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Private/Closed The Thickets of Clairesbrook

(Discussion thread: https://pokecharms.com/threads/the-thickets-of-clairesbrook-discussion.22016/)

June 11th, 1992. The day had been warm.
Basil Mendoza pondered on this fact for a moment, shrugging her bag over her shoulder. The day had been warm, but not insufferably hot; no, Clairesbrook didn't often get hot. Now that they were approaching the evening, a cool breeze ran through the air, yet it wasn't an unpleasant one. The weather seemed, for a lack of better words, perfect. She'd been able to enjoy a little picnic with a friend.
She entered her house with a lazy greeting to her parents, who returned it with as little fervor as she shouted it. Basil was never particularly close with her parents, but did have a decent relationship with her little brother. Still, though, Atticus Mendoza could be quite bothersome. With the thought of what really made "perfect" weather still lingering in her mind, she tossed her bag onto her bed, sliding into the chair at her desk and booting up her computer. While she waited for it to boot up (yes, waited,) she drummed her fingers along her desk, humming some obscure tune she couldn't put a name on. She was just about to open Instant Messenger when a fleck of dark green caught her attention from her peripheral- she turned towards her window, her gaze landing on a creamy, yellow envelope with a crest, a beautiful shade of forest green.
Furrowing her brow, she got up, crossing over and picking the envelope up from her windowsill. The paper was smooth, the way weathered paper is, as if it existed for many years before being used. Carefully, the girl traced her finger around the wax. It was soft, as if it had been freshly stamped. Plucking her fingers underneath the paper, she opened it, pulling out a slightly newer, although still tinted yellow, piece of paper.

My Dearest Basil,
I cannot describe to you the pure, unadulterated joy I feel in being able to finally get this letter to you. Elation, I tell you. You’ve just gotten so very big over the years, I could hardly recognize you when I saw you yesterday! I humbly apologize for not being able to watch over you the past four years, my responsibilities have taken up all of my time. Still, it is absolutely amazing how much you’ve grown in such a short amount of time!
I understand if you do not remember me- your young mind is prone to forgetfulness, and I completely acknowledge that. Regardless, I would love for you to come visit me! Please, for my sake, come visit me tomorrow at dusk! I should have everything prepared by then.You know where to find me; just go to the cul-de-sac on Visaar Circle, past the metal gate. Hopefully, once you’re there, it will spark your memory. Just follow the trail!
Oh, and please don’t mind the warnings of those petty adults. The forest is kind to me, and it will be kinder to you, my child. The grown-ups of Clairesbrook just fear losing their children to the magic and wonder of the thicket. I’ve already alerted the others- I understand that you’ve grown apart over the years, and I pray you haven’t forgotten your bond. Expect to meet with each other at Visaar Circle, tomorrow evening! I am excitedly awaiting your arrival.
Yours, truly and lovingly,
F.

Basil's lips turned into a tiny, tiny frown, as she stared at the paper in a state of perplexity. F? She thought back as hard as she could. Fiona, from gym class..? No, she had just transferred last summer. Hell, Basil doubted the girl even knew her name. Florian? No, she'd never even spoken to him.
She crossed over to her bed, completely dismissing her computer, and sat down, the paper still held in her hand. The forest was forbidden. Everyone knew that. So why did F, whoever they were, want her to go there? Was she going to be murdered? And who were "the others"?
C'mon, Basil, it was probably just a prank. Just throw the paper away and ignore it...


...June 12th, 1992. Friday evening, just as the sun was setting.
Basil stood on the street across from Visaar Circle, the letter in her hand. She bit her inner cheek, her thumb running along the paper as she tried to calm her jitters. So much for ignoring it. Part of her wished this part of town wasn't abandoned; maybe if there had been someone around, maybe a concerned neighbor, they could've convinced her otherwise. But there was nobody around, nobody but her. Anxiously, she checked her watch. It was 6:32. In half an hour her parents would realize her absence. In an hour or so, they'd call the police. God, what was she thinking? She couldn't just meet someone in the woods because a letter told her to...!
No. She thought to herself, firmly, as if trying to convince herself. If you don't do this, you'll never know what it meant, who F is, or who the others are. You'll be back before 7:00.
Reluctantly, she crossed the street, tightening her hand on her bag. Part of her was relieved she carried the little backpack everywhere; in it, she had a few pens, a granola bar, pepper spray, and her house keys. All a girl could need. It helped in times like this, she realized, to have something weighing on her. It occurred to her that maybe it was a sense of security. Was she pathetic? Maybe.
Now's not the time for this! Just... sit down, and wait for 'the others'. Whoever they are.
Nervously, Basil sat promptly down in the middle of the cul-de-sac, facing the street. She could feel the forest behind her, an ominous presence she felt guilty even acknowledging. It felt like eyes were watching her, and that metal gate was whispering her name. She shook her head violently, trying to disperse the thoughts, and grabbed the pepper spray from her bag. She held it in her one hand, hidden behind her leg, and in the other, she held the letter, still crumpled slightly from when she was debating throwing it away.
And there, on Visaar Circle, Basil sat and waited.
 
June 11th, '92..

My "Dearest"? I don't even know who this is...

Florian had been gazing out the window of his bedroom, which was on the second floor of his house. It provided an optimal view of the sky; beyond the view from his window was a vast field, the forest slowly coming into view behind it. Because of this, he made it a habit to watch the stars above him for a good portion of his time every day. Florian had just begun getting settled into his seat near the window when he noticed a yellow and green envelope sitting on his windowsill. Cautiously opening it, he had been warily reading the contents of the letter, and confusion only built up within him. He had no idea who "F" was, or who the others he was supposed to meet were. As he finished reading the letter, Florian then let out a sigh of resignation before setting the piece of paper and envelope on the desk next to him, and he finally began to stargaze, easily losing focus of the ominous message as the black night sky and bright stars filled his vision.

June 12th, '92..

Once Basil had arrived, Florian could be seen sitting silently on a boulder that was located within the clearing. Hearing her approach, he looked up and stared at her with a blank expression as she sat down.

"Oh; it's you. I'm assuming you got the letter, too?"

His curious inquiry was spoken rather quietly, and Florian fiddled with his thumbs in his lap as he asked the question. She must be one of the "others" I was told about. Yes, he knew Basil, but it didn't go much farther than the mere knowledge of her name. The letter he himself received sat at his feet on the dry grass of the thicket, and a backpack filled with precautionary measures should anything go awry was slung around his shoulder. Florian continued to watch her, waiting for an answer; hopefully she would maybe have some idea of what was going on, and he could make sense of all this.
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
June 11th, 1992.
Grace Lightwood entered her house with a polite greeting to her parents. She went into her room and as she was getting changed she noticed an envelope. She picked the envelope up from her windowsill. The paper was smooth, carefully she opened it, pulling out a slightly newer, although still tinted yellow, piece of paper.

My Dearest Gracie,
I cannot describe to you the pure, unadulterated joy I feel in being able to finally get this letter to you. Elation, I tell you. You’ve just gotten so very big over the years, I could hardly recognize you when I saw you yesterday! I humbly apologize for not being able to watch over you the past four years, my responsibilities have taken up....
Yours, truly and lovingly,
F.

Gracie shrugged, probably some secret admirer or something, she really didn't care at the moment and flopped back into her bed.


June 12th, 1992. Friday evening, just as the sun was setting.
Gracie walked along the abandoned street, she looked around, it was an odd place to meet anyone, to be honest she hadn't actually read a lot of the letter and when she reached the place to find two others she stopped for a second, "ok, not an admirer then" she muttered and sat nearby playing with her hair, she watched the two, they seemed to be anxious and prepared and all that stuff, she didn't bring anything with her she had just brought her phone, that was it.
 
June 11th
Chris nonchalantly sat on his bed in his bedroom, not that he was in trouble or anything but because he found it to be the best place for him to get some peace and quiet. If he wasn't in his room out of school hours he was likely at the park to see if any of the local cats were there, he managed to get the affection of two of them in the past and hoped he could see them again the next time he went out. As Chris slowly stood up so he could ask his parents about dinner, he noticed a strange letter next to his bedroom lamp. "When did I get this?" He asked himself as he slowly picked it up to open and read it, already confused. ""Dearest?" "Forest?" "F?"" Chris asked himself, part of his was about to scrunch up what he thought seemed like a prank letter... but he knew about the bullies and their atrocious handwriting; one didn't even know how to spell his own name. "Perhaps I'll play "F's" little game..." Chris said as he put the letter in his pocket and proceeded downstairs to see his parents.

June 12th
As the sun slowly descended across the horizon, Chris calmly walked toward the cul-de-sac with his hands in his pockets, his mind unable to think of anything else but that mysterious letter he got, if this was meant to be a ridiculous prank he was ready to turn around and immediately go home. He raised his eyebrow at the sight of a few other people around where his letter told him to go. "Hey." He simply greeted and raised his hand, he didn't bring that much with him because he hoped this little adventure wouldn't be too long.
 
June 11th, 1992
Nathan had come home headphones in his ears, jamming out to the music. He saw a letter on the windowsill and he grabbed it. He read it wondering who had sent it, had someone pranked him. He pondered it and skimmed over it again.
My Dearest Nathan,
I cannot describe to you the pure, unadulterated joy I feel in being able to finally get this letter to you. Elation, I tell you. You’ve just gotten so very big over the years, I could hardly recognize you when I saw you yesterday! I humbly apologize for not being able to watch over you the past four years, my responsibilities have taken up all of my time. Still, it is absolutely amazing how much you’ve grown in such a short amount of time!
I understand if you do not remember me- your young mind is prone to forgetfulness, and I completely acknowledge that. Regardless, I would love for you to come visit me! Please, for my sake, come visit me tomorrow at dusk! I should have everything prepared by then.You know where to find me; just go to the cul-de-sac on Visaar Circle, past the metal gate. Hopefully, once you’re there, it will spark your memory. Just follow the trail!
Oh, and please don’t mind the warnings of those petty adults. The forest is kind to me, and it will be kinder to you, my child. The grown-ups of Clairesbrook just fear losing their children to the magic and wonder of the thicket. I’ve already alerted the others- I understand that you’ve grown apart over the years, and I pray you haven’t forgotten your bond. Expect to meet with each other at Visaar Circle, tomorrow evening! I am excitedly awaiting your arrival.
Yours, truly and lovingly,
F.
He finally gave up on pondering answers and decided he would just go.
June 12th, 1992
Nathan walked up to the cul-de-sac and waved at the two that were already there. He knew them from his school, "Did you guys get a letter too?" he showed them all the letter in his hands.
 
Considering she hadn’t noticed his figure on the boulder, Basil yelped in fear as she heard a voice from behind her. Gripping her pepper spray tightly, she whirled around, feeling her heart beating up in her throat. Her posture relaxed minimally as she recognized the face, and seeing that he had a letter, too, put her at ease. Okay, so she probably wasn’t going to get murdered, if he’d been summoned by a letter, too.
“Oh… yeah, I got a letter. You’re Florian, right?” she stammered softly, embarrassed at her fright from seconds earlier. She stood up, lightly dusting herself off, before crossing over to him. It wasn’t necessarily to start a conversation, or to ask anything; she just felt a lot safer in the presence of someone else.
It was at that moment that the others began showing up, one by one. First, a girl, who sat down a little ways away from Basil and Florian. She recognized her as Gracie, but she wasn’t sure of her last name; all she knew was that she was very pretty, and Basil already felt inferior. Her hair looked like silk, for crying out loud! Basil shrunk away, closer to the stone, suddenly very aware of her own hair, which was getting rather frizzy. She was just beginning to run her fingers through it when a second boy approached, a boy she recognized as Chris. He didn’t say anything other than a simple “hey”, but it was more than they’d gotten from Gracie. Basil offered a tiny, half-hearted wave. How many other kids were going to show up?
Right behind him, another boy, Nathan. He seemed to be feeling a bit more vocal, asking the group if they'd received letters. Basil nodded, holding hers up slightly. Everyone present seemed to have them.
The sun had just disappeared behind the roof of the house in front of them, and darkness began to set in. Suddenly, she was very grateful that she’d brought a sweater. The night chill was beginning to set. Basil could feel the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to rise; a combination of cold, and a severe discomfort being out past 7:00.
“Um. Do.. do any of you have any clue what’s going on Or any guesses?” she asked faintly. None of them seemed to have any connection, and they were acquaintances at best- if that. The only thing they seemed to have in common was the letters, and F’s fascination with them, whoever that was. “I’m… I’m Basil, by the way.”
 
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Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Gracie watch as people arrived, she kept pretty quiet until the girl, Basil, spoke up. "Oh, I'm not sure. Maybe someone is setting us up, you know like trying to deliberately get us in trouble for being out last 7:00, I'm Grace by the way, but everyone calls me Gracie," she shivered as it got colder as she hadn't brought a coat or anything and she wasn't wearing very much. She glanced around checking out the other people one at a time, other than maybe some of their names she didn't really know these people and she was getting pretty spooked about being here, she hoped that whoever sent those letters didn't have harmful things in mind.
 
“Yeah, that’s me,” Florian responded, giving a small wave and a gentle smile. He watched as the girl who later introduced herself as Basil then walked over to him and sat down next to the boy; perhaps it was just her personal preference towards the company of others. Later into the evening, more people started to fill into the cul-de-sac and introduced themselves, and just like he did for Basil, Florian waved in greeting. Upon hearing Basil’s question after a few minutes of silence, the boy shook his head before responding quietly. “I’m as confused about this as you are; I don’t know who F is, or how he “knows” all of us when we hardly know each other. If anything, I just hope this isn’t a prank someone’s trying to pull on us, because I don’t like it when people waste my time.”
 
Chris simply shrugged. "I don't have the faintest idea either. Also, the name's Christopher, but you can call me Chris." He said as he looked around and went to find something to lean on. "It's strange that we got a letter to come to a forbidden location during the evening, and in regards to my old friends, I don;t remember anyone starting with F. If this is a prank or some dumb scam, I'm going to immediately go back home."
 
Basil tuned in as everyone gave their opinion on the situation. Everyone seemed hesitant, a bit distrusting.. not that they shouldn’t have been. Basil herself felt rather uneasy about the whole thing.
At that moment, a bright green light flared from the forest. It beamed past the trees just into the teens’ eyesights, and along with it was a massive boom.
Basil startled, scrambling backwards away from the forest. She could feel her heart racing, pounding against her ribcage as she looked at the others, bewildered. Suddenly this felt like a really, really bad idea.
 
"I don't have a frickin clu-" he saw the green light and heard the explosion, "Goodness Gracious what in the hell was that?" Nathan freaked out slightly but got up, "Ok I know that it's not always the best to go into danger, but I think we should at least go see what happened," he looked at all of them hoping for agreement.
 
The sudden green light and massive explosion in the forest beyond the group shook the ground beneath them, and having stood up to watch the beam of light fire above them, Florian struggled to regain his footing after the blast caused him to stumble. Basil, who had been next to him, seemed just as surprised as him, and the look of shock was clear on her face. When the boy known as Nathan suggested they go to where the explosion had occurred, Florian thought to himself. Was this part of F's plan? It seemed that no one knew who the person who went by that moniker was, but this might have been his doing. "This could be whoever F is; not sure if we should go to the site of whatever happened, though."
 

Void_Nugget

Previously Shadow_Pup
Gracie turned to the light "what is that?" she said before turning to the others "so..umm...we going to check that out or stay here because I know which I would prefer and it definitely does not involve going into the woods at gone 7 to check out a strange glowing light" she said crossing her arms. This was completely stupid, they were all going to get in big trouble and for what, to see who this F is, to be honest at this point Gracie wasn't even sure if she cared who F was, she would much prefer to be at home right now and not be worrying about this at all, she stood there shivering like crazy and looking not too happy about being here.
 
Chris flinched when he saw the green light and explosion come from the forest. "What the hell was that?" He asked in the middle of heavy panting to slowly regain his composure. "Is it even a good idea for us to even set foot into the forest after that display of paranormal activity?" Chris said as he remained where he stood, unsure if he should let his curiosity walks closer to the forest or trust his gut and immediately turn around to go home.
 
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