GREYBURN - THE ABBEY
Mar 8, 2015 23:00:45 GMT -8
Post by ◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊ on Mar 8, 2015 23:00:45 GMT -8
Babette crunched through the gravel drive to the new abbey, all the lights were on, and she could hear Ellen having a tense phone conversation inside. Babette sneakedcloser to the new abbey and tried to eavesdrop on Ellen's conversation from outside.
Babette covered her mouth with her black handkerchief and hurried to her room. Whatever Ellen was discussing sounded serious. Babette waited, and listened to Ellen as she paced the floor, lost in a tangle of group calls and voice mail. The light of the moon glowed through her window in a filmy green haze-- and she was struck by a compulsion--
BABETTE-- COME TO ME~!
It came from outside...
She opened the window and climbed straight outside, a thrill of fear rising as she wondered if she'd and the other movie peeps would be blamed - somehow - for Marchese's death.
Babette's bare feet touched the cold gravel, perhaps if she moved quickly, she could avoid their jagged edges like a firewalker. Thorny brambles prickled at her legs and the gauzy material of her gown. Ellen's voice grew distant, as Babette walked toward a thicket of black, bony trees. A figure stood among them, eyes shimmering silvery-green in the deep shadows. Too small to be Aubrey.
Babette pulled her ruffly night gown above the ankles, to protect it from the dirt, and peered at the reflective eyes. Ellen had green eyes, but would she call Babette into the forest? Maybe it was -
The figure emerged. His hair had been slicked back with water and he wore a fresh shirt, but his pale colored pants had strange sooty grey smears on them.
He held out a silk rose.
Babette nearly screamed, but a lifetime of horror movies had hardened her against surprises.
Ellen: "--Well who was there?"
(long pause)
Ellen: "Vitus had to be there. Where else would he be?"
Ellen: "They're sure? Did they find a body?"
Ellen: "Of course, will they-- well I guess it depends how severe the fire is, doesn't it?"
Babette covered her mouth with her black handkerchief and hurried to her room. Whatever Ellen was discussing sounded serious. Babette waited, and listened to Ellen as she paced the floor, lost in a tangle of group calls and voice mail. The light of the moon glowed through her window in a filmy green haze-- and she was struck by a compulsion--
BABETTE-- COME TO ME~!
It came from outside...
Babette-
"I'm coming!"
She opened the window and climbed straight outside, a thrill of fear rising as she wondered if she'd and the other movie peeps would be blamed - somehow - for Marchese's death.
Babette's bare feet touched the cold gravel, perhaps if she moved quickly, she could avoid their jagged edges like a firewalker. Thorny brambles prickled at her legs and the gauzy material of her gown. Ellen's voice grew distant, as Babette walked toward a thicket of black, bony trees. A figure stood among them, eyes shimmering silvery-green in the deep shadows. Too small to be Aubrey.
Babette pulled her ruffly night gown above the ankles, to protect it from the dirt, and peered at the reflective eyes. Ellen had green eyes, but would she call Babette into the forest? Maybe it was -
"Helen? Who is it? What's wrong?"
The figure emerged. His hair had been slicked back with water and he wore a fresh shirt, but his pale colored pants had strange sooty grey smears on them.
Theodore-
"Oh! I hate to have woken you. You look beautiful nonetheless. I've brought you a gift, I hope it is some small recompense."
He held out a silk rose.
Theodore-
"I had to speak with you, and to apologize. You see, I didn't realize your note was in fact, not a telephone number! I wish I'd read it sooner."
Babette-
"!"
Babette nearly screamed, but a lifetime of horror movies had hardened her against surprises.
Babette-
"Theodore! Are you a Greyburn? How did you call me? It's not safe near the abbey. He might hear you."
She stuck out her hand and wiggled her fingers. It had been so long since her last flowers wilted!
Theodore-
"Oh I'm no Greyburn, it's just a little trick I have."
Babette-
"Oh, but that is a lovely rose. May I?"The rose was just a little dusty, but quite nice and actual silk!
Theodore-
"Of course, darling!"
Theodore-
"I hate to admit that while I am about halfway to my goal, I did not get Tomasz tonight, and not everything went as planned..."
Theodore-
"I was too hasty, I hope you will forgive me."
Babette leaned against a tree, facing away from the Abbey. She busied her fingers by brushing dust from the rose petals.
"That is disappointing news, but don't apologize - there's always tomorrow. We'll be spitting on his grave before you know it."
Babette-
"I'm not usually so eager to watch a man die, but he was very bad to my friends. Ru, Jack - they deserve some peace."
Theodore-
"Ohh... No, I ought to apologize. There was a terrible accident. It is my fault really, and I am truly sorry."
Theodore-
"It was my intemperance ... I'm afraid there were innocent lives lost."
Babette-
"Ohhh ... oh, I understand."
She could easily see a human dying in the wrong place at the wrong time. The servants in Marchese's manor, for example. Then, Babette thought of Ellen's conversation about a fire, thought of the sooty ashes on Theodore's pants. Vitus? No, it couldn't be ...
Babette-
"We'll try very hard to be less intemperate next time. I can ... I can call my friends away when you attack. Phones make things easy. There are many ways to send code through text messaging. Technology is wonderful, isn't it?"
Theodore-
"Wonderful, you understand! I'm so happy."
Theodore-
"Oh my man found a telephone, but I don't have your telephone number! I should love to talk to you again. "
Theodore-
"And of course, neither of us would have a pen! Oh what a scene."
Theodore-
"Well I shall just have to track you down, Babette. Don't let that madman snatch you away to his mazes in the mean time."
Babette-
"I won't follow a moth again!"
WAIT a second.
Babette-
"How did you know where I live?"
He was pretty creepy, now that she considered it.
Theodore-
"Oh heheh, I know this and that... I am on a mission, after all."
Theodore-
"But I will be a gentleman, I'm sorry for intruding this night but I felt I must set the record straight."
Theodore-
"You may not see me for a while, I'm sure the Circle will react poorly and hide you all away. I left a bit of a scene, unfortunately."
Theodore-
"But I will look for you, and I will never forget the darling Babette! Oh! That rhymed, how lovely."
He offered his hand to her.
Babette-
"Good luck, and thank you for the sword."
She took his hand. Babette was grateful that she stopped biting her nails for Lychgate - a vampire with ragged nails would be a sad creature, wouldn't it?
His hand was very cold, but perhaps she was used to that in touching other dead people. He held it gently, like someone holds an overly fragile teacup.
"Maybe someday you can tell me your story. It might make an interesting movie."
The public loved morally ambiguous protagonists. She wondered if Theodore was an antihero, or just the lesser of two evils. She didn't much care, as long as he protected Ru.
Theodore-
"Anything! I will tell you my story one day, though it is quite grim for a lovely lady."
He moved her hand a little closer to his face, like he was considering whether to kiss it, and instead, placed his other cold hand on top.
Theodore-
"Thank you darling, and again, I am so sorry for your friend. Good night."
"Good night."
She drew away with a couple steps back, and muttered a "darn" when a brambly plant caught her dress by the hem."These diaphanous gowns are trouble ..."
Babette extricated herself, her mind worrying over the 'sorry about your friend' line - she wanted to return to the abbey and call her friends, one by one, all the new friends on her contact list and maybe a couple old ones, just in case.