Rose Banter

Rose Banter, daughter of police chief Russell Banter, was the student who originally created the "On the Map" project that many Beckinfielders have now decided to participate in.

Rose's Timeline:
Jun 13, 2011

The story behind “On the Map” is already becoming the stuff of Beckinfield legend. Rose Banter, a brainy and likable tenth-grader, was doodling while studying for an English test with a group of friends when she was struck by an idea. She wanted to have everyone in town create video diaries to show the world what life in a small town was really like. The story of Beckinfield could be told through the eyes of its residents.

The next day Rose presented the project idea to her English teacher in lieu of taking the test. Her teacher took to the concept instantly. Not only did “On the Map” earn her an A, but her teacher assigned the rest of the class the task of helping to turn Rose’s idea into a reality.

Jun 27, 2011

After last week’s disturbance at Hidden Star Lake, a spiffy new lifeguard stand was constructed on the small beach at the north end of the lake. Popular Beckinfield High School student Rose Banter has been hired to perform lifeguard duties during daylight hours. Rose, who is already known around Beckinfield for coming up with the On the Map project, will be entering the 11th grade next year. Rarely even taking breaks, the studious daughter of the town’s police chief is quickly becoming a fixture in the tall chair between sunrise and sunset.

Jul 4, 2011 {

Lifeguard Rose Banter was the first to notice a disturbance brewing in the middle of Hidden Star Lake. She quickly blew her whistle to clear everyone from the water. As people paddled to the shore, the center of the lake began to form a whirlpool. A large, egg-shaped object broke the surface of the water. Screams of “Starla!” echoed. Parents clutched their children as the shape continued to rise from the water. Sunlight gleamed off of the metal surface as a small, three-person submersible popped up. The mini-submarine cruised across the lake and docked at the peer. The stunned beach-goers watched as Drs. Waltzkowski, Salmore, and Garcia all climbed out. Most everyone who witnessed the event suddenly felt like they had had enough for the afternoon.

Aug 1, 2011

Rose Banter was performing her lifeguard duties at Hidden Star Lake when she suddenly blew her whistle to clear the water. The few visitors at the lake that day were a bit confused but moved to shore anyway. A few moments later, the middle of the lake began swirling and the mysterious lake creature poked an egg-shaped head out of the water. It raced across the lake, right past the docked submarine, and dove back beneath the surface. The few who witnessed it gave very specific accounts of the clearest “Starla” sighting in recent memory.

Aug 8, 2011

Rose Banter has been trying to get Hidden Star Lake closed for the rest of the summer. The teenage lifeguard, who takes her job very seriously, has been the most vocal witness of last week’s terrifying sighting of the lake creature, Starla. The lake remains officially open while authorities consider her recommendations. Rose has been warning all visitors to the lake to turn back, but the lure of a free submarine ride on the three science teachers’ vessel has caused a number of residents to brave the danger.

Aug 15, 2011

Rose Banter has apparently had enough. The Hidden Star Lake lifeguard and creator of the On the Map project has become extremely vocal in her anger against Fire Chief Bill Whiteglass and Drs. Waltzkowski, Salmore, and Garcia. She claims they are withholding the truth about the lake creature that is terrorizing visitors and denying what actually happened during the storm in July. She believes the three paranormal investigators know much more than they have revealed and she is determined to prove it.

Aug 22, 2011

Rose Banter continues to stop everyone who tries to enter Hidden Star Lake. She remains emphatic that the lake is dangerous. She has been telling anyone who will listen that she has dug up something new that proves the paranormal investigators are covering up information.

Rose now claims she has evidence regarding the lights in the sky that occurred during the Homecoming game a few months ago. She is giving Drs. Waltzkowski, Salmore, and Garcia one week to come clean or she will reveal the information herself.

More and more residents have headed to Hidden Star Lake, but instead of spending time on the water, they are going to hear what the teenage lifeguard has to say and share their concerns about the unexplained events and the scientists’ unusual behavior. As residents discover they aren’t alone in their suspicions, they have begun making plans to take action. Fire department volunteers have threatened to leave and parents want their students pulled out of the science teachers’ classes this fall.

 Aug 22, 2011  B londie’s coffee shop is expanding to account for all the new business that has been coming in since it was the home base of the storm cleanup efforts. Meanwhile, one corner of Blondie’s has suddenly become the war room for the three embattled paranormal investigators. As construction begins to double the size of the shop, the three doctors have hunkered down with their look-a-like counterparts to try to deal with the accusations that Rose Banter is unleashing.

 Aug 30, 2011 

Between construction, a creepy clown juggling all day, and now an ongoing argument between the three science teachers and the three coaches, Blondie’s coffee shop has become a three-ring circus of tension. The rift between the identical counterparts is becoming bigger than the one on the soccer field. Clear lines have been drawn, as the coaches have aligned themselves with Rose Banter in demanding that the authorities reveal the information that is being kept from the public. The science teachers were overheard saying they planned to end the controversy by taking care of the young whistleblower.

 Aug 30, 2011 

Hidden Star Lake lifeguard Rose Banter has made good on her promise to expose part of the cover-up perpetrated by Beckinfield authorities. She had warned the paranormal investigators, Drs. Waltzkowski, Salmore, and Garcia, that if they didn’t come forward with the truth about their findings, she would go public with her evidence. She has now made public what she claims is the original version of the animation that was assembled from eyewitness accounts of the lights in the sky that occurred at the Homecoming game in April 2011.

Beckinfield Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bill Whiteglass said, “I have seen this new video. Clearly it is a hoax. We had three experts in the field weigh in. But everyone is entitled to their opinion.” Then he chuckled and added, “Even an imaginative high school lifeguard.”

 Sep 5, 2011 

Rose Banter has gone missing. She left for school on the morning of Friday, September 2, but never made it there. No one has seen the teenager in days. Her father, the chief of the Beckinfield Police Department, has begun an organized search. All of Beckinfield has been asked to join in. The annual Labor Day celebration, which town officials had decided to hold despite budget concerns earlier this summer, was canceled at the last minute due to her disappearance.

 Sep 12, 2011 

The search for Rose Banter continues. The teenage lifeguard, dubbed “The Beckinfield Rose” by local press, went missing more than a week ago. Though tension and concerns continue to rise, residents refuse to give up hope that she will be found alive and well. The search has extended into the surrounding towns of Dustrock and Shallow Creek.

 Now that the three creepy science teachers have been banned from the coffee shop, Blondie’s has become the home base for volunteers on the lookout for Rose. The chalk graphs and equations that the science teachers had drawn on the shop’s walls have been scrubbed clean and the walls are now covered in an elaborate grid of the search areas. Blondie, Harvey “Greybeard” Kanz, and the entire Blondie’s staff have been working around the clock to help coordinate the tireless volunteers.  Sep 16, 2011 

A candlelight vigil for the return of Rose Banter was held at Hidden Star Lake on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 15. All of Beckinfield is expected to turn out for it. The vigil was initially scheduled for Friday evening, but was moved due to a conflict with the first Beagles game of the season.

It was a quiet, peaceful gathering of friends, family, and well-wishers. Rose’s father, the chief of the Beckinfield Police Department, made a short plea for her safe return. Then precisely at 7:15 PM PST, a commotion moved through the crowd as word spread that a mysterious sentence had just appeared on Rose’s Twitter account.

 Sep 19, 2011 

As the search for The Beckinfield Rose continues, the volunteers continue to pour into Blondie’s coffee shop. Harvey “Greybeard” Kanz and the rest of the staff are working overtime to support the volunteers. Construction is also wrapping up on the expansion, which Coach Blondie expects to be completed next week. However, she remains resolute that any expansion celebration will be postponed until Rose is home and safe.

 Sep 19, 2011 

A new apparition appeared at the Beckinfield public library. While the weekly book club was in fervent discussion, a single book fell from a shelf and slammed to the floor. When one of the members went to investigate the source of the disturbance, she was confronted by a ghostly apparition. Apparently the teenage ghost disappeared before the eyewitness saw her face. But instead of the usual turn-of-the-century clothing that Becca had been seen in, the eyewitness claims that this ghost was wearing a white jacket, blue jeans and tennis shoes – exactly what Rose Banter was wearing the morning she went missing!

No one wants to believe the story, but it’s spreading quickly through the town. People seem more motivated than ever to find the high school student alive and dispel this rumor. Ever since the sighting, many of Rose’s friends have been camping out on the second floor of the library in hopes of discovering if there is any truth to the rumor. However, her parents refuse to set foot in the library. They will not accept that their daughter has become a ghost.

 Sep 23, 2011 

Rose Banter’s friends and family gathered for another candlelight vigil at Hidden Star Lake last night. Though completely unplanned and much less formal than last week’s vigil, it was still very well attended. Most students from both Beckinfield High School and BSU were there. Another Twitter update from @RoseBanter appeared precisely at 7:15 PM PST.

 Sep 26, 2011 

The Beckinfield Public Library became the scene of an amazing spectacle on Friday. The morning librarian arrived to find all the shelves on the second floor rearranged into a giant crescent shape. None of the books were disturbed. There was no sign of a break-in. Paranormal investigators Drs. Waltzkowski, Salmore, and Garcia were called to look in to the occurrence. The stacks remain in their new configuration as library workers try to figure out how to return the massively heavy shelves to their original positions, and the floor remains open to the public. Some visitors have claimed that as they’ve peeked through the stacks, they have spotted glimpses of the ghostly image of Rose Banter...who would then vanish. They said it was as if Rose were trapped inside the crescent.

''' Sep 26, 2011&nbsp '''

This past weekend, there was much excitement as numerous families saw an unusual disturbance in the middle of Hidden Star Lake. Much to onlookers’ surprise, it turned out to be Russell Banter, Rose’s father and the chief of the Beckinfield Police Department, swimming across the lake -- in his uniform. Witnesses say he climbed out of the lake and gave a vacant glance to the empty lifeguard stand before getting in his police car and driving away.

 Oct 3, 2011 

Groundly Pagnia and his band Cul-de-sac will be performing next week at the Beckinfield High School Football stadium. All proceeds will go to help offset the police department’s expenses during the search for Rose Banter. Groundly has promised that although the cause is serious, the evening itself will be light and uplifting, in honor of The Beckinfield Rose

 Oct 10, 2011 

Groundly Pagnia and his band Cul-de-sac will play a concert in honor of missing high school student Rose Banter this coming Thursday. The concert will be held in place of the usual candlelight vigil, which has been occurring each week at Hidden Star Lake. The band’s manager, Reginald Alvis, will produce the event. The large mid-field scoreboard will be logged onto Twitter in hopes that a new message will show up on Rose’s account. With the exception of last week, when she surprised everyone by tweeting during the Beagles game, her tweets have appeared precisely at 7:15 PM PST the last few weeks in a row. '''

Oct 17, 2011 '''

After much effort over the past few weeks, the staff of the Beckinfield Public Library managed to get the shelves on the second floor back into place. Then, late Thursday afternoon, the few patrons who were browsing the books heard an ear-splitting screech as the shelves began moving on their own. They watched, terrified, as the massive, fully-stocked shelves moved back into the shape of a crescent. Three different people claim they saw missing teenager Rose Banter standing in the middle of the crescent before her image faded away.

 Nov 12, 2011 

The Snarling Beagles were on the road this week; Quarterback Trillard took the field as they crushed the Pineville Panthers 63-14. This propelled them to the top of the division standings, right above their archenemies, the Dustrock Devils.

In a related story, The Pound Dogs, the high school varsity football team’s unofficial fan club, are staging one of the largest pep rallies in school history. On Nov. 17, a week from Thursday, the high school varsity football team’s unofficial fan club is asking everyone to attend the vigil for Rose Banter at Hidden Star Lake and then move the stadium for the big rally. They are hoping for incredible show of support for town hero, quarterback Austin Trillard. Trillard took the field last week, despite intense pressure from his manager Reginald Alvis, and in essence walked away from a multimillion dollar pro contract.

 Nov 18, 2011 

On Thursday evening, the candlelight vigil for Rose Banter went on at Hidden Star Lake. It was better-attended than ever before, because for the first time, the varsity football team’s quarterback, Austin Trillard, was there. The team, the cheerleaders, and the fan club all seem to follow him wherever he goes. After the short vigil, everyone proceeded to the Beckinfield High School football stadium for the huge pep rally where the focus seemed to all be on Trillard.

 Nov 25, 2011 

Library patrons spotted the ghostly image of Rose Banter numerous times this week on the second floor of the Beckinfield Public Library. No one is sure of the significance, but she seemed to be making beckoning motions.

On Thursday afternoon, the library was be open to all for a the annual community potluck, Beckinfield’s special Thanksgiving celebration. Curious patrons gathered to watch Becca’s image as she continued her apparent beckoning. Then, precisely at 2:00 PM, she seemed to spot someone only she could see. Her movements suddenly stopped and she dropped into a catatonic-like state. The distant New Beckinfield fire alarms began sounding at that very instant.

 Nov 28, 2011 

This morning at 6:00 AM, suspended Chief of Police Russell Banter rushed into Beckinfield Memorial Hospital with his daughter Rose in his arms. Harvey Kanz and Coach Blondie, still dressed in their spelunking gear, accompanied the Chief. Chief Banter handed the catatonic teenager to hospital staff who rushed her into the ICU. Though her current condition is critical, doctors are optimistic that The Beckinfield Rose will make a full recovery.

Rose created the “On the Map” project, which celebrates its one-year anniversary today.

 Nov 29, 2011 

Rumors are flying that the cleaning staff of the Beckinfield Public Library actually witnessed the rescue of Rose Banter from the Classics section on the second floor of the library. Apparently one of the staff saw the transparent image of a catatonic Rose Banter appear on the floor. He was then startled as a figure descended from the ceiling suspended by a rope. As more of the staff showed up, they saw that it was a ghostly image of man in spelunking gear. They watched as the transparent figure dropped to the floor and wrapped his arms around the image of Rose. The pair were slowly pulled back up and then vanished into the ceiling.

They immediately began calling friends and family members trying to explain what they had just witnessed. A little over an hour later, Chief Banter ran into the hospital carrying Rose.

 Dec 5, 2011 

Rose Banter regained consciousness. Her father, suspended Police Chief Russell Banter, never left her side, choosing to sleep in the hospital chair by her bed instead. Doctors are finding the teenager alert and responsive but she has yet to utter a word or communicate in any way. She seems to be taking things in, but is expressing little in the way of emotion, other than a sense of peace and calm. Friends and family are encouraged to visit.

 Dec 12, 2011 

Rose Banter has been released from the hospital. Though she has yet to speak, or even attempt any sort of communication, she appears fine otherwise. Her father, Police Chief Russell Banter, has taken her home. Since no one has shown up to identify the other young woman who people are claiming is Becca Beckin, Chief Banter offered to care for her as well. “Becca” and Rose have already become inseparable. The two mute women started drawing on the walls at Blondie’s. The moment they spotted the photo of the cave painting in the coffee shop’s annex, they began drawing their own images that have a remarkable resemblance to the style of the ancient painting.

 Dec 19, 2011 

It looks like Rose Banter and the mysterious unknown young woman who everyone believes to be Becca Beckin are about to expand their artwork a bit. After spending a week covering the walls of Blondie’s coffee shop in chalk drawings of cave paintings, both women were spotted at Beckinfield Hardware buying cans of paint and brushes. Neither uttered a word as they walked directly to the paint section, got their supplies, and moved to the checkout line…where they didn’t present any form of payment. After much discussion among the staff, the store’s manager seemed to take pity on Rose’s plight and let them have all the merchandise for free.

 Dec 19, 2011 

On Saturday afternoon, Marta Marks was sitting in her usual perch atop the lifeguard stand at Hidden Star Lake when both Rose Banter and “Becca Beckin” showed up. Visitors to the lake saw Rose climb the ladder to the top of the chair. Without a word, Marta simply slid over. Becca then joined the two women in the chair and all three spent much of the day simply staring out at the lake.

 Dec 26, 2011 

It poured rain on Saturday so Marta Marks (wife of director Dylan Marks), Rose Banter, and the mysterious young woman everyone seems to think is Becca Beckin spent the day the Beckinfield Public Library. Though neither Rose or “Becca” said a word, they seemed to enjoy the company and spent most to their time in the classics section. Marta seems absolutely fascinated by her new friends.

 Jan 2, 2012 

Rose Banter and the mysterious young woman everyone thinks is Becca Beckin have been spotted painting on the sides of many of Beckinfield’s buildings. The pair works tirelessly. Their Primbobi-like artwork is popping up all over town. Neither of the young women acknowledges anyone who approaches them. They seem to be working as just one mind. Some of the residents consider their work more graffiti than art.

''' Jan 13, 2012

'''

On Thursday afternoon, “Becca Beckin” and Rose Banter were painting Primbobi symbols on a building in New Beckinfield. The faulty alarm system was sounding as usual at 2:00 PM. But the moment the wailing began, Becca popped out of her trancelike state for the first time.

She instantly focused on the Beckinfield Little Theatre down the street and began walking toward it. The few people who braved the awful wailing of the alarms saw her enter the theater. A few minutes later, at precisely 2:17, the alarms simply stopped. Becca has not been seen around town since.

J an 16, 2012 

Even without her constant companion, Becca, Rose Banter continues to paint the town. She moves from building to building “decorating” the exteriors with Primbobi symbols. Not everyone has been appreciating her “art work,” but if someone paints over or removes one of her paintings, she is back the next day to redo it exactly as it was before. Witnesses say that she works without emotion, and though no one has been able to put it together, theories are beginning to surface that perhaps there is a pattern to the seeming randomness of the locations she has painted.