[center][h1]Collab: [colour=SkyBlue]Mayuri Nakasone[/colour] and [colour=Teal] Amara [i]"Mara"[/i] Nguyen[/colour][/h1][/center] Her eyes idly gazed over the other girls back as she walked past. Still, she was messing with her jacket, but not really. It was more of just something to do; a distraction from whatever was actually going on around her. It didn't feel real... Or rather, she didn't [i]want[/i] it to be real. Anything was better than this, that was for sure. Yes, the room may have been nice, the facilities good and the entirety of what she had seen maintained way better than a kidnapper should or would have done. But, it wasn't right. It didn't feel right, look right, or even smell right. There was something terribly, terribly off about everything - the walls, the bed, the water, the girl stood in the bathroom washing her face and laying flat her hair. Everthing. Though, Mayuri tried not to pay attention. At least, as best she could. Her eyes slowly cast their gaze across the room once, then twice, then three times, before settling on Mara as she left the bathroom. [b]"Thank you, Mayuri, I really needed that... this whole thing. Well, I'm pretty sure you know."[/b] yes, she did know. She couldn't not know, no matter how much she attempted to block out the thought s and conflicting feelings. There was no way she could [i]not[/i] know. Even if the girl ran and hid under her covers for each and every day they were trapped, she couldn't not know. [b]"How are you feeling?"[/b] Feeling... That was a difficult question. If there was a definitive answer, she would have tried her best to give it, but even then it would have been difficult. Yet it wasn't that simple. What were these feelings anway? Fear, loneliness, despair? They crashed and collided, simply smashing into each other like asteroids around a planet. With that planet being her mind. [colour=SkyBlue]"I-I'm... I d-don't know..."[/colour] and that was the truth. Out of all the things she didn't know... Her own feelings had to be it. Why wouldn't everything just... Stop being so confusing, annoying, frustrating, and just... Stay still for a little while? It was like every single thing had somewhere to be, and they refused to stop moving until they got there. The only problem, though, was that everything would change so suddenly, nothing would ever stop moving. [colour=SkyBlue]"I-I'm scared..."[/colour] her voice was quiet, a whisper almost, but still quivered with anxiety and fear, true to her word. There were tears in her eyes again, but this time they refused to fall. [center]~[/center] Mara closed the gap between them and sat softly down beside her. Her words still rolling around in her head. [i]Scared.[/i] Yeah, she understood that. It was that empty feeling that was clawing at the tendrils of her sanity. The voice that would whisper beneath the madness that her plight was hopeless. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she fell backwards onto the bed. Maybe she was being a bit too casual in front of the girl but at this point she didn't think it too much. [color=Teal]"It feels like a bad dream,"[/color] Mara popped up on her elbows to look at Mayrui, [color=Teal]"The ones you get in the middle of the night that wake you up all sweaty."[/color] Except this one they weren't going to wake up from. No, this nightmare was real. [color=Teal]"I bet they all are..."[/color] This was more of a thought than her actually talking to Mayrui. She had come in here to escape; to process. Kidnappings and kids appearing out of thin air. Yelling at each other in Russian. Jesus, what was she involved in here exactly? [color=Teal]"Thin air?" Um, Mayrui.."[/color] Mara hesitated, what she was going to say next was going to make her sound crazy, [color=Teal]"In the hall, well there was a guy that kinda just appeared out of no where. I mean, maybe my eyes need to be chekced but i'm fairly sure he wasn't there one moment and then the next [i]BAM[/i] there he was."[/color] Yeah, she sounded crazy but it was all she had to go on. [color=Teal]"Anyway, I was wondering...is there something special about you? I mean,"[/color] God, she was rambling now. [i]'Just spit it out![/i], [color=Teal]"Can you do odd things, I mean? For me..I don't know how to explain it properly but...I when I was in a car accident with my father time stopped; er rather it slowed and i've noticed it here and there that when i'm about to hurt myself or something big happens it's like everything slows down."[/color] Mara screwed her eyes shut as the words just kinda fell out of her mouth in embaressment. [center]~[/center] A bad dream..? Yeah, it sure was. But it was more than a bad dream. It was more like a nightmare without a exit, an escape. One of those dreams that requires you to complete something to leave, to wake up and resume your daily life. Like a Lucid Dream, but the control has been stripped away. Mara was talking to herself. Or at the very least saying her thoughts aloud. Had she already gone crazy? That was a scary thought. She seemed level headed, and moderately calm provided with the situation at hand. Wait, she was talking to her. Mara wasn't saying what Mayuri thought she was saying, right? She was almost claiming that a member of the group was some kind of teleporter; like someone pulled straight out of the manga Yu used to read. What was he? A telephone signal, bouncing around constantly with no clear sign of staying still. Her expression was simply that of confusion to the girls words. What she was saying... It didn't make sense. Yeah, maybe her eyes did need to be seen. Hopefully they had an opticians here so she could do just that. Hold the phone. Had Mara actually gone crazy? [i][colour=Teal]"Anyway, I was wondering...is there something special about you? I mean... "Can you do odd things, I mean?[/colour][/i] That alone made her sound like she had completely and utterly lost the plot. It was the kind of thing that would get you admitted a one way ticket to a padded room faster than a cheetah on steroids. [colour=SkyBlue]"Sp-special..? Um... I-I dont th-think so..."[/colour] she averted her gaze away from Mara, [colour=SkyBlue]"D-do you think... O-others here can..?"[/colour] the tears that sat in her eyes had all but subsided at the change in subject. Now, there simply sat a cold sweat on her forehead, causing her to doubt her life up to now. What if she [i]could[/i] do something special, something odd, and that was why she was taken? Th-then... It was her fault for causing her friends and family so much trouble. But... Come to think of it, it all made sense. Well, as much sense as possible with so little evidence available. But the symbol on her chest. That sometimes felt funny when she was about to get hurt, like the time she tripped over in the hallway while running with Sae and the others. What if that was her power? No, it couldn't be. There was nothing special about Mayuri. Well, if you didn't count her above average grades and the ability to fluently speak two languages. There was no way there was anything spe- The sound of static resounded throughout the room, forcing all thoughts out of her head with an involuntary flinch. [i]"Hello all! Now, I understand that you're all confused and scared especially due to the nature of your transportation to this safe facility. We wanted to reassure you that our intentions are pure and we have nothing but your well being, and that of your friends and family, in our hearts and minds! Still, I do apologise for the roughness with which we brought you here but explaining the situation may have made it more dangerous for you all."[/i] These people... Did they really mean that? What reason could they have for kidnapping people?! Forget a teleporting boy, it was [i]this[/i] that sounded like it had been ripped straight from an action manga! There was no way in hell that this wasn't some kind of set up, right, like those prank videos you got on YouTube? It didn't make any sense that this was real. [i]"I've just unlocked the Auditorium room! You'll find it between the Pool and Gym facilities. Please make your way there so that we can properly explain why you've all been brought here. We will meet you there once everyone has assembled."[/i] What was going on..? Those tears that had but faded once again returned with a nervous curiosity, but also terror. But... It sounded like they didn't have a choice. Why couldn't she just go home and forget this ever happened? Eat something nice, take a bath, go to sleep, wake up and go to school like every other day? What day even was it..? [colour=SkyBlue]"Sh-should... W-we g-g-go..?"[/colour] [center]~[/center] [i]'Dangerous? Like shoving me into the floor was really the [b]nice[/b] way to go about kidnapping someone?'[/i] Mara's inner voice scoffed at the lady. What complete bull shit. She could feel the coil of anger grip tighter around her heart like a vice. [color=Teal]"Yeah, we need to go and get to the bottom of this."[/color] She forced herself up from the bed and turned to the girl, holding out her hand, [color=Teal]"We'll figure this out. I promise."[/color] She hoped she sounded confident as the surge of anger made her feel. Finally, there was a voice, a person, to funnel all this emotion at. At the injustice they all had suffered. [center]~[/center] Mayuri didn't believe her. As much as she wanted to believe that everything would be fine and that they would figure it all out, it just didn't sound true. It was like Mara was simply trying to appease her fear for a while, or long enough so that she would be fine when things really did go South. But, she didn't have a choice. The girl was gullible and naive, yes, but this time it was her own decision. Or as much of a decision as she could make when every option was greyed out. She silently nodded, and took the girls hand, gently pulling her small weight up off the bed. Somehow, she was taller. At least 2 inches taller. That was a first... Most people she knew and met were taller than herself. [colour=SkyBlue]"C-can you... L-lead..? I-I dont w-want to go out f-first..."[/colour] her voice was still unsteady, but it was slowly getting better as she familiarised herself with the girl stood beside her. [center]~[/center] Mara nodded her head and gave Mayuri's hand a small squeeze before letting it drop. Standing there for a moment she drew in a deep breath, trying to steel her nerves before moving swifty towards the door. She remembered there were small signs hanging on the walls in the hall way pointing to the various areas in the building. Casting a glace back she made sure Mayrui was right behind her. Careful not to let the girl fall too far behind her though the subtle height difference usually made the difference in pace. Mara was short, a fact she accepted, her steps generally mirrored her stature and it was often she had to force herself to walk faster to keep up. As they stepped out into the hall she glanced back towards where the others had been earlier; it would seem most of them had cleared out of the hallway. Probably towards the more attractive sites or back to their rooms like she had attempted too. [color=Teal]"Um, lets go this way..."[/color] She pointed towards the end of the hall that lead towards the cafeteria.That was where she had seen the boy heads towards earlier, with his outwardly calm exterior she was sure that he knew something. With that Mara headed down the hall with eager and anxious steps. [center]~[/center] The girl watched silently as Mara found her resolve and began to make her way towards the door. There was a small part of her that wanted to hold the girls hand, but she quickly pushed it aside. This was no time to be acting like a child, if that was still all she was. She followed along slowly with trepid steps, not falling too far behind but not ever getting too close. Her eyes traced along the hallway, taking in its bland aesthetics that matched perfectly to the blandness of the room she awoke in. There were hardly any people still around, which settled her nerves a bit of a ways, but still not entirely. When Mara gestured to the sign that illustrated a general outline for the area using arrows, she nodded slightly. The cafeteria seemed like a good place to go. There would be more people around, and so there would be more protection. Plus, there might have been someone who had an idea as to what was going on. Or could at least act as a temporary leader to the people kidnapped so nobody completely lost there minds. [colour=SkyBlue]"O-okay... Lets go."[/colour] [center]~[/center] The two of them made their way down the hall, carefully avoiding those who still lingered, the halls didn't offer much to look at all as the rounded the corner. They passed several doors each labled with a number and Mara silently cursed herself once again as they approached an open doorway. Several people lingered in the doorway while Mara could spy a few sitting down within. From what she could see it resembled something close to her high school cafeteria with the wide open seating. Everything about this place was confusing, was this a school? Why would they be at a school? She turned to her companion, [color=Teal]"Well, this seems to be the place. At least there are others here."[/color] She took a small step closer to Mayrui; feeling a bit safer next to someone she slightly knew. [center]~[/center] There were too many people here... There were far, far too many people here. Throughout her life, Mayuri had stayed away from crowds of people. Even being surrounded by 5 people was usually enough to make her feel slightly ill. She needed to leave this place, even though Mara was shielding her away from the crowd. [colour=SkyBlue]"H-hey... C-can we... G-go somewhere where there... A-aren't so m-many people..?"[/colour] she looked down slightly to the white haired girl, [colour=SkyBlue]"I-I dont like cr-crowds..."[/colour] her voice was slightly unsteadier than before, due to the close proximity to so many people. She looked back down the corridor, to the sign that listed the places around. [i]Pool, huh..?[/i] That sounded like it wouldn't have many people. And, it was near the auditorium. It was a perfect idea. [colour=SkyBlue]"H-hey, Mara... Want to h-head over to the p-pool instead?"[/colour] [center]~[/center] [i]'Pool?'[/i] She had missed the sign for that or she'd probably would've headed there first. Ever since she was small there was always something serine about being in the water and as for people, Mayrui was right. The place was crowded; at least enough to make her feel unsteady. [color=Teal]"Yeah, you're right. Lets check it out."[/color] With that she took the girl's hand back in her hers and spun on her heel to leave. She lead them both back down the hallway and past the bedrooms once more before nearing the other end of the hallway. She looked up at a small map on the wall, [i]'So the pools are to the left and auditorium to right..'[/i] The lady over the intercoms said to go to the auditorium, she looked back at Mayrui, but she seemed to be on edge. [color=Teal]"Alright, lets head in."[/color] Mara smiled back at her and tugged her gently through the pool doors. [center]~[/center] It didn't matter if the people here wanted them at the auditorium. They would have to wait. It was only good manners to be patient with ones guests, after all. And, anyway, Mayuri felt something. It was a sort of want or need to be in the pool room at this very time. Like there was something calling her to be there, though it was probably just nerves from the crowd and this whole situation. Though, she was proved correct. That feeling was very real, and very right. As soon as they passed through those doors, Mayuri was greeted with a sight she never wanted to see. Curled up tightly on the ground beside the pool, seemingly in pain, lay a blonde haired woman. She grasped and pulled at her own hair, almost as though she was having some kind of fit. Instinctively, she hid herself behind Mara slightly, making a yelp as her eyes lay upon the scene. Though, a second after she did, she quickly let go of the girls hand and ran to Myriam. [colour=SkyBlue]"H-hey, a-are you okay..!?"[/colour] she ran up, her voice slightly loud but still relatively quiet, but still filled with a kind of panic. Wh-what did she do?! There wasn't a nurses office, was there!? But... Mayuri couldn't lift this girl. No way in hell. The best she could do was call her... [colour=SkyBlue]"H-hey..? C-can you hear m-me!?"[/colour] she gently poked the girls arm, and shot a glance back to Mara saying [i]"Come on..![/i] [center]~[/center] Oh, dear. Oh, dear. This wasn't what she expected at all. Mara"s mind flew into a panic as she witnessed the frail looking girl writhe in agony. She was surprised at Mayrui's willingness to leap into action her own feet seemingly glued to the ground beneath her. It was her voice that drew Mara out of her stunned state. She quickly rushed across the smooth floor and knelt down beside them. [color=Teal]"Shh, shh. It's ok. We're here now. It's ok."[/color] She whispered softly above the girl in the most soothing tone she could muster. Part of her wanted to grab the girls clawing hands in her own until the fit subsided but feared she'd only add to her stress. Peering through the falling whisps of hair in front of her face she shot Mayrui a panicked look. They needed to calm her down and fast before she hurt herself. [hr] [center][@KahleenCuthald][/center]