synthneon | oceanview (different path) || ❝ turn the page i need to see something new. ❞

... Great.

[ Alan can't quite manage to keep the dry tone out of his voice. It's not Jesse's fault; it's no one's fault. ]

So there's more things out there that go bump in the night. Maybe not here, but- maybe they are here. Maybe something about this place draws them in.

[ Alan's not much of a fighter, or a fighter at all, really, given his focus on writing books, but his expression is more grim than it is fearful. That's not saying he isn't afraid, but he's trying to steel himself for worse things coming their way. ]

Well... [ He shifts his weight from one foot to the other and glances behind them briefly before turning back to her. ] You have at least one more friend now, if you'll have me.

[ Her gaze drops from his at his dry expression. Yes, there are other things out there. Yes, some of them are horrifying like the darkness seems to be. Not all of them are harmful. Some are harmonious. She can't bring herself to tell him about Polaris yet. It might be too much. Having a connection to an alien that's only in her head?

« I really would seem crazy to him. Just like everyone else. »

Polaris disagrees, but Jesse still can't bring herself to do it.

Her eyes widen at his next statement. At first, she's not sure what to do or what to say. It's been so long since she's had a friend that isn't Polaris. She's still not sure he truly believes her either. He hasn't run away nor has he called her insane. There's just a part of her that can't seem to truly believe a famous writer like him would give her the time of day.

She forces herself to give him a small smile. It's the best she can do. Maybe being a writer makes it so he can read people easily. ]

You said you had to get to the old coal mine museum to meet a kidnapper. Right? [ While her tone is still filled with emotion, there is a lightness in it that wasn't there before. ] How fast do you need to be there?

[ Jesse is already glancing up at the light and then hesitantly taking a few steps out of it. The darkness is still heavy around them, but there's no sounds of shuffling Taken. She nods to herself before reaching up and taking one of his wrists.

« Any idea on which car is best to ride in? Can you help me find one? »

Polaris tugs her mind in a direction with a shimmer. Jesse immediately begins heading that way, gently guiding Alan along by his wrist. It's only a few steps down the street, so the lamp post is still in view if they need it.

The old jeep seems almost abandoned. Convenient. Jesse frowns at the idea before taking a quick look inside the driver window. It's unlocked. Even more convenient. She quietly opens the door, leaning inside and looking around the dashboard. Her hand goes to the visor at top and the keys slide out.

« This really is like a movie. »

She motions for Alan to take the passenger side. If they need to shoot, he's the one with the gun training. She slides into the old jeep and quietly closes the door behind her. The keys slide into the ignition and with a quick turn the jeep comes to life. She slides the backpack she wears off and puts it between them.

The police lights and cars begin to get closer.

Jesse puts the jeep in gear and pulls into the road. A moment later and they are leaving town for the woods. ]

All the pages I found are inside the backpack. In case you needed them.

[ For Alan, all of this is him trying to understand. Trying to make sense of a world that really doesn't make sense at all. He's a writer; he's just a normal guy. Except now, the world he knows has changed, and that world is scary and darker than he ever realized. If it's really that bad and that scary, well... at least he knows how to shoot a gun. And at least he has Jesse here. Although how long will Jesse stay? She might have experience behind her, even if she was forced into it, forced to see the way the world really is, but that doesn't mean she'll stick around to help Alan deal with whatever this craziness is.

Maybe that's what he's trying to do by offering her hugs and stating that she has a friend with him. It's not a ploy or manipulation to get her to stay; he wants her to stay. He wants her help. And yes, there's a part of him that wants companionship, to have someone else along with him. He has Barry, of course, but Barry's not entrenched in this, and Alan would rather it stay that way. Alan himself can't escape because all of this is too personal, and Jesse has her own reasons for still being here. Barry is another matter entirely. ]

Yeah, the coal mine. He's there waiting, and I don't think he'll wait for long, so- I have to get there, and fast. The faster the better. But we needed to stop and rest too. If you need more time, you should take it.

[ It won't do either of them any good if they're too tired to move on. But Jesse's already moving, so Alan takes that to mean she's good to go. She takes hold of his wrist and he doesn't pull away, allowing her to guide him to wherever they're going.

He trusts her already, even if he can't quite put a finger on why. Somehow he just knows she isn't going to steer him wrong. The dream he had helped. She has to be one of the good guys, or at least, be a better choice than what they're offering. Which is nothing Alan wants. ]

That's convenient. Is that in the story too? How far does this story go to guide us along? And yeah, I know, I supposedly wrote it, I should know.

[ He shakes his head even as he slides into the passenger's seat. ]

Thanks. We might need those. I mean, we'll probably need them. So- yeah, thanks for bringing that along. And uh, thanks for coming along this far.

[ As she sees it? The "normal" world is a very small part of how reality really is. The way she found Polaris wasn't bad at first. It was fun. Only once they met the Not-Mother did they realize how bad things could be. There's things in Bright Falls that feel the same way. Something tells her they've only scratched the surface of this story Alan apparently doesn't remember writing. ]

Well, you wrote me into the story... thing. Right? I have to be here. [ A glance is meant to show she's not necessarily angry. Just stating a fact. ] I couldn't really run away. So, I guess you're stuck with me. Until I'm not in it anymore.

[ She quickly speeds off, not much caring for the rules of the road. Not that she drives reckless, but she figures there isn't much point in trying to adhere to speed limits if Take are coming out of the literal darkness after them. Which does happen a few times as they make their way out of town and through the woods. She doesn't know the exact way, but she trusts Polaris' vague guidance.

She swirves the jeep around a fallen tree and swears under her breath.

« Great, they can chop down trees. »

It takes a few more bumps--rather, Taken--until they are seemingly in the clear. Jesse slows the jeep, rolling down the window and sticking her head out to glance around. The air is still heavy, but it doesn't feel like something is inside it.

« Can whatever this is only go so far so fast? »

She pulls back into the jeep then looks at Alan before back to the road. ]

Soo... what is it? The thing that's apparently hunting you. It's not from our world. Is it?

[ Perhaps that's another difference between the two of them. Alan's first experience with the darker things of the world was not that long ago for him, and he doesn't have something positive or at least benign like Polaris to guide him along. ]

Well, maybe I could write you out again. [ It's a thought that's been circling around in the back of his mind, but there's a part of him that rebels at it, almost like a voice telling him he shouldn't go through this alone, that he'll need help to figure things out. Having support along the way isn't a bad thing. But as far as he can tell, Jesse didn't ask for this, so if he can write her out again, shouldn't he? ]

You don't have to be stuck, unless you want to be. There has to be a way to take you out of it, if that's what you want.

[ He briefly contemplates making some comment about her driving, but truthfully, his own driving wouldn't be any better in a situation like this, or in any situation at all. The point is to get them to where they need to be, and that's what she's doing.

Still, it's a bumpy ride, but if it helps get the Taken off their trail, he has no complaints. Eventually, she slows down, and Alan takes a good look around, looking for more signs of danger. He doesn't notice any right off, and so he visibly relaxes for a moment. ]

I don't know what it is, really. It's- I'm sure it's got a name or something, but- wait, no, I saw it on a page. It's called the Dark Presence. Yeah, that's it. And no, I don't think it's from our world.

[ Jesse's gaze immediately snaps to his as soon as the suggestion leaves his mouth. Something in her seems to snap at the idea of it. She can't tell if it's due to those seemingly echoing feelings, or something more. Hand curl around the driver's wheel. ]

You don't get to decide that. [ Her tone is sharp and pointed, almost sounding slightly older than she is. ] You don't get to put people into the story then take them out on a whim. You can't even threaten that. Not when you ask someone for their help.

[ « I don't understand why I feel so strongly about it. Other than the fact that it's something only an asshole would do. »

Her driving evens out now that she's not putting distance between them and crazy monsters. She debates turning on the radio for a moment, but, it seems their conversation is going to continue. That puts more importance on that for now. Eyes glance over at him again as she continues on the dark road.

« It's so... dark. Wait, the Dark Presence? »

Polaris shimmers around her.

« So... an enemy, sort of? Your enemy? Okay. Our enemy. Should I tell him? No, he'd think it's too crazy. He can barely handle one being from another world. You might be too much. » ]

Okay. What's the Dark Presence want? And what does it want with you?

[ Alan startles as soon as Jesse's gaze snaps to his and her words take on a harsher, firmer tone. He wasn't expecting that response to what he thought of as just thinking aloud about what to do. ]

I- Well, I guess I won't write you out, then. I didn't think it was that important to you, because it's not like you asked to be in the story. [ Part of him thought she'd be glad to get out of the story and away from all this craziness. Apparently he thought wrong. ]

And who the hell said anything about threatening, anyway?

[ He shakes his head, suddenly feeling like maybe he's the one who doesn't belong. Maybe he shouldn't even be talking to her. For a second or two, he just silences and keeps his focus on the road ahead of them as he tries again to make sense of this and what he's doing.

He's so busy thinking that he doesn't notice how Jesse goes quiet herself. He hasn't yet realized she's talking to someone in the moments she goes quiet. ]

I don't know yet. It wants something, that's obvious. But I just don't know what that something is, or what I have to do with anything. I think- I think it needs me for something, but hell, I have no idea what that is.

[ He half expects her to tell him he's being arrogant by thinking the Dark Presence needs him. But it's just a theory he has, nothing more. ]

People don't ask for my help. [ Despite the tone she had just used, the explanation comes easily. Not softly, but, not hostile either. Her green eyes stay trained on the road ahead. As well as they can with how thick the darkness is anyways. ] I... try not to be noticed by anyone, or leave an impression. I made it a habit to just fade into the background. You noticed me anyways. You even put me in this story.

[ She frowns slightly. ] I didn't ask for any of it. Or, maybe, I really did. Coming here might of been asking for it even if I didn't realize it. Like I said, my friend told me to come here. I didn't realize what any of it meant and just acted on blind faith.

[ Jesse spares a glance at him again. ]

Bright Falls has always been weird from what I can find. Stories about people going missing. Being struck by lightning. Flash floods, tornados. Things that don't happen in any other place like this happen here. [ She tilts her head with a frown. ] There was this famous poet that lived here. Thomas Zane? He... actually wrote some of my favorite poems. He lived on Cauldron Lake with his girlfriend. She... drowned, apparently, in the lake. Then the cauldera erupted and took him out with his cabin. It happened in 1970.

[ Little does Jesse knka she is repeating what Barry Wheeler found a few days ago. What he reported to Alan when they went to visit Rose. ]

So... if the Dark Presence is behind all the weird things? You're just next, I guess. [ Another glance. ] Where were you staying when you showed up here?

That almost makes it worse, doesn't it? I asked for your help, not realizing I'd put you into the story without asking if that was alright. If you didn't want to be involved, I didn't give you a choice. [ Typical Alan Wake, being a selfish asshole again. Maybe she doesn't think that, but what if she does? ]

You might have been told to come here, but that doesn't mean you wanted to be a part of this, does it? Hell, I don't even want to be a part of it, but I can't back out now. You could, because it's not your problem. Saving Alice is something I have to do, but you don't have to.

[ Alan may have heard this all from Barry already, but he listens to Jesse explain like it's the first time he's hearing it. Maybe it's just that writer's instinct in him, that part of him that's used to doing research for his books; this is obviously different from that, but he knows there's no harm in getting different perspectives on the same topic. ]

So, if it's always been weird, maybe it's always just drawn in events like this... people like- well, like us. And Zane, too. [ Alan's expression turns thoughtful as he mulls this over. Jesse has experiences with the otherworldly, even if she didn't ask for them either. Zane was a poet. Alan's a writer. ]

What if this place draws in people who've seen the other things out there in the world, and draws in artists too? [ It draws us in, jerks us around, and doesn't give us any choice but to keep digging. Maybe Zane had the same problem. All I know is, I don't want to see anyone drown in the lake, or drown in whatever the hell the story is doing. Not Alice, not Jesse... Not me. I think. ]

Great. I won the lottery no one wanted to enter. [ He huffs out a dry laugh. ] Bird Leg Cabin, I think it was called.

Maybe you asked for help because it's in the story. Maybe there's only so much we can do that's not written on a page. [ She shrugs. ] No, I didn't want a part of it. That doesn't mean we always get what we want or don't want. I didn't want anything of what happened to happen in Ordinary. It did anyways. Some things are bigger than us.

That doesn't mean we stop trying to change it.

[ She's not sure where the words come from, but they feel right. They're something she'd say. If she was more confident and trusting. Instead, all she has is her belief and knowing the truth of what happens in the world. It's carried her for eight years.

How much longer and further can it alone carry her? ]

Besides. What if the government shows up here like it did in Ordinary? What if they try to take you too?

[ Another glance from the road is given at his statement. A tilt of her head.

« I can't say any of it wouldn't be possible. All of it is. Why would the Dark Presence want artists? I guess people like me could be tricked into... I don't know. Worshiping it? Maybe I wouls have, if it wasn't for you. » ]

You said that you weren't sure why you picked Bright Falls to get away from everything. [ Her tone is soft, leaving the room for the implications. She frowns. ] There's no cabin on Cauldron Lake. There hasn't been since everything went up in 1970. [ A glance down, then back to him. ] How did you get to the cabin?

[ Alan frowns, clearly not liking the idea of being forced to do certain things: forced by a story, no less. He's always liked making his own decisions and not having things decided for him, which might seem like it puts him at odds with being a well-known author, but he still likes to think that being recognized hasn't changed who he is as a person. Whether people who know him agree with that or not remains to be seen. ]

Isn't theoretically writing a way out for you changing it? But I guess that I don't know just how much I can change about a story that's already written. Something tells me this isn't going to be as simple as editing one of my books.

[ Suddenly, Alan feels like he's staring up at a mountain that's much bigger than him. Can he climb it? He doubts that he can. He's only a writer, only a man who came here to get away and found more than he bargained for. ]

If they show up here, I guess I'd run. Maybe they wouldn't catch me.

[ Except he doubts that he could run and hide from them forever. He's recognizable, and he's not sure how discreet he could actually be.

Maybe I'll have to find out.

But then he registers what Jesse's said, and he just stares at her. ]

No cabin? [ His expression turns confused. ] But I- I saw it. I saw the trail leading to it. I got the keys to it and everything.

[ She gives him a shrug. Not from dismissal, but because she isn't sure. This is all uncharted territory. None of how this... thing has happened is similar to Ordinary. There's no Slide Projector. There's no gateways to other places. She thinks, anyways. There might be and she has no idea. ]

Well, you brought me into it. You're stuck with me.

[ « Even if he doesn't like it. »

Jesse slows the jeep to a halt and places it in park. She turns to look at him properly, frowning, with a look of worry in her gaze. ]

Wake. I went hiking around the Lake when I got here months ago. There... there was a sign post marking where the entrance used to be. There was no way to the island or an island. I'm--I'm not lying. Or, making it up to make you feel insane. I wouldn't do that.

[ « I lie about myself but not about these things. Wait. Did he say keys? » ]

Who did you get the keys from?

Edited 2024-01-10 04:04 (UTC)

[ When she shrugs, he looks at her intently, his eyes locked on hers. He knows he's pinning her with his stare, but he can't help it. Some instinct or brain wave or something is telling him he needs to make it clear he's giving her a way out. Maybe if she doesn't take it now, she'll never be able to get out. Or maybe she will. She seems to be made of sterner stuff than most. But still, he feels like it's important. ]

Well, you can't say that I didn't try, then.

[ He's not liking the feeling he's getting that this story is going to keep pulling both of them in until it's too late for them to get out. Maybe it's too late for him, but she doesn't have to go down with him. But it seems that she's made up her mind for now. ]

Okay, but- I saw it. I got the keys to it. I got them from- From a lady. I think she said she was acting on behalf of the guy who rents out the cabins. She seemed strange, but I just figured she wasn't used to dealing with visitors. I know I saw the island, and the cabin. I didn't imagine it, I'm sure I didn't.

[ Jesse stares him down evenly. She doesn't flinch, or lean away, or even curl up. She stands her ground in some sort of assures defiance. A sense of what she knows is right radiates off her. Even if he dragged her into this mess? She's apart of it.

« I won't run away. Not again. »

A roll of her eyes is given at his slight attitude. No wonder people say he's an asshole.

Her eyebrows come together as she looks down to the side. Stuckey didn't work with an older woman that she has ever seen. A frown pulls at her face. Then, a shake of her head.

« No. That's wrong. It's not how... is it the story? How can a story affect the memories of the person who wrote it? »

Polaris shifts.

Jesse looks back at him. ]

What did the woman look like? Did she ever give you a name?

[ Some part of him is warning him not to poke her too much or push her too far, because she might get angry and run off if he does. But he can't pretend that he isn't still a prickly man with a prickly personality who lashes out much too easily. When he sees her roll her eyes at him, he figures he's getting off easy here. He really doesn't want to drive her away, but turning off that abrasive side of him isn't easy. ]

What is it? [ He notes how her gaze shifts away for a second before she focuses on him again. ]

She didn't give me a name, and I have no idea where she came from, or what she was doing down that hallway. Yeah, she was down a hallway, almost like she was waiting for something, and she was wearing a black dress and a black veil. It seemed weird, like she was going to a funeral or something, but she said Stucky couldn't be there for whatever reason and she had the keys I needed.

I never got her name because she didn't give me one, and I didn't stop to ask. Guess that was stupid of me.

[ « Hallway? »

Her expression falls slightly as he continues on describing the woman who gave him the key. It definitely wasn't someone affiliated with Stucky. There's only one person in town she can think that matches that description. Someone who isn't even a person in town. She feels a cold chill roll down her back at the realization. There's no question in denying it, especially as Polaris confirms her suspicion.

« That's your enemy? HER? That's the... the dark thing that's trying to get out of the Lake? Shit. Shit. »

Jesse leans over to him--not that they're that far away--and grabs onto his sleeve to make sure she has his attention. His full attention. ]

There's only one person that ever matches that description in Bright Falls, Wake. The Scratching Hag... Barbara Yagger. She's a local folktale--who obviously isn't a folktale. She's the one that drowned in the Lake. Thomas Zane's girlfriend.

[ A slight shake of her head. ] Which means it isn't a real person. It's...

[ That reaction wasn't one he expected, not that he really knew what to expect about any of this. The situation at hand is bizarre, but Jesse herself is also a stranger, and he's still figuring out who she is and how she thinks. It's obvious to him that what he's said has rung a bell with her, so maybe she knows something about the mysterious lady who seemed to lurk down a hallway waiting. ]

The Scratching- What? [ He shakes his head in something like disbelief. ] A lady who's a folktale but not a folktale... She seemed real enough to me. And how can someone drown but still be walking around?

[ His confusion only seems to be growing, but he wants to understand, so he adds: ]

If she's not a real person, then what is she?

[ Jesse's hands curl around the stationary steering wheel. Something tells her he knows who the woman is. When he wrote the story--even if he doesn't remember it. Why can't he remember? That whole week is missing, as is any keys to what's really happening in Bright Falls. ]

...what else could she be? [ Her eyebrows draw together. ] If someone drowned in a Lake that's controlled by something otherworldly... what else would be using that someone's body?

[ Her instincts tell her she can't be blunt with it. Alan has to figure it out on his own. She can guide him to the puzzle pieces and give the direction, but he has to put them together. He has to see the whole picture to... stop it? End the story? She's not sure on that part. ]

Edited 2024-01-20 10:53 (UTC)

[ Alan's not trying to be difficult on purpose, but he's honestly not sure what exactly the lady he met is, if not a real person. ]

Did I walk into a haunted town by accident? Is she a ghost? Or something worse than a ghost, if she's being controlled by something.

[ He can't help but think all of this sounds like something from a bad horror movie. ]

I'm guessing I should just know what she is, but- [ He shakes his head. Maybe he's stupid. Maybe he's not as up to speed on spooky lore as he should be. ]

I wouldn't say it's haunted like a ghost story.

[ Jesse let's go of the wheel in order to reach over for her bag. The car remains stationary, but there still seems to be no danger near them. She opens it, pulling out the stack of dimly glowing papers. Her finds mixed with the ones Alan found. Maybe she'll put them in order like a story for him.

It might help.

She flips through the pages, and then hands him one and then another. A hesitation is in the motion, as if she expects him to reject the notion of it all.

She frowns slightly. ] I know you don't remember writing the story. But, I think we should start relying on what you wrote. We might be able to save your wife if we do.

[ Then, a gentle voice comes to Alan's mind. One he should recongize--it's Jesse's after all. Older, more assured, from a dream.

『 I learned how the manuscript pages work from you. I'm pretty sure you can already tell how what's happening matches what's typed on the pages. Well, it's real. You know it is....

...What's real and what people want to perceive is different. Really different...

Ask me--when you wake up. It's 2010, right? I'll know what you mean if you ask. 』]

Maybe not exactly, but there's some weird things going on here. It might as well be a ghost story.

[ Or a story that lures people in until it's too late and then destroys them. But I'll stop that from happening. It won't destroy me, or Alice, or Jesse. Somehow, I'll stop it. I don't know how I'll do that, but I'll figure that out as I go.

He watches as Jesse reaches for her bag and begins to search through it until she pulls out a stack of papers. He takes the pages she hands him and begins to read. Realization begins to dawn on him, showing on his face, as he continues reading. ]

The Dark Presence... yeah, that's familiar. That's what's making people do crazy things and act all violent. And that must be what's pulling the strings here. It's- it's inside Barbara Jagger, if I can believe what's on these pages. [ I have to believe them, don't I? I have to trust what's written on them. It's not like I have anything else to go off of. ]

I-

[ He silences abruptly when he hears that familiar, gentle voice. It's Jesse's, but it's different. The words are familiar too, however, and it confirms for him that he can trust the words on the pages without having to worry too much. ]

All right. I think you're right, and these pages are our best bet. [ Especially since something's screwed around with my memory. ]

( cont here )

oceanview (different path) || ❝ turn the page i need to see something new. ❞

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