August had been busying herself staring at the burning vines, trying to figure out if it was burning some form of natural gas, or using electrical sparks, or simply just an illusion, before realizing she was being spoken to. Mary had said something, but it was more an idle reaction to August's mutterings than an actual invitation to conversation. Kanoa was holding a guitar out to her. The redhead reached out to take it, still looking around the room with quirked lips. Considering how faded and weak the emotions in the cabin were, there probably wasn't much the guitar would do

[i]Where am I? Why am I here? What's going on, where is everyone, HOW DID I GET HERE?[/i]

August went rigid, pupils shrinking as much stronger emotions hit her core. She had let her guard down! Or had she? That's how it took her here! Where was here? Confusion rocked her as her fingers gripped the neck of the guitar tightly, eyes darting around as she stood completely still. Nothing had taken her, but she had been taken! No, August struggled to regain control as her breathing sped up. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to combat the foreign emotions. Confusion, waking up in a strange place you've never seen...anxiety, why were you here, how were you here? Combined with August's own panic at losing control over who she was, she was starting to freak out something fierce.

[i]How did she...he? I. Who was I? There are so many emotions, they aren't mine, they're...mine![/i]

Deep breaths. In. Hold. Out. August's muscles loosened, her grip on the guitar started to relax. Focus. You know how to handle this. You do it everyday. Take your time. Her green eyes fluttered open, pupils returning to normal as her shoulder suddenly slumped. Dammit, she knew better than to let another person's emotions take her over like that...then she tasted it. Like an aftertaste from diet soda. A furrowed brow as she focused on it.

"Confusion...anxiety...calmness. He woke up here...he didn't know he was taken here...maybe the hypnotizing left that residual calmness...or he was drugged...I don't think this guy even knew what was happening to him even when he was awake."

August set the guitar down, aware that she was sweating. She shook her sleeves out, wiping at her cheeks as she realized Kanoa was once again telling her to do something. Well enough, currently they were all just milling about like gawking children. She looked at the staircase, flitting her eyes to Orion and Daniel.

"Okay, neither of you are really thinking tiny little me is leading the walk to the creepy unknown upstairs in the spirit torture shack right? Cause I'm pretty sure I have a lower survivability rate in a fight than either of you."

The redhead walked to the base of the stairs, leaning over the banister to try and see up without actually walking up. Sure, she had the knife in her backpack. Did she know how to use it? If flailing wildly while backing up was a recognized military tactic, sure. She was never one to play damsel in distress and let a boy do something she was usually far more qualified to take care of, but this was a matter of logic.

Daniel was 6'3", had a law enforcement family, and seemed to be in good condition. 
Orion was taller than her, and was known for being athletic.
August was 5' and got winded if she jogged upstairs too fast. 

Feminism be damned, the males could take this one first.