- Zodiac - [Inactive]


--


| Afternoon |


| Tuesday |


Date: September 17, 2014

​



Dominic had locked on to the ball approaching him, watching as it shifted from one handler to the other. He had to be prepared for the upcoming shot, the problem was figuring out who was going to shoot it. When ball came back to Reese and stayed that way longer than usual, that's when he knew he was going to shoot it.


He set himself up to block the speeding ball, but for some reason they were already grinning. Huh? The faint breeze blowing past him solved the mystery quickly. The ball had already been shot and passed him before he had a chance to ready himself. So that's how this practice session is going to go.


Alas, the team continued to practice for a while. Even though Dominic had paired up with the other teammates, the results were similar to the first with him being a skip and a leap behind his opponent. All in all, he worked up a defeated sweat and the team captain finally called for a ten minute break in their practice.


During his training, Dominic spotted Damian not far off - he seemed to linger throughout the thirty minute session, so it was safe to assume that his friend wanted him. He dragged himself over to Damian with a towel around his neck and hanging off his shoulders. "Yo, Damian." He spoke up, trying to ignore the performance he just had. "This is the longest I've seen you hang around a field. Something up?"
 
Reese was smiling as he drank water from his water bottle.


That was... So great... Why didn't I just start playing sooner? He thought to himself as various images played through his mind. It wasn't exactly some tragic Soccer story, just something Reese didn't like bring up.


He sat himself down on the grass and leaned back onto one of his elbows, wincing a little as the grass tickled at his scratches. He took another sip of the water and then looked up at the bright sky. Today was a good day for him, all in all, that is.
 
Damian looked up at his sweat soaked friend and stood up, leaving his bag on the floor. "Yeah... Something's up alright. Hopefully no one's around." Damian looked around the hallway, no one seemed to be around... At least not yet. He hoped no one would turn up for a little while. Damian sighed, and lifted his wrist slightly. His own shadow began to struggle against the tub of Damian's hand. "Now it doesn't want to do anything when I WANT IT TO!" With that shout, Damian threw up his hand. A large spear of darkness had shot up towards the school ceiling, just like the predicament he had this morning. "Oh no, oh no, oh no! Not this much!" Damian frantically threw his hands down, hoping the shadow would do as he commanded, but it stubbornly remained in it's black pillar state. "My Goooood.." Damian squeezed his temples with his hands and whined. "THIS is what has been up! Do you see!?"
 
Alice watched in amazement at how well Reese shot and changed her thoughts of him,"I guess he's good at this after all?" She thought looking over at Dominic then at Reese,"They're both seem good in soccer unlike me." She thought with a sigh of defeat but she wouldn't give up as she heard the coach call for them to switch.


Playing for a while with the other members, she was dripping in sweat and dirt strained her jersey, the number 7 smudged with dirt and sweat strains,"Better take a good shower after this." She mumbled not caring how the air smelled badly with sweat since this was normal, felt like how she was in Judo and Kendo so this felt like home to her.


Hearing the coach call for a ten minute break, she went off to the shade of the trees and sat under it, breathing heavily. Pulling out her water bottle, she quickly opened the cap and drank the refreshing cool water, feeling refreshed. Her blond hair sticking to her forehead as she moved it away and laid her head against the tree,"Wonder if they have a Judo or Kendo Club." She thought thinking of checking them out later on.


Looking over at Damien and Dominic, watching as they chat, a shadow-like pillar shot through the ceiling of the school as she watched shocked and got to her feet,"T-that dream..." Her mood darken as she noticed Hotaru walking up to the two boys. Running over to them, she looked to Dominic and Damien,"So that dream was real?! My wound is real?" She said holding out her bandaged arm,"Please explain what's going on here." She asked politely as possible.
 
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"Where? Where are you injured?" The nurse looked for any clear signs of wounds or cuts. Hotaru gestured to her shoulders, the nurse pointed to the bathroom. Hotaru took off all of her stuff and placed it on the floor, but she brought her slate and a marker. The nurse entered the bathroom with her and told her to strip. Hotaru obliged and the nurse stopped her once she had only an undershirt on. The lady took it as her duty to look at the marks, she grabbed her arm and examined the marks. Hotaru realized what the nurse's next question will be. She racked her mind for an answer, "How did you get these marks?" Hotaru pulled her arm away and quickly wrote on the slate with a straight face, "I had a dream about hellhounds and they tried to kill me off." The nurse narrowed her eyes and threw her head back as if she was laughing, "If you went to the downtown area, just tell me! No need to lie." Hotaru shook her head and rubbed her cheek, "I mean, a cat scratched me."


The nurse had applied rubbing alcohol over the wound and sent Hotaru off with a bandage. She smiled back at the nurse and picked up her stuff as she left the office. From a distance she noticed a black shadow that appeared to be three dimensional off to the distance. Hotaru's eyes widened, she had seen something like that in her dream. Nearly dropping everything, she sprinted towards the black light. From twenty feet away she saw Damian and Dominic at the source of the shadow. Glaring full on, she headed straight for them. She was angry as hell. They just had to prove the nightmare to be real, didn't they?
 
Roe got through the day, thankful for Ukime's support. She didn't think they said anything about the dream, or she didn't remember it anyway. Trying not to look at any of her classmates in case she might see more scrapes and bruises that she might be able to explain in her head. Though, as the day dragged on and she diligently worked in her notebook, last night's general terribleness seemed like it was a distant memory... I mean dream... she corrected herself.


Classes finished, she had lost sight of everyone. Standing up from her desk, Roe stretched, leaning back. The sun was shining and she was alive. No point in dwelling in the past. Walking slowly, hands behind her head, Roe walked out of the building and into the courtyard. She had contacted the gardening clubs few members and figured out where everything was. There was nothing quite as relaxing as a repetitive job... She weeded and watered the various plants, and snipped a few leaves that were astray on the hedges. Sweating a little, she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.


Putting the gardening supplies away, she looked around. She was in a small clearing, a cute garden where no one was around. Smiling, Roe took out her headphones and began her drills... trying not to wince. There was a point to prepare for the future... Exhausted, Roe let herself fall to the ground. Lying on her back, she put her hand over her eyes, taking in the birds and the smell of the earth. "Epic" orchestra music softly played in the background where her ipod had fallen.


For a moment, she thought she should go to the security club... but that would have to wait until after she had her moment of peace.
 

--


| Afternoon |


| Tuesday |


Date: September 17, 2014

​



Dominic watched as Damian projected a shadow from his own hand, and observed as it shot up and slapped the ceiling like one of those sticky hands. His face was free of emotion, even as the shadow returned to it's owner. "Dude, you can make a career with that." His face not at all surprised although he should have been since the entire ordeal was unnatural.


"But in all seriousness, what the hell?" Dominic didn't remember anything up until he was possessed in his dream, so Damian's shadow tendrils were completely new to him. "How did you-.." There were so many questions in his mind, too many to ask at that point and time. "I TOLD you that something was up. I think we can speak shit into existence." For many nights on Skype, an inside joke or 'what-if' between Dominic and Damian often turned out to actually exist or happen at some point in the future.





Suddenly, Dominic heard footsteps trucking their way across the gym floor toward them. Looking over, Dominic realized it was Hotaru, and boy did she look pissed. "U-Uh, Hey H-Hotaru!" And right from the other side, Alice. Shit.
 
Nikky finished class and arranged her notes, though it was more like stupid doodles, then packed up and left. She could barely focus, her mind kept wondering off. Her dream appeared to her in broken up pieces, she couldn't see everything not even faces right in front of her. However she remembered the feeling and it made her sick. She pressed her head against the locker, feeling the cold metal against her cheek was effective when calming her nerves. Most of the students had left school or stayed after for clubs, she wasn't apart of any extracurricular activities so she figured she might . She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her messages, nothing new and nothing to do. She turned of her phone and stuck it back in her totebag.


"Boredom is a plague."


A new resolve rose within her, she needed a club. She straightened her back and headed off for the office she could probably join a club there, eum, where was it again? She wondered these halls so many times, how come she hasn't gotten use to it yet? Either her memory was really that bad or the school was changing around, most likely the ladder.


Love, Tapatalk
 
Hearing the tapping footsteps not too far off, Damian's shoulders tensed up, hi eyes squinted. What he hoped wouldn't happen had happened. He was spotted. He turned to see it was just Hotaru. While it can be worse this was still really bad. "Hey.. Hotaru.." Damian said in an even more sullen tone. He groaned loudly at the situation, he was hoping no one else would show up but... Speak of the devil! On comes Alice with the questions. She was demanding something be explained and showed... Bandages? On her arms? That was beyond Damian as he has no recollection of the dream that night. As far as he's concerned all this new information was enough to stress him into a panic attack! "A-Alice! But.. What happened to you? And Hotaru, what's wrong? Why is everyone looking at me like I did something wrong? Dominic, I don't understand..!" Damian's chest began pumping, his stomach felt like it shot up into his chest, and his mouth was going dry.
 
So many things were going through her mind. In an attempt to say all of it at once, she began to make a groaning sound followed by a silent scream. She pointed an accusing finger at Dominic and then Damian. Hotaru gripped her own hair and squat down trying to make sense of it all. After a couple of seconds of more reassuring, she stood up and began to furiously write, "What the hell is that? Why the hell are you two so calm about that?!" A green arrow pointed to the direction of the shadow.


"I had a freaking dream. You guys were supposed to make it stay a dream. It was like any other dream I had, except I got hurt! I want some answers." Hotaru had finally stopped shaking. Her calmness in the dream was not surprising, she only was rational when she was awake.


After hearing Damian's confused chatter, Hotaru slowly put the slate down, but she kept her glare.
 
Jacen walked around the campus halls, in search of something to do. Today's classes weren't bad at all, but it wasn't like he wanted to spend the rest of the evening in his dorm like he did before. He stopped upon hearing the sound of whistles.


"Gym ->" sure, why not...it beats sewing.


He walked through the doors and was greeted to the sounds of whistles, shoes sliding against wood, and the sight of multiple sports. Basketball and soccer being among the first he had seen. He walked through the spaces carefully, ensuring that he didn't disturb any of the practices in progress. He stopped when he got closer to the soccer side of things, taking note of two familiar figures.


Wait, I know those two. Dominic plays soccer...never woulda guessed...but to be fair I haven't talked to either of them much.


He made his way over to them, as they were shortly joined by another student.


Looks like a class reunion and it hasn't even been a full week.


"Sup, everyone?"


 

--


| Afternoon |


| Tuesday |


Date: September 17, 2014

​



"I-it's nothing, Damian. Everyone's just had a lack of sleep, I assume?" There really wasn't any other way to put it. As soon as Damian performed his magic trick, the two had suddenly appeared demanding answers left and right. There goes my doubt about the dream... "That's weird, were you all hurt by something?" Dominic scratched his head and looked in the other direction, silently wishing that the two didn't see what Damian just did.


Off from the side, Jacen had appeared from left field. Perfect. "Oh, Jacen, was it? H-Hey, haha! What's going on? How about we go get a bite to eat? Just us three?"
 
Alice looked to Damien, staring to see if he was telling the trust or was lying but it seemed he was being true of his words as she calmed down, not wanting to push the poor boy anymore than that. Putting her arm down by her side, she looked to the two boys with a calm look,"You don't remember anything?" She asked just to make sure he was right.


Looking over at Jacen, she frowned at how he was being quite rude but he didn't know so she let it slide but then looked to Dominic with a quite scary smile,"Eh?~ Just us three? How about the five of us go eat out then?" She said in a innocent tone. She wasn't gonna let the two go as she came closer, blocking all exit for them,"I got bit by some stupid hound and you expect me to let you two walk away feeling no pain while I'm in pain?" She said a vein popping out to show how she was holding in her anger.
 
He had forgotten to eat before hitting class...a bite to eat sounded like a godsend at this point.


"Sure, I'm up for it."


He stressed the hell outta three...can't say I blame him. Poor guy looked like he was about to get his head taken off. Wait a tick, hound?


"Hold up, hound?"


Jacen rolled up his shirt's sleeve and got wide-eyed at the various marks and cuts.


So this wasn't a dream after all...great. I've gotten attacked in my sleep and I haven't even started a fight while I've been awake. Lovely. And the hell is this girl constantly giving me the stink-eye?


"Alice, right? Have I done something wrong here?"


 
Remember anything? At this point Damian was beginning to wonder if he was knocked into a coma. "Remember anything..? No, I don't.. Looking at you all, it feels like I should but I don't. I promise. All I know is that this... Thing comes out of my shadow unexpectedly." Beginning to try and piece the situation together, Damian came to a very grim conclusion. "Did I do this to you both? Dominic, did I hurt you too?" A flood of guilt built up in Damian's chest. He was s confused and upset at this point he just hoped the shadow would skewer pike him through the roof of the school. Suddenly, a familiar face showed up. Jacen. Looked like he was wounded as well. But they all began to mention a sort of hound. "Wait, a hound? Well umm... Can we please talk this over outside school grounds? I'm really confused and it's giving me horrible anxiety." Just as he was ready to leave Alice had blocked both Damian and Dom', whispering how she wasn't going to let us walk away with these wounds she's suffering. Damian figured there wouldn't be an easy way out of this. "Lets just go. Please." The shadowy spear recalled back into Damian's shadow finally. That's one problem out the way. But it opened up many others.
 

<--


| Afternoon |


| Tuesday |


Date: September 17, 2014

​



Dominic's eyes lit up with relief at Jacen accepting the offer, only for it to feel like his entire soul was dropped into acid when Jacen stopped.


"Hold up, Hound?"


So close.. It didn't help that Alice basically shown him the seven gates of hell with her smile and her actions. Damian simply explained the situation to the group before it barreled out of control like it seemed. He had a gift and everyone wanted answers. "Good idea, let's get outside, it'll be much easier to think with some fresh air." Freedom at any costs. He knew just how frightening Alice could get, and in the case of Hotaru - silence was deadly.


Unseen and peering into the gym was Len, who had been watching ever since the situation developed. "Hmm." It was an unusual thing to see, sure. The janitor simply slipped back through the doors and disappeared with this newly acquired data.
 
Hotaru had calmed down and crossed her arms as she showed off her slate, "I propose we head to a place that's quite familiar to us, the Soul Food." She waited for them to respond to the idea. For some reason the Soul Food was stuck to her mind for a long time. She looked around to check if anyone was still around. Hotaru added, "We could round up the people we know for a fact that were in the dream."
 
As Nikky walked down the stairs, she could hear the sounds of voices coming from down the hall and without really thinking about it she started walking towards it. Her natural curiosity always overrode her primary objectives not that she minded, she liked being nosy. Walking own the hall she caught sight of colorful hair, there really wasn't anyway to miss that pastel trademark of hers. A stern look sat on Hotaru's face as she blocked the doorway, Nikky glanced from behind her to see Dominic, Damian, Alice? and another unfamiliar boy. This bothered her; a name which she did not know, a new face. She also noticed Damian and Dominic in particular looking a bit distressed. Though it was nothing too new in Damian's case. She paused for a second as she connected the faces, she balled her hands into fists.


"We could round up the people we know for a fact that were in the dream."


She spoke up from behind the Hotaru, "If you're talking about what I think you are I'd like to join in"
 
Damian nodded in agreement. Soul Food seemed like a good enough place. The folks there might just assume that they're talking about a video game or something. Nothing as unorthodox as an actual dream occurrence that gave them all phantom pains. He heard another, familiar voice join the crew. It was Nikky. Seeing the sight of her cause Damian's face to fluster. "Oh! H-Hi Nikky! Did you have this.. Dream too?" Damian asked, crossing his arms.
 
Classes was over and Ukime was already have dead. She slugged herself around the school then to the outside. Her phone buzzed so she slid her hand in to take a look at it. Reading a message from Kai it stated that she had a day off and it was ok to stay home. She had looked pretty beat up before she had gotten to school so she was sure he was just worrying about her health. She sighed as she closed her phone and scratched the bandage on the bridge of her neck. These aches and pains were bothersome to her but the bandages were ok. She had walked herself over toward the gym and went inside. Taking a basket ball of the rack she began to bounce it up and down. The hoop in front of her seemed so high but that was just her imagination. Sighing a little she took a step back while bouncing it at her side.


"1,2,3,4,5,6"


She grabbed the ball with both hands and jumped a little tossing it up and into the basket. With a loud thud it landed on the floor and bounced back toward her. She didn't have that rush before when she was first signing up. Probably lack of sleep or to many thoughts in her mind. She counted down again and shot once more. The ball had rolled over toward a cracked door with a water ball beside it. Someone else is here she thought, wouldn't be surprising. Clubs had started today but not many members showed. Shooing it off she walked out of the gym and let the cold air hit her face. Going back toward the main building she grabbed her board from the side of its wall and began to ride out and toward Soul Food. From what she's heard and tasted, they had the best strawberry milkshake around.


"At times like this , I would be eating in my room and watching anime....I wonder if they do to go."


As she rode down the street her skirt fluttered higher than it should have. A few boys in a car had pulled up toward the stoplight when she was coming to stop. They whistled toward her but she was too out of it to hear anything. One called her a whore while others called her names based off her hair. She looked toward them and gave a half smile.


"Hey you see that over there."


They all looked as she pointed toward the corner of a street. Each puzzled as they looked back at her.


"That's where my f*** about yall are. Aren't they small like your di***, be a real shame if you lost that 2 inch huh. I don't think your going to like my knives."


The light turned green and Ukime put up her hand and waved her hand saying call me. The guys shook their head no then Ukime flicked them off and continued to ride toward soul food.
 
"Oh! H-Hi Nikky! Did you have this.. Dream too?


She genuinely smiled despite herself being angry at the two of them she nodded. "Apparently so, though I'd like to hear what you guys have to say concerning all this." She decided to deliver well deserved punchies when the time came but for now, all she wanted was answers. Her smile faded as she looked concerned at everyone around, "If that really did happen, is everyone okay?"
 
Wait... that's not right, Adonna looked at the pamphlet again, and back up. The supposed room that the Astronomy club was supposed to meet at didn't exist. No, beyond that, the floor the room was supposed to meet on didn't exist. Past the floor she was on now was the roof... right? Adonna pushed the heavy door that lead to the stairs, grimacing. Her arm was sore, and the a small spot on edge of her jawbone felt sensitive. She must have fell at an awkward angle from sill to floor for so many parts of her body to be in pain. Walking up the last flight of stairs to... yeah, that was the door to the roof. Maybe they had mis-typed the room number? I could always check the... what was that sound? It sounded like giggles. Yes, definitely, and people talking. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the roof door. But that was impossible, the roof door was locked... Or so Adonna assumed, as it was such at her old high school. She went and put her ear up to the crack of the door... That's definitely voices. Not really thinking about, she lightly pushed the door open with both palms.


"Adonna!" a shrill voice exclaimed before she had time to adjust to the bright sunlight. Just as her eyes focused, she was pounced on by a much smaller body. "You came!" When the girl let go of her, Adonna realized it was the Astronomy Club's President. Now Adonna felt bad, because she didn't remember the girl's name. "Yeah... Sorry I'm late, I was confused by the..." she looked at the pamphlet in her hand. "Oh don't worry! We just got here a few seconds before you did," she said ushering Adonna to the small group of students sitting, or standing, in a circle. It reminded her of another circle of students, dower-faced, torn and bloody, angry, confused... Adonna shook the memory of the nightmare away, irritated at herself for even remembering it. "She was probably confused by this," the Vice President said with a narrowed eye towards the cheerful president, grabbing Adonna's pamphlet and pointing at the indicated room number. "That! Haha, I'm sorry, that's just a little joke we came up with to seem more official, you know, so it didn't just say 'roof' on there." "Who's we, you dumbass? That was all your idea," The VP smacked the president upside the head, albeit lightly. Then they both cracked up, causing Adonna to realize they'd just been joking with one another.


"Come, come, sit," the Prez insisted, Adonna and a few others standing obliging. "So we had only three people sign up this year, so we're ecstatic to have you here! Usually we get like, you know, zero-" "Except that one year, we got like eleven." "That doesn't count, they all stopped coming by the end of the semester." As the continued to banter, a few others joining in, Adonna looked up at the blue sky... Not that she minded, but didn't astronomy usually include seeing the stars? "Haha! I'm sorry, we should have explained to you," the Prez said, catching Adonna's action and reading right into it, "So clubs have to meet in the afternoons, so that's why we're meeting now. But we do get together like every other weekend to go star-gazing. Noooot the safest thing, but we go in a biiig group," she gesticulated, "so it's safe." "But we still have relevent discussions during these meetings," the VP added. "Sure, sure, when we're not gossiping away, we'll talk about the constellations, the zodiac-" Zodiac. Adonna frowned, her stomach turning upside down. "We don't believe in it or anything, we just talk about it for fun!" the Prez said, looking dramatically distraught, shaking her hands in denial. "No, no, it's not that... I just... my stomach..." "Phew! For a sec there I thought I'd already scared off our new member... By the way, what happened to your stockings?" the Prez finally indicated the holey black stockings Adonna was wearing. Adonna's frown deepened. "I... I really don't know," she murmured, causing a few to laugh. But she wasn't joking, how could all these tears have happened? Falling from sill to floor, a floor made of tile, tile that wouldn't rip up stockings. No, this looked like it had been caused when she'd rolled on the dirty, uneven ground of the- It was a nightmare. That was all. Maybe I scratched them up myself in my sleep... Yeah... that was what happened, that made sense. It had seemed so real, that's why it had been so unsettling, even now in her waking hours... she remembered all the faces, how beaten down everyone had looked...


Quit thinkin' about it, she demanded herself harshly. Clocking back into reality, she noticed there on the other side of the roof was a student with dark brown hair reading a book. Adonna would have just glanced right past him after the initial observation, but something about him looked familiar... something...


Hounds everywhere. Screams. Dirt, blood, endless frenzied eyes... A flash of his face popped up in her mind, a flash of him amidst the chaos.





Adonna abruptly tore her gaze away, her jaw tense, the sore spot aching. He's probably in one of my classes. "...zodiac..." Adonna snapped back into the conversation, "What?" she barked without meaning to. "Ehe, just asking what sign you are... You really don't like the Zodiac, do you?" "No, no, it's nothing to do with that..." The Prez had a little cutesy I-don't-believe-you smile playing on her face. "It was just... a dog... a really ugly dog... almost attacked me... and some friends..." "I get it! And that dog was named Zodiac?" Adonna had no idea what the hell she'd just said, or how it had worked into a believable lie, but she just nodded.




Smartphone (almost dead)


Wallet


Dorm Key


Backpack (containing school supplies & empty bento box)
 
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Alice looked at Hotaru then at the three boys with a smile. She liked the choice of place since Soul Food was the only place they could go to and it became mostly their favorite hangout spot now,"Sure, Soul Food seems like a good place to chat." She said looking over at the coach with a frown,"But we need to make an excuse to leave don't we?" She asked looking at Dominic for a plan.
 
Hotaru was already set with that, she had an excuse to go to the nurse. Hopefully no would notice that she didn't come back. For the people in the soccer club, it was going to be a problem, maybe Hotaru could distract him somehow. She could use her silly gestures to make him play charades while the others escape. They could sneak out by feigning a sick stomach. Their pride would be lowered if they decided to go that. Hotaru yawned a bit creating tears at the ends of her dull eyes.
 

-->


| Evening |


| Tuesday |


Date: September 17, 2014

​



At that point, any plan was better than nothing. Dominic had forged a crude excuse for both his and Alice's sudden abandonment. Luckily for the duo, the team captain was all too bothered by the lack of effort shown by the other team members to actually care what those two did. Alas, they were in the clear.


The next half hour was spent heading toward Soul Food. Like any other day, the restaurant was packed, yet there were always at least one empty table on the outside of the building. Now the issue was trying to comprehend the mystery that was currently the shared nightmare.


Everyone either had scratches or scars of what happened, and everyone seemed to point the finger at a 'hound' of sorts. Dominic remembered the sear of wild beasts, but anything beyond his own injury was a void in his mind. "First off, let's all exchange numbers; we'll need to contact each other quicker than Facebook if we've all had the same dream for sure." Dominic was the first to start writing his number, but there was one problem.


"Hotaru, do you mind if we use your slate to portray our cell numbers? I don't have any notes or pencils, so your board is the only viable surface - plus you've got a marker."
 
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