((Trent Savage continued from Laurel and Hardy Got NOTHIN' on Us))
The third day.
It didn't mean much to him, having slept through the majority of his time here, but he knew that his partner would soon be feeling the full effects the island had on the students. Craig Hoyle sat across the way, busying himself with his belongings as he organized his daypack. Meanwhile, Trent lounged over the edge of the fountain, watching his murky reflection bob in and out of view as the water rushed out of the statue and into the basin below. The morning light was dim - he guessed it was around 7am, though he was probably wrong - and the stone-carved woman stood proudly in the dawning sun, drawing in the boy's perverted gaze as the sun began to cast flattering shadows over her breasts and hips.
In short, he was feeling much better. Having spent the previous night in warm beds, the two were in unusually high spirits - even for someone like Craig - and the feel of sheets and mattresses was much more intoxicating after spending the night before sprawled out under leaves and dirt. The colour had almost returned to his cheeks, albeit slightly greyer than the average guy's, and his head was feeling enormously better thanks to the soft caress of real pillows. Still, he wasn't in perfect condition, as his eyes refused to stop blurring every now and then, but for the most part his head was throbbing much less painfully and he could actually walk without need of support every five steps.
And so, with no-one around to interrupt them, they began to sort out their possessions while they had the time. Craig was already close to finishing, but Trent on the other hand? Well, he hadn't even bothered to look. After all, he'd lost his duffel bag somewhere near the ranger's station, meaning all the stuff he needed was already tucked nicely into his daypack, which lay ready by his feet. The only thing missing was his assigned weapon, the kanabo (or "big club-thing" to Trent), but that had a different home - in his hand 24/7. Craig had told him all about the encounter with the boy in the cabin, and now that he was well enough, he was going to offer his partner a more solid form of protection than the one he'd been giving him so far.
In fact-
*SSSSSKKKKKKKKRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*
Oh, fuck no.
That sound.
That awful sound.
Fountain of Youth
Day 3 - 6am start (wait 'til Craig Hoyle enters to post)
-
Hallucinojelly†
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:17 am
Fountain of Youth
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Hallucinojelly. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
((Craig Hoyle continued from Laurel and Hardy Got NOTHIN' on Us))
It was only when Craig had organized the majority of this things before Trent had really even gotten underway that he realized he hadn't brought a whole lot. Socks, underwear, a couple pair of denim shorts, and a few XXXL tees were supposed to be enough for the boy. Now he found himself wishing he had brought the Gem of Cyttorak, or Captain America's shield, or maybe Squirrel Girl's bullshit ability to win a situation off-screen when she obviously should not have. That one would be really worth it right about now. The only acceptable substitue for the time being would have to be twin package of ring-dings.
He hated to be a stereotypical fat kid right about now, but with that first bite of chocolate-and-cream-filling goodness, Craig knew for sure that being such a stereotype never tasted so good.
The sugar was definitely welcomed to his body, which had been acting up all day the day before, starting after those stupid announcements. There was football pain, the stinging agony of taking a hit or running drills (a practice which Craig decided must have been designed for some sort of super-human athlete, possibly a being of Krypton), and then there was the strike that the worker's unions, comprised of his muscles, formed. His arms, his legs, his neck, his back... if there was a body part with a name Craig could pronounce, it was probably hurting right about now. Made sense, too; once Trent unzipped his daypack to find that it was a freaking club (Craig had seen a weapon of that style somewhere before, but the name was on the tip of his tongue), Craig realized he was carrying his own body weight, Trent, a club, and all of their other possessions. Sure, it was only a short distance, probably less than 50 yards, max, but STILL.
Craig was big, technically even a giant, but he had learned the hard way that he was not strong. He learned this time and time again, but that didn't stop some from seeing him as some sort of behemoth. That was fine to him, though. Craig liked feeling powerful, as that made him feel useful, and feeling useful was always a good thing. The dissonance here, however, was outstanding: the two boys were in an urban-ish area that was the closest thing to their own world, practically feeling at home and safe in the enclosure, but the applications of Craig's philosphy had to be completely changed in order to fit a world which may have appeared similar, and yet couldn't be further from the real thing. His supposed power used to make him feel needed, but now it would be a survival mechanism. If he and Trent wanted to survive, he'd have to make himself one of the scariest motherfuckers on the planet.
Yeah, in short, they were pretty much doomed.
There may have been an ace-in-the-hole sitting on the fountain next to Craig, though, in the form of the Claymore land mine that had been assigned as his weapon. Not gun, nor knife nor bat, but an explosive. An INDIRECT explosive, at that. In a pinch, Trent and Craig could hole up somewhere, and he could place the mine at the entrance. He couldn't kill anybody, no, that just wouldn't happen, but he could still defend himself, and that little, innocent-looking little box on the fountain's edge could be a get-out-of-maiming-free card for them. Speaking of Trent, Craig looked to him as he chomped on the confectionary cakes. The other boy was seemingly holding up well, which Craig was grateful for. Luckily, he hadn't seemed like a weakling to Trent yet, since Craig still wasn't sure how things would fare if he began to fall behind.
An adjustment to his collar was needed, and gingerly performed, after Craig finished snacking on his cake. Yeah, life for the moment was pretty good as long as he could hold on to the positive things in life. And then...
The loudspeaker sounded.
After the initial screeching was done burning a hole in Craig's eardrum, the football player uncovered his ears to listen to the overly-cheerful man, with that unique and sinister but... also sort of charismatic and endearing voice (all he could think about at this time was Hades from Hercules; the two sounded nothing alike, but shared similar qualities of villainy and likability). There was nothing likable about his message, however.
So, more of their fellow classmates had died. All the killers must have either been terrible people, or there were more unforunate circumstances occuring on this island than reality would often allow. The second one being rather... unrealistic, Craig's mind awakened with a shiver, having the realization that his faith in his classmates may have be-
Wait... Reiko? Reiko Ishida? Killing FOUR PEOPLE!?
"No.... no, fucking impossible!" Craig moaned in the same way he would have if he found out some loser like Brett Favre was brought to his beloved Minnesota Vikings. "This is a mistake... this is a mistake, it's Reiko!" Reiko was such a beautiful girl, perky and innocent in her own little way... oh, right, and little. She was a midget compared to himself. The girl was built in such a way that, even if provoked, the most she was likely to do was throw a fit or maybe get into a small catfight! Had the island really made a murderer out of her?
"No..."
Craig sought for a different path. One that had Reiko attacked by numerous people. Maybe she had the means to defend herself, with a gun or something, and in her fear, had to fend off the likes of Kevin and such. He had already forgotten some of the names of lives that Reiko was credited to ending from the previous day (his mind seemed to be a bit 'off' the last time around, or he would've remembered Reiko being called), and had basically missed the ones from this announcement entirely. The only name that mattered was Reiko's now, though. The boy slid off of the stone edge he was sitting on and leaned back until his back struck the wall, a few portions of stone creaking in time with some more clicking and cracking of the pebbles and gravel displaced by his titanic ass. For all that had happened, there had to be a reason. Even so, any explanation that painted Reiko as innocent still depicted at least four of Craig's classmates as evil.
Villains.
It was only when Craig had organized the majority of this things before Trent had really even gotten underway that he realized he hadn't brought a whole lot. Socks, underwear, a couple pair of denim shorts, and a few XXXL tees were supposed to be enough for the boy. Now he found himself wishing he had brought the Gem of Cyttorak, or Captain America's shield, or maybe Squirrel Girl's bullshit ability to win a situation off-screen when she obviously should not have. That one would be really worth it right about now. The only acceptable substitue for the time being would have to be twin package of ring-dings.
He hated to be a stereotypical fat kid right about now, but with that first bite of chocolate-and-cream-filling goodness, Craig knew for sure that being such a stereotype never tasted so good.
The sugar was definitely welcomed to his body, which had been acting up all day the day before, starting after those stupid announcements. There was football pain, the stinging agony of taking a hit or running drills (a practice which Craig decided must have been designed for some sort of super-human athlete, possibly a being of Krypton), and then there was the strike that the worker's unions, comprised of his muscles, formed. His arms, his legs, his neck, his back... if there was a body part with a name Craig could pronounce, it was probably hurting right about now. Made sense, too; once Trent unzipped his daypack to find that it was a freaking club (Craig had seen a weapon of that style somewhere before, but the name was on the tip of his tongue), Craig realized he was carrying his own body weight, Trent, a club, and all of their other possessions. Sure, it was only a short distance, probably less than 50 yards, max, but STILL.
Craig was big, technically even a giant, but he had learned the hard way that he was not strong. He learned this time and time again, but that didn't stop some from seeing him as some sort of behemoth. That was fine to him, though. Craig liked feeling powerful, as that made him feel useful, and feeling useful was always a good thing. The dissonance here, however, was outstanding: the two boys were in an urban-ish area that was the closest thing to their own world, practically feeling at home and safe in the enclosure, but the applications of Craig's philosphy had to be completely changed in order to fit a world which may have appeared similar, and yet couldn't be further from the real thing. His supposed power used to make him feel needed, but now it would be a survival mechanism. If he and Trent wanted to survive, he'd have to make himself one of the scariest motherfuckers on the planet.
Yeah, in short, they were pretty much doomed.
There may have been an ace-in-the-hole sitting on the fountain next to Craig, though, in the form of the Claymore land mine that had been assigned as his weapon. Not gun, nor knife nor bat, but an explosive. An INDIRECT explosive, at that. In a pinch, Trent and Craig could hole up somewhere, and he could place the mine at the entrance. He couldn't kill anybody, no, that just wouldn't happen, but he could still defend himself, and that little, innocent-looking little box on the fountain's edge could be a get-out-of-maiming-free card for them. Speaking of Trent, Craig looked to him as he chomped on the confectionary cakes. The other boy was seemingly holding up well, which Craig was grateful for. Luckily, he hadn't seemed like a weakling to Trent yet, since Craig still wasn't sure how things would fare if he began to fall behind.
An adjustment to his collar was needed, and gingerly performed, after Craig finished snacking on his cake. Yeah, life for the moment was pretty good as long as he could hold on to the positive things in life. And then...
The loudspeaker sounded.
After the initial screeching was done burning a hole in Craig's eardrum, the football player uncovered his ears to listen to the overly-cheerful man, with that unique and sinister but... also sort of charismatic and endearing voice (all he could think about at this time was Hades from Hercules; the two sounded nothing alike, but shared similar qualities of villainy and likability). There was nothing likable about his message, however.
So, more of their fellow classmates had died. All the killers must have either been terrible people, or there were more unforunate circumstances occuring on this island than reality would often allow. The second one being rather... unrealistic, Craig's mind awakened with a shiver, having the realization that his faith in his classmates may have be-
Wait... Reiko? Reiko Ishida? Killing FOUR PEOPLE!?
"No.... no, fucking impossible!" Craig moaned in the same way he would have if he found out some loser like Brett Favre was brought to his beloved Minnesota Vikings. "This is a mistake... this is a mistake, it's Reiko!" Reiko was such a beautiful girl, perky and innocent in her own little way... oh, right, and little. She was a midget compared to himself. The girl was built in such a way that, even if provoked, the most she was likely to do was throw a fit or maybe get into a small catfight! Had the island really made a murderer out of her?
"No..."
Craig sought for a different path. One that had Reiko attacked by numerous people. Maybe she had the means to defend herself, with a gun or something, and in her fear, had to fend off the likes of Kevin and such. He had already forgotten some of the names of lives that Reiko was credited to ending from the previous day (his mind seemed to be a bit 'off' the last time around, or he would've remembered Reiko being called), and had basically missed the ones from this announcement entirely. The only name that mattered was Reiko's now, though. The boy slid off of the stone edge he was sitting on and leaned back until his back struck the wall, a few portions of stone creaking in time with some more clicking and cracking of the pebbles and gravel displaced by his titanic ass. For all that had happened, there had to be a reason. Even so, any explanation that painted Reiko as innocent still depicted at least four of Craig's classmates as evil.
Villains.
-
Shake&Bake†
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:13 pm
((Haruka Watanabe continued from The Man-slut, the Cocktease and the Lover))
Dreams of darkness, stale air and dust. Damp, jagged edges and the distant echoes, growing louder and closer. Sharp points rising out the ground or hanging from the ceiling, as if to impale clumsy tresspassers. The blinding darkness, an infection, consuming everything. Things scuttling about in the dark, monsters, predators, people...Forever lost in the bowels of some mountain demon, never to escape.
Haruka had finally found her way out, away from the dark, the bad air and the unknown. Away from the strange group of people she had encountered, bloodied bandages, uncontrollable tempers, blistered palms, stumps for fingers, open wounds and the mask and aroma of death. It was like a grim, dark portrait of what hospitals were like before Florence Nightingale upped the standards.
The fresh air had gradually seeped into her lungs as she drew closer and closer towards the exit, an addictive drug, causing her tired legs to walk faster and faster to the source. She had ran through the dim caves and slipped, threw her hands out to protect her face and cut them against the rough floor. She feared an infection but eventually, she stumbled out into the light.
It had hit her eyes like a raging solar flare, the darkness had taken its toll and she was sure that her vision was fading as she drew closer and closer towards the sun. Fresh air, sunlight, grass and the promise of life once more. She ran to the river, dropping her back and kicking off her mary janes. Wading into the water, her troubles seemed to fade away, if not for a little while.
Away with the dust and grime, Haruka had hoped she had washed away her anxiety. There was that nagging feeling that she should have stayed in the tunnels and trusted Duncan, but with company like Ethan, Feo and Frankie Fiametta, she told herself she was better outside. Better in the open.
The open... A sitting duck, an easy target, Haruka's curiosity of the mysterious message on the wall and what could have been withered away like a shrinking flower. She dashed to the bank, pulling her bag over her shoulders and putting her shoes and socks back on. Perhaps if she hadn't had that rash idea to relocate to the secluded south eastern woods, maybe somebody could have found her. Maybe she could have been added to Danya's list?
Hours spent wandering through the woods had taken its toll. Fresh cuts and patches of irritation were etched into her shins and calves as she staggered through bambles and the occasional cluster of stinging nettles as daylight faded out overhead. At first the idea of seclusion in the woods appealed to her, hiding out like some furry forest rodent but as night approached, her opinions changed.
The strange and somewhat attractive beauty of willowy trees bending and bowing and the leaves forming an arboreal canopy made the location seem less threatening. The fantasy and intrigue, the ideas of woodland creatures puttering about whilst sylph like dryads floated between trees captured her. A storybook setting, refuge from the dangers and destruction happening around her. A storm of blood, fear and hatred.
But then she thought of the caves again, becoming lost in the darkness and forever stumbling about, hoping for freedom until she collapsed, dehydrated and worn out, food for the critters. She'd never find her way out of the woods come nightfall, and the idea of camping there in the forest sent chills down her spine.
Serial killers in the woods, grizzly bears, the fog rolling across the floor as zombies reached through the ground, climbing from their graves. The slithering and scuttling of macabre insects and bugs. Haruka had driven herself into a state of paranoia. The search for where the trees stopped became desperate until she finally found her way out as the sun began to set, she could have sworn she'd hug the first person she saw out of relief, regardless of whether or not they held a bloody dagger in their hands.
Nightfall, each relief had been shortlived, turning into another paranoid struggle to find somewhere even safer.
The mines had promised an intricate hiding place, but turned into a catacomb, waiting to become Haruka's tomb.
Fresh air and sunlight at the river brought comfort and reassurance, until she saw herself as a target on the range.
The trees promised seclusion and safety, but soon turned into a maze hiding numerous nightmarish foes.
She had finally made it into the clear again, her energy drained and fatique pulling her down. Eventually, after passing the detailed outline of the residential area, she sank down into a soft bed of flowers. She had scared herself to the brink of exhaustion. She curled up into a ball, too drained and tired to care if anybody was to stumble upon her and take her life in the night.
The dreams had visited her again her sleep, what she had hoped would be the one break from the relentless terror that hounded her mind, making her constantly watch over her shoulder or seek a place to hide. And then the wakeup call, Danya. She hadn't quiet caught the entire list of those who had died, being halfasleep when they were broadcasted, but she caught the dangerzones, counting them on her fingers and feeling relieved that she had headed north, rather than south.
Finally, she felt at peace. Her luck seemed to be returning (she hadn't been physically attacked, but was one act of violence worse than perpetual paranoia and fear?) she bowed her head, staring into her lap. Her fringe hung over her eyes, a veil, and her fingers dug into the soil of the flowerbed she had slept on.
Her white socks had grass stains and brown smears, and her mary janes had been scuffed beyond repair. Her palms were cut and her legs not much better, but at least she was alive and not in any serious danger. She had no weapon to defend herself with, and her flashlight had ran out of power. She felt a constant pang of thirst as she rationed her water, but she felt good. Lucky, blessed, safe, alive.
She sat up and rubbed her dirty hands down the front of her pink argyle sweater, the soft morning breeze met her face, welcomed and appreciated. A thin smile formed on her face and she looked up to the sky, gazing at the fluffy cottonwool clouds floating high above. And then she turned her head out of curiosity, and she wished she hadn't.
Her eyes were frozen like fixed bearings, her jaw dropped and that familiar uncomfortable feeling rumbled in her belly. Her wrists started to shake and tremble, and she thought her arms would turn to jelly and she'd fall to the ground. Haruka Watanabe had company, two boys, one big, one small and she could do nothing but assume the worst about them.
Did they see me?
Dreams of darkness, stale air and dust. Damp, jagged edges and the distant echoes, growing louder and closer. Sharp points rising out the ground or hanging from the ceiling, as if to impale clumsy tresspassers. The blinding darkness, an infection, consuming everything. Things scuttling about in the dark, monsters, predators, people...Forever lost in the bowels of some mountain demon, never to escape.
Haruka had finally found her way out, away from the dark, the bad air and the unknown. Away from the strange group of people she had encountered, bloodied bandages, uncontrollable tempers, blistered palms, stumps for fingers, open wounds and the mask and aroma of death. It was like a grim, dark portrait of what hospitals were like before Florence Nightingale upped the standards.
The fresh air had gradually seeped into her lungs as she drew closer and closer towards the exit, an addictive drug, causing her tired legs to walk faster and faster to the source. She had ran through the dim caves and slipped, threw her hands out to protect her face and cut them against the rough floor. She feared an infection but eventually, she stumbled out into the light.
It had hit her eyes like a raging solar flare, the darkness had taken its toll and she was sure that her vision was fading as she drew closer and closer towards the sun. Fresh air, sunlight, grass and the promise of life once more. She ran to the river, dropping her back and kicking off her mary janes. Wading into the water, her troubles seemed to fade away, if not for a little while.
Away with the dust and grime, Haruka had hoped she had washed away her anxiety. There was that nagging feeling that she should have stayed in the tunnels and trusted Duncan, but with company like Ethan, Feo and Frankie Fiametta, she told herself she was better outside. Better in the open.
The open... A sitting duck, an easy target, Haruka's curiosity of the mysterious message on the wall and what could have been withered away like a shrinking flower. She dashed to the bank, pulling her bag over her shoulders and putting her shoes and socks back on. Perhaps if she hadn't had that rash idea to relocate to the secluded south eastern woods, maybe somebody could have found her. Maybe she could have been added to Danya's list?
Hours spent wandering through the woods had taken its toll. Fresh cuts and patches of irritation were etched into her shins and calves as she staggered through bambles and the occasional cluster of stinging nettles as daylight faded out overhead. At first the idea of seclusion in the woods appealed to her, hiding out like some furry forest rodent but as night approached, her opinions changed.
The strange and somewhat attractive beauty of willowy trees bending and bowing and the leaves forming an arboreal canopy made the location seem less threatening. The fantasy and intrigue, the ideas of woodland creatures puttering about whilst sylph like dryads floated between trees captured her. A storybook setting, refuge from the dangers and destruction happening around her. A storm of blood, fear and hatred.
But then she thought of the caves again, becoming lost in the darkness and forever stumbling about, hoping for freedom until she collapsed, dehydrated and worn out, food for the critters. She'd never find her way out of the woods come nightfall, and the idea of camping there in the forest sent chills down her spine.
Serial killers in the woods, grizzly bears, the fog rolling across the floor as zombies reached through the ground, climbing from their graves. The slithering and scuttling of macabre insects and bugs. Haruka had driven herself into a state of paranoia. The search for where the trees stopped became desperate until she finally found her way out as the sun began to set, she could have sworn she'd hug the first person she saw out of relief, regardless of whether or not they held a bloody dagger in their hands.
Nightfall, each relief had been shortlived, turning into another paranoid struggle to find somewhere even safer.
The mines had promised an intricate hiding place, but turned into a catacomb, waiting to become Haruka's tomb.
Fresh air and sunlight at the river brought comfort and reassurance, until she saw herself as a target on the range.
The trees promised seclusion and safety, but soon turned into a maze hiding numerous nightmarish foes.
She had finally made it into the clear again, her energy drained and fatique pulling her down. Eventually, after passing the detailed outline of the residential area, she sank down into a soft bed of flowers. She had scared herself to the brink of exhaustion. She curled up into a ball, too drained and tired to care if anybody was to stumble upon her and take her life in the night.
The dreams had visited her again her sleep, what she had hoped would be the one break from the relentless terror that hounded her mind, making her constantly watch over her shoulder or seek a place to hide. And then the wakeup call, Danya. She hadn't quiet caught the entire list of those who had died, being halfasleep when they were broadcasted, but she caught the dangerzones, counting them on her fingers and feeling relieved that she had headed north, rather than south.
Finally, she felt at peace. Her luck seemed to be returning (she hadn't been physically attacked, but was one act of violence worse than perpetual paranoia and fear?) she bowed her head, staring into her lap. Her fringe hung over her eyes, a veil, and her fingers dug into the soil of the flowerbed she had slept on.
Her white socks had grass stains and brown smears, and her mary janes had been scuffed beyond repair. Her palms were cut and her legs not much better, but at least she was alive and not in any serious danger. She had no weapon to defend herself with, and her flashlight had ran out of power. She felt a constant pang of thirst as she rationed her water, but she felt good. Lucky, blessed, safe, alive.
She sat up and rubbed her dirty hands down the front of her pink argyle sweater, the soft morning breeze met her face, welcomed and appreciated. A thin smile formed on her face and she looked up to the sky, gazing at the fluffy cottonwool clouds floating high above. And then she turned her head out of curiosity, and she wished she hadn't.
Her eyes were frozen like fixed bearings, her jaw dropped and that familiar uncomfortable feeling rumbled in her belly. Her wrists started to shake and tremble, and she thought her arms would turn to jelly and she'd fall to the ground. Haruka Watanabe had company, two boys, one big, one small and she could do nothing but assume the worst about them.
Did they see me?
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Shake&Bake. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
((Owen Rothschild continued from Feeling Kind of Anxious))
Owen found himself wandering for a long time. He'd gotten tired on his way to town and climbed up a tree to sleep. Time was already starting to lose meaning for him. He reached the town center and smiled. He'd arrived. He could explore the businesses later. First he'd see what he could loot out of the houses.
Something caught his eye before he could start touring the houses. Something huge. Not the fountain. Near it though.
"Craig..." Owen said in a rasp that he hadn't known before. He suddenly realized that he was very thirsty. He still had some water of his own, as well as whatever was in the bag he'd picked up. He hadn't actually looked in it yet. Once he got inside maybe. He opened his own bag and pulled out a bottle. He wrapped his tiny hands around it and drank deeply. When he was satisfied, he returned it and slowly made his way across the center, his eyes on the giant of a boy, not seeing anybody else.
"Craig?"
Then something got the better of him. He needed to get out of the town square. It was too open. Owen turned and quickly set off for the town proper, hoping to scavenge, or at least get a chance to look through the bag he'd picked up.
((Owen Rothschild continued in Where Do You Go From Here?))
Owen found himself wandering for a long time. He'd gotten tired on his way to town and climbed up a tree to sleep. Time was already starting to lose meaning for him. He reached the town center and smiled. He'd arrived. He could explore the businesses later. First he'd see what he could loot out of the houses.
Something caught his eye before he could start touring the houses. Something huge. Not the fountain. Near it though.
"Craig..." Owen said in a rasp that he hadn't known before. He suddenly realized that he was very thirsty. He still had some water of his own, as well as whatever was in the bag he'd picked up. He hadn't actually looked in it yet. Once he got inside maybe. He opened his own bag and pulled out a bottle. He wrapped his tiny hands around it and drank deeply. When he was satisfied, he returned it and slowly made his way across the center, his eyes on the giant of a boy, not seeing anybody else.
"Craig?"
Then something got the better of him. He needed to get out of the town square. It was too open. Owen turned and quickly set off for the town proper, hoping to scavenge, or at least get a chance to look through the bag he'd picked up.
((Owen Rothschild continued in Where Do You Go From Here?))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Zabriel. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
((Skipping Stefan, trying to stay in activity))
"Man, we... we gotta do something, this is just stupid-crazy now..."
Craig rubbed his face to catch every bead of sweat dropping off of it, desperate to disprove the unfallible myths spread by that loudspeaker. "I didn't think... oh god, I didn't think any of us would be... be EVIL enough to actually kill anybody else! Shit, these guys make the Joker proud with how they've made us all nuts!"
Craig was about to continue his rant to Trent when he heard a voice... the voice of somebody who was rather familiar to him. Craig paused for a moment... a loooooooong moment as he dwelt on who the voice could have belonged to. The memory of any day at Bayview felt like a flashback to years passed, despite the fact that just a week ago, Craig would've been in school. Or maybe he'd be at home, since it was the weekend. He honestly wasn't sure... how many days was it? Was this day 2? Day 3? Was time flying when he clearly wasn't ha-
Owen. The voice was Owen.
"BUBBLE BOBINSKI!" Craig shouted, standing up as he looked for the voice. He wasn't thinking very clearly about it, but the words that he shouted probably would've sounded like a non-sequiteur to anybody not in the know, but Owen? The tiny boy would've remembered the friendly nickname offered to him by the largest guy in Bayview, and a fast friend to boot. But... Owen was nowhere to be seen.
"... Owen?"
"Man, we... we gotta do something, this is just stupid-crazy now..."
Craig rubbed his face to catch every bead of sweat dropping off of it, desperate to disprove the unfallible myths spread by that loudspeaker. "I didn't think... oh god, I didn't think any of us would be... be EVIL enough to actually kill anybody else! Shit, these guys make the Joker proud with how they've made us all nuts!"
Craig was about to continue his rant to Trent when he heard a voice... the voice of somebody who was rather familiar to him. Craig paused for a moment... a loooooooong moment as he dwelt on who the voice could have belonged to. The memory of any day at Bayview felt like a flashback to years passed, despite the fact that just a week ago, Craig would've been in school. Or maybe he'd be at home, since it was the weekend. He honestly wasn't sure... how many days was it? Was this day 2? Day 3? Was time flying when he clearly wasn't ha-
Owen. The voice was Owen.
"BUBBLE BOBINSKI!" Craig shouted, standing up as he looked for the voice. He wasn't thinking very clearly about it, but the words that he shouted probably would've sounded like a non-sequiteur to anybody not in the know, but Owen? The tiny boy would've remembered the friendly nickname offered to him by the largest guy in Bayview, and a fast friend to boot. But... Owen was nowhere to be seen.
"... Owen?"
-
Shake&Bake†
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:13 pm
(Sorry Stef, but I'm skipping too)
Once again, the age old defence mechanism clicked itself into place. That confusing stiff feeling that was somehow mixed with trembles and shivers. Her fingers curling inwards as if affected by rigor mortis, digging themselves deep into the soil of the flower bed. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she simply wanted to shut her eyes and sit there for a while until the butterflies stopped. Only everything wouldn't be better as she would so foolishly hope, she'd just be sitting there using her own ineffective coping method to blot out the potential threat of Lenny and George at the fountain.
Even her breathing had a nervous stutter to it, every breath of air that came back up her throat tickled and wavered. She slowly nestled her chin into her sweater and shuddered slightly as the cold sweat from her palms made the soil she had dug her hands into had started to turn into a semisolid sludge. Her stomach started to tie itself into a knot and sink deeper into her body, much like she had done at the tunnels. A nervous mouse that just burrows deeper and deeper into the darkness, praying for safety and seclusion. And then she began praying in her mind, the same old repetitive 'Oh please don't let them see me! Please don't let them see me!' until it was replaced with something strange and new.
'You're doing it again Haruka, just being the plain old you, you know. You never were Miss Popularity, you were never the vamp, never in the cool crowd and you most certainly wasn't the Prom Queen. You were simply that nervous girl who hung about trying to avoid others, afraid that any collision would result in pain and misery. I know you Haruka, because I am you. Just get over it for once! Those people in the tunnels, yeah they seemed a bit rough around the edges but maybe they could have helped you out in the end! You're so scared that you won't chance anything, you won't take a risk.'
'Look up at those boys, Craig Hoyle, yes Craig Hoyle, he couldn't hurt a fly despite being that heavy set and, the other one, Trent Savage, does he really look like a killer? Just get over yourself! Either talk to them or run away, just stop trying to be invisible because it really isn't working! In a matter of minutes they'll spot you and come over anyway, and if you still are too scared, it'll be a lot harder to outrun them. So just make up your mind! Remember those slaps from mom and dad? Because you never achieve anything, they don't make ribbons for quitters and scaredy-cats, do they? Now just do SOMETHING!'
She looked down at the ground, a crease formed on her brows. She had just received a mental tongue-lashing from her brain. She didn't know whether or not it was the superego or the id, but her mind was ready and waiting for a change of action. She knew she was never going to be a top player, a threat or an antagonist. She knew she probably wouldn't even make it another day or two, her time was running out and she was nothing more than a disappointment to her parents, and she would probably remain so until her death.
She was always the quiet one, drawing pictures in the margins or being sucked into soap operas. Being the one who appreciated the scenery and natural beauty of things, the one who was at one with the animals and wanted to help them. And yet she was afraid of everything. Her parents had did what they thought would be the best for the family, they moved to America and they even home schooled her until she was ready for school with other kids. She thought about that all the time, their great sacrifices for her, and she never really made much of an attempt to pay them back.
Sure she pushed herself in school when scolded, but apart from that, what else did she do? She wasn't going to be much of a success in the future, as her adolescent years were spent lingering in the background. And still her parents hadn't given up on her, they were always pushing and encouraging her to do something. Even if she wasn't going to be the next winner of Survival of the Fittest or be that much of a memorable contestant, she could at least make a change, here and now. Instead of running and hiding away at every sign of danger, she could just do something, anything that didn't end up with her frozen stiff and silently begging for her fate to not be so bloody.
And right there and then, Haruka Watanabe became aware of the cocoon she had withdrawn herself into when she descended into the tunnels.
She slowly raised her head, and saw that a third boy was approaching the scene. Owen...Owen something. Owen something, Trent Savage and Craig O'Hoyle the gentle giant. I...I guess I'm lucky, this is a lot better than the last group I ran into, with that...that girl! Haruka slowly crawled backwards, flattening herself against the soil. She folded her arms under her chin, using them as a headrest of sorts whilst she lay flat on the ground. She was scared, terrified in fact but she refused to succumb to it. She'd at least watch them for a while and hope that her position was enough to keep her hidden in plain sight for the time being.
Whether or not she'd join up with them or leave them was her own choice now, not something to be foolishly decided upon impulse. She'd lay there and listen to their words, if she deemed them trustworthy enough she'd reveal herself and pray they didn't kill her. If she didn't, she'd pray they won't notice her whilst she waited for them to leave. It perhaps wasn't the best of plans, but it was a plan at the very least. Something for her to be proud of, at least for now whilst she began her transformation, tapping away at the walls of her cocoon.
The Owen boy soon dissappeared, leaving Craig and Trent alone. Haruka had seen how Trent had raised his weapon and decided there and then, despite it being a gesture so small and insignificant, that she would wait for her next encounter with others. This was the second group she had bumped into, and she kept thinking that the third one would be the charm.
Once again, the age old defence mechanism clicked itself into place. That confusing stiff feeling that was somehow mixed with trembles and shivers. Her fingers curling inwards as if affected by rigor mortis, digging themselves deep into the soil of the flower bed. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she simply wanted to shut her eyes and sit there for a while until the butterflies stopped. Only everything wouldn't be better as she would so foolishly hope, she'd just be sitting there using her own ineffective coping method to blot out the potential threat of Lenny and George at the fountain.
Even her breathing had a nervous stutter to it, every breath of air that came back up her throat tickled and wavered. She slowly nestled her chin into her sweater and shuddered slightly as the cold sweat from her palms made the soil she had dug her hands into had started to turn into a semisolid sludge. Her stomach started to tie itself into a knot and sink deeper into her body, much like she had done at the tunnels. A nervous mouse that just burrows deeper and deeper into the darkness, praying for safety and seclusion. And then she began praying in her mind, the same old repetitive 'Oh please don't let them see me! Please don't let them see me!' until it was replaced with something strange and new.
'You're doing it again Haruka, just being the plain old you, you know. You never were Miss Popularity, you were never the vamp, never in the cool crowd and you most certainly wasn't the Prom Queen. You were simply that nervous girl who hung about trying to avoid others, afraid that any collision would result in pain and misery. I know you Haruka, because I am you. Just get over it for once! Those people in the tunnels, yeah they seemed a bit rough around the edges but maybe they could have helped you out in the end! You're so scared that you won't chance anything, you won't take a risk.'
'Look up at those boys, Craig Hoyle, yes Craig Hoyle, he couldn't hurt a fly despite being that heavy set and, the other one, Trent Savage, does he really look like a killer? Just get over yourself! Either talk to them or run away, just stop trying to be invisible because it really isn't working! In a matter of minutes they'll spot you and come over anyway, and if you still are too scared, it'll be a lot harder to outrun them. So just make up your mind! Remember those slaps from mom and dad? Because you never achieve anything, they don't make ribbons for quitters and scaredy-cats, do they? Now just do SOMETHING!'
She looked down at the ground, a crease formed on her brows. She had just received a mental tongue-lashing from her brain. She didn't know whether or not it was the superego or the id, but her mind was ready and waiting for a change of action. She knew she was never going to be a top player, a threat or an antagonist. She knew she probably wouldn't even make it another day or two, her time was running out and she was nothing more than a disappointment to her parents, and she would probably remain so until her death.
She was always the quiet one, drawing pictures in the margins or being sucked into soap operas. Being the one who appreciated the scenery and natural beauty of things, the one who was at one with the animals and wanted to help them. And yet she was afraid of everything. Her parents had did what they thought would be the best for the family, they moved to America and they even home schooled her until she was ready for school with other kids. She thought about that all the time, their great sacrifices for her, and she never really made much of an attempt to pay them back.
Sure she pushed herself in school when scolded, but apart from that, what else did she do? She wasn't going to be much of a success in the future, as her adolescent years were spent lingering in the background. And still her parents hadn't given up on her, they were always pushing and encouraging her to do something. Even if she wasn't going to be the next winner of Survival of the Fittest or be that much of a memorable contestant, she could at least make a change, here and now. Instead of running and hiding away at every sign of danger, she could just do something, anything that didn't end up with her frozen stiff and silently begging for her fate to not be so bloody.
And right there and then, Haruka Watanabe became aware of the cocoon she had withdrawn herself into when she descended into the tunnels.
She slowly raised her head, and saw that a third boy was approaching the scene. Owen...Owen something. Owen something, Trent Savage and Craig O'Hoyle the gentle giant. I...I guess I'm lucky, this is a lot better than the last group I ran into, with that...that girl! Haruka slowly crawled backwards, flattening herself against the soil. She folded her arms under her chin, using them as a headrest of sorts whilst she lay flat on the ground. She was scared, terrified in fact but she refused to succumb to it. She'd at least watch them for a while and hope that her position was enough to keep her hidden in plain sight for the time being.
Whether or not she'd join up with them or leave them was her own choice now, not something to be foolishly decided upon impulse. She'd lay there and listen to their words, if she deemed them trustworthy enough she'd reveal herself and pray they didn't kill her. If she didn't, she'd pray they won't notice her whilst she waited for them to leave. It perhaps wasn't the best of plans, but it was a plan at the very least. Something for her to be proud of, at least for now whilst she began her transformation, tapping away at the walls of her cocoon.
The Owen boy soon dissappeared, leaving Craig and Trent alone. Haruka had seen how Trent had raised his weapon and decided there and then, despite it being a gesture so small and insignificant, that she would wait for her next encounter with others. This was the second group she had bumped into, and she kept thinking that the third one would be the charm.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Shake&Bake. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
Hallucinojelly†
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:17 am
Trent shook. How many people had died now, according to the announcements at least? 30? 40? 50? It wasn't like he was keeping score, but shit, it'd only been a couple of days and everyone at Bayview had gone straight out of their fucking minds. Knowing that anyone they met could be a potential murderer wasn't exactly a comfort to him, and judging by Craig's reactions to the list, he figured now he'd have to be the one to start protecting the other.
His kanabo stung his hand as he loosened his grip - the nerves having gotten the better of him, he'd held it so tight in his palm that it caused large red grooves to appear in his skin. Gently, he slipped down off the edge of the fountain, being careful not to move to fast in case of a head rush, and shuffled over to his partner. What should he say...? He didn't know Reiko very well, so...
"Craig..."
Then without warning, Owen appeared out of nowhere.
One of Craig's friends was here, looking scared and panicked. Trent raised his weapon a little - he wasn't about to let him mosey on over after hearing all that shit on the speakers. He could be one of them. A murderer. Crazy. His weapon grew higher, showing the guy what he would get if he took even the slightest step towards them. He knew Craig couldn't see what he was doing, and he was glad. He knew that he'd probably try and defend the guy if anything happened, leaving Trent to deal with the island all by himself. It was selfish, he knew, but the sense of relief when the boy turned tail and fled was overwhelmingly satisfying. Right now, he needed Craig more than anything else, and while he was still alive and kicking he wouldn't let anyone near the two of them.
With Owen gone, his heartbeat steadied, and he lowered his weapon to his waist. Patting Craig on the shoulder in commiseration, he hobbled back over to where he'd been sitting beforehand and slumped back down next to his things.
By his estimations, it must've been past 6am now, if the terrorists were keeping a schedule, which meant it would be high-time to find cover if they wanted to last another day. He dove into his bag, retrieving his map. Folding it out across his lap, he scanned the whole thing for a perfect place to hide. The woods seemed too open, and there was a huge chance they'd bump into another group while they wandered around in there. The beach was a definite no-no; they'd be far too vulnerable. His eyes glanced at the very top of the map, at the sea, washing a look of desperation over his face.
If only we had a boat...
His eyes trailed away from the paper, looking up at the area ahead of him. The flowers were still growing here, which would've seemed odd to him if he'd seen the rest of the island, so he stared at them for a while, studying their quiet swaying as the wind conducted them. Then by chance, he noticed something dark in the flowers to the right. A large something, actually. A something which... no, were they -
"Craig..."
He muttered under his breath, keeping his gaze solely focused on the shape.
"Craig, get over here."
He swallowed.
"I think someone's hiding."
His kanabo stung his hand as he loosened his grip - the nerves having gotten the better of him, he'd held it so tight in his palm that it caused large red grooves to appear in his skin. Gently, he slipped down off the edge of the fountain, being careful not to move to fast in case of a head rush, and shuffled over to his partner. What should he say...? He didn't know Reiko very well, so...
"Craig..."
Then without warning, Owen appeared out of nowhere.
One of Craig's friends was here, looking scared and panicked. Trent raised his weapon a little - he wasn't about to let him mosey on over after hearing all that shit on the speakers. He could be one of them. A murderer. Crazy. His weapon grew higher, showing the guy what he would get if he took even the slightest step towards them. He knew Craig couldn't see what he was doing, and he was glad. He knew that he'd probably try and defend the guy if anything happened, leaving Trent to deal with the island all by himself. It was selfish, he knew, but the sense of relief when the boy turned tail and fled was overwhelmingly satisfying. Right now, he needed Craig more than anything else, and while he was still alive and kicking he wouldn't let anyone near the two of them.
With Owen gone, his heartbeat steadied, and he lowered his weapon to his waist. Patting Craig on the shoulder in commiseration, he hobbled back over to where he'd been sitting beforehand and slumped back down next to his things.
By his estimations, it must've been past 6am now, if the terrorists were keeping a schedule, which meant it would be high-time to find cover if they wanted to last another day. He dove into his bag, retrieving his map. Folding it out across his lap, he scanned the whole thing for a perfect place to hide. The woods seemed too open, and there was a huge chance they'd bump into another group while they wandered around in there. The beach was a definite no-no; they'd be far too vulnerable. His eyes glanced at the very top of the map, at the sea, washing a look of desperation over his face.
If only we had a boat...
His eyes trailed away from the paper, looking up at the area ahead of him. The flowers were still growing here, which would've seemed odd to him if he'd seen the rest of the island, so he stared at them for a while, studying their quiet swaying as the wind conducted them. Then by chance, he noticed something dark in the flowers to the right. A large something, actually. A something which... no, were they -
"Craig..."
He muttered under his breath, keeping his gaze solely focused on the shape.
"Craig, get over here."
He swallowed.
"I think someone's hiding."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Hallucinojelly. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
"Craig, get over here."
"Wh... w-what is it?"
Trent's voice was saturated with fear to the point where it was practically dripping with it. What... did he see something? What could Trent have possibly found? Was it a weapon of some sort as evidence of some macabre (Craig was really never sure how to pronounce that) crime, or... did Trent find even darker evidence... the kind that would satisfy Habeus Corpus? Craig shied away from the fountain by once step, looking at Trent's face yet refusing to trace his gaze to the spot where he was looking. If there was a body in the flowerbed, he didn't want to see it...
"I think someone's hiding."
... That was it? Somebody was hiding in the flowers? The tension held up for a few seconds more in consideration of how he should've reacted, but it fell through in a matter of just a few seconds. "Oh... oh, right!" Craig had to force some uneasiness within himself, but he was glad to have some company to join himself and Trent, particular when Owen seemed to disappear. Or maybe he was just imagining things? Who knew... but if he was imagining his friends, then he was either losing it, or going through an understandable period of loneliness. This wasn't meant to knock on Trent or anything, but often a person needs more than one companion.
Craig stepped cautiously to the patch of flowers, gulping. He saw the dark shape within as well, but it didn't seem to be moving much at all... what if it was a body? Then what? He wasn't sure how well he'd handle that. Then the flowers moved.
Craig let out a bit of a surprised cough or squeak, or a strange mix between the two, and he let it out almost before the flowers had even moved. A girl rose from the flowers, her arms up and... as surprising as the event was, she seemed to be shaking harder than Craig had at any time on this island. Quite the feat, considering his gut tended to act similar to grape jelly in terms of movement.
"L-Look I wasn't spying on you g-guys! I was just w-waiting for you to go away!"
The girl was Haruka Watanabe. Craig could never forget that freaking name... it was just so much fun to say! Ha-ru-ka Wa-ta-na-be. It can amuse small children and artistic giants for hours at a time. The two were almost the same height at the given vantage points, impressive considering Haruka rose from and was standing on a raised flowerbed, boosting her height by nearly two feet.
"Just, leave me a-alone and I'll leave, o-okay?"
Well, this was certainly a familiar reaction, and one that was far more understandable when, according to the powers that be, their mutual classmates were dying (but pics or it didn't happen, damn it!). Still, Craig felt absolutely terrible that the girl would be so frightful of the two... they wouldn't hurt her at all! Not Trent, and certainly not himself...
"Hey, ease up! It's me, Craig! You know, went to school together? We were jus' sitting here, Haruka, so you're alright! S-Scared us a bit, though!" Craig ended the sentence on a note of ease, chuckling. "Sit with us if you want, or go if you want... We're just hanging out for a little bit. My legs hurt like hell!"
"Wh... w-what is it?"
Trent's voice was saturated with fear to the point where it was practically dripping with it. What... did he see something? What could Trent have possibly found? Was it a weapon of some sort as evidence of some macabre (Craig was really never sure how to pronounce that) crime, or... did Trent find even darker evidence... the kind that would satisfy Habeus Corpus? Craig shied away from the fountain by once step, looking at Trent's face yet refusing to trace his gaze to the spot where he was looking. If there was a body in the flowerbed, he didn't want to see it...
"I think someone's hiding."
... That was it? Somebody was hiding in the flowers? The tension held up for a few seconds more in consideration of how he should've reacted, but it fell through in a matter of just a few seconds. "Oh... oh, right!" Craig had to force some uneasiness within himself, but he was glad to have some company to join himself and Trent, particular when Owen seemed to disappear. Or maybe he was just imagining things? Who knew... but if he was imagining his friends, then he was either losing it, or going through an understandable period of loneliness. This wasn't meant to knock on Trent or anything, but often a person needs more than one companion.
Craig stepped cautiously to the patch of flowers, gulping. He saw the dark shape within as well, but it didn't seem to be moving much at all... what if it was a body? Then what? He wasn't sure how well he'd handle that. Then the flowers moved.
Craig let out a bit of a surprised cough or squeak, or a strange mix between the two, and he let it out almost before the flowers had even moved. A girl rose from the flowers, her arms up and... as surprising as the event was, she seemed to be shaking harder than Craig had at any time on this island. Quite the feat, considering his gut tended to act similar to grape jelly in terms of movement.
"L-Look I wasn't spying on you g-guys! I was just w-waiting for you to go away!"
The girl was Haruka Watanabe. Craig could never forget that freaking name... it was just so much fun to say! Ha-ru-ka Wa-ta-na-be. It can amuse small children and artistic giants for hours at a time. The two were almost the same height at the given vantage points, impressive considering Haruka rose from and was standing on a raised flowerbed, boosting her height by nearly two feet.
"Just, leave me a-alone and I'll leave, o-okay?"
Well, this was certainly a familiar reaction, and one that was far more understandable when, according to the powers that be, their mutual classmates were dying (but pics or it didn't happen, damn it!). Still, Craig felt absolutely terrible that the girl would be so frightful of the two... they wouldn't hurt her at all! Not Trent, and certainly not himself...
"Hey, ease up! It's me, Craig! You know, went to school together? We were jus' sitting here, Haruka, so you're alright! S-Scared us a bit, though!" Craig ended the sentence on a note of ease, chuckling. "Sit with us if you want, or go if you want... We're just hanging out for a little bit. My legs hurt like hell!"
-
Shake&Bake†
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:13 pm
"Hey, ease up! It's me, Craig! You know, went to school together? We were jus' sitting here, Haruka, so you're alright! S-Scared us a bit, though!"
It was hard to feel scared. Of course she was still terrified but the fear seemed to be evaporating in small invisible clouds. There was just something about Craig, ignoring the fact that he could pick her up with one hand and snap her spine like a twig, he just had one of those friendly faces. The kind of faces that made you feel warm and at home, the one that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. The way he talk sounded both simple and friendly, not childish by any means, but the sort of voice you'd expect from a friendly neighbour who invited you around for barbeques.
Haruka bowed her head, and wiped her hands down the sides of her sweater. She looked back up, staring at Craig, then at Trent. There was still something a little off about the other boy, but she kept reassuring herself that she was making it up. Craig even knew her name. She was the girl that seeped into the background and tried not to be noticed, and he knew her. He gave a friendly chuckle before talking again.
"Sit with us if you want, or go if you want... We're just hanging out for a little bit. My legs hurt like hell!"
"I-I'm sorry for scaring you, I r-really didn't mean to! I just, I guessed I was b-being paranoid and t-thought you were going to hurt me." She had planned to choose her words carefully but they simply spilled out and she was worried about whether or not she sounded stupid. Craig seemed optimistic, like he could be a friendly big brother or maybe a counsellor at a summer camp. She had been running from company for the better part of three days and she finally felt as if she had ran into somebody she didn't need to be scared of.
Whether or not she was right to run from the tunnels, she was glad that she did now. She was pretty sure Trent was okay too, but there was a nagging feeling that he may have a dark agenda, after all, Craig was quick to offer that she sat with them despite knowing nothing about her activities since the games had started.
Is that really my cause for concern? Him being so trusting of me so soon? I'm hardly the most threatening person on this island, even if I wanted to be. Who'd be scared of a meek Japanese girl? The Ishida's seem harmless, Eiko Haraguchi was always polite to just about everyone and of course there's me, the quiet girl who volunteered at the animal pound...
Haruka gave a faint smile and bowed her head, before reaching down to grab her bag. She slowly climbed off of the flowerbed, and now had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact with the two boys. "I don't w-want to impose, but s-sitting with you has been the b-best offer I've had s-since I woke up the other day."
It was hard to feel scared. Of course she was still terrified but the fear seemed to be evaporating in small invisible clouds. There was just something about Craig, ignoring the fact that he could pick her up with one hand and snap her spine like a twig, he just had one of those friendly faces. The kind of faces that made you feel warm and at home, the one that made you feel like everything was going to be okay. The way he talk sounded both simple and friendly, not childish by any means, but the sort of voice you'd expect from a friendly neighbour who invited you around for barbeques.
Haruka bowed her head, and wiped her hands down the sides of her sweater. She looked back up, staring at Craig, then at Trent. There was still something a little off about the other boy, but she kept reassuring herself that she was making it up. Craig even knew her name. She was the girl that seeped into the background and tried not to be noticed, and he knew her. He gave a friendly chuckle before talking again.
"Sit with us if you want, or go if you want... We're just hanging out for a little bit. My legs hurt like hell!"
"I-I'm sorry for scaring you, I r-really didn't mean to! I just, I guessed I was b-being paranoid and t-thought you were going to hurt me." She had planned to choose her words carefully but they simply spilled out and she was worried about whether or not she sounded stupid. Craig seemed optimistic, like he could be a friendly big brother or maybe a counsellor at a summer camp. She had been running from company for the better part of three days and she finally felt as if she had ran into somebody she didn't need to be scared of.
Whether or not she was right to run from the tunnels, she was glad that she did now. She was pretty sure Trent was okay too, but there was a nagging feeling that he may have a dark agenda, after all, Craig was quick to offer that she sat with them despite knowing nothing about her activities since the games had started.
Is that really my cause for concern? Him being so trusting of me so soon? I'm hardly the most threatening person on this island, even if I wanted to be. Who'd be scared of a meek Japanese girl? The Ishida's seem harmless, Eiko Haraguchi was always polite to just about everyone and of course there's me, the quiet girl who volunteered at the animal pound...
Haruka gave a faint smile and bowed her head, before reaching down to grab her bag. She slowly climbed off of the flowerbed, and now had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact with the two boys. "I don't w-want to impose, but s-sitting with you has been the b-best offer I've had s-since I woke up the other day."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Shake&Bake. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
Super Llama†
- Posts: 339
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:39 am
{{continued from The Manslut, the Cocktease and the Lover}}
Duncan walked along in grim silence, his daypack in one hand, slung over his shoulder, and in the other the sharpened stick, lost in thought as he went. Maria just couldn't be a killer. It had to be some kind of accident. That's what he kept telling himself, anyway. But still, the image of Maria standing over a burning corpse with a maniacal grin on her face persisted.
He remembered watching a few clips from the show a long while ago, and though it revolted him, he still found himself drawn to it, morbid curiosity driving him to learn more. Though it was a phase he eventually got over, he still came out of it with the knowledge of what this game did to people, and though he was loath to admit it, the idea that Maria had become a player was a possibility at this point. But that didn't mean he had to accept it, goddammit. If only he could find her, get the story out of her.
And then a tree branch hit him in the face.
"Aah!" Duncan was taken by surprise, stumbling backwards. Damn, he really wasn't paying attention to where he was going, was he? Moving back forwards again, this time stepping around the offending branch, he soon came to a halt again as he found himself staring out at a building, with a couple people standing nearby, and...
"It's you..." That really was the girl from the tunnel, who ran out on him and the others. He started to step forward again, but stopped as he remembered that she seemed to be easily spooked. "Uh...hey, it's okay. I'm still not here to hurt you or anything." He stopped as he realized something. "I mean, I'm not following you or anything. I was just heading in the same direction."
Great, now he looked like a stalker.
Duncan walked along in grim silence, his daypack in one hand, slung over his shoulder, and in the other the sharpened stick, lost in thought as he went. Maria just couldn't be a killer. It had to be some kind of accident. That's what he kept telling himself, anyway. But still, the image of Maria standing over a burning corpse with a maniacal grin on her face persisted.
He remembered watching a few clips from the show a long while ago, and though it revolted him, he still found himself drawn to it, morbid curiosity driving him to learn more. Though it was a phase he eventually got over, he still came out of it with the knowledge of what this game did to people, and though he was loath to admit it, the idea that Maria had become a player was a possibility at this point. But that didn't mean he had to accept it, goddammit. If only he could find her, get the story out of her.
And then a tree branch hit him in the face.
"Aah!" Duncan was taken by surprise, stumbling backwards. Damn, he really wasn't paying attention to where he was going, was he? Moving back forwards again, this time stepping around the offending branch, he soon came to a halt again as he found himself staring out at a building, with a couple people standing nearby, and...
"It's you..." That really was the girl from the tunnel, who ran out on him and the others. He started to step forward again, but stopped as he remembered that she seemed to be easily spooked. "Uh...hey, it's okay. I'm still not here to hurt you or anything." He stopped as he realized something. "I mean, I'm not following you or anything. I was just heading in the same direction."
Great, now he looked like a stalker.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Super Llama.
(David Meramac continued form Your Cross to Bear)
As David Meramac left the shadows of a building and broke into the sun-filled center of town--and, in doing so, into the midst of a rather tense and jittery group of people--it occurred to him he had developed an awful habit of intruding on people at the most inopportune moments. It was only a vague thought, coupled with the idea that such events never when well for him.
Had anyone died back there?
Night had fallen, they had shielded themselves in the warmth of the fire. In spite of his mental and physical exhaustion, in spite of the terror he felt at every shifting shadow and every random noise, he had begun to calm down. He had begun to feel, if not safe, than at least a little more certain of himself. He was very clearly with good people--Cody, Janet, Imraan...
All of whom might be dead right now. All of whom he had left, fighting in his wake as he'd taken off into the darkness.
His legs continued to burn, as did his throat. He had done nothing but run these past few days, and it showed in the sweat-stained stiffness of his clothes, his sunken eyes, his trembling limbs as he jogged unevenly over the ground, wove his way through buildings and broke out onto a new scene.
Onto new people.
At once he saw on their faces all the malice he knew must have been on their assailant's face last night, imagined the danger was back with him. Luck was on his side as he ran--he saw very few people as he ran, and those he saw were always far away. He encountered only one corpse, and that had been in the dead of night--he knew it only...
Only because he'd stumbled.
He flung himself backwards, feeling the limp body in his hands and hearing gunshots rip out of the darkness and seeing hatred on the faces of those he had run across. No mental function left; as he hit the ground, scrambling backwards, words vomited from his throat. "Don't kill me please don't kill me I'm not playing I don't even have a god damn weapon-!"
As David Meramac left the shadows of a building and broke into the sun-filled center of town--and, in doing so, into the midst of a rather tense and jittery group of people--it occurred to him he had developed an awful habit of intruding on people at the most inopportune moments. It was only a vague thought, coupled with the idea that such events never when well for him.
Had anyone died back there?
Night had fallen, they had shielded themselves in the warmth of the fire. In spite of his mental and physical exhaustion, in spite of the terror he felt at every shifting shadow and every random noise, he had begun to calm down. He had begun to feel, if not safe, than at least a little more certain of himself. He was very clearly with good people--Cody, Janet, Imraan...
All of whom might be dead right now. All of whom he had left, fighting in his wake as he'd taken off into the darkness.
His legs continued to burn, as did his throat. He had done nothing but run these past few days, and it showed in the sweat-stained stiffness of his clothes, his sunken eyes, his trembling limbs as he jogged unevenly over the ground, wove his way through buildings and broke out onto a new scene.
Onto new people.
At once he saw on their faces all the malice he knew must have been on their assailant's face last night, imagined the danger was back with him. Luck was on his side as he ran--he saw very few people as he ran, and those he saw were always far away. He encountered only one corpse, and that had been in the dead of night--he knew it only...
Only because he'd stumbled.
He flung himself backwards, feeling the limp body in his hands and hearing gunshots rip out of the darkness and seeing hatred on the faces of those he had run across. No mental function left; as he hit the ground, scrambling backwards, words vomited from his throat. "Don't kill me please don't kill me I'm not playing I don't even have a god damn weapon-!"
Those Whose Time Has Come]
Terra Johnson (female student no. 73, DECEASED): Oh...duh...Abel's...dead...the one who...lives is...
Tom Swift (male student no. 60): It didn't matter what he wanted anymore.
Daria Bhatia (female student no. 56): "I pity you, and everyone who knows you. Because if you can live with this, I don't...I don't think you're human anymore.”
Terra Johnson (female student no. 73, DECEASED): Oh...duh...Abel's...dead...the one who...lives is...
Tom Swift (male student no. 60): It didn't matter what he wanted anymore.
Daria Bhatia (female student no. 56): "I pity you, and everyone who knows you. Because if you can live with this, I don't...I don't think you're human anymore.”
-
Hallucinojelly†
- Posts: 133
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:17 am
People.
Everywhere.
One of them literally rose up from the soil.
And Craig was apparently loving it.
While the girl had been introducing herself, Duncan had stumbled into the scene, rambling on about tunnels and being a stalker while another guy appeared from nowhere in a wild panic.
But where to start?
The girl - Haruka - seemed harmless enough, even if her entrance reminded him of something out of a fucking zombie movie, and Craig wasn't all that wary of her, so she was fine. But then those other two guys - Duncan and David - had severely crept him out. Duncan's attention was solely focused on the girl from the flowerbed, which was weird considering Craig fucking Hoyle was standing right in front of her, and though he was a bit of a weed, Trent thought he would be at least a little intimidating.
Sighing, he lounged back on the edge of the fountain, kanabo firmly in hand nonetheless. Hey, if Craig was alright with them all being there, making lots of noise and generally being a giant nuisance, then fine. If anything happened to them now, he could take solace in the fact that it was all his partner's responsibility. Awesome. In the mean time, he'd get on with mapping out their next destination in peace.
Glancing up to the left, he noticed the frenzied look on David's face. He hadn't calmed down at all, which was worrying. A quick look at Craig, who was busy being distracted by the other two, he groaned and shoved his weapon back into his daypack.
"Chill out, man. We're not part of the murderin' trade, and I'm in no shape to kick your ass today."
He held down the map with his free hand as he waved the guy over.
"Now if you're stickin' around, come make yourself useful. I'm not... great with maps."
Another look back at the others.
"And if you guys wanna stick around too, you better make yourselves real useful."
His gaze wandered over Haruka's chest for a second, before he turned his head back down to the paper on his lap.
Everywhere.
One of them literally rose up from the soil.
And Craig was apparently loving it.
While the girl had been introducing herself, Duncan had stumbled into the scene, rambling on about tunnels and being a stalker while another guy appeared from nowhere in a wild panic.
But where to start?
The girl - Haruka - seemed harmless enough, even if her entrance reminded him of something out of a fucking zombie movie, and Craig wasn't all that wary of her, so she was fine. But then those other two guys - Duncan and David - had severely crept him out. Duncan's attention was solely focused on the girl from the flowerbed, which was weird considering Craig fucking Hoyle was standing right in front of her, and though he was a bit of a weed, Trent thought he would be at least a little intimidating.
Sighing, he lounged back on the edge of the fountain, kanabo firmly in hand nonetheless. Hey, if Craig was alright with them all being there, making lots of noise and generally being a giant nuisance, then fine. If anything happened to them now, he could take solace in the fact that it was all his partner's responsibility. Awesome. In the mean time, he'd get on with mapping out their next destination in peace.
Glancing up to the left, he noticed the frenzied look on David's face. He hadn't calmed down at all, which was worrying. A quick look at Craig, who was busy being distracted by the other two, he groaned and shoved his weapon back into his daypack.
"Chill out, man. We're not part of the murderin' trade, and I'm in no shape to kick your ass today."
He held down the map with his free hand as he waved the guy over.
"Now if you're stickin' around, come make yourself useful. I'm not... great with maps."
Another look back at the others.
"And if you guys wanna stick around too, you better make yourselves real useful."
His gaze wandered over Haruka's chest for a second, before he turned his head back down to the paper on his lap.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Hallucinojelly. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Craig hardly had time to sit down before this particular area became very popular. Somebody had just stumbled out of nowhere near Haruka, at least relative to him, and the other one had stumbled in front of the entire group and was now scrambling backwards while going on about how he didn't want to be killed. The experience was certainly... shocking, to one extend or another, and left Craig sitting on the edge of the flowerbed for a few moments, dumbfounded. Wasn't every day people just showed up for next to no reason and proceeded ot make no sense. Then again, in a strange manner mirroring that of a nonsensical exhibit, it all fit together.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Trent take a look over to him, a look which Craig returned. Not a word was exchanged between the two, at least verbally, but just the mutual looks spoke volumes. Making the statement of 'what the fuck is going on?' or 'what do we do now?' would have been pretty accurate. There seemed, in the midst of that look, an agreement that was made. Haruka seemed to have calmed down, at least before the boy (Craig couldn't remember his name... but he kept thinking about coffee and yo-yo's whenever he saw the guy's face, so maybe...) had showed up. Trent seemed to have his hands full with the begger, so Craig decided to do whatever came natural.
"Uh... hey there! Don't worry about it too much, just sit with us if you want. We're resting, not going to kill you either."
All of this was sending a disconcerting message however, and the more Craig dwelled on it, the more he found the implications to be unsettling. He could see this happening if they had just gotten on the island; most, if not all of the kids would have been in shock, just waking up in a whole new world. Hell, they should all still be a little bit scared even two days later, but... not this scared.
They wouldn't be this scared unless something had happened.
The full weight of the announcements still hadn't fallen on Craig's heart. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen the horror for himself; the message could just be propaganda, for all he knew. Where others tried to relax but couldn't, Craig was trying to find the horror in the situation, yet failed. He wasn't on an island with escaped convicts, these were kids. Kids with collars that made poor fashion statements and a random assortment of weapons, but kids nonetheless. Craig knew these faces... grew up with most, knew that even the jocks and the snide commenters were as human as the rest of them, full of anxiety and the potential to grow. Yet, by day 3, three students had shown themselves to Craig and Trent, and they all seemed to be at wit's end.
What had they all seen?
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Trent take a look over to him, a look which Craig returned. Not a word was exchanged between the two, at least verbally, but just the mutual looks spoke volumes. Making the statement of 'what the fuck is going on?' or 'what do we do now?' would have been pretty accurate. There seemed, in the midst of that look, an agreement that was made. Haruka seemed to have calmed down, at least before the boy (Craig couldn't remember his name... but he kept thinking about coffee and yo-yo's whenever he saw the guy's face, so maybe...) had showed up. Trent seemed to have his hands full with the begger, so Craig decided to do whatever came natural.
"Uh... hey there! Don't worry about it too much, just sit with us if you want. We're resting, not going to kill you either."
All of this was sending a disconcerting message however, and the more Craig dwelled on it, the more he found the implications to be unsettling. He could see this happening if they had just gotten on the island; most, if not all of the kids would have been in shock, just waking up in a whole new world. Hell, they should all still be a little bit scared even two days later, but... not this scared.
They wouldn't be this scared unless something had happened.
The full weight of the announcements still hadn't fallen on Craig's heart. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen the horror for himself; the message could just be propaganda, for all he knew. Where others tried to relax but couldn't, Craig was trying to find the horror in the situation, yet failed. He wasn't on an island with escaped convicts, these were kids. Kids with collars that made poor fashion statements and a random assortment of weapons, but kids nonetheless. Craig knew these faces... grew up with most, knew that even the jocks and the snide commenters were as human as the rest of them, full of anxiety and the potential to grow. Yet, by day 3, three students had shown themselves to Craig and Trent, and they all seemed to be at wit's end.
What had they all seen?
-
Shake&Bake†
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:13 pm
"Aah!"
There was a distant swishing sound and a crack as a tree branch was bent backwards, and swung back into place. The branch vibrated with the movement, making the rustling leaves sound like harsh whispers. Her top teeth met her lip, and she felt the dry skin being stretched and strained. The voice, sound familiar, an uncanny resemblance to somebody she had already spoken with. However, she never spoke to anyone.
The footsteps stamped across the ground as the person tried to keep balance. Haruka's teeth dug deeper into her bottom lip, heat and dryness turned into a slight sting. She shut her eyes and her fingernails began scooping up more soil from the flowerbed. The other two, Craig and Trent had seen the person, she didn't want to turn her head because she knew that any confidence and strength she had amassed would be disintergrated immediately. Sometimes it was better to just close your eyes and hold the sheet over your head.
"It's you..."
The voice was definitely masculine, a small relief.
Faded images of the deathgirl crept through Haruka's mind to non-diegetic tribal drumbeats. The beats grew faster as the girl began crawling across the grass behind her, with her blistered hands, bloody clothes and muddy face...Sliding the survival knife out from behind her back and placing one crudely bandaged hand on Haruka's shoulder...Haruka keeping her eyes glued shut, a thin ribbon of blood stretching from her lip to the bottom of her chin...The harsh, dry whispering of the girl with the stringy hair as she placed the knife over Haruka's throat and...The drumming stopped.
"Uh...hey, it's okay. I'm still not here to hurt you or anything."
Haruka's eyes fluttered open. A loose but near certain guess branded this person as her stalker, not Craigs, not Trents, her own tracker. Hunting her down, was this the boogeyman who loomed over her in the tunnels? Scared her away from the river? Followed her into the woods? And now that she had found some form of safety and company, had the boogeyman closed the distance?
Don't turn around, please don't turn around, just get up and run and just leave, take one of the guys bags if you have to but just run away and hide some more, okay?
Her legs wouldn't move, she felt them but could not will them into doing a thing. Perhaps the opposite of phantom limb, she didn't know, but she felt well and truly screwed. Her clammy hands, slicked with cold sweat, were glued to the bricked rim of the flowerbed and her stomach was sinking lower and lower until she was positive she was going to see it hanging out from beneath her skirt in the next few minutes. Her mouth was dry and her throat rough. She was suddenly jerked back into the real world by the sharp sting of her bottom lip splitting open.
"I mean, I'm not following you or anything. I was just heading in the same direction."
Her stomach began crawling its way up into her abdomen and her feet twitched momentarily. She wanted to run fowards, take Trents club thing and turn, battering her stalker with it. She needed to do something, prove to herself that she wasn't just a useless little kid who sat around jumping at everything.
She was always the mouse or the rabbit, or whatever rodent acted more cowardly. Jerking her head around, hopping away and burrowing under a mountain of sawdust. When a rat was backed into the corner, they fought back no matter how outnumbered they were. Even if the odds had been stacked against the rat, or herself, at least she'd have a chance at...at...
"Uh... hey there! Don't worry about it too much, just sit with us if you want. We're resting, not going to kill you either."
You have to be kidding me, please! Why isn't anybody asking me for my opinion? I don't want to die! I'm being...I'm being...stalked! That never ends well and...and...Oh God, why is this happening? Craig you...you...You don't invite stalkers to a picnic or...
Haruka turned her head. Her eyes widened like saucers and she let out a shrill scream. She had no idea that Craig had been talking to two people, she thought only her own (although it could have been Trent's or Craig's stalker too, but the voice sounded too familiar for that to be the case) stalker was being addressed.
If they are...If they are hostile or...Or bad or, we're almost outnumbered! Craig's too...kind and oh forgive me for saything this, he looks like he'd get worn out after two punches and and Trent doesn't look much better and...We'll be outnumbered, I can't fight...I can't! It's not in my nature I've never done it before I...I...I can run...Now, run, yes, now...
"Chill out, man. We're not part of the murderin' trade, and I'm in no shape to kick your ass today."
Damn you Trent! Haruka thought, and clenched her fists for a moment, her knuckles cracked loudly. She hung her head, looking down at her feet. She wasn't sure if she could run yet, she still felt wooden and stiff, she had woken up less than ten minutes ago after sleeping in a flowerbed of all places. She wasn't sure if she could survive another day without a roof. I'm not built for this...I...I can't live like this, I'm just a pathetic, doodling, soap watching, fragile little girl who sinks under the radar and now...Everything is changing and I'm not ready!
The two boys, Duncan, who she had met earlier in the tunnels. The big tomb, he got out too, did he? Good for him, she had gotten lost so many times she thought she was never going to see sunlight again. He was the least harmless of the group, and she had deserted them whilst they plotted with the deathgirl, the one with the knife. Duncan seemed okay, not violent, but people change alot in a day, plus he had been with that creep Ethan and that shrew Feo. She couldn't help but assume they weren't far behind, they had been a team, at least, she thought they were.
The other boy, David M. had completely snuck up on the group. At least, Trent and Craig hadn't nudged her or anything, maybe they just thought of her as luggage. She knew David was relatively popular, in a friendly way rather than being stuck up, he also did baseball too but Haruka wasn't much into sports. He had seemed like a nice enough guy back at Bayview, but so had lots of other people who had since turned into killers. At least she could possibly rely on Duncan to not stab her in the back with one of his stick things, but as for David, right now she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.
"Now if you're stickin' around, come make yourself useful. I'm not... great with maps."
They're friendly, naive, worn out and overly trusting, plus Trent can't read a map, and now they've welcomed two possible killers into the fold. I don't know what on earth David has gotten up to, but for all I know Duncan could have butched Ethan, Feo and that loudmouthed goon Frankie. Maybe even the deathgirl unless she spider-crawled back up the walls to her grimy little alcove. I'm starting to wonder if leaving the tunnels was even a good idea now...
"And if you guys wanna stick around too, you better make yourselves real useful."
Haruka looked around from face to face;
Craig, he seemed so friendly and trusting, a real optimist, but was he really suited both physically and mentally for this 'game'? Having him around was a small comfort, but was he reliable?
Duncan, he also seemed nice, but awkward circumstances made him out to be fishy. He did seem sincere if not a little strange, maybe he could be a valuable asset to the group, but where would his loyalty lie? To Craig and Trent? To Ethan and Feo? To a third party?
David, an all-round nice guy back at school, but what had he since been molded into? Haruka didn't know a thing about his whereabouts or behaviour on the island, making him the true gamble. Had he been what she had hoped? Just a troubled individual trying to survive? Or had he resorted to violence? She'd have to listen to his story later in order to make up her full judgement.
And then there was Trent, she hadn't spoken to him at all, at least not directly. Craig seemed to trust him, but he also trusted her on the spot, and both Duncan and David...She couldn't challenge somebody who already had a role in the group before herself, but he was also a gamble. She saw herself and Craig as harmless, Ethan could tip the scale but she knew his alibi, which left both David and Trent as possible psychopaths. She didn't know what to think, maybe she'd talk to Craig later in private, but for now she'd be walking on eggshells.
Trents eyes lingered over her for a moment before averting themselves towards the map. Haruka slowly folded her arms and looked away from the group, towards the morning sky. She was uncomfortable, malnourished and without a weapon. She was the only girl amongst a group of boys and worst of all, she was the sort of girl who was so fragile that the wind might blow her over and shatter her into a plethora of porcelain shards.
She shut her eyes and let out a quiet, rattling sigh. She was in a sticky situation alright, if she stayed she was putting herself in danger, if she fought them she was putting herself in danger if she tried to run away she was putting herself in danger and if she managed to actually lose them she was putting herself in danger. Danger, danger, danger. Haruka quietly thought what the chances were of her seeing the moon again were.
Slim to none.
There was a distant swishing sound and a crack as a tree branch was bent backwards, and swung back into place. The branch vibrated with the movement, making the rustling leaves sound like harsh whispers. Her top teeth met her lip, and she felt the dry skin being stretched and strained. The voice, sound familiar, an uncanny resemblance to somebody she had already spoken with. However, she never spoke to anyone.
The footsteps stamped across the ground as the person tried to keep balance. Haruka's teeth dug deeper into her bottom lip, heat and dryness turned into a slight sting. She shut her eyes and her fingernails began scooping up more soil from the flowerbed. The other two, Craig and Trent had seen the person, she didn't want to turn her head because she knew that any confidence and strength she had amassed would be disintergrated immediately. Sometimes it was better to just close your eyes and hold the sheet over your head.
"It's you..."
The voice was definitely masculine, a small relief.
Faded images of the deathgirl crept through Haruka's mind to non-diegetic tribal drumbeats. The beats grew faster as the girl began crawling across the grass behind her, with her blistered hands, bloody clothes and muddy face...Sliding the survival knife out from behind her back and placing one crudely bandaged hand on Haruka's shoulder...Haruka keeping her eyes glued shut, a thin ribbon of blood stretching from her lip to the bottom of her chin...The harsh, dry whispering of the girl with the stringy hair as she placed the knife over Haruka's throat and...The drumming stopped.
"Uh...hey, it's okay. I'm still not here to hurt you or anything."
Haruka's eyes fluttered open. A loose but near certain guess branded this person as her stalker, not Craigs, not Trents, her own tracker. Hunting her down, was this the boogeyman who loomed over her in the tunnels? Scared her away from the river? Followed her into the woods? And now that she had found some form of safety and company, had the boogeyman closed the distance?
Don't turn around, please don't turn around, just get up and run and just leave, take one of the guys bags if you have to but just run away and hide some more, okay?
Her legs wouldn't move, she felt them but could not will them into doing a thing. Perhaps the opposite of phantom limb, she didn't know, but she felt well and truly screwed. Her clammy hands, slicked with cold sweat, were glued to the bricked rim of the flowerbed and her stomach was sinking lower and lower until she was positive she was going to see it hanging out from beneath her skirt in the next few minutes. Her mouth was dry and her throat rough. She was suddenly jerked back into the real world by the sharp sting of her bottom lip splitting open.
"I mean, I'm not following you or anything. I was just heading in the same direction."
Her stomach began crawling its way up into her abdomen and her feet twitched momentarily. She wanted to run fowards, take Trents club thing and turn, battering her stalker with it. She needed to do something, prove to herself that she wasn't just a useless little kid who sat around jumping at everything.
She was always the mouse or the rabbit, or whatever rodent acted more cowardly. Jerking her head around, hopping away and burrowing under a mountain of sawdust. When a rat was backed into the corner, they fought back no matter how outnumbered they were. Even if the odds had been stacked against the rat, or herself, at least she'd have a chance at...at...
"Uh... hey there! Don't worry about it too much, just sit with us if you want. We're resting, not going to kill you either."
You have to be kidding me, please! Why isn't anybody asking me for my opinion? I don't want to die! I'm being...I'm being...stalked! That never ends well and...and...Oh God, why is this happening? Craig you...you...You don't invite stalkers to a picnic or...
Haruka turned her head. Her eyes widened like saucers and she let out a shrill scream. She had no idea that Craig had been talking to two people, she thought only her own (although it could have been Trent's or Craig's stalker too, but the voice sounded too familiar for that to be the case) stalker was being addressed.
If they are...If they are hostile or...Or bad or, we're almost outnumbered! Craig's too...kind and oh forgive me for saything this, he looks like he'd get worn out after two punches and and Trent doesn't look much better and...We'll be outnumbered, I can't fight...I can't! It's not in my nature I've never done it before I...I...I can run...Now, run, yes, now...
"Chill out, man. We're not part of the murderin' trade, and I'm in no shape to kick your ass today."
Damn you Trent! Haruka thought, and clenched her fists for a moment, her knuckles cracked loudly. She hung her head, looking down at her feet. She wasn't sure if she could run yet, she still felt wooden and stiff, she had woken up less than ten minutes ago after sleeping in a flowerbed of all places. She wasn't sure if she could survive another day without a roof. I'm not built for this...I...I can't live like this, I'm just a pathetic, doodling, soap watching, fragile little girl who sinks under the radar and now...Everything is changing and I'm not ready!
The two boys, Duncan, who she had met earlier in the tunnels. The big tomb, he got out too, did he? Good for him, she had gotten lost so many times she thought she was never going to see sunlight again. He was the least harmless of the group, and she had deserted them whilst they plotted with the deathgirl, the one with the knife. Duncan seemed okay, not violent, but people change alot in a day, plus he had been with that creep Ethan and that shrew Feo. She couldn't help but assume they weren't far behind, they had been a team, at least, she thought they were.
The other boy, David M. had completely snuck up on the group. At least, Trent and Craig hadn't nudged her or anything, maybe they just thought of her as luggage. She knew David was relatively popular, in a friendly way rather than being stuck up, he also did baseball too but Haruka wasn't much into sports. He had seemed like a nice enough guy back at Bayview, but so had lots of other people who had since turned into killers. At least she could possibly rely on Duncan to not stab her in the back with one of his stick things, but as for David, right now she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.
"Now if you're stickin' around, come make yourself useful. I'm not... great with maps."
They're friendly, naive, worn out and overly trusting, plus Trent can't read a map, and now they've welcomed two possible killers into the fold. I don't know what on earth David has gotten up to, but for all I know Duncan could have butched Ethan, Feo and that loudmouthed goon Frankie. Maybe even the deathgirl unless she spider-crawled back up the walls to her grimy little alcove. I'm starting to wonder if leaving the tunnels was even a good idea now...
"And if you guys wanna stick around too, you better make yourselves real useful."
Haruka looked around from face to face;
Craig, he seemed so friendly and trusting, a real optimist, but was he really suited both physically and mentally for this 'game'? Having him around was a small comfort, but was he reliable?
Duncan, he also seemed nice, but awkward circumstances made him out to be fishy. He did seem sincere if not a little strange, maybe he could be a valuable asset to the group, but where would his loyalty lie? To Craig and Trent? To Ethan and Feo? To a third party?
David, an all-round nice guy back at school, but what had he since been molded into? Haruka didn't know a thing about his whereabouts or behaviour on the island, making him the true gamble. Had he been what she had hoped? Just a troubled individual trying to survive? Or had he resorted to violence? She'd have to listen to his story later in order to make up her full judgement.
And then there was Trent, she hadn't spoken to him at all, at least not directly. Craig seemed to trust him, but he also trusted her on the spot, and both Duncan and David...She couldn't challenge somebody who already had a role in the group before herself, but he was also a gamble. She saw herself and Craig as harmless, Ethan could tip the scale but she knew his alibi, which left both David and Trent as possible psychopaths. She didn't know what to think, maybe she'd talk to Craig later in private, but for now she'd be walking on eggshells.
Trents eyes lingered over her for a moment before averting themselves towards the map. Haruka slowly folded her arms and looked away from the group, towards the morning sky. She was uncomfortable, malnourished and without a weapon. She was the only girl amongst a group of boys and worst of all, she was the sort of girl who was so fragile that the wind might blow her over and shatter her into a plethora of porcelain shards.
She shut her eyes and let out a quiet, rattling sigh. She was in a sticky situation alright, if she stayed she was putting herself in danger, if she fought them she was putting herself in danger if she tried to run away she was putting herself in danger and if she managed to actually lose them she was putting herself in danger. Danger, danger, danger. Haruka quietly thought what the chances were of her seeing the moon again were.
Slim to none.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Shake&Bake. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
((Nik Kronwall continued from Really Long Thread Title With Big Words))
It was becoming a recurring theme of Niklas Kronwall's journey on the island. Long silent walks from place to place, with nothing but footsteps and the sounds of nature occupying Nik's mind. Well, those sounds, plus the swimming thoughts about Staffan, Nick, the town, the game, Fiona, Evelyn...heck even Autumn passed through his head once or twice.
The long walk ended once Nik realized they were in the Town Center area again. He could see a group of guys in the distance, looked like 2 or 3 from where he was. One of them was obviously Craig Hoyle. No one else from Bayview was close to that size. Craig moved slightly to reveal that there were a few other bodies in the area.
Nik motioned to Fiona to stop her moving.
"Hey...stay here for now. I don't want you getting hurt if anything happens. Seriously, if anything bad starts to happen I want you to run."
The tone in Nik's voice was one he'd never really heard from himself. It was a very somber tone mixed in with a very caring sound. The last thing he wanted to do was really scare Fiona, but this was a decent sized group they'd found and Nik was not about to risk the life of his friend on approach.
Nik slowly moved forward towards the group. He removed the Colt from his bag and slid between his belt and pants along his waist, covering it as best he could with his shirt. The group hadn't noticed him yet. Figuring it was better to announce his presence while he was still close to some cover, Nik let out a yell to the group.
"Um..Hello! It's Nik Kronwall...I'm just trying to pass through to the houses over there. Looking for a place a rest."
It was becoming a recurring theme of Niklas Kronwall's journey on the island. Long silent walks from place to place, with nothing but footsteps and the sounds of nature occupying Nik's mind. Well, those sounds, plus the swimming thoughts about Staffan, Nick, the town, the game, Fiona, Evelyn...heck even Autumn passed through his head once or twice.
The long walk ended once Nik realized they were in the Town Center area again. He could see a group of guys in the distance, looked like 2 or 3 from where he was. One of them was obviously Craig Hoyle. No one else from Bayview was close to that size. Craig moved slightly to reveal that there were a few other bodies in the area.
Nik motioned to Fiona to stop her moving.
"Hey...stay here for now. I don't want you getting hurt if anything happens. Seriously, if anything bad starts to happen I want you to run."
The tone in Nik's voice was one he'd never really heard from himself. It was a very somber tone mixed in with a very caring sound. The last thing he wanted to do was really scare Fiona, but this was a decent sized group they'd found and Nik was not about to risk the life of his friend on approach.
Nik slowly moved forward towards the group. He removed the Colt from his bag and slid between his belt and pants along his waist, covering it as best he could with his shirt. The group hadn't noticed him yet. Figuring it was better to announce his presence while he was still close to some cover, Nik let out a yell to the group.
"Um..Hello! It's Nik Kronwall...I'm just trying to pass through to the houses over there. Looking for a place a rest."
Stuff. Things. Stuff and things.