The Various Downsides of Becoming "Paranoid as Balls"

[Little Boy†]

((Jay Holland continues from One of Three))

Saturday!
Where else are you gunna go?
There's no way!
I'm gonna end up at the disco,
Make my way!
Through fist fights and stilettos,
To rock and roll, rock and roll, to rock and roll, rock and roll...

Jay ran as fast as his skinny stoner legs could carry him. Huffing and puffing from exhaustion he flew through the bushes for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day, the sound of nearby gunfire echoing in the forest.

WHY THE FUCK DOES EVERYONE KNOW HOW TO USE A GUN.

Letting loose a war cry Jay jumped a nearby fallen branch, and fell hard, his shoelace caught on a twig. Smacking headfirst down in the dirt, Jay turned with annoyance to look at his shoe, tugging it in an effort to get it loose. Another gunshot echoed through the forest and Jay began to tug at the shoe more desperately. He scrambled down and tried to rip apart the offending lace that was snagged, sweat streaming down his face, his heart pounding so fast he was sure he was going to have a heart attack.

FUCK YOU ADIDAS.

His heart still pounding, Jay removed his left shoe, leaving it stuck in the bushes. Squirming around he grabbed his pack and hoisted it onto his back. Then with one nervous glance about, Jay took off once more through the forest, ripping noisily through the foliage with reckless abandon. He cursed as his foot slammed down time and again upon exposed roots, sending jolts of pain up his leg.

"Fuck! Ass! Fuck!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he barreled through the trees, his voice hoarse and barely there after so many hours of constantly screaming.

The way Jay figured it, if there was someone on the Island who hadn't screamed at the top of their lungs at least once already they were probably either already dead, or fucking crazy.

Jay wasn't fucking crazy. Yet. But he had the sneaking suspecion that he would be soon if he kept running around like a porn star with his dick cut off.

Slamming through a particularly thick bush, Jay glanced up to see to his surprise what appeared to be an opening of some kind, a gate and... buildings?

Be still my beating heart, FOOD IS THERE!

Jay's stomach growled in answer as he bumbled through the brush and finally came upon the old rusted gate. A large sign overhead proclaimed the area to be a "Fun Faire". Jay had been fond of Fun Faire's as a kid. It was one of the only times of year when his Mother would splurge money and allow him to spend a day eating what he wanted, riding what he wanted, and overall having a shit-ton of (legal) fun. To see one on this death island was unsettling to say the least. Jay was still shaking and breathing hard, he bent over to cough and hack up phelgm. Looking down at the disgusting substance as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, Jay for the twenty-second time that day (He'd counted) called Danya a fuckbutt.

Looking back towards the forest, Jay cleared his throat and adjusted his hat. He'd had no idea where he had been for the last two days, or however long it had been since he'd discovered Maria's body. He still shivered at the thought of what had occured, and had pushed the incident as far back as he could into the recesses of his mind. Unfortunately the recesses of his mind happened to be extremely shallow and again he felt the details bubbling up inside him and he felt his entire body shaking like a leaf. He'd heard distant shots a few times on his trek through the woods, and after two "Announcements" the death toll was hovering around 40. Apparently that was a new record.

On the plus side, Jay was not last.

On the down side, Jay was going to fucking die.

"Fuck you... woods! For getting me lost! I hope someone comes and cuts you down, and turns you all into fucking porno mags, so- so- then fat people will jerk off on you!" He spat in the direction of the woods. "Motherfuckin' woods! If I survive this, I'm gonna' burn down the fucking Amazon!"

Jay turned back towards the fair, his entire body still shaking. He gripped his shoulders as he walked, trying his hardest to still his chattering teeth at the very least.

Come'on Jay, come'on! It isn't so bad. No one's shot at you ye- well wait, Fatty John did. Okay it's so bad. It is VERY bad. How the fuck am I going to learn how to shoot a gun? How the fuck am I expected to kill people!? I don't deserve this! I don't deserve to live either, I mean- just what the fuck! What the fuck do you think I'm gonna do Danya, play? I can't kill my friends, I can't just shoot people in the face an- fuck! I should have watched more SAW films, then I'd at least be used to all this gore. Danya, what a fat fucker. I wonder if he has a puppet.

...They're gonna kill me. Fuckin' Sunil, wherever he's at. He pretty much made that fucking plain when I nearly headshotted him. Who can fuckin' blame him? But I did say sorry. For all the good that fuckin' did me. I wish this was like the A-Team, where people only get shot AT, not SHOT. I could deal with that! But- that crazy fuck, she killed Maria. And if she killed Maria, how the fuck can I expect her to hesitate when she's firing at a skinny ass stoner? She won't hesitate! I've got no fuckin' skills! I nearly fucking died the first night out!

Jay grimaced as he recalled the painful memory. Unable to remember how to start a fire, Jay had simply decided to go to sleep near a small creek, sans blanket due to heat. He'd rolled in during the night and banged his head off a rock, nearly awakening everyone in the forest with his cries. The second night had been no better. Camping on a hill, wrapped in a blanket, Jay had rolled off down a slope and smacked chest first into a tree. A fatal combination of pain and constant annoying as fuck bugs had kept him up nearly the entire night.

I can't even take a shit with the cameras watching me! Where the fuck am I going to dropa' deuce anyway? Did Danya just expect that 200 kids on an Island wouldn't take a shit? He could have at least put a few restrooms around!

Jay laughed bitterly as he made his way through the fair ground, shaking like a leaf.

"Someone's gonna kill meeeeeeee, someone's going to keeeel meeeeee...." He said to no one in particular as he stared around. The faire seemed unusually quite, strange considering the amount of noise he had been making. Had he scared everyone off? Jay highly doubted he could scare anyone off. Jay had done quite a lot of thinking over the past three days. He'd thought about his parents. He'd thought about his killer, and who would win Survival of the Fittest. He thought about shoving a large stick up Danya's ass. Mostly he thought about Maria Santiago and Sasha Grey kissing. On an Island devoid of comforts, all Jay could rely on it seemed were Lesbians.

Jay was suddenly aware of a sticky underfoot. Looking down, he saw to his suprise his sock, coated in blood.

Oh, shit. Did I step on a nail?

Raising his foot for a better look, Jay saw to his relief that it was not the case. He'd simply walked in a pool of blood.

Oh well, that IS a relie- wait what.

Looking up, to his growing horror Jay realized that the puddle of blood wasn't a puddle. It was a lake. And laying nearby, was a decapitated body. Jay stood staring at the decapitated corpse, his sock and shoe soaked with the boy's blood. It had been a boy he was relatively sure. The head was nowhere to be found. He stumbled back, letting out a terrified yelp. He grabbed his arms and holding them close against his chest he began to shake, looking at the terrifying scene.

"Holy shit! Dude! Are you okay!?" He said, his voice shrill and high. Jay began to jump around shrieking nonsense, his eyes wide with fright.

That's it! I'm fucking done! I'm fucking done, I'm out! I'm not gonna survive this, someone's gonna come up to me, all friendly and then BAM, headshot fucking headshot! Game over man! No more continues, no more weed, no more Jay Holland! Oh Holy Mother of Fuck, what I wouldn't give to be a starving kid in Africa right now! First they got Maria, now they got this dude, now it's Jay Holland! The stoner always dies! THE STONER ALWAYS DIES!

SAVE ME ALLAH.

[armeggedonCounselor†]

((Janet Binachi continued from Darkness Within.))

Janet was exhausted. She had walked all over that fucking forest yesterday, taken a brief nap around 5 am, and had just heard the most recent announcement. It seemed like people were a hell of a lot more dangerous than she had expected.

Her inner peace was shattered by a string of profanities somewhere to the north. The voice was familiar.... Janet crouched down slightly, looking around. She didn't see anybody. She walked toward the voice, cursing slightly as her jeans caught on underbrush. She lifted her hockey stick to keep it from catching, which did nothing except make her arm tired. Suddenly she tripped, falling face first into a bush. This was an unpleasant experience. She stood, pulling leaves out of her hair, and began hacking at the bush irritably. It was petty, sure, but it was also a bit cathartic.

She heard a clunk. Which was not a sound she associated with a bush. She stepped forward slightly, a quizzical look on her face. A shoe. There was a shoe in the bush.

'.... What.'

She didn't know why it surprised her so much. She picked it up, staring at it in mild disbelief. Maybe it was because she hadn't seen anybody in an entire day. It was an interesting sign of life.

Of course, she had heard people dying. Or at least being shot at. She would need to get her hands on a gun if she wanted to really play.

Or at least a better weapon than the Hockey Stick.

A scream- male voice, somewhere.... Janet turned, looking carefully. The voice had come from... somewhere more west of her current position. She set off in that direction.

Shortly, she arrived at a rusty gate. The Fun Fair. How ironic. She could see someone flipping the fuck out over a dead body.

A decapitated body, in fact.

And the person....

"Jay?"

[Little Boy†]

"GAHHHHH!!" Jay screamed, spinning around at Janet's words. Pivoting on his heel, Jay stumbled backwards, slipping in the blood and landed smack on his ass.

SPLAT.

Jay shut his eyes, trying not to imagine what he was sitting in. Slowly opening them he looked down at the mess, making a disgusted noise from deep in his throat. Raising his hand, now coated with the decapitated boys' blood, Jay felt his plus quicken. Ambling awkardly upwards, Jay wiped the blood on the front of his jeans before turning and trying to catch a glimpse of his backside. It didn't look good.

Aw man, it looks like I got assfucked in these! Fuckin' Shawshank Redemption, starring Jay Holland...

Jay giggled at his own private joke before turning to face the girl who had called to him. He froze, the laughter dying in his throat.

"Janet? H-hey..."

Janet. Janet Fucking Binachi. What were the odds? Jay awkwardly brought one of his shaking hands to his neck, rubbing his collar as the paranoia within him grew. If there was anyone Jay had hoped wasn't on the trip, it was Janet. He'd met the girl rather recently, at a party if he remember correctly, and he'd been near instantaneously floored by her. Alex's party if his memory served him.

Jay knew his friends, he knew Alex wouldn't go nuts or die easy. He'd heard nothing of Jasper, but he assumed dying was not on the kids' to-do list. Hayley had already killed someone, as alarming and completely fucked up as that was to hear. Jojo had been with him just a few days ago, and it was clear he was still the same ol' Jojo. Jay felt pangs of regret resonating in his mind with the memory of his sudden bolt from Jojo's group. He owed the kid, plain and simple for the way he had stood up for him. And what had he done? Run away like a little coward. It had looked like every one of Jay's friends would do fine in the event of Survival of the Fittest, barring Jay and Janet of course. Or so he'd thought.

How the fuck was I supposed to expect Janet to- to, to fucking snap and kill someone then!? I couldn't have. That just leaves lil' Stoner Jay Holland, the sole weak link, without the guts to kill and without the brains to stay alive...

"H-hey, Janet, how'set hangin'? Pretty fucked up 'ain't it. I- I just found this guy. I dunno what the fuck happened, I think someone chopped off his fucking head...."

BRILLIANT JAY. YOU ARE A FUCKING GENIUS.

Jay tried his hardest to keep his focus on the girl, but he kept glancing back towards the corpse, his speech slipping. Panic gripped him now, clutching him tight. Janet had killed a student, a boy named Everett. What had happened? Had he deserved it? She didn't seem fazed at all. Would she try to kill him too?

Stupid Jay stupid! Keep your eye on her! She's a killer, what are you doing looking at a fucking corpse, he's dead already, she's gonna' kill you!

"I-I've just been fuckin' around. I heard some shots earlier, I decided it was a good time to y'know, clear out- uh, you got a stick? Hockey stick? That's cool. That's cool. I saw uh, Jojo, he's with some guys. He's yeah, uh, it's pretty fucked up. I mean, I don't want to start loosin' my head or anything but..."

Jay trailed off, giggling like a little kid. Raising his bloodcovered hands to his face Jay absentmindedly began rubbing his eyes, trying to clear his head.

"Hehe, it's-it's not really that funny. But yeah, this is fucked up and I mean, look at me, I'm swearing more than Jimmy Brennan. That kids' such a fag... Apparently he's still alive an'... an' yeah, some other people..."

What the fuck are you doing making small talk!? She's killed someone! Don't fucking talk to her! Pull out your gun, shoot her in the fucking head! You can do it Jay, come on! She'll kill you, you don't want to die, not like Maria! It can't be hard, Fatty John figured out how to load a gun, you can do it to! You can get that crazy fucker who killed Maria, you- you just gotta' kill them because they're gonna kill you and you can't do shit!

"Anyways, what's up. You just been hangin' out in the uh, woods? I guess so, because we're all in the fucking woods and uh,- yeah, just... just yeah, great to see you girl, you're looking fucking amazing for being out in the woods for- for y'know, just... yeah, some bad dudes 'round here. Some guys are goin' just- just going crazy trying to keep their head...," He giggled again, trying to clear his throat.

"Wow! Yeah, I'm just wow!, it's great to see you. Fucking throat is killing me. Got any tic-tacs? So what have you been up t...-where you headed now...? I'm sweating, you sweating? It's really hot out. REAAAAAALLY hot out today..."

[armeggedonCounselor†]

Jay's surprise and obvious nervousness was not unwarranted. Janet watched him babble endlessly, about the bodies and the blood and losing his head. She smiled, then began to laugh. It wasn't really that funny- he had a good reason to be nervous, as she had, y'know, killed someone. But at the moment, murder wasn't what was on her mind.

"A rather astute, if redundant, observation. I would say that, yes, somebody did chop this boy's head off. Additionally, in response to your question, my destination is undecided, and yes, it is warm. Not tropically. I'd imagine this island is too far North, since the forest is mostly coniferous rather than deciduous trees. However, it is not unseasonably warm for early summer, and the nights are, in the vernacular, as cold as balls."

Now for the elephant on the Ferris Wheel.

"I... I know you've heard by now. About Everett. It... I'm not proud of it. Violence is the last resort of the stupid, and the first resort of the incredibly anti-social," she said, turning away slightly.

She looked down, toward the ground. She was fortunate that Jay was so nervous- she was not a terrific actress, and someone with a grasp on the situation would probably see some tell-tale tells. "Everett... he.... He assaulted me. He had a knife, said he would gut me if I didn't give him my supplies. Well, giving up my supplies was not an option. Fortunately, he had miscalculated. I had much greater reach with my weapon.... Well, the long story short is... I won."

She cleared her throat, looking away from Jay as though composing herself, then looked back.

"Anyway, that's my side of the story. I wouldn't be surprised if Danya paints people who were just protecting themselves in an ambiguous light to sow discord among us. Anyway. What have you been doing?"

[Little Boy†]

Jay let out a sigh of relief. Slowly, ever so slowly, he could feel his heart-rate coming down. He shook his head, letting out a nervous giggle.

"Man... oh man, Janet, that's just- that's fucking amazing- hearing that. That's just fucking golden. I mean, I saw you and...'"

He laughed again, scratching the back of his head. It felt good to laugh again, it felt good to not be scared out of his mind for once. He needed to get back to this, shove the paranoia out of his mind. He wasn't dead yet, and Danya and his games weren't going to dictate his actions. This entire Island was still filled with plenty of friendly faces. Despite the corpse laying a few feet away, Jay was feeling calm for the first time since he'd seen Maria's body.

More like the first time in three days...

"Man, I don't even know what I was thinking. I mean, really, it just- it just had to be that yeah? What you said. Now that I really think on it, it's the only thing that makes sense. Everett attacking and all that... Man, I was thinking you were like, you had a gun and it was you who was... y'know, just forget about it. I'm just rambling, my nerves are shot to hell and back. Not much use for me here, y'know what I mean? I mean, this is just like, the first fucking good news I've gotten in what seems like forever."

Jay took off his hat, wiping sweat from his forehead. Taking another deep breath, Jay continued once more.

"Yeah, you're fuckin' dead too. About the Announcements I mean. It made it seem like you straight up stabbed the guy in the face from what Danya said. But I mean, Danya is a fat fuck. Who am I gonna trust, some fat, greasy-ass bastard who kidnapped me, or my buddies? I shoulda' know, I shoulda' done some thinking before I jumped to conclusions. Man, it's just.. it's just good to see a friendly face. I was beginning to think I was the only sane man left... except y'know... Jojo. I saw Jojo awhile back. He's good. I think I told you that already. Uh..." He began to giggle again, a smile creeping across his face.

"I've not really been doing much of anything at the moment. I don't really have any skills. I- I found this guy, already here. Dunno who did it, don't really want to meet them. I'm not even sure who this kid was... I hope we don't know him."

The thought of it being Jojo suddenly flashed through Jay's mind and he found himself spinning around to look back at the corpse. He let out a sigh of relief. The boy didn't look like his friend, but all the same the idea of Jojo laying dead with his head lopped off sent chills down his spine. Jay cursed himself silently under his breath as he turned back towards Janet.

Jeezus. Jojo... I gotta' find Jojo. He'll fucking hate my guts for running like a coward.., but shit, he'll understand. I'm not cut out for this. He knows me, he'll make an exception... I NEED to start thinking. I- I can't let paranoia get to me. Janet is still Janet, and Sunil isn't some crazy ass Indian terrorist. He may have been talking big, but he couldn't have killed me. No one could have killed me... Well, that's not true. People are killing people. That much is fucking obvious. Heads are getting chopped and people are getting shot, and it looks like half this fucking Island is going insane. But if I don't stop and fucking THINK I'm going to get dragged along with them. I can't keep thinking the next person is gonna blow my nuts off, I can't stay like this, running through the fucking woods with no map....

MAP.

THE MOTHER FUCKER GAVE US A MAP. I'VE HAD A MAP ALL ALONG AND-

FUCK YOU JAY HOLLAND, YOU STUPID STONER DIPSHIT. YOU STUPID MOOCH, YOU STUPID LAZY ASS- JUST...RGHHHHH!

With a firm smack across the head, Jay brought himself back to the real world. Blinking he looked about, noting to his displeasure he was still on Deathmatch and Senseless Murder Island.

"Don't mind me. My brain has been goin' funny ever since we woke up here. I've been jumping at everything and y'know that's not how I like to do things. Not one bit... So... what do we do now? Sit down and have some tea with the Marie Antoinette here?"

[armeggedonCounselor†]

Janet smiled as Jay stammered on and on. It was kinda cute. She supposed that his nervousness was stemming partially from the body and partially from her surprising him. She stepped a little closer, keeping her eyes on Jay.

'He could be useful. Of course he could be useful. He's probably got more upper body strength than me. He's also not as smart as me, which may make him easy to control.'

.... Am I really having this thought? How horrible.'

And yet.... And yet it's necessary, isn't it? I don't play to lose. I play to win. I'm... probably going to have to try new ways to control him. Intimidation won't work....'

Oh God. I'm going to have to be flirty. UGH.'

Did he just hit himself in the forehead?'

Janet blinked slightly, frowning slightly in concern as Jay hit himself on the head. He quickly explained his strange action, then got a little sarcastic about the headless body. Janet glanced down at the body, thinking for a moment.

"Well, I would like to sit down and maybe eat something. But I definitely don't want to sit here with a dead body. That's just kinda gross."

She stepped slightly closer to Jay, pointing toward the old carousel. She gently, with almost calculated incidence, brushed her hand against Jay's chest.

"Over there looks nice."

[VinnyMcQ†]

((Carla Conners continued from Time Is Not On Our Side))

(The return of Carla Conners. And me. Yay)

Carla Conners didn't know why she was drawn to the fun fair of all places. Especially since marked places on the map would be the first place to find people. And people would kill her. I haven't seen anybody since like, forever. Wandering alone across the island had taken its toll on her. Before the trip she'd compared herself to Angelina Jolie and not many people would argue against it. That was then. She was tired and hungry. Lonely and cold. The bags under her eyes betrayed her lack of sleep. Her shoes were filthy and there were spatters of mud on her face. Just keeping her eyes open was a struggle. But she was alive. The burning in her legs told her that much. She was surviving, every breath was full of defiance, a small 'fuck you' to Danya.

But people were killing each other. Her friends were killing each other. That shouldn't be happening. We're good, we're all good and good people don't kill people. These are people you've known for years. You couldn't kill anyone of 'em if you tried. Not to save yourself, not to save anyone. But them, they have killed. They can keep on killing. You won't have to do a thing; they'll just whittle themselves down to nothing while you skip on your merry way. Maybe I'll go to the beach next. It'll be nice to see the sea. Haha see the sea. These thoughts weren't new to her; she'd been having them for days.

She walked into the fun fair hesitantly. She was alert and looking in all directions. It wasn't long before she heard voices. Slipping the gun out of her bag she tried to ignore how good it felt to hold it. She'd never liked guns. Now she felt comforted by it. She tried to call out to whoever it was, but her voice was weak and raspy. Unable to get above a whisper she instead waved her arms frantically in their direction. She almost jumped up and down, but that was one satisfaction Danya would have to wait for.

[Ciel†]

(Good evening. Let me just place this here. *drops post and runs* )
(Permission granted from Fan for the slight godmod here.)
(Nick LeMonde continued from Twists and Turns)

Nick was nervous. He was in no danger, well, that was a lie, his chances of survival were slim. There was no present danger. No, Nick was just stuck in a very tight booth. He looked calm on the surface, but in reality Nick was holding his breath. His eye was pressed up against a hole in the board and it was about the only thing he had that could distract him from the feeling in his chest. And all he could think about was why.

How did he get back here? Nick tried to remember.

Nick's memory of the past day was blurry to say the least. He only remembered small things. Walking. Laying down with Teo, keeping watch. Almost tripping over a tree root. Walking. Walking. Then they appeared in the fair. Going to the fair as a child. The fair dominated his head like a crooked king. His mind wandering, remembering a time long past. The ferris wheel. Roller coasters. The blood. Then Nick snapped out of his daze. There was blood on the ground. Lots of blood. This wasn't the Minnesota State Fair. Teo said someone was coming. He sounded angry. Nick hadn't been paying attention at the time so he had to take his word for it. Teo told Nick to hide. Nick didn't ask questions.

Oh. That was why he was here. Teo told him to. Huh.

So here they were. Hiding behind a cramped booth that just barely managed to hide them. Nick managed to squeeze in so he could look out of a tiny hole in the side. Nick kept watch. He couldn't see that much. It was enough to know who was coming their way.

Jay Holland. Nick had mixed feelings about Jay. He liked him. Nick hated drugs though. Jay was a nice guy but he was a drug user. At least that's what he heard. Jay was the type of kid who would get high so Nick believed every word. Not entirely innocent. Nick felt like Jay's loss wouldn't shake the earth. Certainly no one they should feel any hesitation with.

"I know it doesn't really matter at this point," Nick loudly whispered, "what with us hiding and all," he shifted his shoulder against the wall of the booth, "but I think we can take Jay at this range. If we need to. Just pop out and nail him."

Nick squinted and studied Jay intently. There was something in Jay's pocket. Nick zoomed in as Jay stepped into a puddle of blood.

"He has a gun." He turned his head away. Pressed his finger to his lip. "Can't make the model from this distance but he has a gun in his pocket. I'm sure of that."

"Janet Binachi is out there too. No one else. At least, not from what I can see."

Nick knew nothing about Janet Binachi past her first name and the fact that she killed someone. Just as well. Makes having to take care of her easier.

Nick turned to Teo. "What do you think we should do?"

[Little Boy†]

Jay could feel his hormones rising up, swallowing his common sense. He drummed his fingers together as he made his way with Janet over towards the Carousel, trying to avoid breaking into a grin. It was impossible but it was true. He'd met Janet. She wasn't crazy. She was even acting FLIRTY.

For a class trip, this isn't so bad after all...

"Oh yeah, that sounds like a great idea! Yeah, Carousel. I fuckin' loved those when I was a kid. This one time, me an' Jojo rode one, and I think he gave some booze or- or something before and I puked all over this little girl, and I got kicked out- and- that's not really all that funny, but yeah- it wasn't really a bad thing, I mean, the Carnies probably sprayed her down and I'm talking too much, and- point is. Let's go sit and just calm down. Well, me calm down. You're plenty calm..."

Jay scratched his head and looked around, unsure of what exactly he should do. Should he tell Janet about the gun? About Maria, and the crazy bitch who'd killed her? She'd certainly benefit from that knowledge. What was the girls name? Jacky? He was pretty certain it was Jacky. But then again, Jay was forgetful. It came with his profession. His gun shifted uncomfortably in his pants and he adjusted it as he walked with Janet. He wasn't exactly sure why he had put it in his pocket, he didn't know how to use it and it wasn't even loaded. It made him feel safer, all the same. Gangbangers suddenly made more sense to him.

Coming up to the Carousel, Jay jumped up atop it, climbing over the bars then turning back to help Janet.

"Care for a helping hand?" He said, smiling. It was unbelievable that he had such good luck, encountering someone he knew, who was still entirely sane.

I may be useless, but I'm still a gentleman... I wonder if Everett was a gentleman.

Jay felt a sudden surge of fear, deep within him. Could he really trust Janet, with only her word to back it up? It wasn't paranoia, was it? Jay didn't know what to think. At the moment, he didn't WANT to think in the first place. At the moment, he could be at any carousel he wanted, a thousand miles away from this place with Janet, a smoking hot and very cool girl by all accounts.

Caution was never useful before, I mean, fuck! Being impulsive is what got me introduced to this chick in the first place... Maybe I'm just thinking too much. Maybe with Janet, I can get out of here... Maybe with Janet, this entire place will just lighten up a bit...

[armeggedonCounselor†]

Janet smiled as Jay blabbered on about vomiting and carousels. She ignored him while she plotted.

'Jay will be useful, if only as a layer of meat between me and the people who want to kill me.

Ugh. This Fun Fair is too open. Too many places for people to hide, and we're out in the open.

I think merely thinking that thought is inviting Murphy's law to strike us all down and kill us until we die from it.'

She took Jay's proffered hand and climbed onto the carousel beside him. The carousel was old, with the horses made out of wood- an abundant resource on this island. The paint that used to mark the horses was fading, chipping, and in some cases covered in what appeared to be bird excrement. It was probably poetic- something about how even the most beautiful objects could be tarnished or... well, shat upon.

As Jay had chosen an excrement free spot to sit, Janet was comfortable sitting beside him. The carousel was just far enough out of the sun to have a slight chill to it. Janet, with no small mental effort, placed her hockey stick down, leaned against a headless horse. She leaned forward slightly to lift her day pack to her lap. With deliberate incidence, she put her hand on Jay's knee and leaned against him slightly, with a small sigh- she hoped of contentment, she had never had cause to sigh in contentment before.

[Fanatic†]

((Teo Weinstock continued from Twists and turns))

The last day and a half had gone by incredibly fast. Unlike much of the school population Teo, Nick and Gracie had moved both slowly and warily. They had not decided to trapeze across the island heedless of the dangers of the other students. Although both the boys had agreed to 'play' the consensus was to remain off the scoreboard as long as possible. Having their names read out was a bad thing, no matter how you looked at it. As a result the had steered clear mostly of other students, marking of areas on their map as they went, noting landmarks and discussing topics ranging from pre-arranged signals to how much food they had left. Mostly it was terribly boring interspersed with brief moments of tension. It had taken it's toll on Teo and from his point of view it seemed that both Gracie and Nick were more inclined to leave the planning up to him. He didn't let Gracie take watch and from her part it seemed she had been content to sleep both nights without interruption. He traded with Nick after midnight which meant that they both had four hours sleep both nights. It wasn't helping. Both of them were big guys and they ate a lot. Despite their best efforts they were running low. Hell Teo had less than a loaf left. So they had moved towards the fun fair. The chances were that it would be less populated than the town, but with a few students floating around. Hopefully some which still had their rations, although the way Teo's stomach was grumbling he wasn't above scavenging the bodies of the dead, and that was how the group ended up watching Jay and Janet as they approached.

Teo grunted in response to Nick's observations. He was a little on edge. "Yeah I see it. Doesn't look like it's loaded. Jay wouldn't even know what to do." He knew Jay pretty well, purely based on Jay's antic's in and (to an extent) out of class. The kid didn't have what it took to kill someone. Janet on the other hand... Janet was smart, athletic and most of all driven. In a situation like this that was a dangerous combination. It hit a little too close to home for Teo's liking. Gracie was still a ways behind but Teo wanted to move. Disable the threat and get some more rations. If they had to kill them, then so be it but it was clear that they had to ensure Janet didn't get that gun and that neither of the two could come after them. Whatever it took.

"Right." Teo said quietly. "This is the plan. Jay's got the gun, but I don't think we need t worry about him. Janet's the dangerous one." Teo strained to make out something on the hockey stick. Could be dirt. Could be blood. He couldn't tell from here. "We should come at different angles, be friendly enough but keep to some cover, if Jay pulls his gun we should step away. If not we'll close the distance, try to resolve the whole acquisition of goods peacefully. Worse comes to worse you take care of Jay, I'll focus on Janet." With a nod Teo pointed to the left before getting up and sneaking to the right. Whatever happened now, at least some of that tension could be released.

Creeping towards the carousel he unslung his crossbow. Once he was sure Nick was well in the other direction he called out. "Jay, Janet, hate to break up the party here but we'd like to talk."

[VinnyMcQ†]

Shit, shit oh fuck this! Shit's going down.

Carla quickly ducked behind an old stall as two imposing figures stealthily made their way towards Janet and Jay. JJ hehe. Since she'd been unable to raise her voice above a whisper they hadn't noticed her. So she hadn't joined their group. So she wasn't about to be killed. I can stop them. No, I can't. Not without shooting them. Hurting them. Killing them. I-I can't. This isn't how it's supposed to happen! She grit her teeth and shifted into a more comfortable position. She opened and closed her fingers around the gun. If it comes down to it...

It certainly looked as if it was coming down to it. Or maybe it wasn't. A nice, regular sleeping pattern was essential for the mind to function properly. Erratic didn't even begin to cover hers. She needed to rest. Get her wits about her. Witless I am without my wits. I mean who knows when I'll do something incredibly stupid. Johnny Depp is sooo hot. He'd pull some crazy shit to get us out of here. She slithered backwards so that she was as hidden as she could be. Is my ass sticking in the air? Get a good look fat boy.

They were talking now. Nothing was kicking off just yet. She was fine. She could stay hidden. It wasn't wrong. No one was going to die because of her. Unless it wasn't but what was she going to do? Jumping in with a gun wasn't going to help anybody. That was surprisingly rational. I thought we decided we were doing the whole crazy thing. Thank you, we were but now we aren't. Got that?

Doesn't stop you being a coward though does it?

No.

[T-Fox†]

((Rekka Saionji continued from Just Close Your Eyes.))

Rekka knew what he had to do. If he wanted to draw strength from that image kept in his head of the gangsters that he loved to watch on that silver screen so much, he needed a weapon like them. He knew seeing Dawne's body was going to hurt; so in the interest of saving the waning sanity he still had left, made a point to avoid the greens. On his brief run, the tennis courts came into his line of sight in the distance.

He couldn't hold on. He had no idea what mangled, pained fashion Dawne's now lifeless body sat in. But just the image his mind conjured up made him sick to his stomach. So sick in fact, that in front of thousands of people back home in the states, watching him right at this very moment, he threw up. Directly on a camera that happened to be notched in the branches of a tree, in fact. While he had made a point to not follow the beach for fear of running into anyone in-particular, he still skated between the beach and the greens, just close enough to see either with a quick turn of his head.

"I think I probably should have dealt with the people..."

But no, he couldn't stop now. Dawne was dead, and she was probably looking down on him; now that she was thinking with a clear head (so to speak), she must have wanted him to live on for her. Either that, or by now she was just life force. Or something. The young Saionji had never spent any real time thinking about religion or what comes after death; usually too busy working with his family on some project or another to bother. But now, it was just comforting to think that Dawne was looking down on him from some sort of heaven, free of pain, mental or otherwise.

Yeah, whether he actually believed that or not, that was sure as hell what he was going to tell himself.

Either way, he knew he had to press on. He needed something to defend himself. ASAP. Who knows, maybe he could jam the bullets he was carrying into whatever gun he found.

The rest of the walk had been (thankfully) uneventful. A quick glance at his map told him he was heading straight for the fun fair, and while he doubted the terrorists would leave any kind of supplies whatsoever, there was no point in at least trying. However, as he crested a hill and the ferris wheel and other amusement park rides came into view, the situation looked a solid bit more grim than he would have liked. There was what appeared to be a shimmering puddle of something, as the light reflected off of it as he shielded his eyes. Probably blood. He didn't want to get any closer, but he was already running low on food and he needed a pit stop one way or the other. Shaking his head briefly, he looked around to assess the situation.

A pair of people climbing onto the carousel, and then a good distance away, another trio. Sneaking up, talking about something. Now one of them was talking to the other two.

The last thing Rekka needed now was to be seen and get in the middle of what could end up being a hell of a firefight. At the very least, one of those approaching had something that he was brandishing like a weapon.

Rekka hit the dirt, pushing his fedora's brim low down over his face in an effort to block the sun and that damned reflection out of his eyes. What the hell could be making that anyways?

[Ruggahissy]

Nick nodded in response to Teo's strategy. It sounded just as good as any to him. He was having trouble thinking. It had been like that for him since they'd left the warehouse. Nick hadn't been as cheerily conversational as he normally was during this past day. He kept thinking of his sister and his mom, his dog Dixie, Jessica. He was thinking about his girls. It broke his heart to imagine them, but he couldn't stop.

You'll never see them again.

Don't say that. Don't.

You probably won't.

I will! I just have to want it most. I can try. I really want to. I miss them. It's been three days and I miss them. It feels like it's been three years.


He reached into his pocket and put on some chap stick. It was almost a nervous habit. Teo went one way and Nick decided to go the other way, coming at the two from a different angle. He stalked to another nearby carnival booth and when he heard Teo come out, he approached them, trying his best to imitate his own jaunty walk that he'd had in regular life.

"Hi Jay!" he called out. "Hi.....hockey stick girl!"

Nick stayed far enough back so that he could use the booth for cover if Jay began shooting. His hunga munga was still grasped tightly in his hands, but kept low near his belt.

[Little Boy†]

Jay jumped nearly ten feet in the air at the sound of another voice, alarm bells ringing inside his brain. He scrambled about towards the edge of the carousel, spinning around on his knees trying to locate the voice. As his eyes rested finally on the boy, Jay began making a strange gurgling noise, unsure of what to say. As he looked down towards the object at the boys' side, a high pitched scream finally erupted from his throat. It was pointy, it was sharp, and as far as Jay was concerned, it sealed his fate. The alarm bells in his mind increased in volume, drowning out all rational thought.

"Oh SHIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT!!!" He cried out, lunging back towards his bag and the very possibly bewildered Janet. His brain was racing. The boy had come upon them out of nowhere, and he was STILL entirely undefended. His hands shaking, Jay suddenly found it impossible to open his bag and retrieve his pistol. He gave up.

No no no no no, shit shit shit!

Jay spun back towards the boy, who he now recognized as Nick. Jay shook like crazy. He suddenly felt like he was back with Fatty John and J.J, standing in front of a loaded shotgun. Could he outrun him? He doubted it. He was decent in a scrap, but life or death? Absolutely not. Jay was useless. And Nick was probably going to kill both him and Janet, with whatever the fuck he was carrying. Jay would have spent more time wondering what exactly it was, if the situation was less dire.

"Stay the fuck where you are! And what the fuck is that thing? What the fuck are you doing, just - just all just, sneakin' up on me like that?! Can't you see I'm busy? I'm busy!" He screamed, his throat hoarse.

I just got cockblocked!

Jay burst out into a hysterical laugh at his own thought. He stumbled back once more towards the center of the carousel, scanning in all directions. Was it just Nick? He couldn't see anyone else. But then again, he hadn't seen Nick either. Could Nick have a partner? Had it been Nick and a buddy, firing off shots earlier? He was bouncing in every direction at once and every exit was blocked. Jay could blame no one but himself. He began shaking more profusely as he stood on the carousel, unsure of what exactly to do.

Stupid Jay, STUPID! You had all this time, all this fucking time to learn how to work the gun, to- to fucking think things through and what have you done?! What the fuck have you done?! You've done shit all, and now it's gonna end, your luck has fucking run out- dry! You deserve this you stupid idiot, do you think you can be civil and just coast through this place?! You understand you're gonna fucking die, so why won't you change that?!

Spinning towards Janet, he considered the girl for the first time.

Was this a setup?

The idea planted itself in Jay's mind and dug itself in, spreading its' roots, infecting his thoughts. It all started to make horrible, horrible sense. Janet couldn't have done it alone. She must have had a partner. The kid from before, it could have been exactly like this. And he'd went with her, believed her.

"Oh no, no no no, what the hell, come'on..." He murmured, snatching up his bag before stumbling to the edge of the carousel once more. "What the hell, did this- come ONN! Come on! I didn't do anything!"

It all makes sense. She's killed before, she probably has no- no qualms or whatever, about killing again! She's working with him! She's gotta be! That's why she's being so nice, she- she didn't act all flirty before, did she? Was she like this before? She wasn't! She's different, somehow, she's- oh god! Oh shit, oh god, they're gonna get me! Both of 'em, or more, or- or whatever, they're gonna win and I'm gonna get my ass killed!

"Both of you, just- just fuckin' stay where you are! I got a gun! I swear to fucking god, I got a gun! I'll shoot your asses, I got skill, I've played CoD! I'm a junkie man, I know how this shit goes down! So- just-" Jay swung his pack around and began to wrestle with it, finally opening it and grabbing his weapon, Jay let out a near hysterical laugh. Yanking the Nambu Pistol free, Jay pointed it towards the ground, gesturing to make sure the pair got the jist of what he was saying.

"Suck on this! Suck my 'gat motherfuckers! I don't want this, I don't wanna die! So just leave me alone, you crazy bitches! Keep that THING away from me Nicky! Or I SWEAR, I SWEAR! I don't care what you guys want, you're gonna kill me if you keep fucking SCARING me like this!"

He began to back up, towards the edge of the carousel, his face red from yelling, his throat raw.

"Holy crap, can't you people remember anything from Bayview?! You don't fuckin' sneak up on people when they're just chilling! That's likely to get your balls cut off! And now it's likely to get them blown off! You don't just run around with a fucking HANDSAW, shit, that one chick got KILLED with something like that! You don't do that! Not to me, otherwise I'm gonna' go crazy! I'm going crazy! How'd you do this Janet?! Is this your idea of a joke! It's gotta be a joke! This is all just a joke, friggin' kid, over there his head is gone, I asked him what was wrong I just I can't- I can't- this isn't even LOADE-FUCKSHIT!"

Taking another step backwards, Jay fell off the carousel, smacking his head on the ground. The rest was stars.