[DRYH] Pitched (19)

Rich

Both you and Lady Thrinia walked with the host of coppers back towards the Wax King's domain. Officer Tock led them uncannily above ground towards the Warrens. They marches with heavy footsteps echoing across the suddenly quiet streets of District Thirteen. None of the citizens wished to be caught in this tide.

As you neared the wax-covered streets marking the entrance to the domain, Officer Tock called out to the Tacks Man. In moments, the street swarmed with dog-like creatures with sewing needles for heads, dozens of the press men with their push-pin heads, and finally, in a pin-stripe suit (no really), the Tacks Man came up from the sewers, out of the Wax King's domain to face off Officer Tock.

Officer Tock had come to "detain him for questioning". The Tacks Man objected to this, quite strongly.

A fight quickly grew among the two forces, old rivalries made once allies into enemies, and you and Lady Thrinia pushed forward, trying to stop this battle. Thrinia's sword slicing a path through the Rage Warriors, but you acquitted yourself as well. How did you dispatch that throng of three rejects from a Muscle & Fitness magazine cover?

WPTunes

These Rage Warriors are tough, as I know from experience. Last time I took the brute force approach. This time is about precision and economy. A moment's concentration, and there's a whoosh as a metallic cylinder in my hand produces a blade of green light, humming. A full second of stillness, then I move into an improbable series of turns, the blade's hum modulating in time with the motion. The first goon goes down, cut through from left shoulder to right hip. As the second tries to grab me from behind in a bear hug, I stab back at her, beneath my armpit, and she falls. The third, too stupid with rage to back down, begins to circle, looking for an opening. I feint to his left and he comes in from the other side just in time to meet the curving return of my blade.

I look around the field of battle, trying to locate Thrinia and the Howler.

Rich

You spot them. Thrinia is clearing a path of Rage Warriors who came screaming out of a side passage. Ahead is the Howler.

He looms large over everyone, mashing the last of a feeble group of Smothered Folk before turning to see you. You're in a cavern of wax that looks like a cave back home, with candle-like stalactites and stalagmites about.

He raises his scythe and cuts open his chest to show you Amanda inside. "Come, little one. Let us destroy the Wax King, and I will give you Amanda in return!"

WPTunes

I approach through the corridor that Lady Thrinia has opened, my lightsaber making lazy circles in the air as I stalk toward the Howler. About fifteen feet away, out of range of the scythe by a few steps, I stop. "No, Howler. You give me Amanda, or I will end you."

Rich

The Magnificent Howler opens his maw and screams at you, Benny. The sound makes your ears bleed and your body feels like you just did a bellyflop into a pool of acid. In short, it hurts.

There's no talking now. He's fully committed. He's going to tear you in half. He isn't in his domain now, so this is Pain Seven. Let's see how this shakes out.

WPTunes

Discipline: (Rolled: 3d6. Rolls: 4, 3, 2. Total: 9)
Exhaustion: (Rolled: 5d6. Rolls: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6. Total: 30)
Madness: (Rolled: 4d6. Rolls: 6, 5, 6, 3. Total: 20)

Rich

Pain: (Rolled: 7d6. Rolls: 3, 3, 1, 1, 1, 3, 5. Total: 17)

WPTunes

Recalling Benny's "So much death" scar to reroll Exhaustion

Exhaustion: (Rolled: 5d6. Rolls: 1, 3, 5, 4, 2. Total: 15)

WPTunes

The pain of Howler's... howl fills my head, like a hot knife aimed directly at my scratchy, tired eyes and my longing for home and Eileen. It would be so good to just walk away, sit somewhere quiet, just rest. Then I remember the carnage at Mother When's, seeing Bianca broken on the floor, all the others. I'm here because somehow I can't quit. I shake my head against the noise of Howler's attack, firm up, and run toward him with the green humming blade high.

Rich

You feel pieces of you, shadows, worries, half-remembered phone numbers, blown back as you push forward. Your core self continues on, until you reach him. With swift slices, you open up the Magnificent Howler, through his ragged, burning flesh, opening his chest muscles, his ribcage.

He falls to his knees, and Amanda comes out of him, covered in his viscera, waking from the zombie-state he'd kept her in. She's looking around, howling in pain and fear.

The fighting is subsiding, quieter here, a pocket of inactivity for a moment. Lady Thrinia comes up behind you. She's taken some wounds, but she's still here, still able.

What do you do?

WPTunes

[OOC: checking off a "flight" box.]

I am shaking with adrenaline and the force of Howler's attack. Amanda's terror is contagious, and Lady Thrinia's calming presence helps little. This was my goal, seeing Amanda free of the Magnificent Howler, and I have accomplished it. Despite the battle still raging around us, I need to get out now. "Lady Thrinia, see Amanda to safety, please?" Then the green blade of light slowly retracts into its hilt, and with it, I fade out to invisibility. I am there, but unseen. I turn and walk away into the city.

Rich

Thrinia agrees, moving to pull Amanda up, helping her walk somewhere safer.

You walk back to the city, up out of the melting wax corridors towards the city streets. The streetlights grow brighter. And brighter. Still you move forward, step after step, the shock of adrenalin seeping from your body, leaving you tired but still frantic.

The streetlights shift and warble slightly. What was the flicker-flame of gaslight becomes the hum of electric lights. Electric streetlights. Soft grass under your feet.

You're on the soccer field again. Home. Walking distance from your house. Six text messages, all from Eileen. Periodically checking on you, hoping you get them. The last one is from fifteen minutes ago. It's three AM.

WPTunes

Amanda's with the Wax King, or near enough. Howler is dead. Tacks Man and Tock at war. I think I've done enough for one night. I send Eileen a text.
From: Benny To: Eileen Back. Amanda still there, but as safe as can be arranged for now. I'm alive, mostly unhurt. xoxo
Hope she's sleeping, but that'll be the first thing she sees when she wakes up.

I make may way home, pause outside the door, look for signs of life. I make sure the phone's on vibrate, in case my text wakes Eileen up and she responds.

Rich

The house seems just like you left it.

Your phone buzzes:
From: Eileen To: Benny Welcome back! Are you home? You've been gone for a week!

And yes, when you re-check the previous texts, they're from different days. One each day, the last one from this morning.

WPTunes

To: Eileen From: Benny Shit! What am I going to do? They'll be frantic. Are you okay?

Rich

From: Eileen To: Benny It's fucked up, but it was like they didn't care! I went over every day, and your mom and dad, even Heather, they were like "He's just gone out. He'll be right back." WTF?!?! I thought you did that?

WPTunes

From: Benny To: Eileen No. Don't know what's going on. Glad it didn't happen to you, too! xoxo Report back soon.

Rich

From: Eileen To: Benny ok. be safe.

You head inside, they're all asleep. Asleep like you can't be. The place is quiet, just the hum of the fridge, the ambient sound of electronics.

Head upstairs, I assume?

WPTunes

Yeah, I head upstairs. I'm going to wait for morning to deal with this. No use in waking up those that can actually sleep. Actually, fuck that. I open Heather's door, slip my head in, whispering. "Heather? Heather?"

Rich

Your sister's in bed, she was asleep.


"What?" she asks with some irritation, smacking her lips. "What... what time is it?" she's reaching for her phone, "Fuck, man. Three thirty?"

WPTunes

"Yeah. Three-thirty. Should I wake up Mom and Dad, let them know that I'm back? Really don't want the scene but I know they must've been worried."

Rich

Heather peers at you, confused. She wipes at her eyes, mumbles, "Why would they give a shit, Benny? You aren't in any trouble, right?" She starts scanning her phone, flipping to Twitter for updates of note.

WPTunes

Shit. This is bad. Did I do this? "Sorry I woke you up, sis. Later." I head to my room. Swap the SIM into the new phone (already getting to be a habit).

From: Benny To: Eileen This is weird. Just woke up Heather, and she was like no big deal. I don't THINK I did this.

Rich

Your room's just like you left it. A hint of Amanda's perfume in the air, otherwise, just your room.

From: Eileen To: Benny This is effed. I'm up. Can I come over?

WPTunes

From: Benny To: Eileen Please. Back door.

I move downstairs, quietly, and wait until I see Eileen in the light to open the door.

Rich

After a few minutes, Eileen appears at the window, her hair in a net. You open the back door, and she comes in quietly. She's in a robe and PJs, but put on sneakers. She's not wearing any makeup. How does she look?

Without hesitating, she wraps her arms around you, whispering, "That was the longest week of my life. Longer than that stupidass camp your mom sent you to." What was that crazy summer camp your mom heard about and "just had to let you experience"?

WPTunes

Frankly, I've probably seen Eileen without makeup as much as I've seen her with. Freshly scrubbed after a practice or a game. Hell, she even goes to school without sometimes, and it works for her. I kiss her. "You're beautiful in the middle of the night."

I lead her up the stairs by the hand, slip into my bedroom. The certificate from three summers ago is still on my wall. Benjamin Marks, Red Team, First Place in the American Athletics Institute Summer Cricket Camp Longest week of my life, too. Mom was on her Anglophile kick back then. Worst food year in history.

We sit on the bed. "Eileen, I don't know what's going on. Have there been police? Does the school care? Are you the only one..."

Rich

She smirks when you call her beautiful, still not sure how to take your compliments. You both pad upstairs quietly, and follows, a hand on the small of your back, just enjoying the touch, being near.

"No, people at school noticed," Eileen answers as she sits by you. "But your sister covered for you. Your parents kept saying you were out, they were never worried. It was like they were covering for you, but they believed it, you know?"

She takes your hand. "Could one of those Nightmares be doing it?"

WPTunes

"You know... I have no clue at the moment. Here's the deal, I got Amanda to as much safety as I could, in the Mad City, but I pretty much started a war to do it. This weirdness, it could've been me, somehow, unintentionally, it could've been the Wax King, could've been the Mad City itself... I just don't know. For the moment, I'm going to take Stepford-Family as a gift and see what happens."

I kiss Eileen again, for a while. "Sorry I was gone so long. I love you, by the way."

Rich

Eileen returns the kisses, eagerly, sliding onto the bed, pulling you down on top of her. In the dim light, she giggles and sighs and takes sheer delight in having you back. "You owe me big time." She teases you, "There was a rumor that I gave you herpes. I didn't know most of those idiots even knew what it was. And of course, one of the linemen, still pissed over Jasmine, I guess, said you were pregnant. I threatened to kick him in the balls, which was pretty funny. Are you tired?"

WPTunes

I listen with some amusement to the litany of embarrassment. "Did you really threaten to kick him in the nuts? He'd never recover, with your power..." Another kiss, a moment of comfort, and then, "Yeah, I'm tired. But I can't sleep. Not without some Mad protection."

Rich

"I do have the... super leg." Eileen says with a giggle. She puts your hand on her thigh, to demonstrate and stuff. "Okay, well, if you're up, and I'm obviously up, I want you to lay back, okay?" She tries to push you onto your back, then start kissing down your neck.

WPTunes

I'll take it. Long day, or week, or whatever. I'll definitely let Eileen drive. I know she's an excellent driver.

Rich

Eileen starts kissing down your neck, pushing your shirt up so she can stay connected to skin. Her hands roam over your chest, moving around bruises and cuts you suffered than haven't healed, sometimes pulling back quickly when you wince or suck in a breath.

She keeps working down your chest, your stomach, eventually playing with the button and fly on your pants. She looks up for a moment, saying "It's my time, but I really want to... you know, make you happy. Or rock your world, or something sexy. Just. Shit, just lay back, I got this." Then she's trying to get you out of your jeans, stopping to pull off your shoes when it's obvious that they'll be an impediment.

Are you stopping her from driving at this point, or letting go?

WPTunes

There's no way I'm stopping her. I make a token effort to say, "You don't have to..." That's as far as it goes though. After the night, or week, I've had it's good to have someone in charge, especially when that someone wants to sex me up, not kill me. I'm all hers.

Rich

Eileen giggles when you feebly object, doesn't acknowledge it except by stripping you down. She takes delight in pleasuring you, actually pulling your left hand on the side of her head after she removed her hair net. She's quite good at giving head, better than Bianca was by far. Who was the guy she first had sex with? How did she feel about it, or at least, what did she tell you?

After you finish, she cleans you up, then excuses herself to go to the bathroom. She creeps out into the hallway quietly.

You get the feeling that someone is watching you. They may have been watching you for a while.

WPTunes

Jamal was a nice enough guy, but Eileen was a little freaked out afterwards. They'd fooled around, and I'm pretty sure she'd given him head, but the night before his family moved, a few years ago, they got caught up in the drama and the hormones and wound up having sex. Without a condom. She was frantic until her period came a week later.

As Eileen sneaks into the hallway, the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Now that I'm not distracted I sense someone or something watching. I sit up and look around.

Rich

There's nobody in your room.

But your room doesn't seem quite right. The shadows fall at the wrong angles. The sky outside seems darker somehow, even at this hour. The fucking carpet is too sharp, the bed is too soft.

WPTunes

I pull on my underwear and pants. Walk to the window and look out into the night. Though certainly not tense after Eileen's welcome home present, I'm afraid. And tired. So tired.

Rich

Of course, the view out of your window, which sits right on top of the living room, is right across the street. At the Andrews house. There are no lights on, just the streetlights and the moon illuminating the place. It stands there, somehow looking forlorn and empty.

The wind doesn't blow the right direction anymore. It isn't backwards. That would be telling.

"I should get back to bed." Eileen calls from the door after she closes it. "Want a ride to school in the morning?"

WPTunes

I shake myself, pad back around to Eileen at the door. I give her a kiss and walk her to the door. "Every minute with you I can get... of course I want a ride. Thanks. I love you."

Rich

"You, too, Benny." Eileen says after she kisses you back. She heads out, you close the door. Then you're all alone in the quiet dark of this familiar but strange home.

--END SCENE--