Event #3 "(Un)scatched reunion"

[Misha Charisse Quinn]

Noise. Pain. Dizziness. Silence.

She had had her share of unwanted Mondays, but waking up had never been so difficult before. Nor so excruciating. Her eyes opened distressingly slowly, her entire being seemingly refusing to recover from…
From… what? What had happened? She remembered being on her feet… she remembered… a door… and now… she was back on the floor. She could vaguely recall the “attack” she’d had earlier, and how it’d almost rendered her unconscious; maybe it had happened, a second time, finally proving it had nothing to do with the texts. Maybe she had just been laid on the floor afterwards. It would have been a satisfying theory. Except that it wasn’t.

Because something was missing.

 – Peyton… ? – she looked around, confused, her eyes still heavy and unfocused, trying to locate her frame somewhere around her. Yet, and while it was difficult for her to discern anything at the time, she couldn’t… “sense” her there.

Bringing a hand to her forehead, Misha groaned. Her pounding headache had been bothering her since her “incident” earlier on, but now… she felt like a building had fallen on her head. Or well, a second one. And frankly, her new giddiness and the ringing in her ears weren’t helping much. But she had to make memory and think…

Peyton and her had been together... talking… she’d showed her… a video… they were alone… because the woman had followed her into the classroom after… after…

 – Andrei!

The realization had the effect of a bucket of cold water on her head; instantly, she felt awake, almost too awake, and way more aware of her surroundings. She’d left the entrance hall, because the situation and the negative atmosphere had become too much for her to bear, and she’d needed a few moments of calm to catch her breath. But now…
She looked around. She still seemed to be in the classroom. Yet, at a second (painful) glance… it didn’t seem to be the same classroom. The table she’d thrown to the ground was once again in its place, and the chair that had been destroyed by Peyton was no longer there. Nor the woman herself, which was much more worrying.

Had someone moved her here? Had someone fixed the room in her sleep? Finally, the long-awaited help? Or… the phone creep? She gave another fearful look around. She couldn’t see any of the members of her small group, which worried her, but what she could see were three other bodies: what seemed to be their principal, Ryan, and…

 – ALEX!

She was on her feet faster than she could think, and back on her knees to the boy’s side at an even swifter rate. Never mind the fact she’d scraped her knees in the process. He was there. She had hoped he could have avoided the fall, that he could have found his way out, but he was there. Her shaky hands turned his face to her, as two of her fingers hesitantly made their way to his throat.
Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead…
He had a pulse. He was breathing.
Thank God.

Feeling tears of relief prickling her eyes, she tried to contain them as she gently placed the boy’s head on her lap, looking for any sign of injury. Thankfully, apart from a slowly darkening bruise on his cheek, he didn’t seem to show any other wound, much to her comfort.

 – Alex. – she called, softly, patting his cheek gently to wake him up without startling him, but still desperate to see him open his eyes. – Alex, wake up, please.

At that moment, she didn’t care where the rest of her group was, or about the other unconscious bodies around her; she chose to ignore the fact she’d abandoned Andrei to his fate a second time, for her own good. Right now, her best friend was alive and well and with her, and that was all she cared about. That, and the one question still on her mind,
How the hell did he get here…?

[Alexander Attiyah]

All Alex could remember after leaving the computer lab with Copper was static. So much static. Not to mention an annoying ringing in his ears. And then black... He didn't remember passing out at any point... But yet here he was, waking up with the same static and ringing that caused his head to spin. Though also something else subtly moving underneath his head. And as he gradually came to, he could feel something warm and soft brushing against his cheek. "Wha-what?" he muttered as he shifted his head a little, letting out a small groan when he started to realize the aches in his body again. "Copper, what are you-"

He stopped as he heard a familiar voice reach his ears, instantly snapping him back to his senses as a rush of hope made his heart jump. It couldn't be... could it!? It felt almost too much to ask for considering he had been hoping to see her and know she was okay for what felt like hours... possibly even days... while knowing there was little he could do to get past all the rubble in the corridor. But as he opened his eyes and allowed them to adjust to the darkened room, he could see her face looking down at him from where his head was resting atop her lap, and the sight instantly brought a wide, joyous grin to his face.

"Misha, oh my god!" he exclaimed as he forced himself into a sitting position, turning his body to wrap his arms tightly around her. He could feel her warmth radiating from her body, letting him know she was really there with him, and though his muscles ached and his cheek where the bruise was continued to cry out in pain, he didn't care; he had found his best friend again. Alive and okay. "You fell, and then the floor collapsed, and I wasn't sure..." He paused in his rapid words as the sudden memory raced through his mind and caused him to pull back a little, just enough for him to assess if she was alright or injured at all.

From first glance she looked okay. Her arms and legs didn't seem to be banged up besides a fresh scrape on her knee. And while her uniform wore a nice coating of dust and dirt much like his own, she looked like the same Misha he had been laughing and talking with back in the classroom upstairs hours or days ago, and the comforting thought made him let out a breath of relief while a sincere smile formed on his lips. "Damn, you had me really scared there for a moment, Cha-cha," he said with a short chuckle as he lifted a hand towards her face to brush some of her copper-red hair back, his brown eyes meeting her own as his hand lingered on her cheek for a moment. "But I'm so glad you're okay."

However as her hair moved aside to display more of her neck, the appearance of a dark red mark peeking out from underneath her collar caught his attention from the corner of his eye, and he turned his focus towards it, his smile slowly fading away as he stared at it. "What is that?" he asked in a quieter voice as he slowly moved his hand down towards her collar. Pushing the fabric aside to get a better look while being careful not to put pressure on it in case it hurt, his brows knit together as he took in the sight of long scratch marks running down her throat. They didn't look quite as fresh as her scraped knee did, but they still burned a nice shade of red that stood in stark contrast to her light-colored skin. And whoever had clawed at her throat looked to have meant it... and not in the normal 'I had an itch' kinda way.

"Shit, Misha, what happened?" he asked as his brown eyes rose to meet her copper ones, the concern and worry evident on his face. Considering all the weird things going on and the injuries that had already happened, he almost felt a little afraid to ask. But when it came to Misha's safety and well-being, there wasn't any question for him on what mattered most. "Who did that?"

[Misha Charisse Quinn]

The relief she felt when he actually started muttering nonsense was almost overwhelming, and she couldn’t help but snort a little when he confused her for a dog. He did get the color right, after all.
She smiled with mischief, an emotion she was surprised she could still have, as she quietly gave him the time necessary to realize who and what he was looking at. It took him a while, and from what she could see he seemed about as unsettled upon waking up than she had been; but, finally, his eyes opened and looked right at her as his features turned into an expression of pure glee and appeasement, and she smiled back.
What she hadn’t expected was for him to jump on her like that, even less considering his original position. Before she had the time to add anything, he was sitting up at an angle looking at her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Almost too tightly. But she didn’t mind… if anything, she liked it.

To hell with her physical awkwardness. Her best friend was alive and well and here, and for now that was enough for her. With a small sigh of contentment, she held him close in an embrace of her own

 – It’s good to see you too, Alex. – she breathed out, honestly. – I mean, you shouldn’t be here, but it’s good to see you.

It was almost too good to see him. She knew she should want him out of this place where he could be safe from harm, and she did; but at the same time, selfishly… she was so happy he was down there with her. After all that had happened… it felt nice. Yet, it was over before she had the time to really get used to the hug or his comforting warmth, and as he pushed her away from him, she eyed him with a curious expression, until it finally dawned on her: he was giving her a once-over.

 – Checking me out already, uh? Damn, we’re not losing any time. – she teased, with a serious face which didn’t last long. She allowed him to check in on any injuries she might have in silence, giving him some time, until he finally deemed her state satisfying. She wasn’t one to blame him anyway, she’d done the same to him as soon as she’d seen him. – Dude, I’m fine. Don’t worry.

It was refreshing though. Having someone worry about her… but without freaking out. And a hug that just felt natural and nice. Actually being able to genuinely smile despite the uncertainty of their situation. She always felt more like herself with Alex than with anyone else, and at the moment… it was what she truly needed.
She was slightly taken aback, however, when her friend suddenly brushed some hair away from her face, going as far as to rest a hand on her cheek. She decided to simply put that on the heat of the moment, and smiled back at him somewhat stiffly at the contact, feeling a little shy… until the boy’s attitude changed drastically.
"What is that?"
Curious, she glanced down to follow his gaze, unable to see anything, until she finally realized what he was truly looking at… and froze.
The scratching marks.
Fuck.
During the time it took her to come to the right conclusion, Alex had already reached for her collar, and was gently lowering it to get a better look. She thought about raising one hand to move his away, accusing him of invading her personal space, but stopped herself midway; at this point, doing that would only worry him more. Holding her breath, feeling more uncomfortable than ever before, she let it happen. His expression said it all.
"Shit, Misha, what happened?" The moment his eyes met hers, she found it much more difficult to speak. She couldn’t lie to him, but she couldn’t tell him the whole truth either. Not right now. Not when he looked at her like that. "Who did that?"

Clearing her throat, uneasy, she moved her collar back in its place as casually as she could manage while fully aware he wouldn’t miss a thing, desperate to hide the scars. She felt way too exposed with those in plain view, like a victim that needed to be doted on, and she hated that. So, of course, he was doting on her.

 – It’s nothing. – she grumbled, her hands still battling with the fabric. Damn it, Alex was supposed to be the person she felt comfortable with. This was the antithesis of comfortable. – I just… swallowed a lot of dirt during the fall or something, and wasn’t feeling at my best emotionally either, so… I had an episode. I couldn’t breathe, and… I kind of freaked out. –she shrugged, trying to downplay the situation. She just hoped he wouldn’t be the one to lose his shit now. – It was just a moment, that’s all, and it passed. I’m alright now, see? – she reassured, offering him a smile, accompanied by a somewhat scolding look, as if daring him to say the opposite. – … what about you? Are you okay? How did you get here?

[Alexander Attiyah]

Feeling Misha embrace him back as she talked to him, Al felt like all his troubles were melting away just for a little moment... like maybe things were gonna be okay again despite how crazy and confusing and jumbled his mind felt. And as he pulled back to make sure she was okay, he couldn't help but feel a little more like himself with her despite their circumstances.

"Checking me out already, uh?" she teased, causing the raven-haired to glance up at her with a playful smirk. "Damn, we're not losing any time."

"What can I say? You rock the dirt look so well," he laughed in response as he continued giving her a quick once-over for injuries, his tone teasing. "Though it's hard to tell if you're Cha-cha or a dust bunny." He gave her an amused look before his eyes went on checking. Though as he did so, he couldn't help but be aware of how relieved and happy he was then. Being with his best friend again, teasing with each other like they normally did... and most of all seeing that she was okay was something he sorely needed. It was like that dose of comfort he couldn't really get from anyone else or any other way than being with her again...

But it ended far too soon as the question of how her scratches happened instantly made the redhead frown. "It's nothing," she grumbled back as she adjusted her collar awkwardly back into place while Al's brown eyes observed her carefully. He listened to the rest of her excuse with a frown, not fully believing it to be the whole story. He knew her too well for that. Though the details about the fact she had done it to herself--all because she couldn't breathe--was definitely troubling and made his nerves stand on edge.

What would make her not be able to breathe so much that she had to claw at her own throat?

If it was just some normal dust or dirt like she said, he'd assume she'd just cough it back out and that would essentially be the end of it. But to do that to her own neck? he continued to wonder as his eyes shifted from her copper irises to the marks on her neck as she covered them, then back up. It was confusing and concerning. And it was obvious from the way she was reacting that she was incredibly uncomfortable and bothered by the question. He didn't want to make her upset by asking, but there were too many things going on lately that made his nerves feel on high alert. And he couldn't help but be concerned...

"It was just a moment, that's all, and it passed," she continued with a light shrug, causing the ravenhaired's frown to deepen slightly. "I'm alright now, see?" She tried to reassure him with a small smile, though the scolding look on her face he knew well enough by now made it very clear she wasn't going to say otherwise.

"Right," he replied back as he gave her a knowing look, though he didn't press her any further on it. It was frustrating in a way, not being told more information; he was definitely concerned about what the whole story behind those marks on her throat was. But while he knew she was trying to dodge answering about it any further, he knew it was better to let it slide for now. He didn't want her to feel more uncomfortable or aggravated anyway when things were already as tense as they were. And whatever had happened wasn't something she looked like she wanted to tell him yet; he had to trust her on that.

Even though in truth, that thought only worried him more.

"Well I'm glad you're okay," he told her as his brown eyes met hers, a sincere--albeit small--smile on his lips.

"What about you?" she asked him back. "Are you okay? How did you get here?"

Al let out a low, exhausted whistle as he ran his fingers through his hair, not ever sure where to start. "It's a long story," he said as he let out a deep breath, all before giving her a small smile of reassurance. "But I'm fine. Takes a lot more than an earthquake to take me down." He made a playful show of flexing one of his arm muscles before shifting into a more comfortable position. And after leaning back against one of the nearby desks as a resting spot, he let out a sigh as he tried to think over exactly what to inform her about. The amount of things that happened was overwhelming and going over it in his head, he honest-to-God sounded like a lunatic. He didn't want to overwhelm her with information, even more so when he had absolutely no explanation for any of it--even in how the hell he got where he was as it definitely wasn't the lab or the corridor he was previously in. But he also didn't want to leave her in the dark about it when whatever was going on in the school was obviously something they had to be careful about.

"Well I guess to start," he explained as he met her eyes, "I was actually just in the computer lab. A few of us who were inside the auditorium when the floor collapsed ended up trapped on that side of the school. I was on my way to go find you with Copper." He glanced beside him, almost expecting to see his furry friend somewhere amid the cluttered insides of the classroom he was now in, but was met with no dog in sight. And what was more odd was that he didn't remember this particular classroom being on the upper floor, and it definitely wasn't the one he had been in with his sister... How far did I walk before I passed out?

"I don't actually remember getting here," he muttered as he glanced at the mess of desks and chairs around them. "I just remember this static noise hitting me when I left the lab and then everything after that is just blank..." It was confusing, and he couldn't help but bite the inside of his cheek slightly in worried thought. He had seen the corridor himself, saw the rubble on the stairs... There wasn't any route to the ground floor. But yet somehow he had found a way there and ended up in the same place Misha was. Did whoever move us that last time, move us again..? he wondered, remembering how he had woken up the first time following the earthquake.

But what was even more alerting was now he had no idea where everyone else was. Tristan, Jamie, and Nerissa had still been in the bathroom upstairs for all he knew... And Em-

"Ohmygod, Em!" he breathed out in a panic as he immediately sat up away from the desk he was leaning against, looking frantically around the classroom. "I left her back at the lab with-"

Ugh.

He stopped when he spotted Ryan lying on the floor a few yards away from them, looking unconscious still and just as thrown on the ground as he did when he had left him. "With this guy," he finished with an audible groan, gesturing towards his unconscious figure with an annoyed hand. However for as unappealing and aggravating as the asshole's company was, he felt his nerves calm a little bit. If Ryan was here, than that meant his sister had to be too... right? Though as the raven-haired searched the room with his eyes, he couldn't see any sign of his sister or any of the others anywhere except for what looked like Principal T unconscious in the corner as well, and the panic started to settle in again.

"Shit!" he cursed under his breath as he shifted on the floor so now he was on his knees, rubbing his head a little as the soreness in his body and his cheek throbbed. This was definitely not good... "Did you see anyone before you ran into me?" he asked Misha, his brown eyes staring back at her with a somewhat apprehensive expression.

[Misha Charisse Quinn]

She chuckled lightly as her friend teased her back, like they would in any other situation; maybe even more than they would in any other situation. It felt so warm, so stress-relieving… she could almost forget all of her troubles for a second. Almost.
“Right.”
He’s not buying it.
She felt her body tense up once more. Whatever she wanted to believe or convince herself of on the subject of the incident… Alex wasn’t following her. And that was bad.
She couldn’t hide things from him. Which meant that either now or later… She’d have to tell him the whole story. And she wasn’t ready.
She finished to pull her collar back up with a discreet yet uncomfortable cough, avoiding the gaze that she could still feel eyeing her. Please change the subject, please change the subject, please change the subject…
"It's a long story."
Phew.
"I was actually just in the computer lab. A few of us who were inside the auditorium when the floor collapsed ended up trapped on that side of the school.” Well, that made much more sense. She’d wondered from the start why she hadn’t landed in the cafeteria, at the very least her friend did somewhere under it. It still didn’t explain her, but… it was something. “I was on my way to go find you with Copper."

Aw. That was kind of sweet, actually. The idea that he’d been as worried as her and had gone around to explore like she had, trying to find his way to her… it was touching. She smiled ever so-lightly at the thought, the fact that he’d mentioned other survivors making it with him only making things better. So, it wasn’t just her group. More people had made it out okay. Thank heavens.

 – Wait, but… – she felt her brain process the information slowly, her head still pounding and her thought process still struggling – … that was all the way on the other side of the building. How did you get next to the entrance hall? – she gave a small look around. This WAS still the same classroom, right? Some furniture had changed and Peyton was missing, but… she didn’t know what to believe anymore. – You don’t remember walking here at all? Where’s Copper?

Actually… he’d mentioned he’d been with others, but not who they were, and she couldn’t help but be curious. She wanted to hope Emery was one of them, since he and she had been so close during the earthquake, but… by that logic, Peyton should have been with him, too.

His next freak out confirmed her suspicions; he had indeed been with his sister, which was good; and now she was missing, which was bad. She was fast to put a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder, ready to talk as she found herself empathizing greatly with his worry… until it turned to disgust. Frowning, she followed his gaze, interested… just to find Ryan. Oh, right. THAT guy. She’d been so focused on her best friend’s well-being that she’d completely ignored the jock.

 – Ugh, yeah. Well, at least, he can’t be a little shit when he’s unconscious. – unless…
Immediately, she was on her feet, and before Alex could process her movements, she was at Ryan’s side, two fingers against his throat. To her relief, he was still breathing also, and she breathed with him. Good… at least he wasn’t dead also.
 – Well, he’s fine. – she thought to add “disappointingly”, but took upon herself not to. Jackass or not, she wasn’t going to tempt the devil. She got up once more, glancing towards the entrance as she moved and spoke, before turning to her best friend. At the same time, her hands instinctively patted her pockets, making sure that her two phones and her juice box were still there.– I’m sorry… I haven’t seen Em anywhere. I was with her friend, Peyton… – she sighed, feeling genuinely sorry that she couldn’t help him. She knew what he was going through since she had been in his place before, and she had to admit that she felt sincere worry for his sister as well. – I woke up earlier… whenever that was, with Peyton, Naya, Andrei, Tara, Chris, Naveen... A blonde whose name I don't really remember that came out of nowhere later… and Kairi. – as she made her way towards their principal, Misha swallowed the never-leaving lump in her throat. She didn’t want to think about what she had to say next. She really, REALLY didn’t want to think about what she had to say next. – Kairi… died. From the fall. We thought she was fine at first, but… she wasn’t. – swallow – Apparently, Amanda… the girl who hm, tried to start her new club, committed suicide before the earthquake. And hm, I think you might remember Ellie’s… “accident”. … … And…
Here it came.
Say it.

 – Look, Alex… something… happened, earlier… everyone was receiving texts, weird texts, they were creeping us out, everyone was really nervous, and… – say it – Alex… Rei--oh. Oh fuck.

The sight in front of her stopped her dead in her tracks. Somehow, she felt like a once-over wouldn’t be thoroughly needed this time.

Blood was rushing out of her principal’s body; a lot, lot of blood. Too much blood, way too much blood. Old and fresh. And her breathing was low, unsteady. She could see it from here.

 – Oh fuck, Alex. Fuck. She’s hurt, she’s really hurt. – she could feel her body hesitating to lower itself close to her, not wanting to be so near such a distasteful sight, but she forced herself to, feeling her hand slightly shake as she moved the body just enough to get a better look, without trying to break any bones. – It looks like she was… stabbed? Or maybe something fell on her?... Fuck, she’s losing a lot of blood, Alex. We gotta do something!

[Alexander Attiyah]

After recounting what little he could in how he got there, Al watched as Misha's copper eyes searched around the room, the confusion obvious on her face as if he could visually see the gears turning in her head. "How did you get next to the entrance hall?" she asked as she turned to face him again. "You don't remember walking here at all? Where's Copper?"

He shook his head, giving her a regretful look. "Not one bit. I don't even know how it's possible, there was too much debris blocking the staircases and corridors to get through. We were completely boxed in." Which did beg the question then: just how exactly did they--or whoever might possibly be moving them around--be able to do just that? He shook his head for a quick second, however, as if to move on from the confusing question before continuing. "Copper was with me when we left, but I just remember leaving the classroom and then suddenly waking up here."

Finding himself glancing around the room a second time as she got up to go check on Ryan, he couldn't help but hope that the poor pupper was alright, wherever he was... Though the lighthearted joke about their fellow asshole roommate brought a genuine yet quiet laugh to his lips. "Thank God for that," he replied back teasingly with a small smirk. He really didn't want to hear the guy talking right now; it was already frustrating enough being in the same room as him.

But as they continued to talk and Misha began mentioning others she had run into in her part of the school--consisting of Andrei, thank God!--he couldn't help but smile in joyed relief. So they're alive, he thought as he ran a hand through his hair, feeling like a weight had been lifted. Of course, they were now somewhere else in the school now, and who knew exactly where that was... But they were alive. They had survived the fall. And the thought immediately caused the raven-haired to let out a deep breath at the relieving news...

Only to immediately have that same breath sucked away as the mention of Kairi's and Amanda's fate left his best friend's lips.

They... what!? Al wanted to shout out loud as he stared at the redhead in shock. It was like his mind was racing a hundred miles a minute, trying to process what exactly he had just been told. His first thought was of Emery... not only what she'd think about hearing of Kairi's death since apparently they had been friends of some level, but also because she had been right there next to her when they fell. And the thought of his sister being just that close to a similar situation was terrifying. But he also couldn't help but frown at the thought of Kairi--Maverick High's female loaded gun--dying because of a fall. It didn't seem... right. And just the thought of another person he had known (despite purposefully avoiding and never talking to) being dead now... It all left a chilling feeling running through his body.

However it was nothing compared to what he felt when he heard about Amanda. He hadn't known her for very long, and he couldn't say he knew much about her. But I had just spoken to her only a few hours ago, he couldn't help but think, his brown eyes still staring wide-eyed as Misha continued. And she just... killed herself!? He felt his mouth run dry, hardly able to form any words. "God, this is so fucked up..."

"And hm, I think you might remember Ellie's... 'accident'," Misha continued, all before pausing for a moment. "And..."

And what?

Staring back at her with his brown eyes as she wandered from Ryan towards Miss T, Al could feel his breath catch in his throat. There was already so many thoughts swimming in his head now that he honestly didn't even know how to keep track of them all. But as Misha began explaining some more, he found himself clinging onto every word in dreaded anticipation.

"Everyone was receiving texts, weird texts," she continued, her words growing more and more spaced out as Al nodded in understanding.

"Us too," he replied in a hushed tone, shaking his head at the experiences those in his group had gone through as well. "Among other things..." Like that weird computer glitch, or whatever that was, he went on to finish inwardly as she went on speaking nervously, following all too well with what she was saying.

"They were creeping us out, everyone was really nervous, and... Alex... Rei-" She had cut herself off, though the mention of Andrei's name wasn't lost on the raven-haired as his eyebrows immediately perked up. What about Drei? he wanted to ask, feeling nervous from the way she was acting and the words she was saying. Did that hacker guy ask him to do something too? He dreaded what the answer to that had to be considering what Em had gone through and whatever had caused Copper to attack. Though he didn't have time to respond--much less think about it more--before he saw Misha suddenly freeze in her tracks, her eyes staring down at Principal Truman's body.

Instantly, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as a shiver ran down his spine. Something was most definitely wrong... "What?" he asked in a panic as he rushed over towards where she was, only to stop himself as his eyes widened in shock.

"Oh fuck, Alex. Fuck," she continued muttering as he watched her slowly kneel next to the body, all while he stared straight ahead at the sight in front of him as if trying to process what was happening. "She's hurt, she's really hurt."

Despite the darkness surrounding them, it didn't take much of a glance to know that the redhead was right; the floor underneath Miss T's body as well as her clothes were covered with blood - both fresh and old. And as Misha continued muttering under her breath while examining their principal's body for what the extent of her injuries were, it was all Al could do to control his own mind right now. Shit, shit, shit! This is actually happening...

"Fuck, she's losing a lot of blood, Alex," Misha stated in an urgent tone, snapping him back into the present as he met her eyes. "We gotta do something!"

Filled with a rush of determination and urgency, Al cursed under his breath as he instantly began shrugging off his jacket, turning it inside out so the dirt would be on the inside. "Shit, we gotta put pressure on the wound," he said as he dropped to the floor beside her while his eyes glanced at the unconscious woman's stomach where most of the blood seemed to be coming from. If they didn't stop the flow now, she was going to bleed out and it wouldn't matter what else they could do. And judging from how weak she looked and the amount of blood surrounding her already, she was in majorly bad shape.

Thankfully it didn't take long to discover cuts in her clothes that indicated what looked like stab marks. Though after moving the fabric up, he felt himself immediately wince. "Fuck, that looks deep," he breathed out in a frantic voice before immediately pressing his jacket over the area. Dark red blood instantly seeped through the white cloth as it absorbed it, and letting out a rushed breath, he glanced over at Misha and gestured with his head towards Miss T's body.

"Keep applying pressure to stop the bleeding," he instructed as he allowed her to take over, all while his eyes frantically searched the room for something--anything--that could possibly help. Shit...

[OOC: Alex does a perception check]

[Administrator]

Dice result: 1D10 => 1
Absolute failure; -1 health point.

---

Before Alex could properly investigate his surroundings he heard a voice breathing right behind him, making the hair on his neck stand up. "Fools," the voice said and the guy felt a clenching sensation around his throat. Like somebody wanted to pull him by his neck up from the ground. "She is not worth it," creepy genderless voice kept whispering in Alex's ears. The boy rose on his tiptoes, breathing rapidly like somebody was stranding him with a rope from above. When the raven head has started to lose consciousness from the lack of air, his body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. He was finally able to breathe again.

[Alexander Attiyah]

The last thing Al had expected when he looked around for something to use to help Miss T was to feel a sudden, cold breath hitting against the back of his neck directly behind him. And immediately his body froze, every hair on his neck and his arms standing on end. There was someone in the room with them... someone behind him. But he couldn't move as he heard a haunting, unknown voice hiss in his ear, holding him in place.

"Fools!" it said, causing shivers to immediately shoot through his body. A rush of fear gripped him as he forced himself to turn his head and look over his shoulder, expecting to see the culprit who had spoken. But instead, he was met with the sight of nothing but the darkness of the room with desks and chairs scattered haphazardly around the classroom...

"What?" he tried to audibly breathe out at the confusing and extremely nerving discovery. Except he was only able to utter a sudden, strangled groan as his throat suddenly tightened up at the front and around the sides, like someone had looped a rope around his neck from behind and was pulling backward with force. All while the voice continued to hiss "she is not worth it" into his ear...

Immediately Al raised both hands towards his neck, expecting to grab the object the unknown and unseen person was using to cut off his air supply. However there was nothing there but his own throat--his own skin--currently burning with a pain he had never felt before nor could honestly describe. "I... can't... breathe... help-," he wheezed out, every inhale coming out as a guttural, gasping sound of desperation. It was like his lungs were on fire, threatening to erupt at any moment. But for as much as he struggled to break free from whoever--or whatever--had him, the grip around his throat only tightened as he felt his body being lifted from behind by an unseen force.

He was being strangled.

Panic raced through his mind as he desperately attempted to escape his predicament, gripping at his throat with his hands to stop it from killing him. His head felt dizzy, his vision becoming blurry and unfocused due to the lack of oxygen while his body continued rising upward until he was standing on the edge of his toes. It was like he was being hanged, and the weight of his limbs only managed to press the invisible bands deeper against his throat, choking him further.

Misha... Help... he tried to call out, though this time no words came out - only strangled sounds of him gagging...suffocating... No air was coming into his lungs anymore as his airways were now completely blocked, and he could see his blurred vision gradually blacking out more and more as he continued to be held up by the neck in the air... And just as he felt himself start to slip away into unconsciousness, he felt the pressure against his throat suddenly disappear and he automatically inhaled a sharp, shaky gasp as his body fell down towards the classroom floor to land on it with a hard thud.

Coughing and wheezing violently against the floor, Al tried to push himself up only to find his body shaking uncontrollably, his muscles giving out due to the lack of oxygen, and he collapsed on the floor again in a heap. I...ju..st......I...al..most.... he thought as he attempted to inhale as much air as he could in between fits. The pain in his throat was unbearable, and his limbs burned and ached more than ever before. And upon opening his eyes, he found his vision struggling to stay focused, the tiles beneath his hands blurring and then sharpening like he was turning a lens on a camera back and forth.

"Misha," he breathed out, his voice hoarse and shaky as he spoke. His body shook violently from his position on the floor, though he forced himself to raise his head up to meet his best friend's gaze. Coughing once more from the added strain of speaking, it took a few seconds before he found his breath again and his brown eyes opened to stare over at the unconscious and rapidly-fading body of their principal directly in front of him. Every inhale and exhale set him into a series of coughing fits that burned his throat and he couldn't hardly even move yet... But he was breathing at least. And she won't be, he inwardly added, if we don't stop the bleeding. And judging by the excessive amount of it, they didn't have time to lose... "Help 'er... I'll-" cough "- be fine..."

[Something]

Alex's phone beeped with a notification popping up saying:

Slap Misha's butt.

[Misha Charisse Quinn]

The deaths, the mysteries, the fact that Alex and his group had not only also been moved by an unknown force, but had also received creepy texts, Andrei… all of this was instantly overshadowed by the blood on her hands as she inexpertly attempted to hold her principal in place. Alex was immediately much more ingenious than her, quickly dropping to his knees next to her to assess the situation, confirm the presence of a stabbing injury (she inherently looked away) and removed his jacket to put pressure on the open wound. She mentally cursed herself at her own uselessness in this situation; noting the woman’s suffering before she’d bled out was a good start, but not enough if she couldn’t do anything about it, and she both silently thanked and resented Alex for being so much more efficient than her in this critical instant.
She nodded as he trusted her to take over, deciding to simply focus on Madonna for now and worry about her inaptitude later. They clearly didn’t have any time for her own self-esteem issues, and she pressed on the wound with her hands to stop the bleeding while Alex gave a quick look around to find anything of use.
She was so fixated on her task, in fact, that she almost confused the strangled noise she heard as coming from Madonna’s mouth, until she noticed Alex’ body moving in an unnatural panicked way next to her.
What the…? She turned around, worried, only to be met with a terrifying sight: her best friend was holding onto his throat desperately, vainly trying to suck in gulp’s of air and begging for help as the strength slowly but surely left his body. Something she knew too well.

It was all it took for Madonna to be forgotten as she rushed to Alex’ side, fiercely grabbing his shoulders as she forced him to turn to her, one of her hands touching his throat without finding anything. As in denial as she wished to stay, she knew exactly what this was; she’d been through it herself. She knew what it felt like, she knew how much it hurt, how petrified he felt. The only thing she didn’t know was how to stop it.

 – Alex… – she called, her voice weak, as dread filled her whole. She had no idea what to do. Nothing was stopping him from breathing, like nothing had been attacking her earlier either. He couldn’t just be suffering from the exact same secondary effects than she had. It just couldn’t be a coincidence, not anymore. It was all the same.

Except for one tiny difference.

Alex’ body was inexplicably stolen away from her grasp, forced to stay up on his tippy toes. She could see that this pose was not natural, that he was being held up by force; yet, she still couldn’t see anything that could be having this effect on him, and her dread was changed into true terror. Something was strangling her best friend, and was going to kill him, before her eyes. Something that she couldn’t see, touch, or fight.
She didn’t feel the tears pricking her eyes as she jumped to her feet, desperately holding him by his shoulders once more. Instinctively, she pushed his body up, as she would have done if he was being hanged, guessing from his body language that whatever was happening was similar; desperately trying to think of something, anything that she could do to help, except from uselessly calling his name and praying for this unknown force to have enough pity on him to let him go like it had done for her.
Miraculously, her prayers were answered, as the much needed and successful gasp for air coming from her best friend’s mouth was accompanied with his full body weight being dropped once more, and it took her a lot of strength to balance herself and avoid falling down with him. Instead, she tried to ease his fall best she could as she could feel him taking her down with him, and her knees made contact with the ground with a strong hit that she was sure would draw some blood.

Not that she had the time or will to care. Her closest friend was shaking, struggling to regain control of his body, and barely able to keep himself stable, if at all. She quickly took a hold of him once more, steadying him against her own body and his head in the crook of her neck above her chest as she hugged him tightly; whether to comfort him, or herself.

 – It’s okay. You’re okay. – she tried to soothe him as much as she could, feeling herself shake as she started feeling the side effects of her adrenaline rush, to the point of feeling nauseated. Her trembling hands weakly ran through his hair; he’d almost died. She knew it, he’d almost died in her arms.

And yet, now, he was asking her to take care of Madonna. She shook her head at the notion, refusing to let go of him; yet, she couldn’t refuse him when he looked her straight in the eyes like this, even less when she knew herself that their principal wouldn’t make it all on her own. Gulping down, she used one hand to keep Alex close as she moved her body to face Madonna once more, keeping the jacket in place against her wound with her free hand. She took away what she’d said; she’d give anything for Ryan to be awake right now. At times like this, she truly could use another pair of hands, and the weight of some many lives suddenly depending on her was becoming too much.
Just then, as she struggled to keep up with everything, she heard one of the most dreadful noises she could imagine: the beeping of a phone. Though she considered ignoring it at first, she still found herself gently letting go of Alex, trusting that his own body weight would keep him close to her, to try her own pockets; yet, none of her phones seemed to be the culprit… and that could only mean one thing.
She gingerly looked at her side, and found Alex searching his own pockets for his phone. The air caught in her throat.

Not him. Not now. Leave him alone.

 – What does it say? – she asked, her hand moving towards the device, ready to snatch it away. Her hatred for that monster was only growing by the minute, and this experience had just stolen whatever little patience she still had.

[Ryan Hepburn]

Ryan groaned rather loudly as his eyes tightened, slowly regaining consciousness. His head swimming, his body trying to process what was going on at the moment. You know being knocked out so many times in a few short moments can't be good for anyone...Listen you unknown being that's causing this, Ryan has lost enough brain cells. Please don't let him lose the few that remain-

His recollection was interrupted as a piercing pain swelled over the middle of his face. His eyes shot open as he lifted his body upright. His hands covering his nose softly- tears welling. That's right- the computer....that fucking dog. 

" Fuck....fuck my nose...."

He groaned in pain as he attempted to keep it together but failing miserably- his voice sounding slightly nasally as he continued to whine in pain. Really too focused on his nose to notice the other three people that were in the room with him. Fuck them for all he cares- his poor fucking nose. His fingers lightly massages the bridge of his nose, wincing as the slightest touch sent shockwaves of pain throughout his face.

His nose will look normal after this right? It's just busted up right- he's not gonna end up looking like a boxer right?! 

' How the hell am I gonna end up on a box of Wheaties with a crooked ass nose. '

[Alexander Attiyah]

Al continued to try and breathe the best he could, struggling against the burning and scratching in his throat and lungs. He had seen movies and read about people being hanged before, but while it looked and sounded painful then, it was nothing in comparison to what he just went through... to having someone--something--actually try and strangle the life out of him... And almost succeeding, he finished inwardly as another series of coughs hit him like a giant weight that made his whole body shake, one of his hands coming up towards his throat instinctively.

The very thought of that, as well as the intensity of what had happened and the mystery behind his assailant, sent fear coursing through him in waves. He hadn't seen it, couldn't stop it or prevent it... No one could. Before now, he hadn't ever thought much about ghosts and the paranormal; he'd laugh and watch horror films about them with his brother, and just consider the whole haunting aspect to be a joke for the most part. But whatever had just attacked him, he couldn't see and yet it had been every bit as real and dangerous and terrifying as if a living person had wrapped a rope around his neck. And as he tried to focus on his breathing, it took all his willpower not to breakdown as he felt Misha's arms wrap around him and bring him in closer in a tight embrace, holding him steady.

"It's okay. You're okay," she whispered as his body continued to try and regain control of his lungs. In a normal situation, he'd probably tease her for being so quick to coddle him or at least attempt to make some joke out of it - if anything to help calm her down as he could feel her shaking as well. But as her hands ran weakly through his hair, he felt comforted, safer... and in a way, more and more like himself.

"Misha," he whispered her name quietly as his shaking slightly relaxed. He wanted to speak; he wanted to tell her in some way how scared he was and how much he appreciated and needed her there, but he wasn't good with words. And he could barely get any sounds out anyway due to how much his throat burned and the fact his voice sounded more like a scratched record player than himself.

However he didn't let that stop him as he slowly reached a hand out and gripped the lower part of her jacket in a somewhat desperate yet thankful gesture, hoping it would be enough to communicate what he felt. She was what he needed right now; she was the only thing currently keeping him together. Already her voice was helping to sooth his fears despite the unknown certainty in her words, but more than that, having her there holding him like that--especially after the weight of everything that had just happened that was still so fresh and overwhelming--felt so raw, so real... and he couldn't help but want to pull her in closer and embrace her...

But he couldn't be selfish. Miss T needed the redhead's help more than he did. It was obvious from the expression on Misha's face and in her eyes as she shook her head at him that she didn't want to, not when he was still struggling and his limbs were so weak. In truth, the ravenhaired couldn't hide his own hint of regret in his face at having to let her go either. But as he stared back at her with a determined look, he was relieved when she eventually moved towards their principal's body and picked up where she had left off earlier--albeit this time with one hand on him to keep him close while she held onto the make-shift gauze with the other.

Feeling the warmth of her hand steady him in place, Al sent her a weak yet sincere smile in return before continuing to cough and wheeze again, his body still suffering from the effects of the strangulation. He could hear Ryan waking up from farther in the room but he didn't pay any attention to what he was saying or react to it; partially because it was Ryan, and there were far too many things to worry about: first of all being his mom. But mostly because he was too busy trying to get his body to cooperate despite how much everything burned to even focus on anything else but keeping himself upright.

He was eventually pulled from his focus, however, when he felt a vibration in his pocket and instantly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His head was still partially dizzy and his vision blurry, but he could very well guess what that meant from what happened several times before in the computer lab... And he dreaded opening his phone to know what that hacker--though that description was beginning to look less and less likely--had sent him.

However after a few seconds of hesitation, he eventually forced himself to reach inside his pants pocket and slowly pull out his phone, his hands and body shaking slightly from the effort. It was a miracle his fall earlier hadn't damaged it altogether, although he could feel a small chip on the corner of the casing. And as he turned on the screen, blinking twice from the sudden bright light that made his eyes hurt in an effort to let his vision refocus, he stared down at the device to see a single new message on the lock screen from an unknown number, the cell phone service still unavailable:

Slap Misha's butt.

"What does it say?" he could vaguely hear Misha ask from her spot beside him. However his gaze remained fixed on the screen in front of him as he clenched his teeth. That bastard... he muttered inwardly as he ignored the redhead's question, his eyes closing shut while his brows furrowed. He was tired of these stupid, perverted games. First Em, and now Misha... There wasn't any question or hesitation on his part as to what he thought of that message. And he immediately chucked his phone to the side with a small jerk of his hand, his body still shaking as it tried to counteract the small movement with the little oxygen he had gotten back.

"Like hell I will," he spat out in a scratchy but determined breath, his voice barely audible due to his bruised airways. He knew what his sister would probably be saying right now, considering what she had tried to get him to promise her back in the classroom upstairs. He could remember how terrified she looked when she asked him to do whatever it said, how serious she was. And he didn't know for sure, but he guessed that whatever Nerissa had been sent had probably gotten her attacked by Copper, too.

But for as much as he loved his sister and the fact his body hurt too much like hell already, he wasn't going to do that; not that he could do anything anyway seeing as he could barely move at this point... He knew who he was, and he wasn't that kind of person. And definitely not when it came to Misha. He knew her, and he respected her... but most of all he cared about her. She was his best friend, and he held her well-being over his. And no way in hell was some perverted... whatever it was, gonna force him to hurt her in any regard, punishment or not.

That asshole can go fuck himself, he thought as he coughed again, one of his arms clutching his side while he used to the other to try and keep himself balanced.

[Something]

The moment Alex refused to complete his dare, he couldn't stop coughing. The young man didn't pay this much attention to this little change, thinking it was a logical consequence due to the "experience" he just came through, but no. The coughing and a sharp, burning pain, this time around his abdominal area, rose. His nose's started to bleed and the man has finally coughed out a mush of blood and flesh, mixed with gastric juices.

Alex's phone beeped once more. The omnious message said:

You will. You all will.

Alex lost 1 health point.

[Misha Charisse Quinn]

She felt her heart twinge as Alex weakly grabbed onto her jacket, smiling up at her in gratitude. Her arms tightened their grip around him, her hand grabbing onto his hair shortly before it carried on gently stroking it in a soothing way. She hated seeing him so helpless. She hated FEELING so helpless.
When her friend shoved his phone to the side, his frail body stopping him from it getting very far, she frowned. She recognized her own past disgust in this gesture, and that only confirmed her more who the sender was; not that anyone else seemed able to text anything down here.
"Like hell I will." He assured with disdain, only causing her to frown even more. What had he been asked to do? And, most importantly… would refusing have any conseq--…
Alex started coughing. She strengthened her hold on him to keep him steady, yet… this was different than before. His body was now doubled over in a feeble attempt to get whatever was in his throat out, and, as blood started running down his nose, it wasn’t long before even more blood, mixed with spit and other substances she refused to describe came out of his mouth with a mushy convulsion. Out of pure reflex, she let go of Madonna just long enough to help him turn to the side and expectorate without soiling himself, but it wasn’t before some of the vile matter smudged the upper part of her skirt.
At this point, she didn’t even know what to think. This could technically be a result of his strangulation, but… it was too much of a coincidence.
Keeping the boy steady until she made sure he had nothing else to cough out, she gently used her sleeve to wipe out the rest of the product from his mouth, before bringing him back to her. His body was positively shaking, weaker than ever before, and it was taking all of her self-control not to break down and start trembling also.

What was she supposed to do?

As she brought her boy closer, her eyes landed on the phone he’d disregarded earlier. Gingerly, almost regretting her action as she did, but still feeling sickly curious, she grabbed onto the phone and brought it to her face, giving a look at the messages.
What she saw almost had her squash the phone on the spot. She was possibly fuming; and the worst part was, she wasn’t even sure who she was the most angry with right now, Asshole or Alex. Doing her best to control her anger, she slowly lowered the phone back onto Alex’s lap and, moving him so that he was now facing Madonna, she placed the jacket full of blood on her hurt body. Talking would have to wait.
 – Try to apply some pressure, I’ll be right back.
Enough of feeling bad for herself, and for everyone. Apparently, she was the only one here in state to get some job done, and so she would.
She let go of her friend as gently as she could, making sure he wouldn’t topple over, and, now turning towards the slowly awaking and fully oblivious jock, addressed him as coldly as her tired body could muster, which considering the situation, was quite a lot.
 – Ryan. If either of them dies while I’m gone… I’ll make sure you don’t come out of this room alive.
With those words, Misha swiftly left the classroom. She didn’t know what useful object she could find or whatever help she could encounter, but what she was sure of was that she’d done all she could in that useless room.

ººº

They weren’t at all where they were supposed to be.

They’d assumed, having both fallen asleep and woken up in a classroom, that she was still in the same place where she and Peyton had last talked; but she quickly discovered a different reality as soon as she exited the room. The change was so disorientating it took her a few seconds to understand where she was in relation to where she’d been. The good news was, she was still on the same floor than earlier; the bad news was, she had been moved by an unknown force, again, when there had been no way for her to cross the giant holes in the ground before. And the direction in which they had been moved way was…
THE NURSE’S OFFICE!
Her heart leaped into her throat as she turned around, immediately rushing to her left. Please let there be an accessible path, please let there be an accessible path… yes! The nurse’s office was in plain view, and though she watched her steps with worry, she easily got inside. This was probably the best news she’d had today, and she didn’t lose any time. OF course the nurse was nowhere to be seen, and thought she’d had to receive some medical attention before (usually for going where she shouldn’t be and getting hurt in the process), she didn’t know how the place was organized. So, naturally, she proceeded to rampaging the place, opening every drawer and cabinet she could find; until, at last, she found tissues, bandages, and even what looked like disinfectant. She wished she had a bag on her right now, because she wanted to keep all of her findings with her forever. In the meantime, and being practical, she took only what she could carry and knew she’d need, before making her way back out.

Coming back didn’t get her long, and after making sure that no one had died (which was good, she was sure she could find some usable weapons in that nurse’s office), she quickly got to work, pushing Alex out of the way just enough to kneel down next to Madonna once more. She quickly gave the boy a once-over to see if he had deteriorated even more, but he seemed about the same, and she softly handed him some tissues for him to wipe himself clean and to cough in more if needed. She wished she could do more, but for the moment, this would have to do, and she knew that Madonna needed the most urgent attention. With some help, gesturing for her friend to keep the woman’s clothes open just enough to discover the wound (there was no option for her to look away now) she did her best (which wasn’t much) to clean it and bandage it with what she had. As she did, she turned to Alex.

 – You and I will have to talk later. – she warned, almost threatened. – For now, try to take it easy, okay?
She kept her eyes on him for just a second longer, before moving in slightly closer. With Madonna taken care of, she didn’t need both of her hands anymore, and she wanted to make sure she was close to her best friend if he had another crisis, silently telling him he could use her as support if needed. Her hands still applying pressure on the now covered wound, she prayed that her inexperienced self hadn’t just royally screwed up and killed her while trying to do the opposite, before her eyes turned to the side, eyeing the room now more curiously than before. If they weren’t in the same room than earlier like she’d thought, then it was possible that something useful was actually in there with them, and this wasn’t the kind of occasions to miss out on it.

[Misha made a perception check because we aren’t hurt enough yet]

[Administrator]

Dice result: 1D10 => 10
Natural success; you found an item!

---

After a successful raid on the nurse office, Misha felt surprisingly uplifted and restored. Misha regained 1 health point.

Item: syringe with a sedative (+1 sanity)

[!] Misha has way too many items! She has to use/drop/give away one in her next post or else it will disappear from her inventory on its own.