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evecuz · 28 days

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Not So Paradise Afterall

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Peering into the keyhole of the front door of her new property Dahlia frowned, "It doesn't look broken, but the key isn't turning. You're sure it's the right key?"

Standing behind her, Nils was also frowning, "I'm sure it is. Positive. It goes to the backdoor and shop door too. Lets try it on those before we consider calling a locksmith." And with a nod from Dahlia the two of them walked to the shop entry on the right side of the front of the building.

Thankfully this door was much more yielding, and while it took some jostling and a little prayer to have the key turn, once it did the door creaked open ominously. Beyond was a large poorly lit room, with only the front bay window as its only source of light. A counter was visible at the far end, with a closed door behind it. To the left side of the room piled high was an assortment of very old furniture that reached out about halfway into the space, and along the wall a built in shelf covered in all kinds of oddities and baubles.

With a light cough as he and Dahlia entered, Nils commented, "Ah well, spose it would be dusty wouldn't it?"

Dahlia walked in slowly, and paused by the counter, eyeing the disturbed dust there, "And look here. Rat tracks disturbing the dust. I'll need to see if I can get some traps." She dragged her finger through the layer of grey before wiping it off on her pants, and suddenly sneezing.

Nils however was more interested in the furniture piled into the corner, beelining for it before inspecting an old rocker. "You know you could probably clean some of these up and sell them. They look like they are in good condition."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, walking nearer to the pile, "Think they're worth anything, or just old junk?"

"Well maybe with a new coat of varnish, and some sanding. But most of these are really detailed, and might have some history to them. Like this one here has got the old Silverbark Logging symbol on it." He touched a small desk near the front, then their attention was suddenly diverted by a knock on the front door!

"No one should know we're here..." Dahlia commented, confused eyes meeting a matching pair from Nils. After a pause the knock repeated, and she walked to the door with Nils behind her. With a creak that could wake the dead did she open the door to be greeted by a face she didn't expect to see today, but a familiar one all the same.

"Taylor?" She spoke, stunned and blinking up at the very tall man, "Wait what are you doing here?"

Height wasn't Taylor's most defining feature, that would have been his deep red skin, and the matching horns that sprung out of his black seemingly perpetually greasy hair. And the tail. The tail was a bit odd as well. Teiflings weren't unheard of in this part of Barscaroth, but were certainly uncommon. As far as Dahlia knew he was the only resident one in Slumberton.

He also unfortunately had a bit of a reputation. Among the folk that attended the markets there were claims he was a thief, a wallet snatcher. Dahlia had once overheard that he had been caught trying to sneak into the Downy Dream Inn's cellar after-hours. And then of course there were the numerous accusations of him 'seducing' people's sons or daughters with his 'devil magic'.

Dahlia of course knew most of that to be only rumors and conjecture based solely on his happenstance of birth. If she had been asked to describe him she would have gone with words like dramatic, impulsive, funny, mischievous, and friend.

"What am I doing here? Darling, what are you doing here in this old abandoned shack?" He replied immediately, "I caught you heading inside with this old man, and feared the worst!"

"Old!?" Nils piped up, offended as he eyed this unexpected visitor up and down. Dressed in a cream colored shirt and well fitted trousers with red lilies embroidered around the left hip, Dahlia's own work.

While her elder cousin was embarrassed and offended Dahlia smiled and laughed at her friend's crassness, "He's not that old, Taylor! This is my cousin, Nils Bryant. And this 'shack' is mine now, I guess?" A part of her was still processing the immense gift.

"Yours? Where the hells did you get the coin for somethin' like this?" Taylor asked, quite surprised at her explanation, his cinder-glowing eyes opening wide.

"A family friend passed recently. He left it to me. Would you like to come inside? We were just taking stock of things. Cousin Nils does carpentry work and will be helping my fix the place up." She stepped aside a bit more, giving room for her friend to enter even as she pretended not to see Nils' scowl in her direction.

Stepping inside the red fellow had to duck to avoid hitting the door frame and yet still there was a little skrit sound as his horns barely scraped the wood.

"I think I'll take you up on that. Thank you, dear." He thanked her sweetly, even as Nils gave him the stink eye. "Oh my, that is a bit of a mess, isn't it?" And he strode confidently over to the piled furniture and shelf. Something caught his eye and quick as a biting snake his hand whipped up and out, snatching something off an upper shelf that Dahlia and Nils could hardly see.

With a delighted grin Taylor cupped his hands, obscuring from them what he had snatched, "Well isn't this just precious?"

Walking over to stand next to him Dahlia asked, "What did you find?"

"Something quite delightful, I'm afraid." And he opened his hands for her to see, revealing a taxidermied mouse. It was dressed in a tiny plaid vest with a chimneysweep's hat, and it had been posed to hold a smoking pipe in one paw.

Dahlia's giggle erupted suddenly and gently plucked the stuffed mouse from Taylor's hand, "Terribly delightful, I'm afraid!"

Taylor scoffed as she copied his more formal and flowery language, "Hey I found it first, finders keepers?"

"You want the creepy stuffed mouse corpse? Suuure...." and she placed it back in his hand.

"You just said it was delightful!" He laughed accusatorily, smiling as he inspected it once more.

But Dahlia just shrugged, "It can be morbid, creepy, and weirdly cute." Then she stepped over, opening the door to the kitchen and peering inside, "Oh hey this is a nice little cozy kitchen!"

Nils followed her quickly through the door, while Taylor first gave a glance around the main shop space, a feeling of being observed unshakeable. Shaking his head he turned and promptly whacked his head into the doorframe.

"Fuckin' hells....." he grumbled, then ducked to fit his head and horns, closing the door to the front of the first floor a little more forcefully than was really necessary.

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Shaken to his bones as the door slammed shut, leaving only the most dread inducing silences, Flicker remained frozen there on the shelf where merely a minute ago he had nearly been snatched up by that terrifying red bean.

When the front door of the building had screamed announcing entry Flicker was dumbfounded, and froze right to where he stood on the uppermost shelves behind stacks of old furniture. Seeing the beans lumber around before that loud knock that must've echoed through the house. He had hoped desperately that they would leave, and never come back, but the things they spoke of... they shattered his once dream of having this place just for himself and his colony.

Flicker had briefly debated fleeing the room while the beans attended the door, but when that towering red one stepped into sight he didn't dare move an inch. The horned head of the fellow lined up perfectly with the shelf Flicker stood on, and any movement would attract attention.

So there he stood as the beans voices thundered around him, and the red one strolled ever nearer. Nearer, and nearer until those burning pupils landed on that upper shelf, scanning it. Suddenly, quicker then an bean should ever move the great grasping fingers reached up like pillars of saffron horror. Time seemed to stop, all his muscles had seized, his breath was stolen by the open hand that dwarfed him.

But it didn't come for him, but the small decorative mouse he stood near to. The fingers that could snap him in half without consideration snatched the figurine and the moment that seemed to last as an infinite horror was quite quickly past, as the beans discussed the object.

Not hardly a minute later they had moved on to the kitchen, leaving Flicker to collect his smashed illusions. Taking it all in was a lot, but as he heard the sound of shoes on stairs a new horror crept into his heart. His colony!! His friends were only in a desk afterall. A desk the beans might very well try and open or worse, take from the house!

That got his feet moving with all speed, as he bolted over to the small hole in the wood paneled wall. Within he had been hard at work with his fellows to try and build out a traversable network of passages. Floors, walls, ceilings all with nails as ladders, or walkways over great chasms that descended several levels, some perhaps even down to the cellar itself.

From below him as he climb he could still hear their voices, that red one was especially loud as there was some kind of yell, or cheer?

They're in the basement, I can get the colony to the attic crawlspace, or maybe in the wall-tunnels. he decided as he practically flew up the nail rungs, I'm such an idiot, we should have never come here...

The wayfinder stopped and turned, reaching to pull himself up to another set of nail ladders, before slipping in through the back of the desk to a huddle of panicked faces.

From the other side of the huddled group Wick scowled at him and growled, "You didn't say anything about beans."

"I didn't know." He responded a bit lamely, "You can complain at me later. We need to get everyone into the wall, and all our stuff. Anything that would make it obvious we were here."

"Are you kidding we don't have time to mov-" Wick started to argue before he was promptly shushed by Pint, Pestle and Caramel.

The latter of which took charge, "Food, tools and personal stuff first. Then we come back. Flick, keep an ear out and warn us when the beans come upstairs. Wick, cut down the ladders there." And Caramel pointed to the toothpicks that had been tied together to make ladders to the upper half of the rolltop desk.

And the colony leapt to their tasks! Bodies moving in a buzz as Flicker headed back out and into the wall, only to stop near a knot hole in the wooden paneling near the floor of the second level's hallway. A perfect view of the staircase landing.

With twelve steps up the staircase Flicker knew that by the time the beans got to the top of the stairs he would be able to dash up the nail ladder next to him and be at the hold in the back of the rolltop desk. All was quiet for several minutes but as the first step creaked loudly, Flicker didn't hesitate, climbing with all haste!

Creak

One set of steps up the stairs. But then... silence? Flicker paused. Listening for any more steps as he hung off the final rung, inches from the hole. Then far closer then he would have liked he heard the creaking of a door opening, the door to the room his friends were in!

They were smart enough to leave the rolltop desk down, so that would buy a bit of time, but as he arrived at the opening he saw only three of his fellow borrowers remaining in the desk. Cuppa, Pestle, and Stem. They all looked up at Flicker with nervous expressions. They heard the bean in the room, footsteps creaking the floors with each slow and methodical steps.

Gesturing to be quiet with a pointer finger across his lips Flicker slunk into the desk, picking up what he could even as he pointed to the hole in the back. The others nodded, and did their best to move quietly, though they were no wayfinders being so small and contained in a closed desk what sounds they did made Flicker was sure were muffled and inaudible outside.

Just as Cuppa neared the hole, the last to depart besides Flicker himself, was there a muttered bean voice from outside. "What a fine desk. Wonder if its got anything-"

Flicker recognized it as the red bean's voice, and as the front of the desk was jostled Cuppa gasped. The sound was so loud she dropped what she was holding to cover her ears and cower, until Flicker shot over to her side. Hoping that the noise covered his footsteps and the bag of seeds Cuppa dropped Flicker helped her to stand, and pushed her through the hole into Pestle's arms, tossing the seed bag in after her.

Then he turned back and glanced at what was left in the desk that might give them away. Anything he could grab quickly. He spotted a backpack, forgotten in the hurry, and a cloak hung on the side. He bolted for the backpack first, right dead center of the desk.

"Hah, well see about that\~" the bean's voice whispered just outside, a chuckle echoing into the desk as the chair outside creaked. He had become seated. Then Flicker heard a sound he didn't immediately recognize, a scratching, scraping metal on metal. And then the Wayfinder's eyes grew wide, and he bolted this time not to the cloak, but to one of the drawers. While the hole was open, he didn't think he would make it in time.

And his instincts were correct.

"You see mister lock, you didn't stand a ghost of a chance." The smug voice of the red bean purred, filling the space, "Now anything interesting?" He mused to himself, and Flicker flinched as he heard a nearby drawer open.

"Cotton? Well odd, but I suppose? Ah, for holding jewelry, certainly." He reasoned as Flicker quietly wiggled to be below all the cotton blankets. His last line of defense against this bean's probing eyes...! Then another drawer opened, and another..!

They drew nearer and nearer until Flicker made out nearing footsteps, and the red fellow greeted someone, "In here, darling, come take a peek at this!"

And the woman replied, "Something interesting?" As she entered the room, "Oh that is a nice desk! And... wait what's that...?" Flicker's heart pounded away. Had he forgotten something? Did they hear him? Did one of the others get seen? The ensuing silence was nearly as deafening as the bean voices from a moment before, and he briefly wondered if they could hear his shaking from inside his hiding place.

But then he hear in the softest tone he'd ever heard a bean use, ".....isn't that just cute?" It was the woman, with a tone of awe and wonderment.

"Is it a.... a tiny cloak? Did a dollmaker live here or somethin'? Might explain the swatches of fabric in the drawers too." the louder voice of the red fellow suggested.

"I have no idea." she responded, "We have more house to see, I wonder what else is here...?" and her voice became more distant, and she, and the other bean he could tell began to move from the room.

As they departed Flicker caught only a bit of their next conversation, "Oh take this, it's the desk's key. It was locked inside somehow. You're really quite lucky I happened to come ac...."

Flicker took a minute to collect himself. To let his heart slow back down to a normal level, and for his mind to formulate what he should do next. He practically heard Buckle's voice in his head. 'Up now lad. Ya ain't got much fer time an' they're sure to be back. Scramble home, Wayfinder.'

And up Flicker got and pushed the drawer back open then sprinted to the hole at the back of the desk, where a wooden piece had been gently wedged in to disguise the borrower access hole. He glanced for the cloak, but didn't see it, and wouldn't have stopped for it anyway at that point. The beans had seen it, and it was now for all intents and purposes lost. But he wouldn't let himself be lost to the beans.

With a nearly inaudible 'click' the passage was sealed once more, and Flicker lead the other three towards the attic where the rest of the colony had planned to gather, farther from the reach of any potential beans.

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evecuz · 28 days

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Chapter 12: Luminance Fugue

Will paced the tiny prison cell, hands shaking in rage as he thought of Mathis holding Sage captive. He slammed a fist into the stone wall, ignoring the burst of pain in his knuckles. He had to get out of here. He had to save her.

“Psst…. Hey.” A voice of a man whispered from the barred window into the next-door cell. “Come to the window, we must talk. Stand on the toilet and you can reach the window.”

Will whipped around, surprised at the new voice. He was curious so he complied. Will stood up on the toilet seat and was able to see into the next cell. There was an older man tied to a chair. He could barely see the other man.

“There you are! Well…. welcome to this shitshow.” The other man greeted Will.

“Ok, so who are you?” Will demanded.

“Unfortunately, I run this place.” The other man replied with a deep wariness.

“That doesn’t seem to be working out too well for you.” Will deadpanned.

“Yes, well normally I’m on the other side of the bars. Name’s Franklin. I’m warden here at Blackrock.”

“Name’s Mackenzie. Franklin…what’s going on here?”

“Mathis and his gang of thugs are trying to break someone out of solitary. We’re still alive, for now, so they must need us for something. The power’s been out for days and nobody’s coming to help.”

“Sounds about right. Mathis took someone I care about from me; do you know where he’d keep someone?” Will asked, his heart pounded as he thought of Sage’s terrified face.

“Hmmm, maybe my old office, he’s claimed it as his. I heard…. the commotion earlier, did he take…. a pet of some sort from you?”

“No! She’s not a pet…. She’s a child.” Will hesitated before continuing, he remembered his promise to Sage about not telling others about her, but the damage had already been done. They needed allies. “Have you ever heard of borrowers? She’s a child, about three inches tall, but she’s no different from any other kid.”

“…. you know, I’ve had…. heard of them before. In old folk tales, it says they bring good luck or good fortune to those that show kindness to them. I hope you find her, but she’d most likely be kept in the warden’s office.”

“So…... Mathis, you know him?” Will asked, trying to gather more information and take his mind off his gut-wrenching worry over his tiny child.

“Oh yeah, we go way back. He was in for murder on the mainland about ten years ago. He did some time but got off on parole. He came back here for Donner.”

“Donner?”

“His son. Mathis is bad, but he’s old school bad, murder, larceny, and grand theft auto. But Donner……. he’s all that but worse.”

“So……not a good person.”

“Well, he’s looked up in BlackRock, isn’t he?” Franklin paused then continued. “Donner is evil to the core. There’s no redemption for guys like Donner. They should have been able to break him out by now. But something’s wrong. Or someone…. Has been getting in the way.”

Both men tense at the sounds of multiple footsteps echoing down the hall. Mackenzie scrambles down and stands in the middle of his cell. Just in time as Mathis and his men come into view. Mackenzie can only stand and watch as Mathis enters Franklin’s cell.

Mackenzie flinches as he hears Mathis interrogate Franklin. Mathis grows angry, especially when Franklin mentions Donner. In his anger Mathis starts to beat Franklin. Once Mathis has finished beating up the old Warden, he turns to two of his lackeys and orders them to patch the man up. “Heller! Vachon! Take care of this mess.”

Mathis glares at Mackenzie as he walks by.

Heller curses under his breath. “There’s no way I’m going out there again."

“Well, we’re out of medical supplies, one of us has to go out and fetch something.” Vachon replied.

“Why don’t you do it, I’m not messing with those wolves, they’ve gotten worse.”

“I went last time.”

“Well, if one of us doesn’t go, boss will kill us himself, he’s gotten more unstable.”

“I’ll do it.” Mackenzie piped up. Both convicts turn to him in surprise.

“And why would we let you out, you’d run and never come back.”

"The warden's dying," Will said flatly. "He needs medical attention, or he won't make it through the night. And plus, Mathis is holding my little girl hostage, I’ll be back."

Heller and Vachon exchanged glances. Finally, Heller jerked his head. "Go. But any funny business, and the girl pays the price."

Will grit his teeth. "Understood."

*******

The outdoor air was cold and bitter. Mackenzie was annoyed that Mathis’s thugs refused to give him his coat back, he’d have to look for a new one. He only had his sweater and basic clothing. They took everything he had from him. He’d have to collect some more stuff and stash it somewhere before he returned. He had to make plans for his future escape. The courtyard of the prison compound was relatively safe. But to get to the old infirmary, he’d have to step out into the outer fenced section. But there was danger lurking. A pack of hungry wolves stalked the outer and inner gates. He must be careful.

*****

Will’s pulse hammered in his ears as he navigated the dimly lit corridors of the prison infirmary. The infirmary, once sterile and ordered, was now a scene of chaos. Overturned gurneys and shattered glass crunched underfoot. His eyes swept over the baren shelves until they landed on a bulky emergency medkit, sealed and intact. Before he could grab it, he startled at a sound he was not expecting to hear.

*Ring* *Ring*

Mackenzie turns to the old phone on the wall in almost disbelief. He’s not sure how this works when nothing else has. Still in a state of disbelief he reaches out and picks up the phone.

“Who is this? And where are you calling me from?” Mackenzie asked into the phone.

An unknown female voice answers. “Somewhere safe. Look Mister Mackenzie, soon you’re going to have to figure out whose side you’re on in this little stalemate we have going on.”

“I don’t know anything about a stalemate. And I’m on my own side.”

“Well at least you’re honest.”

“Where are you and what do you want?” Mackenzie demanded.

“That question has a long answer. Right now, I’m safe from those prison assholes. But I cannot say the same for you.”

“Look, the prison warden…. he’s injured. I’m just trying to keep him alive and rescue someone that Mathis took from me.”

“So…. They let you out of the prison? Then they’re just going to let you back in?”

“Right.” Mackenzie replied realizing how unlikely that sounded.

“But you aren’t helping them?” The unknown called asked in clear skepticism.

“I’m not helping them.”

“Something about this situation…...about you…. doesn’t fit.”

“Look why don’t you tell me where you are and maybe I can help you.”

“Help me? The caller sounded amused. “Shit man, you can’t even help yourself.”

“Are you the one that’s messing up the convict’s plans?” Mackenzie asking, trying put puzzle pieces together.

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Either way, I’m not telling you. How do I know you aren’t really one of Donner’s boys?”

“Donner…...so you know about him.”

“Wake up man. This is all about Donner. Don’t you get that? And I’m the only thing standing between that fucker rotting away in solitary and an evil man being unleashed on the rest of this hellhole.”

“Well, I hear the summers are nice here.” Mackenzie replied trying to lighten the mood.

“Take care of yourself, Mr. Mackenzie. Those wolves sound pretty hungry to me.” With that the call ended.

“Well, that was weird.” Mackenzie muttered to himself under his breath.

Back to his original task, Mackenzie grabbed the medkit and retraced his steps, each creak and groan of the building setting his nerves on edge. Will's mouth was dry, his breaths coming in short, ragged gasps as he pushed onward, driven by the singular thought of saving Franklin... and Sage.

The final stretch was a blur of shadow and adrenaline. Will pressed on, pushing his body beyond exhaustion, driven by the knowledge that with each second lost, the warden's breaths could be slipping away.

As sprinted across the open grounds toward the main prison building, the medkit clutched in his grasp, Will knew that the true test was just beginning.

****** “Yeah, you’d better get in there to see him.” Vachon told him as he searched him then lead him to Franklin’s cell.

The warden lay slumped against the chair he was tied to, his breathing shallow.

"Franklin," Will gasped, dropping to his knees beside the battered man, the emergency medkit springing open with a click.

"Stay with me," Will murmured, his fingers steady despite the quake of urgency that threatened to overtake him. He reached for an ampule of adrenaline, snapping the top with practiced ease. The needle plunged into Franklin's vein, a silent prayer accompanying the push of the plunger.

As the drug coursed through the warden’s body, Will wrapped a compression bandage tightly around the man's ribcage, stemming the tide of bruising that painted his skin in violent shades. Franklin's eyelids flickered—a subtle but promising sign.

"Good," Will whispered, more to himself than to the semi-conscious man before him. His hands moved with care, cleaning cuts, and applying antiseptic with the tenderness of a craftsman.

"Who the hell are you?" Franklin croaked, the words barely audible, laced with pain and gratitude.

“Relax, it’s me your neighbor from the other side of the wall.”

“Ah…. you.”

“I cleaned you up the best I could.”

“Thanks, you seem to know a fair bit of first aid.”

“Well…...I’m marr……I uh…. know a doctor.”

“We’d better hurry before the guards get back. There’s something I need to tell you about the prison.”

“I’m listening.”

“Solitary. It’s……. it’s on its own locking circuits. Separated from the rest of the prison. Mathis and his guys……haven’t figured that out yet.”

“But when they do?”

“When they do, they’ll get Donner out. I can’t figure it out, but someone is out there. Messing with the system.”

“I might have an idea of who it is.” Mackenzie admitted with a sigh.

“You see someone out there?”

“Not saw but I talked to someone on the phone.”

“Right! The old rotary phone system would still work.”

Before they could finish their conversation, clear signs that Mathis and his men where walking down the hallway towards their location.

With panic and urgency Mackenzie rushes back to his cell, so he’s not caught by Mathis. He makes it just in take as Mathis approaches the cells. Mathis stands before his cell and then reaches out and pushes his cell door open. Showing that it isn’t locked. Mathis turns to glare at his cronies.

“He……hey how’d that happen? Vachen said, trying to act surprised.

“Wow! Yeah, must be glitchy.” Heller agreed. Trying to play it off.

Mathis chuckles as he enters Mackenzie’s cell. “These Idiots think I’m a fool, I know they were too chicken to take care of the warden themselves. And they sent you out into the cold to do their dirty work.”

“Where is Sage? Is she ok, is she hurt?” Mackenzie asked.

“Who’s Sage.” Mathis mocked.

“The tiny child you took from me.” Mackenzie glared. If his look could murder, Mathis would be dead ten times over.

“Oh! I remember…. your tiny pet.” Mathis reached into his pant pocket and pulled at the tiny wiggling form of Sage. Mathis held the tiny child in a tight fist. Not caring for the tiny girl’s comfort. Sage gave Will such a sad and pleading look, she stretched out her tiny arms to him, with a pleading desperate look on her tiny face. Mackenzie’s heart broke. Mathis' fingers closed around Sage's tiny form like a vice, his cruel eyes gleaming with malice.

"Please, Mathis," Mackenzie pleaded, desperation evident in his voice. "She's just a child! You have a child too, you must understand!"

Mathis sneered at him, tightening his grip on Sage. "This little rat ain't human," he spat out, disgust coloring his words. "And if you ever compare my son to this...this thing again, I'll rip her tiny limbs off." Sage sobbed in fear, her small body trembling in Mathis' merciless grip.

“Please let me hold her, she’s scared. I’ll do what you want, just please give her back to me.” Mackenzie begged, holding his palm out for the tiny child.

“Oh no. You want her back; you’ll have to earn that.” Mathis sneered, holding Sage up aloft and away from Mackenzie’s reach.

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