Garrick wakes again
Garrick was walking in the forest near the city, where he liked to go hunting. It was Autumn and the trees surrounding him were a blanket of red, brown and yellow leaves. The light that refracted through to the forest floor was golden and a heavy mist hung in the damp air.
He took a deep breath, his nose filling with the scent of moist soil. He had always loved these woods, a favourite haven to escape an unhappy home. They had always gone here together but now he could not find her.
He continued to wander through the forest, listening for her footsteps or her soft, tinkling laugh. He knew she was somewhere nearby, he could feel her presence as he had always been able to.
Suddenly the skies opened with a crack of thunder, and a gentle downpour began. Garrick did not mind, it was warm for an autumn day and he had always loved the rain. They both had, huddled together inside the trunk of the old oak tree, whispering secrets to each other.
He continued to walk, gazing around at the changed forest, his senses attuned to the rain, the way it felt pattering softly on his skin, the smell of the rising earth and the sound the drops made falling from the leaves above his head.
Then he heard another sound, a childish giggle and a rustling in the bushes nearby.
“Isabelle? Is that you?” he asked already knowing the answer, looking around for the small figure making these noises.
He saw a green and red flash in the corner of his vision and turned to see a figure running through the trees.
“Isabelle! Isabelle… wait for me!” he turned and ran after her, but she was too fast for him, despite her long dress catching around her legs.
He did not pause to think it strange that she would run so fast, he had always been able to run faster than her. Still he pursued her through the darkening forest.
Without warning she stopped at the edge of a clearing. He slowed to a walk, approaching her as she stayed there, her back turned away from him. She was waiting for him.
Suddenly the forest did not feel so welcoming. The rotting smell of soil from the grave filled his nostrils and icy rain pricked at his skin. Even the sound of the raindrops seemed wrong to his ears, the noise of each drip separated so the sound seemed almost deafening. He shivered as he crept towards the small red-headed figure with her back turned to him. She was so still, he could not even see her breathing.
Ignoring the overwhelming feeling of dread that had settled over him he reached a hand out carefully to touch her, so she would turn around and he would see that this was all a game and there was no need to fear. He could see the droplets of rain clinging to her hair and was surprised to notice that her dress was not just muddy at the bottom of the skirt, but all around. As he looked closer he saw her hair had damp soil clinging to its fiery redness.
He was suddenly filled with terror and his hand dropped uselessly to his side. But it did not matter, because she was already turning.
Garrick came up abruptly from the depths of his dream gasping for breath. He was soaked in sweat and his heart was pounding. He was shaking all over, despite the warmth of the stuffy room.
He gingerly pulled back the covers, trying not to wake Cindra. He felt ill as he always did when he awoke from the nightmares he had been having since the day he had collapsed.
Cindra had become a light sleeper in the last weeks. It was almost impossible for her to sleep properly as it was, since her husband spent nearly every night thrashing in his dreams and moaning in distress. She was constantly worried for him and she did not know how to reach him in the dark place he was inhabiting. She could only try to comfort him as best she knew how.
As she sat up and pushed the covers back she heard a muffled sob from the other side of the bed.
Almost instantly she was by his side, wrapping her soft, warm arms around his shaking body.
“Garrick my love, have you had another nightmare?” she gently asked.
She did not know what he dreamt about, she had asked the first few times but he had been so angry and defensive that she would not ask again. But every night when he muttered the name Isabelle in his sleep, she felt more and more alone. She did not know who this Isabelle was and she could not bring herself to ask him. Every time she opened her mouth to ask, the words died on her lips as she looked into his haunted eyes.
He leant heavily against her, still trembling and she wished she could take up the weight of his sorrows and carry them on her little shoulders. She knew that the Cindra of a month ago would have stamped her foot and yelled at him if he had whispered the name of another woman in their bed. But things were so very different now.
“Oh my sweet little Cindra”, he said suddenly as though finally awakening, “What would I do without you. I am so very very sorry”.
He pulled her to him, resting his head on her shoulder, burying his face into the warmth of her hair.
“Do not be so silly now my love”, she said, holding him with the fierce protection of mother lioness guarding her cub, “You did not wake me so very much”.
“I do not think I will sleep again tonight Cindra, I am sorry”, he sighed deeply, his chest pressing against hers and she suddenly realised that they were both very naked.
“Well then”, she murmured, her voice husky with desire, “Perhaps we can think of something else to do”.
He gazed into her eyes for a moment, then pulled her to him, their entire bodies meeting.
“I love you, my lovely little Cindra”, he almost whispered the words, his lips inches from hers. Then he kissed her deeply, all of his worries disappearing for a time in the heat of her embrace.
Okay, I’m just going out on a limb here… but Isabelle certainly did not have a very “usual” skintone! Looks a little blue to me–zombie??
Veeery creepy… I almost wish we were able to see her face before he woke!
Yeah Mao… Isabelle is looking a little… pale. I actually based this idea of waking up just as she is turning around on a really really creepy movie called Angel heart (or is it in one word… or maybe spelt Angel Hart). It is one of the creepiest movies I have ever seen (although the ring definitely is the scariest). It has Micky Rourke as the main character and Robert de Niro is in it too. Definitely worth watching if you haven’t seen it. Mickey Rourke’s character sees this old woman frequently but every time she is about to turn around something happens to distract him or he wakes up so he never sees her face. Eeeek so freaky.
I think we must be on the same time zone since I just saw that there is a new knock it down popping up, so I am just heading off to read it. Is it nightime or morning where you are. Cause here it is almost 1am and I am off to bed (after KiD of course =).
Hmmm hang on… wait. Maybe I am wrong and you didn’t just make that post… there are already 15 comments! But it just popped up on my RSS feeder so either your readers are sitting waiting for you to update (which actually I don’t doubt at all since I have done it before =) or my RSS feeder is behind (also a possibility). Anyway enough blathering… going to read.
I’m on Eastern Coast time, so that could be it! I updated at like, 11 this morning over here.
And I will look into that movie! Though I can only watch really scary stuff with someone else in the room, ahaha… I’m a wimp.
I am *glad* she did not turn around. When I saw those pale hands, I thought that you had something dreadful in store for us, Verity. In that last chapter, Cordell was looking so ghastly that I supposed you might come up with worse. Gah! I was cringing as I was scrolling down. I am such a wimp I can’t even watch scary stuff *with* someone else in the room.
Once I get a terrible image in my head I can’t get it out again. I am still reeling from Seven, ten or twelve years later.
I am impressed with Cindra. She has always seemed shallow, so it’s good to see her caring enough about her husband to get past hearing him calling out for another woman (girl?). And I’m glad Garrick is still able to find comfort in her.
Ach, every time I scroll back up there I think it’s Theobald… same hair, same clothes, same crazy dreams.
I have to ask, since I don’t have Seasons… is that mist effect what rain looks like? Or is there also fog in the game? I want me some of that, whatever it is!
That’s the rain/mist effect from heavy rain, Lothere.
And Se7en was a truly grand film. Truly. Loved the ending.
Things like the Ring? I didn’t answer my phone for a WEEK! /shudders
Yeah the misty effect with the rain is pretty damn cool. I wasn’t actually planning for rain in Garrick’s dream but it is a bit hard to predict when it will happen in seasons and it ended up looking cooler anyway.
I have to say Garrick is getting a bit Theobaldy. Sorry about that =). His nose is a bit different… isn’t it? I wasn’t planning for any of this actually but then Garrick was looking so weird when I was taking the photos for when the men find the big hole I decided to make something happen with him. So he wrote this for himself basically =).
I haven’t seen Seven but I was scared for a month over the Ring. That was horrible. I had to sleep in my sister’s room for a week until I was booted out cause her boyfriend was coming to visit (and that would prolly have been slightly scarier than the Ring if I had stayed =).
Oh man… and he is wearing the exact same clothes as Theobald these days. I went and had another look. Ack! He is like a copy-cat. Sorry Lothere =( when I made him it was about the time I started reading your site and I remember particularly choosing those clothes because they were the ones Cenwulf wore and then Garrick wouldn’t look too much like Theobald. Hmmm… maybe Garrick needs a change of scenery (or outfit =).
Oh yeah Mao… I forgot to say… I was totally wrong about the time zone thing. I am on Central European Standard Time. I think you are always commenting on my blog in your morning time, cause I usually post late at night. But you always comment so soon after I have posted =).
Heavens, don’t worry about the Theobaldiness.
I’m the one with the problem if I’m seeing my characters everywhere.
The male Jeanette hair and that outfit from Midsimmer Night’s Dream (as I recall) are in practically every medieval Sim story. Garrick’s face is quite different from Theobald’s, especially the nose. Different beard too.
Mao, I should have said that I did like Seven and thought it was a good story. However I still regret seeing it. Lust especially. *whimper*
Hehe… loving the term Theobaldiness Lothere!
I heard about what happened in the Lust bit (someone nicely decided to describe it to me in full detail) so I am kind of glad I haven’t seen it… I think I would be having a lot worse nightmares than Garrick (ack I nearly typed Theobald then =)… I need to get my Theobaldosity under control.
HI. I knew something was wrong with Isabelle as soon as I saw her hands I first thought that she was a vampire but it’s daylight but then again it is a dream so that might not make any differance.
Though I’m starting to think Isabelle might be Garrick’s sister not lover as you said something about them coming into the woods away from their unhappy home life.
I have another update I need to read since I missed it for some reason.
See ya
You missed it Pandora Moon cause I updated so quickly which I usually don’t do because of super-business. But I wrote a bit on the weekend.
Hmmm, so this Isabelle must have come out of a grave…if she had soil and mud all over her including in her hair. That means she must be dead. Well…used to be anyway. Loved the naked time too! Hehehe.
I have to admit taking photos of naked sims sometimes makes me feel like a bit of a pervert… I mean… not only did I get these poor people naked but I am controlling them to kiss… poor things, I am like some evil overload. Glad you liked it though Mandie. I have to admit I am really waiting for SimPE to be updated for Seasons. I actually haven’t used it before and lately I’ve decided my men aren’t hunky enough… they are a supremely unmuscley bunch so I plan to Enaylafy them. You can change appearances and stuff in there can’t you. I didn’t do it before because I couldn’t cope with the shiny, but i found the matte powder now and there are also some less shiny new ones. I also want to do some funky things with their heights, So be prepared for appearances to change a little. If they ever update that is
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You can un-shiny Enayla’s skin? Because I don’t think I could blame it on the lighting or my inveterate Photoshop urge to touch up the most minor things and ending up with a mess. That’s what I like to tell myself about weird shiny men with dark skin (the darker, the worse the shiny looks to me). Tell me! I beg of you! TELL MEE!
I didn’t catch the pale skin until the fourth picture with Isabelle. The mist (I only figured out a bit later it was just a weather effect) made her look slightly ethereal and put me on guard. Zombies . . . *shiver* I need some supernatural creatures in my story, but I can only think of elves, which are obviously Other Than Human without being too freakish. Just the delicate ears.
Here you go Aithne… unshinyness in one easy step. I guess it doesn’t totally unshiny, but it does go a long way to making the men look a bit more… well manly and less like they have spent too long under the sun lamp. Also… very good for making people look sick if you use one of the pale skintones on a darker skintone. Enjoy
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