Skeletons in the Closet

[Ashi]

​

Jace was still as Wendy's hands closed around his own. The sympathetic squeeze she gave made his stomach twinge uncomfortably and a knot formed in his throat. Slowly he followed her to the bed and sat on the edge, elbows resting on his knees. His face was downcast, hidden behind the black curtain formed by his hair. The blanket and the hug, while warm, did nothing to dispel the feeling of loss. Try as he might to hold onto that vague hope that Ana was alright; it was only that, a vague hope. Dread hung over him like a cold, wet blanket, clinging in undesirable places. The flame that usually burned bright inside him was little more than a smoldering ember.

Jace took the holy water that Wendy passed to him, eyes lifting slowly to gaze at it. His reflection shone dimly on the glass; beside it was a vague green blob that was Marten's reflection. Her question danced around his head. Thinking? He was thinking that this was his fault, that he wanted his friend back, that he wanted this night to be over - that he wanted revenge. Ana's terror-stricken face as she was pulled into the shadows lingered before his mind's eye. Tears pricked in his eyes again; he swallowed hard and blinked them back. He thought then about Ella and how frightened and alone she must be without Salem to look after her. Ana probably felt the same.

"We should find Ella." He said finally and lifted his head to look at the girls. "Maybe if we can put her fears to rest, make her feel safe, the dolls will go away?" He glanced between them. "Plus, the sooner we find her, the sooner we can find the others. We need to regroup." His gaze fell on Wendy then. "You know Ella the best. Where do you think she might go?"

 

[Fox of Spades]

Wendy fell silent as Marten and Jace grieved the loss of their friend. They didn't have time, not in the slightest, but they needed this. She allowed them a moment of respite before Marten finally broke the silence. Jace followed up with his own questions and the air was fraught with their uncertainties and fear. She was scared too - God she was scared not only for them but for herself and the rest of the remaining Hayes as well. Salem had lit the fire and now He knew that they were all traitors.

Please, protect them and keep them safe. It was a prayer uttered in the depths of her mind.

"We can try to lift the curse, we promised the young master we would do our utmost best... whatever it takes." Wendy smiled sadly as she remembered the conversation she'd had with Salem. In reality it had happened a day or two ago at most, but it felt like lifetimes had passed. To be honest, they would most likely face failure and death. "To tell you the truth, no has ever done it before.I don't know if finding Ella or doing anything in particular will make this better."

Stupid, that's not what they want to hear - not now.

Wendy eyed the walkie-talkie in the young man's hands. Odd, the people on the other end hadn't responded. "We most certainly have to regroup and find Ella." She nodded to Jace. "I believe the young miss would head for her parents' room. It's not far, we have to take the stairs going up to the third floor. Their room is in the right wing. Of course, I have no way of knowing if she's really there, but it's worth a try. We should meet up with your friends before we head upstairs. May I borrow the radio?" Once again, Wendy took the walkie-talkie from Jace.

"Hello? It's Wendy again. I need to hear an answer. Where are you? We need to regroup as soon as we possibly can. Marten and Jace are safe."

Usually it was best to stay in one place while waiting to be found, but they didn't have the luxury. "I'm sorry you couldn't rest as much as you would have liked. We should find your friends now."

Wendy waited for Jace and Marten to stand up before making her way to the door. Slowly, she pushed it open and peered out into the hallway. It was dark, and while there wasn't a doll in sight, the pitter patter of tiny feet was unmistakable.

"They seem to be looking for us, but they don't know we're here." Finding the others had gotten a lot more complicated.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Collab between @Cartoonicat and @Fox of Hearts

The second Ethan and the dogs were in, London set Jo on the ground and slammed the door shut with her entire weight. She leaned against the door, taking deep breaths. When Ethan began looking frantically around the room, London looked up. Noticed Hans' scarf on the floor and an unmanned walkie-talkie. "Oh no," she murmured.

Following Ethan's line of sight - What's are the ponies doing…? - London tensed. The painting. Her friends. How? She hadn't seen it before, but she'd seen the way Jace flew back from the closet like he'd seen a ghost. Now, she felt like she did, too.

"How are they-..." she hurried over, voice caught in her throat. "How are they in the picture? P-Painting. How…!?" The smell of incense left her little time to ponder the existence of her friends being pulled into a painting like Mario on Nintendo 64.

"We can't stay here," she said quietly, eying the door. London looked between that and the painting, lips pursing into a thin line. "We can't leave them, though. The house is messing with us. What if we lose-"

The two walkie-talkies crackled to life, startling her. Joder, she grabbed the one off the floor and stuffed Hans' scarf in her overflowing pocket, just to avoid forgetting. I couldn't respond. They're probably worried.

"We're in Ella's room," she whispered. The smell of the incense seemed to grow stronger. "I think someone's coming." London quieted, then, finger remaining on the walkie talkie button to prevent noise from coming through and giving away their position, should the incense holder pass by the room.

And then something struck her. "Wait, what about Ana?"

"Borf?" Jo echoed. His floofy tail wagged gently before he walked over and snuffled the scarf. He smelled almonds and coffee. It was a spicy musk that he didn't associate with the humans in his life. Overlaying that manly scent was a smell of cheesy grass and dust. The pleasant smell made him think of a girl with owl-like eyes and the strange flappy cup she stuffed her head in. She was nice and smelled really good. Kinda like Matt who smelled of freshly plucked thyme and jam donuts. "Borf borf?" he called out. "Borf?"

He pressed his nose against the polished floorboards and followed the trail up to the wardrobe. The smell was really strong there. He actually believed that she was there right in front of him. "Borf, borf!" he greeted, wagging his tail again. "Borf! Borf!"

Not just her but the bug-eyed boy too. The one who smelled like saffron, marmite and tabasco. He sat down and barked more. Kindall usually stashed food in his pockets so Jo hoped to distract the young man long enough to get his share of the hidden goods.

Noticing Jo's interest in the painting, a pinch formed between London's brows. Weird… It's like he thinks they're right there. "Yeah," she said, definitively, "we're not leaving this painting behind."

Jo turned to London and let his tongue hang out of his mouth. He sucked it back in before agreeing with her. "Borf!" Of course, he wouldn't ever think of leaving without Kelsey. She was his second favourite human after Matt and Colonel Sanders.

At first, London stepped forward to pick up the frame - only, she found it too heavy to carry herself and, even with Ethan's help, it'd be bulky. They needed at least one person on doll-guard with salt and a katana. Pursing her lips, she leaned it forward and looked to the back. It would be a risk having the painting exposed, but they couldn't leave it. They couldn't.

Flipping the small latch on the back, she removed the backing and lifted out the painting. Rolled it up very slowly, carefully, so as not to make any dents. Like the frame, the painting, too, felt heavy in her arms. Like a small child. On some level, London felt like she was supporting the weight of Kelsey and Kindall.

"Okay," she looked to Ethan, "what now?"

"I think it's wiser to leave the painting behind. You can't help them right now."

Charlotte stood in the doorway. She held a bunch of smouldering sage in her hand. The mystery of the sweet smelling incense had been solved. She didn't really believe in the age old superstition that sage wards off evil but she was desperate enough to give it a try. The dolls have been getting more vicious lately.

"We can't let you get caught. Peter wants to take you into the garden. He believes it will be the only way to make you stay."

Jo sat down and tilted his head. "Uuuuu?"

"Yes, boy. We need to leave them here. They're safer in the wardrobe. Please take Hans' scarf with you, the bat and the walkie talkie."

 

[Ashi]

​

It really wasn't what Jace wanted to hear at that point. After traveling to the seventh level of hell and losing a close friend, he could really use some positivity to restore that which he lost over the course of the very long night. He frowned and looked at the glass in his hands again as if it would provide him the answers they all so desperately searched for. The water rippled with the movement of his hand, but no epiphanies poured forth from the depths of his mind to reveal what he was missing. He sighed and shrugged the blanket from his shoulders as he handed Wendy the radio.

Guilt weighed down on Jace like the world weighed on Atlas's shoulders as he realized that London and Ethan hadn't replied. He had been so caught up in loss and loathing that he noticed nothing else. It was especially bad because London and Ethan were his friends, or so he felt, even though he wasn't so close to them as he was to Ana. It was shameful of him to forget them. Briefly, he wondered why Kelsey and Milton hadn't spoken up. Perhaps they didn't have a radio?

After a moment, he stood and joined Wendy at the door. His height allowed him to easily peer out into the hallway over her head. There were no dolls that he could see for it was dark beyond the bedroom door; however, he could hear them moving.

"Don't see how." Jace muttered. It was curious that the dolls hadn't found them yet. As big a house as it was, there were only so many rooms to hide in. He pondered over their next move. How could they get to Ella's room from there with the dolls about?

"Maybe we can walk in a triangle formation? Together as a group, but with our backs to each other. We could each have a flashlight; and that way, we have a light shining in all directions. Then, we've got the salt and the holy water. Of course, we'll have to hustle. Unless there's a secret passage out of here, that's our best bet. Or if you have any other ideas...?" Jace ground out. It was clear he was having a bit of difficulty getting back into his previous mindset. It was hard to focus when his thoughts wanted to retreat to the emo corner.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Their silence spoke volumes, both of them were hurting terribly and she could do nothing to ease their sorrows. It was a horrible helpless feeling, knowing that she'd - in some small way - contributed to this. Someday, if an afterlife after Henbard existed, she would atone for her sins. Perhaps, Charlotte would even put a good word in with her.

Morbid thoughts for a morbid situation.

"Unfortunately," she smiled sadly. "There are no secret passages here. That's a start though, we'll go with your plan. However, if there's a way to make it past the dolls without drawing attention to ourselves, we should do that instead."

All they had was stealth and their wits. "Please hold onto the holy water and blessed salt, and take a flashlight each too." Wendy followed her own advice reaching for one of the many flashlights within the bag. Once they were all prepared she took the Walkie-Talkie from Jace and pressed down on the button.

"Stay where you are, we're coming to get you."

Instead of hearing Ethan or London, Wendy was surprised to hear an all too familiar voice.

"Wendy? I ran into them in Ella's room."

"Charlotte?"

"There's no time, if you're already on your way please hurry. We'll be waiting for you."

"Understood, we're leaving now."

She returned the Walkie-Talkie to Jace, it was time to leave and there would be no more turning back. The dark hallways seemed to crash inward and the dolls seemed to lurk at every corner, but by some miracle, they were able to leave the guest room and make their way to Ella's room undetected, they didn't even have to use their flashlights.

---

"I apologize for taking this," Wendy said as she pushed the Walkie-Talkie back into London's hands. The moment she'd heard Charlotte's voice, she'd snatched at the device like a child snatching cookies from a cookie jar they weren't supposed to touch. She and Wendy had been making plans to aid the group earlier, at least, until Wendy was taken by the dolls. Charlotte hadn't seen her since and had assumed that He had taken her dear friend away to the garden.

Thankfully, her friend had not met the same fate as the young master. For now, they would be able to lend their aid.

"It seems Wendy is making her way here with your friends. We'll need to wait a little before we go. As I said earlier, we can't take the painting with us. There are dolls everywhere, and a group of our size will be much too easy to catch."

Gingerly, she reached for the painting - it was quite heavy - and placed it back into the wardrobe.

"Perhaps your dog can stand guard? I doubt He'll be looking to do anything your friends, they're not much of a threat to Him from in there. If anything, you'll only be endangering them if you take them with you."

Joseff titled his head to the side as if he were trying to follow the conversation.

Charlotte was prepared to say more, but stopped when she heard a soft tap against the wooden door. One knock then two... it was unmistakably Wendy. Slowly, she made her way to the door and opened it.

Wendy was the first to enter followed by Jace and Marten. They were all together again, at least for now.

"We're sorry for taking so long," Wendy apologized. "There were dolls everywhere. Leaving isn't going to easy." She didn't tell London, Ethan, or Charlotte about what had happened at the attic. If anything, Marten and Jace would tell the others about their encounter with the dolls and Ana when they were ready to. Wait? Where were the other two? Wendy looked around. "Aren't there six of you? Where is the girl with the hat and the boy with glasses?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

London's head whipped towards the door. She stared at Charlotte. Stepped in front of the rolled up painting, as though she'd dare try taking Kindall and Kelsey away. Wide eyes flicked to the sage in Charlotte's hand and, suddenly, she was reminded of Jace. Reminded of Marten. Reminded of Ana.

Why had Wendy not mentioned Ana?

The rosary in her pocket felt incredibly heavy, weighed down by her conscience. She could very easily give Charlotte her special item, free her from Henbard, but they needed answers. Like, for starters: "What is the garden? I-I mean, I know what a-... what a garden is, but, why does he want us there?" She found it hard to articulate properly with so many feelings running through her head: irritation, worry, and a desire to keep her friends safe. "And how do we-"

The walkie crackled to life, Wendy on the other end, and London had hardly the time to press the button before Charlotte was grabbing it out of her hand. "Hey!" She protested, but quieted quickly: Wendy was talking and they needed an update. She glanced at Ethan, then, trying to gauge his reaction.

Marten and Jace were on their way. It relaxed London a little but, at the same time, put her even more on edge. Wendy mentioned before something bad had happened. They hadn't mentioned Ana. Part of London wanted to know while the other half yearned for sweet, blissful ignorance. A walkie was pressed back into her hands and she held onto it tightly this time, eyes narrowing at Charlotte. If anything happened to my friends, I swear...

Charlotte reached for the painting and London snapped, "Don't touch that!" Almost immediately after, she noted her outburst and drew her lips into a thin line. She knew Charlotte had a point - Kindall and Kelsey were vulnerable right now and would make the team, too - but to leave them? Stuff them in a wardrobe? London didn't know what to do. She was good at forming plans online - video games gave you second, third, fourth, fifth, unlimited chances - but in the real world? Reality had no save files, nothing to load back to if something went wrong.

After a long, tense moment of staring Charlotte down, London stepped aside and let her pick up the painting. "H-how," London's voice cracked and she cleared it. "How do we get them out?" She glanced at Jo. "And will he be safe here? I don't-... we can't-..." The thought of something happening to Jo and the painting while they are away filled her stomach with lead. "I do not like splitting up-"

There was a soft knock on the door and London's anxiety skyrocketed. In stepped Wendy, Jace, and Marten, but no Ana. Concern for their missing friend overruled what relief she felt upon seeing the others. London waited several moments, as though the girl would bound in any second with a 'Just kidding, I'm totally here. You should have seen your face!'. When that didn't happen, London shot Wendy a look that could kill.

"Kindall and Kelsey are stuck in a painting," her voice went shrill, pointing towards the rolled up paper with a shaky finger, "which I d-don't even see how is pos-...possible!" Calm down. Articulate. "Where is Ana? Y-You mentioned," Keep it together! "that something bad hap-happened. Where is our-..." London couldn't look at Wendy anymore. She was getting too angry. Too upset.

Too worried.

So, instead, she looked to Marten and Jace, eyes searching for even the slightest bit of hope. "What happened?"

 

[Haru Nyan]

"LEAVE THEM HERE?!" Ethan bellowed out, the mere thought of abandoning his friends-nay, his BEST FRIENDS-behind was a notion far too absurd for him to agree with. He balled his fists, trying to quell his anger, even as Charlotte placed the surrealistic painting of Kelsey and Kindall inside the wardrobe. Internally, his mind and his heart were fighting over what was the most rational choice was right now; the former had half a brain to tell his ever-increasing wrath to cool down and just be patient for the time being, it will be okay, it said. Just put your faith in everyone else, and they'll be fine. Yet, the latter just wanted to lash out at the maid, ready to tell her how much of a heartless bitch she is for just leaving the two of them to rot when they're in trouble, he knew it was the wrong choice, and he knew that it would only make things worse than they already were. He sighed, hands in his pockets, obviously against the notion of ditching Kindall and Kelsey, but it couldn't be helped. Ethan clicked his tongue, disdain readily apparent on his visage,

"Fine, do what you want, I don't care." He threw a piercing glare in the direction of Charlotte, his anger beginning to well up again. "However, if I come back here only to find that they've been hurt in some way, God help me, I am going to burn this madhouse into the ground and spit on the soil it rests on." Were this an anime, there'd probably be some sort of intimidating aura or menacing black lines behind him. Make no mistake though, he was dead set on that prospect.

The conversation over, Ethan turned his attention to the door opening, throwing wind to any impending danger, he began to reach for London's wooden katana, hoping that whatever was about to come to them was tangible in some way. His eyes gazed at Charlotte with suspicion as she opened to door, and what greeted them was...another maid, and...

"Jace! Marten!" Relief overcame Ethan's nerves, hastily, he withdrew the wooden blade and approached his two friends, both of his arms enveloping them into a group hug session. "You guys can't believe how happy I am to see you!" Was he overdoing it? The whole sappiness of the situation might be a bit mawkish, but he couldn't help but express his joy at seeing at least two of them safe and sound--Wait, two? TWO?!

Just like that, elation slowly became worry, and worry became paranoia. Still gripping Jace and Marten in his arms, Ethan retracted his hands and thoughts of Ana being in danger filled his mind. Nonononononono. "Please! Don't...Don't tell me that..." It's fine, everything is going to be fine. False hope, no matter how hopeful it could be, was still a lie. Ethan was only easing the pain, trying to lessen the impact of the blow, applying anesthesia to the patient. Panicky eyes began to stare at Jace and Marten, they've lost Kindall and Kelsey for the time being, don't tell me Ana was too...

"Don't tell me...PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T TELL ME!" If you pretend hard enough that something doesn't exist, eventually it will cease to exist too, right? It was a childish way of thinking, one that Ethan himself couldn't avoid in the situation, but yet, what was there to believe right now?

 

[Ashi]

​

"We could try navigating in the dark. I just hope the dolls don't see us before we see them." Jace said grimly, a knot of dread forming in his stomach. He didn't like the idea of trying to find their way to Ella's room without a flashlight, especially since the light kept the dolls away. What if Wendy got taken again? Or worse, what if Marten got pulled into the shadows just like Ana? Jace wouldn't be able to live with himself if something happened to another one of his friends. He would definitely lose it then. It took all he had just to keep it together now.

He grabbed a flashlight in one hand and held the holy water in the other. The rolling pin and bag of flashlights were put inside Kelsey's backpack, which he still carried. The walkie talkie, once returned to him, was clipped onto his belt beside his multitool. Jace made sure to turn the volume off, so the static wouldn't alert their tiny pursuers. Thankfully - if there was anything to be thankful for in this God-awful place - the three made it out of the guest room and back to Ella's room safely, without even the use of their flashlights. The dolls, which seemed to be around every turn in the long corridors, never saw them.

That little bit of positivity was quickly dashed however when Wendy inquired as to the whereabouts of Kelsey and Milton. Jace perked up a little and looked around. Indeed, the two friends were nowhere to be found. He was horrified to find that they were trapped in the painting, the very painting that had freaked him out earlier that night. Dammit! How could this have happened? He didn't get a chance to ask how that happened or if London and Ethan had witnessed it or not. The two jumped on the fact that Ana was also missing.

"We..." Jace started to speak, halted by the knot in his throat. He pulled away from Ethan's embrace, eyes downcast, and sauntered over to Ella's bed. "We were trapped in the attic by the dolls. There was a doll in there with us that controlled the shadows. The dolls broke through the door. We were getting overrun and..." He spoke with slowly and with difficulty, as if forcing each word out was like pulling a tooth. He sank onto the edge of the bed, relaying the events as they replayed before his mind's eye.

"Ana tripped and fell behind when the shadows grabbed her. I pulled her up - she was right behind me. She was almost to the door, then she got pulled back in. The door shut. I tried to bust back in. I tried. The door wouldn't budge. One second she was screaming, the next it was quiet." Jace broke into a sob, dropping the flashlight and burying his face in his hand. "I never should've let go of her."

 

[Impudimp]

She had centered herself. It was fine. The quiet worked for their purposes. Don't alert the demon dolls. Got it. Piece of cake. Or at least the grunette was happy to believe that. Jace sounded like a wound down record player. His words were slow and hardly confident as they usually were. They almost droned, and she worried that the fight was leaving him. But it was fine. Zen. Woosah.

She made sure her breaths were even. Her mind was clear. Not even happy thoughts floated through, just... mental silence, which was what she needed. And she was good with it, but Wendy kept talking, and reassuring, and shooting those damn pitying looks that may as well have shouted, "I'm so sorry for your loss..." But that bullshit phrase didn't work at funerals, and it sure as hell wasn't working now. It just made it worse!

But she was quiet, clung to that quiet, followed the steps and the guiding words and clenched that bowl of salt between her fingers hard enough to turn her knuckles white. By the time she was being hugged by Ethan she felt so tense her spine wanted to snap under the pressure of her own muscles. And then nothing was fine. She couldn't even make it fine by being quiet. Because Jace was crying and it was too loud, and Ethan was freaking out and it was too loud, and Kelsey and Kindall were in a painting? And it was too quiet... Way too quiet, and she didn't know what to do.

Her eyes would water; she couldn't cry. There wasn't enough water in her system. It was just a few watery moments, quickly evaporated by the heat of her own face, because of the emotion she was holding in. But boy did they search. London, Ethan, Jace, Wendy, Charlotte... She met all their eyes. Someone had to know right? Someone knew how to make this better, right?!

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab by @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

Charlotte saw Wendy's eyes begin to water. She knew her friend was a very sensitive soul, so seeing the children in such pain affected her badly. Gripping Wendy's arm tightly, the blonde maid pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Chin up! We need to be strong or they won't make it."

She stepped away after pushing the smoking sage into Wendy's hand. "I'll go gather the clues Master Salem left them. Please get them ready! I think our best bet would be to find Miss Ella. I believe she plays a key role in this."

Charlotte's hug was comforting and warm but it did little to ease her worried and her guilt. They had played a part in hopes of attaining their own freedom, and now, the children were paying the price. She watched as the tall boy - Ethan - pulled Jace and Marten into a hug, and she watched as each of the friends grieved for those they'd lost along the way.

I'm so sorry.

"Your friend Jace has told you everything," she locked eyes with London but couldn't maintain eye-contact for longer than a few seconds. "The dolls overwhelmed us and took your friend, but we might be able to save her if we cooperate with His games. It's not ideal, but it's all we have."

Wendy looked to Charlotte for backup.

"Save all three of them, actually." Charlotte responded thoughtfully as she re-emerged from the cupboard with the ponies in her arms. Milton's bat peeked out from her apron waist like a samurai's sword while his walkie talkie made a bulge in her pocket. "I'm especially worried about the two trapped in the painting. No one has ever returned alive as far as I can remember. We need to hurry and solve this puzzle as soon as possible. There may be two or three more after this."

Wendy nodded grimly. She wanted to give everyone a chance to rest, but there was no time. She'd noticed on her way to Ella's room that the clocks around the house were already starting to run backwards. Wendy's eyes flitted from one weary face to another before she noticed the painting the group had brought up. True to their words, the bespectacled boy from earlier and the girl who'd arrived two weeks earlier were inside it.

"Charlotte?" Wendy's voice faltered. "Is that the painting?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes, but we need to leave it here. It's far too heavy to drag around the house. The dolls are fast and we won't be able to outrun them if we did."

"As much as I hate to say it, Charlotte's right." Wendy sighed. "Someone needs to guard the painting."

Jo barked in response to the two maids. He ran in circles around them as if volunteering before scampering over to his human friends. "Bark! Bark!"

"I guess we have an enthusiastic volunteer," Charlotte beamed at the chubby dog. Although he was yippy, annoying and greedy, Joseff had grown on her. He was a ray of sunshine in this sad house. He made so many of them smile that she regretted opening the door to let him run away. She did it because she felt guilty trapping Jo inside this mausoleum. "May the Holy Spirit guide you and protect you, brave one!"

"Bark! Bark!" Jo puffed out his chest proudly before he returned his attention to the rest of his human friends. They didn't look too happy. Hoping he could help ease their troubles before they left him here, Joseff went around nuzzling everyone's legs. Marten proved to be a tough cookie. She was too busy crying to notice his attempts to console her. "Uuu?" he asked in a puzzled tone.

Suddenly, he felt very inspired. Humans loved rubbing his tum-tum! Panting in excitement, Joo flopped across Marten's feet then rolled over to expose his shapeless white belly. "U-ruff?" he invited.

Castor snorted in disgust. He couldn't believe that the disgrace of a dog would stoop so low for adoration. Jo's actions confirmed his belief that the Shiba Inu was an attention-seeking idiot. Growling a little, he turned his head away and trotted over to Jace. There he sat down regally and peered at the intelligent looking human. "Bark, bark!" he commanded. He was impatient for them to get moving. His mistress was in danger and they were wasting time sniffling like kids her age. Weren't humans this big supposed to be adults?

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab by @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

Meanwhile in The Garden...

Heavy, her entire body was so fucking heavy. It felt as if someone had pumped lead through her veins and had replaced her bones with metal pipes. If someone were to toss her in the ocean at this very moment, there was doubt she would sink to the bottom. Ana was disoriented. Her head throbbed fiercely and her entire body ached. Was she dead?

Raw panic shot throughout her and she realized she was hurting far too much to be dead. Ana's eyes snapped open. She was lying on a soft patch of mud and moss. The sky above her was starless and dark. Outside? Where were Jace and Marten? Where were the others? Horrible thoughts swam through her head and she scrambled to her feet with all the grace of a dying fish that had washed ashore on the beach.

Caked in mud and fighting off a killer headache, Ana tried to make sense of what was happening. She was surrounded on all sides by thick rusting walls of dead greenery, vines and moss covered each of the walls and it was just green for as long as the eye could see. There was a path before her but it broke off into two opposite paths which broke off into even more paths - just an endless maze. Shit.

The corners of Ana's eyes stung, and as much as she tried, she found that she could no longer hold back the tears. A broke sob tore through her trembling lips as she balled her hands into fists. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she cried. She had no idea where her friends were and she was utterly and horribly alone.

---

Charity Gardens Sanitorium

The whole place reeked of stale urine, unwashed bodies and mold. Kindall continued pacing around his cell in agitation. The whole place was filthy! He couldn't even imagine sitting down on the floor. The cushioned floors were covered with a brownish grey soot. He didn't want to think what it was. God! This place was getting to him. He raked his fingers through his hair, trying his best not to remember his research on haunted asylums three months ago. Pennhurst, Byberry, Waverly Hills and Trans-Allegheny, all of them horrible and now he's trapped in one such institution. Fuck!

Milton drove his foot into the padded wall. It sank in and remained there much to his annoyance. His attempts to free himself resulted in him falling backwards onto the disgusting floor. URGH! He struggled to get up but he couldn't do much. His hands were bound inside this stupid straitjacket! He threshed around until he tired himself out. Fuck this place!

"What a pretty little bird you are! Yes what a wonderful wonderful birdy."

"Silver tea cups round and round. Fiddle the moon and leaves purple as sage weather."

"Let me go home. Please!"

These snippets rang continuously throughout the airless corridors. The inmates grew hoarser with each cry but they refused to remain silent. It was a cacophony of screams, a melding of voices that resulted in a sound that wasn't quite human.

"Kindle." Kelsey rasped out his name. She had screamed her throat raw and her voice broke each time she so much as spoke. "If you can hear me say something, Kindle?" It was fucking useless.

Similar to her bespectacled friend, Kelsey had found herself trapped in a padded room. She and Kindle had been stuffed into straitjackets and separated earlier on and she had no idea where he was. Hell, she had no idea where she was! One moment they had been in Ella's room and then they were not. Was this Henbard messing with their heads?

Kelsey felt horribly sick, her head was spinning and the noises from outside did little to quell the overwhelming fear. Hesitantly, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. It felt like her chest would cave in at any moment.

This was it wasn't it?

Her family, her friends, she'd never see them again. This was her fault, everything was all her fault. Everyone would die because of her and Jace and Ana and - fuck - all of them would never see their families ever again because of her.

Slowly, Kelsey sank to the floor and wept.

 

[Cartoonicat]

It was too much: her thoughts, the sound of others, the fate of her missing friends. Her body felt like electricity; she was pretty sure if anyone so much as tapped her shoulder she'd crumble. Jace began sobbing - a sight that made London throw out any hope it wasn't their Ana who'd been taken - and Marten seemed broken, staring with wet eyes at each of them as though they had the answers. As though they knew anything at all. In reality, despite all of the carefully poured over notes and Cryptodex entries, London knew nothing. She couldn't protect them. Her body grew heavier the longer Marten stared at her, grew heavier with each cry Jace made.

They were going to get stuck in Henbard or, worse, die trying to leave.

Ana was gone and Kelsey and Kindall trapped. She thought of the fake Matt from the cellar, knew that this wasn't the same. He was fucking with their heads, yes, but this time with real people, not goo meant to rip at their heart strings. Their friends were really gone and London had no idea how to get them back.

London didn't want to get stuck. She didn't want to die.

The objects in her pockets felt like a thousand pounds, then. Her eyes turned to Wendy and Charlotte, something uncomfortable and hysterical bubbling in her chest. Similar to her first run-in with Mini P but far, far worse. Wendy looked away quickly and something inside London snapped:

"Games." She drew her lips into a thin line, fists clenching so tight her knuckles turned white. "He took our friends and we have to play his games!?" London knew she needed to be quiet, be calm, but she couldn't stop the red. "Que te jodan, this is your fault!" She thrust a finger at the maids. Her vision blurred and she realized, then, that she was crying. "Y-You're as bad as h-him!"

Ignoring Jo's cuteness and Castor's intimidating presence, London drew her fist back. She wanted to take it out on those responsible, the ones who helped lure her and her friends in, but she forced herself not to. Instead, she punched with all her might the nearest object - the side of the wardrobe.

Everything stopped.

"OW!" London's mouth stayed parted, devolving into a pained grimace as she gingerly pulled her fist away from the wood. The skin of her middle knuckle had split just enough to bleed. Ethan made it look much less painful. "Ow, ow, ow, why did I do that, ow..."

Her head had cleared but her hand hurt like hell.

 

[Ashi]

​

All of the loss, the stress, the anger and misery that had accumulated over the course of the night poured out through tears. Jace was never really a crier; he did his best to maintain a calm and positive demeanor. He couldn't recall a time where he just let go of his emotions. He embraced them all, owned them, and let them be felt. It was almost relieving to let it all out, to not have to be the strong one holding everyone together if for just a moment.

Jace quieted after a minute or two, sobs reduced to soft sniffles. Over his fit he could hear Wendy and Charlotte. They could possibly save Ana if they continued to play his games? That was far from ideal; however, yet again Jace recalled what he said before about playing the game to win. For some reason or another, he kept forgetting them. Was he starting to lose all semblance of rationality? He lowered his hand from his face as Castor sat in front of him. His bark sent a strange tingle all over Jace's body, as if it was waking from sleep.

"No. I can't let that happen." Jace thought to himself, swallowing hard. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his sweater. Castor was right; now was not the time to be feeling sorry for themselves. Now, more than ever, was the time to be determined. While that vague feeling of loss remained, it was diminished enough that Jace could put it aside. "Thanks." He looked briefly into the doberman's eyes, knowing he understood, and rose from the bed.

"I won't say it's going to be okay. Things are far from okay; but, we at least have a chance - however slim it may be - to get them back." Jace closed the distance between he and London quickly with his long stride. He reached round into the backpack and pulled out the med bag, from which he pulled a bandage. He took her hand and placed the bandage over her knuckles, though he didn't release her hand right away. His eyes were red, cheeks stained with the remnants of tears.

"But right now we need to find Ella. I imagine she feels a lot like we do right now." He said in a low tone of voice and let go of London's hand. He returned the bag to the backpack, picked up the bottle of holy water, and looked round at everyone. "Jo can stay here with the painting. They ought to be okay in here. We should go. The sooner we find Ella, the better."

 

[Haru Nyan]

Hearing about Ana's ambiguous fate left Ethan more concerned than ever for the life of his friends, not just Ana's but both Kindall and Kelsey's were on the line as well. He could only fathom how Jace must've felt, struggling...fighting, only to lose that sliver of hope and watch it get annihilated right before your very eyes.That must have been a truly soul-crushing experience, the boy only wished he had some way to help him that didn't border on patronizing. "Chin up!", he heard from Charlotte, and granted, while it wasn't directed at them, he couldn't help but think of how much of a bullshit statement that was. Stuff like "We can do this!", or "Our friendship can get us through anything!" were just quotations used by anime characters or JRPG protagonists who think they can overcome anything. That kind of crap? It only made things worse, a comfort pillow from the bitter truth. And the bitter truth was that they were truly fucked.

Ethan's worry only mounted more and more when he heard Wendy, one of the maids, say that no one has ever come back from that painting alive. The festering fear crawling at the back of his mind was slowly overcoming him, and he could feel that soon...like a twig snapping in two, he'll break eventually. But no, not right now...Neither Ana, Kelsey, or Kindall would want that...For their sake, he had to just fake it..."Fake it till you make it", as they say. In the midst of his rumination, he could barely react to Joseff exerting effort in trying to cheer everyone up, Ethan let out a cynical laugh. At least someone was trying to keep their spirits up. He looked down at the pup, amused at his antics, but a voice-London's in particular, had him look up. He could feel it, her anger, her wrath...The only times Ethan had seen London reach these kinds of levels of rage were in group play sessions, when the enemy boss was unfair, when the opposing team had used an underhanded tactic to win, when the promo was lying about getting a guaranteed 5-Star character, those kinds of moments.

He couldn't help but see some semblance of truth in his friend's words...Games, all three of them were out there in danger and here the rest of them were, stuck playing Connect Four or some other fucked up sadist trap. His eyes went wide the moment her fist connected with the armoire, and he flinched as a reflex. That did not sound and look good...Luckily, Jace was there to lend a helping hand as always.

"We don't really have a choice anyway..." Ethan said, enthusiasm absent in his voice. He looked back at Jo, he had it in good faith that the Shiba Inu wouldn't fail them. London's wooden katana still with him, he couldn't wait to smack and slash at the nearest malignant entity they could come across just so he could get the negative thoughts out of his system.

 

[Impudimp]

She hated negative emotions, honest and truly. What did they ever really help? Depression made people whither or die outright. Tears made you blind. Sadness was futile and typically all consuming. Fuck, bad feels! Who needed them! But Marten had a hard time shaking this funk off like she usually could. This place... Everything about it sucked the life out of you. Between being afraid for your own life or the lives of those around you, who had time to "Chin up!"?

Marten was one of those girls usually seen as needlessly happy, and maybe she was? But she didn't want to be anything else. And this ennui and melancholy were fucking killing her alongside the fact that three of her closest people were missing! Her eyes would shift breaking her inward thinking and moving downward to look at the ever cute Jo. Her throat unclenched a bit, letting her release a soft sobbing laugh, "You've got great ideas, Jo..."

Folding easily into a parallel squat in front of the Shiba and then sitting comfortably into the lotus position, she'd collect the fat, furry creature into her lap cuddling him. And with every snuggle she began to feel better. Maybe that was why Matt did it so much, "You're a fearless cutie, aren't'cha? You'll protect Kindall and Kelsey for us, I know. And we'll be back before you know it." She'd whisper, holding him close just a bit longer before releasing him. Her heart felt a little lighter. Sure, her feelings were hurt but fuck feelings. She wasn't using them for anything productive right now any how.

She'd continue stretching, seeking that ever elusive thing called focus. Yoga was her catch all. Happy, Sad, Anxious, Angry, Stunted, everything. Navasana, Dhanurasana, Balasana...Marjariasana... She began standing, reaching for the sky as she lifted one knee at her side. Vriksasana. Her arms reached high as her body stretched to its longest, " Tadasana. Salute the sun..." She'd smile, speaking softly. There was her center. She felt for poor London. The thump of her hand against the wardrobe did not sound great at all, so it would be a wonder if she felt any better after that. Maybe she'd take her to the park with her one day?

She'd briefly recall a woman from her Saturday classes, Miss Ruby being around when Kindall had come to gather her for tea once, "Marty, what are you doing, child? With an ass like that, you ought of snatched that boy up by the seat of his pants ages ago! Why if I was 20 years younger, I'd take him from you." She'd snicker softly. Miss Ruby was every bit of 70.

She'd tell Kindall he had an admirer when they got back home. And Kelsey that if she didn't go on a date with that fireman, she'd get one of her techie bros to lock her out of her cryptid folders for a week. Yea, the grunette had the audacity to be making plans right now, because she knew as long as there was a chance, then there was hope. And hell or high water she was clinging to it! What else could she do?

First thing was first, she'd go grab Kindall's bat from Charlotte, feeling the weight in her hands and wondering how he swung the thing so hard. It wasn't mega heavy, but it wasn't light either. Didn't people use aluminum nowadays for that reason? Then again Kindall was a stubborn idiot... with nice arms. Details. Details. "Well, back to the outfield I guess." She'd say to no one in particular, before tacking on, "When we get out there, watch the shadows. Does everyone have a flashlight? Also, I vote that if things get hectic; we give Charlotte and Wendy their things..." The women were being as helpful as they could possibly be, but even that wasn't the most helpful. They didn't know anything. Why make them suffer longer when they had given the full extent of their service? If they got captured again, Butzy would just torment them for all eternity or something... Plus use them against them in the same way he had with Salem.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab by @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

Charlotte was the epitome of calm despite the emotional pour filling the room. She absorbed every angry word without even blinking. Poor children, she thought. Their words indicated the extent the news was affecting thing. The grief and denial were very real. She remembered feeling the same way when she realised she was trapped for eternity. Separation from the God she loved and placed in this perverse hell. The creature in-charge had to be one of Lucifer's followers. Why else would it keep them here to suffer so?

Surrendering the bat to Marten, the sister walked over to Jace and indicated she wished to pack the ponies into the backpack he was carrying. Her movement was relaxed and gentle as if she refused to let the tension to get to her. "You must think badly of us," she acknowledged. "Deception wasn't our intention but if we didn't lure you in, He would have gone hunting." She finished zipping up the bag then stepped away. "When He brings people home, we can't ever help them. That's why the children volunteered to find people lost in the woods. We wanted what was best for you."

Wendy jolted upright when London's fist came into contact with the wall. The girl was angry - rightfully so - and Wendy decided to just stand there and take the blame. London was right, she and everyone else had participated in His games in hopes of one day leaving. They'd participated even though they knew others would end up paying the price. Perhaps they were all monsters... it was a thought that left her feeling twice as guilty.

"Young miss, please don't hurt yourself." She paused. "It won't do you any good."

Thankfully, Jace was quick to react to his friend's injury. Wendy turned to Ethan with sad eyes and an even sadder frown. "Unfortunately, you're right. None of us really have a choice here. You're friend is correct, your best bet will be to find the young miss as soon as possible." She didn't like shoving them into a corner but it was all they had at this point. The kind grunette jumped into the conversation and Wendy's eyes went wide. Their items. There was no mistaking what Marten had said. So... she and Charlotte would finally be able to escape this hell? She turned to Marten, thankful for the show of kindness they didn't quite deserve. "Thank you, but I won't leave until the young miss herself is free. For now, I'd like to offer you my aid."

Wendy nodded toward the bag Jace had toted into the room. "The flashlights are over there." Charlotte took out a pair and passed one to Wendy.

The nun thanked her friend as she accepted the flashlight. She turned back to the group. "Please let our actions speak for themselves," she spoke softly, clasping her hands below her waist in a prayerful manner. "As the second maid, I've been tasked by the young master to be your guide while Ms. Kitty aids Madam. Wendy's task is to help you free Miss Ella as she is the nanny. We all have our parts to play if we want this to work."

"Charlotte." Wendy gave her fellow maid a nudge. "We should head out now."

"Not the attic?" Charlotte asked.

"I checked," Wendy replied with a grimace. "It was overrun with dolls. I haven't checked the master bedroom yet. She doesn't go there often."

"Something tells me she'll be there." Wendy wore a grim expression on her face, children often sought the comfort of their parents when things went wrong after all.

As the humans prepared to leave, Joseff stared up at Marten with wide, adoring eyes. It were as if he were making a promise to keep Kelsey and Kindle safe, to guard them with his life and make everyone proud. "Borf borf!" He called out before promptly padding toward the open dresser. He sat down right in front of it and held his head high.

He would sit here and wait for his friends to return.

He would sit here and keep his promise - as long as he sat breathing, Kelsey and Kindle would be safe!

Castor snorted as he passed Joseff. He didn't feel it worth his time to acknowledge the fluffball despite the show of heroics. He doubted Jo would last five minutes before the mutt would run after them. Dismissing all thoughts about fat cheeks, he trotted after Wendy. "Bark! Bark, bark!" he commanded. Stop wasting time he seemed to be implying as he glared at the stragglers. He knew the dolls were lurking nearby as he could hear soft footsteps from the floor above. "Bark!"

Charlotte tapped him gently on the back of the head. "Shhh Castor," she reprimanded. "He is listening. The dolls will know where we are if you keep barking."

Unknown to the group leaving the room, a familiar small pumpkin sat in the darkened corner at the far end of the corridor. He covered his mouth as he giggled. This would be so good! He knew where they were headed. He waited until the group disappeared up the stairs before he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

---

The Master Bedroom

Marbles were scattered on the floor in front of the master bedroom door. There was also a blackened line an inch from the door. Charlotte frowned. She suspected what the powder was but if she was right then they were too late!

"Salt," she explained. "Something unholy is close by hence it turned black." The sister exchanged looks with Wendy. Should they lead the children into the room? There was no telling what was waiting for them inside.

"Wendy?" she whispered.

Castor didn't bother waiting for the maids to confer. He stepped onto the remains of the salt barrier and pushed his snout against the door crack. Catching a familiar scent, he withdrew quickly and barked frantically. Before anyone could react, he started ramming against the door.

"Get the door!" Charlotte called to Wendy. She had already started trying to subdue Castor. They didn't need to alert whatever it was that lurked inside the room. "Castor!" she hissed. "Don't!"

Wendy's eyes went wide. Were they too late? Without taking time to think, her body responded to Charlotte's command and she closed the distance between herself and the door. "Careful," she whispered to the group as her hand clasped around the cold door handle. With a swift yet careful motion, she pushed open the door and revealed what awaited them inside.

It was too dark to see clearly, but Wendy had spent God knows how long cleaning and tidying every nook and cranny of Henbard Chateau. Filled with confidence, she plunged into the darkness of the master bedroom and swiftly made her way toward the light switch by the door. She stepped on some marbles, and before she could flick the lights on, she crashed face first into the floor.

Wendy's scream startled Charlotte so much that she let go of Castor. The dog dashed into the room and met with the same fate as Charlotte. A sharp whine was followed by snapping and growling. Charlotte bit her lip as she mustered the courage to go check.

Staggering to her feet, the shaken maid took a step into the room. She could see Wendy's flashlight lying on the floor a few feet away. Biting her lower lip, she shone her light further ahead. It fell on Wendy's shoe! Charlotte swallowed hard. Moving the light even further ahead revealed Wendy lying on ground. Adelaide's teddy bears were bouncing on Wendy's stomach.

Her friend was unable to scream because ball of rolled up socks had been stuffed into her mouth! Charlotte mouthed something that sounded like "God have mercy" before she stepped forward. She was torn between rushing to Wendy's side and retreating. She didn't know what to do. Madam collected so many Care Bears, trolls and vintage teddy bears that this place was a minefield! No wonder Miss Ella wouldn't come here unless she had no other option.

She braced herself and took one step forward. She was in a process of taking another step when a shrill laughter filled the room. Charlotte yelped loudly, dropping her flashlight. From where she stood, she could see big yellow eyes staring back at her from the middle of the bed.

The eyes blinked slowly. Then, the laughter was replaced with a high pitched chirping sound. A metallic voice spoke up after that. "Toh-loh!" it taunted. "Toh-loh! A-doo?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

​

"S-Sorry…" she said to no one in particular, prompted by Wendy's concerned tone. Cradling her hand, London mentally berated herself: Why did I punch it? What was I thinking, that I'm Saitama or something? Not that she'd been thinking one little punch would do any good in the first place. She'd just been so mad. Everything was so unfair. Punching something wouldn't rescue her friends. If anything, it just made her hand tender. And sting. Dios mio, talk about stupid.

Jace spoke, crossed the room, and London suddenly felt embarrassed. Ana and Kelsey were his childhood friends and now both were gone, in grave danger. He'd broken down not moments before yet, here he was, ready to brave the next obstacle while she'd had a temper tantrum that resulted in injury. Stupid, stupid, stupid. As he took her hand she looked away, mumbling a quiet "Thanks." Glanced at Marten and Ethan, instead, wondering how they felt. Her eyes landed on the grunnette in particular. She still didn't know what was going on between Marten and Kindall, but London hoped that, if they managed to rescue - No, when we rescue - him and Kelsey from the painting, the two would finally voice their feelings if they didn't already. Thinking back to fake Matt, London remembered her own regret.

He finished bandaging her hand but did not let go immediately. Curious - but also wary of finding disappointment - she looked up at him. Jace's eyes were red and she could see the shimmer of tear stains on his cheeks. It hit her then that maybe he wasn't ready for whatever was coming next. London couldn't imagine what he was going through, didn't know how to help except find their friends and burn Henbard to the ground. She hesitated before giving his hand a timid squeeze at the last second, expression determined but oddly soft. We can do this.

It sucked, but Jace and the maids were right: This was a game they'd have to see through to the end.

Looking down at her hand, London pursed her lips. No more tears, she promised, no more freak outs. While she didn't try copying Marten's yoga pose, she did take a deep breath. Made a loose fist, feeling the uncomfortable sting on her knuckle, and glanced at Ethan. Decided to leave the katana with him. She already had a crap ton to carry aside from it: the salt bowl, a walkie, her Cryptodex, the three Henbard items, a flashlight. Good thing Adelaide's windbreaker had deep pockets.

While London did not like the Henbard residents much - not after what happened to her friends - she no longer wished ill on them. The red was gone, hopefully for good this time if she could keep her cool, and she was back to seeing them as she had before: Victims, just like them. It irritated her, but if London had been in their position, she'd have done anything to get out, too.

No more hypocrisy, either.

So, with a nod in their direction, she prepared to leave the room. Actions spoke louder than words and, if the Henbard residents could fix what they'd broken, she wasn't going to stop them.

---
The Master Bedroom​

When they stopped at the door to the master bedroom London peered around the shoulders of her friends at the blackened salt lining the floor. Her heart raced: "That can't be good." Castor went ballistic and she stepped back instinctively as Charlotte opened the door. Wendy stepped inside.

A few seconds later, Wendy screamed. Castor shot into the darkness of the room, his bravery followed swiftly by a yelp and a growl. Suddenly, London felt very vulnerable without her katana. The fingers of her good hand tightened around the salt bowl, but it didn't make her feel any better. She didn't want to go inside, didn't want to see what was happening, but she needed to. I said no more freak-outs, not to start being a chicken again!

Seeing red made being brave so much easier. Unfortunately, she couldn't afford to keep being stupid.

Swallowing her fear and steeling her jelly-knees, London shuffled inside behind Charlotte. Are those marbles- Shrill laughter cut through the chaos of the room. London's flashlight searched for the source of the sound, its nonsensical words raising goosebumps along her arms.

Finally, the cone of light landed on the bed. Perched on the mattress was a huge, grey Furby.

"Holy-Ah!" London took a startled step back, only to lose her footing on a slew of pesky marbles and hit the ground with a wince. She'd already busted her butt falling into the cellar - her poor tailbone didn't need this, too! The Furby laughed in its horrific, mechanical way but something else caught her ear. London tensed. Alongside the Furby's chirps, there was a familiar squeaking that raised the hairs on her arms. Made her heart pound, her focus tunnel-vision.

She shined the flashlight towards Paul's desk where the miniature pumpkin creature sat, squeaking in laughter, safe and surrounded by a Care Bear army.

Blood boiling, London scrambled to her feet - only to stumble and fall again, because of those stupid fucking marbles! She felt herself quickly growing angry, despite her earlier vows to stay level-headed. Part of her wanted to throw the flashlight at the pumpkin, but the tiny voice of rationality told her no, that's a very bad idea.

Instead, she grabbed a handful of marbles with her good hand and flung them violently across the room at the pumpkin, completely forgetting to check on Wendy and Castor, much less turn on the lights.

 

[Impudimp]

It was a last minute decision, but... She freaking liked holy water, okay? Seeing chase place it in the trusty backpack was all the prompting that she needed. She wouldn't carry it this time, but heck if she wouldn't make use up its properties. The green-haired girl would douse Kindall's bat with it, almost tempted to crust it with the pure salts, but figuring it'd eventually dry and fall away.

Even so, she assumed that with the water the melee weapon would be "purified" enough to do damage to some ill-wills, and that was all she wanted, a real weapon against those things.

At the Master Bedroom

This place was freaking worse than the creepy house of horrors at the fair. Marbles? Really? That fucking pumpkin was up to this. Seeing her comrades slipping every which way made her wary to take even a single step. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't see a damn thing without using the flashlight to avoid the marbles!

Then it hit her. I don't have to take a step. She'd gone through a lazy phase like every other teen, during which she was frequently smacked with kitchen utensils for not actually lifting her knees when she walked. She trudged and shuffled about halfway through her summer before she was sore enough to give up the habit. However, it didn't mean she wasn't still damn good at it.

Marten locked her knees, literally railroading her way through the door with her flashlight held between her teeth. She felt the numerous marbles being kicked away through the tips of her sneakers and felt mildly triumphant. Then she was scuffling her fingers along the adjacent wall, seeking and flicking at the switch that she knew had to be there. They had to get some light on this situation or it was over anyhow.

 

[Ashi]

​

In reality, Jace was far from ready for anything that Henbard had to throw at him. One couldn't be truly ready in a place where one had no idea what to expect. It was horrible, that was for certain; but it wasn't like a horror movie. Horror movies followed a pattern and the events were rather easily predicted. Real life horror was nothing like the movies. Sure, possessed dolls brandishing weapons and weird riddles given by mysterious persons could be considered horror tropes; however, there was no telling exactly what the outcome would be. There was no distancing one self as a spectator from a horrible situation when one was right in the middle of it. Jace was not ready, but he would go on because quitting was not an option.

The Master Bedroom ​

It was a miracle that they made it through the corridors of the doll-infested manor without running into any dolls for a second time. Well, a second time for Jace, Marten, and Wendy. This miracle was short-lived, as was everything remotely good that happened in Henbard. There was an array of marbles and jacks scattered on the floor in front of the door. At the foot of the door was a black line. No. It was- "Blackened salt..." Jace muttered under his breath. He had heard of salt being used to line doorways and windows to block out evil, but he'd never heard of it turning black when evil was nearby. Perhaps it was if evil managed to cross the line of salt? In such a case, it had to be something truly evil.

Castor growled at the door, hellbent on getting inside. Charlotte scolded him and told him to be quiet; Wendy opened the door and entered the inky black room. Wendy screamed from inside and the Doberman bolted in. A pair of large yellow eyes shone from across the dark room followed by mechanical laughter and nonsense words. Jace shone his flashlight in that direction when Charlotte dropped hers, revealing a large furby the color of storm clouds. He could feel his blood chill. He never liked those things.

"London, you okay?" He turned to help London up, but she was on her feet again in no time flat. She had honed in on a certain tiny pumpkin perched on a desk, surrounded by Care Bears. Marten ingeniously overcame the obstacles on the floor by shuffling her feet. The marbles and jacks were merely pushed out of the way. Jace took a similar approach, picking up marbles and jacks as he took long shuffling steps towards Wendy. He kicked the bears away, jerked her to her feet, and handed her the objects to use as weapons.

"Use these." Jace told her and reached round to grab the holy water from the backpack. He splashed a little on the bears. "Marten! The light?!" He called, turning to shine his light on where he could just make out her green hair in the dark. No matter how much she flicked the switch, the light wouldn't turn on. The little douche bag undoubtedly had something to do with that. Sense of urgency rising, Jace searched for another source of light. There was a lamp on the bedside table! Without thinking, he bolted towards it.

BAM! Jace slid on more marbles and hit the floor. He let out a string of curses. All over he felt sharp pains, as if being stuck by needles. He felt his arm and pulled out, not a needle, but a tack. He pulled out a few more of the ones he could reach, got to his knees, and shuffled the rest of the way to the table. After a moment of fumbling with the lamp, he switched it on. The room was bathed in a warm light.

 

[Haru Nyan]

Master bedroom, eh? For some odd reason, Ethan tended to connect rooms or objects with the word "Master" in them to be some form of end-game content. Like, you grab a Master Key to unlock the super-secret section of the mansion, or you use the Master Sword to slay all the evils of the world, and so on and so forth, so what surprised would a master bedroom bring? He snickered for a bit, trying to get his mind off of the stress he was still reeling from from earlier, it was definitely not the kind of master bedroom he was thinking it was. Still, though, who knew what kind of fucked-up shit would be there instead?

Wandering around Henbard Chateau was bad enough in and of itself, but having to look back at every split-second just to make sure they weren't being stalked by creepy-ass dolls just made it worse. For every step Ethan took, he would grip the wooden katana tighter than any other weight he held in his hands, and was nearly on the verge of lashing out at every false warning. He must've looked insane to everyone right about now. Better safe than sorry, is what his mindset was on.

The maids, Charlotte and Wendy, stopped walking, and the young man could only assume that this was their destination. He heard one of them muttering something about salt. He gave out a confused expression, looking down at the floor, seeing a black line that looked as if it was emerging from the bottom from the door. Before he could even ask if that thing was salt and most definitely not pepper, Castor began to freak the fuck out again, not unlike most dogs during their off days, but this was Castor, so shit was about to get real again. Ethan stepped back, whipping out London's wooden katana again. The moment the door opened, the young man was greeted with darkness. Not the metaphorical, all-encompassing fear and despair-inducing, kind of darkness but rather, just literal darkness. As in, the room was fucking pitch black. Ever cautious, Ethan steadily raised the blade he was wielding when he heard a thud, and another as Castor followed Wendy inside, followed by a voice that he could only describe as "malevolent child-like AI."

He mouthed numerous curses as London, Marten, and Jace all plunged deeper into the dark room, he could barely make out their silhouettes in the umbral light, or rather, the lack thereof. He could hear more thuds, probably of them meeting the same fate as Castor and Wendy-lying on the cold, hard, ground. All of this transpired, and Ethan was still there at the entrance of the door, unwilling to take the risk of entering the room. Hell, he could barely see from where he was, what with everyone else being no more than shadows doing an interpretive dance number. He heard another loud crash, flinching as if he was the one that had just suffered that fate. As he opened his eyes however, he found that sweet illumination had found itself covering every-Wait.

Something was wrong, the room was illuminated indeed. He could see his friends again, all struggling to make their way around a sea of marbles and jacks, but there were some parts of the room still shrouded in shadow..and HOLY FUCKING SHIT IS THAT A FURBY ON THE BED. Instinctively, Ethan let out a sharp yelp at the sight of the fuzzy horror, his mind flashing back to late-night playthroughs of Tattletail. He gulped, hands shaky as they raised the wooden blade in defense. Ethan steeled himself, now wasn't the time to get scared of a fucking stuffed animal, he let out a guttural, primal battle cry and charged at the thing and the teddy bears who were harming Wendy, in his fervor, he immediately forgot that the ground was surrounded by marbles and jacks, so in the process of dashing towards the toys with the intent to rid them from the world, he slipped. His rump crashing harshly on the floor, and into more than a few sharp-tipped toys, and the katana out of his grip and into the ensuing mess of playthings. "Q-Quick! Someone grab the katana!" He uttered, trying to scramble onto his feet.