Whispers in the Dark

Jaxson had made his way back to the barn that he'd played in many a day as a kid. Work was over for the day, so he thought he'd be better off to just stay out in the District, somewhere a bit away from the residences. Lifting the lantern up, Jaxson noticed the barn looked exactly the same at it had some ten odd years ago, though a swing seemed to have given up on life. Glancing around in the lantern light, Jaxson sighed a sigh of remembrance. He hardly had time to get out and do what he did in his earlier years, though it'd probably be frowned upon for him to play around like a kid all the time, especially when he owned his own business. Looking around, Jaxson found himself a swing and sat down on it.

Swinging, Jaxson began humming a tune out. He didn't know what it was, but he liked it. It kept the darkness from completely surrounding him, though his lantern didn't do too shabby a job either. He had forgotten to wear a hat out her, so he felt the wind completely as it blew through his hair. However, Jaxson didn't mid, it was relaxing. Keeping his momentum on the swing, Jaxson felt like a child again. The voices of the kids he played with surrounded him as he was swinging through his memories. From sleeping in the loft to playing tag around the barn. Jaxson felt himself rise higher and higher in the swing, his momentum transferring every time, forward backward, forward backward. Onward upward, onward upward.

Jaxson felt the breeze in his hair as he continued swinging. He had suddenly felt free, without bounds. He sighed in a deep breath, the freedom was something he hadn't experienced in so long. Sadly, Jaxson began to feel dizzy. Slowing down, Jaxson caught his feet on the ground at halted his swinging. Leaning back in the swing, Jaxson stared up at the loft. Laying there on the swing for a few minutes, Jaxson felt himself breathe. Sighing, he pulled himself up and looked around the barn. A new sight had appeared, a human shape at the edge of the barn. Jaxson was curious; he wasn't sure if he was seeing ghosts or another human. Clearing his throat loudly, Jaxson hoped to attract the attention of it if it were a human. The shape would still sit there if it was a ghost, he figured.

Jaxson smiled as the boy moved. At least I'm not seeing ghosts, he thought to himself. The boy had walked over and said hey, so Jaxson returned the favor. "Howdy," he said with a smile. Jaxson noticed the boy had been staring off, but had quickly apologized. "Don't worry about it, we all think," he said. Reaching out his hand for a shake, Jaxson introduced himself. "I'm sorry, this might be rude, but I don't recognize you. I'm Jaxson, though," he said, still sitting on his swing with his hand out.

Jaxson shook his head, placing both hands back onto the ropes of the swing. "Sorry, kid, don't recognize the name," he muttered, his tone slightly apologetic. Jaxson turned his head to look out the barn door. The sun was still setting, casting shadows all around, though it was practically gone now. Pushing his feet a bit, Jaxson pushed himself on the swing, looking at the kid in front of him.

Jaxson smiled at the boy, James, when he finally got around to introducing himself. Laughing, Jaxson looked at James. "I don't recognize either name, bud. Catelyn's or yours. Sorry," he said. Looking at his feet, Jaxson pushed back on the swing, moving back into a slight swinging motion. Well this is awkward, he thought to himself.