April 8

We'd like to request a guard dog. Possibly a Labrador retriever or a golden retriever. Something big that barks, but isn't too aggressive. Fully grown and preferably well trained.

Thank you.

Dan and Nic

Dear Diary,

I'm not really sure who's going to be reading this, but I'm supposed to type in it, so here we go.

It's been an interesting first day here. I've made some friends, at least one enemy (who happens to live next door) explored the house some and watched a couple of movies. Not bad. I've heard there is a pool here, but I haven't found it yet. I'd love to get in some swimming.

Guess I'll go to bed, hopefully I'll get more done tomorrow.

Esmé

Who: Nic and Lina.
When: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Gee, on the front lawn. His room.

Lina had given Nic his space for a while, because she thought at the very least, after being made a side show, he deserved it. She wasn't going to pull an Everett and not talk to him, but she was going to get that statement today. So she let him get some sleep, and as the evening went on, called to see if she could come up. And up she went, wondering how fucked up and awkward this was going to be. Taking a breath to ready herself, she knocked on the door, already trying to imagine how heavily reinforced the door was.

It was a good thing that Lina called, otherwise Nic wouldn't have opened the door. On that thought, he decided maybe he should mention to Dan installing a peep hole or something, because there would be no more opening the door for unknown visitors. When Lina arrived, there was the slide of wood behind removed from the barricade, then one deadbolt, then the normal lock. Even with all three, Nic would have felt safer with a dog there, or having pushed some large piece of furniture in front of the door. When he opened it, it was with his foot pressed against the side to stop it from opening all the way, at least until he saw it was Lina. "Hey," he said, unable to smile. He pulled the door the rest of the way open and let her in. Behind him, the shower ran in the bathroom.

Who: Nic and Dan
Where: Their Room
When: 5:00 p.m.

Dan hadn't left the room all day - he'd had the world's shortest conversation with Cal over tools and he'd borderline lost it to Emma voer the journals. That had actually helped. Nic had been sleeping and Dan had been able to have a silent breakdown for a while, tears rolling down his cheeks as he'd typed and Nic need never know, Dan could continue to be being strong for him.

He'd also talked to Zhen, filling her in when their friend had brought them up food, talking quietly at the door, their tones hushed - both of them in agreement that if Nic wasn't awake, they weren't going to wake him. The food was the type which could be eaten cold, so Dan had put it to one side after Zhen had gone and gotten on with busy-work, just ebcause he had to keep himself busy.

Who: Zania
Where: Her Room
When: Sunset

Having fallen asleep at sunrise, Zania's "day" was rather short. The first thing she'd done was check the cameras, but the little girl she'd seen that morning was nowhere to be found. She wasn't the only one to see her, she found, as Stas had posted about her on the journals, a private post to those of them in Experiment B. If he hadn't done so, Zania would have continued to think she was alone, quietly going crazy. Now she just thought she was going crazy in mass with everyone else.

That did not make her feel any better.

In the middle of the afternoon, a new housemate, Esme, is put in her room on the second floor. Her bathroom is wheelchair-accessible.

At sunset, those with Experiment B have the chance to see another unexplainable event. It starts with a man standing in the art gallery. It could be any of the male housemates, really. You can't see his face, what with the rather odd horsey mask he is wearing. The only other 'garment' he wears is something like a loinclothe. There are strange silvery paint marks on his torso. He just stands there, contemplating the art for a while, before he quietly leaves the room. He walks down the hall and through the main area of the fourth floor - and then easily lets himself into Rebekah's room. He doesn't make a single noise, just silently steps inside and closes the door behind him.

Rebekah is sitting in her room over an art project, and she doesn't even look over to the man in the mask. It is unknown if she hears him, or even sees him, as her back is to the man in the mask.

The man in the mask watches her for only seconds, then steps quietly into her bathroom. Here, he opens one of the bottom cupboard doors, and feels around inside for a few moments. He pauses, there is a faint click, and a panel on the bottom of the cupboard slides open, revealing a large, black space. From the feeds, it is impossible to tell how much space is in the secret compartment - or is it more than that?

The man in the mask crawls into the cupboard, and shuts the cupboard door behind him.

But If those watching start searching the feeds, they will see the white horse again. In Natalie's closet. A seamless panel in the ceiling of her closet slides open, and the white horse carefully, quietly lowers himself to the floor. When he shuts the panel behind him, it is impossible to tell where it originally was. Moving slower now, oh so quietly, he lets himself into her room. The sounds from the bathroom indicate she is in the shower, and that's where he heads.

He watches her for a few moments, and then, though it is difficult to tell with the mask, he appears to make an expression - it is unclear as to whether it is a grin or a sneer. He passes through to Natalie's bathroom, uncovers another cupboard portal, and is not seen again anywhere in any of the rooms.

Mood: 

Determined

"Yo, ya'll listenin'? I know you are, ain' no mail in the joint that goes unread by somebody, feel me? I know none'a this shit ain' locked or private or nothin'. Not when you'd give up camera shots t'any of us. Ain' as stupid as I look.

Who: Nic and Dan
Where: Their Room
When: After Nic is found and retrieved.

Nic had said little on the climb up the stairs, his legs feeling like jello as he wished they'd been a little closer to the ground floor. He was beyond wondering how he'd been dragged down five flights of stairs and tied to a chandelier; the hit on his head was explanation enough. He cast small, worrisome glances towards the corresponding cut on Dan's head and once they got back into the room, his fingers moved up to lightly stroke Dan's hair there. Now he wanted to boil himself in hot water. He felt absolutely disgusting and... and dirty. Beyond the ability to get clean. But he'd try his best, so long as Dan would stay with him. He didn't want to be left alone.

Dan had been equally quiet as they headed upstairs, wanting to get back to their room. He'd left Nic's side only once since they got him down, not even wanting to stop touching him, be without physical contact with him, even for a moment. The one time he had stepped back was when Nic was being seen to by the doctor, at which time Dan disappeared altogether, reappearing a few minutes later with the supplies he now carried. He'd said nothing about the bag, the wood sticking out of the top of it. He'd just appeared carrying it over one shoulder, taking it with them as they headed slowly upstairs, seemingly forgetting about it in his concern for Nic's progress.

To whoever broke in this morning

Don't bother trying again, you sick fuck - there's a bar over the door, you're not getting in again.

To everyone else

If anyone wants to know how Nic's doing, can you direct enquiries to Zhen please. Sorry.

Private to Zhen

Figured I'd send you a note before you start bitching at me for not keeping my end of the deal, but I'm going with bets called on account of extremely sadistic cunts. I'll finish out the rest of my sentence tomorrow, scout's honor.

Mood: 

Angry

I'm done with civility, you sick fucks. Who's been attacking people? Stop acting like a bunch of kids with an ant farm and show some human decency.

Anyone know where I can find some tools and hardware in this hellhole?

If there were any Experiment B participants that did not leave their rooms to help out (or just generally see what was going on) during the commotion in response to Nic and Dan's attack, something could have been seen on the cameras - if they looked at the ballroom.

The northern wall of the ballroom is floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as several patio doors leading out to a large patio. At the very edge of the windows, those with Ex B access only could have seen the little girl looking through and watching. No one in the room notices her. If someone from ExB ran downstairs to see her for herself, she would run away.

Who: Dan, Zhen, Lina, Kaori, Nic, and open to everyone!
Where: Second floor, meat locker, ballroom
When: About 7:15ish

People called to him or tried to talk to him as he ran through the house, hammering on every single door as he went, but not stopping for anything more than the odd comment to the stupid people who didn't get it - didn't get that Nic was missing, and that he was hurt and that he could be in danger, that anything could have happened to him. They didn't. get. it. But they'd be awake - they had to be awake. And then they could all help look for Nic and they'd find him and it'd all be okay - it all had to be okay. They just couldn't be sleeping right now. After he had finished hammering on the doors of the second floor, he ran towards the stairs, taking them two at a time as he headed for the foyer.

Zhen was following him. She was telling people as they went what was going on, though just in clips and phrases, calls for help and for people to search for Nic, but she wasn't sticking around to give a dissertation on the matter. She was hot on Dan's heels, because no way in hell was she leaving him alone right now to face---whatever was coming. No way. Even if he didn't want her there (or notice, since she was sure he was far too distraught to even understand he was being followed), she was going to be. Just in case.

Lina had made two calls - one to the medical level so Millie could locate Dave, and one to Kaori, because, well, having the shrink on hand right now was probably just a good idea. Then she was out her door and hauling ass up the stairs, thinking she should probably see if Dan was having a screaming heart attack before she ran to the meat locker, because that seemed like the rational place to look, and WHOA there was Dan on the stairs. She nearly collided with Nic's half-naked, fully bloody, wrench-wielding boyfriend on the stairs and had to jump so as to avoid tumbling back down said stairs with him. "DAN!" she yelled. She'd never actually met him, but she knew him well enough from the scientists sick little games. "Go see Dave!" Yeah, she didn't actually think that would work, but what the hell.

Who: Nicodemus
Where: The Ballroom
When: ~6:00 AM
NSFW

Nic recognized the feeling before he even opened his eyes, dread sinking in to accompany the pounding in his head. He was cold and pressed up against something chilled and slimy. Certainly not Dan. It was a feeling he remembered, no matter how much he wanted not to, with tied hands and exposed body. It shot him into immediate wakefulness, which would have been followed by a scream if he hadn't been gagged. Instead he coughed, almost choked, the taste of bacon on his tongue. His eyes adjusted to the early morning light and he struggled to accept where he was and what had been done to him.

Who: Oh if you only knew...
Where: Attic and Ballroom
When: On that line between far too late and far too early
NSFW

Finally, their time had come. After months of reading, researching, and formulating the perfect plans, they could finally fulfill their perverted desires. They had wanted it so bad, wanted to do it the moment the idea presented itself in their head…but they were told to wait, to be patient. So wait they did, but oh the wait had been agonizing, those orders were a hot brand on the back of their neck. But now things were in motion and the scars of their impatience were deliciously divine; being kept on a collar made freedom that much more ambrosial. No more teenage pranks, there was nothing tame or mild about this. There were no restraints on them now and they were going to use every inch of freedom given to them.

The residents were all getting too comfy, too cozy in what should have been their own personal hell. The silly things tried to forget the horrors of this house by surrounding themselves with feeble friends and asinine allies. They tried to ignore their respective fates by indulging in sexual vices and calling it love. How insulting it was for them to excise the brilliant, deviously deviant minds from history! But the pitfalls of the foolish were their tools. They were all going to be punished for their blatant disrespect…and what better way to do that than drag the past back up from the grave they had given it? After all, nothing was more torturous than the past; it followed you everywhere, always, until you found eternal rest at the bottom of a pit. The past was just the ghost of the present, and they would make sure it would haunt them forever. They would lead them like lambs to the slaughter, metaphorically of course (dead people were no fun), one by one.

As they walked down the hall, the realization that it was spring hit them and the perfection of their unintentional analogy made them smile. They would have to extend that…it was absolutely brilliant; the scientists would love it, and oh were they eager to please their white-coated masters. This would be the slaughter of the spring lambs; the only question was…who got to be the very first lamb?

Who: Zania
When: 3am
Where: Her room, then the halls

It was at night that Zania worked best, when the house was quiet and she could focus solely on her task. She'd decided it was time to test the molds she'd been making, and worked up a batch of resin for the test. One doll was poured, body, head, hands and feet, though it was far later than she expected when she finally looked at the clock. A quick shower and she was ready for bed, only stopping at the computer to scan the cameras, as was becoming a habit. The house was quiet, as she expected, most everyone tucked away in their beds. Clicking from room to room, she passed over the hallway feeds, then went back, sure her eyes had deceived her.

Who: A mysterious stranger
Where: Zania's room
When: Around 6am

Just a quick visit today, a note on the same paper as all the others, pinned to Zania's door.

Weather Report: The constant, steady rains of the previous day have become constant, steady storms. There is no thunder and lightning until well after the sun rises, but the winds are some of the harshest the house has seen since spring. All night and day the winds can be heard howling. No going outside today!

Events: There is a new housemate on the first floor, Tisi. She will wake up in her room, and there is a special note from the scientists waiting for it. It reads:

Starting after midnight, in the wee hours of the morning, there is something ExB people can catch on the cameras. Never on the floor they're on, but throughout the night right up until daylight starts to stream in through the windows, a little girl skips up and down the hallways. She's got a jump rope, which she uses.

Her hair is up in pigtails that have been curled, though some of her hair has fallen down and is out of place. Her dress looks like it belongs on a child out of a much earlier time period, the fifties, possibly. She wears scuffed black mary jane shoes and knee socks. Her right knee is skinned, with two crossed baindaids over it. Her dress is a light blue color, but is dirty, ripped in places, and the petticoats beneath are seen hanging down in places also torn up. Upon closer examination, she is dirty as well, streaks of it on her face and other visible skin. While she's skip-roping up the halls, she sings a song clearly heard on the feeds.

"One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret Never to be told."

If anyone watches her for longer than five minutes, she looks up at the camera and smiles before she continues on her way. If anyone attempts to catch her, they will not be able to. They will be able to hear her running away and laughing, and once she's out of earshot, she won't be found on a search.

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