Archivist note: This article is from an older recovered archive and might be obsolete or in need of updating.
Most recent revision is shown below, by Bookworm.
==Initial Post==
(Posted by Charise Adderstein on April 9, 2010 at 12:35am)
So much has happened, I feel I must take record of it, even if I fully intend on destroying it as soon as I’ve finished.
Months ago, I asked Reed, quite hypothetically, whether or not he would take on conditional jobs. I had learned rather quickly that he was not one to simply accept a job without first investigating for himself to see whether or not the intended target somehow, perhaps, deserved their fate. He said he had standards, which, I suppose for an assassin they are quite high. So, for years now I’ve worried about the day my brother Edmund may become suspicious of the past and come to look for me, so I questioned Reed as to whether he would consider targeting him only if he were to come to Babbage with the intent of harming me. Of course, in his flippant manor Reed never once gave me reason to think he would do such a thing at all. After all, he had never once before accepted a job without first investigating the target, and I certainly did not want anyone hunting Edmund down without cause.
Over 2 months ago now, Reed left town. At the time he had made it appear as though he grew bored of Babbage and went to seek out work, but now I know that was not the case. He had left to head to my hometown to investigate my family. How embarrassing now to also know he intercepted my letters with my sister! The entire time I remained oblivious to any going-ons. Then, Edmund arrived here with Borris. I, of course, did not trust him the tiniest bit, but after a very long time of trying to convince me and guilt trip me with the prospect of seeing my new niece, I decided to trust him and head home to Galloway with him. He also tried to attempt me with part of the family fortune due to me, stating that I needed only to go to the bank with him to sign it out. I refused, and eventually caved in agreement that I could sign it over to my sisters and their children. Only, there never was any money for me. Edmund had already taken it all for himself; it was simply a ruse to attempt to gain a bit of my trust.
Once I finally gave in and decided to head home, I was so very excited. I can’t even recall the last time I smiled so much. I packed up my shop and headed to the train station with the ticket Edmund had given me. He was waiting at the CocoaJava, and something felt odd to me as soon as I arrived. After a short bit of banter his demeanor changed and he asked me the one question I had always feared he’d ask. He looked at me and asked, “Did you think I wouldn’t find out that you killed our father and your husband?” I, of course, froze in place, utterly shocked. I yet again decided to trust, after how many years? And again I had placed trust in the wrong place! He went on, wondering why I couldn’t just be like our sisters, obedient and in their places. That was the instant when he told me there was no money to sign over; that he would have to take me home, dead or alive.
I was prepared to fight, as much as a woman can in such a bustle. I was sure I would lose, but I was not going to just lie down to a dog such as my brother. What happened next though, I was not expecting. Seemingly out of nowhere, I heard something woosh by my head as a nail pierced through a slip of paper with a red X slammed into the post next to Edmund’s head. Still completely out of fear and shock I could not move to look at the space it had come from, but I knew what the X meant. Edmund however, had no idea what was about to happen.
The next moment, I found myself on the ground, pushed harshly out of the way by Reed. Again, at the time I did not know why, but now I believe it was to get me out of the way of the trolley that was sure to soon arrive. I struggled on the ground against my petticoats, watching the scene unfold mere feet away from me. Edmund threw the first punch; Reed absorping it as he grabbed Edmund and flung him over his shoulder and onto the ground. Edmund threw dirt in Reed’s face, and continued to struggle some more. I quickly decided that my best defense was the sharp heels of my boots, so as I was struggling to take them off, Edmund delivered a swift backhand across my face. I promptly screamed, and, one boot still on my foot, I flailed, my heel connecting with Edmund’s face, making him scream out at me, “You’ll die for that!” Not a second later Reed rushed at him shoulder-first straight into the abdomen, slamming him to the pavement. On his way past, the side of Reed’s boot caught my jaw, giving me the large bruise that was simply too big to hide. Edmund rolled free of Reed, jumped up, and started to run off. I tore of f my other boot and threw it at him, which, in retrospect was not helpful in the least.
Reed pursued Edmund up the street and shot him squarely in the left leg. By this point I had finally gotten off the ground and was cowering behind the corner of Sassy Brass as I looked on. Reed said to Edmund, “You are a coward Edmund, you have hidden behind power, hoping to not have your true nature exposed. A life of lies and deception. ” Edmund swiftly responded that Reed was nothing but a commonplace murderer which, by this point, even I took offense at. Reed responded, “Commonplace, I am not, I pick my targets carefully, and with reason, corruption, greed, murder, you are more of a commonplace murderer than you would call myself. You believe to have a purpose, or do you live a life unknowing, Edmund?” I kept staring on, wanting so badly to run yet my legs would not allow me to. Edmund spat back at Reed, ” You kill for money… that is all there is, no matter how you ‘label’ your targets. Your name is not unknown to me Reed… you killed here before, only a few months ago. I know that if I die, my people will wreak havoc on Charise till the day she dies.” This sent me spiraling as I burst out into tears. Reed responded to Edmund’s statement about me being hunted, “So you think, but all is not always as clear as one would hope,” and quickly shot him in his good leg, rendering him immobile on the tracks “You will die in accident, no one will know of what has happened, clear to you this was not.” I clenched my eyes shut as the trolley neared, the last thing Edmund ever stating being, “You’ll both die… you’ll never be able to stops running… Charise… don’t blame Borris for anything, he really is a good person.” I heard the trolley slam into Edmund, the crunch of bones. I only opened my eyes when I was sure all would be still, and there I saw Reed reaching his fingers in the bullet wounds, removing his bullets as he responded to the dead, ” You are mistaken, your death will be seen as accident, these things here are dangerous, you should really watch when you cross the tracks.”
It was then that all the lying began, all the deception. Never once did Reed let me in on how any of it would pan out. I was left completely in the dark! My nerves were so fried until he finally spilled what everyone now believes to be the truth. Now, it is safe for me to return home to see my sisters. I never thought I’d see the day I could smile so easily again.
Now I only need to find out the reasoning behind Reed’s checkmate…
”Charise”
==Comments==
*Comment by Verlia Bilavio on April 9, 2010 at 1:06am
”Hums around in blissful ignorance”
Good thing it was all just an accident.
*Comment by Cyan Icewolf (Cyan Rayna) on April 9, 2010 at 6:29am
It’s still all fishy… and I hate fish. ((Great deception and great mystery :3 ))
*Comment by Sky Netizen on April 9, 2010 at 7:33am
”Is relieved that the mystery is done but continues to wonder about Darkfold’s “Checkmate” statement”
Glad you are safe, Charise. Hope you are keeping well!
((Goodness, so much untold! Best to stay on your guard for a bit, dear. If you start to get threats from Edmund’s people, you know where to find me. :-) ))
*Comment by MichaelD Mannonen on April 9, 2010 at 8:03am
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out that you killed our father and your husband?”
((hmmm, I wonder what those circumstances were about…))