8

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

[There's the sound of what seems to be someone speaking urgently, becoming louder and louder as the voice gets closer to the journal.]

Oh, God-- my face . . . can't feel anything-- what's...

Terri? Terri, are you in here?!

Can't breathe-- My arm... good lord, my arm! what happened...?

[It's at this point Hank catches his reflection in a mirror. There's silence for a moment, followed by a drawn out yell.

Anyone on floor 3 are likely to hear this, especially as he barges into the hallway.]

This isn't me! Where am I?!

Hello? Anyone?!

Comments

dictated;

[payback.livejournal.com]

[she's not in the castle... but this guy sounds like he needs help.]

...Hello?

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

Who said that?

Is anyone there?

[payback.livejournal.com]

I'm not with you. You're going to want to look for a book.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

[Follows the sound of her voice to the journal.]

Great. Now the books are talking to me.

I really have lost my mind.

[payback.livejournal.com]

You have not. Flip through the book a bit; everyone talks through this. It's a journal, and it's yours.

Are you all right?

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

... None of this makes any sense. How did I get here?

No, I'm not. My body... it's part cybernetic. I can barely feel anything, and I've no idea how I got this way.

[payback.livejournal.com]

There are some dimension travelers here - you'd have to ask them if you wanted technical details. [...] This isn't going to sound good, but the generally accepted consensus is that the castle brought us here.

[pause.] What's your name?

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

Anyone specific?

It's Hank.

[payback.livejournal.com]

Make a filter.

[Hank]

Like so. Only you can see this.

I don't know what might have happened to you, I'm sorry. But... someone here might be able to tell you more.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

I see. Thank you.

... strange.

[flips some pages.]

There are entries marked with my name. How can that be if I've never been here?

[payback.livejournal.com]

Sometimes, people have been here in the past, but gone home. When they come back here, they've always forgotten everything about their previous stay.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

They're recent, too...

I it common for them to suddenly appear and reappear within a matter of days?

[payback.livejournal.com]

Maybe not common, but it certainly can happen. [...] People also have losses here sometimes... where the castle takes or changes something about them.

[payback.livejournal.com]

Maybe not common, but it certainly can happen. [...] People also have losses here sometimes... where the castle takes or changes something about them.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

Any personal experience?

...hm. Hard to know whether or not that's my case.

There must be some kind of sign, or indication that something's been altered.

[payback.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The castle can do that kind of thing easily.

You could have gone home and returned from a different point in time, or you could be on a loss. [a pause.] If you don't know what happened to you, you must either have been really confused and disoriented right out of it, ooor...

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

It could be anything. The last thing I remember was getting ready for our flight and then... nothing. It's all a blank.

'Or'...?

[payback.livejournal.com]

Sounds like amnesia or some kind of loss, to me.

Sorry. That's probably not too comforting.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

I doubt amnesia, so loss must be the most likely answer.

Ha. No, I must say it isn't.

[payback.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I can't help you more than that... but if you have any problems here, people should be around to help.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

I didn't catch your name, miss...?

[payback.livejournal.com]

It's Asano Rin... just Rin is fine.

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

I'm Henry Henshaw. Everyone calls me Hank, though.

[payback.livejournal.com]

Hank it is.

Sorry it's been such a tough introduction. Are you okay right now?

[cheerupemoborg.livejournal.com]

I'll live, if that's what you mean. I think.