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We didn’t start the fire – Billy JoelXX Dreams – Fleetwood MacXX Everybody wants to rule the world – Tears for FearsXX
After the Storm – Kali UchisXX Because I’m me – The AvalanchesXX Too Fast - SonderXX Forest Whitiker – Brother Ali

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NAMEXX Alexandra Marie Cole

NICKNAMESXX Xan

AGEXXdeceased at 20, now 24

SEXUALITYXXPan, Femme-leaningxxxxxxGENDERXX cis-female

NATIONALITYXX African-American - White - Asian Mix

ROLEX Ghost

HEXXX #8c8d9c
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G H O S T

Xan’s biggest super power in death was her health. She felt better in death than she ever did in life. It should have been her first clue that she was dead. Xan has only shown the ability to go invisible and intangible, though neither happened knowingly. It seems to be a reaction to her emotions, she spent so long getting pity stares it felt nice to have no one notice you.

She doesn’t remember her death, but she can sense it. Long before she passed on Xan had come to terms with her death, accepted that it was her time to move on. Now she just felt wrong, like she wasn’t supposed to be here. A part of her ignored that feeling, shoved it to the corner of her mind like she did with all her darkest parts. A part of her wants to believe this is real but things aren’t adding up. She can remember needing a kidney transplant, but she couldn’t remember getting it – how did she feel better now? And why did she look different when she looked in the mirror? Her features were the same but there were subtle differences that only came with age that made the woman in the mirror nearly unrecognizable.

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M I R R O RXXM I R R O R

H E I G H TXANDXB U I L D: 5’10” thin

In life, Xan was always sickly. Some times it was too difficult to eat, getting most of her nourishment from IV’s. Her fingers and arms frequently were dotted with red marks, her healing slowed from poor health. She’d always been underweight, though at times she manages to get close to her ideal weight. It was always cause for celebration, usually a sign that her health was improving.

Her hair and skin were often a reflection of her health, dulled when her body slowly declined. When she was in good health however she would glow. Her hair, usually an ashen brown, shiny and full. It was always pulled back or flattened from bed rest it was easy to forget how much she had until she had the time to style it. She couldn’t stand to spend too much time on it, but a brush and some products did wonders on their own.

Never one to be especially vain or high maintenance, when you spent so much of your life looking like shit your looks took a back seat. Even when she would dress up it was never with heavy makeup or frilly dresses. She would dab some foundation on to help with her complexion, some mascara maybe if she was feeling flirty.

Her clothes were often oversized, she hated when people pointed out how thin she was like it was something she put work in to achieve instead of a symptom of her illness. She’d do anything to be able to fill out her clothes. Most days her style was more like a middle school boy, dickie shorts and converse with a tank top under a short sleeve button down. Layers were always her friend. On the rare occasion she’d dress up she still opted for more masculine styles, though with her own twist. For a dance one year she wore a suit-inspired two piece that was bold colors and patterns, complete with a flirty crop top.

Most of all Xan was known for her smile. It was too big, too toothy, infectious. When she smiled it filled the whole room. It wasn’t that it was an especially exceptional smile. Two lips, teeth – the works. There was a strength behind the mechanics of it that shined from the inside out. It was her secret super power, one she often used to put a smile on the face of others.

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W H OXXA MXXI?
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P E R S O N A L I T Y:
Xan had been surrounded by dread for so long. Only a couple of her earliest memories were in good health. After that it was worried faces, hushed conversations, tears you could hear but would never see. She always wanted to cheer up others, often taking on the role of performer. She’d put on showcases as a girl, singing and dancing just for her parents – when Nixie was old enough she’d dress them up and they’d write a 10 line play to perform in the living room to an audience of two.

When you are given such an early expiration date, you either let that paralyze you in fear or you made every moment count. Xan would push every bit of darkness into the deepest corner of her mind, easier to deny her reality than dwell in it. The people around her didn’t let her forget she was sick, they didn’t have to say anything she’d see it laced in their concerned glances. She grew to make light of her situation, often cracking jokes about her oncoming death much to her family’s chagrin.

Truth was she always wanted to make other’s smile, even when she was at her weakest. She’d often downplay her pain, something that backfired in later years when her parents realized a pattern after a couple of close calls. Constantly overestimating her own abilities, she outlived her body long before she died. Every time she got better she’d trick herself into thinking it was for good this time, throwing herself into her passion – performing.

She participated in every school play she was able to. There were a few she even scored the lead, like when they did Beauty and the Beast she was casted as Belle and it was one of her greatest performances. Though for as many as she was able to be the star in, she’d end up getting too sick to participate in. Luckily they always had an understudy on stand by.

Though even when she was at her sickest, she had always had the energy to sing. Not always lyrics, mostly just vocal rifts an humming a melody along, harmonizing as Nixie played her piano. A lot of the time when she was at her lowest that was all she could do; lay on the closest soft spot next to Nixie as she played her keyboard, humming a gentle melody.

There were moments when the darkness would spring from it’s trap. All of a sudden it’d pounce, holding her down in place until she was stuck in it’s grip, defeated. It always seem to come out of nowhere, that moment where she folded beneath circumstances no longer to carry herself. It should have been at her lowest moments, but it always led to the most inspiring moments. The moment she’d give up, she’d be lifted by the people around her who loved her. She was surrounded by love, even in her darkest hour – always.

Q U I R K SXA N DXO D D I T I E S:
Xan learned early on how to make the most of the situation. As a girl her parents would joke that she could make a game out of a piece of string. She could always distract herself, a talent picked up from many years in sterile hospital waiting rooms. Later years she would be on her phone a lot, something she could always do no matter her health or circumstances. She was rarely seen without her phone in her hand, except when she was rehearsing or singing. There was always a song stuck in her head, often humming the tune under her breath without even realizing. It drove others crazy.

F E A R S:
So much of Xan’s life was dictated by her illness, her biggest fear is that the same would happen to her sister. Her entire life she was given little to no input on her body and it’s treatment and as much as Nixie believed she wanted to do this, Xan didn’t want Nixie to grow up and realize it wasn’t what she wanted and resent Xan for just accepting it.

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T H EXXP A S T XX
Born yellow-skinned and underweight, Xan spent the first couple days of her life mostly underneath the therapy lights. She was jaundice, nothing too uncommon in newborns – though usually not to this extent. The light therapy helped but one issue led to another which led to another. They were supposed to be celebrating their new bundle of joy but they were in and out of hospitals.

She had a rare blood type, less than 200,000 people had it. It rejected any blood type except for its own. Her parents had money and connections that allowed them access to what was available, which wasn’t much. They had no diagnosis and no end in sight, all they knew was there were no options that didn’t involve questionable ethics. They conceived Phoenix in a petri dish, picking and choosing which genes she inherited so that she would be genetically compatible with Xan.

It wasn’t for another couple years that they had an official diagnosis, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Whether she was born with it or developed it after a string of event deteriorating her health and putting stress on her organs created the issue. Blood transfusions helped, which is where Nixie came in. The family was in the hospital so much, everyone knew them on a first name basis. Everyone was rooting for them, it was like a little family while they were there.

Her dad was the one who stayed behind most of the time. After Xan’s diagnosis he decided to quit his job and become a stay at home dad, taking on the role of primary caregiver for the girls. Their mother made enough to cover medical bills and their comfortable lifestyle so finances never prevented their parents from making a decision in their children’s best interest. There were long stretches where Xan would need to be homeschooled, which her dad would take on. Naturally they grew close, though that came with it’s own thorn of him being the one to have to be the target of Xan’s anger when she reached her limit. It did feel nice to always have him with her when she was at the hospital, no matter how cranky she’d become.

It wasn’t always hospital visits for the Cole’s. They celebrated the moments in between. Most of the time they spent evaluating circumstances day to day, but every so often there was a stretch of good health. Xan would always throw herself into too many extracurriculars, determined to make up for loss time. Her favorite was theatre, especially when they did musicals. Some of her closest friends, like Soren, she met through theatre (though he was always a techie rather than an actor, despite her trying to convince him to switch over). She was casted as the lead in quite a few times, though half the time the role ended up going to her understudy after her health would deteriorate again.

The truth was that Xan’s body would always be slowly destroying itself, no matter how many treatments she got. Not even a new kidney could save her. Their parents would talk about the day that Nixie would give Xan her kidney, something they decided a long time ago. They always talked about it like it would be a fresh start for all of them, but Xan knew it was just delaying the inevitable.

She had asked before if there was a way she could get donations through a traditional route other than through Nixie. Her parents explained that her blood type was difficult to get ahold of and wasn’t sustainable for her level of treatment. Nixie always insisted she wanted to donate, that this was what sisters were for. It just never sat right with Xan, no matter how much people around her insisted otherwise – like Nixie was forced into being her lifelong blood bag.

Nixie was always a bright spot in Xan’s life. They were tied at the hip as soon as Nixie was old enough to walk. When they’d lay in Xan’s bed looking up at the fan as it rotated hypnotically, talking about how they’d be a famous sister music duo one day and how Xan was going to be in movies and Nixie would be composing music. For Xan it was fantasy, but it could be real for Nixie. She had her whole life ahead of her. Xan wasn’t going to let anyone inhibit Nixie in anyway, especially herself. When Xan was 18 she made the decision to no longer accept donations from Nixie, insisting they pursue traditional methods of sourcing blood for her transfusion treatments. Her parents fought her but she was unwavering in her decision. Nixie deserved to live her life for herself, not waiting on stand by to be her sister’s medicine.

When Nixie and Erin started dating, Xan was skeptical. Erin was in the class above Xan and while she knew that Nixie was mature for her age it was still enough to make her protective. She would complain about Erin loudly, nothing too cruel but her venom still apparent. Once when ranting to Soren, they forgot that Erin was one of Soren’s closest friends, spinning the two out into an argument. Soren died before they ever made up, something Xan could have never predicted – that one of her friends would die before her.

Soren’s death pushed Erin and Nixie closer, cementing their bond. Xan saw how happy Erin made her so her contention faded, though never completely. She still made sure Nixie applied to colleges out of State when the time came, though that might have been her living vicariously through Nixie more so. It was fates poor way of saying be careful what you wish for when Erin died. Xan would have never wished such a grim outcome but she’d be lying if she said she never wished Erin would just leave Nixie to live her own life.

Xan wanted to be there for Nixie but her health was deteriorating. She tried hiding it but her parents knew the signs. So began the debates, her parents staying up late into the night with her trying to convince her to take Nixie’s kidney. Xan was ready to go, it wasn’t worth the gamble. When you accepted your death you were washed over with a certain calm. Xan wouldn’t offer any explanations, resolute in her decision.

Her father eventually accepted her choice, realizing it was one of the few choices she ever got to make for herself in her life – the irony that her choice was death was not lost on her. Her mother wasn’t as understanding, growing angry with Xan overtime. She couldn’t let her daughter die without kicking and screaming the whole time, but Xan expected as much. With Nixie it was harder. To hear her cry, to know the weight of the loss of Erin still weighed on her. It didn’t matter the risk to her, that she was guaranteed to lose years off of her life – to her it was worth it.

Xan couldn’t live with the idea of stealing those years from the people who would love Nixie in her last years, and she knew there would be many. Nixie was just that kind of person, the one that was easy to love. She never explained herself to Nixie as many times as she tried. She could never quite get the words out. Xan died with the words on her lips, in a hospital with a failed kidney and holding the hands of her family.

So begins...

Xan Cole's Story

Seen 8 Times • Page 1 of 1

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2020-10-18 10:34:25, as written by partially-stars

SOREN BOWERS

outfit : herex|xhex: #4d5676

xxxnever did I think I'd be coming back around
xxxdigging up old memories
xxxalways used to be the one to let it go
xxxkept my fears in a suitcase

A gasp filled the empty apartment, and a formerly still body sat bolt upright. Soren gasped for air, his heart still pounding in his chest.This had happened every single night since he’d first woken up in this apartment. Every time he woke up, he woke up afraid, but the memories of the dream disappeared as soon as he tried to remember them, vanishing like smoke into the abyss of his mind. His phone was hovering a foot off the bedside table, and he snatched it from the air, checking the time. He didn’t know why he could suddenly move things without touching them or why they tended to hover in midair when he was upset about something or why he seemed to flicker in and out of sight at times. He didn’t know why his memory was so blank. He didn’t know where he was, why he was here, or what the hell he was supposed to do about it. He’d hoped he might figure it out with time, but two days later and he still had no idea. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he needed to do and that something was urgent, and every morning he found himself reaching for his phone as if the answer would be there. It never was.

It was late morning, later than he’d meant to sleep. Groaning to himself, he grabbed the packet of smokes on his bedside table, pulled on a hoodie, took up his usual position, sitting on his window sill with the window open as wide as it would go, and lit up a cigarette. Even if he couldn’t remember what the dreams were about, or why he was here or what the hell was happening to him, he knew that a smoke was one of the only things that could calm the tremors in his hands and the shaking of his breath. It seemed that the things he couldn’t remember outweighed the things he did. His memory was just a gaping void, full of things that he felt he could almost remember, but the minute anything became halfway clear, it would just slip out of reach. Except for a few memories, and almost all of them were ones he would have been fine with forgetting.

And then there was the name. Markus Vasco. It had been his first thought when he’d opened his eyes two days ago, and it was a name that seemed to be constantly whispered in his mind ever since. He’d done a bit of research, and it seemed he was a tattoo artist somewhere in town. Soren had the address written down on a piece of paper, but something was holding him back, stopping him from going and looking just yet. What the hell was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? Hi, two days ago I woke up with total amnesia and for some reason, the only name I could remember besides my own was yours. Do you have any idea about it? Because I sure as hell don’t.

He sighed, blowing out a lungful of smoke out the window into the street and watched as it twisted and curled, before fading into nothing. Somebody had once told him the cigarettes would kill him one day, and he’d just laughed and shrugged. He blinked at the sudden memory, but the faces around it were gone, empty faces he just couldn’t recall no matter how much he tried. He stubbed out the cigarette and closed the window, figuring he needed to get dressed and figure out what the hell he was going to do for the day. There was a leaflet abandoned on the counter, one that had been shoved into his hand by someone on the street yesterday, advertising the town’s Halloween festival. Even if the night itself was just under two weeks away, the town seemed to run events for the whole of October. Soren went over to pick up the leaflet. Something, deep inside him, told him that was where he should go tonight. Well, it wasn’t like he had any better plans.

He spent the rest of the day just in the apartment, doing a little more reading into this Markus Vasco. He’d considered googling his own name more than once, but every time he went to type his name in, a wave of panic and anxiety came over him, telling him not to do it. He figured that reaction meant that he probably wasn’t going to like whatever he found, so he just never looked. But he couldn’t find much on this Markus person either, and he knew that meant he probably just needed to get over himself and go talk to him. He promised himself he’d do it the following day, but first he’d decided to go to this Halloween market for whatever reason.

He pulled on his trusted silver jacket, put on some eyeliner to make him feel a little more like himself (another thing he instinctively knew and couldn’t explain), and headed out. It was cold, but it had at least stopped raining. His breath came out in a swirl of fog as he walked, pulling his jacket a little tighter around him. Torches lined the streets, giving everything an eerie and atmospheric look. Stalls lined Main Street, with local businesses all running stalls of all and every kind. There were people selling handmade masks and costumes, local artists selling art, and so much wonderful looking and smelling food. He bought a cup of hot apple cider and wandered down the street, looking at the stalls and wondering what it was exactly that had drawn him here, or if it had just been curiosity and something to do.

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2020-10-20 03:42:35, as written by leisurelyatwar

song xxhere xxxxxoutfit xxherexxxxxdialogue hex #8c8d9c

Xan only went to church for the free coffee and cookies. It was something she learned from her time at the hospital. The chapel there was always hosting all sorts of meetings. AA, NA, ALANON, support groups for people with cancer, support groups for people who were terminal, support groups for every fucking thing you could think of. These people gathered in churches, not necessarily inherently religious but always using its charity to host their events. Where people gathered in church basements, there was coffee and cookies.

She would go to the one for the terminally ill in the hospital, but then she just started going to others because she wanted somewhere to be where she wasn’t the sick girl. Where she was defined by her own voice and no one else’s. She knew it was wrong. Usually she’d be in and out before people got to the sharing part, but she’d be lying if she said she never lingered; never felt so lost that she just needed someone to talk to who wasn’t looking at her like she was the walking dead. So she told herself she came for the coffee and cookies, sometimes she stuck around to be seen.

Caffeine was a poison Xan would have to indulge in small doses. The stress on the rest of her organs from her failing kidney made caffeine hard on her liver. She could never drink alcohol, so she found a way to make the most out of a cup of coffee. Usually after one she’d get a stomachache, yet here she was looking into her fourth cup of coffee feeling better than she’d felt in her entire life.

There was a sinking feeling in her gut that she couldn’t shake, that something was wrong. That she was wrong. It hurt her head to try to connect the dots. She squeezed her phone tightly. That compulsion to scroll through every app and text freezing her in place. Every time she went to text to someone she’d feel paralyzed with a sense of dread. It wasn’t like the dread that had followed her for so long in life, that oncoming expiration date. This was something else, an existential crisis at every micro decision and non-decision.

“Did you want to come up and introduce yourself?”

A voice broke her train of thought, Xan looking up to the room to realize they were all staring at her. She almost dropped her cookies, losing her grip for a moment while she re-oriented herself. Xan gave a weak smile, shaking her heard no then leaving hurriedly. She threw her coffee and cookies into the bin as she left.

She found a bench around the side of the church, collapsing onto it wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face into them so that her hair spilled over to reach the tops of her converse. She’d only ever left Widows Peak en route to or from a Hospital, having to stick around her local physicians to assure they were only a call away at all times. Yet here she was in her hometown and she felt like a fucking stranger.

“You okay?”

Xan looked up, recognizing the woman from inside.

“You looked like you might want someone to talk to that wasn’t in front of a group of strangers.” Full lips pulled back, her two front teeth too big for her smile – but they just made her shine brighter. Xan tilted her head to the side, enraptured immediately. She sat down beside Xan, offering her hand. “I’m Raven.”

“Xan….nice to meet you.” She said in return, taking Raven’s hand gently. There was a beat of silence that followed, the look in Raven’s eye told Xan she expected a little more than just a name and pleasantry in return. “Oh – well, I should be honest I’m not an addict. I just…well I don’t really know what.”

Raven gave a knowing look, nodding her head as she looked out into the distance. Xan couldn’t tell if she believed her or just thought Xan was in a phase of denial, but either way she could sense the understanding from the way the corner of their eyes crinkled with concern. “I think most people who come here just want a place to be heard. I guess I just recognized that look you had when you walked out. There have been people I didn’t go after when I saw that look and – well, I just didn’t want to keep making the same mistake.”

Xan had to look away to keep herself from crying, forcing herself to laugh instead. “Sorry – I don’t mean to laugh.”

“It’s okay, I get it.” Raven smiled again, this time it reached her eyes. She rifled around in her bag for a moment pulling out a card and handing it to Xan. “Here. Call me if you ever want someone to listen. Not to brag or anything but I’m pretty decent at it.”

Xan took the card nervously, her lips pressing themselves flat in an attempt to maintain her composure. The heavy card stock and embossed letters on the back took Xan aback, expecting it to be some poorly cut business card of some social worker. She ran her thumb over the letters as she read:

Raven Bloom
Life Coach

“Life Coach, huh?” Xan chuckled, looking up – but Raven was gone already. She glanced around briefly, shrugging when Raven was no longer in sight. Her stomach growled, regretting the decision to throw out the cookies. She’d had four cups of coffee and no food. She slid the business card into her back pocket, shoving her hands into her front pockets and walking towards downtown to find a place to eat.

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2020-11-03 23:48:00, as written by leisurelyatwar

songxherexxxxoutfitxherexxxxdialoguex#8c8d9c

Xan kept her head down as she walked, buried deep beneath her thoughts. Everything looked the same, but different. Just like the woman in the mirror. Some of the sidewalks looked like they'd been repaved recently, some storefronts changed names. She couldn't shake this feeling of displacement.

The sounds of the people made her ears perk, recognizing the smells and decor as the Harvest Festival. She bit the inside of her cheek, wondering how she could have possibly forgotten. Last she could remember it was still spring. A pang shot through her temples, Xan wincing as she reached for her head. The pressure helped dull the pain.

She suddenly remembered how hungry she was, looking around for the first place she could see that had food, recognizing a diner. Still rubbing her temples, she pushed herself through the diner doors taking a seat at the counter.

"What can I get you?" Asked the old man behind the counter.

"Just a milkshake, chocolate malt please."

"Are you sure you don't want to try our pumpkin flavor? It's perfect for the season."

"Uhm, sure - and actually, can I get a double cheesburger too." Xan hadn't ever had so much junk food, it made her sick usually. She buried her head into her hands, trying to collect her thoughts. Nothing was right. Maybe this wasn't even real, maybe she was dreaming - and if she was, might as well enjoy it.

Xan pulled out her phone, suspending in time for a moment - her body telling her to stop. She punched in Nixie's number, something she'd done a dozen times always hanging up before she could hear the click of the line connecting. A couple of times she managed to send the call through - always hanging up before the second ring.

A mop of white blonde hair made her freeze, phone still in hand. She stood up so quickly she knocked down the drink of the person next to her, immediately mumbling a string of apologies. When she looked back, the woman was staring back at her with a blank expression. Xan almost fooled herself for an instant, insisting she must be wrong. This wasn't Erin. There wasn't a blink of recognition in her expression, it was like she was seeing right through her. Then she saw the darks of her eyes, the slope of her nose. There was no mistaking it, it was...

"Erin?!" Xan said much louder than she intended. She heard the sound of a distant voice, looking down and realizing the phone had connected. Panicking, she hung up - not bothering to find out if she'd just been sent to voicemail. She stood there for a moment stunned. The sharp pain in her temple was back, making her wince. Too many things were happening at once. She grabbed her head, squinting her eyes the florescent lights above suddenly blinding.

Then she just vanished.

Disappeared right out of thin air. Those around her so preoccupied with cleaning up the spill they hadn't noticed, only the woman with the white-blonde hair had been looking at her. Xan looked back, completely unaware that she was no longer visible. Her migraine had left as quickly as it came, Xan steadying herself as she walked toward the woman. It was obvious the woman didn't recognize Xan anymore than she had a moment ago, but there had been a shift in her posture when Xan said her name.

The woman's gaze didn't follow her as she approached, remaining fix at the point where she disappeared. Xan sat down across her, unwittingly re-manifesting in the seat across from Erin. "What are you looking at?"

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#2020-11-04 06:36:58, as written by Wolf's Bane109

Erin Monaghan

Location: Widow's Peak Diner | Outfitx|x#8BA3A6

xxxI would sell my soul for a bit more time
xxxYou stain all on my body like you're red wine
xxxYou're the fuckin' acid to my alkaline
xxxYou run your middle finger up and down my spine
xxxI'm sorry there was no one to apologize

Erin didn't know how much longer she had been sitting at the counter of the small diner, but she figured she'd been there long enough. She handed the old man a wad of Cash she retrieved from her wallet, giving him a rather generous tip as well, and got to her feet. All of which must have been a bit too sparatic, as she got to her feet she had accidentally knocked herself into the woman who sat behind her. Coffee spilling everywhere on the counter. "Oh my fucking god, I am so...so sorry. I was careless and wasn't paying attention. I am so sorry." Erin blurted out, as she grabbed for napkins. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just be a bit more careful next time." the old woman said with a smile, patting Erin on the arm. Erin gave the woman a kind smile in return, looking back at Harold. "Hey uh, Harold? Add another coffee onto my tab for her, huh?" she asked with an arched eyebrow, "Least I can do for her." Harold gave Erin a small nod, "I'll make it on the house, don't worry about it, sweetheart." he gave her a small smile.

She didn't know why, but amongst the commotion, Erin could have sworn she heard someone say her name. She blinked in confusion, before finally turning to look in the direction that she at least thought she heard the voice come from. Which was by the entry point of the small diner. Her face remained remotely expressionless as she looked at the other woman, if anything, it was more confusion that overtook her face than anything. She didn't know this woman, at least, Erin didn't think she did. But, somehow she did? Did she? Did Erin know her? She wasn't sure. But there was a small bit of anxiety slowly creeping its way into her stomach the longer she looked at the woman. Something felt off but, Erin couldn't tell what was causing that sense of unease. "I'm sorry, but do I-" she started, and just before she could finish her question, the woman disapeared. Just like that. Erin stood in the middle of the walkway with a look of concern, confusion, and pure worry on her face. Was she losing her mind? Erin looked around the establishment to see if anyone else had witnessed it, but from what she could guess, no one else did. Just her. Great. She thought to herself. Now she was seeing things, ontop of not knowing anything about herself still.

That was until the woman appeared right next to her, in a seat that Erin could have sworn was just empty seconds ago. Was she really losing her mind? Erin shook her head. Looking back at the woman, her green eyes scanned over the woman's face. Trying to decern if she knew who this person was, but she must have. The woman knew who she was, somehow. Erin just had to find out. "Hey uh, Harold...Make it another round for me...But uh..Make it a water. Think I've had too much sugar so far...And uh...Put this lady's order on my tab, would ya? Thanks." the old man nodded. Erin looked back at the woman, eyebrows still furrowed together tightly. Erin didn't know why, but she found herself grabbing Xan by her wrist and pulling her out of the woman's seat at the counter and pushed her and herself into a booth away from most people. Giving them some privacy as they sat across from each other.

A small sigh escaped her lips finally as Erin sat back in the booth for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts before she spoke. She licked her lips for a moment before looking across at the woman, that she still couldn't recall knowing. But if this woman did know her, maybe she could help. "Okay look-" Erin blurted out suddenly, running her hands across her face as she rubbed her eyes, before combing her fingers through her hair as she straightened up her posture. "I know this is going to sound...Really fucking crazy, but...Clearly you know me but..." Erin took a deep breath, "I don't fucking know who you are. At least...I don't think so? I don't know uh...My memory is...Really bad." she pointed to her head for a moment. "I uh...I don't expect you to believe me but...I really don't remember anything, like at all. Uh...Uhm...All I know is my name, which...We both know by now you do. But...I don't know how we know each other. But I'm assuming you do?" she motioned with a small nod.

Erin shifted in her seat once more, before looking back at Xan, "I don't know what I'm doing here...I don't really know...Much of anything to be honest. And it scares me. All I know is that, a few days ago I woke up in a random field outside of town. All I had on me-" Erin started, as she reached into her leather jacket's coat pocket and placed the phone and apartment key on the table infront of her. "-Were these. The phone...and key. I don't know why those are the only things I had on me...I've been too scared to really use the phone and...The key belongs to an apartment that...I don't remember if it's mine or not...I mean..It must be but..I don't know." she muttered, shaking her head once more as she exhaled. She must have looked insane to this woman, none of it made sense to her, so why the fuck would it make sense to this woman?

"Look, if we did somehow know each other..I can't remember anything. I don't even know my own last name or...If I'm even from here. All I know is that my name is Erin, for whatever reason I had to come here...and I know someone else's name which...I can only assume is some nickname. But even then, I don't know why or how I remember it...But apparently it was important enough for it to be one of the few things I do remember, and it scares me." Erin looked down and away, a small pit of fear was only growing more and more by the second every time she talked. But she had to get it out, to hopefully not sound or look as insane as she felt. Erin felt so hopeless and scared. All she wanted was someone to be able to help her. At least in some way of means of information. That's all that could make the difference. She shook her head, pausing for a moment. "Look uh...I'm sorry. I probably sound and look insane to you, and...I couldn't blame you for thinking that I must have lost it but...I really don't remember anything..So...If you do know me, somehow...Well, anything you could try reminding me of would be a lot of help. Even if it's not much. At this point, even knowing my last name would help ease me some.." She nodded, more so to herself than anything else. Rubbing her hands across her face once more, Erin sighed. "You uh...Don't manage to someone know someone with the name Nixie...Do you by any chance? That uh...That's the only other thing I remember...And I don't know why. It's okay if you don't know, just thought I'd ask. Seeing how you seem to know more than me..."

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#1 week 1 day ago, as written by leisurelyatwar

songxherexxxxoutfitxherexxxxdialoguex#8c8d9c

One of Xan's eyes had crinkled in confoundment, like her mind was malfunctioning for a moment trying to process the impossible. The story felt eerily familiar, when Erin showed her the phone Xan's hand went to her own in her pocket. They were the same model.

The pang returned, Xan wincing and reaching to apply pressure to her temples to suppress the pain. Erin was dead, that much was certain. A sense of some sort of dread, some aberration, had been following Xan since she woke up on that church bench all those days ago.

"You uh...Don't happen to someone know someone with the name Nixie. - "

Xan was struggling to much to keep herself relatively composed to perk up at the name, but every drop of doubt drained from her in that moment. She'd spend days of these fleeting thoughts, always chased off by sporadic migraines - but here was the truth staring her in the face. Xan shook her head slowly, burying herself into her hands to block the light in an attempt to curb the pain. She sighed heavily, peeking out from behind her fingers. Cycling through the millions of impossibilities that could lead to this, struggling with where to start. She inhaled deeply, preparing to speak - interrupted by the shuffles of Harold as he carried over her cheeseburger and milkshake.

"Here you are," He said after what seemed like an eternity, the two patrons watching him with a tense silence as he approached. Xan gave a weak smile of thanks. When he remained at the table, Xan looked back to Erin then back to Harold. She opened her mouth to speak, Harold cutting in before she could. "Anything else I can get you? Ketchup, hot sauce?"

"No - no thank you," Xan's lips pressed into a fine line, giving Harold a nod. He seemed to be frozen for a moment, searching her face. Xan looked back to Erin, eyes widened.

"Alright then, just let me know if you need anything!" He finally said, giving them both a smile and a nod and returning behind the counter.

"Okay," Xan waited until he was out of earshot, turning back to Erin. Her vision had adjusted, her head still aching but now a dull throb instead of a sharp pang. She had pulled out her keys and phone out of her pocket, slapping them onto the table next to Erin's.

"Your name is Erin Monaghan. We are in Widow's Peak, the town where we grew up...." Xan could feel this block in her mind giving way, weakening to give way to a stream of consciousness. “Your best friends are Soren and Markus. My name is Xan Cole. My sister's name is Phoenix Cole....Nixie, who you dated."

She could see the light of recognition in Erin’s eyes.Suddenly rushed with a sense of clarity, the dull throb in her temples lifted. Xan had been trying so hard to connect the dots but they were already connected, she had just been unable to see it. Her hands had developed a strange tingling sensation, Xan looking down at them for a moment before continuing.

"You don't date anymore though, because....you died - and I'm pretty sure I did too." Xan stretched her arms across the table, reaching for Erin's hands - her fingers passing right through them. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I know it is not possible.”

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#1 week 21 hr ago, as written by Sorella

N I X I E X C O L E

On their walk towards the pumpkin patch for photos, Nixie could get the slightest feeling that faces in the crowd looked familiar, but why? She would blink and they were gone though, so her best conclusion was that she didn't get enough sleep the night before and was making herself see the things she thought she did.

Phoenix had her fingers interlocked with her girlfriend's as their arms swung back and forth. The line up for photos was long, so they decided just to hang out and drink their drinks. That was when Katrina's eyes had caught onto something and Nix could tell. "What are you looking at now?" She asked her as she eyes tried to follow her gaze and eventually landed on the grand piano near by. "No, absolutely not."

"Come on, Phi, you have to. There isn't much else for us to do right now anyways. Think of how happy it'd make everyone right now." Kat said with her pleading face that made it next to impossible for the brunette to say no to.

"Fine. I'm doing it for the people, just so we're clear." Phoenix said as she handed her stuff to Kat to hold. She began to walk over to the piano. The ivory keys were where she felt most at home, and it took her a minute of staring at them before she sat on the piano bench. Part of her hated playing music in Widow's Peak these days. It just reminded her that her biggest fan wasn't there. It was easier living far away from home, because sometimes she would forget for a few a moments.

After she would stand up and bow after every recital though, she always looked for the same familiar eyes or the slight smile on her face. Some days she was crazy and she did see it. Nixie hated that playing was always associated with Xan, but she carried on playing because it was the only thing she had left of Xan and Erin.

Nixie was on autopilot and instantly her fingers began to move along the keys in a rhythm as if they were dancing along the keys. Nothing else in the world could pull her out of the trance she got in whenever she played this song, this was the one she called 'X' for Xan. It was a somber piece with a slow and dark base line, but at points the melody overlapping was upbeat and childish, until it turned more into a ballad.

While she was playing she hadn't noticed her phone had been ringing, but Katrina had answered it, just to hear a mention of the name Erin.

When Nixie was finished Kat was waiting at the piano. "I think its time to go." The words came in blunt, and the brunette was trying to figure out where she went wrong.

"Kat, what's wrong?" She asked scrambling to get up from the piano as she began to follow after her.

"I can't believe you would do this. I begged to move here for this?" The redhead said in a bit of a snap turning on her heel and looking into Nix's eyes.

"I really do not know what you mean, Katrina." The words escaped her lips, but the only thing that filled her mind was on how confused she had been.

"If you want to be with Erin, then just be with her, but don't do all this with me." It was with those words that Kat was storming off again. Phoenix had no idea what she even meant and why she was mad. Even if something had happened usually Katrina was patient and understanding, but perhaps Nixie had run out of having her be patient.

"Kat, Please don't walk away. Just talk to me." Phoenix said as she ran up to her and grabbed her wrist lightly to try and stop her before letting it go. "Please. What happened? Erin's been dead for awhile now. I told you this. How would I even be with her?"

Kat had sighed heavily before looking at her. "It's okay if she's alive Phoenix. You could have just been honest with me. But having someone call you and start with her name? Why would they have your number and why would it be tied to Erin? You know what, just forget it. I will be at the apartment if you need me. I just need time to cool down." With those words Kat had walked off and Nixie only stood there watching.

--

Nixie had decided to just go get a piece of apple pie at the local diner. It was her comfort food and it was all she wanted to consume while her girlfriend was mad at her for a dead ex girlfriend.

She sighed as she entered the diner and took a seat at the counter on one of the stools. "Apple pie with extra whip cream please." Nixie said, ready to go into a sugar high, it was better than subjecting herself to alcohol or drugs, which had always been super tempting after everything that happened.

Phoenix got her piece of pie and grabbed the fork, taking a bite. As she looked up from her plate, she looked around to see if she knew anyone there, the only thing was two figures in the back, looked eerily familiar. For a moment she could have sworn... No it couldn't be. Nixie ignored it and continued to eat her pie. Could it really be them?

Nixie had looked at her phone and saw the phone number that called most recently, and hit the button to redial. As soon as it began to ring on her end, she could hear it in the diner too. Immediately she got up from her seat, if someone was prank calling her and trying to ruin her relationship, they needed to be confronted. The brunette had no idea who it would be, but she had to do this. There needed to be proof so Kat could stop being pissed at her.

As she neared the back of the diner where the gang used to sit she noticed it had to be the last booth. When she got there, she didn't expect to see the two people that she did.

"Is this a fucking joke?" How was this possible? Was this just really good makeup and people wanted to be sick and twisted? Or was she going mental? Either way, Nixie ended the call on her phone and looked between the two of them.

E L L E X A L D R I C H

outfit Song Dialogue colour is #D4A9D6

"I've missed you, too."

The words began to echo in her brain. She was confused but she was also comfortable. The same feelings of being safe and cared for came flooding back in to be around him. The only problem was, she felt something was off. Elle had been good for quite some time, but she felt as though she had only been gone since maybe a couple days ago. Leo didn't really offer any other kind of information though. Was there something he was hiding? or was it fine and she was the one being weird?

Her mind kind of faded from the fleeting thoughts she was having, instead all she could see were the tears that fled from his eyes and all her instincts kicked in like they were muscle memory. Her fingertips reached up to his face softly to wipe away his tears. She wanted him to be happy and she wanted him to be okay. Maybe showing up wasn't proving the best for that? Elle almost thought to try looking around for his parents, but her eyes felt stuck to his.

His hands had comforted her emotions from rising too much as he held them, and she let their foreheads touch. Being this close to him, made things feel less scary, like the day she had woken up in a field near the water. This made sense, and even though nothing else did, she would take her moments. Which concluded to her that she was right, that even if she wasn't feeling the greatest at least she was here now, at least she had him.

"I'm going to take care of you, always." The words were just short of making her begin to cry, but she composed herself just a enough, and let his lips brush against hers as one of her arms wrapped around his torso and the other rested on his chest. The movement happened flawlessly and there was no awkwardness about moving around him, it was easy.

She was about to tell him that she loved him too, but his lips fell onto hers. She could feel how much he was holding onto her and just how much emotion was in him. Her fingers clenched a little against the fabric of his sweater as she held onto him. Elle didn't want the moment to go, but eventually she needed air.

"Leo." She said softly, her forehead still leaning against his. "I love you." She could feel her heart beating fast in her chest. She had so many questions, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. Still she could tell that he was putting more into kissing her than he normally did.

"What's wrong Leo? Did we get in a fight and I forgot?" Elle asked as her eyes met his trying to search them for the answer. She hoped he had some kind of an answer for her, but who knew. Maybe she would have to find someone else who knew.

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#1 week 3 hr ago, as written by partially-stars

SOREN BOWERS

outfit : herex|xhex: #4d5676

xxxnever did I think I'd be coming back around
xxxdigging up old memories
xxxalways used to be the one to let it go
xxxkept my fears in a suitcase

MARKUS VASCO

outfit: herex|xhex: #800000

xxxThey say I may be making a mistake
xxxI would've followed all the way, no matter how far
xxxI know when you go down all your darkest roads
xxxI would've followed all the way to the graveyard

Markus found himself staring blankly at the man as he began to speak. Trying to convince himself that he was just imagining things. That there was no way that this was him. There was just no way. It was seven years now, he had seen the body, been to the funeral, everything. So, there was no way, he was just seeing things he so desperately wanted to see. But then, the other man spoke and Markus could have sworn his heart stopped in his chest. His voice. That voice. It was his. And suddenly, Markus didn’t know what to believe. Was he truly losing his mind? Was this the day he finally just lost all of his remaining senses? Probably. But, even if he was just seeing things that weren’t really happening, Markus didn’t want it to end just yet. He shook his head, taking him out of his thoughts as he finally felt strength return back to his legs to help pull him along as the other man got back in line. Markus didn’t know if he was staring or not, but he must have been as his eyes scanned over the man that stood before him as he spoke. Nodding ever so slightly as he said that he was from around here. That he grew up here. Or, that he thought he did. Markus didn’t understand what he meant, but kept silent as the man continued to talk. Not like he had much of a choice, seeing as his voice caught itself in his throat and wouldn’t come out as hard as he tried.

He found himself continuing to scan over the man that stood next to him trying to understand what the fuck was going on. Hell, he was close to asking what kind of sick joke was this, until the man finally said that he was sorry about his memory, and how he had bad amnesia. And that if he seemed to come across as rude, that he wasn’t doing it on purpose. Markus took the cup the man handed to him, and took a sip. The drink helped clear his throat a bit, but not much. Markus finally found himself regain that strength he needed to speak, and he couldn’t help it as his voice came out in a shaky tone, try as he might to not have his voice break, “It...It’s okay.” he began, clearing his throat and took a deep breath as the two began to walk once more. Markus took another moment to gather his thoughts, he didn’t know what was going on but, if Soren was really fucking here, somehow...Well, he wasn’t going to waste it. He didn’t care. All he wanted was to be able to talk to his best friend again-no, the person he cared for more than a friend, but that was so long ago. As if it was almost a life time ago. But, however many years may have passed by, and however older he may have looked...This was Soren. His Soren. His best friend. Markus bit his lip for a moment and began to finally speak again, “Yeah...I guess you could say we used to know each other.” Markus said with a small chuckle, however forced it was.

This felt so unreal, but he wasn’t going to waste time with this. Markus sighed as he looked down at the ground before looking back at Soren. “We...We used to be best friends, Soren. Me, you...and one of our other friends.” he paused for a moment, finally for the first time his memory went back to how things used to be. Back when they were kids, the three of then. He shook his head once more as he continued, “But, that was a long time ago. A really long time ago...But, that doesn’t matter. You’re back and...That’s all that matters.” he smiled slightly, a rather genuine for the first time in a long time. He looked back at Soren, “I won’t ask what happened but...If there’s anything I can clear up for you...I’ll be more than happy to, if I can.”

Soren could have guessed from the man’s reaction that they had somehow known each other, but being told that they had been best friends just broke Soren’s heart. He watched the man, desperately hoping for something to be familiar, for something to just trigger the memories and they’d come flooding back. But besides that lingering feeling that they had known each other, there was nothing. Soren studied the man’s face for a second or two, before things fell into place.

“You’re Markus, right? Markus Vasco?” He said, his face lighting up in a smile at the realisation that the name finally had a face to match. Even though he asked it as a question, his gut told him he was right. Markus Vasco, his best friend… well, before. For a moment, there was that burst of emotion, just lingering for a second, but this time, echoes of the emotions remained. Not enough that he could remember why he felt them, but it was something.

“Well… I mean, even if you did ask what had happened, I don’t think I could answer. I… just woke up two days ago and… poof. No memories, no… nothing. All I could remember was my own name.” He decided against mentioning that his first thought had been Markus’ name for some reason. Now he knew who he was, he swore that the man’s face was familiar. But there was a bittersweet undertone. He knew who Markus was, but he couldn’t remember any of their history, any of the things that defined their friendship. All of the things he could remember were things he’d rather forget, but the good memories were completely out of reach.

“I… have no idea what happened. Just… nothing. Do… do you know?” He asked, turning slightly to look at Markus. There was a wave of that same anxiety he felt whenever he went to type his own name into google, except this time it didn’t go away, settling into his chest and wrapping around his lungs. Soren cleared his throat in an attempt to ease the building pressure, but it didn’t budge. He felt in his pocket for his cigarettes, but he’d left them on the window of his apartment. He took a sip of his cider, trying desperately to ignore the growing pressure in his chest.

Markus nodded slowly as he could tell Soren was trying to piece things together, and the moment he heard Soren say his name, a smile appeared on his face. But for just a moment. “Yeah. That, that’s me.” a tone of excitement rang through his voice, quickly clearing his throat as he recomposed himself. Taking a deep breath as he listened to what Soren said. Not exactly fully understanding but, for as far as Markus was concerned, why would Soren be lying about this? It didn’t make sense. Hell, none of this made sense. Markus took a deep breath, before taking a sip of his drink, “Uhm...I think it’d be best if we...Sat down first..?” he motioned with his head to a few benches that were off to the side of the main square, far enough away from most crowds. Once they both sat down, Markus put the drink down next to him on the bench, and clasped his hands infront of him before he began to talk, “Soren..” Markus began, “....Seven years ago...There was an accident...We got into an argument and….We both stormed off...I don’t know what happened exactly but...You got into a car accident, and...Sor... You didn’t make it.” his voice dipped at the end, as tears began to fill his eyes. He let out a long held breath in a small gasp, rubbing his head. “...You wouldn’t know this cuz...Well...You were gone after this but...Our other friend...Erin she...She died not too long after you…” he shook his head, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his knees as he looked away. This was the first time in years he talked about either of them. And now, he was somehow talking to Soren again? Whether he was really here, or Markus was just imagining it, he didn’t know. But, if this was really Soren, however he may have been here, he deserved to know.

Soren’s chest tightened even more as Markus suggested they should sit down, but he just nodded numbly. It felt like every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run away, to leave, that he wouldn’t like what he was about to hear, but he needed to know. He needed to know what the hell had happened to him.

But he never would have guessed what Markus was about to say. He had died. Seven years ago. It felt like there was a weight pressing on his chest now, enough that it hurt to breathe. He wanted to accuse Markus of lying, wanted to say it had to be some type of sick joke. But… deep down, it felt like he knew. When he desperately tried to call up some memory of the incident, all that came up were all the bad memories he’d tried not to think about. The shattering of glass less than an inch away from his face, the burning of cuts, and the sickening smell of whiskey. The fear of creeping through an empty house as silently as possible in case it wasn’t as empty as he thought.

“This… this can’t be happening,” he managed to force out, searching Markus’ face for some type of answer. “I can’t… how did I-“ The weight on his chest now was unbearable, and Soren realised that the light above their head had begun to flicker and both his and Markus’ cups of cider were now floating in mid air. His hands were flickering in and out of sight. “I need to go.” He bolted to his feet, looking at Markus for just a second longer. “I’m sorry.” He managed to get out, before turning and walking away.

He didn’t know where he was going or why, but all he knew was that he needed to get out of there before something bad happened. Back to the apartment, back to where he was safe, away from everyone else. The quickest way home was through the crowds, and his intense discomfort won out over his desire to be away from people.

It was when he was in the crowd, surrounded by people, that it happened. His vision suddenly went black, and it felt like he’d been pushed into a freezing lake, gasping for air that wasn’t coming and the cold practically painful against his skin, even through his clothes. And then there was a voice. Low and dark and sinister. “I’ll take things from here.” It sounded smug, as if this was a game. And Soren couldn’t do anything to stop it.

And suddenly it seemed like he was watching his body from somewhere else. Something else was wearing his skin. Soren had never stood that tall in his life, had never worn an expression like that, one that was somewhere between idle boredom and intense hatred. It took him a moment to identify what was wrong. The iris of his eyes was pitch black, darker than dark, chilling when you looked at them for even a millisecond too long.

A demon was wearing his skin and using it to wreak destruction. Soren wasn’t sure if the limitations of his strange new abilities were just gone or if the demon just knew how to use it better. Because handmade stalls, impeccably made stalls, were shattered to smithereens with just a lazy toss of it’s- his- hand. In only a few short moments, it had destroyed half of the carefully made stalls without a second thought. And it smiled, an awful, twisted smile that looked all wrong on Soren’s face. It caught two people staring at him in terror and that horrible smile widened.

“Haven’t you ever seen a ghost before?” It asked, in a voice that was both his and not his, reverberating all wrong for such an open area. “Consider this your first warning. Restore what was mine to me or I will use these vessels to bring more destruction than you can ever imagine,” it called. It turned its cold, harsh gaze on a figure that Soren swore he knew, and Soren panicked. He didn’t know how he did it or even that he could, but he flung his consciousness towards his body. And it worked, because there was that same feeling of being temporarily submerged in water, of breathlessness and not being able to breathe.

For a moment, he stood exactly as the demon had stood. And then his legs gave out at the same time as a wave of dizziness and exhaustion hit him, and he hit the ground, dazed and trying to piece things back together.

Setting

Widow's Peak

Characters Present

0.00 INK

#6 days 8 hr ago, as written by Wolf's Bane109

Erin Monaghan

Location: Widow's Peak Diner | Outfitx|x#8BA3A6

After Erin had asked that final question, a bit of dread began to fill her entire body. She didn't know why, but the small pause of silence that filled the air between the two woman was suffcatingly thick. Erin could have sworn she couldn't breathe, like all of the oxygen in her lungs had been snuffed out, and she was left gasping for air. But she was taken out of her thoughts when another voice spoke up, seeing it was only Harold that had brought the woman's food over to them. The tension that suddenly filled the room was palpable, and it was only making her current state of nerves worse by the second. Thankfully, he asked Xan if she'd need anything else and he soon shuffled back behind the counter. Erin let out an audible exhale as she felt her entire body finally relax into the booth again, finally being able to breathe once more. That was until the woman finally spoke up, which caught Erin off guard for a moment. Somehow, she had entirely forgotten what she was doing there for a moment. Blinking out of her confused state as the woman talked once more, putting two items onto the table, next to Erin's own phone and keys. It took the blonde woman a moment to piece it together, but they were the exact same items. Erin reached out for a moment, but immediately retracted her hand, she couldn't bring herself to touch the items.

Her green eyes trailed over back to the woman as she continued, finally telling Erin her last name, which was apparently Monaghan, that they were in her own home town of Widow's Peak, and that she has two best friends. But sadly, none of that was ringing any bells right off the bat for her. It took her mind a few moments to register what was being told to her. As she sat there, it finally sunk in. Her name was Erin Monaghan, she was born and raised in Widow's Peak...Her mom and dad, well, her brain didn't let her ponder on that for too long. Her birthday was...March...fifteenth? Yes. March fifteenth. All of that was allowed to come back to her, but why? It didn't make sense to her. But the two names she was given, Markus and Soren? As hard as she tried, the faces didn't come to mind. She recognized the names after a moment, but just barely. But the faces, who the names belonged to; well, that wa bogged down by cloudy vision and distorted images in her mind. Why couldn't she remember them? What was keeping her from remembering them? And why? Those thoughts kept coming back to her and it terrified her, as a sinking feeling began to fill her. And she didn't know why. Why couldn't she remember?

Erin blinked as the woman introduced herself finally. Xan. Xan Cole. Her brows furrowed together tightly across her forehead as she tried to make the connection there. But her mind was blanking entirely. Sure, the name was familiar, but she didn't know why. The feeling the name brought to her was filled with anxiety and a bit of unease, but as Erin looked the girl over, the feelings went away. Why would thinking about the name cause those feelings, when she looked at her, Erin didn't feel anything negative? Something just wasn't adding up to her. Then again, none of this was, so what did she expect? Erin sat back in the booth, until the next few words left Xan's mouth. Phoenix Cole. Nixie.. That was when the dots began to connect. But she didn't know how or why she remembered that name-who she dated. Erin blinked for a moment. That name, and connection there caused a small pull in Erin's chest. It was a tightening feeling that made it harder to breathe. That never ending feeling of severe anxiety and uncertainty returning once more, as she was more or less frozen in place, hands on the table in front of her as they were clasped tightly together in front of her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make the connection to a face. Her mind just, wouldn't allow it. It was blocking something out, not letting her remember. But why? All she wanted to know was why.

The blonde thought that she had heard it all. That everything Xan had to tell her was said and done with. She would have been able to have stopped there. It was enough for her then, her brain was already having a hard time register it all. But then Xan spoke once more, and Erin could have sworn her heart stopped. She didn't realize just how heavy and hard her heart had been pounding in her chest, but the moment it stopped, Erin's whole body froze in place. She...She died? Erin shook her head, no. There. There was no way. Right? There couldn't have been a way that she died. She was sitting right here. She was alive. This whole thing was some sick joke. It had to have been. There was just no way. Erin wanted to get up and just walk out of there. She needed to get some fresh air, something to calm her nerves. Just, none of this could be real, right? Erin's eyes found themselves trailing Xan's hands down to her own, and was prepared to feel the sensation was skin on her own hands. But she didn't. There was nothing. In fact, Xan's hands phased through Erin's own. No contact was made. What in the hell was going on? Was she losing it? Was this the moment that she finally lost it? Erin simply froze in place as Xan said she didn't know what was happening, and that it should have been impossible. Well no shit, Erin thought to herself. Her body still not letting herself talk. She just couldn't find the strength to force herself to talk. Her body entirely locking up on itself as she sat there.

Erin didn't know what it was, but something finally shocked her out of her damn dazed stupor as she blinked, seeing the phone on the table going off as it began ringing. Someone was calling Xan's phone. Erin froze once more in place, her heart racing in her chest once more. Something in her gut told her to get up right then and there and leave. Just go. Just get up and run you stupid idiot. Now. The voice in her head echoing, but she was frozen in that damn booth. Like a deer trapped in headlights of a car, Erin couldn't move. It was only when another voice finally broke Erin out of her panicked state. She didn't know why or how, but it happened. Erin tore herself out of the booth and into the middle aisle of the diner. Standing across from the woman, who Erin hadn't looked at yet. Erin finally and slowly looked the woman over, from her feet and then finally landing on the woman's face. Everything stopped in time for Erin, as her green eyes landed on the woman's dark brown eyes. She didn't know why. But she could feel that same damn feeling in her chest. "Nixie...?" Erin finally broke her long and overdue silence. She didn't know why, but somehow, she was able to make that connection then and there. But she did. And it was in that moment that something clicked. The fog that clouded her mind for so long since waking up, there was a small burst of clarity for Erin.

A sharp, deep pain hit Erin in the side of her head as visions suddenly rushed into her head. It was like a jackhammer entering the side of her head that caused her to fall to the ground, grasping her head in both of her hands as she gasped out as the pain only grew more and more as the seconds passed. Erin held her head tightly in her hands as flashes of faces and people flooded her memory. It was like waves crashing over her. Some things didn't make sense, or were completely random. Locations and people, some with clear faces that she could see, but others remained faceless. Just the faded outline of a form was all that her mind let her see. Unknown to Erin as the visions flooded her mind, things had begun to float in the air around the diner. It started out small enough. A fork or salt shaker rattled on their own, before lifting off a few inches from their placement, before clattering back down onto the table beneath them. As the visions only continued to happen, and the pain continued to dig through her skull, the worse things became. The chairs and tables began to vibrate on their own, slowly and in small bursts, but it was enough to recognize from anyone standing around. Erin just wanted this to end. The feeling of fear flooded her entire body, and finally the visions came to an end, but not before flashes of something flooded in rapid succession. It was like scenes from a movie playing out in head. Erin smelt the scent of rain. Heard the sound of dull, echoing footsteps on wet pavement as a dark and empty road laid out in front of her as she walked down the lonesome road. It was eery and desolate, and she didn't know why she was seeing this, but suddenly there was a bright light, the feeling of a burning pain shot across the entirety of her back, and then she felt her body crashing onto something hard, cold, and wet beneath her body and everything turned black.

Erin's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest as she was finally shot back to reality. Gasping for breath as tears rolled down her face. Her entire body was shaking as she fumbled for words. All she could feel was fear, confusion, sadness, and anger. All at once it filled her entire being as she tried to find the words. Anything to say. But all Erin could get out was a soft, "I'm so sorry...I...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry." the rambled and fumbled words repeated countless times over and over as she rocked back and forth as she pushed herself up against the wall. Erin didn't know why, but she was petrified to move. If it was true that she died, and she was somehow back...the last vision she had was glimpses of her last moments, and if that was the case, it was horrible. To know she died alone and scared on an empty road as the car didn't even stop. Her hands shook and trembled as she tried to looked around the diner, but she couldn't bring herself to look at anyone. Panic and fear continued to spread throughout her body as the sound of things crashing sounded around her. A plate smashing against the wall mere inches from Erin's face caused another flash of visions to play out in her mind. Memories she wanted to keep deep, deep down in her memory. So far down that she could never find them again. All she wanted was for this to end, but she didn't know how, and she felt like something bad was about to happen as the sensation of a numbing cold began to creep over her body. As if she was being slowly lowered into a frozen lake...

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Xan Cole

0 · 145 views · located in Widow's Peak

a character in “Evermore”, as played by leisurelyatwar

Description

So begins...

Xan Cole's Story

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