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It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 23 Jun 2017, 11:43
by Harrison
To all ordinary eyes, the city was abandoned. To those like Harrison, however, it was as busy as a capital at noon. Where he’d started in Harper Rock he’d slowly moved his way outward, down the roads and paths that led to other places. Eventually he’d found himself in a city whose name he did not know, but the buildings were all empty, the streets discarded, the brick and mortar colourful with the art of the miscreants who came and went, but never stayed. This place was home to no one anymore. No one but the dead.
The howling was what brought him there, tugged him from the road and into the skeleton of the city. As soon as he stepped within its limits they knew that he was there. They flocked like lost children looking for their parents – and he was the one with all the answers. It was too much to begin with, and he had to leave and come back again; had to try to convince the restless dead that he could only help them one at a time.
It was easier, here. In this place where there was no one else around – he could talk to his imaginary friends without being seen, or overheard. Thought to be insane. It was a job he had taken upon himself knowing the consequences if anyone were to find out. The last place he ever wanted to go was to an asylum. It would be as bar, or worse, than the prison he’d spent six years cooped up within. At least in prison they treated him like a man. In an asylum they’d treat him like a child. And he was not insane.
Soon enough, knowing that he had his work cut out for him, Harrison purchased a swag and some camping gear from Harper Rock. The commute every day was tedious, and it would be easier just to stay. He told no one it was his intention; there were rumours that the city was haunted, and Harrison knew those rumours to be true. It was his job, however, to make those rumours untrue – to banish those restless spirits to a place where they would be better rested. Or so, that is what Harrison chose to believe. They were going on to heaven, to be received by the angels and reunited with their loved ones.
So even after the sun went down, Harrison continued with his work. The weather was clear and he set up his gear, a fire burning a small distance from his tent. He sat on an old milk crate, revelling in the touch of the breeze in his hair. Once a man has had his freedom stolen from him, the small things would never again lose their lustre.
Around him, a circle of spirits. In the distance, a ghost-like song. The creature from the water, calling for him – a creature he’d glimpsed earlier in the day but had steered clear of. Curiosity got the better of him. He stood, and the spirits swarmed with him, their eyes wide, their heads shaking. The water played such a strong theme in this place of the dead; the water was the reason there were so many dead to begin with. Perhaps, he told himself, this creature will have the answers.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 25 Jun 2017, 15:20
by Enver Marshall II
He had come across this place accidentally while trolling the Canadian waters a few weeks ago. It had been dumb luck, really. Every, Grace and he had been fishing and Enver had to endure a lot with his cousin while on the trip. At one point, while he gritted his teeth and scowled, deciding it was best to bite his tongue and thoughts in front of his daughter, Enver had stared out to the shorelines of the water and saw something he had never seen the countless number of times he had been this way before.
The small city had been tucked back behind some overgrown pine trees and long blades of grass, so had been easy to miss by him, or anyone he missed. But, when he had seen it, a detour had been made and Enver decided that he needed yet another project. Business was booming, the scenes he had cast himself into his movie, along with his partner in crime were done, and soon the movie would be too. Half a year left of filming and then what? Life would be dull and slow again and he would be left to...think.
And that's just what Enver didn't want to do. He didn't want to think about the broken bonds with his wife-the woman he believed was his anchor in this world (and still did). That would only lead to things he couldn't-no, shouldn't do with Grace in his life. And so, he needed a project.
He should thank Every for the find, but that would lead to something else-more sarcasm and other nasty things from his cousin, so Enver opted to take the find for himself and forget about the small thank you. The city, once named Chalk City, had seemed to been abandoned for some time. Maybe over one hundred years even. Enver would have to research it some to find out, but there was evidence of the fact given there was nothing modern looking in the city. There was an old bank that would need updating, an alchemist building that would need some updating and docks a plenty. Which led Enver to believe fishing, logging and whatever else that depended on water had been this city's livelihood.
And then...there was a building known as The Dredge. Enver had never heard of such a thing before, and upon further investigating came to learn that there must have been gold or silver along the banks of these waters, which only furthered the millionaires need for wanting this property. Could there still be gold and silver there? Only one way to find out.
For a small fee, Enver was able to claim the land as his own-but decided to keep it under his hat for now. He wanted and needed to fix a lot of things up in the city first before he could open it up to the cities around it. And, it would be easy to do that because it took him about forty minutes to get here from Harper Rock. The first thing he would do was rename it, and that was what the bucket of paint was for on his boat; Lady. Enver glanced down to the tin can before he tied her up to one of the three docks, ready to embark on this new journey.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 30 Jun 2017, 12:00
by Harrison
There was a ripple in the water that reflected the flickering firelight of the makeshift camp that Harrison had constructed. Was there someone in the water? The ravine led out to a broader body of water, and it could just have been the tide. But the ripple was too strong, too centred.
”Is there someone down there?” he called, inching closer to the edge of the water. The embankment was crusted with gunk, the water itself barely clean. A rock skittered ahead of the priest as he paused in the semi-darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Out in the gloom, on a little island that was only visible due to the low tide, he could see a figure. It glowed in the dimness and Harrison’s first thought was that it was another spirit. A drowned spirit, one that needed help. Of course it had to be only that. What else could it be?
”Do you need help?” he asked. The figure on the rock crooned, mumbled, acceded. There was a tug at Harrison’s soul, an inherent need to help the figure on the rock before he helped any of the others. Ghostly fingers tugged at his sleeves and grabbed uselessly at his arms. His boots filled with cold, murky, poisoned water as Harrison did what would have been unadvisable. He sloshed into the water, a small voice in the back of his head telling him it was a bad idea, but it was a voice he chose not to listen to. Spirits came and went. What if he could not find this one again? What if the tide was never low enough for it to perch upon its rock? He was stuck there, as he was in this realm, and he needed to move on.
On the shore, the other spirits wailed. Whether they cared for the priest’s salvation or could see their own salvation wading out to its death, it could not be known. It was a mixture of both. Some were selfless in their lives, some were not. Some would find their heaven quick than others. Harrison had no idea that he was about to find his own heaven – death, due to his newfound obsession with compassion.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 24 Jul 2017, 14:15
by Enver Marshall II
Truth be told, Enver had found the place and then tried to not make much of an impression that anyone had been here when he came by himself. It was his secret place, so to speak and he didn't want anyone getting their grubby hands on his new find and potential business opportunities. Real estate was just one of many things. A casino would go in at some point. There might be gold and silver in this 'dredge' area, and other tiny businesses could set up 'shop' around his city. Enver could only see limitless possibilities-thanks to how well he'd done with his book and other businesses.
The can of black paint was grabbed with his left hand, while his right grabbed the paint brush. He moved to the edge of his boat, then paused. Had someone said something? It sounded as if someone was unhappy...somewhere. Out in the water? Or was someone in his city? The thought that someone was snooping around his city had the Allurist gritting his teeth and making longer strides off his boat. He didn't care who was moaning about what, he found this place first.
He jumped off his boat and to the creaky dock, it protesting against his weight as Enver thudded upon it. He glanced around, trying to pinpoint the guy that was groaning, but couldn't see anything. Just heard it. Maybe...was it possible it was just a sound of the wind blowing into an old abandoned machinery part? Or a can somewhere on the ground? He had seen Hollywood pull off some amazing sounds with this and that, so anything was possible. Maybe, there was no one here but himself and Enver's over active imagination at times.
He chuckled to himself and shook his head, then moved from the dock area to where the sign to the city was at. It was nothing special, and indicated the area had been long abandoned before anything modern touched it. A sign with the name and the population, along with the name of a diner and a few other small businesses that essentially made up the city at some point. How things were going to change. Starting with the damn sign. Enver set the can of paint down next to the sign, and pulled out a swiss army knife from his back pocket and opened the blade side. It would be tedious, but possible to get the can of paint open this way.
As Enver worked the seal by rocking the blade back and forth here and there, he looked around the empty city, then frowned. Now, he had definitely heard something. He stood from his crouched position, cleared his throat and then called out into the night, "Hello? Don't know who you are, but this is private property." A small lie, but it would be once Enver got his lawyer to dig up the paper work and he bought the thing from whoever. "I'd suggest leaving, and we don't have to get the cops involved." Enver would secretly prefer to not have them involved, only because they weren't one of his biggest fans. They remembered him all too well from his early years in Harper Rock.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 02 Aug 2017, 00:09
by Harrison
The water was colder than it should have been; a shock to Harrison’s system, but he continued to wade out into the depths anyway. The river’s bottom was slimy, his shoes digging into the mud until it spilled over the edges and soaked into his socks. And still, he continued to wade until the ground dropped away and he had to swim toward the little island, pulling himself in wide strokes toward the spirit he believed needed help to cross over into the afterlife.
When his head was above water he heard a voice, calling out – something about private property. As far as Harrison was aware, the place had been abandoned, and he’d seen no signs telling him to keep out. ”There’s someone out here who needs help!” he called back, as if that forgave everything. He paid no mind to whoever he’d left on shore.
As soon as Harrison reached the little island, he realised how dark it was. He had to squint hard through the darkness to see the spirit he’d come to aid – the flickering of his firelight was so far away, now, it barely illuminated anything. Harrison reached out for the rock so that he might haul himself up onto it, so that he could at least crouch with the spirit rather than have to talk to him from the water. Truth be told, Harrison had no idea what was in this water, if anything, and he didn’t particularly like how ink-black it was in the darkness.
Except he wasn’t given the chance to begin to haul himself up. When he looked up, the spirit was gone, and at the exact moment he realised what he’d swam all the way out here for had disappeared, he felt the fingers curl tight around his ankles. His feet were tugged and Harrison gripped the rock for dear life; but then he was yanked with such force that he felt his shoulder threaten to dislocate, and a fingernail ripped free from the nail bed, left behind on the rock.
Although the Minister shouted in surprise, the yelp was cut short as acrid, dark water filled his mouth. He tried to kick his feet, tried to loosen the grip of whatever had hold of him, but its grip only tightened with every attempted thrash. He screamed as a bone in his right ankle snapped, air bubbles dancing and rushing for the surface. Water filled his lungs. He couldn’t even see the surface now, the water was that filthy. And yet, Harrison did not stop fighting.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 10 Aug 2017, 20:24
by Enver Marshall II
His first thought was that something was in the water. Something, being one hell of a whopper fish. Water had a pattern to it, be it a gentle sloshing from a calm night, or the thrashing due to a wicked storm brewing. The pattern was broken somewhere, and being the fisherman that Enver was, he could only hope that it was due to a big fish he could almost 'see' with his semi-overactive, imagination. Between big catches and the silver and gold that might be buried under years-decades of abandonment, Enver was going to make a killing in more than one way.
Truth was, if Enver could get this place the way he envisioned it by 2020, he might never return to Harper Rock. Sure, there was a risk with the whole dying thing, but it would take a lot for someone to manage that. And since Enver knew first hand that powers worked, he felt as if he and Grace could take the risk, all things considered lately.
And just as Enver's thoughts turned inwards, someone was shouting at him. The tall Allurist frowned as his eyes moved from one spot in the water, to where he thought he heard the voice. When he saw the outline of a figure in the water, Enver growled out, "The hell?" He wasn't sure how one, let alone two 'fools' managed to be out in the middle of damn near no where at the same time. No where being a place that had been abandoned for decades, until he came across it.
As Enver pulled off his suit coat, he growled again, as he got ready to take an unexpected swim. Not how he thought his night would go, but he wasn't going to let one-possibly two people drown right in front of him. "Yeah, coming to help!" Enver shouted back as he kicked off his loafers and found the unpleasantness of the water. At just about the time he got waist deep, Enver couldn't hear the break in the water's rhythm from the 'something,' which was actually two someone's. "HEY!" Enver practically bellowed out after both hands cupped around his lips.
An answer came in the sound of a panicked, scared scream. Or gargle. Enver saw the missing guy's outline from a few seconds ago and started heading his way, cutting through the water with cupped hands as if he were trying to part the water with them. The guy he could see and hear was his main focus, only because Enver hadn't seen or heard the other person that was hell bent on being a drowning statistic in his soon-to-be new town. The guy who had Enver's undivided attention seemed to be struggling a lot. Could he not swim? Had he been trying to be a hero and put himself at risk? It was possible. Some people didn't think before they just jumped into action. Enver could relate to that.
He was down again, and this time, he didn't seem to be coming back up. "WOAH!" Enver started swimming to the guy who Enver was damn sure not letting die tonight. He was just about there, when he saw it. Something Enver had never seen before. "OH!" Enver slapped at the water as he came to a stop, watching the water go through the green...guy? Ghost? Wraith? What the hell was it? Enver blinked and shook his head, ignoring the thing for now, because how long could a human stay under water? Not long enough. Enver pushed the air out of his lungs, then dove under the water, both arms snaking outwards to reach for the stranger who hadn't made it back to the top yet.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 18 Aug 2017, 13:04
by Harrison
There was a pool at Harrison’s school. It wasn’t a great pool. They weren’t a rich family, and the school they went to wasn’t rich either. They prided themselves on school spirit, and as far as Harrison was aware, sure. They all seemed happy enough. He’d never really paid much attention to his schoolmates. He’d been too busy wigging out, talking to people who weren’t there. He spent more time in the student councillors office than he did in class. But he did okay in gym; he did better than okay in the pool.
One of the incidents he remembered most vividly was the girl at the bottom of the pool. The girl with strawberry blonde hair, freckles speckled across pale skin, eyes as green as the meadow outside. She laid at the bottom of that pool, looking up at him, serene. He’d leapt into the pool to save her, to pull her out, confused and terrified. Except his hands had gone right through her. Whatever he tried he couldn’t bring her to the surface.
The coach pulled him out by the pants, Harrison kicking and screaming, losing his voice over the girl at the bottom of the pool. Wouldn’t someone help her?! But no one else could see the girl. Harrison’s last glimpse saw her grinning like she’d witnessed the best joke in the world.
A week later he’d found out about Polly Evans. She’d been a senior. No one had known anything was wrong with her; home life was good, she had friends, but she’d been depressed, they said. The deep end of the pool was taller than Polly, who was short just like her mother. Little old Polly, who’d dragged the weights from the gym through to the pool and tied them to her feet. There’d been questions, rumours. Why had she done it at school? Why where the boys diving team would find her first thing the next morning? Questions no one could answer.
It was Polly’s face that Harrison could see now as he struggled for air; his lungs filled up with dirty lake water, the last of the air bubbles dancing for the surface. His body jerked and his lungs screamed, his eyes glazed over just like Polly’s had been that first moment he had witnessed her. His hands were stretched toward the surface, where he swore he saw a commotion; he heard a voice, the water disturbed by a moving shadow. But the shadows were also creeping in at the edges of his vision, too, and the Minister couldn’t be sure of anything, except that death was waiting for him.
And he was not afraid.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 02 Sep 2017, 13:03
by Enver Marshall II
Great.
The guy was struggling against Enver, which wasn't going to help him, or the guy whose life he was trying to save. “Chill, man.” Enver growled in the guy's ear as his eyes glanced over to where the green goblin was [something Enver would have smirked about if things weren't so bleak looking at the moment] and tried yanking the stranger away.
Now, Enver didn't consider himself a weak man by any means. He was not Mr. Universe either, but he had a routine he did every morning and typically did his own stunts in movies. Push-ups and pull-ups were his favorite and sometimes he added a little bit of flavor to his day by doing some weight lifting. Mostly a rep of twenty-five bench presses, because Enver liked to spice things up a bit. Did he ever.
But it was almost as if someone, or something was not willing to let the guy get out of the river.
The more Enver tried, the more difficult the struggle became. Enver puffed out a breath of air and glanced around to see not one green goblin, but two now. “What the hell?” Enver barked out as he wrapped both his arms around the guy from behind and clamped his hands together, heaving the guy with him. They had made it a couple more steps, before things went from bad to really bad.
Enver believed they were almost there. He could feel the water move from his chest, to his waist and felt a sense of victory. Maybe that was the problem, an error on Enver's part. He was always in the here and now and not looking past what was going on right in front of him, or behind him. Enver lost his footing, tripping over some larger rocks, maybe? Broken branches? He wasn't sure, but the hold on the guy was lost as Enver sunk beneath the water for a brief second. Maybe three seconds. Not long. He didn't panic, because he wasn't going to die from drowning. He just needed to get back on his feet. After finding his footing with one leg, then the other, Enver broke free of the surface and started searching for the guy. It had to have only been three seconds. Maybe five? So where the hell was he? “Hey!” Enver bellowed out, as his eyes narrowed, searching the dark waters and dark night sky for an outline. Anywhere. Everywhere.
Where had the green goblins gone?
“****!” Enver growled out as his left hand splashed the water in frustration, hoping he'd hear from the guy sooner than later.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 10 Sep 2017, 14:00
by Harrison
Harrison had no breath left in him. His lungs were filled with water, and to breathe again he would need his chest to be pumped. He would need to violently vomit water from his airways before he could suck that breath back in again. He was not aware of the struggle happening above him or around him, nor that he had been grabbed and was being dragged toward the surface. When the fresh(ish) air touched his cheeks, his closed eyelids, his mouth, there was no response. It wasn’t a slap to the face. It didn’t jolt his body into action.
Instead, he felt himself rising; he felt himself watching from above, an omniscient presence lingering near the body but not within it. A spirit, torn between this world and the next, lamenting the fact that he was not yet done. There was still so much he wanted to achieve, so much good he wanted to spread. His life had only just begun!
And there were the other spirits on the shore, too, all watching. They weren’t just watching the scene unfold in the lake, but they were watching him rise, too, waiting. Waiting to see if he would disappear and move on to the next world, waiting to see if he would be stuck, just like them. None of them said anything. Some looked angry, but most of them looked sad. Harrison’s spirit joined them on the shore, watching the stranger struggle with their common foe, watching as his own body was again lost.
”…I don’t want to die,” he mumbled. Only the spirits around him would hear, would mumble their condolences or their insults. He ignore them and entered the water, though his feet made no sound. He was not a solid being. He was but a ghost approaching the man who still might save him.
”I don’t want to die!” he shouted, Scottish brogue thick though he was near certain that the man wouldn’t hear him. Couldn’t. Harrison had never heard of anyone else who could see the spirits like he could. He could feel the tug of his physical body, could feel it sinking. Instinctively, he knew where it was. He walked toward it, his spirit-body sinking to the ribs.
”It’s right here! C’mon, don’t let me die. I’m right here,” he pleaded. He reached out for the guy, tried to grab his arm and physically drag him to where he needed to be, though it did no good. His fingers just went straight through.
”Please, please don’t give up…” he said, watching, waiting. Hoping.
Re: It's in the Water [Enver]
Posted: 15 Oct 2017, 13:26
by Enver Marshall II
Not long after the swore left him, did the voice make itself known and shout out to get Enver's attention. The guy was either really lucky, or he had someone looking out for him. The water was cool, given the time of night [not that it affected Enver much, it was just noticeable] and the tide could leave someone battling. Even Enver on the occasional slosh that slapped against him and his limbs as Enver searched the water frantically. Occasionally, the water pushed Enver back, as if the sea was trying its hardest to claim the guy, keeping Enver and him as far away as possible. Or, some other force was at work here. Something supernatural, like the occasional green flicker of someone or something moving fast in the water, and towards the sound of the voice.
"I'm trying!" Enver bellowed out into the night, shouting in the direction of the voice and the occasional fanatical splash he heard coming from that way too. One more step forward, just to take two more back. "You the only one out here?" Enver said between strides forwards and shoves backwards, as he caught sight of more green outlines of figures that seemed to be making their way towards the guy. One from in front of him, two from the left and coming directly behind the guy that had to be fighting a battle that he wasn't going to win. Not unless Enver got there.
Would celerity work? Enver didn't know, but it was worth trying. He thought about where he was, where he needed to go and how to get there. And just like that, Enver was close, but not close enough. Either the water was pushing against him, or his intended trajectory was off a little. Still, it was a win, that had Enver feeling accomplished. Both his hands reached out for the guy and finally connected with the material of the guy's shirt. "Got you." Enver said with a resounding confidence that hadn't been there a few minutes ago. "Stay with me, buddy." Enver coaxed the guy, as he turned back to the direction of the shorelines. If someone else was out there, in Enver's mind, there was nothing he could really do. He had one of the potential two or more people out there, and taking anyone else might not be as helpful as Enver hoped. "Woah!" Enver took a step away from where he wanted to go as he saw, what looked like what used to be a guy. Only the color of his skin, and the appearance of rotting skin seemed to imply otherwise. Enver went to move around the silhouette of the mysterious guy, but it only seemed to mimic the movements Enver was making. He went right, the outline went left. Left, it went right. "Get out of the way, buddy." Enver snapped out, his free hand slapping at a form that was there, yet wasn't at the same time. "Woah." Again, came from his lips, before he did something bold and unconventional for Enver. "Tuck and roll." Was all Enver said, before he tossed the guy towards the shoreline, hoping he was close enough to get him there.
