Return of the Hall of Horrors

[cardio_swindle]

[From the outside, when you open the door, the room looks like a warm, inviting tavern, smelling possibly of mulled cider, mom's apple pie, hearty stew... A cozy seat by a roaring fire with spirits just behind the counter for the taking, and that fresh pie cooling on a table.]

Comments

[innocent_voodoo]

[She steps in with a smile that quickly slides away when her true surroundings are revealed. She clutches her voodoo doll tightly.] What the...? [She gasps when she recognises the remains of one of those faces.] P-Papa? NO! [She runs up to him with a sob and hits him to try and wake him up.] Wake up, wake up, damn you! You can't leave me...

[And then she hears the crunch and the scream. She spins around to face it, almost slipping in the liquid.] H-Hello? What just happened?

[[This's thornsbindroses' Road, an Exorcist.]]

[cardio_swindle]

[The corpse tears beneath her fists, the flesh caving in and maggots spilling into the liquid beneath like a white waterfall of filth.]

[As she turns another ear-shattering wail echoes down the corridor It sounds closer, and a heavy, dragging, splashing step can be heard from the left hall.]

[For the moment, she is still alone with the corpses.]

[innocent_voodoo]

[She lets out a choked sort of scream when the corpse breaks, tears pouring down her face.

When she hears the second wail she starts moving down the corridor towards it, still clutching her doll tightly.]

[cardio_swindle]

[As she starts down the corridor the liquid seems to get deeper. Doors dot the sides of the hall at uneven intervals, though most are shut and barred. Many are damaged or in terrible shape, and behind a few there are the ominous echoes of living creatures, growls and crunches.]

[When the liquid is to her knees she passes a charred door, and rather suddenly it opens, an arm reaching out and grabbing, trying to snatch her out of the water.]

[healershand]

[He stares at his surroundings with a wary frown and starts out to the left. Allen is cautious despite the urge to fight like he used to. His body can't do it anymore.]

[cardio_swindle]

[The liquid gets gradually deeper as he goes. Something slimy coils around his ankle and retreats, and there's another, weaker scream, followed by a choking set of sobs that are abruptly cut off. Just a little closer, or maybe that's a trick of how the hall echoes.]

[He remains alone, for the moment.]

[healershand]

[He trudges through it, determined to find whoever was crying to administer help. In the silence he starts to draw on his sorcery in case resistance arrives.]

[cardio_swindle]

[The lights in this hall are dim and they flicker sporadically. Now and then Allen will pass a door. Most of them are shut, sealed, barred, chained, battered. Some are warped, or burned. During a few seconds of darkness something heavy crashes through a door just ahead, smacking into the opposite wall and the liquid with a splash and a pained grunt.]

[More splashes and the lights flicker on, to reveal Tyki trying to gain his feet and a creature that looks like something made of pure darkness oozing from the doorway.]

Don't let it get to the water! [Tyki croaks hoarsely, slipping in the dark water, either loosing his footing or something dragging him down.]

[notpapa]

[Alright, even for a Bookman this is a bit much. ...Not that it shows. Instead he'll just be taking out Tessei, growing it to a decent size and slinging it over his shoulder. The path to the left looks like as good a choice as any.]

[cardio_swindle]

[Those lights get more erratic and dim, flickering off and on as he goes. The water--if it is water--gets deeper as well, splashing and sloshing with each step. The stench is noisome and putrid.]

[There's another scream.]

[notpapa]

[For now he's alright with the water depth, but if it gets too bad he'll be using his hammer for transportation instead. He covers his nose and mouth with his scarf, eyes darting about at the scream but otherwise not reacting. Forward is usually the only way out, after all.]

[cardio_swindle]

[From behind him Bookman will notice the splashes of something following. Several somethings. They're still at a good distance and if he turns to look there's nothing but lurking shadows and reflections of light on water.]

[Ahead, Tyki exits a door, pulling it shut behind himself with vicious speed as something howls and snarls on the other side of it.]

[He hasn't noticed Bookman.]

[my_pleasure]

[ he didn't even get the benefit of thinking he was going somewhere nice, no. He was under the impression he was exploring somewhere else, although he was kind of wondering where everyone else went. Thanks DR, the hallucination is appreciated. He should have known something was wrong when he could actually remember that he was supposed to be in the DR, though.

Either way, stepping inside, he's already in defensive mode. The name of the game has made itself quite readily apparent. Although his first instinct is to try the wall behind him, he didn't expect it work. He brings up an arm to cover his mouth and nose, although it does little to protect against the noxious smell and he pauses to assess the situation. ]

[[and since notifs are borked, I commented on your plotting post, too.]]

[cardio_swindle]

[Something slimy slithers past his ankle, and the corpses... Well a few of the more distant ones are still twitching, still bleeding. They may or may not have familiar faces, but the next scream down the hall, that's a familiar voice, isn't it? Shigure, if it's anyone.]

[jesusing_clown]

[...But where did the pie go]

Who's there?

[cardio_swindle]

[The pie was a lie.]

[There's no immediate answer, but the dripping of some unnamed liquid and the faint splash of something hitting the water up ahead. The smell of blood is overpowering.]

[jesusing_clown]

[Do I at least get a cool portal ray gun?

Hesitates for a moment before walking towards that splashing, not really liking the stench but used to this sort of thing]

[cardio_swindle]

[Nope. It's a bum deal.]

[A few corpses--or at least bits of corpses--have fallen from the hooks. They float in the water and bump against Allen's legs as he wades through. Something above and behind clinks ominously, and just ahead a dark shape leans against the wall.]

[The lights flicker, the shape moves, revealing itself as Tyki. He's coated in what could be blood or ichor, and for a moment he stares at Allen like he doesn't see the kid.]