18:35 - THE LABYRINTH

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-

I fought the urge to run ahead. What did they mean by being one of them? I turned and looked behind me. What was coming? And what was attacking them?

"Edmund, Ryan, what's going on?"

I called back at them, hesitating. Edmund's terrified screams certainly slowed me down.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

The thing in the reflection loped all the faster, the ground suddenly shaking with its heavy footfalls. At a turn in the hall, it burst free-- sending out splintering shards and thundering into the hall between Harriet and the men. It appeared to be a hairless gorilla-like creature, with a man's head. It towered over you all, hunching to fit inside the hall. It panted for breath, its too-small head with jaws wide open and eyes unfocused. It looked like it was about to strike, but not sure which of you it wanted to go for.

Ryan & Ed-- it's mostly looking to you two. Now you recognize its face-- it's Ryan's.

((Everyone, roll 2d10 + Will to Keep it Together, then make a move!))

[∆§Indea§∆]

(Neurotic)

Edmund-

”NUUUUUUUAAAAAGHHH!”

I hope Ryan wasn’t attached to his ears because I let out a blood curdling scream. I clung to the less scary Ryan in a death grip.I didn’t want to be eaten by this creature.




wciKUi4z+ (+2-1)+1
·

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

I screamed and sprayed Ryan-creature in the face with the spray-paint. I did not have any other weapons but I thought this would be distracting enough.

"HELP!"

I had doubted myself with the small things, but this horrible thing was beyond me.

KDZqNtgq+2·

[Dr. Maneep Pamplemousse]

tEGHEeDO+2·

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Edmund --
Your psyche is just breaking apart. This immense creature towers over you, a man's face atop the warped body, still so human yet so blank and animalistic behind the eyes. Eyes that are staring right at you...

(-2 stability, takes you to 'Irrational!' Careful now...)

You are so gripped by terror that you must make a choice -- attack the creature blindly, flee in complete panic, or become completely paralyzed until the creature is out of your sight.

Harriet --
Gahh!! That is just too much. The paint adheres to the creature's skin, revealing its every pore and blemish, making it seem all the realer. It truly is a monster cobbled together from some alien's imagination of a human.

(-2 stability, takes you to 'shaken!' That's - 1 on future Keep it Together rolls. Fight or flight? It's not as dire as it is for Edmund, but your body compels you to make a move.)

Ryan --
You feel oddly calm in this scenario, looking at the twisted creature wearing your face. Wonder why? But all the screaming around you can't help but set you on edge a bit.

(- 1 stability, takes you to 'Neurotic'. Also please make a move.)

[Dr. Maneep Pamplemousse]

(Neurotic)

I have no intention of staying here. Whatever this thing was, I planned on leaving it here with the CSI or whatever the hell she was. The doctor amuses me, so I push him along with me unless he tries to take and action other than fleeing.

[∆§Indea§∆]

(Irrational)


Edmund-

”I JUUUST WAAANNAA GOO HOOOME....Ughhhhhh”

I lash out at the lawyer, batting him away and throwing myself to the ground in an attempt to free myself from him. I don’t care if it’s on all fours, I flee towards what I hope is the exit ignoring my injuries.Demons! It’s all demons.

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-
(Shaken)

The spray did nothing but make it look more horrifying. My body told me to run, and I obeyed running in the direction of the struggle, away from Edmund and the others. Hopefully this thing was going to follow me now anyhow, after I had attacked it. I had the oddest feeling that its face was intentionally a strange mockery of Ryan's itself, or maybe it was just coincidental.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

I bolted towards the commotion, hoping to draw the monster's attention...Or maybe, not hoping to draw it at all.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Harriet, flees this thread to horrorboys.proboards.com/thread/1064/18-40-engine-room

The monster wheels around, sniffing at the air like a cartoon bloodhound. It lopes after Harriet, the thud of its body reverberating through the hall. With Harriet, leaves the only light source. Edmund's has fallen in the water and fizzled out. You are both left in pitch dark, wobbling around to stay upright with the shaking of the creature's heavy body.

[Dr. Maneep Pamplemousse]

(Neurotic)

I let the doctor scramble away and I briefly looked after the CSI and her monster. I hope he gets a little nosh... But the thought of losing Mills was eating me. I followed after the monster, but kept enough distance as to not distract it from it's current quarry.

[∆§Indea§∆]

(Irrational)


I scrambled after him, trying to grab at his legs or whatever was closer. My movement was an odd frenetic crab like crawl, the water up near my chin. I wasn't going to be left alone again. In the dark and by myself. Demons were better than that.

Edmund-

"NOOOOOOO! DON'T LEAVE ME!! PLEEEASE! Please! GIsssellle!!"

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

It was slow going, slogging through the water in the dark. The creature's thundering steps shook the ground and knocked you off balance continually. The darkness was oppressive, you could only tell you were going anywhere at all by the splashing of the water beneath you and the swiftly disappearing light in the distance. Soon you were left in the utter void, only the sounds of your own splashing to keep you company. There was thumping and bumping in the distance, like a television across the street. The ground still shook now and then, and a scream echoed out.

A wind blew over you, a smell like burning hair. Something was wading behind you, matching your speed but with much, much longer strides.

((Roll 2d10+ Reflexes to maintain your speed and keep from falling! Then, what do you do?))

[∆§Indea§∆]

(Irrational)


I pelted forward in sheer panic, ignoring my injury. Ignoring the water that kept getting in my mouth.Why was this happening to me?

"PLEEEASE! THERE'S SOMETHING BEHIND ME! No *Blugh* NO NONONONONONONONONO *BLUGHH*. RYYyAAAN! YOU CAN'T LET IT GET ME!"

WCzajTxd+-1
·

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Edmund--

Something was definitely moving behind you, as you used your every last drop of strength to stay out of its grasp. That smell of burning hair, closer and closer. Was it a charcoaled elephant seal? Was it one of those skull-headed widows?

I kept scrambling trying not to look behind me. Energy leaving my body as I wheezed with effort. Gagging and swallowing the fetid water.

Edmund- (Irrational)
“Ryaaaaaan pleeease ughhhblughh”

You would only have so much strength. Even as you moved so fast now, the thing behind you was tireless. It was going to get you eventually if you kept this up. The hall ahead was so long, no sign of anything changing.

I let out a long scream before giving up. I stopped moving, waiting for my fate from whatever was behind me. The lawyer wasn’t going to help. It was only a matter of time. I hoped it was quick

Holding still now, you felt the thump on the metal coming from behind you. Not as big as the gorilla, for certain, but bigger than you. Did you dare look back?

I don’t want to but I can’t help myself. I turn still screaming. Meeting whatever fate had in store for me..

Looking back, your eyes searched for meaning in the swirling grain of darkness. Somewhere there was just enough grey light to make out the shape of a long limb reaching for you. It touched you almost tenderly, under the belly. It rolled you over onto your back and loomed above. A single red emergency light flickered on. You were face to face with a blackened skull the size of your torso. Where it ought to have eyes, instead grew two twisting goat horns.

Creature-
"Do you swear fealty to the Sh̡̧e͝i͜re̴͏iĺ̶?"

Its skeleton jaw did not flap, and the voice that came out sounded exactly like your daughter.

Edmund- (Irrational)
“Ughhhh... sure. Please... please don’t hurt her. Don’t hurt meee...”

I squirmed in the dark water, my heart thudding. Doom squashing me.

Creature -
"From death, you will be reborn. Praise to the Devouring Mother."

It went straight for the head. You only had an instant's awareness of the pressure on your skull, then your world exploded into blinding pain. After you were gone, the creature continued to chew apart your body.