There were any number of reactions that one could expect from a teenager who had just woken up in a completely unfamiliar location and been told by an animatronic bear that their only method of escape was via murder. Even if those events had been exclusive and not come in quick succession, one could hardly not be blamed for feeling distressed, or frightened. Tears would be rational in this case, and perhaps if the news had been delivered by anything but something that looked like a cheap plush toy from a claw grab machine, Kumiko would have shed a few.
Instead, however, she burst into loud laughter that rang out clearly in the comparative hush.
“Good one! Beary good one!” The original cackle was then supplemented with amused giggling. “Man, that’s one heck of a first impression! Can’t wait to tell my brothers ‘bout this!”
After all, it wasn’t as though it was really possible for their situation to be legitimate, was it? Hope’s Peak wouldn’t be able to maintain its spotless reputation if its class of talented students all murdered each other, and surely nobody else had the resources to kidnap them all. Thus this was either an elaborate prank or an incredibly immersive induction ceremony
As if the tirade of morbid information had simply flown over her head - which, in all honestly, most of it had - she cheerfully bounded over to the nearest student, her voice almost nauseatingly chipper in the midst of all the tension. She failed to notice that none of her fellow classmates were as enthusiastic about their imprisonment as she was (maybe they just weren’t crazy about the whole ‘training regime’ thing?).
“Hey, d’you know the way outside? I’ve gotta get some fresh air. I mean, this is a mega fancy building and all but I’m more of an outdoorsy gal, y’know?”
Kumiko felt as though her mind had been forcibly extracted, jostled and mashed by all sorts of strange methods, then unceremoniously dumped back inside her head - such was the fogginess that dominated her consciousness as she came to. Her senses seemed to come back gradually: first her hearing, which initially detected nothing; then smell, which perceived an unpleasant clamminess; then she began to feel coldness, a crawling sensation on her skin. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d properly felt cold. This couldn’t be home. Home was beaches and sun and the smell of the sea wherever she went, not wherever this was. And ‘this’, judging by the stiffness in her limbs, was not somewhere where people were meant to sleep.
Once these initial observations were made, the power of thought began to kick back in again. She remembered Hope’s Peak - yes, she had been heading to her new school. Kumiko could recall that much, so why did everything else elude her? She felt surrounded by misty memories of such an intangible nature that to grasp them would be an impossible task.
How had she gotten here, and where even was here? She cycled through possibilities - parties gone a bit too wild, some kind of weird initiation ceremony, maybe she’d just hit her head too hard - yet none of these could explain the dread feeling in the pit of her stomach that insisted that this was not such a mundane event.
The interruption of the tannoy was like nails on a blackboard to Kumiko, prompting her previously gradual gaining of consciousness to jolt suddenly to completion. Rubbing her eyes, she forced herself to sit up as the mysterious voice spoke.
“And a good mornin’ to you too, Loudspeaker person...” She murmured. Okay, so she understood pretty much none of what had been said - something about institutes and staff and classmates- hey, classmates! That’s what you had at schools. So perhaps this oddly elaborate room (as she decided to describe it based off what she had seen so far) was all part of the Hope’s Peak experience. Well, it was a famous elite school; she’d be surprised if they didn’t do special, quirky initiation ceremonies.
Deciding not to think of the matter any further for the time being, she instead decided to do as instructed. Picking herself up, she made her way over to the boxes and rooted around until she found her designated ElectroID card. Hot damn, that’s some fancy technology. Like, that Pear company or something. Man, an Electronic card. That’s a real shocker!
Anyone observing Kumiko would have seen her begin to grin goofily at her own internal joke before idly tossing her ID card up into the air, then catching it effortlessly and slipping it into the pocket of her shorts. She’d look through properly later - for now, she had exploration to do!
The beach volleyball player noticed another student next to her - how long had they been there for? Either way and famous or not, she could not for the life of her put a name to their face. Well, no better way to find out than asking, right? She beamed widely at them as though they were meeting under completely ordinary conditions.
“This is all pretty cool, isn’t it? It’s like, an adventure, right? Some kinda bonding exercise I’ll bet. Oh man, this is way cooler than my old school!”
There was a short pause before Kumiko realised that she had missed out several key components of any introduction.
“My name’s Kumiko, by the way. Kawai Kumiko, but just Kumiko’s fine. And you?” She extended a hand - her flesh and blood hand, as opposed to her prosthetic one - in greeting.
FINN HUDSON glanced over at Kurt, still not feeling happy about his stepbrother staying here, rather than just getting into the car. He appreciated the boy's concern about him, but Kurt had been here for longer and had already gone through enough, if Finn had to believe the stories his friends had told him about. He swallowed thickly, still finding it hard to really believe there was something serious going on, but now the car was gone and he was aware of how stuck he was, there was a slight feeling of fear trying to take over his mind. "I'll go with you. We should stick together and I won't let you go alone." He replied to Kurt, while glancing over at Sam and Jesse. "I think you guys should come, too, to be honest. So we can't lose anyone and we're still together when the car returns."
SAM EVANS crossed his arms, axe still tight in his hand. "I just told Santana we wouldn't do anything dumb, I'm pretty sure going to check out that barn counts as something dumb." He stayed put, but as Finn's words he wavered slightly. Splitting up wasn't all that great of an idea either. "You're right, but seriously, I'd rather stay put right here then go over there. Checking out that barn is asking for trouble. Besides Blaine said there was stuff on the counter we could use to defend ourselves and there's a revolver on the wall in the den. I don't know if it works, but it's better than nothing."
KURT HUMMEL turned to see that Finn was right behind him, and that was fine. He was happy at least family was going to have his back. Kurt looked over at Sam and Jesse and sighed, wondering why in the world he didn't get in the car or in the trunk. The two of them were intent on staying inside, and Kurt didn't feel like arguing. He threw up his hands, pushing past Finn and moving behind Sam and Jesse. "Fine! We'll stay inside!" He stopped at the door, not being able to shake this weird feeling he had. Times like these, he wish he would have just said "No" when they asked him if he wanted to come out here. Stupid peer pressure. "But just so we're clear," Kurt turned to shoot them a look, "I'm taking the revolver."
FINN HUDSON frowned a little. He could agree with Sam wanting to stay inside, but he wasn't sure how to feel about the lot of them having to carry weapons. "Dude, are you sure?" He looked at Kurt, worry in his eyes, along with a whole lot of confusion. "You don't know how to use things like that.. Do you?" He added the second part a bit hesitantly, while taking a step closer to the other boy. He looked over at Sam. "Sam, are we seriously doing this? I'm not sure about any of this." Of course, the others had been here and he hadn't, so maybe he was a lot less paranoid about the scary stuff that could happen, but he didn't feel like accidentally getting shot by his own stepbrother.
ISOLATION ACCOUNT: It's hard to tell where it came from, but the distinct sound of glass breaking filters to the group. It seemed close, but who really knows. Has someone been watching the cabin the entire time, or could someone be in there now?
SAM EVANS "Yeah, alright." Sam didn't have a problem with letting Kurt take the gun, chances were it didn't work and would at least slow someone down if thrown at them. He let Finn ask what he was thinking though and then shrugged at his question to him. "Looks like it, dude. You weren't here so you don't kn- Did you hear that?" The blond glanced around, a curse word on his lips. "Did that come from the cabin?"
FINN HUDSON didn't know what to think when the noise sounded through the cabin, making him freeze at the spot. For a moment, he wondered if Puck and the others had come back, just to mess with them, but he couldn't think of a reason why that would be the case, since everyone had seemed way too eager to get out. "Dude, it sounded like glass. Do you think it was a window breaking?" He could feel himself getting nervous. He didn't like things like horror stories and he was now cursing his friends for making him feel like this with their talk about creepy things that had been going on. "Should we go look?"
SAM EVANS threw his head back with a groan. He wasn't sure what the best option was and him texting with Santana wasn't helping. He put his phone back in his pocket and took up the axe again. "It might've been. I don't know what else it could be... Either that, or we go with Kurt's idea for heading to the barn. But Blaine made a good point when I was texting him, whoever is behind all this could be living in there. So I mean... I think I'd rather take my chances and check out that noise. Least we'll be in cabin, we know our way around in there, but maybe we should find you something to use in case there is someone in there."
KURT HUMMEL had crossed his arms in mild annoyance. "Of course, Finn. I'm not incompetent." He rolled his eyes but in the next moment his eyes widened and he turned towards the house when it seemed like glass broke. He was suddenly worried, and took a step back, looking back at the boys. "Sure, let's go towards the sound. Sam you've got the axe, care to lead?" Kurt took a step back to let them walk in front of him. It wasn't that he was scared....or anything. He thought about what Sam said, and realized that going to the barn was risky, but it sounded like someone or something had found their way into the cabin. Kurt internally groaned, wishing he could just be anywhere but here. Then again, the curious part of him wanted to go see what exactly happened.
SAM EVANS: "Do you have a better idea, Kurt? Because I really don't think checking out that barn is all that great of a choice either." Sam sent out a silent prayer as he gripped the axe and nodded. "Yeah, sure," he said with a false bravado. If he gave the axe a few test swings, keeping in mind what Santana had told him earlier, before sighing as he hoped this wasn't the last thing he ended up doing. "Alright, let's do this." He held the axe tight as he walked toward the cabin then stepped through the front door that was still open. He went at a slow pace, his green eyes scanning his surroundings as much as they could. If there was someone else in here now, he wanted to be able to spot them coming.
ISOLATION ACCOUNT: As if hearing broken glass and not knowing the source wasn't bad enough, you hear the ripping sounds of a chainsaw starting up, the vibrations rip through your insides because it's not outside that you hear it, it's very much in the cabin. Somewhere at the back, somewhere inside. The sickening roar of the chains ripping to life bounces down the hallway and carries it straight to your ears. For all you know, they're going to come charging at you to slice you in two.
FINN HUDSON sighed at Kurt's annoyance. He knew he shouldn't have made is sound like he didn't trust the other boy, but he knew close to nothing of weapons, so he wasn't convinced that Kurt actually did have much knowledge on it. Sure, Mr H had a gun, but had he also been teaching his son how to handle one? That idea seemed a bit concerning. Sam's idea seemed smart, but he confusion had taken over his brain. It was only when the sound of a chainsaw was heard, that he frantically looked around for something to defend himself with. "Shit, shit, shit, we gotta hide. We gotta get out of here. Kurt." He was the only one without a weapon and even though he was obviously he tallest, he knew he wasn't the smartest and his height was not going to give him an advantage against bloody chainsaws.
SAM EVANS was sure his whole body vibrated along with the chainsaw as it started up somewhere inside the cabin. He motioned for the others to head back out. "Finn's right, we gotta go. Now. I think it came from the hall." The blond wasn't sure if the sound was coming closer and he didn't want to waste time to find out. He kept his eyes on the doorway to the hall and started heading backwards, not wanting to turn his back just yet. "I think we're going to have to head to the barn after all."
JESSE ST. JAMES had spent much of the time since the car sped off with his eyes glued to his phone, either trying to find a signal to properly get a 911 call out, or to text Rachel back. He was glad that she was out of here and on her way to safety. Maybe it was his stubbornness that always left him feeling invincible, but he wasn't too worried about himself right now. He always figured that if it ever came down to it, he'd be able to take care of himself. When Sam went into the cabin in the lead, Jesse pocketed his phone and stood next to him. He wasn't armed, but he wasn't going to let the guy just take the lead without someone by his side. Then he heard the chainsaw and his blood turned cold. Perhaps the stubborn thought of invincibility was totally stupid and saving his own life might not be as simple as he thought. As they bolted to try and find some place safe, he wished he could shoot a last text to Rachel. Or call her... hear her voice. There was at least one comforting thought in all this - at least she was safe.
KURT HUMMEL was glad that Sam and Finn had decided to take the lead when entering back in the house. Kurt thought it would be risky just sitting and waiting, and apparently someone else had the same idea. There was no denying that the sound of a chainsaw started as they entered, and Kurt slowly took steps back, somehow hoping that the quieter he was the less danger he was in. Kurt nodded silently, not even sure if he knew what was going on anymore. Kurt tripped a little trying to back away without breaking his gaze, but as soon as he felt the ground beneath him again, the boy found the courage to speak up just loud enough so they could hear him. "Let's go. Now." Kurt backed away and was about to break into a run, but he wanted to make sure everyone else was okay first. He wanted to yell at everyone to hurry along, but he figured that would only gain the attention of whoever was handling the chainsaw.
SAM EVANS heard Kurt just as he cleared the doorway. With no sign of the intruder besides the noise of the chainsaw, he felt safe enough to turn his back and start running. He cleared the stairs of the porch easily enough and was now sprinting towards the barn. He was thankful he'd kept up jogging while he'd stayed at the cabin. It didn't take long for him to reach Kurt and he pointed out there destination with the axe. He glanced back to make sure Finn and Jesse saw it as well. Even if it gave him the creeps, it was one of their best shots at hiding from whoever was after them.
FINN HUDSON just nodded, glad hat Sam and Kurt seemed to agree with him. He glanced over a Jesse, who looked slightly out of it, but he figured he probably looked the same right now. It wasn't hard for him to catch up with Kurt and Sam, his long legs and football practice making it easy for him to run fast. He wasn't sure how to feel about Sam's idea to move to the barn, but perhaps there was an attic or something they could hide at. Anything was better than staying inside the cabin, it seemed.
KURT HUMMEL looked back and once he saw the rest of the group moving too, he sped up and was in lead for a while before letting Sam catch up to point towards their destination. Kurt moved quickly and as quietly as possible, even though he wasn't exactly sure why yet. For some reason, he wasn't even that terrified yet, just more relaxed and focused on getting to the barn. It was going to have to be their safe spot until they came up with a better plan, even though he wasn't sure of that yet. The house was no longer safe, and Kurt suddenly didn't feel any remorse for leaving some of his belongings inside. As he kept a good pace, the barn came closer into view. "This looks....cozy."
JESSE ST. JAMES didn't know whether or not he should look back. That might only slow him down, but what if someone was gaining on them? When they reached the barn, he took the chance to finally look back. "There could be more than one of them around here. Keep your eyes peeled," he said as he waited for someone to get the door open. "We should circle around the barn and see if anyone is around before we go in. You never know..."
SAM EVANS nodded at Jesse's idea. "Good idea. But..." The blond trailed off as he looked around, sighing a few minutes later when he couldn't find another axe. The one he was holding was probably the one used to chop the wood previously. "You're going to have to find some sorta weapon, you too, Finn. How about I go with Jesse this way though and you and Kurt go that way and we can meet around back?"
FINN HUDSON looked back and forth between Jesse and Sam. He couldn't exactly come up with a better idea, so he made up his mind and decided to just follow with Sam's plan. It was true, of course, that him and Jesse had no weapon, but he felt like it was a good idea to go with Kurt and just pray that if it was needed, Kurt would be good at his aiming. "Okay, yeah, we can do that. There has to be something around here that I can use, anyway." He really, really hoped there weren't any other people with chainsaws around, but he doubted that was the case. "That okay with you, Kurt?"
ISOLATION ACCOUNT: There are a few things hanging out around the barn, a dirty shovel, a few chains and a few odd shaped tires. A tire iron and an old chopping block are among the other things too. The only thing keeping the barn from opening would be the padlocked chains hanging on the front handles tightly. Break those and you're in. In the mean time, speeding up would be a better idea because while no one has come out of the cabin yet, the sound of the chainsaw is getting louder. In the back corner of the barn, there is a hole leaning under the right side. It's a few feet wide and pretty shallow, but if you squeeze you might be able to get though. Either that or break the lock.
KURT HUMMEL nodded, "I'm fine with that. Let's go." Kurt looked at Sam and Jesse before moving around the opposite side of the barn, keeping his head low. The boy couldn't imagine what was inside, but he silently hoped no one would be waiting for them. Kurt scanned the ground for idle objects, but nothing came up. When he rounded the back of the barn, Kurt immediately saw the padlocked doors and sighed in defeat, before noticing the hole. It was pretty small, but he knew he could fit through it, with a little pushing and pulling. Kurt didn't say anything but got down to look inside, and didn't see much. He stood and turned around, "Okay, so I think I fit through that. Actually, we probably all could, provided we kick the side in a little. That lock," he pointed, "probably needs to stay that way. If we get Sam's axe to break it, it would take too long and we wouldn't be able to close it back." Kurt breathed deeply, pacing slightly. "Wait." His eyes widened, noticing the chainsaw noise was getting louder. "Oh my God, oh my God." Kurt crouched down, mentally preparing himself. "Are we doing this?"
KURT HUMMEL: *I could fit through
JESSE ST. JAMES nodded and started to stealthily creep around the side of the barn with those who were following . He wasn't one for weapons, but he voiding help but really wish he had something- anything to hold onto to use just in case he needed it. But what could any weapon really do against a chainsaw? "You're kidding..." Jesse muttered when Kurt pointed out the hole he said they could all crawl through. "We don't even know if anyone is--" then the chainsaw grew louder and it didn't seem they had much of a choice. "Alright. Everyone in. Make it fast."
SAM EVANS made his way around the barn, keeping his eyes open for anything Finn and Jesse could. While he walked by the latter, he remembered what the other car had been thinking. "Jesse, dude. Is there anything you want to tell us about this place?" By the time he reached the other side of the barn, he found a shovel and a tire iron. "Here, you two. They're better than nothing." He let the two boys pick what they wanted then checked out the padlocked chains hanging from the handles of the barn. He could use his axe, but he guessed whoever was coming would probably easily spot the broken chains. He was glad when Kurt spoke up about the hole, having missed it. "Right," he agreed about breaking the lock. Sam's hands gripped the axe tighter and he nodded again. "We are, c'mon. Kurt, you first."
KURT HUMMEL nodded firmly, not caring that the barn looked like it could use a deep cleanse and a paint job. Or the fact that he was about to get on the ground to try and wiggle himself in the entrance. Kurt took a deep breath, and bent down on all fours, feeling the coarse grass under his hands. Kurt lowered himself and pushed through the hole, barely being able to push his head through let alone his body. It was tough, and he could've sworn he felt something move under him, but the boy finally pulled through. After a moment he stood, brushing himself him off and visibly shaking in anxiety and annoyance. "Come on. I'm still alive, so that's something." Kurt told them, reaching his hand out into the hole, waiting on someone to take it.
ISOLATION ACCOUNT: It's dark in the barn. Despite the hole, they've taken extra measures to make sure the light doesn't shine in. The hole is only there from someone's failed past escape that they haven't quite gotten to filling in yet. The smell is enough to make even the strongest of stomachs turn, but you won't see why until you push further into the barn. When you do that, you might just notice the three unidentifiable bodies hanging from oversized meat hooks as if they're curing over time. Add a little salt and deeeeeeelish. The worst part is that's not even the worst part! Steel trays line the walls of the barn, rusted with time or covered with blood, it makes no difference. Organs and dried intestines cover the floor in the sense you'd expect old hay to in such a barn. Jared hearts, eyes, kidneys and even babies fill up the left side and it's clearly the home ground of the insane. A gigantic meat freezer and fridge is somewhere in here as well, but all of this is hidden in darkness for now, just beyond some over stacked hay bales. What's really happened is you've just entered the butcher's kitchen and you're no wiser. Not yet anyways.
JESSE ST. JAMES was scanning the area for anything when Sam asked him about the place. "The hell are you talking about?" he asked, thinking Sam was accusing him of causing this. "I don't know... I mean... I heard something I thought was a load of bull to scare kids off... Something good to tell around the campfire..." He trailed off, thinking about how it didn't sound so unbelievable now. When Kurt crawled in, he followed after, wanting to get far away from whoever was out there and hoping there was nobody in there. But the smell nearly made him back right out. "Oh god... What is that?"
SAM EVANS asked, "You were the one that found the place weren't you?" He listened to the other's answer and his eyes narrowed as Jesse trailed off. He had every intention of Finn going before him, but he couldn't stop himself from ducking and going after his friend. "What the hell are you talking about, dude? What did you hear about this place?" The smell didn't hit him until he was standing again and he thought he was going to be sick. He'd been in plenty of barns before, but none of them had ever smelled like this. He distracted himself by turning around and hunching near the hole. "Finn, can you fit through it?"
FINN HUDSON inspected the hole, frowning in confusion. Sure, the sound of the damn chainsaw was getting louder, but considering Kurt had barely been able to fit through the hole, he didn't exactly count on his body to be cut out for that. So he waited for Jesse and Sam to crawl through the hole as well, while he nervously looked around. He thought of making the hole bigger, but that would probably draw attention. He heard some muffled noises coming from the barn and then heard Sam's voice calling out to him. He grumbled and got down on his knees, already quite sure there was no way he could get himself through the small space of the hole. "Dude, I'm never going to fit through that." He crawled forward, deciding on trying to be reunited with his friends, rather than staying outside and being a target for whoever was operating that chainsaw. He fit his head through the hole, then his arms, but his shoulders were already kind of too broad. "Shit." He wiggled his body, attempting to get through he hole, while the smell of the barn made him want to move backwards. "Can you guys see anything? It smells like dead raccoon in here. There was one in my mom's basement once."
JESSE ST. JAMES didn't think this was the time or the place for this kind of conversation, so he really wasn't appreciating the grilling. "Something in the seventies. People died... a lot of people. But I thought it was a load of bull... just a scary story," he said once they were inside the barn. He clenched his jaw and looked down at Finn as he tried to get in. "Give me your hand," he said, reaching out to help pull him in. The last thing they needed was one of their group getting cut in half because the guy with the chainsaw saw his ass poking out the hole of the barn.
KURT HUMMEL had, against his better judgement, wanted to see why in the world the smell was so bad in here. Kurt looked around in the dark, trying to let his eyes adjust while Sam and Jesse crawled in, and with one step forward he instantly took three steps back. There was something close, and it was absolutely, positively vile. Kurt clamped a tight hand over his mouth and wrapped his other arm around his abdomen, suddenly feeling a wave of nausea come over him. He listened to Jesse's explanation and his eyes widened. But it was just a story, right? People told things like that all the time. Kurt took some deep breaths and looked over to see his step-brother, as tall as Finn was, trying to fit himself through the hole. Kurt stood beside Jesse silently, reaching for the boy's other hand to pull him through. "Dead raccoon? It's definitely deadsomething in here."
SAM EVANS looked over at Jesse in astonishment, his voice tight when he spoke. "And you didn't think that was worth you know, mentioning? Especially when all this weird creepy stuff started happening? Are you kidding me?" The blond shook his head and walked away before he did something rash. The further he walked into the barn though, the more he wanted to walk right back out. He pulled the neck of his shirt up to mask his nose and mouth then grabbed one of the over stalked hay bales. He brought it over to where the guys were and set it aside. "It's not much, but when Finn's through, we can use it to block the hole." Sam went back for another, but this time the smell seemed even stronger. He searched his pockets until he found his phone then used the flashlight app to look around. What he saw had him bending over beside the remaining hay and throwing up whatever food he'd managed to eat in the past 24 hours. Once he was done, he raced back to the guys and shook his head. "It's dead people. So much for just a scary story. We can't stay in here... We need to leave. You guys really don't want to see what's back there."
FINN HUDSON took a moment to accept Jesse's hand, not completely trusting the guy, since he had heard part of the conversation between him and Sam. People died here? He knew Puck would think it was awesome and maybe Jesse had, too, but he couldn't exactly see the appeal and he knew for sure none of the girls would either. He took Kurt's hand as well and attempted to push himself through the hole as quickly as possible. He was inside completely, apart from his feet, when he heard Sam throwing up. "Dude, what--" He managed to get up on his feet, though it was a little wobbly and he hit his head against a wooden beam that held the barn together. It took a couple of seconds before he realized what Sam was saying and panic surged through him. "Christ, I'm going to call Puck and see when he's planning to get his ass back here." He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at the unread text he had received from Puck. "Guys, something's wrong and I'm not talking about all of this."
JESSE ST. JAMES felt a little better when they were all in the barn. Even if something wasn't right about it, it was better than being out there. "We should just stay put here... stay quiet until whoever is out there gives up and thinks we ran off," he suggested. If the lock was still on, it wouldn't seem like they were in there, right? "How was I supposed to know it was all true? People make shit up like that all the time," he explained. When Sam started throwing up, he nearly followed right after because he didn't have the strongest stomach around people getting sick and the smell around the barn was enough already. "What?" he whispered, stepping deeper into the barn and seeing the outline of a body that made his mouth go dry. So it was all real. Then Finn was talking about something being wrong and he quickly whipped his head back. "What now?" he asked, looking at Finn's face in the faint light from his phone.
KURT HUMMEL stepped to the side when Finn stood up, keeping unusually quiet. His thoughts were moving faster and faster. How did things get so bad? Who was handling that chainsaw? And how in the world were they going to get out and eventually to Puck when he showed up? The sound of Sam throwing up snapped him back to reality, and Kurt's eyes widened. He wrapped his arms around himself, and went to stand by Finn when he was reading something from his phone. Kurt leaned up as much as possible to see that it was from Puck, and he swiftly moved to his own phone. He hadn't gotten a reply from Rachel. "This is bad. Anyone have a signal?" Kurt asked, looking up at the boys before walking past the locked doors, and raised his phone up, not noticing there was a shelf there until he had already bumped into it. "Ow! What the--?" Kurt turned his phone around to see what it was, and in the next second he dropped his phone and let out a single scream, scrambling to shut himself up. Kurt moved away quickly, swiping at his phone and visibly shaking now. "T-There are...oh God. There's...", he brought his voice down to a whisper, "babies." Kurt broke down at the thought, not crying, but feeling downright disgusted.
SAM EVANS pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to calm himself. "You couldn't look into the place or anything? If we make it outta here, Santana's going to have your head, you know that, right?" He shook his own head, but stopped to glance at Finn. "What happened?" He looked down to see the text from Puck on Finn's phone and then went through his cell to look at his texts. He finally responded to the unread ones and sighed. "It wouldn't matter if you did. You can't call anywhere, but within the area. 911 included." Sam was still trying to think of another plan when Kurt screamed and he ran over to the other. "Kurt, what happened?" After he revealed what he'd seen, the blond took his phone and lightened up the shelf to see everything. "There's more than just them..." He trailed off, feeling sick again. He pocketed his phone and used his free hand to guide the shaking Kurt back to the others. "We really need to leave. If that guy doesn't find us, this is definitely the place he's going to come back to and hey, maybe this dude has a truck or something somewhere on the property we can use to get away."
JESSE ST. JAMES stepped back, feeling like everyone really needed to get off his back. First Santana, now Sam. "What, did you expect me to do a full historical check on this place?" he asked in disbelief. "It was cheap for what we were looking for and I thought it was just some stupid local urban legend or something. Besides, even if-- how would I have known that whatever psycho did that would still be around?" But now he was really starting to get worried over this text. Feeling fed up with wondering he went to see Finn's phone for himself and his mouth went dry. He nodded in agreement with Sam. 911 wouldn't work. But now he needed to find out if Rachel was okay. Frantically, he grabbed his own phone and hit her number on speed dial. "Please pick up, Rachel..." he whispered. "I need to go to her..." He had dropped back down to his knees with his phone glued to his ear with the intention of crawling back out. He didn't care what happened... He couldn't think straight right now and he was experiencing some sort of dazed tunnel vision. But that's when he heard the footsteps and he quickly rolled to the side so he was out of the view of the hole. He waved his hand and signaled anyone who could see, gesturing to be quiet before pointing outside.
THE ISOLATION ACCOUNT: It's easier to hear when the chainsaw isn't revved up. It's not like it can't be turned back on with one tug. The pathetic whimpers coming from inside the barn are soon joined with the revving of that chainsaw again. It comes through the wall hitting the cabinet. It's not raining men, hallelujah. It's raining jars.
FINN HUDSON couldn't speak, couldn't read the text out loud. What had happened to their friends? He had been so sure it had been the best idea to get the girls out first. And, fuck, Blaine. If something happened to him, Kurt would be a mess. Same for Rachel. He felt sick, not just from the disgusting smell, but from the terrible scenarios that filled his mind. Puck seemed to be alive, at least, but he hadn't been clear about the situation at all. And if 911 didn't work, they were all screwed. He was pulled from his thoughts by Kurt's scream, which immediately caught his attention. "Babies?" He repeated. He waited for Sam to guide his stepbrother back to the group and instinctively wrapped an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. Sam's plan seemed a good one. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the dark, so he was positive they had to get the hell out of this place. It looked much creepier than the shed, shit, cabin. He was ready to try and take the lead, when Jesse's waving caught his attention. He mouthed a single "What?" but the answer came sooner than he ever wanted it to. "Shit, shit, shit, the door, the door!" It probably wasn't the best idea to yell out his plan, but the sound of the chainsaw was pretty much taking up all his attention right now. "Sam, the axe, dude!"
KURT HUMMEL kept rubbing his eyes to try and get rid of the image of the jarred fetus, but it wasn't doing any good. In fact, it seemed like the images burned even more into his brain, the more he tried to forget them. Who would do such a thing? And why? He was too shocked to shed tears or throw up, so he let Sam and Finn console him for the time being. He nodded, agreeing that they needed to leave just when the chainsaw revved back up, colliding with the wall that held the cabinets on it. Kurt tried let out another cry, but he choked and fell silent just as quickly. He backed as far away as he could from the door and the cabinets, cringing every time one fell to the ground. The smell was disgusting and it was getting worse by the second. Kurt plugged his nose, looking for something to help with. It was hard to see in the dark, and Kurt was growing more and more frantic. "Hurry, hurry!"
SAM EVANS "Not a full historical search, no, but if you heard a bunch of people died here, whether you believed it or not, than a little research could've done us some good. Oh and I don't know, Jesse. Maybe when weird shit started happening." Sam was still in disbelief, but he knew he couldn't get into it now, especially with what was going on. "Jesse, what are you-" He sneaked over quietly and heard the footsteps from outside. He froze right where he was standing and gripped the axe. He jumped as the chainsaw appeared through the wall and hit the cabinet. The smells coming from the broken jars almost made him sick, but he was just glad he'd gotten Kurt away from that side of the barn in time. He looked at the door, but shook his head. "The locks, dude. It'd take too long. Just- here." Sam went over to the hole in the barn and quickly started hacking away at the top of it to make it bigger. It didn't take long. He stopped once he was sure Finn would be able to get through it with no struggle. "Go.Run, anywhere, okay. I'm going to try and buy us more time." And with that, the blond was careful as he went over to the other side of the barn. He wasn't sure how effective it would be, but when he got close enough he swung the axe into the chainsaw, hoping to at least to some damage to the chain or drive it back.
JESSE ST. JAMES had enough of this bullshit. "There's no point in arguing this anymore. Save it for when we are out of here," he said to Sam. He was really trying to keep it together, but Rachel not answering her phone had just about done him in. He left a quick voicemail, finding any previous fear of expressing his feelings to be gone. He said he loved her, but who knew if it was audible over the chainsaw. When Sam started making the hole bigger, he took that shovel and tried to beat it open wider. But then Sam tried to do some martyr move and he wasn't having it. "No way, man," Jesse said as he grabbed his arms and tugged him back.
FINN HUDSON knew Sam was right. There was no time to try and get through the door, but weren't they an even easier target while trying to crawl through the hole again? The smell was almost too much and he could feel his stomach turning, although the fear kept him from actually throwing up. He stared at the blonde in disbelief. Was Sam really going to try to distract this maniac? But there was no time to discuss strategies, so he carefully took a hold of Kurt's arm and pushed him towards the hole that was now hopefully large enough for him to crawl out fast enough to not get sawn into pieces. "Go, go, I'm right behind you." There was no time to look back, they just had to trust each other to be safe.
KURT HUMMEL heard the exchange between the group and instantly was knocked into his senses. He had to run, but didn't want to let someone stay behind. Kurt was pushed towards the hole, and looked at Finn and back to Sam. The boy was really trying to save their lives right now, but at what cost? Kurt couldn't even begin to think of the fact that Sam would be actually killed. Kurt shook his head, "No, if Sam's going to stay behind, someone should stay with him! If we split up, we should do it in pairs." Kurt said over the sound of the wall breaking and chainsaw. He looked worriedly across the three of them, wishing he had gotten that damned revolver. "And where is the tire iron?" He yelled, one hand near the widened hole, and the other bracing against the wall. They needed every weapon they could get right now. Everyone was trying to be the hero, and while Kurt appreciated it, he didn't want to permanently lose someone over it.
THE ISOLATION ACCOUNT: The impact of whatever had hit the saw only caused the man to anger and viciously continue to jab the saw into the wall. Each hole he made caused a little more light to flicker through. His features were deformed and his face covered with a mixture of dirt, blood, sweat and an uneven patch of coarse hair. He was tall, six foot six, maybe. Bulky too, covered in dirty pieces of clothing all sewn together. He laughed high and unstable as the saw continued to mangle the wall. Soon enough he pulled back, grinning to himself before walking along the barn, dragging the tip as he went as if he were trying to cut the top off a can.
SAM EVANS While it hadn't done much but anger the guy holding the chainsaw, Sam was able to get a glimpse at him. Honestly it seemed like the man had walked off the set of a horror movie. He ran back to the guys, dismayed they hadn't left yet, but he had to admire them for it too. "Guys, we gotta go. Now." Sam looked back and urged the others forward. "Wait... I think he's stopped, but he's probably going around." He bit his lip, now at a loss of what to do. While he was grateful they had stayed, he didn't want to them to die for it. "He might see us now, but I still think leaving is the best option. Unless you guys have an idea?"
OCTOBER 8TH, TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING, AFFECTS ALL.
YOU ARE FREE TO THREAD THIS OUT WITH FRIENDS, OR WRITE AN ACCOMPANYING THREAD/REFLECTION.
The world works in mysterious ways and the same could be said for the cabin. Sadly, not all mysterious things are good things. With the constant crash of lightning and continuous grumble of thunder, the shock starts to wear off. Even with the abrupt lightning and the sickening crack it sends out into the night - the same one that chills you to the core and makes you wonder how close that really came. You're at the mercy of mother nature out here. One fail swoop hit close to home causing a particularly huge cedar tree to come crashing to the ground. More carnage. I don't know what the insurance policy is, but it's a widely known fact that in a storm, you should never park your car(s) close to trees. Pretty unavoidable though in the middle of the damn forest. Because of this, your rides are demolished. Awesome, right? No? Okay. If the shock wears off in the morning, you might look close enough to notice the clean cut at the base of the tree, pretty weird for lightning. And since when would lightning take time to slash every single tire on both vehicles? And since WHEN would lightning draw a big, bloody smile on the windshield? What gives, man? Thank god your friends are on their way. If they'll make it there in one piece though... that's a whole new story.
TIME IS NO LONGER FROZEN. FEEL FREE TO CONTINUE YOUR CONVERSATIONS, TEXTS AND OTHER INTERACTIONS, AS WELL AS CONTINUE YOUR THREADS. IT IS NOW THE NEXT DAY.
YOU ARE FREE TO THREAD THIS OUT WITH FRIENDS, OR WRITE AN ACCOMPANYING THREAD/REFLECTION. *THIS CAN AFFECT UP TO TWO/THEE PEOPLE IF THEY'RE IN A GROUP OR THE SAME PROXIMITY. WITH THE STORM, IT IS UNLIKELY THE ENTIRE GROUP WOULD KNOW. IF YOU'RE TAKING THIS PROMPT, LIKE IT. DO NOT TAKE IT IF THERE ARE OVER THREE LIKES.
11PM: There is pounding on the front door and it sounds like enough to break it down. Knock, knock, knock. It stops. It disappears for minutes at a time, but it comes back louder. No windows give you clear view of the door so it's up to you if you want to put your ass on the line to see who or what the hell is there. Knock, knock, knock. It feels like it's rattling the walls and windows all at once. Knock, knock, knock. It won't go away.
When this storm clears tomorrow, I think I'm tapping out. I have no doubt this trip can probably get better, but at this point, I'm exhausted. Not to mention I'm getting really tired of whoever thinks it's funny to mess with other people's things. Yeah, scares can be great, but I kind of thought no one would go as far as to vandalize or destroy other people's property, especially when they're your friend's things. If anyone wants to hang out, or have a drink or something, I'll be in the den.
YOU ARE FREE TO THREAD THIS OUT WITH FRIENDS, OR WRITE AN ACCOMPANYING THREAD/REFLECTION.
7PM ONWARD: It's been dark and terrible all day but around seven, shit really begins to hit the fan. Queue the bone cracking lightning, the rolling thunder that feels like it could shake the cabin, and the down pour of rain. With the way it hits the shoddy roof of the cabin, it's miraculous the entire thing doesn't collapse in upon itself. I wouldn't suggest going outside either, the winds are killer.
