Both the figure and Asheyna gasped in shock, then sighed in relief.

"Geez, don't scare me like that!" the latter hissed.  The figure came into the dim, grimy light, shrugging.

"Didn'mean to," the figure, who Asheyna recognized as Gwen, muttered appologetically.  "Guess you're doing a good job keeping quiet, huh, f'y'scared me like that?"

"Apparently so."

The Irish Pianist eased the door closed behind herself, and crossed the room to the brightest corner in the darkened space.  She circled a few times, then settled onto the concrete floor cross-legged.

"Did you get across the border alright?"

Gwen shrugged.  "I'm here in one piece, aren't I?"  She ran her lean fingers over her emaciated features.  "And I thought legal border-hopping way-back-when was tough enough.  I'd think Satan himself would have an easier time getting into heaven than I did coming in from the States."  She sighed.  "But I fired up the press back home, met with the staff, told them to keep their eyes open."

"So the word's getting out?"

"To the right people, yes.  There are enough literary folks in the States to be concerned 'bout us, but it's out of their jurisdiction, so they can't do much 'bout it.  'Sides, even if it was in their jurisdiction the lit. peoples'd be in danger, because it's also in their jurisdiction."  She fiddled with the end of her frazzled braid.  "Speaking of danger, did any of the guys get back yet?"

Asheyna shook her head.  "At least one of them was supposed to get back over an hour ago.  I'm worried."

"No, really?"

"I don't think this is a time for sarcasm," Asheyna quipped.

"Good a time as any."  Gwen would've elaborated, but she heard a noise outside the blocked windows.  Footsteps.  Heavily booted, by the sound of it.  The two locked apprehensive eyes, sharing mutual thoughts: this could either be a fellow Protagonizer, or a dreaded antagonist.

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Author guidance for This story

This Author's Guidance is updated continuously... please take the time to read it as there is VITAL information there. Who is who, who is where, that sort of thing.

********BEFORE POSTING*********
**READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS**

This helps you get a feel for the story. I know there's a lot, but if you don't you're going to miss stuff and we will loose the flow of the story. Until now we've done a good job and there haven't been too many glaring errors and they've generally been fixed quickly.

The basic premise is similar, creative/artistic minds are the outcasts of society. They're shunned, even hunted by the rest. And we, a literary society known as the Protagonizers, have formed a resistance movement.

Come as you, come as your protag-self, and let's stick it to the man!

********SOME SUGGESTIONS********
---> Mark all the posts relevant to your particular storyline as you go along.
IE: Asheyna and Afroferret are travelling together, I've (Asheyna) marked all posts written by us so I can find them easily and refer to them when writing.
---> If you're going to write and include other characters in your chapter there's two great options:
* Leave the ending open, allow them to respond to what you've introduced
* Confer with them before committing them to a course of action
* Neither of these are necessary, just something to consider when writing as you may be unaware of an ongoing plot-line that is developing behind the scenes between other authors
---> Last but not least, aim for continuity, whether it's character personality or events in the story.

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The Story So Far (July 2)

Sly - on the move with Pvt Addams

*Unknown Hideout - New Safe?*
Darkliquid, Robyn, Kai, Gwen, Archi, Druidx
-Dru appears unable to speak... is she having a change of heart?

Raven - formerly Bluejay, met up with her father, heading to Eastern Canada to get new ID?

Asheyna and Afro - trapped by LitPol on a train
-Afro just revealed to be former agent, has be betrayed them?

*Bard's Hidout*
Brenden, Spockeh and crew
-the Bard has been helping Spockeh et al? can he be trusted? is he really the Bard?

*In a hospital*
Faltarego - unclear as to what's going on around him... no ID to tell the hospital staff who he is.

*RIP*
Bluejay's guard
Eloosive
"Bluejay"
Jack

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Further Guidance:
The Protagonists are a non-violent group. They stand for creativity and free expression. While they have no clear set "mission" they are attempting to remind people what it used to be like. Showing people beauty in art, literature and music.

After their main meeting place, The Safe, was compromised by Spockeh he was instructed to blow it up (taking a few LitPol with it). A new building is now needed for the Safe, as well as a method to alert other Protagonists as to it's location.

updated Jul 2 '09 by Asheyna