Out of Phase: Artefact discovered

[curiously_cora]

There were several well trekked paths and one newly forged one, leading away from most of the huts created by human feet. And another created by smaller feet. There was one bunch of flowers, fourteen individual red and yellow flowers picked and left on a rock which was not particularly interesting. There was one noisy small blonde human. And then there was the boar minding its own business until something strange happened.

A pulse of bright white light came out of the jungle startling it, screeching the boar ran angrily towards the source. Crashing into something metallic, the boar grunted and gruffed at it turning as it shuffled in the dirt. The metallic thing was broken into pieces, snuffling at it the boar mouthed at pieces before swallowing a couple of smaller pieces. Making an unpleased noise it tried to cough, trampling the artefact and kicking pieces of it further away. Stumbling forward it dragged some pieces alongside with it as it carried on its grumpy journey.

The boar didn't know what it had done. And it wouldn't for long. Boars didn't tend to last very long on the island. Not with so many hungry mouths to feed.

And the small blonde human? She'd disappeared without trace.

Comments

[curiously_cora]

"Do you really need to yell my name quite so loudly? It's annoying," Coraline said, huffing at the fact he couldn't see her and was shouting her name over and over. It was maddening. Coraline sighed, resting her head on her knees and hugging them close. "Watch out for- that."

[speakscanadian]

Finding anything this far out that wasn't either a mysterious creature or piles of its dung was pretty rare. Crouched down, he picked it up, then dropped it quickly, reaching into his pocket for a pair of gloves. Every bit of potential evidence was vital, as was preserving it.

With his hand in his pocket and his heels dug into the ground, it didn't take much for Ray to lose his balance. A ghost suddenly appearing out of nowhere was enough to do it and he landed awkwardly on his back after a shout of surprise. And maybe a touch of fear.

[curiously_cora]

As Mister Ray yelled so did Coraline, turning around to look behind her before covering her heart as it beat rapidly.

"Don't do that! I thought there was something bad behind me!" Coraline said making a face at Mister Ray. "Wait... were you yelling at me?"

[speakscanadian]

Ray was no stranger to walking, talking dead people. His Pop had a habit of popping up at the most inappropriate of times and now it seemed he'd attracted another wandering spirit.

"I'm too old for this," he wheezed, trying to get his breath back. Shifting up onto his elbows, he looked over at a near transparent Coraline, brows knitted with consternation. "Just tell me one thing." He held up a hand in case she moved closer. She was close enough, in his opinion. "Did you die of natural causes or has a murder investigation just fallen in my lap?"

[curiously_cora]

"Well, yes you are quite old. Probably older than my dads at least, definitely older than Adam and maybe even Danny. Not sure about Charlie though," Coraline said. Charlie was just a memory now, somebody that was her father but she had almost spent as much time on the island as she had with her real parents. "Um, not natural causes but I don't think murder either? There was an object and I um, touched it? I'm really hungry."

[speakscanadian]

Ray didn't appreciate the age comparisons and his expression showed as much. He waited as patiently as he could for her to answer.

A murder investigation may have been preferable to the enigmatic response he received.

"You touched something?" Great. Now there'd probably be an epidemic. Dozens of ghostly beings wandering around by dinnertime. "Well, that was a stupid thing to do."

[curiously_cora]

"It was not, it wasn't humming or emitting energy or anything. It was just there, it wasn't doing anything." Coraline said making a face at the stupid comment. "And besides you just touched it too."

[speakscanadian]

Know who else Ray knew who touched things? Fraser. He didn't just stop at touching too; first chance he got he had his tongue hanging out licking all sorts. Ray was surprised he hadn't encountered his best friend decidedly transparent before he had Coraline.

Climbing to his feet with a labored breath, he patted himself down, mostly to get rid of the dirt but also to assure himself that he wasn't dead too. Nope, he was solid. Perhaps a little too solid, he realized, patting his stomach once more. Time to start doing laps in the hot tub again, he thought.

"I'm allowed to touch things. I'm an adult." He rested his hands on his hips. "Shouldn't you be going towards the light or something? Walking through a magical door before it closes? Shoo?"

[curiously_cora]

"No, you're not. And if you're allowed to touch things then I am, I'm running for council. I'm practically an adult already," Coraline said rolling her eyes at him. "Shoo? I will give you shoo! I'm not a dog! And there's no light or doors or bridges or picnics or anything."