Fernway (Wizard RP) Chapter 1: Outside the Paranorm

[Aona]

~OOC~

---

The sun rose across the small town of Fernway, but to the old man, it looked like a sunset.

His vision had gotten worse over the years, admittedly. Still, he would be happy to get out of this god-forsaken town. Fernway wasn't where he had hoped to locate to. An obscure backwoods town that the rail station never bothered to stop at anymore. An aging relic of a village that had exactly one road in. Still, he knew he wasn't one to complain. He hadn't exactly be looking for an avid nightlife, he had a job to do. And a job's a job, and sometimes jobs require your residence to be in behind-a-rock towns that never got over last epoch's depression. But now, the job was done. Well, part of it, at least.

He glanced around his small home, one he had rented a month and a half prior. Things weren't exactly tidy, that was for sure. Papers lay spilling over desks, all illegible nonsense even he strained to understand. All food, however, was thrown away. The garbage, taken out. The furniture, what little there was, was all sold. All that remained were the papers, the desks....and his wardrobe.

Ah, his prized wardrobe. He smiled at it's majesty. An ancient thing, carved ornately and beautifully, bound together by iron clasps. Parting with it, even for such a short time, was a deep sorrow. Although he knew it wouldn't be for long, he still would miss its close proximity. It was beyond use, at this point. Not unless he wanted to transport heavy cargo, or heavier distances. But in these trying times, its use was all too risky. His eyes flitted over to the lock, a massive golden clasp that hung across its clasps. It hummed with a dull energy, hearable even by him. Nobody but him, the bearer of the key, could ever possibly unlock such a device. At least, no-one anymore.

Clutching his briefcase, and wearing his old-fashioned travel suit, he walked over to the wardrobe. Bending down, he brushed his hand across the side, closing his eyes as he did so. He concentrated, and his hand began to glow with a bright blue light. A higher pitched humming thrummed through the room, and suddenly, a pattern of light sprang from the man's hand and onto the wooden surface. A rune, which remained there, pulsing with a dim, but active light. He smiled. In a matter of 24 hours, the rune would activate, and the wardrobe would be transported away from this wretched town, towards the rendezvous point. By then, he would have what he needed.

A newfound spring in his step, the old man began his long journey, stepping out the door. God, he couldn't wait to leave this craphole. In his joy, he didn't even remember to bring his journal, which lay on the table in the living room. He didn't even bother to lock the door, or even close it. He was more than ready to leave to catch the train only 10 minutes away. Thank god there even was a train today.

Time to get to work. he thought.

Chapter I:
OUTSIDE THE PARANORM
Begin Chapter? ~>

---

Across the train tracks, a girl wearing baggy red overalls stomped across the small side streets of her hometown. In her hands were two small sticks, which she twirled across her fine pointed fingers. A certain spring was easily visible in her step, as she traveled to her destination. As she went, passing small houses, fences, and lampposts, she would drum the sticks on each surface. Tippa-de-tippa-de-tap. the beat switch to a metallic clanging of a mailbox. Bap-ba-da-bap. She quickened her pace. The others would be waiting.

She had asked them all to meet her there a few days prior, during lunch. Now that school was out, each child in Fernway shared a common desire: to make this summer the best one yet. Rita Lawson, newly teenaged, was determined to make that happen. Each of her friends had received the following letter in their lockers, and were expected to follow suit.

WE HAVE A MISSION!

Everybody's heard about Mr. A moving in. Well, we're going to go meet him! I heard he might be a criminal, or a spy, so.....BRING YOUR A-GAME!

Meet me at the Post Office Saturday morning!

~ Rita ❤

Ah, and there was her destination now. Rita did a small twirl as she emerged onto the main street of Fernway. The town didn't boast an impressive scenery, but the Old Post Office was large enough to serve as a landmark and an impressive piece of architecture. Nobody had gotten there yet, however. She frowned, huffing in grumpiness. "No prob, bob," she said to herself, as she reached the awning of the meeting place. She raised her two sticks crossed and high in the air, looking around quickly. The streets were deserted. Rita, who was now a Grammy-winning drummer, smiled.

1!

2!

3!

4!

[Vitam Post Mortem]

"Frankie, Cammie, Clean up after yourselves!" Cammie giggled as they looked at the flour covered table and floor before grinning at their equally flour-covered and very tired friend.

Pancakes, while not Cammie's favorite food to eat, were one of the things they loved to make the most, and for a end-of-school sleepover Cammie figured it would be perfect. "We will, Madre. Let us have our fun first," they said sweetly as they sneakily grabbed a handful of flour off the counter. "You remember playing with your friends when you were my age, right?" Their mom rolled her eyes and turned around to watch the stove.

[The Remnants a Flaming Dawn]

Taylor Duran

Taylor laughed to herself as she watched an animation poking fun at some random mechanic in an overrated MMO. It wasn't very amusing but it reminded her of a few fun moments she had while playing with some random kids online.

"That was so much fun," she thougth to herself as she reminisced in the afterglow of a long buried memory. She decided to pursue the thought later and instead indulge herself in a book, well it was more like wadding since it was a school assigned book.

[The Isles of Lux]

OOC: YES THANK THE ALMIGHTY BENEVOLENT RP GOD THAT THIS IS FINALLY UP!!!


IC:
Ozzi had been up for almost an hour. The boy had never been a child of much sleep. In fact, when he was younger he used to tell everyone that would listen that he never slept, he just pretended to so he could "trick the bad guys." Ozzi was somewhat obsessed with the bad guys. When he awoke he had slipped out of the house and gone to his back yard, where he had remained for the next hour or so. He spent most of that time fighting off invisible "bad guys" with the most balanced stick he could find.

Ozzi was digging at an oddly shaped rock buried in the dirt of his back yard when he noticed his friend Rita, who was climbing up the large tree that grew next to his house. This was the customary way for her to get his attention, and Ozzi knew that she almost definitely had some kind of plan for an interesting thing to do that day. He began scrambling up the tree after her, and when she tapped his window for the third and final time, the younger boy lifted himself up onto the branch next to her.

"Hey Rita!" He exclaimed, a rather goofy smirk adorning his face.

[Shadowwell]

Connor Smythe
BEEEEP

Connor, looked up from his book and jumped off the road as a car honked at him. He had been reading while on his way to a friends. Connor turned off the Main Street, and arrived at his destination, the house of a friend, Taylor Duran. He tucked his book under his arm and knocked on the door.

[Aona]

Ozzi had been up for almost an hour. The boy had never been a child of much sleep. In fact, when he was younger he used to tell everyone that would listen that he never slept, he just pretended to so he could "trick the bad guys." Ozzi was somewhat obsessed with the bad guys. When he awoke he had slipped out of the house and gone to his back yard, where he had remained for the next hour or so. He spent most of that time fighting off invisible "bad guys" with the most balanced stick he could find.

Ozzi was digging at an oddly shaped rock buried in the dirt of his back yard when he noticed his friend Rita, who was climbing up the large tree that grew next to his house. This was the customary way for her to get his attention, and Ozzi knew that she almost definitely had some kind of plan for an interesting thing to do that day. He began scrambling up the tree after her, and when she tapped his window for the third and final time, the younger boy lifted himself up onto the branch next to her.

"Hey Rita!" He exclaimed, a rather goofy smirk adorning his face.

Rita yelped, and flipped around, pouting at the boy who had appeared in the tree next to her. "Ozzi! Don't sneak up on me like that!!" She playfully punched his arm, beaming all the way.

"You're awake early! Grandpa would have talked about it for ages like he did with me, if he had seen you." she rolled her eyes and smiled. Her grandpa, ever the teaser.

[Cresadine]

Ross rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His sleep had been restless, but not restless in a bad way. Restless in a good way. He was restless in an excited "I want to jump up and down" kind of way. It was the first day of summer! He had been dreaming for months about this day and now it was finally here! He rustled through his dresser, which was old, it's paint peeling from lack of maintenance. He pulled out a red, white and black plaid shirt and a pair of jean-suspenders. He combed over his messy blond hair, working hard to get all the knots out.

He took a look around his room, he probably wouldn't be spending that much time in this room for the next two months. The wallpaper was red and white stripes, and was peeling in some places. Just beneath the window that looked onto the endless fields of grass and forest behind it, there was a radiator. His bed was ancient and rickety, piled with a few quilts and a simple white feather pillow. Against the wall leaned his banjo, guitar and his fiddle.

He went to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Inside it was a grey box, which was locked. He went back to his bed, placed the box on it, and then reached into a tear in the side of the mattress. He pulled out a key from the tear and opened the box. Inside it was a picture. The photo depicted a young man, around the age of Ross, maybe a year or two older. He was dressed plainly, in a hoodie and a baseball hat. His face was adorable. His jawline was perfect, a work of fine genetic craftsmanship. Ross stared into the boy's elegant brown eyes, almost getting lost in them.

The picture was of Matt, he had come last year for summer vacation and wasn't going to return this one. Ross had fell for him, he didn't love him because Ross believed you had to get to know someone to love them, but they had connected. That was when he had realized.

Ross looked at the picture again, and frowned. He closed the box and the picture with it and put the key back in its hiding place. He crept into the hallway, the sun was just riding and the air was golden. He looked down the hall to his parent's room, no movement, good. Ross ran outside to the shed and grabbed a shovel. He tumbled through the dew-covered grasses and his made his way into a dense thicket. He continued on for about ten minutes until he reached the bank of a stream. He took the box and buried it underneath the shade of a willow tree.

Ross ran back through the golden sea of grass and back to the farmhouse. He knocked on Jason's door and then Sienna's room, which only a few feet across the hallway

"Yous' up? Summer is finally here! 'Ain't 'yous so excited?"

He was practically jumping, except for the fact that he didn't want to wake father.

[The Isles of Lux]

Ozzi's grin widens at Rita's reaction. Honestly, he is glad that all she does is give him a light punch on the arm, for he isn't that stably balanced on the branch. As it is, the worst that happens is he wobbles a little bit.

"Of course I was up early.. Honestly, I expected you to be here earlier." Ozzi knows that she knows he is just teasing. He is really glad that she got here at all, Ozzi likes playing with Rita more than the other children of the town.

"So what's the plan today? We need to do something great, it is the first day of summer." Ozzi speaks quickly, and with his hands, but he does not speak very loudly. He has a way of making himself heard without speaking up. For a moment Ozzi's eyes flick down to his pocket, and he wonders if he should tell Rita about his latest find. He had found it in the attic of his house, in a box of his dad's old stuff. But Ozzi decides not to. She probably won't think it's that cool, and he is fairly confident that whatever idea she has will be better than a dusty old book.

[Complectuss]

"Frankie, Cammie, Clean up after yourselves!" Cammie giggled as they looked at the flour covered table and floor before grinning at their equally flour-covered and very tired friend.

Pancakes, while not Cammie's favorite food to eat, were one of the things they loved to make the most, and for a end-of-school sleepover Cammie figured it would be perfect. "We will, Madre. Let us have our fun first," they said sweetly as they sneakily grabbed a handful of flour off the counter. "You remember playing with your friends when you were my age, right?" Their mom rolled her eyes and turned around to watch the stove.

Frankie groaned from her bed of mahogany and flour. She was certainly not a morning person, but she had agreed to get up for the sake of pancakes.Very little in her life mattered more to her than pancakes. In fact, she had even dreamt about them the evening before. Frankie sighed, blowing some flour away from her face, as well as stray hairs. She was growing bored quickly, but was too tired to suggest a more entertaining alternative. Not to mention, her stomach was growing louder every minute.

"Cammieeeee, when are we gonna be done?" she whined.

[Utceforp]

Isaac Nadir

Isaac gradually and slowly awoke, feeling that wonderful feeling that you get when you remember that you don't have anything to do that day. As the sun peeked over the horizon, he fumbled around the ground, snatching a book that he had dropped there the night before. He silently read a few pages, to wake himself up. He then snapped the book shut and stuffed it in his coat pocket as he got dressed as stealthily as he could. His parents were perfectly okay with him meeting friends, he had no worries there, but he didn't want to wake them up so early. They didn't get a break like he did.

Slowly and deliberately, he closed the front door of his family's large house, and went along his way. He knew Rita had something planned, and he was both excited and a little nervous to find out what that was. He was planning on meeting her at Ozzi's house, and sure enough, he spotted the two sitting in a tree outside of the house. Par for the course for someone as chaotic as Rita, he wasn't especially surprised by the unusual situation. "Hey guys." he said quickly, making his presence known.

[Vitam Post Mortem]

"Frankie, Cammie, Clean up after yourselves!" Cammie giggled as they looked at the flour covered table and floor before grinning at their equally flour-covered and very tired friend.

Pancakes, while not Cammie's favorite food to eat, were one of the things they loved to make the most, and for a end-of-school sleepover Cammie figured it would be perfect. "We will, Madre. Let us have our fun first," they said sweetly as they sneakily grabbed a handful of flour off the counter. "You remember playing with your friends when you were my age, right?" Their mom rolled her eyes and turned around to watch the stove.

Frankie groaned from her bed of mahogany and flour. She was certainly not a morning person, but she had agreed to get up for the sake of pancakes.Very little in her life mattered more to her than pancakes. In fact, she had even dreamt about them the evening before. Frankie sighed, blowing some flour away from her face, as well as stray hairs. She was growing bored quickly, but was too tired to suggest a more entertaining alternative. Not to mention, her stomach was growing louder every minute.

"Cammieeeee, when are we gonna be done?" she whined.

"Soooooooon," Cammie said, grinning as they moved closer to their distracted friend, flour concealed in their hand behind their back. They leaned down and geared up to put the handful of flour in Frankie's hair until she caught her mother's reproachful eye and put the flour on the table instead and pouted. "Hey Frankie, wanna go see if Ozzie is up?"

"Not until all the flour is cleaned up, niño," their mother said sternly as she cleared a spot on the table for the fresh pancakes. "And then you will clean yourselves up before heading anywhere."

"Yes, Mama," Cammie said, nudging their sleeping friend. "Come on, Frankie. The food is done, wake up!"

[Cainesland]

Orville sat in the basement. It was the first day of summer, June 30th, and his brain was still wired for school. At least as far as his internal clock was concerned. By mid summer he'd be getting up by 10 and going to bed by 10, but for now it was 8 and 8. At this time he had gotten up after his dad had gone to work and his mom had gotten up and made him crepes, bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast, to celebrate the end of the school year and his hard work in it.
Orville sat cross-legged in the basement. A Walkman sat at his side abd a pair of Bose headphones led from the Walkmans port into both ears projecting the sounds of grease's soundtrack into both his ears. In the background, the television was on, playing The Lord of the rings: fellowship of the ring, and was where Frodo was leaving the Shire. Orville's eyes stared at the work he had already made. Queen Scylla stood at her forge overlooking the weapons being made for the ramparts of ryusan. Meanwhile a few feet away the dragar and norvagan armies were prepping for assault. Finally the dragon armies were gearing up for assault, with the good dragons led by Thoron, and the evil dragon aiding the odaku clan. But thankfully the Dragar were being aided by the Flying Dutchman and the black pearl, epic airships flown by sine of the most feared captains around, the cool aid man, and humpy dumpty, respectively. Known for such things as breaking down the walls of the enemies and crushing the forces below the walls respectively. Those captains rarely lost. If it wasn't for the forces of Mormon and the walking dead the last battle would have been a complete failure for the odaku, but thanks to the land of television where Mormon hails from, the allied forces had to retreat and the odaku could rebuild.

"Orville" his mother called him from upstairs. "Yes mom". He answered. "It's a beautiful day. Please go outside". "Ok mom" he answered. He looked at his set for a moment and stood up and went upstairs. The Walkman hung on the lip of his pants to prevent falling. He paused before going up and turned back to shut off the DVD player, T.V. and the lights, in that order. When he got upstairs, he looked at his wheelies and decided against wearing them on account of the wheel potentially creating an undue hazard on his scooter. He put on his runners, and grabbed his backpack with a book in it, and went out to the garage. In the garage, he looked around. At first his eyes looked to his scooter. The electric car looked tempting, holding up to 160 pounds, but he grabbed his scooter for the mobility and dependency, and the exercise never hurt anyone. He took off down the road, helmet firmly placed on his head, to the park to play on the swings.

[The Remnants a Flaming Dawn]

Connor Smythe
BEEEEP

Connor, looked up from his book and jumped off the road as a car honked at him. He had been reading while on his way to a friends. Connor turned off the Main Street, and arrived at his destination, the house of a friend, Taylor Duran. He tucked his book under his arm and knocked on the door.

Taylor Duran
"Taylor, someones at the door and I think it's for you," her mother said through the door, knowing her daughter could hear her because there wasn't any sounds of battle or shouting.

"Okay mom," she replied as she put the book down, she was skeptical since her mother had tricked her into leaving her room and locking the two of them out of it once so she waited by the door until her mother walked off before continuing for the door.

After a few minutes the door opened and Taylor would be standing in the doorway, her hair a mess and wearing a wrinkled white T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans, and some hiking boots.

"What;s up," she asked in a confused tone as she looked around, "what? Are the others planning on getting together?"

[Finsternia]

Rei Heisten

Rei is rubbing his eyes with his overly long sleeves. He wasn't the type to wake up early yet he did, much to his grandmother's and his surprise. He is sitting, waiting for his grandmother to finish cooking. It was the start of summer yet it was not as warm as he thought. He was covering a yawn when his grandmother brought a huge tray of food for breakfast. Bacon, eggs, spicy sausages, toast and a lot more, even more than for the two of them. "Mama, why is there more food than usual?" His grandmother prepared four sets of plates and the appropriate set of utensils for it. "Your mom and dad is joining is for today morning, sweetie. Here, have your milk." His grandmother placed a glass full of milk beside his plate and ruffled his messy hair. "Come now, cheer up. Aren't you happy that your parents had time for breakfast with you?" Rei gave a slight smile for his grandmother while nibbling on toast. "Yes, mama." As if on cue, his parents walked in the dining room, already in office clothes. His mom placed a kiss on his cheek before sitting down. "Any plans for today, Rei? It's summer you know." His mom said to him with a smile, taking a piece of toast and sausage off the tray. "I'll just be inside mom." His dad tried to encourage him to play outside with the children of his age and to get some sun but he only shook his head. "I'm fine by myself, dad. Mama's here to accompany me." His parents just fell into silence for awhile before continuing their breakfast. It's going to be a long day, it seems, as he watched the birds outside the room's window chirp.

[Cainesland]

Orville kicked off against the hard cement on his way down to the schoolyard park he backed out onto. His phineas and ferb backpack strapped firmly to his back as he reached what would be supersonic speeds for a mouse. "Weeee" he said as he went down the path. A smile etched onto his face. Soon he came to the park and tossing his scooter down next to the bench and his backpack next to the scooter, he bolted for the swing set. He slowed as he approached it as he backed up to line himself up with the seat but when that was done, and but touched rubber, his hands firmly clenched the chains, and... Lift off! Hard pumping made way to higher and higher speeds and higher and higher heights. His hair was blowing in the wind. But he made sure to keep his Walkman safe at all times.

[Shadowwell]

Connor Smythe
BEEEEP

Connor, looked up from his book and jumped off the road as a car honked at him. He had been reading while on his way to a friends. Connor turned off the Main Street, and arrived at his destination, the house of a friend, Taylor Duran. He tucked his book under his arm and knocked on the door.

Taylor Duran
"Taylor, someones at the door and I think it's for you," her mother said through the door, knowing her daughter could hear her because there wasn't any sounds of battle or shouting.

"Okay mom," she replied as she put the book down, she was skeptical since her mother had tricked her into leaving her room and locking the two of them out of it once so she waited by the door until her mother walked off before continuing for the door.

After a few minutes the door opened and Taylor would be standing in the doorway, her hair a mess and wearing a wrinkled white T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans, and some hiking boots.

"What;s up," she asked in a confused tone as she looked around, "what? Are the others planning on getting together?"

Connor arced a black eyebrow at her appearance and said " What, Taylor, I cant just come over to hang? But yes, the others are gathering, so i thought we should get going."

[The Remnants a Flaming Dawn]

Taylor Duran
"Taylor, someones at the door and I think it's for you," her mother said through the door, knowing her daughter could hear her because there wasn't any sounds of battle or shouting.

"Okay mom," she replied as she put the book down, she was skeptical since her mother had tricked her into leaving her room and locking the two of them out of it once so she waited by the door until her mother walked off before continuing for the door.

After a few minutes the door opened and Taylor would be standing in the doorway, her hair a mess and wearing a wrinkled white T-shirt, a pair of faded jeans, and some hiking boots.

"What;s up," she asked in a confused tone as she looked around, "what? Are the others planning on getting together?"

Connor arced a black eyebrow at her appearance and said " What, Taylor, I cant just come over to hang? But yes, the others are gathering, so i thought we should get going."

"Sounds interesting," she said as she hastily put her hair into a ponytail, "so any clue what we're meeting up about? Last I checked, we don't have anyone's birthday coming up."

[Shadowwell]

Connor arced a black eyebrow at her appearance and said " What, Taylor, I cant just come over to hang? But yes, the others are gathering, so i thought we should get going."

"Sounds interesting," she said as she hastily put her hair into a ponytail, "so any clue what we're meeting up about? Last I checked, we don't have anyone's birthday coming up."

" Don't know exactly, it might have to do with this being the first day of Summer." He turned around, and headed towards the road. He looked back over his shoulder and said " Rita, just sent me to get you, you coming?"

[The Remnants a Flaming Dawn]

"Sounds interesting," she said as she hastily put her hair into a ponytail, "so any clue what we're meeting up about? Last I checked, we don't have anyone's birthday coming up."

" Don't know exactly, it might have to do with this being the first day of Summer." He turned around, and headed towards the road. He looked back over his shoulder and said " Rita, just sent me to get you, you coming?"

"Well I have a feeling my mom just locked my room to keep me out so I'm willing to tag along, better than staying home and helping with chores," she said as she jogged to catch up to him, "anyways, does Rita have any fun ideas or plans made up for us?"

[Aona]

"So what's the plan today? We need to do something great, it is the first day of summer." Ozzi speaks quickly, and with his hands, but he does not speak very loudly. He has a way of making himself heard without speaking up. For a moment Ozzi's eyes flick down to his pocket, and he wonders if he should tell Rita about his latest find. He had found it in the attic of his house, in a box of his dad's old stuff. But Ozzi decides not to. She probably won't think it's that cool, and he is fairly confident that whatever idea she has will be better than a dusty old book.

Rita shrugged suspiciously. A wry smile spread across her face, she hopped down branch by branch, beginning her descent. "Dunno," she added as she dismounted. "I have a few ideas."

Isaac Nadir
"Hey guys." he said quickly, making his presence known.

"Isaac!" Rita exclaimed, falling the final two feet required to return to the ground. "Hey! Glad you got the memo. We're headed to the treehouse." She stretched her arms eagerly, feeling the energy of youth course through her. She was excited to gather everyone, for sure. "Do you think everyone knows to get there?" she asked the other two.

[The Isles of Lux]

Ozzi catches the suspicious looking grin that has developed itself on Rita's face, but before he can call her out because it both his and Rita's attention are drawn by Isaac's arrival. Instead of taking the long way and scrambling down the tree like Rita has done, Ozzi just leaps out of the tree from where he sits.

Ozzi lands flat on the ground with a loud thump and a yelp, hitting the ground directly next to Isaac, almost hitting him. For a moment, Ozzi lies still on the ground.

"Yeah, they probably do." He finally says, before rolling to his feet and grinning lopsidedly at his two friends. "Hey Isaac. How've ya been?" Ozzi asks him this as if they hadn't just talked a day ago.

[Lavan Tiri]

Harvey Diamonte was wide awake. He had been up since five A.M., and his only movement had been to roll onto his back, and fling out an arm to open his curtains just a bit, allowing the changing light and shadows to play across his floor and bedspread. He underwent this ritual once every year, on the first morning of summer vacation, and he was glad of it. Every separate pattern had been burned into his memory; his mind retained the details of every movement in the sunlights dance.

Then, at a time he knew was precisely sometime around eight A.M., he rolled out of bed, onto the mound of socks he'd placed there the night before, knowing that he wouldn't have to wear them for months. Then, while expending the absolute least amount of effort possible, Harv slid/slithered across his floor to the dresser, where he'd laid out an outfit the night before: an orange T-shirt, white shorts, and a multitude of bracelets. No shoes, not until he needed them, which, God willing, would be never.

Harv stood, pulling himself up to the top of the dresser, and dressed quickly, before bounding downstairs, three steps at a time, to the kitchen, where he--in that grand tradition of every summer's beginning--quickly made a pair of toaster waffles, soaked them in syrup and butter, and ran out the door, taking bites the size of a baby's head with every step. With sure feet, he ran through the woods. Oh, sure, there was a street directly there, but it was more fun to bound and leap through the ancient forest, barely in control of himself, following a path that was the same and yet different each time he saw it.

Within moments, Harv was at Ozzie's house, running at a fult-out sprint, unable to halt his momentum. With one, long bound, he jumped over a prone frame--prolly Ozzie--and into the lowest branch of the tree, where he promptly flipped over and hung by his knees.

"He--hell--hello." Harv panted, grinning and out of breath. "'Sup?"

[Soviet Farm]

Ross rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His sleep had been restless, but not restless in a bad way. Restless in a good way. He was restless in an excited "I want to jump up and down" kind of way. It was the first day of summer! He had been dreaming for months about this day and now it was finally here! He rustled through his dresser, which was old, it's paint peeling from lack of maintenance. He pulled out a red, white and black plaid shirt and a pair of jean-suspenders. He combed over his messy blond hair, working hard to get all the knots out.

He took a look around his room, he probably wouldn't be spending that much time in this room for the next two months. The wallpaper was red and white stripes, and was peeling in some places. Just beneath the window that looked onto the endless fields of grass and forest behind it, there was a radiator. His bed was ancient and rickety, piled with a few quilts and a simple white feather pillow. Against the wall leaned his banjo, guitar and his fiddle.

He went to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Inside it was a grey box, which was locked. He went back to his bed, placed the box on it, and then reached into a tear in the side of the mattress. He pulled out a key from the tear and opened the box. Inside it was a picture. The photo depicted a young man, around the age of Ross, maybe a year or two older. He was dressed plainly, in a hoodie and a baseball hat. His face was adorable. His jawline was perfect, a work of fine genetic craftsmanship. Ross stared into the boy's elegant brown eyes, almost getting lost in them.

The picture was of Matt, he had come last year for summer vacation and wasn't going to return this one. Ross had fell for him, he didn't love him because Ross believed you had to get to know someone to love them, but they had connected. That was when he had realized.

Ross looked at the picture again, and frowned. He closed the box and the picture with it and put the key back in its hiding place. He crept into the hallway, the sun was just riding and the air was golden. He looked down the hall to his parent's room, no movement, good. Ross ran outside to the shed and grabbed a shovel. He tumbled through the dew-covered grasses and his made his way into a dense thicket. He continued on for about ten minutes until he reached the bank of a stream. He took the box and buried it underneath the shade of a willow tree.

Ross ran back through the golden sea of grass and back to the farmhouse. He knocked on Jason's door and then Sienna's room, which only a few feet across the hallway

"Yous' up? Summer is finally here! 'Ain't 'yous so excited?"

He was practically jumping, except for the fact that he didn't want to wake father.

Jason rolled himself out of bed, and sprang to his feet with his hands in front of his face. A life of living with an emotionally abusive dad had left him wary, and it wasn't helped by his thoroughly negative view on humans. He listened for a second, and realized that the knocking was from his brother. "One sec Ross." Jason slipped on a t shirt and some pants, and opened the door. "What's up?"

[Cresadine]

Snipperdoodle

Jason rolled himself out of bed, and sprang to his feet with his hands in front of his face. A life of living with an emotionally abusive dad had left him wary, and it wasn't helped by his thoroughly negative view on humans. He listened for a second, and realized that the knocking was from his brother. "One sec Ross." Jason slipped on a t shirt and some pants, and opened the door. "What's up?"

Jason's bed head flew in all sorts of directions, like the tentacles of an octopus, even though it was cropped short. Jason was different looking than his other siblings, who all bore blond hair and freckles, Jason had black hair and a general look to him that was dissimilar. Ross didn't mind this, it added variation to what would have been an otherwise boring set of siblings.

"Mornin' Jazzy (Ross' nickname for Jason) we 'gon head up to the tree house to meet the other kids. You wanna' come? I 'gon get Sienna to tag along too I think. I ain't eaten anything yet, but I figured we can just grab a piece of toast or 'somethin."

[Soviet Farm]

Jason rolled himself out of bed, and sprang to his feet with his hands in front of his face. A life of living with an emotionally abusive dad had left him wary, and it wasn't helped by his thoroughly negative view on humans. He listened for a second, and realized that the knocking was from his brother. "One sec Ross." Jason slipped on a t shirt and some pants, and opened the door. "What's up?"

Jason's bed head flew in all sorts of directions, like the tentacles of an octopus, even though it was cropped short. Jason was different looking than his other siblings, who all bore blond hair and freckles, Jason had black hair and a general look to him that was dissimilar. Ross didn't mind this, it added variation to what would have been an otherwise boring set of siblings.

"Mornin' Jazzy (Ross' nickname for Jason) we 'gon head up to the tree house to meet the other kids. You wanna' come? I 'gon get Sienna to tag along too I think. I ain't eaten anything yet, but I figured we can just grab a piece of toast or 'somethin."

Jason sighed, and nodded. He really hated that nickname, but since it made his brother happy, he put up with it. He turned back into room, and slipped on a pair on sneakers. He turned and contemplated the mess, somewhat pleased with the chaos. He dug through a pile of clothes, books, and wrappers, and picked out a half eaten family sized bag of chips, and tossed it Ross.
"Breakfast. Eat up."