So a mute and a cannibal enter a room...

[Dean Gray]

Awakening slowly, Dean instinctively held over his nose. He noticed that the makeshift nose-mask was gone, and he rushed to a sitting position. This was not the same room. He let go of his nose and took a deep whiff of fresh, not-death-smelling air. That's when he noticed his own smell. God, that was horrendous! He hadn't realized how bad it was when he was soaked in it, but now when he'd gotten a whiff of fresh air, it was impossible not to notice. He rushed off the bed, running towards the wardrobe. He needed to get out of these clothes. Even if he really wanted to keep them, he knew that he really could not. That smell wouldn't ever come out of his clothes, and it would cause too many questions he wasn't willing to answer. He rummaged through the wardrobe, finding it to be full of expensive clothes. It wasn't his usual style of attire, but he grabbed a relatively normal-looking black pair of pants and a black and white sort of printed shirt? Whatever, he picked both of those and some underwear and ran into the bathroom, closing the door behind him and stripping out of his death-infused clothes. He veritably threw himself into the shower and started TheCleansingTM, by putting on way too hot water, almost scalding himself.



Minutes later he was done and clean. After making himself squeaky clean with the towel, he used it to wrap in his old, smelly clothes, wrapping it tightly so as to avoid most of the smell to seep out. He then deposited the clothes behind the bathtub, in the corner, so as to hide them as best as possible. He looked in the mirror, and ran a hand through his by now decent amount of beard. Over a month with no shaving had left him looking very ragged. If he had worn a flannel shirt and jeans, he'd definitely look like the nutjob he was sure many people in Maidefield saw him as. That was why he'd decidedly chosen to be as cleanshaven as possible, and dress as differently as possible to that stereotype. He'd likely already entered another stereotype by doing so, and this choice of clothing, coupled with his full beard, definitely sold that idea that he looked like a hipster. Dean sighed. There were worse stereotypes to look like. Afterwards he got dressed in the new clothes and walked out of the bathroom. That's when he noticed the other person in the room. He froze.



Was this another corpse for him to eat of? Was that what his captor wanted him to keep on doing? He sniffed the air again, making sure that he hadn't missed the scent of death earlier. No, it was clean, no death to be smelled here. Who was this person then? He stepped closer. Is that... Ginger hai- - Emer? Was this what the note had meant? That he'd get to be roomed with whomever he picked? Was Emer here?? He rushed forward, slightly excited. He'd missed that girl, and yet it had only been at most three weeks since he saw her last. He paused abruptly when he noticed that this shade of orange was different from Emer's. In fact, if pressed on it, he'd say this color was slightly muted in comparison. He moved closer, moving around the second bed so as to see this persons face. Yeah... this wasn't Emer. Damnit. He sighed. Disregarding the social blunder he was about to perform, he kneeled, or well, more like squatted, in front of the woman, put his hand up to her forehead, and flicked it.

[Jessica Fleming]

And what about Jessica? Well, she was just sleeping, and that's all. The girl was very exhausted from yesterday and all of the drawings and writings she made. Besides secret book with clues and huge motivational self-portrait, Jess also wrote leaflets, tearing out the pages from the books and then pushing them behind the door. Some of the papers were just drawings of Teddy with a heart near it, showing support, others were hash-tags #savekim, and the rest of them were messages to the main antagonist. To cut the long story short, Jessica wrote that she, as well as other players, would marry anyone the villain wanted just to stay alive and protect their friends. However, what the Asian woman does is unforgivable, and sooner or later she will be punished by the prisoners or authorities. For all of them it would be better to stop now. Jessica also added that she was sure that the villain had the reasons for such actions, but any psychological trauma or illness cannot justify what she had done. The girl wondered how the antagonist could peacefully sleep at night and suggested her to play the Sims instead of torturing real people. It was reckless, but Jessica was too mad and wanted some reaction from the kidnapper. Also, it boosted her self-confidence, as if she wrote a negative comment on the Internet knowing that she would never be punished for that. But it this case... she probably would be. But Jess did not care. She was an obedient girl long time enough, and maybe that was a reason why she managed to stay alive and out of trouble. However, Jessica could not just do it anymore. She had to do something, no matter how reckless or stupid it was.

So when her forehead was flicked, she immediately woke up and flinched. The panicked at first because she thought that villain's minions have come to avenge their mistress. However, it was not painful enough to be a torture and it was just a man in front of her. A complete stranger and this realization did not calm her down at all.

Jessica moved to the distant part of the bed, revealing her grey pajama. She gave a man a sleepy but at the same suspicious stare. He did not seem aggressive, so he had to be her new roommate, instead of Kim. And also he had a peculiar sense of humor for sure.

The girl sighed since she could not just introduce herself like other people do. For some reason instead of feeling awkward, she was just tired as if she had not had any sleep at all. Maybe this acquaintance did not have a perfect beginning but both of them were in the same boat, so it's better to be diplomatic... for now.

Jessica stood up and approached the bookshelf, taking the random book, without looking at the man. If he had wanted to hurt her, he would have done it already and it is easier to be confident when you don't see a facial expression "what the hell are you doing". The girl took one of her crayons, began to write in the book, and then showed it to the man.

"Hello, I'm Jessica and as you could guess - I'm a mute, so sorry about the inconvenience. What's your name? I hope you have not played these horrible games organized by our kidnapper to marry us against our will."

He seemed overall fine, without any injures, so she decided not to ask if he was hurt because mentally all of them were.

[Dean Gray]

"Hello, I'm Jessica and as you could guess - I'm a mute, so sorry about the inconvenience. What's your name? I hope you have not played these horrible games organized by our kidnapper to marry us against our will."

He wasn't altogether happy with it being someone other than Emer, and his heart sank further when he realized it was the mute that Emer had complained about at some point in the earlier weeks. Unless there was more than one mute on the premises, which would be very very unlikely.

"I'm Dean. No inconvenience here, I enjoy silence, which makes you right up my alley." he said, before rising from his position, moving over to the other bed and throwing himself onto it in a casual manner. "I suppose there was that one time, where I was to match up with people by drawing cards and hoping they matched. Didn't really feel like it was for marriage in any way. Why?"

He turned towards her so he could see her reply.

[Jessica Fleming]

Well, Jessica was not quite sincere. She was not completely mute, especially considering the events of her last talk through the wall. Her forehead and left cheek were scrapped, and her left toenail was also hit but it was worth it. Her voice cut but Jessica still tried to be careful with it. She should not use it too often not to make it worse.

And as Dean said, he preferred silence anyway, that Jessica just could not relate too. The quietness was disturbing, it always made her think about the worst.

To Jessica's surprise, her new roommate was calm as if it was not a prison but a resort. All of her previous members seemed hurt, vulnerable but this man was just fine. Jess was even jealous of him, she wished to be so chill. Maybe, in this case, she could keep her promise to Kim without these childish attempts to rebel.

Hearing Dean's story Jess suggested that it was the game that Carmen described to her when a redhead girl was killed. And he seemed absolutely okay with it like it was a common situation for him.

"I want to know what's going on behind the walls," she wrote, still being uptight and serious. "I've not participated in any of the games, except for the first one, Russian roulette. The "winners" of this game got married" Jess frowned for a moment but still could not resist and added the following. "How can you be so calm? The girl was killed in front of you and all of us are in danger." finishing it, Jessica showed this note to Dean.

[Dean Gray]

"I want to know what's going on behind the walls. I've not participated in any of the games, except for the first one, Russian roulette. The "winners" of this game got married. How can you be so calm? The girl was killed in front of you and all of us are in danger."

Dean read her message before glancing away. He hadn't really realized why he was so calm, but he was grateful for it. He'd seen the girl shot almost a month ago, and logic dictated that he was not 'over it' in any sense of the word. For now he was calm though, and it wouldn't hurt to have this girl think it was of his own merit.

"How I can be so calm? Distancing myself. I didn't know that girl." he honestly said, shrugging. He didn't even know her name, so why should he care about her? Some might say 'Oh, but it could have been you, Dean!' to which he'd reply 'But it wasn't, now let's keep moving'.

"Count yourself lucky though. The 'games', as you put it, aren't fun. I only cared about one person in mine, and until I saw that he was safe, I worried. I don't know how it'd be if I knew more people.

The fact that he had grown to care for at least two, perhaps three, people in this short span of time left him worried. The longer he stayed here, the chance that he'd be affected by any 'game', 'event', whatever, would rise. It was all simpler when one simply didn't care. Not caring had one able to eat a human heart and gain favor with the captors. Not caring made one able to survive, perhaps even thrive. That would be the best way to spite them.

"Why do you even want to know? I know for a fact that at least one room smells of death and decay. As if a corpse lie rotting for days. I also know there's at least one room without any facilities at all. This kind of room here? It's heaven. Just accept your part in it and hope you never have to be part of a 'game' of any sort. Stay blissful, stay ignorant, stay like the sheeple. You'll be fine that way."

Dean then turned back to the mute, awaiting a response.

[Jessica Fleming]

Now Jessica was jealous of Dean even more. He just distanced himself from all this mess. He did not know the girl and that was it. And actually, he guessed well Jessica's thoughts because she wrote the following response to this part:

"But it could be you or one of your friends. And all of us are still in danger."

She suddenly realized that she was lecturing a total stranger and it just did not feel right. Jessica was not the one who had to do it. It was not her business and if Dean was so calm that was great for him. She only wished to feel in the same way, as she used to when she thought that it was just a fake for a TV show. Good old times!

So, the girl just crossed out what she had written and added the following:

"I wish I could be so calm."

Well, it was no use to pretend that she was so brave and confident. Jessica suddenly realized that she barely cared what the unknown man would think about her and that was a nice change.

Jess has frowned for the moment since it was not her decision to call these unfortunate events games. Evan... or Carmen suggested this term? The girl could not remember for sure. But it was not so important anyway. She did not consider these activities to be fun as well.

"I know that they are not fun and I'm not the one who called them this way initially" Jess, why can't you resist from such pathetic excuses! That's so childish. "I have a lot of my friends involved but as far as I know they are still alive."

The next words were just terrifying. Really, why did she want to know in the first place? Now she had more things to worry about, more reasons for nightmares. The corpse was rotting in one of the rooms. This woman was just insane, Jessica could not imagine that such cruelty was possible elsewhere besides horror games or movies.
It seemed that Dean was just dancing through life, mindless and careless and his motto was "ignorance is bliss, not a curse." But Jessica had another motto, taken from Franziska von Karma "Ignorance is to be whipped", well, it will be, eventually.

"I'm lucky, I know. I was only in good rooms, all my friends are alive, I've not participated in any of the games besides the safe one. But it will not last forever. I want to know what to expect, I want to be sure that all my beloved ones made out alive. I know I must be happy but this ignorance kills me." Jessica decided to stop to save the space and showed her writing to Dean.

[Dean Gray]

Dean watched as the mute started to write, before vigorously crossing out what she had written, then continuing to write. In a sense it was interesting to watch a mute 'talk' by use of writing equipment. You got to see them go through their thinking process. It was no unknown fact that people had multiple thoughts before spelling them out with words, and it seemed this one was writing some things before fully deciding to 'speak' them. He waited patiently, until she turned her writing to him.

"I know that they are not fun and I'm not the one who called them this way initially, I have a lot of my friends involved but as far as I know they are still alive. I'm lucky, I know. I was only in good rooms, all my friends are alive, I've not participated in any of the games besides the safe one. But it will not last forever. I want to know what to expect, I want to be sure that all my beloved ones made out alive. I know I must be happy but this ignorance kills me."

Christ, she was naive. She believed that she would have any ability to affect the outcome of her beloved ones? He doubted that was going to happen at all, unless their captors decided to hand her a gun and have her decide who to off herself. In that case he hoped he was on the right side of the barrel, as he doubted she or anyone else would keep him alive over their friends. Sure, they might say 'Oh I wouldn't kill you even if I had to', but if pressed on it, he was a stranger to most, a dissenting voice to some, and that ranked rather low on the 'Not-getting-chosen-to-be-shot-Scale'. Of all the people he had seen thus far, he figured only Emer would pick him to live over someone else. Not everyone else, surely, but he'd not be on the bottom of the list, which was good enough.

"You know, judging by the fact that you've been treated kindly, that being you've been put in decent rooms all along and avoided the 'events', I'd say the best thing you can do is just behave. The more you know, the less likely it would be that you would act 'proper' or however our captors decidedly want you to. Besides, it's not as if I know much more than you." he said and scratched his beard. Damned beard. He'd been looking for shaving supplies to clear out his beard, but none had been found in any of the rooms he'd been in. Understandable, if the person in the right, or well, wrong, state of mind found shaving supplies, they might find it in them to cut it all short. Perhaps he should try communicating with their captors. Get a beard trimmer, perhaps. They were nigh impossible to cut oneself to blood with, so they might be allowed.

"Another thing to consider, what in the world would you be able to do? You're what, barely 18, mute and also a woman? Not saying women can't do anything, but your options are more limited, especially if that asian-looking woman is the one in charge. It seems your role has been cast as the 'Meek and obedient little girl', so I suggest you stick with it, really." he said, pausing a bit. "What is it you would do if given information that is actually workable?"

[Jessica Fleming]

Writing her message Jessica knew that such a way of communication was not so convenient, but what could she do? It was still faster than Morse or ASL, for example. It almost reminded her of good old times when she had her beloved smartphone and sent messages to her friends. They still had to wait for her answer even though Jess was sure that she could type faster than write.

Jessica listened closely to Dean and his words were like a bolt from the blue. He could see that her naive but serious face became totally lost as if she was a pupil who was slacking off until a teacher asked her a question. She had a loss of words, literally and figuratively. Dean was so right and this realization hurt.

"It's hard for me to be obedient now but it's not like I can do something actually rebellious. And I really hoped that you knew more. I'm still missing something," she slowly wrote, admitting how weak she was. But what she was meant to do? The girl was so heartbroken and mad when Kim was taken from her, she had to change something in herself but in reality, the only thing she did was a cheap Lara Croft cosplay, some useless leaflets and overly complicated plan to store the information.

"Speaking" with Dean Jess realized how strong was her desire to please those around her. She acted as a mirror, unintentionally trying to make them like her more. She wanted to be more serious near Emmy who was paranoid, she was weak and defenseless with Evan to boost his confidence and now with Dean, the girl desired to become cynical. Her perception of the world depended too much on people around her as if Jess did not have an individuality at all. She was a freaking prince Hans from the Mirror theory.

Dean's further words served as the last nail in the coffin of Jessica's self-worth. It was even more painful but she also heard the determined voice of Lin-Manuel Miranda inside her head "I won't apologize because it's true."

What Dean said was the truth, painful truth. Jessica tried to escape from it, tried to convince herself that she could be useful, that she could be a hero in her own story but in a reality, she was right from the start. Jess was the worst kind of NPCs. She was a damsel in distress and this role was chosen from the very beginning. She could only wait and wait for her prince to save her and behave well to survive.

Let's hope Dean was happy for shattering hopes of the naive girl and giving her existential crisis in her 19 years. I'm only 19 but my mind is older. Ha-ha.

Well, at least she did not cry. She probably wanted to but she could not as if she had wasted all of her tears. The girl was desperately thinking about what she could actually do but in panic, she did not have a good plan what so ever. It took her some time to actually find the words to write something.

"I don't know." Period. Jess closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "You're right. There is nothing I can do besides spoiling the books with my writing." And people say that quill is a more powerful weapon than a sword, how funny. Jess put her head down. She had low-self esteem so it was not surprising that her determination was gone... partially. The girl did not cry, did not fear, there was just a deep black void in her heart. She wished to be excited about fancy dresses and good living conditions but she just could not do it anymore. Jess also believed that her turn to play the deadly games would come anyway no matter how obedient she was. So, everything was and would be for nothing. She was just worthless. "So, what's your role then?" she added to her writings. "Just to be calm, cynical, and wait for eventual doom?" she showed the final to Dean, realizing that it could sound a little sarcastic. Jess wished she could act more decent and hold her emotions but it seemed she was a good actress only on stage but not in a real life.

[Dean Gray]

Once more he just sat there waiting for her to write. It was so quiet when she did this. The only sound being her writing on paper and their breathing. It was serene, a stark contrast to his former room. This was good. It left him plenty of time to think, but for now he chose to just study the woman, well, girl, in front of him. Her face made a multitude of different expressions, subtle, but there and rather easy to see when there was nothing else taking up Dean's attention. Seemed like she was struggling with something, perhaps something Dean had said. Had she gone near two months without anyone ever stating the obvious to her? Christ, people were too kind. Naiveté served nobody in a situation like this. After a while she finished, and turned to 'speak'.

"It's hard for me to be obedient now but it's not like I can do something actually rebellious. And I really hoped that you knew more. I'm still missing something. I don't know. You're right. There is nothing I can do besides spoiling the books with my writing. So, what's your role then? Just to be calm, cynical, and wait for eventual doom?"

Wow. Apparently, One person says something overly negative towards her and she instantly goes dramatic like this. She wasn't too far off about him though. Calmness and cynicism got you far in situations like this, but he wasn't about to wait for his doom. He would step on anyone, do anything, to make it out here alive. He wasn't about to tell her that though. 

"That's me. Calm, cynical, but most importantly: Alive. I intend to stay that way, and one of the ways one can do that is by resting and recuperating when one has the ability to do so, not wasting energy on ifs and buts. I've got to point out though, you're doing the whole 'damsel' role splendidly. Why change it when it works? You'd make it out alive like this, and it's clearly something our 'hosts' enjoy. I may seem like I repeat myself, but it bears repeating: Just accept your role, stay safe and alive. That's worth far more than any heroics. Trust me."

[Jessica Fleming]

Was Jessica dramatic? Oh, definitely. She was an actress not only on stage but in real life too. A character from the novel, to be precise. She perceived TV series, movies, and video games as a model, an example of how things should work. Jess constantly compared the reality with things that she saw in media and just could not accept that all of these images were fictional. The girl deeply cherished her feelings, even negative ones and as a result, she could be easily carried to extremes.

When Dean confirmed that he was calm and cynical, Jess could not hold a grin. That guy did not want to be a hero, that was for sure. But he did not need it. Perhaps, he had adequate self-esteem and confidence, so there was no need for him to prove something to somebody. It was terrifying and worth of admiration at the same time.

Jess has listened to him closely, thinking over and over about his words. There was a point. Talk less. Smile more. Don't let them know, what you're against or what you're for. And the most important rule: fools who run their mouths off wind up dead.

It was not only about Dean though. Evan also told her "Just stay alive, that would be enough." And there was also a promise, a promise that Jessica gave to Kim. The girl unintentionally put her hand on the heart in the same way she did when she was giving this promise. She had to avoid danger and follow the kidnapper's orders to stay alive.

So, being mute has some advantages after all. You have plenty of time to think before writing. She finally made up her mind and wrote the following:

"Thank you for your concern," that was not sarcasm though. Jess believed that Dean meant well and really wanted to save her life by his advice. Otherwise, he could just ignore her heroic fantasies. "And you're right, it works well. My friend also asked me to promise to avoid danger and obey the kidnapper. Right after that, she disappeared and you're my new roommate." Jess could not avoid the thought that if it was not horror but fantasy and both Kim and Dean were demonic illusions, Jessica would have succumbed already. Both of them encouraged her not to fight back but just go with the flow. And she would... for now. If Kim is in danger, Jess will break her promise without hesitation.

"So... what you would like to do?" Jess still was friendly even though she was not sure that Dean needed her company so much. "The options are quite limited. There are plenty of books but all of them are romance novels, both classical and modern ones."