Unto Old Mountains
Thread Topic: Unto Old Mountains
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"Mm, no clue-" Connor replied with a chuckle, glancing around for a moment as he shut off his car. "I tried to send her a message earlier, but I've got no f---in' signal out here," he added with an awkward chuckle, picking up his phone and checking the time.
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It didn't take Keziah long to grab the things that she needed, and then she was on her way. She was armed with three bags. Each had a flashlight (with extra batteries), a couple of bottled waters, some food packs and a bunch of things to help with hiking and climbing. Once she knew she was ready, she hopped into her car {which had definitely seen better days) and made her way to town. As she went down her driveway and passed the trees, she couldn't help but notice that she still didn't hear any sounds from the birds, or anything for that matter. She shook her head, trying not to think about it and headed into town.
The town was fairly small. So small in fact that as soon as she left her driveway, she was practically there. She could see the General Store in the distance, and in front of the building were Liam and Connor. For a moment, she felt giddy with excitement, then she thought about why they were here, and what they were doing and it was like ice coursed through her veins. She pulled next to Connor's car, making sure she didn't get to close; then got out of the car. "God!" She exclaimed, albeit a bit too excited. "It's been forever it feels like!" She walked up to Liam first, and gave him a big hug, then did the same to Connor.
"Sorry I'm late." She said, rubbing her arm. "I had to go get some things." She pointed to the bags that she had grabbed, which were now sitting in the back-seat of her car. "I hope I didn't worry either of you too much." -
Liam listened intently as Connor spoke, trying to perfect his version of a "sexy listening" expression, though he wasn't quite sure what that entailed. Yet, when Keziah appeared, he couldn't maintain the facade any longer; his face lit up with a broad, genuine smile at the sight of his long-lost best friend. Before she even parked her car, he was already bounding toward her, practically skipping with excitement, eager to greet her with open arms. Ever since her departure, life had felt tumultuous for him, with his emotions flowing up and down like turbulent waves. Seeing her again was like catching a glimpse of a guiding lighthouse amidst the storm. Deep down, he often viewed himself as the impulsive and self-centered one, while Keziah embodied strength and dependability. Her return brought him a sense of stability that he had sorely missed, especially given the current circumstances.
"Ahhhhh!!! Oh my gooood, Keziah! Hey, girl!" Liam wrapped his arms around his friend in a warm embrace, feeling an instinctive urge to give Keziah a gentle squeeze. It was unclear whether he was trying to confirm the reality of this moment or simply prevent her from drifting away again, but the impulse was irresistible. Their height difference allowed him to rest his chin on her head, and he took the opportunity to do so affectionately before finally letting go. As he stepped back, his gaze fell upon the bags in Keziah's back seat, and he couldn't help but mentally scold himself for not being as prepared. Of course, Keziah, ever the responsible one, had thought of everything while he had come empty-handed, likely too caught up in his excitement to see Connor.
"You're fine," He chuckles. "To be honest, I'm not sure how neither of us thought to do that, but I guess that's why we have our Miss Travel Guide here." The young man decides to steal a look at his crush. He wonders how he and Connor would fare doing this kind of thing alone. Yikes. -
"Damn, get a litte more excited, why don't you," Connor teased with a chuckle, watching Liam and Keziah hug before she rushed over and hugged her. "Sounds like you missed her more than me~ How've you been, girl?" He asked with a chuckle, patting her back before letting go and crossing his arms again.
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Keziah chuckled at both of them, and smiled brining them both into a group hug. "I've missed both of you so much!" She was trying to contain her excitement as well. In spite of trying circumstances, she felt better with Liam and Connor around. It was like both of them brought her peace, which she needed much of right now. "Thank you both for showing up. That means a lot." She said, opening the back door of her car and taking the bags out, resting them on the ground. As much as she didn't want to bring up Glenn and the strange occurrences, that was why they were here; and it would only be prolonged the longer they all waited. Which if anything, time was never on their side to begin with.
She handed a pack to both Liam and Connor. "So, I set up these packs with the essentials." She hoisted her bag over her shoulders, and flashed a slight grin. "All of them have a flashlight, some food and water, hiking gear and some other necessities that might come handy. I did put some flares, and a flare gun in each bag as well. If something goes wrong, and we are unable to reach each other via the radio," She pointed to the radios that were nestled in the side pocket of the bag where a bottle of water would normally go. "Just shoot the flare gun, and we will all head to that location." She felt like the plan wasn't a good one, but then again; it was just her and her friends looking for this individual and (possibly) her dad too. She tried to keep hope that her father was somewhere out in the woods, especially with the way the clothes were returned to her mother, but also a part of her tried to be logical. If he was out there, how long could he last. She tried to push the thought out of her mind.
"I'm not sure if I'm missing anything." She pondered for a moment. It was plausible that she was forgetting something they would need later, but for now everything seemed okay. "So, I'm thinking we start exploring the woods behind the church over there." She pointed to the church that was near the general store. It was painted white, and at the top had a bell that would ring religiously every Sunday morning and Wednesday night. The paint seemed to chip away from age, but it wasn't too bad. Little did they all know, there was a church that was almost identical that they would be in later tonight, seemingly fighting for their lives. -
Liam approaches the three bags that Keziah has arranged and slips a finger under one of the bag’s hanging straps, pulling it a few feet away. He crouches down, unzipping the bag as she names its contents. He picks up a flashlight, securing it to the waistband of his jeans for easy access, and continues rummaging through the items. A map catches his eye and he unfolds it briefly, nodding in understanding before tucking it into his left front pocket. He also notices the radio, sliding it out of its compartment and chuckling as he uses a thumb to dust off the surface of the device. “Haha. It’s kinda like when we were kids, playing cops and robbers.”
Suddenly, his heart races as he spots a large knife nestled at the bottom, the reality of the situation sinking in. Gripping the knife, he feels the weight of responsibility and the potential need to use it. He unsheathes the blade, examining its sharp edges with a careful eye before sliding it back into its sheath and placing it securely in his right front pocket, a lump forming in his throat as he contemplates the gravity of the situation. This is no longer just a reunion or an adventure. This is for real.
The young man stands up, slinging the bag over his shoulder, and looks at Connor once more before nodding again. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you wanna do.” Liam says, trying to stifle his nervousness that seemingly came out of nowhere. -
Connor grabbed the last bag and opened it up, searching through the contents. "s---, you pack everything," he said with a chuckle, checking out the food and water inside the bag. "So, what exactly are we looking for again?" He asked, pulling out a hatchet from the bottom of the bag and staring at it in awe.
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Keziah looked at both of them. This situation felt like a heavy cloud that was hovering over not only their shoulders, but the town she had lived in her entire life. "So..." She started. "There is something I haven't told either of you...primarily because I really wasn't sure how to bring it up." She fiddled with the straps of her back-pack. "Not only Glenn has gone missing." She took a deep breath, and explained to Liam and Connor the situation that happened the other day with her mom. As she finished up, she was reminded of the sachets that were in her pocket as well. "On top of all of that," She reached down and grabbed the sachets from her pocket. "My mom made us these." She held them out for her friends to see. The sigil on the bags, now that they were in the light seemed to be hand-woven, and the bags looked to be hand-sewn from velvet cloth.
"I'm not sure what the sigils mean, but I don't think it wouldn't hurt us to carry one at least." Keziah had decided that whatever one's were picked, she would just put the remaining ones in her back-pack. As far as the coloration on the bags, there was one red, one royal blue, two lavender and one forest green. -
Liam's brow knits together as he locks eyes with the sachets that Keziah presents. "Hm.. This one calls out to me." He extends his hand toward the royal blue sachet, but a moment of doubt causes him to retract his fingers into a tight fist, his wrist angled upward. "Actually, no." With a furrowed brow, he purses his lips in deep thought, his eyes darting among the vibrant array of colors. Gradually, his hand moves closer to one of the lavender sachets, only to pull back again, caught in a swirl of indecision. "Actually, yes. I want this one." The young man resorts back to his first decision, snatching up the royal blue sachet with finality.
A subtle shift occurs in his posture as he gingerly holds it in his hand, a flicker of confusion crossing his face as he examines it closely. He has never considered himself superstitious and remains skeptical about any connection between Glenn's disappearance and the supernatural, if they even exist. Still, he questions the purpose of these sachets. The intricate hand-woven design captivates him; he can't overlook the time, effort, and skill that must have gone into creating these. Keziah's mother is a kind woman, and even if he struggles to see their significance, Liam feels a pang of guilt at the thought of discarding something so lovingly crafted, especially in this moment. He nods and uses both hands to delicately place the sachet in the same pocket holding his map.
"Well, whatever it is, I doubt it's something that'll hurt us, right? Unless we plan to go full Power Rangers and accidentally activate the powers inside." Liam makes a joke to somewhat ease the tension, mostly his own. -
"Guess I'll take the green one- matches my eyes," Connor said with a chuckle as he picked up the sigil, holding it up to his hazel eyes with green flecks in them. "I mean, I don't really believe in witchcraft and stuff, but if it works, it works I suppose," he replied with a shrug, chuckling softly.
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Keziah chuckled at Liam's attempt to break the tension. She wasn't one to believe in the whole herbs and crystals thing either, but there was something about Appalachian 'magic' that held truth to it. She watched her mother made homemade remedies to cure coughs, and in more serious conditions pneumonia and bronchitis. Most of her childhood was spent learning these homemade remedies from her mother, that until now she never really thought about. She ended up tucking the two lavender sachets in the side pockets of her bag, while she tucked the red sachet into her pants pocket. She took a deep breath and looked at her friends. "Alright. Time to get this party started." She said, walking toward the church and into the woods behind it.
Once all three of them were in the woods, Keziah looked around. "So, I was thinking..." She said, pulling out her own map from her bag. "That I can search North, which would be just up the mountain. Connor, you could head East. To my knowledge the only thing that is that direction is an old waterfall. I'm not looking for too much that way, but we never know." She took a deep breath, then looked at Liam. "And Liam, you'll head West. That will have all of our bases covered. If you need anything, radio. If you can't radio and the situation turns dire, use the flare gun and we will head toward the direction of the flare." She couldn't believe she was saying those words. This whole situation felt unreal.
"Are you both ready?" She said, albeit a bit too nervously. -
Liam nervously gnaws on his bottom lip. Initially, the prospect of uncovering the mystery behind Glenn's sudden disappearance seemed thrilling, an adventure that promised excitement. However, as the reality of their mission sinks in, he realizes he had underestimated both the challenges and the potential dangers involved. He had envisioned a simple search party, a casual group outing to quickly comb through the area, perhaps even stumbling upon a clue that could land them a spot on the local news. While that fleeting moment of fame would be a drop in the ocean compared to what he dreamed of, any exposure would still be beneficial. Yet, beyond his personal aspirations, Liam understands what's truly at stake here. With a deep breath, he resolves to follow Keziah's lead, nodding in agreement as he prepares himself for the journey ahead.
As Keziah points out the path leading west, the young man glances in that direction, his eyes falling upon an even thicker expanse of trees that looms ahead. He swallows hard, not from the fear of losing his way - he prides himself on being an adept navigator - but rather from a more trivial concern: the prospect of getting dirty. The thought of having to fight a small creature or, God forbid, another human doesn’t faze him; it’s the idea of mud and grime that unsettles him. While he’s dressed for the outdoors in a simple denim jacket, jeans, and a striped t-shirt, he still made an effort to look presentable for Connor. Speaking of Connor, Liam steals another quick glance at the man, and feels a flutter of butterflies as he absentmindedly fiddles with the sachet tucked away in his pocket, before finally straightening his posture.
"Okay," He agrees at last, not wanting to back down at the last minute, especially not in front of his crush or his best friend. "Fine. Let's do this."
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