[M] The Dead Man's Call

[Minkasha]

Sophie Solace

Rushing with her daughter and Lisa it was obvious that something had happened to the boy. Fear and pain pulsated with her adrenaline. While her motherly body was caving to pain she didn’t let it take her completely. She had kicked off her wedges and was running bare foot up the steps hastily as Sophie was able. Helping Lisa and Axen through the school they met the hanging, rotten door of the principal’s office.

Blood, the smell of it, was not at all isolated from here. Furnishing of desk, shelves and office space scattered or shattered with aging paired well in haunting displeasure with the stained walls. The debris of chairs, folders and papers cluttered the ground. Her amethyst found the box seated so neatly, almost tauntingly, in looming promise of their freedom. The apprehensive relic awaited them.

Being the physically weakest of the three females she pointed quickly to it.

“There! Now!” She uncharacteristically shouted urgently.

[Crazywolf]

When they reached the office Lisa looked around at the dishevelled room. She noticed first the shelves but then her eye fell on the desk and she saw the object they were seeking just at the same time as Sophie called out. It was a box made of black glass just as the teacher had described it in the journal. Was Axel really right she wondered. Would destroying it really save them. She ran forward and grabbed hold of it in her hands then threw it against the wall to try and break it.

[Argon Jaden]

Axen Solace

Another loud roar bounced off the walls as they stumbled into the room, her amethyst eyes darting around. Lisa managed to get to the box first before her and she watched as the blonde threw the box at the wall, only for it to bounce off relatively unharmed. The glass box clattered loudly on the floor, its lid creaking open as it settled.

"There it is!" Axen said, once they got a good view of the small, red doll glowing from inside the box. She lunged forward to grab it only to be thrown back by shadows as the doll casually stepped out of what Axen realized was its casket. She stood up, getting ready to lunge at it again when a large shadow tackled her to the side, the feeder snapping its jaws at her form. Another growl and she knew that another Feeder was going for Lisa, leaving their mother vulnerable to any attack should there be one.

The doll, now that it had stepped out, was amber red, with clear eyes sewn into the red fabric. It was devoid of any other features, but what did catch her attention was the small, pulsing black gem at the center of its chest. What did her brother say? Destroy what was inside? She lunged for it again, only to get swiped from behind as another Feeder circled around her. Counting them all in all, there were eight Feeders, each approaching herself and Lisa. ice flew from her mouth as she ducked, noticing that none of the creatures were paying her mother any mind.

The attention was all on them. Was it because they were young? She blinked at the revelation, before focusing once more as a Feeder dropped from the ceiling, nearly impaling her with sharp claws as it roared. "Distract them. Mom! The gem! The ge-" Whatever she was going to say next was cut off when one of them managed to creep up from behind, claws slashing at her back, causing her to crumple to the floor in shock.

---

Four Feeders had cornered Lisa, each on every side. The cry of the fallen had two lifting their heads at the silver haired dragoness struggling to get up. The distraction didn't last long however, as they charged at the blonde shifter, aiming to take her down as well. There were a few loud roars coming from the bottom floors, Axel seemingly having a hard time as well. Another feeder charged from below, aiming for Lisa's neck while another aimed for her legs.

[Minkasha]

Sophie Solace

In the epicenter of compelling violence, the fae mother was left spectating the nefarious. Her daughter and Lisa soldiered what they could but here was a tangible means to peruse the anger churning through the circumstance. Avoiding all strikes as the shadows sought the two girls, Sophie sped straight to the distinctive doll. Ignored in the panic, Sophie’s hand dived low to rip the crystal off the delicate sewn body. Never had the pink haired woman ever touched something so violently. Tethered, ripped stands fell from between her fingers.

The numinous pulsation tickled the flesh of her palm, titillating gore and blood-laden madness that had been her stay here in the haunted. No love was given to its thrown crystalline core. Smashed on the office floor, she fulfilled her part. What would happen? And what was happening to her son?

[Crazywolf]

Lisa gasped slightly when the doll stepped out of it's casket. Before she could react to it however the feeders had swarmed out of the shadows. She heard the interrupted cry from Axen as the other girl went down but couldn't help at all due to also being under attack herself. She swung her sword at the feeder going for her neck and caught it in the chest. The creature gave a shriek as the ichor on the blade interacted with it's form and caused it to dissipate in front of her. At the same moment however the second feeder caught her on the legs. As it's teeth sunk into her leg she let out a scream of pain and fell backwards to the ground. The sword fell out of her hand and the feeder jumped up onto her chest. She looked up into it's baleful red eyes and wondered if this was finally the end. It seemed as thought time in that moment had slowed almost to a standstill and all she could do was wait for what now seemed inevitable.

[Argon Jaden]

The moment the gem shattered against the floor, all the Feeders stilled, fangs bared and eyes burning with hatred. The silverette winced as she looked up, crawling from the pile of Feeders that were just about to devour her alive. In the center of the room, the doll was dripping with red, the goo pooling at its feet. its stitched face glanced at each and every one of them before flopping backwards into the pool of blood. Axen let out a haggard breath as the school cleared, returning to its former glory. The walls were clean, and so were the floors. But the Feeders were still hanging in mid-air, as if someone had hit the pause button.

A loud bell rang throughout the school, the kind she recognized as the one being played at the end of classes. It rang for a few more minutes, and Axen forced herself on her feet, somewhat mesmerized by the sound before there was loud yelling from downstairs.

"Run!! Xen! Mom! Lisa! Two minutes!!" Axel was yelling from downstairs, and it was enough to snap the girl from her daze. She noticed that the clean school was just a glamour, fading back into the dark, blood-splattered state they found the school in. The Feeders seemed to be in a pause play state as angry eyes turned to look at them. Gulping slightly, she heard her brother call out once more. "Quick!! Guys!!" He yelled, and she grit her teeth.

"Down! Main entrance!" She said, leading the way as the shadows behind them began to form and take shape, Feeders nipping at their heels. It was swallowing the light behind them. Her feet began to feel cold, dread pricking up at her when she saw her brother run past, clutching his left shoulder close to his body. One of his eyes were screwed shut in pain as blood dripped from his useless arm. "Axe?" She said softly, causing him to look at them before he shoved her out of the way as the Principal jumped on the exact spot she was standing on a few seconds ago.

"No time! Mom! The Entrance!! NOW!" He yelled, keeping the attention off him. From their position, Axen could see the light fading from the main entrance and she grit her teeth, torn between leaving her brother behind and helping him out.

"Mom, go. You go first. I'll keep the rear." She ordered, glancing at Axel as he started to move further and further away. "Go!" Tearing her eyes away from him, she pushed both of them forward, keeping the tears at bay as she ehard the sounds of battle raging behind her.

The doors of the main entrance was closing slowly, but if they run, they could make it. She grit her teeth.

[Minkasha]

Sophie Solace

The run itself was blurred with the overuse of her adrenaline. She was simply exhausted, holding onto the hands of her son and Lisa as she kept pace with them to get into the light. That was all she focused on, all her mind could focus on at this point.

The illumination stole her senses, leaving only the sensation of fear and concern that beat in her chest. When every mortal sensation returned the first thing she came to notice was the lack of blood and gore permeating the air. She was at the doorway of her kitchen, looking at her children who were standing in front of the door Axel had opened. Her purse was on the ground, a piece of paper in her hands. Honestly, Sophie did not have the emotional or intellectual resources to even study what had been put in her hands, dropping it and letting it gently fall to the ground.

She glanced at a clock in the Livingroom, noticing six hours had passed. Alexander would still be at work during his night shift, bound home in the next hour. Wanting to scream she suppressed it only for the sake of her children. In her mind was a scar she doubted would ever fade…

“…Axen, Axel…” Maybe it was a dark fantasy only she had…but no…they were holding the papers as well. She felt violated. She felt violated for her children as well, someone stole their innocence. “Don’t…open the door…” she told her son, almost repeating herself from the moment she had vanished before.

[Crazywolf]

Lisa ran downstairs with the others. Such was the sense of urgency she didn't have time to stop and marvel at the fact that somehow she was still alive. It was lucky however that she was with the others or she'd have been too dazed to find the way. She gasped as the principal appeared and lunged at Axen before targeting Axel. Then before she could do anything Axen started pushing her away.

She ran with Sophie toward the light of the open doors. She paused a second at the edge of the portal and glanced back over her shoulder. She could see Axen just behind her but no sign of Axel, she wanted to wait and call out for him but the door was about to close so she flung herself through the gap and into the blinding light. As she crossed the threshold the light enveloped her stunning her senses.

~~

When her senses returned she found herself lying face down on the floor and staring at a white wall. Feeling dazed she sat up a little and looked about slightly to see surroundings she recognised as the hallway in her own house. "Lisa!" She looked up slightly to see the anxious and worried figure of her mother standing in front of her. Immediately her mother dropped down in front of her onto her knees leaning forward. "Honey talk to me. Are you hurt?"

She looked her mother blankly in the face for a moment trying to ascertain if this real. Tears slowly formed in the corner of her eyes. At that point her mother leant in and flung her arms around her. Unable to contain her emotion any further she hugged back fiercely and wept. She couldn't bring herself to think about all the bad things that had happened, all she cared about in that moment was the comforting feel of her own mother's body against hers. For a long time the pair of them just held onto each other while both of them wept, her own body heaving with great heavy sobs. It would be a while before either of them discovered the mysterious scroll that lay on the floor beside her. For now she just felt an overwhelming happiness and relief at being back home.

[Argon Jaden]

Axen Solace

The doors were wide open as she pushed the two in front of her, hoping and praying that her brother would follow them safely. The tears she held back all this time, the fear, everything, hurtled itself with such force as she lunged through the school doors.

For a moment, Axen was weightless, eyes squeezed shut as she felt nothing around her. Then, solid ground beneath her feet. The girl let out a surprised grunt as gravity took over, causing her to topple a few steps behind her brother. Something white fluttered down to her chest, catching her attention. The paper was clean, neat, and quite familiar. Staring at it longer made her realize that it was similar to the diplomas she and Axel got when they graduated elementary.

The voice from behind caught her attention, and she looked up. "Axe! Don't!" She said. His back was turned to her, and it was obvious that he had already opened the door. It wasn't pulled open yet and she scrambled to her feet, tripping as she lunged at him in the process. "Axe sto-" Whatever she was going to say died in her throat as she fell backwards, crawling away from her brother in fear. The expression was foreign on her face, and she wordlessly watched as he turned to face them.

his right eye was black, iris, sclera, everything. Blood dripped from the corners of his eyes, trickling down his cheeks and joining the other drops forming at his chin. It took Axen a minute to realize that his entire face was bleeding. But what scared her the most was the smile adorning her brother's face. It was a close-lipped smile, but the way his lips had curled up terrified her. Her brother looked like he had lost his mind. His now mismatched eyes looked between them, and that unnerving smile grew wider. His teeth were sharp.

"Congratulations on your graduation." He said, but the voice was definitely not just his. It was like there was two of him and one other, a raspy, blood-curdling voice their short absence bonded her with. He heard the door click shut, feet shuffling over to face her. There was a wet squelching sound and Axen, for the first time in a long while, let out a short scream when her brother fell over, his head in her lap, eyes slipping shut. The graduation certificate in his hand slipped out of his grasp, mocking them as it tinged red with blood. The silverette breathed, and slipped her eyes shut, praying that it was all over now. But one sound rang throughout the house, filling her with dread.

Ding Dong