[img]https://i.imgur.com/aHWHQEs.png[/img] Interactions: Ophrenia [@silvermist1116], Neko [@Atrophy] [code]Road to the Old Black Manor. [/code] [hr] Charlie had never climbed over a gate before - well, she hadn't climbed much before. She was fit enough thanks to being on her feet for twelve hours a day at work, but something like this? How did she even go about it. Thankfully she didn't have to think about it too hard, because "Carl" pointed out where to put her feet and hands. She didn't rush like Lily and Zelztin, one seemingly ruining clothing and the other injuring herself (or exacerbating an old injury? Charlie couldn't tell). She carefully climbed over the wall, following the path Carl had taken, and landing on the other side with an inelegant thud. Nothing broken or ripped, though. Slow and steady wins the race, or something. "Thanks," she nodded to Carl, following on near the back of the group. The swamp was fucking spooky, and the rain made visibility pretty poor. Charlie squinted her eyes against it, glad she'd invested in a good raincoat - her half bare legs were soaked, but her top half and head was safe. Thank god, cause her hair was already a state. She pulled out her own torch, brand new and shiny, turning it on so she could see in front of her own hand. [quote=Lily]"... What. In. The. FUCK?" [/quote] "Huh, they have an interesting taste in sculptures here," Charlie joked, trying to ignore the unease creeping into her mind. But she couldn't get rid of it the more she looked at the... Strange deer statue. It looked alive, but also not. It didn't look right just like this place didn't feel right. Charlie shuddered, muttering, "maybe this is why everyone here thinks magic is real." Moving on. (Thank god Carl went over to help Neko get her phone, cause Charlie really didn't want to stray further into the swamp than she had to.) Charlie couldn't bring herself to say anything more as they continued forward. Normally she had endless conversation and energy, she struggled to keep it all in, but not right now. It felt like something would come for her if she uttered a word. The whole place gave her the creeps and she was someone who could handle horror and difficult situations quite well. Just, this one was too much like a horror movie setup. What with it pissing it down with rain, the eery howl from an unknown animal, the creepy deer thing and the- what the fuck. The deer being strangled by its own intenstines?! It had to be the rain. Charlie rubbed her eyes. Maybe if she closed them for a few seconds it would be gone. The same, horrifying sight was still in front of her. "The fuck is that?" Charlie shook her head, nausea roiling in her stomach. That wasn't normal. Was it some kind of insane parasite? She knew nothing about animal diseases but... Yeah, that didn't happen. She couldn't look at it without wanting to throw up, all the unease she'd been feeling heightening into cold fear. What if those... Worms came for them next. "Uh, I don't think that's normal. Like, sure I seen a dead deer or two, but nothing like that..." Charlie looked at Ophrenia with complete confusion as she talked as if this was just a normal, dying deer. It wasn't. Who could even drive in here? "Maybe you shouldn't go near-" Too late. Of course Ophrenia didn't listen to her, was it because she was one of the youngest? Well, it'd probably be fine- It was like a living nightmare, the deer opening its mouth to show rows of deadly teeth it shouldn't have. It mauled Ophrenia like it was trying to eat her whole, the intensine-worms pulling her in to finish the job. "What the actual fuck?!" Charlie choked down a scream. She suppressed the panic clawing at her chest, pretending her heart wasn't pounding and her breathing quickening. There was no time to panic, she had to keep her shit together, someone's life was in danger. It was just like work... Ignoring the attacking intestines. Shit, don't think about that. "Shit, we gotta get her outta there." Adrenaline kicked in, and Charlie jumped forward just behind Neko. She didn't bother pulling out her knife, because she was just as likely to cut Ophrenia or Neko as she was the intestines. Instead she wrapped both of her arms around Neko, helping add her strength where she couldn't access Ophrenia without risk of getting cut herself. She didn't want the intestines, or whatever they were, to somehow drag them both away. She pulled with all of her might, straining against the weight and the intestines trying to pull Ophrenia in the opposite direction. Her arms ached within seconds, feet desperately digging into the slippy mud as she tried not to fall on her ass. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She really hoped someone would do what Neko had said and shoot it, cause there was no way she could hold out until all the intestines were cut away.