Nan steps outside into the hall.
bladesworn's Storytime the first
- Thread starter bladesworn
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Nan steps outside into the hall.
Nan looks over.
Anna's bloodied hat lies by the two obscured figures -- one sprawled on the floor against the wall, the other dark, kneeling over the first.
It appears the black cloaked figure is doing something to the other with its hands.
SHE BELONGS TO THIS PLACE NOW.
YOU CAN'T HELP HER NAN.
YOU CAN'T HELP ANYONE.
YOU CAN'T EVEN HELP YOURSELF.
BUT IN DEATH, YOU HAVE A PURPOSE.
COME, NAN.
EMBRACE DEATH.
Nan is torn between fight and flight. Her options are limited: She's by no means a fighter, but the only door out of this hall is past this ragged figure. She must take a stand, but afraid of getting close, she compromises.
Steeling her will, Nan reels back with her sharpened piece of rebar and prepares to hurl it at the oncoming monstrosity.
Nan throws the REBAR SWORD!
It spins through the air in a sharp arc.
It's a lucky throw! The sharpened edge of the REBAR SWORD buries itself deep in the monster's skull, sending bone fragments flying!
Critical Hit!
HA.
HA HA.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.
It's not very effective though....
SNAP.
Bone shards fly as the the monster roughly rips the REBAR SWORD out from its OWN skull. It doesn't seem phased at all.
YOU CANNOT FIGHT THIS, NAN.
ONLY WHEN YOUR LIFE IS EXTINGUISHED CAN THIS END.
Nan throws questions at the approaching monster. Why did it kill Anna? Why is it doing this? What is this place?
But the creature does not seem in a talkative mood.
NO. STOP TALKING.
NO QUESTIONS, PLEASE.
YOU HAVE TO DIE.
YOU NEED TO RELEASE ME.
The creature wields its knife menacingly and begins shambling towards Nan. Clearly it is not waiting for permission.
Nan considers rushing the monster with the table, but on reconsideration decides to just flee.
She runs to the end of the hall. The window appears to be unlocked, and she begins to force it open as the creature approaches.
Nan has entered the COURTYARD.
Nan edges over to the nearest window carefully.
However, she is on the third floor, and standing on a downward-slanted awning of what feels like rounded clay roofing tile.
Her footing is uneven, but she manages to proceed away from the hallway window slowly.
Nan presses herself up to the wall and hides in the darkness.
A moment later, the skeletal face appears through the window, peering out into the night, and down the lit awning to the dark courtyard below.
Nan tries her best not to make a sound.
She barely even breathes.
After what feels like a very long time, the cloaked figure disappears from the window and his shadow slowly recedes.
I'm sorry it has to be this way, Nan.
Nan forces herself to wait another minute or two, but the shadow does not return.
She slowly edges over to the other window, but pulling at it, it appears to be locked from the inside.
Nan looks out over the courtyard in the center of the hotel. It doesn't open to the outside, so it's hard to see anything but more of the hotel -- but it appears much larger than she first imagined.
It's too dark to make much of anything out though, save for a few distant lit windows. Nan could swear she sees dark shapes intermittently pass by them.
As she observes the courtyard, Nan draws her screwdriver, thinking to unlatch the window with it.
But the window is suddenly thrown open and a hand grabs her wrist tightly in the darkness.
Nan shouts out suddenly, both in surprise and instinctively to identify herself.
A familiar face leans out the window.
"I thought I heard someone out here. Well? Are you coming in or not?"
Santiago helps Nan inside, where he welcomes her to the SUNSET ROOM.
It seems much larger inside than it did from the outside. An old fashioned PIANO sits in the corner, and there are tables, chairs, stools, and an old ripped up painting. A single door leads out.
The room is well-lit. And yet there don't appear to be any visible light sources.
Santiago seats himself at the piano in a crooked stool. Nan thanks him for letting her in the window.
He turns suddenly, hissing.
He says not to say that.
He didn't do it for HER. He did it because HE wanted to.
He tells Nan not to EVER thank him.