This is the start of your conversation with @Crozowna
[ Today at 1:58 ]
Arowna: i know what you did
Arowna: fucking animal
[ Today at 2:03 ]
? :DMZ
What are you talking about? :DMZ
Arowna: cutena
Arowna: you took her and put her in the maze
Arowna: i know it was you
Arowna: youre the one up to this whole thing
Arowna... :DMZ
I think you need some sleep. :DMZ
I'm on your side, everyone's side. I don't know where you came up with this idea, but I'm hurt. :DMZ
Arowna: the people in the maze are hurting more than you ever will
~
Whispers carried around the workspace like common chatter among friends. Worried glances were shared between others as they exchanged visuals and information on the remaining few inside the maze.
"That's two of five down..." A girl, still in her teens, mumbled as she crossed off a name on a piece of paper; The Siren. The one above it, KING, was crossed out as well. She handed the paper over to the one who sat next to her. He looked down at the paper in the dim room and clicked his tongue.
"We should've added more," he murmured, "we aren't like them. We don't have enough people who are brave enough to enter the maze willingly to kill the others."
A man who had been listening nearby, turned on his swivel chair, his eyes somewhat wide, "you still think those people were willing actors?" He bellowed, "those were actual killers, idiot. They're more of a danger to us than the ones in the maze."
The many in this room fell silent save for the few beeps and chimes of the machinery around them.
"Stop complaining and get back to work," someone huffed, "don't wanna be caught by the bosses, do you?"
The silence was a unanimous vote, just in time too as the large doors near the back of the room swung open, two figures stepping inside who was halfway through a conversation.
"Just wait it out. If they confront you again, don't respond," the eldest spoke, his head turning to look around at the screens and the many who worked, "what are they going to do? Track us down?" An amused breath left his lips.
"Even if they do manage to find our location, there isn't much they can do about it."
The other was silent, a phone illuminating his features as he stared down at it in silence. After a few moments, he nodded and shut the device off, then pocketed it.
The two who exchanged information by paper glanced at each other warily, sending signals with their body language and eyes before the male sighed, giving in. He held the paper and turned slowly on his spinning chair, "sir?" His voice was small, but loud in the quiet room. The one who was speaking before turned his head and even in the dark, the employee could feel his eyes.
"Another...killer has fallen," he reported, head hanging low. The shadows grew cold, shifting, moving in the room which caused chills to run up many spines until the feeling settled. The feeling of unease.
He sighed, "well...what can you do about it, I suppose," he muttered, then spun around, his head turning in the direction of the one who stood beside him, "I'm going to get changed...do call me in if anything...interesting happens."
The man's heels clicked against the ruined tile as he made his way out of the room, the sounds still echoing down the hall before they finally reached out of earshot.
~
One Killing Maze Live Chat
J0inforest: boooo :/
J0inforest: why are all the killers dying??
GhostyMIRA👀: plot twist, the contestants ARE the killers
Ryukuyi (mod): I can assure you, I have no part in that
DarkIrene: I came back at a HORRIBLE time..
SenZendark: holy shit
SVNATE: TJ POPPIN' OFF
Pebs🌸Cee: wait, can they kill other contestants after already having a key?
Ryukuyi (mod): @Pebs🌸Cee Yes.
SoSavy: the bloodshed that we needed
TwistedCreator: who tf decided 'The Siren' was a good name for a killer
RE0LT0R: @TwistedCreator gimmie your best killer names then.
________________
Y/n had shut her eyes only for a moment, but that moment turned into an hour, and then two hours, and then three. Ann had dutifully taken the first watch as both Armen and Y/n had earned some much-needed rest after that fiasco. Ann had Y/n change out of her drenched shirt and wear the hoodie instead since she didn't want her to catch a cold in this scenario. The same went with Armen, except they had him wear the red hoodie the two girls had found a few minutes before Armen was taken under.
He had questioned its origins, but gave in as the article of clothing was dry, and, hey, free bat!
As Y/n awoke from her slumber, she noticed one thing very quickly.
A photograph had been placed not too far away from the tree. It was placed right-side up, so Y/n could see the contents of the picture even before she leaned over to grab it. The girl was still a bit groggy, so the image wasn't clicking at all. She picked it up and ran a thumb along the edge. The whole thing was red, with bits of darker reds here and there, but there was also a dark backdrop of cement. Y/n turned it over and stared blankly at the blocky words; M/n.
Her mother's name.
Y/n flipped it back over. Then over to read the word, then back to the image.
What she was looking at...was what remained of her mother.
Her mouth fell open, quick breaths falling in and out of her lungs; she wanted to scream, but her throat was dry. She wanted to cry, but something was stopping her. Y/n's breathing quickened and she tossed the image aside, the photograph only fluttered a few feet away, but right-side up, staring at her.
"Y/n?!" The voice calling her name was garbled, it felt like she was submerged in the water all over again. Everything was becoming cold and dark, and when she felt someone's hands landing on her shoulders, Y/n shrieked, pulling away, "Y/n, it's me."
The h/c-haired girl searched around, her eyes falling upon a familiar face. Ann. Her brows were furrowed and her lips were tugged down into a frown. She reached a hand out, slowly so as to not set the other off in any way, "it's okay, breathe with me," she inhaled slowly, and Y/n did the same, then exhaled. They did this a few more times until Y/n was finally grounded.
Ann had spotted the foreign item on the grass when she had rushed over, so she pushed it away with the heel of her foot, already piecing together that it was the reason why she had flung into a panic. Even if she had a small interest in looking at the photograph, it wasn't her business. She moved Y/n to a place near a tree so she could sit upright. During all of that, Armen was still sound asleep.
Neither of them spoke, just sat in silence. Y/n knew that Ann wanted to ask something, but was thankful that she didn't ask immediately. Now that her thoughts and senses were collected, Y/n could see that the entire room had been dimmed enough that they could only see so far ahead of them.
"So..." Ann now finally broke the silence, "are you okay?"
The photograph was nowhere to be seen, but Y/n could still picture the colors in her mind and could make out what the scene actually looked like, "I don't know."
She nodded slowly, her lips pursed.
"Do you know how that picture got there?" Y/n asked, her voice dry. Ann lifted her head and looked around, then shook her head.
"I don't, sorry. I don't even know how it could've gotten there...unless someone snuck it in." Ann sighed, "I should've been able to see them...no, probably hear them since I wasn't over by you guys most of the time."
"Where were you?"
Ann pointed over by a few trees, "behind there, patrolling around," they blocked the view of the area where Armen and Y/n were resting. Someone could've easily snuck up, placed the photo, then ran off, "sorry. I'll be more watchful."
The e/c-eyed girl stayed silent, knowing full well that the apology was very much needed.
Ann yawned, stretched, then rested against the tree while looking up at the canopy of trees. Between the leaves, there were dimmed lights glaring back down at them.
"You should rest," Y/n finally spoke, slowly standing to her feet with the assistance of the trunk of the tree, "I'll keep watching for a bit."
The brown-haired woman stayed seated but watched Y/n with worried eyes. Y/n made her way back over to the spot she had been lying at before and sat down. She brought her knees close to her chest and wrapped her arms around them to keep herself still.
Ann fell asleep quickly.
Not even thirty minutes later, a beep echoed in the room. Y/n jumped, startled, but she did not move from her place. Then, a second one blared right after.
Then a third.
This sequence was the reason for Armen and Ann to both wake up, the noise reaching their ears at the end of the second chime.
A fourth.
"Holy shit," Armen muttered, rubbing his eyes as he grabbed the metal bat that lay beside him. The three of them stood, quiet as the fourth ended. Nothing came after, but they waited anyways.
Nothing.
Ann had a hand hovering over the hilt of the axe, but lowered it slowly after she was sure they weren't in any immediate danger. Armen stretched and looked around, then back at the two of them, "we should move. Each time there's a kill, we should change positions."
The brunette let out an audible sigh which Armen responded, "it's how I survived in the maze. There's always a chance someone could find you if you stay in a place too long," his words were sharp, but he didn't hold any anger in his tone. Ann turned away and sighed again.
"Yea, yea, I get it," she looked around, then pointed over at the wall nearby, the one on the direct opposite side of where they had entered, "through there."
After collecting the rest of their items (and changing into their somewhat dried shirts), they hurried over and exited the room they were in.
There was no particular direction they were heading in, but each room left Y/n with the same, dreading feeling. There was going to be a time when she'd have to kill someone; she didn't mean someone like before, in the water, but openly. Stabbing them in the heart, or shooting them in the chest. There were different possibilities...but it always led back to her with blood on the palms of her hands.
"Y/n," Armen's voice shook her thoughts and she blinked, her head jerking up so she could meet his eyes. He was in motion in reaching out to open the next door, but his head was turned her way, "you okay?"
How much time had passed?
Y/n sucked in a breath and nodded, and just as the handle turned, a beep, the fifth one today, rang out.
On the other side of the door, in the center of a room, a girl, most likely in her teens, stood over an older male. Fresh blood pooled from the torso and neck, quickly creating a puddle of crimson on the white, tiled floor.
Ann was the first to react, rushing through the doorway and to the girl who let out a cry of shock. Her hands were empty, but there was red all over her fingers and the palms of her hands.
"No! NO!" She shrieked, the two of them tumbling to the ground, away from the body. This man had died just as they opened the door. Y/n and Armen hurried in, unable to step in to help Ann as they fought on the floor, "please...please, I don't wanna die...!"
Y/n lifted her head to the walls of the room and spotted the TV hanging over the door the three had entered through.
Creator of OKM Discuss, Viviana Hunter, has killed former employee, Richy Hardt.
You have earned one key.
Remember, at any time, anyone can take this key from you by killing you!
The title of this girl, Viviana, sounded familiar. It wasn't anything related to the app Y/n had during her time in the cabin with her family, but Y/n did remember spotting something along those lines spoken about on the feed.
"Ann!" Words left her lips before she had the time to think, "don't!"
Ann straddled Viviana, managing to pin the girl by trapping her right arm underneath her body and gripping her left wrist with her right hand. Blood had been smeared across the floor, from both Viviana's hands and most likely her shoes. The brunette didn't turn her head, but she shouted back, "what?!" Their breaths were both heavy, but the younger girl's chest was rising and falling at a much more rapid pace.
"She's...I don't think she'll hurt us," Y/n murmured, stepping closer to the two on the ground, trying to ignore the fact that there was a body in the room.
"Think. You think she won't hurt us, Y/n," she snapped, "but if I let her go, she could stab you, me, or Armen at any second."
The longer-haired brunette turned her head at the best of her ability towards Y/n, then back at Ann, "no...no, I'm not- I don't- I'm unarmed!" She was tripping over her words, "check if you don't believe me!"
Ann switched with what hand she held the other down with and rummaged through Viviana's pockets slowly, careful so as to not hurt herself with any weapons that could be in them. Then, after double-checking, Ann released her, getting to her feet quickly.
Viviana got up slowly, glancing at the three that watched her like a hawk in the small room. She studied them closely, her mind slowly piecing her thoughts together.
"Wait..." She trailed off, mouthing a few words to herself, "wait, Y/n, like...the winner of season ten Y/n?"
This was something that Y/n wasn't exactly expecting to be hearing in a place like this. She didn't know how to react to that comment either so she just...nodded and half-held up a hand.
"And the third and fourth victors too... Ann and Armen..." Viviana pressed a hand to her forehead, stepping back once in surprise, "what the hell..."
"Wouldn't imagine finding a fangirl in a place like this," Ann muttered, stepping away from the area she was standing before to stand by Y/n's side. The h/c-haired female tilted her head.
"What happened here? You...well, killed him, so there must've been a reason..." She trailed off, watching as Viviana's expressions morphed slowly. She sighed and gripped the end of her shirt as she revisited the fresh memories.
"Well...I paired up with him when we first met. The two of us said we didn't want to fight anyone, we just wanted to live...so..." She shrugged, "not much happened, really... Until...we heard the sounds of those people dying, the beeps. I didn't know it, but Richy had found a knife in a room...and when I was about to fall asleep..." She motioned toward his body, "he attacked."
The situation had been misinterpreted when the three of them had entered, so of course they would've thought she had attacked him instead.
"Is...is it bad that I don't feel anything," she let out a breathy laugh, clutching her sides as she stared downwards at her feet, "I...I killed someone, so why don't I feel anything?"
Armen stepped closer to Viviana and placed a hand on her back, "it's okay...I felt the same way too, you know."
"And I won't sugarcoat it," Ann spoke up from Y/n's side, "it doesn't get much better... So you need to learn to live with yourself...even if you hate it."
"What a nice way to put it," Y/n's voice dripped with sarcasm and Ann snorted. This caused Viviana to chuckle quietly, "I'll try..."
Under a silent agreement, they had allowed Viviana to join them. They left the room quickly with Armen in the front, Viviana behind him, and Ann and Y/n in step at the back. Nobody spoke, and Y/n was glad Viviana had gotten the hint to keep quiet too...but that wasn't what was on her mind.
The number of people left in this place was dwindling and two out of the four of them had keys (not physically) to get out of this place when everyone was dead. It was a gruesome thought and Y/n didn't know if she was prepared to end someone's life just yet.
"Oh," Armen's voice caused the three of them to immediately pause in their steps until he turned his head, "I already hate this room."
He stepped aside so the three girls could see. From what Y/n could see, the walls were draped across with dusty, white cloth. The room was very dim, one lightbulb hanging from the ceiling the only thing illuminating the walls. There was furniture littered around the room, but they were all covered in a protective cloth on the carpeted floor. For a moment, she was confused. What was Armen so on edge about?
Then...she saw it. A faceless, humanoid doll. A mannequin.
Memories from the maze came flooding back. The dark room with the high-walled twists and turns; the mannequins that reeked of rot and decay.
Y/n stepped inside. She was not, no, would not be afraid of those mannequins; as long as they had nothing to do with that toymaker, it'd be fine.
Then, the door swung shut.
Y/n whipped around in surprise, then jumped back as a dark sheet of metal slammed down in front of the door. She could hear shouts coming from the other side and the metal rattled at the force knocking against it.
"Y/n! The room! Remember that room!" Ann's voice reached her ears as the shouting had died down, no doubt from Ann who was probably telling them to shut up. But what room was she talking about?
Y/n looked around with wide eyes, then up at the ceiling. It was hard to see, but she could make out the faint outlines of squares indented in the cement. Her heart began to pound louder in her ears; or was that the other three pounding against the door?
Oh, it clicked, that room.
The one with the burned corpse, the one the two of them avoided because of the trap-like nature of the room. Y/n had been careless.
Quickly, the female began searching around the area for some sort of item or furniture that could protect her from whatever was to come. Something in the room had clicked, but she did not bother to look and see what it was; she continued ripping the sheets off of the furniture, hoping for a doorway, or a hatch of some sort.
Y/n pulled a heavier blanket off of one of the items in the corner of the room and paused at the sight. It was a mirror, shaped like an oval and large enough to reflect Y/n's entire body; yet, there was no reflection.
There was a flash of a memory; a place that Y/n longed to forget, but it still remained. Inside the maze, the garden of roses, there was a mirror, just like this one...there was also a person inside.
"Candy Pop?" Y/n spoke his name, and just as she did so, a loud alarm blared from the ceiling. Y/n turned her entire body to spot orange flames raining down from the small squares and reflexively, Y/n brought her arms up to block the heat, but it seemed that she was falling backward.
Into the mirror.
A hand gripped her upper arm, dragging her inside the item before the flames could scorch her skin, but that didn't stop her from reacting to the heat and the sudden pull from behind. The area around her had warped, becoming an almost amalgamation of colors until her head stopped spinning. She was lying flat on her back, watching the room in the mirror she had just been pulled into become a flaming mess.
"Y/n?" A familiar voice reached her ears and she turned her head quickly. There wasn't much to see in this place, but it was a gazebo of some sort, just without a view...only inky darkness.
To the one who called her name, it was Candy Pop. He was kneeling down, his hand halfway outstretched. The two stared at each other for a moment before Y/n let out a few laughs, scrambled to her knees, and leaned forward, embracing the other quickly. The sight of a familiar face was fleeting, she felt relieved. Candy Pop pulled her closer, holding her just as tight before pulling her back by her shoulders.
"You're here and..." He looked her over once more, "alive.."
A small smile graced Y/n's lips, "yea, thanks to you," the jester removed his hands and stepped back, then let out a small, "oh!".
"Oh, right...Y/n, you haven't met him yet, have you?" Candy Pop cleared his throat and stepped aside. In the center of the gazebo, there was a table and a few chairs, and a colorful tea set sat on the surface...but that wasn't what he wanted her to see.
Someone else was in his dark world as well, sitting in one of the chairs; he was the complete opposite of Candy Pop's physical appearance, monochrome with white skin and unkempt, black hair. The clown had a spiraled cone for a nose as well, and his lips, outlined in black, stretched to a grin.
"Laughing Jack," he placed a hand, or claws, against his chest, the other stretched out to the side as he made a half-assed bow, "pleasure's mine."