[M] Echoes of the Lost (IC)

[Kiall]

The Voice Beckons....



Gray clouds blanketed the sky overhead casting this once great castle into an even further gloom. Once great walls were now crumbling and full of holes, the ceiling had long since collapsed revealing the interior to the overcast sky. In the center of the castle was a what looked like the remains of a garden. A few tufts of grass lay nestled in the earth a rare thing here, but the color was dimmed and gray and lacked any vibrancy.

Nestled in the middle was a stone dais where Anu lay. He could pass off as human were it not for the great wings in place where his arms were, he was naked his lower body laying sunk within the dais revealing only his chest and face and a portion of his wings. His skin was gray and his closed, he could have easily passed for a statue were it not for the slow rising and falling of his chest. No birds chirped, no animals called in the distance, the sound of people had long since vanished. Only the whistle of the wind sounded as it blew through the various cracks and holes, and in the unnatural silence it sounded off like the shrieking of the damned, Anu often liked to pretend it was talking to him.

Yes the strangers should be waking up soon, Anu thought in response to the winds shriek.

The wind howled another query.....

Yes I have seen their world, it is so very strange, the machinations that rule it are beyond my comprehension, though I suspect they will think something similar about ours.

The wind bellowed its final and loudest question,

Perhaps…thought Anu, I only hope I have the strength to hold out that long, now if you’ll please excuse me, I must call to them....

From all corners of this palace you awaken as if from a deep sleep. Your former body lays nestled at your feet as if it was still dreaming. Before you can register much more a voice calls to you. “Follow my voice strange ones! All will be made clear at the center dais that I inhabit! Quickly now! Time is of the essence!” The voice continues to reverberate guiding you down the long hallways to the garden.

[Extraordinaire.]

"Follow my voice, strange ones," a distant voice called, just audible to hear, but not clear enough to make sense of. She was struck with the memory of sinking to the bottom of the bathtub and trying to make out her mother's words from above, knowing if she didn't splash enough it would work.

"All will be made clear at the center dais that Inhabit! Quickly now! Time is of the essence!”"

Gwenore felt herself resettle after an itch of discomfort, stirring ever so mildly in her sleep, before deciding to fall back into unconsciousness. And once she nestled down, unaware of her disposition or stance, the world was once again hazy.
And then just a moment later, as some distant memory resurfaced and warning bells ignited in her head, she was jolted up. At the light of a match she'd been forced back into reality, overwhelmed by panic and realization, as her eyes tried blindly to refocus.

An image of herself on the ground startled her, pushing her back a step or two, before taking into site that same confusion of many others. She twirled her arm before her, which was completely mobile and unyielding as ever, despite its stone basis. Reaching down, she brushed back the hair from her body's face, checked a pulse, and then swiftly stepped over her, following the winged figure that she'd just so briefly seen.

"There's no harm in finding some answers," she thought to herself, as if this was normal, or even expected, of the young girl.

[Jacogos]

Roxxo was used to waking up in odd positions. He was used to waking up feeling like a man had drilled something through his head. He was also used to not waking up at all, as his study routine usually meant him not going to sleep. However, this time, Roxxo not only woke up in an odd position (sitting, apparently), but he woke up feeling....

Well, certainly not like P. Diddy. He felt like... nothing. Getting up slowly, Roxxo put a hand to his head, trying to get a bearing on where he-

Why was his hand green? Blinking in surprise, Roxxo stared at his own hand in baffled confusion. Well, maybe more of a lime green... a... Jade. He was jade. He recognized the stone from his mothers collection in the dining room. But... why was his hand made of jade? Looking down at himself, he was surprised to find that his whole body was made of jade. Jumping to his feet, he cried out in astonishment, realizing then that everything still apparently worked like before, he was just... made of jade.

No... he looked down at the floor in front of him and realized something more. His body, his true body, lie there, asleep it seemed. It was odd, seeing himself there without a mirror. What was this? He really looked at himself this time and came to the conclusion that he was inhabiting a statue of some sort. A Jade statue... Nothing else seemed different, though, he didn't FEEL any different...

“Follow my voice strange ones! All will be made clear at the center dais that I inhabit! Quickly now! Time is of the essence!" came a voice from some direction. Confused enough as it stood, Roxxo happy to find someone who was willing to answer any questions. He was torn though, as he didn't want to just leave his body here for someone to...

He made up his mind, taking his own body on his shoulder and slowly made his way towards the voice.

[Merry Gentry]

Time is of the essesence was what filtered into her subconscious, forcing her to wake up. Stretching her arms out wide, she started to rub the sleep from her eyes, wondering who was calling out such strange things. Opening first one eye, then the other, she was quite shocked at what she saw, and rubbed again, blinking rapidly, only to peek and see the same strange landscape once more.

Shaking her head to clear this dream, for surely it was a dream, she was shocked to see that it was still there. “Amazing” she said, wondering if she would wake up from this anytime soon. She started to lift her hand, to run her fingers in her hair, a small nervous action that had stuck with her since she was a child, and that’s when she caught sight of her arm, and gasped in shock at her herself. Something was very, very different.

“Stone?” she stammered “I’m made of, stone?” she blurted out, rubbing her fingers along her arm, in her hair.

It was hard and rigid, made of a granite material. “Stone?” she repeated, unable to quite understand it.

She vaguely heard the voice again, calling out, but was too distracted to really listen with any intent. Gazing instead at her now much changed appearance, she realized that she was the small fairy statue from the Library. The book was there, on the ground where she had woken up. The fairy, or sprite statue, she was never quite sure, usually sat in the garden atrium of the library where she worked. Many a day she had spent sitting beside it on a bench, eating her lunch and reading herself. Often amusing herself with thoughts of what a sprite would actually read, if they could? Turning her head towards her back, she confirmed it, she was indeed that small statue, wings and all. “I’ve got wings” she chortled, slightly amused.

Hearing the insistent voice calling yet again, this time she turned her face towards the sound, and suddenly saw herself, sleeping just a few feet away in the grass. Jeans, tshirt, glasses, a small smile on her face, peaceful. “oh my god” she whispered suddenly horrified, her hands automatically clasping to her lips in dread. “I’m dead?” she moaned, instantly recalling the old notion that if you saw yourself in your dreams, as she was still sure this was a dream, it was an omen that you were moving on, deceased.

“but.. I don’t feel dead” she replied to herself, her hands patting her chest, her arms, her legs. Quite puzzled, she flailed her arms about in dramatic fashion.

"I am not dead" she said in confirmation, to herself again.
“But what if this isn’t a dream?" she muttered, starting to bite her lip, only to consciously stop herself. What if it broke off?

"Oh, what the hell is going on? Someone better have some answers! And since when did I start talking to myself so much?!" she complained, as she started to follow the sound of the voice.

[SmileyCassandra]

“Follow my voice strange ones!"

'Who are you?' Yasmay asked in confusion of the voice she just heard.

"All will be made clear at the center dais that I inhabit!"

'Why must things be made clear? Isn't this only a dream?' she asked once again, her confusion only growing stronger.

"Quickly now!"

'Why must I hurry? Where am I supposed to be?' she asked yet again, starting to get annoyed with this sudden voice.

"Time is of the essence!”

'OK fine! Just stop yelling at me!' Yasmay complained in her mind and without another word her eyes opened.

It took her a little time to be used to her surroundings and it made her confused that she was not in her bedroom anymore. How could one go to sleep in their one bedroom apartment and then wake up in some type of old looking building. Not that the building wasn't pretty, but no one wants to wake up to a place they know nothing about. What if she were kidnapped by some random stranger and or what if she was just to drunk and got herself lost? That was out of the question, Yasmay never took a drink in her life. OK, maybe once.

It took Yasmay a couple minutes to realize that her being somewhere she didn't know wasn't the worst part about everything. What was worse about everything, was that her body laid at her feet. Motionless, yet peaceful. What the hell was going on and if she were dreaming what would cause such an outrageous dream? Did she eat five pints of ice cream while watching romantic movies and crying again? Or did she fall asleep in her dance class, while teaching annoying horny teens how too? Yasmay was more confused than she'd ever been in her life and she wanted answers as to why her body laid dead at her feet.

Yasmay then went to wipe off her face and tilted her head when she saw something made of Marble. Was that her hand or were her eyes just messing with her? Confusion took her once more and she could only stare at what should of been human skin. Maybe this was test or maybe once again she was dreaming about what she wanted her life to be. She'd always dream of being a statue even though it was the weirdest thought like ever. And from what Yasmay could tell she was exactly that! A ballerina statue made of Marble. She really needed to stop eating before bed.

The voice replayed in Yasmay's mind and she could resist anymore. She wanted to find out what was going on, if it was the last thing she'd do. This wasn't her cup of tea, she rather hated tea. Though if she was a ballerina then she didn't exactly care how she got to this green flowery like place, nor who brought her there. She always wanted to be a dancer, which is why she was a part-time dance teacher. So if she could live out being a dancer in her dreams, then she would sit back and let it happen. All she had to do was find this voice for it to answer her questions, and if none of it was a dream. Then Yasmay believed she was truly going mentally mad.

[Enigma]

V stepped onto the stage, and the entire arena exploded as fans stamped, cheered, waved. Cameras flashes were all around her, grabbing her image at all angles. Around the arena, giant screens came to life, showing her wearing a black leather cat suit, holding her guitar and showing off her cocky grin as she ate it all up. This was her dream!

She took the microphone and yelled, "Hey! You guys ready to rock?"

The arena exploded again - spun - and took off, zooming away in the darkness without her. It was a dream, after all.

And suddenly V was perched on a wall, looking down into the night. She frowned, looking around. She was on a battlement of a castle, tucked into a crenell, looking into the night. She stepped back - and realized she was on all fours, like a dog or a cat.

"Great, a drug dream," she muttered. A plastic cup on a table, it was punch they told her. "I'm going to find those two guys and anything that sticks out, I'm cutting off!"

There was a girl lying near by, sprawled out. V frowned, then padded over.

"You ok?" she asked, then rolled her eyes. "I'm asking someone in a dream if they're ok. Can I be any more lame?"

Moonlight crested behind a cloud, bathing the battlement. V's eyes grew big and she jumped back. "What the hell?"

It was her lying there!

"What the hell did those guys give me?


“...Follow my voice strange ones!..." a voice spoke from the darkness. "All will be made clear at the center dais that I inhabit! Quickly now! Time is of the essence!”

V felt her ears flick, then turned her head to where the strange voice came from.

"Did you hear that?" V asked her sleeping self. "Someone is calling me."

Reluctantly, she tore herself away from her sleeping self. A stair led down to the courtyard. She sniffed at the bottom and glared at the empty shell of a castle, then moved past to find whoever was calling her.

[Auki]

Ini was often told by adults – mother, father, tutors – that she struggled to see with her imagination. For all the years that they repeated it, the statement held no meaning for her, remaining like nonsense no matter the thought she dedicated to it. What was there to life but the facts before her eyes? What point was there to looking beyond the physical depths of reality? It was a concept that she struggled with indefinitely but, over the years, she lost interest with trying to understand. She allowed the adults to dwell on their fabrications, hoping that one day they would allow her the same peace with her desire for sensibility.

“Play with the other children!”

Why? She enjoyed her own company so much more.

She didn’t have many friends, but that never bothered her.

What did disturb her was waking up where she shouldn’t.

I should be in my bed.

The thought resounded loudly but was quickly drowned by another voice,

“Follow my voice strange ones! All will be made clear
at the centre dais that I inhabit! Quickly now! Time is of the essence!”

Ini did not find the nerve to speak nor move from her position. The fact that she stood on four legs, not two, troubled her even more.

I should be in my bed.

[V]

"Ugh," Tony Sinclair groaned. "Must have been some party..."

He felt terrible, all stiff and stone-like, like he had been sitting straight up since he'd fallen asleep. Bloody wind was whistling about, gusting through the castle. "Not the first time this has happened," he says scornfully to himself, mocking his castle waking place.

It was then, he found himself slurring his words through heavy lips. "Ugh," he muttered, wandering what happened to his lips. Steadily he rose his arm to check them, or tried to, his arm felt heavy. And then he looked at himself.

"Well fuck me, I'm made of stone."

Tony looked down his stone legs and saw a human figure laying in a huddle. He looked unpleasantly shoved there, like someone just dumped him. It did give him the chance to look upon his own face from a new angle, and was surprised to learn. "Wow, John was right.... that is one really shitty beard."

Then suddenly someone intruded.

“Follow my voice strange ones! All will be made clear at the center dais that I inhabit! Quickly now! Time is of the essence!”

"Ugh... do I have to?" He pondered aloud, apathetic feelings about movement filling him. Lazily beckoned to him, he wished to just sit there. But the voices continued to echo about him.

“Follow my voice strange ones!"

“Strange ones!"

"Alright! Fine!" He says.

It takes Tony some time, a couple of minutes to stand - far too much effort. The echoes carried on about him while he picked up his human body. "Ain't leaving my own body laying about is some fucking castle."

Eventually he headed off toward the voice.

[Old Gregg]

Weeping, there was always weeping. Except from those who wore a stony-faced expression in place of their outward grieving. Emery stood some ways away from those attending the lowering of Velma Haggerty's casket into the ground, looking on with the same mask she always put on during the mourning period of a person she had just worked on. She made them beautiful. Took care of them. Had grown somewhat attached to them in the time that Emery was to prepare them for their big day. It was always hard accepting they would never smile, breathe, or laugh any more.
Tears began to well up in Emery's eyes when she thought about it, but swept her emotions aside with a single thought. "I only get like this when it was someone young or someone I used to know." It was true. She had gone to high school with Velma. And though they weren't friends, her passing was something of a memento mori for Emery. It was like she could feel the cold hand of death reaching for her every time someone young died. "That could be me," the thought whispered in the back of her mind.
A tear slid down her cheek as the girl was lowered into the ground and her loved ones had gone, and then a light-headedness had settled around Emery soon afterwards. Her vision dimmed and she swayed, not even having time to catch herself as she fell to the ground. When Emery awoke, her vision was still blurry. "Oooohhh. What happened?" The last thing she remembered were the groundskeepers of the cemetery filling up Velma's grave. Putting a hand to her head, Emery stood and looked on blearily to find that her body lay before her, alive, but seemingly asleep. "Wha-" Her question was cut short as Emery felt a heavy twitch in both of her shoulders. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder to find that she had giant, stony wings. A voice in her head...
She looked about and then back down at herself, discovering that she was...a statue? "Time is of the essence..." was the last thing she had heard. Emery clenched her fists and stretched out her fingers, looking down at her worn, heavy, chipped new body. "I suppose if I want answers..." Her voice echoed as she walked toward the voice, being lead by its vague and mysterious guidance.

[Enigma]

V caught her reflection in a puddle and frowned, standing in the moonlight.
"I'm dreaming I'm a gargoyle," she said after a long moment, shaking her stone head as she made her way into the center garden.

Weeds were everywhere, but the path remained clear.
"What's this suppose to mean, do you think?" V muttered to herself as she pushed past, feeling the tall grass brushing her stone wings.

In the center was a stone dias - and on it, another statue, only with wings for arms, embedded in the stone. Except - it was breathing!

"If I had a psychiatrist, now would be the time to put him on danger money," V said, wrinkling her stone pug nose. "Definitely a drug dream. I'm going to kill whoever slipped me this!"