 8:20, good for me anyway. I turned up the music and let myself sink into the beauty of the guitar solos and the bass riffs.[/COLOR]

---

[size=1]OOC: Sorry about not posting, I've explained to Josh about my computer problems.[/size]

[JJ]

[Color=DarkBlue][Size=1]?BLEEP!!!? my alarm screamed at six AM. I didn?t want to get up, but previous engagements came before personal wishes. I got up, and headed straight for the bathroom. I flipped the light switch, and hit the power button on the shower radio. Immediately, I was blasted with 50 Cent?s ?Candy Shop?. I hit the power button, and turned the dial back to my station.

?Hey! Jenni! Next time you use the radio, turn it back!? I yelled down the stairs, getting only a quick scream back. I rolled my eyes, and closed the bathroom door again. I opened the shower, and sang along to the song on the radio. As I was showering, I started coughing, and suddenly noticed a red strain of water moving on the floor of the shower.

Immediately, my hand shot up to my mouth, and moved along my lips. If it was from the mouth, there was a chance that I had tuberculoses. As I moved my hand out into the open, I noticed that it wasn?t from my mouth, so I checked the rest of my body, and found a that I had scratched my arm on something. I looked around, and found my sister?s razor, sticking out, and cursed.

I finished up in the shower, and got dressed. I walked downstairs and went to scream at Jenni. ?Damnit Jenni. You have got to pick up after yourself. I?m your younger brother, and I still do a better?.? I trailed off.

Jenni was sitting at the table with her head in her hands, and my mom had her hands over her, as if she was comforting her. I shut my mouth quickly, and walked over to my mother, who had shot me a dirty look. I pried my mother off Jenni long enough for me to talk to her. ?What happened?? I asked, looking worried.

?She?s pregnant.? My mother said blatantly, ?and don?t you even think about going on a revenge quest. It was the bendejo she?s been dating. He?ll kick your ass before you can so much as swing a punch.?

I swore under my breath, and walked back over to the table. ?Jenni, I?m so sorry. I didn?t mean to swear. Even if things were different, I should have handled the situation better.? I said to her, setting my hand on her slumped over form.

?It?s okay. I? know it?s for the best.? Jenni said, sitting up.

I grabbed her up in a hug, and grabbed a piece of toast from Mom. ?I gotta get to school. I will be back.?

I walked out the door and into the sunshine. I actually wasn?t going to school, instead my friend Gabe and I were planning on skipping and going to meet his girlfriend that lived in Mexico. She was going meet us halfway. I walked to the bus stop, and met Gabe there. He had his car that he borrowed from his mother. I hopped in, and we drove off, speeding towards a small town about 50 or so miles away from our town.

When we got there, and Gabe and his girlfriend went off to find a cheap hotel, or so I figured. He told me to meet him back at the car at 2:30. It was only 9:30, so I had 7 hours to kill.

I walked into town, and saw that this wasn?t such a bad place to hang out. It had an old missionary that I walked through for free, since no one had come through in a week. It was great, and killed three hours in total.

I grabbed a bite to eat, and ended up just walking around the town. It was fashioned like a town from the old days, and it wasn?t that bad just walking around, since I had my music with me. I had left it out in the missionary, and at lunch, because I didn?t want to bother anyone, but now was the perfect time for it. I popped it in, and let the soothing voice of a Latina singer wash over me as I watched the buildings and people that passed by.

Before I knew it, 2:30 had come, so I set back for the car, and hopped in next to Gabe. ?Have fun?? I asked, making note of the giant smile on his face.

?Aye. Thanks for coming along.? Gabe said, starting the car up.

?No problem.? I said, ?Now let?s get home before anyone is suspicious.? I said, holding on as Gabe set the pedal to the metal. I sat back, and surprisingly fell asleep, because the next thing I know, Gabe?s pulled up to the bus stop behind the bus, and he?s telling me to get out the car.

?Thanks again Daniel.? Gabe said as I got out.

?Just don?t plan for it on a school day again, OK?? I said, shutting the door. Gabe flashed me a thumbs up, and then drove off.

I put me headphones in and started towards my house. I wish to this day I hadn?t.[/size][/color]

[B]Chapter 1: Dreaming For Better Or Worse.[/B] [B]Players[/B]: Corey, ^.^, Sakura, Sean [B]Big Picture[/B]: Our four heroes sleep, and in their sleep, they confront their biggest fears, and also find out about a prophecy that will change their lives. [B]Notes[/B]: The prophecy will only be reveiled to Sakura and Daniel, because of reasons unknown at this point. Please go crazy when it comes to you fear. I?m not talking about the little stuff though, I want those fears that sit at the back of your mind, and taunt you when you least expect it. Please see the Underground thread before you post.

[Corey]

[size=1]The door slammed. He walked into the kitchen. His eyes not seeing much. His ears not hearing much. The voice still stood in his head.

[b]Mom-[/b] "...et the garbage out." Corey looked at her. Had she been there reading at the kitchen table the entire time?

[b]Corey-[/b] "Huh?" She sighed and looked at him.

[b]Mom-[/b] "Please get the garbage out before you go to work."

[b]Corey-[/b] "Sure... I don't know if I'm going today. I don't really feel good." She looked at him.

[b]Mom-[/b] "You don't look very good. Think they're busy?" Corey shook his head.

[b]Corey-[/b] "I don't know... I'm going to call." He walked out of the kitchen and into the basement, where his room was located, immediately opening his window. He took out his pipe, lighter, and weed, packed a bowl, and smoked it, blowing the smoke out of the window. Corey replaced the pipe in his hiding spot, sprayed some Glade around his room, and went over to the phone. With a moments hesitation, he punched in the number of his job. It rang twice.

[b][i]George-[/i][/b] "Scrub-a-Dub Car Wash. George speaking, how can I help you?"

[b]Corey-[/b] "Hey George, it's Corey. You guys need me today?"

[b][i]George-[/i][/b] "Nah, dude. I've got it. I meant t'call your mom earlier but I forgot." Relief spread over Corey's face.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Thanks man." He hung up and walked upstairs, quickly checking his clothes for the smell of pot. "Hey mom." She looked up. "I'm going to sleep." He went over to the garbage can and took out the plastic bag."

[b]Mom-[/b] "Ok hun. Thanks for taking out the garbage." He rolled his eyes while his back was turned. Last night she was bitching at him about not saying goodnight. Now this pleasant mask. Fuck her. He walked out of the door, the sun hitting him in the face. What the hell happened to the clouds? He threw the garbage into the big can and started walking back toward the house. Something caught his eye across the street. He turned his head to see a man walking the other way listening to the same kind of MP3 player he had. The man was staring at him. Corey turned and walked back to his house, a little faster than was necessary. He was high, but not hallucination high... That guy was looking at him.

[b]Mom-[/b] "Are you ok Corey? You look a little pale." The falseness in her voice. The facade of caring.

[b]Corey-[/b] "I'm just not feeling well, ok?" He walked through the kitchen and down to his room. Sleep. Sleep is what he needed. He pulled off his pants and shirt and covered himself with his blanket. "Sleep..." He closed his eyes and saw the rainbow of colors the pot painted on the back of his eyelids. How calming...
???
He opened his eyes and took in the landscape.

[b]Corey-[/b] "What the hell?" In the distance there were mountains. Black mountains. Even though they were so far away, he could still feel them stretching to get at him. The peaks looked so sharp... He was standing on some sort of salt flat. The ground was cracked and dry. A dusty, hot wind blew across his face. Where was he? Across the landscape there were trees. Sparse trees. Every few thousand feet, one sat there on the ground, sad and dead. Their bark was grey. Their roots twisted and broken from a millennia of thirst. The branches seemed to reach toward the heavens, cursing the god that ceased the rain and killed them all.

The sky was as grey as the trees. Clouds over clouds over clouds... The occasional wisp of black smoke broke the monotony of the grey on grey skyscape. The clouds parted momentarily. Something dark glittered in the sky. Was that the sun?

[b]Corey-[/b] "Oh my God..." The sun was black. As black as a stone of Onyx. Black as a chunk of coal... Where was he? One of the trees behind him toppled with a sickening snap. Like bones breaking. Corey shivered and walked over to it. A large crack had issued from the twisted roots. He dropped to his knees and peered into it. Nothing... It was like peering into the eyes of the dead. Absolutely nothing.

The crack quickly shot another foot toward him. Corey stumbled back and fell on his butt. It shot toward him again with a sound that reminded him of nails on a chalkboard. He scrambled to his feet and ran back the way he came, the crevice following about a foot behind with every step he took. He glanced back and saw the spot the tree and crack had originally been was spread into a wide, black chasm. It was expanding with every inch the crack moved with him.

He felt his foot touch nothing as he yanked it up. Then the other came back down on nothing. He sprawled forward, grabbing the edge of the abyss and hanging on, quite literally, for dear life. Something behind him laughed. He turned to look and his hands were thrown from the edge. He was screaming, but nothing was coming out. The black surrounded him. Corey looked up to the sky. The clouds parted and gave him one last look at the scorched sun before he was enveloped in the suffocating blackness of nothingness.

He fell to a ground of some kind. His body hit solid matter, even though he could see nothing. He grunted as he hit, and bounced. Slowly, he got up, still unable to see anything.

[b]??-[/b] "You're a waste." He spun around in the blackness, trying to find the source of the voice. It seemed to have come from everywhere at once.

[b]Corey-[/b] "What?!" It laughed, sounding just like bones rattling.

[b]??-[/b] "You'll never be anything. Never amount to anything. You're worthless. Less than nothing. Just taking up space." Corey hunkered down, cradling his head with his hands. How many times has he thought this?

[b]Corey-[/b] "NO!!" It laughed again.

[b]??-[/b] "Yes. You know it's true. You'll never make it in college. You barely make it in high school."

[b]Corey-[/b] "No... I'm... I'm not..."

[b]??-[/b] "You're a failure." Corey dropped to the ground and curled up.

[b]Corey-[/b] "I'm not... I'm not..." The voice laughed again. He felt tentacles wrapping themselves around his limbs. They were cold. He shrieked. They started to tighten and pull. He strained against them, his body quickly tiring. "No!!"
What was that? There were words... Someone was speaking. But everything was pain. Nothing was getting through the red veil of pain that sheathed his body. He heard the tendons and joints in his arms start to creak from the strain. What were they saying?! It seemed so important to hear! But the pain was too much! He felt pressure on his chest that shook him. His left arm unhinged at the shoulder. He screamed.
???
[b]Dad-[/b] "Corey!!! Wake up!!!" Corey opened his eyes and screamed.[/size]

[JJ]

[Color=DarkBlue]I walked in the door to my house. I had been out with Gabe again, and the pair of us had just ridden around the town, because I couldn?t stand the quiet of the house. Jenni had gone in for her first appointment, and the anxiety of the results were driving mel up the wall, and back down.

I walked through the door, and called out, ?Mom, Jenni??

?Daniel?? A voice rang out.

?Jenni? You upstairs?? I said, jogging up the stairs.

?Yeah, I got some papers on stuff that should and shouldn?t be done.? Jenni said, coming out of her room.

?Lemme see.? I said, reaching for them.

Written across the first page in big letters wasn?t something I was expected.

[B]THE PROPHECY[/B]

My mouth dropped open, as Jenni stared at me funny. ?What, something on there funny??

I continued scanning the paper, ignoring her. The rest of this page was blank, and I flipped it around to be greeted with the same sheen of white. I gave that page back to my sister, and picked up the other one on her bed. In a smaller print read:

[I]Seven chosen, four to live
Two of the four to
Find the love in another
The other two will lose
The thing they care about
And the three to die
Will come in the time
Of most dire need and
Satisfy their lust for revenge.[/I]

?What the hell?? I asked, turning to Jenni. But, there was no one there, and I wasn?t in my house anymore. I had turned to face a white wall.

I made a 360 degree turn, and saw that there was only a small door in the wall, with no windows. I shivered, and thought about a padded cell in a psychiatric hospital. I walked towards the door, and heard my sister scream. I whipped the door open, and was greeted with nothing but an empty hallway.

?Jenni, where are you?? I called out, my pulse starting to race.

I was only greeted with the continued screams of my sister. I looked around at the hallway, and saw that there was only one way to go, and that was to the right, so I ran down the hall, and was greeted with another fork in the road. I chose right and continued running, always running to the right when I came to a fork in the road.

I suddenly stopped as I noticed that Jenni?s screams had gotten louder, and that a door to my right was open. I walked through it slowly, and was blinded by sunlight. I threw my hands up, and walked forward, being careful to check for anything in my way.

As I blinked, and became used to the sun, I began to see that I was in classroom, and outside, someone or something was bouncing near the window. As I crept forward, I saw that it was my sister and some other unidentifiable entity bouncing on a trampoline.

I walked towards the window, and was about to reach out to my sister, when something grabbed me and pulled me back. I punched and kicked, but all my blows seemed to just phase through whatever had me. I finally started screaming, but by that point, the thing had dragged me to the door. I turned, and only saw the blackness of oblivion, and I felt my voice and soul leave my body as the darkness closed around me.[/color]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]I had gotten freaked out after what had happened at the park so I went straight home. No one was home yet because my parents both worked and I was an only child. I didn't want to do work yet either so I decided to watch TV.

As I did so, my mind continued to revert back to that eerie phonecall. I shook my head and turned off the TV, I climbed the stairs slowly, stepping over the squeaky stair on my way up.

I entered my room quietly, the house was so silent so I turned on my hi-fi system, the room was suddenly full of music and I fell onto my bed. The words said by the raspy voice were really getting to me. On my way home I had tried to convince myself that it was someone doing prank calls, but something inside me was telling me strongly that it was real.

I eventually fell asleep because of my train of thought.

My dream was good, I was sitting in a small field full of sakura trees, and they were blooming all around me. I was holding a book, and at the top of the page I was reading, it said [b]THE PROPHECY[/b]. I was curious, and my gaze trailed down to the rest of the words typed there neatly.

[/color][color=DarkBlue][i]Seven chosen, four to live
Two of the four to
Find the love in another
The other two will lose
The thing they care about
And the three to die
Will come in the time
Of most dire need and
Satisfy their lust for revenge.[/i][/color]
[color=Navy]
I was shocked and was wondering what it meant, but I didn't have a chance because then the colours changed and it looked as if it was being pulled down a drain as they swirled. For several moments I was surrounded by nothing but darkness, then I was in another place.

I had a panic attack when I realised what was happening, I was strapped to a large table and there were people around me holding needles. I was incredibly [/color][font=Verdana][color=Navy] Aichmophobic and I had started hyper-ventilating. One by one the people approaching me and stuck the needles harshly into any part of skin. I cried out in pain and thrashed about, making blood flow. Hot tears ran down my face as it continued, the painful pricking, I couldn't stand it.

But I wasn't ready for the last thing, the crowd parted and I was panting heavily, I was thinking it was over. But Someone walked through the parted crowd, his right hand was held behind his back. I narrowed my eyes weakly, I was sweating and had been crying. Then he took the hand from behind his back and I screamed, thrashing even more wildly then before. He was holding a shining new scalpel in his hand.

The man waved his left hand and a group of the people came over and held me down. I could tell there was blood everywhere because I could feel the hot liquid on my skin. Even though I was restrained by straps and people, I continued my attempt to escape. The last thing I remember was the white hot pain of the cold scalpel as it dug into my skin as my mind was surrounded by darkness.
[/color][/font]

[JJ]

[B]Chapter 2: Information From Beyond[/B] [B]Big Picture[/B]: The voices come back in full force, talking to our heroes every moment they can. Our heroes fight back, and they begin to hear important things in the talk. They slowly begin to put the base of the puzzle together. [B]Players[/B]: Sakura, Corey, ^.^, Sakura, ^.^, Corey [B]Notes[/B]: I?d love to have your first post to just be your character being ?tortured? by the voices, and then your second to be about you figuring out the hint. Check the Underground thread first though.

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]I woke up with a jump. I was breathing heavily and my body was covered in a cold sweat. I checked my arms and everywhere for signs of needle marks or the long stripe from the scalpel. There was nothing there, but I still trembled with fear. I wiped my face with a sleeve and got out of bed.

Just then I heard the phone downstairs ring. I jumped from the sound and ran to pick it up.

[b]"Moshi-moshi, Hiwatari residence." [/b]I toned.

[b]"Sakura-chan, we won't be home tonight, there's something going on with the way we get home and we won't be able to make it back until sometime tomorrow. Take care of yourself, ja."

"Hai, ja." [/b]I hung up the phone.

I walked over to the kitchen to see what I could have to eat, there wasn't much so I pulled out some ingredients and bread. I started to put them together and soon I had a nice sandwich, though I doubted that it would satisfy me.

I made my way upstairs, I was tired but I was afraid to sleep, lest the nightmare return. All of a sudden, the power went out and I was left in the dark. I fumbled into my desk drawer and retrieved a box of matches. I carefully made my way over to my bedside table and lit the candle that I always had situated there.

I lit the other candles in my room, they were just there for decoration, but helpful when there was a power outage.

The weather was storming outside my window, I could hear the howling of the wind and the heavy rustling of the trees. I trembled and got under my blankets.

Then my cell phone rang and I picked it up carefully.

[b]"Hello?" [/b]I asked tentatively.

It was what I was afraid of, there was the sound of heavy breathing and the faint sound of static.

[b]"H-Hello?" [/b]I repeated, more scared than before.

[/color][color=Navy][i][b]"It's....coming....."

[/b][/i]I screamed loudly as there was a loud crash of thunder. I was terrified and I hung up the phone, clutching it in white hands.

The cell rung again and I looked at it warily. I bit my lip and flipped it open, putting the thing to my ear.

[/color][color=Navy][i][b]"It's....coming.....Death!"

[/b][/i]I immediately hung up and tossed the phone away from me lightly.

It rang again but I wasn't going to pick it up, I was deeply afraid and the power was out, there was a storm, and my parents wouldn't be home all night.
[/color]

[Corey]

[size=1][b]Dad-[/b] "What's going on." He said it like a statement.
Corey looked at his father, completely sober from the massive amount of
adrenaline dumped into his bloodstream.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Nothing dad... I'm fine, just having a nightmare." His
father continued to stare. "It's all the stress. I've been trying to
do better in school. It's almost over and it's so hard to stay
interested. And graduation is soon. And... Everything is just kinda getting
to me I guess..." His father sighed deeply and stood up.

[b]Dad-[/b] "You had me pretty worried kid... You were screaming in
your sleep. You aren't on drugs or anything, are you?" Corey leveled
his gaze at his father.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Dad, I'm not stupid." He said it with perfect
sincerety. Like all the times before. Lying wasn't the worst thing that could
be done.

[b]Dad-[/b] "Go grab some soda for tomorrow from Osco. The air will do
you good." Corey gave him a weak smile and went down to his room. He
looked around quickly for his MP3 player, found it on a pile of
clothes, and stuck it in his pocket. He also grabbed some cash, his dad would
pay him back, and he wanted to pick up a pack of cigs. He climbed the
stairs back up to the main floor and slipped on his shoes.

[b]Corey-[/b] "I'm off dad."

[b]Dad-[/b] "Ok, hurry back. Dinners in a half hour."

[b]Corey-[/b] "Ok, bye." He walked out of the back door and out of the
yard. The sun was dazzling. It was six in the afternoon and looked
like one or two o'clock. Damn summer weather. He slipped his earbuds on
and brought up The Eagles Greatest Hits Volume 2. Hotel California
started playing, and he was already a block away from his house, the
events involving his MP3 player earlier completely forgotten. The music was
soothing. He loved old rock. It was better than nearly anything out
there today. The music fizzled to a murmur.

[b]Corey-[/b] "What the hell?" He pulled his MP3 Player out of his
pocket and checked the battery. It was fine. And his headphones were
still in there. He suddenly remembered the voice with the clarity of a
diamond. The fear it instilled in him. How cold it made him feel. And
the screams...

[b]??-[/b] "Did you like the look into my world, Corey? The dream?"
He looked around yearning to find someone that was talking to him.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Who are you? Leave me alone!" The voice laughed, cold
and harsh like an ice storm on windowpanes.

[b]??-[/b] "I'm just the messanger. You'll meet our master soon
enough. Look left Corey." He looked to the left and saw a large black Chevy
Suburban sitting on the side of the road. He passed the windows and
saw a man talking on a cellphone. The man was staring at him. He
distincly saw his name pass over the mans lips several times.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Who are you people?! Why are you watching me?! I
haven't done anything!" The voice laughed again and went silent in his ears. The Eagles began playing again, and Corey stood there on the sidewalk, afraid and confused.[/size]

[JJ]

[Color=DarkBlue]Daniel sat at his desk, his head bobbing to the music that was blaring from his headphones. It had been less than twenty-four hours since he had first heard the voices, but thanks to Jenni?s successful appointment, all worries had erased themselves from Daniel?s mind.

He focused back on the paper in front of him, and sighed. Math was a bitch, and it always would be. As the songs changed, Daniel took a break, and leaned back in his chair. He listened as his sister sat downstairs on the phone with the father of her baby.

?You Fucker! Don?t you dare try to slink out of this! You knew, damn you, you knew. Yet, you refused the condom. It?s my fault for letting you go on anyway, but you FUCKER!? Jenni yelled, sending chills down Daniel?s spine.

?Please don?t let her bring me into this. I really don?t want to see the baby come into the world from the room next to Jenni.? Daniel said aloud, hoping no one heard.

?Don?t give her any ideas. At the rate she?s going, she?ll have him on his knees by her ninth month.? Daniel?s mother said, coming out of the bathroom.

Daniel laughed. That idiot would be praying for mercy, and Daniel have him like putty in his hands. He turned his head back to his math, and his music. He set his headphones back in, and picked up his pencil.

?Draw a triangle, when Gamma is 50 degrees, C is 6 centimeters, and Wb is 7.7 cenimeter.? Daniel said to himself. ?Damnit, I hate triangles with a passion.?

?Maybe, if you paid more attention in class, then you wouldn?t.? Someone behind him said.

?Jenni, I really would appreciate it?? Daniel said as he turn around. The problem was, no one was there.
Daniel turned back to math, hoping he was just hearing things. It wasn?t until about five minutes later that he realized he was still listening to music. The chills that had invaded him twice today started to creep down his spine as Daniel stood up and turned around once.

?Look up!? The voice said again, as Daniel?s head jerked up. ?Haha stupid, made you look.?

As Daniel prowled the perimeter of his room, he was suddenly flooded with the familiar tune of the last song he remembered hearing before the voice started talking.

Daniel sat back down, and tried to think about the Math. He couldn?t help but wonder if that voice was related in someway to the one that attacked him earlier. As if in answer to his mental question, the voice responded.

?I?.?

Daniel sat up straight and his eyes buldged. The voice had returned![/color]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy][color=Black][b]OOC: [/b]I'm sorry I took so long to post, I haven't time until now. Let me know if there's anything in the post that I should change.
[b]EDIT: [/b]I took out the leaving part as you asked.
[/color]
Through the rest of the night the power was out, I was afraid, I admit it, even though I always pretended to be strong...I wasn't, I get frightened by small things, like strange calls on my cell phone.

Every now and then my cell phone would ring, but I just gripped the blankets tightly, I didn't want to touch it until the morning. I looked at my clock and realised that it was getting really late and I still had to go to school in the morning. I walked around my room, avoiding the cell phone on the floor and blew out all the candles, leaving the one on my bedside to last, after I was comfortably tucked into my bed. I leaned over and blew gently, the flame went out and I heard a howl of wind outside. I trembled and curled up under my blanket. The cell phone continued to ring, but I blocked my ears and eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up the next morning and panicked when I looked at the clock, if I didn't hurry I'd be late. I rushed around my room, throwing on my school uniform and putting all of my books into my backpack. I picked up the phone carefully and flipped it open, the screen read that there were 25 missed calls. I chose to delete them all without looking at them. I checked the time and let out a yell of frustration, shoving the device into my pocket and flying down the stairs. I made some toast quickly and put on my shoes, leaving the house in a hurry, she didn't want to be late to school.

When I got to school, Cassie asked me why I didn't pick up my cell phone or answer her calls. I made up some excuse about resetting something which delete all of the missed calls. Cassie accepted it, which was a relief.

After school, I got home and my parents were both there, sitting at the table in the kitchen. I greeted them happily and they told me that they didn't have to work today because of the overtime they did yesterday. I was happy and sat at the table too.

But then everything went wrong. I heard a series of bangs, though my parents continued to talk as if they heard nothing. When I think about it, it felt as if time had slowed down. Then that was when my parents fell out of their chairs, there were holes in them with blood flowing freely. I screamed loudly and looked around, there was no one else around, but the bangs had heard like shots of a gun. I checked my parents, but they were dead, they looked like they had been shot multiple times, with several bullet holes the spilled blood. I cried. I was alone...I had no one left.

It was then I heard the voice echo in my head.

[/color][color=Navy][i][b]"It's....coming.....Death!"

[/b][/i]I banged my fists against the floor in anger, how could this happen? There was no one around to have shot, there weren' any broken windows or anything which means someone shot through. I continued to cry, I cried for my parents, I cried because I didn't understand, and I cried because what the voice had said had come true.

I heard my cell phone ring and picked it up, masking the pain in my voice.

[b]"Moshi moshi." [/b]I said, emotionless.

There was heavy breathing on the other end, accompanied with static. I froze. I could tell it was the voice again, but I didn't hang up, I wanted to know what it was going to say.

[i][b]"Death.....has come....I bring you news of a different kind.........Someone in America searches for you......You must find them.....Go to America......Death will follow you.......it may take your friends..........go.......quickly.........." [/b][/i]that's what the raspy voice told her, the static in between, but it didn't break up any of the speech.

I didn't have time to respond to what he said because I was met with a click. I closed my phone and thought. I was deeply troubled, he had called again, but then my parents had just died through a mysterious way. I picked up my phone and speed-dialled 4, I waited until I heard the voice of my best friend, Cassie. I told her that my parents had died while I was out, I know I lied but Cassie would never believe me. I asked if I could stay with her until I worked things out. She immediately responded with that she would come with her parents to pick me up. I was grateful and we hung up.

I packed a bag of belongings and waited for Cassie to come. They arrived and we went back to her house, they told me how sorry they were, since they were best friends with my parents too.

Later that night I lay in the bed of the guest bedroom that I now occupied. I had my head on the pillow and I drifted into sleep, the dream that came was a memory.
[i]
I was a child again, sitting on a park bench in between my parents. That year had been a beautiful spring, and we were watching the sakura trees blooming. Families and friends covered the grass of the park; it was always a great occassion when the cherry blossoms bloomed.

My father caught a falling petal and gave it to me.

[b]"Look Sakura, we named you after these, the beautiful cherry blossoms." [/b]he told me.[/i]

As I slept, a tear emerged from the corner of my eye and rolled sadly down my cheek.
[/color]

[JJ]

[Color=DarkBlue][Size=1]?I? told you I?d be back. Death always has a way of coming back. Of course, I?m not Death, but we?re close. Now, I bet you?re sitting there, wondering what?s up. Well, maybe you should be more worried about what was [I]down[/I].? The voice said, seeming fade away.

I had no idea what to do at this point. My mind was quickly changed as I heard screams from downstairs. I ran downstairs, oblivious to the fact that I still had his headphones in.

The screams only got louder as I ran. When I got down the stairs about falling over the railing, I was greeted with a sight he would never ever forget.

My sister was sitting on the table, her legs spread, and her belly had almost tripled in size. I stared at the sight a moment, before he mother appeared from between his sister?s legs, yelling at I, ?I have no idea what the hell is going on, but you get some wet towels, and some scissors, now!?

I ran back upstairs and into the bathroom, grabbing two towels and throwing them in the shower, which he then turned on. I ran into my room, and looked for the scissors I had set in my drawer not an hour ago. As the screams increased in volume, my mind began to decrease in functioning. As I stopped and took a breath, I realized that the voice was talking again.

?..condition will only get worse. When you least expect it, the real surprise will show itself. Have fun, Mr. Vasquez.? The all too familiar cackle of static greeted me as another scream, and yelling from his mother brought him back to reality. I grabbed the scissors, and ran for the bathroom.

After I picked up the towels, and shut the water off, I shot down the stairs and brought the towels to his mother who was already getting Jenni to try and push. ?Just breath Jenni, it?s all in you?re breath. Hee,hee,who. Say it with me.?

I watched her breath in and out, and without thought, I grabbed her by the hand, and breathed with her. As the baby began to crown, my mom and I immediately realized that there was something, very, very wrong with the baby. The head was purple and spiked, and it was ripping through Jenni?s skin. My mother screamed and fainted as the ?thing? came all the way out.

It was a demon. That much I could tell. It was about the size of a newborn baby, but it was anything but, a baby. It was purple all around, and was covered in blood. All around it?s head, and middle section, it was covered in spikes. As it crawled out from my sister?s legs, I let go of her hand, and ran for the baseball bat I had left on the couch.

Before I could get a swing at it, it jumped onto my sister?s belly and opened its mouth. It was then I saw the row upon row of razor sharp teeth it held in an evil grin. I began to swing for it, but I stopped as I watched it begin to tear into my sister?s stomach. As it ripped the skin of with one row of teeth, the other kept the chewing process going. It began to move up, only taking the skin from the body, and not even nicking the blood vessels and muscle tissue. As it began towards her head, I snapped out of my trance and swung for the thing. I felt it connect, and heard it connect, but the thing just kept eating, as if nothing had happened.

My jaw dropped, and I pulled my bat back to try again. I was surprised to see that the bat was bent into a U shape. I really shouldn?t have been, because I was still ringing from the impact. As I turned back to my sister, I yelled out. The thing had reached her face, and it had completely stripped it of the skin. Now, it began to poke at her eyes, as if testing them for ripeness or something like that. I was royally pissed at this point, so I lunged for the demon.

I was stopped by a horrendously loud burst of static from my headphone, which were still locked in place, as if I had done nothing more than walk down the stairs. I tried to rip them out, but they seemed stuck in there good. I gave up, and tried to approach the demon again. He had just plucked out my sister?s right eye, and was eyeing it. I could see small drops of drool forming from the corners of its mouth.

My rage blinded me again, and rushed him, only to be greeted with the same blast. I rushed it again, but my ears began to ring loudly, so I stopped to catch my breath. I turned to watch the thing again, and gagged as it bit into her eye. The jelly that was inside of her eye slowly trickled down the sides of the things chin. A tongue suddenly shot out and licked it up, causing me to gag again.

As I turned away, looking back to the couch, the voice decided to talk again. ?Wana know what he?s saying? He?s saying he loves your sister?s jelly, and he wants to bottle the other eye for later. He hopes you don?t mind.?

?What the fuck do you want with me?? I asked, in a half sobbing half-yelling voice. ?What did I do to deserve this??

?You?ll find out soon enough, no worries. But for now, enjoy the show, and I?ll catch you after the main performance. Have fun.? The voice said, fading out like it did before.

At this point, tears were flowing freely down my face as I watch the demon scamper onto my sister?s upper chest. I knew what was coming next, but I didn?t want to think it. I tried to turn away, but neither my chair, nor my body would turn. The demon began to dig into the muscle, and pulled something out from the mass. I knew what it was, and I knew what he was going to with it, but something in me stirred and I shouted out, ?Leave her heart alone you asshole. When I get up from this chair, you?re ass is so going down!?

The demon ignored me again, and began to eye its real prize. I struggled against whatever was holding me down, but I was still stuck. I strained against them one last time as it brought her heart towards its mouth. I expected to hear the sound of the blood splattering all over the place, but instead all I heard was a small pop. I opened my eyes to the thing drinking the blood that was already inside, plus the blood that was still pumping.

I couldn?t hold it back anymore at this point, so I ended up throwing up. By the time I had finished heaving, my sister had taken her last breath. I yelled again, but it did no good, as my sister?s corpse disappeared. I gasped, and watched in fascination as the demon stood up and walked across the table. I struggled again, and fell out my chair. I walked slowly over to the demon, trying out a new tactic.

I approached the thing slowly, and listened closely as the static level rose. I stopped as it hit about the state I keep the music at. I winced as it jumped and landed on the floor causing the house to shake. I winced again as it walked towards me and the static level rose. I tried to turn around and run, but my legs were locked firmly in place by fear. It finally got to the point of where I couldn?t take it anymore, and passed out, losing all of my senses.[/size][/color]

[Corey]

[size=1][i]OOC: I'm out of school now, so I'll have a lot more time to post.[/i]
---
As he stepped through the automatic doors of the local Jewel Osco, the MP3 player fizzled to a murmur again. His complexion went ghostly white dispite the stiefling heat outside. Corey looked around, suddenly very sure that someone was watching him. The store loomed in front of him in a haze of fluorescents and cosmetics. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow, the cold airconditioning blast having no bearing on his persperation. Not a soul was in sight. He carefully brought his gaze upward. The security cameras sat on the ceiling of the store like black domed eyes, staring into him. He hurried out of the entrance quickly.

Before he entered the store, Queen had been playing in his ears. Bohemian Rhapsody. He yearned for it. Nothing but white noise...

[b]Corey-[/b] "God help me..." He uttered the word more out of habit than actual spiritual inclination, being an athiest.

He wound his way through the aisles, edging closer to the coolers with soda inside them. The flourescents hurt his eyes. Everything seemed too bright. Twentyfour hours ago he'd been at work, not exactly happy, but not scared to the point of crapping ones self. The coolers loomed into view. They seemed larger than normal. He had been working hard, earning money for college. Or so he said. College was an indefinate road on his highway of life. With a small pressure hiss, the cooler door opened and he grabbed two large bottles of Diet Coke out. White noise continued to pour out of his headphones. He couldn't hear anything else.

Corey made his way from the coolers to the checkout counter, where a cashier suddenly appeared as if by magic. He saw her mouth move. No sound came out.

[b]Corey-[/b] "H-h-huh?" The terror was difficult to keep out of his voice. He scratched his neck absentmindedly as he watched the girls lips move. [i]find everything alright?[/i] "Yeah... It was... great..." She gave him a look and rang up the two bottles of soda. [i]two oh five.[/i] Corey handed her the bills, longing for the sound of her voice. Anything but nothingness... [i]ninety-five cents is your change, have a good day.[/i] "Thankyou..." He stuffed the bottles in a bag and almost jogged out of the store.

The hot, humid, swealtering air hit him like a sheet of silk. It felt great to be out of there. Out of the glowing lights, the pungent scent of disinfectant. Out of the cold, recirculated air. He looked up and down the street, for a minute imagining he could see black sunlight shining on the landscape. Corey shook his head and started walking back to his house.

As he rounded the top of the hill, his music started playing again. [i]Didn't I take my earbuds out... Guess not...[/i] He shook his head again and scratched at the top of one hand. A few blocks down, the block that him and his family lived on, his fathers truck pulled onto the busy road he was walking on. He must want him to go somewhere with him. Corey searched his thoughts and tried to remember if he'd agreed to go to some hardware store with him yesterday. He couldn't remember. The music died in his ears again. His stomach dropped. All he could hear was the sound of his dads engine.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Oh God... What's going on..." His fathers truck coasted toward his location. [i]He's going to hit me...[/i] All four wheels still planted directly on the road, the sun glinting off the white paint job, and the engines revving filling his mind, Corey stood rooted to the spot, unable to make his legs move. [i]He's going to hit me and I'm going to die. That's how it's going to end. Right here. Right now. On this sidewalk I've walked hundreds of times...[/i] But his father pulled right up next to him. He could hear the window being rolled down as clearly as if his head was next to the little electric motor inside of the door. He stared into his fathers eyes.

[b]Dad-[/b] "Hey Corey. C'mere. We need to talk." Corey stood rooted to the spot. Something across the intersection caught his eye, but his fathers held his own in a vice grip. "Corey, take your headphones out and come here, now." His fathers voice was coming out of the earbuds. The engines revvving filled his head. And faintly, he could hear Rap music. "Corey. Come here right n-"
---
'You're worthless. Less than nothing.'
---
[b]Corey-[/b] "DAD!" He jumped over the crumbled hood, cutting himself in several places on jagged bits of metal. The world had had the volume turned all the way back up. Metal on metal. The screaching of car parts jamming against on another. Popping tires and screams of onlookers filled his head. He couldn't get the door open. It was crumpled beyond function. He looked at his father and stopped. His head was lolling against one shoulder, his full beard blanketed in a veil of red. His gaze traveled up. A huge hole had appeared in his fathers head. Chunks of hair and skull littered his shirt and seat. A leaking grey mass had started to pour from the cavernous opening. The eyes... Not five seconds ago they had been full of life. Energetic and active. Now, nothing more than void spheres. Blank. Full of nothing.

Corey took two, staggering steps back, fell on his ass, and vomited all over the front of himself. He looked to his left and saw a blackk Legacy crumpled into his fathers truck. Rap music still blared from the stereo. A black man sat slumped in the drivers seat. He looked back at his father, dead and bleeding in the drivers seat, his heart still vainly trying to pump blood to his body.

Static filled his ears.

[b]??-[/b] "You must go now, kid. Get the fuck out of this country. There's someone in Japan that can help you. You have enough money in your bank account. Go. Run, bitch." The voice cut out, and the earbuds fell from his ears. He jammed them into his pocket, and with a tearfilled glimpse at his dead father, ran.[/size]

[JJ]

[B]Chapter 3: A Card Is Flashed[/B] [B]Players[/b]: Sakura, Corey [B]Big Picture[/B]: After their run in with Death itself, our heroes are tired physically both mentally and physically. The pieces do begin to come togther for them as they realize they have to get to wherever the voice said for them to go, and they need to get their fast. Only problem is, they soon realize that finding the specific person is going to big bitch. Luckily for them, the voices do try to help, even if it?s in their own sick twisted way. [B]Notes[/B]: Well, here we go again with the PM round room. No killing in this chapter, but I do hope to see a lot of frustration. Hopefully this bridge-like chapter?ll kind of explain what I was getting at by putting in the whole leaving part in the first place.

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]When I woke up the next morning I found myself with damp cheeks from crying. I noticed that I was no longer in my house and panicked before I recognised my surroundings, after that I remembered what had happened the day before and I cried quietly for a while. Then I went to the bathroom and washed my face clean of the trails that my tears had left. I went down to breakfast and saw that Cassie and her parents were already at the table. They saw me coming and looked at me sadly.

[b]"Sakura, we made some calls, your parents have been taken and a funeral will be prepared." [/b]Cassie's mother said.

I was grateful and slid into the spare chair. We ate breakfast having quiet conversation, then my cell phone rang. I excused myself and flipped open the phone.

[b]"Sakura here." [/b]I toned.

[/color][color=Navy][i][b]"...Someone in America searches for you......You must find them.....Go to America......Death will follow you.......it may take your friends..........go.......quickly.........." [/b][/i]was the raspy voice, repeating the message I had gotten yesterday. I was going to reply when I heard the click and the beeping sound telling me that they had hung up again.

I went back to the table and told them that I had to go. I knew they wanted to ask questions, but they didn't saying they'd call the airport after breakfast to arrange a flight. I knew that I could count on Cassie and her parents, our families were-, had been close.

As they said, they called the airport and arranged for me to be on the next flight to America. Even though they all had to be somewhere else, they drove me to the airport and waited until I boarded. I hugged them in a sad goodbye, they were a second family to me.

I didn't have to check my bags because they were small and could fit in the overhead compartments. I went to the gate and handed the ticket to the flight attendant at the door. She told me to have a nice flight. I just smiled at her, it was her job to say stuff like that, how would she know I was going to America because some strange voice was telling me to. As if she knew my parents had been killed by some invisible bullets. I entered the plane and went to my assigned seat, tucking my baggage into the overhead compartment.

I waited quietly as more people filed into the plane. A pretty woman sat beside me, she smiled and asked why I was going to America on my own. I just told her that I was looking for someone. She accepted the answer and talked to me every now and then, it helped to make me feel more comfortable.

I took in a deep breath as they announced the flight would soon be taking off. I had never left Japan before and I was afraid and nervous of what I would find in other countries. But everything for me was in the future, there was nothing left in my past, back in Japan. My parents were dead, shot by an invisible assassin, and I was sure my friends would eventually forget me. The things I would miss were the festivals, the exhibitions in every season, the children playing through the seasons, and finally, most of all, I would miss my lovely sakura trees, I hoped to return and see them again...some day.

I slept through most of the flight, and if not I stared out the window. I didn't notice that we had landed until the announcement. I said goodbye to the woman beside me as she left and got my things from the overhead. I got off the plane with the attendant at the door saying 'have a good trip'. I smiled weakly and continued on, slinging my large backpack over my shoulder, it was one of the bags we used when we had gone hiking.

I looked around the airport, this was it. I was now in New York City, New York. In America. I made my way down the escalator and exited the building. I just stood outside the airport, I didn't know what to do, the voice hadn't given me any information on what to do.

Right on cue, my cell phone rang. I knew it would be the voice without a doubt.

[b]"Yes?" [/b]I asked hostilely.

[b]"Well done, Sakura. You're now in New York. Now, use your phone's 'search' function and just wait to see what you'll find. That's all for now." [/b]the voice said, now the person was speaking normally, but it was the same person, the deepness of his voice gave it away.

I hung up and searched through the options, finding the 'search' option as the voice had said. I turned it on and waited, a signal popped up and there was an arrow on the screen, like a compass because it swayed. I turned my body in the direction it pointed until the arrow pointed north on the screen. I just shrugged and started to jog.

I followed the arrow, going around obstacles. I looked around the city as I continued on, it was a busy place, but it didn't surprise me, it kind of reminded me of Japan, with all the skyscrapers and the busy roads with people hurrying everywhere. It took me most of the day to follow the arrow, alternating between jogging and walking.

Then I realised that it lead me to the ocean as I stood on the edge of a pier, staring out at the Atlantic Ocean. The arrow was still swaying, pointing toward the ocean. I didn't know what to do. I sighed as a cold breeze ruffled my hair. I dropped and sat with my legs dangling over the edge shrugging my heavy bag off. I supposed I'd just have to wait and see what happened.

[b][color=black]OOC: [/color][/b][color=black]Um...Hope that's ok. I followed the instructions as best I could. Let me know if I should change it.[/color]
[/color][color=navy][font="][font=Verdana][/font] [/font][/color]

[Corey]

[size=1]Running... The world passed by in a blur of motion. He had ran to his house, bypassed his mother dispite her protests, changed clothes, jumped out of a window to get around her, ran to a corner and called a cab, went to the airport, paid the man, booked a flight to Tokyo, and waited.

Now he was on the plane. He was surprised at the ease he had conquered all the obstacles in his way. He had bought a passport in the terminal and had the picture taken not a minute later. They never questioned his story of going to see a friend he had met online. All conversations had been carried out with the same salesman smile he had worn every day at work. Convincing to a fault. It carried a simulation of happiness, a copy of warmth, an imagined interest.

Cold is what he felt. Empty. Void. The plane hummed uncomfortably all around him. Corey sat wedged next to the window, watching the last rays of sun dissapear over the water. Non-stop from Milwaukee, WI to Tokyo, Japan. An outrageous price. He had less than a thousand left. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. He slipped his earbuds back on and cued up a techno mix he'd made a while back.

Corey closed his eyes and opened them again slowly. The sun was shining through his window. The flight was only supposed to be eight hours or so. How could the sun be back up already? His eyes focused. That wasn't sun. It was neon. Lights... From the ground. God... Tokyo was a bright place...

The plane landed with a bit of turbulence, Corey had barely felt it. He barely felt anything. The flight attendant walked up the aisles when they had come to a stop and told everyone they could disembark. Static flared in his ears. He grimaced, but was becoming more and more accustom to the unprompted bursts of noise. It increased in pitch, and dropped to a murmur. A voice spoke up. A new one. It sounded like a woman.

[b]??-[/b] "Welcome to Tokyo. Please make your way to the terminal and await further instructions." A horrible mockery of the flight attendant. The new voice sounded more sinister. He gathered his carry-on and was one of the first people off the plane, not sparing a look at either of the flight attendants or the captain.

The terminal was bright. Too bright. The static came back.

[b]??-[/b] "'Lost in a land unknown.' Something like that, right Corey?" He grimaced, remembering the quote from a book he'd once read. "No matter." He picked up his bag and started walking across the terminal. Static split his head and he doubled over. "Not that way my boy. The other way. We need to be a bit more alone. Business needs to be discussed." Corey picked himself up, pretending he'd twisted his ankle, and walked the opposite way he'd been going. "Here." He sat, placing his bag next to him. "Take out your MP3 player." He did, the battery seemed to be amazingly recharged to full, even though he'd been sure it had been on the entire flight.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Ok, what now..." The menu came up by itself. His eyes widened slightly.

[b]??-[/b] "We've added a new function to your MP3 player. The person you're trying to find has been equipped with a tracking chip. It was implanted during a routine doctors visit some months ago before we initiated this. You're all part of the plan. But first you need to meet." He highlighted the 'Track' item on his MP3. A digital arrow appeared on the screen. "Follow the arrow." Corey got up, pulled his bag over his shoulder, and walked out of the terminal.

The arrow seemed to be some sort of GPS. Every time he got to a certain point, it shifted direction. He followed, tirelessly. A few times, he felt people behind him. Watching him. But they weren't there when he turned around. They were still watching him... What kind of trans-continental agency would be interested in him? He wasn't special. He could barely get through the day without a hit from his pipe...

Corey stopped. Seagulls crowed overhead. Water sloshed against the hulls of ships and the rocks of the coast. The arrow was pointing towards the ocean. He thought hard for a minute, trying to think if there were any islands or anything somewhere out there before realizing the inevitable. He had to go to the mainland...[/size]

[JJ]

[B]Chapter 4: Through the Fog[/B] [B]Players[/B]: Corey, Sakura, Corey, Sakura [B]Big Picture[/B]: Corey, making a split decision, flies to Paris, and Sakura following the radar, tries to estimate where he lands, and ends up in Germany. The two then meet in a border town between the two countries, and find out much more then they ever planned. [B]Notes[/B]: Sakura, end it with you two meeting. That is all. Have fun.

[Corey]

[size=1][i]I'm sorry for the breif nature of this post, I don't have much spare time momentarily, but I want the story to continue.[/i]
???
Corey looked down at his debit card and wondered silently if they had frozen his account yet. He ran away from home, and fled the scene of a fatal car wreck. Not to mention he was currently in posession of marijuana... He shook his head and walked back up to the ticket line. Where to... The compass was pointing East Northeast. He looked at the large map over the salespeople.

[b]Man-[/b] "Hello! Can I help you?" An overly cheery Japanese man loomed over him.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Jesus you're tall..." He'd never seem an Asian man that tall. It was disconcerting. The man furrowed his brow. He had to be used to this kind of treatment.

[b]Man-[/b] "I'm sorry? Can I help you?" Corey shook his head again. It didn't seem to want to clear.

[b]Corey-[/b] "One one-way ticket to..." He glanced across the map. "Paris..." Had to be Europe... Had to be. He handed his card over and hoped it wouldn't be declined. He was handed a piece of paper to sign, and his card to replace into his pocket. He signed, grabbed the ticket, and made his way to the plane half expecting the voice to speak up again. It didn't. The hatch closed behind him and he made his way to the seat. Another plane...[/size]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]I yawned as I stared at my phone, the arrow was still pointing the same way it had been doing for the past few hours. I was so tired but didn't want to sleep because I didn't want to miss if the arrow moved. Just as I was thinking about the arrow, it jerked, pointing south from my position.

I cursed and jumped up, pulling my legs up from over the edge of the pier and pulled my bag back on, groaning from the returned weight. I jogged in the direction of the arrow, following it again as I had before.

When I reached the end of a parking lot, I looked up at the building and cursed loudly in Japanese. I was back at the airport.

The arrow dragged me through the airport to a place with maps. I walked past each slowly, then the arrow pointed at one. I turned and examined it, reading the English words. I could read the word 'Europe' across the top of the large map on the booth.

I used the phone camera to scan through the map and watched as it appeared smaller on the screen of my phone. I watched as a small arrow circled a small portion of the map. I compared it with the larger map and slowly made out the words. The arrow circled a small area that enclosed France, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands.

I frowned and rubbed my eyes, I didn't know where I was supposed to go. I sighed and closed my eyes, my finger made circles around the section and I stopped. When I opened my eyes it landed at Germany.

[b]"So, Germany it is." [/b]I mumbled.

I walked over to the desks and bought a one-way ticket to Germany, hoping it was the right place.

It wasn't soon until they announced that the plane was boarding. As I sat, I thought about how I was on another plane. 2 flights in 1 day.

In my mind I reasoned that this was silly, going on a wild goose chase around the world, following a compass and a mysterious voice. But there was nothing left for me anywhere else, might as well follow and see what happens. Maybe, just maybe, it would all be worth it.

With that final thought, I drifted into a much needed sleep.

[b][color=Black]OOC: [/color][/b][color=Black]I hope that was ok, I didn't know how else I would try to predict where Corey would be and end up in Germany.[/color]
[/color]

[Corey]

[size=1][i]?ding?[/i]
Corey jerked awake. He'd fallen asleep about twenty minutes after takeoff. The seat belt light had turned on. The woman next to him was buckling her belt and stowing her briefcase under her seat. Corey quickly buckled his own, and gripped his bag. Something felt wrong.

[b]Intercom-[/b] "This is your captain speaking. We'll be encountering some turbulence. It should last no more than ten minutes or so. Thank you and have a good flight." The words were in French, but his MP3 player quickly translated for him. No sooner did the woman's voice on his MP3 fade than the plane hit a patch of dead air. A few screams rang through the cabin. Corey gripped the armrests, white knuckled and barely breathing. One of the overhead compartments opened sending pieces of carry-on luggage flying. Another scream.

Corey quickly brought up some music and turned the volume all the way up.

Thirty minutes later, he let go of his armrests and took out his earbuds. His hands ached and the cabin smelled of fresh vomit. More than a few had lost their last meal in the drastic amount of turbulence. Never in his life had his stomach felt less like a rock.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Fuck..." He wished that he could just slip into the bathroom and take a few hits out of his pipe. It would make things... More tolerable. The woman to his right looked at him.

[b]Woman-[/b] "Want a few valiums?" Corey looked over at her questioningly. "I know it's illegal to share perscription drugs, but I don't think anyone will say anything." He took the pills with thanks and downed them with the remainder of the whiskey the woman offered him. She flagged down the stuardess for another whiskey and downed it as soon as it hit her tray-table.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Thanks. Thanks a lot." She smiled at him, still slightly green in the face.

[b]Woman-[/b] "Not a problem. Visiting family in Paris?" Corey looked at her.

[b]Corey-[/b] "Yeah... More or less." His fathers face flashed through his head. She nodded.

[b]Woman-[/b] "I used to be like you."

[b]Corey-[/b] "Huh?" She gave him a knowing smile.

[b]Woman-[/b] "I ran away once too." Without another word, she tilted her seat back and closed her eyes. Corey gaped for a minute before looking out the window and wondering how much longer the flight would be.

???

The plane landed as smoothly as it had taken off and without a hint of the in-flight trouble. Corey stood shakily, legs aching from not being moved. The woman gave him another smile, and walked down the aisle toward the hatch. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the plane and into yet another monotonously bustling terminal. Three in less than 24 hours...

[b]Corey-[/b] "It's gotta be a record..." He strode over to the bathroom, the colon-crunching effects of adrenaline creeping out of his body. The stall was meticulously clean. Ten minutes later he got out and walked over to the sink. After washing his hands, he glanced up into the mirror. A gaunt face with sunken eyes and pale skin greeted him. He jumped in spite of himself. That couldn't be him. One day of horrible events had turned him into a shadow of his previous self. "God..." He ran a hand over his face and felt the five o'clock shadow that had crept up his neck during the day. It only served to further the look of a walking-dead.

He pulled out his MP3 player and cued up the locator. It pointed, more or less, east. He pulled on his backpack and went out to find an exit.[/size]

[Sakura]

[color=Navy]I was brought back into reality by the stewardess on the speaker, announcing we had arrived in Frankfurt, Germany. I disembarked from the plane and walked out of the terminal. I rubbed my eyes from sleep and looked around, so this was Germany.

I flipped open my phone after pulling it from my pocket and the compass was waving left and right. I sighed and walked toward the parking lot, flagging down a cab. It was now that I was glad I had taken German for a few years.

[b]"[font=Verdana]geehrter Herr, sehr sind Sie willend, gerade zu fahren, wohin ich verweise Sie?" [/font][/b][font=Verdana][i][Sir, are you willing to just drive wherever I direct you?] [/i][/font][font=Verdana]I asked the driver, my accent wasn't perfect, having a Japanese tinge to it.

[/font][b]"Ja ja so lang wie Sie zahlen Sie." [/b][i][Yes, yes, as long as you pay.] [/i]he replied.

I nodded and slipped into the cab. I got him to drive, telling him to turn when the arrow changed direction. I was happy he didn't question, it would be hard to explain.

He stopped suddenly. He pushed the button on the cost meter and turned around in his seat to face me. I closed my phone and looked at him in confusion, I hadn't asked him to stop.

[b]"Traurig, Verlust, sind wir am Rand von Deutschland, ich gehen nicht jenseits hier." [/b][i][Sorry, miss, we're at the border of Germany, I don't go beyond here.] [/i]he told me.

[b]"Es ist okay. Was ist auf der anderen Seite dieses Randes?" [/b][i][It's ok. What's on the other side of this border?] [/i]she questioned, pulling out the money required, looking up at the meter.

[b]"Luxemburg." [/b][i][Luxembourg.] [/i]he answered easily.

[b]"Danke." [/b][i][Thanks.] [/i]I said, handing him the money and climbing out of the cab.

The man waved and drove away, I looked at my phone again and started to walk. I passed the border, after they checked my passport and walked slowly.

The sun was close to being fully set by the time I reached the main city, Luxembourg. I wasn't tired because I'd taken a lot of naps on the planes.

The compass led me to a restaurant place and I continued to follow it, not questioning the arrow as it swayed. I walked past the maitre d' and entered the filled room. I sighed heavily and weaved slowly through the room, waving my phone around to get a reaction from my phone.

I'd almost given up hope when we got to the back of the restaurant where a teenager who looked a little older than herself sat alone at a table. The arrow was flashing red and yellow, pointing straight ahead.

I nervously walked forward, seeing that he had an mp3 player's earphones plugged into his ears. I took a breath and approached him. He looked up to me and he didn't look too good, he had a five o'clock shadow, sunken eyes, and pale skin.

[b]"Excuse me, I don't suppose you've been following a weird voice and a compass, searching for someone have you?" [/b]I asked, feeling stupid, my English was good, I just couldn't read it very well.

[b]"What do you mean by compass?" [/b]he asked quietly.

I showed him the screen of my phone, where the arrow was pointing toward him, flashing brightly. He nodded and showed his Mp3 player, there was an arrow on it too, it pointed to her, flashing like her own arrow.

[b]"My name's Sakura Hiwatari." [/b]I said, smiling.

[b]"Corey Roos. Nice to meet you." [/b]he sighed.

I sighed too, I was so happy and relieved. Finally, I'd found him. Maybe I'd get some answers now.

[b][color=Black]OOC: [/color][/b][color=Black]Not too good. Sorry about the German if it's wrong. I'm working off the translator on Dictionary.com.[/color]
[/color]

[JJ]

[B]Chapter 5: The Shadows Darken, The Light Dims[/B] [B]Players:[/B] Daniel [B]Big Picture:[/B] A chain of events has been set in motion, and our friend Daniel gets the butt of it. [B]Notes:[/B] It?s what everyone?s been waiting for!!!! The plot! =O I also apologize for the incredible wait that seems to pop up between posts/ chapters. Starting now, I shall keep on the ball about this.

[Color=DarkBlue]Daniel groggily sat up and shook his head. A loud noise had shot through his body, and awoken him. He yawned and looked around. It was dark in the house, so that meant it was still night. He just hoped it was still the same night that he had passed out in. He looked at his watch and gasped. It was the next day. He had been out cold for an entire day and no one had found him. He shuddered at the though of his dead corpse laying there rotting.

He got himself to stand up, and stretch. His body was tense after lying on the floor for an entire day. As he walked towards the fridge, the shock of what had happened hit him. His eyes began to mist over as his breath came out in sobs. He broke down in front of the fridge. He began to have difficulties breathing as the tears flowed down his face and out of his nose. His sister and mother were gone; his sister was dead for sure. He had no family left. No one in this world, but his friends would be there for him.

He let himself go for about another twenty minutes, and got back up. He had given his respects, and now it was time for revenge. Whatever was talking to him, it had killed them. It had taken away his family. Why should he look at it in any other form?

He opened the fridge, and picked up the bottle of milk, and dropped it. His vision fuzzed over in white as he felt the bottle slip. The sound of it shattering never hit Daniel as he slumped onto the floor, twitching. He wasn?t there anymore.

Daniel groaned and opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn?t at home. He was standing in what looked like a volcano, but with a throne in the middle of the lava, and seven disfigured shadows standing around it, at attention. A shadow suddenly appeared, landing on the throne. It?s wings shot into it?s body, and all seven of the shadows bowed.

Daniel became curious and walked a bit closer, shedding light on them. The shadow closest to him, was incredibly ugly. It stood tall, and it was dressed in a grey business suit. Its skin was a sickening shade of green, and it had needles sticking out of every bare inch of skin. He had a feeling that even under the suit there were needles.

The shadow on the throne suddenly spoke, causing all the things and Daniel to jump. ?Give your report. Why isn?t he dead yet??

?Sir, the car, he wasn?t in it. I tried to convince him otherwise, but he ended up leaving. Him and the girl, they?ve met up. He still has his mother back home, but we?re planning on finishing her off soon. Also..? The thing began?

?SILENCE! Tell Greed he?s to report to me as soon as you talk to him. He has some explaining to do.? The shadow said, pointing at the demon.

?Yes sir.? It replied, disappearing.

Daniel stiffened at the name Greed. He couldn?t be referring to the sin, Greed, could he? Did the seven deadly sins actually have corporal forms? The most important question swimming through his mind at this point was, ?Is this a dream??.

The shadow, who Daniel could only believe to be Lucifer, turned to the next demon in line. ?You, you?d better have good news.?

?Sir, we?ve also failed. The magic didn?t effect her the way it should have. She escaped, and is now with Greed?s watch. They?re in a restaurant in France. I believe that they have established physical contact, but if they have then, I fear that one of them may find out everything.? She said, her waves of fat jiggling as she breathed.

Daniel figured at this point they couldn?t see or hear him, so he crept closer to the circle, and the demon. She was dressed in what looked like something off a Paris runway, but only enlarged 60 sizes. It was made of silk, and almost see through, showing Daniel more nasty, mud colored flesh then he wanted to see. She looked from this distance, like a toad. ?That?s just flat out nasty.? Daniel thought to himself as Lucifer began to speak.

?Well, well, well, two fuckups, and I haven?t even gotten half way through the circle. You listen here. You make sure they don?t meet anyone of the other these idiots have failed to kill. You tell Sloth, that she better get her gears a movin?, or she?s going to be in one sticky situation.? Lucifer, said, with a dismissing wave.

The toad thing disappeared in the same fashion that the spiny demon did. He shuddered, and creeped nearer to the third demon. This one was almost attractive. She looked human enough, with blonde hair flowing down her back, and a matching crème colored suit for it to lay on. She wore glasses, but Daniel had a feeling he knew what they were for.

?Report.? Lucifer said, the annoyance easy to read in his voice.

The voice that issued from the demon?s mouth only fueled Daniel?s idea. It was Lust?s domain. ?Sir, the demon didn?t finish the job. It only killed the sister and the mother, and let the boy live, in hopes of him not having any sense of self. We?re not sure if it worked, because as soon as he awoke, he disappeared. It wasn?t physical either, so we?re led to believe that up above has caught onto our scheme. At least, our part of it anyway.?

Daniel?s jaw dropped. Lust was coming after him? He didn?t want to know why, and he shuddered as the demon disappeared. The gaze continued, but Daniel didn?t want to hear anymore. He sat down on the ground, and ignored everything. The only words he heard from the next three were, dead, dead, and dead. Daniel only gave a glace as the red devil, fat blue cook, and spandex wearing demons vanished smugger than the others did.

It wasn?t until the green snake like thing took the step up, did Daniel take any more notice. He figured it was Envy, and was right when he began to talk, but what came out did surprise him.

?Sir, we killed him, just as you wanted. Complication, we believe came from the Prophecy, has forced the power into another human. We?re working on getting to her sir, and will report when we have more.? The snake hissed with its S?s, and scared Daniel a bit.

Lucifer then turned to him and laughed. ?You have our plans now. You know what?s going to happen. What?re you gonna do about it? ?Eh human? You can?t leave your country, three of you are dead, and it?s only a matter of time before Lust consumes, and finishes you off. Have fun scrambling to live, even though you have no idea why you have to die. Kind of sad, don?t you think??

Daniel gasped, although he wasn?t sure why, or where it came from. He was then enloped by the white light, and time sped itself up again. Daniel gasped, and slumped into the puddle of milk, his legs having given out on him.

As soon as he got his strength back, he stood up, and just stared at the wall. He pulled out his MP3 player in hopes of catching something, but all he heard was music. Daniel took a deep breath. Things weren?t going to be easy.

?Aww, fuck.? Daniel said, as his vision was clouded over by white again.

This time, he was moving. No, he was flying. He flew over the ocean, and landed suddenly on land. He inched forward, and moved 100 miles. He made another step, and was standing at the window of the restaurant. He noticed the girl with the goggles on her head, and the boy with the earrings right away. He quickly made a mental note, and was then whisked into the air again.

This time, he landed in the mountains, and stepped lightly until the sensation shortened his steps to mere human size. There, he came upon a young woman in a fevered sleep. She was tossing and turning. He took note of her hair, and face, and felt the white light engulf him again.

When he returned back to his house, he cursed, and went over to the couch. He had to figure a way out of Guatemala, and fast.[/color]

[B]Chapter 6: Escaping The Unavoidable[/B] [B]Players[/B]: Zehn Sun, Daniel, [B]Big Picture[/B]: We meet Zehn Sun for the first time, we watch her meet her voice, and all the while, keep track of Daniel?s trouble of getting out of country. [B]Notes[/B]: Everyone give a big welcome to Revelation, and let?s settle her into the story. Just a simple confrontation post. If you need/would like to divide it up for anyone reason, feel free to PM me, Revelation.

OOC: Sorry about the huge delay. I was on vacation. Someone post something in the Underground thread so I can use it without deleting and reposting! ~_^

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[Revelation]

[size=1][color=#E3170D]Looking at the clock that hung across the room, Zhen stood up and ran her fingers through her hair then suddenly stopped in her pace and frantically shook her fingers through them, sighing all the while afterwards. She needed to know why she felt the way she did and why the past was haunting her when all she wanted to do was stay in the present and think nothing more.

As Zhen paced around her house more frequently, she paced to her kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and took a large drink but as she drank she suddenly remembered the vague feeling of someone watching her. Even in her sleep, she had a keen sense of her environment and knew that someone was in her room, but upon waking up, not a single person was in the room. Zhen was now in thought that she might be insane, on the verge of a psychotic breakdown but knowing herself, she was far from it.

Taking large sips, Zhen walked back to her couch and sat down, looking out at the empty space. Mindlessly, Zhen picked up the remote control and turned the television on; watching whatever was left the few hours before she went to bed. Though the T.V. was on, Zhen paid no attention, for all she could think about was the nightmare that haunted her still, the man that was never executed.

?Earlier this week, a diplomatic consul has been assassinated by an unknown source. It is rumored that the consul is a distant relative of a earliest known Xiong Nu leader, Dou Man. Although the information about the assassin is unclear, it is advised that we keep a look out for the person who killed the consul.?

Changing the channel, Zhen fell upon a Chinese horror movie that she thought was predictable yet strangely comforting. To her, horror movies were all a bit overrated and a bit outdated but in the essence of making them, they seem to tell the tale of one?s life, one?s fear, and one?s destiny linking with that to another?s. It just makes it all the worthwhile to watch and laugh, and maybe even get scared, but that was highly unlikely.

[B]OOC-[/B] Sorry for the short post but it?s the best that I can do at the moment.[/size][/color]