May/Jun
2062
Brooke`s Tale - Changeling

Part One




By Fifth


Part One


`What did you say?` David Criddle`s knuckles cracked loudly as he pushed himself fully upright at his desk. His broad face was tight and crimson with rage as he glared across his study, and Brooke Criddle glared back, something battered but unbroken within her rising behind her eyes to defy the father who had dominated her world for all of her seventeen years.


`I said no, Father. I will not marry the Hanlin boy, I don`t care how much you were offered for me.` Brooke`s voice almost broke with her fear, but her own anger forced the words through her throat. Her mother and her siblings edged further away from her, trying to stay beneath her father`s notice.


The desk shook under her father`s hands, a double crack that rebounded against the stone walls. `You will do it, you ungrateful rebel girl, and you`ll do it quietly and obediently, as God made women to be! The bride-price has been paid, and the banns will be posted tomorrow! Will you shame this family before God and the community? Will you go to the altar with stripes on your back?`


`What about your promise to me, Father?` Brooke shot back. `You said you wouldn`t marry me without my consent, what abou-` Her question was broken by the crack of her father`s hand across her cheek, knocking her back from the desk to the study`s hard floor. Brooke stared up at the ceiling in dazed shock, only broken by the pounding of her father`s boots on the wooden floor. She twisted away from his hands as he sought to grab her, rolled past him and came upright on the other side. Her father bellowed something incoherent and turned for her, but Brooke was already moving for the door, and had it open before her father could grab her again.


She dove out into the corridors a few feet ahead of her father`s grasping hands. The stone walls of the manor flashed past as she rocketed through the corridors, out into the courtyards. Long days of working the fields and running up and down the hills after sheep and pigs had toned her muscles well, and she quickly outpaced her father across the vegetable garden to the grove of pecan trees that were the source of much of her familys income. She passed the first three trees and scrambled up the fourth, pieces of bark coming off under her hands.


Brooke finally came to a halt at one large branch, curling into a ball where the limb joined the trunk. Her legs and arms finally began screaming in protest over her exertions, but she grit her teeth and held her silence.


After a moment, she began to think clearly for the first time since her father had announced her marriage. She found that she could not clearly remember how she got out the gates, across to the grove, and up the tree, only a handful of disjointed, confused images. Why do I keep getting myself into these fixes? Leap, leap, leap, and then look around to figure out where Ive ended up. She thought of the changelings, child-demons that Father Terrethel claimed were placed by the Evil One in God-fearing homes to foment disorder and disobedience among the faithful. Her father had called her a changeling more than once, usually right before a beating. Not for the first time, Brooke wondered if she actually was one of the fabled changelings. Heaven knew shed had enough trouble becoming her fathers ideal daughter.


Her reverie was broken by the snap of a twig below her. Brooke froze completely, breathing shallowly and hoping whoever was below her wouldnt notice her. Hoping it was a human, not a mantis or big cat. Shed seen, up close, what bugs and cats alike did to sheep that strayed from the flock. She`d seen it, over and over again, in her nightmares.


`Brooke?` A quiet voice asked from below her. Brooke stopped breathing at the sound of her oldest brothers voice. `Brooke, I know youre here. I saw you run into the grove.`


Brooke squeezed her eyes shut, trying her hardest to imitate a part of the tree. She heard a low sigh from below her, then a few steps and a rustle of leaves, almost directly below her hiding place. `Well, when you decide to come down, Ive left some stuff at the bottom of tree number four, okay? You should be able to make it to Somerset. From there, you can start a new life.` His voice went a little plaintive on the last two words.


Brooke was so startled she blurted out, `Why?` As soon as she said it, she clapped a hand over her mouth as if she could take the revealing word back.


Edward rustled below her. `Because you fit in here as well as boots on a cat, sister mine.` He paused. `And because if you ever come back, Fathers going to kill you. Or marry you off to Peter Hanlin.`


Brookes mind whirled with the sheer impossibility of Edward, stodgy, old-fashioned, paternal Edward, of all people, aiding her longed-for escape from her fathers farm. Yet there was his voice coming from the darkness below her. `Get to Haven Market quick, Brooke. There are some couriers overnighting there, they may be able to give you a ride to Somerset.`


`Thank you, Edward.` It sounded horribly inadequate, but Brooke couldn`t think of anything else to say.


`You do good out there, sister.` Brooke heard footsteps rustle away from her tree, up the hill toward the house. Her fathers voice bellowed in the distance, her brothers names rendered indistinct by distance.


Brooke waited for long minutes, mustering her courage, before slowly climbing down the tree. Once at the bottom, she felt around carefully before her hand fell on canvas. She seized the backpack and opened it with blind fingers, searching for potential weapons to ward off the creatures of the night. Her fingers fell first on a rough metal tube, and she nearly cried out in joy as she recognized one of her fathers precious pre-Storm electric torches. She turned the knob at the base of the torch, and bright yellow light split the dark. Brooke quickly shoved the torch down into the bag to muffle the light and inspected her brothers generosity.


A packet of food, dried fruit and smoked mutton, wrapped in cloth, along with a handful of unshelled pecans. Two changes of her clothes, heavy wool trousers and tunics. A gray wool sweater, which she pulled on to ward off the cold. The blue wool dress her mother had made for her seventeenth birthday. Brooke had been unable to find it for the last several days, and wondered exactly how long Edward had been planning to aid her escape. What would he have done if Id surrendered to Father? She wondered.


Tucked in next to the clothes was an angular package wrapped in sheepskin. She pulled it out and unwrapped it to reveal a revolver, not one of her fathers armory - Edwards? Contrary to Father Terrethel`s pronouncements, laying her sinful hands upon the weapons of Men did not cause God to smite her on the spot. The gun was in a sturdy, unadorned leather holster, and she checked with uncertain hands to be sure it was loaded. Six cold brass cartridges stared up at her from their slots, and Brooke closed her eyes and gave a silent prayer of thanksgiving to her fathers God for her brothers thoughtfulness, before strapping the holster onto her shoulder.


Under the clothes was a small woolen parcel which clinked. Brooke pulled it out and discovered a stash of coins, mostly pre-Storm pennies, but a few Somerset silver dollars as well. Enough to buy passage to Somerset if rationed carefully, she hoped. She repacked the clothes and food, hiding the money down deep. She drew the pack closed and stood, slinging the pack onto her shoulder. The torch she stuck in her pocket, for use when its light would draw less attention.


She crept out of the grove and looked up at the stars. There was Adam, trapped in the heavens for questioning Gods Will, above the green and blue rippling of the aurora. And directly beneath him lay the way to the village of Haven Market. Brooke found the path from the grove and started walking into the night.


...

Joels Bastards Win Somerset Spring Challenge League

The Somerset Spring Challenge League finished, with Joels Bastards taking the overall victory and a prize of $60000. The runners-up were PA Racers, and finishing in third place overall were Renshai.

Lord of Rockets Win Elmsfield Summer Classic League

The Elmsfield Summer Classic League finished, with Lord of Rockets taking the overall victory and a prize of $60000. The runners-up were PA Racers, and finishing in third place overall were Joels Bastards.

David `Dodgy` Lowe of No Aiming Just Shooting died at Gates of Somerset.


Tracy White of Raging Scavengers died at Gates of Somerset.


Louis Bailey of Rabid died at Highway to Hell.


`Lucky` Bernard Ruch of Mambas Maniacs died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.


Adam `Half` Whitaker of Mambas Maniacs died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.


Ryan Morris of PA Racers died at Somerset Rally Circuit.


David `Mike` Weston of PA Racers died at Somerset Dirt Racing Track.


Mose Cooper of Harrys Hippos died at Somerset Arena.


Christian `HMS Bounty` Higgins of SwordStroke Enterprises died at Somerset Arena.


Billy Miles of Roamers of Reverence died at Somerset Arena.


James `Granny` Gray of 69th Battalion died at Southern Plateau.


Fred Nguyen of the mad mad crushers died at Gates of Elmsfield.


Kip Dixon of Lovely Boys died at Lost Oasis.


Gertrude `Proctologist` Proctor of SwordStroke Enterprises died at Northern Farm Land.


Mark `Crackin`` Larkin of WarGasM died at Gates of Somerset.


Celeste Frederick of Crocodilians died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


Raymond `Raymondo` Lewis of Lovely Boys died at Highway to Hell.


`Angular` Rob Aguilar of WarGasM died at Gates of Somerset.


Jessica Dias of Paladins died at Gates of Somerset.


Robert Paulson of Bandicoots died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


Freeman Thompson of Iron Company died at Gates of Somerset.


Valentine Thompson of Iron Company died at Gates of Somerset.


Ashley `Roadie` Winton of Blood Roses died at Northern Farm Land.


Fred `Peter` Petersen of Blood Roses died at Northern Farm Land.


Paul Liles of Road Templars died at Oil Slick.


Christopher `Christoph` Harwood of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


`Wicked` Walter Stafford of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


Ronnie Arnold of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


Ricky `Diddy` Duncan of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


Jessie `Jackson` Coppa of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


Jerry `Jezza` King of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


`Freaky` Frank Bailey of 69th Battalion died at Lonesome Highway.


Carrie `Molotov Bitch` Smith of WarGasM died at Gates of Somerset.


Thomas Fowlkes of Road Templars died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.


`Jon` Stewart Legrand of Science Ninja Team died at Gates of Somerset.


Marie Smith of Science Ninja Team died at Gates of Somerset.


Robert `Rocket` Ward of WarGasM died at Gates of Somerset.


Santos `Swartz` Schaub of WarGasM died at Gates of Somerset.


Bryant Bowyer of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.


Alpha `The One` Howard of No Aiming Just Shooting died at Gates of Somerset.


Mark `Bezerker` Hill of Rogue Traders died at Blown With the Wind.


Dorene Gonzalez of the mad mad crushers died at The Pit.


`Big` Harry Johnson of Renshai died at Road to Somerset.


Mark Sampson of finger3 died at Gates of Somerset.


Ricky `Sticks` Rockett of Blood Roses died at Northern Farm Land.


James Velazquez of SunBurns died at Blown With the Wind.


George `W` Bush of SunBurns died at Blown With the Wind.


Richard Walters of Iron Company died at Gates of Somerset.


Ann `Call of` Duty of Womens Auxiliary Balloon Corps died at Lonesome Highway.


`Smokin`` Joe Hicks of Womens Auxiliary Balloon Corps died at Lonesome Highway.


Robert Waddell of King of Clubs died at Road to Somerset.


Margarito Connelly of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


`Bloody` Barrett Baize of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


`Sufi` Craig Mejia of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


Gary Clark of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


Tina `Slippery` Mullane of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


Ricardo Saez of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


Joel `Sub Genius` Shiver of Rabid died at Interstate Mythos.


David Mitchell of King of Clubs died at Blown With the Wind.


Jonathan Prescott of King of Clubs died at Gates of Elmsfield.


`Side Waves` Frank Speer of Maxxed Out died at Gates of Somerset.


Kip Showers of finger3 died at Lost Oasis.


Alejandro Reese of TotalCarnage died at Road to Gateway Truck Stop.


Ernie `Lost It` Clark of The Wolfhounds died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


`Con Man` Connie Lucas of Blood and Iron died at Gates of Sarsfield.


Zachariah Zuckerman of SlaughterHouse Bath and Lodgin died at Highway to Hell.


Christina `Don`t Call Me` Dear of Blood and Iron died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


David `Cheap` Skates of Blood Roses died at Northern Speedway.


Walter Mattson of Coolerheads died at Forever Yellow Skies.


`Shopaholic` Karin Myers of Maxxed Out died at Pathway to Darkness.


Grisel Tittle of Lovely Boys died at Blown With the Wind.


Edwin Holmes of Bandicoots died at Firelight Dead Land.


Kimberly Hummel of Bandicoots died at Firelight Dead Land.


`Sir` David Master of Road Templars died at Gates of Somerset.


Dacia `Slider` Wada of SlaughterHouse Bath and Lodgin died at Gates of Somerset.


Templeton `The Tickler` Talamantes of SlaughterHouse Bath and Lodgin died at Gates of Somerset.


Dawn Dix of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.


Michael Bailey of PA Racers died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Race Track 1.


Delma Smith of SwordStroke Enterprises died at Somerset`s Junkyard, Arena.


Darlene `Paid` Arent of Crazy Canucks died at Scattered Grounds.


Melissa Wildermuth of TotalCarnage died at Under a Bloody Red Sky.


Christina Whittingham of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.


Gary Moses of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.


Stephen Bills of Bandicoots died at Maure Dore.


Doris Kirk of SwordStroke Enterprises died at Highway to Hell.


Julie Huff of Justice Delivered died at Gates of Somerset.


Jim Cairns of Justice Delivered died at Gates of Somerset.


Ray Doyle of Lovely Boys died at Elmsfield Hills Rally Circuit.


Darren Schrock of Disinformation Society died at Double Down Arena.


`Crankshaft` Chris Shaffer of Blood and Iron died at Gates of Badlands Truckstop.


Charles Bobo of MADHAT died at Northern Farm Land.


Shawn Shirley of Lord of Rockets died at Pathway to Darkness.


Max Payne of Coolerheads died at Northern Foothills Racetrack (at night).


Sherry `Bostovia` Bostic of Collision Force died at Once Upon a Town.


Harry Massey of Blood Roses died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


Florence Vega of River City Gamblers died at Gates of Texan.


Timothy Romero of River City Gamblers died at Gates of Texan.


Preston Peters of River City Gamblers died at Gates of Texan.


`The Pro` Edna Hooker of No Aiming Just Shooting died at Gates of Somerset.


John Gamboa of Justice Delivered died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


Walter `Bedford` Sturtevant of Justice Delivered died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


Lorenzo Thompson of Justice Delivered died at Gates of Gateway Truckstop.


Ned `Fiddle De-Dee` Flanders of SwordStroke Enterprises died at Somerset Dirt Racing Track.


Elizabeth `Scooter` McCauley of Justice Delivered died at Dead man`s Road.


Betty Mansour of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.


Shirley Baker of TotalCarnage died at Gates of Somerset.


Anna `Survivor` Lee of Infinite Justice died at Gates of Somerset.



Public Enemy

The most wanted gangs in Evan today are listed below. The bounty listed for each gang is a combination of the amount offered by local vigilante groups and by disgrunted individuals, and represents the amount of money you would expect to be paid for each senior member of the gang you kill.

1. WarGasM (Somerset): $1337.
2. Wasteland Wheelers (Somerset): $855.
3. Raging Scavengers (Texan): $759.
4. OlDirty Bastards (Elmsfield): $656.
5. WarGasM (Gateway Truckstop): $317.
6. Super Turtle Squad 7 (Elmsfield): $312.
7. TotalCarnage (Somerset): $285.
8. 69th Battalion (Somerset): $279.
9. Infinite Justice (Elmsfield): $163.
10. Raging Scavengers (Gateway Truckstop): $125.



Most Active Gangs

You`ve tired of seeing them on the circuit every time you visit. Every time you leave town, you seem to run into them. But just who are they - who are the most active gangs in Evan right now?

The most active gang on the deathsport circuit has been SwordStroke Enterprises. Their most favoured type of event has been the combat, although they have also competed in numerous race events.

Out of town, the most busy squads have been:
1. Double Down, owned by Icarus Himself.
2. CFCBT001, owned by Collision Force.
3. Blood Roses Buzzers, owned by Blood Roses.
4. Vyd Job Revenge, owned by TotalCarnage.
5. Fox Defence Force, owned by Ragnaks Reavers.



PA Racers Win Northern Paintball League

The Northern Paintball League finished, with PA Racers taking the overall victory and a prize of $25000. The runners-up were Joels Bastards, and finishing in third place overall were SwordStroke Enterprises.
The Gazette Needs You

CALLING ALL MEMBERS

Have you felt the urge to add something to your local paper !?!

Have you a story line itching to see the light of day !?!

Been on a scout that requires the attention of everyone else !?!

Have a car design you wish to share with the community !?!


Image courtesy of google

We are looking for submissions for the upcoming gazettes, if you feel you have anything to contribute please contact me via PM here *Bastille*




Goods and Services










12th Street Bangers FL - BL Express

Get your gladiators out of firelight

Bus service run by Metrocube




Damaged Weapons Needed

Completely destroyed that MML reload mechanism, got an MMG that hits less than your average mutant, want to make an easy buck.

Contact me NOW

Sell your damaged loot run by Jeelz




Need Rifles?

Maybe a Dozen, a Dirty Dozen

The Dionysian Dozen




G.T.O`s Paint-N-Body Shop

If yer lookin` for custom paint and don`t have the money or good sense to talk ta one o` the more professional gangs around here, then look no further! GTO`s Paint-N-Body is the place for you!

Paintwork by request







Evan Leagues

As the year progresses, here are the leaders of the major leagues:

Evan Race Ladder - Lovely Boys
Evan Deathrace Ladder - Coolerheads
Evan Arena Combat Ladder - -^-HellRazors-^-
Evan Paintball Combat Ladder - Blood and Iron

In addition, the leaders of the minor leagues are:

Northern Paintball League - Joels Bastards
Circuit of Evan Wilderness Rally II League - Road Templars
Circuit of Evan Wilderness Rally I League - Joels Bastards
Northern Semi-Pro Combat League - Joels Bastards
Somerset Spring Challenge League - Joels Bastards



Something worth advertising?

Why not stick it in the paper.

Trades and Services

No guarentees, we just want your money

Contact the Gazette via Bastille


Political Update

A well-known activist from the Evan Reds was preaching from his soap box again about arranged betting on arena events. Locals caught on and stopped betting. This caused great loses to the mafia. The activist was later found dead, a bullet to the head. Relations have deteriorated.



John Woolford

This month, we caught up with John Woolford of BBiscuts, one of Evan`s most skilled large guns specialists.
Current DW Gazette Editors: Sam, Hati, Racing Robbie, Bastille, Rezeak, SmokeyKilla, X_Man.