A little bit of coin.

[Deleted]

Dionne knew it was about time to take a bit more drastic actions. Going around town, there  wasn't a single job that would be able to bring her a bit of coin, and living on her own in the woods, started to become making her feel rather low. Finding good company from tavern, like she wasn't used to before, made her get a taste of something she always wanted - and now she craved for me.

It was night time, and on the deserted streets of Wistvale, Dionne ventured around the town looking for her target. It took her a while, but she found it - a mannor on the outskirts of town. She has heard that someone important lived in there, and with that came riches, that she needed to make a living.

  "Old habbits die hard." It wasn't untill she hid to observe the gate, that it dawned upon her- she was once again going back to the life she swore to abandon forever. A few minutes, she fought within herself to figure out if it was all worth it- and she justified it. Afterall, she did try to find work in a legal way and it wasn't her fault, that her skills were specific.

She took cover, and from a distance began observing the Mannor for any signs of movement.

[Zaedus]

It was hard to see. For some reason on her way here the night seemed to grow ever so slightly darker, possibly colder. The scent of decay hung thick on the air as she crept closer to the manor, the grounds seemingly soused in a layer of permeating death.

The rot from the soil and grass was heavy and a little sickening. How long has this place been abandoned? Why had no one bothered to maintain the grounds? Who knows. It was clear most people avoided this place, if one paid any mind to the local scandalmongers they would say it was haunted or cursed...Although that would be a likely cause or just local legend.

Dionne neared the outer gate and realized that maybe the tittle-tattle was true. She looked to the sky to see the moon near full, another day and it would be. However the moon did not shed it's pale light on these grounds. It seemed as though it refused to share it's passionate caress of light with whatever lay here, almost as if the cosmic entity feared what reside within.

There was nothing in the immediate area that Dionne could see, save for a soft pale light within one of the windows..

[Deleted]

"Well, there is light that's something." She though as she quietly made her way forward. Knowing that there was no other way for her - it was do, or stay alone in the forest, she gather her courage, and over the gate. Keeping an eye out, Dionne kept low and made her way towards the mansion itself.

As she went, it reminded her of her childhood. After her parents died, Dionne had to rely on her ability to steal from the nearby towns stores and unweary men. It wasn't the same, yet the act made her dwell on it at the back of her mind. Being desperate for coing and a normal place to live, reminded her heavily of the desperation she felt back then, being hungry, alone and scared. Only difference now, she was not scared but determined to make a change in her life.

Once she reached the mannor, she pressed herself along the wall, and listened for any sign of life.

[Deleted]

(I hope it's okay I'll be using this to shed some light on Dionnes back story?)

[Zaedus]

Nothing had changed in her approach concerning the environs and possible eyes to watch her slink up. The temperature did drop slightly, reminiscent of an early fall morning with a soft chill. Whatever had happened to this place it had not been a good one. The pervading sense of evil sent chills down one's spine.

As soon as her body pressed against the wall the depth of the evil that called this home became a little more evident. Dionne froze, not of her own will but whatever the will of this house was. She could not move, despite her best efforts no muscle would obey her command.

Slowly she felt sick and dizzy as she remained fixed against the wall. Then flashes of images began roiling in her mind. She did not see much.

The first image was of an exquisitely dressed man, opulence defining him to the letter. A wife stood next to him in equal grandeur and elegance. The room was decorated in fine woods with ivory and gold filaments. The image was as if Dionne was there while a portrait was being painted.

The scene suddenly changed from a calm and peaceful setting to a more grim one.

It was the same room, the man was less inviting to the eyes; clothes ragged and unclean, hair a mop atop his head. The woman sit on the floor, tears staining her cheeks as she looked up to the man as he reared his arm back.

That was the last image. Once the episode had passed Dionne quickly noticed she had regained her mobility, and the weakness had faded completely.

The light from within the window danced away ever so slowly.

[Deleted]

Shivering slitghly, the images reminded Dionne of her own past. A single tear ran down her cheek as she closed her eyes, and those flooded her.

The bodies of her parents, murdered by a band of merceneries or thieves, she didn't know which, and the sound of laughter as they left. The feeling of blood, and despair as she tried to wake up her mother, her eyes wide open and throat slit with a blade. It wasn't untill she tried to get her broken fathers body back together with some first aid, his head severed from the rest, that it sank in, did she know she was all alone.

It took several moments for Dionne to pull back together, wiping the tear off. Whatever this place was it wouldn't defeat her - she owned a good life to her parents who gave their own to defend her. She circled the mansion quietly, stopping every now and then to see if anyone was around, and see if she could find a place to get in without making too much noise.

[Zaedus]

As she circled around she ended up near the back end of the manor. There she bore witness to what must have been a grand garden. Expertly crafted masonry that lined the once grand marble walkways stood crumbling. Weeds had grown through the cracks of the bricks but hung lifelessly towards the ground.

it was a fitting scene to say the least. The rest of the gardens was in much of the same shape; trees sat withered and twisted, benches once no doubt made of fine wood sat rotting and speckled with holes. Nothing in this expanse of former beauty was left alive. A gazebo sat in the center, large and imposing with minarets adorning it's roof. Even this structure bore the weight of sorrow this place now burdened.

Some of the small spires lay crumbled on the ground, most of the remnants covered in the skeletal twines of ivy. There was not much left to see unless one decided to dwell on the misery that was reflected from this place. However something did catch her attention.

There was a soft clatter from one of the outer shutters on one of the the sun room windows and a faint wail sounded not long after. The wail was all but a whisper on the dull atmosphere and it was reminiscent of a babe crying for it's mother.

[Deleted]

Dionne dropped even lower and froze at the sound. Something wasn't right, and she wasn't sure of her next steps.

Knowing the pain of being left alone, she considered saving, what she thought to be a child, but knew that it'd be a huge risk for her. Her internal struggle continued for a few seconds, and her past prevailed. She couldn't leave a child that she has suffered.

Looking around, she attempts to find a way to sneak inside, to see what she can do. Holding back her own tears, Dionne finds it quite difficult to keep her mind off her past.

[Zaedus]

Since the outer shutter had managed to find it's way open once it had freed itself from the seal of dust and dirt, Dionne would notice the window was broken. Shards of the fractured glass law strewn about on the ground and sill. Inside the window the curtain was tattered and worn and looked frail enough to tear off.

[Deleted]

Noticing her entry point, Dionne made her way inside, ripping through the curtain in a hurry. She knew that time was running out and the kid was out there, and it wouldn't take long for it to get scared and run, or so she thought anyway.

Scanning around the room basked in the moonlight, Dionne couldn't quite spot anyone. Trying to locate source of the noise.

[Shen]

(Zae, this needs to move along or I'll have to close it down. Thanks.)

[Ramir]

(Alright, my apologies Dionne. I am sure something has come up and kept Zae from posting, I'll be sure to follow up with him as soon as he is able.)