spectwine

Spec rambles onward aimlessly. "I don't know why I believed her. She said she thought I was a witch. She didn't want to tell anyone else but she wanted me to know. I don't-- um, I don't know how to take that, I don't know why but it felt... she talked to me about it and I felt like I believed her."\n\n"But um... no one in my town does magic. I know there's magic but not in my town. Just stories. And all the stories about it are bad. Magic being used for evil or witches that lots of terrible things happen to and it's all just really bad. And I thought-- um-- I don't..."\n\nShe runs a hand through her hair. "I don't know what I thought... but... I didn't... think I could stay there. I was scared. I felt like something would happen. I was scared. So I ran. And-- And I don't know where I am, and I'm still really scared, and I want to go home but [[I don't think... I... can."|page25]]

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At this point, she's certain that [[she's passed this tree three time's by now.|page2]]

...\n\n...\n\n...\n\n...\n\n...\n\n...\n\n...\n\n...\n\nNothing happens.\n\n[[She peeks open her eyes.|page9]]

The figure-- a person-- a girl, picks up and shakes off the thing that she dropped, a hat, and puts it on her head before approaching the cowering girl. Spec shrinks back a little more as she turns towards her.\n\n"Jeez, you scared me!" she speaks, in a quick-paced and brash voice that's loud enough to make Spec flinch. "I didn't even think anything would be out here. You were walking pretty quiet, huh? I'm usually a pretty good listener. Maybe I'm just flaky today, though. Y'never know. Oh, right, I should probably ask."\n\nThe girl holds out a hand.\n\n[["You alright?"|page10]]

I'm going to die.\n\nSpec's immediate instincts tell her to run. She doesn't run. She freezes when she hears it, like a deer in the headlights, and the closer it gets, she doesn't budge. She can't bring herself to move!\n\nSucking in her breath, she braces herself as it gets closer, and closer, and...\n\nSomething comes out.\n\n[[Spec screams.|page7]]

Opposite her, a figure jumps back with a start, bumps back into a tree, drops something, and scrambles to pick it back up.\n\nSpec's vision a blur, she finally manages to move, stumbling backwards only to also hit a tree and fall clumsily onto the ground.\n\nTerrified, she brings her shaky hands up over herself in a defensive stance, squeezes her eyes shut, [[and waits.|page8]]

She slams her head right into the branch of a tree.\n\n[[Maybe it's a sign.|page5]]

Well... if she keeps walking, maybe the trees will thin out.\n\nSuspecting she may have spent the past while walking circles, she commits to walking instead in a straight line. The sound of the wind rustling through the trees serves only as a reminder of how cold it is. She isn't one to dress for cold weather, since she's used to spending her time protected from the elements in her own home, and the effects have begun to take their toll on the poor girl.\n\nShe tries in vain to tug her short cloak a little more down her arms, as much as she can muster, and hopes that maybe she'll come out the other end somewhere warmer, somehow, if that even makes sense, and it doesn't, but she'd like it anyway, please, maybe if she hopes hard enough...\n\nHer train of thought is stopped in it's tracks when she hears another noise come through.\n\n[[There's a rustling coming from the trees ahead.|page6]]

Spec had left early in the morning, making sure to be out before anyone would see her off, and now it was well into the evening, nearing 8 pm.\n\nNot that she'd know that. She knew it was dark, maybe, but since she got helplessly lost, it's always seemed dark. Maybe she'd upset the balance of the universe by leaving home and she'd accidentally sent the earth plunged into eternal darkness. (That seems like something a witch would do, right?) Maybe it was going to stay dark until she got back home and got in trouble for messing everything up so badly...\n\nOh... oh no. She didn't think of that until now. Everyone would be really mad at her if she went home now, wouldn't they? Especially if it was really late. Were they going to yell at her? What if they hate her forever?\n\nThe idea of being hated forever is terrifying. The idea of being lost for the rest of her life is even more terrifying. But she left home [[for a reason|reason]], and the idea of having to deal with that reason is also terrifying. Everything is so terrifying. When did life become so awful and scary?\n\nSuddenly she's not so sure if she should [[keep moving|page5]] or [[just turn back|page3]].

This was a bad idea from the start. All she's made is bad decisions. She's cold and she's sad and she's scared and maybe a little homesick even though she's hardly even been gone for a day. If she waits any longer, she'll just get in even more trouble when she gets back.\n\n[[Spec gathers her bearings and turns around.|page4]]

Melanie leans into her, interjecting. "Oh man, you're staying with us? Nice! There's four of us now! Think of all the cool stuff we can do! Let's buy a board game!"\n\n"I--"\n\nB clasps her second hand over Spec's hand that she'd been shaking, and suddenly twirls her. Spec, completely unprepared, is spun, and stumbles backwards, falling on her butt on the blanketed ground.\n\nMelanie starts cackling, and Alto starts hollering something about how they should act more proper and they're probably scaring her. Spec, dizzied and confused, looks up amongst the havoc that has been unleashed amongst the strangers she's about to be spending her time with.\n\n[[And faintly, she smiles.|page32]]

[[Someone|b]] very large and unusual is standing behind the seat, and makes a number of bizarre noises as Spec turns to meet... eyes...? with her.\n\nSpec startles, yelping, spilling some of her mug of no-longer-warm-tea a onto the floor and nearly falling out of her chair. The mild cacophany causes the sleeping Melanie to rouse from her light slumber, sitting up in a dazed state and trying to process the goings-on.\n\n"B, you scared her," Alto says, as the new person waves her hands around excitedly, making lots of beeps and buzzes and flashing various colors. \n\nSpec feels like she has suddenly completely lost the plot. She is startled once again when Melanie pops up behind her and swings an arm across her shoulder. "Heyy, you stopped crying! [[What's up?"|page30]]

Spec sniffs. Alto falters, raising a hand up to her, wondering if she may have crossed a boundary on accident, but Spec pulls her head up, shaking it lightly. \n\n"Thank you," she says in a meek, measured voice. \n"I don't know if I'm ready to go home yet. Can I stay here a bit?"\n\nAlto nods her head. "That's fine. Let us know what you need."\n\nThey sit there quietly yet again for a few more moments, when Spec feels something touch at her shoulder from behind her.\n\n[[She turns around.|page29]]

There's a break of silence in the room. Spec finds it deafening. She curls her knees in towards her chest and starts to hide away her face. "Sorry. Sorry. I don't know you."\n\nThe clouds around Alto shapeshift softly as she takes everything in, becoming thin shrouds that seem to dance around her. A moment passes before she speaks.\n\n"Um... your name." \n\n"Ss... Spec."\n\nAlto draws in a breath. "Spec," she says. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm a runaway, too. And Melanie. We all ended up here the same way. [[It happens."|page26]]

Spec Story

Spec doesn't notice, but Alto struggles with the words.\n\n"Magic, that... grows out of you, is something you have to learn for yourself. Sometimes the hard way. But that's why it's important to convene. It's why me and B started travelling together. It's why we let Melanie live with us." She motions to the girl, lazily slumped on the soft floor, completely unaware of the conversation at hand.\n\n"It's, well..." Alto sighs. "I don't know if I can help you, Spec. I can help you find your way home tomorrow if you want. I don't know if I have any good advice. But we're here to listen and talk to, [[if that's what you need."|page28]]

Spec tilts her head to peek across at her.\n\nAlto continues speaking. "Truth be told, the three of us are just a group of magical runaways. Different reasons. I can't speak for B, but I know Melanie was kicked out and wanted a fresh start. And I..."\n\nThe clouds around her seem to twitch and expand as she begins that sentence, and then cuts it short. "Well, I have my own reasons. You have your reasons. I don't know if you're magical, but if you are, well, you're in good company."\n\nA breeze that Spec can't place seems to flow past her for a moment, blowing her hair ever so lightly. Alto considers her words carefully, and speaks in a slow, unsteady way, as though she's having trouble coming up with the right thing to say.\n\n"Magic... isn't necessarily good. It's true that it can be bad. And it can be dangerous. But I don't think that means that it is exclusively bad. I don't think that having it makes you any more..." She hesitates. "Any more dangerous of a person. You just have to figure out what you're doing, and [[accept it as some part of yourself."|page27]]

Melanie steps back into the room with a mug of something warm, and Spec takes it into her shaky hands. She pulls it close to her face and breathes it in. The warmth of the drink, the warmth of the house and the warmth of the people in it calms her down slightly, even if she doesn't know what it is.\n\nSpec does not know where she is. She's not at home, and she doesn't know how to get home. She doesn't know if she will ever get home again, or see her family, or if by then her family will even want to see her.\n\nStill, she's here. Somehow, this foolish escapade led her into the hands of people who, for now, at least, seem kind. She doesn't feel like she deserves it.\n\nQuietly, she nods to Alto, and Alto nods back to her, turning slightly to sit forward. Melanie sits down in front of them on the pillow-and-blanketed floor, and [[the three of them simply sit for a while.|page22]]

"Hello," she says quietly. "My name is Alto. Are you alright?"\n\nSpec blinks a few times, trying to clear tears from her eyes but they don't seem to stop. She shakes her head.\n\n"Alright, well... what is your name?" Alto asks.\n\nSpec doesn't reply.\n\nAlto eyes her for a moment, then seems to understand. "Well... are you from around here?"\n\nSpec shakes her head.\n\nThe clouds surrounding Alto seem to swirl slowly as she closes her eyes, thinking. She sets a small hand down over Spec's own, sitting in rest on the seat.\n\n"I won't ask any more questions if you don't want me to," she says. "I won't pretend I know who you are or what happened. But you're welcome to spend the night here and wind down if that's what you want to do. [[We won't judge."|page21]]

She has no idea what she's saying, sounding out words that feel foreign somehow to her mouth. She doesn't know why she's telling anyone this. But then, it's not like she has anything better she can do.\n\n"It's weird. I was kind of uncomfy with things for unrelated reasons already. But then life just got... weirder. I don't know how to explain."\n\nAlto opens her mouth, but Spec continues.\n\n"It felt like, uh... physics... didn't apply right. And my body just felt weird, and I feel so light. I haven't felt right. And it's kind of... it sounds fake, but one of the neighbors, um, in our town we're pretty close. She'd been watching over me, I guess, and said-- [[she said it was magic."|page24]]

About an hour of solemn silence passes before Spec feels like she's actually capable of speech again. By now, she's sipped at her drink a bit, and discovered it to be chamomile tea. Only a few sips, though. Her stomach was in twists.\n\nShe shifts somewhat, pulling up her hand to place over the other. Alto, who'd remained in the position she'd taken in the first place, becomes alert with this change in motion, and turns to look up at her. Melanie had a while since tilted over into a loafing position, and now seems to be lightly asleep on the blanket carpet of the floor.\n\nSpec opened her mouth, stammering out a sound or two before managing to actually form any words.\n\n"I... ran away from home. [[I was afraid."|page23]]

As she introduces herself and talks some nonsense, Spec tries to do a quick observation girl who's come to her... rescue? Demise? She doesn't know yet, but she notices that her hand is unusually warm.\n\nShe's short and fat, wearing a pink witch's hat on her head. Spec wonders about this. Her hair is so long that it almost touches the ground, curling uniquely before it hits, and her bangs cover up her eyes entirely, so that Spec can't see them.\n\n[[...Wait, how could she see?|page11]]

"Well, you seem pretty shaken up 'n all. I don't think I've ever seen you around. Not that I've been here too long, but y'know, you get a sense of the locals pretty quick. Plus you were in the middle of the woods, so that's weird. My name's [[Melanie|melanie]]." She doesn't let go of Spec's hand. "You can call me Mel if you want, though."\n\nMelanie walks forward, gently pulling Spec along, who's a little too lost in her thoughts to even process that she's essentially being [[lead away by this new stranger.|page12]]

This person is very small, much smaller than Spec or Melanie. She seems very gray, and her eyes are blank. Her voice is slightly nasally, and she sounds older, somehow.\n\nMost weirdly, though, tiny clouds seem to drift all around her, floating... \n\nSpec almost wonders for a second if she's seeing things, but they don't seem to go away. She wonders about this. [[She wonders...|page18]]

The new stranger towers over all three of them, humanoid but definitely bizarre, having no mouth, questionable eyes and color-changing diamonds embedded in her chest, and that isn't even all of the oddities. \n\n[[Spec has never seen anything like it...|page29]]

[img[spec]]

She hadn't felt the same since she was told that she had magic in her. It frightened her. There was no way-- it couldn't be a coincidence-- every story she'd ever heard with a witch in it, something terrible happened to them, or they were evil and someone went out and took care of them.\n\nWas that going to happen to her? Was something terrible going to happen to her? Was she going to become evil, and have to be taken care of?\n\n[[The thoughts haunted her.|page2]]

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A [[figure|alto]] appears in the doorway.\n\n"What do you mean, you've..." The stranger's voice dwindles off, at the sight of her housemate accompanying a sobbing mystery person.\n\nThey all stand there in moderate silence, staring at each other, other than Spec, who's still crying and hiccuping.\n\n"...Alright," she says, [["come in, you two."|page19]]

Melanie sits Spec down on a comfortable looking seat, and then walks aside with the other stranger, talking in quiet tones back and forth about the situation. Spec still hears almost all of it.\n\n"Who is this?" the stranger whispers.\n\n"Honest, I have no idea. I found her in the woods and when I asked about it she started crying and she hasn't stopped," Melanie whispers back.\n\n"You brought a stranger here?"\n\n"Alto, c'mon. Like, I get it, but, look at her? C'mon. You think I should leave a sobbing person alone in the dark woods?"\n\nThe stranger sighs. "...No. And you're right. But I don't know what I'm supposed to..."\n\nWhatever happens next isn't spoken through word, and Spec doesn't turn to look at them. She's staring at the floor, tears still dropping periodically from her eyes. And after some time, the stranger comes by and [[sits next to her.|page20]]

Alto throws her arms to the sides and a brief gust of wind blows outwards on all sides from her. Everyone stops. \n\nShe speaks. "Let's not overwhelm things. Spec, this is B. She's one of us. She can't speak traditionally, but hopefully you'll be able to understand what she tries to get across."\n\nB holds out a hand as though offering it to shake. It has an eye peering from the back side of it. Spec hesitantly takes it, and they vigorously shake.\n\n"B, this is Spec," Alto continues. "She's going to be staying with us for-- err, well... you can introduce yourself if you want." \n\nSpec feels suddenly a little nervous. [["Um... my name's Spec Stella, I'm--"|page31]]

Spec stares up at her with wide eyes, processing the things that just happened, and the girl stands there ever the same, waiting patiently. Hesitantly, Spec reaches out to accept the help, opening her mouth to give some kind of response, and then closing it. Open, then close. No! No, nothing is alright. She's scared, and she's cold, and she's scared, and she's really, REALLY scared, and she doesn't even know who this is!\n\n"Yeah? No? I mean, you screamed, but I don't know why. I didn't even know you were there. Oh, unless you didn't know I was there either? Oh, man, did I startle you? Haha, sorry. I was just out here looking for something, but now totally I don't remember what. Maybe firewood. That's usually what I'm out here for. ...Hey, are you shaking?"\n\n[[She doesn't answer that either.|page11]]

Maisie June

Melanie continues talking, and it continues to go right over Spec's head.\n\n"Haha, man, now that you distracted me I seriously completely forgot why I'm even out here. Maybe if I don't remember that means it wasn't important? I guess my memory is pretty bad though. I mean, I can't do anything about it now, so I guess it doesn't matter."\n\nI'm glad I'm not dead, but...\n\n"I found you instead. Except I still don't know who you are, but that's fine. Right? Or at least, I don't think it's bad or anything. You seem alright. I don't know what happened, but I know that everything is gonna be juuuust fine."\n\nStill, I still don't know where I am, and I'm— I'm being lead away, by a stranger?!\n\n"I wouldn't really know, but I don't think people walking in the middle of the forest is TOO common. It's pretty late, too. But I'm sure you've got a story. Plus I'm not reeeally one to talk, because I'm the one who found you."\n\nI don't know what's going on? What about my family?\n\n"I already explained that, though. Huh, I guess I probably should've just asked from the start. Almost slipped my mind. Shows what I said about the memory. What were you doing out here anyways?"\n\nWhat if I never see them again?!\n\n[["...Hello?"|page13]]

Spec hears that last one, and shifts as though she's been jolted awake from a dream.\n\n"I... I..." she stammers.\n\nMelanie perks up. "Oh, you're talkin'?"\n\nHer voice falters. She tightens her grip on Melanie's hand.\n\n"I..."\n\nShe squints her eyes shut, and barely manages to wibble out any more words before she [[bursts into sudden tears.|page14]]

She goes from 0 to 100 almost immediately, tears dripping down her cheeks rapidly as she trembles and hiccups, letting go of Melanie's hand for use in covering up her face.\n\n"Whoa, hey..." Melanie leans back for a moment, watching her quietly. Spec gasps for breaths in-between choked sobs, and soon enough her knees buckle and she moves into a crouched sitting position, bawling on the ground.\n\nAfter some awkward watching, Melanie moves to crouch down next to her, putting an arm around to pat Spec on her shoulder. "It's okay, y'know? Everything's going to be alright."\n\n"Listen," she says, "I'm here, and I'm gonna take you to a safe place, okay? No more dark forest. I don't know what happened to ya, but I'm really cool, and I'll make sure nothing bad happens."\n\nShe sneaks her hands around both of Spec's shoulders and [[delicately pulls her back up onto her feet.|page15]]

Spec doesn't stop crying. She rubs a hand across her eyes, and it doesn't help very much. \n\nMelanie, arm along her back, starts leading her forward again, and Spec doesn't resist. \n\n"We're going home, okay? It's not just me, either. There's like 3 of us and we're all really nice and cool. We're going to help you, alright?"\n\nSpec sucks a breath in and nods pitifully, her glasses fogged up so she can barely see. "Okay," says Melanie, and this time, she doesn't spend the entire time talking nonsense, only speaking to mutter quiet encouragement to [[the girl crying beside her.|page16]]

It's a short walk for Melanie, and a long walk for Spec, the minutes drawing themselves into infinite lengths as she can't bring herself to stop crying. She barely processes the intermittent words of comfort from the stranger she was suddenly finding herself relying on.\n\nI'm never going to see my family again, she thinks. This is it. I'm going to die here. My family is going to have to have a funeral for me. I let all of them down. I ruined everything. I did this. This is my fault.\n\nThese kinds of thoughts echo endlessly through her mind, catastrophizing to infinite lengths, completely overwhelming her. She says nothing on their awkward walk through the woods.\n\nAs they walk, the trees become more spaced out, and after a while, the darkness thins; a warm light pours between the trees, and the [[silhouette of a small shelter starts to appear.|page17]]

It's makeshift; you can tell it was built by unprofessional hands, but it isn't bad, either, and something about it just seems welcoming. The light comes from strings of lanterns hung up across the ceiling, pouring through the currently open door. As they approach, the interior becomes a little more visible, the floors decorated with blankets and pillows, and some seating. Spec hears some voices and noises coming from the inside.\n\n"I'm heeere," Melanie says as they get close, and the voices stop. Then they start again.\n\n"Melanie! You're back... surprisingly early. Did you get the firewood?"\n\n"Oh shit, it was firewood," Melanie mutters. "Uh, yeah. I mean no. [[I've got something else going on?"|page18]]