[i]The sound of leaves crunching underfoot filled the still air of the blackened woods. A figure ran, slowed by a lack of vision on the moonless night, the trees seemed to stretch upwards forever into the void and the air itself seemed to posses a tangible evil. She couldn't see where she was going, but she kept swerving through the oak trunks. She wasn't the only presence here-- but that was okay, she knew these woods, she knew this aura, this was Oakenheim. She just needed to get out of the forest and she'd be safe.

Something causes her to trip. Her consciousness drifts as she falls. The pain of hitting the ground doesn't register, her vision begins to blur, but it isn't from disorientation. It's from a new presence. She quickly recovers and turns toward a familiar face. A man, dressed suavely, but with savage features and hungry eyes, he has the horns of a devil. The girl turns to run, knowing she can't escape him. She can hear him laugh, his sick cackle echoes through the undergrowth and impossibly oil black trees.

'He wants you.'

There is a woman. Another woman, different from the running girl. She doesn't move-- she appears. She is the only light in this sinister wood, she appears just within the girl's peripheral vision. She doesn't seem to want to help or harm, she simply is. This woman is pregnant with what looks like the world. The girl tries to find her, she wants anyone to get her away from the horned man, she can feel his sickly fingers brushing against the hair of her neck. She wants to scream but the air won't let her.

As she blinks, she bumps into the the pregnant woman. The woman's expression is neutral, as she leans in close to the girl, the hiss of the horned man surrounds them. The pregnant woman's lips are less than an inch away from the girl's ear. 

The pregnant woman's fair skin becomes cracked, like porcelain, her smile becomes wide and cheshire. The horned man's his has become unbearable.

'You are impure--'[/i]

[h1][/h1]

Mary woke with a snort. The annoying, electronic bell chimed away signaling the end of classes for the day. Had she actually attended any of the classes? Aside from art or the rare music extra-curricular, she had mostly been pulled through the day. Like an unwilling child dragged to the dentist by an overbearing mother. That was the nature of school, like a microcosm of life, you didn't really want to be there, but you had to be anyway. 

With a quick shake of her short hair Mary shook any sleep clinging to her person off. By the time she looked up, the classroom was mostly deserted, she was among the few stragglers to keep the teacher from whatever exciting plans he had prepared for the weekend. Mary sighed, she began to gather her things, her mind wandered. What were her plans for the weekend? There weren't any shows going on, so that was out-- she couldn't hang out at the graveyard, there were going to be back to back funerals-- 

As she hoisted her bag over her shoulder her eyes shot to a sliver of paper that had apparently found it's way to her desk while she slept.  

[i]"To those that are aware of the [s]un[/s]seen and [s]un[/s]explained, you are [s]not[/s] alone. [s]Strange[/s] things have been happening in this town, and [s]while[/s] many [s]refuse to[/s] accept this, [s]or are unable to, we have the opportunity to do something about it[/s]. If you wish to know more, then please [s]meet me in room 12C. I will understand if you[/s] ignore this message."[/i]

Mary put headphones on before entering the hallway, with one hand, she scrolled through music on her phone, with another, she held the doctored invitation. Her head tilted as she read it.

It wasn't like she had anything else to do today.

Mary allowed herself to be carried by the conflicting waves of rushing students to room 12C. She hovered outside of the door, anticipating how she'd go about introducing herself to a group of high schoolers interested in the occult. Gripping the bridge of her nose in a sense of preemptive frustration, she darted her eyes around the hallway, looking to see if any authority figures about. The stillness in the air assuaged her fears. Mary pulled out one of her homemade 'herbal cigarettes' and lit it. 

[i]“Are there many more joining us?”[/i]

As she entered the room, she blew a plume of lavender smoke ahead of her. Her voice was quiet, "Maybe." Mary found herself hovering by the door, observing the room of hormonal Wiccans. 

The girl seemed to have made some cupcakes, and a boy-- man? Young adult she had never seen before was asking about them as Mary came in,  "Um, what kind are th-" He started only to stop, clutch at his head and then mutter something to himself. 

Mary's expression was flat, she blew a wisp of smoke in the boy's direction, commenting in a low deadpan, "Metal." She looked over the rest of the prospective club members before her eyes came to rest on Kanoa Marigold. She recognized the girl as an eccentric savant from a few of her classes-- this was [i]probably[/i] her club. "So, we gonna sacrifice any goats?"