Words on a Page

It was nice - her family. Big, and loving - and Eden’s never doubted it for a second; but a part of her always felt distanced from the others, always gone away to Nightrest for treatments or school, and then off to the rest of the world. They didn’t share her experiences, despite living under the same roof for most of their lives. “I get it - I feel like my siblings are all closer with one another than I am, sometimes - but it couldn’t be helped, and it’s just in my head anyways.” Eden couldn’t comment on being a watcher instead of an active part - she’d been to countless countries and interacted with thousands of people.

“Well, we can just be sisters now,” Jade said, with a small giggle. She really did always want a sister and with all of the people she met over the past month she really felt like Eden was the closest to what she imagined having a sister was like. “We should celebrate by doing something sisters do, movie night... painting each other’s nails, unless that’s just in movies.” 

“Sure!” Eden blinked - but smiled, nonetheless; it was quick for someone to already regard her with the warmth of sisterhood, but wasn’t unwelcomed. If anything - she treasured the relationships she fostered with other women. “We can do all of that - I mean, if it’s in all those family movies then it holds some realism, right? I actually live upstairs, if you wanted to do it tonight - you can borrow pajamas, whatever you need.” She kept an arsenal of surprise guest items at her disposal - because Eden was a planner, almost to an excess.

Jade couldn’t help but give a little clap. She made all of her decisions about people rather abruptly, but she got a good vibe from Eden that she couldn’t really place anywhere but sister so she was going with it. “I’m so down with that, this is going to be so much fun,” she said, greatful that he job pretty much let’s her do things at her own pace and she could simply decide she had this time off. 

“You probably wouldn’t like mine either,” he jokes with a smile, leaning back in his seat as he sips on his coffee. “I mean, it’s your book, so you decide the creative process you want to follow. It’s not up to anyone else,” he points out with a smile. “Is it coming along nicely? Do I get a sneak peak about what the book is about or would that be cheating?”

Jade couldn’t help but give a small laugh. “I’m pretty sure my last book started off just as messy, so this process just has to be my thing,” she explained, before taking a long sip of her coffee. “It’s pretty good so far, I am starting to wrap up the character part. Where I figure out who I’m writing about, who has what purpose to the story... yadda yadda,” she said, with a small shrug. 

“What’s the title of your last book?” He’s curious if he’s heard of it, but odds are he hasn’t, mainly because he’s not big on reading novels. He nods at her words, listening as she explains where she’s at now. “Sounds like it’s going smoothly, then. That sounds like a big part of the process, well save for the actual writing.” He smiles. “How long on average does it take you? From start to finish.”

“It was actually called Ocean Killer. It’s about a mermaid that comes to land to kill the people responsible for destroying the ocean. It was really fun to write, because each death was based around a way that human’s ruin the sea,” Jade answered, with a small laugh. She thought about how long each of her books took her, there was a range but it wasn’t that different. “I would probably say maybe 6 months from the plotting to the writing to the self editing. Around 6 months is when I normally send it to my publisher and they send it to their editor and the next part of the process happens.” 

Jae stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited for her to complete the form, taking it back once she was done. He only shoots her a passing glance and a smile before looking down and reading over what she’d filled out. “Is there anything else I can help with? Any other questions you have?” He said, glancing between her and the filled-out application, still skimming over each of the details as he flips over the next page. “Oh, I need an initial here,” Jae says, stepping next to her to show her the missing box.

“I don’t think so, you were very thorough,” Jade answered, really glad that she came here today. She loved having cats growing up and always wanted to take care of one. She would have to remember to thank Rosa for suggesting it. “Oh, sorry,” she said, suddenly very aware of how close he was to her. She kept her face down, not wanting him to be able to sense any reaction. Taking the application from his hands, she added her initial and let her eyes flicker up for just a second when she handed it back. 

a low hum. lots of people comin’ from .. wherever to do .. whatever. maybe he shouldn’t be cynical, but also, it is kind of freaky. “small towns. huh. fiction or not?” not exactly interested, but hoodie isn’t exactly the best at knowing what to say in times like this. weird times. maybe acting like the towns personal guard dog from outsiders would help his case. eyebrow quirks, doesn’t extend a hand. never been very formal. “hoodie. where you from?”

head tilts, an understanding nod. never a man of too many words, hoodie doesn’t know how to scope someone out, figure otu their intentions — mostly don’t have them written on their face, and he has to dig a little deeper. makes it harder to figure out. “yeah? y'ever been to the rocky mountains?” maybe a little bit too much of a nerd to go into deeper detail, but it’s on their bucket list.

“What would you consider a really good motive? And maybe also how would you plan it out?” Sebastian hadn’t personally known the girl, but with how small their town was it was easy to hear everything that went on in just about everyone’s lives. Made him feel much better about living on his own in a large farm where only friends went to visit. That and he did his best to stay on the low whenever he was out and about. “How did you enjoy yourself at least? I did go to the party for a while as well, but other than that just worked on my farm. The usual busy life. I don’t really do much else.” he chuckled.

“A really good motive would be... psychological gratification. They like it. Maybe the first one is a moment of passion but then they feel powerful. Having that kind of control? Litterally holding life in their hands. That sensation is... could be very addicting,” Jade said, with a small smile on her lips. “It was fun, something different... maybe you should try something different. What’s something you’ve never done?” 

“That’s kind of scary if you think about it. Definitely an attractive view point on a killer, much like that of the population’s fascination with Dahmer, but through the lens of a woman. I like it.” Sebastian replied, feeling like this book of hers will definitely be one he’d read. “That’s a long list.” he laughed, “It’d be easier to say what I have done. Anything farm related I’ve done. Everything else is pretty much questionable. What about you? You follow murder stories into a murder town, so that alone can be enlightening of how adventurous you can be.”

“Thank you, people spend so much time trying to get you to feel bad for the villains... sometimes people aren’t meant to be redeemed,” Jade said, with a small shrug. She couldn’t help but give a small giggle before shaking her head. “If I’m honest, this is probably the first truely adventurous thing I’ve done... I’m from the city so I have never done anything farm related. Have you gone to salem where they murdered the women they thought were witches? People thought that they were hung in the summit of Gallow Hills, but they actually died near the base of the hill on Proctor’s Ledge.”

“Oh—no, no, you’re good! Please, stay put. I’m just looking for my bag. Have you seen it? It’s kinda, like, a little ugly and in so much distress that you’d think it’s working a nine to five office job. I think I’ve failed it as a father.” Stuart crouched slightly, gesturing like he was beckoning a stray with a psst, psst! or summoning an ancient book of runes through the nether portals. Then suddenly, he straightened up, as if a lightbulb had started raining mercury on his head. “Oh, and it’s mustard green—I probably should’ve led with that. And I’ve always thought it looked a bit like a rejected draft for Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, whatever that means to you. Got it at a thrift shop for basically nothing ‘cause the owner said it was totally haunted by an ancient ghost who would probably spontaneously combust if they ever walked into a Chuck E. Cheese, and I thought, fuck yeah, I have a cool backpack now.”

Jade found herself not even attempting to respond as she listed to the man who had the same vibe as a run on sentence. She didn’t notice a bag when she sat down but if the bag was being accurately described then someone probably handed it into the barista. “I will happily help you look for your bag, but if I find it then we have to go to Chuck E. Cheese because I’m really invested in knowing more about this ghost. I want to know if we would be able to feel something shift in the air as it combusted, you know? Would it get really cold for a few seconds or would we randomly get covered in goosebumps?”

Since the bag was nowhere in sight, unless someone had swallowed it in one go like the boa constrictor digesting an elephant in My Little Prince, he felt like taking a break after five whole minutes of searching, plopping down on the seat across the other. He was suddenly far more invested in where this conversation had taken a turn. “You know what I’m wondering about? If ghosts could combust, would it also be super fucking gruesome in their realm, but we just couldn’t see it? Like, imagine a ghost kid having fun in the ball pit and then splat! Ghost intestines everywhere.” Stuart then grimaced at his own words, as he pondered the thought. “That’s actually kind of gross and traumatising.”

Jade didn’t get to have conversations like this often, people were often so boring when it game to topics some people would call gruesome or gross. “This would imply that they are solid in their realm, which is interesting,” she said, taking a moment to consider. “For it to happen to a human the body fat would have to start melting. A tear in the skin has to occur for the melted fat to impregnate the charred clothes, igniting a wick effect that produces localized heat for an extended period. I wonder if it would be the same for a ghost or because they’re seen to us as more like vapor... would it be more like their being gas in the air and it catching fire? So it would be like every ghost fiber catches fire at once and then they’re just gone? Maybe in their realm it would look like those vampires on tv that catch fire in the sun and then they just end up as dust on the floor.” 

Lost in his own world, Forrest was so hunched over the sketch he was hurriedly working on, he didn’t even realize how poor his posture was. His back would complain tomorrow, but it’d be far worse if he hadn’t been interrupted. Flashing the person that’d approached him a smile, Forrest did the most obvious double take of his life - she was a stranger, yes, but he didn’t claim to know everyone in Nightrest. She was just… beautiful enough that it made his cheeks flush. “No! No, not at all, uh, let me -,” Hopped up on far too much caffeine, the two empty cups in front of him practically went flying as he moved them away from the seat she was in front of. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company. Not used to this much coffee in my system either. Mistakes have been made on this day. Lemme know if you need me to move anything else,” he concluded, holding out a hand for her to take. “Forrest. Hi!”

Jade couldn’t help but give him a smile as he made room for her. “This is perfect, thank you,” she said, before taking a seat and finding a place for her notebooks. “I am pretty sure I survive on an endless amount of coffee so I’m not going to judge you,” she added, before taking a sip. She knows that she should probably cut back on all of the caffiene but now simply wasn’t the time. Maybe after the book is finished. “Jade,” she giggled, as she took his hand. He was kind of adorable and gave a really good energy. “What are you drawing?”

“Hey, no judgment here either!” Forrest promised, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “Everyone’s got their thing. Wanting to be awake during the day is far from the worst. I’m actually kinda starting to see why people are obsessed with coffee - I mean, the flavour’s… not for me. But I feel like I could climb Mount Everest right now.” Rambling forgotten, Forrest glanced at the sketch she was referring to. The very beginnings of a work in progress, for a moment he wasn’t sure if he wanted to share the results so far. In the end, he finally turned his sketchbook towards Jade, shy grin on his face, “It’s just my mama - I mean not just my mama, but. It’s nothing yet, just starting. It’s her birthday soon, one of the things I give her every year is an updated portrait.” Feeling his face heat up, Forrest cleared his throat quickly, attempting to shrug off his own nerves. “If you ever know someone who can sit still for hours, let me know. I’m always looking for new subjects to practice with, y’know?”

“I kind of like the taste of coffee, for some reason it makes me feel more connected to the world,” Jade said, with a small shrug. “Without it I just kind of feel like I could float away and get lost.” She couldn’t help but smile when she saw the sketch, it was the cutest thing she’d ever heard. “You’re really talented, If that’s just the beginning I can’t imagine what the end will look like,” she said, before taking a sip from her coffee. “What if this person could sit still for hours if they were reading a book?” Jade asked with a small smile. 

Her eyes only widened, “Oh my god - you can write without even looking down? That’s like - super impressive. I think that’s actually like - one of those common superpowers that everyone has, except like - not yours, exactly. But like - you know what I mean? Like, some people can always tell which direction they’re going in, or like - which bag of grapes is going to be the sweetest.” She took a sip of her drink, and said jokingly, “If I didn’t know any better - I’d think you were writing about me!” The coffee almost dribbled out of her mouth as she gaped at Jade, “A writer? Oh my god, that’s so cool. I wish I like - had that prowess. I honestly can barely even like, sit still for longer than a few moments.” Her handshake was firm - because the one thing instilled in Myria was that a handshake made an impression. “Jade? That’s like - a super pretty name, I love it. It’s like, the ore and the plant.”

Myria seemed like someone she would be friends with, mostly because she would talk enough for the both of them. She gave off this energy like the quirky best friend that died half way through the book to break your heart. Maybe this time she will make it to the end, right when you think she’s safe... “I can sit without talking for a very long period of time, I’ve been told before that I’ll loose my voice if I don’t use it,” she said, before taking another sip of her drink. “Thank you, Jade green happens to be my favorite color so I think it’s fitting.” 

“Really? That’s so funny, because like - I’ve been told that I’ll lose my voice if I keep using it! Actually - I did, once, like - last winter. It was really awkward trying to like, wish condolences and explain funeral proceedings when I sounded like a mouse with like, a pea stuck in its throat.” One of her goals in life was to befriend everyone she came across; it was a silly goal, one that she’d started as a child - when she was alone, and wishing that someone, anyone would’ve spoken to her. Myria didn’t want anyone to feel alone, ever; her hope still childlike. “I love jade green! I don’t think it’s like, my favorite - I really like a like, lavender or a sage green - or like, a chartreuse! Vermillion. I try to wear like, every color all at once all the time, so that none of them feel left out.”

Jade couldn’t help but give a small laugh when she imagined what that would sound like. She really just couldn’t imagine having so much to say, but then again the people who talked the most hardly said anything real at all. “It seems like you’d be a serious vibe during pride festivals,” she said, with a playful tone. “Why rock a rainbow when you can include all of the color in between, there’s an inspirational quote potential in there somewhere.” 

“Why wouldn’t I get it? You’re a writer, maybe you should know to not judge a book by its cover,” Kyle says, finishing off what was left of his drink and calling over a bartender to close his tab. “Great, and I’d treat them all the same. You, and anyone else who tries to turn a profit or make a show out of what people have been through, are nothing but bottom feeders, lacking any real creativity in their simple-minded, moronic brains.” Kyle let out a laugh, because for someone who stood tall on her high horse, she didn’t seem all that smart. “Maybe you will. It would probably help you see that this isn’t some fucking joke.”

Jade couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He really thought that not understanding the arts made him somehow superior. “I guess it’s a good thing that my job doesn’t include making every random person happy, if I tried to do that then I would never get anything done,” she said, before pulling out her phone and making a quick note. His character would be pretty boring, so she was going to have to combine him with someone a little more interesting. “Capturing a moment in time isn’t making a joke out of it. I wonder if you watch any movies or shows because there isn’t a single project out there that doesn’t offend someone. Or does it only matter if the offended person is you?” 

location bowlevard / @nightreststarters

“so i was thinking. after i lock up here, you. me. thrift store.” usually the next thing out of his mouth after i was thinking is less mundane. or at the very least nonsensical. “i was there the other day and someone left like, a shit ton of old vhs tapes. i didn’t have time to go through all of them but i wanna see if there’s anything weird in there. or someones home videos.” and there it is. “like maybe someone accidentally donated their deepest darkest secrets.”

His face lights up, beyond thrilled that shes on the same page.. “Yes, exactly. That’s what I’m looking for.” Hoping for, more like. He’ll take just about anything he can get. “Maybe some TV nobodys seen in like twenty years. That would be sick. There’s gotta be something cool in there somewhere.”

“Oh well, please don’t do that,” Junho said, shaking his head. He really wouldn’t be able to stay long away, breaks during his shift only lasting so long and his pager ready to pull him right back to the hospital. He takes a seat anyway because the girl in front of him was courteous enough to move her notebooks. “Thank you. I like staying on my feet, really. Your notebooks will have their open space back soon enough.”

“It’s all good, I’ve been told I need to lift my eyes from the page every once in a while. So your short coffee break with be my social activity for the day,” Jade said, with a small smile on her lips. “I’m Jade, by the way.” 

“That’s great.” he said genuinely, picking up a menu and scanning through it despite not really interested in anything at the moment. “Boring?” he couldn’t help but laugh because with all the crazy things the girl did boring wouldn’t be a way he’d describe her, “I mean if it’s true that there was a second murderer like the police originally believed then I could see it. I support you. Make an out of this world crazy psycho.” He wasn’t too sure that Adee did any of this on her own either. He didn’t know the girl well enough, but based on what he’s gathered it seemed like perhaps she was more of a push over than anything else. “Aside from work, how have you been settling in?”

“I mean she did some stuff that wasn’t boring but so many of the kills had no connection. If she was actually the only killer then she would have been killing people pretty randomly which isn’t good for a story, you know? Also, the jealousy thing is overdone. I need a character with a really good motive, one you can watch slowly get more and more unhinged as the book goes on,” Jade explained, before realizing she was talking a lot and took a sip of her drink. “Um, it’s been pretty good. I went to that party which was pretty nuts because I’m not normally a party girl, but what have you been up to?”

“What would you consider a really good motive? And maybe also how would you plan it out?” Sebastian hadn’t personally known the girl, but with how small their town was it was easy to hear everything that went on in just about everyone’s lives. Made him feel much better about living on his own in a large farm where only friends went to visit. That and he did his best to stay on the low whenever he was out and about. “How did you enjoy yourself at least? I did go to the party for a while as well, but other than that just worked on my farm. The usual busy life. I don’t really do much else.” he chuckled.

“A really good motive would be... psychological gratification. They like it. Maybe the first one is a moment of passion but then they feel powerful. Having that kind of control? Litterally holding life in their hands. That sensation is... could be very addicting,” Jade said, with a small smile on her lips. “It was fun, something different... maybe you should try something different. What’s something you’ve never done?” 

“You’re the one that said you come to bars to watch people and see how they experience real-life shit. The reactions you see are superficial. You don’t know who they are beyond what’s on their face, and you’ll never know what’s on their mind because you’re an outsider looking in.” Kyle found it a little baffling that she seemed so self-righteous about what she was doing. He’d been through enough to find it disrespectful for someone to come into a town where people had lost so much just so she could write some crappy YA novel. “Sounds one-dimensional,” he lets out, rolling his eyes and taking a sip of his drink. “Do you get a kick out of it? Using whatever sick shit people go through for your own benefit?”

“A book isn’t typically from every person’s person’s point of view. The main character is seeing the same thing- you know what, never mind. It’s okay that you don’t get it. Why would you?” Jade said, with a roll of her eyes. “Do you have any idea how many books and movies and plays are written based on true stories? Art imitates life, and you can try to make the next person feel bad, but someone is going to tell this story. An author, a true crime podcaster, a script write. That’s simply what happens. At least my book is fiction, it’s only inspired by this town and what ever is in the water to make multiple people into killers in such a short period of time.” She took a deep breath before taking a long sip of her drink. “It looks like people are starting to die again... maybe I will end up writing from my own point of view,” she muttered, not really caring if he heard her. 

It wasn’t exactly the first time a girl he’d slept with showed up in his place of work, in fact, it was pretty common considering what his reputation was. If it was too awkward, he usually found a way to rope Ren into taking care of the talking part, but Jade seemed to be fine. More composed than she’d seemed the night of the party anyway, which was probably a low standard all things considered. “Here, you can fill this out,” he adds, handing her the clipboard in his hand.

“Thanks,” Jade said, as she took the clipboard avoiding accidentally touching his hand in the process. She filled out the papers, it didn’t take her long considering how quickly she read and wrote, it was like breathing for her. “Here you go,” she smiled, as she returned it to him. There was absolutely no reason, whatsoever, to act weird with him. She had a moment of weakness, while intoxicated, and it wasn’t going to happen again. 

location bowlevard / @nightreststarters

“so i was thinking. after i lock up here, you. me. thrift store.” usually the next thing out of his mouth after i was thinking is less mundane. or at the very least nonsensical. “i was there the other day and someone left like, a shit ton of old vhs tapes. i didn’t have time to go through all of them but i wanna see if there’s anything weird in there. or someones home videos.” and there it is. “like maybe someone accidentally donated their deepest darkest secrets.”