For what feels like an excruciatingly long period of time, nobody responds. They all stare blankly at the discarded body before them, the redhead's ominous words bouncing around their heads.
Then Hiro, still clutching the broom like it's his life force, manages to squeak out, "Shouldn't we call 911?" This seems like the most reasonable idea, but ever since arriving to the mansion, he's had no phone service. Maybe the others will have better luck.
But they all frown grimly, slipping their phones from their pockets, eager to be distracted from the dead body laid out before them.
"No service. Not even internet." Jim mumbles dishearteningly, fingers twitching as they clutch his iPhone.
Mulan fearfully peeks her head outside the dressing room, her hair curtaining her horrified features. "Are we safe here? What if the guy comes back? What if he kill us next?" She wrings her hands together, her breathing short and shallow, like she's about to pass out.
The redhead- Ariel?- squares her shoulders, shooting a small glance at friend, a darker skinned male who's been mostly silent since arriving. "You still got your dagger, right?"
"Right here." He brandishes a curved, silver and gold weapon from the sheath on his side, holding it up in the faded light, the florescent glow burning onto the shiny blade.
Ariel wheels back around and faces Jim, assuming he's the leader of this little group of friends. "You have to leave. Like, get everyone out. Guests, employees, owners, everyone."
Jim tilts his chin up. "You said you didn't know this guy." He points his foot at the dead man, immediately regretting it and retreating a couple feet. "Do you know the killer? Did you come here to kill him yourself?" Despite his accusation, he keeps his cool, unsure of what to make of these two new strangers.
"No." The guy with the dirtied and tatters clothes crouches down and picks up a lone seashell, one Hiro and Jim hasn't seen before. One that glows, nonetheless. "He took something of hers." He motions to Ariel with a swift wave of his hand. "Something very powerful, and dangerous in the wrong hands." After a brief pause, he tacks on gloomily, "The police probably wouldn't stand a chance against him. It's not a good idea to involve them."
"What?" Kayley balks, her hair bouncing around her shoulders as she fights to contain her shuddering. "There's a dead man on the floor, and you don't want to call the police?" She nudges Jim, mentally willing him to protest.
Kristoff stumbles from the dressing room, one hand falling on the wall to keep his balance. "Right now, I think the best thing to do is leave this area before he comes back and kills us all!" His words all come out in one, jumbled sentence, Hiro isn't sure he hears him correctly. "I'd like to not die tonight!"
"I'm with Kevin." Mulan jerks a thumb at Kristoff, and no one speaks up to inform her she's screwed up his name; again. "Let's go!" Patting down her dress, she kicks off her heels and leaves them on the floor, deciding she couldn't care less whether she's barefoot or not.
The others don't argue, and they all rush back down the dark and gloomy hallway, their pace starting out slow but gradually gaining speed as the fear sets in. No one asks questions, no one grills Ariel and her guy friend for answers, but every so often one of them looks over their shoulder, expecting to see a raging madman with a knife chasing them down.
As they approach the turn into the foyer, Jim's fear escalades; and he almost never gets scared. Well, that was before they found a dead body on the ground. But the room which was once flooded with sounds of gossip and laughter, is deathly quite. Jim curls his fingers into his palms, keeps his head low so no one can see the fear on his face he's barely managing to mask.
