Night Mime

*Posted by : White\_Caribou on Mar 13, 2018, 7:36am*

- August 18th, Streets, Rose District, Evening (during party)-

It was times like this when the real beast of Dusk came out to roam the streets. The girl was quick to avoid that each and every night as she made her way back to Daybreak before curfew was brought about.

Jessy pulled herself over the wire fence with a rattle for easier travel through the empty alleys. She always took strolls like this to appease her curiosity of the outside that was growing ever so quickly. Unfortunately, this was as close as she got. Being a Skyrider was an incredibly fascinating thought during long days of work.

"What I'd give to be one of them..." she muttered to herself with a chuckle, kicking a bottle and loose gravel. One of the most dangerous jobs was the one she'd loved. How did that make any sense for someone so diffident? She couldn't be any more of an outsider and the thought made her laugh. Her mom was a Skyrider and--as far as Jessy knew--was dead. Didn't keep her from dreaming though.

Since she was little, Jessy had always wanted the one thing that, due to financial problems, she was denied; knowledge. Knowledge of the Darklands. Knowledge of history. Knowledge of...anything, really. The girl began whistling a tune she'd heard from her mother, casually slipping into the words at scattered times. Her mellow voice echoed through the shadows with such freedom and benevolence she never felt anywhere else. If she could do this every day, for years and years, maybe forever, then she could finally be happy. Her and Carter could be happy. For the first time in years.

Faint street lights illuminated her as she twirled around one of the posts, and enthusiastic leap nearly sent her tumbling into a pile of abandoned building materials; she dug through it all until finding a thin, tattered tarp that stretched across her wingspan. She hummed the rest of her mother's song with a sway in her step after draping the blue sheet across her narrow shoulders. With it blowing in the breeze behind her, time was lost.

The Centrum's clock tower surged with the haunting chime Dusk knew so well. It would ring three times a day; for noon, for curfew, and of course for midnight. Curfew had come about for the minors.

Jessy nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard it. Throwing the tarp off she glanced up at the buildings with quick breaths. She hadn't paid attention to the time. It was gone in what felt like seconds, she'd lost herself in her own song. If she wasn't in her room by the time *he* did rounds either Jessy, her roommate, or her brother were in deep shit.
She clambered up the nearest light pole to reach a cracked ledge in which she cautiously grabbed onto.

"Up and over, up and o--" she struggled to pull her body up when her grip on the edge crumbled off in stone bits causing her to groan, "--over." Lurching herself over it once more she quickly got her footing on the roof of some shop and dashed across it, avoiding the glass panels in the ceiling. *Time, time, time...* Some people could be heard laughing in the street to her left. A dog barking in the distance. Unaware of her current location she stopped in her tracks to look around, one foot thudding down onto a panel. Without a moment of hesitation her foot jutted through with a loud clatter of glass. Jessy yelped quietly, barely able to keep her body from going through the large now open square. With panicked breaths and all of her strength the girl rolled onto her back but took no moment to examine the wound. She limped off and crossed a thin wooden plank connected one rooftop to another. The rest were accessed by simply jumping to, which in conclusion, didn't help her bleeding leg. Luckily the shop was closed at this time.

The stone sign stood like a dark giant in the ground, reading *Daybreak* on the edge of the pathway near the street for all to see. Not exactly a good message when going to adopt kids, then again nobody ever really got adopted. It was odd when they did, a true spectacle for all the unlucky to witness. But it was also an asylum so the appearance meant zip.
Upon reaching the orphanage Jessy had trudged through mud puddles to reach her side of the large building which faced away from the public eye, perfect for nights like this. All was silent as she began scaling the bricks that stuck out just enough to be used as grips. Her coat fluttered behind her as she climbed like a crazed monkey with a visible injury.

Two taps on the window and the pane was raised almost instantly. Cerise pulled her through the opening and slammed the window down to lock it. Jessy was quick to remove her muddy boots that her roomie had let her borrow.

"Get in bed! He's still on rounds," the long haired blonde carefully peaked out of their room into the corridor. He was three rooms down. Two. Jessy had ruffled her red locks and thrown her coat into the corner, slipping into her bed with her face to the wall. Cerise fluffed her hair and slipped the green jacket over her, taking position near the boots.
When Warden Donnel opened their door she was casually unbuttoning the garment as if she'd been the one to return from a night of carefree adventure.
"Cerise?" the man's eyes fell to the mud that was tracked in. He slowly entered the room.
She looked up with a wide eyed expression, "Warden, I- I couldn't sleep. I thought maybe some fresh air would be nice so... it was only a few minutes."
"A few minutes after curfew, I see. What if someone were to catch you? Being close isn't being inside. You know the rules," he said in a stern tone, Cerise blushed and looked down, shooting him her brown puppy dog gaze at last.

"It won't happen again, I cross my heart," she became bubbly and confident once more striking a half smirk on the man.
"It's alright but next time try opening the window and getting air there," he turned to leave the room but stopped on his way out. He looked back at the blonde girl. "Are you having *those*nightmares again? The thoughts?"
She hesitated but nodded slowly. Jessy lay still with her eyes shut.
He grimaced, "I'll make another appointment with Dr. Hill this week. I thought you were over this."
"You and I both."
"Well, sleep tight dear," the warden exited the room with the quiet click of the handle. "If you can."

Cerise let out a big breath as Jessy got into a sitting position.
"Nice job, Miss Theater." Her friend had taken off the jacket and thrown it at Jessy in a lumpy ball. Jessy took a pair of red gloves from the pocket and tucked them into her drawer. One valuable thing she'd stolen tonight from the Corbet house. Small enough to go unnoticed to such contrastingly priced objects in Stella's closet. When she dropped the fabrics off at Hanson's tomorrow maybe Emily would find value in them as she had everything else Jessy had snatched from Highholm. On that note, Jessy would be paid a little more every time she brought something *good* along with the *goods*.

"Next time it won't be like that. You could've gotten me in serious trouble, Jess." She swept the boots aside with her foot and returned to her own bed, sitting to face her friend. "In fact, you did."
"You got off the hook from my perspective-" Jessy attempted speaking.
"I have to go back to east wing because of you. You know, where they put the freaks?"
Jessy scowled, "It's just some old bag talking to about your feelings and showing you weird blobs on cards. How hard can it be?"

She was given a glare.

"*You've never been down there*. Are their screams not loud enough? One of these days covering your ass will get me thrown in there and then what? You find another roommate and it's off with my head, if I even have it by then...I'm about at the last straw. I suppose I am a freak," she gripped the blanket in a fist.

Jessy rolled her eyes, "You're such a buzzkill. But a good actress. I guess the thought of all those questions and white rooms makes me queasy but the treatments are the worst part, I'm guessing?" She looked to Cerise who had shifted slightly. "The hell did they say you have anyway?"
"A lot. Forget it, next time you go out try to make it back before the damn curfew, alright?" She pulled the blanket over her cold body and turned her back to Jessy who didn't know what to say. They'd sent Dr. Hill to examine each new orphan, but they never had to walk past those menacing white doors into the abyss unless they belonged there. Their nerves were both screwing them up because arguments never happened between them. They were both exhausted too.

"How're you gonna explain a bleeding cut to the nurses?" Cerise said in a sudden jolly tone with a hint of mockery.

"Um," Jessy scanned the room dramatically, "I think I'll sleep on it."
"Goodnight," Cerise muttered, "but I suppose it's not really good."
Jessy hesitated, grinning at the long forgotten inside joke.
"It is in Highholm."

They both shared a snorted laugh.