Survival Of The Fittest

Stephanie laid still as the boy who had grabbed her legs let go. There was another sound of someone else coming towards them. None of them were sure if the girl was talking to them three or the two others whom Steph was just snatched from. She looked up at the boy who was still holding on to her shoulders and finally moved his hand from her mouth. She lowered her voice and whispered to both boys.

"I don't think any of them can see us. Let's go?"

((continued elsewhere...))

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"Rob, I hope I don't look as stupid as this chick seems to be taking me for. ... don't answer that."

The idea to bolting crossed his mind, and he had to admit that the bimbo had a good idea. The fact she was a woman on the other hand, bothered him. If he couldn't do her, he might as well leave her. He was getting pretty fed up with the girls on this Island.

If they knew they were going to die by nightfall, instead of being all 'I'm going to win this thing, they'd probably be a little more easy going.

He too had heard the noise of another person approaching. "Let's go." He picked up his bag again, and motioned for Rob and the girl to follow them. He figured it was pointless to talk to her, so he might as well let Rob deal with it all. The whole reason he had grabbed her was so that she wouldn't give up their cover.

((Continued elsewhere...))

In some twisted way, it seemed like Matthias's dilemma suddenly solved itself for him as Stephanie began backing away into the surrounding undergrowth.  He made no attempt to stop her.  He wasn't a cold or cruel person by nature, but one less person to slow him down also meant that probability of finding his sister would increase, if only just a little bit.  Besides, Stephanie had not only lied about having seen Jodeen in the area, but she'd also lied about her identity.  That fact in and of itself made Matthias pretty skeptical when it came to trusting her.

"Goodbye then," he uttered as she disappeared into the dense fog and the forest it hid, "and good luck."

That was all he could do.  What happened to her now was of her own accord.  She'd excused herself from her present company, so whatever happened to her now wasn't their problem.  No, that wasn't right.  It wasn't their fault.  As guilty as he felt about letting Stephanie go, she had been deceitful from the beginning, and keeping her around just didn't seem like a good idea.  He held nothing against her.  She was probably scared... that's why she lied.  At least, that's what he told himself.  It was easier to think that she did it because she was scared than for her own selfish purposes.

"Alright Penelope," he turned his attention to the other girl that had emerged from underneath the bridge, "I've gotta keep looking for my sister.  I can't stay here.  You can tag along if you want, but I just can't keep standing around doing nothing.  Something bad could be happening to her, and I'd never forgive myself if she died because I couldn't save her in time."

I could never forgive myself... ever.

Matthias turned to leave, not noticing the figures in the bushes that had pulled Stephanie into their grasp.  He did, however, notice the blonde-headed girl that emerged from the trees, covered in blood and wielding an axe.  Matthias attempted to duck into the shrubbery as she called out, but much to his dismay, it was too little, too late.  She had seen people in the area, and that's why she called out.  He wasn't looking to stick around and make friends, though, that was for sure.  That girl looked deranged... she definitely wasn't in this place to make friends.  The bloodied axe she was dragging along told him that much.

"Penelope," he hissed quietly, "if you're coming with me, let's go."

As both people in his immediate area had begun to move, Rob figured it was probably a good idea to follow.

Who's bright idea was it to come to Grand Central Station?

"All right. Yeah, lets get the fuck away from here." Rob said quietly. Rob turned one last time to see if the coast behind them as clear. The girl who had called out was dragging a bloodied axe.

Fuck that. We're definitely leaving.

The other people seemed to be leaving, as Rob could see the barely visible outlines of movement over by the bridge. Then again, in this fog, it could have been a weird shaped tree.

"Well, since this plan backfired, lets start moving, we'll think where we're going as we move. You there, woman, you follow him, I'll follow you. No funny business."

God, that had to be the lamest thing I've said...ever. Meh, don't matter, at least I can enjoy the view. Rob thought as he took a quick glance at Stephanie's backside.

((continued elsewhere))

Debrah stifled a cry as she noticed the figures retreating into the fog, slinking away from her the moment they saw her dirtied appearence. Her mother always told her it was all about the looks, she could see the truth behind that now. She dropped her axe and reached out.

"No! Please, I need help!" Debrah cried, she needed someone to lean on after this. She needed someone to love her, if even for the shortest time. She took a step forward and reached out her hands to the figures in the fog.

"Don't leave me!" She continued to cry, the tears doing nothing to her already ruined makeup. She stumbled over her own lazy feet and landed on her knees, she winced in pain but still looked ahead.

"Alright… I'm coming." She whispered back. She was so scared, being around Matthias would be best for her right now. She was scared of the blonde who was approaching her. She was scared because Stephanie has disappeared into the fog. She needed someone.

"Let's go Matthias… She scares me." She hid herself behind the boy, grabbing his hand with her left. She held tightly onto her mace with her right hand and began to pray silently. She wanted this all to end. She wanted to go home.

"She may need help… but I'm too scared." She whispered shakily.

"I know..." Matthias whispered quietly, "We can't risk it.  I hate to leave anyone behind in a place like this, but I don't think we could save that girl if we tried."

She just looked too far gone.  Maybe she didn't realize what a mess she looked as she fell to her knees in the forest undergrowth, covered in blood and sweat.  Debrah Dollop probably looked like a doll once upon a time, but now she looked like a demon.  Matthias couldn't help but find the blood-covered girl a little frightening himself.  He was scared of what she represented... what had happened to people in this game.

He didn't really know how to respond as Penelope clutched onto his hand, so instead simply responded by squeezing it tightly with his own.  In a way, he had gained another liability.  Still, Penelope had been a nice enough girl in school, and more importantly, she had been someone Matthias thought to be a trustworthy person.  Now, in a situation like this, he needed all the trustworthy people he could find.

He cast one final glance back to the shadow in the fog, still looking toward them eerily as she kneeled on her knees.  Part of him wanted to go help her up, but his instinct wouldn't allow him to go any closer to her.  He sighed slightly as he looked at the pitiful looking girl.  She couldn't have been much older than Jodeen, and that in itself frightened him on a level that nothing else could.

That could be her...

"Let's get out of here... I get this feeling things might turn ugly."

Slowly, quietly, Matthias began to shuffle through the undergrowth surrounding the bridge.  He tried to move quickly but quietly so as not to give the girl any sort of signal that they were moving or where they were going.  He didn't want her to follow them.  He'd already been involved in a fight trying to save one person's life.  Thankfully, Eric hadn't been armed with anything.  This girl, though, was brandishing an axe, and she wasn't someone Matthias wanted to tangle with.  Personally, he just wanted to bail out of this entire scenario, and fast.  He didn't have time to deal with psycho killer girls, he had to find his sister.

((Continued in Trying Hard to Breathe))

Penelope was pulled along softly by Matthias as they attempted to leave the area without alerting the other girl to their presence. She was so scared. Things shouldn't be this way. It should be their school trip right now. They shouldn't be here fighting for their lives. It wasn't right. She followed Matthias dutifully. She felt the tears run down her cheeks, and she could tell that everything was going to hell now. She would never get out of here. None of them would. Even the winner, they'd leave their soul on this island.

And that thought chilled her to the bone.



Penelope continued Elsewhere

Debrah stifled a cry, and continued on her way. The axe continuilly scraping behind her.

((Continued Elsewhere))

((continued from the school))

Phew, that was close! Jenna thought to herself, as the kids who were just around her in the area left. She was first at the school for a while. The sight of the dead girl there, her cold eyes and face ascue. Originally she stayed around the school, not getting in anyone's way till the announcement went up that she'd explode if she stayed there. After that, she headed towards the river, hiding in the bushes, staying low, if someone walked by. She was quite certian that she had been seen atleast once or twice, but lucky for her, nothing happend. It was getting the point where she couldn't stand it here anymore. All she could hear were screams left right and center. Kids trying to decieve kids then killing them. She would have done the same in her case if she was caught... though she only had a dart board. She had barely slept, afraid that someone would gut her in her sleep. Her food hadn't been touched... afraid that if she did, she'd die. If these pricks where horrible enough to make them kill eachother, what's stoping them from putting something in their food or drink?

There were two boys and a girl that were near her not more than 10 minutes ago. They had left, heading out because they didn't want a girl who was approaching to see them. Jenna saw them, and they'd regret it.

((continued at the mall))