the town is gonna talk

Name's Isaiah Williams. I'm a Bentley-native Journalist. I'm just trying to figure all this out. "So take it as a song or a lesson to learn, and sometime soon, be better than you were."

[gail-interrupted]

Location: The pier, newly repaired. Time: Early morning.

❝Oh! I didn’t know anyone else came out here! What’re you doing here? I’m usually the only one out here this time of day.  If you’re busy, I can leave. ❞

[isaiahisback-blog]

“Huh? Oh, no, you’re fine. I just came out here to think, I guess.”

[murderxhusbands]

His brow creased while he counted back the months, but at least he’d decided to give the question serious consideration. In spite of Isaiah’s efforts, there was nothing casual about it. “I would have been training then, but yeah, I was around.” He figured it was safe, since it was only information about himself. It wasn’t confidential, and Spencer didn’t care if he had it.

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah nodded at the confirmation, pausing for a moment to decide how to continue. “There was an accident, around that time,” he said hesitantly. “A car went over the side of a bridge, landed in the river. I was hoping to talk to someone who’d worked the case. Well, actually, I was hoping to read the records, but since that’s ‘frowned upon,’” he smiled, raising a brow.

[alaric-telemann-blog]

Alaric frowned in thought, “Maybe. Let me go check. I try to recycle them but sometimes things slip under my radar.” He smiled, disappearing for a moment to rifle around in the back room. When he returned it was with a regretful smile, “I only have these,” He held out two copies, both from somewhat recent months. “I think the library archives the newspapers, though. You could go check there for them.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

“These are great,” Isaiah smiled, taking the papers. “And I’ll check out the library, to. Thanks, man.”

[teddylupines]

“That’s a very good point, but coffee shops do mesh with many people. As you said, journalists, but then there are singers, some businessmen – scientists even.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

“Ah, but I’d hope the scientists aren’t here doing their work.”

[haunted-fletcher-blog]

Lyla rolled her eyes at his ‘haunted’ mention,”  The only curse Bentley has is it’s overly superstitious citizens.”   She knew saying it may be including him in the critique, just because he was saying it in the way he wasn’t, didn’t mean he was doing it to cover up the embarrassment of believing that stuff.  It didn’t hurt either way to make it known it was silly,”  Ghosts don’t exist, hope for something more after death does.  Some people are religious, and some see souls walking among us.  Both are silly.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah chuckled. “I’m inclined to agree with you there.” A few years ago, it would have been the truth; no one had been more vocal about their disbelief in Bentley’s supposed curse than Isaiah growing up. After all, he’d known people who’d died without coming back , o that was enough to disprove the theory for him. These days, though, it was pretty hard to hold onto that disbelief. “That’s pretty pessimistic, don’t you think? I’m not really religious myself, but I like to think there’s something after this, don’t you?”

[hattiegraham-blog]

“Wait…” Hattie held up a finger and turned around, her eyes shifting around the room. She bit down on her bottom lip and tried to concentrate on the voice she was hearing and where the source was coming from, but it seemed as soon as it had appeared to would vanish. Huh. Hattie turned her attention back to the person that she had been speaking to before being so rudely interrupted by what she believed was a spirit (though it could very well have been her imagination).

“You didn’t hear that little boy’s voice, did you? No? Okay, sorry, what were you trying to ask me?” she asked, the incident now long forgotten in her mind.

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah followed the girl’s gaze, furrowing his brow in confusion. He tilted his head, trying to concentrate and hear what she was listening for, but he came up empty. All he heard was the low murmur of conversation around them. “Uh, no,” he said, shaking his head. “Did you?” It seemed like an odd question, but lately, Isaiah figured he wasn’t allowed to question odd anymore.

[murderxhusbands]

Dead. The realization hit him suddenly, but Spencer had a lot of practice schooling his expression from those kinds of revelations. Usually, he knew immediately, but he’d been distracted by all that… personality. He didn’t have another word for how alive Isaiah seemed. “Maybe I can,” he agreed cautiously. He didn’t return the smile, but that was because he was Spencer, not because he was unhappy. “About a year and a half.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah was clueless to the other man’s sudden realization; he was too busy trying to decide how much information he needed to give in order to get what he needed. The man seemed willin to help, albeit a bit reluctant, and in the end, Isaiah’s thirst for answers won out against his caution. (It always did.) “Were you working here around January of last year?” He tried to make the question sound nonchalant, but it was too specific to really come off as random.

[haunted-fletcher-blog]

“Town records?   That’s quite a popular request it seems.  It’s like everyone in this town has some fascination I’ve missed the boat on,”  she pointed over to where he could find the records,”  They’re over there.  Anything in particular you’re looking for?”

[isaiahisback-blog]

“Haven’t you heard? Bentley is ‘haunted.’” The exaggerated use of air quotes served as Isaiah’s attempt to pass the statement off as a joke when, in fact, it had become his life. (Or, maybe life wasn’t the right word. Afterlife? Death? He had no idea what he was doing here.) “Anything about recent deaths in the town. My boss wants me to write a special interest piece about Bentley’s rumored curse. He probably won’t even print it.” Sometimes, Isaiah hated how easily the lies had started coming out of him, but it couldn’t be helped; until he understood what was happening to him, he couldn’t discuss it with anyone, especially not a stranger.

[haunted-fletcher-blog]

“It’s really not any trouble, in fact, it’s a lot easier than attempting to just take the book,”  she watched him,” But if it’s not anything you’re particularly set on doing, there’s an open table just over there.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

“I guess crime is my instinct,” Isaiah sighed dramatically, flashing her a grin. “That’ll be perfect. Hey, while I’ve got you here, can you point me to where you keep any kinds of town records?”

[murderxhusbands]

“Yeah, I’m an EMT.” Spencer didn’t consider himself an especially moral person, but that made him raise an eyebrow. “Hospital records are sealed, unless you have written permission. Sorry. You can ask her–” He nodded toward the woman at reception. “But she’ll tell you the same thing.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah hid his disappointment with a shrug. It had been a long shot, anyways; besides, he didn’t even know if the records he was looking for would be here. He had no idea if he and Cassandra were even taken to the hospital after their wreck. For all he knew, they were still at the bottom of the river. “Maybe you can help me out, then?” He raised an eyebrow hopefully, offering the other man a smile. “How long have you been an EMT?”

[haunted-fletcher-blog]

“Well, it is my job to go by the book.  Although your pun is not lost on me,” she said,”  If you don’t want to renew, you could always just read the books here.  There’s no one to stop you from that.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah laughed. “I think I’ll do that, then. Save you the trouble of renewing it for me and all.” And save him the trouble of having his secret out in the open. It was win/win, really.

[isabella-nikolov-blog]

“Bentley’s kind of a shithole. I guess we’re fortunate to have gotten away for a little while.” Isabella was completely talking out of her ass at this point. The last thing she was, was fortunate. She could only wish that she’d been the last few years outside of Bentley, but that’s what she would tell people, if it kept them from asking too many questions. “Like what kind of things?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. “I doubt it.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

“Can’t deny that,” Isaiah shrugged. He’d gotten out of Bentley for a good reason, after all. Hopefully, he’d be able to leave again soon, but before he could even consider it, he’d have to figure out exactly what Bentley’s “curse” meant. He missed the days when it was some crazy story that didn’t apply to him. “But something tells me neither of us is coming off a nice vacation.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Look, Isabella, right? I used to be a reporter for the Herald. I did a story about you a few years back. I think we’re in a similar... predicament now. I’m... I need help.” The last sentence was quiet, almost begrudging. Isaiah was not a man who liked to admit it when he couldn’t handle things on his own, but this time, he was out of his depth.

[alaric-telemann-blog]

“Got it.” Alaric walked off, leaving the man to his own devices while he made the coffee. Returning, he set it on the counter for him, “Anything else I can get you?” 

[isaiahisback-blog]

Isaiah took the coffee gratefully, digging in his pocket and handing the barista a bill that included a fairly decent tip. “You got any old newspapers back there? Anything from January of last year up to, like, this last April? I was out of town for a while, and I’ve been trying to catch up on what I missed.”It was probably a stretch, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.

[isabella-nikolov-blog]

Isabella hadn’t planned for this. Although, she knew that she probably should have. She just hadn’t had time to think everything through. Surely, there would be at least a few people that would know she should have died. “Yeah, I bet.” She answered sarcastically, trying to play it off. “I haven’t even been in town for years.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

As a reporter, there were some stories that stuck with you, in every detail. For Isaiah, the story of Isabella Nikolov had been more than memorable.Brutalized wasn’t a strong enough word, and he didn’t think he’d ever forget the photo of the smiling young girl that had been pinned beside his story. No, this was her. The fact that he was alive made him far more willing to believe it. “I was out of town for a while, too,” he said, raising his brows. “I think we might have a couple things in common.” Maybe it was a dumb move, but Isaiah wanted answers, and he’d always been willing to go to great lengths to get them. It made him a great reporter, and even if it had fucked him over more than once, he liked to put it in his ‘good qualities’ category.

[misquotedghosts-blog]

Cassandra: We have to consider every possibility, don’t we? Isaiah: Not the ones that make you want to hide in the closet with a quart of ice cream, no.

[isabella-nikolov-blog]

“Seriously? You’re following me? I’m really not in the fucking mood right now.”

[isaiahisback-blog]

“Sorry, I just.. you look familiar.” Isaiah remembered every story he wrote, and this one had been brutal. 

[isaiahisback-blog]

{📱}Audrey +  Wrong Number

Audrey: What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills. I am trained in gorilla warfare and I’m the top sniper in the entire US armed forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of spies across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You’re fucking dead, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my bare hands. Not only am I extensively trained in unarmed combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the United States Marine Corps and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. You’re fucking dead, kiddo.

Isaiah: ok i'm not saying i don't deserve this because honestly i might but i think there may be a small chance you meant to send this to someone else because i just got this number, like, a month ago.

Isaiah: unless this is for me in which case i'm really more of a lover than a fighter so please don't kill me