river_meimei: (huddled to hide)
[personal profile] river_meimei
The statue has teeth but it's stone, the one in front of her is frozen in an impossible slavering lunge but she knows there could be more right behind her and she knows this one can move even though it can't, it couldn't but it has, and she only has two eyes and she can't break stone, and she shrieks--

--and her eyes close, just for an instant--

(and in her ears a great rushing like wind and water)

The choked remnant of her cry is a pitifully small squawk in the damp unfamiliar night.

She's huddled in the shadowed corner of a stone wall, hands clutching her head in hopeless defense.

Behind her, sloping walls rise into crenellations and turrets. It's a castle: small, sturdy, and apparently abandoned.

Date: 2007-08-14 04:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
Ahead of her is a thick tangle of forest, with a path winding off into it. Off to her left, the same path slopes sharply down towards a small glimmering lake.

A flag flutters from the highest tower of the little castle, too dark against the setting sun to make out its colors.

Date: 2007-08-15 02:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
A squirrel is browsing along the base of the castle wall in a businesslike way. It raises head and forepaws to look at her, sniffs in her direction, drops back to all fours and comes closer.

The intent look in its black bead eyes as it sits up again conveys a general impression of Are you gonna eat that?

Date: 2007-08-15 02:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
"He won't hurt you."

The speaker is a young man, smiling in friendly amusement as he approaches down the sloping path. He's carrying a wooden stick nearly as tall as he is, and wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

"I think he's just after that bread you dropped."

Date: 2007-08-15 03:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
His smile fades into puzzled concern. "Are you lost? Were you with the tour group that was in there before?"

He waves a hand up at the castle.

Date: 2007-08-15 03:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
The concern is -- not gone precisely, but heavily overshadowed by distaste and fear. The young man's starting to back away.

"Uh, you ... I should probably get a park ranger or someone. To help you."

His sneaker catches on a lip of rock, and he nearly stumbles.

"I'll be right back," he gabbles, and turns to hurry off.

Date: 2007-08-15 04:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
The path under her feet is paved in concrete.

Across the pond is a board fence, another paved path, and a wide sprawling meadow lined with trees. The meadow's thronged with people: throwing balls or discs for dogs to run after, pushing strollers, walking in groups, walking alone.

And beyond the trees rise the silhouettes of skyscrapers, painted a dozen different shades of rose and gold by the sunset.

Welcome to Central Park, River Tam.

Date: 2007-08-17 02:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
A woman walking by with seven dogs of varying sizes gives her a mildly curious glance, and moves on.

Not far away, sitting on a rock next to the path, a prematurely balding young man is playing a set of pan-pipes, watched by a smiling man and a solemn two-year-old girl.

Date: 2007-08-17 03:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
The girl looks up at her, raising her eyebrows.

"Um, yeah," she says warily.

Date: 2007-08-17 03:15 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
The girl looks a little uneasy.

"Uh -- okay, um, you want to get out of the Park on the east side, then, that way --" She points, vaguely, in a direction that's closer to southeast than east. "And from there you can probably catch a bus downtown?"

Date: 2007-08-17 04:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
The paths out of the park twist and curve unexpectedly; it's nearly impossible to go in a straight line here.

Finally the paths divide to go right and left around a vast white building, and spill out onto the sidewalk beside the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Date: 2007-08-17 04:46 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
Eighty-first street to Forty-sixth; almost two miles. Easily over two miles, factoring in the longer blocks between the avenues.

At Sixtieth street the vast park to her right comes to an end, to be replaced by an open plaza, backed by a tall building and flanked by a gilded statue of a horse and rider and a high circular fountain. The streets ahead are lined with expensive shops, and starting to be more crowded.

Date: 2007-08-21 03:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
The expensive shops eventually taper off, yielding to high-rise residence and office buildings, punctuated by tiny restaurants and newsstands and drugstores.

She's nearly there.

Date: 2007-08-21 03:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] comm-npc-2.livejournal.com
There is a tall black building, on the corner up ahead.

And there is a little park across the street from it, with a fountain and a statue of a turtle.

And that's all.

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River Tam

August 2010

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