April 9th

[terminalshow]

April 9th, 2012, early

It was a humid morning, and only the second week of school. A fine mist of rain clouded the sky, doing nothing against the damp heat that had invaded Eizou Academy’s campus. Beyond the misty and annoying weather, it was also irritatingly early! Students milled about from the main gates, slowly heading towards their campus buildings (it could be quite a walk, most had to arrive a wee bit early). Umbrella’s seemed to do nothing against the rain, but staff and students alike tried to use them regardless.

A scream sounded out, from the cluster of buildings that all the elementary and junior high students were headed toward. It was quite a distance away from the Highschool section, and the clouds and mist dulled the sound. Sirens, blaring through the morning air, pierced the quiet created by the mist. Where were those headed?

That exact thought filtered though Miho Tanaka’s head fifteen minutes later. She could see flashing lights of a police car, and probably an ambulance, from out of the front door’s of the Highschool building. The light filtered through the thickening mist, as the rain started to gradually turn into a downpour. The school seemed eerily quiet, and everyone’s attention seemed to be drifting out toward the elementary buildings. What happened?

Two girls entered, whispering in low fast voices to one another.

“Did you hear? A teacher jumped.”

“I heard she was pushed! The impact broke her neck.”

“I heard she splattered all over the concrete…”

“But we still have to go to class today? Jeez!”

"Mouu, I bet everyone in junior high will get the day off today. This is so unfair.."

Miho frowned slightly at the passing conversation, gaze drifting from the two gossiping girls out towards the lights in the distance. A jumper, huh…?

((NOTE: About half an hour after this initial post, the PA system comes on - everyone is informed they get the day off.))

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[terminalshow]

Apparently these two really hated storms, lightning, and thunder. Miho mimicked the whimpering noise that came from her senpai – somehow the dim lighting of the stormy sky seemed to make her apartment incredibly eerie. Shadows casted from the furniture seemed longer and more sinister, and the silence, beyond the storm (and Seung Mi and Miho's whimpering) seemed very oppressive indeed. Where were the sounds of other apartment life? Sure, she lived on the very top floor (36) and there were only a few other apartments up this high... But surely they'd be able to hear something?

“G-san! C-check the breaker, go check the breakkerrr.”

[americandiplomacy]

"You'd think the generator would've come on by now." Greg had browsed away from the weather site, and now he was scrolling through one of his favorite pages on the web. It was an image board all about video games! Well, sort of, they got off-topic a lot. Lots of arguments, too, but those were entertaining. Actually, everyone there was pretty much a bastard... Whatever, it made for fun browsing. "What? Breaker? Uhh... Do I have to?" Gregory wasn't scared, honestly, he just didn't know the first thing about that sort of electronic mechanism. In the movies they always just flipped a switch, though, so how hard could it be?

After asking and being told that the breaker was in the laundry room, he set out to find it and then do whatever one does with that sort of thing-- Oh, wait! The boy had a phone, didn't he? Durrrr. He opened a new browser while he walked, searching something like 'how in the hell does a breaker work' and then stepped into the laundry room with a sigh. Ms. Tanaka had hung a painting over the large and not-so-pretty thing, as was common, and he removed that with a small grunt. "All right, let's see here..."

[forgottencarol]

Ever observant, Seung Mi's mind compared their situation to a horror movie. It was the perfect setup; an apartment on one of the highest floors, no power in a horrible storm, and eerie silence save for the whimpering girls. All they needed now was some ridiculous villain, one who would only be frightening thanks to the ominous environment. Those scenarios never frightened Seung Mi, of course not; but storms definitely did, and the dramatic setting was relatable.

"This is like a horror." She decided to share her observation with Miho. It may not have been the best idea, especially coming from someone as monotone as the exchange student, but oh well! At least her whimpering stopped... But the clinging didn't.

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“Horror? Kind of, kinda like a murder mystery I read once.” Miho anxiously licked her lips, trying on a brave smile. It sort of worked, although her nervousness at the situation was still plainly visible on her face. “Um! So! Heyy... In that murder mystery, the murderer got in through the window. At least that can't happen here right? Haha.. 36th floor, and all!”

The breaker system seemed easy enough, there were many switches for the entire apartment, and they were all labeled. Things like main hall, main bath, family room, entertainment room... There was even one labeled Akane's Love Hotel- What the hell was that?! Probably her bedroom or something bizarre like that! They all seemed to be switched on, though, so what was the problem?! Clearly not the breakers!

“What's taking G-san so long?” The girl glanced down the hall he'd gone.. The hall with no windows. It was too dark to see down it, how eerie! The shadows seemed to shift, however. Miho froze, as another flash of lightning illuminated the sitting room. “... Did you see that?”

[americandiplomacy]

Oh, breakers weren't very complicated at all. He just had to make sure they were all flipped on, and then flip them off and back if there was still a problem... Okay. Greg pulled the panel away while squinting, then held his phone up like a makeshift flashlight. There was probably one in the laundry room somewhere but he really didn't feel like getting on his hands and knees to look! Right, so these were all labelled and on... He tried to ignore the more strangely labelled one, there, but it was impossible. "Akane's... Love... Nnrrff." Yeah, he never wanted to end up in that particular room.

Well, they were all on! That just meant flipping them all back and forth once, just to see... Greg started on that, and had flipped four of the eight little switches when a sudden noise nearly made him jump out of his skin. "What the f--!! Oh." Right, his text alert. Gregory grumbled, figuring he'd check it after he finished flipping everything. By the time he was done, the lights still weren't back on! That meant it wasn't the breaker, dammit.

Greg lifted his phone with a sigh, unlocking the screen and then checking the text. Oh... It was Miho's mother. Looked like she'd be out even later than she thought, and apparently the girl wasn't checking her phone! The boy turned to the door... Which was closed. That was odd, he didn't remember shutting that thing. He wrapped his hand around the knob, still distracted by the phone, and gave it a tug... No dice. The thing definitely wasn't locked, but it felt like something was actively holding it shut from the other side. "Uhh... Miho-san? That you? C'mon, let me out."

[forgottencarol]

The girl regained enough composure to lower her arms from her captive housemate. She felt a pang of an unfamiliar emotion – embarrassment, perhaps? Her behavior a few moments prior had been uncalled for, in her opinion, and that was not the way Lee Seung Mi did things. Frightened as Seung Mi was, she should've remained calm and dealt with it quietly. Her moment of shame was just that, however; soon, the idea became stale and forgotten about. It was a hiccup that could be easily overlooked, and would.

She folded her hands in her lap, fingers curling and gripping the material of her skirt every time the storm gave her something to be afraid of. “Of course not.” Back to curt replies and the Seung Mi she was recognized as? Yep! Though, being this close to Miho was a biiiit uncomfortable...

What -was- taking Gregory so long? In Seung Mi's experience, it didn't take that long to locate a breaker. Unless there happened to be a problem? It was dark, and a possibility. She tilted her head slightly, as another flash of lightning lit up the room. Hmm.

“What? I saw nothing.” Although observant, her attention was on the storm outside, and -not- down the darkened hallway.

[terminalshow]

“H..ehhe, yea, there was probably nothing.” With her cheeks flushed she slowly let go of Seung Mi. Now wasn't the time for clinging and screaming (plus hey, it was kind of embarrassing!). She peered down the hallway again, narrowing her eyes. “Let's go check on G-san, okay? Do you mind?” One hand rose to rub at the back of her neck. “I don't want to go alone.”

[americandiplomacy]

Okay, now he was getting frustrated! Greg gave the door a few good tugs and got nowhere, then huffed and growled out a threat. "I said open the door, this seriously isn't funny..!" The boy planted one of his feet on the ground firmly and leaned forward in preparation for a large yank!

When he did pull back, though, there was absolutely no resistance and the door flew right the hell open. "Aaaahh--!" The two in the living room would hear the loud bang of the door hitting its stopped followed by another thunk when poor Greg's head smacked into the hallway opposite's wall. There was a potentially unnerving groan from down the hall that followed, and then something stumbled right into their line of sight down near the end of the hall.

It was humanoid, it was hunched oddly, and it was making some very pained and odd noises. That's about all they'd be able to make out!

[forgottencarol]

Seung Mi shifted her gaze to the hallway. Hmm, there was still no sign of Gregory. Checking on him would be the proper thing to do, she thought, and stood up. "All right," she agreed, "he -is- taking a bit long."

Just then, a series of noises resounded from the hallway and startled the teenager. She flinched. What in the world? Squinting her eyes against the blackness, the exchange student took a few steps forward. "Harman?" She raised her voice a little, tone questioning as she called out. Something - a person - seemed to be hunched over in the darkness. There were no other people in the apartment aside from the three of them, and so it only made sense to call out again, "Are you okay, Harman?"

[terminalshow]

Miho’s reaction was hardly as logical and calm as her upperclassman’s was. The poor girl froze on her feet, her eyes wide as she stared hard down the hallway as though it were the very entrance to Hell itself! Logically that must have been Gregory hunched over, down the hall, but… In Miho’s overactive mind, it was some sort of shadowy deathbeast here to terrorize them. As a result of her imagination (which was quickly spiraling out of control), the girl picked up a coushin from the couch and lobbed it! “Takethat!”

[americandiplomacy]

"I'm goo--..!" He'd almost managed to finish when something large but thankfully soft smacked into his head. Greg nearly did an odd and corkscrewy backflip, landing on his side, and then groaned again. "It's me..! It's, uugh..." Greg rose to his knees and had almost reached his feet when there was an odd creak behind him from the end of the hall. He knew there was a door there, and it sounded an awful lot like a door opening just a bit. The boy didn't really want to turn around, though! He blinked several times, eyes locked down the opposite way toward what he hoped was freedom... It was at least company, because the other two were that way!

Gregory stood up and then bolted, not looking back even once, then leapt over the back of the damned couch to land in a seat beside Miho with his heart thumping. "It wasn't the breaker!" Cough.

[forgottencarol]

“Tanaka, don't -” The older girl hadn't spoken fast enough. She watched, blank-faced as ever, as her housemate tossed a cushion at the 'strange form' Seung Mi knew to be Gregory. With a little sigh, she stood there and waited for realization to kick in for Miho. But then, another surprise for the night, their towel-clad guest ran and jumped into a seat on the couch (which now lacked a cushion, thanks to Miho).

“Well.” She blinked, not bothering to question, “Maybe it'll be resolved in the morning.”

[terminalshow]

Miho let out another little 'eeeeah!' at Gregory suddenly volting over the couch. She looked a little sheepish afterwords for her reaction, but hey! It was scary, okay?! The atmosphere was tense and uncomfortable, and it felt like all manner of bad things could happen. “Sorry, s-sorry, G-san.” She bowed her head with the apology, and just as she was about to open her mouth to suggest they light some candles or something... The power started to flicker back on! It looked like the storm was coming to a close, and they'd be spared too much more freaky shit.

[americandiplomacy]

Greg blinked when the lights started to flicker again, and he couldn't help but sigh with slight relief when they all came back on. He glanced down the hall he'd come from out of curiosity alone, but found the door he swore he'd heard open up neatly closed and apparently undisturbed. Maybe it was the fear getting to him? Ehheh. "Things acting, uh... Weird tonight, huh?"