[OPEN] She said my spirit doesn't move like it did before

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Who: Chris Freeman (thelatechrisfreeman) & you (or maybe you? perhaps you?)
What: the bitch is back, baby!
When: the month of July
Where: various places around the island
Warning(s): discussion of illness and death likely



I said 'I'm just tired', she said 'You're just high.' [Back to Work]
The reason that Chris hasn't been social, like... at all? For about two months now? Post-flood outbreak of pneumonia among patients of the Winterbottom Clinic. They took full responsibility, refusing much in the way of help, and thus their days have been full of treatment and sometimes palliative care for the most frail.

There were also concerns about not burning through the antibiotic supplies for this particular outbreak, which led to some difficult decisions and even more difficult days and nights...

But now, finally, things are looking up. There haven't been any re-infections for a whole week. Chris walks from their house to the clinic proper, looking forward to a shift filled with cases other than infectious disease.

Feel free to swing by the clinic to say hello, now that they've finally emerged from their self-imposed sequestration.

Oh, I make you cringe now; don't I make you cringe? [Something Life Balance]
Newer arrivals may not remember this or not have been present, but Chris was downright weird upon first coming to Marrow Isle. They've apparently reverted back to that, what with being found up a tree, or on a roof, or wandering along the surf's edge and chattering away to empty air.

Perhaps you feel like figuring out what's going on with them?

Lover come hold me, head's on the fritz [Breaking Bread]
Chris could probably cook for themself, sure. They've had enough practice with baking, and simple cooking. But sometimes meals are about more than getting fed. Sometimes meals are about community.

Perhaps you catch Chris at one of the meals after Wednesday service in the Temple of Sacred Roots. Or maybe you notice them sitting at a table at the Oak and Iron some other night. You'll be waved over to sit beside them once they notice you!

Comments

[ss_buttcrack]

"Yes, I'm new. I moved here recently, all by myself. I work as an enforcer and I read about the Pine Devil. That's why I know so much about it." The best bluffs are rooted in truth, after all.

He turns to where the noise seems to originate, eyes wary though he can't make out much in the dark. "I don't know yet, but maybe you should get behind me in case it's something dangerous."

[thelatechrisfreeman]

It's not Chris's voice that John will hear saying, "Here it comes -- her memory of it!"

The Pine Devil that lunges toward them is at least nine feet tall, a huge, hulking beast with jet black fur and blazing blue eyes. Its huge antlers are shiny-dark, perhaps wet with blood. The twisted hands with too-long fingers grasp for Coral and miss, then rake deep furrows in the earth. And it roars again as Coral cowers behind John and screams.

"Pick her up!" Chris shouts. Their own eyes are burning red like coals in the darkness, and the glow faintly illuminates the ghostly face of Heckie to John's vision for just a moment, "Pick her up and run!"

[ss_buttcrack]

Up to this point, Crichton hasn't ever seen the Pine Devil in person, so he has no way to know this isn't how she should look. All he knows is he isn't interested in getting too close. Even as Chris is shouting, Crichton is already stooping to scoop Coral into his arms. His gaze briefly meets Heckie's, registering shock, but every sinew in his body is already screaming to take flight and his feet quickly obey that command.

"I'll get us out of here," he tells Coral as he cradles the back of her head in his palm to make sure she keeps herself tucked close. He doesn't want to take the chance of knocking her into any trees while running wildly through the dark.

"Chris!" he calls without looking back, "Sound off if you're still with me."

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Chris can't come the phone right now! Why? Because they're--

getting flung into a tree. Chris bounces off the trunk and falls to the ground with a wheeze and a groan.

This nightmare version of the Pine Devil has been feeding off Coral's fear for so long that it has gained enough power to lash out at other ghostly beings. And Chris is on the ghostly side of the sliding scale for sure.

But can this nightmare construct handle being swarmed by dozens of Marrow Isle's lingering ghosts? Several of them materialize out of the woods as Crichton runs past, and fly toward the creature -- either to hit it or cling to it and keep it from giving chase.

"I'm scared!" Coral wails, clinging tightly to John Crichton with one arm slung around the back of his neck, and hiding her face against his shoulder. "The Pine Devil is gonna eat me! Eat us both!!"

[ss_buttcrack]

His eyes are wide enough to show the whites all around as he beholds ghostly outlines pelting past him. He turns to look when he gets no answer and is horrified to see Chris downed at the base of a tree. But those ghosts... are they coming to their aid?

"No," Crichton answers Coral firmly, "No one is getting eaten tonight. I'm not gonna let that happen. I promise you." He keeps running. Saying a prayer in his mind that Chris will pull through, but right now the most important thing is getting Coral away safely. Just this once.

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Crichton is correct -- the most important thing is getting Coral to safety. As they get distance from the nightmare Pine Devil, its roars get weaker and softer, and the frightening darkness of the forest recedes into normal, late afternoon warmth.

The nightmare Pine Devil falls silent and Coral lifts her head. "We... did we get away?"

The oppressive atmosphere that resulted from Coral's memories is lifting, scattering like pre-dawn fog in the face of the rising sun. Despite the tear tracks that can be seen on her face, Coral gives a small, hopeful smile.

".... I should get home..." Coral says softly.

[ss_buttcrack]

He slows from a run to a walk, still breathing hard, but he doesn't put her down yet. Not yet. Just let him hold her safe in his arms a little longer.

"We got away," Crichton confirms for her with a soft smile. "We're okay. Told you we'd be okay."

Home. If only he could take her home. If only that was a real option. He can't tell he it isn't, so, instead, he says, "Which way is home?"

[thelatechrisfreeman]

Coral scrubs at her face, then silently points the way down one of the paths back toward the town. She cuddles into the warmth and safety of Crichton's grasp. She doesn't want to walk on her own just yet, either.

For a while, as they walk, the little girl's ghost will feel fairly substantial and solid in Crichton's arms. But as they make their way to the village, she'll fade slowly. If he keeps going and crosses into the village proper, she'll vanish entirely, like morning mist at dawn.

Chris will step up, as if walking through an invisible curtain, on Crichton's left side, and quietly lay a hand onto his shoulder. Nothing is said for the moment.

But they have done something good.

[ss_buttcrack]

As he starts to feel the weight of her lighten, it's like it's being transferred to a shroud over his heart instead. This little girl he holds safe in his arms is precious in her own right, but at the same time she represents something larger to Crichton. This time, just this once, he was able to change something meaningfully. He stopped the suffering of one little soul and it was good.

He doesn't turn at the touch of Chris's hand on his shoulder. Somehow, he knows who it is without needing to look. He'd kept his faith in Chris, and they have prevailed. Tears leak from his eyes, and his voice is a watery croak from holding back sobs, but something important still needs to be said. To Chris, to himself, to Coral, to whatever hands of fate put him where he needed to be at the exact right time.

"Thank you."

Even if poor Coral cannot yet be free of this island completely, Crichton still feels as if one restless spirit has been soothed this day. His own.