[ Something has been brewing in Henrietta for weeks. Adam doesn't know what, only that he can feel it like a gust of wind down the back of his neck at the wrong moment. It's the kind of feeling that makes him uneasy - more so than usual - unable to sleep and fidgety when he's not trying. Mostly he tries to ignore it, but some nights he ends up on his bedroom floor with Persephone's tarot deck spread on the rug in front of him trying to see what's coming. He wishes he were there now, actually, instead of in the dark of Aglionby Academy. His backpack is slung over his shoulder as he hurries down the corridor. He shouldn't be here but he'd left a book behind and part of him is so keyed up that not doing it, not studying, is more deplorable than the dangers that might be out there. And besides, Ronan taught him how to pick locks. It's only fair that he find a way to use that particular skill.
He's made it to the classroom when he hears the first noise, light like footsteps. Adam pauses, his heart hammering inside of his chest as he leans against the door. He could get into trouble for being here and so he doesn't want to get caught. But then he hears a serious of banging sounds that don't exactly seem much like a janitor. Adam feels the chill again. ]
Hello? [ He peers through the dark, wishing he'd thought to bring the flashlight out of his car. ] Is there someone there?
[ A hall light flickers on once, then off again and Adam swears. ] Lynch, is that you?
[ It's been... a week? Maybe more? Maybe less. Keira doesn't really remember what day she arrived at the school. Only that it was a perfect sanctuary. During the day. At night it was empty and dark. Haunting.
It was better than nothing, though. Stay hidden at night, blend in like a student during the day. It was the best plan she had. Keep her head down and no one noticed the strange girl who wore scarves indoors. It made it easier to hide during the day, too. A little less watching every corner and a little more laying low. That was a lot easier than hiding outright. And at night, all she had to do was limit the amount she could be seen from outside and she could survive.
It was working so far.
Still, the place freaked her out. Yet she tried not to let it stop her. It was just a school. Nothing worse. Instead she focused on finding food. On wondering the halls for any teacher that might have a mini-fridge possibly or a lunch left in their desk. Someone had to have left food somewhere.
She was digging around in one such desk when she hears the voice.
She peers out of the room, looking up and down the hall. It's only when she sees light flashing off the window on the door to the hall that realizes someone's there.
Shit.
She wanders close to the door, ducking under the window and crouching low as she watches the light travelling the hall. It wasn't a janitor. Those were all gone. So who?
Carefully, she turns around, peeking through the window as she tries to lay eyes on whoever is out there. ]
[ Adam pauses in the doorway once more, trying to desperately come up with some sort of plan. If someone else is in the school at this time of night then he should probably be the one to find out. Especially with how strange everything has been lately. They woke up one of the Sleeper's, he has to believe that anything could have come with her.
So he moves away from the door, sticking to the shadows but quietly creeping his way down the hall. He's always been good at doing things silently. He'd evolved to be that way. Another flash of light filters through the hall but it hadn't come from where he'd heard the noise. He doesn't know which one to follow first. ]
I know you're out there. I heard you. So you should just come out. [ He does his best to sound tough. It's not really working. ]
[ The flashlight crawls over the door, and Keira ducks out of sight before the boy can spot her.
But she saw him. Young and wide-eyed. He looked frightened. Her heart is pounding against her chest and her breathing shallow. She closes her lips, forcing herself to breathe more quietly through her nose as the boy comes closer down the hall.
He doesn't look like he's hunting anything. In fact, he looks afraid that he might actually find something. Someone, technically. Her breathing finally evens a little more at that. There's not way to be certain he's safe, but he carries a bookbag and looks scared shitless. He's just a kid.
She prays.
The door to the classroom opens, the hinges screeching loud enough to make Keira wince as she opens the door. In her hand is a phone turned longways as she holds it up for him to read. ]
I'm Keira. Don't freak out.
Edited 2015-06-29 17:19 (UTC)
so aglionby is a boy's school lET'S PRETEND SHE HIDES OUT OF SIGHT DURING THE DAY
[ There's a girl in the school. Adam doesn't think he's ever seen a girl in the school unless it's a little kid following after her big brother. Adam stares at her for a minute then let his gaze fall to the phone in her hand. ]
Why would I freak out? What are you --? [ But Adam pauses as he hears another sound further down the hall. Something's wrong and he doesn't even think before he's moving, pushing the girl back into the room and slamming the door shut, pressing his back to it. ]
Sorry, sorry. [ He's flustered and his pulse is pounding but in the back of his mind he can hear the whisper of Cabeswater telling him to hide. ] Are there more than one of you here?
Keira's head snaps in the direction of the sound. Oh god, it wasn't just him. Her heart is in her throat all over again just as Adam shoves her into the room roughly. For a second she's almost certain she's made a mistake showing herself to him. So certain her hand goes to the pocketknife she carries to pull it out.
But he slams the door shut and she relaxes only slightly. He looks as taken aback as her, and what she mistook as a threat seems only to be fear. Her eyes dart back to the window, looking out for what else is there. She shakes her head, swallowing hard as her metal collar chafes at her neck. She's back to typing on the phone before she holds it up, eyes wide. ]
[ He eyes the pocket knife for a moment. He's had one of those used on him before but that was mostly to stop whatever was coming from scrying taking him over. He doesn't actually want to know what it feels like to be actually stabbed. It takes him all of his energy to tug his gaze away and look at the message she's holding out for him and then he's shaking his head. ]
No. But I don't think it's another student. [ Adam doesn't understand why she's not speaking. He doesn't know what's out there with the light. He hopes it's not another criminal looking for a way to gain magic because he doubts he can fight them off. ]
[ There's a slight huff of amusement as she rolls her eyes. Heard that one before.
Still her stance relaxes more. She doesn't regard Adam as the threat, but she keeps the blade out anyway. Used accurately it could be deadly. Knowing her luck? It'd probably just buy her a few seconds, if even that.
She nods at the door instead. ]
What about what's out there?
[ It was still a potential threat. Even Adam seemed fearful of it.
For a moment that gives her pause as she regards him. She knew why she was fearful. Why was he? ]
[ Or a nightmare. Adam doesn't know. But he inches himself further down the door again and waits. Another sweep of a light illuminates the walls of the classroom inside and he motions for her to get out of the way of it.
He used to feel safe in this school. It held his potential. Now he just feels sick. ]
[ Cops weren't comforting to Keira in the least bit. Her blood ran cold at the very idea that it might be a cop. Squatter in the local school? It might have drawn attention.
The light comes back and this time Keira drops to the floor with him. She ducks close to the teacher's desk, watching as the light lingers in the hall outside the classroom. Her heart is pounding in her ears as she watches.
The screen is dulled now, hiding the light of it better, but she holds it again as she meets Adam's eyes. ]
[ He can't hear anything and he can't ask her if she can. Adam's deaf ear rings with fear as he holds himself still. The light illuminates the classroom and he finds himself pulling his feet closer to his body to avoid the pool of it. It looks so sinister in the light, tables and chairs casting shadows over the floor. He can see a piece of note paper Ronan flicked at him in Latin earlier, a crude picture of a dog drawn on it.
And then just like that the classroom is dark again. Adam shuffles to his knees and leans up to peer out. He can see the shape of someone out there but from the jacket and the baseball cap he's fairly certain it isn't a cop. ]
Okay. So, there's someone out there. [ Whispering. ] Not a cop. Or a student.
There's a breath of relief from her. Almost anything is better than a cop. Almost. It's still such a relief to her that she slumps against the desk slightly.
Her eyes dart back up at the window. Whatever... whoever is out there, they're quiet. She can barely tell if they're still there or not. She edges out from the desk now, getting closer to Adam as she stays crouched beneath the window. ]
[ He glances at the girl as he whispers the words out. The person gets further and further away but every so often they pause to glance inside of a classroom, their flashlight swinging. ]
I'm going to have to find out what. [ It's more to himself than to her. They might be looking for something to do with Gansey or Ronan. He has to protect them. ] What are you doing here? Are you trying to pull a prank or something? [ Sometimes the public school breaks in just to mess the place up. ]
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idk whoever you're feeling???
no subject
He's made it to the classroom when he hears the first noise, light like footsteps. Adam pauses, his heart hammering inside of his chest as he leans against the door. He could get into trouble for being here and so he doesn't want to get caught. But then he hears a serious of banging sounds that don't exactly seem much like a janitor. Adam feels the chill again. ]
Hello? [ He peers through the dark, wishing he'd thought to bring the flashlight out of his car. ] Is there someone there?
[ A hall light flickers on once, then off again and Adam swears. ] Lynch, is that you?
no subject
It was better than nothing, though. Stay hidden at night, blend in like a student during the day. It was the best plan she had. Keep her head down and no one noticed the strange girl who wore scarves indoors. It made it easier to hide during the day, too. A little less watching every corner and a little more laying low. That was a lot easier than hiding outright. And at night, all she had to do was limit the amount she could be seen from outside and she could survive.
It was working so far.
Still, the place freaked her out. Yet she tried not to let it stop her. It was just a school. Nothing worse. Instead she focused on finding food. On wondering the halls for any teacher that might have a mini-fridge possibly or a lunch left in their desk. Someone had to have left food somewhere.
She was digging around in one such desk when she hears the voice.
She peers out of the room, looking up and down the hall. It's only when she sees light flashing off the window on the door to the hall that realizes someone's there.
Shit.
She wanders close to the door, ducking under the window and crouching low as she watches the light travelling the hall. It wasn't a janitor. Those were all gone. So who?
Carefully, she turns around, peeking through the window as she tries to lay eyes on whoever is out there. ]
no subject
So he moves away from the door, sticking to the shadows but quietly creeping his way down the hall. He's always been good at doing things silently. He'd evolved to be that way. Another flash of light filters through the hall but it hadn't come from where he'd heard the noise. He doesn't know which one to follow first. ]
I know you're out there. I heard you. So you should just come out. [ He does his best to sound tough. It's not really working. ]
no subject
But she saw him. Young and wide-eyed. He looked frightened. Her heart is pounding against her chest and her breathing shallow. She closes her lips, forcing herself to breathe more quietly through her nose as the boy comes closer down the hall.
He doesn't look like he's hunting anything. In fact, he looks afraid that he might actually find something. Someone, technically. Her breathing finally evens a little more at that. There's not way to be certain he's safe, but he carries a bookbag and looks scared shitless. He's just a kid.
She prays.
The door to the classroom opens, the hinges screeching loud enough to make Keira wince as she opens the door. In her hand is a phone turned longways as she holds it up for him to read. ]
so aglionby is a boy's school lET'S PRETEND SHE HIDES OUT OF SIGHT DURING THE DAY
Why would I freak out? What are you --? [ But Adam pauses as he hears another sound further down the hall. Something's wrong and he doesn't even think before he's moving, pushing the girl back into the room and slamming the door shut, pressing his back to it. ]
Sorry, sorry. [ He's flustered and his pulse is pounding but in the back of his mind he can hear the whisper of Cabeswater telling him to hide. ] Are there more than one of you here?
TELL ME THESE THINGS WOW SARAH
Keira's head snaps in the direction of the sound. Oh god, it wasn't just him. Her heart is in her throat all over again just as Adam shoves her into the room roughly. For a second she's almost certain she's made a mistake showing herself to him. So certain her hand goes to the pocketknife she carries to pull it out.
But he slams the door shut and she relaxes only slightly. He looks as taken aback as her, and what she mistook as a threat seems only to be fear. Her eyes dart back to the window, looking out for what else is there. She shakes her head, swallowing hard as her metal collar chafes at her neck. She's back to typing on the phone before she holds it up, eyes wide. ]
I've been alone.
Not with you?
I JUST FORGOT TO.
No. But I don't think it's another student. [ Adam doesn't understand why she's not speaking. He doesn't know what's out there with the light. He hopes it's not another criminal looking for a way to gain magic because he doubts he can fight them off. ]
Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise.
no subject
Still her stance relaxes more. She doesn't regard Adam as the threat, but she keeps the blade out anyway. Used accurately it could be deadly. Knowing her luck? It'd probably just buy her a few seconds, if even that.
She nods at the door instead. ]
[ It was still a potential threat. Even Adam seemed fearful of it.
For a moment that gives her pause as she regards him. She knew why she was fearful. Why was he? ]
no subject
[ Or a nightmare. Adam doesn't know. But he inches himself further down the door again and waits. Another sweep of a light illuminates the walls of the classroom inside and he motions for her to get out of the way of it.
He used to feel safe in this school. It held his potential. Now he just feels sick. ]
I can't tell where it's coming from.
no subject
The light comes back and this time Keira drops to the floor with him. She ducks close to the teacher's desk, watching as the light lingers in the hall outside the classroom. Her heart is pounding in her ears as she watches.
The screen is dulled now, hiding the light of it better, but she holds it again as she meets Adam's eyes. ]
Don't move.
no subject
And then just like that the classroom is dark again. Adam shuffles to his knees and leans up to peer out. He can see the shape of someone out there but from the jacket and the baseball cap he's fairly certain it isn't a cop. ]
Okay. So, there's someone out there. [ Whispering. ] Not a cop. Or a student.
no subject
There's a breath of relief from her. Almost anything is better than a cop. Almost. It's still such a relief to her that she slumps against the desk slightly.
Her eyes dart back up at the window. Whatever... whoever is out there, they're quiet. She can barely tell if they're still there or not. She edges out from the desk now, getting closer to Adam as she stays crouched beneath the window. ]
no subject
[ He glances at the girl as he whispers the words out. The person gets further and further away but every so often they pause to glance inside of a classroom, their flashlight swinging. ]
I'm going to have to find out what. [ It's more to himself than to her. They might be looking for something to do with Gansey or Ronan. He has to protect them. ] What are you doing here? Are you trying to pull a prank or something? [ Sometimes the public school breaks in just to mess the place up. ]