Sunrise of a New Day (Open)

[* Jack Hemming]

The sky was a fascinating shade of baby blue and the sun light it up just perfectly. Who knew a sunrise would be so beautiful? Underneath the twisting tree, a lean figure fell against its crude, cracked trunk. The man cocked his head to the side only ever so slightly to face to emerging sun. His bold blue eyes scanned the heavens above for a life form, an imperfection, or an answer, but there was none. Closing them, he let nature overtake him. The breeze tossed his curly tawny hair and carried the smell of... traffic and hot dogs. This is, after all, New York City.

What looked like a dark duffel bag next to the man suddenly shifted. It turned on his back, belly up and four long legs popped into the air. The underside was dark chocolate with a splash of white here and there. When the man did not move, the creature tilted its head to the side and quickly sat up. Whining, the bull terrier nudged its master from a trance. Blinking furiously, Jack turned his attention to the pup. “Hey, Russ,” he whispered quietly. The pup's mouth broke open into a smile, or what seems like one to him. Using his cold, wet nose, he pushed a chewed up tennis ball toward the man's leg.

“Ah, always restless to do something, huh?” Grabbing the ball, he watched as the dog's eyes attentively followed his hand and his haunches tensed. “One, two, threeeee!” He yelled as he let the ball sail a good twenty feet. He watched amused as his dog kicked up some grass and flew to the same direction. His good natured friend galloped back and pounced on Jack. Laughing, Jack let the pup chew happily . He ran his hands up and down the short coat of the dog, feeling the muscles underneath. The bull terrier was a strong breed yet very... drooly, he thought to himself wiping the slobber on his dark washed jeans. One could only presume that Jack was a sucker for a gorgeous dog, even if it had a dribbling problem.

However lighthearted he appeared, a dark issue arose in his mind. His eyes occasionally glanced at the gleaming white canine teeth of his animal friend. Absentmindedly, his hands massaged a certain spot just above his left shoulder. His loose black dress shirt fell causally aside and revealed a rather harsh looking bite mark. Suddenly, he stopped. He covered the mark carefully and adjusted himself. No use flashing that unsightly thing. How could he explain the overwhelming emotion to feast upon someone and the bloody violent nightmares reoccurring every night? Everything seemed so real, the grass underneath his hands and the blood in his mouth. A shiver ran down his spine.

Next to him was an old, raggedy notebook. His fingers gently tugged open the cover and trailed over the handwriting in the old blue journal. A red ribbon danced lightly over the now yellowing pages. He could remember it well. His father's neat writing scribbled across the page effortlessly as he assured his children that he would always be here. With the help of the journal, Jack was able to carry his wisdom and spirit to overcome obstacles in his life. Today, he faced another.

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” How many times had Jack recalled when his father blessed him with this particular quote? It weaved in and out of his mind in the past two years. He had never forgiven himself, letting his loved ones slip through his fingers. No, he learned his lesson. He learned it the hard way. Learning from mistakes is the best way to understand how to become a better man.

“What do I fear?” he paused. “First, what is fear?” He said firmly aloud. “Fear is...” He bit his bottom lip. The answer was within his grasp but he could not come up with a genuine answer.

[blackmagicwoman]

These days, young college students who live in a place like the Big Apple, prefer to spend their, quiet time in its ritzy nightclubs and exspensive dining establishments. Which was all fine and dandy, it was, after all, their parent's money. Alice wasn't your average student. She was the type that prefered nature over bright lights and art over adrenaline pumping, Swedish dance music.

Also, Alice has a strong resentment over all techno that wasn't Daft Punk or Bjork, but only in small doses.

"Nothing like riding a bike in Central Park eh, Freddy?" the monochrome Shih tzu barked and wagged its tail in approval as he sat up in the equally white and black wicker basket that laid in the front of the bicycle. An aluminum water bottle and a book with the title, "A Concise History of Western Music" shared a spot with her happy companion, as well as a tape recorder and a pad and pen.

One of her professors had assigned the young pupil to go into nature and record what she hears, if she happened to meet an individual she must engage in at least a fifteen minute conversation with the person. Family members and, obviously, animals were excluded. She brought her dog along to lighten the mood of the conversation (a great number of people come here to walk their pets) and for some necessary exercise, of course.

A pair of horn rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, and her usually wild hair was pulled back in a thick ponytail. She wore a bright peach tunic dress that revealed her freshly drawn tattoo (again, another way to lure someone into a conversation) with purple tights and rainbow colored sneakers. Gawdy, bright, maybe even ugly? Very much so. And that was the point.

Alice rode into a patch of grass, slowing her down to a steady pace, where she walked the rest of the way and rested her bike against a tree. A chain was wrapped around it to deter thieves and trespassers. She set her dog down into the grass to pee, and began her adventure into the world of music journalism.

"Phase one: I am now in the destination I was assigned to, Central Park. One of the most popular destinations of New York City. An ideal place to meet people. " Click! She paused her recorder, placed it in her back pack and realized her dog had ran off in the direction of a man rambling about...fear?

"Freddy!" the shih tzu, as small as it was, tensed and stood its ground, she noticed the other dog nearby and judging by its size, could easily overpower her pet and her, as well. She swatted his head and he stopped, but not without giving her a growl in response, "Freddy..." he slumped in defeat and laid down, with his face in his paws, an animal version of a pout.

"I'm so sorry, my dog seems to have schizophrenia, forgive me. "

[* Jack Hemming]

Deep in thought was an expression that often expressed what Jack felt, and more importantly looked. His brow was crinkled, his nostrils flared, and an occasional frown or pout now and then. He would run his fingers through his short loose curls, back and forth, tugging of one particular one if extremely frustrated. Honestly, it was a miracle he still had a head full of hair. His bright blue eyes narrowed, so focused on finding an answer, he began to get the little wrinkles at the edge of his eyes. He was barely twenty five, for haven's sake!

Shaking his head roughly, he let out a half growl half sigh much like a dog. “Fear is...” he repeated to himself aloud as if it would help him find the answer. He paused as he watched a jogger run by. He noted the way she looked free, just at the very moment. There were no worries, no drama, nobody else matter except her. It was quite fascinating actually. When he ran, it was often when his poor bull terrier got loose in the neighbor with the intention of terrorizing everyone in view with it rather large, slimy tongue.

Speaking of which, where is the meatloaf right now? He wondered. He scanned the horizon of the less than busy park and saw his large clunky dog's fur gleaming in the sunlight. Russell happily chew on his dull, yellow tennis ball just out of reach. As long as he was nearby, Jack did not worry too much about it.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a brightly dressed female. She was quite attractive even with her wild clothing and horned rimmed glasses. He grinned to himself and continued his ponder of the meaning of life and searching for the answer in his old, raggedly book. His slim fingers flipped through a couple pages but then rested on the same page he had been on since he started reading the damned book. Letting out a frustrated growl, he shut the book and tossed it as gently as he could into the glass. He adjusted his dress shirt and glowered at his dog, unintentionally of course.

“That which causes... or which is the object of... apprehension or alarm... source or occasion of terror... danger... dreadfulness... evil... to be in apprehension of evil, to be afraid, to feel anxiety on account of some expected evil-” Suddenly, he felt a small wet nose on is arm. He cocked his head to the side and a furry little creature gazed upon him. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped open. “What in the world is that thing?” He yelped in surprise. This response could most likely be explained by his lack of “experience” with small animals, especially dogs. He had always known his bull terrier and Rottweiler, which are well over fifty pounds each.

The woman he spotted earlier came chasing down the tiny creature which obediently assumed a submissive pose quite impressively. Blinking, he let out a sigh of relief but not before realizing how silly he might have looked cowarding in the presence of such a pocket-size beast.

“Schizophrenia? At least, she'll never be alone,” he laughed half-heartily, making a lame attempt at a joke. “Oh wait, Freddy I think I heard you say? A he then,” Jack stated with some uncertainty. The man leaned over with curiosity and shyly petted the dog with his pointing finger. Whether it was from fear of squishing the dog to death or of the actual dog itself, he did not even know.

[blackmagicwoman]

She laughed, she could tell it was a dumb joke, but that just made it funnier. "Yes, Freddy Mercury, that's his name, has a very complicated character for a dog." The ball of fur stiffened at the strange man's touch at first, but true to his nature, he began to wag his tail and lick at his hand. Alice rolled her eyes at this, "Brat. Now what if he really was a threat?"

Alice fiddled with her fingers a bit, trying to see if she should try to trick the man into a conversation or tell him what she needed to do. This wasn't going to be easy. Alice's social skills blossomed in familiar settings, like the shop or in the classroom. She felt...naked. While she suffered in the warm sun, her dog was enjoying the attention he got from the stranger, she knelt down to scratch his belly and sat down with her knees at her chest, examining the squirming ball of fluff in front of her.

"I got him from a Korean woman in West Virginia. She was giving away shih tzu puppies in front of her home. She said he wouldn't live long because his birth weight was so low. It's been two years...so, I guess I proved her wrong."

She looked up at the sky, a very bright blue, she noticed the stranger's eyes were just as blue. This is where she began to speak again, "I'm sorry, my manners must've ran away a long time ago," she revealed her tattoo, "I'm Alice. And you are..." Her smile was genuine, she really did want to know who he was. She just hoped she didn't scare him away, now.

[* Jack Hemming]

Jack's glance was indirect. His lidded eyes paused every now and then to examine the woman. He was known for his intellect and his extreme shyness, especially toward strangers. Acting much like a child hiding behind his mother's skirt, he stared at the small creature with a forced curiosity. His fingers loosened up and began to stroke the furry little hunches. His lips curled into a gentle smile when he heard her laugh, natural and light.

"Freddy Mercury, you say? How funny," he let out a small snort. "I can see a little soul of the Queen frontman in him." The fur of the dog felt soft compared to the fur that he was used to. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the mysterious stranger wiggle her finger. It appears that she is as shy as he is.

Jack stiffened his posture slightly when she made herself comfortable next to him. The grass swayed a little and the wind blew a little. He forced himself to breathe. Now that she was closer to him, he could see her features more clearly. The smooth brown skin and the beautiful almond shaped eyes. Visually, she was quite a stunning natural beauty. He listened to her carefully as if in a lecture based class with a detailed orientated professor, nodding every so often to show he was listening. "He looks very healthy now," he said shyly as he patted the dog on the belly. In fact, the story reminded him much of his own dogs. He liked that. "My dogs were all adopted from shelters and they just happen to be the ones that no one wanted. Breeds with a bad rep, you could say."

I'm sorry, my manners must've ran away a long time ago. I'm Alice. And you are... Jack tilted his head to the side, then realized that he, too, have been rude. He never meant be so introverted that he forgot to properly introduce himself. His parents did not raise a hooligan.

"Oh, no. Don't apologize! I'm sorry, Miss Alice. I am Jack," he formally introduced himself, straightening his dress shirt and holding out his hand in a friendly manner. He caught sight of the intricate tattoo that was exposed on her shoulder. "Interesting ink, if it is not too bold to say... I have one as well. Surely not as magnificent as yours," he stated, turning his hand palm up revealing a small infinity sign on his ring finger. "It seems we share two passions - tattoos and dogs, Miss Alice."

[blackmagicwoman]

"Wow...I heard that's like, one of the most painful places to get a tattoo!" She gently traced the image with her index finger, "I wanted to get one on my neck, but I wussed out and chose my shoulder instead." Alice smiled, "Jack. Like Jack Skellington or, Jack the Ripper? Your parents probably didn't name you for that reason, but then again, I wasn't named after Alice Cooper!"

A horrible attempt at a joke on her part, she mentally scolded herself for the pun. She hoped he didn't think she was too bold when it came to her friendliness. "Yep. I love animals in general, I'm thinking of convincing Maria to let me get a snake." She paused, did she say too much? The fact that she worked AND lived in an occult shop might scare him away. And a part of herself didn't want to get rid of her new friend.

"Hey, do you climb trees? " she asked as she stretched. She didn't wait for an answer, instead, she got up and began to examine the tree's sturdiness. Hard, jagged, Alice could tell it was old, maybe even a few centuries. She lifted a leg and balanced it a few inches above the bottom, and did the same with her other foot.

She went higher and higher, and kept herself from looking to the ground (Alice had a small fear of heights, like any normal person). When she reached the nearest branch, she stopped and sat down, a wide smile on her face, she removed her glasses and looked down. "Hey, Jack, the weather up here is wonderful! Look at that sunrise!"