OC Based Horror! Blooberry/Sackofworms

[Sackofworms]

"..." Chrissy pauses, giving him an uncomfortable look, her face curling into a scowl. "Okay, that was a long time ago. And that bitch never even told people why I ran away in the first place, she just told everyone I was a drug addict!" She snaps. "It's too late to make me go back and-" She grunts, pulling her hand away. "I can walk. I don't need your help, okay?"

She turns quickly, immediately trying to take off in some random direction. "It's not even Westyns! Shit! I wanted to go to Patford! Why did I... goddamnit-" She raises her voice slightly, shoving at a thorn bush. "God, I keep doing this shit!"

[blooberry]

Earnest is taken aback, and silenced by her outburst. His face looks worried, but he's more concerned with her causing a scene than her unhappiness with him. He doesn't even bother to glance at the couple and reveal his face.

"Stop that, you'll just get lost again," he proceeds right after her, maintaining a calm tone of voice filtered through gritted teeth. An ironically un-relaxing tone that complements the firm, almost piercing, grip on her shoulder he uses to force her to face him. 

"Look at you, I found you stumbling around with thorns in your skin miles away from the Westyns you're looking for". Earnest's words flow right to his free hand, which levitates inches from Chrissy's face, almost threateningly.

"You have nowhere to go. You leave me, to what? Drown in a river? Drown your face in edibles 'till you can't breathe? You're going to be quiet, and you're going to drive with me, Chrissy". He spat her name venomously.

[Sackofworms]

Chrissy almost flinches at the sudden aggression, her entire demeanor shifting as she realizes this isn't as light-hearted as she's thought. Her face shifts back to annoyance, albeit accompanied by a hint of anxious twitching, smacking his hand in her face away and trying to push the other from her shoulder. "I meant Patford, okay! I got mixed up! Patford gotta be near here- and– I'm not a idiot, dude. I've taken care of myself for like, ever, and I don't need some random guy trying to play the hero!"

She raises her voice, purposely, mainly as a rebuttal to being told what to do, but partially because her nerves are getting increasingly jittery, her legs feeling weaker than before as the blood leaves her face. "It's none of your business what I do or don't do! You don't know a single thing about me, and frankly, lets keep it that way!" She spat.

She grows increasingly anxious, stepping back against the leaves, which rustle softly, sounding like whispered warning to her muddled brain, and she jumps, looking around for an imaginary ally in this. "I ain't going anywhere with you! Just point me to Patford and I'll be on my way!"

[blooberry]

Earnest's anger is contained, translated only through his stoic expression of unmoving eyes that take in Chrissy with hungry authority. He doesn't flinch when she swats him away, and neither do his lips move to tame her burning question. Earnest only straightens his posture and allows his disappointment to read on every inch of him.

The sound of rustling leaves behind him continue to rise in clarity; the nosy couple is now right in ear-shot, and Earnest curses to himself when one of them opens their mouth.

"Is everything alright here?" The dulcet voice of an innocent savior narrates the series of anxious predictions running through Earnest's head. He does not take his eyes off of Chrissy.


(Shall we each play one character from the pair now investigating Earnest & Chrissy? For context, I imagined they'd both be from the nearby town, the place where Earnest has a poor reputation amongst those who know, hence why he's hiding his face right now)

[Sackofworms]

(Shall we each play one character from the pair now investigating Earnest & Chrissy? For context, I imagined they'd both be from the nearby town, the place where Earnest has a poor reputation amongst those who know, hence why he's hiding his face right now)

(Ooh yeah I love involving background characters!!!  )

Chrissy bristles even further when the other two approach, feeling increasingly claustrophobic and stressed. She shakes her head, smacking her hands over her face with an exasperated sigh. "Everyone is so nosey! I'm fine I'm just going home and this dude is being an douche!"

A young man, maybe in his mid 20's, looks a little worried, not advancing much closer but lingering near. "...are you sure? We could hear y'all yelling... just wanted to make sure everything's okay, you know?" He says slowly, like someone trying to talk down a crazy person, all while eyeing Earnest's back, particularly the rifle strapped to it.

Chrissy steps back again, looking around the woods like she's searching for any kind of landmark in sight. "Actually, yeah. Where are we? I was headed to Patford and I just- Its hard to keep track of where you are in the woods, okay! I'm not an idiot!" She exclaims, fighting the silent accusations she just knows are being thrown her way

[blooberry]

"I'm fine I'm just going home and this dude is being an douche!"

Earnest rolls his eyes.

"It's okay! We don't mean to cause trouble," the young lady looks Earnest up and down when he cannot see, and doesn't bother betraying the judgement that has now latched onto him. She's unsettled he hadn't greeted them yet, and she doesn't even know what to make of Chrissy, but she maintains her sweet-sounding voice anyway.
"Oh, the path to Patford is a quite a walk away, but there's a sign right on the bend up there," she gestures uphill, in the same direction Earnest's jeep faces, "This trail leads you anywhere, really. It's mostly for the hunting grounds, though. You're probably lost 'cause you're all in the trees. Hopefully, this hunter didn't mistake you for a piece of cattle," she humors in an attempt to lighten the mood. The lady slowly takes her husband hand in hers for comfort, as she lets out a forced chuckle.

[Sackofworms]

"Oh thank god, thanks." Chrissy's face switches instantly to a smile. "I was worried I was like, crazy far away." She looks over where they pointed, and immediately starts that way without so much as a farewell.

The man glances over at her, then over at Earnest, looking uneasy. "Why are you bothering her?" He asks slowly, stepping in front of his wife just slightly, a warning not to try anything. He glances back at Chrissy, who is stumbling away through the leaves, not seeming to want to let her out of sight. Its pretty easy to tell she's inebriated, and that worries the man, silently nudging his wife and nodding in her direction as if to say 'keep an eye on her'.

He slowly turns back to Earnest, shoving his free hand in his pocket. "Did you give her something? She seems... messed up."

[blooberry]

Earnest breathes in deeply, and turns to face the couple with a smile. Slightly crooked, and dimpled. These sadistic eyes of his are capable of looking gentle. 

He slowly turns back to Earnest, shoving his free hand in his pocket. "Did you give her something? She seems... messed up."

Earnest allows his voice to lilt with emotion, and shifts his expressions to follow suit. "No--pardon me. My apologies, I found her exactly like this stumbling about the woods. She freaked out when I offered to drive her, I thought it'd be best in her state of mind. Especially since the sun will set by the time she even gets close. But, I see how that could've come on too strong". Earnest takes out a small card from his breast pocket, and holds it up. "Bishop Johnstone. This gear you see is for the animals, and animals only. Promise". He takes his own crack at humor.

"You guys want to make sure she gets there safely?"

The young lady looks at Earnest, and takes in all the features of his face--a precautionary measure. In the case she must ever recognize it out of a group of men in a lineup. She's unsure whether to trust the one before her, but also unsure how to turn down someone who is possibly volatile. She gives her fiance a look of uncertainty.

[Sackofworms]

The man glances back at her, giving her a helpless look. "We can offer her a ride or something but I've got work later, we can't follow her for long." He says quietly to her, leaning closer. He stares at her before glancing back at Earnest, then towards Chrissy who was making her way up the steep hill with some noticable trouble.

"...Do you think this guy's fine? You're better at reading people than me." He says in a whisper, offering little but a shrug to his worried partner, checking his watch. "If she is uh... high. I don't know if I'd want her around you anyway. Those people are unpredictable, Mia." He shifts, looking back over at Earnest with narrowed eyes, feeling some lingering sense of familiarity, but not enough to stir his mind to the identity of the man before them.

All the while Chrissy treks up the hill, the steep surface grinding against her already aching feet and chewing at her worn muscles. She just wants to get away and back to town as quickly as possible, people were hard to trust, she preferred the company of the trees and the critters when she could avoid public areas.

[blooberry]

(I'll color code Mia & Earnest's lines/actions)

Mia sighs. 

"Alright, you take her," she says to Earnest, "It's better than her being alone".

Earnest chuckles and takes a quick look at Chrissy, who certainly isn't going to reach Patford any time this month.  
"Let's hope she won't freak out at the sight of me again," he then takes off his hat. "Say, what are your names?"

Mia pauses, feeling exposed and vulnerable to confess anything of herself to such a figure. She then ponders if it's sensible to allow him out of her sight, even with the simple "911" accessible on her little keypad.

"M...Mary. Mary..." 

Don't say Gonzalez.

"Mary Gretchen". 

Shit... 

Was that a lie?

Earnest thought about the rifle on his back, then he thought about how difficult it'd be to pick the leeches of "murderer!" off him. He'd have to let go of Chrissy. 

Earnest puts his hat back on, "Lovely meeting you, Mary," and doesn't wait for the man to provide his name. He glances toward Chrissy's direction again, and makes his way toward his jeep.

Waiting for Earnest to escape earshot, and walking a little ways from his vehicle, Mary whispers to her fiancé, "Call the cops. We're following him. He said his name was Bishop Johnstone, and look, his license plate," Mia gestures toward Earnest's jeep, "Isn't there?" 

[Sackofworms]

Her fiance snorts, crossing his arms. "Mary, huh? That's news to me." Buy not long after cracking the lame joke, he sighs, rubbing his face and looking over at Mia. "Do we really have time for this, Mia? Plus I really dont want to deal with a 'disturbing the peace' charge." He complains, reluctantly pulling out his flip phone from the pocket of his worn jeans. "I'm sure she'd be fine." 

He holds his flip phone, his tired gaze hovering over Earnest, watching him walk, then back to Chrissy's hopeless endeavor. He makes no attempt to hide his reluctantance to partake in this, his brows furrowed and his posture screaming his annoyance.

He sighs, holding his phone out to Mia. "I mean, here. I ain't doing it. Good luck getting bars though, we're kind of in the middle of nowhere." He points out cynically, shaking his head. He'd never been the most caring person, his long hours at work had beat that out of him a long time ago.

[blooberry]

(smh, i'm sensing a breakup between Mia & this 'fiancé' of hers)

"Come on, Romero, this guy is sketchy! He is already disturbing the peace! I swear, I could practically hear all the tortured souls screaming every time he opened his mouth". Earnest's car rolled off the dirt path in the distance. 
"And, I've seen him somewhere. I just can't put my finger on it, that's what's even weirder. Could you please at least pretend to care?" 

He stopped just some yards around the bend, the sight of his vehicle blocked off by trees and bushes, the sound of it omitted by distance. He still remained close enough to keep an eye on Chrissy, and so kept her in his vision through the rear-view mirror.

Romero was indeed right about no bars, though. Mia cursed herself.

"Fine, whatever. We're going home. But, if he ends up on the news for slaughter of a drunk girl, you will testify!" 

[Sackofworms]

Romero sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking down at his partner, a hint of remorse. "Yeah, Yeah, sorry. Look, let's head back to the car and we can call the police to come check the area as soon as we get service, okay?" he rests a hand on her shoulder, "I don't want to risk either of us getting hurt, okay?" he says softly, followed by a gentle pat upon the other's shoulder.

He takes her hand, and pushes his hair from his face, before setting off in the direction of the car. It's hard to tell if he's genuinely worried about the possible victim this situation could create with his selfishness, or more worried about getting dumped for being a jackass.

Chrissy continues up the hill, having moved slightly into the brush to be enveloped by the comforting camouflage of the brush, as well finding it easier to make her way up then the rough concrete. She takes a pause against a tree stump, digging in her pockets for her water bottle, which she finds nearly empty. "Shit, man, are you serious?" She seethes into the quiet forest around her. She drinks what little the bottle musters, before hesitating, silently contemplating if another pill could help the stress, and if that was worse risking finding herself far from home when her head inevitably cleared.

[blooberry]

(So sorry to leave you hanging AGAIN😭 So much going on irl im lucky i didn't implode. And my wrist is a little janky right now, so future replies might have delays as well ;-; )

Earnest readies himself for when the couple fades far enough into the distance, and quickly storms off to Chrissy. He grabs her by the back of her shirt, and covers both her nose and mouth with the next hand, stifling all noise.

As he drags her to his jeep, he mutters to her, "You act difficult like that again, you won't see the light of day, Chrissy". He opens the backseat, shoves her in, "You're going nowhere else but with me," and slams the door behind her.

Separating Chrissy from Earnest in the driver's seat is a visibly D.I.Y-ed metal barricade. One that gives him the comfort to toss his rifle and gear off his person and into the passenger seat next to him. Earnest leans his head back onto the seat and gawks at Chrissy through the rear view mirror, in silence.

[Sackofworms]

(That's okay! Sorry if it came across rude, I was trying to genuinely ask because I wasn't sure if everything was alright, I know life can be crazy)

Chrissy immediately yelped when he grabbed her, only to be quickly silenced by his hand. She fought against him as best she could to break free, but it wasn't much against the musculature one builds from hunting. She managed to bite his hand although it didn't seem to phase him too terribly, as he shoved her into the car and slammed the door. 

Chrissy quickly picks herself up from the seat she'd been all but thrown on to, taking a moment to survey the car before trying to get out, only finding the door lacking any sort of handle, nothing but mechanical remains where they had been ripped out. Same went for the window, which she started kicking in a last ditch effort, although the lack of shoes made that plan pretty dull. She tried the other side, only finding the same to be true, as she stared at the metal barrier, and over the small gap she regretfully could in no way fit through. 

"Let me out." She says, her voice shakey, too deep in shock to muster much of a volume. "This isn't - what the hell are you even- let me out!"

[blooberry]

"I had somewhere close to town, Chrissy. A quaint little cabin. It would have been easy to grab what you wanted, but now this drive will have to be a few hours". Earnest gestures to the floor of the backseat. Where there is a bucket with some water bottles, off-brand snacks and paper towels. "That's your bathroom and kitchen". 

He looks into the rearview mirror, studying the turn of the road blocked off by trees and bushes, for any sign of movement or a pesky couple. He drives off wary of his surroundings.

Mia is in her passenger's seat rambling off in Romero's ear, as they drive crossing by the intersection where Chrissy walked, on their way home. "What are the odds that we'd be the ones to come across something like this? It's the perfect place, too..." Her tone trails off as she notices Bishop's Jeep driving off far into the distance on its way to Patford, but swallows her fear in hopes of him being a truly genuine person. 
"The perfect place, like a horror movie".

[Sackofworms]

Chrissy's hands tremble as she stares at the man in the front seat, her mind racing one hundred miles a second while getting absolutely no where. She glances down at the bucket and food, feeling dizzy and sick. "I don't want to go anywhere. I'm- I'm fine." She says, her voice shakey and unsure as she gives the metal a tug, seeing if it will give way at all. "I... just wanna go back." She digs a hand in her dress's pocket while she speaks, trying to find something hidden in the cramped storage. "I won't say nothin' to the police or somethin', if thats what you're worried about..."