Margot had decidedly spent that night sneaking and pawing through the rooms. Her hands caught on Tic's journal, which had only a brief summary of the event he had gone to similar to the Autumn Umbrae. But why does it need to be a party? Why does the Singer force us here? Only to give us luxury and then eat us? It was terrible, how badly Margot's head spinned as she searched for something to explain any of this. What to do next.
She remembered that voice, and how she needed to find something. Wasn't specific on what, because of course not. She'd just know if she found it. Isla was no help, having now decided to avoid her anytime they crossed paths. She didn't really have the time to care, since she was busy looking through Cosmo's underwear drawer for a clue. What would some random voice want? she asks herself, shutting the drawer just as Tic enters the room.
"What are you doing?" he asks in a concerned tone, and Margot jumps up in surprise.
"Oh, heyy! I was just, um-" Her improv skills seemed to take a vacation, as she's left unsure what to say. Tic studies her, a blank expression on his face.
"You're looking for answers, aren't you?" The young Solomon forces out an exhale, her eyes travelling to the ground.
"Tic, something isn't right," she admits, gnawing on the inside of her cheek, "this whole thing just isn't right. We're all sacrifices to a monster that torments us. My... friend has no memory of me, and there are people out there that can at least be saved from this curse if nothing else."
"We can't avoid fate, Margot. This was predetermined ever since we were born in this town, handpicked to become a sacrifice to save your own skin." Tic shrugs, his mouth forming a small frown. "If there was anything that could be done, then it would've been done a long time ago."
"Well, it's gonna be done now." Margot nods with a profound determination. "I have no idea why I'm trusting you with this, but I am. Probably overwhelmed with emotion, but you know what, it works. I haven't slept in weeks and it's finally begun to catch up."
"Jeez," Tic chuckles uncomfortably, fidgeting with his hands. "I think there's someone who can help you, but he kind of hates everyone."
"Take me to him," Margot immediately replies.
"Uh, Margot, I'm telling you you're gonna probably gonna regret it. He really cannot stand helping anyone, so you're gonna need something that'll buy his time."
"Ugh, why can't this be easy?" Margot fumbles furiously with her jacket pockets and fishes out a keychain in the shape of a miniature vintage cassette rusted and aged from the touch of time. On the side was a small button, and the music that played from it echoed in Margot's ears without having to press it. "I can give him this."
"Eh, he might like it," Tic shrugs, eyes conflicting with an intense uncertainty. "We should go next week. He's not much of an early bird."
"Suppressing my impulsive emotions is horrible, do not do that. I have the urge to slap someone with a pineapple."
"Uh, why a pineapple?"
"Why not?"
"Margot, go get some sleep. We'll go see him soon, don't worry."
"Okay, okay, fine."
---
"She. Did. What?!"
Sherwin's pacing Connor's living room. Of course they are; despite being in multiple extracurricular activities, they can never seem to actually keep still.
"I don't know, alright? None of the adults want to explain anything, and we're all just forced to stay home. How much didn't they tell you?"
"All I know is that I come home from my game, and Margot's missing! And there are Wanted posters of her with a reward of twenty-five dollars?!" Sherwin exclaims, running a pale hand through their black locks.
"Which, honestly, is so cheap and so typical of this place," Connor huffs, rolling his eyes. It sounded more and more ridiculous the more he acknowledged it. "Sher, you're gonna have to calm down for five seconds, please."
"Connor, our friend is a fugitive for a crime we don't know and no one's giving us answers!" They throw their arms up, staring at their friend in disbelief, as if their emotional outburst was perfectly timely.
"Yes, I know this. Calm. Down."
"Not until we get some answers." Sherwin shakes their head, continuing to pace at a rate that was faster than before.
"We obviously won't get them, Sher. So, what do you propose we do about this situation?" Sherwin stops, glancing at Connor as he adjusts his purple scarf. The one Margot had knitted for him for his bar mitzvah.
"We find them ourselves," they reply, their words feeling hollow but the delivery saying otherwise.
"We're gonna have to. There's something off about Hathaway, and everyone seems okay with it. But Margot and Isla are missing, and none of the kids who went to the party have left to go home yet. Including Jeannie." Connor sighs, biting his lip before continuing. Poor Jeannie. "It's time we figured out how to put a stop to whatever's going on."
"I'll help." It's not Sherwin who replies this time, but Niah. She leans against the doorframe that led to the kitchen, a wistful look painting her regretful eyes. "I got her into this mess by provoking her to go. Should've known she would've come up with such an elaborate scheme because I told her no." Niah shakes her head.
"...Weren't you in the kitchen making us dry newspaper cereal?" Sherwin asks in confusion, but isn't answered as Connor exhales slowly.
"You two aren't very discreet." Her tone trails off uncomfortably as she notes the disdainful glint in Connor's brown eyes.
"How much do you know?" he demands.
"Connor, listen-"
"How. Much?"
"Enough to have wanted Margot out of this situation." Niah's voice is monotonous and calm, but Connor knows it's fake. Her chin trembles very lightly, and she grabs fistfuls of her sleeves as she hugs her body. "I tried to make some excuse to keep her in a safe place, but it- ugh, it clearly didn't work. I never wanted her to be picked."
"This town was always so backwards but I never thought it'd sacrifice innocent children to a slaughter that has nothing to do with them." The idea out loud was amazingly stupid that Connor forces out a bitter laugh. The harsh sound reaches Niah and causes her shoulders to flinch.
"Why Margot? She never did anything to anyone," Sherwin pipes up, voice cracking slightly. They clear their throat and try again. "Is it, like, a unanimous vote among everyone or-or some sort of draw, or..?"
"It's a draw," Niah informs as she finds her gaze on the mysterious stain on the carpet. "All our memories are supposed to be wiped after they leave. But it has drawbacks and bugs that are quite frankly crazy sometimes." That explained why Sherwin would often forget having done their homework and did it twice, or how Connor would remember an old classmate in their class that was... suddenly gone.
"You sure know a lot for someone who's meant to be a random citizen," Connor notes aloud, brows arching.
"Are you gonna continue to be suspicious or are you gonna help me track down someone who might know where Margot and Isla are?" Niah's tone raises as she storms over to the ugly couch to retrieve her jacket, which makes a jingling noise when she lifts it from its resting position.
"Who are they?" the blonde questions curiously as they stand up, brushing off the invisible dust on their shorts.
"...A friend."
"I don't like this," Connor whispers to Sherwin as the two both stand to follow Niah out of the house.
"Me neither, but Margot would do the same for us if we were in her shoes." He could see it; Margot going through great lengths to bring the two home.
That's exactly what all of them were gonna do.
---
a/n: this part of the arc will be split into multiple parts as i would go over my intended chapter length if i tried to cram it all into one chapter
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solomon's lament | completed | final product under editing
Paranormale"I'll let you go in exchange for a deal." "Wh-What deal...?" "All I ask is you find something for me. I'll take you to that place where it is, which is safe and you cannot be harmed. But if you don't find it, I fear you won't live very long, and you...
