Nightshift 19 - Hallway between Sun Room/Entry Room
((Coming from here.))
Just a little further...I know I saw a different way to go last night.
Ichigo's movements were quick, but his trade-off for speed was stealth, each footstep he took pounding firmly against the tiled floors as he made his way along the expansive hallway. If there was anything lurking around these corners, anything sinister enough to lay in wait for the patients as they emerged from their dorm hallways, it would be able to hear and follow him like a shot in the dark.
Quickly, his chest rising and falling at a steady pace, his arms thrust in a fast and riding rhythm, giving him a strong runner's balance even against the cold and tractionless ground. His eyes could easily keep up with his speed, confidently searching the area just feet in front of him through the shadows. It may have been dark, and he may have been in a hurry this evening, but the scenery was just as eerie, making it just as familiar.
The same sense of fear still haunted him, even from his first night in Landels alone. Treading these grounds brought on the same unfamiliar feelings as being lost anywhere without a light to guide by, summoning all hope and courage while plunging deeper and deeper into the darkness. Pausing to think about it only made Ichigo nervous, so he did his best to block out any such thoughts, merely concentrating on the ground ahead of him to keep from falling, both falling to the floor and falling prey to the creatures that brought on these fears.
Just to his right, Ichigo could make out a staircase, one that he passed by without a thought in his dashing pace. Only after recognizing it from afar did he make a mental note to return and follow them later. His real destination was just up ahead.
Clapping soundly, Kurosaki's footsteps slowed just as he reached a crossroads of sorts, one open doorway to his left, and one closed doorway to his right. First, he glanced at the one where the doors remained open, almost invitingly; that was the Sun Room, where punches had been thrown and bullets fired in the dead of the evening just the night before. Beyond it was the kitchen, which may have held interest to others, but not for Ichigo, not tonight. He turned his head, as well as his full attention, to the unexplored area to his right instead.
The first test was to see if the door was locked. Carefully, Ichigo left his stance in the center of the hallway and approached the doorway, acting almost as if it might be booby-trapped somehow. His footsteps had grown softer, much like treading on a sheet of ice, until his body was pressed up against the door, his hands extended gently against its solid frame. He pushed...and it swung open.
Carefully, he peered inside through small crack he had created between the doors to find yet another room, open and spacious. Pushing the door a little more, Ichigo fit his entire head through, finding himself staring into what seemed to be a rather normal-looking lobby. Though it held faithful to the rest of Landel's grim and gloomy image in the night, the room almost seemed comfortable, having the full facade that this horrible, twisted place was a genuine hospital.
Suddenly, Ichigo's face lit up with the spark of an idea. If this was the lobby, then the bold set of doors on the opposite side was...the exit! A dawning hope sprang up, gushing inside of him like a child waking fresh on Christmas Morning. Maybe, just maybe, he could leave! Without a thought other, the berry-head bolted into the entry room and ran straight forward to the closed doorway on the far end. He hadn't even a second to wonder if the doors might be locked, not until after he had collided with them, his arms fully outstretched to push them out of the way. It was an embarassing sight, Ichigo marveled, laying flat on his back once he had crashed against the doors then helplessly crumpled down to the floor.
"Ugh...should've known it wouldn't be that easy..." he groaned.
Just a little further...I know I saw a different way to go last night.
Ichigo's movements were quick, but his trade-off for speed was stealth, each footstep he took pounding firmly against the tiled floors as he made his way along the expansive hallway. If there was anything lurking around these corners, anything sinister enough to lay in wait for the patients as they emerged from their dorm hallways, it would be able to hear and follow him like a shot in the dark.
Quickly, his chest rising and falling at a steady pace, his arms thrust in a fast and riding rhythm, giving him a strong runner's balance even against the cold and tractionless ground. His eyes could easily keep up with his speed, confidently searching the area just feet in front of him through the shadows. It may have been dark, and he may have been in a hurry this evening, but the scenery was just as eerie, making it just as familiar.
The same sense of fear still haunted him, even from his first night in Landels alone. Treading these grounds brought on the same unfamiliar feelings as being lost anywhere without a light to guide by, summoning all hope and courage while plunging deeper and deeper into the darkness. Pausing to think about it only made Ichigo nervous, so he did his best to block out any such thoughts, merely concentrating on the ground ahead of him to keep from falling, both falling to the floor and falling prey to the creatures that brought on these fears.
Just to his right, Ichigo could make out a staircase, one that he passed by without a thought in his dashing pace. Only after recognizing it from afar did he make a mental note to return and follow them later. His real destination was just up ahead.
Clapping soundly, Kurosaki's footsteps slowed just as he reached a crossroads of sorts, one open doorway to his left, and one closed doorway to his right. First, he glanced at the one where the doors remained open, almost invitingly; that was the Sun Room, where punches had been thrown and bullets fired in the dead of the evening just the night before. Beyond it was the kitchen, which may have held interest to others, but not for Ichigo, not tonight. He turned his head, as well as his full attention, to the unexplored area to his right instead.
The first test was to see if the door was locked. Carefully, Ichigo left his stance in the center of the hallway and approached the doorway, acting almost as if it might be booby-trapped somehow. His footsteps had grown softer, much like treading on a sheet of ice, until his body was pressed up against the door, his hands extended gently against its solid frame. He pushed...and it swung open.
Carefully, he peered inside through small crack he had created between the doors to find yet another room, open and spacious. Pushing the door a little more, Ichigo fit his entire head through, finding himself staring into what seemed to be a rather normal-looking lobby. Though it held faithful to the rest of Landel's grim and gloomy image in the night, the room almost seemed comfortable, having the full facade that this horrible, twisted place was a genuine hospital.
Suddenly, Ichigo's face lit up with the spark of an idea. If this was the lobby, then the bold set of doors on the opposite side was...the exit! A dawning hope sprang up, gushing inside of him like a child waking fresh on Christmas Morning. Maybe, just maybe, he could leave! Without a thought other, the berry-head bolted into the entry room and ran straight forward to the closed doorway on the far end. He hadn't even a second to wonder if the doors might be locked, not until after he had collided with them, his arms fully outstretched to push them out of the way. It was an embarassing sight, Ichigo marveled, laying flat on his back once he had crashed against the doors then helplessly crumpled down to the floor.
"Ugh...should've known it wouldn't be that easy..." he groaned.