Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2023 21:25:02 GMT -5
A camera turns on, initially blinding whomever is viewing the video for a moment while it adjusts to the sun in the background. After that moment, we can see a young woman sitting at a picnic table in a park or at least an area surrounded by trees. The woman is most likely in her twenties, with dirty blonde hair that's cut shoulder length and a sun-kissed complexion. She is what people would call naturally beautiful; not much makeup, and dressing down in jeans and a purple t-shirt with a picture of a pineapple in the center.
Voice: "Thank you for agreeing to this. Do you mind if we get started?"
She's not looking directly into the camera though, but rather seemingly anywhere else. She twirls strands of hair around her finger and clears her throat before finally glancing at the camera.
Woman: "Yeah, we can start."
Voice: "Do you need anything first?"
Woman: "Water?"
Voice: "Ok."
She looks around some more for about ten or fifteen seconds before a water bottle is placed on the table to her right. The woman grabs the bottle, untwists the cap and takes a sip before placing it back down without the cap on. A few head nods indicate that she may be ready.
Voice: "Again if you don't want to say your name, you don't have to."
Woman: "It's Alicia. Everyone around here knows everyone, so not like it matters much."
Voice: "Well, thank you again Alicia for agreeing to speak with us. Just for background purposes, you grew up in Ridge Manor and were friends with David Carroll throughout school, correct?"
Alicia: "Yeah I've known David since middle school. We weren't really friends until tenth grade though."
Voice: "What was David like as a teenager?"
The woman smirks, looking down at her lap momentarily before back up to the camera.
Alicia: "He had a way about him, guess he still does. Everyone thought David was their friend, but I don't know many people that actually were. He was good looking, came from a good family and played on all the sports teams. In terms of high school, he…"
Alicia stopped talking and started to laugh for a few seconds, clearing her throat again.
Alicia: "…I was about to say he was practically a God. Ironic now, huh?"
Voice: "And when you were kids, David wasn't religious?"
Alicia: "Heck no. I mean, his family went to church but he never cared. He was too busy partying, and drinking and doing…other stuff. I did some other stuff too, so I'd rather not get into that."
Voice: "Did he ever get in trouble?"
Alicia: "David? No. He always had someone there to either take the fall or just rely on his daddy to bail him out. Got to the point that eventually, if we ever got caught by the police, you know trespassing or drinking of whatever, if David was there, they'd just all leave us to it. After a while, I stopped wanting to hang out with David and his crew. Most of the girls did."
Voice: "Why is that? Did anything specific happen with him and another girl? Or you?"
Alicia took a sip of water, then shook her head at the last question.
Alicia: "I hooked up with David once or twice back then. He never hurt me, not physically. He let me know that there was no interest in me other than whatever I put out, if you know what I mean. I can't really describe the way that he made some of us girls feel. He'd look at you in a way that made the little hairs on our arms stand on end."
Voice: "What about Nicole Morgan? Did you know her?"
Alicia visibly tensed up when she heard the name, sitting up straight, her face hardening. In the background, a couple of people started to make their way towards the camera.
Alicia: "She went to our school and left in at the beginning of senior year. I don't know anything else, we weren't friends."
Voice: "There have been rumors though that…"
Alicia: "I don't know about rumors. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The people in the background got closer as the last couple of exchanges took place. There was a woman with brown hair that looked about the same age as Alicia, flanked on either side by two imposing looking men. When they got within about ten feet, Alicia turned, standing up upon seeing them. The person holding the camera also stood up. The woman that approached had a pleasant smile, but the corners of her mouth didn't quite reach her eyes. She addressed the person holding the camera as if Alicia wasn't even there.
Brown-Haired Woman: "I don't believe we've seen you around here before. Welcome to Ridge Manor! No doubt you're here to do a story on Spirit and Truth Church's leader, David Carroll?"
It came out as more statement than question, that hung in silence for a few seconds. Alicia noticeably edged a couple of feet away.
Voice: "Uhh, yes, we were actually speaking with Alicia here about Mr. Carroll's younger years."
The brunette turned her attention to Alicia, as did the two men that were on either side of her. Whatever she thought of the woman they had been interviewing, her face betrayed no emotion other than a tight smile.
Brown-Haired Woman: "I see. Well, if it's information that you're after, why not get it straight from the source? Mr. Carroll cordially invites you to our Church, and would be happy to address any questions that you may have."
Voice: "Well we thought we might ask a few questions to people that knew him before he…"
Brown-Haired Woman: "Whatever for? His life before the Church is rather inconsequential to the message that he delivers, don't you think? Besides, I'm not sure how much she can help you with other than ringing you up at the Circle K."
Alicia scoffed, shaking her head which seemed to go ignored until the brown-haired woman turns to her. Surprisingly, but perhaps not genuinely, the unnamed woman's features soften.
Brown-Haired Woman: "Don't get me wrong, it must be a hard job doing basic arithmetic all day long, but I just don't see how you are an authority on our beloved pastor."
Alicia: "I bet I know more about your 'beloved' pastor and what he's really like than you ever will."
Brown-Haired Woman: "And whatever slanderous allegations that you may make will be met by the Church and our team of attorneys."
That was the first statement to come out of the woman's mouth that wasn't disguised under a veneer of sugary sweetness. Alicia shrunk back even more, twirling the ends of her hair with her finger as one of the men that was next to the unnamed woman kept staring at her. The woman, on the other hand, looked back to the camera and put her practiced smile back on.
Brown-Haired Woman: "Please come with me. We have a car waiting for you at the other end of the park. I promise, you'll get the answers that you seek."
The camera's view shifted higher as its holder rose to their feet. After a wary look from the woman that its holder briefly knew as Alicia, it turned back to find the others already walking away. The camera followed after the promise of answers.
Voice: "Thank you for agreeing to this. Do you mind if we get started?"
She's not looking directly into the camera though, but rather seemingly anywhere else. She twirls strands of hair around her finger and clears her throat before finally glancing at the camera.
Woman: "Yeah, we can start."
Voice: "Do you need anything first?"
Woman: "Water?"
Voice: "Ok."
She looks around some more for about ten or fifteen seconds before a water bottle is placed on the table to her right. The woman grabs the bottle, untwists the cap and takes a sip before placing it back down without the cap on. A few head nods indicate that she may be ready.
Voice: "Again if you don't want to say your name, you don't have to."
Woman: "It's Alicia. Everyone around here knows everyone, so not like it matters much."
Voice: "Well, thank you again Alicia for agreeing to speak with us. Just for background purposes, you grew up in Ridge Manor and were friends with David Carroll throughout school, correct?"
Alicia: "Yeah I've known David since middle school. We weren't really friends until tenth grade though."
Voice: "What was David like as a teenager?"
The woman smirks, looking down at her lap momentarily before back up to the camera.
Alicia: "He had a way about him, guess he still does. Everyone thought David was their friend, but I don't know many people that actually were. He was good looking, came from a good family and played on all the sports teams. In terms of high school, he…"
Alicia stopped talking and started to laugh for a few seconds, clearing her throat again.
Alicia: "…I was about to say he was practically a God. Ironic now, huh?"
Voice: "And when you were kids, David wasn't religious?"
Alicia: "Heck no. I mean, his family went to church but he never cared. He was too busy partying, and drinking and doing…other stuff. I did some other stuff too, so I'd rather not get into that."
Voice: "Did he ever get in trouble?"
Alicia: "David? No. He always had someone there to either take the fall or just rely on his daddy to bail him out. Got to the point that eventually, if we ever got caught by the police, you know trespassing or drinking of whatever, if David was there, they'd just all leave us to it. After a while, I stopped wanting to hang out with David and his crew. Most of the girls did."
Voice: "Why is that? Did anything specific happen with him and another girl? Or you?"
Alicia took a sip of water, then shook her head at the last question.
Alicia: "I hooked up with David once or twice back then. He never hurt me, not physically. He let me know that there was no interest in me other than whatever I put out, if you know what I mean. I can't really describe the way that he made some of us girls feel. He'd look at you in a way that made the little hairs on our arms stand on end."
Voice: "What about Nicole Morgan? Did you know her?"
Alicia visibly tensed up when she heard the name, sitting up straight, her face hardening. In the background, a couple of people started to make their way towards the camera.
Alicia: "She went to our school and left in at the beginning of senior year. I don't know anything else, we weren't friends."
Voice: "There have been rumors though that…"
Alicia: "I don't know about rumors. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The people in the background got closer as the last couple of exchanges took place. There was a woman with brown hair that looked about the same age as Alicia, flanked on either side by two imposing looking men. When they got within about ten feet, Alicia turned, standing up upon seeing them. The person holding the camera also stood up. The woman that approached had a pleasant smile, but the corners of her mouth didn't quite reach her eyes. She addressed the person holding the camera as if Alicia wasn't even there.
Brown-Haired Woman: "I don't believe we've seen you around here before. Welcome to Ridge Manor! No doubt you're here to do a story on Spirit and Truth Church's leader, David Carroll?"
It came out as more statement than question, that hung in silence for a few seconds. Alicia noticeably edged a couple of feet away.
Voice: "Uhh, yes, we were actually speaking with Alicia here about Mr. Carroll's younger years."
The brunette turned her attention to Alicia, as did the two men that were on either side of her. Whatever she thought of the woman they had been interviewing, her face betrayed no emotion other than a tight smile.
Brown-Haired Woman: "I see. Well, if it's information that you're after, why not get it straight from the source? Mr. Carroll cordially invites you to our Church, and would be happy to address any questions that you may have."
Voice: "Well we thought we might ask a few questions to people that knew him before he…"
Brown-Haired Woman: "Whatever for? His life before the Church is rather inconsequential to the message that he delivers, don't you think? Besides, I'm not sure how much she can help you with other than ringing you up at the Circle K."
Alicia scoffed, shaking her head which seemed to go ignored until the brown-haired woman turns to her. Surprisingly, but perhaps not genuinely, the unnamed woman's features soften.
Brown-Haired Woman: "Don't get me wrong, it must be a hard job doing basic arithmetic all day long, but I just don't see how you are an authority on our beloved pastor."
Alicia: "I bet I know more about your 'beloved' pastor and what he's really like than you ever will."
Brown-Haired Woman: "And whatever slanderous allegations that you may make will be met by the Church and our team of attorneys."
That was the first statement to come out of the woman's mouth that wasn't disguised under a veneer of sugary sweetness. Alicia shrunk back even more, twirling the ends of her hair with her finger as one of the men that was next to the unnamed woman kept staring at her. The woman, on the other hand, looked back to the camera and put her practiced smile back on.
Brown-Haired Woman: "Please come with me. We have a car waiting for you at the other end of the park. I promise, you'll get the answers that you seek."
The camera's view shifted higher as its holder rose to their feet. After a wary look from the woman that its holder briefly knew as Alicia, it turned back to find the others already walking away. The camera followed after the promise of answers.