2019-11-03 - Destination Unknown

October 29
Outskirts of Town - Run Like Hell 5K

Drenched in sweat and blood, the only reason why Byron is crossing the finish line now is due to a little help on August Roen's part after the group were mauled by zombies of all things. Of course, August was helping aid the team opposing him as he was representing the GHFD in this, but no one but the GHFD would be complaining. His body hurt as it does even after getting healed. He had a rotting, maggot-filled corpse drag him down, trying to tear those skeletal claws into his chest. That still stung.

He was Robin Hood sans bow and arrow, or in his case, crossbow; which was still somewhere out in the forest beneath one of the undead, less their corpses faded away into nothingness. It was a chilly evening, but he was ready to peel himself out of his costume and change into something less sweat soaked and covered in blood. Approaching the Mercedes in the parking lot, the chirp of the alarm shutting off is heard through the mist. Swinging one of the doors to the backseat open, he tosses the green feathered cap in, before moving behind the vehicle to open up the trunk where he pulls out his duffle bag filled with a change of clothes. Taking the bag with him, he shuts both trunk and back door to settle into the now opened up driver's seat.

The first thing that he does is check his phone. He probably missed her in the cheering crowd and for whatever reason, the fog was rolling in pretty heavily. There was no need to worry her about his injuries, only remnants of it lingered.

(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Lil, where are you? Did you come to watch the race?

No response.

(TXT to Lilith) Byron: Did something come up at the shop?

No response.

Byron then tries to call instead, the phone held up to his ear as he watches a few costumed racers and their families chatting on the way to their own car. "Where are you?" He asks to the cooing sound of the phone as he waits for her to answer. "Pick up. Pick up." Still nothing. It reaches voicemail.

"Lil, where are you? Is everything alright?" He pauses to think of what to say next, before he adds in after an audible sigh, "I'll check in on you tomorrow. I'll drop by to pick you up for the ceremony. Sweet dreams."

Maybe she was busy? He probably should've checked her shop that night, but he had a festival kick off ceremony to prepare for, so despite this uneasy feeling that something may have happened, he foolishly returns home. She could've fallen asleep. She could've.. anything. If his mind wasn't filled with festival scheduling, he would've been more worried.

October 30
Harbor Mist Pawn Shop

Where was she? Byron was trying to get ahold of her all morning and throughout the afternoon in between calls with various shop owners and individuals who had sponsored the Masquerade as well as his own hired staff for the event. When given the time to breathe with almost two hours before he's supposed to show up at Addington Park for the opening ceremony, Byron arrives at the Harbor Mist Pawn to collect Miss Winslow. Her newly purchased car was right there in the parking lot, which she means that she must be home.

With the key given him, he unlocks the shop door. It's dark, which was odd. He expected the shop to still be open, that is, unless she closed early to get changed into costume. Byron, himself, was already wearing his-- when not wearing his golden lion's mask, the most prominent part of his attire is that lavish velvet cape that billows majestically behind him. A long sleeved white shirt with a ruffled collar is fitted over with a black doublet while black Venetian-style breeches cover his legs with feet tucked into knee high black boots.

Venturing further into the shop, then up those narrow stairs leading to the loft with his cape dancing behind him, Byron unlocks the upstairs loft's door, taking heavy booted steps inside.

"Lil?" He calls out. The lights were on, so she was here. But where was she now? The loft wasn't very big and not a space to get lost in, so it takes him no time at all to cover every inch of it only to find it empty. Out comes his phone which is lifted to his ear. "Where the hell are you?" He asks out loud, though there is no one there to hear him. All the while as he waits for her to answer her phone, he's going through her things, though what he's really hoping for is to her the sound of her ringtone. Nothing. Rather than leaving another voice message, he calls again to the same response.

Making his way towards the window, he stares out at her parked car from this higher vantage point. Nothing was amiss in this room. That didn't mean that someone couldn't have come in here and taken her. When that thought comes to mind, his entire body freezes. Could Grant Turner be in town? Or did he send one of his goons over? But this is Lilith we're talking about. She can handle the likes of Turner or most anyone. Still, Turner was the only threat that he could think. The only mundane threat.

Dark eyes flicker about the room with a scrutinizing gaze, if there was something wrong, he would find it. Failing that, though, there was only one thing that he could think to do.

His mind on Lilith, he tries to pick up a read on her within the room. If she was frightened or angry, he would feel that. If there was someone else present, someone threatening, he might feel that as well. It's not fear that he senses, but optimism and excitement. She was getting changed into her swan dress, something fancy that she'd picked up just for the Masquerade. He never saw her wear it in full, for it would be a surprise, but he did warn her that she might need extra feathers to keep warm because this was the end of October and the weather was already getting chilly.

The excitement wasn't just about being a pretty princess for the week. She couldn't wait to see him in costume as well. The Lion.

So she was dressed up and waiting for him, but what happened then? Shutting off the lights in the loft, he heads downstairs to check her office.

It was empty, like the loft. He still wasn't taking any chances, however.

Unlike the loft, the emotions drawn from the office were far more sinister. Unfortunately, it wasn't a recent event. Rather, one of the stronger emotional attachments to the Harbor Mist's office was late one evening when the place was broken into by a pair of masked men. He could feel tension rising, the paranoia. And the thoughts of betrayal -- both this feeling of being betrayed and the treacherous ideas of doing what needed to be done, even if it meant killing a friend, if it would ensure that he got what he wanted.

Byron remembers this all too clearly. He was there. He was one of those masked men. Joey Kelly was the other. Kelly was helping him break into Lilith's safe so that Thorne could get his hands on that damn ring. His revolver was already in hand, acting as the look-out as Kelly worked on the safe. Yet rather than observing the door, he could sense himself staring dangerously at Joey Kelly. Right now, Kelly was both his accomplice and a threat-- one which Byron was prepared to take care of if it came down to that.

Had Byron ever apologized to Joey about that event? No. What Joey didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. And he paid the guy for his help as was what they'd worked out.

Not the loft, not the office. He's being thorough here, but time was running out. He was needed at Addington Park. Reaching for his phone, he tries to call her again. No response, forcing him to leave another voice mail message.

On the drive over, the roads thick with fog, by the time he reached the park the magic and mystery of the Masquerade was on full display before his very eyes. Masked figures roamed the park grounds, the beautiful baroque melody played by chamber orchesta can be heard coming from the gazebo. The stage was now set.

Addington Park
The Masquerade Opening Ceremony

Before he exits his vehicle, Byron slips that golden Lion mask over his face, giving him the air of mystery which was the main theme of this event. Briskly, he makes his way across the damp grass, passing many a figure in elaborate costumes and and unrecogniable veiled faces. Messaging the festival staff that he'd arrived, he visually scans his masked guests through the fog. Maybe Lilith was already here. Yet her car never left the shop. Nor was she answring her phone. By now, Byron had already suspected that something must've happened to her and he couldn't do anything about it. He's hoping that he's wrong, but it's only a few minutes until he claims the stage to make his speech, so while he's worried about her now, he knows that he'll need to wait a little longer to search for her.

Try as he might, mentally searching over the sea of masks to find what's familiar, while there are friends and close acquaintances out there in the fog, he finds no sign of Lilith. Perhaps, there are just too many here or the mist was further masking her very essense. Three ominous looming figures approach him in the fog, tall and imposing. Once they break through the clouded veil, he'll find that they are his assistants. In fact, Byron had chosen those costumes for them just for this very event. They crowd around him, letting him know that it's time, before helping to usher him up on that stage for the speech.

---

Thorne was a great enough showman, standing before everyone donning the face of the Lion. As he spoke, he continued to look out at each and every mask before his eyes. Lilith was a Swan Princess for all he knew, though there were many feathered guests within the audience. One even looking like an actual Ostrich with fancy gloved hands. It was quite an impressive costume.

Now he was free. The Festival had officially begun which gave him this chance to-- That's when he sees them, the robed figures carrying what looks to be a throne as they made their way to this very stage. Confused by this new turn of events, Byron turns to look over his shoulder at one of his sinisterly blank faced assistants, who takes a few steps forward to whisper into his hear.

"Home is where the heart is."

That didn't explain things any better. The next thing he felt was a pinch at at the side of his neck, before a wave of disorientation began to set in. He stumbled back as the two remaining assistants came to his aid and the three of them escorted him down the stage steps. In passing, they nearly bump into someone at the foot of the platform-- a woman in a white rabbit mask. For a fleeting moment the eyes behind the Lion's mask meet with those of the Rabbit, but by then most of his weight was being supported by his staff as they dragged him along.

Thorne House

"It's been too long. He doesn't remember."
"Avoiding his fate."
"We'll remind him."

Then came a familiar voice sounding so distant. ""You'll be free of him, sweetie. Just let him go."

There were more voices that followed. Shouting. Then nothing again.

5 Bayside Road - Erin Addington's House

He could feel a gentle squeeze at his hand. His mind was fighting to wake up. Whatever had taken over him was slowly waning, but it wasn't enough. Thus his mind faded back into darkenss once more.

Something was happening to him; it was a strange sensation when he felt his system being cleared of that gripping darkness. He was no longer struggling to open his eyes and pull himself out of this heavy sluggishness.

When he was awake, he found himself at Erin Addington's house. How long had he been out? And there was no sign of Lilith anywhere still. He needed to find her, he needed to-- They'd been to his house! All of them. Everyone in this room. And from what Clayton was saying, even more who weren't currently present.

What did they see? What did they learn?

Byron had to go. He had to get out of there.

---

His rental was still at Addington Park... where did Byron think he was going? With his cape resting in the nook of his elbow and the Lion mask held within the other hand, both hands lift to be placed against his head as his body trembled. They'd been inside of his house. And it wasn't just Alexander Clayton! Captain de la Vega was mentioned and he had similar powers to Byron and Alexander. Roen as well.

He draws in a breath. Breathe. It will be fine. They know nothing about what went on in that place. They can't know.

Yes, in the past, as an adult, he'd spoken in some detail about the things that he'd experienced back at his old home. It was one thing to dismissively and rather vaguely mention the abuse. It was another thing for a person to see, experience it in the way that mentalists do when tapping into these memories.

The Bayside Apartments was a risky trek in this fog, so rather than walk the long stretch of Bayside Road, he contacts Frank to send one of his guys over to pick him up. As he waits, the next message goes out to Lilith once again, though as he's yet to receive a response from her, he doesn't expect much to come of it.

Harbor Mist Pawn Shop

After being picked up by one of his own hired security, Byron instructs the man to drive him back to Addington Park for his car. There's a brief discussion with his assistants on what had happened earlier in the evening. He lies, of course, downplaying the danger of his situation. This was not anything they needed to be involved in.

As promised, he keeps a security detail with him at all times even if they drive in a separate car from his own. Returning back to the Harbor Mist Pawn Shop, he tells them to wait outside while he explores the interior of the building once more. Lilith still hadn't returned. He'd checked the loft and the office again before doing a read on the shop floor proper as he lingered near the cash register.

The memory which is drawn from this room lingers with Grant Turner's stench. He gets no sense of the man, however. Not really. What he does play witness to now is the moment which Lilith had told him about. He felt hot, like he was burning up. In fact, Byron remembers this feeling all too well. He'd experienced it during the flu. This must be the moment-- Yes. Lilith was on the phone with Turner. He could feel her anger building with every word that Turner spewed out. Whatever he'd said had aggravated her in a dangerous way, in fact, Byron could feel that murderous rage within her rise to peak. He-- She wanted to reach through her phone to strangle Turner with her bare hands, but instead as her anger boiled over, it's Katy who gets the brunt of that rage. He's no healer himself, but as Lilith felt it, Byron does now too-- Katy's forearms are flayed gruesomely. It's as if Byron, himself, was getting under the woman's skin, getting a better understanding of her make up before using that knowlege to rip right into her.

"Jesus..." He breathes out, when he snaps himself out of that trance. What he'd just experienced is something that Lilith and the rest of the healers go through just to help and hurt people. It's a diffrent sort of intrusion than what he does, neither of them are entirely pleasant. However, the memory received still leaves Lilith's disappearance as a mystery. While Grant Turner made an appearance, it was done remotely, by phone. There was no struggle, no one trying to drag Lilith off somewhere. Where was she?

It was getting late, but he didn't want to return home. He was worried that she might come back, find her way out of a terrible dream without anyone there to help her. That meant, that he'd have to wait here. Despite being drugged and asleep for an hour or so ago, Byron stays up for as long as he can, eventually feeling that need to sleep. The stress of Lilith's disappearance among other things have taken their toll on him. So once alerting his bodyguard that he would be spending the night there, he falls asleep on her bed with his phone resting on his chest.

October 31st, 2019

The next morning, he did another read on the various rooms in the hopes that they would give him new insight. Maybe the memory he'd picked up wasn't the most recent. While new emotions were tapped into, new memories revealed to him, none of it had to do with where Lilith was right now.

Instead of sending a text message, he calls her phone instead. If her phone were anywhere around here, he'd hear it... unless she had it on vibrate or mute. Still nothing.

---

Huckleberry Trailer Park - Winslow's Trailer

His next stop was Hank's trailer, the one Lilith was renovating in the hopes to attract a renter. He gives her number another call while there and all that he is greeted with is 'leave a message at the tone' after she fails to pick up.

The old trailer brings back a lot of fond memories for him. He'd spend more with his friends around this trailer park than they did back at his place. As much as he wanted to relive some of those good memories here, despite his mission, what he gets is something far more forlorn and regretful. Lilith was in the process of starting to pack her things away, to free the space for a tenant. She grew up there, they both sort of did. Like the House on Oak was his home, this place was hers. Hank was gone and so would most of things be as well.

When he leaves the trailer, he can't help but look back upon it as if he were looking at it for the last time, until someone else resides within to build new memories for the place.

While he was desperate to find Lilith, Byron had other responsibilities that needed handling. He couldn't return the Pawn Shop and wait there all day. Which is why as he prepared to return to his apartment for a shower and a change of clothes, Byron assigns one of his security guard to keep watch over the shop and let him know if Lilith Winslow should return, or else, if he noticed anything suspicious happening.

Addington Park

On his return to Addington Park, rather than wear the fancy Renaissance-esque garb he wore for the opening ceremony, Byron changed into a deep emerald tuxedo instead while still keeping the golden Lion's mask. As he mingles with the guests, he makes inquiries about Winslow's whereabouts. Most hadn't seen her at all and when he mentions the swan costume that she might be wearing, the only swan that comes to anyone's mind now is Amelia Birchwood's black swan and that's only because some had watched her be sacrficed the night before, while others remember that she was in handcuffs.

Alexander had told Byron to work with de la Vega so that they could charge Birchwood with something if only to keep her locked up and away from the House. Of course, Byron doesn't do this at all. The more that he has to discuss the House and Birchwood with de la Vega, the more the cop might try to pry.

The more he lingered in the Park, admiring the beautiful garden that Roen had set up for this very occasion, the more he could hear the conversation around him in regards to the Festival itself. There were many who were delighted by it all, one person in a plague doctor's mask even mentioning that the fog really helped bring out the sense of mystery the town. #GrayHarborMasquerade2019 #WouldReturnNextYear.

Of course, Byron, himself, couldn't truly enjoy the fruits of his endeavors and at the moment he had one thing on his mind. However, when he receives a text from Alexander Clayton, that one thing becomes two things. Something was going on with Isabella. Clayton had mentioned St. Mary's. That's one place that Byron hasn't been to in a while.

If something happened to Isabella, it's not a stretch to say that maybe this had something to do with Lilith too. Typing out a few responses, he heads back to his car. What follows is something that will disturb him and linger within his mind for years to come.

On The Road

All that Byron can see in his mind is that look in Isabella's blank eyes as they stared directly at him. He could see the uncomfortable position in which she was held up by those thin wire and he remembers how they could cut into hers kin as they tightened around her when he'd moved a part of the wiry webbing. They got her out, Thank God. But after he'd dropped Alexander and Isabella back at her boathouse, she still hadn't recovered from her ordeal.

He should have stayed with her to ensure that she would snap out of it. Maybe she will at some point soon, but so far Clayton hasn't informed him about it. Right now, he isn't even sure how long he's been driving. He returned to the Pawn Shop briefly but there was nothing new to be found there. This is what brought him out now, moving from location to location to try to pick up any sort of mental reading from her somewhere, all while calling her phone. If one didn't work, maybe the other would. If she were in a dream, however, she very well could be shut away from all-- though, Captain de la Vega was able to communicate with her from within a dream during Gohl's exorcism. That, however, was a mental link. Telepathy, he believes, the same which August had used on him that once.

Byron knows that he should give it try, but he can't bring himself up to it. He's not even sure if he's able to breach the Dreamworld in that way even if de la Vega could do it. Still, he wasn't willing to chance it. That kind of connection, allowing someone access to your own mind was always completely out of the question if he could help it. Lilith was one of the last people that he'd ever want in his mind, in the case that she sees something that she did not like.

His gaze lifts to view his rear-view mirror. Frank's car was still behind him, this time vowing to not lose Thorne in the fog the way he had done earlier when they were traveling to St. Mary's. That's when he receives a text. It's Alexander. Looks like Isabella hadn't woken up yet and he was wanting assistance. There was a moment where his thoughts refocused on Lilith again, but once Bella's name is even mentioned, the image of her being strung up that way, being used as some sort of battery to power up the illusion within the church, it's something that will keep returning.

What if the same thing were happening to Lilith now?

Reed Houseboat

So, it seems that Bella has a dragon in her mind. An overly protective dragon from what he could tell by merely observing the strain that going up against it put on Alexander and Tobin. The entire situation was frustrating, especially when the first thing that people want to do is LINK MINDS! For a time, Byron felt so useless, agitated, for all that he could do was watch and wonder, despite the vague play-by-play that was verbally given him in the physical world.

This was the second time in two days. Despite not being part of the link, Byron could sense the minds of the others in this telepathic communication going on around him. It made im uneasy then, this made him uneasy now. If this was the way that they expected to solve all of their problems, then he'll have to handle his own problems alone.

The entire thing annoyed him to know end, but Bella was awake and that's what mattered. Quickly departing before anyone else can offer to help find Lilith, Thorne needed this time to cool off, no matter how much he played just that, cool, in their presence. It takes him a while to even start the Benz up, his hands clutching onto the steering wheel in irritation, nearly threatening to tear the damn thing out.

---

He would spend much of the day traversing the thick fog, returning to old points of interest and wondering if both his and Isabella's kidnapping had something to do with Lilith. Why not? They were all friends, maybe there was some connection there even if people are quick to dismiss the idea.

Twelve Hours and One Minute after Byron had left Alexander at Reed's Boathouse.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: Thorne.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: Just the person I was about to text.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: There isn't a 'skeptical face' emoji. There should be. Still alive?

(TXT to Byron) Byron: I hope so. Or someone's got ahold of my phone, using my corpse to unlock it with my thumbprint and attempting to set your mind at ease right now.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: It's Gray Harbor. I rule nothing out.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: Any luck finding Ms. Winslow?

(TXT to Byron) Byron: No. Nothing's come up.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: I'm sorry. Any way that you would like me to help?

(TXT to Byron) Byron: I don't think there's anything that you can do to help.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: All right. Let me know if there is. Have you had any other problems?

(TXT to Byron) Byron: Aside from not finding any signs of Lilith by now?

(TXT to Byron) Byron: No.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: How is Isabella doing?

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: She's recovered well. I'm keeping an eye on her for a bit, but aside from a splitting headache, she seems okay. And I haven't seen any sign of Peregrine, so I assume he's causing trouble somewhere else. Or blending in at a circus somewhere.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: Do you think any of this is related in any way? I know I'd brought it up earlier.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: Not in a direct fashion. I don't think that the various persons are acting together. But it does feel like things are escalating, and more people are being drawn into the town - both the good and the bad.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: Alright.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: Let me know if something comes up on your end.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: I will. Would you please do the same? Also, twelve hours.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: (No response to that question or the reminder of checking in)

(TXT to Byron) Byron: (After a long while) Do you think Lilith's disappearance is connected to what happened to me?

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: It's possible. But...no. I don't think so. I think that if the house had Lilith, it would have tried to use her. Or it would have contacted you already to let you know that she was there.

(TXT to Byron) Byron: Alright.

(TXT to Byron) Alexander: I think it's most likely she is in the Veil, or lost in a Dream. She's a formidable force against anything aside from the Shadows..

---

That's when Byron cuts communication with Clayton from where Thorne is seated within his car parked just across the street from his old family home.

Thorne House

Seated inside of his car with his security detail parked a few cars behind him on the side of the road, Byron was silently observing the dark Victorian house. Against his better judgement and because the house puts him ill at ease the closer that he gets to it, Thorne dared to get out of his car to give Lilith's number a call. He'll let it ring until it hits voice mail. Then he'll dial her up again.

The House remained silent.

After a moment of nothing, he finally relents. Slowly, as he turns to head back towards his car, he'll look at the various darknened windows within the house. It felt like the house sat empty, especially with Amelia Birchwood in custody for the time being. Though without any charges pressed, she should be released some time today. Unless she already was.

He should've tried to get a read on the house, or better yet, try to gauge how many mental signatures that he could detect from inside. But even that has him wary and playing overly cautious. Anything that dealt with tapping into the house could stir something up, bring back those best forgotten memories. Even if they are the memories that may have molded him into the person he was today-- or so everyone kept telling him in regards of a memory sacrifice for Gohl. Really, was a memory really a terrible thing to give up?

Resigned to this idea that he was starting back at square once again, with no lead on where to check next, he drives off into the night. Destination Unknown.