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Post by Evan Dean on Jan 12, 2009 21:21:55 GMT -8
Evan walked into the Rec Room at Broad View. He had just arrived here yesterday and wanted to see the place. He didn’t want to be here, but he had been forced to come here by the court. He had been caught buying drugs from an undercover cop. He hadn’t known what had hit him. One second he was handing over the last of his money, and the next he was on the ground in handcuffs. In what seamed like a few seconds, he was in the back of the police cruiser.
As he opened the door, a blast of cool air hit him in the face. His hair blew back a bit and he closed his sunken eyes. He then stepped into the building. Closing the door behind him, Evan walked into the room. His thin legs walked him towards the couches on the back wall. He sat down on one of the smaller love seats and looked around the room.
When he saw the TV, Evan stood back up and walked over to it. Remote, remote. Were the heck could it be? Looking around, he finally found it on the top of the TV. Grasping it with his skinny hand, he walked back to the love seat. Poking his skinny finger into the power button, he turned the TV on. The sound blasted out and made Evan jump. Jamming his finger, he turned the volume down until it was on a good volume. Flipping through the channels, he looked for something good on.
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Post by echosong on Jan 12, 2009 21:51:48 GMT -8
Arline had been standing in the back of the room, in the shadowed corner by the window, when he entered. He looked around curiously, then noticed the TV. He looked malnourished, his eyes sunken and his body bony and thin. He might have been handsome once, though the damage was too hard to see through. Except for his eyes. There was something there, misty blue, though dulled by....whatever had happened to this poor man.
She watched him jump as he turned TV turned on, too loud for him. He jammed his too-skinny finger down on the volume button, relaxing as the volume lowered. Arline kept watching him, intrigued. He look about twenty, like herself, with russet-brown hair and a stubble of a mustache. His skin was grey and papery, though there was a hint of a flush, slight color. He looked like he used to be strong too. Yes, hints of former beauty were there.
But he looked so....sad. So lifeless. She wondered what had brought him here. Had he sent himself, like her, or had he been ordered here by some court order? Should she say hi? Would it be better to avoid everyone else? The questions flew through her mind like a breeze. Not that she had the life left in her to put any of them into action of course. That was why she was here. To be happy again. She gave a very quiet sigh, and turned to look out the window, the sun shining red in her once lustrous hair.
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Post by Evan Dean on Jan 12, 2009 22:44:14 GMT -8
Evan flipped through the channels, looking for something good on. His lifeless eyes watched the channels, seeing hardly anything. Every so often, he would pause for a few seconds, feeling intrigued by what was on. Finding nothing, he flipped through the channels for a second time. This time, we went slower, studying each of the shows that were on. He stopped on one channel that looked promising. His lifeless eyes watched a cat and a mouse fight with each other. He had remembered the show from when he was a kid. It had been one of his favorite shows to watch.
His skinny frame jumped when he heard a sigh coming from by one of the windows in the building. He dropped the remote from his bony hand and turned to look at were the sound had come from. When he had entered the building, he had been sure that he was alone. He could see a shadowy figure standing in front of the window. The light fell through it, making the girl’s hair turn a slight red color. He could tell that it used to be lustrous, most likely beautiful.
He pulled his skinny body up from the small love seat. Pushing his dull hair out of his eyes, Evan looked at the girl. Who are you? he asked, he voice lifeless and dull, just like himself. He took a few steps until he could see the girl. She was in no better condition then him. She seamed lifeless, just like him. Her eyes were sunken in, giving her a creepy look.
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Post by echosong on Jan 12, 2009 23:43:00 GMT -8
Arline could hear the clicking of the remote as he flipped through the chanels, slower the second time. He stopped on a failiar show, Arline could name it easily. She watched him jump, the remote slipping from his hands and clattering noisily to the floor. She jumped a litttle too, surprised by the sudden noise.
The loveseat creaked as he stood, his footfalls soft, muted. Had he even moved? Arline turned, surprised to see he was standing a few steps away, his steely eyes scanning her frame. "Who are you?" he asked. His voice was dull, just like his eyes. At least he was someone to talk to.
Who am I? I'm not sure even I know. She looked at him for a moment more, then looked back out the window. "I'm.. Arline. Arline Stryker." Some horses were running in a pasture a distance away, their feet kicking up grass and dirt. Their movements were clear and fluid, much like her own horse's. Wonder if they were racers... It was all too easy to imagine jockeys in garish silks, the horses flying away like they had wings, the fans cheering in the grandstands... Arline's eyes were unfocused, remembering her jockey days before her growthspurt. She seemed not to notice the man standing next to her as she fingered the ring on the thin silver chain around her neck.
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Post by Evan Dean on Jan 15, 2009 22:14:46 GMT -8
Evan stared at the TV as the show played out. As he jumped up, he stared at the girl that was in the corner. He saw her jump then jumped himself when the remote hit the ground with a thud. He made no move to pick it up; he just stared at the girl. He knew that he had frightened her but nothing really made any sense to him any more.
He bent down and picked up the remote. He groaned then fell onto the loveseat. Dropping the remote again, he grabbed his head. He leaned his head against the wall and rubbed his temples with two fingers on each. He was being attacked by another withdrawal and just wanted them to stop. They were almost impossible to bare and Evan wanted nothing more then for them to stop.
He heard the loveseat creak as he stood back up. His footsteps hardly made a sound seeing he weighed hardly anything. He walked towards the girl, and jumped slightly when she turned to look at him. He could read surprise on her face as he looked at her. He hadn’t meant to scare her, but, once again, he really didn’t care.
I'm... Arline. Arline Stryker. He heard her speaking her name and just blinked. I’m Evan. He said just that, nothing more, nothing less. He watched her look out the window, staring at something he couldn’t see. Taking a step to the side, he looked out the window. He saw horses running in the closest paddock. They weren’t really any interest to him and he turned to look at the girl again. She seamed to be in another world, not seeing what was right next to her.
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Post by echosong on Jan 24, 2009 0:06:38 GMT -8
"Evan." she repeated, her voice whisper soft. She blinked, and the daydream was lost. She turned her face slightly, to find Evan staring at her. She blushed slightly, just a faint pink on her cheeks, then returned her gaze to the window. The sun peaked around a cloud, and struck her ring, casting blue and white tinged sparkles on the nearest wall. Arline blinked and looked down at it, dazed by the sudden flash. She turned the ring delicately, watching it sparkle, sucked into another memory...
"Here we are.." Thomas pulled the car to a stop. Arline stared out the windshield, a wry grin on her lips. "Where are we?" She half giggled. Thomas was already on the other side of the car, though, and he opened the door for her. He must have heard her anyways. "I'll show you." Thomas lifted her out of the car easily, setting her back on her feet. The summer sun was just dipping below a low rise, its ruby color tinging the sky pink and orange. There was a familiar gleam in Thomas's eyes, and Arline was immediately suspicious. "Whats going on?" She asked again, her voice more serious, an eyebrow raised. "Just showing you a place I like to come when your out of town." he told her casually. he took her hand and led her through the grass, soft as silk below her bare feet - she had left her sandals behind. Thomas took her over the rise, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh!" Was all Arline could say. The rise sloped down to a small valley, where a small creek trickled. Another few feet ahead was a willow tree, its long tendrils swaying in the day-end breeze. On the opposite side of the valley was a couple of horses, one white one palomino, grazing together. Arline was lost in the beauty of the moment. Thomas's voice was softer now as he spoke. "I'll be right back." Then he was off, jogging quickly back to the car, leaving Arline under the willow.
It wasn't long before he was back, carrying something small in his hands. Before Arline could make sense of it, Thomas was down on one knee, asking her a question repeated hundreds of times all over the world. "Will you marry me?" His voice was tender, soft, overwhelmingly passionate. Arline smiled, so wide she thought her face would stretch. "Yes!" Thomas laughed, and scooped her into the air, twirling her around. They both laughed then. "Yes." Arline murmered again, as Thomas pulled her into his chest.
The memory began to fade. The light from he memory matched the light in the present, the sun slipping below the horizon. A tear slipped down Arline's cheeck, but she was too lost to think to wipe it away.
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Post by Evan Dean on Jan 25, 2009 3:22:25 GMT -8
Evan. Her whispery voice spoke after her had told her his name. For some reason her voice reminded him of something of his past, but he just could place what it was. As he stared at her back, he saw her turn at look at him. Her cheeks turned a soft pink as she blushed. She looked only at him for a moment, then turned to look back out the window. Evan sighed and leaned against the wall, waiting for Arline to speak again.
Evan blinked when the shimmer of a ring caught his eye. The ring made sparkling patterns of white and blue on the wall. Evan smiled a ghost of a smile, if it could even be called that. It was more like a twitching of his lips then anything else.
The sparkling show was cut off when Arline started to spin the ring on her small finger. Sighing again, he leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. The scene going on behind his eyes lids reminded him of the life he used to have. A good one, one without all the hard ships he was going through now. A life with out the constant want, the need, for any and all drugs. The need to have alcohol in his system. The want to be drunk to be able to not have a care in the world.
Evan gasped then slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor. He bagged his head on the wall, trying to get rid of the head ache that had suddenly taken over him. He felt hopeless as it got worse, trying to convince him to go back to the dark side, to check himself out of rehab and go back to the drugs.
Rubbing his temples, he stood back up. Walking over to the the little refreshments area set in the corner, he grabbed a water out of the fridge. Cracking the lid open, he gulped down half of it. Gasping a bit for air, a put the bottle back on the counter. He put the lid back on the water and took it back with him. Walking back towards the window, he saw a tear run down Arline's cheek. It glistened in the dyeing light of the setting sun. For a fleeting second, he had the urge to wipe the tear way, but didn't. Instead he finished his water and then leaned back against the wall.
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Post by echosong on Feb 12, 2009 21:14:07 GMT -8
Arline watched as Evan began to bang his head on the wall. he looked a bit deranged, actually. And so... hopeless. Desperate almost. He rubbed his two middle fingers against his temples, as if trying to soothe a head-ache. He stood, still rubbing one side of his head, and grabbed a bottled water from the refreshments table. He sucked it down so fast it left dents in the side of the bottle, and he was gasping for air. He stood there for a moment, catching his breath. After a moment, he took the bottle with him back to the window.
Arline felt the tear running down her cheek, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She saw Evan's hand twitch, like he wanted to. No, probably just an itch. thats what Thomas would have done, not this stranger.
"What has the world done to you?" She murmured quietly, half to herself. The world could be a cruel place, filled with grief and despair. Anyone who lost a loved one would know that.
Flashing lights filled the crowded track, clogged with spectators, jockeys, and medical officers. Arline could feel her feet moving beneath her, too fast to be merely running. Someone was put on a stretcher, another doctor was sitting over another person, looking forlorn. "What happened?! Who was hurt?!" Arline could hear the hysterics in her own voice. Another doctor grabbed her by the shoulders, backing her up a few yards. "Two jockeys fell in the last race. Both horses had to be put down." The doctor gazed at her face, worry emanating from her. "Did you know a Raphael Dawson or a Thomas Robinson?" He asked severely.
"Thomas! Thomas, he's my fiancee, what happened to him?!" the doctor's face fell. Horror and despair clogged Arline's chest and throat. "He... he didn't make it. He suffered a concussion and spinal injuries. I'm... I'm so sorry. I suppose there's.. not much I can say." The doctor's first five words echoed in her head. Denial and grief immobilized her, and she collapsed in a daze on the damp track. "No... no."
"No.." Arline whispered, repeating the memory in her mind like instant replay. She was sobbing now, her arms wrapped around her knees below the windowsill.
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Post by Evan Dean on Feb 23, 2009 23:29:11 GMT -8
Even felt the eyes of Arline on him as he banged his head on the wall, but he didn't care. He was hopeless, and there was nothing that could change that. At the moment, he wanted nothing more then to curl up in a ball and die. His withdrawals had been getting worse by the day, and the head aches to fierce that they would sometimes make him double over.
As he drank from the plastic water bottle, the side dented in and made cracking sounds. As he stopped drinking, the water bottle slowly started to inflate and the plastic made popping sounds as it was forced outwards. Mick made a fist with the hand that wasn't holding the water bottle and punched it against the counter. He set his other hand down slowly, laying his pinkie on the counter and making the water bottle tip slightly. Mick lowered his head and stared at the floor, catching the breath he had lost from gulping down the water.
Punching the counter once more, he walked away from it and made his way back to the window. As he leaned against the wall, eyes closed, he heard Arline muttering to herself. What has the world done to you? Mick then leaned his head back at hit it against the wall. What has the world done to you Mick? he thought to himself. Better yet, what have you done to yourself?
Puzzling over what he had asked himself, he let himself slide down the wall until he was squatting. His back was hunched over and his head bent down, looking at the floor. Finally, he slid down the rest of the way and sat. Crossing his legs, he leaned his forehead on his knees. He then crossed his arms and wrapped then around his legs. He sighed and hugged his knees closer to himself.
Evan was snapped out of his thinking when he heard Arline suddenly start sobbing. He unfolded his arms and lifted his head. What he saw surprised him. The last time he had looked at her, she had been standing looking out the window. Now she sat with her arms folded around her knees under the sill, crying her eyes out. Sighing, Evan put the water bottle on the ground and pushed himself up. Once he was standing, he grasped Arline's arm and lifted her into a standing position. His hand was gentle on her arm as he led her over to the couch.
Setting her down on the couch, Evan grabbed the remote that sat on the floor. Turning it towards the TV, he clicked the power button. Sighing, he sat himself down on the couch, facing Arline. Watching her, he waited until she was ready to stop crying.
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Post by echosong on Feb 24, 2009 0:04:39 GMT -8
Arline vaguely felt the tug on her arm. Part of her mind was startled by the touch. Warm. Gentle. The rest of her mind was numb, to far lost on denial to make any sense. Suddenly, she was plopped down on the couch, the TV on some mindless sit-com. Evan was facing her, his face blurry through the tears. She thought she heard him sigh. Arline chocked in a few staggered breaths, and leaned on his shoulder, not realizing Evan was almost a complete stranger. The motion was comforting, familiar.
After a few minutes, Arline was still sobbing slightly, but no tears fell. She was still staring a bit blankly, but her mind was working again. She didn't stop leaning on Evan's shoulder, for he hadn't said anything in protest. She rubbed her shoulder absent-mindedly, comforting herself. Arline sucked in a deep breath, attempting to calm the occasional tremors rocking her body. She chewed on her lip, an old habit of hers.
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