Chapter Text
Six leapt, barely managing to avoid the caving in floor. The wind knocked out of her, she rolled, getting showered in splinters. A deafening sound rattled her body. The walls themselves shook, knocking pictures and decor over. Six got back on her feet. Her vision blurred, and her ears rang incessantly . She dusted bits of wood off her coat. They lightly fell to the floor, stirring up some dust. It floated through the air, making it difficult to see. Six sneezed quietly. Waving her arm, she cleared the air and surveyed the damage.
Most of the floor was gone . Six saw nothing but a black abyss below, it was impossible to tell how far it truly went down. She took a few steps back as a precaution. Can’t risk falling down now . Not after that . She still felt sick from the chase, a sensation she had grown quite used to, but still. She grabbed a stray piece of wood shrapnel and hurled it into the void.
A minute passed.
She never heard it hit the bottom.
Not reassuring.
Greasy . He had been behind her. Shit. Shit . Greasy was large, but even he might not have survived that much of a fall. Six was struck by a sudden anguish. She had barely known the creature, and yet she was fighting back tears. Six shook the painful sense of deja vu away. “Don’t give up on him yet, he might have survived.” It was stupid to be so hopeful, especially for someone like her, but Six allowed it. Just this once.
If he was alive, he would be on a far lower floor. Likely one she had been to before. Following that logic, if she went back the way she came… Best case scenario, they would meet halfway. Worst case- Well . Six would cross that bridge if she got there. She fished the lighter out of her pocket. It appeared to be undamaged upon examination, and flicking it open it seemed to work just fine.
She would do this the same way she always did.
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R.K awoke from a very nasty nap. Still in a daze, they didn’t move, despite growing more and more aware of the sharp remnants of the floor digging into him. Ah. Ow. How did they get here again? It was a tad difficult to think at the moment. On the verge of passing back out, he felt something tug on their hair. He grumbled in a halfhearted protest. They are so tired. “Just let me sleep.” His thoughts went unspoken, and therefore unheard. They felt another tug. And another, much harder than it was previously.
R.K opened his eyes. Thick, white dust wafted through the air. “Huh, is that what clouds look like?” He wonders. He’s not sure, but if he ever got out of here, he’d check-
Wait. Where was here? And where was-
Where was Six?
“Get up. Just get up.” Uuugggghhhhhh, oh that was a bad idea . His head- his everything actually- hurt like hell . The unmistakable taste of blood filled his mouth. That cannot be a good sign. Maybe… Maybe it was nothing? Something small and hard rolled out of their mouth, clattering to the ground by his feet. A tooth? It was long and sharp, almost triangle shaped. It looked like it belonged to a shark . Jeez.
Something - No - A Nome tugged on his sleeve. Oh right! The Nomes! Were they all okay? The five of them had gathered around him, covered in dust but seemingly unharmed otherwise. Okay, that's good. That’s good. Gathering them up, Rk cradled them in his arms protectively. He didn’t want to get separated again. He didn’t want to be alone down here.
This… room? Area? Whatever it was, this place was dark . Missing his flashlight more than ever, he crept along. His hooves clicked against the hardwood floor unreassuringly. The dust smelt of wood and dirt, and it made him sneeze. Ugh. They hated dust. He could barely see a few steps ahead.
Rk stepped over a guest lying motionless on the ground. Ew ew ew. “Well. Better him than me.” Looking around, it seems that none of the guests were moving a muscle. As terrifying as the sight was, he was happy to not be chased anymore. He kept walking until all the guests were out of sight.
Still no sign of Six.
Something glowy caught his eye. What was that, a flashlight? A torch? Maybe they weren't alone down here after all. RK rounded a corner and stopped.
It was a campfire . Down here of all places? But who- Kids, obviously. It was far too small for an adult. But where were they? The campfire was still lit so they must be nearby. “Or maybe they left in a hurry?” But why-
The sound of footsteps- adult footsteps- made RK pause. Did a guest survive the fall after all? Rk rose to full height. He turned, ready to fight and- Oh. Oh, that- That was not a guest. Was… Was that the janitor ?
…
…What happened to his arms?