Skeletons in the Closet

[Ashi]

​

On any normal day, Jace was a connoisseur of fried chicken. There was nothing like a fresh, hot and crispy drum stick with mashed potatoes and gravy. On this day, the bucket of fried chicken wasn't the least bit appetizing. The lack of insect activity and furry fungus told Jace that it wasn't too old; however, it was cold and the skin was soggy with grease. Rather than eat it as it was, he peeled the skin off and opted to sautee the chicken with some of the vegetables that Charlotte had sliced. As greasy as it was, there was no need for oil. It wasn't the healthiest option; although, it wasn't like the meal was completely saturated in grease. The potatoes actually kind of smelled like French fries.

While he wasn't sure that anyone else would partake of the chicken, Jace made enough that the others could have some if they wanted. He didn't imagine that some omelets made from robins' eggs or a cup of instant ramen would be very filling. If they were going to power through the rest of this night, they needed protein. The canned coffee was a good idea, too, because they needed the energy. He had just the presence of mind to put his shirt and jacket back on before sitting down at the table.

If he had heard Kelsey's mention of he and Charlotte, Jace would have denied it. Charlotte seemed like a nice young woman and she was pretty to be sure, but it made no sense. She couldn't leave Henbard, at least not alive. It was pointless and doomed to fail, like the ever cliché Romeo and Juliet. On top of that, Jace didn't generally think that way. He would tell her that she was just trying to make something out of nothing and to stop joking.

"Somehow... in this house... I don't think it is." Jace told Marten grimly and poked at his chicken with his fork. Thus far, the Château had produced some interesting horrors; it only made sense that the Rabbit Hole was a psychedelic horror trip. He watched Charlotte curiously, wondering what details she could give about it. If they were going to have to in and find Paul and Adelaide, it would be helpful to know as much as possible before hand. He perked up as a question occurred to him and leaned over the table. "This goop, what is it exactly? It came out of Salem, the dolls, and Ma---er, Fake Matt was made of it. Is it like... ether, except evil or something?"

 

[Fox of Spades]

Leave it to Ethan to whip up some fancy cooking in the middle of a literal horror house Halloween nightmare. As London left her to dispose of the ramen cup, Kelsey decided to take some of the Quinoa. In a way, eating one of the Milk Man's signature dishes was comforting - it almost brought her back to the weekends when she, Kindle, and Ethan would work on content for seasonal spice. When they weren't in a rush, Ethan usually made dinner and he'd always surprise them with some new concoction.

Kelsey was shoveling a spoonful of eggplant into her mouth when her friends finally began to address the elephant in the room. Eventually, they'd have to leave the safety of the kitchen and it was better that they figured things out sooner rather than later. What was the rabbit hole? What was the black goop made of? She listened as Charlotte began to speak.

Charlotte was far from an expert when it came to Henbard and its secrets (the master and lady of the house were the ones who knew it best), but she'd been a prisoner for long enough to know a great deal about the way things appeared to work. She offered London a reassuring smile, but her words were grim. "It's not a pleasant place. Once you go under... things, well, things will cease to make sense. Henbard is strange enough on its own, but in The Rabbit Hole, you can't trust what you see or hear. It's where His influence seems to be the strongest."

She'd only been there a handful of times, and never for too long at any given moment. "I don't know enough about it to give you any concrete advice, but I suggest you stick together at all times. It'd be wise to find a means of regrouping if things don't go as planned either. The rabbit hole isn't inside Henbard, the tunnels run deep underground and it can get confusing."

Outside of Henbard? Kelsey seemed jolt upright at the maid's words. "You mean we can leave? Last time we tried some weird stuff happened. We were flung back inside by some force."

"Yes and no, the rabbit hole is a way out of Henbard but the tunnels run underneath the estate. You won't be able to leave Whittle Grove this way, trust me," a sad smile wormed its way onto her face. "We've tried and it didn't work. We need a specific key to access the trapdoor to the rabbit hole." This was when Charlotte grew quiet. "I'm not sure if I know where it is." There was another pause as Charlotte chose her next words carefully. "We'll find the key once you've had your dinner."

To be honest, the maid didn't even know if they'd be able to find the key, but she wasn't about to put a damper on their spirits. The kids had been through a lot already. "I'm sorry you saw that happen to your friend. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but since you've gotten here, the house has been changing. Henbard never stays the same for too long, it's always twisting and turning to accommodate its new guests. He likes to play games, and sometimes that extends to copies of people you might know or care about. The young master thinks he spends a great deal of time observing people before he takes them to Henbard."

"The creature in the woods."

"Yes, the young master mentioned he'd noticed something strange in the forest before he was taken. The black goop you're talking about." Charlotte's eyes flitted from Jace to London. "It's his poison, and it was in the young master's veins and in all our veins too. It's too late for us, he's already a part of us. I... I'm not sure how it works, but it seems to be what allows him to control objects and people, like the miniature pumpkin and the dolls we fought earlier."

"It's why he can take control of you when he pleases."

"It's why we're a liability," Charlotte's smile was bleak. "Why we can't ever go home. I don't think he's gotten hold of you yet, he won't be able to until this night passes."

 

[Cartoonicat]

As Charlotte spoke, London's resolve began to dwindle. She felt physically weak, vulnerable. On top of the mind games, they were on a timer quickly counting down to their demise. They had the rest of the night to fix this mess - a mess that, as far as London was concerned, had not ever been fixed before. At least in her video games she knew even the hardest of dungeons were still beatable, but this? London didn't know if they'd make it in time. She didn't even know how much time they had left. She didn't want to know; twenty-four hours wasn't enough time to do any good, much less anything fewer than that.

Feeling overwhelmed, she abandoned the Cryptodex entry and propped her elbows on the counter. Held her face in her hands. If Henbard was designed to torture specifically them, did that mean they'd see worse things than a dying Matt in the Rabbit Hole? She could think of few things worse. London wanted to see her mother, but not in Henbard. Never in Henbard. She'd know it wouldn't be real, but that would change little; in hindsight, she knew Matt's death hadn't been real, yet she couldn't shake it from her mind. The sound of his screams, the feel of trying to keep his guts from falling out, the smile of the boy she used to think was so sweet.

London's fingers curled into her scalp, tugging at her hair. Matt was sweet. It hadn't been Matt. It wasn't him. It wasn't him. It wasn't, it wasn't, it wasn't. But at the same time, it was; she didn't know if she'd be able to go home and see him the same way. Not after watching him die in her and Kindall's arms. Instead of fill her belly with butterflies, the thought of his smile made her nauseous. Why?

It had become Peter's smile, too.

Peter and that stupid pumpkin, she thought, heart beginning to race. The pumpkin had been there at every corner, every bad situation. Her head whipped up, hands scrambling for the Cryptodex. She hadn't written an entry for the little dirtbag, so she had absolutely no documented information for it. Chewing her lip, London started scribbling.

"What can you tell me about the miniature pumpkin? Weaknesses, strengths, abilities, relationship to Henbard, etc..." Gone were her nerves, replaced with determination. Only when her hand started cramping did she stop writing. She looked at Charlotte. "And is it possible to capture?"

 

[Haru Nyan]

"So, basically it's the Queen of Heart's kingdom?" If they were still going by Alice in Wonderland terms here, then the Rabbit Hole began to sound more and more like some fucked up version of Queensland. It didn't matter if it was the Disney version or the fucked up, gross rendition that American McGee's had, when you were in the domain of the queen, her word was law, quite similar to how Charlotte was describing this Rabbit Hole.

And of course a spooky scary mansion in the woods like Henbard Chateau just had to have some sort of underground tunnel system. It seemed whoever built this thing must've been a fan of B-Movie horror tropes. "Observing people?" Ethan let out a confused sentence, already his tone was demanding Charlotte for answers. "You mean to tell me that this Butzy or whatever his name has been watching us for God knows how long?!" Suddenly, Ethan felt a tinge of embarrassment wash over his face. Talk about a fucking voyeur! The young man could hardly believe it. It took the creep factor to a whole new level.

Ethan crinkled his nose at the mention of the goop. The mental image of the illusion of Matt coming to haunt him and his friends who witnessed it was definitely not a good way to uplift someone's mood. Ethan made a grim face, "Does...Does that mean we'll have to fight you too, Charlotte?" Salvation was lost for the staff of Henbard, that in itself was a cruel blow, especially when they've all been so helpful, but the possibility of having to put them down as their journey to escape goes on wasn't exactly an elating prospect.

He turned his head down, muttering an apology, he didn't mean for it to come out like that. Trying to save face quickly, Ethan jumped in on London's discussion about the Miniature Pumpkin that's been stalking them since they probably set foot in this household. "So far its biggest strength is being a total pain in the ass when it comes to our progress. Whatever it is, it does NOT want us to get out of Henbard."

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab by @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

They had questions, but unfortunately, she didn't have the answers. Everything Charlotte knew about Henbard was a result of trial and error, experiences amassed by those trapped with her and those who'd lived and loss long before their time at Henbard.

"The pumpkin seems to be his eyes and ears, just like the rest of the dolls here. I believe they're sold as souvenirs in your hometown of… Bellwoods? Forgive me, I'm not from here. I came to Bellwoods for an Easter Service at the Catholic church." She tapped her chin thoughtfully at London's second question. "You could try to capture it. The young master made several attempts, but it's a creature of shadows."

She paused to listen when Ethan began talking about the Queen of Hearts, Charlotte didn't know anyone by that title so she remained silent until he finally brought up the stalking. "The young master seems to think so, some of the others noticed a strange figure once or twice before they were whisked away too." Her eyes fell to Kelsey. "You mentioned it as well, didn't you, the creature in the woods?"

"I did, I've been documenting my encounters with it since I was eight." The revelation that whatever had kidnapped them had intentionally been spying on them to mess with their minds made Kelsey feel sick. She looked to Ethan who seemed just as shocked at the words the maid had said. "You guys said you saw Matt, right?" She hesitated, not wanting to stir up bad memories but needing to because the situation called for some form of clarity. "That it really looked and acted like him? I think that confirms that He's definitely been watching and biding his time."

There was a slight pause when Ethan brought up the inevitable.

Charlotte returned his question with a pained smile. "You might have to, if he decides he wants to use me against you. It's why I let Wendy go first, it's just… safer this way."

Lenore flew back into the room quiet as a shadow. She was gripping a strange shiny object in her beak and a limp orange cloth in her talons. The latter, when deposited unceremoniously on the table, appeared to be the remains of the small pumpkin. The translucent cloth was a pale orange imitation of the annoying creature that had plagued their journey so far.

The raven laid an antique brass wind-up key beside the pumpkin's tattered remains and puffed up her chest. "Caaaaaaw," she boasted.

She couldn't believe she managed to foil the mini pumpkin's plans to steal the key to Wonderland. Lenore flapped her wings and hopped over around the table to look for food. She eyed the Quinoa suspiciously before finally choosing to share Jace's chicken dish. At least, the smell of this particularly dish wasn't as earthy and off-putting compared to the blackish dish in front of Ethan.

As the raven deposited her found treasure onto the table, Kelsey stared on with a reluctant expression. "Is … is the pumpkin dead?"

Charlotte smiled wryly. "I wish. It always seems to come back at the worst possible time. Here look at this." She picked up shredded orange thing and held it towards the light. "He loves to deceive us by leaving this weird skin behind. Hans calls it his snake skin. There are times when the small pumpkin would drop an arm or a leg for us to find… it's similar to a lizard shedding its tail."

She shuddered. "I can't stop wondering if the creature is part reptile. He behaves like a snake and a lizard combined."

Kelsey made a face at the statement before her eyes flitted to the brass key. It looked like a key for a wind-up box of some kind. Why'd Lenore bring it to them? "What's this for?"

Charlotte wasn't sure what Kelsey was fiddling with until she took it from her. Charlotte's made a silent "oh". This was the key for the door leading to the Rabbit Hole. Master Paul must have left it for them.

She shot up suddenly. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins, as she realised something. The Mini Pumpkin was trying to steal the key! Lenore must have noticed it and fought with him. They needed to leave now or Peter would try and stop them again.

"Quick! We must get to the clock in the ballroom. Peter's coming soon. I need to get you into the tunnels now!"

Charlotte pulled Kelsey up and shoved the girl towards the door. "Someone please carry Kindall. Move quickly! Miss Marten?" She turned around towards the nearest person. "Can you help me retrieve Miss Kitty's items? They are hidden inside the flour barrel over there."

 

[Cartoonicat]

A creature of the shadows, huh? Well, at least Salem had been of a similar mindset; London didn't feel so far out in the left field asking about it, now. While she'd been mad before, she found that thoughts of the raven-haired boy poked and prodded at her. How would things have gone if he hadn't turned to stone? Stayed Salem instead of a monster? He had begun as their guide and, with very little guidance given, left them to fend for themselves.

If they'd fought harder to protect him he might have known how to handle the dolls. Maybe Ana would still be there. London couldn't be sure of that, but it was an idea that wore her down as much as the idea of Peter having been watching them for years. Was he watching when London moved from Rockport City to Bellwoods? Noticed her discomfort whenever she left home and got chatted up by strangers, simply wanting to get to know her? Picked up on how she could be gullible enough to run from police cars at Kelsey's joking suggestion?

It wasn't fair. Peter had years to gather information on their strengths and weaknesses. Knew how to exploit them when they themselves didn't even know his true name, much less anything else. It scared her.

He knew what made them tick.

"We... you..." London fumbled over her train of thought, trying to work around the possibility of Charlotte becoming a monster like Salem had. "If-... If it turns out that he does use you against us, we'll just give you your rosary." Right? That was how it worked, wasn't it? Even if they were mid-transformation, London hoped they'd still be able to give Charlotte freedom should something go wrong.

A moment later Lenore flew into the room carrying something London had not expected at all; a shed layer of the miniature pumpkin's skin. It added a whole new level of creepy to the little dirtbag because, as far as London knew, only reptiles and a handful of cryptids shed their skin - and she loathed reptiles. Ana had known that all too well and, while her snakes might have had great personalities, London had held no intention of getting to know them. Still didn't. Sorry, Ana.

Regardless, she forced herself to poke the skin for knowledge's sake. Pick it up, despite the disgust rising in her stomach, and see what she could find. Unfortunately, she hadn't the time to properly inspect it; Charlotte was quick to jump to her feet, rushing them to the door. It took London a second to realize why, considering she hadn't been paying much attention, but when she realized that the miniature pumpkin had been trying to steal the key she tensed.

For whatever reason, Peter didn't want them in the Rabbit Hole.

Which meant they absolutely needed to go in there.

Instantly she looked to Kindall, still knocked out and vulnerable. How were they going to traverse the Rabbit Hole with him in tow? Storing the shed layer of pumpkin skin between the pages of her Cryptodex with hopes of getting a better look at it later, London tried pulling Kindall to his feet to no avail; he was too heavy, too tall, which she should have suspected. She looked to Jace and Ethan, then, hoping one of them would swoop in quickly and take over.

Or, well, as safe as he can be in the Rabbit Hole. Were they damning him to die by bringing him in there unconscious? What if they had to run from something? Jace and Ethan were strong, but did they have enough stamina left to carry Kindall and protect themselves at the same time? Not to mention Ethan's wound. Clutching her Cryptodex and red crayon close to her chest, free hand holding onto her katana, she made sure to hover protectively beside whoever decided to pick him up, just in case.

The trip from the kitchen to the ballroom was significantly less eventful than their mad dash earlier. London found herself thankful. As they approached the clock, she stole a subtle glance at her friends, hoping to gauge their own reactions. London tried to look confident, yet they all knew her; anyone who looked her way would notice her tense shoulders and mouth set in a straight, thin line.

 

[Ashi]

​

It really was like Wonderland, this Rabbit Hole. The difference was that this Rabbit Hole sounded more like a psychopath's acid trip. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland paled in comparison. The name seemed to ring with irony. On top of that, if anything could top that, was the fact that the house changed. The way Charlotte described it reminded Jace of that Ghibli movie, Howl's Moving Castle. He could recall a scene where Howl changed the castle itself with magic to accommodate all the new people living in it. However, Charlotte also made it sound like the Chateau had a mind of its own.

"Poison?" Jace gazed at Charlotte from across the table, concern glistening in his eyes. So the goop was essentially Peter's essence, a way of extending himself into people and things so that he could control them. That was a scary thought, to think that, at any moment, Peter could use any one of the Henbard residents against them. He couldn't even imagine such a pretty, demure face as Charlotte's turning into that of a monster's. Was it possible for Peter to extend his essence into the house itself, to possess it like Monster House? If that was the case, though, the group would likely have been annexed already.

"No, he doesn't. From what I gather, we have until the end of the night before he - er, Peter, can officially make us a part of the Chateau. As to why he can't yet, I have no idea, but that's probably why it's called the Longest Night aside from the fact that time has stopped." Jace answered Ethan's statement in a low, serious tone. It was only a hunch based on what the residents had told them thus far. His eyes focused on what little remained of his chicken and vegetables, fingers interlaced in front of his lips. He said nothing as Lenore returned and moved to finish what was left on his plate, watching her. She was quite a bit more intelligent than they gave her credit for.

"So, he's been watching huh?" Jace thought wryly. He recalled the many times he'd felt the hairs on his neck stand up when near Whittle Grove; although, he'd never personally seen anything. He recalled also the many times that Kenai had barked and growled into the trees, seemingly set off by nothing. It was rare that Kenai ever acted so aggressively. Was it because he knew that Peter was there, watching? How far did Peter travel to observe people? Did he stay within Bellwoods or did he travel as far out as Jace and his family lived? Dread caused Jace's stomach to lurch.

Charlotte's frantic words broke his train of thought. Peter's coming soon. Goosebumps formed on Jace's arms. "Time to go." He stood so abruptly from his chair that it nearly fell over. He marched briskly to where London was attempting to lift Kindall. "Here," Jace crouched in front of their comatose friend, "Get his arms over my shoulders. Try to make sure the blanket stays on." With effort, Kindall was quickly lifted onto Jace's back again. The blanket added to the already heavy weight, but it was important to keep Kindall warm. He followed closely to London as they crossed the house to the ballroom yet again, this time heading for the clock instead of the stairs.

"What's so important about the clock?" He asked Charlotte, adjusting Kindall a little bit. "Is it.. the door to the Rabbit Hole?"

 

[Haru Nyan]

The thought of having to fight Charlotte against any of their will seemed like one of the most sadistic things the head honcho of this place could do, and so far? This entity has shown that it's relentless when it comes to trying to stop them. The exact moment it falls dead and lifeless before their very eyes would be one of the happiest moments in Ethan's life. Kelsey's hopeful mention of it dying only served to flame the fires of Ethan's rage more. With a sigh, he exclaimed, "We can only dream..."

Ethan crinkled his nose and made a disgusted face. Was the go-to tactic for the main villain here to go ahead and nauseate them to death? Because if so, it was slowly starting to work.

He gulped, trying to make sure that the food he oh-so graciously prepared stayed in his stomach and nowhere else. He didn't even bother trying to think up of a witty comment to Kelsey getting some sort of odd key from Lenore, only to be surprised when Charlotte jolted up from her seat like she just sat on a thumb tack.

If there was a time to play some panic-inducing music, it was now. Ethan could only mutter a hesitant "O-Okay!" before debating on whether or not he should carry Kindall on his back.

Even with his fresh batch of bandages, he was still unsure if he should even attempt, luckily Jace was there to help him up on his feet. He patted his gym buddy on the back and uttered, "Thanks, I owe you one!" before trying to scramble towards where Charlotte was about to take them-the ballroom, once again.

Once there, Ethan examined the clock in question. It...It was just that-a clock. He made a confused expression, turning towards Charlotte, "I don't suppose that the Rabbit Hole is a literal one underneath this clock?" Clocks? Rabbit Holes? Illusions? If he didn't know any better, he and his friends were probably in fucking Wonderland right about now. Alas, no aloof, green-eyed maiden wielding a knife with deadly precision could be there to accompany them in their trek, but Ethan could dream.

 

[Impudimp]

Caught between the decision of old chicken, which she had tackled once and failed in a past that seemed really far away at this point, Marten went for the quinoa. Clean energy it is! She could eat all the gross fat-laden foods she wanted when she was safe in her dorm once more... That also seemed like a faraway notion right now, but of course the grunette shook off those thoughts.

Maybe she should have asked Charlotte more questions, but she had pocketed the smelling salts for later, and was stuffing her face in the interim. Everyone brought up good points though, especially Kelsey. Now they had more incentive. Not only trying to find Ana, but also saving Matt by taking this place down, because there was a niggling worry that if by some horrible twist of fate they all became trapped, Matt would be brought in next go round... If only to rescue sweet Joseff.

Before she could voice these thoughts however, or further question purposefully heading into a winding labyrinth, everything re-sprung into action. Of course... You're in a haunted freaking mansion. Reprieves are like falls, short and jarring. "Sure thing." She shot Charlotte a quick reply darting toward the flour with renewed vigor. Amazing what food could do for a person. After running around for what felt like several days instead of one night, Marten felt like a new woman just from eating something. She wouldn't think of how old it probably was.

She prayed it was just flour in the barrel as she dunked half her arm inside and fished around. There was also the fear that she wouldn't find anything at all, but thankfully her hand wrapped around something distinctly fabric and something else that she couldn't really tell the shape of until she had yanked them out. A veil? And... bouquet? ...Oh... Poor Miss Kitty. Her heart practically burst for the woman. What pain she must have felt.

As she returned to the group proper, she felt heavier for certain as it all sort of drove home that the "residents" had just been normal people living their lives to the fullest before getting drawn to this hellish abode. They had loved, wished, and lost it all to some shadowy, woodland pervert. And... she was tearing up again. She had to stop this before she gave herself a migraine. Somehow she felt all her prior sadness of a different note than this. She felt sober and somehow reflective, returning to Charlotte's side holding Kitty's things with a queer look to her gaze. She folded the veil carefully into a neat square, wrapping it securely around the pommel of the bouquet. Marten has unlocked: Empathy!

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab between @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

No traces of the earlier battle remained inside the ballroom. Warm yellow light and soft orchestral music greeted the weary group as soon as they stepped inside. Around them, wind up mannequin couples in clothes from the Baroque era danced around the sleeping Ella. Walking across the dance floor required them to elbow their way between the mechanical couples.

A brass doll butler stood closest to the clock. Elegant canapés were arranged artfully on the large silver tray balanced on his hand. He bowed as if offering the group something to eat. A brass doll maid joined him not long after. She was carrying a tray bearing an assortment of tempting looking sweet treats.

Charlotte seemed a little taken aback at being served. She thanked them in a shy voice as she took a sugar cookie from the maid out of politeness. "I don't know where they came from but I don't think they are going to stop us from entering … I think?"

When a second butler appeared with a tray of drinks, Charlotte began suspecting that Peter was trying to delay them. She squeezed her way forward and motioned for the rest to do so too. Their questions were left unanswered. They had to hurry as Peter had already stopped by the ballroom after they put Ella to sleep.

"I need to find the keyhole," she spoke frantically.

Her shaking hands patted the sides of the clock. No matter how she tried, she couldn't seem to find the keyhole. "It's got to be here somewhere!"

"Caw?"

Lenore landed on top of her clock and narrowed her eyes at the figure approaching the door. The bird blinked slowly before bowing her head. She tapped her beak against the XII on the clock phase. 1 .. 2 .. 3 … 4 … 5! By the 6th tap, the VI slid downwards to reveal a small hole. Lenore puffed up her chest proudly and cawed in triumph.

Castor nodded, showing his approval. He didn't really want to be back in the room. Ella was here and knowing they won't be together anymore hurt a lot. His jaw remained tensed as he allowed his sour mood to fester. Jo, on the other hand, was already pawing one of the butler dolls to beg for food.

Lenore was much smarter than any of them gave her credit for. Kelsey watched, amazed, that the bird had managed to find what none of them could. "Charlotte? You said Peter was coming? Do you have that key?"

The sound of rustling leaves was coming from outside the ballroom, and when she turned to check, Kelsey had noticed an odd shadow looming by the entrance. Shadows never meant anything good in Henbard and she didn't want to stay to find out what exactly was waiting for them.

"Joseff, stop." Crouching by the hungry dog, she wrapped her arms around his tubby belly and lifted him into her arms. "We need to go, now."

Charlotte produced the key from her apron pocket and slotted it into the keyhole. The clock seemed to screech in protest once she twisted the brass key. A hollow chiming came from within and the clock as the glass door turned opaque before their very eyes. Glass turned to wood and Charlotte gasped when a brass doorknob popped out like a mushroom. She reached for it, tense fingers wrapping around cold metal. "It's time to go."

The wooden door opened up into a field of lavender flowers. A sleepy scent drifted up, filling their lungs. The whistling breeze tickled them playfully while a hazy sun greeted them from high in the sky. The scene was idyllic compared to the merry ballroom. No one even noticed the door flying away like a kite in the wind.

"Borf, borf!" Jo rolled around the flower laden grass happily. He loved this scent! It reminded him of Matt's grandmother. She made the best dog friendly cookies he had ever tasted.

The field before them seemed to stretch out for miles and miles, almost as if it were an endless sea of green. Henbard Chateau had disappeared and it was just the seven of them and the pets in the middle of nowhere. "Are you... are you guys seeing this too?" It was a massive change in setting and the first time they'd left Henbard. Of course, Kelsey knew they hadn't actually managed to leave, but it was refreshing in its own weird way. "Charlotte where are we?"

"The rabbit hole, but I'm afraid I don't exactly know the way around here. The layout is different every time."

Of course it was. Wasn't that the standard requirement for weird Alice-in-Wonderland-like mazes? "Great, so we're lost." There was a forest at the very edge of the field, and the more she looked, the more she realized how similar it was to Whittle Grove.

If everyone stared hard enough they would eventually notice a figure in the distance - it was Adelaide in a white dress and a floral patterned hat. She was staring off into the distance, seemingly unaware of their presence.

"Is that Adelaide?"

"Yes, that's Madam." Charlotte always admired how graceful Adelaide looked. The woman reminded her of fairytale princesses dressed in elegant dresses. "Madam? Madam? It's me, Charlotte!"

The maid's cries were drowned out by the wind. She strained her vocal chords, trying to shout even louder but the result was the same. Her voice was powerless against the strange breeze.

"C … 2. H3 … Cl - orate," a sleepy voice groaned.

Kindall buried his face in the hollow of Jace's broad shoulder. He let out a soft sigh. "Chloral. 10 ml … double dosage." He murmured. "They wanted me to sleep more. You smell … nice."

Kelsey was just about to ask Charlotte another question when a familiar voice blurted out another smarty-pants factoid. "Kindle! You're finally awake! We were so worried. Oh gosh… are you okay? How are you feeling," she trailed off as her eyes fell onto London's foot. "What is that?"

Chunks of grass and dirt flew into the air as a rotting hand reached out of the soil to yank at London's leg. The hand pulled the poor girl downward as if it were trying to use her as a handle so it could pull itself (and the rest of whatever remained beneath) out of the earth.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The light, airy tune that filled the ballroom mixed with their experience in Henbard so far did not mix well together. Throw in mechanical, waltzing dolls and London felt pretty sure they were going to get jumped before they reached the Rabbit Hole. Along the way to the clock, she glimpsed a sleeping Ella. The girl looked no different than how they'd left her. As the dolls danced around her stone form, London couldn't help but equate her to some morbid centerpiece. Creepy, she thought, tightening her grip on her katana. Her nerves skyrocketed when, next, they were served food.

I'm not falling for that again. Shaking her head quickly, she leaned away from the maid and followed Charlotte. She wanted to ask if the nun eating food offered, in extension, by Peter was a good idea, but it was too late. If she ended up drugged they couldn't do anything about it. Though, for some reason, London wondered if this Peter staged this whole orchestration to appeal to them - convince them to stay. Nobody had been stabbed yet, which was a plus.

Still, she found herself more than happy to quicken the pace, even if she did glance curiously at the drink tray. Did Peter know their favorite drinks, too? Unfortunately, the question remained unanswered; she couldn't get a good look at the beverages and she sure as hell didn't intend to take one.

Lips set in a straight line, London kept an eye on the ballroom dancers. She didn't trust them not to become violent once her friends unlocked the clock and, while she doubted she would last long against so many, she didn't want to get struck through by surprise. Thankfully, the dolls stayed dancing even as they found the key slot. London glanced up at Lenore, curious as to how she'd become so smart. Birds were intelligent creatures, but Lenore's intelligence seemed far past that of a normal avian. Castor, too.

Did living in Henbard enhance the animals somehow, or were those two just particularly clever?

The clock chimed and she tstartled, stepping away instinctively. Watched as its appearance changed right before their eyes. Definitely some weird Alice in Wonderland stuff going on in there. Hesitant but also eager to leave, she stepped forward and followed Charlotte through the door. Inside, they met with a green field that eventually reached trees. Is that Whittle? London squinted, as though it would help discern their location at all. It can't be, we're-...

"Adelaide?" London tensed at the mention of her name, only noticing the woman in the distance when attention was called to her. It was the first time they'd be seeing each other since dinner. Suddenly, she felt nervous. Angry, too, but mostly nervous. A pit formed in her stomach, making London glad she didn't eat more than the cup of ramen. Did Adelaide know how much she reminded her of London's own mother? How she was the one that lowered London's guard, of everyone in Henbard? Probably not, and she would likely never mention it to her or anyone else. It felt silly. She felt silly.

Just then Kindall began to stir. London found herself glad for it; not only was he okay - He's okay! - but it served as the perfect distraction from her floundering thoughts. She made to step towards him and Jace, only to get yanked downwards. Her eyes followed Kelsey's line of sight. "What-..."

London's heart flew into her throat. Then she was screaming and kicking and jabbing at a rotting hand with the tip of her wooden blade. Her Cryptodex bounced to the ground, temporarily forgotten.

 

[Ashi]

​

"Uh..." Jace's brow furrowed as he entered the ballroom. Quite a lot had changed since they were in there only a short while ago. There were what appeared to be life-sized dolls dancing from one side of the room to the other. The warm light and slow waltz felt wrong, especially considering that Ella had died there. That was when Jace noticed her; the little stone girl was still where he and Wendy had left her. The dolls danced around her in their wind-up manner, as if she was little more than a decoration. Jace's ears burned as anger filled him. This was fucked up. A little girl was dead and Peter was throwing a party. He had a sick sense of humor. Or was it less of a joke and more of an attempt to distract them from their mission?

Shoving through the mechanical crowd, he made his way towards the clock, avoiding the maid and butler with their more-than-likely-roofied drinks and sweets. There was no obvious keyhole that he could see; there wasn't even a door knob. How were they supposed to get in? As if to answer Charlotte's panic, Lenore swooped to land at the top of the clock and proceeded to tap the face with her beak. The six came loose, exposing the keyhole. Jace smiled and nodded at the raven. She truly was a wonder.

"Guys...We have company." The rustling of leaves prompted Jace to look back towards the sound. In the doorway there loomed a shadow. A shadow and the sound of leaves? Was it him? "Can we maybe work a little faster?" He prompted Charlotte, his sense of urgency growing. A door knob appeared as the glass panel on the clock became solid wood. What was on the other side was most unexpected.

"What..?" Jace breathed in disbelief as he passed through the door of the clock. It was much more tame than he'd imagined from Charlotte's description. He looked around with wide eyes, scanning the vast expanse of green. The door was gone and the shadow was nowhere to be seen. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." He said, unable to shake the strange feeling this place gave him. It was gorgeous to be sure, but it was just a little too gorgeous. It had to be a front, perhaps to lure the group into a false sense of security. Either that or this was only the first level of the seven levels of hell.

Relief washed over him as Kindall groaned into his shoulder. Deep down he'd begun to wonder if his bespectacled friend would wake up. "I, uh, think the drugs are talking, dude." He blushed at the compliment, though he didn't understand why, and tried to brush it off. He turned his face away when Kelsey and London came closer, a useless and nonsensical gesture really. Kelsey's off-handed question caught Jace's attention; then London was screaming. He acted before he even saw the hand, throwing an arm around London's waist and tugging her back. With the other, he tried to keep Kindall from slipping.

"Kelsey! Stomp it!"

 

[Impudimp]

She had white knuckles from holding the bouquet so tightly. I'm definitely giving this to Kitty! Her thoughts had been a little... focused since having dug it out of the flower barrel. Her other palm held Kindall's bat just as hard, attempting to be battle ready. So much so that Marten hadn't gotten to enjoy the novelty of a tried and true flour barrel. She'd only ever seen those in museums once upon a time! Or even those quaint little old-timey showcase villages where adults paid another person to put their child to work! So much for child labor laws... Tell that to the poor saps duped into believing they were churning butter for "educational purposes".

Blinking rapidly the grunette was pressed to deal in reality. "The heck is this..." She grumbled. It wasn't that she was particularly incensed, but certainly she wasn't happy with a puppet party going on around Ella's tragic statue. Where the hell does he get off? Everything is a joke to this thing! No wonder he had to force people to be in his presence. This is insufferable!

Butzy was obviously going to be a piece of work. She could almost imagine the self-righteous monologue when they got to the final battle. And even with her bleeding heart she certainly wasn't going to eat his sob story up any more than she would the offered goods from these automatons. As a matter of fact she made a point to glare at each one of the mechs that decided to offer her something. For some reason she was very much in a foul mood.

It was hard even to enjoy the Alice feel of the clock. It was really freaking neat too. With the hidden doorway, and the pretty field. Sure the looming shadow behind them was sort of a damper. Although there was something to be said about lavender. She felt her shoulders relax and a small smile come to her face when she finally stepped out into the field. "Can we just breathe this in right here for a bit?" Her voice was only very slightly sarcastic. She wanted to sleep somewhat. Lavender was also very good for inducing sleep.

And then came chaos. Always fucking chaos with this place! She didn't even get to enjoy Kindall's awakeness before London was screaming at a bloody hand of all things! Marten fought the urge to lament, setting green eyes very much poisonous with rage at the offending limb coming from the ground as she proceeded to crush it under the heel of sneaker. "Mother! Fucking! Hands!" She'd stomp hard, repeatedly. What was with the hands theme? First there was the creek and now there's this. Were they missing something or what?

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab between @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

Stomp it. Jace's words rang loudly in her ears as Marten beat her to the punch. Kelsey watched as the grunette brought down her foot in a wild panic. There was the telltale sound of crunching of bones beneath the heel of her shoe before the hand that had been grabbing at London's ankle went limp. It snapped off whatever it had been connected to, the sound reminiscent of a dried branch falling off a tree. The small victory was followed by a moment of peace before a second hand came bursting through the soft earth. Quickly, it latched onto Charlotte's ankle and fought to pull whatever else lay beneath to the surface.

Kelsey moved to help their shrieking guide when soil and grass gave way to a familiar figure

"Oh for heaven's sake! Are you children just going to stand there and watch or are you going to help me?" Kitty tutted dramatically. "Young people these days have no respect for their elders, and young men, don't get me started..." Kitty let out a dry laugh. "They've lost all sense of chivalry, that's what they've lost!"

"Miss Kitty?" Charlotte was utterly and hopelessly confused.

"Yes, dear, who else would it be? Also, I could really use a hand right about now."

Kitty reached up with her remaining arm, and the startled Charlotte took the woman's hand in her own. It took a bit of coordinating, but eventually, the shy maid managed to haul the disgruntled woman out of the earth. Once Kitty was free, the first thing she did was glare daggers at a certain grunette. Ah, the loud and childish one. Kitty remembered her from the bath and also remembered how she didn't exactly take a liking to the green-haired woman-child. However, the spite was short-lived when her eyes fell on the bouquet and veil that Marten cradled in her arms. "You found my things," she whispered.

"They did," Charlotte said before she offered the older woman a soft smile. "They've been amazing, Miss Kitty. They helped the young master and the young miss... they managed to free the Putts and Wendy too."

"I see." Kitty turned to the group. "Thank you. I wish we could celebrate and call it a day, but listen, Charlotte. I came here to find you. He's upset, He's very upset. The reason He buried me alive." Kitty scoffed. She was the same woman they'd seen earlier at dinner, but her skin as reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster and she was dressed in a very tattered wedding dress, a cruel callback to the life she could now only dream of. "If you go any further, He won't like it."

"I know," Charlotte whispered. "I... I'm done being scared Miss Kitty, we're going with the young master's plan."

"Charlotte's helping us," Kelsey explained. "We're getting out of here. You can come with us, or you can take your items and go. Marten found them earlier."

"I can't go until I help the madam," Kitty answered. "I owe her that at the very least." She sighed as her eyes flitted to Adelaide in the distance. She stared at the woman for a moment before her attention returned to the group. There was so much she wanted to tell them, but He had eyes and ears everywhere and Kitty just couldn't risk it. "Let me tell you a story."

"Miss Kitty?"

"It's an important story." Kitty narrowed her eyes. "Once upon a time there lived a princess and an incredibly cruel prince who was as sharp of tongue as he was of wit. He kept the princess locked away in a high tower where no prying eyes could find her. It was a dismal and sad life and the princess' grief sired a demon - a horrible creature that could chase even the bravest of knights away. Many have tried and failed but the princess hopes to be rescued someday." The irritated expression Kitty seemed to perpetually wear melted away into a sad smile.

Kindall remained where he was on Jace's back, listening intently to what Kitty said. He thought the story sounded familiar but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. A princess … a tower …. yeah, he wasn't that fond of fairy tales as a child. He preferred watching CSI and Bones. Those were a lot more believable.

His frown deepened. He sensed there was a message hidden beneath all that fluff but nothing made sense yet. He was still groggy. He grimaced lightly.

"I think … Eth, mind giving .. never mind. Give her back her hand?" That was awkward to say! The words themselves bordered on fantasy. A human hand once detached required stitches to reattach. He doubted any of them were skilled enough to do that.

He scrunched his face as his skeptical mind was rejecting everything he saw. He wanted to believe that he hadn't woken up yet, because nothing to explain where they were now. This place reminded him of place they had a picnic back in summer. A field of flowers behind Red Copper. The only difference were the flowers. These looked a little too monocolored and tame.

"Okay … um first, Miss Kitty, right?" The woman wasn't that familiar but he seemed to know her name. Strange, maybe they've seen each other around Bellwoods. He guessed she could have been in one of those Yoga classes Marten coaxed him to join.

"That's a great zombie costume. London can correct me if I'm wrong.The prop arm Ethan is passing to you looks real. How did you make it?"

He paused. Was it still Halloween morning? If yes, then it was very strange. He believed it was around 10 am when they neared Stilton Creek. Was it later? The exact time was hazy. These observations led him to one probable conclusion.

"God, how much did you have me drink, Kels? I don't remember much after Stilton Creek. I know we went to look for you and that's about it. Really Jace, Ethan, why didn't you stop her? You guys know I can't take that much alcohol."

Charlotte frowned. The poor boy seemed disoriented and there wasn't much time for a recap when He was possibly following them. "It's a long story, one we might not have time to discuss right now. Your friends will be able to fill you in."

"Kindle? Just take it easy okay. Something weird happened, we were trapped… in a painting." Kelsey still couldn't fully comprehend it herself. "We're out now but He's after us." She wished there was something she could do to help Kindle and make things better, but with Him after them and the rabbit hole before them, there was little she could do to alleviate his confusion. If anything, they seemed to be in for more craziness. "Just take it easy, Jace and Ethan got you, we've all got you."

Kelsey's words didn't make any sense at all. Painting? Peter? He briefly wondered if Kelsey had taken them to a "haunted mansion" while they were drunk. He sigh. She had a valid point, though. He didn't feel up to walking around. His head was killing him. Still, he didn't feel nice making Jace carry him like this.

"Thanks for the help but I can walk. A little shaky but I can." He told Jace. "Give me a second to hop off."

​

"Bark! Bark, bark, bark!" Castor alerted the group before Kindall had a chance to get down.

Off in the distance, Adelaide started running towards the trees. She appeared to be chasing someone or something. It was hard to tell what it was as she was blocking it from view. Charlotte and Kitty exchanged glances and Charlotte took off after her mistress immediately.

Kitty narrowed her eyes at the silhouette as a tight frown tugged on the corners of her lips. "We should hurry, before the madam disappears. Peter doesn't want us finding her which means she has something of importance." Kitty grabbed her fallen hand and reattached it to her arm before taking off at full speed like a runaway bride.

 

[Cartoonicat]

London's stomach lurched at the sound of snapping bones. "Dios-" she slapped a hand over her mouth, feeling sick. Inhale. Exhale. She dared not leave Jace's side until she was sure Marten stomped that thing into oblivion. "Th-thanks," she breathed, casting both him and Marten grateful glances. At least the hand went limp; whatever was under the ground didn't have her by the ankle anymore. It didn't take long for a second hand to break the ground and grab Charlotte, though. London barely moved to help before Kitty appeared.

She stared at the maid's skin. Better Kitty than a brainless zombie, even if she was a little green, but London couldn't help feeling creeped out by the sight. Especially when London realized Marten had actually broken the maid's hand off, yet she still lived. Did that mean Kitty was dead? Undead? Peter had buried her alive, the sick son of a bitch - Who does that? London didn't want to think of what that meant for Ana.

It still seemed like Kitty, though, judging by the way she reacted to seeing her items. That and Marten; the maid hadn't seemed fond of her back in the baths and London doubted kicking her hand off earned her friend many brownie points. Still, the veil and bouquet helped, even if Kitty wouldn't take them yet. The residents of Henbard were really dedicated to each other. London admired that enough to look past the ankle vs. hand incident. Mostly, anyway; her heart hadn't stopped racing.

The fairytale sounded familiar but London couldn't quite place it. She'd read so many fairytales over the years that, at some point, they all blended together. Kindall didn't give her much time to think on it, either. "Costume?" London gawked, "Kindall, that's not-... she is-..." He didn't remember? He didn't remember. London wanted to scream for a myriad of reasons: Kindall was awake, yay! Kindall forgot everything, no! How much skepticism were they going to have to deal with before he realized everything was real?

"Oh!" London's eyes lit up and she grabbed her Cryptodex from the ground. "Kindall, read this," she said, holding it out for him. "The entries explain most of it. You even wrote one yourself." Even if it had ruined her perfect formatting, London found herself glad she gave the journal to him before; if he recognized his own scribbled writing acknowledging the impossible, maybe he'd be more apt to accept things he didn't understand.

But then Castor started barking and Adelaide started running and London cursed because, they couldn't wait just one freaking second? Instead of hand Kindall the Cryptodex, which would only encumber Jace if he stayed on his back, London held onto it. Catch-up could wait: They needed Adelaide.

Yet, no matter how far she ran, the distance between her and Adelaide never changed. By time London gave up her lungs were screaming. She panted and raised her hands over her head. Adrenaline made running so much easier. "J-Joder," she watched as Adelaide only got farther away. Closed her eyes as irritation bubbled under her skin. Inhale. Exhale. The whole thing was so stupid. Stupid and unfair and really fucking annoying because it felt like they took one step forward just to fall back several.

Kindall didn't remember anything, they couldn't reach Adelaide, and Peter was coming.

"Ugh," she groaned, "I hate this place already."

 

[Haru Nyan]

I don't think we're in Bellwoods anymore. That was Ethan's first thought as he took in the surroundings of the Rabbit Hole. It was...serene, calming, definitely a step up from the malevolent architecture of Henbard Chateau. He gazed up at the sun, it felt like it has been eons since he had seen such rays. The horizon nothing short of being called a veritable sea of green. It all felt like a stereotypical arcadia-esque setting, yet there was still the lingering feeling of something not being quite right. Such as the fact that Charlotte herself admitted it was practically a maze.

The young man's eyes darted towards the direction where Kelsey and Charlotte saw Adelaide. The woman in question looked so...so...ethereal, she didn't seem real at all. Like she was just painted on in the environment here. Jolted out of the trance by Kelsey's announcement of Kindle's awakening, he couldn't help but chuckle. "And thus, the specimen; Miltonious Assicus awakens from their hibernation, seeking out potential mates before retreating into their slumber once more." He said, in a mock-documentary voice. The laughter was short-lived however when something just dragged London down under the soil.

Goddamit. They just got here and literally the ground they tread on already wants to kill them, just perfect. Following the directions of Jace, Kelsey, and Marten, he began to stomp at those grabby hands as hard as he could, he stopped for a moment when a familiar voice spoke to them.

It was another one of the staff, Kitty, Charlotte so helpfully informed. She's a kitty alright, fucking sassy, claws are out already. Ethan crossed his arms, "Just what's that supposed to mean?" He grumbled, she sounded like one of those people that blamed millennials for inane things. His eyes looked down further to see one of her hands missing. Taken aback by the admittedly grotesque sight, Ethan was hesitant to-quite literally-give her a hand.

Ethan sighed, classic Kindall was back in full gear. "Can we just knock him out again?" He asked jokingly, looking around his friends with a smile. He turned to London, agreeing with her sentiment. "Couldn't agree more." He remarked, before feeling up a light jog and trailing behind Kitty.

 

[Ashi]

​

"You?" Jace remarked with an unintentionally accusing tone of voice. He was surprised to see Kitty of all people pop up suddenly from the dirt like a mushroom. She looked odd, with a green tint to her skin. It was almost as if she was covered in grass stains; although, he knew that that wasn't the reason for her strange coloration. Even more odd was the fact that she was underground to begin with and that she was missing an arm. Jace started towards her only to stop, realizing that his hands were full. He still had his arm wrapped around London and Milton on his back. "Er-- sorry." He immediately let go of his coffee buddy, blushing profusely. He adjusted Milton on his back as if to change the subject.

They listened intently to Kitty's story, a sad and familiar-sounding tale. Jace scowled, trying think of what fairytale it sounded like. It was kind of a mash-up of Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Rumpelstiltskin. Was the princess a reference to herself? He tried to recall the contents of the newspaper clipping with her name on it. Was the man she married cruel to her? Is that why she chased after the man in the woods? Was Butzy somehow her creation? "No, that can't be. People were going missing long before her...." Jace shook his head at the ideas. That didn't mean that he wasn't some creation of grief by someone else. But who? Was it possible that the princess was Adelaide? Kitty said that she owed Adelaide, but for what?

"Milton?" Jace questioned his friend's rant. Did he really think he was drunk? Didn't he remember all that had happened up to that point? "You mean you.. you don't remember anything?" He was astonished, incredulous, and frightened for his friend. Had something happened to him in that painting other than getting drugged? Or was it a side-effect of the drugs? He had murmured something about a double dosage. London's idea of offering him the Cryptodex was a good one, but ill-timed. Charlotte, Kitty, and Kelsey were taking off after Adelaide. "No can do." Jace adjusted him on his back again and took up a jog behind the others. "Sorry, but as you are, you'll only slow us down."

Yet again, he wished that he'd brought Kenai along. Kenai would be able to keep up with Adelaide and lead them to her. Well, maybe. Charlotte said the Rabbit Hole was different every time, meaning it changed just like the Chateau. That might likely spell trouble for Kenai's or even Jace's ability to track the lady of the house.

"Don't run too far ahead!" He called after the girls. The last thing they needed was to split up again.

 

[Impudimp]

Damn it. She had the worst luck with this lady!

"Uh... my bad. We've had some... not good experiences with hands today. It's kind of a reflex now, ya know?" Laughing awkwardly, especially seeing that Miss Kitty was completely unamused, Marten trailed off in her explanation starkly avoiding the other woman's hard gaze. Yeesh, tough crowd. On the bright side, they'd seen so much Brothers Grimm-esque stuff today that the young woman to didn't bat an eyelash at the addition of the Corpse Bride to their party, greenish-tinted patchwork skin and all.

As a matter of fact she was eager to give Kitty her things. Releasing the trapped folks of the mansion was about the brightest part of the day for them all, but of course there were only more riddles. Thankfully with fewer people about, her pretty green head had a better time of coming up with a hypothesis. Even the apparently amnesiac Kindall would be proud of her. "Glad to see you're awake Milton." She smiled with relief. At least there was one less worry even if their brainiac was a little defective at the moment. As long as he was okay, things were looking up.

Moving as one with the group, she took up a steady jog. Good thing we ate. I was going into ketosis! Considering her generally decent level of fitness, she found herself able to walk-and-talk. Of course if they had been sprinting things would be different. "H-hey so does that mean we're fighting two bosses? Or one? Like a "big bad" and a "bigger bad"?"

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab between @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

"It's fine," Kitty answered in response to Marten's apology. She didn't like the green-haired girl, but there was no doubt she was thankful. "We should focus on catching up to the madam." Kitty was fast, but she made sure she stuck close to the cluster of confused guests. "Big bad? There's only one villain in Henbard, and I'm sure you're all well acquainted by now."

Kelsey continued to run after the resident corpse bride, but as time ticked past, she noticed something London had already picked up on. No matter how much they ran, the distance between them and Adelaide remained unchanged. It didn't even seem like they were getting any closer to the tree line. "What? We're not getting any closer! How are we supposed to catch her like this?" Kelsey picked up the pace, noticing that while she was farther from her friends, she was no closer to Adelaide.

"It's the Rabbit Hole," Charlotte answered. "It confuses and disorients you, which is why we shouldn't split up." Jace had the right idea. If they wanted to make it out of this in one piece, they would need to gather their wits and stick together no matter how absurd or confusing things became. This was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Castor and Joseff seemed to understand the direness of the situation, and as the humans ran, they made sure to stick close to them. The intelligent Lenore did the same.

Adelaide vanished into Whittle Grove much to everyone's dismay. Kitty hitched up her skirt so higher so she could speed up. Charlotte did the same. Their efforts proved to be in vain. All of them remained running on the spot like the characters in a Scooby Doo chase scene.

"You aren't moving. I suggest you look down. I think we're in quicksand."

As "helpful" as Kindall's remarks were, by the time Kelsey looked down, she was already knee deep in the ground.

How had she not felt that? Kelsey's eyes went wide as she noticed her current state. Everyone standing beside her was in the same predicament. "Guys!" As soon as the word left her lips, Jace and Kindle fell through the ground and the earth swallowed them whole.

"Jace! Kindle!" Kelsey waded through the crumbling soil and she reached out, she was pulled beneath too. Three people had vanished right before everyone's eyes.

"Buuuuuuuuu puuu!" Joseff gurgled as mouthfuls of earth filled his panting mouth. The Shiba Inu floundered desperately as he drowned in the field of flowers.

Castor felt a twinge of sympathy for his half-witted fellow dog. He clamped his teeth around the nape of Joseff's neck and tried to haul him up like a whimpering puppy. Unfortunately for him, Jo proved to be a deadweight which resulted in both dogs disappearing after Kelsey.

The earth seemed sated after swallowing three humans and two dogs. The ground hardened suddenly and the rest of the group managed to pull themselves up.

"Wh-what happened?" Charlotte freaked out.

"He's separating us," Kitty snapped as she grabbed the closest person, Ethan, by the arm. Her nails dug into his skin, but she seemed more preoccupied with the craziness around them than the boy's bruising flesh. "We need to be careful. The ground doesn't look stable. I suggest we start walking towards the woods one by one. My gut tells me it's the safest place on this level." She pointed to Marten and London, making sure to skip Ethan. "You and you! You look light enough. Start walking! We need to find a safe route there from here."

Kitty sent Marten ahead, and once the grunette was a few paces away, the woman sent the tired looking teen after her. "Fan out." They were being used as - to put it lightly - minesweepers, but it was the only viable way to test for traps now that the dogs had disappeared.

Marten was a few meters away when she stepped into a soft patch of dirt.

A clicking sound echoed throughout the field followed by the telltale sound of twisting cogs and gears. The earth beneath them rumbled violently. The entire field began descending downwards. The sun looked further and further away. The drop was slow at first but soon they were accelerating.

---

Tunnel #45 Ft. Jindle and Third Wheel Kelsey

Darkness hung around like an unwanted friend. Milton's head was barely holding it together. He felt so out of it that he wished he could sleep an entire day. Groaning, he rolled on top of the warm, soft thing beneath him. His head lolled to the side and he ended upsmashing his lips against something equally warm and wet. His eyes shot open.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed jolting away from Jace. That did not happen! He smushed the heels of his hands against his eyes trying to erase the image from his mind. Nope, nope, nope! He and Jace did not steal each other's first kiss! Well, Jace's. He kissed an Eloise Higgins before in High School.

Kindle's loud exclamation sent Kelsey jolting upright. They survived the fall? She snapped her head toward the sound of his voice and saw her bespectacled friend sitting on top of a very out-of-it Jace. "Kindle, are you okay? Is something wrong with Jace?"

Kelsey stood up but froze. It was the first time she'd noticed the translucent glow coming from beneath them. They were on something soft and blue. In fact, they were in a dark chasm that seemed to be dotted with similar blue lights.

"He, I … he's fine," Kindle remarked with a nervous laugh. He pretended to put an ear against Jace's chest. "He's breathing and all. Probably winded because I fell on top of him. Yeah, he's at the bottom … bottom bottom, like not Ethan's type of bottom! Yeah."

Okay, Kindle was acting… weird. She ignored his comment about Ethan's favorite innuendos and instead offered her friend a helping hand. Once Kindle was on his feet, she crouched down beside Jace and shook him gently. "Jace, you need to wake up. Weird shit is going down and we need to leave and find the others ASAP."

Light began filtering down from above. It was as weak as light near the surface of the ocean. The air here felt heavier. Moving around gave them the impression that they were walking in water. Strangely they could breathe normally. It was so surreal!

"Okay, this can't be real!" Kindle sighed.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eye. He thought he saw jellyfishes everywhere. Was he hallucinating? He replaced his glasses and frowned again. The jellyfishes didn't go away… what the fuck!

"Kelsey, earth to "dream" Kelsey, can you explain why I feel like I took some acid and I'm in the world of Finding Nemo?"

She was staunch believer of the supernatural, but this… this was too much. Kelsey reached out and slapped Kindle in the face.

"Ow! Why did you do that?"

"To see if we're dreaming. This is real just like Henbard and Salem and everything."

"What and what? Kelsey, you aren't making any sense right. Urgh … my head feels weird. Let's just assume this isn't a lucid dream and you are still a jerk no matter what. Now the logical thing to do is to find our way through this … place. Whatever this place is."

Kindle started pacing around the top of their jellyfish. That was when he noticed an arrow pad poking out from beneath Jace. "Hey Kels! Isn't that like a DDR arrow thingy that Ethan showed us before? Jace, Jace, can you get up? You're practically on top."

Gingerly, Kelsey reached for their fallen friend's arm. Once they were all standing, it became clear that there were eight arrow pads, just like Dance Dance Revolution.

"You know, this is even crazier than monsters in the woods." Kelsey was still reeling from their discovery.

Adelaide's disembodied voice filled the quiet void. "Please pick a song. You're to dance your way to victory."

"Um what? Song? Errr Kelsey … what song?" Kindle had only experienced DDR once and he couldn't remember anything. It was just a mess of limbs flapping everywhere and Ethan going on and on about being King of the Dance Floor. Dancing wasn't really on the top of his list right now. He was worried his stomach might just go bottoms up in the process.

Kelsey looked into the void. She was done, just utterly done. She spouted out the first song she could think of (one Ethan had talked about over and over again). "Egoism? How the fuck should I know?"

Adelaide's voice spoke again. "Challenge accepted."

The arrow pads beneath their feet began to light up crazily before their eyes. The more beats they missed the faster their jellyfish began to sink into the ominous chasm below.

"Step on it! Go! Kelsey! Jace!"

---

Tunnel #11 Ft. Mario Kart and Tomb Raider

Charlotte opened her eyes to the sight of Kitty looming above her. Every muscle in her body seemed to ache, but it was nothing she hadn't lived through before. Truth be told, Charlotte was far more concerned about their guests. "Miss Kitty? What happened?" She jolted upright when she remembered the screaming guests and the ground deteriorating beneath their feet. "Where are the kids?"

"They're shaken but alive, Charlotte."

The young woman let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Miss Kitty was right, the guests were out of it but they all seemed to be stirring and coming to their senses. It seemed that the five of them had fallen into an abandoned mine shaft. It was bigger than most and had five railroad tracks situated side by side. They were at topmost part of the mine shaft and the tracks seemed to lead downward into the unknown darkness. Because she couldn't see where the tracks led to, Charlotte's gaze followed them to their point of origin instead. A little ways behind their group were five colorful go-karts.

"Is this… another game?"

Kitty shrugged. He had always been an unpredictable bastard.

True to Kitty's words, it was another game prepared especially for them. Speakers hidden in the rafters crackled to life and a dreamy voice - eerily similar to Adelaide's voice - began to feed them a specific set of instructions: "Racers, please get into your vehicles. When the lights turn green, you will begin the race."

"We better listen," Kitty advised.

Charlotte didn't like it, but she knew the older woman had a point. He hated it when guests failed to participate in games, and nothing good would come out of not listening. "We should do as he says."

Charlotte and Kitty waited for everyone to get into their respective go-karts before they got into their own. The go-karts were gravity propelled meaning, that instead of engines, they were equipped with pedals. Each cart came with a helmet that matched the vehicle's colors.

As the group buckled up, the soft yellow light source turned into an almost blinding neon green. The ground beneath them seemed to rumble once more.

Perched at the very top of the slope was a giant boulder and as soon as the lights had turned green it began rolling towards the unsuspecting racers.

They would need to pedal fast.

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Tunnel #23 Ft. Doggo Bros

Joseff wriggled out from underneath Castor's prone form before turning to check on his newest friend. "Borf borf!" He called out. The two of them had fallen into a tunnel and a wonderful aroma was wafting in from deeper inside. It smelled like fried chicken and he wanted to make sure. "Borf borf!"

The doberman snarled in irritation before getting onto his own feet. He could smell the food too, but they had much more pressing matters to attend to. He growled deeply. They needed to find the humans.​

 

[Cartoonicat]

Having fallen behind to catch her breath, London started running again with a whine. By time she caught up with the others they were just then realizing what she had: That, no matter how much they tried, they couldn't close the gap between themselves and Adelaide. Yet, they didn't let that phase them; not a second later they were taking off again. Without something scaring the life out of her, London found it hard to keep up with everyone's stamina.

Wait, she looked down, quicksand? London's eyes widened. She grabbed fistfuls of grass and soil to keep from sinking. Then Kelsey and Kindall and Jace were pulled through the ground. Her breath caught in her throat. "N-No!" The dirt hardened enough for her to pull herself out. Quickly, she ran to where Kelsey had disappeared and dropped to her knees. Tried digging into the ground.

Solid. Her friends were gone.

Heart plummeting, London's shoulders drooped. "Joder..." She dragged a tired hand down her face. Of course they'd get separated; Peter couldn't stand the lot of them together. At least they'd have each other - her, Marten, and Ethan; Kelsey, Kindall, Jace, and Jo. That didn't help Ana, though... London stared at the spot her friend disappeared into. The last time they got separated, they lost someone. Anger brewed beneath the surface but, more than that, fear. Please be okay.

Kitty started dishing out orders, prompting London to her feet. Part of her wished they'd trigger another quicksand trap, if only to follow the others to wherever they had been taken. Yet, a sense of dread washed over her at the click beneath Marten's foot. On instinct, she changed course and shot in her direction. "Marten!"

No quicksand, noquicksand, noqui-why is the ground moving? London had just grabbed Marten's wrist when they plummeted downwards.

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Tunnel #11 Ft. Mario Kart and Tomb Raider
​

With a groan, London opened her eyes. She felt dizzy and her whole body ached. "Guys...?" Sitting up slowly, she saw Ethan not too far away, close to the two maids. By London's side was Marten. Counting everyone safe, she felt herself relax. Rubbing her eyes, London stood up shakily. She'd fainted once before when she was younger, having found a spider in her shirt in the middle of running a dungeon online, but now she didn't feel the embarrassment she had back then.

If anything, she appreciated not being awake for the descent.

Adelaide's voice came to life in the mining shaft. "Wha-..." London's eye caught on the handful of brightly colored go-karts behind them. Her brows knitted in confusion. Then she gawked. "Racing? Are you- is he- what?" She brushed at her arms despite the curiosity, disliking the atmosphere; anything underground gave her the heebie-jeebies. Weren't mines prime places for creepy crawlies? Ugh...

She walked towards a purple cart and poked the side of it. Nothing popped out at her. Huh. Now that I think about it... "This is basically Mario Kart," she looked to Ethan. A smile slowly crept onto her lips, confidence growing. She found it kind of funny, actually. Peter had picked the worst people to torture with this game, because it was something they'd played together constantly in real life. She just had to treat it like Virtual Reality - which, in comparing it to her own set at home, might actually be possible. There just weren't any brightly colored characters and catchy music to make it feel like the actual game. Dropping her helmet over her head, London slid into her seat and buckled up.

Only to frown a second later.

"Pedals?" Talk about immersion breaking. Plus, her legs were already so tired! "But-" The light turned green and London felt the ground shake. She peered over her shoulder and paled. "G-GO!" In the next moment, her go-kart lurged forward and sped into the darkness.

Apparently her legs weren't so tired after all.