Fire.
Burning on her entire back, the back of her arms, covering her hands, the back of her legs, creeping up her neck but staying just short of her head and hair.
The claws of the entity stabbing her like the end of a world collapse. Blurry, indistinguishable faces watching her, evil satisfaction radiating off of them. Voices shouting her name, distressed and angry. The sound of erratic thumping could be heard, as if people were falling over.
Then, silence.
Sobs, wet moisture on her cheeks, a pool of blood on a once polished wooden floor. A figure in the center of it, the persons burn wounds aggravated intensely by friction from the wood. A fiery mask with a hood concealing the head facing a door way. The figure was laying on their side.
Arms wrapped around the figure, pulling the burn victim up off the floor and into the hold of another blurry, but massive figure. One who clearly loved the figure he was holding. The larger figure was obviously a man, he handled the masked figure with such gentleness and care for his size that only a man truly smitten with a woman could manage.
The other figure, that was now off the floor was clearly a woman. The sobs that had been previously audible were too high pitched to be a man's. The masked woman curled into the larger figures chest with quiet cries, burying her head in it and clinging to his forearm with one hand like a lifeline.
The image faded, washed away like a single speck of sand by the tide.
Newly taking its place was a trial. It was in the Artist's map, the Eyrie of Crows. Five survivors stood in a giant ring, ignoring all attempts to be discreet or stealthy as their eyes shifted from two particular survivors. Their faces could be distinguished as Bill, Yun Jin, David, and Claudette.
But there were two David's.
She couldn't hear what the survivors were saying, but it wasn't hard to guess that the real David, and the fake one were trying to convince the other three that they were the real one and not the other.
The argument dissolved into desperate pleading posture from Claudette, Bill angrily yelling at Yun Jin, and both the David's just watching the chaos angrily.
Finally something happened, Bill turned with a disappointed look at the two David's, and he spoke something that couldn't be heard. One of the David's flinched, and all four of the other survivors turned to look at him, three sympathetic, one furious. They'd found their impostor.
Bill was next to Claudette while Yun Jin was somewhat alone near the fake David while the real David slowly stepped towards Bill and Claudette. Finally, the fake David's face hardened, his fists clenched, and with a silent roar he lunged at Yun Jin as fire erupted from his hands, now looking suspiciously smaller and burnt.
With a harsh inhale Meg awoke violently, sitting up as if attacked and rapidly taking in her surroundings. Sandy ground, floating pillars, two dozen other survivors.
This wasn't a trial, just breathe.
She was on the outskirts of the camp fire with Claudette, Nea, Kate, and Laurie were nearby. All of them unconscious on the floor, Claudette was even drooling a little bit. She could see Feng and David in the distance, sitting next to each other on a fallen pillar and staring out into the forest together. Bill was gone, presumably with three other survivors that he would have to carry.
The other survivors that she was not close to were all on the other side of the camp, some sleeping, some were awake and chatting with others. No one had noticed her rising from her nightmare.
Meg sat up and brought her knees to her chest. Wrapping her arms around them tightly and burying her face in them, her breathing shaky. Normally in these kinds of situations she would go to Bill for advice or guidance, then see if Claudette or Nea were up for a bone crushing hug, maybe even David on occasion. Feng didn't mind, despite how Meg was pretty sure Feng wasn't aware she knew of the Asian's feelings towards David.
But for some reason instead of the old veteran, Meg found herself wishing Evan was here. That she could get another massive bear hug out of him.
She didn't know why she felt it, but having experienced the safety she felt from being held by such a massive man who could carry her like she was weightless, she missed it in the moment. His dialect was unique to him and despite his defensiveness and what seemed like self doubt, he had a different type of wisdom from Bill. One she could easier understand.
Of course she'd never tell Bill that, he'd never let her live it down when she inevitably realized he was still right in his sayings.
What a complicated family she had indeed, Meg thought to herself. An incredible, beautiful, persistent, and kind mother, but a father who cheated them in almost every way. She still liked to blame her mom for her own looks in jest. But here she'd found half a dozen siblings, an uncle, and dare she hope, a new father.
Her friends had been right in their jokes, Meg did look up to Bill in a fatherly light, and she wouldn't let anyone hold it against her. She had grown up for all but one year of her life without one and the consequences had been horrible to her. Now she met an older man who had seen terrible things, who had once gone cold and bitter because of it, but never lost his ability to love a family who could worm their way into his heart. He helped guide her on the right choice to make when a problem arose, someone she could vent to when the stress got to her.
Someone she just wished had been in her life as a child.
And she had a feeling he wasn't quite as old as he let on. Yes the entity allowed them to do incredible things that defied logic, but something in the way Bill carried himself and acted didn't seem like something someone who was supposed to be in their 70s or 80s would do. Even when she accounted for the fact that this was Bill Overbeck and not some random old man.
Bill really was something special wasn't he, and Meg would never forgive herself if she forgot to appreciate that fact.
But he wasn't here right now, he was fighting for his life against a killer with a trio of survivors that Meg couldn't identify. It could have been any killer, even Evan. Meg shuddered at the thought. Evan had refused to hurt her, but she didn't know if he'd treat the others the same way. Hopefully he'd follow the Hillbilly and Wraith's lead and at the least not harm Claudette or Nea out of respect for the other two killers.
But Meg couldn't help but be worried for Bill, Laurie, Feng, David, Ace, and Kate. All of the family she hadn't told him about.
She'd have to go and beg him to spare them like he'd spared her. Hopefully he'd listen to her, and if she had to she'd play on his humanity. She knew he wasn't a monster at heart, something had to have pushed him to be a killer, and from how he described his father she knew who. She just had to convince him to make the right choice and listen to her.
Maybe he would tell her why the killers who were more humane at heart listened to the Entity for so long. There had to be some reason why they did. Maybe the Entity forced them more unwilling killers to murder?
Soft footsteps could be heard from behind her, and Meg whirled around both utterly terrified and hopeful. Hopeful that she'd see a tall figure with a chuckling mask beckoning her to him, and terrified that he'd be spotted if it was him.
Instead of her new favorite killer, it was the other man she had just been thinking of. Bill walked forward, offering a small smirk as he sat down next to her and mimicked her position.
Bill didn't speak at first, letting Meg take a sweeping glance of the campfire and notice that there seemed to be more people there. Yun Jin, Felix, and Elodie had been gone, Meg noticed. They must have been who Bill was paired with.
"Got stuck with those three morons. 'Moment I saw it was them I grabbed my ability to find the hatch. Killer was Ghost face, he was acting all screwy on top of it. Copying the Trapper and using the same hex's and powers as him." Bill said, taking his cigar out of his mouth and inspecting it.
"You know you shouldn't smoke those." Meg said blankly, looking at the cigar from her peripheral vision.
"And how many times have you told me that?" Bill responded in his hoarse and gravelly voice. To which Meg just exhaled deeply, her eyelids drooping in melancholy.
"You know I don't like it when you do that to yourself." Meg said quietly.
Bill's demeanor shifted slightly, something most people that weren't herself wouldn't have noticed. But to her it was obvious that he knew how upset she was, beyond his smoking addiction. He turned his head to look at her, and ground his teeth together lightly before standing up and pulling her up with him.
Bill was taller than her. She was at around five feet tall and 2 inches. Bill was probably five feet, 8 inches. So his chin wasn't high enough to go over her head easily, but she just shifted her head onto his shoulder when he hugged her, closing her eyes and pushing them into his collarbone.
"I know Meg, I'm sorry. 'doing this for decades now, and it's not easy to get rid of. I'll keep trying." Bill said somberly, giving her a squeeze before beginning to pull his arms off. She stopped him by squeezing him even tighter. He got the message, and brought his arms back around her, rubbing her back soothingly with one hand.
"The fact that you're even trying means a lot Bill. Thank you. Not just for trying to quit smoking for me, but what you did for everyone else, and all the help you've been to me." Meg mumbled from his shoulder. Loosening her grip in exhaustion and merely standing there with her arms limply around him.
It was hard to tell, but Meg thought she could feel his cheeks moving, like he was smiling.
"You're welcome, but don't thank me. Because while I might not be perfect, not even remotely close. It's my responsibility as the older man to guide the clueless youngsters. Lord knows you all need it." Bill chuckled in her ear. Making Meg smile back.
"Eh, you've kinda got a point. I don't know about Ace or Kate, but I know I'd be running around like a headless chicken without you by now." Meg confessed with a laugh. Finally stepping back and taking a shaky, emotional breath in.
It was all a lot to take in. Meg wasn't used to so much raw emotion all at once. Well, at least all this raw emotion of this nature. She'd already had too many times where she'd cried from the thought of her mother dying in the middle of the night while they both were asleep. But this was something entirely new. She hadn't had too many emotional moments with her real father for the year he had been there, just fun moments where she got to play a game with him.
After she had gotten older she'd realized how hollow the relationship was, and how hollow a lot of her high school friendships were by extension. They were all the same, fun party animals with no real individuality and no values or morals whatsoever. Just going with the trends and celebrities, and forgetting what it was to really get to know someone.
It made having friends harder as she realized how rare true ones were. So she was confident in saying that before her time spent here, she was very inexperienced with true intimacy between friends. She wasn't anymore, but she was a complete newbie with this kind.
She hated how awkward she felt despite the situation being anything but. It should have been reassuring, calming. It was the former, but she was overthinking it. Why couldn't she have at least a little experience with this kind of emotion?
"You're right about that Red, but lucky for you you've got your old man Bill keep you from getting your head knocked off." Bill said with humor.
"You know maybe I should start calling you William, that is your "real" name isn't it? William Overbeck. I think it has a nice ring to it." Meg taunted. Swinging her arms in an attempt to shake off the leeching melancholy. She'd have to go on a run later for the endorphin rush. It would get her thinking straight again. Perhaps she could see if she remembered the way to the Macmillan estate?
"Yeah right Red, keep dreaming. Hell will freeze over before I ever let anybody call me that, it's always been Bill, always will be." He said with an air of finality. Leaving no room for debate on her part.
"Alright fine dad." Meg said like a snobby teenager, cocking one hip and crossing her arms with a huff and eye roll.
"Listen I get you don't like my no boys rule but trust me it's for your own good, and don't disrespect me like that." Bill said with a smirk that was so wide, Meg almost didn't recognize it as Bill Overbeck himself. It was unusual to see from him, but Meg wouldn't deny it felt great to see him happy and not so grumpy for once.
"Oh come on, Justin isn't that bad you're just being unfair to him!" Meg whined, leaning forwards and back in mock distress. Before finally she could keep up the act no longer and she started laughing.
Bill was chuckling along side her as Meg let herself almost fall over from amusement. She was trying her best to not be too loud so she wouldn't disturb anyone, but the campsite was large and Nea had already started moving like she was half awake. So Meg let a little more slip out unrestrained.
A few seconds afterwards she heard a second laugh, from Bill. It was louder than his usual chuckle, it was deep, a bit hoarse, and a hundred percent Bill. Even if she had never heard it this loudly before.
"Thanks for the laugh Red, I needed that. Go give whatever killers you're up against today hell alright?" Bill requested like usual.
"Always" She said, the melancholy having finally slipped away, replaced by the feeling of family, and content. She still was going to go run later, and see if she could find Evan while she was "in the neighborhood".
Bill walked off with a smirk and a nod at her reply, presumably going to talk to someone like Ace. Meg looked around the campfire and saw that all of her friends were still asleep or having intimate moments off away from the others. So she widened her scan to the other survivors, deciding to reassess each of them.
Meg wasn't aware as to the full extent of their knowledge about her family's recent interactions with the original killers. And she wasn't comfortable not knowing how each of them would react if they found out.
So she'd have to go through each one of them, starting with the obvious ones. Yun Jin, Elodie, Felix, and probably Ash would no doubt be completely immovable in their disapproval. However, survivors like Quentin, Adam, perhaps even Cheryl, would be the most likely to give them the chance to explain themselves.
Unfortunately nearly everyone else was a wild card for the most part. Jeff and Yui wouldn't be too happy if she had to guess. Their past experiences had soured them greatly, Jeff especially with his connection to the Legion.
Meg landed on Jill and Leon sitting near each other. They weren't close it seemed, both having relation to the Nemesis but no real past experience together. Well hopefully there wasn't any animosity between them or Meg was going to have an extremely difficult time. Deciding to check for just that Meg began to walk over to them, not needing to announce her presence as the both of them looked up at her when she got close.
Meg sat down infront of the two and started to relax without saying anything. Getting herself comfortable first before speaking.
"Well before I say anything I should probably ask if you've agreed to my idea?" Meg said with a slight drawl, tilting her head in already growing boredom and newfound impatience. Tapping her foot in the need to run, she needed to go see Evan again.
"Jill told me, and I'll take all the help I can get. Those three that showed up before us aren't exactly the most generous." Leon spat, using his head to gesture to the back stabbing trio talking to Nancy and Steve. Why those two were talking to them, Meg had no idea, but it didn't sit well. They were two good hearted teenagers who didn't need the influence of people like them warping their minds.
"Great." Meg said, loosing the twitch in her foot. "Jill told you how we're gonna do this?" Meg asked. Leon just nodded. "Perfect, well I'm gonna go out into the woods for a run, if you see the smoke reach into the woods, throw a shroud of binding into the fire for me. If not then I'll see you when I get back." Meg said with a small wave. Standing up and stretching her arms as she walked away.
"Oh and Jill, Leon?" Meg said, both of their heads turning over to her. "Hopefully if this works well you'll become apart of the family." She said with a small, knowing smirk.
"What does that mean?" Leon asked. "What family?" He said with obvious confusion in his voice and face, Jill mirroring him with curiosity.
"You'll see." Meg said, her smile changing from a knowing one to that of pleasant reminiscing. Thinking about all of the good bonding memories she'd had with the others in the trials. With that final vague statement she started jogging past the sand and out towards the woods.
Hopefully her memory would serve her right.
Evan marched towards the snowy grounds of the Ormond mountain resort with a large sack on his back. Filled with rulers, buttons, knives, even bracelets, and these strange rectangles the two more tolerable legions referred to as soundtracks.
Hopefully he'd only be trading with those two today, Frank and Julie always tried to scam everyone they traded with. At least Joey and Susie had the decency to be honest with their trades, they were just a bit irritating with their pranks. But he wouldn't let them get under his skin.
His interactions with Meg had made him feel much better on a level he could hardly remember. He wouldn't be irritated by some young kids just trying to get their kicks.
Like every other killer domain the fence had a singular wrought iron gate closing the other killers out. However there was a self made mechanism from the legion members, allowing a visitor to signal their arrival.
Frank and Julie would be the most likely to arrive, although hopefully one of them was in a trial. If that was the case than it would probably be Joey and Susie who would find him.
The rope that hung infront of the gate angled to the brick pillars on either side and into the trees surrounding the small lodge. Unlike his own estate, the only territory the legion had were where the trials took place. They had no other land that was unknown to the survivors. In fact, Himself, Max, Phillip, Sally, and Lisa were the only ones who had more land than one trial zone.
He himself even had his own off sight estate, Phillip and Max simply lived in the two respective houses in their five zones. While Sally perpetually stayed in the Ward as to keep distance from the clown in the Chapel. The poor woman, a quarter of her land being taken by that pig, and unable to stay very long on the chapel because of him.
Evan didn't know much, but he knew Sally hated the ward and that she much preferred the Chapel. It must have had better memories attached to it.
Sally's power was formidable, and she had mauled Kenneth before, but that fat pig would stoop as low as imaginable to get what he wanted and Sally knew the risks of staying there for too long. Especially with Kenneths knowledge of sedatives and other chemicals.
Focusing in on where he was Evan walked towards the side of the gate where the rope was, bringing a hand up to pull the rope and activate whatever alarm system they had setup. However before his fingers could grasp the rope a girls voice made itself known.
"Hi."
Evan snapped his head in the direction of the voice, his hand already reaching for his cleaver on his belt, but stopping just short of it when he saw who the girl was. She was wearing a blue sweater with a short skirt and leggings beneath them, finished with tennis shoes, light blue hair, and a mask with strange marks similar to stitches on it. She was sitting on the pillar right on the side of the gate, the only part of the brick fence without iron bars sticking out.
"It is unusual for you to be by yourself out here so exposed Susie. What if a killer such as the Nightmare found you?" Evan asked with a squint of his eyes behind the mask. Watching the other masked girl carefully as she anxiously swung her feet and fiddled with a bright rainbow colored blade.
"I-I didn't think of that...t-thanks for the warning though." Susie stuttered, embarrassed but not moving from her spot, or looking like she was going to move. To which Evan just lightly smiled, not bothered by the nervous girls hesitance. Susie had always had his sympathy from the moment he'd met her, a young girl with a most likely promising future dragged here because of her poor choice in friends.
"You are most welcome. However, you did not answer my inquiry as to your reasoning." Evan said, gesturing to her with a hand.
"O-oh...I...I-I felt like taking a bit of a break from Frank and Julie, please don't tell them! They'll get really mad at me and-" She began to blabber, but was cut off by Evan raising a singular hand to pause her, and then gesture for her to come down from the fence. Which she did, hopping down gingerly and grabbing her own wrist infront of her anxiously, unable to look up at him.
"You have nothing to fear Susie. Your secret shall never meet their ears from me. In fact, you should feel pride. Frank and Julie are far from decent people, and you would better yourself greatly by distancing from them." Evan said kindly, gesturing to her with an open hand, a signal that he was finished, and that she was welcome to respond.
Only Susie didn't respond, she simply stared up at him with emotions that were completely unreadable. She still held her previous posture, in fact it seemed to be worsening, however instead of saying something back she began to walk forward.
The steps were timid and short, probing him like a beast she didn't know would attack or not. When she received no signs of aggression or ill will, but instead merely a tilt of his head, she finally closed the gap.
Susie was one of the shortest killers, only coming up to just below his pectorals in height, and being just over half of his width in the shoulders. But she managed, wrapping both her arms around his overalls, just barely able to get her fingertips to meet, and began to cry.
Her sobs were quiet little gasps, but those soon turned into much louder, labored breathing and anguished cries of raw emotion. Squeezing him like a savior while her head rested sideways just below where his ribs joined at the sternum.
Evan did not know how to react, befuddled as to the reason of her distress and her bravery at hugging him. However when his mind could find no words appropriate, he hesitantly allowed one arm to loosely wrap around the smaller killer's shoulders, his other hand resting on the top of her head.
Her voice was quiet, shaky, weak, and unable to hide the pure sadness behind the mask.
"Thank you." She said. The words seeming to sap her of all mental strength to hold back as she suddenly broke down entirely. Her sobs turning hysterical and seemingly uncontrollable as a number of years of manipulation spilled out. How many Evan was entirely unaware, but, he found a new understanding of the final legion member clinging to him like a lost little girl. A newfound protective instinct unlike anything he'd ever felt.
It was not like his desire to protect Meg, that was a different type of worry, one that was a bit more selfish, and with an entirely different emotion stretched to it. The feeling behind this was lost upon him. Perhaps he would have known what the instinct was had he lived a normal life, or had a normal, good family.
Finally Evan was able to think properly, and planned to act on his anger he felt for the young girl. "Thanking me is unnecessary, however, I have many questions. Questions unfortunately I will have to ask at a different time, except one." Evan said with a ominous drop in his tone.
Susie had already let go of him, her sobs reduced to light sniffles and deep breaths to calm herself. But at his tone she wrapped her arms around herself fearfully. "Yes?" She squeaked, taking a step backwards.
Evan, seeing then girls fear, sighed, disappointed in himself for frightening her when he was trying to do the opposite. "I am not angry with you Susie, but where is Frank and Julie?" Evan asked, taking a step forward and placing one hand on the top of her head in reassurance.
"F-Frank is in a trial. Julie is waiting for him to get back." Susie said timidly, tapping all of her fingers together. Her ruler knife put away in a holster on a belt hidden beneath the hem of her hoodie.
"What about Joeseph?" Evan asked; looking to the left through the gate at how the landscape went from a peaceful dark forest to a snowy mountain lodge once the fence was crossed.
"You know he prefers Joey." Susie reprimanded, but with her tone it sounded more like a complaint than a correction. "But I think he's in one of the lodge bed rooms, he's been real bored lately." Susie added on. Looking down at her feet which pointed at each other.
Evan followed her gaze to her feet. That posture couldn't be good for her knees, or her entire skeleton with how she was always curling in on herself. He'd help her with that later, or better yet Joey would do it for him. Frank could be dealt with later, along with his special little partner.
Right now though, he felt the need to say more, yet he didn't know what to say beyond reminding her that he wanted to trade. He'd also have to go check on ghost face to collect his end of the bet.
"If I may, I may have discovered something of interest to killers like us. I am not sure if anyone else is aware, but the rules of the trials seem to be slack as of lately. In fact, I even heard rumors of a survivor breaking free of the Doctor's Ebony Mori." Evan said, instinctively scanning all around him for anyone like Ghost Face, the Pig, or Michael in the trees. Susie's reaction was hidden, but Evan was absolutely certain that the girls eyes were as wide as saucers.
"How..." The girls voice was incredulous. "That's impossible, what does it mean!" She said loudly, craning her head up to look at him. Her hands pressed against her side, but twitching like she wanted to wave them around wildly.
"I do not know, however I have theorized that our cooperation through sacrificing is what gives the Entity strength, and with how killers such as yourself have become restless and dissatisfied with your circumstances, the Entity is already loosing its grip. Theoretically, extreme actions to break the rules would further exacerbate this process, as well as an increase in how many of us break the parameters." Evan stated, slipping his sack off and leaning it against the brick wall.
"I will further discuss this with other killers that are like ourselves, but until then, it would be pleasant if you would trade these items with me." Evan said, gesturing to the sack he had just put down.
"Oh! Of course, just give me a minute. I need to go get your stuff and get Joey help me bring it over." Susie said, reaching into her pocket to grab a key for the gate when Evan's massive paw fell on her shoulder. Her head snapped to him, her hands freezing half way to the padlock with the key.
"That will be unnecessary, If you would allow it, this would be much easier if I simply followed you to the lodge." Evan suggested with slight impatience. Worry was now nagging at his brain, change wasn't common and that upset the balance of things. He needed to find Megan, he'd have to go back to his estate and then all the way to the RPD.
"Oh, ok. Come on then." She said with a wave motioning to follow.
Nea was mad. Mad because she knew exactly what Meg was doing at the moment and she was borderline helpless to object or stop the girl from getting herself killed. In her anger and desperation to protect her sister, she wasn't beating around the bush or being polite when asking others about which direction she went in.
Perhaps ask was too kind of a word. Interrogation fit much better.
In the spirit of grilling everyone, even the cops like Tap who were used to being on the other end, Nea stomped up to Leon and Jill who sat talking to Zarina and Cheryl in a little huddle as far away from Yun Jin and her group as possible.
"Which direction did she go?" Nea demanded harshly, much to the obvious confusion of her new victims.
"What?" All four of them said in unison, turning to look at each other in bewilderment at the unintentional synchronization.
Nea ground her teeth together and groaned in anger. "Meg! Which direction did she head off in, because I know exactly what she's going to do and I'm not going to let herself get killed." Nea hissed at the four angrily, her patience long gone after dealing with every single other survivor.
"What are you talking about? How would she die from going on a run? There's no one out there, Meg confirmed there's no killers out there." Zarina said. Hysteria was an infectious thing, and Nea could tell her urgency and panic was startling them, well at least it was startling Zarina and Cheryl.
"Just tell me which direction she went in and maybe I'll tell you what's going on when I drag her back!" Nea spat, too high on emotion in the present to decide whether or not to share Meg's revelation with them. Meg herself had mentioned nothing about telling the others, and Nea, like Laurie and Dwight, had just assumed it fell under the same category as the Trapper's newfound mercy.
"Just because you've been here longer than us doesn't mean you get to order us around." Zarina snapped, the Lebanese woman's jaw was clenched as well, however her voice was not loud and shouting. But that didn't stop Nea from wanting to pummel her if Meg wasn't currently at risk and she was potentially racing against the clock.
"Stop it!" Cheryl interjected. Nea watched from the corner of her eye as Zarina too snapped her head towards the shorter woman, making her flinch. Causing a surge of guilt to rise in the street artists chest at the sight.
With another sweep of her peripheral Nea saw in Quentin getting closer at the sound of Cheryls distress. The boy having had a close bond with the quiet girl for seemingly months now.
"Cheryl, I don't have it in me right now to apologize and I'm sure I will later, but I have to find Meg before she gets hurt. So just tell me which direction she went in!" Nea said, her voice growing pleading and desperate.
Cheryls frightened expression faded away as Quentin got closer and stopped, staying largely behind Nea as silent support. Finally Cheryl relented, pointing a finger into a specific point in the distant tree line.
"Thank you!" Nea shouted, already having sprinted away on Meg's trail. Going through the woods so fast Nea was worried she might just trip over her own speed.
She had gone on runs before with Meg, most often when Meg was feeling especially down or Nea was feeling adventurous about the woods, or even curious about what running for fun was like. So she somewhat knew the path Meg usually took, but she had never gone as far as the fog allowed, in fact Nea didn't think anyone but Meg herself had dared too.
Thankfully the Entity didn't change the landscape ever so there was a foot trail from the sheer number of times Meg went running. The dirt path was of the usual dark earth from the forest and went farther from the campfire than Nea would ever be comfortable being under normal circumstances.
But this was a matter of saving her sisters life.
When Nea finally found a man made landmark in the trees she had run so far that the light mist that always rested amongst the trees had disappeared in favor of thick fog that hugged the ground. A single slash sat amongst the dirt, a couple feet long, an inch thick, and an inch deep. It was also in a small arch, for the most part imperceptible, it would fit into a piece of a large circle should it ever be closed.
Nea didn't know why this slash in the dirt was there, but she'd bet that Meg had done it. Maybe even as some sort of illogical reminder of the time she'd slashed a police cars tires on a high-school dare.
Man that story had been funny when she'd first heard it. But now it was revealing its flaws as they all aged mentally.
The ground ahead of the slash mark looked different, like someone had drawn a figurative line where the ground would change and never mingle. That didn't stop her as she plowed head first into the unknown without hesitation. However to say she was without fear, well even Nea would admit to being scared at what she was facing.
But Meg was out there looking for then Trapper of all people with no idea where to even go nor a way of protecting herself except running. Nea didn't want to doubt her best friend, but that running wouldn't do her as much good in the trials if the killers couldn't be heard coming.
She'd certainly made it clear that the killers had no heartbeat outside of the trials, and that was a terrifying prospect considering how some of the killers who weren't meant for stealth were arguably better than some of the stealth killers at hiding.
The Trapper especially.
For the first minute or so Nea could clearly see footprints that were obviously Meg's in the dirt. Presumably no one had ever been here and the dirt was rather soft, Nea could even see her own footprints behind her. There were two sets of Meg's footprints, one from when she had first found the Trapper, and with Nea's third it was already forming a new dirt trail.
Right to the campfire, and potentially leading all of the killers there.
Horror fell over her shoulders at the thought, and doubt that she should keep going surfaced to protect the others at the fire. But those thoughts were temporary, not when she remembered why she was even out here in the first place.
She'd fine Meg, make sure she never came back out here, and then do her best to wipe the dirt of the trails without creating a second one.
But, much to Nea's fears, the trail eventually ended.
The dirt began to grow firmer, and the footprints shallower and shallower until they faded all together. Now leaving Nea next to a tree with some scratches at its roots in the middle of a killer infested forest with no idea where to go from there.
Maybe something would happen to her like how Meg had said The Nemesis had shown up with the Trapper following it?
But after a minute or two of trying to reorient herself, and waiting for some miracle, nothing happened.
She had to keep moving, life wasn't going to be that easy and she'd have to actually push herself to get where she wanted, or where she was going to end up through fate. Nea calmed her mind, slowing her sprint to a jog and eventually to a speed walk. Something about these woods was eerie, as was the entire realm, but this particular atmosphere was different in its nature. This one was more along the psychological horror of suspense, like when a stealth killer was lurking around a corner and patiently waiting, or being fooled into thinking there'd be a jump-scare when there would be.
But Nea surged through the fear and the terror, ignored the radiating loneliness that the forest permeated, and marched. Eventually coming across...the Eyrie of Crows?
The sandy, Chilean map was surrounded by limestone walls with a wrought iron gate, the absolutely massive exit gates that could be seen from anywhere were gone entirely. However the main colossal tower still stabbed upwards at the sky, which had a small ring of cloudy, sandy air which bled into the blackness of the night.
The tower was too far away to see, and Nea was at too low of an angle to see the second story balcony. But was the new Artist killer in there? Were all the survivors taken to this same spot with exit gates every time a trial happened on this map? Or was this like a private replica for the killers outside of the death matches?
Inbetween the nearing tree line where Nea crouched down, was a barely visible dirt road. Not many people most come near here, yet it seemed to get better defined the longer it went away from the Eyrie and towards another shadowy wall that Nea could discern nothing from.
Deciding that she didn't want to stick around and find out if the new killer was in there, Nea skirted along the road and tree line. Growing ever closer to the other giant brick wall she could see, and when she was close enough, she realized it wasn't a brick wall.
It was a concrete hedge wall that surrounded Midwich.
Were the maps lined up by age, and that it alternated to every other map? Nea had seen a consistent curve in the road. Was the one of the first three killer's map in the center and all the other fanning out to the sides in a giant upside down U?
Just how freaking far was she gonna have to walk to get to the Macmillan estate! There was no doubt in Nea's mind that the estate was Meg's intended destination, but if Meg was taking the same path as herself the chances of any killer finding either of them was astronomically high.
Idly Nea tried to think of some funny jokes in her head as she kept walking further down the road, slowly seeing the different maps pass her by. Some low hanging fruit was obvious but could also be quite funny if she just made the right joke about it. Maybe a joke about Yun Jin being worse than the killers?
She'd have to fine tune it before she told the others.
Any jokes about those three were,for the most part, old. She couldn't even count how many times someone had called Felix whipped or a soy boy behind his back. She needed something better.
Well then again what was stopping her from picking on the other survivors? Not harshly, just some jabs here and there. Oh the amount of jokes she could make about Steve's hairstyle, the possibilities were endless. It was these moments that Nea wished she had something like a credit card so she could swipe it in between the rolls on someone's neck. Man that would be too good.
Eventually Nea reached the disturbed ward. Reinvigorated with the knowledge that she was close, she made a massive blunder, and let her guard down.
And that was the exact moment that a glass bottle exploded directly above her.
The bottle acted just like it did in the trials, a well forming that created a miasma of pink gas around her. Nea shot to her feet and spun around trying to spot the worthless fat lard before choosing where to run. The gas hadn't actually hit her though, just surrounded her and hiding the Clown from immediate sight.
Unfortunately the Clown was already so close that Nea didn't have a single second. The clown sliced her across the back before grabbing her by the neck and slamming the back of her head into a nearby tree. Nea's head throbbed and she could feel disgusting chipped nails dig into the side of her neck, thankfully away from her throat.
"Wish you were your read headed friend, but I'm sure that she'll come looking for you. Then I'll finally get to have some fun with her, but..." He looked her up and down. Taking in her longer hair with her signature green tank top and sweat pants with beady eyes and a greasy smile. "You'll have to do for now darlin."
"Hell will freeze over before you get either of us!" Nea shouted as loudly as possible, hoping to make him flinch even slightly.
Despite how her head hurt the world wasn't spinning yet, so Nea brought her legs up and tried to kick the clown off of her. It worked surprisingly, the clowns hand fell away from her neck, but Nea fell to the floor with a painful thud.
She scrambled to her feet, only for a bottle to smash right into her side. The glass shattered and cut her shirt and ribs, blood started to leak out. While Nea could ignore the pain she couldn't ignore how everything became fuzzy and everything was ringing from the gas.
Another slash, this time just above her left knee, and then another below her left wrist. Nea collapsed from the impact, her body beginning to go into shock, blood dripping down her legs and leaving droplets on the dirt.
"I don't mind a little blood over her while I have fun." The Clown jeered. Making it known that she wasn't the first victim of this nature. Nea snarled. Lashing out with her right arm to punch him directly in the groin as hard as possible, repeating the action twice as he began to bend over and howl in pain.
This time, the knife found her face. It slashed across her jaw and up her cheek, thankfully missing her eye, and cutting a few strands of hair off. She fell onto her back, trying to force shaky arms underneath her until a large foot stomped on the side of her skull. She felt the weight slam onto her temple one more time as she lay there in agony, unable to focus.
She didn't know how long it had been, everything was dark and fading, but she could still feel it when the clown grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder and began walking towards the asylum.
And then there was the sound of a wailing bell.
Two signature dings that struck fear into any survivor that wasn't in her family. For it told of a killer who would always show up when you least expected it, and one you'd never be able to out play.
There was no words, Nea couldn't hear any. Granted she couldn't hear almost anything, but she was still trying. What she did know, was that she had fallen to the dirt road roughly and that the Clown was screaming hoarsely.
Weakly, she rolled over so she could face the two killers. What she was greeted with surprised her, despite how much weight the Clown held over his opponent, he was down on the ground defenseless as the Wraith finished hacking at his neck and head.
The wraith then clipped his axe to the back of his belt, the weapon still dripping inky blood from a killer that was no longer moving.
The world was growing darker, Nea trying her best to stay conscious, but the throbbing of her head, the burning of her lacerations, and the ringing in her ears made sleep sound wonderful.
Two arms lifted her off the ground gently, handling her with more care than she thought possible considering who it was carrying her. Her head fell against a toned but not overly muscular shoulder, the only place it could rest unless she wanted it to hang limply in the air.
The pain of being carried bridal style.
As her eyes finally shut, and the world became harder to remember, she could have sworn she felt a scarred chin nuzzle against her head.