((Arizona continued from I’m A Fucking Unicxrn))
Another day had passed. It felt different to Arizona though. It was the fact she was alone. The way she moved had changed. The way she reacted had changed. The way she thought had changed. There was no way of knowing if it was for better or worse. But she felt the changes.
She knew her heart beat slightly faster whenever there was a noise. Each gunshot could have potentially brought danger. Her supplies were basic and her “weapon” wasn’t really one. It could have been a bludgeon at a push. She didn’t want to rely on it though.
She was camped out on the second floor of the mansion. The first floor was...well, it was a scene. It was hard to tell what exactly had happened but there was blood, vomit and signs of a fight. Stepping over Mercy’s body felt disrespectful. There wasn’t another option though. The smell downstairs was unbearable.
The announcement had given her a good enough explanation of what happened. More killers and more victims, but no Jonah. His name hadn’t appeared at all. She was glad for that. It meant that to some degree he was alright. If he wasn’t alright then he was alive at least. That meant there was a chance.
As she ate she considered things. There was no precise way of finding him. Blind luck didn’t constitute a plan either. It was all down to luck. To a degree Arizona supposed that she was lucky. Her time hadn’t been physically or mentally taxing to the degree they could have been. There had been no attack, robberies or murders near her. That was the best result you could hope for. But again it was luck. Nothing she had done had caused that.
The reality was that luck didn’t care. It wasn’t on her side. Pretending as much would only lead to disappointment. Luck had no allegiance to her so she had no allegiance to it.
Her dreams had again been of drowning and her throat was raw. Water helped but only brought back the memories from the night. Her subconscious refusing to let her forget. It was a decision she had made for reasons she didn’t understand. Now she was stuck with the memory. It was lodged deep in her brain, still vivid. A warped retelling of seconds stretched over minutes and then hours. No escape unless she woke up to the island, another nightmare altogether.
So she sat and ate. Her thoughts on what she could do, hoping that she could achieve her goal.
DXXM
Paging Jonah and Co. - Open once they arrive
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2554
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
((Jonah Heartgrave continued from Who Can Stay the Bottles of Heaven? ))
The kids had arrived at the steps of the manor as the rain started up again. There was a chance that they would run into people who were also seeking shelter, but whether or not that was good or bad was not clear. They would be able to possibly ask the whereabouts of people they were interested in finding, but they could also find their less friendly peers. Another batch joined the "less friendly" column when the announcements played.
Jonah shepherded in the others, holding his bag over his head to try in vain from getting less water logged.
He shut the door behind them and went to the dining room. The place was a hellscape. There were also playing cards scattered all over the floor, some completely unreadable due to having fallen into puddles of blood and vomit. Jonah tip-toed around the mess and went to the kitchen to grab a chair and saw broken plates all over the floor. As he zig-zagged to avoid the dish pieces he also found two toy cars. Jonah picked them up. They reminded him of his hobby back home. He got sad looking at the figurines, remembering his dream of opening his own auto shop. Jonah placed the cars on the dining room table and returned with the chair, wedging it under the front door.
"I'm gonna take a quick look up stairs."
It was then Jonah noticed a body blocking the hall. He held his breath and tried his best to sit the body up so there would be room to move while also not getting anything on himself.
His face fell and he let the breath out when he saw who it was. Mercy. The pretty girl who would sometimes work out at the same time as him, one of the cheer captains. His heart froze and he gently sat her against the wall.
He had a bad feeling about this house. Taking one more glance at his companions, Jonah went up the stairs, which groaned and creaked under his soles. There were a few different doors, probably a few bedrooms. Jonah chose one and knocked.
Knock-knock-knockknock-knock
The kids had arrived at the steps of the manor as the rain started up again. There was a chance that they would run into people who were also seeking shelter, but whether or not that was good or bad was not clear. They would be able to possibly ask the whereabouts of people they were interested in finding, but they could also find their less friendly peers. Another batch joined the "less friendly" column when the announcements played.
Jonah shepherded in the others, holding his bag over his head to try in vain from getting less water logged.
He shut the door behind them and went to the dining room. The place was a hellscape. There were also playing cards scattered all over the floor, some completely unreadable due to having fallen into puddles of blood and vomit. Jonah tip-toed around the mess and went to the kitchen to grab a chair and saw broken plates all over the floor. As he zig-zagged to avoid the dish pieces he also found two toy cars. Jonah picked them up. They reminded him of his hobby back home. He got sad looking at the figurines, remembering his dream of opening his own auto shop. Jonah placed the cars on the dining room table and returned with the chair, wedging it under the front door.
"I'm gonna take a quick look up stairs."
It was then Jonah noticed a body blocking the hall. He held his breath and tried his best to sit the body up so there would be room to move while also not getting anything on himself.
His face fell and he let the breath out when he saw who it was. Mercy. The pretty girl who would sometimes work out at the same time as him, one of the cheer captains. His heart froze and he gently sat her against the wall.
He had a bad feeling about this house. Taking one more glance at his companions, Jonah went up the stairs, which groaned and creaked under his soles. There were a few different doors, probably a few bedrooms. Jonah chose one and knocked.
Knock-knock-knockknock-knock
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Somersault
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:56 am
The door Jonah knocked on stayed closed for a moment, but a voice could be heard calling out from within.
"Just give me a bit, okay?"
A few seconds later, the door cracked open, just a bit, enough to see a girl in a white sundress, her hair tied into a side ponytail with a white scrunchie.
Her forehead was noticeably bruised.
((Kelly Nguyen, continued from Unicorn on the Gallows))
"Sorry about the mess," Kelly said, tilting her head to look at Jonah. Jonah, who was on the baseball team, worked hard, and was (was he still?) nice. Very nice.
She frowned, lip quivering just a little.
"It wasn't meant to be like this."
There also wasn't anyone else meant to come in here while she picked through the bodies, but that just meant time for an adjustment.
"Just give me a bit, okay?"
A few seconds later, the door cracked open, just a bit, enough to see a girl in a white sundress, her hair tied into a side ponytail with a white scrunchie.
Her forehead was noticeably bruised.
((Kelly Nguyen, continued from Unicorn on the Gallows))
"Sorry about the mess," Kelly said, tilting her head to look at Jonah. Jonah, who was on the baseball team, worked hard, and was (was he still?) nice. Very nice.
She frowned, lip quivering just a little.
"It wasn't meant to be like this."
There also wasn't anyone else meant to come in here while she picked through the bodies, but that just meant time for an adjustment.
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
((Lucas Abernathy continued from Who Can Stay The Bottles Of Heaven?))
Lucas was the first to run into the manor after Jonah, completely soaked despite his best efforts to remain dry by hoisting his bag over his head. "Ugh... Please tell me we're not going back outside?' Lucas asked in a annoyed tone to one one in particular. He threw his bag to the ground then pulled off his drenched t-shirt and threw it to the ground next to his bag. "Fucking Christ, this is why I only go outside when the weather is nice."
He followed Jonah to the dining room, his face cringing at the sight (and smell) of blood, vomit, and, weirdly enough, Lucky Charms Marshmallows strewn about. Just what the fuck happened here? Now that he thought about it, the less he actually wanted to know. At this point he decided to turn right back around and stay in the main entrance of the manor. He was already soaking wet and trudged his way through mud today, he wasn't about to tip-toe around blood and vomit.
"I'll keep watch of the front door," he sighed. He pointed into the dining room. "I'm not going in there."
He moved back over to his stuff and sat down next to them, leaning back against the nearby wall.
Lucas was the first to run into the manor after Jonah, completely soaked despite his best efforts to remain dry by hoisting his bag over his head. "Ugh... Please tell me we're not going back outside?' Lucas asked in a annoyed tone to one one in particular. He threw his bag to the ground then pulled off his drenched t-shirt and threw it to the ground next to his bag. "Fucking Christ, this is why I only go outside when the weather is nice."
He followed Jonah to the dining room, his face cringing at the sight (and smell) of blood, vomit, and, weirdly enough, Lucky Charms Marshmallows strewn about. Just what the fuck happened here? Now that he thought about it, the less he actually wanted to know. At this point he decided to turn right back around and stay in the main entrance of the manor. He was already soaking wet and trudged his way through mud today, he wasn't about to tip-toe around blood and vomit.
"I'll keep watch of the front door," he sighed. He pointed into the dining room. "I'm not going in there."
He moved back over to his stuff and sat down next to them, leaning back against the nearby wall.
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MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1284
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: The Black Lodge
- Contact:
The approach to the manor was wet and rainy. Max's head was, as the commonplace aphorism is spoken, in the storm-laden clouds.
[Max Rudolph continued from Who Can Stay The Bottles of Heaven?]
Max rose from his sleep early, as per the norm. He rose from a dream of temptation, and then took note of the names when the announcements played. A fruitless day behind him, Max swore that this next would bring some windfall with regards to securing some of the murderers on the island. The threshold was fast approaching where Max could no longer justify non-lethal conduct and confrontation with those who had slayed others.
A mess of four deaths that they had missed. Proof of fallibility. Lorenzo got on the board. Quinn continued her streak, the announcers noting serendipitously her repeat achievement. Someone fell into a metaphorical and unfortunately not so literal abyss. It was only a matter of time. Violet's appearance surprised him, and the comment about angels did as well. Kyle was a religious one. Violet was... of a different ilk. Was their confrontation ideological or practical? Max would surely find out, if he completed his duties sufficiently. Erika killed Desiree. No emotional investment there. Remembering was difficult. He was tired, fatigued, out of sorts. Too many unproductive days. Not just unproductive. Failures. Wasted time. Ships not made to stay in port, made to sail the seas, beached, turned to furniture, doorways, toilet seats. Max felt bastardized. Hart killed. Ogilvie killed. Nguyen. Double suicide. Schmidt awarded a prize. Extra priority paid there.
They found a mansion and went inside. Deeper, deeper still into the esoteric halls of the ruined manor. Max had to scrunch up his posture to fit the man-catcher through doors. He was decidedly less enthusiastic about speaking the longer he survived without much to speak about. Boredom set in. The killer of good men. Boredom.
A room filled with vomit and death. The slumped corpse of one of those listed as dead. Max hadn't been keeping track of them. Only those who survived were worth the effort of tracking down. All of them were likely avoiding the condemmnation of hell, he reckoned. They were unfortunate people placed in unfortunate situations. He surmised that a repeated and malicious pattern of murders would be the filter between purgatory and hell for them. That worked. In a way, Max was saving them before they did too much for their own good. For their own salvation. Jonah knocked on a door. It opened.
A door opened. A window opened. The window of opportunity. Max perked up. His man-catcher felt warm in his hands. Nguyen behind the door. He suppressed the urge to rush upon her. Drawing her out of the room would be the ideal strategy. He fell out of line of sight and waited for her to emerge. The pivotal moment drew near.
He felt alive again.
[Max Rudolph continued from Who Can Stay The Bottles of Heaven?]
Max rose from his sleep early, as per the norm. He rose from a dream of temptation, and then took note of the names when the announcements played. A fruitless day behind him, Max swore that this next would bring some windfall with regards to securing some of the murderers on the island. The threshold was fast approaching where Max could no longer justify non-lethal conduct and confrontation with those who had slayed others.
A mess of four deaths that they had missed. Proof of fallibility. Lorenzo got on the board. Quinn continued her streak, the announcers noting serendipitously her repeat achievement. Someone fell into a metaphorical and unfortunately not so literal abyss. It was only a matter of time. Violet's appearance surprised him, and the comment about angels did as well. Kyle was a religious one. Violet was... of a different ilk. Was their confrontation ideological or practical? Max would surely find out, if he completed his duties sufficiently. Erika killed Desiree. No emotional investment there. Remembering was difficult. He was tired, fatigued, out of sorts. Too many unproductive days. Not just unproductive. Failures. Wasted time. Ships not made to stay in port, made to sail the seas, beached, turned to furniture, doorways, toilet seats. Max felt bastardized. Hart killed. Ogilvie killed. Nguyen. Double suicide. Schmidt awarded a prize. Extra priority paid there.
They found a mansion and went inside. Deeper, deeper still into the esoteric halls of the ruined manor. Max had to scrunch up his posture to fit the man-catcher through doors. He was decidedly less enthusiastic about speaking the longer he survived without much to speak about. Boredom set in. The killer of good men. Boredom.
A room filled with vomit and death. The slumped corpse of one of those listed as dead. Max hadn't been keeping track of them. Only those who survived were worth the effort of tracking down. All of them were likely avoiding the condemmnation of hell, he reckoned. They were unfortunate people placed in unfortunate situations. He surmised that a repeated and malicious pattern of murders would be the filter between purgatory and hell for them. That worked. In a way, Max was saving them before they did too much for their own good. For their own salvation. Jonah knocked on a door. It opened.
A door opened. A window opened. The window of opportunity. Max perked up. His man-catcher felt warm in his hands. Nguyen behind the door. He suppressed the urge to rush upon her. Drawing her out of the room would be the ideal strategy. He fell out of line of sight and waited for her to emerge. The pivotal moment drew near.
He felt alive again.
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Grand Moff Hissa
- Posts: 2754
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
((Darlene Silva continued from Who Can Stay The Bottles Of Heaven?))
Darlene trailed a little bit behind Lucas (whose name she had eventually managed to ascertain in the course of the past day) as he followed Jonah and Max into the mansion. She didn't want him behind all of them, but he didn't need to know that.
The past day had been been awful! For one thing, there was the pall cast over everything by the deaths, which had obviously made a big impression. For another, the rain had barely let up. Darlene didn't like being wet very much even in the best of circumstances. She hated going to the pool, hated her frumpy one-piece that made her look like she was fat and knew it and was trying to hide but wasn't quite good enough to do so and instead stuck out like a sore thumb. Her mom had told her to make sure to pack her swimsuit for the trip, and Darlene had said she would, and then she had forgotten it on purpose in her room, and by the time she got a text about it they were already three hundred miles out of Chattanooga and she'd said it was fine, she didn't think there would be a pool anyways. She wasn't even sorry she wasn't going to get to go swimming ever again in her life!
Rain was like being in a pool but worse. She had stood absolutely no chance of coping with the weather in her sweater. Darlene was pretty sure most of her classmates had never even seen her forearms before, but desperate times called for desperate measures and a full day of downpour called for something other than wool. She'd freshened up a little bit and had dug through the personal belongings she still had and now she was slightly more reasonably attired, wearing the same skirt she'd had but with a plain black t-shirt as her top. Darlene mostly had clothes about half a size too big for her, and the shirt was no exception, but the water made that fairly irrelevant. She was not immodest at all, but she sure felt like she was, and she couldn't stand it. She wanted the sun to come out and for them to find a big rock where she could lay her damp garments out to dry, or maybe a clothesline.
The next cycle of announcements had again not meant very much to Darlene. She knew of Mikki, sort of, because Mikki had been involved in planning the big party at Forrest's place where everyone had gone crazy. In light of that, Mikki shooting people made total sense! It was a good thing that problem had sorted itself out. Someone fell off somewhere very high and died slowly which was a good reminder about why not to just give up and commit suicide, though it sounded like this had been more complicated. Someone had probably been poisoned. Nick, the boy who had finished off Beryl, had crushed someone else's throat, which made Darlene a little uneasy because what he'd done to Beryl had been so bloody and maybe it wasn't mercy after all? Most of the names were familiar, but she didn't retain the information very well and couldn't bring faces to mind most of the time. It was all scary stuff, but it didn't hit the others as hard this time, which was good if it meant they hadn't lost anyone important and just was if it meant they were getting desensitized.
The huge house was shelter from the rain, which was welcome, but Darlene thought they probably wouldn't be alone here. Nobody liked sitting in the rain for hours and hours except freaks! But as they surveyed the inside, she started to think that maybe there was a good reason they might get this place all to themselves after all.
The building stank of blood and vomit, the acidic tang of old stomach juice making Darlene's guts clench in sympathy. She breathed shallowly, through her nose, because at least that filtered the odor some and kept it off her tongue. There was all kinds of strange junk strewn around, including spilled bottles of water and playing cards with people Darlene couldn't recognize on them. Shards of glass and shattered plates covered the kitchen floor, and elsewhere a lamp was on the ground, smashed. There was a huge bag of marshmallows, many of them fallen from it, and she was a little embarrassed that she could recognize them as Lucky Charms. She wasn't hungry at all, but could still think that it was too bad it wasn't Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Darlene was feeling pretty nervous and pretty queasy, but Lucas immediately wimped out and she wasn't about to sit around at the door with him while Jonah and Max took all the risk. Especially given there was obviously a lot of risk here! She squished and squelched her way along in the wake of the boys, hating how her socks felt all wet around her toes, keeping an eye out in case someone came screaming and charging at them out of the shadows of some side room. Peeking out of Darlene's bag, the husky kept watch too. The rain had made its fur look a little bit waterlogged and sad, but had also helped the smear of blood come off.
Darlene had pulled her revolver free just as soon as she saw the first pile of puke, and her grip on it tightened as they passed a corpse. Darlene felt like her eyes had to be as wide as the lenses of her glasses. It was the cute cheerleader girl, one of the ones who actually seemed almost nice. She wasn't so cute now. Her clothes were splattered with blood and barf and her eyes were gaping and glassy. Near her it smelled even worse than everywhere else. Darlene made herself a little promise to try to die somewhere where nobody would find her.
Jonah had gone upstairs while Darlene was lollygagging around the body, and while she knew he probably wanted to take on all the danger on his own she wasn't going to let him, and Max (to his credit) wasn't either. It was strange, how in this moment The Claw had become a comforting presence, a promise that they weren't as helpless as she felt. She jogged up the stairs behind the boys, her pace light but her footsteps heavier than she liked.
When she heard someone greeting Jonah and she saw Max drawing back out of sight and she figured out they weren't alone, Darlene fell in against the wall beside him and drew back the hammer of her revolver. The click wasn't loud, but she could've sworn it echoed throughout the whole building.
Darlene trailed a little bit behind Lucas (whose name she had eventually managed to ascertain in the course of the past day) as he followed Jonah and Max into the mansion. She didn't want him behind all of them, but he didn't need to know that.
The past day had been been awful! For one thing, there was the pall cast over everything by the deaths, which had obviously made a big impression. For another, the rain had barely let up. Darlene didn't like being wet very much even in the best of circumstances. She hated going to the pool, hated her frumpy one-piece that made her look like she was fat and knew it and was trying to hide but wasn't quite good enough to do so and instead stuck out like a sore thumb. Her mom had told her to make sure to pack her swimsuit for the trip, and Darlene had said she would, and then she had forgotten it on purpose in her room, and by the time she got a text about it they were already three hundred miles out of Chattanooga and she'd said it was fine, she didn't think there would be a pool anyways. She wasn't even sorry she wasn't going to get to go swimming ever again in her life!
Rain was like being in a pool but worse. She had stood absolutely no chance of coping with the weather in her sweater. Darlene was pretty sure most of her classmates had never even seen her forearms before, but desperate times called for desperate measures and a full day of downpour called for something other than wool. She'd freshened up a little bit and had dug through the personal belongings she still had and now she was slightly more reasonably attired, wearing the same skirt she'd had but with a plain black t-shirt as her top. Darlene mostly had clothes about half a size too big for her, and the shirt was no exception, but the water made that fairly irrelevant. She was not immodest at all, but she sure felt like she was, and she couldn't stand it. She wanted the sun to come out and for them to find a big rock where she could lay her damp garments out to dry, or maybe a clothesline.
The next cycle of announcements had again not meant very much to Darlene. She knew of Mikki, sort of, because Mikki had been involved in planning the big party at Forrest's place where everyone had gone crazy. In light of that, Mikki shooting people made total sense! It was a good thing that problem had sorted itself out. Someone fell off somewhere very high and died slowly which was a good reminder about why not to just give up and commit suicide, though it sounded like this had been more complicated. Someone had probably been poisoned. Nick, the boy who had finished off Beryl, had crushed someone else's throat, which made Darlene a little uneasy because what he'd done to Beryl had been so bloody and maybe it wasn't mercy after all? Most of the names were familiar, but she didn't retain the information very well and couldn't bring faces to mind most of the time. It was all scary stuff, but it didn't hit the others as hard this time, which was good if it meant they hadn't lost anyone important and just was if it meant they were getting desensitized.
The huge house was shelter from the rain, which was welcome, but Darlene thought they probably wouldn't be alone here. Nobody liked sitting in the rain for hours and hours except freaks! But as they surveyed the inside, she started to think that maybe there was a good reason they might get this place all to themselves after all.
The building stank of blood and vomit, the acidic tang of old stomach juice making Darlene's guts clench in sympathy. She breathed shallowly, through her nose, because at least that filtered the odor some and kept it off her tongue. There was all kinds of strange junk strewn around, including spilled bottles of water and playing cards with people Darlene couldn't recognize on them. Shards of glass and shattered plates covered the kitchen floor, and elsewhere a lamp was on the ground, smashed. There was a huge bag of marshmallows, many of them fallen from it, and she was a little embarrassed that she could recognize them as Lucky Charms. She wasn't hungry at all, but could still think that it was too bad it wasn't Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Darlene was feeling pretty nervous and pretty queasy, but Lucas immediately wimped out and she wasn't about to sit around at the door with him while Jonah and Max took all the risk. Especially given there was obviously a lot of risk here! She squished and squelched her way along in the wake of the boys, hating how her socks felt all wet around her toes, keeping an eye out in case someone came screaming and charging at them out of the shadows of some side room. Peeking out of Darlene's bag, the husky kept watch too. The rain had made its fur look a little bit waterlogged and sad, but had also helped the smear of blood come off.
Darlene had pulled her revolver free just as soon as she saw the first pile of puke, and her grip on it tightened as they passed a corpse. Darlene felt like her eyes had to be as wide as the lenses of her glasses. It was the cute cheerleader girl, one of the ones who actually seemed almost nice. She wasn't so cute now. Her clothes were splattered with blood and barf and her eyes were gaping and glassy. Near her it smelled even worse than everywhere else. Darlene made herself a little promise to try to die somewhere where nobody would find her.
Jonah had gone upstairs while Darlene was lollygagging around the body, and while she knew he probably wanted to take on all the danger on his own she wasn't going to let him, and Max (to his credit) wasn't either. It was strange, how in this moment The Claw had become a comforting presence, a promise that they weren't as helpless as she felt. She jogged up the stairs behind the boys, her pace light but her footsteps heavier than she liked.
When she heard someone greeting Jonah and she saw Max drawing back out of sight and she figured out they weren't alone, Darlene fell in against the wall beside him and drew back the hammer of her revolver. The click wasn't loud, but she could've sworn it echoed throughout the whole building.
Noises reached her ears. They were different from the ones she'd been hearing throughout her stay. Instead of noises of the house creaking and settling through the wind and rain she could make out distinct sounds. The sounds of movement. She crept up to the door of the room she had taken shelter in. Ear pressed to the wood she listened to the floorboards creak as whoever had entered moved past. There were other footsteps too, multiple people. Arizona hitched her bag over her shoulder and checked out the window. She couldn't see anyone, so she hitched it open, and looked down to gauge the height. It was a crazy thought. But if she needed a way out in an emergency she had one at least.
As she returned to the door there was a knock. Not at her door, but at another. It was followed by a reply. She'd be staying in the same place as someone else the entire time. Good job her. Very good checking. Truthfully, Arizona hadn't given much thought to checking the house. The scene on the first floor had distracted her. She didn't consider that much of an excuse but it was the truth. She had been distracted. It was only luck that meant whoever had also been hiding out in the house hadn’t ventured out.
Still, with a group there and people seemingly talking. There didn't seem to be any obvious danger. So she cracked the door to peek out and that was when she saw him.
Somehow, despite everything he was stood there.
His back was to her but it was him.
They'd found each other.
The door fell open.
"Jonah?"
As she returned to the door there was a knock. Not at her door, but at another. It was followed by a reply. She'd be staying in the same place as someone else the entire time. Good job her. Very good checking. Truthfully, Arizona hadn't given much thought to checking the house. The scene on the first floor had distracted her. She didn't consider that much of an excuse but it was the truth. She had been distracted. It was only luck that meant whoever had also been hiding out in the house hadn’t ventured out.
Still, with a group there and people seemingly talking. There didn't seem to be any obvious danger. So she cracked the door to peek out and that was when she saw him.
Somehow, despite everything he was stood there.
His back was to her but it was him.
They'd found each other.
The door fell open.
"Jonah?"
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2554
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
"Kelly," he croaked, voice filled with dread. He almost shut the door again to pretend he hadn't just seen here standing there.
Jonah's brain fizzed for a few seconds when Kelly came out. She had just been on the announcements and was the one who killed Mercy. If Max knew that she was here...
He whipped around when he heard a familiar voice say his name. In turning around he also saw that Darlene and Max were immediately behind him, and his heart sank when he saw the look of triumph in Max. He'd caught his big fish. Jonah's eyes next went to the source of the sound which had moved out of the next room and revealed Arizona. His brain now wiped the slate clean and focused on her, the girl he'd been looking at in the last moments before he lost consciousness on the bus, and who he'd been looking for since.
"Arizona?"
Jonah stumbled towards Arizona and grabbed her in a tight embrace, eyes closed and head leaning against hers. His fingers gripped at the sleeves on her shirt around her shoulder, just so that he could make sure she was really there. Suddenly, he let go, though he felt her hesitance to end the embrace, and pulled her into the bedroom she'd come from.
"Oh my God, this is a miracle! I’m so happy to see you. I just -- I’ve been looking for you and first off, this is coconuts. This is a death game! I woke up with this thing around my neck and I almost drowned!" said Jonah, tugging on his collar.
"Y-yeah. It’s crazy. I was looking for you too and like I wasn’t sure if we’d...y’know…" Arizona trailed off.
The two embraced again quickly, standing in the musty bedroom while the rain came down outside.
"No, yeah, me too. I’ve been with...uh… people. The only one I’ve been with since I woke up was Darlene who we’ve been sort of looking after each other since I think I’m the only person she kind of knows and then she shot someone --" he said quickly.
"Righ-wait she did what?"
"I mean, it was an accident and she promised not to do it again," Jonah offered nervously.
"That’s...good? Sorry, that caught me really off-guard. Who else are you with?"
"There’s Lucas A. who I’m pretty sure I remember was a creep at school. Well, maybe that’s harsh."
"No, I think he was from what I heard. I was with Saffron and Yuki for a few days. Caroline was with us but she wandered off."
"Well…," he said, not sure how to finish the sentence given what they knew of Caroline from the announcement. "Oh, and then there’s Max from baseball. He has this thing though, he wants to punish murderers or something, but I’m not exactly sure what that means. Last person is Kelly who I just found in the next room over when I opened the door, who I guess caused the mess downstairs?"
"Right...um... Look I just want to stay here, talking to you, but are you sure leaving them alone is a good idea?"
Jonah looked at Arizona for a few seconds, rain still pattering against the room, realizing the horrible mistake he'd made in his haste.
"Oh....oh no. We need to get back out there," he said, insides turning to ice.
Jonah went back out into the hall, hoping nothing terrible had happened in the last few minutes.
Jonah's brain fizzed for a few seconds when Kelly came out. She had just been on the announcements and was the one who killed Mercy. If Max knew that she was here...
He whipped around when he heard a familiar voice say his name. In turning around he also saw that Darlene and Max were immediately behind him, and his heart sank when he saw the look of triumph in Max. He'd caught his big fish. Jonah's eyes next went to the source of the sound which had moved out of the next room and revealed Arizona. His brain now wiped the slate clean and focused on her, the girl he'd been looking at in the last moments before he lost consciousness on the bus, and who he'd been looking for since.
"Arizona?"
Jonah stumbled towards Arizona and grabbed her in a tight embrace, eyes closed and head leaning against hers. His fingers gripped at the sleeves on her shirt around her shoulder, just so that he could make sure she was really there. Suddenly, he let go, though he felt her hesitance to end the embrace, and pulled her into the bedroom she'd come from.
"Oh my God, this is a miracle! I’m so happy to see you. I just -- I’ve been looking for you and first off, this is coconuts. This is a death game! I woke up with this thing around my neck and I almost drowned!" said Jonah, tugging on his collar.
"Y-yeah. It’s crazy. I was looking for you too and like I wasn’t sure if we’d...y’know…" Arizona trailed off.
The two embraced again quickly, standing in the musty bedroom while the rain came down outside.
"No, yeah, me too. I’ve been with...uh… people. The only one I’ve been with since I woke up was Darlene who we’ve been sort of looking after each other since I think I’m the only person she kind of knows and then she shot someone --" he said quickly.
"Righ-wait she did what?"
"I mean, it was an accident and she promised not to do it again," Jonah offered nervously.
"That’s...good? Sorry, that caught me really off-guard. Who else are you with?"
"There’s Lucas A. who I’m pretty sure I remember was a creep at school. Well, maybe that’s harsh."
"No, I think he was from what I heard. I was with Saffron and Yuki for a few days. Caroline was with us but she wandered off."
"Well…," he said, not sure how to finish the sentence given what they knew of Caroline from the announcement. "Oh, and then there’s Max from baseball. He has this thing though, he wants to punish murderers or something, but I’m not exactly sure what that means. Last person is Kelly who I just found in the next room over when I opened the door, who I guess caused the mess downstairs?"
"Right...um... Look I just want to stay here, talking to you, but are you sure leaving them alone is a good idea?"
Jonah looked at Arizona for a few seconds, rain still pattering against the room, realizing the horrible mistake he'd made in his haste.
"Oh....oh no. We need to get back out there," he said, insides turning to ice.
Jonah went back out into the hall, hoping nothing terrible had happened in the last few minutes.
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Somersault
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:56 am
Soon enough, Jonah left, fear in his eyes. If she was still her, well, that her, she would've been saddened by that, taken it as some kind of rejection, but for now, she could take it in stride, let it all fall as it did. They didn't like her, no, but if that dislike was enough to make sure they wouldn't try to hurt her, it was reason enough to be hated.
Perhaps it was time to test that.
With one last quick intake of breath, Kelly stepped out from behind the door. Just one breath, just one step.
One was all that was needed.
Perhaps it was time to test that.
With one last quick intake of breath, Kelly stepped out from behind the door. Just one breath, just one step.
One was all that was needed.
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MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1284
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
- Location: The Black Lodge
- Contact:
Max momentarily turned his gaze backwards as Jonah stumbled past them and into another room, from which another voice emanated. Max recognized Arizona's vocal stylings almost immediately, even at a distance. It was not, in any sense, distinct, but it was a recognizable series of tones that he had merely had repeated often in his presence, due to occasionally appearing to occupy the same classroom space at a rate slightly higher than what Max would regard as a margin of error or the whims of chance. This, then, was the payoff; to possess the knowledge necessary to immediately dismiss her as a threat and to trust Jonah in dealing with the situation whilst he and Darlene pursued a more meaningful line of inquiry, so to speak.
And upon returning his line of sight to its prior angle Max discovered a near instantaneous payoff. Kelly, unaware of his or Darlene's presence, began to exit the room haphazardly, not testing either side of the doorway for a possible trap. Jonah appeared and then ran away; if it was Max in Kelly's position, he immediately would have surmised that something suspicious was being undertaken. Kelly did not possess such intellect. She protruded from the doorway, jutting out her face and, of course, her neck.
Max's man-catcher felt as though it moved on its own. He brought it back slightly so as to straighten it out, approaching Kelly's esophagus at an angle that, were her neck a straight line on a vertical axis, the pole of the man-catcher would align horizontal and bisect it, almost perpendicularly were it not for Max taking into account the presence of the collar around her neck, the consequences of accidentally damaging with the metal jaws not far from his mind and a distinct future he did not wish to bring into existence except as a last resort—he brought the jaws of the man-catcher around her neck above the collar and then yanked backwards towards himself as he took several steps backwards, hoping to pull her to the ground with a combination of his momentum and her own weight.
He turned his face away as well. He did not want anyone to see how widely he was smiling.
And upon returning his line of sight to its prior angle Max discovered a near instantaneous payoff. Kelly, unaware of his or Darlene's presence, began to exit the room haphazardly, not testing either side of the doorway for a possible trap. Jonah appeared and then ran away; if it was Max in Kelly's position, he immediately would have surmised that something suspicious was being undertaken. Kelly did not possess such intellect. She protruded from the doorway, jutting out her face and, of course, her neck.
Max's man-catcher felt as though it moved on its own. He brought it back slightly so as to straighten it out, approaching Kelly's esophagus at an angle that, were her neck a straight line on a vertical axis, the pole of the man-catcher would align horizontal and bisect it, almost perpendicularly were it not for Max taking into account the presence of the collar around her neck, the consequences of accidentally damaging with the metal jaws not far from his mind and a distinct future he did not wish to bring into existence except as a last resort—he brought the jaws of the man-catcher around her neck above the collar and then yanked backwards towards himself as he took several steps backwards, hoping to pull her to the ground with a combination of his momentum and her own weight.
He turned his face away as well. He did not want anyone to see how widely he was smiling.
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Grand Moff Hissa
- Posts: 2754
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
"Whoa!" Darlene shouted, really loud, because she wasn't going quite as fast as everyone else and a whole lot had happened in a very short time! "Whoa!"
Jonah and other people had said names, Jonah and Kelly and Arizona, of which two meant something to Darlene (Jonah and Arizona) and she guessed that meant their group had found success. That was great. Really. But then Arizona dragged Jonah off into another room and Darlene was thinking about her butt and had to be turning the color of a tomato, and that was where her mind was at when the other non-Arizona girl came all the way out into the hall and with hardly a moment's notice Max went straight at her with The Claw.
This new girl was about Darlene's height but smaller, Asian, and she really did not look like a threat. Then again, Darlene knew that appearances could be super deceiving, and maybe this girl had done horrible things. Darlene had been paying attention to the announcements, kind of, but hadn't really retained the information very well. She knew that the big menaces to look out for were Ty and Quinn, but she didn't know who either of those people were! This girl was apparently Kelly, who was neither, but Darlene didn't think that Max would just go for somebody for no reason. She didn't like to admit it, exactly, even just in her head, but her own time on the wrong side of his toothy grabber had been fairly justified in context and he hadn't exercised excessive force or anything. He'd let her go when she asked.
This meant that, despite her surprised shouts and two-seconds-belated reactions, she assumed that Max knew what he was doing and was doing the right thing. Darlene took two steps away from the wall, to get a better angle, and pointed her revolver at the girl. Kelly had to have done something, right? If she looked harmless and small and weak, then that meant maybe she had a hidden weapon, or maybe she knew Kung Fu, or maybe a million other things that could turn scary in a hurry, and that meant it was Darlene's job to back Max up and keep this from getting out of control, even if she was a tiny bit late to the party.
"Don't move," Darlene yelled. She didn't yell a whole lot normally unless she was singing and her yells were getting a little bit quieter even than the "Whoa!"s from a few seconds ago, but probably hopefully still conveyed the message that she was serious and meant business. "Don't move or, or I'll—don't move!"
She was keeping her finger close to the trigger but not on it this time, because she'd promised Jonah to be more careful and she'd had one accident already and there was still the outside chance that this was a misunderstanding and Max had confused the girl with someone or was restraining her for her own safety and it would be really unfortunate if that was the case and Darlene shot her in the head by mistake and made her eyeballs pop out. But not wanting to blow the girl's skull to bits was definitely not the same thing as trust!
Darlene trusted Max, mostly. She trusted Jonah. She guessed she trusted Arizona, unless the girl was killing Jonah right now which was a possibility she supposed but not a likely one because then she'd have to run the gauntlet to get out of this house and if she came out of the room without Jonah hot on her heels Darlene was definitely probably going to shoot her.
Jonah and other people had said names, Jonah and Kelly and Arizona, of which two meant something to Darlene (Jonah and Arizona) and she guessed that meant their group had found success. That was great. Really. But then Arizona dragged Jonah off into another room and Darlene was thinking about her butt and had to be turning the color of a tomato, and that was where her mind was at when the other non-Arizona girl came all the way out into the hall and with hardly a moment's notice Max went straight at her with The Claw.
This new girl was about Darlene's height but smaller, Asian, and she really did not look like a threat. Then again, Darlene knew that appearances could be super deceiving, and maybe this girl had done horrible things. Darlene had been paying attention to the announcements, kind of, but hadn't really retained the information very well. She knew that the big menaces to look out for were Ty and Quinn, but she didn't know who either of those people were! This girl was apparently Kelly, who was neither, but Darlene didn't think that Max would just go for somebody for no reason. She didn't like to admit it, exactly, even just in her head, but her own time on the wrong side of his toothy grabber had been fairly justified in context and he hadn't exercised excessive force or anything. He'd let her go when she asked.
This meant that, despite her surprised shouts and two-seconds-belated reactions, she assumed that Max knew what he was doing and was doing the right thing. Darlene took two steps away from the wall, to get a better angle, and pointed her revolver at the girl. Kelly had to have done something, right? If she looked harmless and small and weak, then that meant maybe she had a hidden weapon, or maybe she knew Kung Fu, or maybe a million other things that could turn scary in a hurry, and that meant it was Darlene's job to back Max up and keep this from getting out of control, even if she was a tiny bit late to the party.
"Don't move," Darlene yelled. She didn't yell a whole lot normally unless she was singing and her yells were getting a little bit quieter even than the "Whoa!"s from a few seconds ago, but probably hopefully still conveyed the message that she was serious and meant business. "Don't move or, or I'll—don't move!"
She was keeping her finger close to the trigger but not on it this time, because she'd promised Jonah to be more careful and she'd had one accident already and there was still the outside chance that this was a misunderstanding and Max had confused the girl with someone or was restraining her for her own safety and it would be really unfortunate if that was the case and Darlene shot her in the head by mistake and made her eyeballs pop out. But not wanting to blow the girl's skull to bits was definitely not the same thing as trust!
Darlene trusted Max, mostly. She trusted Jonah. She guessed she trusted Arizona, unless the girl was killing Jonah right now which was a possibility she supposed but not a likely one because then she'd have to run the gauntlet to get out of this house and if she came out of the room without Jonah hot on her heels Darlene was definitely probably going to shoot her.
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
Being left behind by everyone as they delved deeper into the manor wasn't such a bad thing, Lucas thought. After all, he liked to have his alone time every now and then, but truth be told he was more cranky to have wandered through a storm for a good portion of the day and just didn't want to do anything else. The only thing to occupy his time as he sat near the entrance was his own thoughts, which inevitably turn to his girlfriend. It had been a few days now and still no sight of her. Maybe it was foolish for him to think he'd just find her right away but he did miss her company and hoped she was safe. Not knowing where she was or how she was weighed heavily on his mind, feeling a growing sense of dread as time went by without a trace of Camille seemingly anywhere.
Of course, he wouldn't mind just having some kind of female company either. That Darlene girl was cute but she probably wasn't interested, and Camilla had ran off during the first day. Speaking of which, he wondered how she was doing. Upon retrospect, he or Max should have had her give them one of the walkie-talkies in case of situations like this, but it wasn't like they could have predicted any of this.
As his mind continued to drift to other girls from his class, his daydreaming was cut short as he heard a loud thud follow by what he assumed was Darlene yelling.
"Oh shit."
Lucas quickly scrambled to his feet, haphazardly picking up his wet bag and shirt in one hand and King Ghidorah in the other. Something is going down, he didn't know what it was but if the guys were in trouble they probably needed his help. He moved through the dining room, being careful to avoid stepping in the blood and vomit that covered the ground to the best of his ability, following the path his companions went.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Having navigated through the bile minefield, Lucas entered the hall and moved towards the stairs, only to stop midway there. His heart pounded in his chest as he turned to look at the slumped over corpse that sat in the hall. He recognized her. Mercy Ames, cute girl, was a cheerleader. Well, not so cute anymore as she was covered in her own bile and blood, her eyes glassy and open and staring off into the distance. He stood there for a moment, staring at her dead body, completely still, just taking in every detail. Maybe it was the fact the two of them were never all that close, but he felt an odd sense of scientific curiosity as he looked over the still corpse. Looking at her dead body didn't bring about the same feelings he had when he saw Beryl's dead body, or heard about Yuko's death on the announcement.
It was a body, a real cadaver. Blood and vomit stained her clothes like some macabre canvas; the colors of sanguine and choleric mixed perfectly. A truly bizarre art brought about by circumstance. It was so tempting just to poke and prod it, to study it. The secrets it could tell. It would help improve his practical effects work if he just had time to study the body. Had rigor mortis set in perhaps? He'd jump at the chance to see what a body going through it is like! Perhaps if he just-
NO.
He was getting distracted. People needed him right now!
He shook his head and continued on his way, rushing up the stairs with his gun at the ready. Or rather as ready as it could be as he held it sloppily with one hand. As he reached the top he saw Max pinning someone to the ground with his mancatcher as Darlene pointed his gun. His mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing as he turned to attention to the person Max had pinned.
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
Asian girl, pretty cute, looked familiar. Name... Name... Started with a K. Kimberly? No. Kathryn? Also no. Kelly? Kelly Nguyen! That was it! Rich Vietnamese girl, he'd seen her around. He didn't talk to her much but was aware she was on the school's small Archery team with that one hot bitchy girl in the flannel. He also remembered that she was mentioned on the announcements. She had killed Mercy, the girl down stairs. She had killed someone and had stayed behind, and Max had caught her which meant that...
Oh.
"Hey, uh, Max, you mind explaining what teh fuck is going on?" he asked as he sat his stuff down so he may get a better grip on gun. It was at this point that Lucas sincerely hoped that Max wasn't too serious with his plan.
Of course, he wouldn't mind just having some kind of female company either. That Darlene girl was cute but she probably wasn't interested, and Camilla had ran off during the first day. Speaking of which, he wondered how she was doing. Upon retrospect, he or Max should have had her give them one of the walkie-talkies in case of situations like this, but it wasn't like they could have predicted any of this.
As his mind continued to drift to other girls from his class, his daydreaming was cut short as he heard a loud thud follow by what he assumed was Darlene yelling.
"Oh shit."
Lucas quickly scrambled to his feet, haphazardly picking up his wet bag and shirt in one hand and King Ghidorah in the other. Something is going down, he didn't know what it was but if the guys were in trouble they probably needed his help. He moved through the dining room, being careful to avoid stepping in the blood and vomit that covered the ground to the best of his ability, following the path his companions went.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Having navigated through the bile minefield, Lucas entered the hall and moved towards the stairs, only to stop midway there. His heart pounded in his chest as he turned to look at the slumped over corpse that sat in the hall. He recognized her. Mercy Ames, cute girl, was a cheerleader. Well, not so cute anymore as she was covered in her own bile and blood, her eyes glassy and open and staring off into the distance. He stood there for a moment, staring at her dead body, completely still, just taking in every detail. Maybe it was the fact the two of them were never all that close, but he felt an odd sense of scientific curiosity as he looked over the still corpse. Looking at her dead body didn't bring about the same feelings he had when he saw Beryl's dead body, or heard about Yuko's death on the announcement.
It was a body, a real cadaver. Blood and vomit stained her clothes like some macabre canvas; the colors of sanguine and choleric mixed perfectly. A truly bizarre art brought about by circumstance. It was so tempting just to poke and prod it, to study it. The secrets it could tell. It would help improve his practical effects work if he just had time to study the body. Had rigor mortis set in perhaps? He'd jump at the chance to see what a body going through it is like! Perhaps if he just-
NO.
He was getting distracted. People needed him right now!
He shook his head and continued on his way, rushing up the stairs with his gun at the ready. Or rather as ready as it could be as he held it sloppily with one hand. As he reached the top he saw Max pinning someone to the ground with his mancatcher as Darlene pointed his gun. His mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing as he turned to attention to the person Max had pinned.
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
Asian girl, pretty cute, looked familiar. Name... Name... Started with a K. Kimberly? No. Kathryn? Also no. Kelly? Kelly Nguyen! That was it! Rich Vietnamese girl, he'd seen her around. He didn't talk to her much but was aware she was on the school's small Archery team with that one hot bitchy girl in the flannel. He also remembered that she was mentioned on the announcements. She had killed Mercy, the girl down stairs. She had killed someone and had stayed behind, and Max had caught her which meant that...
Oh.
"Hey, uh, Max, you mind explaining what teh fuck is going on?" he asked as he sat his stuff down so he may get a better grip on gun. It was at this point that Lucas sincerely hoped that Max wasn't too serious with his plan.
They couldn't have been gone more than a few minutes. Turned that was all it took for everything to go to shit. Primarily because Jonah's traveling group included a punish all the sinners' type and someone who had shot someone else. If Arizona hadn't been so happy to see him, she would have questioned what he was dragging her into. Instead, she mentally forgave him and followed him out and into the hallway. And what a hallway it was.
The tapestry of shithousery they were greeted by was something else. Max had some spiked metal contraption around a girls neck. Arizona couldn't make out who she was at first due to all the movement. But eventually, she recognised her as Kelly Nguyen. Who she didn't know well. Darlene was pointing a gun at Kelly. While Lucas demanded to know what was happening. She felt empathy for him there. Arizona also had no idea what was happening. Plus with the weapons she could see out, she also felt pretty outgunned. Physically, she felt confident in her ability to hold her own. But no amount of physical gifts were going offset being shot.
That was what made her nervous. By Jonah's own admission Darlene couldn't be trusted with a gun. But there she was, pointing one right at someone else's head. It all looked like a photo taken moments before disaster.
"The fuck are you doing?" She asked, aiming her question more at Max than the other two.
The tapestry of shithousery they were greeted by was something else. Max had some spiked metal contraption around a girls neck. Arizona couldn't make out who she was at first due to all the movement. But eventually, she recognised her as Kelly Nguyen. Who she didn't know well. Darlene was pointing a gun at Kelly. While Lucas demanded to know what was happening. She felt empathy for him there. Arizona also had no idea what was happening. Plus with the weapons she could see out, she also felt pretty outgunned. Physically, she felt confident in her ability to hold her own. But no amount of physical gifts were going offset being shot.
That was what made her nervous. By Jonah's own admission Darlene couldn't be trusted with a gun. But there she was, pointing one right at someone else's head. It all looked like a photo taken moments before disaster.
"The fuck are you doing?" She asked, aiming her question more at Max than the other two.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2554
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Oh no, what did I do?
Jonah burst out of the room with Arizona in tow to find Max over Kelly, whom he'd captured in the claw thing and Darlene backing him up, telling her not to move like she was the body cop to Max.
He took a few very long strides and stood in front of Darlene.
"Hey, let's just calm down," he said, using all of his effort to himself appear calm. He nodded at Arizona to deal with Max, which she seemed to be doing by focusing her attention on him.
"Gun down, we're all good," Jonah said with a strained smile. "We can figure this out. So, like, yes, it does seem from the announcements and from the scene downstairs that Kelly may have committed some murder here, but....uh...." he said, unsure of how to finish the sentence in a way to de-escalate the situation.
Jonah burst out of the room with Arizona in tow to find Max over Kelly, whom he'd captured in the claw thing and Darlene backing him up, telling her not to move like she was the body cop to Max.
He took a few very long strides and stood in front of Darlene.
"Hey, let's just calm down," he said, using all of his effort to himself appear calm. He nodded at Arizona to deal with Max, which she seemed to be doing by focusing her attention on him.
"Gun down, we're all good," Jonah said with a strained smile. "We can figure this out. So, like, yes, it does seem from the announcements and from the scene downstairs that Kelly may have committed some murder here, but....uh...." he said, unsure of how to finish the sentence in a way to de-escalate the situation.
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Somersault
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:56 am
She was pulled suddenly, graceful as the ugly duckling herself. Nothing but a whimper came out, metal tight around her neck as she sputtered. Maybe she could have tried to get out, crawl away, plead, but just as Darlene's shouting began, Kelly found herself unable to speak.
This was-this couldn't be it. She hadn't done so much for this, had she? It was so tempting to scream, be what they all wanted her to be, some kind of monster, a villain, but she knew she wasn't like that. She wasn't a monster, because she was Kelly, and Kellies weren't monsters. Kellies just needed to be the ones to make it back home. In accordance with this, she didn't raise her voice. Didn't shout.
There were more people now, Arizona from the basketball team, Darlene with the gun shaking as if she had any idea how to use it, the somewhat promiscuous film buff, and of course, Mr. UPenn. Was it wrong to boil people down to that little? It made for easy referencing, let the details sift through later like noodles through a strainer, but back in Chattanooga no one would have appreciated such candor.
This was something different, though, and maybe Jonah had just given her something to grab onto.
"I-," She sputtered out, water beginning to slowly well up in her eyes. That was what they needed to see, needed to know. That she was sorry, sad, willing to atone. "It's all my fault."
They didn't need to see her nails digging into her hands, nail-bed into skin. They would see her. They would see her cry, and that was that.
Cry, just as she would at the memorial, recounting their lives. Pity the poor victims, her the solemn survivor, and it would be good. It would be great. First, though, the tears had to fall.
This was-this couldn't be it. She hadn't done so much for this, had she? It was so tempting to scream, be what they all wanted her to be, some kind of monster, a villain, but she knew she wasn't like that. She wasn't a monster, because she was Kelly, and Kellies weren't monsters. Kellies just needed to be the ones to make it back home. In accordance with this, she didn't raise her voice. Didn't shout.
There were more people now, Arizona from the basketball team, Darlene with the gun shaking as if she had any idea how to use it, the somewhat promiscuous film buff, and of course, Mr. UPenn. Was it wrong to boil people down to that little? It made for easy referencing, let the details sift through later like noodles through a strainer, but back in Chattanooga no one would have appreciated such candor.
This was something different, though, and maybe Jonah had just given her something to grab onto.
"I-," She sputtered out, water beginning to slowly well up in her eyes. That was what they needed to see, needed to know. That she was sorry, sad, willing to atone. "It's all my fault."
They didn't need to see her nails digging into her hands, nail-bed into skin. They would see her. They would see her cry, and that was that.
Cry, just as she would at the memorial, recounting their lives. Pity the poor victims, her the solemn survivor, and it would be good. It would be great. First, though, the tears had to fall.