[Dining Room] Event #8 "Final Hour"

[Maria Baker]

"I do, I do, I do!" the girl whispered to oneself while tiptoeing down the dark corridor. Today is the day! Today she will get her blessing! Today she will be forgiven! Maria smiled and bit on her dry botom lip feeling the blood from the tiny cuts flow down her throat. "I Mary Baker have the honor to ask Your Highness' permission to marry Silvio Savidge..." she kept repeating in her head with each new step she took.

She supressed a giggle and whispered under her breath, "Savige. Maria. Maria Savige..." She liked the way it sounded. Oh, she couldn't wait! Madame will see she is worthy of marrige! And she will finally make her proud! Finally Maria got to the point of her destination. She saw Theodore bring the bodies from the upstairs here tonight so hopefully madame is present for the event she is holding.

"It's now... or never," with confidence after taking one long deep breath Mary peeked into the cracks between the doorframe and the door itself... and could not believe her eyes. No. It can't be! She blinked, shook her head and peeked inside the room one more time.

Noah!

She felt as air escaped her lungs and her eyesight got blurry. What... Why?! Her palms strocked each other in a cirqular pattern as she took a step back uncertain on what she should do now. What is he doing there? What's going on? Should she come in nevertheless!?

"Mary, NO! Calm down!" she tried to force herself to stop shaking. She had it all under control just a few seconds ago. She was so confident in what she was about to do and now... Ugh! So annoying! She wanted to stomp her feet and smack herself on both of her cheeks for being so dumb but she's decided against it. Madame wouldn't be proud if she did this and definitely wouldn't approve her union with Silvio... So she has to stay quiet and just... pick the right moment? Yeah. That's right! Everything is fine! Madame knows what she is doing, everything she did she did for a reason! That's right, yes. So all she needs is to calm down...

And listen.

"Wake up you maggots!" Madame yelled and slammed onto the table with her palm. Mary herself unintentionally jumped up a bit at the sudden sound but that's what Madame has to do. People are lazy and she has to be strict to get to the bottom of the problem as fast as she could...

"I am so sorry, my love," the woman in purple murmured looking at the big man sitting in front of her, "Those maggots take forever to open up their eyes, I didn't mean to disturb your rest!"

Mary smiled. Oh, they were so cute. She found it strange that the ginger brat who stood by Madame's side holding the jug looked like she is about to vomit. What's wrong with her??! What's with her posture? Mary shook her head in disappointment. What an embarrassment of a woman. Her thoughts however were occupied by something else. She was still questioning why would Madame gathers so many people...

"Why, of course," it has finally hit her and the blonde has realized that this was probably a party to celebrate their union! Oh, how lovely of Madame to do so. Unfortunately, Mary... was wrong and her heart jumped the moment she pointed her gun at none other than Noah himself.

"No, please! Don't hurt him!" Mary panicked, "It's my fault! Not his! Please!" Mary begged inwardly but didn't dare to make a sound. Oh, no. She knows! She knows everything! "It's all my fault! It's all my fault!!" she cried as she stood frozen in place anticipating the worst...

"You!" Madge shouted at her target. "I give you five minutes to make up your mind and pick one of the broads that sit beside you to be your lovely future wife!"

"I don't have much time to waste..." she continued and pointed to the ginger girl to fill her glass with more water which she obediently did. The madame wasn't satisfied with her servant's speed so she tugged on the chain making the girl let out a little whimper as the shackles rubbed against her red from the friction skin. After taking a sip, Madge smiled with her pursed dark red lips and looked back at the dark-skinned man, her left arm aiming right at his heart, "So you better start thinking now."

---

RULES:
1. All characters are strapped to their chairs with hands behind her backs including Greg so unfortunately despite the food being hot and ready to go into your stomaches - you can't do it. Madge is sitting at the head of the table, Greg sits on the opposite end. To the right of Madge sit Freya, Noah and Claudie. Kim is in chained by arms and legs but can barely move around the room. At the beginning of the event, she is going to stand by Madge's side, opposite of the unfortunate trio.

Maria is lurking in the shadows behind the door in the corridor watching everything that is going on in the room.

2. Madge will propose two tasks for the men of the event. First to Noah than to Gregory, Choose wisely what you want to say back to a woman with a loaded gun. If you don't make a choice you might risk to make things worse for everybody.

3. For the first part of the event we are going to follow the post order but then we can post whenever we find fitting/arrange a new post order depending on the outcome of both tasks.

PARTICIPANTS:
- Gregory, Noah, Claudie, Freya

POST ORDER:
- Val (Maria's pov / a task for Noah) - Gregory - Noah - Claudette - Freya - Val (pov from one of the accounts / a task for Gregory) - Gregory - Noah - Claudette - Freya - Val (pov from one of the accounts/ the outcome) - the rest depends on the circumstance

[Gregory Hopkins]

The man felt heavy in his old body. Even the good food and wine couldn't heal him at all. He hates that he was so weak and gave up one day accepting the meal from the killer's hands. Gregory become the big, fat, plush toy for Madge.

He didn't remember how many days passed from the last moment when he saw Jessica. After that, he woke up alone, in the darkroom and only the Lady has become his one guest. She tried to be so nice and gave him all the best dishes. Looks like she fell in love and just trying to be so romantic. But only the shackles on his hand ruined all the atmosphere.

How many times did he refuse her proposal? Maybe five or...? No matter, he didn't change his answer, because only one woman still was in his soul. No matter how this lady would force to him, he didn't give up.


Also, Gregory still thought about his stepdaughter, Kim. Madge only smirked and never answered what she did with her, and the old man was lost. He didn't want to believe that she killed her. No, his Kim is the smartest girl, she escapes this!

And now again. Greg woke up after the deep sleep, hearing the woman's scream.

"Wake up you maggots!"

It means he must be here not alone! The old man opens his eyes wide. The dining room looks as usual and Madge sits right a front of him. After the second, Greg noticed another guest, but he didn't remember their name. Were those new victims, or he just has an amnesia?

Near the woman, Gregory noticed a small girls figure and... His heart skipped a bit. It was her... Kim! Her ginger hair looks shorter and she looks scared. Seems like Madge took her as an own servant. Also, there was a chain on the tender Kim's hands.

Gregory wanted to anger on the stupid killer, but he just cried. He dreamed to see hos daughter alright and now it's become true. How he wanted to hit her, took her head, and said that everything will be alright, she needs to be stronger and she will be saved someday.
"Kim, darling... How you changed", - whispered the man, looking how surprised were girl.

Red hair girl suddenly zoiks, when the Asian lady tugged on the chain. Seems that she did it with force.

[Noah Hernandez]

Cold. It was cold. Was he in one of the bad rooms again? He was starting to get used to how cold it usually was.

His body aches too. No, not his body, his wrists. They felt...restrained. Or like something rough was rubbing against them.

What is this?

“Wake up you maggots!”

Brown eyes snapped open as Noah awoke with a jolt, startled by the loud voice. His adrenaline spiked for a moment and his breathing quickened. He blinked his eyes multiple times as to get his vision to adjust, shaking his head to get more awake. As the blur faded, he finally got a good look at his surroundings.

He was at a table, a big table. Across from him, he could see another man. Looks roughly around his age. Did he know this man? No...he doesn’t look that familiar. Maybe he saw him in the basement? That was so long ago though, if they had talked it must’ve been brief enough for him not to really understand.

“I’m sorry my love,” said a deep female voice. He turned to see an older woman approach the man, looking at him with sympathy in her eyes. She was...wait a minute...

Was this? Was this her?! Was this their kidnapper?!?!

Which meant....no. No no no no. It meant it was time for him to participate in these death games.

It was his turn.

As his eyes shifted to observe the woman, a figure standing behind her caught his attention. It was hard for him to make out who this person was at first, but eventually her features became clear to him.

Miss Kim?

She looked terrible. Her once white singlet was not looking to be grey and brown, obviously covered in dirt and...possibly other things that he doesn’t want to consider as an option. Her long red and purple hair was now shorter, uneven. Like it was cut quickly. Worst was her expression, sad...sorrowful....lifeless. The once sweet and kind Kim was now reduced to a shell of hopelessness. As Noah observed her even more, he came across a discovery that gave him a haunting flashback. Her arms....they were covered in bruises. Just like Nameless.

Just like Maria.

He looked at her eyes, though he didn’t know if she was looking at him back, trying to express his own sympathies. She has become their kidnapper’s new slave.

And finally, he noticed the two people next to him.

How ironic...

There were two of his most recent roommates, Freya and Claudie. Both looking equally as scared and startled as him.

He was about to open his mouth, ask them if they were alright. Until -

“You!”

The architect froze. He felt time stop, his breathing becoming shallow. His heartbeat pounding in his ears.

The moment the man turned his head....a gun was pointed right at him.

Was this it? Was this how he was going to die? In a dinning room, by a scorned woman, with a gun? Like that game Clue...he remembers Clue. His life is now looking an awful lot like that.

“I give you five minutes to make up your mind and pick one of the broads that sit beside you to be your lovely future wife!” She said.

What?! No! You’re insane! I can’t pick one! You’re making me choose this?! Why?! Why are you doing this?!?!

Noah was internally screaming with anger, fear, and confusion. He wanted to scream it so badly...but he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t. Besides the sheer fact that his body wouldn’t let him, he didn’t know what would happen if he spoke out. He’s heard the stories. He knows this woman constantly switches the game. Switches targets. Nothing is predictable with her. The gun is pointed at him, and part of him wants her to shoot. For him to be the sacrifice. He’s lived his life, but these girls hardly have. They’re in college, they don’t even have careers yet. He doesn’t want to die, by why should he live instead? But he knows there’s a likely chance, the moment he opens his mouth and pleads, she’ll just shift her direction towards one of the girls. And he can’t let that happen.

He just needed to do what he did back at that wedding so long ago, as much as he hates it. As much as he wants to fight back. He has to play along.

“I don’t have much time to waste,” the woman said. She tugged on Kim’s restraints, forcing her to pour her water. “So you better start thinking now.”

Noah could feel the sweat trickling down his forehead and seeping into his shirt. He was practically frozen in place, his hands shaking. He didn’t have control over his physical body. The architect never was good in stressful situations, and now it was even worse.

“I-I...”

His eyes kept shifting back and forth between the girls next to him. If he picks one, does that mean he signs the other’s death warrant? How can she do this to them?!

Finally his eyes stayed on Freya. Before the two of them were knocked out, he remembered the conversation they had. How they got to know each other, how he got to reassure her about Sawyer. How they...how they mourned Huxley together. And how it was the first time, in a long time, that he was able to share his grief with someone else.

He looked back at Claudie. He hardly knew her, but he could tell she was a good kid. She had a good life ahead of her. He didn’t want to seem like he didn’t care. He didn’t want to feed her to the wolves. But he has to choose, it’s too risky.

“I’m sorry,” he mouthed to the young girls.

At last, his attention faced the woman with the gun.

“F-Freya. Miss Freya,” he said louder the second time. “I choose....M-Miss Freya.”

[Claudette Hautecourt]

Claudie woke up the shrill screeches from the matchmaker. "I am so sorry, my love, Those maggots take forever to open up their eyes, I didn't mean to disturb your rest!" Claudie bit her tongue not to say anything, she wasn't suicidal this time, seeing the woman with the gun. As she spoke to the older man tied to the chair Claudie did all she could not to visibly gag at the way the woman was cooing to the poor man. And by the looks of him he wasn't exactly thrilled of her affections either.

Deciding to look around the room she recognized it from the previous game she had been part of, once more tied up and once more there was gun involved. The horrible realization that her luck was possibly running out at this point as she noticed only herself, Freya and Noah in addition to the crazy matchmaker and the old man she was so unsubtly trying to seduce it seemed. It would have been much nicer to reunite with her former roomates in much better circumstances.

"You! I give you five minutes to make up your mind and pick one of the broads that sit beside you to be your lovely future wife! I don't have much time to waste... So you better start thinking now." Her eyes widened and her attention turned back to the woman and to the person the matchmaker was pointing the gun at. She didn't envy him at all, but as the woman gave him his instructions she felt her stomach sink. Her attention turned to Freya and then at the crazy woman. She knew that the woman would only want to see her dead. If it was sooner or later it was all the same. Thoughts of not being able to see Silvio and her other friends nor her family ever again took over her for a moment.

"Pick her..." She whispered to Noah. "Pick Freya..." She whispered once more if the man didn't hear her the first time. It seemed like the man was stuck in his own head trying to make this impossible decision. She couldn't blame him.

Then suddenly he looked at her straight in the eyes and blurted out his choice. Claudie only smiled faintly at him with a hint of sadness mixed in there. She wanted to say something but the words caught into her throat. She looked away from the man and wondered how in the hell people were ever able to say anything cool or meaningful as their last words. Also she was damned if she was going to let the fat matchmaker see her cry or beg.

[Freya Alexander]

A fervent ringing filled the air; as though Freya Alexander had been punched in the back of the head, or the ear – for example; a stinging grogginess tight at her throat and pounding at her cranium in the form of a vicious migraine. She groaned, the thought to grab whatever jug of water that had been left for herself and her new companion fresh on her mind. This knockout had been a rough one, that was for sure.

Nothing sparked her as being out of the ordinary, the familiar muscular aches she had grown accustomed to after haven not eaten nearly enough these long months battling her slim body; the deep sense of dread that permeated every cell of her body all the more prevalent. But, did this not feel different? She could not move to shake the feeling from her limbs, nor was there the peacefulness in laying catatonic upon a shitty bedset.

This just felt… wrong. A sharper sense of fight or flight infiltrated her body, and Freya’s mind – for however slow it was – became hyper aware that she was being watched.

"Wake up you maggots!"

The sound was only what Freya could imagine as what a dog would hear upon the blowing of the dreaded silent whistle. It burst forth into the wavering atmosphere and snapped the girl bolt upright, and similarly awake. Freya’s eyes were pinned open as her chest rose and fell in rapid contortion, the panic seeping into her bones. This was very, very wrong. Her eyes fell upon the plump, red-faced lady to whom’s voice Freya could hear; a frigid dagger of fear piercing her chest at the very sight of her. This… this was her. The woman; the bitch that had them contained and tortured. The very monstrous creature to whom Freya’s seething fear burst into a deep, inconsolable rage.

"I am so sorry, my love," the purple-clad prune cooed to a male-presenting figure before her. Freya’s mind didn’t adjust to her surroundings, her usually softened blue eyes piercing cold as she stared at this wicked bitch, Freya’s lip trembling. "Those maggots take forever to open up their eyes, I didn't mean to disturb your rest!"

First, Freya’s gaze flickered over to Kim, and the tired mess she had become. A leap of recognition passed over her frozen face, and then the tears began to leap forth, threatening to spill. She was standing next to this lady… in servitude to her? What on earth was she doing? “K-Kim?” Freya’s voice was so small, even for her little lithe form. “Kim…” Her voice wavered, desperate for her friend to look at her; to acknowledge her… anything. “Please…” she breathed, straining against her bound hands, trying to see if they’d give, not that she’d try anything with this wicked thing before her, anyway, but it could do good to try. When she realised that they were not budging, the purple lady burst forth in another booming voice, making Freya squeak in fright.

"You! I give you five minutes to make up your mind and pick one of the broads that sit beside you to be your lovely future wife!"

Wh-Who was she talking to? Freya’s eyes had been so clouded; so blinkered by emotion, that she hadn’t processed her similarly-bound companions… And the receptor to a pistol in the face… Noah. Choking back a cry at the sight of both Claudie and him, she couldn’t help but let a sob escape, squeezing her eyes shut. Wife? Was she talking about her? About Claudie? Freya thought back, recalling what Hannah had said about being forced to… to marry? No, it couldn’t be real, could it? Freya had buried that trauma deep, in an attempt to rationalise what was happening to them. And yet, here the evidence was right before them –Noah especially.

His eyes met hers, and the sudden, real fear of what may be going through his head struck her with a vicious ferocity as she noticed that look in his eyes… Freya snapped her head to Claudie, then back to him, and shook her own, the tears spilling now, unable to be contained. What would this do? It was all going so fast; Freya didn’t want anyone to get hurt, anyone to die. She was worthless, shouldn't she be sacrificed so someone else could live?
Claudie was murmuring something, but Freya could not hear for the rush of adrenaline pounding into the migraine at her head. If her heart were to beat any faster, she’d assume quite rightly that it would give up on her entirely, the horrified thought of having a breakdown right there, the killer’s mocking gaze piercing her very soul.

“I’m sorry,” is all Noah said, and Freya’s lip trembled. No… No…

“Noah, don’t. Don’t choose me, I’m not worth-”

“F-Freya. Miss Freya. I choose....M-Miss Freya.”

The girl sobbed quietly to herself, the slick strands of pink and blonde hair falling over her eyes in an effort to conceal her face. She didn’t want to be there; to exist. Freya had considered making an attempt on her own life, wondering if the pain of waiting was worth the inevitable end. And she had chosen not to, for the very reason that she didn’t anyone to discover her in that state. She had thought back to that embrace with Noah; how they had cried over Huxley; sharing his mourning in a way that no one could. She didn’t know him well, but Huxley had touched her life and made her smile in a way she never thought was possible again. Like all of them, how he had been put down as if he were a dog. And here Noah was, picking Freya to be his wife. She didn’t even know this man well either, and yet she was about to share something she couldn’t have even possibly considered for herself, not for a long long time. Not that marriage even meant much to Freya in the first place, but knowing the violating act was to be committed with force, was ever so much more impaling.

Freya’s mind fell back to all those faces she had no idea if she’d ever see again… Seeing Kim, so obedient; so quiet… Where was Sawyer in all this? Where was Ethan, Jess, Hannah, Dorian, Silvio, Cece, Maya… Nicholas? How many had perished under this witch’s hand, their blood blooming red petals into her veins, tarnishing her forever? It was beyond cruelty; a ruthless bloodshed that scarred Freya Alexander’s very soul. She didn’t want to carry that pain in shame. Freya knew, if she were to ever make it out of this… she had to be strong for them.

Raising her head, Freya looked directly at their captor’s face, her tears stained against her cheeks, yet no longer falling; a silent promise in her own gaze that she’d never forget them. The people she had affected here would never have died in vain. Even if Freya were to die, it would not be in cowardice. She would be strong, for them…

[Kim Anderson]

Kim felt sick. As she walked she looked down at her feet unable to turn her head to face the people who have joined them tonight to share "a meal". All of them were tied up like hogs who are here only to be butchered. This woman will never stop. Now it was just a race against the clock.

"You just have to wait," the ginger repeated inwardly, tightening the grip around the jug. Behave. Obey. And wait for help. Help is coming. Help is coming! Jess should be back any moment now, right? She couldn't- No. "Stop it. She will come back. She will," she tried to reassure herself once again as she did every night since Jessica has left. She tried to not lose count of days - so far only a few have passed - but it was hard since the woman moved her to sleep to the basement and she really rarely saw the light of day.

When she reached her spot the Madame ordered her to stay for the rest of the evening - Kim turned on her heels to face the head of the table and just stood still, waiting for the bitch to sit down. For a moment the girl lifted her gaze to examine the situation and the timing was on point. Why does he have to be here tonight? Why did she bring Gregory in?! The way she looked at him, the way she touched him made the ginger's blood boil in her veins.

Disgusting.

She felt as her arms slightly shook from the mixture of anger and fear as the woman sat down in the chair, clicking the gun off safety. She was so close. Just a foot away from her. The girl really wished she didn't give away the needle or if those damn chains were just a little bit longer. If she could she would just strangle her! Pierce her neck and be done with this! Done with this madness!

"Wake up you maggots!" the woman yelled and Kim closed her eyes shut but stood still as if made from stone. No. Behave. Obey. And nobody should get hurt. A moment later she allowed herself to open her eyes back up and look down at the pig's thick neck. The heroes from some cliched adventure or even horror movies did it so effortlessly. She looked down at her hands still holding the jar. It was half-filled with water, made out of clay, semi-heavy...

"Are you sure you were not given a chance, Kim?" a sudden thought stroke her mind. She looked at the jar and back at the head again. What if she did but she didn't recognize it? What if she was too afraid to take it? What if the moment comes and she hesitates? Wasn't it the whole point to pledge your loyalty to the crazy murderer to get on her good side and strike her from behind?!

“Kim…” a familiar voice called for her, making the woman's eyes shift up and meet with a pair of baby blues.

"Freya," she answered her inwardly. She was still here. Kim still remembered the flash of her bright pink hair back then. In the basement. Now her natural-blond roots grew out however they didn't make her any less beautiful as she remembered her to be. Kim slightly opened her mouth in an attempt to say something back but then her eyes darted at the woman in purple... and the loaded gun. The girl furrowed her eyebrows, eyes glaring in every direction as the tightening in her chest rose with each second.

“Please…” she heard. But didn't dare to move. "You are afraid. You are still too afraid to do anything. With or without the needle you wouldn't make a difference," the voice inside her head crawled over her skin making Kim shiver.

"Kim, darling... How you changed", another voice has spoken to her. A voice she missed so so much. "Pops," she mouthed and felt her eyes get teary. She remembered the night they talked last time when both of them still were in the rooms. He said he was with Aoi.

Aoi. Maya, Keiari. And so many more names. So many people got hurt here. So many perished for nothing! Kim found it difficult to breathe, her palms shook as she gripped onto the clay walls of the jug as if it was her safety jacket.

And then she saw a finger. The finger was pointing at the glass on the table. She didn't need to be asked twice. She knew her place. She must put on a show. Just one wrong move and Madge would know... Without hesitation, the woman followed the command and lowered her body to pour the drink. Suddenly she felt the tug on her chains making the girl cry in pain.

... Why?! She did everything she asked her to do. Fucking bitch. Why? What's the point in this charade?! But it's too late now. Disobedience will cause nothing but trouble. People could get hurt or die. All of them can die. Oh, Jess. Jess, where are you?

The woman meawhile pressed her lips against the cold the glass and finished it in one gulp. Next, she's taken a knife and moved the dish with the duck closer to her. Despite the meat being old and rubbery, the woman lip-smacked every bite. This was their very last "rich" meal after all. They had barely any more rations left and even the wine the Madame so loved to drink herself each evening was no more. All they had now was water. But Madame didn't care. As long as everything went according to her plan, that's all she needed. She loved food, yes. Who doesn't? But it would never satisfy her true hunger. The hunger for power.

With a satisfied grin with Madge pierced one of the cut pieces and put it in her mouth, chewing loudly. The old woman nodded and put the gun down when Noah has finally proclaimed his choice. The next second she ordered Kim to pour yet another glass of water.

The ginger hesitated. Despite the fact that the liquid has just left the nozzle - the jug felt much heavier than before. Maybe it would be... enough? If she could raise her hands up a little bit more just to make sure tha-

"See, darling," Madge spoke addressing Gregory once more making Kim shift her attention to the voice. "It's not that difficult to make a decision!" Huh? The ginger wasn't sure what the woman was leading to but this was enough for her to decide against following her instincts and wait a little bit more instead. So she carefully poured another glass of water.

"Look at those two lovebirds!" she pierced another piece of meat and pointed at Noah and Freya with a knife. "It can be us!" she cooed and took a pause to gulp it down. Ignoring the glass she stood up, with a sly wide smile on her face the cougar walked with the knife in her right hand and the gun in her left towards Gregory behind the backs of the three victims. Wagging her hips Madge reached the other end of the table and sat on it in front of Gregory, playing and dangling the gun on one finger, leaning on her right hand to present her body in the "the best light".

"Marry me," the voice boomed in Kim's ears like thunder. "Oh. Oh, fuck! Oh, shit," Kim finally realized the woman's motives. That's the reason why Gregory is here! That's why she kept him for "herself" for so long. Oh, fuck...

"Dad! Dad, please!" Kim wanted to scream but couldn't so she just looked at him instead with the plea in her eyes, "Just say yes, It's all going to be over soon. I wish I could have told you earlier. Just lie. Pretend. Please. Please! Say yes!"

[Gregory Hopkins]

Greg looked around with tired eyes. He was involved in a crazy game again and here was his poor daughter Kim. She will witness another murder here. Again. Who die in this time?

Greg saw a pink-haired girl. He must saw here somewhere...far ago.
"I choose...Miss Freya!" - Gregory heard how an old man, like he, said these words with a trembling.
"What are you doing, crazy woman?" - whispered Greg to himself. He hopes that no one heard this. Of course, he knows the answer and didn't need any explanation, but his heat was full of the anger on Magde. She didn't want to lose and she used to take all she wants. But not this time!

Gregory heavily sights and looked up at Kim again. She looked so tired, so lost and he even saw fear in her deep eyes. What did that woman do to her?

"See, darling. It's not that difficult to make a decision!"  said Madge and again, Greg saw that romantic vibe in her eyes. Division... All his answers always were wrong! Because of him, Lydia died in the first game! After the date, he lost Kim and lost all hos sense of life. How does this crazy woman dare to say about the hardness of a decision?!

"Look at those two lovebirds!" Asian lady pointed at miss Freya and the old man with a knife. "It can be us!".

Gregory made a displeased face. Better die, than see Madge as his wife... The man looked at the gun. He was ready to hear another gunshot. At the last time...

"Marry me!" This proposal even didn't surprise Gregory. He heard this often and this even become boring. But Kim looks shocked. Did she know what happens to him after the date? Maybe, they two lost hope to see each other and Madge playing with them so well.

Asian last looked so pleased. Of course, she finally showed a beloved daughter, this was a hidden trump card in sleeve. She thought that after THAT he must agree.

"My darling Kim, - the old man ignored the question, and his eyes looked only at scared ginger girl. "No matter what happens, I will always be with you. You will be alright, I promise. How I can betray my two favorite girls and stay with a murder? How I can throw you from my heart? Because I'm ready to give it to you. All that I'm doing is only because of my love for you and your mother - Stephanie. But I'm too old and sick to save you from here and maybe... My time comes".

The old man turns his head to the Madge.
" I never change my mind. And my answer is "NO". You want my heart? Fine? You can shot here!! I'm not afraid! All of the best, that see your ugly face everyday".

Gregory closed his eyes and smiled.
"But I need to thank you. Finally, I saw my daughter. It was the best present at all times."

[Noah Hernandez]

The evil woman smiled at his words. Clearly satisfied, she put down the gun, making Noah sigh in relief. His attention went back to the girls. Claudie was giving him a small smile, one that was clearly a mask for her sadness. She had spoken something while he was in the middle of an anxiety attack, something he couldn’t make out at the time. But by the looks of her expression, it seemed like she was also satisfied with his answer. The architect couldn’t think of a single reason why she would risk her life like that, and he feels remorse that she’s been put in that position to begin with. He only can hope that she will still make it out alive.

Freya, on the other hand, was silently sobbing beside him. His brown eyes tried to look at her blue ones, but they could only drift away in the end. He felt guilty seeing her like that. They were going to be forced into a marriage, one neither wants, and the only way they could do to possibly stop it was to die. Forced marriage or death, that was the game here. One that was bound to leave its mental and physical scars on all of them. Noah never really thought he’d ever get married, he didn’t even really want to.

He was the kind of person that prepared for everything. But he couldn’t have prepared for this.

The woman’s attention went back to the man sitting across the way. “See darling,” she said, “It’s not that difficult to make a decision!” She took her knife and pointed it at Freya and Noah, causing him to lean back into his chair.

“Look at those two love birds! It came here us!” Noah could only cringe at the statement. Is this what she thought love was? Is this how she sees relationships?

The architect clenched as she got up from the table and walked towards them, only to see that she was really heading towards the man. At last, she said what she clearly was building up for the entire evening.

“Marry me.”

Noah’s attention shifted around, in slight confusion and worry. He looked at Kim, who was clearly in her own state of shock. At first he was confused, but then the man started talking and it began to make sense. The man ignored the question, talking to Kim. Apparently they knew each other. More than that, they were family.

“But I’m too old and sick to save you from here and maybe...my time comes,” he concluded.

The architect’s eyes went wide with panic. He violently shook his head at him.

No! Don’t do it! You’ll get killed! Miss Kim might get killed! This woman is unpredictable! Just play along!

“I never changed my mind, and my answer is NO!” The man shouted angerly at the woman.

Noah lowered his head in defeat. He didn’t want to see what was going to happen next.

[Claudette Hautecourt]

As she was lamenting her own fate and trying to decide on the last words she would part on this earth she heard Freya sobbing. She raised her head and looked at the girl. Wishing she could reach out to her and give her a touch. "It's okay, better you than me..." She said in a low soothing voice hoping to calm the girl down so she would not be targetted by the crazy woman's wrath. Had Noah chosen her over Freya the crazy woman might have chosen to hurt Noah as well.

The voices coming from the woman as she ate and drank were disgusting her just as much as the smell of the food was as well. She made mental notes of the foods on the table. Any number of them she would have wanted to eat while in captivity but now she just felt like she would never willingly put any of those in her mouth after seeing the woman eat them. Not that she would be able to after this.

"See, darling," She looked at the woman who was now talking to the man she was making moves at.  "It's not that difficult to make a decision!"

"Look at those two lovebirds!" She looked at the woman as she then pointed at Freya and Noah with the knife. She glanced at the two who were far removed from being called love birds. She really was as delusional as she was fat. "It can be us!" The woman then rose from her seat and began to move towards them. Claudie felt the panic rise in her body as she watched the woman's large frame barrel towards her. She felt a cold piercing shiver running up her spine as the woman passed behind her, making her lean as much forward in her chair as she could in the ties. Clearly uncomfortable in the woman's presence. Her attention turned to the crazy woman going to the poor man and starting to pose her body in a way that made Claudie turn away so not to gag at the sight. "Marry me," As those words escaped the woman's lips Claudie's head snapped back to the two with her eyes wide. Had she just heard right? Her sympathy towards the poor man skyrocketed, there was no right answer in this situation he could give. Yes would doom him with her, no would doom him to death or worse. Claudie glanced at Freya and Noah to see what their reactions were to this. Then she took note on the girl serving the food to the woman and noticed she was not thrilled about this either.

The expectant silence just kept stretching as they waited for the man's reaction, it felt as if time stood still.

"My darling Kim," Claudie's head snapped to the girl with ginger hair as she was the one the man was looking at as he spoke. "No matter what happens, I will always be with you. You will be alright, I promise. How I can betray my two favorite girls and stay with a murder? How I can throw you from my heart? Because I'm ready to give it to you. All that I'm doing is only because of my love for you and your mother - Stephanie. But I'm too old and sick to save you from here and maybe... My time comes".

Darling Kim? Favourite girls? Mother? Stephanie? Was this some sort of a soap opera she was witnessing? Claudie felt like screaming to the man not to be a fool but then she noticed the gun the woman was playing with and swallowed her words.

" I never change my mind. And my answer is "NO". You want my heart? Fine? You can shot here!! I'm not afraid! All of the best, that see your ugly face everyday". This man was crazy! The woman had a gun and his what she assumed was the man's daughter was there too! The crazy woman would turn that gun on any of them, not just him.

"But I need to thank you. Finally, I saw my daughter. It was the best present at all times." That was sweet but crazy. She looked at the redhead and felt sorry for her to possibly having to witness him dying. She looked at Noah and Freya, Noah at least had lowered his head in anticipation to the eventuality that was going to happen. Claudie couldn't do the same, instead her attention shifted between the other people in the room like a deer caught in headlights.

[Freya Alexander]

Freya had fallen completely silent; her un-wipeable tears staining ribbons against her pale, malnourished cheeks. Kim hadn’t even acknowledged her voice apart from the glance of wide ocean-blue eyes, the fear stark in her face. She had opened her mouth, and yet nothing emerged. Freya had hoped a wry smile, or a note of acknowledgment would cross Kim’s face, yet Freya’s chest hollowed out, and the hurt she felt at her friend’s silence cut deeper than she had expected. It was irrational, as her friend’s terror at the wrath of this old woman seemed to overpower it entirely, but Freya was in the pigpen, and the butcher’s knife was primed for ending her little life without a moment’s notice. She only wondered if Kim would react then…

"It's okay, better you than me..." Claudie murmured to Freya, and a sudden overwhelming sense of nausea became her. The girl was preparing for her death, or something much worse; why did Freya deserve any better than her? And why on earth was she soothing her?! She had done nothing wrong; nothing. She recalled back to her conversation with Dorian, the way he reassured her; told her it wasn’t her fault who Madge had chosen:

‘She wants us to fall apart, turn on each other, and blame ourselves. That’s the best way for her to control us, to make sure we can’t defend ourselves. We can’t make it so easy on her,’ Dorian had said, and she knew it was correct. This witch had limited physical strength, but her capacity at emotional abuse and psychological torment had them by their throats. That, and the gun she held between her fingers, poised for the shot, didn’t exactly help.

Freya took a shuddering breath, her puffy gaze meeting both Noah’s and Claudie’s, trying desperately to form words to say to them. But she couldn’t, for how could she? It wasn’t a rational state they had found themselves tortured within, writhing in fear until the guillotine’s blade fell, and someone’s life was on the floor. Why did it have to be any of them; could nothing be done to stop it? All the pink-haired girl could do was shake her head, the melancholic agony splitting the seams of her face. Her tears were dry but, in her eyes, screamed the agonising guilt that would surely haunt her forever.

“It doesn’t have to be like this…” Freya whispered, the corners of her mouth tugging down as her gaze fell downtrodden.

Madge turned her gaze to the familiar older gentleman sitting in front of them all: "See, darling, It's not that difficult to make a decision!" The manner in which she crooned ‘darling’ soured Freya’s stomach, bile rising to her throat. What a poor man; he didn’t deserve such a fate. Garnering the attention of… that thing, in a romantic sense. "Look at those two lovebirds! It can be us!" Getting to her feet, the woman waddled behind them, swaying her hips in a silent joy that none of the rest of them could honestly ever find themselves sharing in. The girl’s hackles rose in an apprehensive fight or flight motion as she lost sight of the woman, Madge, momentarily, expecting the knife to slice at her jugular at any given moment. Alas, she sidled up to the older gentleman, and professed something that sickened Freya to her core: "Marry me."

The physical air stilled, and Freya could not help but scowl at such a question, the acidic feeling in her chest bubbling away furiously; whether it was rage or nausea was still up for a certain debate. “Fucking hell,” she murmured to herself, unable to process the initial feelings of shock. Like a fucking fever dream. Perhaps this wasn’t a lucid state; it was something far worse. She should have listened to Dorian, she should have eaten more. Clenching her fists, Freya could only watch in a reserved horror as the older man – Greg – decided to speak to Kim directly:

“…All that I'm doing is only because of my love for you and your mother - Stephanie. But I'm too old and sick to save you from here and maybe... My time comes,” he spoke calmly, almost too much so, and Freya couldn’t help but snap her back to Kim to see what her friend was feeling. The moment passed quickly; however, and with a sharper ferocity to his tone, Greg seethed at Madge in the best, and most stupid way utterly imaginable:
"I never change my mind. And my answer is "NO". You want my heart? Fine? You can shot here!! I'm not afraid! All of the best, that see your ugly face every day. But I need to thank you. Finally, I saw my daughter. It was the best present at all times." Visibly cringing, Freya’s heart began rushing in a flurry, as though a flock of birds had unsettled from the strings of her core and flapped madly, unable to settle.

Her eyes snapped to the gun; Madge’s face; the gun; to Kim; the gun; down to her lap. Something terrible was about to happen, and she could not bear to witness it.

[Madge Baker]

She could not believe her ears. After everything she did, he still dared to refuse her offer. Outrageous! Endangering the lives of those people, his daughter's and his own he dared to speak back to her. Her lips curled up in a cruel smirk. What a stubborn old man! A fool! A stubborn old fool! How hard could it be to finally understand that he had NO choice from the beginning! She can't be wrong. They are destined to be together! However, since he can't keep refusing her for forever... She guessed he has left her no choice but-

"HA!" a sudden voice rang inside Madge's ears making all of her muscules tense up as her breath stuck in her throat. What? She is back? She is back! No!! She shouldn't be here! Did she see everything?! Was she here all this time?!!

Alas, there was no doubt. It was the voice. The voice she didn't realize only she could hear. The moment the girl behing her back started laughing Madge's heart skipped a beat. As the woman made a sharp turn to face the "beast", she let out an inhuman long yelp... of fear. Her arms flew in the air when she almost lost balance and control to this irrational feeeling. As she twirled like a windmill in her spot, she yelled, "GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MAG-"

SLASH!

She blinked. Blood. Dark red blood was gushing out of the neck right onto the soft, white silk and Greg's lap. The red spot spreading and getting bigger and bigger with each passing moment. "No," the woman whispered in disbelief, her arms and her fingers suddenly felt numb. She couldn't have lost. She couldn't. No. Not in front of HER!

As the knife that fell out of her limp grasp reached the ground with a clacking sound, her eyes darted around as she has now only realized that the gun was out of her sight as well. "No," she reapeated one more time in a raspy almost silent whisper. "NO!!" the old woman screamed on top of her lungs in despair; with a flashing red from anger eyes, she tuned back to the girl with blonde hair.

"YOU!" she yelled at her while clasping her meaty hands around Claudie's neck. Even though for everybody else it looked like she was torturing the girl who was still tired up and sitting in a chair, for Madge it wasn't just one of her prisoners who she saw. Oh no, the girl before her was none other than the pesky little rat. The little bundle of "joy" with two dark as the raven's wing spacebuns. The one who ruined it all. Marianne.

"It's all your fault!" she yelled at her daughter's hallucination as her hands around the blonde's throat became burgundy from the pressure she put on it. "Ha! Ha-ha-ha!" Marianne kept laughting, her daring smile shining brighter than the sun while Claudie felt as the air was escaping her lungs but she was unable to gasp to fill them up again. "YOU! It's your- your fault!" as the fat woman kept yelling with each second the blonde's face turned more and more purple.

"You have ruined my life!" with the tears in her eyes Madge kept squeezing the neck, trying to silence the girl who lived inside her head from the moment she perished. Even though she was gone she didn't leave their lives. Her destiny shaped and twisted each of Madge's steps. All she wanted is to prove her. To prove that she was right. It was all Marianne fault. She couldn't have made a mistake. She could never. The maggot should have been a better wife. It wasn't her fault. No! It wasn't- It wasn't her fault!

"I had everything! EVERYTHING! And YOU-" the woman cried as Claudie has started to lose consciousness until her cries were suddenly abrupted with a loud, booming...

BANG!

[Kim Anderson]

"NO!" the gun fell out of Kim's grasp as she sharply turned her head to look at the bearer of the voice who was yelling on top of her lungs as if she was trying to outvoice the gunshot itself. It was a blonde woman she has never met before, wearing a torn wedding dress. The stranger stormed into the room, the door flying wide open. She ran and kneeled right before the deceased body of their captor which was now nothing but a bloody mess with a hole in her skull. Dead.

At last.

The body was laying just a foot away from the girl who the psycho tried to suffocate. Kim made it just in time when she has finally reached the gun from under the table so the poor woman was coming back to her senses and could breathe again, however... It wasn't looking so good for Greg.

"Dad!" the little girl yelled as she tried to walk as fast as she could stumbling over the chains around her ankles and almost falling back to the ground. Everything has happened so fast. The proposal. The rejection. The freakout. In a matter of seconds, the world around them turned upside down. And Kim knew what she had to do. They knew she couldn't be stopped. Nothing but a bullet could stop her.

However, in the turmoil of tonight's events, Kim didn't realize at first the consequences of Madge's fit of hysteria. Gregory was wounded and his face already lost its color.

"Dad!" she cried as she reached his spot, blood was trickling out of his neck down his chest as he was slowly losing consciousness. "Dad, we will get you out of here!" the girl pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to pressure the wound. She should have done something sooner. She shouldn't have waited. She was too late.

"Dad, please," she panicked reaching with her bloody hands to turn his face towards her. "Stay with me, please," she whispered unable to accept this reality. They are free. They've defeated her. They won! And yet... she lost.

While Kim was way too occupied with her father's state of being to notice anything else that's been happening around her, the blonde stranger has finally stood up and took a few steps away from the table. In silence, she picked up the gun the ginger girl have left so carelessly on the floor before. Her chest was rising up and down as she examined it like if it was a sacred artifact... until she rose it and pointed the gun at the ginger gal...

---

[!] Everybody can react to the unfolded events in whatever order they wish to post. <3 All of you including Greg can leave one post before I post as Maria next. However, it will be the last post for Greg. </3 Rest in peace, papa bear!

[Noah Hernandez]

It all happened so fast. Noah could feel his entire body shaking violently against the wooden chair, his heart pounding so fast like it was going to explode inside his chest. He couldn’t even find words to say anything. But the thing to put him in his state of shock, it wasn’t knife, the death, the yelling. It was the blood. The thick, oozing, dark red blood that poured out of the man’s neck, the only sounds he could make was gagging and strangled coughs. It was like one big flashback, a parallel to Huxley’s death. That memory came back fresh in his mind. God he wanted to be sick. He felt his stomach get weaker by the second, just wanted to expel what little was in there in sight of seeing all that blood. So much blood. He couldn’t even look away from it....that was until, he heard another sound of choking.

The architect turned his head, and his eyes went wide. Thick hands were gripping tightly around Claudie’s neck. She was struggling, she was choking, her face was turning purple.

She was dying.

“S...s-stop it...please,” Noah said quietly. His voice could barely make it past a whisper. “Please, please stop it. Let her go.”

His voice was managing to get louder the longer she kept being choked, the longer it went on. Madge’s screams weren’t even registering to him, he just was so solely focused on wanting Claudie to live.

“Please! Let her go!”

BANG!

Once again, it was all so fast. As the woman’s body collapsed to the floor, a voice spoke. One he recognized all too well. One that he’d been hoping to hear again for so long.

“NO!” She came running in, running in with her long silky white dress, covered in those same bruises. That same dirt. It had been so long and yet...she had changed so little.

“Mary...?” He whispered in his shaky breath. He said that name, even fully knowing from his conversation with Geoff that it probably wasn’t her real name. That she was brainwashed to think that was her name. But he didn’t focus on that, he just saw her....sobbing over the woman’s body. And that memory came back to him. As this poor woman mourned the loss of their kidnapper, all he could do was relate to her. Relate to that helplessness. He knew that feeling so well, he didn’t experience it that long ago. It was a heartbreaking sight, to see that someone so horrible was cared by this mysterious ghost that had haunted him for almost his entire time here. But more so, it was heartbreaking to see someone else experience it in full force. And even though Kim and her beloved father was right there across the way, Mary had captured his attention completely. He didn’t know why. He didn’t understand why. Everything was just tuned out for him.

Until Mary stopped. She stood up. She had something in her hand. Something she then pointed at Kim with. It was the gun. Mary was going to kill Kim.

“MARY STOP!” Noah shouted. The room stood still for the architect, for he didn’t really know where that even came from. It just came out, like a dam just broke and a river broke out and spilled into a vast forest. Like it had been cracking that whole night and finally....he snapped.

He didn’t know if he had her attention, or how much of her attention he had, but he wasn’t going to stop. For once in his pathetic and lonely life, he was going to try and do something. He went back for a moment, only a moment, to everything Huxley had taught him. This man who was filled with social anxiety and only focused on logical thinking now had to think emotionally. He now had to make sure he was saying from a human level. Not from the perspective of numbers or statistics, but from pure emotion. This thing he’s been avoiding all his life...now is the thing he must confront full force.

“Tha....Thats your name, isn’t it? Mary?” He finally said, his voice still shaking a little. Not bad enough to stop him but could still be noticed by the rest. “Miss Mary...I want you to listen to me. And what I’m about to say....it’s going to sound strange because...we don’t really know each other. But...I want you to know that...I understand what you’re feeling. Right now, in this exact moment. I felt it myself not just some weeks back. Or it could’ve been longer.” The architect paused…and continued. “Grief is a strange feeling. You hear about it so many times and you know what it is...but it’s not until you experience it that you know....what it actually feels like. And it’s especially different when it’s under these type of special circumstances, where someone you cared about died by someone else’s hand. You start to try to rationalize it, and all you feel at first is anger. You blame the person who did it. But then there’s this feeling...of blaming yourself. Why couldn’t I stop it, you wonder. Why didn’t I do anything about it? And all you seem to do afterwards is...spiral. You lose control of yourself. And you make decisions you wouldn’t normally make.”

Noah paused, looking at the girl’s faded blue eyes. He took a deep breath, but it wasn’t shaky this time. As he was talking to her, in a weird way, he was also giving himself the words he needed to hear.

“Miss Mary....I’m not saying what Miss Kim did was...right,” he swallowed. The architect didn’t really believe that because if it hadn’t been for Kim, Claudie would’ve died. But he just needed the young woman to put down the gun. “But...she doesn’t deserve to die. No one here does. So much blood shed has happened here, I beg of you. Let’s not spread more. Let’s not cause more grief.“

[Claudette Hautecourt]

The cat butt face on the Asian woman could be seen from space, or at least that was what Claudie felt like as she saw it on the woman. But there was no way she could prepare for the sequence of events that unfolded next. As the shock of the rejection faded the woman began to thrash around with the knife in her hand."GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MAG-" And like everyone gets told as a child 'you should not run around with scissors' the same was true with knives. Someone could get hurt. Someone did get hurt. And it was the object of the matchmakers darkest desires. As the blood began gushing out of him Claudie let out a small scream at the horrifying sight. Kicking her chair as much as she could to move away from the scene. The madwoman had stopped right in her stead and was now looking at the man she had just wanted to marry. Somehow Claudie felt like this would not end well. And it wouldn't. It didn't take long for the woman to start pointing fingers and blaming others for her own actions again. "YOU!" She heard the woman bellow before she felt the woman clasp tightly around her throat. She had barely noticed her moving towards her she was that fast and that furious.

"It's all your fault! YOU! It's your- your fault! You have ruined my life! I had everything! EVERYTHING! And YOU-" Now she knew what a soda can felt like as it was crushed. It felt like her windpipe was being ripped apart and collapsing in on itself as the woman kept squeezing tighter and tighter. Claudie struggled against her ties to try and get her hands or feet free to aid her situation, to get the woman off of her so she could breathe more freely. But to no avail, it only depleted her strength faster. The pain was unbearable and the corners of her eyes were wet with tears, it felt like her lungs were about to rip in to shreds.

At first she began to lose hearing as the blood packed into her ears and made all sound muffled. Then slowly her sight began to blur and it began to fade into black like the ending to a black and white movie. What a pitiful way for her movie to end.

Then there was a bang and a thud and a piercing ringing in her ears as her body suddenly slumped forward and she slowly discovered breathing was allot easier. As she gained that knowledge she suddenly began gasping for air and that made her sore lungs raw, so she began coughing. As the room around her started to appear into her vision once more and the voices around her started to sound sharp again she first noticed the red stains on her lap.

Blood? Was it hers? But she didn't hurt too badly anywhere. Then as her gaze travelled over her own lap she noticed a heap of purple on the ground near her. At first she didn't recognize what or who it was but soon began to have the recollection. Whatever had happened those few seconds she was out of it she had no idea. As she took in the room and the people in it she noticed a woman in white pointing a gun at the ginger girl who was nursing the wounded man who was still oozing blood from his neck.

“Mary...?” Claudie looked to Noah who was fixated on the blonde woman in white. Mary? Where had she heard that name? “MARY STOP!” Of course! The Mary, or Maria, or the woman who had gone to Silvio's room and then vanished. This was her?!

“Tha....Thats your name, isn’t it? Mary? Miss Mary...I want you to listen to me. And what I’m about to say....it’s going to sound strange because...we don’t really know each other. But...I want you to know that...I understand what you’re feeling. Right now, in this exact moment. I felt it myself not just some weeks back. Or it could’ve been longer. Grief is a strange feeling. You hear about it so many times and you know what it is...but it’s not until you experience it that you know....what it actually feels like. And it’s especially different when it’s under these type of special circumstances, where someone you cared about died by someone else’s hand. You start to try to rationalize it, and all you feel at first is anger. You blame the person who did it. But then there’s this feeling...of blaming yourself. Why couldn’t I stop it, you wonder. Why didn’t I do anything about it? And all you seem to do afterwards is...spiral. You lose control of yourself. And you make decisions you wouldn’t normally make. Miss Mary....I’m not saying what Miss Kim did was...right, But...she doesn’t deserve to die. No one here does. So much blood shed has happened here, I beg of you. Let’s not spread more. Let’s not cause more grief.“ She listened to Noah talk and gladly let him do so. She could herself barely speak yet. But she could hear from the tremor in his voice he was nervous. She turned her attention to the woman pointing the gun at the girl, Kim. Who Claudie now gathered from Noah's speech had shot the crazed matchmaker. Claudie eyed her competition for a moment before looking at Kim who was more concerned about her father than her own life. No matter what Kim had to live tonight, she owed her her life now. "Y-you're the Mary Silvio spoke about?" She managed to croak out, sending her into another cough fit, though not as violent as the first one. Taking a few calm breaths before speaking again. "I don't think... he'd like you to become a murderer....." She said hoping against hope this was enough.

[Freya Alexander]

BANG! 

With the deafening sound of the gun piercing the thickened, stress-induced air, the world seemed to cease entirely. First, pain in Freya’s ears, then a shallow, vicious ringing. With their captor’s prior slashing motion, she had ripped into the neck of the poor old man with her knife, sending blood flying, coating his lap and wherever she had flicked the cruel metal. A drop hit Freya’s cheek, though she hadn’t dared raise her head to look at the amass of gore before her. The psychopath went insane; screaming nothing Freya could make out against the distinct sound of everyone’s panic.

It was true; it was all fucking true; she killed them. WHY?! WHY – GOD – WHY?

Claudie’s choked whimpers; Noah’s cries to stop. It had all washed over her; barely processing it. She could see Madge at the edges of her peripherals, her distinct shape going blurred, but still haunting. Claudie’s shallow breaths…

Stop it…

“Please! Let her go!” Noah’s voice cut through.

“STOP IT!” Freya screamed. She slammed her legs against the chair and bit through the pain of the impact. The drop of Greg’s blood trailed down her cheek, leaving crimson tracks against her sallow flesh. She felt it pool at the corner of her jaw and fall to the ground.

Still, barely breathing, staring at an incongruous little stain on her jeans, Freya’s shock was only just setting in when the gunshot slashed at her own eardrums.

And then the terrible silence.

Freya didn’t know who had received their fate before the stiff body of Madge crumpled lifeless to the ground. She seemed doll-like in that moment. Unlike the old man who had still been strapped to his chair when he fell limp, the way this woman crumpled to the ground were as if she weren’t real. Freya stared at her body for what felt like too long of a duration, taking in the visible signs of the life leaving her body; twitching and writhing, until nothing…

It was only then did Freya look at Kim, to see the stranger that she was.

She was preoccupied with the older gentleman, ‘Dad’, but Freya could not look away from her. She had shot her as if it were nothing, right in the back of the head. She had acted, but Freya couldn’t shake the chill of apprehension appeal against her body. Was Madge truly dead? Was she not a spectre able to haunt them for the rest of their lives, tormenting their very existence for ending her life? Despite seeing a chance of escape, Freya had never felt colder. It wasn’t on her mind to look at the girl that rushed in after Madge fell; the unfamiliar young blonde that seemed so hung up on the witch’s death. But her two companions didn’t share that same lack of comprehension in that very moment.

“Mary...?” Noah murmured next to her, as if in recognition. He was… fixated upon her, the crease between his eyes an indicator for his concern. He was right, however, for when this ‘Mary’ turned back to Kim with the glint of metal in her hands, it was as if Freya had been punched once again. She had the gun.

An experienced psycho with a weapon was one thing, but Freya didn’t know this little malnourished creature. Why was she here? Bruised and abused, one thing was for certain: Madge had not been kind to her. So, the sight of ‘Mary’ fawning over their captor’s body, only to seek vengeance; it all felt too much. It didn’t make sense! Noah and Claudie – despite the latter’s likely now bruised windpipe – did all they could to rationalise with her. She seemed more unsure than Madge, but that grief was something clouding her vision, like she was now intoxicated. Being nice would never get through to her.

“K-Kim- The gun, KIM! Behind you!" Freya turned her attention to ‘Mary’, seething: “Look, whoever you are. Do you not think there’s been enough fucking killing here?! Shooting Kim won’t bring her back! You could help us make sure it doesn’t happen again! Or-” Freya chewed on her cheek, biting back her better urges to not be so nasty to this poor, manipulated girl. “Or are you too stupid to realise that with her dead, we’re free?! You’re free to go home! No more violence and blood and starvation. Please! God- please- I just want to go home! Don’t you?”

Freya swallowed, praying her approach doesn’t turn violent on ‘Mary’s end. Glancing around wildly for the knife, anything, Freya felt useless as always. A little cog left to churn on her own. Why the fuck couldn’t she DO anything?!