Dwight is abandoned. Again. How many times has it been? It's common that he's lying in a pool of his own blood. Broken glasses are discarded and muddy, leaving his vision blurry. His heartbeat is racing, signaling the killer's approach. But he doesn't care. A sad and bitter frown tugs at his lips. No matter what world he's in, Dwight learned that he's worthless.
.
Looking at his hands he sees the familiar dark scars. They wind up and down his arms like cracks in glass. Icy cold.
Dwight doesn't even react as the killer's red gaze highlights his form. He's rather pathetic, not running, screaming, or fighting back. Usually Dwight hides to evade a sharp blade to his gut, but now he's accepting his fate. If he escapes or is sacrificed, he has to be summoned into another game, like everyone else.
After all, in the Entity's world, death isn't an escape.
.
Hurled back to the campfire. Dwight understands the Entity's reasoning on why It captures contestants into Its world. Without this game, It will die. But he's never understood the survivors. The whole point is to stick together. Yet, after he was here a while and others started appearing, everyone pushed him away. Didn't even acknowledge him or his talents. He was their leader a long time ago. Now they show a cold indifference to Dwight. Even when he tries to help them at his disadvantage. Is this new morbid life no different than the one he had before?
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No one gets up from their seat to check up on him. Claudette's worried glance lands on him, but she doesn't move from Jake's side. Dwight only stares blankly at nothing.
Discarded. Laughed at. Always the first to die. Dwight's a nervous guy. Nobody believes in him. Not anymore.
.
Wobbly standing, he notices the dark scars crawling animatedly over his arms. Wisps of smoke cling to them. Dwight would vanish soon. This certainty is dreadful, but now…it's a dull, melancholy feeling.
.
Sitting against a still generator he stares at the never-changing sky. Past damp fog and tortured screaming is a beautiful horizon. Chips of dark blue in depthless shadow. The killer runs up, weapon raised –and abruptly freezes. It's Susie, the timid girl of the Legion.
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"You're not running? Why?"
Dwight doesn't meet her questioning stare. Says nothing.
She doesn't miss the obvious icy curse. Lowering her sharpened ruler, Susie sighed. "Look, I know you're weak and all, but you're not even going to try?"
He scoffed. Susie has the least amount of kills among the Legion. She's not the best at chasing survivors or tracking them. Unlike her friends, she only gets bloodthirsty if somebody pisses her off.
Ignoring the ringing of a completed generator, she studies him a moment. Pale sickly skin, drooping posture, and eyes that are dark and hollow.
"Aren't you supposed to be the leader of your friends? Don't they depend on you? You fix generators faster when they're with you. They listen to your ideas. A lot of them escape because of your wittiness." Susie bashfully rubbed her neck. "Well that and the killers catch you first most of the time." She couldn't believe she was trying to give a pep talk to a survivor, but she felt like she had to. But why?
Dwight merely shrugged. If he didn't do anything, it'd sabotage their escape.
Susie didn't want to sacrifice Dwight. She left, turning her head to look at him through her mask before tracking scratch marks.
.
These morbid dreary woodlands are endless. A few landmarks are fixed, like the two camps, archives, and the market. Dwight wanders by himself. He used to look for a way out, like a portal that would just miraculously appear. Or he'd go to the archives and research only to find no weaknesses. He had wanted to go home. But now that seems impossible.
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He rests by a tree, eyes closed as he lightly sleeps. Wind hisses through tree leaves.
Branches and crisp leaves crunch underneath a pair of shoes. She treads nearly invisible like the Wraith. She sobbed, rubbing her eyes and smearing the deep mascara she wears. "H-Hey Dwight…"
"Susie?"
"Yeah." She shyly tugs at her hoodie sleeve.
"What're you doing here?" His voice is cracked and faint. Dwight hasn't talked in –he doesn't know how many days.
She tries to smile, but it collapses into a disconsolate frown. Susie sat down and shrunk under Dwight's erudite gaze. It isn't malicious though.
Is it…empathy?
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"You're fading aren't you?" Susie asked.
Dwight's eyes widened in shock. Anger, bitterness, and despair, feelings he'd thought were gone now reappeared. Dwight realizes he's quivering. "It…it isn't like I have anything to go back to."
"Me neither."
"You have the Legion, right?"
"I thought I did."
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"Frank and the others kicked me out of the Legion. Because I don't make enough sacrifices. I guess I'm not as tough, strong, fast, or as smart as them." Susie blinked tears away. "I must be useless." She pulled up a hoodie sleeve. Her arm –it's the same scars as Dwight's. Except the scars are starting to scratch his face too.
"You're also-"
"I'm afraid of disappearing."
.
Susie's sobs carry an eerie tune in silent forest.
Dwight's gaze fell to his scars. "When I first got here the survivors were kind. I don't know what happened. Maybe I'm useless too." He's shocked that out of all the people in this bizarre world that Susie would be talking to him. They should have their own groups, the Legion and the other survivors. But both had been ignored, betrayed, and abandoned.
They wonder if the curse can be reversed, or if they really are going to vanish. Even though Dwight hated his boring life, he doesn't want to disappear.
.
Branches and stones are thrown together in a pile.
"What're you doing?"
Crackling fire became towering scorching flames. Dwight poked it with a spare twig. "Making a new camp. It's not like the others would care if I was there or not."
"How long do you think a person has before they…"
"Die? I don't know. But I don't want to die. I'm…I'm going to find out how to fix this curse."
.
"Hey Dwight!" Susie carried a backpack and ran towards him. "I made you something!"
"What? Really?"
She crafted him a friendship bracelet. There were painted charms too. She held up her wrist, also wearing one. "We match. It isn't too girlie is it?"
"No, it's cool! Thank you." No one's ever made him a gift before.
Susie's metallic smile glows under the moonlight. But it's not scary like it is when she's in a game. The Legion always thought her gifts were tacky.
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She sits by the fire and knits. Dwight recalled about the last game he was in.
"Plague? She is so terrifying! So is Michael. Did the survivors leave you again?"
"Yeah. But I did see Meg faceplant while running away. It was funny."
Susie laughed. "I remember chasing you and you tried to save Jake, and accidently flipped a pallet over, trapping yourself."
Dwight rubbed his nose, remembering the pain. But he smiled. "Yeah, broke my nose."
Their friendship is like a bunch of geeky exiled kids at a table –discussing their hobbies with clear enthusiasm and heart. Tossing a few jokes here and there too. It's been a long time since their views were valued.
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Susie perched by a river, one that ran from a lake further on in the woods, to collect water in a flask. She's been staying away from Legion territory and the killer camp. Julie's eyed her old friend suspiciously. "Hi Susie."
The ex-Legion member ignored them. Wary, she waits for the right moment to run away. Her long dyed hair hides her expression.
"Hey, don't ignore Jules."
"Don't you miss us? We just came by to see how you are doing."
"Sorry, I'm busy." Her voice is sharp, angry that they were lying. They don't care how she's doing.
"With what?" Frank laughed. "There's nothing to do out here."
.
The Legion each took a step closer. Susie tensed, and lifted her head up to look at Julie. Back home, she always admired Julie. She was confident and didn't care what others thought of her. Nobody would say no to her and if they did, they'd lose the fight for sure. But now she unquestionably sees how cruel and fake they all are –especially Jules.
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"We've heard you made a lot of sacrifices. You even made more than the Spirit this week."
"Yeah. Were you fooling us? This entire time you're such a badass!"
"We had no idea you were so cool."
"You can come back to the lodge with us if you want."
"No."
"No?"
.
Susie stood up and took a soundless step back. "You guys didn't accept me or treat me as a good friend. So I won't go back. I'm fine on my own."
Frank laughed. "What? You think you're better than us now?"
"No. I just think that-"
Jules pursed her lips and glared at Susie. "Thinking isn't something you're good at."
"You're an airhead, Susie."
"It's like you need the three of us to do anything."
"You cling to anybody that likes you. You can't even stand up for yourself!" Frank slapped Susie's head.
Joey pushed her and she stumbled. Julie kicked her as she fell and sneered. "You're just a girl pretending to fit in and be cool."
"Stop!"
"And what? Without us, without the Legion, you'd have nowhere to go!"
.
She tackled Frank and punched him. Everyone froze, shocked. The Legion leader was stunned and didn't block two fists smacking his face. Teeth fly. Julie and Joey lunge at her to pull Susie away but she violently thrashed around and broke free. Susie might have escaped with only one chasing her, but all three were catching up.
.
Julie grabbed her arm and threw her. Susie hit a tree and curled up to defend against a frenzy of punches and kicks. A storm of insults crack like thunder overhead.
"Leave her alone!"
Dwight?
The Legion laughed. "Look at that. Is big brother Dwight gonna save Susie from the group of bullies?" Julie asked in a mocking voice.
"Two weaklings protecting each other, how funny. That's why the stronger people survive and make the rules. Losers like you can't change anything."
"We haven't been summoned in a game for a while. I'm excited."
Frank flipped his blade and caught it. "You should've just left us alone. There's no way you can be a hero."
Dwight pushed his glasses up his nose and glared at the Legion. He stood in a fighting stance and remembered David and Jeff's spars when they faced killers. Dwight isn't a hero. But he won't let somebody he cares about get bullied.
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He lost. Obviously. Dwight had been outnumbered and he wasn't a bulky opponent. Surprisingly he got in a shocking punch or two. But he's tersely dumped onto the ground, bloody and obtaining a black eye, broken arm, and bruises. The Legion laugh and leave, cheering and screaming about how they're the strongest.
.
Susie crouched down, med kit next to her, and healed Dwight's wounds. It had been hidden by one of the trees in the woods. He must've brought a med kit along, sensing danger and thinking ahead, knew one would be required.
"Why'd you do that?"
"We…we have nobody. No one back home to see if we ever return and nobody here that cares. And I know what it's like not having anyone standing up for me when I was in trouble."
She smiled lopsidedly at Dwight, amused by how he looked like a mummy now. "You're so dumb."
"I know," he chuckled. "I should've probably brought a flashlight to blind them first."
Arms wrap around him in a thankful hug. "Thanks." Susie decided to get stronger so she could stand up for Dwight and herself. She'd get payback. Payback for those who bullied Dwight. And the Legion. They wouldn't be weak losers anymore. Not if she had anything to say about it. She wasn't teleported to the Entity's world for nothing.