alistair (echoic) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-02-27 20:27:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #october 2017, nick |
Who: Adam & Nick
When: Wednesday afternoon, 10/04
Where: Lyttle Hill
Status: Complete
There were a few places that Adam remembered from childhood, though his memory was always less reliable than he would have liked it to be. Plus, Point Pleasant was a town he hadn’t lived in for over half his life and had only visited once or twice since his family moved away. Wanting to get reacquainted--or acquainted at all, really--with the town he was from had been one of the motivating factors in his decision to return.
Wednesday was clear and bright, a crispness to the air that was quintessentially autumn in Adam’s mind. It had always been his favorite season and there was no way he could stay indoors when he had the day off. There were several places about which he had read and heard supernatural rumors. What better time than now to check out one of them?
Throwing on a light jacket, he tossed his keys, phone, and a notebook into his messenger bag that always held one set of his rosary beads, an EMF detector, and an iron crowbar. Running into anything in broad daylight was highly unlikely, but being prepared was a nagging consideration when he wasn’t rushed. Thus equipped, he set out of his apartment on foot, wanting to enjoy the early afternoon sunlight as he headed toward Lyttle Hill.
Nick was already fascinated with Point Pleasant. Juniper Inn itself had a lovely creepy vibe that he really enjoyed, in addition to the rooms being pretty comfortable. He’d been out exploring the town since his arrival the day before, just getting the lay of the land in his head. And finding the best places to eat, of course. Earlier in the day he’d wandered through the Point Pleasant museum -- he’d been the only person there, so not worth putting a ‘tour’ together, he supposed -- and made notes of the more interesting-looking places to visit.
One of them was called Lyttle Hill, the site of the witch-hunt murders. Since the day was gorgeous and Nick knew that sort of weather wouldn’t last much longer, he decided to go out there just to take some pictures and poke around. He highly doubted any of the ghosts of the Six would pop out at him or anything, it was likely just an old tree, but it was worth looking at. Everything in this town was going to be worth looking at.
So he drove up as close as he could get, tucked his tape recorder and his cell phone into the pockets of his light leather jacket, and started to walk. Nick stayed alert as he strolled through the leaf-litter that was just beginning to carpet the ground, eventually noticing that he could hear other footsteps ahead of him somewhere. Interesting. He kept walking toward the site, figuring that someone else was just out for the same sort of walk. No need to act suspicious yet.
Other than occasionally checking directions, Adam let his mind wander to planning out what he needed to do the rest of the week in preparation for work. Beyond that, he needed to go check out the library, since there was still parts of the town's history he wanted to start researching in earnest. At least in theory. The actual process was something he kept avoiding, for one reason or another.
Shaking his head, Adam pushed that aside and let himself enjoy the fresh air. He didn't expect Lyttle Hill to be a particularly popular destination, so he was unsurprised when for a while he didn't run into anyone else. The occasional crunch of leaves under his feet and other ambient outdoor sounds were about all that reached him. At least until his pace slowed as he reached the site.
The sound of other footsteps continued from somewhere behind him. He turned to look around, catching sight of a tall, handsome stranger who for some reason looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't quite place why. Curious, he gave a friendly smile and spoke, when the other man was within earshot, "Hello. I didn't really expect to run into anyone else out here."
Nick had kept a meandering pace so as not to catch up to the guy he could see in front of him, even when it became clear they were headed to the same place. The timing was interesting, as Nick doubted this was somewhere the locals liked to hang out, unless they were teenagers getting high or something. The man in front of him didn’t look like a wayward youth from behind, so Nick was already curious about why he was there. Ironic, maybe, but that was the nature of his line of work.
He didn’t really speed up with the guy turned around and spotted him. Nick did smile back though, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. “Howdy,” he greeted, with only a little bit of drawl. “I didn’t either, so shows what we both know, right?” He reached where the guy was standing and came to a stop, giving him a glance over. “Beautiful day for a walk, though.”
With the stranger taking his time, Adam took the chance to study him longer. Maybe he looked a little like someone else Adam knew? Or had he seen him around town? Even with his occasionally unreliable memory, he was fairly confident they had not met before, since he couldn't help but notice the guy was remarkably attractive.
Continuing to dwell on it would have to go on the back burner for the moment. It was definitely going to bother him until he figured it out, but he didn't want to be rude and stare too intently as they were in closer proximity. Besides, on top of that, he was equally curious as to what brought someone else there, since it was not somewhere that was traditionally scenic. "Definitely. This is perfect weather, so I wanted to get out and see somewhere new. Or, new to me," he amended. "I just moved back recently. This place seems to have quite a history."
The spot was sort of beautiful, but in an entirely creepy way that didn’t appeal to most people. The trees seemed a little different, bigger and thicker and more twisted. Nick spotted some plaques on stands around one of the bigger trees, and had to assume that they held some historical information about the place. Information to take with a grain of salt, because history lied all the time, especially about atrocities. But the younger man next to him had more of his attention at the moment. “You lived here before?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow briefly. “This is my first time here. It’s a fascinating little place. Nick Cooke.” He stuck his right hand out for a shake. Might as well swap introductions if they were going to be loitering in the same area, and he always used his pen name on new people, especially out on assignment.
There was the kind of tense, creepy atmosphere when Adam had thought he was alone that he tended to enjoy in a peculiar way, but he was distracted by the presence of the other man. "When I was a kid, so it's been a while," Adam said, shaking Nick's offered hand. "Adam Morales--wait."
It took an extra second for Nick's name to really register in Adam's mind, but once it did something clicked into place. "That's why you look vaguely familiar!" he exclaimed, which was mostly for himself, but still said aloud. "You're one of my favorite authors--I think I've read all of your books--and I've probably seen your picture or something, but, I didn't realize you were quite so, well--" Adam released Nick's hand and made a vague gesture. He was babbling and he knew it, but couldn't quite stop. It wasn't often that he was flustered, but when it happened, he had trouble shutting up, so he continued, "...tall. Handsome." Smooth. He was doing so well. Heat crept up his neck and warmed his ears. "Sorry. Your writing is really great, so it's very exciting to meet you," he finished with a sheepish smile.
Nick had seen that lightbulb moment happen before in people’s faces, but he definitely hadn’t expected it just then, out there in such a random-ass place, so he looked genuinely surprised for a second. But maybe it wasn’t so random-ass after all. If this guy was a fan of his books, he was a fan of the truth of the paranormal, so why not go out to the creepy execution-hill in the woods for a little nature hike? Nick himself was there, after all. Adam’s choice of adjectives told Nick everything else he needed to know about the guy, and he grinned as that little blush spread. “Hey, nothin’ to be sorry for, Adam,” he said with a chuckle. “Always nice to meet a fan. Especially somewhere unexpected. Y’know, I used to have my height in my bio, but my agent talked me into taking it out.” He grinned to show that was a joke, especially since he always kind of got a kick out of surprising people with his height.
Sure, on more than one occasion Adam had run into a possibly haunted house without a second thought, but meeting someone whose work he admired was something he could rarely bring himself to do on purpose and it hadn't often happened out of the blue like this. He would have never predicted that he would freaking meet Nick Cooke at a witch murder hill surrounded by dark, gnarled trees. Though of all people and places, it made sense, as it was a common interest they shared. Nick's grin worsened the handsomeness situation by somehow making him more attractive, but then he cracked a joke. It drew a laugh from Adam, which took the some of the edge off his nerves. The almost palpable excitement remained. As did the flush, though he was trying to quash that. "Maybe you should consider adding it back in so it's less of a shock," he joked in return. "Did you move out here to Point Pleasant, or did you just happen to be passing through?"
“I’ll stick in a bit about being handsome too, just to be safe,” Nick couldn’t resist adding, his smile turning a bit cheeky for a second. He very nearly winked at the guy, but that was probably laying it on too thick. Adam was blushing hard enough already. “Ah, Neither one, actually, at least not permanently. I’m here to work on a book. So I’ll probably be hanging around for a few months. It’s a fascinating little place.” He tucked his hands back into his jacket pockets and started up a slow stroll, looking expectantly at Adam. They were obviously going to meander together, it would be awkward to do otherwise now, and they could walk and talk at the same time. “You were born here, you said? You’re actually the third person to tell me they moved and then came back.”
Whatever progress Adam had made in cooling his face regressed at the added comment and cheeky smile, but he also chuckled. He had learned long ago how to laugh at himself when he was being fairly ridiculous. "Make sure it's bolded and italicized to really drive the point home," Adam said lightly. The mention of the book piqued his interest. "About the town in general or anything specific?" There were quite a few stories that circulated about Point Pleasant and Adam knew a fair number of them in varying levels of detail, but there were likely more beyond that. He caught Nick's look and fell into step with him; in his surprise, he had momentarily forgotten to do things like walk. "Yeah, I lived here until I was about... twelve?" Granted, he didn't remember a few years within that at all. "Then my family moved to Northampton in Western Mass. I guess there's something about this place that draws people back, myself included."
The flirting was cutely casual, and Nick appreciated that Adam wasn’t falling all over himself to fanboy over him. That could get much more annoying than just being flirted with. Nick had been around the block enough to know how attractive he was to a lot of gay men, and it had never bothered him. It could be useful sometimes, like maybe now. People always warmed up faster and talked more if they wanted to sleep with him, he’d found, even just a little. “I’m starting out with an ‘in general’ kind of scope, but I’m hoping to dig deeper into some of the stories I’ve already heard. Maybe flesh it out with three or four big points of interest,” he said. It wasn’t entire a lie. “Twelve, huh? So you did some school here, then. Did they ever do field trips up this way? Or you just out sightseeing since you’re back?”
As his heartbeat slowed back to normal, Adam tried to be sensible. Nick was hot and talented, so of course Adam was going to respond to him, but it was safer to assume that flirting with him wouldn't go anywhere and just enjoy it while it happened. It was what he tended to do with anyone of any gender who he was attracted to, a defense mechanism as much as anything. Still, Nick was effectively disarming. Pushed past his initial, nearly starstruck, surprise, Adam felt increasingly at ease. "There's quite a lot to choose from around here, though some of it's probably ended up exaggerated over time. It'll be interesting to find out what you turn up," Adam said. "And yeah, through elementary school, for the most part. The field trips I remember were more museum-heavy, so checking out this place now seemed like a good way to spend a day off." He glanced over at Nick. "How long have you been in town so far?"
Nick tried to imagine traipsing a bunch of schoolkids through the museum he’d already wandered through himself, letting them learn about their town’s bloody history. It was probably a good thing, in a way, there was that whole line about those who didn’t know their history were doomed to repeat it, blah blah. He wasn’t sure he bought into that. Human beings kept being awful to each other no matter what, it seemed like. That was a rabbit hole he didn’t want to let his thoughts wander down though, not with company right next to him. “Oh, coming up on forty-eight hours,” he answered, shooting Adam a lopsided grin. “I’m staying at uh, the bed and breakfast, Juniper Inn, I think it’s called. It’s cute. Already had a burger at Moxie’s like everybody so far has told me to do. So anywhere else you can recommend to eat ... priorities, man.” Nick gave a laugh and paused as they reached one of the plaques around the tree. He squatted down to read it better, fingers running over the raised words.
Learning about the darker side of the town’s history had started early, but most of what Adam knew was more recently researched. There was a fragmented quality to his childhood memories: a few were in rich, vibrant detail; some were a general blur that was filled in from being told after the fact; still more were missing entirely. He supposed it was that way for most people as time passed, except more fell into the last category for him from early on. Following that line of thought wouldn’t lead anywhere productive, though, so he threw his attention to refocusing on Nick, which was easy. His lips quirked into a bright, answering, smile at the mention of food. “Dino’s has the best pizza, hands down. Joyland’s good for coffee and baked goods. Books and Beer, if you want a drink or two.” He gazed at the tree, taking a few steps nearer. The dark, twisting branches were jarring--beautifully grotesque in a way. Reaching into his pocket, he drew out his phone to snap a couple pictures. “I like to cook and work long hours, so I’ve only had a chance to check out a few places.”
The name Books and Beer was kind of intriguing, those were two of Nick’s favorite things, and combining them sounded kind of genius. He would have to check that out. He unearthed his own phone from his pocket to get a good shot of the plaque, then moved on to the next one. “What do you do?” he asked Adam, glancing over at the other man. Since he said he hadn’t lived in Point Pleasant again for very long, he might not be a great fount of the kind of information that Nick was after, but he could still chat the guy up a bit. It was all about making connections, in the end, right?
"I'm a nurse at Mercy--the hospital in town," Adam said. "It's smaller than the last place I worked at, but things were a bit busy last week. There was a heavy fog that rolled through for a few days. Caused some accidents and seemed to freak people out," he said, which was somewhat of an understatement. It had set him on edge, though he had evidently dodged the worst parts of it by doing little beyond going between his apartment and work. "Where were you living before this?" he asked, looking over at Nick. It wasn't an exaggeration that Nick was one of Adam's favorite authors, but he didn't really follow anything other than Nick's writing particularly closely, though there was no harm in getting to know him better now.
Nick had heard a bit about the fog already, and he found it rather intriguing. Someone had mentioned something about an EPA report that he was very curious to read. From what he understood, Adam was downplaying the effects quite a bit, but Nick wasn’t about to call him out on it. Not yet, anyway. “Los Angeles,” he answered, standing up straight again. He shifted his weight and bent each leg a couple of times, wincing slightly. Crouching like that wasn’t agreeing with his knees much anymore. “But originally from Decatur, Georgia. If you couldn’t tell.” Nick let his drawl out on that statement a bit, and grinned over at Adam. He never expected fans to know much about him personally -- he kind of preferred it that way, honestly. “Bein’ a nurse around here, you must see some interesting stuff ... or will. How long did you say you’ve been back again?”
Downplaying his personal experiences with things that defied normal explanation had become a deeply ingrained habit for Adam. It was a knee-jerk reaction more than anything, since nothing completely scanned for the fog. He looked over at Nick and couldn't help but grin in return as Nick exaggerated his accent. It was more charming than it had any right to be. "I noticed, just a bit. That's not too far outside Atlanta, right? I've taken some road trips down that way." He moved to look at the plaque Nick had been looking at before. "Just a couple weeks. Some of it's been typical stuff, but the fog--or something about it--made people surprisingly violent. Also, the hospital itself has a bit of a weird history.”
“Yeah, not too far from Atlanta, but far enough away to still feel kinda small-town-ish,” Nick said with a nod. He lifted his phone to get a couple of pictures of the twisted tree hovering over them. Witness to horrific violence and run-of-the-mill conversation alike. And God only knew what else. In spite of their ordinary chit-chat, there was something about the air around this place, it felt more still than the rest of the woods Nick had walked through. Different. He liked it. “Does it?” he asked about the hospital, giving Adam an intrigued sort of look. “Interesting. I’d love to pick your brain about it sometime.” Nick smiled again, since that seemed to be a pretty effective wheel-grease with this guy.
Adam enjoyed the heightened tension in places like Lyttle Hill. There was part of him that was still a little creeped out, but it was a feeling that was kind of addicting, which was why he had never really learned better, despite a few close calls. The stillness that felt removed from the rest of the surrounding forest but ultimately in the daylight it was safe. Most likely. Anything with a history that included as much violence and whatever else as this one did could be unpredictable. "Yeah, it burned down in the early nineties without any known cause." He read the names and dates listed on the plaque, then glanced back at Nick, smiling a little. "I haven't experienced anything firsthand yet, but a couple of my co-worker's said people sometimes complain about odd sounds or sightings every so often. But I enjoy talking about this sort of stuff, obviously, whenever you'd want to."
“Huh,” Nick mused. The hospital had burned down, another building in the area he’d read briefly about burned down roughly a decade later, interesting. “‘Yet’ being the key word there, I’m sure. Just give it time.” He chuckled faintly, ambling around the tree to get a couple more pictures from different angles. The Weird tended to out itself given enough time, but not always to everybody. Adam seemed open to it, though, and open people were usually the ones who saw things. “There’s a local library, isn’t there? I know they say most everything’s on the internet these days, but I’ve found too many jewels in old newspapers to believe that.” Besides that, librarians, especially in a small town like this, knew a lot about everything in their local area. Even if they didn’t have answers, they always pointed him in interesting directions.
Adam smiled. "I haven't found out the schedule for any paranormal hospital activity yet, if there is one, but I'm sure it'll happen eventually. I'll let you know when it does," he said, his tone light but there was genuine belief there. Working in a potentially haunted hospital had its own strange appeal. He liked knowing rather than not. "Yeah, it's down by the pier. I haven't made it there yet, but I have heard they have the Gazette archived. I've been meaning to check those out as well," he said, standing up from where he had been looking at the plaque and wandering a little further in to check out another marker, this one of where Rebecca Lyttle was burned.
Nick wasn’t in the habit of hanging out in hospitals, they tended to frown on that if you didn’t have a purpose there, but maybe knowing Adam would help him out with that eventually. Every avenue was worth exploring, you never knew what would lead to a Big Story and what wouldn’t. Since the man was a fan of Nick’s, he obviously had an interest in the paranormal, and this was sounding more and more like a good town to live in if that was the case. Just knowing for sure there was another Believer around was nice. The skeptical derision Nick often ran into got tiresome. He let the silence settle over them a bit as they both wandered around the site and soaked in the history. Eventually Nick gave the big twisted tree a pat -- it wasn’t the tree’s fault it had been used as an instrument of death -- and then turned to Adam. “Think I’m gonna head back,” he said. “Before it gets dark on us.”
Belief in the supernatural was not anything Adam led with in most cases, though obviously with Nick it had been a safe topic to breach in general. His own past experiences were harder to reconcile since his extrasensory ability were nowhere near reliable, so he tended to omit them until it was immediately relevant. It was exciting that Nick would be on town and working on another book, whatever that ended up uncovering. He fell into companionable silence as they continued to look around, his attention more on the site than anything else, until Nick spoke. "That's likely a good idea. I should get going too," Adam said, then on impulse pulled out his notebook, writing down his name and number and ripping out the scrap of paper to offer it to Nick. "It was good meeting you; if you ever want to grab a beer or check out some more weird shit, I'm generally into that."
Once Nick figured out what Adam was writing down, he dipped a hand into his front jeans pocket to pull a business card out. He offered it out with a grin as he took the paper scrap with Adam’s number on it with his other hand. “That’s my cell on there,” he said, nodding to his card. It was a lot easier to carry a few around with him to hand out rather than write his number down a million times. “Likewise, give me a ring or shoot me a text ... I plan to dig in and be here for a while, I could use somebody to tear me away from work every so often.” He glanced down at the scribbled number and then tucked it into his pocket before giving a laugh and side-nodding in the direction they’d both come from. “Walk with me, let’s not do that awkward distance thing,” he offered. Adam seemed like a nice guy, and even if Nick wasn’t into fooling around with guys, he’d be a good person to know. Things were off to a good start at least.