Jewel entered the chatroom, settling in for a relaxing night of frivolous chatter. The chats were always entertaining, and a pretty brainless way to chill out for the evening.
And it was a cold evening at that. Jewel had prepared a piping hot cup of cocoa with mini marshmallows that danced on top each time she propelled her keyboard into action. The warmth felt good.
This particular chatroom, “Tavern of Gypsies” was quite full for a Thursday evening. People were generally busy preparing for Friday and the weekend ahead. Yes, it was definitely a full house – rather, a full tavern. And it was a room that she’d never visited before. In fact, the name wasn’t even ringing a bell.
The usernames were interesting: Dameon, Dressed to Kill, Tombstone, then some more common names with a zillion digits attached to the back. But one name in particular captured Jewel’s attention. Darkside.
His posts were curiously entertaining, seeming to separate his knowledge from the rest of the group’s. Darkside was definitely advanced.
Jewel sipped at her cocoa, settling back into the fluffy cushion of her chair as she continued to watch the screen scroll before her.
Dameon: So, just what are you searching for, Darkside? You sound a little batty to me.
Dressed to Kill: LOL
Tombstone: LMBO
Jewel twisted her red lips to one side. It was almost like the room was Darkside’s prey. The responses to Dameon’s chatter were pretty much on target, identifying himself, Dressed and Tombstone as individuals who mocked something that they didn’t understand; something they feared.
Darkside: What am I searching for? Obviously, for something that you don’t understand.
Jill Bird: Dark, try the over sixty chats. Maybe they are more your speed!
Tombstone: Falling off chair and LMBBO!!
Dameon: Hee hee! Go Jill!
Tombstone: Okay, I’ve calmed down a bit, guys. Let me see if I can make
mincemeat out of what Dark is trying to share here at the Tavern. Um, Dark. You said in your earlier post that you are soul searching, right?
Darkside: Not quite, TS. I said I was searching for a soul. Big dif.
Jewel smiled, admiring Dark’s calm. She imagined him as tall, dark, deep voiced, and brilliant. Yes, he was definitely too deep for this crowd.
Little Hobbit: Hey room! What’s going on tonight in the Tavern?
Jill Bird: Hi Hobbit. Meet Dark. You don’t happen to have his soul, do you? He’s searching for it BTW.
Little Hobbit: Nah, I left my soul in San Francisco.
Tombstone: LMBO – on floor, crying and kicking!
Joe Boxers 275: Hi room. 33/M/S/NJ
Wendy 389012: Do you own a Mercedes, Joe?
Joe Boxers 275: No. Why do you ask?
Wendy 389012: Forget it, SLOW Joe.
Joe Boxers 275: Huh?? I’m outta here.
Tombstone: Hey Joe! B4 you leave, you don’t happen to have Dark’s soul on you, do you?
Joe Boxers 275: Nutty room.
Jewel watched Joe’s name vanish from the screen, whisking away, becoming instantly lost in the vastness of the Internet. She double-checked the usernames, making sure that Darkside hadn’t vanished. He’d been quite for a bit.
Dressed to Kill: Hey, Jill, whatcha wearing? Wanna loft?
Wendy 389012: What a pig!
Dressed to Kill: Oink! Oink! And who asked you, Ms. Fart for a name?
Jill Bird: LOL! LOL! LOL!!!
Little Hobbit: So Dark, you’re searching for your soul, are you?
Darkside: Perhaps I am searching for yours, Hobbit.
Little Hobbit: Geese, like I’m way scared, man! Come and get me!
Jewel watched Joe’s name vanish from the screen, whisking away, becoming instantly lost in the vastness of the Internet. She double-checked the usernames, making sure that Darkside hadn’t vanished. He’d been quite for a bit.
Dressed to Kill: Hey, Jill, whatcha wearing? Wanna loft?
Wendy 389012: What a pig!
Dressed to Kill: Oink! Oink! And who asked you, Ms. Fart for a name?
Jill Bird: LOL! LOL! LOL!!!
Little Hobbit: So Dark, you’re searching for your soul, are you?
Darkside: Perhaps I am searching for yours, Hobbit.
Little Hobbit: Geese, like I’m way scared, man! Come and get me!
Darkside: Is that an invitation, Hobbit?
Little Hobbit: You know it. Can you find me?
Jewel set aside her cocoa, leaning into the screen. She felt as if she were trying to peer past the screen that was full of words. The room had suddenly frozen.
Darkside: I see a big oak, its branches waving in the wind.
Wendy 389012: You’re eerie, Dark. Get a life!
Darkside: I plan to.
Little Hobbit: Yikes! And yeah, there’s a big oak here, and its waving in the wind. But, I’m not impressed, Dark. You still want to come and get me?
Dressed to Kill: I’ll lend you an outfit, Dark!
Tombstone: LMBBO! Rolling on floor and can’t get up.
Darkside: Oh, but I can do better than the oak.
Again, the screen froze. Jewel sat mesmerized, Darkside’s line of chat starting to send a tingle up her spine.
“Wolf!”
Jewel screamed, realizing that her boxer was claiming her attention, needing to be let outside for a potty break. Hesitantly, she left the chat and let Toodles outside.
The yard was fenced, so she decided against her better judgment to allow him some time to soak in some fresh cool air. She’d let him back inside the house in a few. For now, she was anxious to return to the chat.
When she returned, she scrolled up the screen and read the lines that had been posted since she’d walked away and returned.
Dameon: Sorry, I was in the loft with Jammy. Someone get me up to speed. And hey, the rest of you in the room either come alive or get out! Geese, I hate onlookers.
Jill Bird: Dame – Dark is er…going after Hobbit’s soul. LOL. He’s actually acting like he knows all about him – like where he lives. He even described his er….oak tree. BTW, it’s blowing in the wind there at Hobbit’s house.
Dameon: Yeah, right Dark Dude.
Little Hobbit: It’s okay. I sorta like the game. Bullies like Dark really tee me off. Nothing I can't handle. Now Dark, where were you?
Darkside: Right outside your window, Hobbit.
Little Hobbit: 666%^*666&*(*&^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^----------------------------
Dameon: OMG! Hobbit has flatlined!
Tombstone: LOL! LOL!! LMBBO!!!
Jill Bird: LOL!
Dressed to Kill: Hobbit, you’re way too much! LOL!
Wendy 389012: Can I be next, Darkside? Huh, can I? Please? Pretty please with sugar on it? And some butter too! LMAO!
Jill Bird: Not fair! I wanted to be next!
Dressed to Kill: Hobbit? He’s gone from the list. Must have er…ran out of the room! LOL!
Jill Bird: LOL!
Tombstone: LMBO!!
Darkside: Wendy, do you really want to be next?
Wendy 389012: Yes, please! Take my soul, Dark Warrior! I am yours! LOL!
Darkside: Wendy 389012, you look lovely dressed in yellow. Quite irresistible in fact.
Wendy 389012: 666%^*666&*^^^^^^^^^^^^^-------------------------
Tombstone: OMG! Wendy’s flatlined too! Flatulent and flatlined – what more could a man want? LOL! LMBO! Go Dark!
Dressed to Kill: LMAO!
Jill Bird: Hum. Where is Wendy? Dark, now what did you do with Wendy? Bad boy!
Dameon: Room is really shrinking here. Pipe it down, Dark. You’re running people away. What are you, some kind of retarded idiot?
Darkside: What about you, Dameon? Are you frightened?
Jewel narrowed her eyes at the screen, pulling the blanket she was sitting on, around her. The room was getting a bit too frightening. She reached for her half-filled cup of cocoa, discovering that her hands were trembling.
Dameon: What? Of you? Like yeah, right! Look, Jack. You’ve scared three-fourths of the room off. Time for you to go!
Darkside: Come here, Dameon. I think I’ll add you to my collection.
Dameon: 666%^*666&*(^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^-------------------------------
Dressed to Kill: Whoa! Hey dude, this is getting too weird for me.
Jill Bird: No kidding, Kill! Where’s Dameon? He like…vanished into thin air!
Dressed to Kill: This ain’t funny anymore, Dark!
Jill Bird: Don’t get him stirred up, Kill. Please leave, Darkside. Please?
Darkside: For the over sixties chat, right Jill? Wasn’t that what you recommended earlier?
Jill Bird: You’re a creep. Know that?
Darkside: Come here, Jill. Let’s see what you’re really made of.
Jill: 666%^*666&*()*()5$$^&*&^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^-------------------------------
Dressed to Kill: OMG! This just ain’t happening!
Darkside: Wanna loft, Dressed?
Dressed to Kill: 666%^*666&*()*()5$$^&*&^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^------------------------
Jewel screamed, dropping her cup of cocoa that fell to the floor and split into a thousand pieces of glass.
Glancing to the right of the screen, she saw only two usernames left in the Tavern of Gypsies; Jewel and Darkside.
She screamed again, drawing a hand over her mouth as she read his next post.
Darkside: Jewel, let the dog back into the house. It’s getting very cold outside.
