Of Divinations and Tribulations.

Thomas Rodgers and Penny Yates - Zone Three

The rustle of branches is the first thing the two notice as they awake from their deep induced slumbers. The area around them is coarse and thick with vegetation and flora. The trees, ranging from a variety of Oak to Maple, are very densely populated, most being at least five meters nearest to another. Around them, the smell of death begins to fill their noses as they most likely try and recover and decide where they are.

The corpse of a deer, young, but a buck, its antlers still growing out from spring lies on its side, its entrails exposed and rotting. A horde of flies surrounds the corpse, and you can easily see the white-spots of maggots riggling around in its insides. All of a sudden, a speaker pops. The voice of a young girl, haunting and strange emanates from the collars that encase your necks. Did I forget to mention the collars?

"Hi! You lucky people have been chosen! I won't tell you why or how, but you've been chosen for an experiment!" The young girl giggles. "Now, I know you might think. 'Oh god, get this collar off my neck!' or, 'Jesus Christ, what is going on' but those thoughts aren't relevant for now. Now, now. Don't go and try taking those off your neck, or else... lets just say the results will be explosive!"

Shawn Burnham and Dr. Kaikaus - Zone One

"Now you must learn the rules of this experiment! I don't want to see any of you doing anything naughty, or.. gasp, eating anyone, that would be bad! No, but other than that, anything goes!" The voice echoes throughout the area around you. The burbling of a nearby crook, over the rise nearby is evident and loud. The land is sparsely populated, other than some dry trees, but the sun above you seems odd, somehow. The clouds cast the earth in a gray haze, making the world around you seem almost as if you were in a dream. Maybe you are in a nightmare?

"Anyway. That collar around your neck is injecting you slowly with poison! Tee-hee!" The girls enthusiasm is overbearing, as if you can feel her eye staring at you, her face grinning widely. "You've got twenty-four hours in total before the effects become harmful! If you don't manage to kill someone within twenty-four hours and take a temporary antidote from them, you'll experience.. uh..." You can hear the shuffling of papers in the background. "Severe diarrhea, severe nausea. Vomiting, cramps, bleeding from the eyes and nose, oh, and fingernails! Within six hours of that, you'll die!"

Travence Girt and Mike Latram - Zone Six

"Still, you'd better be quick on your toes! The people around you aren't the only ones who are your enemies! Be wary of the land around you, for dangerous beasties prowl the lands! Golly, the things in here even scare me senseless! Good thing I'm in here, and you're out there, huh?" The sound of the coast nearby almost manages to take over the voice of the girl. The smell of sea salt and the taste in the air is evident that you're next to the coast. But, in the distance you can see the top of a... castle?

Indeed, a castle, jutting over the edge of the ocean, defying the sea and its power by standing tall and mighty. The castle, however pride it is, still stands in almost ruins. The left-most tower is crumbling, barely retaining its former shape as it slowly is overtaken by age and the harshness of the sea. However far you can see out onto the ocean is not far enough. There is no other sign of land at all, not even a glimpse. If only Wilson were here.

"So... will you curl up and cry like a little baby? Or will you become triumphant and stand tall and proud! The choice is yours, my friends."

Alex Frendali and ****** - Zone Four

The rushing of a river is close by, almost overpowering. Around you, the land is marshy and slick. The land is almost flooded, with an inch or two of water between your shoes. In the distance, you can see a few water-birds, majestic, but... still, something is wrong with them. Almost as if its hard to look at them for long. Just... something about their razor-sharp beaks... their keen eyes. I'd be careful if I were you.

"But don't fret, little babies! You've got one major advantage! Look in your left and right pocket. You'll find one super-important thing! A Tarot Card!" Her gasp of surprise is very childish, almost as if she mocks you. "It'll be the most important tool you have here on this island, so use it well! Now, in your left is a tape player. There should be one inside it already, make sure to listen to it! It'll give you some clues on your card, and tell you where to find your next tape recorder. "

"Hmm... other than that... uh. Good luck, and try not to die! Hee! Oh, almost forgot! Make sure to check near you, you might find an item that will help you!"

Penny Yates -- Zone Three

It took a few seconds for Penny to notice that something was very wrong -- the ground was earthy and hard, she could feel cool air on her face, and more importantly, the stench of rotting flesh filled the atmosphere. Pushing her up to her side, she rubbed her eyes and tried to calmly survey the area, ignoring the strange new tightness around her neck, only to reflexively flinch at the sight of the dead animal. Staring at the corpse for several seconds, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her beating heart down, turning her gaze to the other person that she had found herself with, a glasses-wearing man around her age, she was about to ask him if he knew what on earth was happening. That was when the disembodied and playfully mocking voice of a young girl started talking. She twisted her neck around, searching for the source of the noise, but realized it was way too close for that, and reached for her throat to feel at the collar. She decided to just listen.

Penny’s face remained, as far as could be seen, completely expressionless, if you were to ignore her becoming paler and paler with every passing second. Questions raced through her mind, and she tried to recreate what happened. She remembered going into some kind of fortune store in New York, and talking with an old woman – she couldn’t remember anything after that. More than likely she was knocked out. Penny knew that there were quite a few people out there who wanted her head on a spike -- enemies came with the business, after all. But that didn’t really explain her being alive. A kidnapping is one thing -- dumping someone into a forest with a random person and the rotting body of a deer, with a collar telling you to kill someone within 24 hours, is just something else entirely. Perhaps someone wanted to get create in their revenge?

She didn’t believe it. She still found the tarot card and recorder in her pockets, just as the girl said, but that meant absolutely nothing. What she did believe was that she had found herself in a desperate situation that required her full attention. Dusting off the dirt from her jeans, she stood up tall and tried to calmly regard the man.

“Before you ask, I don’t know any more than you do,” she said quickly, trying to keep her voice flat – but ultimately failed, as a small amount of alarm and confusion seeped through. But considering the situation, she would say she was doing fairly well. “But I suggest we try to remain calm.”

---

Shawn Burnham -- Zone One

Shawn blinked. He rubbed his eyes. Blinked again. He repeated that process several times, still at a complete loss. A dream? Was it a dream? Must’ve been, he was last in New York. Being in a heavily populated city, only to randomly teleport to an empty, grassy plain was a rather jarring experience – thus, he concluded it was a dream. Interesting, he rarely had lucid dreams. With a hazy expression, he looked around the area, absentmindedly feeling at the new collar around his neck. His eyes darted to other man that was there. A middle-aged Indian man? He knew dreams were sometimes supposed to mean something, but what the fuck was that supposed to symbolize? His deep-seeded hope of travelling the world one day? And the collar represented something holding him down from doing so? From realizing his hopes, dreams and full potential?

He rolled his eyes at himself. Yeah, you’re a real Socrates, smart guy, he thought sarcastically. Real fucking deep.

It was only when the voice came out from his collar did he start to seriously question his situation. His brow began to crease at the mention of not removing the collar. He began pinching his arm at the mention of poison seeping into their veins, and only increased the pressure after that. His face became increasingly confused when the girl said he had to kill someone.

“What?” he said quietly.

As the girl continued, his confusion was replaced with anger. He stopped pinching himself and decided to just slap himself lightly across the face. It was too lucid for a dream. He never had lucid dreams. He slapped himself again, this time much harder. He felt nothing but the pain on his cheek. His hands went to his pockets when the voice talked about a card and recorder, and brought them out, holding them in front of his face. His face went back and forth between them, his surroundings, and to the other man.

“What the fu…” he said slightly louder, trailing off as a small laughter escaped from his lips involuntarily. “This is… this is joke, right? This is a fucking joke, right?” It wasn’t a dream. How was it not a fucking dream? Was someone playing a prank on him? A prank that involved knocking him out, kidnapping him, and dumping him in the middle of goddamn nowhere? Some his friends were a bunch of jerks, but they wouldn’t do this! Where the hell was he, anyway?! It had to be a prank. No way was something like this real. Was he on a Reality TV show? Entertaining a bunch of morons? Were a bunch of assholes watching them and laughing?

Ah. Made sense. Have your fucking laugh. He unsteadily got to his feet. “Very fucking funny!” he yelled out the world with a grin that contained no humour. “Hilarious, even! Now come on you fucking assholes, come on out, have your goddamn laugh, and get me the fuck home!” His humorless grin faded. “I’m on my fucking work break! You all better explain this to my boss!” He didn’t have the time for this bullshit. He still had a work shift, and then was going to go out drinking with his friends, maybe ask some people out, enjoy himself a bit, discuss the trip to Germany he and his friends were planning. He didn’t have the time for this.

Sunlight.

Alex bolted upright, perhaps too fast. her head spun and she swooned again, falling back into what must've been dirt. Dirt? Wait... Her eyes fluttered open and she did not make the mistake of sitting up again. Grass. Moist, intensely green grass. Water, too. Sunlight flickered off of the softly rippling wetness that did not even crest the top of the grass. Was she drugged. Why did she feel so weird and sluggish. Her thoughts muddled and she raised an arm to her face slowly, smearing a handprint of mud across her forehead. However, the wetness was cool and welcome.

She almost drifted back off, that is, until that shrill feminine voice picked up. Her eyes drifted open, his vision swimming surely as if she were in sea on choppy water. Her hair was in her face, and she slowly pulled herself into a sitting position to look around. it was then that her memory came back and the fuzziness of the sleep or the drugs was washed away in a sudden flurry of panic. Where... the... HELL WAS THIS!?

She jumped to her feet in one fluid motion, eyes darting around frantically for some sign of recognition. How did she get here, where was she, what... just what!? She felt a tingling along her back and realized she had been laying in inch-deep water, and she was soaked. She screamed, half in frustration and half in fear, drowning out the voice she had been paying absolutely no attention to. She stomped around in the water in a fit, then seemed to suddenly come back to her senses.

"...kill someone within twenty-four hours and take a temporary antidote..." What the fuck? "Vomiting, cramps, bleeding from the eyes and nose, oh, and fingernails! Within six hours of that, you'll die!" WHAT THE FUCK!?

Alex was fanning her face frantically at this point, slowly turning in circles trying to find the source of the voice. She began to slowly wander in the direction it was coming from. What was this bitch talking about? Poison, killing people? Whoever was pulling this prank did not have a good sense of humor. it was a prank right...? Yeah it had to be, some jerk with a sick sense of humor. Probably her ex boyfriend trying to get back at her.

"Oh you dick, you fucking dick..." She mumbled, nearly hysterically, to herself and she trudged through the marsh. The voice faded back into her attention again just before it turned off.

"Look in your left and right pocket. You'll find one super-important thing!"

Alex reached into her pockets at the same time the voice chimed in about the items. The card she just gave a disgusted look at and stuffed back into her pocket. The tape recorder she stared at curiously. Maybe there was a message on here that would explain things...? She hit the play button, looking up from the recorder as it started playing, and looking across the grass to one of the very strange-looking birds....

"Oh, almost forgot! Make sure to check near you, you might find an item that will help you!"

What. The. Fuck.

remain calm.

Remain calm.

REMAIN CALM.

Thomas was, to put it lightly, flipping the absolute fuck out. He screamed and yelled out every bad word in the book, and punched a couple trees really hard. He took hold of a branch on a young tree nearby, and just ripped that fucker off. He ripped it apart even further with his teeth and hands alike. He then went over to the dead deer nearby, took a hold of its antlers, and ripped its head off. He smashed it against a nearby tree, scattering eyes, brains, and maggots alike all over the grassy ground. And then he went over to the deer's body, and tore its intestines out. He stretched them out until they broke and splattered the last thing the deer ate all over the ground. Thomas then turned in the direction of the tall woman.

"FUCKING SHIT! FUCKING CUNT!" cursed Thomas. "Who the fuck are you? You think I can just hold my shit together when I'm told that I've got this collar on that's going to fucking kill me?"

He then charged in the direction of the woman, but instead ended up tripping over an exposed tree root. He fell over and his glasses tumbled off, and he cried as he laid prone on the ground, with cuts on his hands and his clothes even more dirty than before.

"Stacy, you fucking whore... you treacherous fucking whore..." sobbed Thomas. "Cut the announcer crap and get out of my fucking head! I'll kill you again and again and A-FUCKING-GAIN!"

Thomas buried his face into his arms and tried to cry as quietly to himself as he could, but to no avail.

After initial shock of the man’s actions disappeared, it was replaced with mere irritation and annoyance. Out of all the people she had to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with, it was a deranged psychotic. The thing that she liked about people was that, usually, you could make a reasonable guess and estimate about how they’re going to react to something. Obviously deviations occurred, but trying to speculation on the actions of the man who just flipped out, decided to rip out the entrails of a dead deer, and charge someone… is, to say the least, annoyingly difficult.

She gave herself several seconds to properly think what she knew through. Frankly, she didn’t know much about official psychology, nor about mental illness. Usually, her experience with people gave her more than enough information to muster up the necessary people skills – knowing the science behind it was never particularly necessary. She now regretted that decision greatly. She would just have to do what she always did. Fake, fake and fake absolutely everything. Her usual method for dealing with idiots in the middle of a mental breakdown would have to do.

“Oh come on,” she said, making her voice sound exasperatedly aggressive. “Are you a fucking idiot? Do you literally have fuck-all in that head of yours?” She moved over to the mass of the pathetic man, she knelt down to ground and forcibly grabbed his neck and collar. Using all of her upper body strength, she forced him to face the sky. “You believe all of this?!” she barked into his face the second his body was upwards, and gripped down tighter on his neck, keeping it forced to the ground. “Really?! Tell me, what’s more likely?! That someone’s playing a goddamn prank, or that we’ve been put into some battle fucking royale where tarot cards give us magical powers?! So yes, I expect you to remain calm.”

Dr. Kaikus - Zone One

"You're very loud." Dr. Kaikus' accent was pronounced, but his intent clear. "Perhaps you did not hear the woman correctly. There are dangerous things about, man and beast alike. I fail to see the humour in drawing them to us before we're ready." Raising himself from the dirt, Dr. Kaikus dusted off his trousers and sports jacket, careful not to touch his collar. "You know, I once told my wife stain-proof slacks were a waste of money."

Reaching into his pockets he pulled forth his tape player and card. The Emperor stared back at him, proud and cryptic. "Kings would often seek the advice of oracles you know. The Fates. Three sisters who wove the lives of men and god alike. It seems our lives are now in the hands of another. More to the point, it seems they are in the hands of whatever is out there we'd rather not attract." Many lectures at the college had taught the professor that often the loudest voice a student hears is the one in their own head.

"Where are my manners? I am Dr. Kaikus. You may call me Rahj."
________________________________________________

Travence Girt - Zone Six

"The fuck?" Travence hoisted his large form to his feet and gazed at the huddled mass before him. Straining to be heard over the crashing waves, Travence called to the dead man. "Hey, you alright, man? You better get up, some crazy shit's goin' down, man." Wandering a bit in the direction of the crumbling tower, Travence peered into the ocean. "Bitch at the candle shop fuckin' shanghai'd us. We're probably in goddamn Singapore by now. Singapore had castles right? Fuck, I dunno, get up man. Should we check out the tower? I don't speak Chinese but might be somebody in there can help us." Wandering back towards the body, Travence paced to the expanse of land behind them. "We could try going inland but I'm not sure how far we'd get. Hey, are you alive? I'm talkin' to you over here!" As Travence turned to face the body once more, he swore he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

Shawn turned hi s head angrily to the man, who was responding to his loud outburst rather calmly, telling him exactly why what he was doing was incredibly stupid. He dare he try to tell him that he was doing something wrong?! It wasn’t like any of this was actually happening. ‘Beasts’, ha what a goddamn joke. ‘Kill someone within 24 hours’. It was the biggest crock of shit he had ever heard.

“How the fuck can you be so stupidly goddamn…” he trailed off as he realised what he was doing.

… What am I doing? Jesus, just how stupid am I? he thought bitterly. Getting all pissed off would solve nothing, and he realised that taking his anger out at a man who was trying his best to stay calm and pleasant hardly reflected himself well. He still didn’t believe everything that was happening, and still held hope that the person over the collar was just playing some incredibly stupid prank, but he was smart enough to realise that the situation was messed up either way. He rubbed his eyes, and took a deep breath. His words were still shaky, and took several seconds to come out, but it lacked his previous malice.

“I… uh, Shawn,” he paused, and took another deep breath. “I’m Shawn. It’s, um, nice to meet you, I guess.” He looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment, finding it difficult to look Rahj in the eyes. “Uh, sorry. About before. That was… that wasn't... I’m sorry.” He still avoided eye contact, and instead properly looked at his tarot card.

“’The Lovers’,” he almost laughed, but instead landed on a half-hearted, soul-less chuckle. He could at least appreciate the irony. “Better listen to the recording, then, huh? Amuse our benevolent captors and whatnot,” he said, voice laden with deadpan. He brought it out, and pressed the play button.

How the woman handled Thomas's behaviour startled him. Normally, people were scared of him, but now in this case, he was the scared one. It was like this woman was a throwback to how Thomas's teachers back when he was still in school. It was like a double whammy with that and his dead girlfriend coming back to haunt him. Thomas wanted to get back up and strike at the woman, but she was bigger than him. He was helpless, and knew that she had all the freedom wherever the hell they were to kill him on the spot.

Thomas got back up on his feet, and remembered something. The tarot cards. He checked his pocket, and there was a card in it. A depiction of the Devil, goat horns and hooves, with a shackled man and woman. The shackles looked like they were fitted very loosely, as if the couple could take them off if they wanted to. It felt to Thomas like a metaphor for his life. How it's all his fault that he ended up with his unfortunate situation in life, and how he was probably being punished for his misdeeds. It was amazing how his first time back in a shop, and indeed his first time in a fortune teller's shop, would end up like this.

Thomas then looked up at the woman. Perhaps he had to trust her? Plus, he didn't catch up on all that the announcer said, knowing his little outburst of anger. Perhaps he needed a recap on the situation.

"What's going on? How do I know if you're not going to kill me?"

Then he looked at his hands. They clearly needed a wash.

Apparently, the intimidation and fear option worked just fine. The good thing about being so tall was that people often assumed her to be stronger than she actually was. She recognized compliance in the man’s face, and deemed it safe to let go of his neck. She made sure to stand up completely straight, and crossed her arms, attempting to exude some kind of aura of authority and confidence. It was her usual work pose, and was something she perfected over the years.

She noticed the card and recorder before, but she brought them out to properly examine them. 'Judgement'. She had an inkling of what it meant and symbolized, but to her, it may as well have just been a random tarot card. Completely useless, and she didn’t care enough to find any personal meaning from it. She kept it with her anyway, there wasn’t enough information on the situation to get rid of it. It could be some kind of clue on what was happening.

Of course, she only then seemed to realize then that absolutely everything else in her pockets were gone. Her wallet and mobile phone were, obviously, gone. So was her watch. She suppressed a sigh – it would be a nuisance she would deal with when she was safe.

The man asked for what was happening, and then if she was going to kill him.

“Kill you?” she said, keeping the momentary confusion out from her voice. She thought for a second. “Only if you attack me again,” she said firmly. “But that’s not going to happen again, now, is it?” She stared directly in his eyes. “As for what is happening, I would honestly like to know more myself. But I will try to recap what I know.” It might have been an opportunity to twist the words of the ‘announcer’, but she didn’t know just how much of it he managed to hear in his burst of rage. “We have been kidnapped and told we must kill someone within 24 hours, or else a poison will take effect and eventually kill us. Do not believe anything that the voice said, at least not until we get some actual proof for it,” she quickly added to the end. “Until then, assume this is a kidnapping and a sadistic prank. Perhaps there is someone who wants revenge on us. I don’t know.” That was actually very likely.

“Here’s what we’re going to do. Listen carefully to everything I say from now on, and we’ll get out of this just fine. First of all, search the area, the voice claimed there would be something around here that would help us. While doing so, listen to the recording you’ve been given.” She brought out the recording, and began scanning the ground. “We then need to leave. Quickly. The voice claimed there are ‘beasts’ around. I’m not sure what type of animal that entails, but I sure don’t want to be around a dead deer for much longer. It’ll just attract them. Now search.” She pressed the play button, and went to searching the area.

Mark kept his body motionless and quiet as he listened to what the lyrical voice was saying. Kill or be killed? He thought and then smiled into the sand. "Shut it for a moment." He said callously, slowly clambering into a standing position. "I don't suppose you got a ciggie' do ya?" He asked irritably. It was one thing for him to wake up, and entirely another thing to wake up without a cigarette in his hand and a beer in the other. He brushed off his mucky clothes as if they would be much cleaner without the sand, a harmless habit but entirely useless.
"Looks like we have some business to attend to. I ain't one to be the intelligent guy but she said there might be something around us that might help. I say we make a quick search of some sort and head into that big ass castle and figure out where the hell we are." He spoke surely with his raspy voice. "Oh and these." Mark pulled out the tape recorder and his card and hit the play button listening to the tape as he started skimming over the ground and around the area for anything that might be of use.

Alex Frendali - Zone Four

The recorder seemed to mess up for a minute. Harsh static suddenly erupted from the silence that had coming from the tape recorder. Then, the static stopped. A voice, not the one of the young girl's, but a different one. This one was the voice of a man, deep and hoarse, one that hasn't been used for a long, long time. The girls' stomping and screaming however, had attracted some.. unwanted attention.

The birds were staring at her now, their eyes' full attention on the soaked girl. But, in the grass nearby was one thing... a roman gladius, pristine and sharp, the edge of the bronze forged blade glinting in the gray sunlight. It manages to go about fourteen inches long, and has a finely made hilt for holding. Seems to be a few inches wide as well. Even from a few feet away, the sword still looks like a masterpiece, something born out of someone's love for an art. The birds, with their long legs and razor-filled beaks, now were done bathing themselves. Their crooked shapes began to slowly edge their way towards the girl, almost cautiously, with deliberate steps that made them stand tall. Three in total, had decided to investigate whatever had ruined their day. The tape recorder still spoke out.

"Listen... listen closely, whoever is listening. Your life will be in danger at all times from now on... don't trust anything, don't trust anyone. They may seem like they're normal, but they're not. The wildlife... its... different. Don't trust those grinning beaks. Use your strength to your advantage. Please, find the next tape." Suddenly, a bit of static pierces through. Sitting, soaked in the water has probably messed with the tape. "The location is... D..th...me... lage. Find a map and get there quick and avoid anything you see out there. Fighting will only bring more. They're not scared of you. Stay away from the pillars."

Meanwhile... the birds slowly advance.

Thomas Rodgers and Penny Yates - Zone Three

The voice coming from the audio tape was sketchy at best, something was obviously changing the voice to a deep monotone with no emotion... right? At first, the voice only spoke gibberish. Unintelligible slurs and words from some strange horrible language. But then you could finally understand, but not before the hairs on your neck begin to stand as you hear something in the distance.

A roar... from something. A... lion? No, not a lion, not anything you could think of. Something about it is too strange for you to make a good guess. The voice still plays. "Your card. Your card is worthwhile. A judge is not always blind, so beware. Be safe, hide. Kill. Do not trust. Trusting will kill you. Make good use of your tools. You must go somewhere. Find a map, it will guide you there. A castle among the sands. You may find supplies within the forest, if you know what to look for. Get the next recording." Lying in the dirt a few feet away from Penny is... a bundle. Inside said bundle is a large wrap of steel chain, each link forged strong and large. A heavy, round ball lies attached to one end.

As for Thomas, his item is stored within a hole carved into a tree, a three-pronged spear, forged of iron, and with a leather grip, lies there, ready for any hands that will take it.

Another roar erupts... this time it sounds closer.

Shawn Burnham and Dr. Kaikaus - Zone One

"Ehehaheeahee! Yes! Yes! Listen closely, yes, yes! Fools you are, but you might just not die!" The voice, obviously belongs to a man, who doesn't seem to have much sanity left inside him, is quick and stuttery. "Use your card. Yes, yes, indeed, use it! Survive with it! Go to... go to... The mountain. The stone quarry. Yes, yes. Go there. Find the next tape, find it." The voice is interrupted by the sound of splashing coming from the nearby river, just over a nearby hill, it is loud, and it calls out to you. "Don't forget, there are things you do not understand about this place! Nobody does! Haha!"

Nearby is a few items, however. For Shawn, he manages to spot the glint of technology lying in the grass and dirt. An device that shows the area around zone one. Two blinking dots right next to each other. For the good doctor, he finds... a weapon of sorts. It seems to be a gauntlet, with three ragged claws that appear like they would cut through flesh easily.

Travence Girt and Mike Latram - Zone Six

The wheezing voice of an old man soon cuts through the static. "I can't say much... but.. I will try and help you, whoever is listening. Stay away from the ocean, for things dwell within the deep water. Stay away from the castle as well... unless you have the stomach or the bravery for it. Use your cards however you can, and stay safe, please."

"You probably... won't survive, but if you do manage to, find a map and go to the castle in the sand, you'll find your next tape recorder there. But... be warned, there may be others."

Thankfully, the ocean lays quiet, and nothing interrupts the recording. But, the two do manage to find items near them. The large man manages to find... a set of tools, wrapped up in a small rag. These tools are of master quality, and are made for cutting things, and sharpening things. There are also some you might not recognize, but would be useful... somehow. The smoker manages to find... a wicked knife. The blade is almost eight inches long, and curls like it was made for gutting people. A quick stab would easily incapacitate anyone who crosses the owner. However, there is also a small bottle, the size of a perfume bottle, and contains a white liquid. Wonder what it could be?

((Sorry for the delay! Here it is:))

When Vanessa awoke, she noticed a few strange things. The first was that she was not in her own bed. The second was that her back was soaking wet. The third was that, when she opened her eyes, she discovered she was outside. But the most unsettling observation was that she did not remember falling asleep.

Frantically, she got to her feet and surveyed the area. The ground was sodden, causing her to suspect she was in some sort of swamp or marshland. Behind her was a river with a quick current, and there were dozens of birds that, although they were quite a distance away from her, gave her a strange feeling she was surrounded. Even ignoring that, there was still something... off about them. She hadn't a single iota of a clue in regards to her location until a completely unexpected, young voice frightened her and almost caused her to lose her balance.

There was something very unsettling about the girl's enthusiasm. Yet, Vanessa was relieved to hear that she wasn't alone in this foreign land, but that was until she heard the reason there were others.

"Ah, hell," she muttered to herself while lifting her hands to the collar. It was metal and doughnut-shaped rather than thin like a ring around her neck, and it was warm from her body heat. She groped at it for a clasp or anything that would at least reveal how whoever captured her managed to put it on, but she found nothing of the sort. The necklace she was previously wearing was gone, most likely to make room for the collar.

While listening intently to the almost jarring, childish voice, she looked down at her flip-flops that were completely submerged in water. Across the river, the ominous birds were advancing very gradually towards something... or someone, zombie-like and in unison. However, the wide ring of birds around Vanessa remained unmoved and distracted.

When the recording mentioned something about a tarot card, Vanessa reached into her pocket to retrieve it. Vanessa's dress didn't originally have pockets, though...

She disregarded it and examined the card. It had a seemingly abstract picture on it. She couldn't make sense of any of it. She couldn't make sense of anything.

When there was silence again, Vanessa decided to explore the area in search of anyone else. She was acutely aware it was dangerous to search for people that were very likely to be hunting her down, but she needed to find out why she was here.

Penny noticed the weapon fairly quickly, but she had to restrain herself from leaping out of her skin at the roar in the distance. As she never quite understood the appeal of zoos or television documentaries, her knowledge of the the many noises that an animal could make was less than comprehensive. But even she could tell that there was something incredibly wrong with it. Repressing a cry of fear, she settled on internalised terror and quickly gathered the weapon and hung it over her shoulder, turning around to the opposite direction of the cry of whatever beast was nearby.

"Move," she said forcefully to the man, making it clear that he wouldn't have time for his own search. She didn't realise that he had already managed to find his weapon. Holding the recording to her ear, she listened carefully to what the person said. It made vague, useless allusions to the card she had been given, warned her against trusting anyone, recommend that she find a map, and that she should find a 'castle among the sands'. All in all, it raised more questions than it answered.

"W-what the hell was that?" a voice from the man nervously called out.

"Questions later. Quickly, n--" the hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up as another roar echoed out, this time much closer. She didn't want to find out what it is. No words had to be said. She bolted forward the very second the roar rang out, and hoped that the psychotic that she had unfortunately found herself partnered with understood the concept of 'fight or flight'. Considering the dull thud footsteps of footsteps uneven with her own crunched from behind her, it seemed he did.