[center][hr][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjEwNi5mZmI2YzEuVG1WcmJ5QkRZWEppWld4c1lRLjA/fairy-mother.regular.webp[/img][/center][b]Interactions[/b]: Zeltzin [@Bartimaeus] [right][b][code]Road to the Old Black Manor.[/code][/b][/right][hr]

Neko congratulated herself on having the foresight to pack her umbrella as the first raindrop tinged off the roof of the van. However, the small feeling of self-pride for actually being prepared for once was washed away as quickly as the shower transformed into a storm when she reached down and grabbed air. She quietly groaned to herself and slumped against the window. [i]I’ll get you next time,[/i] Neko thought as she closed her eyes and listened to the storm, envisioning the transparent polka dotted umbrella that hid beneath the passenger seat of her rental car and radiated a smug sense of satisfaction that its multi-year-record of avoiding use remained unbroken.

The van braked and Neko was awoken from her short doze by her head banging lightly against the window. A hand shot to her temple, Neko feeling more embarrassed than hurt, before drifting down in a poor attempt to mute her loud horse laugh as Ophrenia verbally doused Jen in gasoline and then skipped on the match in favor of pulling out some old, reliable napalm. Neko’s eyes widened and she bit down on her hand as Jen finally began to show some backbone and seemed like she was about to shoot back before Lily put an end to the pointless bickering. Neko hung back for a brief moment just in case the conflict resumed and to avoid getting drenched while the others figured out how to get past the gate. Neko grimaced when the others began to climb it, but it was certainly better than the idea she had which was to just ram it with the van. She covered her head with her bag and hopped out of the van, the water immediately soaking through her shoes, as she approached the gate.

Neko swung her bag over her shoulder and slowly climbed up as Jen had done. By the time Neko was over the top she was completely soaked to the bone. She began easing her way down when Zeltzin scrambled over the top with a howl and landed hard on her feet, her leg crumpling. Neko gasped and scrambled down the side, rushing to check on the woman. [color=FFB6C1]“Oh my god, are you o—”[/color] She backed away with her hands held up defensively as Zeltzin bristled so furiously that Neko thought she was about to smack her. 

[color=FFB6C1]“Sorry,”[/color] she muttered quietly and pretended to see something interesting on the ground until they began to move on. 

Neko followed behind the group, letting those with lights lead the way, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest as she trudged onwards through the muck. Neko saw Lily get startled by something and point off into the swamp. Neko’s breath caught in her throat as she caught a glimpse of the bizarre effigy out of the corner of her eye before the light fell off of it as Jen beckoned everyone onward. She should’ve listened, but curiosity got the better of her. Neko stopped when she arrived at the place Lily had been standing and pulled her phone out of her pocket to use as a light. 

Her chest tightened as she saw on the screen several missed texts from an Abby. The screen lit up Neko’s face through the darkness of the storm as her expression absolutely twisted into a look of pure disgust. Before she had a chance to check the messages Neko felt a tiny tug on the back of her soaked shirt. [color=FFB6C1]“What!?[/color] she hissed, whipping her head around to see that nobody had touched her. She felt it happen before it actually did—a chill of a wind, a snap of a branch, a twist of a wrist, and a splash of water. She felt a numbness in her hand as something splashed into the dark, rising swampwater below. 

[color=FFB6C1]“Shit,”[/color] she said softly. Neko squatted down and began grabbing blindly into the muddied water as her phone fell in. No, not “fell in”—it had been knocked in. Impossible, but she had felt it get smacked. Her hands brushed against mud, sticks, and stones. No phone. Beyond Neko the shadow of the strange deer sentinel stared holes in the woman as her movement became panicked. Her curses grew loud enough to be heard over the storm as her desperate fishing attempts for her phone quickly became pointless splashing. [color=FFB6C1]“Shit. Shit! No, no, nonono!”[/color]