((Sophie McDowell continued from By the Time I Get to Phoenix))
Sophie rolled over on the bed. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but she was sure that quite a few hours had passed. She and Alex arrived at the hotel before sunrise and made their way to the room Sophie left her sandals in back on Day 2. They felt a bit tired from walking for most of the night and decided to rest in the room until they felt well enough to move out. Sophie made herself comfortable on the bed and tried to rest. She was woken up by the announcements, but went back to sleep once she knew that the hotel was not a danger zone.
That didn't meant she wasn't affected by the names. There weren't any names that rang too close to her, and no one from Gavin's group had died. She just didn't want to think about it then. She just wanted to fall asleep and hopefully wake up in her hotel room at Disneyland.
But that wasn't the case. She and Alex were still in the crummy hotel room on Survival of the Fittest. She looked around the room and sighed. They still weren't getting out of this place any time soon.
Sophie grabbed her bag and began to search through it. She still had plenty of water, and there were some energy bars she could eat. She was used to not eating a whole lot to stay in shape for her dance class, but she couldn't remember feeling so hungry. She bit into an energy bar and quickly chewed it up before swallowing. She had to take a swig of water in order to wash the taste out of her mouth. Once she finished the bar, she simply sat quietly on the bed, wondering what they were going to do next.
Falling Slowly
Open
((Alexander de Gaulle contined from By the Time I Get to Phoenix))
Alex sulked over the balcony, his arms crossed while he took in the "beautiful" island view as he daydreamed. A couple of times he moved to rest his arms on the railing, but each time he was able to stop himself. Can't trust these rails after, you know.
He sighed. It was a mistake to come here. If the announcements were true (after all, why wouldn't they be?), along with David somewhere here, there were at least three other bodies in this mass grave: Amy, Ilya, and Lydia, all somewhere near the pool. They were kind of ambiguous about where the corpses were.
The one name that Alex couldn't stop thinking about was Nina Clarke's. Maddie, of all people... But does it even really matter anymore? Everyone's going to die, anyway. Nina was just stupid; you have to stay two steps ahead of everyone in a game like this, but it looks like she didn't know any better. Going by what was said on the announcements, Maddie took Nina's gun some time before, Nina found her again, egged her on, then she died. Something like that.
In that case, it couldn't have been Maddie's fault. Sure, she took Nina's gun or something, but Nina didn't have to pull some sort of revenge scheme. That gets you killed, and look what happened.
That didn't mean Alex knew what he was going to say to her if they ever found each other, though. He sighed and lightly kicked the railing before heading back inside the hotel room.
When he got back in, he saw Sophie sitting up in the bed. "Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
Alex sulked over the balcony, his arms crossed while he took in the "beautiful" island view as he daydreamed. A couple of times he moved to rest his arms on the railing, but each time he was able to stop himself. Can't trust these rails after, you know.
He sighed. It was a mistake to come here. If the announcements were true (after all, why wouldn't they be?), along with David somewhere here, there were at least three other bodies in this mass grave: Amy, Ilya, and Lydia, all somewhere near the pool. They were kind of ambiguous about where the corpses were.
The one name that Alex couldn't stop thinking about was Nina Clarke's. Maddie, of all people... But does it even really matter anymore? Everyone's going to die, anyway. Nina was just stupid; you have to stay two steps ahead of everyone in a game like this, but it looks like she didn't know any better. Going by what was said on the announcements, Maddie took Nina's gun some time before, Nina found her again, egged her on, then she died. Something like that.
In that case, it couldn't have been Maddie's fault. Sure, she took Nina's gun or something, but Nina didn't have to pull some sort of revenge scheme. That gets you killed, and look what happened.
That didn't mean Alex knew what he was going to say to her if they ever found each other, though. He sighed and lightly kicked the railing before heading back inside the hotel room.
When he got back in, he saw Sophie sitting up in the bed. "Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
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Alex came in from the balcony. Sophie looked up at her friend. He was curious how she was doing, something that made her uncertain how to answer.
No, I should answer truthfully. He deserves that.
"Uh, not well, considering everything."
Sophie looked down at her lap.
"I'm sorry I ran off yesterday. I wasn't feeling so good about the plan, and I thought it would be easier to slip away without anyone knowing. I...just couldn't stay there."
No, I should answer truthfully. He deserves that.
"Uh, not well, considering everything."
Sophie looked down at her lap.
"I'm sorry I ran off yesterday. I wasn't feeling so good about the plan, and I thought it would be easier to slip away without anyone knowing. I...just couldn't stay there."
"Eh, don't worry about it," Alex shook his head with a slight chuckle. "I know. I guess it would have been nice if you told me beforehand about the jailbreak, but it's okay. I found you, and you didn't try to sneak away from me. I would say that's forgivable enough. Gavin raised quite a few red flags for myself, anyway."
Alex's smirk faded into a neutral expression as he sat down on the bed next to Sophie. "We need to decide on what to do next, though. We need a plan... something."
Alex's smirk faded into a neutral expression as he sat down on the bed next to Sophie. "We need to decide on what to do next, though. We need a plan... something."
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Okay, so he's not too mad with me. I think I can handle that.
Alex then noted that they needed a plan. If they weren't going to go along with Gavin's plan, they needed a new one for themselves. Sophie put her chin on her hand and fell silent.
"Well...I guess we could lay low and see what happens with Gavin's team," she said. "We know what he's going to do, and we can wait to see if it works or not."
"Other than that......I'm not sure. I mean, I don't really think there's much else we can do in these circumstances."
Alex then noted that they needed a plan. If they weren't going to go along with Gavin's plan, they needed a new one for themselves. Sophie put her chin on her hand and fell silent.
"Well...I guess we could lay low and see what happens with Gavin's team," she said. "We know what he's going to do, and we can wait to see if it works or not."
"Other than that......I'm not sure. I mean, I don't really think there's much else we can do in these circumstances."
Alex fell back into the bed and sank into the sheets with a huff. True, they could just wait it out and see if Gavin's plan was going to work. But, at the same time, why would it even matter for them if they didn't have what was needed to pull it off? It was just a big stalling tactic anyway.
Just putting off the inevitable.
But at the same time, wasn't that what Sophie and he were doing right now? There weren't many moves they could even do besides just sit and wait, run off if the hotel became a danger zone, and sit and wait some more until they get boxed in with the people they were avoiding in the first place.
It was close to checkmate any way he looked at it.
Alex flopped over on the bed, almost resisting the urge to just bury his head and suffocate on the sheets to end it all right here.
"...I don't know, Sophie. I don't know what we're supposed to do."
Just putting off the inevitable.
But at the same time, wasn't that what Sophie and he were doing right now? There weren't many moves they could even do besides just sit and wait, run off if the hotel became a danger zone, and sit and wait some more until they get boxed in with the people they were avoiding in the first place.
It was close to checkmate any way he looked at it.
Alex flopped over on the bed, almost resisting the urge to just bury his head and suffocate on the sheets to end it all right here.
"...I don't know, Sophie. I don't know what we're supposed to do."
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Alex flopped onto the bed. He didn't have any ideas either. Sophie wasn't really surprised. The two of them weren't likely to come up with anything as complex as Gavin's plan, and they didn't really have anything that would give them a greater chance of surviving the game. The two of them were completely aimless, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
Sophie moved over on the bed and lied down next to Alex, staring at the ceiling.
"I guess anything's better than playing the game," Sophie said. "I don't want to give into that temptation at all. I'd rather stay indoors than do that."
Sophie closed her eyes and sighed. Ennui was beginning to set in, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet.
Well, I guess if we're quiet enough, we won't have to worry about people coming into the room. We can't kill anyone if they don't know where we are.
Sophie moved over on the bed and lied down next to Alex, staring at the ceiling.
"I guess anything's better than playing the game," Sophie said. "I don't want to give into that temptation at all. I'd rather stay indoors than do that."
Sophie closed her eyes and sighed. Ennui was beginning to set in, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet.
Well, I guess if we're quiet enough, we won't have to worry about people coming into the room. We can't kill anyone if they don't know where we are.
Sophie had a point. Even if they were forced out of the hotel again, they could just stay within the city and hole up in whichever building didn't become off-limits. They had enough food and water to hold out on their own for at least a few days, so they would never have to scavenge the area at least for a little while longer.
But then, they were going to die anyway when the body count dropped to almost nothing. There was still the idea of escaping, but even if they wanted to they were still missing the vital piece of the puzzle, if Gavin's idea even worked.
...Unless...
Alex's mouth curled into a mischievous smirk.
"Hey..." Alex flipped over and edged himself closer to Sophie, "...wanna go on a scavenger hunt?"
But then, they were going to die anyway when the body count dropped to almost nothing. There was still the idea of escaping, but even if they wanted to they were still missing the vital piece of the puzzle, if Gavin's idea even worked.
...Unless...
Alex's mouth curled into a mischievous smirk.
"Hey..." Alex flipped over and edged himself closer to Sophie, "...wanna go on a scavenger hunt?"
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Sophie kept her eyes closed, tapping her fingers against her stomach. She couldn't think of any ideas for what they should do next. Even though she felt really meditative at the moment, she was still unable to have an answer come to her. Her mind felt too cloudy.
That's when Alex spoke up.
Hey......wanna go on a scavenger hunt?
Sophie opened her eyes and turned to her side, facing Alex. He was grinning, so whatever idea came to him must have been one he found really clever.
"A scavenger hunt?" she asked. "Like the kind you would do at summer camp?"
That's when Alex spoke up.
Hey......wanna go on a scavenger hunt?
Sophie opened her eyes and turned to her side, facing Alex. He was grinning, so whatever idea came to him must have been one he found really clever.
"A scavenger hunt?" she asked. "Like the kind you would do at summer camp?"
"...Yes, kind of like one at summer camp."
That was certainly one way of looking at it.
Alex pushed himself off of the bed and walked over to where he set his bag down before continuing the train of thought. "This is a little morbid, but I want to take a look at the bodies. There's about... what, four people here between whatever went down at the pool and whatever happened to David Zimmer? It sounded like the pool incident was in rapid succession, so maybe one of them has a gun or something on them that didn't get taken because it happened quickly. I don't know, just something better than a lead pipe and sanitizing wipes."
"What would you... uh, think?" Alex picked up his duffel and turned towards Sophie, unsure of how she would react to his proposal.
That was certainly one way of looking at it.
Alex pushed himself off of the bed and walked over to where he set his bag down before continuing the train of thought. "This is a little morbid, but I want to take a look at the bodies. There's about... what, four people here between whatever went down at the pool and whatever happened to David Zimmer? It sounded like the pool incident was in rapid succession, so maybe one of them has a gun or something on them that didn't get taken because it happened quickly. I don't know, just something better than a lead pipe and sanitizing wipes."
"What would you... uh, think?" Alex picked up his duffel and turned towards Sophie, unsure of how she would react to his proposal.
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To her dismay, Alex didn't have the idea of a fun scavenger hunt to distract themselves from the game. Instead of running around the island looking for various oddities, he wanted to supply scavenge. The idea was to search the bodies in the hotel in hopes of finding something valuable.
"Well, I'm....hesitant," she responded.
Sophie sat up on the bed, letting her legs dangle off the side.
"I mean, are you sure you can handle going up to bodies and looting them?" she asked. "And what guarantee do you have that you'll find anything? Isn't it likely that they'd be looted just after dying?"
Sophie stared at Alex. This was an unpleasant idea, but she wanted to test him on it. He seemed really attached to it, and she needed to see the depth of that attachment.
"Well, I'm....hesitant," she responded.
Sophie sat up on the bed, letting her legs dangle off the side.
"I mean, are you sure you can handle going up to bodies and looting them?" she asked. "And what guarantee do you have that you'll find anything? Isn't it likely that they'd be looted just after dying?"
Sophie stared at Alex. This was an unpleasant idea, but she wanted to test him on it. He seemed really attached to it, and she needed to see the depth of that attachment.
"...Oh...yeah, I... I guess..." Alex wrung his hands together and avoided Sophie's glare.
Alex wasn't sure at all if he could handle seeing what was going to be a gruesome sight. There was going to be blood. A lot of blood. Bloody bodies. Blood in the pool. Blood on the floor. Blood that was dry. Blood that was still wet. Blood trails. Blood everywhere.
He wrung his hands harder.
And yes, what if someone had already come along and taken what he wanted to look for? He'd just be going out there to the site of a bloody massacre for no reason besides to look for something that might not even be there in the first place.
His knuckles turned white.
There was a moment of silence before Alex sighed and eventually trailed back in. "...I just don't want to die doing nothing, Sophie."
Alex wasn't sure at all if he could handle seeing what was going to be a gruesome sight. There was going to be blood. A lot of blood. Bloody bodies. Blood in the pool. Blood on the floor. Blood that was dry. Blood that was still wet. Blood trails. Blood everywhere.
He wrung his hands harder.
And yes, what if someone had already come along and taken what he wanted to look for? He'd just be going out there to the site of a bloody massacre for no reason besides to look for something that might not even be there in the first place.
His knuckles turned white.
There was a moment of silence before Alex sighed and eventually trailed back in. "...I just don't want to die doing nothing, Sophie."
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So Alex hadn't considered that after all. Sophie looked at her friend as he fell silent. He was so excited before with his idea, and she had to destroy it so quickly. There was no room for imagination on this island, it seemed.
Finally, Alex did speak again. He really was afraid of doing absolutely nothing and then dying. Sophie took his words in and thought about it. Wasn't that why she was an artist? Wasn't that why she refused to pigeonhole herself into one field? She wanted to create, and spend her life continuing to bring beauty into the world. Being in Survival of the Fittest was artistic emasculation. There wasn't room for dreaming now.
Still, Sophie did want to make her friend feel better. He had managed to make her feel better quite a few times since they found themselves on the island. Surely she could do something for him.
"Well hold on," she quickly said. "I was just curious on how certain you were that the items would still be there. That doesn't mean there's no chance their goods won't be left behind."
Sophie stood up, holding her arms up.
"I mean, if there are a lot of bodies around the hotel, we can check those and then hurry back to this room before anything bad happens! Yeah! Let's try it!"
Sophie grinned. She really hoped that was what Alex wanted to hear. If they were going to do this, she was really going to have to test her physical and mental fortitude in order to appease her friend's worries. She just hoped it wouldn't be too difficult.
Finally, Alex did speak again. He really was afraid of doing absolutely nothing and then dying. Sophie took his words in and thought about it. Wasn't that why she was an artist? Wasn't that why she refused to pigeonhole herself into one field? She wanted to create, and spend her life continuing to bring beauty into the world. Being in Survival of the Fittest was artistic emasculation. There wasn't room for dreaming now.
Still, Sophie did want to make her friend feel better. He had managed to make her feel better quite a few times since they found themselves on the island. Surely she could do something for him.
"Well hold on," she quickly said. "I was just curious on how certain you were that the items would still be there. That doesn't mean there's no chance their goods won't be left behind."
Sophie stood up, holding her arms up.
"I mean, if there are a lot of bodies around the hotel, we can check those and then hurry back to this room before anything bad happens! Yeah! Let's try it!"
Sophie grinned. She really hoped that was what Alex wanted to hear. If they were going to do this, she was really going to have to test her physical and mental fortitude in order to appease her friend's worries. She just hoped it wouldn't be too difficult.
Sophie's optimism allowed Alex to relax and look at his friend. "...Really? I mean... are you sure you would be fine about that? It isn't going to be pretty."
Even if Sophie didn't really mean it, it did make Alex feel much better that she volunteered to go with him. It was a much better response than he was expecting.
Alex mirrored Sophie's grin and pumped his fist before stepping closer to the door out of the hotel room. "In that case, let's look around. I'm sure there's got to at least be something worthwhile that got left behind."
Even if Sophie didn't really mean it, it did make Alex feel much better that she volunteered to go with him. It was a much better response than he was expecting.
Alex mirrored Sophie's grin and pumped his fist before stepping closer to the door out of the hotel room. "In that case, let's look around. I'm sure there's got to at least be something worthwhile that got left behind."
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"Yeah, let's just do it. It won't be easy, but it's not like it will be easier at this point."
Sophie walked over to her bag. She lifted the bag off the floor and put it over her shoulder. She also grabbed the lead pipe and held it in her free hand.
"We just check the bodies that might be in the hotel, and then we run back here. Is that okay?"
Sophie tightened her grip around the pipe. She hoped that this plan wouldn't go horribly wrong.
Sophie walked over to her bag. She lifted the bag off the floor and put it over her shoulder. She also grabbed the lead pipe and held it in her free hand.
"We just check the bodies that might be in the hotel, and then we run back here. Is that okay?"
Sophie tightened her grip around the pipe. She hoped that this plan wouldn't go horribly wrong.