Winsome Clark just didn't know anymore.
Before, at the river, she hadn't known why that girl with the mangled throat had done what she had done. She didn't understand the molten metal that sent a smell like burning hair but worse, worse, into the sky. She barely understood the notes, left that to the others who seemed to know how to work with this strange new world. When they went to leave, when Dave gently offered her his hand and led her with them, she went only because she didn't know what else to do.
And now here.
There had been a body. She had stared it for a long time, trying to understand how the pieces were supposed to form a face, how each sliver of bone and skin and tooth had once been a perfect image. In the end she had given up. There had seemed to be too much blood. Did a face have the much blood in it? She didn't understand how it would all fit. And then there had been a note, passed to her, and she read it because she knew she was supposed to.
But she didn't understand. Bicycles, computers, the collars, Danya, escape, she didn't see how the words fit together. She couldn't process them into her head, and in the end she passed the note on because what else was there to do? The others seemed to know, and that was enough for her. She followed them because she could understand that much. They had helped her. They understood.
She didn't have to.
Her seat was in the corner, away from the silent noise, away from the papers and the words and people who didn't seem quite right anymore. Faces were sliding away from her, names escaping. She was cold. Time passed, people took their turns on the bike. She watched. At some point she thought she slept because James was there, running his hand down her chest the way heroes did in books. Except it didn't feel good, it hurt, and she woke with the dull pain from the wound alive again, burrowing into her.
She was cold, now. She wished she hadn't given away the sweatshirt. She hadn't understood then. Now she did. Old blood and new blood both mingled on her shirt, a smell like old metal and something sweet-rotten. The long cut was the only place that was warm. It burned. She didn't understand why. She didn't know.
She watched instead. Eyes only half focusing, she watched the events unfold in front of her. More people came. More paper. No noise, here. No talking. She didn't understand that either.
But they did.
And that was okay. Winsome Clark didn't know anymore, just didn't know, couldn't know, but someone did and no one was fighting and she curled around herself, just a little, just enough to let the warmth of the infection try and chase the fever-cold from her bones.
House of the Rising Sun
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ifnotwinter*
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:22 am
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xylophonefairy*
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:55 am
Suddenly everything seemed to happen at once. She had been reading, the silence and general scent of productivity in the air had led her to storm through her book and she was more than two thirds of the way through. She had written more quotes that she thought were pertinent on the wall, just underneath the first.
[font=Comic Sans MS]"The silence driven away by the stamping of our feet flowed back again from the recesses"
"We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It was very quiet there"[/font]
When Roland and Kitty walked in, her heart had begun to thud, and she feared that the game might be up. Their collars would explode and they would be in the same state as poor Ethan propped against the outer wall. But they appeared smart, and they said nothing, and Kitty held up a notice to them suggesting that they talk with paper. Helen was slightly affronted as she'd being doing that anyway and wanted credit for her own idea. But she knew that she wanted friends rather than enemies and hid the transient thought from her face, instead writing something in her own notebook.
[font=Comic Sans MS]Great minds think alike![/font]
Just then there was a flurry around the computer, as it appeared that there was success. Their afternoon's work had accounted for something. Helen's eyes widened, and she focussed on staying calm. It would be no good now if everything were to go up in smoke because the pulses of a bunch of teenagers in a camera free hut all suddenly rose for no reason. Their discovery would die along with them. Helen watched Feo write some stuff down, presumably the stuff of their dreams. The information that would lead to their rescue and the end of the whole program. The saving of future generation. And she had been a part of it. Helen felt pride bubble in her throat. It was now even more important than ever that she didn't die. She needed to stay alive until rescue came. How she was going to do that without appearing cowardly, after all Ethan had already given his life for their cause, she didn't immediately know.
Helen turned a page in her notebook, and walked up to Feo. She scribbled two words in large letters and pointed them in her direction.
[font=Comic Sans MS]Now what?[/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS]"The silence driven away by the stamping of our feet flowed back again from the recesses"
"We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It was very quiet there"[/font]
When Roland and Kitty walked in, her heart had begun to thud, and she feared that the game might be up. Their collars would explode and they would be in the same state as poor Ethan propped against the outer wall. But they appeared smart, and they said nothing, and Kitty held up a notice to them suggesting that they talk with paper. Helen was slightly affronted as she'd being doing that anyway and wanted credit for her own idea. But she knew that she wanted friends rather than enemies and hid the transient thought from her face, instead writing something in her own notebook.
[font=Comic Sans MS]Great minds think alike![/font]
Just then there was a flurry around the computer, as it appeared that there was success. Their afternoon's work had accounted for something. Helen's eyes widened, and she focussed on staying calm. It would be no good now if everything were to go up in smoke because the pulses of a bunch of teenagers in a camera free hut all suddenly rose for no reason. Their discovery would die along with them. Helen watched Feo write some stuff down, presumably the stuff of their dreams. The information that would lead to their rescue and the end of the whole program. The saving of future generation. And she had been a part of it. Helen felt pride bubble in her throat. It was now even more important than ever that she didn't die. She needed to stay alive until rescue came. How she was going to do that without appearing cowardly, after all Ethan had already given his life for their cause, she didn't immediately know.
Helen turned a page in her notebook, and walked up to Feo. She scribbled two words in large letters and pointed them in her direction.
[font=Comic Sans MS]Now what?[/font]
((Charlie DuClare continued from Farday's Cages))
Oh, she'd been there the whole time. You wouldn't have noticed it, but she'd been there.
And she'd seen the note, which came as a relief. No, don't look at her all funny. It was a fucking relief and she wasn't going to apologize for thinking that. Because after a morning spent talking and talking and talking in the hopes that somebody would smile godammit, just smile, just tell me that I'm not doing all of this for no reason, just tell me that if I wasn't doing this it'd be even worse, somehow, somehow, she was sorta ready to quiet down. Give herself a rest of a little while. Yes. Rest. Not a word not a sound. She could live with that.
And she'd seen the games of tic tac toe, the little words scribbled, the rhetorical questions, the ways of passing the time while they let whatever was happening happen. She laid down some X's and O's. She pulled a little face, a little I'm so conflicted face, when it came time to give her answer about killing Liz. She drew some formless doodles on her piece of paper, and then the doodles started to look a little like an elephant. So she drew an elephant. This was how she participated.
And she'd seen the two new kids walk in, and they were gonna play by the rules too, they were gonna stay quiet and they were gonna be cool, which was nice, which was relaxing. Which made her feel calmer because everything was just so quiet right now, just so peaceful, just so
No it wasn't.
No it wasn't.
How long was it now? How long had it been since she'd started screaming (oh, but silently, of course silently, she'd never endanger the group by screaming for real) and screaming and feeling the cold terror well up again? Hours. It had to be hours by now. How fun. How fun that she, who had just been improbably spared for the offense of saving the life of the girl who was mercilessly fucking with Danya's game, was now caught up in I don't even know what the fuck I'm caught up in.
Something scary. Something terrifying.
Something that nobody could know about, nobody could even speak a word about. It was- how long till she tripped up, till she started humming, all absent-minded like how the fuck could HUMMING get us killed, surely it would never do that! How long till someone sniffed, or cough, or dropped a pencil, or how the fuck was she even supposed to know which sounds would and wouldn't get their collars all blown?
Couldn't live like that. She couldn't live like that. But everyone around her could, apparently.
Oh, she was entertaining the thought, alright, that everyone else was just as spooked as her. It'd be nice to know, nice to have that feeling like she wasn't alone and she wasn't crazy. And so she tried looking everyone in the eyes. Found excuses for it. Little taps on the shoulder, asking for another game of Tic Tac Toe, asking if you like her elephant- Do you like my elephant? Also, are you hiding the fact that you're just as terrified of this situation as I am? Please answer non-verbally if at all possible, since answering verbally might get us all killed.
If they were hiding it, they were doing a better job of it than she could ever hope for.
It wasn't- no. Couldn't live like this, couldn't die like this. Had to get out. Sorry. So sorry to everyone. Really, she was. Didn't want to do this, but
Had to. Had to write a little message of her own, a little I'M GONNA HEAD OUTSIDE FOR A BIT. NEED TO STRETCH OUT. The implication being that stretching out inside might make the floor creak, might kill them all. That was a realistic concern, right? Probably. Look, there's more to the message. I'LL BE BACK IN A LITTLE BIT. Promise. She finished writing that great big lie and put the pen down. Picked it back up again, drew a big circle around her words and then a tail so it was suddenly a speech balloon. It was the elephant saying it now. That was pretty cute. Pretty stupid, too. She didn't care.
She tapped some shoulders, showed the message, smiled (so convincing!), stood up as quiet as she could. Tiptoed over to her bag, started to unzip it a little, stopped dead in her tracks when the zipper made a tiny noise. Cringed a bit. This wasn't going to do, this meant she had to take her bag outside with her to retrieve whatever it was she wanted from it. Silly clumsy loud girl, nobody could blame her for taking her bag with her even though she was just gonna be gone for a minute or two.
She left the piece of paper behind, elephant and all. Something to remember her by.
((Charlie DuClare continued elsewhere))
Oh, she'd been there the whole time. You wouldn't have noticed it, but she'd been there.
And she'd seen the note, which came as a relief. No, don't look at her all funny. It was a fucking relief and she wasn't going to apologize for thinking that. Because after a morning spent talking and talking and talking in the hopes that somebody would smile godammit, just smile, just tell me that I'm not doing all of this for no reason, just tell me that if I wasn't doing this it'd be even worse, somehow, somehow, she was sorta ready to quiet down. Give herself a rest of a little while. Yes. Rest. Not a word not a sound. She could live with that.
And she'd seen the games of tic tac toe, the little words scribbled, the rhetorical questions, the ways of passing the time while they let whatever was happening happen. She laid down some X's and O's. She pulled a little face, a little I'm so conflicted face, when it came time to give her answer about killing Liz. She drew some formless doodles on her piece of paper, and then the doodles started to look a little like an elephant. So she drew an elephant. This was how she participated.
And she'd seen the two new kids walk in, and they were gonna play by the rules too, they were gonna stay quiet and they were gonna be cool, which was nice, which was relaxing. Which made her feel calmer because everything was just so quiet right now, just so peaceful, just so
No it wasn't.
No it wasn't.
How long was it now? How long had it been since she'd started screaming (oh, but silently, of course silently, she'd never endanger the group by screaming for real) and screaming and feeling the cold terror well up again? Hours. It had to be hours by now. How fun. How fun that she, who had just been improbably spared for the offense of saving the life of the girl who was mercilessly fucking with Danya's game, was now caught up in I don't even know what the fuck I'm caught up in.
Something scary. Something terrifying.
Something that nobody could know about, nobody could even speak a word about. It was- how long till she tripped up, till she started humming, all absent-minded like how the fuck could HUMMING get us killed, surely it would never do that! How long till someone sniffed, or cough, or dropped a pencil, or how the fuck was she even supposed to know which sounds would and wouldn't get their collars all blown?
Couldn't live like that. She couldn't live like that. But everyone around her could, apparently.
Oh, she was entertaining the thought, alright, that everyone else was just as spooked as her. It'd be nice to know, nice to have that feeling like she wasn't alone and she wasn't crazy. And so she tried looking everyone in the eyes. Found excuses for it. Little taps on the shoulder, asking for another game of Tic Tac Toe, asking if you like her elephant- Do you like my elephant? Also, are you hiding the fact that you're just as terrified of this situation as I am? Please answer non-verbally if at all possible, since answering verbally might get us all killed.
If they were hiding it, they were doing a better job of it than she could ever hope for.
It wasn't- no. Couldn't live like this, couldn't die like this. Had to get out. Sorry. So sorry to everyone. Really, she was. Didn't want to do this, but
Had to. Had to write a little message of her own, a little I'M GONNA HEAD OUTSIDE FOR A BIT. NEED TO STRETCH OUT. The implication being that stretching out inside might make the floor creak, might kill them all. That was a realistic concern, right? Probably. Look, there's more to the message. I'LL BE BACK IN A LITTLE BIT. Promise. She finished writing that great big lie and put the pen down. Picked it back up again, drew a big circle around her words and then a tail so it was suddenly a speech balloon. It was the elephant saying it now. That was pretty cute. Pretty stupid, too. She didn't care.
She tapped some shoulders, showed the message, smiled (so convincing!), stood up as quiet as she could. Tiptoed over to her bag, started to unzip it a little, stopped dead in her tracks when the zipper made a tiny noise. Cringed a bit. This wasn't going to do, this meant she had to take her bag outside with her to retrieve whatever it was she wanted from it. Silly clumsy loud girl, nobody could blame her for taking her bag with her even though she was just gonna be gone for a minute or two.
She left the piece of paper behind, elephant and all. Something to remember her by.
((Charlie DuClare continued elsewhere))
((Apologies for the time it took and the general crappiness of the post.))
Dave hadn't seen so many sheets of paper being thrown around since his freshman math class. Bitches were writing notes all over the place. It was insane.
After Dave decided to take a break from getting his ass beat at tic-tac-toe, Izzy quickly left to go shower or whatever, so Dave went and took her turn on the bike. She came back and Dave got off the bike, letting someone else take the next turn on the bike.
Charlie left too, only Dave was pretty sure she had gone for good. She looked like she was going this way, after leading them to Liz right before she got a bounty put on her head and all. Nearly getting them all blown up for helping her. Well, best of luck to her and all that shit.
Alright, the blue haired bitch from the fun fair. She wrote down something about her and her partner wanting to help. Wait, funfair...? Did that mean her partner was-? He made his entrance. Roland fuckin' Harte. If Dave had forgotten him, the cuts and scrapes that littered his body sure didn't. Dave just nodded at him. At least it wasn't Pandora. There'd be time for being pissy at each other later, for now they needed to get done what needed to be done.
Dave grabbed their notepad quickly though, and scrawled down a quick greeting. [font=comic sans ms]Oh hi, Roland. Small fucking world, isn't it?[/font]
He motioned one of them to go get a move on with writing down whatever the hell the computer had on it, although he was fairly sure it'd been mistaken for spazzing around, or something dumb.
Then they found it.
Holy shit did they find it.
This was it, wasn't it? This was what they had been looking for, all along. They'd really taken a gamble, and shit had it paid off in the end. Dave scrawled what they found down on a sheet of paper, then rewrote it on another, and motioned for the others to write it down too. They needed as many copies of this as possible.
Dave stole back the blue-haired bitch's notepad.
[font=comic sans ms]Alright guys, we've got it. Now all we got to do is smash this thing up and get the fuck out of here.[/font]
Dave hadn't seen so many sheets of paper being thrown around since his freshman math class. Bitches were writing notes all over the place. It was insane.
After Dave decided to take a break from getting his ass beat at tic-tac-toe, Izzy quickly left to go shower or whatever, so Dave went and took her turn on the bike. She came back and Dave got off the bike, letting someone else take the next turn on the bike.
Charlie left too, only Dave was pretty sure she had gone for good. She looked like she was going this way, after leading them to Liz right before she got a bounty put on her head and all. Nearly getting them all blown up for helping her. Well, best of luck to her and all that shit.
Alright, the blue haired bitch from the fun fair. She wrote down something about her and her partner wanting to help. Wait, funfair...? Did that mean her partner was-? He made his entrance. Roland fuckin' Harte. If Dave had forgotten him, the cuts and scrapes that littered his body sure didn't. Dave just nodded at him. At least it wasn't Pandora. There'd be time for being pissy at each other later, for now they needed to get done what needed to be done.
Dave grabbed their notepad quickly though, and scrawled down a quick greeting. [font=comic sans ms]Oh hi, Roland. Small fucking world, isn't it?[/font]
He motioned one of them to go get a move on with writing down whatever the hell the computer had on it, although he was fairly sure it'd been mistaken for spazzing around, or something dumb.
Then they found it.
Holy shit did they find it.
This was it, wasn't it? This was what they had been looking for, all along. They'd really taken a gamble, and shit had it paid off in the end. Dave scrawled what they found down on a sheet of paper, then rewrote it on another, and motioned for the others to write it down too. They needed as many copies of this as possible.
Dave stole back the blue-haired bitch's notepad.
[font=comic sans ms]Alright guys, we've got it. Now all we got to do is smash this thing up and get the fuck out of here.[/font]
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2554
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
They continued on in their wordless cycles. After some time Charlie wrote something down, said she needed to stretch, said she'd be right back. Isabel looked at Dave and understanding passed between them. Charlie wasn't coming back. You didn't take your bag out with you to go stretch. She'd liked Charlie but who was she to tell anyone to stay.
Isabel took her turn again on the bike. Feo pushed the start button of the computer and it lit up, whirring just a little. Her heart pounded and she gripped the bike handles. Soon Feo waved them over. Isabel hopped off the bike, pedals still going round on their own and drew in close with the rest of them. Her eyes went wide and she slapped her hand over her mouth at what she saw.
Oh my god. Oh my god. We did it. We did it! I can't believe it. We found the island!
She couldn't help it. Isabel jumped up and down a few times waving her hands around. It was all she could do to stop from screeching in excitement.
We can really do this. We can really really find a way out. I mean, I don't want to get ahead of myself but this sure beat where we were at before. We've got a shot!
And at that in came familiar faces. Roland Harte and Kitty from the fair. It was a good thing Isabel already had a hand over her mouth because otherwise she would have yelled "IT'S YOU!" at him. Roland seemed to be much calmer since she and Dave had left him and it looked like he and Kitty were willing to cooperate. Isabel wrote down the island location and name quickly on a piece of paper and stuffed it down her shirt. She looked down at what the others were writing and shook her head vigorously.
Dave's right, she scribbled on the note pad. Roland, you know Morse code, right? If you can translate this location to Morse code then I think I've got a plan.
She knew he wanted to be a Marine so hopefully he'd brushed up on his Morse code. Isabel looked around at the group. It was pretty big considering it started with just her, Dave and Roland but there was safety in numbers.
There's a lot of us now and we'll need supplies to keep going. Three of us will head down to the town area and scope out what we can find and try to refill the water bottles on the way. If it's just a couple of us we'll be able to move faster than the whole group going. The rest of you stay here and trash the place. Danya's gonna send some guys eventually to fix the cameras and he can't know what we did.
Isabel looked around. Who to stay and who to go? Roland had to stay; he needed to make the code. Helen? She'd stay too. They couldn't risk the team doctor. Winnie....she still looked fragile, spooked. That left her, Feo, Kitty and Dave. Based on her previous experience with Roland, Isabel felt much better leaving Dave to even him out. Dave might have been a racist, insensitive ass hat, but he was a racist, insensitive ass hat that she trusted.
Feo.....She assumed those notes were written to her and the notes said her name was Feo. Considering she just gave up almost everything for them to get as far as they did, Isabel trusted her as a traveling companion. Kitty was a wild card. Isabel didn't know much about her, but she'd have to take the gamble.
Isabel pointed to herself, Feo and Kitty.
We'll go. Give us all your water bottles and we'll try and scrounge anything we think can help along with water. You guys make sure to throughly mess this place up. We'll meet back in 3 hours. Everyone agree?
Isabel took her turn again on the bike. Feo pushed the start button of the computer and it lit up, whirring just a little. Her heart pounded and she gripped the bike handles. Soon Feo waved them over. Isabel hopped off the bike, pedals still going round on their own and drew in close with the rest of them. Her eyes went wide and she slapped her hand over her mouth at what she saw.
Oh my god. Oh my god. We did it. We did it! I can't believe it. We found the island!
She couldn't help it. Isabel jumped up and down a few times waving her hands around. It was all she could do to stop from screeching in excitement.
We can really do this. We can really really find a way out. I mean, I don't want to get ahead of myself but this sure beat where we were at before. We've got a shot!
And at that in came familiar faces. Roland Harte and Kitty from the fair. It was a good thing Isabel already had a hand over her mouth because otherwise she would have yelled "IT'S YOU!" at him. Roland seemed to be much calmer since she and Dave had left him and it looked like he and Kitty were willing to cooperate. Isabel wrote down the island location and name quickly on a piece of paper and stuffed it down her shirt. She looked down at what the others were writing and shook her head vigorously.
Dave's right, she scribbled on the note pad. Roland, you know Morse code, right? If you can translate this location to Morse code then I think I've got a plan.
She knew he wanted to be a Marine so hopefully he'd brushed up on his Morse code. Isabel looked around at the group. It was pretty big considering it started with just her, Dave and Roland but there was safety in numbers.
There's a lot of us now and we'll need supplies to keep going. Three of us will head down to the town area and scope out what we can find and try to refill the water bottles on the way. If it's just a couple of us we'll be able to move faster than the whole group going. The rest of you stay here and trash the place. Danya's gonna send some guys eventually to fix the cameras and he can't know what we did.
Isabel looked around. Who to stay and who to go? Roland had to stay; he needed to make the code. Helen? She'd stay too. They couldn't risk the team doctor. Winnie....she still looked fragile, spooked. That left her, Feo, Kitty and Dave. Based on her previous experience with Roland, Isabel felt much better leaving Dave to even him out. Dave might have been a racist, insensitive ass hat, but he was a racist, insensitive ass hat that she trusted.
Feo.....She assumed those notes were written to her and the notes said her name was Feo. Considering she just gave up almost everything for them to get as far as they did, Isabel trusted her as a traveling companion. Kitty was a wild card. Isabel didn't know much about her, but she'd have to take the gamble.
Isabel pointed to herself, Feo and Kitty.
We'll go. Give us all your water bottles and we'll try and scrounge anything we think can help along with water. You guys make sure to throughly mess this place up. We'll meet back in 3 hours. Everyone agree?
(Sorry Dee, wanted to wait for you but... I gotta get Kitty moving.)
Surprisingly, Kitty gave Helen a smile. It was all fake, she knew. She had no idea that Helen had thought of the idea but she did not feel bad for unknowingly taken it. After all, it was just an idea simply to communicate. She turned her head slightly, looking at the rest of the people in the room. None of her friends, though that circle was certainly small to begin with.
Kitty stayed out of the conversation for the most part. She didn't know the technical details of what was happening so she figured it best to keep quiet. After awhile she began to grow curious. What were they writing? She took the pad quickly, giving it a quick glance...
Seriously? Kitty tried her best to look nonchalant but her eyes went wide regardless. Did they... find where they were? So quickly? Kitty looked back at Roland, then back at Isabel. She smiled. She couldn't help it. Perhaps she didn't have to play this game at all... and then she remembered. It wasn't going to be that easy. So be skeptical about it.
"There's nothing wrong with being hopeful..."
Kitty cursed mentally.
As it turned out, Isabel suddenly recruited her. Kitty was surprised. Isabel barely knew her - heck, Kitty wasn't even sure if her name WAS Isabel. Despite that, Kitty was all too willing to help. She wasn't too sure what could possibly be helpful, but her friend told her to be hopeful so Kitty was going to take a stab at working as a team ... fully intending to turn around and run if either of the others walked her into a trap. She was on their side though, well, as far as a paranoid girl like Kitty was willing to give them. If this was going to work they had to work together, but completely trusting them was stupid.
She nodded.
"I think we should head to town and get supplies," she quickly covered. "We're running a little low, aren't we? We'll, uhh, try to find a well or something and fill them up."
That was fine. Not perfect but... fine.
Surprisingly, Kitty gave Helen a smile. It was all fake, she knew. She had no idea that Helen had thought of the idea but she did not feel bad for unknowingly taken it. After all, it was just an idea simply to communicate. She turned her head slightly, looking at the rest of the people in the room. None of her friends, though that circle was certainly small to begin with.
Kitty stayed out of the conversation for the most part. She didn't know the technical details of what was happening so she figured it best to keep quiet. After awhile she began to grow curious. What were they writing? She took the pad quickly, giving it a quick glance...
Seriously? Kitty tried her best to look nonchalant but her eyes went wide regardless. Did they... find where they were? So quickly? Kitty looked back at Roland, then back at Isabel. She smiled. She couldn't help it. Perhaps she didn't have to play this game at all... and then she remembered. It wasn't going to be that easy. So be skeptical about it.
"There's nothing wrong with being hopeful..."
Kitty cursed mentally.
As it turned out, Isabel suddenly recruited her. Kitty was surprised. Isabel barely knew her - heck, Kitty wasn't even sure if her name WAS Isabel. Despite that, Kitty was all too willing to help. She wasn't too sure what could possibly be helpful, but her friend told her to be hopeful so Kitty was going to take a stab at working as a team ... fully intending to turn around and run if either of the others walked her into a trap. She was on their side though, well, as far as a paranoid girl like Kitty was willing to give them. If this was going to work they had to work together, but completely trusting them was stupid.
She nodded.
"I think we should head to town and get supplies," she quickly covered. "We're running a little low, aren't we? We'll, uhh, try to find a well or something and fill them up."
That was fine. Not perfect but... fine.
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xylophonefairy*
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:55 am
Helen nodded at Isabel neatly dished out instructions, quite happy to comply. She knew a tiny amount of morse code. Well, she knew S, and O, and how to flash out her name, the latter being a skill that was never going to be useful. When would she ever need to say "Helen" via morse code? It might have been better to learn "We are high school students kidnapped on an island, our coordinates are these" but in fairness, that wasn't something her Girl Scout leader could have predicted. She walked up to Roland, who apparently knew the whole alphabet, and scribbled something down on her bit of paper.
[font=Comic Sans MS]"Hey, if you write down a key for the morse code I can help you write it. I already know S, O, H, E, L and N."[/font] Lots of words you could make with that...
This whole thing was starting to make her feel very uncomfortable. What were the odds that someone who knew morse code would walk in just as they cracked into some secret information that they needed to transmit somehow to the outside world. Helen felt her pulse quicken, and she fluttered her hands over the collar on her neck. Was it a good idea, this staying quiet thing? Maybe they should be making normal conversation about the weather and people who had died and jokey ways of escaping, the sort of things they always talked about. They must know where they were, and as it was, they were all being very quiet in an area that was currently not in camera view. If that hadn't ignited their suspicion then she didn't know what would. Unless they were all distracted by Liz. If that was the case... then they probably owed their lives to her. Just as Liz owed her life to her. Maybe.
Life was beautifully symmetrical sometimes.
Passing her scribbled not to Roland, Helen took a glance around at the people in the station. There was her, Isabel who had suddenly become leader. Dave, whom she suspected had a bad history with Roland was stood near Winnie, looking as terrified as she had done when they'd first come across her. Charlie was absent, Helen had seen her leave for a shower with her bag, and become instantly aware with dull feeling that she probably wasn't coming back. Then there was Feo, the one who had orchestrated the whole thing and who had build the contraption and found the information. Really, this was all down to her. Roland and Kitty she didn't know well, she had shared a Home Ec class with Kitty a few years back, and was pretty sure Roland had popped up in a class or two, but they had never really talked. They seemed to know Dave and Isabel and share some awkward Island history, something Helen didn't feel was a good thing.
She took a sip of water, almost enjoying the sudden flurry of activity (she was very near the end of her book, only it was about the most boring book she'd ever read and she wanted it to be over with, even if it was probably going to be the last one before she died, at least she would be a little bit more well read than she had been before).
[font=Comic Sans MS]"Hey, if you write down a key for the morse code I can help you write it. I already know S, O, H, E, L and N."[/font] Lots of words you could make with that...
This whole thing was starting to make her feel very uncomfortable. What were the odds that someone who knew morse code would walk in just as they cracked into some secret information that they needed to transmit somehow to the outside world. Helen felt her pulse quicken, and she fluttered her hands over the collar on her neck. Was it a good idea, this staying quiet thing? Maybe they should be making normal conversation about the weather and people who had died and jokey ways of escaping, the sort of things they always talked about. They must know where they were, and as it was, they were all being very quiet in an area that was currently not in camera view. If that hadn't ignited their suspicion then she didn't know what would. Unless they were all distracted by Liz. If that was the case... then they probably owed their lives to her. Just as Liz owed her life to her. Maybe.
Life was beautifully symmetrical sometimes.
Passing her scribbled not to Roland, Helen took a glance around at the people in the station. There was her, Isabel who had suddenly become leader. Dave, whom she suspected had a bad history with Roland was stood near Winnie, looking as terrified as she had done when they'd first come across her. Charlie was absent, Helen had seen her leave for a shower with her bag, and become instantly aware with dull feeling that she probably wasn't coming back. Then there was Feo, the one who had orchestrated the whole thing and who had build the contraption and found the information. Really, this was all down to her. Roland and Kitty she didn't know well, she had shared a Home Ec class with Kitty a few years back, and was pretty sure Roland had popped up in a class or two, but they had never really talked. They seemed to know Dave and Isabel and share some awkward Island history, something Helen didn't feel was a good thing.
She took a sip of water, almost enjoying the sudden flurry of activity (she was very near the end of her book, only it was about the most boring book she'd ever read and she wanted it to be over with, even if it was probably going to be the last one before she died, at least she would be a little bit more well read than she had been before).
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Little Boy*
- Posts: 255
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:47 am
Roland couldn't believe his luck. Stumbling in on a rescue attempt, already underway? Headed by Isabel and Dave no less, the two people he'd least expected to accomplish well... anything?
Not true. They're plenty capable. Look at what they've accomplished, more then me...
Roland felt a sudden burning in his gut, and he knew it was jealousy. It was stupid, childish, and he hated himself for still holding those feelings. But he couldn't help himself. He was impressed and envious. Dave seemed shocked and somewhat taken aback that he was there, Roland would have been blind not to realize the kid hadn't been all that pleased at his intrusion. He didn't know why exactly, but he suspected Dave hadn't been all that impressed by his leadership earlier.
Well that won't be a problem again... I've accomplished nothing, safe for rescuing Kitty. I'm a follower here. But that doesn't mean I can't be a god damn fanatical one.
Isabel passed him a note and his eyebrows rose in surprise. He quickly grabbed a pen and scribbled back.
Correct, I know it offhand, survivalist training- enough to send out a message. You tell me what to do, I'll do it.
Roland looked around the room, taking a seat near the corner. One of the girls left, with her pack. Roland hadn't noticed her before and didn't know her by name. He couldn't tell what the exit meant, but from the looks the others were giving she didn't appear to be following the plan. Roland knew his place, as chastising as that was. He'd been so used to taking command, telling Kitty what to do. Now he was just a follower.
Don't think like that. Isabel is taking command... These others. I can trust them, can't I? Dave looks apprehensive, but he wants to live. He's not going to do anything stupid. Winnie looks scared stiff... Helen and Feo were always competent. And well, Kitty is worth more then she looks. Be positive Roland. We can get out of here.
We can kill him...
Not true. They're plenty capable. Look at what they've accomplished, more then me...
Roland felt a sudden burning in his gut, and he knew it was jealousy. It was stupid, childish, and he hated himself for still holding those feelings. But he couldn't help himself. He was impressed and envious. Dave seemed shocked and somewhat taken aback that he was there, Roland would have been blind not to realize the kid hadn't been all that pleased at his intrusion. He didn't know why exactly, but he suspected Dave hadn't been all that impressed by his leadership earlier.
Well that won't be a problem again... I've accomplished nothing, safe for rescuing Kitty. I'm a follower here. But that doesn't mean I can't be a god damn fanatical one.
Isabel passed him a note and his eyebrows rose in surprise. He quickly grabbed a pen and scribbled back.
Correct, I know it offhand, survivalist training- enough to send out a message. You tell me what to do, I'll do it.
Roland looked around the room, taking a seat near the corner. One of the girls left, with her pack. Roland hadn't noticed her before and didn't know her by name. He couldn't tell what the exit meant, but from the looks the others were giving she didn't appear to be following the plan. Roland knew his place, as chastising as that was. He'd been so used to taking command, telling Kitty what to do. Now he was just a follower.
Don't think like that. Isabel is taking command... These others. I can trust them, can't I? Dave looks apprehensive, but he wants to live. He's not going to do anything stupid. Winnie looks scared stiff... Helen and Feo were always competent. And well, Kitty is worth more then she looks. Be positive Roland. We can get out of here.
We can kill him...
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2554
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
The sun was rising on the hut. Not quite light yet but not dark anymore. They'd spent the night there, working and waiting. And like clockwork the PA system began to blare and unfortunately, not only was the place they'd plan to go to now forbidden, the group now had to make quick work of escaping the little house.
Isabel's grip on her pencil contracted so hard she though she'd accidentally break it and her eyes were wide with fear. It was a miracle they'd had as long as they did in the house at all. She cursed herself for not having seen this coming.
NEW PLAN. BREAK SHIT AND LEAVE.
She scrawled quickly after marking a huge X over the previous paragraph.
5 MINUTES, ROLAND. MAKE THE CODE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.
"Let's go!" she yelled. It was the first thing she'd said in hours. In a nervous flurry Isabel yanked the wires connecting the make-shift generator to the computer.
They're coming. We can't let them find this. Oh God.
She scooped her papers and Ethan's instructions into the bag and threw it over shoulder, ready to run.
((Isabel Guerra continued in -.-- -.-- --..))
Isabel's grip on her pencil contracted so hard she though she'd accidentally break it and her eyes were wide with fear. It was a miracle they'd had as long as they did in the house at all. She cursed herself for not having seen this coming.
NEW PLAN. BREAK SHIT AND LEAVE.
She scrawled quickly after marking a huge X over the previous paragraph.
5 MINUTES, ROLAND. MAKE THE CODE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT.
"Let's go!" she yelled. It was the first thing she'd said in hours. In a nervous flurry Isabel yanked the wires connecting the make-shift generator to the computer.
They're coming. We can't let them find this. Oh God.
She scooped her papers and Ethan's instructions into the bag and threw it over shoulder, ready to run.
((Isabel Guerra continued in -.-- -.-- --..))
((Placeholder post, I'll pretty it up later. Also, taking my initiative and dragging Winnie out too as face is away >_<))
The announcement blared, handily pointing out that their sojourn in the Ranger Station was about to meet an explosive conclusion. Oh that was not a good thing to hear in the morning. Fuck! They'd gotten so fucking close to cracking it. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Wait, with nothing to really hide now, they could talk again.
"Fuck!" There, that felt better. Shame that his first words in ...how long? had to be the f-word, but that was the way the ball rolled, Dave guessed.
No time to smash. Had to run. Let the others deal with that shit. Dave grabbed his bags, looked for Winnie. Found her sat down in the corner. She was still deathly quiet. Dave took Winnie's hand and pulled her along with him, and made his way out of the door, following Izzy as close as he could.
"Fucking Run!" He yelled, more at himself than at the others, huffing and puffing as he sprinted off into the distance.
((Dave Morrison and Winnie Clark, continued in -.-- -.-- --.. .))
The announcement blared, handily pointing out that their sojourn in the Ranger Station was about to meet an explosive conclusion. Oh that was not a good thing to hear in the morning. Fuck! They'd gotten so fucking close to cracking it. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Wait, with nothing to really hide now, they could talk again.
"Fuck!" There, that felt better. Shame that his first words in ...how long? had to be the f-word, but that was the way the ball rolled, Dave guessed.
No time to smash. Had to run. Let the others deal with that shit. Dave grabbed his bags, looked for Winnie. Found her sat down in the corner. She was still deathly quiet. Dave took Winnie's hand and pulled her along with him, and made his way out of the door, following Izzy as close as he could.
"Fucking Run!" He yelled, more at himself than at the others, huffing and puffing as he sprinted off into the distance.
((Dave Morrison and Winnie Clark, continued in -.-- -.-- --.. .))
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Little Boy*
- Posts: 255
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:47 am
Roland turned back towards the computer, trying hard to keep calm. The task had fallen to him, and all the others were depending on him succeeding. This was it. He'd made big talk about being a leader, hell, he'd done what he could to keep Kitty safe from Jackie... But it all paled in comparison to this. If he succeeded, Danya would die. If he failed, they'd all be dead by morning.
A leader doesn't just order people around. He follows through. That's what Dad always said. Failure isn't an option. I talked big on protecting, but that counts for jackshit now. So calm your nerves Roland, it's time to fuck up that rat-bastard Danya. Time to avenge them all.
The door slammed shut, signalling Isabel's departure. Dave and Winnie moved for the exit, Kitty close behind. Helen made a detour to the generator first, ripping the bicycle from the computer, tearing wires and generally making a mess. Roland gave a halfhearted salute of appreciation as the girl likewise exited the shack. Breathing in deep, Roland wracked his brain, struggling to remember Morse code. It hadn't exactly been ingrained in his memory, but it was a safe bet he knew it better then almost anyone in the school. The only dilemma being he was mostly familiar with common distress codes, · · · — — — · · · , or S.O.S.
No sweat Roland, no pressure. A, A was dot dash. A dash was equal to three dots. B was dash, dot dot dot. C, C was dash das- no. C is dash dot dash dot. Repeat. A, dot dash. B, dash dot dot dot. C, dash dot dash dot....
Roland sat in silence for a minute, going over the entire alphabet. He wouldn't risk looking at the message before he was fully prepared. It'd throw him off. Finally reaching the end, Roland ran through it again. He was certain on it. He'd spent nights camping in the forests of Minnesota alone, knowing fully well that if things got nasty an S.O.S would be useful.
Who'd have guessed I'd need it now?
He couldn't afford to waste anymore time. The hut would be declared a danger zone anytime now. Roland scurried over to the computer reading the lines of text.
His heart beat fast. He went over the lines again.
I can do this. I can get them out of here.
Roland jammed shut his eyes, flicking through the alphabet. He alternated back and forth, looking at the letters and then switching to code, back and forth like clockwork until he was finished. He ran through them one more time, just to be sure.
Got you now Danya.
Roland reached out and picked the computer monitor up, breaking and yanking out wires indiscriminately. With a mighty throw Roland hurled it against the side of the hut, breaking it. He turned his attention to the hard drive, delivering a boot to its side panel, knocking it across the floor. He couldn't afford to take any risks. Roland brought his foot down on the drive again and again, reducing it to a crumpled heap of wires and other computer innards.
With a flash he was across the room, shouldering his pack and affixing his blade once more in his belt loop. His heart was racing. He needed to get out, he'd taken enough time already. The message was on an endless loop in his head, and he needed to get out, rendezvous and send it to the others.
Watch your son now Dad. Watch what he does when someone tries to fuck with him!
Roland kicked the door open, sprinting out and into the forest, repeating the code over and over and over...
((Roland Harte continues in -.-- -.-- --..
A leader doesn't just order people around. He follows through. That's what Dad always said. Failure isn't an option. I talked big on protecting, but that counts for jackshit now. So calm your nerves Roland, it's time to fuck up that rat-bastard Danya. Time to avenge them all.
The door slammed shut, signalling Isabel's departure. Dave and Winnie moved for the exit, Kitty close behind. Helen made a detour to the generator first, ripping the bicycle from the computer, tearing wires and generally making a mess. Roland gave a halfhearted salute of appreciation as the girl likewise exited the shack. Breathing in deep, Roland wracked his brain, struggling to remember Morse code. It hadn't exactly been ingrained in his memory, but it was a safe bet he knew it better then almost anyone in the school. The only dilemma being he was mostly familiar with common distress codes, · · · — — — · · · , or S.O.S.
No sweat Roland, no pressure. A, A was dot dash. A dash was equal to three dots. B was dash, dot dot dot. C, C was dash das- no. C is dash dot dash dot. Repeat. A, dot dash. B, dash dot dot dot. C, dash dot dash dot....
Roland sat in silence for a minute, going over the entire alphabet. He wouldn't risk looking at the message before he was fully prepared. It'd throw him off. Finally reaching the end, Roland ran through it again. He was certain on it. He'd spent nights camping in the forests of Minnesota alone, knowing fully well that if things got nasty an S.O.S would be useful.
Who'd have guessed I'd need it now?
He couldn't afford to waste anymore time. The hut would be declared a danger zone anytime now. Roland scurried over to the computer reading the lines of text.
His heart beat fast. He went over the lines again.
I can do this. I can get them out of here.
Roland jammed shut his eyes, flicking through the alphabet. He alternated back and forth, looking at the letters and then switching to code, back and forth like clockwork until he was finished. He ran through them one more time, just to be sure.
Got you now Danya.
Roland reached out and picked the computer monitor up, breaking and yanking out wires indiscriminately. With a mighty throw Roland hurled it against the side of the hut, breaking it. He turned his attention to the hard drive, delivering a boot to its side panel, knocking it across the floor. He couldn't afford to take any risks. Roland brought his foot down on the drive again and again, reducing it to a crumpled heap of wires and other computer innards.
With a flash he was across the room, shouldering his pack and affixing his blade once more in his belt loop. His heart was racing. He needed to get out, he'd taken enough time already. The message was on an endless loop in his head, and he needed to get out, rendezvous and send it to the others.
Watch your son now Dad. Watch what he does when someone tries to fuck with him!
Roland kicked the door open, sprinting out and into the forest, repeating the code over and over and over...
((Roland Harte continues in -.-- -.-- --..
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xylophonefairy*
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:55 am
For fuck's SAKE!
Why did they always seem to end up running away from things? Running away from Liz because she'd turned into a time bomb. Running away from the Ranger station because the whole thing had turned into a time bomb (with precisely three minutes left to go). Always running, never peaceful, though perhaps that was the nature of the game. She was kicking herself for not thinking about this sooner; of course they were going to become a danger zone, there were no cameras, and Helen had a feeling that the terrorists didn't like not knowing what was going on. Even as the announcement started, she had a sinking feeling that that was what was going to happen, giving herself a couple of minutes to mentally prepare (she didn't want to actually prepare just in case they were spared; that would just make her look stupid).
Time had passed quickly, and yet oh so slowly at the same time. She'd barely even been aware that it was night, there seemed to have been a lot of light coming from somewhere. Glancing down; there was a torch in her own hand. They were so used to working in the dark that it had become second nature. It might also have stemmed from the fact that she had woken up in the tunnels where it was permanently nighttime.
Still, as everyone realised, and Isabel changed her plan and Dave dragged Winnie away, Helen moved straight for the contraption, and with a sudden burst of strength dragged the exercise bike away from the computer, pulling out the cables attaching it to the process as she did so, a sudden spark of electricity momentarily looking like it might cause a fire (which, she was now realising, might have been a good way to hide what they had done) before frittering away . The cables and wires were yanked from the computer and stuffed them into her bag. Her eyes flicked to the sheets of paper detailing what they had found, and she grabbed a handful of them too, indicating the rest of them to some of the couple of other people who were still only just making their exit. If they were going to get split up (as she had a sinking feeling might happen) they wanted their discovery to make it to as much of the island as possible. Feeling that she had done her part in hiding what they had done, she grabbed her bag and sprinted for the door, pausing for half a second to see where everyone else had gone.
Just disappearing through the debris that surrounded the station, she could see Dave and Winnie, and glancing round at some of the others she could still see, pointed the direction she was planning on heading in, and then started to run, using every little bit of cross country training she had ever had to try and catch up with them.
((Helen Wilson continued in -.-- -.-- --..))
Why did they always seem to end up running away from things? Running away from Liz because she'd turned into a time bomb. Running away from the Ranger station because the whole thing had turned into a time bomb (with precisely three minutes left to go). Always running, never peaceful, though perhaps that was the nature of the game. She was kicking herself for not thinking about this sooner; of course they were going to become a danger zone, there were no cameras, and Helen had a feeling that the terrorists didn't like not knowing what was going on. Even as the announcement started, she had a sinking feeling that that was what was going to happen, giving herself a couple of minutes to mentally prepare (she didn't want to actually prepare just in case they were spared; that would just make her look stupid).
Time had passed quickly, and yet oh so slowly at the same time. She'd barely even been aware that it was night, there seemed to have been a lot of light coming from somewhere. Glancing down; there was a torch in her own hand. They were so used to working in the dark that it had become second nature. It might also have stemmed from the fact that she had woken up in the tunnels where it was permanently nighttime.
Still, as everyone realised, and Isabel changed her plan and Dave dragged Winnie away, Helen moved straight for the contraption, and with a sudden burst of strength dragged the exercise bike away from the computer, pulling out the cables attaching it to the process as she did so, a sudden spark of electricity momentarily looking like it might cause a fire (which, she was now realising, might have been a good way to hide what they had done) before frittering away . The cables and wires were yanked from the computer and stuffed them into her bag. Her eyes flicked to the sheets of paper detailing what they had found, and she grabbed a handful of them too, indicating the rest of them to some of the couple of other people who were still only just making their exit. If they were going to get split up (as she had a sinking feeling might happen) they wanted their discovery to make it to as much of the island as possible. Feeling that she had done her part in hiding what they had done, she grabbed her bag and sprinted for the door, pausing for half a second to see where everyone else had gone.
Just disappearing through the debris that surrounded the station, she could see Dave and Winnie, and glancing round at some of the others she could still see, pointed the direction she was planning on heading in, and then started to run, using every little bit of cross country training she had ever had to try and catch up with them.
((Helen Wilson continued in -.-- -.-- --..))
Kitty followed right after everyone else. Bitch got the hell out of dodge.
(Kitty continued elsewhere. And let us never speak of this thread again.)
(Kitty continued elsewhere. And let us never speak of this thread again.)
They had had more time than Feo had expected, more by a good margin. By all rights, the ranger station should have become a danger zone the day after the cameras went out. That it hadn't spoke to the various distractions the terrorists were dealing with at the time. When the announcement did come, though, it was still something of a surprise. They'd spent too much time pulling things together. They'd been too disorganized, and now they were going to pay for it. The collars gave them, what, ten minutes to flee? They had a fuck ton of stuff to dismantle in ten minutes. It didn't help that no one was organized as they smashed things.
Isabel grabbed the wires to the computer, at least. David and Winnie just split. Helen yanked the bike away and grabbed some papers, and Roland put his boot through the computer. It wasn't enough, though. There was still too much to piece together, still too much that could hint at what they'd done.
"Get going," Feo said. Then, she turned back to the ruins. There were papers still around. The bike was still in the room, the refrigerator compressor still lying there. More than enough to hint at what they had done. The fact that the computer was destroyed was meaningless if their accessing it was noticed. They'd made a lot of noise breaking things. Someone would get suspicious. This would be checked out.
Feo grabbed the bike, hoisted it into the small kitchen area, and dropped it onto the floor. Then she ran back into the room with the computer, grabbed the rest of the papers, the ones the others had missed, and started to shred them. Carrying them was safe at the start, sure, but what if one of the group got killed by a player? What if that player then turned the info over to Danya, tried to brown-nose their way out of this by selling out their whole class?
No. No way was shit like that going to undo all of her work, all of Ethan's work.
She dumped the papers into the sink in the kitchen, grabbed her lighter, and set them on fire. She'd have burned the whole cabin down, but there was no way to make sure it'd work. Better make this look like an accident. She gave a couple of shouts and screams to help sell it. Panic was not hard to feign.
Then, when things had burned sufficiently, she turned the water on, dousing the flames and dissolving the rest into a soggy mess of mush.
How long had it been? Time was getting awfully short.
She still had one thing to do, though.
She grabbed the last bits of machinery, the ones they hadn't been able to get rid of otherwise, and stashed them all in the refrigerator. It was random, quick, panicked, but with any luck it would be missed or assumed to be the workings of an insane mind.
Then she was running. Time ticking down. How far exactly did the danger zone that encompassed the ranger station extend? That would have been something better examined sooner. The others were gone. Her collar was beeping, had been beeping the entire time. It was nearly a constant drone now. She...
She suddenly realized that she wasn't sure she'd make it.
She was running, running, the beeping getting worse. It seemed that the zone did extend a little bit from the actual building. Fuck. Fuck.
She hoped the others would be able to finish things. They'd lost too much to fail now.
And then, there was an explosion around her neck, and Feo collapsed, momentum carrying her body forward a bit further. She crumpled just a few feet shy of Ethan's corpse.
G043 - Feo Eleri Smith: DECEASED
Isabel grabbed the wires to the computer, at least. David and Winnie just split. Helen yanked the bike away and grabbed some papers, and Roland put his boot through the computer. It wasn't enough, though. There was still too much to piece together, still too much that could hint at what they'd done.
"Get going," Feo said. Then, she turned back to the ruins. There were papers still around. The bike was still in the room, the refrigerator compressor still lying there. More than enough to hint at what they had done. The fact that the computer was destroyed was meaningless if their accessing it was noticed. They'd made a lot of noise breaking things. Someone would get suspicious. This would be checked out.
Feo grabbed the bike, hoisted it into the small kitchen area, and dropped it onto the floor. Then she ran back into the room with the computer, grabbed the rest of the papers, the ones the others had missed, and started to shred them. Carrying them was safe at the start, sure, but what if one of the group got killed by a player? What if that player then turned the info over to Danya, tried to brown-nose their way out of this by selling out their whole class?
No. No way was shit like that going to undo all of her work, all of Ethan's work.
She dumped the papers into the sink in the kitchen, grabbed her lighter, and set them on fire. She'd have burned the whole cabin down, but there was no way to make sure it'd work. Better make this look like an accident. She gave a couple of shouts and screams to help sell it. Panic was not hard to feign.
Then, when things had burned sufficiently, she turned the water on, dousing the flames and dissolving the rest into a soggy mess of mush.
How long had it been? Time was getting awfully short.
She still had one thing to do, though.
She grabbed the last bits of machinery, the ones they hadn't been able to get rid of otherwise, and stashed them all in the refrigerator. It was random, quick, panicked, but with any luck it would be missed or assumed to be the workings of an insane mind.
Then she was running. Time ticking down. How far exactly did the danger zone that encompassed the ranger station extend? That would have been something better examined sooner. The others were gone. Her collar was beeping, had been beeping the entire time. It was nearly a constant drone now. She...
She suddenly realized that she wasn't sure she'd make it.
She was running, running, the beeping getting worse. It seemed that the zone did extend a little bit from the actual building. Fuck. Fuck.
She hoped the others would be able to finish things. They'd lost too much to fail now.
And then, there was an explosion around her neck, and Feo collapsed, momentum carrying her body forward a bit further. She crumpled just a few feet shy of Ethan's corpse.
G043 - Feo Eleri Smith: DECEASED
