"Hello?" Rachel called to the empty hall as she stepped outside of her room. This was more than a little unusual. Even if she wanted to, Rachel couldn't open or close the doors at will; someone on the outside did the opening and the shutting. It would've made for a strange asylum if the patients could simply come and go from their rooms as they pleased. Part of her wanted to simply return to the safety of her room. Maybe this was just some weird electrical malfunction? But something else called her forward. More than just simple curiosity. 

The hallway seemed empty, but given the late hour that was to be expected. But there wasn't even the hint that her 'escape' was noticed. No orderly shuffling along the hallway to say everything was fine and to return to the room. No voice on the intercom. Not even the buzzing of a security guard opening or closing the door. Was it really okay for her to be outside? 

She stood clear of he door, standing in the hallway itself and glancing to either side of her. A gasp danced across her lips as the lights flickered overhead. Quickly she turned; were those footsteps? No. Couldn't be. Maybe she was just hearing her own light steps amplified due to the situation. Confusion was slowly giving way to a sense of fear. What was going on here? 

[color=87CEEB"Ohhhh, scary-scary!"[/color] A voice drew Rachel's focus. That was something she heard. It was so distinguishable. It was high pitched but sweetly so, the kind of voice often attributed to small children, but the subtle intonations were that of a woman grown. A woman with a younger's voice. [color=87CEEB]"It's so stuffy in there!"[/color] 

Rachel turned to the source of the voice, and nearly backed up against a wall. There was a girl there. A woman. With blue hair, but as the light flickered Rachel relented. It was just Pearl. They were still playing together. That helped Rachel calm herself down, even as Pearl laughed devilishly, a lilting giggle sweeping through the hallway. 

[color=87CEEB]"Oh, it feels good to change the scenery. The scary-dary hallway looks like fun. But aren't we missing someone?"[/color] Pearl approached Rachel, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. Rachel found herself smiling; a familiar face certainly helped her forget about the flickering lights. 

"Are we playing hide and seek again? Do we have to go find Blade and Peri?" Rachel was playing right along.