Past Mistakes | Wu Chang & Emily Dyer

Chapter 1 | The Game

          Lydia has made a lot of mistakes during her life. Using the electroshock therapy of Lisa was one of those mistakes. Performing that illegal abortion was one of those mistakes. Coming to this manor - even with some of the better events - was still one of those mistakes. Trusting that lawyer was one of those mistakes. And agreeing to prank the hunters had been one of those mistakes - especially now that she was stuck with one of them.

          She had already been wounded, and she could hear her heartbeat speeding up - there wasn't any time to heal. The odds were most definitely stacked against her. Not only was she the last survivor, but there were still four ciphers left to decode. I can't even run to the dungeon, she sighed. Still, there were more urgent matters, like how she was going to avoid getting caught. Looking around, she noticed a locker nearby. Quickly, she jumped in, praying that he wouldn't look there.

          He - Wu Chang - was one of (if not) the worst pranked hunters. And while she wasn't sure if he knew (that she was involved), she didn't want to risk it. Well, he had to have known she was involved - her excuse was a terrible one. Her heartbeat was getting louder - he was close. She looked through the locker shafts and nearly gasped. He was right there. She didn't move and held her breath. She had a strong feeling that Wu Chang wasn't just going to put her on a rocket chair, and she didn't want to figure out what he had planned. He was in his darker form - stronger, but slower. If she had a head start, she could outrun him.

          She watched silently as yellow hues grazed over the area, passing right over her hiding place - and stopping. She watched as he walked over to her, narrowing his eyes. I'm screwed, she thought, I'm completely done for. He put his hand on the closet door and... stopped..? He dropped his hand to his side and started walking away. She waited until she could no longer hear his footsteps, waited until her heart calmed down.

          Looking back on the situation, she should have never agreed to prank the hunters. When Luca and Mike suggested it, she should've told them how idiotic it was. When Lisa decided to lend them her tools, she should have told her not to get involved. When Luca suggested that they give Wu Chang the worst pranking, she should've told them that the consequences wouldn't be worth it. And yet she did the exact opposite and helped them - and now karma was about to have her head. She sighed. There was no point in wallowing now. What she needed to do was come up with a plan. First, she needed to exit the locker, and find somewhere less exposing. There, she could heal herself. Then, she needed to find a cipher and decode it. Once that happened she could focus all her efforts on finding the dungeon and escaping.

          She repeated the plan in her head a couple of times. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't terrible either. Slowly, she opened the locker door, looking around as she emerged. The coast was clear. Turning around, she quietly closed the door, standing still for a few seconds in anticipation. The playing field was the Arms Factory, and if her memory proved correct, then that meant the cipher inside the building hadn't yet been decoded. While she didn't have the greatest memories of that building, she knew it was one of the lesser exposed spots. It wasn't too far from her current location, and as she started walking she prayed she wouldn't be found.

          Her wounds hurt badly, and she had to stifle the grunts of pain. If she weren't so scared, she probably would've just healed there. But she kept telling herself to be patient. That as soon as she stepped inside she could heal, and then everything would be fine. As she walked, she continued to think about the pranks. It was a terrible string of pranks that would, "...leave Wu Chang begging for his mommy." At least, that's what Luca said. She could almost imagine the scene, with Luca drawing out his plans on a piece of paper. Mike would be practicing his juggling, showing off his skills to her, telling her to add more objects. She remembered how the trio all added different parts to the prank.