Reflections {Tal}

[Chase Taylor]

L E T T H E R A I N W A S H A W A Y
A L L T H E P A I N O F Y E S T E R D A Y
T E L L T H E W O R L D T H A T I M C O M I N G H O M E

The wind blew across the lake, sending little droplets of water at Chase as he sat on the edge of the water. Where dirt met the unruly lake. Usually it was calm enough to see your reflection. But not today. Today there was so much going on with the weather that everything was not it’s beautiful self. Chases mind was almost the same. Too many thoughts swirled through it and as he tried to concentrate on one, another would seep in and distract him. He had tried journaling.

He had heard that writing down your thoughts in a journal could help you figure out where things needed to go, what things needed to be done first. But when your writing turns into a scribbling mess, you realize that that isn’t really possible. Then he tried talking. Talking out his problems and anger and issues, but everyone he normally talked to wasn’t here anymore or they were too busy for the young man. Olivia was gone, once again and he had a feeling she wasn’t coming back this time.

Dylan was gone, the older male had helped him a couple times. Raya couldn’t be found. He had only spoken to her a couple times, but still, she was a good listener. Sometimes he needed someone to listen to him instead of he always being the listener. His iPod played softly in his ears, thank Zeus to the Hephaestus kid that had rigged it for him. Some new song came on that he hadn’t heard before.

’I wish that I could wake up with amnesia.
And forget about the stupid little things.’

He frowned slightly, his eyebrows furrowing as he felt himself relating to this song. Maybe if he did forget everything his brain could be free from al it thought. He wouldn’t be thinking about all the friends he lost. He wouldn’t be thinking about the girl that went away with his heart. He wouldn’t be thinking about Timmy whose parents were gone yet he was still the happy. He wouldn’t be thinking about how camp was turning to shit and anything they did didn’t work. The questers that had gone out to figure out the quest hadn’t ever returned. Things were bleak and their parents weren’t even helping.

The rain came down harder, but there he sat. The weather agreeing with his conflicting emotions. Agreeing with the storm raging in the quiet boys mind. The anger. The pain. The helplessness. The bleak joy that he found from talking to his brother and sisters couldn’t be found. Not when even they didn’t understand where all his frustration was coming from. No one could. No one could realize that today was the day his father sent him off to camp. The day his father said he would contact him and pick him up on holidays. But that never happened. It was almost the first day of his abandonment.

He draped his arms around his knees and looked out at the lake. His gray eyes as gray as the sky.

’Cuz I’m not fine at all
No I’m really not fine at all.
Tell me this is just a dream,
Cuz I’m really not fine at all.’

notes ?! Soooo….This happened. I don’t know how. But it did.
words ?! 534
tagg ?! Tal
wearing ?! OUTFIT ?
credit ?! REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ Caution 2.0

[Talia Winchell]

The rain came at the beginning of the week. It was as though the sky had been holding in its tears since early June and could never quite run out of tears; lightning had cracked the sky only a few days before, and now everything it had to offer was released in an anguished torrent. The limbs of the trees shook as though their leaves were doused in flames, and if you peered into the puddles at your feet, your distorted reflection peered back at you through the ripples. Despite the sound of the storm, there seemed to be a quiet sense of peace about the area. Maybe the rain had come and washed much of the conflict away, cleansing the campers of all sin until they were ready to be born again. The rain seemed to say, "You can't take the sunshine for granted, nor anything else. But sunshine isn't the only thing that can make people happy."

Talia herself treated rain like the younger campers treated snow. She caught it on her tongue ike a little girl in the midst of her first real winter; having grown up in Florida before moving to New York (to a place with anti-weather boundaries, no less), rain was rarer to her than it was to most of the others. She made a point of getting out of the stuffy cabin whenever it stormed. Donning a pair of leggings, combat boots, plain gray t-shirt, and a primarily red flannel, Tal closed the door behind her and made her way to her favorite place during stormy weather: where else than the lake? She continuously pulled her hair in front of her shoulders before finally giving into the wind, letting it play with her chestnut hair in any way it so desired.

Usually, the place was empty when she arrived, and that was how she preferred it; she didn't like the brief and awkward eye contact that came coupled with company. Well, she braved it now. She hadn't been so courageous a year or so ago, anxiety eating away at the upper chambers of her heart and methodically shortening her breath. Tal no longer lost herself in her own home. And for that she was infinitely grateful.

And... a figure appeared. Blurry, for Tal had left her glasses inside their case on her unmade bed. Goddamn. She couldn't quite tell who it was, so she crept closer. Whoever it was, they seemed intent on taking up as little space as possible, an art that Tal had practiced and perfected during her teenage years. She walked closer still, careful to keep a safe amount of space between her and the blurry camper.

The stature and hair struck something in her, but she didn't dare creep any closer for fear of an unwanted exchange. Could it actually be... "Chase!" Her voice rang through the rain, and she held her breath. Hopefully it was Chase after all. She didn't know of anyone else in Camp who sat like that, but who knew? Chase was someone she needed to talk to, anyway.

[Chase Taylor]

L E T T H E R A I N W A S H A W A Y
A L L T H E P A I N O F Y E S T E R D A Y
T E L L T H E W O R L D T H A T I M C O M I N G H O M E

As Chase sat there, his mind continued to just go downhill. And as he thought about perhaps actually laying back and letting the torrents of water that were falling from the sky soak him further, a voice called out to him. His eyes glanced from the lake to behind him to see a girl standing behind him. Hair darker and flying around thanks to the combination of both weather elements.

He let out a slight sigh before speaking. ”Tal.” His voice didn’t carry the usual upbeat tone. It sounded dull and lifeless. The sound carrying just long enough for the other girl to probably barely hear it. His eyes focused back on the lake as his hands floundered around his jacket to find the hood that he tossed up. But that didn’t even last long. It flew down with the wind pushing hard.

His mind wandered to the fact of wishing the wind could push these crazy thoughts out of his mind as well. If the wind could blow in one ear and carry out his thoughts once it passed out the other, his mind would be a blank slate. He wouldn’t have all these thoughts crowding his head. Keeping him up at night. Making it impossible to finish the easiest of tasks that he usually wouldn’t have to think about. Much like grabbing this jacket before heading out into the storm.

He frankly didn’t even care that his pants, shoes, shirt, hair, everything was basically soaked to the bone. A stray bolt of lightning flashed and his eyes glanced up. He didn’t need the lightning right now either. He couldn’t comfort the girl in his cabin that had a fear of the thunder. Not in this frame of mind. Just to prove his thoughts a rumble of thunder was heard and he could’ve sworn a faint scream was heard. There goes Mary Anne. He closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands.

His hands felt a slight gruff as he realized he hadn’t shaved in a day. Or was it two? It was enough to give him slight stubble. Chase had been a ticking time bomb. One that had finally exploded under the pressure.

credit ?! REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ Caution 2.0

[Talia Winchell]

The boy below her muttered a monosyllabic something, and she didn't bother asking him to clarify what it was. It was lost in the rain as quickly as it had come. Unimportant. What had registered more than the forgotten word was his tone of voice. To be blunt, it was lifeless. There was some kind of mellow spark that Tal had learned to associate with Chase, something powerful and confident and intelligent that he was not himself without. And here he was. It was as though he had been stripped naked before her. There was a sort of vulnerability about him that was unfamiliar to Tal.

"Chase." She stuttered his name again, because it was the one thing that reminded her that this was Chase. As stupid as that sounded, anyway. But his stature was unfamiliar. He was ungroomed and his clothing was wet from the rainwater, and there was something about him that seemed to shrink. He was not standing tall, taking charge like he always was when Tal walked past. He was clearly despondent, at the very least, and that prompted her to open her mouth once more. "You doing okay?" A pause as Tal attempted to put her thoughts in order. "I mean, it's storming. I've never seen you out here before during a storm."

[Chase Taylor]

L E T T H E R A I N W A S H A W A Y
A L L T H E P A I N O F Y E S T E R D A Y
T E L L T H E W O R L D T H A T I M C O M I N G H O M E

Chase lifted a slight eyebrow when she repeated his name. His head swept up to look at her and he stared at her blankly for a couple seconds before nodding. As if reinstating that, that was his name. Although he knew that she knew that it was he. Or did she? A tiny part in the back of his mind thought that maybe she really was unsure. He was acting so unlike his self that it was quite possible. It wasn’t necessarily his fault though, was it? Maybe if he hadn’t let all these thoughts consume him so, he would be the regular Chase.

Her soft voice brought him back slightly and made him realize that, yes, she did know it was he. She was probably just shocked by his attitude right now. Was he okay. No. Not really. Would he let her know that? Probably not. He pondered over this for a moment before slightly shaking his head. ”No. Well. Yes. I mean I’m doing better than the kids moaning and crying in the infirmary right now. That’s for sure.” His mouth took on a grim smile. Yet more people that he couldn’t help. Thanks for nothing Athena. The gift of wisdom, yet wisdom couldn’t cure this disease.

”Why don’t you join me down here Talia. The weather is wonderful.” Sarcasm laced his voice with his final words. Sure, it was wonderful weather for someone feeling down. For someone with his or her thoughts was crazy. For those who were madly in love and wanted nothing more than to kiss their spouse in the rain. For those who actually just enjoyed tasting the drops or splashing in the puddles. But Chase never really enjoyed this kind of weather. Apart from having an excuse to curl up next to the fire with a good book.

”And how about you Talia? How are you doing on this fine summer, rainy, stormy, night.” He took a moment and glanced over at her. ”And what are you doing out?”

credit ?! REAL SLIM SHADY !? @ Caution 2.0