the-fallow-library

[the-fallow-library]

(OOC: had to do another post. i am going to crash out.)

I, obviously, didn't go to sleep well that night, not as easily as I did with the noise machine. Not when I had the realisation that all that time, those nights of watching it, I was awake the entire time. I was exhausted when I woke up on my couch, it made me miss the nice sleep I got immediately, but I dreaded that thing as well. When I got to work that day, I immediately questioned Joseph. I asked him what the hell he gifted me, what kind of curse did he pass onto me. He looked at me, with a smile that never reached his eyes, and said "I gave it a new chance". I was gonna curse him out until I processed what he said. He said 'It'. He wasn't referring to me. Finally, I noticed something I should've ages ago. His eyes. When I met him, his eyes were a light brown colour that looked so beautiful in the sunlight, the colour matched his hair perfectly. Now, they were black, and not dark brown to the point it almost looks black. I mean pure dark black. I couldn't even see his pupils. In that moment I realised that whoever I had been talking to for the past few weeks, whoever gave me that noise machine, wasn't Joseph. He looked and sounded like him, but it wasn't him. Wasn't my Joseph. After a moment's silence, the fake Joseph walked away, and I was left, standing in the hallway, processing. I went home early that day, and took some days off work. Whatever was connected to that noise machine took Joseph, replaced him or took over his body, I don't know. What I do know is that my Joseph is gone, the one that listened to my rants and comforted me when I was too tired to function. I don't know what to do. You can do whatever you want with the machine, I don't want it near me again. I'm perfectly fine with restless nights if it means I stay myself. But what I do care about, is if you find away to bring Joseph back, let me know. Please. LIBRARIAN Statement ends. That was… not what I was expecting. It's simpler than I thought it was going to be, considering how many times I was interrupted trying to read it. The noise machine is not in the library. It was donated to the Magnus Institute's artefact storage a month after the statement was given. Mr. Lee's phone number is no longer in use but looking on the internet, there's no sign of him having passed away, so I'm going to ask Andrew to track him down, and if that turns up with nothing, I might use my new connection with the police for help. I would've asked Ayah or Hope but both of them have been a bit different. Hope is jumpy and Ayah is more closed off. Rumour has it that the two of them broke up sometime after the attack. It sucks, considering how close they were, but I hope it doesn't get in the way of work. I… I really hope we find Jordan. Not only just for a follow up, but because I want to give him my condolences. His friend, Joseph Lewis, was reported missing sometime after the machine was donated, and there's been no sign of him since. It might be best to assume he's dead, he might have been for a while going off of this. I know what it's like to lose someone, more than once actually, and I guess it'd be nice to not be alone in the feeling. [Sigh] Aside from the getting back on reading statements, I've been trying to get Mrs. James' permission to explore the tunnels, just to sate my curiosity. However, I'd prefer if the others weren't aware of this. Despite Erin's best efforts, a level of paranoia has crept in, and I can't help but feel uneasy around my assistants. Never thought I'd ever say that. But, we'll see where that goes. End of recording. [CLICK]

Statement of Jordan Lee, regarding what they believed was sleep paralysis. Original statement given July 6th, 2007.

[CLICK] LIBRARIAN This should be a good one to start again with, and to get out of the way. [Deep sigh] Please, no one interrupt this time. Statement of Jordan Lee, regarding what they believed was sleep paralysis. Original statement given July 6th, 2007. Recorded by Marlieke Evans, Head Librarian of the Fallow Library, Manchester. Statement begins.

LIBRARIAN (Statement) I always struggled with sleep growing up, as young as four years old. Nothing seemed to help, at least not for long. Night lights, sleep tea, medication, the whole lot. It'd last for a few nights, sometimes even up to a full week at most, but then I'd be back at square one. Stuck awake until almost four am before I went to sleep. It really sucked when I had to get up at six am for School and I was still so tired. I got used to taking those gummy vitamins to keep me awake the whole day, and eventually energy drinks when I got to High School and University. At the end of the day, I'd get home and just pass out, but it was never sleep, not a full rest, just an hour or two long nap before I eventually got woken up. In all my life, I've never known true rest. Then, around a month ago, my friend, Joseph, gifted me something. A noise machine. He said it'd help me sleep. I had already tried a noise machine a few years ago and told him it wouldn't work, but he stopped me. Said it was a different kind of one, that'd it'd work better than what I tried before, and that it helped him get to sleep easier. He had insomnia growing up as well, that's how we became friends in the first place. I don't like being rude, so I took it. He was my friend, after all. There was no harm in trying it, seeing it didn't work after a week, and give it back. So, that night, I turned it on. It played the typical white noise you'd hear immediately, but that's all it would play. There were other buttons but any writing that indicated what they were had been scratched away and they didn't work in the first place. Trust me, I tried. You'd click a button and it'd still be white noise. I thought it was broken, so I was only going to use it for the night then give it back to Joseph and tease him for giving me a broken gift. I expected the typical to happen when I rested my head on my pillow. That I'd close my eyes for thirty minutes to an hour before finally going to sleep, it's better compared to my usual three to five hours. But, the moment my head hit the pillow and I closed my eyes, I was out, like when I pass out from a long of work, except I wasn't woken up an hour later. I had a full nights rest. The full six to eight hours. It was so odd. I even had a dream, which is actually rare for me considering how little sleep I get. Hell, I even remembered it. I was in darkness, like when you close your eyes, except I felt myself actually in it. It was comforting. When I woke up, I didn't feel tired, like I usually did, even when I tried medication or tea to sleep. It was refreshing. So, when I went to work, I didn't take the machine with me, I was actually going to try it out for the week. Joseph asked me how it was and I said it was fine, but that we'd see how I'd fare after a week. Usually, Joseph would laugh at that but he just smiled. It was odd but I didn't bring it up. It was like that for the whole week. I'd turn the machine on, pass out as soon as I closed my eyes, dream, then wake up six to eight hours later. I was even starting to get used to it, to feeling awake without the need for medication or energy drinks, or passing out as soon as I got home. It was a nice change to my monotone routine.

(OOC: gonna have to post the other half in a seperate post CAUSE I EXCEEDED THE CHARACTER LIMIT???)

[the-fallow-library]

(OOC: here's the other half)

Then, after a few weeks, something changed. It was the middle of the night, and it was quiet. I don't mean quiet in the sense of I got used to the white noise and tuned it out, which I did. I mean it was dead quiet. Just because you can tune a noise out doesn't mean you don't notice when it stops. For one moment, there was nice and peaceful static, then there was nothing. It just stopped for a moment. A part of me thought that I finally broke it, which I dreaded, but when I went to move, I couldn't. I opened my eyes, I was in pitch darkness, and I couldn't move. I was stuck, frozen in whatever position I fell asleep in and I could only move my eyes. I couldn't even speak or make a sound. Looking around the room, I spotted It. A silhouette, with piercing pin prick white eyes. It didn't do anything, it was just looking at me. I knew it noticed me looking back, I don't know how but I just knew. It never did anything, it just stared at me and I stared back. There was nothing else I could do aside from stare back. Eventually, I don't know when, I must have fell asleep. When I woke up, it was morning, and I still felt fine, still awake. However, my eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the morning light. The machine was still silent, but I choked it up to it turning off in the night. Now, I know what you're gonna say; that what I just described was sleep paralysis. That's what I thought it was too, at first. It would've been harmless. Should've been. But it unnerved the hell out of me, even if it was just supposed to be a hallucination. But I still woke up energised for the day ahead of me so I thought nothing of it, never even brought it up to Joseph. When it started happening again and again, I still tried to think nothing of it. Even when it became like that every night I went to bed, I tried to not think about it. Every night, I'd wake to silence, be paralysed, and see it. Just in the corner, looking at me. It wasn't in the corner for long, though. Every night it would move, just a little bit, as to not be noticeable. But I noticed. A little bit closer to me every night. What did it want from me? It had to have wanted something from me, right? I think I got that question answered for me, three days ago. It was the same situation. Silence, and paralysis. The only difference was when I opened my eyes, it was there, next to my bed, staring at my face. Those beady white eyes. Even with it so close, it was still just a silhouette. I was ready to just stare back until I passed out, like every night. Then, it's hand moved, toward my arm. I know that a symptom of sleep paralysis is feeling like something is pushing down on you, but this was different. When it grabbed my arm, I felt it. I felt everything. The sharp coldness that runs deep into your bones. I immediately tried to yank my arm away and was met with incredible resistance, it didn't want to let go of me. I was stuck, grappling with this thing, all while that freezing cold feeling was spreading up my arm. Looking down, it looked like some shadowy tendril was consuming it. In a panic, I tried to pull away again and managed to get free of the shadow's grip. It did send me tumbling backwards, off my bed. I got my bearings quickly and ran to leave my room, I knew it'd follow me, but I was panicking and afraid of what it was going to do to me if it caught me, I wasn't going to think clearly in the moment. When I got to the door, my hand must've hit against the light switch, as the room suddenly filled with light. I stupidly looked back, but when I did, it was gone. Like it was never there to begin with, except for what it did to my arm. It was still so cold and numb, I could barely feel it, and there was this dark stain over where the tendril had reached over my arm. It didn't come off when I tried to wash it away. It still hasn't.

Statement of Jordan Lee, regarding what they believed was sleep paralysis. Original statement given July 6th, 2007.

[CLICK] LIBRARIAN This should be a good one to start again with, and to get out of the way. [Deep sigh] Please, no one interrupt this time. Statement of Jordan Lee, regarding what they believed was sleep paralysis. Original statement given July 6th, 2007. Recorded by Marlieke Evans, Head Librarian of the Fallow Library, Manchester. Statement begins.

LIBRARIAN (Statement) I always struggled with sleep growing up, as young as four years old. Nothing seemed to help, at least not for long. Night lights, sleep tea, medication, the whole lot. It'd last for a few nights, sometimes even up to a full week at most, but then I'd be back at square one. Stuck awake until almost four am before I went to sleep. It really sucked when I had to get up at six am for School and I was still so tired. I got used to taking those gummy vitamins to keep me awake the whole day, and eventually energy drinks when I got to High School and University. At the end of the day, I'd get home and just pass out, but it was never sleep, not a full rest, just an hour or two long nap before I eventually got woken up. In all my life, I've never known true rest. Then, around a month ago, my friend, Joseph, gifted me something. A noise machine. He said it'd help me sleep. I had already tried a noise machine a few years ago and told him it wouldn't work, but he stopped me. Said it was a different kind of one, that'd it'd work better than what I tried before, and that it helped him get to sleep easier. He had insomnia growing up as well, that's how we became friends in the first place. I don't like being rude, so I took it. He was my friend, after all. There was no harm in trying it, seeing it didn't work after a week, and give it back. So, that night, I turned it on. It played the typical white noise you'd hear immediately, but that's all it would play. There were other buttons but any writing that indicated what they were had been scratched away and they didn't work in the first place. Trust me, I tried. You'd click a button and it'd still be white noise. I thought it was broken, so I was only going to use it for the night then give it back to Joseph and tease him for giving me a broken gift. I expected the typical to happen when I rested my head on my pillow. That I'd close my eyes for thirty minutes to an hour before finally going to sleep, it's better compared to my usual three to five hours. But, the moment my head hit the pillow and I closed my eyes, I was out, like when I pass out from a long of work, except I wasn't woken up an hour later. I had a full nights rest. The full six to eight hours. It was so odd. I even had a dream, which is actually rare for me considering how little sleep I get. Hell, I even remembered it. I was in darkness, like when you close your eyes, except I felt myself actually in it. It was comforting. When I woke up, I didn't feel tired, like I usually did, even when I tried medication or tea to sleep. It was refreshing. So, when I went to work, I didn't take the machine with me, I was actually going to try it out for the week. Joseph asked me how it was and I said it was fine, but that we'd see how I'd fare after a week. Usually, Joseph would laugh at that but he just smiled. It was odd but I didn't bring it up. It was like that for the whole week. I'd turn the machine on, pass out as soon as I closed my eyes, dream, then wake up six to eight hours later. I was even starting to get used to it, to feeling awake without the need for medication or energy drinks, or passing out as soon as I got home. It was a nice change to my monotone routine.

(OOC: gonna have to post the other half in a seperate post CAUSE I EXCEEDED THE CHARACTER LIMIT???)

[the-fallow-library]

Statement of Jordan Lee, regarding what they believed was sleep paralysis. Original statement given July 6th, 2007.

[CLICK] LIBRARIAN This should be a good one to start again with, and to get out of the way. [Deep sigh] Please, no one interrupt this time. Statement of Jordan Lee, regarding what they believed was sleep paralysis. Original statement given July 6th, 2007. Recorded by Marlieke Evans, Head Librarian of the Fallow Library, Manchester. Statement begins.

LIBRARIAN (Statement) I always struggled with sleep growing up, as young as four years old. Nothing seemed to help, at least not for long. Night lights, sleep tea, medication, the whole lot. It'd last for a few nights, sometimes even up to a full week at most, but then I'd be back at square one. Stuck awake until almost four am before I went to sleep. It really sucked when I had to get up at six am for School and I was still so tired. I got used to taking those gummy vitamins to keep me awake the whole day, and eventually energy drinks when I got to High School and University. At the end of the day, I'd get home and just pass out, but it was never sleep, not a full rest, just an hour or two long nap before I eventually got woken up. In all my life, I've never known true rest. Then, around a month ago, my friend, Joseph, gifted me something. A noise machine. He said it'd help me sleep. I had already tried a noise machine a few years ago and told him it wouldn't work, but he stopped me. Said it was a different kind of one, that'd it'd work better than what I tried before, and that it helped him get to sleep easier. He had insomnia growing up as well, that's how we became friends in the first place. I don't like being rude, so I took it. He was my friend, after all. There was no harm in trying it, seeing it didn't work after a week, and give it back. So, that night, I turned it on. It played the typical white noise you'd hear immediately, but that's all it would play. There were other buttons but any writing that indicated what they were had been scratched away and they didn't work in the first place. Trust me, I tried. You'd click a button and it'd still be white noise. I thought it was broken, so I was only going to use it for the night then give it back to Joseph and tease him for giving me a broken gift. I expected the typical to happen when I rested my head on my pillow. That I'd close my eyes for thirty minutes to an hour before finally going to sleep, it's better compared to my usual three to five hours. But, the moment my head hit the pillow and I closed my eyes, I was out, like when I pass out from a long of work, except I wasn't woken up an hour later. I had a full nights rest. The full six to eight hours. It was so odd. I even had a dream, which is actually rare for me considering how little sleep I get. Hell, I even remembered it. I was in darkness, like when you close your eyes, except I felt myself actually in it. It was comforting. When I woke up, I didn't feel tired, like I usually did, even when I tried medication or tea to sleep. It was refreshing. So, when I went to work, I didn't take the machine with me, I was actually going to try it out for the week. Joseph asked me how it was and I said it was fine, but that we'd see how I'd fare after a week. Usually, Joseph would laugh at that but he just smiled. It was odd but I didn't bring it up. It was like that for the whole week. I'd turn the machine on, pass out as soon as I closed my eyes, dream, then wake up six to eight hours later. I was even starting to get used to it, to feeling awake without the need for medication or energy drinks, or passing out as soon as I got home. It was a nice change to my monotone routine.

(OOC: gonna have to post the other half in a seperate post CAUSE I EXCEEDED THE CHARACTER LIMIT???)

[the-fallow-library]

"Alright"

Andrew glanced at the kitten in the owner's hands, smiling softly to himself. It reminded him of one of Marli's cats, which he hadn't seen in months.

He mentally slapped himself, he really needed to get out whatever this feeling was before it inevitably became worse, so he started browsing a random book category.

It'd been a few months since the attack at the Library, and Andrew decided to finally have a break of some kind. Sure he wasn't injured and everyone was fine, but that didn't mean things didn't change, and not entirely for the better in his opinion.

So that's how Andrew found himself outside a bookshop, one that one of Casey's friends recommended. He opened the door and walked in, glancing around as he did.

@the-fallow-library

Amir was the only worker currently in the shop. He had sent out Emil a bit earlier to take his break while there was still a tiny amount of sun outside.

“Welcome in, can I help you?” He said without a hint of hesitation. He had stopped in the middle of the shop, meant to walk towards the back. He held a grumpy looking kitten that he had just managed to get down from one of the shelves. The 12 minutes, 50 seconds he tried to get him down luckily unnoticed by anyone.

[the-fallow-library]

Andrew looked toward where the voice was

"Oh, uh I'm not sure. Just glancing around is all, so I don't know what I'm looking for yet."

It's been a bit hard for Andrew to know exactly what he wants for a few months now. He's just been... existing, living day to day in routine.

It'd been a few months since the attack at the Library, and Andrew decided to finally have a break of some kind. Sure he wasn't injured and everyone was fine, but that didn't mean things didn't change, and not entirely for the better in his opinion.

So that's how Andrew found himself outside a bookshop, one that one of Casey's friends recommended. He opened the door and walked in, glancing around as he did.

@the-fallow-library

Amir was the only worker currently in the shop. He had sent out Emil a bit earlier to take his break while there was still a tiny amount of sun outside.

“Welcome in, can I help you?” He said without a hint of hesitation. He had stopped in the middle of the shop, meant to walk towards the back. He held a grumpy looking kitten that he had just managed to get down from one of the shelves. The 12 minutes, 50 seconds he tried to get him down luckily unnoticed by anyone.

[the-fallow-library]

Jurgen Leitner is on tumblr?!?!??!

-Andrew

[the-fallow-library]

God, it's been a few months. Apologies for not posting on here, work's just been busy here at the Library. Not even had time to record some statements.

I've had to stop bringing my cats to work, they just started hissing at Ayah sometime after we got back to work which is weird cause they used to love her.

But either way, library is of course open to the public, come visit when you want.

I really need to get back to recording.

-Marlieke Evans, Head Librarian.

[the-fallow-library]

Eloise raised an eyebrow but matched the same professional vibe Elias had.

"So I've heard, vaguely, I don't care for the specifics of what drama takes place in your building."

She picked up the invite from their desk and looked at it, speaking as she did so.

"I thought about sending my Librarian but she's still not exactly aclimating well to the role, due to recent circumstances. So, you can expect me at the event."

There was a knock on the door to Elias' office, and then it opened shortly after. Leaning against the door frame was Eloise James, Head of the Fallow Library in Manchester.

"Good afternoon, Elias"

@the-fallow-library

Hello, Eloise.

How can i help you?

I don't think you've scheduled a meeting, is there something urgent?

[the-fallow-library]

She scoffed slightly.

"Really? Is that it, no ulterior motive about it?"

Her tone was almost rhetorical as she spoke.

"It'd certainly be an odd move on your part, considering the decades long rivalry between my Library and your Institute"

There was a knock on the door to Elias' office, and then it opened shortly after. Leaning against the door frame was Eloise James, Head of the Fallow Library in Manchester.

"Good afternoon, Elias"

@the-fallow-library

Hello, Eloise.

How can i help you?

I don't think you've scheduled a meeting, is there something urgent?

[the-fallow-library]

"Not exactly, no."

Eloise walked into the office, stopping in front of the desk.

"I was certainly surprised to see an envelope on my desk today, especially one from you."

She took the invite out of her pocket and placed it on his desk.

There was a knock on the door to Elias' office, and then it opened shortly after. Leaning against the door frame was Eloise James, Head of the Fallow Library in Manchester.

"Good afternoon, Elias"

@the-fallow-library

Hello, Eloise.

How can i help you?

I don't think you've scheduled a meeting, is there something urgent?

[the-fallow-library]

- @eliasbouchardofficial

Eloise looked at the envelope on her desk. She rarely got mail, even if she was a 'social' person. It was no shock to say she was a bit surprised when she opeed it and saw it was an invitation, especially one from the Magnus Institute.

She briefly thought that perhaps it was an offer to put the rivalry between the two organisations behind them but she pushed that thought away.

"How odd, but it'd be rude of me not to go"

She muttered to herself outloud. Perhaps she ought to visit the Institute and get further details.

[the-fallow-library]

Best you don't listen to an amateur. They evidently don't understand when things are out of someone's control

-Ephie

I have a brother...

That's... pretty fucking cool. Hah..

[the-fallow-library]

You're very much welcome. Best find it before someome snatches it up.

My, my quite the cold and heartless heartbreaker. Perhaps you need a distraction from your old life.

There's a note for you in Artefact Storage.

-Ephie, @the-fallow-library

A note? Tch... alright. Thanks, I guess?

[the-fallow-library]

A small, quiet laugh left the woman

"I haven't heard that phrase in a long time. No, no, you are quite alright, Dr. Pembroke. And before you ask, yes I know who you are" She held out a hand toward him.

"Eloise James, Head of the Fallow Library, it's a pleasure to meet... this you."

Clive has taken a train to wherever it would take him, and that just happens to be Manchester. Wandering tendencies have taken him (and the cat) some interesting places, and the most recent such wandering has lead them to a certain library.

No clue what to expect, but it looks intriguing enough to give a shot.

{-@fears-anatomy}

The library wasn't too busy inside, a few people here and there. It wouldn't be surprising to anyone who knew that the library had only just reopened the day prior after around a week of being closed. Near the entrance of the Library, was a woman, dressed professionally. She had an air of confidence about her, that could almost tell someone immediately that she was in charge. She was deep in a conversation with someone.

[the-fallow-library]

The woman seemed to notice Clive, and looked confused for a moment before she paused and smiled lightly. She looked back at the person, seemingly ending the conversation and gave them a kiss on the cheek. Must be a partner of sorts. The person then left the library through the doors, and the woman walked up to Clive. "Well, this is certainly a surprise"

Clive has taken a train to wherever it would take him, and that just happens to be Manchester. Wandering tendencies have taken him (and the cat) some interesting places, and the most recent such wandering has lead them to a certain library.

No clue what to expect, but it looks intriguing enough to give a shot.

{-@fears-anatomy}

The library wasn't too busy inside, a few people here and there. It wouldn't be surprising to anyone who knew that the library had only just reopened the day prior after around a week of being closed. Near the entrance of the Library, was a woman, dressed professionally. She had an air of confidence about her, that could almost tell someone immediately that she was in charge. She was deep in a conversation with someone.

[the-fallow-library]

Too much confidence can, though. You might want to relearn humility.

Should I... talk to them? Would it be weird if I tried? Like "hi, I'm your brother. You don't remember. Also, I killed you and helped bring you back sort of against my will. Let's get lunch."

Gods... I wish Rune was still here.

[the-fallow-library]

Such a strong belief that they'd even believe what you tell them. It's cute.

Should I... talk to them? Would it be weird if I tried? Like "hi, I'm your brother. You don't remember. Also, I killed you and helped bring you back sort of against my will. Let's get lunch."

Gods... I wish Rune was still here.