The Taken

[Stormee Fae]

((Thanks Kanata, want in? It's pretty casual, but I would still like the profile sent to me first before you start))


Sylvie raised her eyebrows, her smile growing as her lips pulled back and revealed her upper row of teeth, "Wow. You're older than him." She leaned into the doorway and waved someone in. A young teen walked through into the main entry room. He was looking up, eyes darting around the room to everywhere but where Miriam and Eugene stood. His long shaggy hair looked clumped and greasy, his eyes were large and bright green. Every single thick, black lash looked startled and stiff.


Finally, he noticed the other people in the room and turned to look at them, "Oh," He smiled, "Greetings. My name is Daniel Connolly, you can call me, Danny. Thank you for allowing me in your home. I was just lost and your daughter was helping me. I appreciate it." his eyes filled as he spoke, looking glassy and full to the top with tears, like an overflowing cup. However, there was no liquid pouring out yet to show everyone his strong sorrows.

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam gasped. "Are you from another time too?" she was thrilled that she wasn't alone in this, but saw the boys sad face. She felt sorry for him. She knew how scary this was and what it was like to lose family because of it. "Would you like to tell me what year you're from?"

 

[Stormee Fae]

"I..." Danny began to shake, he couldn't even process it all, he just wanted to wake up from this bad dream and be back with his family, "I-"


Sylvie reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He had already busy into tears before they came here. He was trying to keep it from happening again, Sylvie could tell. Sylvie thought it was so cool this kid was here, so incredible, exciting, and miraculous; and now there was another! This was such a unique opportunity. Just think of what one could learn from then about our past that couldn't be taught in text books. Still, when Sylvie told him there was no way of getting back... It broke him a little. This girl didn't seem as broken up about it. Maybe there wasn't someone for her to get back to.


"Danny please come sit down for a bit." Sylvie tugged in the opposite direction toward the living room.


Eugene slowly approached Danny, "Hey... It's alright." He bent down slightly so he could be more at the boy's level, "I know this is all a lot to take in, but you're safe now. We don't have to do this right now, we can talk later. I think right now what you need is a relaxing bath and some time alone. Come with me, I will get you set up." Eugene began to lead Danny upstairs. He followed slowly, tears swelling in his eyes.

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam's face fell as they took the boy away. She was thrilled not to be the only one, but her heart broke for the boy. She would have been in much worse shape if there were a family for her to come back to. She stared at her ice water and sipped it slowly, dragging her fingers through the sweat on the glass, unsure what to do with herself now.


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[Stormee Fae]

Sylvie watched Eugene lead Danny away. She watched them until they were out of sight before slowly approaching the dining room table and sitting down next to Miriam, "Hi..." She said looking at Miriam closely, "You look different." Indeed, there was something about her appearance that was different. Something strange and unique in her face structure. Surely people didn't evolve that much at all in the last 300 years. Sylvie wondered how much their speech patterns had, "Sorry... I just an so excited to have y'all here!" She curled her fingers under and put them up top her face as she nibbled on her knuckles. She couldn't believe this was real... It was incredible. She wanted to know everything about them

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam smiled shyly at the girl. "My name is Miriam. I'm from salem in 1692." She told the girl. "It's nice to meet you as well." She, too, stared at Sylvie's outfit. She was a tad shocked by it but figured it must be okay in this time. 'I never thought I'd see public tastes change so quickly.' Miriam thought, though she realized that it wasn't quickly that they had changed. She looked down at her hands. She must look so plain and ugly to these people. Miriam suddenly became extremely self-conscious.

 

[Stormee Fae]

As Miriam spoke, Sylvie grew more excited, especially when she mentioned Salem and the year. Immediately, the history buff Sylvie recognized the point in history and identified 1692 as the first year of the Salem witch trials. Sylvie couldn't contain herself, with little consideration of the perspective of someone coming from that time, she uncontrollably blurted out, "Oh my God! During the Salem witch trials. Those were still on going when you left, right? What were those like?" she leaned shifted around in her seat.


Sylvie still had more questions she wanted to press on her and Danny both. What did they think about the house? The things in the house? What did they think the devices did? How much did they really know? What level of education did they have the equivalent to today? She wanted to teach them everything, introduce them to the world, share it all with them if they were willing. Another thought emerged in her head, would there be a difference between the two? Danny came from a time that was exactly 150 years before 2015, but Miriam had come from even farther from Danny than Danny had from the current year! She was over 150 years apart from him! Would this be something that shows in their behavior? She could already hear it in their speech. Miriam almost sounded British. Sylvie could feel her stomach fluttering with excitement. She could hardly contain herself. She watched Miriam closely, a smile on her face.

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam swallowed and tried to contain her emotions. Even so, tears welled in her eyes as she spoke. "My mother...was burned at the stake, accused of being a witch...the last thing I heard before I ended up here was my grandmother, screaming at the top of her lungs at the people who had taken my mother. So the trials are horrible, I can assure you that." She still spoke in the current tense, because it felt as if it had happened only hours ago. The pain still fresh in her mind and body, Miriam wiped a tear off her cheek and took a deep breath, followed by a sip of her water. "Be thankful you did not experience them yourself."

 

[Stormee Fae]

Once Miriam's horrid tale of her mother's death hit Sylvie's ears, her smile faded. She looked down, her stomach churning as she listened to her testimony. She felt awful for asking, for bringing it up and sounding so cheerful about it. Wrapping her fingers together, she placed them under her chin as Miriam finished her story, Sylvie had to say something to rectify this, something to bring the mood up, to allow Miriam to feel like she wasn't alone... much like Danny, she imagined Miriam was feeling alone in the world right now.


"I am so sorry for your loss." Sylvie said softly as she lowered her still entangled hands from her chin to resting on the table in front of them, still leaving forward. She looked Miriam in the eye and stated, "It is so long ago for me... and like anything in history, we know the facts; but we forget how tragic these events really were, we dehumanize history and tend to forget the pain, the emotional distress caused by events like the witch trials... I'm sorry I did the same." Sylvie paused, looking toward the stairs were Danny had walked up with her dad. Miriam had something in common with Sylvie... she figured it may help, to let her know that, "I lost my mom, too... I know how it is. I hate that anyone has to go through that."

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam sniffed. "You lost your mother too? How?" Miriam almost said it with disbelief. She figured it was impossible for people to die in this new and shiny future. "I would assume that your healers would be so much better....and that people would be smarter and not kill or be violent because of social problems...I guess I just assumed too much." She said, in awe. Miriam supposed nothing ever REALLY changed with people, there would always be suffering and unfairness of some kind.

 

[Stormee Fae]

"No... you're right. Our doctors are great, our medical advancements keep people alive over 100 years sometimes. The average life span has doubled since your time, but it doesn't keep accidents from happening." She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest, her body language suddenly coming very withdrawn and closed off as she explained, "It was an accident." she wasn't sure how to explain it, how does one explain a truck driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel to someone from the 1600s? She continued, "A man was very tired and he messed up, he made a mistake and it ended up getting my mom and brother killed. It was almost 4 years ago now. It's just been my dad and me." She paused shortly, allowing Miriam to process it. She got up and walked over to the entry hall and picked up a picture in a frame from the jam closet. She entered the dining room and handed it to Miriam, "Here." She said with a small smile, "This is my mom."


((The picture from earlier))

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam nodded. She could understand that. Human error was always a risk. She took the picture. "Wow. She's beautiful. I can see where you get it from. I always took after my father." Miriam made a face as she mentioned her dad. "At least your father is kind, and good. He has been very good to me. I appreciate his help very much. I have a feeling your mother would do the same." she said, handing the picture back to the girl. "He gave me sweet tea....I think it might be the best thing I've ever tasted." she smiled, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. Miriam was always mired down in sorrow, but she didn't like to see others that way, and so she tried not to drag anyone down with her.

 

[Stormee Fae]

Sylvie had expected her to be shocked and perhaps even afraid of the photograph, but she wasn't. She just accepted it. Miriam was obviously a very progressive and open minded girl, especially compared to others of her time. Sylvie smiled at the compliment, "Thanks," she said shortly, "Yeah... even my brother looked more like my mom than he did my dad, but you could see my dad in there, too. I got my hair from my dad, and my eye color more." She walked over to the same jam closet and grabbed the picture of her brother, "This was Eddie... he would have been 20 now." She sighed softly, "He was a good brother. We got along more than we fought with one another,"


Giggling a little at Miriam's mention of sweet tea, Sylvie said, "Yeah... it's a delicacy here in the south, and we have the best!" She realized suddenly that to Miriam, this was still a British, Spaniard, and French colonized continent. She decided it was best to set that right, "Oh by the way ya know how these are the Americas? Well it's own country now. We went to war in the 1700s against England and won. I think that's partially responsible to leading to our new take on tea." She walked to the fridge and began to pour some sweet tea for herself.

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam stared at the photograph. "He was certainly handsome." she admitted, smiling at the picture. She looked up at Sylvie. "Really? Why, what was the cause? What happened?" She was full of questions. "What's the country called now? Who rules it? Are there wars going on now, too?" she asked, suddenly afraid. "I never even imagined that could happen..." she whispered, shaking her head.

 

[Stormee Fae]

"Really? Didn't see that coming? America was founded in rebellion." Sylvie sat on the table crossing her arms. She took the picture back, looking at her brother's face... so many years had passed, he was just a memory... just like her mother. She put the picture back and spoke, "We came here searching for religious independence. We wanted to not be under the King's control. It was a long time coming if you ask me. Basically, the British were demanding taxes from the American colonists that they weren't willing to pay. The taxes were solely put in place in an attempt to control the colonists and remind them who their king was. It didn't go over well. We're the United States of America,"


"U.S.A" A soft voice spoke from behind them. Sylvie turned and saw Danny standing there, holding a soft, fluffy cream colored towel in his hand. His hair was clean and shiny, still wet, and wild from him having rubbed it with a towel, "The shower was amazing!" he called, "I feel so clean, and warm! I don't know why no one ever thought of that, we used to have to boil water in the winter to get a warm bath, and it always lost it's heat before there was enough water to wash." He was wearing some clothes that used to be Eddie's. Danny was definitely smaller than Eddie had been at his age, and thus the clothes were a bit too big. Still, a belt held his pants up, his shirt tucked in. Sylvie wondered if that was just a natural impulse on Danny's part... after all, all the clothes she imagined he wore in the 1800s included a tucked in shirt, "Sorry..." Danny approached Miriam, "I apologize for my behavior earlier. I was a little... overwhelmed. I-I" he stuttered a little as he looked down at the soft, fleecy towel in his hand, "I am... better," he looked up, trying as much as he could to relax. Remaining anxious and emotional wouldn't get him anything... besides, Danny used to always dream... and now he had a chance to live one of those dreams.


Sylvie noticed his gaze jumping around her, she figured the way she was dressed was still bothering him. To him, she must practically be in underwear, "Danny, it's okay to look at me. I am dressed appropriately, I promise. It's okay,"

 

[KateMurdock92]

"Well yes but....I don't know. I never heard any talk about that. But again, I suppose my time was too early." Miriam shrugged. "That sounds....neat. How are we governed? If we don't have a king?"


Miriam smiled at Danny. "It's okay. Her outfit scares me too." Miriam gave a small laugh. "But I'm sure if her father is okay with it, it is appropriate for this time." She said. "Can I try the shower now? It sounds very pleasant." She asked politely, hoping to wash the smell of the woods off of herself.

 

[Stormee Fae]

Sylvie crossed her arms, these two were making her feel guilty, making her want to cover herself up, but it was so hot outside, over 90 degrees today. If she wore pants or long sleeves, she was sure she'd pass out. Still, she felt there was no hope in trying to explain to them that women deserved rights and that the oppressive way they were dressed was done by men to keep them down and keep men the favored gender in a society, all at the expense of the women's comfort. She swallowed it down, "Yeah..."


Danny looked from Miriam to Sylvie, unsure exactly of how to read her. She seemed upset, but then again, he didn't quite understand all of the words and body language she used, but there was just a feeling about it. It didn't seem happy.


"Here, Miriam, come with me and I can get you some clothes to wear once you shower, and I can wash your dress. I am guessing you prefer a dress to wear?" Sylvie asked unfolding her arms and moving past the frustrating situation.

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam nodded, following the girl. "Yes, if at all possible. I've never worn pants before, but I'd like to save that new experience for another day." She said, exhausted by all the shocking newness of everything. She was exhausted and almost felt like she needed to sleep. Everything was certainly taking its toll on her.

 

[Stormee Fae]

"Alright... Come with me." Sylvie headed up the stairs. Once they reached the top, Sylvie turned right and headed down the hall way. At the first door on their left, to their right was a railing overlooking the entrance room, Sylvie stopped and opened it. It was still humid and warm in the room from Danny's shower. Sylvie went to the linin closet in the room and pulled out fresh, powder blue towels and a washcloth, "I will put it here." She set it on the toilet.


The bathtub was very old but well maintained from ot's hayday in the early 1900s. The claw feet had been repainted wuth gold trim allowing it to hold onto its regal appearance. The curtain was gold, green, and brown and had the celtic life tree on it. Sylvie wondered if this would be identified as a druid or witchcraft symbol to someone of Miriam's time.


She turned the knob and water poured into the tub. She moved the knob around, searching for the perfect temperature before pulling out a metal peg which caused the water to instead begin pouring out of the shower. She waved Miriam over, "You're a girl so I gotta teach you how we do this in the 21st century." She pointed to multiple odd shaped plastic bottles sitting on the jam cloaet next to the tub.

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam was staring at the tree. 'Its not witchcraft its not witchcraft' she kept repeating to herself over and over. She looked at the bottles. "What are those?" She asked, puzzled. She reached her hand into the shower and felt the water. It was the perfect temperature. "Wow this is great!" She hopped in and took her clothes off quickly to keep them from getting soaked.


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[Stormee Fae]

Sylvie laughed as she pulled the curtain for Miriam o cover her up. She called over the shower, "You wash your body first with this." She pointed to the body wash bottle, putting it on the hanging shower rack on the wall, "then scrub your hair with this." She put the shampoo next to it, "rinse it out and rub this on your hair, rinse it out and you're done" She grabbed the lotion, "Once you get out, dry off and rub this into your skin, "it's magnolia scented." She set it on the toilet, "I put it next to your towel, anything else you need?"

 

[KateMurdock92]

"Miriam was practically in heaven. She smelled each of the bottles-they were wonderful. "No, I'm definitely fine." She called with a grin, scrubbing herself down with the body wash and taking in the intoxicating smell. She washed her hair and was impressed by the amount of bubbles in it. She used the conditioner later, and marveled at how smooth her hair felt afterward. When she got out and put the lotion on she thought she might pass out from all the wonderful smells. She stepped out of the bathroom, a cloud of steam rising behind her. She laughed at it. "Wow....this is really amazing." she muttered. "Uh...Sylvie? What now?" she called, hoping the girl could hear her.

 

[Stormee Fae]

Sylvie come quickly from another room down the hall to help out Miriam, "Sorry sorry... I was uh changing," Sylvie had changed out of her clothes and was now wearing pants and a shirt in order to cover her body up more. She didn't want to make the new comers uncomfortable, and she felt she should change, even though she could already feel herself starting to sweat. It was definitely a hot day. She handed the folded up dress to Miriam, "Here... it used to be my mom's. She was a pretty tiny girl like us." she said with a smile, "I hope it isn't too revealing for you, I promise it isn't by today's standards. Not at all."


The Dress:

 

[KateMurdock92]

Miriam held it up and smiled. "It's beautiful. You're sure it's okay if I borrow it?" She asked, slipping it on to see how it fit. Perfect. "You didn't have to change you know. It's hot here, and Danny and I are going to have to adjust to this eventually." She said, absentmindedly twirling so the skirt of the dress came out. 'It's so light!' She thought of the dress, feeling it between her fingers. She wasn't used to having her arms uncovered though. It was colder in salem.


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[Stormee Fae]

Sylvie nodded, "Of course, I don't like dresses." Sylvie placed her hands behind her back cutely, "You look nice," she smiled and looked down at the wooden floor below them. When Miriam mentioned that there was no need for Sylvie to have had changed, she shook her head, "I don't know." she said shrugging, "It seemed to make Danny pretty embarrassed." Miriam seemed almost too okay with the fact they had no way to get them home, that this was the rest of their life. What were the two going to do? Where would they go? For some reason, they were found by Sylvie and Eugene, and Sylvie believed this was where they belonged. Sylvie hoped her dad would agree.