Those new to NCDRP, I sincerely hope Sue makes a return. For a long time I thought like I knew who it was, and I still have a hunch. The good news is, they haven't left the NCDRP Steam Group, so the server announcements certainly haven't gone unnoticed! Sue, you creepy, clever fucker: Please come back and haunt our server once more. If Garry fixed whichever loop hole you were using to have admin abilities, talk to me, and we can work something out. You're a damn ethical hacker.
Cut, slash, your blood will spill, your skin will tingle at the crows shrill.
Stab, rip, your bones will crack, with my blade inside your back.
Reap, tear, I'll send you to your tomb, on your corpse the flowers will bloom...
"Ah, good morning Sue," Her husband spoke, wearily. His age had become greater, and his time had grown short. He wore blue jeans, and a blue jacket. "How are the flowers this morning?" Sue was knelt on the floor, facing the wall, neatly trimming a Sanguine Hibiscus. Sue stopped trimming the flower and looked up at her husband and smiled.
"They are blooming nicely." Sue replied happily. Sue's white shirt was filthy from potting flowers all morning. She rarely got sleep. She wiped her favorite knife against her shirt to remove the caked dirt. Sue stood and moved towards her bird cage. Her and Jared had owned and loved the same bird for many years. It was a crow, and they named him Salibasture. Sue pulled a flower seed from her pocket and held it to the cage. Salibasture picked at it, and cawed with pleasure. A sharp knock at the door startled the two. Jared, Sue's husband, walked over to the tarnished wooden door and answered it.
"Ah, Ned! Do come in!" Jared told the man. Ned had known Sue and Jared since they were in high school. Ned was tall and had darker skin. His white beard followed his face as he cracked a warming smile towards Jared and Sue. Ned had lost his leg to cancer many years back. But it never slowed him down. He walked into Jared and Sue's small home that was built into the higher-sewers. Jared had a bad influence on the law of the town, and it prevented Sue and him from ever really living normally. But they were far too poor to leave.
"Sue, I was wondering if you had any Scarlets. I'm really running low." Ned walked in and sat at the table. He pulled a dirtied handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his dripping nose.
"Oh of course Ned, dear." Sue moved into the back room and located her cherished Scarlets. She took her knife out and removed three of them from their pot. She put them in a glass jar filled with the dirty water that dripped from her roof and brought them out to Ned. "They bloomed nicely this time around..." Ned put the flowers to his nose and smelled them. He exhaled deeply and smiled at Sue.
"They smell just wonderful."
Jared, Ned, and Sue were startled by a heavy knocking on their front door. "We weren't excepting any other guests today..." Sue announced wearily. As Jared moved to open the door to greet their visitors, it was brutally kicked in by a large black boot. In the doorway stood two Civil Protection officers accompanied by the town Mayor.
"Good evening Jared. I assume you were expecting us today." The Mayor spoke soundly. One of the officers slammed Ned's face into the table and held up his stunstick. The other pushed Jared against the wall and held his 9mm to Jared's chest.
"What is going on here! Leave him alone!" Sue shrilled, holding her knife at her side. The Mayor glanced down at the knife and walked over to Sue. He stared her directly in the eyes. "Leave...him....alone..." She whispered angrily. The Mayor quickly subdued the knife and struck Sue across the face.
"Foolish wench.." He spat, walking over to Jared. "Now Jared. You are two weeks late on your payments. I though we had an agreement, but if this keeps up then we are going to have dire consequences." The Mayor walked out of the home and into the musty sewers. The officer holding back Jared kicked him in the stomach and followed the Mayor and Jared stooped from the wall in pain. Blood was trickling down his mouth. "I suggest you hurry, Jared. Or I'll just have to keep my promise." The Mayor threw a small piece of paper on the table and walked from the room. At seeing the paper, Jared quickly ran over to it and picked it up.
"Jared... What is this about! Tell me!" Sue wailed as she slowly picked up her knife again. She stared into the gleaming blade at her reflection and watched as her dark make-up ran down her face. Ned stared at Sue as she cried quietly on the floor. He didn't say a word. Jared stared at the piece of paper and then over at Sue.
"It'll be alright hunny. Don't you worry." Jared assured, walking into the small bedroom, and closing the door.
Added (2011-07-24, 1:07 Am)
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The next morning Sue found herself in her flower room. She must have fallen asleep while working. She stared at the multiple flowers and their shining colors and smiled to herself. She stood and moved from the room and into the kitchen. Ned was still sitting at the table, but he looked uneasy.
"Ned..?" Sue asked cautiously, walking over to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and sat next to him. She looked at his face, and her blood froze. A smile was fighting a frown as his lips jolted up and down. He was looking down at the table, his eyes were blinking furiously and he raised an arm and pointed towards the bedroom. "Ned, what? What is it Ned!?" Sue screamed. She looked over at the bedroom door and stood up slowly. She walked over to the door, her footsteps creaked under the worn floorboards. She put her hand on the knob and looked over at Ned. He was still sitting at the table, shivering. Sue opened the door and looked inside. Her eyes widened she stepped forwards. In front of her hung her husband. Tied to the ceiling by a rope that was strung around his neck. She raised a hand out towards Jared and cried. She dropped to her knees and stared at the floor. Jared's feet swung back and forth in front of her. Sue flinched at the sound of the rope creaking, and a small paper hitting the floor in front of her. It fell from his clenched hands. She stared at the paper, and picked it up. She could feel the warm tears cradle beneath her eyes. She unfolded the paper and read it to herself.
"Jared my promise will be kept. If you do not pay the $50,000 you owe for Sue's flower shop, I will kill her. But there are other options Jared. There's always a way out. If you kill yourself, I will drop the debt, and spare your wife. It's up to you."
Sue clenched the paper in her hands and stared up at Jared. He seemed to be smiling down at her. His neck was bruised and purple. Jared's hand picked up and reached out towards her. Sue reach up and grabbed her husbands hand. She blinked, and his hand was no longer in hers. She blinked again. Jared was sitting on the edge of his bed, reading the small piece of paper. Sue crawled forward, crying in desperation. She blinked. Sue stopped and stared at the empty bed. She stood up, and turned to run from the horrible room. She blinked. Jared was standing in front of the door. His head was slumped onto his shoulders, he turned around and looked at his wife. Blood was pouring from his eyes. She screamed and ran forwards towards the door. She blinked. She exited the room and quickly shut the door behind her. She began to scream. She grabbed her knife from her pants pocket and clenched it in her hands. She slumped back against the door and cranked her neck over towards Ned. He was still shivering and staring down at the table. Sue stared at the floor and then forward at the bare brick wall.
Sue stood, and turned towards the bedroom door. "Make sure my flowers are watered Ned..." She whispered, and turned the knob once again. Salibasture began to squawk uncontrollably. Sue walked into the room and stared once again at Jared's dangling corpse. She shut the door behind her to drown out the cawing of her crow. She felt the handle of her knife with her finger tips and raised it to her face. She stared once more into the reflection of the blade. Her eyes were nothing but black maws, and the tears trickling down her face left trails of blood. She raised her left hand and pulled her head back by the hair. She raised her right hand and held the knife to her throat. She shut her eyes tightly and slashed.
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