Spring Break

episode 11

Your Decision: The three should try to free Joanne from the restraints and allow her to continue on through the game with them.

The orange light flickered softly before stabilizing, hardening the dark shadows that were casted upon their faces. No one moved, and no one breathed, too focused on the inner conflict that had suddenly been posed.

Griffin's hands were clenched at his sides, his brown eyes casted on the door while refusing to meet Joanne's begging gaze. Emma found herself in a similar stance, unwilling to simply forgive such a horrific act. Joanne had killed Jeremy and had been willing to kill Wes. Emma wasn't sure she could ever trust her again, not to mention look at her without feeling sick.

Sighing, Wesley allowed himself to look into the pale blue eyes of Joanne that stared desperately at the people that suddenly hated her. Fear ran through each of her trembling breaths, terror written in her knitted eyebrows. "We can't leave her here" Wesley spoke first, earning raised eyebrows from the other two.

"Did you not hear her?" Griffin asked incredulously, cautious eyes narrowed. "She killed our friend, because she thought it was you. So, in simpler terms, she wanted to kill you. Hell, she thought she had. And you think we should trust her?"

Wesley released a heavy breath, crossing his arms over his chest as that coldness clung to his skin. "I'm not saying to trust her. I'm not even saying we should like her. I'm just saying it's not right to leave her here. C'mon, I know you two are thinking it" Wesley explained, watching Emma's eyes soften.

"Yeah, I know" Emma admitted, shivering occasionally as it seemed that the electrical current still hadn't completely drained from her. "I just don't like it, is all" she added with a disgusted glance at Joanne who crumpled under the look of hatred.

Groaning softly, Griffin ran his hands vigorously over his face as if trying to wake himself up from a nightmare. As he looked around again, he realized that the chances of that happen were slim to none. "Alright, fine. We'll let her out. But we better get moving because we both know our friend up there doesn't like to wait around" Griffin muttered, reluctantly stepping towards Joanne.

Wesley agreed with a curt nod, jogging towards the chair that's icy grip held Joanne tight. He wrapped his fingers around the metal restraints, pulling back with what little strength he had left. A gasp escaped his lips as he stumbled backwards, his grip quickly slipping. "Here, Griffin, try and help me with this side" Wesley suggested with a crack of his knuckles, the two standing over the restraint as they tried to break Joanne free.

"Thank you. Thank you" Joanne whimpered softly, immense relief washing over her at the knowledge that her friends would at least spare her life. She knew she didn't deserve it, especially not from Wesley, but she found hope in the fact that they stayed. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to redeem herself.

As the two worked on the restraints, using their brute strength to try and free her, Emma wandered around. She knew she was too weak to assist with the breaking of the chair. Instead she took slow steps around the chair, eyes dancing around the room.

They caught on the back of the chair, narrowing in a studious manner. A square of orange rust crusted over a small section of the metal backing of the chair, Emma's fingers tracing the rough surface. Under it she could feel the outline of something.

Using the hem of her shirt, Emma scratched away the rust to the best of her abilities, watching the orange dust flutter softly to the dull floor. Pulling her shirt away, what remained was a panel with four screws. "Shit" Emma murmured, eyebrows furrowed in thought.