((Becky Long continued from Chasing Dreams))
Becky had been running a gamut of emotions since the Program began. First there was terror, then a moment of excitement, then a little bit of bliss and then most recently, back to terror.
At that moment, against one of the rocks in the stone circle, she’d lost track of where she was on her emotional marathon.
It’d taken her a while to calm down after Maxim had threatened her life. After she’d stopped running, putting as much distance between the two as she could, she’d gone back to walking through the pine trees with no better goal in mind. At the time, it had seemed like such a huge deal, him talking about playing the game and probably trying to kill her later. Now that she’d had time to calm down and think on it, it seemed more trivial.
This was Maxim Senders she was thinking about. He was too nice to do the stuff he was talking about, like starting to kill everyone and then making a habit of it. He was probably just talking big, maybe panicking about the fact they were still in the Program, after all, and was trying to scare her. It didn’t make sense why he’d want to scare her in the first place, but neither did him trying to murder anyone.
He’d still sounded really sincere though.
She shook the thoughts out of her head, getting to her feet and pacing around for the fourth time since she’d found her way there. She’d spotted the doodles left by Dylan Walker, shortly before her ear had been blown off, on her second trip around. Captain America, who she could recognise even in an incomplete picture, was one of her favourite characters, and his old cartoon was on her list of old timey favourites, even if she’d never admit to watching it to her friends. The other character, who was still getting eaten by a dragon, meant nothing to her.
There was an odor of copper around the art, a smell that a doctor or just someone who got hurt a lot might recognise as dried blood, but not one that Becky could place. She’d seen the splintering of the rock where one of Maxim’s bullets had hit too, but it was equally meaningless. All the signs of violence around her went unrecognised.
At that point, there wasn’t anything to find anymore; the pacing was, in and of itself, pointless. It was a last resort in a time where she just didn’t have anything better to do.
Boredom: that was where she was. Boredom, restlessness, and perhaps she was feeling some frustration too. It had been a nightmare when she’d awoken earlier that day, but after spending hours hiking through the woods with only a pair of encounters, neither one particularly pleasant (even the buzz of kicking Shawn’s ass was starting to wear off), she wanted nothing more than to just go home and put on the TV.
She never was that good at entertaining herself.
Her stomach growled. She’d been putting off eating for a while now, more concerned with getting away from her homicidal friend and figure things out, but if nothing else, it would kill time for a while. She grabbed the bread from her daypack, and began to chow down.
Aimless
Open
"Ok what the hell."
No scratch that.
"What the fuck!"
((Jasmine Stone continued from Luck is for Losers))
Jasmine was standing in front of what was essentially a set of standing stones. That wasn't the problem...well it was part of the problem. The fact she had ended up on the complete other side of the valley from her intended goal wasn't the biggest problem Jasmine was facing said a lot. Somehow the group had gotten split up. It was incredible to think that four people could all lose each other when they were all heading in the same direction but somehow they'd managed it. For a start Ashley had gotten too far ahead like a fucking idiot and disappeared into the trees. Jasmine had called out but Amanda forged on ahead to "Go looking for her." As soon as Jasmine had tried to follow she was fucking gone as well.
Idiots both of them.
She didn't even know what had happened to Aaron but she'd assumed he was still behind her. She had been caught up in her own world of cursing though so she hadn't been paying attention. Maybe that was why she had ended up as far away from the cabin has humanly possible, or maybe she'd gotten turned around when she'd tried to find Ashley, or when she'd tried to find Amanda.
"This is fucking bullshit!"
Jasmine had gone from being safe in a group to being alone again and to top it all off she was freezing and needed a piss. She scratched around the collar on her neck, it was cold and the exact opposite of comforting. As she did so she felt the chain of her necklace.
Her 'lucky' necklace.
She ran her hand along the chain until it reached the skull. Gripping the skull in her hand she raised it to her mouth. "Some fucking use you've been." She whispered.
Everything had gone wrong so far. Absolutely everything. For a start she was picked to take part in the Program. That was the first major thing. Then she'd got the worst weapon in the whole game, at least Ashley's weapon would keep her warm. Jasmine's weapon was useless unless she went insane and started to have conversations, or if it happened to be made mostly of lead so she could poison herself with it. But no it was an action figure...it was beyond a joke. Things had been looking up too, she started in the same place as Ash, if luck was a real force in the world it had been on her side then. She'd made a group and everything was going fine. Then they left the lake and it all went to hell. Ashley had gone too far ahead and gotten lost, Amanda had rushed off to find her and gotten lost, Aaron...well Jasmine had no clue.
So that was how she'd gotten in her current situation. Alone, back at square one, standing in front of the weirdest rock formation in existence. The place seemed abandoned too, so that was great. Jasmine wandered into the centre of the circle not really caring if anyone was lying in wait. Considering how her luck had been going it wouldn't have made a difference even if she'd tried to be sneaky, they would've still seen her.
That was when life threw her a bone. Rebecca Long was sitting against one of the stones. Jasmine had never talked to Rebecca too much. Since they had different hobbies, Rebecca's involved exercise for a start. Jasmine only did that if had too. Unless she was performing, at which point she tended to jump around a lot. Jasmine subconsciously rested a hand over her stomach. She probably should have done more exercise.
In any case Rebecca was alone eating bread. So there was no chance she was going to attack her out of the blue. Jasmine would probably have to watch out for that, Rebecca did Taekwon-Do after all, and from what little Jasmine had heard about that she knew flying kicks were involved and she didn't like the idea of being randomly flying kicked. Instead she settled for a simple greeting.
"Hey...what you up to?" If there was any way to mess up the inflection of a sentence any worse than she just had Jasmine didn't know it. She just hoped Rebecca didn't think she was some sort of moron. She'd already lost two of them and didn't want to be insulted.
No scratch that.
"What the fuck!"
((Jasmine Stone continued from Luck is for Losers))
Jasmine was standing in front of what was essentially a set of standing stones. That wasn't the problem...well it was part of the problem. The fact she had ended up on the complete other side of the valley from her intended goal wasn't the biggest problem Jasmine was facing said a lot. Somehow the group had gotten split up. It was incredible to think that four people could all lose each other when they were all heading in the same direction but somehow they'd managed it. For a start Ashley had gotten too far ahead like a fucking idiot and disappeared into the trees. Jasmine had called out but Amanda forged on ahead to "Go looking for her." As soon as Jasmine had tried to follow she was fucking gone as well.
Idiots both of them.
She didn't even know what had happened to Aaron but she'd assumed he was still behind her. She had been caught up in her own world of cursing though so she hadn't been paying attention. Maybe that was why she had ended up as far away from the cabin has humanly possible, or maybe she'd gotten turned around when she'd tried to find Ashley, or when she'd tried to find Amanda.
"This is fucking bullshit!"
Jasmine had gone from being safe in a group to being alone again and to top it all off she was freezing and needed a piss. She scratched around the collar on her neck, it was cold and the exact opposite of comforting. As she did so she felt the chain of her necklace.
Her 'lucky' necklace.
She ran her hand along the chain until it reached the skull. Gripping the skull in her hand she raised it to her mouth. "Some fucking use you've been." She whispered.
Everything had gone wrong so far. Absolutely everything. For a start she was picked to take part in the Program. That was the first major thing. Then she'd got the worst weapon in the whole game, at least Ashley's weapon would keep her warm. Jasmine's weapon was useless unless she went insane and started to have conversations, or if it happened to be made mostly of lead so she could poison herself with it. But no it was an action figure...it was beyond a joke. Things had been looking up too, she started in the same place as Ash, if luck was a real force in the world it had been on her side then. She'd made a group and everything was going fine. Then they left the lake and it all went to hell. Ashley had gone too far ahead and gotten lost, Amanda had rushed off to find her and gotten lost, Aaron...well Jasmine had no clue.
So that was how she'd gotten in her current situation. Alone, back at square one, standing in front of the weirdest rock formation in existence. The place seemed abandoned too, so that was great. Jasmine wandered into the centre of the circle not really caring if anyone was lying in wait. Considering how her luck had been going it wouldn't have made a difference even if she'd tried to be sneaky, they would've still seen her.
That was when life threw her a bone. Rebecca Long was sitting against one of the stones. Jasmine had never talked to Rebecca too much. Since they had different hobbies, Rebecca's involved exercise for a start. Jasmine only did that if had too. Unless she was performing, at which point she tended to jump around a lot. Jasmine subconsciously rested a hand over her stomach. She probably should have done more exercise.
In any case Rebecca was alone eating bread. So there was no chance she was going to attack her out of the blue. Jasmine would probably have to watch out for that, Rebecca did Taekwon-Do after all, and from what little Jasmine had heard about that she knew flying kicks were involved and she didn't like the idea of being randomly flying kicked. Instead she settled for a simple greeting.
"Hey...what you up to?" If there was any way to mess up the inflection of a sentence any worse than she just had Jasmine didn't know it. She just hoped Rebecca didn't think she was some sort of moron. She'd already lost two of them and didn't want to be insulted.
Becky dropped her bread.
She shrieked, too. The new arrival just generally took her by surprise.
She hadn’t heard Jasmine coming, despite her swear laced ranting, so of course her sudden appearance had made her jump. “Hey.” she finally said in an awkward tone, taking a moment’s pause to calm her nerves, her breath caught in her throat as her lonely boredom was suddenly wrecked.
Jasmine Stone was not Becky’s sort of girl. Whilst Becky wasn’t a person who made enemies without getting into a fight with someone, Jasmine always seemed to project an aura like the sort of bad girl who her parents had silently disapproved of, making Becky wary, and perhaps a bit intimidated, by their enigmatic presences. She didn’t go out of her way to ignore Jasmine, there were few people who she did, but the fact remained that she was almost entirely a stranger as far as Becky was concerned.
It wasn't really what she was hoping for when she wished for something to break up the boredom.
“Uh…not much, you?” she said, her loaf of bread lying between her legs and collecting dirt. “I mean, I’m just here, doing nothing, you know?” At least with her dinner covered in grime she was. If she was alone, she wouldn’t mind just picking it up, brushing off the dirt, and going back to eating, but Jasmine’s presence stood in the way of a situation that relaxed.
The fact that Becky didn’t even know that Jasmine was her name didn’t help the awkwardness much either. She felt a lump in her throat form, as she realized all of a sudden that she didn't really want Jasmine to stick around.
She shrieked, too. The new arrival just generally took her by surprise.
She hadn’t heard Jasmine coming, despite her swear laced ranting, so of course her sudden appearance had made her jump. “Hey.” she finally said in an awkward tone, taking a moment’s pause to calm her nerves, her breath caught in her throat as her lonely boredom was suddenly wrecked.
Jasmine Stone was not Becky’s sort of girl. Whilst Becky wasn’t a person who made enemies without getting into a fight with someone, Jasmine always seemed to project an aura like the sort of bad girl who her parents had silently disapproved of, making Becky wary, and perhaps a bit intimidated, by their enigmatic presences. She didn’t go out of her way to ignore Jasmine, there were few people who she did, but the fact remained that she was almost entirely a stranger as far as Becky was concerned.
It wasn't really what she was hoping for when she wished for something to break up the boredom.
“Uh…not much, you?” she said, her loaf of bread lying between her legs and collecting dirt. “I mean, I’m just here, doing nothing, you know?” At least with her dinner covered in grime she was. If she was alone, she wouldn’t mind just picking it up, brushing off the dirt, and going back to eating, but Jasmine’s presence stood in the way of a situation that relaxed.
The fact that Becky didn’t even know that Jasmine was her name didn’t help the awkwardness much either. She felt a lump in her throat form, as she realized all of a sudden that she didn't really want Jasmine to stick around.
(Stephanie Moon continued from Listenlistenlisten! )
Its funny how cyclical life is Steph though to herself. She couldn't be more than a few yards from where this whole journey had started, back to square one. It was bizarre, everything repeating itself over and over again. It just reinforced her own feelings of hopelessness and futility, there was no real point to anything she did.
She was roused out of her thoughts by the sound of a girlish scream. The image of Brigid lying there, her arm outstretched begging for mercy jumped unheeded into Steph's head. She stepped back at the vivid image, the colour draining even further from her face. She looked for the source of the scream. Scanning the area she saw a couple of girls apparently deep in conversation. She didn't recognise the girl leaning against the stones, frankly she didn't care who the girl was. It didn't matter, she was just a speck on the radar. No points for Steph in the recognise your classmates game.
By contrast, there was no question as to who the second person was. Jaz, she had finally found her best friend. Despite actively looking for Jaz for most of the time she was here Steph felt oddly apathetic. She knew she should be happy but only really felt empty.
She approached the pair making no real effort to disguise her approach, she didn't care any more what they thought of her. It just didn't matter in the wider scheme of things. She stopped and waited to see what would occur this time round.
Its funny how cyclical life is Steph though to herself. She couldn't be more than a few yards from where this whole journey had started, back to square one. It was bizarre, everything repeating itself over and over again. It just reinforced her own feelings of hopelessness and futility, there was no real point to anything she did.
She was roused out of her thoughts by the sound of a girlish scream. The image of Brigid lying there, her arm outstretched begging for mercy jumped unheeded into Steph's head. She stepped back at the vivid image, the colour draining even further from her face. She looked for the source of the scream. Scanning the area she saw a couple of girls apparently deep in conversation. She didn't recognise the girl leaning against the stones, frankly she didn't care who the girl was. It didn't matter, she was just a speck on the radar. No points for Steph in the recognise your classmates game.
By contrast, there was no question as to who the second person was. Jaz, she had finally found her best friend. Despite actively looking for Jaz for most of the time she was here Steph felt oddly apathetic. She knew she should be happy but only really felt empty.
She approached the pair making no real effort to disguise her approach, she didn't care any more what they thought of her. It just didn't matter in the wider scheme of things. She stopped and waited to see what would occur this time round.
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Screaming at the sight of her.
That kind of reaction didn't fill Jasmine with hope for how the rest of the encounter was going to go, and did she really look that bad?
It was pretty obvious Jasmine had caught Rebecca off guard. Judging from the fact her reaction to Jasmine's question had been to drop her bread and scream like a...well a girl. It was the response Jasmine had been expecting truth be told. What she'd been expecting was something calmer especially since it wasn't like Jasmine was a threatening presence. Then again you never knew who could have a dangerous weapon and was just waiting to catch you off guard, so a little bit of paranoia was probably a good thing.
After the girl had gotten over the shock of seeing Jasmine she answered the question. The answer was what Jasmine had expected. Rebecca had been doing nothing and Jasmine had rudely interrupted her.
"Well I was with a group, but we got separated...because they're all idiots." Jasmine grumbled the last part, but it was still fairly loud. Jasmine was still angry at the fact none of them had been able to stick together, it shouldn't have been hard to walk in a group yet they hadn't managed it. "So right now I'm not exactly up too much."
Jasmine couldn't help but feel how awkward the whole situation was, it was almost if Jasmine had walked in on something she shouldn't have. That wasn't what had happened but that was what it felt like. It was at that point Jasmine realised that she hadn't actually introduced herself which would have helped ease the tension a bit. Rebecca may have known her name but it would still be for the best if she introduced herself. It was like a little show of trust.
"I'm Jasmine by the way." She would have gone on to ask Rebecca her name. Just so the other girl actually got a chance to introduce herself but she was interrupted by the entrance of a third person. Jasmine turned in the direction of the footsteps to see Stephanie Moon walk into the circle.
It was a pleasant surprise.
It would have been better if Ashley was with her but Jasmine didn't want to ruin the stroke of luck. As long as it didn't go the way of her group with Ashley it would be fine. Stephanie was Jasmine's other best friend and they'd known each other for a long time. Stephanie was the only other person apart from Ashley who seemed to be able to put up with Jasmine's sense of humour all the time and they both enjoyed movies. It was ironic in away that'd Jasmine would lose one best friend only to find the other but it wasn't a bad thing. It was better to be with Stephanie than to be alone, that was for sure. She smiled at Stephanie as she approached but stopped quickly. There was something about the look on her friends face and the way she was walking that wasn't right.
"Steph, are you alright?" Jasmine couldn't keep the concern out of her voice but at the same time she didn't know what to do to help. She just hoped giving Stephanie the chance to talk about it would help, but considering the situation they were in she wasn't so sure.
That kind of reaction didn't fill Jasmine with hope for how the rest of the encounter was going to go, and did she really look that bad?
It was pretty obvious Jasmine had caught Rebecca off guard. Judging from the fact her reaction to Jasmine's question had been to drop her bread and scream like a...well a girl. It was the response Jasmine had been expecting truth be told. What she'd been expecting was something calmer especially since it wasn't like Jasmine was a threatening presence. Then again you never knew who could have a dangerous weapon and was just waiting to catch you off guard, so a little bit of paranoia was probably a good thing.
After the girl had gotten over the shock of seeing Jasmine she answered the question. The answer was what Jasmine had expected. Rebecca had been doing nothing and Jasmine had rudely interrupted her.
"Well I was with a group, but we got separated...because they're all idiots." Jasmine grumbled the last part, but it was still fairly loud. Jasmine was still angry at the fact none of them had been able to stick together, it shouldn't have been hard to walk in a group yet they hadn't managed it. "So right now I'm not exactly up too much."
Jasmine couldn't help but feel how awkward the whole situation was, it was almost if Jasmine had walked in on something she shouldn't have. That wasn't what had happened but that was what it felt like. It was at that point Jasmine realised that she hadn't actually introduced herself which would have helped ease the tension a bit. Rebecca may have known her name but it would still be for the best if she introduced herself. It was like a little show of trust.
"I'm Jasmine by the way." She would have gone on to ask Rebecca her name. Just so the other girl actually got a chance to introduce herself but she was interrupted by the entrance of a third person. Jasmine turned in the direction of the footsteps to see Stephanie Moon walk into the circle.
It was a pleasant surprise.
It would have been better if Ashley was with her but Jasmine didn't want to ruin the stroke of luck. As long as it didn't go the way of her group with Ashley it would be fine. Stephanie was Jasmine's other best friend and they'd known each other for a long time. Stephanie was the only other person apart from Ashley who seemed to be able to put up with Jasmine's sense of humour all the time and they both enjoyed movies. It was ironic in away that'd Jasmine would lose one best friend only to find the other but it wasn't a bad thing. It was better to be with Stephanie than to be alone, that was for sure. She smiled at Stephanie as she approached but stopped quickly. There was something about the look on her friends face and the way she was walking that wasn't right.
"Steph, are you alright?" Jasmine couldn't keep the concern out of her voice but at the same time she didn't know what to do to help. She just hoped giving Stephanie the chance to talk about it would help, but considering the situation they were in she wasn't so sure.
((Aaron Chalmers continued from Luck Is For Losers))
Things… could have gone better after leaving the lake. Being the last man to leave the lake shore and bringing up the rear of the group, Aaron had felt content to just follow the distant shape of Jasmine’s back as she lead the way through the forest, trusting that she would follow Amanda and that she would follow Ashley and hopefully the strange girl would follow the map and compass. That wasn’t what happened.
He didn’t know when, but at some point Jasmine must have lost the others, and then Aaron had lost her. She had taken off at a run all of a sudden and Aaron sped up to follow, but even being in better shape and condition than the girl he was far back enough that he soon fell behind and lost sight of the girl. Ever since then he had been travelling in the same general direction – East according to his compass, which considering they were supposed to be going North was a problem – hoping to bump into them again.
That was a while ago now and by this point he had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he probably wouldn’t find them. As such he had stopped trying to catch up and was simply taking him time in walking through the forest, lasso looped around his neck loosely and just going wherever the rise and fall of the terrain led him. Despite losing his only allies – or indeed the only people he had seen so far – didn’t really bother him past the point that he had very quickly failed in his self assigned duty as bodyguard; he wasn’t too worried about getting himself into trouble despite his situation and his poor weapon. He wasn’t too worried about where he was going to head next. He was content for the moment to just be by himself and keep walking. Sooner or later he would have to either end up at one of the valleys landmarks or run into the area boundary and be forced to turn back.
He was broken out of his content wandering though when he heard a clear cut and feminine scream piece the silence of the forest. Suddenly alert and on edge he stopped, listening closely for any follow up sounds. When none came he instead decided to seek out the source of the sound, which seemed to have come from somewhere ahead of him, worried that somebody might be in trouble.
He rushed ahead, weaving between trees even as they thinned out as he approached the source of the disturbance; a series of large stone arranged in a loose circular formation. He came up short when he burst out of the trees onto the scene and found not a confrontation, but a conversation between three girls; that was a rather familiar scene by now, as was one of the girls involved.
“Jasmine.” Looking around the rest of the circle he couldn’t see anyone besides those three and Amanda and Ashley were nowhere to be seen. “Where are the other two?”
Things… could have gone better after leaving the lake. Being the last man to leave the lake shore and bringing up the rear of the group, Aaron had felt content to just follow the distant shape of Jasmine’s back as she lead the way through the forest, trusting that she would follow Amanda and that she would follow Ashley and hopefully the strange girl would follow the map and compass. That wasn’t what happened.
He didn’t know when, but at some point Jasmine must have lost the others, and then Aaron had lost her. She had taken off at a run all of a sudden and Aaron sped up to follow, but even being in better shape and condition than the girl he was far back enough that he soon fell behind and lost sight of the girl. Ever since then he had been travelling in the same general direction – East according to his compass, which considering they were supposed to be going North was a problem – hoping to bump into them again.
That was a while ago now and by this point he had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he probably wouldn’t find them. As such he had stopped trying to catch up and was simply taking him time in walking through the forest, lasso looped around his neck loosely and just going wherever the rise and fall of the terrain led him. Despite losing his only allies – or indeed the only people he had seen so far – didn’t really bother him past the point that he had very quickly failed in his self assigned duty as bodyguard; he wasn’t too worried about getting himself into trouble despite his situation and his poor weapon. He wasn’t too worried about where he was going to head next. He was content for the moment to just be by himself and keep walking. Sooner or later he would have to either end up at one of the valleys landmarks or run into the area boundary and be forced to turn back.
He was broken out of his content wandering though when he heard a clear cut and feminine scream piece the silence of the forest. Suddenly alert and on edge he stopped, listening closely for any follow up sounds. When none came he instead decided to seek out the source of the sound, which seemed to have come from somewhere ahead of him, worried that somebody might be in trouble.
He rushed ahead, weaving between trees even as they thinned out as he approached the source of the disturbance; a series of large stone arranged in a loose circular formation. He came up short when he burst out of the trees onto the scene and found not a confrontation, but a conversation between three girls; that was a rather familiar scene by now, as was one of the girls involved.
“Jasmine.” Looking around the rest of the circle he couldn’t see anyone besides those three and Amanda and Ashley were nowhere to be seen. “Where are the other two?”
Becky listened politely to Jasmine, her body tense, unsure of how her new company would act given all the reputation that Becky had conjured for her. She didn't really care too much if she'd gotten separated from her friends, not because she couldn't relate, but because she really didn't care too much. After all, she'd only gotten to meet one of her friends so far and then he'd aimed a gun at her, so Jasmine could suck it up like she was. She was about to give her own name when Stephanie Moon appeared, and before she'd even had a chance to react to her, Aaron Chalmers arrived in the circle.
Just like that, Becky’s lonely little stone circle had become a verified meeting ground.
Whilst Becky was usually huge on social gatherings, the fact remained that she barely knew any of the three arrivals. Stephanie Moon, despite being a girl whom Becky would’ve shared many interests had the two conversed at length, was simply someone she’d never gotten around to talking to. Aaron fared slightly better in the number of conversations, but his focus on the still intimidating Jasmine, and her interest in Stephanie, just made Becky the third wheel in her own dinner site.
A cold breeze blew through the air, snapping Becky out of her awkwardness and drawing her attention back to the darkening night sky. It was only going to get colder as the night went on and without a tent or a sleeping bag, sleeping outside would be awful, if not outright dangerous depending on how cold the weather could go. It was only fall, but she had no idea what part of America she was in, nor how cold it could drop out there.
She remembered seeing a town on her map, on the other side of the pine trees. Traveling through the woods in the dark was a definite scouting do-not-do, but the alternative was hanging around with these three strangers and still ending up sleeping outside, probably. Besides, she could just follow the meandering stream back to the lake, then she’d probably be able to see the town if the map was anything to go by.
She picked her bread back up off the ground, blatantly violating the five second rule, and slipped her daypack back over her shoulders. She debated if it would’ve been polite to say goodbye to the three before she headed off, but decided not to as she crept off.
She’d feel a lot more social in the morning.
((Becky Long continued Hush, Hush))
Just like that, Becky’s lonely little stone circle had become a verified meeting ground.
Whilst Becky was usually huge on social gatherings, the fact remained that she barely knew any of the three arrivals. Stephanie Moon, despite being a girl whom Becky would’ve shared many interests had the two conversed at length, was simply someone she’d never gotten around to talking to. Aaron fared slightly better in the number of conversations, but his focus on the still intimidating Jasmine, and her interest in Stephanie, just made Becky the third wheel in her own dinner site.
A cold breeze blew through the air, snapping Becky out of her awkwardness and drawing her attention back to the darkening night sky. It was only going to get colder as the night went on and without a tent or a sleeping bag, sleeping outside would be awful, if not outright dangerous depending on how cold the weather could go. It was only fall, but she had no idea what part of America she was in, nor how cold it could drop out there.
She remembered seeing a town on her map, on the other side of the pine trees. Traveling through the woods in the dark was a definite scouting do-not-do, but the alternative was hanging around with these three strangers and still ending up sleeping outside, probably. Besides, she could just follow the meandering stream back to the lake, then she’d probably be able to see the town if the map was anything to go by.
She picked her bread back up off the ground, blatantly violating the five second rule, and slipped her daypack back over her shoulders. She debated if it would’ve been polite to say goodbye to the three before she headed off, but decided not to as she crept off.
She’d feel a lot more social in the morning.
((Becky Long continued Hush, Hush))
Are you alright? It is funny how such a mundane question can throw you. Steph pondered her response, the obvious reply was that no one forced into a valley with 40 or so potential murderers is likely to be fine. However, this general response probably did not get to the heart of what Jaz was asking. The key word here was YOU, are you alright. This raised some issues which she really didn't want to think about, footage from her time here started to run through her head. Her making an ass of herself yards from her current position, the argument with Tori...oh yeah, that reminds me the bitch was lying.
"you ARE alive, I knew it" she half muttered to herself, still very much just thinking aloud.
This route of thinking was interrupted by a new arrival. She quickly discounted them, they were talking to Jaz not her. She was tired and couldn't be bothered to work out who this person was, the important fact was his greeting suggested he had no intention of hurting her. Well in fact that was not quite true, though it would not be sensible to attack someone after addressing them it did not discount the possibility. It could, after all, be a ploy to get close under the guise of friendliness.
Steph felt conflicted part of her wanted to run, another part wanted to protect her best friend. After failing so completely last time she owed it to Jaz to protect her, besides if you don't stand by your best friend who would you stand up for? However, both these feelings were outweighed by apathy and tiredness.
"you ARE alive, I knew it" she half muttered to herself, still very much just thinking aloud.
This route of thinking was interrupted by a new arrival. She quickly discounted them, they were talking to Jaz not her. She was tired and couldn't be bothered to work out who this person was, the important fact was his greeting suggested he had no intention of hurting her. Well in fact that was not quite true, though it would not be sensible to attack someone after addressing them it did not discount the possibility. It could, after all, be a ploy to get close under the guise of friendliness.
Steph felt conflicted part of her wanted to run, another part wanted to protect her best friend. After failing so completely last time she owed it to Jaz to protect her, besides if you don't stand by your best friend who would you stand up for? However, both these feelings were outweighed by apathy and tiredness.
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Stephanie had only just arrived at the circle and had muttered something Jasmine couldn't make out as Aaron came rushing in. If Jasmine was to take she would say he'd run in because he'd heard Rebecca's shriek and since he'd been searching for three girls he'd rushed to help on the off-chance it was her, Ashley or Amanda. Jasmine was surprised to feel relieved that Aaron had actually found her. It was mostly because she considered him the most useful member of her old group...as harsh as it sounded to think of it in such a cold and analytic way. The truth however was that Amanda had a broken arm and was more of a hindrance than anything else, she wouldn't have been able to help in a fight and would have just gotten in the way if they had to decide on anything as a group, since there was always a chance of a tie if thinks went to a vote.
As much as it sucked to think about Ashley was about as much use as Jasmine was. It sounded callous to Jasmine to even be thinking it but it was true, neither she nor Ashley brought anything to bear in a fight and both of their weapons were useless. If a fight had occurred the group would have been doomed to suffer injuries at the least. So it stood to reason that Aaron being the only one of the group who was both physically fit and uninjured was the most useful. So that was why Jasmine felt relieved that he had found her.
"Ashley rushed ahead like an idiot and then Amanda went to 'look for her'." Jasmine couldn't keep the edge out of her voice. "I guess Amanda got lost as well...moron."
Jasmine didn't feel bad for still being mad about what had happened. It had left her all alone in a situation that could easily have been avoided if either of the other two had exercised any common sense whatsoever. Ashley was Jasmine's friend and all but she wasn't going to let her get away with doing something so stupid.
Jasmine turned to where Rebecca had been sitting with the intent of introducing her to Aaron and Stephanie, instead of seeing the girl sitting down she just saw plain rock. "Shit." She muttered under her breath. Jasmine didn't know exactly why she was too bothered about Rebecca sneaking off while she'd been distracted but it probably had something to do with the fact she actually had experience in a combat sport and even if it was just a sport it would've still been helpful, as things stood though she'd bolted.
It wasn't too much of a surprise really. If her reaction to first seeing Jasmine was anything to go by; she'd been uncomfortable with her presence from the beginning and the arrival of more people had probably just compounded that. Jasmine didn't really blame her for running. It was probably the easier option and didn't leave you wondering if you were going to be attacked.
A crackling sound brought Jasmine out of her thoughts and made her go tense; she didn't know what was going on. The sound of what must have been speakers turning out was followed by someone humming 'Born in the USA'...badly. It was an announcement. Jasmine had heard about them. It was essentially an update for everyone involved in the game, telling them who had died and who their killers were. Jasmine remembered from the times she'd watched the Program, so at least she wasn't totally in the dark about what was going to happen.
Dylan Walker had killed Brigid Paxton.
Clara Fox had killed Caleb Smartt.
Robin Pounds had killed Emily Barnes.
Jasmine didn't know how to react as the names were read off the list, on the one hand it was less competition but on the other it was her classmates being killed by others. It was a stark contrast to watching the Program on TV when you didn't have a connection to anyone who was taking part beyond what they did during the course of the Program itself. But here it was different; she would know what they had been like before being killed. Every name would be a person she knew, was friends with or knew of. There was no getting around that and it scared Jasmine. There was something else as well, the man making the announcement instructed everyone to clear out and stay out of the Scorched Ruin and the Crag Cabin, or their collars would explode. Jasmine didn't know where either of those places was but she had a map and a ruin sounded like something that would be easy to notice so there was no point dwelling on it.
Jasmine looked from Aaron to Stephanie, thinking of something, anything to say that would break the silence. She drew a blank.
"I...I've not got any ideas right now."
What more could she say?
As much as it sucked to think about Ashley was about as much use as Jasmine was. It sounded callous to Jasmine to even be thinking it but it was true, neither she nor Ashley brought anything to bear in a fight and both of their weapons were useless. If a fight had occurred the group would have been doomed to suffer injuries at the least. So it stood to reason that Aaron being the only one of the group who was both physically fit and uninjured was the most useful. So that was why Jasmine felt relieved that he had found her.
"Ashley rushed ahead like an idiot and then Amanda went to 'look for her'." Jasmine couldn't keep the edge out of her voice. "I guess Amanda got lost as well...moron."
Jasmine didn't feel bad for still being mad about what had happened. It had left her all alone in a situation that could easily have been avoided if either of the other two had exercised any common sense whatsoever. Ashley was Jasmine's friend and all but she wasn't going to let her get away with doing something so stupid.
Jasmine turned to where Rebecca had been sitting with the intent of introducing her to Aaron and Stephanie, instead of seeing the girl sitting down she just saw plain rock. "Shit." She muttered under her breath. Jasmine didn't know exactly why she was too bothered about Rebecca sneaking off while she'd been distracted but it probably had something to do with the fact she actually had experience in a combat sport and even if it was just a sport it would've still been helpful, as things stood though she'd bolted.
It wasn't too much of a surprise really. If her reaction to first seeing Jasmine was anything to go by; she'd been uncomfortable with her presence from the beginning and the arrival of more people had probably just compounded that. Jasmine didn't really blame her for running. It was probably the easier option and didn't leave you wondering if you were going to be attacked.
A crackling sound brought Jasmine out of her thoughts and made her go tense; she didn't know what was going on. The sound of what must have been speakers turning out was followed by someone humming 'Born in the USA'...badly. It was an announcement. Jasmine had heard about them. It was essentially an update for everyone involved in the game, telling them who had died and who their killers were. Jasmine remembered from the times she'd watched the Program, so at least she wasn't totally in the dark about what was going to happen.
Dylan Walker had killed Brigid Paxton.
Clara Fox had killed Caleb Smartt.
Robin Pounds had killed Emily Barnes.
Jasmine didn't know how to react as the names were read off the list, on the one hand it was less competition but on the other it was her classmates being killed by others. It was a stark contrast to watching the Program on TV when you didn't have a connection to anyone who was taking part beyond what they did during the course of the Program itself. But here it was different; she would know what they had been like before being killed. Every name would be a person she knew, was friends with or knew of. There was no getting around that and it scared Jasmine. There was something else as well, the man making the announcement instructed everyone to clear out and stay out of the Scorched Ruin and the Crag Cabin, or their collars would explode. Jasmine didn't know where either of those places was but she had a map and a ruin sounded like something that would be easy to notice so there was no point dwelling on it.
Jasmine looked from Aaron to Stephanie, thinking of something, anything to say that would break the silence. She drew a blank.
"I...I've not got any ideas right now."
What more could she say?
"Ashley rushed ahead like an idiot and then Amanda went to 'look for her'. I guess Amanda got lost as well...moron."
That sounded plausible enough, Aaron had lost the others himself during their trip from the lake so he could easily see the others getting lost as well. He was a little surprised by the anger and frustration in Jasmine’s voice but given the circumstances a little anger at their wayward companions was justified.
“Well, there’s nothing we can really do about that; we’ll just have to try and find them later. Maybe they made it to the cabin on their own? We could go and look for them?”
The conversation was interrupted by the squeal of speakers coming to life then as the sound of someone – badly – humming ‘born in the USA’ starting wafting through the silence. From what little Aaron had seen of The Program he knew about the announcements, but their presence in the game had slipped his mind and it was still a few moments before he realised what was happening.
On an unspoken agreement the three present went quiet as they listened to what the person on the other end of the microphone had to say, listening as a list of the dead and their killers were read out. None of the names really meant anything to Aaron; he vaguely knew Caleb as a guy on the basketball team, a bit of a loud mouth, but that as about it.
In the wake of the announcement still nobody said anything as they let the information sink in. It was Jasmine who broke the silence first, saying basically that she didn’t know what to say. He could sympathise; what were you supposed to say in that situation? What were you supposed to say when three people you knew were dead? The fact that he didn’t really know them that well only made it harder to respond.
“I guess heading to the cabin is out. Do you want to try looking for your friends somewhere else?”
That sounded plausible enough, Aaron had lost the others himself during their trip from the lake so he could easily see the others getting lost as well. He was a little surprised by the anger and frustration in Jasmine’s voice but given the circumstances a little anger at their wayward companions was justified.
“Well, there’s nothing we can really do about that; we’ll just have to try and find them later. Maybe they made it to the cabin on their own? We could go and look for them?”
The conversation was interrupted by the squeal of speakers coming to life then as the sound of someone – badly – humming ‘born in the USA’ starting wafting through the silence. From what little Aaron had seen of The Program he knew about the announcements, but their presence in the game had slipped his mind and it was still a few moments before he realised what was happening.
On an unspoken agreement the three present went quiet as they listened to what the person on the other end of the microphone had to say, listening as a list of the dead and their killers were read out. None of the names really meant anything to Aaron; he vaguely knew Caleb as a guy on the basketball team, a bit of a loud mouth, but that as about it.
In the wake of the announcement still nobody said anything as they let the information sink in. It was Jasmine who broke the silence first, saying basically that she didn’t know what to say. He could sympathise; what were you supposed to say in that situation? What were you supposed to say when three people you knew were dead? The fact that he didn’t really know them that well only made it harder to respond.
“I guess heading to the cabin is out. Do you want to try looking for your friends somewhere else?”
The conversation droned on between her friend and the new arrival. For the amount she cared it might as well have been going on on a different planet. The summary seemed to be that Jaz had assembled a group and they had all wandered off. She wondered why Jaz was so annoyed, it really was not worth the effort. It was a slight pity Ashley had wandered off, she wasn’t sure if they were friends, maybe by mutual acquaintance; that made them friends? But in this valley the niceties of social interaction were hardly the most important consideration.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the first, slightly crackling bars of born in the USA. Frankly the least they could have done was get a decent PA system. Also, it was hardly original or dramatic a choice. Presumably some corporate big wig thought it was terribly witty, post modern and ironic. Steph almost wanted to roll her eyes but couldn’t conjure the energy.
Everyone seemed to be frozen in time, listening intently to the man. His casual tone grated with the content of his announcement. It seems Brigid hadn't been the only one to di....go. Caleb was also gone along with Emily, it really seemed everyone she had bumped into was now going, one by one. It seemed like minutes ago she had been casually conversing with these people, or maybe hanging over them like a morbid angel. She wondered if it was her fault, like Brigid had been. The announcement rammed home to Steph the reality of the situation she was in. The flashbacks had been bad enough, every time someone mentioned Brigid her senses went into overload. The sound, smell and sights vividly replaying for her. This announcement confirmed what she really hadn't wanted to accept. She was going to die, it was as simple and as blunt as that. She wondered if she should leave, she had failed to protect one person and she did not want to bring harm on one of her few friends. As if released from a bubble, she was hit with a wave of tiredness at the end of the announcement. She was struggling to concentrate or even really care. Listening to Jaz’s question her response was suitably blunt:
“Do what you want mate, It’s useless anyway”
Her thoughts were interrupted by the first, slightly crackling bars of born in the USA. Frankly the least they could have done was get a decent PA system. Also, it was hardly original or dramatic a choice. Presumably some corporate big wig thought it was terribly witty, post modern and ironic. Steph almost wanted to roll her eyes but couldn’t conjure the energy.
Everyone seemed to be frozen in time, listening intently to the man. His casual tone grated with the content of his announcement. It seems Brigid hadn't been the only one to di....go. Caleb was also gone along with Emily, it really seemed everyone she had bumped into was now going, one by one. It seemed like minutes ago she had been casually conversing with these people, or maybe hanging over them like a morbid angel. She wondered if it was her fault, like Brigid had been. The announcement rammed home to Steph the reality of the situation she was in. The flashbacks had been bad enough, every time someone mentioned Brigid her senses went into overload. The sound, smell and sights vividly replaying for her. This announcement confirmed what she really hadn't wanted to accept. She was going to die, it was as simple and as blunt as that. She wondered if she should leave, she had failed to protect one person and she did not want to bring harm on one of her few friends. As if released from a bubble, she was hit with a wave of tiredness at the end of the announcement. She was struggling to concentrate or even really care. Listening to Jaz’s question her response was suitably blunt:
“Do what you want mate, It’s useless anyway”
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Aaron had suggested trying to go to the cabin but that idea was out since it had been declared a danger zone. In a way it was a good thing they hadn't reached the cabin, it would've just ended up being a waste of their time and Jasmine wouldn't have ended up finding Stephanie. Things were slightly better the way they'd ended up, apart from the group getting separated, but that could have gone worse in retrospect. She still had Aaron after all.
It took Jasmine a couple of seconds to realise that Aaron had asked her a question. He'd asked about looking for Ashley and Amanda. Jasmine ran the idea through her head a few times, hoping that some magic solution to the problem that she hadn't thought of would present itself. Sadly no solution to the problem was forthcoming, magical or otherwise. The biggest problem with the idea of looking for Ashley and Amanda was the fact that it would require serious effort. Jasmine only really put forth proper effort for a select group of things. It wasn't that she didn't want to find Ashley and Amanda because she did and wasn't that she wouldn't try to find them because she would try.
The thing was that she knew that she was very likely to give up after failing to find them after a couple of attempts. She just wouldn't take the failure very well, and when you considered how big and area they were in combined with the buildings in the town they'd have to search, the big stretches of woodland they could be in. Add in the fact that Ashley and Amanda probably weren't travelling together and were both moving independently, so it had the potential of taking a long time and having to go through a lot of failures. She just couldn't see herself being able to cope with that again and again. Still she didn't have a better plan to go with.
She was about to respond to Aaron when Stephanie spoke up. It wasn't what you'd call an optimistic statement. Now Stephanie had never been the most optimistic person in the world and Jasmine had no problem admitting that. She was instead extremely self-assured and amazingly sarcastic. When Jasmine thought about it they were very similar in that respect; but what she had said was beyond pessimism. It was flat out giving up. That wasn't like her at all and it scared Jasmine.
"What happened to you Steph?" This time Jasmine sounded worried. Something had happened to Stephanie and it was weighing on her, she hadn't answered the last time Jasmine had asked either, something bad had happened to her friend and Jasmine was powerless to help her overcome it. That was the worst feeling of all.
It took Jasmine a couple of seconds to realise that Aaron had asked her a question. He'd asked about looking for Ashley and Amanda. Jasmine ran the idea through her head a few times, hoping that some magic solution to the problem that she hadn't thought of would present itself. Sadly no solution to the problem was forthcoming, magical or otherwise. The biggest problem with the idea of looking for Ashley and Amanda was the fact that it would require serious effort. Jasmine only really put forth proper effort for a select group of things. It wasn't that she didn't want to find Ashley and Amanda because she did and wasn't that she wouldn't try to find them because she would try.
The thing was that she knew that she was very likely to give up after failing to find them after a couple of attempts. She just wouldn't take the failure very well, and when you considered how big and area they were in combined with the buildings in the town they'd have to search, the big stretches of woodland they could be in. Add in the fact that Ashley and Amanda probably weren't travelling together and were both moving independently, so it had the potential of taking a long time and having to go through a lot of failures. She just couldn't see herself being able to cope with that again and again. Still she didn't have a better plan to go with.
She was about to respond to Aaron when Stephanie spoke up. It wasn't what you'd call an optimistic statement. Now Stephanie had never been the most optimistic person in the world and Jasmine had no problem admitting that. She was instead extremely self-assured and amazingly sarcastic. When Jasmine thought about it they were very similar in that respect; but what she had said was beyond pessimism. It was flat out giving up. That wasn't like her at all and it scared Jasmine.
"What happened to you Steph?" This time Jasmine sounded worried. Something had happened to Stephanie and it was weighing on her, she hadn't answered the last time Jasmine had asked either, something bad had happened to her friend and Jasmine was powerless to help her overcome it. That was the worst feeling of all.
“Do what you want mate, It’s useless anyway”
Aaron wasn’t really sure what to make of this new girl. Jasmine was obviously comfortable enough around her, having been speaking to her when he arrived and not seeming too bothered by her presence, which probably meant she was a friend, or at least somebody who could be trusted. But without knowing her himself he couldn’t help but be a little wary of her.
This was the first time she had spoken that he had heard and based on just that he had to say that he didn’t really like her that much. It was unfair to make a snap decision like that, but that kind of pessimism just wasn’t what they needed right now. Giving up wasn’t going to help any of them.
Not that he knew what would help them right now. They were effectively lost and directionless; they had no idea where to go from here except for maybe trying to join back up with the other two girls from the lake and even then they had no idea where they might be or where to start looking.
He was debating what to say next, trying to think of something to say that would spur the group into action, when Jasmine cut him off. She was asking what had happened to the other girl – whose name was apparently Stephanie – concern clear in her tone. That interested Aaron, enough to make him hold his tongue for now, to delay trying to figure out there next move for the moment.
To him, the Program had only been going on for a few hours or so. He had somewhat lost track of time in the forest looking for everyone else, but he knew it wasn’t that long. Yet according to the announcement three people were already dead; the game was well under way. If something bad had happened to this other girl then it might go some way to explain her attitude and Aaron was interested to hear about it.
Aaron wasn’t really sure what to make of this new girl. Jasmine was obviously comfortable enough around her, having been speaking to her when he arrived and not seeming too bothered by her presence, which probably meant she was a friend, or at least somebody who could be trusted. But without knowing her himself he couldn’t help but be a little wary of her.
This was the first time she had spoken that he had heard and based on just that he had to say that he didn’t really like her that much. It was unfair to make a snap decision like that, but that kind of pessimism just wasn’t what they needed right now. Giving up wasn’t going to help any of them.
Not that he knew what would help them right now. They were effectively lost and directionless; they had no idea where to go from here except for maybe trying to join back up with the other two girls from the lake and even then they had no idea where they might be or where to start looking.
He was debating what to say next, trying to think of something to say that would spur the group into action, when Jasmine cut him off. She was asking what had happened to the other girl – whose name was apparently Stephanie – concern clear in her tone. That interested Aaron, enough to make him hold his tongue for now, to delay trying to figure out there next move for the moment.
To him, the Program had only been going on for a few hours or so. He had somewhat lost track of time in the forest looking for everyone else, but he knew it wasn’t that long. Yet according to the announcement three people were already dead; the game was well under way. If something bad had happened to this other girl then it might go some way to explain her attitude and Aaron was interested to hear about it.
It was a simple question but Steph didn't know where to begin answering it. She wouldn't....she couldn't say, the memory was too painful and fresh. Mercifully her tired brain did not replay the scene, though she suspected it was permanently ingrained on the inside of her eyelids. In fact she was fairly sure it was something that would haunt her to her grave, though that probably would not be too delayed.
Like many times before she realised an answer was required and she was too stuck in her own head. She briefly considered lying but she had never been a good liar, sarcasm she could do but lying she struggled at the best of times. She tried to convince herself that telling someone would have a cathartic effect but her heart wasn't in it. She felt tired and leant against one of the stones, its bulk and weight supporting her. She began to speak, tripping over her words and the speed varying oddly as she tried to sort her head out.
"oh you know I thought death valley was supposed to be warm...she isn't leaving me alone,it wasn't my fault:I think it's time to...go".
By the word her voice had dropped to a whisper and she could hardly force the words out. Steph was almost unaware of her companions she just felt so tired, but she knew what to do now.
Like many times before she realised an answer was required and she was too stuck in her own head. She briefly considered lying but she had never been a good liar, sarcasm she could do but lying she struggled at the best of times. She tried to convince herself that telling someone would have a cathartic effect but her heart wasn't in it. She felt tired and leant against one of the stones, its bulk and weight supporting her. She began to speak, tripping over her words and the speed varying oddly as she tried to sort her head out.
"oh you know I thought death valley was supposed to be warm...she isn't leaving me alone,it wasn't my fault:I think it's time to...go".
By the word her voice had dropped to a whisper and she could hardly force the words out. Steph was almost unaware of her companions she just felt so tired, but she knew what to do now.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler aristeia. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
After Jasmine asked Stephanie what was wrong Stephanie lent back onto one of the stones. She seemed to take a while thinking of how to respond which seemed odd to Jasmine. Had so much happened to her that she was trying to sort it all out in her head? Was she trying to think of the best way to explain what had happened? Or had Jasmine's question made her remember every painful detail? Jasmine had no idea of knowing which of those questions was the right one until Stephanie actually answered her, as long as she gave an actual answer of course.
What Stephanie actually said was a mess. It was like all her thoughts had come tumbling out of her and the same time. She kept speeding up and slowing down as she spoke. As she got to the end of what she was saying Jasmine had to strain to hear her because her voice had dropped so low. After Stephanie had finished speaking Jasmine went about trying to make sense of what she had actually said.
It had started out with what seemed to have been a joke about Death Valley which Jasmine decided to ignore. The rest of what her friend had said was much more confusing and difficult to understand. It was cryptic at best and insane at worst. Jasmine didn't really know which one applied more but she hoped it was just that Stephanie's thoughts were jumbled up. It still didn't seem good either way.
The fact that Stephanie still hadn't properly answered her question after being asked two times was starting to grate on her though. There was not wanting to say and there was avoiding giving an answer. At this point it looked like Stephanie was deliberately avoiding giving a straight answer, which didn't sit well with Jasmine. Above all else though it just upset her more. She was trying to help a friend who didn't seem to want to let her help and was just leaving her powerless to do anything for her.
Jasmine looked over at Aaron and gave him a defeated shrug, she had no idea how else to help Stephanie and it probably showed on her face. Jasmine's mood was just getting worse and worse. She thought Stephanie's appearance would help make her feel better but it had done the exact opposite. Jasmine just felt worse than she did when she'd stumbled into the stone circle, whatever the case she wanted to leave sooner rather than later.
"I want to try and find Ashley and Amanda." Jasmine announced. "Aaron do you have any ideas of where we should start looking?" Even if Jasmine didn't think she could cope with it it was worth a try that much was for sure.
What Stephanie actually said was a mess. It was like all her thoughts had come tumbling out of her and the same time. She kept speeding up and slowing down as she spoke. As she got to the end of what she was saying Jasmine had to strain to hear her because her voice had dropped so low. After Stephanie had finished speaking Jasmine went about trying to make sense of what she had actually said.
It had started out with what seemed to have been a joke about Death Valley which Jasmine decided to ignore. The rest of what her friend had said was much more confusing and difficult to understand. It was cryptic at best and insane at worst. Jasmine didn't really know which one applied more but she hoped it was just that Stephanie's thoughts were jumbled up. It still didn't seem good either way.
The fact that Stephanie still hadn't properly answered her question after being asked two times was starting to grate on her though. There was not wanting to say and there was avoiding giving an answer. At this point it looked like Stephanie was deliberately avoiding giving a straight answer, which didn't sit well with Jasmine. Above all else though it just upset her more. She was trying to help a friend who didn't seem to want to let her help and was just leaving her powerless to do anything for her.
Jasmine looked over at Aaron and gave him a defeated shrug, she had no idea how else to help Stephanie and it probably showed on her face. Jasmine's mood was just getting worse and worse. She thought Stephanie's appearance would help make her feel better but it had done the exact opposite. Jasmine just felt worse than she did when she'd stumbled into the stone circle, whatever the case she wanted to leave sooner rather than later.
"I want to try and find Ashley and Amanda." Jasmine announced. "Aaron do you have any ideas of where we should start looking?" Even if Jasmine didn't think she could cope with it it was worth a try that much was for sure.