Outlander (closed)

[heartofcourage]

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Gwen Price had grown up in a quiet middle class neighborhood on the outskirts of Chicago. Her single father had done his best to raise her since her mother passed away giving birth to her. It was always hard on the both of them when her birthday came around. This year she would be 21 and she hoped to soon be moving out of her father’s home.

It wasn’t that she didn’t get along with her father. She loved him to death, but she was ready to start a life of her own. She was set to graduate from college with a degree in literature and she was searching for a job that would pay her to write and travel. She had thought about freelancing, but the prospect of being on her own with no safety net was a frightening idea.

There was also something else in her life that was strange. She always chalked it up to strange coincidence, but time always seemed to be at her beck and call. If she wanted a traffic jam to hurry up, it would. If she needed a few more moments to study, the clock would seem to slow down. She always thought she was being silly about it but it happened more often than not. It was most definitely something that she kept to herself.

That evening she was riding the train, her car hopelessly out of gas in the driveway when she’d woken up that morning. Her dad was already out at work and she was forced to walk the few blocks to the station. She didn’t mind riding the train. She liked to watch the people as they got on and off at different stops, trying to imagine what their lives were like.

It had started snowing when she got on outside the university. The flakes had started out white and fluffy but soon turned into a white mass outside the window. She was bundled in her dark coat, a red scarf and mittens completing the outfit. Her dark black hair was pulled back from her face. Of course, she was still freezing because of the nice leather boots that she wore over her jeans. She would most definitely pay for fashion, she thought to herself.

It was strange, but she got the feeling that she was being watched. Glancing from the window around the car, she searched for the source of the prickly feeling on the back of her neck and frowned when no one could be seen. Strange, she thought to herself as she turned her gaze back towards the window.

 

[No_such_thing]

HIs head hurt like someone was jumping on it in armoured boots, it was like a knight was drying to bore his way out of his head and his tongue felt as if a cat had been sleeping on it for a month. He shook the pain and confusion out of his head, the fatigue that had felt so heavy on his bones falling from him like so much clinging rain. He groaned, stretching out his body and looked around.

"Remind me not to do that again," he muttered to himself as he hurried off into the darkness.

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The place was opulent, wealthy, and he got a few odd looks, the heavy leather great coat and old fashioned clothes drawing a few stares and behind-the-hand mutterings. He disregarded them, they weren't important.

It took him a while to find the university where she was supposed to work, but when he got there, it was empty. He cursed, his harsh words ringing sharply through the empty street. Then turned and began to sprint.

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He arrived into the station as the contraption pulled away, and helplessly, couldn't help but feel his eyes being pulled towards the back of a girl sat in the seat. He saw her begin to turn, and then, she was whisked away into the darkness.

He was ready to jump onto the tracks to follow the thing but he heard the rush of air and another metal beast pulled into the station, it's multiple jaws opened, but he had faced more fearsome beasts in his time and he stepped inside with barely a second thought.

The floor jolted and he nearly toppled over in surprise, but the thing had begun to move, bearing him swiftly after her into the night...

 

[heartofcourage]

The feeling of someone watching her didn’t go away quickly. It was like someone was searching for her, waiting for her, and she didn’t like it. Gwen reached into her coat pocket and grabbed her keys. Attached to the keyring was a bottle of mace, one that she had never had to use before but had carried just in case. She prayed for the train to go faster. It would do her a world of good to be inside of her house and relaxing with a nice warm meal and a good movie.

As the train pulled up to her stop, she got off quickly, standing on the platform for a long moment to see if anyone was paying her any special attention before she started for the way home. The snow was coming down hard when she left the station. It made it difficult to walk in, her feet slipping and sliding every so often, but she was in familiar territory now. She was feeling a little better.

 

[No_such_thing]

The train stopped and he got off, this was the district? quarter? town? where she lived, he wasn't used to a city this size, by his standards it was far bigger than anything he could have imagined. And the buildings, massive constructions of steel and glass. It was awe inspiring.

He struggled to remember where she lived, the strange names coming difficulty. It took him nearly twenty minutes to find the street, he only hoped he wasn't too late...

 

[heartofcourage]

Gwen was humming to herself as the snow fell a little harder, coating her hair and face in the fluffy white flakes. It was peaceful and quiet at the night came around her. She was watching the street posts as she went by until she came to Evergreen and St. Thomas. She turned onto St. Thomas and saw her house down the row. It was dark and obviously her father wasn’t home. She sighed, not really wanting to spend a night at home alone, but she supposed she had no choice.

She could hear footsteps behind her and she paused, glancing over her shoulder and seeing a strange man following her. His clothing was out of place, she though, but she shrugged, knowing that there were some strange people in the neighborhood.

 

[No_such_thing]

He had to approach her now, he didn't know where the darkness was, what it was doing. It could be just round the next corner for all he knew. No, he had to do it now. He quickened his pace, now moving almost soundlessly through the snow, a habit born of years of fighting. His stance was crouched, low centre of gravity.

He came up behind her "Gwen, there's no time for questions, I can explain everything later, but we have to go. Now!"

 

[heartofcourage]

Gwen heard the man behind her call her name and she stopped, turning to see him approaching her at a fast pace. She was confused and more than a little scared as he said that she had to go with him right then and there. The can of mace that she’d been squeezing tightly in the her pocket was suddenly produced and she pointed it straight at him.

“Stop right there.” She said, backing away from him and towards her house. “I won’t hesitate to spray you in the face and leave you for the cops to find, you weirdo.”

 

[No_such_thing]

He stopped suddenly, holding up his hands as she pointed the strange item at his face. He didn't know what it was but the way she held it made it clear is was a weapon of some kind.

"Look, I'm just here for your protection, how else do I know that your name is Gwen. That you have... special abilities"

 

[heartofcourage]

“I don’t know who you are or why you’re following me! For all I know you could be a stalker!” She yelled at him, the snow coming harder around them now as she stared at the strange man.

When he mentioned special abilities, she backed away from him, the can of mace still in her hands. “You’re crazy and you’ll leave me alone.” She said as she turned on her heel and ran.