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Dam Construction Site - Thursday
After School Hours: 6:59 PM
School seemed to go by like a breeze for Cloudy. She doesn’t remember very much from today, except for that tiny slip and fall she had in the cafeteria. Today she felt confident enough to do cosplay, for fun and with a friend. She never thought it was physically possible, to slip and fall on a banana peel.
Swoop!
Was the dress necessary for the cosplay? Shorts could’ve carried it, then the fall would just be a fall and a funny moment. Not a sneak peek. There was something else too. She was supposed to meet here with a friend. That friend would be named, “Silas” he hasn’t been in school lately. This morning he promised to see her after class and talk with her here. Unfortunately, she had to receive a reason for that matter. He went missing, along with his younger sibling who she was also acquainted with.
Mari just wasn’t having a good day. Luckily, someone else in her friend group was around. She sat in a van, the seats, and steering wheel had been removed. Renovated to look like a cozy little spot.
She kept a small leather couch cloaked with a wooly blanket, a tank mounted on a bookshelf made from wooden crates. Kept in place by a few bags, one duffle bag, a burlap sack, a fox backpack, and a full trash bag. Those and a drawer, weighed down with numerous comic books, murder magazines, and an electric teapot on top. Over a lovely teal green mat. The windows of the van were tinted, nobody could see inside, that helped a little. The sunset wasn’t too harsh on her, the tint made it seem friendly actually...
Cloudy stood up from the couch, reaching into her drawer for a set of gloves. They were like those rough ones with grips, used for gardening or heavy duties? The van door creaks open, she wears a white dress with a purple bow and sash and deep silt up the middle, complete with "her favorite" white cap. She also wears black thigh-high socks with brown knee-high boots. The dress was almost the same as the character she dressed as, but with one change.
It was black, the same goes for the hat too, then the lavender ribbon. It was a forest green color, maybe it was brighter? lastly, a set of gold-plated goggles. They clung to her neck, jiggling with every move she made.
Cloudy has long brunt orange hair in a curly half hawk, shaved on one side, hair drooping over her left eye. Which covers the beginning of the scar she has over that same eye. Her working eye, that being the right one. Is hazel brown, with an orange gleam to it.
She steps outside of the van and walks above piles of trash beneath her.
Breathing in the gross trashy air, she treads further along the rusted metal beneath her boots, she’s led to a clearer path, based off wooden planks and many other fire hazards. This picture flashed into her head, over and over again. She had seen a statute, wrapped in plastic, buried underneath wooden planks. This seemed to be the spot, though she didn’t have the right clothes for this. I kicked myself for this.
Goddammit, Sparrow... What’s your plan this time?
A voice had spoken, in this thick foreign accent. It sounded like it was European, which was something Cloudy is mixed with. She just never talks enough to bring that essence out.
You can’t do simple shit. What made you think this was a good idea?
She didn't hear anybody behind her, the voice sounded very close by. Carter blinked, and her vision was blurred. Dark blue, fuzzy, she couldn’t keep her balance. A series of patterns littered the floor made of rubble, scrap metal, plastic, and other forms of waste. “I’m a tough muffin. He’s given me worse than what splinters can do.”
So what? You like to rebel anyway, just go home pack your shit and come back, Sparrow! There’s no way you can sneak in with that thing.
She found herself breathless, arguing with a disembodied voice. “I’m not going back there again. He won’t be letting me out until tomorrow, then he’ll restrict me from doing this,” Sparrow huffed, squatting down to her feet to throw more junk out of way. It isn’t that hard. I smell something comin’ off of you. It’s chicken! Take your ass home! We can ask Naomi for help later!
“I don’t have a problem with muting you, Alanis. I’ll do it.” She cringed at that name, it just couldn’t go down right. This feeling of itchiness attacked her neck. She caught rustling and fidgeting. Whenever she would twitch, she would feel a little poking sensation. Between her flesh and bones, surrounding her neck, and arms. She swiped her nails across the sides of her neck, wincing in pain. From the roughness of her gloves she huffed. “Dumbass... That hurt.”
I never told you to do it. You didn’t tell me to not do it.
Sparrow blinked again, her vision was no longer blue, she wasn’t seeing odd patterns and words written in black or around her. Not even that itchy feeling or that strange voice.
*clink*
Someone stepped too close to her. A wooden plank she stood on started to shift. The footsteps of the person came closer. The plank would shift harder underneath her feet. She turned back ready to strike, with her fist clenched and teeth barred. “Huh?” Two hands held hers gently. That was fast...
“C...Claude?” That was the name of a boy she knew from school. He was in every single one of her classes and they are friends of Naomi and Silas. But Sparrow and Claude never had a connection. They recognized each other's faces. He knew her voice, and she knew his expressions. Something she would serve as a translator for him. If Sparrow wasn’t the type to butt in with Claude and his business. He would have a lot of enemies on campus.
She smiled, gently pulling her hands from his grasp. She clasps her hands together, and holds them to her chest, swaying side to side with a large smile. “...” He doesn't talk at all and I love that about him! “Awooo~! You’re so kyute! Come home with me, please?” Her voice squeaks. Claude shakes his head, trying to get her attention again.
Sparrow did share some admiration for her mute friend. She might be a tad bit intimidated by him and his composure, but it grew as a risky thing. Catching him when he’s pissed off, watching him fight, seeing people jump and shuffle out of his view. That was very cute to her.
She’s stuck.
Now, I see why Naomi told me not to go alone. I don’t have a voice for this behavior, at least she can get Sparrow back on track, what good can I do? Be a victim to her ‘kyute’ mode...
Sparrow opens her arms, to me. She’s not yelling out ‘kyute’ at me anymore, which is a bit shocking, she loves doing that. “I know that I can’t take you home with me, but can I bug you for a hug?” She gushes. I shake my head at her, and she pouts cutely. Almost immediately her ‘cute’ high wears down. “What did you want?” Her voice drops.
Flat, like a warm soda. No type of fizz even when you do rile it up. I don’t feel very bad about denying her that hug, I’m giving her something better. She’s been coming out of here for a statute. Our friends, Naomi, Silas, and Rowan, normally assist her with this type of thing, although, Naomi couldn’t make it, Rowan and Silas are both missing. It doesn’t seem like anybody noticed their disappearances. Cloudy didn’t entirely know if Claude was made aware of their last of presence.
There’s a chance he felt the same way about her. Sparrow gave off this warm and fuzzy aura. Just from looking at her soft droopy eye and listening to how soft her voice is. Comparing that with his current girlfriend, Catalina. A little hit of Sparrow would be nice for him.
That did hurt my feelings. They were right, actions hurt more than words. I better hurry this up before I waste our time. Claude points past me. “Oh... Digging? Is this your spot?” He pulls up his phone, already set on notes. “Helping?- Awwww! Such a sweetie! Can the sweetie give me a hug-.” He scrolled down one line. “Oh, okay then...”
~~~
My mind has been set on this all week. I found a wax figure. I’m not sure how much of her I’ll get, but I’m hoping I get her head still attached to her torso. I hate to call myself out for it, but I only saw breasts firsts. Initially, that scared me. Thinking they belonged to a corpse, then it hit me. Underneath all this garbage, there is nothing but garbage. No rotting meat, the flies would’ve been on that. Nor, would I want to be walking amongst a shit-smelling trash pile.
“I think I see the head!” Claude handed me his phone, he only wanted me to move out rubble. “D-don’t strain yourself!” I’m keeping it safe in my impossible pocket. I wonder, did he want to help me? This is odd for him, even if we are friends. He never is this far out with me.
Maybe something happened between him and his girlfriend Catalina. Misty used to tell me everything that happened between the two. My tea supply has been pretty empty, this past month. If Misty couldn’t pass me my monthly dose, am I getting something special?
What if she shows up randomly? I don’t want to be mean. I respect Catalina, she’s just as nutty as me. Though I don’t know what she is up to. Catalina isn’t our concern. Claude is. You know how we feel about him, don’t you? He’s a cute guy, he’s very quiet and I like his silence. If he did break up with Catalina, I don't I would have to be afraid of him. It may not seem like I’m afraid but we aren't close. He's in my friend group. I don’t know him completely when I did try. She popped up!
~ Much Later -
7:09 PM
I let him in the van after we dug up all that stuff. He managed to get me the whole wax statute. Turns out, the figure was of a stripper. Her name is “Krissy” I like her, she’s so cute! “Thank you so much for the help, Claude! I owe you back.” I smile brightly. He doesn’t crack, and that’s alright. Jay is sitting on the floor, writing in her journal, and Claude is on his phone. Jay is trying her best not to fangirl. Her “cute mode” was enough for him already. She would hate herself if she didn't anything to bother him.
She isn’t talkative, for someone obsessive as herself. “Uhm... Hey, Claude. Are you and Catalina together? I don’t want to be a target of hers for bullying. Asking before would’ve been smarter, but then you wouldn’t have helped me like this.” She sighs. “I've got what wanted from you, help is enough for me and I'm thankful for that. If it isn’t my business you don’t need to tell me. If it isn’t my business, you’re free to not text and just-... Leave me.”
Claude rolled his eyes, handing her his phone. “Y-you both broke up?” She wiped her eye. “What if she does something?” He took back his phone to type out something new. “T-taking a break? That doesn’t seem very different from a breakup.” Sparrow glanced through one of the windows, feeling cold. There was something about that sunset. It was blinding, but beautiful. “H-hey...” He shrugs his shoulders. “It’s late. You should get going.” There’s been a lot of strange activity going on the night. This morning’s phone call made that clearer to me. Will their disappearances be the talk of the town?
“Walk me home? That’s not needed, Claude. You’ve helped me enough today!” He squints at me. “Huh? I’m not lyin- It’s my father. He’s strict. I wouldn’t mind having you walk me, but he has too much security. He’d totally beat the crap out of me if I showed up late, and with a friend.” We stay pretty far from everyone else, he practically owns all the land on the hill. Nobody ever comes up, he keeps around to many cameras. “I’ll crash here for the night, okay?”
“You’re afraid of this being our last time seeing each other... That’s perfectly, fine. Because you feel that way, let me do something, Claude.” Sparrow dragged herself to the end of the van, opening her arms, and holding her friend tightly. His arms curled around her, her cheek nuzzled against his. “Mwah!” She gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. His stiff expression fused into a cute grin. “Love you, bye...” Claude returned the favor with a light kiss on the lips, before actually leaving. Forty minutes passed since he had left her.
She received a message from him, it was one of her favorite animal emojis, to ensure he made it home safe and that she’s alright where she is now.