((Clio Gabriella continued from The Noose of Time))
Sleeping in a random pile of shrubs had been a horrible experience. She's love to make a sarcastic quip, but Clio was frankly too miserable to be witty. She wasn't some spoiled rich kid or anything, or at least she knew how to take her lumps, but she liked beds as much as anyone else.
She'd collapsed under some bushes and slept pretty quickly, but being woken up abruptly by glare of the sun did her no favors. Her hair was a tangled mess, her eyeshadow was smeared and her mouth tasted like lipstick. Plus her neck and back ached, and she'd kill for a shower and toothpaste.
...Okay bad choice of phrasing there. Murder was on the table in theory, sure, but Clio wasn't ready to stab someone for hypothetical hygiene products.
After a few minutes of stretching and massaging her stiff joints, Clio was taken by surprise when a loud beep coming from her person. The voice startled her again, but luckily she got herself together quickly enough to listen.
--
Clio was admittedly a little bit prone to strong emotions. It was only fair then that the up and down peaks of that announcement had left her a rage-trembling, teary-eyed mess. Anyone would be upset.
As soon as she'd realized what was happening, she'd tensed up, ready for the horrible revelation that all her friends were dead. Richard and Will held no special importance, so the most important part here was that people had actually supposedly murdered each-
Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Clio felt herself choke suddenly as that son of a bitch gave a horrific and insensitive obituary to Jeanette. Clio was already crying as it occurred to her that this whole time she'd been thinking about herself, her own survival and all that and now her friend was dead.
Who the fuck was Sophie McDowell, and how was Clio going to fuck that bitch up?
She was trembling with rage as she shakily tried to stand back up, only vaguely noticing Yaz's mention, someone she knew of but wasn't nearly as important to her as Jeanette. Of course, this immediately fell down as she lost her balance and returned to pathetic whimpering as Lyndi was named.
Disgusting. Vile, retched piece of shit. A meat cleaver of all things. What kind of brutal bastard would do that to sweetheart Lyndi? Clio was going to fuck him up so bad-
It was kind of ironic that Panya, who had never gotten along with Clio, added to her emotional turbulence by being so indecent as to also get stabbed to death. Clio couldn't even say why she was crying; she hated Panya. But she still cried.
The last few bits barely fazed her as the list wound down. She was all but sobbing as she lay haphazardly on the dirt, waiting for the roller coaster to end.
--
The field of flowers was closer than she'd expected. Seeing the beautiful mad-artist spread of flowers nearly made her start crying again, but she suppressed the urge. No point.
Two of her close friends were dead and it was only one day into this nightmare. Clio had broken down as soon as it became apparent how horrible this was going to be. Was it even possible for her to last any longer? And to what end? Was she going to do anything or just die here no matter what?
Clio walked at a funeral procession pace through the natural garden, vaguely alert but mostly just lost in thought. The first time this happened, only one person survived. She remembered he'd killed a lot of people, but she also thought it'd been in self-defense or something. What did that mean here? Lyndi's death had definitely sounded malicious in intent, but Jeanette's was a little ambiguous. She had no idea what the context was for a 'favor', so why-
Shit. Shit. Shit. That was a body. Ohhh, shit that was a dead body right over there. Clio froze in place as the dried-blood brown became visible. The person was very definitely dead; suddenly, memories of the stages of decay set in. It'd only been one day, so how far along would the, the rot be? Uh, location, moisture, all sorts of things mattered, uh-
Clio caught a glimpse of the girl's face. It was definitely a girl and it was definitely Panya Bishara. Stabbed to death by Bridgette Somerfield.
The sound of Clio's scream, of pure indiscriminate rage and despair, echoed through the field.
Falling Back To The Earth
Open, Day 2
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Primrosette
- Posts: 894
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:59 pm
- Location: In Her Dark Abyss
((Scarlett McAfee continued from Say It With Firecrackers! ))
Scarlett was exhausted, hungry and sniffling like a baby as she had finally heard the announcements. She was just feeling so heavy-hearted over hearing about people that were playing already. People were already killing. She knew that she should have suspected it to happen. She had seen Everett kill someone in front of her. She shivered at the thought. It had all been a horrid misunderstanding that ended up in a terrible way. She honestly wished that she could go back in time and change everything.
My fault. It's all my fault that Aaron died and that Everett came a murderer because of it.
She had spend the whole night in the woods alone once she realized that she couldn't find Michael or Everett anywhere. She had made sure to stay hidden amongst some bushes and she stayed silent throughout the night. She had slept for a short time as she kept waking up to noises around her and the fact that she couldn't get Aaron's bloodied corpse out of her mind. She still felt like she was the one who had been responsible for everything. Why didn't she leave? Because she had been too hopeful that things would have worked out for everyone. She had to think about the reality that everyone was in.
When morning had came; she had listened to the announcements quietly and patiently while chewing on a bar and drinking some water. She felt more saddening by the news of more students dying and killing. She felt more ill when she had heard Everett and Aaron's names once again.
She had to find him. She needed to find Everett. She needed to find Michael. She needed them both. She was scared of anything happening to either of them. She had to keep them together and she couldn't get separated from them again.
....
So now she was in a field of flowers, looking for her two allies. Praying that they were both safe and sound. She was losing her grip on the targe as the exhaustion was taking over and she let out a small yawn.
Maybe she should take a nap for ten minutes.
That was when she heard the scream of a girl echoing around her and she instantly spun around with the shield in front of her, holding it up to her face to shield and protect herself from any harm heading her way.
.....
Nothing happened.
She blinked and lowered the shield a little, looking around in confusion.
"H....Huh....?"
Scarlett was exhausted, hungry and sniffling like a baby as she had finally heard the announcements. She was just feeling so heavy-hearted over hearing about people that were playing already. People were already killing. She knew that she should have suspected it to happen. She had seen Everett kill someone in front of her. She shivered at the thought. It had all been a horrid misunderstanding that ended up in a terrible way. She honestly wished that she could go back in time and change everything.
My fault. It's all my fault that Aaron died and that Everett came a murderer because of it.
She had spend the whole night in the woods alone once she realized that she couldn't find Michael or Everett anywhere. She had made sure to stay hidden amongst some bushes and she stayed silent throughout the night. She had slept for a short time as she kept waking up to noises around her and the fact that she couldn't get Aaron's bloodied corpse out of her mind. She still felt like she was the one who had been responsible for everything. Why didn't she leave? Because she had been too hopeful that things would have worked out for everyone. She had to think about the reality that everyone was in.
When morning had came; she had listened to the announcements quietly and patiently while chewing on a bar and drinking some water. She felt more saddening by the news of more students dying and killing. She felt more ill when she had heard Everett and Aaron's names once again.
She had to find him. She needed to find Everett. She needed to find Michael. She needed them both. She was scared of anything happening to either of them. She had to keep them together and she couldn't get separated from them again.
....
So now she was in a field of flowers, looking for her two allies. Praying that they were both safe and sound. She was losing her grip on the targe as the exhaustion was taking over and she let out a small yawn.
Maybe she should take a nap for ten minutes.
That was when she heard the scream of a girl echoing around her and she instantly spun around with the shield in front of her, holding it up to her face to shield and protect herself from any harm heading her way.
.....
Nothing happened.
She blinked and lowered the shield a little, looking around in confusion.
"H....Huh....?"
((Yumi Nunes continued from PokeStop))
Once the chapel was well behind Yumi, it became very clear that she was on her own once again. With that realization came feelings of uncertainty and regret. Yes, it was true that staying in the chapel forever wasn't feasible. They already knew that they could be attacked, and just like the cabin mentioned on the announcements, it could become off-limits at any time. But at the same time, she had met up with some friends there, people who she had good feelings about and could probably trust.
Her pace gradually slowed to a stop as she wondered about her decision. Had she made a mistake? Should she have stayed back with Felicia and Ramona?
The idea of turning back tempted her. She could head back to the chapel and talk to the other girls. They probably wouldn't be mad at her if she explained her reasons, would they? Although the idea sounded nice, she couldn't bring herself to go through with it. She had already been walking for too long. With her abandoning the chapel, there was a decent chance that the others would too, and she would just be going to an empty church with a corpse in the garden.
No, she had to keep moving forward. She made a decision, and now she had to live with it, no matter how overbearing her second thoughts were.
Yumi's walkabout led her to a lush, colorful field of flowers, more visually stunning than anything that she had expected to see on the island. The field of bright blues, violets, and other colors brought to mind the old nature shows that she had watched with her grandparents as a child, and how bright the world always looked in these exotic places. She knelt down and looked at the flowers, appreciating the patterns of their petals as well as their refreshing aroma. She smiled softly in appreciation of her surroundings. For a small moment, she felt a sense of peace.
As she sat with the flowers, Yumi saw someone walking by in the distance. It was another girl, but this time not one that she knew by name. The other girl didn't seem to have noticed her, so Yumi laid low. She didn't look dangerous. She didn't look like she was paying much attention at all, actually. Still, it would probably be best to just wait for her to pass by, then move on. No reason to bother anyone who didn't want to be bothered. It usually worked in school, and it should work here.
That was when the other girl screamed, and Yumi scrambled to her feet in response. It was loud, probably louder than anything Yumi had ever heard from another person. Her first instinct was to run, and run fast. However, her knees felt too much like jelly to allow her to do so at that moment.
However, that moment where she was too paralyzed to move made Yumi start thinking. The other girl was holding something that she couldn't quite see, but she wasn't making a threatening pose. She was just screaming. At what, Yumi couldn't tell. There was a pretty good chance that she was scared, just like her.
The decision of whether to approach or flee rang through Yumi's mind. She took a step forward and hesitated before stepping back. This was a one-on-one confrontation with someone that she didn't know. There were so many ways that it could go wrong. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel some sort of empathy for the other girl, who might just need someone to help her right now.
Yumi couldn't make up her mind, so her body made the choice for her, taking a few cautious steps forward. Once she was within speaking distance, she called to the other girl, clutching her bag for comfort and protection.
"Are you okay?"
Once the chapel was well behind Yumi, it became very clear that she was on her own once again. With that realization came feelings of uncertainty and regret. Yes, it was true that staying in the chapel forever wasn't feasible. They already knew that they could be attacked, and just like the cabin mentioned on the announcements, it could become off-limits at any time. But at the same time, she had met up with some friends there, people who she had good feelings about and could probably trust.
Her pace gradually slowed to a stop as she wondered about her decision. Had she made a mistake? Should she have stayed back with Felicia and Ramona?
The idea of turning back tempted her. She could head back to the chapel and talk to the other girls. They probably wouldn't be mad at her if she explained her reasons, would they? Although the idea sounded nice, she couldn't bring herself to go through with it. She had already been walking for too long. With her abandoning the chapel, there was a decent chance that the others would too, and she would just be going to an empty church with a corpse in the garden.
No, she had to keep moving forward. She made a decision, and now she had to live with it, no matter how overbearing her second thoughts were.
Yumi's walkabout led her to a lush, colorful field of flowers, more visually stunning than anything that she had expected to see on the island. The field of bright blues, violets, and other colors brought to mind the old nature shows that she had watched with her grandparents as a child, and how bright the world always looked in these exotic places. She knelt down and looked at the flowers, appreciating the patterns of their petals as well as their refreshing aroma. She smiled softly in appreciation of her surroundings. For a small moment, she felt a sense of peace.
As she sat with the flowers, Yumi saw someone walking by in the distance. It was another girl, but this time not one that she knew by name. The other girl didn't seem to have noticed her, so Yumi laid low. She didn't look dangerous. She didn't look like she was paying much attention at all, actually. Still, it would probably be best to just wait for her to pass by, then move on. No reason to bother anyone who didn't want to be bothered. It usually worked in school, and it should work here.
That was when the other girl screamed, and Yumi scrambled to her feet in response. It was loud, probably louder than anything Yumi had ever heard from another person. Her first instinct was to run, and run fast. However, her knees felt too much like jelly to allow her to do so at that moment.
However, that moment where she was too paralyzed to move made Yumi start thinking. The other girl was holding something that she couldn't quite see, but she wasn't making a threatening pose. She was just screaming. At what, Yumi couldn't tell. There was a pretty good chance that she was scared, just like her.
The decision of whether to approach or flee rang through Yumi's mind. She took a step forward and hesitated before stepping back. This was a one-on-one confrontation with someone that she didn't know. There were so many ways that it could go wrong. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel some sort of empathy for the other girl, who might just need someone to help her right now.
Yumi couldn't make up her mind, so her body made the choice for her, taking a few cautious steps forward. Once she was within speaking distance, she called to the other girl, clutching her bag for comfort and protection.
"Are you okay?"
As her screaming died down, Clio took a deep breath, staggering backwards from the corpse of Panya.
Fingers clenching around the weapon in her hand, Clio clenched her teeth and took slow, deliberate breaths. The rush of panic and anger made her want to hyperventilate and probably scream more but she knew better, she shouldn't do that. She turned away abruptly, her eyes burning and she let out a pained sob. She clutched her stupid sword to her chest blade-down, a poor substitute for actual comfort.
She felt like she was going to be sick or something; her body was trembling and she was struggling to catch her breath. Until now, it hadn't felt real. Logically she had expected this much, people dying and all; the first incident had ended with everyone dead, right?
But there was a big difference between assuming people were dead and finding the corpse of someone you knew. Hated, but knew. How was she supposed to deal with that? It hurt, so bad, and it was only Panya, what if she found Jeanette, or Lyndi, or-?
It took a moment for Clio to process the quiet voice in the distance, but when she did she looked over. Some girl was just standing there, like the world wasn't falling apart around her. Lucky bitch. And who did she think she was, asking such a stupid question?
"No, I'm not okay. Fuck off!" Clio's voice became more shrill as she spoke, the machete tightly held at her side.
Fingers clenching around the weapon in her hand, Clio clenched her teeth and took slow, deliberate breaths. The rush of panic and anger made her want to hyperventilate and probably scream more but she knew better, she shouldn't do that. She turned away abruptly, her eyes burning and she let out a pained sob. She clutched her stupid sword to her chest blade-down, a poor substitute for actual comfort.
She felt like she was going to be sick or something; her body was trembling and she was struggling to catch her breath. Until now, it hadn't felt real. Logically she had expected this much, people dying and all; the first incident had ended with everyone dead, right?
But there was a big difference between assuming people were dead and finding the corpse of someone you knew. Hated, but knew. How was she supposed to deal with that? It hurt, so bad, and it was only Panya, what if she found Jeanette, or Lyndi, or-?
It took a moment for Clio to process the quiet voice in the distance, but when she did she looked over. Some girl was just standing there, like the world wasn't falling apart around her. Lucky bitch. And who did she think she was, asking such a stupid question?
"No, I'm not okay. Fuck off!" Clio's voice became more shrill as she spoke, the machete tightly held at her side.
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Primrosette
- Posts: 894
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:59 pm
- Location: In Her Dark Abyss
Scarlett was about fifteen steps or so away from the other two girls and she stayed where she was for a good reason. The girl who was clearly upset about something seemed to be a bit unstable and dangerous. At least, it seemed that way to Scarlett. The girl was angry about something and she was holding a very lethal weapon. Scarlett had to see what it was.
A machete....
Alarms bells were ringing through Scarlett's head and she felt herself take a step backwards. She had to be more cautious now that she knew that there were people out there willing to kill people that they knew from school just so that they could go back home. She hoped that the other girl would leave to survive. Scarlett was about to rush off herself.
She couldn't get involved. But she didn't move from where she was standing. The targe was still in front of her body; as if she was shielding herself from danger and that was her main reason to have it there. She watched the two girls, waiting to see what would happen
She felt uneasy about this situation already.
Just walk away from the upset girl with the machete, other girl. Please....
A machete....
Alarms bells were ringing through Scarlett's head and she felt herself take a step backwards. She had to be more cautious now that she knew that there were people out there willing to kill people that they knew from school just so that they could go back home. She hoped that the other girl would leave to survive. Scarlett was about to rush off herself.
She couldn't get involved. But she didn't move from where she was standing. The targe was still in front of her body; as if she was shielding herself from danger and that was her main reason to have it there. She watched the two girls, waiting to see what would happen
She felt uneasy about this situation already.
Just walk away from the upset girl with the machete, other girl. Please....
Is that a machete?
That was the first thought that materialized in Yumi's head when the other girl turned around. A machete was a tool, but it was also a weapon, a very dangerous weapon when in the hands of someone willing to use it as such. Yumi couldn't tell if this girl was that kind of person at a glance, but the angry look in her eyes gave her pause.
She was startled by the machete girl's outburst, jumping and trying to back away. However, her heel caught a think clump of grass as she tried to make distance, sending her to the ground as her arms flailed above her head. She handed hard on her rear, sending a shockwave up her spine and stunning her for a moment. She stared wide-eyed at the angry girl in front of her, suddenly filled with dread.
She wanted to tell herself to be brave again, but those thoughts were becoming obscured by her immediate reaction of fear and self-preservation. She held up her hands and leaned back defensively, as though it would ward off the other girl should she come closer.
"I'm s-sorry!" She cried, desperate to defuse the situation. "I just th-thought I could help!"
That was the first thought that materialized in Yumi's head when the other girl turned around. A machete was a tool, but it was also a weapon, a very dangerous weapon when in the hands of someone willing to use it as such. Yumi couldn't tell if this girl was that kind of person at a glance, but the angry look in her eyes gave her pause.
She was startled by the machete girl's outburst, jumping and trying to back away. However, her heel caught a think clump of grass as she tried to make distance, sending her to the ground as her arms flailed above her head. She handed hard on her rear, sending a shockwave up her spine and stunning her for a moment. She stared wide-eyed at the angry girl in front of her, suddenly filled with dread.
She wanted to tell herself to be brave again, but those thoughts were becoming obscured by her immediate reaction of fear and self-preservation. She held up her hands and leaned back defensively, as though it would ward off the other girl should she come closer.
"I'm s-sorry!" She cried, desperate to defuse the situation. "I just th-thought I could help!"
There it was. Losing it again. You stupid bitch.
Trembling with rage, Clio stood silently seething and staring at the girl, who also trembled but with fear. Taking a slow, shaky breath, Clio made very deliberate motions as she stood up straight, her expression melting into one of creeping horror.
Suddenly all too aware of herself, her expression, her breathing, Clio felt the machete slip from her right hand's white-knuckle grip as a sudden, sharp pang sent a spasm through her finger's joints. The arthritis in her hands had been mostly under control, but the constant abuse and clenched fists had made her damaged nerves increasingly sensitive.
Clio dropped to her knees, her shaking hands fumbling with the machete's grip. She picked it up, but dropped it again. Again, with extremely deliberate movements, and dropped the blade a third time.
As her increasing hysteria hit its crescendo, Clio became aware that her warped perception of time meant that the girl, Yumi, was still there because her freakout was only a second or two long. She tilted her head up, her words stalled for a moment.
"I'm sorry." As the painful cramps in her hands subsided for a moment, she managed to get a firm hold on her dropped weapon, and stood upright so fast she almost fell backwards from the movement of her bag.
"Oh, god, I'm so sorry." Clio stepped back from Yumi. "I'm sorry, I-" Her voice went from quivering to choking as she started to tear up, and then gave way to retching sobs, her free left forearm uselessly covering her face and wiping at the tears with her wrist.
Trembling with rage, Clio stood silently seething and staring at the girl, who also trembled but with fear. Taking a slow, shaky breath, Clio made very deliberate motions as she stood up straight, her expression melting into one of creeping horror.
Suddenly all too aware of herself, her expression, her breathing, Clio felt the machete slip from her right hand's white-knuckle grip as a sudden, sharp pang sent a spasm through her finger's joints. The arthritis in her hands had been mostly under control, but the constant abuse and clenched fists had made her damaged nerves increasingly sensitive.
Clio dropped to her knees, her shaking hands fumbling with the machete's grip. She picked it up, but dropped it again. Again, with extremely deliberate movements, and dropped the blade a third time.
As her increasing hysteria hit its crescendo, Clio became aware that her warped perception of time meant that the girl, Yumi, was still there because her freakout was only a second or two long. She tilted her head up, her words stalled for a moment.
"I'm sorry." As the painful cramps in her hands subsided for a moment, she managed to get a firm hold on her dropped weapon, and stood upright so fast she almost fell backwards from the movement of her bag.
"Oh, god, I'm so sorry." Clio stepped back from Yumi. "I'm sorry, I-" Her voice went from quivering to choking as she started to tear up, and then gave way to retching sobs, her free left forearm uselessly covering her face and wiping at the tears with her wrist.
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Primrosette
- Posts: 894
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 1:59 pm
- Location: In Her Dark Abyss
Scarlett didn't know why she was backing away from the scene in front of her. Maybe she just didn't think that it was any of her business to get involved. Maybe it was because she didn't know who these two girls were. Two strangers that she wasn't sure that she could trust or not.
Or maybe you are just scared and paranoid about other people now, Scarlett....
She really needed to find Everett and Michael. She felt a little bad about leaving those two girls. But she had a bad feeling in her gut. And she was going to followed her gut feeling. She trusted it a lot more for a reason.
She turned away from the other two and then she rushed through the flowers. She felt sad over leaving a place like this. But she had to find her friends. Fast.
((Scarlett McAfee continued in When There's Nothing Left To Burn, You Have to Set Yourself on Fire))
Or maybe you are just scared and paranoid about other people now, Scarlett....
She really needed to find Everett and Michael. She felt a little bad about leaving those two girls. But she had a bad feeling in her gut. And she was going to followed her gut feeling. She trusted it a lot more for a reason.
She turned away from the other two and then she rushed through the flowers. She felt sad over leaving a place like this. But she had to find her friends. Fast.
((Scarlett McAfee continued in When There's Nothing Left To Burn, You Have to Set Yourself on Fire))
It was difficult for Yumi to put into words exactly the way she felt about the girl in front of her. After shouting at her and scaring her into submission, she started panicking and apparently couldn't keep a good grip on her machete. Yumi watched the breakdown from her position on the ground, offering no comments as she remained in suspense over the other girl's next move.
The other girl seemed to stabilize a bit, standing back up and offering a quick apology. Moments later though, she was collapsing into tears. Whatever happened to this girl had clearly gotten into her head, since she was barely holding herself together. She might have had it even worse than Yumi. Had she seen one of her friends die? They had been there a day, and Yumi knew firsthand that people were willing to kill, so it was definitely possible.
Yumi slowly and shakily returned to her feet, wary of the other girl's potential reaction. She had just watched her go from rage to panic to despair in a matter of seconds, so she couldn't gauge what she would do next. The unpredictability of the situation was scary, but there was no easy way out. Running now might agitate her again, so there was no choice but to try to talk it out.
"Are you all r-right?" Yumi forced herself to ask.
No wait, she needed to know something else too. Of course she wanted to make sure that the other girl was okay, especially considering how emotional she was at the moment, but she needed to look out for herself too. And there was one question that could definitely help her stay informed and alert.
"What's your name?"
The other girl seemed to stabilize a bit, standing back up and offering a quick apology. Moments later though, she was collapsing into tears. Whatever happened to this girl had clearly gotten into her head, since she was barely holding herself together. She might have had it even worse than Yumi. Had she seen one of her friends die? They had been there a day, and Yumi knew firsthand that people were willing to kill, so it was definitely possible.
Yumi slowly and shakily returned to her feet, wary of the other girl's potential reaction. She had just watched her go from rage to panic to despair in a matter of seconds, so she couldn't gauge what she would do next. The unpredictability of the situation was scary, but there was no easy way out. Running now might agitate her again, so there was no choice but to try to talk it out.
"Are you all r-right?" Yumi forced herself to ask.
No wait, she needed to know something else too. Of course she wanted to make sure that the other girl was okay, especially considering how emotional she was at the moment, but she needed to look out for herself too. And there was one question that could definitely help her stay informed and alert.
"What's your name?"
"Her name's Clio."
((Jason Andrews continues from the showers))
Jason didn't want to leave Amanda, but he had to face facts - if they stayed together, they would die together. He loved her so much as a friend but he loved himself more, enough to risk his life on it, and that was a risk that had to pay off. It didn't stop him from feeling like shit, though. At some point, he made a note to apologize to her parents when he got home - Dad once told Jason it was healthy to plan for the future.
Ever since then though he'd just been hiking - ruins, quarries, tunnels, there was a lot to go through on this island and he'd been through it. But now he was at the weirdest place on this entire weird rock, a field of flowers right in the middle of a clearing. It was like that time when one of his cousins made him watch that Twilight movie. Who the fuck even maintained all of this? There was no telling how many weeds lay underneath with their own ecosystem. He wasn't going to find out, like a lot of people around here seemed all too willing to do. Just lay down in the grass why don't you?
He saw someone doing this, and another. Well, there was another as well, but she didn't move when she was screamed at so fair to say she wasn't resting. Maybe if he made more jokes about her in his head he could formalize the fact it was fucking horrific seeing a dead body within eyesight. Maybe he could also not have to kill anyone and still go home as well.
Jason hid in the trees as Clio yelled at the body, then yelled at the girl who got closer, and he was pretty sure if he gave her some time she'd yell at the chick who bounced as well. Typical Clio - lots of reasons he dumped her, the fact she was just so predictable and emotional was foremost. She seemed to calm down though, so that was when Jason made his debut, wading through the flowers up to the two girls, announcing his presence by answering the tiny girl's question.
At some point, his foot got caught on a weed, throwing his balance off as he walked forward. He didn't trip, but he stumbled. Jason continued on like his mistake never happened.
"...you look like shit, Clio, no offense."
He looked at the tiny girl. He had no idea who the fuck she was. He instead turned to Panya's body.
"Better than Tanya, though. Yikes."
It was probably dumb to be an asshole like he was, but Jason was fine. He was the one with the gun, after all, even if he wasn't waving it about. And Panya was dead, so it's not like she could be offended. It felt weird, though.
Whatever.
((Jason Andrews continues from the showers))
Jason didn't want to leave Amanda, but he had to face facts - if they stayed together, they would die together. He loved her so much as a friend but he loved himself more, enough to risk his life on it, and that was a risk that had to pay off. It didn't stop him from feeling like shit, though. At some point, he made a note to apologize to her parents when he got home - Dad once told Jason it was healthy to plan for the future.
Ever since then though he'd just been hiking - ruins, quarries, tunnels, there was a lot to go through on this island and he'd been through it. But now he was at the weirdest place on this entire weird rock, a field of flowers right in the middle of a clearing. It was like that time when one of his cousins made him watch that Twilight movie. Who the fuck even maintained all of this? There was no telling how many weeds lay underneath with their own ecosystem. He wasn't going to find out, like a lot of people around here seemed all too willing to do. Just lay down in the grass why don't you?
He saw someone doing this, and another. Well, there was another as well, but she didn't move when she was screamed at so fair to say she wasn't resting. Maybe if he made more jokes about her in his head he could formalize the fact it was fucking horrific seeing a dead body within eyesight. Maybe he could also not have to kill anyone and still go home as well.
Jason hid in the trees as Clio yelled at the body, then yelled at the girl who got closer, and he was pretty sure if he gave her some time she'd yell at the chick who bounced as well. Typical Clio - lots of reasons he dumped her, the fact she was just so predictable and emotional was foremost. She seemed to calm down though, so that was when Jason made his debut, wading through the flowers up to the two girls, announcing his presence by answering the tiny girl's question.
At some point, his foot got caught on a weed, throwing his balance off as he walked forward. He didn't trip, but he stumbled. Jason continued on like his mistake never happened.
"...you look like shit, Clio, no offense."
He looked at the tiny girl. He had no idea who the fuck she was. He instead turned to Panya's body.
"Better than Tanya, though. Yikes."
It was probably dumb to be an asshole like he was, but Jason was fine. He was the one with the gun, after all, even if he wasn't waving it about. And Panya was dead, so it's not like she could be offended. It felt weird, though.
Whatever.
Handle crises in steps. One thing at a time. First, stop crying.
Breathe.
Gasp in.
Wheeze out.
Breath in.
Out.
Okay, recovery process started. That was good. Clio sniffled, forcing her posture to a more upright position. Her face felt hot and swollen like a bruise. Her ego was bruised, too, which almost made her smile when the thought occurred to her.
Next up, there was a person here. Clio looked her over for a moment, listened to her question. Clio had probably never talked to Yumi before, but she'd seen her at school, heard nasty things said about the girl. Maybe said some nasty things herself. And now Yumi was showing concern for Clio's condition.
Now it was time to use words. Yumi didn't know Clio, but though that might have offended her at some point (or even now), it was hard to find the room in her brain to put much effort towards indignance. Petty emotional nonsense wouldn’t help. Hypocrisy, thy name is Clio.
Of course, some asshole named Jason decided to butt in before she could collect her words. Clio's head turned, slowly and deliberately, until she had locked eyes with Jason, as he spoke.
What. Did he just say. About Panya.
A sudden rush of thoughts hit Clio like the crash of a blunt force object. She couldn't piece together any one bit over the others. If she'd reflected on it, she might have considered which of his words had the most impact. Calling Panya the wrong name, literally speaking ill of the dead? Saying Clio looked like shit, adding an asshole's excuse as if to soften the words.
Or maybe just his lack of fucks to give. The past day had been, if not physically, an extremely turbulent period for Clio's mind. All the stress inherent to this shitty place plus finding a dead girl she actually knew once, and you got a lot of emotion in an already emotional girl. And then here comes this guy, apparently too cool for empathy, making snarky remarks about a dead girl and a girl losing it over that dead girl. Someone who doesn't present one shit about the severity of this whole thing. That could be aggravating, yeah?
Yeah, that was probably the reason she tried to kill him.
Trembling as she stared blankly at him, for what might have been seconds but felt like a minute or more. Her hand was screaming in pain again, but it was background noise as she clenched the machete white-knuckled.
She lunged with old ferocity, like when she started fighting for the first time after the piano. The machete, clumsily slashing overhead, was obviously nowhere near Jason's face, but Clio stepped forward again, swinging the blade at a horizontal angle towards his midsection.
He ran. At least he had the self awareness to do that. Heart pounding, stomping, screaming, Clio followed at top speed.
((Clio Gabriella continued in It's Kind of Like a Wasteland))
Breathe.
Gasp in.
Wheeze out.
Breath in.
Out.
Okay, recovery process started. That was good. Clio sniffled, forcing her posture to a more upright position. Her face felt hot and swollen like a bruise. Her ego was bruised, too, which almost made her smile when the thought occurred to her.
Next up, there was a person here. Clio looked her over for a moment, listened to her question. Clio had probably never talked to Yumi before, but she'd seen her at school, heard nasty things said about the girl. Maybe said some nasty things herself. And now Yumi was showing concern for Clio's condition.
Now it was time to use words. Yumi didn't know Clio, but though that might have offended her at some point (or even now), it was hard to find the room in her brain to put much effort towards indignance. Petty emotional nonsense wouldn’t help. Hypocrisy, thy name is Clio.
Of course, some asshole named Jason decided to butt in before she could collect her words. Clio's head turned, slowly and deliberately, until she had locked eyes with Jason, as he spoke.
What. Did he just say. About Panya.
A sudden rush of thoughts hit Clio like the crash of a blunt force object. She couldn't piece together any one bit over the others. If she'd reflected on it, she might have considered which of his words had the most impact. Calling Panya the wrong name, literally speaking ill of the dead? Saying Clio looked like shit, adding an asshole's excuse as if to soften the words.
Or maybe just his lack of fucks to give. The past day had been, if not physically, an extremely turbulent period for Clio's mind. All the stress inherent to this shitty place plus finding a dead girl she actually knew once, and you got a lot of emotion in an already emotional girl. And then here comes this guy, apparently too cool for empathy, making snarky remarks about a dead girl and a girl losing it over that dead girl. Someone who doesn't present one shit about the severity of this whole thing. That could be aggravating, yeah?
Yeah, that was probably the reason she tried to kill him.
Trembling as she stared blankly at him, for what might have been seconds but felt like a minute or more. Her hand was screaming in pain again, but it was background noise as she clenched the machete white-knuckled.
She lunged with old ferocity, like when she started fighting for the first time after the piano. The machete, clumsily slashing overhead, was obviously nowhere near Jason's face, but Clio stepped forward again, swinging the blade at a horizontal angle towards his midsection.
He ran. At least he had the self awareness to do that. Heart pounding, stomping, screaming, Clio followed at top speed.
((Clio Gabriella continued in It's Kind of Like a Wasteland))
As his ex-girlfriend sat trembling and broken on the ground, Jason started to feel just the slightest bit bad. He wouldn't have felt this if she'd fought back, if she'd said something snarky right back in his face, if she'd been just as rude back to him as he was to her and Tanya. And the midget girl as well, he guessed. It wasn't an ideal state of being, but it was what happened back at school.
Of course, he stopped feeling even that slither of regret when Clio lunged forward with her machete and tried to grant him some new facial lines.
Jason fell backwards, quickly becoming re-acquainted with the flowers and the weeds. His feet and hands started doing their dance, two-stepping backwards away from the girl with homocide on the brain. That one swipe could have been it, but she kept on going. He climbed to his feet while still working his way backwards, just focused on avoiding becoming a butcher's display over fighting back.
He probably could have stopped her if he'd taken his gun out, or even just his sword. A fight with blades, that would have stopped her. Just take a swipe at her hands, that'll do it. But his mind wasn't there.
His mind was on escape, and his body followed. He ran backwards, leaving the field and the other girl behind, taking a crazy bitch with him.
((Jason Andrews continues in a wasteland))
Of course, he stopped feeling even that slither of regret when Clio lunged forward with her machete and tried to grant him some new facial lines.
Jason fell backwards, quickly becoming re-acquainted with the flowers and the weeds. His feet and hands started doing their dance, two-stepping backwards away from the girl with homocide on the brain. That one swipe could have been it, but she kept on going. He climbed to his feet while still working his way backwards, just focused on avoiding becoming a butcher's display over fighting back.
He probably could have stopped her if he'd taken his gun out, or even just his sword. A fight with blades, that would have stopped her. Just take a swipe at her hands, that'll do it. But his mind wasn't there.
His mind was on escape, and his body followed. He ran backwards, leaving the field and the other girl behind, taking a crazy bitch with him.
((Jason Andrews continues in a wasteland))
What happened next was a little hard to keep track of, but Yumi did her best to keep up.
A tall guy said that the girl with the machete's name was Clio, but he was a bit tactless about it. That was apparently all it took to get Clio back to being angry, and she chased off the tall guy while swinging her machete wildly. Yumi watched them run for a while, getting smaller as they got further and further away. Once they were no longer visible from her point of view, She rubbed her eyes and realized just how quickly things had gone from tense, to calm, to back again.
Did that really just happen?
Now that Yumi was alone once more, her attention was drawn to the area that Clio had been screaming at. From what she could tell from the brief conversation that had taken place, it must have been a body. Apparently some girl named Tanya. Yumi hadn't heard any Tanya on the announcements, though. Maybe the boy was mistaking them for someone else.Curiosity got the best of her, and she stepped closer to get a better look.
Oh...
Once she was close enough to have a good view, she recognized the body immediately. It wasn't Tanya, it was Panya. Panya Bishara.
This was Yumi's second time looking at a corpse, and it felt a lot different from the first. Lyndi had been a stranger who showed up to protect them, and her death happened right in front of her eyes. Panya was a friend who was killed when she wasn't around, and she had to be told the news by an uncaring voice. the last time she had seen Panya was on the bus, back when everything was fine. But now she was lying there in the field with a huge gash in her neck and nothing behind her eyes. Yumi felt a strong combination of sickness and sadness her eyes starting to well up as her stomach felt sour.
"Hi Panya." She spoke to the corpse, obviously receiving no reply. "I'm s-sorry that I couldn't be here earlier."
She sat down next to the body, her knees in the air with her arms perched atop them. She had to wonder what she was thinking, speaking with a dead person. She imagined that she must look crazy to anyone who would have been watching. But she needed some way to cope, and maybe speaking from the heart could help, even if the recipient of the words couldn't respond.
She looked down at Panya's face. For some reason, she was smiling. Yumi didn't really know why, especially considering how violent her death appeared to be, but something about that smile helped her feel a bit more at ease, at least in terms of how one can feel when sitting next to the corpse of a classmate.
"You know... I always th-thought you were cool."
That was the truth. Even though Yumi and Panya were not really the closest of friends, there was still something about her that Yumi had always found admirable. Panya pretty much had no fear, and she was always throwing herself headfirst into any situation she wished. Yumi couldn't imagine being so brave herself, which led to her envying the actress a bit. Yes, Panya was cool and brave, but just like Lyndi, that didn't save her. And yet somehow, even though the two of them couldn't make it, Yumi was still alive.
"I guess I don't know what I'm gonna do now." She continued on, rocking gently in place. "I want to live, but I's s-scared of what's going to come next. I wish I had s-someone who could tell me what I had to do, and that everything was going to be okay."
She sighed and let her head hang. She just wished that none of this had ever happened. She wanted to be at the aquarium, watching the jellyfish float through their tank the way they do, and maybe pet something in the touch tank before going home with a little plush shark. If only everything could just go back to normal.
But that wasn't going to happen. Things weren't going to change back. If she ever wanted to go home again, she needed to learn to survive. If she wanted to see her family again, she had to stay alive. If she wanted to publish her novel, she needed to get off the island. With that in mind, her eyes wandered over to the discarded duffel bag near Panya's resting place.
"S-sorry..." She stuttered softly as she moved to unzip the bag and search the insides for anything useful. She didn't feel good about it, but nothing in that bag would do Panya any good anymore, so Yumi would probably be justified in taking it. Unfortunately, her search turned up nothing of use. Someone else must have already looted her belongings. Zipping up the bag again, Yumi released another sigh of disappointment.
There wasn't much else for her to do here. Staying with Panya's corpse wouldn't accomplish anything aside from making her more aware of the decomposition process, and that wouldn't help her get home. She stood up and gave one last look to the corpse on the ground.
"Bye Panya."
She walked away from the scene, the ground around her gradually getting less colorful as she left the flowers behind her.
((Yumi Nunes continued elsewhere...))
A tall guy said that the girl with the machete's name was Clio, but he was a bit tactless about it. That was apparently all it took to get Clio back to being angry, and she chased off the tall guy while swinging her machete wildly. Yumi watched them run for a while, getting smaller as they got further and further away. Once they were no longer visible from her point of view, She rubbed her eyes and realized just how quickly things had gone from tense, to calm, to back again.
Did that really just happen?
Now that Yumi was alone once more, her attention was drawn to the area that Clio had been screaming at. From what she could tell from the brief conversation that had taken place, it must have been a body. Apparently some girl named Tanya. Yumi hadn't heard any Tanya on the announcements, though. Maybe the boy was mistaking them for someone else.Curiosity got the best of her, and she stepped closer to get a better look.
Oh...
Once she was close enough to have a good view, she recognized the body immediately. It wasn't Tanya, it was Panya. Panya Bishara.
This was Yumi's second time looking at a corpse, and it felt a lot different from the first. Lyndi had been a stranger who showed up to protect them, and her death happened right in front of her eyes. Panya was a friend who was killed when she wasn't around, and she had to be told the news by an uncaring voice. the last time she had seen Panya was on the bus, back when everything was fine. But now she was lying there in the field with a huge gash in her neck and nothing behind her eyes. Yumi felt a strong combination of sickness and sadness her eyes starting to well up as her stomach felt sour.
"Hi Panya." She spoke to the corpse, obviously receiving no reply. "I'm s-sorry that I couldn't be here earlier."
She sat down next to the body, her knees in the air with her arms perched atop them. She had to wonder what she was thinking, speaking with a dead person. She imagined that she must look crazy to anyone who would have been watching. But she needed some way to cope, and maybe speaking from the heart could help, even if the recipient of the words couldn't respond.
She looked down at Panya's face. For some reason, she was smiling. Yumi didn't really know why, especially considering how violent her death appeared to be, but something about that smile helped her feel a bit more at ease, at least in terms of how one can feel when sitting next to the corpse of a classmate.
"You know... I always th-thought you were cool."
That was the truth. Even though Yumi and Panya were not really the closest of friends, there was still something about her that Yumi had always found admirable. Panya pretty much had no fear, and she was always throwing herself headfirst into any situation she wished. Yumi couldn't imagine being so brave herself, which led to her envying the actress a bit. Yes, Panya was cool and brave, but just like Lyndi, that didn't save her. And yet somehow, even though the two of them couldn't make it, Yumi was still alive.
"I guess I don't know what I'm gonna do now." She continued on, rocking gently in place. "I want to live, but I's s-scared of what's going to come next. I wish I had s-someone who could tell me what I had to do, and that everything was going to be okay."
She sighed and let her head hang. She just wished that none of this had ever happened. She wanted to be at the aquarium, watching the jellyfish float through their tank the way they do, and maybe pet something in the touch tank before going home with a little plush shark. If only everything could just go back to normal.
But that wasn't going to happen. Things weren't going to change back. If she ever wanted to go home again, she needed to learn to survive. If she wanted to see her family again, she had to stay alive. If she wanted to publish her novel, she needed to get off the island. With that in mind, her eyes wandered over to the discarded duffel bag near Panya's resting place.
"S-sorry..." She stuttered softly as she moved to unzip the bag and search the insides for anything useful. She didn't feel good about it, but nothing in that bag would do Panya any good anymore, so Yumi would probably be justified in taking it. Unfortunately, her search turned up nothing of use. Someone else must have already looted her belongings. Zipping up the bag again, Yumi released another sigh of disappointment.
There wasn't much else for her to do here. Staying with Panya's corpse wouldn't accomplish anything aside from making her more aware of the decomposition process, and that wouldn't help her get home. She stood up and gave one last look to the corpse on the ground.
"Bye Panya."
She walked away from the scene, the ground around her gradually getting less colorful as she left the flowers behind her.
((Yumi Nunes continued elsewhere...))