The beach was a blaze of parasols, hot colours to match the burning sand underfoot. Against the percussion of the waves was the laughter, coming in bursts and rolling like the ocean.

"Wow!" Susan said, in the total joy that only a child her age could say. "This is going to be a magical day!"

Magical Day.

Susan would use that phrase all of the time. But Delilah was certain that somehow this phrase was really something used at the beach, even though she had never been at the beach with Susan before.

Magical days used to be for the first snow. Or when the field was overgrown with dandelion puffs. Now it could be for hunting seashells, hitting the waves and getting cris-crossed tan lines. Delilah ran after her sister. Grains of hot sand kicked up behind her.

Susan eyed the shoreline with a practiced glare. It was clear that the water appeared to be higher and more rough on one side, the tops of the blue and green waves frothing with movement.  As if to catch the waves, Susan began to run down the side of the beach, the sound of water crashing, the cool water rushing up against Delilah's toes.

"They're getting away!" Susan said with fright, the prospect of missing out on the best waves suddenly settling upon her with the weight of responsibility.

Catching up to the shoreline where the waves were crashing, Susan cried out "Come on Delilah!" as she crashed into the water, slowing down considerably as she trudged her way inward to where the waves were forming.

Delilah jogged after Susan. The sun began to bake her shoulders and the cold water lapped at her feet. When she looked down, she saw her footprints washed away by the surf. This was her life now. Daddy and the kids from Minnesota were gone. But, Mr. Clayton and his puppeteer fixed her life better than she could have done on her own. It wasn't over. The weirdo puppet would be back. And the hit and the clown were still out there somewhere, but for now things were good.

"Yeah! Coming!"

Delilah tried a handspring. It felt like she hadn't done one in ages. She wanted to land in the water and float until she forgot all the bad things she'd seen.

There was a crashing sound as the ground rumbled, the faint smell of salt and the rush of cool mist against Delilah's face...

OOC: Delilah Rolls Reflexive Strength

Sorry, is Reflexive Strength the same as Strength?

08:15, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 1 success using 2d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((7,10(+7))).

Definitely out of practice.

The wave hit Delilah from the side but she saw it coming, managed to jump in the air slightly as it crashed onto the shore, hitting her legs and drenching her with cool, salty water. Susan was in the depths, swimming into the next wave, trying to head it off before it could crash. She dove into its center, dissappearing completely from sight.

The wave began to swell, like a boxer pulling back before throwing a powerful punch.

OOC: Yep. Sorry, next time I'll just write Strength.

Delilah flipped and splashed down. It was cold and strong. The water in the pigman's forge was thick with dead things. The ocean moved like a living creature at rest; breathing in and out.

She popped up and wiped the salt from her eyes just as Susan plowed ahead. The wave sucked the sand from under her feet. "Wait up!" She swam after her sister.

The waves loomed large and the water was suddenly choppy. The sun reflected bright off of the green water, seagulls flew above their chirping sounding like some kind of warning or alarm.

Delilah pushed forward swimming to were Susan had disappeared. She pushed through a smaller wave, coming out the other side, hair heavy with salt water, seagulls still cawing their warnings.

OOC: Delilah Rolls Wits + Composure

Delilah loved swimming. She felt like a mermaid. She broke the surface, blinking, and smoothed her hair back. Her legs scissor kicked to keep her in one spot, but the waves moved her around easily.

"Suze!" She tred water in a small circle. A deep inhale and she ducked down like a mermaid (ankles together for the tail). Her eyes were open under water, but the sea was salty. Not like the freshwater lakes where she learned to swim. She resurfaced quickly and rubbed her eyes. "Susan? C'mon, you goober."


06:05, Today: Delilah Gray failed (no successes) using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((5,7,7)).

And don't worry about the reflexive strength thing. Too much party on my end. I wasn't paying attention.

Delilah was so surprised that she felt her heart jump all the way into he throat.

"Surprise!" Susan said after she appeared to the side of Delilah from underneath the water.

"Ha-ha! I can see by the look on your face that I gotcha!"

This version of Susan appeared to be more confident than Delilah remembered. Or maybe it was just that this Susan was more at home in the sunny, clear beach-side home than Delilah was.

"Wanna see something cool that I found!" Susan said, raising her arm and pointing downward into the water, to signal that whatever it was was under the water and probably meant that they'd both have to hold their breath.

Delilah gasped and ducked, taking in a mouthful of seawater. She came up, red-eyed and sputtering.

"Quittit!" she finally managed. "Ok, you got me. 's'notta big deal." New Susan would take some getting to used to.

When Susan pointed down, Delilah pouted and twisted her lips. Then she nodded.

Susan disappeared below the surface and Delilah soon followed. The water was warm but the further she pushed downward, the more her lungs burned.

OOC: Delilah Rolls Stamina

Delilah clenched her jaw. Her teeth ground slowly as if she could chew up the need for air and swallow it. She couldn't look weak in front of Susan. Not a third time. Her eyes cut over to Her sister. She kicked strongly to keep abreast of the small girl. Delilah might be led to this secret spot, but she wouldn't follow behind.

20:00, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 4 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((5,10(+10,3),8,7,8)).

There Delilah was, totally weightless, quietly soaring just above the sea floor with only the smallest amount of physical exertion. Small fish came out of their holes to look at her. How about that? Delilah was suddenly the curiosity. She was the thing that did not belong. She was taking part in exploring an unknown frontier. She was the observer, she looked at everything she could, forgetting the outside world.

She held her breath even longer than she thought was possible and then pushed  to follow Susan as she swam ahead.



Sunlight raked down and Delilah realized they were in some kind of underwater cove.

Eyes wide with delight, Delilah tried to follow the dart and flicker of every fish. She turned in a lazy barrel roll to see it all: white sand below, algae-covered towers, and the sunlight winking and streaming down from so far away. Her hair hollowed around her as she said her to catch up to Susan. They really were mermaids now.

"Brghhguurr..sah-srughurr" Susan said, pointing upward to show that she heading the surface.

Delilah looked up as golden rays of sun came down from above. They were in a new, wondrous area. Something was shiny. It looked like a force field was penetrating the water and shining light down into the cavernous underwater cove. She had never seen anything like it before.

Susan swam to the surface and Delilah could only see her legs as she began to tread water.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:39, Mon 01 Jan 2018.

Delilah let one, large bubble slip out: 'kay. It wobbled up to that shimmering ceiling, following Susan. It hurt, but she waited until she was sure Susan would break the surface first.

She would come back. Mermaid Cove was their secret spot. Delilah kicked and swam upwards.

The sun shone brightly on Delilah as she gasped for air. There was a circular cove that had fallen inward long ago, like some kind of crater. Now the roof of the one time volcano was gone, but the walls were still intact. Large rocks lined the walls, flush with vegetation. It was like a some kind of story-book island from a pirates book.

"This way!" Susan said, excited to show Delilah something new. "I found this the other day!" She said, feet slapping against the wet sand and heading towards a small cave.

Delilah hoisted herself out of the water and hurried after Susan. She slowed for a moment, awed by a shock of pink flowers sprouting from glistening rocks. When she saw the cave entrance ahead, the impish glee came back to her eyes.

"Race ya!"

Susan ran towards the cave, looking back at Delilah with gritty determination. A look of someone who had lost a lifetime of races. Perhaps a bit of resentment in that face. She started to run faster, hoping her early lead would prove to make her the winner.

OOC: Delilah Rolls Dexterity + Stamina vs. Susan's Dice Pool of 3. 1 Success is needed
to win. Delilah rolls first.

A cocky grin slid over Delilah's face. Then her wet foot slipped on a rock. Her arm shifted to regain balance.

20:29, Today: Delilah Gray failed (no successes) using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((3,5,7,2,7,7)).

Sad trombones

05:44, Today: Delilah's Sister - Susan Gray rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((8,2,2)).

Susan crossed the threshold of the cave first, turning around with a big smile on her face.

"Yes! Yes! I won! I won! I beat you! I beat you! Yes! Yes! Oh yes! You lost! You lost! I won! I won! You lost and I won! I'm the winner! I beat you! You lost! Because you're a loser! You lost and I won! Yes! Oh yes! I won! Did you see me win!? I won! I beat you! I beat you so bad! I was so far ahead and I beat you! And I won! I'm the winner! I'm the winner and you're the loser!"

"I am not! I am not a loser! I only let you be first!"

Delilah loomed over Susan with balled fists. The heat from her shame and anger burned away the goosebumps from swimming. She could hardly see the magical cavern. Tunnel vision narrowed on Susan's stupid, smarmy face. She shoved Susan.

"UGH!" Susan made a grunt as her butt hit the sandy beach. She looked up at Delilah with a resentful face. "you can't..." She said, voice cut off by the thud of her unceremonious landing. She sat there, looking up at Delilah with an expression resembling: yes you can and you did.

But it was a resentful expression. Delilah had seen it before whenever she put Susan in her place. Sure these were new surroundings and this was a different Susan. A more confident Susan. A child, commercial actress possibly. But it was still Susan. And Delilah was still older and stronger.

"i was just trying to show you something." Delilah weaseled, shifting all responsibility for her taunting to a different subject adopting the role of the victim.

She pointed over slightly deeper in the mouth of the cave.

And that's when Delilah saw it. Sure it was covered in sand and there was a part of it that had seaweed on it, all tangled and green. But it was unmistakable:

Her lucky scarf!

Later, Delilah might think twice about pushing around some rich kid with important parents. She could get in real trouble here. For now, she was mollified by Susan's sniveling tone. She didn't let Susan win and they both knew it. As long as Sue never admitted it, Delilah would let it go.

When Susan pointed out a lump in the sand, Delilah rocked back a step and narrowed her eyes. She suspected a trick, but it was a genuine gift: Grandma's scarf!

"No way!" All smiles, Delilah darted over to the long lost scarf and tugged it out of the seaweed. It was gross, all slimy and rank. And the grains of sand were rough against her cheeks, but she hugged it anyway. "How...how'd you find it?" The words stuck in her throat. It was a stupid question. Susan found it because of the puppet and the wish, but she couldn't thank Clayton or Bradford right now.

OOC: Delilah regains Merit 'Prized Possession: Scarf'

"I don't know." Susan said, forgetting about being dominated by Delilah as the tone shifted to discovery and awe.

"I don't know...I mean. Not about how I found it. But about how or why I came here to find it. It was like I was just swimming but I knew where to go and kind of why I was coming here to get the scarf."

"I guess...I'm not sure how to answer."

Delilah cradled her lucky scarf and brushed the dirt and muck away. Her expression softened as her sister explained best she could.

"Oh. That's, uh, that's real...um...y'know. It's good. So..."

Delilah rubbed her hand on her elbow to clean off a bit of seaweed sludge. She stuck out her hand to help Susan up. Apologizing was hard. So was saying thank you.

Susan grabbed the hand and pulled herself up, avoiding eye contact. Then after an awkward moment, her eye's lit up.

"But there's more!" She said. She shuffled her feet across the sand and wandered deeper into the cave, past the mouth of craggy rocks covered with green seaweed.

"There's some kind of machine in here. I saw it last time. And the weird thing is, I dreamed about it. It's kind-a weird huh? Having a dream and then knowing where to go to go see the things in your dream."

Then she turned around and looked at Delilah, stopping inside the cave, shadow covering half her face from the sun.

"You ever think about that? This could be a dream right now. Or maybe you're a robot. And everyone is a robot. And I'm the only one who isn't a robot. How do I know you aren't some kind of robot right now?"

Susan got to her feet and led the way deeper into the cave. Delilah absent-mindedly wiped her hand on her side. As if contact with her sister was just as icky as clinging seaweed.

"Yeah? What kinda machine?" she asked warily, though she had a sinking feeling that she already knew.

Then Susan said something strange. Delilah stopped in her tracks, frowning. "I'm not a robot. I'm real! Really me! It's all real." She twisted the scarf and held it close. If she let go of it now, it might all disappear forever.

"It's a robot!" Susan said, liking the two conversations together and pointing towards the machine where Delilah had made her wish.

The creepy Fortune Teller machine. It was sitting on an angle against the bedrock of the cave, covered in sand and seaweed. It looked old and corroded with time. Like it had been left there for years. The metal parts on the inside were covered in rust. It was missing one eye and the painted face and turban were chipped and faded.

"It's a broken robot."

The old Delilah would have kicked the cabinet. Fear held her impulses back. The Zoltar machine looked worse for wear. Something about it's shabby state cast it in a sinister light. The paint peeled away from Zoltar's face looked like scars and the streaks of rust like blood. Delilah felt a chill when she looked into that single, red eye. She felt the eye was staring back. Waiting.

"Hey, Suze? You believe in wishes?"

"You mean like if you see a shooting star?" Susan asked. "Or if an eyelash falls on your face and then you can take it off and make a wish?"

She was thinking out loud now and Delilah could tell that even this version of Susan still believed. It was still Susan alright. Still had the same personality as far as Delilah could tell. More confident, and perhaps more skilled in ways that Delilah didn't know. But she was still Susan. Even if Mom had turned into Mom-Thing.

"It depends what you mean by believe. And what you mean by wish." A voice said.

Delilah turned to see a boy sitting in the sand at the mouth of the cave. He looked rather nerdy, with huge bi-focals that magnified his eyes as if he was Mr. McGoo.

Delilah nodded. Susan was still the same scamp inside. It was a relief. "Yeah. Like that only--"

Then another voice piped up. She whipped around to face him, scowling deeply.

"Who're you? Where'd you come from?" she barked.

Delilah didn't believe for a second that this geek swam down here. Even if he looked like he was wearing swim goggles. She edged in front of her little sister. If Hogwash sent him here to bring her back, then she wasn't going without a fight.

"Oh no." Susan said, clutching to Delilah's waist and leg. "I thought we were the first ones to get here." The hands grabbed at Delilah's bathing suit, as Susan drew herself closer to Delilah.

The geek was wearing Hawaiian patterned trunks that came down below his skinny knees. He was thin-framed and of average height. Seeing the pallor of his skin, Delilah suddenly realized that her own skin was much tanner in comparison, as if she had spent many days at the beach. By contrast, this boy's skin was ghost-white.

"I'm Bradford. I swam all the way here and thought that I was the first one!" The boy countered in a joyful voice like he was happy to see that there was company, but that it didn't matter to him who was first.

"It doesn't matter to me who was first. I'm just really glad that someone else is here to see this cool place. I mean, it's incredible. It's like some kind of secret beach or pirates cove! Would you look at this place! It's great!" Bradford said.

"We sure don't have places like this where I'm from out in Kansas."


"What are your guys-es names?"

It didn't matter who was first?

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at Susan, as if to say Can you believe this guy? Then she pushed away her little sister's grubby hands.

Delilah eyed the scrawny boy from head to toe. All knobby knees and horsey teeth. She felt very cool by comparison. It was hard to believe that Bradford was in control of Mr. Clayton. Maybe he was the one that wasn't real.

She sauntered up to the dork, sizing him up. "I'm Delilah Gray." She flicked her wet hair over her shoulder. The damp tendrils dripped around her feet. "This is my sister, Susan. And this is our Mermaid Lagoon!" she added.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:43, Sun 07 Jan 2018.

Delilah Rolls Presence + Intimidation vs. Bradford's Resolve + Composure.

Whatever happened with racing Susan was in the past. Bradford wasn't there to see any of it. Delilah stepped forward with a smirk and planted her hand on her hip.

18:39, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 5 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+8),10(+6),9,8,1)).

Best. Hairflip. EVER.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:42, Mon 08 Jan 2018.

21:55, Today: Bradford Stork failed (no successes) using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((6,7,4)).

Bradford stammered backwards, tripping awkwardly and landing on his butt. He looked up at Delilah with fear on his face.

"It's yours!" He fumbled his words, with one hand, he held his palm towards Delilah as if waiting for the blow to come, hoping to convince her not to do it.

"Ya!" Susan said with savage glee, egging Delilah on. "He stumbled on the wrong spot to steal. Especially from us. Show 'em Delilah! Kick 'em while he's down!"

The old, familiar rush came over Delilah. The one thing that honestly felt reassuring in this new life: looking down on someone.

"Su-zie," she sang in an overly sweet tone. "We're not gonna kick Bradford. He came here to play with us."

She stood over the boy, drumming her fingers on her hip. "Get up," she commanded.

Bradford stood up, magnified eyes darting between Susan and Delilah.

"Golly!" He said relieved. "This place is all yours. I thought for a second you were going to hit me." He said, relieved.

Then his smile came back. It was genuine, honest and naive. "Boy, oh boy. I've learned my lesson." Bradford said, shaking his head, hands no longer warding off Delilah at all, but simply by his side.

"Relax, Bradley. I said we're gonna play, so let's play. Pirates."

Delilah gave Bradford a playful punch to his chest. She slowly circled him clockwise, leaving enough space for Susan to hem him in from the other side and circle the other way.

"G--ahh!" Bradford squealed as the punch landed. His oversized eyes followed Delilah one way, and Susan the other way, head on a swivel. His hands fidgeted, fingers moving in awkward motion as he attempted to brace himself or push himself up. He seemed hardly reassured.

"Arrrr Matey!" Susan said, picking up an old piece of wood that stuck out of the beach and would make for a good pirate sword.

OOC: Delilah Rolls Composure + Wits + 1

23:48, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 2 successes using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+6),3,8,6)).

"I'm the captain. And you guys are my crew. And we're on the hunt for buried treasure. But if any of you try to double-cross me, KRRRK!" Delilah drew her thumb across her throat. Her eyes were on Bradford. Satisfied that he was cowed, she draped the wet scarf over one shoulder, like an elaborate sash.

OOC: Delilah gets +1 to next degeneration roll

"OK!" Bradford said, standing up and saluting his best skipper salute. "I'm th' best right hand lubber that any Corsair could ask fer. Let's sail th' seven seas" 

Delilah liked the sound of that. She spread her feet in a wide stance and planted her fists on her hips. She squinted into the distance, surveying the beach. She was a captain making a decision, after all. Her gaze fell on the old Zoltar machine and she shut her eyes and only opened them when she thought it was out of her line of sight. She needed to talk to Bradford, but she had to get Susie out of earshot first. Not that there was much of a hurry. This was the best time she'd had in, well, it felt like forever.

"Onwards!" she bellowed and stabbed her fist down the beach.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:08, Thu 11 Jan 2018.

"Yes Capem'!" Bradford yelled, eager to get on with the playing.

"Ahoy!" Susan yelled, eager and by Delilah's side. She was hard to keep at bay, always following in Delilahs' footsteps.

"This way!"

Delilah picked up a stick to whack at the lush greenery. It didn't matter if the vegetation was in her way or not. She swung heartily to break a trail. After everything she'd seen and suffered, it felt good to thrash something. Even if it was just a plant.

"We gotta find a safe spot to bury our treasure."

"Cap'n, I be knowin' o' a great place t' hide th' booty. Follow me and I'll show ye both a place I be knowin' o'. Yaaarrrrr! I've been t' this island many times in th' past, and I've seen wondrous hidin' places fer such thin's!"

Bradford signaled to follow him deeper into the bush. He was totally lost in the world of pretend Pirates now, all previous transgressions forgotten. He eagerly jumped ahead to clear away some bushes with his bare hands, to allow both Susan and Delilah a path to follow.

OOC: Delilah decides:

-to follow Bradford, or

-not to Follow Bradford

Delilah stopped savaging the bushes and wiped her brow. She raised her trailblazer loftily and nodded towards Bradford.

"Lead on, Black-heart Bill."

She even had to give him a pirate name. Being a pirate queen was hard work.

"I'm Black heart Bill, th' most fiercest Corsair navigator in th' land. There ain't a Corsair this side o' th' sea that knows th' land like I do, avast. I've been here thousands o' times. In me dreams, and in th' dreams.............For th' great master has shown me th' way. It be he who has given me th' almighty key t' understandin' th' lost, dark, arts. Steps three: Spend lots of time with your dummy!"

Bradford cleared through the brush hacking away with a stick at some leaves to make the path more secure for Delilah and Susan.

Delilah tromped along after Blackheart Bill. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to make sense of what he was saying. Keys and masters? She was worried that he was talking about Hogwash.

"You there, Miss Mauling Molly! Keep up, ya scallywag wench! Or I'll keelhaul you good!"

She looked over her shoulder for Susan, just to be sure.

Susan stopped to swat a bug on her ankle and then continued to follow Delilah.

"Wait up guys!" She said, pushing an errant branch out of the way. Suddenly, it became clear that they were moving further and further into what looked like the interior of----of whatever this place was.

There were rocks and craggy outcrop. But more than anything else, there looked like a lot of shrubs and bushes. Delilah even saw a palm tree.

Just like a real pirates island!
This message was lightly edited by the player at 00:30, Sun 14 Jan 2018.

As the wonderful pretend play continued, Bradford became increasingly at ease. He swaggered like a pirate. He moved with a limp in his leg. Delilah could see that his shorts even seemed slightly ragged on one pant leg, perhaps the result of being torn on a brush or catching a branch some kind.

"The treasure be this way, mateys!" Bradford proclaimed.

"Step Nine! EVERYONE'S A DUMMY!"

Susan was still in earshot, so Delilah turned away to face the trail Bradford was cutting.

The view was amazing. Dizzying, even, though her feet were still on the ground. The crew was moving into a jungle. A real jungle. She wanted to play here forever.

"Belay that, Mr. Blackheart. I'm no dummy."

The area was hot and muggy. The deeper the kids moved into the jungle, the more Bradford seemed to genuinely relish his role as a pirate. He was quite the actor. Susan was also playing her role, the best way a little kid could of course.

"Step Ten!: Simply remember that yer dummy, yer pets, yer family and yer maties have one thin' in common with each other: they’re all dummies. With practice, ye’ll be amazed at how they’ll dance t' th' tune o' yer voice." he said, as he pushed past the thick leaves towards and open path.

"Look! Me see's a path ahead! This be it, maties! This be it!"

Captain Deadeye frowned. She wasn't following along like some dumb Pied Piper rat. She was just walking in this direction and he just happened to be talking. They were only playing and this island was the coolest thing ever. Who wouldn't explore it? At least, that's what she told herself.

"Arrgh! Still your mouth flaps, Bill. There may be cannibal natives listenin'. Just waiting to take a bite out of your pale flesh!"

She was delighted when Bradford pointed out a trail leading to all sorts of adventures, but she just given a Captain's order for him to be quiet. Only one thing to do.

"Miss Molly, my spyglass."

She held out her hand palm up and waited.

Susan came along and placed a Spy-glass-sized stick into Delilah's hand.

"Ay-Ay, Captian!"

Bradford lowered his head beneath the brush and lowered his voice to just a bare whisper. Delilah could still here him though, speaking in a low pirate voice.

"Step 11: ye need help"

"Let’s face it, bucko: ye need help. Fire the cannons... ye may understand that mastery o' ventriloquism takes many thousands o' days o' continuous practice, but — trust me on this — yer family and maties won’t understand, not even yer current or potential wench me bucko."   

The captain held her spyglass to her good eye and hummed thoughtfully. The trail was in her sights. It looked quiet enough.

"You never know what prying eyes are out there. Waiting to stab ya in the back and thief what's yours by rights. But any land-lubber lays a hand on my loot will get split from stem to stern!"

She put a finger to her lips for quiet, then waved the crew forward.

"I know what ya' mean Cap'em." Bradford whispered.

"That's why ya' got to follow Step 12: Remove yourself from animal-dummies."

"I mentioned afore that sacrifices would need t' be made at some point, remember? If ye’ve chosen t' pursue Greater Ventriloquism — and I hope fer yer sake that ye have since ye’ve read this far — ye have probably already discovered that managin' yer ventriloquism practice, and “real world” activities and relationships simultaneously be a difficult if not impossible task." he whispered.

"Look an old ship!" Susan said, breaking character and pointing in the distance.

"That's the one!" Bradford said, also breaking character. "It's old! I found it last time!" he said, pointing to the distant thing.

The shipwreck was shrouded in mist. It licked at the rotting, wooden frame of the boat Delilah saw, bringing moisture to the deepening crevices. It had been a fine cutter in its day, a sail of finest linen and a sleek prow to slice the ocean, Delilah could imagine. Now it looked for all the world like a movie set, somewhere in the distance there should be the sound of hooves, swords or an intellectual argument approaching along the sand. But this ship was quite forgotten in its demise, bit by bit it became apart of the waves that beat it so relentlessly. Another century and it wouldn't even be a memory.

The side of the wooden thing was shattered. A deep hole seemed both foreboding and inviting. Waves crashed against it, bringing fresh water into the interior of what had once been...well..a pirate ship, Delilah supposed.

"A ghost ship! C'mon you guys!" She stared gobsmacked at the wreckage.

The surf lapping at the hole in the hull almost made the ship look like she was breathing. Something twisted in Delilah's guts. A tiny part of her wanted to run away. She ignored it, like the urge to pee when a scary movie was getting to the good part. Even the fact that Blackheart Bill had explored the vessel before couldn't spoil this.

"I mean, er, um...

"Tread lightly, me hearties. Dead men tell no tales!"

"Ay, Ay Captain!" Susan said, falling back into the role of first mate. That usually meant that she just repeated that line or some version of it. It was the same ever time they played, Delilah knew. Susan was good for about one impression or line.

She pushed ahead, coming up along the left side Delilah as they made their way toward the ship.

"Shhhhhh...Be careful." Bradford warned in whisper, coming up along the right side of Delilah. Then he started to talk in his Pirate voice again, all the while, whispering.

"When I were bein' here last, there were bein' talk o' booty in that ship. But its haunted. That means ye should try t' follow Step 13: Find a good place t' work."

"And swab the deck! A potential Greater Ventriloquist at times must perform actions that th' common herd o' animal-dummies may find unsavory — even criminal — in nature. Remember, th' “people” ye must deal with t' survive be mere dummies servin' a higher purpose — a kind o' Ultimate Ventriloquism — that they cannot hope t' comprehend, pass the grog! Animal-dummies must be treated at all times with false and/or unsympathetic regard, ye scurvey dog. Believe me, they don’t feel a thin'."    
This message was last edited by the player at 02:19, Tue 16 Jan 2018.

Captain Deadeye gave First Mate Molly a sharp nod of approval. It didn't matter so much that she repeated herself. Especially not if she agreed with the plan.

Bradford's strange utterings pulled Delilah out of the game. "You're getting really weird. And, I totally get it. Because I gotta talk to you about...something. Just not now. So put a sock in it." She didn't want to stop playing just yet. The pirate island could be fun for a bit longer before they had to go. Delilah didn't have to look to know her baby sister was right at her elbow. She did not need to be a part of that conversation. "'Sides, if you made it there and back, how bad could it be?"

Bradfored lowered his voice into an inaudible mumble.

"Whoa! What da' ya' thinks inside Captain?" Susan asked as they got closer.

Satisfied with Bradford's volume, she turned to Susan. "It's gonna be uh... I mean,

"yaar! Blackheart Bill say there be booty aboard. That be chests of golden doubloons and pieces of eight. And gems as big as your fist. Jewels like none ye ever seen!"

Delilah formed a fist for emphasis. She would not have been able to tell a doubloon from a piece of eight, but she knew it was all old, piratey money. She imagined bulging sacks printed with dollar signs, hills of gold coins and chests full to the brim with ruby rings and pearl necklaces. She'd go swimming through it all like Scrooge McDuck.

"There be ghosts and spirits, too, aye. Keep your wits about you. And keep your eyes on the prize."

Eyes on the prize. Daddy would always say that.

Delilah held her "spyglass" like a dagger now. She wiped away the sweat from her brow and upper lip. The ship was getting closer. And she was ready.

As the children approached the old wreckage, the smell of rotted wood and sea barnacles grew stronger. There was also an undefinable fishy smell. Like something from the sea had crawled into the old ship and died long ago. Underneath their feet, the sand was marked with sticky seaweed that clung to the bottom of their toes and the sides of their ankles. With each step the smell grew stronger.

The hole in the side of the ship yawned open like some great mouth, ready to swallow whomever went inside. And inside, so far as Delilah could tell, there were nothing but shadows. The slow lapping of waves only added to the environment, each gentle crash producing froth that pooled along the base of the gaping entrance.

"Maybe..." Susan ventured. "We should find...." She got close to Delilah. The words trailed off as Delilah could feel the hesitation and doubt coming off of her little sister, the way someone can feel something that's really cold even though its far away.

"Another ship?" Susan intoned. The question in a strange way appeared to be logical. Perhaps it was the fact that Bradford had finally grown silent. He nodded his head in a dour, serious tone staring into the black darkness where the children were, at the mouth of the hull, only a few feet away from the hole in the ships side.

The hole didn't look so big from a distance. Nor did it look so much like an open mouth. Delilah looked up to the jagged, wooden teeth. She wriggled her toes on a slick carpet of seaweed, that slimy tongue lolling out. Rancid breath wafted from that open maw. The stench of prey long since dead.

Captain Deadeye's mouth opened and closed, but the words stuck in her throat. She swung her dagger stick as if that could trigger her her into speaking. It worked somehow.

"Do-- do you see another ship? I'm the Captain. And I say we're going in." She swallowed hard. "But I'm gonna go first. Because I'm the Captain. And I'm gonna get dibs on whatever's inside."

She leaned forward, but that did nothing to pierce the gloom within the cabin. Her steps inside the hull were small. But only because the seaweed was slippery. Not because she was scared! Not at all! Her mouth crimped into a tight, worried frown.

The interior was dark and smelled of saltwater and a faint, fishy smell.

"Don't go in there!" Bradford said. And then in a lower voice as Delilah stepped over the threshold.

"Its spooky."

Delilah whirled on Bradford and pointed at him with her stick.

"You don't get to tell me what to do! I'm the captain! I'm in charge!"

Looking at Susan and Bradford now, she wondered if she looked as frightened as they did.

"And I'm still going in. Just...not right now. When I feel like it."

She gripped the dagger tightly, hoping she still looked tough in front of her crew. It wasn't fair that Pirate Queens and waterproof flashlights didn't exist at the same time.

OOC: Delilah Rolls: Presence

0 Successes: No one is convinced by Delilah's show of toughness

1 Success: Only one of the kids is convinced

2+ Successes: Everyone is convinced.

Something's the matter with my C/P, but can you see my success in the log?

Delilah turned away from the ghost ship and tossed her hair back, squared her shoulders.

"We'll come back with our own ship. And it's gonna have cannons and a big, tough crew. Or my name isn't Captain Deadeye Marley, scourge of the seven seas. Let's get outta here. We sail with the tide."

She was never really sure if that meant when the tide was going out or in. As long as Susan and Bradford weren't laughing at her, she didn't care.

Bradford stood at attention. "Aye..Aye cap'em!" He said giving a salute with his reed-thin arm.

Susan turned around as if speaking to some imaginary crew. "You heard the Captain you land lubbers! Get your sorry selves moving or its ten lashes!" She cried.

But it wasn't very convincing of a threat. Instead, Delilah saw Susan's feet shuffle quickly away from the ship, as if happy that they weren't going to go inside.

Delilah watched as Bradford swallowed, his magnified eyes staring at the large hole in the old ship like it was a great whale, ready to swallow all three of them. Bradford took a step back and then turned his body, quickly following Susan.

The brave seadog, Cap'n Deadeye folded her arms across her chest and watched her crew turn an about face. As soon as they were no longer looking, Delilah let all her breath out in a rush. After quietly counting from three, she put on her pirate face and followed her crew back up the trail.

She had felt very small next to the vast, rotting hull. Her heart pounding inside her chest reminded her that she was alive. And free. Better to keep enjoying that feeling and ride it out as far as it could go.

"Arrr! First Mate Maulin' Molly! Let's have a song!

Fifteen men on a dead man's cheast
Yo ho no and a bottle of rum!"

"Aye Aye!" Susan said. Her mouth mumbled what sounded like syllables that might have been related to the lyrics of the pirates' song. The sound would have harmonized with what Delilah was singing, but she came in too late and it was clear that Susan didn't know the words.

"Whew!" Bradford said. "Thank God." He said, breaking character. "I mean, aye!" He corrected himself. And then "Argggh. Now we can follow STEP 15: “th' dummy be a trifle”

"It’s best not t' think about what must come next. Simply listen t' this voice guidin' ye on and let go. Without effort, completely let go."

Bradford jumped in the air and clicked his heels, walking along the beach further away from the scary ship. He turned back around and said to Delilah.

"Captian! Permission to speak!" He asked, magnified eyes blinking.

Delilah didn't mind that Susan didn't know the words. And it didn't matter that Bradford had gone back to talking to himself. It covered for the fact that she didn't know the lyrics, either. She hummed the tune and belted out the chorus while whacking a stick against overhanging plants to keep time.

Then Bradford had something to say. Something for real.

"Hm hm hmm hm-hm hm hm hmmm! Yo ho ho and a bottle-- Um, yeah. Go ahead, matey."

Bradford cleared his throat.

"I suggest that we go back home Cap'n, by Davy Jones' locker! Remember, we need t' follow Step 16: “So long, my pupils!” 

Then slowly, as Bradford seemed to follow the pattern of reciting things, his Pirate accent went way.

"Ventriloquists talk to themselves. It’s a fact — an inescapable side effect of all those thousands of practice sessions staring at yourself in a mirror; all those thousands of hours spent manufacturing a pretend-relationship with a doll. In the words of Mr. Clayton himself, it is a trifle. And it’s high time to dispense with these trifles and sentimental trappings, and get down to real work."

Delilah agreed to dropping the game. They didn't loot the scary pirate ship. And the less said about that place, the better.

"Yeah, we can go. But we'll come back to Mermaid Cove soon." She chucked the piece of wood over her shoulder.

Bradford explained why he spoke to himself so much. She nodded absent-mindedly. "Well, Goggles, talking to yourself does make you a spaz. But you're not the worst spaz I ever met. So..."

She risked a peek at Susan and pretended she was only stretching her arms over her head. "So you should come over some time. We can talk? About Mr. Clayton and stuff? Besides, I've probably got the coolest house in this whole city. It's got everything ever. You should come see it."

She laced her fingers behind her neck and waited.

Susan was marching ahead this time, completely oblivious to the side conversation that had developed between Bradford and Delilah.

"Aye! Aye!"

"Aye! Aye!" She said, keeping with the game, probably about fifteen or so feet ahead.

"Oh yeah!" Bradford said, all happy and optimistic. "It's like, wow! We could be friends and and...I could tell you all about Ventriloquism!" he said, happily.

"And I could also talk about the Mid-West. Oh, and about the farm." He said.

Then on a sadder tone

"And my friend Ron."

"Yeah, sure. We could be like friends." Delilah did not sound completely sure of herself. Making friends. Not just teammates, but friend friends. Dweebs like Sammy did it all the time. Couldn't be that hard. She looked at the ground, then the plant leaves, as if the right words were written there.

"So...you were from Kansas? Before. And Ron from before, too?"

Bradford did not sound happy, but he did bring it up first. She fiddled with her soggy scarf.

"From Kansas!" Bradford said. "Like the Land of Oz." He reaffirmed. "But, we're not in Kansas anymore!" He joked.

Then with a more serious note. "My friend Ron died." he said in a mousey voice.

"Actually. Someone killed him." That sentence fell between the two kids, pitting the absence of words against the lapping of the waves, and Susan's distant singing.

Delilah giggled a bit at Bradford's impression. It was sorta funny. "Ha ha, yeah. Kansas. I'm from Minnesota," she added when she got the chance.

Then Bradford said something very sad in a low voice. She didn't say anything for a moment. Susan and her happiness felt a world away. She crossed her arms and rubbed at the goosebumps.

"It was a clown, wasn't it? All evil and ugly?"

Bradford swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and then down. "Ye...yes." He croaked.

"You know about it too, then?" He asked. "You know about the secret, bad world?" he was fidgeting with his hands now, fingers moving round and round and tangling together.

"You know I know!" Delilah shouted. She winced and looked ahead to Susan, hoping she hadn't heard. She continued in a hiss, leaning in. "You saved me. You fixed my eye and everything. You left me that note."

She seemed a little confused. She scratched the back of her head. Her hair, nearly dry now in some places, tangled on her fingers.

"But she doesn't know. About the clowns or the pigman or nothing. She doesn't even remember Minnesota and all those other kids... who were..." From a distance, Susan looked like a dancing doll, like she could be picked up with one hand. "You better not tell her. Ever."

"nuh uh." Bradford explained, shaking his head in refusal of Delilah's notion that he did what she claimed he had done. "It's true, I heard about it. But I didn't do any of those things. I would love to say that I did. But honesty is the best policy, truly it is." He proclaimed.

"I have to tell you secret: It wasn't me who saved  your eye. It was Mr. Clayton. He knows all sorts of things. He's showing me things that I never knew were possible. I followed all of the steps on these cassette tapes. You know?" He sighed, continuing in a whisper so Susan wouldn't hear.

"Look, there's this Order in the Circus. It's against Mr. Cherrywinks. I joined it. And after some other kid passed on the opportunity to be Ventriloquist, I took the job. I started learning about Ventriloquism and practicing all the steps I've been telling you about. But then, my Dummy started teaching me. It turns out I was the Dummy!" He finished, a bit too loud.

"But you work the puppet." She really wanted that to be true, but she remembered seeing the dummy's face change. She was going to press the issue, but Bradford said the name.

Cherrywinks

Delilah flinched and hugged herself tightly. She remembered seeing it scrawled on the ceiling of the ice fort that night. Then the spiders came. And the clown. It must be the clown's name, but she was too afraid to ask. The name might be cursed. If they said it too many times, Cherrywinks would appear, like Bloody Mary.

She counted down from three in her head. She couldn't remember if Hogwash said anything about the circus as a whole. Bradford made it sound like a bigger affair than she'd imagined with positions to fill. There were a lot of kids in the sweatshop. So it could all be true.

"Pipe down!" Delilah waved her hands, palms down, as if she could push Bradford's volume lower. "There was a pig-man that made us make toys. And a girl gave me a smoke pipe. And then there was the dummy. But how do you know that it's a good magic dummy? He's got mean cat eyes."

"I...." Bradford said just when Delilah said that he 'controlled' the puppet. "I know." He admitted, piping down, just as she had asked.

"But it isn't exactly like that. It's like...ya know? It's like when you where a mask or, or, or when you dress up for Halloween."

"You feel different. You feel different just a little bit. You feel somewhat the same. But different. So I don't really know so much if its me."

"Every time I feel like I'm with Mr. Clayton, I learn a lot. Not just about him. But about me. I'm starting to think that there are things that Mr. Clayton knows that I don't know. You could call it Ventriloquism or the art of Ventriloquism.  But sometimes I don't even remember playing with Mr. Clayton. It's like I go to sleep, I think."

"I know about the pig-man. I know about the pig-man. But tell me more about him. And then I'll tell Mr. Clayton. And then we can see if he can do anything about it." Bradford offered.

Delilah shifted her weight from side to side. Then she began kicking at the sand and the small scrubby plants peeking through. She understood what Bradford had meant about being in two places, awake and asleep, at once. She balled her fists and crossed her arms tightly.

"I only know some, okay? And I was with the Pig-Man, but I'm notta pig, alright? I'm a person," she mumbled.

She wiggled her toes to get the sand out, but it didn't do much good.

"The clown was gonna get us. And the Pig came and said he would help us. But he put these heavy chains on my neck." She bent forward a little, to indicate the weight of the iron collar. "And I had to work all the time. When I was awake, I was okay. But when I went to sleep it was like being awake again. But in this nasty, hot tent. And everyone was all chained up making toys. Me too. So we broke the chain and ran away. But it didn't work."

She looked at her feet. She scrubbed one foot against the other, but the grains never all fell away. She thought about Mark and whether or not she was ready to explain ditching him. Maybe later.

"The Pig looks big and fat, but it's really fast. And strong. It got me. It got my eye like that!" She snapped her hand closed right in front of Bradford's face, fingers pursed together the way Hogwash had when his tinged talons sank into her eye socket. Before, she would have taken an impish glee in telling a good ghost story and the jump scare at the end. But her eyes felt so tired and her mouth couldn't smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Fri 26 Jan 2018.

Bradford stared intently at Delilah as she spoke, those magnified eyes shifting from side to side as she told the harrowing tale. They occasionally blinked. When the hand came up in front of his face, Bradford flinched slightly and then swallowed.  His hand pawed at one side of his face, when she spoke of her eye.

"I...I can tell Mr. Clayton about that." Bradford offered. "I think..he said, I mean...I don't know if he said this, but I can guess that he would say that he doesn't like bullies like that. He doesn't like bullies or liars. Or people that hurt other people's eyes." He affirmed.

"...or the side of their face." He added.


"Listen." Bradford leaned in, to a conspiratorial tone. "Can I tell you something?"

Delilah nodded. Her throat was dry, but she was all ears.

"I just wanted to tell you what happened to me, so you understand." Bradford explained, his voice now serious, a hint of pain in his voice.

"I wanted to tell you that..."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:47, Fri 26 Jan 2018.

"Guys! The tide is coming in!" Susan interrupted, making Bradford and Delilah's head turn.

They kids were approaching the swimming hole and Susan seemed a little nervous, urgent.

Bradford looked at Susan and then back at Delilah. He gave the impression of someone who was deciding whether or not to do what needed to be done, or what he wanted to to do.

Finally, he shrugged and let out a sigh.

"You'r right Susan." He said, wandering over to the the location where they had come up.

"If we don't get back soon, we'll have to spend all night here. And that won't be fun for anyone. Especially our parents. Heck, our friends will wonder where we are."

Delilah was struck dumb, horrified to hear what Bradford would say next. It had to be something really terrible. Really important. When Susan called out, it was like breaking a trance.

Then Bradford said something about spending the night. Delilah froze in place for a moment. Her mind went back to that other night.

"We're leaving! Let's go!"

She jogged down to the beach. And splashed into the water.

OOC: End thread