Hello! It's been a minute since I've been here, hope you enjoy chapter 1! There wasn't a category for "The Arcana", if there is please let me know.
- 1 -
A gentle wind roused dark blonde hair, eyes shut with music drowning the world in so much noise and bass. An exasperated sigh escapes rosy lips, there wasn't much to do but sigh, all alone in a new city Tracey didn't know anyone. A noise from the closet startled her "what the *heck*? If I have rats I'm going to scream, hand to Jesus". It was louder than the music, had to have been short of the building falling apart to be that loud. Headphones out she gently made her way over to the apparently haunted broom closet, the door rattled hard. "I'm the basic white *girl* in horror movies, I can't believe this." Chuckling Tracey backed away from the door "if you're a murderer can you not? I haven't even unpacked my boxes" yelling made her feel better if nothing else. The door didn't move the rest of the night.
The next morning around noon a groggy Tracey sat up long hair mussed from restless sleep, dreams of the door flying open containing all manners of horrors and several murderers. Damn door anyway was the only thought, stepping into the front room she glared at the door. Nothing, ridiculous silence. "Just stay there and don't be haunted". Tired blue eyes drifted over to the coffee pot and the haunted door was gleefully forgotten while coffee was being made. "Oh beautiful coffee" came the breathless exclamation, a click being heard only at the most distant edges of a caffeine deprived brain. Oh *sugar* peering over the container of steaming morning ambrosia she noticed the door had clicked open. Another sip of coffee and the door still sat open "*sugar*".
Peering into the closet, there was nothing but a box or two that were haphazardly thrown in before the haunting. "Ok I'm crazy or I'm being scammed" Tracey shut the door with a slam, "damn door" were the last mutterings before the still waking zombie shuffled back to her room to get dressed for the day.
Daylight blazed overhead, glaring against sunglasses Tracey checked the time. 2pm plenty of time throwing in headphones the world faded away into noise, the grocery store wasn't far only about 3 or 4 blocks away.
After an hour of shopping and double checking the list and the items she already had. Tracey set out plugging her phone into the back up battery, when she looked forward the world blurred. Fragments of a different world shining through, snippets of desert where sidewalk should have been. And that's enough sun for today she shook her head, reality now right. The walk home was almost uneventful, a sudden cloudburst shocked the other people on the street. Tracey looked up but it's perfectly clear outside. Picking up the pace she jogged home.
Something was rustling in the hallway when she returned. Not butting into anyone's business she unlocked the door, peeking down at the rustling she had to shake her head, an albino goat in the city, ha!
Once inside the closet door swung open, just as the front door was attempting to fling open. A single white ghostly arm clawed through the door screaming in a language she had never heard, diving into the closet looking for cover and a weapon to defend herself. The front door finally gives way, slamming the closet door shut, startled Tracey falls back into nothingness. The closet isn't this big, how in the, pondering thoughts were cut off by the thundering and shuddering of the closet door. Thoughts would have to wait, gearing up to leap out of the closet Tracey shifted, the ground giving way to open space she fell.
(This story will continue as a P.O.V from the perspective as Tracey)
Waking up the only thing I remember is being hot, when I sat up and cascaded down from my hair and face. I'm in a desert, in the middle of the day, wonderful. I look around seeing nothing but sand in all directions, I check my phone and it's working but there's no service. Absolutely wonderful I think bitterly. "I've been kidnapped and dumped in a desert, wonderful" I mutter to nothing. Standing I notice my backpack, well at least this made it. I rummage through my bag. The water bottle is in one piece, the battery pack, and the snacks from the store are in their jars. At least I have a chance. Voices from the other side of a dune send me scampering over another, I whisper a plea that it's not my kidnappers come back to find me. A small band of people come over the top, they don't look to be bad but they look weird. They look like something out of a historical documentary, and they're speaking in a language I don't understand but recognize. The weird ghost was talking like that! Wait I suddenly remember the ghost that was behind me in my apartment. I haven't seen him yet doesn't mean I won't, I scan over the top of my dune. What can I do? Can it even hurt them? Suddenly I hear various yells. When I peek over at my landing spot I see the ghost clawing his way out of the sand. Was it always a one armed goat? Ghost goat, now very mad rounds on the travelers who don't see him, they eye the sand carefully and walk around. I let out a tense breath sinking below the edge. At least they're safe, but you aren't. The words echo in my head, how in the *heck* when I look up the ghost looms over me. Wonderful.
I take off sprinting, no idea where I'm going but the ghost gives chase. My lungs are burning and my knees threaten to give, but I can't stop. After what seems like miles I hear a thud, I look behind me and the ghost has stopped pacing at the edge of a barrier I can't see. "HA! Get bent goatman!" I shout victorious and fall back in the sand unconsciousness coming fast. I'm safe is my last thought before my eyes start to close. A voice calls, I don't understand. A shock of white hair is the last thing I see before I pass out.