Fanfiction: A Spirit Unbound

Chapter 3 - A Spirit Unbound

Rin Yamaoka took a breath as the darkness of her surroundings claimed her. All she could do is look around a world dimly lit by moonlight.

The rustling of the wind revealed a field of what looked like corn. Yellow stalks stretching as far as the eye could see, and in the distance a large two story building rose ominously from beyond the mist.

Rin swallowed hard. Maybe she could find help in there?

Or something awful.

I can do this. This is just like last time, right? No sense in losing my mind over this. I'm not someone who can't handle a little stress.

I might end up dying, sure, but the others I've met didn't seem very concerned about their own wellbeing. Maybe they're going a little crazy in here, but they're still alive. If they're still alive, they can escape.

In fact, they seemed to be in pretty good spirits. I can take solace in that. If they weren't scared, I won't be either.

I took a deep breath, and looked around. This is nothing like the last place I was in. How are you supposed to find anything? I need to power up generators, right?

Wait. There's a golden glow in the shape of a generator. Well, I have no other leads to go on. Might as well investigate.

I carefully walked through the corn, trying not to disturb the stalks too much. It's all quiet, save for the occasional ruckus of a crow.

I can hear a generator being worked on. I felt like I've done this a thousand times before, walking up on a generator being worked on, but my mind must be blocking it out.

There was a little girl working on it. She had a white shirt on with thin black stripes, and dark blue jeans. Her hair was a light brown, and her face had a smudge of gear grease on her cheek.

I guess it's okay to take another part of the generator and work on it with her? There's a lot of walls here, and a window adjacent from us. To the right of me was a rough looking pallet, and a red locker wasn't too far away. This place was safe.

Silently I began working on the generator with this little girl, and wasn't too surprised when she spoke to me.

"You're a new face. My name's Nancy, what's yours?"

Is it okay to tell the other survivors my full name? Will they recognize me as what I was and panic? I can't take that risk.

"Rin." I said with shallow nerves. "My name's Rin."

Nancy smiled.

"Well, looks like you're not having too much trouble with the generator. We should have this one done in half a minute."

It was beginning to get hard to hear anything over the noise the generator was making, but that's fine. We need to finish this, after all. Progress is a process.

I heard a young adult male nearby, making me jump slightly.

"Ahoy, ladies!"

Both Nancy and I turned from our generator to see a man with his left arm resting on the window. A few moments later, he crawled over and joined us on the generator.

His cheery demeanor was contagious, but his clothes were definitely odd. His white hat and blue garb looked like something you would wear to work. Not like I have room to say anything. I'm in school clothes.

The man smiled at me.

"Hi! My name's Steve! What's yours?"

I felt a little bit more at ease with another person here, and I could tell from my voice I was feeling more at ease.

"My name's Rin. Nice to meet you."

I heard a sigh from the other side of the generator.

"You could go repair another generator you know."

Steve looked like he was pretending to be hurt.

"What? You turn every generator you work on yellow so I won't lose track of you. You know you love me."

Nancy shot Steve a death glare.

"You let me die last time I saw you."

Steve shifted his eyes.

"What? No. That was a different Steve. Besides, he had a chainsaw. What was I supposed to do?"

I felt a little confused.

"A different Steve?"

Steve looked at me confused for a moment.

"What? Oh. Wait until you see another you running around being chased by a killer. Messes with your head, but some of my best stories come from four man Steve squads. There's just something about Steves that just makes them the best."

Nancy sounded unimpressed.

"Well. Just don't do anything stupid and I'll forgive you, okay?"

Steve smiled.

"I'll keep you shitheads safe. No promises beyond that."

Nancy sighed.

"Well. I'm glad you're here."

We were almost done with the generator, but Steve stood up.

"Clown."

Steve tapped the generator, getting Nancy and I's attention.

"Clown. Split up!"

Steve jumped through the window he came in from, and Nancy took off around the wall. I could hear what sounded like a heartbeat, getting closer and closer.

That's right! There's a locker! I can use one of those again!

I ran to the locker, and quietly closed it. I could hear my breathing, and gasped when I heard a harsh sound.

Thunk. Crash!

That was the generator we were working on, wasn't it? Wait. I can hear him talking.

It was a Clown, Steve said? His voice was hoarse, and his words had a bit of a slur to them.

"I could have sworn I saw six survivors here. Hm. I'm not in the mood for corn. Come out come out wherever you are."

I stayed still. It sounded like he was enjoying looking for us. I hope Steve and Nancy are okay.

The footsteps are getting closer. Please don't find me. Please don't find me.

The clown spoke with a hurried breath.

"Did one of you go in here?"

The locker door swung open, and what was standing before me was a very large man, both in height and width.

I could see why he was called a clown. His white face paint was nothing like a geisha, though the red lips were the same. The blue triangle did little to make this situation even slightly funny.

The Clown smiled at me.

"A little Asian girl in a school uniform? This is just like one of my Japanese animes!"

In a futile effort to get away, I lifted my left hand, which was instantly grabbed.

The Clown's grip was gentle, as he admired my hand.

"Oh, beautiful. So soft and supple. Just a little bit of smudge from that dirty old generator. Let me help you with that."

The Clown took my hand and began to suck the grease off of my fingers. I could feel his tongue wrapping firmly around every finger, and slobber running down my wrist.

The Clown moaned.

"Oh, mmm, yes. Your hands are so nice. So nice. God you're beautiful."

There wasn't really much that I could do. I let him molest me as he ran a free hand under my uniform and groped me.

At least he isn't hurting me.

I took a breath as I heard what sounded like a chime. Was that a generator?

The Clown took my hand out his mouth and rubbed my hand up and down his sweaty shirt. Wait. Are those severed fingers in one of those pockets? Oh god. Why.

The Clown licked his lips.

"Right right. I've got a job to do. Sweetheart, have you ever been on one of those hooks?"

I shook my head. Swallowing hard as I answered.

"No. No I haven't."

The Clown smiled.

"I'm so lucky. I get to be your first."

The clown rubbed his fat fingers across my lips.

"I can't wait to penetrate you. Alley oop."

I was quickly picked up and placed on this large man's shoulder. As much as I struggled, I felt like there was no escape.

I didn't see it coming, but the man quickly tossed me off of his shoulder, and onto an actual metal hook! I screamed, in a mix of both fear and pain.

The Clown smiled at me.

"Let me tell you a secret beautiful. Stay off those generators. You know what happens when you fix them? You leave and then go right back into another trial. More pain. More death."

The Clown took a long breath as he closed in on me.

"As long as you don't wake the Entity with that light, you and your friends have me all to yourselves. I'll take really good care of you and your friends. Real good care of you."

I had a feeling I knew what that meant.

I could see blood pooling at my feet, but what made me lightheaded was the purple haze surrounding the Clown.

I am a survivor. Sure he's fat, balding and ugly, but he has power here. If we don't run away, maybe he really will take care of us. All I would have to do is...it's better than dying.

Am I really considering this?

Out from the corn emerged a familiar face. It was Steve!

"I promised to keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing."

With what seemed like little effort, Steve pulled me off the hook!

I didn't have a wound in my chest, despite hanging for quite some time. I was hazy with impure thoughts, and there's lots of blood...

Is my hymen still intact?

I didn't have much time to think about it. The Clown was coming back.

Steve waved both arms at the Clown with a striking amount of confidence.

"Come on big boy! Let's go to pallet town!"

The Clown laughed, and it looked like he was playing with a bottle in his right hand.

"For my next trick, I'm gonna make you disappear."

I looked over at the generator we were all working on. It looked like it wasn't as nearly done as it was before, but it wasn't sparking or anything.

Despite bleeding all over the place, I decided that the generator would be a safe space to stay at.

I didn't have any wounds though, and the only thing that needed fixing was a bra strap. It was as if my physical body wasn't broken at all, but I felt incredibly weak.

A humanoid figure came out from behind the pallet. It was Nancy.

"Nancy!" I cried out. "I'm bleeding, but I don't know from where."

Nancy began rubbing my back as I knelt down in a panic.

"Your soul took a hit. I know, it's weird. The monsters here don't damage you physically. Doesn't matter what weapon they use. It all hits your spirit."

The word spirit drew an interest from me, but as my friend rubbed my back, I felt like there was still a chance we would escape this nightmare. My soul stopped leaking blood.

Nancy took a deep breath.

"Everything's fine. Everything's going to be fine."

A loud noise came from deep within the cornfield. It was a scream.

Nancy looked genuinely distressed.

"That sounds like Megan."

I wasn't sure what to say.

"What do we do?"

Nancy took a breath and looked at the generator.

"I want to finish what we started. Steve's going to rescue her."

I tilted my head slightly.

"Are you sure?"

Nancy looked determined.

"I'm positive. Let's get to work."

It didn't take long for Nancy and I to finish the generator, but when I did, Nancy pointed off behind the house.

"Go behind the house and past those hay bales. There's another generator there. Go knock that one out."

I nodded, and ran as quickly as I could. Sure enough, after a small amount of searching, I saw it. A generator.

I don't think the Clown is anywhere nearby. I can do this.

It wasn't too long before I was halfway done with the generator. I could see the Clown. He was chasing Steve, who was alternating between taunting the Clown and screaming from the noxious purple gas.

I was almost done, but Steve went down hard just twenty feet away. I don't want to be hooked again, but I don't want to go into a locker again.

I took to a corner, and watched helpessly as Steve was placed on a hook. His scream was incredibly loud.

The clown looked like he was stirring a bottle as he spoke.

"Okay look, I'm the Clown here, but you made me chase you through a field of corn, a bunch of haybales, and then through corn again. Do you know how hard it is to chase someone through corn?"

Steve said nothing, leaving the clown to shake his head.

"Look at that. Another generator went off. Bet that's your girlfriend. I'm gonna give her a good what for, and I'm gonna make you watch."

Annoyed at not getting a response, the Clown left Steve to hang. I crouched for quite some time, is it okay to help Steve? He helped me.

Steve noticed me as I came closer.

"So, remember once you get in there... pretend like you don't care. There you go, you're learning my friend. You're learning."

Steve's right. I have to have more confidence.

I unhooked him, just like he had done me. Nancy rubbed my back to make me stop bleeding, maybe I can do the same for Steve?

Steve stood up, pushing my hands away.

"Yeah, that's a no."

Was it something I did?

No. Steve ran over to the generator I was working on, and started working on it, not caring that he was bleeding. He's so brave!

Just as we finished our generator, another generator popped elsewhere in the field.

Steve pointed up at the house. Wait. Why isn't he bleeding anymore? Is his spirit just that strong?

"Rin. There's another generator on the second floor. Go take that one on. I'm going to get big boy's attention."

I have to do what I can for everyone to survive.

I made my way into the house without protest, but I could hear a generator being worked on. Was someone already in here?

There was! On the second floor was a girl I hadn't met yet. She had a red vest on and blue jeans, while her hair had two braided tails.

She looked at me only briefly as I got on the generator.

"I'm Rancor. If the Clown comes can you take a hit?"

I blinked twice. Something about the word rancor stirred memories within me. I saw myself standing over a friendly person and hitting them repeatedly with a sword before screaming at them.

She's Rancor. This has to be Megan.

"Yeah. I can take a hit."

I can't let her die like that.

It didn't take long, and the two of us finished the generator without much issue. For just a brief moment, the exits lit up with a light that penetrated walls. We can get out now! We can escape!

That sound. That heartbeat. The Clown was close.

Megan and I exchanged glances. I'm going to have to draw the Clown's attention.

I ran down the stairs on purpose, and received a slash in the arm from the Clown. I had a brief flashback of my arm being severed, but quickly snapped back to reality.

Was that enough? It had better be. The Clown is coming after me! Where were the exits!?

There. Steve and Nancy are at one, and Steve is opening the door. Two lights. Three. It's almost open! I'm not going to make it. I'm not going to make it!

I prepared for impact, only to get shoved out of the way at the last second.

I continued running forward to Steve and Nancy, unsure of what shoved me until I heard a scream. Megan saved me, instantly slamming her face into the ground from the force.

Nancy sounded scared.

"Open the door!"

Steve stood with a smarmy confidence.

"No way, she's on second hook. Besides, what if he has blood warden?"

I wasn't sure what they were talking about, but the Clown yelled at us.

"So you didn't want to be good boys and girls and just stay and play with the clown. Well, if nothing else, I'm going to take a souvenir!"

The three of us watched in horror as the Clown stepped on Meg's head. Once. Twice. A third time. Crack.

To my horror, the Clown lifted Megan's right hand and cut a finger off, quickly going to suck on it.

Steve sounded like he was going to vomit.

"Time to go."

The three of us had to abandon our friend, Megan, who worked together with us to survive the trial. She saved me, even though she knew the consequences.

We ran past the barrier that locked the killer in. A barrier I was all too familiar with.

Steve and Nancy ran ahead, but I felt compelled to stay. Hidden, I stared in, just beyond the trial's grounds.

I saw the tendrils of the Entity surround the Clown, and Megan's body vanished. The Clown was smiling.

"Entity! My favorite eldritch horror! What did you think? Did I put on a good show or what?"

The Entity seemingly bequeathed a bottle out of thin air, one that the clown took with glee. Not only that, but a chair and television were produced as well, allowing the Clown to sit down and relax.

The Clown laughed.

"You sure are a wonder. You know what? I'm in the mood for some Gilligan's Island. Actually wait. Got any JAV tapes? I'm in the mood to rub one out."

The Clown was given a VHS tape, which he eagerly placed into the VCR.

"Oh boy oh boy. I can't wait!"

The Clown took a sip of the bottle he was given, and quickly spit it out.

"Wait what is this? Water? Are you trying to kill me?"

The television lit up. On the screen displayed a well lit room with large black speakers in the background, while all the attention was focused on a man with brown hair in blue overalls.

The man on the television was exceptionally cheery.

"Hi! Hi everybody! Hi! Hey! Come dance with me!"

The Clown sounded scared.

"Wait. What's going on. This isn't porn. This is Richard Simmons! Entity. Why? Make it stop! I killed one. I hooked a bunch! Why are you punishing me!?"

When the Clown got up from his chair, in an instant he was wearing pink spandex with a yellow sweat band.

The Clown shook his head.

"No no no no. You can't do this to me. I'll kill more! Please no!"

The man on the TV looked towards the screen.

"And YOU! Come dance too!"

The Clown screamed as his body seemed to be moving against his own will.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

A punishment so different from mine, but I really had no interest in staring at that fat butt prance around in pink spandex. It was time for me to go back. Back through the fog. To the campfire.

No matter what comes my way. I will keep fighting. I won't give up hope. I won't lose.

I am a Yamaoka. A warrior.

I dunno. The way this is structured I could go through every survivor and killer, but I feel like that would be milking it. I can only really make the scenario "finish a few generators and then have drama occur" so many times and have it be interesting.

I think the next part will be the finale. Giving the story a solid, satisfying ending would be the most respectful thing I could do I think.

That said I'm very happy it's entertaining! Thank you for enjoying it!

Chapter 4 - A Spirit Unbound - Final Chapter

There were many trials. Many times I would find myself escaping, only to later taste the bitterness of sacrifice.

Each time I felt those horrid legs of the Entity take my body away, I felt as if a little part of me was dying, as opposed to my entire self.

It was a strange sensation. It felt like the Entity was sucking away my will to exist, but at the same time, it wanted me to continue on. Like a beekeeper extracting honey.

Was it trying to consume me, or bring me back into the fold? What was this malevolent sense of mercy?

Each time, regardless of what it did to me, I would wake back up at the campfire. It didn't dull the sacrifices the other survivors constantly made for me, but it did make sense.

No matter what happens during the trial, we'll end up back at the campfire, one way or another. Even I found myself sacrificing myself for others after a little time.

Escaping when everyone else dies is so, so hollow. I want the other survivors to survive. I want everyone else to be happy. No matter what.

Even if it means...

Not that I wouldn't prefer we all escape and live happily ever after. I learned a lot from the other survivors, but in time I found myself teaching them as well.

I remember one time a mighty huntress had me pinned behind a giant rock, holding an axe with no hope of escape, save for a lucky dodge.

As my heart raced, it stopped, and I felt my connection to the Etheral plane. It resonated within me.

Just like in trials of old, when I was in her position, I left a husk behind as I phased to a safer location.

This technique was not without its flaws however. If my husk was hit while doing this, I would undoubtedly go down, and if I were to encounter a shadow of myself...she would certainly strike me down.

What was really thrilling though was teaching the others how to use the Etheral plane. That's not to say any of us has any true mastery, but the extra resource we could tap into gave us just a slight bit more hope.

That wasn't all I learned. Through my time observing the movement of other survivors from both sides of the coin, I learned how to make a trail of scratch marks that would last a minute or so.

I know how killers react to scratch marks. Just carve my trap and let the hunters come up empty handed.

My final trick came from Kendo. There was another rough and tumble survivor that could avoid a killer's hit when injured. That just wasn't good enough for me.

If I could get in there while a killer was chasing another survivor and I predicted the swing, I could knock the killers arm away and stun them.

It was exhausting, but it got the job done.

I met a lot of strange survivors in my trials too, but only a few really stood out to me.

One was a girl who swore this was all a game. She talked all the time about a team called "Laser Bears".

There was something terribly wrong with her. She shook constantly, and I could swear electricity would spark from her hair occasionally.

It wasn't too uncommon to see people stuck here, not fit to be survivors no matter how hard we tried to help them escape. I don't even think the killers enjoyed killing them.

This one was different though. Overly enthusiastic. This Laser Bear lunatic would jump on generators with us, yelling loudly about how she was going to stealth this one, yet seemed to constantly mess the generator up.

The generators would shake like they were ready to blow, but then...wouldn't.

When the killers got a hold of her, she would taunt them constantly like a lunatic. "You mad!? YOU MAD!?"

...I worry about that girl. Every time I've seen her end up as a sacrifice to the killer she would scream the words "Good game! GEE GEE!"

Not that the killers didn't have their quirks.

I knew if Kazan would help, there was a chance we would run into others that were sympathetic to the cause.

Not all of them would hear us, or even understand us, but some of the killers were under the same fog I was. The fog of hate.

I remember talking to a blonde girl I met out in a trial one day. She was confident, and wore her blue shirt proudly.

"There's nothing to be scared of." She said to me with a smile.

She was smiling, at least until a spear punctured her chest. I still remember the white eyes of that man.

"There won't be nothing to fear soon. Till then, fear me."

None of us got out of that trial, but when I begged the Deathslinger to abandon the Entity, he just held up a shining iridescent coin and smiled at me.

"Deals made in desperation are paid for in madness."

We did meet a strange looking man that used a bell, and when appealing to him as a team, he rang his bell and vanished. No one ever saw him again. That particular Wraith might have been friendly, but as Steve said, there are more than one of us out there in this lunatic dimension.

Then there was that friendly man wearing a brown hat and a red and dark striped shirt. His skin was burned and he had a glove with knives on it, but why was he a killer?

When we appealed to him, he thought about it, and I explained everything I had learned so far to him.

He joked a bit with us, and agreed to help us. He would kindly help us rest up for our next trial. A chance to sleep.

"You have nothing to worry about. This won't hurt one... little... bit."

The four of us laid down, his claws struck our spirit, but after all of the running and jumping, the constant excitement...if we could rest. Maybe it would be worth it.

As my eyes closed, the man's demeanor changed.

"This is my world. And you can't ever leave."

I can still hear his laughter. It turned out it was a trap in the end, but one we had to step in. There has to be another killer besides Kazan that will help us.

Facing the Spirit was always difficult, not only because I knew it was a shadow of myself, but my fellow survivors always had difficulty with her. It's sad to know another part of me is still out there, locked up with the Entity.

Then, one day, it happened. I ended up in a trial with three other survivor versions of myself. We were in a familiar place. The Yamaoka Estate.

We all started together, so it wasn't hard to exchange formalities, but we didn't all start on a generator. Something was different. Something felt different.

Our killer was Kazan.

It was no accident. Every time we faced Kazan, no matter his iteration, he would always ever so subtly avoid killing us and go for other survivors if he could.

That option was no longer available to him. Our hero had to face us, and only us.

The four of us had to be feeling the same sense of nostalgia. We wanted to go home. To our profane, run down home.

Darkness runs in our family, and we dared to tread to that place we loved. That place we lost everything.

That heartbeat. Those war chimes. Kazan was coming.

The night whispered in my ears and I could feel the claws of the Entity grazing my skin, but I stood firm. We all did, and all of us waved to Yamaoka Kazan as he approached us.

"Welcome home, ancestor."

"It's good to see you again."

"Thank you for saving us from the Entity."

"You're our hero. Our beloved samurai."

Kazan lowered his sword, and the heartbeat stopped. Kazan looked over each of us before speaking.

"I wanted you to be free. Not subjected to these endless trials. We still have much to do."

We were safe here. We were safe here with Kazan.

The five of us sat in our old home. It was run down, sure, and perhaps a copy made by the Entity, but it was still our home.

I spoke to Kazan, who seemed to be meditating.

"I'm really sorry I left your side that day Kazan. It should have been both of us. I hate that the Entity still has a hold on you. It's even forcing you to kill us."

I could see Kazan smiling from under that mask of his.

"Only a fool would spit in a demon’s face and declare victory."

Another Rin looked down as she spoke.

"The Entity is so powerful. It controls everything. Do you think we'll ever find a way out?"

Kazan nodded.

"Within your enemy's strength is weakness."

One of the other Rins turned to address me.

"Then there's the other killers. The ones that enjoy it. What if those are brought in to face us when we strike?

Kazan shook his head.

"Attack an enemy with precision and their allies will feel it."

The most silent of us four spoke.

"We don't have our weapons anymore. What do we do?"

Kazan looked at the empty katana holder for a moment, and then grinned.

"Know who you are so you may shield your heart."

Kazan then stood up, and we all followed. He began to take the bamboo shoots around the house, and began to bend them into a familiar shape. Once we realized what Kazan was doing, we all jumped in to help him.

It's just like the training kendo swords we used so long ago. With Kazan's expertise, we were able to make ourselves weaponry out of bamboo. It wasn't long until all four of us were armed.

We looked over our splintered kendo. A weapon once used for training, now serves a much more benevolent purpose. One of freedom.

Kazan looked over our weapons, testing their sturdiness before he would approve their use. When Kazan was finally satisfied, he sat in the doorway of the Estate.

"Bring in the light, and open the exits. When you are ready, return here and we will make our stand."

We're really doing this. All five of us are going to take out the Entity.

Wait. When the doors open, the Entity always attacks us from below our feet. I discussed that with the other Rins, and we all knew it would try it again this time. We just have to be off of the ground when the trial ends. Cheap shots only work once, you spider demon.

The generators went as expected. I never really had trouble with them, and they shined brightly one by one.

When they were all done, all of us returned to the house before opening the exit gate. We did this once before. We can do it again.

"Are we ready?"

"I think so."

"Can we do this?"

"What is the Entity going to do? Kill us? Like that's never happened before."

Kazan stood up.

"Open the gate."

The gates were opened, as requested. We stood firm as the ground shook, and and prepared for my home to become a battleground.

Just as expected, the Entity's first attack came from below. All of us dodged, some of us not so perfectly, and began swinging at the tendrils with our swords.

Thanks to Kazan's teaching, we were able to find the spots that would allow us to actually sever them with a bamboo blade. When that was done, we started on the tendrils gripping the generators near the house.

The sky darkened, and more spider legs began to descend from the sky. That false sky. The Entity is coming.

The five of us began striking wherever we could, with Kazan coming over to help us when one of us started to get overwhelmed. This worked fine for a few minutes, but it wasn't long before the Entity started taking us as an actual threat.

One of us got injured. Blood from her soul was pouring out, and she began to retreat. As she ran over to get away from the Entity, I attempted to meet her halfway.

Unfortunately, altruism doesn't make the Entity cease its attack. I was grappled by the ankle and dragged under a small bridge.

It was wet, and I was being pushed into the dirt. I was gasping for air, and only getting water.

Luckily, Kazan came over and freed me from certain death.

I took a breath. My vengeance awaits. Surviving is inevitable and so is my retaliation.

I readied my weapon and was ready to rejoin the fray, but something I saw horrified me. One of the Rins was dead.

Not sacrificed. Just laying there, broken. Not only is that another version of me, but I was just talking to her a few minutes ago. Now her eyes are permanently open, wide and terrified with a dead gaze.

Kazan reached her too late, and I saw her blood flow into Kazan's fist. He was furious, and with a howling roar he lifted his kanabo from his back, and charged the Entity.

I approached the corpse, hoping there was something I could do. There was not. Just a glowing blue flame. A flame that formed into something very familiar to me. The Spirit. My undead form.

I did not have to question that Spirit's allegiance. The minute she was on her feet, she rejoined the fight against the Entity. Her fury unending. Rightfully so. She embodied the tale of superhuman strength and bravery. Onna Shibaraku.

Another Rin fell despite our best efforts, and another Spirit was born. I looked down at my bleeding soul. All it takes is one shot and I'm done too.

The last surviving Rin ran over to me, and I kneeled down as she began tending to me. It's so tempting to flee out of the exit gate, but I am a Yamaoka surviving with my family. This is our home. It will be defended.

Kazan sounded like he was in pain, and put his kanabo away. Kazan had broken a large amount of legs, but they still kept coming. While Kazan recovered, two Spirits aided him. That might be me soon. So be it. If I die. I die.

That's what surviving with my friends taught me.

The mass of the Entity thickened, and even together we were being overwhelmed. Kazan was no longer able to help us, now focusing only on his own survival.

Rin and I ran in, and began slashing at whatever we could, but it wasn't long until a spike of the Entity caught her through the neck. She too became a spirit. I was the only one left.

Kazan howled.

"Charge! Now!"

I could hear the Spirit's all phasing, and Kazan running in. I ran in right behind him, my sword raised behind the fury of my ancestor.

All of us struck beneath the Entity at the same time, and a bright, shining light became visible. The shining light that the Entity hates. We had all struck a running generator at the same time, causing it to explode in a fury.

It felt like the Entity was howling in pain.

Kazan looked at me, and spoke angrily.

"Yamaoka Rin. Phase. GO! NOW!"

I did as I was asked, pulling myself into the Etheral Plane. I can only sustain this for a few seconds at most. I need to go straight into the light.

I won't turn around. I'll go straight. Wherever this light takes me, I'll go.

It wasn't long until I could no longer hear the haunted ground. The swords were distant, and I was no longer under attack.

I feared if I turned around in this light, I would be lost forever. I just had to keep going forward.

I felt it. I was escaping. Not to a campfire, but to freedom. True freedom.

The light faded, and it was true. I was finally free. Free from the Entity. Free from the endless killing and surviving.

I was looking at a picture of myself, with white threads on either side of the gray scale photograph, placed gently on an ornate stone.

This was my grave. The truth is...I am dead. My soul is free, but I can't ever experience life again. I am resting with the other Yamaoka. Yamaoka that don't know my story.

I walked over to a desecrated tombstone. Kazan's only memory in this world. The heroic samurai that allowed me this freedom. If only I could let everyone know how much of a hero you really are.

I looked around, and saw normal people in suits and dresses living about their daily life. I wouldn't be able to interact with them, and I doubt my grave was anything more than scenery to them. Though I died, the world moved on.

Is that the same thing for all of the other survivors? The ones stuck in the realm? They weren't taken in death, were they? I'm absolutely certain that teacher that got pulled in with me was alive. He must have family that misses him.

This can't be the end. It may be for me, but this confirms it. Through the Etheral Plane, there can be an escape. I taught other survivors how to use my power. It should be enough, right? Am I powerless in the real world?

I felt a familiar, dark presence. It spoke to me without words.

"Return to the realm, and give your friends hope of escape."

A darkness appeared in front of Kazan's grave, a physical darkness that I could manipulate. I could see through it other trials still in progress. Many survivors and killers that I had never seen before.

Dwight. Jake. I want to find those two. Claudette and Meg. Those four were the most enthusiastic about escaping. If I can let them know from the other side that escape really is possible. Maybe it will help them.

I don't want to try to project myself in a trial where they're in too much danger. That would be pointless...

The sun rose and set several times before I was satisfied with a trial that had all four of the survivors that I was seeking out. I wasn't sure who the killer was, but the survivors had the upper hand this time.

Dwight and Jake were working on a generator together, and they looked to be in high spirits. I can manifest here.

I could only imagine that it looked like from their end. The upper body of a Japanese schoolgirl with a shining white light appearing in a groaning storehouse.

"Dwight. Jake. Can you hear me?"

Dwight spoke apprehensively, fixing his black and red tie as he answered.

"Yeah, we can, are you another survivor?"

I nodded.

"Yes. I am. It's me, Rin. I found a way out into the real world. Through the Etheral Plane. There's an actual, real escape. You can get out of here! You can save everyone!"

Dwight and Jake smiled, but Jake answered.

"Rin. How?"

I heard a heartbeat, but the person who it belonged to stopped as they got close.

I had seen him before in different trials. He wore a white, twisted and souless mask that hid his face, and his green rubber overalls did little to obscure the hooks sticking out of his skin.

It was the Trapper.

To my surprise, he wasn't hostile He crossed his arms.

"So there is a legitimate way out."

Dwight and Jake didn't know how to react, but seeing as they weren't in imminent danger, Dwight turned to me.

"So, tell us how you did it. How did you get out Rin?"

Claudette and Meg came over as soon as they realized no one had gone down in a while.

I recounted the events that had occurred, and explained how I had gotten to the real world, and what was going on.

The Trapper looked down at the generator Dwight and Jake were working on, then kicked it, sending sparks everywhere.

"Normal machinery doesn't do that with a simple kick. So that's why. These can be utilized as bombs. It's just a matter of harnessing them at the right time."

The Trapper looked to be in thought, then nodded.

"I think I can make something out of this."

Jake smiled.

"So does that mean we're buddies now? Can I get an apology for hooking me earlier?"

The Trapper turned to Jake and smiled.

"You want an apology? The son of a CEO that ran away from hard work, dropped out of school and wanted to be a lazy maggot? If it wasn't for you, Park, I wouldn't be so eager to hook you slobs."

Jake looked down and sighed.

The Trapper looked up at Dwight.

"Fairfield. How about you put that toolbox to better use. You have experience as a manager. I want a connected set of generator light bombs. Can I trust you to handle your three employees?"

Dwight smiled.

"I'll go above and beyond to satisfy the customer!"

Megan jumped up, and ran with excitement.

"Let me go see what I can find in the storehouse. I'll be right back!"

Dwight ran off with her in other direction. Likely going to do the same. I have never seen that man looking so excited.

There was the snap of a bear trap, and Meg screamed louder than usual.

Claudette looked scared, until the Trapper's voice boomed.

"Go get Megan, or you're going back onto the hook."

It was just Jake and the Trapper. The survivors and killer were once again working together, now knowing there is a true escape.

Jake cautiously spoke up to the Trapper.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

The Trapper spat, then turned away to head towards the storehouse.

"The MacMillan Estate will take a lot to get back into operation. Being stuck in this farce is about as productive as you are. The Entity can rip at my body all he wants. I'm made of sterner stuff."

Jake smiled.

"So, you are the Trapper. How do we know this isn't just a ruse to get us off the generators so you can kill us all later?"

The Trapper slowly turned, looking over his left shoulder at Jake.

"Death is not an escape."

-----The End-----

Lol, ty. I really liked the idea of doing trials and extending the story for a really long time, but I knew I would either eventually lose interest or just shoe in an ending that wouldn't fit what was going on at a time. That was just a way to throw in some ideas that ended up on the cutting room floor.

I like Feng Min, she's a cool character. (I really like all of the characters in this game tbh. The creative team has done a great job and now that they're lore building it's only getting better.) Feng Min came out with the Spark of Madness update, and I remember asking myself at the time what does this girl have to do with madness? She was a gamer, and her quotes are quirky and game related. Maybe she got shocked a lot and has become utterly unhinged from the trials and is now completely insane.

Trying to write a Feng Min with that mindset is like trying to write a Malkavian character in the Vampire: Masquerade tabletop game though. I prefer to keep everything down to earth and I don't really think I could make her a serious survivor and not a comic relief for the other characters to play off of, so that's the origin of the idea.

As you could tell I also wanted to do strong characters like Laurie in a hopeless situation where the mentally most powerful survivors slowly lose hope and all get wiped out, but I figured that might be too dark since I was trying to build up Rin for the finale.

I decided to submit an outfit for the art contest that kind of tail ends the Trapper's attempt to escape with the original four, but just like in Rin's escape I was just going to just allow one survivor to escape. (I was leaning towards Jake. Dwight would have trouble with people believing him, and Megan and Claudette are really hard characters to write for tbh. They have no real canon personality. I run fast and I heal you are not personalities unless you're Sonic or the Medic from TF2)

I wish I had time to play the actual game more, but I also do like kind of play with the characters outside of the constraints of the trial.

I wonder what Feng Min would be like if she actually escaped the realm of the Entity though, you know? She was already not in a good situation, and with the trauma of the trials...it's really hard for me to see that girl having a good ending. I dunno though. Maybe the players out there can find a way to do it ;)

I'll see what I can do. My main enemy is time. I write actual novels under the same pen name as a hobby. (Plus I'm an essential worker irl so everyone's staying indoors except for me. gg)

I hope you have a fantastic day and have even more fun in the future!

Thank you for the kind words, they really mean a lot. Right now I'm working on a bonus chapter for this story, which was originally the third chapter but I found it way, way too dark for the world I was building. I'm trying to rework it since story wise Rin has already completed her story arc so obviously she can't be in this bonus chapter that was written to build her. The community has been really accepting of my work so hopefully it's not perceived as dark as I think it will be. The Killers in general have a lot to work with.

I really wish survivors and killers had more cosmetics that played off each other tbh. Like maybe Trapper made a suit out of the bloodied cloth remnants of the original survivors, Feng had an escaped mental patient getup. Ace could have a cosmetic where the area around the liver was ripped. Huntress could have David's jacket wrapped around her waist. Etc etc. I dunno. Like I've said before I see the world as organic vs static and they may be going for static. Idunnolol.

A Spirit Unbound - Bonus Chapter

Thank you all for being so supportive of the work. In appreciation I decided to rework a chapter I discarded.

As such: A few notes.

Detective Tapp is taking the place of Rin Yamaoka. He totally volunteered and wasn't forced to by the Entity.

Detective Tapp does not match his licensed likeness. As he is filling in for Rin (she has escaped permanently) he will react to things like Rin would.

Just uh, roll with it. (I changed a bit, but you can still tell in some places there are lines meant for Rin.)

This chapter is DARK. Please take what happens with an open mind and remember it's just a story!

-end warning-

My name is Detective David Tapp. It's easy to get lost in the fog, but I think I finally found where Amanda Young is setting up base.

Hawkins National Laboratory. At least, the fog brought me here. I must be on her trail. Find her. Put an end to this nightmare.

I turned around. That's the exit gate, for sure. It looks a bit odd though. Not bad.

I reached down next to my empty holster and picked up my radio. It hasn't worked for a long time, but speaking into it makes me feel better. Maybe it's just a coping mechanism for the stress I'm under.

"This is Detective Tapp. Entering the Hawkins National Laboratory. No sign of activity yet."

If I'm gonna drag Ms. Young through it, I need to start those generators. Well. Let's get to it.

I made my way out of the gateway and deeper into the complex. Wait. What's that? I hear footsteps. Someone's running.

That someone rounded the corner pretty quickly. Wait, I know who that is. Dwight Fairfield.

"Dwight!" I called out.

Dwight seemed happy to see me.

"Detective! Have you been hurt? Has anything happened?"

I felt a little surprised by the barrage of questions.

"I just got here Dwight. How did you know I was here anyway?"

Dwight smiled.

"We've got a common bond. Come on, I saw a generator over here. Show me what you can do!"

I quickly ran after Dwight as we made our way into a large room. There was a lot of boxes and barrels, but what really stood out was the long platform in the middle. I bet you could walk on that.

The sound of a generator being worked on. Someone was already in here. She was a blonde girl with a light blue shirt and dark blue jeans.

Dwight seemed to know who she was.

"Laurie!"

Laurie jumped a bit, but spoke calmly.

"Dwight. Boy am I glad to see you."

The three of us quickly got together to work on the generator. I don't know what it was, but with Dwight here, I felt like we could take on anything.

Dwight sounded excited when he spoke.

"Guys. Jake got out. All the way out. There's a way out!"

I felt a little surprised by what I was hearing. I kept my tone jovial as I made my inquiry.

"Are you able to tell us where you were last night?"

Dwight smiled as he made quicker than usual progress on the generator.

"We worked together with Evan. The Trapper. It's weird I know. We blew up a generator on the Entity, and we got Jake out.

Laurie sounded concerned.

"What about you? Did anyone else get out?"

Dwight frowned a bit.

"No. Megan. Claudette. Evan and I. We got brutalized. A lot."

Dwight laughed, shaking his head.

"I could have gone. I could have been free from all of this. But no. I'm needed here. Jake's dad is a CEO. He has power. He might have the resources to get everyone out."

I felt impressed.

"That's pretty selfless. Do you regret it?"

Dwight took a breath before answering.

"No. I don't want to be free while other people are suffering. If I'm going to survive, you all are too."

Laurie hesitated before speaking.

"I saw a dead body on my way here. Man in a white lab coat. Has anyone seen another survivor besides us three?"

I shook my head.

"As soon as I came in, Dwight found me. I haven't had a chance to look around yet."

Dwight sounded concerned.

"I don't feel abandoned. There's usually four to a trial."

I jumped a little as I heard a gunshot, followed by a woman's scream.

Dwight spoke nervously.

"That settles that."

When Laurie spoke, it was with a surprising level of certainty.

"We're facing the Deathslinger."

I felt a little surprised.

"The who?"

Dwight took a breath before speaking.

"He's got a spear gun. If you see a tall man in brown, keep your distance."

A second female screen. Whoever that was just went down. Hard. I had a general idea where she was laying from the noise, but I could tell she was being picked up.

A general sign that she was going on the hook.

Laurie, Dwight and I managed to finish our generator fairly shortly after. When Dwight spoke next, it was with certainty.

"We'll all get out of here soon. Permanently. Let's do our best team."

I nodded.

"Alright."

Laurie gasped, as if she had a supernatural sense of danger.

"He was watching me!"

Dwight looked around nervously.

"We need to split up."

Dwight and Laurie ran away from the screaming. I know they would save her if they could, but they're better on generators than I am. I'm a policeman. It's my job anyway.

Deathslinger huh. That gun won't be able to do anything to a bulletproof vest.

This place is so confusing to navigate. I'm sure Dwight and Laurie are finding generators easily, but these rooms all look the same.

It wasn't long before I saw him as I wandered. Down a reasonably long hallway, staring right at me.

At first I thought he was chewing on something, but no. The Deathslinger adjusted his jaw before he spoke.

"Get your prayers in, you'll be swinging by noon."

I didn't think I was as close to him as I was, but by the time I realized he was already aiming down his sights, he had already fired his gun.

Just like Laurie said, I had been shot by a man in a brown wide rimmed hat, and an equally brown trench coat. His piercing blue eyes reminded me of someone like the Spirit. Someone that was seeing what the Entity wanted them to see.

A harpoon of all things struck me in the chest, and just as it made impact with my ribs a barb punctured both above and below. I was being pulled in!

So much for my bulletproof vest. I gripped the chain, and felt the best course of action was to break it before I got pulled all the way to him.

If it snaps, at least he won't have a harpoon to shoot people with anymore.

Barrels. Crates. I won't let him have me. I feel like it's working. He's struggling to pull me in.

A sudden snap. It hurt, but the harpoon pulled itself out of me, and the Deathslinger grunted in surprise and pain.

I have to get away from him. It hurts. More than normal. More than a killer's normal strike. I might be able to fix this. No. Getting away first.

I was being pursued slowly, and I knew I couldn't let him get a line to shoot his gun at me again. I dropped pallets, but I couldn't stop running.

Soon I couldn't hear his footsteps anymore. Did the Deathslinger lose me? I don't want to stop running.

I heard a voice, and a flashlight clicking. It was Dwight.

"Come on old man. I'm over here!"

Dwight Fairfield. You madman. Don't get shot.

That voice. The woman I came over here to save in the first place. She's close. What do I do? Do I try to stop the bleeding, or do I save her?

I need to get her off that hook first.

Compared to girls like Laurie, Claudette and Megan this wasn't a small girl. I should be strong enough to get her off the hook though.

Actually, I feel like I've seen this woman before. On television. Black dress clothes. Hair tied in a bun. Latin girl. No it can't be, can it?

Her skin was a lot softer than everyone else I've pulled off this hook. I guess it's kind of a mixed blessing not to have lean muscles in this kinda scenario.

My head was getting faint. I'm gonna pass out from blood loss in a minute.

As I kneeled towards the ground, I heard her voice.

"I've got you. Hold on."

I couldn't help but laugh at my weakness. I could see blood pooling at her feet, but she started taking care of me right after being rescued.

It didn't take long before the bleeding stopped, and I felt a little stronger. As soon as I got up to return the favor, I had only to touch her once before she stopped bleeding too.

The lady smiled at me.

"Showing up when things get rough, listening to people's problems, and supporting those in need; that's how you become stronger, that's how you grow. My name's Jane Romero."

I knew it!

"Jane Romero. Like from the TV?"

Jane laughed.

"I'm just like everyone else. Come on. Let's get on a generator. Everyone else is counting on us."

Jane seemed to know where a generator was, but I could hear gunshots in the distance. Far off. Hang in there Dwight.

The generator had already been worked on for a bit. This secluded generator in a room would be difficult to find from the hallways without the noise, and there were remnants of a pallet here. This is where Jane got into trouble.

I decided to talk to Jane as we worked together on the generator.

"How did someone like you end up here?"

Jane shook her head.

"I don't know, but we can get through it together. People are remembered for the challenges they overcome. You can run away and forget what you're capable of or you can face your fears and remind the world of who you are."

I couldn't help but laugh a little bit to myself. To an outsider we must look crazy. We're all trying to help each other survive while someone hunts us without challenge. If we weren't so altruistic though, I'm sure we'd lose our minds. No man is an island. We need each other.

I've seen people that could have been survivors go stark raving mad, and I remember one lost soul grabbing Dwight by the throat when he went to help them. I know it hurt Dwight to knock that person out, but that's just the kind of place we're in right now.

Not only did we finish our generator, another one went off in the distance. We just have two left.

Jane stood up, and looked unusually poised.

"Okay, stay calm. Don't overthink it and just keep moving forward: you got this."

Those footsteps. The Deathslinger was getting closer. Jane got into a locker, so if I want to keep her out of harms way, I need to draw attention.

I knew the Deathslinger was following me, so I dropped every pallet I crossed to slow him down.

Crack. Crack. They were slowing him down, but not enough. He was still behind me. I could see that ominous red glow in front of him.

A gunshot. I turned around just as it hit me, and once again I was being pulled in!

There was a lot of distance between us, but we were in an empty hallway. I don't know what it was about this shot, but I felt unusually exposed. I have to get away! Now!

Despite my best efforts, I was pulled close enough to smell the stench of rot on the Deathslinger's breath, and he hit me hard enough with the butt of his gun to send me into a back flip.

I breathed slow and hard as I hit the ground. People like Dwight can handle running killers around like it's nothing, and look at me. I didn't last long at all.

I felt myself being picked up, and hoisted onto the old man's shoulder. Even struggling was difficult. I couldn't even wiggle hard enough to knock that man's hat off.

Onto the hook I went. A numb pain that forced the air out of my lungs and made my voice ring into the air.

Someone will come for me, won't they? Can I risk that? I don't want to be a burden on them. I can get off myself.

I struggled, once. Twice. The familiar claws of the Entity began to emerge quicker and quicker. Like a hand closing its grip on me.

I could feel myself shiver in fear. I knew what was coming next.

Laurie Strode came out of nowhere, and suddenly I was being pulled off the hook. Was it safe? The Deathslinger is still nearby, isn't he?

Laurie grabbed my shoulder, calming my shaking.

"There's nothing to be scared of."

A gunshot, and Laurie was facing down the Deathslinger from the business end of the harpoon piercing her.

The Deathslinger's voice was gritty and hoarse.

"There won't be nothing to fear soon. Till then, fear me."

Laurie looked at me briefly as I attempted to block the Deathslinger and break the line.

"Get on a generator, I'll be fine."

I wasn't going to let Laurie get hurt after saving me, but I also didn't want to die. When the line snapped, the Deathslinger approached both of us with ill intent.

Where do I go? The stairs!

I ran up the stairs, then another set. Empty rooms all around me, and a straight hallway heading forward. I can hear it. The Deathslinger is nearby.

Dead men in white coats. Blood on the walls. I was losing my nerve. I can hear a gunshot. Where is the Deathslinger, where is he?

I backed into a room near the generator, scanning the hallway wildly for the assailant I knew was coming.

Suddenly, I fell.

Everything went dark around me, and when I woke up, I was in a strange, dark forest. The only sign that gave me any way to get my bearings read the words 'Crystal Lagoon.'

I was at a campsite. One out in the woods. I could see wooden cabins dotting the road.

Just then, an ominous whisper filled my mind. The voice was a sharp whisper.

Yee yee yee haw haw haw.

I looked around, and fear washed over me.

Yee yee yee haw haw haw.

I looked towards the lake, and saw the Deathslinger begin to rise from the water.

Suddenly, a slap across my face. Then another.

I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted with a worried Dwight. Was I knocked out?

I looked up at the giant hole in the ceiling. I fell down two stories. I guess I can't be that shocked. What a bad time to get knocked out.

Dwight's voice was worried.

"Tapp. Are you okay? Tapp!"

I took a breath, and looked at my surroundings. Rubble everywhere. Did I make this hole?

"I'm fine, I think. Is everyone okay?"

Dwight shook his head.

"No. Laurie's on the hook. Get on a generator, I'll go get her."

Just then, a gunshot rang out, and I was caught by the harpoon!

Dwight forced the harpoon out of me by smashing the chain against a nearby construction lift.

"Go get Laurie! I'll keep him busy!"

The Deathslinger was fixated on me, at least until Dwight slammed a pallet on him.

Once it was safe, I stemmed the blood loss. I looked around, and I listened for Laurie's voice. On the stairs. There was a hook nearby. That's where she is.

I ran to Laurie, and quickly pulled her off. Unfortunately, we had little time to say anything as the Deathslinger had lost Dwight and was on us again.

A harpoon pierced Laurie's chest, and it was a struggle but I got it off her.

Part of me wanted to taunt the Deathslinger, but I knew it would just end in disaster. Laurie's more experienced than me. She can get away, right? Please get away.

I swallowed hard from my hiding spot as Laurie jumped into a locker in clear view of the killer. I was bleeding and helpless, watching as the Deathslinger walked to the locker.

Laurie wasn't standing in the locker. She was laying down, and holding the left side of the door closed. I could hear her screaming as the Deathslinger tried to reach in for her to no avail.

The sobbing did not deter our killer. He reached into the locker and started knocking the hatchets down as Laurie screamed.

Just as all hope seemed lost, Laurie grabbed one of the fallen hatchets and jabbed the Deathslinger in the face. As he was reeling, Laurie quickly ran off elsewhere in the facility.

Just then, I heard Jane's voice.

"Hold still. I'll heal you."

I didn't even realize she had approached me.

"Thank you."

Jane sounded worried.

"We still have two generators to do."

Before I could respond, a generator reached completion and made that glorious chime. Dwight is still on the ball.

Jane's voice softened.

"One generator. We'll be out soon. Hang in there Tapp."

I could say nothing, but I felt hope.

Jane gasped, then sounded excited.

"A totem. Those are never good. Let me take it out."

I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Jane shrugged.

"Could haunt the place, but I think it's worth the risk."

I crouched as I watched Jane take the totem apart, and felt relief as it exploded without incident.

Jane stood up and smiled at me.

"Nothing to it. Let's get that last generator."

It was so quick. I saw the Deathslinger coming, but Jane didn't.

The Deathslinger spoke with a mix of pity and irritation.

"Bloody fool, you pulled the trigger on yourself."

The Deathslinger was far away when he shot, but I don't think interfering would have made a difference. Jane went down. Hard.

I'll just get her off the hook. No big deal.

The Deathslinger didn't pick Jane up. He pierced her with his gun just under the neck, and lifted her up into the air with an evil smile.

Just then, the entirety of Jane's body slid down the gun like tender meat, and collapsed in a pile, leaving only Jane's head fixated to the gun.

The Deathslinger looked surprised, and I think we both shared that awful feeling of disgust. I don't know what the Deathslinger was going to do, but I don't think that was supposed to happen.

"Get off my gun." The Deathslinger said as he attempted to hold back vomit.

When the Deathslinger shot his harpoon, Jane's head flew into one of the light fixtures above, electrocuting it and charring it beyond recognition.

The Deathslinger took a moment to clean off his gear, but I was left with a good person. No, a good friend that was now an unidentifiable pile of meat.

All of that fame. Everything that Jane was was now unrecognizable. All of that confidence. Gone.

I thought the killers were supposed to feed us to the Entity on hooks? Why? Jane. No.

I looked at the broken totem pieces. If I had done this instead, Jane would still be alive. This is my fault.

The Deathslinger chewed on something before turning my way.

"Don't think I don't see you there."

In a split second I had that gun drawn on me, but somehow this dead-eye hunter missed. Now it's time to run.

I dropped as many pallets as I could find and ran as fast as I could.

I could hear a generator. It was almost halfway done. If this place wasn't so confusing I could figure out exactly where it was.

Even though I couldn't, the Deathslinger could. He broke chase from me and went after the person working on the generator.

I could hear his voice.

"Gotcha."

A female scream. Laurie. Another scream. A hard slam on the floor.

Laurie wouldn't make it to a hook. I heard a piercing noise. Then a gunshot.

Then I saw Dwight with a horrified look on his face, and a loosely held flashlight. He wanted to rescue Laurie, and I ended up getting her killed to by running to her.

I should have paid more attention. A few moments later that harpoon was in my chest too, and I was knocked out just like everyone else.

The Deathslinger didn't give me the same ending as he gave the girls though.

I spoke to myself with a fierce determination.

"What the hell is this? I'm taking this bastard down!"

I tried to get away, trying my best to get up as I did so, but I wasn't unbreakable.

I heard a gunshot. Then another. Dwight's running towards me. If Dwight grabs my hand we can both make a break for it.

Dwight never reached me. He was pierced by an overly excited Deathslinger.

"Got ya. FINALLY."

It was soul crushing to see Dwight Fairfield go down. He was the glue holding us together, and he's going on a hook because I couldn't do my part.

Worse still, Dwight was placed on a hook in such a way that he had a clear view of me.

The Deathslinger gloated as he stood above my body.

"You know. A little spider in the sky told me you guys are trying to make a great escape. Let me tell you something."

Tendrils of the Entity appeared from nowhere as the Deathslinger spoke, delivering two red coins to the hunter.

"You all are just a bounty that stands in between me and Henry Bayshore. You so much as think about getting out of this hole, I'm always gonna pull you right. Back. In.

I felt the spear of his gun go into my back, and I felt an oddly absent pain as the harpoon pierced my mouth.

We only had one generator left.

"I had you, I had you on your knees. You're runnin' scared because we had you. We're gonna close this case!"

None of that mattered now though. With my last fading light I saw Dwight being carried away to the Entity.

If I was just a better survivor, none of this would have happened. I'm nothing but a disappointment to my friends. Friends that counted on me to do my part.

I awoke at a familiar campfire, with no signs of the wounds I had accrued.

I'm going to do better. I have to do better. I can't let this happen again. Never, never again.