Stay close to me...

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:25 pm

"I don't know you're you either," he pointed out, approaching carefully.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:21 pm

"I don't care. I have to trust something right now and that's you two. Otherwise I'll..." Go even more insane? "...I'll lose my mind."

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:24 pm

Miss McManus wasn't quite looking like herself. It was probably the first time he'd seen her with her hair down, frazzled and streaming down her back. There was blood down the front of her dress, and on the hand she was still fussing with the handkerchief. She eyed Steve warily.

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:51 pm

The sight of the bloody dress made him freeze, threatening to wrench free the emotions that had been suppressed by terror. His knees suddenly felt weak and he grabbed the wall for support.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:53 pm

"How do we make this stop?" she asks, somehow having convinced herself that Steve would know. Someone had to, right?

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:01 pm

"It started when I went to... to..."

It was suddenly too much to even stand and he fell to his knees, sobbing.

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:05 pm

"When what?" She pressed. "How do we get back?"

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:15 pm

"I went." Sniff. "To talk to... my parents... and... they..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:35 pm

"Oh no... oh god no... What happened?"

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:39 pm

"They're d-dead... they've... been dead the whole time."

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 2:57 pm

She blanched.

"But... how?"

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:19 pm

"The same way you didn't know you were leaving when I first met you. Or... first met you here. Or maybe not even that..."

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:26 pm

"This place... it's in our heads..."

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:34 pm

"I can't do this right now. I just... I can't..."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:36 pm

"What choice do we have?"

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:52 pm

"I can't deal with this when those things are still about."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:57 pm

"But how do we make it stop?"

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:00 pm

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve as he thought over how the door to their... his room had shut behind him and not even his key would open it. Then for some reason he had tried that weird looking key. It had worked, but then everything went...

A light went on in his head and he pulled the strange thing out, holding it up triumphantly.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:05 pm

"Did you find what that unlocks?"

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:17 pm

"The looking glass," he said as he stood. He approached the nearby door to the game room, across from the ballroom.

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:19 pm

"...this is no time for riddles."

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:29 pm

He stuck the key in and gave it a turn.

by **Narrator** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:29 pm

As Steve does this, the ballroom's large double doors bulge and creak as the dancers beyond ram it.

The game room doors open to reveal a more familiar state of things.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:38 pm

Nailah winces at the dancers pressing against the door but looks relieved to see the normalcy of the hotel beyond the doors Steve just opened.

"That's it! That's the way back!" she says, hurrying through.

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:39 pm

Samantha too dashed after Nailah through the door.

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:46 pm

Steve followed them through.

"Quick! Close the doors!" he said, grabbing one.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:50 pm

Nailah nods and takes the other, slamming it close.

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:52 pm

And Samantha managed a few deep breaths before leaning against the wall and shuddering deeply.

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:01 pm

After a moment, Steve peeked back into the hall.

by **Narrator** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:02 pm

All is normal.

Relatively.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:08 pm

"Oh thank god..." she says, falling down on her knees and sitting down.

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:11 pm

She looked down at herself and began to tremble again.

"I... I just..."

"...I need to go."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:16 pm

"Sam wait. We... we need to figure out what's happening here."

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:17 pm

"Stop... stop calling me that... you don't know me..."

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:18 pm

He left the door and eased down against a wall. Through the incredible relief, a question insisted to be asked.

"...where the hell are we?"

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:25 pm

"No, you're right, I don't. But it still sounds right to me and I... I need to know why. I don't know where we are, I'm not even sure how I got here anymore."

by **Samantha McManus** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:33 pm

"Then just... let me get clean," she pleaded.

"You... you can..." her mind reeled. "...you can wait in my room?"

by **Nailah Weaver** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 6:40 pm

"O-okay. I just don't want this to happen again to one of us..."

"Stay here with the key, Mister Jones. That means you'll be safe, right? We'll be back soon and try to understand what's happening.

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Nov 09, 2012 7:42 pm

Nowhere here is really safe.

"A-alright..." he nodded.

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