Unto Old Mountains
Thread Topic: Unto Old Mountains
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Keziah had been in the town for about three days at this point. She was staying at her parents house, but something didn't feel right. The first day she arrived, the air felt still and cramped. There weren't people milling about like there once was, and the only general store in the area was closed. She had also made note that the gate next to the local church was broken as well. The second day she was there, she noticed that when she got up in the morning, there were no longer birds chirping. When she had stepped out onto her mothers front porch, she noticed that her wooden wind-chimes had been taken down. Even the old stained-glass piece her mother had hung up next to the wind-chimes was gone too. Keziah hadn't noticed till that second day either that the cows that were in her mother's pasture had been laying down. When she was a child her mother had told her they only layed down for two reasons. One was when it was about to rain, and the second was if something bad was going to happen. For some reason, the animals could always sense the presence of something before the townsfolk caught on. This in hind-sight should have been a sign itself.
When Keziah woke up on the third day there were clouds in the sky, but something felt off. She couldn't place what it was, but it's like there was a shift in the air. She got up from her bed, and walked into the kitchen where her mother sat with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. "Good morning sweetie." Her mother said with a curt smile. "Good morning." Keziah said, as she poured a cup of coffee for herself, and brought it over to the table. Once she sat down, she took a sip of her coffee. "It's awfully quite this morning." Keziah noted, while looking out of the kitchen window that was across from her. Although her mothers home wasn't in town, it was on the outskirts and she could see some of the buildings from here. There were one or two people she could see milling about. "It's been like that for a while." Her mother said a bit cryptically. "Things in this town haven't been the same since Glenn went missing." Keziah looked at her mother with wide eyes. "So that's why the general store was closed when I drove by."
Glenn had been a close friend to everyone in this town ever since she could remember. He never had any kids, so he was the only person who ran the general store. He was the type of man to give you the shirt off his back if he could. Keziah took another sip of her coffee, and stood up. "I hope you don't mind if I use the house phone, I'm going to call some friends." She said, and her mother nodded. "Just don't go venturin' to far." Her mother looked at her with the coffee cup held between both of her hands. "It's nice to have you home."
Keziah made her way to the living room and picked uo the house phone. It was a simple hand-held, but still worked on a land-line since signal here was spotty at best. She dialed Liam first, and as it rang she also dialed the number for Connor. This was something that she was going to need a group call for. As the phone rang, she took another sip of her coffee, and sat down on the couch in the living room. Soon, Liam picked up and Connor did as well. "Hey!" She said, as soon as the line picked up. "I have both of you on the same line, because this something I need to tell both of you." She took a deep breath. "This is going to sound absolutely crazy, but I need both of you to come up here. There is something about this place that's off...." She turned around to look back into the kitchen, where her mother was still sipping on her coffee. She felt a lump grow in her throat. "And some of the people here are acting strange."
(Sorry, I got carried away đ) -
"Okay.. do I wanna go for a little denim-on-denim, or a more business-cash look?" Liam says to himself thoughtfully, stepping back and placing a hand on his chin as he looks back and forth between the two outfits he has laid out in his bed. The young man emits a soft grunt of frustration as he ponders over his outfit selection, only to suddenly recognize that what he truly lacks are the right accessories. With a swift pivot, he strides toward his dresser, where a petite jewelry box rests alongside the charging station for his landline phone. He extends his hand toward the jewelry box's drawer, but is abruptly startled by the shrill ringing emanating from the charging station. The machine's green light blinks in sync with the sound, yet the phone itself seems to have vanished from sight.
"Oh my goooooddd, how annoying." Liam rolls his eyes, turning around and running a hand through his hair. He chews his bottom lip as he paces around the room, throwing around random pillows, blankets and clothes in an attempt to find this gosh darn phone. He practically rearranges his entire room and is still having a hard time finding it. Irritation bubbles inside of him, slowly beginning to boil the longer he has to hear that ringtone. Finally, the man throws himself down onto the floor in a push-up position, craning his neck to look underneath his bed. He moves a pile of socks and trash out of the way with a swift arm swipe, eyes locking with his landline phone at last. Like Gollum with his Ring, Liam's eyes widen and he snatches the device right up.
Liam's grin gradually diminishes as he absorbs Keziah's words, an unsettling sense of recognition creeping into his gut. He shakes his head slowly, releasing a low, vibrating bpbpbp sound from his lips. It had only been three days since Keziah's return, yet he hadnât found the courage to share the troubling news that he might have lost his job ever since Glenn's disappearance. He hadn't been there for very long to begin with, maybe a few weeks and was picking up part-time hours for now, but it still sucked he couldn't get any confirmation on his job status since well, his boss just went up and missing. It sucked even more because if he bet if he had worked there just a bit longer, Glenn might have let him start to run the shop alone. And maybe then, he'd get a raise. And then- Liam cuts himself off, realizing he probably spaced out for too long.
"Yeah, no s---, girlfriend. Everyone here's just lost their marbles ever since Glenn went missing. I'm pretty close to that point myself." He lets out a half-joke to somewhat ease the tension. -
Connor had picked up the phone rather quickly, since he was sat at his desk drawing. He was a tattoo artist and needed some new designs, working away at some new doodles to give to his boss. He listened to the two talk, chuckling softly at Liam's comment. "Yeah, I'm surprised you hadn't noticed sooner- but I don't know if I can leave, I have a few appointments booked for the next few days," he continued as he crossed his legs in his chair, looking back at his journal. He put the phone on speaker and set it down, going back to drawing.
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Keziah listened to both Liam and Connor and nodded. "I would have noticed, but I swear I saw someone who looked like him yesterday." She bit her inner lip, and took a deep breath. "It looked like he was in a daze, and he walked into the woods on the other side of town." She stood up from the couch, and walked out onto her front porch. "And if that isn't eerie enough, listen to this." She stopped talking for a moment, and lifted the phone toward the front yard. Normally at this time, you would hear birds chirping, and at least some cicadas. This time, there was complete and utter silence. Keziah could hear her heart beating in her chest, and the sound of her blood rushing through her head. She put the phone back to her ear. "I know you are booked with appointments Connor, but I would feel better if I had both if you to help me look into this." She walked back inside, and fiddled with the necklace around her neck.
"I just can't help but shake this feeling...." She let the end of the sentence trail off. She didn't want to tell them about how her father was no longer at home. How her mother had doged all of her questions about him, and everytime she went to go look in their bedroom, the door was locked. At night, it seemed like her mother would hole herself up in the bedroom, and cry. On the first and second days that Keziah was here, her mother greeted her with red eyes, and tear-stained cheeks. Today was the first day, she woke up and her mother greeted her. Although, it seemed her mother was also in a haze too. -
As Keziah elaborates on the circumstances, Liam's sense of unease deepens with each word. Perhaps he had been too absorbed in his own thoughts and desires to truly observe his surroundings, but her insights bring a stark clarity to the situation. Now that she mentions it, he realizes that the townsfolk are definitely experiencing something other than the normal grief or confusion one would from Glenn's disappearance. A heavy weight settles in his stomach, and he attempts to swallow, only to find his throat parched and constricted. Pushing himself up from his stomach and off the bed, Liam makes his way to the kitchen area just a few feet away in his studio apartment as he listens to the conversation unfold.
As the young man listens to Connor speak, the pit in his stomach starts to turn into jelly. Without even realizing it, he finds himself leaning back against the countertop, his legs instinctively crossing as he gazes down at his feet. He's so artistic. Liam thinks to himself, admiring how passionate the other man was about his work. He momentarily drifts into a daydream, only to be jolted back to reality by the realization that "appointments" means Connor's absence. The jelly in his stomach solidifies once more. Nooo. You have to come. He pleads in his own mind.
In an attempt to persuade Connor to join them, Liam seeks to reason with him. "It's not like we're starting a full-blown CSI investigation here; we're just going to check things out, right?" With this inquiry, Liam is also subtly asking Keziah, hoping she'll back him up. "And if we run into anything too sketch, we'll turn back." -
"I guess that's true," Connor replied with a shrug, running a hand through his hair. "I'd sure as hell love to do some investigating, I love this kind of creepy s---," he added with a chuckle as he glanced over at the phone, losing himself in his thoughts. He stayed silent for a moment, thinking of how he could possibly get out of work. "Mm, I'll try and think of something to get out of work, but I can't guarantee it-" He said, looking back at his journal and going back to drawing.
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(just a heads up a may disappear for a few days, going on vacation and may not have access to gtq!
i'll hopefully be back by friday evening if i don't end up hopping on at any point before lol) -
Keziah sat back down on the couch in the living room, and nodded listening to the conversation. "I think it would be a good idea for you to come, and like Liam said; if anything happens we'll turn back." She stopped fiddling with her necklace, and stood up once again. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the cup of coffee she had left sitting on the table. She also noticed that her mother was no longer sitting in her chair at the table. Weird, maybe she went to go to the bathroom. Or maybe she's still tired and went to her room. Keziah took a sip of her coffee, and walked back onto the front porch. "That, and we all haven't gotten together in forever." She leaned onto the porch railing, coffee cup in one hand and phone in the other.
It looked like the sky was starting to turn a dismal grey, and the wind started to blow. Maybe if she got the energy, she would walk into to town today. Since the general store wasn't open, maybe she could talk to some of her old friends and do some trading for supplies. When she came up for this visit, she brought a lot of things with her. When she was in college she picked up embroidery, and as a side hobby would embroider her friends clothes, shoes and anything else she could find. She wasn't sure if it was something that anyone here would be interested in, but it was worth a shot. Before she could start speaking to Liam or Connor again, she heard her mother shout from inside. "Keziah!!!!"
She looked back into the house, but couldn't see her mother from here. "Sorry to cut this call short, but I'm going to have to go. If you are able to come, just meet me by the old general store in three days." She said, abrubtly ending the call. She rushed inside, leaving her cup of coffee on the front porch. -
Liam feels deeply satisfied with himself, reveling in his success at convincing Connor to join them. His fingers play with the chain around his neck as he bites his lip in anticipation. As he swings open the refrigerator door, a wave of disappointment washes over him he discovers the absence of lemonade, the very drink he had been longing for. Pondering his next move, he strokes his chin thoughtfully before reaching into the freezer to retrieve some ice. He then gathers a pot, a bag of granulated sugar, and two lemons from the fruit bowl on the counter. As he picks up the lemons, he realizes they are his last, but a bit of hope reignites within him at the thought of Keziah being back in town. Maybe he could do some bartering of his own. A playful idea sparks in his mind: how many lemons might she trade for a fresh hairstyle?
"Of course. I can't wait to see you, girl!" Liam squeals, genuinely happy to see his friend despite the situation. He fills a pot with water to about a quarter full and carries it to the small two-burner stove, igniting the flame. As the water begins to bubble, he adds several teaspoons of sugar, stirring gently with a spoon that he occasionally taps against the pot's edge before placing it on the counter beside him. He patiently waits for the sugar to transform into a simple syrup, then lifts the pot off the heat and sets it in the sink, as the limited space on the countertop leaves no room for it.
"You either, Connor." Before he can realize it, Liam is flirting with the other man. As soon as the words leave his lips, he smacks his hand against his mouth and holds it there for a moment, embarrassed. Right when he recovers, he grabs a tall, handle-less glass mug adorned with floral designs and places it on the counter, breaking a few ice cubes from their tray and dropping them in. Returning to the fridge, he pours filtered water into the glass until it reaches the halfway mark, then shifts his focus to the lemons. He takes each lemon, applying gentle pressure as he rolls them against the countertop to release their juices, before slicing them in half and squeezing them by hand until the mug is brimming with fresh lemon juice.
As the man raises the glass of lemonade to his lips, a piercing scream for Keziah shatters the moment. "What-" he exclaims, bewildered, as Keziah abruptly announces her departure. Old general store, three days from now. Her words echo in his mind, the sound of the call disconnecting still ringing in his ears, leaving him grappling with a whirlwind of confusion. "What the hell was that?" Liam asks Connor with furrowed eyebrows, searching for an answer the other man may not even have. -
"No clue," Connor replied, having flinched and scratched a line on his journal with his pen. "That sounded like her mom, though, right?" He said, frowning as he picked up his phone. "I hope everything's alright," he mumbled softly as he crossed his legs in his seat, going back to drawing.
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Keziah rushed past the living room and into the kitchen looking for her mother, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Mom!!" She cried out, her eyes darted around the room. She ran from the kitchen, down the hallway where their bedrooms were. She looked in her room, just in case; but it was empty. She looked at her parents room that was down at the end of the hall, but it appeared to still be closed. She briskly walked to the door and tried the handle, but it didn't budge. She looked into the bathroom, but the only thing that was in there was her mothers tabby cat Tiger. She walked back toward the kitchen, and looked at the back door. It was the only place she hadn't checked, so she was almost one hundred percent certain her mother would be there.
She walked up to the back door and opened it, her hand shaking slightly. As she stepped down onto the concrete steps that led down into the back-yard, she spotted her mother kneeling in the grass. "A-are you okay?" She said, her voice breaking as she spoke.
Keziah's mother slowly stood up, and turned around. Her eyes were red, and tears fell down her face like a stream. Keziah looked at the cloth-like objects that were in her mothers arms, and she was confused for a moment. She didn't know why her mother would be crying at the pieces of cloth that she was carrying, and then it dawned on her the moment her mother made it to the top of the steps. It looked like the clothes were her fathers. They seemed to be covered in blood and dirt. The smell that emanated from them was that of rain and dampness, but there was something else that Keziah couldn't pin-point. It was also odd that the clothes were placed in their back-yard neatly folded.
Keziah's mother walked into the kitchen, and toward the bedroom that her and her husband once shared. She couldn't grasp the fact that she was holding the clothes that her husband, Keziah's father had potentially died in. She unlocked the bedroom door, and placed her husbands clothes on top of her dresser, then laid in bed. Keziah would not see her mother again until the day she was supposed to meet her friends at the General Store.
(If you all would like to time skip to that day, you can! :3) -
(alr, we can do that!)
In a town that offered little in terms of attractions, the significant gaps between its few establishments often compelled residents to rely on their vehicles for even the simplest errands. However, Liam typically prefers to walk, relishing the journey from his home to the general store as a chance for exercise. His daily runs frequently took him along the same dusty paths that others traversed in their vehicles, allowing him to connect with the landscape in a way that felt invigorating. Yet, today felt different. As he gazed out the window that morning, he noticed the sky was an unusually deep shade of grey, far more ominous than the typical rainclouds. A sense of unease settled over him, similar to what he felt during that phone conversation three days prior. With a nagging instinct that something might go awry, he wanted to ensure that he and his friends would have a swift escape route if the need arose.
Liam arrives at the general store, pulling into the unmarked, overgrown parking lot. Looks like the grass hasn't been cut since Glenn disappeared. He notices as he parks his car directly in front of the door. The man pauses for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts while glancing at his reflection in the rearview mirror. With both hands, he smooths back his hair in a deliberate motion, his eyebrows arching as he scrutinizes his appearance. He tilts his head to the left and then to the right, ensuring there are no unexpected blemishes marring his complexion. After that, he flashes a quick grin, inspecting his teeth for any remnants of food, and finally settles into a more relaxed smile, rehearsing his effortlessly 'cool' demeanor. Yeah, I look good. Liam exits his car and shuts the door with one hand, leaning up against the driver's side. -
Connor slowly pulled up and smiled a little, seeing Liam standing by his car. He pulled into the spot beside him, rolling down the window. "Hey, come here often~?" He teased, chuckling softly as he unbuckled and climbed out. "How've you been, Liam?"
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Keziah woke up the morning that she was supposed to meet with Liam and Connor with a jolt. When she opened her eyes and looked around, she noticed her mother standing at the end of her bed. The sunlight filtered through the window and Keziah made out the redness of her mothers face; how her eyes were swollen and her cheeks were puffy. "I over-heard some of your conversation the other day." Her mother stated, her voice hoarse. "If you go, be safe and take these with you." Her mother placed several sachets at the foot of her bed, each embossed with a sigil. As soon as her mother did this, she walked quietly out of Keziah's room and returned to her own.
Keziah got up and inspected the sachets. It looked like each of them were sewn shut. She felt the bags and it seemed like it was a mix of crystals and herbs. Keziah walked over to her dresser and threw off her pajama's trading them for a pair of green cargo shorts, along with an old Camp Explore T-shirt. She walked back over to the bags, and put all of them in one of the cargo pockets. She couldn't help but think to herself why her mother would make these? What did she think they were going to help with? She took a deep breath and grabbed a pair of socks from the top of her dresser and walked into the living room.
Once in the living room, Keziah took in the sunlight filtering through the window, and picked up her black hiking boots. If they were going to search the woods, she was definitely going to need these. Once on, she had to make one more stop and then she was on her way to meeting Liam and Connor. -
A soft smile spreads across Liam's face as he spots Connor arriving, an involuntary reaction that he can't suppress. Instinctively, he adopts a more bashful demeanor, raising a hand in a hesitant wave toward the other man. His head dips slightly, shoulders rounding as he nervously bites his bottom lip and rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. Image. he reminds himself, quickly straightening up to project a more assured stance. He smooths down his jean jacket, brushing off both sides with a flick of his wrists, then leans back against the door of his car. With a relaxed air, he crosses his legs and arms, tilting his chin up just enough to exude confidence.
âOnly if I know youâre coming.â Liam flirts, lips pursing in a satisfied smile. However, after a brief pause, the young man releases his lean and stands tall. He unfolds his arms, sliding them into the pockets of his jeans, and surveys his surroundings, his feet firmly planted while the rest of his body pivots. As he turns back to face Connor, a hint of concern creases his brow, his eyebrows knitting together slightly.
âItâs been the two of us for a minute. Not that Iâm complaining,â He winks. âNo seriously, though. Whereâs Keziah?â
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