#write about escape attempt number 4. reference the first 3 in there. or something. Jump ahead a few numbers. describe the chase sequence

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@autismfox @arthur-lesters-left-eyebrow the entities fighting for custody of Arthur post is a fun joke and a silly post but I am having to restrain myself from looking up how custody cases work right now and it's both of y'all's fault. and also writing out why each entity thinks they should/others shouldn't have custody of Arthur.

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#FightOn! (06) | OT7 halloween edition, final.

Summary: The University of Southern California is a prestigious school - only the best or the richest can attend. That means there will be a lot of spoiled brats. Two groups start colliding and the entire college shift alongside them. What will happen when sparks starts to flow between them? Drama will certainly be there.

Pairing: BTS with -eventually- female characters

Genre: Fluff, Angst, Smut (in the future), College!au, Interactive!au, Halloween!au

Word Count: 14.6k

A/N: Although it took ages to write this one it was totally worth it. I’m glad we finished this story up. And even more excited to what’s coming next! Bring it on, #FightOn! new era 🖤

The Characters • Day 3 • Day 4 • Day 5 • Day 6

13

After escaping the dark room, Carolina, Yoongi and Sarah were one of the first people to figure out where they needed to go. Stepping outside, the harsh wind hit them strongly, specially Carolina that was barely wearing anything on her legs. 

Despite the cold, the three were filled with adrenaline and only stopped walking in a fast pace once they found a bus stop. Stepping inside the little cubicle, they cowered into one of the corners so the wind couldn't hit them as badly as it had been for the entire night. 

The key they had in their hands was too small to be for a regular sized door. They excluded that option right away. The little keychain that was attached to it had engraved the number 8 in one side and on the other #FightOn!. 

Quickly, Sarah deduced that in order for it to have the sports' catchphrase, it was probably from one of the lockers. That made both of her teammates think about their lockers' keys. Carolina had long changed the keychain attached to her locker key but she could assure that one didn't belong to the volley team, and Yoongi followed suit. It wasn't from the basketball team either. 

The blonde girl moved away from the circle, a frustrated sigh leaving her lips. They had been pretty lucky so far, she couldn't believe that their luck would end now. She looked around. They hadn't walked that much from the cinematic department, where they got the key, so maybe the lockers were near them too. Following that line of thinking, the football stadium quickly came to her mind. It had to be it!

“GUYS!” Sara turned around thrilled, her mind working too fast. “I think I know where this belongs to!”

“The football lockers?” Yoongi asked with a smirk; arms crossed over his chest in an attempt of blocking the cold away. 

“How-”

“Although we look like weird, hence dumb people-” Carolina started but Yoongi interrupted her with a talk for yourself making her glance at him before continuing. “Our brains work just fine. Well, at least they didn’t freeze yet.” 

“Thank God you two are on my team!” Sarah let out excited and pointed towards the stadium with her head, her two hands were secluded in her pockets. “Shall we win this game?” 

“Fine by me!” Yoongi started to move followed right behind Carolina when a static noise was mixed with the howling of the wind. The three of them froze in place. 

“If I were you I would move faster… Your friend here is outta time” 

Sarah was trying to stay composed but looking from Carolina to Yoongi and seeing the so unfazed boy was now looking like he just saw a ghost made her understand once again that this was not just a game. 

“Wha-What… is he-” Carolina tried to say something but she was completely choked up and not because of the cold, that was the least of her problems right now. 

“It’s Taehyung.” Yoongi said certain. 

“What do you mean it’s Taehyung?!” Carolina snapped, her voice sounding hoarse. 

“Outta time. I showed him that song the other day when you two were painting those jackets-” 

“What are you talking about?!” Carolina was almost yelling now. The fear of something happening to Taehyung crawling under her skin. Yoongi wasn’t helping, she had never seen him so apathetic, his eyes trailed on the dark asphalt. 

“The Oasis song Carolina!” his eyes moved to find hers. 

Sarah was having a hard time to breathe, all she could think about was that if this so called game master had so much personal information about everyone, then this thing was more serious than what they were thinking. 

“I came to your apartment that day to find you and Taehyung alone painting jackets and I put Outta Time of Oasis to play because I told you I was talking to Lindsay about it!” 

Carolina’s eyes were still on his but she was seeing nothing more than a blurry black. “And he painted it… He painted it on his jacket” She mumbled, Yoongi nodding. “Fuck. He has Taehyung.”

“Ok! Let’s not jump into conclusions guys!” Sarah felt the need to interrupt, the two of them were looking like a mess. “We don’t know for a fact that was what he was referring to- I mean how would he know this??” 

“He said outta time not out of time or... whatever! I heard him.” Carolina said exasperated; Yoongi was still like a statue and if it weren’t for the white foam forming right in front of his mouth indicating he was breathing you would believe he was indeed one.

“It could just be a coincidence!” 

“It’s not. Why would every friend of mine be here if this were to be a random Halloween game??? Why couldn’t we stay with our phones??? None of this makes sense, Sarah!” Carolina continued and the other girl had no means to disagree. Something felt eerie indeed. “The only thing I know is Namjoon is ok and Taehyung and Jin are missing until I see them to say otherwise and I’m not acting like everything will be ok until I finish this game and this stupid son of a bitch can-”

“OK! I GOT IT!” Sarah exclaimed not wanting the girl to finish that particular phrase. “Let’s go to the stadium and win this. And let’s stay close from now on ok?” Everyone nodded. 

The three grabbed their backpacks hard. Running was difficult on their numb bodies but they had to find a way to stay warm. They ran at the same pace so no one would stay behind and soon the big stadium where the football games took place came to view. 

As they came closer and closer, they slowed their pace until they were walking, carefully looking from side to side. Yoongi was extremely alert after the last intermission that sounded from their walkie talkies and he wanted no more surprises. 

Entering the building, Carolina kept rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm up. It was chillier than outside and the wind howled through the cracks of the doors. 

They rummaged through their bags. Every step they took into the deep hall making it get darker and darker. Their flashlights were already starting to fail a little and the light coming from them was dim but they managed to find their way and reach a door with a little golden plaque that read Lockers. 

The three exchanged glances, a little reticent to open the door, not knowing what was on the other side. Carolina took the first step, grabbing the knob and turning it slowly. She felt a hand touch her and quickly jumped, her heart racing as fast as ever. She turned back ferociously to see Sarah with an apologetic look on her face, before letting her focus on the task she had been doing so far. 

The door creaked while opening, ruining the chance of silence for the trio. 

Quickly, they formed a circle, protecting each other’s backs as they walked into the even darker room. Yoongi closed the door where they came from just in case someone was to come in. That way they wouldn’t be caught off guard. 

They started reading the numbers engraved on the lockers, each of them jumped in front of their eyes until they found the familiar one they were expecting to find. 

Number 8. 

“Who has the key?” Sarah’s voice sounded and Yoongi stepped in between the two girls, hands deep in his pocket to find the object. 

He battled a little to get the key in the lock, his fingers had become stiff from the coldness in the room. The key turned into the metal door and they heard the latch click, meaning they were in the right place after all. Yoongi mumbled a low fuck, too focused on the moment that was happening. He could feel the girls eyes shifting from him to the locker even in the dark

“What’s that?” He asked, squinting his eyes hard once the door was open. 

“Another clue!” Sarah squealed, excitedly taking the finger into her hands. 

As they rummaged through their backpacks to keep the clue safe, another group was entering the building.

14

“It was not like I was going to let her be taken by zombies dude!” Taehyung sighed for the thousand time on that half an hour. He was honestly starting to get frustrated with that Jack guy. 

Ever since he found Taehyung and Deo back at the cinematic department he had been whining about being taken by zombies and how both of them just ditched him or how Taehyung took her away. “It was no big deal”. He tried to brush it off praying for him to let the subject go. 

Jack, on the other hand, was more than ready to say something to the girl who was partially ignoring all that, opened his mouth and closing it the second later. He gave a quick glance at Taehyung while replying “I’m not talking to you, for starters-” and then focused on his girlfriend once again. 

"Jesus fucking christ..." Deo rolled her eyes while crossing her arms, more for protecting herself from the chilly atmosphere than to show she was mad about their never ending bickering. 

“Can we just go on with this game?” Taehyung pleaded while scanning the place with his flashlight, not even bothering to look at his teammates.

“That’s what we’re doing already weirdo.” The other one retorted making Deo let out another frustrated grunt. 

“Is it?! Oh, my! I must’ve been trapped in my head all along” He answers in a dramatic way, eyes rolling in the end. 

"Can the two of you just shut the fuck up?!” Deo bursted glancing from one to the other, while both of them were still dueling each other with eye contact. Her hands were outstretched emphasizing how done she was. “It's fucking freezing and the two of you- ARGH!" Both of them looked at her after that. She gave up trying to make them stop fighting and simply turned around going back to search whatever they were searching for. 

“That’s what I’ve been saying for the past five minutes but this guy just wants to pick a fight!” Taehyung said simply pointing in vain to Jack who was already opening his mouth again to start another fight. “Don’t even start dude!” He glanced harshly at him, making Jack gulp down whatever he was going to retort. 

"Was that even necessary?" The girl turns back to give him a roll of eyes. "Just- Go first and Jack goes behind me ok?" She looks between the two, quickly giving up wandering all by herself at the front. The place was just too eerie and dark. 

“Why would he go first?! He can’t even kill a fly!” 

“That way I can die first and end this suffering.” Taehyung replies with his back turned to both his teammates. As deep as his voice sounded, it could also let the others feel his boredom through it. He didn’t wait for a reply though, his hands were quick to grab the knob and turn it. 

Taehyung couldn't help the noise the door made, a loud squeak reverberating through the white tile walls as he tried to quietly open it. Instantaneously, his shoulders came up in an attempt to protect himself if something was to appear from the dark room. 

As he turned around, Deo's eyes were wide from the noise the door had made while Jack was only waving his flashlight around to see if they were indeed alone in the long dark corridor. Pushing the door fully open, they got inside. 

Their first instinct was to scan the areas closer to them. They were certain this was the right place, the key had to belong to the football's lockers. If not, Jack was a complete idiot for not knowing his own keychain since he was the one remembering to come here. Deo and Taehyung immediately recognized it too from Jimin. 

As they walked further in the room, it didn't felt right for the door to be swung open so without saying a word, Deo mimicked for Jack to close it. 

There was a big slam and the sound echoed through the entire room. In the corridor too, they were certain. If something was inside, it had already been warned that there was visitors but if it was outside… it knew where the group was too.

"Dude!" Deo and Taehyung screamed in a whisper to the boy that had close the door and made the noise. 

"What?" He arched an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the severity of what he had done. The two teammates rolled their eyes, before pointing their flashlights straight ahead.

They pass by the shower zone and walk into a corridor of lockers. Taehyung finally stops on his tracks. He points with his light to the locker and then to Deo, making a confused face. It takes her a while to remember that she had the key on her, too afraid that the two boys might've lost it on their way there. 

She takes it out of her bag, showing the boys the engraved number. Lucky number 13. They quickly shift from one locker to another, looking for the one that would be open with the key they had in hands. 

The room was icy. It would be expected that such an expensive school would have AC everywhere, but tonight, everything seemed out of order. 

Not too long after, they find the locker. Of course it had to be a long one, Deo thought to herself. The three of them freeze in front of it, the suspense of the night taking control of their bodies for a second before they are able to react. 

"Can you ladies give me the fucking key?" Jack said after a long sigh. Tired of waiting for a reaction. He grabs the item out of Taehyung's hand harshly before stepping in front of the locker. 

"Actually…" He stops, looking at the boy again. "Since you're the first one to do everything... Why don't you go ahead and do the honors?" A smirk is splattered on his lips as he looks defiantly. 

"Seriously…" Taehyung answers back in a whisper, grabbing the key once again and putting it in the lock. 

With the key in place, Taehyung takes a deep breath before turning it slowly. They can hear the spring inside twitching as he turns it. The tension grows in the room and the click is finally heard. Taehyung swings the door open as fast as he can and Deo lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she only sees a red balloon coming out of the long confinement. No pennywise this time. 

"Hello!" A high pitched voice sounds behind them and they quickly turn around as the crazy clown laughs at the girl's terrified face.

For a second, Taehyung freezes. Getting caught off guard, his only reaction is to nervously smile. 

"Do you want to be my friend?" Pennywise chuckles as he goes to reach out for the other two but he misses. 

Seeing the look on the face of his girlfriend, tears starting to form in her eyes and how she was unable to move, Jack grabs Deo's hand and pulls her out of there.

"HURRY JACK!" Deo screams as the boy is struggling with the door he had previously slammed. He pulls hard on it but he struggles as it seems jammed. "JACK!!" The girl screams again, as the clown walks happily towards the two. 

Finally managing to open the door, the two flee, leaving Taehyung behind alone in the locker room. As they turn around, the clown keeps chasing them, jumping on his legs and moving his arms up and down. Every now and then, he lets out a giggle to let them know he's still chasing the two, patiently waiting for them to get tired. Deo is barely out of breath and as they make a turn, they bump into something.

"Shit!" Jack says, as he runs into someone, barely being able to stand up.

"Run! Pennywise is coming!!" Deo almost screams, her mind lost in fear. 

“What the fuck?!” Carolina yells back, too lost with the bumping. Yoongi had his fists balled ready to fight whatever it was that went against him. “Taehyung????” The girl had her eyes squinted to see a shadow whom ran towards their direction. She knew that particular running too well. 

“Guys- Hey!” The one being called emerges from the darkness that was the corridor behind him to focus on what was happening. “We’re all here! Look- We’re all here!” He says to his group pointing his two friends out like it was a big happy coincidence. The seriousness of the situation never weighing on him. 

“What happened? We heard someone scream!” Sarah said ogling everyone trying to see if someone was hurt in any way. 

“Are you ok?” 

“How are you in the game too?” Yoongi and Carolina paid no mind to their teammate concerns. Instead they attacked Taehyung with a bunch of questions. 

“Why…? Why wouldn’t I be ok?” The boy answered simply with a lost face. 

"Didn't you saw him?? Where is he?" Deo asked, checking the boy up and down and then picking her head to see if there was anyone on the other end of the corridor. 

“Who is he??” 

“He vanished.” Taehyung ignored the last question and answered Deo. He was just confused as she was. “I was running after him- after you two left me there but he just… vanished.” 

“YOU GUYS LEFT HIM THERE??” Carolina panicked. 

"He came chasing after us!" Deo threw her hands up in defense.

“Ok but who is he? What are we talking about?!” Sarah was as confused as Yoongi but the boy preferred to keep quiet. Everyone was just too nervous and agitated to give him solid answers anyways.

“Are you guys fucking deaf?” Jack said sarcastically. “The fucking Pennywise that’s who! Or what? Are we the only ones being chased by the weird clown?!” He kept ranting while team 8 exchanged glances. They realized right at that moment team 5 was completely oblivious to the real danger.

“Listen you brute-” Sarah started but Carolina held her by the wrist with a tight grip. 

“Listen to me-” She started focusing on Taehyung only. “this is not a game anymore. They have Seokjin-”

“They wha-” The boy was just as confused as his teammates, whom had their eyebrows furrowed and looked at the girl as if she was an alien. 

“We thought they had you. But you’re here so it must be Jin!” She talked nervously now. Sarah’s hand was rubbing her back gently trying to calm her down. 

“Who's they? How do they have Jin?" Deo asked confused. She wasn't understanding a word from that, the sudden meeting with Pennywise still stuck on her mind. 

“We don’t have much time. But the game master kidnapped our friend, ok? That’s all you need to know.” Yoongi took the step and said it like it had to be said.  

“Alright. You guys are just being insane now. Are you drugged?” Jack scoffed; his hands going to his hair in frustration. “Cause you must be drugged to say something like that. It’s just Halloween, dudes. This is not JigSaw.” 

“They have Jin?” Taehyung let out in a whisper and nobody heard it. It was as if he was talking to himself. Eyes glued to the floor, still perplexed. His mind was floating and nothing made sense anymore. 

“Oh shut up you little shit!” Carolina retorted Jack. “If you don’t want to take this thing seriously and act as if you’re only being chased by Pennywise or whatever it was, fine by me! But don’t take matters that don’t involve you lightly just because they don’t involve you.” 

“We should go now, we already found our clue.” Sarah interrupted.

“I can’t leave him alone!” Carolina said more to Yoongi than anything while pointing towards Taehyung.

“Wait- how are you even sure it's Jin? I haven't seen Hoseok the entire night." Deo said after finally having absorbed the information but still not convinced with the story. If what they were saying was true, it could be a lot of people. "Holy shit… could it be Hobi?" She looked desperately to Jack searching for some comfort. The boy gave her a soft smile, hands find the small of her back.

“This was supposed to be a game...” Taehyung whispered again. 

“Did the game master contacted you guys saying something about him?” Yoongi asked the short girl with arms crossed. 

"No but since you were thinking it was Taehyung and now Jin I'm guessing he didn't say any names to you either." Deo crossed her arms back at him.

“He said it was a friend of ours. And made some mentions but we mistook it for Taehyung. I first thought it was Jin but then he said- Nevermind. The important thing here is you’re safe and Namjoon too. But they- They have him. He’s being tortured-”

“THEY ARE BEING WHAT?!” Jack laughed hard in disbelief. “Oh for fucks sake-!” He let out once Deo offered him a harsh look. “Grow up people. We’re not in a horror movie or in your Sci-Fi films! It’s a Halloween game! It’s supposed to look spooky!” 

“If you’re only going to say shit why don’t you just shut up?” Taehyung raised his voice. The look on his face was ice cold; his jaw was tensed and his brows were now furrowed. 

“We need to continue the game guys.” Sarah hated to interrupt but time was ticking and if they used it for chatting something worst could happen. 

“Ok, listen-” Carolina said to Taehyung as if she was in a hurry and what she was about to tell him was from extreme importance. “We don’t have any source of communication between teams but I met Namjoon earlier. I- I’m counting on him to do something.” She gave him a glance to check if he was noting mentally everything she was saying. “But please be safe.” She looked at Deo now too, in hopes at least she would be someone he could trust. 

“Oh my God” Jack rubbed his hands on his face, placing them on his pockets right after. “You guys should really apply to the theatre plays here on campus. You are naturals.” 

“Aren’t you that guy that plays football?” Yoongi casually asked in a monotone. 

“Yeah.”

“Hm.. I figure you need your legs to play right?” 

“Are you trying to come at me bro?” Jack was about to go at him when the static noise made Sarah jump and Deo hold on to her in fear Pennywise was coming back.

“Tik tok players… Chatting is fun! Should we include your friend in the conversation?” 

One second in silence passed by and every one of them had their breaths held in anticipation and fear. “HmmHElmmmph-” Another electric noise was heard and not the static they were so used to, a muffled and pained scream followed. “Your friend is having SOOOO much fun! Should we proceed?” 

Carolina pressed the button of her walkie talkie too fast. “OK WE HEARD IT YOU SICK BASTARD! ENOUGH!” She said exasperated while the others glanced at each other, some coming to realisation of what was happening and some with fear. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US???” 

“Tik tok…”

Was the last thing they heard echoing through the icy walls of the lockers room.

15 

It was dark and the only source of light the girls had were the dim rays that were coming from their flashlights. It took them awhile to figure out where they needed to be headed was the locker rooms. Every since the night started, Jennifer had been complaining about each decision their teammates made.

“Guys I’m pretty sure it’s on the other end.” Jennifer’s tongue clicked. 

“No Jennifer, it’s that way beca-” Emma started, trying her best to stay calm. 

“Bitch! I know what I’m talking about! I come here everyday, like every-single-day!” 

“Girl, listen to me! We don’t care if you come here to slut around. We’re just saying our number is that way and stop saying it’s not because you’re dumb and suck at math.” V snapped at the brunette. 

“Bitch I’m the best from my class and I’m taking economics and finance.” Jennifer flipped her ginger wig. 

“Well, then your grades are bought.” 

“Guys, please just stop fighting…” Emma pleaded, sick of hearing the two. “I just want to finish this and go home and sleep.”

Emma continued walking forward, not caring enough to wait for the other two. After an intense stare fight from the two teammates, they rushed after the other one. What were really two minutes, seemed more like an hour to the girls who were freezing. 

Once Emma pointed her flashlight to the locker standing tall right in front of her, V let out a rushed thank God. She was feeling drained from the events of the night. 

Jennifer quickly pushed past the two, grabbing the key she had been holding and impatiently pushing it inside the lock. She swung the door open, but nothing was inside. 

“Seriously?? Nothing??” She asked as she turned around to talk to the other girls, feeling indignated.

Their locker was in the exact end of the final row. And in the exact same moment Jennifer turned around, Baby Face peeked from behind the locker number 313. 

The girls didn’t notice him, at first. V was too worried at counter striking at Jennifer to notice her surroundings. Emma, on the other end, was scanning the locker after some kind of hidden compartment where the clue could be. And that’s when all happened. 

In a flash, Emma was being pushed inside the locker by a screaming Jennifer, too worried about getting away from Baby Face to care about her teammates. When she turned around, all she saw was the hideous mask staring back at her and in an impulse, she closed the door shut, to feel secure, even if that meant she was trapped with nowhere to run. 

She could hear the clinking of Baby Face’s knife against the cold metal door and when she closed her eyes, she could hear her heart beating in her ears and his hard breathing against the mask. 

Suddenly, she heard V’s voice, shouting. 

“YO BABY FACE!!! COME GET ME MOTHERFUCKER!” 

In a blink of an eye, Baby Face’s presence could no longer be felt by the girl trapped inside, the clinking stopping right away. 

Emma reluctantly tried to open the door to get out and run away from that cold place but she found herself really trapped this time. There was no way to open the locker from the inside. She wanted to scream out for help but she was too afraid he would be the one hearing her and come back. 

“EMMA HURRY UP! LET’S GO!” V’s voice echoed again. 

“I CAN’T! I’M TRAPPED!” Emma’s voice sounded muffled. 

“OH FUCK-“ Suddenly Baby Face was already catching up to V and she felt like she had nowhere to go. Without someone to help her she had no way to escape or to help out her teammate. 

“WHAT? WHAT IS HAPPENING??” Emma asked clueless. She felt almost like she had lost her primary sense.

“What is going on here?!” A third voice echoed on the gloomy lockers room and in a flash Baby Face disappeared in between the many corridors of metal spaces. “Oh my God what was that?!” 

“Thank God!” Emma could hear V’s voice again sounding relieved. “If it weren’t for you I was a goner- Oh! EMMA!” The girl rushed back to free her teammate.

“Emma? Who’s Emma?” Another voice asked. 

“V?? WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE?” Emma tried once again. And before she could hear her reply the metal door was being busted open. Four faces staring at her with their flashlights pointed towards the almost blinded girl, looking like a hypnotised deer. 

“You’re ok girl?” V asked her, concern adorning her face. “Everything happened so fast-” 

“Why were you inside a locker?” A girl dressed exactly like Jennifer asked and if she wasn’t smaller and fairer than her teammate Emma would’ve had mistaken her for the cruel girl. 

“Where’s Jennifer?” Was all she could ask.

“The bitch pushed past us two to run away, she’s probably outside already” V ranted. 

“Are you guys ok?” A khaleesi look alike asked visibly worried. 

“Yeah, thanks to you guys!” V answered for both of them, Emma still recovering from the scare. “We’re gonna head off now, but thanks for showing up. Timing really is everything! I’m never doubting coach again.” She finished making the girls laugh. 

The girl and Emma made their way quickly towards the entrance door, and if they managed to find Jennifer outside, she was definitely going to listen to some not so amiable complaining. 

“Well that was… interesting” Esme said blankly, still pointing her flashlight to where Emma and V had just gone through. 

In an agreeable silence the three started looking around with their flashlights held up firmly, the previous situation seeming not so weird after everything that had happened until now. 

“I’ve never been here before…” Aashna started, a chill going down her spine while she checked out the shower section, right next to some tall lockers. “Anyone knows where we should be looking?” She added glancing back to see her teammates. 

“Not sure.” Esme shrugged. “I’ve never been here either!” Her voice sounded like an echo even though she tried to whisper. 

“This place is scary...” Aashna was checking the golden numbers engraved on the lockers carefully while she talked to Esme. Something about her keeping a conversation made her feel more at ease in a place like this. “And extremely cold!” She said letting out a shudder. 

“Hey- Where’s Nina?” Esme interrupted her quickly, glancing around. She stopped once her flashlight illuminated a long and overly dark corridor. 

“Nina!” Aashna whispered in a loudly manner. 

“Nina this is not funny!” 

A metal like sound ringed through the place making them jump in place. Esme swiftly closed the distance between her and Aashna. None of them noticed but they had their breaths held. 

Flashlights pointed towards the corridor were the noise had come from. Something was coming from there, they could hear the footsteps. Aashna’s hands were beginning to shake, Esme was holding tight on her arm. 

Another metallic noise. 

Their brains screaming to run but their feet stuck to the floor as if they had glue on them. 

And then, in a split of a second Nina appeared saying a loudly “Guys!” and both of them jumped scared to death. 

Esme’s free hand going to her chest as breathing proved to be difficult, while Aashna exhaled everything she was holding in. “Geez…”

Nina continued watching her teammates recovering from the scare. “Calm down you guys, it’s just me!” She chuckled. 

“Yeah-“ Esme tried but she was still panting. 

“I found our locker by the way.” Nina said while pointing towards the gloomy corridor; she had her shoulder leaning on the wall casually. 

“Let’s go then.” said Aashna, “The faster we finish this the better, I still have a party to enjoy!” 

And the three made their way to their destination, Nina leading them towards the locker that matched their key. It didn’t took long, but Esme kept looking back, seeing the entrance being engulfed by the darkness, their flashlights not being able to illuminate it anymore. 

“This one!” Nina whispered pointing the blueish light towards the number adorning the long locker. The other two came to a halt right after her. 

“Here-” Aashna gave her the key; the clinking of the metal seeming too noisy due to the painful silence. “You open it.” 

Nina took the object in hands, sniffing since it was so cold she could feel her nose starting to petrify. As soon as she inserted the key, she turned it. “Ok, c’mon...” she whispered more to herself than anything and swung the door open. 

As soon as they pointed their flashlights to see what was inside the cubicle they spotted a pair of yellow eyes adorning the grotesque face they encountered earlier that night. 

A strident scream was heard. 

Aashna was quick to turn around and run away from it this time. Not so quick, Esme had her breath still held, no voice escaping even though her mouth was opened, her eyes terrified. Nina had to hold her arm to pull her to run. They heard the sound of The Nun stepping out of the metal confinement to the tiles floor. And although they were running fast, away from that scary being, the sounds it made reverberated in a slow and torturing way.

16

Group number 4 had just came out in a hurry of the lockers entering the football stadium randomly while trying to escape Freddy Krueger. Sana was panting frantically while holding Jeremy’s arm in a tight grip. Jin was a loud and jumpy mess, also the reason why the team ended up in the field instead of the exit door to the exterior. 

In all of their fear to escape, they didn’t noticed what was happening there. That was until someone grabbed Jin by his neck and obliged him to put his hands behind his back. 

“Hey! Let me go!!” He shouted while putting up a fight against his assaulter. 

“Back off!” Jeremy threatened when another masked man tried to do the same to him and Sana. “I said back off-!” 

Jin was already on his knees in the ground, still shouting and struggling, but when the bleachers came to view, right on his left, he saw a few familiar faces chained up and debating just as he was. Everything stopped for a moment as if they were moving in slow motion. He was petrified and this wasn’t a game anymore. 

“Ashi!” Was the last thing Sana was able to say before she had her mouth taped up like the rest of the players. The friend she called over tried to scream back at her but with no success, only muffled sounds could be heard. 

A deafening sound screeched from the stadium loudspeakers maddening the hostages spread on the humid seats. The so familiar grotesque voice echoed through the stadium making them all more alert. 

“Now that we are all here… Let’s begin game number seven shall we?”

The groups were all placed together on the bleachers, a few seats apart from each other. Jimin and Deo exchanged comforting glances while Hyori kept her head low trying her best to stay calm and gather every bit of information she had so far. 

Jungkook kept debating with his chains, his voice would probably be lost if he kept on trying to shout with that tape over his mouth. Tori was having a hard time since his chains were also hers and Jason’s, so every time he pulled, they would also feel it stinging on their own skin. 

“Oh- My bad,” The voice faked an apology. “There is someone missing isn’t it? I guess I forgot it since he’s been such a good company here by my side!” 

A hideous laughter was heard right after. Some grunts in protest and clinks of the chains were heard too but completely ignored by the so called game master. 

“So here’s what is going to happen players- You will compete against each other now. And you all may ask, why would we do that? Well, the answer is simple: Either you do it or he dies!” 

As soon as those cruel words were spoken they were all blinded by the harsh lights of the big projector set up right in the middle of them all. The light was pointed towards the other side of the field, onto a wide white screen. The clear image of a guy whose face was covered by a black back appeared. 

He was sat down on a chair in the middle of a bad lit room, his calves taped onto the metal feet of the so said chair and his arms hidden by his own back. Chivers went through Hyori and her eyes started to get teary. Deo tried hard to get up but her effort was for nothing. Same thing for Jungkook. They knew it was Hoseok. They knew from the moment they saw Cole and Asa already sat there and chained one to the other without Hoseok. 

Nina’s thoughts were running wild. Could it be someone she knew? Could it be some of her friends? She knew for sure it was a guy… And although she came to the party with her girls, she was in fact planning on meeting some of her other friends later on. The constant teasing and threatening she received from the game master on her walkie talkie indicated that yes, it was, indeed, someone dear to her. But what if it was all playing pretend? Then again, what if it wasn’t? 

“And if you think I won’t do it… Here are some proof I will.” 

The voice said simply before tasering the guy in the neck making him grunt and contort in pain before passing out. The reactions to this were various. The majority of them grunted too or debated themselves, while others kept it quiet, fear in their eyes. 

“So, umm��� Maybe group one versus… Group ten? This will be entertaining!” 

As he said it, masked men came out once again, freeing both groups and taking them to the middle of the field. 

“Oh! Forgot to say, if someone tries to run… You know, Tzzzzz!” 

Another cruel laughter reverberated.  

Hyori looked back at where her friends were being held hostage, where she was previously in. She needed to do something, but if she did, Hoseok would suffer even more. 

“What is this for?” She heard Jae, a girl she knew from the library, ask with a red balloon in hands. 

“Hyori!” Silvia called her. “You have to focus girl, c’mon!” 

“Sorry-” Right at that moment a masked man came towards group one delivering them red balloons and a needle. The three of them were baffled. What was that about? 

“Ok players! Ready, set… And begin!”  

Was all the voice said. No rules, no goal, no nothing. 

The six of them kept looking at each other without knowing what to do. A beep echoed and the image on the white screen changed from the hostage to a countdown. 

Three minutes. 

And suddenly Tessa was running towards group one, ready to pop their balloons. Hyori and Silvia did the same, quickly reaching Jae and Cecilia to try and win the game. 

“I’m sorry dude!” Tessa said before reaching Namjoon. He wouldn’t move, his thoughts running wild. What was going on? And pop! His balloon was a goner. As well as the minutes that reached zero in a blink of an eye. 

As if nothing had happened, the masked men came again, retrieving the needles and remaining balloons. The two groups were back at being chained and taped. Not before Namjoon mouthing a do not pop it to Yoongi and Carolina, who were watching everything attentively. 

“Hmph, not that exciting after all…” The game master said. “Let’s see if I get something better out of these. Bring it on group two and… Oh this is a good one! Group eight!” 

By the time they all got to the field Yoongi could see Jungkook foaming with rage. He lived long enough with the boy to know that as soon as the game master said go, he would come at full force to pop their balloons. Carolina knew it too. 

“I don’t know why Namjoon said that but I’m trusting we shouldn’t pop the balloons.” The girl whispered to Yoongi while keeping eyes on the beast a few meters away from them on the field, pacing forth and backwards. 

“Any plans on how we are going to defend ours from those two?” Yoongi asked while taking his balloon in hands as well as his needle which he was quick to discard on the grass. His eyes, as well as Carolina’s, were on Jason and Jungkook. 

“Hey I wanna know the plan too!” Sarah came closer to them. 

“Ok, so here’s the deal. Presuming we can’t leave the field otherwise he will torture the shit out of that poor guy, you’re gonna take our balloons,” Carolina started handing Sarah her balloon and making Yoongi follow the action. “And you’re going to run as far away as possible from the mess that is going to follow.” She kept going and Sarah kept nodding as if taking instructions for her first game of football ever. “If anything that girl over there will come after you, so keep running and in any moment let someone pop our balloons ok? And you can discard your needle.”

“Ok, protect balloons. I’m on it!” 

“So I’m guessing we’re taking over those two?” Yoongi asked. His arms crossed the whole time. 

“Yeah… Don’t ask me how just-” 

“I won’t promise anything but I have been taking judo classes… Let’s hope for the best.” He tried to be cheerful. “Who do I take on?” 

“The one that comes to you first-” Was the last thing Carolina was able to say before the beep echoed on the field. Jungkook and Jason running fast, their balloons in hands. Tori sat on the floor. Three minutes left. 

Sarah was already running when Yoongi saw Jason going for her. He designedly intercepted the guy by standing on his way. Both of them collapsed and Yoongi tried his best to pin Jason down. 

“Keep running Sarah!” Carolina shouted when she saw Jungkook dodging the other two entangled on the wet grass. She had to take a detour to try and catch up with the mad boy running with his balloon under his arm. The nurse dress was making it hard to run but even so she managed to grab his shoulder and pull him back. 

“Let go!” Was all Jungkook said, eyes on Sarah’s back. “Let go Carolina! You’re gonna hurt yourself!”

She quickly kicked him and put all her weight to bring him down to the floor. Once the thud of them both falling down on the ground was heard she said, “I’m sorry! Just listen to me!” 

“Get off!” 

“I won’t pop your balloon! Just stop!”

As he was about to get up she pulled him down again. He said nothing, but a growl came out as he got up once more and as soon as the girl tried to intercept him he pushed past her but something was off. Beep! 

“Time is over! Too bad…”

As it had happened previously, both groups were chained once more giving space to another two teams confront each other on whatever that game was. 

“Let’s see… Group three and maybe… Six. Yeah, group six.”

The tension was palpable on the field. Jennifer was ready to come at Aashna and that’s what happened. The girls from group six chose to stay put. They were tired from running, cold and fearful of what could happen next. But Jennifer had other plans in mind. 

She saw this as an opportunity to set the record straight. Ever since she saw Aashna talking to Jungkook at that party she couldn’t stop thinking about ways of taking the girl down. Maybe now was the time. 

“You’re crazy!” Aashna screamed when Jennifer jumped at her. They were rolling on the wet and cold ground. Nina came to help her teammate but Jennifer wasn’t backing off. 

Pop! She was so focused on attacking Aashna that she missed out Nina popping her balloon. “Take that bit-”

But before Nina could say anything, Jennifer’s face was full of rage and she popped hers as well. And right after they heard the timer being zeroed once again. 

“Not so bad! Ooof JK, you have some heavy stuff on your plate right now buddy.” 

The game master laughed but the boy wasn’t paying much attention. He was feeling off. Sweat all over his body although the weather was as cold as it could get. His sight unfocused. It was as if someone imposed this on him. But he was too lost to remember when or where. 

A few games came after that one, a few balloons were also popped but the final game was what mattered the most. Was when the chaos peeked. The fight between the best of friends. Childhood friends. And would they really all be ruined for some balloons? That was what the game master was hoping for. 

“Jimin don’t you dare!” Deo glared to the boy. It would be impossible for him to stay put. “No one pops any balloons!” She looked more to Jack than anyone. 

“From both sides!” Jimin looked at her, concerned with her team. 

Taehyung decided to do the same as he had saw his friends doing. He stayed still even though Jack kept shouting at him to do something. It didn’t help the fact he was against his own best friend, Jimin, who was pushing Jack back as he tried to go for his balloon. Pop!

Jimin’s balloon was a goner and baffled by the situation Holly ran towards Deo. Her own fears of the hostage being one of her friends coming to mind, she just couldn’t lose this game. 

“Holly don’t you fucking dare!” Was all Deo was able to say but it had no effect. Taehyung came to her help but it was too late. Pop! “I can’t believe you!” Deo said frustrated, and soon after she reached for the other girl, she popped her balloon too.

“Don’t-” Taehyung tried to stop his teammate. Pop!

“No! My balloon!” Holly cried out. 

“Time is over players! Pennywise would be proud to see all his balloons are gone, expect for one...” They all heard and stopped immediately what they were doing. “And since this is the final game I should tell you what was this all about right? I bet you’re all wondering...”

As he was saying, they were all being free from the chains. The hostage images back again at the white screen for their dread. 

“I know little dirty secrets about all of you, and I will grant you guys the opportunity to reveal them. Of course it wouldn’t be fun if I made you all confess things… So! I decided over this game that the ones with popped balloons will have their secrets revealed for the whole USC somehow,”

The reactions were diverse. Some in disbelief, some frustrated and mad at the people that purposely had popped their balloons. 

“Do you wanna know what are the secrets? I bet you do!”

“This is a fake…” Cara started still unconvinced. 

“Who is this fucking clown?!” Cole was frustrated, his arm still stinging in pain. 

“I guess you will have to find that out once you get out of the game,” A wicked laughter echoed. “Though I will say my top two are Jennifer banging Jeremy while she’s casually with Jungkook…” 

Jennifer eyes went big while she tried to go to Jungkook to firmly deny. Looks of judgement piercing her. Jungkook was nauseated, knees on the floor, his head dizzy and this secret was the least of his worries. What was happening to him?? 

“Or! The fact that the precious USC couple — for those who don’t know Jack and Deo, they have secrets that could feel up a grave! I mean, she had barely been with Dylan when it all started,” 

“WHAT?!” Jack screamed at the girl, rage in his eyes. Deo backed up and Jimin instinctively came to her defense.

“Good times.” Dylan teased the other boy, but before anything could be heard, the voice sounded again. 

“And guess what? It started because of a bet, isn’t that right Jack???” 

Jack faltered when he saw the expression on Deo’s features change. She was ready to punch him in the face, but Hyori and Jungkook took her side, as Jimin did the honors for her and punched the jock straight in the jaw. 

“There’s so much more… But- Oh my! Look at the time! It’s killer on the loose people! Get caught and you die, best of luck! I’ll give you ten seconds as a gesture of goodwill,” 

“What the fuck?” Yoongi let out. And just like that the familiar horrific killers that have been chasing them all so far were seen. 

“FUCK!” 

17

Once the familiar voice that kept the players company was shut once more, panic was installed. Minds still confused with the recent shocking informations and fatigue, they were slow to react to the fast ten seconds given by the psycho. As soon as they laid eyes on the spooky creatures running towards them, they were quick to disperse, leaving the bleachers area. 

Carolina was the first to react. She quickly grabbed Yoongi and Sarah and pulled them towards a safer place. They ran to the extremity of the bleachers, swiftly ducking behind them, safe as all the monsters ran in opposite directions. 

“Sarah!” The girl screamed after the blondie, only for her mouth to be covered right after. 

“She’ll be ok. She’s smart.” Yoongi whispered as he pulled them closer to the safety of the darkness. 

“Something is really wrong… Jungkook was messed up during the game…” 

“This will all be over soon.” He tried to comfort the girl but she couldn’t shrugg the feeling of uneasiness at the back of her neck. 

Jack was next to flee, too insouciant to wait for anyone. Jungkook kept his group close as they climbed down the steps. Despite his drunken state from the previous game, he was swiftly moving, keeping balance throughout the fall. But suddenly, he heard a thud behind him, making him stop. 

“Keep running man!” Jason shout as he helped Tori up. 

“No!! Jungkook!!!” The girl screamed at the exact same time, the creatures seaming closer and closer, making it harder for her to gain forces and stand up. And with Jason battling, 3 points were automatically taken from group two as the members were taken away. 

As the groups were separated, people diving deep into the woods and taking hide, so did the killers. The wind helped mask their harsh steps on the fallen leaves. 

Deo had crawled down to a ball on the ground as soon as she couldn’t spot Pennywise anymore, the phobia taking the best of her. 

“C’mon,” Taehyung whispered as he kneeled down in front of her. “they’ll catch us if we stop.” 

“I can’t.” Was all the tired girl could say. She was ready to give up, the thought of what they were doing to Hoseok making her feel powerless. 

“I promise you they won’t catch us.” He extended his arm up to her. “We keep running, we don’t look back-” 

“And don’t fall.” 

“That’s a pretty big deal too.” A smile appeared on his lips as he saw the girl grab his hand to stand and the both of them were ready to run. 

“Wait- what about Jack?” 

If it wasn’t for the dark environment, Taehyung eye roll would be visible. “We need to worry about us now.” 

She nodded lightly, before grabbing his hand. “Run as fast as you can and don’t stop.” 

As the two started running, they were oblivious to those they were running past, their safety being their number one priority at that moment. Jimin wanted to scream for his friends. He needed to feel secure and they were the only people that could give him a little bit of that feeling in that moment, but as he looked at the petite girl tightly pressed against him, he choose to keep quiet. 

“Cara don’t make a sound.” He whispered, ears sharp as he heard footsteps growing closer. 

“Is it a killer?” The girl asked, eyes widen with terror of what could come next. 

He took his finger to his lips, while he peeked his head out towards the direction of the steps. He couldn’t really recognize the figure, the girl’s back facing him, but it was enough for him to let out a pssst. 

“Carolina?” The figure turned, eyes squinting in all directions. “Yoongi??” The desperation in her voice was palpable. 

“I don’t know who it is.” Jimin’s head came back to the safeness of the tree. “Should we call her?” 

“It could be a trap!” Cara quickly said, the idea making her nauseous. 

Jimin’s head was thinking hard. Something told him that he should call whoever it was. But yet again, Cara’s words kept his mind running. “She could allure killers.” He deduced, before pssssting the girl again. 

“Jimin?” The girl said amused as she laid eyes on the voice that had called her. 

“Sarah!” He said relieved to see that it wasn’t a trap. 

“Keep it down!” Cara said, frustrated with the social gathering at the worst time. 

“Cara Xavier!” Sarah let out a little too loud, catching the girl off guard. “It seemed you!” 

“How you do-” 

“Shush!” 

Jimin’s back were quickly pressed against the tree once more. The harsh sound of the footsteps grew louder and stronger, making the girls press against him as well. 

“We need to run!” Sarah kept her voice low but it was visible that she was in panic. 

“We can’t leave now. They’ll see us!” Cara battled. 

“I’m not staying here.” Sarah stood her ground. “You can stay if you want. I’m not getting caught.” 

“Cara let’s go.” Jimin said to the petite girl. 

“It’s not safe!” She said overwhelmed with fear. 

“Neither it’s here.” He tried to reason with her. 

And right before the girl could say anything, Pennywise jolly appeared right beside them. “Hello guys! Do you want a balloon?!” The creepy voice was followed by a spooky laugh, making them scream and run in different directions. 

Jimin could hear Cara’s screams, but once he looked back, he couldn’t see her anymore. He stopped a little, trying to stabilize his breath. He was too dizzy to focus on any sounds surrounding him. 

It took awhile for everyone to find safety. Everyone as in… those who managed to escape the ferocious hands of the killers that kept on chasing them. But for those who didn’t, they were trapped somewhere. 

Their hands were tied behind their backs as well as their feet. It was too cold to move. And the darkness of the room made it impossible to place their whereabouts.

“It’s getting pretty cold isn’t it?” The malicious voice was heard by one of the walkie-talkies. “I wonder… how long can bodies take in a freezer before they completely freeze? Tik-tok players. Hope your friends are fast enough to get you out.” 

The silence that could be installed was filled with muffled sounds of people trying to get free, panic hitting them. 

“HELP!” A voice from inside screamed. But it was in vain. No one was around to help them. 

“Cara?” A familiar voice called out, recognizing the scream. 

“Sana??” The desperation filled the room. “Where are you?! I can’t see anything!” 

Time was running out for those poor souls stuck in the freezer. And their only hopes were being tested once again. 

There were more bodies stuck inside than those free on the outside. For whatever math they managed to do in that pitch black room, the only ones still out there were Jimin, Deo, Jack, Taehyung, Carolina, Yoongi, Sarah, Jungkook, Jae and Aashna. But one thing they knew for sure… Hoseok wasn’t in there.

Slowly, everyone managed to get free. Still, it was pitch black and the walls were too cold for them to touch. They all gathered around in some corner, trying to keep each others’ warm. 

The only light came from the walkie-talkie in the freezer that had spoken to them earlier. Hyori’s features could barely be seen as she played with the little communication toy. There was this theory she was trying to put in practice from a conversation she had had with Namjoon ever since the middle of the night. 

It kept bothering her how strange it was that the game master always knew when to interrupt. It was like he was right there with them the whole time. But that didn’t make sense because she had gotten lost by herself quite some times already… 

After sharing the theory with Namjoon, they decided to test it out, showing how only walkie-talkies in the same frequency could hear each other. And when one was talking, the game master couldn’t hear. Otherwise, they would’ve been caught a long time ago. 

“Hello?” She pressed the button once again. “Is anyone there?” 

As she was about to lose hope, ready to switch frequencies, the static noise alerted her that she had finally got someone on the line. “Hello?” 

“Deo?” 

“Hyori!” The voice of the girl sounded relieved as she heard back from her friend. “Where are you? Are you safe?” A million questions came rushing back and she had to sush everyone inside the freezer so she could be heard clearly. 

“I was taken! Are you ok?” The girl asked concerned, despite her situation. 

“Listen to me-” She stuttered a little, the cold finally hitting her. “There’s a lot of people her-”

The girl interrupted her. “You’re with Hobi?? Is he there?” 

“He’s not here. But you need to call for help. This is not a game!” Namjoon’s voice sounded through the walkie-talkie.

“Namjoon?? Where are you?” Taehyung grabbed the device from Deo’s hands, feeling desperate for his friend. 

“I don’t know! It’s cold! It’s like a freezer!” 

“We don’t have much time!” 

The static noise filled the air once again. The freezing two heard some noise from what it felt like the two had started running, followed by Deo’s screams. After a while, it was silent again. 

“They’ll get help.” Hyori said confidently. But there wasn’t much hope left from her. 

“We need to find another channel.” Namjoon said simply as his fingers were already rotating the little pin on top of the device. “Hello?” He kept on saying until there was finally a voice calling back. “Yoongi!” 

“Namjoon? How the fuck are we talking? Where are you?” 

“You need to come help us.” Namjoon’s voice sounded hoarse through the static sound. “The game master has been listening to us the entire time! Don’t talk near the walkie-talkies about important information!” 

“What?!” Carolina took the walkie-talkie from Yoongi, her mind spinning. 

“This is a gigantic trap! We’re in a freezer! You need to come get us!” The boy spoke fast, scared that these two would also break out like it happened with the last channel they catched. 

“In a freezer?”

“Yes! Come fast! And be careful!” 

18

“Now I just can’t think about the clue- fuck!” Yoongi let out frustrated. It has been twenty minutes since they received the clue about the trophy on a frat house from the game master and while they were trying to figure out which one of the many frat houses it could possibly be, Namjoon interrupted their thoughts with the sudden news. 

“I know.” Carolina sighed getting closer to the boy, the wind still harsh on their skin. They were on the main street of the campus, all dark except by the yellow lamp posts that lit the road. “Remember what just happened” she continued mimicking to him a finger in front of her mouth meaning silence. “and let’s focus on winning this game.” 

“Yeah, you’re right.” 

“If only Sarah was here- AHHHHH!!!!!” Carolina felt the need to shout unexpectedly. She was tired, fatigue was taking over her. 

And out of nowhere they heard another scream, coming right from the end of the street. 

“What the-” Yoongi questioned, eyebrow tilting up. 

“You think I invoked another killer? I’m sorry...” She said apologetic and fearful at the same time. 

“Should we… run?” Yoongi asked preparing to fleet. 

“GUYS!” They heard a familiar voice. “Wait- are you sure that’s them?” The person asked, it was much lower now but still heardible as the street was in absolute silence. 

“JIMIN IS A FOOL!” Carolina shouted back with a questioning glance from Yoongi but he said nothing, he was used to this kind of thing by now. 

“HEY! NO I’M NOT!” 

“I knew it,” Carolina snorted. “C’mon, it’s safe.” She said simply, pulling Yoongi with her. 

Apart from the few leaves floating in the harsh wind, nothing besides them was wandering that street. As Carolina and Yoongi were faced with Jimin and Sarah, the latter opened a big smile, running towards her teammates.

“Oh my God! I thought I had lost you!” She said.

“Told you I was lucky.” Yoongi said almost in a whisper to Carolina, accompanied by a poke on her ribs. “I knew you were smart enough to stay alive.” He completed making Sarah chuckle for the first time on this night. 

“Hey for you too.” Jimin said sarcastic to Carolina with an exaggerated wave. One the girl ignored by simply going direct to business. 

“If you two are here I assume me and Yoongi guessed correctly… It was indeed ΛΧΑ.” She concluded looking at the fancy front the house had. 

“I assume this is what he meant�� Plus I know for a fact that the Lambda Chi Alpha won a trophy recently!” Sarah explained how she came to the conclusion this was the frat the game master hinted about. 

“And here I was feeling happy because I casually suggested we turned right...” Yoongi sighed. 

“What now?” Jimin asked. 

“We go in.” He heard Carolina answering like it was obvious. 

“We can’t just barge in- Hey! Guys! Wait up!” 

After whole fifteen minutes trying to convince Sarah to break a window to get inside a house that didn’t belong to any of them, they managed to successfully barge in. Thankfully, there was a couch right under the window they broke, facilitating the landing. 

The house was pitch black, and they were quick to retrieve the little flashlights they still had inside their backpacks. 

“Guys I don’t feel good about this...” Sarah’s voice was a mere whisper. Her eyes alert the whole time. 

“We’re here. It’s ok.” Jimin comforted her. 

They were climbing the stairs as suggested by Yoongi, he was sure that if the trophy was somewhere it would be the second floor hall. Every frat had one of those big fancy cabinets to show off their trophies. 

The four of them were crumpled together, the house too dark and the ambiance too eerie to wander freely. 

At the end of the stairs they were faced with a huge hall full of doors, probably leading to the shared bedrooms. Every single one of them had the door closed, except for the last one on the left. 

Yoongi looked back to see Carolina and Jimin nodding that it was the right room. Sarah was petrified. The oldest pointed the flashlight towards the imposing shelf exhibiting the frat trophies, but none of them seemed like what they were looking for. Especially because both Sarah and Jimin knew what it looked like. 

“Ok it’s definitely inside that room, I’m sure.” Sarah whispered but her body refused to move. Jimin was the one pulling her softly while he walked side by side with her. 

Yoongi slid the door further open, his flashlight meeting someone chained to a wooden chair. The unknown person’s face hidden by a black bag. The person shuffled on the chair, clearly uncomfortable by the sudden light. 

“Dude what the fuck?!” Jimin whispered. Immediately Yoongi’s flashlight pointed towards the trophy sat on the person lap. 

“Who-” Sarah tried. 

The static noise sounded. They weren’t alone anymore. Yoongi and Carolina exchanged glances. 

“As you can see my friend there is securing my prize. Take it. And remember these two places: the cafeteria or the Gamma Epsilon Omega. Your choice. You can’t go to both. Your decision matters if you want to save lives. Oh! I will know if you cheat! Tik-tok, players. One or a hundred.”

Another significant exchange of looks were traded between Yoongi and Carolina, which Sarah was quick to notice. 

“What are we going to do?” She asked determined. 

“Take the trophy and give it to this psycho,” Yoongi hesitantly approached the John Doe still chained and snatched the trophy making him jump on the chair. 

“Wha-at?” Jimin stuttered. “We can’t leave him here?” He pointed fiercely towards the John Doe making him grunt and shuffle. He was hearing everything. 

“He seems fine Jimin! Plus apparently he’s not the one in danger-” Carolina answered. It pained her she had to be this cold, but she knew what she had to to. 

“But-!” 

Yoongi simply took him by the arm, dragging him out of the room. Both girls following, not before Carolina mouth a silent ‘sorry’ to the John Doe. 

Noises of shhhh could be heard by them. The two boys stopped on their track. Suddenly the light of flashlights could be seen and they scanned the dark hall for somewhere to hide. The girls panicked. 

“I think there’s someone up there-” They could hear a deep voice trying to whisper and something on Jimin’s head clicked. 

“Tae?” He called. 

“Jiminie?” And a pair of big eyes could be seen peeping in the end of the stairs. 

“Taehyung?” Carolina called back too quickly passing Yoongi and Jimin to go to the boy. 

“You got it? You got the trophy?” He asked hopeful. 

“Uh…” Carolina started, looking back at Yoongi who nodded negatively at her. She couldn’t ruin everything. “No. We didn’t.” She answered simply while Yoongi who was still hid in the dark, managing to hide the trophy on the backpack Carolina had left on the floor. 

“So let’s keep looking! Was there any sign of Hos-” Deo passed by Taehyung and Carolina. “Jimin?” She asked confused when she was faced with her friend. “And Sarah! Oh…” 

“Hi there!” 

“Yeah, you guys keep looking!” Carolina said to Deo. “Go with her Jimin, check that room over there we forgot to! I’ll just-” And she awkwardly pointed to Taehyung who looked clueless. 

“You guys forgot to check a room?” Deo’s eyebrow arched but she went ahead with Jimin nevertheless. 

“Something happened?” Taehyung asked still midstairs. 

When they were young both of their mom’s signed them up to sign language classes on one of their volunteer jobs. At the time they would only used it between them as a form of hidden language they had. Now it was a secret weapon Carolina realized they had. 

“No, not at all, let’s keep playing and see if we have some luck,” She said and started moving her hands at the same time for him to see. “Be careful ok?” The girl continued but her hands were saying otherwise. 

“Yeah…” He answered vaguely while paying attention on what she really had to say.

Not much time. Come with me. Don’t talk because the game master can hear us through walkie talkies. Deo stays with Jimin. Pretend you’re staying and turn off your walkie talkie. Trust me 

“You too! Be careful too,” He said finally while taking his walkie talkie in hands and turning it off. Carolina did the same with hers. 

Lastly, she turned to Yoongi and mouthed a ‘We’re going first. Cafeteria. Be safe.’ And with a nod and a smile he assured her he understood what her plan was and he was full in. Sarah was quick too and as a reinforcement she placed her hand on Yoongi’s shoulder. 

“Let’s do this group 8!” She said with conviction. 

“We’re winning. No matter what.” Yoongi said finally. “Let’s go.” And with that Taehyung and Carolina went down, ready to leave the house. 

Before Deo and Jimin could come back and be part of their crazy plan, Sarah and Yoongi left too. But their direction was Gamma Epsilon Omega. 

19

Taehyung and Carolina ran as fast as they could. Since both their walkie talkies were turned off, the girl had the chance to explain him what was going on. He understood now why they were running for. 

“HEY!” They heard, coming to a halt. 

“Whatever you do don’t speak!” Carolina whispered quickly to Taehyung. If some other walkie talkie caught them both talking to whomever the shouting person was, the game master could find out about their plan. 

“YOU- I- I’M GOING TO WIN- and I-” Jungkook came to view but he didn’t seem himself. He was struggling to keep straight, his body seemed heavy. And with a loud thud he fell on the floor. 

“Oh God” Carolina let out. Both her and Taehyung rushed towards him. The latter being quick on opening the backpack secured on the passed out boy’s back retrieving his walkie talkie and turning it off. 

“What is going on with him? Is he breathing?” Taehyung asked concerned. 

“I- I think so...” 

“What are we going to do?!” 

“Jungkook?” Carolina asked while poking him but nothing. He was knocked out. “We can’t leave him here.” She looked back at Taehyung. 

“How…?” 

“On your back?”

“No way the dude is probably heavier than me.” 

“Well we can’t leave him here unconscious!” And she was right. 

They ended up dividing his weight between the two. Taehyung hugged Jungkook and supported his body weight on his shoulder while Carolina put his legs on her shoulders. It wasn’t easy, but after much panting they got to the cafeteria. 

While Yoongi and Sarah were on their way to the frat house in hopes to find whatever they were there to find, Deo and Jimin were left behind on the house with still to be free John Doe. 

“Where are they?” Deo asked again once she couldn’t find Taehyung. 

“I don’t know! I didn’t knew they were going to flee this way!” 

“What do you mean?!” She pressed further. 

“Well we found the trophy-”

“You what?! You said you didn’t!” 

“We did and we also found this guy-” Jimin looked to the still opened door in the end of the hallway. 

“You what?!” Deo looked at the same direction as him and all of a sudden she was back at whispering once again. “Is he...?” 

“Dead? No. He’s just chained and-”

“HOBI!” She exclaimed in a snap, running towards the door. As she got there and stopped on her tracks, Jimin right behind with his head spinning, she slowly approached the John Doe. “Hobi?” She asked softly, the chains and the black bag making her hesitant. He grunted and twisted on the chair. 

Jimin passed by her and took the bag off, revealing a messy haired Hoseok. Fear in his teary eyes. “OH MY GOD” 

“Are you ok???” They asked rushed, but in response they only received another muffled grunt. Jimin quickly went around him to untie the knot and release him from his chains. 

“How did this happen?! Why didn’t you help?!” Deo asked the boys, while serving as support for him to get up. Jimin only looked embarrassed for not recognizing his friend right away. 

“There’s this maniac! He knocked me out on the basement and- and- He left me here! I’ve been here for hours!” He kept rambling nervous. “We-We Have to do something! Call the cops or- or-” 

“Hobi, calm down.” Deo spoke softly her hands squeezing gently his arms. “We’re with you now. And the game is over ok? A lot happened…” She continued glancing at Jimin. 

“Come bro, we’ll fill you in,” Jimin offered support too. The three of them headed to the entrance. They had spent way too much time there. 

Back at the cafeteria, Carolina and Taehyung were having trouble carrying Jungkook around. The boy was getting heavier and heavier and with no sign of waking up anytime soon. 

“Ok we can’t keep going like this-” Carolina grunted, Jungkook’s legs weren’t light weight at all. “I- As I understood,” She paused to breathe and look both ways to find herself. “Namjoon told us they were in a freezer. Where the fuck is that supposed to be?”

“Uhh… Right behind the bar I think,” Taehyung suggested. 

“Let’s go with that then,” 

“Isn’t it?” He questioned himself. 

“I can’t think of better options-” She was interrupted by one of Jungkook’s leg falling off her shoulder. “God I hate this guy- Let’s just go there before I dump him here.” 

“He’s going to owe me big time when this sick game comes to an end,” 

They didn’t have to walk much more to arrive at the canteen. The place looked sinister at night. A few machine sounds were roaring in the distance, much probably coming from the kitchen compartiment. With a flashlight in her hand, Carolina was leading the way while Taehyung came right behind with his own on his mouth, his two arms occupied with a passed out Jungkook being balanced out by them both. 

“There?” Carolina questioned pointing her flashlight to the huge white door on the back of the bar. A ‘mhmm’ came as response. 

Jungkook’s feet were what opened the door, and as if they were all attached together they ended up by passing by it carefully. 

“Hmm” The boy hummed still unconscious. 

A metallic door came to their sight, and by the sticker it had saying ‘keep it closed’ it just had to be it. 

“Ok let’s put him down for a little bit.” Carolina said starting to lowering her body. 

“Oh yes!” Taehyung exclaimed relieved. 

With Jungkook carefully being put on the floor, the two of them ran to open the door up. Clink! The door was unlocked. Icy vapor came out of it but nothing more than that. They swung the door fully open revealing a pitch black interior. 

“Namjoon?” Carolina called in a whisper. No sound apart from some softly puffs of air. “Point your flashlight there-” She pointed out the end of the freezer to him who obliged prontly. 

“OH GOD!” 

In a tight circle, there they were. All of them pressed tightly against each other, unconscious. “Check if they’re breathing- Tae, we need help!” Carolina said exasperated. 

“They’re super cold- Hey! Hey- Please be alive!” Taehyung pleaded while shaking Jin’s body. 

“Oh no, no, no- This is bad!” Carolina tried to pull Namjoon out of that freezing box. She couldn’t see much due to the lack of light but she was certain his lips were blue from cold. “Tae we need to warm them up quickly! They will have hipotermia-” 

“There’s too many!” His voice was faltering. “Sana- Hey! Please-”  

“We need help!” She quickly glanced at Jungkook splayed on the floor. In a swift move she reached for him. “Hey asshole,” Her voice faltering. “Please wake up!” Her hand went to his forehead. It was burning up. “Ok, let’s focus on taking them all out of there right? Yeah. Maybe putting them together with him? He’s burning up and-”

“It’s ok, we can do it! Come help me.” 

“POLICE! FREEZE!” They jumped in fear and right after sighing in relief. 

“Please help us!! Our friends-” 

20

Maybe because they were facing the end of the game, Yoongi and Sarah felt more nervous than ever. Both of them facing the the main door of their destination. Sarah was visibly shaken and Yoongi couldn’t simply brush off the feeling at the back of his neck. Something was off. He just hoped they weren’t getting into a trap all by themselves. 

“You’re ready?” Yoongi asked, eyes meeting the widen one's’ from the girl standing next to him. She simply nodded, words getting stuck on her throat. 

Yoongi turned on the walkie-talkie once more. The static sound made him know the game master was listening and he stated the words splattered fancily on the door of the frat. “Stay behind me C.” He stated, trying to make it seem as if Carolina was there with them. 

The door creaked as Yoongi pushed it open, all the lights inside off. They went to grab their flashlights once more. They weren’t going to risk being surprised in the dark of a house they didn’t know. 

But much to her anguish, Sarah saw her flashlight gleam, until it finally turned itself off. She cursed under her breath. This felt wrong and every inch of her body told her to back out but she needed to be selfless now. There were lives at stake. 

The long staircase led to the second and only floor of the house. They climbed up on their tiptoes, afraid they would step on any loose board. As they reached the top, they noticed the light coming from a single room. 

Yoongi swiftly signaled Sarah to stay put as he was going first to guarantee the room was safe. But she was too scared to stay alone and approached him slowly. That was when she saw… the tall, bulky figure coming out of the dark. 

“WATCH OUT!” She screamed, making Yoongi look back at her. 

And in that moment, he fell to the floor as something hit his head. He stood on the ground for a couple of seconds, unable to move, too impacted with the thud and the steering pain going on in his head. 

The man quickly revealed himself as he stepped out of the shadows and could be seen through the light that the little door let out. She was speechless. She watched him lower himself, devilish eyes never leaving her, as he picked up the trophy. One of his foot found a resting place on Yoongi’s back. She only heard him muffle before she could finally react. 

“Going anywhere?” The low voice sounded as he noticed her taking little steps back, watching her surroundings frenetically. 

“Fuck you, you psycho!” She said before she ran down the stairs and into one of the rooms. 

“You had to be running your mouth the entire night didn’t you? I guess I’ll have my fun with you now.” The man walked right past Yoongi, as if he was the tapestry that came with the house. 

Sarah found herself in some sort of kitchen. She knew she didn’t have much time and she was cursing herself because she had placed herself in every single horror movie she always mocked. 

“C’mon Sarah… the knives aren’t in there.” The man was leaning against the arch as he saw her opening a bunch of drawer. But her heart froze when she saw what he had in his hands, playing with the long sharp knife with his fingers. “Don’t make this harder for yourself.” He gave her a sinic smile. 

Her hands were frantically touching the marble balcony until she felt something maybe she could use. She grabbed it hard and as he was close enough, the wooden tray swang across his head, making him hiss in pain. 

Sarah took the opportunity to run pass him, quickly noticing that Yoongi wasn’t lying on the floor where she last saw him. She called out to him, walking straight into the room. And what she saw made her want to puke. 

She recognized the figure from the white panel in the football court. It was the man who had been tortured. Yoongi was already untying the man’s wrists, bruises all over his arms. 

“Are you ok?” He asked her, eyes never leaving the task on his hands. 

“Yeah…” She let out, more like a whisper. “I-I think I knocked him out. It’s Gilinsky.” 

“Did you have to spoil all the fun?” The boy appeared right behind her, his forehead stained with a little blood. And before she could turn, his fingers were already deep into her hair, pulling her against the wall. “Want to say anything also about my legs now, sport?” He teased, a smirk on his lips as he walked towards Yoongi. 

“I’ll kill you!” Yoongi launched forward, only to be meet by the knife Jack had previously been playing with. It punctured his belly, before pulling back once again. 

Yoongi fell to the floor immediately, hands grabbing the side of his belly where the fresh wound was. 

“You’re a fucking coward!” Yoongi called out once more, provoking before the man could leave the room to go after the girl. “Is that all you got?! No wonder you’re always benched!” 

“What did you just say?” A twisted smile was on Jack’s face, as he walked to the side of the boy, foot pressing against the wound. 

“Coward!” Yoongi said between coughs. “Use your hands for once, if you have it in you!” 

And the compelled man did so. Engulfing the wounded man between his legs, he started throwing punches, hitting hard on his face. All of Yoongi’s attempts of defense were in vain. Until Sarah appeared back in the room, taser in hand and hitting the psychopath right on the neck. 

She saw him twitch and grunt and stopped once he fell. She rolled him over, making sure he was unconscious. 

“Yoongi?” She asked, concern filling her features. 

But the boy didn’t react either. “No, no-” She exasperated, searching for help as if there were more people in the house. A phone. She needed a phone.  

As soon as she reached the top of the stairs to look for some way of communication, she noticed the flashing red and blue lights, signaling help had already arrived. Sarah quickly went down the steps and as she opened the door, she was bombarded with questions from the police asking where the man was. They quickly barged in when she signaled to the top floor and cried out for an ambulance to assist Yoongi. 

Carolina rushed towards her asking for what had happened. Sarah couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. The police was already locking the place up, no one could enter. 

“Where is he, Sarah??” The girl kept asking. 

“I- He-” 

For a moment everything stopped. One of the policemen came out rushed yelling for an ambulance and calling reinforcement. Taehyung, Jimin, Hoseok and Deo were outside too as baffled as Carolina. 

Aashna and Jae were a little back talking to the head chief, probably already giving statements. Suddenly everyone was looking at the door again. Two policemen were carrying Jack Gilinsky out, handcuffed. 

“What the fuck is going on?!” Deo looked shocked to Jimin, tugging at his sleeve. It was like her entire world was upside down and she was feeling terrible. 

“I don’t understand-” Jimin tried to understand the situation but he wasn’t coming with good terms to it. 

“Did he-?” She asked once more to the boy and once she got no response, she marched forward, not really knowing where she was going but she needed answers. 

“Wait Deo!” Hoseok tried. “Ya what is going on??” He turned around to question Jimin. This all felt like a strange dream. 

“What the fuck!” The girl screamed. “Why isn’t anyone telling us anything! Sarah?!” 

Sarah had tears in her eyes. She tried to form sentences but nothing would come off, the adrenaline still kicking in. “I’m sorry- He and Yoongi- I’m sorry,” 

Deo let out a frustrated sighed. She wanted to scream at how powerless she felt. “Do something!” She turned to Jimin and Hoseok. 

And although they wanted to give her answers they were as clueless as she was. “Calm down, someone will have to give us some explanation,” 

“Excuse me officer!” Hoseok called out the policeman passing by. 

Red lights and loud noise came to the sight. Two ambulances. 

“Who’s hurt?” Taehyung asked feeling lost. The policemen started to move more assertively and somehow that made the younger ones feel less at ease. 

As realization finally hit her, Deo took long strides towards the police card, banging harshly on the window. “What did you do you fucking asshole!” But it was in vain, as the guard officer hurried her away from the car. She walked back to her friends, tears in her eyes and sat down on the sidewalk, watching in horror as the paramedics ran towards the inside of the house. 

Everyone was so focused on what was happening there that they faltered to see the girl having trouble to breathe. Not Taehyung though. 

“Hey, hey- Breathe!” He said gently while crouching by her side. But she wasn’t focusing. “Deo, listen to my voice, hey-” 

She was still panting. Eyes roaming without focus. He felt the urge to make her focus on something. Anything. Both his hands coming to gently embrace her face. 

“Look at me. Please breathe,” He said once more. Eyes locking. 

“I can’t-” 

And without any warning he kissed her. After she realized what was happening her hands came to his chest trying to push him away, but he persistently kept the grip. One of his hands coming to the back of her neck. And she slowly gave in. Seconds that felt like eternity. 

“What- What are you doing?” She asked when they parted. Voice as a whisper. 

“You weren’t breathing,” He said simply as if that was the answer to everything indeed. 

“Are you out of your mind?!” She asked, pushing him away from her as she stood up once more. 

“CLEAR SPACE!” The paramedics shouted while carrying out of the house a hammock with what it seemed a corpse in it since it was covered by a white sheet stained in red. Blood red. 

“Yoongi!” Carolina shouted while falling on her knees. 

EPILOGUE

Christmas break had just ended. It had been three months since the incident at the last Halloween party and everyone was back. 

Despite everything that had happened, the groups didn’t talk after all that had happened. Everyone was left with scars. And those that weren’t involved in the game, acted as if they were special. 

Jack was still waiting for his trial. In the meantime, he had been admitted in a psychiatric hospital. USC had to close down the fraternities involved and pay a fine to the state. But in the end, everyone was left feeling as if money was enough to erase all they had been through. 

Yoongi lost his position on the basketball team due to his surgery. He had to rest after removing his appendicitis and due to the stitches of the knife wound. But the coach didn’t care. He couldn’t wait for him to get better so he was thrown out of the team with a get well soon. But not all was bad, he took the time to work on his mixtape. 

Something similar happened for Deo. She fell from the top of the pyramid. Only the cool kids were allowed to be up there and since she was now the ex of a psycho, she had no place left there. So her friends stood by her side, making up daily practices via Skype despite them being away during Christmas so she could still dance. 

Hoseok was in charge of the dance crew now. Constantly trying to cheer everyone up and busying himself with new projects and choreographies. 

The only ones that kept in touch were Hyori and Namjoon. Somehow, the traumatic events made the two grow closer. And of course the already best friends Jimin and Taehyung, that spent the break at each other’s houses, making their friendship stronger and stronger. 

As they returned, they noticed that not all had changed after all. There was new drama, new people to focus on, and somehow all came back to normal. Ish. Carolina and Jungkook kept fighting whenever they would see each other at practice. Specially when they had to share a ride with Jin. The oldest had grown quite fond of the kid. 

And as close as the two groups got, the more they realized that more adventures awaited them. It was like the start of a new era.

Ps: Go check the gossip page up, the dirty secrets are all over there ;) 

[manuscripts-dontburn]

Prisoner of Night and Fog

Author: Anne Blankman

First published: 2014

Pages: 432

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 5 days

Though the first part seemed aimed at younger readers and I was ready to plough through many YA clichés, this is, in fact, a really well-written, solid historical fiction. Anne Blankman has certainly done her homework and her fictional character of Gretchen Müller, her sadistic and unpredictable brother and her seemingly weak mother are woven so seamlessly among the real historical characters I actually stopped reading at one point to look them up (and confirm they are indeed fictional). True, the inevitable romance was... well... inevitable from the first chapter and personally, I thought more time and character development would have made our heroine´s journey even more interesting and suspenseful. However, the moments which are meant to be disturbing ARE disturbing, the points meant to be creepy ARE creepy and I also very much appreciate the considerable historical accuracy backing the whole plot. Also, the fact that this takes place quite a long time before WW2, merely hinting at what is to come, rather than presenting the most overused - and overwritten - conflict and horror of the past century. Definitely a book more readers should try if they are at all interested in historical fiction that is written well.

A Supernatural War: Magic, Divination, and Faith During the First World War

Author: Owen Davies

First published: 2019

Pages: 304

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 10 days

Fascinating in focus and yet very tight and even sparing in style, this is a very interesting book that serves well to provide yet another piece to the puzzle of the social history of the First World War. My only major critique would be this: certain parts felt like encyclopedic entries which left one "hanging" - wanting more information but either there isn´t any or the author has decided not to include it. The author himself, too, acknowledges that white Christians were far from being the only ones entangled in the fighting and does mention beliefs and superstitions of other nationalities and faiths, but half a chapter does not do them justice. In other words, this study could have - and should have - been longer, because it calls to us through the ages with everything that is human, naive, fragile and hopeful.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate

Author: Becky Chambers

First published: 2019

Pages: 135

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 2 days

This was both beautiful and rather depressing. Becky Chambers has impressed me before and she has managed to do it again - on 135 pages of this novella. Her talent as a writer, her imagination and her sensitive treatment of the human psyche is undisputable.

Death of a Romanov Prince

Author: Terry Bolland, Arturo E Beéche

First published: 2018

Pages: 240

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

How long did it take: 2 days

Unfortunately, this book was a huge letdown. The Konstantinovichi branch of the Romanov family have always had a special place in my heart and I jump at every piece of literature that concerns them - there are few in the West! Arguably Prince Oleg was the most promising of the last "imperial" generation and I definitely appreciate that somebody tried to bring attention to him. Sadly, this publication suffers from the same weaknesses as any of the books published and edited by Arturo E Beéche: A great number of typos and mistakes within the text. Amateurish formating. Sometimes the original photographs were very small and they are so enlarged you cannot see anything since they are very pixelated. Information and quotes are repeated numerous times. But those technical things could be forgiven if the text had value. I am sad to say that there is very little new information - on the contrary, the book takes such a broad scope to cover various relations and palaces (without providing pictures of what is being described) that it has no time to go in-depth at all. Case in point: there is not a single reference to the homosexual tendencies of Oleg´s father and uncle, even though their sexuality greatly affected their lives. The book spends time listing German and Russian and Greek relatives and mentions Oleg´s intelligence and good character but nowhere does it present any evidence of it. This is not an insightful biography I had hoped for. It is an encyclopedic, sterile and confusingly put together attempt at.... what exactly? I don´t even know. A great opportunity wasted.

The Good Bee: A Celebration of Bees – And How to Save Them

Author: Alison Benjamin, Brian McCallum

First published: 2019

Pages: 192

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

How long did it take: 4 days

I very much appreciate the intent with which this little book was written and it certainly holds some fascinating information and helpful tips. At the same time, the text does not flow too well and reminds one more of a textbook rather than something that would truly inspire one to take up bee-keeping. I suppose I just wanted something else out of it than what it gave..

Hesse: A Princely German Collection

Edited by: Penelope Hunter-Stiebel

First published: 2005

Pages: 287

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 2 days

A well-put together catalogue, introducing just the right amount of information and full of beautiful, high-quality photographs.

The Forsyte Saga

Author: John Galsworthy

First published: 1921

Pages: 752

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 7 days

See my full review HERE

Girls of Paper and Fire

Author: Natasha Ngan

First published: 2018

Pages: 384

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 6 days

I liked the possibilities and the setting more than the final execution and plot. Other than that I just feel like I am too old for this kind of books. So maybe the problem here is me, really.

Lucia: A Venetian Life in the Age of Napoleon

Author: Andrea di Robiland

First published: 2008

Pages: 384

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 3 days

I have learned long ago that I am most open to gaining new knowledge through the stories of individual women. By looking through the eyes of Lucia I have finally understood the mess which was Northern Italy before, during and after Napoleonic times and I got introduced to an interesting lady. Definitely a win for me.

Pohorská vesnice

Author: Božena Němcová

First published: 1855

Pages: 181

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 4 days

Když jsem se konečně přenesla přes nářečí i slovenštinu, když jsem přestala kroutit očima nad tím, že celý příběh je o nedostatku komunikace, dokázala jsem ocenit krásný obraz českého venkova, jak jej Božena Němcová zachytila. A konec mne dojal oproti všemu očekávání.

Hitler's Hangman: The Life Of Heydrich

Author: Robert Gerwarth

First published: 2011

Pages: 433

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 5 days

Perhaps not the most exhaustive, but still very informative biography of one of the worst humans ever. The terrifying thing about him was especially the fact that he was so average and unremarkable in every single thing - and then he rode the storm and changed to always be on top. The author´s style is very readable and he manages to strike the chord between the academic and more personal tone well.

The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

First published: 2021

Pages: 290

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 2 days

I am not big into thrillers but this got me sold on "Jane Eyre inspired". It was quite good, though this type of writing does not make me crazy.

Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Author: Anne Blankman

First published: 2015

Pages: 416

Rating: ★★★☆☆

How long did it take: 3 days

A sequel to Prisoner of Night and Fog, this was solid, unfortunately it was not as good as its predecessor. The first book is about a girl waking up to the world, finding cracks in what she has been taught all her life. It is about her deciding to think for herself and how this affects her life and relationships. And since it is pre-Nazi Germany, these changes in her thinking are very dangerous. This second book, on the other hand, is primarily a detective story without a pay-off, and way too many things are spoon-fed to the reader or feel convenient. I also felt that most of the book followed a theme of "we know where to find information - we go get it - Nazis get there at the same time - we somehow manage to escape." On the other hand, if something did work, it was the romance. Passionate, devoted and loyal, and yet mature and believable.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Author: Nghi Vo

First published: 2020

Pages: 121

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 1 day

Lovely and breathing of history and legends. Modest in length, rich in the story.

The Library of the Unwritten

Author: A.J. Hackwith

First published: 2019

Pages: 440

Rating: ★★★★★

How long did it take: 8 days

First of all, as an author who is yet to finish any of her projects, I felt RUDELY called out by this book! Second of all, this is an absolute blast. An adventure with a heart, characters you cannot help but care for and so, so witty and clever in using mythology and even Biblical stories. Brilliant work!

Mansfield Park

Author: Jane Austen

First published: 1814

Pages: 584

Rating: ★★★★☆

How long did it take: 3 days

I suspect that my enjoyment of Jane Austen novels usually comes with how interesting her heroines are. And so when I was given Fanny Price, who for the first 200 pages merely breathes and observes, I was almost less than excited. But once I was willing to understand Fanny was not there to amuse me, she was there to provide a comfortable, quiet place among the bustle of feelings and happenings of others, who only later recognize how much she herself was interwoven into their lives. Mansfield Park does not have the wit and comedy of Emma or Pride and Prejudice but stands on the ground as solid as Sense and Sensibility. It was slow and perhaps even a bit too long, but I enjoyed it a lot.

[ohjaimelannister]

Do you think Hoppers actually dead though?

O K A Y.

I’ve been looking for an excuse to pull all of this together so here we go! NO Anon, I do not think that Chief James Hopper has gone and died on us. There’s no REAL evidence (there are easter eggs though) however and the Duffer Brothers could still pull the rug out from under us but hey.

No I do not believe that Hopper is dead. Although some things can be interpreted as pretty final and if the Duffers really kill him off I will never watch this show again, because it’s horrifically SHITTY writing and im already super tired of that this year lmao.

One - There is no body? We were never showed a body or what’s left of one? We have seen bodies for Benny, Barb, Bob and Billy (and even people who were in it for like 5 minutes). THEY EVEN PRODUCED A FAKE WILL WHEN THEY WANTED US TO THINK HE WAS DEAD. THEY AREN’T AGAINST SHOWING US BODIES!!! Which brings me to my next point!

Two - They also aren’t against to showing us death. Lots of gory detailing death, WHOEVER it is. Billy died horrifically but you saw it even though hes a kid. Bob got ripped to shreds.  And even those dudes at the beginning of S3 died horribly? They still showed it. Hopper’s death??? It cuts away. You see NOTHING. AT. ALL. There aren’t even any remnants OF a body where he was standing, and Joyce goes down there and LOOKS. Surely shed find something? Gooey grossness like the bodies at the beginning? Nope. You could argue that they’d be against showing us the death of a beloved hero and a main character but. Again. Bob was beloved and arguably one of the sweetest characters in the show and he was ripped to bits in front of us and Joyce. Billy was a kid for all intents and purposes, still he died a horrible death. Not one bit of that was cut away.

Three - If you look in the shots hes not on the platform when the thing explodes????? like at all? Either that’s badly shot or its done deliberately because he’s just not there anymore? There’s the portal to the Upside Down and you can see a ladder in the shot too, so maybe he either went into the Upside Down or down the ladder and got caught by the russians?? We just don’t know.

Four - We see the devastated Eleven and the aftermath of what happened at Star Court. Then it jumps to three months later? Okay, odd that were not shown anymore of the grieving or the funeral. Then of course Eleven read the SPEECH. Think about the end of it specifically and about LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN 3 INCHES!! You can see from one of the final shots of Star Court that the gates not CLOSED. It was healing but it never fully closes. So Hopper could be in the Upside Down, or travelled through it to Russia on the other end?? Who knows. Point is, they included this line at the end for a reason. Whether the reason is that hes actually dead and they’re just being profound or that its a hint about his fate, its meaningful.

Five - During the ending the song HEROES by Peter Gabriel plays, this is the same song that was placed over them finding Wills fake body, and after all the goodbyes and the ‘speech’ where it ends with “keep the door open three inches” well. Come on.

Six - Then it cuts to Russia and you hear the “not the american” line, and Hopper was called “the American” throughout the series by that Russian baddie. Should I start waving Red Flags here or???? Then again, a lot of people are saying this could be Brenner. Okay I 100% get your logic Im with ya, and for a few days I’ve also thought it could be Brenner. But here’s the thing. Elevens powers. Brenner makes her use them to spy on a russian man in Season 1. Hinting that there’s more going on here than just super powers, kids and other dimensions. Don’t forget that in the 80s the world was in the grip of the Cold War, and things would have started reaching a boiling point for this long before 1985 when it ‘officially’ began. We were never given any answers about why Brenner was spying on this man, or even Russia. Or even if he WAS spying for the US. Nothing, it’s a throwaway scene. Or IS IT? Russians show up in Season Three somehow knowing about the Upside Down, having failed at their own attempts to open a gate in Russia. They somehow know that its Hawkins they need to be in to successfully open their gate and potentially get monsters to use, oh I don’t know, in a WAR???? How would they have known any of this information to begin with?? Oh I wonder. We were told all about Brenner being alive and out there in season two (and we were never told WHERE and this is not referenced again), but as far as I can remember Eleven has never shared this with anyone else, even though it’s completely RELEVANT information. And as far as I can remember (its been a hell of an emotional few days) I dont think were given any explanation about how the Russians knew about the Upside Down, Hawkins or anything. So maybe the reason they knew is BECAUSE BRENNER is the one giving them their directives? Because hes worked for THEM this whole time???

Seven -  Interestingly also Eleven lost her powers? JEEZ ISN’T THAT CONVENIENT!!! Because the first thing shed use them for is to look for Hopper even if she was told he was dead. Shed look, 100% for the man who saved her, gave her a home, loved her, worried for her, cared for her like she was his goddamn OWN. Conveniently though now SHE CANT??? Interesting.

Eight -  And now. There’s the voicemail message. In one of the episodes (my brains so fried I cant remember which one sorry) Murrays gives out his landline number, and when you call it you can hear him give a message to Joyce. You can listen to it here.  You can tell this is after season three, because why would he talk to Joyce Byers? Surely if he was trying to reach someone for information it would be Hopper?  “I have an update, its best if we speak in person" an update??? About what??? Why is he coercing with joyce???  Notice how he says “it’s not good or bad but its SOMETHING” and then says “we’ll talk about it in person” (or something like that) why would he be calling joyce with an ‘update’?????????? AND ON WHAT EXACTLY?? INTERESTING!!

Nine - Theres this interview with the cast specifically ABOUT Hopper, the death and the post credits scene. And I love David Harbour but, you cannot lie for shit my angel.

Ten - Millie has said in an interview “ Her dads gone, or so she thinks” COME ON.

Eleven - Again WE KNOW DAVID HARBOUR IS LIKE THE MARK RUFFALO OF STRANGER THINGS. And hes bad at keeping shit to himself. Hes already told us at the end of last YEAR, literally a month after they finished filming season three that the Duffers have told him the ending to the series as a whole. Why would any creator do this for a man they have effectively just fired, because his character died? Why would they tell him? They wouldn’t.

Tweleve - Again. David Harbour, bless his heart, I think its trying to give us HINTS and bread crumbs to follow. Last week he changed his instagram photo from Hopper in S1 to the number 6. Odd. Today he changed it to the number one :

Twelve continued - Basically if he changed it to an 8 next, we know hes trying to hint at Murrays voicemail message and this is a clue for Hopper. Because why else would he bother?

Thirteen - Theres also this screenshot from Cara Buonos instagram where she literally SAYS about him being in Kamchatka, and uses the Russian word for PRISON. (Of course this could just be a joke between the actors

Fourteen - Theres also the fact, which is not evidence mind you, that its incredibly shitty writing to have both the men that Joyce Byers loved/loves to die in front of her? And actually having her put the action in motion that kills the man she loves? No. I wont accept that. And weve been shown her non willingness to believe in peoples death, everyone and their mothers told her Will was dead and she was being crazy. Did she listen? No. And she got her boy back. Will she think once she has a clear head that Hoppers dead? Maybe. Which is why she asks Murray to investigate. Hence the Voicemail Message.

Fifteen - Its also incredibly shitty and hard to swallow, for Elevens sake too. I mentioned already how much she loves Hopper and finally got a true parent in him. Do you honestly think they’d put her through all of that just to lose him NOW? Like i said, its convienent how shes lost her powers at this very crucial moment.

Sixteen - DAVID. HARBOURS. BEARD. RIGHT. NOW.

And SEVENTEEN -Just in case y’all are having trouble with any of that it looks like David Harbour has let sorta slip (my god I fucking ADORE THIS MAN LET ME TELL YOU). I dont know how reliable this is mind you because its not coming from a BIG source, but HERE he hints at knowing who the American is, after telling everyone else (see the interview above ^^) that he doesnt know and he cant say anything. 

‘During an interview with David Harbour, I attempted to delicately get around the fate of Jim Hopper. Harbour, however, came right out and gave it to me straight. “This is the question I’m going to have to dance around–” I began, only for Harbour to interrupt me and ask, “The ending?” “Right,” I said. “Is there a way you can talk about the future of Hopper without…” I trailed off here, only for Harbour to ask: “Well, did you see the post-credits scene?”I had, of course. And so I straight-up asked: is that Hopper behind the door? According to Harbour, that’s the most likely scenario. Throughout the season, the main Russian baddie refers to Hopper as “the American”, and having another Russian refer to the mysterious prisoner in the same way was the big giveaway.Of course, knowing that Hopper is alive, and knowing how he survived and ended up in Russia, are two different things. We’ll have to wait for season 4 to get that answer. And we’ll have to wait to see how things unfold from there. Will a big chunk of season 4 involve Hopper escaping that Russian base, and trying to get back to America? Time will tell. One thing is clear: Hopper still has a long journey ahead of him; not just physically, but emotionally.’

SO, basically Jim Hopper has not left us, Joyce or Eleven.  And if the Duffer Brothers have done all this to screw with us, well. Im not gonna be responsible for what I do.

I FEEL JIM HOPPER IN THIS RUSSIAN PRISON TONIGHT!!!

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO MY TED TALK!!!!!!!!

[codevassie]

a heart he couldn’t control (destined to love and hate and damn forever) Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | On Ao3 | Part 5 | Part 6

CV: Thanks for your patience! I've been caught up in schoolwork, my other publishing fic, and my big bang lately. I work on this fic oftentimes when I need a break, so it might be slower, but it's fun. And thank you everyone, as always, for your comments and likes! You make me so happy to be writing this.

CW: Referenced Abuse

@winterwynd @escalatingtoofast @prox-xima

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Tracking magic had never been Virgil's forte–in fact, he was more the opposite; great at hiding magic–but finding who'd entered the forest was simple enough. 

They'd wanted Virgil to find them, after all. 

"You shouldn't be here," were Virgil's first words to him. 

Patton stepped forward. "You were missing, Vee," he said, eyebrows furrowed but voice soft. "What was I supposed to do?" 

"It's barely been a day. How'd you know I was even gone?" 

"You underestimate a father's intuition." Patton stepped even closer, taking Virgil's hands in his. Virgil let him–the only person he'd probably ever allow to touch him so easily. "What happened?" 

Virgil looked away, ashamed for some reason. Ashamed he couldn't fight her off? That he hadn't even tried? The witch still frightened him to hell, and now he was bound to her. 

"She found me," he whispered. That was obvious enough. He was in the witch's forest, after all. Patton had known to look for him there–known only one thing could pull him away without a goodbye. 

"But you got away?" Patton asked, voice hopeful. He was referring to Virgil's presence outside the caves. He shook his head.

Reluctantly, he retracted one of his arms and pulled up the sleeve. Patton gasped. 

"I can't leave," he said, hiding the sigil once more. "Not this time, Pat." 

Not this time. 

-/-

"Another intruder," Dee sighed, entering the room. "It's like they're not afraid of the witch anymore."

But Virgil had already jumped up, grabbing his cloak. "I'll get it!" he exclaimed. Dee and Remus both looked at him, shocked. Virgil recognized his mistake. "Um…"

"You always wanna get out of the caves, don't you?" Remus said, flicking a rune stone at his head. Virgil ducked. "Wish I could go out."

Virgil felt guilty suddenly, remembering the sigil on Remus' arm. While Virgil ran through the forest, Remus was stuck in here. The furthest out he could go was the lip of the caves, where he often joined Virgil in stargazing. 

While Virgil dreamed of getting away, Remus was stuck in the knowledge he never would. 

Suddenly, Virgil didn't feel all that great about going. 

"Well, you already called it, Virgil," Dee drawled. He no doubt wanted to see how his aging potion was doing. 

And Virgil did still want to go out.

He looked towards Remus, who had lounged back onto his bed, throwing more stones at the ceiling. He glanced Virgil's way.

"Tell me if you find anything cool when you get back," he suggested. Virgil was so grateful.

"You mean something gross."

"Same thing."

Still, Virgil's guilt didn't dissipate. Especially when he thought about what waited for him out there. 

Or who.

"Patton," he greeted, once he'd tracked the intruder. The boy turned around, smiling a wide, tooth-gapped grin his way. The forest was always so dark, but it felt like Patton brought the light. 

"Anxiety!" Patton greeted. Virgil's smile tugged awkwardly, remembering he still hadn't given the boy his real name.

It wasn't like he could hurt him at all if he knew it, but Virgil had never trusted anyone outside his family before. It had taken a long time to trust Remus after he'd joined their bunch, and Patton was an intruder. Someone there to steal, or hurt, or bargain their soul with the witch. 

Virgil knew now that wasn't Patton at all. Patton was like him, like everyone in his family. But he wasn't trapped in some forest. He lived among other people, had a job and friends. 

Even with his magic. 

"How are you doing?" Patton asked. 

Virgil shrugged. "Alright. Same as ever, I guess." 

Patton's lips stretched a bit to make up for the dip in his smile. As subtle as it was, Virgil noticed it. Over the past couple months, Virgil had really come to know Patton well.

"Have things-" Patton said disjointedly, like trying the words out in his mouth, "Been… alright?" 

"Yeah, I guess," Virgil said, nibbling at his lip. "You might be coming around too often, though. Dee commented on the increase in people coming in." 

"Oh," Patton said, sounding disappointed. He perked right back up though, like he was allergic to negative emotions. "I had a question I wanted to ask, though." 

"Really?" Virgil said, trying not to be too anxious about that. No casual question ever came after declaring the intent to question first. "Shoot," he said, trying to keep his voice level.

Patton toyed with the strings of his cloak, only a beat to contemplate before he blurted it out.

"Do you want to leave the witch's caves?"

-/-

Patton was quiet. Virgil was afraid to look up, see the crush of hope on his face. Nothing could be done. Patton hated feeling helpless, especially when it was others who needed help. 

"Maybe I could spell it off?" he said, but there was no confidence in that answer. Virgil shook his head. 

"Only she can remove it." 

"We don't know until we try," Patton tried again, voice growing stronger. "Maybe I could. Maybe with just a little determination, strength- maybe if we both-"

"Pat," Virgil said, finally looking up. Patton looked on the verge of tears. His words died on his tongue. All Virgil could do was shake his head. 

"We got you out," Patton choked out.

Virgil reached to him, unable to stand it anymore. Patton jumped into his arms, and Virgil held him tight. "I know," he whispered, eyes blinking rapidly, trained on some trees behind them. "But maybe I was never supposed to." 

Patton pulled away, an angry look on his face. Virgil gawked at the expression, remembering only a few times before he'd ever seen it. 

"There isn't supposed to. There is what you want. She has no right to trap you! She has no right to control your life!" Patton knelt down, picking a basket off the forest floor that Virgil hadn't noticed before. "And I'm going to show her that."

"What?" Virgil said, moving into Patton's way as he tried to go past. "What do you mean? You can't think you can actually go against her."

"Well, I'm not going to just leave you." 

Virgil shook his head. Vigorously. "No. No. Your magic is strong, but, Pat, hers is so much stronger. She's a witch. She's trained for this all her life, under people who study it religiously." 

"Then what do I do?" Patton exclaimed. "I can't do nothing."

"Yes. Yes, you can," Virgil said. "You have to."

Patton's eyes were misting up again. He shook his head, either to get rid of the tears or disagree. Maybe both. "No- No-"

"Patton, please," Virgil said, struggling to maintain eye contact. Because he had to get this through Patton's head. He had to know Patton wouldn't go after him. 

This was the end of the road for them.

"I'll be fine," he said.

Patton looked at him, devastated. "I don't believe you." 

"Thank you for everything," Virgil said. If Patton wasn't going to believe him, he might as well tell him some truths now. Something he could believe in. "I'd never had a friend before you, but I don’t think I could have had one better."

His brothers were his friends, sometimes. But never before had he had anyone who stuck around because they wanted to, that seemed happy to see him and told him stories and helped him out all because they liked him–not from obligation or family trust. 

Once upon a time, he'd had that kind of bond with Dee and Remus. Not friends, but family–strong in a different way. Once upon a time, he would have done anything for them.

If put to the test, he still just might. 

"You're the best friend I've ever had, kiddo," Patton said. "But don't you dare think this is goodbye."

Oh, Patton. Always so optimistic. 

"Okay," was all he said. 

"I'm serious," Patton said. "I'll figure out a different way to get you out." 

Virgil turned, facing away from his friend now. Whatever his expression was, it'd be bad news for Patton to see. "You need to get out of her forest."

Don't come back, was the unspoken message behind it. 

Patton came up next to him. Virgil refused to look, but he spoke anyway. 

"Don't give up hope."

Then, with a snap of his fingers, Patton was gone in a cloud of blue smoke.

-/-

Virgil couldn’t do tricks like that. He’d always wanted to, since being able to disappear at a moment’s notice was perfect for escapes, but Virgil had never gotten the hang of it. Most of his magic came from panic, fear. Wanting to get away from a place was only half the battle with that kind of magic. 

To transport, one had to envision where they’re going in their mind. You’d have to remember tiny details, like the smell of the air or the number of trees around. Patton, being naturally gifted as he was, had told Virgil once that he was able to match his emotions with certain places, focusing on that as a tether to bring him from place to place. Virgil had tried that too, but it was difficult to distinguish between his emotions in his head. He had a lot of them–he was sure of that. But he couldn’t sort them, couldn’t put names, much less places, to them.

That’s why protection charms and invisibility magic were his strong suit. They relied on intuition. Not understanding the feel of magic inside you or how it works around you. Virgil reached for it when he needed it, no thought or talent necessary. Just a pull and reaction.

Virgil had never really been good at magic–a great source of frustration for the dragon witch and an even greater source of fear for him when he’d been under her instruction. She’d tried to teach him out of books, but he just didn’t get it. She’d had him attempt all sorts of magicks–potions and charms and curses–explosion, impersonation, augury, sigils, herbs, poisons. She threw him out into the forest, locked him into dark tunnels of the caves, set him after intruders, all with the intent that he would learn something, be the student she had wanted.

He could pick up tricks, and he’d learned more than his fair share of spells, but Virgil was never great. Dee had always been the one who worked hard, did well. Maybe he wasn’t a natural like Patton, though Virgil had never met anyone as naturally akin to magic as the man, but Dee worked harder than any other. Compound it all into years and Virgil was sure Dee must have surpassed him by leaps and bounds.

That was all to say, Virgil had to go back on foot, and, despite having roamed these forests for all of his adolescent life, he was having some trouble finding his way.

“I blame repression,’ he mumbled to himself as he came across another of the witch’s sigils. It was etched in a starkly different pattern to the one on his arm, but it still made his lungs knot in all sorts of funny ways. Virgil hovered his hand over one, purple hue glowing complimentary to the light of dusk, and his mind was thrown into the right direction. 

He stumbled throughout the forest all morning, trying to find his way back. He wouldn’t be surprised to see Dee looking for him soon, probably at the instruction of the witch who might have thought he’d escaped. Dee would know Virgil had gotten lost. That’s probably something he didn’t miss–being Virgil’s constant babysitter.

As the sun poked through the trees, barely breaching the thick foliage above, Virgil ran up to another sigil, getting impatient at the time this was all taking. The witch would use this as an excuse to make his first lessons horrible–or more horrible as they would have been. She had to have been looking forward to punishing Virgil for his escape.

Escape. Virgil sighed thinking of it. He had told Patton no–a definite no, no buts about it. It was impossible with this sigil. Virgil had ran away before, knowing she wouldn’t let him go, knowing she would find him again one day, and he’d pay the price. Virgil had known this was all that was coming for him.

Someone like him. Virgil was bound to this, of course. How could he have thought he could have anything more?

Magic was illegal, and he belonged to the dragon witch. Was there anywhere else Virgil could have ended up?

Still, he thought of it–thought of escaping once more–of going faraway, further away, so she wouldn’t find him this time. Maybe somewhere magic didn’t exist–or curses that led her right to him. 

Could Virgil really give up this easily?

He was holding his hand to the new tree when he heard it. A gasp from behind him. He whipped around, cloak billowing slightly behind his back and smacking against the tree. Virgil brought his hands around, still glowing, to face the stranger. 

“Who’s there?” he dared to ask, voice coming out gruff and defensive. There should have been no one else in the woods. The witch had only mentioned one intruder, and that had been Patton. Who else would have been stupid enough to enter the witch’s land on an early morning like this?

There was another gasp from one of the trees, a sliver of motion poked out from behind it. Virgil lifted his hands a fraction higher, nerves crawling into his throat. His magic might not have been the best, but he could still cause a bit of damage. Whoever this was wouldn’t get away with anything there.

But the figure spoke one word, taking him aback.

“Virgil?”

It was Virgil’s turn to gasp. His hands glowed brighter against his will, feeding on his adrenaline, as he once more called, “Who’s. There.” His voice sounded a bit strangled, but it was strong and demanding too. Virgil was never one to go down without a fight.

Until recently. Until a witch had grasped his wrist and transported him back to the caves, and he’d gone, without a kick or a punch.

Slowly, the person stepped out from behind the trees, a tall, straight-shouldered figure with their hands up, cloak hiding the rest of their features and face. While they remained in the shadows, standing confident, relaxed, Virgil had been caught in the light, shoulders scrunched and eyes peering fiercely from behind his hair. 

Silence stretched between them as they remained facing one another, neither moving, neither speaking. Virgil held onto his magic, drawing from it the sick comfort he had learned to wield throughout his life. The other stayed undefended–a clear display of where the power between them laid–before stepping forward. Virgil’s breath went in just slightly, but he didn’t move. 

And, as they moved into the light, it was his eyes Virgil recognized first.

It would have been impossible to tell in the midmorning fog, but Virgil knew them already–mossy green, both confident and self conscious, alive and unconfined. They’d always been so warm in his library’s light, despite his teasing attitude. The only time Virgil had ever technically seen him elsewhere had been at the construction site, and in the midday sun, they’d glowed–not with magic, as Patton’s often did, but with life and excitement, danger and adventure. 

Virgil had never longed for danger like that. All his life he’d dreamed of freedom and life outside the caves, but it wasn’t until he’d met Roman that stepping out of Patton’s protection, the safety of his library’s walls, the known feelings and experiences he could clutch in the bindings of a book–not until Roman had any of it felt… attainable.

Virgil had taken risks in his life. Escape was his greatest risk. But there was the risk of having magic in the kingdom, the risk of leaving everything he had ever known for a stranger in the woods, the risk of saying goodbye to old family and making new friends.

The day he had met Patton, his risks had begun.

The day he had met Roman, they didn’t feel like risks anymore.

And, no, it wasn’t love at first sight. No, the risks were still there, and Virgil was very afraid of them. He was afraid of everything–the dark, change, his own magic, talking to people, facing his past. But the day he had met Roman…

Roman was an idiot. He’d been prince a shorter time than Virgil had lived there–so new to it all and inexperienced. He was clueless, truly.

But he was idealistic. He was ambitious. He was brave and strong, and he had a heart of gold.

He had all the power he could have in that little kingdom, and yet he wanted to protect his citizens.

That had confused Virgil.

The witch had never wanted to protect. She claimed to, but it wasn’t right. Every day she’d say she was keeping them from jail, from execution, all because of who they were. Then she hurt them, screamed at them, sent them into the forest alone, locked them into small spaces, burned sigils into their arms to ensure they would never leave.

Power meant corruption. It meant taking what you want, and it meant people listening to you, or else. But Roman didn’t do that. 

Roman actually… wanted to protect.

Protection. It was one of his strong suits, but only in the moment. Only, really, for himself.

Virgil had always wanted to be better at protection magicks. What would it have been like, if he were ever strong enough to protect the ones he loves?

He’d never helped Dee or Remus. Never helped Patton. Definitely never Roman.

They’d protected him. All his life.

Virgil sighed, lifting his head a fraction to get a better look. He didn’t push back his hair, letting it maintain a barrier–protection. Always protecting himself. 

“I should have guessed you’d come looking,” Virgil said, trying to sound aloof. He couldn’t believe he would have overlooked this. Roman was always one to dash off into danger headfirst, no thoughts about it. Even if it hadn’t been Roman’s fault, even if Roman didn’t… didn’t love Virgil or whatever, he still would have come looking to help anyone in need of it. 

Roman gave him a little smile, one that Virgil found himself latching onto like a lifeline. He didn’t quite know why. Maybe it was because that smile reminded him of the kingdom, of their town and his library. Virgil had been gone for a day, but he missed it all so much.

It felt much longer. Perhaps because he had accepted it.

It was easier when it all felt faraway, like a life he had never known. Less painful to give it all up.

But maybe it was something else. Virgil couldn’t imagine what, but it felt like he was missing something. The reassurance in Roman’s smile–it felt like something beyond home and safety.

Perhaps noticing Virgil had relaxed, Roman reached up to pull down his hood, his face illuminated in the dim light. He stepped forward as Virgil lowered his arms. In that motion, Virgil noticed something all too familiar about the man’s form.

“That’s-” he cut himself off, unsure if he was seeing things right. But there was really no denying it. He raised a hand again, this time not glowing purple but pointing. “That’s my cloak.”

“What?” Roman asked, face alighting in surprise as he looked down to where Virgil gestured. “Oh.”

“Oh?” Virgil asked. “How the heck did you get that? It should have been in my rooms above the library.”

“Patton gave me it,” Roman said. “I guess I know why it didn’t really fit him.”

“Patton had it?” he asked, but it made a lot of sense. A lot more sense than Roman randomly taking it. “Of course he did. He would have needed it for the forest.”

“Yeah, he was really insistent that I take it. I traded my cloak with him, though, so he won’t be cold,” Roman reassured and… okay, Virgil tried really hard not to be charmed by it. They were in the middle of the witch’s forest, he said Patton acted weird enough trying to get him to take the cloak, but he was worried about Patton catching a cold?

“Of course Patton would want you to take it.” Virgil nodded, focusing on what he could handle at the moment. “The cloak has magic. All those patches on it? They’re woven with protection charms under one purpose: hide the wearer from the dragon witch. It’s the reason I could hide from her for so long. Any time I left the library–which is also covered with a shit ton of protection magic, mind you–I wore it.” 

“That’s why it’s familiar,” Roman said, looking down at the fabric. “You were wearing it that day at the construction site.”

“Yep,” Virgil said, popping the p. “It’s good you have it. You need to stay hidden from her at least until you get out of here. It was smart Patton gave it to you. At least he had a better way out.”

“A way out?” Roman asked, tilting his head. “Wait, he was here?”

“He was,” Virgil agreed. “I sent him back. Just like I’m about to do with you, unless you want to end up in a witch’s stew.”

“What? I’m not leaving you here!” Roman rejected, sounding indignant at the very notion. Virgil sighed, an uncomfortable heat spreading throughout his body. This had been expected but, still…

“So now you’re concerned about me?” he asked.

Roman’s eyes went wide, and his mouth flapped a bit like a fish. Virgil scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“You made a deal with my life, Princey,” Virgil said, spitting the nickname out harsher than he’d ever before. He didn’t know why he was doing this. Roman was only saving his brother, saving himself when he’d made that deal. The witch would have killed them both for Roman’s intrusion. Those who entered the forest may make it out alive, but not those who found the cave.

“I- I didn’t-” Roman stuttered. Virgil could hear how flimsy an excuse it was bound to be. Roman was a good man. He knew he couldn’t defend a thing like this. He would have already thought this was his fault.

Virgil didn’t like the feeling in his chest. It wanted to forgive Roman, wanted to stand by him even if they were watching the world burn under them. He knew Roman would never let a thing like that happen under his watch, but it was the sentiment of it.

Virgil would. That’s all that would matter.

“What? You didn’t know it’d be me?” Virgil asked. “You thought you wouldn’t care about the person you, what, fell in love with? You thought you could just give them up and not care, just as long as you had your kingdom and your brother and your life.”

“Virgil-”

God, would Roman stop calling him that? He was used to the nicknames, the light jabs–not this. Not a Roman who was scared. Not a Roman who came back for him. Not a Roman who was in love with him.

“The witch probably didn’t even cast love magic on you. You know that, right?” Virgil carried on, turning his head away. He couldn’t stand to keep looking at Roman. “Just because she says you are, doesn’t mean you are, okay? So you don’t have to come rescue me or whatever. You don’t have to go out of your way because I’m suddenly some damsel or something. The witch rigged it and now-”

“Virgil.”

Virgil stopped and found himself listening. Because, damn it, something in him wouldn’t obey his own head–something suddenly wanted to hear Roman. That same frightening something that wanted to stand by him, that wanted him out of there so bad that he was willing to say anything.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m in love with you or not,” Roman said, and his voice carried over the words easily, like loving was easy, like loving Virgil was easy. “It doesn’t matter. I know it’s my fault you’re in this mess, and I’m going to get you out of it. On my honor.”

Virgil shook his head, mouth scrunching in his bitterness. His eyes were uncomfortably hot. “This isn’t your battle anymore. I don’t need your help. It’s not your responsibility either. You got Remus out. If any of us could, then it had to have been him. That place wasn’t good for him.”

“It doesn’t change that it wasn’t my choice to make,” Roman said. “I shouldn’t have traded your life. It’s wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.”

“You can’t change it,” Virgil insisted.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try,” Roman said back, arguing and heated, before he took a deep breath and calmed again. “So come with me.” He held out a hand. Virgil looked at it.

“I can’t,” he said, voice coming out too soft, too… defeated. “I belong to her now.”

Roman took a step closer, drawing further out of the shadows. It was funny seeing him in the darkness, when he was so full of light. Virgil, against his own better judgement, found his own feet moving forward as well and they stood where the darkness met the light. 

“You’re shaking,” Roman noted. Virgil already knew he was right. He had never been great at hiding his nerves.

“She’s going to catch you here,” Virgil said by way of explanation. He couldn’t protect Roman–not when he belonged to her. There wasn’t much Virgil could do anymore.

“I’m going to get you out,” Roman said again. Insistent, like Patton. Virgil had trouble believing either of them. He found himself winding his hand through Roman’s anyway. Roman looked down at it, then back to Virgil’s eyes, searching.

Searching… for what?

“Please go,” Virgil whispered, pleading with his eyes. If Roman was searching for something, Virgil would give him something to find. 

Holding eyes for a moment longer, something passed over Roman, and he looked down.

“Then I will,” he breathed.

Virgil felt himself breathe too–far more relieved than Roman’s. That was, until Roman’s hand slipped from his.

He watched it go, like a leaf in the wind, slipping through his fingers like water. It made something in Virgil stop.

Virgil took a staggering step back, and, when he looked up, Roman was watching him go. He wasn’t stopping him.

Virgil turned to leave, heart hurting something deep and new, something he didn’t understand. He stepped forward now, walking past Roman and into the shade of the trees behind him. Before he could go, however, Roman spoke up one last time.

“This doesn’t mean I’m giving up, Virgil.”

Virgil stopped, but he didn’t look back. He closed his eyes for a moment. Evened his breath.

Then, he walked into the trees, determined that this was goodbye.

It wasn’t until Virgil was lost again, searching for another of the witch’s sigils, that he understood what hurt most about it.

That thing that had stopped in him when Roman had let go–like Virgil was holding his breath, and he couldn’t release it until he saw him again–like the world was on standby. 

Virgil didn’t need a curse to understand.

But that’s okay. He didn’t want it anyway.

-/-

Dee had been sitting at his desk for an exceedingly long time. The afternoon previous, the witch had gone out, instructing him to take his studies into his own hands for the day. Over the years since they'd lost both Virgil and Remus, she had been placing a lot of trust in him with his education.

And less trust with him and the outside world.

Dee had no interest in the world outside of those caves, so it didn't bother him when she barred travels into the towns and eventually even outside her own forest. She still used him to root out intruders, to collect herbs and stones from the boulder garden, but outside of necessity, the caves were all he knew.

So studying magic was what he did. Day in. Day out. Where before spells were under her supervision, Dee was free to learn. Where books were held in fear, Dee had stacks upon stacks of them. As long as it was for magic.

When Virgil had arrived, Dee had been sitting in place for hours already, head buried in an old tome and hands wrapped around a small flask. It was an attentive recipe–focus crucial to its success. Dee had to continuously swish the mixture when he added in something new or risk the magic going flat and fizzling out. 

It had been ruined, of course, when Virgil stumbled his way in. And even when he went to bed soon after their little argument, it was impossible for Dee to focus.

He sat up all night, trying to fix the concoction, only for his eyes to continuously dart to the huddled figure on the other side of the room.

Dee still hadn't slept when Virgil got back from patrol. His back was killing him, and his eyes were strained to hell. He couldn't muster an ounce of focus. 

This potion was a dud.

"You haven't moved, have you?" Virgil asked. Dee didn't remove his eyes from the flask. "You won't be able to do it until you've gotten some rest, you know."

He still didn't answer back. Dee wasn't sure what it was–pride, anger, fear–but the silent treatment still seemed like an excellent way to deal with the matter.

Virgil had left. He didn't really care. And he didn't get a say in what Dee may or may not do.

He wasn't stupid. Of course he wouldn't be able to focus–not without sleep, not with Virgil looking over his shoulder, not now that he could think of nothing else but Virgil's betrayal and sudden reappearance.

Self care didn't always mean relaxing. Sometimes self care was giving your ex-almost-brother the cold shoulder until you gleaned some sick satisfaction off of his hurt.

And then subsequently felt guilty that he was hurt. Because, damn it, he still cared for Virgil, as inconvenient as that was.

So, yes, silent treatment. Virgil wasn't off the hook so easily, and Dee didn't like admitting he was hurting. He'd just take lashing out as his own little therapy and deal with his pesky abandonment issues at another date.

Or maybe he would realize Virgil wasn't still trying to talk to him.

Dee's eyes bore holes into his desk, waiting for Virgil to ask him something more, to complain about his obvious silent treatment, to get frustrated with him. Virgil didn't give up that easily. He didn't get hurt at the get-go, and, even if he did, he'd hide it with his normal grouchiness. 

But he stayed silent right back.

Something sunk into Dee's gut, and he suddenly found himself reeling, clutching the table in front of him for support, despite already being sat down. Because Virgil wasn't acting the same. He wasn't doing as Dee had predicted.

Because it had been years and maybe… Virgil had changed.

Dee could usually keep his cool. He was level-headed in situations like Virgil and Remus never had. He was an observer and a denier. A data-collector and ill will ignorer. Dee could avoid a shrewd gaze with the ease of an oblivious man and the eyes of a scrutinizing one. 

He could not dismiss his urge to look now. Dee couldn't feel the narrowed gaze that should have been there or the thick tension at ignoring Virgil's advice. In fact, the room seemed to lack any presence at all.

So he looked. Just to make sure Virgil hadn't left. He could have gone to the lip of the cave like he'd always done, and the witch hated that. Dee had never been above dragging his ass back.

He looked, expecting to find an empty room.

He didn't foresee Virgil once more curled up on his bed.

There he was: huddled under his cloak, which he hadn't bothered to put away. His face was hidden. His shoulders were in. Dee had seen Virgil in various stages of fear, in different shades of happiness and sadness and anger. But there was something new there, and it left Virgil vulnerable.

Vulnerability was dangerous around the witch. Virgil knew that, and it was probably the reason Dee had never seen him quite like this.

It reminded him of Remus–there in the next bed over once upon a time. On days where his eyes were empty and he would forget things. It wasn't the same, but there was something hauntingly similar between the two.

Virgil didn't give up on arguments. He didn't leave Dee to fry himself out after an all-nighter studying. Virgil didn't look like this–tired and empty and hopeless. 

Dee turned himself back around to his desk and stared blankly at the book propped up in front of him. 

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t the Virgil that would sneak off to the lip of the cave to look at the stars. It was the Remus trapped here, unable to see the sun most days, mind growing further from them, from the memory of a brother that would one day come to rescue him–a brother who hadn’t given up like Dee had thought. 

Had Virgil changed so much in the outside world?

Or was it the caves’ doing all along?

[afanoftheglassscientists]

The Glass Scientist Read-Through - Chapter 1, Pages 1-9

The webcomic’s on break at the moment, so lets just take this moment to go back to the beginning.  I’m going to look though the entirety of Chapter 1, starting this Sunday and finishing it next Sunday.  This week I’m only doing pages 1-9 because I have no restraint and I talk too much because it sets one type of mood but then there’s a sharp cut in the atmosphere with the last panel of page 9.  Chapter 1 is probably going to be the easiest chapter to cut apart because its mostly set-up with just one problem that needs to be tackled.  With that in mind lets enjoy the Spirit of London at Night setting up the mood here.  

As of writing this post Chapter 7 in the comic was just finished, so if you haven’t read up til now there’s going to be light spoilers throughout.  I suggest keeping a tab open with the comic itself as we go through page by page.  Now come read with me!

Chapter 1 (The Wolf on High Street) Cover - It’s the Babey!!!  

First cover is a simple one for the eyes.  It features Jasper’s werewolf form front and center.  A part of his body is missing, leaving only his his bones, fur, clothes and two furry hands politely folded in front of him.  Behind him is a wave of lit torches.  Without his face Jasper appears unaffected by the flames behind him, which spoilers is not true.  But my read on it is that the people holding the torches don’t care what he’s feeling, or what is beyond his bone structure.  They just see the shape of a werewolf and they’re not cool with it.

What’s important to note here is that as of Chapter 7 we still don’t know why Jasper is wearing a dress on the cover.  He hasn’t worn anything similar to it since then, and while there’s conceptual backstory on why that might be on Sabrina’s blog, that backstory is no longer in line with what may be the actual explanation.  So for now I think its just good to put a pin on this cover for when we learn more about Jasper’s life before our story began.

Pages 1-2 - “The Spirit of London at Night” by TSoLaN (The Spirit of London at Night)

...Alright I’ll admit it: I love Hyde’s monologues.  His way with words shows how he truly sees himself as both immortal and unparalleled - he is powerful and never wrong.  He really thinks he’s hot stuff, and he’s completely shameless about it.  Which, you know, is the opposite of how Jekyll feels most of the time. 

I also love how Hyde can’t just say, “Hey I like spooky stuff and this is my hangout.”  No it has to be poetic.  His thoughts must be worthy of Shakespearean prose (whatever that means.)  For someone who can’t stand still for five seconds and claims to have few cares he sure seems to spend a lot of time working on his monologues.

I’ve read through these two pages so many time I’ve lost count, and Hyde’s love for the dramatic and the spooky, along with the imagery, is forever ingrained in my mind.  I could close my eyes and see the fog rolling past the will-o-wisp lamps and I can hear Hyde not even trying to contain his excitement when he says things like, “It is a magical place, a spooky place, my favorite place in the whole wide world!”

Pages 3-5 - Hey Spirit of London [at Night] Shut Up We Needs to Save Babey!!!

Page 3 - So Jasper bursts into the scene teeth out and already terrified.  I don’t know how conscious Jasper is after taking the botched poison, but I know when a dog’s snarling it means that they want you to back off.  I feel like Jasper was already terrified the moment he transformed, and so he bursts through the wall feeling everyone and everything is out to kill him.  Which I mean...he’s right.  Its those fight or flight instincts kicking in.  He chooses flight, but if someone tried grabbing Jasper earlier it might have gone bloody.  I feel like in Jasper’s case being a werewolf before taking the potion was akin to having a six-hour panic attack, but that might be me asserting too much.

I think of this page as changing the scene from “setting up a spooky tale by the campfire” to “chasing away a misunderstood creature by a murderous human mob.”  Every time I get to this page I can’t help but think of the mob song from “Beauty and the Beast.”  Where’s the fanart where Werewolf Jasper is attempting to feed birds but then too many birds land on his hands and soon enough they are perched all across his head and shoulders people!?

Hyde calls Jasper a “beautiful brute,” which I have to laugh at because Jasper is neither beautiful nor a brute.  I mean, he is a cutie pie, but he’s no Morcant, which I feel would disappoint Hyde.  Werewolf is broken, too small!!!

Page 4 - As Jasper runs away we catch a glimpse of the spoopy man himself, taking his sweet time enjoying the scenery.  There’s excitement in Hyde’s eyes as he stares at the mob, like he wants to jump in it.  There’s a lot of high energy going around that mob and Hyde’s a high energy man.  I feel like Hyde wanted to started brawling with the mob.  He could take ‘em!

Meanwhile Jekyll’s like, “Oh no baby is in trouble!!!”  Even before he knew Jasper as a person he calls him a “poor thing.”  This goes in line with how he dealt with Morcant in “Bleeding Heart,” even though an injured Morcant is both way bigger and also far more intimidating than Werewolf Jasper.

Page 5 - Hyde cuts a nice silhouette as he readies a jump from one rooftop to the next, which makes page 5 a bit of a favorite of mine.  Interesting thing to note is Hyde has a cape that quiet similar to Jekyll’s a mysterious stranger who will appear later in the chapter.

Jekyll has to push Hyde to get moving, mainly because I think Hyde enjoys annoying Jekyll.  He probably thinks no matter how late he is on moving Jekyll will find a away to save Jasper, so who cares right?  I’m sure that way of thinking will not come back to bite Hyde in the tush later.  

Pages 6-9 - Jasper the Generic Mad Scientist Versus Jasper the Burgeoning Character

Page 6 - I like the transition of Jasper going from fearful sounds as a wolf to fearful sounds as a person as the potion starts leaking out of him.

Page 7 - I’m absolutely sure Jasper thought he’d meet is end when he sees he’s cornered by the mob.  If not for the police he would have met his end, which is a weird thing to feel.  Not that it makes him feel any better that the police are going to lock him up in place of being killed by the mob.  We get to see Half-formed Jasper, which sadly we don’t get to see after the first chapter.

Page 8 - We meet Sergeant Brokenshire.  He’s pretty calm when talking to Jasper.  I suppose the nicest thing you can say about him at the moment is he’s not trying to kill Jasper.  I do find it weird that he somehow knew Jasper was a mad scientists werewolf instead of just...a werewolf.  Was Jasper being investigated before this happened?  I feel like I’m forgetting something...

Right now we don’t know Jasper yet.  We don’t even know his name at this point.  So it feels like he’s saying a lot of <insert mad sciency line here> stuff.  Like, “my formula” and “repeat my results” and stuff.  Which goes with having to set up the world of The Glass Scientists as having a lot of mad scientists who get in trouble with both mobs and police.

Page 9 - I think this is where I feel like there’s the biggest clash between Jasper the character and Jasper the generic-mad-scientist-that-needs-rescuing.  We don’t really get into Jasper the Character until Chapter 2, but knowing what I know now about Jasper I can’t imagine Jasper referring to his creatures as “my experiments.”  He doesn’t number his creature, he names them!  He has an attachment to them.  So I just find that a bit weird.

Brokenshire has Jasper restrained only after Jasper pukes glowing goop, which shows that Brokenshire isn’t scared that Jasper will fight back as much as he is of him trying to escape.  He’s very much in control of the situation.  But with the clip-clopping of hooves his grip on the situation is going to loosen.  

Speaking of the clip-clopping I think the last panel marks an abrupt end to the “misunderstood beast is being attacked” setting and swiftly goes into “an elegant and out-of-this-world gentleman has come!” vibe.  This is where the mob song stops mid-sentence.

That’s it for today.  Next weeks I’ll finish off Chapter 1 with pages 10-23, and then the Sunday after I’m going to do a Sunday Prediction for what I feel might be featured in the upcoming chapter.  Just hang in there!  Two more weeks and we’ll be back to weekly updates.

Until then, let me know what you thought of when reading this first part of chapter 1.

[twdmusicboxmystery]

Ties Between Eugene and Bethyl’s “I Never” Game

So, as with most of this Beth/Eugene stuff, I owe this theory and the legwork for it to @wdway​ who first caught it and came up with all the examples.

She particularly liked the scenes between Eugene and Stephanie over the radio. She especially liked when Eugene sang because Josh has a nice voice. I concur. I’ll let her tell you the rest in her own words.

@wdway:

While listening to Eugene singing, the light bulb went off and I thought, "could we connect his singing to the “I Never” game between Daryl and Beth, where Daryl says, "I never sang out in a big group like everything was fun, like everything with a big game?" Eugene was singing to Stephanie, but he was on an open mike which could be heard by numerous people, a big crowd.

After thinking about it and going back and researching not only that episode but others, I believe Eugene and Stephanie are a replay of several scenes of Beth and Daryl from both Still and Alone.

At the start of the episode, the first scene after the credits is Eugene sitting on the floor talking to Stephanie about records and she's mentioning 3 stars. He's telling her that he cannot find the record he apparently had been talking about and her response is, "if you want me to hear it, you'll have to sing it. Just belt it out baby." Eugene: "I will not. Only a fool would attempt such a song without string accompaniment."

Eugene sitting on the floor having a conversation with Stephanie is a throwback to Daryl and Beth on the porch of the shack. Stephanie asked him to sing for her. Daryl in Alone: “Why don’t you play some more. Keep singing."

To refresh your memory, the reason Eugene sings for Stephanie is that earlier, he had made promise of keeping their conversations private and we see that they become very emotionally intimate, similar to the intimate bearing of souls conversation between Beth and Daryl on the porch.

Rosita’s innocent response to Stephanie's radio signal, which in essence took Stephanie away from Eugene, was that she was "just gone." When Eugene realized what happened, he's yells for her, "Stephanie, Stephanie" just as Daryl called out "Beth, Beth" when the car carried her away.

After realizing the connection with the Eugene/Stephanie dialogue and Still and Alone, I started thinking about the “I Never” game. At this point, I can't connect all the I Nevers to Eugene but I can connect several and that's what I’ll do next.

Not all of these are literal connections. They're more like themed ties between Eugene and these questions.

Beth: “I never shot a crossbow.” Beth said this was a practice question, so I'll move on.

Daryl: “I've never been out of Georgia.” We know Eugene has crossed many states to get to DC.

Beth: “I've never been drunk and did something I regretted.” In s8 Eugene was taken to the Sanctuary to make bullets for Negan and he became a part of Negan’s team. He eventually started drinking to escape his regret of helping.

Daryl: “I’ve never been on vacation.” Eugene told Stephanie he went to the 1995 Train Expo in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Beth: “I’ve never been in jail.” This was one of my light bulb moments. Beth tells Daryl she doesn't mean the prison, so that means that it's a temporary holding place where you are not free to leave. My first thought was the Sanctuary for Eugene, which is true to a degree, but that didn't seem quite right. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

In s4e16 Us, and s5e1 No Sanctuary, Eugene and TF were held in a boxcar at Terminus. We also saw Eugene and co. held in a boxcars in s10e20, Splinter. Remember the shot of Eugene when he first met Abraham in Texas and we saw behind him the railroad sign with a water tower in the distance? 

In season 4&5, all but Beth follow the railroad tracks at some point. In s6e14 Twice As Far, Eugene was part of the shootout where Denise was killed on the railroad tracks and Daryl, Abe and Rosita had to carry Eugene back to AZ. It's hard for me to believe this theme and Eugene's love for trains as a kid is just a coincidence.

Denise lying on the tracks dead from an arrow shot through her eye. So many Beth symbols in that episode.

The next I Never I'm going to do my explanation on leads to things that are happening in the storyline right now. The thing is that gave me pause because I know for a fact that there wasn't a comic-book reference for it when the episode Still aired. I had to think about how could my explanation of this clue be true if it didn't exist in the comic when the writers wrote Still? 

I believe that many of the eggs/clues that were left in the early seasons were not completely planned out in the storyline at that time, in other words they manipulated the clues we have found in recent seasons in order to fit (maybe not literally) but close enough. In the case that I'm about to talk about I could easily see Gimple simply asking if Kirkman would include a color on a female character in his comic book and I could see Kirkman doing that because he's a realist and when TWD TV series does well Kirkland gets richer.

I also want to emphasize that something I believe I mentioned from the beginning is that my purpose in this Eugene Theory is to see if I could connect Eugene to Beth and ultimately if Eugene's storyline could hopefully lead to her.

Daryl: “I never ate frozen yogurt. In s10e6 Bond, Eugene tells Stephanie that when he was at the railroad Expo in Pennsylvania, he had black raspberry ice cream. Yogurt/ice cream, close enough. Ice cream is one of @frangipanilove​’s cold symbols, but the question is, what’s the significance of black raspberry?

Get comfortable because I'm about to take you on a journey. My first thought was simply the color black and raspberry was probably red or Oh Yeah! hot pink! I was very pleased with how this ties together with Beth.

I kept thinking about the word raspberry and something about it made me want to connect it to music. That's when the second ton of bricks landed on me, haha. A song from the 80s, Raspberry Beret by Prince and Revolution. I mean really, how could this not be purposely connected since it was written by someone known as Prince and in this season there has been a character introduced named Princess, that wears hot pink! And has become a part of Eugene's group that has another member that is known as the King!

Then I looked up the lyrics and that became the triple cherry on top. Words like five and dime (5, 10), back of my bike, farm, rain, barn, thunder, lightning and the best line for a tie to Daryl and Beth, "where have all the raspberry women gone?" This song was written in the 80s so that's why I explained at above about them planting clues and then writing the episodes to include them.

(Check out the lyrics to Raspberry Beret HERE.)

Another thing I want to point out, is that a Raspberry Beret is literally a piece of clothing of that hot pink.

Next, I'm going to group two of the I Nevers together. They’re somewhat related in my mind.

Daryl: “I never had a pet pony.”

Also Daryl: “I never got nothing from Santa Clause.” This is angry Daryl playing the game after he's peed in the corner showing what a nothing, nobody, worthless redneck that he thinks he is. Or more likely, how he believes Beth views him. I think all the next few questions are very insightful into his childhood and his hurt and anger at the difference that he perceives their different upbringings.

It's not actually about whether or not she had her own pony or the number of presents that Santa brought her. It's more that she had parents that allowed her a childhood to believe there was a Santa. She had a family that loved her and was always there for her. Daryl didn't.

In the episode Bond, Eugene told Stephanie about how he loved locomotives when he was younger and his parents bought tickets to the Train Expo. They went to a ice cream shop and had black raspberry ice cream. It was, I'm sure, a lovely memory from that vacation. This shows us that his childhood, though different from Beth's (no mention of a pony) was very much the same. He had loving parents as he grew up. I think his hopes are that Stephanie could possibly like him as he is, with his strange way of expressing himself, and not really fitting in with people around him. That he wouldn't feel like an outsider when he's with her. In her he possibly has found his kindred spirit.

That is exactly what TD saw between Daryl and Beth in Still and Alone and Daryl reuniting with Beth would ultimately be the best present from Santa.

Daryl: “I never relied on anyone for protection before. I never rely on anyone for anything.”

That statement is totally untrue with Eugene's situation. He sought out Abraham, Rosita and others to protect him because he did not feel and in truth was not able to protect himself. We see the gradual change in him through the seasons and at one point, he even tells Abraham he can protect himself. That Abraham had done his job well. And after the time jump, we really have seen a difference in Eugene. A part of him will always be that old Eugene, but he has overcome so much and is an independent person in his own way.

Beth was never what I would call a scaredy-cat. It was more an issue about actual skills. Being an apprentice to Daryl Dixon is like having master's degree in how to survive the odds. When we saw her at Grady, she had just come into herself. Not only did she have the guts and the know-how to do what she needed to do to protect herself, she knew that she was strong and self-reliant.

Daryl: “I never cut my wrists for attention.”

This is Daryl being an a-hole. Notice he doesn't say ‘tried to commit suicide.’ He simply says ‘cutting the wrist for attention.’ I think he worded it that way because he's such a good judge of character, he knew that Beth really didn't want to kill herself. She wanted to escape her situation. A totally different thing. I think he understood that because so very often he wanted to escape his situation also.

We never saw Eugene doing any cutting of wrists. The closest he came in his own escape from his situation at the Sanctuary was in the form of drinking so much that he wouldn't care what was happening. But I want to note that he was capable of knowing exactly how to end a life by making the pill for Sasha. She couldn't live with the thought of Negan using her as a tool between him and the people she loved. I do not consider the act of her taking that pill as suicide. She didn't take her life, she sacrificed herself. Either way, she's no longer alive, but one is a selfish act and the other is a noble one.

So there you go!

@twdmusicboxmystery:

Yay! Aren’t those great. WAAAYYY too many parallels for this to be a coincidence. I love all of these. Thoughts?

[alienation2016-blog]

New Post has been published on Alienation

New Post has been published on https://alienation.biz/stocks-that-crush-the-index-investing-in-video-game-fanatics/

Stocks that crush the index, investing in video-game fanatics

The video game enterprise is one I really like lots as a protracted-term investment, however, I’m a chunk uneasy with it on non-monetary grounds.

The online game industry is taking advantage of a U.S. monetary phenomenon that has seen a ten-pin keeping with-cent decline in the labor pressure participation price for adult males of their 20s, in keeping with the University of Chicago’s Booth Faculty of Business. The Economist’s Cash Communicate’s podcast on April 18 referred to research estimating that for these men, 75 according to cent of the boom in entertainment time is spent on video games.

The trend has assist create some large winners in equity markets

Electronic Arts, for instance, has generated a 443 consistent with cent cumulative return for the beyond five years or 40.2 consistent with cent annually. Activision Blizzard has climbed 32.3 in step with cent yearly for the period and Ecu-based Ubisoft has jumped 48.5 according to cent in keeping with the year.

I’ve performed those video games at times and it’s great how rapid four hours can disappear whilst playing. They’re wonderful

Immersive, cathartic and addictive. The improvement of digital fact technology will best enhance the experience.

Video game businesses, not like protection contractors and cigarette manufacturers, don’t kill people so I’m no longer suggesting they’re evil or whatever. I’m just no longer sure how much financial support is warranted for an industry that promotes bathe-loose isolation from the outdoor international for days on end. Though the past investment returns have been compelling and investors can decide for themselves.

Trading Stocks Trilogy-1: The Psychology

In case your thoughts aren’t in the proper region in trading, you may blow out. Taken aback? The facts display that 90% of traders do not prevail over the years. Ask the multitude of investors who’ve been churned out, to get replaced via a clean wave of buyers.

The buying and selling terminal is not an area wherein one plays out one’s non-public problems, or feelings. There are too many points of interest which trick your thoughts into doing belongings you need to not be doing. Like Odysseus in the Greek mythology Odyssey, who had to fill his sailors’ ears with beeswax, and tie himself to the mast, in order that he could now not be enticed by using the Sirens, who led many a sailor to the devastation of the rocky beaches.

So who’re those Sirens, that would lead you to plunge into the deep fathomless depths of the rocky seabed, of trading disaster?

Siren 1: You shall not change if you are in a foul mood.

Siren 2: You shall not exchange information, earlier than, or after. The stock may additionally pass in any direction, which cannot be anticipated by all of us.

Siren three: Do no longer listen to the experts. There are none within the capital markets. inventory movements are probabilities, and no one can expect with reality, chances.

Siren 4: Do your own evaluation, then take a call.

Siren 5: Do no longer hesitate to pull the cause, because of fear.

Siren 6: Do not hesitate to get out, due to greed.

Siren 7: Leverage gobbles up your account.

Siren eight: You’re absolutely responsible for your results. Take the small jolt early, clear your head, and then move on.

Siren nine: The ‘Golden Siren’ or the Golden Grail of buying and selling: Use no longer extra than 25% of your capital on anybody change, less, if you have a huge account. if you lose your capital, you will then no longer lose your soul. Keep away from too many open positions.

Siren 10: The Diamond Rule: Do now not maintain a role open if you can not tune it, or if you go out, or the buying and selling terminal isn’t always accessible to you. Many top investors have blown out within the markets with the aid of no longer following this simple rule.

Siren eleven: Placed your plan in writing. The terminal clouds your mind.

Siren 12: After you close up your trade, clear your mind. Take a look at a new trade from a sparkling perspective.

Siren 13: The need to be right: Ego, the greatest destroyer decimates debts. in case you do not know what is happening, get out first, ask questions later.

If I let you know many greater Sirens, the ones will in addition cloud your mind, due to information overload. within the markets, keep things simple. Research has shown that the conscious mind can keep 3 to 7 thoughts at a time, too many will freeze it.

Reasons Why SEO Is Worth Investing in 2017

With Seo, it’s far simpler to target folks that are looking for the goods or offerings you offer. For example, those who search on Google are much more likely to make a purchase than those on Fb.

Potential Customers Anticipate to Find You on Engines like google

Clients will be looking for your business on Search engines like google like Google. So, whilst you do now not use Search engine optimization, your business will no longer seem a number of the Search engines like google. Your website might be useless if it cannot be located.

Easier and Much less Luxurious than You believe you studied

The general public observes Seo as complex and Costly. This is by some means proper for traditional websites, but Google has simplified it for local corporations. It is lots simpler than you may imagine getting pinnacle ratings for your city, country or metropolis.

If you do no longer aim to compete national, there’s no want for a six-discern Search engine optimization budget.

Search engine optimization is not constrained to Google

You can marketplace your commercial enterprise on any platform due to the fact Seo isn’t restrained to simplest one search engine. it’s miles frequently related to Google, however, can paintings on Facebook, Amazon, and YouTube, among different Engines like google – it really is due to the fact additionally they rank content material like Google or Bing. What you want to remember is to optimize your content further to rank better on those websites.

Seek Continues to Grow

Due to the boom in the use of cell devices, it is lots less complicated and convenient to search for something wherever, anytime from a telephone or tablet. Capacity Clients use their cell gadgets and seek engine to search for your commercial enterprise instead of a phone e-book in contrast to inside the beyond.

Non-stop Visitors is pushed in your website

The instant you have got advanced you seek to rank, Count on more Traffic from Search engines even If you do no longer hold it on an everyday foundation. As an example, a pay-consistent with click on advert generates Visitors only while you pay, but with Search engine optimization, whilst you get the effects, all you want to do is relax and watch the Traffic being drawn in your website online.

While you goal the right key phrases to rank high on Search engines like google and yahoo, it’ll be simpler to get a qualified lead attempting to find your merchandise/offerings.

Rankings can Alternate

Getting good scores now does not necessarily mean that you are safe and sound. Do now not anticipate that this can still live this manner within the 12 months.

Seo Maintains to adapt, and therefore you need to preserve to make investments In case you do no longer want to lose to competition.

Seven Steps to Reviewing an Alpha Video Game

Do your children just like the laptop? Are they game enthusiasts who simply love video games? Did you recognize you can take a look at video games inside the alpha-degree? Video games will usually be round. Bear in mind P.C-Man, Mario or maybe Galaxy Invaders? Simply the name, I am sure introduced lower back fantastic reminiscences. What if your youngsters or you can take a look at an alpha recreation and offer treasured enter? Under I’m able to proportion with you seven steps to reviewing alpha video games.

Step 1: Get to recognize the game you are checking out.

This indicates understand what kind of game you’re playing. Types consist of and aren’t limited to shooter game, survival sport, puzzle sport or MMORPG (which stands vastly multiplayer online). You furthermore might want to consider what features are running, which of them might be installed location and which ones want to be examined.

Step 2: What are the desires of the game? Is it about taking down something, surviving or escaping into another realm?

Depending on the muse of the game, if it is sports activities primarily based the purpose will be some other way of doing sports which may additionally encompass vehicles. If the game is technology based, it may be teaching you survival skills and incorporating genetics.

Step 3: usually ask questions of the builders. For example, you can have located something and are not sure if it’s far a real function or a computer virus. Write them through their e-mail deal with unless you related with them on a social media platform.

Step 4: Ask permission. Being an alpha game tester is thrilling. Before you bounce the gun and put it on your channel

Ask permission of the developer first Before recording and setting it to your channel. This gives them exposure and additionally helps them find out what’s lacking from the sport in addition to if the game has a glitch. you may additionally make suggestions on a way to make the game better.