** Madison Springer, girl no. 12, continued from... The Robot With Human Hair
Madison hadn't realized how much she'd miss the overbearing sun until it had set, taking with it the warmth of the day and shrouding the island in a cloak of eerie, all too silent darkness. She sat snug against the railing of the second floor balcony, facing out to the moonlit gardens ahead and wholly unsure of what she was doing there to begin with. Standing guard, maybe. That's what she'd told Nathan, at least; acting as if she'd have anything to defend them aside from an ornate fire poker that she managed to scavenge should the situation arise.
Truthfully, she wasn't doing anything aside from scaring herself, jumping anytime one of the large, overgrown topiaries in the distance took to the breeze, her mind instantly envisioning some hulking classmate with a gun coming to get their own shelter from the night and finding her and Nathan instead. And she'd sit there for a moment, holding in shaking breath as her body went rigid and it'd last for what seemed like forever before her muscles loosened and her eyes grew heavy once more. She knew she'd be better off sleeping, or at least trying, but it hadn't come as easily to her as it had to Nathan, whom lay asleep several feet away at the entrance of the french doors leading to the balcony.
He looked peaceful, but every so often she'd think about how he'd likely look very much the same once he died.
If he was lucky.
She grabbed a small pebble with her now-sutured hand and tossed it at his face as she'd already done several times throughout the night just to make him stir a bit before turning back to the lawn.
The evening had been relatively peaceful, as weird as that felt. Peaceful in a very liberal, very situational sense. Nobody had come to the manor, neither Connor nor anybody with less than honorable motives and while that was good and all, it was likely due in part to several gunshots that rang out shortly after they'd gone inside. They sounded close and not at all like fireworks. More like distant thunder. But chances were that anyone else in the vicinity figured they'd come from the manor and steered clear. Briefly, she had wondered if someone was dead or murdered or whatever other option there was.
Nathan grunted behind her and she turned once more to him. He looked like an overgrown toddler everytime she glanced back at him and, truthfully, acted similarly. He'd spent much of the evening playing with toy cars that he'd brought and now laid sprawled across the carpet of the master bedroom and ate not one, but two of her energy bars and several of the crackers she'd been given. It was annoying and she would've said no, but she hadn't been hungry at the time and wasn't keen on listening to him whine.
And she kinda owe'd him, too.
She could feel her eyes getting heavier by the minute, but the rumbling in her stomach was making it hard let herself fall asleep. As silently as she could, she stood up, using the railing and her fire poker to leverage her weight. She stepped over Nathan's body as gently as she could, internally screaming at him to clean up after himself as a stray toy car nearly caused her to lose balance and fall atop him.
For a moment, she debated eating the last of her energy bars, but she'd promised it to Nathan for breakfast to keep him quiet. Instead, she grabbed her flashlight from her bag on the bed and crept over to the large door leading back out into the rest of the mansion, opening it as slowly and with the least amount of creaking as she could before slipping into the hallway.
There had to be some canned food in a place as big as this. Anything. Something.
Son of Robot
2am, Start of Day 2
((Ramsey Cortez continued from They're Magically Delicious!))
There came a tapping, a rapping at the kitchen exterior side door.
Then silence.
Then another rat-a-tat-a-tat. Louder, slightly more impatient.
Another pause.
"Yo, anyone home?" Boomed Ramsey, peering inside the glass window with his duffel and marshmallow bags draped over his shoulder.
It was dark inside, too much to even get a good peep with the help of the moonlight. The door was locked though, so surely someone was here in this big ass house. They probably wouldn't mind Ramsey and Mercy chilling here til morning and then picking up the search for their friends (and Demetri). Worst case he could bargain with a few marshmallows for a few hours; no kid could resist pure sugar.
Still nothing. He sighed, looking back at Mercy and said, "Okay, if no one comes, then you can kick down the door, aight?"
There came a tapping, a rapping at the kitchen exterior side door.
Then silence.
Then another rat-a-tat-a-tat. Louder, slightly more impatient.
Another pause.
"Yo, anyone home?" Boomed Ramsey, peering inside the glass window with his duffel and marshmallow bags draped over his shoulder.
It was dark inside, too much to even get a good peep with the help of the moonlight. The door was locked though, so surely someone was here in this big ass house. They probably wouldn't mind Ramsey and Mercy chilling here til morning and then picking up the search for their friends (and Demetri). Worst case he could bargain with a few marshmallows for a few hours; no kid could resist pure sugar.
Still nothing. He sighed, looking back at Mercy and said, "Okay, if no one comes, then you can kick down the door, aight?"
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Somersault
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:56 am
((Kelly Nguyen, continued from Left, Right, Left, We All Fall Down))
Kelly had never been one for sleep. At least, not in excess.
Sleep was obviously important, of course, it’s benefits charted in dozens of experiments and research papers the world over, but sleep was not just a time for rejuvenation or rest. It, simply put, was stasis. Back home, there was always more to do, one more spread to finish, one more photo to edit, one more thing always popping up at the last minute to ensure that perfect completion was more or less a false hope.
Here, rather than midnight hours spent staring at the pale blue glow of her laptop, tea in hand, she was walking, map in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
After she had left the house in a dead sprint, and as soon as she was sure that no one was pursuing her, Kelly had quickly slowed down to a much more relaxed pace, allowing her lungs room to fill up with air, and her brain space to finally reflect on everything that had happened.
Her Converse crunched on the ground as she continued her journey, only occasionally turning on the flashlight to preserve it’s battery. She was wearing Converse now. If she had been back in Tennessee, she would’ve laughed at the idea, politely, of course, because someone who laughed like a hyena must have had something wrong somewhere, but still, it simply wasn’t her style. Had still packed a pair, in case of rain days more than anything else, and Kelly was unsure how to feel about her prudence in that area.
The shoes, though, weren’t the only thing that had changed. In place of the chartreuse t-shirt and black apron dress, there was a light-pink t-shirt tucked into a black skater mini-skirt, although the same leggings remained on. Perhaps she was sacrificing some of her pride through this sartorial change, but she was still nowhere near being desperate enough to compromise her dignity in front of the cameras. At least, not in such an evident way.
It would take an idiot for one not to realize that some sacrifices had to be made for survival, but the true devil in the details laid in what these sacrifices would turn out to be. It was easy to start of small, changing her clothing, even her hair, she noted, her newly made loose and low-hanging pigtails staying clear of her face as she continued to press on. Balance, as always. Balance.
As she continued to make ground towards her destination, the large manor, the one she had spotted off in the distance back in the gardens, Kelly’s stomach gave a soft churn. After a day of going with nothing to eat, she had just slightly overate, because carbs were carbs and carbs had energy, even if obtained through an entire tin of crackers.
Mercifully, the upward influx decided to stop, and as she shined her flashlight on the rapidly approaching house, specifically what seemed to be a side entrance, she saw two familiar figures.
“Mercy? Ramsey? Is that you?”
Her smile was...well, there were traces of actual joy in it. This could work. It really, really could.
Kelly had never been one for sleep. At least, not in excess.
Sleep was obviously important, of course, it’s benefits charted in dozens of experiments and research papers the world over, but sleep was not just a time for rejuvenation or rest. It, simply put, was stasis. Back home, there was always more to do, one more spread to finish, one more photo to edit, one more thing always popping up at the last minute to ensure that perfect completion was more or less a false hope.
Here, rather than midnight hours spent staring at the pale blue glow of her laptop, tea in hand, she was walking, map in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
After she had left the house in a dead sprint, and as soon as she was sure that no one was pursuing her, Kelly had quickly slowed down to a much more relaxed pace, allowing her lungs room to fill up with air, and her brain space to finally reflect on everything that had happened.
Her Converse crunched on the ground as she continued her journey, only occasionally turning on the flashlight to preserve it’s battery. She was wearing Converse now. If she had been back in Tennessee, she would’ve laughed at the idea, politely, of course, because someone who laughed like a hyena must have had something wrong somewhere, but still, it simply wasn’t her style. Had still packed a pair, in case of rain days more than anything else, and Kelly was unsure how to feel about her prudence in that area.
The shoes, though, weren’t the only thing that had changed. In place of the chartreuse t-shirt and black apron dress, there was a light-pink t-shirt tucked into a black skater mini-skirt, although the same leggings remained on. Perhaps she was sacrificing some of her pride through this sartorial change, but she was still nowhere near being desperate enough to compromise her dignity in front of the cameras. At least, not in such an evident way.
It would take an idiot for one not to realize that some sacrifices had to be made for survival, but the true devil in the details laid in what these sacrifices would turn out to be. It was easy to start of small, changing her clothing, even her hair, she noted, her newly made loose and low-hanging pigtails staying clear of her face as she continued to press on. Balance, as always. Balance.
As she continued to make ground towards her destination, the large manor, the one she had spotted off in the distance back in the gardens, Kelly’s stomach gave a soft churn. After a day of going with nothing to eat, she had just slightly overate, because carbs were carbs and carbs had energy, even if obtained through an entire tin of crackers.
Mercifully, the upward influx decided to stop, and as she shined her flashlight on the rapidly approaching house, specifically what seemed to be a side entrance, she saw two familiar figures.
“Mercy? Ramsey? Is that you?”
Her smile was...well, there were traces of actual joy in it. This could work. It really, really could.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Nathan sat up with a start.
((Nathan Coleman, continued from The Robot With Human Hair))
He woke up because of a strange thumping noise coming from somewhere in the house.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Pah. Pah. Pah.
He turned and looked all around him. When had it gotten so dark? He had fallen asleep on the floor, and now it was the middle of the night. Nathan knew that he was not supposed to sleep on the floor, and so he started to get up.
Nathan stood up and decided to go back to his bed. He pawed at his face, pushing his glasses into place, because they had become slightly bent from how he slept in them on the floor. And when he looked around, trying to see through the darkness, it occurred to Nathan that nothing was familiar, everything was strange, and that he was very, very, very far from home.
He started to cry almost immediately. "MADISON!" Nathan yelped. "I'M SCARED! I! WANNA GO HOME!"
((Nathan Coleman, continued from The Robot With Human Hair))
He woke up because of a strange thumping noise coming from somewhere in the house.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Pah. Pah. Pah.
He turned and looked all around him. When had it gotten so dark? He had fallen asleep on the floor, and now it was the middle of the night. Nathan knew that he was not supposed to sleep on the floor, and so he started to get up.
Nathan stood up and decided to go back to his bed. He pawed at his face, pushing his glasses into place, because they had become slightly bent from how he slept in them on the floor. And when he looked around, trying to see through the darkness, it occurred to Nathan that nothing was familiar, everything was strange, and that he was very, very, very far from home.
He started to cry almost immediately. "MADISON!" Nathan yelped. "I'M SCARED! I! WANNA GO HOME!"
((Mercy Ames continued from They're Magically Delicious!))
Mercy stuck her tongue out at Ramsey at his comment about kicking the door down, and didn't care that it was childish. Wandering the island with him hadn't been comforting, exactly, but Ramsey had an easy energy to him that had a way of making her feel just a bit better. She'd gotten her hysterics out in the temple, and once she could focus, she had enough presence of mind that she could be glad her split-second decision had been to throw her lot in with him. Theo hadn't followed, but he had been suspicious and the fake gun seemed likely to invite more trouble than it warded off. Parker hadn't seemed like he really wanted company, even though he had offered, and Tonya... well, being out of range of the machete had also done a lot for Mercy's nerves.
It had gotten late, but she was still a little too hopped up to be properly tired. Which was why they were here debating on whether to commit misdemeanors, she guessed. She was about to suggest searching around the side of the big house for an unlocked entrance before they resorted to proper breaking and entering, when a voice from behind had her spinning in that direction.
It only took a few seconds to identify, fortunately. "Kelly!?" Mercy gasped. "Oh my gosh, I- hi." What a silly greeting, in a place like this, in the middle of the night. But in the moonlight, Mercy could see that Kelly was smiling, and it was too hard to not smile back. "Oh man, I'm glad to see you. We-"
She was cut off by a yell from inside, and she spun back in that direction. That hadn't been a threat called out, but Mercy's heart still started pounding. "Um. Crap."
Mercy stuck her tongue out at Ramsey at his comment about kicking the door down, and didn't care that it was childish. Wandering the island with him hadn't been comforting, exactly, but Ramsey had an easy energy to him that had a way of making her feel just a bit better. She'd gotten her hysterics out in the temple, and once she could focus, she had enough presence of mind that she could be glad her split-second decision had been to throw her lot in with him. Theo hadn't followed, but he had been suspicious and the fake gun seemed likely to invite more trouble than it warded off. Parker hadn't seemed like he really wanted company, even though he had offered, and Tonya... well, being out of range of the machete had also done a lot for Mercy's nerves.
It had gotten late, but she was still a little too hopped up to be properly tired. Which was why they were here debating on whether to commit misdemeanors, she guessed. She was about to suggest searching around the side of the big house for an unlocked entrance before they resorted to proper breaking and entering, when a voice from behind had her spinning in that direction.
It only took a few seconds to identify, fortunately. "Kelly!?" Mercy gasped. "Oh my gosh, I- hi." What a silly greeting, in a place like this, in the middle of the night. But in the moonlight, Mercy could see that Kelly was smiling, and it was too hard to not smile back. "Oh man, I'm glad to see you. We-"
She was cut off by a yell from inside, and she spun back in that direction. That hadn't been a threat called out, but Mercy's heart still started pounding. "Um. Crap."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
No cans, no dried food, not even a crumb anywhere to be found. It was dawning on Madison pretty quickly that whoever had put them in this place or game or whatever they wanted to call it had gone way out of their way to ransack the place and take anything that would be potentially helpful. But hey, they left all the rat shit lining the emptied cabinets; their former contents still crunching satisfyingly beneath her boots. She swallowed a bitter chuckle, the only thing she'd eaten all day, and let her flashlight linger across the room. It was much creepier at night, like she'd see in a scary movie, with the dust catching the light and all chaos from earlier in the day still on the floor, but she felt a strange serenity that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Maybe she was just overly scared and her body couldn't process it all, so it decided to just not feel anything, like some kind of confused Nirvana. Maybe it was because she didn't have to worry about Nathan for the time being. But she welcomed it, for right now, while it was just her and her soft breathing and the light from her flashlight.
Absently, she turned the faucet on, expecting nothing and receiving nothing in return.
But then it tapped and for a moment she thought it was the pipes warming up and tapping into some old water reserve.
And it tapped once more, even after she'd instinctively turned the knob off so as not to make unnecessary noise, and she'd already dropped to the ground and halted her breathing, quickly shutting the flashlight off.
And when it came once again and she wasn't able to convince herself it was the pipes anymore, not when she could hear muffled voices outside or see light funneling in through the dusty windows or the twisting and shaking of the old doorknob.
Dragging her suddenly paralyzed body across the floor with as much stealth as she could muster, she pressed her back softly against the locked door, fire-poker white-knuckled in her injured hand, half hoping her body weight would thwart a break in and half trying to keen what the people outside were saying and how many of them their were and if they sounded armed or dangerous.
One had called out, but Madison stayed silent, barely breathing as she tried to decipher what they were saying, partially hoping they'd give up once they got no answer from the inside.
And maybe they would have, had Nathan's crying voice not rattled the house.
Idiot.
Fucking idiot.
Her heart sank deep in her chest and she immediately thought about running for the front door, leaving Nathan behind and taking her chances outside with just her fire poker and the clothes on her back. And maybe she should have, maybe a smart person would have heard the gunshots earlier and decided that everyone was dangerous.
Maybe a smart person wouldn't have ignored Nathan's crying and clenched their eyes shut tightly and called backed to the voices outside.
“Who's there?”
That person probably had better chances of winning.
Absolutely nothing.
No cans, no dried food, not even a crumb anywhere to be found. It was dawning on Madison pretty quickly that whoever had put them in this place or game or whatever they wanted to call it had gone way out of their way to ransack the place and take anything that would be potentially helpful. But hey, they left all the rat shit lining the emptied cabinets; their former contents still crunching satisfyingly beneath her boots. She swallowed a bitter chuckle, the only thing she'd eaten all day, and let her flashlight linger across the room. It was much creepier at night, like she'd see in a scary movie, with the dust catching the light and all chaos from earlier in the day still on the floor, but she felt a strange serenity that she couldn't quite pinpoint. Maybe she was just overly scared and her body couldn't process it all, so it decided to just not feel anything, like some kind of confused Nirvana. Maybe it was because she didn't have to worry about Nathan for the time being. But she welcomed it, for right now, while it was just her and her soft breathing and the light from her flashlight.
Absently, she turned the faucet on, expecting nothing and receiving nothing in return.
But then it tapped and for a moment she thought it was the pipes warming up and tapping into some old water reserve.
And it tapped once more, even after she'd instinctively turned the knob off so as not to make unnecessary noise, and she'd already dropped to the ground and halted her breathing, quickly shutting the flashlight off.
And when it came once again and she wasn't able to convince herself it was the pipes anymore, not when she could hear muffled voices outside or see light funneling in through the dusty windows or the twisting and shaking of the old doorknob.
Dragging her suddenly paralyzed body across the floor with as much stealth as she could muster, she pressed her back softly against the locked door, fire-poker white-knuckled in her injured hand, half hoping her body weight would thwart a break in and half trying to keen what the people outside were saying and how many of them their were and if they sounded armed or dangerous.
One had called out, but Madison stayed silent, barely breathing as she tried to decipher what they were saying, partially hoping they'd give up once they got no answer from the inside.
And maybe they would have, had Nathan's crying voice not rattled the house.
Idiot.
Fucking idiot.
Her heart sank deep in her chest and she immediately thought about running for the front door, leaving Nathan behind and taking her chances outside with just her fire poker and the clothes on her back. And maybe she should have, maybe a smart person would have heard the gunshots earlier and decided that everyone was dangerous.
Maybe a smart person wouldn't have ignored Nathan's crying and clenched their eyes shut tightly and called backed to the voices outside.
“Who's there?”
That person probably had better chances of winning.
Ramsey smirked and rolled his eyes at Mercy sticking her tongue out at him. He returned to the door to give it one more shakedown (ding dong, bitch, open the door) when a flash of light drove by.
His eyes were drawn to the light, temporarily blinding the fuck out of them. He waved his arms at whoever the fuck this was to beg them to angle it down or turn it off entirely.
Mercy recognized them, at least. Kelly was cool, like, besides now aiming a flashlight at their face. Ramsey didn't know her super well but they both stayed in their own lanes and that was good enough for him. Plus she didn't seem like she was actively hunting people, so ya know. That's always a plus.
Suddenly someone started wailing from deep inside, maybe somewhere on the 2nd floor or whatever. But damn, all right, maybe this wasn't the house to try and break into at 2 in the morning.
More surprisingly another voice called out to them from within, literally from the other side of the door. Kinda annoyed him a little bit that she was just chilling and eavesdropping right there, but at the same time Ramsey was the one to intrude the temple so that was a fair assessment, all things considered.
Anyway, her voice sounded familiar but he couldn't really parse who it was either from memory or because of sleep deprivation. He decided to engage, anyway; they came out all this way to begin with.
"Yo, it's uh, Ramsey," he began, speaking slightly quicker than normal. "Mercy and Kelly are here, too. Is everything cool? We just wanted a place to stay the night; we'll be gone in the morning. We got food."
He turned to look at the other girls, pausing his elevator pitch for whatever they wanted to chime in with as quickly as possible.
His eyes were drawn to the light, temporarily blinding the fuck out of them. He waved his arms at whoever the fuck this was to beg them to angle it down or turn it off entirely.
Mercy recognized them, at least. Kelly was cool, like, besides now aiming a flashlight at their face. Ramsey didn't know her super well but they both stayed in their own lanes and that was good enough for him. Plus she didn't seem like she was actively hunting people, so ya know. That's always a plus.
Suddenly someone started wailing from deep inside, maybe somewhere on the 2nd floor or whatever. But damn, all right, maybe this wasn't the house to try and break into at 2 in the morning.
More surprisingly another voice called out to them from within, literally from the other side of the door. Kinda annoyed him a little bit that she was just chilling and eavesdropping right there, but at the same time Ramsey was the one to intrude the temple so that was a fair assessment, all things considered.
Anyway, her voice sounded familiar but he couldn't really parse who it was either from memory or because of sleep deprivation. He decided to engage, anyway; they came out all this way to begin with.
"Yo, it's uh, Ramsey," he began, speaking slightly quicker than normal. "Mercy and Kelly are here, too. Is everything cool? We just wanted a place to stay the night; we'll be gone in the morning. We got food."
He turned to look at the other girls, pausing his elevator pitch for whatever they wanted to chime in with as quickly as possible.
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Somersault
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:56 am
Mercy smiling back was nice. Neat, even. The other girl was kind and generally pleasant to be around, one of the only people on yearbook around which Kelly’s smiles weren’t as sharp as knives. The talons retracted, if only for a moment.
Besides, her occasional penchant for unsolicited criticism meant that Kelly would come out looking as fresh as a daisy in comparison. A harsh proclamation to make, sure, but it was one that kept the smile on her face as the shouting started.
She schooled her face into something more accurately resembling surprise or fear, as she tried to discern whoever it was shouting from above. Hmm. If there was a face to be seen, this endeavor would have gone better, but seeing as there was none yet, she instead continued to frown, expressing the same emotions that were on her newfound companions.
And yes, she was actually scared, but only a little. The words she could make out from the shouting sounded less like threats and more like a plea for help, and while Kelly wouldn’t put t past some of her classmates to try such a scheme, which, honestly, probably stood a good chance of success, she was more annoyed at the wrench this threw into her efforts with her companions. And again, yes they were her companions. Maybe they didn’t know it yet, but they would be.
She continued to ponder this as Ramsey, brother of Angie, gossip with a penchant for both hip-hop and toplessness, responded to a second voice coming from the house, announcing their lack of ill intent. Again, that was a good thing. Confirmed the fact that neither Mercy or Ramsey seemed to have any maliciousness up their sleeves for the moment, and the fact that they too had been sojourning for quite some time.
Still, if she did accurately recognize this voice, and how could she not, the monotone almost boring through the wood, this situation had all the potential of turning, just as her flashlight did the same, now illuminating the kitchen door.
“M-madison?” Kelly asked, voice pitched high, vulnerable. A victim. “That’s you, right? We just really need a place to stay for the night. We can give you stuff, if you want.”
Each word sent another wave of repulsion through her veins, but she kept pushing, because the trees had cameras and the cameras had eyes, and those eyes would never ever get to see her crumble. This was okay. This would be fine.
Besides, her occasional penchant for unsolicited criticism meant that Kelly would come out looking as fresh as a daisy in comparison. A harsh proclamation to make, sure, but it was one that kept the smile on her face as the shouting started.
She schooled her face into something more accurately resembling surprise or fear, as she tried to discern whoever it was shouting from above. Hmm. If there was a face to be seen, this endeavor would have gone better, but seeing as there was none yet, she instead continued to frown, expressing the same emotions that were on her newfound companions.
And yes, she was actually scared, but only a little. The words she could make out from the shouting sounded less like threats and more like a plea for help, and while Kelly wouldn’t put t past some of her classmates to try such a scheme, which, honestly, probably stood a good chance of success, she was more annoyed at the wrench this threw into her efforts with her companions. And again, yes they were her companions. Maybe they didn’t know it yet, but they would be.
She continued to ponder this as Ramsey, brother of Angie, gossip with a penchant for both hip-hop and toplessness, responded to a second voice coming from the house, announcing their lack of ill intent. Again, that was a good thing. Confirmed the fact that neither Mercy or Ramsey seemed to have any maliciousness up their sleeves for the moment, and the fact that they too had been sojourning for quite some time.
Still, if she did accurately recognize this voice, and how could she not, the monotone almost boring through the wood, this situation had all the potential of turning, just as her flashlight did the same, now illuminating the kitchen door.
“M-madison?” Kelly asked, voice pitched high, vulnerable. A victim. “That’s you, right? We just really need a place to stay for the night. We can give you stuff, if you want.”
Each word sent another wave of repulsion through her veins, but she kept pushing, because the trees had cameras and the cameras had eyes, and those eyes would never ever get to see her crumble. This was okay. This would be fine.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Nathan cried and he waited.
Madison did not come to help, and he did not hear her call back to him. Nathan thought he heard a voice, and he choked back his sobs while drying his eyes with the sleeves of his jacket pulled over his wrists. He was still scared, but crying was not going to help, so he stopped crying. He trembled instead, trying to listen carefully to see if he could hear what was being said.
No matter how hard Nathan tried to listen, he could not make out the words. But it was a girl's voice, somebody other than Madison. He had no idea who, exactly, it could be.
Carefully and quietly, Nathan started to tip-toe across the floor, trying not to make the tiniest of sounds. He slipped past the door and down the hall, coming to a flight of stairs. He clutched the railing, holding on for dear life as he inched down each step, one at a time.
Who was here?
Who was it?
Madison did not come to help, and he did not hear her call back to him. Nathan thought he heard a voice, and he choked back his sobs while drying his eyes with the sleeves of his jacket pulled over his wrists. He was still scared, but crying was not going to help, so he stopped crying. He trembled instead, trying to listen carefully to see if he could hear what was being said.
No matter how hard Nathan tried to listen, he could not make out the words. But it was a girl's voice, somebody other than Madison. He had no idea who, exactly, it could be.
Carefully and quietly, Nathan started to tip-toe across the floor, trying not to make the tiniest of sounds. He slipped past the door and down the hall, coming to a flight of stairs. He clutched the railing, holding on for dear life as he inched down each step, one at a time.
Who was here?
Who was it?
Madison's voice snapping at her had always been the opposite of relaxing, but as soon as Mercy heard it some of the tension went out of her shoulders. She knew Madison, for better or for worse. Madison was loud, and Mercy had thought some unkind things about her and probably gotten the same in turn, but while she could be difficult she'd never been threatening.
"Yeah, it's us," she chimed in, stepping up next to Ramsey so that she could be closer to the door and more easily understood. "Sorry for... uh, interrupting. We've been wandering all over and just wanted to get inside for a bit."
She had no clue what Kelly had been up to, actually, but she didn't seem too much worse for wear to Mercy. Aside from the tense confrontation with Tonya that morning, maybe none of the three of them had experienced much excitement. Mercy had never been so glad to be bored, frankly.
"So yeah, uh... can we come in? We've got stuff we can share. But if not, we'll scram." Maybe Ramsey and Kelly would decide they didn't want to back off so easily, but Mercy didn't think there was anything to gain from arguing through a door about whether Madison and whoever should let them inside. It wasn't Connor, probably; Mercy would have expected him to want to do the talking, being a little better at the whole diplomacy thing than Madison. Whoever it was, no threats had been made.
The thought of a trap crossed her mind, but she tightened her grip around the strap of her bag and pushed the thought back. It didn't make a whole lot of sense for someone to be laying in wait in an abandoned house in the middle of the night just on the off chance that somebody happened by.
"Yeah, it's us," she chimed in, stepping up next to Ramsey so that she could be closer to the door and more easily understood. "Sorry for... uh, interrupting. We've been wandering all over and just wanted to get inside for a bit."
She had no clue what Kelly had been up to, actually, but she didn't seem too much worse for wear to Mercy. Aside from the tense confrontation with Tonya that morning, maybe none of the three of them had experienced much excitement. Mercy had never been so glad to be bored, frankly.
"So yeah, uh... can we come in? We've got stuff we can share. But if not, we'll scram." Maybe Ramsey and Kelly would decide they didn't want to back off so easily, but Mercy didn't think there was anything to gain from arguing through a door about whether Madison and whoever should let them inside. It wasn't Connor, probably; Mercy would have expected him to want to do the talking, being a little better at the whole diplomacy thing than Madison. Whoever it was, no threats had been made.
The thought of a trap crossed her mind, but she tightened her grip around the strap of her bag and pushed the thought back. It didn't make a whole lot of sense for someone to be laying in wait in an abandoned house in the middle of the night just on the off chance that somebody happened by.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Madison wasn't a planner, she was a do-er, a react-er, somebody who did the first thing that came to their mind regardless of whether it was the correct or most rational choice. She thought about things, yeah, had imaginary fights with Connor in her head, worked out faux scenarios where he'd say this and she'd say that to bite back, found the best things she could use to hurt him back because he was never not at fault in her hypotheticals. Stupid petty little things that, even if her fight occurred, never materialized; were lost to impulses that drove her body like an uncontrollable freight because Madison wasn't a thinker.
And Madison needed to be a thinker.
Thinkers lived.
But even still, she had no plan, nothing forming in the haze of fear and panic tearing through her. She didn't have any time to think, knowing full well that if the alleged trio beyond the door wanted to get in, they'd make their way in. Couldn't think past the thumping of her heart in her ears or the creaking footsteps that she knew to be Nathan's from the landing upstairs. Every second she didn't do something was another second closer to everything falling apart, another second closer to Nathan making his wait into the kitchen and another second closer toward the kids outside losing their patience and firing into the house.
And Madison had to act, because at that point it was all she could do.
Quickly, she got to her feet, the shaking of her legs barely able to hold her weight and raced across the kitchen to the open archway leading back into the foyer. The moon provided the only light in the foyer, streaming through a cracked grand window over top the front door, illuminating much of the once decadent entry. And atop the landing, looking far too much like a toddler looking for his parents after a nightmare, was Nathan's small form, the light catching on still wet tears on his face.
And she could've just grabbed him and ran out the front door and into the night and maybe that would've been the good idea, the right idea. But he'd slow them down. Madison wasn't terribly athletic, but she knew she'd be okay enough to run as quick as she could to wherever she could. Nathan would've been wheezing on the ground in a second. They wouldn't get far. Just sitting ducks for whatever was prowling out there in the dark.
And she could've just left him and maybe that would've been the good idea, the right idea, but she was the one who made him stay and she owed him at least a chance.
So she pointed back toward the direction of the room, swinging the fire poker still clutched in her hand as an extension of herself and hissed in a whisper shout through clenched teeth in a tone that reminded her far too much of how her mother sounded when she was growing up;
“Go back and get under the bed, now,” not waiting to watch him follow her instructions before turning back into the kitchen.
She'd half hoped they'd be gone in the short span she'd been gone, but sure enough she could still see the glow of their flashlights beyond the frosted kitchen windows.
To say she knew Ramsey and Kelly was a stretch. Of them, yeah, Ramsey in particular transitioning out from her circle of friends around the same time she was being inducted, while Kelly on the other hand seemed to be everywhere and was the type to try and talk to you through your earphones. Like an overzealous gnat. Madison didn't particularly ever care much for her, never the type to be drawn to the sugary-sweet sort, but she wasn't offensive. Ignoreable, at the very least.
Mercy was a different story and while Madison wasn't close to her, she preferred her to the likes of Ivy, having all the judgment of Lori without any of the entertainment or foot-shooting. She'd bitch and moan and dictate and had the tendency to be a bit of a Napoleon, but she was easily the first of the cheerleaders that made the trip that Madison would have wanted to run into.
They'd get in if they wanted in, she told herself. She was stuck here and she could either comply and take her chances or wait for them to just break in. Mercy could tell her all she wanted that they'd leave if she didn't want them there, but there wasn't an ounce of Madison that trusted that.
“I'm going to open the door, but I need to know if you guys have any weapons,” She shouted, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice, “I'm alone, but I have a gun and if I need to, I'll use it.”
Slowly, she approached the door, weapon poised protectively against her chest.
And Madison needed to be a thinker.
Thinkers lived.
But even still, she had no plan, nothing forming in the haze of fear and panic tearing through her. She didn't have any time to think, knowing full well that if the alleged trio beyond the door wanted to get in, they'd make their way in. Couldn't think past the thumping of her heart in her ears or the creaking footsteps that she knew to be Nathan's from the landing upstairs. Every second she didn't do something was another second closer to everything falling apart, another second closer to Nathan making his wait into the kitchen and another second closer toward the kids outside losing their patience and firing into the house.
And Madison had to act, because at that point it was all she could do.
Quickly, she got to her feet, the shaking of her legs barely able to hold her weight and raced across the kitchen to the open archway leading back into the foyer. The moon provided the only light in the foyer, streaming through a cracked grand window over top the front door, illuminating much of the once decadent entry. And atop the landing, looking far too much like a toddler looking for his parents after a nightmare, was Nathan's small form, the light catching on still wet tears on his face.
And she could've just grabbed him and ran out the front door and into the night and maybe that would've been the good idea, the right idea. But he'd slow them down. Madison wasn't terribly athletic, but she knew she'd be okay enough to run as quick as she could to wherever she could. Nathan would've been wheezing on the ground in a second. They wouldn't get far. Just sitting ducks for whatever was prowling out there in the dark.
And she could've just left him and maybe that would've been the good idea, the right idea, but she was the one who made him stay and she owed him at least a chance.
So she pointed back toward the direction of the room, swinging the fire poker still clutched in her hand as an extension of herself and hissed in a whisper shout through clenched teeth in a tone that reminded her far too much of how her mother sounded when she was growing up;
“Go back and get under the bed, now,” not waiting to watch him follow her instructions before turning back into the kitchen.
She'd half hoped they'd be gone in the short span she'd been gone, but sure enough she could still see the glow of their flashlights beyond the frosted kitchen windows.
To say she knew Ramsey and Kelly was a stretch. Of them, yeah, Ramsey in particular transitioning out from her circle of friends around the same time she was being inducted, while Kelly on the other hand seemed to be everywhere and was the type to try and talk to you through your earphones. Like an overzealous gnat. Madison didn't particularly ever care much for her, never the type to be drawn to the sugary-sweet sort, but she wasn't offensive. Ignoreable, at the very least.
Mercy was a different story and while Madison wasn't close to her, she preferred her to the likes of Ivy, having all the judgment of Lori without any of the entertainment or foot-shooting. She'd bitch and moan and dictate and had the tendency to be a bit of a Napoleon, but she was easily the first of the cheerleaders that made the trip that Madison would have wanted to run into.
They'd get in if they wanted in, she told herself. She was stuck here and she could either comply and take her chances or wait for them to just break in. Mercy could tell her all she wanted that they'd leave if she didn't want them there, but there wasn't an ounce of Madison that trusted that.
“I'm going to open the door, but I need to know if you guys have any weapons,” She shouted, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice, “I'm alone, but I have a gun and if I need to, I'll use it.”
Slowly, she approached the door, weapon poised protectively against her chest.
After the trio gave their elevator pitch, the mystery chick formerly known as Madison A.K.A. the-particularly-bitchy-cheerleader (let's be real, not like there weren't no stiff competition in that regard) disappeared further into the house with a trail of phantom footsteps.
Ramsey grumbled, turning to Mercy and kind-of-Kelly. "Yo, maybe this shit ain't worth it," he whispered.
Moments later the same footsteps pounded into proximity of the door. Madison gave another quiz, hopefully the last barrier of entry.
Yeah, they sure as shit ain't got weapons on them. Unless Ramsey's method was smothering like a pillow or force feeding, and last he checked he wasn't that kinda guy. Mercy had that funky powder with her but she seemed trustworthy enough, like she didn't try to take Ramsey out all day so that went without saying.
Kelly, though.... He gave her an ocular patdown, just in case. She seemed like the kinda girl who would try to talk at you while you had headphones on. But like, what was that in comparison to having a machete pointed at you? She didn't come in guns blazing, and she looked like she had nothing on her other than the duffel so she was probably cool?
Ramsey was in too deep now, anyway. Besides, with so many people right here right now it'd be dumb to go guns blazing or knife stabbing especially if Madison was telling the truth and had a gun of her own.
That wouldn't be the first lie of the night, though, would it?
Ramsey reproached the door and spoke up. "Yeah, we ain't got nothing," he lied. "Just this big bag of marshmallows." He threw the bag down on the wooden step, the bag making a soft yet noisy impact with the ground like it was full of beads. "Oh and playing cards, too."
"Again, we'll peace out in the morning. We won't bother you or your friend."
Ramsey grumbled, turning to Mercy and kind-of-Kelly. "Yo, maybe this shit ain't worth it," he whispered.
Moments later the same footsteps pounded into proximity of the door. Madison gave another quiz, hopefully the last barrier of entry.
Yeah, they sure as shit ain't got weapons on them. Unless Ramsey's method was smothering like a pillow or force feeding, and last he checked he wasn't that kinda guy. Mercy had that funky powder with her but she seemed trustworthy enough, like she didn't try to take Ramsey out all day so that went without saying.
Kelly, though.... He gave her an ocular patdown, just in case. She seemed like the kinda girl who would try to talk at you while you had headphones on. But like, what was that in comparison to having a machete pointed at you? She didn't come in guns blazing, and she looked like she had nothing on her other than the duffel so she was probably cool?
Ramsey was in too deep now, anyway. Besides, with so many people right here right now it'd be dumb to go guns blazing or knife stabbing especially if Madison was telling the truth and had a gun of her own.
That wouldn't be the first lie of the night, though, would it?
Ramsey reproached the door and spoke up. "Yeah, we ain't got nothing," he lied. "Just this big bag of marshmallows." He threw the bag down on the wooden step, the bag making a soft yet noisy impact with the ground like it was full of beads. "Oh and playing cards, too."
"Again, we'll peace out in the morning. We won't bother you or your friend."
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Somersault
- Posts: 312
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2018 8:56 am
They had said their pieces, Madison was giving her own piece of mind, and so for now, all Kelly did was nod. Not that Madison would be able to see her nodding, of course, but Mercy and Ramsey would, and so would the cameras in the trees, on the walls, all watching, waiting.
Witnesses to her behavior were everywhere, really, and that meant Kelly was still Kelly, the Kelly who'd speak to everyone, make them feel better, coat herself in figurative honey to attract all the little flies.
A bit like the ones that surrounded her now, although it would be quite gauche to use that term to describe them, of course. Mercy was a friend, for whatever that counted now, and Ramsey wasn't someone who seemed especially predisposed to violence. Madison, even, wasn't particularly rational but sounded surprisingly lucid in this moment, but still, she made sure to stay behind Ramsey as he replied, flicking her flashlight off.
They were people, with stories, with lives, with families that would surely weep when they died, and of course, she would be remiss to forget that. She cared, didn't she? She had to, because those were the little things that people noticed. When someone was a little too cold, a little too brutal. Slight changes, of course, but they were still signs of crazy, signs that someone was off, shattered and never able to put themselves back together again. Nobody liked that. No one liked a downer, after all.
In accordance, she frowned slightly as Ramsey let slip that he'd heard the other source of shouting in the house. Brushed some strands of hair from her forehead, careful not to let anything slip from her mouth. Obviously, he wasn't one for subtlety, but that was fine.
In a swift movement of hands, she unzipped her bag to pull out a rubber chicken, and held it out as if she was a child at show and tell. "We've also got a rubber chicken, if you want some cheap laughs."
Kelly smiled as she did so, even as her gaze wandered from the door to the bag Ramsey had plopped on the steps. That was one weapon accounted for, but Mercy's?
Her eyes went back up to the door, quick as a switch.
"We're great housemates, promise." She said softly, a girl back in school, a girl peeking over someone's shoulders, seeing the earbuds, and continuing to press on.
If everything went well here, she'd have plenty of time to find out.
Witnesses to her behavior were everywhere, really, and that meant Kelly was still Kelly, the Kelly who'd speak to everyone, make them feel better, coat herself in figurative honey to attract all the little flies.
A bit like the ones that surrounded her now, although it would be quite gauche to use that term to describe them, of course. Mercy was a friend, for whatever that counted now, and Ramsey wasn't someone who seemed especially predisposed to violence. Madison, even, wasn't particularly rational but sounded surprisingly lucid in this moment, but still, she made sure to stay behind Ramsey as he replied, flicking her flashlight off.
They were people, with stories, with lives, with families that would surely weep when they died, and of course, she would be remiss to forget that. She cared, didn't she? She had to, because those were the little things that people noticed. When someone was a little too cold, a little too brutal. Slight changes, of course, but they were still signs of crazy, signs that someone was off, shattered and never able to put themselves back together again. Nobody liked that. No one liked a downer, after all.
In accordance, she frowned slightly as Ramsey let slip that he'd heard the other source of shouting in the house. Brushed some strands of hair from her forehead, careful not to let anything slip from her mouth. Obviously, he wasn't one for subtlety, but that was fine.
In a swift movement of hands, she unzipped her bag to pull out a rubber chicken, and held it out as if she was a child at show and tell. "We've also got a rubber chicken, if you want some cheap laughs."
Kelly smiled as she did so, even as her gaze wandered from the door to the bag Ramsey had plopped on the steps. That was one weapon accounted for, but Mercy's?
Her eyes went back up to the door, quick as a switch.
"We're great housemates, promise." She said softly, a girl back in school, a girl peeking over someone's shoulders, seeing the earbuds, and continuing to press on.
If everything went well here, she'd have plenty of time to find out.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Oh no!
Though Nathan was trying to be sneaky, Madison still caught him at the top of the stairs. She caught him being where he was not supposed to be. He did not know that he was doing something he was not supposed to do until a moment ago, but Madison certainly made him feel like he was doing something wrong. The surprise at being caught made Nathan jump.
"Oh!"
Nathan clapped his hands over his mouth, shivering and frozen with fear as he stood there at the top of the stairs, thinking about what she had told him to do. Somebody was here, somebody was at the door and wanted to get in. Maybe they were a bad person... why else would Madison be standing by the door, so brave and so tough with that big metal stick? It was a good idea to listen to her so they would be safe. Nathan shrank away from view and slipped into the darkness of the upper floor.
Back in that room, there was an old bed. It looked kind of like Grandma and Grandpa's bed, Nathan thought, but much dirtier. Grandma and Grandpa would scold him if he crawled under their bed, but this one was Madison's. Crawling under this bed would be okay. Frightened that somebody might come up the stairs and see him before he could get out of sight, Nathan hurried to his hands and knees and scurried underneath.
KNOCK!
His head was just a little too high, and thumped against something hard! Nathan lowly moaned to himself, swallowing the spit in his mouth and scooting all the way to the wall underneath the bed. He made sure to be as hidden as possible before setting his forehead to the floor and managing to insert his hands between the bedframe and the top of his head, where his fingers nursed the bump that was forming underneath his hair.
"Ow... ow ow ow..." he whispered, hoping Madison would come up soon.
Though Nathan was trying to be sneaky, Madison still caught him at the top of the stairs. She caught him being where he was not supposed to be. He did not know that he was doing something he was not supposed to do until a moment ago, but Madison certainly made him feel like he was doing something wrong. The surprise at being caught made Nathan jump.
"Oh!"
Nathan clapped his hands over his mouth, shivering and frozen with fear as he stood there at the top of the stairs, thinking about what she had told him to do. Somebody was here, somebody was at the door and wanted to get in. Maybe they were a bad person... why else would Madison be standing by the door, so brave and so tough with that big metal stick? It was a good idea to listen to her so they would be safe. Nathan shrank away from view and slipped into the darkness of the upper floor.
Back in that room, there was an old bed. It looked kind of like Grandma and Grandpa's bed, Nathan thought, but much dirtier. Grandma and Grandpa would scold him if he crawled under their bed, but this one was Madison's. Crawling under this bed would be okay. Frightened that somebody might come up the stairs and see him before he could get out of sight, Nathan hurried to his hands and knees and scurried underneath.
KNOCK!
His head was just a little too high, and thumped against something hard! Nathan lowly moaned to himself, swallowing the spit in his mouth and scooting all the way to the wall underneath the bed. He made sure to be as hidden as possible before setting his forehead to the floor and managing to insert his hands between the bedframe and the top of his head, where his fingers nursed the bump that was forming underneath his hair.
"Ow... ow ow ow..." he whispered, hoping Madison would come up soon.
Okay, so Madison had a gun. Or Madison said she had a gun. Mercy didn't think that Madison knew how to use a gun even if she was telling the truth, but she wasn't here to antagonize, and anyway, if she had been the one barricaded inside, she probably would have told anyone who came knocking that she had a gun too.
Ramsey announced his hearts, stars, and horseshoes, clovers and blue moons, pots of gold and rainbows, and the red balloons. Kelly turned out to be wielding a rubber chicken, so they were two-thirds of the way to an improv comedy show. Mercy tried not to sigh too loudly as she reached into her bag. She'd taken the time to properly rummage through it while she and Ramsey wandered all over creation that afternoon, and she wasn't any more pleased with what she found now than she had been then.
"I've got this nonsense," she said, drawing the bottle out and giving its contents a shake where Madison might be able to hear. "Arsenic, or something. If you've got any rats in there, I can take care of them, but that's about it." She replaced the bottle in her bag and her hands resumed clutching at the straps. "...Please, Madison? There were some weird noises coming from one of the houses over there, and we just want a place to sleep. You can kick us out in the morning, even."
It irritated her, to come so close to begging, but as she kept telling herself, she wasn't here to antagonize. Mercy didn't dislike Madison as much as Madison seemed to think that she did, difficulties aside. Just being able to rest with people she knew and who weren't waving machetes at her seemed like an unimaginable luxury. She just had to hope that the begging was what Madison wanted to hear.
Ramsey announced his hearts, stars, and horseshoes, clovers and blue moons, pots of gold and rainbows, and the red balloons. Kelly turned out to be wielding a rubber chicken, so they were two-thirds of the way to an improv comedy show. Mercy tried not to sigh too loudly as she reached into her bag. She'd taken the time to properly rummage through it while she and Ramsey wandered all over creation that afternoon, and she wasn't any more pleased with what she found now than she had been then.
"I've got this nonsense," she said, drawing the bottle out and giving its contents a shake where Madison might be able to hear. "Arsenic, or something. If you've got any rats in there, I can take care of them, but that's about it." She replaced the bottle in her bag and her hands resumed clutching at the straps. "...Please, Madison? There were some weird noises coming from one of the houses over there, and we just want a place to sleep. You can kick us out in the morning, even."
It irritated her, to come so close to begging, but as she kept telling herself, she wasn't here to antagonize. Mercy didn't dislike Madison as much as Madison seemed to think that she did, difficulties aside. Just being able to rest with people she knew and who weren't waving machetes at her seemed like an unimaginable luxury. She just had to hope that the begging was what Madison wanted to hear.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."