weather the storm, these shores aren't out of reach.
weather the storm, these shores aren't out of reach.
Ghost had been dreading this day for a long time now. The more clouds that appeared in the sky, the more anxious she became. But come they did – dark and ominous, they gathered to blot out the sun and made the morning feel more like night in the forest. Dahmer had warned her about today – as a cave dweller, Ghost didn't know the first thing when it came to weather, let alone predicting it. And as it promised to be a nasty one, the last couple of days had been spent worrying and attempting to prepare. There wasn't a whole lot for her to do, though. Dahmer spent a great deal of time storm proofing the home he had made for her. Which just left the female more time to worry. She knew she'd be able to survive the storm without harm – that wasn't the issue. As strong as Dahmer had made her cabin, it didn't compare to the safety of the cave Zane had helped her find for her den. And if things got bad enough outside, she knew that was where she'd have to hide out. She couldn't bear the thought of going back into the darkness, no matter how crucial it was. She had come a long way within the last month or so, but she was far from cured.
The sky rumbled and Ghost cast a worried look outside. She was situated on her bed, which was a mix of blankets and leaves that Dahmer helped her gather. From where she lay on the floor, the pale wolf was able to watch the storm brewing outside her window. In a desperate attempt to remain distracted until Dahmer arrived to keep her company, Ghost reflected on all that had happened to her since she made her escape.
Thanks to the help from the cast of characters that came into her life, the female was a few steps further in her recovery. She still had a ways to go, but now Ghost was able to make it through a day without panicking over thoughts of Jasper Valley. She thought about her mother often and it still hurt, but not as much as it once did. Best of all was that fact that she was no longer forced to internalize her problems – there were others who would always be willing to lend an ear should she wish it. And that was what made all the difference: Ghost wasn't doing this alone anymore. She had help.
It was difficult to determine which wolf was having more of a positive impact on her life right now, but it was certain that both Dahmer and Zane were making Ghost's life infinitely better. Stumbling across Zane had been a terrifying and enlightening occurrence. And as traumatizing as learning about Jahre's betrayals had been, the young wolf was better for knowing. Zane had been amazing, too. She knew that she appeared crazy at first, but Zane hadn't mocked her or run off. He comforted her in just the right way. He didn't judge either, instead took the time to talk her through it all. And when that was all finished with, the male helped her take the next important steps in her life. Thanks to Zane Tialys, Ghost had a home and a name. She had an identity. She was still far from completely healed, but thanks to Zane she was getting there – he was making sure of it. And she would never forget that.
There was another new character in her life – and this one more unexpected than Zane. While it was understandable that she'd come across the presence of others, it seemed almost impossible that she'd meet another wolf from the same area she was born. Dahmer and his partner Sherlock had left Jasper Valley a few months before she made her escape. When she came across the massive male, the two became closer over a short amount of time, getting to know each other over the next little while. Eventually Ghost felt comfortable enough to tell her friend about her past. With Zane, she had blurted everything out right then and there. When it came to that brown-hued wolf, Ghost found herself able to talk about anything. He had that sort of quality about him. And while Dahmer was certainly a willing listener, the female had practiced more discretion when it came to discussing her past. She didn't know much about Jasper Valley – its history or anything about the war, just its name. Dahmer was able to fill in the rest thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience with the valley's history. As a result, Ghost's feelings about Jahre became even more complicated and confusing. As badly as her mother had treated Ghost, it seemed as though she really had been trying to keep her daughter safe. She just could have gone about it in a multitude of better ways. It still hurt and sucked to think about, but at least Ghost understood her decisions a little better.
If Ghost was deprived of affection and care early on in her life, she was certainly making up for it now. Between Zane and Dahmer's visits, the young female was rarely alone. She had felt happier – Ghost was able to go to sleep at night with a smile on her lips, thinking of happy things before she dozed off. She had grown up with no one to talk to, to care for her. And now these two wolves were always there to help out. They spent time with her, taught her things and just stuck around. Between the two of them, Ghost had yet to have a day go by without seeing one or the other. It made all the difference. She had always assumed that she'd spend her life alone. It was astounding.
For a short while though, the attentions from those two caused a bit of a dilemma for the female. She admired both of them intensely – looking forward to their company, taking great delight in spending time with them. Zane was unfailingly kind – he was always looking out for the her, helping in any way he could. He listened patiently to any concern she might have and always took it seriously, whether it was trivial or not. He'd take everything she said into deep consideration and think it through carefully before offering up any ideas he might have. If any solution required further action, he'd always be the one offering to do it. And it wasn't just his kindness she loved – it was the air about him. Zane's happy and calming personality gave him an aura of warmth and Ghost couldn't help but instantly feel comfortable and at home whenever she was around him. She'd never felt that before – not with Jahre and certainly not in her old, pathetic cave. But the more Ghost grew to know Zane, the more she craved his company. She was soon positive that he could make anywhere feel like home, just by virtue of being with him. Zane could make her old cave feel like a haven, as long as he was there with her. If the female was more knowledgeable about emotional attachments, she would probably be worried about how quickly she came to need Zane. She had been an emotional anorexic all her life, and now that she was comfortable and capable of feeling for others, the wolf had transferred her love and need from Jahre to Zane. A romantic element added another layer of complication, as well. She knew nothing of such things though, so Ghost merely saw Zane as her knight in shining armour. He had rescued her, and she would do anything for him.
Dahmer was another story. And if it wasn't for Sherlock, things could have gotten very complicated indeed. The massive male was just as helpful and kind as Zane was. He too was willing to help out in any way he could with any problem, and often did. He was also able to remind Ghost of her home in a way that wasn't entirely painful: Dahmer represented the life Ghost could have had, if only things were different. He would spend hours telling her stories about Jasper Valley's history, stories about the great Freak Oriel and other esteemed members. She loved hearing about Lillith and Altair – how they met and grew to love each other. Dahmer was a great story teller and he was patient, too. He'd answer any questions she could come up with, offering tidbits here and there and injecting humour into the perfect spots. She loved to listen to his voice, the way he would describes things that she'd never experienced before. Her admiration for the male would have gone further than that of friendship, if not for Sherlock Holmes.
Ghost didn't know the black female all that much – and to be honest, she was a little bit terrified of her. As far as the young wolf could see, Sherlock was everything Dahmer was not. Cold and calculating, Dahmer's partner had no time or need for any of Ghost's issues. They had only talked on a few occasions, and Ghost was grateful they had always been short interactions. She wasn't unkind, exactly...just supremely disinterested. She reminded Ghost of Jahre, with her abrupt and abrasive personality. It was definitely a marked difference compared to Dahmer and Zane. But Dahmer spoke of his friend as though she was the kindest, greatest wolf to ever live. Almost every story he told involved her. Whenever he talked about her, a certain look would cross his face. It was a mixture of awe, love and sadness. A little bit of anger, too – although she couldn't guess what that was about. Ghost hadn't been able to bring herself to ask Dahmer about it directly. She just knew that he loved her in a desperate way that would last forever...whether he wanted it to or not. And knowing this prevented her own feelings from growing much stronger in that direction. He was her friend, one of her very first. And that was something she was intensely grateful of.
As the rain began to fall heavily, the drops pounding against her roof, Ghost was able to contemplate just how grateful she was for him. He had promised to drop by during the storm and keep her company. If things got bad enough, he had even agreed to help her spend the time in her cave. As horrified as Ghost was with the idea of spending any time in there, knowing that she'd have someone to distract her was comforting.
She whimpered softly as lightning lit up the sky, flashing through the windows. The wind was growing stronger as the rain continued to pour, but Ghost refused to go to ground. She shuffled anxiously on her bed, resting her head on her paws. She began to shake, desperately hoping that Dahmer was on his way. For the next little while, the pattern set itself in this way. Between soft whimpers and shakes, Ghost lay there as her gaze alternated between the window and the door. The storm grew steadily worse, and Ghost fought to keep herself as calm as she could. She distracted herself by thinking of everything that had happened to her since she left Jasper Valley. Mostly though, she counted down the time between now and whenever Dahmer would arrive. He was coming, she knew it. He had promised and if Ghost had learned anything these past weeks, it was that she could trust her newfound friends.
oo ghost- Posts : 24
Join date : 2013-08-06
Re: weather the storm, these shores aren't out of reach.
Things had changed a lot in the past month or so for Zane Tialys, and it all came down to when he had met the incredibly malnourished white female who he had given the name ‘Jane,’ who had been calling herself ‘Ghost’. She had literally crashed into his life (which was his fault, as he had failed to see her as he had been taking a run one day) and from that first instance he had found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He felt like they were similar in the way that they both had had neglectful parents and were more or less left to fend for themselves. Zane knew that comparably, Ghost had it off much worse, having been stuck in a cave for the first two years of her life, completely alone save for the random visits by her mother; at least Zane had the company of Arya.
There was just something about Ghost that reminded Zane of his younger sister, and it just wanted to make him look after her. It wasn’t that he felt pity for the young wolf (and he did, but in such a way that it wasn’t condescending) but he just desperately felt that he could offer her the help she needed; and if he could maybe redeem himself for his huge failure with Arya, then that was just a bonus. So because he had found Ghost, Zane had found purpose in his life again.
Since he had crashed into her, Zane had seen her nearly every day. One of the first things he had done with her was help Ghost find a suitable den that he desperately hoped would give her a sense of comfort and not remind her terribly of the cave she had just escaped from. He had chosen it because it offered her shelter from the basic elements when she needed it but during the day time offered just the right amount of light in to offer a sense of comfort. Zane knew that it would serve her wonderfully during all sorts of weather, he found he still worried about her at night.
He was grateful for Dahmer showing up to help Ghost build a cabin for her to live in shortly afterwards; it would help her become more comfortable in her own skin while not having to worry about being stuck in a cave that would slow down her improvements – had he had the skills and ability to build, Zane would have built something similar for Ghost, however he still felt it was important for his friend to have a den in case she needed to escape into it.
It was on days like today that Zane had comfort that Ghost had the den close by, as the wind blew viciously through his fur as he made his way to his friend’s den. The dark clouds had blown in swiftly and looked to hold the promise of a vicious storm. Zane had watched them move in with an ever growing amount of concern for his friend. The large male figured Ghost would be spending the majority of it in her cabin, but Zane had a suspicion that she would need to seek shelter somewhere that held a bit more protection from the weather. He was mere minutes away from Ghost’s cabin and den when he was startled by a large crash of thunder that he felt deep within his ribcage that made Zane quicken his pace, worrying about how Ghost was handling the storm- he wasn’t terrified of storms and even he found himself unsettled by the one that was happening now.
If it was even possible, the wind was picking up and the rain was falling down even harder as the small cabin finally came into view, and almost not a minute too soon. Zane was soaked to the bone from his short travel but he found his apprehension decrease the moment he reached the door, scratching at the door before jumping on the door knob to open it, calling out loudly Jane? Jane, you in here? I’m just coming in to check on you. As he entered the cabin, he hoped she didn’t mind his blunt intrusion.
zane tialys- Admin
- Posts : 12
Join date : 2013-08-12
Re: weather the storm, these shores aren't out of reach.
It was becoming more and more apparent to Ghost that just waiting for the storm to pass was not the best option. She was well aware of how dangerous things were becoming – the unrelenting rain continued to ratchet up her fear, but it still wasn't bad enough to eclipse her worry of the den below her. With the way she felt, the storm would have to rip her cabin off its foundation before Ghost completely panicked and gave in to sensibility. As it stood the walls were only shaking, and didn't appear to be too close to collapsing on her. It was bad, but still hadn't become a disaster entirely, yet.
But as the female lay cowering in her bed, she had to admit there was still time for things to get a hell of a lot worse. So where was Dahmer? She knew that her friend wouldn't intentionally cause so much worry – he was probably checking up on Sherlock or performing a last minute check of his own home before he came to her rescue. But every second was beginning to feel like an eternity; leaving Ghost to wonder just how she had managed to go so long without any help back in Jasper Valley. Had the time between Jahre's infrequent visits passed just as slowly? She knew that her perspective certainly changed how things seemed – back then she was tucked safely in her den because it was the only safe place for her to be. Now she was terrified of retreating into that blackness, hoping to avoid it at any cost.
She both hated and missed that warped sense of security her old 'home' had given her. It didn't matter how different this den was from her old one – the original had been found by a mostly disinterested mother seeking a way to shirk her responsibilities while avoiding guilt. It had been a place to dump the unwanted, fabricated and padded by lies and false promises. This new one had been discovered as the result of genuine concern, with the intention of keeping her safe during dangerous times. It was fortified by the good will of new friends, and promises that actually had substance behind them. She desperately wished that she could see it that way, but in the end it was still a hole in the ground – a source for all her terrible memories. The longer she tried to ignore it, the bigger and more desperate her situation seemed to become. If Dahmer was here, maybe giving in and crawling into there would be a little easier. But there was no sign of her giant friend, and the storm grew steadily worse.
The day continued to pass in this manner and as the sky grew darker and even more bleak, so did the female's thoughts. It no longer seemed as though Dahmer was coming – maybe the weather was bad enough that it was keeping him inside. She couldn't fault him for that – as much as she was relying on his presence to help her get through the day, Ghost's desperation hadn't made her thoughtless. She'd never expect him to risk his life to help her. So she'd just have to ride this thing out on her own. The female glanced at the entrance to the deep den and acknowledged the piercing stab of fear that tore at her insides – seeking further shelter just wasn't an option. Not yet, anyway. She wasn't desperate enough to overcome her fears. So could she weather the storm up here, away from the darkness? Maybe if she just managed to stay put for the time being, Dahmer would either show up, or the storm itself would force her into a decision. She was good at waiting, wasn't she? That's what she had been doing for the majority of her life, wasn't it? Ghost didn't have to spring into action until she was forced to. Things would be okay. She just needed to take it a step at a time. And right now, the best step was no step at all: she needed to stay put.
A deafening peal of thunder ripped through the air, and Ghost gave a shout of fear. She scrabbled backwards, her paws slipping on the blankets as she braced herself against the cabin wall. The windows rattled dangerously in their frames, and the wolf glanced frantically at the entrance to her den. Was she desperate enough? No, no no no. Not yet. She couldn't make herself go in there again, she couldn't let the darkness eat her up.
Ghost sat there in her bed, her ears flat against her skull as she cowered. She didn't know which was worse – the storm crashing against her home, or the horrifying thoughts that struggled to intrude her head and infect her with horror. She didn't know what to do – there wasn't anything she could do! She sunk further to the floor and finally succumbed to the fear that fought to fully paralyze her. Suddenly, a sound separate from the crashing of the storm broke through and caught her attention. Someone was knocking at her door! Still too frozen to be able to move, the female's pale eyes rolled toward the door and she wordlessly hoped that Dahmer wouldn't wait for her to answer it.
As though he was capable of reading her thoughts, the handle jiggled and turned before the door slowly swung open in order to admit her savior. As she lay there cowering, Ghost was surprised to see not Dahmer, but Zane. She registered her surprise in the same second her gratitude overrode it, and the female let out a relieved whimper. Someone was here to help her. It was going to be okay, Zane would save the day. She was still too afraid to properly greet her friend, but knew she was in good paws. It wouldn't take Zane long to understand what was going on. He stood in her doorway and the eyes that had been wrenched shut in fear opened slowly to see her hero. Her pale blue eyes shone for a few seconds as saw his large form, the first sense of calmness she'd felt all day stealing over her as she took in his concerned smile. This was a surprise – she hadn't mentioned anything of her fears to the golden eyed wolf, afraid of inconveniencing him. Dahmer had made the promise to keep her company long before the storm arrived and the female had seen no reason to trouble her other friend. She had assumed he had a million other things to do. And yet here he was, come to check on her despite the horrible weather. He was soaked to the bone, rain water dripping on the floor beneath his paws and still his only concern was for her. It was the kind of thoughtfulness that perfectly described the type of wolf Zane was. She wanted to thank him, but lacked the courage to speak. But while she remained silent, one look in his direction was all it took to convey her gratitude and admiration: it was all there in her eyes.
If Zane was here, it was all over. The storm could rage on for days, and she'd still be okay. He was capable of warming any place with just his presence. His calm nature exuding a warmth that wrapped itself around Ghost and bolstered her own courage. Maybe they wouldn't even have to retreat downstairs: he'd be able to keep her safe right up here! There was no need to move from where she was. Right?
Only a few seconds had passed since Zane arrived, but a short time with his presence was all it took to change everything. The sound of the rain and wind seemed to melt away and retreat to the back of her mind and she felt herself relaxing slightly. He looked a little apologetic, as though there was a chance that she'd resent him for showing up out of the blue. But this was far from an intrusion: it was a rescue. Ghost struggled to sit upright, bracing herself up against the wall behind her. She managed a small, tremulous smile and it looked as though she was about to speak when a thunderous crash shook the cabin. She cried out fearfully, collapsing back on to the bed, her ears flat against her head. Any thoughts of greeting Zane or thanking him were entirely lost in her fear for what was now becoming the inevitable. It's getting really bad and I don't know what to do. I can't go down there. I can't go in the dark again. Her words were desperate and pleading, as though Zane could magically force the storm to go away. She just knew that he was here to help and she was terrified that if she had to be swallowed up by the darkness again, she wouldn't escape a second time.
oo ghost- Posts : 24
Join date : 2013-08-06