THE CANDY GIRL

THE CHERRYPLEX SIX: 

Secrecy. Missing links. Murder. Now, while I’d never reveal my sources, I have it on good authority that Carmen Cruz, Casey Russell, Libby Logan, Harvard Hargrove III, Virginia Virginia, and Mackenzie Walsh were all with our beloved dead girl on the night of her murder. Just think about it, Cherriots! Did you see any of them loitering their creepy little way around the drink table after Blaire made her exit? Anyone notice them entering the theater together shortly before we were all forced to witness the aftermath of their crime? 

Beyond the glaring evidence, visible even to the naked eye… It looks like modern science is on our side again with this Cherry Bomb exclusive! Local police are keeping it under wraps for now, god knows why, but my sources have so gracefully decided to share that the DNA of all six of our suspects - along with two mystery samples - were found all over Blaire, and all over the crime scene. Still think they’re all innocent now? 

My theory? They lured her behind the stage with a false sense of security, tied her up, and carried out their heinous crime before anyone was in the theater to hear poor Blaire scream. The only piece we haven’t quite figured out yet is whether it was Libby Logan, or ‘Mr. Heartbreak’ Mackenzie Walsh that sliced her open… Though, I wouldn’t exactly put it past the two to Bonnie and Clyde the whole thing. Oh, young love! 

As for the rest of the wretched little gang haunting Cherry, even well into winter? Don’t worry your pretty little heads  because we have exclusive footage of them visiting me that night - the alibi of a lifetime! Looks like not all of them are rotten to the core, are they? @stcarmen @caseyfm @libbylogan @harvey-hargrove @virginiacherries​ @romxnticss​ 

AN AFFAIR TO FORGET:

Well, well, well! Little Sabrina Logan has gotten herself into trouble yet again, but this time has Glenda’s spitting image bitten off more than she can chew? 

Picture this! An entire town is traumatized by the death of Lux Lewis - the terror of the night at Carousel Cove - and finally, the sight of Blaire Bennett’s dead body, and where is our very own Mayor Montez through every ordeal? Holed up with our favorite little troublemaker in any corner of Cherry that he can seem to find! 

We have pictures of Bertram and Sabrina cooped up in a closet the night of Blaire’s  death; caressing each other in the streets at the dead of night - rumor has it that Bertram even let Sabrina spend the night in the Montez home while his husband and daughter were away this summer! While we’d usually applaud an affair of this caliber, we can’t help but wonder ‘why’ on account of both parties.. Don’t get us wrong. Betram Montez and Sabrina Logan might be two of the hottest lays in Cherry proper, but god, at what cost! 

We have to imagine it’ll be over soon enough, though, and while we’re sure Mayor Montez is going to be nurturing his totes broken marriage for the foreseeable future, we have to wonder whose Dad is next! Harvard Hargrove II, maybe? Scott Freese? Or perhaps she’ll finally tend to those Daddy issues she’s clearly suffering from, hmm? We can only hope. @sxbrinalogan​

CATCH A NAP, ANYONE? 

Carter Kenner has been getting more shut eye than usual lately… though, that might not be such good news for our favorite sports king!  Rumor has it that the Chief’s son has been spotted fainting on the CCU campus on more than one occasion this semester. Whether it be in the library, the locker room, or the hallways, it seems like Kenner just can’t seem to keep his eyes open. Aw. 

It would be sweet if the idea of his football career being destroyed weren’t so elating! Then again… Maybe the NFL scouts he’s always pampering for about won’t find out! Maybe. 

Then again, then again! Wouldn’t it be more fun if they did? @carterkenner​

HAZEWORKS AMERICA: 

College hazing is the latest wildly entertaining epidemic sweeping our nation, and it looks like Cherry is no exception! Lambda Rho Iota and Sigma Pi Kappa have been staples of our student community since the 1950’s, but after extensive research done by the Cherry Bomb team, we’ve learned that two of our very own  have been willfully contributing to this nationwide crisis! Watch out CCU,  because word on Main St is that Ethan Powers and Pilar Hamilton are personally responsible for their very own Greek-related incidents! 

Ladies are always first here at Cherry Bomb HQ, so why don’t we take a little trip down memory lane? The year is 1996, and little Pilar Hamilton has just begun her rush at the beloved Lamba Rho house! The flurry of winter is upon us now, just as it was upon them then, and one particularly fractal-filled night, there was a girl - Elaine Edwards - sitting on the Lambda Rho porch in nothing but her underwear. Pilar heard her cries to be let in; she heard every syllable that Elaine managed to chatter out as she begged for warmth… and yet, Elaine ended up in the hospital that night with hypothermia and a nearly-fatal case of pneumonia while Pilar was guaranteed a place in the Lambda Rho house! I always knew Miss Pilar was cold blooded. 

And as for Ethan Powers? Well, it’s no surprise that the Sigma Pi house is a magnet for mayhem, but rumor has it that one of the SP pledges - some loser whose name seems to have been scrubbed from CCU record -  ended up in the hospital with a nasty concussion and a smashed hand after a little hazing prank gone wrong! Fistfight? Attack? Accident? Who knows. We just know Mr. Ethan Powers seems to have been responsible for the rumored incident… and we have a feeling he’s responsible for the suspected cover-up too.

Watch out, kids! Greek life can be a rush. @ethanpovvers​ @pilarhamilton​

BRIGHT AND DIRTY! 

Lucas Bright has always been one of our favorite little speckles of sunshine, but now that Cherry Bomb HQ has uncovered his dark and dirty side, we don’t think he’ll shine quite as Bright for us from now on! From porn addiction, to illicit videos - unprotected hookups on our streets? It looks like Lucas is going through his bad boy phase, and, like, not in a good way!

To top it all off, we’ve heard that Lucas is working through quite the Elf fetish lately… And there’s even a video to prove it! While we’re not sure if that’s referring to the nerd kind or, the type that helps old St. Nick build toys for the holiday season, our recommendation is to steer clear of Luke until the season for sinning is over! You know, unless you’re totally down for a quickie in his supposed sex dungeon.

Our eyes are still out for his little movie, but we’ll be distributing it as soon as we get our hands on it. Cross my heart, and hope to be the next blonde who bites it. @oklucasbright​

HOT FOR STUDENT TEACHER? 

Now, I’m sure we all know about Pacey Brooks' rumored affair with Lux Lewis, but did you know she’s been spending an odd amount of time with Lux’s friends lately too? It seems to have come shortly after Blaire’s murder, and it can only lead us to one assumption… Someone killed Pacey’s latest romantic obsession, and she’s on the lookout for the next one! Now, I know what you’re thinking: Blaire and Pacey? And while we have a hard time believing Blaire would have stooped so low as to start crushing on ‘Hot Mess Express’ Pacey Brooks… Nothing is impossible! We’ll be taking bets on which unlucky hottie has to deal with her mommy issues next on our blog! @paceybrooks​

LAST BUT NOT LEAST… 

We have a message for those that call themselves LDB! I see you. I know you. I know what you’ve done. And I’m coming for you. 

THE NARRATOR: If Harvard Hargrove II was a better man, he might do something to hide the joker-like grin that was stretched across his expression, but as he looked over his son’s friends, sat in the theater seats - over the stage that was splashed in blood - he couldn’t help but smile. It was seven AM, the sun outside was shining, and these little shits weren't going to see a single second of it. That was enough to set the mood for him.

They were all tired, and he knew it. They were stressed; it was easy to see on their faces. He wasn’t sure just how much they knew about stress, though; he wasn’t sure just how much they knew about struggling, and pretending, and failing to keep it all together. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he slept a full night through; couldn’t remember the last time he had a day off. He could hardly even remember a time before the mention of Lux Lewis’s name - her face - didn’t haunt his every waking thought, but hoped this Saturday would be enough to cut the crap from her little gang of Misfits that she left behind… Enough to show them that their actions had consequences, at least, and that grief - however complicated it was - had a time and a place. 

Though, Harvard couldn’t exactly imagine that staging elaborate murder scenes just to get the attention of the Cherry PD ever had an appropriate time or place.

 DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “You all know why you’re here, and I can only hope that you’re disgusted with yourselves.”

THE NARRATOR: Dean Hargrove makes his way off of the stage, looking each of them in the eye for a moment too long, as if he’s looking right through them - and maybe he is. It doesn’t matter that Zev is his step son, or that Libby is Harvey’s best friend - he certainly has no real connection with the other three. As far as Hargrove is concerned, they could be specks of dust on the fucking lenses of his glasses: he just wants the theater clean so the drama kids will stop making such a fuss.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “But after your little stunts at my boardwalk, and now my campus, I’m sure you all saw this coming. As far as I’m concerned, you should all be thanking me that you’re even still allowed to attend our school this semester, but I digress. You’re all here to pay your dues, and I’ll see that they’re paid rightly. Today.”

THE NARRATOR: Harvard claps his hands together, and a jump seems to bounce it’s way through the room. Every sound the man makes echoing off of the walls as he walks toward the buckets, and sponges, and bottles of floor cleaner that were cluttered by the orchestra pit.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “And since you all decided to make this little mess, you get to clean it up! I want every drop of pig’s blood scrubbed from this stage, I want every book put right back in its place - and if a single one of you decides that’s not your job, then I’ve got Chief Kenner on speed dial to get a police report started, because CCU will be pressing charges on all involved in your little stunt. Got it?”

THE NARRATOR: He’s careful not to meet the eyes of any of the children that are sat before him; careful to keep his back held straight. He’s not sure he’s bluffing - and they’re not either - but a little fear never hurt any of the kids he taught. It certainly wouldn’t have hurt Lux that summer. 

With that, Harvard turned down the aisle toward the door; he took a few, careful steps to exit the room… but not before pulling his keyring out of his coat.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “I’ll be down the hallway in the band room, but I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you,”

THE NARRATOR: The dean of students sighs, taking one last look at the group of them before locking the door behind him.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “Get to work!”

ZAHRA: It wasn't hard to see just how annoyed Zahra was at having to be here in the first place, let alone being locked in to clean. This was the kind of hard work she didn't do unless she was getting paid and being forced to do it to stay enrolled in a school she didn't even want to be at? Fucking infuriating. "Did he seriously just lock us in? Isn't that, like, a hazard?" she asked, more to vent her frustration than actually get any input. Her glare was levelled at the door Hargrove had disappeared through, arms crossed. She made no moves towards the cleaning supplies. "I wasn't even locked in here. Fucking creep."

MAC: Despite his insistence that he wouldn't be showing up to clean, Mac's newfound interest in attending CCU was enough for him to drag himself over to the theater. He was thankful that at least he hadn't been assigned to the library, which had been the setting of all his nightmares since the night of the bonfire. "It's not like anyone would believe us if we told them the town's precious Dean Hargrove put us all at risk." Surprisingly, he's the first to stand, examining the cleaning supplies as he approaches it, "I don't even know where the fuck to start."

MAKE A CHOICE: SHOULD YOU ALL GET TO WORK, OR PROCRASTINATE?

THE GROUP HAS CHOSEN TO PROCRASTINATE. YOU HAVE COST THE GROUP A TIME PENALTY. THIS WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO SUCCEED. 

THE NARRATOR: It was bound to happen sooner or later, unless they wanted to be thrown into a cell at Cherry PD, so after a little fussing around with who was doing what - and general complaints about how suck the afternoon was going to turn out to be - the group of them got to work scrubbing the stage. 

It was hard to say how long they were working before the sound of sighing, and the lingering groan of collective frustration began to create a hum around the room, but any of them would be lying to say it wasn’t ringing in their ears. It was hard enough being in the thick of where their friends had all been tortured, and the manual labor certainly wasn’t helping…

NOAH: Noah was certain he didn’t want to be here anymore or less than the rest of the group. Not when his newly developed crime board was waiting at home for him to try and review with Rory. He could only imagine what was going through the heads of everyone else being in the theater where only days before their friends had been tormented. His eyes landing mainly on Mac, but shifting to Libby. She hadn’t seemed like herself recently and he couldn’t help but wonder what being back must be like for her. “So um… I’m just going to come out and say that this sucks. Which… I know may seem like the obvious but uh… if you guys wanted to try and get out of here.. I may know of a way out.” He started, hoping it got enough of their attention to let him explain. “During orientation, Rory I decided to come see if they’d left any clues behind and we found these secret tunnels that go under the school. And one of the entrances just so happens to be here… It could be our ticket out if you guys want to go.”

ZEV: Being forced to clean a room he had no part in messing by his stepfather was not really Zev's perfect idea for a night out. But crawling through some secret tunnels that go under the school was even worse. "I don't know, dude," he responded to his friend's suggestion. "That sounds like... no offense, really fucking scary."

NOAH: Noah should have figured that the immediate answer was going to be shut down. The idea of going into a secret tunnel after everything they'd been through which was why he'd neglected what he and Rory had found to likely have been the most important found. "I guess I should include that when Rory and I went down there we found some initials. The letters LDB were carved in the walls down there and I don't know about you guys but I kinda want to know what they're about. What if they were left by whoever thought it was okay to torment us?"

MAKE A CHOICE: SHOULD THE GANG EXPLORE THE TUNNELS, OR KEEP WORKING? 

THE NARRATOR: It was an easy enough choice to make, between exploring the supposed ‘tunnels of CCU’ and scraping pig’s blood off of every inch of the theater, but there was still an air of nervousness that surrounded the Gang as they pushed the secret door open on the balcony.

The sound of their breath echoed down the cavern-like hallway; they felt like their hearts might stop, or like something might pop out of the dark once again to drag them away…Anything was better than cleaning though, right? Right???

MAKE A CHOICE: WHO IS GOING FIRST? THE GANG MUST ELECT A GROUP LEADER. PLEASE CHOOSE BASED ON THESE TRAITS: [ BRAVERY, OR LEADER ] 

 GROUP LEADER - PLEASE PICK WHICH ORDER THE PLAYERS ARE FOLLOWING ALONG BEHIND YOU. THIS CAN BE BASED ON ANYTHING. DO NOT DISCUSS THIS WITH THE OTHER PLAYERS. 

MAC: The tunnels should be the last place Mac wants to be, especially after he'd been dragged through them only a few nights before- but there's a part of him that's curious to know what (or who) could be down there. He wants to know more about whoever is torturing them and he certainly doesn't want to be surrounded by the smell of pig's blood and chemicals, so off he goes. He's not sure how he finds himself as the leader of their group, but there is he is, shaky hands clutching Noah's tiny flashlight keychain with the boy following close behind, then Zahra, then Libby, and finally Zev. "They brought me down here the night of the bonfire, after... you know."

THE NARRATOR: With Mac leading them through the dark tunnels - and Noah’s keychain flashlight in hand - it’s hard not to feel a little safer in the absolute hell pit they’re trying to navigate…. but when Noah begins to point out just what he and Rory found, every facade of safety begins to flutter away from the atmosphere. 

It’s bad enough that the tunnels exist at all, but at a sharp end that splits into two - a fork in the ‘road’ -  there are initials etched into the walls. 

A flourished ‘L.D.B.’ along with endless tally marks to match, as if someone had been counting… something. But what could it mean? Who was L.D.B?

LIBBY LOU: "They brought me down here too, but..." Libby's voice was shakier than she had meant for it to be, but there was no hope in keeping it steady now that they were actually down there in the tunnels. She hadn't even had a chance to look around while that masked freak was dragging her out, but now that she had a moment, she dragged her fingers down the etchings in the wall. She tried her best to squint through the dark toward her friends as the anxiety in her chest ramped up quicker than she could try to breathe through it all. "Look, this - this is starting to creep me out, alright? Maybe we should just get back to the theater before Hargrove decides to bury us too." Ugh. She shouldn't have said that.

THE NARRATOR: Everyone is confused, desperate to get a thought in on the matter,  but as the sound of rustling comes from the end of the tunnel - the end they came from - a collective silence falls over the group. Could it be rats? Could somebody be coming? They’re not sure, but either way - as they catch each other’s eyes in the dark of the tunnel - they know one thing: they need to get out of there.

MAKE A CHOICE: GROUP LEADER - PICK A DIRECTION: RIGHT OR LEFT.

THE NARRATOR: Mac breaks off left and the others don’t have time to think as they follow along. They all run hard - it feels like forever. Their chests are heaving as they slow to a stop to hide for a moment - to breathe out - but it’s only a split second before they hear the sound of footsteps coming toward them. They’re going to have to sneak out of here, and fast… but they can’t get themselves caught, or they might not make it back to the theater before Dean Hargrove comes to check on them! … If they make it out alive at all.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST SNEAK PAST WHOEVER IS IN THE TUNNELS WITHOUT ALERTING THEM. THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS IS TO SOLVE ADMIN EM’S RIDDLE! GOOD LUCK!

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS! 

THE NARRATOR: They can all feel their hearts pounding in their throats - they might swear they can hear the sound of each other’s panic - but it’s only a moment before the sound of footsteps fades away into the distance. They count to fifty before they switch Noah's flashlight back on and take off running, once again, down the corridor… but it’s only a moment before Mac trips on something that sends them flying forward. They’re only knocked off of their feet for a moment, but as they shine their flashlight toward it, their heart stops. It's one of the fake blades that the Candy Girl and her helpers used during their little "murder scene."

Mac shivers, but still takes a moment to stuff this into his pocket, before they all take off again.

All of them feel like they’ve been running for far too long but the time they finally reach a dead end, but as they paw around in the dark - and as Mac illuminates the wall in front of their group - they manage to find a door… but it looks like it's locked. 

The worst part? The footsteps are still following along behind them.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU ARE STILL BEING CHASED. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS AND GET OUT IS TO SOLVE ANOTHER RIDDLE! GOOD LUCK!

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS! 

THE NARRATOR: The doors must be ancient, because enough tugging on them has the gang spilling out onto the lawn of the quad. They’re all quiet - too afraid to talk, but they all somehow know one thing: if they don’t get back to the theater,  they’re going to be seriously fucked.

They’re going to need a plan to get back to the theater… but they’re going to have to find a way past the locked doors once they get there. They could always get back through the tunnels, though… Yikes. Or maybe someone with enough brain cells could pick the lock! Whatever. They would figure it out when they got there: first they were going to have to actually get to the theater.

MAKE A CHOICE: ELECT A NEW LEADER BASED ON THESE TRAITS [PERCEPTION, PROBLEM SOLVING.]

THE NARRATOR: With Noah heading the excursion back to the theater, they’re sure not to go wrong but just as they all think of Hargrove, the sound of his whistling echoes around the bend of the hallway. They all freeze in place, but it’s only a moment before they’re following along after Noah and scurrying down another hallway.

MAKE A CHOICE: DECIDE IF THE GROUP GOES LEFT TOWARD THE ART DEPARTMENT OR RIGHT TOWARD THE BAND ROOM.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS! YOU ARE CLOSER TO THE THEATER BUT THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE WITHOUT ALERTING DEAN HARGROVE IS TO PLAY ADMIN EM’S QUIZ GAME!!!!! 

EVERYONE MUST ANSWER THE QUIZ INDIVIDUALLY, BUT THE MAJORITY MUST GET THE RIGHT ANSWERS, OR EVERYONE WILL FAIL AND BE CAUGHT BY HARGROVE. YOU SHOULD DISCUSS YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE GROUP TO GIVE YOURSELVES THE BEST CHANCE OF ANSWERING CORRECTLY, BUT BEWARE… IF YOU’RE ALL WRONG ON TOO MANY ANSWERS, IT MIGHT MEAN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS!

THE NARRATOR: They have just enough time to round another corner as Harvard Hargrove II approaches, but Noah realizes that the rest of them are never going to make it if someone doesn’t distract Hargrove. Looks like it’s going to have to be him.

MAKE A CHOICE: AS THE GROUP LEADER, YOU MUST STAY BEHIND AND DISTRACT HARGROVE. YOU CAN EITHER TELL HIM ABOUT THE TUNNELS [PERCEPTION], OR YOU CAN LIE ABOUT HOW YOU GOT OUT [PROBLEM SOLVING.] WATCH OUT, THOUGH. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW HE MIGHT REACT TO EITHER OPTION. 

NOAH: Noah had to think fast about how to tell Hargrove they'd gotten out of the theater. He felt lucky that his inclusion in so many clubs and his time as a writer for so many high school shows lent him a knowledge of the theater. "Sir if I'm being honest it wasn't the hardest thing. There are multiple exits often pointed out throughout the theater aside from just the one you pointed to towards the band room. We could have easily gone from the cat walk up top where the lighting techs work down to an emergency exit, out through the back from the green room, or even out the loading dock where they bring in the trucks, props, and sets, the theater is kind of just set up for escape routes. Not that we should have. I will say that obviously trying to run was wrong in the first place. I was just having a bit of a panic attack and the rest of the group helped me deal with my mental health which hasn't been great with everything going on. "

MAKE A CHOICE: FAILURE!

THE NARRATOR: Hargrove is so angry that he looks like he might blow - he’s redder in the face than they’ve ever seen him - but he’s a scary kind of quiet as he listens to their explanation. His top lip threatens to quiver into a snarl every passing moment… but after a long moment he just takes a breath and motions for them to follow him. “Come on. We’re calling Chief Kenner.”

The rest of the Gang feels wrong in breathing a sigh of relief, but they don’t have much choice as they race through the empty halls of the CCU Arts building, and back to the main entrance of the theater. They make it back with plenty of time, but there’s still one issue… how do they get through the lock?

MAKE A CHOICE: DO YOU PICK THE LOCK [INTELLIGENCE] OR BREAK IT DOWN [STRENGTH?]

LIBBY LOU: Libby could feel her heart pounding in her chest - she could feel everyone's eyes on the back of her head - but maybe that's why her hands felt so sweaty as she tried to pick the lock to get them all back into the theater. It was like she could hear Sabrina's voice in her head, carefully guiding her toward success... but at the last moment the bobby pin snapped inside the lock, and libby felt herself freeze.

MAKE A CHOICE: FAILURE!

THE NARRATOR: As Hargrove rounds the corner, he barks Libby Logan's name before he can even process that he’s seen the group of them. His face is red - it looks like he might blow - but he stays a scary kind of quiet as he goes to unlock the theater door. Looks like they really are fucked this time.

THE NARRATOR: If Harvard Hargrove II was a better man, he might do something to hide the joker-like grin that was stretched across his expression, but as he looked over his son and his friends - over his trashed library - he couldn’t help but smile. It was seven AM, the sun outside was shining, and these little shits weren't going to see a single second of it. That was enough to set the mood for him.

They were all tired, and he knew it. They were stressed; it was easy to see on their faces. He wasn’t sure just how much they knew about stress, though; he wasn’t sure just how much they knew about struggling, and pretending, and failing to keep it all together. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he slept a full night through; couldn’t remember the last time he had a day off. He could hardly even remember a time before the mention of Lux Lewis’s name - her face - didn’t haunt his every waking thought, but hoped this Saturday would be enough to cut the crap from her little gang of Misfits that she left behind… Enough to show them that their actions had consequences, at least, and that grief - however complicated it was - had a time and a place. 

Though, Harvard couldn’t exactly imagine that staging elaborate murder scenes just to get the attention of the Cherry PD ever had an appropriate time or place. DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “You all know why you’re here, and I can only hope that you’re disgusted with yourselves.”

THE NARRATOR: Dean Hargrove slinks between the table where they’re all sat, looking each of them in the eye for a moment too long, as if he’s looking right through them. He doesn’t bother to stop in front of Harvey, though. He just walks right past him, like he’s not even there, and instead, he narrows his eyes at Casey in a sick sort of disappointment - like father to son - before turning back toward the rest of the group.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “But after your little stunts at my boardwalk, and now my campus, I’m sure you all saw this coming. As far as I’m concerned, you should all be thanking me that you - and for those of you who don’t attend our University, your friends - are even still allowed to attend our school this semester, but I digress. You’re all here to pay your dues, and I’ll see that they’re paid rightly. Today.”

THE NARRATOR: Harvard claps his hands together, and a jump seems to bounce it’s way through the room. Every sound the man makes echoing off of the walls as he walks toward the buckets, and sponges, and bottles of floor cleaner that were cluttered by Glenda Logan’s desk at the front of the library.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “And since you all decided to make this little mess, you get to clean it up! I want every drop of pig’s blood scrubbed from this library, I want every book put right back in its place - and if a single one of you decides that’s not your job, then I’ve got Chief Kenner on speed dial to get a police report started, because CCU will be pressing charges on all involved in your little stunt. Got it?”

THE NARRATOR: He’s careful not to meet the eyes of any of the children that are sat before him; careful to keep his back held straight. He’s bluffing - at least in the case of Harvey and Casey - but a little fear never hurt any of the kids he taught. It certainly wouldn’t have hurt Lux that summer. 

With that, Harvard turned toward the door; he took a few, careful steps to exit the room… but not before pulling his keyring out of his coat.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “I’ll be down the hallway in the arts department, but I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you,”

THE NARRATOR: The dean of students sighs, taking one last look at the group of them before locking the door behind him.

DEAN HARVARD HARGROVE II: “Get to work!”

VIRGINIA ANN: The last thing Virginia wanted to do was clean up the library. In fact, she probably would have detested it if it wouldn't end her academic career. Rubbing her tired eyes, Virginia let out a groan. "Alright, let's get this done. I wanna go back to bed," she said, grabbing one of the sponges.

DONNIE: Donnie pulled back the yellow cleaning gloves all the way to his elbow, letting it go with a loud slap. “But let’s be sure we actually do a good job here.” He added, “Otherwise I’ll be the one dealing with my mom complaining about how the blood stained her J. Crew cardigan during all of dinner.”

MAKE A CHOICE: IT LOOKS LIKE DONNIE AND VIRGINIA WANT TO GET TO WORK... GENUINELY SHOCKED, CONSIDERING. ANYWAY, SHOULD YOU ALL GET TO WORK, OR PROCRASTINATE? 

THE NARRATOR: It was bound to happen sooner or later, unless they wanted to be thrown into a cell at Cherry PD, so after a little fussing around with who was doing what - and general complaints about how suck the afternoon was going to turn out to be - the group of them got to work scrubbing the library. 

It was hard to say how long they were working before the sound of sighing, and the lingering groan of collective frustration began to create a hum around the room, but any of them would be lying to say it wasn’t ringing in their ears. It was hard enough being in the thick of where their friends had all been tortured, and the manual labor certainly wasn’t helping... Harvey might have been the first to notice it, though, as he took a break from scrubbing an especially large and crusty puddle of blood that had pooled near the murder mystery section. Fitting.

HARVEY: Harvey could tell everyone else was bored out of their minds, and he felt wracked with guilt by the whole thing. His dad had managed to embarrass him before, but this took the cake. All day he'd been stewing on the idea that his friends were pissed at him. Finally, his emotions got the better of him. He threw down the sponge he'd been working with, standing up to address the group. "Fuck it, let's get out of here! Screw my dad and screw this." Sure, I'll get shit for it, but at least I'll have my friends back.

CASEY: There's one thing that's very clear from the moment he arrives. He's going to go out of his mind with boredom over the course of the day. Actually picking up a sponge had been reluctant, but it's enough for him to realise that the rest of them are taking it seriously, so he guesses he will too. Up until the point Harvey speaks and a brow shoots up, curious as Harvey had seemed to be the dean's number one informant earlier in the week. "Oh so now you want to go against daddy?" HARVEY: "If you wanna waste a whole day here just to spite me, be my guest."

RORY: “I might know a way out." She interrupted, only half an idea of what she was going to say. But she wanted to stop this argument before it started.  "Well- Noah and I“ Rory hesitated. They hadn’t talked about showing the tunnels to everyone yet, and beside that she really didn’t want to find out what Mr. Hargrove would do if they were caught ditching… But it was too important not to say. The words tumbled out. “We found something during orientation. We snuck back on campus and we found these tunnels that go under the school.” She looked towards the back of the library. “One of the entrances is in here.”

ALICE: …Was she a saint for participating in this lovely event when she didn’t even attend CCU? Up for debate, but probably so. Had anything thus far made it worth her while (because she had so much going for her!)? No! Up until… you know… Rory decided to tell them that there were secret passageways? Furrowing her eyebrows, she replied, “I mean… I’m down for risking a 'Cask of Amontillado' situation if it means getting out.”

THE NARRATOR: The hivemind all turn their heads toward Rory and Alice. It was... an option, for sure.

MAKE A CHOICE: SHOULD THE GANG EXPLORE THE TUNNELS, OR KEEP WORKING?

VIRGINIA: Sleep sounded enticing, but exploring a secret tunnel and getting out even earlier? Sign her up! She didn't want to clean, think about the atrocity her nails would look like after, but the options were pretty limited with Hargrove's threats but... Hargrove wasn't here to stop them now, was he? "I think this is the only time you'll hear me agree with Alice, but yeah, let's get out of here," she said, heading towards the back of the library.

THE NARRATOR: It was an easy enough choice to make, between exploring the supposed ‘tunnels of CCU’ and scraping pig’s blood off of the marble floors of the library, but there was still an air of nervousness that surrounded the Gang as they pushed the secret door open on the first floor. 

The sound of their breath echoed down the cavern-like hallway; they felt like their hearts might stop, or like something might pop out of the dark once again to drag them away…Anything was better than cleaning though, right? Right???

MAKE A CHOICE: WHO IS GOING FIRST? THE GANG MUST ELECT A GROUP LEADER. PLEASE CHOOSE BASED ON THESE TRAITS: [ BRAVERY, OR LEADER ]

GROUP LEADER - PLEASE PICK TWO TO FOLLOW BEHIND YOU DIRECTLY. THIS CAN BE BASED ON ANYTHING. DO NOT DISCUSS THIS WITH THE OTHER PLAYERS.

RORY: "We didn't go very far in," she warned them quietly, pulling out her keychain flashlight as she stepped into the darkness of the tunnel. "So I don't know where it goes." Harvey and Donnie follow close behind.

THE NARRATOR: With Rory leading them through the dark tunnels - and her flashlight keychain in hand - it’s hard not to feel a little safer in the absolute hell pit they’re trying to navigate…. but when Rory begins to point out just what she and Noah found, every facade of safety begins to flutter away from the atmosphere. 

It’s bad enough that the tunnels exist at all, but at a sharp end that splits into two - a fork in the ‘road’ -  there are initials etched into the walls. 

A flourished ‘L.D.B.’ along with endless tally marks to match are carved beneath it: as if someone had been counting… something. But what could it mean? And who was L.D.B?

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEBODY REACT.

HARVEY: Harvey felt a shiver run down his spine at the ominous sighting, but he tried to keep a brave face for all the girls (plus Donnie... and Casey) with them. "I hate to be the 'we should get out of here' guy, but... I'm beginning to think we should get out of here."

THE NARRATOR: Everyone is confused, probably a little frightened,  but as the sound of rustling comes from the end of the tunnel - the end they came from - a collective silence falls over the group. Could it be rats? Could somebody be coming? They’re not sure, but either way - as they catch each other’s eyes in the dark of the tunnel - they know one thing: they need to get out of there.

MAKE A CHOICE: GROUP LEADER - PICK A DIRECTION: RIGHT OR LEFT.

THE GROUP LEADER PICKED RIGHT.

THE NARRATOR: Rory breaks off right, taking Harvey and Landon along with her, but Alice, Casey, and Virginia don’t have a moment to think as they go sprinting left without a flashlight to guide them.

They all run hard, chests heaving as they slow to a stop when each group finds a place to hide for a moment - to breathe out - but it’s only a split second before they hear the sound of footsteps coming toward them. They’re going to have to sneak out of here, and fast… but they can’t get themselves caught, or they might not make it back to the library before Dean Hargrove comes to check on them!  … If they make it out alive at all.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST SNEAK PAST WHOEVER IS IN THE TUNNELS WITHOUT ALERTING THEM. THE ONLY WAY TO DO THIS IS TO SOLVE ADMIN EM’S RIDDLES! 

THE GANG IS SPLIT INTO TWO... WHICH MEANS BOTH GROUPS MUST SOLVE THEIR OWN RIDDLES. THE GROUP WITHOUT A FLASHLIGHT WILL ONLY HAVE TWO TRIES TO SOLVE THEIR RIDDLE, WHEREAS THE GROUP WITH RORY’S FLASHLIGHT WILL HAVE THREE. IF YOU DON’T SOLVE THEM WITHIN YOUR ALLOTTED NUMBER OF TRIES, YOU WILL COST THE GROUP A TIME PENALTY. 

ADMIN EM WILL SPLIT YOU UP INTO SEPARATE ROOMS MOMENTARILY TO SOLVE THE FIRST RIDDLE. GOOD LUCK!

THE NARRATOR: Rory, Harvey, and Landon can feel their hearts pounding in their throats - they might swear they can hear the sound of each other’s panic - but it’s only a moment before the sound of footsteps fades away into the distance. They count to fifty before they switch Rory’s flashlight back on and take off running, once again, down the corridor… but it’s only a moment before Rory trips on something that sends them flying forward. They’re only knocked off of their feet for a moment, but as they shine their flashlight toward it, their heart stops. It’s one of the masks that the psuedo-Candy Girl and her crew were wearing the last time they were at CCU. 

Rory takes a moment to stuff this into her pocket, but before long they’ve all taken off running again.

MAKE A CHOICE: GROUP A WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SOLVING THEIR RIDDLE.

THE NARRATOR: Without any sort of light source, Alice, Casey, and Virginia can’t see each other, but they’re still hanging on tight to each other in one way or another as they huddle into the dip on the tunnel. It feels like hours before the sound of footsteps begins to fade away - for a moment they’re not even sure someone was walking through the tunnels, or just occupying one of the classrooms that was sure to be above them - but either way, the three of them begin to sprint through the darkness, with only the feelings of their hands against the tunnel wall to guide them. 

They’re lucky they spend so much time feeling around the walls, though… because as they do, Alice manages to clasp their fingers around a rolled sheet of paper that’s been shoved into one of the cracks in the old walls. They only take a moment to pocket it, though, before they continue - there will always be time to unfurl it later when there’s a little more light to go around.

MAKE A CHOICE: GROUP B WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SOLVING THEIR RIDDLE.

THE NARRATOR: All of them feel like they’ve been running for far too long but the time they finally reach a dead end, but as they paw around in the dark - and as Rory illuminates the wall in front of her group - they both manage to find doors.

Rory, Harvey, and Donnie spill out onto the lawn of the quad, while Alice, Virginia, and Casey all file into the hallway near the Dean’s office, but they all somehow know one thing: if they don’t get back to the library, they’re going to  be seriously fucked. 

....But first they should probably find their friends.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR FRIENDS WITHOUT THE DEAN CATCHING EITHER OF YOUR GROUPS. THE ONLY WAY TO GET BACK WITHOUT SUFFERING A TIME PENALTY IS TO SOLVE EM’S RIDDLES.

THE NARRATOR: After navigating the empty building without running into anyone, the Gang find themselves reunited… and they didn’t even lose anyone on the way! 

They’re going to need a plan to get back to the library… but they’re going to have to find a way past the locked doors once they get there. They could always get back through the tunnels, though… Yikes. Or maybe someone with enough brain cells could pick the lock! Maybe even break it down! 

They were actually going to have to get to the library first, though.

MAKE A CHOICE: ELECT A NEW LEADER BASED ON THESE TRAITS [PERCEPTION, PROBLEM SOLVING.] 

THE NARRATOR: With Casey heading the excursion back to the library, they’re sure not to go wrong but just as they all think of Hargrove, the sound of his whistling echoes around the bend of the hallway. They all freeze in place, but it’s only a moment before they’re following along after Casey and scurrying down another hallway.

MAKE A CHOICE: EVERYONE DECIDE IF THEY GO LEFT TOWARD THE BAND ROOM OR RIGHT TOWARD THE ART DEPARTMENT.

WRONG CHOICE. YOU HAVE LED THE GROUP FURTHER AWAY FROM THE LIBRARY. WHILE THIS HAS COST THE GROUP A TIME PENALTY, YOU CAN STILL GET TO THE LIBRARY… BUT THE ONLY WAY IS TO PLAY ADMIN EM’S QUIZ GAME!!!

THE NARRATOR: They have just enough time to round another corner as Harvard Hargrove II approaches, but Casey realizes that the rest of them are never going to make it if someone doesn’t distract Hargrove. Looks like it’s going to have to be him.

MAKE A CHOICE: AS THE GROUP LEADER, YOU MUST STAY BEHIND AND DISTRACT HARGROVE. YOU CAN EITHER TELL HIM ABOUT THE TUNNELS [PERCEPTION], OR YOU CAN LIE ABOUT HOW YOU GOT OUT [PROBLEM SOLVING.] WATCH OUT, THOUGH. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW HE MIGHT REACT TO EITHER OPTION.

CASEY: "Uhhhh hey," he says a little drawled out, somehow this was the part of the day he'd been least expecting. Face to face with his boss, holding back a grimace but knowing it's for the benefit of the group that Hargrove doesn't know about this elaborate story. The look he's giving him says he wants an answer though, and he does his best to give an unbothered shrug about his fake handiwork before smirking, "it's an imperfect world. Hinges break off all the time."

THE NARRATOR: Hargrove is so angry that he looks like he might blow - he’s redder in the face than they’ve ever seen him - but he’s a scary kind of quiet as he listens to their explanation. His top lip threatens to quiver into a snarl every passing moment… but after a long moment he just takes a breath and motions for them to follow him. “Come on. We’ll talk in my office.”

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS!

THE NARRATOR: The rest of the Gang feels wrong in breathing a sigh of relief, but they don’t have much choice as they race through the empty halls of the CCU Arts building, and back to the main entrance of the sprawling library. They make it back with plenty of time, but there’s still one issue… how do they get through the lock?

MAKE A CHOICE: DO YOU PICK THE LOCK [INTELLIGENCE] OR BREAK IT DOWN [STRENGTH?]

ALICE: The door being locked was a downer… but could they say it was unexpected? Not quite. There were a few options — doorhinges break off all the time! -- but… you know, sometimes it was better to err on the safe side first before body-slamming a door. Walking to the front of the gang, she took a bobby pin out (because, for convenience sake, she had bobby pins) and began attempting to pick the lock.

THE NARRATOR: It’s some Nancy Drew type shit, but with a bobby pin in hand - and everyone watching intently over her shoulder - Alice manages to get through the lock and back into the library with the rest of the Gang. 

 It’s eerily quiet - the buckets are waiting right where they left them - and though they want to discuss what they found, they figured they played it close enough with Dean Hargrove today… and maybe it was time to actually get to work before they got taken up to his office too.

SMALL TOWN SCANDAL:

Spotted! Rory and Casey have been spending an awful lot of alone time together, and since we know Casey’s a total man-whore - and saw Rory shopping in the feminine hygeine aisle (um, pregnancy test?! hello!) - sources say it all points to one conclusion: a brand new baby on the way! While I personally don’t see the pairing, I’m confident that Casey can be a better Daddy than his Daddy was - I mean, at least he’s not going to abandon the thing before he screws it up. As for Miss Rory Collins... Well, something’s running in those genes that’s just not right. Will we have a sweet little angel on our hands, or a brand new demon just ready for exorcising? Who knows. Either way! I’m throwing my hat into the ring for god mother! @rorycollins​ @caseyfm​

NYU OR NY-SCREW? 

We all know actors get down and dirty in the entertainment biz, so it’s not surprising to hear Landon’s screwed some himbo - but Harvey Hargrove doing the nasty with his best friend’s twin? One word: shocking! Sources say the two hooked up in one of those too-close-for-comfort Brooklyn one-bedrooms the carrot-top is always going on about, and they even let people watch! I guess New Yorkers really are a different breed... Ew. We’re totally not sensing a love connection, but could Harvey be searching for a new way to let loose? Well, congrats to the drama club, and the only gay club in town!  @landonlogan @harvey-hargrove​

SUBJECT OR USURPER?

We all know Virginia is a freaky little wannabe, but after my sources caught her buying rope, trash bags, and shovels at the local hardware store... Well, we think our HBIC’s days might be numbered! Zahra, if you start to feel eyes on the back of your head, or start seeing flashes of little blonde bitches in your peripherals... Well, it’s probably me! But, watch out. It just might be Virginia Virginia finally coming for her rightful place on the throne! Oh well. At least she actually thought you were popular enough to kill, unlike Miss Lilli! @zahrajackson @virginiacherries​

PEEPING FREAKS!

We all know Zev loves capturing the moment with that little camera of his, but my sources say that he’s roping Noah into his freaky little antics too! Picture this: two voyeurs hiding in your bushes, waiting to catch you changing through the windows! Yikies! Watch out for those two: we all know they were weirdly obsessed with Lux Lewis, and now that she’s dead... it only makes sense that they’re looking for their next subject! Or victim. Too bad everyone’s just going to wait until the next body drops instead of catching these pervs. @thezevking @thewriter-noah​

CYBER BULLY AND CO? 

We all know Alice was blamed for that little rumor about Lux and TA Sawyer - woof! False accusations can be a real bitch.  My sources say she and her roommate are looking for revenge on the real culprit, though! Long nights stalking their suspects, interrogating Mac’s fans - we even heard they were caught making out at the Sigma Pi party! Yikes! Who knows what they’re going to do to with the freaks who actually started the rumor, but if a girl like Alice can get a guy like Mac wrapped around her finger, then she must be capable of anything. Watch out, watch out wherever you are, little secret spreaders! Mac’s gonna distract you with that swoon-worthy voice of his while Alice locks you in her closet. Yum. @alicealder @romxnticss

SINGLE WHITE FEMALES! 

We all know Lilli is a total It Girl - but maybe Libby Logan is taking things a little too far! We’ve always expected that Libby is a girl with a fickle heart, but we hear her sights are set on Harvey Hargrove, and she’s not afraid to be just like his ex-girlfriend to do it! Sources say they saw her sneaking into Lilli’s bedroom, sleeping in her bed, stealing her clothes - and even applying for a new job at Cherry’s Closet! Freaky, Libs! They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but we’re thinking not so much in this sitch. Watch out, Lilli! Break another man’s heart, and Libby might go after him too... but not before rifling through your drawers to steal your favorite lingerie! @lillimontgomery @libbylogan​

POLLING ALL CHERRIOTS: 

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW PATHETIC DO YOU THINK NOAH'S CRUSH ON VIRGINIA IS?

THE CROWD SAYS: 6! 

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW FAKE DO YOU THINK VIRGINIA VIRGINIA REALLY IS?

THE CROWD SAYS: 7!

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT ALICE STARTED THE RUMOR ABOUT LUX?

THE CROWD SAYS: 5!

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW DUMB DO YOU THINK CASEY REALLY IS?

THE CROWD SAYS: 5!

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK ZEV WOULD BE TO PEEP THROUGH YOUR WINDOWS?

THE CROWD SAYS: 4!

ON A SCALE OUT 1-10 HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK ZAHRA IS TO BETRAY ANOTHER ONE OF HER FRIENDS?

THE CROWD SAYS: 8!

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK RORY MIGHT BE TO SNAP?

THE CROWD SAYS: 5!

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT MAC WILL DIE ALONE?

THE CROWD SAYS: 4!

ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW LIKELY DO YOU THINK IT IS THAT LIBBY WOULD KILL SOMEONE FOR HER FRIENDS?

THE CROWD SAYS: 9!

ONE MUST GO: 

IN A GROUP OF RORY, ZAHRA, LIBBY, & LILLI: 

LIBBY WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED. 

IN A GROUP OF CASEY, NOAH, VIRGINIA, & ZEV:

VIRGINIA WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED.

IN A GROUP OF CASEY, RORY, ZAHRA, & LIBBY:

LIBBY & ZAHRA TIED FOR MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED.

IN BETWEEN ALICE & MAC: 

MAC WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED.

IN A GROUP OF ZAHRA, LILLI, ALICE, & VIRGINIA:

VIRGINIA WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED.

IN A GROUP OF ALICE, ZEV, NOAH, & MAC: 

NOAH WAS MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED.

MOST LIKELY TO BE SACRIFICED OUT OF THE WHOLE GANG:

ZAHRA JACKSON. 

Tough break, HBIC! Looks like your friends would throw you under the bus in a heartbeat!

BLIND ITEMS: 

Sources say there was a dead body found behind the trailer park! Apparently the local townspeople are taking bets that the Virginia’s left it there, but between Lux, this poor soul, and those who ‘supposedly’ dropped dead at CCU last weekend... seems like we’ve got a full blown killer on our hands, don’t we? The Gang will say it’s me, but how do we know it’s not them, hmm? 

Sources say, “ Are you even studying at CCU if you haven't heard of someone who caught chlamydia from Casey Russell's campus sexcapades?” Casey Russell isn’t a student, but apparently he’s teaching the boomers favorite form of sex-ed! Ignore all contraception, and acquire all STD’s! No wonder Rory Collins is with child, right? 

RECAP: 

- IF IT SEEMS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE, THEN IT PROBABLY IS. THE CANDY GIRL ISN’T DEAD... AND APPARENTLY, NEITHER IS ANYONE ELSE. THERE WERE NO MURDERS COMMITTED AT THE UNIVERSITY THAT NIGHT, SO THAT LEADS US TO THE QUESTION: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?  - THOSE TAKEN THE EVENT WERE “BURIED ALIVE” IN THE CCU QUAD.  - THE GANG SPENT THE REST OF THE NIGHT BEING QUESTIONED AT THE SHERIFF’S STATION - WELL, EVERYONE WHO WASN’T BURIED ALIVE.   - EVERYONE GAVE THE SAME STORY, BUT THEY JUST DON’T BUY IT.  - THE POLICE THINK THE GANG ARE BEHIND WHATEVER HAPPENED AT CCU THAT NIGHT - ESPECIALLY AFTER CAROUSEL COVE. WATCH OUT.

THE NARRATOR: It might not have been a quiet night, maybe not even uneventful, but the Gang found themselves grateful, at least, that the Candy Girl hadn’t shown her face. It was nearing midnight now, and with only Paulie Virginia checking on the kids before they fell asleep on the sand, and Lucas Bright left straggling on the beach with the Gang, they were sure to turn-in soon. 

They were gathered around the bonfire, talking and laughing - almost even letting their guards down - but the screech of three white vans pulling up to the shore interrupted every little conversation taking place around the bonfire. They didn’t want to think anything of it at first… College kids in this town were wild, and they were all piling back into town this week, after all. But when a group of masked, hooded figures with baseball bats, and kitchen knives galore began making their way out of the vehicles, and onto the beach - what were they supposed to do but worry?

OFFICER PAULIE VIRGINIA:  “Hey! Stop right there!”

THE NARRATOR: It was almost instinctual for the rookie to go right into barking cop voice, even with no back up  - stupid, of course - but another ‘Candy Girl’ stunt was the last thing he was going to let happen on his watch. The man reaches for the taser in his belt, just like he was trained to do, but just as he gets it free, the blur of a body rushing forward - Lucas Bright - distracts him for a split enough second to fumble. 

Paulie almost yells for Lucas to stop, but before he can get the words off of his tongue, the Bright kid nearly runs headfirst into one of the masked figures' fists. It’s shocking how hard he falls - makes Paulie wonder if he’s okay - but before he can wonder too much, he realizes too late that one of the hooded figures has gotten the jump on him. He’s half expecting the figure to reach for his taser - the oh shit moment of the century - but when Paulie feels a baseball bat connect with his ribcage… He almost wishes he had been tased. Might have hurt less.

CANDY GIRL: “Hello, my little freaks and geeks! Did you miss me and my little friends? Because I think tonight is about to get a little more fun.”

THE NARRATOR: ...Uh oh. Maybe I spoke too soon about the Candy Girl not showing her face. 

It doesn’t take long to get the gang tied up - not with the threat of knives, and Paulie’s discarded taser at the hooded groups disposal - and the ringleader of this little group, the one bouncing around telling everyone what to do, seems absolutely giddy with her capture. What else are you supposed to expect from faceless psychos, though, right?

CANDY GIRL: ““Here’s the game tonight, losers! We’re gonna split you up and see if you can pass our little trials. Those who do? They get to go home tonight! Those who don’t…. Well, you might end up closer to Lux than you thought you were before.”

THE NARRATOR: Candy turns toward one of the other masked figures - one that seems like her Helper - flicking her chin toward the Gang. It’s a cue, and that much becomes clear when one-by-one, each of them has a hood slipped over their face, obstructing their view nearly completely.

CANDY GIRL: “But first, we’re going on a little trip!”

THE NARRATOR: It’s hard for the Gang to know just how they’ve been split up, but as they’re pushed forward toward the parking lot - the sound of Paulie’s and Lucas’s far-off groaning in their ears - they know one thing. They’re completely fucked, and there’s nothing they can do about it with their hands tied behind their backs… Especially not when they’re about to be shoved into the back of those fucking vans.

Nobody’s really sure how long they’ve been driving - they’re all too terrified to try and keep count - but by the time the van finally slows to a stop, they’re all dragged right back out onto solid ground, and into… some old building. Just where, is the question.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE CANDY GIRL TO CCU FOR A NIGHT OF FUN. DON’T DIE!

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it’s the way they had to file between cramped rows, bumping into seats that left bruises blooming over their thighs; maybe it’s the echo of their footsteps, bouncing off of the walls like music. Either way, those who had ever stepped foot into the CCU theater - nearly all of them, considering every field trip they had been to to watch some semi-professional production of Bye Bye Birdie - know right where they are at that moment.

 It’s a comforting place for some - one that induces only stress, or indifference to others - but it’s hard to imagine that it won’t be a place that brings anxiety after tonight; just as tainted as the boardwalk, or even walking along Lux’s and Harvey’s block might be. Now is no time to think about how they might feel in the future, though -- if they even make it that far. No, they’re going to have to make it through tonight first.

They’re led onto the stage like prized pigs, ready to be blue-ribboned - but once they’re situated, the hoods that cover the gang’s faces come off; they even cut the ropes off from around their wrists. It might be stupid, but the knives, and baseball bats manage to keep everyone in their place; hearts racing in anticipation of what might come next.

The theater is mostly dark, save for a couple of spotlights that shine down onto the stage, highlighting the Gang like the stars of Candy’s show. There are props scattered about - sets, hanging sheets, costumes! It almost looks more like a storage closet than the grandiose CCU theater, but as they try to get their bearings, the two figures heading the circle - Candy and her supposed assistant - jolt them back into reality with a clap of their hands.

CANDY GIRL: “Like I said, we’re gonna play a little game tonight, boys and girls! But, you’re all oh-so-familiar with games, aren’t you? Especially after our special little stunt at the boardwalk.”

THE NARRATOR: Her voice could almost be considered familiar, but nobody in the room really knows where to place the memory of it. Did she actually sound like that recording on the beach? Was she someone they knew? The gang just looks at each other from any angle that they can; making eye contact at whatever cost, as if it might help them all jog their memory to know they’re on the same page. They don’t get another chance to listen, though, as the other figure - leader two - begins speaking.

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER:  “She’s written some riddles!”

THE NARRATOR: They pull a sheet of paper from their pocket.

CANDY GIRL: “And you’re going to solve them! Don’t worry about the doors -”

THE NARRATOR: The movement is clearly rehearsed as a number of their captors - five, if you’re counting - head toward the row of carved, flourishing doors at the back of the theater.  Three of them leave, but the other two begin looping chains through the antique handles, locking them into the auditorium with absolutely no escape.

VIRGINIA ANN: The last however many minutes Virginia had been captured were maybe the worst moments of her life. They were just supposed to have a fun bonfire but of course a fun bonfire turned into watching her brother get hit with a baseball bat, be captured by a bunch of weirdos, and end up at the theatre as another "fun" game. She wanted to get up and leave, but someone would stop her, wouldn't they? "Why the hell are you doing this?" Was what Virginia first asked. She doubt she'd get any sort of answer and hey, maybe they'd sew her mouth shut for even speaking. "We didn't do anything."

ALICE ALDER: On any other given day, if she were to be having a conversation — or even just be stuck in the same room with Virginia! — hilarity would be bound to ensue (in one of the worst ways, but nonetheless…). But this? What was this? Her almost bestie… betraying her again! “Dude, what the fuck?” A futile question that would get no answer — but asked on instinct! “The 'beach bash' wasn’t enough?”

RORY COLLINS: It was happening again. She had gone white as a sheet when she saw the masked figures on the beach, and hadn't managed to regain any color yet. "Guys, I really don't think they're going to answer," she swallowed hard and tracked the psychos' every movement. Rory hesitated. "They didn't last time."

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER: “--God, can you people shut up for two minutes? We’re kind of, like - in the middle of something!”

THE NARRATOR: Candy’s little Helper interrupts the conversations with an annoyed tone, as if they’re the ones inconveniencing her night. It’s strange, how nonchalant it is, but Candy just huffs in annoyance as she looks at her ‘assistant.’ Shoulders dropping a little as she breaks character to reprimand her.

CANDY GIRL: “Jesus christ, can you just say your fucking lines? It’s not that hard,”

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER: “They’re -”

CANDY GIRL: “Seriously?”

THE NARRATOR: The masked figure hesitates.

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER:  “Fine! You need three keys, and three, exactly!

CANDY GIRL: “Or you’ll spend the night -”

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it’s the fear of the moment that kept all of their eyes focused on the two masked figures interacting with them - tunnel vision, of sorts - but it only makes the loud squish of blade entering flesh even louder than it should have been. The group of them flinching before Candy even has a chance to start shrieking through the pain of the knife in her side.

It was almost unbelievable that it had happened at first - did it even make sense that the Candy Girl’s henchmen were turning on her?  - but the blood splashing against the stage floor had to have been proof enough that it wasn’t just some fucked up group hallucination. This was an attack - one that hadn’t seemed expected by either the Candy Girl or her little helper.

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER:  “What the fuck is wrong with you!”

THE NARRATOR: Fair question. And the attacker should have heard it, as loud as the second-not-so-in-charge-figure shrieked - but the knife-wielder didn’t even flinch as he dragged Candy toward back off of the stage and toward one of the many staircases that led to the balconies; blood pouring from the wound in her side all the while.

The other mask - Candy’s little helper - almost considers running for it, throws the note from her hands in anticipation of getting the fuck out of there…  but she hardly gets a chance when her own attacker - the other one of the maniacs who had chained the door - comes from behind her and squeezes their hulking arms around her fame. They have their own knife; one that plunges directly into her chest, but the Gang doesn’t have much time to watch as they drag her off in the same direction.

What.

The.

Fuck.

There’s only a moment of hesitation - it had all happened so quickly - but the gang wastes no more time before fleeing to opposite sides of the theater. The sound of both of the women’s dying screams echo across through the space, shaking all of them to their core… but they all know one thing: they need to get their hands on that riddle.

If they’re locked in, then it might be their only way of getting out.

MAKE A CHOICE: ALICE, VIRGINIA, AND LIBBY ARE HIDDEN IN THE WINGS OF THE THEATER. HARVEY, RORY, AND CASEY ARE DUCKING BEHIND A ROW OF SEATS.

CASEY RUSSELL: All bad things seem to come in threes. And if it wasn't solely going to be a black eye that would be the highlight of his evening, it was going to be this. He calls it survivor's instinct in the scramble when he ambles over behind the seats, even though he's pretty sure he can hear his heartbeat in his ears. For a moment his gaze lands solely on Harvey. It's been ages since they've played on the same team. But... somewhere between life and death, they surely had to put some degree of their differences aside right? "Do we have any ideas?" He whispers, "I don't really fancy ending up being like whoever the fuck that was."

HARVEY HARGROVE: Once upon a time, in the distant remains of the far-off evening that had been only a few hours before, Harvey had assumed this wasn't going to happen. But here they were and here was... Whatever the hell this is. Joy of joys. It wasn't easy pulling his focus from Libby and Rory, where his eyes seemed to stray automatically in an attempt to find reassurance that wasn't coming. He did though, and turned to Casey. "We can't go at once. There's too many of us, we'd be noticed far too quickly."

 MAKE A CHOICE: HARVEY IS RIGHT. SOMEBODY IN THE WINGS MUST RETRIEVE THE RIDDLE. IT IS THEIR ONLY HOPE OF GETTING OUT: WHO WILL IT BE?

LIBBY LOGAN: Libby can't hear either of her friends cramped into the rows of theater seats, but as her heart races in her chest - as the alcohol pulses through her veins - somehow, she knows it's up to her to retrieve the riddle on center stage. That had been the way out of the whole Carousel Cove situation, right? She doesn't even say anything to Virginia or Alice as she darts forwards, fingertips outstretched. Libby just hopes she can get back without alerting the killers upstairs.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS!

THE NARRATOR: Every step sounds too-loud, even masked by the sound of screams, but somehow they manage to make their way back onto the stage where the riddle was thrown by Candy’s little Helper. They get their hands on the blood soaked paper; the breath leaves their lungs as the sound of screaming begins to die - no pun intended - out. It’s not completely obvious what they should do next, but they make eye contact with their friends hidden in the wings; those hidden in the seats. 

They’re never going to make it out of this without each other, so they better think fast. 

They hear the sound of the killers beginning to stir from the steps near the balconies, and just like that a plan forms in their freaky little hive mind. Someone needs to distract the killers while everyone else gets upstairs. But who will it be?

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEBODY MUST DISTRACT THE KILLERS WHILE THEIR FRIENDS GET UPSTAIRS. SHOULD THEY THROW SOMETHING ACROSS THE ROOM [PROBLEM SOLVING],  SNEAK ACROSS THE ROOM AND KNOCK SOMETHING OVER, [BRAVERY] OR SHOULD SOMEONE TRY MESSING WITH THE LIGHTBOARD? [PERCEPTION]

HARVEY HARGROVE: He turned his head, locking eyes with Libby at center stage. A slow nod of the head was the only sign he gave before he stood up and began to move as quietly as he could towards the other side of the theatre. There was always shit offstage in these places, right? Surely there would be something over there that could get the focus off of Libby (if it didn't, he'd rain hellfire down, that he promised himself). Each step brought him closer and closer to the vague shape of a light and when he was beside it, he turned back, grinned at his friends as best he could, picked up the light, and threw it.

MAKE A CHOICE: FAILURE!

THE NARRATOR: It was a long shot, but as soon as the stage light crashes against the floor, only one of the killers turns their head to investigate. The other? Well, their gaze lands directly on little Libby Lou. 

It’s hardly a split second before they cross the theater toward her, and as hard as Libby tries to fight, it’s no use - the threat of the knife, and the feeling of it’s handle knocking against the side of their face is enough to give the killer the upper hand… At least they have time to throw the riddle in the general direction of their friends before they’re dragged away toward the balconies staircase.

It’s enough of a distraction to get everyone else safe, if even for a moment.  They have to get the hell out of there, and save Libby... if there’s even time. They all book it as fast as they can, and somehow they manage to make it into the dressing rooms beneath the stage - one of them even manages to grab the riddle, silently hoping it wasn’t Libby's last gift to them all. 

At least it might actually save them. 

Their hearts are pounding loud enough in their chests that they might swear they could all count each other’s heartbeats. Now is no time to check up on each other, though - not as they lay the first riddle out in front of them.

If you want the key, you’ll have to find Me,

I’m a keeper of the law, you see.

I might be a pawn - I saw Pepper get diced, 

Are you feeling naughty? Then here’s some advice: 

I’ll name a story, no I’ll name three -

All from the Bard,

So be careful with thee.

A tragedy I’m not, 

In love? I could be. 

Pick only one…

Pray it’s the right movie.

MAKE A CHOICE: ALICE HAS BEEN GRABBED. DO YOU TRY TO SAVE THEM? 

CASEY WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SAVING ALICE. HE INJURES THE KILLER, AND THE GANG RUNS TO HIDE IN THE AISLES.

MAKE A CHOICE: RORY IS RETRIEVING THE FIRST KEY. 

RORY COLLINS:  "I'll go," Rory balls her trembling hands into fists at her side. They have to save Libby, so she's going to do whatever it takes. She creeps towards the band pit as quietly as she can, and lowers herself in to look for the key.

THE NARRATOR: Rory runs with all of her might, the gang all sneaking close behind to watch her back, but with the correct location, it’s not hard to find the key taped against the wall of the orchestra pit, along with the next part of the riddle. With the sheet of paper, they make it back to their friends, and lay out the clue to get to the next key.

 If you want to get out, don’t Twist and Shout, 

It’s not the Candy Man locking you out. 

If you feel Clueless, then here’s your clue -

You can find Me behind door number two. 

How to know you’re close? Just think of the times, 

The 90’s are ending, but oh, how it thrives!

Once you’re through, don’t look any further - 

Your key can be found in the one with no murder.

CASEY RUSSELL: "Okay... I think I've got this." Was that more for the group's sake or his own? It's with a deep breath after they work it out that he readies himself for the run to the prop closet before taking off. He may be drunk beyond belief, but he's determined to reach their key as he runs.

THE NARRATOR: Casey and the gang sprint hard toward the prop closet, somehow managing to duck past the killers to get a good look in the massive room. It takes a minute or two, but soon Casey has the key and another little sheet of paper. 

 It should be easy to get back to his friends now that are waiting in the wings, but before he can even turn around, he feels hands grasping around his limbs and yanking him back toward the staircase. He has to fight, but he can't do it alone.

MAKE A CHOICE: DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO SAVE THEIR FRIEND, OR LET THEM DROP THE KEY? 

RORY COLLINS: She doesn't even think when she sees the masked figure grabbing Casey. She just moves. Rory sprints forwards and hits the attacker as hard as she can.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS! 

THE NARRATOR: It’s a great effort, and though Rory doesn't manage to do much real damage - and gets hit over the head hard enough to draw blood - she's still successful in getting her  friend the hell away from that monster. The whole group is terrified, but they’re quick on their feet as they move somewhere else that could be deemed even semi safe within the madness to solve the next riddle.

Here’s your third key - you’re almost there! 

Unless you can’t take a bit of a scare. 

Your key can be found with the killers that hunt you

Hand someone over, and we’ll hand over ours too. 

There’s no getting out of it, there’s no bargaining here, 

You must sacrifice someone, someone so dear. 

Will they die, will they live? Only we know. 

But if you don’t choose, then all of you go.

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEONE MUST SACRIFICE THEMSELVES  AND ALERT THE KILLERS TO GET THEM TO DROP THE THIRD KEY. CHOOSE WHO.

VIRGINIA ANN: If you had told that Virginia that five hours ago she'd be running onto the stage to present herself to a bunch of murderous assholes, she'd probably laugh in your face. Maybe if she lived this would be a funny story to tell her kids one day. Not even bothering to deal with telling the group of her decision due to the five vodka mixed drinks in her body, she ran up the stage and yelled, "Hey bitches, I'm here!"

THE NARRATOR: It’s hard not to feel the weight of the gang’s fear like a punch in the gut, radiating through the room. They can hear Virginia's drunken voice call out - the sound of her scream, and her struggle as they’re dragged her up the stairs, just like the others had been. 

When the sound of chains dropping from the door handles echoes through the room, though - followed by the scurry of sprinting out of the theater - they almost think to breathe a sigh of relief. Could that really be it? Could it be over? 

They don’t move for nearly an hour - or maybe it just feels like an hour - but when they finally decide the coast is clear, the group of them  - or what’s left of them - sprint out of the theater, and the hell out of CCU as quickly as they can. Maybe it’s a betrayal to not even look for their friends… or maybe their bodies. But how are they supposed to stomach the thought of it? How are they expected to stick around with those… killers still on the loose? 

Are their friends still alive? Who knows. They just know they need to get the police down here to help their friends as soon as they can, even if it means getting the hell out of there.

THE NARRATOR: It might not have been a quiet night, maybe not even uneventful, but the Gang found themselves grateful, at least, that the Candy Girl hadn’t shown her face. It was nearing midnight now, and with only Paulie Virginia checking on the kids before they fell asleep on the sand, and Lucas Bright left straggling on the beach with the Gang, they were sure to turn-in soon. 

They were gathered around the bonfire, talking and laughing - almost even letting their guards down - but the screech of three white vans pulling up to the shore interrupted every little conversation taking place around the bonfire. They didn’t want to think anything of it at first… College kids in this town were wild, and they were all piling back into town this week, after all. But when a group of masked, hooded figures with baseball bats, and kitchen knives galore began making their way out of the vehicles, and onto the beach - what were they supposed to do but worry?

OFFICER PAULIE: “Hey! Stop right there!”

THE NARRATOR: It was almost instinctual for the rookie to go right into barking cop voice, even with no back up  - stupid, of course - but another ‘Candy Girl’ stunt was the last thing he was going to let happen on his watch. The man reaches for the taser in his belt, just like he was trained to do, but just as he gets it free, the blur of a body rushing forward - Lucas Bright - distracts him for a split enough second to fumble. 

Paulie almost yells for Lucas to stop, but before he can get the words off of his tongue, the Bright kid nearly runs headfirst into one of the masked figures' fists. It’s shocking how hard he falls - makes Paulie wonder if he’s okay - but before he can wonder too much, he realizes too late that one of the hooded figures has gotten the jump on him. He’s half expecting the figure to reach for his taser - the oh shit moment of the century - but when Paulie feels a baseball bat connect with his ribcage… He almost wishes he had been tased. Might have hurt less.

CANDY GIRL: “Hello, my little freaks and geeks! Did you miss me and my little friends? Because I think tonight is about to get a little more fun.”

THE NARRATOR:  ...Uh oh. Maybe I spoke too soon about the Candy Girl not showing her face. 

It doesn’t take long to get the gang tied up - not with the threat of knives, and Paulie’s discarded taser at the hooded groups disposal - and the ringleader of this little group, the one bouncing around telling everyone what to do, seems absolutely giddy with her capture. What else are you supposed to expect from faceless psychos, though, right?

CANDY GIRL: “Here’s the game tonight, losers! We’re gonna split you up and see if you can pass our little trials. Those who do? They get to go home tonight! Those who don’t…. Well, you might end up closer to Lux than you thought you were before.”

THE NARRATOR: Candy turns toward one of the other masked figures - one that seems like her Helper - flicking her chin toward the Gang. It’s a cue, and that much becomes clear when one-by-one, each of them has a hood slipped over their face, obstructing their view nearly completely.

CANDY GIRL: “But first, we’re going on a little trip!”

THE NARRATOR: It’s hard for the Gang to know just how they’ve been split up, but as they’re pushed forward toward the parking lot - the sound of Paulie’s and Lucas’s far-off groaning in their ears - they know one thing. They’re completely fucked, and there’s nothing they can do about it with their hands tied behind their backs… Especially not when they’re about to be shoved into the back of those fucking vans.

Nobody’s really sure how long they’ve been driving - they’re all too terrified to try and keep count - but by the time the van finally slows to a stop, they’re all dragged right back out onto solid ground, and into… some old building. Just where, is the question.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE CANDY GIRL TO CCU FOR A NIGHT OF FUN. DON’T DIE!

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it’s the heavy doors that give away their final destination, or maybe it’s the musty smell of old textbooks, but those who had ever stepped foot into the CCU library know right where they are at that moment. It’s a comforting place for some - one that induces only stress, or indifference to others - but it’s hard to imagine that it won’t be a place that brings anxiety after tonight; just as tainted as the boardwalk, or even walking along Lux’s and Harvey’s block might be. Now is no time to think about how they might feel in the future, though -- if they even make it that far. No, they’re going to have to make it through tonight first.

The gang is led into the room like lambs to slaughter - Jamie carried not-so-nicely over one of the maniacs shoulders - but once they’re situated, the hoods that cover the gang’s faces come off; they even cut the ropes off from around their wrists, but the knives, and baseball bats manage to keep everyone in their place. The library is dimly lit, with only it’s balcony lights shining down on the grandiose room; the bank of computers on the second floor is like a beacon, beckoning them forward. It almost seems normal for a moment, like they were just there studying after-hours, but the two figures heading the circle - Candy and her supposed assistant - shock them back into reality with a clap of their hands.

CANDY GIRL: “Like I said, we’re gonna play a little game tonight, boys and girls! But, you’re all oh-so-familiar with games, aren’t you? Especially after our special little stunt at the boardwalk.”

THE NARRATOR: Her voice could almost be considered familiar, but nobody in the room really knows where to place the memory of it. Did she actually sound like that recording on the beach? Was she someone they knew? The gang just looks at each other from any angle that they can; making eye contact at whatever cost, as if it might help them all jog their memory to know they’re on the same page. They don’t get another chance to listen, though, as the other figure - Candy's helper - begins speaking.

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER:  “She’s written some riddles!”

THE NARRATOR:  They pull a sheet of paper from their pocket.

CANDY GIRL: “And you’re going to solve them! Don’t worry about the doors -”

THE NARRATOR:  The movement is clearly rehearsed as a number of their captors - five, if you’re counting - head toward the door. Three of them leave, but the other two begin looping chains through the antique handles, locking them into the room with no real escape but up… And we know just how well this group does with climbing.

NOAH RUSSELL: Of course. They couldn't have one fucking night could they? Although what more could he have expected from the masked figure who thought a funeral was the time and place to play spin the bottle. The library of all places had a chilling feel to it in comparison to the beach. Almost theatrical like every horror book he'd ever read, and he sure as hell had read a lot of them. "I'm getting real sick of these damn riddles." He started as he thought about taking a step towards the door before thinking better of it. These people had knives, bats, and while on their own that didn't have to overly intimidating, this was the same person who only too recently before had blown up an entire carousel. "Anyone opposed to taking out the windows?"

SLOANE SALT: On some level Sloane knew that this was... a bad situation. There were scary people with what looked like weapons. Extremely tall people, some as tall as the ceiling, maybe and swaying.  The hooded girl's voice sounded kind of familiar, but considering the state she was in, she could hardly pin point who it was. She hadn't said much of a word on the way to the library mostly because she didn't really want anyone to know that she was feeling weird and now she was sitting on her ass, staring at her newly freed hands. "When did I paint these...?" She muttered to herself, turning her head entirely too slowly to look over at Noah as he spoke. As she took in his words, her expression quickly shifted to offence, her eyes widening and her mouth opening in fear. Those poor windows, they hadn't done anything to anyone. "No, don't hurt them!"

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER: “--Um, excuse me? You’re totally throwing us off our rhythm!”

THE NARRATOR: Candy’s little Helper interrupts the conversations with an annoyed tone, as if they’re the ones inconveniencing her night. It’s strange, how nonchalant it is, but Candy just just shushes her. You can't even see her face, but you can almost just tell she's rolling her eyes beneath the mask.

CANDY GIRL: “Will literally just say your line?

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER: "Fine! You need three keys, and three keys, exactly!"

CANDY GIRL: "Or you'll spend the night -"

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it’s the fear of the moment that kept all of their eyes focused on the two masked figures interacting with them - tunnel vision, of sorts - but it only makes the loud squish of blade entering flesh even louder than it should have been. The group of them flinching before Candy even has a chance to start shrieking through the pain of the blade in their side.

It was almost unbelievable that it had happened at first - did it even make sense that the Candy Girl’s henchmen were even turning on her?  - but the blood splashing against the tile had to have been proof enough that it wasn’t just some fucked up group hallucination… One that didn’t seem so expected by either Candy Girl, or the other henchmen.

CANDY'S LITTLE HELPER: “What the fuck is wrong with you!”

THE NARRATOR: Fair question. And the attacker should have heard it - as loud as the second-not-so-in-charge-figure shrieked - but the knife-wielder didn’t even flinch as he dragged Candy toward the bookshelves; blood pouring from the wound in her side.

The other mask - Candy’s little helper - almost considers running for it, throws the note from her hands in anticipation of getting the fuck out of there…  but she hardly gets a chance when her own attacker - the other one of the maniacs who had chained the door - comes from behind her and squeezes their hulking arms around her fame. They have their own knife; one that plunges directly into her abdomen, but the Gang doesn’t have much time to watch as the attacker laughs and drags her toward his own row of bookshelves.

What. The. Fuck.

There’s only a moment of hesitation - it had all happened so quickly - but the gang wastes no more time before fleeing to opposite sides of the library, Mac helping Jamie as best as he can in the struggle. The sound of the woman’s dying screams echo across the space, shaking all of them to their core… but they all know one thing: they need to get their hands on that riddle.

If they’re locked in, then it might be their only way of getting out.

MAKE A CHOICE:  MAC, JAMIE, LILLI, AND NOAH ARE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE LIBRARY, HIDING BEHIND THE LIBRARIAN’S DESK. ZEV, SLOANE, AND ZAHRA ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, MAKING THEIR WAY UP THE STAIRS TO THE SECOND LEVEL.

MAC: Tonight is the first time in his life that Mac thinks he shouldn't have went along with one of Libby's ideas. How stupid of them was it to all gather in one spot in the middle of the night? They might as well have asked Sloane to paint perfect targets on their collective backs. He'd already been freaking out enough as it was, but the sound of that blade? The blood? If he made it out of here alive they were sure to be added to his ever growing list of nightmare material. A sudden rush of adrenaline as everyone begins to flee has him nearly carrying Jamie across the room, ducking under the desk, eyes searching to see if the rest of his friends had made it over unscathed. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now?"

NOAH: Even though he knew about the kind of antics the Candy Girl could have possibly gotten up to, there was a difference between knowing and seeing them first hand. Of course it wasn't the first time he'd seen blood drawn, but the blood from cut lips and faces after a brutal run in from home failed in comparison to what he'd just seen. Candy Girl was supposed to be their captor wasn't she? The one who'd been tormenting them since night one? The one who kept Lux fresh and at the forefront of their minds, unable to move on. Watching her fall to her knees, the screeches of pain that rang out behind them as they'd ducked for cover. It didn't make sense. Any trace of alcohol that had once been intruding his symptom felt faint in comparison as he hid beside the desk. "I don't know but we can't stay here. We're gonna be sitting ducks. We need to find those fuckin' keys, but looking in a library is going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack." He added in a harsh whisper as he attempted to catch his breath.

THE NARRATOR: Split up and helpless. Fuck. Looks like they need that riddle if they're going to make it out of here alive.

MAKE A CHOICE:  SOMEBODY DOWNSTAIRS MUST RETRIEVE THE RIDDLE: WHO WILL IT BE?

MAC: Mac's eyes dart around the room, searching for the slip of paper he'd seen one of their captors pull out at the mention of riddles. He wasn't even sure if it would help them at this point, considering he was almost positive getting stabbed wasn't part of the plan, but it was their best option. Right? When his eyes finally land on the piece of paper his adrenaline once again kicks in, causing him to lunge across the room in an attempt to retrieve it.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS!

THE NARRATOR: Every step sounds like a symphony in their own ears, each and every movement too-loud, even masked by the sound of Candy and her Helper's screams, but somehow Mac manages to make his way back around the librarian's desk and toward where the riddle was thrown. He gets his hands on the blood soaked paper; the breath leaving his lungs as the sound of screaming begins to die - no pun intended - out. It’s not completely obvious what he should do next, but he makes eye contact with his friends behind the librarian's desk; with the few on the second level. 

They’re never going to make it out of this without each other, so they better think fast. 

They hear the sound of the killers beginning to stir from somewhere within the maze of bookshelves, and just like that a plan forms in their freaky little hive mind. Someone needs to distract the killers while everyone else gets upstairs. But who will it be?

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEBODY MUST DISTRACT THE KILLERS WHILE THEIR FRIENDS GET UPSTAIRS. SHOULD THEY THROW SOMETHING ACROSS THE ROOM ,  SNEAK ACROSS THE ROOM AND KNOCK SOMETHING OVER, OR SHOULD SOMEONE UPSTAIRS THROW SOMETHING OFF OF THE BALCONY?

ZAHRA:  Zahra peered down at the half left on the floor below. Things had gone wrong so quickly and in so many ways and compartmentalising was the only way any of them were getting out of this in one piece, so she did her best to ignore the fading screams. Instead she turned her focus to her surroundings. There had to be something she could throw down to distract the psychos - there! Her eye caught on a computer plugged in near the edge of the balcony. Wordlessly, she hurried over to it and yanked out the plug. Then, with as much of a heave as she could muster, she threw it over the edge.

MAKE A CHOICE: FAILURE!

THE NARRATOR: It was a long shot, but as Zahra tosses the computer off the railing, only one of the killers turns their head to investigate. The other? Well, their gaze lands directly on Mac. 

It’s hardly a split second before they cross the room toward them, and as hard as Mac tries to fight, but it’s no use - the threat of the knife, and the feeling of it’s handle knocking against the side of his face is enough to give the killer the upper hand… At least they have time to throw the riddle in the general direction of their friend before they’re dragged away toward the maze of bookshelves. 

It’s enough to the rest of the gang all in place, but they know they have to get upstairs -  they have to get the hell out of there, and save Mac.. if there’s even time. They all book it as fast as they can, everyone helping Jamie along the way, and somehow they manage to make it up the stairs before they’re spotted - one of them even manages to grab the riddle, even if they were silently hoping it wasn’t Mac's last gift to them all. 

At least it might actually save them. 

Their hearts are pounding loud enough in their chests that they might swear they could all count each other’s heartbeats. Now is no time to check up on each other, though - not as they lay the first riddle out in front of them

.

If you want the first key, you’ll have to find Me,

I’m the keeper of the scrolls, you see.

Melvil named the system, and I check it twice,

Are you feeling naughty? Then here’s some advice: 

I’ll name a book, or maybe name three -

You’ll choose the one that speaks to the dream 

Of losing it all, or leaving behind 

That sweet, sane, little part of your mind. 

Maybe they fight it, or maybe they end it, 

Maybe the pick is the one your friend mentioned. 

Will your gang make it out? Maybe -  who knows.

But I wouldn’t count on it, unless you all know who glows.

HOODED MANIAC: THE KILLER IS HERE.

THE NARRATOR: The killer hardly sneaks up on the, but the Gang is surprised anyway - each of them gasping as Lilli is snatched up by his grasp. She screams - she's caught - but the rest of them have a choice to make.

MAKE A CHOICE: LILLI HAS BEEN GRABBED. DO YOU TRY TO SAVE THEM OR LET THEM GO?

ZAHRA: Yeah, things with Lilli had always been a little contentious but there was no way Zahra was letting her be dragged away. They'd already lost Mac and that was fucking enough. She lunged forward and grabbed Lilli as she was snatched up.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS!

THE NARRATOR: It’s a great effort, and though they don’t manage much real damage, Zahra's still successful in getting her ""friend"" the hell away from that monster. The whole group is terrified, but they’re quick on their feet as they move somewhere else that could be deemed even semi safe within the madness to solve the next riddle.... Watch out though. I think the killer saw where you were going.

MAKE A CHOICE: LILLI RUNS FOR THE KEY.

THE NARRATOR: Lilli runs as fast as she can - the gang all sneaking close behind - and with the correct location, it’s not hard to find the key taped to a shelf in the history section, along with the next part of the riddle. It should be easy to get back to their friends, but before they can even turn around, she feels hands grasping around her limbs and yanking them back through the bookshelves yet again- dragging her away toward the maze of a room to… She didn’t even want to think about it. She just knew they had to fight - but she can’t do it alone.

MAKE A CHOICE:  DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO SAVE THEIR FRIEND, OR LET THEM DROP THE KEY?

THE NARRATOR: The gang can hear Lilli trying to fight her attacker - her screaming echoing through the space  - and though the guilt eats them alive, they know there’s nothing they can do about it. They just have to hope that the fact that the screaming gets further and further away and doesn’t just abruptly end - just like it did when those two masked maniacs got stabbed earlier - is a good sign. 

The remaining members make quick work of grabbing the key and the riddle, and try to find another safe spot in the library.

If you want to get out, don’t Twist and Shout, 

It’s not the Candy Man locking you out. 

If you feel Clueless, then here’s your clue - 

You can find Me behind door number two. 

How to know you’re close? Just think of the times, 

The 90’s are ending, but gossip still thrives! 

Once you’re through, don’t look any further - 

Your key can be found in the one with no murder.

ZEV: Zev scopes out the Librarian's desk and makes a move for it, trying to keep down and quiet as he dashes, heart pounding in his chest.

THE NARRATOR: Zev sprints with everyone else not far behind him. The key is there, taped beneath Glenda Logan's desk along with the last part of their riddle, but at the very last moment - before the Gang can warn him - one of the killers comes and hits him over the back of the head with his knife. He's got a hold on Zev, and as hard as he's fighting, he's not going to be able to make it out alone.

MAKE A CHOICE: DOES SOMEBODY WANT TO SAVE THEIR FRIEND, OR LET THEM DROP THE KEY? 

SLOANE SALT: All of the running around and masked killers has mostly been Sloane moving in accordance with everyone else, eyes bugged out of her face as she tries not to trip over her platform boots. When Zev gets snatched, it's as if enlightenment comes over her and she suddenly becomes aware that one of her favourite people, someone basically a little brother to her is in danger. "Let go of him!" She screeches as she reaches for him, using all of her body weight to try and pull him away.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCESS!

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it's the LSD, or just sheer willpower, but everyone swears they actually see the Killer flinch as Sloane screams like a banshee toward him. They groan in pain as their shoulder is pulled nearly out of place, and in fear they run as far as they can in the other direction.

 The whole group is terrified, if not confident, but they’re quick on their feet as they move somewhere else that could be deemed even semi safe within the madness to solve the next riddle.

Here’s your third key - you’re almost there! 

Unless you can’t take a bit of a scare. 

Your clues can be found with Clarissa Teller - 

But she’ll only tell you if you can impress her. 

Somebody’s secret must be told.

 It’s only then that I’ll give her the gold. 

So, hurry along! But only choose one.

Oh, wow, oh boy!

Now this will be fun.

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEBODY MUST TELL CLARISSA THEIR SECRET ON THE COMPUTER UPSTAIRS. WHEN THEY DO, THE LOCATION OF THE THIRD KEY TO BE RELEASED.

NOAH: The panic that had gripped his chest as the evening grew, only intensified as they read their final clue. Mac had been taken, Lilli had been taken, he'd watched helplessly as Zahra saved Zev, and perhaps the bit that was the most impossible to forget, he'd seen the Candy Girl murdered before his very eyes. And while he didn't see the life fleeing from her eyes he could picture it a little too well. "Zev you okay?" He asked, in an attempted moment of calm and partially to distract from the racing of his own heart. Waiting the moment for some sort of nod before turning to the rest of the group. "What the hell is she talking about? What doesn't Clarissa know already?" He asked, his voice soft with profound fear as he glanced around the room. The first two clues while challenging in their own right, they seemed to fall into place, but he dreaded what could possibly be meant by the third.

SLOANE SALT: Sloane was definitely riding on more than one high at the moment, one of the unidentified form, from that pill she'd taken and one from saving Zev. She was breathing heavily, leaning on the table in the study room as she looked around at everyone who was still with them. They needed to get through this, that was the only thing that mattered, even if even the furniture was kind of freaking her out. Throwing her arms around Zev, she turned her head when she heard Noah's voice. Her mouth twisted as she fought off the urge to say something, a sly smile forming on her lips. "Come on, she doesn't know lots of secrets." Her eyes widened as she emphasised the 'lots'. In the state she was in, she was tempted to just start blurting out everything she knew, but then her head turned to Jamie and she suddenly felt guilty. "What do we do?"

JAMIE: Jamie had been watching the crew from the jump, lingering behind the rest not only due to his leg but his own dwindling motivation to be part of some messed up game when two of his favourite cohorts had gone missing with no promise of survival. This was what Cherry was now, a mecca of lost, frantic young adults enslaved to the whims of someone other than themselves.  As terrible as they were, Jamie didn't believe any of them deserved to be forced to admit to something they weren't ready for. That was why he'd agreed to hide the note, wasn't it?

When Sloane's desperate eyes met his, he'd already made up his mind.

"I'll do it," he said, with little fanfare. "Can someone help me up the stairs?"

By the time he was seated at the computer, his heroic resolve had diminished. Words that normally came easy for him sat bated behind still fingers as he thought of exactly what to write when he'd never allowed the thoughts to come to real fruition.

𝐝𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞:  Dear Clarissa, the day has finally come where I have to acknowledge your existence but rest assured that it's not by my own volition. I have a secret to tell you that I'm sure won't come as too big of a surprise. 

Last semester, I snuck in and did the SATs for Cherry High graduates who had the means to pay. My family is in debt, thanks to my father and his frivolous new wife, and I thought I'd be able to pay it off. I couldn't, but that's not the point. The point is that I enjoyed every minute of it. The studying, the acceptance, the shining accolades.

I mean, I wouldn't have to talk to you if I just went to college, would I?

THE NARRATOR: It probably feels like a punch in the gut to be selling their own secret to the local paper, but as they press send on the keyboard - as Clarissa starts typing - the power goes out, and the room goes dark. It’s terrifying at first, enough to make the Gang clutch at each other, like it might be their last moment… But when the sound of chains dropping from the door handles echoes through the room - followed by the scurry of sprinting out of the library - they almost think to breathe a sigh of relief. Could that really be it? Could it be over? 

They don’t move for nearly an hour - or maybe it just feels like an hour - but when they finally decide the coast is clear, the group of them  - or what’s left of them - sprint down the stairs, and the hell out of CCU as quickly as they can. Maybe it’s a betrayal to not even look for their friends… or maybe their bodies. But how are they supposed to stomach the thought of it? How are they expected to stick around with those… killers still on the loose? 

Are their friends still alive? Is the Candy Girl alive? Who knows. They just know they need to get the police down here to help their friends as soon as they can... even if it means leaving people behind for now.

The kissing booth had been a successful venture for the lifeguards every year, but with Virginia Virginia at the helm of the booth this year, the sunscreen fund was far from suffering. She was helping to count the money when a little note fell out of one of the stacks of cash. What it said? “MEET ME BACKSTAGE AT 7:30 SHARP, OR I SPILL YOUR DIRTY LITTLE SECRET. SEE YOU SOON!” @virginiacherries

Zahra had spent most of the day on Roller Coaster Row along with the rest of the Boardwalk’s patrons, but now that the day was winding down to a close - and the Coasters were taking a break to draw the crowd down to the stage - she’d better go find her friends. It probably would have been difficult had she been on her own in the endeavor, but like a miracle worker, a Boardwalk worker shows up and tells her that Rory has been looking for her. Apparently her cousin is backstage waiting for her. Huh. She must be with the band -- and Zahra better hurry to get there before the ribbon cutting starts. @zahrajackson

THE NARRATOR: Reunions were supposed to be pleasant occasions, weren’t they? They were supposed to bring feelings of joy, and nostalgia; you were supposed to forget the awkward haze that had plagued your last year all together in high school, and just… pretend like the good old days were actually just that. Good. Absence did make the heart grow fonder and all that, didn’t it? 

Though, maybe it’s silly to wonder why this little reunion, hanging out in the wings of the Main Stage, might not be so pleasant. It had only been a week ago that Virginia was drugged in Harvey’s basement, after all. Playing at the whims of a suspected lunatic, baring their souls - and their tongues - to each other. Not even ‘a Day in Carousel Cove!’ could smooth over that awkward little blip, could it? And the fact that Clarissa could just tell something was up with the little group definitely didn't help.

Still, the three of them made their polite-ish, familiar conversation. Zahra was wondering where Rory was - Clarissa was wondering where the heck that hunk, Harvey Hargrove was - and Virginia… Well, she was wondering where the hell this Candy Girl was.

ZAHRA: Zahra was getting a little annoyed to be honest. Going backstage would definitely not help keep her... whatever with Casey on the down low, and being caught in semi-awkward, semi-polite conversation with Virginia and Clarissa was nowhere in her day plan. The sooner she could find where the hell Rory was, the better as far as she was concerned. "Okay, let's skip to the part where we're done talking," she interrupted abruptly, clearly having been paying little attention to what was being said. "Have either of you seen Rory or can I go?"

VIRGINIA ANN: Virginia wasn't shaking in her boots just yet, but she couldn't help but feel the lump in the back of her throat when she had read that little note. So cryptic, but so telling. The last thing she wanted was for everyone to find out her dirty little secret(s) so she showed up and played nice, as much as Virginia Virginia could play nice. "Um, hello? Were you like not given a lesson in Polite 101?" Virginia quipped back, motioning between herself and Clarissa. "Do we look like we'd know where Rory is? She's probably somewhere making out with Libby." Frankly, Virginia didn't give two flying farts about where Rory was, she was just wondering about where this coveted Candy Girl was. She wasn't expecting whoever they were to show up, but there was a part of her that kept her eyes flocking between everyone. Maybe it was Zahra or Clarissa who had sent her the note. Or maybe Virginia was just letting this get under her skin a little too much.

THE NARRATOR: Clarissa is just about to question the statement - um, Rory and Libby? Hello, how had she never thought of the angle?! - their conversation is cut off by the sound of Dean Hargrove on the stage to their left, welcoming the citizens to the boardwalk, thanking them for a great day, and more; but before the man can introduce Lux’s parents who have just joined him onstage… Before he can start in on his plans to announce the renaming of the ‘Lux Lewis Memorial Carousel’, he’s cut off by a voice that none of them quite recognize… a voice that might just damn them all.

CANDY GIRL: “REST IN PEACE TO OUR DEAR OLD LUX, BUT I HAVE NEWS THAT THE CHERRY TIMES IS TOO SCARED TO TELL! THIS WAS NO SUICIDE. LUX WAS MURDERED. THE QUESTION IS - WHICH ONE OF HER FRIENDS DID IT?”

THE NARRATOR: At that moment, a sheet unfurls behind Dean Hargrove, and a projector that seems to have been installed into the soundbooth across from the stage flips on. The image it casts should be a shocking sight, but to our little ragtag slice of the gang, the Cherry Bomb logo is all too recognizable. The image is a blown up cover of her latest issue, and - surprise, surprise! - Lux is once again the star. 

It would have been hard not to hear the collective gasp of the crowd - to feel the tension that had pulled it’s way into the air around them - but this little slice of the gang is too focused on copy after copy of the Cherry Bomb falling from the catwalks above the mainstage to notice. Everyone is looking up, away from the sick slideshow that’s now showing crime scene photos from the night of Lux’s death - trying to get a glimpse of whoever is throwing them - but nobody can quite see who is responsible. One thing is for sure, though. Whoever they are, they’ve got Boardwalk Employee shirts on.

CANDY GIRL: “AND TO THAT LITTLE GANG! MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE. SOMEONE IS MISSING, AND YOU’RE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN FIND THEM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. GOOD LUCK!”

THE NARRATOR: Just as the little message is over, and the vicinity is filled with the all-too-loud sound of Cherry Bomb by the Runaways bursting their eardrums… Something slaps to the ground behind them. The three of them turn, just in time to come face to face with a figure in a black hoodie - at their feet? An issue of the Cherry Bomb.

They can’t quite tell if it’s a woman or a man; they can’t quite tell how tall they are without the help of their boots, or what the color of their hair is. The only thing distinctive enough to notice is the fucking mask that’s staring them all right back in the face; smiling like a lunatic, and sending chills down their spines.

Could this actually be her? Could it… Could it actually be the Candy Girl?

Nobody moves for a moment; a long moment. So, when the figure finally kicks a foot out to slide the magazine toward them - the issue only stopping when it hits their own shoes - they can’t help but flinch… And then again, when they take off running.

MAKE A CHOICE: WHOEVER THE HELL THAT IS - THEY’RE GETTING AWAY! DO YOU WANT TO CHASE THEM [STRENGTH], OR LET THEM GO [CALM]?

ZAHRA: Zahra's mind was moving a million miles a minute, jumping from Lux's potential murder to the copies of the Cherry Bomb raining down to frantically trying to remember when she had last seen any of the rest of the gang, to the likelihood of the person in front of her being the Candy Girl. A hundred little things were in her brain, so when she took of running after the hooded figure she wasn't even fully thinking about it. The math was simple and instinctive - whoever they were, they were involved. If they were involved, they had information. Information means one step closer to making sure she doesn't lose another member of her little found family. Not to mention that if they were involved, they were at least partial responsible for this whole clusterfuck and that could not go unpunished. Never before had she been so glad she hadn't worn heels (sandals and painted toenails were much more beach appropriate, anyway).

THE NARRATOR: Ha. The figure had been expecting them to give chase, and they fell right into the time trap. Zahra gave a good chase - ducked when they did, dove through every sudden turn they made. She was good - better than they thought she would be - but she wasn't good enough. 

It was somewhere in the crowd that figure finally managed to get the jump on her. She was being pushed in every direction - pulled by the chaos of people trying to get the hell out of the chaos - when she finally lost sight of them. What she did find, though? The supposed ‘Candy Girl’s’ mask on the ground, trampled by the onlookers, but still there... at least she had proof, right? 

So much for throwing hands. She better get back to Clarissa and Virginia.

MAKE A CHOICE: THE GANG HAS SUFFERED A TIME PENALTY FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

THE NARRATOR: Zahra's losing the masked lunatic or not - however annoyed Virginia was that she hadn't caught her - they were personally delivered a copy of the Cherry Bomb for a reason, right? The Candy Girl wouldn’t just show herself if there weren’t some grand scheme involved. 

Clarissa wants to go get her father, like, ASAP, but somehow the other two manage to convince her not to do it. They have to open the Cherry Bomb alone - they would surely get punished if they went to the police. Right?

The cover is collaged with photos of Lux, the inside? Crime scene photos. There’s no pictures of her body, of course - that would be crude, even for the Candy Girl… kind of. But images of the blood soaked into her carpet; still pictures of her bedroom, flaunting a life once lived, those are there. A shot of her suicide note, ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ and all.

  And right there, in the middle of the spread, like a centerfold? A note, written in Sharpie - just for our ragtag little slice of the gang.

CANDY GIRL: GET OUT,,, GET OUT, WHEREVER YOU’RE LOCKED!!!! NOT A FAN OF SMALL SPACES?? I’LL STICK YOU IN A BOX. SOMEONE IS MISSING, BUT I WON’T SAY WHO… FIND THE KEY, AND FIND OUT WHO. 

BUT WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT! YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK! LET IT RUN OUT, AND THEY’LL STAY IN THE BOX. WILL THE TIDE COME IN? HMM, MAYBE IT WON’T. OR BETTER YET? MAYBE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FLOAT.

THE NARRATOR: Oh...my. Now, that’s a predicament, isn’t it? I suppose we’re at least lucky that the Candy Girl leaves the rules simple, right? Find a key, and… Maybe she doesn’t kill one of your friends. Maybe.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST FIND A KEY, BUT HOW DO YOU IT? BY LOOKING FOR CLUES [PROBLEM SOLVING] OR BY TEARING BACKSTAGE APART? [LUCK]

VIRGINIA ANN: Virginia didn't know if it was her lack of critical thinking, Zahra running off, or the photos within the Cherry Bomb, but after the initial shock of the crime scene photos, the last thing Virginia wanted was someone to end up like Lux again. Virginia had never considered murder, she thought she had pushed Lux to the edge of her suicide but was Candy Girl right? Had Lux been murdered and if so, was this lunatic the one who was doing it? And were they planning on doing it again if the three of them didn't act fast enough? A key, Virginia could do that. She could find that. Immediately after reading the note, the blonde began tearing apart every surface she could. Tearing tarps away, moving cords, opening boxes, anything that could lead her to the puzzle piece they needed.

THE NARRATOR: It shouldn’t have worked - it definitely shouldn’t have worked! But, somehow - with the heads of Zahra, Clarissa, and Virginia on the case - the three girls actually manage to find something. It’s a Cherry red briefcase with a lock on the top; a place for a four digit code. And get this, Clarissa was looking at the note, and it turns out that it was a clue all along!

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS. YOU HAVE GAINED EXTRA HINTS FOR THE RIDDLE, AND MADE IT EASIER TO RESCUE YOUR FRIEND.

ZAHRA: Zahra enters 2134 into the lock.

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. TRY AGAIN.

VIRGINIA ANN: Virginia enters 3214 into the lock.

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. TRY AGAIN

CLARISSA: Clarissa rolls her eyes. "Ugh, fine! If you, like, seriously need me to be the one to put it in, then I'll do it, but don't blame me when the thing blows up!" The blonde was terrified - of course it was this gang of weirdos who got her pulled into this kind of trouble - but as she clicks '3142' into the briefcase... miraculously it clicks open. And doesn't explode. Thank god!

THE NARRATOR: Finally, the box pops open, and as promised, they’re granted a shiny little key on a ring… But along with it, they’re also given another note from the Candy Girl. Another riddle.

CANDY GIRL:  SOMEONE IS MISSING - YOU HAVE THE KEY.

BUT YOU NEED TO MORE, FROM YOUR FRIENDS, YOU SEE.

ONLY THREE WILL PLEASE THE LOCK - ONLY THREE UNLOCK THE BOX.

TWO MUST RUN, THEY MUST RETRIEV!

BUT THE ONE, MUST SCOPE THE BEACH. MISSINGS THE THEME, MISPELLED IS THE CLUE, FOR THE DIRECTION THAT YOU’LL WANT TO DO.

TO THE RUNNERS, HERE’S YOUR CLUE! LOOK FOR SOMEONE WHO HATES ONE OF YOU! BEST FRIEND OF YOUR BEST FRIEND - TWIN FLAME OF YOUR GUY. OMEONE YOU BOTH KNOW IS HIDING THEIR LIES.

THE OTHER KEY HIDES WITH THE KEEPER OF PROSE - AND MAYBE THAT ONE IS TOO ON THE NOSE. BUT IF YOU DON’T FIND HIM, NOTEBOOK AND ALL, THEN WATCH OUT, WACH OUT…

IT’S YOUR BABY THAT FALLS.

THE NARRATOR: Their hearts are pounding in their chests so loud they’re all convinced they can hear it echoing off of the walls - even over the music that’s still playing - but… Nothing could mask the sound of the Dean barking their name from behind them; Lux’s parents watching, horrified, as they pick up the copy of the Cherry Bomb that’s still laying there on the ground, where they left it. “Would any of you like to explain to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis what the hell is going on here?” 

No, no, no! There’s no time for this. They have to solve the riddle - they have to find the keys before it’s too late. Somebody needs to get rid of the Dean… or maybe they just need to run.

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEBODY GET RID OF THE DEAN, [CHARISMA, BRAVERY, HONESTY] OR RUN! [BRAVERY, FIGHTER, SURVIVOR]

ZAHRA: Zahra didn't even register the words of the Dean. Her mind was stuck on that line - IT’S YOUR BABY THAT FALLS. Icy fear filled her at the implications - this was Rory they were working to save. With those five words the Candy Girl had reached into her heart and wrapped a hand around it, threatening to rip it out entirely. They didn't have time to hesitate or explain - not with Rory on the line. Fuck. Fuckity fucking fuck. The Dean's voice was a faded muffle, drowned out by her pounding heart as she looked at Virginia and Clarissa. Her eyes had narrowed and her hands had curled into fists, crushing the second note with the force of her anger, panic, and pure terror. "We're running," she said simply, determination and fear both audible in her tone. And, for the second time that day, she took off as fast she could, holding onto that note and the hope that they'd solved the riddle correctly.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS. EVERYONE MUST RUN! SPLIT UP. FIND THE CORRECT FRIENDS. RUN THE CORRECT DIRECTION ON THE BEACH. IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO WIN. EVERYONE RESPOND. [STRENGTH, BRAVERY, OR FIGHTER]

CLARISSA: Clarissa thinks it's a bad idea to leave her to run for the keys... and then all the way back to the beach. Like, did they think she was Superwoman, or something? But if this Candy Girl was really as sinister as she seemed to be - well, Rissa couldn't exactly let Rory Collins, like, die on the beach, could she? Besides the fact that her Dad would be pissed at her, even she had to admit it would totally hang onto her conscience until she bit the dust too. So with a groan, she just takes off toward wherever the hell Noah is and hopes that he has this dumb key. He better. She didn't want to be seen talking to Noah Russell, for like. Any other reason.

MAKE A CHOICE: CLARISSA WAS SUCCESSFUL. SHE MUST GET TO THE BEACH.

VIRGINIA ANN: As soon as Zahra said that they were running, it took no time for Virginia's feet to start going. There wasn't much going on in her brain, but it didn't take a genius to deduce that Zahra would be the one going after Rory and that it would be Virginia and Clarissa getting the keys. With her legs moving as quickly as she possibly could, Virginia hunted for Libby who she hoped would have a key for her. It's not like she wanted to go to another funeral before her 19th birthday.

MAKE A CHOICE: VIRGINIA WAS SUCCESSFUL. SHE MUST GET TO THE BEACH.

ZAHRA: Zahra ran as fast as she could, for once uncaring about keeping her hair perfect or her clothes pristine. She just ran west, heading for the beach. Her legs burned with exertion but the adrenaline had well and truly kicked in. Losing Rory was unacceptable - especially so soon after Lux. Especially not when she was here this time, actually able to do something.

VIRGINIA ANN: After getting the key from Libby, Virginia prayed to the stolen Louis Vuitton bag in her possession that she had gotten everything in time. With a huff, she took off in the direction of the beach, her legs pumping more than she ever thought they could. If there was a list of things Virginia was grateful for it'd be that stolen bag and the years of cheer conditioning that prepped her for a true life-or-death moment.

CLARISSA: Yikes. So, apparently the little group had been through more hell than she thought. She had retrieved the key from Noah, and along with it she had gotten a sneak peek at another little piece of the gang that had been tormented over the last half hour. Had it really only been a half hour? Christ.

She had to stop thinking about it, though - she had to stop thinking about how much she wished she had actually stuck to her cardio, like she had insisted she would over New Years - and keep pushing. She wouldn't let Rory Collins die. The Lux news cycle was barely even over!

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS... KIND OF.

THE NARRATOR: Zahra scopes the beach far and wide, it’s an exhaustive effort, but after a mighty search, they finally spot it. The tide has been coming in - barely the top is visible… and it’s filling with water fast. She could already be gone. They sprint toward it with all of their might - they pray that she’s still breathing in her little prison… But is she? 

MAKE A CHOICE: UNLOCK THE BOX.

ZAHRA: Zahra had never been as grateful for Virginia, Clarissa, or several years of competitive commitment to cheer as she was right now. Maybe this was the first time she'd been truly grateful for Virginia in, like, ever. She'd never admit it, but her hands were shaking as she fit the keys into the locks, holding them a little too tight to make sure there was no chance of dropping them and having them be washed away by the tide. With her heart in her throat, she unlocked the locks one by one, threw the box open, and pulled her cousin out into her arms.

RORY:  Rory wasn’t sure how long she had been locked in here. Her throat was raw from screaming for help, from crying between shouting. No one seemed to be coming. At that realization, she’d curled up as small as she could in the claustrophobic little box, with her arms wrapped tight around her ears as she tried to block out the sound of the waves that were so nearby. Too close for comfort. 

If those people with the masks came back - god, she wished they would just come back - she wasn’t going anywhere without a fight. Not that it had helped when they grabbed her. Rough hands yanking her into the dark. 

Her hands was sore from throwing herself against the top, trying with everything she had to break through. After a while, she’d given up on that, certain that an ugly bruise was already blooming on both palms. She promised herself she’d keep trying anyway if no one came in the next few hours. Surely someone would realize she was gone soon, wouldn’t they?

God knows how long it had already been. At least 3 hours - maybe more. Maybe a lot more. Rory wished she had a watch. Or a light. For the first time, she wished she was more addicted to the cigs she occasionally bummed off of others. At least a lighter’s meager flame would have offered some comfort in the pitch black box. Rory couldn’t even see her hand when she held it in front of her face.

She hated the dark. Hated it. She hated the water more… so when she started to hear the sound of those waves, crashing up against the walls of her tiny prison? When she began to feel her clothes getting wet, and smelling the salty foam in her nose? When what little air she had became a crack in the corner of the box, and when she got so tired that she began sputtering on water? 

Rory was going to die here, wasn’t she?

The sound of someone running on the beach - someone shouting her name - jarred her from her spiraling thoughts. It pulled her from the haze of near-death, and giving up. She let out a bloodcurdling scream, and pounded on the top of the box with her hands. “HELLO? LET ME OUT OF HERE!” She shrieked, her voice sounding hoarse even to her own ears. Her thoughts tripped over one another as hope flooded her brain. They came- they came and they got her, her friends -

As soon as the top of the box started to crack, she bolted through the opening and threw her arms around the first person she saw in a death-grip hug. She was shaking, tears spilling down her cheeks, and unable to stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “Oh my god you came, you guys came,” before her throat was too tight to speak anymore.

When it was put there, he doesn’t know, but the note should be enough to make Casey’s heart skip. There, in the case of his instrument is a folded piece of paper. On its surface? A threat. “COME TO THE NEW CAROUSEL AT 7:30PM SHARP, OR YOUR SECRET IS MINE TO SPILL!” @caseyfm

When it was put there, she doesn’t know, but the note should be enough to make Sloane’s heart skip. There, hidden within her deck of tarot cards is a folded piece of paper. On its surface? A threat. “COME TO THE NEW CAROUSEL AT 7:30PM SHARP, OR YOUR SECRET IS MINE TO SPILL!” @saltofthcearth

When it was put there, she doesn’t know, but the note should be enough to make Libby’s heart skip. There, in her ride locker, is a folded piece of paper. On its surface? A threat. “COME TO THE NEW CAROUSEL AT 7:30PM SHARP, OR YOUR SECRET IS MINE TO SPILL!” @hellolibby​ 

THE NARRATOR: Reunions were supposed to be pleasant occasions, weren’t they? They were supposed to bring feelings of joy, and nostalgia; you were supposed to forget the awkward haze that had plagued your years of high school, and… pretend like the good old days were actually just that. Good. Absence did make the heart grow fonder and all that, didn’t it? 

Though, maybe it’s silly to wonder why this little reunion might not be so pleasant. The three of them - Casey, Libby, and Sloane - all walk up to the Carousel at the same time. They all meet each other’s eyes, and though nobody says it, everyone hears the same thought in their head. ‘Fuck.’

LIBBY: "So..." Libby's voice wavers dangerously - her hands shake, cast and all - but somehow she fights every urge she has within herself to run the other direction before chaos can unravel itself all around them. If the Candy Girl wanted them all here, then she doubted running away would be of much use. They were all trapped in Cherry… But this time, it wasn’t ‘small town syndrome’ keeping them back. "Probably safe to assume running into each other here isn't just a coincidence, right?"

SLOANE: There was an urge to reach out to the both of them and pull them in close that Sloane resisted, looking between Libby and Casey. So much for a lull in this Candy Girl's machinations, it seems a week was enough for her to plan something more. She swallowed thickly and then shook her head, folding her arms over her chest nervously. "Well, obviously I wouldn't be here if I didn't need to be." She motioned towards the Carousel. Talk about betraying her cause.

CASEY: Casey follows Sloane's gesture to the carousel. How did wooden horses somehow seem so menacing at night? It was thirty minutes before Mystic Cherry were due to perform and instead he was here about to do...? The sinking feeling in his gut tells him that this is going to lead to no good. "Yeah, this definitely isn't my idea of a warm up before a gig..." he mumbles, before his gaze falls on them both.

THE NARRATOR: There’s no clock to strike the time - nothing to let them know that 7:30-sharp has approached but the faint sound of Dean Hargrove’s voice in the distance is enough to let them know. They're all watching each other, but they can't help but flinch at the intrusion of the sound... And then, yet again ,when Hargrove is cut off by a voice that none of them quite recognize. They’re too far away to hear what the commotion is about, but somehow they know… Their night just took a turn for the worse.

It would have been impressive timing if it weren’t so fucking frightening, but at just that moment, their very own issue of the Cherry Bomb is dropped from the roof of the carousel, and onto it’s platform - near one of the old horses that looked a little too off-it’s-rocker. It’s clearly meant for them… It has to be. The only problem? The Gang is stuck, woefully, behind a locked fence.

There are a few ways to get to it, at least. They could always take their chances climbing the fence  to get inside of the Carousel; it doesn’t look that high.

Casey knows the guys who work here… They’re always leaving things lying around. Maybe it might be best to look around for a lanyard someone might have dropped.

 Then again, Libby has been treating the Boardwalk like a second home since she was just a kid, and she says there’s always another way in… Maybe they look for a hole in the fence?

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST RETRIEVE THE CHERRY BOMB. DO YOU CLIMB THE GATE [SURVIVOR], LOOK FOR A LANYARD [PROBLEM SOLVING], OR LOOK FOR A HOLE IN THE FENCE [PERCEPTION]?

LIBBY:  "Come on, guys, Casey's right. What are the odds that someone didn't drop their key? It's the boardwalk." It's easy to tell when Libby is determined to get something done. For the first time that day, she ties her hair up in a high ponytail - she crinkles her nose as she scans the area. She probably looked a little too much like a 60’s witch from her favorite sick day show - but, she can’t help herself. Libby always felt a little smarter when she was acting like somebody else. "Sloane - you look over by the hot dog cart. Case, you should probably take the space behind the ride, and I'll... Look everywhere else. I guess.

THE NARRATOR: It’s really a wonder the boardwalk even stays open, considering how careless some of the employees can be, but after a few minutes of searching for a stray key, our little slice of the gang finds their hands on one. They unlock the gate with ease and all pile in toward the Carousel; eager to get their hands on that ominous little magazine.

The cover of the Cherry Bomb is collaged with photos of Lux, the inside? Crime scene photos. There’s no pictures of her body, of course - that would be crude, even for the Candy Girl… kind of. But images of the blood soaked into her carpet; still pictures of her bedroom, flaunting a life once lived, those are there. A shot of her suicide note, ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ and all.

And right there, in the middle of the spread, like a centerfold? A note, written in Sharpie - just for our ragtag little slice of the gang.

CANDY GIRL: GET OUT,,, GET OUT, WHEREVER YOU’RE LOCKED!!!! NOT A FAN OF SMALL SPACES?? I’LL STICK YOU IN A BOX. SOMEONE IS MISSING, BUT I WON’T SAY WHO… FIND THE KEY, AND FIND OUT WHO.

BUT WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT! YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK! LET IT RUN OUT, AND THEY’LL STAY IN THE BOX. WILL THE TIDE COME IN? HMM, MAYBE IT WON’T. OR BETTER YET? MAYBE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FLOAT.

YOU’RE NOT LOCKED IN, BUT IT’S STILL ON YOU! FIND THE KEY, OR THIS FRIEND DIES TOO.

THE NARRATOR:  Oh...my. Now, that’s quite the predicament, isn’t it? I suppose we’re at least lucky that the Candy Girl leaves the rules simple, right? Find a key, and maybe she doesn’t kill one of your friends. Maybe.

MAKE A CHOICE: ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED AND LOCKED AWAY IN A BOX. YOU MUST FIND THE KEY TO SAVE THEM. DO YOU LOOK FOR CLUES [PROBLEM SOLVING], OR SEARCH FOR A KEY WILDLY [LUCK - HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD]?

SLOANE:  Despite the rising heart rate that Sloane is sporting after looking through that shiny new issue of the Cherry Bomb and the revelation of this new note, she's standing tall, directing the other two. "Divide and conquer, like before. There have gotta be clues around here somewhere... she dropped this from the roof, maybe there's something else." Sloane's boots carry her around the perimeter of the Carousel as she searches for something, anything to give an indication of who is in the box and a way to find this damn key.

THE NARRATOR:  Look for clues. Good idea, Sloane! They split up, but maybe it's better that way.

Libby  stays focused on the sharpie scribbled riddle in the ‘zine while the other two search the operator’s booth up and down for something useful. Not so useful, but strange enough to take note of? A cherry red briefcase, shoved into one of the dusty, storage lockers. Not only that… but maybe there’s actually more to the note than they thought.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST FIGURE OUT THE PUZZLE. ADMIN EM IS HERE TO HELP, BUT MAYBE TRY THE WELCOME DESK TO START.

SLOANE: With shaky hands, Sloane reaches for the briefcase, after staring at the damn riddle for what felt like so long the words had ceased to make sense. She input their first attempt at cracking the code: 3142.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS!

THE NARRATOR: With the numbers all in the correct order, the briefcase pops open rather easily. They find a key, but along with it, our little gang sees a mess of wires, something that looks like a keyhole, a clock ticking down…. And a note.

CANDY GIRL:  ANOTHER SURPRISE  - AND THIS WILL BE FUN - I GOTTA GO, I GOTTA RUN! BUT BEFORE I DO, I PLANTED A BOMB! AND IT WILL BLOW UP WHEN THE TIMER SAYS ONE!  SO, FIND A NEW KEY, TRY OUT THE LOCK! SEE IF YOU CAN DISARM IT -  BEAT THE CLOCK! BUT IF YOU DON’T - AND YOU DON’T GO BOOM -  THEN ENJOY THE INTERROGATION ROOM!

WHERE TO FIND THE KEY? THAT’S A DIFFERENT STORY. I’M TALL, AND I’M ROUND, AND I’M SLOW, AND I’M BORING! I’M FAR AWAY, SO YOU’LL HAVE TO SPRINT, BUT IF YOU’RE RIGHT, YOU WON’T TAKE THE HIT. YOUR SECOND OPTION? MERRY GO ROUND! CLIMB ALL THE WAY UP! OR SOMEONE WILL DROWN. THE KEY COULD BE THERE, THE KEY COULD BE NOT… OH, WELL, FIND OUT! OR MAYBE YOU’LL ROT.

THE NARRATOR: Well, the threat is clear. They must solve the riddle, get the second key, and disarm the bomb before the timer runs out… if they don’t, the whole thing might be coming down. And they might just go down with it.

CASEY:  A bomb. They were now dealing with a bomb. The words barely have a chance to register in his mind before they're all scrambling to work out what the words on the paper mean and how to save their friend. With his heart still in his mouth, it barely feels like it has a moment to settle before he's spluttering out, "it has to be the ferris wheel, right?" Looking at both of his friends for their sign of agreement.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU HAVE DECIDED TO GO TO THE FERRIS WHEEL. NOW YOU MUST DECIDE WHO SPRINTS THERE BEFORE THE TIMER RUNS OUT. [STRENGTH, FIGHTER, BRAVERY.]

CASEY: With the agreement of his friends - he's bolting off. Barely a thought running through his head other than the knowledge that he has to get to the ferris wheel before the timer ticks down to zero. Their friendship circle has suffered enough with Lux's death without adding in a casualty at the hands of Candy Girl. Scrambled together with the thought that he's lost enough family over the years, too. So, it's sheer brute force that gets him through the sprint, running like his own life depends on it because... well... it kinda does. With the ferris wheel in sight, he hopes he will make it in time.

THE NARRATOR: Heart racing, chest aching; adrenaline pulsing through his veins, but somehow  he finds the key hanging from the Ferris’ Wheel’s gate like a prize less than two minutes later. With that in his hands, he just has to sprint all the way back to the carousel to save his friends. 

It should be just as easy - it has to be - but maybe the pressure of getting back in time is getting to his head, because on the way back… Casey stumbles. It’s not it’s the wipeout of the century, but it certainly shaves some time off of that fucking timer in the briefcase. Not to mention some skin off of his face -- and is that blood dripping down his collar? Fuck. 

MAKE A CHOICE:  MODERATE SUCCESS. THE GANG HAS SUFFERED A TIME PENALTY DUE TO CASEY’S STUMBLE.

THE NARRATOR: They  have the key, and now they just have to disarm that fucking bomb. It seems simple enough… But it would probably be better if whoever did it was calm. Or good at problem solving. Or just… Really, really, really good at surviving bleak situations. Any takers?

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEONE HAS TO DISARM THE BOMB [CALM, PROBLEM-SOLVING, SURVIVOR.]

SLOANE: Sloane has dealt with many a crisis, but none so bad as this one, when lives are on the line and there's a god damn bomb in a briefcase like they're in a cheesy 80s action flick. Taking a deep breath, she takes the key from Casey, worried eyes having to fight to not focus in on his injury. They don't have time. They have to do this. "I can do it." She assures them both, steadying her hands and clenching her jaw as she lifts the key towards the keyhole steadily. "Fuck it." She mutters as she tries the one they've retrieved.

THE NARRATOR:  Holy shit. Holy shit.

THE NARRATOR: I can believe this one is really happening.

THE NARRATOR: The three of them held their breath - Casey and Libby watched while Sloane went for the lock with only 30 seconds left on the timer… only to drop it.

It was the fumble of the century - the sound of the key falling into the hidden mechanisms of the carousel like a taunt - and as the clock counted down, they knew they only had one choice… 

The three of them took off running as hard as they could - their lives depended on it, after all - and though it was a mighty effort, they didn’t make it far enough not to be blown off of their feet. They all land in a pile together; beaten, broken… And absolutely fucked when only minutes later, the Boardwalk Police come running.

They expect for handcuffs to be thrown onto the three of them, but as Dean Hargrove comes running up behind them, he instructs them only to arrest Sloane.

He had known Casey and Libby since they were both kids, after all. They were his son’s best friends. How was he supposed to believe that they had something to do with this over the Salt girl? Libby and Casey try to protest, but it’s no use. Sloane is going with them to the police station, and… that’s that.

Setting up for shows had never exactly been smooth-sailing, but with Mac missing for the last ten minutes things were slowing to a halt. Everyone seems frustrated - nobody seems to know where he’s gone… Except for a forgettable boardwalk worker who looks like they’d rather be anywhere else. He says he watched Mac go up to the sound booth across from the Main Stage. Typical musician. Jamie better go drag him back before their set is supposed to start. @indyerneed​

 Plans between the twins shouldn’t have even really been called plans; plans had the unfortunate chance of falling through. No, when they said they were going to do something, it was set in stone - so when Libby isn’t anywhere to be found before the ribbon cutting ceremony…? Well, it’s certainly grounds to be worried, isn’t it? People are crowding into the area around the stage, but it’s only a moment before one of the Boardwalk workers taps Dominic on the shoulder. Apparently Libs found a better place to watch: from the sound booth across from the main stage. Damn her connections to the Hargroves, right? Oh well. Dominic better go find her before the show starts. @dominiclogan​

Alice, Alice, Alice. The Candy Girl’s fascination with the Fallen Angel of the group had rhyme and reason, but somehow it was still a mystery of it’s own. Did she really favor the girl, or did she just have plans for her? Did she want to avenge Alice, or torment her - just like Lux did before she died? Who knows. Either way, when the message came in, ‘I want to meet.’ How could anyone refuse? They picked a time and a place - 7:30pm in the sound booth across from the stage. Her special instructions? “Bring no one.” I guess she didn’t want anyone crashing the little party she had planned. @alicealder​

THE NARRATOR: Reunions were supposed to be pleasant occasions, weren’t they? They were supposed to bring feelings of joy, and nostalgia; you were supposed to forget the awkward haze that had plagued your senior year of high school, and pretend like the good old days were actually just that. Good. Absence did make the heart grow fonder and all that, didn’t it? 

Though, maybe it’s silly to wonder why this little reunion, in the Sound Booth that towered above the boardwalk, might not be so pleasant. It was only a week ago, after all, that they were all huddled into Harvey’s basement, playing at the whims of a suspected lunatic. Not even ‘a Day in Carousel Cove!’ could smooth over that awkward little blip, could it?

Still, the three of them made their polite, albeit stilted conversation. Jamie laments about being late for his set, and Dominic insists he has to go find Libby… Alice may or may not be wondering what the hell is going on! But the unmistakable sound of the lock clicking in the door behind them should be enough to stop all conversation. Jinkies, kiddos! Wonder what’s in store for you this time.

MAKE A CHOICE: SOMEBODY RESPOND.

DOM: If it had seemed like they’d stumbled into a bad horror movie before, things were apparently only going downhill from here. As if having to make painfully stilted small talk with the two people in this god damn town that he did not want to be stuck anywhere with wasn’t bad enough already, the sound of the lock clicking behind them made his head whip around. “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Dominic muttered under his breath, heading straight to the door to try the handle -- because maybe, he was just finally going insane and hallucinating the worst case scenario.

THE NARRATOR: A clock in the corner of the room strikes 7:30pm just as Dominic tries the handle - truly, and surely locked - but it’s only the beginning of the panic. It’s time for the festivities to begin - whether they’re all there or not. 

Dean Hargrove steps  onto the Boardwalk’s stage that’s laid out below them; Lux’s parents entered only a moment after. It really would be a lovely place to watch the show… If the Candy Girl hadn’t had other plans for the gang that day. Hargrove hardly says Lux’s name - hardly gets into his plan to honor the girl with the ‘Lux Lewis Memorial Carousel’ before  he’s cut off by a voice they don’t quite recognize. A voice that might just damn them all.

CANDY GIRL:  “REST IN PEACE TO OUR DEAR OLD LUX, BUT I HAVE NEWS THAT THE CHERRY TIMES IS TOO SCARED TO TELL! THIS WAS NO SUICIDE. LUX WAS MURDERED. THE QUESTION IS - WHICH ONE OF HER FRIENDS DID IT?” THE NARRATOR:  At that moment, a sheet unfurls behind Dean Hargrove, and a projector that’s been crudely wired into the soundboard flips on. The image it casts is a shocking sight to the crowd - you might even be able to see a couple of them wince if you squinted hard enough - but to our little ragtag slice of the gang, the Cherry Bomb logo was all too recognizable. It was a blown up version of her latest issue, and - surprise, surprise! - Lux is once again the star.

What they weren’t expecting, though? The crime scene photos that the projector begins flipping through, one by one.

CANDY GIRL: “AND TO THAT LITTLE GANG! MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE. IT’S FULL OF FUN, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN IMAGES OF LITTLE LUXIE’S DEMISE, AND A SPECIAL SURPRISE JUST FOR YOU: SOMEONE IS MISSING, AND YOU’RE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN FIND THEM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. GOOD LUCK!” THE NARRATOR: It would have been impressive timing if it weren’t so fucking frightening, but at just that moment, their very own issue of the Cherry Bomb slides beneath the door, skidding to  a stop, right at their feet.

The cover is collaged with photos of Lux, the inside? Those same crime scene photos. There’s no pictures of her body, of course - that would be crude, even for the Candy Girl… kind of. But images of the blood soaked into her carpet; still pictures of her bedroom, flaunting a life once lived, those are there. A shot of her suicide note, ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ and all.

 And right there, in the middle of the spread, like a centerfold? A note, written in Sharpie - just for the gang, of course!

CANDY GIRL: GET OUT,,, GET OUT, WHEREVER YOU’RE LOCKED!!!! NOT A FAN OF SMALL SPACES?? I’LL STICK YOU IN A BOX. SOMEONE IS MISSING, BUT I WON’T SAY WHO… FIND THE KEY, AND FIND OUT WHO. 

YOU MUST STOP MY SHOW, AND YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK!  BUT LET TIME RUN OUT, AND THEY STAY IN THE BOX. WILL THE TIDE COME IN? HMM, MAYBE IT WON’T. OR BETTER YET? MAYBE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FLOAT.

DO YOU LIKE IT, FREAKS, DO YOU LIKE MY NOTE? I HOPE YOU DO, BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T! ALL OF CHERRY WILL FIND YOU UP THERE… 

AND ALL OF THE BLAME WILL BE YOURS TO SHARE.

THE NARRATOR: Oh...my. Now, that’s a predicament, isn’t it? I suppose we’re at least lucky that the Candy Girl leaves the rules simple, right? Find a key, stop the show, and get out before someone can blame all of you for the horrific slideshow!

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST ESCAPE THE ROOM, BUT FIRST YOU MUST FIND THE KEY. YOU MUST ALSO STOP THE CANDY GIRL’S SHOW… THAT IS, UNLESS YOU THINK THE THREE OF YOU CAN GET OUT BEFORE SOMEBODY FINDS YOU UP HERE.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO STOP THE SLIDESHOW? OR DO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET OUT IN TIME?

THE NARRATOR: Is stopping the slideshow selfish, or noble? It’s not exactly up to me to decide - yet - but either way, with the hell that Cherry has been through lately - and Lux’s parents at that - the town probably deserves this one. 

The soundboard had clearly been tampered with long before they found the gang found their way in the soundbooth. There’s wires that have been ripped out and duct taped into new places - there’s a soldering iron off to the side that was still warm to the touch. Whoever did this must have worked quickly… and gotten out right before they arrived. Fucking creepy. It looks like there’s a few ways you can stop the show, though.

There’s always the route of champions - pulling wires until something goes dark. You could look for a power source - it all has to be plugged in somewhere, right? Or… you could just destroy the board.

MAKE A CHOICE:YOU MUST STOP THE SHOW. DO YOU START PULLING WIRES [LUCK], LOOK FOR A POWER SOURCE [PROBLEM SOLVING], OR DESTROY THE BOARD [FIGHTER]?

ALICE: It seemed like the most obvious solution, right? Pulling the wires could, like, electrocute them… right? Then it wouldn't matter if they were caught, because they'd be bacon! Searching for a power source? ...Too long. And they had to stop it some way! “Alright, that’s enough.” And with that… Alice went Wreck-It Ralph on the projector.

THE NARRATOR: It was a crude solution - that much is true - but hey! If it works, it works… And what else could you really expect from Alice? It takes a few minutes, but before long the board is sparking and the projector is stuttering to a halt. They can’t exactly figure out how to stop the music, but, somehow that seems like a lesser priority. 

Congratulations! You’ve stopped the show… but you've taken away an option that might have helped you out later. Woops.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST ESCAPE THE ROOM, BUT HOW DO YOU IT? THERE HAS TO BE A KEY SOMEWHERE, SO HOW DO YOU FIND IT? BY LOOKING FOR CLUES [PROBLEM SOLVING] OR BY TEARING THE ROOM APART? [LUCK]

JAMIE: Jamie gave Alice’s destruction a disparaging look before glancing at the other two. The question of ‘really?’ was dry and all in his eyebrows. He shook his head and started surveying the obvious surface before methodically moving to concealed space, looking for clues that might lead them to the key out of there. “No point in making any more of a mess here if we have to find a needle in a damn haystack.”

THE NARRATOR: Good thinking, Jamie. While he stays focused on the sharpie scribbled riddle in the ‘zine while the other two raid the room for something useful. Not so useful, but strange enough to take note of? A cherry red briefcase, shoved into one of the dusty, storage lockers.

Not only that… but maybe there’s actually more to the note than they thought.

CANDY GIRL: GET OUT,,, GET OUT, WHEREVER YOU’RE LOCKED!!!! NOT A FAN OF SMALL SPACES?? I’LL STICK YOU IN A BOX. SOMEONE IS MISSING, BUT I WON’T SAY WHO… FIND THE KEY, AND FIND OUT WHO. 

BUT WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT! YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK! LET IT RUN OUT, AND THEY’LL STAY IN THE BOX. WILL THE TIDE COME IN? HMM, MAYBE IT WON’T. OR BETTER YET? MAYBE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FLOAT.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST FIGURE OUT THE PUZZLE. GET THE BRIEFCASE OPEN TO FIND THE KEY.

DOM: This was absolutely ridiculous. Dominic was here to see his sister, not play god damn games. Speaking of which -- all that talk about someone being in a box and his sister decidedly not being here continued to ramp up his heart beat with every passing moment. “God damn it -- here,” he paused to lean over Jamie, fingers working quickly to put in the code: 2, 1, 3, 4.

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. TRY AGAIN.

ALICE: You know, there were a lot of red flags popping up right now. The threat of a friend (yes?) dying (drowning, she took it? So much aquatic language!) was really just… overdoing it. “Let me try,” she sighed, pushing Dominic away from the briefcase and entering ‘3214.’

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. TRY AGAIN.

DOM: They were running out of time and stable nerves. They had to get out of here, they had to find that god damn key and figure out what the fuck was going on here. So, with a last effort, Dominic reached forward again, this time entering 3421.

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. YOU'VE LOST ALL CHANCES OF SAVING YOUR FRIEND.

THE NARRATOR: The sound of the clock ticking in the corner of the tiny room is almost ominous as it continues on in it’s effort; keeping a steady beat to their struggle. They’ve lost all hope of saving their friend, but they still have to get out, or they might be framed for the Candy Girl’s little show at the Ribbon Cutting ceremony.

At least they have a few options. They could always try to break down the door - it would take some might, but it’s possible. Maybe. Someone could always climb out of the window, and take the emergency ladder down - it would be easy to let their friends out from the outside! Just watch out. It’s a long fall down if you miss a step. 

Or, if they’re really desperate… They could always try to call for help.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST ESCAPE THE ROOM. DO YOU BREAK DOWN THE DOOR [STRENGTH], TAKE THE EMERGENCY EXIT [BRAVERY], OR CALL FOR HELP? [SURVIVOR]

JAMIE: Jamie stared at the stubborn suitcase only for a single beat, deciding that they were wasting a lot of time. “Yeah, okay. Plan B, I guess,” he said without fanfare, moving to the window and shucking it open. Really, it was the thought of Mac that compelled him sling his leg over the barrier. He wasn’t thinking about how much he wouldn’t have minded a long fall down or how the other two were were probably worth more noble deaths. “I’m gonna try and get around. Wouldn’t recommend looking out here if you don't hear from me in a bit.”

THE NARRATOR: Don’t look down. Don’t look down. It’s nearly fifty feet off of the ground - a single slip might mean a broken leg, but somehow they manage to keep their footing… That is, until they don’t anymore. It’s a split second of hesitation, but they slip, and down, down, down they go! They’re not dead - they know they’re not dead once they hit the ground. Their leg, on the other hand…? That's probably broken. Definitely broken.

-

Bruised, broken, and thoroughly played by the Candy Girl’s games, maybe this little ragtag slice of the gang wasn’t expecting a rescue… And a rescue didn’t exactly come either. They waited for nearly half an hour - Jamie outside, fifty feet down and trying to scream for help over the music. They were all convinced they would spend the night here - but when the door swings open, it isn’t anybody looking for them out of concern… It’s Dean Hargrove. And he wants to know what the hell is going on here. 

Maybe if they had been a little more cunning - maybe if they had made better choices - they might be able to talk him out of his accusations. They might be able to convince him that they weren’t responsible for the cruel show… But it’s no use. The Candy Girl set up the trap, and now they were going to be paying the price. So much for saving your friend.

The day hadn’t been busy-busy until Mac  began setting up with the rest of the band - the perfect time for a Boardwalk employee to approach him!  Everything seemed to be going smoothly - at least from Mac’s end - but the employee insists that as the frontman of the band, a cord from the basement must be grabbed for his microphone. Mac doesn’t argue much - there’s no time to argue - he just needs to get back as soon as he can. @romxnticss​

The sun has been fixing it’s way over the horizon for what felt like far too long, but somehow the Minute-Makeover booth was still a-buzzing. Curling irons here, Mascara there - but somewhere within the chaos, a Boardwalk worker managed to grab Caria by the shoulder. Her mother was busy with a client, but the Boardwalk worker insisted that paperwork must be retrieved from a clerk in the basement, and it must be retrieved now - lest they pack up the booth ASAP. Caria hardly gets a look at the person - they walk away before any questions can be asked, but apparently it’s important that Caria gets to the basement as soon as she can. @manncquin​

A boardwalk employee grabs Noah by the shoulder as he’s walking down Roller Coaster Row - a little shocking, to say the least, but all is explained when the employee mentions Ronnie Russell and his need for Noah’s assistance ASAP. Apparently, there’s some table in the boardwalk basement that he needed to fetch for the booth they were setting up outside of the Main Stage. Don’t know why they asked Noah when they could have asked Casey, but… he better hurry. @thewriter-noah​

THE NARRATOR: Reunions were supposed to be pleasant occasions, weren’t they? They were supposed to bring feelings of joy, and nostalgia; you were supposed to forget the awkward haze that had plagued your senior year of high school, and just… pretend like the good old days were actually just that. Good. Absence did make the heart grow fonder and all that, didn’t it? Though, maybe it’s silly to wonder why this little reunion, in the service basement of the Boardwalk, might not be so pleasant. It had only been a week ago that they were all huddled into another basement together, after all. Playing at the whims of a suspected lunatic, and baring their souls - and their tongues - to each other. Not even ‘a Day in Carousel Cove!’ could smooth over that awkward little blip, could it? Still, the three of them made their polite, familiar conversation. Mac laments about being late for his set, and Caria makes some excuse about having to get back to her mother… Noah may or may not be wondering why he’s there at all! But the unmistakable sound of a lock clicking from the far end of the room should be enough to cease all wonder. Jinkies, kiddos! Wonder what’s in store for you this time. NOAH: Noah would be lying if he said, having come down initially to find Mac and Caria in the basement alone hadn't set off some vibes that left him feeling sick to his stomach. While it didn't look like he'd walked in on anything especially scandalous, and their reasoning for being there all seemed legit, thoughts of what had happened between Caria and his brother crowded his mind as he began his search for the table. It wasn't like he'd ever suspected anything between she and Mac but the mistrust had it's way of playing out all sorts of scenarios in his head. At the sound of the door closing he paused as he gave a quick glance up in it's general direction before looking back to see if by chance the other two had left without so much of a word. "Did either of you find what you were looking for?" He asked shortly when he noticed they were both still there, feigning certain his uneasiness was playing tricks on him. THE NARRATOR: Just as Noah speaks, a clock in the corner of the room strikes 7:30pm, as does the watch of a masked figure, just outside the door. It’s time! But for what, exactly?

A moment later,  Dean Hargrove’s voice fills the room like a ghostly echo from the stage - welcoming the citizens to the boardwalk, and more... but just as suddenly as his voice appeared, he’s cut off by a voice they don’t quite recognize. A voice that might just damn them all.

CANDY GIRL: “REST IN PEACE TO OUR DEAR OLD LUX, BUT I HAVE NEWS THAT THE CHERRY TIMES IS TOO SCARED TO TELL! THIS WAS NO SUICIDE. LUX WAS MURDERED. THE QUESTION IS - WHICH ONE OF HER FRIENDS DID IT?”

THE NARRATOR: It was hard to imagine a chill didn’t run down the whole of Cherry’s spine at the implication; hard to imagine that her friends weren’t disgusted by it… Or at least acting disgusted.

CANDY GIRL:  “AND TO THAT LITTLE GANG! MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE. SOMEONE IS MISSING, AND YOU’RE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO CAN FIND THEM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. GOOD LUCK!”

THE NARRATOR: It would have been impressive timing if it weren’t so fucking frightening, but at just that moment, their very own issue of the Cherry Bomb slides beneath the door. It skids to a stop, right at their feet. 

The cover is collaged with photos of Lux - the inside? Crime scene photos. There’s no pictures of her body, of course; that would be crude, even for the Candy Girl - kind of - but images of the blood soaked into her carpet. Still pictures of her bedroom, flaunting a life once lived: those are there. A shot of her suicide note, ‘I’m sorry, I love you,’ and all.

And right there, in the middle of the spread, like a centerfold? A note, written in Sharpie - just for our ragtag little slice of the gang.

CANDY GIRL: GET OUT,,, GET OUT, WHEREVER YOU’RE LOCKED!!!! NOT A FAN OF SMALL SPACES?? I’LL STICK YOU IN A BOX. SOMEONE IS MISSING, BUT I WON’T SAY WHO… FIND THE KEY, AND FIND OUT WHO. 

BUT WATCH OUT, WATCH OUT! YOU’RE ON THE CLOCK! LET IT RUN OUT, AND THEY’LL STAY IN THE BOX. WILL THE TIDE COME IN? HMM, MAYBE IT WON’T. OR BETTER YET? MAYBE YOUR FRIENDS WILL FLOAT.

THE NARRATOR: Oh...my. Now, that’s a predicament, isn’t it?

I suppose we’re at least lucky that the Candy Girl leaves the rules simple, right? Find a key. Get out of the room, and… Maybe she doesn’t kill one of your friends. Maybe

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU MUST ESCAPE THE ROOM, BUT HOW DO YOU IT? THERE HAS TO BE A KEY SOMEWHERE, SO HOW DO YOU FIND IT? BY LOOKING FOR CLUES [PROBLEM SOLVING] OR BY TEARING THE ROOM APART? [LUCK]

CARIA: Unquestioning dutifulness used to be chief among Caria's virtues, or at least it must have been, looking back. Not dutifulness out of any sort of filial affection but the point still stands: she's always done what's been asked of her. As it was, she barely blinked at the matter of paperwork. It checked out-- usually her mother has people to deal with the administrative side of things but a legal team for a day at the Boardwalk seemed overkill even to the unendingly ostentatious woman. And given the company Caria's ended up in the basement, she's all too happy to stay all the way adrift in her thoughts. Even the click of the door isn't enough to pull her back to reality. What is enough, however, is the unwelcome broadcast. 

She's never been good with these kinds of things. Maybe there's a way to look around at the small details and figure things out that way, but unfortunately how good she looked in tweed and faked a British accent had no real correlation to how closely her thinking could mirror Sherlock Holmes'. So, she does what she's only ever really let herself do in her imagination: She starts pulling the room apart haphazardly, hoping something helpful will happen upon her if she's desperate enough.

MAC: In twenty years, Mac had never exactly found himself in any high pressure situations. Perhaps it came from living with a self-proclaimed former hippie, or the fact that it was hard to build any real sort of stress in a record store, but regardless- he never saw himself stuck in the middle of this sort of thing. While his first reaction had been to head for the door the moment he heard Dean Hargrove's voice, still preoccupied with missing Mystic Cherry's set, the realization that they were trapped had slowly but surely sank into his brain. There's a pause as Caria starts tearing things apart, a moment to let his panic sink in, before he's starting on the other side of it, desperate for a way out and to the rest of their friends.

THE NARRATOR: In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to just start tearing the room apart. Mac and Caria look for nearly fifteen minutes - maybe twenty - as the chaos of everyone else’s night unfolds on ground level above them. They’re losing time, and coming up empty - it’s time for a new plan. 

The Candy Girl is cunning, and cold, after all. Meticulous. She wouldn’t be the type to just leave something where anyone could find it… Maybe. Looks like they’re playing Mystery Gang on this one.

MAKE A CHOICE: FAILURE. THE GANG HAS SUFFERED A TIME PENALTY DUE TO THIS ACTION. IT WILL NOW BE HARDER TO GET OUT.

THE NARRATOR: Looks like they're going to need clues to get out. Noah  stays focused on the sharpie scribbled riddle in the ‘zine while Mac and Caria raid the room for something useful. Not so useful, but strange enough to take note of? A cherry red briefcase, shoved into one of the dusty, storage lockers. Not only that… but maybe there’s actually more to the note than they thought.

MAKE A CHOICE: TRY THE CODE. 

NOAH: This was it. The first interaction with the allusive Candy Girl since the night of Lux's funeral but instead of having them all making out with one another she was sending them on some wild goose chase. Noah could barely control the slight trembling in his fingers as he attempted to put the code into the briefcase they'd found. Normally such steady hands with a pen couldn't find peace as he recalled the box that had arrived at his door only a week before. MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. SORRY.

MAC: Mac wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to know what was inside the briefcase, though his fear of whats inside soon turns into a fear of not being able to get inside as he watches Noah struggle. Quietly he takes the briefcase into his own shaking hands, inputting 2-1-3-4. MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. SORRY.

CARIA: Caria frowns and puts in 3421.

MAKE A CHOICE: WRONG CODE. 

NOAH: Noah took the box again and worked the numbers until they read 3-1-4-2.

MAKE A CHOICE: SUCCESS.

THE NARRATOR: The briefcase pops open and reveals a coppery key. Someone should probably try it in the door!

NOAH: Hearing the sound of the briefcase pop open came with a strange sense of relief as Noah pulled the key from the briefcase. "Jesus.." He whispered mostly to himself as he glanced back at Mac and Caria and made a point of dad jogging over to the door. The adrenaline still racing through his veins as he tried the key in the door.

THE NARRATOR: The key doesn’t even turn, and just like that… defeat rings through the room all over again. Wait, unless -

MAKE A CHOICE: TURN THE KEY OVER AND TRY IT THE OTHER WAY? [LUCK - HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD]

NOAH: Noah paused, contemplating as he felt the key unwilling to move and made the decision to pull it back out of the door. "It's no fuckin good. They're toying with us. This isn't going to let us out." He said frustration thick in his voice as he shot a look to both Mac and Caria. "Any other hints we missed?"

THE NARRATOR: The sound of the clock ticking in the corner of the room is almost ominous as it continues on in it’s effort; keeping a steady beat to their struggle. They have to get out, or someone gets hurt… They have to beat the clock, but how long did they have exactly? And beyond that - how long would they be stuck down here until somebody found them? 

Maybe the door wasn’t so sturdy. It seemed old enough: they could try to break it down. There’s windows - high up, but windows nonetheless. They could climb it, if they needed to. 

And if desperation really struck? Well, they could always scream for help.

MAKE A CHOICE: HOW WILL YOU GET OUT? BREAK DOWN THE DOOR [STRENGTH], CLIMB THROUGH A WINDOW [FIGHTER], OR SCREAM FOR HELP [CHARISMA.]

CARIA: Caria gives a dubious look to her companions but seems to gather some kind of resolve. "If I could just get up through the window, I could get us out," she reasons with an uncommon amount of confidence to her voice, "Can you hoist me?" And then she tries to climb up with the others' help.

THE NARRATOR: If only Cherry High’s gym teacher could see Caria now! To coach her through the proper hand holding technique they had all learned during rock-climbing week. It’s a noble effort as she makes it halfway up the wall, but as a shelf tips forward, Caria topples backward. In the blink of an eye, she’s on her back in the middle of the room - a loud crack sounding from her shoulder.That’s definitely broken.

The other two crowd their Caria, trying to comfort her - promising they’d get her help as soon as they could. But it’s no use. Nobody knows where to find them; nobody can hear them. And nobody is coming for them.

MAKE A CHOICE: YOU'VE FAILED YOUR PLOT EVENT.

CANDY GIRL: But wait! Who is that handsome boy in the back? Mackenzie Walsh Looks like my favorite boy has another shot. Let’s go, Lover Boy!

THE NARRATOR: Seriously? Fine! They had only been in here for a half an hour - maybe a little more - but somehow it felt like centuries. They were beaten, and broken down… They had fallen right into the Candy Girl’s trap, and like mice in a lab, there was no escape. Maybe. They could always keep screaming for help - but then again, what was the use?

MAKE A CHOICE: LOOKS LIKE YOU GOOFED IT - BUT YOU HAVE A SECOND SHOT. DO YOU ADMIT DEFEAT [SELFISHNESS] OR DO YOU KEEP TRYING TO SCREAM? [LUCK HIGH RISK - HIGH REWARD]

CARIA: There was no point, was there? Some tiny part of Caria insisted it wasn't, and yet it had to be. Her shoulder wasn't even what bothered her most. Even if she could get out (but what reason did she have to have ever hoped she could pull off some heroics?) it was undeniable that whoever was in that box never knew or liked her to the level she hoped. Probably, they blamed her for her relationship with Harvey falling apart, for Casey feeling hurt, for Lux dying. They were not her friends. They were unlikely to even like her that much Caria, who had been unintentionally tearing down others left and right, fostering nothing but ill-will. She felt humiliated, which was bad enough on its own but doubly so heaped in a pile in front of Noah, who probably hated her, and Mac, who probably would shortly. 

Why was she even doing this? How could she go back to the group day after day and pretend she belonged? Even if she swallowed her pride and went through the motions for the sake of retaining her place among them, Candy Girl knew the truth, which meant maybe others knew the truth, which meant she would have to sit there as the villain pushing others to suicide. She's crying. Of course she is. Messy, gasping sobs, as though she's been held too long underwater. "I can't do this. Let's not do this. I can't-" she tries to utter while struggling to breath through her crying, "No more."

THE NARRATOR: Maybe it was wrong to just sit down and let it happen to them, but what were they supposed to do? They were beaten down and broken… they had tried so hard, and failed. Why not just say, fuck it?

Half an hour goes by that feels like an eternity. Their friend quietly crying in pain; anxiety on high. Mac trying not to cry, himself. 

But the sound of footsteps from down the hall piques their interest. The sound of their voices all mix in one as they call out for help, and only a minute later is someone turning a key into the door lock.