Must Be the Season of the Witch

[el_desheredado]

When; October 27^th - October 30th
Rating; PG and up--please be careful and tag your character's nightmare visions if necessary!
Characters; Members of the Anonymous Movement, volunteer residents of the City, and YOU!
Summary;
The Anonymous Movement has identified the source of the extra trouble in the City this month--as if the curses weren't enough, right? Beings that they're calling "witches" have torn a portal into the City and are using magic to stir up the fear, anxiety, and negative emotions on which they feed.

Concerned for the well-being of the Cityzens and knowing that they'll all likely end up either mad or dead if this isn't stopped, the Anonymous Movement has decided to take the witches head on. They're marching up the mountain, armed with salt, blue beads, witch hazel, and other traditional witch-repellents, along with more conventional weapons.

But the witches aren't going to go without a fight. And they have their magic on their side...

Notes; Want to join in? If your character joined in the ad hoc volunteer witch-hunting army, feel free to start a thread for your character's nightmare vision or toss your character. Mingle threads are also welcomed!

Please see this post for more information but know that making a final sacrifice is optional.

We'll be making another post on the 30^th to wrap up the plot and tie up some loose ends, but backdating is always awesome.

Log; It's a foggy morning when everyone assembles in Misery Square. It was short notice, perhaps. But there seems to be a decent number assembled for it.

A girl with curly black hair passes through the crowd. She's carrying a basket and she passes small objects to those assembled: a sprig of witch hazel, a packet of salt, a string of blue beads, a sprig of rowan, iron nails... There are other weapons to be had too, if they're needed.

There's little to be said because so little is known. But members of the Anonymous Movement speak, briefly and perhaps a little quietly under that strange weather, about how little is known but now necessary it is to make a way--by foot or by force--up to that cottage. They admit that it will be difficult and that much is unknown, but that they will do all they can to be sure everyone makes it. It's an explanation less than a rallying of the troops.

The battered trucks are there again, for those who wish to ride in them. This is hardly a splendid morning out. Trees, some bearing colorful autumn leaves and some nearly stripped bare, loom out of the fog as they proceed up the mountain. Boulders hunch and branches reach--like witches themselves, perhaps.

They drive as far as they can. After that, it must be by foot.

It's a rough path--tumbled boulders, gnarled trees, and the undergrowth has yet to die back completely, to say nothing of the fog. But there are hands enough to catch someone who stumbles or to pull someone over a fallen stone.

They pass into a clearing. The fog is thicker here, though the sun makes an effort to burn through the clouds.

It isn't long thereafter that the first screams start...

Comments

[candothat]

Chekov doesn't know anything about comforting children--especially children who are trying to interfere with time, which never ends well--but he knows a thing or two about running away from danger. He turns to assess the threat.

"Do you know your way around this place? Is there anywhere safe?"

[ladycroft]

"I think I know where we can go," she said, a bit doubtful. She shifted her position to hide behind Chekov. "We have to go into the temple, but the white flower shows the entrance..."

Her voice becomes very tiny. "They're bad men... and they have guns..."

[candothat]

"Show me where to go, please? Here--" He turns to lift her up. If they're going to be running away from men with guns, Chekov would like to be between them and the child. Plus, he's a fast runner. Maybe no one needs to get shot.

[ladycroft]

She wraps her arms around his neck, but not tight enough to choke or anything. It does give her some comfort to know that an adult is listening to her and seems intent on making sure she's safe.

Little Lara whispers in his ear, "Let's go that way." And she points behind them, away from the approaching men and deeper into the undergrowth surrounding the temple.

[candothat]

This adult would like to ensure his own safety, as well. He has found that injury in these dreams translates to injury outside of them; the same principle likely applies to death.

Chekov takes off in the indicated direction, slowed somewhat by the plant-covered terrain. Hopefully the way out of this dream is ahead of them.

[ladycroft]

Doubtless his own safety is important, but Lara is too scared right now to think about all that.

As they head through the undergrowth, she looks around from her perch on Chekov's hip and suddenly puts one hand over her mouth, to stop herself from calling out.

With the other hand, she points to the white flowers she can see, clustered at the bottom of one on the temple walls.

"Jasmine," she whispers.

[candothat]

He stops and crouches in some exceptionally dense foliage, fairly certain that their pursuers won't be able to see them, and puts the girl down, ready to grab her if she tries to make a break for the flowers.

"If we go where the flowers are," he whispers back, "we will have no cover."

[ladycroft]

"If we go to the flowers, we'll be able to enter the temple," she replies, keeping her voice to a whisper, too. Her faith in the story her father told her is strong. Lara straightens. "I'll go and open it for us. I'm only little. The bad men won't see me."

[candothat]

He grabs her wrist. "I cannot risk you being shot. How long would it take us to enter the temple if we left our current location?"

[ladycroft]

She blinks at him, but doesn't try to free her wrist. A small wobbly smile appears. "You're a really nice man," she whispers. "And you speak very strangely... 'current location'..." His accent, apparently, isn't a concern. Her smile dims. "I don't know. We find the flowers and the temple opens for us. That's all I know..."

[candothat]

Chekov can't help but smile back. He likes kids, especially ones who think that his vocabulary is stranger than his accent. Unfortunately, there are other things to focus on.

"Okay. We will go to the flowers, but together." He can't tell where their pursuers are. "I have a weapon with me, we will be safe."

[ladycroft]

The nice man has a nice smile and he sounds confident. Little Lara nods and her small hand takes hold of one of his.

"All right. Should we... count to three?"

[candothat]

"Yes, and on three, we run."

It's not much of a plan, but Chekov doesn't think that this dream is going to end without getting to those white flowers. He gives the girl's hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. "Okay. One..."

so sorry this has taken so long to get through...

[ladycroft]

Lara's eyes are bright. It's scary, but exciting, too.

"Two..."

I don't mind if you don't!

[candothat]

"Three!"

Chekov runs for the flowers, staying low and between the girl and the shooters' last position. With any luck, they won't be out in the open for long.

Bless you! I don't mind at all!

[ladycroft]

And they run. Lara is ahead of the man, whose name she still doesn't know, and when she reaches the white flowers, she moves some heavy vines with her small hand and plucks one. The scent is so lovely...

That's when the ground opens up. The heavy vines and some of the jasmine drop down and she's falling... and the man won't be able to stop himself from falling, either...

Excellent!

[candothat]

On the bright side, no one is shot. On the other hand, the ground under their feet disappears.

Chekov tries to grab on to something--anything--to stop the sudden descent, but it's of no avail. Hopefully the landing won't be terribly hard.

Whoo-hoo!

[ladycroft]

No one getting shot is a very important point. With any luck, it will stay that way.

As the two fall into the hole, something changes in the dark, something that will interrupt their landing on the ancient stone floor far below them. It is a fortunate turn of events, taking mere seconds to occur.

Lara Croft grabs one of the thick vines with one hand and Pavel Chekov with the other. Her now fully adult, Amazonian body deals with the jolt in her shoulder when their fall ceases abruptly. She hopes that the young man she is hugging to her chest has wrapped himself around her. It will help them stay connected for a more controlled descent.

"Hullo," she says, a little breathless. "I don't usually get this far in my nightmare. Thank you."

[candothat]

Chekov has sufficient survival instincts to cling to Lara after she snatches him out of the air, as rude as it is to do so. Lara probably won't find him particularly burdensome; he's relatively small and light.

"Hello." He's more surprised than breathless. And, naturally, thankful that there wasn't a potentially lethal encounter with the ground. "You are welcome, of course. Ah--have we met?"

[ladycroft]

He is quite light and Lara is glad he has the survival instincts to cling to her, even though he has no idea who she is at the moment. She allows herself a small laugh.

"No, I don't think we have," she says, relieved to be 'herself' again, the woman she has become instead of the terrified girl of her nightmare. "I'm Lara Croft and you are a very dear man." They have to get down somehow, or maybe the nightmare, now that the worst possible conclusion has been averted, will set them free. Before that happens, she says, "Thank you."

[candothat]

This is the most pleasant conversation he has ever had with a near-stranger while in danger of experiencing a lethal drop.

"Pavel Andreievich Chekov. Pleased to meet you, ma'am." Just in case the dream continues, he tries to find a vine of his own. No need to test Lara's strength (even if it seems considerable). He appreciates the praise. "You are most welcome."

[ladycroft]

Lara wishes all such circumstances could be so pleasant. She laughs a little and looks around, the two of them swaying gently on the vine, and identifies through the gloom one of the temple balconies, which overlook the main chamber.

"Delighted, Pavel. Now, keep a good hold and start moving with me. We're going to work up... a good swing... and when we're over... that balcony..." Lara nods with her head to the location as the vine starts to sway more. "We let go. I'll let you know when."

[candothat]

As delightful as the company is, jumping from a vine to a balcony that can barely be seen with a who-knows-how-steep drop beneath them is not something that Pavel is eager to do. He might have had training for situations like this at the Academy, but he's really more of an academic than a temple raider.

But this is Lara's dream and only she knows the way out, so Pavel maintains a death grip on his vine as does as he's told. "Yes, ma'am."

[ladycroft]

Perhaps she senses his tension at the thought of unpracticed gymnastics, for Lara is fairly sure that the young man isn't used to such scenarios. She smiles at him, and says, "Not to worry. I've done this lots of times."

She starts swinging their weight, back and forth and yes, it will not be until they're experienceing a very wide, whooshing arc above the temple floor that, as they approach the balcony once again, she says, "Ready? Jump!"

[candothat]

If Lara had encountered any other member of Chekov's crew, odds are good that this vine-swinging and ledge-jumping wouldn't be a problem at all. These kinds of situations pop up all the time on away missions. Unfortunately, Chekov doesn't get to go on many away missions, and he can't imagine why Lara makes a habit of doing this.

At least he's good at taking orders. When Lara says jump, he does so, tucking and rolling like he was taught to. It's not a graceful landing, but it's a landing.

"Why is it that you do this?"