[i]Ailee was the first to laugh.

It was hard to figure out if they should, you see. A bunch of students (and one assistant who’d been roped into the trespassings) huddled together in a service tunnel, a hermetically-sealed door behind them standing firm against the perils of the Conservatory. Not a usual day for any of them! When they’d finally caught their breath, and realized they were still alive, what on earth were they to even do?

Laugh, as a matter of fact. And so they did, emptying their lungs just as soon as they could fill them, leaning on each other to keep themselves upright, going mad with the relief of a [s]frantically salvaged[/s] perfectly executed scheme.

Jackdaw was the first to stop. 

Her sharp ears picked out the low, bassy rumble, echoing through the tunnels, long before anyone else did. She understood what it was saying, before anyone knew it was speaking.

[u]It’s not over yet.[/u][/i]

*******************************************

Jackdaw was not going to get a closer look at these things, not with Ailee keeping them at bay, and handling them perfectly with no mistakes whatsoever. So instead of a closer look, Jackdaw took a wider look. Out, beyond the teeming waters and immediate peril. Because deep down? She feared the word wasn’t [i]pack[/i], or [i]swarm[/i], or even a [i]fry[/i]. After what they'd just done, the Flood wouldn't use weak words like that.

She strained her eyes and ears, looking for the tell-tale signs of [i]prelude.[/i]

[Rolling to [b]Look Closely:[/b] 6 + 6 + 2 = [b]14![/b] Anxious fox peepers are not to be underestimated.
-What is going on here? What do her senses tell her?
-Tell me about The Flood. What are they doing? What will they do next?
-What will happen if she gets in (or falls in) the water?]