Mackenzie had gotten hours of sleep unimpeded, a downright luxury considering everything that had happened. She'd been dreaming about something, maybe, but she couldn't recall anything about it. Instead, by her perspective, she'd nodded off in one room and came to in some other unfamiliar place.
Her mind, sluggish and still shaking off the cobwebs, slowly began to go through the set of steps that had gotten her here. Judging by the pale light coming through the window, it was looking like early morning, just after dawn. Her shoes were over there in the corner, so someone moved them as well, her hat had been laid next to them. Good, good. Oh, and Justin was in a different outfit. Nice.
Oh right, Justin. He'd stuck around after all. That was great. Very, very...
Okay yeah, she was still tired.
"M-morning, Justin." she yawned, speaking slower than her usual chirpy tone. "Hey uh...if you don't mind, I'm gonna get a few more hours. Tell me when...the announcements go off. Cool?"
And like that, she laid herself down to sleep once more, and was lightly snoring within less than a minute. Once she'd had a chance to recharge, she'd be bright-eyed and ready to tackle the rest of the day. All she needed was a few more hours. The world had plenty of those to spare.
Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
Open, mid-afternoon Day 3
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Justin had looked over at her just as she began to stir. He looked away almost as quickly, wondering why he had done it in the motion itself. It was only when Mackenzie started to talk that he realized he hadn't wanted to be looking at Mackenzie when she opened her eyes, or else it might have seemed like he'd been staring at her for longer than the few seconds he'd really been looking. It was funny, in a way, how he hadn't consciously realized that at first. His actions and reactions were all automatic because he knew they were the right things to do, the proper things to do. Social constructs and niceties that had been subtly hammered into them since the earliest days of school. Survival of the Fittest left them without that convenient guide for what was appropriate. The terrorists had gone out of their way to supply one, actually... that video still burned in Justin's mind.
Announcements. That was right. There would be even more names. Justin hadn't wanted to pay attention but there was little choice in the matter: the speakers were far too loud, morbid curiosity about who had died got the best of him, and more importantly he needed to know who else was killing. Some of the names were shocks. Some of them were repeated over and over again. Those were the ones to watch out for. He couldn't wait until those names were on the other side of the chart, so he wouldn't have to face them later. People like Mackenzie weren't dangerous. He wished everybody was like Mackenzie, or even Aliya. That would have made the game so much easier.
That would have made the game so, so much more difficult, though, the more he thought about it.
Now she slept, telling him to wake her, and face more of the horror in a few hour's time.
It felt like a whole hour passed, with Justin staring at Mackenzie intently, waiting for her to wake up. She only seemed to sleep deeper and deeper until her breathing built up into snoring... quiet, subdued little snores while she napped, and hopefully there were a few good dreams in there as well. Justin prayed for good dreams, as he got up off of his knees and set his pipe carefully on top of his bag, drawing his hand away rather slowly to have it ready in case it went anywhere, candidly deciding to roll off and make noise or anything like that, but it behaved. Next, he went for Mackenzie's bag. He remembered what she had. He couldn't fathom why she didn't do what he did and cradle it with her in her sleep. Maybe she didn't need her sword to achieve the same security that he needed the tire iron for; he envied her and admired her for it, knowing he'd never know that feeling. Sleep was only going to get a lot harder to achieve the longer time went.
The saber hardly made a sound when he carefully drew it from her bag. Justin turned the blade in his hand, pressing his left thumb to the edge near the guard. He hesitated, sucked in a breath, and moved his thumb a half-inch. He pulled his thumb back to see that it had been split, and there was a moment measured in heartbeats where there was no blood. He jammed his thumb into his mouth and began to suckle. The sword was plenty sharp enough for what it needed to do. The pain in his thumb gave him something to focus on instead of his hand holding the sword.
Some of the blood from his thumb got all over the throw pillow when Justin picked it up and brought it over to Mackenzie. He shivered in knowing anticipation and forced himself to become transfixed on the stain instead, letting blood seep into the fabric in a small little blot. The rest of the pillow and all of its markings and damage had to be so very old, much older than him he figured, and now it was getting a new addition. Proof that somebody was here in this very building, proof somebody was committing-... no. He erased the thought from his mind and left only the blot.
The pillow or the blade. Justin didn't know which one should touch Mackenzie first. The winner of his deliberation was eventually the saber. It washed across her throat, and before it was halfway across, his other hand pressed down on the pillow as he finished drawing the full length of the saber's edge across her throat. Past skin. Past muscle. He pushed down on the handle for part of the tug and pulled up for another, making sure whichever way that really important blood vessel ran in her neck, he'd get it, and it would be over quick. The pillow was to swallow up the gurgling and screaming, but it could do nothing about the mess.
He hoped she didn't kick. He hoped it didn't hurt.
He hoped the dreams were good.
Announcements. That was right. There would be even more names. Justin hadn't wanted to pay attention but there was little choice in the matter: the speakers were far too loud, morbid curiosity about who had died got the best of him, and more importantly he needed to know who else was killing. Some of the names were shocks. Some of them were repeated over and over again. Those were the ones to watch out for. He couldn't wait until those names were on the other side of the chart, so he wouldn't have to face them later. People like Mackenzie weren't dangerous. He wished everybody was like Mackenzie, or even Aliya. That would have made the game so much easier.
That would have made the game so, so much more difficult, though, the more he thought about it.
Now she slept, telling him to wake her, and face more of the horror in a few hour's time.
It felt like a whole hour passed, with Justin staring at Mackenzie intently, waiting for her to wake up. She only seemed to sleep deeper and deeper until her breathing built up into snoring... quiet, subdued little snores while she napped, and hopefully there were a few good dreams in there as well. Justin prayed for good dreams, as he got up off of his knees and set his pipe carefully on top of his bag, drawing his hand away rather slowly to have it ready in case it went anywhere, candidly deciding to roll off and make noise or anything like that, but it behaved. Next, he went for Mackenzie's bag. He remembered what she had. He couldn't fathom why she didn't do what he did and cradle it with her in her sleep. Maybe she didn't need her sword to achieve the same security that he needed the tire iron for; he envied her and admired her for it, knowing he'd never know that feeling. Sleep was only going to get a lot harder to achieve the longer time went.
The saber hardly made a sound when he carefully drew it from her bag. Justin turned the blade in his hand, pressing his left thumb to the edge near the guard. He hesitated, sucked in a breath, and moved his thumb a half-inch. He pulled his thumb back to see that it had been split, and there was a moment measured in heartbeats where there was no blood. He jammed his thumb into his mouth and began to suckle. The sword was plenty sharp enough for what it needed to do. The pain in his thumb gave him something to focus on instead of his hand holding the sword.
Some of the blood from his thumb got all over the throw pillow when Justin picked it up and brought it over to Mackenzie. He shivered in knowing anticipation and forced himself to become transfixed on the stain instead, letting blood seep into the fabric in a small little blot. The rest of the pillow and all of its markings and damage had to be so very old, much older than him he figured, and now it was getting a new addition. Proof that somebody was here in this very building, proof somebody was committing-... no. He erased the thought from his mind and left only the blot.
The pillow or the blade. Justin didn't know which one should touch Mackenzie first. The winner of his deliberation was eventually the saber. It washed across her throat, and before it was halfway across, his other hand pressed down on the pillow as he finished drawing the full length of the saber's edge across her throat. Past skin. Past muscle. He pushed down on the handle for part of the tug and pulled up for another, making sure whichever way that really important blood vessel ran in her neck, he'd get it, and it would be over quick. The pillow was to swallow up the gurgling and screaming, but it could do nothing about the mess.
He hoped she didn't kick. He hoped it didn't hurt.
He hoped the dreams were good.
Mackenzie was dreaming.
She was at home in her lit-up room, staring out her window at the night sky, at the lights of the houses around her. She’d done this many a time, wondering at the world around her, if she’d ever be able to leave her bubble, this boring, uneventful city of Chattanooga. She’d daydream about the places she’d see, walking through New Orleans or Paris, losing herself in its culture and grace...
Then a star went out, imperceptibly at first, but then another, and another. The lights in the street too, one by one. Mackenzie called for help, but no words came out. She couldn’t move...couldn’t breathe...The night sky was swallowed by darkness, and it began to seep into her room, absorbing the walls, the floor, her bed, her lamps.
And eventually, even her.
She was cold, floating in a sea of blackness, wishing that someone, anyone, would save her...
Until she, too, faded, and ceased to be.
—————————
It had taken almost no time at all. Mackenzie’s arms, instinctively grasping for anything she could find, went limp and fluttered down to her side as her muffled gasps faded into silence. If Justin bothered to remove the pillow, he would have seen it stained with her tears. Whatever her last dream had been, it hadn’t been pleasant.
She wouldn’t know who had betrayed her, would never realize the folly of her character. She had been trusting, far too much so. And in the end, that had doomed her. But she wouldn’t know that, merely dreaming on in her ignorance, a sleep that would go on to eternity.
G045 — MACKENZIE BAKER — DECEASED
She was at home in her lit-up room, staring out her window at the night sky, at the lights of the houses around her. She’d done this many a time, wondering at the world around her, if she’d ever be able to leave her bubble, this boring, uneventful city of Chattanooga. She’d daydream about the places she’d see, walking through New Orleans or Paris, losing herself in its culture and grace...
Then a star went out, imperceptibly at first, but then another, and another. The lights in the street too, one by one. Mackenzie called for help, but no words came out. She couldn’t move...couldn’t breathe...The night sky was swallowed by darkness, and it began to seep into her room, absorbing the walls, the floor, her bed, her lamps.
And eventually, even her.
She was cold, floating in a sea of blackness, wishing that someone, anyone, would save her...
Until she, too, faded, and ceased to be.
—————————
It had taken almost no time at all. Mackenzie’s arms, instinctively grasping for anything she could find, went limp and fluttered down to her side as her muffled gasps faded into silence. If Justin bothered to remove the pillow, he would have seen it stained with her tears. Whatever her last dream had been, it hadn’t been pleasant.
She wouldn’t know who had betrayed her, would never realize the folly of her character. She had been trusting, far too much so. And in the end, that had doomed her. But she wouldn’t know that, merely dreaming on in her ignorance, a sleep that would go on to eternity.
G045 — MACKENZIE BAKER — DECEASED
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
It was done.
Mackenzie stopped kicking quicker than expected. She kicked less than expected too. She reached for something. Not necessarily for him, or the blade at her throat. She grasped outward, out and up, reaching for somebody else in the room that neither of them could see. There were two people in this room. Now there was one. It felt like nothing had changed, but there was definitely, definitively, one person in this room.
The saber had less blood on it than Justin thought it would have. It should have been absolutely drenched to him, stained with his bad deed. There was a little, some drops lingering here and there in red webbed streaks. Most of it, however, simply didn't stick. It stayed with Mackenzie and bubbled out from her throat over the top part of her chest and, mostly, just down either side of her neck to stain the bed. The steel of the sword just wasn't a very good surface for blood to stick to, Justin decided. He still wiped off what was there, using the edge of the mattress on which Mackenzie was still laying. Swipe, swipe, swipe on either side and it seemed clean enough, most of the mess being transferred into a few neat splotches of red that would dry soon and lose their lively color.
There was still Meka outside the room.
Justin trembled, but he continually screamed at his body to move and it obeyed. He gingerly placed the sword inside his own bag and zipped it up halfway. He stopped, and looked at Mackenzie's things. He could grab some other things from her, he thought. She wouldn't need them, and he'd certainly put them to better use. But grabbing things was time. He didn't have a lot of that... yet. He zipped the bag up the rest of the way and picked up his tire iron before hoisting the bag onto his shoulder.
He opened the door into the main room of the small cabin very slightly, standing in the crack to peer outward. With no signs of movement, Justin slipped out of the door and closed it behind him.
Mackenzie stopped kicking quicker than expected. She kicked less than expected too. She reached for something. Not necessarily for him, or the blade at her throat. She grasped outward, out and up, reaching for somebody else in the room that neither of them could see. There were two people in this room. Now there was one. It felt like nothing had changed, but there was definitely, definitively, one person in this room.
The saber had less blood on it than Justin thought it would have. It should have been absolutely drenched to him, stained with his bad deed. There was a little, some drops lingering here and there in red webbed streaks. Most of it, however, simply didn't stick. It stayed with Mackenzie and bubbled out from her throat over the top part of her chest and, mostly, just down either side of her neck to stain the bed. The steel of the sword just wasn't a very good surface for blood to stick to, Justin decided. He still wiped off what was there, using the edge of the mattress on which Mackenzie was still laying. Swipe, swipe, swipe on either side and it seemed clean enough, most of the mess being transferred into a few neat splotches of red that would dry soon and lose their lively color.
There was still Meka outside the room.
Justin trembled, but he continually screamed at his body to move and it obeyed. He gingerly placed the sword inside his own bag and zipped it up halfway. He stopped, and looked at Mackenzie's things. He could grab some other things from her, he thought. She wouldn't need them, and he'd certainly put them to better use. But grabbing things was time. He didn't have a lot of that... yet. He zipped the bag up the rest of the way and picked up his tire iron before hoisting the bag onto his shoulder.
He opened the door into the main room of the small cabin very slightly, standing in the crack to peer outward. With no signs of movement, Justin slipped out of the door and closed it behind him.
Meka had drifted off to sleep. Despite his attempts to try to stay awake, it hadn't worked. It wasn't a good sleep. He saw a lot of flashing images in his mind, his mind being pinballed around from visual to visual with no rhyme or reason. He could barely remember what he saw or what led to each image. For all he knew, he had seen visions of Rhonda dying before him, or had seen Quinn as a vile, imposing figure, or had seen something bad about Dolly and Marceline to explain why they had been gone for over 12 hours. There had been some weird sounds in his dreams, from what he thinks was the vision of something banging on a door. He wasn't entirely sure.
He did feel himself stirring a bit when he heard some creaking in the living room. He had let out a snort and slowly raised his head, stretching his neck a bit and loosening his grip on the bow.
"Huh? Hmm" was all he mustered.
He started to slowly open his eyes. It looked like someone was in the room. He started to flutter his eyelids, trying to get into focus. It looked like a male figure was there, but he wasn't too sure.
"Justin?" he muttered aloud.
He really hoped it was just Justin.
He did feel himself stirring a bit when he heard some creaking in the living room. He had let out a snort and slowly raised his head, stretching his neck a bit and loosening his grip on the bow.
"Huh? Hmm" was all he mustered.
He started to slowly open his eyes. It looked like someone was in the room. He started to flutter his eyelids, trying to get into focus. It looked like a male figure was there, but he wasn't too sure.
"Justin?" he muttered aloud.
He really hoped it was just Justin.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Meka was awake. Not a moment too soon, Justin thought to his chagrin. He changed his grip on his tire iron; he'd been holding it in both hands, with one hand gripped tightly near the base, and the other part cradled the far end, the hooked part where the iron bent, with just a soft touch to help balance out the weight. Upon realizing his situation grew more difficult, Justin's other hand tightened and it was the other hand that loosened up a little, twisting his hand around the grip as a worry stone until the friction heated his palm.
Stay calm.
"Yeah, it's me."
The best scenario would have been to have Meka stay asleep. Justin had already steeled himself to the inevitability that he would kill, that he would keep killing, a target who doesn't resist is the best one. He had very limited time until people would start to be aggressive on sight. One could be played off as an accident. Mackenzie could not... it was anything but. There was kindness in what he did, he told himself, he knew for himself, he pleaded that he was right, but when he only barely understood himself he knew nobody else was going to. Nobody else would get that what he did was right. Killing Meka would have been out of convenience, to keep him from finding Mackenzie. Justin dared not lie to himself and obscure that the reasoning was mostly selfish, even if he had a chance to spin it that it was the best for Meka, too.
Meka should have been dead right now, with one solid whack to stun him, another to finish the deed and make sure his skull was good and cracked. That wasn't happening anymore. Meka could fight back. Justin might never get another chance like this, and it was still much too risky.
"Mackenzie was sleeping," he told the technical truth. She was. She wasn't anymore. "So I'm being quiet."
Stay calm.
"Yeah, it's me."
The best scenario would have been to have Meka stay asleep. Justin had already steeled himself to the inevitability that he would kill, that he would keep killing, a target who doesn't resist is the best one. He had very limited time until people would start to be aggressive on sight. One could be played off as an accident. Mackenzie could not... it was anything but. There was kindness in what he did, he told himself, he knew for himself, he pleaded that he was right, but when he only barely understood himself he knew nobody else was going to. Nobody else would get that what he did was right. Killing Meka would have been out of convenience, to keep him from finding Mackenzie. Justin dared not lie to himself and obscure that the reasoning was mostly selfish, even if he had a chance to spin it that it was the best for Meka, too.
Meka should have been dead right now, with one solid whack to stun him, another to finish the deed and make sure his skull was good and cracked. That wasn't happening anymore. Meka could fight back. Justin might never get another chance like this, and it was still much too risky.
"Mackenzie was sleeping," he told the technical truth. She was. She wasn't anymore. "So I'm being quiet."
Meka rubbed his eyes. Justin was there, giving him some relief that no one managed to get into the house over the evening. Of course, that meant that Dolly and Marceline were still not here, so that wasn't going to make his morning any better.
"Oh, okay," Meka said.
So Justin was just moving out of the room to let Mackenzie continue sleeping. Meka noticed he had his bag and his tire iron in one hand. He wasn't sure what Justin was doing, but he had an idea.
"Are you leaving?" Meka asked.
"Oh, okay," Meka said.
So Justin was just moving out of the room to let Mackenzie continue sleeping. Meka noticed he had his bag and his tire iron in one hand. He wasn't sure what Justin was doing, but he had an idea.
"Are you leaving?" Meka asked.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
"Mn... I mean..." Justin struggled with what to say. The truth was that he was leaving, of course, and having all of his things on him would make it very difficult to dissuade Meka from that fact. He briefly searched for an alternative, a lie that could make it seem like a good reason to go out temporarily... scouting, for instance, but that and any other reason he could cook up did not sufficiently explain why he had to bring any more than the basic necessities. His weapon was understandable; the rest of his bag was not.
The words came to him under the immense pressure Justin could feel his ribs putting on his lungs, and he let them flow out without thinking, praying he didn't say anything stupid.
"Y-Yeah, I'm... heading out. It was nice to let me st... like, stay here, but I should probably keep guh-moving." He worked his jaws and stared solemnly at the floor, avoiding Meka's gaze. He paused long enough to scuff at the floor with his shoe before continuing. "But... thanks for letting me the o- stay the one night." He started shuffling for the door, noting the makeshift barricade Meka had put up. God, why though? The urge to run out through that door burned his veins and his throat. It turned his gut... he needed to be out of here, NOW, before Meka found out what he did.
The words came to him under the immense pressure Justin could feel his ribs putting on his lungs, and he let them flow out without thinking, praying he didn't say anything stupid.
"Y-Yeah, I'm... heading out. It was nice to let me st... like, stay here, but I should probably keep guh-moving." He worked his jaws and stared solemnly at the floor, avoiding Meka's gaze. He paused long enough to scuff at the floor with his shoe before continuing. "But... thanks for letting me the o- stay the one night." He started shuffling for the door, noting the makeshift barricade Meka had put up. God, why though? The urge to run out through that door burned his veins and his throat. It turned his gut... he needed to be out of here, NOW, before Meka found out what he did.
Meka watched as Justin awkwardly explained his reasons for leaving. Justin said he wanted to keep moving and thanked Meka for the night in. Meka was a bit surprised he was ready to leave so soon. The announcement hadn't even come on yet, and there were at least two people who could go with Justin if he wanted. But Justin was already making his way towards the door.
"You don't have to go alone," Meka said. "If you'd like, I'm sure Mackenzie and I can go with you. You can wait until she's awake before deciding."
Meka stood up. He kept his back to the wall.
"Or is it the kind of mission where you have to go on your own?" Meka asked. "Like, are you looking for someone?"
"We can help look for them, if you'd like. I want to find Dolly and Marceline, so it might be safer to stay as a group."
Meka wasn't sure if Justin would be down with such a plan, but Meka knew it would be better to have more people around for what he was starting to consider. Granted, maybe Justin had a good reason to strike out on his own, so Meka had to at least let him explain his reasons for going out alone.
"You don't have to go alone," Meka said. "If you'd like, I'm sure Mackenzie and I can go with you. You can wait until she's awake before deciding."
Meka stood up. He kept his back to the wall.
"Or is it the kind of mission where you have to go on your own?" Meka asked. "Like, are you looking for someone?"
"We can help look for them, if you'd like. I want to find Dolly and Marceline, so it might be safer to stay as a group."
Meka wasn't sure if Justin would be down with such a plan, but Meka knew it would be better to have more people around for what he was starting to consider. Granted, maybe Justin had a good reason to strike out on his own, so Meka had to at least let him explain his reasons for going out alone.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Justin exhaled in a bit of a wheeze. If they were waiting for Mackenzie to wake up before making a decision, they'd be waiting an awfully long time. Traveling with Meka was out of the question. Traveling with Mackenzie was impossible, he saw to that. His fingers danced subtly on the tire iron as they played with the idea of attacking Meka and being done with it all. The one-on-one fight was too risky, and clearly to the death. If Justin tried to run away, Meka could follow him with that bow. Justin didn't know if Meka actually knew how to use that damn thing, and he didn't want to find out.
He needed a reason to convey why they couldn't follow the same path.
Looking for somebody. Meka gave him the opening Justin knew he needed. Yes, he'd be looking for somebody, someone that Meka wouldn't want to find at all.
"Sorry, I can't..." Justin said. "Can't go with you to find those two. I'm... after Quinn." He raised the pipe to chest level and lowered it again. "Somebody, got... has to, gotta put a stop to it. Or like, at least try. You sh- you don't wanna do that. Find the others."
Justin held his breath and hoped that would persuade Meka to give it up and let him loose.
He needed a reason to convey why they couldn't follow the same path.
Looking for somebody. Meka gave him the opening Justin knew he needed. Yes, he'd be looking for somebody, someone that Meka wouldn't want to find at all.
"Sorry, I can't..." Justin said. "Can't go with you to find those two. I'm... after Quinn." He raised the pipe to chest level and lowered it again. "Somebody, got... has to, gotta put a stop to it. Or like, at least try. You sh- you don't wanna do that. Find the others."
Justin held his breath and hoped that would persuade Meka to give it up and let him loose.
He was going after Quinn. Meka felt a pit in his stomach and looked down. That was daunting. Quinn killed Rhonda, and Meka would want her to pay for that crime, along with all the other people she murdered. But there was still a right way to do so. The three of them barely had any weapons at their disposal, and they had no clue where Quinn could be. For all they knew, they could waste a lot of time and energy searching for her only to run afoul of someone just as bad, or they'd never find her. Besides, Meka wanted the game to come crashing down. Quinn could be punished when the US had her in their custody.
Meka sighed. It wasn't preferable to let Justin go off on his own as well. Justin was probably still going to be targeted for killing Benedict, and Meka and Mackenzie could be deemed guilty by association. That didn't give Meka the most confidence or assurance that it would be right to let Justin go off on his own, but he had to think of the group. Mackenzie wasn't going to be in the conversation since she was still asleep in the other room, and he still had no clue where Dolly and Marceline were.
It was a tough choice, but Meka knew what he had to say.
"Okay, if you think this is what you have to do," Meka said. "Try to be safe."
Maybe it was wrong to let Justin go, but he had other people to be responsible for, and there was no guarantee Justin would be in danger. Besides, they all had things to do in their last days here, and maybe Justin needed this.
Meka sighed. It wasn't preferable to let Justin go off on his own as well. Justin was probably still going to be targeted for killing Benedict, and Meka and Mackenzie could be deemed guilty by association. That didn't give Meka the most confidence or assurance that it would be right to let Justin go off on his own, but he had to think of the group. Mackenzie wasn't going to be in the conversation since she was still asleep in the other room, and he still had no clue where Dolly and Marceline were.
It was a tough choice, but Meka knew what he had to say.
"Okay, if you think this is what you have to do," Meka said. "Try to be safe."
Maybe it was wrong to let Justin go, but he had other people to be responsible for, and there was no guarantee Justin would be in danger. Besides, they all had things to do in their last days here, and maybe Justin needed this.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
"Mnh... Thanks."
All that needed to be said. Justin didn't stop to turn to Meka when he moved the few objects that had been placed as a makeshift barricade, then opened the door just beyond it.
He wasn't sure where he was going to go, honestly. Anywhere other than here. His bag felt just that little bit heavier now that Mackenzie's saber was in it. He would have to be sure to put it to good use, give somebody a deep gash for her. If he was in a laughing mood, he'd laugh at his own absurd imagery of her being proud for some reason that he'd used her weapon to kill someone. Anything to tell himself it wasn't all pointless and meant nothing. It's not like they were being saved. Anybody who still held onto that hope was an idiot... only way to go on was forward.
Wherever he decided to go, Justin knew one thing for sure: he sure as hell wasn't chasing anybody for revenge. Revenge didn't win games.
((Justin Greene, continued elsewhere))
All that needed to be said. Justin didn't stop to turn to Meka when he moved the few objects that had been placed as a makeshift barricade, then opened the door just beyond it.
He wasn't sure where he was going to go, honestly. Anywhere other than here. His bag felt just that little bit heavier now that Mackenzie's saber was in it. He would have to be sure to put it to good use, give somebody a deep gash for her. If he was in a laughing mood, he'd laugh at his own absurd imagery of her being proud for some reason that he'd used her weapon to kill someone. Anything to tell himself it wasn't all pointless and meant nothing. It's not like they were being saved. Anybody who still held onto that hope was an idiot... only way to go on was forward.
Wherever he decided to go, Justin knew one thing for sure: he sure as hell wasn't chasing anybody for revenge. Revenge didn't win games.
((Justin Greene, continued elsewhere))
After Justin left, Meka reformed the barricade around the door. Nothing had happened in the night, but he still needed that assurance that he could be safe in the house. It was just him and Mackenzie, and odds were that Dolly and Marceline weren't coming back. Meka still had to protect whatever group he had, no matter what. Once the door was sufficiently blocked, he sat back down and closed his eyes. He may as well try to sleep for a bit longer. He'd need the energy to get through the day.
He was awoken a few hours later by the announcement, which caused him to jolt awake and drop the bow. He listened carefully to the announcement. He tried to keep his list of names updated, which was definitely starting to prove harder now that the numbers were increasing. He'd have to find some better way to keep track of the deceased for his ritual. Maybe he could carve into something or find some writing material somewhere.
Rhonda was there. She wasn't Quinn's only victim yesterday, but that just told Meka how badly Quinn would have to be taken care off. If they escaped, he'd have to see to it that she was properly punished for her actions, if someone didn't kill her before that happened.
It was then Meka finally got the answer he needed. Dolly was dead, murdered by Blaise. That was why they never came back. Marceline might have gone after Blaise or got lost. Either way, it had been over a day, so she wasn't coming back. Blaise was now on Meka's danger list to. They were clearly trying to match Quinn in the number of murders committed, so they'd have to be someone Meka avoided at all costs.
Claudeson was also listed as a killer, killing Bryan Merryweather. Meka hung his head low. They shouldn't have let him go yesterday. Considering the order, Claudeson probably killed Bryan a while after he left the house. Were Meka and Mackenzie guilty for not trying to keep him from leaving? Would Bryan be alive otherwise? There was a lot to think about, and Meka wasn't sure he'd be able to reach a satisfying answer.
Once the announcement ended, Meka waited. He assumed Mackenzie would come out and reply to the announcement. They'd have to talk about their plan for the day. It was still raining a bit, so if Meka was going to discuss his ideas, he'd need to do so before they ventured out of the house. But she wasn't coming out of the room. Maybe she slept through the announcement. Meka simply sat around and ate some bread and water, waiting for his housemate to emerge.
More time passed. Meka had to approximate it was nearing noon. Mackenzie still wasn't coming out of the room. Meka had waited long enough. No one else was coming, and she had slept long enough. He had been over the names over and over again, and he needed something to take him out of that space. He had to rally her.
He walked up to the door and knocked.
"Mackenzie? You awake?"
No reply. Meka waited for a few seconds, then knocked again.
"Mac?"
He closed his eyes and sighed. He reached for the doorknob. It felt a bit invasive to open a door to where a girl was sleeping, but Mackenzie had been too quiet for too long. As he put his hand around the knob, he started to get nervous.
He slowly pushed the door open, trying not to look inside.
"Mackenzie, it's Meka," he said. "I'm coming in."
Meka still didn't get a response, so the door moved further open. Now, he could see inside the room, and it was then that his heart sank. His eyes widened and he felt his throat constrict.
"No..."
Meka felt his breathing start to grow rapid. Mackenzie was lying on her back with a pillow on her face. As weird as that might be, it didn't compare to the amount of blood he could see in the room. Meka stepped into the room, holding the sides of his head with his hands.
"No, no, no, no, no," he muttered to himself.
He got closer, and there he saw it. Mackenzie's throat was sliced open. She was dead. She wasn't bleeding out the wound anymore, so it had to be a long time since she died. But if that was the case, then that meant...
"Justin."
Meka grit his teeth and lowered his head. How could he be so dumb? They let Justin into the house without seeing if he was really trustworthy. They left him alone in a room with the only lethal weapon Meka and Mackenzie had between them. He played them both for fools, and now Mackenzie was dead, Justin was long gone, and he now had a sword with him.
"Justin...Justin...YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Meka screamed.
Meka let out another scream, then walked over and started slamming his hands against the wall. He continued to wail as he moved to hitting the wall with his fists. It wasn't making any difference, but Meka didn't care. He was already crying. How could he be so dumb? He knew it wasn't safe to trust a killer like Justin, and Justin proved he was playing. He probably did intentionally kill Benedict too. And now another innocent girl was dead, and Meka was useless to do anything.
No, that wasn't true. Meka could do something. He could do anything. There had to be a way out of the island, and there had to be a way to stop all the killing. Meka had sat around long enough. Now he had to do something.
Meka spent the next few minutes moving Mackenzie's body into the corner of the room. He removed the pillow and covered Mackenzie's face with her hat. He made sure not to look as he made the switch. He didn't want to see Mackenzie' face frozen in terror, and he figured she'd rather be left wearing her signature hat. He covered her with a sheet, covering the wound on her neck. He then moved Rhonda into the same room and looked over both girls.
"Mackenzie Baker, say her name," he said. "Rhonda Lawson, say her name."
Meka made the signs of the cross and made a quick prayer. Maybe this game was partially designed to make him stop believing in God, but he needed some faith, more than ever. Especially for what came next.
Once he finished his prayer, he turned away from the girls and left the room, closing the door behind them. He had spent enough time in this house, and he was ready to move out. He gathered his items and the bow and stepped out of the house. He had finally figured out what he was supposed to do now. He needed to stay away from people like Quinn, Justin, and Blaise, but he couldn't hold back if he saw them. He had to hope Marceline was still out there too, since she probably needed a friend now that her lover was gone.
Meka left the village behind. It was time to finally make a move.
((Meka Gibson continued in Someone's Watching))
He was awoken a few hours later by the announcement, which caused him to jolt awake and drop the bow. He listened carefully to the announcement. He tried to keep his list of names updated, which was definitely starting to prove harder now that the numbers were increasing. He'd have to find some better way to keep track of the deceased for his ritual. Maybe he could carve into something or find some writing material somewhere.
Rhonda was there. She wasn't Quinn's only victim yesterday, but that just told Meka how badly Quinn would have to be taken care off. If they escaped, he'd have to see to it that she was properly punished for her actions, if someone didn't kill her before that happened.
It was then Meka finally got the answer he needed. Dolly was dead, murdered by Blaise. That was why they never came back. Marceline might have gone after Blaise or got lost. Either way, it had been over a day, so she wasn't coming back. Blaise was now on Meka's danger list to. They were clearly trying to match Quinn in the number of murders committed, so they'd have to be someone Meka avoided at all costs.
Claudeson was also listed as a killer, killing Bryan Merryweather. Meka hung his head low. They shouldn't have let him go yesterday. Considering the order, Claudeson probably killed Bryan a while after he left the house. Were Meka and Mackenzie guilty for not trying to keep him from leaving? Would Bryan be alive otherwise? There was a lot to think about, and Meka wasn't sure he'd be able to reach a satisfying answer.
Once the announcement ended, Meka waited. He assumed Mackenzie would come out and reply to the announcement. They'd have to talk about their plan for the day. It was still raining a bit, so if Meka was going to discuss his ideas, he'd need to do so before they ventured out of the house. But she wasn't coming out of the room. Maybe she slept through the announcement. Meka simply sat around and ate some bread and water, waiting for his housemate to emerge.
More time passed. Meka had to approximate it was nearing noon. Mackenzie still wasn't coming out of the room. Meka had waited long enough. No one else was coming, and she had slept long enough. He had been over the names over and over again, and he needed something to take him out of that space. He had to rally her.
He walked up to the door and knocked.
"Mackenzie? You awake?"
No reply. Meka waited for a few seconds, then knocked again.
"Mac?"
He closed his eyes and sighed. He reached for the doorknob. It felt a bit invasive to open a door to where a girl was sleeping, but Mackenzie had been too quiet for too long. As he put his hand around the knob, he started to get nervous.
He slowly pushed the door open, trying not to look inside.
"Mackenzie, it's Meka," he said. "I'm coming in."
Meka still didn't get a response, so the door moved further open. Now, he could see inside the room, and it was then that his heart sank. His eyes widened and he felt his throat constrict.
"No..."
Meka felt his breathing start to grow rapid. Mackenzie was lying on her back with a pillow on her face. As weird as that might be, it didn't compare to the amount of blood he could see in the room. Meka stepped into the room, holding the sides of his head with his hands.
"No, no, no, no, no," he muttered to himself.
He got closer, and there he saw it. Mackenzie's throat was sliced open. She was dead. She wasn't bleeding out the wound anymore, so it had to be a long time since she died. But if that was the case, then that meant...
"Justin."
Meka grit his teeth and lowered his head. How could he be so dumb? They let Justin into the house without seeing if he was really trustworthy. They left him alone in a room with the only lethal weapon Meka and Mackenzie had between them. He played them both for fools, and now Mackenzie was dead, Justin was long gone, and he now had a sword with him.
"Justin...Justin...YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Meka screamed.
Meka let out another scream, then walked over and started slamming his hands against the wall. He continued to wail as he moved to hitting the wall with his fists. It wasn't making any difference, but Meka didn't care. He was already crying. How could he be so dumb? He knew it wasn't safe to trust a killer like Justin, and Justin proved he was playing. He probably did intentionally kill Benedict too. And now another innocent girl was dead, and Meka was useless to do anything.
No, that wasn't true. Meka could do something. He could do anything. There had to be a way out of the island, and there had to be a way to stop all the killing. Meka had sat around long enough. Now he had to do something.
Meka spent the next few minutes moving Mackenzie's body into the corner of the room. He removed the pillow and covered Mackenzie's face with her hat. He made sure not to look as he made the switch. He didn't want to see Mackenzie' face frozen in terror, and he figured she'd rather be left wearing her signature hat. He covered her with a sheet, covering the wound on her neck. He then moved Rhonda into the same room and looked over both girls.
"Mackenzie Baker, say her name," he said. "Rhonda Lawson, say her name."
Meka made the signs of the cross and made a quick prayer. Maybe this game was partially designed to make him stop believing in God, but he needed some faith, more than ever. Especially for what came next.
Once he finished his prayer, he turned away from the girls and left the room, closing the door behind them. He had spent enough time in this house, and he was ready to move out. He gathered his items and the bow and stepped out of the house. He had finally figured out what he was supposed to do now. He needed to stay away from people like Quinn, Justin, and Blaise, but he couldn't hold back if he saw them. He had to hope Marceline was still out there too, since she probably needed a friend now that her lover was gone.
Meka left the village behind. It was time to finally make a move.
((Meka Gibson continued in Someone's Watching))