Black Thursday (Group 11)
Posted: 16 Jan 2015, 20:36
The weather was abysmal and usually Lorelai would have been at home but Prudence had told her to go out and socialise more often, which of course meant she felt compelled to do exactly that. Thankfully, Prudence hadn't specified that those she had to socialise with had to be of this world, which meant that rather than waiting for the ghosts to come to her, she was out actively looking for some to help. The spirits were never far away and so she really didn't have to go far but she felt guilty that she didn't spread her gifts a little more evenly throughout the city and it was for this reason that she found herself wandering around the district of Gullsborough.
She'd managed to help a couple of ghosts before the weather got so bad that she had to think about taking shelter and toming home. In this weather she'd need to take shelter before removing her tome from its usual hiding place, else the paper could be ripped from her hands or made sodden by the rain. The wind whipped about her tugging at her hair and dress and tangling both around her to the point where she was fighting the elements to move. It was for this reason that she ducked into the doorway of Alpha Towers.
Lorelai waited for a while in the hopes that the rain would stop but the streets soon began to shimmer with water that didn't seem to want to drain away.
"Please I need your help. Please. You have to come. Please."
Lorelai turned to face the person that was perhaps addressing her and saw an elderly woman standing in the doorway and without further explanation being necessary as she was a trusting and helpful soul, she followed the woman inside. Only Lorelai wasn't following an elderly woman, she was following yet another ghost. The ability she possessed was a tricky one and at times she was simply unable to tell the dead from the living.
"Are you okay? What's the matter? How can I help you?" she asked as she followed the spirit to the elevator.
"I need... I must show you. You won't believe me. Please. Please just come with me."
Lorelai offered the woman a reassuring smile and waited for her to press the button only the woman didn't, she couldn't, of course Lorelai didn't know this. The woman stood away from the elevator controls and looked to the woman that had come to her aid.
"Which floor do we need?" Lorelai asked, still none the wiser as to what it was she was speaking to.
"Eleven," the woman replied.
The trusting blonde pressed the button to the eleventh floor and waited patiently to find out how she could help the woman as she rode the metallic box to the appropriate floor.
"1104," the woman told her as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
Lorelai stepped out and paused, not knowing which direction to walk in as she'd never been in this complex before. The elderly woman followed suit, only she didn't hesitate, she simply made her way towards her apartment.
"Could you get my spare key for me please? It's behind that plant pot there."
The woman pointed to the potted plant and waited for Lorelai to do as she asked. Lorelai didn't even bat her eyes at the request as she was happy to help and swiftly retrieved the key from its hiding place as instructed. Only as she went to hand the key over, the woman backed away from her. Lorelai frowned slightly and followed the woman's gaze as she looked from her to the door.
"Should I..." she gestured towards the lock and the woman nodded.
Lorelai unlocked the door and pushed the door open but did not attempt to enter. Vampires were unable to enter any private domain without an invitation and the woman had yet to actually invite her in. Once more the weather beaten beauty had failed to realise the truth of the situation, as she had felt no resistance around the doorway as she stood by it. There was no supernatural barrier meaning that this property was currently un-owned.
The elderly woman moved past her and entered her abode, stopping to look at the hesitant young female. Lorelai was hesitant to cross the threshold even if she were invited though, as her clothing was wet through and she didn't wish to ruin the woman's home by dripping all over the carpet.
"Are you not coming in?" The woman asked.
"Oh... I... I'm all wet... Perhaps if you could lend me a towel so that I might dry myself off a little first?" Lorelai asked, stalling for time in the hopes that the woman might offer her the invitation she required.
"Oh don't be silly child. It's only a little water. You are fine to enter as you are."
Lorelai stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind her. Stepping into the front room, she quickly realised what it was the woman might need help with as she looked from the spirit to the corpse.
"Oh my stars. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't see." Lorelai's words came quickly and with such compassion that the woman to whom they were directed couldn't help but smile.
"It's okay child. I didn't feel anything. It was just my time."
"Do you need me to report your death?" It was the first thought Lorelai had as to the reason that her services might be required.
"Oh. Yes. I suppose I do but that isn't what I needed your help with?"
"It wasn't?"
"No," the woman replied. "I need you to feed my budgies. They are starving and need water. I've been asking people for help since I died but no-one could hear me."
Lorelai nodded to the woman and set about feeding and re-hydrating the ailing birds. They weren't so far gone that they weren't able to feed and drink under their own power, so Lorelai wasn't too concerned for the poor creatures, but they were a little listless.
Having done what the spirit required of her, she half expected the woman to disappear, only she didn't. Instead they sat and chatted for a little while. The former person invited Lorelai to take a fresh towel and dry herself off, she even offered her, her choice of clothing to wear and the use of her tumble dryer so that she dry off. Offers that Lorelai took her up on, choosing to wear the old woman's pink and fluffy dressing gown with cream lace trimming while her dress dried. The process was half complete when the lights began to flicker and the electricity temporarily cut out.
The electric flickered on and off over the space of the next hour. The wind picked up outside and rain battered the windows with such force that Lorelai began to fear that the windows might break and allow the tumultuous elements into the apartment itself. The building shook several times under the power of several tremors, tremors that increased in frequency and intensity as time went on. Once more fearing for the integrity of the double glazed windows, Lorelai moved the cage the birds were in, into the hallway where they'd be safe if the glass did shatter. The spirit was now begging her to take the birds home with her and keep them as her own, a request that Lorelai was more than happy to indulge her in, once the weather calmed. She could tome home of course, but she wasn't sure if the birds would move through time and space with her, as she'd never tried carrying a living creature before. With the safety of her beloved pets assured, the woman finally crossed over, leaving Lorelai alone once more.
Lorelai's plan was to wait out the storm and take the tiny creatures home with her, at least that was until she heard a series of loud, booming, cracking noises coming from below. She was going to investigate it but soon realised that she was still in the dead woman's robe, so investigating it would have to wait a little while longer. What she would learn later, when she either changed back into her still damp clothing or ventured out in the pink fluffy robe, was that a section of the stairwell between a couple of the lower floors her had collapsed. With the electricity intermittent at best, the elevators had been stopped and so leaving the building would be difficult.
She'd managed to help a couple of ghosts before the weather got so bad that she had to think about taking shelter and toming home. In this weather she'd need to take shelter before removing her tome from its usual hiding place, else the paper could be ripped from her hands or made sodden by the rain. The wind whipped about her tugging at her hair and dress and tangling both around her to the point where she was fighting the elements to move. It was for this reason that she ducked into the doorway of Alpha Towers.
Lorelai waited for a while in the hopes that the rain would stop but the streets soon began to shimmer with water that didn't seem to want to drain away.
"Please I need your help. Please. You have to come. Please."
Lorelai turned to face the person that was perhaps addressing her and saw an elderly woman standing in the doorway and without further explanation being necessary as she was a trusting and helpful soul, she followed the woman inside. Only Lorelai wasn't following an elderly woman, she was following yet another ghost. The ability she possessed was a tricky one and at times she was simply unable to tell the dead from the living.
"Are you okay? What's the matter? How can I help you?" she asked as she followed the spirit to the elevator.
"I need... I must show you. You won't believe me. Please. Please just come with me."
Lorelai offered the woman a reassuring smile and waited for her to press the button only the woman didn't, she couldn't, of course Lorelai didn't know this. The woman stood away from the elevator controls and looked to the woman that had come to her aid.
"Which floor do we need?" Lorelai asked, still none the wiser as to what it was she was speaking to.
"Eleven," the woman replied.
The trusting blonde pressed the button to the eleventh floor and waited patiently to find out how she could help the woman as she rode the metallic box to the appropriate floor.
"1104," the woman told her as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
Lorelai stepped out and paused, not knowing which direction to walk in as she'd never been in this complex before. The elderly woman followed suit, only she didn't hesitate, she simply made her way towards her apartment.
"Could you get my spare key for me please? It's behind that plant pot there."
The woman pointed to the potted plant and waited for Lorelai to do as she asked. Lorelai didn't even bat her eyes at the request as she was happy to help and swiftly retrieved the key from its hiding place as instructed. Only as she went to hand the key over, the woman backed away from her. Lorelai frowned slightly and followed the woman's gaze as she looked from her to the door.
"Should I..." she gestured towards the lock and the woman nodded.
Lorelai unlocked the door and pushed the door open but did not attempt to enter. Vampires were unable to enter any private domain without an invitation and the woman had yet to actually invite her in. Once more the weather beaten beauty had failed to realise the truth of the situation, as she had felt no resistance around the doorway as she stood by it. There was no supernatural barrier meaning that this property was currently un-owned.
The elderly woman moved past her and entered her abode, stopping to look at the hesitant young female. Lorelai was hesitant to cross the threshold even if she were invited though, as her clothing was wet through and she didn't wish to ruin the woman's home by dripping all over the carpet.
"Are you not coming in?" The woman asked.
"Oh... I... I'm all wet... Perhaps if you could lend me a towel so that I might dry myself off a little first?" Lorelai asked, stalling for time in the hopes that the woman might offer her the invitation she required.
"Oh don't be silly child. It's only a little water. You are fine to enter as you are."
Lorelai stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind her. Stepping into the front room, she quickly realised what it was the woman might need help with as she looked from the spirit to the corpse.
"Oh my stars. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't see." Lorelai's words came quickly and with such compassion that the woman to whom they were directed couldn't help but smile.
"It's okay child. I didn't feel anything. It was just my time."
"Do you need me to report your death?" It was the first thought Lorelai had as to the reason that her services might be required.
"Oh. Yes. I suppose I do but that isn't what I needed your help with?"
"It wasn't?"
"No," the woman replied. "I need you to feed my budgies. They are starving and need water. I've been asking people for help since I died but no-one could hear me."
Lorelai nodded to the woman and set about feeding and re-hydrating the ailing birds. They weren't so far gone that they weren't able to feed and drink under their own power, so Lorelai wasn't too concerned for the poor creatures, but they were a little listless.
Having done what the spirit required of her, she half expected the woman to disappear, only she didn't. Instead they sat and chatted for a little while. The former person invited Lorelai to take a fresh towel and dry herself off, she even offered her, her choice of clothing to wear and the use of her tumble dryer so that she dry off. Offers that Lorelai took her up on, choosing to wear the old woman's pink and fluffy dressing gown with cream lace trimming while her dress dried. The process was half complete when the lights began to flicker and the electricity temporarily cut out.
The electric flickered on and off over the space of the next hour. The wind picked up outside and rain battered the windows with such force that Lorelai began to fear that the windows might break and allow the tumultuous elements into the apartment itself. The building shook several times under the power of several tremors, tremors that increased in frequency and intensity as time went on. Once more fearing for the integrity of the double glazed windows, Lorelai moved the cage the birds were in, into the hallway where they'd be safe if the glass did shatter. The spirit was now begging her to take the birds home with her and keep them as her own, a request that Lorelai was more than happy to indulge her in, once the weather calmed. She could tome home of course, but she wasn't sure if the birds would move through time and space with her, as she'd never tried carrying a living creature before. With the safety of her beloved pets assured, the woman finally crossed over, leaving Lorelai alone once more.
Lorelai's plan was to wait out the storm and take the tiny creatures home with her, at least that was until she heard a series of loud, booming, cracking noises coming from below. She was going to investigate it but soon realised that she was still in the dead woman's robe, so investigating it would have to wait a little while longer. What she would learn later, when she either changed back into her still damp clothing or ventured out in the pink fluffy robe, was that a section of the stairwell between a couple of the lower floors her had collapsed. With the electricity intermittent at best, the elevators had been stopped and so leaving the building would be difficult.