twenty five | Tadaima

[strike_you_out]

Graveyard 
[As the dead rise from the earth after being abducted and placed in their graves, so does Lil' Slugger. He burrows his way up from the ground and begins to shamble through the graveyard, grinning in a most unhinged manner. One arm reaches out ready to ensnare a victim while the other wields a baseball bat unsteadily above his head. He'll

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[502 Ricardo]

[godisachild]

[Pokey shifts and wakes up immediately. He was tired, but sleep very rarely came easily to him. Even more rarely did it bother to stay with him, and he turns to look at the window.

No. Impossible.

He was sure, so sure...that they were really gone? Was he really? In part he knew the town was screwing with him? But what if it wasn't?

It's him. He goes over to the window, just staring. Slowly walking.]

Slugger?

[strike_you_out]

[Slugger has receded into the darkness, but he's still there, waiting and watching as Pokey makes his way closer to the window...]

[godisachild]

[Pokey stops. And hesitates. This could be very bad. Especially if it't he beginning of him just hallucinating.

But he needs to know.

He'll go to open the window, and look out it.]

[strike_you_out]

[It's silent... until Slugger rushes forward, coming face to face with Pokey.]

Boo.

[For unknown reasons, he's dressed in black evening wear with a cape and his face appears as though it's been painted for some gothic ghoul party. Other than that, he doesn't seem hurt and looks rather excited. Breathing like a monster, Slugger begins to climb up through the opened window.]

I'm back!

[godisachild]

[Pokey lets out a startled little yelp as he backpedals, glancing in disbelief for a moment.]

...Slugger....?

[He should have known it was the town screwing around, that they were really dead. But after all that had happened and he'd heard this week and the emotional strain, he'd been stretched to a breaking point. He was willing to believe it, to believe anything at that point.

But he's here. He has to be. And Pokey tries not to let his relief and happiness show.]

What is that crap you're wearing?

[strike_you_out]

[Half-way through the window, Slugger stretches a hand toward Pokey with fingernails that come to sharpened points. A few of his teeth seem a bit sharper than usual as well.]

I woke up in it. We all did.

[godisachild]

[His senses are dull, but even in his weird, broken little state, Pokey recognizes danger. Although, in this instance, a sign of what should be danger? He has a hard time willing himself to run from it or flee. So he just backs upa little more.]

[strike_you_out]

Pfft, no. I'm still a monster.

[Once his feet are on the floor, he stops trying to grab at Pokey for a moment and instead looks into his face. Slugger's hand lowers and his grin fades. He has no recollection of what happened yesterday or after he was abducted by the lights in the sky, but something must have happened to make Pokey look so drained.]

What happened?

[godisachild]

You know that a vampire is a monster, right?

[Okay. He's smiling a bit at that. He knows what Slugger actually meant, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to screw with him even if he just came back from the dead.

His friend is alive. By god.

His best friend is still alive.

His smile falters a little at that though.]

It.....

You don't remember anything?

[strike_you_out]

No. Aside from digging out of a grave.

[Some of the dirt from which is collecting on the floor beside the window.]

[godisachild]

...Yeah.

That happened.

[He didn't think he was going to see you again. He didn't think he was going to see anyone of them again for a moment at least.

But here you are.

Please. Don't let him be hallucinating.]

[strike_you_out]

Did you visit me?

[He's sort of joking. He doesn't fully understand how long he was in the grave or the effect it had on you.]

[godisachild]

You wish.

[He keeps his smile up, but just barely.]

[strike_you_out]

[You may deny it now but he has a weird feeling that you probably did come visit his headstone, at least for curiosity's sake. Slugger reaches out a hand, not trying to snag Pokey this time, but in a friendly way.]

[godisachild]

[What can he do? He recognizes why Slugger's holding out his hand. Or at least he hopes he recognizes the correct reason Slugger's holding out his hand.

Slowly, Pokey reaches to take it, or at least touch it. To make sure his friend is truly there.]

[strike_you_out]

[His fingers clasp lightly around Pokey's hand. Yes, he's truly here and his own hand is solid to the touch. But the significance of the gesture serves a dual purpose.

Pokey will suddenly find himself being tugged forward and subsequently scooped off of his feet. Surely, no hallucination could manage to do that. Despite his smaller size, Slugger seems to have no trouble lifting someone heavier than himself off the ground.]

Got ya.