Dolly blinked, slowly, at some vague spot in the dim light. Ariana had a gun, and Rhonda claimed that she didn't have a gun. Meka had a flashlight, and she supposed that there was the possibility that he also had a gun. As it turned out, she might be the least armed to the teeth, despite first appearances.
"Let's take it slow," she murmured to Ariana. "No need to... to panic." Apparently they were on the same side, she and Dolly. Where did that put the other two?
She tugged on Ariana's hand , urging her towards the waving light. Out of the darkness, into the day. What would they find there?
She was ready to wake up.
And I saw, from eyes that were not mine. And I felt, with a fear I could not reason.
They watch us, they invade us. And keep us happy, committing treason. For a King we didn't deserve. For a Son who waits weeping. That I knew, from knowledge gained while sleeping.
"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."
"Uh, okay." If they were going to shoot her, they would. Right? Maybe they had to work themselves up to it, but if that was how it was then seeing her might make them less likely to be willing to kill her. A plan was laid out, inviting them out of the cave and int other light. Rhonda didn't really want them to see her. But she could feel countless eyes looking at her. There had to be a camera in here, with night vision or infrared or something. Better the devil you knew. If she could see her peers and the terrorists' eyes on her, that was a little better. Rhonda inhaled a slow, deep breath, then exhaled, then repeated.
Wincing at the flashlight flicking across her face, Rhonda slowly, tentatively approached the exit to the cave. She passed Ariana and Dolly and stopped in next to Meka, dropping her bag on the ground and crouching next to it. "I don't actually know what I got, uhm." She swallowed. Her mouth was dry and sticky and gross. She'd probably never be able to brush her teeth again, or take a shower.
"Sorry, let me look. I'll be careful." Rhonda unzipped her bag, her hands trembling slightly, gritting her teeth. She couldn't be panicking. If they thought she was dangerous, they could shoot her. On top of the pule of supplies was a metal rectangular thing. She pulled it out and examined it. Twisting it in her fingers, Rhonda unfolded the fan, because that's what it was, a fan. Sort of. It had a metal 'sheathe' of sorts, and the tines that held the cloth taut were pointy metal too. It was heavy, too. She could probably hurt someone with this.
Rhonda looked up at the others, holding up the unfolded object. "I don't want this." she didn't want any of this, but having a weapon made her feel much worse. She was stupid to give it away, but she didn't want it anyway. If one of the others took it, she might feel a little better.
Wincing at the flashlight flicking across her face, Rhonda slowly, tentatively approached the exit to the cave. She passed Ariana and Dolly and stopped in next to Meka, dropping her bag on the ground and crouching next to it. "I don't actually know what I got, uhm." She swallowed. Her mouth was dry and sticky and gross. She'd probably never be able to brush her teeth again, or take a shower.
"Sorry, let me look. I'll be careful." Rhonda unzipped her bag, her hands trembling slightly, gritting her teeth. She couldn't be panicking. If they thought she was dangerous, they could shoot her. On top of the pule of supplies was a metal rectangular thing. She pulled it out and examined it. Twisting it in her fingers, Rhonda unfolded the fan, because that's what it was, a fan. Sort of. It had a metal 'sheathe' of sorts, and the tines that held the cloth taut were pointy metal too. It was heavy, too. She could probably hurt someone with this.
Rhonda looked up at the others, holding up the unfolded object. "I don't want this." she didn't want any of this, but having a weapon made her feel much worse. She was stupid to give it away, but she didn't want it anyway. If one of the others took it, she might feel a little better.
Dolly was absolutely right - they needed to take this one step at a time. Doing anything hasty was a very good way to do something wrong, and Ariana knew that in situations like these, people often did things that they would later regret. She very much did not want to be one of those people. Feeling Dolly take her hand and start to lead her towards the light, Ariana allowed herself to follow, for a moment, before she kept pace to even try and stay just a bit ahead of her. It was odd, actually. She knew Dolly from around school, had classes with her, shared the odd group conversation, but there was very little reason for Ariana to be feeling so protective towards the girl in the burgundy dress. She had always been a bit of an odd duck, someone who'd never made much of an effort to be anything other than what she already was.
Maybe that was it. Ariana had spent so much time trying to find out who she was, that perhaps she'd admired Dolly's sense of uniqueness, her individuality. She had her own style, a sense of dress (that Ariana herself would never be caught dead in) and a unique outlook on the world. Someone like that added something to the world. Ariana found her hackles rising up once more. There were many more examples of that in her graduating class. Unique people who had a lot to give towards the future - a future that these terrorists were going to deprive them of.
It infuriated her.
As they finally came towards the mouth of the cave and into a relieved-looking Meka, holding his flashlight and looking none the worse for wear, Ariana privately vowed that she would do all she could to protect this girl. She couldn't explain it, but she knew that if she could make one lick of difference in a hopeless, fucked-up situation, maybe it would just be enough.
"Meka, thank God you're okay," Ariana exhaled as the four finally saw one another in the light, Rhonda having passed them in the dark. None of them were what Ariana would call close friends, but they were all friendly, and that was enough. She still remained somewhat on-guard, but seeing her classmates in proper light made a bit of the dread fade.
Rhonda was going through her own supplies, holding up a wicked-looking metallic fan and looking at it as though it were from another planet. It looked like something that had come straight out of Mortal Kombat, and the tall basketball player looked like she wanted nothing to do with it. She knew that Dolly had the giant knife that she still held in the hand that wasn't holding onto Ariana's.
She opted to keep her own a secret - for now.
"None of us want this," she wasn't talking about the fan, "but maybe you should hold on to it. For now."
The inference sucked a little bit of the hope out of her mind. They might not need these weapons now, but the day was still young. The thought distressed her enough that she absently squeezed Dolly's hand, just a little.
Maybe that was it. Ariana had spent so much time trying to find out who she was, that perhaps she'd admired Dolly's sense of uniqueness, her individuality. She had her own style, a sense of dress (that Ariana herself would never be caught dead in) and a unique outlook on the world. Someone like that added something to the world. Ariana found her hackles rising up once more. There were many more examples of that in her graduating class. Unique people who had a lot to give towards the future - a future that these terrorists were going to deprive them of.
It infuriated her.
As they finally came towards the mouth of the cave and into a relieved-looking Meka, holding his flashlight and looking none the worse for wear, Ariana privately vowed that she would do all she could to protect this girl. She couldn't explain it, but she knew that if she could make one lick of difference in a hopeless, fucked-up situation, maybe it would just be enough.
"Meka, thank God you're okay," Ariana exhaled as the four finally saw one another in the light, Rhonda having passed them in the dark. None of them were what Ariana would call close friends, but they were all friendly, and that was enough. She still remained somewhat on-guard, but seeing her classmates in proper light made a bit of the dread fade.
Rhonda was going through her own supplies, holding up a wicked-looking metallic fan and looking at it as though it were from another planet. It looked like something that had come straight out of Mortal Kombat, and the tall basketball player looked like she wanted nothing to do with it. She knew that Dolly had the giant knife that she still held in the hand that wasn't holding onto Ariana's.
She opted to keep her own a secret - for now.
"None of us want this," she wasn't talking about the fan, "but maybe you should hold on to it. For now."
The inference sucked a little bit of the hope out of her mind. They might not need these weapons now, but the day was still young. The thought distressed her enough that she absently squeezed Dolly's hand, just a little.
Meka had made it out of the cave so the waterfall was behind him, with more light filling the area. He could finally see the girls start to emerge. He had to smile a bit when Rhonda emerged and began to search through her bag. It was pretty crazy to see that she got some weird metal fan. It looked like the sort of thing you'd see in a Japanese action movie. He couldn't see Rhonda using such a thing, and it looked like Rhonda also seem perturbed by the item.
Meka then noticed that Ariana and Dolly were now here, and Ariana commented that Rhonda should hold on to the fan.
"Yeah, that thing looks pretty dangerous, but it's better than what I got," Meka told Rhonda.
Meka pulled out one of the halves of the bow.
"They gave me a bow broken in half. Unless I get some duct tape or WD-40, and maybe a whole bunch of arrows, I'm probably not going to survive this."
Meka put the bow piece back in his jacket pocket.
"So yeah, you probably have a better chance than me of surviving. What did the rest of you get?"
Meka then noticed that Ariana and Dolly were now here, and Ariana commented that Rhonda should hold on to the fan.
"Yeah, that thing looks pretty dangerous, but it's better than what I got," Meka told Rhonda.
Meka pulled out one of the halves of the bow.
"They gave me a bow broken in half. Unless I get some duct tape or WD-40, and maybe a whole bunch of arrows, I'm probably not going to survive this."
Meka put the bow piece back in his jacket pocket.
"So yeah, you probably have a better chance than me of surviving. What did the rest of you get?"
Here they were finally, gathered just beyond the edge of the darkness. Rhonda did not, in fact, have a gun. Neither did Meka. Ariana neglected to mention to the others that she did have a gun. Dolly still held the knife. What an eclectic crew they were.
Meka didn't waste any further time beating around the bush about their situation. Survival. Namely, that his wasn't in the cards. Dolly frowned at him.
"Statistically speaking," she said finally, "none of us are likely to survive this. Going by past experience, at least."
Dolly listened to a lot of podcasts, watched a lot of documentaries, read a lot of books. Survival Of The Fittest had plenty on it now, but she always skipped those chapters and episodes. It was too current, too close to home. She had been too young to remember 9/11, but she remembered the last few abductions. It had been decided, it seemed, that she wasn't allowed to turn her back on reality any longer.
Perhaps that was karma for spending so long indulging her morbid curiosity while refusing to look the ugliest parts of the truth in the eye.
"We all... understand the situation, yes?" She looked around at each of them in turn: Rhonda's tear-stained face, Meka and Ariana's grim countenances. Belatedly, she thought to return the squeeze to Ariana's hand. "Things are bad. Very bad. But they're not completely hopeless.
"It's just a matter of what we're hoping for."
Meka didn't waste any further time beating around the bush about their situation. Survival. Namely, that his wasn't in the cards. Dolly frowned at him.
"Statistically speaking," she said finally, "none of us are likely to survive this. Going by past experience, at least."
Dolly listened to a lot of podcasts, watched a lot of documentaries, read a lot of books. Survival Of The Fittest had plenty on it now, but she always skipped those chapters and episodes. It was too current, too close to home. She had been too young to remember 9/11, but she remembered the last few abductions. It had been decided, it seemed, that she wasn't allowed to turn her back on reality any longer.
Perhaps that was karma for spending so long indulging her morbid curiosity while refusing to look the ugliest parts of the truth in the eye.
"We all... understand the situation, yes?" She looked around at each of them in turn: Rhonda's tear-stained face, Meka and Ariana's grim countenances. Belatedly, she thought to return the squeeze to Ariana's hand. "Things are bad. Very bad. But they're not completely hopeless.
"It's just a matter of what we're hoping for."
"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."
Nobody was willing to take the metal fan. She wanted to throw it off the waterfall, but Ariana had a point. She might need it. She didn't need to hurt anyone with it, but if people thought she might, she could protect herself. As if anyone was threatened by her.
Rhonda stood up, hoisting her bag over her left shoulder, the folded fan hanging from her right hand. Meka had a snapped bow and arrow without the arrows, and Dolly had a knife that looked like a miniature sword.
And now the talk. They had to talk about something, and what they were going to do now was the biggest topic available. Rhonda crossed her arms, holding herself, fan squeezed in one hand. "I want to go home." She mumbled forlornly. Stupid. Everyone wanted to go home. What did being miserable do for it?
What they could do was...something. Nothing? Rhonda didn't know. She looked at Meka, pocketing the bow and declaring himself doomed. She looked at Dolly, but didn't know how to respond to her. Her eyes focused on the knife in Dolly's hand and the words reassuring them that they were doomed.
She looked at Ariana. What did Ariana have? She didn't mention. That made Rhonda nervous. She'd been honest, and maybe Ariana just hadn't looked? But maybe she should do that, then. "Did you check for a weapon, Ariana? That will help, I think." Her chest felt tight as she all-but accused the other girl of...something.
Rhonda stood up, hoisting her bag over her left shoulder, the folded fan hanging from her right hand. Meka had a snapped bow and arrow without the arrows, and Dolly had a knife that looked like a miniature sword.
And now the talk. They had to talk about something, and what they were going to do now was the biggest topic available. Rhonda crossed her arms, holding herself, fan squeezed in one hand. "I want to go home." She mumbled forlornly. Stupid. Everyone wanted to go home. What did being miserable do for it?
What they could do was...something. Nothing? Rhonda didn't know. She looked at Meka, pocketing the bow and declaring himself doomed. She looked at Dolly, but didn't know how to respond to her. Her eyes focused on the knife in Dolly's hand and the words reassuring them that they were doomed.
She looked at Ariana. What did Ariana have? She didn't mention. That made Rhonda nervous. She'd been honest, and maybe Ariana just hadn't looked? But maybe she should do that, then. "Did you check for a weapon, Ariana? That will help, I think." Her chest felt tight as she all-but accused the other girl of...something.
Oof; the wind got taken out of Ariana's sails a little bit as all three of her classmates identified the elephant in the room and stomped on it thusly. It was true - the odds were against them and the situation was grim. The likelihood of any of them seeing August 2018 was infinitesimally small and shrinking by the second. Rhonda's utterance proven that she was obviously feeling immeasurable sadness, the gravity of their new reality having settled way up on her tall shoulders. Beside her, Meka's expression was one of grim resignation, his face almost telling the story in a way that his words could not.
No small feat, considering that he was ordinarily quite a wordsmith.
Dolly, however, seemed almost pragmatic in how she decided to see it. Did they know their situation? It seemed like they all did. But depending on what their ultimate goals were, Dolly had a point. Hope wasn't entirely lost. Just... different. For a moment she let her mind wander to consider what her goals were. In the immediate, she was going to keep Dolly safe - the others as well, she decided. Killing her classmates was entirely out of the question; doing so was walking into what these evil bastards wanted from them, and Ariana didn't make a habit of jumping through hoops for anyone. Sure, there were people she'd love to give a good swat to, but actually killing someone was a line that she didn't want to cross.
Except...
Except that some of her fellow students might not have been so rigid with their morality. Some of them might even decide that the best course of action was to be proactive. Get them before they get me. So what happened if someone came at them? What happened if a rabid, frothing former George Hunter kid came to fulfill his end of the terrorist bargain? Ariana had just made a vow to protect the innocent - protect these people from harm. So what did she need to be ready to do?
Slowly, Ariana let go of Dolly's hand and brought it around to her pack again. Grimly, she nodded to Rhonda.
"Yeah. I looked." She slowly unzipped the pack. "I guess I'm our first line of defense."
Slowly so as not to incite a panic, Ariana retrieved the gun, her eyes widening in familiarity as she now truly saw what the dark lottery had gifted her. The Glock 19; one of the more common weapons used by law enforcement professionals around the United States. She knew it well. Fuck. It was almost poetic, in a way. Weighing the pistol in her hand, she sighed and toggled the safety on, keeping it pointed at the ground.
"Dolly's right. We can't lose hope; we can't give up. Statistically? Yeah, it's not great. We shouldn't fool ourselves. But if we can help the people around us, find the ones who are important to us and keep them safe from harm as long as we can?"
She shrugged, dismissing any and all thoughts of the person whom she felt most important. They were too painful for right now and she needed to appear strong to her new allies - her new friends.
"Maybe there's something noble in that."
No small feat, considering that he was ordinarily quite a wordsmith.
Dolly, however, seemed almost pragmatic in how she decided to see it. Did they know their situation? It seemed like they all did. But depending on what their ultimate goals were, Dolly had a point. Hope wasn't entirely lost. Just... different. For a moment she let her mind wander to consider what her goals were. In the immediate, she was going to keep Dolly safe - the others as well, she decided. Killing her classmates was entirely out of the question; doing so was walking into what these evil bastards wanted from them, and Ariana didn't make a habit of jumping through hoops for anyone. Sure, there were people she'd love to give a good swat to, but actually killing someone was a line that she didn't want to cross.
Except...
Except that some of her fellow students might not have been so rigid with their morality. Some of them might even decide that the best course of action was to be proactive. Get them before they get me. So what happened if someone came at them? What happened if a rabid, frothing former George Hunter kid came to fulfill his end of the terrorist bargain? Ariana had just made a vow to protect the innocent - protect these people from harm. So what did she need to be ready to do?
Slowly, Ariana let go of Dolly's hand and brought it around to her pack again. Grimly, she nodded to Rhonda.
"Yeah. I looked." She slowly unzipped the pack. "I guess I'm our first line of defense."
Slowly so as not to incite a panic, Ariana retrieved the gun, her eyes widening in familiarity as she now truly saw what the dark lottery had gifted her. The Glock 19; one of the more common weapons used by law enforcement professionals around the United States. She knew it well. Fuck. It was almost poetic, in a way. Weighing the pistol in her hand, she sighed and toggled the safety on, keeping it pointed at the ground.
"Dolly's right. We can't lose hope; we can't give up. Statistically? Yeah, it's not great. We shouldn't fool ourselves. But if we can help the people around us, find the ones who are important to us and keep them safe from harm as long as we can?"
She shrugged, dismissing any and all thoughts of the person whom she felt most important. They were too painful for right now and she needed to appear strong to her new allies - her new friends.
"Maybe there's something noble in that."
Meka nodded along as the girls began speaking about hope. Dolly and Ariana both seemed fairly optimistic about at least having hope. Meka wasn't feeling too hopeful being in a place where 1 in 150 or so gets to live till next month, but that didn't mean he had to be completely cynical. He still had things he wanted to do with his life, and while he wouldn't want to sacrifice anyone for his goals, he could at least try to do something worthwhile with his life while here.
"Yeah, I'm good with that. I guess I can look at things half-full. Yeah, this bow is shit, but I basically got two sticks to fight with instead of one. That at least means I can still help."
Meka wiped some of the moisture from the back of his neck.
"So what are we thinking? Find somewhere to hide? Find a way to find certain people? Finding people will be harder than finding shelter, but maybe there's a way to gather people somehow."
Meka hadn't observed the map since waking up, but he could hypothesize about the island. A waterfall meant at least one mountain, a lake, and a river. Rivers meant beaches and coasts, and there was probably a forest if there was this much fresh water around. Surely, there had to be some settled area here. There had to be some way to get attention.
"Or maybe we should find a way out of here, or at least a way to get help here sooner than later."
"Yeah, I'm good with that. I guess I can look at things half-full. Yeah, this bow is shit, but I basically got two sticks to fight with instead of one. That at least means I can still help."
Meka wiped some of the moisture from the back of his neck.
"So what are we thinking? Find somewhere to hide? Find a way to find certain people? Finding people will be harder than finding shelter, but maybe there's a way to gather people somehow."
Meka hadn't observed the map since waking up, but he could hypothesize about the island. A waterfall meant at least one mountain, a lake, and a river. Rivers meant beaches and coasts, and there was probably a forest if there was this much fresh water around. Surely, there had to be some settled area here. There had to be some way to get attention.
"Or maybe we should find a way out of here, or at least a way to get help here sooner than later."
So they coalesced. Friends of necessity, united against a common enemy, perhaps? Ariana claimed to be their defender, Meka wanted to talk tactics. Rhonda, Dolly supposed, was holding it together as much as she could.
So, where did that leave her?
Personally, Dolly had always thought that if something were to befall her, she would like to disappear mysteriously and never be seen again. Just walk out into the mists one day and never return, and perhaps she'd be sighted from time to time, but only from a distance, only on moonlit nights.
The skin of her throat itched beneath her metal collar. She raised her free hand and hooked one finger beneath the band to scratch at it.
"Marceline," she said finally. "I want to find her, I mean. Violet, Amelia. Blaise, perhaps. It would be... nice, to see them." One last time? "I don't know about any of the others, but I can guess where Marceline might go."
Of course, those were only her friends. Who else might she find here? Who else might she decide to find?
...At least Artem was home safe. Dolly's heart squeezed sweetly and painfully, and that woke her up more than anything else had yet.
So, where did that leave her?
Personally, Dolly had always thought that if something were to befall her, she would like to disappear mysteriously and never be seen again. Just walk out into the mists one day and never return, and perhaps she'd be sighted from time to time, but only from a distance, only on moonlit nights.
The skin of her throat itched beneath her metal collar. She raised her free hand and hooked one finger beneath the band to scratch at it.
"Marceline," she said finally. "I want to find her, I mean. Violet, Amelia. Blaise, perhaps. It would be... nice, to see them." One last time? "I don't know about any of the others, but I can guess where Marceline might go."
Of course, those were only her friends. Who else might she find here? Who else might she decide to find?
...At least Artem was home safe. Dolly's heart squeezed sweetly and painfully, and that woke her up more than anything else had yet.
"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."
Ariana had a gun. Rhonda's face lost a little color and she instinctively stepped back. Stupid. It wouldn't help.
After a moment it became clear that Ariana wasn't about to shoot them. Rhonda exhaled, trying to take calming breaths. Should she breath slower? Probably. She had no idea what she was doing. As if that was anything new.
As she tried to compose herself, Rhonda listened and considered what the others were thinking. Finding friends? Most of Rhonda's friends, the ones she cared about most, were on the team. Sam wasn't here, Aleks wasn't here. Luca wasn't here. She almost laughed, in relief, that they were okay. They'd be sad, horrified, hurt, but they'd live. That was three people who didn't have to die when they didn't deserve it.
"Uhm. Zona, Cheri, uh, Shauna, Quinn, and Garnet." She paused and swallowed. "The rest of the team, basically. Uh, Aleks, Luca and Sam aren't here though, they didn't come. On the trip." Shauna was going to be a disaster, poor thing, but the others were pretty strong, stronger than Rhonda. Hopefully they all held on long enough to get back together.
"I mean, I want to find them. They're my friends, I want to..." She was so stupid sounding. She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm doing."
After a moment it became clear that Ariana wasn't about to shoot them. Rhonda exhaled, trying to take calming breaths. Should she breath slower? Probably. She had no idea what she was doing. As if that was anything new.
As she tried to compose herself, Rhonda listened and considered what the others were thinking. Finding friends? Most of Rhonda's friends, the ones she cared about most, were on the team. Sam wasn't here, Aleks wasn't here. Luca wasn't here. She almost laughed, in relief, that they were okay. They'd be sad, horrified, hurt, but they'd live. That was three people who didn't have to die when they didn't deserve it.
"Uhm. Zona, Cheri, uh, Shauna, Quinn, and Garnet." She paused and swallowed. "The rest of the team, basically. Uh, Aleks, Luca and Sam aren't here though, they didn't come. On the trip." Shauna was going to be a disaster, poor thing, but the others were pretty strong, stronger than Rhonda. Hopefully they all held on long enough to get back together.
"I mean, I want to find them. They're my friends, I want to..." She was so stupid sounding. She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm doing."
Ariana listened to the list of names that her classmates named off; many of them familiar. Once upon a time, she'd been good friends with Marceline but they'd drifted apart. Ariana had changed; she had changed. Change was inevitable but growing apart often happened so quickly that you didn't realize it had happened until it was too late. She nodded along at each name that both of the other girls listed off, some more familiar than others. Rhonda's admission as she finished her own list was on-brand for all of them, and she suspected that was a shared admission. Something that they could all agree on. She smiled a sad smile at the girl.
"It's okay. I don't think that any of us know what we're doing." She shrugged. "We can't do anything except our best."
The others looked at her expectantly for her own list of names, and for a long moment, she was silent. So many different people's faces scrolled through her mind, many of them people that she had no true vested interest in finding. That had been a lot of how high school had been for Ariana. Often seen, always heard, but rarely close with anyone.
"Ross had to stay home," she finally offered, her voice uncharacteristically flat, "so at least..."
She tried to push the anger and the sadness away again, she only half succeeded. Once more, her veins coursed with the fury of their situation. When she spoke again, her tone had reestablished itself.
"Maybe Amber; that Morgan kid was an okay kid. I don't know. I think Marceline is as good a place to start as any. Where would she go? Along the way, maybe we can find somewhere defensible to set up camp that isn't the creepy-ass inside of a cave? There has to be some way out of all of this."
Her voice remained strong, if not for a slight waver near the end of her sentence. Some way indeed. Ariana was a bundle of emotions as she looked at Meka, giving confirmation that she was on the same page; though neglecting to mention the one way that was a surefire way home. That was a last resort, a hellish plan B that none of them would live to see.
If they did, they wouldn't be the same people who stood here, clinging to the last hope they could muster.
"It's okay. I don't think that any of us know what we're doing." She shrugged. "We can't do anything except our best."
The others looked at her expectantly for her own list of names, and for a long moment, she was silent. So many different people's faces scrolled through her mind, many of them people that she had no true vested interest in finding. That had been a lot of how high school had been for Ariana. Often seen, always heard, but rarely close with anyone.
"Ross had to stay home," she finally offered, her voice uncharacteristically flat, "so at least..."
She tried to push the anger and the sadness away again, she only half succeeded. Once more, her veins coursed with the fury of their situation. When she spoke again, her tone had reestablished itself.
"Maybe Amber; that Morgan kid was an okay kid. I don't know. I think Marceline is as good a place to start as any. Where would she go? Along the way, maybe we can find somewhere defensible to set up camp that isn't the creepy-ass inside of a cave? There has to be some way out of all of this."
Her voice remained strong, if not for a slight waver near the end of her sentence. Some way indeed. Ariana was a bundle of emotions as she looked at Meka, giving confirmation that she was on the same page; though neglecting to mention the one way that was a surefire way home. That was a last resort, a hellish plan B that none of them would live to see.
If they did, they wouldn't be the same people who stood here, clinging to the last hope they could muster.
Meka listened as the girls rattled off names. It was pretty crazy to think of just how many people would be in such a terrible situation. Considering the kind of life he had led up until this point, Meka mostly figured that if he was going to go through any terrible experience, it would be a deeply personal one, and not one that pulled hundreds of people in his sphere in. He figured he'd deal with someone in his family falling ill or he getting into a car accident, and that'd be the extent of his tragedy in life. But now he was part of some deeper social and cultural event that was going to have deep ripples across the entire world, and it was pretty daunting to think of what would come from that.
At the very least, the girls were all naming people Meka could see himself getting along with. He couldn't say that for certain, as he didn't know some people, but no one named any of the Carters or any of the other racist assholes in their class, so that was good. Ariana had also mentioned moving out of the cave and finding some way out of this, looking at Meka for approval.
"Yeah, I agree with moving out of here," he said. "The cave might be good for defending, but we're lacking for supplies and comfort, and we'll probably burn the flashlights out quickly if we stay in the darkness."
Meka scratched the side of the neck.
"And as for me, I know Keisha couldn't come on the trip, which is a bit of a relief. Otherwise, I'd maybe want to look for the Hayashibaras, Aliya, Forrest, people like them. Maybe we can all find a way to survive this."
Meka paused.
"Or maybe we can be the ones to find a way out."
At the very least, the girls were all naming people Meka could see himself getting along with. He couldn't say that for certain, as he didn't know some people, but no one named any of the Carters or any of the other racist assholes in their class, so that was good. Ariana had also mentioned moving out of the cave and finding some way out of this, looking at Meka for approval.
"Yeah, I agree with moving out of here," he said. "The cave might be good for defending, but we're lacking for supplies and comfort, and we'll probably burn the flashlights out quickly if we stay in the darkness."
Meka scratched the side of the neck.
"And as for me, I know Keisha couldn't come on the trip, which is a bit of a relief. Otherwise, I'd maybe want to look for the Hayashibaras, Aliya, Forrest, people like them. Maybe we can all find a way to survive this."
Meka paused.
"Or maybe we can be the ones to find a way out."
Quite a few names listed off. They'd be hearing those names again.
There was a lump in Dolly's throat all of a sudden.
She swallowed around it, cleared her throat for good measure and said, "I can't say exactly without knowing the lay of the land, but if we have a map, I can take a good stab at it." Hm. Poor choice of words, perhaps. "As for Marceline in particular, it'd be somewhere..." Dolly raised her free hand to wiggle her fingers in an approximation of air quotes. "aesthetic."
The truth was that, even if all that they said and hoped turned out to be true, there wasn't any way out of this. Even an instant's trauma makes an impression on the psyche. Even if nobody died, if someone stormed the island and managed to free everyone, they had seen people killed. They had been ripped away from their safe, normal lives and thrust into a situation of uncertainty and terror. They were hostages, and that had consequences for them no matter what happened from now on.
All that there was for them to do was to accept it, in one way or another.
So. Who would they be, when given the choice between martyr and monster?
Dolly didn't voice any of that, and instead elected to ignore the hints of escaping altogether. "At any rate, I'd rather we move on and then regroup, if we're sticking together. It's noisy here, wouldn't you agree?"
There was a lump in Dolly's throat all of a sudden.
She swallowed around it, cleared her throat for good measure and said, "I can't say exactly without knowing the lay of the land, but if we have a map, I can take a good stab at it." Hm. Poor choice of words, perhaps. "As for Marceline in particular, it'd be somewhere..." Dolly raised her free hand to wiggle her fingers in an approximation of air quotes. "aesthetic."
The truth was that, even if all that they said and hoped turned out to be true, there wasn't any way out of this. Even an instant's trauma makes an impression on the psyche. Even if nobody died, if someone stormed the island and managed to free everyone, they had seen people killed. They had been ripped away from their safe, normal lives and thrust into a situation of uncertainty and terror. They were hostages, and that had consequences for them no matter what happened from now on.
All that there was for them to do was to accept it, in one way or another.
So. Who would they be, when given the choice between martyr and monster?
Dolly didn't voice any of that, and instead elected to ignore the hints of escaping altogether. "At any rate, I'd rather we move on and then regroup, if we're sticking together. It's noisy here, wouldn't you agree?"
"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."
So many names. All of them were going to die. Right?
Rhonda was hyperventilating. When did that start? She had no idea. She stopped and held her breath until she could steady herself because if she passed out and fell off the waterfall she'd be mocked by the terrorists, her old friends, everyone, forever. The people here would laugh at her. They'd point and laugh.
She took a deep breath. That made no sense. Nobody would laugh at her for dying. Well, no, the terrorists would. But she didn't have to care. Did she? Right. Right.
They were going to move on, apparently. Figure out a way out? Rhonda didn't know if that was possible. Some people had done it once, but they'd gotten people who came to help them, and nobody knew what had happened to those people now. The waterfall was pretty, looking out, but it was definitely loud, and she'd appreciate the quiet now.
"Yeah." Where to? How was she supposed to know? Meka or Dolly or Ariana would know better, definitely.
Rhonda was hyperventilating. When did that start? She had no idea. She stopped and held her breath until she could steady herself because if she passed out and fell off the waterfall she'd be mocked by the terrorists, her old friends, everyone, forever. The people here would laugh at her. They'd point and laugh.
She took a deep breath. That made no sense. Nobody would laugh at her for dying. Well, no, the terrorists would. But she didn't have to care. Did she? Right. Right.
They were going to move on, apparently. Figure out a way out? Rhonda didn't know if that was possible. Some people had done it once, but they'd gotten people who came to help them, and nobody knew what had happened to those people now. The waterfall was pretty, looking out, but it was definitely loud, and she'd appreciate the quiet now.
"Yeah." Where to? How was she supposed to know? Meka or Dolly or Ariana would know better, definitely.
"Yeah, too fucking loud; even I can barely hear myself!"
Basically bellowing over the din of the falls, Ariana couldn't suppress the smirk that crept upon her face. Aesthetic. Heh.This hell that they were going through, and some people couldn't help but allow themselves to continue to be unabashedly unique. Though, in a manner of speaking, she could actually understand the want to find a place with some beauty in it. Particularly if one were looking to put an...
The smirk fell from her face rather quickly. That was something she hadn't considered; some of their classmates could turn to suicide. It was an awful thought, but the fact was that some people weren't cut out for this kind of pressure. Taking the quick way out might be something some would see as cowardly, but it would probably spare them a great deal of anguish and agony in their last days. It wasn't Ariana's way, and the more the idea sat in her brain, the more she agreed with it as being a coward's choice, but it was a choice. A choice in a situation where the majority of it had been sapped away.
She had a sour taste in her mouth, and to try and get rid of it, she reached back into her assigned duffel bag and rifled around for something that she had felt while searching for the gun. After a second, she found it and pulled it out. Nearer to the mouth of the cave, it was a lot easier to see the map, and Ariana squinted to try and make out the locations listed upon it.
"So we have a waterfall, obviously." She didn't need the map for that. "And... a cliff. Some houses, what looks like a village. A big lake, and I think that's a temple?"
She pursed her lips. There had been so many names, so many faces of people who were trapped here, who were doomed. So many names that would some day wind up back on that damned memorial. There had been a whole empty side of one of the pillars, undoubtedly set aside until these bastards were caught. Now all of their names would fill it.
"Fuck."
The thought staggered her a bit more than she expected, but her resolve strengthened. The hell with all of this. She would protect these people, she would make sure their names never made it onto that godforsaken pillar.
Not today. Not ever. Meka was right. There were always exceptions to the rule.
"I'd say the lake, or maybe the village. Village might have more people, but," she slowly inhaled, shrugging to make her point. "We have to be careful."
Ariana was suddenly conscious of the weapon in her left hand; she had forgotten about it already. Fuck; another shiver down her spine. They needed to get out of here. Rhonda seemed on the verge of panic and wouldn't be making any decisions anytime soon if that were the case; Dolly had offered what she could. She looked expectantly at Meka. It was time to make a choice.
Basically bellowing over the din of the falls, Ariana couldn't suppress the smirk that crept upon her face. Aesthetic. Heh.This hell that they were going through, and some people couldn't help but allow themselves to continue to be unabashedly unique. Though, in a manner of speaking, she could actually understand the want to find a place with some beauty in it. Particularly if one were looking to put an...
The smirk fell from her face rather quickly. That was something she hadn't considered; some of their classmates could turn to suicide. It was an awful thought, but the fact was that some people weren't cut out for this kind of pressure. Taking the quick way out might be something some would see as cowardly, but it would probably spare them a great deal of anguish and agony in their last days. It wasn't Ariana's way, and the more the idea sat in her brain, the more she agreed with it as being a coward's choice, but it was a choice. A choice in a situation where the majority of it had been sapped away.
She had a sour taste in her mouth, and to try and get rid of it, she reached back into her assigned duffel bag and rifled around for something that she had felt while searching for the gun. After a second, she found it and pulled it out. Nearer to the mouth of the cave, it was a lot easier to see the map, and Ariana squinted to try and make out the locations listed upon it.
"So we have a waterfall, obviously." She didn't need the map for that. "And... a cliff. Some houses, what looks like a village. A big lake, and I think that's a temple?"
She pursed her lips. There had been so many names, so many faces of people who were trapped here, who were doomed. So many names that would some day wind up back on that damned memorial. There had been a whole empty side of one of the pillars, undoubtedly set aside until these bastards were caught. Now all of their names would fill it.
"Fuck."
The thought staggered her a bit more than she expected, but her resolve strengthened. The hell with all of this. She would protect these people, she would make sure their names never made it onto that godforsaken pillar.
Not today. Not ever. Meka was right. There were always exceptions to the rule.
"I'd say the lake, or maybe the village. Village might have more people, but," she slowly inhaled, shrugging to make her point. "We have to be careful."
Ariana was suddenly conscious of the weapon in her left hand; she had forgotten about it already. Fuck; another shiver down her spine. They needed to get out of here. Rhonda seemed on the verge of panic and wouldn't be making any decisions anytime soon if that were the case; Dolly had offered what she could. She looked expectantly at Meka. It was time to make a choice.