OUTSIDE

[peckishmods]

outside

the garden looks very nice today

He blooms over every surface, pokes through cracks between bricks, climbs walls and lamp posts, hangs from roofs. He sees you. This is what they meant by infinity, and it is chilling to behold.

Without streetlamps, without starlight, without the moon, campus is dark. A layer of ash is starting to collect over everything like snow, filthy and warm to the touch. The vines are thick as a carpet out here, and they move. Wriggling, writhing, squirming, breathing. They are alive. Out here the purple flowers glow, petals pulsing to the rhythm of a song that never reaches your ears. Aside from the magical starlit pathways still shimmering from earlier in the night, that purple glow is the only light.

In every direction, there is ruination, broken things and billowing smoke. There is no telling how far it stretches, this field of vines and purple flowers. To Paw Paw in the north, certainly. And judging by some of the memories to be found, through the town of Elflock Falls, as well.

If you must be out here, be quick. He will find you if you don't hurry. He will take you.

flee through the rabbit's hole

Somewhere in the woods there is a place that's still safe. A spot set aside by the holler itself. A prison for the one who gave his heart away. So secure, it's still protected, still free of The Thing's infection.

Though a seance had called him here once before, he cannot enter this space again. At least not for now. Not so long as your friends fight and push and never give up. So long as you defeat the inevitable.

Clovers still carpet this little ravine, and the old train car stands as it always has: covered in tags and half-rusted but sturdy. The air is still cool and damp, but a fire now roars in the pit beside the train. Candy and snacks, some in packages so old you hardly recognize the brand, sits out in a neat little pile, pristine, fresh and new as the day it was donated.

Tonight, the trees that wall the little ravine stand taller and stronger than they've ever seemed to before. Something pushes at them, but they push back. Even the smallest ones are fighting the invasive growth.

or stay to reap what's been sown

TO ELSEWHERE
| TO THE TREE | TO THE UPPER LEVELS | TO THE SORTING PATH |

IN THIS HUB
| SOMEWHERE SAFE | AMONG THE VINES |

OOC POSTS
| OOC ACTION HUB | OOC CHATTER - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS |

Comments

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[infamously]

Presley owns only one suit and one pair of dress shoes, both charmed ash-grey in a weak nod to the prom theme. A few hours ago, he'd regretted not buying something flashy to wear to his junior prom, and now, well... small favors.

"Put some power into it and throw it in the direction of the central green," Presley suggests. They might as well test out one of their routes, and the straightest line to the infirmary is as good as any. "And just in case... get ready to run."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[damnnearkilledem]

"Ah, DSW clearance heels, I hardly knew ye." Winter crosses her arms, and then uncrosses just one the wave her hand toward the central green, quiet consent to lobbing her heel.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[shoulderdevil]

"Heels suck anyway, right?" Patrice asks idly, taking aim as directed by Presley and loosing the shoe. He's got good arm strength, so it flies a decent distance before landing amongst the vines on the central green.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[peckishmods]

Something out there bends as Winter's shoe soars. Several somethings. Like a trapdoor spider snatching prey that wanders too close to it's hidey hole, whatever's out there stretches at least eight undulating arms out and neatly plucks the shoe from the air. A split second of visceral arachnid horror, and then just as quick, it's gone.

Silence.

Then rustling. A single ropy tendril rises up into the air. It turns this way and that, an under-cooked spaghetti periscope. Searching.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[damnnearkilledem]

Winter ducks her head, as though she can get below whatever that thing's line of sight is. Now, she's whispering. "Mm, yeah, no."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[teratophilia]

"Hate that," Armani agrees, nose wrinkling. "Think we can go 'round the perimeter? We could cut through the buildings, but it's dangerous if you go steppin' on anything barefoot."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[arisahn]

Like everyone else, Aris had turned his gaze toward Patrice and the sacrificial shoe that he'd launched out into the central green. His eyes go wide at the result and he shakes his head adamantly in agreement with Winter and Armani. Nope. Definitely not without their wands. He touches the back of his neck and exhales a small breath, making an effort to lower his voice too.

"Maybe we should throw the other shoe too?" he suggests, "Somewhere closer to the perimeter? So we can, like...at least guess how far that thing's reach is?" He considers this, then adds, "Or one of us could give Winter a piggyback so we can go the long way?"

Why, yes, this is a serious suggestion.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[infamously]

"Are we planning on going through broken glass?" Presley asks dryly. Which... considering the state of the auditorium, okay, maybe there's broken glass around here, but surely they'll feel the shards under the ash if they actually get to that point. "Carmichael hasn't spent years doing the utmost for her forest goblin aesthetic to not run barefoot now. We can still get there in a few minutes if we go the long way, we just have to go now."

Presley sounds more confident than he actually feels. He hates standing around, not knowing what's coming for them.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[damnnearkilledem]

"As much as I'd love a r-ride," Winter says with a smile that pulls flat pointed Aristotle's way. Kind, but amused. "I'll be fine." To illustrate, she hops back and forth on her toes, light-footed. "We should go though. If not for...whatever that is, then for everyone else. I'll watch my step. Swear."

She walks a few careful steps around the outside of the auditorium, cautiously avoiding any vines as she makes her way toward the radio station and the path that will lead them to the main road. Winter stops, though, before she's gone too far, and glances over her shoulder. "Thanks for paying so much attentin to my feet, Presley."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[teratophilia]

Armani gives Presley a side-long glance, almost sheepish to even be looking at him. It's brief-- blink and you'll miss it-- but the thought is so clearly written all over his expression: Does Presley Mondragon have a foot fetish?

He looks away quickly, eyes forward. "Okay, then! Let's hurry on."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[shoulderdevil]

Well, the shoe outcome is unsurprising but still pretty shitty. Wandless and potentially comprised of some idiots less capable classmates, Patrice's worries are at least twisting into irritation, an emotion that's much easier to process right now. He wags Winter's other shoe at her as he tries to slip past the others, ready to put himself as far forward as they'll let him shove himself.

"Take this at least so you can hit something with it if you need to. And like Presley said, everyone be ready to run."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[damnnearkilledem]

Winter accepts the shoe with a nod, and as she watches the ground for stray vines, she keeps an eye out for a rock she can use to sharpen the heel into a finer point.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[infamously]

Unfortunately for him, Presley misses the loaded glance from Armani. "We've all been forced to see your feet, Carmichael. You've been kicking off your shoes in the grass since freshman year."

His attention switches from Winter to his roommate when he spots Patrice sneaking ahead of them. The rest of them might not know what Patrice is doing, but Presley is intimately familiar with Patrice's self-aggrandizing, glory hound ways. He also moves right to the front of the group, refusing to be shown up.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[peckishmods]

This is how they move, some staying back, others vying for the front, all of them at least a little cautious, hopefully.

The furthest reaches of the nightmare tree's canopy hang over the side of the auditorium's ruined roof, casting strange, swaying shadows everywhere and making it hard to tell what's solid and what isn't. There are no monstrous difficulties in getting around the edge of the auditorium, but chunks of the roof do litter the way. There are even a few prom decorations out here. Half a toy space ship, a few styrofoam meteors, one of the dinosaur eggs the snacks had been laid out in.

The path between the auditorium and the radio station is narrow. Narrow enough that it is probably violating some fire codes, which means it's a tight squeeze for more than two abreast. It's dark, too, except for the single flickering light bulb at the very end. Click, click, click, wrrrr, the sound of an electrical light desperately trying to stay lit echoes faintly down that narrow path, barely audible over the breeze.

The strobing yellow light illuminates a patch of campus's main street at the far end of the path. It seems there are fewer vines out there, but you need to reach it first.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[arisahn]

Not particularly concerned about his place in line, Aris falls into step behind the Wildgulch boys as they head toward the ruined auditorium. It's dark and, as much as he wishes he could use his drum stick to cast Lumos, he fishes into his pocket and pulls out his phone instead, turning on the flashlight to illuminate the darkest parts of their path. He's particularly grateful for this light when they enter the path to the radio station, though the dim light it provides does nothing to make tight space less creepy.

Especially with that repetitive, struggling click.

As they near the main street, he holds the phone out in an attempt to get a better view of what's between them and their destination. Then he looks over at Winter. "...Double-sure about that piggyback?" he asks quietly. It seems worth checking since...they might be getting close to that be prepared to run part.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[shoulderdevil]

As Presley goes to meet him up front, Patrice tries to jostle him just a little as a show of solidarity and NOT in reassurance that they both might need. As they progress forward and the way narrows he frowns, flexing his fingers slowly as they advance, as if preparing to swing at anything that startles him.

"Piggy-backing will slow you both down," he scolds Aris, almost but not quite gently. "I think we should go as quickly as we can single file with a watch at the back."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[teratophilia]

"I thought it was a nice idea," he murmurs to Aris, following behind him. Armani's still holding on to Eddy's hand even as the path narrows, walking just in front of him. He has his phone out now too, using it to light the path ahead.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[quidditched]

Eddy's already naturally gravitated to the back where, though slouching as ever and with Armani hanging off him, he's got the best view of the group. He's not here to play the hero, just make sure everyone survives. With no wand to worry in his pocket, he's taken to resting his other hand on Winter's shoulder. Tactile confirmation that the two people he's most concerned about here are safe. He nods silently to encourage her forward now that the space won't allow it.

It's not a welcoming space, but still seems leagues beyond the alternative.

"Let's go," he instructs the self-appointed leaders, voice soft but firm. They might be going through literal Hell on earth, but he's unsure why every move they take needs a discussion. Fists first thinking from a boy normally crippled by social anxiety. "Need to get those supplies."

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[peckishmods]

The group makes their way down the narrow path, lights out, everything clear.

Click, click, click, whrrrrr, click. Click click. Whrrr whrrr. Almost in tune with their footsteps. They're so close. The end is in sight. Until the light sputters and goes out, that is.

And that's when the vines descend from above. Two in the front, one in the back.

The first goes for Presley, (ROLLED 6) he slips from its grasp but not without getting lashed across the forehead first. A quick snap that stings more than anything.

The second vine grabs Patrice by the wrist (ROLLED 5) and starts to pull. Up, up, up.

The third, in the very back, nets the noodle, Eddy Waxweiler (ROLLED 2) right around the waist and hoists him up off the ground.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[quidditched]

"Fuck!" Eddy yells, strong grip on Armani's hand jerking him along with him. Two noodle legs brace against either side of the passage, and he pushes backwards with all his strength in a fight against his ascent.

If the vines are strong enough to lift him, he can't take any chances. He releases his hold on Armani and his hands now scramble for anything sharp and loose hanging from the walls.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[damnnearkilledem]

"M-maybe on the way back?" Winter's saying to Aristotle, soft for not wanting to make much sound, and for simply wanting to be reassuring, when the vines come down.

The sound she makes when things go cross-eyed is entirely undignified, but it's not the only thing she does. Eddy may release Armani, but Winter jumps. Her arms outstretched, she grabs for Eddy, trying to make him too heavy to be pulled away.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[shoulderdevil]

Patrice lets out a sharp yelp as he's grabbed, his body shot through with adrenaline. Similar to Eddy, he figures the narrowness of the passage way can be used to his advantage - he kicks up his legs, trying to brace himself between the two walls with shoulders and feet (he's tall enough, right? this has to work, right? what is he going to do if this doesn't work?) to prevent himself from being pulled up any further. Quickly, he's twisting his hand, fingers splayed, pulling his arm towards his chest as he tries to slip from the vine's grasp, and his free hand aims a punch at the stretch of vine just above his wrist. It won't be too effective given his precarious position, but he doesn't have a lot of options.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[infamously]

It all happens too fast. Presley's eyes catch the movement in the dark and he recoils on instinct, and it's not until after the slide of vines against his hands and the sudden stinging pain on his face that he realizes the others have been attacked too.

"Patrice!" The other boy appears to be desperately bracing himself against the walls, and Presley rushes forward to throw his arms around Patrice's waist. He grips his own arms and tries his best to plant his feet on the ground, blanketed with ash and new plant growth. If only he had his fucking wand— "Don't you dare get your ass captured again!"

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[teratophilia]

Armani is jerked back as Eddy is hoisted up. "No!" he shouts, still chasing Eddy's hand even after the boy's let go. He grabs hold of Eddy where he can and beats at the point of the vine hoisting Eddy up with the only thing he has immediately on hand: his phone. With the flashlight still on, it creates a mild strobing effect each time he strikes down on it.

"Let go of him!" he snarls, teeth bared. And, using the sharpest weapon on him, he bites into the vine. This is a good idea.

ADVENTURE: To the infirmary

[arisahn]

Startled by the sudden attack, the vines shooting down from the dark to seize their classmates and pull them off their feet, Aris utters a yelp and drops the phone he'd been holding out like a flashlight. This doesn't help. It does, however, make it easier to grab onto Patrice when his instincts come rushing back in. Holding on for dear life and calling out incoherent protests, he soon realizes that Presley has a hold of him too and...tries something else.

Half-climbing Patrice, he hauls himself up in an efficient but awkward motion. Pushing off the other boy's shoulder to give himself leverage, he brings the broad side of the drum stick down on the vines as hard as he can. Again. And again. "Let! Him! Go!"