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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 19, 2006 7:51:37 GMT -5
OOC: the following day (takes place after Dinner from Hell and Late Night Visitors)
Christine was settled in "her" bed, several books laying across it, in various stages of reading, as indicated by the large number of bookmarks in the various books. That didn't count the massive number of notebooks that were next to her on the bed table. (It was the one time in her life that she was grateful for her delicate health - that meant, according to the doctor, that she should rest before attempting the travel spells since the last one didn't help matters, which meant she and Sky had to at least wait one more day before returning to Red Fountain.) She glanced up when the door opened and her "husband" (according to the tabloids) walked in to check on her. She offered him a soft smile and patted the bed, indicating that he should sit down. "Sit, take a load off your feet," she coaxed quietly.
She glanced out the window and noticed that sun was getting ready to set, a faint frown crossing her face at the sight. She glanced over at Sky. "So," she began. "You going to be okay?" she asked softly, reaching over to take his hand. "We'll figure something out. I promise." There had to be an answer - just simply had to be an answer - a cure - a way to break that curse on his family. And she was determined to find it.
OOC: tags Sky and the elf
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Post by Sky on Jun 26, 2006 15:46:57 GMT -5
Sky shook his head as he replied slowly, "I still can't believe what happened yesterday. I mean, it's just so bizarre that I still have to remind myself that it wasn't some twisted dream - but that a crazy redheaded elf really did lay a curse on me. A curse! God, can I not catch a break for even one moment?" At this, Sky tiredly ran a hand through his hair as he asked wryly, "Tell me again, how many curses have I endured so far this year? Because I tell you, it's beginning to feel like a thousand if not more."
As the room in which they were occupying slowly began to darken with the fading daylight, Sky cast a nervous glance at the window. The sun was setting and that meant . . . Sky quickly shook his mind free of that terrifying thought. With a forced smile, he replied, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to be fine; I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this in no time at all. This will be nothing compared to all that we've already been through."
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 26, 2006 15:50:05 GMT -5
"Two, I think, three, maybe. Dragon, dark prince, and then there's the one you had since that summer," Christine said, trying to do some math in her head, or at least attempted to before discovering that it was simply giving her a headache. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts. "And it wasn't just on you, it was on your family. Only you, it seems, have the misfortune of getting the curse activated."
She gave him another soft smile. "Well, whatever happens, I'll always be by your side." She shyly reached up and took his hand, holding it. Love reflected clearly in her eyes and she silently wished that she could steal the pain from him.
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Post by Sky on Jun 28, 2006 0:35:08 GMT -5
As the room finally settled into darkness and the moon's light began to shine through the window, Sky jerked his hand back from Christine. It was only a matter of time now. He had to go. Even though he knew that Christine wouldn't be afraid, he was. Not so much for himself, but for her. God knows what he would do to her when he transformed. All he knew was that he didn't want to find out. He had to get away. And fast.
Rising to his feet, Sky slowly backed toward the door as he said in a strangled whisper, "Lock your door and your window, you hear me, Chris? I don't know what's going to happen - if this new curse will affect me differently than the one that was placed on me that summer . . . but I can't risk having you around when I find out. If something should go wrong . . ." Sky trailed off as he placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted it. "I-I just want to make sure that you're safe tonight."
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 28, 2006 6:47:37 GMT -5
"My windows have been locked since that night. And I find it hard to breath," she said quietly. "You know I don't like being confined." It was an irrational fear mostly - and her stint as Darkar's prisoner didn't help matters. "But I will ask Aurelie to lock my door after you leave. She's been helping to take care of me since..."
She glanced away, not wanting Sky to worry about her. He had enough things on his plate already.
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Post by Sky on Jun 29, 2006 0:27:56 GMT -5
Sky nodded as he replied, "Good. In fact, perhaps it would be better if Aurelie stayed with you all night - you know, as a precaution. And it might help you feel less like a prisoner in your own, well, borrowed, room. And Aurelie is nice, isn't she? I mean, I've never spoken with her personally, but I know she's good friends with Demetrius, so that means she must be someone of quality in my book. Anyhow," Sky glanced nervously again at the window, "it was just a thought."
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 29, 2006 6:29:17 GMT -5
"All right," Christine said softly. "Now go, do what you have to, but come back in the morning," she begged quietly. "I want to make sure that you're okay."
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Post by Sky on Jun 29, 2006 22:25:52 GMT -5
Sky nodded curtly before he wordlessly slipped out of the door, shutting it behind him with a firm click. For a moment, he paused outside her door as he silently wished that she would be safe that night. God knows what would happen - all he knew was that he had to be far, far, far away when it did. That way no one got hurt. Not his parents. Not Christine. Not anyone.
Except himself. But that was unavoidable.
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 29, 2006 22:28:40 GMT -5
Christine lay back down, having moved the books to the floor. She was exhausted and afraid. Terrified was more like it. She was terrified that something was going to happen and that she wouldn't be able to help Sky.
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Post by Sky on Jun 29, 2006 22:39:43 GMT -5
Standing out in the woods that were located some distance away from the palace, Sky shivered slightly as a strong wind picked up, sending leaves flying and shaking branches until they creaked. As he glanced up at the moon, which had just risen fully, Sky gave a wry smile as he muttered out loud to himself, "Well, I guess there will be one positive thing to transforming - I won't be cold anymore. But then again . . . if I wasn't cursed, I wouldn't have to be out here in the first place."
As he waited some moments more, Sky sighed and then kicked at the ground. He was cursed, wasn't he? So why wasn't anything happening? Feeling another strong gust of wind, Sky shivered. Of course he had left his jacket inside. Then again, he hadn't thought that it would take this long - he had been expecting some quick transformation. Something that wouldn't be painful the way a prolonged wait was.
For warmth, Sky turned his back to the wind, hunched his shoulders, and then began to rub his arms back and forth furiously. For a while longer, nothing happened but as the minutes ticked by, Sky suddenly felt something strange. He was warming up - but not just that . . .
Glancing down at his arms, Sky sucked in his breath as he saw that his arms had suddenly grown . . . furry. Suddenly afraid, Sky gulped as he the urge to run away. But from what? Himself? It was insane. This whole thing was insane. And now what was that? A strange sensation in his legs, almost as though they were changing shape . . .
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 29, 2006 22:44:42 GMT -5
Christine tried to fall asleep, but fear for Sky kept her awake. She sat up slowly, tentatively and moved from the bed to sit in the rather large window sill. She watched out the window - trying to see if she could spy Sky. Any sign of him - something to let her know he was okay.
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Post by Sky on Jun 30, 2006 12:00:58 GMT -5
Feeling fear wash over him in ever-increasing waves, scattered thoughts began to flit through his mind. Would he still be him when he fully transformed? Would he have any recollection of what he had or hadn't done when he resumed his normal form? Would he even resume his normal? What if something went wrong and he was stuck like this forever? What if . . . what if . . . it was all a bunch of what ifs.
Glancing toward the direction of the palace, Sky faintly made out its silhouette before he turned and began running deeper into the woods. The farther he was away, the better. He would just run as far as he could and then he would stop and . . . and try to make it through the night.
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 30, 2006 12:07:41 GMT -5
Christine stayed sitting on the window sill, staring out at the dark forest. She sighed softly, and tucked her knees tighter under her chin. She only hoped that whatever happened to Sky - that he'd be safe and that he would return to them unharmed in the morning. Then, in the morning, they'd begin to plan what they will do to help him.
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Post by Sky on Jun 30, 2006 19:46:44 GMT -5
Shifting uncomfortably, Sky groaned slightly, his brow furrowing, as he tried to push his way out of the nightmare he was having. Muttering inaudibly, he tossed and turned as the dream became more vivid . . .
It was dark and he was in the woods. Alone. Or was he? When he listened, there were sounds. Creaking. Rattling. And eyes. It felt as though he was being watched by invisible eyes. Eyes that lurked just beyond the trees.
They were whispering now. But who were they? Did they know him? Why weren't they showing themselves? What did they have to hide? Were they afraid of him? They needn't be . . . he was nothing to be afraid of.
"Beast! Danger!"
They were speaking to him now but he didn't understand why they were saying such things. It was just him. Sky. He was good. He wouldn't hurt them . . . whoever they were, he wouldn't hurt them.
Stumbling forward, he searched desperately for the voices. He knew that he recognized them . . . if only he could see their faces. He needed to see their faces.
"Stay away! You can't be here!"
Why? Why couldn't he be here? Why were they so vague?
"Don't you know what you are?" The voices were louder now; they were closing in on him, surrounding him. He couldn't breathe. They were trying to kill him. He was going to die, but why? What had he done?
"Look! Look at what you are!"
A mirror materialized before him and then he saw. Saw what they saw.
Beast.
"You're dangerous. You must stay away. Stay away before you hurt us! Stay away . . . away . . .
Jerking awake, Sky gasped for air, his heart pounding and his hands clammy. Keeping his eyes closed, Sky breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a dream. Just a dream. As the haziness of sleep slowly began to fade away, Sky frowned as he realized that he wasn't in the palace . . . he was outside. In the woods . . .
He had transformed. He remembered how his arms had grown furry, how his legs had changed shape . . . but that was it. So he must have fallen asleep sometime in the night. That had to be the only explanation for why he didn't remember any details.
Quickly running his hands over his features, and finding them human, Sky exhaled deeply. It was daylight now. The curse couldn't hurt him. Slowly rising to his feet, Sky smiled thinly. He had made it. Whatever had happened, he had made it. As he began to make his way back to the palace, Sky began to frown as he realized that he wouldn't have anything useful to tell Christine about what had happened. No clues about how to break the curse. No nothing. Except the dream . . . but that wasn't significant, was it? It had just seemed like his subconscious expressing his fears about how others would perceive his unique condition. Brushing it aside as unimportant, Sky sighed; so he was back to square one.
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Post by Chris Strongheart on Jun 30, 2006 19:52:16 GMT -5
Christine was sound asleep, having spent the evening settled in the window sill. She yawned softly as she stirred, having heard the doorknob turn. Okay, sleeping in a seated position, and in a window sill, probably wasn't the smartest thing she had done in an age but at least by sitting in the window she could watch for Sky.
Her gaze drifted over to the door to see who was entering.
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