#demsie

Apologies for length, can't cut on mobile.

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The treck across the field was longer than it should have been- they might have looked cool, sure, but they were tired and dirty and probably, possibly traumatised in reality.

Well. Best not think on that.

Once they arrived at the road, the group of students groaned. All the building's attached to the school had been blown sky-high, and there wasn't anything for miles.

"Y'know those parents what decided it'd be a good idea to put a school on the middle of num-fuck nowhere, I'd like to punch them," Don said, decidedly. "Hear hear," Kay agreed. Clemsie leaned heavily against his side and frowned off to the left, down the road. "Does anyone have a signal?" She asked.

"Unfortunately none of us have a phone," Will reminded her.

"Oh right." She blinked and yawned, and Don placed an arm around her shoulder as she put one around his waist. "Fuck, I'm tired."

"It's not so bad," Don said. "We're alive, aren't we?"

"True," Kay said. "And this *is* England, which compared to other places I've been is laughably small. Shouldn't take longer than a half hour to reach civilisation, if that."

"Nice one, Kay," Don said, as Wooten groaned again. Hargreaves was leaning firefly against a tree. "I'd like to offer the option of hiding in the trees and having a nap first," he said. "We've been up all night."

"At least you've slept in the last three days," Don said. "Let's get going.

With some effort, the group of six all got into a line and started a procession down the road to the right; left, so far as they knew, went towards the husk of Slaughterhouse.

"I wonder how my parents are going to take this." Kay mused. "Like I said; mum's gonna kill me," Don grimaced. Will patted his shoulder. "Chin up, Ducky. You are the one who keeps saying it will only get better from here on."

"At least I didn't die in greek sandals," Smudger said. "Wouldn't they be Roman sandals?" Clemsie glanced at her brother. " They should be," Smudger said. "But wherever Theodore and Laura got them from only had to gas of the Roman kind, everything else was greek."

"This is a *highly* unimportant conversation," Hargreaves snapped. "And it's slowing down our progress. We need to just - focus on getting somewhere with people before we all pass out once the adrenaline dies down."

"I'm tired." Wootten admitted. "And what mumm- mum will think... or Steve..." He trailed off, quietly.

"Right, well." Will said. "I suppose we should just get on with it then?"

"Does anybody here know the area?" Don asked. "Because I've got t' tell you, I don'" Don paused for a moment, the crunch of the forest undergrowth loud under their feet. "I do," Hargreaves said. "Have to, to teach people like this idiot about the school."

"Y'know what it was like when the first earl of Slaughter was hanging around the place, Hargreaves," Wootten accused.

"You were the person who most recently left Slaughterhouse, Kay." Clemsie said. "When you went to your chess tournament."

"Have to admit I don't pay attention to the scenery." Kay said. "Never thought I'd need to. But I mean, I could try and navigate."

"No point," Smudger said. "I mean, were on a road. Surely that will lead us to civi-civi-" - "A town?" Wootten offered "-a town soon enough, right?" He suggested, glancing at each of the other ex-slaughterians in turn.

"True," Kay said.

"Alright then, Smudger." Don said. "Let's hope you're right," Will added.

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He was right, of course. Kay's estimated time appeared to be about right, give or take a few minutes, because even though it felt like forever, the group arrived at a town before the sun had moved significantly though the sky.

"Whoop." Clemsie muttered sleepily. She'd seen a lot of action over the past night and morning, and it showed. They - meaning Kay, Don Will, and Clemsie - had also drunk a *lot* of alcohol yesterday (though Will the most) and that was hitting them hard already. Probably because of all the aforementioned action.

Clemsie staggered away from the group and slumped against the wall of a building and sighed in relief once she'd slid down to the pavement and was sitting on the floor.

"I've walked *far* too much in the last twenty-four-hours," Kay said, decidedly. "Budge over, Clemsie." Kay dropped next to her best friend, and Clemsie sighed, her head dropping onto the other girl's shoulder. "Go sit down, Smudger," Don said, not unkindly. It would help not having to hold up two other people, in terms of him himself not falling over asleep, anyway.

"Right," Smudger mumbled, and dropped next to his sister. He winced as he moved - likely still sore from... that whole mess at the orgy.

Don grimaced and looked over to Will. "Should probably find someone." Don said. "These five can look after themselves," Will assured. "I'll help you find one of the authorities."

Don nodded, rubbed at his eyes then sighed, shook his head and straightened his shoulders. "Alright mate." He nodded, shortly.

"We'll just... wait here then." Hargreaves said, attempting not to fall asleep. Wootten hadn't even bothered with the pretence; he'd curled up on the floor and promptly passed out. Don figured the kid deserved the rest.

"Let's get going." Don said, glancing once more at Clemsie before walking into the town proper alongside Will.

"Everything appears to have turned out quit well for you, Ducky." Will said. "I think it's turned out decent for all of us here," Don said.

"And that's the caveat, isn't it?" Will said, looking at Don. "For those of us who made it."

Don looked at the taller teen. "Yeah." He sighed. "You'd be right there."

Will turned his attention to the street up ahead, and the two continued their walk in silence.

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"So you're telling me nobody heard the big, fuck-off explosion? No-one?" Don demanded.

The police officer shrugged. "We get a lot of calls from you rich ponces," She said, affable. "'Some guy got beat up and nearly died' happens way too often to be genuine. 'The school blew up' happens just as often, if not more."

"Did you not hear the explosion, though?" Don asked.

"Well, my shelves rattled," She said. "'Bout an hour ago? I live on the edge of town closest to your blasted school."

"What else could that have been?" Will asked.

"Earl of bloody Slaughter, that's who," she blinked owlishly at them. "Surely his own bloody fucking training ground knows about the Earl of Slaughter? How he couldn't kill the beast so he trapped it underground, how one day he claimed he killed the beast but provided no proof other than a clean pike, how his dog never seemed to age, never seemed to die, yet he grew old and frail and withered away?" She looked between them. "Personally," she added, "im pretty sure the dog is still around, looking for a new, worthy owner."

"That's a great story, and all," Don said, "But do you think we'd really go to all this effort for a prank?" He tried.

"Probably," She said. "I don't know you."

"Look just send someone over there," Don said. "And if the school's still standing then - fine us for wasting for time, or somethin'".

"Sounds legit," she said. "You're desperate enough alright. A holding cell's no place for a bunch of kids, though - find your friends and bring 'em back here, I'll call up Lorraine and she'll take you to the inn."

"Thanks, officer." Don said.

"Don't mention it," she said. "Now skedaddle."

"That went better than I had expected," Will admitted.

"You just got't have some faith, Will." Don smiled. "We're goin' to be alright."