[Perfect Strangers] Part One: Waking Nightmares
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: MadPanda on 04-01-2007, 03:19:07</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>[Perfect Strangers] Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>04-01-2007, 03:19:07</strong>
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				Imagine a space: dingy concrete and steel, brown and rust-stained from ages of use and neglect.&nbsp; The horizon is only forty feet away, marked by a stripe almost a foot wide that runs beneath the grime of ages at about waist height--in its youth, ages and ages ago, it was a cheerful and sunny yellow color.&nbsp; In the harsh light from the three bulbs that hang down from the high ceiling, it barely registers.&nbsp; Here and there are the remenants of old photograps and ancient propaganda posters in some obscure, possibly Slavic language.<br><br>There are three bunk beds here, two beds apiece: mouldy mattresses over bare wire springs.&nbsp; The <em>floor</em> would be more comfortable to sleep on if it weren't bare and cold underfoot.&nbsp; Each bunk has a single thin blanket.&nbsp; There are no pillows.<br><br>There is a small washroom with a sink, a shower, a toilet.&nbsp; The soap is harsh and stinging.&nbsp; The towels are rough and small.&nbsp; The water is rarely more than a tepid and weak drizzle.&nbsp; It tastes faintly of rust.<br><br>Finally, there is a chest that doubles as a table and empty cargo crates that can serve as chairs.&nbsp; It contains boxes and cans of rations: they are either too salty or bland, neither tasty nor filling.&nbsp; Perhaps they are that way by accident.&nbsp; There is no silverware, no plates: you must eat straight from the can with your fingers.<br><br>Time is kept here by the lights: they go off periodically, and stay off for several hours at a time.&nbsp; That's how it feels, anyway.&nbsp; When the lights go off, the box refills with rations and the garbage vanishes.&nbsp; Sometimes, someone new shows up as well.&nbsp; This is probably how you arrived here, waking on a bunk with only two posessions in this peculiar place: an item of sentimental importance, and a set of dingy blue coveralls with a six digit number on the left breast.<br><br>There is no door out of this place.&nbsp; There are no windows.&nbsp; Nothing but a dim sense that this place is some sort of prison...
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>05-01-2007, 06:19:29</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Bullets whizzed by his head for the tenth time that day, they had been chasing several rebels in the southern mountains of Afghanistan, their orders take no prisoners. He had already seen several of his brothers in arms fall and had vowed to kill each and every one of their prey. He stepped out from the rocky outcrop he had been using for cover, firing at the nearby position, killing at least one of them, when a bullet grooved a path running across his left bicep, it stung, but he was used to pain. <br><br>They fought for many more hours after this incident, the battle finally culminating in the deaths of the remaining rebels. They had set up camp for the night in one of the caves they had discovered and Shane ‘Mars’ Marshall had retired to a smaller cave to catch a few winks. </em><br><br>He awoke what seemed liked hours later in a dark and dingy room, his dog tags still around his neck, in a pair of dirty blue overalls. “What the fuck?” he exclaimed out loud, immediately reaching for the gun he always kept at his side only to find it absent. He crept off the bed, doing a quick sweep of the room, only to find no exits or windows. He found the washroom, not very impressed though better than the latrines he was used, grabbed some of the rations from the nearby table, ripping them open, he began eating. “Damn, these are worse than usual,” he looked for an expiration date, but no luck.<br><br>Pissed, he kicked one of the crates across the room, the wood scraping against the floor, he had hoped this was some type of trick, but now realized the gravity of his situation. He looked down at the number, “543967” and wondered its significance as he pushed a crate against the wall, taking a seat.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>07-01-2007, 21:56:41</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"What in the world..."&nbsp; John mumbled, rubbing his eyes it gently.&nbsp; He was looking up at a ceiling, but it certainly wasn't the ceiling of his apartment, which had been the last place he could remember.&nbsp; He had been typing up a story.&nbsp; Another one of his stories about big government abuse of taxs stories, which while gaining some attention, never seemed to be enough to get large enough interest to convince the average person to give much of a damn.&nbsp; <br><br>He got off the small, uncomfortable bed, kicking his legs over the end and looking around his new enviroment.&nbsp; He seemed to be in...something.&nbsp; Perhaps an old store room.&nbsp; His eyes quickly came to attention on another man in the room.&nbsp; He seemed to be sitting on one of the wooden crates.<br><br>"Hey."&nbsp; John called out.&nbsp; "Who are you and where the hell is this?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>09-01-2007, 22:39:32</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Looking up from the number, Shane showed no surprise to see another person present, though inside his mind was racing.<br><br><em>How did this man get here, how did I miss him on his first sweep of the room, it is not that big?</em><br><br>Though cautious, Shane quickly decided the man's friendly and judging from his coveralls in the same predicament. "Most people call me Mars, sir. How about you?" There is a pause as Shane considered the answer to the second, "Wish I knew where this was and as far as I can tell there is no exit." He stands and strides over to the journalist with measured steps, with his back is straight it is obvious that he muscles are well-toned and that he is probably a soldier, and offers his hand.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>12-01-2007, 22:25:52</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				With a cut-off shriek that curdles the blood, Jadna wakes from her place on the bunk b y the wall… curled into a fetal position, as she always sleeps during the nightmares, she passed as a heap of refuse for the short span of time since the lights came up.&nbsp; Her hands and legs ache with cramps from the tension that resided in them during her nightmare, and when she sits up, groggily shaking off the strangely deep sleep, she coughs once, sits forward, and catches sight of two strange men across the room, silhouetted against the glaring light, wearing strict coveralls that remind her, intensely, of the work camps of her youth.&nbsp; She scrambles into the corner of the room, looking frantically for an exit, before realizing she is cornered.&nbsp; She watches, waits… doesn’t speak, but breathes heavily, rapidly, like a cornered animal.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>15-01-2007, 02:48:33</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				John was tense enough already, but as the women screamed, his tension shot up several levels.&nbsp; He jumped off the bed, turning to look at the women, just in time to see her scurry into one of the corners of the room.&nbsp; She seemed more like a frightened child then a full grown women.&nbsp; <br><br>John wanted to tell her to calm down, but he wasn't exactly calm himself.&nbsp; He slowly walked over to her, but remained a good fifteen feet away.&nbsp; "Just breath....slow down, and breath..."&nbsp; John said in a soft voice.&nbsp; "Nobody's gong to hurt you.&nbsp; My names John."&nbsp; Of course, John didn't know if anybody was going to hurt them or not, but sometimes a lie is better.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>15-01-2007, 03:47:05</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Just as he finished talking to other gentleman a woman’s blood curdling scream rang out sending Shane immediately back to Iraq, back to a small village in the northern mountains.<br><br><em>The insurgences were cutting their losses and running, killing all that stood in their way. There had been a small one room house, a concrete one-room hut really, that Shane’s team had been using for cover, they did not know that there were still woman inside. He could not have known they were hidden in a small pit beneath a woven carpet, when an errant grenade had found its way through an open window creating a firestorm inside. He heard the screaming, still heard it in his nightmares, still saw those three woman ablaze, holding those burning bundles.</em><br><br>The tin he had been holding dropped loudly to the floor as he fell of the crate, holding his head against the nightmare, unable to perform even the simplest task.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>15-01-2007, 13:38:03</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Still rigid, like a cat about to spring, she hears english from the man's lips, recognizes his gestures not as aggression, but soothing... but she's reluctant to ease up.&nbsp; "Будут--" she jumps at the sound of metal hitting the floor, her eyes wide as she settles onto the balls of her feet, trying to regain composure, but isn't able to take her eyes away from the man rocking on the bed, in obvious distress.&nbsp; "You..."&nbsp; She steps down from the bed, but won't let the wall stray from her back.&nbsp; "Where am I?"&nbsp; Her eyes are huge and crystaline, and she is dressed identically to the two of them... her coveralls seem huge on her diminutive frame.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>18-01-2007, 02:53:15</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				John quickly turned to look towards shane, who had seemed to have crumpled up on him, clasping at his head.&nbsp; John was no phsycologist, but he had been in combat situations before, and the man who introduced himself as Mars, and called him "Sir" when speaking to him, suggested that he might be a soldier, and from the way he was acting, possibly a soldier with post traumatic stress disorder.&nbsp; Not a great thing to have given the current situation.<br><br><br>"Look, i don't know where we are anymore then you do.&nbsp; I woke up in this room like you and have no idea how i got here."&nbsp; John hoped that if he calmed down the women, hopefully Mars would calm down too.&nbsp; "My name is John, i'm a reporter.&nbsp; Who are you?"<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>18-01-2007, 23:25:50</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				She settles back on her heels, visibly regaining control, and sweeps her eyes over the room again.&nbsp; “Jadna.”&nbsp; She looks across at the man in the floor, her eyes narrowed still in confusion and, somehow, regret.&nbsp; “What, is this some kind of joke..?”&nbsp; she seems relieved to hear English come from his mouth.&nbsp; “Where are my clothes, and what is this place?!”<br><br>Everything was foggy… her apartment, was that the last thing she remembered?&nbsp; Falling asleep with a cigarette smoldering in the tray by her easel?&nbsp; Or was it at the studio downtown, meeting with Richard to discuss the opening..?&nbsp; <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>18-01-2007, 23:32:09</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Relaxing a bit as the screaming subsides, Shane watches the two of them speaking from his floor, recovering from the nightmare that was combat. He slowly picked up the tin, placing it back on the crate and stood in one easy motion, the ill-fitting coveralls tight against his biceps. He walked over to the two of them, still cautious, and held out his hand, “The name’s Shane, though most call me Mars. It would appear we are all in the same predicament, I too woke up in this room, having falling asleep some place completely different.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>19-01-2007, 02:21:33</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				... reluctant... he had the look of a soldier, but didn't talk like one... and was, perhaps, quite unstable... Jadna holds out her hand and lets her slender fingers rest on his palm.&nbsp; A quiver sets into her lips, but her eyes are steady... glassy, jewel-like.&nbsp; "I am... sorry... about before."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>19-01-2007, 03:13:09</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Thus our protagonists meet...uneasy of their ground, unsure of themselves, fragile and frightened.&nbsp; Soon enough they find that as Sartre said, hell is other people.<br><br>Their first enemy is not Fear, but Boredom.<br><br>Time passes.&nbsp; How many times do the lights dim?&nbsp; Twenty?&nbsp; Thirty?&nbsp; More?&nbsp; And they have so very little to distract them from the dirty walls and each other...nothing to do but sit and stare...or scream and fight.<br><br>And then, one 'morning', something changes.&nbsp; There is the outline of a door frame in the wall where none existed before the last Dark.<br><br>Escape?&nbsp; Or passage to something worse?</em>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>19-01-2007, 14:16:38</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Flipping over a new page of her sketchbook, Jadna realizes that there is but one sheet left blank... She sits on her bunk in the corner, as usual, doing her best to draw anything from memory.&nbsp; She's drawn the room, the ceiling, the men in it as they slept, sat, or talked, until she's memorized every detail of their faces.&nbsp; She's reluctant to pursue conversation, but has explained to them that her career is art, and where she lives... finding no connection between their backgrounds, they must assume, reluctantly, that they were not brought here because of a personal connection.&nbsp; <br><br>As the lights come up for the umpteenth time (she lost count at 12), their fluorecent wash reveals her curled in the fetal position again, pencil in hand as if to stab with it, just as she waits every time the lights go out.<br><br>She notices the door immediately.&nbsp; She's drawn the room itself from four different angles, and she'd certainly notice even the slightest change.<br><br>"Where did that come from..?"&nbsp; She heads to the outline of a door, seemingly ignoring the two men, and looks at her sketch of that wall from a few hours... days..?&nbsp; before.&nbsp; "What is going on here?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>19-01-2007, 18:39:21</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				John sighed, looking at his empty flask.&nbsp; How long had it been for him without a drink?&nbsp; Several days?&nbsp; a Week maybe?&nbsp; Who knows.&nbsp; All he knew was that going without alcohal was affecting him.&nbsp; He had been physically sick several times over the last few days, with shakes and a slight fever, but they seemed to have tapered off.&nbsp; He was just glad he hadn't gone into convulsions.&nbsp; he had been smart enough to drink what whisky he had in small, even amounts, as to help him with his withdrawel, but it was still a lot less pleasent then he had hoped.<br><br>He had been trying to sleep when he her Jadna.&nbsp; At first he didn't think much of what she was saying, but when he peaked over towards her and saw the door, his eyes widened.&nbsp; Sitting up in the bed, he looked twoards it, stunned.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>19-01-2007, 19:43:28</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				For weeks now Shane had been bored out of his mind, even exercising was boring; he had struck up conversations with each of them, sharing stories of war with John, talking about his brothers back in Iraq and Afghanistan. He had figured out a way to wear his overalls as just a pair of pants, wrapping the arms around him as belt, his chest bare, showing off several of his tattoos, the largest of which was one of the red planet.<br><br>He had fallen into a routine, something he had not been accustomed to since basic training years prior, wake up, exercise, eat, and exercise, if only he had a book, or a television, or a newspaper. Anything to break up the monotony was what he was thinking when Jadna made her discovery. He immediately was by her side, feeling along the door’s edges, wondering if it were trapped, or if there was a hidden latch.<br><br>“Perhaps we should open it and find out?” At this point even death or injury was a welcome change.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>19-01-2007, 22:45:35</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna backed up a step or two, scrubbing her hand through her hair... now flat and brassy from the hard water.&nbsp; It was uncomfortable enough living with two strange men... and the thought of another room... an exit, even... was incredibly welcome.&nbsp; "We should be careful," she said, "if this door was here before, we don't know what's there."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 17:47:46</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yes, we should deffinitly be careful opening it."&nbsp; John said, getting up and walking over to the door.&nbsp; He began carefully studying it.&nbsp; "But how could it have gotten here?&nbsp; It's a door, not hole in the wall.&nbsp; To say somethings not right here is an understatement."&nbsp; John just stared at the door.&nbsp; &nbsp; He didn't want to stay here any more then the others, but he didn't trust what was on the other side of that door.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 18:25:38</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna steps up first, placing her hand against the rectangular surface, looking it up and down, and applying gentle pressure to test for hinges, give-points, etc.&nbsp; "I thought that, before, it was solid..."&nbsp; her cool eyes pan back over to the other two men... "Maybe it was not, it was concealing this somehow... let's see."<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 18:36:15</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				The door...or, rather, the suddenly mobile section of wall, gives way about a quarter of an inch when Jadna pushes on it, accompanied by a swirl of dust and a nasty grinding sound of brick on brick which sets the teeth on edge.&nbsp; There's a lot of resistance, but it <em>will</em> move. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 18:51:59</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				“Glad I am not allergic to dust,” Shane quipped as the dust covered him almost immediately. He placed a hand on Jadna’s shoulder and said, “Let me push it open.”<br><br>He stood in front of the door, took a stance so he could use both his upper and lower body strength and shoved, gritting his teeth against the noise, muscles bulging.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 18:56:42</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				More grinding, more dust...but the 'door' sinks steadily away, sticking from time to time.&nbsp; One inch. Two inches.&nbsp; &nbsp;Three...<br><br>Suddenly, with no warning, it drops into the floor, sending Shane sprawling on the rough brickwork!&nbsp; The door, such as it is...is open.&nbsp; And beyond?&nbsp; Only darkness beckons, echoing with the sound of the door's fall.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 19:01:22</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				“Unfghh….what the….” he composed himself, sprawled on the ground, quickly moving to a crouched position, back against the wall, peering into the darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust. <br><br>Whispering back to the others, “stay quiet and out of the light,” as he stayed perfectly still, listening and watching for any disturbances.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 19:13:48</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Shakes her head... "We need some kind of light source."&nbsp; She watches, jumps a little as the door gives way, and is suprisingly relieved that Shane is alright.&nbsp; She looks into the darkness, noting the smell, folding her arms over her small breasts.&nbsp; "Anything could be in there..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 22:56:19</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				John doesn't jump when the door opens, but his eyes do widen a bit.&nbsp; "I really don't like the looks of that..."&nbsp; He says softly as he peers into the darkness that was the door, and now the door way.&nbsp; He slowly makes his way over to Mars.&nbsp; While not at his best, he can still handle himself fairly well, and is still a fair size bigger then jadna.&nbsp; In his hand he holds a small can of...whatever it was they left for them to eat, and offers it to Mars, so that if he wanted to throw it and get an idea how far away the wall was, he'd be able to.&nbsp; &nbsp;
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>20-01-2007, 23:28:30</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna straightens her back and heads for the cots and supplies... she takes whatever's left of potable water and MREs, and using one of the dingy mattress covers, starts efficiently forming a packroll.&nbsp; The door appeared mysteriously... who's to say that it won't disappear just as mysteriously?&nbsp; "We go together, or apart.&nbsp; Your choice."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>21-01-2007, 00:03:56</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				He turned back to Jadna, simply answering, "We go together." After sitting there quietly for some time without hearing a sound from the hallway, when John approached with the can, Mars took it and stood. <br><br>Taking a step and he throws it as hard as he can, listening to see if it hits a far wall or the floor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>21-01-2007, 03:05:44</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				A reassuring 'clunk' comes back after only a split second--it may be dark, but the other side isn't too far away!&nbsp; Maybe this won't be so bad?<br><br>If only our beleagured heroes could see!<br><br>From somewhere in the unseen distance, there comes a rattling noise, like something round and metallic spinning to a stop after being dropped.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>21-01-2007, 15:32:53</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna looks from face to face, shaking her head softly.&nbsp; "Time to go..." She doubles over the soft-leathered skethpad and crams it into the loose neck of her coveralls, then ducks through the doorway, bedroll under her arm, into the darkness.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>23-01-2007, 03:13:54</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				"I wish she would wait for us..."&nbsp; John grumbled to himself, quickly grabbing one of the blankets off the bunks and following her.&nbsp; "Hey wait up!&nbsp; If we can't see we should at least hold hands!"&nbsp; He hopes she hasn't gone too far in the time she disapeared ahead of him.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>23-01-2007, 03:43:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She hesitates, not leaving the pool of light in the dim corridor.&nbsp; "Then come on... keep in touch with me, and, so help me... a hand goes where it doesn't belong, and you'll regret it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>23-01-2007, 03:57:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He called after her, shaking his head, his voice loud and booming as if he were commanding soldiers, “Stop!” He did not wait to see if she had followed his order, though he suspected she had not, and he turned and grabbed his supplies quickly.<br><br>He ran after them, slowing as he caught them, “Please let me lead, Jadna,” he said as he slow moved in the direction of the rattling, wishing he had a weapon. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>23-01-2007, 04:01:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The world beyond is a labyrinth of shattered brick and chipped flagstone, endless and winding corridors with no ceiling.&nbsp; It is not, as they originally thought, pitch-black...the faintest traces of twilight seem to brush the edges of the sky.<br><br>Finding their way will not be easy.&nbsp; Worse, out there in the darkness they can hear things shuffling about.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>23-01-2007, 12:52:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When she hears the noises out in the distance, Jadna freezes, waiting for Mars and John.&nbsp; Crouching low, instinctively, she narrows her eyes, then closes them and counts to ten before re-opening them... trying to force her eyes to adjust to the dim light.&nbsp; Seizing Mars with one slender hand, she pulls herself to his ear, stretching to reach it... with an urgency in her whisper that's only partially intentional, she hisses, "Do you hear that?"&nbsp; She waits for his reply, and after it comes she gingerly tests the broken brick and slate at the base of the walls for pieces of loose stone... hoping to find a fist-sized fragment.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>23-01-2007, 19:02:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As he moved through the passage ways, Mars used a broken piece of brick to mark the walls, always keeping his right hand on or near the wall, following it around religiously. When he heard the shuffling for the second time, he stopped, crouched down and listened. <br><br>Jadna’s touch was surprising; she had avoided all contact with him up to that point, going as far as requiring him to initiate any conversations with her. He turned to her, his eyes focusing on hers, “yeah, I heard it.”<br><br>He shifted his weight, still holding the brick he had gathered earlier in one hand.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 00:48:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Keep a tight hold of my hand, and we shouldn't have that problem..."&nbsp; John said, the tone in his voice obviously hinting at his irritation at Jadna's comment about him not touching her.&nbsp; Nothing like being treated like a potential rapist to build team spirit.<br><br>John also heard the noise as well.&nbsp; he was at least glad their was a little bit of light, but he wished to god he had a flashlight, or at least a lighter.&nbsp; Right now, he also anted a weapon however.&nbsp; Taking the metal flask, currently filled with water, he put it in the blanket,, then twisted it, and tied a tight knot.&nbsp; He then lifted his make-shift flail upwards, testing the weight.&nbsp; Well, it wouldn't split any heads, but if he made a good swing and cracked somebody upside the head, they would deffinitly feel it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 04:31:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The shuffling sounds in the distance stop, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by our heroes' passage.<br><br>As they make their way through the maze of broken brick, eventually they come upon a stream meandering down one of the twisting paths.&nbsp; In the dark, of course, this is most easily accomplished by stepping into the ankle-deep, icy cold water...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 06:47:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Somehow reluctant to hold hands... not yet... Jadna follows Mars through the weaving corridors of brick until they reach the stream... she doesn't like the idea of stepping into it, clearly... it could be waste, or sewer, or god knows what... <br><br>Fighting off a light shiver, she eyes the water a moment, barely able to make it out in the evening light... or lack thereof.<br><br>She hesitantly toes the water, trying not to make a sound, constantly on watch for whatever made the noise.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>25-01-2007, 23:55:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Earlier Mars had watched John place his tin into the bed sheet and roll it up, not one to spurn an idea just because he did not think of it, John grabbed a rather large rock and created his own flail. <br><br>Kneeling down to the stream, Mars placed a small rock into it to determine the direction it is following before turning back to the other two, "Do we want to find the source or destination of the water? I vote destination, could be a large lake, perhaps we can finally get out of here."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>27-01-2007, 03:17:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				John hesitates when he see's the water, his movement stopping in mid step.&nbsp; Water...he hated it, particulerly deep water.&nbsp; He bent over, putting his hand in the water, and touching the bottom with ease.&nbsp; While this caused his anxiety to decrease a bit, the knowledge that this water could easily become deeper at any time and without warning still knawed at him.<br><br>"I'm starting to think the room wasn't such a bad idea..."&nbsp; John mutters to himself more then anybody else.&nbsp; He mulls over Mars word, and sadly realises that he will have to venture through the stream, though god help him if the water was to suddenly get deeper.&nbsp; "Lets look for the destination.&nbsp; Worse comes to worse, we backtrack."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>27-01-2007, 14:21:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Trying to follow its edge, Jada doesn't speak, just tries to soundlessly follow the creek's edge, her large eyes dialated to pitch-black pools as she searches the darkness.&nbsp; <br><br>The hope of all of this creek ending up somewhere might be too much to hope for... all of this crumbling masonry might indicate that they were in a former government structure..?&nbsp; She'd seen places like this in her childhood, and knew that, sometimes, entire places could be erased, forgotten... and made into breeding grounds for all sorts of depravity and desperate crime...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>27-01-2007, 19:34:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The stream, if that's the right word for it, leads around a meandering line of shattered brick and weathered stone.&nbsp; Unfortunately, the shuffling noises in the far dark are getting a little louder by the time our trio reach the pool from whence the stream originates...at the side of a wall that stretches up at least thirty feet, and down which the water cascades.<br><br>It looks like there may be trees up above.&nbsp; Is this the edge of the brick city?<br><br>And then, behind them, they hear a howl...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>27-01-2007, 23:00:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At the sound of a howl, Jadna's first instinct is that she's hearing a wolf... She spins, looking for it-- then, realizing that seeing it wouldn't keep it from tearing her apart, she snaps her attention to the wall.&nbsp; It takes less than a second to realize just how slick that wall will be where the water's coming down... probably ripe with lichens and worn smooth... "Shit..." she hisses softly, pawing at the water... just in case there's a grate, or a crack... assuming there's not, she's prepared to run... "we must get away from here..!"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>28-01-2007, 23:51:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				At the sound the howl, Mars immediately dropped his pack, allowing for better upper body movement with only his makeshift flail in hand, he immediately took position between the other two and the noise. "Shhhh...quiet Jadna, we cannot out run a wolf," he hissed at her, hoping the quiet would help determine which direction the beast was coming from. "Our only chance is to knock it out or kill it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>29-01-2007, 00:59:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"I say we kill it...."&nbsp; John said.&nbsp; He dipped the end of his make-shift flail in the water, letting some of it sink in, to add to it's weight, befopre pulling it out again.&nbsp; He stepped up so he was as far out as mars was, though he kept several feet away,. as not to either get in his way, or so Mars would not get in Johns way, should it come to fighting.&nbsp; Breathing slowly, and deeply, his muscles tenses as he let his eyes scan over the darkness.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>29-01-2007, 18:53:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A second howl answers the first, then a third...and a fourth.&nbsp; Long, lean figures slip out of the shadows, leisurely stalking our heroes!<br><br>The thrill of being pursued is, perhaps, muted by the growing realization that these creatures look like nothing so much as flayed Great Danes, bloody slobber and all.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>02-02-2007, 03:35:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the four-legged beasts come into view, Jadna first blinks in disbelief... her now-dialated eyes making out the wet gleam on their exposed flesh... "Бог помогают мне--" her voice whispers nearly inaudibly... she buries the heels of her lug-soled boots into the turf, coiling her slight form like a spring .&nbsp; "run!" she hisses softly, bolts for an open corridor of crumbled brick, knowing that they're outnumbered, and that there was no way... no way... that two medieval-style weapons could take down a pack of... those.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>02-02-2007, 04:38:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Damn it,” Mars turns to John, “Get out of here man, I will be right on your heels.” Picking up a nearby rock, Mars throws it down the corridor, hoping that at least a couple of the creatures will chase after it. He waits until the snarling, slobbering beasts are right in front of him; he slams the mace into its face as it jumped at him, its claws slashing through his blue coveralls, blood welling along the four marks. The hit is solid, the creature howls in agony as it crashes to the floor, skull crushed. <br><br>Mars turns and runs after the other two, the army’s training kicking in, he keeps the other two in front of him as they high tail down the corridor.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>03-02-2007, 23:25:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Jesus..." John's eyes open as he views the creatures, and creatures certainly are the right name for them as "Dog" seems to hardly apply.&nbsp; JOn had aseen a great deal in life, particuler when it came to the inhumanity that is man.&nbsp; He had on more then one occasion seen his fare share of mutilated bodies, women who had been raped, and then beheaded, and little children whose bodies had been laid to waste by fire, but there was something about these things that was even more revolting.&nbsp; The sheer unnaturalness of the creatures was disturbing on levels he had rarely felt before.<br><br>John doesn't like the odds though.&nbsp; If he and Mars had lead pipes perhaps, they would stand a considerably better chance.&nbsp; When mars comments for him to run, and Jadna has already broken into a run down one of the dark corridors, It doesn't take John much to follow Jadna.&nbsp; As he turns though, he reach down and grabs a large rock from the ground, holding it tightly in one hand.&nbsp; The corridor itself didn't look very big, and pressented a problem.&nbsp; A normal human couldn't outrun a normal dog, and while these creatures didn't look like normal dogs, he had to assume the worst, that they were still fast.&nbsp; A tight corridor would hamper their movements, while the dogs wouldn't be nearly as restricted.<br><br>The sound of the dog getting struck behind him at least gave him encouragment that the creatures could be killed, as he looked over his shoulder to see one of the crumpled dogs bodies, and mars in hot persuit.&nbsp; His eyes darted about the corridor madly, looking for anything in the way of serious cracking in the wall's infastructure.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>13-02-2007, 01:18:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Sliding to a halt at the end of the corridor, his feet slipping on the loose gravel and water below, Mars noticed immediately that they had reached a dead end. The wall in front of them had crumbled somewhat, perhaps allowing them to climb up and over it. He looked back at the crazed things, they were close, but there was a good chance they could make it over the wall before they were upon the small group. <br><br>He flipped his bag with the meager belongs he had collected from their room over the wall, thankful there had been no splash. “All right, we are going over the wall, John, help me lift Jadna over, then you are next.” I will go last.” He was already bleeding, but he knew with his military training he had the best chance to fight if it came down to it. The menacing growls from the wolfish creatures could be heard, they were obviously hungry, looking forward to dining on their supple flesh. Interlacing his fingers, muscles bulging, Mars lowered his hands as a step for Jadna to use, “All right girl, over the wall with you.” 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>13-02-2007, 03:21:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Before he can finish his sentence, Jadna-- oblivious to his noble gesture-- is halfway up the wall and scrambling higher, her compact body moving her up and to the top with a speed and determination fueled by terror and experience.&nbsp; At the top, she doesn't think to look around... she snatches up a fist full of rock and hurls it overhand at the sound of the approaching monsters... the chuck of granite bounces off of brick or mortar, but hopefully adds a distraction...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>13-02-2007, 10:52:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Seems she can take care of herself."&nbsp; John said, noting how the women had so quickly scampered up the wall by herself.&nbsp; John had to admit to himself he was a little envious.&nbsp; Given his bulk, he wasn't the best climber, but he would do his best to try and climb the wall, and hopefully he would be able to.&nbsp; In the meanwhile though, he still had a very large rock in his hand and killer dogs approaching.<br><br>Taking the stone, and gripping it tightly, John wound up, and through the rock as hard as he could, using his own body weight to add to the intensity of the throw.&nbsp; The rock sailed through the air, before it slammed into the head of one of the approaching dogs, no doubt crushing it;s skull, as the dog seemed to cumple up and trip over it's own legs, rolling to the ground before coming to a dead stop.&nbsp; John then quickly turned to the wall and began to climb, digging his fingers into any loose crevice he could find to pull himself up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>13-02-2007, 15:35:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Reaching the top of the wall is simple enough, given the incentives left baying at their heels.&nbsp; Up here, though, is a thick and brush-tangled forest.&nbsp; Stumbling about in the dimming twilight may not be a wise move...and a twisted ankle or bruises and scratches may be getting off easy!<br><br>On the other hand, hanging around here, on the edge of the maze, is just asking for trouble.<br><br>Whither shall our intrepid heroes go?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>16-02-2007, 01:07:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jumping down on the other side, Mars looks to his intrepid companions, thankful the things either lost interest or were dispatched by the rocks. “I suggest that we hunker down next to the wall until the sun shines brighter, assuming that it will.” One never knew after all, this place was not what you would call normal. If needed, he would help the other two the ground, but he suspected Jadna and John were too independent to accept it.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>16-02-2007, 03:06:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna seems to climb down as gently and easily as she went up, but she takes Mars' hand if he offers it... she clings to it long enough to look him over, checking him for cuts or bites... seeming a little relieved, she draws back then, checking the fold of her coveralls with a sudden, wide-eyed tension-- then she relaxes, relieved, as she draws out her sketchpad.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>17-02-2007, 23:11:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Well...that was an interesting adventure..."&nbsp; John mumbled to himself, his eyes still cast down towards where he had seen the beasts last.&nbsp; "I"m inclined to agree.&nbsp; With the wall to our backs, we at least one have to worry about being attacked by those creadtures from the front.&nbsp; And once we can see beter, we can break off some of the larger branches from these tree's and make some makeshift clubs and walking sticks."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>19-02-2007, 17:19:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The woods are deep and dark, treacherous at best in poor light...and soon enough, there is no light at all.&nbsp; The sky is moonless, and the stars are at best dim and faded.<br><br>But there is a light after all, twinkling in the distance.&nbsp; Someone else, perhaps?&nbsp; And it isn't moving!&nbsp; There's no telling how close it is, but it cannot be too far away if you can see it through the ugly and ungainly tangle of root, branch, and bush.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>20-02-2007, 07:36:15</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Shaking her head at their talk of clubs, she stuffs the sketch pad back into her coveralls, stalling when she spots the light on the distant horizon.&nbsp; "Mars?&nbsp; John?"&nbsp; she gestures in the direction of the light.&nbsp; "What is that..?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>20-02-2007, 17:45:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Mars had closed his eyes briefly, able to get sleep anywhere at anytime, or at least rest his eyes, he looked to where Jadna was pointing and noticed the flickering light. “I am not sure, but I think we should stay here at least until we can cross the forest safely.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>20-02-2007, 18:55:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				John looked at the light across the forest that was spotted.&nbsp; He mused over the possibilities.&nbsp; "One one hand, we could go because if we waited too long, the light might disapear, and if it's a fire, then that means people. On the other hand, if we do go, there's nothing to stop the light from being doused half-way to it.&nbsp; Leaving us stuck in the dark."&nbsp; John paused for a moment.&nbsp; "As much as i'd love to walk over their, since we don't know what the light is, or how long it will stay on, i think it would be best to at least wait until we get some light."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 14:56:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna nods, then turns her eyes skywards.&nbsp; "This may sound strange, but... I am not hopeful that we will ever see dawn here."&nbsp; She turns her gaze back to them.&nbsp; For some reason, she is tugging vigorously at the sleeve of her coveralls, ripping the cheap seams to separate the cloth.&nbsp; "You saw those... things.&nbsp; Nothing here is right."&nbsp; As she shakes her head, the fabric tears free, leaving her feminine, slender arm bare to the shoulder.&nbsp; "No.&nbsp; We need to try."&nbsp; She begins to tear it into strips.&nbsp; "We can mark our way with this.&nbsp; But you can't want to stay here..?&nbsp; And wait for what?"&nbsp; &nbsp;She looks to their eyes pleadingly, then starts heading, with careful steps, toward the light... it occurs to her that she will have to be careful with every step to look for holes, bear-traps, or other dangers... the crumbling maze of stone reminded her too clearly of home.&nbsp; Much more likely to step on a land mine while walking a path than taking the rough country.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 16:15:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna is swiftly lost to view, vanishing into the forbidding woods as through she was only a figment of imagination...<br><br>(Jadna finds her path to be surprisingly free of obstacles, given the darkness and the trees.&nbsp; It's as if some force <em>wants</em> her to reach that light.&nbsp; This thought may or may not be a comfort, under the circumstances.)
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 18:25:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Goddamn fucking woman, never listening to sound advice,” Mars mumbled under his breath, “or at least she could wait for the rest of us to join, dammit.” Rising from the ground, he brushed off the dirt, using a strip from the cheap linen of the coveralls to bandaged the scratch he received from the creatures as he yelled after her, “Jadna, come back here, we should move together or not at all.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 21:54:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				John sighed.&nbsp; He wasn't made for this running stuff.&nbsp; Getting back to his feet he descended into the forest behind Mars.&nbsp; He hoped nobody got hurt running around the forest, and he really hoped there weren't any hunters about.&nbsp; Things were bad enough out here, without having to worry about dodging bullets.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 21:56:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The path beyond, as John and Mars both swiftly discover, is surprisingly easy.<br><br>Too easy, considering the lack of light and the surrounding terrain.&nbsp; And catching up with Jadna is fairly simple to do.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 22:33:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna stops to tie a strip of the torn fabric from her coverall onto a low-hanging limb.&nbsp; She sees Mars and John approach, and doesn't gloat... in fact, she breathes a loud sigh of relief upon seeing them.&nbsp; The bare flesh of her arm gleams in the pale light.&nbsp; "You are the one with the military experience, so I leave it to you."&nbsp; The faintest hint of her Slavic accent, imperceptible during their early conversations, is like a familiar friend now.&nbsp; "If something happens, and we must flee... we should follow these back to the wall and rendezvous.&nbsp; Then head that way..."&nbsp; she points in the direction Mars and John originally designated.&nbsp; "And if someone must be left behind, then the others must go on."&nbsp; She says this flatly.&nbsp; "I want no one to wait for me."&nbsp; <br><br>She sets off again towards the glimmer of light in the distance.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>21-02-2007, 23:25:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Putting a hand on her arm as she speaks, he stops her from taking the lead, “Jadna, please at least let me lead the group, as you say I have the military training.” He had been quite surprised that she had had the presences of mind to tie pieces of torn cloth to mark their path; sometimes this lithe woman surprised him. “If you could keep marking the path that would be great, I have can remove the top portion of my coveralls if you need more cloth.”<br><br>Pushing ahead and towards the light, Mars attempted to make as little noise as possible, worried that their next nightmare would appear, this was way too simple for his taste. The last time he had these feelings, four of his buddies had been killed by a grenade.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Cosmo_ac</strong> on <strong>22-02-2007, 00:14:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				John gives a sigh of relief when he see's Jaydna.&nbsp; "You really have to stop running off like that.&nbsp; For the sake of my leg muscles alone."&nbsp; John grins giving her a half smile.&nbsp; He takes a moment to catch his breath.&nbsp; He really wasn't in shape for all this running.&nbsp; He notices Jadna has set up markers.&nbsp; good idea.&nbsp; "I'll trail allong the back."&nbsp; John says, as Mars decided to take the lead.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>28-02-2007, 21:21:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				After a while, it becomes clear that there is indeed a path, and a regular one at that.&nbsp; It seems to run through a shallow gully that zigs and zags every so often...brambles grow along the top of both sides, almost blocking that distant light.<br><br>Finally, the gully falls away and the trio find that the light source they've been following is very close at hand.&nbsp; A battered old shack lies within easy view, lit by a old fashioned kerosene lantern hanging on the porch.&nbsp; There is a rocking chair as well, still moving back and forth as if recently occupied.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ixy</strong> on <strong>28-02-2007, 22:14:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Jadna assumes a crouch and watches the shack, tying up one last flag in the hopes that... if they have to run... this is the way.&nbsp; She whispers to the other two... "any chance that there's a phone in that place..?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>28-02-2007, 23:03:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As they approach the edge of the forest and spy the shack, Mars kneeled immediately a make-shift club in hand. If he had had time, he would have used the edge of the can lid to sharpen the wood into a spear, but there had been none, so he would use it as a club. <br><br>“Our luck, it will be the three bears from Goldilocks,” he responded quietly, watching the shack intently for any other movement.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>MadPanda</strong> on <strong>08-03-2007, 20:09:22</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Unfortunately, there are no telephone wires leading to the shack.<br><br>The door creaks open, revealing an old man in an old flannel shirt and torn and faded jeans.&nbsp; He looks in the general direction of Our Heroes.<br><br>"Well, are you coming in or not?"<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Perfect Strangers] Part One: Waking Nightmares</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Elandra</strong> on <strong>09-03-2007, 05:19:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Figuring ‘what the hell’, Mars steps through the threshold, entering the shack and approaching the old man, famous last thoughts of that he was sure. He had many questions, but he settled on introducing himself, holding out his hand, “The name’s Mars, it is nice to meet you…”
			</dd>
		</dl>
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