#i am investigating (put bowls underneath with a piece of kitchen paper to see which area gets wet)

[tieflingbi]

my shoulders have been killing me the past two days and i'm getting a skull-splitting headache i hate it here

[josephstoontown]

Re-Arrival

This was originally a series of posts used to re-introduce my character to the Tumblrverse roleplaying scene (or at least the part of it he was actually in).  And now, it’s been squished together as one whole story.

Word count: 5,734 – Character count: 33,115 Originally written: March 27-31, 2016 Slightly revised: January 8th, 2017 Revised again: August 9th, 2017

A stranger randomly finds themselves lost in a strangely familiar place…

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    “W… where am I?”

    A figure looked around, trying to get their bearings.  That location…  It… seemed familiar.  Yet…     “A… am I dreaming?  This can’t be real…”

    In the pale moonlight, the figure could see that they were in a clearing somewhere in the middle of a forest.  Nothing in the clearing really stood out to them save for the back of a house standing several yards away.  It had quite a lot of overgrowth, grass and ivy doing its best to try and claim the house for its own.  Some of the wooden siding had also fallen off the outside walls and one window had a large crack in it.  However, despite the obvious state of disrepair… the figure could see that the back porch light was on, illuminating the area directly underneath.

    “What?  Wh… where is this place?  How did I get here?”     Those questions and more popped into their head as they found themselves drawn to the familiar, seemingly abandoned place…  Cautiously, they walked toward the porch, ears keen to any sounds and eyes watching for any sort of movement.  However, no movement caught their attention nor had any sound… save for the rustling of the tall grass, followed by the squeak and creak of the wooden porch stairs, as they made their way to the back door.

    As they looked to the doorknob, they noticed it looked tarnished and slightly rusted, matching the atmosphere of disuse and abandonment the rest of the house carried.  Still, they decided to reach out…  Before they’d gotten too close, however, the knob suddenly came loose!      The figure jumped back against the wooden banister as the aluminum knob fell on the porch with a clatter and rolled off into the grass.  Their eyes narrowed as the door creaked, slowly opening itself to them… as if beckoning them to enter.     I don’t like this, they thought.  I do not like this at all.  But, I have a feeling… maybe I’ll find some answers in there.  I need to try and find out why I’m here… and see if I can find a way back home, while I’m at it…     Taking a deep breath, the figure entered the house, keeping the door open behind them and, almost immediately, found themselves wishing they hadn’t inhaled quite so deeply…     “Trinity Above…!” they cried.  “It smells like… eaugh…!”     Despite the horrendous smell, the figure continued forth, curiosity overtaking them…

    From the light shining through the rear windows and open door, the figure could see that they’d entered into what appeared to be a kitchen.  Directly in front of them lay a wooden table on the floor, part of its top broken against the wall, and a couple of seemingly unharmed chairs.  To their left sat what appeared to be a series of cabinets and drawers… though, from the looks of things, they had long since been raided and vandalized.     Geez… I wonder what happened here?     They also noticed two cavities nearby with some pipes and tubes sticking out of the wall, likely for appliance usage.  The large, metal structure hanging over the far spot told them, at some point, there had been a stove there.  They also guessed that the other spot was for a refrigerator.

    After a moment, the figure reached to the right wall, looking for a light switch.  At first, they’d found the switch which operated the porch light, flicking it off and then back on.  When they’d found a second switch, however, no additional lights came on.  That made the figure to look upwards and, thanks to the porch light, it was easy for them to notice…     I don’t see any bulbs in those light fixtures.  Great…

    With a sigh, the figure headed back outside.  They didn’t want to deal with a dark house in the middle of the night but didn’t know what to do.  After a moment of thinking, however, an idea came to them.  Before long, they’d started gathering materials and, shortly after, had made a torch out of some grass, leaves, and a long stick.     Now, all I need to do is set it on fire…  Hm… I wonder…     Working on a hunch, the figure walked back into the house.  Carefully, they made their way around the cabinet near the first empty appliance spot and reached under the metal overhang of the second.  A grin came across their face as they’d found what they were looking for.     Matches!  Awesome!  This should help!     Not wasting any time, the figure struck a match and then attempted to light the grass torch.  The mixture of wet and dry grasses didn’t want to light, at first, but after a moment, it began to catch.  As it lit, the figure suddenly wondered if lighting a torch indoors was that great of an idea… but, they quickly discarded the notion.  The place was abandoned and in disrepair, so it probably didn’t matter, they figured.

    After pocketing the matches for later, the stranger began to look around once more and, with the increased radius of light, they could see just how ransacked the kitchen area had been…     Some hanging cabinets which surrounded the kitchen area had been demolished, their doors and shelves either hanging loose or forcibly removed, while others had simply been vandalized.  The marble counters seemed alright, aside from some spray paint and a few cracks here-or-there – likely from attempts at breaking them with blunt instruments.  Drawers were also misplaced from the floor-mounted cabinets,  some completely gone while others lay shattered and broken on the cream-colored floor.  As the figure walked over to the window beyond the stove area, they’d noticed a chrome, double-bowled sink embedded within the counter.  What they saw in the sink, however, made them wretch.     “Oh, come on!!” they exclaimed in disgust.  “Why would you do that?!  What, you couldn’t find the freaking toilet?!  Well, now I know what that smell was, at least…”

    The figure shook their head as they walked away from that disgusting mess.  A moment later, they noticed some graffiti written on the wall closest to the entrance.  As they read it, they gave an amused snort.     Gotta say, that’s an interesting choice of words…  I’ve never seen those particular swears in that exact order, before.     Another sigh escaped the figure as they turned to explore the rest of the house.

    Walking away from the mess that was once a nice kitchen, the figure continued forward until they were at what appeared to be an intersection.  Sitting ahead of them appeared to be a couple of toppled over bookcases, one on top of another and book debris showing itself underneath.  There was also a door at the other end of the area.  Slightly to the left of that seemed to be a big, open, carpeted area with what looked to be some furniture that had seen better days and a couple of windows hidden behind some curtains.  More directly to their left was another broken window with some torn-up curtains.  To the right, however, was a hallway leading to what looked to be three different rooms.     May as well work my way back from the far end of that hall, the figure thought as they walked to their right.  Before long, they found themselves in front of a doorway with a sign.     Hrn… I can’t read this…     Indeed, the paper sign had been mangled and torn far beyond readability.  The only thing the figure could make out from the sign was a single letter: “J.”  They gave a shrug and reached for the doorknob, giving it a twist and pushing forward, the door putting up no resistance as it swung open.

    The inside of the room revealed itself to be a master bedroom.  At least… it was at some point.  The vandals from before had clearly been there, too.     To the figure’s left were the remains of an ornate writing desk.  Its wooden frame had been scratched and thrashed with something sharp while the drawers had been ruined beyond repair.  The office chair on the nearby floor had also been slashed, its stuffing strewn about the area haphazardly and spewing from the naugahyde cover.     On the opposite end of the room sat a large, queen-sized bed, the frame of which had been noticeably collapsed.  The mattress and box spring both seemed intact despite being ripped-up, though the bedspread – which consisted of a quilt, sheets, and fitted sheets, all green in color – had been pushed around and torn to pieces, the blanket’s stuffing adding to the mess.  Strangely, there didn’t seem to be any pillows laying around… not even any remains.     On the left side of the bed was a small, severely damaged nightstand.  A look out the nearby, smashed window revealed the location of another, similar nightstand.  The visitor couldn’t help but be amused and disturbed by that…     Farther left of the bed sat a large, wooden dresser with vanity mirror.  The mirror had been smashed into several pieces and was in no usable condition while the dresser’s drawers were broken and discarded in various “creative” ways.  Dark, black curtains of another window had been yanked off the rod and ripped up, but aside from some crude graffiti, the window itself seemed unharmed.

    The figure took a moment to shake their head, baffled as to why anyone would go to so much trouble and, soon enough, they moved to the southern wall where another door lay.  Upon opening the door, however, the same foul aroma from the kitchen found its way to their nose… though, it was much much stronger in that room.  The figure almost decided against entering the room… but, again, curiosity got the better of them.  And so, holding their nose, they entered…

    As expected, someone had made a grand mess of things in what was once clearly a bathroom.  The tub in the corner contained a pungent soup of wastewater, as did the two sinks to the left, and someone had apparently taken a sledgehammer to the toilet on the far end of the room.  Fortunately, there was no water to be found nearby.  Despite the ruination, the figure continued to investigate what looked to be a closet near the shattered toilet.     Upon pushing the doorway back, they noticed the room was indeed a closet – one full of the tattered remains of numerous pieces of clothing.  However, one particular piece caught their attention…  It appeared to be what was left of a striped, black-and-green dress.     That dress…  It looks so familiar.  But… I’ve never seen that before… have I?

    Shaking their head once more, the figure quickly dismissed the notion and returned to the hall, wanting to explore further.  The figure jolted slightly as their grass torch gave an audible snap and an ember fell to the floor.  When nothing more came of it, they gave a grunt and continued forth, deciding to check the door to their right.

    Once again, they found themselves in a bathroom… and, once again, the sink and tub were stopped-up and full of horrible, rancid, rotting things.  The toilet was destroyed and rude words and phrases were scrawled all over the place.  They also noticed this room had a shower, the glass door to which had been smashed to smithereens     Closer to the figure sat a pair of metal boxes – a washing machine and a dryer, the figure recognized.  After one peek into the washing machine, though, they’d wished they hadn’t…     I’m just… going to pretend there isn’t a d… decomposing Feral raccoon in there… they thought, starting to feel nauseous, again.  Go about my business… all that…

    Quickly vacating the room, the figure made their way to the door on the opposite side of the hall.  Upon touching the handle, though…     “Ow…!  What the hell?!”     The figure shook their hand, hissing at the door which… oddly enough… had just shocked them!  Having not learned their lesson the first time, however, they reached out and gave the doorknob another light poke only to whip their hand away again.     “It’s like someone hooked a car battery to this thing…” they commented, noting the sensation of what felt like an electrical current on the handle.  “Guess I’ll come back to that some other time…  I don’t want to kick the door down…  Hm, maybe there’s a window?  But, later…”     With yet another sigh, the figure returned to the main room and began to investigate what they’d missed the first time around.     Directly in front of them lay the bookcases from before.  Beyond that, however, sat a small, overturned table in front of a door.  The figure had guessed the door led back outside so wagered that it was the front door and they’d come in through the back.  With a shrug, they skirted the bookcases and walked to the nearby area where the floor dropped a few inches.

    An examination of the area revealed some brown furniture – a couch, a recliner, a coffee table and a smaller table – had all been damaged or throw around in an attempt to break them.  The couch was apparently upside-down while its cushions were ripped-up and tossed around the area.  The coffee table had somehow been snapped in half while the smaller table sat on top of the overturned recliner in the corner.  Neither the table nor the chair seemed much the worse for wear.  There was, however, one more thing of interest in that area…

    “Aw, no… why…?”

    A large, wide-screen television lay there on the floor, its screen cracked and smashed in a number of places.  Close by was a small, black, rolling cart which had also been damaged.  The figure just shook their head as they examined that sight, wishing the vandals had just taken the television instead of destroying it.

    After examining the area one last time, the stranger with the torch had noticed something else they’d missed the first time around.  Lined up with the hallway and sitting between the kitchen and what they’d guessed was the living room was a ladder hanging from the ceiling.  They also noticed that the ladder was covering a hatch of some sort.  The figure assumed it led to the roof since the house only had the one story.     Once again, curiosity overtook them and they reached up, drawing the ladder down and climbing.  To their surprise, both the ladder and the hatch were seemingly untouched and in perfect condition!  Carefully, they undid the latch of the horizontal doorway and pushed it aside, climbing up to the roof.  Once there, they were in for another surprise.     “Whoa…”     Though the house wasn’t especially tall, nor the trees of the forest especially short, there was still enough of a height difference between the two to give the figure a very nice view of the surrounding area.

    The nearby area was a heavily wooded one, trees of varying sizes all around the area.  However, there was nothing of particular interesting about them aside from the fact they all sat several-dozen yards away from any side of the house in a near-perfect circle.  Whoever built that place must have liked their space.     As the figure looked around, they’d noticed that far to what they guessed was the southwest of the house appeared to be a large span of hills.  Close to that was a mesa, of all things, sitting tall and proud above the tree line.  As they looked westward, they thought they’d noticed another clearing of sorts far in that direction… but, it was hard to be sure, as the trees were too tall or the building too short to really confirm from their position.     North of the house, they’d noticed a pathway which was easily visible from the ground, though made all the more clear from the rooftop.  It stretched from the clearing to the edge of the woods and, from there, it seemed to lead to a road, then to a highway, and finally, ran off into the distance.  That, however, was not the most interesting thing the figure had seen.     Far in northern horizon, well beyond the roadways, sat a range of low mountains which weren’t much taller than the trees.  Beyond that, however, danced several lights of varying brightness and coloration.  The figure could barely make out the silhouette of a distant city from where they stood.

    As the figure put out their torch, they couldn’t help but ponder aloud…     “I feel like… I know all of these locations…  All those places… this place…  It’s all so familiar to me…  It’s like I’ve been here, before…  But, when?  And, where?  And… how?”

    The figure sighed to themselves as they walked to the northern edge of the roof and sat down, kicking their legs over the side and staring off into the distance.  Despite everything that they’d discovered to that point, they were no closer to unraveling the mystery of this place than before.  It was still just as unfamiliar… yet, very familiar… as ever.     “Maybe I should explore a little more…” they suggested to themselves as they watched the lights flicker over the horizon.  “Maybe, then, I can figure things out…”

    The figure pulled themselves up from the edge of the roof and climbed back down into the darkened room.  They set the half-burnt grass torch on the nearby kitchen counter and withdrew the matches from their pocket, lighting one and wandering toward the front door.  After navigating the fallen bookcases and moving the small table, they leaned toward the wall and looked for something…     “Ah, here’s the wall switch.”     They flicked one of the two switches and, just like earlier that night, nothing happened, so they turned it back off.  Upon flicking the other, however… light made its way through the door’s decorative glass panel, the front porch light in perfect working order, much to their luck.     Their next move was to inspect the condition of the door’s latches.  A quick look told them the doorknob and deadbolt were both intact… though, locked.  It didn’t take them long to unlock them both, then turn the handle, and pull at the door.  Like most other doors in the house, it offered no resistance and, soon enough, the figure doused their match and found themselves on the front porch of the house.

    As was the case with the rear porch, the front one had seen better days.  It was surrounded by grass on all sides and even covered in some ivy, from the looks of it.  It creaked as the figure walked down the trio of stairs and into the knee-high growth of the yard.     This place sure looks different from ground level, they thought as they walked toward the gap in the trees.  It’s hard to tell where I’m going…     Despite that, the figure did eventually make their way from the house and through the trees, following a bare dirt path out of the enclosure.  It was a surprisingly long walk out to the road from there.

    Alright.  Now what?

    Looking around, the figure couldn’t see anything of much interest.  A straight road sprawled out to the left under the moonlight as well as the right.  There didn’t appear to be any vehicles going either way, though.  Directly ahead was another line of trees but there didn’t seem to be an easy way to navigate their dark hollows, even with the light of the full moon overhead.

    The figure scratched their head as they looked around again, still not sure where to go from there.  Suddenly, something caught their eye.     Directly to the figure’s right was a shiny, black mailbox.  It looked like someone had taken a baseball bat to it though it remained standing upright and mostly intact.  Their curiosity, lead them forward and they popped it open.  To their surprise, however, something was inside.     What’s this?     They withdrew… a letter from the mailbox.

    After lighting another match, the figure looked the envelope over.  Unlike its container, the letter itself seemed completely unharmed by man nor weather.  There were no names or other identifying features on the paper and a quick look at the mailbox revealed much the same.  Still, they wondered about the letter.  And so, they opened it and, by the somewhat dim light of the moon, began reading…

I regret not being there in person to greet you but certain matters require more of my attention at this time.  I am also sorry you have returned to see the house in such a state.

    The figure suddenly wondered if the letter was speaking to them, specifically.  It seemed a little too specific for the writing to be a coincidence…  Still, the document continued.

It is obvious that you cannot use any of its facilities at this time.  However, do not despair.  There is one room in the house which remains untouched.  It is within this room that you will find some essentials to aid you on your journey.

    The figure suddenly wondered what “journey” the person was expecting them to take…

Enclosed in this envelope is a small trinket.

    The stranger blinked.  Did the envelope just get heavier?  After dousing the match, they into it and, to their surprise, retrieved what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary metal ring – albeit one with a lovely, jade inlay around it.  The figure decided to put the ring into their pocket before lighting another match and continuing.

Use it to open the room with the sealing ward on it.  This trinket will also protect you from the countless magical creatures which inhabit this world – the same ones which have turned the house into such a mess.

    At that, they immediately pulled the ring back out and put it on.  There was a slight tingle as the ring rested on their finger, though they chalked it up to nerves.  Was the item working its magic?  They figured they’d find out soon enough…

It is attuned to you specifically so do not attempt to lend it to anyone.  I would also suggest keeping it on your person at all times.  You may never know who or what may be watching you.

I must break contact now as my time grows short.  My advice to you would be to enjoy your stay here within this world and perhaps see some of the sights.  You may even encounter some familiar faces along the way, depending on what you do or where you go.

    They didn’t know what the mystery writer was talking about…

I will be in contact.  Take care of yourself.

- M

    Suddenly, the figure dropped the letter.  The instant they’d read the last character on the paper, the whole thing burst into flames!  They watched it vanish before their eyes along with the envelope before taking a few blinks and scratching to the back of their head.     “Well, that was exciting,” they commented.  “But, hmm…  Sealed room, huh?  Well, any lead is a good one, at this point…”     With that thought sorted, they turned back toward the dirt path.

    It didn’t take the figure long to find their way back to the house.  They lit yet another match – their last one – as they walked inside and headed directly to the hallway to their left.  As they stood in front of the door that had previously shocked them, they noticed that something seemed different about it…     Before, it was just a simple, mundane door.  As the figured stared, however, it seemed to be glowing a faint, green hue… and, so was the jade ring on their right hand!  Hesitantly, they reached out and touched the doorknob.  To their surprise… it didn’t resist!  The figure gave another blink as they turned the knob and slowly opened the door, unsure of what to expect…  Once again, they found themselves surprised.     That room… that sole room… was perfectly and completely intact. And, to their further surprise, the light switch even worked!  It was as though whatever vandals had ruined the house had completely forgotten to attack that room…

    Directly ahead of them lay a large bed with black sheets and a blue quilt.  There was also a nightstand sitting nearby, not unlike the one in the master bedroom – though, in much better condition.  Immediately to their left was a small, nice-looking wooden dresser and farther beyond that lay a pair of what looked to be folding closet doors.  Unable to help themselves, they walked over, opening the doors…     The closet seemed completely bare, save for a metal rod leaning against the far corner and a familiar-looking backpack hanging from the clothing rod.  The figure withdrew both items before walking to the bed and sitting down.  A moment later, they opened the backpack’s main compartment and looked inside.     To their amazement… there seemed to be a wide variety of clothing in their preferred style; jean pants of blue, green, and black coloration, t-shirts in several colors, and even a pair of swimming trunks and a dress shirt and pants…  They knew that couldn’t have been possible… yet, the inside of the backpack was clearly much larger than the outside.     More magic, I guess… they thought as they closed the main pouch.

    A moment later, they went to one of the side pockets… only to be somewhat disappointed to find that the inside matched the outside.  Inside the pocket, however, was a plain-looking notebook.  Upon withdrawing and flipping through it, the figure soon found that the notebook was empty.  They gave a grunt of disinterest as they put it back.     The next thing they opened – a smaller compartment near the top – contained a familiar-looking black wallet.     Isn’t this my wallet…? they thought, checking their rear pocket.  With no wallet to be found, they opened the one in their hand and immediately noticed… within the wallet was a number of cards… but, there was one card, in particular, that stood out to them… one that had a name and picture on it.

    “Joseph T. Lithius,” the figure said as they read the card.  “Yeah… that’s me, alright.  But, how did that… ‘M…’ get a hold of my wallet?  And, what’s this stuff here?”     Joseph withdrew some paper from the wallet.  It had some numbers and pictures on it that made him think it was money… but, he certainly didn’t recognize what kind of money it was…     “Is there even enough here for me to use for anything?”     He began counting the currency, talking to himself as he did.     “It’s about 100 Rai for a cup of coffee back home… and this is 500… whatever-this-is?  Great…  I may as well just stay here, for tonight… if I can ignore the smell, anyway…”     Joseph lifted his head, his fox nose wiggling as he inhaled.  He no longer smelled filth… but, rather, the only smell within the room seemed to be a faint, lavender-like aroma.  A quick glance at the dresser revealed the cause of that – some seemingly fresh lavender plants in a vase.     “Huh.  Well.  That explains that, then…”

    Satisfied with what he’d found and where he was, the male stood up and closed the door.  A moment later, he turned off the lights and flopped on to the strangely familiar bed in that strangely familiar room.  There were a number of questions and concerns running through his mind as he closed his eyes… but, despite his wandering mind… it didn’t take him all that long to fall asleep. –––––

    The stranger wasn’t sure what time it was when his eyes opened to bright sunlight.  He rolled off the black-and-blue bed with a groan and yawned, stretching and cracking his back.     “That was a pretty comfortable sleep… even if I didn’t get under the covers,” he thought aloud.  “But… I should probably get going.  I don’t know whose house this is – if anyone’s – and even staying here one night was probably pushing it…”     The man grabbed the backpack and stowed his newfound metallic staff between it and his back, exiting the room.  Almost immediately after, his body perked!  He was not alone…

    What was that?! he thought.     “What was that?!” echoed a voice from around the corner.  Joseph jerked around to see… a rather unusual sight.     Standing before him was a vaguely-humanoid figure, dressed completely in gray from its feet to its head.  Stranger still, it appeared to be wearing a very dark pair of sunglasses over where its eyes would be.

    “Uh…”  Joseph tilted his head.  “Hello?”     “Fick you fuh-git fox, lulls.” was the nearly-incomprehensible response he got.     He gave a confused blink as the figure laughed, its arms crossed over its chest and sunglasses pointed his way.  After a moment of thought… came to an odd realization.     “Are… are you speaking Internet jargon?”     “Anal bum cover, lull!  Ooer a pop-butte.”     Joseph narrowed his eyes, giving the figure a peculiar look.  “Okay?”     “Git-teh-fuh-hoo, fur fuh-git.  Noon licks hew, lull.”     “Is… is this your house?” he asked.  “It’s kind of a pile…  What happe–”     “M!A: Yoor mute!”

    The fox blinked again as a compulsion came over him.  Immediately following the strange creature’s words, there seemed to be a tickle in his throat…     “I uh…” he started after clearing his throat.     “Teh fook?!” the gray being shouted, taking an exaggerated, surprised look.  “Ply by teh rools you butts!  M!A: Shut up!”     “Okay, that’s just plain–”     “M!A: Stip talken!”     “Look, if this is your house, I’m on my way out.  Really!”     “It’s not working…  Hmph, I guess we’ll have to silence you the hard way!”

    Joseph’s eyes opened wide as the creature’s tone and accent dramatically changed.  Before Joseph could react, the gray being made a leap for him!  He cringed… then, blinked in surprise, watching the creature go flying off in the opposite direction.  It was almost as if they now-hostile creature had bounced right off of him!  As they got to their feet, the gray figure seemed just as surprised…     “Y… you…  You…!” it said in a threatening, masculine voice, speaking clear as day.  “You have his protection, don’t you…?”     “I… have no idea what you’re talking about, but, please!  Just calm down!”     “Yes…” the figure continued.  “Yeesss… I see!  You’re under his watch.  That mage from before…”     Joseph gave a confused shrug, scowling at the figure.     “I really don’t know what you’re talking ab–”     “Listen well, child…”     “Wh-what–”     “He may be able to keep you out of our clutches… but, can he keep your friends safe?  I’ll wager not even he is that capable…  We will watch, biding our time and waiting…  He will slip up… and, that… boy… is when we will strike!  You’ll do well to keep this in mind…”

    With a nefarious cackle, the gray creature vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Joseph to stand there, blinking and confused.     “I’m… just… I’ll be leaving now…”

    Joseph walked to the counter and retrieved his torch, stowing that behind his backpack and staff before quickly exiting through the still-open back door.  He hastily made his way around front and down the dirt path, finding his way to the paved road from the night before.  As luck would have it, a large truck happened to be passing by, then.  He quickly flagged it down, much to the annoyance of the driver.

    “Listen,” Joseph said as he spoke to the man behind the rolled-down window, “can I hitch a ride with you?  I can pay you… I think.”     “You think?” the burly truck driver repeated.     “H-here…”     The nervous male withdrew his wallet and handed the driver 100 of whatever currency was in the wallet.     “I know it’s not much, but–”     “Heh heh!  Hop-in, fox guy!”

    Joseph breathed a sigh of relief as the driver let him in.  As he sat there, ears flicking and tail wagging, he felt his body relax.  It had been an interesting couple of days and he still had no idea where he was… but, at least he seemed to be making some progress…

    “So…”     The fox-man’s ears perked and he looked to the driver.     “Where ya headed, fox guy?”     “I, uh…”  Joseph rubbed the back of his head.  “Well, where are you headed?”     “Headin’ out west, to ‘California!’” he replied.  “Got a big shipment due!”     Joseph blinked.  There was something… familiar… about that name…     “Then… that’s where I’m heading, too,” he confidently stated.     “Great!  I could use the company!”  The truck driver laughed.  “We’ve gotta looong haul ahead of us!”     “A-ah… well…  Okay!”  Joseph smiled to the driver.  “Glad to be along for the ride.”

    And with that, the two left the strange house in the woods behind them and headed out, going west toward this place the driver had called… “California.” –––––

    “So… he was able to find his way after all…  Good, good…”

    A shadowy figure stood in the dark cover of the forest, staring out as the large truck pulled away from the clearing.  They adjusted their glasses and gave a sigh before turning back toward the ruined house.     “Such time has passed since last we saw you, has it not?” they mused aloud.  “Time has not been kind to you… but, perhaps, with enough handiwork…”     “Peek-a-boo.  I see you.”     The figure’s eyes narrowed.  Though they didn’t turn to look, they knew someone had appeared behind them…

    “‘Anonymous,’ is it?” they asked, nonplussed.  “We meet again.”     “Right back at you, meddler…”     The shadow-hued figure chuckled… then, slowly turned to face the gray figure.     “What do you want?” they impatiently asked.     “Oh, nothing, in particular, I suppose…”  They grinned all the more.  “Only to weave chaos and discord… disrupt the lives of anyone and everyone I can… and, generally make a mess wherever I go.”     “As evidenced by the condition of our old house.”     “I have waited for a long while to get my revenge on you for your meddling…”     “So, our being here is your doing?  Funny…”  The other figure smirked.  “I had assumed it to be the work of a more competent magic-user…”     “Our fingers stretch farther than you can possibly imagine, mage…”     “If this is indeed your work… then, be aware: I will find a way to undo what you have done.  Even if I must go through you to do so.”     “We shall see about that, mage…  In the meantime… you should follow your own advice and enjoy your time here.  After all…”  He grinned.  “You will be here… for quite some time…”