((Emily Chou continued from Existence))
The sound of footsteps pounding on the metal staircase echoed through the air as Emily continued downward, enveloped by darkness. She had always hated the dark, ever since she was a little kid. Of course, hers wasn't exactly an uncommon anxiety - quite the opposite, in fact. Once, while idly scrolling through the internet, she had stumbled upon a theory that, given the evolutionary origin of many primal fears, that there must have been some thing which had caused early humans to develop a universal wariness of things lurking in the dark. There were many fairly boring and logical explanations for that floating around, but the idea still sent a shiver down her spine.
It was once she had finally reached the end of her descent, standing with endless darkness stretching in what seemed like every direction, that it occurred to her that it had not been a good idea to occupy her mind with thoughts of supernatural beasts hiding just out of sight.
Her pulse quickened as she stood there, staring off into the inky black expanse, every one of her instincts screaming at her to turn around and seek the illuminated safety just a short distance above her. She had no idea what could be down here, what hazards could be waiting, or who might be stalking the shadows in search of prey. There was one thing that she did know for sure was here, however, and that was the bottle of pills that had fallen from the overhang above. She needed to find them, and fast, or else she'd have much bigger problems on her hands than just worrying about not being able to see.
Sighing, she put the bag of supplies she had been provided on the ground as she began to riffle through it, looking for anything that could possibly help her find her way around. It wasn't long before her fingers closed around an electronic device, and upon pressing the switch, she was greeted by a burst of light aimed right at her face. A short yelp cut through the darkness before she turned it off, rubbing her stinging eyes with her arm as she attempted to recover from the experience. Jesus, that was bright.
After a few moments, she rose to her feet, the bag once again strapped to her shoulder with the hand nearby holding the flashlight n in an almost pathetic parody of all of the horror games that she had seen so many youtubers were playing back when she was in middle school. A frown spread its way across her face as she flicked the light on yet again, annoyed at her brain for bringing up yet another memory involving monsters lurking in the dark. This was a serious, time-sensitive situation and she couldn't afford any distractions like that, damn it!
A minute or two passed before Emily managed to get a hold of herself, gently placing the sleeping bag she had carried on the floor by the stairs before beginning her voyage into the unknown, desperately scanning the floor beneath her for anything even vaguely resembling the container that had held her medication.
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Carrion Queen
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((Ximena Rodriguez continued from darkness))
Not long after leaving the womb tomb, Ximena found a map on the wall -- encased in glass -- of the underground area she seemed to be in.
YOU ARE HERE ☆
One, two, three, sorry!
Ximena took the back of her flashlight and slammed it against the glass. It cracked. She slammed the flashlight against the glass again and then put her hand up to the glass. It glowed and the cracks became bigger and bigger. A few more whacks and a few more cycles of fast-forwarding and the pane shattered. She took the map and held her flashlight handle in her mouth as she studied it. Nodding, she folded the map and continued on.
After referencing it a few more times she was near what looked like the only fire escape route available.
Very unsafe, she thought.
It was quiet and all she could see was what her flashlight illuminated. Sometimes she could hear a bang or a creek and she would stop for a second. Ximena gulped.
"Say... you'll remember me," she warbled out quietly while walking forward."Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset. Red lips and rosy cheeks. Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your... wildest dreams. Ah-ah, oh. Wildest dreams..."
She sang like someone who was being forced to do karaoke at gunpoint. She also didn't remember the rest of the words so she restarted, singing the chorus again.
"Say you'll remember me... standing in a nice dress. Staring at the sunset, babe. Red lips and rosy cheeks. Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams. Ah-ah, oh. Wildest --"
It looked like there was light ahead but there was something else: the sound of footsteps.
"Hello?" Ximena called out tentatively. She reached into the pack of playing cards she'd shoved into her skirt and pulled out three cards.
Not long after leaving the womb tomb, Ximena found a map on the wall -- encased in glass -- of the underground area she seemed to be in.
YOU ARE HERE ☆
One, two, three, sorry!
Ximena took the back of her flashlight and slammed it against the glass. It cracked. She slammed the flashlight against the glass again and then put her hand up to the glass. It glowed and the cracks became bigger and bigger. A few more whacks and a few more cycles of fast-forwarding and the pane shattered. She took the map and held her flashlight handle in her mouth as she studied it. Nodding, she folded the map and continued on.
After referencing it a few more times she was near what looked like the only fire escape route available.
Very unsafe, she thought.
It was quiet and all she could see was what her flashlight illuminated. Sometimes she could hear a bang or a creek and she would stop for a second. Ximena gulped.
"Say... you'll remember me," she warbled out quietly while walking forward."Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset. Red lips and rosy cheeks. Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your... wildest dreams. Ah-ah, oh. Wildest dreams..."
She sang like someone who was being forced to do karaoke at gunpoint. She also didn't remember the rest of the words so she restarted, singing the chorus again.
"Say you'll remember me... standing in a nice dress. Staring at the sunset, babe. Red lips and rosy cheeks. Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams. Ah-ah, oh. Wildest --"
It looked like there was light ahead but there was something else: the sound of footsteps.
"Hello?" Ximena called out tentatively. She reached into the pack of playing cards she'd shoved into her skirt and pulled out three cards.
((Edited to correct misunderstanding concerning the shape of the flashlights))
Emily tightly gripped the handle of the flashlight as she continued her search. What a miserable experience this was turning out to be. She had spent ages walking around and around in circles by the staircase with her eyes glued to the ground, painstakingly scanning every inch. The tightness in her chest brought on by the frustration began to become worse and worse as she began to realize that wherever the bottle was, it wasn't by the stairs. She was doing her best to stay calm and take deep breaths, but it was becoming more and more difficult as time passed. Where could it be? It must have rolled away... or maybe it had landed on something on the way down...
She groaned in frustration as she put an arm up to her face, wiping away the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. How could she have been so clumsy? There were already so many things to worry about here, and she had gone and added another one to the list. All she had to have done was look around a bit more before she started moving - if she had done that, she wouldn't have to spend her time in this big dark basement searching for a tiny bottle holding even tinier pills, all the while desperately hoping that nobody was sneaking up on her...
Emily's heart skipped a beat at the sound of crashing glass somewhere within the darkness, directly validating her anxiety with the proof that she wasn't alone down here. She quickly rose to her feet, her heart pounding painfully hard as she whipped her head around, desperately trying to get a view of her surroundings. Its dim light stretching barely more than a few steps further, definitely not enough to bridge the gap between her and the will-o'-wisp floating in the distance.
The idea that she had just encountered some sort of ghost rose up into her mind before quickly getting squashed. She knew that ghosts didn't exist, obviously, but for some reason that never stopped her from getting anxious about running into one in the dark. The person down here with her would probably laugh at her if they knew what they had been briefly confused for, as well as most of her classmates... probably. Anyway, the point was that the voice down here certainly belonged to a flesh-and-blood human being, though one who was unhinged enough to be singing at a time like this. Well, maybe that was a little harsh - everyone had their own ways of dealing with stress, though this wasn't exactly one she would have recommended to anyone else...
Regardless, the fact that the person had called out like that meant they probably weren't dangerous - after all, they could have just extinguished that light and snuck up on her without saying anything. Emily couldn't recognize the voice, but given the circumstances, there didn't seem to be any reason not to reply, which she then proceeded to do, with a slight quaver in her voice.
"Hello! Who are you?"
The sound echoed slightly around them as she took a few tentative steps towards the person, angling her flashlight just enough to give her a view of the person's face without blinding them. Hopefully they were nice - the fact that she didn't recognize the voice meant that it was probably somebody she wasn't particularly close with, and approaching someone she didn't know very well was always a roll of the dice, especially for someone as socially inept as she was.
Emily tightly gripped the handle of the flashlight as she continued her search. What a miserable experience this was turning out to be. She had spent ages walking around and around in circles by the staircase with her eyes glued to the ground, painstakingly scanning every inch. The tightness in her chest brought on by the frustration began to become worse and worse as she began to realize that wherever the bottle was, it wasn't by the stairs. She was doing her best to stay calm and take deep breaths, but it was becoming more and more difficult as time passed. Where could it be? It must have rolled away... or maybe it had landed on something on the way down...
She groaned in frustration as she put an arm up to her face, wiping away the tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. How could she have been so clumsy? There were already so many things to worry about here, and she had gone and added another one to the list. All she had to have done was look around a bit more before she started moving - if she had done that, she wouldn't have to spend her time in this big dark basement searching for a tiny bottle holding even tinier pills, all the while desperately hoping that nobody was sneaking up on her...
Emily's heart skipped a beat at the sound of crashing glass somewhere within the darkness, directly validating her anxiety with the proof that she wasn't alone down here. She quickly rose to her feet, her heart pounding painfully hard as she whipped her head around, desperately trying to get a view of her surroundings. Its dim light stretching barely more than a few steps further, definitely not enough to bridge the gap between her and the will-o'-wisp floating in the distance.
The idea that she had just encountered some sort of ghost rose up into her mind before quickly getting squashed. She knew that ghosts didn't exist, obviously, but for some reason that never stopped her from getting anxious about running into one in the dark. The person down here with her would probably laugh at her if they knew what they had been briefly confused for, as well as most of her classmates... probably. Anyway, the point was that the voice down here certainly belonged to a flesh-and-blood human being, though one who was unhinged enough to be singing at a time like this. Well, maybe that was a little harsh - everyone had their own ways of dealing with stress, though this wasn't exactly one she would have recommended to anyone else...
Regardless, the fact that the person had called out like that meant they probably weren't dangerous - after all, they could have just extinguished that light and snuck up on her without saying anything. Emily couldn't recognize the voice, but given the circumstances, there didn't seem to be any reason not to reply, which she then proceeded to do, with a slight quaver in her voice.
"Hello! Who are you?"
The sound echoed slightly around them as she took a few tentative steps towards the person, angling her flashlight just enough to give her a view of the person's face without blinding them. Hopefully they were nice - the fact that she didn't recognize the voice meant that it was probably somebody she wasn't particularly close with, and approaching someone she didn't know very well was always a roll of the dice, especially for someone as socially inept as she was.
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Carrion Queen
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Ximena shrugged her left shoulder to keep the strap of her bag from slipping. She walked forward slowly, flashlight in her left hand and the playing cards in her right hand. There was a little light here coming from the stairs. Well, at least more than the halls she'd been wandering that were pitch black.
She shined her flashlight on the bottom of the figure and then worked up to get more information about who this was. Sneakers, jeans, shirt, hoodie, face. No surprises. Though, she was quite cute.
"It's Ximena," she said quietly, now 10 feet from the girl. She recognized the girl as someone in her grade; she was pretty sure she'd seen her reading a lot.
"Emily, right? We're both seniors."
Ximena had absolutely no idea what Emily's thing was. If you told her to take a guess with a gun to her head, she'd have just told you to save the time and shoot her. She kept the focus of her flashlight on the girl's chest so as not to blind her, but she could see the girl looked upset. Well, no fucking duh. Everyone was probably upset. They were supposed to be eating their weight in French fries but they were in some dank bunker or something.
"OK, first thing: are you ok?" she said, still careful to keep her voice down.
Ximena became aware that there was a little bit of blood on the sleeve of her right hand from when she tried to stand up and ended up with a handful of floor meat. The sleeping bag she'd left behind took the brunt of getting messy when she got rolled up by the pork palace, RIP to that soldier.
She shined her flashlight on the bottom of the figure and then worked up to get more information about who this was. Sneakers, jeans, shirt, hoodie, face. No surprises. Though, she was quite cute.
"It's Ximena," she said quietly, now 10 feet from the girl. She recognized the girl as someone in her grade; she was pretty sure she'd seen her reading a lot.
"Emily, right? We're both seniors."
Ximena had absolutely no idea what Emily's thing was. If you told her to take a guess with a gun to her head, she'd have just told you to save the time and shoot her. She kept the focus of her flashlight on the girl's chest so as not to blind her, but she could see the girl looked upset. Well, no fucking duh. Everyone was probably upset. They were supposed to be eating their weight in French fries but they were in some dank bunker or something.
"OK, first thing: are you ok?" she said, still careful to keep her voice down.
Ximena became aware that there was a little bit of blood on the sleeve of her right hand from when she tried to stand up and ended up with a handful of floor meat. The sleeping bag she'd left behind took the brunt of getting messy when she got rolled up by the pork palace, RIP to that soldier.
Ximena... Emily did recognize her, but beyond the somewhat memorable name she didn't really know much about the girl. Both of them had kept to themselves most of the time, it seemed, and ironically that similarity in temperament had left them even more distant from each other. If only one of them had decided to make a move, maybe they could have been friends, though judging by Emily's past history she would have more likely than not messed things up anyway.
Regrets aside, at least this girl wasn't trying to hurt her, which was a small mercy. Emily relaxed slightly as she moved her flashlight a little further to the side, hoping its light wasn't too blinding. She reflexively glanced behind her before speaking in a lower voice, more than a twinge of nervousness apparent in her tone.
"Ah, yeah, that's me."
She paused for a moment. How exactly was she supposed to answer Ximena's question? She most definitely was not ok, in fact, this was probably one of the farthest points from it that she had ever experienced in her life. Still, she hadn't been injured or attacked (at least not yet), and the main problem facing her was still potentially solvable, though her hopes of doing so had been slowly sinking lower and lower for the last hour or so.
"I'm doing pretty terrible, but I could be worse, I guess. I'm just, um... looking for something right now."
Her eyes travelled along the Ximena's body, scanning for any sort of reaction, before suddenly stopping on her classmate's arm. She bit her lip hard as she stared at it, hoping that the stain on there wasn't what it looked like. The grip she held on her flashlight tightened yet again as she spoke, forcing herself to look at her conversation partner's face.
"What about you?"
Regrets aside, at least this girl wasn't trying to hurt her, which was a small mercy. Emily relaxed slightly as she moved her flashlight a little further to the side, hoping its light wasn't too blinding. She reflexively glanced behind her before speaking in a lower voice, more than a twinge of nervousness apparent in her tone.
"Ah, yeah, that's me."
She paused for a moment. How exactly was she supposed to answer Ximena's question? She most definitely was not ok, in fact, this was probably one of the farthest points from it that she had ever experienced in her life. Still, she hadn't been injured or attacked (at least not yet), and the main problem facing her was still potentially solvable, though her hopes of doing so had been slowly sinking lower and lower for the last hour or so.
"I'm doing pretty terrible, but I could be worse, I guess. I'm just, um... looking for something right now."
Her eyes travelled along the Ximena's body, scanning for any sort of reaction, before suddenly stopping on her classmate's arm. She bit her lip hard as she stared at it, hoping that the stain on there wasn't what it looked like. The grip she held on her flashlight tightened yet again as she spoke, forcing herself to look at her conversation partner's face.
"What about you?"
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Carrion Queen
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She walked forward more and then stopped when she was five feet in front of Emily — which seemed like a reasonable talking distance. It was maybe a little closer than she'd stand to a person she didn't know well, typically, but she didn't want to talk too loudly and attract attention. Who knew what else was down here.
Ximena blinked fast and took a deep breath, trying to calm her own nerves. She smiled at Emily, who said she was doing terrible.
"Yeah..." she said, unable to think of anything better to say. She didn't think "Hope your day gets better" would cut it.
The situation could have been a lot worse. This was at least a person who seemed sane and was willing to talk to her. As far as she knew, Emily wasn't a trouble-maker or a jerk like some of their classmates whose Gift might have also had an additional condition where they would literally die if they were ever nice to someone.
Ximena scanned along the ground looking for anything unusual after hearing that Emily had lost something.
"What are you looking for...?" she asked.
And what happens if we don't find it? she left unsaid.
She scanned some more, looking intently at the ground. Ximena decided to put the three cards she drew back into the deck. As she slipped them back in, she noticed that Emily had noticed her sleeve. Ximena also looked at the sleeve. Sleeve, Emily, sleeve, Emily.
"I... am fine," she said. "But I really really really really — really — for real, and I cannot stress to you how sincerely, really don't recommend you go the way I came from. Haha — but seriously. Do not go back there.
Ximena grimaced and kept sweeping around with the light.
"Someone let their Gift go haywire and like, well, you know, don't worry about it. Just don't go back there," she said, trying to hide her nausea.
Ximena blinked fast and took a deep breath, trying to calm her own nerves. She smiled at Emily, who said she was doing terrible.
"Yeah..." she said, unable to think of anything better to say. She didn't think "Hope your day gets better" would cut it.
The situation could have been a lot worse. This was at least a person who seemed sane and was willing to talk to her. As far as she knew, Emily wasn't a trouble-maker or a jerk like some of their classmates whose Gift might have also had an additional condition where they would literally die if they were ever nice to someone.
Ximena scanned along the ground looking for anything unusual after hearing that Emily had lost something.
"What are you looking for...?" she asked.
And what happens if we don't find it? she left unsaid.
She scanned some more, looking intently at the ground. Ximena decided to put the three cards she drew back into the deck. As she slipped them back in, she noticed that Emily had noticed her sleeve. Ximena also looked at the sleeve. Sleeve, Emily, sleeve, Emily.
"I... am fine," she said. "But I really really really really — really — for real, and I cannot stress to you how sincerely, really don't recommend you go the way I came from. Haha — but seriously. Do not go back there.
Ximena grimaced and kept sweeping around with the light.
"Someone let their Gift go haywire and like, well, you know, don't worry about it. Just don't go back there," she said, trying to hide her nausea.
Emily paused for a moment, glancing awkwardly at the ground. She really should have expected this - it was pretty obvious that anyone who she ran into down here would definitely end up asking about her pills and why she was looking for them. It would have made things so much easier if she had put together a cover story when she actually had time to think about it, but now she was going to have to come up with something fast and hope that it didn't end up having too many holes in it.
God, why couldn't she do anything right? The hole she was in was just getting deeper and deeper every minute. After an uncomfortable amount of silence, she spoke hesitantly, hoping that the anxiety in her voice would be able to be chalked up to the other, more obvious circumstances surrounding them and the rest of their class.
"I... um, I'm looking for a little blue bottle of medicine, about this big, I think?" She brought up a hand, moving her thumb and forefinger approximately two inches apart. "I woke up near the top of the stairs to get down here, with all my stuff placed by my feet, and I kinda, um, accidentally kicked it over the railing..." Emily felt her cheeks redden slightly as she told the story, fully aware of how incompetent and clumsy it made her sound.
She took a minute to stop and breathe before continuing, narrowly avoiding stumbling over her words as they quickly spilled out of her mouth, as if racing to finally get this horrible explanation over with. "I've been looking for it for a while, and I think maybe it rolled away or something? These things can roll pretty far sometimes. I know this is a long shot, but, you didn't happen to see anything like that on your way over here, did you?"
It was pretty obvious that Ximena almost certainly had not seen it, but it was still worth asking, Emily thought. At this point, she was getting pretty willing to try anything that could possibly help, even a little bit. The whole experience felt awkward and humiliating, but, even still, she knew that it was nothing compared to what would happen if she didn't find her meds in time to stop It from getting loose.
God, why couldn't she do anything right? The hole she was in was just getting deeper and deeper every minute. After an uncomfortable amount of silence, she spoke hesitantly, hoping that the anxiety in her voice would be able to be chalked up to the other, more obvious circumstances surrounding them and the rest of their class.
"I... um, I'm looking for a little blue bottle of medicine, about this big, I think?" She brought up a hand, moving her thumb and forefinger approximately two inches apart. "I woke up near the top of the stairs to get down here, with all my stuff placed by my feet, and I kinda, um, accidentally kicked it over the railing..." Emily felt her cheeks redden slightly as she told the story, fully aware of how incompetent and clumsy it made her sound.
She took a minute to stop and breathe before continuing, narrowly avoiding stumbling over her words as they quickly spilled out of her mouth, as if racing to finally get this horrible explanation over with. "I've been looking for it for a while, and I think maybe it rolled away or something? These things can roll pretty far sometimes. I know this is a long shot, but, you didn't happen to see anything like that on your way over here, did you?"
It was pretty obvious that Ximena almost certainly had not seen it, but it was still worth asking, Emily thought. At this point, she was getting pretty willing to try anything that could possibly help, even a little bit. The whole experience felt awkward and humiliating, but, even still, she knew that it was nothing compared to what would happen if she didn't find her meds in time to stop It from getting loose.
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Carrion Queen
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The darkness created a kind of artificial closeness between them. In the light, they would be two figures in a space, like a room or a hallway or something. But in the dark, they were only aware of each other and the light each person held. It was like being under the covers with someone. And so, the darkness amplified their voices, their expressions, and their small movements.
Xiemna had walked away a few paces and had been searching around for anything unusual until she was told what she actually had to be keeping an eye out for: a small, blue bottle.
"Hmm… Well, didn't see anything like that."
And perhaps it was her stammer or flush of her cheeks or her refusal to call it whatever it was — my asthma meds, my heart meds, my sleeping medication — that she had a feeling. This feeling set off the alarm bells in her head, but Ximena didn't want to leave the first friendly person she had met and Emily didn't seem like a person who wanted to be left either.
"Emily..." she said quietly. Ximena turned and walked back towards the other girl until they were closer than they had ever been, just four feet apart in the dark. She said the girl's name so that it ended up an upward lilt, as if her name was a question, and she looked straight at her.
"...what’s the medicine for?”
“This is a weird situation and... I'll tell you anything you ask too. For now, we're in this together, whatever 'this' is."
Xiemna had walked away a few paces and had been searching around for anything unusual until she was told what she actually had to be keeping an eye out for: a small, blue bottle.
"Hmm… Well, didn't see anything like that."
And perhaps it was her stammer or flush of her cheeks or her refusal to call it whatever it was — my asthma meds, my heart meds, my sleeping medication — that she had a feeling. This feeling set off the alarm bells in her head, but Ximena didn't want to leave the first friendly person she had met and Emily didn't seem like a person who wanted to be left either.
"Emily..." she said quietly. Ximena turned and walked back towards the other girl until they were closer than they had ever been, just four feet apart in the dark. She said the girl's name so that it ended up an upward lilt, as if her name was a question, and she looked straight at her.
"...what’s the medicine for?”
“This is a weird situation and... I'll tell you anything you ask too. For now, we're in this together, whatever 'this' is."
Emily felt her stomach drop as Ximena inevitably ended up asking the dreaded question, in a tone that felt even more accusing than expected. It wasn't the first time anyone had asked about it, and it definitely wouldn't be the last either, but Emily hated it all the same. She was an awful liar, and it made her die a little inside every time she was forced to repeat the stupid cover story she had thought up for it back in middle school. Every conversation about it was a yet another reminder of how much of a freak she was, and how unfair it had been for this whole situation to have been forced on her at such a young age. At this point, it was impossible to tell how many people even bought her story anymore, and how many had just decided not to question it out of politeness.
Speaking of buying it... Emily bit down on her lip again, harder this time, as she realized the obvious problem with her prepared explanation. Why would she need a flashlight down here if her Gift really did allow her to see in the dark? At the same time, though, if she changed it to something completely different, what would happen if they ran into another classmate who already had heard the original story? She could just imagine how horrible that would be, especially if the other student happened to be one of the few friends she had.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to split the difference. She spoke quickly, nervousness obvious in her voice despite her best efforts. It took every ounce of willpower she had to keep her voice steady enough to be understood, which was far from an easy task, especially given that her heart was pounding hard enough that she could almost swear that Ximena would be able to hear it too.
"Um, well, my Gift is... it's kinda hard to explain. My eyesight is weird... like, it's really sensitive to light, and it's really painful for me to see unless I take medicine to suppress it, you know? Like, my last dose hasn't worn off yet but if I don't find my medication in time, I'm gonna be pretty much blind..."
She paused for a moment, taking a few slow breaths to steady herself. Her fight or flight instinct had kicked in, hard, and at the moment her body was practically screaming at her to get out of there as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option. She needed as much help as she could get here, and, more importantly, she had to bring her emotions back under control. Her medication had almost certainly not worn off yet, but it was still not a good idea to put it to the test either. It took a few more moments of breathing before she had calmed herself enough to continue, her words coming out much more quietly than before, in a tone that gave off the impression that she was just inches away from bursting into tears.
"I'm really, really sorry. I'm just... kinda freaking out here. This whole situation is so scary, and I don't know what to do..."
Speaking of buying it... Emily bit down on her lip again, harder this time, as she realized the obvious problem with her prepared explanation. Why would she need a flashlight down here if her Gift really did allow her to see in the dark? At the same time, though, if she changed it to something completely different, what would happen if they ran into another classmate who already had heard the original story? She could just imagine how horrible that would be, especially if the other student happened to be one of the few friends she had.
Taking a deep breath, she decided to split the difference. She spoke quickly, nervousness obvious in her voice despite her best efforts. It took every ounce of willpower she had to keep her voice steady enough to be understood, which was far from an easy task, especially given that her heart was pounding hard enough that she could almost swear that Ximena would be able to hear it too.
"Um, well, my Gift is... it's kinda hard to explain. My eyesight is weird... like, it's really sensitive to light, and it's really painful for me to see unless I take medicine to suppress it, you know? Like, my last dose hasn't worn off yet but if I don't find my medication in time, I'm gonna be pretty much blind..."
She paused for a moment, taking a few slow breaths to steady herself. Her fight or flight instinct had kicked in, hard, and at the moment her body was practically screaming at her to get out of there as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that wasn't really an option. She needed as much help as she could get here, and, more importantly, she had to bring her emotions back under control. Her medication had almost certainly not worn off yet, but it was still not a good idea to put it to the test either. It took a few more moments of breathing before she had calmed herself enough to continue, her words coming out much more quietly than before, in a tone that gave off the impression that she was just inches away from bursting into tears.
"I'm really, really sorry. I'm just... kinda freaking out here. This whole situation is so scary, and I don't know what to do..."
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Carrion Queen
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Hmmm. Well, I_dont_believe_you_ron_burgandy.gif
The girls are keeping secrets.
"Your eyes?"
Ximena walked closer until they were within arm's reach. Emily managed to get out that she was freaking out, which was pretty plain to see. She had thought about doing this for Melodie, but didn't think Melodie would have allowed it. Emily seemed at least willing to talk, though also perhaps was willing to be dishonest. That might have been jumping the gun, but there was something about her story that didn't ring true.
"Is it okay if I help?"
What exactly was "hard to explain" about her eye condition? Why hesitate? But she didn't know anything for certain. It was just hunches from years of having dealt with people lying to her. She had to admit, sometimes people have their reasons, though.
Ximena put the index and middle fingers of her right hand against the middle of Emily's chest, moving slowly. The rest of her palm went down to lay flat against the girl's chest.
THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUTHUDTHUD
She could feel her heart beating like it was trying to bust out of her rib cage and run away. Relatable. Ximena closed her eyes. Her palm glowed and Emily's chest glowed in response.
"It is scary. If you weren't freaking out it would freak me out, you know? Let's take a sec and..."
Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud.
She opened her eyes.
"...be calm."
The girls are keeping secrets.
"Your eyes?"
Ximena walked closer until they were within arm's reach. Emily managed to get out that she was freaking out, which was pretty plain to see. She had thought about doing this for Melodie, but didn't think Melodie would have allowed it. Emily seemed at least willing to talk, though also perhaps was willing to be dishonest. That might have been jumping the gun, but there was something about her story that didn't ring true.
"Is it okay if I help?"
What exactly was "hard to explain" about her eye condition? Why hesitate? But she didn't know anything for certain. It was just hunches from years of having dealt with people lying to her. She had to admit, sometimes people have their reasons, though.
Ximena put the index and middle fingers of her right hand against the middle of Emily's chest, moving slowly. The rest of her palm went down to lay flat against the girl's chest.
THUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUDTHUTHUDTHUD
She could feel her heart beating like it was trying to bust out of her rib cage and run away. Relatable. Ximena closed her eyes. Her palm glowed and Emily's chest glowed in response.
"It is scary. If you weren't freaking out it would freak me out, you know? Let's take a sec and..."
Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud.
She opened her eyes.
"...be calm."
Emily blinked a few times as she stared at Ximena, confused. What did that girl do to her? It was already strange enough for someone to touch her just out of the blue like that, even ignoring the fact that whatever had happened, it had put a quick stop to her panic attack. Not that Emily wasn't still terrified, mind you, but at least now she was able to stand still and think clearly, which was a definite improvement.
The two girls stood there without speaking, the light from their flashlights providing an island of security amidst the sea of darkness surrounding them and spreading out in all directions. After an uncomfortable amount of time had passed, Emily's timid voice finally broke the silence, its tone now only slightly wavering from the disorientation of her abrupt emergence from the panic that had gripped just a few moments before.
"Um... thanks."
She paused for a moment, weighing her wish to not seem ungrateful against her desire to know exactly what had just happened to her. Eventually, curiosity won out, and she continued on, a small measure of confidence returning to her voice as she spoke.
"Just a question though... what did you just do? Not that I don't appreciate it, or anything, but, well, you know..."
Whatever it had been, it was probably harmless, but it would be better to make sure. Her body was the enemy here, and any change to it could throw things even more out of whack than they already were. The last thing Emily wanted was for whatever Ximena had just done to have changed some sort of chemical balance in her system, depleting the already small amount of time she had left before her meds wore off. Even just thinking of that possibility made her feel sick to her stomach.
The two girls stood there without speaking, the light from their flashlights providing an island of security amidst the sea of darkness surrounding them and spreading out in all directions. After an uncomfortable amount of time had passed, Emily's timid voice finally broke the silence, its tone now only slightly wavering from the disorientation of her abrupt emergence from the panic that had gripped just a few moments before.
"Um... thanks."
She paused for a moment, weighing her wish to not seem ungrateful against her desire to know exactly what had just happened to her. Eventually, curiosity won out, and she continued on, a small measure of confidence returning to her voice as she spoke.
"Just a question though... what did you just do? Not that I don't appreciate it, or anything, but, well, you know..."
Whatever it had been, it was probably harmless, but it would be better to make sure. Her body was the enemy here, and any change to it could throw things even more out of whack than they already were. The last thing Emily wanted was for whatever Ximena had just done to have changed some sort of chemical balance in her system, depleting the already small amount of time she had left before her meds wore off. Even just thinking of that possibility made her feel sick to her stomach.
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Carrion Queen
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- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 6:35 am
Ximena pulled her hand away. Slowly, the glow faded. The two of them looked at each other as the shimmer on Emily’s chest dimmed. A small amount of light leaked down from the top of the spiral staircase they stood near like it was a faint radiance from heaven. Not enough to help them see anything, but it made Ximena aware that there was a world above.
Ximena let her right hand fall to her side and carefully monitored Emily to see how she was reacting. It seemed like it had helped. Sometimes when she couldn’t control her emotions, it felt like they’d hijacked her body and her heart and her lungs became a speeding train she couldn’t jump from. So the situation had a hint of familiarity, though she wasn’t used to being on the outside as an observer.
“I stole your heart,” she said with a wicked grin, holding up a hand that mimicked holding the organ, contracting her fingers like a beating heart.
....
“Not really, but I knew someone who could. He got in big trouble for it. He could make you fall in love.”
And even though he got in trouble for it and he deserved everything he got, I still felt bad for him. Because I'm a fucking idiot, I guess. Tragically stupid. Never learn.
She heard a noise and looked up. Her mouth was open just slightly and her eyebrows knitted together and upward over wide eyes. Her free hand had now clenched into a fist. Another moment passed, but no one appeared.
“I slowed your heart down and then let go slowly until it was beating normal,” she said finally, looking back to Emily. “I control time,” she said with a shrug. It wasn't anything special to her. Ximena couldn't remember everything perfectly forever like her sister, she couldn't blow a hole in the side of a house or make illusions. After all, anyone can control time.
Ximena let her right hand fall to her side and carefully monitored Emily to see how she was reacting. It seemed like it had helped. Sometimes when she couldn’t control her emotions, it felt like they’d hijacked her body and her heart and her lungs became a speeding train she couldn’t jump from. So the situation had a hint of familiarity, though she wasn’t used to being on the outside as an observer.
“I stole your heart,” she said with a wicked grin, holding up a hand that mimicked holding the organ, contracting her fingers like a beating heart.
....
“Not really, but I knew someone who could. He got in big trouble for it. He could make you fall in love.”
And even though he got in trouble for it and he deserved everything he got, I still felt bad for him. Because I'm a fucking idiot, I guess. Tragically stupid. Never learn.
She heard a noise and looked up. Her mouth was open just slightly and her eyebrows knitted together and upward over wide eyes. Her free hand had now clenched into a fist. Another moment passed, but no one appeared.
“I slowed your heart down and then let go slowly until it was beating normal,” she said finally, looking back to Emily. “I control time,” she said with a shrug. It wasn't anything special to her. Ximena couldn't remember everything perfectly forever like her sister, she couldn't blow a hole in the side of a house or make illusions. After all, anyone can control time.
Emily felt her shoulders relax as she smiled faintly at Ximena's joke. It was pretty dumb, sure, but the distraction was enough to make her forget about the kidnapping and murders, if only just for a moment. Small reprieves like that were better than any physical intervention, though it also helped to know that Ximena's gift had almost certainly not shortened the clock that Emily had to find her meds. If anything, it had lengthened it - though it wouldn't be a good idea to get too overconfident about that.
Time control, though... that was a really awesome gift. Emily felt a twinge of jealousy as she considered all the cool stuff that someone could do with that. Getting a gift like that was like winning the lottery, especially when compared to the metaphorical ball and chain that Emily's gift made her drag around at all times. She didn't know much at all about Ximena's life, but from an outside perspective, it definitely seemed like the girl had it pretty good. Everything about her made Emily feel inadequate - her gift, her appearance, and, most importantly, her ability to keep it together under pressure like this.
At this point the surge of self-pity had become like an old friend to Emily, albeit one that was constantly inviting himself in without permission and staying way too long than necessary. It was hard to describe how or why, but there was something comforting about the exercise. Perhaps the reminder of how stacked the deck was against her made her failures sting a bit less, or perhaps it was just a way to simulate venting about something that she otherwise would never talk about (at least not under her real name). Whatever the case, however, it was an indulgence she just couldn't afford at the moment.
As she pivoted her thoughts away from those depressing ruminations, Emily abruptly realized that she had been looking down at the ground for who knows how long. She moved her head up to look at her conversation partner before speaking, the sound of her voice echoing slightly throughout the open area as her confidence led to an increase in her volume.
"I see. Well, um, thank you again. I hope it wasn't too hard on your or anything to do it, if it was I'm really sorry about it..."
There was a brief moment of silence before the reply continued.
"That's a really cool gift, though. What else can you do with it? Like, can you use it to rewind time too, or is it just for slowing things down?"
Time control, though... that was a really awesome gift. Emily felt a twinge of jealousy as she considered all the cool stuff that someone could do with that. Getting a gift like that was like winning the lottery, especially when compared to the metaphorical ball and chain that Emily's gift made her drag around at all times. She didn't know much at all about Ximena's life, but from an outside perspective, it definitely seemed like the girl had it pretty good. Everything about her made Emily feel inadequate - her gift, her appearance, and, most importantly, her ability to keep it together under pressure like this.
At this point the surge of self-pity had become like an old friend to Emily, albeit one that was constantly inviting himself in without permission and staying way too long than necessary. It was hard to describe how or why, but there was something comforting about the exercise. Perhaps the reminder of how stacked the deck was against her made her failures sting a bit less, or perhaps it was just a way to simulate venting about something that she otherwise would never talk about (at least not under her real name). Whatever the case, however, it was an indulgence she just couldn't afford at the moment.
As she pivoted her thoughts away from those depressing ruminations, Emily abruptly realized that she had been looking down at the ground for who knows how long. She moved her head up to look at her conversation partner before speaking, the sound of her voice echoing slightly throughout the open area as her confidence led to an increase in her volume.
"I see. Well, um, thank you again. I hope it wasn't too hard on your or anything to do it, if it was I'm really sorry about it..."
There was a brief moment of silence before the reply continued.
"That's a really cool gift, though. What else can you do with it? Like, can you use it to rewind time too, or is it just for slowing things down?"
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Carrion Queen
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 6:35 am
Ximena watched her for a bit. At a certain point she thought maybe it wasn't super polite and started shining her light around on the ground again looking for the bottle. Eventually Emily seemed to be brought out of her thoughts.
"No problemo. It takes some concentration but for that short of time and, like, I didn't change time too much. It didn't take a lot."
Then Emily complimented her Gift and asked what else she could do with it. Ximena was taken aback and blushed. She laughed nervously a little and tugged on her ponytail, curling the end around her finger before looking away.
"No, it's really, um... " she stuttered. She was used to guys complimenting her looks — though that was her body since she hid her face and also it was over the internet— but she wasn't used to anyone complimenting or showing much interest in her Gift. She was so surprised that she'd completely forgotten their situation and momentarily forgot that she'd been trying to suss out the truth from Emily.
"I can't turn back time. If I could, you'd probably only know me as that girl who got suspended for slashing all the bus tires right before the potato field trip. I can only make it go slower and go faster. Like, here..."
Ximena gently took Emily's hand in hers and held it up. She noticed a very small scratch. Ximena closed her eyes and furrowed her brow hard. Their hands glowed. It took a few moments and Ximena seemed to be concentrating much harder than she had before. She took a big breath and released the hand, which now looked to be in the process of healing over the little scratch.
"Ta-da," she said in a weak sing-song, clearly a little embarrassed. "What do you think?" she asked sheepishly. "It's lame, isn't it? You can say if it is, it won't hurt my feelings."
"No problemo. It takes some concentration but for that short of time and, like, I didn't change time too much. It didn't take a lot."
Then Emily complimented her Gift and asked what else she could do with it. Ximena was taken aback and blushed. She laughed nervously a little and tugged on her ponytail, curling the end around her finger before looking away.
"No, it's really, um... " she stuttered. She was used to guys complimenting her looks — though that was her body since she hid her face and also it was over the internet— but she wasn't used to anyone complimenting or showing much interest in her Gift. She was so surprised that she'd completely forgotten their situation and momentarily forgot that she'd been trying to suss out the truth from Emily.
"I can't turn back time. If I could, you'd probably only know me as that girl who got suspended for slashing all the bus tires right before the potato field trip. I can only make it go slower and go faster. Like, here..."
Ximena gently took Emily's hand in hers and held it up. She noticed a very small scratch. Ximena closed her eyes and furrowed her brow hard. Their hands glowed. It took a few moments and Ximena seemed to be concentrating much harder than she had before. She took a big breath and released the hand, which now looked to be in the process of healing over the little scratch.
"Ta-da," she said in a weak sing-song, clearly a little embarrassed. "What do you think?" she asked sheepishly. "It's lame, isn't it? You can say if it is, it won't hurt my feelings."
Emily slowly pulled her hand back, examining it for a moments before slipping it awkwardly into her pocket. She appreciated the gesture, but, well, that was enough touching for one day. The small area of light surrounding them made things feel claustrophic enough.
It was always baffling to hear people complaining about their gifts being boring - it was the boring gifts that allowed people to actually have some semblance of a normal life. It was like complaining that your parents made too much money or something - like, yeah, there were definitely some downsides to that situation, but it was pretty obvious that the benefits outweighed the downsides.
Even so, Ximena's power was definitely pretty high on the tier list of "boring" powers, and it really was a shame if she didn't notice that. Without much further thought, Emily found herself babbling out a clumsy attempt at reassurance for her newfound companion.
"No, no, it's really cool, honest! There are so many little uses for it, and it's not like it's dangerous or anything, like..."
Emily froze, another surge of anxiety rushing through her as she cut off her words just in time to avoid the damning words, 'like mine'. There was another momentary pause, just short enough to be near unnoticeable, though long enough to contribute to her growing sense of discomfort.
"...like some people have."
She pulled her hand back out of her pocket to adjust the straps on her dufflebag before shining her flashlight around a bit. How much time had passed here since they started talking? Without her phone, there was really no way to tell, and with something like this, it'd be best to err on the side of caution. She turned and took a couple step away before looking back at Ximena.
"Anyway, I, um, well I really like talking to you and all, but would you mind if we dome some searching while we chat? We should probably try to get out of this darkness as soon as we can."
It was always baffling to hear people complaining about their gifts being boring - it was the boring gifts that allowed people to actually have some semblance of a normal life. It was like complaining that your parents made too much money or something - like, yeah, there were definitely some downsides to that situation, but it was pretty obvious that the benefits outweighed the downsides.
Even so, Ximena's power was definitely pretty high on the tier list of "boring" powers, and it really was a shame if she didn't notice that. Without much further thought, Emily found herself babbling out a clumsy attempt at reassurance for her newfound companion.
"No, no, it's really cool, honest! There are so many little uses for it, and it's not like it's dangerous or anything, like..."
Emily froze, another surge of anxiety rushing through her as she cut off her words just in time to avoid the damning words, 'like mine'. There was another momentary pause, just short enough to be near unnoticeable, though long enough to contribute to her growing sense of discomfort.
"...like some people have."
She pulled her hand back out of her pocket to adjust the straps on her dufflebag before shining her flashlight around a bit. How much time had passed here since they started talking? Without her phone, there was really no way to tell, and with something like this, it'd be best to err on the side of caution. She turned and took a couple step away before looking back at Ximena.
"Anyway, I, um, well I really like talking to you and all, but would you mind if we dome some searching while we chat? We should probably try to get out of this darkness as soon as we can."