Test of Courage
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 12:30 pm
((Carol Burke pre-game debut))
There were many vermin out and about in the back alley. Sometimes, there would be a rat scurrying about, looking for a nice bit of fast food that someone abandoned. Other times, there would be a few shady looking individuals, discussing a few unsavory topics.
Carol Burke, however, was neither of these things.
Carol had spent the past hour looking through GameStop and buying a drink at the nearby coffee shop at the food court. And it showed; in one hand she held a white plastic bag, with a couple of used games for her to play once she got home. In the other, she held an iced coffee, with whipped cream and grounded chocolate chips in it.
The reason why she was here was something she felt somewhat silly about, but she gave in anyways. Just a few minutes ago, she had decided to leave the Promenade, and saw that there was an exit to the alleyway. And, she had the urge to exit through there, since she had never been in the alley before.
No... don't be silly. There are rats and rapists running about that sort of place, Carol had told herself.
But, soon she decided that she was feeling a little brave. After all, if she got out of the area without something bad happening, she could tell her friends. Heck, she could even find that there was no one there, and it could be a daily thing.
So, she soon gave in. Curse her curiosity. If something happened to her, it would be all her fault, she had told herself upon a few feet in.
She walked a bit, until she stumbled into a bunch of cardboards boxes that had been set up. Literally.
"Oof!"
Carol fell to her stomach, dropping the plastic bag she had in her hand. In addition, she felt her other hand grip her coffee tighter, as it didn't leave her hand. But, the way she was currently holding it now looked a little... well, uneven at the bottom.
Just at that moment, she heard a small, somewhat robotic sounding version of Dies Irae.
"Call?" she said to no one in particular.
Carol sat up so that she was on her knees, and fished out her cellphone, answering.
"Hello?"
"Carol, where are you?" Her father was at the other end, clearly concerned.
The teenage girl frowned. "Dad... I went shopping. I got games and coffee."
"Well... it's getting late. Do you need to be picked up?"
"Nah, I'm good" Carol answered. "I'm just leaving the Promenade. It's not too far of a walk."
Then a couple of beats of silence. After a few seconds, her father then spoke again.
"Okay, Carol. Just call me if you need a ride. It will be dark sometime soon, and it might be a little scary walking out all by yourself."
Carol smiled. "Okay Dad. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye sweetie!"
With that, he hung up.
Carol sighed, and placed her phone back into her jean pocket. Upon doing so, she noticed that there was a bit of dirt on her jeans, and a tiny bit more on her favorite red hoody. Drat, she was going to clean that up, soon.
She lifted herself off the ground completely, and picked up her bag of games. Hey, if I encounter rapists or muggers, I can use this as a make-prov weapon!, she suddenly thought. Sometimes, such thoughts popped into her head at random.
One thing she wasn't sure was a relief or a thing to worry about, though, was that there was no one in sight. On one hand, she wouldn't have to use her "improv weapon". On the other, it was creepy. It kind of reminded Carol of a few games she had played, actually. And... for this reason she was creeped out.
God... I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of monster would pop up, and I would have to fight that thing off, she thought.
There were many vermin out and about in the back alley. Sometimes, there would be a rat scurrying about, looking for a nice bit of fast food that someone abandoned. Other times, there would be a few shady looking individuals, discussing a few unsavory topics.
Carol Burke, however, was neither of these things.
Carol had spent the past hour looking through GameStop and buying a drink at the nearby coffee shop at the food court. And it showed; in one hand she held a white plastic bag, with a couple of used games for her to play once she got home. In the other, she held an iced coffee, with whipped cream and grounded chocolate chips in it.
The reason why she was here was something she felt somewhat silly about, but she gave in anyways. Just a few minutes ago, she had decided to leave the Promenade, and saw that there was an exit to the alleyway. And, she had the urge to exit through there, since she had never been in the alley before.
No... don't be silly. There are rats and rapists running about that sort of place, Carol had told herself.
But, soon she decided that she was feeling a little brave. After all, if she got out of the area without something bad happening, she could tell her friends. Heck, she could even find that there was no one there, and it could be a daily thing.
So, she soon gave in. Curse her curiosity. If something happened to her, it would be all her fault, she had told herself upon a few feet in.
She walked a bit, until she stumbled into a bunch of cardboards boxes that had been set up. Literally.
"Oof!"
Carol fell to her stomach, dropping the plastic bag she had in her hand. In addition, she felt her other hand grip her coffee tighter, as it didn't leave her hand. But, the way she was currently holding it now looked a little... well, uneven at the bottom.
Just at that moment, she heard a small, somewhat robotic sounding version of Dies Irae.
"Call?" she said to no one in particular.
Carol sat up so that she was on her knees, and fished out her cellphone, answering.
"Hello?"
"Carol, where are you?" Her father was at the other end, clearly concerned.
The teenage girl frowned. "Dad... I went shopping. I got games and coffee."
"Well... it's getting late. Do you need to be picked up?"
"Nah, I'm good" Carol answered. "I'm just leaving the Promenade. It's not too far of a walk."
Then a couple of beats of silence. After a few seconds, her father then spoke again.
"Okay, Carol. Just call me if you need a ride. It will be dark sometime soon, and it might be a little scary walking out all by yourself."
Carol smiled. "Okay Dad. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye sweetie!"
With that, he hung up.
Carol sighed, and placed her phone back into her jean pocket. Upon doing so, she noticed that there was a bit of dirt on her jeans, and a tiny bit more on her favorite red hoody. Drat, she was going to clean that up, soon.
She lifted herself off the ground completely, and picked up her bag of games. Hey, if I encounter rapists or muggers, I can use this as a make-prov weapon!, she suddenly thought. Sometimes, such thoughts popped into her head at random.
One thing she wasn't sure was a relief or a thing to worry about, though, was that there was no one in sight. On one hand, she wouldn't have to use her "improv weapon". On the other, it was creepy. It kind of reminded Carol of a few games she had played, actually. And... for this reason she was creeped out.
God... I wouldn't be surprised if some kind of monster would pop up, and I would have to fight that thing off, she thought.