WARNING: bl00d, stress, spookeh ~~~ Shed's leg bounced beneath the table, chin resting in his hand. *Seven's been gone for too long.* Shaking, he stood up, grabbing his sword. “Where art thou leaving to?” Dusekkar asked. “Seven's been gone too long…” “Indeed, it *has* been a frighteningly long time since we last saw him,” Two Time said, appearing out of the shadows as usual. “...Can I come with you?” Noob asked hesitantly. “To find him?” “Sure, kid,” Shed replied, giving them a shaky smile. “All of you can. Might make it faster.” Shed figured, when Seven said that he wouldn't understand, that it was something about c00lkidd. So he led the way to the ruins, holding his sword out in one hand protectively. When they got to the ruins, it was scarily silent—no distant laughter from c00lkidd or any other sound. The flashlight Taph was holding landed on the broken doorframe into one of the ruined buildings. “Let me check in there first,” Shed said. “Stay here.” He took a step into the room. “Holy—” He inhaled sharply, stumbling back out. His eyes were wider and filled with more horror than any of them had ever seen them. “What is it? What happened?” Noob asked shakily. “I…” Shed had to take a few deep, shaky breaths before he could speak. “He– They're d34d. Both of them.” Chance froze. “What do you mean, *both* of them..?” “Seven. And the kid. They're both… *God* there's so much bl00d,” Shed mumbled. Chance carefully took a step into the building, everyone else following behind him. Gasps and strangled noises cut the silence as they took in all of the bl00d *everywhere*. Shed took the flashlight from Taph and pointed it at the two bl00dy, mangled b0dies near the far wall. Before Shed can move the flashlight, Taph catches his arm and signed, *Wait, I think there's writing.* Shed moved the light up slightly, and it illuminated the words, written in blood. *Thanks for playing.* *Hope you come again!* There wasn't a signature, but Chance realized who wrote it all the same. “No. He wouldn't,” he whispered, paling. Shed looked at him, concerned. “...Who?” Chance glanced back at Shed, almost looking terrified. “Elliot.” “But…” Noob looked at Chance, then Shed, and then back at Chance. “He died. W-we all saw it, r-right?..” Chance took a shaky breath. “He came back. I– I don't know how, but– He came back. Different. Damaged.” “How do you know this?” Shed asked critically. “He—” Chance's voice cracked. “He showed up a few nights ago. H-he tried to kill me; I thought that *he* thought that he was trying to help, in whatever twisted logic he had, but– I… I guess I was… wrong.” No one else said anything for a few moments, trying to process all of what had happened. “...Well, I suppose we should go back to the Big House now, a-and try to figure out what to do about… this,” Shed said shakily, turning towards the exit. “Come on, guys.” They all began walking back, but Chance looked back one last time at the words written on the wall. “El, what happened to you..?” ~~~ I have up to chapter 13 written, i'm planning chapter 14... this should be fun
