The Hills Are Alive

[BetaKnight]

"You're just um...taking her things?"

Aislyn could practically *hear* the judgment in Melissa's tone and she nearly flinched. Sure, it looked bad but it wasn't as if she had WANTED to be doing this. Like she was ENJOYING it. She desperately wanted to round on the other girl and snap at her. ‘Oh, yes, Melissa. I'm just taking her things. Because I'm a fucking ghoul and I like to loot the dead for shits and giggles.'

Instead, she stayed silent, not trusting herself not to lash out at the meek girl. Aislyn could feel Melissa's eyes on her as she continued her perusal of Samaya-the-recently-deceased's belongings. She tried to stay focused on the task at hand, sorting items into three distinct piles. A definite ‘to take' pile, a ‘to store and hide' pile, and the ‘to leave behind to throw people off' pile.

"Do...do you want me to help carry anything? Um...I could take the first aid kit. Maybe if we split it up...That way it won't be...that much heavier, right? I'm sorry, I've never had to think about...you know, things like this before. It's kind of hard to deal with...especially since so many people are already dead."

‘Oh, like I'm an expert on this kind of shit? Like this is a fucking walk in the park for me?' Snatching up one of Samaya's infamous low-cut tops, Aislyn wound the material around her hand, twisting it violently and imagining it was Melissa's neck. ‘First she practically calls me a grave robber, now she's all for taking the stuff because now, NOW, she's figured out it would benefit her. Fucking hypocrite,' she silently seethed. Just as she opened her mouth, preparing to lay into Melissa, Felicia's trembling voice stopped her.

"Aislyn, I-I..."

Aislyn looked over at Felicia and saw how utterly fragile and destroyed the other girl looked as she sat by the corpse of her friend. Turning her head slightly, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Melissa tried to make herself useful as she dithered around the piles. Some of her impending rage dissipated. As much as she would feel better if he indulged in her temper tantrum, it wouldn't improve their situation. Besides, the other girls were practically in shambles as it was. Few people had ever been witness to one of Aislyn's fits of temper, and those who had had described the experience as extremely frightening. And that was the last thing she needed, to frighten her companions.

Heaving a sigh, she motioned for Felicia to come over. "Okay, look. Here's my plan. If we're gonna make it until someone gets here to help, we have to help ourselves and utilize all of our available resources. That includes Samaya's stuff."

Making sure to look each girl in the eye, Aislyn continued in low tones. "Yes, it sounds cold, but Samaya doesn't need it any more. She's fine now. We?" Pointing her finger, she moved her hand in a circular motion, making sure to include all of them in the gesture. "Are not fine. Not by a long shot. We're going to have to do some stuff that might seem questionable, but the reality of the situation is that we're not playing by normal rules any more. When it comes down to it, it's us or them. And I'm going to pick ‘us' every time out."

Aislyn paused, letting the thought sink in. "I don't know about you, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit here and fall apart. I'm not gonna give anyone the satisfaction of rolling over and playing dead. As of right now, we have only one rule. Whatever it takes for us to walk away is fair game. Got it?" She stared at them, watching their expressions. Would they sign on or would she have to cut them loose as dead loss?

[Tythanin*]

"Look at that bitch...thinking like she owns the place. Where does she get off acting like the one in charge? This isn't some sort of boot camp and you aren't the drill instructor, so shut your goddamn mouth and stop acting like you're my father. I'm already sick and tired of listening to that bastard's shit, so why should I listen to yours?"

Melissa kept her mouth closed as she timidly sat down next to Aislyn, her gaze fixated on the ground and her fists on her lap. She was trembling slightly, hearing the anger and sternness in Aislyn's voice as the other girl explained her reasons. She realized the logic in those words...the reasons. Compassion had no place in a game like this. To survive was the point here...to continue living in this hellhole. As long as they survived...what? There was no way to actually escape the island unless they were the only one left alive. Being part of a group was an easily disposable means to an end. And even if somehow the three of them made it to that end...what would happen next? Aislyn probably would kill them both somehow...judging from her attitude at least, she definitely had the whole 'me first' thing down pat.

"And you're just going to let that happen? Hah, you probably are! What an idiot! For all your smarts, all your brains, you're nothing more than an idiotic follower begging for someone to give you direction in life. If someone told you to kill yourself, you'd gladly do it if it meant getting their approval. Why not just beg her to kill you now? That way she won't have to worry about lugging your useless carcass across this fucking island."

"Um...yeah sure." Melissa began, her voice breaking a bit as she tried to keep her emotions in check. She felt cold, angry, upset...cold because she had willingly agreed to follow this...this plan. This plan of putting themselves ahead of everyone else on the island. It was the cold, rational decision, and immediately her mind was acting on it, trying to shut down the parts of her that would scream and rage at the thought of heartlessly murdering another student...a possible friend. Aislyn never specified a target...simply anyone who got in the way of their survival was fair game. Broad...reaching...she wondered who fell under that category.

"Hah, looks like you don't even need me to give you the fucking guts to go out there and grab your destiny with your own hands. Your friend definitely has more guts than you'll ever have in your life. Be a good follower and keep her alive, huh? She actually deserves to win this game and not you. Hah, make sure you be her meat shield too! You've always loved being the helper, the martyr that sacrifices time to always be that nice little girl in class! I'm sure she'll thank you if you die instead of her."

Anger...anger at herself for being so weak that she couldn't think of anything to say against this. She could only accept it as the truth...as her one way of somehow getting back home. The voice was right...she was just some weakling who could only tag behind others who actually had ambition and drive. Self-recrimination was no stranger to her and it was back in full force, blaming her heart and her mind for being so fragile. 'Please...if my parents are watching...I'm so sorry. So sorry...'

"Yeah, your precious Dad and Mom will save you. Don't you wish they were here now? Them, you would listen to. I bet if you heard your daddy telling you that it was okay to kill people and that you should do it to further the Li name, you'd kill the next person you saw. You wouldn't even need a weapon. Blind loyalty is a weapon enough for you, isn't it?"

'Shut up, shut up, shut up!' She thought fiercely, her smiling mask breaking for just a moment to show the twisted anger that lurked within her. In an instant, it was back up and she took a deep breath as she tried to force calmness back into her body. She looked up at Aislyn, her expression serious as she gave the other girl another nod. "Yeah...um, I got it Aislyn. I'll give it my all, don't worry. We're going to get out of this...definitely."

"Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down."

[MK Kilmarnock]

"I... sure..."

Felicia stood over Samaya's body, thinking about what Aislyn had said regarding her a little while ago. The rational lines there were true; Samaya clearly didn't need any of those things anymore, and so anything she had could be put to good use. Felicia felt the weight dragging in the front of her shirt as these thoughts brought her attention back to the gun that Samaya had given to her. The tool was for her to use in order to protect the girl, but... Sammy managed to die anyway. And what a way to go... it was like she just fell asleep and, before Felicia woke up, left the island.

If only rational thought could keep emotions at bay indefinitely, but that was one task that it just could not do. She was still a friend, and Aislyn hadn't shed a single tear, instead thinking to ransack her body. If she could be disconnected, brought away from the situation to analyze, it, maybe Felicia would have understood the benefits of doing such. All of this was a bit much to be asking of a teenage girl, though. On the other hand, there were emotional factors that kept Felicia from screaming at Aislyn in such a tumultuous state. She had added the fact that Samaya truly was 'fine' now, probably meant as being in another, better place. Felicia could get that; there would be no killing and no more dying for her.

To kill and to die... Felicia thought the closest she'd ever get to the concept of murder is defending a client accused of murder, or maybe prosecuting a real one. At best, she hoped that she wouldn't die until she was an old (presumably rich and still internet-loving) woman, spending her final days sipping pink lemonade and beating somebody down with a shuffleboard... stick-thingy. Whatever the hell those things were called. With a sniff and rubbing of the nose on her sweatshirt sleeve, the girl had to come to terms with the fact that there was death going on all around her and, if she wasn't careful, she was going to die. She could die in a manner that would make Samaya's seem truly lucky. So, as rough as it was, Aislyn was right.

"I'll d-do what I can... just... can we cover her face up first? Something, anything out of respect..."

Felicia would have to do what it took to keep herself alive, or have her bloodstained lineage end here.

[BetaKnight]

Aislyn warily nodded as the other two girls agreed to the new game plan. They still seemed very…brittle. Brittle was a good word. As if the wrong word or gesture from her was going to shatter and destroy this fledgling partnership.

At Felicia's request, Aislyn dug through Samaya's clothing, looking for the largest item. She straightened with a grunt as she found something suitable. Shaking out a sleeping shirt, she handed it to the other girl. "This is the biggest thing I could find. It should cover the most. We should probably weigh the edges down with rocks, so it doesn't blow away or anything."

Spotting the toe of a shoe sticking out of the small heap of clothing, Aislyn fought the urge to cry out. Pulling the shoe out, she eagerly dug around until she found the other. Smiling gleefully as she sat down, she quickly stripped the shoelaces out of the shoes. Gathering up one of the spare t-shirts, Aislyn tugged and tugged until she split the shirt at the seams.

Having torn the shirt into two pieces connected only by the v-shaped collar, she set about removing the neck of the shirt and ripping it in two. Carefully folding each half of the shirt into roughly foot-sized pieces, with some trial and error, Aislyn managed to secure the pads to the soles and sides of her feet by using the neck and shoelaces to tie the material in place.

Cautiously climbing to her feet, Aislyn took her new make-shift shoes out for a test drive. She could still feel rocks and other objects through the material, but she was less likely to be jabbed in the foot by some foreign object. It wasn't the best solution, but it was something.

The shoe issue dealt with, she turned back to the piles. Humming to herself while moving decisively, Aislyn picked up the darkest hoodie sweater Samaya owned and tied the hands of each sleeves closed before zipping it up. She grabbed the drawstring in the hood and pulled it as tightly closed as she could. Satisfied with the results, she put half the food and all but one of the water bottles into the sleeves and body of the jacket.

Holding the jacket by its bottom hem, Aislyn paced about, trying to find a good hiding spot. Along the edge of clearing she spotted a gap in a small group of bushes. Still holding the jacket upside down, Aislyn shoved the jacket into the space, leaving it looking wadded up. Hopefully, if someone else found it, they would just dismiss it as a discarded piece of clothing. She repeated the process with a pair of pants and the first aid kit, map, and compass.

Feeling relieved that they now had a back-up store, Aislyn gathered up the remaining food and offered it to Melissa. "If you'd like to carry it, you can. I'm gonna keep the flashlight if that's okay with you. If you want, we can split this food and each take some, that way, if any one of us loses are supplies we don't lose everything."

Picking up the single unpacked water bottle, she opened it and poured some of the water into her mouth, making sure she did not touch her lips to the bottle. Swallowing slowly, savoring the drink, Aislyn tipped the bottle towards Samaya in salute. 'May flights of angels sing you to your rest, Samaya. God speed.'

She mutely held the bottle out to Melissa and Felicia, inviting them to share the drink with her.

"I don't want to be any bigger of a bad guy, but we're going to have to get moving. We should try to find a secure location to hole up in for a little while, so we can sleep and eat with at least some security. I'm thinking we should hit up the residential area, or maybe head towards the fun fair. There's bound to be some buildings we could use around there."

Pulling out her map and compass, she tried to orient herself in the proper direction. "I know we're all tired and hurting but remember, we only have to make it until help gets here. Then we'll be okay." Stowing her equipment, she took the opportunity to throw some of Samaya's clothes around. ‘That way, anyone who comes will think everything's already been taken and will move on, leaving our stuff secure.'

Gathering her bag, her stick and her rock, Aislyn set out.

((Aislyn McCreery continued in Can't I Just Die A Disney Death))

[Tythanin*]

Melissa watched silently as Aislyn continued to rummage around Samaya's belongings, her hands clenched at her sides. After her little private...episode from earlier, she had simply decided that it would be best if she didn't try thinking about anything important and let Aislyn run things. The other girl certainly was more confident and composed than she was...and at least she had a plan for things. All Melissa had done so far was...nothing, really. Nothing but hurt her hand and let herself freak out. Perhaps it was a good thing Aislyn was here too...give her guidance. So she simply waited for her new orders, trying to keep that cooperative smile on her face as she watched Aislyn weave a pair of makeshift shoes using one of Samaya's shirts.

One corner of her lips twitched in a crooked smile as she remembered that scene from the swamp. She had completely forgotten that Aislyn had trekked all the way from the swamp to here without a single pair of shoes. It was pretty amazing that she had done that, actually...and it really only made Melissa way more thankful that she hadn't lost her own. 'I wonder where those shoes are now...maybe we'll run into them again. Hahaha...I wonder what Aislyn would do if we ever came across that girl again. Probably try to stab her, screaming about her shoes.'

The thought was oddly funny in her mind and she had to resist giggling as she imagined a berserker Aislyn rampaging around the island, waving around her wooden spear with the shirts of her fallen foes tied around her feet. She began humming Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata as she imagined it, but her reverie was suddenly broken when Aislyn began speaking to her. Blinking in surprise and turning her attention to the swimmer, she silently nodded and opened up her pack. Carefully stuffing the extra food into her bag, she gave herself a nod after she was done. "All right...looks like this is good."

She shook her head when Aislyn offered her the bottle and simply got to her feet, hefting the bag of her shoulder. She took in a deep breath and sighed, shaking her head slightly as the swimmer walked off. She cast a glance at Felicia, wondering what the other girl felt about all this. She seemed like she had known Samaya the most so...well, it really wasn't her problem or her place to try to offer any words of comfort or...anything, really.

Melissa turned and walked after Aislyn.

'Until help gets here? ...Fat chance.'

(Melissa Li continued elsewhere.)

[MK Kilmarnock]

It pained her to do it, but somebody had to. And if somebody had to be the one to shroud Samaya's face from the world for the last time, then it may as well have been Felicia. She had to be strong, to suppress the trembling that wanted to shake her bones apart. "Just relax a little, Felicia." "Chill out, everything is going to be okay." Maybe those are things Samaya would've said, if she was still here. Was there something... anything that could have changed? Was there any way things could have been different, and have Samaya waking up along with her two friends?

Such a useless question. There was no turning back, no way Felicia could ever have her friend back, and the very same act that would put Samaya to rest would also offer some finality, some closure. Felicia brought the nightshirt back up to her chest, arms still shaking as she squeezed it as tightly as she could. Her hands were barely under her own control as she brought the shirt down towards Samaya, gently draping it over her head and neck at first.

The garment was only big enough to reach down to the laying girl's waist, and that would have to do. The tears wanted to come again, pushing like the advancing wall of sorrow it was and threatening to shove her eyes out of socket, but Felicia had to press on. This last rite WAS getting done... and she prayed it was the only time she would have to 'bury' one of her friends. Easing Samaya's head up, great care was taken in tucking the blanketing shirt underneath at the top and sides, then let her lay down once more so the shirt would stay tucked in place. Smoothing out the creases over her shrouded visage, Felica worked her way down until she was tucking the bottom corners of the shirt beneath Samaya's back.

Having finished the only thing she could have done, Felicia leaned in to where the girl's forehead lay hidden, safely tucked away from this terrible island, and brushed her lips in a final, respecting kiss. "Love you, Sammy..." Felicia whispered, rising despite her quaking to stand next to Melissa and Aislyn. While her throat was parched and her lips were ready to crack, Felicia only took a few trickles of water from the bottle for her sip. Just... her stomach couldn't manage much more.

It seemed that the three held one final, silent vigil before Aislyn walked away. Hurtful, but understandable... she was committing no personal wrong. They had to move on. It... maybe it was what Samaya would have wanted, and not to see her friends die just like she had. And so, Felicia waited as long as she could bear before following the other two out of the area, never to look back.

I... I need a hug.

((Felicia Carmichael, continued elsewhere))