Into the Woods (CA - Uno, Mark, & the Shepherds)
Quote from Kaqurei on June 3, 2023, 4:29 pm"I didn't argue," Mark admitted, beaming his flashlight at the trees and looking wide-eyed like a child at the shadows and shapes cast by the light. He jumped a little when moths materialized out of the dark to dive bomb at his light. At least he didn't scream. He had opinions about bravado, but he would hardly be a man without at least a little of his own.
"To be honest, I needed an out. I needed a way to get out of my own head. Camping is as good a way to do that as anything." He swatted at a moth. "I never went camping much. Ever. Good way to shake things up."
"I didn't argue," Mark admitted, beaming his flashlight at the trees and looking wide-eyed like a child at the shadows and shapes cast by the light. He jumped a little when moths materialized out of the dark to dive bomb at his light. At least he didn't scream. He had opinions about bravado, but he would hardly be a man without at least a little of his own.
"To be honest, I needed an out. I needed a way to get out of my own head. Camping is as good a way to do that as anything." He swatted at a moth. "I never went camping much. Ever. Good way to shake things up."
Quote from Adriana on June 3, 2023, 4:41 pm"Smart guy."
Tara said coolly. Smart enough? She wondered. He didn't seem to ask why she hadn't taken up a flashlight for herself, or why Bob still needed a secretary for himself if he was retired.
But then he gave up the answer on his own - his mind was clearly in other places.
"I know it sounds counter productive, but do you wanna talk about it?" she slowed and turned back to look at him now.
"Smart guy."
Tara said coolly. Smart enough? She wondered. He didn't seem to ask why she hadn't taken up a flashlight for herself, or why Bob still needed a secretary for himself if he was retired.
But then he gave up the answer on his own - his mind was clearly in other places.
"I know it sounds counter productive, but do you wanna talk about it?" she slowed and turned back to look at him now.
Quote from Kaqurei on June 3, 2023, 7:34 pmThe jumpy beam of Mark's flashlight steadied, focusing on the path ahead. He shrugged his shoulders, looking down. "No, yeah, it's better to talk about it than not," he said. Forced a mirthless chuckle. "I'm a psychologist, I should know. If you're willing to let me bend your ear about it..."
He straightened his back and looked ahead at the path. "I've struggled with depression since I was a kid. It's marginally easier to deal with, once you give the monster a name. It's part of why I went into psychology. Then... well, you're Bob's secretary, I guess you know about Kimberly? Officer Roberts?"
He lapsed into silence for a moment. "Anyway. She was my niece. I was kind of already heading that way when I got the news. Just kinda took a spiral from there. Came out here to help my sis and brother-in-law with the funeral. And then I just kind of... stayed."
The jumpy beam of Mark's flashlight steadied, focusing on the path ahead. He shrugged his shoulders, looking down. "No, yeah, it's better to talk about it than not," he said. Forced a mirthless chuckle. "I'm a psychologist, I should know. If you're willing to let me bend your ear about it..."
He straightened his back and looked ahead at the path. "I've struggled with depression since I was a kid. It's marginally easier to deal with, once you give the monster a name. It's part of why I went into psychology. Then... well, you're Bob's secretary, I guess you know about Kimberly? Officer Roberts?"
He lapsed into silence for a moment. "Anyway. She was my niece. I was kind of already heading that way when I got the news. Just kinda took a spiral from there. Came out here to help my sis and brother-in-law with the funeral. And then I just kind of... stayed."
Quote from Adriana on June 3, 2023, 10:52 pmTara knit her brow as she listened. “You’ve been here… four, five months? Alone?” she knew Kimberly. She interviewed Kimberly.
“Oh, buddy..” she mused sympathetically, “You know that’s a bad idea. Don’t they teach shrinks to practice what they preach?”
Tara knit her brow as she listened. “You’ve been here… four, five months? Alone?” she knew Kimberly. She interviewed Kimberly.
“Oh, buddy..” she mused sympathetically, “You know that’s a bad idea. Don’t they teach shrinks to practice what they preach?”
Quote from Kaqurei on June 4, 2023, 6:17 pmMark aimed and fired a finger-gun to gesture that Tara had scored a bulls-eye. "That's just the thing. I know better. Just couldn't do better. I've been stuck. It's like when you're sick, you know you should eat, but your appetite's gone. You don't have the energy to spend on eating. There's no reward to motivate you to eat, 'cause everything is tasteless and your stomach will hurt either way. You just know that you should or it's not going to get any better. And that's not always enough. People need each other. But depression isolates you... If I'd gone home... I think that would have been worse."
He cleared his throat. "What about you? Why did you agree to come?"
Mark aimed and fired a finger-gun to gesture that Tara had scored a bulls-eye. "That's just the thing. I know better. Just couldn't do better. I've been stuck. It's like when you're sick, you know you should eat, but your appetite's gone. You don't have the energy to spend on eating. There's no reward to motivate you to eat, 'cause everything is tasteless and your stomach will hurt either way. You just know that you should or it's not going to get any better. And that's not always enough. People need each other. But depression isolates you... If I'd gone home... I think that would have been worse."
He cleared his throat. "What about you? Why did you agree to come?"
Quote from Adriana on June 4, 2023, 6:56 pm“Yeah…” Tara acknowledged what was said and then kept walking.
“I like Bob. He’s a lot but, nobodies perfect. Anyway, he’s officially done in January and I don’t know how many more chances we’ll get to spend time with him. He’s got a lot-a looot- of energy, but he’s not immortal.”
Now she took a right where the path split off. She was following Bob’s trail, which, even hours later, was hardly faded.
“I’m glad you came.”
“Yeah…” Tara acknowledged what was said and then kept walking.
“I like Bob. He’s a lot but, nobodies perfect. Anyway, he’s officially done in January and I don’t know how many more chances we’ll get to spend time with him. He’s got a lot-a looot- of energy, but he’s not immortal.”
Now she took a right where the path split off. She was following Bob’s trail, which, even hours later, was hardly faded.
“I’m glad you came.”
Quote from Kaqurei on June 6, 2023, 12:24 am"Me too," Mark said.
He didn't question Tara's choice when the path split. Though longer, the lower path looked easier, less steep. Bob might have been full of energy, but he was still pushing seventy, and with his heart as it was... The lower longer path made sense. Besides, Tara had come here with Bob a time or two before. She was doubly likely then to know which path he would have taken.
"So, what's your book about? If you don't mind my asking," he said after a while, the lull in conversation was beginning to make him a little uncomfortable. And better able to hear snapping branches as unseen creatures moved about in the woods off the path.
"Me too," Mark said.
He didn't question Tara's choice when the path split. Though longer, the lower path looked easier, less steep. Bob might have been full of energy, but he was still pushing seventy, and with his heart as it was... The lower longer path made sense. Besides, Tara had come here with Bob a time or two before. She was doubly likely then to know which path he would have taken.
"So, what's your book about? If you don't mind my asking," he said after a while, the lull in conversation was beginning to make him a little uncomfortable. And better able to hear snapping branches as unseen creatures moved about in the woods off the path.
Quote from Adriana on June 6, 2023, 7:17 pmTara used the quiet to focus her senses on the surrounding area. There was nothing alarming, and although deer had passed through this way within the last couple of days, little else stood out. She could smell the carcass of a freshly killed mouse not far off, and in short time discovered the owl in the boughs of the trees, working on his dinner. Then Mark spoke.
"Oh, it's so stupid." she laughed. "Basically-these aliens demolish earth to make way for a space road, and this guy catches a ride with the aliens on their ship with his friend and end up on this really crazy adventure. It's weird, but funny."
Tara used the quiet to focus her senses on the surrounding area. There was nothing alarming, and although deer had passed through this way within the last couple of days, little else stood out. She could smell the carcass of a freshly killed mouse not far off, and in short time discovered the owl in the boughs of the trees, working on his dinner. Then Mark spoke.
"Oh, it's so stupid." she laughed. "Basically-these aliens demolish earth to make way for a space road, and this guy catches a ride with the aliens on their ship with his friend and end up on this really crazy adventure. It's weird, but funny."
Quote from Kaqurei on June 7, 2023, 6:34 pm"Oh, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?" Mark asked, grinning, "Right on, right on. That's a good one!"
A twig snapped in the darkness off the path, and Mark's attention snapped to it, freezing in place for a second, not too unlike a deer himself. But in a moment he recovered, and kept walking. He chuckled.
"95% chance it's just a rabbit. 5% chance it's the chupacabra and we have 90 seconds left to live," he said, and shrugged like whatchya gonna do.
"Seriously though, what part are you at? It's been a while since I read the books. Oh, and I guess before I go any further I'd better ask, would you say you're more of a casual dabbler, or a full on, ride-or-die, sci-fi geek?"
"Oh, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?" Mark asked, grinning, "Right on, right on. That's a good one!"
A twig snapped in the darkness off the path, and Mark's attention snapped to it, freezing in place for a second, not too unlike a deer himself. But in a moment he recovered, and kept walking. He chuckled.
"95% chance it's just a rabbit. 5% chance it's the chupacabra and we have 90 seconds left to live," he said, and shrugged like whatchya gonna do.
"Seriously though, what part are you at? It's been a while since I read the books. Oh, and I guess before I go any further I'd better ask, would you say you're more of a casual dabbler, or a full on, ride-or-die, sci-fi geek?"
Quote from Adriana on June 7, 2023, 8:00 pm"Nah, not a chupacabra. We're too far north. Probably like a banshee or big foot."
She stared at the sound of the crack and wondered how it must have felt to be so unaware of the world around you, how things just out of reach could seem so much bigger than they were, and to worry about facing them with little more than some fingernails and fists to defend yourself.
"I'm a die hard sci-fi geek. I think I want my headstone to have a UFO on it with the words "taken back to her home planet on - date - like, inside the beam of the UFO. No joke. You knew the book I was talking about so, where do you stand?"
"Nah, not a chupacabra. We're too far north. Probably like a banshee or big foot."
She stared at the sound of the crack and wondered how it must have felt to be so unaware of the world around you, how things just out of reach could seem so much bigger than they were, and to worry about facing them with little more than some fingernails and fists to defend yourself.
"I'm a die hard sci-fi geek. I think I want my headstone to have a UFO on it with the words "taken back to her home planet on - date - like, inside the beam of the UFO. No joke. You knew the book I was talking about so, where do you stand?"
