Night 53: East Wing, Hall A

[mugenreppa]

[from here]

That was a lie, though. She didn't have a definitive list that she added to and subtracted from, but she had the general sense that certain people she'd talked to once or twice were missing. But if they were gone, there was nothing she could do. Except rain curses on the institute, but she'd already done plenty of that, and it didn't

Comments

[scarefaux]

"It happens more often than I'd have thought," the Scarecrow said, his head turned from her to keep his frown to himself. No need to worry Mele about it now, especially when they were so close to their destination. If only the list of disappearances ended at Kaiji! It was more likely that it grew daily, with friends of friends disappearing, and there were bound to be people without friends who vanished, too. Now that was a sad thought.

The Scarecrow stopped at the third door on the left. "This is it! The batteries should be in here. We can see what's in the other rooms after a stop in here." Trying to knob led to no luck- locked. As he'd done with the doctor's office door, he put the end of his flashlight to the lock, giving it a couple of quick hits before it finally gave way.

[To here.]

[scarefaux]

[From here.]

The hallway was just as empty as they'd left it, with the exception of a few bits of clutter from the closet that followed the Scarecrow out the door as the boxes he'd knocked over settled into their new positions. He took a moment to right himself out, his balance thrown off by his near-tumble through the messy room.

Tucking his light under his arm, he found his map again. "Now let's see. My roommate saw his shadow in there and it followed us out here- he says it did, anyway. I couldn't see it. We didn't get to search these other rooms to see what was in them. I'm hopin' we'll find either a way to the third floor or something that could tell us what happens to those who've been 'released.' There's got to be some clue to point us in the right direction!"

He looked down the hall again. "Which door should we try first?"

[mugenreppa]

Mele had just stepped out when the racket had her turning around again, and she watched until Scarecrow gave her a nod as he exited into the hall.

Okay. As long as he wasn't in any apparent pain or anything. She swung the light around the hallway-funny how she wasn't worried now that she was actually out in the hallway, but whatever, she'd take care of whatever came their way-but didn't see anything in ominously flickering lighting announcing LANDEL'S WEAK POINT HERE, so she shrugged. "Whatever's closest?" she suggested.

There was a door directly opposite where they were standing, and Mele headed for that.

[to here]

[mugenreppa]

[back from here]

Back in the hall, Mele swung her light in both directions. Funny, she usually saw at least a few people. This hallway was just quiet.

She kicked some of the boxes Scarecrow had knocked over into the middle of the hall, to trip up anyone or anything coming this way, before she considered. They'd passed a few doors getting to the one with the batteries, hadn't they? And if the hall was extending further, there was probably something there, too. "Which direction? What does your map say?"

[autophoenix]

His description of the majority of most 'manly' sports warranted a derisive snort and she nodded her agreement, wheeling into the next hallway after him. It was good to be validated, even if she wasn't entirely sure that he was doing it altruistically. That was one of those things she'd gotten used to since starting high school. When it came to getting guys to agree with her, it was relatively easy as long as she didn't care if it was genuine

[autophoenix]

Doyleton brought such a curious look to Claire's face that a question mark practically hung in the air above her. They had field trips? Since when? But, she kept her mouth shut about it, because there'd be time for a more full tour when they got done checking through the rooms. Priorities, Claire. Priorities. So, instead she gave a quick nod and decided to release the knob of the heavily locked door, glancing further down the hall at the door that was already open.

"No jello, huh? Just when I thought Landel couldn't get any more ruthless," there was a sarcastic lilt to her voice but she kept her expression serious as she cautiously treaded down the hallway to the open door, peering inside with a kind of apprehension and then stepping in. Instinctively, she fumbled for a light switch, but it became pretty clear pretty fast that it wasn't happening.

[ to here ]

[vsyourface]

[From here. Time warping around Peter and Claire.]

"Careful. I've had something nasty jump out at me around here before," Scott warned, conveniently leaving out the part where the nasty thing had been none other than the shadow he had denied existing not five minutes earlier.

He shone his light quickly up around the signs on the doors as they made their way down the hall, keeping a close eye out for any sudden movements in the dark. "...Anyway, sucks for that kid. He wasn't hurt or anything, was he?" he asked, hoping that the subject stayed on Senna and Senna's friend, whoever that was.

[windstwilight]

The funny thing was? Senna really hadn't had anything jump out at her much. She'd been here almost three weeks and while she had seen the things people talked about in hushed voices, for the most part, she came in after. When the monsters had scurried away to leave a bloodied and broken body. But who was keeping count, right? The same people that would note the the few monsters she fought had a tendency to turn out to be other patients. Yeah, she wasn't really shooting for scraps here

[vsyourface]

Despite himself, Scott's gaze was drawn to the janitor's closet as they passed it. Just outside there: that had been where last night's fight had gone down. He could almost see himself - both selves - there on the ground. He was right there, pummelling NegaScott in the face while the shadow simply continued to smile and taunt.

"It seemed more like the thing was torturing him mentally, you know?"

"Yeah, kinda," Scott answered without thinking or elaborating. He nodded in agreement that he hoped Senna's friend would be okay upon a check-in.

Sure enough, the last door on the right was marked "Patient Possessions Storage." If that wasn't what they were looking for, then Scott was pretty sure they would have grounds to believe that Landel was messing with the building layout again. "Here's hoping for a Rickenbacker," he said, looking back over his shoulder with an awkward smile. He made a strumming motion with his hand, just in case Senna didn't know what he was talking about, before entering the room with her.

[To here]

[autophoenix]

"No," Claire responded, marginally scandalized that he had to ask if her voice was anything to go by. She rooted around for a minute longer in the closet, but quickly navigated her way out of the narrow space of the room and into the more open hallway. Talk about a breather. She was scowling when she looked over at Peter finally

[damned_nurses]

Unfortunately for both, the file room would be their last priority before their night was over.

It was at that point where something shifted in the shadows, the flashlight's beam just missing the figure that'd taken notice of the two. The nurse quietly stood in the corner, as if waiting for them to draw closer to it.

Without warning the monstrosity rushed at the two patients, slashing its scalpel-embedded fingers at its nearest victim: Claire.