It looked like there weren't a lot of people out and about yet... It was kind of a pain to get around in the dark without other people's flashlights to help light the way. Anise managed to find her way, though, and before long she was approaching the main hallway.
She took the same turn she had the night before, hanging right at the elbow, and keeping her right hand against the wall. In the distance she thought she heard the shuffle of feet, of those who'd gone before, but in the darkness she saw no one. The flashlight was darkened, unnecessary for the moment. Her fingers brushed over a transition -- a door, locked.
Huh. What was behind that door?
She shook her head, continuing on. The greater hallway was just ahead.
Someone in the hallway was running, but Ema was well out of the runner's way. She was pressed close to the wall, one hand sliding across its cool surface as she used it as a guide.
Still no voices that she could pick up. Ema was starting to panic--had she moved out too early? Was this actually a bad idea? It probably was, but Ema was resolved not to go back to her room just yet. She'd continue into the Main Hallway, wait there for awhile, and hope that her sister or someone else would see her and approach. Not the most sophisticated of plans, but it would do.
Uneventful so far, but had that not always been so? It would have been more shocking if something dangerous or out of the ordinary to occur here. On the bright side, she hadn't been prevented from moving yet. Maya could only assume last night had been a warning, but against what, Maya couldn't surmise.
There was nothing of interest in hallways. Maya kept moving.
Uhura was the closest to the main hallway, and the one who would've made it out here first, if she was going out at all. Kirk turned the corner towards the female block, moving his flashlight to cover all points ahead and behind him. A few girls passed him (literally girls, he noted with some surprise, with none of them looking any older than their teens) on their way out, and he kept to the side, letting them go without obstruction.
Kirk looked over his shoulder again at the last of the girls, and was still watching her when he stepped through the doorway of the F-block-
See, there was the problem with trying to keep her head down, literally, and not attract any attention. She should have known she would inevitably bump right the hell into someone and nearly drop her flashlight and fall on her ass all in one big moment of suck, if she hadn't managed to grab his arm in time. Right about now would be when she would deploy her well-practiced Squint of Judgement and try to pass the fault onto the offending bumper, but instead she just felt her eyes start to burn with tears and her face flushed dark red and her stomach sank and
Oh God, what has she done?
"I am so sorry." She gripped his arms with both hands to steady herself then, him as well, and let her flashlight fall to the floor without thinking twice about it because she collided with him for no good reason and she could have hurt him, and then what? And then what? "I didn't mean to just- I didn't even see you coming, but I should have been more careful and I'm really sorry."
"Whoa! Excuse me, are you...?" Kirk reached out the same moment she did, turning his hand up to grab her elbow after she grabbed his arm. Way to be clumsy, Jim. That was really his fault for not watching where he was going, but he looked now. His mouth curved into a smile as he took in the pretty features of the woman in front of him - features which immediately broke into an expression of heartbreak.
The woman's flashlight clattered loudly to the ground, spinning out an arc of light. Kirk blinked. "Uh..." As far he could tell, this was just a little bump, no big deal. He smiled again, trying to be reassuring. "It's alright! I'm alright. It was my fault anyway." He disentangled one of his arms from her grip and straightened up, to show her that he was fine. His other hand stayed at her elbow, though. "I'm sorry about that, Miss...?"
"Wichita. Where-- Where are you from?" That was important to get out, yes, because she didn't want a name. She felt so terrible about all of this, but he was so kind, putting on a brave face for her. If only she could do the same! She felt even worse, thinking about how weak she was being, adding to the misfortune of this tragedy. (No really, some part of her did realize she was overreacting, but she just couldn't stop herself.)
After looking him over again, just to make sure he was really okay, she slowly pulls herself away and turns her face, not wanting to further burden him with her grief.
"I'm so sorry, I'm not usually this--" Like a light switch being flicked off, her worry vanished. Really, just like that. She still sniffed a bit, holding back the tears that built up so quickly, but then she was bringing her hands up to press against her eyes and breathing heavily because what the hell"I'm not usually like that." Which was clear, especially because her voice sounded completely different. Normal, no longer strained with
( ... )
Comments 65
It looked like there weren't a lot of people out and about yet... It was kind of a pain to get around in the dark without other people's flashlights to help light the way. Anise managed to find her way, though, and before long she was approaching the main hallway.
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She took the same turn she had the night before, hanging right at the elbow, and keeping her right hand against the wall. In the distance she thought she heard the shuffle of feet, of those who'd gone before, but in the darkness she saw no one. The flashlight was darkened, unnecessary for the moment. Her fingers brushed over a transition -- a door, locked.
Huh. What was behind that door?
She shook her head, continuing on. The greater hallway was just ahead.
Reply
Reply
Someone in the hallway was running, but Ema was well out of the runner's way. She was pressed close to the wall, one hand sliding across its cool surface as she used it as a guide.
Still no voices that she could pick up. Ema was starting to panic--had she moved out too early? Was this actually a bad idea? It probably was, but Ema was resolved not to go back to her room just yet. She'd continue into the Main Hallway, wait there for awhile, and hope that her sister or someone else would see her and approach. Not the most sophisticated of plans, but it would do.
Reply
Reply
Uneventful so far, but had that not always been so? It would have been more shocking if something dangerous or out of the ordinary to occur here. On the bright side, she hadn't been prevented from moving yet. Maya could only assume last night had been a warning, but against what, Maya couldn't surmise.
There was nothing of interest in hallways. Maya kept moving.
Reply
Reply
Uhura was the closest to the main hallway, and the one who would've made it out here first, if she was going out at all. Kirk turned the corner towards the female block, moving his flashlight to cover all points ahead and behind him. A few girls passed him (literally girls, he noted with some surprise, with none of them looking any older than their teens) on their way out, and he kept to the side, letting them go without obstruction.
Kirk looked over his shoulder again at the last of the girls, and was still watching her when he stepped through the doorway of the F-block-
-and crashed straight into someone.
Reply
At least with a t-shirt, she wouldn't have to--
"oof!"
See, there was the problem with trying to keep her head down, literally, and not attract any attention. She should have known she would inevitably bump right the hell into someone and nearly drop her flashlight and fall on her ass all in one big moment of suck, if she hadn't managed to grab his arm in time. Right about now would be when she would deploy her well-practiced Squint of Judgement and try to pass the fault onto the offending bumper, but instead she just felt her eyes start to burn with tears and her face flushed dark red and her stomach sank and
Oh God, what has she done?
"I am so sorry." She gripped his arms with both hands to steady herself then, him as well, and let her flashlight fall to the floor without thinking twice about it because she collided with him for no good reason and she could have hurt him, and then what? And then what? "I didn't mean to just- I didn't even see you coming, but I should have been more careful and I'm really sorry."
Reply
The woman's flashlight clattered loudly to the ground, spinning out an arc of light. Kirk blinked. "Uh..." As far he could tell, this was just a little bump, no big deal. He smiled again, trying to be reassuring. "It's alright! I'm alright. It was my fault anyway." He disentangled one of his arms from her grip and straightened up, to show her that he was fine. His other hand stayed at her elbow, though. "I'm sorry about that, Miss...?"
Reply
After looking him over again, just to make sure he was really okay, she slowly pulls herself away and turns her face, not wanting to further burden him with her grief.
"I'm so sorry, I'm not usually this--" Like a light switch being flicked off, her worry vanished. Really, just like that. She still sniffed a bit, holding back the tears that built up so quickly, but then she was bringing her hands up to press against her eyes and breathing heavily because what the hell"I'm not usually like that." Which was clear, especially because her voice sounded completely different. Normal, no longer strained with ( ... )
Reply
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