Night 53: Main Hallway 2-West

[neuepolitik]

[From here.]Well... here he was. Ludwig's flashlight played along the empty hallway, and for the first time, he truly felt like he was alone in this place. Up on the second floor, he couldn't even hear the constant hum of activity and movement on the lower floor. In a way, it made sense, given how much distance he'd put between them. But on the

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[From here.]

John didn't have any idea of what to expect and it left him more than a bit on edge. It had grown quieter the further he got from the busier corridors, and by the time he was near the top of the stairs the soft scuff of his shoes sounded thunderous in the silence. Surely if there were any monsters lurking in the darkness John wouldn't have to do any exploring to find them -- they'd have found him.

How ridiculous. Now John was even thinking as though he believed all the craziness other patients had to say about the place. He paused to remind himself that he didn't believe in ghost stories -- even if this place did have the air of a haunted house. But whether it was ridiculous or not, John carried himself warily and kept his eyes open. There was no harm in being ready for anything he might come across. He rushed up the last few steps and on to the first floor landing.

But, somehow, he hadn't been ready to find another patient up here. Was there an appropriate way to greet someone when you were both skulking through darkened corridors late at night?

"Erm, hello."

Well, that would have to do.

[neuepolitik]

Had it not been so intensely quiet, Ludwig might not have heard the other man coming up the stairs. However, whereas the previous person had walked right past him- understandably so, he looked like he was going somewhere in particular- the second man actually stopped to speak with him. Ludwig turned to look at him, considering his nerves. No surprise there- it wasn't exactly easy to talk with people out of the blue, especially given the circumstance.

And who knew? Maybe moving in a small group might work, when going with other nations had not. At the least, he was now of the opinion that traveling on his own was not as good an idea as he had originally anticipated. Yes, perhaps an ally would be for the best. "Hello," he gravely intoned, though after a moment's pause, he nodded. Perhaps this person could help him with his own conundrum. "I'm Ludwig. Are you going anywhere in particular?"

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"I'm John."

He offered a hand to shake (because he was British, after all, and manners came first even in the strangest situations), glancing uncertainly around the darkened corridor before answering. Whatever might be up here, John was determined to have a look around -- he just wasn't entirely sure where to start.

"I'm not heading anywhere, no. Just seeing what's up here."

[neuepolitik]

It was odd to hear an English accent here, but at the same time, Ludwig had to say that England would have to be happy to have someone like this here. John was alert, and oddly polite given the circumstance. Unfortunately for him, he clearly hadn't gotten the memo about Germans and their handshakes. Ludwig accepted the handshake, subjected John to a bone-crushingly firm greeting before Ludwig turned away.

As for the statement? Ludwig nodded. Fair enough. While he wasn't going to be able to help Ludwig determine where he was going to go, they were in the same predicament. And in that regard, they could very well work together. "Likewise. Would you mind some company, then? If we get attacked then we'll be in a stronger position."

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John was accustomed to military men and military attitudes and military handshakes; accent aside, Ludwig didn't strike him as particularly different, and John accepted the handshake without so much as a wince. It had been many months since John had been a soldier -- at least in the eyes of his government -- but it was a role he still wore with ease.

"Company would be good, yeah."

There was strength in numbers, even if he wasn't convinced of the whole monsters business. He glanced up and down the corridor, gleaning absolutely nothing from the darkness.

"Any thoughts on where to start?"

[neuepolitik]

Interesting. Ludwig was used to people wincing or carrying on after he'd given them a handshake, and yet John took it without any problems. That earned him some respect in Ludwig's book- the return of it told Ludwig that he was, at least, dealing with someone who could handle himself. Military man, perhaps, though he could just as easily be any of a number of strong-willed men who'd meet anyone in the eye.

Regardless, Ludwig had to consider that. No thoughts, but there was no harm in starting out with the obvious choice. He shined his flashlight down the hallway just opposite of the stairs, and though the beam stretched all the way down, it still couldn't reach the far end. A big, yawning pit of blackness... inviting, wasn't it? "We can start our search there. Depending on what we find, we can adapt our plans afterward."

Of course, that was what he said, but before he could move... he heard the sounds of whispering coming off to the right. Past the stairs, leading more into the Sun Room area. It sounded like... whispering, yes, but not anything Ludwig could make out. So he turned his flashlight that way, and while he couldn't see anything yet? Soon they both would see exactly what was causing those noises.

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John was still very firmly holding on to his doubts about this place. That he'd been kidnapped was obvious, but supernatural explanations seemed ridiculous. Or at least they had seemed ridiculous up until the distant whispering sound became a not so distant chattering sound that John had trouble ascribing to either human or animal. And when the flashlight's beam caught on something grey-skinned with unfriendly looking claws for a moment before it skittered back into the darkness...

Well, he hadn't expected that. John felt a burst of genuine fear for the unknown, presumably dangerous creatures in the darkness. He knew that falling prey to the initial, mindless urge to flee or fight wouldn't do any good, so instead he slowly swung his flashlight through the darkness, trying to catch another glimpse of whatever was approaching.

"What the bloody hell is that?"

His eyes were wide and scanning the darkness a bit too quickly for John to appear entirely unshaken, but his voice was even and his hands steady. He was used to danger, to combat situations but this was... different.

[neuepolitik]

Ludwig didn't like what he saw. Not at all. Not only were there more than one of those creatures, they looked far more dangerous than the other ones had. Their mouths were filled with fangs, and their misshapen bodies were perched on strong, clawed legs. They spoke in utter gibberish, if 'speaking' was even the right word for it. There seemed to be no words, no real attempt at communication. Just madness, nothing more.

What surprised him, however, was the fact that John didn't seem afraid. Ludwig wasn't, not really- when he was confronted with a scenario like this, training and instinct took over. He didn't let himself feel fear- or to be more precise, he had a higher threshold than most normal people did. Being a nation that had gone through what he had, Ludwig was inured to the more mundane of frights.

John, meanwhile, seemed like a normal man, but he wasn't shaken either. His flashlight beam was steady, and his voice didn't betray any of the fear that he might have felt. It was good to know, and it certainly made him more certain in his choice to join up with John. "Monsters, but I've never seen anything like them before," he whispered, like a hunter creeping up on his prey. Save only that if the two of them attacked, it wasn't likely to end well for them...

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They looked like Hollywood special effects. Really good Hollywood special effects. John didn't want to believe they were real, that things like them could exist, but he had to trust the evidence of his own senses. This was going to require some adjustment to his world view when he stopped to think about it. Which he wasn't going to do just now.

Instead he stared into the darkness, taking in everything he could see. (He would write all of this down later in an effort to make sense of it by framing it with words. It might even work.) The creatures -- monsters -- were all teeth and claws, like something out of a nightmare.

Neither he -- nor Ludwig, best he could tell -- was armed with anything more threatening than a flashlight. Though John wasn't sure how many of those things were out in the dark, he didn't feel good about their chances if they had to fight it out. He glanced towards the corridor Ludwig had indicated with his flashlight -- it was nothing but darkness now -- and then to Ludwig.

"We should get out of here," he whispered, mimicking Ludwig's tone.

Even though these things might follow them, it seemed the only reasonable choice.

[neuepolitik]

He agreed with John. They didn't have the weaponry to fight those things, and if they got involved, they could compromise any other efforts that could be made. Ludwig didn't want to retreat, not like this, but... in all reality, they didn't have many choices. So, retreat it was, and he appreciated the fact that, at the very least, John had a good head on his shoulders.

But where to retreat to? Down the hallway he'd illuminated would likely get them trapped, and they'd be isolated down there. So... time for a strategic withdrawal. He back up, going to the hallway furthest on the left from the stairs, and quietly slipped into the hall. Not only was there more distance between them, but he'd heard some individuals going that way as well. If all else failed, when there was weakness to contend with... there could always be strength in numbers.

[To here.]