From: Lifegiver <astevens@pacific.telebyte.com> Subject: [PW] Mystery Date: Saturday, December 25, 1999 12:29 PM Note: Forgive any purpleness or anticlimax. That's what happens if I wait a few days to finish a segment. He walked away from the shore into the welcoming darkness of the woods, eyes darting about for danger. But the only ones that saw him were a few wild Pokemon. Shortly he saw a house, and was fearful, because he knew about the natives' attitudes about those who are diffrent. He stayed in the bushes while he crept closer, hoping to scavenge from whatever trash they might have for a disguise. But as he crawled closer, he noted the absolute silence of the house. Then he saw the condition of the house. It was obvious that no-one has lived in this two-story for years. Vines wove thier way through the porch as if they were striving to hold it up, while pale yellow paint was flaking from it's sides. As he looked through one of the windows, which still had slate-blue curtains, he saw the furniture in the living room was covered with white sheets, as if the owner of the house expected to return. Finding the back door unlocked, he walked in. As he explored, it was obvious he was right about no-one being home. The dust was thick, raising small clouds whenever the slightest movement of air hit. The rising sun shone through the smeared windows. He stepped into the kitchen and found several cans. Looking at the labels, he guessed they may be useful and put then in his sack. He then went upstairs, and then a thought crossed his mind. Even though the house had all the furniture that was normal for a house like this, there were no signs of who once lived here, no pictures, no trinkets, nothing. Who lived here? Where did they go? Why did they not return? Such were the thoughts as he entered what seems to be the bedroom, as it had a dust-covered bed. Realizing he needed a disguise, he looked in the closet and saw that it was empty save for a large round box in the corner. He pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a dark blue broad-brimmed hat of a odd design. He took it out of the box and examined it. He could not tell how old this hat was, but it looked like it was made out of felt. He put it on then went into the bathroom to look in the mirror. The hat seemed to fit him perfectly, shading his face almost completely. Just one problem though. While his face was hidden, his near-cockroach like body was still exposed to the world, his sash hiding nothing. 'This is not good' he thought to himself. Suddenly, he had a idea. Running downstairs, he grabbed one of the curtains and pulled it down, taking the rod with it. After grumbling a bit, he unsheathed one claw and cut the cloth away from the rod. After wrapping himself with it, he went back to the mirror to see how he looked. What faced him in the mirror was a cloaked figure with only his eyes showing. Satisfied with that look, he crouched down and went to sleep. * * * At dawn, he woke up and realized that he slept a whole day. At first, he panicked. Then he realized the isolation of the house. However, he wasted no time in leaving. After awhile, he reached a road and walked alongside it, ignoring the occasional vehicle that drove by. Soon he came to a sign saying that he was near Pallet. He racked his mind, trying to remember why this town was so important. Shrugging, he continued towards the town...