Down the Rabbit Hole ~open~

[Talbot Emlen Garret]

Over twenty four hours on a plane, sixteen in a bloody car, and then another two on top of that trying to find and convince someone to ferry her out. For the time and the money that was spent it might have just been easier to ask someone else to do the work for her, and perhaps Mrs. Amenish had been right in the long run about the whole thing being a wild goose chase, which would indeed make it even worse to try and turn back now and admit defeat. People called her brash, naive, childish, and crazy for doing what she was doing, but if there was one thing Talbot Garret was not about to be it was a quitter. Damn her foster parents, her friends, damn the other professors, and damn that fisherman who had finally got her part of the way...

Or at least what she thought was part of the way. Talbot's arms ached as she continued to roe against the waves that jostled the large rowboat. She had never really rowed before, but at a certain point when the clear morning air turned to a dense fog the captain she'd bribed with quite the pretty penny began to turn her around and tell her that she was better off spending the rest of her summer months laying on a beach where the sea was a lot friendly than this. In her own rush, she'd gathered every item she'd brought with her, her clothes, her books, her computer and phone even though the singnal on both cut out and where dead for hours now; tossing them into the row boat she threw another hundred at the man and told him to lower her down.

Pulling the yellowed and wrinkled letter from her pack she stopped rowing for just a moment to read it once more. The perfectly shaped words scrawled across the page, a lingering scent of roses mixing with the sea air as she pushed aside the pink and brown curls to better read.

Somewhere around this place there was someone could tell her about the person who wrote this letter, who gave her the instuctions she needed to find this island that no one believed her existed. Talbot held the letter tightly, the several sheets of paper more important to her than any paper she'd ever written at uni, more important to her than any photo, or any person in her life waiting back home for her. Somewhere, and maybe even waiting for her was the only family she had left, the one person who gave her up so many years ago before she could even remember.

Shoving the papers away she checked her phone again, everything was dead. There would be no calling her foster mother, or calling for help in that case. No...Mrs. Amenish would not be pleased at not being able to yell at her daughter half way around the world. Everything was dead, the phone, the computer, the wind, and even...

Talbot realized that she was no longer moving in the water. Looking around she began to realize that the mist had pulled back just enough for her to see rocks, and then the sand beneath her. When had she run aground? Standing she grabbed up her backpack and things and stepped out onto the sand, her hightops sinking in deep as she looked around. Just what was this place, and where the hell had it come from?

Walking up along what she could decipher as a path she found her way into looked like a half built city...or rather...half destoryed? Setting down her things she looked around. The silence was deafening as amber eyes were cast about looking for some sign of life. "Hello?" she called out, enough to be heard, her voice fading on the wind, the gray morning sky still dark.

Where there any peope at all here, or had this really all been just one last taunt from an unknown ghost of her past?

[parker]

I’m falling, Save Me.

Her eyes were raging tides of blue today, unlike the previous day when those almond shaped eyes had been a calm Caribbean blue instead of the dark storm water that now churned within twin irises. It wasn’t because the youth was full of anger at someone or something but simply because she was wild today. Or to better yet describe what the girl was feeling it would be called ‘she was feeling her oats’ the dark haired beauty had heard this funny saying back at the boarding school in Derbyshire. Derbyshire… how the girl missed her home land with its rolling landscape and open spaces oh and the fresh air but the one thing she missed most was the electricity and her family. It wouldn’t be so bad if she had her phone on her so she could call her mum or her sister, Lizzy. A solemn sigh escaped the mortal as she ran her fingers through her long dark hair, plopping down on the rocky shore. Channler pulled her long legs up to her chest wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on her fore-arms. She wanted to race down the shoreline and scream at the top of her lungs, but the youth knew she would have to battle this urge that surged through her veins screaming at her to do something. Channler’s brows knitted together drawing down to bring a shadow across those wild ocean eyes as she fought this increasing urge to do something drastic. What had her father said she had had? ADHD? Ah yes that was it, a mild case but still the youth felt it now in blood shooting sparks of adrenaline through her system.

But Channler knew better than to draw attention to herself in this little wayward land. She wasn’t stupid, she’d heard reports of people going missing or coming back completely different. Even as a child the slim girl had been attuned to the supernatural and strongly believed that this place was sorta of like the center of it all. So it was best not to give reasons for she herself to be abducted by unknown forces and either be killed or somehow manage escaped but turned into something else. With a bored yawn the ocean eyes let paper thin eyelids scrunch over them before snapping back open at the sound of wood scratching against rock. What was that horrendous noise!? With a scowl Channler picked herself up off the ground and brushed the butt of her silver jeans off. Then the girl wiped the palms of her hands down the side of her jeans defeating the purpose of trying to get the sand off her bum. Blowing out a breath of air that the girl hadn’t known she was holding she picked her way across the shore until she found the source of the noise. The original plan was to dislodge the nuisance from the water but it all turned upside down when Channler’s orbs latched with those of another. A stranger? No! Didn’t people have any common sense these days! You just don’t go into the ocean and paddle your way to some stupid island that you know nothing about! Channler had no tolerance for stupidity but something about the other girl brought curiosity to her. This other human reminded her of her younger sister Lizzy with her wild curls and always some dysfunctional color of the rainbow in her hair. This newborn curiosity and compassion for the poor soul that had wound up alone in this strange world made her step out and make herself known. “Hullo darling. I’m Channler, and you?” Her eyes were almost calm, almost like a pond’s surface when nothing was there to disturb the water. But now they were snapping again, like someone had just skipped rocks across the surface and then jumped into the rapids of some river. The blue was dark and stormy but welcoming all the same. Just like the sea, so beautiful is the surface drawing the poor swimmer in but in the depths it twists drowning the victim. Was it possible that Channler’s personality was just as torrent and clever as the ocean’s? Perhaps, perhaps not.

You’re Not My Prince.

[Talbot Emlen Garret]

Outside of the ruined village Talbot just looked around, it was obviously too early, her watch reading close to five o'clock in the morning, the only think that seemed to still be working, the tiny winding pocket watch that she carried with her everywhere since she'd gone away to study after prep school. A thumb brushed over the glass casing as she figured to wind it up again, not willing to let the one thing she could keep track of die on her. The mist was lighter around this area, and was growing thinner as the gray skies slowly lightened. Just the morning before she'd woken up in a hotel bedroom, her books surrounding her, wrapped up in a down comforter, but now she trekked across what seemed like a god forsaken land.

Why had no one believed her when she'd told them of this place? It existed, she could feel the dirt under her feet, but why was it that no map seemed to show that something like this existed? Even as she'd tried to row herself in, she somehow had the feeling that she had not been the one to find land.

A shiver ran down Talbot's back, she was cold, and this place did give her the creeps. Setting down her pack she knelt down, grabbing the letter out once more, pulling on her reading glasses as she slowly examined the paper before her. If this place was empty then why was this letter sending her here? Just what was this feeling in her gut that grew tight like a balled up fist, pulling her here?


Going past several of the pages she gently held them between her lips as she examined the other four in front of her. Instructions, descriptions, cryptic little quotes that made no sense. The one thing kept getting repeated though throughout the letter.

You are not alone.

What did that mean? Who was so eager to send her this far out?

A voice behind her, the sudden sound in the dead silence made her jump. Standing up once more she clutched the letter close to her like a child caught with stolen cadies, nearly dropping the half that she'd held in her mouth when she yelped. Turning she looked at the other, where had she come from? Had Talbot just been so quick in passing the beach that she hadn't seen the younger girl in front of her. What the devil was she talking about?

Oh, a name....a greeting...looking over her dark rimmed glasses Talbot slowly organized her things in her arms before she cleared her throat. "Talbot...Talbot Garret." She spoke softly, holding out her hand tentatively. "I'm glad to find someone actually lives here on this island. Was afraid that I came here for nothing at all. Literally nothing...did you know that there is no map that shows this place? Just what is the name of this island anyways?" The questions just bubbled over, the young woman very intrigued, relieved to find another soul in the darkness and mist.

[parker]

She blinked, running one pale hand through her wispy dark hair as the fog danced about the twosome. Talbot, that was a strange name but who was she to judge? The youth didn’t know that many girls with the name Channler and most of the them didn’t even spell it her way. A light smile toyed at the edges of her lips, blue eyes dancing glad for some company in the early morning. She reached out her other hand towards Talbot’s taking it in a light grasp to confirm the greeting that had been passed between the two. Not only was this to finish up the friendly greeting but because Channler wanted to make sure she wasn’t dreaming that some weird girl had magically made her way to island in a tiny boat all by herself and just so happened to land by where Channler was daydreaming. Seeing as though Talbot was solid Channler grinned happily but soon the pretty smile had washed away from her face as the older lady’s questions began to spill about in an unmerciful waterfall. What was she suppose to answer these questions with? The island is magic, it chooses its victims well and keeps itself hidden. Oh and you can get killed or turned and don’t forget you can’t escape! No, that wouldn’t be something appropriate to tell the newcomer. “That’s funny, I thought with all the new age technology out there they’d finally be able to know about this place.” That was partly true for a few years now Channler had been hoping, praying even, that the outside world would finally know about Ivory Island and free the poor souls that were anchored to its shore. But of course, Ivory would always escape the grasp of mankind. Channler should know that by now, but she wouldn’t give up. Turning her attention back onto the woman she swept her hand about her, “This world is known as Ivory Island. Where no one can leave and everyone dies.” What a cheery thought perhaps it would scare Talbot or she’d think it merely native folklore.

“Oh and I hope you don’t mind the dark, love. But I should warn you it gets scary when night falls.” Channler wondered absent mindedly if Talbot had realized her electronics didn’t work here or how what little buildings there were had no light coming from their dark windows. Did she notice how even though the sun was coming up there was no fluorescent light pollution here? A grim smile came across the thin lips, as she searched Talbot’s eyes. Did she understand what mess she was in now? Then the fluttering of the papers caught Channler’s always wandering attention and the girl’s fingers itched to snag what looked like a letter and read it, but she fought the new found urge and instead managed a weak smile trying to be a good little Island Greeter, like she had seen those Hawaiian girls be. Sadly though she was without flower necklaces and only had sad information about Ivory. Channler shook it off, no she’d be a good tour guide and try to make friends while she was at it. How old was Talbot? She looked maybe two or three years Channler’s senior. “Sorry Talbot, me and this place aren’t on friendly terms. But hey, maybe you’ll like it just fine.”

[Talbot Emlen Garret]

Channler's smile was a welcomed sight compared to the the grimaced lines of lips she'd been greeted with throughout her traveling. It seemed she'd been doomed to only make people upset. Her foster parents had been supportive enough until it came down to the idea of a place that no one in the world had heard of, her friends questioned why she would pack up and run away from her work at the university to chase a ghost that may no longer exist. For now a smile, as short lived as it was in her arrival here.

"You would think that wouldn't you? However technology is not all there is to life to find out all the answers. If this place has stayed hidden for so long then there is a reason why we haven't found it." Talbot spoke, releasing the hand as she organized her notes and shoved them back in with her bags of books. "We are simply human luv, we can't know everything, or it's no fun anymore to play the game. That's what I've been told at least." She smiled, nearly a grin as she looked around a little more. Channler reminded her of some of the students she worked with back home, and it was comforting to have that at that moment.

“This world is known as Ivory Island. Where no one can leave and everyone dies.”

That was probably one of the more morbid greetings she'd come to have upon any arrival she'd ever made. Amber eyes looked the other over before meeting her gaze, the bright gaze looking as if it was almost glowing in the light like a cat's eye. Deep down a familiar feeling unfurled, something she couldn't explain, but felt so natural as she chuckled a bit, running a hand through her dyed hair. "We've all got to die someplace I suppose." She replied, intrigued by the idea of what the other had said, "So we can't leave, even if I took my little boat back on shore and paddled away? That's an awful thing, but it can't be helped if I came here of my own will. Though that does explain why the fisherman wasn't going to get any closer. Letter said nothing about that bit." Even with the rowboat, if she could get off the island, she'd die of dehydration or of starvation before reaching the closest shore, if ever.

"Dark never scared me. My eyes are good, always have been. You seem to hate this place though...I don't doubt you're lying about any of this. However it's hard not to question all of this. Why...how did you end up here if you are so at odds with it?" Was it a morbid curiosity to be so eager to know more, to take some pleasure that things were not so simple as an abandoned island. Talbot pulled back on her pack, walking further into the village, "Do you know how many others are here? I came here to find someone."

[parker]

Channler pursed her lips ever so slightly, the corners of her mouth tightening as Talbot went into a short lecture on technology and lot of other yadda yadda. It would be much, much better if technology could find this place, that way others would know to stay away from Ivory Island. Game, ha. This wasn’t a game, there was no way to win but pray and even then your chances were rather slim. No, Channler reminded herself, she was going to be a good little tour guide and smile at all the right moments and such like when she had went to the United States that one summer to their capitol and everybody was so cheery, well except the protester’s single tent in front of the white house. Channler blinked the memory away quickly and tuned back in to what Talbot was saying, trying to supply the right answers now. “You’re probably right.” The youth responded, flashing her own genuine smile in return. The breeze tugged at her dark hair lightly, spinning it into the misty air and the grin softened to a smile. Even with all the disappearances and in some cases appearances, the island still had its own kind of beauty and class.

Channler let out a giggle, trying to imagine a grumpy old fisherman telling Talbot off for trying to make him go out in the middle of the ocean and hope they’d magically stumble onto some unknown island. Channler’s natural curiosity perked when there was a mention of a letter of some sort, but she held her tongue sufficiently. Running her hands through her hair, the youth prepared her mentality for the next question that was sure to happen and it rang clearly in her head, echoing over and over again. “How did you get here?” She didn’t know how she had gotten here, one moment she was there and then the next she was here. Trying to be logical at the most, Channler believed she had stumbled into some open worm hole near her home and it shucked her out here. That was as much sense as you could get from her on this matter nothing more but sometimes less. She removed her hands and began to wring her wrist before she answered, hoping that the woman wouldn’t think her round the bend or something of that sort. “Well you see, one moment I was helping mum clean the kitchen to prepare for some important guests of my father’s. I had to put the dogs out so I went to open the door and holler at ‘em, but then I was here. I know it doesn’t make much sense or how it’s even possible, but one moment I was at home in Derbyshire and the next I’m here on Ivory Island. You see why I hate it so? It took me from my home, and now mum, dad, and lizzy will never know what had become of me.” She explained quickly and quietly, not wishing to dwell on her past in fear she would get stuck in it. Blue eyes locked with amber ones, pleading that Talbot not think her out of her mind.

Then the lady started to walk on, towards the village and Channler was glad for a change of scenery so she happily followed the wild haired woman through her new home. Talbot asked something about more people, and Channler nodded in response. “Oh yes, there are more. Not sure how many, because people –or things- appear all the time or they try to leave. I suppose the disappearances take away too…” She trailed off, not wanting to scare Talbot off. Channler smiled sweetly towards the other, glad to find some company.

[Talbot Emlen Garret]

Talbot listened to Channler's story as she continued up further into the village. The other had been right before about darkness, of the few buildings that still were whole there was not a single light visible. By the looks of things there would be enough to make a fire for light, but nothing around her suggested that there was any electricity at all. There were islands she knew of that were limited in their capabilities, but this was something new altogether. "Curious..." She muttered to herself.

What gave the young woman pause was when the girl spoke of how she'd come here. Turning she faced the other, one dark brow quirking up as if to question the words she just heard. "You're saying you just appeared here?" Talbot had spent days trying to get to this place, and here was someone telling her that they just accidently found themselves here. She felt bad for the other girl, but at the same time, it just sounded unbelievable. She looked at the other for a moment longer, "I'm very sorry to hear that. If there are others here like that then it's only a matter of time before someone finds them. People don't stay missing forever." Talbot said, in order to try and give the other some comfort...and perhaps herself at the idea that she might not be able to leave any time soon.

This place, it was confusing. Sudden apperances and disapperances just as sudden? "Bloody hell..." She spoke softly, looking around. "Well I guess it would be hard then to ask around about a specific person, wouldn't it be? This makes my visit a little more difficult. This place is just full of mysteries, isn't it?" Placing her hand on what was left of a crumbling wall, chalky white dust brushing off onto her sleeves.

"Is there anyone here who is a sort of leader, or some form of police...anything? I know I'm asking a lot, but this is very new to me. It's hard to believe everything you're telling me. I keep coming up with so many questions..."

[parker]

She caught up picking her way easily through the ruins, where she had been walking a little way off from the wild haired woman she now was at her side, her arm brushing the other. Channler’s blue hued gaze surveyed the area wondering if anyone else was up at this early hour yet. She didn’t know the exact time but it seemed as If morning’s break was going to be put off for another hour or so. Her ears perked as Talbot tried to comfort her, at saying people would be sure to find her, but the youth only shrugged it off. She knew better, no one would find her same with Warren, they were somewhere one moment and the next here. Just like how Talbot said, ‘If this place has stayed hidden for so long then there is a reason why we haven't found it.’ The island kept itself hidden as it did its people. The dark haired girl smiled showing she didn’t mind it even if deep down she did. But she mustn’t dwell on the past, no she would never go back ever.

“I suppose, but it is pretty small so it should be easier to find your… friend?” Not too nosy now, Channler. She reminded herself silently. The mist was letting up some and it was easier to see her surroundings, the youth instinctively racked her eyes around the surroundings making sure no beady eyes were in the shadows watching her and Talbot make their way through the crumbling civilization. She sighed as more questions were poured on her but this set made the girl giggle remembering a movie with that Arnold Schwarzenegger guy, “Take me to your leader.” She mimed laughing, Channler took her arm and looped it in the crook of Talbot’s. “Well sorry to burst your bubble, love, but we have no leader nor police.” The girl leaned on the other, a smile splayed across her face. Channler by nature was the touchy sort not in a naughty way but she liked to be close to other people.

ooc;; sorry its short

[Talbot Emlen Garret]

Channler said nothing to her of her own disappearance, but Talbot let it go. There was no point in pushing things people might not want to talk about. When she was asked about her own search for someone she gave a small sigh.

"I'm not...I'm not entirerly sure to be honest. All I know is that I'm related to them, somehow." She replied softly, running fingers through her hair, "I was hoping to find someone who might kno wthe person I'm looking for, though really all I have are a few pages of a letter, and a set of initials belonging to someone who told me to come here. That's why I was rowing all the way up here. Trying to find what family abandoned me all those years ago back in Bristol." Talbot almost laughed when she'd finished, the idea that she'd dragged herself so far across the world because of a letter. No doubt it sounded just as crazy as suddenly appearing on the island.

"Are you serious?" she put aside the joking the other did, letting her take her arm. It was comforting to have that human touch. "You're telling me that on this whole island, with more than just a handful of people on it haven't even thought to organize and try to work together to figure out this place?" Her lips set in a stern line.