(no subject)

[running_fromthe_past]

Anna makes it home from Paris to find a forest in her house.
After two weeks of art galleries and amazing food, she does not need weird in her life so soon.

"DAMMIT JANIE. WHAT DID YOU DO?" she yells once she's set her bags down.

Comments

[janee]

Janie doesn't answer. Instead, a snake slithers past, almost like it owns the place.

[running_fromthe_past]

Anna is thankfully not afraid of wildlife. But it doesn't make her feel any better about this situation.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER THE HOUSE NOT INFEST IT WITH VERMIN, JANIE."

[janee]

The house is eerily quiet, except for a slight noise behind a wall. An ugly, cheap painting is on it, and no trees are touching it.

Another snake emerges.

[running_fromthe_past]

[Seriously. Redecorating without your roommate is just Rude, Janie. Anna goes over to the painting and looks at it, and yes. It is not very good. Ugly things though can have some purpose. Ugly can be a statement.
Anna's not interested in artistic statements right now though and lifts up the painting off the wall...]

[janee]

The painting isn't a statement, it's just ugly and cheap. It may have even come from a Walmart clearance bin.

The wall behind it is freshly painted, new. Something behind it is making a scraping noise.

[running_fromthe_past]

Well now things aren't sitting right with Anna. Who paints the wall and then covers it with an ugly painting? She listens to the scraping and then against her better judgement, scrapes back, just to see what will happen.

[janee]

There's a pause, and then a very faint and muffled, desperate cry.

[running_fromthe_past]

Janie? JANIE IS THAT YOU?

[janee]

There's more scraping, and another cry.

She would answer if she could.

[running_fromthe_past]

Well. They're in a forest and Anna is nothing but resourceful so she looks until she finds a rock and then hits the painted patch of the wall with it

[janee]

The rock cracks the wall, and bits of plaster fall away. Janie's bloodied fingers barely poke through. Then a small snake slithers out of the hole in the wall.

[running_fromthe_past]

[Anna touches her fingers through the hole in the wall]

I'm going to get you out... hold on...

[janee]

[There's another muffled cry, and she withdraws her fingers so Anna can knock the wall away]

[running_fromthe_past]

[She hasn't even been home for two hours and horrible things are already happening... She doesn't stop though until she she can start to pull away chunks of the plaster enough that she can help Janie out, avoiding the snakes as best she can]

[janee]

[The snakes are everywhere. Janie is tied up at the wrists, knees and ankles, and gagged and snakes are crawling all over her. Once the opening is big enough she can slide out with help. But she is so thankful that she is free]

[running_fromthe_past]

Anna is swearing, but she's doing what she can to help Janie out of the wall and eventually get her untied. Also rethinking her life choices.

[janee]

Once Janie is out of the wall, and untied, the forest starts to turn into the normal house again. She hugs Anna, clinging to her, but doesn't say anything.

[running_fromthe_past]

[Anna hugs her tight]

How long were you in there?

[janee]

Friday.

Thank you, Anna. [She is barely talking over a whisper, but at least the forest is gone now. The snakes are still slithering around the room]

[running_fromthe_past]

Jesus, Janie... didn't anyone come looking for you? C'mon... lets get you some food...

[janee]

I heard them. I had to free my wrists. Tried to break out.

No one heard me scream.

[She gets up to follow Anna, but the sight of a snake stops her. After staring for a second, she continues following Anna]

[running_fromthe_past]

[Anna gets Janie water first and then starts to find food, putting it in front of Janie and expecting her to eat]

Should I call work? They should send someone to look you over. And get all these snakes out of our house.

[janee]

I don't know if they'll show up. I told Vahl some things then I walked out.

[She stares at the food, then looks at Anna before eating. There's no way she'd win that battle]

[running_fromthe_past]

Of course they'll show up! [She turns on her phone finally and starts texting work] Even if you did tell off Vahl--it was deserved. She is fairly confident in that] Besides, I live here too.

[Challenging Anna to a fight over food is just not one of those fights worth having...]

[janee]

Damned right he deserved it. [She'll probably get something back warning her about Janie's behavior, and promising to send a medic]

I'll kill the snakes when my power comes back.

[running_fromthe_past]

[Anna will just ignore whatever they say. She's not in the mood and Janie is her best friend. She trusts her own opinions over what an admin might say...]

Or we just chase them out-side with brooms. Not the snakes fault they were stuck in the walls with you.

[janee]

[They'll send someone to check her out, but it will take a little bit, and they will be very wary of her.]

I want to kill something. Someone.

[running_fromthe_past]

Oookkkaaay. ...Or how about a hot bath?

[janee]

I stink, don't I? [But she's not upset with Anna. Anna is one of the few that she can't get upset with, no matter what's affecting her mood]

Just make the Nexus idiot wait until I'm clean, if they get here before I'm done.

[running_fromthe_past]

You get a pass for being locked up in the wall since Thursday. And hot water will make you feel better. We might have some LUSH bathbombs in the cupboard.

[janee]

I missed you. [Janie gets up to take a bath and put on clean clothes. While she is gone, a nervous medic shows up]

[running_fromthe_past]

I was in Paris. I only missed you when I wasn't in the art gallery. [She'll camp out on the floor outside of the bathroom while she lets Janie have her bath, telling her stories of terrible french, art she saw and food she ate until the Medic arrives and she sets them to clearing out snakes while Janie finishes her bath]

[janee]

Do you want French lessons? [Janie emerges, and looks (and smells) better. Her fingers are a mess, however, and she is covered in bite marks]

I think I want to go next time.

[running_fromthe_past]

I took french in high-school. I suck at languages though.

How about Next time, it's you and me?

[janee]

I lived in Louisiana and in the Antilles, I'm fluent.

Deal. We'll share a room. [She's ignoring the nervous medic]

[running_fromthe_past]

Good. You can translate for us. French is way too fussy for me.

[Anna is fine to let the medic catch and release the snakes. If they'd rather procrastinate and serve another purpose... she's fine with it. For now.]

I bought us Wine, by the way. The good stuff.

[janee]

I'm good at that, and haggling too.

[Janie catches the eye of the medic, and smiles slowly. The same smile she gave to Vahl when she threatened him.] Are you here to make me all better? Fetch us some wine glasses. Go!

[The medic has no idea where they are, but sure does hurry]

[running_fromthe_past]

[Anna flops down on the sofa once she's sure there are no snakes]

So... because BFFs are supposed to share... What did you do to Vahl? I need the gossip.

[janee]

I told him that I would change time so that he would be my slave. He blocked my powers after that. He's got a dishrag of a guy he keeps in his office as some kind of twisted slave. Poor thing can't even breathe without Vahl's permission and everyone is okay with it. So I called him on it and we fought.

I wish I had managed to do it, that bastard deserves to be taken down a peg or two.

[running_fromthe_past]

Ohmygod... are you serious?! I knew he was the worst! Haven't I said that? I've said that he's horrible.

Your powers though... are you okay? How do we get them back?

[janee]

He's not under the control of anyone this time. It's all him.

[The medic returns, and sets wine glasses down, trying very hard to avoid Janie]

They'll come back. I just need to get rid of the dampener.

[running_fromthe_past]

Okay. And how do we do that?

[Anna grabs her bag and pulls out a bottle of wine, pouring it for them and then looking at the Medic and points to Janie's hands]

You're supposed to be looking after her!

[janee]

...I had to swallow it. [She omits who made her swallow it, but doesn't want to clarify because this is clearly all Vahl's fault]

Oh, please. Fix my hands. [The medic pales, but walks over to Janie and starts treating her wounds.

[running_fromthe_past]

[Clearly it is Vahl's fault]

I'm guessing it isn't going to be as easy as just waiting for it to pass naturally...

[janee]

[That's her story for now, and she's sticking to it]

I don't know, I've never swallowed one before. It's one of the stronger ones that I made so I haven't been able to burn it out.

[running_fromthe_past]

[Tech is really not Anna's forte... but she's trying to think of ways to help...]

Could you make something to swallow that would short out the one you already had?

[janee]

...I can. As soon as this medic finishes.

Thanks Anna, that will work. And I will have my powers back.

[running_fromthe_past]

I'm happy I could help.