our destination is uncertain

Chapter 2

This chapter was written by quaintrelle!

People eventually tire of dancing.

The exhaustion from the demand of the performance can kill, and all performers know their limit. But in a life or death situation, does it even matter?

The audience of the day is a man of little mercy. His cuts run through Margaretha's skin like second nature, blood spilling out with sick precision onto the floor. 

This mockery of a gentleman had run her across the whole asylum, the rest of the team trying to decode as their wounds fester within them.

Margaretha can barely remember how many ciphers need to be done, not even sparing the time to think as an owl cries in pain behind her.

Margaretha would thank her brother later, but outwardly she curses out the world.

"How unbecoming of a lady you are.." The masked man leers at her with a smile aiming for another hit.

His clawed hand stab into her back, and Margaretha is left on the floor, numb and in pain. Her performance is finished.

The hunter takes a look at his work. He appears satisfied, and even with his mask on, it seemed quite obvious that he was grinning at the moment. A formidable prey left on the floor.

But the moment is all too fleeting, and he leaves behind nothing but fog. It does nothing to calm Margaretha.

Her nerves, in fact all of her body, remained in alert. If he's gone, does it mean that everyone else is in danger? Would Tracy be able to outrun him? Would Martha still have the courage to shoot? Would Eli be able to leave her behind?

She hopes so. She hopes her brother is safe, at some dark location working on some forsaken cipher for a passcode.

..Even though she knows she's hoping for too much. Through Popo, Margaretha is sure her brother's concern has him looking for her, and for once, she dreads seeing a dark blue cloak.

"Margie!"

A masculine voice rings in the hall, and for Margaretha, it is a death sentence. She silences herself, in the hopes to not be found. She would rather be found dead than deal with the guilt of leaving her brother behind again.

She would rather have her body decompose in peace than ponder on the amount of people she left behind, at any rate.

But ultimately, nothing can stop her small cries of escaping. Pain had begun to spread like wildfire, blood continuing to spill onto the dirty floor. Her grandmother would once say that it would be unbecoming of her. But that same woman is also another person Margaretha has left behind.

It brings Eli to her, at any rate. "Margie.." Eli wastes no time trying to heal her, but he doesn't get too far. With the last of her strength, Margaretha grabs her brother's hand, stopping Eli in his tracks.

"Just run.." It is one of the few moments where Margaretha had pushed Eli away. She had never made it a habit, in fear of worsening their divide. While Eli may understand, Margaretha's head still reels in pain from the thought.

"There's no need for that, Margaretha." Was the use of her full name supposed to comfort her?

With a protective like care, Eli continues to wrap bandages on his sister's various cuts. Popo, in the meanwhile, cuddles onto her owner's shoulder in comfort.

Margaretha wonders if she hurt Eli by ending up so badly.

"It's a lost cause. I can't.. I can't get up." Never has Margaretha felt so small.

"That's fine. We'll be fine, Margaretha." Although Eli had never appeared to be the physically strong sort, he easily manages to place Margaretha in a piggyback ride.

Although incredibly inconvenient, the two make their way through the empty asylum.

"Eli. What happened to the others?" An innocent question breaks the small silence, and without showing Margaretha, Eli couldn't help but frown. Margaretha is none the wiser.

"..They got caught. We have to get out for them." Margaretha has no response for Eli's words. Her heart breaks a little for the other girls, but she knows in her head that Eli must be incredibly distraught. He never did quite like being one of the last ones left.

They make their to the laundry room without any fuss. Softly, Eli delicately leaves Margaretha on the ground, as to not aggravate her wounds.

There is nothing but silence in the laundry room, as if even the rats had disappeared from sight. Even Eli's taps on the keypad are silent, and Popo is solemn on Eli's shoulder.

But their reprieve lasts for only a fleeting moment.

Demented humming sounds from the halls, alerting the siblings of impending doom. Margaretha can only look up at the ceiling in acceptance of her fate. She hopes, for her brother's sake, that he can be brave.

The hunter sweeps into the room, fog following his every footstep. It takes all of Margaretha's strength to yell, but her voice remains broken and weak. Eli would not be able to hear her warning, and it would go in vain for a slowly opening door.

"Escaping, aren't we?"

A cold, inhuman voice freezes the both of them in their tracks.

"I find it impressive how you both made it this far.. I suppose I checked that dungeon for nothing." He steps out from the fog, and to the untrained eye, he seems invisible. But spots of his suit reappear back into vision, and Margaretha is desperate for a miracle. But it is a miracle that she will clutch with her hands until the bitter end.

With all her remaining strength, Margaretha grabs hold of Jack's foot, rendering him unable to move for a second.

"Eli! Run! Run far away from here! Win the game!" Her body is shaking, her bandages becoming undone. But she anchors Jack with all she has left.

"Margie..?"

Eli is left at the gate, as if standing in shock. In the corner of her eye, she can see a panicked Popo trying to tug her owner to freedom.

"Get out! I won't forgive you if you die!" Margaretha lies, but seeing her brother flinch for a moment has to be worth something.

"Listen, wench-" The supposedly-gentleman like hunter's anger intensifies, his strength over taking Margaretha's weakness. He wriggles his foot out of her hold, only to mercilessly step on her head, as if stamping out vermin.

Margaretha does not live to see who gets left behind.