((Lily Ashburg continued from Not Your Scheduled Programming))
Lily had been running so hard that she hadn't seen the tower until it was only a few feet away. Panting, she looked up, and saw that there was a dead body laying near the entrance. She stumbled, doubled over, and threw up. She lost her balance and almost fell, but managed to stay on her feet long enough to get to the wall of the tower. She leaned against it, dropping her bat and her bag. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her head, but all she could think about was the blood.
She collapsed against the wall and broke down in tears. She wasn't dreaming. It wasn't just a TV show. People were actually killing each other. She couldn't get the images out of her head. The boy on the floor with a hole in his head. The broken boy laying next to her. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block them out. All she could see was red. Red floor, red walls, red windows...
Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face.
Lily giggled. This place was insane, almost to the point of absurdity. She knew she should stop, but she'd forgotten how. Instead, her giggles evolved into peals of laughter, humorless, insane laughter. It was loud and cold and it scared her, but she still couldn't stop.
Finally, after a minute or so, she was able to control herself. Opening her eyes, she wiped her face and looked back in the direction that she'd come from. She could see Michael, and further off, Valerie. She could still see the dead body in her peripheral vision. She shifted her focus to it.
She realized that it was a boy; it had been hard for her to tell earlier because of the way he was dressed. The body was disgusting, and it both terrified and saddened her. She forced herself to keep looking, to take in every detail she could. She needed to get used to death, because she was going to see a lot more of it. She couldn't keep going to pieces every time she was confronted with a gun or a dead body. She needed to internalize this, to become desensitized. It was the only way she was going to survive.
As Lily was staring at the body, she heard a voice. At first it didn't register with her, but then she realized that it was the first announcement.
She listened carefully as the commentator listed the deaths of her classmates, trying to ignore the gleeful comments that she made at the expense of the deceased. Her eyes were still on the body, but she wasn't really seeing it anymore. Her heart pounded anxiously.
The boy that had been shot in the restaurant was named Austin White. The girl who'd killed him was Lucia del Pirlo. It didn't really matter now, but Lily took note of their names anyway. Her stomach jolted when she heard that Vahka had murdered the boy she was staring at.
She didn't know very much about Vahka. He was big, tattooed, and had always been a little too macho for her liking. Still, she'd never have pegged him as a killer. She remembered that he and Regina were friends, and wondered vaguely if that was still the case.
Her agitation increased as the list of names continued. Finally, however, the commentator announced the danger zones, made one last sarcastic remark, and ended the announcement.
Lily fell back against the wall with a rush of relief. Dougie was alive, and he wasn't a killer. She still had time.
Her relief was gone almost as soon as it had come, replaced with worry. There was still the possibility that he was injured. She frowned and bit her lip, thinking. She needed to find him, but she couldn't keep wandering around barely armed. She'd been incredibly lucky that Michael and Valerie were the first people she'd run into.
She glanced at the bat. It was really more of a joke than a weapon. She needed a gun. Only one or two of the victims so far had been killed with a gun, but it was still her best option. The thought of actually using one terrified her, but she'd have to cross that bridge when she came to it. What she really needed it for was insurance. People tended to pay more attention to you when you had a gun.
Her immediate problem was that in this place you needed a gun to get a gun. A couple of ideas crossed her mind, but none of them would actually work in a real setting.
Lily looked inside the tower. It seemed empty, but she didn't have a good enough angle to say for sure. She picked up her bat and bag, wiping vomit off the bat onto the frosted grass before raising it.
She glanced back at Michael and Valerie to make sure they weren't too far behind, then entered the tower.
Won't You Spare Me Over Another Year?
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Spindarene
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:34 pm
((Michael Robinson continued from Not Your Scheduled Programming))
Damn it, did she have to run so far?
Michael wasn't exactly in the best shape. As he ran after Lily, the shock of seeing a murder gradually took at backseat to exhaustion. Eventually he had to stop to catch his breath. As he was panting, the announcement came on.
He wasn't surprised that Jewel was the first killer. Someone who was that big a fan of Zach Johnston wouldn't have too many reservations about murder. Although the fact that she had killed twice was unexpected. On the other hand, Vahka seemed like a nice guy back in Whittree. The idea of him killing was pretty terrifying. He was a foot taller than Michael and allegedly had fighthing experience. He was definitely someone Michael wanted to avoid, unless they were on the same team, in which case he'd be glad to have him.
Marcus, though... Michael thought he knew Marcus. He was sure that Marcus wouldn't resort to killing so soon. Alice and Leah didn't seem like killers either...
His pre-SOTF impressions of everyone would be useless, wouldn't they? He couldn't assume that anyone would be peaceful, regardless of how they were in school. However, Michael was actually kind of glad that most of the killers were from Whittree. It gave him some information on the competition, even though the announcements unfortunately didn't say what teams any of the killers and dead were on.
Michael noticed one more thing from the announcements. The boy that had been killed at the diner was named Austin White, and the killer was named Lucia del Pirlo. They were the only ones that fit the description. Michael was still a bit shaken from the boy's death and... he was glad that he had learned his name, for some reason. He couldn't quite explain it.
As the speakers started blaring "We Will Rock You", Michael turned his attention back to Lily. She had arrived at that huge tower, the sunshine tower or whatever it was called. She looked back at Michael before entering the tower. He glanced back at Valerie for a second before running after her. As he neared the tower, the body came into view. The body of the boy- Taylor- that Vahka had killed. It looked absolutely repulsive, broken and covered in blood. Michael tried to avoid looking at it as he entered the tower.
"Li... Lily" he said, still exhausted "Wha... what are we doing he-"
Michael's stopped talking when he saw yet another body lying on the floor. It was a girl, lying in a pool of dried blood with a giant, ugly stomach wound.
"Fu- fuck..." He was shaking. Images of the other two bodies flashed through his mind. The shock of Austin's death came back in full force.
Could he really do this? He probably wasn't any more capable than any of them. How would avoid ending up like them?
Damn it, did she have to run so far?
Michael wasn't exactly in the best shape. As he ran after Lily, the shock of seeing a murder gradually took at backseat to exhaustion. Eventually he had to stop to catch his breath. As he was panting, the announcement came on.
He wasn't surprised that Jewel was the first killer. Someone who was that big a fan of Zach Johnston wouldn't have too many reservations about murder. Although the fact that she had killed twice was unexpected. On the other hand, Vahka seemed like a nice guy back in Whittree. The idea of him killing was pretty terrifying. He was a foot taller than Michael and allegedly had fighthing experience. He was definitely someone Michael wanted to avoid, unless they were on the same team, in which case he'd be glad to have him.
Marcus, though... Michael thought he knew Marcus. He was sure that Marcus wouldn't resort to killing so soon. Alice and Leah didn't seem like killers either...
His pre-SOTF impressions of everyone would be useless, wouldn't they? He couldn't assume that anyone would be peaceful, regardless of how they were in school. However, Michael was actually kind of glad that most of the killers were from Whittree. It gave him some information on the competition, even though the announcements unfortunately didn't say what teams any of the killers and dead were on.
Michael noticed one more thing from the announcements. The boy that had been killed at the diner was named Austin White, and the killer was named Lucia del Pirlo. They were the only ones that fit the description. Michael was still a bit shaken from the boy's death and... he was glad that he had learned his name, for some reason. He couldn't quite explain it.
As the speakers started blaring "We Will Rock You", Michael turned his attention back to Lily. She had arrived at that huge tower, the sunshine tower or whatever it was called. She looked back at Michael before entering the tower. He glanced back at Valerie for a second before running after her. As he neared the tower, the body came into view. The body of the boy- Taylor- that Vahka had killed. It looked absolutely repulsive, broken and covered in blood. Michael tried to avoid looking at it as he entered the tower.
"Li... Lily" he said, still exhausted "Wha... what are we doing he-"
Michael's stopped talking when he saw yet another body lying on the floor. It was a girl, lying in a pool of dried blood with a giant, ugly stomach wound.
"Fu- fuck..." He was shaking. Images of the other two bodies flashed through his mind. The shock of Austin's death came back in full force.
Could he really do this? He probably wasn't any more capable than any of them. How would avoid ending up like them?
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
((Valerie Fitzroy continued from Not Your Scheduled Programming.))
Valerie had, miraculously, managed to catch up to Lily and Michael. It been a bit a lucky break, really. She'd basically chosen a direction randomly. So the fact that she managed to find their backs was a feat in and of itself.
The three had managed to make it to the tower when the announcement played. People were killing already, not that she'd needed a reminder. Most of the killers, though... She recognized those names. She'd seen them around school. She considered some of them acquaintances, at the very least. But now they were killers. Valerie's stomach nearly turned at the thought.
And then it actually did when she saw the crumpled mess of a boy at the foot of the tower.
Valerie bent over, throwing up onto the ground.
Valerie had, miraculously, managed to catch up to Lily and Michael. It been a bit a lucky break, really. She'd basically chosen a direction randomly. So the fact that she managed to find their backs was a feat in and of itself.
The three had managed to make it to the tower when the announcement played. People were killing already, not that she'd needed a reminder. Most of the killers, though... She recognized those names. She'd seen them around school. She considered some of them acquaintances, at the very least. But now they were killers. Valerie's stomach nearly turned at the thought.
And then it actually did when she saw the crumpled mess of a boy at the foot of the tower.
Valerie bent over, throwing up onto the ground.
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Spindarene
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:34 pm
The first thing Lily noticed when she entered the tower was the dead girl with a raw, bloody hole in her stomach. Her own stomach churned at the sight, but she managed to suppress her nausea. The number of dead bodies would only increase. She needed to get used to it.
She heard Michael wheezing behind her, and turned around when he said her name. He started to ask what they were doing, until he noticed the dead girl.
He looked so disturbed that Lily reached out her hand, almost unconsciously, to comfort him. She pulled it back when she realized what she was doing.
"Um," she mumbled, unnerved by what she'd just done, "we need weapons. Preferably guns. Or people with weapons so we could...I don't know. Um, the point is we're barely armed, and we can't last like that. It won't hurt to have a look around at least."
As she finished, she heard the wet sound of vomiting outside. She glanced out the doorway, and saw that Valerie had caught up. Satisfied that their group was together again, she started moving further into the tower.
She heard Michael wheezing behind her, and turned around when he said her name. He started to ask what they were doing, until he noticed the dead girl.
He looked so disturbed that Lily reached out her hand, almost unconsciously, to comfort him. She pulled it back when she realized what she was doing.
"Um," she mumbled, unnerved by what she'd just done, "we need weapons. Preferably guns. Or people with weapons so we could...I don't know. Um, the point is we're barely armed, and we can't last like that. It won't hurt to have a look around at least."
As she finished, she heard the wet sound of vomiting outside. She glanced out the doorway, and saw that Valerie had caught up. Satisfied that their group was together again, she started moving further into the tower.
Michael swallowed and turned away from the corpse. Panicking wouldn't help him. He'd just die faster.
Yeah, they needed weapons. The "strength in numbers" thing obviously wasn't as much of a help as Michael thought it would be. But how were they supposed to get any? He doubted there were be anything useful lying around, and as far as taking them from other people... could they pull it off? It'd be extremely risky.
Michael could hear Valerie throwing up outside. He suppressed the urge to do the same. He turned back and followed Lily, again trying to avoid looking at the next to him.
Yeah, they needed weapons. The "strength in numbers" thing obviously wasn't as much of a help as Michael thought it would be. But how were they supposed to get any? He doubted there were be anything useful lying around, and as far as taking them from other people... could they pull it off? It'd be extremely risky.
Michael could hear Valerie throwing up outside. He suppressed the urge to do the same. He turned back and followed Lily, again trying to avoid looking at the next to him.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
She couldn't handle it.
It was one thing to hear about someone dying. It was another thing completely to see them for real, their glass eyes looking back up at you. The mangled bodies like a discarded doll, twisted into unnatural shape.
Valerie saw the body inside the tower, covered in blood.
She stood, then stumbled. She stood again. She had to get out of here.
She couldn't handle it.
((Valerie Fitzroy continued in Septette For The Dead Princess.))
It was one thing to hear about someone dying. It was another thing completely to see them for real, their glass eyes looking back up at you. The mangled bodies like a discarded doll, twisted into unnatural shape.
Valerie saw the body inside the tower, covered in blood.
She stood, then stumbled. She stood again. She had to get out of here.
She couldn't handle it.
((Valerie Fitzroy continued in Septette For The Dead Princess.))
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Spindarene
- Posts: 252
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:34 pm
Lily heard noises behind her and spun around, heart pounding, bat raised. There was no one there besides Michael.
"Valerie?" Lily called out. She didn't hear a reply. "Valerie?" this time louder. Still no response. Lily rushed out of the tower and looked around. Valerie was no where to be seen.
"Dammit."
((Lily Ashburg continued in It all happened so slowly))
"Valerie?" Lily called out. She didn't hear a reply. "Valerie?" this time louder. Still no response. Lily rushed out of the tower and looked around. Valerie was no where to be seen.
"Dammit."
((Lily Ashburg continued in It all happened so slowly))
Lily suddenly turned around and ran past Michael.
He ran out behind her. He couldn't see Valerie anywhere. Wasn't she right behind them? Why would she just leave?
Michael took a glance at Taylor's corpse and shook his head. This was only going to get harder.
((Michael Robinson continued in United))
He ran out behind her. He couldn't see Valerie anywhere. Wasn't she right behind them? Why would she just leave?
Michael took a glance at Taylor's corpse and shook his head. This was only going to get harder.
((Michael Robinson continued in United))