Better Left Forgotten

*As they're walking along the hall, they don't notice Roatha, but they notice an unfamiliar dorm room door hanging open.*
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*Those fleeing from the Shadow eventually lose it, but they can't be sure if it's gone, or if it's just harder to see because the sun has started to go down.*
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E"Alright, we really need to get out of here. It got darker quicker than I thought it would."
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*Cameron receives a call.*

Sab doubles over, and tries to catch her breath.

Noct looks around, not sure if they should be stopping, "C'mon, we probably shouldn't stand still."

"I... I..." She takes a deep breath, "I can't help it. I'm exhausted... I think I'm going to be sick."

Noct frowns, and runs a hand through her hair. While Sab is trying to regain composure, Noct pulls out her phone, and brings up the video she watched to try and figure out if it caught anything useful.

*Cameron answers*

{Hello?}
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*Eve points at the door*

<Odd...it's very possible someone was just careless though.>

"We really, really can't stay here," Astarte said, looking around every direction for sign of the Shadow. "Not for long anyway. Where can we go?"

*Aroma also doubles over, putting an arm over Sab's shoulders for support.*

"If...if...if it's...still around here...then what's...the point...of...running...? Did you see...the way that thing moved...? We'll never be able to get away from it...."

*Aside from the part mentioned earlier, there's a part where the phone is falling backwards out of a window. It does catch the Shadow for a brief moment, but the glare from the sun makes it useless to anyone who wasn't there. It could be a coat rack with a hat on it, for all anyone knows. It catches a dark shoe for a brief moment, accompanied by a warped, stretched out chuckling noise, before recording muffled breathing & the inside of Noct's pocket for a little while.*
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L"We can't just break into someone's room!"

T"But there could be trouble! Roatha could be in there!"
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Jane<It's Officer Jane. We've found your friend.>

Azuma: "For sure."

Azuma heads to the men's changing room while Mimiru and presumably the other two head to the women's changing room.

Noctis frowned, and put her phone on sleep, "I got the thing on camera, but it is hard to make out. Dammit... no one is going to believe me. Mortal will, she knows that nothing like that exists in our place." Noctis let out a sigh, then looked at her friends and Astarte, "You guys alright?"

Sab took another round of deep breaths, "Y... yeah, I'm not hurt, but... I can't keep running. My legs are burning, and my chest feels tight."

Noct let out another sigh, "It's alright. Aroma had a point, we can't outrun it." She held up her phone, "I have a hunch that all we were doing is putting on a show for it. I think it found us amusing." She then looked at Astarte, "This might be tough, but I need you to tell me everything you know. Start from the accident, and the woods... What happened to you guys out there?"

{Is she alright?!}
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*Eve walks up to the door and sticks her head inside*

<Roatha?>

E"Hm...I guess it would be smart to wait until I get home to take a shower."

*To this end, Euryale rubs on some deodorent, before quickly sliding her day clothes over her gym clothes.*
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Jane<I'm afraid not. She's passed out in the building's basement. We have no idea how she got down this far or what happened, but we've worked out that she is suffering from severe blood loss. We're transporting her to the hospital immediately.>
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*With no answer, Thiera walks in, Lilith reluctantly following behind. They look around, not noticing anything particularly out of the ordinary.*
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A"Yes! How did you get away from that thing for so long?!>

*Yelling that much--though she could only get about half volume on her voice--caused her to double back over & breathe harder than before.*

*Eve follows behind Lilith*

<Maybe it's nothing.>
---
{She's alive...we'll be right over, thanks.}

*Monu is already running for the door*

Monu:<She's not dead...>

Mimiru changes out while Taiyo slips her regular clothes over her gym clothes not making any difference in her attire.

Azuma's waiting outside the locker rooms.

Astarte ran a hand through her hair and looked at her feet for a few moments before replying. She looked up at Noctis, seeming almost relieved, "I'll tell you. Everything. But we need to go somewhere first. I don't think staying out here in the open is a good idea... That thing might not be the only thing coming after us. We could go to my place?"

Noct walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Yeah, sure. Lets get going."

Sab held a hand up, "Can... can we call a cab, please?"

*Thiera looks into the bathroom, while Lilith peaks into the bedroom.*

T"There's nothing here...nothing & no one...."
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A"There are MORE monsters...?"

*Aroma wraps her hands around herself & follows. They reach downtown in short order, since they've been running around for over an hour.*
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*Thus Azuma is the first to notice the white monster pressing itself to the window, sliding along in the direction of the door, feeling over the glass, & peering around the room. Euryale, meanwhile, waits for the others before heading out of the locker room.*
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*...Only for someone or something to leap onto him from the bushes, tackling him to the ground. Those approaching can see the quills along its spine rise.*

Astarte lead them towards her front door, checking to see if her father's car was parked out front.

Noct and Sab head in, then kind of wait around so Astarte can show them where to go.

Azuma knocks on the door to the women's locker room as Mimiru closes up her bag and throws it over her shoulder.

Mimiru: "What is he doing?"

E"Not sure. What are you doing?"

*Behind him, it reaches the door, & pauses as it notices that it moves under its weight.*
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*Okay, fine, I guess they're at Astarte's.*
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*Meanwhile, Senthose enters the main bar, looking around to see if he recognizes anybody.*

Azuma: "Monster at the door. Another exit nearby?"

Astarte closed and locked the door behind them, then showed them into the living room. Sidon was nowhere to be seen, but the television and lights were on. Astarte motioned for them to take seats anywhere in the living room, where there were three individual seats and a four person couch.
"I should get drinks. Water would probably be best right now."

Noct takes a chair, and Sab takes a seat on the couch. "So," Noct said, "Lets hear it. Everything. The Shadow thing, whatever attacked Gabe--"

"I thought you guys said that was just a hallucination," Sab said.

"I don't know what to believe anymore, so I'm just being cautious," Noct said, "So, the Shadow, monsters, whatever is going on at that mental ward, or whatever it was... Oh, and the guys who attacked me. I don't know what is related, so just give me everything you've got."

Astarte distributed glasses of water to them all and then sat down on a chair, cradling a glass of water in her own two hands. She sighed, remembering again that this was supposed to be a good day, helping her forget about the events of the forest. But then she felt relief again, "I feel like if I had to keep quiet about this for much longer I would go mad... please understand, even considering what you have seen, what I have to tell you is going to seem unbelievable I expect..."
And then she began the recount. She told the story in chronological order, pausing at various points as she was upset by the memories- particularly the voice of her mother and the various attacks. She spared no details, and continued.

*Eve heads back to the door*

<It must be nothing then.>
---
*Cameron heads out the door himself, then dashes towards Monu*

Cameron:<Hector, Eduj?!>

*Monu grabs at the creature and tries to throw it off*

*Not seeing anyone, Senthose turns to leave.*
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T"I don't know, but we have to move on."

*They head out, eventually finding Roatha's door. Thiera knocks on it.*

T"Roatha! Are you in there? It's me! Lilith, help me."

*So now she & Lilith are banging on the door, asking for Roatha.*
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*Shockingly, it's stronger at them. But, seeing so many of them, it slashes at Cameron with its claws, & jumps back into the bushes.*
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*Aroma sits on the couch next to Sab, cradling her water, but cuddling close to her. She looks increasingly fearful as Astarte's story goes on.*
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E"What are--shit! There should be a backdoor somewhere, come on."

*She grabs Taiyo by the arm & runs out. Locating a hallway, she runs into it. Meanwhile, the white monster is wriggling through the door & into the gym.*

As Senthose turns around he should see Mortal and Gabe walking in, "Oh, Senthose. What's up?"

Gabe waved as well, "You're not leaving are you? We just got here."

--

Sab had finished her water, but was still cradling her glass as if it would make her safer. As the story finished, assuming it has an ending, Sab sat cowering on the sofa with Aroma, "This is horrible. What can we even do? No one is ever going to believe us, so no one is going to help. We... we're not going to die, are we?"

"No," Noct said, standing up, "If we can get proof then they'll have to do something."

"Are you saying we should go after it?!" Sab asked.

Noct shook her head, "No, but if what Astarte says is true it'll come back for us eventually. We can't just hope it won't, we have to be prepared for that eventuality."

"But what if they still don't believe us? And even if they do, what are the police going to do about it?" Sab continued.

Noct thought for a second, then sat down, letting out a defeated sigh, "I... don't know. But what else can we do? Give up hope?" Noct chuckled for a second, then broke into a little laugh.