RuneScape Forum Archive | ~The Dwellers~

Dark Enmity

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“Of course not," she said. “I just think that this kid has a gift. And we don’t even know what it is or how it works. Now can you please give me some rest? We can sort this out when I the hospital releases me. Plus I will have to see my mom to prove to her I am not dying.”

Aimeric was stepping out of the room, not feeling much better. “Alright. When you come home again we can figure this out. Figure out whether that drawing is true or not."

"No," Thea said firmly. “That picture is the truth. Out of this whole mess, that is the one thing I am sure of.”

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The days passed slowly at home. Everything felt less exciting without Thea there. Even Oliver had lost some of his pizzazz as the time passed. Each day just felt like clockwork: Get up, go to work, come home and go to sleep.

One person seemed to be enjoying it though. Celeste was once again bounding up and down the stairs, walking with a spring in her step and even singing (quite badly ever since her voice changed slightly when she was a teenager) in the shower. To Aimeric’s astonishment she even greeted Oliver several times with a kiss on the check.

For Celeste it felt like a miracle. It was like she had found an old antique lamp and rubbed it, giving her a genie. And she felt like she was getting her wish. Thea was no longer apart of their lives.

She didn't realize that the whole experience had bonded Thea and Aimeric closer than before. Aimeric would give his life just to make Thea lived. And Thea knew it.

26-Jun-2009 00:02:04 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:19:30 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Aimeric was beating himself up over Oliver. One day he had almost thought of asking Oliver to draw a picture. He stopped himself though. If what Thea said was true Aimeric was afraid he could draw something horrible. What if he was in his loving father mood and drew his father escaping from jail? Then Ned would probably strangle Oliver. And what if Oliver was mad and drew his dad gone forever. Aimeric didn't like that idea either.

No, he came to the conclusion that it would be safer to do it with Thea. She always had more of a connection with Oliver. It was like parenting—he would never say if he like Aimeric or Thea more, but it was obviously Thea.

He had gone to work, put up a smile and when people would ask where his hot little assistant was he would reply courteously, “She had an accident.”

Not that everyone was in the dark. The newspapers had done a fine job as always making a scene: Teenage Girl Fatally Injured. Byproduct of an Abusive Relationship? Aimeric showed Thea the title while bringing her breakfast one morning. He could swear steam was coming out of her ears. The allegations were dropped but a good load of people read that article. Some people at work even looked at Aimeric suspiciously and asked more questions than they used to about his wife.

Ned Oddly still never drifted far from his mind. Now that he didn't have to get information about Thea’s evil voice—though he was still worried about it—he was now brushing up on every book about law. He would need it. It was better to have Ned out of jail with Oliver never seeing him then Ned in jail but with legal custody when he would be released.

They had scheduled an appointed—meaning Ned’s crude, forlorn cell—for Thursday, which was exactly a week from when they had first met. Since then Aimeric had to deal with Oliver’s outgoing personality, Thea’s critical condition, as well as being the best damn lawyer he could be.

26-Jun-2009 00:02:08 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:20:53 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

He had to make a few phone calls saying he wanted to be Ned Oddy’s attorney. When he told them he was a geologist with no experience whatsoever some stuttered. Other’s had just froze, not saying anything for at least ten seconds. One had even hung up causing Aimeric to phone again and explain the situation.

Only he couldn’t tell them Ned was blackmailing. That risked adding to his list of crimes and sending him to jail. Then he would get Oliver. What Aimeric said was that Ned Oddy gave Aimeric Eaton full consent to be his lawyer. All of them were perplexed when they called Ned to confirm this and he said, “You’re darn tooting.” The necessary paperwork was made and Aimer Eaton became a full fledged lawyer.

He was heading to Ned with two books in his hands. Both about law. Today he was going to ask Ned the full story—what happened, and how can they make his case sound the most presentable.

Aimeric went through the whole scene with Ned almost exactly the same. Ned greeted him with an obnoxious saying, he spat on his hand—only Aimeric was now wise to not bother shaking it—and then they both sat down, Ned on the bed and Aimeric this time with a wooden chair.

“Ned you have to go through everything with me,” Aimeric said wearily.

“To hell I am. That wasn’t in the agreement.” Ned was glaring.

Aimeric said and opened up one of the law books. “You have to be truthful Ned, even if you pushed your boy in I still have a chance from sending you to jail (though not a good one, he thought) but you have to tell the truth Ned. Honesty is the best policy.”

Ned snorted. “Where’d you get that pig’s line? While in the library did you decide to pick up a book on “How to be a better person?”

But Ned finally agreed. "I don't want to do this, but you are a persistent man, I’ll give you that. Me and that kid—,”

“Oliver?” Aimeric asked. Ned glared again.

26-Jun-2009 00:02:13 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:25:12 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“No, I was with the neighbor’s kid because I LOVE CHILDREN,” Ned said sarcastically. “You’re not that bright, are you? I should have gone with a real lawyer.”

Aimeric held up the notepad. “The book says it is wise to record everything the suspect says. I was just confirming that it was Oliver.” Ned looked at him like he was stupid but continued.

“So we’re at the park, and Oliver goes and plays with ducks. He was chasing them around and one of the ducks decided not to play tag anymore. So it bit him.

“Knowing Oliver, he started to cry and asking me to kiss his puny scrape better. That is one strange kid, I’ll tell ya. He is as strong as a nail whenever I beat him but you give him a small cut that isn’t from me and he goes ballistic.”

“Ned, it would be vigilant to keep out your past offenses on Oliver.”

“Sure, whatever. So I got mad at him and I just wanted to shut him up, so I gave him a toss in the lake. I just thought he would shake it off and stop crying. You know, be a man.”

Aimeric scratched his forehead. So it was Ned's fault. He did it. Now what? How could he possible make Ned innocent?

“—and before I could jump in and save the runt, you decided to become a hero.”

Aimeric became suspicious. “Did you know that Oliver couldn’t swim?”

“I guessed he would be a natural, like his old man. But no, he goes and makes a big scene. It made me so angry, all I wanted to do was just go to sleep and—,”

“What?” Aimeric stopped him. “Go to sleep?”

Ned glanced around the room keeping from looking into Aimeric’s eyes. “Yeah, you know...I was tired...it was a long day...”

“It was the middle of the day,” Aimeric said flatly. He could remember walking home with Thea...oh sweet Thea...how soft her hair was...before they shaved it off...

Aimeric shook his head. “Ned, were you under the influence of alcohol?”

“I don’t drink!” Ned said defensively. “If there is one thing I don’t do, its drink.”

“Why should I believe a child abuser?"

26-Jun-2009 00:02:18 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:21:30 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Ned’s eyes became soft. “Because I’m terrified of alcohol. My mother was a fat pig, I won’t lie. And when she died there was tinted bottle in her hand. I was twelve. She over dosed and the doctors all said it was heart-attack which could have been started for a number of reasons from her weight or maybe she was sick. But I always knew it was that last beer. I have never had one. And if you tell anyone that I swear to God I’ll kill you.”

Aimeric studied Ned’s face. “I believe you.” He knew what it felt like when you’re afraid of something. Ned’s face was full of the same fear right then whenever Aimeric was in water.

Ned grunted. “Good because those damn cops didn't believe me. I kept telling them their stupid breathalyzer was broken but did they listen? No."

"Wait?” Aimeric said incredulously. "The device said you were drunk?”

Ned shrugged. “Said being the operative word. But I wasn’t drunk. I didn't consume any alcohol. I would have been scared to death if I did.”

An idea sprung in Aimeric’s head. He knew there was a chance of saving Ned’s case. “What if you didn't drink alcohol knowingly?”

“What are you blabbering about?”

“I am saying is it possible that someone slipped you some beer while you weren’t looking?’

Ned’s eyes popped with fear. Aimeric had never seen this man look so vulnerable. “But that would mean I had alcohol. That would mean I drank! Oh God I could have died!” Ned was sweating bullets.

“Ned! You’re fine. If it would have killed you, you would be dead by now. Now tell me, what did you do that day?”

“Nothing much,” he said, now calming down. “I slept in all morning like usual, then headed over to my friend Rosie who was having a party at the time. I had a soda and left after twenty minutes. Then I took Oliver to the park because my rule is to take him somewhere once a week. If I am in a good mood I let him choose. For a strange reason I felt really flexible that day and let Oliver choose."

26-Jun-2009 00:09:38 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:25:48 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Aimeric nodded. The alcohol would have made Ned feel more malleable. And because he had never felt the effects of drinking that would have made him think he was normal. It was fitting perfectly. If Aimeric could get Rosie’s address, he could prove that it wasn’t Ned’s fault for pushing in Oliver. He had never been drunk, and it was slipped to him without his knowledge.

“This is perfect!” Aimeric explained. “Ned, I think somebody poured alcohol into your soda at that party. If you write down where Rosie lives I might be able to be a damn good lawyer for you.”

Ned looked far from ecstatic but wrote down her number and address. “Have fun Lawyer,” paused, and added. “Are we friends now?"

Aimeric gave a fake smile. In truth he hated Ned's guts. He wished a rock would land on Ned and squash him like a bug. But when your in a moment where everything feels like it’s good swell—not just good but swell—and somebody you hate gives you a civil question rather than the gruel that usually comes out of their mouths, it’s hard to hate them.

“Far from,” Aimeric said, keeping that fake smile plastered to his face. “Far from.”

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Aimeric was packing up when he heard a loud argument ensuing at the other end of the cells. Curious, Aimeric headed over to see Roland of the council quarrelling with the cell mates.

“If you don’t tell me who you are right this instant and what you’re doing here you will be in very hot water,” Roland said with a decent amount of authority. He turned around and was astonished when he saw Aimeric.

“Aimeric, what brings you down in one of the murkiest places of the city?”

“Oh, I just have business with one of the criminals,” Aimeric said nonchalantly.

Roland sighed. “As do I. A few days ago some teenage boy ran out of the tunnels screaming that there were four bodies lying unconscious. We were suspicious but sure enough, these are the four.”

26-Jun-2009 00:09:43 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:22:24 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Aimeric peered through the bars and stared at the four cell members. One had dark brown hair, another with red. One was holding a toothpick in his teeth. They all had tattered clothes.

“Why did I never hear about this?” Aimeric asked.

“We made sure the press never published the story. I’ll tell you it took a helluva lot to persuade them. Anyways nobody has ever seen them before and they are telling lies about how they arrived there.

“It’s not lies!” the one that clearly looked like the leader shouted. “Everything we have told you is true! We fell down a hellhole into this strange place! We come from above!”

Aimeric froze. Above? What did that mean? Like above the rocks? What could possibly be above there?

“Roland, I don’t know if you would allow but I would love to interview these four. I have recently brushed up on law and know a few interview techniques that might help.”

Roland looked relieved. “Be my guest. I personally have no experience in the law. Those people will send anybody these days. I think I’ll take the day off, though. Good luck, Aimeric.”

Aimer nodded and sat down with the four men. “In case you don’t know, I am Aimeric—,”

“We heard. I am Ivan. My colleagues can’t speak your language. Anything you want to ask should be directed to me.” Ivan stood up. He looked like he had just been through quite an ordeal.

“Fine. That would explain that you all are foreign. But why do you know our language?” Aimeric asked skeptically.

“Please. When you have been looked up in a cell for seventy-two hours there is nothing much to do. I decided to pick up on everything the guards have said. They do talk an awful lot. Unfortunately my friends aren’t quite the linguists I am and still haven’t grasped it yet.”

“Understandable,” Aimeric said. “Where do you all come from?”

“We have told your other friend countless times. We live on the surface.”

26-Jun-2009 00:09:49 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 22:56:51 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Blood was pounding through Aimeric’s brain. First Thea has evil voices, then Oliver has some special ability and now this man claims to live in a place Aimeric has never heard of. When did fairy tales start creeping into reality?

“You will have to explain, Ivan.”

“We were looking for aliens. You may not have aliens were you live but we do, and goddamn lot of them. People don’t believe us though. So we proved by going onto White Wolf Mountain. When the meteor shower hit it must have started an earthquake. My friends and I were caught in the disaster and ended up down here.”

Ivan was describing things he had never heard of. ‘What the hell was an alien? Or a meteor shower? This guy belongs in an asylum.’

Aimeric had to just take Ivan’s word. “How large was the fall?”

“We fell for so long it was impossible to guess. Quite a ways though. All of us managed to get our climbing picks and dig into the rock on our way down. We stopped ourselves and looked up seeing a massive amount of rocks blocking where we came from. So we decided after a day of starvation just to go down. The hole narrowed and we ended up in your city.”

“That’s one extraordinary story.”

Ivan glared. “If you don’t believe us go to where we were found. Do you know the water well?”

Aimeric nodded. Most people got there water from there.

“Well, your investigators or whatever you call them down here have gone to see if it’s true. The boy that found us said there was something you people have never seen. So go there if you want proof.”

Aimeric thought to himself. Did he have a right to go there? Was it only for members of the council?

‘To hell with that,’ he thought. ‘All week things have been happening where all you could do was make stupid assumptions. Now it’s time to take things into your own hands.’

Aimeric said goodbye and headed off to the well, to see what the Ivan claimed they had never seen.

Ivan was right, alright. More right then Aimeric ever would have guessed.

26-Jun-2009 00:09:50 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 22:58:06 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

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The wishing well did look like a crime scene investigation. One had gone in to retrieve the four bodies and when he came out he was screaming. That made them turn to lockdown.

Tape surrounded the cave. Anybody that went in had to have special clearance. The ones that did were wearing a full body radioactive suit.

When Aimeric got there he was disappointed to realize that geologists don’t have special clearance. He was stopped by one of the guards.

“Please I am telling you, I need to see it,” Aimeric pleaded.

Even behind the radioactive suit Aimeric could see the man rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure pal. You and the five-hundred people standing around you.”

This had started to draw a scene. “Roland!” Aimeric exclaimed. Roland was also in a suit. When he saw Aimeric his eyes flashed open.

“Aimeric! By Jesus, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to come and help examine,” Aimeric said quickly inventing a lie. “The four said that they came through a hole from an earthquake and I thought with a geologists experience I could see if they were telling the truth.”

“Keen are we? Well, somebody got word I was free from interrogating those strangers so they sent me here. Pity, I was confident I could get the day off.”

“May I come and examine it? The guard says I need special clearance—,”

“Oh come now, he’s just there to make sure everybody doesn’t come swarming in,” Roland said. He gestured Aimeric to come in, but before he cross the yellow tape he had enough time to make a smug little face at the guard.

Aimeric had to suit up. It was hot and sweaty to wear the huge aluminum clothes overtop of his own. They sent him with Roland and five others immediately down the tunnels. Some of them had said a pray before they went in.

“So what's this thing about the monster?” Aimeric asked while walking with Roland.

26-Jun-2009 00:09:55 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:26:03 by Dark Enmity

Dark Enmity

Posts: 2,957 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Roland scratched his shoulder with the plastic gloves. “When the boy came out about four bodies and a monster in the well we were a little suspicious. So we sent one man in with cart to retrieve the bodies. Only one man because we really didn't believe it.

“The man that went in was Carson. He went in there and took out the bodies, but when he did he was shivering. Carson told us there was something in there, something we have never encountered before.”

“Do you believe it?” Aimeric asked.

Roland sighed. “Carson was a smart man. He actually begged us to go in, but we sent him to the hospital for some rest. He was adamant about not giving us any information though.”

“Do you think it’s dangerous?”

Roland hesitated. “No," he said finally. “It didn't kill those four men and it didn't kill Carson. I doubt it will kill us.”

The other men walking with them didn't seem to believe it. Their arms were shaking at their sides like Jell-O. Everyone’s feet were all walking in unison, like some unplanned march. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot.

Roland stepped to the front of the group. “Okay guys, we are nearing the site. Aimeric, you can study the hole where the strangers came from. James and Mitch, your responsibility will be to collect the monster.” Both of them gulped when Roland said that.

“Okay guys, the rest of us will try to protect these three. Let’s try to make it go smooth as rock.”

Roland gave a small salute and the rest returned the favor. Then he led the group leaving Aimeric to lurk with his thoughts.

'What kind of monster could it be? Have none of us ever seen it before? Will I go insane just like Carson?’

Aimeric didn't have much time to think. Roland led everyone to a screeching halt. Up ahead was the well. But Aimeric was more hypnotized by the hole, and what was coming up at it.

26-Jun-2009 00:09:56 - Last edited on 29-Jun-2009 23:24:51 by Dark Enmity

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~The Dwellers~