[h3][center] [color=fff79a]June[/color] and [color=6ecff6]Mallory[/color] [/center] [/h3] [hr] There was a harsh crackling that made the two girls jump and clutch their bars tightly. After a moment, Mallory realized it must be the PA systrem. It echoed throughout the corridors, and the gray people tipped their heads up to search for the source of the sound. "Hello? Anyone? If anyone can hear me, please, make your way to the security control room. It’s safe here! Don’t bother with the elevators, they’re all out. Look for fire escapes and the stairwells. Use the stairs or fire exits to make your way to the basement! The basement! If anyone’s there, come to the security control room...” Mallory immediately began to break down as horrible, all consuming dread set in. Tears rolled down her face as she buried her face in her hands, letting the bar fall to the floor. The basement? They were five stories up. They were going to end up like the woman in the pool, dead. Murdered by these insane, bloodlusted people. June glanced down at her white knuckles, squeezing the metal bar as hard as she could. Her hands were shaking and her heart felt like it was going to explode. But she had to focus. Mallory was a wreck. [color=fff79a][i]"Mallory. He said basement, yes?"[/i][/color] Mallory continued crying. [color=fff79a][i]"Hey, listen. Mallory- Mallory!" [/i][/color]She raised her voice, and Mallory startled, glancing up at her friend with wide, moist eyes. [color=fff79a][i]"I need you to focus, okay? We're going to go down to the basement. Get out of those high heels and into something more practical, okay?" [/i][/color]She said, her voice steadier and more calm than she was on the inside. Mallory slowly nodded, and quickl put on a pair of her gym shoes. They didn't match her outfit at all, she thought. Oh, well. [color=6ecff6][i]"June...how...how are we going to get to the basment? We can't even get outside of this room." [/i][/color] Mallory said, her voice cracking. June pushed forward. [color=fff79a][i]"He said basement, right? Go the security control room. No elevators. Use the stairs or...[/i]what was it?"[/color] The words in english escaped her. [color=6ecff6][i]"Use the stairs or fire exits."[/i][/color] Mallory helpfully translated. [color=fff79a][i]"There is a fire exit stair way nearby. We can use that. It'll be almost a straight shot to the basement. We'll just...get past this guy and sneak downstairs."[/i][/color] She said, as if it was easy as that. [color=fff79a][i]"We'll have to hurt him, Mallory."[/i][/color] June confirmed this fact grimly. They would have to beat him with their metal bars until he didn't get up. [color=fff79a][i]"Oh, June!" [/i][/color]Mallory cried out again, threatening to break down once more. Fear...she was afraid. Not only of committing an act of violence, but of having violence done upon them. The idea of that crazed, bloody man barging in here. Beating June, beating her...what would he do to them? [color=6ecff6][i]"He's bigger...what if...he wins?"[/i][/color] Mallory asked, beginning to hyperventilate. June began to panic that her friend was going to panic. [color=fff79a][i]"He's not going to win, Mallory. There is two of us and one of him, and we have weapons. Okay? I'm going to..."[/i][/color] June hesitated, her heart beating hard in her chest. [color=fff79a][i]"...I'm going to open the door. Back up, and you and I will beat him with the bars. Use it like a spear to keep him at bay, okay? We can do this, Mallory."[/i][/color] June said, trying to steel herself. Mallory shook her head, beginning to protest. June silenced her, assured Mallory that she would be fine. They would both be fine. They just had to focus up. The shorter frenchwoman began making her way over to the door, on which the man was still thumping against, trying to get in. Thump. Thump. Thump. Now. She opened the door right after a thump. He had no momentum, standing still. Gritting her teeth, eyes wide, June jammed the shower rod directly into his forehead. With a cringe-inducing thwack of bone on metal that rocked her arms, the man stumbled backwards, his forehead beginning to bleed. He snarled and began walking back towards June. June backpedaled, having cleared the chair out of the way to allow herself more room. She couldn't...hear anything. All there was was this bloody, insane man infront of her. He made his approach, arms extended. Crunch! Another thrust directly to the face. He took another step forward, and Mallory gave him a hearty wack across the side of the head. He glanced over at her, stalling. June slammed her bar into his forehead. He fell to the ground, groaning, and started to get back up. Mallory smacked him again, and June did so as well, and the pair hit him again, and again. Mallory, crying out, caved in his skull with the final hit. Blood oozed out from the wound. Mallory's eyes widdened, and then fluttered. [color=6ecff6]"Unh..."[/color] She went limp, falling face down onto the bed and closing her eyes, consciousness leaving her. June was elated that they were alive. That didn't prevent the disgust from overwhelming her. Dropping to one knee she vomited into the trashcan. She just killed someone. Her hands were shaking and everything was muffled. Wiping her mouth she glanced over at the fainted Mallory. [color=fff79a][i]"Mallory?"[/i][/color] Climbing onto the bed she shook her friend by the shoulder. [color=fff79a][i]"Mallory, wake up. We have to move."[/i][/color] After a moment, her friends eyelids fluttered open. She immediately began sobbing again, the image of her metal bar caving the man's skull in still burned into the back of her eyelids. [color=6ecff6][i]"I didn't mean too..."[/i][/color] [color=fff79a] [i]"We have to keep moving, Mallory. Right now. Get up. Move. Downstairs to the basement where we will be safe. Now!"[/i][/color] Afraid and frustrated, June used force to move her friend until they were both on their feet. Wide-eyed, Mallory nodded. [color=fff79a][i]"Follow me. Be quiet."[/i][/color] June ordered. Placing Mallory's weapon back into her hand, June grabbed her shower rod with her left hand. Using her right hand, she knitted her fingers between Mallory's. Together, they stepped over the corpse and left the hotel room, stepping into the empty hallway. Flickering lights. A distant scream. The pair's breathing. No one was around. June found the stairs and the pair began creeping down. June glanced over the railing, and saw no one, the staircase winding down and down until it became obscured by darkness. Five stories. She looked up, and heard nothing. Glancing over at the wide-eyed Mallory, her face darkened by shadow, June nodded and started making her way down the stairs. Basement. Security control room. Safety.