((Trent Savage continued from The Lost Boys))
Trent Savage and his body were having a very serious disagreement in the topmost part of the lighthouse that morning.
Trent wanted to sleep. His body did not.
He stared restlessly down at his bare chest. He'd lost a lot of weight. Bone and cords of thin muscle defined his shape more than they ever had. He had a haze of hunger around him constantly now. The water helped. He had plenty of water still. The malformed mold-ridden lumps at the bottom of his bag, however, and the brown dust that might have once been crackers did little to actually alleviate anything. But the hunger he could deal with, for now. It was the exhaustion that had him in agony.
He scratched through the blonde scruff on his midriff. Bits of filth that had survived the earlier assault of seawater flaked off under his ragged fingernails. He'd thought feeling cleaner would help him sleep. Sometime earlier in the night he'd made his way to the ground and across the rocks and threw himself at the waves, fully-clothed and desperate for some kind of relief. Well, not fully clothed: he'd left the sneakers, and made a slow and arduous barefooted journey down the stairs and across the rocks. Then he'd thrown himself in, not just his legs but his full body all at once. He'd submerged his head and almost reveled in the burn of the salt water against his wounds. Then, he'd remembered the collar, and he'd frantically fought his way to the surface. As he'd resurfaced, gasping in panic, he'd taken a few moments to realize that the collars were waterproofed. He'd thrown himself in again out of spite.
The grimy shoes had waited for him on the sill of one of the large windows up in the top of the lighthouse. They'd felt safer there. He hadn't wanted to risk losing them in the sea or out in the dark. They were all he had of Violet, the only reminder he had that she even still existed. Once he found her, the shoes wouldn't matter. But for now they were too valuable to risk.
He eyed them up on the windowsill above his head, his still-drying shirt hanging next to them. He shifted his head against his makeshift pillow-bag. He stretched his neck. It cracked. He stretched his arms over his head, palms interlaced, and then his legs. The rolled-up cuffs of his damp threadbare jeans caught slightly in the pockmarks on the floor of the metal ledge and caused them to bunch up past his knees. The edges of those same holes were digging into his back by now.
He rolled over on his side to relieve his circle-marked back. When that side proved uncomfortable, he tried the other. He rolled onto his stomach. Finally, defeated, he pushed himself up and seated himself on the ledge to the left of his shed clothing. He pressed his back and left temple against the glass and gazed outward. It was getting lighter. He scanned what he could see of the clusters of shore-rocks until his eyes fell upon their goal. It was hard to imagine the mound of decaying cloth and meat and flies had ever been a person. He'd passed it on his way back from the water, smelling it more than seeing it. He hadn't puked. He was almost proud of himself for it. After some distance was between them he'd tried to recall who it might have been. His memory failed him. He wondered if the pile had anyone remembering them, like he remembered Craig. He wondered if anyone would remember him. Maybe Ron. He snarled out a short laugh at the thought.
The air outside got brighter against his back as he sat. The names would be coming soon. Anxiety knotted the flesh of his chest. He repeated his own names in his head. Leila. Sarah. Erik. Violet. He repeated them like some sort of prayer or spell, as if his think-saying them enough would ward them off, block them from the man in the speakers. It wasn't long before the man would be booming across the island again. Trent sat and waited for it. He worried.
He realized that he wouldn't be getting any sleep.
You Are On a Rock Floating Through Space
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JamesRenard*
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:55 am
((Saul Fetteralf continued from Legoland Empire))
Not long after Saul and Jojo left the warehouse, there had been at least two loud gunshots, most likely originating from within the building itself. If that wasn't an incentive for the mascot to flee the area like a bat out of Hell, he didn't know what was. It was like the noise turbo-charged the muscles in his legs, powering him forward at an increased speed. All they could do was run, trying to get as far away from the building, and possibly a gun-crazed killer, as possible. A good quarter of an hour of sprinting later, Saul was certain that whoever was firing the shots was no longer hot on their heels.
After taking a long rest to recuperate and have a brief something to eat that consisted mostly of moldy old breadcrumbs, they continued heading in, well, whichever direction their legs could take them. Saul's navigational skills hadn't improved a bit since day one and many a time he was worried that he was about to send him and his buddy headlong into a danger zone. Their collars remained silent though, something Saul was silently thankful for. Night eventually fell, making it pointless and too risky for them to keep on moving in the darkness, so they just stayed put at their present location until it got lighter in the morning.
Morning did eventually come just as Saul and Jojo arrived at the peninsula that contained the lighthouse. Saul could smell it, the rancid odor of decay, and investigating the rocky shore revealed the source; the rotting body of Max Neill. It was while they were there, staring at the corpse that the announcements came on, informing them of the most recently deceased and their killers. He couldn't help but whisper "oh my God" upon hearing Brendan's name being read out. It was enough to send a shiver down his spine. As much as they hadn't wanted to believe it, they'd been completely right about him. They'd predicted he would go on to kill someone, and they'd just been proven correct.
"No way... h-he actually killed someone," Saul gasped, trying to come to terms with what he'd heard, trying to push it to the back of his mind and pretend it never happened. What would have happened if they'd chosen to remain with him instead of splitting up? Would he have killed them like he did that other guy? Wouldn't he have killed that other guy? He just didn't know what to think.
All thoughts concerning Brendan were thrown out by the mention of another name, but this time it was someone who'd been killed. Sapphire McLeod. The brunette he met in the felled forest. "S-Sapphire...?"
No. That had to be a mistake. Sapphire wasn't dead, she couldn't be. It was just...just... unimaginable for her to be. Sapphire couldn't die, she just couldn't! She wasn't supposed to! "No... she-she can't be... what... why couldn't I find her in time? This... this isn't fair!" Saul collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands.
Not long after Saul and Jojo left the warehouse, there had been at least two loud gunshots, most likely originating from within the building itself. If that wasn't an incentive for the mascot to flee the area like a bat out of Hell, he didn't know what was. It was like the noise turbo-charged the muscles in his legs, powering him forward at an increased speed. All they could do was run, trying to get as far away from the building, and possibly a gun-crazed killer, as possible. A good quarter of an hour of sprinting later, Saul was certain that whoever was firing the shots was no longer hot on their heels.
After taking a long rest to recuperate and have a brief something to eat that consisted mostly of moldy old breadcrumbs, they continued heading in, well, whichever direction their legs could take them. Saul's navigational skills hadn't improved a bit since day one and many a time he was worried that he was about to send him and his buddy headlong into a danger zone. Their collars remained silent though, something Saul was silently thankful for. Night eventually fell, making it pointless and too risky for them to keep on moving in the darkness, so they just stayed put at their present location until it got lighter in the morning.
Morning did eventually come just as Saul and Jojo arrived at the peninsula that contained the lighthouse. Saul could smell it, the rancid odor of decay, and investigating the rocky shore revealed the source; the rotting body of Max Neill. It was while they were there, staring at the corpse that the announcements came on, informing them of the most recently deceased and their killers. He couldn't help but whisper "oh my God" upon hearing Brendan's name being read out. It was enough to send a shiver down his spine. As much as they hadn't wanted to believe it, they'd been completely right about him. They'd predicted he would go on to kill someone, and they'd just been proven correct.
"No way... h-he actually killed someone," Saul gasped, trying to come to terms with what he'd heard, trying to push it to the back of his mind and pretend it never happened. What would have happened if they'd chosen to remain with him instead of splitting up? Would he have killed them like he did that other guy? Wouldn't he have killed that other guy? He just didn't know what to think.
All thoughts concerning Brendan were thrown out by the mention of another name, but this time it was someone who'd been killed. Sapphire McLeod. The brunette he met in the felled forest. "S-Sapphire...?"
No. That had to be a mistake. Sapphire wasn't dead, she couldn't be. It was just...just... unimaginable for her to be. Sapphire couldn't die, she just couldn't! She wasn't supposed to! "No... she-she can't be... what... why couldn't I find her in time? This... this isn't fair!" Saul collapsed to his knees and buried his face in his hands.
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Whirlpool531*
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 4:14 am
((Joss Joiner continued from Legoland Empire))
After their frantic run from the warehouse and uncomfortable night's rest, Jojo was almost glad to be able to see the lighthouse and the beach it was on. Almost because the pungent smell of a corpse began to hit his nose almost as soon as they walked onto the scene. As the announcements blared, he went slightly rigid as Brendan's name was listed as one of the killers. I really hope you had a good reason Brendan, I trusted you. His normal feelings of relief that Jay was alive were mixed with guilt that it came at the price of knowing Sapphire wasn't.
As Saul collapsed to the ground, Jojo could only watch over him silently to let him vent his feelings. If I get through this alive, I've got to do something for everyone who died here.
After their frantic run from the warehouse and uncomfortable night's rest, Jojo was almost glad to be able to see the lighthouse and the beach it was on. Almost because the pungent smell of a corpse began to hit his nose almost as soon as they walked onto the scene. As the announcements blared, he went slightly rigid as Brendan's name was listed as one of the killers. I really hope you had a good reason Brendan, I trusted you. His normal feelings of relief that Jay was alive were mixed with guilt that it came at the price of knowing Sapphire wasn't.
As Saul collapsed to the ground, Jojo could only watch over him silently to let him vent his feelings. If I get through this alive, I've got to do something for everyone who died here.
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ZombiexCreame*
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:29 am
((Josie Vernon continued from In My Restless Dreams))
Light was appearing on the horizon, filling the land with a warm glow that grew brighter and brighter as the sun lurched higher and higher. Morning was mere minutes away, and it all felt very cheery. It was a new day, and Josie could be whoever she wanted to be. She could be a hero and save hordes of people from their doom. She could be a rebel and try to escape this rock, using only her wits to try and rid herself of her collar, although she wasn't actually that smart. She could be a killer too, except she had no weapon. In fact, she had nothing at all, really. She left everything back with Sierra. She didn't feel worthy of keeping her or Sierra's items. Okay, so that wasn't entirely true. She did keep the birthday invite. For some reason, it cheered her up a little whenever she was feeling down.
Josie felt so good and relieved back with Sierra. She felt good about putting her friend out of misery, and she was sure that, somewhere, Sierra was thanking her for her actions. Josie never felt better. She felt lonely, yes, but how long would this feeling last? A few hours? Maybe another day or two? Not long, surely. And these feelings of loneliness? Sierra would never feel them. Only Josie, and that was how she dealt with it all.
...Except, this feeling of accomplishment? It didn't last long. Maybe a few minutes, and then the guilt began to sink in like a disgusting stench or an annoying mosquito bite. Unpleasant and obnoxious, the feelings assaulted her mind and caused her to break down and sob, wishing that Omar hadn't killed that dude and wishing that Omar didn't get killed because of it and wishing that Sierra hadn't been depressed. None of this would have happened! And God. Sierra's face, that terrible face, it was burned inside of her eyelids. Every time she recalled it, tears would appear on the horizon of her bottom lash line, and she would quickly wipe them away and feel angry for her sign of weakness. Josie shouldn't cry. She knew this would have happened. She knew that "helping" Sierra would mean that the two couldn't hang out anymore, but still... It was hard. She didn't realize how hard it would be.
She had no real destination in mind, mostly just walking aimlessly. If she came upon a body, she would closely examine it for signs of Omar's (she thought it would be sweet if she could place his body beside Sierra's), but so far, no dice. The land was a lot brighter now with the sun dancing overhead, and Josie could see a lighthouse in the distance, standing tall as an ironic beacon. Lighthouses were supposed to help ships from crashing ashore, but this island was just full of little ships with no light to guide them and tons of crashing involved. Josie felt like a particularly detrimental little ship.
The familiar crackle of the announcements never ceased to startle her, and she started a bit, her sullen eyes looking around for the source of the noise. Oh, yeah. The speaker boxes. She paused and listened, trying not to realize that her own name would be on them, but the thought was there. She would be amongst the ones who killed, and Sierra would be amongst the ones that died. How could that be? How could people possibly judge Josie based on her kill when they didn't know the situation? How could Danya say it so everyone could sympathize with her? Perhaps he wouldn't be so harsh. Perhaps he would sugar-coat things a little, although she knew that was never his intentions. She just wished he would go easy on her because she didn't think she deserved to be lied about.
"Josie Vernon smothered Sierra Manning to death, after traveling with her for a week. Remember that video. This stuff happens more than you'd imagine."
What the hell did that mean? This stuff happens more than you'd imagine? Did other students frequently smother their best friends? And God. Traveling together for a week. Josie was only able to put up with Sierra for a single week? She could have lasted longer, could have let Sierra go on, but there was death around every corner, and.. She was sick of trying to justify herself. She did what she did, and she was still convinced that it was the best choice, but... She still couldn't go on without Sierra. She needed her... Her lip puffed out and quivered, tears shimmered in the light. No. Just keep going. No crying.
Maybe this was it. Maybe she would be like Maria back at the sawmill, holding a glass shard to her neck, except she had no one to hold her- wait. What was that other name after her own? Maxwell? That kid she was traveling with! He was dead?! Had there been a confrontation or something..? Oh, God. Everyone she knew was dying. She was cursed.
She bit her lip and walked over to the lighthouse door, opening it and peering inside. There was no one inside, it seemed, so she located the stairs and headed up until she came to a door. More stairs led up, but she ignored those, pressing her ear against the door. She could hear something... waves. The ocean was just outside the door. She pushed open the door and walked out onto the thin balcony that curved around the base of the lighthouse. Josie walked over to the edge, leaning against the railing. The sight was beautiful and relaxing, but it mostly just reminded her of the northern cliffs. Sierra's plan for them to both end it all.
Maybe it was time. Maybe it was time to meet up with Sierra again, profusely apologize and try to set things right. There was already a body down there, its odor quite apparent, perhaps she could keep it company? She lowered her head, hands gripping the railing. She was aware that there were two people below her, chatting or something. They wouldn't mind. She would just have to pull herself over the railing and let herself fall, that was it. It wasn't hard. Punish herself for the horrible transgression she committed upon Sierra.
She didn't move, merely lowered her head until it rested on the rails. This was what she wanted. Why was she moping like this? It made no sense. She just wanted out.
Light was appearing on the horizon, filling the land with a warm glow that grew brighter and brighter as the sun lurched higher and higher. Morning was mere minutes away, and it all felt very cheery. It was a new day, and Josie could be whoever she wanted to be. She could be a hero and save hordes of people from their doom. She could be a rebel and try to escape this rock, using only her wits to try and rid herself of her collar, although she wasn't actually that smart. She could be a killer too, except she had no weapon. In fact, she had nothing at all, really. She left everything back with Sierra. She didn't feel worthy of keeping her or Sierra's items. Okay, so that wasn't entirely true. She did keep the birthday invite. For some reason, it cheered her up a little whenever she was feeling down.
Josie felt so good and relieved back with Sierra. She felt good about putting her friend out of misery, and she was sure that, somewhere, Sierra was thanking her for her actions. Josie never felt better. She felt lonely, yes, but how long would this feeling last? A few hours? Maybe another day or two? Not long, surely. And these feelings of loneliness? Sierra would never feel them. Only Josie, and that was how she dealt with it all.
...Except, this feeling of accomplishment? It didn't last long. Maybe a few minutes, and then the guilt began to sink in like a disgusting stench or an annoying mosquito bite. Unpleasant and obnoxious, the feelings assaulted her mind and caused her to break down and sob, wishing that Omar hadn't killed that dude and wishing that Omar didn't get killed because of it and wishing that Sierra hadn't been depressed. None of this would have happened! And God. Sierra's face, that terrible face, it was burned inside of her eyelids. Every time she recalled it, tears would appear on the horizon of her bottom lash line, and she would quickly wipe them away and feel angry for her sign of weakness. Josie shouldn't cry. She knew this would have happened. She knew that "helping" Sierra would mean that the two couldn't hang out anymore, but still... It was hard. She didn't realize how hard it would be.
She had no real destination in mind, mostly just walking aimlessly. If she came upon a body, she would closely examine it for signs of Omar's (she thought it would be sweet if she could place his body beside Sierra's), but so far, no dice. The land was a lot brighter now with the sun dancing overhead, and Josie could see a lighthouse in the distance, standing tall as an ironic beacon. Lighthouses were supposed to help ships from crashing ashore, but this island was just full of little ships with no light to guide them and tons of crashing involved. Josie felt like a particularly detrimental little ship.
The familiar crackle of the announcements never ceased to startle her, and she started a bit, her sullen eyes looking around for the source of the noise. Oh, yeah. The speaker boxes. She paused and listened, trying not to realize that her own name would be on them, but the thought was there. She would be amongst the ones who killed, and Sierra would be amongst the ones that died. How could that be? How could people possibly judge Josie based on her kill when they didn't know the situation? How could Danya say it so everyone could sympathize with her? Perhaps he wouldn't be so harsh. Perhaps he would sugar-coat things a little, although she knew that was never his intentions. She just wished he would go easy on her because she didn't think she deserved to be lied about.
"Josie Vernon smothered Sierra Manning to death, after traveling with her for a week. Remember that video. This stuff happens more than you'd imagine."
What the hell did that mean? This stuff happens more than you'd imagine? Did other students frequently smother their best friends? And God. Traveling together for a week. Josie was only able to put up with Sierra for a single week? She could have lasted longer, could have let Sierra go on, but there was death around every corner, and.. She was sick of trying to justify herself. She did what she did, and she was still convinced that it was the best choice, but... She still couldn't go on without Sierra. She needed her... Her lip puffed out and quivered, tears shimmered in the light. No. Just keep going. No crying.
Maybe this was it. Maybe she would be like Maria back at the sawmill, holding a glass shard to her neck, except she had no one to hold her- wait. What was that other name after her own? Maxwell? That kid she was traveling with! He was dead?! Had there been a confrontation or something..? Oh, God. Everyone she knew was dying. She was cursed.
She bit her lip and walked over to the lighthouse door, opening it and peering inside. There was no one inside, it seemed, so she located the stairs and headed up until she came to a door. More stairs led up, but she ignored those, pressing her ear against the door. She could hear something... waves. The ocean was just outside the door. She pushed open the door and walked out onto the thin balcony that curved around the base of the lighthouse. Josie walked over to the edge, leaning against the railing. The sight was beautiful and relaxing, but it mostly just reminded her of the northern cliffs. Sierra's plan for them to both end it all.
Maybe it was time. Maybe it was time to meet up with Sierra again, profusely apologize and try to set things right. There was already a body down there, its odor quite apparent, perhaps she could keep it company? She lowered her head, hands gripping the railing. She was aware that there were two people below her, chatting or something. They wouldn't mind. She would just have to pull herself over the railing and let herself fall, that was it. It wasn't hard. Punish herself for the horrible transgression she committed upon Sierra.
She didn't move, merely lowered her head until it rested on the rails. This was what she wanted. Why was she moping like this? It made no sense. She just wanted out.
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JamesRenard*
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:55 am
Saul just sat there, sniffing and wiping the tears away from his eyes. She was gone. She was dead and she was never ever going to come back for some kind of happy-ever-after reunion like in the movies.
'C'mon, you need to man up, Saul,' his mind ordered him. 'It was bound to happen eventually. Hey, try and look on the bright side. Garry, your buddy, your best friend wasn't on the list. He's still alive, that's a great thing. He's not killed anyone else either, not for a while at least.'
Yes, Garry was still very much alive and kicking. And if memory served him correctly, he was one of, if not the last remaining Husky. Dustin had died now, and so had several others on the team. Phillip, Staffan, Nik, Alex... and if Saul didn't hurry up, Garry would be next before he could find him. But he couldn't go off and resume the search now, as much as he wanted to. His feet were killing him and the sleep deprivation was beginning to catch up to him. He felt ready to lie back and fall asleep at any second.
"I think... I think we should rest for a bit and then continue looking for Garry," Saul announced.
'C'mon, you need to man up, Saul,' his mind ordered him. 'It was bound to happen eventually. Hey, try and look on the bright side. Garry, your buddy, your best friend wasn't on the list. He's still alive, that's a great thing. He's not killed anyone else either, not for a while at least.'
Yes, Garry was still very much alive and kicking. And if memory served him correctly, he was one of, if not the last remaining Husky. Dustin had died now, and so had several others on the team. Phillip, Staffan, Nik, Alex... and if Saul didn't hurry up, Garry would be next before he could find him. But he couldn't go off and resume the search now, as much as he wanted to. His feet were killing him and the sleep deprivation was beginning to catch up to him. He felt ready to lie back and fall asleep at any second.
"I think... I think we should rest for a bit and then continue looking for Garry," Saul announced.
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Whirlpool531*
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 4:14 am
After Saul finished letting out his pained tears and began speaking of a plan to rest, Jojo felt he could finally say something to try and make him feel better.
"Saul, I know it hurts to have lost someone like that, we've both lost plenty of friends here. But you're right, we need to rest and then continue looking; you need to find Garry and I need to find Jay," he said with a faint smile. He set his things down and sat while looking out towards the water. It was so peaceful, such a contrast to the violence and death surrounding them. Jojo slightly wished he could be stuck in this moment forever, not worrying about whether he'd live or die, just watching the water go in and out with the tides. "Take a good rest Saul, this might be the last time we get a chance to relax on a beach if we can't do anything to stop this madness. I'll try and protect whoever I can, but I don't know how much I can do if someone with a gun picks a fight with us. If that happens, find Jay for me and tell him I'm sorry I wasn't there for him." Jojo was a bit shocked such words flowed so easily from his mouth, but he had to be prepared for the worst.
"Saul, I know it hurts to have lost someone like that, we've both lost plenty of friends here. But you're right, we need to rest and then continue looking; you need to find Garry and I need to find Jay," he said with a faint smile. He set his things down and sat while looking out towards the water. It was so peaceful, such a contrast to the violence and death surrounding them. Jojo slightly wished he could be stuck in this moment forever, not worrying about whether he'd live or die, just watching the water go in and out with the tides. "Take a good rest Saul, this might be the last time we get a chance to relax on a beach if we can't do anything to stop this madness. I'll try and protect whoever I can, but I don't know how much I can do if someone with a gun picks a fight with us. If that happens, find Jay for me and tell him I'm sorry I wasn't there for him." Jojo was a bit shocked such words flowed so easily from his mouth, but he had to be prepared for the worst.
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JamesRenard*
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:55 am
Saul's heart sank as he listened to Jojo. The poor guy didn't rate his chances very well at all. "Look, that's not gonna happen," Saul spoke, turning to face Jojo. "We're going to find them, both of them."
'And just how sure of that are you? There's an entire island to cover, and only a few danger zones to narrow the search area down.' As much as Saul hated to admit it, looking for Garry and Jay was like looking for two specific needles in a haystack that was full of other needles. With a handful of needles being taken out of the equation with each passing day.
"But if, for whatever reason, you do end up... y'know," Saul said, deciding not to finish that sentence off for Jojo's benefit, "I will look for him and tell him that. If... something like that happens to me, you will find Garry for me and tell him that I'm sorry for losing him, won't ya? You remember what he looks like, right?"
It occurred to Saul that he couldn't for the life of him remember what this Jay fellow looked like. And if Jojo had given him a description beforehand, he'd completely forgotten it already. Stupid memory. "Uh, what does Jay look like exactly, so I know who to look for?" he asked. He'd try harder and remember it this time.
After that well-deserved rest, they were going to find Garry and Saul, he convinced himself, even if it killed them. Though hopefully not literally.
'And just how sure of that are you? There's an entire island to cover, and only a few danger zones to narrow the search area down.' As much as Saul hated to admit it, looking for Garry and Jay was like looking for two specific needles in a haystack that was full of other needles. With a handful of needles being taken out of the equation with each passing day.
"But if, for whatever reason, you do end up... y'know," Saul said, deciding not to finish that sentence off for Jojo's benefit, "I will look for him and tell him that. If... something like that happens to me, you will find Garry for me and tell him that I'm sorry for losing him, won't ya? You remember what he looks like, right?"
It occurred to Saul that he couldn't for the life of him remember what this Jay fellow looked like. And if Jojo had given him a description beforehand, he'd completely forgotten it already. Stupid memory. "Uh, what does Jay look like exactly, so I know who to look for?" he asked. He'd try harder and remember it this time.
After that well-deserved rest, they were going to find Garry and Saul, he convinced himself, even if it killed them. Though hopefully not literally.
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ZombiexCreame*
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:29 am
((Just shooting off a quick post so I can avoid inactivity before James posts.))
It was sort of amusing how a mind could rage amongst complete and utter peace outside of the body. Josie really liked it here, so high up, blue sky above her, glittering sea crashing to shore below her. If she ignored the obvious corpse beneath her, she could shut her eyes and lose herself, pretending she was on some glorious vacation. The smell of sea salt in her nose (mixed with a bit of rotting flesh), the light air hitting her face, the mist tingling on her skin. She opened her eyes and forced a bright smile, one that could kid the world. She was enjoying this and the view was beautiful and Sierra was in a better place and Josie would be gone too in three point eight five two nine seven days. Exactly that number.
Maybe a decimal or two less. She wasn't so great at math.
She reached in her pocket and retracted the folded-up birthday invite. It was white with brightly colored balloons and streamers, neon font that caught her full attention. She couldn't help but wonder if this was serious or just a joke. What if Josie happened to survive and there really was a birthday party? Would there be cake? She started laughing at the thought of cake at Danya's party. Would it have chocolate or confetti sprinkles? Or maybe Danya was more of a cupcake sort of guy.
Her laughs became a bit louder, and she threw a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles. He'd be so disappointed because Josie didn't bring a gift. And she was so good at birthday gifts too! She could burn him a few mix tapes to listen to, maybe get him a camo snuggy. Everyone liked snuggies, right?
This seemed like an insane train of thought, yes, but it really wasn't. It was something that Josie would joke about with Sierra, a conversation that surely would have come up eventually, but it never would. And she was joking alone and with herself. But it was okay. It could be worse. She could have been one of those types who drags around Sierra's head and pretends she's still alive and well. That happened to someone last season, right? She heard about it. Wouldn't happen to her, nope, because yeah, Sierra was definitely dead. Very, very dead. On a scale of 1-10 on the dead scale, she was probably a j. J as in the letter j, as in not on the charts of 1-10. That dead. And that made her laugh too, and she knew she shouldn't have.
She was well-aware that something was loose in her head, and if she didn't off herself at that exact second, things would just get worse. And she would not allow herself to carry around Sierra's head. But... She peered down below and noticed the two boys of whom she'd heard their voices minutes before. They appeared to be resting, just having a chat... They weren't bad people. She didn't want to ruin their day by jumping to her death and having them witness it. Then again, other things could potentially ruin their day too... Josie probably wasn't that high on the list. What did it matter?
She'd be dead. She wouldn't care. And then she started thinking of all that life-beyond-death nonsense, and she started thinking, well, what if.. what if.. what if..
And suddenly just sticking around here on this island didn't seem so bad. And there was always worse, right?
It was sort of amusing how a mind could rage amongst complete and utter peace outside of the body. Josie really liked it here, so high up, blue sky above her, glittering sea crashing to shore below her. If she ignored the obvious corpse beneath her, she could shut her eyes and lose herself, pretending she was on some glorious vacation. The smell of sea salt in her nose (mixed with a bit of rotting flesh), the light air hitting her face, the mist tingling on her skin. She opened her eyes and forced a bright smile, one that could kid the world. She was enjoying this and the view was beautiful and Sierra was in a better place and Josie would be gone too in three point eight five two nine seven days. Exactly that number.
Maybe a decimal or two less. She wasn't so great at math.
She reached in her pocket and retracted the folded-up birthday invite. It was white with brightly colored balloons and streamers, neon font that caught her full attention. She couldn't help but wonder if this was serious or just a joke. What if Josie happened to survive and there really was a birthday party? Would there be cake? She started laughing at the thought of cake at Danya's party. Would it have chocolate or confetti sprinkles? Or maybe Danya was more of a cupcake sort of guy.
Her laughs became a bit louder, and she threw a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles. He'd be so disappointed because Josie didn't bring a gift. And she was so good at birthday gifts too! She could burn him a few mix tapes to listen to, maybe get him a camo snuggy. Everyone liked snuggies, right?
This seemed like an insane train of thought, yes, but it really wasn't. It was something that Josie would joke about with Sierra, a conversation that surely would have come up eventually, but it never would. And she was joking alone and with herself. But it was okay. It could be worse. She could have been one of those types who drags around Sierra's head and pretends she's still alive and well. That happened to someone last season, right? She heard about it. Wouldn't happen to her, nope, because yeah, Sierra was definitely dead. Very, very dead. On a scale of 1-10 on the dead scale, she was probably a j. J as in the letter j, as in not on the charts of 1-10. That dead. And that made her laugh too, and she knew she shouldn't have.
She was well-aware that something was loose in her head, and if she didn't off herself at that exact second, things would just get worse. And she would not allow herself to carry around Sierra's head. But... She peered down below and noticed the two boys of whom she'd heard their voices minutes before. They appeared to be resting, just having a chat... They weren't bad people. She didn't want to ruin their day by jumping to her death and having them witness it. Then again, other things could potentially ruin their day too... Josie probably wasn't that high on the list. What did it matter?
She'd be dead. She wouldn't care. And then she started thinking of all that life-beyond-death nonsense, and she started thinking, well, what if.. what if.. what if..
And suddenly just sticking around here on this island didn't seem so bad. And there was always worse, right?
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
((Sarah Tan continued from Eep.))
Sarah was tired of running. Her aching legs needed rest. Her shoulders hurt from being weighed down by the bottles of medicine she kept in her bags. Medicine that turned out to be completely useless when she really needed it. No amount of praying or medicine would bring her friends back.
She'd already lost count of the days. How many days had it been since she last saw Remy and Stacy? How many days had their bodies been lying out in the sun with nobody to bury them? She had run from the next group that appeared like the coward she was, knowing that it was what the two wanted her to do. Since then, days and nights had blurred into one big mass of intermittent sleep in the cold and more running. She hardly paid any attention to the announcements in the morning, not even to note where the dangerzones were. If she walked into one by mistake, it would be the Lord's will.
She'd spent time agonising in guilt over her own pride. Even if she'd never said anything to Remy, her last thoughts before his death were uncharitable. She'd cried and cried until she couldn't be more dehydrated, then drained one of the bottles of water in her bag. Then, she'd toddled around the island in grief, letting herself get half-starved and somewhat delirious before wolfing down three whole chocolate bars and vomiting them out again. Much later, she'd carefully and more slowly eaten a loaf of bread, which did her some good.
She'd have to ration out her water and food now. Sarah had to be practical. She willed herself to be practical. She needed to stop mourning. She could mourn later.
Sarah dragged herself up the cliff where the lighthouse stood. She didn't know what she'd find inside, but she knew that she needed to get back to the beginning. She had something she needed to do.
She knocked politely in case anyone was inside. Hearing no response, she opened the door and crawled inside on her hands and knees. The lighthouse seemed empty. Sarah crawled over to a wall and slumped against it.
Sarah was tired of running. Her aching legs needed rest. Her shoulders hurt from being weighed down by the bottles of medicine she kept in her bags. Medicine that turned out to be completely useless when she really needed it. No amount of praying or medicine would bring her friends back.
She'd already lost count of the days. How many days had it been since she last saw Remy and Stacy? How many days had their bodies been lying out in the sun with nobody to bury them? She had run from the next group that appeared like the coward she was, knowing that it was what the two wanted her to do. Since then, days and nights had blurred into one big mass of intermittent sleep in the cold and more running. She hardly paid any attention to the announcements in the morning, not even to note where the dangerzones were. If she walked into one by mistake, it would be the Lord's will.
She'd spent time agonising in guilt over her own pride. Even if she'd never said anything to Remy, her last thoughts before his death were uncharitable. She'd cried and cried until she couldn't be more dehydrated, then drained one of the bottles of water in her bag. Then, she'd toddled around the island in grief, letting herself get half-starved and somewhat delirious before wolfing down three whole chocolate bars and vomiting them out again. Much later, she'd carefully and more slowly eaten a loaf of bread, which did her some good.
She'd have to ration out her water and food now. Sarah had to be practical. She willed herself to be practical. She needed to stop mourning. She could mourn later.
Sarah dragged herself up the cliff where the lighthouse stood. She didn't know what she'd find inside, but she knew that she needed to get back to the beginning. She had something she needed to do.
She knocked politely in case anyone was inside. Hearing no response, she opened the door and crawled inside on her hands and knees. The lighthouse seemed empty. Sarah crawled over to a wall and slumped against it.
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Whirlpool531*
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 4:14 am
Jojo relaxed a little and smiled a little at Saul, "Thanks, I needed to make sure he was taken care of. As for Garry, I remember him well enough. He was the guy with the wolf obsession right? As for Jay, he's your typical stoner I guess. Hoodie, brown hair in a ponytail, a tuque, oh and he's likely very nervous, jumpy, and overall on edge still so approach slowly. He hasn't tried to hurt anyone on purpose, and he hasn't been on the announcements either, he's just having trouble dealing with this whole situation."
He turned his head back towards the water, continuing to admire it and hoping that something good could happen to them on this island for once.
He turned his head back towards the water, continuing to admire it and hoping that something good could happen to them on this island for once.
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JamesRenard*
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:55 am
Saul gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, Garry really did stick out of the crowd with his werewolf obsession," Saul spoke. "People thought he was weird, I just thought it was cool. Always been a big fan of horror and werewolf movies, myself. American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and Silver Bullet to name a few. Garry introduced me to some I'd never even heard of before."
He looked towards the lighthouse and his eyes trailed up the structure. When he reached the top he had to do a double take, noticing a girl standing on the balcony. Although initially surprised for the first couple of seconds, Saul didn't think too much of it; had the girl actually been armed with a gun or anything, she would have already tried taking some potshots at him and Joss. She wasn't much of a threat, nothing to worry about.
With that sorted out, Saul looked out to sea, forming a mental image of Jay in his mind from Joss' description and nodding his head. If, heaven forbid, they did get separated or Joss was killed, he'd know who to look for now. He stretched and yawned rather loudly, flopping onto his back and closing his eyes. The tiredness was really catching up to him, and he didn't know just how much longer he could remain conscious. "Wake me up if something happens, will ya?" Saul mumbled.
He looked towards the lighthouse and his eyes trailed up the structure. When he reached the top he had to do a double take, noticing a girl standing on the balcony. Although initially surprised for the first couple of seconds, Saul didn't think too much of it; had the girl actually been armed with a gun or anything, she would have already tried taking some potshots at him and Joss. She wasn't much of a threat, nothing to worry about.
With that sorted out, Saul looked out to sea, forming a mental image of Jay in his mind from Joss' description and nodding his head. If, heaven forbid, they did get separated or Joss was killed, he'd know who to look for now. He stretched and yawned rather loudly, flopping onto his back and closing his eyes. The tiredness was really catching up to him, and he didn't know just how much longer he could remain conscious. "Wake me up if something happens, will ya?" Saul mumbled.
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
(ooc: Avoiding Inaction)
Sarah leaned against the wall. She was both tired and disoriented.
Thoughts of her friends, now long deceased, began to rise in her head. She squashed them. There was no use thinking about it. Not until she was off the island or after she had joined them.
It didn't work. Two fat tears started to roll down her cheeks. She sobbed quietly to herself.
She needed to find a friend. Maybe Brendan? She shook her head. Probably not him. She missed Stacy so badly! All she wanted was to be with her friend again, the girl who took care of her.
She cried a little more, then tried to stop. She couldn't afford to dehydrate. Not again, at least.
Sarah leaned against the wall. She was both tired and disoriented.
Thoughts of her friends, now long deceased, began to rise in her head. She squashed them. There was no use thinking about it. Not until she was off the island or after she had joined them.
It didn't work. Two fat tears started to roll down her cheeks. She sobbed quietly to herself.
She needed to find a friend. Maybe Brendan? She shook her head. Probably not him. She missed Stacy so badly! All she wanted was to be with her friend again, the girl who took care of her.
She cried a little more, then tried to stop. She couldn't afford to dehydrate. Not again, at least.
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Whirlpool531*
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 4:14 am
(GMing of Sarah approved)
Jojo could only get off a quick "Yeah" in reply to Saul as his companion drifted into sleep. He couldn't blame him, not after everything they'd been through. He finally caught sight of a girl way up on top of the lighthouse. His curiousity struggled with his duty to watch Saul. I'll just be gone for a few minutes, he should be fine. She doesn't seem like she's out to kill us, so maybe she needs someone sane enough to talk to. With that in mind, Jojo began his trek over to the lighthouse, leaving the sledgehammer with Saul in case he woke up and needed it.
As he approached the lighthouse he saw the door was opened and heard something, he tried to step softer and slowed his pace as he got closer. He realized it was someone crying. It wasn't coming from above him, but from just inside the lighthouse. Someone else is in here? If they're crying then they're either mourning something or injured. Either way means I'm probably safe to see who it is. He snuck through the opened door and saw a girl curled up on the wall, the sound being her crying and her vain attempts to stop herself. "Uh, are you okay?" was the first last thing Jojo got off before the girl quickly picked up a sword near her and trained it on Jojo.
"Who're you!? Stay back! I'm not a-a-afraid to use this!" she said as the last few tears rolled down her face, she remained seated as he quickly backed up towards the open door.
"Whoa wait a minute, I'm not playing! You, your name is Sarah right? You were in drama club a few times right? I'm Jojo. I was checking out this lighthouse and I heard you crying. Do you need help?"
He noticed she relaxed a little, but her grip remained tight on the cutlass, "I remember you, I-I'm-" she dropped the cutlass as she began crying again and tried to wipe her eyes. He slowly approached her and kneeled down to try to look her in the eyes as he spoke.
"I bet you've lost friends on this island and I know how that feels, but we've got to stay strong for them. We've got to keep them in our minds and our hearts but we also have to stay alive. Listen, I'm here with Saul, y'know the mascot dude, so if you want to stay with us for a while you can catch your breath and have some of my water."
She stopped wiping her eyes and contemplated his offer. When she looked up and into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them, Sarah relented. She nodded, and as she got up he did as well and went towards the door when he heard a thump. He looked back at her to see she had dropped her bag. "Here, let me get that." he said and she just silently followed as he collected her bag then resumed their walk back to Saul. As they did so, Jojo thought silently to himself just one thing. After all of this, I've finally been able to help someone.
Jojo could only get off a quick "Yeah" in reply to Saul as his companion drifted into sleep. He couldn't blame him, not after everything they'd been through. He finally caught sight of a girl way up on top of the lighthouse. His curiousity struggled with his duty to watch Saul. I'll just be gone for a few minutes, he should be fine. She doesn't seem like she's out to kill us, so maybe she needs someone sane enough to talk to. With that in mind, Jojo began his trek over to the lighthouse, leaving the sledgehammer with Saul in case he woke up and needed it.
As he approached the lighthouse he saw the door was opened and heard something, he tried to step softer and slowed his pace as he got closer. He realized it was someone crying. It wasn't coming from above him, but from just inside the lighthouse. Someone else is in here? If they're crying then they're either mourning something or injured. Either way means I'm probably safe to see who it is. He snuck through the opened door and saw a girl curled up on the wall, the sound being her crying and her vain attempts to stop herself. "Uh, are you okay?" was the first last thing Jojo got off before the girl quickly picked up a sword near her and trained it on Jojo.
"Who're you!? Stay back! I'm not a-a-afraid to use this!" she said as the last few tears rolled down her face, she remained seated as he quickly backed up towards the open door.
"Whoa wait a minute, I'm not playing! You, your name is Sarah right? You were in drama club a few times right? I'm Jojo. I was checking out this lighthouse and I heard you crying. Do you need help?"
He noticed she relaxed a little, but her grip remained tight on the cutlass, "I remember you, I-I'm-" she dropped the cutlass as she began crying again and tried to wipe her eyes. He slowly approached her and kneeled down to try to look her in the eyes as he spoke.
"I bet you've lost friends on this island and I know how that feels, but we've got to stay strong for them. We've got to keep them in our minds and our hearts but we also have to stay alive. Listen, I'm here with Saul, y'know the mascot dude, so if you want to stay with us for a while you can catch your breath and have some of my water."
She stopped wiping her eyes and contemplated his offer. When she looked up and into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them, Sarah relented. She nodded, and as she got up he did as well and went towards the door when he heard a thump. He looked back at her to see she had dropped her bag. "Here, let me get that." he said and she just silently followed as he collected her bag then resumed their walk back to Saul. As they did so, Jojo thought silently to himself just one thing. After all of this, I've finally been able to help someone.
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JamesRenard*
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:55 am
(Placeholder post until I get more time to figure out what we're doing)
Saul was already fast asleep by the time Joss went to the lighthouse, and so was completely oblivious to his return and Sarah's arrival. He mumbled something completely incoherent and just rolled onto his side, facing away from Joss and Sarah.
Saul was already fast asleep by the time Joss went to the lighthouse, and so was completely oblivious to his return and Sarah's arrival. He mumbled something completely incoherent and just rolled onto his side, facing away from Joss and Sarah.
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selphie_trabia*
- Posts: 197
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am
Sarah blinked at the boy leading her out of the lighthouse. She didn't actually remember who he was, but he was nice to her and he didn't seem all that threathening. She could trust him.
A small part of her was screaming that everything might be a trap. That she might still be killed or that worse things might happen to her at his hands. Without her friends close by, Sarah was still quite skittish.
All she really had were regrets. She followed Jojo dumbly, her muscles tensed as she prepared herself to fight him or run away. She was frightened. She wanted to go home.
It was then that she remembered the gun in her pack. She needed to get rid of it. She'd seen how easy it was for others to use guns to kill and she was well aware that she had no idea which end of the weapon was which. Sarah didn't want the weapon to fall into someone else's hands. It belonged to Stacy. She needed to destroy the weapon once and for all.
"There's something I need to do before we keep going.. I mean... if you don't mind... Uhm... I'd like to... go to the beach... please?" she said.
A small part of her was screaming that everything might be a trap. That she might still be killed or that worse things might happen to her at his hands. Without her friends close by, Sarah was still quite skittish.
All she really had were regrets. She followed Jojo dumbly, her muscles tensed as she prepared herself to fight him or run away. She was frightened. She wanted to go home.
It was then that she remembered the gun in her pack. She needed to get rid of it. She'd seen how easy it was for others to use guns to kill and she was well aware that she had no idea which end of the weapon was which. Sarah didn't want the weapon to fall into someone else's hands. It belonged to Stacy. She needed to destroy the weapon once and for all.
"There's something I need to do before we keep going.. I mean... if you don't mind... Uhm... I'd like to... go to the beach... please?" she said.