Leijon High (IC)

[Business Scrub]

Lights!

With a flash the dark stage is washed in harsh yellow light, the backdrop of an unfinished urban set casting long shadows across the walls. In center stage, a person lies motionless, his eyes against the floor as if to block out the light.

Music!

A melody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND7zGxvT67M) starts playing loudly over the stage speakers. The man groans and shifts slightly, the music clearly disturbing him.

And Action!

Another person steps on stage from the darkness. His hair is long, black, and cut and styled with care. His steps practiced and silent over the music. He smiles contentedly, as if there is nowhere in the world he'd rather be.

The person on the stage mutters something, and shifts a few inches.
"What was that?" The man with the black hair calls out over the music.
"You are on stage good sir, you must learn to project!" He punches the last word with earnest.

He finds his voice, though quietly. "I said I want to go home..."

"Go..? Go home?" The black haired man laughs nervously, then smiles, exposing rows of teeth like daggers. His hands shake slightly as he extends one, long manicured fingers grabbing the front of the man's coat and pulling him off the floor.
"But you are our lead!" He shoves the man forward, the both of them looking at the audience: a row of people, some staring up at the ceiling, some down at the floor, all motionless. "And the show has only just begun!"

-----------------------------------------------------------

Elsewhere...

Six children, each with their own thoughts and plans, step out of the computer lab into an unusually dark hallway, the only light being the fading sunset filtering in from the windows. One of them is about to speak as the door behind them closes with a resounding slam.

[Rhyvurg]

Nick flinches slightly when the door slams but does not look up. With the slightest of glances at the others, he puts up his hood and stuff his hands in his pockets, walking down the hall.

[Vesth]

"ORYAAAAA!" Rosella screamed, instantly jumping for Felicia, tackling her onto the ground. Straddling her between her legs, she stretched her arms outwards.

"Goddamn, it was soooo boring, Felicia. How on earth do you even stand it? Arghhhh!" She leaned backwards and breathed out. She seemed to remember something.

"Oh ya, I wanted to show you something!" She dug out a tarnished key ring, dangling the multiple keys inches from Felicia's face. "Look what Billy gave to me. How sweet of him! Apparently he-"

From the corner of her eyes, she spotted Nick slinking off.

"Hey Emo Kid, where did'ya think you're going?"

[Rhyvurg]

Nick stops and slowly turns around. "Not that it's your business, but I'm going home."

[Vesth]

Jingle jingle. Jingle jingle.

Rosella shakes her hand slightly, letting the sound of keys on keys echo through the air.

"Hey listen. You've just spent a couple of hours of your life stuck in a stinky little room with nothing but boring homework. Why don't we have a little adventure? There's no one around, and it'll be a while yet before any teachers realize these keys are missing. We could totally explore the school!"

She grinned, using a tone of voice that brooked no argument. She threw the ring up into the air, and snatched it on it's downward parabola.

"What were you going to do at home anyway? Other then having a hissy little fit in a corner?"

[Dienekes]

"A hissy fit in the corner still sounds better than your company," Joe muttered just loud enough so he was sure Rosella heard him. He kept walking past the two girls on the floor, thinking only of his plans for the night; namely using that highly flammable gel with his friends.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Micah casually tosses his backpack over his shoulder. After hours of work and some really, terribly confusing tutoring from one of the other kids, he STILL doesn't understand that damned homework. He sighs. "I'm down for a little fun. Been cooped up too long... I need a good stretch!" And as he stretches, he forgets he's not warming up for a practice and begins going through his whole routine of stretches.

[Business Scrub]

6:00 PM

As the few decide where to go, Nick and Joe begin heading down the the hallway to the left, towards the staircase. Lockers line the hallway on either side, doors to classrooms scattered throughout: 314, 316, 318, etc. Some lockers hang left open, others are simply too broken to close, and some of them are even serving their purpose and remain locked.

On the right side, the hall continues to the far end of the building, and half way across the building, a longer hallway extends out. In the middle of this junction, a sit down buffer rests, seemingly abandoned.

In between your comments, some can hear a faint noise, high pitched and mundane save that it is the only other sound, coming from far down the hall.


So as you wander/explore, more events of interest will become available. Of course, you are always free to ignore these events and do as you please.

You are all currently on the 3rd floor out of four. This is (loosely) the science and tech floor. It is shaped like a T, where you are on the left side, with staircases on each end.

I won't make any decision for the group, of course, but if you feel like your character would split up, don't feel forced to go along with the group.

[Vesth]

Rosella stuck her tongue out at Joe as he passed by.

Hearing the sound, she look for the source. "Did you hear that, Felicia? Sounds like it's coming down the hall. Come, let's take a look!"

She dragged Felicia down the hall with her.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Micah hears the sound too, and decides to follow the girls on his way to the stairs. As he hears the sound, he gets a little unnerved and begins looking around uneasily. No one is supposed to be at the school this late except for using the lab for homework, right? So why is something on the 3rd floor making noise? he thought to himself as he kept pace with the girls.

[Rhyvurg]

Nick keeps going the way he was, not quite curious enough to go along.

[Business Scrub]

------ Felicia, Rosella, and Micah -----

As you head down the hall and past the buffer, the noise becomes clearer. It's a high pitched giggle sort of laughter, coming from one of the classrooms. The door is slightly ajar, but even so, you can see the source of the noise through the window.

A girl in a white dress sits on one of the lab tables, staring out at the sunset. Blonde, tall, and pretty by some standard, she appears not to notice you as you look in. She sits with her hands wrapped around her knees, green eyes looking around the room excitedly as the red light slowly fades.

The three of you may make a Charisma check to see if you know this person. (Result below 20 doesn't yield anything, a higher result might tell more)


Behind him in the hallway, Micah gets a sense of anticipation behind him, as if being watched from a room behind him, yet they're all dark.

--------Nick and Joe----------

Back out side the computer lab, Nick and Joe stand near the stairway. Surely they have better things to do back home then wander around the school after hours. The stairs as they ever are: thin, with old, beat up wooden railings.

[Dienekes]

Not bothered by the noise that was probably the night janitors just doing their thing Joe heads down the stairs.

God this place is a dump, he noted to himself for the thousandth time. The lockers are all broken, the railings are beaten up. And he vaguely remembered there was at least one completely broken window somewhere on the third floor. Just finish the year, with no more incidents like that thing with the hexane he thought, then I'm off.

[Hemnon]

As the sudden slamming sound jars trough the air, Felicia nearly suffers a heart attack. God she hates sudden jumpscares like that! But she didn't have much time to contemplate on hating jumpscares, cuz she was suddenly tackled to the floor by none other than Rosella, whom apparently seemed to enjoy touching others, more than is normal. Even though she was recently transferred to this school, she'd quickly gotten dragged into Rosella's odd skinship routine, so all she did was just go along with it.

She didn't even have a chance to reply to Rosella about that keychain of hers, cuz suddenly she Rosella's attention was elsewhere and after that Felicia got dragged back up to her feet and pulled along towards whatever exploration-idea of hers.

And of course, Felicia didn't want to go down the dark hallway, having seen enough scary movies to know that someone was gonna die very soon. She was skitting along, with her arm dragged onwards, unable to even say no, because of her breathing turning ragged and uneven.

Felicia breathes out deeply, inhaling through her inhalator to calm down her breathing. She was looking at the same, strange but pretty, girl that was inside the class room.

[Vesth]

"Hell-o~" Rosella called out chirpily, stepping into the room. "What were you laughing at, weirdo?" she asked without any real malice in her voice.

[Business Scrub]

The girl slides on the desk to look at Rosella as she enters.

"Ahehe, 'cause you're asking the wrong questions, goon!"

She makes a face, and motions you inside.

"Hi Rosella! And Felicia! And... umm.. Micah?" She says, a bit uncertain about the last name. She speaks with a slight accent, but it's hard to tell from where.

[Hemnon]

Felicia had finally calmed down enough to breath regularly. ''Um, hi there... Alice was it? I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but i rather new to the school and not all that good with names... It is Alice your name is, right? Or was it Ashley...'' She was biting her lower lip thoughtfully and a bit embarrassed that she couldn't really remember the girl's name.

[Rhyvurg]

--------Nick and Joe----------

Back out side the computer lab, Nick and Joe stand near the stairway. Surely they have better things to do back home then wander around the school after hours. The stairs as they ever are: thin, with old, beat up wooden railings.

Nick walks behind Joe. "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if the stairs broke right now?"

[Vesth]

Rosella guffawed, as if she had been told a funny joke. "Goon? Aren't you referring to Mr. McExercise over there?" She pointed at Micah.

"Anyway, Ashlay, what questions should I be asking? Whether you ate your vegetables today?" She smirks.

[Dienekes]

Joe turned to give Nick a look that seemed to say without words how stupid he thought that last statement was and what a low opinion he had if the speaker in question. It was a look he had mastered over his years at Leijon. He held it for a couple seconds before he smirked. "Actually pretty funny, yeah."

[Business Scrub]

------Group A----

The girl slides off the table and walks carefully across the lab, hand tracing the edge of the table. She pushes an errant strand of hair behind her head and looks at you all.

"You can call me Alice if you'd like!"

She shakes her head, looking at Rosella.

"Still wrong! Your second one was pretty good though!"

------Group B----

Surprisingly, the stairs hold as you walk down them. You make it down to the first floor without a hassle: English and language section of the school, as well as many offices. The big glass double doors are in the center of the hallway on the left side. In the middle of the hallway, a man, presumably a janitor, walks in your direction, swinging a ring of keys as he walks and whistles.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

"Hey, take it easy on the name calling.. Nice to meet you Alice." Micah has some slight shivers, but part of that is because of the terrible feeling of being watched. The feeling had subsided when they walked into the room. Now this girl is ... weird, to say the least. But he isn't one to turn down new friends, so he sits at a desk and talks to her again. "Why are you here so late?"

[Business Scrub]

Alice makes a face at Micah.

"Still not a very good one. You say late, I say early."

[Vesth]

"So what exactly are you waiting for, Ashley?

No one could be sure whether she's purposely misspelling the weird girl's name or not.

[Business Scrub]

She laughs, apparently unfazed by the name change.

"You'll see soon enough, don't worry! Still not right though. I'll be around though, so you don't have to have the right questions right now. You're welcome to stay and chat!"

Whether it's how she is normally, or whatever she's waiting for, she seems unwavering happy, like a kid on Christmas.

[Dienekes]

Joe keeps on heading along the path to the front doors.

[Business Scrub]

Jow strides confidently towards the door, eager to be out of here. He grabs the handle and pulls... to no avail. The door feels to be locked somehow, from the outside? But why?

[Vesth]

"Pshaw, this girl is boring. Let's go Felicia. Exercise Freak, you're welcome to stay here to chat to Ashley." Apparently bored, he pulled Felicia along with her.

"Let's see what these keys can do!"

[Rhyvurg]

Nick walks up behind Joe. "What's the problem?"

[Hemnon]

Felicia was about to say that she'd rather stay but was then suddenly pulled along once more. She only managed to wave a struggled farewell and utter a low, but clear ''Bye...''.

Felicia was too timid to actually complain to Rosella about being dragged around, but her expression was strained and complaining enough to balance that out, but sadly, Rosella seemed a bit 'oblivious' to these facts...

[Dienekes]

"Doors won't open," Joe glares down at the door handle. "That shouldn't happen," he says as he tries to open every one of the doors. "They're not supposed to lock from the inside, so no one can get stuck in here." After realizing how futile this was he took a step back and shrugged. "I think I saw a janitor back there, maybe he can help."

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Something about Ashley, or Alice, or Andrea, or Amanda, or....

What?

Something about this girl gave Micah the creeps, so he decided to follow the other two. He waved goodbye and smiled at Ashley. Or was it Alice? Or Andrea? Or....

"Hey! Wait for me!"

[Rhyvurg]

"Doors won't open," Joe glares down at the door handle. "That shouldn't happen," he says as he tries to open every one of the doors. "They're not supposed to lock from the inside, so no one can get stuck in here." After realizing how futile this was he took a step back and shrugged. "I think I saw a janitor back there, maybe he can help."

"Forget him, let's just break a window."

[Dienekes]

"Why? I don't particularly feel like paying for a window, and we just passed the janitor. It'll take a minute to get this fixed."

[Rhyvurg]

"Unlawful imprisonment, we're here against our will so it's legal to do anything necessary to escape."

[Dienekes]

"A compromise, we look for the janitor now. If we don't find him in three minutes then you can do whatever you want to that door. Fair?" How the hell do I get saddled with these idiots? Joe thought as he started to walk back to find the janitor.

[Business Scrub]

----Group A----

You leave the strange, peppy girl as she waves goodbye. The school stretches before you, empty and getting dark. But where to next..?

----Group B----

As you turn around, you see the janitor walking towards the stairs you came from, still spinning his right of keys around his finger.

[Vesth]

"Hey, Felicia, let's start with the teacher's lounge! We have keys; surely one of them would fit!"

That said, she starting dragging the poor girl in the direction she wanted to go.

[Hemnon]

Felicia was just about to suggest them taking a short rest, however, it would seem that Rosella had other ideas. So all poor Felicia could do, was to try not get an asthma attack and just go along with what Rosella wanted. It's much easier to just go along, than try to resist Rosella once her mind is set on something, it would seem.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Micah sighs. The girl in front that liked calling him names was taking off again, dragging the other girl behind her. He follows them closely, not wanting to be left alone in the school at this point.

[Dienekes]

"Hey janitor, hey! We're having problems with the doors here." Joe shouts as he starts to briskly walk toward the janitor.

[Business Scrub]

The janitor turns around and gives you a look.

"All locked up for the night kiddos. You gonna have to talk to the Admin if you want out."

---------

The strange girl waves you farewell as you step back into the hall. The hallway seems as empty as before, the building getting dark. Strangely enough, the lights in the hall are still not on, and it's getting a bit difficult to see. The buffer that was in the middle of the hall is now gone.

[Vesth]

"To the teacher's lounge, to the teacher's lounge..." Rosella hums a merry tune as she drags Felicia along, seemingly not concerned about the lack of lights, and walks towards the teacher's lounge.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

"Don't you think we should wait? Where did the other kids go? Even if we get into the teacher's lounge all we'll find are some vending machines and awful tv channels..." Micah followed the girls still, but losing faith in the leader's sanity as she sang to herself down the hall.

[Hemnon]

Felicia both really wants to stop right there in the hallway, and continue onwards. Mainly becuase she was getting a bit tired from being dragged around, but the halls where totally dark and scary as well, so she was in a standstill on what to do. So all she COULD do at the moment was letting that bossy girl drag her about.

''Fueeh, Fueeh... Rosella-san~! I need a breather....fueeh...'' she weakly called out as she was dragged along.

[Vesth]

"Ehhhhhh? You need to rest? No problem Felicia! Let's get you comfortable!"

With a quick maneuver, she grabs Felicia and pulls her onto her back, so that now, Rosella is piggy-backing Rosella.

[Dienekes]

Joe looked at the janitor in confusion. "Uhh no one else should be here. Um, why can't you just go unlock the doors for me?" The hell is the Admin. Did he mean the superintendent? Why would he matter about getting the doors open? Joe was starting to feel a bit uneasy about the janitor.

[Business Scrub]

Felicia, Rosella, and Micah all head down to the second floor, either willingly or being carried, arrive at the Teacher's Lounge. Being on the west side of the building, it is very dark: enough that fine details are impossible to distinguish from a distance.

The door stands slightly ajar and, like everywhere else, is unlit. The room is L shaped, and as such, you can't see about half of it without entering. From peeking in, however, you can see the lounge as it usually is: a counter and sink with some dishes and an empty coffee pot, with a couch in back. However, the knee-high table near the couch has been pushed onto its side. From your angle, you can see the vase that rested on it has shattered on the floor: broken into a few pieces, and flower petals scattered about the room.

-----------------

The janitor turns around and shrugs. "Sorry, I'm just the help. I don't make the rules for this thing. Like I said, talk to the Admin."

[Rhyvurg]

"See? They locked us in, we're practically required to break out. Help me find something heavy to throw through a window..."

[Vesth]

"Ehh...does anyone have a light?" Rosella said as she searched the walls for a switch or something. There should be lights in the whole school after all!

[Hemnon]

Felicia had for a moment totally forgotten that she had a flashlight, which she fished out of her schoolbag. ''Um, I have a flashlight...'' she said out weakly, still a little exhausted from behind dragged around.

[Dienekes]

Joe sighed and thought for a second. "Alright I'm a man of my word. My way didn't work, bust it in." He just hoped that so long as he wasn't the one breaking anything he wouldn't be fined or punished.

[Rhyvurg]

Nick checks to see if any classroom doors are open.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

Micah stands in the doorway, getting more and more uncomfortable with each step. He can't see into the room further than a few feet and the unwavering confidence of the lead girl was throwing him for a loop. "Maybe we should just go back... I'm not feeling so hot about this whole teacher's lounge thing." He doesn't move from the doorway.

[Vesth]

Rosella grabs the flashlight and shines into the room, hopefully eliminating whatever darkness there is.

"Are you scared, Mr. ExercisePants?" She stuck her tongue out at him.

[Business Scrub]

After a quick peek up and down the hall, Micah deems it to be empty.

----------------------------

Rosella's flashlight illuminates the teachers lounge. Now visible, she can see a dark stain on the carpet, under the shattered vase.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

"I ain't scared, but I like to think I ain't stupid..." He follows the girls into the room.

[Vesth]

"Hey! It looks like someone spilled water. And when the teachers do it, they don't get any punishment she grumbled. She ignores the vase and looks around the room for anything she could call 'spoils of victory', which means basically stealing something when the teacher's ain't there.

[Business Scrub]

Rosella shines her light on the stain and gets a better look at it. There's no mistaking it: not water.

That's when it hits you three: the room is ripe with the coppery smell of blood.

Rosella's light illuminates the side of the lounge: a pair of legs and, further up, the body slumped against the wall. A jagged glass shard sticks unnaturally out of the top of the head, tainted red and pink. Something small and black rests in the body's hands, and from the way the head is hanging you can't quite tell who it was.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

"HOLY SH*T!" Micah yells and leaps back. "See?! SEE?! This is why I didn't want to come in here! God, there's blood EVERYWHERE." He looks down to see if he is stepping in any as he retreats to the door.

[Vesth]

Rosella freezes in place. "I-It ain't Halloween yet," she laughed, a little bit more nervous that she would have liked. "This is a really cruel joke. And I'm not falling for it." She says firmly. "Right, Felicia?"

She steps forward and promptly hurls what's left of the pot at the bloody thing, seeing if there's any reaction.

[Hemnon]

As they all finally realized what the smell was and the sight of the blood and the body, Felicia near threw up from the shock and surrealness of it all, being on her hands and knees on the floor fighting the gagreflex that was nearly overwhelming her.

She didn't like the smell of blood in the first place and together with the sudden shock from seeing the body and all the blood, it wasn't like she could help it. Atleast her composure held enough together to prevent her from throwing up.

[Rhyvurg]

Nick starts trying doors, crossing the hall back and forth.