Skeletons in the Closet

[Fox of Spades]

Collab between @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

​

Kelsey wasn't sure whether she was going to burst into laughter or into tears. The facts that were being tossed around the cellar confirmed her suspicions - her friends had wound up in the same horrid situation as her. And while a part of her was relieved to know that she was no longer alone, another part of her knew that no good would come from them being here. They were in danger because of her - there was a possibility they would die because of her. If the unthinkable happened, she would never forgive herself, asuming she even survived the "Longest Night," or whatever the Hayes meant by that.

Nonetheless, with each passing fact, she grew a little more hopeful. The girl pulled her head off the table, and stared at her masked friends through the eye holes of her own monkey mask. There was no doubting that the cat was Kindle, it couldn't be anyone else but the cocky bastard. The Fox was Ana, because how could she forget the day she dared the girl to climb up one of the tallest trees in the White Woods? Ana had been crazy enough to take her up on that dare and Jace had to come to the poor girl's rescue. Speaking of Jace, a faint smile tugged on the corner of Kelsey's lips, there was no doubting he was underneath the cow mask now. Tarzan of Bellwoods, the nickaname had sealed the deal. Marten's and London's fact gave them away easily enough as well, and by the time Ethan spoke, she found herself calming down.

What had she done to deserve such great friends?

The spotlight shone down on her once more. This time, she had to pull up a fact that would make her identity clear. Kelsey gritted her teeth and spewed out the first thing that came to mind. Something no one would be able to miss. "Sometimes when the bouncer looks like he won't give a shit, I pull out my Vonika Smirnov ID and have a good laugh."

It had gotten her busted more times than she could count, and Ethan had always chided her about how ridiculous it was. If this didn't give her away, she didn't know what else would. The spotlight left her and returned to Alfonse and Mrs. Putts.

Alfonse had a frown on his face. "Ideally, you're not supposed to name anyone else either."

Mrs. Putts was frowning too. "Perhaps we should let it slide, dear? You didn't say it wasn't allowed, and neither did he. They've been doing it from the start too, it would be mean to change midway."

Alfonse's thumb rested on the button before he let out a long sigh. "We'll let it go then."

"Yes, yes, it can't hurt," she spoke soothingly. "He doesn't need to know. Next please!"

The spotlight fell on Milton again. He frowned behind his mask. According to the couple, they had another two rounds to go. He didn't want to linger too long, though. There was always that possibility they might break more "rules". It also helped that he knew who everyone was by now. Jace's hint, Marten's protest, Ana's scoffing and Kelsey's cheesy "Vonika Smirnov" - those little clues really helped. Playing a second round would be pointless and he believed most of them would agree.

"Are you going to tell us something, dear?" Mrs. Putts tutted. "Time might stop but we don't have forever."

"To forfeit," Alfonse added. "Is to waste a precious clue. I'd want to give your friends a fighting chance if I were you. Failing this puzzle will be a terrible, terrible thing."

Time stop? Kindall filed that strange tidbit away in the back of his mind. He didn't want to waste his precious round on something trivial. Survival first! He coughed. "Y-yeah," he sputtered. "I know everyone sitting at this table. I - I'd like to reveal who they are."

Alfonse's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Really, boy? That's fantastic then, be our guest."

"Thanks?" Milton didn't know how to react to that. He'd been mentally prepared for a second shock for that "impudence", but he won't complain. Anything was better than getting shocked a second time. "Do I start in order?"

"You will need to name each person the spotlight falls on or you will be electrocuted." Mrs. Putts explained. She walked over to London and stood behind the girl.

Wow! I don't feel pressured at all, Kindall thought sarcastically. "Easy, London! She's not going to like the mask she's wearing." The last bit made him smirk. She freaked out when she saw a tiny frog by the creek, so this would be way worst for her. She was the frog!

Mrs. Putts yanked off the mask and gave Kindle a small smile.

Alfonse went over to the person in the Fox mask. "Now, boy, can you guess who this is?"

"Let's see," Milton paused dramatically. "Snippy, laughs derisively and got stuck in a tree. I'm going with Ana."

Alfonse tugged off the mask and nodded. "Very good."

"My turn then," Mrs. Putts said. She walked over to the person wearing the dog mask. "Who is this one?"

Kindle was tempted to say "Geee, who is this guy? I don't know him," but he knew there were limits here. Limits that had to respected or they might end up crispier than Kelsey's mom's deep fried Thanksgiving turkey. "Reeks of milk, drinks a gallon a day … probably has milk instead of blood in his veins? That's Ethan!"

Mrs. Putts took of the Dog mask and nodded, there was a hint of a sympathetic smile on her sagging face.

Alfonse proceeded once more, stopping to stand behind the person in the pig mask. "You know what to do, boy."

"Marten," he answered in a heartbeat. He didn't say anything else, because he was still embarrassed. He hoped she'd find it in her heart to forgive him.

Alfonse removed the mask, revealing that it was indeed the green-haired girl.

Mrs. Putts proceeded down the line. Two more people. She stood behind the person in the cow mask then nodded her head at Kindle to signal he could proceed.

Kindall swallowed hard. Words couldn't explain how he felt at the moment. He relieved they were alive yet so mad at the same time. How dare they do this to his friends? These people were sick in the head! His friends didn't deserve this one bit! He was itching to report them to the police. The Hayes and their servants deserved to be arrested for kidnapping people. Well, almost all of them. Ella was a different story. Poor child! She deserved a better home. Living with such parents was going to mess her up.

"Tarzan? Oh yeah! A real ass gave him a g-string with a fig leaf printed on the front last Christmas," he recalled. "That's gotta be Jace."

Mrs. Putts removed the cow mask and looked to her husband. "Game's almost done."

"Indeed, just one more to go," he replied as he walked over to the person in the Monkey mask. "Last one, don't get it wrong now."

"Her?" Milton mocked. "She's the reason we are cuffed to this table. That's Kelsey for you!"

Alfonse peeled off the monkey mask, looking quite pleased with the boy's performance. "Impressive, you've most certainly earned your freedom. Congratulations," he eyed the terrified faces before him. "You've all won the first challenge."

"Dear, I think it's time we get going," Mrs. Putts interrupted. "He won't be happy if we linger for too long."

"Of course," Alfonse answered. "Before that, we should give them the message." Mrs. Putts grew quiet as Alfonse fished out seven small envelopes from within his coat. He placed them on the table, one envelope before each person. "We're sorry about everything. Please be careful," Alfonse lowered his voice to a whisper, as if he were worried someone would hear. "Young master Salem only wishes to help. He's a good lad. These letters are from him."

Once the envelopes were in place, the couple retreated up the steps and out of the cellar. They exited the same way they entered, walking in unbalanced almost inhuman-like gaits. Eventually the sound of footsteps faded and the door to the cellar creaked open before it promptly slammed shut. Only a minute after the couple left did the shackles binding their arms and legs pop open.

Kelsey sat quietly. She was staring at her friends' faces in disbelief, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. If she hadn't been so fucking stupid, none of them would be in this mess in the first place. Ten days. She'd could only imagine how worried they must have been, how worried her family must have been.

Seeing her friends alive made her chest tighten with guilt and soon she was biting down on her lip to stop herself from crying. London was supposed to be the softy, not her. "I...I'm sorry." Her voice broke and the tears came shortly after. There was no time to be crying, she knew that, but Kelsey honestly believed she would never see any of her friends or family again.

"If I hadn't been so dumb, none of you would be here."

 

[Fox of Spades]

Dear guests,​

My sincerest apologies. This isn't what my family wanted but he's watching, so please do not think us unkind. I hope this letter will assist you.

1.

Ding, dong, bell,
Pussy's in the well.
Who put her in?
Little Johnny Thin.
Who pulled her out?
Little Peter Stout.
What a naughty boy was that,
To try to drown poor pussy cat,
Who never did him any harm,
But killed all the mice in the farmer's barn.

2.

Mary had a pretty bird,
With feathers dark and yellow,
Slender legs - upon my word,
He was a pretty fellow.
The sweetest notes he always sang,
Which much delighted Mary;
And near the cage she'd ever sit,
To hear her trapped Canary.

3.

Tell Tale Tit,
Your tongue shall be slit;
And all the dogs in the town
Shall have a little bit.

4.

Es tanzt ein Bi-Ba-Butzemann
In unserm Haus herum, fidebum,
Es tanzt ein Bi-Ba-Butzemann
In unserm Haus herum.

Er wirft sein Säcklein her und hin,
Was ist wohl in dem Säcklein drin?
Es tanzt ein Bi-Ba-Butzemann
In unserm Haus herum.

Here is a map of the house. Head to my room and dispose of this before he sees - Salem​

 

[IceQueen]

Ana was so happy that the cat mask spoke up, offering to say all the names. She was the first to go, her mask being taken off first. Shaking out her hair, Ana grinned widely, her cheeks a little flustered from the mask. "About damn time." She mumbled, watching as her friends slowly came to light one by one. And finally, the spotlight landed on the monkey.

Ana thought she was going to cry when she heard Kelsey's name. She really did start crying when the mask came off. A wave of relief flooded over her as she saw her friend, completely ignoring the letter that was placed in front of her. As soon as the click of the shackles came off she was launching herself over the table, and completely ignoring the girls apologies.

"Kelsey!" Ana sobbed openly, wrapping her arms around her dear friend, even though she was still awkwardly perched over the table having launched herself from the seat. Her wrists were still red as she fussed about with her friend, her hands moving through her hair.

"Oh my god it is you." She mumbled, her face completely soaked in tears. "Oh god I missed you so much." She mumbled, wrapping her arms around Kelsey and burying her face in Kelsey's shoulder. Ana let the sobs take over, not bothering with words any more as she climbed into her best friends lap and sobbed, out of happiness and relief.

 

[Cartoonicat]

At being correctly identified, London let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The mask slipped off her face and she could see fully again, rather than through the small slits of... She turned the mask over, frowning. "Why the hell was I a frog?" She murmured without thinking. Of all the things to choose for her, a frog? Well, at least it hadn't been a roach or something. That'd have been disgusting.

Speaking of disgusting... Her eyes landed on Alfonse and Mrs. Putts - who else would the old couple be? - and honed in on the lankish way they walked. The sagging of skin that drooped behind their masks sent a chill up her spine. Had they always looked like that? She tried to remember their faces from dinner but couldn't recall much more than Adelaide, Salem, and Ella. As always, London had been too tunnel-visioned to notice her surroundings. That said, she still highly doubted the two servants had been as ragdollish as they were now. It almost looked like they were melting...

London swallowed drily, forcing her attention to the remainder of the game. She watched Cat Mask identify each person in the room, growing less tense with each correct answer. Then, finally, Monkey Mask was revealed. London let the frog mask clatter onto the table and she stood up quickly, letters from Salem forgotten.

Ana got to Kelsey first, but London wasn't interested in hugs. Well, she was - a hug from Kelsey is definitely something she needed - but she had other concerns. Like the red rings around Kelsey's wrist that she'd accumulated trying to get free. Hurrying over, London took one of Kelsey's wrists and inspected it. There was a bit of blood there and London frowned. Used the hem of her sweater sleeves - They don't look too dirty... - to wipe the red away from each wrist, before finally meeting Kelsey's eyes. Squeezed her hand gently and offered a lopsided smile, tears brimming in her eyes. London could feel the blubbering threatening to start, but held it together just long enough to say:

"Welcome to the eyebag club," she joked, sniffling, "man, do you look like hell."

And then she hugged her, not caring who else her arms wrapped around because they'd found her. Finally, finally, found her.

 

[Haru Nyan]

Dog, huh? He still would've preferred getting the cow mask but he had to give props for the subtle little thing they had going on there. Still, that won't excuse them from getting the beatdown of a lifetime once he manages to get his hands on them. Everything was resting on Milton's shoulders, and as much as Ethan would've liked it to just see him getting electrocuted once, he was far too clever for that, he shrugged, it still would've been nice. Know what else is nice? The single fact that Kelsey was behind the monkey mask.

Overjoyed and shouting nothing but YES! YES! YES! in his mind. Beyond the shadow of doubt, he never had any second thoughts nor hesitated that it was Kelsey, and right now...all he wanted to do was cry. Even after being released from the shackles and having the chance to get back at the two freaks monitoring the whole game session presented itself, he didn't want to...All he wanted right now was to comfort not just Kelsey, but everyone else. Even Milton, as much as an asshole as he is, deserved it.

Not wasting any more time, Ethan let all his actions do the talking, swinging an arm each to huddle all of his best buddies and just embracing and smothering all of them together. They always did things together, and if they were gonna cry and bawl their eyes out, fucking Hell they are gonna do this together. It was a moment of sadness, yet underneath that somber atmosphere was a looming light in the dark. Kelsey was here, in the flesh! Worse for wear, sure, but undeniably alive! She wasn't some illusion, a fake, or whatever-have-you, she was 100% genuine. Ethan sniffled a little, not even bothering to wipe his teary ducts but still managed to chuckle and give a little smirk to his dear friend.

"None of that matters right now, Kels! I'm just...We're just, we're just fucking glad you're still here!"

 

[Ashi]

​

It seemed at first that they were all going to go another round, giving clues to their masked friends as to their identities. The spotlight landed on Kelsey once more and she gave another clue. Then, the light shone on their captors again. Alfonse mentioned that they weren't supposed to name anyone in their clues, not themselves and not anyone else. Shit! How come they hadn't specified that rule before the game started? Now, they would be penalized and it wasn't even their faults. Mrs. Putts put in that they should let it slide, as a technicality; and to Jace's relief, they did.

The light shone on Milton again; however, he didn't say anything at first. When he did speak, he offered to reveal everyone at the table. Jace stiffened. He had understood it as they all had to name everyone in the room; although, that did strike him as redundant. Milton probably had the same idea. Alfonse and Mrs. Putts agreed and again gave the rules. Again, the penalty was electrocution. Jace sincerely hoped that Milton was as confident as he managed to sound that he could indeed identify them.

One by one, Mrs. Putts and Alfonse stepped behind one of them and Milton named the person under the mask. Once he'd guessed correctly, either Mrs. Putts or Alfonse removed the mask. London was revealed first, followed subsequently by Ana, Ethan, and Marten. Jace was next. He took a big breath as the mask came off, his hair spilling around him in every which direction. It was almost as if he would suck up all the air in the room.

Kelsey was last, and with that, the game was won. The two members of the Hayes' staff congratulated them, placed letters in front of each of them, and ambled up the cellar stairs. Jace eyed the letter in front of him with disdain. He wanted nothing from Salem or any of the Hayes for that matter. He was about to holler after them about releasing the shackles and cuffs, but only a moment after the two had gone did they pop open. He rubbed his sore wrists, wondering briefly how he would explain the bruises to his parents. Ana practically leapt across the table to throw her arms around Kelsey and sobbed with joy. London tended the wounds on her wrists, telling her that she looked awful albeit kindly. Ethan swept all of his friends before him and hugged them. Jace removed the cloak and tossed aside as he stood from the chair and stretched.

"Kels... it's not your fault." Jace said, coming to stand beside Kelsey. The words were little more than a hoarse whisper on his trembling lips. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close into his chest. A few tears escaped down his cheeks and dripped on the top of her head. Placing a kiss on her head, Jace stepped back, swiping the tears away with his sleeve. "I'm glad you're okay." He said with a smile. Okay wasn't the best word to use, as all of them were far from okay; but he didn't want to say alive. It seemed so morbid.

 

[Impudimp]

Marten hadn't realized how hot it was under those dumb masks until hers was removed allowing the cool, musky air to hit her face. It felt good, and she basked in it hoping to embrace the comfort for at least a little while in spite of the circumstances. Her heart had been beating erratically the whole time worrying over that daunting little button in Alfonse's hands. She really didn't want to be electrocuted again, but she put her trust in Milton and so far he was really proving himself as a detective.

Everyone was being revealed one by one. A happy feeling bloomed in her chest slowly. They're okay... Sure they looked miffed and like they could go for another round in the spa, but otherwise, her friends were fine. It felt like a weight off her shoulders, especially when Kelsey was revealed. Her eyes grew wide and wet to look at the girl, causing her to strain more against the latches on her limbs so that when they finally gave way she nearly flopped to the floor in her haste to get into that group hug.

Her eyes had cut briefly to the letters, and she had resolved to read it. However, it could wait until after they squeezed the bad feels from each other for a little while.

She ended up bumping her hip on the table as she made her way. Ow, clutz! But she didn't pay it much mind, shouting, "Kelsey! We missed you so much! Don't ever go away on your own again! You crazy girl!" Of course she sounded like something between a mom and that one weird, overly spastic auntie, but she meant well and tried her hardest to complete the group hugging bundle with her own arms. Although to be fair Ethan had a pretty wide wingspan and was doing a good job of it on his own.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Everyone was okay - everyone was alive. The thought repeated itself in Kelsey's head as Ana practically launched at her with outstretched arms. Her childhood friends was blubbering and it was slowly chipping away at the emotional barriers she was desperately trying to build. She didn't want to have a breakdown in front of her friends, not after the terrible ordeal they'd gotten into because of her. "Ana." She hugged her friend tight. "I missed you too, so much. Damn it, you guys, you're going to make me cry!" She was already crying, but they needed whatever cheer they could get in their already dismal situation.

London tended to her wrists and Kelsey allowed herself to sniffle for a few moments longer. Eventually she took in a deep breath and gave London and Anna the tightest hug she could muster. "You all look like hell too." She was easily trumped by Ethan, who practically scooped them all in as if they weighed nothing. Jace joined in as well and wrapped his arms around her, she gave his arm a reassuring pat. Guilt washed over her when she felt his tears. She wished she could make all this go away and keep all of her precious friends safe, but they were here now. Marten was the last to join their little hugfest and Kelsey reached out for the other girl's arm.

It was nice... it was safe to be with all of them again.

At least, almost all of them. Kindle was being his usual self and was already peering at the letters on the table.

"Kindle, you ass!" Kelsey yelled out. "Get in here!"

She momentarily left the group hug, marched over indignantly to where Kindle was standing, and dragged their resident Sherlock to the group. She promptly swung one arm across his shoulders and pulled him into the cuddle session.

Everyone stayed that way for a moment and then two before they hesitantly pulled apart.

Kelsey looked to the envelope in Kindles hand and frowned. She didn't trust the Hayes. Not one fucking bit. They might seem like a nice family in the woods, but in the past 10 days, she also learned that they were batshit crazy.

She reached out for one of the unopened envelopes on the table and pulled out Salem's letter. There were four nursery rhymes that made no sense. At first glance, the only useful thing seemed to be a map of Henbard Chateau.
The last part of the letter made Kelsey scoff. "He wants us to find him. We should leave and call the police."

She'd come into the woods to find Joseff, but instead she'd wondered into Henbard Chateau and found herself unable to leave. Kelsey began pacing around in a circle, talkiing more rapidly with each passing word. "I - hear me out - I think they might be cultists, or Cthulhu summoners, or something. I heard them talking about Halloween. They called it The Longest Night and I think we should get out of here before we find out about the messed up rituals they might have in store for us."

There was a wild look in Kelsey's eyes as she spoke. "Weird things are going on in the forest, and I don't just mean the Hayes!" Her eyes flitted from London to Jace to Marten, the three people who believed the creature in the woods was more than just a creepy pasta she was working on. "Salem and Ella saw it too. I don't think they're lying. Salem's description matched mine. It doesn't make sense, but I think they might have something to do with the creature... maybe even the disappearances over the years? They took us. Maybe that's why no one else was ever found?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

London's eyes scanned the letter, each line deepening her frown. None of it made any sense. Honestly, trying to tie the Hayes' betrayal to the letters was hard enough even without the concept of Salem trying to help them. Why would he help? What did the poems mean? Who was this 'he' Salem kept referring to? She could speculate all day - or night, hour depending - but Kelsey had a point.

They needed to get out, and quick.

"How do-..." Suddenly something clicked in her brain and London looked at the third poem again. "Tell, tale, tit..." she started, murmuring the rest beneath her breath. London's blood ran cold, realizing something. Left the letter at the table and searched the cellar in a frenzy, high and low. In the excitement of finding Kelsey again she'd forgotten someone important. Their group was still fractured.

"Guys," London said, failing to find the shiba inu Ella had stuffed with food at dinner. "Guys, he's not here." She swallowed dryly. Reached out to point at the third poem with a shaky hand. "Jo is gone and the poem talks about dogs eating-... eating our tongues."

She'd never been the best pet owner - too irresponsible and easily distracted for that - but London liked Jo. Knew how important he was to Matt, too, as well as the rest of the group. The fluffy dog was the reason all this started, really. Had he not gone missing, Kelsey might not have been snatched by the Hayes looking for him. While she didn't think Jo would hurt any of them, she'd seen the sagging skin on Alfonse and Mrs. Putts. Seen the poltergeist back at Stilton Creek. Strange things were happening in Whittle Grove and that put all of them at risk - even sweet, little Joseff.

"We need to find him."

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Kindall didn't want to be part of the hugfest. While he was as happy to know Kelsey was alive, he believed they shouldn't be wasting time like this. Have they forgotten what Alfonse and Mrs. Putts said? Something about time stopping but they don't have forever? Hearing that ominous message made him even more determined to leave as soon as possible.

This letter was stupid! Nursery rhymes and monsters in the forest? Bah! He didn't have time for games. They should ignore these crazy people, get out of the forest and call the police.

He was about to crush the letter when Kelsey dragged him towards their friends. "H-hey! You'll get sick!" he nagged. "I - ACHOO! Um … sorry, Ethan!"

Milton gave his childhood friend a sheepish smile. He wanted to avoid sneezing into Kelsey's face, but Ethan was packed right next to them. Better Ethan than someone else, right? His buddy would probably be miffed for a bit but he doubted Milk Man would hold a grudge. "Yeah, let's not get anyone else sick tonight. It's crunching time. Semester's ending …"

London and Kelsey were reading their letters by the time he freed himself. While both girls had different concerns, Kindle felt he could use this to his advantage. He rubbed his nose with the handkerchief he found inside his trouser pocket. An accessory he didn't have on him earlier, but he didn't want to think about this little mystery at the moment.

"Chill, chill!" he announced. "I agree we should leave, but after we find Jo. We need to be quick, alright? I don't like this place one bit." He shrugged and started walking towards the stairs. Cultists, eh? That sounds plausible, but I don't care. The Hayes can be cannibals or serial killers for all we know. I don't care too. They are just straight up crazy.

An alarmed look flashed across Kelsey's face. Wait… Joseff was here?

Putting on a brave face, Milton threw his weight against the door expecting it to be locked. He yelped loudly and crashed face first onto the ground when the door swung forward effortlessly. He simply sat there blushing as he clutched his nose. A bright red droplet grew steadily at the apex of his chin.

"Toopid dob," he grumbled. "Tod they lod it."

The entire kitchen was as dark as the cellar they were in. It didn't take the group long to start making out the outlines of the stove, the cabinets, the sink, the fridge and the kitchen table. There were a lot of dark shapes piled on top of the kitchen table. A soft scratching came from cabinet under the sink.

"Wad dat?" Milton asked suddenly, grabbing the nearest person by the wrist. "Did do 'ear dat?"

Side Quest #1

Location: Kitchen, Dining Room and Living Room

Optional Mission: Find Joseff and make your way to the front door

Useful Items: (Marten) ???, (London) ??? and ???, (Jace) ???, (Kindle) ???, (Ethan) ??? and ???, (Ana) ???, (Kelsey) ??? and ??? (Empty)

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Oof..." London winced for Kindall, watching him fall flat on his face. Even more so when drop of scarlet pooled at his chin. Like with Kelsey, London instinctively went to tend to the wound - only, she stopped after taking a step forward. Eyed Marten and opted to leave Kindall to his own devices.

He's fine, she thought, walking past him. Marten can take care of him, otherwise. They're probably dating, after all.

While Marten had, curiously, snapped at Kindall for the outburst during the friend fact game she hadn't denied he'd asked her out. London tried not to think about that, though; it wasn't her business, no matter how close she and Marten were. Just like how her own love life - or lack thereof - was none of Marten's.

Feeling rather bitter, London entered the kitchen ahead of her friends and reached out with her hands until she touched something solid. The fridge, maybe? Only when sounds from beneath the sink reached her ears did she pause, realize how careless she was being. Fear seeped through her skin, turning her blood cold and rooting her in place. Behind her, Kindall seemed to have heard it, too.

"Is there a light in here?" She whispered. Then, suddenly, remembered that creatures of the night preferred the dark. Maybe turning the lights on wasn't such a good idea if it'd irritate the thing under the sink.

London scanned the room with her eyes, hoping to find anything that could be used as a weapon if need be. She wished she still had her katana; even if she didn't know how to properly use a sword, it still allowed her to keep her distance when prodding and hitting things. Taking a quiet step forward, London planted her hands on what felt like the kitchen counter. Hoisted herself up off the floor. Whatever was under the sink, hopefully, couldn't get her from up there.

Still, she didn't like not having something to defend herself with. Running was usually her go-to (still was, if she were being honest) but in this case running meant possible separation from the group. While London couldn't help a knee-jerk flight sequence if it occurred, she could try at least to prepare for the worst case scenario:

Whatever hid under the sink likely wasn't friendly.

So, looking around, London spotted the darkened outline of a blender. Picked it up, chord plucking from the wall, fully intent on holding it over the ground in case the sink creature broke out and ran by her. Only, it rattled when she moved it.

"Huh..." Tilting it to the side, London peered in. Made out the slim shape of a flashlight. "Oh, guys-!" She clapped a hand over her mouth instantly, quieting down. "Guys," she whispered, pulling the flashlight out and flicking it on in their direction, rather than the sink. "I found a flashlight." Carefully, so as not to disturb whatever creature might be hiding in the kitchen, she slowly aimed the tunnel of light around the room.

 

[Ashi]

​

As the hug fest died down, Jace turned his attention to the letters on the table, listening to the others in pensive silence. Kelsey had learned quite a bit about the Hayes in the ten days she'd been trapped there and felt that the situation warranted a call to the police. While it sounded like a necessary thing to do, given that these people were possibly serial killers, there was no guarantee that it would be possible. He raised a brow and looked over at Kelsey skeptically. The idea of the Hayes being Cthulhu summoners seemed kind of ridiculous; however, he couldn't deny that there was some sketchy cultist shit apparently happening here. He just hoped that it wasn't Charles Manson cultist shit.

"'The Longest Night,' huh?" Jace considered this a moment, hand on his chin in a very Milton-style manner. "Alfonse and.. Mrs. Putts? They said something about 'time might stop, but we don't have forever.' What if... time is stopped?" He asked, looking round at everyone. "Think about it. We could have been out for hours down here and we don't even know what time it is, but doesn't it feel... like it should be morning already? I, frankly, think Kelsey's right. There's something going on here. I don't think, though, that we'll be able to make it out of this house to call the police. If the Hayes really do have something to do with all of those disappearances and whatever is in these woods, then it's doubtful they'll let us go without a fight."

Jace didn't want to be the harbinger of bad news, but someone had to tell them what they were all probably thinking. It wasn't ideal, but he truly thought that they would have to play along in order to get out of Henbard Chateau. Then, and only then, would they be able to leave. Coming to stand beside London, Jace read the letter over her shoulder. There were four nursery rhymes, one in a language that Jace didn't know. He wasn't really aware of any of these rhymes as London seemed to be; they made no real sense to him in that regard. If he didn't think too hard about it, then the words made some sense.

"I wonder if.. if that poem about the cat in the well has anything to do with the ghost hands in the creek?" Jace asked, thinking out loud. He was interrupted by Milton ramming into the cellar door, thinking it to be locked, and falling through it when it gave way. "First a cold, now a possibly broken nose? You should probably just stop before you kill yourself." He said in a joking, sympathetic tone that he knew his friend wouldn't appreciate for its timing. Jace crept up the steps after London, peaking around the door jamb into the darkness of the kitchen. It was an inky blackness and would have been impossible to see in if the cellar hadn't been so dark; although, it was still difficult to make things out definitively. He was sure of the kitchen table, but not the things on top of it.

"Not sure.." Jace whispered in answer to Milton's question, raising a finger to his lips to tell the others to quiet down just in case. There came a noise from the cabinet below the sink, a soft scratching. Jace tensed and took a careful step forward. London turned on a flashlight that she found, illuminating the path to the sink. He squinted against the bright beam as it crossed his face. As he got closer, he could make out the drawers and the counter top, which London had climbed on. He opened each drawer, hoping to find a knife. All he found that was useful was a rolling pin.

"Get ready." He whispered to London and reached for the cabinet door. A familiar, excited borf borf came from below the sink as the door shuddered. It sounded like a small animal was ramming into it. "Borf borf borf!" Jace's brows furrowed. "Joseff?" He asked, speaking just above a whisper now, and opened the door. There beneath the sink was the little Shiba Inu, surrounded by a mound of half-eaten chicken wings. "Hey, buddy!" Jace grinned, happy to see him, and picked the round little pumpkin up in a hug. Some of the chicken wings fell from the mound, revealing it to be a backpack. Kelsey's backpack.

"Nice. Supplies." Jace set Joseff down and pulled the bag out. "Kels, please tell me you packed something useful, after all the survival tips I gave you."

 

[IceQueen]

Ana couldn't stop the tears as the entirety of the friend group had smushed together into one giant hug, with even Milton being dragged into the group. Ana still stuck close to her friend even as the hug broke up, trying to dab away the stupid tears from her eyes. "Sorry for being emotional." She sniffled, rubbing her head into Kelsey's shoulder before straightening herself out. "I needed that." She added, steeling herself before continuing on.

As much as Ana loved adventures these rhymes were going straight over her head, especially the last one. Ana shoved the letter into her pocket and moved on with the rest of the group. She got a little chuckle out of Milton slamming face first into the ground trying to open the door. "Considering they freed us this is just a second miracle." She mumbled, starting to wander around.

Ana was still very miffed that they were all stuck like this together, and without her supplies. She was searching around some seemingly empty counters before something bright flickered on, illuminating the table. Ana was drawn to the items wrapped in colorful packages.

"Food. Useful." She mumbled, taking it and putting it into her pockets. Well, as much as she could fit anyway. She turned around a little to find a bottle of water that said pray on it. Ana picked it up and looked at it. "I think it's water but can anyone confirm this is actually water and not vodka or some form of acid." She mumbled.

 

[Impudimp]

​

As much as she wished that she could have stayed in the hug as long as possible with her closest friends, Marten wasn't surprised when it finally ended. However, she did miss the warmth. It help stave off that creeping coolness that seemed to radiate in all cellars. She wondered if she ever mentioned how much she hated basements of all kinds. Nothing good ever happened in them, and at best they were hosts for spiders and disturbing amounts of shop equipment.

Seeing as her buddies were all reading their letters, she picked up the one nearest her and began to read. While all the rhymes were disturbing the last one really made a chill run up her spine. Combined with all the others... She had a dreadful sensation ruminating in her stomach, making her glad that she hadn't ate much more food. "Something lurking here with a bag... And... unknown intentions...But probably bad ones" She whispered under her breath, looking stricken as she let her eyes roam over her friends. She didn't know much German, but nursery rhymes were purposefully simple, and she did not like the gist of what she read. They may have actually been safer outside than they were in this house.

Her usually light tone dropped several octaves when she spoke again "Guys... Something really not kosher is going down if we don't get out of here." It wasn't often that she used her serious voice, but when she did... She meant it.

Her night vision sucked. Even though humans technically didn't have night vision anyhow, Marten wasn't even in the most gifted of ordinary individuals. By the time she made her way up the stairs and into the kitchen, it was all she could do not to step on Milton, let alone help him in his moment of misfortune. Hearing the scratching sound made her freeze where she was long enough to get assured by Jace. Tarzan would take care of it for sure. Somehow the green haired girl didn't think whatever scary thing was dancing about had placed itself under the sink. That would have been too innocent.

Her hands grabbed whatever they could hold on to just to make her way around. Her only consolation was that the floors and walls seemed to be a slightly lighter shade of grey than the solid items. Her spirits lifted at hearing Joseff's barking somewhere nearby. Well at least the gang's all here... Now where the hell am I?

"Guys... I really can't see- oh! That's better... Thanks London." She breathed a sigh of relief, even as she found herself looking from the kitchen doorway into the dining room. The light provided by the flashlight which must have been moved closer to her area, even though it wasn't directly on her, cast enough of a glare that she could make out her surroundings a bit better. It was almost as if she could feel her pupils as they adjusted. Ugh. She didn't particularly want to be back in this place. She still vividly remembered watching her friends drop like rag dolls after eating that laced food.

But if London had found something as useful as a flashlight, maybe there was something good in this area as well. Laying her eyes on the big table didn't bring anything of interest. Except maybe the fact that there seemed to be no silverware about. Who sets a table without the cutlery? Shaking her head she made her way over to the armoire. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. If she were going to kidnap someone, she would keep them away from pointy objects too. However, most people kept the silver in drawers. Even if she only came up with a butter knife, it was better than nothing. So, she started her rummaging, feeling around for handles and reaching into darkened spaces with blind faith that her fingers wouldn't reach a mousetrap or something worse.

Funny enough, she didn't find a butter knife at all, but a big knife. London's katana? Eh, it'll do. In the dark a wide grin would stretch her face. It wasn't in the drawers at all but right beside the piece of furniture. That was different... Guess she'd look for steak knives or something for everyone else, but she didn't come across anymore utensils. She did however find a cell phone. Jackpot!

 

[Fox of Spades]

Things were looking up... kind of, sort of.

Sure, Kindle had fallen face-first into the floor and there was a chance they'd be sacrificed to creature in the woods, but London had found a flashlight, Joseff was safe and sound in Jace's arms, and Marten - she'd found a cellphone.

One call to the cops was all they really needed. Jace's question regarding her backpack was forgotten as Kelsey made a beeline for her green-haired friend. Soon enough, she was leaning over the girl's shoulder and eyeing the phone in her hands. "Hey Marten, pass the phone for a sec." Wasting no time, Kelsey took the phone into her own hands.

The good news was short lived... something about this was just wrong. Both the cellphone she held in her hand and the grandfather clock in the kitchen read 11:59 pm, but both were frozen in place, unmoving. "Holy shit, Jace might be on to something with this time theory. What do you guys think?"

Murderers and Cultists were still her top guess... the Hayes weren't the creature in woods.

A creepy family, yes. But the creature she'd been documenting had orange eyes and moss for skin. Last she checked, none of the Hayes fit into the rather specific category. "Calling 911." Kelsey dialed in the number, but couldn't get through to them. Texts, calls, even Ethan's frigging mobile data - none of it worked. The phone was nothing more than a glorified flash light.

"This doesn't make sense. If they wanted to keep us here, why would they let us leave the cellar. There's no one here. If we wanted to, we could head for the door right now." She felt like tearing up the letter, but instead held the envelope close to her face and examined its contents once more. "Salem gave us a map... just the map and these damned poems."

Kelsey was pacing around again. "Jace, you said playing along might be the only way out of here... Salem said to meet him in his room, but the question is, can we trust him? What does everyone want to do?"

 

[Haru Nyan]

Hey, wait just a gosh-darned diddly moment! Quickly snatching the cellphone from Kelsey's hands without any afterthought, "HEY! This is MY phone!" He was definitely more concerned about his precious gadget falling into the hands of Kelsey rather than any of the Hayes if he had to be completely honest, heavens know what kind of stuff she'd dig through, he wouldn't put it past her--even with them being held against their own will and all. Ethan booted up his phone, and immediately went to the settings to change his lock screen pattern, as well as checking if everything was still in working order.

A thought crossed Ethan's mind the moment his friend said something about waltzing the fuck outta here ASAP and for what seemed like the first time in their friendship, Kelsey made a grand point. "I mean, there isn't some sort of mystical ghost barrier surrounding the fucking house, right?" He inquired, they could split up even, despite the fact those sort of plans ALWAYS go wrong in these sorts of settings, but hey it's the real world, right? What could possibly be stopping them from vamoosing outta here, into Whittle Grove, back to Bellwoods and telling the Po-Po? Well, apart from the fact that they'd probably brush it off as insane ramblings from some really smashed up teens, that is. It was still worth a try though, and if it meant escaping this hellhole, he was down for it.

Ethan groaned, there was only one thing that crossed his mind when he saw those poems; Obligatory Puzzle Time. He shook his head, the last thing any of them need right now was to collect emblems and jewels to open the secret door in the library that leads to a boss fight to advance the plot forward. The boy scoffed and scratched the back of his head, if playing along was their only way outta this thing, then he's about to put his game face on. "I say we check if we can actually bail outta this house and make our way back to Bellwoods before we go face a mid-boss or something." It seemed like a coward's way out, sure, and it was raising major death flags, but it couldn't hurt to try, right?

Before Kelsey could say another word however, Ethan raised his finger and said that he was parched, searching for anything that seemed safe enough to drink. He glanced at the bottle Ana found and chuckled a little at her, "Uhh...I...I think that's Holy Water, Ana. Ya guys think if we throw it in the ground it'll ignite into a line of holy flames?" Whatever its purpose was, nobody better use it on him just for a cruel, quick joke about him and his costume. Thirsty as he may be, he didn't want to risk drinking the supposed Holy Water. Perhaps the fridge would yield some more rational choices.

Opening the refrigerator, Ethan's eyes immediately locked on a white and pink carton, loudly expressing his glee with an excitable squee. Whichever Hayes family member went snooping about in his bag at least had the decency to pick out the strawberry milk in the fridge, he wanted to give major kudos to whichever person that was. Quickly grabbing the carton and deciding whether to drink it now or later, a more...odd object stood out from the fridge's selection. Grabbing ahold of it and raising it to air, waving it out and about, Ethan tried to draw the attention of his friends, his eyes glancing towards the girls in particular.

"I don't suppose any of you gals lost a hairband or anything?" Who the fuck puts a hairband in a fridge?

 

[Cartoonicat]

​

At the sight of Joseff safe and sound, London's heart soared. Then it plummeted just as fast. Sliding off the counter she skirted around Joseff and to the sink. Crouched down to pick up a chicken wing and inspect it. Sniffed it tentatively. Hoped her shining the light in the opposite direction would hide how strange she acted from her friends. Of course, being human, her nose wasn't tuned to root out things like well-hidden poison otherwise she'd have known ahead of time the Hayes were up to no good. With a frown she dropped the chicken wing, wiping the residual sauce on the counter top instead of her leggings best she could.

Because, honestly, fuck their pretty house and their pretty counters.

Readjusting the flashlight in her hands, she moseyed back to her friends, still wary of Joseff. No matter how much she wanted to pick him up and cuddle him, London didn't know the full meaning behind the Tell, Tale, Tit poem. Did it apply to Castor? Castor and Joseff? If there was one thing London was sure about, however, it was that during Joseff's little escapade in the woods, he'd been lounging about with the Hayes and getting fattened up. Who knew what they could have done to him since he first went missing.

Hopefully I'm just being paranoid, she thought. Felt a little better when Marten found her wooden katana prop. London smiled despite the irritation she'd felt for her friend before. Said nothing, however, and did not ask for it back; as badass as she'd like to believe she was, London knew her courage at the creek had been a fluke. She'd much rather have someone else wield it. Like Marten, Ana, Jace, Kelsey, Ethan, Kindall, Jo... Literally anyone but her.

She didn't want that kind of responsibility.

London didn't have to look at the phone to believe Kelsey's claim. She frowned deeper. Looked to Ethan. "But if time has stopped, what happens when we go back to Bellwoods? If we-... if we can even get there, that is." She wanted to go home, of course she did, but the possibility of the screw-up with time following them back to town didn't sit well with her. "Our parents, the town, Matt... Would they all be frozen in time or something? We might-... it might be best if we find Salem. He-... Well, I just-... nevermind, I don't know." Something didn't feel right about the whole situation. Either Salem was luring them into another game or he sincerely wanted to help. London wanted to believe in the latter; he'd shared so much useful information with her prior to betraying them.

Though, if she really thought about it, that could have been a trap, too.

"No. Ah, wait-..." Instinctively she touched her hair to make sure it was, in fact, still braided. London shook her head. "No, that's not mine."

She flashed the light again at Jo. Pursed her lips. "And, uh, guys. Jo's been eating non-stop since we got here and when he disappeared before, he came back fat. He was probably with the Hayes while he was missing. I think we should keep an eye on him... just- just for-...well, you know: Just in case they did something to him." As much as she cared about Jo, London didn't want her tongue bitten off.

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Anybing in the free'er?" Kindall shouted to Ethan. He was finally back on his feet. He appeared to have found a thick roll of paper towels. He held it firmly in his right hand while his left pressed a thick wad to his nose. "Neber hind. I look."

He tossed the bloody tissue to the floor and began feeling around the freezer. He pulled out a packet of frozen peas. "Lubby," he exclaimed. "Gob an i pat."

"Wait," a hand reached out and took both objects from him. A swivelling tunnel of light. Then London, unravelling some of the paper towels. "You'll hurt your skin without..." she murmured, voice trailing off. London shined the flashlight over the package, brows pinched. "These-... whoa. These expired over a decade ago," she said, pointing out the expiration date of the early 2000s.

Milton made a face. "You bon bin' we got sabone'a? I hop nob." He gingerly peered into the freezer. What's wrong with this family? Were they trying to poison them? These peas were the equivalent of edible fossils!

"We'll see, I guess." London flashed the light inside. Nestle Eskimo Pies - now extinct in the United States - and canned food wearing outdated brand names sat there, collecting ice. She grimaced: "Who keeps metal in the freezer?" Tossed the peas back inside in exchange for an actual ice pack. Wrapped it in a few layers of paper towels before handing it back to him.

"Thanks … and I do' kno," Milton replied with a grimace.Gross! Was this what the archeologists felt when they realised they were in an excavated toilet? He was glad the shared fridge back in the dorm had food less than a month passed expiry. "They migh' be 'oarders."

For a moment longer London stared into the freezer, though she didn't appear to be looking at anything in particular. Just… thinking. Then she shook her head and gripped the door handle.

"What you thinkin'?" He asked London. Although he can't see her face, he could tell when she was deep in thought. She'd usually stand very still and not say a word. "London?"

All Hallow's Eve. Sagging skin. 'The longest night'. Frozen time. Decade-old food. London couldn't wrap her head around it, much like anything else that had happened, but damn if she wasn't going to try. While the significance of Halloween was different now than in ancient times, the holiday had been around for centuries. Certain religions believed that it marked the day the lines between life and death blurred.

At least, that's what Google had told her. With time being screwy and the supernatural coming to life, London's theories on the subject all pointed in one direction: "Time travel."

London's eyes went round and she turned not just to Kindall, but the whole group. "Guys- Okay, so- Alright…" She took a deep breath. "Guys, this is going to sound insane, but hear me out. What if-... what if we went back in time? Or the Hayes are here from the past?" She held up a hand to signal she wasn't done. "Hallow's Eve - Halloween - used to be thought of as the day where the world of the dead seeped into ours, right? Well, what if that's what the Hayes did? The servants called today the 'longest night' or whatever and then time stopped at 11:59. One minute before midnight. Before the end of the day." London bit her lip, then. "I don't know if you guys saw them, but Alfonse and Mrs. Putts looked like a pair of soggy skin suits or something. They didn't look like that earlier and, well, if they're only alive for today…"

She lost her steam then. Hearing her theory in person made her sound - made her feel - crazy. London broke eye contact from the others. Fiddled with the hem of her sleeve, still speckled with some of Kelsey's blood. "But, uh… Yeah. That's-... That's what I think…"

"Well, I mean, it would make sense. We were out in the woods all day and it's only just now 11:59? That's just… odd." Jace said, his words fading into little more than mutters under his breath. None of this made sense, really. Not time stopping, not the Hayes being cultist murderers, or what was it Kelsey called them? Cthulhu summoners? He wanted to believe that there was a rational explanation in all of this crazy, but try as he might, he couldn't find one. He actually wished Kindall would start spouting science to explain everything.

Brows furrowed, Jace stood and joined Milton, London, and Ethan by the fridge, letting Joseff roam the kitchen. There wasn't much in the freezer that he could see, some canned foods and pie and a bag of peas that were long past due in the garbage. He instinctively looked down at his wrist when Ethan mentioned the hairband, having forgotten to tie his hair back. He still had the elastic Wendy gave him.

"Not mine." He said, tucking the rolling pin under one arm, and gathered his long, luxuriant locks into a messy bun. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. He might have suggested that it was London's, but it clearly wasn't hers either. "Dude, if the Hayes were hoarders, this house would be full of shit. Surely you've seen that TLC show? Well, I think it's TLC… Can't be HBO.." Jace blushed a little at having even mentioned either one of those channels. "Not that I watch that stuff. My ma and Nita watch trash." He cleared his throat and started to change the subject, but London did so.

Time travel? That sounded about as crazy as Cthulhu; however, if time could stop…. "Since when was I a scifi fan?" Jace rolled his eyes at his own thoughts; and he was the one who mentioned time stopping! "It's as good a theory as any, London." Jace offered a smile and patted her shoulder.

"Whatever the case, though, I really do think that we're going to have to play their game. We can try the front door, but what I see happening if we get back into the Grove is some Slender shit. We can't trust the Hayes, not a one of them, but I don't really see any other options." With that, he turned towards the door, rolling pin in hand. In the hallway, what he saw made him stop. A red balloon tied to one of the walkie talkies Ethan had given out that morning.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Collab between @Fox of Hearts and @Fox of Spades

"I think the real question here, Ethan, is who the fuck chains people up in their basement?" Okay, there were several answers to the question: Cthulhu summoners, murderers, and BDSM fanatics (she wasn't judging) were the first to come to mind. But the point was, if the Hayes were crazy enough to kidnap people, then they were definitely weird enough to stuff headbands and decade-old cans of expired food in their refrigerator and freezer.

No lie, she was a little offended when Ethan revealed just how much he trusted her with his phone. If Ethan wanted to look through her phone, Kelsey wouldn't have been half as panicked. In fact, he'd probably appreciate her collection of sexy firemen. "Thanks for giving me the memo, Milk Man, but I'm with you on this... we should at least try the door."

Kindle, London, and Jace were already getting on with the theories and she winced whenever their resident Sherlock tried to speak. It sounded like the floorboards had really done a number on him. London's theory - not to be mean - sounded like something out of a low-budget SyFy channel show, but considering the crazy night they'd been having, it was better than nothing. Halloween was a time when the dead came back to visit the living, so in a way, the theory held water.

"Hey, Ana, Marten! Let's go," Kelsey called out as she followed after the trio into the hall.

That was when the red balloon caught her eyes... Pennywise? The Hayes had a sick sense of humor. Pennywise took the kids of Derry away, the same way the creature in the woods (or the Hayes) were taking people from Bellwoods. "I'll take my chances with Slenderman. We should at least try the door, even if it seems way too easy." They'd already left the kitchen, and the door was just a few steps away - unguarded, ready to be opened. "It's right there."

Kelsey ignored the red balloon and made her way to the door. She twisted the old, silver knob - and surprisingly - it opened with a satisfying clink. The door swung open revealing the equally open mansion gates and the White Woods beyond it.

She couldn't believe her eyes. "Um, wow. That was... easy."

"Tooo eaby," Milton spoke behind a wad of red tissue. "It a tap?" He snorted the sickly warm liquid back into his nose. There had to be a way to stop this!

He tried everything he could think of yet his nose continued leaking like the old facet in Kelsey's room. He tried pinching his nose only to be interrupted by a coughing fit. The tissue crushed in his hand turned even redder.

Kelsey narrowed her eyes at him. Sighing, she walked up to him, placed a hand on his forehead and tilted his head back. "There, now we'll be able to understand you." She counted quietly to ten then pulled his hand away. "You should be okay, but keep your head tilted. I'll go check the door."

"W-wait? You sure?" Kindle asked, sounding normal again. He had been sceptical at first, because Kelsey nearly flunked basic first aid. It was a miracle that this even worked. "Y-you should make Jo go ahead. Bring Jayce or Ethan too." Feeling a sneeze coming on, Milton screwed his eyes shut. He didn't want to sneeze. Not when his nose stopped bleeding less than a minute ago.

​

"Borf?" the pumpkin dog sat on his haunches and tilted his head. "Borf borf borf?" he asked again, wondering why the human mentioned his name.

"Kindle," Kelsey's voice was stern. "I am not sacrificing Joseff. " Her eyes flitted to Jace and Ethan next. "Maybe Ethan, but Jo is staying here." London's theory about Castor and Joseff briefly came to mind, but she ignored it and made her way to the door. "It's a clear path to the gate we can run for it." Kelsey took to steps out the door, but instead of seeing her leave and make her way down the steps, everyone saw Kelsey disappear into thin air.

There was the path to the gate and the White Woods but no Kelsey…

Joseff started barking wildly, his ears flat against his head and his tail tucked between his legs. "Grr ruff grrrrr ruff! Ruff ruff!"

Several seconds passed before Kelsey shot backwards through the door again and crashed into both Marten and Ana. All three girls hit the floor, and Kelsey stared at her friends, wide-eyed and livid. "The gate was just there!" She jumped off Marten and Ana and scrambled to her feet, arms waving around like twin windmills. "It was a clear fucking path!"

Kelsey was so caught up in what had happened that she didn't even bother to apologize to her fallen friends. "You guys saw that, right? Tell me you guys saw that?"

"Borf borf," Jo yipped. "Borf!" He scampered over and licked Kelsey's hand to calm her down. She was his favourite human after Matt. She gave the best belly rubs and always fed him bacon. "Borf, borf!"

"Watching you reminds me of Ethan's game. Portal was it?" Kindle commented. He stopped tilting his head and righted it. "Kels, you really came in like a wrecking ball. Miley Cyrus must be proud." He chuckled between fits of suppressed sneezing, reaching down to offer Marten and Ana a hand.

"No shit Sherlock," she narrowed her eyes at Kindle. "Because that was totally normal!"

"Kelsey…" Milton sighed. He thought he had a retort but right now he had nothing. What just happened? Did Kelsey fly backwards or did she teleport back into the room? The whole situation made his head hurt. There had to be some explanation. Some logical explanation somewhere on Google. The answer simply eluded him. He considered admitting he was stumped but his pride got in the way. "Let's find another way. That door's probably a hologram or something. Could this be VR? I don't know." He sputtered then coughed violently. He kept wiping his nose with the back of his hand following each cough to check whether his nose was bleeding yet.

"No," Kelsey couldn't believe him. He'd always been the first one to throw her theories and speculations out the window, had always been the first one to deny that strange things were indeed happening in the White Woods, but he was trying to deny this and pass it off as VR? "What? Are you going to say the basement was some VR experience too? Joseff went missing for half a month, I was gone for 10 days, you guys were drugged at dinner. London saw the servants!" She was yelling at Kindle now, angry that after all that, he was still refusing to consider that maybe… just maybe they were in a life-or-death supernatural situation.

He sighed. Trust Kelsey to conflate everything! She was talking about two very different issues here! He wasn't denying that she and Jo disappeared. He was simply saying that there had to be a more rational explanation for her acrobatic feat earlier. After all, they had been knocked out for sometime. Anything could have happened before they woke up. "We could be in the Matrix, you know?" he retorted. "How do you know if we're awake and not dreaming?"

She was preparing to chew Kindle out when a burst of static echoed throughout the room. It was coming from the walkie-talkie?

​

"Time is of the essence." The voice was undoubtedly coming from the walkie-talkie.

"If I were you, I wouldn't be wasting any time." Salem sounded irritated at first, but the tone turned into a doubtful one as he continued to speak. "I fear he might be onto us. We don't have forever. Check the map and find me."

 

[Cartoonicat]

Wait. London watched as Kelsey prepared to head through the door. Wait. Stop. Watched as her friend took a step outside. Wait. Stop. No. Saw Kelsey disappear into thin air. London felt all the breath in her lungs leave her, then. Brought her hands to her mouth, flashlight illuminating the ceiling.

"Kelsey's-!"

In an instant Kelsey flew back through the door, slamming into Marten and Ana. London's eyes widened with a gasp; her heart raced but at least she could breathe again. Kelsey was back. Kelsey was okay. Kelsey was safe.

Well, as safe as any of them could be in this nightmare.

Disregarding the debate between Kelsey and Kindall, London inched closer to the door. It looked normal. From the open door frame she could see freedom spelled out in an image of the Henbard Chateau gate. Beyond, Whittle Grove. She never thought she'd be so glad to see the blasted woods but now? Well, they looked a blessing. However tempting the idea to make a break for it, though, any inclination to do so had been crushed by Kelsey's less than graceful reentry. London chewed her lip. Stared out the door. Thought of what it all could mean.

A pocket of time? We can't leave Henbard because we don't belong here, maybe? Maybe. London exhaled through her nose, a juxtaposing blend of determined and uncertain. Kelsey, her 'cryptid catching' buddy, flat out didn't even react to her theory. It... discouraged her, somewhat. A lot, actually. If Kelsey didn't agree with her, would anyone else? Or would they ignore her, too? At least Jace gave his acknowledgement - something London greatly appreciated - though she couldn't be sure if he simply did so as to humor her.

She felt her cheeks flush, her lips crescent downwards. What if I really am a weirdo, then, even amidst all this crazy crap? London silently thanked the dark and the fact she held the flashlight.

London's eyes, blown wide and doe-like, snapped towards the walkie-talkie and its floating red balloon. She swallowed drily. Shifted the flashlight to her free hand. Chewed on her cuticle rather than her lip, for it'd begun to grow tender over the course of the night, the skin wearing thin.

Then, she made a decision.

Stepping towards the walkie-talkie, London picked it up. Wondered, absently, how Salem knew exactly where they were and what they were doing so as to comment on it. Held the device out to any who would take it.

"I-... I guess we find Salem, then."