Lily grinned, and with her companions' approval, slipped the message under the door.
"Now all we have to do is wait!"
Then, for several seconds, silence. Lily glanced between her companions. Then, another few moments of silence. Lily's foot started tapping. More silence. Then the final jeopardy theme began to play quietly, as if far in the distance. It played to completion. They sat in silence a little longer. Then Lily interrupted.
"Hold on."
Lily's smile disappeared.
"How are we going to know when the bugs answer?"
A Little Subterfuge
Open after Ohm posts!
Moderator: SOTF Supers Staff
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:41 am
The message was sent, and then they would wait for Isabell to read it. Which was fine by Kyle, waiting was the safest choice and they were better off in this room than whatever was going on with that swarm, walking in there without a plan could be dangerous after all.
So they waited.
Kyle folded his arms across and listened as a tapping sound echoed through the room. Normally, that sort of thing would annoy him, but he'd admit to sometimes doing that himself.
aaaaand they waited.
Kyle bopped his head slightly to the jeopardy theme that had started. He tapped his finger along with it on his right arm.
He had never heard it played through fully before so this was a new experience.
And then it stopped and silence filled the room again.
Maybe the bugs were stuck trying to figure out what the words meant. It took Kyle a few tries. It wasn't so much the wording- lord knows he'd seen worse in live chats for Vtubers- but the way it had been put down to paper. It was something else.
At least until Lily pointed out a minor flaw in their plan.
How would they know the bugs' answer?
...
Well, shit. He did not think about that.
Kyle's arms dropped and went into his pockets. Right hand holding onto his pen that he had gotten back from Lily, occasionally clicking it to hasten the anxiousness filling him. His eyes flicked from Lily to Sydney, gauging their reactions.
So they waited.
Kyle folded his arms across and listened as a tapping sound echoed through the room. Normally, that sort of thing would annoy him, but he'd admit to sometimes doing that himself.
aaaaand they waited.
Kyle bopped his head slightly to the jeopardy theme that had started. He tapped his finger along with it on his right arm.
He had never heard it played through fully before so this was a new experience.
And then it stopped and silence filled the room again.
Maybe the bugs were stuck trying to figure out what the words meant. It took Kyle a few tries. It wasn't so much the wording- lord knows he'd seen worse in live chats for Vtubers- but the way it had been put down to paper. It was something else.
At least until Lily pointed out a minor flaw in their plan.
How would they know the bugs' answer?
...
Well, shit. He did not think about that.
Kyle's arms dropped and went into his pockets. Right hand holding onto his pen that he had gotten back from Lily, occasionally clicking it to hasten the anxiousness filling him. His eyes flicked from Lily to Sydney, gauging their reactions.
While she would normally have found it endearing, Sydney had absolutely no outward reaction to Lily's antics this time. She knew there was nothing more she could do to help, and she couldn't be bothered anymore. She was tired, of everything. She was only hurting herself by sticking around now, and delaying the inevitable.
"I-..."
She finally looked back towards the others with dead eyes; her gaze was not set on Lily or Kyle, just in their general direction. Her mouth hung open momentarily before she continued, her body and tail having grown stiff. Her voice had drifted from confused and indecisive, to a somber and exhausted tone.
"I'm sorry. I can't help you anymore. I need to go. I'm just gonna-..."
She paused briefly, still unsure whether she should tell a comforting lie, knowing they may try to change her mind otherwise. No, these two deserved to know the truth. Besides, she no longer had the energy to conceal it.
"I can't keep going any longer." She finally admitted.
"I want all this to end."
Sydney felt as though she was about to start crying again, but no tears came, and her expression remained blank as she spoke, despite the stinging sensation in her chest. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"We all know that only one of us can survive this. It won't be me. I don't want it to be me. So just take my supplies and I'll- I'll go get this over with."
As Sydney turned around to leave, she haphazardly slipped her arms out of her backpack's straps, and let it fall to the ground. The bag rolled off her tail, softening the impact for its contents.
"Good luck, you two."
She hopped back through the window, not looking back. She knew now that she could spark her kidnappers' ire by breaking their cameras, so that is exactly what she set off to do.
"I-..."
She finally looked back towards the others with dead eyes; her gaze was not set on Lily or Kyle, just in their general direction. Her mouth hung open momentarily before she continued, her body and tail having grown stiff. Her voice had drifted from confused and indecisive, to a somber and exhausted tone.
"I'm sorry. I can't help you anymore. I need to go. I'm just gonna-..."
She paused briefly, still unsure whether she should tell a comforting lie, knowing they may try to change her mind otherwise. No, these two deserved to know the truth. Besides, she no longer had the energy to conceal it.
"I can't keep going any longer." She finally admitted.
"I want all this to end."
Sydney felt as though she was about to start crying again, but no tears came, and her expression remained blank as she spoke, despite the stinging sensation in her chest. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"We all know that only one of us can survive this. It won't be me. I don't want it to be me. So just take my supplies and I'll- I'll go get this over with."
As Sydney turned around to leave, she haphazardly slipped her arms out of her backpack's straps, and let it fall to the ground. The bag rolled off her tail, softening the impact for its contents.
"Good luck, you two."
She hopped back through the window, not looking back. She knew now that she could spark her kidnappers' ire by breaking their cameras, so that is exactly what she set off to do.
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:41 am
"Wait, hold on-"
By the time Lily decided to say something, it was already too late. Lily had temporarily frozen up as Sydney left, her own sunny disposition dampened by the sullen aura that Sydney radiated. She frowned, turning to Kyle and opening her mouth briefly as if to say something, only to stop and instead stare him in the eyes. As she looked at him, she had an intrusive thought about how it was still so weird that he had a bird head and how this was something she had never questioned. She ignored that thought, deciding to tuck it deep into the recesses of her mind and get her thought process back on track.
"Was it something I said, you think?"
She sighed, trying to suppress the embarrassment from such a pathetic display of competence and the worry creeping into her heart that Sydney was actually serious. Rescue was coming, and nobody was actually going to die, she repeated to herself. So instead of thinking about that, she turned back to the door and pressed her ear against it. They would have to find Sydney again later to make sure she didn't get hurt or hurt anyone else, but it was probably for the best for her not to be here right now. Lily wasn't sure what to say to her, or how much she could actually help them with Izzy, though it wasn't like Kyle or herself were making much progress on that front.
Oh well, it's not like not knowing what to do ever stopped her from trying anyway.
"I don't think there's a good way to say this," she started to say, intentionally changing the topic from what had just happened, "but we might just need to open up the door and try to talk to see if Izzy can hear me, I guess?"
By the time Lily decided to say something, it was already too late. Lily had temporarily frozen up as Sydney left, her own sunny disposition dampened by the sullen aura that Sydney radiated. She frowned, turning to Kyle and opening her mouth briefly as if to say something, only to stop and instead stare him in the eyes. As she looked at him, she had an intrusive thought about how it was still so weird that he had a bird head and how this was something she had never questioned. She ignored that thought, deciding to tuck it deep into the recesses of her mind and get her thought process back on track.
"Was it something I said, you think?"
She sighed, trying to suppress the embarrassment from such a pathetic display of competence and the worry creeping into her heart that Sydney was actually serious. Rescue was coming, and nobody was actually going to die, she repeated to herself. So instead of thinking about that, she turned back to the door and pressed her ear against it. They would have to find Sydney again later to make sure she didn't get hurt or hurt anyone else, but it was probably for the best for her not to be here right now. Lily wasn't sure what to say to her, or how much she could actually help them with Izzy, though it wasn't like Kyle or herself were making much progress on that front.
Oh well, it's not like not knowing what to do ever stopped her from trying anyway.
"I don't think there's a good way to say this," she started to say, intentionally changing the topic from what had just happened, "but we might just need to open up the door and try to talk to see if Izzy can hear me, I guess?"
This was not good.
Sydney started talking a lot of sad shit before skedaddling off. She said she doesn't expect it to be her, or that she did not want it to be her either. Kyle did not like the wording of that, or of any of the other things she said. She left her bag behind before leaving them looking as stiff as possible as she went through the window. Kyle reflexively took steps towards it to see her. He stopped right where she had left her stuff behind.
None of what just happened sat well with him.
Sydney had an air of something, what that something was hard for him to describe, but it felt relatable. At least, to him. She was a fellow animal mutant. Someone people would stare at because despite the fact they can shoot fire, or fly, or vomit up bees, never changed how they treat people who looked different on the outside.
He knelt down and gripped the bag. Standing up, Kyle turned to see Lily staring at him, her eyes were wide and unblinking. She said nothing for a while before asking if it was her fault.
He was not sure what to say to Lily, with his hands. She was staring at him with expectancy. Her happy mood almost vanished over Sydney's sudden disappearance act. But even with that, she was still occupied with this Isabella thing.
His thumb traced over the bag strap. Was this really time to focus on that? Isabella had some spooky shit going on, sure, but Sydney was someone they knew was immediately friendly. There was no cause for concern if she was gonna turn and bite either of their heads off. And while Kyle would keep it for himself, he did not believe in Isabella the same way, whether or not Lily was friends with her.
Instead of answering, he went closer to the window and peeked outside as he attempted to climb. Whatever Sydney was doing, it was worth stopping before she hurt herself.
Sydney started talking a lot of sad shit before skedaddling off. She said she doesn't expect it to be her, or that she did not want it to be her either. Kyle did not like the wording of that, or of any of the other things she said. She left her bag behind before leaving them looking as stiff as possible as she went through the window. Kyle reflexively took steps towards it to see her. He stopped right where she had left her stuff behind.
None of what just happened sat well with him.
Sydney had an air of something, what that something was hard for him to describe, but it felt relatable. At least, to him. She was a fellow animal mutant. Someone people would stare at because despite the fact they can shoot fire, or fly, or vomit up bees, never changed how they treat people who looked different on the outside.
He knelt down and gripped the bag. Standing up, Kyle turned to see Lily staring at him, her eyes were wide and unblinking. She said nothing for a while before asking if it was her fault.
He was not sure what to say to Lily, with his hands. She was staring at him with expectancy. Her happy mood almost vanished over Sydney's sudden disappearance act. But even with that, she was still occupied with this Isabella thing.
His thumb traced over the bag strap. Was this really time to focus on that? Isabella had some spooky shit going on, sure, but Sydney was someone they knew was immediately friendly. There was no cause for concern if she was gonna turn and bite either of their heads off. And while Kyle would keep it for himself, he did not believe in Isabella the same way, whether or not Lily was friends with her.
Instead of answering, he went closer to the window and peeked outside as he attempted to climb. Whatever Sydney was doing, it was worth stopping before she hurt herself.
Sydney felt a bit of remorse for leaving so suddenly, but it was best for everyone in the end that she stop prolonging this.
She sorely wished she could say she had no regrets in life, but she'd be lying to herself. So many things left unsaid and unfinished. Perhaps it was because no one was facing her now, but the tears she felt welling up earlier finally came forth. She sniffled and felt herself audibly weep a bit as she thought of her mother, who was undoubtedly heartbroken beyond consolation. She thought of her few close friends, wishing she'd made more effort to savor the last moments of company with them. She thought of the various people she met online who may never even know what happened. If she could just speak to them all one last time...
It wasn't fair! Her life would be cut short in this hellhole, along with countless others, while the wretched psychopaths who kidnapped them all would go on with their lives, never facing justice. For a moment, Sydney's blood boiled and she gritted her teeth; she wanted nothing more than an opportunity to rip those murderous scum to shreds, to make them experience all the suffering they were inflicting and more.
...But what would that matter? She was already dead; most of these kids were already dead. Murdering a few horrible people wouldn't change anything regardless. There would always be more monsters in the world, more people who existed to cause suffering for those around them. After all, cruelty was one of humanity's defining traits. What was happening here was only one instance in an entire world full of unimaginable misery. It all made her sick.
Sydney froze up and stopped walking as she heard the crunching of glass underfoot behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a deep sigh. Someone was going to try and stop her. Part of her wanted to ignore them and keep going, but she wearily turned her head around to see who it was. She still had the faint instinct not to let anyone see her while she was crying, but knew that at least it wouldn't matter for much longer.
She saw Kyle's familiar, feathery face peering through the window at her, looking as though he was about to try and follow her. She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to muster any words at first.
Sydney stared back with her usual resting scowl for a few seconds. Kyle didn't need to speak for her to understand that he was trying to stop her. She knew there was no easy way to explain herself, so she let out a quivering breath as she spoke just loudly enough for him to hear.
"I'm just... so tired..."
She had no other words to explain herself; that would have to do. Besides, death was little more than endless sleep, right?
Sydney turned languidly back around and started walking parallel to the compound. It didn't take her long to spot one of the countless wireless cameras lining the walls, and then another. She hadn't walked far from the window yet, but surely Kyle and Lily would be smart enough to take cover from the imminent detonation?
Her heart dropped once again as she processed that last part. Detonation. The burdensome metal collar stuck to her neck was going to blow up. That was how she was going to die. It would be over quickly, at least. Just a few seconds of fear and then blissful nothingness. Her head would probably be mist before she could even hear it.
She glared at one of the cameras as she approached it and picked it off the wall, to which it was barely secured. She gripped it in an unsteady hand for a few seconds, huffing in brief anger and staring daggers into the lens. Finally, she walked back away from the wall, right into view of another camera.
This was it. It was time.
In slow, deliberate motions, she held out the lens she'd just swiped in full view of the other camera, and dropped it to the ground. Bit by bit, she raised both clawed hands in front of her face, and curled up all but her middle fingers. She pointed both of them straight at the camera as she gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face by this point. Her breathing grew erratic, and she was violently trembling all over, but she maintained her rigid, furious glare through the lens. The muscles in her leg seemed to protest every movement, knowing full well what she was about to do. After a few agonizing seconds of hesitation, Sydney lifted up her right boot, hovered it over the wireless camera for a few seconds...
And then stomped down with all of her might, shattered pieces of plastic littering the ground around her.
It was just then that Sydney felt a brief moment of clarity, or so it seemed. She was not experiencing that final, blissful resignation that she had been waiting for. In fact, her mind was immediately overwhelmed with the fact that she didn't want to die.
Sydney's brow subtly unfurled; her intensified trembling and hyperventilation betrayed the onset of panic, and regret. Her pupils dilated, her heart pounded. What if it wasn't too late? What if someone was coming to rescue them? What if she had been able to survive if she'd just waited a little longer? What if she would get to see her mother again? What if-
Her frantic train of thought was completely derailed when a horrible and absolutely deafening screech emanated from around her neck. She let out a frightened gasp in response to the unexpected, continuous noise. The collar didn't blow up? What was going on??
Any semblance of pride or indignation had disappeared completely. Sydney was utterly overwhelmed by sheer terror. Her mouth opened as she let out the beginnings of a terrified whine, before the screeching collar finally broke apart, and erupted around her neck. The stomach-turning sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bone were audible alongside the repeated crackling of shrapnel zipping into the concrete.
For Sydney, everything went black.
...Only, something wasn't right; she was... Still awake? Still standing? She heard ringing in her ears and...
In that moment, her dissociation wore off entirely, and Sydney became fully aware of the searing hot, razor sharp pieces of metal, embedded into her flesh like a thousand tiny daggers. Everything hurt. OH GOD EVERYTHING HURT.
Sydney's hands instinctively grasped at her throat, initially failing to hit the mark, before she realized that not all of her fingers were there. She shoved what remained of her palms to her neck, which only caused the shards of metal to embed themselves deeper. She tried to open her eyes, but still saw nothing. She then realized that they weren't shut; A shard of metal had launched right through one of her eyes, still sticking through the top of the socket, while the other eye seemed to be shredded into a paste that hung loose. She felt even more fragments sticking through the bottom of her mouth, through her teeth, and in her jawbone. The mind-shattering pain was everywhere. It even felt like those tiny little blades were inside her forehead.
Sydney tried to take another gasp, but only uttered a feeble wheeze as her chest and throat erupted in agony once again. No oxygen came to her lungs. In sheer panic, she sought help somehow, and now desperately hoped that Kyle hadn't gone away yet. How anyone could actually help her now did not occur to her, only that she needed help. She tried to make her legs move her back to where she came from, but her sense of direction and balance had completely disappeared. Her world was spinning. She collapsed forward after a few steps and let out another wheeze as the jagged metal shards dug further into her ribs.
She could barely move. Her only hope was for someone to come over to her. She reached a trembling, mangled hand out in front of her. The jagged metal splinters further shredded her arms and hands as she tried to lift them, and her shoulders gave out. She was missing teeth, her nose and eyes were impaled, little bits of shrapnel poked out of her face. All Sydney could think to do now was to cry out in desperation and panic. She opened her mouth wide to howl in absolute anguish. Only, her already pathetic shriek was immediately cut off with choked gurgling as her mouth and nose filled with warm, copper-tasting liquid. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't scream, she could only let out pained, muffled groans as she began drowning in her own blood, writhing in agony. Her arm grew limp as her strength began to fail her.
She let out one last choked cry and her head gradually fell to the ground as the blood pooled under her face. Her senses were fading, but torturous agony still gripped her all over. The metal was hot, but she had started to feel so cold...
Sydney's mouth repeatedly opened and closed at a decreasing pace, and her mind echoed with one last desperate plea before her consciousness slipped away.
"Someone... Someone please help me... Please help..."
S041 - SYDNEY STONE - DECEASED
She sorely wished she could say she had no regrets in life, but she'd be lying to herself. So many things left unsaid and unfinished. Perhaps it was because no one was facing her now, but the tears she felt welling up earlier finally came forth. She sniffled and felt herself audibly weep a bit as she thought of her mother, who was undoubtedly heartbroken beyond consolation. She thought of her few close friends, wishing she'd made more effort to savor the last moments of company with them. She thought of the various people she met online who may never even know what happened. If she could just speak to them all one last time...
It wasn't fair! Her life would be cut short in this hellhole, along with countless others, while the wretched psychopaths who kidnapped them all would go on with their lives, never facing justice. For a moment, Sydney's blood boiled and she gritted her teeth; she wanted nothing more than an opportunity to rip those murderous scum to shreds, to make them experience all the suffering they were inflicting and more.
...But what would that matter? She was already dead; most of these kids were already dead. Murdering a few horrible people wouldn't change anything regardless. There would always be more monsters in the world, more people who existed to cause suffering for those around them. After all, cruelty was one of humanity's defining traits. What was happening here was only one instance in an entire world full of unimaginable misery. It all made her sick.
Sydney froze up and stopped walking as she heard the crunching of glass underfoot behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a deep sigh. Someone was going to try and stop her. Part of her wanted to ignore them and keep going, but she wearily turned her head around to see who it was. She still had the faint instinct not to let anyone see her while she was crying, but knew that at least it wouldn't matter for much longer.
She saw Kyle's familiar, feathery face peering through the window at her, looking as though he was about to try and follow her. She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to muster any words at first.
Sydney stared back with her usual resting scowl for a few seconds. Kyle didn't need to speak for her to understand that he was trying to stop her. She knew there was no easy way to explain herself, so she let out a quivering breath as she spoke just loudly enough for him to hear.
"I'm just... so tired..."
She had no other words to explain herself; that would have to do. Besides, death was little more than endless sleep, right?
Sydney turned languidly back around and started walking parallel to the compound. It didn't take her long to spot one of the countless wireless cameras lining the walls, and then another. She hadn't walked far from the window yet, but surely Kyle and Lily would be smart enough to take cover from the imminent detonation?
Her heart dropped once again as she processed that last part. Detonation. The burdensome metal collar stuck to her neck was going to blow up. That was how she was going to die. It would be over quickly, at least. Just a few seconds of fear and then blissful nothingness. Her head would probably be mist before she could even hear it.
She glared at one of the cameras as she approached it and picked it off the wall, to which it was barely secured. She gripped it in an unsteady hand for a few seconds, huffing in brief anger and staring daggers into the lens. Finally, she walked back away from the wall, right into view of another camera.
This was it. It was time.
In slow, deliberate motions, she held out the lens she'd just swiped in full view of the other camera, and dropped it to the ground. Bit by bit, she raised both clawed hands in front of her face, and curled up all but her middle fingers. She pointed both of them straight at the camera as she gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face by this point. Her breathing grew erratic, and she was violently trembling all over, but she maintained her rigid, furious glare through the lens. The muscles in her leg seemed to protest every movement, knowing full well what she was about to do. After a few agonizing seconds of hesitation, Sydney lifted up her right boot, hovered it over the wireless camera for a few seconds...
And then stomped down with all of her might, shattered pieces of plastic littering the ground around her.
It was just then that Sydney felt a brief moment of clarity, or so it seemed. She was not experiencing that final, blissful resignation that she had been waiting for. In fact, her mind was immediately overwhelmed with the fact that she didn't want to die.
Sydney's brow subtly unfurled; her intensified trembling and hyperventilation betrayed the onset of panic, and regret. Her pupils dilated, her heart pounded. What if it wasn't too late? What if someone was coming to rescue them? What if she had been able to survive if she'd just waited a little longer? What if she would get to see her mother again? What if-
Her frantic train of thought was completely derailed when a horrible and absolutely deafening screech emanated from around her neck. She let out a frightened gasp in response to the unexpected, continuous noise. The collar didn't blow up? What was going on??
Any semblance of pride or indignation had disappeared completely. Sydney was utterly overwhelmed by sheer terror. Her mouth opened as she let out the beginnings of a terrified whine, before the screeching collar finally broke apart, and erupted around her neck. The stomach-turning sounds of tearing flesh and breaking bone were audible alongside the repeated crackling of shrapnel zipping into the concrete.
For Sydney, everything went black.
...Only, something wasn't right; she was... Still awake? Still standing? She heard ringing in her ears and...
In that moment, her dissociation wore off entirely, and Sydney became fully aware of the searing hot, razor sharp pieces of metal, embedded into her flesh like a thousand tiny daggers. Everything hurt. OH GOD EVERYTHING HURT.
Sydney's hands instinctively grasped at her throat, initially failing to hit the mark, before she realized that not all of her fingers were there. She shoved what remained of her palms to her neck, which only caused the shards of metal to embed themselves deeper. She tried to open her eyes, but still saw nothing. She then realized that they weren't shut; A shard of metal had launched right through one of her eyes, still sticking through the top of the socket, while the other eye seemed to be shredded into a paste that hung loose. She felt even more fragments sticking through the bottom of her mouth, through her teeth, and in her jawbone. The mind-shattering pain was everywhere. It even felt like those tiny little blades were inside her forehead.
Sydney tried to take another gasp, but only uttered a feeble wheeze as her chest and throat erupted in agony once again. No oxygen came to her lungs. In sheer panic, she sought help somehow, and now desperately hoped that Kyle hadn't gone away yet. How anyone could actually help her now did not occur to her, only that she needed help. She tried to make her legs move her back to where she came from, but her sense of direction and balance had completely disappeared. Her world was spinning. She collapsed forward after a few steps and let out another wheeze as the jagged metal shards dug further into her ribs.
She could barely move. Her only hope was for someone to come over to her. She reached a trembling, mangled hand out in front of her. The jagged metal splinters further shredded her arms and hands as she tried to lift them, and her shoulders gave out. She was missing teeth, her nose and eyes were impaled, little bits of shrapnel poked out of her face. All Sydney could think to do now was to cry out in desperation and panic. She opened her mouth wide to howl in absolute anguish. Only, her already pathetic shriek was immediately cut off with choked gurgling as her mouth and nose filled with warm, copper-tasting liquid. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't scream, she could only let out pained, muffled groans as she began drowning in her own blood, writhing in agony. Her arm grew limp as her strength began to fail her.
She let out one last choked cry and her head gradually fell to the ground as the blood pooled under her face. Her senses were fading, but torturous agony still gripped her all over. The metal was hot, but she had started to feel so cold...
Sydney's mouth repeatedly opened and closed at a decreasing pace, and her mind echoed with one last desperate plea before her consciousness slipped away.
"Someone... Someone please help me... Please help..."
S041 - SYDNEY STONE - DECEASED
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VoltTurtle
- Posts: 491
- Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 5:41 am
A lot happened very quickly.
Kyle started to follow Sydney out, and Lily briefly considered protesting that there was no way Sydney was serious. Rescue was coming. Nobody was actually going to die. Only instead, she kept quiet, and let him intervene if that was what he wanted. It wasn't her place to decide what was a reasonable worry for someone else to have.
So she kept her focus on the door.
That was, until she heard that awful metallic screech, followed by a rapid series of pops.
She spun at the sound, and saw Kyle rush out the window. Her legs moved on their own, following him out without a moment's thought.
Then she saw it. What happened. A threat she hadn't taken seriously. The consequences wrought by her denial.
Her limbs frozen in place, mouth hanging open, eyes like pilot lights, guttering and spent.
Staring, inextricable, unresponsive.
Her legs buckled. She fell backwards, into the sand. Catatonia overtook her.
((And then the nightmare began.))
Kyle started to follow Sydney out, and Lily briefly considered protesting that there was no way Sydney was serious. Rescue was coming. Nobody was actually going to die. Only instead, she kept quiet, and let him intervene if that was what he wanted. It wasn't her place to decide what was a reasonable worry for someone else to have.
So she kept her focus on the door.
That was, until she heard that awful metallic screech, followed by a rapid series of pops.
She spun at the sound, and saw Kyle rush out the window. Her legs moved on their own, following him out without a moment's thought.
Then she saw it. What happened. A threat she hadn't taken seriously. The consequences wrought by her denial.
Her limbs frozen in place, mouth hanging open, eyes like pilot lights, guttering and spent.
Staring, inextricable, unresponsive.
Her legs buckled. She fell backwards, into the sand. Catatonia overtook her.
((And then the nightmare began.))
Kyle stopped at the windowsill. Fingers clenched on the corners, and he could feel his toes do the same in his shoes as one awkwardly dangled on the other side. For a second, he turned to look at Lily. What would she do? The answer was to look at the door, no movement on her part. He did not understand. Did she not get what was going on? How Sydney sounded like or what she would do if they left her? He could not put his attention to that, leave Lily to her own devices for now and deal with this.
He turned back and could see Sydney from across. She wasn't that far away from the window. A moment where they locked eyes and stared at each other. She had a scowl on her face at first, but it got replaced with an expression that was more... sad than anything else. He paused going through the window as Sydney said something to him. Now, Kyle was no expert on these kinds of things, but he'd seen his fair share of this online.
She was tired. That never lent itself to anything good. A precursor to something far worse.
And then... she moved to a camera further away. She gripped it, dragged it away from its place. He could see the tremors in her movement as she did so. Her hands shook as the camera lens in her hands went towards the ground. Tears in her face falling towards it, hands in the air with middle fingers out. Her body shuddered in place as if it were trying to splinter apart. Her right leg slowly lifted; her boot held firm in the air.
As all this was going on, Kyle was frozen where he sat. Limbs hanging, useless and limp. He could only blink and see as Sydney signed her death warrant. The camera was stomped into the dirt, its remains lay on the terrain beneath her. Her foot remained on top as she stood. Kyle's eyes widened as a sudden screech entered their zone, and it came from her.
It repeated. Over and over again.
Until a flash occurred with a hiss and Kyle’s arms flew up and covered his face, almost making him fall backwards into the room. They went down only when he realized he was unharmed and slowly lowered them to see what had happened to Sydney.
Kyle could see the collar break out, turning her neck into a debris-ridden, bloody mess.
That was the thing with these damned eyes of his, they had their use in reading shit and being lookout, but they always gave him a front row seat to anything unpleasant. He could still remember the first time he accidentally cut himself on the thumb with a knife and how clearly he could see the slit. How the blood poured out of it. Scrapes would make him sick to his stomach, and there was that one time he'd seen another student break a finger and how he could see the structure from the outside change. It all came back to him at that moment.
He stumbled out of the window, almost tripping onto the broken glass that littered the ground. The crackling of it underneath his shoes as his hands found the sand, open-palmed as they held against it before regaining his balance and running closer to her. He couldn’t make a sound, his throat felt like it was held in a tight vice. His pace slowed the closer he got till it was non-existent. He stared at her from up close.
He could see pieces of the collar had embedded themselves into Sydney. In her throat and neck, alongside her mouth and jaw. Her nose and forehead were impaled by debris, and her teeth... they were already jagged from birth and now had an impromptu competitor. Her eyes... oh god, her eyes were gone!
His hands clenched and unclenched. He did not know what else to do with them. His chest heaved with big breaths as he looked up and down the poor girl in front of him. Feet steeled against the ground as he took it all in.
She stumbled and fell before he could get to her. He could hear her wheezing for breath, soon replaced with gurgling as blood seeped out of her mouth. She could not even roll on the ground, her body instead twitching and squirming in place. Sydney reached out where she lay, hands bereft of fingers leaving bloody stumps on palms behind, but her strength soon went away. Kyle could not reach her hand. Instead, he stood there before her and watched as her life spilled onto the ground, caking her black clothing along the way.
There was nothing he could do now.
If only he had moved to stop her.
What kept him from doing it? Was it the fear that they would have done the same to him if he had tried, or was it that they would turn their attention to him and Lily in the process?
There was a thud behind him. Kyle turned and Lily was on the ground.
Oh no! Not this, not now!
The worry at first was that she'd just up and died on him, but instead, the world started getting wavy and similar sensations from earlier were creeping in.
((Oh god! Please no!))
He turned back and could see Sydney from across. She wasn't that far away from the window. A moment where they locked eyes and stared at each other. She had a scowl on her face at first, but it got replaced with an expression that was more... sad than anything else. He paused going through the window as Sydney said something to him. Now, Kyle was no expert on these kinds of things, but he'd seen his fair share of this online.
She was tired. That never lent itself to anything good. A precursor to something far worse.
And then... she moved to a camera further away. She gripped it, dragged it away from its place. He could see the tremors in her movement as she did so. Her hands shook as the camera lens in her hands went towards the ground. Tears in her face falling towards it, hands in the air with middle fingers out. Her body shuddered in place as if it were trying to splinter apart. Her right leg slowly lifted; her boot held firm in the air.
As all this was going on, Kyle was frozen where he sat. Limbs hanging, useless and limp. He could only blink and see as Sydney signed her death warrant. The camera was stomped into the dirt, its remains lay on the terrain beneath her. Her foot remained on top as she stood. Kyle's eyes widened as a sudden screech entered their zone, and it came from her.
It repeated. Over and over again.
Until a flash occurred with a hiss and Kyle’s arms flew up and covered his face, almost making him fall backwards into the room. They went down only when he realized he was unharmed and slowly lowered them to see what had happened to Sydney.
Kyle could see the collar break out, turning her neck into a debris-ridden, bloody mess.
That was the thing with these damned eyes of his, they had their use in reading shit and being lookout, but they always gave him a front row seat to anything unpleasant. He could still remember the first time he accidentally cut himself on the thumb with a knife and how clearly he could see the slit. How the blood poured out of it. Scrapes would make him sick to his stomach, and there was that one time he'd seen another student break a finger and how he could see the structure from the outside change. It all came back to him at that moment.
He stumbled out of the window, almost tripping onto the broken glass that littered the ground. The crackling of it underneath his shoes as his hands found the sand, open-palmed as they held against it before regaining his balance and running closer to her. He couldn’t make a sound, his throat felt like it was held in a tight vice. His pace slowed the closer he got till it was non-existent. He stared at her from up close.
He could see pieces of the collar had embedded themselves into Sydney. In her throat and neck, alongside her mouth and jaw. Her nose and forehead were impaled by debris, and her teeth... they were already jagged from birth and now had an impromptu competitor. Her eyes... oh god, her eyes were gone!
His hands clenched and unclenched. He did not know what else to do with them. His chest heaved with big breaths as he looked up and down the poor girl in front of him. Feet steeled against the ground as he took it all in.
She stumbled and fell before he could get to her. He could hear her wheezing for breath, soon replaced with gurgling as blood seeped out of her mouth. She could not even roll on the ground, her body instead twitching and squirming in place. Sydney reached out where she lay, hands bereft of fingers leaving bloody stumps on palms behind, but her strength soon went away. Kyle could not reach her hand. Instead, he stood there before her and watched as her life spilled onto the ground, caking her black clothing along the way.
There was nothing he could do now.
If only he had moved to stop her.
What kept him from doing it? Was it the fear that they would have done the same to him if he had tried, or was it that they would turn their attention to him and Lily in the process?
There was a thud behind him. Kyle turned and Lily was on the ground.
Oh no! Not this, not now!
The worry at first was that she'd just up and died on him, but instead, the world started getting wavy and similar sensations from earlier were creeping in.
((Oh god! Please no!))