10 Dec 2021, 14:37
Haunted By the Unknown
The longer time passed, the more it haunted him.
It occupied every moment of his waking thoughts, following him through his daily routines, his lessons, his studies, his time with friends and his music creation. It was becoming a burden and Simon knew that he couldn't ignore it much longer.
Physically it didn't look like much from the outside. It was a small antique wooden box, around 12 inches in length. In the middle rested a metal plate which housed a keyhole. It was locked shut. The key? - Most likely with the box's owner.
The box came into Simon's possession one night over the first month of Summer Break when he was back home in London. It was late evening and there was a knock at the door. Upon answering it, a peculiar man stood with the wooden box and asked for his mother. The man seemed to take interest in Simon but became rather taken aback by the fact that Arabella Kincaid was no longer alive. Such news sent him rushing off quickly, too quickly for Simon to catch up with the wooden box.
Who was the man? What was in the box?
He felt he knew the answers even if there was yet to be evidence to back it up. The man shared the same strong jawline, the same dark thick eyebrows, the same facial structure, ...and the same pale skin. He knew from stories from his Aunt Maggie that his mother had been in only one serious relationship and therefore he was nearly certain that the mysterious visitor had been none other than his father. Perhaps that was why the man seemed to take such a strange interest in Simon himself - maybe he too noticed the similar features.
If that was true, that meant the box contained something that the man brought in hopes to show his former girlfriend. Most likely something from their relationship - perhaps some kind of memories. Why now; after all this time?
There were so many questions that resided just around one little wooden box which had no key in which to open it. Still, Simon was pretty sure that with his strength alone and maybe a little creativity he'd be able to open it with no problem. It was fear that got in the way.
Simon had gone his entire life knowing nothing of his father except that the man and his mother had a brief romance. His mother had begun to feel that something wasn't right about the man and decided to leave, even before finding out she was pregnant with Simon. After gaining this knowledge, she still never chose to reconnect. She pushed it behind her, never even so much as talking about it to her sister, so when she passed away when Simon was three, she took all knowledge of the man with her. No photographs, no stories, no description, no name.
Nothing.
All the answers to any sort of inquiry that Simon had of the man could be resting in that small wooden box. Did he want to know? Why had his mother felt the need to run and never look back? And if Simon was in fact a dhampir, and knew his mum was but a muggle-born witch, wouldn't that make this man a vampire? Was he ready to fully accept that?
The truth rested in that box and whether or not Simon choose to ignore it it didn't change the fact that the truth was the truth. Hiding from it wasn't going to make it go away or disappear.
His small secluded little private room within Hengist Home of the Hufflepuff Boys Dormitory was too small for such an occasion. If Simon was to properly investigate what was inside the box, he would take it elsewhere. No, not to the Library or the Rehearsal Room because those were locations where he felt safe. They were his spaces and he didn't want something like this to infringe on the safety and security he felt there.
He would take it somewhere new. It was Friday, December 10th, and it was cloudy outside. It had rained for the past two days there in the Scottish Highlands and it seemed many of the students were afraid that rain was on its way again, avoiding the outdoor spaces which included the Courtyard. Simon paused, glancing down to the box in his hands. Today was the day he was going to open it and the Courtyard was the place in which it was going to happen. No more waiting. No more agonizing.
It was time to no longer be haunted by the unknown.
[The first post here in this solo series was taken from another thread that will soon be deleted.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
10 Dec 2021, 15:12
Haunted By the Unknown
Simon sat there for over an hour's time by now. He had found himself a secluded place, below one of the stone archways that would shield him from the rain if it were to start falling and he stared ahead - at nothing in particular really. There was the fountain in the middle of the Courtyard and while it was within his view, his eyes weren't really focused on anything. He stared with the emptiness he felt.
It was pretty quiet out there. Now and then the Scottish Highlands would send wind his way, causing a strong breeze to get caught up within the Courtyard, stirring a few of the leaves that had been trapped within. They would dance along the cobblestone ground in which he sat upon and now and then brush against his legs. It was a cold breeze, whispering its warning that winter was on its way. Still, he didn't feel cold. Not physically anyway.
Emotionally.
Emotionally this box and the power it seemed to have over him had begun to make him feel cold as the school year progressed. It invaded his thoughts when he was trying to write his music or it barged in right in the middle of an examination, distracting him from any knowledge he once had about magical plants. It was time for a discovery to hush up all of the unknown and no longer let it have any authority over him.
Still, he knew what it meant. He knew that inside he would find SOMETHING that would confirm what he already knew; that his father was alive; that his mother had left his father and never told him about his existence; and maybe that his father was a vampire. While he knew it already as truth, he had no concrete evidence of this but here it would be; he would find it within the box.
His fingertips had been brushing over the metal plate on the front and around the intent of the keyhole. Of course he had no key in which to open it. Still, it couldn't remained locked forever. Would the simple unlocking spell work? Could simple lockpicking? He probably COULD open it, it was just that he wasn't.
Admitting truth the others was hard, admitting the truth to yourself is super hard, but accepting the truth is what would move him forward.
He was tired of the power that the unknown had over him. The unknown made him angry. The box made him angry. The anger seemed to rise in him. The stupid man that brought the box made him angry. Perhaps he had done his mother wrong for some reason or another for her to end the relationship and have her not tell him about his own son. Was he abusive? Controlling? That many with the box was one of the reasons that Simon grew up without a parent for so many years and that many was the ONLY reason Simon was a dhampir - facing potential criticism to everyone he met or would meet.
Simon became so frustrated that he wanted the damned box away from him. He tossed it off his lap and closed his eyes, hating that this was getting the best of him; that it seemed to have all this power over him.
Simon became so frustrated that he wanted the damned box away from him. He tossed it off his lap and closed his eyes, hating that this was getting the best of him; that it seemed to have all this power over him. No, this is what was going to move him forward. It was time.
The box had been fired directly toward the stone pillar of the archway where he sat and having been thrown with the strength of a dhampir, it sent a crack through the top of the wooden box. One of the metal parts at the hinge was set out of place now and it was easy to see that whatever locked the box was no longer in working order. The box was ready to be opened.
And Simon was done waiting, too.
It was pretty quiet out there. Now and then the Scottish Highlands would send wind his way, causing a strong breeze to get caught up within the Courtyard, stirring a few of the leaves that had been trapped within. They would dance along the cobblestone ground in which he sat upon and now and then brush against his legs. It was a cold breeze, whispering its warning that winter was on its way. Still, he didn't feel cold. Not physically anyway.
Emotionally.
Emotionally this box and the power it seemed to have over him had begun to make him feel cold as the school year progressed. It invaded his thoughts when he was trying to write his music or it barged in right in the middle of an examination, distracting him from any knowledge he once had about magical plants. It was time for a discovery to hush up all of the unknown and no longer let it have any authority over him.
Still, he knew what it meant. He knew that inside he would find SOMETHING that would confirm what he already knew; that his father was alive; that his mother had left his father and never told him about his existence; and maybe that his father was a vampire. While he knew it already as truth, he had no concrete evidence of this but here it would be; he would find it within the box.
His fingertips had been brushing over the metal plate on the front and around the intent of the keyhole. Of course he had no key in which to open it. Still, it couldn't remained locked forever. Would the simple unlocking spell work? Could simple lockpicking? He probably COULD open it, it was just that he wasn't.
Admitting truth the others was hard, admitting the truth to yourself is super hard, but accepting the truth is what would move him forward.
He was tired of the power that the unknown had over him. The unknown made him angry. The box made him angry. The anger seemed to rise in him. The stupid man that brought the box made him angry. Perhaps he had done his mother wrong for some reason or another for her to end the relationship and have her not tell him about his own son. Was he abusive? Controlling? That many with the box was one of the reasons that Simon grew up without a parent for so many years and that many was the ONLY reason Simon was a dhampir - facing potential criticism to everyone he met or would meet.
Simon became so frustrated that he wanted the damned box away from him. He tossed it off his lap and closed his eyes, hating that this was getting the best of him; that it seemed to have all this power over him.
Simon became so frustrated that he wanted the damned box away from him. He tossed it off his lap and closed his eyes, hating that this was getting the best of him; that it seemed to have all this power over him. No, this is what was going to move him forward. It was time.
The box had been fired directly toward the stone pillar of the archway where he sat and having been thrown with the strength of a dhampir, it sent a crack through the top of the wooden box. One of the metal parts at the hinge was set out of place now and it was easy to see that whatever locked the box was no longer in working order. The box was ready to be opened.
And Simon was done waiting, too.
Last edited by Simon Kincaid on 10 Dec 2021, 17:50, edited 1 time in total.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
10 Dec 2021, 16:27
Haunted By the Unknown
Through trembling hands he easily lifted the top of the box off and his eyes remained fixed on that as he brought it to the ground to gently place down, as if it wasn't broken already. Truly, he was merely trying to mentally prepare himself for what was inside.
His gaze then did turn to the opened box on his lap. Inside there was an assortment of things and Simon decided he would take them out one by one, starting with the non-paper items. There he found a ring. Simon didn't know much about rings, but it appeared to be gold with a large rectangle diamond in the middle, framed in by more diamonds, with diamonds all along the band. He didn't know much about rings, but it looked authentic and it looked expensive. He set it down and brought out a stone. It was just an ordinary sort of stone one would find anywhere, but he was sure there was probably some significance for one keeping it locked away in a box. He then pulled out a small bouquet of what seemed to be dried, preserved wildflowers.
All that was left inside now were the paper things, which occupied most of the space within the box. He slowly picked up the first envelope which rested facedown within the box and hadn't managed to flip over when he removed the contents. Simon lifted it and brought it closer, turning it over slowly. The sender's name was at the top left corner as it should be, showing the name of his mother Arabella Kincaid and listing directly underneath his own address, as it was was still where the Hufflepuff lived with his Aunt Maggie. As for the recipient of the letter, it was listed as Adrian Hawthorne and had a PO Box address listing for London.
Adrian Hawthorne.
Simon paused a moment to ponder whether or not the man he saw could pass for an Adrian and concluded that he could - not that his opinion made any difference.
Every envelope was the same - while maybe different in size or color, all addressed from Arabella Kincaid to Adrian Hawthorne. Once all envelopes were removed from the box, there would only be one more inclusion left. It was a small hand-bound, handmade sort of book of photographs. Simon lifted it up and began to look through it.
His gaze then did turn to the opened box on his lap. Inside there was an assortment of things and Simon decided he would take them out one by one, starting with the non-paper items. There he found a ring. Simon didn't know much about rings, but it appeared to be gold with a large rectangle diamond in the middle, framed in by more diamonds, with diamonds all along the band. He didn't know much about rings, but it looked authentic and it looked expensive. He set it down and brought out a stone. It was just an ordinary sort of stone one would find anywhere, but he was sure there was probably some significance for one keeping it locked away in a box. He then pulled out a small bouquet of what seemed to be dried, preserved wildflowers.
All that was left inside now were the paper things, which occupied most of the space within the box. He slowly picked up the first envelope which rested facedown within the box and hadn't managed to flip over when he removed the contents. Simon lifted it and brought it closer, turning it over slowly. The sender's name was at the top left corner as it should be, showing the name of his mother Arabella Kincaid and listing directly underneath his own address, as it was was still where the Hufflepuff lived with his Aunt Maggie. As for the recipient of the letter, it was listed as Adrian Hawthorne and had a PO Box address listing for London.
Adrian Hawthorne.
Simon paused a moment to ponder whether or not the man he saw could pass for an Adrian and concluded that he could - not that his opinion made any difference.
Every envelope was the same - while maybe different in size or color, all addressed from Arabella Kincaid to Adrian Hawthorne. Once all envelopes were removed from the box, there would only be one more inclusion left. It was a small hand-bound, handmade sort of book of photographs. Simon lifted it up and began to look through it.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)
10 Dec 2021, 16:48
Haunted By the Unknown
Staring back at him were now several photographs of his mother and the man he met at his doorstep back in London over the past Summer. The man was named Adrian Hawthorne - he had a once happy relationship with Arabella Kincaid and together they had a dhampir child.
Sure, nothing openly stated that fact. Still, if his mother wasn't the type to date around and she had only been seeing one man at the time of his arrival, Simon was pretty sure that this man was his father. Besides that, somehow just by looking at him that Summer night he knew. He couldn't really understand how he knew, but he knew. Just by looking at the photographs, he knew.
Adrian Hawthorne.
A man that, to his knowledge, never knew he had a child in this world. Still, did he know? Did he have the same sort of weird intuitive way that Simon had during their first meeting? Did Adrian Hawthorne look at Simon Kincaid and somehow just know?
Simon sat there, looking at the things one by one and wasn't ready yet to delve into the letters. If his mum wrote this many letters, how many more did she write but he did not keep? How many more were written and not sent?
Back to the photographs, Simon examined what seemed to be happy times and he wondered where it all went wrong. Had she found out about his true nature and it drove her away so she could escape a monster? It wasn't just classical fantasy sort of muggle literature that portrayed vampires and those alike in a negative light - even the books he read in the library depicted vampires as something one should stay clear of. Even his very own school newspaper, The Hogwarts Headliner, had published several articles that one should be wary of half-vampires. Were vampires something to stay clear from? Were they some sort of monsters? And if so, was he as well?
Simon thought back to his extensive search but limited results found when it came to information about vampires. Maybe if he wanted to know more about them, to learn more about himself, he needed to meet one.
Adrian Hawthorne.
Be kind to one another. (*iNPC is Miles Thatcher)