I guess some time out of the house is all I need.
Roivas Estate is just about half an hour from Providence, the closest thing to a cityI'm going to find in Rhode Island. So, half an hour later, I've parked my car and am now walking the city streets. There's a heavy dampness in the air, caused by the evaporation of the recent rainfall, and the roads shine with leftover moisture.
It isn't long before my legs tire from walking, and the dank air begins to annoy me. Almost in desperation, I duck into a small tavern. The damp in the air is now replaced by cigarette smoke, tinted by the odor of stale alcohol. I order a beer, ignoring the fact that I'm driving home. I've developed quite an ability to hold alcohol, something I most likely acquired from my grandfather. This, of course, was the same man who fought the forces of darkness with a double shotgun, and a flask of "liquid courage".
The din in this place is unbelievable. So many people talking at once, the words aren't even coherent anymore. And although I'm almost smothered between the bar and the bodies, I still feel separated from everything. It's like, if I were to look at this scene from someone else's point of view, I'd see the crowd of people, and then I would see me, the blonde with the dark eyes, sitting calmly in my own little space, like the eye of a hurricane. It's very lonely.
Now, I am truly alone.
I've never really been too fond of public gatherings, like parties, or bars, or what have you. Granted I could always find some friends to hang out with, but I was never really a "social butterfly". Yet, even then.
"You were always alone."
The familiar voice sends chills creeping down my skin. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pious Augustus, dressed in modern street clothes, sit next to me. Whether he is real, or a hallucination of sorts, I do not know, nor do I care to test. If my encounter with the Ancients has taught me anything, it's that my senses can be the greatest liars of all. Whatever it is will either disappear, or I'll deal with it later.
Pious chuckles and leans against the bar, facing the crowd. It looks like he's looking for someone, but I can't tell very well out of my peripheral vision. However, I still refuse to look directly at him and give him the satisfaction of an acknowledgement.
He motions to someone in the far corner. "She has a young child sitting in the basement, wondering where his mommy went."
I furrow my brow, and follow Pious' line of vision to a young brunette. She looks to be around my age, maybe even younger, and having the time of her life. My eyes dart back and forth between her and Pious, wondering. "How did I know that? It's amazing how well you can read people in my state. Look over there."
Now Pious is looking at a young man just ahead of us. Around his 30's, maybe. The young man comes over to the bar and reaches for a drink, sticking his arm through the middle of Pious' chest. Pious cackles at the action, as if he had just been tickled. A chuckle and a sigh later, he continues.
"He's drinking to forget the death of his best friend, caused at his own hands. Apparently, the bastard owed him money for..well, it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
I growl under my breath and turn back to my drink, infuriated that this apparition still haunted me.
A minute or two later, I feel a cold touch on my shoulder. Pious. I don't even have to turn my head. I expect a kiss, or something equally humiliating.
Instead.
"How old does she look to you?"
I look toward where Pious gestures and shudder. The girl he's talking about can't be more than 14 or 15 years old, not much more than a child. She's talking and laughing with a twenty-something year old man. The situation makes me sick, just looking at it.
"He's trying to think of the easiest way to sneak the Roofie in his pocket into her drink without her knowing. Although, considering he already has her drunk beyond recognition, that shouldn't be too hard." he concludes with a light giggle.
I let out a slow exhale, send one last icy glare to Pious, and look back at my drink.
"You say I forget what it means to be human. On the contrary, I remember perfectly well what being human is. Why else do you think I chose the path I did?"
Silence.
Pious shrugs, "You know what to do." And with that, he's gone.
I sit, seethe, look at my drink.
I look back to the man with the underage drink. They're still laughing.
.disgusting.
"Redgormor.Mantorok.Antorbok" Before I even think, I've magically attacked the pedophile. He convulses wildly, while his date looks on in fright, before falling out of his chair onto the floor. No one pays him any mind, deciding he must have just been drunk out of his mind. His date drops to the floor beside him and attempts to make sure he's ok. I stroll over to him casually, push aside his girlfriend, and root through his pockets.
Sure enough, I pull out a small bottle with some very familiar-looking pills inside.
I stand up and look at the child, who's now gaping at me like it's her first time at the circus.
"He wasn't good for you anyway honey."
With that, I walk quickly out of the bar.
************************************************************************
I've put the artifacts back on the podiums in the basement. That seems like the best place for them. And that way they won't take up space.
I ignore the fact that I've inadvertently reactivated the array.
Roivas Estate is just about half an hour from Providence, the closest thing to a cityI'm going to find in Rhode Island. So, half an hour later, I've parked my car and am now walking the city streets. There's a heavy dampness in the air, caused by the evaporation of the recent rainfall, and the roads shine with leftover moisture.
It isn't long before my legs tire from walking, and the dank air begins to annoy me. Almost in desperation, I duck into a small tavern. The damp in the air is now replaced by cigarette smoke, tinted by the odor of stale alcohol. I order a beer, ignoring the fact that I'm driving home. I've developed quite an ability to hold alcohol, something I most likely acquired from my grandfather. This, of course, was the same man who fought the forces of darkness with a double shotgun, and a flask of "liquid courage".
The din in this place is unbelievable. So many people talking at once, the words aren't even coherent anymore. And although I'm almost smothered between the bar and the bodies, I still feel separated from everything. It's like, if I were to look at this scene from someone else's point of view, I'd see the crowd of people, and then I would see me, the blonde with the dark eyes, sitting calmly in my own little space, like the eye of a hurricane. It's very lonely.
Now, I am truly alone.
I've never really been too fond of public gatherings, like parties, or bars, or what have you. Granted I could always find some friends to hang out with, but I was never really a "social butterfly". Yet, even then.
"You were always alone."
The familiar voice sends chills creeping down my skin. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Pious Augustus, dressed in modern street clothes, sit next to me. Whether he is real, or a hallucination of sorts, I do not know, nor do I care to test. If my encounter with the Ancients has taught me anything, it's that my senses can be the greatest liars of all. Whatever it is will either disappear, or I'll deal with it later.
Pious chuckles and leans against the bar, facing the crowd. It looks like he's looking for someone, but I can't tell very well out of my peripheral vision. However, I still refuse to look directly at him and give him the satisfaction of an acknowledgement.
He motions to someone in the far corner. "She has a young child sitting in the basement, wondering where his mommy went."
I furrow my brow, and follow Pious' line of vision to a young brunette. She looks to be around my age, maybe even younger, and having the time of her life. My eyes dart back and forth between her and Pious, wondering. "How did I know that? It's amazing how well you can read people in my state. Look over there."
Now Pious is looking at a young man just ahead of us. Around his 30's, maybe. The young man comes over to the bar and reaches for a drink, sticking his arm through the middle of Pious' chest. Pious cackles at the action, as if he had just been tickled. A chuckle and a sigh later, he continues.
"He's drinking to forget the death of his best friend, caused at his own hands. Apparently, the bastard owed him money for..well, it doesn't really matter now, does it?"
I growl under my breath and turn back to my drink, infuriated that this apparition still haunted me.
A minute or two later, I feel a cold touch on my shoulder. Pious. I don't even have to turn my head. I expect a kiss, or something equally humiliating.
Instead.
"How old does she look to you?"
I look toward where Pious gestures and shudder. The girl he's talking about can't be more than 14 or 15 years old, not much more than a child. She's talking and laughing with a twenty-something year old man. The situation makes me sick, just looking at it.
"He's trying to think of the easiest way to sneak the Roofie in his pocket into her drink without her knowing. Although, considering he already has her drunk beyond recognition, that shouldn't be too hard." he concludes with a light giggle.
I let out a slow exhale, send one last icy glare to Pious, and look back at my drink.
"You say I forget what it means to be human. On the contrary, I remember perfectly well what being human is. Why else do you think I chose the path I did?"
Silence.
Pious shrugs, "You know what to do." And with that, he's gone.
I sit, seethe, look at my drink.
I look back to the man with the underage drink. They're still laughing.
.disgusting.
"Redgormor.Mantorok.Antorbok" Before I even think, I've magically attacked the pedophile. He convulses wildly, while his date looks on in fright, before falling out of his chair onto the floor. No one pays him any mind, deciding he must have just been drunk out of his mind. His date drops to the floor beside him and attempts to make sure he's ok. I stroll over to him casually, push aside his girlfriend, and root through his pockets.
Sure enough, I pull out a small bottle with some very familiar-looking pills inside.
I stand up and look at the child, who's now gaping at me like it's her first time at the circus.
"He wasn't good for you anyway honey."
With that, I walk quickly out of the bar.
************************************************************************
I've put the artifacts back on the podiums in the basement. That seems like the best place for them. And that way they won't take up space.
I ignore the fact that I've inadvertently reactivated the array.