[center][b]1 Year Before Current Posts[/b][/center]

Dark clouds gathered in the sky above Marie’s rural home in Boston, Massachusetts, coating the once bright blue canvas in a thick layer of darkness. Today was the day of Marie’s move to Maine; was this a sign of things to come, an omen of ill tidings in her new home? Marie shrugged off the thought. She couldn’t allow herself to make excuses, not this time. No, this was different, she needed this move, the new sights and smells, the new challenges and opportunities. For twenty years she had been forced to capture the same scenery through an unwavering lens, but that nostalgic filter that once slid over her eyes had begun to lose its touch. Mental photos were now developed with fewer hues, over saturation, no contrast; living at home was becoming a chore for Marie, one she was ready to abandon. Marie packed her final bag and stuffed it into her car, a worn out Expedition with far less space than one might imagine, paint beginning to chip off the doors and hood, and a faulty taillight that might not get her pulled over on the way. She hugged her parents, who were happy to see their reclusive daughter finally going out into the world, and began the four hour drive to Lost Haven, Maine. 

The dark clouds looming overhead finally let go their sorrows as Marie made her way into the urban streets of Boston, making the Bostonian populace even more angry and the roads more turbulent. Traffic alone would add an hour to Marie’s drive. She rolled her eyes and turned on the radio, no station in particular, just some ambient noise to make the whole experience slightly less painful. A sudden news broadcast detailing a string of brutal murders in Lost Haven aired. Marie turned up the volume and listened in disbelief to the horrendous actions of a madman called “Nightmare.” It sent a shiver down her spine, making her question her decision. 

[i]Why am I doing this[/i], she thought, [i]Lost Haven’s got to be the closest place to Hell on Earth right about now, why am I making myself do this? 
[/i]

The more she pondered, the clearer it became. Marie had stumbled into power. She unknowingly befriended an ancient being that liked to hand out gifts to those he deemed worthy, but what made her worthy of such a gift? Bucca certainly didn’t care what she did with his gifts, they were hers to do with as she pleased, but perhaps the voices that she heard on occasion, the shadows that spoke to her in the realm between consciousness and sleep, were His. Perhaps he was amusing himself with the choices that Marie had made. 

Marie’s thoughts were interrupted by several loud noises, honking come from other cars. Lost in thought, she had been stalling at a green light, holding up traffic. She quickly waved away her philosophical pondering and continued along towards Lost Haven, saying aloud to herself, as if in response to her thoughts, “I have a chance to make things right, to take part in whatever chaos is unfolding in Lost Haven and put an end to the people’s suffering. Rural communities have always needed the Cunning Folk, so I’ll be the city’s Cunning Woman, their white witch so to speak.” With that, she made the rest of her trip in silence, listening only to the sounds of the road and the tapping of rain on her windshield.