03.2023 | WELCOME BACK! Hello friends old and new! I'm so excited to welcome you all back to SITW! I've made some changes to the plot and added the ability to play supernatural charcaters! So come and check it out! I can't wait to jump back into this little town with all of you!
A strange history surrounds the town, it is a place where mysterious and supernatural things have been known to happen. The reputation of the town reguarly draws in visitors and newcomers alike. While some residents avidly believe in the supernatural, others are far more skeptical. What do you believe?
A knot was twisted in Alexis' stomach. She had made up her mind. Her friends and her family had been pestering about Ellis D. for what felt like months now. She had hoped that Ellis D. would get out of his little funk and start being...normal again, but that hadn't happened. The pressure from the people around her had reached a fever pitch and finally Alexis had realized they were right...or that she wanted to get them off her back? Her real reason seemed to change with each passing hour.
Regardless, she had decided what she would do about it as she made her way to Rosie's Diner to meet up with her boyfriend. She stepped through the door with a the ring of a bell and server came to seat her. She wasn't sure if Ellis D. was already there or not, so she looked around first. If he was there, she would point him out and head in his direction, if he wasn't she'd ask for a table for two and go sit down to wait for him.
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 6, 2021 22:10:26 GMT
Ellis D. had a sinking feeling in his gut since the moment Alexis texted him about meeting at the diner. Their relationship had been on the metaphorical rocks for all of summer. Instead of parties with friends and skinny dipping in the lake it seemed they’d spent most of the break from school arguing in her car or avoiding one another. It wasn’t the pre-senior year summer they’d expected to have together. Ellis D. wished he could snap out of it, wished he could stop his hyper-criticism of himself and her and their friends, but he couldn’t. He’d hidden and pretended for two years and he was done with it now.
But he wasn’t done with Alexis. Never her.
He ignored the weight in his gut and showed up at the diner ahead of schedule. He didn’t like her having to wait on him, better for him to be sitting alone. After only five minutes, however, he snuck out the back for a quick smoke. Lex didn’t like the new habit but she didn’t know what it was like to have the nerves he did. Smoking soothed him. To soothe her he’d told her he was done, but he still snuck puffs here and there. Just a few, and the cigarette butt was crushed against the ground and the rest of it stuffed back into the hidden pocket inside of his black leather jacket. Smokes weren’t cheap.
Ellis D. swung by the bathroom before returning to the table. He splashed water on his face and rubbed his teeth with his finger. He then used the odor spray on his jacket to get rid of the smoke smell. It only partly worked.
By the time he returned to the table Alexis was already there. She was gorgeous, as always, and Ellis D. felt his heart swell with pride that she was his and sink with guilt for what he’d done simultaneously.
“Hey babe,” he said quietly as he bent to peck her lips—if she let him—before sliding into the booth seat across from her.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 7, 2021 13:13:42 GMT
When Ellis D. walked in Alexis' heart ached at the sight of him. How could she let go of a man who was that beautiful. And it was more than just his incredibly hot looks, she knew who he was on the inside and loved that too. She didn't liked who he'd become recently but she still had hope for what he could be if he would just let himself have it.
"Hey," she replied with a smile, trying to hide the tension in her face as automatically lifted her lips to meet his. The scent of his cologne mixed with cigarette smoke reached her as he did and her nose crinkled as he sat down. He knew how much she hated smoking but he continued to do it anyway, even just before they met up. The attempt to disguise the smell hardened her resolve. "What have you been up to?" she asked casually as she leaned back in her seat, waiting for the server to approach them.
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 8, 2021 14:34:46 GMT
Ellis D. could tell from the moment her lips pressed to his that something wasn’t right. So his sinking feeling was correct. She was mad about...something. He couldn’t remember what. Then again, what weren’t either of them mad about these days? They bickered like an old married couple, it seemed, rather than exchanging soft kisses and sweet words. He knew his disease, but he couldn’t peg hers.
“Nothing, really.” He said, turning the corners of his mouth down and shrugging. “Got off work less than an hour ago. Have a shift at the urgent care tonight.” He’d been a cashier since first coming to town, but had picked up the urgent care job as a janitor at the beginning of summer. He had the night shift on the latter, which had affected their ability to hang out in the evenings.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 8, 2021 14:51:34 GMT
Alexis pressed her lip-glossed lips together, feeling the slight sticky quality to the pink shimmer that he would now have a trace of on his own lips. She had long ago graduated from the fruity scented glosses, but it did have a slight feminine scent to it.
She nodded slightly as he explained his day. He worked so much. Alexis didn't work at all, coming from a family where she never had to worry about money. Work experience would probably not be a bad thing but Alexis had no desire to go out and get a job. Her work was cheerleading and 'being a Vanderson'. That was enough for her. She knew she was privilaged in this way and it had been more noticed by her since she had started dating Ellis D. whose life couldn't have been more different than her own.
She shrugged a bit at his question. "Had cheer practice earlier. Getting an early start on the season. Being lectured by my parents constantly. Same old, same old I guess."
The waiter came over to take their order. Alexis considered not ordering anything, but she changed her mind last minute. "Can I get some onion rings and a coke?"
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 8, 2021 18:50:37 GMT
Ellis D. noticed the lipgloss. He could have despised her for it, but he didn’t. He liked that she was conscious of her beauty and did things to enhance it. He wouldn’t fault her for that.
“Gotcha.” He said casually after she mentioned same old same old. He had a pretty good idea of what her life looked like. Though he hadn’t exactly welcomed her into his, he’d spent many evenings in her home and at parties attended by the founding families. He knew. He’d seen.
When the waiter came to take their order he shook his head. He always paid for Alexis—that was not negotiable—and right now his income was slim. MJ’s doctor had started her on a new medicine that took a lot of what he made, and his mother had just stolen all the cash in his room and burned it on booze. Seemed he needed a better hiding place.
“Just water, thanks.” He said it without looking away from Alexis. The moment the waiter left he’d reach across the table to take her hand, if she let him. His thumb would stroke the back of her hand as he looked at her meaningfully, a silent expression of his appreciation and love for her.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 8, 2021 20:11:54 GMT
As sweet as it was supposed to be that Ellis D. insisted on paying for her, it always made her feel guilty. She felt a small surge of that guilt as he ordered water only. She knew his financial was far more challenging than hers and so she often tried to make sure they were doing other things other than just eating out when they went on dates. It was interesting challenge for her to think of inexpensive date ideas when she didn't have to do so.
He allowed him to take her hand though she almost pulled away. For a second she didn't respond and after a long second she gently curled her fingers around his. The way he looked at her broke her heart. She was trying to lie to herself, to tell herself this was just a high school relationship, that she didn't love him. But it was just that, a lie.
She sighed and squeezed his hand a little more firmly. He had been her lifeline in more ways than she could express and she wanted to hold onto him a little longer. She knew she couldn't. "We need to talk," she said quietly, her expression pained as she looked at him.
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 8, 2021 20:21:29 GMT
Ellis D. had told her he loved her before. More than once. It wasn't something that had gone unsaid. The only reason he didn't say it now was because he didn't want to push it. He could tell something was on her mind, and he didn't want to shut her up with those words. He preferred to whisper them to her as they lay in her bed, his hand stroking the soft skin of her side.
We need to talk.
She's never quite started a fight like that, that he could recall. For some reason the words stung. Anticipation had been building in their relationship. He well knew the pressure on her from her friends and her family, and though he knew her to be a strong woman of her own, she was susceptible to peer pressure. Weren't they all?
He had a feeling he knew the direction of this conversation. She was going to tell him he needed to change something. The unspoken threat of ending the relationship would hover in the air between them. He'd always teetered the line between just right and not quite good enough.
Ellis D. gently reclaimed his hand, slipping it under the table where the other rest. He leaned back in the booth and set his brown eyes on her in a direct, unwavering gaze. Alexis was too special a girl to be tossed and turned by the waves of pressure set on her by her peers. He wished he could liberate her from them, but he didn't know where to begin.
"I thought we were talking." Ellis D. retorted, a little defensively, though his voice was still quiet, arguably soft.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 9, 2021 22:27:43 GMT
As he released her she pulled her hands towards her on the table, crossing her arms and holding softly into her upper arms while her elbows rested on the surface in front of them.
His words had her lips pressing together again anxiously. She knew that he knew what she meant. Why did he have to make this so hard by looking so drop dead gorgeous?! The thought of not being his girlfriend, of being forced to watch him move on was heart breaking and it almost broke her resolve.
Almost.
She closed her eyes for a second, trying to give herself an internal pep talk before she opened her eyes again. “I think...” ugh, she hated this. “It’s time for us to...go our separate ways.” She spoke softly enough that unless someone was intentionally eaves dropping her words would not draw attention. In case he didn’t get the point she decided she should just rip off the bandaid and be blunt. “I think it’s time we break up.”
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 10, 2021 1:45:15 GMT
Alexis closed her eyes, and Ellis D. felt as if the ground beneath him was falling away. When she opened them again he wanted to run, to hide from the rejection he knew was coming. It was hard to see her like this, when he’d seen her happy and smiling so many times before. She wasn’t happy now. She wasn’t smiling. He had done this to her.
The words she spoke fell to his ears like a mallet on a gong. Time. To. Break. Up.
Break. Up.
Break.
Ellis D. felt as if something in him was starting to break. As if she had just delivered a powerful blow to his stomach and his nearby heart was cracking. His mouth felt dry and his eyes masked his hurt with anger.
“Why?” It wasn’t a softly spoken question, but a quiet, edgy challenge. As if she had no good reason. He could list the reasons himself. Starting with the obvious: he wasn’t good enough for her. He didn’t fit in with her crowd. He could never give her the life she expected and deserved. His presence was always a stain on her shirt, and she was finally bringing the bleach to remove it. She was finally removing him. He had seen this coming from the first text, first date, first kiss, first intimate moment together...but it didn’t make it any easier to swallow now. It was a death. A death of a relationship. Deaths were never easy.
He didn’t wait for her explanation.
“No, Alexis.” He shook his head and turned his eyes down, the waiter having arrived with their drinks and her food.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 10, 2021 1:59:08 GMT
Alexis' shoulders visibly hunched and she cringed slightly at his angry tone. They had been together for what felt like forever to a girl her age. He had been her everything. But as happy as they had been once, things just weren't working anymore. Their relationship had changed. He had changed.
Her eyes widened a bit at his 'no' and opened her mouth to respond when the waiter arrived. Alexis gave her a small smile of thanks but didn't move to reach towards her food or drink. She leaned back, pulling her elbows off the table and in against her body as she rested her back against the back of the seat.
"You can't just say 'no'," she said once they were alone again. Or alone as they could be in the diner. "That's not how this works."
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 10, 2021 2:51:35 GMT
“So just because you say it’s over it’s over?” His tone was still challenging, drawing upon the supposition of their culture. “Because you’re done with me we’re done? Is that how it works, Lex?” His nickname for her felt more mocking than intimate to use considering the circumstance. He was getting worked up, though still speaking quietly so as not to cause a scene.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 10, 2021 3:20:14 GMT
The nickname he used tore at her heart, especially with his tone of voice. Her hands gripped her arms more tightly as her heart raced. "Isn't that not how it works?" she tossed back in growing frustration and sorrow. "If one person wants out then it's over. What are you gonna hold me hostage?" she said, not meaning the words she said but wanting to put distance between herself and the less than pleasant situation.
Post by Ellis D. Youngblood on Mar 10, 2021 3:25:10 GMT
Ellis D. stared at the girl across the table from him, the love of his life, and watched in undisclosed horror as her face became less familiar to him. His hurting inside was changing her in his eyes. For the first time ever he wasn’t sure if he considered her beautiful, or if that beauty was more aptly described as fake.
“So just like?” He scoffed, reaching for his water. He brought it to his lips for a messy gulp, then set the cup down loudly. He then crossed his hands over his chest and turned his glare out the window.
Post by Alexis Vanderson on Mar 10, 2021 4:06:29 GMT
Alexis was convincing herself not to cry and the words of her family and friends kept repeating over and over again in her mind, reminding her why she was breaking up with the love of her life. She had dreamed of their future together countless times. She’d use her money to give him something he didn’t have, security. She’d make sure his sister had everything she needed for her health. The thought of MJ made her throat feel tight and tears well up in her eyes. She swallowed and did her best to force them back.
“I think you already know, D.,” she said softly, speaking his nickname with longing and unable to hide the love she felt for him in her tone. “You’ve changed. We’ve changed. You are going down a path I can’t follow and if I can’t bring you the happiness that you long for...” she trailed off. She hadn’t meant to speak that truth. That she at least partly blamed herself for his choices. That she hadn’t done enough to make him feel happy and fulfilled and so he had searched for whatever was missing somewhere else.
She put her elbows back on the table, moving her hands over her face and into her long, blonde hair as she looked down at the table instead of at him. Suddenly those onion rings didn’t sound so good after all.