((Aileen Borden, continued from Someday You'll Go Through the Rain))
Well, that had taken a lot longer than necessary.
Aileen and Dougal had finally made their way out of the jungle. It had been a lot larger than it appeared on the map. The undergrowth had been tricky to push through, even with a tomahawk for help. Aileen’s hockey stick had been nearly useless, constantly getting tangled up in branches and vines. Eventually though, they had found a rough dirt path which they’d then followed, and after a short trek, the two had exited the jungle. So, at least the whole island wasn’t jungle then. That was good news.
The pair were now heading towards a large building, which Aileen guessed was The Ruined Mansion, judging by the general shape and architecture. Hopefully it would be a good place to rest in, and possibly use for defence, if the worst came to the worst.
It was tough work getting to the mansion though. The humidity of the jungle had sapped what little strength Aileen had, and she was breathing heavily, partially using the hockey stick for support. Hopefully there wouldn’t be anybody else waiting inside the mansion. Nobody hostile, at the very least.
Eventually, Aileen and Dougal reached the walls of the mansion. Aileen immediately slumped against a pillar connected to one of the massive iron gates. Raising her hand, she looked up at Dougal.
“Just… just give me a moment… to catch my breath…” Aileen mentally cursed at how weak she currently felt. She might not have been at peak fitness, but she wasn’t too unfit, not by a long shot. Especially not compared to certain members of her year. She blamed the humidity of the jungle completely.
As Aileen leaned back, resting her head against the stone pillar, a loud, screeching sound echoed around, seemingly coming from everywhere. Aileen couldn’t see the source anywhere though. Shortly afterwards, a familiar voice rang out, Aileen guessed from the same invisible source. The man who called himself Danya. He had mentioned this on the bus. The announcements, detailing who had been killed and who had killed. Wait… then that means that… Oh, Jesus Christ…
The names started getting called out. Craig, Sidney, Liz, Maria, Quincy; all dead. Anthony, Jennifer, Marty, Adam; all murderers. Aileen couldn’t believe it. These were the people that had gone to school with her, that had grown up with her. And now they were killing and dying. Aileen had been sure that they would all be stronger than this. That somehow they’d stay sane, and wait to be rescued. Aileen pressed her hand into her face, and muttered “Damn it.”
There was one last thing Danya had to say. Danger Zones. It would do Aileen and Dougal no good to coop up in a place he’d just said was going to blow them up. Thankfully, the only two places Danya mentioned were the lake and the beach. Obviously, the large mansion behind her was neither of the two.
Aileen sat there for a while, head in her hands. Then she stood up abruptly, taking a couple of deep breaths. “Right, uh… should we go inside then?”
The Darkening Ground
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CondorTalon
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- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
((Augustus MacDougal continued from Someday You'll Go Through the Rain.))
Freakin' finally...
Dougal looked up at the old building that they had managed to stumble upon. So Dougal was right in just choosing a direction. Thank god. Aileen was looking pretty beaten by the time they had left the jungle. Indeed, she had slumped against a large pillar, breathing heavily.
“Just… just give me a moment… to catch my breath…”
Dougal said nothing, but simply looked up at the large mansion. Just then, a loud screech made itself present, as the island's came to life with the sound of a smug voice. Danya. That guy behind this whole thing, Dougal presumed. Danya began to talk, saying something about... oh no...
Danya named off the students who had been killed, as well as their killers. He knew all of the faces behind the names. He could believe that they were really gone, or had killed. That wasn't possible. Had people really gone off the deep end already?
Dougal heard Aileen mutter something under her breath. He bit his lip as he stared through the iron gates.
Soon, Aileen was back up, breathing deeply.
"Right, uh… should we go inside then?”
"Yeah..." he said, pushing one of the gates aside. He slowly walked up to the front doors, which looked like they could fall off their hinges if you sneezed wrong.
He peeked his head inside.
"Hello...? Is there anyone in here?"
Freakin' finally...
Dougal looked up at the old building that they had managed to stumble upon. So Dougal was right in just choosing a direction. Thank god. Aileen was looking pretty beaten by the time they had left the jungle. Indeed, she had slumped against a large pillar, breathing heavily.
“Just… just give me a moment… to catch my breath…”
Dougal said nothing, but simply looked up at the large mansion. Just then, a loud screech made itself present, as the island's came to life with the sound of a smug voice. Danya. That guy behind this whole thing, Dougal presumed. Danya began to talk, saying something about... oh no...
Danya named off the students who had been killed, as well as their killers. He knew all of the faces behind the names. He could believe that they were really gone, or had killed. That wasn't possible. Had people really gone off the deep end already?
Dougal heard Aileen mutter something under her breath. He bit his lip as he stared through the iron gates.
Soon, Aileen was back up, breathing deeply.
"Right, uh… should we go inside then?”
"Yeah..." he said, pushing one of the gates aside. He slowly walked up to the front doors, which looked like they could fall off their hinges if you sneezed wrong.
He peeked his head inside.
"Hello...? Is there anyone in here?"
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Pippi
- Posts: 1121
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- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
Dougal pushed open one of the large iron gates, and started walking towards the front doors of the mansion. Aileen took a couple more deep breaths, just so she was completely calm. Then, legs shaking, she stood up, picked up her hockey stick, and followed Dougal.
The closer she got to it, the larger and more imposing the mansion got. There were bricks and bits of slate lying in the grass around the building, and there were several cracks in the windows. There was the usual ivy crawling up the sides of the house, but Aileen could also see different forms of vegetation, snaking their way into the building; through open windows and holes in the roof. The mansion gave off clear vibes that it hadn’t been lived in for some time, and the whole thing unnerved Aileen.
Okay, big, scary house, fine… First things first; we should probably stay quiet. If there’s anyone in here, we now have to expect the worst, and that they are actively participating in this game. So if they are, we won’t have alerted them beforehand, if we do find anyone.
Aileen was about to vocalise her thoughts, when Dougal poked his head through the open doors, and called out to see if anyone was there. Aileen rolled her eyes, and opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything. Her morale was already low, and she assumed Dougal’s was too. She didn’t want to lower it further by making some snide comment. Instead, she waited and listened, to see whether anyone would respond.
Nothing. Not a peep, aside from the soft sound of birdsong. It was an unfitting backdrop to the island of death and murder.
Gingerly, Aileen pushed the door further ajar, and stepped inside. As she did so, her hand brushed against the wall, throwing up a fine layer of dust. The place was covered in the stuff, the floor in particular. Looking closer at it, Aileen could see faint footprints in the dust. They hadn’t been the only people here, then.
“Well, either the people here have already left,” Aileen said, more to herself than Dougal. “Or they’re still in here… hiding and waiting.” Aileen desperately hoped it was the former. The mansion was creeping her out enough as it was. She didn’t need a possible killer hiding inside it as well.
Aileen looked back at Dougal. “I… think we should stick together. Safety in numbers, you know.” Aileen nodded towards the large staircase in front of her. “Upstairs first?” she asked.
The closer she got to it, the larger and more imposing the mansion got. There were bricks and bits of slate lying in the grass around the building, and there were several cracks in the windows. There was the usual ivy crawling up the sides of the house, but Aileen could also see different forms of vegetation, snaking their way into the building; through open windows and holes in the roof. The mansion gave off clear vibes that it hadn’t been lived in for some time, and the whole thing unnerved Aileen.
Okay, big, scary house, fine… First things first; we should probably stay quiet. If there’s anyone in here, we now have to expect the worst, and that they are actively participating in this game. So if they are, we won’t have alerted them beforehand, if we do find anyone.
Aileen was about to vocalise her thoughts, when Dougal poked his head through the open doors, and called out to see if anyone was there. Aileen rolled her eyes, and opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything. Her morale was already low, and she assumed Dougal’s was too. She didn’t want to lower it further by making some snide comment. Instead, she waited and listened, to see whether anyone would respond.
Nothing. Not a peep, aside from the soft sound of birdsong. It was an unfitting backdrop to the island of death and murder.
Gingerly, Aileen pushed the door further ajar, and stepped inside. As she did so, her hand brushed against the wall, throwing up a fine layer of dust. The place was covered in the stuff, the floor in particular. Looking closer at it, Aileen could see faint footprints in the dust. They hadn’t been the only people here, then.
“Well, either the people here have already left,” Aileen said, more to herself than Dougal. “Or they’re still in here… hiding and waiting.” Aileen desperately hoped it was the former. The mansion was creeping her out enough as it was. She didn’t need a possible killer hiding inside it as well.
Aileen looked back at Dougal. “I… think we should stick together. Safety in numbers, you know.” Aileen nodded towards the large staircase in front of her. “Upstairs first?” she asked.
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CondorTalon
- Posts: 459
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He waited, for someone to reply. But there wasn't a sound, save for a few ambient noises. Aileen pushed the door open a little bit more, and stepped inside. It seems the place hadn't been seen in a while, judging from the layer of dust that had accumulated everywhere.
“Well, either the people here have already left, or they’re still in here… hiding and waiting.”
Two possibilities, one of which would be very bad news. Dougal looked around, trying to find any trace of anyone that might be in here.
“I... think we should stick together. Safety in numbers, you know. Upstairs first?”
"Right," he said, nodding.
He looked up the stairs. He took a shaky step up the first step. Slowly, carefully, step by step. He felt around with his feet on each step, as if he was expecting each step to crack and collapse, like in the movies.
It didn't though, and eventually he had made it onto the second floor.
“Well, either the people here have already left, or they’re still in here… hiding and waiting.”
Two possibilities, one of which would be very bad news. Dougal looked around, trying to find any trace of anyone that might be in here.
“I... think we should stick together. Safety in numbers, you know. Upstairs first?”
"Right," he said, nodding.
He looked up the stairs. He took a shaky step up the first step. Slowly, carefully, step by step. He felt around with his feet on each step, as if he was expecting each step to crack and collapse, like in the movies.
It didn't though, and eventually he had made it onto the second floor.
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Pippi
- Posts: 1121
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:32 pm
- Location: I'm Pip!
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
((Apologies for hurrying this along, and for not responding sooner when I knew I had to get a death done))
Slowly, painfully slowly, Dougal made his way up the stairs, pausing for several seconds on each step. Aileen understood the need for caution; she had no idea how long the mansion had been standing on the island, or how sturdy it was. Judging by the fallen masonry outside, not very.
Still, Aileen really didn’t like the thought of just standing around defenceless. She knew it was rather irrational-she couldn’t hear anybody, and it wasn’t like the mansion itself was going to attack them. But the dim and gloomy nature of the mansion was just setting Aileen’s nerves on edge. The sooner we get done with searching through this place, the better.
Aileen noticed that Dougal had reached the top of the stairs. She followed his footsteps, walking faster than he had done, but still tentative and slow. Eventually, she too reached the top. The landing went to the left and the right, and Aileen looked at Dougal, before nodding in the direction of the left passageway. She hoped he understood what her gesture meant. She didn’t entirely trust herself not to say something stupid, so her mouth remained shut.
Aileen herself headed towards the right. From the outside, this part of the mansion had seemed the least damaged; of course, that could have just been aesthetic. For all she knew, the inside was completely rotted and weak. Almost every other footstep caused the old floorboards to creak, and a thin layer of dust to get blown up. After a few seconds, Aileen was presented with a number of choices. There were about four doors on either side of the corridor, and another room at the very end. The feeling of nervousness growing slightly, Aileen removed the flashlight from her bag, flicked it on, then tried the handle of the first door.
Locked. Thank god. No-one would be hiding in there, unless they had a magic skeleton key. If they, somehow, did, Aileen would hear the noise of the lock a mile off. The second door was similarly locked. The third door didn’t exist; the frame stood empty, allowing full view into the room. Not that there was anything to see. All of the furniture inside had been removed, leaving only patches of floorboard that weren’t covered in quite as much dust as the rest.
The fourth door was closed, and Aileen hoped that it would be locked just like the first two. She had no such luck this time; the door swung open, squeaking loudly. Cautiously, Aileen looked inside. It was fairly small, and appeared to have been a bedroom once upon a time. There was a small bed, a wardrobe with one door open and a bedside table inside. Cautiously, Aileen pushed the door open further, and took another couple of steps inside.
As she looked over at the open wardrobe, Aileen noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a movement coming from the far side of the bed. Spinning round impossibly fast, she raised the hockey stick in a defensive posture, scanning the bed for more movement. Part of her, the normal, rational part, was telling her that it was just a rat, or some other creature. Another part, the part that was adjusted to the whole Survival of the Fittest setting, was screaming at her that there could be a killer under the bed, waiting for her to take another couple of steps inside.
This is-this… this is insane! The announcement, this mansion… it’s just muddled up my thoughts, making me paranoid, irrational… I need to get out of here…
Not wanting to turn her back on the bed, Aileen edged backwards out of the room, before slamming the door shut with more force than she intended. She almost ran back to the safety of the landing, before re-opening her bag, and exchanging the flashlight for the map, quickly scanning it for a location close to the mansion. There; the helipad. Aileen had seen it as she’d walked to the mansion.
She didn’t particularly want to leave Dougal behind, though, seeing as they were allies and all. Thinking quickly, she called out to him, voice nervous at first, but growing steadier as she went on.
“Dougal! I’m sorry, but, ah… I need to get elsewhere. The helipad! I’ll be there, I’ll be waiting!”
Not waiting for a reply, Aileen hurried down the stairs, and into the open air, leaving the gloom of the mansion behind her. She didn’t look back.
((Aileen Borden continued in Thin Line Between Heaven and Here))
Slowly, painfully slowly, Dougal made his way up the stairs, pausing for several seconds on each step. Aileen understood the need for caution; she had no idea how long the mansion had been standing on the island, or how sturdy it was. Judging by the fallen masonry outside, not very.
Still, Aileen really didn’t like the thought of just standing around defenceless. She knew it was rather irrational-she couldn’t hear anybody, and it wasn’t like the mansion itself was going to attack them. But the dim and gloomy nature of the mansion was just setting Aileen’s nerves on edge. The sooner we get done with searching through this place, the better.
Aileen noticed that Dougal had reached the top of the stairs. She followed his footsteps, walking faster than he had done, but still tentative and slow. Eventually, she too reached the top. The landing went to the left and the right, and Aileen looked at Dougal, before nodding in the direction of the left passageway. She hoped he understood what her gesture meant. She didn’t entirely trust herself not to say something stupid, so her mouth remained shut.
Aileen herself headed towards the right. From the outside, this part of the mansion had seemed the least damaged; of course, that could have just been aesthetic. For all she knew, the inside was completely rotted and weak. Almost every other footstep caused the old floorboards to creak, and a thin layer of dust to get blown up. After a few seconds, Aileen was presented with a number of choices. There were about four doors on either side of the corridor, and another room at the very end. The feeling of nervousness growing slightly, Aileen removed the flashlight from her bag, flicked it on, then tried the handle of the first door.
Locked. Thank god. No-one would be hiding in there, unless they had a magic skeleton key. If they, somehow, did, Aileen would hear the noise of the lock a mile off. The second door was similarly locked. The third door didn’t exist; the frame stood empty, allowing full view into the room. Not that there was anything to see. All of the furniture inside had been removed, leaving only patches of floorboard that weren’t covered in quite as much dust as the rest.
The fourth door was closed, and Aileen hoped that it would be locked just like the first two. She had no such luck this time; the door swung open, squeaking loudly. Cautiously, Aileen looked inside. It was fairly small, and appeared to have been a bedroom once upon a time. There was a small bed, a wardrobe with one door open and a bedside table inside. Cautiously, Aileen pushed the door open further, and took another couple of steps inside.
As she looked over at the open wardrobe, Aileen noticed, out of the corner of her eye, a movement coming from the far side of the bed. Spinning round impossibly fast, she raised the hockey stick in a defensive posture, scanning the bed for more movement. Part of her, the normal, rational part, was telling her that it was just a rat, or some other creature. Another part, the part that was adjusted to the whole Survival of the Fittest setting, was screaming at her that there could be a killer under the bed, waiting for her to take another couple of steps inside.
This is-this… this is insane! The announcement, this mansion… it’s just muddled up my thoughts, making me paranoid, irrational… I need to get out of here…
Not wanting to turn her back on the bed, Aileen edged backwards out of the room, before slamming the door shut with more force than she intended. She almost ran back to the safety of the landing, before re-opening her bag, and exchanging the flashlight for the map, quickly scanning it for a location close to the mansion. There; the helipad. Aileen had seen it as she’d walked to the mansion.
She didn’t particularly want to leave Dougal behind, though, seeing as they were allies and all. Thinking quickly, she called out to him, voice nervous at first, but growing steadier as she went on.
“Dougal! I’m sorry, but, ah… I need to get elsewhere. The helipad! I’ll be there, I’ll be waiting!”
Not waiting for a reply, Aileen hurried down the stairs, and into the open air, leaving the gloom of the mansion behind her. She didn’t look back.
((Aileen Borden continued in Thin Line Between Heaven and Here))
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CondorTalon
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- Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:22 am
As Aileen followed Dougal up the stairs, he looked down the left hallway, a noticed that it was looking rather green. Aileen looked over at Dougal, nodding her head in that direction. Dougal nodded back and began to make his way down the hallway.
As he approached a corner and looked around the bend, he could see the source of the greenery. Part of the wall was just plain gone, allowing view of the jungle beyond. Turning around, he could see that the door frame just around the corner stood alone, a good portion of the wall was gone, and he could see inside the room, which looked to be a bedroom. Stepping over a low chunk of wall, he saw a king-sized bed, as well as several drawers. With the tomahawk in his left hand, he pulled out each drawer, hoping to find something useful.
No dice.
A loud slamming sound turned him around, facing the hole he entered from. He could hear loud footsteps, and his heart started to race. Oh shit, was someone else here after all?
“Dougal! I’m sorry, but, ah… I need to get elsewhere. The helipad! I’ll be there, I’ll be waiting!”
What?
Dougal tried to make his way over the hole again, but a piece of wood from the wall's frame caught his pant leg, slowing him down. By the time he had made it to the stairs, Aileen was already gone.
"Aileen? Aileen?!"
Shit.
He quickly took the map out of his backpack, and scanned through it to find the helipad. He made a mental note, and he was down the stairs, out the door, trying to catch up to her.
So much for sticking together...
((Augustus MacDougal continued in Thin Line Between Heaven and Here.))
As he approached a corner and looked around the bend, he could see the source of the greenery. Part of the wall was just plain gone, allowing view of the jungle beyond. Turning around, he could see that the door frame just around the corner stood alone, a good portion of the wall was gone, and he could see inside the room, which looked to be a bedroom. Stepping over a low chunk of wall, he saw a king-sized bed, as well as several drawers. With the tomahawk in his left hand, he pulled out each drawer, hoping to find something useful.
No dice.
A loud slamming sound turned him around, facing the hole he entered from. He could hear loud footsteps, and his heart started to race. Oh shit, was someone else here after all?
“Dougal! I’m sorry, but, ah… I need to get elsewhere. The helipad! I’ll be there, I’ll be waiting!”
What?
Dougal tried to make his way over the hole again, but a piece of wood from the wall's frame caught his pant leg, slowing him down. By the time he had made it to the stairs, Aileen was already gone.
"Aileen? Aileen?!"
Shit.
He quickly took the map out of his backpack, and scanned through it to find the helipad. He made a mental note, and he was down the stairs, out the door, trying to catch up to her.
So much for sticking together...
((Augustus MacDougal continued in Thin Line Between Heaven and Here.))