Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High - Campus
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 06.09.1994
Weather: Sunny
Originally Posted by
Elise
"Oh? What other bits of small town weirdness do you have around here? Sorry, I'm always curious to learn about local folklore."
"Nah, that's alright," Jake answered with a smile. "Honestly, there ain't much else to do in a bodunk town like this but swap stories about all the weird little things you notice."
As if a man about to start telling a story, Jake switched his position on the bench. He moved to the side, took a full upright position and fished out a pack of cigarettes he had wrapped on the sleeve of his shirt. After lighting one up and taking a deep drag, he motioned Elise to sit down too. This one might be a long one, or perhaps the silver-haired youth was anticipating a number of questions that might pop up and make the story session even longer.
"Well... I guess, first of all, there's the whole deal with how the head of the McLampet family died back some thirty years ago," Jake began. "See, Howard McLampet wasn't the type of guy to drop dead from just out of nowhere. He was a big dude, full of life. If you visit Owl's Nest, you'll get what I mean. Him and Mr. Halloway were two-of-a-kind. Anyways, one day the town just got the news that Ol' Howard had died after falling of a fishing boat out on the sea. No body, no nothing. And he was a pretty damn good swimmer, too. What makes it weirder is the fact that the one with him that time was, well, none other than his good buddy James Halloway. You can bet that soured the relationship between those two families. Howard's daughter even claimed he killed him."
Lazily, the smoke from the cigarette drifted ever upwards, heading towards the sky that was slowly turning the color of evening orange. Twilight was creeping in, and with it, the town itself was slowly starting to fall asleep. Even out here, on the campus, one could practically feel the time move slower.
There was a mask of reminiscence on Jake's face as he continued.
"So, old Howard McLampet dies and the family fortune goes to crap. The workers try their best, but the saw mill ain't just functioning like it used to," he explained. "That's the time most of the families moved out of here... except, some didn't. See, some of the workers there, family men supporting their wives and kids, just up and disappeared. No hide no hair was seen of them almost like the earth had swallowed them. That's when some old folks in this town started saying that 'The woods took them' and told others to leave well enough alone. You can imagine that sorta thing got even more workers spooked and they packed their bags and left. Made Road's End into a nigh ghost town in about ten years."
It was easy to see what Jake meant. From the campus, one could see the silhouette of the town drawn against the dark shapes of the forest and the mountains beyond them. Even when viewed like that, it was a somewhat sad sight - a place where forgotten people of a forgotten town struggled to make their living even if it got harder every day, year by year.
"The mill was gone and the McLampet family fought hard and dirty for the inheritance... but it never got settled and all fell to ruin. See, there were four siblings. Three brothers and one sister. Eldest brothers said 'screw it' and skipped town, claiming someone was after his life. The middle siblings, the daughter and the son, laughed until they wound up dead within one year of each other. Car accident and a medical complication thanks to surgery. The youngest son was poised to inherit it all... except he, too, went and disappeared. You can see the problem, right? Whoops, no one to inherit the lumber rights. Now the only things left are the rotting mill, the dark woods and the old McLampet mansion where the youngest sibling's widow and her daughter still live, holding onto hope that he'll return."
With a bit of a sad face, Jake took one more drag from his cigarette, blowing out a cloud of smoke.
"... Not that anyone's seen the daughter in ages. Heck, even she might have gone and wandered off into the forest, never to return," Jake concluded the story. "Last time she was seen, she was just a year old babe. And that was fifteen years ago."
Elaine Winters & Momoi Hisa
Location: Ghostwood Overlook
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 06.09.1994
Weather: Sunny
”Are you a traveling man, sir? Seen a guy about six feet tall, I guess maybe a bit over 185 centimeters, dark blond hair, thinks he’s funnier than he is?”
Once more Rosencrantz fell to silence, staring off to the distance while keeping his finger still lifted. His mouth hung open just a little bit, moved, almost like he was soundlessly whispering, reciting words that only played in his head. Suddenly his head twitched just a little, uncomfortably. Whatever was the reason for that, it seemed to free him from his reverie as those tired eyes turned to look back at Elaine. But... they weren't looking at her. They were looking past her.
"Rested in a motel once. Some hundred-and-eighty miles to the south. Was reading the funnies on the local newspaper when my coffee cup fell over as a man stormed into the reception where I was," he started spouting out of nowhere. "A tall piece of Midwestern wood... rough, but not unpleasant. Was looking for a woman... I think. Might have been another man. But... the receptionist didn't know. How could she? The TV had the answers, as it always does. 'Road's End, Road's End' it repeated and the man took the advice. Last time I saw him."
As he had talked, Rosencrantz's gaze had lowered, lowered and lowered until he had ended up staring at his own shoes. Then, looking a bit puzzled himself, he lifted his gaze again, tilting his head at Elaine like he was just as confused by his own words as they probably were.
"... Wore size eleven combat boots. Well-worn, caked in dirt."
Originally Posted by
Momoi
"Maybe some other time. I assume you came here for a reason and won't be leaving until you finish your business, so we should still have the chance to talk?"
Slowly, Rosencrantz blinked. Then he shook his head out of nowhere, like a dog drying itself. When he stopped, his expression was back to normal and he blinked rapidly. Had he gone into some sort of trance before? Perhaps? Right now he looked just as normal as he had before. Well, it wasn't exactly normal but what he had just said to Elaine had been weird, even for him.
"Oh, yes. I intend to sell my wares to the local sheriff and his men," Rosencrantz explained. "A man of the law always needs a good boot or two. Maybe some ceremonial leather shoes in case of an event? I might as well try my luck, right?"
He chuckled pleasantly.
Originally Posted by
Momoi
"On another note; how would we recognize Gildenstern if we saw him? And what business did he have in this town, anyways?"
"Oh, you will know if you see him. He's like that," Rosencrantz said in his typical vague way. "For he is gentle Guildenstern, always near but not quite there. I... I think there was something else, too, but I forget. Ask me some other time."
Originally Posted by
Momoi
"And if you must know. There is no cuckoo here. There is only you."
That elicited a laugh from the feeble man. It was a raspy, wheezing sound, but a happy sound nonetheless. With eyes full of warmth, he looked at Momoi like an old man would have looked at child, even though there was not that much difference in their ages.
"Ah, almost, but not quite," he spoke. "To put it more in the old format... Yes."
Then, the man known as Rosencrantz spoke a poem.
"See Him in the woods standing tall,
and you may hear a cuckoo's call,
but know that there is no cuckoo,
for in the end there's only you."
Reply With Quote
