These are some of the pieces of direct relevance, or from the inspiration of DRYH. Most haven't seen edits and there are a handful of starts with no progress, as well as a few things which had full arcs planned which never came to be.
~~~~~~-----~~~~~~-----~~~~~~
I haven’t been able to sleep well lately. Okay that's not fair, i haven’t been able to sleep well for a long time. Last few weeks its been worse though. I try to lie down, and nothing happens. I try to wear myself out and it doesn’t work. I feel like im always running on fumes. Things are getting weird. I think i’m going insane. I feel trapped in my room, so i go for these walks outside. I stay on the lit streets, too many stories of people i know getting attacked at night. The city isn’t exactly safe. The last few nights i find myself walking past teh same door. Its green with these weird scratch marks on it. I could swear its the same door cuaae i remember teh scratches, and they were the same every time. The thing is, i’ve been walking in different parts of the city. Tonight i think i’m goinbg to try to open it. I don’t know where it will lead, but at this point i’m not sure i care.
I went through it last night. It was weird. I found teh door within a few minute of walking. It usually took me a few hours but the green just popped out to me as soon as i came round a corner. I could see it in an alley near to my place, lit up under one of teh hanging lamps the city uses to light up the backalleys. i went up to it and it had the same scratches so i tried the door. It opened onto this hallway. I went down and and turned a corner and i found myself standing on a rooftop, but it wasn’t a rooftop like anything i’ve ever seen. There were skylights and windows everywhere. The buildings were so tight to each other i could hop from one to the other. The walls of teh buildinsg had more widnows, and doors as well. Doors and windows all over, pakcing the ground and the walls and the overhangs even. I found myself walking on the frames.
I heard this bell sound from some where below me and i rmemebr feeling this chill sweep over me. There was a slam behind me and this ...thing. was running from a door that had just slammed over a few rooftops. It looked like a little kid in a brown hooded cloak, like from a fairy tale. The cloaked kid ran up the wall of a bordering building, grabbed the frame sil of a window and pulled himself into it, the window slamming behind him.
I heard this deep growl from behind me. It was warm, if that makes sense, liek a fire in a dark night that you can’t see. It was like a deep laugh mixed with this animal growl. It freaked me out i turned and started running away from it, as much as i could runon teh sills,frames and occational roof bricks and tiles. It seemed to follow me, getting louder and harsher the more i ran until i hopped to another building and the building fell beneath me. I don’t know how i mistepped cause it looked right on level until i jumped. But it really far beneath and i screamed as i fell. I remembering landing on a dark window that swung open under my weight and i fell through and tumbled onto pavement, without having twisted or broken anything.
I was in a side street somewhere east of up town, closer to teh river then i usually get to. I could tell the neighbourhood by the brick, which always looks like its about to avalanche down on you, but never does. After i picked myself up i saw that there were these weird double doors that i mustof come through, cause there wasn’t any thing else nearby that i could’ve come out of.
I don’t know if i want to go out for my walks anymore. The door and teh rooftops on the otherside of the short hallway unnerved me and yet they felt so familiar. I’m scarred of that chuckling growl that chased me. I almost caught its sound the other morning when i went out for coffee, coming from behind a tree. When i looked there was nothing, but it put me on edge for the rest of the day. I’m getting desperate. I think i’m going to try to get my doctor’s to sedate me again. I want to sleep so badly. I miss dreaming. I don’t want to keep thinking about the green doors and strange windows i keep seeing.
But i miss the rooftop. Depite the madness i found there, the feeling and excitement i felt while making my way along the frames is something thats keeping my body anxious. It tingles and it sweeps and i haven’t felt anything like it in a long time.
I don’t know how long it’ll be before i decide on another trip through one of teh green doors.
“so tell me” // pretty girl face//” what’s the worst thing youve eve done?”
Black, flash, spike, standing
Black, flash, spike,buildings
Black, flash, spike, hand clawing out
Black, flash, spike,explosion of blood
“i don’t think i’ve done that many bad things...” //guy looking bashful
Back flash cut, guy in alley, face to face with a paper boy., it hisses at him as he statres it down.// 4 sec
“it’s pretty late. I should head to bed.” //guy and girl walking in a park. “wanto join me?”
“i’d love to, but i don’t sleep.” //guy, head tilt downward, embarrassed
“really,?” //girl hand sin pockets f upper coat thing// “how come?”
“i’m looking for someone.”//guy
Cut close up on slow open eye reflect rooftops, dive into eye and speedy pan around rooftop alcove as guy stands at mout of dark narrow leading to illuminated green door with symbol scratched into it.
Cut back to couple, girl is a few steps ahead “ if you sleep maybe you’l see her in your dreams.”
Zoom on face, dead straight serious, growing shadow as if nioght falls in a hurry, fear minor spread. Fade black
Black hold 1 sec guys voice over “i.. i hope not.”
Fade title scape in as teh letters grow out in between buuildinsg.
Mad City//trailer
I went through it last night. It was weird. I found teh door within a few minute of walking. It usually took me a few hours but the green just popped out to me as soon as i came round a corner. I could see it in an alley near to my place, lit up under one of teh hanging lamps the city uses to light up the backalleys. i went up to it and it had the same scratches so i tried the door. It opened onto this hallway. I went down and and turned a corner and i found myself standing on a rooftop, but it wasn’t a rooftop like anything i’ve ever seen. There were skylights and windows everywhere. The buildings were so tight to each other i could hop from one to the other. The walls of teh buildinsg had more widnows, and doors as well. Doors and windows all over, pakcing the ground and the walls and the overhangs even. I found myself walking on the frames.
I heard this bell sound from some where below me and i rmemebr feeling this chill sweep over me. There was a slam behind me and this ...thing. was running from a door that had just slammed over a few rooftops. It looked like a little kid in a brown hooded cloak, like from a fairy tale. The cloaked kid ran up the wall of a bordering building, grabbed the frame sil of a window and pulled himself into it, the window slamming behind him.
I heard this deep growl from behind me. It was warm, if that makes sense, liek a fire in a dark night that you can’t see. It was like a deep laugh mixed with this animal growl. It freaked me out i turned and started running away from it, as much as i could runon teh sills,frames and occational roof bricks and tiles. It seemed to follow me, getting louder and harsher the more i ran until i hopped to another building and the building fell beneath me. I don’t know how i mistepped cause it looked right on level until i jumped. But it really far beneath and i screamed as i fell. I remembering landing on a dark window that swung open under my weight and i fell through and tumbled onto pavement, without having twisted or broken anything.
I was in a side street somewhere east of up town, closer to teh river then i usually get to. I could tell the neighbourhood by the brick, which always looks like its about to avalanche down on you, but never does. After i picked myself up i saw that there were these weird double doors that i mustof come through, cause there wasn’t any thing else nearby that i could’ve come out of.
I don’t know if i want to go out for my walks anymore. The door and teh rooftops on the otherside of the short hallway unnerved me and yet they felt so familiar. I’m scarred of that chuckling growl that chased me. I almost caught its sound the other morning when i went out for coffee, coming from behind a tree. When i looked there was nothing, but it put me on edge for the rest of the day. I’m getting desperate. I think i’m going to try to get my doctor’s to sedate me again. I want to sleep so badly. I miss dreaming. I don’t want to keep thinking about the green doors and strange windows i keep seeing.
But i miss the rooftop. Depite the madness i found there, the feeling and excitement i felt while making my way along the frames is something thats keeping my body anxious. It tingles and it sweeps and i haven’t felt anything like it in a long time.
I don’t know how long it’ll be before i decide on another trip through one of teh green doors.
~~~~~~
“so tell me” // pretty girl face//” what’s the worst thing youve eve done?”
Black, flash, spike, standing
Black, flash, spike,buildings
Black, flash, spike, hand clawing out
Black, flash, spike,explosion of blood
“i don’t think i’ve done that many bad things...” //guy looking bashful
Back flash cut, guy in alley, face to face with a paper boy., it hisses at him as he statres it down.// 4 sec
“it’s pretty late. I should head to bed.” //guy and girl walking in a park. “wanto join me?”
“i’d love to, but i don’t sleep.” //guy, head tilt downward, embarrassed
“really,?” //girl hand sin pockets f upper coat thing// “how come?”
“i’m looking for someone.”//guy
Cut close up on slow open eye reflect rooftops, dive into eye and speedy pan around rooftop alcove as guy stands at mout of dark narrow leading to illuminated green door with symbol scratched into it.
Cut back to couple, girl is a few steps ahead “ if you sleep maybe you’l see her in your dreams.”
Zoom on face, dead straight serious, growing shadow as if nioght falls in a hurry, fear minor spread. Fade black
Black hold 1 sec guys voice over “i.. i hope not.”
Fade title scape in as teh letters grow out in between buuildinsg.
Mad City//trailer
~~~~~~
“Attention all students and faculty. The mainpower generator has blown and the result are being experienced across our campu.s w are currently running on emergency power. Given our location and the events planned for your stay, we have decided to keep pur itinerary with as little deviation as possible. We are in the process of hanging laterns for th night events and common areas, as well as distributingting one lantern for each private room. All students and staff will be issued flashlights or torches. Any students who have not recived any light supplement should head to the east loading docks where we are setting up a workstation. Thank you for your cooperationand we hope we can get the power back as soon as therain lets up.”
The speaker crackled as the voice cut out. Campus wide teh hysteria that had just began to set in calmed. Pools of dim emergency lights flickered on as the backup generators strained to fill the halls of teh campus with as muchl light as could be squeezed out of teh system. The effect was less than adequate. Hallways were shrouded in darkness, lit by visible volume light from the tiny bulbs set in each door archway.
The windows were of little help. The storm had rolled in earlier in the afternoon, blotting out the sky and oppressing the campus with torrent after torrent of fat raindrops. The air was cool, but any whoventured outsid, even for a short period, found themselves far more drenched then they thought they would be.
They we’re in one of teh campus restaurants when the power died. The group of four heard a rumble, then a muffled explosion and teh lights were extinguished immediately. The seating area had one of its walls set as windows, looking out onto of the many courtyards, which provided at least some light.
The lights died, and a scream was heard from some of the meaker students. These were quickly reassured, as what little sunlight strained through the thick clouds began to light the room. Not long after the crackel of teh speaker system kicked in and informed them all of their current situation.
“isn’t this wonderful,” Severa said. She returned to her seat after having wandered over to teh window to pear into the rained out courtyard. She had short hair,having cut it herself recently. It looked ragged in a stylistic way, and she had been told it suited her persoanilty well. “so much for the campus games. I wanted to play around in the courtyards and tunnels.”
“they said they we’re gonna try to stick to the plan they set out,” said Zack. “at least we’re in a place with windows. Think of everyone whose underground or in building right now. We can actually see, the’re stuck in darkness.” Zack reclined back into his spot in their booth.
“thats true,” said Severa “Although finding the starting point for teh evenings games will be that much more fun. Every game is part hide and seak now. This is going to be so much fun.”
A mumble came from the crumpled shape of the girl next to Severa. Her head had been buried in her arms, piled onto the table. As she poked her head out her long hair fell down her back.
“how can you guys be so hyper? None of us have gotten any real sleep for teh past few nights. Sev always runs on fumes, but com’on zack, why aren’t you as drained as Rob and i?”
Rob sat silently next to zack, his head resting against the back, eyes closed, face placid. He cracked an eyuelid upon hearing his name, but said nothing. His gaze drifted across teh table to the hidden form of Rosaline, who had called him. He raised his hands and point at one of his wrists.
``it`s just after quarter past``Severa said. “the schedule said we had to be in the main foyer at 7.30 so we`ve got time to kill.”
“we should probably go pick up some of those flashlights theyre handing out.” Zack said.
The group gathered up the remainas of their meal and started to head towards the exit. The restaurant was in a minor stay of chaos, students jostling to stay closer to the spots in the light, many heading out the exits to find their way to where ever they had to be. The group kept together, pushing through the crowd and soon foundthemsleves in the dark hallways.
Clusters of students darted from door way to doorway, where the small pools of light acted as beacons and waypoints. Most bumoped iff the unfamiliar walls, despite the staright and regulkar nature of the hallway. They plodded or attempt to dash to where they thought they were headed.
At the far end of the hall, where the path forked , there was a staggering volume light, shedding light in the area. Like moths to a flame the group, along with teh other students, congregated towards teh hung lantern, before realizing it wasn’t a destination, but a junctyion, and moving on out of the light and back into the dark hall ways. The evening was falling upon the campus and teh ambient light had already become a type of solid darkness that is encountered when you remove every light source save a sliver several yards away.
More and more the group saw flashes of pale light and mnore often warm glows from teh lanterns that were being hiung in the halls. While they had just arrived to the institute, Rob had an aptitude for mental mapping, and led the group back down the path they had taken to get to the restauirant. They stumbled their way down a blacked out staircase and soon found themselves at a passage that led to on of the outside courtyards. Severa pushed open the heavy wood door at teh end of teh passage and they were flooded with the sun of the dying evening.
`Dammit, we`re going to get soaked going through this,`> Severa said.
`Better dash it then,” zack said, pointing towards the archway entrance, directly across teh courtyard.
They dashed across teh puddle riddled grown to dry sanctuary. Pausing after the brief sprint, they giggled and cursed how wet they had all gotten in such short amount of time.
~~~~~~
I’m once again lured back towards earthbound, the thought being, earthbound darker. Grimmified and bleeding. Bring on the dark and grey morality. Bring on the apocalypse. Bring on the end days for this world. What are thses four like now, after teh world has been devastatetd? Do they find themselves changed from their lives in teh nonaversE? Do they rejoin each other in the mad city?
~~~~~~
Living Shadow, Nightmare
Lidia exhaustion- ouzzles, logic, vrutefrce queres, 3 dice
Madnesss- obtenebration, 2 permanent dice, 3 temp dce
Lidia pushed her madness too far, snappng several times. Her shadow lingered before acting out on her emotions and thoughts, not her cmoooands. Eventually her shadow engulfed her, riping her to pices within itself, inhabiting her, her MADNESS PERSONIFIED. She became the Living Shadow.
Pain 8
Living Shadow can attack by engulfing targets (pain 3) or objects, animating them for short periods and controling them telekinetically for monor durations (tossing) people are coated in a protective darkness which devours their sanity (+ perm mdness each round until nsane upon which it treats them as ragdolls to puppeteer, leaving them hollow vegetables.)
Living shaodw on its own apears as a monstrous shadow that springs from a young lady that seems perpetually inshadow. Close observation show s that the girl s ltterally stitched by shadow. The shoadow an strike out at nearby shadows, causing physical damage (pain 6). The shadow can travel infinitly across exisiting darkness, and extend itself in volume similar to its size.
Light repels those that have been engulfed and the livings hadow itself. Intense light pushes and burns it away. It knows not to move into lght, as it gets burnt away.
To injure and destory the living shadow, the host, the young lady, must be found and burnt, using fire. The living shadow usually hides its host and then extends itself trhough the darkness to engulf and attack. Motivation are HCoDS. Light pulls off the shadow from those it has engulfed, but they still keep the madness and last instruction. Upon death the shadow can unwind or will fester in the body (if it has hollowed it out) and becomes a new living shadow.
-fnd the host, burn the host, make sure any engulfed are burnt or the shdow peeled off. Young living shadows (pain 2-4) cant engulf, only attack or puppet their hosts. They CAN be stealthy for for generally short periods, before they attack otehrs in the darkness. They can be easily spotter by their horribly monsstrous shadows which cn be seen holding themselves from lashing out at nearby shadows. All living shadows hate light.
~~~~~~
He raced around the corner of the corridor. His heart pounded and his breathed rasped as he gasped for air, trying to escape, trying to get away. The darkness of the maze of hallways through which he raced didn’t help his escape, as he bounced off of walls and lockers. Soon he was in a different set of hallways, the sound of the monsters behind him faded. He reached the end of a hallway and slammed into the door embedded in the stone wall. The handle snapped open as he threw his weight against the door, propelling himself into the empty classroom.
Rob wasn’t having a good weekend. He and his three friends had come to the university for innocuous enough purposes. Then the storm had rolled in, the power to the entire campus had died and the situation quickly descended into a nightmare, which was fitting considering how none of them had slept since their arrival. A weekend of sleep deprivation had led them all to the strangest times of their life.
~~~~~~
“tell me me what’s been keeping you awake,” she said, reclining into her chair, hand poised over teh empty notepad. The room was brightly lit by soft, elegant lamps. The sun streaming throught the windows gave the office a cheery welcoming atmostphere, relaxing those that came to meet it’s resident.
On the couch across from the psychologist sat a young man who many considered mute. It wasn’t that he couldn’t talk, indeed his language skills were rather eloquent and fluid. He simply said next to nothing because he had no reason not to hold his tongue. The walls of the office were some of the few that heard his voice.
He shifted his hair and removed his glasses before beginning. He drew breath in to calm himself as he carefully folded the metal arms around the square lenses, placing them into a pocket.
“It started a month ago. i stopped sleeping and...and went through a rough patch. Me and my friends got into some trouble and we all got hurt. We made it through, but alot of people got hurt with us and we couldn’t save them. We couldn’t help them at all. Ever since then things have been different.
I can’t remember the last time I actually slept. None of us live in our old houses, where we used to live. There’s this place...that we found, this really nice guy let’s us crash there when we need to. We try to use it sparingly, but time isn’t what it used to be.
I find myself thinking that alot, that things aren’t like they used to be. maybe they were but i didn’t notice. None of us did.
I hit a dangerous point recently. I’m so tired that teh worlds are slipping into each other. I don’t even go looking for the City anymore, it comes to me. Yesterday i was going to get groceries and the sky flickered in and out a few times. I thought i ight have been walking under a sign post, but i was on an open street with nothing casting shadow. The more i looked for it the more the sun turned into itself, the nighttime of that place spreading across the sky. The next thing i knew i had the Backalley’s cobblestone under my feet. I don’t remember how i got out, got back to where we’re staying.
The last few nights we’ve only gone out in pairs, it’s not safe for us to go out alone anymore, too many...people... know about us. We’re new to this, but we’re trying, for whatever that’s worth.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but i’m not sure i understand, what happened?” the psychologist said, cutting in.
“sorry, you asked what was keeping me awake, i’m getting to that. The last few nights have been pretty crazy. I’ve been partnered with my best friend. She’s incredible. The things she can do, that we can do, it’s been a ride. Still, there’s this one thing that has us both on edge.
The last few nights we keep seeing this woman. She wears a cloak that’s drenched with blood. Whenever we see her she spots us. She watches us with these eyes and this smile that’s so mirthless and viscious while at the same time completely dismissive.
Last night we saw her kill a group of... animals. They were attacking this local and she just slaughtered them. I’ve nver seen anything like it. I didn’t think there were people like that, but she hasn’t come after us so i don’t know what to think. If she wanted to kill us she would have, but we don’t mean anything to her,but we aren’t inconsequential.
In her mind we exist, but as non-threats, as sheep t be ushered and if we pose any problem, to be quickly silenced without struggle. We see her more and more, stalking behind us, peering out from under her hood. It’s unnerving. The othrs don’t know what to do. There aren’t any good idea’s just ones that’ll put us in more danger.
We might try to talk to her. The woman in red. She’s something else. We keep expecting her to attack us and everytime, she just stands there, cleaing up afterherself, or just watching. It’s unnerving on a whole new level. There are too many levels.
I know this doesn’t make much sense to you. It doesn’t matter. I don’t talk to them. I don’t talk to almost anyone. Still, there’s something about these places that make me feel free to talk. I don’t find these oasis’ often so i guess i should make use of them while i can.”
The young man stood slowly, fishing his glasse out of his pocket. The psychologist looked at him thoughtfully as he stood before her. Looking down at her pad full of the strange sentiments he spoke of, she felt as though his honesty was a lie in and of itself. There was something so genuine adn truthful about the way he spoke, about the stillness that settled around him. She opened her mouth to form the first of many questions when she realized he was already at the door.
“don’t worry Doctor,” he said, hand on the smooth polished handle, “you won’t hear anything more of me.”
The psychologist closed her mouth slowly as the door closed. She could have sworn that there had been a flicker of darkness when he had opened the door, showing not the office foyer but a dark hallway with green wallpaper and wooden panels lining the bottom. She thought she had seen a young girl leaning against teh dark wall, but there had been nothing. Just the office foyer and the slowly closing door.
She couldn’t even hear his footsteps.
~~~~~~
I don’t think ive ever been happier to see my hole-in-the-wall apartment. I just got back from teh mad city, finding a way out just in time before the thirteenth hour. This girl found me a doorway. I shoulnt call her a girl, she saved me and she was a proper woman i guess. I don’t really have an eye for those things. She was one of teh Awakes thgat the others at cassandra’s haven tld me i might come across.
She wasn’t a nightmare, but could be far more deadly. She didn’t look so bad, but im not a judge of these things , not anymore.
So this woman pushes me out door and i find myself in the hallway outside my apartment, the city sleeping. The high noon sun peeking in at the peeling paint on teh walls.
I get into my place abnd start setting up my reward. I had to paint a serious target on my back for Cassandra to score such a prize. Someone had brought her the memory of how to create wards within the sleeping city. I was taught the way. Not many awake can create sanctuaries, safe spots in either city. The lesson was worth the last few nights of near death.
I move around my room with a black marker i find lying near my desk. Every all soon has a sigil enscribed, every threshold marked with teh symbols that seal this place from the other. I draw more sigils behind paintinsg and posters, hiding some and keeping others in plain sight. I mark one of the windows in my living room as a conditional passage, allowing only the awake who can draw the way. My door, maked with curling words from languages forgotten and foreign to myself and most others, permits entry to the ignorant the awake and the allowed.
While the idea of turning my apartment into a way ground, an Elysium, didn’t lie lightly on my mind, it does allow me one privileged that trumps the responsibilities.
Tonight, for the first time in memeory, i can sleep free from nightmares. I can sleep safe and secure, knowing i cant be touched in this city, unless i am broken on my own accord.
This luxury will require work on my part though. I’ll have to care for those who come to me for help and haven. I was granted this so i could follow the commands of Cassandra when she calls on me, to help those newly Awake. I was taught this so iwouldn’t have to be on the front lines.
I’m going to have to buy more beds.
-Warren, 19
~~~~~~
“Revealing the world isn’t what i expected it to be. I was told that there are things beyond my comprehgesion. My arrogance led me further, tempting me with the thought that if i lifted the curtain, the veil hiding the Truth with the mundane, i could understand the knowledge of the world without restrictions.
But the Veil isn’t a curtain. Much like every stage, there is more between the audience and the stage wall then a thin film. I started peeling back the Veil. My arrogance was quickly instructed.
Once I got past the Veil, those on the other side recognized me. I kept pushing, further from the mundane. Soon i was far past what i had thought to be the end. The more i left behind the world of the populace, the more i became unique. I found myself hidden by the veil more and more. Strangers i crossed in the street avoided bumping into me. Anyone i spoke to found it hard to look directly at me.
I have learned so little of what there is that I used to ignore. So strong was this power that it protected me. My denial of reality saved my life, saves so many lives, yet it goes without thought.
Now i am humbled before revelation. I got my wish and saw the breadth of what there is and can be. I did not understand nor do i wish to learn anything further towards the stage wall.
My last task is to find my final resting place. I know that death will no longer claim me, not while there are so many hungry for my life. I have heard tell of a city, a strange city of the lost, that may provide haven at the cost of my mind. I can think of no sweeter embrace, and will endeavour to find my place within.” He was always an eccentric, and always so very tired. He kept mannerisms and his fortune to himself, never blaming or cursing the heavens when misfortuinate found him, never praising a diety or elder being when chance turned his way. It was some time after i had met the elderly professor that i began noticing one of his more eccentric habbits, concerning certain times of each day, specifically when the clock tower bell chimed but once. On each occasion, wheenevr he was in my company, he would stop what ever he was doing and quickly fish out his pocket watch in anticipation for the bell to chime. Whatever he was in the middle of would imminently be put on hold while he watched the passing of the seconds approaching the mid day hour and the mid night hour. His body would tense and soon it was only after several seconds of intense examination of his pocketwatch did his breathing slow and he picked up the tpic he has abruptly left off. I questioned him on the subject once and he merely shook his head at my query, stating that what i didn’t and couldn’t n know would not hurt me. It was an odd answer. It was only until i saw his strange pocketwatch in closer detail that i garnered a semblance of what he was hinting at.
It was simplistic on its casing, silver and brass fitting smoothly together to form a case and its hinged cover. The only marking it had on it was a curious ymbol that looked as if it had been scratched into the outside of the lid by a clawlike paintbrush. Its simple curves and angles spoke of hidden places, and were somehow immediately forgettable. Upon depressing the pin the lid popped open and the face was revealed. Ornate hand drawn numerals marked the edges, the cogs revealed in circles and swinsg within borders of teh edges. There was more than a singular arm, spinning slowly at different intervals, yet what caught the eye was the way the largest arms, displaying the hour, minute and second, moved. So gracefully and orderly did they tick. So rigid and dependable were they’re movments that it was almost accidental when the noon hour came, and the hour hand slid across the face in the same span as the second hand, moving to its place onto the first hour marker from it’s place at twelve fifty nine, across the thirteenth hour.
~~~~~~
I opened this page and wrote naught,
opting for the opinions of others over the opinions of the muse.
Three past and an hour gone by in a second
I wonder who was trapped by the nightmares this past dark hour
From my wall i watch as the butterfly lands on the mason jar
and flaps its wings slowly, as if weighed down with too much time,
it dips black and i realize it is covered
if not made of black paint taken form,
much like the polite man on the City street,
with the face of dripping black paint.
opting for the opinions of others over the opinions of the muse.
Three past and an hour gone by in a second
I wonder who was trapped by the nightmares this past dark hour
From my wall i watch as the butterfly lands on the mason jar
and flaps its wings slowly, as if weighed down with too much time,
it dips black and i realize it is covered
if not made of black paint taken form,
much like the polite man on the City street,
with the face of dripping black paint.
~~~~~~
“When the fog rolls in, we don’t go out. Young souls, our children and our childrens children, think try, but we always hold them back. They might get past us, bt once is enough. “
“what happens?”
“the fog is different. Not like the old fogs. It comes at sunset and sometimes it coems during the day. The warmest days turn into fall. The coldest winters turn to fall. The fog brings a single time to us. A time of pain.
“does anyone get hurt in this fog, is there a monster or something?”
“people just disappear fromtime to tim.e anyone who comes out of it isn’t right. They don’t talk. They don’t... they aren’t right until the fog lifts. “
Why hasn’t the town moved? Why haven’t people left? “
“we did once, just from teh vallee next over. That was generations back. It didn’t matter. The fog followed us. Did you come to town with any one else?”
“yeah, me and some friends. Just passing through and heard a rumor about this place.”
“what did you hear?”
“that the town was atmospsheric. That lately a few more people then usual have been missing. Walking off into the fog. It was purely chance that were stumbled upon this town.”
“well i hope teh fog lifts soon. The sooner you kids can get back on your way, the better off you’ll be, atmospsphere or no. “
“thanks for your time. “
“i take it you’re planning on going out after your friends, even in the fog?”
“yes sir. They’re all the family i’ve got. “
“good luck to you. And son, stay away from the doors.”
“what?”
“you’ll understand.”
~~~~~~
Five months ago i met Jade. My life was happy. Simple. We lived together and i cna’t remeebr a happieper time.
Now it’s all breaking.
First, jade disappeared. Everything of hers vanished as if it never had been. Theres no trace, just empty spaces where thinsg should be, memories should surface. I think it was then when it started.
I was in love. I fought it. Hard. I did everything could to find her. I ran over every place we’d been, hoping to find some trae, some clue. I dug deeper and deeper until i hit the beginning.
Then the dreams came. Clues to what had happened, where she might be. i followed them. I lost time. I lost the daylight. I stumbled into dark places, i haven’t found a way out. I can’t find a way out, not without her, even if it costs me my sanity and my life.
I’m so close that she’s just out of reach. One more night and i’ll be able to leave, to get back to what once was.
Once we’re together, we can leave this Mad City.
~~~~~~
“I thought I was dreaming, finally sleeping”
Cut city streets, disoriented., bright lights. Pan angle down stret turn cut black
“I’d never seen anything like it.”
Cut to close up of girl lying face on concrete, girl starts to move.
“I didn’t think it could exists. It couldn’t exist.”
“cut back to girl, grass pokes out from the oncrete under her, cuts itself and decays back leaving cobblestone, she throws herself against the alley wall, camera keeps on the foreground of the cobblegrass transform. Cut black
Older man “can you get back?”
Cut to walking along street at night, girl in hoodie, stops at one wall, turns away from a coloured scratched door, turns away, runs into another that wasn’t there, spins and bolts away. Cut black.
“I can’t get away.”
Cityscape fade into, fade out revealing title
Mad city //trailer
~~~~~~
The mist came in with spectacular speed. A sunny day sprinkled with fluffy clouds became overcast within seconds, a sky sealed by grey within the minutes. We watched the sky change, wathed it block off the roads in and out of the town.
After it had done that, it started to lower, like a pressure cookers top, slowly descendin as time went on. we ignored it, treating it like a phenomenon, that only occurred around this part of the mountain. We had just got it and thought it odd, but the long drive had robbed us of our desire forintrigue and the fantatsti.
The next morning the mist ahadn’t left, and whats more, the town was far from picturesque. We went about, but few things were open. Those that were, greeted us with forlorn diplomay, not saying much and giving us whatever we wanted. I can still see the sad look of the lat man, shaking his head after he asked us to go back to where we were sleeping, stay in our room.
Our daughter, Darla, was the first to scoom. She was so animated, so lively, that when we notied she had gone quiet, we decided it mustof been fatigue and began to head back into the hotel. It fell to the ground half way back, the mist completely surrounding us. As we carried herback, the smell started to hit us.
Decay and death swept in at us from every corner. It assaulted our snses, left us stum,bling blind. We made it back to the house we were stying it, but the door was locked.
I remember my wife pounding and pounding on the door, begging to be let in, cursing the owner, the skies, everything she could think to blame. She was melting down at that point.
I laid down our little girl and we both saw it, what the mist had done. Her skin was peeling away. Her body was thin and emanciated, stretched, with skin like wax paper. Her little mouth was sealed in a whimper, her hands locked in the eternal slipping away from mine, as we had been walking down the street. When she had fell to the ground, we had lost her, it had just taken this long to notice.
My wife fell into hysterics at that point. I guess I did too, but my wife soon fell over, sobbing uncontrollably. She stopped sobbing soon after that. Neither of my girls made a move after that. They were still as stone.
I don’t remember bauling, just tears running down my cheeks, streaming endlessly into my shirt. I heard shuffling and slowly looked up, past the porch were on, to see what the mist would eventually to to my wife, to me. What it had already started to do to our girl.
I fainted away then. I woke up to my own sreams as they started in on me. The denizens of mist, my daughter and wife now joined, took me. I died the first night in the mist.
~~~~~~
