Cabin in the Woods

Azuma: "No, probably not. Sounds like someone from the search party is back."

*Euryale shrugs.*

E"Okay?"
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V"...Are you seriously crying out for mommy? Wow, what a loser."

"Fuck you, I swear my mother just ran in here, she spoke to me," Hector sounded mad. "And I'll ask again, why are the lights out?"

Azuma: "Might be good news. I'll uhh, go find out."

And he does. Taiyo sits up.

Taiyo: "You're not useless."

V"On second thought, I guess you're just a loon. I saw the newspaper, I know she's dead, & been that way for, like, ever. Weirdo."
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*Euryale, by contrast, lays back down, staring at a ceiling she can't see.*

E"How do you figure that?"

Azuma: "Looks like there is no good news to report. Instead you're losing your mind."

Taiyo: "What do you mean? Nobody else stood up to that thing."

"I know what I saw, and I know what I heard," Hector said. "Now somebody please turn on a god damned light, or tell me why you can't."

"No, no, you're not crazy, I bet you were just holding a perfectly rational conversation with your dead mother, maybe about gardening, or getting your nails--Close the door! Hurry, before it gets here!"
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"But I lost. Really bad. And now I'm just a burden on everyone. Mostly you."

Azuma: "We're conserving our limited power. In the form of it went out and no one's going to check the breaker."

Taiyo: "You can't win everytime. And no one has said anything, so don't worry about them. Besides you were taking care of me most of the time before. Now I get to return the favor."

Hector looked over his shoulder, suppressing the urge to find Vanessa and hit her, "What's-his-name and Stefan were right behind me. They should be here."

*Cameron and Stephan enter the cabin behind Hector. Cameron makes a point to glare at Hector for forgetting his name*

Cameron:<He's not lying, she led us back here.>

*Tirea and Monu wave at the returnees*
---
*Eve stands, mouth agape in surprise and delight*

<So they can be hurt...>

"And she came in here!" Hector took a few steps further into the room, sounding frustrated. "Mother?!"
Astarte had appeared in the hallway, and spoke up quietly, "...What is going on?"
Stefan turned after entering the cabin and clumsily slammed the door shut, still mumbling nonsense to himself.

R"Yeah, it also doesn't look dead, so let's get the Hell out of here!"

*He grabs Thiera by the arm & starts running after Nero.*
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V"There's no one in here, quit being stupid and ugly!"

*There's a slow series of 3 raps on the door.*

Elisia Cyprus<Honey, I got shut out. Will you please open this door?>

V"Don't open that door."
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E"I don't understand. From my perspective, it's always been you who was taking care of me."

Azuma: "What the hell is going on?"

Mimiru: "His dead mother or something is talking to him."

Azuma: "Back away from the door."

Taiyo: "But you've been making me feel safe. That maybe everything will be all right."

*Eve follows Thiera and Roatha*

[I wonder what could have done that...]
---
*Monu and Tirea help Stephan to the couch, while Cameron stares at the door*

Cameron:<I'm sure she was ahead of us. It's probably a trap.>

Monu:<You could ask it a question only your real mother would know. or something.>

"How would a monster know what my mother looks like? How would it that I am her son?" Hector stared hopelessly at the door. "Mother, what is your name, how old are you and what kind of car did you drive before you left? Answer quick so I can let you in!"
Astarte continued to watch the scene from the hallway, fists clenched.

R"I see a light, I think he's still got the lantern on!"

*Roatha runs in that direction.*
==============================
*Euryale looks guilty.*

E"All of that will still be true. I'll get better as fast as I can, & then I'll get us out of here. I promise. I won't fail again."
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<I understand...Elisia Cyprus, 43, and an old Audi. Please, I think I see that thing that was following you.>

*Vanessa begins walking forward.*

V"Don't be stupid, whatever is out there, it obviously isn't human."

*When the doorknob begins turning, Vanessa flings herself into the door, latching the lock.*

*Eve runs after him*

<Could it be the light the others saw before?>
---
Cameron:<Damn it! Hector, I'm sure she came in before us. This is probably a trap.>

*Tirea goes to peer though a window*

Taiyo: "You didn't fail. You made it go away."

Hector moved in a moment before Vanessa, throwing himself in her path and locking it himself, "Mother, please... I just can't..."

<Hector, please, you don't know what you're doing! I-->

*Her pleas are cut off by the sound of her screaming & banging on the door. She tries to scream for help, but it degenerates into gurgling & choking halfway.*
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*Euryale frowns.*

"I'm...I'm sorry, but I didn't. I was...dragged away from it. While I was trying to escape. Before it could finish me off."
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R"Oh yeah...I guess we should check."

*He shines his flashlight at the light, & it vanishes.*

R"Good call."

T"But how do we find Nero?"

Hector unlocked the door and pulled it open. Astarte looked horrified.

*Eve shrugs*

<I wish I knew. I doubt yelling for him will bring more good than ill.>
---
*Cameron stares at door, ready for anything. Monu stands up, and Tirea moves to stand beside him*

Sab seemed slightly disappointed by the lack of anything reminding her of herself. "Something wrong?" Mortal asked.

"No one likes sheep..." Sab said.

Noct, standing next to Aroma, asked, "So, is there anything here you like?"

*Vanessa maces Hector. While she's doing that, she slams the door shut & re-locks it. It never opens far enough for them to see what's on the other side.*
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R"Well, we've got to try something. NERO! HEY!"

*A light blinks off in the distance.*
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*Now that she's close, she can see that the painting still almost looks black. It looks like black paper that's been painted over with a thin layer of oil, & some charcoal drawings done over it. If one looks carefully, they'll see a mottled red sky, a field of bodies, & a few black stick figures standing over them. Aroma looks away from this monstrosity.*

"All...most of it is good. Hmm...I kind of liked the tree. And this thing."

*She gestures to a smiling mask carved out of a rose-hued stone.*