Topic: My Greatest Glory

Caroline Granger

Date: 2010-12-04 07:16 EST
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall - Confucius _________

"Don't do anything stupid."

Those were the last words any member of my family said to me before I made the biggest mistake of my life. I know what Gigi meant; she meant don't get in contact with the Alliance again, or don't let myself get cornered by a nutcase in an alleyway. Don't go up against the big bad without backup.

Damnit, I've been spending so much time worrying about everyone else, it never even occurred to me to worry about myself. Like anyone's gonna even notice me, that's what I always tell myself. The threat was made to Lola, we've been protecting Lola, and .....gods, I am such an idiot.

I should have done more research, I should have found out what he looked like. If I had, maybe I wouldn't have wandered so stupidly into the spider's web. Seriously, though, can I help it that I'm friendly, that I have time for anyone, even if I don't know them"

Gods, this thing is really chafing my neck. I can't even twist my head without it rubbing on my collarbone. And there's no damn catch that I can find; this thing is completely smooth, and I can't get it off! I can't get it off me at all, and I'm panicking, and this is so not good for the situation!

It was going pretty well, too. Flirting with Marek, making a new friend in Rhae ....gods, Rhae. She saw the whole thing. Aw, crap, I hope she doesn't run straight into trouble because of it.

Because of me.

Okay, so I didn't know who he was right at first. I was just being friendly, I thought maybe he had a message for me to pass on to someone since I was heading home. Well, okay, so there was a message. I won't be delivering it, though.

"10 percent of your profits. That's what I want. I've made that clear. At this point, I should go to 15 percent, because your family has been overly frustrating. You'll bring the message back, correct?"

The arrogance of the man, right' I mean, sure, he's got a little of the bad boy thing going on, but if he was ever going to be attractive, he really needs to sort his attitude out. People are not things. Says the girl sitting in the dark wearing a damned collar. Shut up, Caroline.

Sure, I got who he was the minute he said that, but in retrospect, it was way too late. He was already moving. I was being stalked by the great and terrible Anubis Karos, who'd rather threaten sweet and naive girls like Lola than face up to the figures of power in the family business. I really should have paid attention when he got up.

"....if you make a stupid sacrifice for your family tonight, you are going to be whipped ..."

Do I think he meant it' Yeah, now I do. My stupid, stupid temper got in the way of actually paying attention to what he said at the time, though. I am so screwed.

My stomach is hurting because the jackal-faced son of a rat in heat kneed me; my neck is aching, my collarbone is getting more and more sore by the minute; I'm sitting here in the picth black with no idea where I am, expecting to be beaten up at any moment; and whose fault is all this? Yeah, that's right, Caroline. Yours. You and your stupid temper.

Blue's gonna kill me. _________________ ((Quotes taken from Live Play with Anubis Karos and Dr Greenthumb Granger. Thank you, folks!))

Caroline Granger

Date: 2010-12-13 09:45 EST
How long have I been here"

I don't know. I don't even know if it's day or night. Everything is pitch black, all the time. I can't see anything but the darkness, not even my own hand in front of my face. I can't hear anything but my own breath, my own movements, sometimes even my own heartbeat. The only thing to smell is me, and the corner over there that's become a toilet out of necessity.

I'm in a cell, I know that. I walked the walls of it my first day here. It's so small, I should feel cramped, claustrophobic. But it's so dark I don't notice how the walls are crowding in on me.

My mind plays tricks on me. Am I really all alone, or is there something in the darkness with me" Is that sound my own breath or the hiss of some creature here to scare me? The only sound other than myself that I know now is the creak of some aperture near or on the door, and the thump of bread or a jug of water being pushed in for me.

So much time to think. Time to reflect. Time to regret. I shouldn't have stopped to listen to the stranger who asked me to speak with him. I should have just kept walking. If I had, then I'd be home right now; I'd know if I'm the only one he's got his spindly hands on or not.

Gods, I hope he hasn't hurt anyone else. I hope they're okay. Please don't let anyone do anything as stupid as me. I never thought I'd ever be saying this, but please let Gigi be in charge of any attempts to get me out while the board prevaricate and waste time. I hope Humph is okay.

I hope they're all okay. Oh gods ....

I'm scared.