~ Lock ~
Name: Adriana Ray
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Appearance: Adriana's appearance is purposefully plain, intended to avoid drawing too much attention. Her light brown hair sits just past shoulder length, kept more or less straight without going too overboard. A round face with mousy features hides behind black wire-frame glasses, to correct her ghastly near-sightedness. A light amount of makeup covers a smattering of freckles and acne. Even her style of dress is incredibly plain, never too loud in its color choices, nor too deviant from the fashion norms of the week.
Personality: Adriana is about as quiet as they come. She's incredibly shy, always hiding behind the cover of a book, or the top of her backpack, or even another person: anything to keep her face out of immediate sight. When she talks, it's in as few words as possible. Many people complain that they can barely hear her. Of course, the aggression they show to get her to speak up only causes her to shrink back farther.
Hobbies: Writing in her journal, poetry, making smoothies, camping.
Interests: Medieval lore, nature documentaries, coral reefs.
Likes: Sad movies, sour candy, the smell of old books.
Dislikes: The sound of gum smacking, the smell of gasoline, depressing news stories.
Fears: Bears, tight spaces, death.
Flaws: Tendency to bottle up her feelings, insecurity.
Talents: Basic survival skills, descriptive poetry, orchestrating complex revenge plots.
Bio: Oh, was that last talent a bit strange?
As you might expect, Adriana grew up with few friends. The few relationships she had -- mostly with family -- were flimsy at best, thanks to her habit of keeping her distance. She immersed herself in fantasy worlds, both the kind found in books and those of her own creation. Stories of knights battling dragons and princesses waiting to be saved fascinated her. She didn't dare to share her interests with the others at school, for fear of being bullied even more than she already was, thanks to her quiet demeanor. One particularly lonely night, Adriana found herself wandering a small local library filled with dusty old tomes, some of which probably hadn't seen the light of day in years. Suddenly, the sound of a lock turning somewhere down the aisle caught her attention. It was followed by a voice.
Come here, Miss Ray. I promise I won't bite.
Drawn to the source of the whisper, Adriana found an especially worn-looking book. There was no title on the cover, only a picture of a keyhole. When Adriana held the tome, the voice became much clearer, seeming to sound only in her thoughts.
It takes a truly exceptional heart to break the lock on my prison, Miss Ray. Your presence has freed me. I can tell you and I are birds of a feather, Miss Ray. May I call you Adriana? We are both such kindred spirits, downtrodden in the eyes of our respective societies. My power is feared among my peers, but you remain trapped under the heels of yours. I can help you, Adriana. Accept me, open the book, and I can help you spread misery to those who have wronged you.
Most people would have ignored the voice. They would have put the book back on the shelf and simply walked away, the memory of the voice nothing more than a bad dream. But Adriana was not most people. She was desperate. Angry. Itching for the revenge the voice spoke of. Without looking anyone in the eyes, she purchased the book and returned to her home, where she parted the pages, releasing the evil spirit inside.
In exchange for freeing him, the spirit, who calls himself Acerbus, works together with Adriana to inflict pain and suffering on all those who ever bullied her. Their plans are always convoluted enough to keep suspicion away from them, and often involve just enough supernatural elements to dumbfound the authorities. Investigations are numerous, but swift. No answers are ever revealed.
