((Louisa Bloom continued from Walden))
Louisa stared at the small end piece of bread in her hands. This was the last piece of bread from the loaf she had at the start. She hadn't eaten a whole ton of the provisions given to her at the start of the game. Part of her had concerns about rationing her food, especially since there was a chance she could lose her food in an instant if someone stole her bag or burned it like Dylan's. All of it seemed trivial compared to the chance of losing her life, but Louisa still thought it was a good thing to be worried about. She had survived the last three days almost entirely on bread. Her water was still good, but she'd probably need to refill it somehow.
Well, Frank's at the lake, and the stream is off limits. I guess I should collect rainwater.
Louisa quickly ate the last piece of bread. She never minded the end piece of bread loafs back home. It was still bread, and it didn't matter if it was the end piece if she still covered it with her favorite sandwich toppings. She sighed and stuffed the plastic bag the bread came in back into her bag.
The rain was still coming down. Louisa had to continually wipe her face to clear her eyes from the water that had collected in her brow and dripped from her bangs. She was back in the forest again. She had stopped running from Frank after a bit, and had taken the time to catch her breath and try and think of what to do next. Unfortunately, not much had come to mind. She could try to move around and find her friends, but there was always the chance of running into someone like Frank.
Louisa looked up at the sky. The rain continued to fall onto her face, causing her to close her eyes.
I guess I could just wait until I'm herded somewhere by the danger zones. Then I'd at least have a projection of who's left.
The Hecate Sisters
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The Hecate Sisters
G014: Mayumi Tendou
Louisa set her empty bottles on a rock nearby, leaving the caps off in order to let them fill up with rain water. She crouched to the ground and watched as the bottles began to fill. It was a process that was moving pretty slowly, but it gave her something to focus on. There wasn't much else to do in the meantime.
G014: Mayumi Tendou
Louisa watched the bottle fill with water. It was a slow process, but she could see that she was gaining fresh water in the process. As she watched it fill, she began to think about who was left. She hadn't heard Kyle or Carlyle on the announcements, so she hoped that they were still out there. If she had to die here, she needed to explain herself to the only two guys she felt she could trust.
Was this like what Maxim felt when he was searching for me? I guess he was lucky. He didn't have this kind of burden on him. I just hope Carlyle and Kyle are okay.
Was this like what Maxim felt when he was searching for me? I guess he was lucky. He didn't have this kind of burden on him. I just hope Carlyle and Kyle are okay.
G014: Mayumi Tendou
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
((Shawn Bowe-Crooke continued from Step Two: ?))
They were probably about halfway to town when the announcement hit. It had become a daily routine, something that was no longer out of the ordinary. He listened, as the names went by, as more names popped up that he recognized. Louisa had killed. Somehow, that didn't sway him. There was... it was her first time. Surely...
Lenny had killed. He remembered running into Lenny in town. Seemed rather nervous and jumpy, then. It was unsurprising.
Robin. Well, it was no surprise to him.
Frank and Dylan both popped up. So they were really doing this, huh? That was going to be a problem. A major problem.
Then Adams announced the danger zones, and the town, of all places, was declared off-limits. Kyle's hypothesis had been wrong, and now they were stuck without a plan.
"What now?" he asked. He didn't realize there was someone else nearby.
They were probably about halfway to town when the announcement hit. It had become a daily routine, something that was no longer out of the ordinary. He listened, as the names went by, as more names popped up that he recognized. Louisa had killed. Somehow, that didn't sway him. There was... it was her first time. Surely...
Lenny had killed. He remembered running into Lenny in town. Seemed rather nervous and jumpy, then. It was unsurprising.
Robin. Well, it was no surprise to him.
Frank and Dylan both popped up. So they were really doing this, huh? That was going to be a problem. A major problem.
Then Adams announced the danger zones, and the town, of all places, was declared off-limits. Kyle's hypothesis had been wrong, and now they were stuck without a plan.
"What now?" he asked. He didn't realize there was someone else nearby.
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Lord_Shadow
- Posts: 536
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:43 am
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
((Kyle Williams continued from Step Two: ?))
They were making good progress, they would be at the Town soon no doubt. And maybe Louisa would be there, who knew?
And of course Adams had to interrupt their day with his announcement. Kyle honestly wished that man would just leave them alone for once. Or maybe just tell them it was all over. Either option would do.
The first name mentioned didn't strike him as sad. Callison got what he deserved. It was the killer's name that made Kyle's blood freeze. Louisa Bloom, his friend and one of the few people left he could trust. A thousand things rushed through his head. Had she lost hope and gave in after Maxim's death? Did she kill Callison for revenge or was it an accident like with Carlyle and Gwen?
When Jasmine's name was brought up, that was when Kyle started feeling the tugs of guilt. He had wished it, even for only a moment, and it happened. She was dead, and it was his fault.
He stopped in his tracks when he heard the dangerzones. The Town was one of them, he had been wrong. He dropped his pack and burned a hole in the ground with his gaze.
Shawn asked what they should do.
Kyle spoke with a montone. "We find Louisa. After that, I don't know."
If they didn't find her soon, he was sure he would just break. Kyle wasn't much minding his surroundings. If he was, he would have noticed how closd they were.
They were making good progress, they would be at the Town soon no doubt. And maybe Louisa would be there, who knew?
And of course Adams had to interrupt their day with his announcement. Kyle honestly wished that man would just leave them alone for once. Or maybe just tell them it was all over. Either option would do.
The first name mentioned didn't strike him as sad. Callison got what he deserved. It was the killer's name that made Kyle's blood freeze. Louisa Bloom, his friend and one of the few people left he could trust. A thousand things rushed through his head. Had she lost hope and gave in after Maxim's death? Did she kill Callison for revenge or was it an accident like with Carlyle and Gwen?
When Jasmine's name was brought up, that was when Kyle started feeling the tugs of guilt. He had wished it, even for only a moment, and it happened. She was dead, and it was his fault.
He stopped in his tracks when he heard the dangerzones. The Town was one of them, he had been wrong. He dropped his pack and burned a hole in the ground with his gaze.
Shawn asked what they should do.
Kyle spoke with a montone. "We find Louisa. After that, I don't know."
If they didn't find her soon, he was sure he would just break. Kyle wasn't much minding his surroundings. If he was, he would have noticed how closd they were.
There was once a dumb psuedo-news line here. Now there's this pretentious nonsense. YOU1 DID THIS, YOU1 KNOW WHO YOU1 ARE!
1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
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Pippi
- Posts: 1118
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:32 pm
- Location: I'm Pip!
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
((Carlyle Shotton continued from Step Two: ?))
They were still in the forest. Of course they were still in the forest. Carlyle had hoped that they’d make it out of the area before it got too dark to see, but that was looking less and less likely as the trio trudged along. The worst part was that their maps would be functionally useless here; it wasn’t as if they had a clue as to which way they were facing, or how far in they were, after all.
Still, so long as they kept walking, they’d find their way out in due course. As long as they weren’t all walking in circles, the forest couldn’t last forever, and they’d be able to find the edge without much further hassle. Then they could all reach the town, find Louisa, and... well, take it from there, Carlyle guessed.
That was the plan at least. A plan that swiftly got torn apart by the announcements that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Carlyle wanted to keep walking, ignore them all. But at the same time, if Louisa was on them, then he’d want to know.
Louisa was first up. As killer, not victim. Carlyle felt his heart stop. In an almost dreamlike state, he slowly looked around, as if expecting Louisa to pop out and explain herself. His mind had produced many unwelcome images recently, and yet he still hadn’t expected that one. Now the need to find Louisa was greater than ever. Carlyle was sure there had to be a reason for what she’d done, but still... he needed to hear it.
The rest of the names were just as depressing. Alex and Jasmine were both dead. Bailey he already knew about. Not that it made things any better. Tas had been killed as well. So had Damien, and Carlyle hated himself for how little that struck him emotionally. The worst part of the announcement was yet to come, however. The town was off limits. Their one goal and plan was now out of sight, until who knew when.
Carlyle sighed, looked down at the ground and rubbed his forehead. He would never, ever, get used to the announcements. He supposed that was a good thing. Showed he was still human, or something. It was kind of a steep price to pay, however. Carlyle hardly heard Shawn and Kyle talking, brief as it was. He managed to pick himself up and nod in the direction they had been heading.
“Got it. We’d oughta, ah... probably get going, huh? Not like we’ll find Louisa standin’ about in the middle of the forest, yeah? Jus’ need to get outta here, find her an’... well, take it from there, I guess...”
They were still in the forest. Of course they were still in the forest. Carlyle had hoped that they’d make it out of the area before it got too dark to see, but that was looking less and less likely as the trio trudged along. The worst part was that their maps would be functionally useless here; it wasn’t as if they had a clue as to which way they were facing, or how far in they were, after all.
Still, so long as they kept walking, they’d find their way out in due course. As long as they weren’t all walking in circles, the forest couldn’t last forever, and they’d be able to find the edge without much further hassle. Then they could all reach the town, find Louisa, and... well, take it from there, Carlyle guessed.
That was the plan at least. A plan that swiftly got torn apart by the announcements that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Carlyle wanted to keep walking, ignore them all. But at the same time, if Louisa was on them, then he’d want to know.
Louisa was first up. As killer, not victim. Carlyle felt his heart stop. In an almost dreamlike state, he slowly looked around, as if expecting Louisa to pop out and explain herself. His mind had produced many unwelcome images recently, and yet he still hadn’t expected that one. Now the need to find Louisa was greater than ever. Carlyle was sure there had to be a reason for what she’d done, but still... he needed to hear it.
The rest of the names were just as depressing. Alex and Jasmine were both dead. Bailey he already knew about. Not that it made things any better. Tas had been killed as well. So had Damien, and Carlyle hated himself for how little that struck him emotionally. The worst part of the announcement was yet to come, however. The town was off limits. Their one goal and plan was now out of sight, until who knew when.
Carlyle sighed, looked down at the ground and rubbed his forehead. He would never, ever, get used to the announcements. He supposed that was a good thing. Showed he was still human, or something. It was kind of a steep price to pay, however. Carlyle hardly heard Shawn and Kyle talking, brief as it was. He managed to pick himself up and nod in the direction they had been heading.
“Got it. We’d oughta, ah... probably get going, huh? Not like we’ll find Louisa standin’ about in the middle of the forest, yeah? Jus’ need to get outta here, find her an’... well, take it from there, I guess...”
A few hours had passed. The rain finally stopped and Louisa collected the bottles of rainwater. As she stood up, she heard the announcements begin to play. They were down to the last twelve students. It was hard to believe the game was almost over. It felt like they had been here so long, so to be approaching the end was something Louisa never thought would happen.
Her murder of Brian was the first death listed. Addams had to mock her though, congratulating her for killing Brian in one single shot. She felt sick as he praised her and called her sweet.
She felt even more sick as Addams next announced that Alex was dead. Lenny had pushed him off the path. Immediately, Louisa felt herself panicking.
I shouldn't have left. Goddammit, why can't I just stay with groups at the right times? I might have been able to save him, I could have.......I could have killed Lenny. I could have killed two boys in a short span of time. Would Alex and Chris have even forgiven me then?
Bailey Williams and Jasmine Stone were also dead. Louisa remembered that Jasmine was a friend of Amanda's. Now they were both dead.
Louisa was then surprised to hear that Anastasia and Damien were dead. Dylan apparently killed Damien after he killed Anastasia. Now Louisa had to recognize truly that Dylan was a threat, and Louisa would probably find herself engaged in a fight with her if she came across Dylan again.
The announcements finished, and it looked like the forest was safe to stay in. Louisa began to walk away from the spot she was seated for several hours.
Okay, twelve left. Carlyle and Kyle are still alive. I'm still alive. Dylan is alive, and Frank is alive. Chris is still alive. Lenny is still alive. Robin Pounds has to be alive since she killed Bailey. That's eight, who are the other four?
Before Louisa could do anything, she heard some voices in the distance. The first was unfamiliar, but the second felt like a sweet melody to her. Kyle. Then she heard Carlyle as well. They were together, and they found someone else as well. They were looking for her. They still hadn't given up on her.
Well, you don't know that yet, but you need to explain yourself to them. You could forgive Carlyle, you could forgive Maxim, surely they can forgive you.
Louisa walked towards the boys. She kept her Beretta in her coat pocket. She didn't need to be violent with these guys. She wasn't going to be violent with them. Louisa felt a lump in her throat as she got closer.
"Carlyle? Kyle? It's Louisa."
Tears began to roll down her eyes. She found her friends at last. She just prayed they still were friends.
Her murder of Brian was the first death listed. Addams had to mock her though, congratulating her for killing Brian in one single shot. She felt sick as he praised her and called her sweet.
She felt even more sick as Addams next announced that Alex was dead. Lenny had pushed him off the path. Immediately, Louisa felt herself panicking.
I shouldn't have left. Goddammit, why can't I just stay with groups at the right times? I might have been able to save him, I could have.......I could have killed Lenny. I could have killed two boys in a short span of time. Would Alex and Chris have even forgiven me then?
Bailey Williams and Jasmine Stone were also dead. Louisa remembered that Jasmine was a friend of Amanda's. Now they were both dead.
Louisa was then surprised to hear that Anastasia and Damien were dead. Dylan apparently killed Damien after he killed Anastasia. Now Louisa had to recognize truly that Dylan was a threat, and Louisa would probably find herself engaged in a fight with her if she came across Dylan again.
The announcements finished, and it looked like the forest was safe to stay in. Louisa began to walk away from the spot she was seated for several hours.
Okay, twelve left. Carlyle and Kyle are still alive. I'm still alive. Dylan is alive, and Frank is alive. Chris is still alive. Lenny is still alive. Robin Pounds has to be alive since she killed Bailey. That's eight, who are the other four?
Before Louisa could do anything, she heard some voices in the distance. The first was unfamiliar, but the second felt like a sweet melody to her. Kyle. Then she heard Carlyle as well. They were together, and they found someone else as well. They were looking for her. They still hadn't given up on her.
Well, you don't know that yet, but you need to explain yourself to them. You could forgive Carlyle, you could forgive Maxim, surely they can forgive you.
Louisa walked towards the boys. She kept her Beretta in her coat pocket. She didn't need to be violent with these guys. She wasn't going to be violent with them. Louisa felt a lump in her throat as she got closer.
"Carlyle? Kyle? It's Louisa."
Tears began to roll down her eyes. She found her friends at last. She just prayed they still were friends.
G014: Mayumi Tendou
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
It looked like they weren't going to give up on finding Louisa, even after the announcement. If that was the case, then he'd have to push aside his doubts and trust that they'd made a good decision. So at the very least, they still had a plan. They had a direction, something to aim for so that they weren't wandering aimlessly.
"Carlyle? Kyle? It's Louisa."
Well, so much for that.
Shawn held back as Louisa made herself known and approached them. This wasn't his place to be at the forefront. After all, he and Louisa were hardly friends. They were acquaintances, at best. So, Shawn stayed silent, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He thought about what they would do now. Now that they'd found Louisa, they would have to come up with a new plan to survive.
That would come later, though.
Right now, he was fine to just stay back. Let them have their moment.
He turned to the side, eyes idly scanning the horizon.
"Carlyle? Kyle? It's Louisa."
Well, so much for that.
Shawn held back as Louisa made herself known and approached them. This wasn't his place to be at the forefront. After all, he and Louisa were hardly friends. They were acquaintances, at best. So, Shawn stayed silent, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He thought about what they would do now. Now that they'd found Louisa, they would have to come up with a new plan to survive.
That would come later, though.
Right now, he was fine to just stay back. Let them have their moment.
He turned to the side, eyes idly scanning the horizon.
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Lord_Shadow
- Posts: 536
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:43 am
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
When Kyle heard his name being called out, he turned immediately to see who uttered it. To his great joy it was his long lost friend, Louisa Bloom. Immediately, a waarm smile returned to his face, and his spirits were finally lifted.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. My god, it really is you." he ran over and embraced her. Any other place and time, and with anyone else he would never allow himself to do that, but right now it was the only way he could respond.
"Carlyle and I have been scouring the Valley for you. How have you been? There's so much we need to catch up on."
For the first time in a long time, Kyle felt hope in his soul. And he wouldn't allow anyone to steal it away again.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. My god, it really is you." he ran over and embraced her. Any other place and time, and with anyone else he would never allow himself to do that, but right now it was the only way he could respond.
"Carlyle and I have been scouring the Valley for you. How have you been? There's so much we need to catch up on."
For the first time in a long time, Kyle felt hope in his soul. And he wouldn't allow anyone to steal it away again.
There was once a dumb psuedo-news line here. Now there's this pretentious nonsense. YOU1 DID THIS, YOU1 KNOW WHO YOU1 ARE!
1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
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Pippi
- Posts: 1118
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:32 pm
- Location: I'm Pip!
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
He would never have told anyone, but Carlyle always saw the chances of Louisa being found before anything disastrous happened as being terribly slim. He wished there was another way of seeing it, but he wasn’t going to start lying to himself. The valley they were in was, for all intents and purposes, huge, with multiple areas to be hidden in. Even with the danger zones narrowing the playing field, the chances of finding just one person was, well... awfully slim, yeah.
So when Carlyle heard his voice called out by an oh-so-familiar voice, his first thought was that someone was playing a horribly cruel prank on him. As if this whole program wasn’t just a horribly elaborate and cruel joke.
Realisation was slow to dawn on him. First came the realisation that there was no-one in the world who could mimic Louisa’s voice that perfectly, let alone in their class. Slowly, Carlyle turned round, hardly daring to believe that Louisa could be standing there.
But there she was. Safe and sound, by the looks of things. Kyle ran over to embrace her, and Carlyle could totally understand how he was feeling. Hell, he wanted to do the same thing. For a few moments though, Carlyle could only stand where he was in shock. Slowly, though, he came back to his senses. The pitchfork was stuck into the ground, the rifle placed next to it.
“I, ah-“ Carlyle mumbled, before a grin broke onto his face as he walked towards Louisa. “Welcome back, bro. God, it’s good to see you again.”
So when Carlyle heard his voice called out by an oh-so-familiar voice, his first thought was that someone was playing a horribly cruel prank on him. As if this whole program wasn’t just a horribly elaborate and cruel joke.
Realisation was slow to dawn on him. First came the realisation that there was no-one in the world who could mimic Louisa’s voice that perfectly, let alone in their class. Slowly, Carlyle turned round, hardly daring to believe that Louisa could be standing there.
But there she was. Safe and sound, by the looks of things. Kyle ran over to embrace her, and Carlyle could totally understand how he was feeling. Hell, he wanted to do the same thing. For a few moments though, Carlyle could only stand where he was in shock. Slowly, though, he came back to his senses. The pitchfork was stuck into the ground, the rifle placed next to it.
“I, ah-“ Carlyle mumbled, before a grin broke onto his face as he walked towards Louisa. “Welcome back, bro. God, it’s good to see you again.”
Louisa stood in place as Kyle ran up and embraced her. She kept her arms by her side as he held her tightly, glad to see her again. Carlyle was just as pleased to see her again. Part of Louisa couldn't believe that they would be so glad to see her again. There was always the chance they would be hesitant to approach her because of the announcements, but it looked like they didn't care. The four of them present made up 1/3 of the remaining students, and she was glad that they just wanted to be with her.
Louisa rested her head against Kyle's shoulder.
"I'm so glad to see you guys again," she said, her voice faltering. "I shouldn't have run off back at the clearing. I should have stayed with you. I was stupid. I was so, so very stupid."
Louisa finally let loose and began sobbing into Kyle's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Kyle and held him close. The end of the game was approaching, and there was a chance she would never be this close to someone ever again. She was not going to let this moment go to waste.
Louisa rested her head against Kyle's shoulder.
"I'm so glad to see you guys again," she said, her voice faltering. "I shouldn't have run off back at the clearing. I should have stayed with you. I was stupid. I was so, so very stupid."
Louisa finally let loose and began sobbing into Kyle's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Kyle and held him close. The end of the game was approaching, and there was a chance she would never be this close to someone ever again. She was not going to let this moment go to waste.
G014: Mayumi Tendou
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3431
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
((Robin Pounds continued from 98.7°))
Robin had picked up the sounds of people moving probably ten minutes prior. She had decided to head to town, because that was where most of those left would probably go, where they would try to hide, and it was also a place that would be easily found. She thought there was a pretty good chance she could get her location announced if she did something particularly interesting to somebody, and then Shawn would know how to find her, and he would come for her, and she would kill him.
Then the announcements had blasted through the silence, and that possibility had been lost. Her mood had soured, and the anger had started building again, and so when she'd heard someone moving she'd decided that doing something creative to one of her classmates could wait, that whoever it was could have a private date with the pistol. She was pretty sure she'd figured out how to hold the thing so it wouldn't wreck her wrist further, and while the walking had her pretty winded, whoever it was wasn't going too quickly. It was simple to fall into step with them, shadowing them from a few dozen feet behind and to the side.
And then it hadn't mattered, because there were voices. Lots of them. She'd somehow stumbled into some sort of reunion of what sounded like about half the people left alive, and that was the most upsetting thing that could have possibly happened because it meant Robin would probably have to turn around and run away and search out some isolated loser to hassle instead. At least she hadn't been noticed yet. She was grateful for her boots, because even if they were started to look ragged around the edges, they at least had soft soles that didn't make very much noise when she walked.
She turned, started off, and then stopped.
She was pretty sure there were at least three people together. The announcement had said there were only twelve of them left alive, and she was here too, so that meant there was about a one third chance of one of those people being Shawn. That, in turn, would let her cut out the whole frustrating process of trying to bait him out. And besides, this was roughly in a straight line from the shack. It was certainly conceivable that he would have continued along this very same path, that he would have found others to travel with.
That thought twisted her stomach into a knot. She took a few deep breaths, tried to keep the tears that stung the edges of her eyes at bay.
It just went to show how he'd led her on and betrayed her, only to discard her the second something more convenient came along. But it was okay, because even though he'd hurt her badly, she had learned the truth, and now she would balance the ledger.
She moved closer. A nice little benefit of other people talking was that they were so busy with each other they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. Robin moved from the cover of one tree to another, trying not to giggle. She probably looked like a Looney Tunes character to the cameras, scampering from one area of concealment to the next as she closed in on her prey.
And oh, it was sweet as she peeked out from behind a tree and saw that she'd been right. There he was. Shawn was right there, and so were three other people, who were all busy hugging. He'd found himself a little family to join, and even if he was off at the edges, he was still with them, still integrating himself into their unit.
For just a moment, the anger took hold and Robin considered blowing him away on the spot, but the very idea set her trembling and that reminded her of how cold it was, how much she was hurting. Her head was pounding, filled with pressure. At least her nose had largely crusted over. She was in bad shape, though, and so Shawn would have to be in bad shape as well, so he could really understand what he had done.
She realized there was a good chance she wouldn't walk away from this encounter. Four on one was terrible odds even if everyone was evenly matched, and Robin didn't think she could last if she had to wrestle with someone again. So the only chance she had was to even the sides in a hurry.
She snuck another glance around the trunk of the tree she was sheltering behind. It was an old pine, with dense branches and needles, but she could move them aside just a bit to get a better look, and it didn't shake the branches too badly.
What she saw gave her a little more hope. On the ground were a rifle and a pitchfork. They were pretty close to Robin, certainly within range so she could dash over to them in a second or two. The other people were closer, but she had surprise on her side. So what she had to do was get the gun, and then use it to keep them away while she took Shawn with her. Then their business could be finished at her leisure.
But they wouldn't realize she was serious if she just threatened them, and besides, they had stolen Shawn from her. She needed to keep them back, and she needed to make them pay, and she had her own gun, which meant she could actually do so.
She decided that she would kill one of them. Then Shawn. Then come back and see if the others had been stupid enough to stick around, and kill them if they had.
Her lips curved upwards, though she stopped them short of a full smile for fear of cracking them and spilling blood down her chin. That was a good plan. Now it was just a matter of deciding who to take a shot at.
Robin had picked up the sounds of people moving probably ten minutes prior. She had decided to head to town, because that was where most of those left would probably go, where they would try to hide, and it was also a place that would be easily found. She thought there was a pretty good chance she could get her location announced if she did something particularly interesting to somebody, and then Shawn would know how to find her, and he would come for her, and she would kill him.
Then the announcements had blasted through the silence, and that possibility had been lost. Her mood had soured, and the anger had started building again, and so when she'd heard someone moving she'd decided that doing something creative to one of her classmates could wait, that whoever it was could have a private date with the pistol. She was pretty sure she'd figured out how to hold the thing so it wouldn't wreck her wrist further, and while the walking had her pretty winded, whoever it was wasn't going too quickly. It was simple to fall into step with them, shadowing them from a few dozen feet behind and to the side.
And then it hadn't mattered, because there were voices. Lots of them. She'd somehow stumbled into some sort of reunion of what sounded like about half the people left alive, and that was the most upsetting thing that could have possibly happened because it meant Robin would probably have to turn around and run away and search out some isolated loser to hassle instead. At least she hadn't been noticed yet. She was grateful for her boots, because even if they were started to look ragged around the edges, they at least had soft soles that didn't make very much noise when she walked.
She turned, started off, and then stopped.
She was pretty sure there were at least three people together. The announcement had said there were only twelve of them left alive, and she was here too, so that meant there was about a one third chance of one of those people being Shawn. That, in turn, would let her cut out the whole frustrating process of trying to bait him out. And besides, this was roughly in a straight line from the shack. It was certainly conceivable that he would have continued along this very same path, that he would have found others to travel with.
That thought twisted her stomach into a knot. She took a few deep breaths, tried to keep the tears that stung the edges of her eyes at bay.
It just went to show how he'd led her on and betrayed her, only to discard her the second something more convenient came along. But it was okay, because even though he'd hurt her badly, she had learned the truth, and now she would balance the ledger.
She moved closer. A nice little benefit of other people talking was that they were so busy with each other they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. Robin moved from the cover of one tree to another, trying not to giggle. She probably looked like a Looney Tunes character to the cameras, scampering from one area of concealment to the next as she closed in on her prey.
And oh, it was sweet as she peeked out from behind a tree and saw that she'd been right. There he was. Shawn was right there, and so were three other people, who were all busy hugging. He'd found himself a little family to join, and even if he was off at the edges, he was still with them, still integrating himself into their unit.
For just a moment, the anger took hold and Robin considered blowing him away on the spot, but the very idea set her trembling and that reminded her of how cold it was, how much she was hurting. Her head was pounding, filled with pressure. At least her nose had largely crusted over. She was in bad shape, though, and so Shawn would have to be in bad shape as well, so he could really understand what he had done.
She realized there was a good chance she wouldn't walk away from this encounter. Four on one was terrible odds even if everyone was evenly matched, and Robin didn't think she could last if she had to wrestle with someone again. So the only chance she had was to even the sides in a hurry.
She snuck another glance around the trunk of the tree she was sheltering behind. It was an old pine, with dense branches and needles, but she could move them aside just a bit to get a better look, and it didn't shake the branches too badly.
What she saw gave her a little more hope. On the ground were a rifle and a pitchfork. They were pretty close to Robin, certainly within range so she could dash over to them in a second or two. The other people were closer, but she had surprise on her side. So what she had to do was get the gun, and then use it to keep them away while she took Shawn with her. Then their business could be finished at her leisure.
But they wouldn't realize she was serious if she just threatened them, and besides, they had stolen Shawn from her. She needed to keep them back, and she needed to make them pay, and she had her own gun, which meant she could actually do so.
She decided that she would kill one of them. Then Shawn. Then come back and see if the others had been stupid enough to stick around, and kill them if they had.
Her lips curved upwards, though she stopped them short of a full smile for fear of cracking them and spilling blood down her chin. That was a good plan. Now it was just a matter of deciding who to take a shot at.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 459
- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
Shawn watched their reunion off to the side. He couldn't help but smile, even just a little bit. It was, at the very least, touching in a way. He didn't know how long they'd been separated for, but it must have been a significant amount of time.
Shawn waited until all the hugging and crying was over, before deciding to speak up.
"Alright, uh... where to now? Since the town's out, I'm not sure where else to go but we shouldn't..."
His eyes had been scanning more of the horizon, and he could have sworn... he saw...
He rubbed his eyes. No, he was seeing things. He turned back to the group.
"We, uh, we shouldn't stick around here for long."
Shawn waited until all the hugging and crying was over, before deciding to speak up.
"Alright, uh... where to now? Since the town's out, I'm not sure where else to go but we shouldn't..."
His eyes had been scanning more of the horizon, and he could have sworn... he saw...
He rubbed his eyes. No, he was seeing things. He turned back to the group.
"We, uh, we shouldn't stick around here for long."
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Lord_Shadow
- Posts: 536
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:43 am
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
The raw emotions that were present now were too much for him. Kyle broke down along with Louisa.
"I thought you were gone, that Carlyle and I had lost another friend. I don't know what I would have done if we had. Being together with the two of you has made my time here bearable." He looked like a mess and he knew it, but he didn't care.
"But enough of that, Shawn is right, we need to get moving. We can catch up later. For now, where should we go?" He turned towards Carlyle.
"Any thoughts Carlyle?"
He didn't notice that none of them had weapons drawn. The thought never occured to him that they should.
He was lost in this happy moment, and forgot that this was the Program.
"I thought you were gone, that Carlyle and I had lost another friend. I don't know what I would have done if we had. Being together with the two of you has made my time here bearable." He looked like a mess and he knew it, but he didn't care.
"But enough of that, Shawn is right, we need to get moving. We can catch up later. For now, where should we go?" He turned towards Carlyle.
"Any thoughts Carlyle?"
He didn't notice that none of them had weapons drawn. The thought never occured to him that they should.
He was lost in this happy moment, and forgot that this was the Program.
There was once a dumb psuedo-news line here. Now there's this pretentious nonsense. YOU1 DID THIS, YOU1 KNOW WHO YOU1 ARE!
1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
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Pippi
- Posts: 1118
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:32 pm
- Location: I'm Pip!
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
Carlyle would have liked nothing more than to just stay here for a little longer, just to catch up with Louisa, make sure she was okay, and just feel, for once in these past few days, actually secure and happy with how things were going. Waiting to do so until they were elsewhere, seemed kinda... rude, in a sort of sense. Carlyle wasn’t exactly sure how to describe it
But Kyle and Shawn were right. The forest was not a safe place at all, being completely exposed and open to attack at all sides. And although it seemed off to postpone the reunion until later, it would be even worse if Louisa got attacked after they’d looked for her for so long. All things considered, it’d be best to move elsewhere for now. At the very least, the trek through the woods would be made considerably easier with Louisa’s addition to the group.
Carlyle blinked twice and wiped at his eyes, the huge grin still on his face, before he took his map out of his bag. He could remember the other places they were forbidden from entering well enough, the announcement only recently having finished. It would just be helpful to get a good idea of closeness, proximity, that sort of thing.
“Well, uh, not really, not with everythin’ that just happened, y’know? But we’ll probably wanna head for some place with okay protection, yeah? In that case... weee could head for the crag cabin, or the woodman’s shack? Sound good to you three?”
Carlyle smiled at the trio. He folded his map up and put it back in his bag. He took a few steps towards the pitchfork and rifle.
But Kyle and Shawn were right. The forest was not a safe place at all, being completely exposed and open to attack at all sides. And although it seemed off to postpone the reunion until later, it would be even worse if Louisa got attacked after they’d looked for her for so long. All things considered, it’d be best to move elsewhere for now. At the very least, the trek through the woods would be made considerably easier with Louisa’s addition to the group.
Carlyle blinked twice and wiped at his eyes, the huge grin still on his face, before he took his map out of his bag. He could remember the other places they were forbidden from entering well enough, the announcement only recently having finished. It would just be helpful to get a good idea of closeness, proximity, that sort of thing.
“Well, uh, not really, not with everythin’ that just happened, y’know? But we’ll probably wanna head for some place with okay protection, yeah? In that case... weee could head for the crag cabin, or the woodman’s shack? Sound good to you three?”
Carlyle smiled at the trio. He folded his map up and put it back in his bag. He took a few steps towards the pitchfork and rifle.