Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. Ten. Nine. Ei-
A door slammed. People were here. They might be hiding, they might be scared, but if they weren't demanding her to surrender, they weren't any more dangerous than her and her boat.
She slipped out of the stairwell and helped the door close behind her slowly. If anybody else had been in the stairwell, she didn't need them to know exactly what floor she was on. She slowly moved down the hallway, making harmless eye contact with each door's peephole.
She kept the toy boat at her side. It was only going to raise more questions, chances were nobody would be able to figure out that it was her "weapon."
She was useful to whoever was here. She knew about certain alliances, she knew several kids' weapons, and was certain that nobody had died yet. Everybody was just scared. That information would be enough to exchange for details on Matt. He was a big kid, somebody had to have seen him.
She sniffed. She was almost positive she had it together now, the tears in the lounge would be the last.
"Is anybody here? I don't want to be out here by myself..."
Allow Me To Begin
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umop-ap!sdn*
- Posts: 278
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:15 am
"Yeah, we're here."
He was sure to know the voice. Cassidy. Cheerleader. Comely. David thought that she would not be dangerous. If she wanted to do harm, she would not announce her position this loudly. Or? At least, it seemed absolutely absurd for David to encounter someone hostile right now. The successes in the hotel he had made him a bit careless.
He turned around from the railing to face Jack and the rest.
"I think that's Cassidy. Doubt she has anything against us."
He then leaned on the railing again to enjoy the view and the sun.
He was sure to know the voice. Cassidy. Cheerleader. Comely. David thought that she would not be dangerous. If she wanted to do harm, she would not announce her position this loudly. Or? At least, it seemed absolutely absurd for David to encounter someone hostile right now. The successes in the hotel he had made him a bit careless.
He turned around from the railing to face Jack and the rest.
"I think that's Cassidy. Doubt she has anything against us."
He then leaned on the railing again to enjoy the view and the sun.
Cassidy Kant? Name rang a bell. Wasn't she one of the cheerleaders? Whilst Jenna never had much respect for the 'art' of cheerleading, she got the impression that the girls who were into that kind of thing were generally harmless. Cassidy in particular was a girl whom Jenna recalled to be particularly friendly.
She looked to her friends, none of whom seemed to be in any hurry to go out and greet the newcomer.
Well, if none of you will do it, guess I'll have to be the one who says hello.
Sighing to herself, Jenna got up from the bed and headed for the door, unlocking it and taking a quick peek outside. Sure enough, making her way down the corridor was Cassidy, clutching what looked like a toy boat in her hands. She looked harmless enough. Well, no more harmless than everyone she had met thus far anyway. At any rate, given her lack of dangerous weapons, Jenna felt inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt for now.
"Hey. Don't be alarmed, my friends and I don't mean you any harm."
She looked to her friends, none of whom seemed to be in any hurry to go out and greet the newcomer.
Well, if none of you will do it, guess I'll have to be the one who says hello.
Sighing to herself, Jenna got up from the bed and headed for the door, unlocking it and taking a quick peek outside. Sure enough, making her way down the corridor was Cassidy, clutching what looked like a toy boat in her hands. She looked harmless enough. Well, no more harmless than everyone she had met thus far anyway. At any rate, given her lack of dangerous weapons, Jenna felt inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt for now.
"Hey. Don't be alarmed, my friends and I don't mean you any harm."
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chitoryu12*
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:07 am
Things hadn't changed much in the seconds that Clayton was hidden. It was a lot of talking; he tried to pay attention to it, but a combination of indistinct voices and paranoia that someone might sneak up on him (thus dividing his attention) kept him from learning anything useful. Girl voices and boy voices. That was about all he got.
He was wracked with nerves. A niggling bit of utterly ridiculous (but still very much existent) fear that somehow knowledge of his arm breaking had spread across the island kept him in fear that if he revealed himself, he might somehow be viewed as a Bad Person. It was horribly irrational, but Clayton had barely held onto his rationality in the first place. It was really just a lot of luck that kept him from curling into the fetal position or running in terror from everyone he met.
Regardless, he stood his ground. Still behind the wall in the hallway, just around the corner from a lot of people he probably didn't know and may or may not want to eat him.
He was wracked with nerves. A niggling bit of utterly ridiculous (but still very much existent) fear that somehow knowledge of his arm breaking had spread across the island kept him in fear that if he revealed himself, he might somehow be viewed as a Bad Person. It was horribly irrational, but Clayton had barely held onto his rationality in the first place. It was really just a lot of luck that kept him from curling into the fetal position or running in terror from everyone he met.
Regardless, he stood his ground. Still behind the wall in the hallway, just around the corner from a lot of people he probably didn't know and may or may not want to eat him.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
David called out the mysterious voice, and identified it as Cassidy's. She knew Cassidy. Not very well to be sure, but she knew enough about Cassidy to ease up, just a little bit.
Jenna stood up and headed to the door. Yukiko followed, staying behind Jenna and out of sight from whoever it was down the hall. Even if David was right and it was Cassidy, Yukiko didn't know whether or not there was someone else there, either with Cassidy or not.
Instead, as Jenna called out, Yukiko added, "Yeah. We're just looking for some more of friends."
Her eyes drifted to the weed whacker against the wall, to Jack, to David, to Jenna.
If whoever was coming was hostile...
Jenna stood up and headed to the door. Yukiko followed, staying behind Jenna and out of sight from whoever it was down the hall. Even if David was right and it was Cassidy, Yukiko didn't know whether or not there was someone else there, either with Cassidy or not.
Instead, as Jenna called out, Yukiko added, "Yeah. We're just looking for some more of friends."
Her eyes drifted to the weed whacker against the wall, to Jack, to David, to Jenna.
If whoever was coming was hostile...
"OK, on second thought, it might be better for us to just hole up here, be quiet, see if she finds us at all-"
Then David spoke up.
"Well never mind then."
Cassidy was not a name that rang any bells. Oh, wait... nope. Nothing. It was times like these where Jack realized there were a lot of people from Aurora he never interacted with, even over the course of four years. Well, at least she wasn't infamous for being horrible or anything.
Jenna and Yuki got up to go greet her, leaving Jack all alone, both physically and metaphorically. Even if he did want to argue a point, it was three against one, and he doubted he would have much sway in the group. Plus, would it really matter? Jack knew that, even though they did happen, first day kills on SOTF were fairly few, so the chances this was a full-blown killer were remarkably low.
Jack paused, staring at the wall opposite from him.
Huh. His classmates were going to kill his other classmates. Probably him too, eventually at least. He couldn't really pinpoint when he had realized that, but... there it was.
Jack casually flicked his eyes over to the doorway, where the two girls were greeting the still-unseen-by-him Cassidy. He smushed his face even farther into the pillow, as if he could just melt right into it and be done with all of this.
"At least if she's violent, I won't be the first one to die."
Jack took a second to slam his face onto the pillow twice. Those were NOT the kind of thoughts he wanted to be having right now. He was the good kid. He could stay moral throughout all this.
"That's what they all say."
Another soft slam.
Then David spoke up.
"Well never mind then."
Cassidy was not a name that rang any bells. Oh, wait... nope. Nothing. It was times like these where Jack realized there were a lot of people from Aurora he never interacted with, even over the course of four years. Well, at least she wasn't infamous for being horrible or anything.
Jenna and Yuki got up to go greet her, leaving Jack all alone, both physically and metaphorically. Even if he did want to argue a point, it was three against one, and he doubted he would have much sway in the group. Plus, would it really matter? Jack knew that, even though they did happen, first day kills on SOTF were fairly few, so the chances this was a full-blown killer were remarkably low.
Jack paused, staring at the wall opposite from him.
Huh. His classmates were going to kill his other classmates. Probably him too, eventually at least. He couldn't really pinpoint when he had realized that, but... there it was.
Jack casually flicked his eyes over to the doorway, where the two girls were greeting the still-unseen-by-him Cassidy. He smushed his face even farther into the pillow, as if he could just melt right into it and be done with all of this.
"At least if she's violent, I won't be the first one to die."
Jack took a second to slam his face onto the pillow twice. Those were NOT the kind of thoughts he wanted to be having right now. He was the good kid. He could stay moral throughout all this.
"That's what they all say."
Another soft slam.
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umop-ap!sdn*
- Posts: 278
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:15 am
A voice called out to Cassidy, she turned before the words even registered. She saw the girl standing in the door, and her words registered. She wasn't Matt. She didn't sound like Matt. Nope.
Her and her friends didn't mean any harm. Was Matt among them? She nodded and moved towards the door, anxious to see who was in the room. Before she was halfway there, she realized that Matt would have said something by now if he was in there.
But there were multiple people in the room. Maybe one of them had seen him somewhere. One of them had news. Good news. He was looking for her too and they knew where he was heading, it wasn't too far.
She was already to the door by the time she realized the voices belonged to Jenna Rhodes and Yukiko... there was only one Yukiko. Cassidy had never learned her last name. She'd probably recognize it if somebody said it... not that anybody would have a reason too... there was only one Yukiko...
Cassidy offered a weak smile. It was nice to see familiar faces, but now so much in this situation. Every familiar face was a nice little reminder that all of her friends, save one, were doomed.
One of those faces was buried into a plush cushion. She gave the child a quick, inquisitive glance before looking back to the group. The hotel room had a sliding door to a balcony, where another familiar face was plastered to a familiar body. She smiled. Three out of four were confirmed friendly, the last guy couldn't be too bad.
"Thank God. How are all of you?" She didn't wait for an answer. Nobody's answer could be terribly different than the next person's, anyway. There were all alive, and they were all here "Has anybody seen Matt?" She bit her lip.
Her and her friends didn't mean any harm. Was Matt among them? She nodded and moved towards the door, anxious to see who was in the room. Before she was halfway there, she realized that Matt would have said something by now if he was in there.
But there were multiple people in the room. Maybe one of them had seen him somewhere. One of them had news. Good news. He was looking for her too and they knew where he was heading, it wasn't too far.
She was already to the door by the time she realized the voices belonged to Jenna Rhodes and Yukiko... there was only one Yukiko. Cassidy had never learned her last name. She'd probably recognize it if somebody said it... not that anybody would have a reason too... there was only one Yukiko...
Cassidy offered a weak smile. It was nice to see familiar faces, but now so much in this situation. Every familiar face was a nice little reminder that all of her friends, save one, were doomed.
One of those faces was buried into a plush cushion. She gave the child a quick, inquisitive glance before looking back to the group. The hotel room had a sliding door to a balcony, where another familiar face was plastered to a familiar body. She smiled. Three out of four were confirmed friendly, the last guy couldn't be too bad.
"Thank God. How are all of you?" She didn't wait for an answer. Nobody's answer could be terribly different than the next person's, anyway. There were all alive, and they were all here "Has anybody seen Matt?" She bit her lip.
"Sorry, didn't see him."
Not that David was upset about that. With the amount of reunions that already happened, he was certain that they could find Cassidy's boyfriend. Just a matter of time. Maybe they'll be even luckier and nobody kills this time around. Although, was that really lucky? These terrorists said that every student would die if 24 hours would pass without a kill. But would they really waste an entire class? It must have been a massive effort to get them, so why throw it away to prove a point? David was not sure how to answer these questions.
"...I wonder if they really would blow us all up if we go 24 hours without a kill. I mean, none in Aurora High is really killer material, or?"
So much for the good mood, now that there is that dark question on his mind.
Not that David was upset about that. With the amount of reunions that already happened, he was certain that they could find Cassidy's boyfriend. Just a matter of time. Maybe they'll be even luckier and nobody kills this time around. Although, was that really lucky? These terrorists said that every student would die if 24 hours would pass without a kill. But would they really waste an entire class? It must have been a massive effort to get them, so why throw it away to prove a point? David was not sure how to answer these questions.
"...I wonder if they really would blow us all up if we go 24 hours without a kill. I mean, none in Aurora High is really killer material, or?"
So much for the good mood, now that there is that dark question on his mind.
Cassidy seemed surprisingly distant, given her reputation as one of the jollier girls on the cheerleading squad.
Had she seen something that shocked her to her very core? It felt too early for anything too extreme to have happened. Then again, what happened to Mr. Davidge was extremely traumatising by itself. Jenna still couldn't believe that he was dead, executed like some wild animal just to make a point. How could they have done that to her teachers? Just murder them because it would have been too inconvenient to keep them as hostages too. The sheer injustice of it all made her blood boil.
In any case, Cassidy was asking about someone named Matt. Matt. As in Matt Masters? Large boy. Very athletic, but thankfully lacked the attitude that some of the other jocks had. Generally speaking though, she hadn't a problem with him.
"I'm afraid the only people we've seen so far are the people in this very room. We're actually on the lookout for a couple of friends as well, Chase Rodriguez and Max Sawyer? Don't suppose you've seen either of them?"
David's question caused her to raise an eyebrow. Odd topic to bring up all of a sudden, although she'd be lying if she said the same thought hadn't crossed her mind. She didn't doub't that they would blow all their collars if it looked as though they had an actual shot at getting away, given how disastrous the last few attempts had been. That said, after all the trouble they must have gone through to set this up, surely there was no way that they would waste all that time and energy by killing them all at once? The only point that would prove was that this entire situation was completely pointless, more-so than it already was anyway. Then again, was any of her classmates willing to put them to the test?
Would she be willing to put them to the test?
"I don't know. I imagine the students of Bayview and Southridge probably made the same assumption about their classmates."
Had she seen something that shocked her to her very core? It felt too early for anything too extreme to have happened. Then again, what happened to Mr. Davidge was extremely traumatising by itself. Jenna still couldn't believe that he was dead, executed like some wild animal just to make a point. How could they have done that to her teachers? Just murder them because it would have been too inconvenient to keep them as hostages too. The sheer injustice of it all made her blood boil.
In any case, Cassidy was asking about someone named Matt. Matt. As in Matt Masters? Large boy. Very athletic, but thankfully lacked the attitude that some of the other jocks had. Generally speaking though, she hadn't a problem with him.
"I'm afraid the only people we've seen so far are the people in this very room. We're actually on the lookout for a couple of friends as well, Chase Rodriguez and Max Sawyer? Don't suppose you've seen either of them?"
David's question caused her to raise an eyebrow. Odd topic to bring up all of a sudden, although she'd be lying if she said the same thought hadn't crossed her mind. She didn't doub't that they would blow all their collars if it looked as though they had an actual shot at getting away, given how disastrous the last few attempts had been. That said, after all the trouble they must have gone through to set this up, surely there was no way that they would waste all that time and energy by killing them all at once? The only point that would prove was that this entire situation was completely pointless, more-so than it already was anyway. Then again, was any of her classmates willing to put them to the test?
Would she be willing to put them to the test?
"I don't know. I imagine the students of Bayview and Southridge probably made the same assumption about their classmates."
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chitoryu12*
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:07 am
He wasn't too sure why he did so, but Clayton began to very, very carefully inch his way across the hallway.
He might later dissect this plan, thinking of why he thought it up. The best answer he could come up with is a desperate need for safety. He was alone and scared. Regardless of what he thought of everyone around him, or his pants-wetting terror that everyone he sees might be liable to kill him as soon as look at him, his primal instincts demanded safety in numbers. Someone who could care about him and protect him.
God knows he could never protect himself.
As the party in the room continued to chat, Clayton gradually crept his way down the hall. Eventually, he was about a foot from the edge of the door, listening through the walls. He was confident that nobody could see him.
Of course, he couldn't see them either.
He might later dissect this plan, thinking of why he thought it up. The best answer he could come up with is a desperate need for safety. He was alone and scared. Regardless of what he thought of everyone around him, or his pants-wetting terror that everyone he sees might be liable to kill him as soon as look at him, his primal instincts demanded safety in numbers. Someone who could care about him and protect him.
God knows he could never protect himself.
As the party in the room continued to chat, Clayton gradually crept his way down the hall. Eventually, he was about a foot from the edge of the door, listening through the walls. He was confident that nobody could see him.
Of course, he couldn't see them either.
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umop-ap!sdn*
- Posts: 278
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:15 am
((Skipping to help Bikriki meet his deadline))
Nobody had seen Matt. It was time to go then.
"I saw Gavin, Ruby, Ami, Grey, and Andi."
Those were all relatively unique names. She probably didn't need to include the last names, none of those names were Chase Rodriguez or Max Sawyer. She hated to be leaving people again, but she needed her privacy with Matt, joining a big party would make that impossible.
Nobody seemed to be killing, yet. She'd seen nearly a dozen kids today, none of them had said anything about witnessing a death. That wasn't a fact to be ignored, given their twenty four hour deadline, which had whittled itself down to some unknown duration.
David asked the question they'd probably all been thinking aloud. Cassidy was dead silent, anxious to hear the others weigh in. Jenna spoke first, her answer jarring. Cassidy's stomach turned over several times. She had to go.
"I have to go."
It had been a nice, friendly exchange of unuseful information. None of them had even seen Matt, so she was probably on the opposite side of the island. She had to leave soon, time was dwindling down.
"It was good seeing you all..."
She moved towards Yukiko and gave a sad smile before hugging the girl. Jenna was given about the same expression before Cassidy approached and put her arms around her for a moment. The boy on the couch didn't seem to want anything to do with her, so she just walked by on her way to the balcony.
Looking up at David and giving him the same sad, regretful expression, she completely missed seeing the mat before the door. Her foot caught it and her torso swung forward and down.
Her arms flew up, her toy boat was dropped. Her hands grabbed the doorframe and the side of the sliding door. She ignored the fact that she'd dropped her "weapon." It wasn't going to do her much good anyway. She blinked at David and exhaled, she almost busted her face on the patio. Now a more genuine, embarrassed smile.
She pushed herself back up, and moved her feet around so she wasn't stuck. The notch where her shin and ankle met felt a stinging itch where she'd made contact with the rug. She began to open her arms up towards David, just a few feet away. She felt something under her heel.
Before she could register and react to the fact that she was stepping on her toy boat, her back foot was already raised. Now standing on one leg, partially on the toy, everything forward felt like a steep downhill.
During the moment of panic before falling forward, she cursed herself for not being careful. Struggling with a task as simple as walking, TWICE, it was embarrassing.
She took a small step forward to catch herself, but she had too much momentum. Before she knew it, she was a foot away from hitting him. She pulled her arms in, elbows pointed down, fists pointed up, head turned to the side.
She hit him, he hit the balcony, and they both heard the splitting of old wood. They both felt themselves begin to fall. Cassidy's hands were against David's chest, her feet still on the edge of the balcony. Gymnastic reflexes kicked in, survival instinct turned on, and the logic of physics came to mind.
Cassidy's arms extended as she pushed herself back.
It had been just enough to get herself upright. She swung her arms and let herself fall backwards on her ass. So surprised and relieved by the sudden near death experience, she almost forgot to look up to see the body of mass she'd pushed against.
Nobody had seen Matt. It was time to go then.
"I saw Gavin, Ruby, Ami, Grey, and Andi."
Those were all relatively unique names. She probably didn't need to include the last names, none of those names were Chase Rodriguez or Max Sawyer. She hated to be leaving people again, but she needed her privacy with Matt, joining a big party would make that impossible.
Nobody seemed to be killing, yet. She'd seen nearly a dozen kids today, none of them had said anything about witnessing a death. That wasn't a fact to be ignored, given their twenty four hour deadline, which had whittled itself down to some unknown duration.
David asked the question they'd probably all been thinking aloud. Cassidy was dead silent, anxious to hear the others weigh in. Jenna spoke first, her answer jarring. Cassidy's stomach turned over several times. She had to go.
"I have to go."
It had been a nice, friendly exchange of unuseful information. None of them had even seen Matt, so she was probably on the opposite side of the island. She had to leave soon, time was dwindling down.
"It was good seeing you all..."
She moved towards Yukiko and gave a sad smile before hugging the girl. Jenna was given about the same expression before Cassidy approached and put her arms around her for a moment. The boy on the couch didn't seem to want anything to do with her, so she just walked by on her way to the balcony.
Looking up at David and giving him the same sad, regretful expression, she completely missed seeing the mat before the door. Her foot caught it and her torso swung forward and down.
Her arms flew up, her toy boat was dropped. Her hands grabbed the doorframe and the side of the sliding door. She ignored the fact that she'd dropped her "weapon." It wasn't going to do her much good anyway. She blinked at David and exhaled, she almost busted her face on the patio. Now a more genuine, embarrassed smile.
She pushed herself back up, and moved her feet around so she wasn't stuck. The notch where her shin and ankle met felt a stinging itch where she'd made contact with the rug. She began to open her arms up towards David, just a few feet away. She felt something under her heel.
Before she could register and react to the fact that she was stepping on her toy boat, her back foot was already raised. Now standing on one leg, partially on the toy, everything forward felt like a steep downhill.
During the moment of panic before falling forward, she cursed herself for not being careful. Struggling with a task as simple as walking, TWICE, it was embarrassing.
She took a small step forward to catch herself, but she had too much momentum. Before she knew it, she was a foot away from hitting him. She pulled her arms in, elbows pointed down, fists pointed up, head turned to the side.
She hit him, he hit the balcony, and they both heard the splitting of old wood. They both felt themselves begin to fall. Cassidy's hands were against David's chest, her feet still on the edge of the balcony. Gymnastic reflexes kicked in, survival instinct turned on, and the logic of physics came to mind.
Cassidy's arms extended as she pushed herself back.
It had been just enough to get herself upright. She swung her arms and let herself fall backwards on her ass. So surprised and relieved by the sudden near death experience, she almost forgot to look up to see the body of mass she'd pushed against.
There was a lot David learnt that day he woke up on Survival of the Fittest. For example, he learned that desolated hotels are surprisingly good to find the friends you are supposed to kill. All thanks to seemingly unlimited optimism. Power of Friendship. Or something like that.
However, the railing could only take so much force of friendship and broke, and David fell. When that happened, he learned why exactly the OSHA exists. Well, maybe they were not responsible for whatever nation this island belonged to, but one thing was certain. If you wanted to get that hotel approved by the OSHA, you would need to find someone so corrupt that Berlusconi would shake his old wrinkled head in shame.
Another lesson was that gravity is, in fact, not a very forgiving force of nature. You could even say that she - it's a mistress, a harsh one - is spending each second actively plotting to kill. Ever jumped from a diving board where the impact hurt a lot? Yeah, that was gravity, seeing her chance to get rid of one of her many enemies.
Oddly enough, David did not die from the impact. He even spent some seconds conscious, thinking about stuff like gravity and her vengeance. His ribs pierced his lungs - I am only a narrator, so don't quote me on that - which could be considered to be quite unhealthy. Supporting that point would be the fact that blood flowed into his lungs, which likely was the thing that ended up killing him.
David Zimmer: Dead End
However, the railing could only take so much force of friendship and broke, and David fell. When that happened, he learned why exactly the OSHA exists. Well, maybe they were not responsible for whatever nation this island belonged to, but one thing was certain. If you wanted to get that hotel approved by the OSHA, you would need to find someone so corrupt that Berlusconi would shake his old wrinkled head in shame.
Another lesson was that gravity is, in fact, not a very forgiving force of nature. You could even say that she - it's a mistress, a harsh one - is spending each second actively plotting to kill. Ever jumped from a diving board where the impact hurt a lot? Yeah, that was gravity, seeing her chance to get rid of one of her many enemies.
Oddly enough, David did not die from the impact. He even spent some seconds conscious, thinking about stuff like gravity and her vengeance. His ribs pierced his lungs - I am only a narrator, so don't quote me on that - which could be considered to be quite unhealthy. Supporting that point would be the fact that blood flowed into his lungs, which likely was the thing that ended up killing him.
David Zimmer: Dead End
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 479
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 6:17 am
It had all happened too fast for Yukiko to process. She heard the toy boat clatter to the floor, she heard the railing snap, and by the time she had turned around David was already off the balcony.
Jenna had run forward, presumably to try and save him, but it was too late.
Yukiko could only stare in shock. There was a silence, as the wind whistled through the room.
It was accident. She killed him. It was an accident. She pushed him off. No, it was accident. She was a killer. She didn't mean it. But she did it.
get out
Yukiko felt her breathing begin to speed up.
get out
Her head began to pound. She felt sick. She blinked a few times to clear the tears that began to form in her eyes.
get out
Her body moved on it's own, as she lunged for the weed whacker and grabbed it.
get out get out
She moved forward and pointed it at Cassidy.
get out get out get out GET OUT GET OUT
"GET OUT!"
Jenna had run forward, presumably to try and save him, but it was too late.
Yukiko could only stare in shock. There was a silence, as the wind whistled through the room.
It was accident. She killed him. It was an accident. She pushed him off. No, it was accident. She was a killer. She didn't mean it. But she did it.
get out
Yukiko felt her breathing begin to speed up.
get out
Her head began to pound. She felt sick. She blinked a few times to clear the tears that began to form in her eyes.
get out
Her body moved on it's own, as she lunged for the weed whacker and grabbed it.
get out get out
She moved forward and pointed it at Cassidy.
get out get out get out GET OUT GET OUT
"GET OUT!"
Jack had rolled his body back into the "I can see things besides this pillow" position once he he had confirmed a lack of gunshots and/or people screaming in pain. The girl... well, he still didn't really recognize her, but everyone else seemed fairly comfortable, so he supposed he had no reason not to be.
He ended up being fairly quiet during most of the conversation, mostly due to everyone else saying what he was thinking before he could say it. Jenna's comment did give him a bit to think about, though. He was mostly relieved that he wasn't the only one thinking that way.
"I guess it's one of those things that's hard to believe, even when you just know it's going to happen at some point."
'Some point' happened to be pretty close, as I'm sure you've noticed by now.
Cassidy appeared ready to leave, which Jack, to be honest, was totally fine with. She appeared to be totally harmless, but the less people Jack had to worry about, the better. At least in this case, anyways. When she headed over to the balcony, Jack sat up a bit and looked over to Jenna.
"So, you were saying som-"
There were a couple of noises at that point. The most notable was the snap.
Out of instinct, Jack's body kicked into high gear, standing up and whipping his head around to the open door leading to the balcony. Cassidy was still there.
A section of the railing now wasn't there.
Neither was David.
Mostly out of sheer luck, Jack McDonald had managed to make it nearly 18 years without having to confront death outright. Sure, there were national tragedies that would occur and some of his parents' old friends would pass away and things like that, but he had never had to deal with the concept in a way that was really close to him.
Well, a murder had just been committed about 10 feet away from him, so he definitely had some catching up to do.
He wanted to yell, or scream, or... do ANYTHING, really. Anything that would help the situation, help everyone else out, help them... survive.
Instead he just stood there, trying not to curl back up on the bed where at least he knew the mattress was comfy.
He ended up being fairly quiet during most of the conversation, mostly due to everyone else saying what he was thinking before he could say it. Jenna's comment did give him a bit to think about, though. He was mostly relieved that he wasn't the only one thinking that way.
"I guess it's one of those things that's hard to believe, even when you just know it's going to happen at some point."
'Some point' happened to be pretty close, as I'm sure you've noticed by now.
Cassidy appeared ready to leave, which Jack, to be honest, was totally fine with. She appeared to be totally harmless, but the less people Jack had to worry about, the better. At least in this case, anyways. When she headed over to the balcony, Jack sat up a bit and looked over to Jenna.
"So, you were saying som-"
There were a couple of noises at that point. The most notable was the snap.
Out of instinct, Jack's body kicked into high gear, standing up and whipping his head around to the open door leading to the balcony. Cassidy was still there.
A section of the railing now wasn't there.
Neither was David.
Mostly out of sheer luck, Jack McDonald had managed to make it nearly 18 years without having to confront death outright. Sure, there were national tragedies that would occur and some of his parents' old friends would pass away and things like that, but he had never had to deal with the concept in a way that was really close to him.
Well, a murder had just been committed about 10 feet away from him, so he definitely had some catching up to do.
He wanted to yell, or scream, or... do ANYTHING, really. Anything that would help the situation, help everyone else out, help them... survive.
Instead he just stood there, trying not to curl back up on the bed where at least he knew the mattress was comfy.
Cassidy named a handful of students, none of whom Jenna was particularly well acquainted with. She knew of them of course, but other than vague details they weren't anyone she was particularly close to.
Much to Jenna's surprise, Cassidy then announced her intention of leaving. Odd, they had barely met and already she was saying her goodbyes, giving each of them an awkward hug as she did so. Was it because none of them knew where Matt was? Did she really think that she stood a better chance of finding him on her own than with a group of people helping her?
"Um, it was good seeing you too?" Jenna replied as Cassidy embraced her. "Are you sure this is a good idea though? You might stand a better chance at finding Matt if we..."
She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, seeing as at that point Cassidy stumbled over a mat. Jenna immediately stood to attention, the only thin stopping her from running to Cassidy's aid being the fact that the other girl hadn't stumbled as badly as she thought she had.
Phew, that was a bit of a shock. For a second there, I thought she was going to crash right into...
It was at that point that Jenna learned a lesson about tempting fate.
The moment the two began to tumble over the bannister, Jenna sprinted towards them, reaching her arms out in an attempt to grab them both before it was too late. By the time she had reached the balcony, Cassidy had already saved herself at the cost of shoving David over the side, so naturally Jenna attempted to grab his hand before it fell out of reach.
Unfortunately, she was not quick enough.
All Jenna could do was stare at David as he fell to his death, her arm still outreached as she witnessed her classmate's brutal fate. She remained in that position for a good few seconds, unable to tear her gaze away from the body sprawled out on the ground several floors below.
David was dead. David, her classmate and friend, was dead. She had watched one of her own classmates die.
And worst of all, she had been completely helpless to prevent it.
No, that wasn't the case at all, was it? It was her fault that they explored the upper areas. She could have easily prevented this from happening. She had heard the bannister creaking earlier, but hadn't thought to warn David about it. She assumed that he would have realised that all by himself, and for the most part she was right. What she hadn't anticipated though was Cassidy's clumsiness.
Cassidy. Jenna grit her teeth. No, it wasn't her fault. It was the stupid girl who didn't watch her step's fault that David was now dead. How could she have been so careless? Not only had she tripped over a mat of all things, but she then tripped a second time! It was ridiculous! So ridiculous in fact that Jenna was beginning to wonder whether or not it had really been an accident. It'd be the perfect excuse after all. 'Oh sorry, I just happened to trip over and knock your friend off a balcony, honest!' No wonder she was so desperate to get away so soon.
Then again, accidents do happen. And she couldn't condemn someone for something that could have happened to anyone. But even then, if Cassidy had been more careful...
"Cassidy... What have you done?" She said through gritted teeth, a look of anger in her eyes as she glared at the other girl.
This was disaster. A complete unmitigated disaster. Things had barely began and already her classmates were beginning to drop like flies. The fact that Yukiko was now screaming and pointing the weed wacker at Cassidy didn't exactly help either, nor did Jack's inability to do anything remotely proactive.
Once again, it fell to Jenna to be the one who actually did something.
"Yukiko, calm down!" she shouted at her friend, shortly before turning her attention back to Cassidy.
"N-now, l-listen here..." she began, her voice trembling as she did so. Unsurprisingly, it was extremely difficult for Jenna to remain calm after having just witnessed on her friends get shoved off a ledge, and her voice barely hid the fact that she was just as furious with Cassidy as Yukiko was. "You're going to tell me what the hell just happened here, or else I'm going to have to assume that you did that on purpose."
She gripped the bottle she was using as a makeshift club tightly. If it came down to it, she was pretty sure she could take Cassidy in a fight, especially with Yukiko there to back her up. Of course, she would prefer to avoid conflict if at all possible, but if Cassidy was a genuine threat she had no intention of letting her get away so easily.
"Forgive me if I sound harsh, but I just saw my friend get shoved off a ledge. Accident or not, his blood is on your hands, and to be perfectly frank I'm tempted to make damn sure that you don't pose a threat to anyone else on this island. So I'm asking you nicely to give me a good reason as to why I should let you go."
Much to Jenna's surprise, Cassidy then announced her intention of leaving. Odd, they had barely met and already she was saying her goodbyes, giving each of them an awkward hug as she did so. Was it because none of them knew where Matt was? Did she really think that she stood a better chance of finding him on her own than with a group of people helping her?
"Um, it was good seeing you too?" Jenna replied as Cassidy embraced her. "Are you sure this is a good idea though? You might stand a better chance at finding Matt if we..."
She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence, seeing as at that point Cassidy stumbled over a mat. Jenna immediately stood to attention, the only thin stopping her from running to Cassidy's aid being the fact that the other girl hadn't stumbled as badly as she thought she had.
Phew, that was a bit of a shock. For a second there, I thought she was going to crash right into...
It was at that point that Jenna learned a lesson about tempting fate.
The moment the two began to tumble over the bannister, Jenna sprinted towards them, reaching her arms out in an attempt to grab them both before it was too late. By the time she had reached the balcony, Cassidy had already saved herself at the cost of shoving David over the side, so naturally Jenna attempted to grab his hand before it fell out of reach.
Unfortunately, she was not quick enough.
All Jenna could do was stare at David as he fell to his death, her arm still outreached as she witnessed her classmate's brutal fate. She remained in that position for a good few seconds, unable to tear her gaze away from the body sprawled out on the ground several floors below.
David was dead. David, her classmate and friend, was dead. She had watched one of her own classmates die.
And worst of all, she had been completely helpless to prevent it.
No, that wasn't the case at all, was it? It was her fault that they explored the upper areas. She could have easily prevented this from happening. She had heard the bannister creaking earlier, but hadn't thought to warn David about it. She assumed that he would have realised that all by himself, and for the most part she was right. What she hadn't anticipated though was Cassidy's clumsiness.
Cassidy. Jenna grit her teeth. No, it wasn't her fault. It was the stupid girl who didn't watch her step's fault that David was now dead. How could she have been so careless? Not only had she tripped over a mat of all things, but she then tripped a second time! It was ridiculous! So ridiculous in fact that Jenna was beginning to wonder whether or not it had really been an accident. It'd be the perfect excuse after all. 'Oh sorry, I just happened to trip over and knock your friend off a balcony, honest!' No wonder she was so desperate to get away so soon.
Then again, accidents do happen. And she couldn't condemn someone for something that could have happened to anyone. But even then, if Cassidy had been more careful...
"Cassidy... What have you done?" She said through gritted teeth, a look of anger in her eyes as she glared at the other girl.
This was disaster. A complete unmitigated disaster. Things had barely began and already her classmates were beginning to drop like flies. The fact that Yukiko was now screaming and pointing the weed wacker at Cassidy didn't exactly help either, nor did Jack's inability to do anything remotely proactive.
Once again, it fell to Jenna to be the one who actually did something.
"Yukiko, calm down!" she shouted at her friend, shortly before turning her attention back to Cassidy.
"N-now, l-listen here..." she began, her voice trembling as she did so. Unsurprisingly, it was extremely difficult for Jenna to remain calm after having just witnessed on her friends get shoved off a ledge, and her voice barely hid the fact that she was just as furious with Cassidy as Yukiko was. "You're going to tell me what the hell just happened here, or else I'm going to have to assume that you did that on purpose."
She gripped the bottle she was using as a makeshift club tightly. If it came down to it, she was pretty sure she could take Cassidy in a fight, especially with Yukiko there to back her up. Of course, she would prefer to avoid conflict if at all possible, but if Cassidy was a genuine threat she had no intention of letting her get away so easily.
"Forgive me if I sound harsh, but I just saw my friend get shoved off a ledge. Accident or not, his blood is on your hands, and to be perfectly frank I'm tempted to make damn sure that you don't pose a threat to anyone else on this island. So I'm asking you nicely to give me a good reason as to why I should let you go."