Ark City Origins

[[Sc8]Hardware]

This will be where I post the "origin stories" of the survivors of the Battle of the River.

 

[[Sc8]Hardware]

Amelie

Now? Do you want me to start now? Okay.
I’m recording this as part of the Memory Project. We’re supposed to recount for posterity what we remember from before and during the Battle of the River, those of us…that survived…
…
I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I’ll start again…

 

[[Sc8]Hardware]

Amelie

My name is Amelie Deschamps, and this is my story:

Amelie aimlessly sauntered down the sidewalk. As the breeze swirled and flared her miniskirt, she rubbed her bare arms and almost regretted her abbreviated attire. As she passed near the theater building, a flash of red from the edge of the parapet on the roof caught her eye.

It all started in – would’ve been…2008, I think? We’re not supposed to use the original name of the place, but it was where Ark City is now. I had moved there two years before, when I was fourteen, from New Orleans. Yeah, Southern Belle. Not important! So, as I was saying, I saw red hair over the parapet.

A sinking feeling settled in her stomach as she realized that the flash of red on the roof meant that Alix was up there. Amelie almost grabbed her cell phone to call someone; she really didn’t want to have to deal with this particular situation again…

 

[[Sc8]Hardware]

Amelie

Well, to understand all of that, I guess I have to back up a few months. I mean, I know Lexie won’t talk about it, and so someone has to. It’s germane to this whole discussion of the incident.

It was, I don’t know – was it nine months? I think so. Nine months.
Nine months prior to That Day, I had gone to the theater for something; I can’t remember what anymore. I think it must have been something for a show.

When I got there, I knew something was wrong immediately. Michael wouldn’t leave the front door open like that. As soon as I entered the lobby, I saw a trail of discarded clothing leading up the stairs toward the auditorium. They had to be Alix Sullivan’s; no one else there was that tiny…She’s really astonishingly petite. I think she made it all the way up to a whole 110 pounds at the height of her pregnancy, right before Nikki was born…Most of the girls are really rather jealous.

In the auditorium, Lexie was…she had…

She had gotten out the Halloween noose and was…hanging from the balcony…Y’know, it’s strange. Her freckles…that’s what I noticed. She has a lot of freckles, more than me, even. But normally they’re mostly really light. They were all standing out so sharply…her skin was, was so pale…

When I saw her there, I guess I panicked. I shot off a spell at the rope; don’t remember what it was – something to cut it. Michael said I started screaming in Creole…I guess it’s a good thing he’s multilingual…

Michael grabbed her and did something, I couldn’t see what, but it looked like he poured something into her mouth. Then he just…sat. And waited.
Then she suddenly gasped and bolted upright. She seemed…almost intoxicated…

Later, after she had “come down,” I found her in the dressing room downstairs. Crying…

 

[[Sc8]Hardware]

Amelie

Amelie heaved a sigh and began the long trek to the theater roof. Up the stairs to the auditorium, across the stage, down the backstage hall, up the ladders, through the attic, and out the access hatch onto the roof.

“Lexie…”

The redhead snapped, “Don’t say it!” and turned her face away. Suddenly, she whirled partway back around. “Why can’t they just leave me alone?!”

“Who?”

“My parents…Everyone!”

Amelie sank down to sit next to Lexie and patted her denim-clad knee. “I can’t speak to your parents, but the rest of us, we just worry about you.”

Lexie just stared blankly at Amelie’s hand resting on her knee.

In the awkward silence, Amelie hastily removed the hand.