70. [DREAM/DREAM/DREAM/DREAM]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[So while the rest of Johto alternately panics, cries, or rushes around trying to capture as many of the soulstealing insects as possible, there are dozens of souls floating around in that dream limbo, drifting in and out of each other's slumbering thoughts and visions. Whether it's nightmarish flashbacks or just those dreams where you're at school taking a really hard test, and then Dracula shows up, and then everybody's naked ... anything is possible when it comes to what people see in their sleep.]

[But what appears in the darkness in this particular spot in the spaceless, shifting mass of dreaming souls... is a door.]

[It's old, and covered with boards and bolts, rusted near-through in some places. The lock is broken-- mangled and half-melted and wrenched out of the keyhole. The only thing on it that doesn't look ancient is a scrap of torn notebook-paper that's taped up on it at roughly eye-level. It reads only a single phrase:]</sub>

Fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh.

<sub>[More importantly, though... the door is ajar. Through the gap come the scents of rust and metal-- and something organic, fleshy-- and a low, deep hum of industrial machinery. It's not a door that anyone in their right mind would want to go through. ... But for anyone who may have stumbled this far into the dreams of their fellow lost souls, either in flight from some other nightmare or just pure, wandering curiosity... there's just no other place to go but through the door.]




[Go on. Open it. After all.... it's only a dream.]</sub>

[ooc: SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, GUYS. Thanks for being patient! If you commented on that planning post, there's something spooky planned for your character to do here so please feel free to tag or not tag as it pleases you!]

~*~

[ooc: This is the IC post for what was announced over here! Even if you didn't comment there, feel free to participate! I'm still happy to whip up Silent Hill scenarios for folks!]

Comments

[shiromadoushi]

[[Realizing he's only just making things worse by opening his mouth (something that seemed to keep happening) he falls quiet with a small "Sorry...." because he really doesn't want to keep getting yelled at.]]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's okay, Bakura. It's not like Heather's much of a saint either (EXCEPT SHE TECHNICALLY IS LOLOLOLOLOL SAINT ALESSA LOL), and in THIS little upcoming scenario, it's her fault more than his that there's something lurking ever closer to them.]

[She's already opening her mouth to either tell him to 'STOP FUCKING APOLOGIZING' or just deliver another scathing remark, when another sound joins the discussion. A burst of sharp radio static, emanating from one of her pockets.]

[O-oh. :I; Well, shit.]</sub>

[shiromadoushi]

[[Well that couldn't be good. Even if he hadn't ever played this game before wasn't sure what things were yet, a sudden noise where there hadn't been one before...

Quickly tucking the Ring away under his shirt and moving a bit behind Heather. Where did he put that knife... ... how did he open that knife again? Crap!

Really REALLY wishing he knew how to work the Ring now. Turning monsters into dolls would be insanely helpful!

... wait. Did monsters have souls? Crap! Even the Ring would be no help! (as if it ever was...)]]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Yeah, radio static in Silent Hill? The static is your friend, but the things that cause it sure aren't.]

[His immediate impulse is correct, because the first thing Heather does is throw out an arm and mutter 'Get the knife out' before clicking the light off again. Not that it'll do much good-- if something's close enough to be setting off the radio, it's probably already seen them.]

[And sure enough, there's a deep, groaning gurgle from further down the hallway, along with the shafing sound of something being dragged across the floor.]</sub>

Actually, there is one thing the Ring CAN do...Force field push! Which may happen if needed later :D

[shiromadoushi]

[[fumbling with the knife a little before aha! That was how you opened it! Not.. that it was likely to help him much. But..

He put a hand over his chest, where the Ring lay, heart pounding loudly in his ears in a mix of excitement and anxiety. Another zombie type? Sounded like. Oh man, he wished he could see in the dark, what did this one look like? Something hideous, oozing and decaying? That would be so cool! ...as long as it didn't attack.]]

OH BOY

[foolishwren]

<sub>[No... no, what was coming towards them was not a zombie like the nurse had appeared to be.]

[It's bigger, for one thing... the footfalls it makes as it shuffles closer shake the floor, and in the dim light, a hulking, shadowy figure can be (barely) seen looming in the narrow hallway.]

[Heather backs up, nudging Bakura backwards as well with her arm, which is spread in front of him. No matter how pissed she is, she doesn't want her companion dead. She's holding her breath and stepping softly, just on the off-chance that it hasn't actually seen them and they can get away quietly...]

[But no such luck.]

[The figure, twice as tall as either of them, lifts a strange, elongated head in the darkness and snuffles, as though sniffing the air.]</sub>

So, if it looks like they're utterly boned... they have an out! :D

[shiromadoushi]

[[Oh wow. Oh wow oh wow oh wow oh--

He shuffles back, eyes almost glued on that shadowy figure, mingled feelings of 'THIS IS SO COOL' and 'OH CRAP' running around screaming in his brain. It was sort of a shame the word 'Sugoi' didn't quite translate right. 'Awesome' was almost right but this... this was pants shitting amazing.]]

Gotcha!

[foolishwren]

<sub>['Amazing' is absolutely not the word that Heather would use right now... especially since, even more than that nurse... this beast has personal significance to her.]

[Which is why, as she continues to try and back Bakura down the hallway, her other hand is pointing the gun straight at it. The pipe... will simply not do for something this size.]

[The thing continues to sniff at the air... and then, quite abruptly, it becomes apparent that it knows exactly where they are, and it's very, very interested.]

[With a horrendous sound that could not possibly be further, be less human than the raspy hyperventilation of the nurse, it charges forward, swinging a disgustingly meaty, clublike arm.]</sub>

[shiromadoushi]

[[Oh shi---

As 'Sounds to very quickly run away from' went, that one was pretty high. Scrambling to get the hell out of the way and hoping to hell Heather is going to do the same.]]

[foolishwren]

_{[Judging by the sound of scrambling feet behind him, Heather has the same general idea. She's not exactly a fan of dying. But at the same time... she has someone else to worry about now, and as she runs, she's firing the gun over her shoulder frantically.]}

*pulls from anime canon. Because this happens, poor bastard :D*

[shiromadoushi]

[[Not even looking to see if it's following, just running like his life--

-- depends on his foot not catching on a bit of nothing and sending him flying for a terrifyingly long 3 seconds before the ground starts rushing for him.

Oh shi---]]

HAHAH I've only seen YGO Abridged BUT I REMEMBER THE TRIPPING

[foolishwren]

<sub>[What happens when you trip? You fall.]

[What happens when someone in front of you falls and you're running with your head turned to look behind you? ... You trip over them.]

[And fall.]</sub>

FUCK!!

_{[Heather's sent sprawling, and the monster is bearing down on top of them with its clublike arms bludgeoning....]}

He has the worst luck in so many ways :D

[shiromadoushi]

[[Gives a sound like an "Oof" as he's tripped over before realization hits. Oh god. Not only was he screwed, but him being an idiot was going to--

And the rest of the thought is cut off by the oh god it's RIGHT THERE--

There's a moment of terrified stillness before there's a burning golden light that near erupts from his chest, slamming into the monster before it can touch him.

What-- what on Earth...?!]]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[Sure enough, the monster is shoved backwards, away from him. It lets out a sound that must have been one of confusion-- but it's hard to tell. Mostly it just sounds... well, monstrous.]

[Something sharp slips out of the end of one of its clublike arms and sticks into the floor, screeching like nails on a chalkboard as it's dragged.]

[Meanwhile, Heather is struggling to her feet, grabbing for her gun-- which had fallen when she tripped.]</sub>

[shiromadoushi]

[[The Ring has somehow moved to be outside his shirt and is glowing brighter than ever. If he tries to get to his feet, will it stop whatever the Ring is doing? Will it run out while he's still sitting there like an idiot?

With his luck? Both.

But amazingly, whatever the Ring's doing holds as he scrambles to his feet. Have to wait for Heather, what kind of a jerk would he be to just run off now?]]

[foolishwren]

_{[For an instant, Heather's not sure whether she should be pointing the gun at Bakura or at the monster. Fortunately, she decides on the monster, which is twitching and straining to get past the ethereal barrier.]}

--Okay, as soon as we get out of here, you're gonna explain to me what the FUCK that thing is!

[shiromadoushi]

[[a nod. Not that he had many answers, but he could try...]] I don't know how long it'll do this...

[[aka, if you going to kill that thing, now would be the time...]]

[foolishwren]

_{[Yeah, she gets that... her finger tightens on the trigger, but she hesitates.]}

Is that-- ... thing gonna make the bullets ricochet?

_{[SHE HAD TO ASK. Because the last thing she wanted is to somehow shoot herself in the foot because of some weird supernatural power at play that she wasn't familiar with...]}

[shiromadoushi]

[[a hesitant pause]] I really don't know... I've never seen it do this before. It doesn't look solid though... Like a push more than a sh--

[[and that was going to be moot anyway because looks like with the danger on hold and Bakura no longer in a panic, the Ring figures it's done here and is going dim.

Shoot fast, Heather.]]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[AW SHI--]

[Heather notices the light going dimmer and wastes no time-- pulling the trigger several times in quick succession. But it takes more than a few to bring something as big as this down. A lot more.]

[Unfortunately.]

[As the ring dims, the beast LUNGES forward, letting out a gobbering scream and swinging one of those enormous, grotesque arms at the pair viciously. In a wide-open space, it might have been easy to avoid, but the problem with being in a narrow space with something trashing and stomping is that-- ... well, it's very hard to avoid. It's huge, it's angry, and it's out-of-control.]

[Should the clublike arm make contact with Bakura and knocked into the wall wall, it'll feel more or less like getting hit by a truck that's thinly covered in lukewarm, half-cooked pork chops. Yes, that is a disgusting mental image, and no, sadly, it isn't inaccurate.</sub>

[shiromadoushi]

[[and with Bakura's wonderful luck and low dodge skill, it was sort of inevitable. With an 'oof' he collides with the wall, breath knocked out of him.

No help from the Ring this time. Without the spirit in it to actively protect his host and Bakura having little idea how to use it, there was little it could do on its own, even in a dream world. ]]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[WHAM. Boy, he'll be feeling THAT one tomorrow...]

[It's hard to tell, exactly, what on earth is going on-- the previously silent hallway has become a veritable MOSH-PIT of stomping and flying blows and bullets. It's actually probably a GOOD thing that Bakura's been shoved to the side, because otherwise, he'd be getting TRAMPLED-- the thing's screams, along with hoarse yells from Heather and the POPS of the gun, make it hard on the ears, too ... and even off to the side, there's probably still one or two more blows coming in Bakura's direction if he doesn't move fast--]</sub>

--THE KNIFE! HELP me, USE THE KNIFE!

[shiromadoushi]

[[Bakura hasn't a CLUE what's going on but he manages to stagger to his feet, somehow managing to keep from being whaled into again. Thankfully adrenaline kicks in quickly and he's scrambling to the side, trying to figure out where Heather is and where the-- OH SHI--

It's pure reflex as he swings the knife, burying it alarmingly deep into the monster's flesh and dragging it downward as if slicing into the roughest slab of meat ever.]]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[It's all a horrible, thrashing blur of flailing limbs-- but the knife hits home.]

[That scream it let out when they first encountered it? Is NOTHING compared to the sound that pierces the air as he drags the knife downwards, slicing gristle and snapping sinews with sickening wet crunches on the way down. As he does so, there's another volley of pistol shots from-- wherever Heather is, it's hard to even TELL-- and at last the monster goes into a horrible spasm, making a few final violent thrashes with its arms as it goes down on its surprisingly-delicate knees.]</sub>

[shiromadoushi]

[[and Bakura just... stands there, ears ringing, body aching, feeling like he is probably covered with gook, knife still in hand and breath coming far too quickly.]]

... did we get it...?