Brianna & Ronald

[Laraqua]

The darkness is absolute. The trapdoor opens with a soft growl of rusted hinges. The floor is uneven rock, overlaid with about an inch of smooth sand. The air smells somewhat musty but is also scented much like a garden might be. For the first time in ages, his breathing is free from ash.

[trixie]

Brianna yelps in surprise as she pulls up on the ladder, as she swears she feels something brush her leg in the darknessbelow. She tries not to scream. Did it just do it again??? Oh no!!! What's down here???

She pulls herself up the rope ladder, trying to be quick. The darkness is making her a little queasy. Her eyes open wide but still can't bring in any other light. Just darkness seeps into her pupils, overwhelming her conscious mind with panic.

"Ronald.....(screech of surprise)......we need to.....get out of here.....quick!"

[O.C. Sanity was 70, rolled 89. Sanity loss 1]

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald quickly climbs out of the trap door and looks off into the darkness. He prays to himself for light and deliverance from this evil wretched place. He reaches down and pulls Brianna up and out of the trap door. Ronald bends down and whispers in Brianna's ear.

Shhhhhhhhh! I know your scared sweety, but if we're real quiet, we'll find a way out of here.

Ronald pulls out one of his canisters and grips it tightly, ready to throw it at anyone who steps into his path. His heart skips beat after beat as his mind's eye imagines things in the dark that just aren't there. He toughs it out for Brianna's sake and bites down on his own lip to hold his focus on the task at hand. Ronald grabs hold of Brianna's hand with his free one and slowly edges forward into he darkness.

[O.C- passed sanity check]

[trixie]

Brianna inches forward with Ronald, unaware that she's not breathing. She's been holding her breath since they jumped out of the trap door. Her eyes are wide, trying to see anything in front of her, but all she can see is immense black at the moment.

She follows him, holding onto his shirt hem so that she can tell where he is, and starts humming softly to herself. The black is so thick, that she feels it'd surely drive her mad.

[O.C. Sanity loss 1, now 68]

[Laraqua]

The ground is thankfully not all that uneven. Sand is kicked up with every step. For the first time all night, their lungs feel easy and satisfied without the ash to clog up the air. The darkness is total.

OC: Which direction do you head from the storeroom ladder?

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald slowly inches forward (north) from the ropeladder. One hand holding Brianna hand, the other out in front of him holding a canister. he talks in hushed, soothing whispers to keep Brianna calm.

Just stay calm Brianna. We're almost out! Almost there!

Craperjacks! Are we outside the hospital? Where have you sent us Louie? Damn you!

[trixie]

Brianna breathes deeply and follows Ronald, clutching his hand tightly.

In the darkness, she is acutely aware of the sounds she can hear. She realizes that she can hear the goosh goosh of Ronald's steps as he walks along, shoes fillled with the contents of her stomach only a moment ago. She feels embarassed that she barfed in his shoes, and blushes, not that it is visible to anyone what she looks like at all. She holds Edgar's cage tightly to herself and hears his little wings flutter gently at her movements.

She then hears the growl of her own stomach, and widens her eyes to see if there is any light visible at all. A moment ago when she first peeked out of the trapdoor, she thought she saw movements and outlines of people. Strange that now I see nothing.....there must be no entrances open. Or maybe there's no entrances at all.....how will we ever get out of this place???

Is that something else touching my leg??? Oh god!!! [O.C. Sanity 68, rolled 82, sanity loss 1]

[DSIGFUSS]

[O.C. Oops forgot Ronalds sanity check

Ronald is still as cool as a cucumber. All be it a slightly twitchy, nervous wreck of cucumber. Possibly an English Cuke. He holds Brianna's hand tight, imagining how scared she must really be.

C'mon Ronald.... hold it together man!

[trixie]

[O.C. Arg!!! Can't seem to catch a break today on invisable castle!]

Brianna hits a stair in front of her, and stumbles down hard onto it, catching her off guard.

"Oooff!" She can't help but grunt as she falls a bit down.

Edgar's wings flap and beat panicked, and she hugs his cage tight, and swallows hard.

Let's not try doing that again, ok. Just go slower this time.

"Ronald are you ok?" she whispers softly.

[O.C. Sanity passed

[Laraqua]

She falls down and scrapes her knees across the second and third step before catching her balance.

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald unknowingly stumbles on to the first step in an unkown length of stairway. He begins to tumble forward but catches his footing on the second stair. He instinctively holds out his arm to prevent Brianna from falling past him.

Stairs?

Rocks and stairs? Whre the Bloody Bollucks are we?

Ronald helps Brianna up and shakes her off.

Be careful and hold my hand Brianna. We should hurry down these stairs. Just hold on tight.

Ronold looks for a railing or anything he might be able to use to guide him and Brianna safely down the stairs. His hand holding the canister shakes furiously as his mind races, imaging what he'll find in the darknes.

Dam you Louie....

[O.C sanity now 77]

[trixie]

Brianna falls and begins to cry, trying to hide it and look tough. She gratefully accepts Ronald's help up, but can't help the tears streaming down her cheeks. What the heck??? Where would stairs take us?? It seems like we're underneath the hospital, considering all the ash is missing in the air...it's so weird down here.....

She continues to follow Ronald, "Where are we Ronald?? Are you sure this is the way?"

Brianna has no idea where she is, stumbling around in the dark, but this place seems very convoluted and dark. Would they ever find their way out of this hellhole???

[O.C. Sanity passed]

[Laraqua]

The ninth step leads down to a flat piece of sandy ground. Ten steps ahead - in Ronald's stride - and his foot bumps against a step leading up. Each step seems to be curved. Perhaps some set of concentric circular steps?

[trixie]

Brianna tugs on Ronald's hand.

"No Ronald, we musta gone the wrong way!" she whispers, and tries to turn around to go back up the stairs.

Where are all the people I thought I saw before....didn't I see silhouettes of people walking up here? Knock on wood....I hope we don't meet up with anyone!

O.C. Sanity passed

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald stops on the stairs and bends down on one knee. He whispers to Brianna.

You know something I don't Brianna?b Do you know where we are?

Ronald begins to breathe steadily again, breathing in and out, practicing his new age hippie breathing techniques he had learned on the internet.

[Sanity check Passed]

[trixie]

Brianna looks at Ronald's outline blankly, then begins to shake her head.

"Well, no....not really. I don't know where we are. But this isn't gonna take us anywhere now is it?" She gestures to the circular staircase. "I say we go back up and keep walking til we reach a wall. Maybe if we feel along in it we'll find a way out."

Brianna feels helpless and lost, like one time when she got lost at the department store and wandered for a good half an hour before Mum found her. Panic stricken, crying, she wandered through seemingly endless rooms of clothes and purses, wallets and shoes before she found the other side of the store entirely. But this was different, in a way, because Ronald was a comfort in a way she hadn't had before. What would I ever do without Ronald?

[O.C. Sanity check failed lost 1 sanity

[DSIGFUSS]

Ronald, his confidence restored, whispers to Brianna.

I know kiddo.... and that's just what Louie would think too. He's probaby got some sort of sick and twisted custodial freak show planned for us up there. C'mon... I think we're out of the hospital. Let's keep going.

Ronald finds the outside of the hand rail and follows it along the sandy floor.

That's good thinking Brianna, we'll look for a wall down here.


[O.C. - sanity check passed]

[Laraqua]

OC: There is no handrail.

The two make their way steadily up the stairs until they reach the flat surface once more. A few dozen paces ahead, their feet clatter across some hollow piece of floor. The air still smells pungent, like flowers and fruit, and something else. There seems to be a faint wind blowing.

[trixie]

Brianna feels the small breeze on her cheek and sucks in her breath.

"Ronald, maybe we're getting close! Maybe that's a door or something!" she whispers excitedly.

She bends to feel around on the dirt floor. Were there really flowers growing? Or was she just imagining things???

[O.C. Sanity passed]

[Laraqua]

After three paces her right hand presses against ceramic. Reaching up, she feels the stalks of plants.