When the Lights Go Out: MAN OF MEDAN [The Dark Pictures Anthology]

xiii. inevitable deaths

"Come onnnnnn, just tell me how collossally handsome I am."

I was back on the ship. Before my head started hurting. So the Curator did erase that part.

"Wh... What?" I asked him, forgetting what we talked about earlier.

"Admit that I'm super hot and sexy and would definitely be in the Top 100 Handsome Males in the Entire World, if not the Top 1. I know you know it." He was a giggling mess but his demeanor changed when he noticed I was just staring at him. "You good? You look pale."

"Conrad..." I said and then hugged Conrad. I remembered that last premonition I saw where Conrad fell. I wish we never come to that.

"Whoa. Okay, ace embrace over here--"

"Don't you fucking die on me Conrad, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, ma'am--"

And then a loud bang was heard from behind us. Conrad and I immediately turned around to the source of the sound. On our left, a piece of pipe flew off the wall. Then we saw an unknown individual standing ominously in the dark until a spotlight lit the person.

But they're not unknown at all. The person was Ed, but was already bloody and deceased.

"Ed?" I whispered.

"What the fuck?"

We ran away as fast as we could. We then reached a door then closed it behind us. My heart was pounding and soon enough, Ed was pounding the door as well

"Alex?!" Conrad screamed desperately. "Julia!"

I was crying my eyes, clutching as close as possible to Conrad who held me protectively. What is Ed doing here and why is it chasing us? I can't believe this is happening.

And then a moment later, the banging stopped. I heard its feet rushing away.

"Is he... Is he gone?" I asked, still sobbing and catching my breath.

"He?" Conrad asked but then shook his head and his thoughts away. Even he was catching his breath too. "We gotta find everybody. Something-- Something's fucking with us."

Conrad and I hurried onwards. We really have to catch up to everyone else. What if they're in trouble too?

A song suddenly started playing. It was very faint and was very hard to make out, although it sounded familiar.

"Do you hear that?" I asked Conrad.

Suddenly, I realised that the song playing was "Anything Goes" from the musical of the same name. But it was distorted.

This particular song was memorable for Ed. Laura did this musical when they were seniors back in high school. Laura starred as Reno Sweeney and it was love at first sight for Ed instantaneously.

"In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking but now God knows - Anything goes!" The song continued.

"Yeah. Some sort of old timey song or something." He answered.

"It's 'Anything Goes'."

"No, it's not." He said then turned to me. I was confused. What does he mean? It's clearly that song. "It's different."

"It's not different. Do you even know what song I'm talking about?"

"Uh yeah, of course. I once played that Evelyn guy. Evelyn Oak-something." Conrad said.

"Evelyn Oakleigh." I said. "I didn't know you acted... and sang too."

He chuckled lightly, but still being aware of our surroundings. "I wouldn't really call it 'acting' and 'singing'. I only did it for extra grades."