Lockdown (Picture Day book 2; an II fanfic)

Spell 'Apology'

(The first section of this chapter was written by horrorluv08!!)

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Knife's eyes shot open. He...He was alive? He glanced around at his unfamiliar surroundings, trying to comprehend where he was. Everything felt numb.

And it was oddly peaceful.

There was a white light shining in front of him. Blinding him, but without the pain. Everywhere else was dark and empty. It was warm here. Oddly warm. Not uncomfortable, no, but it was a familiar warmth. Somehow.

"Knife!" A voice. Calling for him. He narrowed his eyes at the white light. There was...something moving.

"Knife, come on!" He took a step forward. Someone was calling for him. Calling to him. A voice he recognized, a voice that felt so...so warm. Warm, and bold, and brave. He walked up to the light, just a few feet between him and the voice. (Or was he further away? Or closer? It was hard for him to comprehend anything at this point.)

Finally, a figure he could make out stepped forward, staring him down. The boy laughed. "Come on Knife, don't be a loser."

"...T...Trophy?" Trophy smiled, laughing softly at Knife's confusion and shock. "Come on man. We're safe here." Another person stepped behind Trophy. Microphone. Mic.

"You...You're alright?" Mic smiled just slightly, nodding. Trophy offered his hand out, "Come on Knife. No need to stand there like you've seen a ghost." With a pause, Knife spoke again.

"Where's Fan?" Mic and Trophy turned to look at each other, before Trophy chuckled. "He's okay, Knife." Knife took a moment to think. Trophy was here. Mic was here. He was...dead.

But it was still comforting. He looked at Trophy's outstretched hand, and finally, finally, he took it.

And pulled Trophy into a hug.

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"S...h-u...f-f-l...e."

Apple sat on the ground by the gym closet, spelling out the words of noises she heard in the room.

Marshmallows lessons were helping to some extent, at least Apple was able to spell out words, even if she didn't know the definitions for most of them.

Marshmallow was asleep right now, so more learning wasn't an option.

Understanding grammar was difficult for Apple, of course, but one thing Apple really struggled to understand was...

...Why?

Why was Cobs even doing any of this, and why did it have to happen to all of them. Out of all the people out there, their school just happened to be the unlucky ones.

Maybe that's how other people out there who are suffering feel.

Maybe there really was a reason for all of this. Cobs probably had... a bad childhood... home life... school experience... something to have caused this.

Either that or he was just doing this all for fun. No reason behind it, just his own... messed up version of a 'game.'

There was no clear explanation for it all.

But as far as everyone there knew, he was just there to torture and kill.

Except... people were dying without Cobs even having to do anything.

It pained Apple knowing that she was the reason for one of those deaths.

She stared at the basketball hoop, where Trophy still hung.