Ororo's ghost story, part 2

[Black Widow]

Nicolas protectively got in front of Haleigh, as Haleigh steeled herself for another attack from a dead body.... but instead.... Nicolas' wife appeared.... Haleigh stared at her, wide eyed, but her expression was blank. The woman spoke... using words as weapons. Haleigh tried to counter her.... talking OVER her to Nicolas. She knew this would be especially hard for him.

"Nicolas, DON'T listen to her! That's not Alycia, Nicolas, THAT'S not your wife! It's an illusion created by the fog to disorient and distract you!"

But he reacted to the apparition as if it was his wife... as if he thought SHE meant the things she was saying. Haleigh grabbed a hold of his arm, pulling him back, trying to get his attention.

"Nicolas, NO! It's trying to BAIT you... don't--"

you're not supposed to be here.

Haleigh stood up straight, raising one eyebrow, her voice deadpan.

"Oh, is that right?"

And as the apparition predicted that Haleigh would suffer the fate of those she aligned herself with, her expression turned to one of steely resolve...

"Then so be it."

The apparition tore out her own eyes and a centipede crawled out of her mouth, down her body and on the floor.... towards them! From across the room Haleigh drew her revolver, aimed and fired, hitting the centipede and abruptly stopping its trail of blood. She'd had enough of this spook attempt... if the ghost wasn't going to say something that made sense or was of any substance, it could just as well FUCK OFF.... Haleigh was JUST about to tell it so when it mentioned justice.

"Justice? Justice for WHAT, exactly?"

But the apparition disappeared... and Haleigh frowned.... while Nicolas about LOST HIS MIND. He nearly BLEW UP his own house... and Haleigh quickly manifested steel joists to keep it from collapsing in on itself.... luckily... the outer walls were not destroyed... but inside it looked like a tornado had hit. Haleigh's frown softened... she went to Nicolas, wrapping her arms around him, her voice gentle.

"Okay... alright. Nicolas, just calm down. It's gone now... it's over.... that wasn't Alycia..... that was just an illusion.... it was just trying to unsettle us, but we're okay. You're okay. It's gonna be okay. We're gonna get to the bottom of this, Nic, and once we do... Alycia will be able to rest. But you've gotta pull yourself TOGETHER, alright? You won't be much help if you can't keep your wits about you.... and I NEED your help."

 

[Rampage]

Haleigh had been fighting for him the entire time. even as he raged, his eyes starting to glow a deep red, Nicolas felt her arms around him as she stayed with him when it would have been so easy to run away. As she spoke to him, his eyes turned to look at her, and then ...returned to normal. He pulled her into a hug, and did something he hadn't done in YEARS, even when he buried his Alycia (though he should have). He wept.

It was quiet and dignified, a long sighing that shook his body as the tears came. Meanwhile he held on to Haleigh for dear life, his face buried into her impressive bosom but not in a way he would have EVER imagined when he picked her up last night beside the road. He subsided after a few seconds, his grief spent and his mind more clear. He know realized that he had pulled Haleigh into his lap, embracing her as he sat on the floor of his home. He looked up to her face, his own face now clear and serene. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, his touch gentle for such a quick and impulsive movement. He looked into the young woman's eyes as he spoke.

You risk everything for me? Thank you. And I will always be there for you. No matter what.

 

[Arsenal]

Karen rushed to do what a mother does...protect her child. She called Morgan and warned her about the figure that might come calling. Apparently, judging form Karen's look, Morgan had seen it as well. The quiet of the house compared to the volume on the phone allowed him to hear Morgan even ask about HIM. He could not help but smirk at that. He knew she was a good kid overall, just spoiled and indulged to rottenness :heee:.

As Karen got off the phone, Mike embraced her, helping her to relax a bit after the ordeal. he helped her to a nearby comfortable chair and spoke to her gently.

Honey, in order for us to try to deal with this, I need to know what is going on. What curse did Alison speak of? And did she speak of any way to deal with the curse?

 

[Harbinger]

at the grounds of the gothic church

:: After a night of heavy drinking, the precog stood, leaned against the wall as she tilted her head back and turned it slightly to see out of one of the windows in the stone wall. the fog was everywhere, even up on this hill but she didnt care.::

night after night it comes, the spirits of the murdered reaching out for vengeance from beyond their watery grave.

:: she LAUGHS in her drunken haze::

who can care now? how long will it go on? they kill anyone that goes out on the water and haunt those of us who live on.

I've read the journal...i know everything!

:: tossing the bottle of hemlock into the wall and as it shatters with explosive effect::

just GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY you restless freaks!

:: sauntering away from the window, through a dark hallway, the haunting moan of secrets and spirits seemed to whisper and echo through the dark passages connecting her estate to the gothic church. trails of the fog creeped along the floor underfoot and Alison finally reached her study, where a fireplace housed a mystic flame.::

as if I could be afraid of death...as if I could be afraid of some haunting!

I just want my BROTHER to rest in peace! you have NO RIGHT to use him for your...your ages old grudge!

::she slumps down into a large, plush chair, her arms flopping over the arms of the chair as she doesnt bother to close another window.::

i know you're there. i can "SEE" beyond the eyes or MINDS of any mortal. I'm not afraid of you!

:: the knocking came, almost on cue.::

the others are afraid...because they feel GUILTY....but i am not....not.....

:: she trailed off...her eyes slowly close as she sinks down into the chair, her hand loosens as she drops her goblet on the carpet and the fire illuminates her now relaxed form.::

:: Alison merely continued to sit/lay in the chair as her head turned to one side. the knocking continued , louder, but went unanswered. Alison had passed out, from a night of binge drinking. She was not afraid of death, she was not afraid of the fog or anything/anyone in it...all she wanted was for her BROTHER to be released from his role in the curse.::

:: all she wanted was for this to be OVER. but she was less than able to do anything at this moment.

 

[Shadow Weaver]

Mayor's Mansion

<< Karen allowed herself to be held by Mike...she exhaled a bit, as she blinked back tears of disbelief and dismay.>>

<< it could be worse, she could be enduring this ALONE, like the first few nights after she was first widowed. But Mike was here and he would stand with her, doing all he could to protect her. She may not have dwelled on it or showed it, but that really meant the world to her and so, she rested in the security of his embrace and as he helped her over to a chair, she bowed her head a bit, placing her hand on her forehead.>>

I have to call Delilah.

Honey, in order for us to try to deal with this, I need to know what is going on. What curse did Alison speak of? And did she speak of any way to deal with the curse?

I may not know everything that's going on...but according to Alison, the town is cursed. The money, the wealth that was used to establish the original settlement of Thunder Bay into a township was plundered from a colony of men...who were afflicted with some mysterious virus...Alison's great grandfather, and the other founding members of this town plotted...conspired to lead these men to their deaths rather than allow them to settle on a small island mere miles from Thunder Bay.

Alison found a journal with her great grandfather's own entries about the matter. According to her, the founders lead these men into a death trap and stole their gold, using it to establish the church that Alison now oversees as well as bring the settlement into a full fledged township!

<< Karen spoke in a low, trembling tone.>>

Alison says....Alycia's yacht, those who died on it...werent merely the victims of a tragic accident in the fog, they were murdered by the vengefull spirits of James Marcus and his colony, whose bodies lay at the bottom of the ocean in the waters of Arklay Pointe.

She believes that the Valiant and its crew suffered the same fate.

<< she leans back, tilting her head, tears rolling down her face from her opal blue eyes.>>

She blames ME for not believing her the last time...and i think she's RIGHT. Now...three more men are dead and tomorrow, the town could be DESTROYED because of something that happened so long ago, a SECRET that has been all but forgotten by many in our little town!

<< she covers her eyes with her hand as she tries to compose herself.>>

 

[Black Widow]

Haleigh held him tightly as he wept, but said nothing. It wasn't so surprising; if she'd seen the man SHE loved and lost appear to her, rip out his own eyes and declare his hatred for her, she'd cry too.... and she wasn't at all the weepy type.

She stayed quiet as he finished, giving him a gentle smile as he looked up at her.... and then he kissed her! For the first time, she didn't hide her shock.

"What was THAT for?"

She asked, her tone surprised. He thanked her for risking everything for him. Even she couldn't explain why she WAS doing it.

I will always be there for you. No matter what.

She searched his eyes, her expression now sad and pensive.

"If only that could be true."

She said quietly, before pulling away, leaving his lap. She got up, looking around, her mind back on business to avoid confronting her OWN ghost from the past.

"It's probably too late to go see Alison.... we'll have to do it first thing in the morning. We should both probably get some rest anyway. I know tomorrow the town is celebrating it's hundredth anniversary. Who KNOWS what may happen then."

 

[Arsenal]

Mike listened as Karen told of the founding of Thunder Bay, of how it was built on the backs of dead men double-crossed, their funds used to benefit the fledgling township. He was not surprised in the least. It wasn't even a great story of betrayal compared to what was out there. He was sympathetic to Karen and the others who lost loved ones now, but he was wondering, and so he asked.

Why are theses PARTICULAR spirits coming back for US? If it were simply betrayal and revenge that caused this phenomenon the whole COUNTRY would be overrun, between slavery and the systematic destruction of Native Americans. What makes THESE guys so special? This virus can make them live on...like THAT?

Mike began to pace a bit as he thought. He stopped and looked at Karen.

We HAVE to go to see her, Karen. All of us. Everyone that saw something. Tomorrow. We cannot face what we do not know about. And it seems that she has all of the answers. First thing, we contact the others, see if we can get this on track. I am sure if they saw..the SHIT I just saw, they will be there.

 

[Rampage]

Haleigh's eyes were very sad as she answered him.

"If only that could be true."

If only you believed me.

Haleigh extricated herself from his embrace, and walked away a bit, getting back to the matter at hand. She mentioned seeing Alison first thing in the morning, and he agreed.

It's settled then, but first...

Nicos turned back to his home and, it began to move, all at once. The walls opened back up, the floor plan re-asserted itself. He put everything back, even fixing what was broken. Being a telekinetic DEFINITELY had its advantages.

..I needed that. Now, Haleigh...

Nicolas walked over to the metahuman, placing his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her lips softly.

I apologize if I am too...forward. But I will be honest with you. I haven't been this drawn to a woman since...Alycia. And if you are determined to leave me, I would prefer to spend as much time with you as I can. I don't want to see anyone else leave me while I wish I had said more...DONE more.

Nicolas waited for Haleigh's response. The ball was FIRMLY in her court now...

 

[Black Widow]

If only you believed me.

I wish it were as simple as a matter of belief.... She thought, forgetting that he would hear. He put the house back together... she reconsidered everything the apparition had said in an attempt to make more sense of it, or catch something she may have missed the first time.

But Nicolas wasn't going to let her off the hook as easily as that.... and he took her by the shoulders, turning her around to face him. This time, she saw the kiss coming. This time, she turned her head, leaving him to kiss her cheek. Her head slightly bowed, her eyes were gently shut and her expression was distressed. After a moment, she looked up at him.

"I can't....."

It was a simple statement with multiple meanings. She couldn't do this with him right now... She couldn't hide from her memories anymore.... and as a telepath, he would 'see' it too.

Haleigh burst into the house, searching for the one person she couldn't just leave behind.

"PATRICK!"

She followed her vocal response, grabbed him by the hand and began to pull him along. He was confused, but also alarmed, and asked her where the fire was.

"I don't have time to explain, Patch. I've gotta get outta here. Are you coming?"

Patrick:"Apparently." He responded lightly, as she continued to practically drag him outside to her jeep, handing him a shotgun and warning him that it was loaded. He asked her where it came from, but she didn't have time to respond. There was another car sliding to a stop in the gravel drive, and Haleigh suddenly collapsed, overwhelmed with excruciating pain. Patrick was calling her, but she couldn't respond. two men jumped out of the car, one holding a glowing baton of sorts. Patrick fired off a warning shot. The man with the baton kept moving towards Haleigh, while the other provided cover fire, forcing Patrick to dive for cover. The man with the baton grabbed Haleigh by the shirt, bending down and growling in her ear.

Man: "Do you like it? It's a magnetic flare generator. The TO virus doesn't respond well to magnetics."

The man with the gun called after Patrick to toss his weapon away and come out with his hands up, threatening to kill Haleigh if he didn't. Patrick can see Haleigh from his spot on the side of the Jeep... and the look in his eyes tells her everything. Her nose starts to bleed but she doesn't care.... if he gives himself up, they'll just kill him anyway.... but he doesn't know that.

"Don't DO it, don't you even think about it, Patch, you FIGHT! [he tosses out his weapon and comes out] NO!"

But Patrick doesn't want them to hurt Haleigh, and he's only human. The man with the gun walks up to Patrick, shoving him, telling him to kneel. The man puts the muzzle of the gun to Patrick's head and then looks at Haleigh.

Man:"We told you what would happen if you tried to run, Subject 3."

Haleigh:"No, NO!! Patch, PLEASE! [trying to get him to fight back... then, to the man] You son of a bitch, you get your hands off him!"

The man holding Haleigh hits her roughly in the back of the head with the baton, and Haleigh sees STARS.... she's about to pass out... The man with Patrick pushes the side of his head with the gun, goading him.

Man: "Say goodbye, loverboy."

Haleigh: "No, Please!! [starting to cry] I'll do anything you want!"

Man: "It's too late for that."

Haleigh: "GOD DAMNIT Patrick, FIGHT HIM!"

She yells, and he FINALLY does, while Haleigh meanwhile wages her OWN war, whipping around on the man holding HER still, knocking the magnetic flare baton out of his hand, deactivating it before sweeping his legs out from under him. She rips the handgun out of his hip holster but just as she's about to SHOOT him... the sound of gunfire rings out behind her. She shoots the man in front of her quickly before turning to see the outcome of Patch's fight.

Both men are locked in a tight struggle, Patrick on top. Haleigh can't even SEE the gun but after a second, Patrick grabs his chest and the other man pushes him backwards.

"NO! NO!"

Haleigh scrambles to her feet, unloading the gun into the other man without hesitation, or even consideration. She rushes to Patrick's side, cradling him, mentally pulling the bullet out of his chest.... but the damage has been done. Haleigh presses her hand on the wound to staunch the bleeding, and gets ready to drag him to the Jeep so she can get him to the hospital.

"It's okay, you'll be okay... hang in there Patch, don't you DARE die on me.... I won't survive it if you do."

Patrick: "Hey.... You know... I'll always lo---"

His body went slack in her arms, his eyes still open, his head dropped forward.

"Patch? PATRICK?! No.... no, please God..."

She called feverishly, checking his pulse, shaking him... but he was gone. Haleigh collapsed again... this time from grief. She held him.... the only love she'd ever known... and wept.

That was a fresh memory... a raw wound, only a few weeks old. A single tear rolled down Haleigh's cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. He gave her that look... that one that said he wanted to comfort her but she withdrew further.... turning from him again.

"I'll see you in the morning."

She said briskly, closing herself in the guest room.

 

[Firebird]

Morg's place - Chamber of dreams

Ava's timely intervention may have saved both Morgan and Blaze's life. Blaze willingly allowed the brunette to tug her along frantically. As all three reconvened by the island, Morgan's cell phone went off. The reaction startled Blaze who threw her hands up and immediately set one of the nearby vases with flowers on fire.

"Oooh oooh bad!"

Opening her palm as the flame would slither away from the burned flowers. The petals drooped forward while falling off the stem. The brightly lit flame would revert to Blaze's hand, closing her fist. "I honestly didn't like them anyway." She quipped while Morgan spoke to Karen.

"Is she okay?"

Glancing over to her sister while keeping an active eye on Christopher. The quick spell ushered by Morgan had surprised even Blaze as she turned towards the apparition.

"He's not moving!"

She shrieked while Christopher would vanish. "He's gone!"

Morgan suggested they retreat to higher ground, "So much for a night of decadent frivolous fun." Scrambling to get upstairs into Morgan's chamber of dreams.

"What did Karen say, Morgan?"

Pondering about the celebration tomorrow night, Blaze shook her head. "I don't know but I have a feeling it's only going to get worse before it gets better..."

 

[Rampage]

"I can't....."

Nicolas stammered a bit, a bit flustered that he had been so forward when this young lady must not have been interested. But her emotions..thought s. did not indicate that. He was embarrasssed and confused.

I am sorry. I did not mean to-

He was cut off by both her words and her memories.

Nicolas eyes widened, then glazed over as he shared her experience with losing Patrick. Every sight...sound...scent...and FEELING. It was all laid bare for him as he realized all too well why she could not be with him tonight. He had been there, and he understood how she felt.

As she looked back up at Nicolas, a tear matching her own fell down his cheek. He reached out to wipe her's away, hoping that she would allow him to wipe the rest of her tears away as well. But he knew even before she beat him to it, even before she turned away from him that she was not ready, that maybe she never would be.

"I'll see you in the morning."

Goodnight, Haleigh.

Nicolas faded away...reappearing in his room, where he would not get a wink of sleep.

 

[Persephone]

:: Morgan finally snapped out of her daze, backing up along side of her and Blaze. But it was Morgan's cell phone that gave the group a fright. As it began to ring, Ava jumped before rolling her eyes and sighing out. This was ridiculous. She suddenly felt like she was in a lame horror movie. Looking to Morgan, she tried to piece together the conversation she was having with her mother. Apparently Karen saw Christopher too. After a few seconds, Morgan tried to destory the 'illusion' of her father but with no avail. ::

"Well that's dandy....how the hell do we get rid of something that's already dead?"

:: Morgan hung up and Blaze asked what Karen had said, Ava looked to Morgan, who also mentioned the celebration. ::

"Maybe the celebration isn't such a good idea....You know me, I'm all for having a party, but not so much with the ghost of Christmas past."

 

[Black Widow]

He didn't follow her... and it was best thing for them both. He needed someone to stand beside him, and she needed to HEAL before she could be that for him.... it just wasn't the right time for them... it might not be for a while but if he was serious about what he'd said; about how he felt... then he could wait.

Haleigh laid down on her bed, not bothering to undress or even take her shoes off. She didn't stare at the ceiling, but at her revolver, which she held in her hands. It was a beautiful piece, a mirror polish stainless steel six inch barrel pistol, a .357 Magnum Colt Python. It was once Patrick's gun... but now it was Haleigh's.... and she had put it to use, starting the night of his murder.

Herein lies the problem with memories... once the floodgate opens... it's difficult to shut again.... and the night of Patrick's murder-- and Haleigh's escape-- had more yet to come.

Revolver in hand, Haleigh nonchalantly strolls through the corridors.... infiltrating the facility was even easier than escaping it.... as most of its muscle was out on the street.... looking for HER. She used the PA system to call ALL available staff to examination room three. She already knew there wouldn't be many of them, a guard or two, a couple of lowly nurses, a doctor. It was the middle of the night in a research facility where the primary research subject had escaped. The staff that was here was basically doing nothing, waiting for when she was captured and brought back.

Haleigh pulled open the double doors to the exam room, greeting the group with a pleasant hello. One of the guards tried to hit her, simply grabbed his hand, broke his wrist, then took him by the jaw and jerked his head sideways, cleanly breaking his neck. The other guard pulled out a magnetic flare baton and tried to turn it on. Haleigh smirked.

"You must think I'm really stupid.... like I would just walk in here while you had the ONE THING that could cripple my powers. Well, you see, that thing isn't very effective. You know why? Because when it's not activated, it can't hurt me... and at that point, like all technology... IT BELONGS TO ME."

She shoved the guy back towards the group, placing heavy lead shackles on all their wrists and forcing them to sit down. She shows them the revolver, then opens the chamber, empties all the bullets into her hand, and purposesly drops all but one bullet, which she shows the group.

"I'm an equal opportunity murderer.... your title.... your rank... how much money you have in your wallet... it doesn't matter tonight.... We're going to play a game.... and in my game... everyone has an equal probability of dying."

She loads the bullet into the gun, then spun the chamber.

"Are you paying attention? One bullet, six chambers. A 17% chance of being shot. Since we aren't going to respin the roulette wheel, probability then increases. With five chambers, 20%; with four, 25%; Three 66%; Two 50%; and if the game gets that far, the last sorry sucker has a 100% chance of biting the bullet. [pausing, noting the head count] Well, there's only five of us. [kicking the foot of the dead guard] He can go first.... SOMEBODY'S gotta be shot.... we can't be having a chamber left."

She aims the pistol at him and pulls the trigger. Click. Her gaze passes over the group... then she aims the gun at her own head. Click. Shrugging her shoulders, she aims at one of the nurses. The crack of gunfire sounds, and the nurse is shot in the head. But Haleigh doesn't stop there.... Keeping eye contact with the doctor, she shoots the OTHER nurse as well and then, because the guard has reduced to a whimpering, annoying coward, she shoots him to. The doctor just stares at her.

"What? YOU guys didn't play by the rules. Why would I? [pulling up a chair, sitting directly in front of him] Besides... I said everyone had an EQUAL probability of dying... but if I played the game the way I'd said, that wouldn't be true, would it? Sequentially, each player's chance of being shot would increase.... and that's not fair. Technically... the only way my statement would have been true is if EVERYONE lived... [raising the gun, resting the end of the muzzle on his chin] or EVERYONE DIED."

Doctor:"You're INSANE."

"No.... no. I'm in PAIN. This blood on my hands.... on my shirt.... it's not mine. You see.... tonight, I watched the man I love die.... in my ARMS.... and it occured to me... that he died because of ME. Because of what I am. [tapping him with the gun]Because of what YOU helped to MAKE me into. So I decided... since I have to spend the rest of my miserable life ALONE.... and in pain.... I'm gonna use these new abilities that YOU gave me to SPREAD THE PAIN. And I'm going to start right here.... at ground zero. So here's the deal.... you're going to tell me what I want to know.... or I'm going to shoot you in the face. Okay? [he nods] Okay. I want to know... who oversees this project. Who calls the shots? Who makes the executive decisions?"

Doctor: "Dr. Adam Chandler. But he confers with someone else too... a woman... she's always in white... Diana something or other.... God... it's russian.... Rasputin! Diana Rasputin."

Haleigh nods.... then pulls the hammer back on the revolver, cocking it.

"Thank you."

Doctor: "Wait! What are you doing, I thought if I told you, you wouldn't kill me!"

"When did we make that arrangement?"

Doctor: "But you said--"

"No.... I know what you're thinking.... no. I said if you DIDN'T tell me, I'd shoot you. I never said I WOULDN'T shoot you if you DID."

Doctor: "Semantics.... I.... [quickly]killing me won't bring him back!"

"No.... but it'll make me FEEL good."

Haleigh simply smiled... and shot him. It didn't make her feel good... it didn't make her feel anything.... but then, even killing the man who'd pulled the trigger on Patrick had been a sidebar that required no thought and offered no emotional relief. On her way out.... she destroyed the lab, blowing it up behind her as she left. Chandler and the Woman in White would not be easy to get to.... they would take some modicum of planning. Tonight... she had to run.... to get away from this place... this city. She had to get some place safe... she had to disappear a while so that she'd have time to heal... time to research Chandler and Rasputin... time to plot their deaths.

Haleigh drifted off to sleep... she didn't cry now, though she probably should have, for Patrick wasn't the only one she'd lost that night... she'd also lost herself... in grief and anger, she allowed her heart and soul to become as black as the TO infected blood that now ran through her veins.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas lay atop his own bed, half wishing he had followed her to her room, but realizing that if she had yielded to him, that it would be for the wrong reasons. If he wanted to have sex Morgan was there, and there were others available even if she wasn't. Her own friend Ava was certainly game, and the town's men often talked of trying to "do the double":wink0:.

But that was not it. He had managed to satisfy his urges as he came to terms with Alycia's death, but true COMPANIONSHIP? Someone who REALLY understood? Not so much. Even Morgan, who cared more than she'd ever admit, was not ready to focus on anyone much beyond herself.

As he lay there, the connection to Haleigh yielded more information as he received her thought about the aftermath of Patrick's death. He was saddened at the effect it had on her but not surprised. Indeed, he realized that half of what they did at Thunder Bay was protect the world from themselves, limiting contact to some degree with a world that could, in its cruelty, start some shit that it couldn't easily finish.

He made himself stay in bed, but that did not stop him from helping her. He soothed her mind subtly, using their link to help her relax in a way too gradual for even her to notice tonight (though she might register it tomorrow with her computer-like brain as she awakened). As she fell off to sleep he smiled a bit and began to meditate. Tonight's apparition threw him for a loop and he wanted to center himself, steel himself mentally for the time ahead. Otherwise, he had a feeling...he couldn't pinpoint it, that if he were totally undone...no good would come of it for ANY of them.

 

[Seer]

the evening wears on and out

<< Morgan, Blaze and Ava moved up to a higher floor of the mansion, even as the fog seemed to reced from around the mansion, the effect had already been done. the three women contemplated what they had seen and what it might mean for tomorrow, one of the biggest events in the history of this town.>>

<< Karen and Mike sat in the study of her mansion. As Mike comforted the mayor, she revealed what Alison had shared with Delilah and herself hours ago and how it might have some tragic bearing on the events of this evening, that it could have an effect on tomorrow as well.>>

<< Delilah , who was close by Morgan and Karen found herself contronted with what seemed impossible. Even her own considerable power over light could not dispell the fog or effect the creatures that loomed outside of her home, but as long as she didnt open her doors, they didnt seem to be able to come on. after several attemps to blind them with strobes, the creatures vanished, seemingly bored with her vain efforts.>>

<<to the north on the hill, a bitter and drunken Alison cursed the fog and any who may lay within it. her devil may care attitude perhaps kept HER from harm in this instance, as she passed out, completely ignoring the slow, hard knock of the vengenfull spirits that sought entry into her gothic mansion and the church.>>

<< and dfinally at Nicolas', where some of the worst events of this evening's fog took place , the man grappled with the shocking and hurtfull apparation of Alycia. Haleigh made all the difference in the world, keeping him from breaking down completely. Haleigh herself was forced face her own ghosts from the past and how they may have driven her here by more than just coincidence. she could no longer dislodge herself from Tunder Bay or the special residents that stood together in a tight circle. Thankfully, Sharon and Kyle were spared THIS time by the fog.>>

<< everyone struggled this evening, but as bad as it was, most seemed to know that it would get worse before it got better. more of the secret was coming out, more understanding...but would it be too little too late? tommorow would be the final test and trial for them all and even if they knew the whole truth, could that be enough to prepare them for vengeance 100 years in the making?>>

<< we can only watch and see.>>

<< the evening moves on, most everyone finds temporary comfort in the necessity of sleep. tomorrow is another day, tomorrow night is another thing all together.>>