Doors Plot: Screams in the Night

[wipeawaythedebt]

The power has gone out. Routine automated maintenance systems and life support are the only things running. They're not enough. The lights have gone out, and they won't be on again for three days. The miner of the Midnight Isle used to take these power downs as unofficial holidays. Card games by battery-operated lights, cold canned dinners and gossip among men who were away from home a year or more at a time. But not now. Now the darkness was silent...

...until it wasn't.

The sounds in the walls, the scratching and slithering get louder and louder until there's a crash from somewhere deep in the ground. That's when the screams start. Inhuman screams from inhuman throats broken only by the sounds of crystalline claws on the metal floors. Shadows grew into monstrous forms with ebon-black scales and no eyes. The monsters of the Midnight Isle were freed from the dark.

And they were hungry.

Comments

[adifferentlife]

Sybil has no idea what has just happened. Electricity shooting out, the creatures levitating and then falling away. That's beyond anything she's able to understand but right now she doesn't care. Sybil only knows to listen to Elizabeth and to run when she says to.

[wipeawaythedebt]

He knows it isn't going to last. Those things were built like... hell, he doesn't know what to call them. Another blast of power summons the crows. Their flapping and sharp beaks will slow the bests down as he starts to retreat. Taking off at a run he keeps the girls in sight and ahead of him.

"Keep going, don't look back, try and find a place to hide! A way out!"

[cagedlamb]

There was no way of knowing what could be a way out. Absolutely no way. Every hallway looked the same, and if there was some sort of glowing exit to this madness, she certainly wasn't seeing it.

"What are we supposed to look for?!" she said outloud, hoping someone would have the answer. The angry noises of whatever it was that had apparently shaken off the crows were getting louder again, so she knew running wasn't going to be an option very long. They would need to find something, and quickly.

[notinanybook]

"Damn it," Emma mutters, under her breath. Without some kind of direction to lead them in it feels like they're just going to be running in circles.

She chances a glance back over one shoulder, making sure Booker is still in their line of sight, and she tries to catch his gaze for some understanding of where they need to go. She's suddenly struck by the possibility that maybe none of them know. Maybe they're trapped.

[adifferentlife]

There seems that there's nowhere to go that the creatures aren't. It's a closed doorway that holds some hope for Sybil, unsure what could be behind it. She pushes the door, hitting it with the side of her body without it budging. "Help me! Please!"

[wipeawaythedebt]

The creatures rush him and he lets loose another blast of Bronco. Would have worked, too, except one of them was out of range. It came skittering under its friends and rushed him, causing his shield to flare and knocking him back. He won't be able to take many hits like this.

Thinking fast, he looks up to see a break in the armor-like scales. Reaching up, he places his hand against the break, ignoring the sudden pain of something lancing through his shield and into his shoulder. Letting loose with a point-blank blast of the firey Devil's Kiss, he's rewarded with a scream gurgle as the creature falls over, critically wounded or even dead.

With the others still suspended, he points to a set of double doors at the end of the hall. "Through there! Maybe we can seal the doors! MOVE IT!"

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth had to fight the urge to duck every time something new lashed out. Booker was using everything in his arsenal, and she knew she was using it all too fast. They didn't know how what he was doing worked - they didn't know there was a limit before he couldn't do anymore and they'd all be completely without any way to defend themselves.

The instruction sent her rushing forward towards where he pointed. One of the doors were locked, but the other flung open when she pulled on it. She would feel thankful for their luck later.

"Inside! Quickly!" she said, making sure the other two went in first before she followed.

[notinanybook]

Emma's through the door first, immediately moving to stand on the other side to keep it open until she counts three more heads behind her. She doesn't even know if they'll be able to close this thing and lock it once they're inside, but they have to try. Only then will they be able to start regrouping and figure out what to do next.

She peers around the door to see Booker down the hall a ways further still, his arm limp at his side.

"Come on!"

[adifferentlife]

The room they end up in is thankfully free of monsters and still has flickering lights. Not that it shows Sybil anything but a series of doors that circle it. There's nothing to block the way they've come through, no weapons, nothing of use.

She's barely thinking when she lunges forward, pulling open a door only to see more of the moving black shadows that plague them already. She slams it shut, her back against it and sweat on her brow. "Not this way."

[wipeawaythedebt]

He can't work his arm like he wants to. Sparing a quick glance, he realizes he's got a tooth or spear-like scale or something stuck clean through it. Gripping it tightly, he pulls hard and fast, grunting at the flaring red-hot pain. In his arm, it's a hindrance, in his hand, it might be a weapon. Which is good, because he knows he's low on salts and running out of power.

He's the last one in the room and he shuts the doors, but not before setting fire and electrical traps in the hall. Anything coming for them will be slowed by going through the traps. Grabbing a chair, he wedges it under the doors. It won't stop anything for long, but it buys them some time.

"Check the other doors. I'll watch these."

[cagedlamb]

Elizabeth found herself almost drawn to Booker, to try to check the injury that was so apparent. But she knew they had to get out of there, that it wasn't safe to pause yet. With one small glance in his direction, she took a deep breath and hurried to the farthest left door.

What she found was rubble. It was piled high near the door, leaving little room to even consider squeezing through the space. She might be able to do it, but she doubted someone like Booker would be able to. It wasn't an option right now.

"Nothing! Someone try another!" she exclaimed.