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?
Klara absolutely loved hiking. It was the weekend, and the didn't have to go to school on Monday either, so the young woman had decided to go hiking with Holly. Her parents never minded her doing so; they knew Klara was good at orienting herself, and she had lived in Sweetwater her entire life. The mountains had become her second home. In her backpack she had camping gear, food for Holly and her, her tent and a sleeping bag. She brought a battery pack and a second, oldschool phone, which battery could basically last an entire century without being recharged. Holly was excited too. Klara could see it in the dog's behaviour.
The two had been hiking for a couple of hours when suddenly the Australian Shepard saw a rabbit. Normally Holly was very well behaved, but the dog had been more excited than she normally was. "Holly, heel!" she yelled when Holly took off. The dog didn't listen, and bolted. "Shit, shit, shit", the brunette mumbled to herself, picking up the pace and running after her dog, which wasn't easy with the hiking backpack. She didn't mind Holly running around, but she didn't want to leave her out of her sight, and she definitely didn't want Holly to kill a bunny. Klara loved animals and didn't want to have to deal with prying it out of her mouth.
She was able to keep her eyes in Holly, although she was far. The dog had stopped running, which didn't seem like a good sign to Klara. When she approached, she noticed that Holly had forced her head and part of her shoulders into the entrance of the rabbit burrow. "Damnit Holly!" she exclaimed. She dropped her backpack on the ground and crouched down beside the dog, trying to pull her from the hole, but to no avail. Her shoulders kept her head stuck, and the ground around her head was hard. She couldn't dig Holly free with her hands.
After trying for a few minutes, she realised she wouldn't be able to get Holly out herself. She was a little panicked because she didn't know if Holly could breathe well in there. The teenager took her phone out of her back pocket and glanced at the reception bar, trying to see if she had service here. She sighed deeply in relief when she noticed she could make a call here, although the service wouldn't be super good.
Klara dialed the number of the non-emergency line, and after a few moments, someone picked up. "Hello, my name is Klara McKinney. I'm hiking with my dog, but she got stuck in a rabbit hole. I can't get her out, and I'm starting to panic a bit. I can give you my coordinates, if that makes it easier to find me."
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 21, 2024 17:14:05 GMT
Being a small town, only a couple people handled the non-emergency local dispatch. The woman gave Holly a pleasant hello and asked what she could help with. “Let me connect you to the firefighters line. They can see who can help you out.”
The line went quiet for a moment and then another voice picked up. Ferris didn't make a habit of answering station phone calls. He wasn't a people person. But when Ethan was taking a deserved nap, he grudging made exceptions, listening to the operator briefly before she turned the call over. Considering it was about a dog, he was mildly less abrasive. It helped that he knew her family name, vaguely. Not that he could pick her or her family from a crowd.
“Hello, Miss McKinney? This is Ferris, with Sweetwater Fire. I was told your dog is stuck in a hole…on a hike?” Clearly, by her having said ‘coordinates’ rather than address, the operator had guessed the forests and commented as much. “I can get a ranger out there if you need it, but I'm heading out in my truck right now. What trail?” Depending on how deep she was into the forest, this could be a bit of a hike.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 21, 2024 19:02:11 GMT
The woman on the other end of the phone said she'd transfer her. Klara thanked her and waited for the phone to be picked up again. This time around it was a man, named Ferris. "Hello, sir", she said when he greeted her. She was raised to be polite, and although he had introduced himself with his first name, she'd be respectful and call him sir. Older people and people with an important function deserved all the respect. "I'm about an hour and a half into the Sweetwater Mountain trail, starting from the South. We passed signpost 17, uhm, fifteen minutes ago, give or take." She waited for him to respond to that. "I'm not sure if a ranger is needed, I think Holly is fine, I just don't know how much air she has in that hole." There was a slight panic to her voice, but she tried to stay calm.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 21, 2024 21:41:48 GMT
No matter how many times or by who, being called 'sir' made him wince. He shrugged off the awkward discomfort and repressed feelings. Focus on the phone call, focus on helping this girl that was clearly just being polite.
And hour and a half was a trek. He'd have to see about allocating funds to get the station an ATV or something. Not that it was too much slower to stop at the ranger station and borrow one of theirs, since that trail started close enough to it. It wouldn't be the first time he borrowed their equipment. Plus, then he could see Darcy maybe. Prove he was still around and fine. Perfectly fine. "Sweetwater Mountain, signpost 17 from the south. Copy. I understand, miss," he said, pulling on his jacket and remote starting his truck. He decided to take his personal vehicle, rather than the engine or the station pick up. He grabbed some of his gear, the mid-sized shovel, oxygen tank and mask, and anything else he thought he could carrying with him on the ATV that might be helpful. He guessed Holly was the dog, probably a girl then? "Usually warrens have multiple entrances so hopefully she's alright. I'm..." he glanced down at his watch. "...gonna try to be there in fifteen minutes, okay? Maybe twenty. Keep your phone on and try to keep your dog relaxed."
Dispatch could track her phone for her location, but he had a decent idea. His radio should still work at least, if they got any updates. His cell service...he doubted he would be as lucky as she was. Thankfully, there were no more hellhounds to worry about in the forests. But having those beasts around made him worried there might be something else. At least she wouldn't have to worry about any of the werewolves.
He set up the small siren and light and climbed into his truck, pulling out of the lot. It being a small town, nothing was too far away. Except the hiking trails. "You want me to stay on the call?" He wasn't exactly 'happy' to do so, but considering the wait time, he wouldn't blame her for wanting the distraction and comfort.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 22, 2024 9:06:42 GMT
The man on the other end of the phone confirmed her location. She could hear some rustling when he put on his jacket. Her cell service wasn't great, so the line was breaking up a bit, but luckily she was able to hear the important parts. "Alright, sir. Will do", she responded, putting her phone on speaker and crouching down next to Holly again to pet her on the back. She made some reassuring sounds and Holly wagged her tail, which was a relief.
It was quiet on Ferris' side for a while, but Klara was occupied with petting Holly and didn't notice. Then he spoke again. "Uhmm." She thought about it. Trying to fill twenty minutes of phone time didn't sound too appealing. She'd rather focus on Holly. "I should be fine, so you don't have to", she said, glancing at her phone screen. She'd let him respond and end the call, because she didn't know if she needed to stay on a little longer for tracking or anything like that. "Thank you, sir", she added. She was glad that they could get to her in fifteen to twenty minutes, and that nobody had made her feel dumb for being in this situation with her dog.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 22, 2024 20:11:27 GMT
”Okay. I'll be there soon,” he would confirm, before letting her hang up and then setting out to the ranger station.
[fifteen minutes later]
The sounds of the wind through the forest leaves, of birds calling to each other, of twigs falling or small animals rustling weren't perhaps Ferris’ favorite noises, but they were pleasant. At the moment, however, they were drowned out by the high-pitched, mildly unpleasant whir of the ATV engine. The small off-road vehicle, laden with the oxygen tank and shovel, bounced and growled over a trail that was barely wide enough and not at all in others. He had to detour on a few occasions but thankfully Klara hadn't gone far enough up the trail to where it almost required climbing.
Even for just a dog stuck in a hole, if she were in town, they would have brought the entire engine. But for way out here, it was hard enough to get one man, let alone a team or the engine. Hopefully he would be enough. He didn't blink over the scale of the emergency or that it was for a pet. Maybe partly because he was a dog person, and he could empathize.
Just past marker 17 and running unsurprisingly on schedule (he had been here five years, he was good at navigating), Ferris saw her. The girl crouched next to the ball of fur that had to be her dog, Holly. He slowed down and parked the ATV a few meters away, boots heavy on the side of the trail as he dismounted and turned the engine off. “You’re Klara?” he guessed. It might have been a joke. “I’m Ferris, we talked on the phone. How’s your dog?” Still stuck from the look of it. He was clad in his standard gear sans the hat, fire or no. Though the first thing he did was sling off the jacket because it had been far too warm for that. His first order of business was to make sure Klara was alright and to see how exactly her dog had gotten stuck.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 23, 2024 14:54:49 GMT
Klara could hear a vehicle approach, even from a distance. The whirring contrasted sharply with the sound of the forest and the mountains. She looked over her shoulder, still crouched down, and saw an ATV with a man on it. She wondered if it was the man from the fire department, or if it was a ranger. When the blond man said her name, she nodded and stood upright, and judging by his gear, he was the firefighter and not a ranger. "She's fine. She whines from time to time, but I think it's just because she can smell the bunnies, not because she's hurt. Actually, she's surprisingly calm. I guess she realises the pickle she's gotten herself into." She smiled, somewhat hesitantly, because she didn't dare to laugh before Holly was safe again. "We were walking when she noticed a rabbit and ran off. I normally keep her on the leash when we're walking where I know we'll meet people, but I let her roam free on hikes", she explained, afraid that she'd get into trouble for letting her dog off leash.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 23, 2024 16:13:33 GMT
Ferris stepped toward the girl and her dog, looking down at the poor creature as Klara spoke. He shook his head slightly, focused expression giving nothing away. “Australian Shepherd, right?” He guessed from her markings and body shape. Or maybe border collie, he supposed. Probably she was more friendly toward people than toward rabbits, but Ferris didn't judge a dog by their looks. In his line of work, that had to go both ways. He'd been snapped at by plenty of animals and licked and love tackled by many more. But it was better not to guess at such things.
“Hey there, Holly. Hopefully that rabbit isn't having as tough a time as you.” He spoke as calmly to Klara as he did the dog, wanting her to know he was there and hopefully not get too anxious about a person she couldn't see. Ferris crouched next to the dog, setting the shovel to the side for the moment and inspecting the sides of the hole with his gloves. It was a solid chunk of dirt, so no surprise the girl had called for help. Holly had torn up the ground beneath her a bit in her struggle to get out, but her back paws hadn't been able to reach forward enough. “Shouldn't take too long. If you want to help, keep petting her and once some of the dirt is loose we should be able to use our hands.”
He reached out to pet Holly and provided she didn't make any noises of dislike, he would reach underneath her to pull away any loose earth. Finally, he turned to his shovel, angling the point away from the dog and pressing it into the hard dirt near her shoulders. He didn't want to cave in the burrow further in on her. With her shoulders bunched up, that was the part they needed to loosen.
Ferris used his boot to force in the shovel, starting with a shallow divot and progressively making it larger. He paused to scoop away the loose dirt every so often. “Off leash is fine,” he said after a moment, having heard the girl's reproachful tone. “But I'd be careful. There's a lot worse than bunnies in the forest,” he settled on instead of the word he had been going to say. “Long as you keep an-” he paused, grunting with effort as he pressed in the shovel again. “-an eye on each other.”
Post by Klara McKinney on May 23, 2024 17:12:00 GMT
It was nice that the man recognised Holly's breed. It put Klara's mind at ease. If he knew his dogs, then he must know how to deal with one getting stuck. "Yeah", she responded a bit more cheerfully than before. The girl really loved her dog, that much was clear. Holly was a very nice dog, and while all owners said that, it was truly the case with her. She wouldn't hurt a fly. She just loved chasing after rabbits.
Klara stood and watched while Ferris approached Holly. His tone would definitely put the Shepard at ease. She liked meeting new people, but Klara wouldn't blame her if she got a bit anxious since she couldn't see him. Her tail was wagging slightly, though, so no reason to panic. The brunette nodded and walked to Holly's other side, so she wouldn't be sitting directly behind Ferris as he tried to set the dog free.
"You're okay, baby, don't worry", she told the dog in a hushed voice while petting her back and hip. Holly didn't mind Ferris touching her, and Klara looked at him over Holly's back. She could see that he had grabbed the shovel. The dirt was hard and solid, but couldn't withstand the force of a shovel and a boot. Meanwhile she continued to pet the dog, reassuring her every now and then that she was doing great.
Her attention was then focussed on the firefighter again, nodding slightly at his words. "Normally she stays close and her recall is great, but I realise that doesn't really mean anything given the circumstances." She felt stupid for being in this situation. She didn't want an adult to think she was a dumb teenager. "But I'll make sure to keep her leashed when she gets out of the hole. I wouldn't want to have to call a second time." She chuckled and patted Holly lightly on the back. "I think she just got too excited. We haven't had weather suitable for a hike in a while." It was just a bit of smalltalk, and some excuses here and there, but Klara wanted to seem mature and responsible.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 23, 2024 20:18:17 GMT
"Smart animals," he said and then added, "Most of the time." He too avoided laughing though. The situation didn't warrant that until her dog was out of the hole. Then they would be okay.
Ferris took the dog's wagging tail as a positive sign for both being able to touch her and that she wasn't overly stressed. Of course, she probably wasn't not stressed, being trapped in the dark with the scent of something she really wanted to chase forever in the air and forever unreachable. He did his best to work quickly and carefully. If it had rained more recently, this wouldn't have been such a problem, but even still, it was a simple fix, just one that required effort, which he was happy to make.
"Better than the German Shepherd I used to have, I'm sure," he said, only half paying attention. His goal with talking was to reassure both victims. Klara's age didn't really factor in. It wasn't her fault Holly was over eager and unlucky enough to find a hole she could squeeze into but not out of. "Twice in one day would be a bit much, but we're...hoping she's too smart for that, eh?" he focused a bit more on his words to half joke, though his tone was still the same serious one.
His radio chirped briefly, Ethan asking for an update. He paused to reach down and answer it. "I'm on site with Miss McKinney and her dog. Over."
"Of course, you miss check in where there's pets involved," Ethan, one of the other fulltime firefighters nagged. "Meadow is going to hate you. Over."
If only that were true. Meadow was the station cat, a stray they had casually adopted a couple years back. The cat adored Ferris and wouldn't stop following him around or trying to be in his lap. Even though he wasn't a cat person and hardly paid her any attention. But on the radio, he was all business. "Didn't think the radio was working out here. I'll let you know when I'm done. Over."
He ignored the continued chatter (some for him, some for other jobs) and went back to shoveling. He was getting a bit closer, stopping at one point to see if he could switch to using his hands. Not quite, but if he just used the shovel to break up some of the dirt, rather than carry it away, he could probably have her out soon. "Almost there," the Fire Chief reassured.
After working the shovel into the dirt a few times, he set it aside and crouched down, breaking off and scooping away the earth closer to her shoulders, just able to get his gloves on the side of the hole. "Alright, let's see...if I can get her to stretch her legs forward..." Ferris talked out what he plan was as he did it, so Klara would have some idea. As he loosened the dirt, he reached out to pet the dog on her back and then slide his hand to her shoulder and down to her elbow, pushing on the muscle to get Holly to extend her foreleg, which would make her a bit narrower. Hopefully enough to back out of the hole.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 26, 2024 16:37:04 GMT
Knowing that he owned, or had owned, a dog, made her feel even more at ease. It meant the man was no stranger to their shenanigans. Klara laughed quietly at him agreeing that twice in a day would be a little much, and she nodded. She would make sure Holly didn't end up in the same situation again.
The sound of the radio startled her a bit, but not too much. She just hasn't expected the sound. The girl made sure to stay quiet so she wouldn't interrupt him talking to his colleague. She couldn't help but smile when the man on the other end mentioned that it was no surprise that Ferris forgot to check in when there were pets involved. She wondered who Meadow was, because it didn't sound like a human name, but she didn't ask. She didn't feel like it was her right to, or the moment to do so.
He then continued to shovel, and Klara continued to reassure Holly, who was starting to notice that the earth around her was getting less tight. Stretching her legs would most likely set her free.
She wasn't sure if the idea she had would work, but it was worth a try. While the man tried to reach Holly's elbow, Klara spoke: "Holly, down." The dog would attempt to lie down, but because of the position she was in, that wouldn't work. She tried to, meaning she stretched her paws out in front of her like she would do if her body could move down. In this case, it helped because while her body was stuck, the paws moved and made her more narrow. The Shepard noticed that the hole wasn't closing in on her anymore, and she started to back out. "Good girl!" she cheered, as she placed a hand in front of her chest so she couldn't head back in the holy again. She grabbed onto the collar and looked up and Ferris. "Thank you!" she said, very relieved that Holly was free.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 26, 2024 19:01:37 GMT
Ferris was too focused on the conversation and then on getting back to loosening the hard earth that he didn't notice the girl's startled expression, slight smile or curious look. Whether he would have explained anything or felt embarrassed or something else would never be know. The Fire Chief had been told on plenty of occasions he was too calm and focused during emergencies. Sometimes it was a compliment, other times…well, he chose to take it as a compliment, much preferring being serious in certain situations.
This specific situation probably didn't warrant him being so uptight. It was only a matter of time before Holly was free and they weren't racing against a short clock. His seriousness in this moment was more about reassuring Klara, so she knew everything was okay.
Between Klara's quick thinking to have the dog lay down and position herself better and he pressing her leg forward, Holly had plenty of room to spring backward and bump into Klara as she was freed from the burrow. Ferris scooted back on his knees to give the two space, watching them both for a moment. It was the first time he really looked at the pair. The dog was pretty and seemed friendly enough with how excited she was to be close to Klara. Klara herself, he realized only now, was probably in high school. She had a youthful emotional aspect to her, yet she’d done a great job keeping her cool.
Satisfied that the dog wasn't so oxygen deprived as to need the tank, he pushed himself up, swatting dirt from his heavy pants, shoulders relaxing. The Fire Chief nodded to Klara. “Happy to help, Miss,” he said evenly, though his tone seemed anything but ‘happy.’ Ferris meant it though, beneath the layers of professionalism. “You two going to be okay from here or would you like me to walk you back to your car?” If Klara thought Holly needed some extra observation, he wouldn't mind. He would have to leave the ATV, but he was confident Darcy or one of the other rangers from her pack could pick it up pretty easily.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 30, 2024 16:07:29 GMT
Holly was over the moon to be free again. She didn't really jump up on people, but she did put her paws on Klara's bent knees to press her face against the girl's. She laughed and gently pushed Holly away. She took Holly's face between her hands and scratched her cheeks and chin.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ferris get up. She got back up on her feet as well and attached the leash to Holly's collar. She hesitated. "What do you think is best?" she then asked. She wanted to continue her hike, but if a responsible adult told her it was best to head back and get Holly checked, just to be sure, she'd be willing to listen to the advice.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 31, 2024 0:08:49 GMT
Watching the Australian Shepherd bounce around her owner in excitement to see her again was undeniably precious. She seemed plenty alright and not at all deterred by her half hour claustrophobic spelunking activity gone wrong. Ferris smiled, holding out his hand to the dog. He couldn't help himself from wanting to say hello, but he would force anything with Holly.
Maybe Darcy was right, and he should get a dog again. But instead, he would keep blaming how unpredictable his work was. Which was no excuse when he could bring them to the station.
The Fire Chief moved to pick up his discarded gear, carrying the small shovel back to the ATV. "I think she looks fine. Just keep an eye on her and take it easy today. But if Holly wants to hike, go for it." His grey eyes shifted between the girl and her dog. Klara knew how to get ahold of them. She seemed to be responsible enough, if still learning how to navigate certain situations. Nothing wrong with that. Though the leash was probably a good idea, if just to help Klara keep a closer eye on her dog the rest of their hike.
He leaned against the side of the small vehicle and pulled out a notebook so he could make a few notes about the incident, for whenever he got around to writing a report later. Considering the nature of everything, he didn't feel the need to accost the young woman for her ID or anything else. Name, relative age, the dog. Just enough that if something were to come up with her pet, they had everything on file about times and location and what he did to help.
After a moment, he grimaced and then patted his shirt down and pulled out a business card. He stood and handed it to Klara. It was a simple piece of paper, stamped with the firefighter logo and station name and number, with his name, email and phone number listed. "If you need anything, especially in the next hour or so, I'll be here and then at my truck in the lot filling out a report." That would be a lot faster than her calling dispatch again, if something did happen. "Take care, Miss McKinney."