He was a little bit scared about what the announcements would say.
[[Joel Foster continued from call the police]]
He knew it wouldn't be as bad. Joel knew he wouldn't be mentioned. He knew it wouldn't have any of his family talked about. And he knew it wouldn't have someone like Toma again-he only felt that way about one person, so it wouldn't happen.
Still, it was nerve-racking, waiting. Who else would be dead? Mom and Dad would be upset if Melodie was dead, and Martin would never forgive him if Tristan died and he didn't save him. He didn't think it would happen, but he also never thought he could be in a situation like this. Being a murderer, albeit a merciful one, and hearing daily about his classmates that joined him in that first category.
But he would hear it. He had no choice. Only where he would end up hearing it.
And so he would hear it in this room, some weird ass underground obstacle course if he had to guess from the stepping tires, tunnels to crawl through and walls with rope he presumed were meant to be climbed up he saw in his cursory flashlight sweep. Astrid probably didn't like it, but better to know what the place was like than risk a stupid death like tripping over a mat and breaking his neck on a diagonal support beam. Plus, more places to hide if something went wrong.
Whatever would happen, at least Joel wouldn't be alone. They could be miserable together, or something nicer.
The Malady Mill
private 'cause kid be dying
Moderator: SOTF Supers Staff
((Continued from call the police))
Astrid quietly lagged a few feet behind Joel, walking with her arms crossed. She wore two duffel bags; one strapped over each shoulder.
"Yeah, they've got, like, autopsy rooms down here too. It's, like, a government blacksite back from the Emergence, or whatever." She stated.
Astrid quietly lagged a few feet behind Joel, walking with her arms crossed. She wore two duffel bags; one strapped over each shoulder.
"Yeah, they've got, like, autopsy rooms down here too. It's, like, a government blacksite back from the Emergence, or whatever." She stated.
Ana rolled her eyes and resisted scoffing as Astrid said the building was some sort of secret government site. If it had been up to her they would have left Astrid behind in the darkness with the werebat—which still hadn't made an appearance—and gone on their way to the surface. But unfortunately, Joel was friends with the girl so they had left as a trio. Luckily Ana was at the back of their column so she was sure her reaction had gone unnoticed.
Despite all of that she was still uncomfortable being down in the recesses. She knew that Isabella's body was down in the dark with them somewhere and after the conversation, she'd had with Joel and Astrid the words of their captor had been stuck in her head.
"Lastly, Isabella Lugosi had her own neck broken by Ana Ford's mercury-like parasite, bringing her reign of terror to a close, though it took a surprisingly long time for her to actually die from it. We're sure she suffered."
Joel had said that they embellished or altered the stories to make them sound worse than they were but while that may have applied to his murder of Orion the way they described the events of Isabella's demise sounded accurate. Ana had no way of knowing if Isabella had still been alive when she had helped August leave as they'd never gone back to check.
"Can you survive long after your neck's broken?" She regretted speaking as soon as the words left her mouth.
Despite all of that she was still uncomfortable being down in the recesses. She knew that Isabella's body was down in the dark with them somewhere and after the conversation, she'd had with Joel and Astrid the words of their captor had been stuck in her head.
"Lastly, Isabella Lugosi had her own neck broken by Ana Ford's mercury-like parasite, bringing her reign of terror to a close, though it took a surprisingly long time for her to actually die from it. We're sure she suffered."
Joel had said that they embellished or altered the stories to make them sound worse than they were but while that may have applied to his murder of Orion the way they described the events of Isabella's demise sounded accurate. Ana had no way of knowing if Isabella had still been alive when she had helped August leave as they'd never gone back to check.
"Can you survive long after your neck's broken?" She regretted speaking as soon as the words left her mouth.
-
AnimeNerd
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 1:27 am
- Location: A place that can sustain life
- Team Affiliation: Claudia's Krakens
Joel didn't know if Astrid was right, that this place was made to study the Emergence when it happened, but it sounded about right. It seemed weird enough, and he'd found some old computers before finding Astrid and Ana. Combined with every other weird thing here, and it was either that, or some stupid conspiracy theory, and unfortunately, human experimentation during a time the world suddenly gained super powers seemed far more likely.
He was about to agree with her verbally when Ana spoke, asking a question. He knew what it was about, he remembered the announcements. He could get the guilt.
So, he made a decision.
"Pretty sure you die pretty quickly, if not instantly. I looked it up once, since one of my brothers thought about what would happen if I messed up at a competition."
It wasn't entirely a lie. Joel did look it up at Fox's insistence after the leg breaking incident. The boy had been relieved to see the results of the google search.
Joel just thought it would be better to hide the fact that Fox was relived that a broken neck didn't always mean instant death, and that someone with a broken neck can live for a while afterwards.
He glanced at Astrid, hoping she would feel the same, if she knew the truth at all.
He was about to agree with her verbally when Ana spoke, asking a question. He knew what it was about, he remembered the announcements. He could get the guilt.
So, he made a decision.
"Pretty sure you die pretty quickly, if not instantly. I looked it up once, since one of my brothers thought about what would happen if I messed up at a competition."
It wasn't entirely a lie. Joel did look it up at Fox's insistence after the leg breaking incident. The boy had been relieved to see the results of the google search.
Joel just thought it would be better to hide the fact that Fox was relived that a broken neck didn't always mean instant death, and that someone with a broken neck can live for a while afterwards.
He glanced at Astrid, hoping she would feel the same, if she knew the truth at all.
Astrid shrugged.
"I mean, the spinal injury usually knocks you out or something. That's how it's supposed to work in hangings." She said, shrugging again.
Just then, the speakers blared to life.
"I mean, the spinal injury usually knocks you out or something. That's how it's supposed to work in hangings." She said, shrugging again.
Just then, the speakers blared to life.
Joel and Astrid both said that it either killed you or knocked you out pretty much instantly, which did help make her feel a little bit better. But it was still one of the first times she had ever felt like she would have preferred having the horse hooves for hands and feet that her sister had. At least they couldn't decide to kill someone for her.
Then the speakers came to life. Gary, Kaine, Lily, Mercedes, Kyle, Lincoln...Austin and Noah...
A disquieting silence fell over the three of them once the names were done being called. Ana couldn't say she had thought too much about Noah since she had left with August two days prior but Austin, she'd only recently spoken to him. He was one of the last on the list. The timing of it all meant he would have probably died not long after speaking to her. It wasn't the first time that had happened to her either. He had been killed by Ray, the fat blob boy who had also killed Sayuna. That meant there was probably a story there but Ana didn't know how much of it was relevant.
It meant Ana was the last person left alive from the group she had started her time with. She didn't know how to feel about that. Her arm was shaking and the parasite wrapped around it and squeezed in an attempt to calm her down. It led to her arm looking like a candy cane, alternating diagonal lines of skin and mercury.
Not wanting to be the one to break the silence first, Ana waited for Joel or Astrid to speak.
Then the speakers came to life. Gary, Kaine, Lily, Mercedes, Kyle, Lincoln...Austin and Noah...
A disquieting silence fell over the three of them once the names were done being called. Ana couldn't say she had thought too much about Noah since she had left with August two days prior but Austin, she'd only recently spoken to him. He was one of the last on the list. The timing of it all meant he would have probably died not long after speaking to her. It wasn't the first time that had happened to her either. He had been killed by Ray, the fat blob boy who had also killed Sayuna. That meant there was probably a story there but Ana didn't know how much of it was relevant.
It meant Ana was the last person left alive from the group she had started her time with. She didn't know how to feel about that. Her arm was shaking and the parasite wrapped around it and squeezed in an attempt to calm her down. It led to her arm looking like a candy cane, alternating diagonal lines of skin and mercury.
Not wanting to be the one to break the silence first, Ana waited for Joel or Astrid to speak.
-
AnimeNerd
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 1:27 am
- Location: A place that can sustain life
- Team Affiliation: Claudia's Krakens
...Lily...
It...it was Lily...
She was-
She had-
The screams were-
How could he-
He really-
And-did he feel-
His face was getting wet.
It felt hard to breathe.
Somewhere else. Somewhere-anywhere else.
"I...I need a minute."
He ran.
Off the obstacle course.
Out of the room.
Into the hall.
Into fetal position.
He failed again, didn't he?
It...it was Lily...
She was-
She had-
The screams were-
How could he-
He really-
And-did he feel-
His face was getting wet.
It felt hard to breathe.
Somewhere else. Somewhere-anywhere else.
"I...I need a minute."
He ran.
Off the obstacle course.
Out of the room.
Into the hall.
Into fetal position.
He failed again, didn't he?
Astrid sidestepped out of Joel's way.
"Mkay." She said, as his flashlight disappeared through the doorway. "Don't get eaten, et cetera."
Her boots began to audibly clack against the floor, slowly moving away from the door and deeper into the now pitch black room.
They paused.
"Oh, right. I've been meaning to ask, since I've been underground for like three days. Have you seen Sarah Lundqvist at all since the bus? Or heard her, I guess. She does bird noises." Her voice said.
"Mkay." She said, as his flashlight disappeared through the doorway. "Don't get eaten, et cetera."
Her boots began to audibly clack against the floor, slowly moving away from the door and deeper into the now pitch black room.
They paused.
"Oh, right. I've been meaning to ask, since I've been underground for like three days. Have you seen Sarah Lundqvist at all since the bus? Or heard her, I guess. She does bird noises." Her voice said.
Joel spoke first and he sounded shaken. He darted from the room and his footsteps and flashlight receded into the darkness, leaving Ana and Astrid alone in silence once again. Astrid moved further into the room, her movements accompanied by the now familiar clack of her boots.
Then she asked Ana if she'd seen Sarah Lundqvist, which wasn't a name that was particularly familiar to Ana and based on the description of the gift that Astrid provided Ana hadn't encountered her.
She shook her head at first before realizing Astrid might not have been able to see her do it.
"No, I've not seen her," Ana replied, and then after an awkward delay, "Sorry." She added. Although even as she said it Ana wasn't sure if the sentiment was genuine or not, which she thought reflected badly on her as a person.
Then she asked Ana if she'd seen Sarah Lundqvist, which wasn't a name that was particularly familiar to Ana and based on the description of the gift that Astrid provided Ana hadn't encountered her.
She shook her head at first before realizing Astrid might not have been able to see her do it.
"No, I've not seen her," Ana replied, and then after an awkward delay, "Sorry." She added. Although even as she said it Ana wasn't sure if the sentiment was genuine or not, which she thought reflected badly on her as a person.
-
AnimeNerd
- Posts: 589
- Joined: Sun May 24, 2020 1:27 am
- Location: A place that can sustain life
- Team Affiliation: Claudia's Krakens
Lily was dead. She was dead with Mercedes as her potential murderer. That meant she probably suffered. Mercy burnt Moose to death. That meant Lily went through the same. She was screaming because she was burning and she was in pain. And it had to be Mercy, because who else could it fucking be? What would Kyle do, peck someone to death? Lincoln similarly couldn't do shit. Nothing extreme enough to make her scream. To make her suffer like that.
And the others? Mercy couldn't kill herself. She couldn't kill Lincoln. Kyle though? Fuck, he must've suffered right next to her. Or did he die before her? Did she have to watch him die? Get a front row seat to what she'd go through before being lit up like a fucking bonfire? It was the worst thing he could think of, so it probably happened like that. This entire situation seemed to happen just to make Murphy's Law appear real, and expecting anything good at this point was just naive.
God, was anyone he cared about left, or was it only Astrid? Toma was dead, his neck exploded by the fucked up terrorist behind this. Nora was too far gone, she poisoned a man, even if she was still alive he could never trust her again. Lily was dead, burnt to ash a floor or two above him while he fucking ignored it like it was just a nuisance. Tristan, Melodie? How did he know they were even alive? They were on the bus and most of the people there seemed to be here, but the psycho owl said not everyone woke up after getting knocked out. Did either even make it to the desert? Was Tristan left to rot somewhere, where Martin could never grieve for him? Was Melodie dumped in a body bag in some river, where her corpse was left to bloat?
A sob broke through the silence.
An explosion could happen in front of him and he wouldn't notice.
The world may as well have been muted for Joel.
And the others? Mercy couldn't kill herself. She couldn't kill Lincoln. Kyle though? Fuck, he must've suffered right next to her. Or did he die before her? Did she have to watch him die? Get a front row seat to what she'd go through before being lit up like a fucking bonfire? It was the worst thing he could think of, so it probably happened like that. This entire situation seemed to happen just to make Murphy's Law appear real, and expecting anything good at this point was just naive.
God, was anyone he cared about left, or was it only Astrid? Toma was dead, his neck exploded by the fucked up terrorist behind this. Nora was too far gone, she poisoned a man, even if she was still alive he could never trust her again. Lily was dead, burnt to ash a floor or two above him while he fucking ignored it like it was just a nuisance. Tristan, Melodie? How did he know they were even alive? They were on the bus and most of the people there seemed to be here, but the psycho owl said not everyone woke up after getting knocked out. Did either even make it to the desert? Was Tristan left to rot somewhere, where Martin could never grieve for him? Was Melodie dumped in a body bag in some river, where her corpse was left to bloat?
A sob broke through the silence.
An explosion could happen in front of him and he wouldn't notice.
The world may as well have been muted for Joel.
Astrid was silent for a moment.
From her position, there was a soft snap, like a jacket pocket being unbuttoned.
"That's alright, I guess." She said.
From her position, there was a soft snap, like a jacket pocket being unbuttoned.
"That's alright, I guess." She said.
After she replied to Astrid's question the room fell back into silence. The parasite wrapped itself around her neck as if it was a travel pillow and Ana rested her head against it. She assumed that Sarah Lundqvist must have been a friend of Astrid's and she just hadn't encountered her, although Ana did remember the owl mask person saying that there were some unlucky ones who hadn't woken up after being knocked out initially. So either Ana and Astrid had just never encountered her or she had never woken up.
Ana hadn't actually thought too much about her classmates who had never woken up. It was hard to properly parse the information and she hadn't truly stopped to come to terms with it. As mundane as it sounded she just hadn't had the time to dedicate to considering the full implications of everything their captors had told them.
She heard Astrid moving and then reply. From where she was Ana toyed with the idea of turning the flashlight on but decided against it and settled on stroking the parasite.
"Do you think Joel has a plan for getting out?" She asked, more to prevent another silence than anything.
Ana hadn't actually thought too much about her classmates who had never woken up. It was hard to properly parse the information and she hadn't truly stopped to come to terms with it. As mundane as it sounded she just hadn't had the time to dedicate to considering the full implications of everything their captors had told them.
She heard Astrid moving and then reply. From where she was Ana toyed with the idea of turning the flashlight on but decided against it and settled on stroking the parasite.
"Do you think Joel has a plan for getting out?" She asked, more to prevent another silence than anything.
"I dunno." Astrid said, taking a few quiet steps back towards Ana.
Then suddenly and without warning she lunged, swinging a glass shard at the other girl's throat.
Then suddenly and without warning she lunged, swinging a glass shard at the other girl's throat.
Astrid responded in the negative and the feeling in the room shifted, Ana wasn't sure why. She could hear Astrid some soft footsteps from Astrid in the darkness, which was nothing new to her as Astrid seemed to spend a lot of time skulking around.
But then she felt something sharp impact the parasite, which responded by going insane, tentacles and spikes of mercury lashed out and flailed around. Ana, finally sensing Astrid's proximity to her and realizing what had happened reacted.
"What the fuck?" She gasped, as she brought her good arm up and pushed a hand into Astrid’s face, trying to get her away.
But then she felt something sharp impact the parasite, which responded by going insane, tentacles and spikes of mercury lashed out and flailed around. Ana, finally sensing Astrid's proximity to her and realizing what had happened reacted.
"What the fuck?" She gasped, as she brought her good arm up and pushed a hand into Astrid’s face, trying to get her away.
One of Ana's fingers poked Astrid directly in the eye. She reeled back and blindly flailed the shank around in the air in front of her for a moment, then turned and began to run through the dark in the general direction of the obstacle course Joel had earlier illuminated with his flashlight.