[Chloe] Ch-ch-ch-changes!
Who: Chloe
Where: Camp Crash
When: Day 23, Early Morning
Invited: Carrie, Open
Status: Complete
“Chloe? Chloe, are you awake?” The insistent voice was accompanied by a persistent jostling.
Chloe groaned and covered her eyes with her arm. “I am now,” she muttered. “Go 'way.”
“You're okay, then?”
The worried tone in the voice-Carrie's voice, Chloe realized-penetrated her sleep-fogged brain. Chloe lowered her arm and opened her eyes, turning her head toward the voice. A Carrie-shaped silhouette loomed over her back lit by a sun-drenched beach camp.
“I'm--” (still old,) Chloe thought bitterly, glancing at the liver-spotted, wrinkled flesh of her upraised hand and arm. “I'm fine,” she lied. She let her arm drop. “What's the matter?”
“I--,” Carrie said, and “That is, we--.” She gathered her resolve with a deep breath. “We didn't see you out sunbathing this morning,” Carrie said, and by “we” Chloe knew she meant herself, Rose and Kate. “And...and after, you know, the last couple of days, well....”
(You thought maybe I'd croaked in my sleep,) Chloe thought. (No such luck, though,) she thought-and was shocked at the idea. Suicidal thoughts? That wasn't like her! (But I haven't exactly been myself lately,) Chloe reminded herself.
“Chloe?” Carrie sounded awfully tentative.
“Yeah?”
“Do you...do you want to sunbathe again today?”
“Yes,” Chloe said. “No. I don't know,” she admitted. Actually, it did sound awfully attractive. It awfully damn good. But...she'd expected more, somehow. This craving for sunshine had to mean something. It seemed to help, a little. She felt more energetic, not so feeble, since she'd started sunbathing. But she still tired much too easily, and she still moved stiffly, if not as stiffly as she had before she started soaking up rays. And, of course, she still looked like an old woman.
Admittedly, she didn't seem to need much food or water these days. But was that all she could expect? A slight improvement in her health and the exciting ability to get by with little or no food? Shit. Chloe felt herself suddenly on the verge of tears and she really didn't want Carrie to see it.
Chloe turned away for a moment and wiped at her eyes. “Yes, I guess I do,” she said. “I'll-I'll be out in a minute.”
Carrie could take a hint. “Okay, Chloe. I'll be outside if you need me.” She stood up and stepped out of the shelter.
Chloe wiped her eyes again, then sniffed and forced herself to stop crying. Swallowed the pain. It took up residence behind her eyes, which burned with unshed tears. It tightened her throat. But she did it. After taking a moment to breathe deeply, Chloe crawled out of the shelter. Carrie took her hand and helped her to her feet.
Sunlight splashed across Chloe's face and shoulders. She stiffened and gasped in surprise at a sensation like ants marching across her skin. Chloe raised her hands to shield her face and hissed as the feeling instantly spread to her hands and forearms. It wasn't...painful, exactly. Just uncomfortable and, well, weird. Chloe studied her upraised hands-and screamed.
Her flesh was crawling. Literally. It writhed, rippled-and changed. The age spots faded. Wrinkles flattened out, melting away, leaving roughened skin that softened and smoothed and grew taut. Chloe felt the sensation spread to her scalp and down her torso, even where it was shielded from the sun by the shade of her tent.
At her side, Carrie was shouting and gibbering and jumping around. Chloe knew just how she felt. Chloe screamed again, thrilled and excited. "It worked! It's working! Oh my god!"
The marching ants sensation spread down he legs and reached her feet. She leaned over, watching the miracle of restored youth. Wrinkled, sagging flesh grew firm and smooth again, visible veins faded into invisibility. Her hands-her hands were soft and flexible, the skin pliable and smooth. She flexed her fingers repeatedly, rapidly. There was no pain and no stiffness.
Chloe felt herself standing taller, the stooped posture she'd come to know and hate, sloughing away. She laughed, and her breath came easily. The laughter threatened to turn into tears. Chloe hugged herself, hugged Carrie. They danced awkwardly, both babbling incoherently. Chloe had no idea what either of them said. What could they possibly say?
At last she released Carrie and stepped back. She saw Carrie staring at her with wide eyes. “Oh my god, Chloe. Your eyes!”
OOC: This is what's happened to her eyes.
Where: Camp Crash
When: Day 23, Early Morning
Invited: Carrie, Open
Status: Complete
“Chloe? Chloe, are you awake?” The insistent voice was accompanied by a persistent jostling.
Chloe groaned and covered her eyes with her arm. “I am now,” she muttered. “Go 'way.”
“You're okay, then?”
The worried tone in the voice-Carrie's voice, Chloe realized-penetrated her sleep-fogged brain. Chloe lowered her arm and opened her eyes, turning her head toward the voice. A Carrie-shaped silhouette loomed over her back lit by a sun-drenched beach camp.
“I'm--” (still old,) Chloe thought bitterly, glancing at the liver-spotted, wrinkled flesh of her upraised hand and arm. “I'm fine,” she lied. She let her arm drop. “What's the matter?”
“I--,” Carrie said, and “That is, we--.” She gathered her resolve with a deep breath. “We didn't see you out sunbathing this morning,” Carrie said, and by “we” Chloe knew she meant herself, Rose and Kate. “And...and after, you know, the last couple of days, well....”
(You thought maybe I'd croaked in my sleep,) Chloe thought. (No such luck, though,) she thought-and was shocked at the idea. Suicidal thoughts? That wasn't like her! (But I haven't exactly been myself lately,) Chloe reminded herself.
“Chloe?” Carrie sounded awfully tentative.
“Yeah?”
“Do you...do you want to sunbathe again today?”
“Yes,” Chloe said. “No. I don't know,” she admitted. Actually, it did sound awfully attractive. It awfully damn good. But...she'd expected more, somehow. This craving for sunshine had to mean something. It seemed to help, a little. She felt more energetic, not so feeble, since she'd started sunbathing. But she still tired much too easily, and she still moved stiffly, if not as stiffly as she had before she started soaking up rays. And, of course, she still looked like an old woman.
Admittedly, she didn't seem to need much food or water these days. But was that all she could expect? A slight improvement in her health and the exciting ability to get by with little or no food? Shit. Chloe felt herself suddenly on the verge of tears and she really didn't want Carrie to see it.
Chloe turned away for a moment and wiped at her eyes. “Yes, I guess I do,” she said. “I'll-I'll be out in a minute.”
Carrie could take a hint. “Okay, Chloe. I'll be outside if you need me.” She stood up and stepped out of the shelter.
Chloe wiped her eyes again, then sniffed and forced herself to stop crying. Swallowed the pain. It took up residence behind her eyes, which burned with unshed tears. It tightened her throat. But she did it. After taking a moment to breathe deeply, Chloe crawled out of the shelter. Carrie took her hand and helped her to her feet.
Sunlight splashed across Chloe's face and shoulders. She stiffened and gasped in surprise at a sensation like ants marching across her skin. Chloe raised her hands to shield her face and hissed as the feeling instantly spread to her hands and forearms. It wasn't...painful, exactly. Just uncomfortable and, well, weird. Chloe studied her upraised hands-and screamed.
Her flesh was crawling. Literally. It writhed, rippled-and changed. The age spots faded. Wrinkles flattened out, melting away, leaving roughened skin that softened and smoothed and grew taut. Chloe felt the sensation spread to her scalp and down her torso, even where it was shielded from the sun by the shade of her tent.
At her side, Carrie was shouting and gibbering and jumping around. Chloe knew just how she felt. Chloe screamed again, thrilled and excited. "It worked! It's working! Oh my god!"
The marching ants sensation spread down he legs and reached her feet. She leaned over, watching the miracle of restored youth. Wrinkled, sagging flesh grew firm and smooth again, visible veins faded into invisibility. Her hands-her hands were soft and flexible, the skin pliable and smooth. She flexed her fingers repeatedly, rapidly. There was no pain and no stiffness.
Chloe felt herself standing taller, the stooped posture she'd come to know and hate, sloughing away. She laughed, and her breath came easily. The laughter threatened to turn into tears. Chloe hugged herself, hugged Carrie. They danced awkwardly, both babbling incoherently. Chloe had no idea what either of them said. What could they possibly say?
At last she released Carrie and stepped back. She saw Carrie staring at her with wide eyes. “Oh my god, Chloe. Your eyes!”
OOC: This is what's happened to her eyes.