(Chapter 3: Have You Ever Played With Syringes And Ink Blots? - Daily Life)

CHAPTER START

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(Hehehe...        At long last! Chapter 3! Now then, just to let you all know so there isn't any confusion, these next few chapters are going to be in George's PoV. So, we've got protag George for a while! Hope you all understand, and enjoy Chapter 3!)

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God. My head hurts.

That makes a lotta sense. Considering that we just went through...     A pretty difficult two deaths, in my opinion.

Ok yeah, maybe Candy's wasn't too sad for most of us (I know Emily's depressed over her), but Danny...

...Danny's death was like setting off explosives inside our bodies.

And Candy's last moments was like adding petrol to the fire erupting from it afterwards.

...

Sitting in bed only made me stress out about their deaths even more. I didn't want to feel like that. I wanted to be in a better state of mind, I didn't want to fall into despair.

...Not like I wasn't feeling any right now.

Don't think like that George. You've got a new day ahead of you.

I leapt myself out of the relatively uncomfortable bed, sending one of the two plush animals flying across to the opposite side of the room. For those questioning, I found it pretty easy to sleep with a plushie or two you can cuddle. It's honestly extremely soothing and aiding for me, especially if I'm going to bed stressed. Which I'm doing practically every night nowadays.

Don't mock me guys. I've been doing it since I was a kid.

Moving on, I dashed myself into the bathroom, washing myself up as fast as I possibly could. Then I ran back into the main dormitory room, and dressed myself as fast as I could.

Boom. I'm out of bed and ready. What more could someone possibly want?

...A lot more, now that I think about it.

With a glad sigh to myself, I pocketed the e-handbook idling on the wooden-plastic bedside table, trotting towards the door with a plastered-on cheery mood.

...Eh. Someone's gonna end up noticing I'm faking it anyway. Richard always manages to detect these kind of changes in me.

...Not to say that Peppa or Edmond don't see them either. It's just that Richard is usually the first one to notice.

I grabbed hold of the handle, swung myself outside into the hallway, and carefully let the door slip back into place, not wanting to awaken anyone currently sleeping. Unlike what Monopotato pulls off every morning.

...Did the morning announcement sound out yet?

I'm actually not sure.

But I am rather peckish.

Well, to the kitchen I go I guess.

In 5 seconds, I was there. The kitchen was literally right at the end of the dormitory hallway, so it was easy. 

Weren't easy to get inside, though. It was locked up.

At first, I started questioning Cloud 9, but then something hit me.

If I wasn't woken up by the morning announcement, then...    It likely hasn't sounded out yet.

Which means the kitchen is still locked up.

Along with the courtyard, swimming pool, and...     A few other rooms. I don't remember, haha.

Just to double check, I pulled out my handbook and checked the time using it. After a long trial of trying to turn it on. It didn't make any sense to me whatsoever.

And yet, everyone else can use them just fine!

Yeah, maybe that's because they're older, but...       I'm pretty certain age is just a number.

Anyways, moving on. After finally managing to get the correct combination on its side buttons to open the damn device, the time showed up on it.

6:34 am

...Well damn. I'm up extremely early.

That's a first.

...

Ok then! Since the kitchen isn't gonna be open any time soon, I might as well take a wonder around. Y'know, to pass the time.

Considering I was pretty much fully acquaintanced with the ground floor, I decided to head up to explore the upper floor. I kept various thoughts of major questioning in my head as I walked up the stairs, each of my individual footsteps echoing around me and the staircase hallway.

...What should we do today?

No clue. I guess we'll continue to try and find a way out of here.

And also hang out at times to boost our morale and confidence a bit.

...Damn. This is starting to become a schedule, huh?

Weird. Something tells me that it shouldn't be.

...Oh well. I've got a slightly bigger fish to fry right now.

My hoofs left the last echoey trots in the staircase hallway as I arrived at the plank-lined first floor. My eyes squinted at the...    Surprising brightness of the room.

Jeez, I really don't remember this floor being so bright before.

Maybe I just got used to the darkness in the hallways after the trial?

Nah, I wasn't in the hallways for too long before going to sleep.

...Actually...      

...Am I just now realising that the lights in the hallways dim at night?

It's like...     It was made to be comfortable for us.

Wait hold on, how could that be possible?

Surely Monopotato would be trying to make us feel anything BUT comfortable.

...Peculiar.

Speaking of comfort, I felt nothing like comfortable at the moment.

Why so?

Well, let's see here...    The lights are blinding, it's early in the morning, we're stuck in a literal killing game, I'm extremely paranoid about dying or losing someone else-

...And it sounds like someone's crying.

My nerves stuck up on end, worst case scenario rushing to first place thought-wise.

Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god.

What if someone else died? Without a motive?!

We- W-We just lost Danny AND Candy! We can't lose another person this early!

...Right?

Without doubting anything currently left in my mind toned with paranoia, I sprinted to the source of the sobbing.

...I wasn't fully sure where it was, actually.

I just started yanking doors open at full speed, hoping that my eyes would land on the sight of someone alive and crying.

Not over someone dead.

Eventually, I ended up earning my wish.

...There was still a bit of gloom to it, though.

Grabbing the gold-indented door handle to one of the rooms opposite the library doors, I practically ripped it out of the walls, letting it slam into the wooden-lined hallway due to my attention being hooked onto a more shocking sight.

The crying rang within my ears. The walls beckoned the light-hearted miserableness back in on itself. The cream-white figure, slumped upon a stool in the centre of the room cackled out sobs harder then I could measure.

What's more...     Her long ears had gone droopy.

"Rebecca?"

"GAH!-"

The rabbit jumped, not necessarily falling off the stool, however. Her crying had abruptly stopped, however she didn't make any other noises. She didn't bother to get off the stool either. All she did was send a half-hearted glare my way, her pupils narrowed.

Not out of anger, though...     More or so out of fear.

I myself then got hit by a sudden rush of fear.

...To be fully honest...    I'm not sure why.

"...Are you ok?"

"...I-"

*Ding dong bong bing...*

"Goooooooooood morning everyone! It is officially morning! So get yo asses up, and come up to meet me on the second floor, by the staircase! I want to show you all something..."

The rest of the message ended up being blurred by my lack of attention. I understood what was going on - We had to rendezvous by the stairs on this floor, or else we'd all be dead.

Rebecca also seemed to get the message. By the time the message had concluded, she immediately lifted herself off of the round, suspended surface, taking slightly shaky steps to the door. Around halfway there, though, she bent down to my ear, and whispered a message to me.

"Can you please...       Please don't say ANYTHING about this to anyone?"

"...Huh?"

I turned back around to face her, only to realise she had left during my hyperfocus upon her words.

...I mean...

...I understand. In a way.

She doesn't want to be seen as too weak.

But the death of someone who was one of the closest people to you...      Especially if it were...    A supposed crush...

...That can really take a toll on you.

...

Shit I need to hurry up or else I'm gonna die.

OK! To the staircase!