It’d been damn near impossible to tell what had happened.
Anthony had been blocking the view the entire time Sidney had reached the top of the ladder, but that scream that came from in front of him had sounded like Sidney, her voice still fresh on Janet’s ears. It looked like the crazy bitch had decided to follow her.
She wanted to barge around Anthony, get to Sidney herself, remind her what she had told her about not trying to fuck with her, but before her legs found their will to move it was already over. It sounded like Sidney had fallen, and Anthony was already nursing a gashed arm.
Sidney wasn’t getting any better.
She wanted to go and see her for herself, but Anthony had cut her off before she could get the words out. She didn’t nod, only watched him as he climbed down the ladder. She could have seen everything from the top of the ladder, but she didn’t look, not right away. Whether it was a mixture of fear that she was right that Sidney really had been the one following her, or fear out of what she’d find at the bottom of the ladder, she wasn’t really sure, but she couldn’t keep pace with Anthony.
Long after the life had left Sidney’s eyes, Janet had finally found her feet and moved to the opening. Below her was the sight of a broken girl and a broken boy.
“What happened?!”
Look Out!
Open
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Just like that, everything fell apart. Nicole glanced to the side for just a moment, checking to make sure nobody was closing in, and then there was noise and chaos. She spun back, readying her pistol, just in time to hear the screaming and see Anthony struggling with someone. Whoever it was was dislodged or something, and then Anthony was saying that she'd attacked him. Before Nicole could react, he'd slipped away, heading after whoever it had been.
Nicole was tempted to back him up, to try to keep him safe. She didn't move, though. If someone had fallen down the ladder, the odds were that they were very decidedly not okay. That could make things really awkward. Janet had been in a bad frame of mind upon her arrival. This could set her off again. It could destroy Anthony. Nicole didn't want to think about one of her classmates being hurt, being dead. Anthony was a nice boy. This wouldn't be easy on any of them.
It seemed like a long time before Janet leaned over to look down and called out, asking what had happened.
With a sinking feeling, Nicole moved up to stand behind her.
"Is everyone okay?" she called, knowing that it would be a miracle if she received a positive answer.
Nicole was tempted to back him up, to try to keep him safe. She didn't move, though. If someone had fallen down the ladder, the odds were that they were very decidedly not okay. That could make things really awkward. Janet had been in a bad frame of mind upon her arrival. This could set her off again. It could destroy Anthony. Nicole didn't want to think about one of her classmates being hurt, being dead. Anthony was a nice boy. This wouldn't be easy on any of them.
It seemed like a long time before Janet leaned over to look down and called out, asking what had happened.
With a sinking feeling, Nicole moved up to stand behind her.
"Is everyone okay?" she called, knowing that it would be a miracle if she received a positive answer.
Janet shouted a "What happened" down at Anthony. He looked up to her, then back to the corpse, and angrily gestured toward it.
"What does it look like HAPPENED!?" He shouted back. And buried his face in his hands. Partly because he did feel..nonplussed about what had happened, and partly because he was selling how horrified he was by the whole ordeal. He thought he did a good job of it.
Nicole's question followed on the heels of Janet's. It seemed almost hilarious in it's naivete. He removed his hands from his face long enough to call up,
"I'm okay. But. Fucking Jesus, she's not even breathing."
His arm was stinging like a son of a bitch now, too. He made a note to disinfect it and wrap it up. He'd be damned if he was going to get brought down by an infection. Not after this Academy Award performance.
"What does it look like HAPPENED!?" He shouted back. And buried his face in his hands. Partly because he did feel..nonplussed about what had happened, and partly because he was selling how horrified he was by the whole ordeal. He thought he did a good job of it.
Nicole's question followed on the heels of Janet's. It seemed almost hilarious in it's naivete. He removed his hands from his face long enough to call up,
"I'm okay. But. Fucking Jesus, she's not even breathing."
His arm was stinging like a son of a bitch now, too. He made a note to disinfect it and wrap it up. He'd be damned if he was going to get brought down by an infection. Not after this Academy Award performance.
Janet was back down the ladder again in no time. Anthony’s response was just repeating to her what she’d already figured out, what Nicole’s question already had an answer for even as Anthony replied to it, but she had to know for sure with her own two eyes.
Sidney definitely wasn’t getting any better.
Her mouth hung open, stunned by the corpse of the girl who’d tried to turn her into one just an hour ago. She didn’t have to get close to tell: the two open wounds in her head, oozing a few last drops of blood as her heart stopped beating, and the stone cold stare of her eyes, that spark of desperation fading to nothing, were enough to tell anyone that Sidney Rice was dead.
One of her classmates was already dead. It hadn’t even been a day, and it had already happened. This wasn’t how it was supposed to play out: people were supposed to shut up and realise they didn’t have to kill each other; they weren’t supposed to be dying already, not this soon. Not ever. Not just cause some fat fucker had shot one of her classmates and said he'd blow up the rest, that was all just talk, a bluff, the rantings of some psycho terrorist.
But here she was, looking at a corpse.
And there was Anthony.
“What the fuck happened?!” she screamed at him, eyes darting between the classmate’s corpse and the crying culprit. “Did you fucking stab her or something?!” She stared down at him with an incomprehensible feeling growing in her gut, without an idea what to make of the person who’d apparently murdered her classmate. She may not have liked Sidney, she might have even hated her, but Anthony had gone and done what she'd never even considered.
If someone’s too much of a smartass for their own good, you can just ignore them. If someone’s a bitch to your friends, you can just yell at them until they shut up. If someone’s an asshole to your little brother, you can just beat the shit out of them.
How do you deal with a murderer?
Sidney definitely wasn’t getting any better.
Her mouth hung open, stunned by the corpse of the girl who’d tried to turn her into one just an hour ago. She didn’t have to get close to tell: the two open wounds in her head, oozing a few last drops of blood as her heart stopped beating, and the stone cold stare of her eyes, that spark of desperation fading to nothing, were enough to tell anyone that Sidney Rice was dead.
One of her classmates was already dead. It hadn’t even been a day, and it had already happened. This wasn’t how it was supposed to play out: people were supposed to shut up and realise they didn’t have to kill each other; they weren’t supposed to be dying already, not this soon. Not ever. Not just cause some fat fucker had shot one of her classmates and said he'd blow up the rest, that was all just talk, a bluff, the rantings of some psycho terrorist.
But here she was, looking at a corpse.
And there was Anthony.
“What the fuck happened?!” she screamed at him, eyes darting between the classmate’s corpse and the crying culprit. “Did you fucking stab her or something?!” She stared down at him with an incomprehensible feeling growing in her gut, without an idea what to make of the person who’d apparently murdered her classmate. She may not have liked Sidney, she might have even hated her, but Anthony had gone and done what she'd never even considered.
If someone’s too much of a smartass for their own good, you can just ignore them. If someone’s a bitch to your friends, you can just yell at them until they shut up. If someone’s an asshole to your little brother, you can just beat the shit out of them.
How do you deal with a murderer?
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Anthony sounded like he was on the edge of panic. He was no longer calm or collected. Nicole thought there was even an edge of anger to his voice, and that scared her, but not half as much as what came after. It was just as bad as she'd thought. Someone had gotten killed. Janet was getting worked up. Anthony was in a bad state. Both seemed to have the potential for violence, and Nicole didn't think she could deal with it if they tried to kill each other.
She wasn't at all sure she could deal with seeing the body of one of her classmates, either.
Nicole knew a lot of people at school. She knew what they liked, who they cared about. She didn't want to know who would never grow up, whose dreams would never come true, who would be mourning for the loss. She didn't want to think about herself or her friends dying in the same way. She didn't want it to be true.
That didn't stop her from heading to the ladder and starting down. People needed help. She left her bag up top, but tucked the pistol into the waistband of her jeans. It made her nervous, having a loaded gun so close to her, but there wasn't much she could do about it. The gun helped her feel a bit more secure, and she could use it to calm people down if things got out of hand. She'd just have to be careful to avoid any accidents.
As she slowly climbed down the ladder, she called out, "Just stay calm. I'm coming down."
She wasn't at all sure she could stay calm herself, but telling the others to keep cool made it just a bit more likely that this could end well.
She wasn't at all sure she could deal with seeing the body of one of her classmates, either.
Nicole knew a lot of people at school. She knew what they liked, who they cared about. She didn't want to know who would never grow up, whose dreams would never come true, who would be mourning for the loss. She didn't want to think about herself or her friends dying in the same way. She didn't want it to be true.
That didn't stop her from heading to the ladder and starting down. People needed help. She left her bag up top, but tucked the pistol into the waistband of her jeans. It made her nervous, having a loaded gun so close to her, but there wasn't much she could do about it. The gun helped her feel a bit more secure, and she could use it to calm people down if things got out of hand. She'd just have to be careful to avoid any accidents.
As she slowly climbed down the ladder, she called out, "Just stay calm. I'm coming down."
She wasn't at all sure she could stay calm herself, but telling the others to keep cool made it just a bit more likely that this could end well.
Anthony's eyes shot daggers at Janet as she berated him, but he didn't say anything. Part of it was the continued act, the defensiveness he was feigning to seem like none of this was what he had wanted. The other part was anger at the girl's less-than-expected reaction. He had just killed somebody. Wasn't he supposed to get some fucking sympathy? Instead of this blind rage? This was the part of the scene where the girls told him it was ok, where he did what he had to do (whether or not he really did).
Janet started down, imploring them to stay calm. Anthony gritted his teeth and tried. He wiped his eyes and keot his head down looking to his feet.
Janet started down, imploring them to stay calm. Anthony gritted his teeth and tried. He wiped his eyes and keot his head down looking to his feet.
Anthony was ignoring her, like what she’d asked didn't matter in the slightest, like he could glare at her and then she’d leave him alone. No deal, not even fucking close to a deal.
“I’m fucking talking to you!” she snarled, marching towards him with a fearsome stare of her own, reaching out to grab him out of his hands. “I asked you what the fuck happened!”
There was a dead girl less than five feet away from either of them, and he chose now to shut up and say nothing? You don’t get to not say anything when your classmate has wound up dead after having a chat with you, not under Janet’s watch. However things had gone down on that ladder, Janet was getting to the bottom of it right there and then.
Nicole was coming down, Janet had heard her before and could still hear her footsteps, but that was irrelevant. Whatever Nicole made of the situation, whatever her reaction was when she got to see what Janet had just a few seconds ago, it was irrelevant. Right now everything but getting to the bottom of this and getting Anthony to come clean was totally irrelevant.
People weren’t supposed to be dying. Not yet. Not ever.
“I’m fucking talking to you!” she snarled, marching towards him with a fearsome stare of her own, reaching out to grab him out of his hands. “I asked you what the fuck happened!”
There was a dead girl less than five feet away from either of them, and he chose now to shut up and say nothing? You don’t get to not say anything when your classmate has wound up dead after having a chat with you, not under Janet’s watch. However things had gone down on that ladder, Janet was getting to the bottom of it right there and then.
Nicole was coming down, Janet had heard her before and could still hear her footsteps, but that was irrelevant. Whatever Nicole made of the situation, whatever her reaction was when she got to see what Janet had just a few seconds ago, it was irrelevant. Right now everything but getting to the bottom of this and getting Anthony to come clean was totally irrelevant.
People weren’t supposed to be dying. Not yet. Not ever.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Nicole made her way the down the ladder, and she almost immediately wished she hadn't. Sidney was there, and she was definitely dead. Even from where she stood, a little bit away from the others, Nicole could see blood. She didn't want to get closer, to see whether any of the girl's bones had suffered compound fractures. She didn't want to know what damage had been done, what had been inflicted, directly or not, by Anthony. This was very different from considering injuries and death in a classroom setting. There was no chance of learning anything useful here, no possibility of setting things right. There was just a dead girl, and two feuding survivors, and Nicole powerless to help.
"I need a second," she muttered to the other two. "I'll be right back."
It didn't feel right, abandoning them when the tension was this thick, but Nicole needed to clear her head if she was going to do any good. She didn't want to let things fall apart again, didn't want to let someone else die while she was too stunned or distracted to act. She didn't want to mess up and push one of the others over the edge. She needed to be in top form here.
She walked away from Anthony and Janet and the body, got the tower and a bit of hill between her and them, stood and looked at the nearby jungle. She tried not to think about Sidney, about how the girl's consciousness had left her body forever, about how she probably wouldn't get a proper burial and her friends probably wouldn't get a chance to pay their respects.
Nicole took a few deep breaths. Sidney was dead. There was no helping that. There was still a chance she could help other people, though. There was a chance she could prevent things from devolving between Anthony and Janet. She hadn't heard any sounds of conflict yet, and even a little space and distance from the pressure was letting her regain her composure and confidence. She was pretty sure she could do this.
The key would be to get them to listen. Janet had seemed close to hysterical, and Anthony had seemed terribly distraught. Nicole needed them to pay attention to her, and she needed them in a position where they wouldn't try anything.
She had just what she needed to ensure all of that.
Nicole slipped the gun free, considering its weight and the smoothness of the metal. She wasn't going to shoot anyone. She almost emptied out the bullets, just to be sure, but that seemed unwise. Better to be prepared, to have the ability to fire a warning shot if it came down to that. She wasn't expecting it to. She wasn't even expecting to point the weapon at the two on the other side of the tower. All she'd have to do was make Janet aware of the fact that she was armed. Then they'd listen, or maybe Janet would leave. That would be okay too. It wouldn't be great—it was all too likely the girl would get herself killed with her attitude—but Anthony was the one Nicole trusted right now. It was time to act. She'd only been away for about thirty seconds. There was still plenty of time to make a difference.
She took a few more deep breaths, and wiped her eyes with her free hand. She hadn't quite been crying, but thinking of what had happened to Sidney had definitely caused her to tear up a bit.
She made it three steps back, not even close enough to see the others. Then, a hand came from behind her, snatching the gun away. Nicole was so shocked that she didn't even think to resist until a second later, and by then it was too late. The arm that was now holding her gun was locked around her throat, preventing her from screaming, and she felt another hand on the back of her head. Her air was cut off, and she started to panic, trying to claw the arm away and clear up her breathing again.
It didn't work. In a matter of seconds, her vision was fading, and it was all she could do to stay upright and conscious as she was dragged backwards into the jungle.
((Nicole Husher continued in Pursuit))
"I need a second," she muttered to the other two. "I'll be right back."
It didn't feel right, abandoning them when the tension was this thick, but Nicole needed to clear her head if she was going to do any good. She didn't want to let things fall apart again, didn't want to let someone else die while she was too stunned or distracted to act. She didn't want to mess up and push one of the others over the edge. She needed to be in top form here.
She walked away from Anthony and Janet and the body, got the tower and a bit of hill between her and them, stood and looked at the nearby jungle. She tried not to think about Sidney, about how the girl's consciousness had left her body forever, about how she probably wouldn't get a proper burial and her friends probably wouldn't get a chance to pay their respects.
Nicole took a few deep breaths. Sidney was dead. There was no helping that. There was still a chance she could help other people, though. There was a chance she could prevent things from devolving between Anthony and Janet. She hadn't heard any sounds of conflict yet, and even a little space and distance from the pressure was letting her regain her composure and confidence. She was pretty sure she could do this.
The key would be to get them to listen. Janet had seemed close to hysterical, and Anthony had seemed terribly distraught. Nicole needed them to pay attention to her, and she needed them in a position where they wouldn't try anything.
She had just what she needed to ensure all of that.
Nicole slipped the gun free, considering its weight and the smoothness of the metal. She wasn't going to shoot anyone. She almost emptied out the bullets, just to be sure, but that seemed unwise. Better to be prepared, to have the ability to fire a warning shot if it came down to that. She wasn't expecting it to. She wasn't even expecting to point the weapon at the two on the other side of the tower. All she'd have to do was make Janet aware of the fact that she was armed. Then they'd listen, or maybe Janet would leave. That would be okay too. It wouldn't be great—it was all too likely the girl would get herself killed with her attitude—but Anthony was the one Nicole trusted right now. It was time to act. She'd only been away for about thirty seconds. There was still plenty of time to make a difference.
She took a few more deep breaths, and wiped her eyes with her free hand. She hadn't quite been crying, but thinking of what had happened to Sidney had definitely caused her to tear up a bit.
She made it three steps back, not even close enough to see the others. Then, a hand came from behind her, snatching the gun away. Nicole was so shocked that she didn't even think to resist until a second later, and by then it was too late. The arm that was now holding her gun was locked around her throat, preventing her from screaming, and she felt another hand on the back of her head. Her air was cut off, and she started to panic, trying to claw the arm away and clear up her breathing again.
It didn't work. In a matter of seconds, her vision was fading, and it was all she could do to stay upright and conscious as she was dragged backwards into the jungle.
((Nicole Husher continued in Pursuit))
Janet grabbed Anthony's hands, and the facade he'd been projecting very nearly broke. He wanted so bad to stick her and be done with it. She wouldn't let shit go, she was in his space. She was giving him a fucking rash.
Nicole muttered something, but it was almost irrelevant considering the wrathful face that was in Anthony's own. He got angry right back. That was easy enough to deal with.
"I fucking stabbed her! What does it fucking look like!"
He clamored to his feet and shoved at the livid girl.
"She took a swing at me and missed. And I goddamn didn't."
He could feel a line of spittle fly from the corner of his mouth, and he didn't bother wiping it. It worked well for the effect he was trying to get. He looked frantic; in truth he was starting to actually get there.
Nicole muttered something, but it was almost irrelevant considering the wrathful face that was in Anthony's own. He got angry right back. That was easy enough to deal with.
"I fucking stabbed her! What does it fucking look like!"
He clamored to his feet and shoved at the livid girl.
"She took a swing at me and missed. And I goddamn didn't."
He could feel a line of spittle fly from the corner of his mouth, and he didn't bother wiping it. It worked well for the effect he was trying to get. He looked frantic; in truth he was starting to actually get there.
That was it?
Even as he shoved at her, the half her size guy not doing much to unsteady Janet, that was the best he could come up with? That was his justification was why Sidney Rice, her asshole of a classmate, was lying down dead right next to them? She attacked, he fought back?
“That’s it? That’s what happened?”
She wanted to keep yelling at him, try and get him to tell her the truth that it wasn't even like that, or that he really was a cold blooded killer and she could deal with that another way, but she couldn't. She had to stop for a moment and think.
Sidney was nuts earlier, no question, but she was still just some stupid ass kid. She might’ve gone nuts with that spear, and Anthony did have that huge cut on his arm, but Sidney was still fucking dead and that was because of him. There was no reason she could let that go, and she had no intention to do so.
But this was too much.
She’d already escaped Sidney an hour ago, and now she was dead. The second student she’d met had wound up trying to kill someone, only this one had pulled it off, and now he was raving his innocence at her with a foaming mouth.
Fuck. This. Shit.
“You know what? Fuck you Anthony, I’m out of here.” She said, flipping him the bird for good measure. “Fuck you, and fuck Nicol– Where the fuck is Nicole?!”
The space at the bottom of the ladder was empty, no sign that Nicole had never made her way down from the tower.
“Oh fuck this, fuck all this!” her voice was starting to crack, almost breaking into a shout. “You can kill whoever the fuck you want on your own, Anthony, just leave me the fuck alone!”
And with that, day-pack still slung over shoulder, never even having had a real moment to take it off and breathe, she turned foot and marched.
Fuck. This. SHIT!
((Janet Claymont continued in Body Count))
Even as he shoved at her, the half her size guy not doing much to unsteady Janet, that was the best he could come up with? That was his justification was why Sidney Rice, her asshole of a classmate, was lying down dead right next to them? She attacked, he fought back?
“That’s it? That’s what happened?”
She wanted to keep yelling at him, try and get him to tell her the truth that it wasn't even like that, or that he really was a cold blooded killer and she could deal with that another way, but she couldn't. She had to stop for a moment and think.
Sidney was nuts earlier, no question, but she was still just some stupid ass kid. She might’ve gone nuts with that spear, and Anthony did have that huge cut on his arm, but Sidney was still fucking dead and that was because of him. There was no reason she could let that go, and she had no intention to do so.
But this was too much.
She’d already escaped Sidney an hour ago, and now she was dead. The second student she’d met had wound up trying to kill someone, only this one had pulled it off, and now he was raving his innocence at her with a foaming mouth.
Fuck. This. Shit.
“You know what? Fuck you Anthony, I’m out of here.” She said, flipping him the bird for good measure. “Fuck you, and fuck Nicol– Where the fuck is Nicole?!”
The space at the bottom of the ladder was empty, no sign that Nicole had never made her way down from the tower.
“Oh fuck this, fuck all this!” her voice was starting to crack, almost breaking into a shout. “You can kill whoever the fuck you want on your own, Anthony, just leave me the fuck alone!”
And with that, day-pack still slung over shoulder, never even having had a real moment to take it off and breathe, she turned foot and marched.
Fuck. This. SHIT!
((Janet Claymont continued in Body Count))
Nicole was gone, and it took Janet noticing it for Anthony to realize. Just as well. He felt like being alone for a little bit now, to catch his bearings and start over fresh.
Bitch was still yelling, even on the way out, flipping him off. The fuck was her problem? She acted like he'd been slaughtering students left and fuckin' right.
He waited until she had disappeared back into the wood before throwing up double middle fingers to her in kind, taking care to lick the tips before she shoved them into the air.
"Cunt."
He grabbed his bag, his knife, Sidney's sickle, and some of her supplies, and left the area.
((Anthony Rollins continued in Cream Cheese and Salsa))
Bitch was still yelling, even on the way out, flipping him off. The fuck was her problem? She acted like he'd been slaughtering students left and fuckin' right.
He waited until she had disappeared back into the wood before throwing up double middle fingers to her in kind, taking care to lick the tips before she shoved them into the air.
"Cunt."
He grabbed his bag, his knife, Sidney's sickle, and some of her supplies, and left the area.
((Anthony Rollins continued in Cream Cheese and Salsa))