FINAL CHAPTER: Cecilia: Room With A View

[Laraqua]

As they surface once more, they find the pain clears and the water tastes fresh rather than tinged with blood. Blinking against the harsh light of dawn, harsh since the darkness that had overwhelmed them, they find themselves standing up to their chins in water, close to the wooden pier. The kitten clings, shivering, to the wooden post, it's little claws digging in for dear life. Following the line of the pier reveals a majestic garden backed by a beautiful hotel, coloured wonderfully in the fading sunlight. Or is it dawn rather than dusk? It is impossible to tell. Somehow, unbidden, the sight of Lakeview Hotel hearkens Cecilia back to her honeymoon.

This place is all the more beautiful than it is in the pamphlets.

The air is sun-warmed and there's a smell of baking cookies that hangs heavy in the air, lacing it with nostalgia, and in the distance they can hear the strains of a piano as somehow someone plays such fine, beautiful music in this strange, exotic place. The fear is no longer palpable in the air. It almost feels like, at any point, she might see Katie darting around the hedge rows.

[Kadael]

Cecilia attempts to shake the water out of her ears, about to tell Jack that she'll be fine, just please don't let go... but she opens her eyes, and her jaw drops.

She stares at the hotel, the pier, and the beautiful sky for a long, long moment. Wasn't there a hideous chunk of scaffolding just over there? There's no fog. No monsters in the dark. No pain, even.

Her mouth twitches oddly, face twisting into an utterly bewildering expression. Then she throws her head back and laughs.

"Oh my God, Jack, it's the fucking hotel!" She says it like it's not obvious, lifting her arms out of the water to make wild gestures. "Holy shit, this is not happening!"

It's not very funny. She's not even sure why she's laughing. But it feels right.

A memory of softness and candlelight. Lies. Performances. But it was so lovely.

It's a momentary distraction before she remembers something else.

"Oh, God!" She smacks herself in the forehead, still giggling. "I left my luggage in the fucking car!"

[Seon]

Although his mind still hasn't left the seriousness of the entire situation, Jack couldn't help but break into a grin. He waded forward and embraced Cecilia.

"We made it!" he said, holding her tightly. "I can't believe we freaking made it!"

Moment later, he noticed what he was doing and quickly backed away. "Ehh... umm..." he mumbled. "I'll help you onto the pier."

[Kadael]

Even as Cecilia returns his embrace, not thinking of it as anything more than excitement-fueled affection, the happy thoughts begin to fade.

Isn't Katie supposed to be at the Amusement Park?

She nods. "Yeah, thanks... just lift me a bit and I can pull myself up." Her mind feels fresh as a daisy, but her body is still so tired. She shouldn't need help, but she's not looking forward to having to swim again.

Cecilia glances at the kitten. "Do you know if they allow pets?"

[Laraqua]

The kitten's ears flatten tight to its head as it determinedly climbs up the wooden post onto the top of the pier. It's so cute as it moves, its little paws reaching up and grabbing hold of wood in tandem, followed by hind legs, then fore paws, until finally it's at the very top and gazing down at them with a short meow. Jack manages to boost Cecilia up onto the pier without too much trouble but Jack found it far more difficult when he tried to haul himself up and out of the cool lake water.

[Seon]

It was going to be alright... for once in the day. Cecilia was going to be safe in the hotel and all the creepy things were gone... he still couldn't help himself but smile.

"Hey, help me up," Jack said, extending his hand towards Cecilia. "And I guess there's only one way to find out, isn't there," he finished, motioning towards the kitten.

[Kadael]

Cecilia takes his hand and pulls, but she's still feeling weak from the ordeal in the water. Jack's going to have to put in some effort as well if he's going to get up onto the pier, though it shouldn't be that hard.

"I have a room booked..." She trails off, guilt washing over her like those strands of golden hair. "No, we... I got distracted. I still need to find Katie."

It's so strange. This town was almost completely deserted, its buildings in absolute disrepair... what happened? Where could her daughter be now? Was she just seeing things under the water?

[Seon]

Jack groaned, lifting himself out of the water. The shoulder was still killing him, and as he saw Cecilia's face, a dark shadow fell over his own. He hated seeing her like this. He hated seeing her sad.

"Can't we wait... Just for a little bit?" Jack said softly. "You look tired."

[Kadael]

"No!" It comes out harsher than she'd meant. She is tired. "There's nothing weird and dangerous trying to drown us, we can see without flashlights, and I don't see any screwed-up architecture. We're safe, which is the best time to look for her!"

Cecilia sighs, opening her purse, which has stayed faithfully on. "Look, you don't have to come. I- I really appreciate your help, but you need to get some help for that shoulder, and I need to get Katie out of here." She sifts through the wet contents, looking for the map pieces. Her purse may be sturdy, but it's not watertight.

"I don't have time to rest. I've done enough waiting around, and you ought to know what it got me." Cecilia claps a hand over her mouth. She didn't want to say it like that. "God, I... I'm sorry, I'm just..."

Tired. Stressed. Worried sick because Katie could have gotten anywhere in all that time.

[Seon]

"Th-that's not fair! I..."

Jack stopped himself. Who was he kidding... She was right...

"I... I'll be waiting in the hotel," he said, dejected and hurt. "I think it's best for everyone that way."

[Kadael]

Cecilia turns away from him, swaying slightly as she tries to stand. But her legs burn with fatigue, her stomach clenches with hunger, and she collapses onto the pier.

Everything hurts. The sun-warmed wood of the dock shouldn't be comfortable, but she could fall asleep right here. Sleeping again, waiting for Katie to inexplicably show up.

No, she can't do that. She can't stop looking. She can't...

"...help." Maybe Jack won't. She wouldn't blame him.

OOC,This is what happens when you don't eat, don't sleep, and get into many high-stress situations.

[Seon]

"Wha... No!" Jack rushed to Cecilia's side.

"Get up!" Jack pulled on her, fully aware of how weak he was too. "Get up! Damn it..." he said as he tried to drag her limp body towards the hotel. "Come on... You can't just collapse here... Come on... We can get help if we just get into the hotel..."

[Kadael]

"Fine." Defeated by her own body, Cecilia lifts her head off the pier and grabs Jack's arm. Now that she's out of the water and the excitement is gone, she's so much colder. And she doesn't have a spare change of clothes with her.

"But what if no one's there?" she asks. It's so beautiful here, and it might not even be real. A hallucination, brought on by her own approaching death. She wouldn't be surprised. "Just long enough to get back on my feet. No more waiting. Promise me that, Jack."

If his promises are worth anything.

[Seon]

"I promise..." Jack said quickly, lifting Cecilia back to her feet. He helped her towards the hotel, stumbling more than a few times.

Spoiler:

Since when was Cecilia's constitution x 5 35? She has the exact same stats as Jack do except size, and she's slightly larger than him.

[Laraqua]

There shoes thud wetly against the wooden pier as they start walking toward the hotel. There's no sign of anyone. No sound of traffic. Not even birdsong. But the view is majestic and the air feels so warm and smells so nostalgically beautiful. If it's a dream, it's almost worth not waking up.

From behind them, a plaintive meow sounds, and a glance over her shoulder confirms the little kitten is standing at the end of the pier, shivering, and gazing helplessly after them.

[Kadael]

Cecilia briefly lets go of Jack to go and collect the kitten, watching her step.

[Seon]

Jack welcomed Cecilia back and walked unsteadily with her for a little while towards the hotel until he fell forward, dragging Cecilia down with him and then landing on the ground face to face.

He froze for a few second before breaking into a nervous chuckle.

"Well," he said. "This is awkward. Ehem. I suppose we could do a staring eye contest against each other to pass the time or we could help each other up."

"Oh... And one more thing..."

[Kadael]

"No staring contests," Cecilia says flatly, pushing herself to her knees and offering her free hand to Jack.

[Laraqua]

The kitten hisses under the pressure from the sudden pain of being squeezed around the ribs, and sinks its itty bitty fangs straight into her hand, before hurriedly licking the spot, as though realising that it really doesn't want to be dropped, thank you, and would much rather be squeezed than left to its own devices. It also shivers in her hand and shakes its head, loosing some droplets of water from its furry head.

[Seon]

"Thought so," Jack replied, grinning. He lifted himself up and walked with Cecilia. A dark shadow passed through his expression once more before quickly dissipating.

"Let's get inside the building already."