Normally, Pris would've hit her for screaming like that. Apart from the
shocking ring in her ears, it was very undignified and embarrassing.
She would have, if her brain hadn't been so busy trying to make sense of the tableau before her.
There were bodies, five she could see from the door, how many more she was sure she didn't want to know. Four of the five were strewn about the room, as if they had been tossed there like afterthoughts.
The fifth was hanging from the ceiling girders, how Pris could not see, but she was sure it was unpleasant. Equally unpleasant was the impression that he eyes may be missing. Oh god.
No. She didn't want to go in there. She didn't want to take a closer look. She just wanted to turn around and get the hell out of there.
Unfortunately, the scientist in her was curious and wanted to see. Damn it.
Lennier was standing behind her with a shaking, sobbing Greer in his arms. His eyes were asking her if she was going to be ok. Pris certainly hoped so.
Taking a deep breath she turned back to the horrors of the mess hall. Very messy. She kicked herself mentally for the pun.
She was overcome with relief when she saw that there were no other bodies in the room. This was quickly replaced with nausea, though, when she saw the state of the bodies actually in there.
Aside from the poor bastard hanging from the ceiling, there were two other males and two females. They looked like dolls whose joints had been bent too far and snapped by a small child.
There were also deep gashes on their faces and torsos. Dried blood was everywhere. Pris was glad that the heat was off, nothing like heat to add to the appeal of a corpse. Especially a messy one.
She dared to move closer to the hanged man and saw he also had scratches on his face, mostly over his eyes, which actually were not there. Pris didn't want to look closer, her heart was pounding, her breath was thready and her vision was becoming bleary. She shut her eyes for a second, willing herself not to faint.
Ok, she'd been brave long enough, she could leave with her dignity intact. She was slowly backing out, when she saw that one body was on her stomach. Pris did not want to know, but before she could stop herself, she was reaching forward to roll the dead woman over.
The face had been torn off, leaving a bloody mess of flesh exposed.
Her stomach lurched and she stumbled back. The room spun and she was sure she was about to fall over. She only hoped she wouldn't land on a body.
She only made it halfway to the floor when Lennier caught her. Pris ended up half slumped in his arms. So much for dignity, at least she wasn't vomiting on him.
He quickly pulled her out of the room and let her gently slide to the floor in the hallway outside. Pris took several deep breaths while he closed the door. Greer was on the opposite side, her head buried in her knees, shaking uncontrollable. Bully for her, she hadn't fainted.
Lennier squatted down in front of her, "Are you all right?"
She nodded, surprised at her own honesty. Once she got her voice under control, she spoke as calmly as she could.
"How many people were here, altogether?"
Lennier looked over to Greer, "She indicated that there was ten in all, including her father."
"So that's another five we can expect."
"You don't think they're alive."
"Do you?"
He bowed his head, "No," he looked up at her again, "what do you think did this?"
Pris shrugged, "Maybe they got bored, went crazy, killed each other. It's happened before."
Lennier looked very unconvinced, but didn't say anything.
"Hey," she said, "until I see the giant, drooling monster, I refuse to believe on exists."
"I suppose they could tear each other up like that." He still looked unconvinced.
"It could happen," she said in a small voice.
She would have, if her brain hadn't been so busy trying to make sense of the tableau before her.
There were bodies, five she could see from the door, how many more she was sure she didn't want to know. Four of the five were strewn about the room, as if they had been tossed there like afterthoughts.
The fifth was hanging from the ceiling girders, how Pris could not see, but she was sure it was unpleasant. Equally unpleasant was the impression that he eyes may be missing. Oh god.
No. She didn't want to go in there. She didn't want to take a closer look. She just wanted to turn around and get the hell out of there.
Unfortunately, the scientist in her was curious and wanted to see. Damn it.
Lennier was standing behind her with a shaking, sobbing Greer in his arms. His eyes were asking her if she was going to be ok. Pris certainly hoped so.
Taking a deep breath she turned back to the horrors of the mess hall. Very messy. She kicked herself mentally for the pun.
She was overcome with relief when she saw that there were no other bodies in the room. This was quickly replaced with nausea, though, when she saw the state of the bodies actually in there.
Aside from the poor bastard hanging from the ceiling, there were two other males and two females. They looked like dolls whose joints had been bent too far and snapped by a small child.
There were also deep gashes on their faces and torsos. Dried blood was everywhere. Pris was glad that the heat was off, nothing like heat to add to the appeal of a corpse. Especially a messy one.
She dared to move closer to the hanged man and saw he also had scratches on his face, mostly over his eyes, which actually were not there. Pris didn't want to look closer, her heart was pounding, her breath was thready and her vision was becoming bleary. She shut her eyes for a second, willing herself not to faint.
Ok, she'd been brave long enough, she could leave with her dignity intact. She was slowly backing out, when she saw that one body was on her stomach. Pris did not want to know, but before she could stop herself, she was reaching forward to roll the dead woman over.
The face had been torn off, leaving a bloody mess of flesh exposed.
Her stomach lurched and she stumbled back. The room spun and she was sure she was about to fall over. She only hoped she wouldn't land on a body.
She only made it halfway to the floor when Lennier caught her. Pris ended up half slumped in his arms. So much for dignity, at least she wasn't vomiting on him.
He quickly pulled her out of the room and let her gently slide to the floor in the hallway outside. Pris took several deep breaths while he closed the door. Greer was on the opposite side, her head buried in her knees, shaking uncontrollable. Bully for her, she hadn't fainted.
Lennier squatted down in front of her, "Are you all right?"
She nodded, surprised at her own honesty. Once she got her voice under control, she spoke as calmly as she could.
"How many people were here, altogether?"
Lennier looked over to Greer, "She indicated that there was ten in all, including her father."
"So that's another five we can expect."
"You don't think they're alive."
"Do you?"
He bowed his head, "No," he looked up at her again, "what do you think did this?"
Pris shrugged, "Maybe they got bored, went crazy, killed each other. It's happened before."
Lennier looked very unconvinced, but didn't say anything.
"Hey," she said, "until I see the giant, drooling monster, I refuse to believe on exists."
"I suppose they could tear each other up like that." He still looked unconvinced.
"It could happen," she said in a small voice.