The Hyacinth Towers Incident Part 1

The beginning of the beginning of the actual F-Team :D

I'll have more done sometime this week.  I'm planning on writing up till the point that the phone rings.  

I'm kinda tired, so don't expect this to make complete sense. XD  

The Hyacinth Towers Incident

                Natalie was extremely bored.  Laura and Jennifer had been living with her for nearly two months now.  She had gotten used to the excitement their random expeditions brought her.  She would do research for them, hacking into computer systems that actually provided her with a challenge.  Sometimes they would even have her mess with a building’s camera system so they could go anywhere without being seen, but with an eye in the sky, so to speak. 

                They had nothing planned at the moment, so the three of them were lounging around the house, staring lazily at the TV.  Natalie pulled out her laptop and set it on her folded legs.  She began drifting through the internet, not really paying attention to what she was doing.  She continued her wanderings for about a half an hour before she stumbled upon something interesting.  It seemed to be some sort of encrypted message. 

                She ran it through one of the decrypting programs she designed.  Eventually, she had her message.  It read: “H.T., 3 p.m. 12, 20 kg, brg csh” Natalie narrowed her eyes.  What could this mean?  H.T.  Was that a person?  A place?  3 p.m. was obviously some sort of meeting time, and 12 was the date.  In that case, H.T. probably WAS a place.  20 kg.  Kg was probably kilograms.  Kilograms of what, exactly?  And the last part of the message.  Brg csh.  That had to be bring cash.  It seemed to Natalie that some sort of important exchange would be taking place at the mysterious H.T. 

                Natalie absentmindedly typed the initials “H.T.” into her favorite search engine.  Tons of people popped up.  She narrowed her search to destinations and locations.  A list of museums, zoos, and other tourist attractions appeared.  Natalie sat back with a sigh.  There were millions of places this could be taking place at.  It may not even be in this country.  She looked back over the message, trying to trace its source.  It seemed to come from a public computer, located in one of the local city libraries.  She grinned; satisfied that it would be a local place. 

                 Out loud, she asked to the room at large, “What would you guys consider a good, common place for an exchange involving money?” 

                Jennifer answered, without moving her eyes from the TV screen, “depends on what it being exchanged.  A hostage, drugs, whores.  It really depends…” 

                “Alright,” Natalie replied, thinking, “let’s say it’s drugs.  Where would be a good place?”

                Laura took this one, “probably any place that’s abandoned.  An old warehouse.  A parking lot.  Maybe even a hotel.” 

                “A hotel?  Hmm…” Natalie returned her focus to her computer screen. 

                Laura and Jennifer exchanged a look, shrugged, and turned back to the TV. 

                She modified her search again, this time with “hotels” and the city name.  Only a few results popped up this time.  “Hyacinth Towers,” she murmured.  She clicked on a link to the hotel’s website.  It was a high quality hotel, with state-of-the art services and gorgeous rooms.  She looked back at the message.  It said when the exchange was to take place, as well as the basic location, but it didn’t say where exactly in the hotel it would be.  She figured it would be in one of the rooms, but which room?  Perhaps it was a combination of the time and the date?  She felt it was a long shot, but worth a try.  She attempted to book an online room, and entered a special request for the 12^th of that month and room 312.  She was told that the room would be occupied during that day, but would be available the next day.  Next she tried hacking into the hotel’s security system.  Perhaps she could find out which guest would be staying in the room and could use it as a lead. 

                The room was saved for a man named Smith.  It was an obvious cover name, but she knew she needed more information than that.  She looked to see how the reservation had been made.  It seemed to originate from a public computer, similar to the way the encrypted message had been sent.  This public computer seemed to be located at a small cyber bar near the park.  Natalie figured it might be worth something, so she explained everything she had discovered so far to Jennifer and Laura. 

                They seemed intrigued.  “Perhaps we can do a little research,” Jennifer suggested.  “It’s not like we’re making good use of our time, and this sounds like we may be able to get something out of it.” 

                Laura decided to head to library, and Jennifer agreed that she would go to the cyber café.  Natalie said she would stay at her apartment and try to gather more information through the hotel’s website. 

~~~~~~~

                Laura approached the brick face of the run-down little library.  Its faded sign read “Jason Kindling Library” and underneath it said, “To Educate Those That Will It.”  She climbed the steps and pushed the door open.  It distinctly smelled of old books and dust.  The floor was of a dark wood and there were lamps with green shades upon a few rickety tables.  A frail old woman sat behind the front desk. 

                Laura approached her slowly, and asked quietly, “where would I go to use a computer in this library?” 

                The lady looked up from the book she had been reading, and pointed with a wispy hand towards a desk behind her.  Laura nodded her thanks and continued to the desk.  She brought up the internet, and went to recent history.  Natalie had told her that the email would have been sent three days ago.  She began sifting through URLs.  Eventually she came upon an email provider site.  She flipped open her cell phone and texted to Natalie, “I think I may have found it.”  She then copied the URL into the text and sent it.  Her task complete, she stood up and turned off the computer.  After thanking the librarian, she continued out through the door, down the steps, and back towards Natalie’s apartment.    

~~~~~~~~

                Meanwhile, Jennifer was just reaching the cyber café.  It was completely devoid of people.  Thanks to Natalie, she knew exactly which computer to sit down at.  She continued to do exactly what Laura had.  She searched through the URLs until she found an email provider that had been accessed three days prior.  After sending the address to Natalie, she too continued back to the apartment. 

~~~~~~~~

Laura/Jennifer/Johnny/Natalie Part who even knows anymore XD

                “I have to make an appointment!?”  Natalie growled at the Bloomsburg secretary, “I used to work here!” 

                “I’m sorry ma’am, I can’t allow just anyone to see Mr. Riddle,” the secretary replied matter-of-factly. 

                “But I’m not just anyone!  Have you already forgotten who I am?” 

                “Please make an appointment and Mr. Riddle will get in touch with you as soon as he can.  Now, I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the secretary motioned towards the door.   

                “Well,” Laura muttered as she and Natalie exited the building, “that went well.  Not to sound redundant or anything.” 

                “Sorry, I didn’t expect them to completely ignore the fact that I worked for them for so long.  Although it probably doesn’t help that I stormed out of here after I got fired.” 

                “It’s fine; I got what I needed anyway.  We’ll just have to do this a slightly different way than I had planned.”  She held up a small business card with a list of employees on it. 

                “Johnny’s name isn’t even on it,” Natalie observed, pulling the card close to her face so she could read it better.    

                “It doesn’t matter, I’m assuming that you can figure out which of these is him,” Laura smiled at her. 

                Natalie sighed, “I’m sure I can…”

~~~~

                Jennifer and Laura stood behind Natalie as she scrolled through her computer.  Her fingers were a blur on the keyboard, and then she pulled up a picture of Johnny.  It was a current one too.  “He’s under the name Daniel Riddle.  As Mr. Riddle’s adoptive son…interesting.”

                “What’s interesting?”  Laura leaned closer to the screen, trying to read the information that flashed across the screen. 

                “It never said this before…but now his files are saying that he was adopted from an orphanage when he was ten years old.  It’s saying he’s been living with Mr. Riddle for eight years!” Natalie looked outraged, “somebody has tampered with these files.  They’re trying to cover something up.  But here’s what we’re looking for.”

                Laura looked at her eagerly, “what is it?” 

                “His home address.” 

~~~~

                Jennifer slipped past house after house, looking up at addresses.  Her dark clothes allowed her to blend in perfectly with the murky night.  Few street lamps lined this block of the neighborhood, but instead of making her nervous, this fact had a calming effect on her.  She squinted her eyes in an attempt to see further down the street.  Gasping quietly, she ducked between two of the houses, and just in time. 

                A tall man strode past the place she had just been standing, casting his eyes around in all directions, searching for her.  A large bulge in his jacket pocket screamed that this was no pedestrian on a nighttime stroll.  She crouched in the shadows between the two houses, trying to calm herself.  It had been a very close call and she was not accustomed to being surprised like that. 

                As soon as she was sure that the guard had moved on, she slipped her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, shielding the light with her hand from prying eyes.  She sent a quick message to Laura: “Single guard confirmed.  Possibly more.  Be careful.” 

                  Jennifer watched from her hiding spot as a dark shape slipped from behind a car at the end of the block.  It snuck down the street, ducking behind trees and parked cars as it made its way towards Jennifer’s position.  As soon as it was about two feet away from her, she slipped out of the gap between the houses, and pulled the dark figure back into the deeper shadows. 

                “Okay, so how are we doing this?”  Laura whispered, barely making a sound.  “Our original plan wasn’t counting on guards.” 

                “Continue with the plan, I’ll take care of the guards,” Jennifer slipped a silencer out of her pocket and attached it to her handgun. 

                Laura nodded and continued back out into the open, keeping close to the car-lined street.  Jennifer held her position until she could hear the guard’s footsteps returning.  She quickly lunged out, squeezed the trigger, and then crept back into her original position.  She watched as Laura emerged from behind a battered truck and caught the body before it hit the ground.  She dragged it out into the street and pushed it under a rusted old van. 

                Jennifer sent her another message: “Okay, go now.  I’ll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”  

More art....

I made these for the secondary pages (aka the character pages) to go along with the stories.  I'll keep adding more as I think of ideas and such.  I did them kinda quick, so they're really messy XD

As you can probably tell I'm trying to experiment with lighting techniques.......some aren't really working out XD

Natalie's Backstory Part 3

Back to Natalie's POV

(Of course I'm not uploading this during class >.>)

                Natalie glanced up from her book.  Although Johnny’s sister was no longer sitting on the bench, Natalie knew she hadn’t left the park yet.  She must have sat down behind that huge tree, Natalie thought to herself. 

                Today, she had decided, was the day she would attempt to follow Laura to gather more information.  Originally she had only wanted to get some form of dirt on Johnny, but now she was completely intrigued that somebody would wait every week at the same place on the off chance that somebody they were searching for would appear. 

                She looked back down at her book.  She stared at it for a few seconds until some movement caught her eye.  She used her peripheral vision to watch as Laura stepped out from behind the tree and began following the path out of the park.  As Laura passed her, Natalie sat completely still, pretending to be engrossed in her book.  After a few seconds Natalie packed up her blanket and book and headed off in the same direction she had seen Laura go. 

                She followed Laura back into the heart of the city, leaving the park behind her.  She stayed nearly a block behind Laura to keep from being discovered.  As Natalie passed the entrance to a small café, she saw Laura duck into an alleyway.  When Natalie reached it, she peered around the corner cautiously. She squinted her eyes and could just barely make out Laura’s silhouette in the darkness of the alley. 

                She continued to follow Laura down the alley, when suddenly, Laura turned around to face her.  Natalie froze in her tracks, and began to back up.  She had only taken two steps backwards when she felt something pressed into her back.  A gun!? Natalie thought, terrified.  Laura walked casually towards Natalie until she was right in front of her.  Natalie realized with a jolt of fear that Laura had a knife in her hand.  She was now trapped in a dark, deserted alley with two armed people with an unknown purpose. 

                “Now I’m going to keep this simple,” Laura said in a low, calm voice, “You can either tell me why you’re following me, or you can suffer the consequences.” 

                Natalie heard the crack of the safety on the gun behind her.  She began shaking uncontrollably.  “I was…I was only trying to dig up some dirt on somebody.” 

                Laura raised an eyebrow.  “Who is this somebody?” 

                “Your brother…Johnny,” Natalie stammered.  She noted the surprise in Laura’s eyes.  So she really hasn’t seen him in all this time.  Natalie thought in wonder. 

                “You know where Johnny is?  You’ve seen him?” Laura asked eagerly. 

                “…Yes.  My boss gave him MY job at Bloomsburg Security,” Natalie muttered. 

                “So how’d you find that document anyway?” Laura prodded.  “I thought I hid it well enough that only he would be able to find it.” 

                Natalie smiled a bit at that.  “He may be a bit better than me, but I’m still good enough to find something like that.”    

                At this point, the person behind Natalie spoke in a voice absolutely dripping with sardonic anger, “you left a document trace that anybody can access on the internet!?  Seriously, have you just given up on being intelligent or what!?”

                “Oh I wouldn’t be too worried about it,” Natalie interjected, “Johnny and I are two of the very few people on this earth that would be able to find a file like that.”  She turned her face to look at Laura, “you actually did a pretty good job of hiding it.  Skill with computers must run in your family.” 

                “Johnny taught me how to do that…” Laura responded slowly, “When he was six…” 

                “Well, anyway,” Natalie muttered nervously, “I’ve told you what you asked for.  Can I go now?  I promise I’ll stay out of your business.” 

                “No,” said the person behind her again, “I’ve got a couple more questions for you.  In order to find that document, you must have been digging pretty deeply into Laura’s paper trail.  What else do you know?” 

                “Um, nothing much…really,” Natalie stammered. 

                “Really now…I’m having a hard time believing you.”  The gun dug a little further into her back. 

                “Alright, alright…I dug up some old police reports.  I know about your mother’s death and that your father is in prison.” 

                “My father is ALIVE?” Laura looked horrified. 

                “Very much so.  He’s been in prison for quite a while now.”

                “Anything else?” the person holding the gun pressed. 

                “Nothing.  The trail goes cold after she leaves the orphanage.  Nothing from the past two years.” 

                “Alright.  You’re going to take Laura to her brother and you’re going to keep your mouth shut.  If you can comply with these demands, you will be free to go.” 

                “Fine,” Natalie agreed, “It’s not like I have anything better to do anyway.  I am unemployed after all.”    

Natalie's Backstory Part 2

From Laura's point of view O_O

                It was eleven thirty, and Laura was wandering the park.  It reminded her of her childhood.  She, her brother, and her mom used to go out to lunch and then walk through the park.  Sometimes she and Johnny even went down to the little river that ran through the park to look for frogs and small fish to catch.  Their mother would watch them from a bench placed a few feet away, at the foot of a huge, gnarled tree. 

                At eleven forty-five Laura took a seat at the bench overlooking the river.  She gazed at the sparkling patterns made on the water by the afternoon sun.  Every Friday she sat there, remembering her past, and her mostly lost childhood.  She tried to treasure those few happy memories of her little family together.  She closed her eyes and let herself remember. 

                Laura suddenly jerked awake.  She looked down at her cell phone.  It was nearly twelve forty now.  The warmth of the sun and her overall exhaustion must have lulled her to sleep.  Johnny was nowhere to be found.  Oh well, she thought, next week.  As she stood up to leave, she felt her cell phone vibrating.  She was getting a text. 

                She stood up and flipped open her cell phone.  She began walking and scrolling through her cell phone’s message inbox.  The text was from Jennifer.  As she selected the unread message she felt somebody grab the back of her shirt and pull her violently sideways behind the tree.  Dropping her cell phone, Laura removed the knife she had sheathed at her left hip and swung it towards her attacker.  A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, the knife two inches from the owner’s face. 

                Laura relaxed, letting her knife hand drop.  “Fancy seeing you here Jennifer.” 

                “You almost stabbed me,” Jennifer stated. 

                “You shouldn’t surprise me like that.” 

                “You know what?  You have no right to talk!”  Jennifer said angrily.  “Do you even think before you act?” 

                “I can’t believe you followed me here!  This is none of your business!”  Laura shot back. 

                “It is my business whenever you put both of our lives in danger!”  Jennifer snarled. 

                “What are you-“

                “Did you really not notice?  For the past three weeks, every time you come to this spot, that same lady is sitting there.  Sitting right behind you.” 

                “You’ve been following me for three weeks!?”  Laura asked, outraged. 

                “And that’s what you’re worried about!?  Not the fact that you’re being watched by some stranger!?” 

                “You know what, let’s stop fighting and just take care of this,” Laura sighed and poked her head out from behind the tree.  Sure enough, there was a young woman there, sitting on a simple blanket, apparently reading a book.  Laura didn’t buy it.  “Alright Jennifer, what’s the plan?” 

                Jennifer grinned, “oh don’t worry, I’ve got a perfect one.”  

Laura/Jennifer's Past Part 4

Now this is from Jennifer's point of view.  I probably won't ever go into the details of her family's death, cause that's a bit gruesome.  Anyway, this keeps becoming less like a story and more like me just listing how stuff happened.  Oh well.  There are plenty of awkward sentences in there.  Feel free to point them out.  

                As soon as Jennifer laid eyes on Laura, she knew that she would be useful.  It was obvious that she held little trust in the establishment, so she would be unlikely to confide in those that could spoil Jennifer’s plans.  Jennifer decided to test her, so she used the oldest trick in the book; the fake handshake.  Laura easily fell for it.  It was now apparent that she was more than gullible enough for Jennifer’s purposes. 

                Instead of enlisting her right away, Jennifer decided to scope out the orphanage and learn as much as she could about Laura.  Going to the orphanage had not been in her plans, but she would have to make the best of it.  It certainly made getting food and shelter more convenient than before.  It was hard for a girl her age to live on the streets, but she had managed.  The day she got sent to the orphanage she had been hanging out near a local deli when she was picked up by some police officers that had been snooping around.  It had been nearing midnight when they saw her.  They pulled over and asked her why a little girl like her wasn’t at home.  Before they could even get close to her she ducked into a nearby alley and started running.  The policemen, in the mood for some excitement, got out of their cruiser and gave chase on foot.  Jennifer might be fast, but she wasn’t fast enough to outrun two inner city officers. 

                One of the officers grabbed her by the back of her shirt and picked her up.  Fear coursed through Jennifer as memories of her previous encounters with police flooded her mind.  “We asked you a question you little brat,” the officer holding her up snarled. 

                The other continued, panting heavily, “where’s your house?  We’ll give you a lift home.” 

                Jennifer knew if she revealed that she was living on the streets that she would be done for.  She tightened her lips and began struggling violently.  The second officer grabbed both of her arms in one of his meaty hands.  “Ya know what?” the second officer drawled, “I think I’ve seen this one around before.  She’s the one Sherman caught hiding out in that abandoned lot last month.” 

                “Ah, I think you may be right,” the first agreed.  “Welp, we’d better take her to the station.  They’ll find a nice place for her.” 

                The two officers dragged her down to the police station and then all the way to one of the many broken down city orphanages.  Jennifer looked up at the faded brick face of the small, dirty orphanage.  An angry, heavyset woman met them at the door.  The officer finally released his tight grip on her upper arm, and Jennifer sprang away from him, rubbing her arm.  The woman led her with a firm grip on her shoulder into the bowels of the building.  She was taken upstairs to her new room, where she met Laura. 

                The day Laura attempted to follow her, she had been planning to visit the place where she had been taught how to navigate the streets.  It was a small building in the bad part of town, frequented by those that put little stock in the law.  It was mostly used for underground poker games.  Drugs and whores and shady transactions were also a common sight.  Jennifer had stumbled upon this place by total accident.  She had been wandering the streets, searching for a good alley to spend the night.  It was a particularly cold night, and when it began to rain, Jennifer knew she had to find some sort of shelter.  She ducked under the overhang that loomed over the door of that very building.  In the morning when the door was opened, she was found, passed out on the doorstep.  Not knowing what else to do, they dragged her inside and left her lying there. 

                When she came to it was well into the night and the poker game was in full swing.  Curious, she wandered over to the table.  None of the people paid her any mind.  Eventually a scantily dressed woman brought her a small piece of bread, which she gratefully took and began to nibble on.  She remained in the building for weeks, always managing to get some sort of scraps out of the poker players or their whores who took pity on her.  Each night she watched the poker games.  Soon she had a thorough understanding of the game and they began to let her sit at the table in order to watch better. 

                One night she shyly asked one of the players if she could join in.  Everybody at the table laughed, but the man she had asked gave her one chip to play with.  With that single chip, she held her own.  Soon they began to realize that she had some basic skills at the game.  At the end of the game, they even allowed her to cash in her chips, thinking it amusing that such a small child could make money at poker.  This soon became a habit of hers.  Each night, she made more money.  She kept it in a large pouch under her shirt.  She could now afford her own food and never had to worry about going hungry.  She became a sort of mascot for the criminals that gathered in that building. 

                The man who had given her that original poker chip took a liking to her.  He taught her everything she needed to know to survive on the streets.  He even showed her how to properly shoot a gun, just in case she ever needed to defend herself.  She turned out to be quite a good shot. 

                Even after she was placed in the orphanage and forced to go to school, she continued to come back to play poker.  She hid her earnings inside her mattress.  Each year for her birthday, those at the poker table thought it was funny to get her some sort of present.  They usually bought her knives, so eventually she amassed a large collection.  These she also began stashing in her mattress. 

                Eventually she had enough savings to purchase a small handgun.  This she kept in her pillowcase.  She continued to maintain good grades to keep from suspicion.    

Laura's Past Part 3

More!!!  I'll probably keep posting this as I finish each portion.  Let me know if there are any mistakes or if anything is redundant.  (Try to ignore the fact that Jennifer is extremely well-spoken for a ten/eleven year old.  I know it's ridiculous, but it amuses me.)    

                As the weeks went on, Laura began to notice that Jennifer was never at the orphanage in her free time.  Most of the girls either sat in their rooms talking or waited in the dining hall until the next meal was prepared.  Although Laura never saw her do any of her homework, it was common knowledge that Jennifer got perfect grades and was the top of her class.  Finally, Laura got fed up with her curiosity and decided to just follow her to find out for herself. 

                After school one day Laura began to follow behind Jennifer at what she figured was a safe distance.  She kept walking, keeping her head down.  Suddenly, when she checked to see where Jennifer was heading, she had disappeared.  Surprised, Laura kept heading in the same direction she had already been going.  She kept searching for a few blocks, but was unable to pick up Jennifer’s track.  Disappointed, Laura headed back to the orphanage. 

                After returning to the orphanage, Laura climbed up the stairs to her room.  When she opened the door, she discovered Jennifer, sitting cross-legged on the floor, with a large assortment of knives spread out around her.  Jennifer turned and caught Laura’s eye.  Laura quickly suppressed the admiring look that had spread over her face at the sight of such a superb array of knives.  Jennifer smirked, and Laura knew she had not been quick enough to hide her emotions.  Laura coughed, and said in an attempt at an airy tone, “Well, I guess I’ll finally be rid of you.  All I have to do is report you to Ms.  Philips and you’ll be kicked out for sure.  Weapons aren’t allowed here.” 

                Jennifer seemed amused by this.  She replied, “I’ll just pull you down with me.  Who seems more trustworthy?  The perfect student, or the girl who hardly ever shows up to class, let alone does her homework.” 

                Laura flinched.  She knew Jennifer was right.  It was also no secret that Ms. Philips disliked her. 

                “Not to mention,” Jennifer continued, “you were the one caught with the knife and your father’s blood on your hands.  Nobody can deny your affinity for knives.”        

                Laura froze.  “How the hell do you know about that?” she whispered venomously. 

                “Oh, I keep my ears open,” Jennifer said lightly.  “It’s amazing what adults will say when they think children aren’t listening.” 

                Laura began shaking in fear and anger.  “Okay, what do you want from me?  It’s obvious I’m going to have to do something for you.”    

                Jennifer smirked again.  “I would appreciate it if you would drop your curiosity about where I go after school.  It’s better for both of us if I’m the only person here who knows.”  Laura narrowed her eyes, but let Jennifer continue, “I would also like you to start doing your homework and pay attention in class.  Like I said before, better students are under less scrutiny from higher-ups.” 

                Laura huffed, “there’s no way I’m-”

                Jennifer held up a hand, “let me finish.  Since we share a room, I would like you to be under less suspicion from teachers and orphanage staff.  If they decide to search our room because of you, certain personal items of mine will be compromised.  I don’t believe what I ask of you is that difficult.” 

                “Now wait just one second here-” Laura began to protest. 

                “Before you refuse,” Jennifer cut her off, “there’s something in it for you.  If you can follow through with these requests, I can give you some of these knives.  I honestly don’t have much use for them.  I may be able to part with all of these fine knives if you could also help me with a couple of other things.” 

                “You’ve caught my interest,” Laura said, eyeing the knives.  “Exactly what sort of things do you need help with?”  

Poker Face

These are the kindred souls who taught Jennifer how to play poker.  Don't they look friendly? (and not in the least bit moronic?)  Don't laugh at me, I can't draw badass very well.......and I honestly don't know if the person on the left is a guy or a girl.....it's a mystery.......

Jennifer and Laura

Hey look at the little orphan losers >:D Okay, I guess either the school or the orphanage has a sort of dress code/uniform which consists of oversize, ugly sweaters and gray skirts.  

Laura's Past Part 2

More of the same...it's a bit convoluted.  For that, I apologize.  

                “So they have no living relatives?”

                “None that we know of.” 

                Laura could hear adult voices through the haze of drug-induced sleep.  It sounded as though they were discussing Johnny’s and her future. 

                “Unfortunately the only local orphanages are organized by gender.  They never have very much space in the first place.  They will have to be placed in separate facilities.”

                Something about being separated?  Was that what they were talking about?  Laura was terrified.  She tried to sit up, but found her limbs weighed too much, and her head was too heavy to lift.  They can’t take Johnny away from me!  She silently screamed, and began struggling.  She felt a sharp pain in the crook of her arm and then she faded back into sleep.  

                When she awoke completely, she found herself propped up on a small, child-sized bed.  A plump, harassed-looking woman sat on a bed opposite from her.  Laura immediately began asking questions, “Where is Johnny?  Where is my brother?”  As the lady watched Laura with hardened eyes, Laura could feel herself growing angrier.  She began shouting, “Where is my little brother?! What have you done with him!?!”   

                “He’s not here,” the lady answered simply, with no trace of sympathy in her voice. 

                “I know he’s not here, but where is he?” Laura asked again, enraged. 

                “That is none of your concern.  He will be well taken care of.”  The lady brushed aside all of Laura’s questions with a sweep of her hand.  “You will be living here now.  You are expected to be a well-behaved young woman.  This orphanage is run completely off of donations, so you should be thankful.”  Laura made a sound as if she were about to protest, but the lady continued on as if she couldn’t hear her.  “You will be expected to go to school, make good grades, listen to your caretakers, do your chores, and learn to be a use to society.” The lady looked down at the watch on her wrist.  “Dinner will be at six o’clock, sharp.  Be there on time, or you don’t eat.”  She stood up to leave.  “You will receive a schedule tomorrow morning.  You must complete all items on that list in a timely manner.  Everybody here is expected to do their part.”   

                Laura sat up in her room, fuming.  She began planning a way to escape this horrible place to find her brother.  She thought of her father, and shivered.  Had he died?  Had he escaped?  Did the police capture him?  Where was her mother’s body?  Would there be a funeral?  The only things Laura knew about funerals were from movies, but she didn’t know much about the details of one. 

                She figured that she might as well get used to her surroundings and learn to take advantage of her new situation.  At six she made sure she was down in the dining hall.  The other girls had already formed into small groups of friends.  They all looked at her suspiciously whenever they thought she wasn’t looking.  She sat at a corner table, facing a wall.  She endured the stares of the whole room, quickly ate her food, and then went upstairs to her room.  She cried herself to sleep that night, thinking of her mother and her brother. 

                She obediently did her chores each day, but refused to go to school.  The lady who ran the orphanage, Ms. Philips, Laura eventually learned was her name, would berate her for skipping out on school. She would often refuse to feed Laura if she found out that she had skipped out on school once again.  Laura soon became so hungry that she forced herself to attend school.  She would sit through her classes, but she refused to absorb the information given to her.  Her homework remained undone.  Seeing as no laws were being broken now that Laura was attending school, Ms. Philips left her to her own devices.  

                After a few months of living like this Ms. Philips came in to speak to her.  Behind her trailed a small girl, about the same age as Laura.  The girl’s dark, brown eyes were full of mischief and cunning.  Laura glared at these intruders into her small space.  “Alright Laura, this is our newest member.  She will be sharing this room with you.  You will teach her how we do things here, and you will get along.” And with that, Ms. Philips left the two girls alone. 

                Laura huffed and turned her back on this other girl.  She had enjoyed the small semblance of privacy the cramped room had provided her, but now, even that was gone.  “Well,” the other girl said slyly, “I already know your name.”  When Laura didn’t answer, she went on, “well, anyway, I’m Jennifer.”  Laura turned back around to face her.  Jennifer’s hand was outstretched, as if to give a formal handshake.  Laura tentatively reached her hand out to shake it, but right as she did so, Jennifer moved her hand to push her hair out of her eyes.  She gave Laura and evil grin, finding pleasure in tricking her.  Laura huffed again and went and sat on her bed.  During dinner that night, the two of them sat together although they exchanged not a single word.

Oh god what is this?? XD

We're playing a video game of some sort.  Nichole looks like she's winning, Anna's laughing at us, Jennifer is betting money on the outcome, Suzy's being cool, Laura's threatening Natalie with a knife, and Monica's hanging out with Pluto.  Oh god, I'm tired XD  It's sooo ugly......

Based on Laura's "Rope Doodle" Part 1

This is just the beginning. Mostly, i kind of want to make sure it makes sense before i keep writing. This is based on a convoluted story i made up as the background of Laura's "Rope Doodle"

The F-Team.

Mission: Get attacked by Doug’s dogs.

They rode the elevator to the top floor, burying themselves in waves of whispered curses. Nichole and Suzy were openly furious, while Laura and Jennifer kept their sentiments to themselves despite their anger and fear being palpable. Monica kept her head down and her thoughts to herself in order to not provoke anyone more than she already had. Her actions were the reason for the failure of their previous mission and the cause of their current predicament. 

Nichole stormed into the penthouse that served as their headquarters at the head of the pack, as always. She bellowed for Natalie, who supposedly arrived ten minutes ahead of them. Monica began and continued to spew apologies until Pluto, being as overly sensitive to his owner’s emotions as he was, wrapped himself around her ankle, begging for attention. The rest of the team settled violently into the luxurious chairs and sofas around the room, all wondering the same thing, “What happens next?”

They had never screwed up quite so badly before. Monica had accidentally triggered a security alarm no one knew about and forced them to clear out of their intended target before they were able to get rid of any forensic evidence. Despite their current state of panic, knowing every piece of evidence they had left behind gave them a distinct advantage. Being professional criminals also gave them a distinct advantage but they all assumed that.

While Nichole stormed around the room, waiting for Natalie to arrive, everyone’s doubts and fear began to grow. The adrenaline from their quick and clumsy flight was wearing off and terrifying visions of the uncertainty lying ahead took its place. Most of the evidence left behind was fairly damning and the whole team knew that the police were eager to convict them of anything.

Knowing that they were relatively screwed didn’t stop anyone from trying to think up ways out of the punishment that awaited them. Jennifer’s plan involved a cunning and patience that none of them possessed. Monica’s involved enough explosives to put the entire police force out of commission and draw the attention of most of the country, which would for sure get them caught. But these unrealistic plans plus the rest of the outrageous plans everyone had formed would come together, like they always did, and form a very near flawless plan that would save their collective asses.

When Natalie finally arrived, Anna was close on her tail and the tension in the air could have suffocated anybody unfamiliar with the scenario at hand. In their typical fashion, no one said a word until they had all assured themselves, to the best of their ability, that these were indeed members of the team and not imposters. Natalie immediately getting through the security system on their computer was their first big hint.

         
“What do you need me to do?” She smiled innocently, trying to ignore the fact she was undeniably about to commit several felonies.

Gangster's Paradise

Random ugly table.  I suppose it's one of the houses Jennifer used to go to to play poker.  Who knows. (gotta love those details on the cards XD)

Rope Doodle

Haha, I don't even know what this is.  Nichole and Jennifer are sneaking in somewhere and run into Sherbert and Spike, I guess.....

Jennifer's Bio

Bio number.....four, I think.  I'm next.  And then I think I'll do Anna, Natalie, Alina, and Sarina.  But I need backstories for all of them first.  I have the beginnings of one for Natalie.

Jennifer

This is gonna be Jennifer's bio picture.  Faces and hands are really hard to draw D:

Group Picture 1

From left to right: Suzy, Jennifer, Nichole, Laura, and Monica