Re: The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 4: Misty Swamp]
11-20-2011, 04:00 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by MalkyTop.
Above the laughter and the fear, Holly could hear Algernon’s mumblings steadily rise. It sounded as though he was mumbling something that sounded like “…sick of it…” Who knew what it meant. It might’ve meant he was sick of her, in which case he was going to jump up and kill her any moment now but she had the advantage, of course, he was probably still shaking the numb off of him unless he was faking it…how long had it been? Had it been half-an-hour yet?
More cackling. This time, she did cry out. It was hard running with someone over her shoulder, she could run much easier if he wasn’t – stop, no, stop there…no…
“…Cherrrrry…nnnguh…whuh…?”
Oh good, he’s awake. “Oh good, you’re awake.” She tried to smile despite the cackling rising anew, but this time coming from the front. Had she been running in a circle? She couldn’t have. No, no…she had to turn somewhere else. Turn away. “Can you move?”
“Nnnnghuh…whuuusss goin onnnnn…” Avoiding the question. He was avoiding the question.
“Oh, well, the usual,” she laughed, jostling him a bit more so that he didn’t slip off her shoulder. “Things happened, we’re running for our – “
“Agh!”
“Oh god what is it.”
“Aih bhit myh tdung,” he whined. Oh. Okay.
More cackling. From all around. They were surrounded they were surrounded oh god how could they be surrounded
“Be quiet,” she hissed. She had stopped running. But she had to get out fast, but there was something all around, she was sure, yes, she heard crackling, and if she ran off in the wrong direction she was going to fall into a trap. “Don’t you hear that? Can you move?”
“…dun…heer nything…let’s…let me dowwwwn…”
“No, I can’t, we have to keep moving, I can’t – “
“…let mee doooowwwwwnnnn.”
Holly let him down. He squelched into the swamp. Holly thought he was going to sink under, but then he managed to push himself up woodenly. His eyes looked unfocused. Holly went back to looking around wildly. The laughing had stopped, but that didn’t mean a thing…
“…I can’t do this anymore…”
“What?” she said, still not looking at him.
“I can’t take it. Things try to kill me an’ it’s happening too often an’ I don’t even remember why anymore. I was supposed to find out something, I was supposed to do something, but I don’t remember that either!”
“Okay, okay, got it, can we go now?”
Algernon flexed a hand and then struggled to his feet. “Cherry…I don’t want to slow you down or anything…I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve been. It might be selfish of me. But I gotta just…go somewhere else for a while. On my own.” And without another word, he turned and hobbled away.
Cherry couldn’t say anything for a long time. And then she started shouting. “No! No! You can’t leave me! This isn’t the time for this!” He wasn’t turning back. “Everybody’s dead or dying! There’s nobody to kill you!” Still no response. She had to stop him, he had to stop him….because why….? Because…Holly didn’t need him….Cherry needed him. Did she? Holly needed to keep an eye on him. Because…Algernon was weak. He was the loser. Who knows what would happen.
“COME BACK HERE!” she screamed. “I, I, you can’t…” She had a thought. But then she stopped. Cherry didn’t manipulate, no, this was manipulating, which was against what Cherry stood for, but no, that didn’t matter, did it matter? Was there a point in being Cherry anymore when Cherry’s life had all gone to shit? Cherry was supposed to be perfect, but nooooooo, things just had to happen like this...Holly would be able to. She wouldn’t mind. But then, she wouldn’t care. But maybe she should?
But by the time she had finished that thought, he was gone. Something laughed again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fog was bad. Something was bad about it. It was obviously a bad fog…Someone said it, he was sure.
What was in his bag again? He didn’t remember. Was there anything important? Not too likely, really. He had never picked up anything too useful.
This stupid worm was itching. But when stupid worm teeth were embedded in your head all the time, it tended to get itchy. But this was remarkably itchy. Why is it so itchy?
get out of here
Yes, yes, he had to get out of here. That’s what he was doing. That’s a good idea. Where’d it come from? Somewhere. Somewhere was good.
not go that way
Not this way. No. Because...reasons. Yes.
Above the laughter and the fear, Holly could hear Algernon’s mumblings steadily rise. It sounded as though he was mumbling something that sounded like “…sick of it…” Who knew what it meant. It might’ve meant he was sick of her, in which case he was going to jump up and kill her any moment now but she had the advantage, of course, he was probably still shaking the numb off of him unless he was faking it…how long had it been? Had it been half-an-hour yet?
More cackling. This time, she did cry out. It was hard running with someone over her shoulder, she could run much easier if he wasn’t – stop, no, stop there…no…
“…Cherrrrry…nnnguh…whuh…?”
Oh good, he’s awake. “Oh good, you’re awake.” She tried to smile despite the cackling rising anew, but this time coming from the front. Had she been running in a circle? She couldn’t have. No, no…she had to turn somewhere else. Turn away. “Can you move?”
“Nnnnghuh…whuuusss goin onnnnn…” Avoiding the question. He was avoiding the question.
“Oh, well, the usual,” she laughed, jostling him a bit more so that he didn’t slip off her shoulder. “Things happened, we’re running for our – “
“Agh!”
“Oh god what is it.”
“Aih bhit myh tdung,” he whined. Oh. Okay.
More cackling. From all around. They were surrounded they were surrounded oh god how could they be surrounded
“Be quiet,” she hissed. She had stopped running. But she had to get out fast, but there was something all around, she was sure, yes, she heard crackling, and if she ran off in the wrong direction she was going to fall into a trap. “Don’t you hear that? Can you move?”
“…dun…heer nything…let’s…let me dowwwwn…”
“No, I can’t, we have to keep moving, I can’t – “
“…let mee doooowwwwwnnnn.”
Holly let him down. He squelched into the swamp. Holly thought he was going to sink under, but then he managed to push himself up woodenly. His eyes looked unfocused. Holly went back to looking around wildly. The laughing had stopped, but that didn’t mean a thing…
“…I can’t do this anymore…”
“What?” she said, still not looking at him.
“I can’t take it. Things try to kill me an’ it’s happening too often an’ I don’t even remember why anymore. I was supposed to find out something, I was supposed to do something, but I don’t remember that either!”
“Okay, okay, got it, can we go now?”
Algernon flexed a hand and then struggled to his feet. “Cherry…I don’t want to slow you down or anything…I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve been. It might be selfish of me. But I gotta just…go somewhere else for a while. On my own.” And without another word, he turned and hobbled away.
Cherry couldn’t say anything for a long time. And then she started shouting. “No! No! You can’t leave me! This isn’t the time for this!” He wasn’t turning back. “Everybody’s dead or dying! There’s nobody to kill you!” Still no response. She had to stop him, he had to stop him….because why….? Because…Holly didn’t need him….Cherry needed him. Did she? Holly needed to keep an eye on him. Because…Algernon was weak. He was the loser. Who knows what would happen.
“COME BACK HERE!” she screamed. “I, I, you can’t…” She had a thought. But then she stopped. Cherry didn’t manipulate, no, this was manipulating, which was against what Cherry stood for, but no, that didn’t matter, did it matter? Was there a point in being Cherry anymore when Cherry’s life had all gone to shit? Cherry was supposed to be perfect, but nooooooo, things just had to happen like this...Holly would be able to. She wouldn’t mind. But then, she wouldn’t care. But maybe she should?
But by the time she had finished that thought, he was gone. Something laughed again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fog was bad. Something was bad about it. It was obviously a bad fog…Someone said it, he was sure.
What was in his bag again? He didn’t remember. Was there anything important? Not too likely, really. He had never picked up anything too useful.
This stupid worm was itching. But when stupid worm teeth were embedded in your head all the time, it tended to get itchy. But this was remarkably itchy. Why is it so itchy?
get out of here
Yes, yes, he had to get out of here. That’s what he was doing. That’s a good idea. Where’d it come from? Somewhere. Somewhere was good.
not go that way
Not this way. No. Because...reasons. Yes.