goofy ah oc story

Chapter one

Rowan's fingers glide along the wood surface of the boat. It's an old thing, probably rotting. He had even seen a centipede creep under one of the seats. From what Rowan was told, they'd found him on the coast, supposedly washed up after a storm. That's what the nurses said to him.

    The nurses weren't the type of nurses you'd expect. Not doctors or medics, instead, guides of a sort. They had been particularly kind and welcoming, avoiding topics related to their destination.

    The two nurses guided him into a small sailboat, which they all began to depart on afterwards. They hadn't said anything particularly interesting.

    The boat rocks under Rowan, and he feels a little seasick. The lake splashes up against them, spraying chilling mist in their faces. He zips up his coat, which had been given to him earlier and glances at one of the nurses. She's thin and seems to have several coats of makeup on. Wavy blonde hair tangles around her shoulders like a winding river, and atop it sits a doctor's hat. A silver necklace with a crucifix attached to it clings to her neck, although she says most of the nurses wore similar garments.

    She seems to notice him staring and turns to face him. "Ah, did you need something?" She speaks with an odd accent that Rowan can't quite name.

    Rowan shakes his head quickly. "Sorry, nurse Valery. I was just zoning out."

    Valery gives a small nod. "Hm, yes, that's common for most those arriving for the first time. Everything shall take a little while to get used to around here, but you can accomplish a few weeks of settling in, yeah?" She speaks with precision.

    Rowan flinches, eyes widening slightly. "Did you say weeks? I'll be here for that long? I thought I'd just be here until I felt better!" He grumbles, his mood lowering.

    "Oh, don't worry, you'll enjoy your stay. You'll fit right in with the others." She smiles.

    "...others?"

    Valery nods once more. "Why of course. Did you think you were the only one staying on our paradise island?"

    Rowan shrugs. "Sorry, I just don't remember much about why I came here. Didn't you say Nurse Graves thought I injured my head?" He rubs his temples.

    Valery glances over to Nurse Graves. He's a tall man with a lean figure accompanied by formal clothing that makes him look quite distinguished. Curly black hair sticks out from under the peculiar accessory he wears. Rowan has heard Valery call it a comedy mask. Nurse Graves only communicates when necessary, his voice barely above a whisper. He hadn't spoken to Rowan once. "Most likely." Valery says after a moment, and then points ahead. "Aha! Land ahoy!"

Just ahead of them is a large island, with pine trees scattering the coast. The sandy beach is dotted with shells, debris, and whatnot. A tall, white building, mostly hidden by the growth of plants of all sorts, is nestled right on top of a small hill.

    The boat bumps against the wooden dock, signaling they've arrived. Nurse Graves gestures for Valery to step off first, giving a curt bow. She smiles and gracefully exits the sailboat. She offers a hand to Rowan for support, as it's now his turn to follow. Rowan takes it, and feels his boots steady themselves against solid ground. The sickening feeling from earlier dissipates.

Rowan notices when the dock trembles as Nurse Graves anchors the boat and joins them. He glances up at the tall man, feeling slightly intimidated. Nurse Graves has been so distant, barely saying anything to Valery at all, except every so often. The strange mask he wears also seems to add to his mysterious profile. Even so... he seems to interact with Valery with such gentle gestures and politeness. Rowan finds himself becoming curious as to what he looks like under the mask. Guess I have who knows how long to find out... I'm sure this will be interesting.