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Lucy didn’t like being a police officer. Most of her co-workers were big-headed and were only interested in using the system for their own gain. They disliked Lucy just as much as she disliked them. Anytime she tried to protest against their actions she was met with either a demotion or the unwanted paperwork.
She had joined the force at a bright-eyed nineteen, determined to make the world a better place and protect people. Over the years her co-workers disregard for the laws they were meant to enforce and the violent acts she had witnessed combined into a healthy scepticism of her job.
Sometimes she was lucky, and her day ended in genuine success: she had saved a life or helped someone escape from an insane ex-partner. Most of the time she was unlucky, and her day ended in the way it was today.
Her hand tightened around her pistol as she moved through the empty building. It was eerie. There were signs of a chase: scuff marks on the floor; shattered windows; she even noticed spots of what looked like blood on the floor.
“Why did you volunteer us for this?” Her companion, Paul hissed.
Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Paul was one of the few decent people she worked with, though she chalked it up to his age, but he was prone to hiding behind others when he came to cases like this.
“You can go back to talking with the streamers,” She suggested, “I’m sure that’s much less scary than this.”
Paul grumbled under his breath. She didn’t really blame him though. The people they had found in the other room were unnerving. They kept alternating between unnatural happiness, chattering excitedly at the cameras there were working at, and sobbing hysterically.
“I’m not scared!” Paul protested, his voice pitching, “Its just that this place is creepy.”
Before Lucy could snap back a retort, she heard movement. Instinctively, she raised her gun, levelling it towards the sound. Exchanging a glance with Paul she stepped towards a slightly open door and nudged it open.
“What the fuck?” Paul whispered behind her.
Silently Lucy agreed. Stretched out before her was something akin to a movie set. Parts of a cabin were built along the back wall and there were abandoned cameras pointing towards it. And the set was covered in blood.
It stained the walls and the floors of the set, some of it was seeping onto the white tiles. Lucy even noticed a bowl filled with it set on a dining table.
That wasn’t even the worst of it. The room was filled with white masked individuals that were leading a trail to a large red button at the end of the hall. They were immobile, staring forwards at something that wasn’t there.
“Get down!” Paul’s voice was sharp with fear, “Everyone get down on the ground now!”
They didn’t move.
“Did you not hear me?” Paul was panicking, “I said get down!”
“Paul,” Lucy cut him off, “I don’t think their real.”
The people weren’t breathing. They were all standing perfectly still, not even a breath disturbing them. Lucy didn’t know whether it was worse.
Then, she heard the movement again. Beside the end of the set was a mess of wires in the vague shape of a man. It was slumped on the floor, as unmoving as it’s masked companions. Except for the body beneath it.
“Paul!” Lucy hurried forward, “I think their alive.”
She landed on her knees beside the mangled mass of wires. The person beneath it was squirming, trying to dislodge the… thing on top of it.
“Stay still,” Lucy said, gasping the wires, “I’m getting it off you.”
The body stilled almost unnaturally, letting Lucy push the wire monster of them. The moment it was off them, the person scrambled away from it, kicking once in their desperation to get away.
“Easy-” Lucy started to say but was cut off by the startled scream from them.
Lucy heard Paul stepped closer, but she kept her attention on the person. They were a man, probably in his mid-twenties. His eyes were wide in panic and there was a nasty gash on his right arm.
“I’m Lucy,” Lucy said calmly, “What’s your name?”
The man’s gaze flickered around the room, regarding the frozen people behind her with fear.
“Ch-Charlie,” He stuttered, “What’s going on? Are you police?”
“Yes,” Lucy said, too scared to speak too loudly lest she scare him away, “I’m Officer Lucy Walker. Me and Paul are part of a force that was told about this operation-”
“Ranboo!” Charlie cut her off.
Lucy blinked, “Excuse me?”
“Ranboo!” Charlie was beginning to panic, his breaths coming in short bursts, “Did he make it?”
Lucy glanced at Paul, who looked extremely freaked out.
“I’m afraid we haven’t found anyone by that name,” Lucy said carefully, “But-”
“He’s wearing a mask,” Charlie attempted to get to his feet, but Lucy pushed him back down, “A half metal one. I told them to push the button, they must have got out!”
Lucy looked at Paul.
“Charlie,” She said, “You stay here with Paul-” Paul let out a squeak of displeasure, “- and I’ll go look for Ranboo.”
Suddenly, Charlie’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he surveyed her warily.
“Are you with them?” He asked, slowly.
Lucy breathed gently. Okay, she has dealt with people like this before. Paranoia after a traumatic event was common.
“No,” She said, “No we’re not. We’re police officers-”
“No!” Charlie scooted away from her, closer towards the exit, “No, you’re not- you’re not going to fuck with my mind again!”
“Charlie!” Lucy snapped, trying to stop him from running. Charlie froze and Lucy immediately regretted her words. She had to treat like a frightened dog; prepared to bite or flee at any moment.
“Charlie,” She forced her tone to be gentle, “I promise, whoever you are scared of, we are not with them.”
Charlie stared at her for a long time. She could see his thoughts darting like fish in his eyes and she desperately tried to make herself seem an unintimidating as possible.
“I’m coming with you,” Charlie finally spoke up, “I’m looking for Ranboo.”
Lucy’s relief that he wasn’t going to bolt evaporated. One of the first things she was taught at the police academy was to not let civilians participate in investigations. It was one of the only things she agreed with.
“Charlie,” She began, but Charlie cut her off again.
“I’m coming,” Charlie insisted, “Ranboo’s my friend and I want to find him.”
Lucy studied him. She recognised the stubborn glint in his eye, and she knew she couldn’t stop him. He would just follow her.
“Alright,” She said, ignoring Paul squawk of protest, “But you must stay close to us at all times.”
Charlie nodded, clambering to his feet. When he swayed, Lucy darted forward to steady him, but he flinched away from her. Lucy froze, watching Charlie carefully. Not meeting her gaze, Charlie studied the wire monster, his face a mixture of horror and confusion.
“Uh…do you-do you have a weapon I can use?” Charlie asked, “Like a knife or something?”
Lucy heard Paul shift nervously behind her and she shook her head.
“Okay,” Charlie swallowed, “Great I’ll just… spit at them or something.”
Lucy’s brow furrowed. Was that meant to be a joke? Or was he being serious? Charlie was looking around the room, his jaw tightening as he saw the bowl of blood left on the table.
“L-lets go then,” Charlie said, shakily, tearing his gaze away from the cabin set.
Lucy nodded. Her knees protested as she got to her feet and she glanced at Paul, who was looking a little green. His was regarding Charlie with poorly concealed suspicion.
Lucy took the lead, following the trail of frozen people towards the faintly glowing button. She could hear Charlie’s footsteps behind her and his harsh breathing. The button was almost comically big, like something out of a cartoon.
“Do you know what this is for?” Lucy asked Charlie.
“It’s meant to shut down the show,” Charlie replied, his eyes looked on the masked individuals, “I guess they must have done it.”
Lucy repressed a shiver at his wording. Show, like the entire facility, like the hysterical people and the blood was purely for entertainment.
Charlie’s gaze slowly travelled to just over Lucy’s shoulder and his eyes widened slightly, causing Lucy to stiffen. Lucy spun around, half expecting to see more of the masked people ready to attack. Instead, all she saw was an open door, with a neon red sign flashing exit.
Lucy shuddered. The room on the other side was pitch black.
“Ranboo!” Charlie sprinted past Lucy, startling her and causing her grip on her gun to tighten.
“Shit,” She hissed as Charlie disappeared into the darkness, “Charlie, wait!”
She hurried forward after him, adrenaline flooding through her bloodstream. She heard Paul mutter a quiet curse and his heavy footsteps, indicating that he was following her.
Squinting her eyes against the darkness, Lucy saw at the end of the corridor a very faint red glow, silhouetted against Charlie’s figure as he ran. Dread began to grow in her chest and Lucy sprinted after him.
“Charlie!” She shouted, slightly out of breath, “Wait!”
Charlie ignored her, taking a sharp left towards the red light. Lucy heard a choked gasp, and she pumped her legs harder against the ground in urgency. What she saw when she turned the corner caused her to halt in her tracks.
Tied up against a bloody, incandescent wall was a body.
It was strung up with its arms extend in the shape of a cross. Lucy felt acid rise in her throat at the sight of the cruel mockery of sacrifice. The metallic smell of blood filled her nostrils.
“Oh my god.” Paul whispered hoarsely.
Lucy resisted the instinct to gag. The body didn’t have a head. Or, if it did, it was trapped in the black box that was oozing blood. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Charlie take a shaky step forward and she knew they had just found Ranboo.
“Charlie,” Lucy kept her voice gentle, “I need you not to disturb the scene.”
Charlie’s eyes were wide, and all blood had left his face. His eyes were shinning, and he brought a shaking hand to cover his mouth.
“This is sick,” Charlie whispered.
Sympathy flooded Lucy and she slowly rested her hand on his shoulder.
“This is sick!” Charlie screamed, flinching away from Lucy, “This is fucking sick!”
“Charlie-”
“No!” Charlie was crying now, “You’re sick!” He was shouting at the ceiling, “You’re fucking sick, do you hear me? All of you! Fucking sick!”
Charlie fell to his knees with a thud, grasping his head in his hands. Lucy shot Paul a quick glance. Paul was staring at Ranboo’s body his eyes so wide; Lucy could see the whites of them. She dropped down beside Charlie looking at him helplessly.
She had never been in a situation like this before; she was way out of her depth. No amount of training or experience had ever prepared her for something like this.
“Charlie-” She began, but she was cut off by a side door banging open.
Her head shooting up, Lucy saw the masked people entering. They were breathing, she realised, they were now breathing. Beside her, Charlie screamed and began scrambling away from them.
Lucy raised her gun, “Stay back!” She said sharply.
But they kept coming, walking fast with purpose. A gunshot went off from Paul and one of the people fell, but there were so many. Before Lucy could even tighten her grip on the trigger, they were on her. She could hear Charlie screaming and crying behind her and Paul shouting in panic.
One of them grabbed her wrist, forcing her to drop her gun and another kicked her leg, sending her thudding o her knees. Instinctively she threw her head back and she heard a crack as she connected with one of them.
Panic began to blur her senses until all she was aware of was Charlie’s screaming and the blur of white faces before her. A hand was gripping her jaw forcing her to still.
Both Paul and Charlie had stopped yelling and Lucy began thrashing in earnest. If she could just get her gun. Suddenly one of masks came into focus, holding an empty mask in his hands.
Fear shoot through her veins as they approached. What would they do to her? String her up like a puppet? Set a wire monster on her?
The mask was pulled over her face and everything went white.