Closed The Umbra Repository (Elaine)

[Ink]

Leth held apex dominion over the world and his radiance shone full through the cloudless Summer sky. The docks were abandoned but for the ghost girl who made the space her home. The ships were away from port. Nuits felt no draw to the area without good reason. Everything was quiet and still but for the gentle lapping of the salty sea against the docks.

The few fauna that called the docks their home seemed to be slumbering or abroad. Stars twinkled in the impossibly grand expanse of navy sky. Wind sung its haunting melody through the leaf-bare branches of the lonely trees. It was a night meant for a ghost.

Far in the distance where the trees could congregate in mass a light bobbed upon the misty undergrowth. Like a watchtower guiding ships through the primal seas this tiny spark was a shepherd for lost souls. Attempts to approach it found it impossibly far away for being within sight of the bay, but the persistent would find after a league it would finally grow larger.

When finally it seemed within sight the bobbing glimmer disappeared behind a tree and the forlorn fog disseminated further into the old forest of gnarled tree limbs and somber undergrowth.
Here the world seemed to learn life once more. Where the docks had been silent, the plant life provided a new consonance. Reverberating through the unending tree line was a song just beyond words, like a long forgotten memory of a mother’s lullaby. A forest greeting a ghost girl with a sepulchral refrain.

oocPlease timestamp your post with an appropriate date. You will need three days to complete this thread

[Elaine Spade]

Summer 38th, AV 514 - Summer 80th, AV 515

The night has come, but Elaine didn't change her place ever since the morning. She didn't know where else interesting to go, not like she wanted to go anywhere that day. She was just looking at the business of the people doing at the docks. Of course she kept distance, she didn't want to scare them away. Though she was suspecting that some might knew by now that she was haunting there. And if that was true, they didn't mind that all or she would have faced somebody already for that matter.

The night was upon them. The docks were not that busy anymore, it was empty sort of. Leth's shining down as Elaine was just staring at the ocean. Only her and the nuits were awake. She wished she could sleep like others, having dreams once everywhile. Where she could just run away and live even if just for the night. But no matter how hard she tried that, she couldn't do it.

She was sitting there for a bell or two. Waiting, waiting for Clyde to go. He didn't care but something else or someone else did. She noticed that behind a strange light was coming from the trees. She turned around, but she didn't see anything other than the spark. Like it was calling her, to follow it. Better than spending a whole night just in the docks, she had to check it out.

She got up from there, turning invisible and was following the light which was inviting her. But she failed to catch it, the light just disappeared behind a tree, only fog like her soulmist was there. Although she didn't let it just be that way, staying invisible she ventured into the forest, maybe she could find the light again. Someone must have been there. Maybe checking her?

Not much she found. No nuit, no human, not any strange creature she expected in Sahova. Only the nature, which was at least alive. And it's noises, which was like a song. A precious song. She was there for several moments before she finally said something."Is someone looking for me?" And with that she showed herself.

[Ink]

Looking? The Forest was looking. A knothole in a tree seemed like a face sneering. A crook of a branch held an eye. The wood song took a harsh tone and the mist on the ground thickened to opaqueness. Everything was looking at her and her field of vision was being stolen. Even behind Elaine the forest expanded indefinitely, it had closed behind her as surely as a door could lock in a mortal soul.

The atmosphere broke, the illusion of faces and eyes dissipated, at the musical chiming a child’s laughter from just behind Elaine. The forest had chosen its emissary. Appearing from the mist near the visiting ghost, was a child in a daffodil yellow sundress and bare feet. In her ghostly hands she offered a bright red ball to Elaine. “Looking for you? I wanted to play ball but maybe we should play hide and seek?” She chirped excitedly. Whether her feet had materialized or not was questionable given that the mist fully coated her calves.

If Elaine tried to move she would notice the mist had coagulated around her. It wasn’t stopping her from moving but it certainly seemed to hold her limbs and drag her down, even when not visible. The other ghost seemed to have acclimated to the mist and though it still dragged on her she seemed to know how to move amongst it, “I am Mia who are you lady? Why did you come to this forest?” She looked around and then drew closer still to Elaine, in a whisper ineffective against the steady presence of the forest she spoke again, “You do know that now you cannot leave don’t you?”

[Elaine Spade]

How a living forest could be strange even in Sahova? But after all of things, she wasn't suprised. Though this forest was like a graveyard... and unusual feeling got into her, disturbing her own soulmist. Was this another Wanda's territory? No, she had never mentioned it. She felt she should go out, and come back if she had a better plan to see what was happening here. She turned around and the tree had closed behind here. It was alive more than she thought. Something was controlling it or someone or the trees were alive creatures?

A child's amusement was echoing behind her. She looked back and saw a little girl. She wasn't Kouri, but was a ghost and was a little girl too neverless. Elaine couldn't be more confused than she was at that moment. Offering a red ball to her. As she was examining the girl she didn't notice that the mist was grabbing her. "Play? Oh yeah.. you too? But I can't play right now, I have to go." At least they weren't games like Kouri offered to her. She was about to go away but something was wrong.

Something was definitely disturbing her soulmist, she looked down. The mist got her ghosty legs, didn't let them go. She was trying to force her soulmist but the mist was stronger than hers. Was this the other girl's soulmist. Her eyes went back at her. No it wasn't hers, it was holding her feet too. She seemed to be here for a long time because she was wandering like the forest was her home.

Mia was calm about the situation. Was it harmless? It seemed so. So many things were circling in the Ela's mind. "I'm Elaine Spade, and... I just saw a light." If she had been alive... her face would have become pale. She couldn't leave? The whole story with Wanda started again? "What do you mean? Where am I? What's this mist?" She looked down and was using her soulmist again desperately to get rid of that mist. Failed. She just realized it was a waste of time and her energy.

She tried to calm down, the mist was just holding her. Like a chain. She was once trapped in Wanda's place, if she could get out there, she could get out from here too. She HAD to. Also it seemed Mia knew a few things, she had to get information. The little girl knew how to move freely. Maybe playing with her, she could get her trust. A weak and not that honest smile was on her face."If you teach me how to move around here, we can play with your ball. Or play hide-and-seek. If I can't leave at least I have a good company like you."

[Ink]

Mia looked down at Elaine’s legs, “Don’t force! It makes it hold more, it can feel you’re scared and so it holds more.” Sluggishly the ghost girl moved through the mist to circle around Elaine, looking at her from every angle.

“A light?” She squealed excitedly, “You saw Fogman! He is the only way out of Glannoch, every other way is a trap. Don’t get trapped Elaine, there are ghosts here, bad ghosts. They have been here since before the Nuits. Don’t let them snag you Elaine.” At her warning a terrible gust flew through the forest, making screams as it whistled through leaf-bare branches. At the same time the mist seemed to retreated farther ahead of them, momentarily.

Mia tossed her ball away, which dissipated before it could fly out of sight. Clearly it had been part of appearance and was no longer important. Reaching out to take Elaine’s hand the little girl would lead her farther into the forest. Or at least it would seem farther, since whatever entrance Elaine had used had long since vanished. “So I helped you, when the mist comes back you can walk through it. Can we play now? I think hide and seek would be best!” As Mia brought Elaine forward, it seemed clear she was actually following the mist rather than retreating from it in their reprieve. “If you see Fogman though, you have to yell out to me so I can leave the forest with you, ok? I have been in here for awhile now, I want to go home. Wanda isn’t so bad you know? She seems bad but she’s not so bad, even if she doesn’t like playing...”

“Oh right.” Mia giggled, “You said we could play. Your it first count to ten and then come find me.” The little girl twisted and ran for four steps before disappearing as ghosts were want to do.

[Elaine Spade]

Don't force it.. was easy to say. But Elaine stopped using her soulmist to counter-attack. She tried to calm down also, but she was scared. The hold of the mist was not that strong anymore. She could move freely, even if the mist was holding her. What was it for? Preventing her to run away? Could made sense, but then who was it producing or what?

For her relief Mia seemed nice and explained a few things. Fogman. He was the key for her freedom. But.. did he rule her in? If so would he help her out. More questions came. And what the little girl said was worrying Elaine even more. She shouldn't even try to find an exit."I see." She was trying to keep it cool. It was hard, very hard to do so. The other ghost grabbed her hand and was leading her. Away from the entrace which didn't exist anymore. "Yeah thank you! Erm.. okay. Hide and seek." Though it worried her that while the mist was going away, Mia was just exactly following it.

A promise to made. If she ever sees the Fogman, she had to tell Mia so she could come out too. But this incident seemed nothing compared to Wanda's. She was odd but reasonable. This whole situation was just confusing and didn't make any sense to her. They stopped somewhere. Not like it mattered, she couldn't get out either way. She was looking around herself. Only her, Mia and those trees. "I will tell you Mia."

She gave a weak smile again and nodded at the little girl."Yes I count then." She turned around and let Mia go away. "One! Two!..." She started loudly, then stopped like she would count in her silently. In truth she wasn't, she just had that quick moment to think about the situation. She was in a forest which was trapping her and that other ghost. A Fogman, which made her go in, also could get her out from the forest. There was a mist which could grab and she couldn't try anything to get out or she would get into more trouble. Her chances didn't seem bright. She promised to play with Mia, maybe after that she could ask more. "TEN! Ready or not, here I come."

She turned around and tried to think where to search for her. Even she had to deal with this. She could turn invisible, how would she able to find her. Maybe sensing her soulmist. She was walking forward in the forest, though she didn't know where. She was also careful, getting into one of those would have been careful... though she was in one. Something got into her mind. What if Mia was one of those ghosts? Could she really trust her? Elaine stopped for a moment and a few things went through her head. Either way she needed the little ghost girl for now. But she needed to be careful. "Oh Mia, where are youuu?"

[Ink]

The little ghost girl, Mia, did not reply. Instead while the mist was still slinking in the periphery mushrooms had begun to appear from the starting place of their game. Growing on a tree to Elaine’s right were little red mushrooms, glowing sinisterly in the gloomy forest. Within the cupped top of the mushroom a basin full of potent soulmist frothed.

On Elaine’s left, were blue mushrooms glowing cheerfully against the pervading melancholy. Instead of a basin soulmist dripped down from the caps like diaphanous curtains. The game had begun and it seems the forest offered Elaine a new choice.

A sound like a giggle tinkled far off behind distant trunks in the forest, deeper still than the foreign ghost had been led. Beyond the impending wave of mystery mist biding its time to rush back towards Elaine. No sign of the light Mia called Fogman or Mia herself. For the briefest moment it seems Elaine was left alone with the stalking fog and mist producing mushrooms. The forest seemed poised, for her answer. Already she had been offered a number of choices; to enter the forest or not to? To play with Mia or refuse her? Red mushroom or Blue?

Already three choices and the potential for infinitely more were promised in the shadows beyond sight. There was a sense of tension upon the musty air, as though this all leading to some overwhelming event but it was still far off on the horizon.

[Elaine Spade]

As she was walking the forest acted again strangely. Glowing mushrooms appeared next to hear along the path. At least something wasn't that dark there. On her right a red glowing one, in it's basin there was soulmist? The forest could produce soulmist? Elaine's confusion just grew and grew.. On her left there a blue glowing mushroom soulmist was dripping down there also. Maybe it was another trick of the forest.

She didn't trust them and went futher and futher... but for what? The mushrooms were still next to her and it seemed like she wasn't going anywhere. Like she would have gone in circles. She had to choose didn't she? Maybe the forest was helping to Elaine?

Mia was also not there. Elaine's mind was messy and couldn't think clearly, too many questions. Which one? Who is Mia? Fogman? Mist? Red? Blue? She tried to keep herself sane. Although there was a giggle from far. She didn't see anyone maybe it was the little ghost girl. But to find out she had to choose. Or.. take both? She leaned closer to the red one openned her mouth and absorbed the soulmist which was there. She could tell it's quality was high. Then she leaned closer to the blue one and also absorbed some of the soulmist there.

[Ink]

For a few chimes nothing at all seemed different. The forest let her leave the mushrooms if she so chose and the trees no longer followed the same pattern to lead her back. The moon wasn’t obvious overhead any more, even though the majority of tree limbs were bare. The low light of the forest seemed diffused through the entirety of the sky but from no point in specific. An explainable phenomenon; fog did that sometimes.

A bird took off from a branch, its caw sounding decidedly orange. Which was odd because a ghost ought not hear in color. Then the world tilted sideways in a oily bend, like oil-paint swirled in a pallet. After tense moments the world righted itself, Elaine’s arms were up meeting in an arc with a man’s as they danced. The man looked aged in a dignified way, his curled hair tamed as only the rich could afford. He looked at her with the quiet patronizing smile others might call charming. There were creases at the corners of his eyes. This age seemed to flow down from his hands on to hers, slowly taking her form on a trip through time which a ghost could never take.

She grew middle aged. Upon Elaine’s piled hair sat a diadem and her dress flowed like water. The room was floored in the most exquisite mahogany upon which other couples danced. All shimmering as only the wealthy could. Another look at her dance partner would reveal his identity, though age had obscured it. The man who looked back was Alfred.

Of course, back in the forest… which come to think of it why would a Lady ever have been a forest? Elaine had not just taken of the red mushroom but the blue as well. This made all the difference.

As the nearest couple passed and spun, the gentleman's face turned towards Elaine. He smiled and his teeth turned into white moths and took flight across the room. Small oddities, small impossibilities continued to happen and each grew more and more alarming around her. Each new mutation grew slightly more threatening. This world that had found Elaine, a world in which she hadn’t died in a fire. In which her mother’s most subtle hint had been picked up, and Alfred had not be hit in the head with a rock. Where things had gone precisely as Elaine had not wanted.

oocShe’s hallucinating obviously, feel free to take it wherever you like. Essentially its a dream at this point. Control anything you want except the forest.

[Elaine Spade]

She didn't feel anything unusual after absorbing the mushrooms' soulmist. Most probably because they were only small amount. Not something significant. But it made her wonder. Why were they offered then? There had to be something the forest didn't let her go till she chose. She didn't care about it much as the path was finally open for her. She had to find the little ghost girl as she promised. She was heading towards, though she also didn't know where. Was just going till she could sense or see or hear the other ghost.

Though she didn't go far. Something went wrong maybe because of those mushrooms. She was hearing a bird from a branch. It sounded like... orange? How could she hear the colors? Things went terribly wrong and she was about to escape. But she couldn't move. The world.. tilted. She was a bit dizzy, was about to lost her balance. The place had changed, she wasn't at the forest anymore. And somebody just grabbed her arms. A man's arm there. A very good-looking and rich man.

She was dancing with him. And it seemed they weren't the only one there. Wealthy couples were spinning around. Elaine had a diadem and a pretty dress. She was older, and.. alive? It seemed so. She looked like herself, not the spiritist she killed. A beautiful place, with people who were alive. Not like Sahova. A wonderful dream it could be... but it wasn't.

"What are you....?" Came the words but cut short because of the horrible shock she had. Alfred! The man who was with her, it was Alfred. Elaine didn't know what to do. It was impossible. Alfred as her husband? No! Her parents wouldn't have let it happen! Or would they? Elaine was looking around trying to find a way to escape from the dance. She hated the man, how this was possible.

Her face turned to the dancing pair who was spinning near them. The man looked back at her, his smile was lovely... till his teeth turned into white moths. They were flying across the room. Terrible imagine. She didn't hit Alfred with the stone, she wasn't killed by the fire. But then! Her parents! Her parents!

She was looking around the room, her parents had to be there too then. She was trying to escape from Alfred's hold but he didn't let go. But then she finally noticed her parents in the corner. They were standing there. For some odd reason, her arms could slip off from Alfred's hand. She didn't look back, she just ran to there. "Mom! Dad! I'm here! Please help me! Mom! Dad!"

When they turned to her, flames appeared around them. They were burning. Elaine's mother was speaking to her. "Why? Why did you do this to us, darling?" Elaine was crying, seeing the nightmare. "NO! STOP! No! I didn't want this to happen! It wasn't me!" There was a cackle from behind, and she could her the familiar arrogant voice. She turned around. Alfred was standing there, his face was full of blood. "You killed them! As you killed me with that stone!" Elaine was just shaking her head. Couldn't believe it. No.. it wasn't true. "I didn't! I never killed you, Alfred! You walked away!"

She turned back. Her parents were not there anymore. She just realized now that she had to things in her hand. On the right, a candle. On the left, a stone which had blood on it. A voice from behind was speaking again, another familiar. But it wasn't Alfred, it was a woman's voice. She looked back again. The spiritist was standing there instead of Alfred. Her face had blood on it too. "Yes, you did kill me!"

It was just too much for Elaine, she threw the candle and the stone away. Her hand was holding her head. She closed her eyes and shouted. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP! I HAD ENOUGH! I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS AGAIN! YES I'M GUILTY! I TOOK AWAY OTHER'S LIFE BUT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN THIS WAY! "