D A Y 0 4

[founds]

CHAPTER 2

Nov 3rd | 63℉☁

▸ Due to last night's storms, a quarter of Blackwell is still without power. It seems a tree has fallen on a power line, which will be promptly inspected by BWI and fixed ASAP.

▸ The worst of that storm is now over, thank god. Weather reports cloudy days from here on out.

▸ Fairweather and Winters kids are still missing. Local authorities and volunteers are resuming their search in the immediate area. Please, if you have the time, go join the cause.

▸ In a sad turn of events, the remains of Kara Samson have been returned to the family not a week ago. Details surrounding her disappearance and cause of death have not yet been released.

▸ Rumors say that the county morgue outside of Elkins was broken into early this morning, but officials decline to comment on the matter.

▸ Today's news radio is brought to you by Black Lodge Bar! Head on down to Black Lodge for their all day Monday happy hour!

▸ And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

THE RISING IS NOT IN EFFECT

Comments

[icide]

What? [you've got some broken english on you. he doesn't immediately recognize him, but that's not saying much, because it's not like four years in a place is going to familiarize you with every inhabitant of. he vaguely recalls seeing him around school, although micah tends to keep his head down so it's a wonder he can name anyone at all.]

What do you mean? [already kind of shying away from him although he knows he's supposed to be making an effort to have friends it's just easier for him to be alone. less act to keep up. especially since he tends to take everything one of two ways, how it was actually intended or as an accusation. what does you're not here before mean huh petre are you trying to imply something because he didn't kill them if that's what you're saying]

[nowheres]

[don't tase me bro]

Your face. New face.

[gestures a bit at him, struggling with the right words to say 'haven't seen you before nice to meet you etc']

My name, Petre.

[icide]

[Tases]

Oh. Yeah, my name is Micah. Hi. [You're even weirder than he is. Lifts hand up a little to wave. Is that how you do.]

[nowheres]

Micah.

[he says that with such a heavy accent it's actually painful to hear]

Nice to meet you.

[smiiiiile and nod]

Don't worry.

[icide]

[you butchered that. straight up.]

I'm sure they'll turn up?

[said in a reluctantly hopeful tone as though petre's encouragement has made a difference today. it hasn't. but that's what he wants to hear right.]

[nowheres]

They turn up. Yes.

[nodding again. he's not exactly enthusiastic about missing teenagers, just determined to BELIEVE.]

You go to the church?

[icide]

No, I'm...my family is Jewish.

[looks around covertly like cole is gonna fuckin fly out of the trees to kick him in the face for saying so before he remembers it's just part of their cover story. still it's a little closer to the truth than he'd like to say because he has been studying it in his personal time]

[nowheres]

Oh, okay.

[WE ARE THE WORLD WE ARE THE PEOPLE]

I am happy you help. They will be happy too.

[icide]

[i don't think they're going to be happy petre they're pretty dead.]

Yeah... [side eyes. what do you say to that. nothing to crush his impossibly high hopes at least. wonders if he knew them for a second and then decides he'd rather not know] So, um. [make friends micah they say. you need to be more normal they say. fuck you guys, this is really hard] You're from? [a place? that isn't here?]

[nowheres]

[THEY WILL BE HAPPY IN SPIRIT FOOL. flies from trees and kicks]

Me, from Romania. Middle of nowhere, [a little laugh.]

[icide]

Cool. [not in that minimum acknowledgement way. he's actually interested. since he's never know anything but lost lake and it's surrounding areas, he likes to hear about other places, people, their beliefs.] What's it like?

[nowheres]

[a little shrug.]

Beautiful. Very green. Lots of green. [nodding.] I live in small place. Nothing happen.

[icide]

That sounds amazing. [small green and nothing happens. where does he sign up.] Want to trade?

[gestures at the party ahead, like. he'd take a whole lot of nothing over "fourth teenager in blackwell goes missing this week" in the headlines]

[nowheres]

Too small for this.

[everyone would be dead pretty much.]

You are living with your mother and father?

[icide]

No. [wait semantics. shit.] I mean, yeah. Yeah, my mom and dad, I was adopted, so...

[awkward. whatever he's engrish he won't know the difference]

[nowheres]

[Oh! He points. He knows this word.]

Foster parents.

[icide]

Yeah, kinda like that. [except not] But I mean, they're still my real parents, too.

[not like. short-term foster parents. wait] Did you mean you? [ugh he's bad enough with normal people he's double stilted with esl. can we skip to the part where we're friends now so he doesn't have to pretend to care while pretending not to care i mean let's be real cole will probably kill you anyway.]

[nowheres]

Real parents. [nod nod.] I understand now.

[or does he? you never know with esl. also don't kill me before we're cute boyfriends ok.]

You like them?

[icide]

I guess? [that's a weird thing to ask. kind of trails to a stop when he realizes he's fallen so far behind the rest of the search party that he doesn't actually know which direction they went and looks to him for help.]

They're good people. [he actually likes them a lot but that's not cool or whatever so.]

[nowheres]

[He points as soon as he realizes Micah's looking lost. It's ok I got you boo.]

That is good. My foster parent also good people.

[icide]

[cracks a hesitant smile at his phrasing. is it kosher to laugh at weird esl phrasing. he probably shouldn't.]

[oh yeah the group. thank. starts up after them with his assist] But you have family at home right?

[nowheres]

[nodnodnodnodndonodndo.]

Mother and father. I talk to them every day. Grandmother, old. Doesn't hear good.

[icide]

[you look like a bobblehead.]

Is it weird to have two families like that? [i'm not asking for personal reference or anything]

[nowheres]

Two? [laughing a little.] Foster parent... more like friend.

[icide]

Oh. [so it's weird then.]

Sorry about your. Grandma. [forgets. sympathy is important right.] I guess you probably miss them. [if you talk to them every day and all that]

[this is the longest one on one conversation he's had with anyone his age in like years. suck it cypress he's so normal]