[log] Event: Howl [open]

[snowblindmods]

Characters: everyone
Location: The sort of location M.C. Escher wishes he'd thought up.
Date: nights 211 & 212
Summary: I hunt for you with bloody feet across the hallow'd ground
Warnings: potential for violence, death, and psychological horror; please note in subject lines if any specific warnings come up!

like some child possessed, the beast howls in my veins
I want to find you tear out all your tenderness

Comments

[devoutish]

Some of you are afraid. There's panic, attacks--

[He shakes his head, frowning.]

We need to stay together. I need to protect you from them, and you need to protect me from those things with the lights. We need to get those lights, Watson; do you understand? We'll help each other, you and me.

[jumpthegun]

[I like a man on a mission.

John keeps his expression neutral, but there's another glance cast to the side.]

Okay. Yeah. Sorry, you mean the things with the eyes, right? I think we're... [It's like the knowledge is being pushed into his head.] We're meant to take the lights. I find them and you help grab them.

... What?

[devoutish]

I didn't say anything.

[The frown deepens, lines furrowing into his brow.]

What's there? What do you see?

[Maybe it's a monster. Maybe it's something else that's invisible to Alfie.]

[jumpthegun]

[John turns away from Mary, looking around everywhere else in what may be just a bit of an exaggerated manner.]

Nothing's there. I just mean... I dunno how I know that. What we're meant to do.

[devoutish]

[Alfie runs a hand down his face.]

Yeah. Neither do I. But I know it is very important, and we need to move quickly.

[jumpthegun]

Right.

[In the distance, as he's looking around, John sees something dragging itself along the ground, looking for all the world like a disembodied hand. He points in that direction.]

There's one that way.

[The doctor goes to take a step toward it, but there's that unnatural fear layering over his usual determination and excitement to be fighting. He can't help reaching out, brows knitting together.]

This doesn't feel right.

[devoutish]

[Alfie touches Watson's arm again.]

Give me your hand?

[jumpthegun]

[Holding hands and fighting monsters. It's like an episode of Scooby Doo.

Except in this case, John is playing the coward and there's no one to unmask. The monsters are real. Reluctantly, John slips his hand into Alfie's, and it does make him feel safer.]

Mm... Something's messing with our heads again. And that hand's started crawling toward us. Maybe 20 yards off.

[He doesn't like this, especially not when his inclinations have him moving closer to Alfie.]

We need a strategy.

[devoutish]

Have you got any weapons?

[He knows he probably doesn't. They never do.]

Right - how big is it? You're saying it's a hand? We could step on it; crush it.

[jumpthegun]

No weapons. I haven't got anything from my pack.

[His grip on Alfie's hand tightens as the thing creeps slowly closer.]

And it's bigger than you are. Bloody hell, it's got, like... eyeballs on its knuckles.

[Why is everything eyes here? Mary is making a face, and really, John can't blame her.]

[devoutish]

[Damn. No stomping, then.]

The eyes are gonna be a weak spot. You go for them. Try to poke them out. I'll get the light.

[jumpthegun]

[John can hear it now, and he's fighting the impulse to run. It's only 10 yards away now. Mary moves toward it, trying to get a better look.]

Oh, Christ. Its nails... they're mouths. It's got five mouths. Who would even make something like- what?

[Mary shimmers and then distorts, John's eyes locking on her.]

Get the hell away from it!

[She draws back quickly, confusion and fear marring her features as the thing snaps its nail maws. John can see the light glowing in the index finger mouth.]

[devoutish]

[And Alfie, of course, thinks he's talking to him.]

No, come on; we need to do this. I'll deal with the mouths.

[jumpthegun]

That's not what I'm- Jesus!

[He wants to reach for Mary, make sure she's okay.

I'm not real, John. Pay attention to him. And that... thing! Get the light. Hurry!

John shakes his head, and finally focuses on the problem at hand, which is now only 5 yards away.]

It'll be on us in a few seconds. Index finger has the light.

[Alfie should be able to see it soon. He forces himself to let go of the other man's hand and prepares to punch the creature in one of its eyes as a distraction.]

[devoutish]

[Seeing it is scarier than not seeing it. Seeing it makes it real.]

Go!

[He lunges for the light, hoping to God that Watson will do a good enough job of distracting it.]

[jumpthegun]

[And John lunges for the middle finger, jumping up and over the nails and landing squarely on one of the eyes. That moment of triumph is short lived as all of the mouths open at once to scream and the hand tries to buck him off and forward into its waiting mouths.

Hopefully, Alfie can grab the light before that.]

[devoutish]

[His wrist scrapes hard against the monster's teeth, drawing blood, but his fingers close around the light and he yanks it out. The monster screams again, but it's a death scream, not a scream of anger.]

[jumpthegun]

[The creature thrashes and then stills as John falls back, half on top of the thing still. He rolls backward in the absence of knowing where the hell anywhere safe to put his hands is, and ends up on his bottom looking up and around blindly until he's drawn toward Alfie's light.]

You got it! Hah...

[He looks over at Mary and she offers him a thumbs up. On reflex, John gives her one right back. She points toward Alfie, and John redirects the gesture to him.]

I hope that looked cooler than it felt.

[devoutish]

[Alfie curls his fingers around the light, and then on impulse, holds it out to John. It feels right for him to have it.]

Very cool, yeah.

[He's not used to actually using the slang, but right now, it's apt.]

[jumpthegun]

[John can see the light and reaches for it. It's warm and comforting in his grip. It feels right having it. He feels safer.

The doctor pockets the light as he picks himself up and looks around again. The fear creeps in again as he sees red lights and more grotesque beings in the distance. He holds out his hand in the direction he thinks Alfie is.]

I can see more of them. There are a lot of them, Alfie.

[devoutish]

[Alfie takes his hand, turning in the direction that Watson is looking.]

Right. We'll need to do those next. Come on.

[jumpthegun]

[John sets them off trying to lead, but Alfie might take note that they're heading toward the edge of an apparent ravine. At the bottom is something like brown sludge. It doesn't look particularly nice to fall into.]

Where are we? I haven't been able to see a thing since I woke up... went to sleep? Lockdown happened, and then... Bloody hell, this place.

[devoutish]

Yeah.

[God, he hopes it's just another dreamworld - something that they'll wake up from no worse for wear.]

Stop, stop. There's a drop-off in front of us. Don't try to take us anywhere - let me.

[jumpthegun]

[John halts, feeling frustrated and still that fear overlaying everything else. And Mary... there had been something that thing did to Mary... to him? He tries to think of a way to address it with Alfie without telling him about Mary.

He's clever and you're really not very good at lying to him, my love. Want to risk it? She has a point.]

It's over there.

[The doctor points in the direction of the next light. It's a ways away, and they'll need to find a way around the ravine before getting there. To the left, there's a marble wall with steps that seem to be heading of toward the ceiling at an impossible angle to actually use. The area to the right is open... maybe. There's a red-tinted mist in that direction.]

Alfie, with that... thing. Did you notice anything strange about it?

[Apart from its existence.]

[devoutish]

[Across the ravine is both good and bad. It means the monster can't get to them... but if they can't get to it, then they can't do their job.]

I see a person. Is that what you're looking at? They're too far off for me to tell who they are.