[hr][center]
[img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLjkyM2Y2MC5VR1Z1Ym5rZ1RHRjNjMjl1LjA,/youth-and-beauty.regular.png[/img]
[img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLmJmYzRjNS5VbWwwWVNCV2IzSnZibUUsLjA,/divat.regular.png[/img]
[img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjcyLmY4YzE1OS5RbWxzYkhrZ1RHRjNjMjl1LjA,/playtime.regular.png[/img]
[sub][@Surtr Inc][@Fernstone][/sub]
[/center]
[code]Hillview High - Mason Square.[/code]
[hr]

Redeem us, redeem us, redeem us. Billy couldn’t help but think that whatever creepy tagger that had hit up the old Hillview High either needed a new hobby or a thesaurus, although it still did the job of giving the guy a serious case of the chills. He had the cure for his anxiety sitting in a little plastic baggie in the console of his car, but that was something that’d have to wait until after they had finished their little ghost tour of culty weirdness. When they came upon room 108 he felt a reservation about going inside; he felt his heart plummet as Claire forced Sharon inside and the rest followed suit. Better to be with the group in the scary room of doom than alone in the hallway with Nate’s poltergeists. Forcing a brave face, he stepped into the room while Sharon protested.

“It’s gonna be okay. We’re here with you,” he said with more than a hint of uncertainty in his quaking voice. 

He muttered a curse. The room, with its mural of notes and photographs, looked like something out of one of those movies where an intrepid journalist is trying to uncover a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. All that was missing was the strings of red yarn tying everyone together. Slowly easing his way to the wall, he looked through the pool of residents or, rather, victims, both previous and planned. He found Penny’s picture on the wall. She would probably be pleased to find out that she had been considered a high threat. Next was his, listing him as a low chance with a low threat. Frustratingly enough, there was no abstraction listed next to his name; turns out there stalker was as clueless as he was when it came to whatever was going on with Billy. 

The next photo he saw caused his throat to tighten as he croaked back a cry. It was a young teen with a wild bush of blonde hair, a crooked, goofy smile, and squinty eyes. Henry Lawson. His brother. He looked at the slashes through the notes attached to the photo as he tried to fight back the tears. For once, Billy found that being right was the worst possible result; deep down, he had always hoped that Penny would one day be able to say, “I told you so.” He couldn’t let her see this, fearing that she’d go absolutely berserk. He plucked the picture and note off of the wall, quickly shoving it in his pocket, turning to see Caelea hovering around the chest. 

“Hey, kiddo, maybe we should let creepy closed chests stay creepy closed chests, yeah?” he said.

“I can’t fucking believe you,” said Penny from behind him, her voice flaring with anger. He froze, thinking that he had been caught in the act. With a guilty grimace, he looked over his shoulder to find that his sister was not talking to him. Instead, she was shoving past the mousy girl who seemed to not be able to take her eyes off of the chest and making her way over to Sharon. 

“How the fuck could you?” growled Penny, jabbing her finger at the shrinking Sharon. “You knew about this, you knew about all of this, and you didn’t do anything? You didn’t say anything? What the hell is wrong with you, you stupid ginger bitch?” Penny grabbed a handful of photos randomly off of the wall, shoving them in Sharon’s face so that she couldn’t look away. “It wasn’t just your father who murdered all of these people. You knew what he was up to, and you didn’t do a goddamn thing to stop him.” She threw the photos at Sharon. “Their deaths are on your hands as much as—” She felt the drowsiness again; her words had begun to slur. “Billy, stop fucking with my head!” 

[i]“Penny, look.”[/i]

She turned her head in time to see Rita crouched in front of the chest, her hands on the lid. 

“What the hell are you doing?” and “Seriously, dudes, maybe we should leave it alone,” said Penny and Billy simultaneously. 

At the prompting of Penny’s question, Rita had started to babble, “Maybe it’ll explain why he was doing these things. I...I just need to know what’s inside. It’s killing me.”

Penny reached out to grab the smaller girl away from the chest. She caught the back of her shirt and gave her a tug, sending Rita to the ground—but not before Rita was able to flip the lid open.