Fall – Episode 20 “Reaching my Limits, Part 1″
This weeks episode was another mostly character driven affair. We were all also pretty tired and/or sick so things moved kind of slowly, but not in a bad way. We had some great character development and I started Alex down a path that I’ve recently realised is totally in keeping with her character. So with out further ado…
Reaching my Limits, Part 1 started the day after the bug fight. It’s a Friday and things are seeming a little tense in the high school. Darius is being given a very wide berth, with most people not too sure what he’s going to do, but very eager to gossip about it once he’s walked past. It seems that another huge hole was dug up last night, but this time it was filled with green goo. Obviously the work of a vengeful Darius after the jocks filled his locker with jelly.
The day passes pretty surreally and uneventful. The boys meet up at lunch, Darius again able to find an empty table, which impresses Calvin greatly.
Calvin: “Have you seen Megan?”
Darius: “Noo…”
Calvin: “Oh.”
Darius: “Why?”
Calvin: Oh, no reason. She just said something weird to me last night and… well…”
Darius: “About what?”
Calvin: “Oh.. I think she got the wrong idea about something… ahh.. never mind.”
They get to talking about Darius’ new bad ass status when Alex arrives with a thump of text books. She seems a bit wired, and only stays long enough to suggest that they all meet at The Limit tonight to unwind. Calvin and Darius agree and Alex rushes out to keep working on her many overdue essays and assignments.
Alex heads home after school to show her face to her parents, and dutifully asks permission to be going out that night. Her parents reluctantly agree and so she passes the next few hours doing more homework, having “Family Time” and counting down till she can escape.
Over dinner she notices some tension between her parents and Jared, but waits till she leaves the house to grill him on it. A flurry of text messages pass between them, but it seems her little brother isn’t interested in sharing.
Alex arrives at The Limit to find it packed. She can’t see any of the others, so heads straight to the bar to order a Coke. While looking over the other patrons and finding her eyes wandering to the cuter members of the crowd she notices Darius doing a Moses impression, as all the people move away from him. Alex pushes through to reach him and suggests they take to the dance floor. Once they get there Darius decides to show of everything he learned on the gymnastics team and starts pulling out twists, tumbles and rolls.
This catches the attention of Calvin and Gina who arrived earlier to have dinner and secure a booth.
Gina: “Is Darius ok?”
Calvin: “What do you mean?”
Gina: “His dancing. Could he be possessed?”
Calvin: “…”
The dancing continues for sometime with Darius eventually calming down and going over to meet up with the others. Alex catches the eye of a cute guy named Devon (who might possibly be in college) and stays on the dance floor for a few more songs. She eventually takes a break as well.
Alex is chatting away, a little on the hyperactive side, when Gina looks a little concerned.
Gina: “Are you ok? You seem a bit tired.”
Alex: “Yeah, I’m good. Just not getting a lot of sleep at the moment.”
Gina: “Oh?”
Alex: “Yeah… well I’m only really sleeping 2 or 3 hours a night. I’ve realised since I’ve become a slayer that I can get by on a lot less sleep.”
Gina, Darius and Calvin: “…”
Alex: “This way I can keep up with school, placate my parents and still have plenty of time to patrol. It’s working great. Hey, who wants to dance?”
She hurries back to the dance floor and is quickly joined by Devon, who is egged on by his friends, while Calvin looks on worriedly.
Not long after she realises that she isn’t going to make curfew with needing to catch the bus. Devon quickly offers to drive her home and she takes him up on it. Stopping by the booth to grab her jacket and to say goodbye, Devon gently helps her through the crowd and out the door.
Calvin: “I bet he’s a vampire.”
Darius: “Well if he is, more fool him. Alex can take care of herself.”
Calvin: “I think he’s creepy. I’m going to bail”
Darius: “….”
Calvin makes for the door, followed by a somewhat confused Darius and Gina. They have an awkward conversation outside when they see Alex is long gone, before Calvin heads off, leaving Gina to get a ride with Darius.
Calvin jumps in the oh so subtle Kermit and casually drives past Alex’s house… only to see her light isn’t on. So he drives off, does a loop of the block and drives back past again. Still no light. He slows, almost stops and then zooms off home.
Meanwhile inside Alex is being lectured by her parents for being 5 minutes later than her curfew. She once again placates them, and gently extricates herself despite her mother’s suggestion of pancakes. Once the house quietens down she sneaks out of the window to do her patrol.
Coming around a corner in a local park she almost literally stumbles upon a very badly savaged body. All she can tell is that it used to be a boy and he may have been to her school. He is also gently steaming, so until very recently he was alive.
She goes immediately on her guard looking for what might have done this. Her next reaction is to text Calvin.
Alex: U awake?
Almost immediately he texts back: Yeah
Alex: Found body in Maryland Park. Not good. Can u come?
Calvin: On my way
While she waits for him to arrive she also texts Darius, who drops off Gina and heads over as well.
Calvin arrives, handing Alex a machete, as she comes to the conclusion that this is the work of Hell Hounds. Or at least Hell Hound, no doubt the one that ran off a couple of weeks ago after savaging Megan and Calvin. Calvin calls the ambulance telling them where the body is before promptly hanging up before they can connect him to the police.
They head further into the park to try and find some trace of the demon, but are utterly unsuccessful. They circle back round in time to see police cars pulling up next to the ambulance and the ever conspicuous Kermit. Darius also arrives about now but wisely decides to keep moving.
They decide to just slink off and walk back to Alex’s house discussing the likely locations of the Hound’s lair. Underground and near blood is mentioned in some of the books Alex read, so she’s convinced that it will be in the sewers.
They get back to Alex’s house and she climbs back into her room, leaving Calvin to go jump in a cab and head home.
What next for our heroes? Will:
- Megan show up? Where has she been?!
- Calvin continue to be overly protective of Alex?
- Darius finally get into a fight? Provoked or otherwise?
- Alex see Devon again?
- The Hell Hound lead them to whoever is summoning these beasties?
Find out next time on, Fall.
February 21, 2010