Forums » General Roleplay » A Shadow Looms

(For the original post - http://www.rprepository.com/community/forumthread.php?t=20348 - Just Jump in, whoever is interested!)

You enter the sub standard loft, near the south side of town, that you have lived in uncomfortably for so long. The house is not the greatest - You enter directly into a small, den area, that smells potently of scotch and cigarettes, 19 inch telivision with static usually playing on the screen adorns the wall to the left, cables hanging down and running under the floor, but long cut off due to someone's inability to pay bills on time. To your right is a lime green couch, with an empty beer can nestled between two of the cushions - it clashes horribly with the umber carpet, and eggshell white walls - though both are stained horribly. Beside the couch, is the "Kitchen", a small black refrigorator, a gas stove, and one skillet that hasn't been used in about a month, among other various dirty dishes piled up on a nearby counter, and inside the sink. Directly across the room is a small hallway, the room on the immediate left is the restroom, which is almost as unappealing as the kitchen. A few steps more, and on the right, is another bedroom - A decapitated mess with a queen sized bed stiffed into a small room, a small television rigged up with the neighbor's cable lines set up on a dresser, the smell of alcohol is most potent here.. And vomit..

At the very end of the hallway Is your own room, --

You think back to your walk home from school - A mad man, seemed to spontaneously combust before your very eyes.
This has happened before. Why you?

As you shake off your conscious nightmare, you hear a glass bottle shatter in the other room, no doubt your lovely uncle, having finished yet another bottle of Vodka.

Cicely instinctively flinched upon hearing the Vodka bottle shatter. She never liked her uncle and she definitely never liked him when he was drunk. She didn't want to start anything by being there so she turned around and walked outside.

She remembered all of the times her friend offered her a place to stay and all of the times she would say "no". Her friend had enough to deal with as it is and they certainly didn't need to add her to the list. She also remembered the times she went to her friend's house. It was nice and clean and generally had all her 'house' lacked. She sat on the ground as she debated wether or not she should go see her friend.

It was around these times, that a stray, Black cat would always seem to approach. The same cat, a mysterious little beast with short fur, and narrow eyes. He never truly approached her, always stayed some distance away, usually at the end of the porch. He would stare at her with, what would appear to be a look of pity. But it's just a cat.. It must just be her imagination..

Meanwhile, her 'Beloved' uncle Todd stirs within the house, shouting at the top of his lungs about something that couldn't be understood. He likely just tripped over his own feet again. Afterall, he was plastered.

"Cicely!" He says loudly, despite being muffled by the carpet, as he attempts to gain his footing, and trounce towards the door.

Cicely watched the cat for a minute. She always liked cats and she always wanted one. But the moment her uncle called her name she turned around wide-eyed. It was in that moment she decided it would be best if she went to her friend's house. Cicely quickly got up and started walking away. She didn't want to bother her uncle- although her mere presence seemed to tick him off. She didn't have a phone so she would be showing up to her friend's house unannounced which bothered her a little.

A mile or so off, she would come across the humble sub division where her friend lived. One of many, clean looking white houses, discernible only by a few lawn ornaments, and a mailbox number.

Alexandria, Alex, a friend from school, would live in the upstairs bedroom. She was always a fan of the band Nickelback, so it was natural to hear one of their songs playing out the upstairs window. The black sedan his father drove was not in the parking lot, indicating that she was probably home by herself. The door was unlocked, but it was probably a good idea to ring the doorbell.

The black cat, would have followed her from a distance. Always ten steps back.

After some amount of time walking Cicely found herself at the bus stop. Her friend, Alex, was still a good mile away so taking the bus was probably a good idea. She nervously stepped in the bus to find barely anyone riding it. It was odd to her because normally at this time it would be filled to the rim; but she wasn't complaining, after all it meant nobody would try to mess with her. She quietly sat down in the nearest empty seat.

Following in her trail of course, is the black cat that always seems to be around. Perhaps she noticed it slip onto the bus behind her, and settle in one of the seats nearer the front - the bus driver either didn't notice, or care. The bus was slow moving, and made several stops, most empty, none really having anyone of note come or go. Several stops later, the bus would come to a stop in front of the humble sub division, "Paradise Flats", a gated community that seemed a sanctuary of green grass and wealthy people, not a stones throw from poverty, and gang violence.
There were two gates, one that opened for cars, and another for people who preferred to walk. Both are guarded by a security guard, neither too imposing, and thy didn't speak much. They only approached if someone didn't know the four digit number to get through one of the main gates.

Cicely stepped off the bus. That worried look on her face returned when she looked at the gates. She seemed to have forgotten the four digit number! She looked around to see if anyone could help her. But other than the security guards, the cat, and one or two people the place was basically empty. Cicely turned to the cat, "What are we going to do?" She asked in a quiet voice; not really to the cat but not really to herself. She knew the cat couldn't talk back but it gave her some ease.

The cat of course, doesn't talk back. It never had before, and probably never would. The security guard was a larger man, who had likely never had to draw a weapon. He simply sat on an old old out chair under a rather new gazebo, expectantly waiting for the girl to make her way in.

The black cat would look up to the girl, then back down to the gate, as if he actually did understand her to a degree. The cat would look up to her again, and utter a quiet meow, wandering further north of the gated community.

This portion of the gate appeared to be less defensive, more aesthetic, a thick hedge covering the outer layer, visible from the road. The cat would slip through a dead spot in the bush, and disappear.

A moment passes and the cat sits on the other side of the gate, to the back of the security guard, who momentarily glances to the feline.

"Wait! No-" She said as she watched the cat go through the bush. Cicely sighed as she turned around and walked towards the security guard. She really didn't want to talk to anybody but she would have to if she wanted to get in. "I- I kinda sorta forgot the code..." She said quietly. She didn't make eye contact with the security guard and instead stared at her purple tennis shoes.

The security guard was not too imposing, in all truth. A larger man in an off blue suit with a patch from some local security company on the right breast, and th nametag "Douglas" on the other. The security guard stands up, being a by overweight, his ascent is slow. He runs a band over his bald head and then over his bushy brown beard, and then speaks in a mild southern accent,

"Who are you visiting?" He says in an even tone, glancing once again down to the cat behind the gate, who looks back up to him with bright yellow eyes, reflecting off of the evening sun.

Cicely was quiet for a moment, the ground must've been really intresting. ".... Alexandria." Her voice was- unsurprisingly- soft and quiet. It didn't occur to her that she probably had to say Alexandria's last name, but then again she didn't want to talk more than she has to.

The Security guard again scratches at his head, "Alexandria?" he shakes his head a little and reaches for a clipboard, located on the arm of his fold out chair, "What's the address?" he asks as he drags his teeth across his bottom teeth, attempting to dislodge something he ate for lunch from between two of them.

The second security guard, a tall man with a full head of blonde hair, and a goatee would call out from the booth where traffic was coming and going, "Come on, Doug, she's a teenager. Don't give her a hard time. Let her through." The man says this in a blank voice. As he speaks, he also bares a very blank stare, eyes hazed over. The black cat would be noted near the booth, sitting on the same side of the gate as everyone else.

Douglas stares back to him strangely, "You alright..?" he mutters, only to shrug in dismissal and regard the teenager again, "Alright. He's been at this longer than me." he says as he punches in the numbers to the gate. It beebs twice, and swings open.

Cicely was somewhat frightened when he dragged his teeth together. She was horrible at addresses, so she didn't answer when Douglas asked.

When the other security guard spoke she looked up, if she wasn't frightened before she certainly was now. The other guard looked and sounded scary to her. She quickly bowed her head and said a quick "thank you" before quickly walking through the gate.

She could've went to her other friend's house, she thought. His house wasn't in a neighborhood that had security guard and she, admittedly, knew him better. But her other friend, Wesley Westbrook, was probably with his boyfriend- if you would want to call him that; it's complicated- and she didn't want to be the third wheel. Besides she was already at Alex's house. Cicely knocked at the door before turning around to watch the cat.

The Cat would wander towards the back yard, now that she was safely within the gates of the subdivision, out of sight, and probably tucked away in some hole, somewhere.
Alex would be home alone, still - She was home alone often, being daughter to local political figurehead, and a Nurse, who worked days at a time. Music could be heard from the upstairs, playing on medium volume out of a fairly expensive bluetooth speaker. She looks down from the upstairs window at Cicely, before her footsteps could be tracked from her room, all the way down a spiral staircase, and to the front door, which she promptly opens up.

Alex is an inch or so taller than the other girl - not that anyone would notice - She was never one to dress up too much, so it was no big shock to see her in a grey T-shirt, and a pair of polyester athletic pants, that she used more often for lounging, than exercising, "Hey.." she says with a tinge of question audible in the undertones of her voice, "I didn't expect anyone to be here today." she sets a hand to her forehead and stares off to the left, wondering if she simply forgot. Her black hair was tied back into a ponytail, which reached only the base of her neck.

"I didn't expect to be here, either." Cicely said as she brushed some of her blonde hair out of her face. She really didn't know why she came to Alex's house out of all places but here she was.

Cicely was always told by Wesley- the other friend- to always look at least semi-presentable so she did. She wore dark blue jeans with the purple tennis shoes mentioned earlier and a dark blue shirt that had a constellation on it.

Alex takes a step back, bringing the door with her - As she remembered from before, the house was very clean. The family even had a maid hired, who had been there just hours before. The den is well furnished, authentic leather sofas, sitting in a sizable living space, white carpets kept white by constant cleaning, and unaltered marble walls with a decorative tan trim. A large TV adorns the mantle of a decorative, marble fireplace. The house smelled like lemon cleaning solution, and air freshener - Unnatural, but oddly pleasant. The house was large, with wide open corridors separating the main living areas - The kitchen visible across the room, recently bleached and cleaned, pots and pans hanging from a rack overhead, coffee mugs hanging on hooks in uniform beneath dark oak cabinet. The master bedroom would be located behind a door on the left, right before you'd be in the kitchen. A stairway leading to Alex's bedroom is quite near the entryway, only a few steps to the right of them now.

"Did something happen?" asks the girl, slowly shutting the heavy wooden door behind Cicely. She takes a moment to examine her attire, versus her own. She winces a bit at the corner of her mouth, but makes no comment on it, "Your Uncle, right?"

Cicely looked around the room, as she hasn't really been here for a while. "...Yes." Her voice was still soft but it wasn't as quiet. "How have you been?" She asked as she smiled sweetly. She decided not to wander around the house and just follow Alex because she was a guest.

Alex shook her head, a vague look of frustration crossing her youthful face. She starts back up the spiral staircase, to her room, bare feet padding against the wooden steps softly.

Her room was rather simple, in it's layout - A bed in one corner, neutral Grey wall coloring, with the same white carpet as the rest of the house. She had her laptop open on her nightstand, but the screen was black. On the opposite wall were several Martial Arts, and soccer trophies - Mostly for participation, but a few of them were for actual achievements. After all, she was a Black belt in one of them, though it would seem you've forgotten which.

She settles into an off white beanbag chair with a sewn up hole in the side, though some of the foam beads were still coming loose every time she sat down. She looks over to the bed and waves her hand towards it, "Well, sit down. You're always more than welcome here - I don't expect mom or dad to be home anytime soon."

She bore then a vaguely sad smile.

"Where are they, Alex?" Cicely asked as she walked towards Alex's bed and sat down. "Are they on a business trip?" She started to play with her necklace. It was a longer one and was shaped like a star. On it was several colors that made it look like a galaxy.

Cicely wondered about the cat. Why did it follow her? Was it Alex's? She has seen it before but she's never seen a collar on it so she doubted it was Alex's.