She could run. The thought slammed and ricocheted around her mind. There were no guards on duty this late, at least not anywhere near the pit. Rene glanced up and eyed the camera at the end of the hall. Was anyone even watching? Why hadn't people come running after all that? Would they try to stop her if she made a break for it? Rene leaned against the wall letting the coolness of cement ground her. She had locked the unconscious Kristy inside the pit with a satisfying click of the mechanisms. Never had she been so happy to hear the pit's tumblers meeting their cogs, maybe? Rene should really learn more about locks. It'd be useful to know how to pick them. Off track, again. It still came back to what should she do? Running was tempting, but logically how far could she go before someone picked her off. It would definitely be worse if she was caught while making a break for it. If she stayed though she could possibly get the chance to explain herself and her side of the story. It was pretty incriminating evidence against Kristy. A knife and Rene's wounds, plus Kristy must have keys she picked or bribed off a guard to get into the pit.

Rene banged the back of her head lightly against the wall. Damn it. What was she supposed to do? She let out a frustrated cry letting the noise echo down the halls. She was an animal trapped in a cage. Now any animal would run once the door is open. It was instinct to escape, to be free. That animal could easily be running to its doom as well. But life outside these walls, it was practically imaginable, tangible even at this moment. This indecision was going to kill her faster than anything. What was she supposed to do?

A small groan emitted from the pit. Rene turned her head to press her ear to the wall. She could hear faint moaning and shifting. Kristy was starting to wake up. She clenched a fist. If that psycho was staying, she would too. She was never one to scurry away with her tail between her legs. Freedom would be...amazing, but not at this price. She couldn't leave and let Kristy concoct up whatever sob story she wanted to feed the higher ups. Making a break for it now could make things worse, not only for herself but also Cassie and Danny. Kristy could say they helped her escape or worse yet take her rage out on them. She couldn't do that to them. Rene could take the pain and survive. She would fight the darkness for them as long as she could, even if it meant fighting it here at the asylum.

Rene reached a hand backwards over her head to rap against the nearby door. "How are you doing in there Kristy?"

A lovely string of curses met Rene's ears. "Save some of that dirty talk for Miss Rachel. I'm sure she'll love to hear them as well." Rene hummed back.

No one got free without being let out of the pit. This was going to get interesting. The sound of Kristy assaulting the pit erupted. Her body pounded against the general area of the door, the joys of being trapped in complete darkness. Kristy was probably attacking based upon where Rene's voice came from.  Rene closed her eyes and remained quiet. Not that she thought Kristy could actually get out of the pit, but encouraging her really wasn't a smart idea. Then started the horrific sound of nail against cement. Chills raced up and down Rene's spine at the noise, she couldn't stop them. She knew people had literally ripped their nails out of their fingers trying to claw their way out of the pit after it had pushed them over the edge. Kristy seemed to have simply jumped. 

Rene slide down the wall shakily. She pressed her hands over her ears hoping to dampen the noise. Ever seen a bell in a cemetery right next to a gravestone? Apparently back in the day, people used to bury their dead with strings that attached to those bells and the grave tender would walk around listening for them to ring. Rather ridiculous right? Well, not if they accidentally buried someone alive. A person's heart rate could slow so much that they appeared to be dead by all appearances. Excavated coffins had been found with fingernails embedded into the wood and scratches along the lid. People woke up to find themselves buried alive and suffocated trying to get out. Such pleasant things taught at the asylum, a truth Rene was pretty sure they told to increase the scare of the pit. Especially considering the lesson seemed to be revisited always after a poor lost soul bloodied their fingers in the pit. It had definitely given Rene a fear of being buried alive and more than once she had to fight the panic while in the pit  to keep from scratching at the walls erratically. There was no bell for them.

Thud. Thud. Rene's jumped up. That wasn't Kristy anymore. She scanned the hallway, the place down here was something of a maze with all it's sharp turns. She really couldn't see more than maybe fifteen feet in either direction. She strained her ears. The sound was definitely coming closer. Couldn't be worse than Kristy right? Rene clenched and relaxed her fists, each was tighter than the last. One more fight tonight could be fun, what was a little blood loss compared to living. Rene finally managed to hone in on the echoing steps. There was definitely multiple people and coming from her left. She narrowed her eyes, waiting. 

The guards came barreling around the corner a couple seconds later tasers a blazing. Thankfully the cynical, idiots were never issued guns, not real ones anyway. Sometimes they got to pull out the tranquilizer guns if someone was being particularly crazy. Hey look at that must be her lucky day, they brought them out for her. How special. Rene was never one for talking, but looks like she needed to start fast if she wanted to not be knocked out first. She stepped into their path, hands behind her back. They all stopped, bumping into each other as they tried to form some semblance of order in their ranks. Look at what all those rich parents are paying for to protect their crazy children. Rene carefully made sure the kitchen knife was tucked into her pants under her shirt. No doubt she'd have to hand it over before all this was done with but for now the metal's bite was a nice reminder she wasn't defenseless. Secure, Rene raised her hands in surrender. Time to play the game.

"I don't want any trouble. I didn't do anything wrong. I was waiting for help." Rene stated calmly meeting taking a moment to sweep and meet all of their eyes briefly.

"Hey! Aren't you supposed to locked up in the pit?"

"Yes she is I put her in there myself."

Rene frowned, of course it had to be these guards. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off. "Please someone help me. She grabbed me and locked me up in here! I just came down to talk and she over powered me." Kristy's 'I'm sweet and innocent' rant rang through from the pit.

"Is that Kristy?" A guard stepped forward menacingly, one of Kristy's rescuers from earlier. "What'd you do, you little lunatic?"

Rene cringed, she had imagined getting more time before things went downhill. She took a stuttering step backwards her hand reaching for the knife. "Hold on," A firm female hand came down on the advancing guard.

Rene stopped, surprised to met the unwavering gaze of the woman who ran the yard during free period. "What? This girl is a psycho! I say we pump her with enough tranq to take down an elephant and if she survives that by some miracle we just drag her to the chair so they can have their fun too." The man raged, his eyes glinted darkly.

Many guards mummered their agreement. Those with the guns even raised them up taking aim. Rene quivered before grasping the knife firmly. No going down without a fight. "I said wait," the woman's voice radiated power as she stepped forward away from the pack of guards  blocking Rene.

"What are you doing?" another man stepped forward with a hiss. A guard Rene knew and hated very well, the guy who had threatened her and she had kicked in the nuts. The thought made a smile play at the corner of her lips, until he shot her a deadening glare. Apparently now was not the time to reminisce. "Lora, this girl has been a menace ever since she arrived. I'm going to do what I should have on day one now get out of my way."

Awe. Miss Rachel, Kristy, most of the guards...Rene was so popular. All these people wanted to off her. Well you couldn't say she wasn't good at what she did. Rene turned the blade over in her hand still keeping it hidden. She was ready for this. Lora, she mused. What a nice name, she had never learned it before now. Usually she just referred to the guards as that guy and that girl or better yet Mr./Ms. Piss me off and Mr./Ms. Piss me off a little less. 

"Shut your trap Derek and quit being an idiot. That goes double for the rest of you. I will not have some mob mentality and personal vendettas stop me from getting real answers."

"But Lora..."

"That's ma'am to you. I'm the ranking officer here and I said to back off. Now are you going to listen or do I have to remind you why I'm in charge." Lora's eyes dared anyone else to step out of line. She was all strength and no attitude. Wow, and Rene thought she liked the woman before.

The guards all eyed each other nervously. It was a standoff between the pervert, Derek and Lora aka Rene's new hero. Who would they back? One heartbeat, two...Rene white-knuckled the knife tighter ready for action. Finally, slowly but surely, the guns and tasers were lowered by the reluctant guards. The last and slowest was Derek who reluctantly stepped back into line with the others. Lora nodded her head curtly as though she knew it all along, maybe she did.

"What are your orders, Ma'am?" a younger man inquired respectfully while stepping forward, he had black hair and dark blue eyes.

"Declan, go into the pit and get Miss Callaway. Take the loudmouths with you and question her in one of the group meeting rooms, but make sure you search her first. I want all of it on footage and I want you to do the questioning while they guard the door. Understood? Good now get moving."

Declan nodded and quickly followed directions. Rene watched as he made his way to her, shocked. She never really expected things to go her way, not deep down anyway. She was frozen until she felt his eyes lock on the knife behind her back. She suppressed a groan at her stupidity. He didn't say anything though, just met her eyes briefly before continuing on as though it didn't happen. That got her moving. She slipped the knife back into her pants and adjusted her shirt just in time to have Derek and his fellow let's-kill-Rene supporter, who had wanted to tranq, her shove past her. Rene took their anger without complaint. They hadn't gotten their way, for now that was enough. She'd give them some payback later. She observed quietly as Kristy was lead out of the pit, the entire time blubbering about how Rene had attacked her. Derek even patted her back affectionately. Hm...maybe there was a reason Kristy did get out of being in trouble besides her daddy. She watched until they were out of sight. The trio were going to get nothing but a good story time from her.

Rene sighed and turned back to the rest of the gathered guards. Lora was eyeing her almost curiously. She knew she must be a sight. Dirty and bloody, she was not in the best shape at the moment. Plus the make-shift bandage around her neck probably looked like a fashion choice gone wrong. Rene shifted uncomfortably. She had never been one to care about her appearance; however, looking good and pretty like Kristy always seemed to, really couldn't hurt right now. Rene raised her chin to take in the woman giving her the once over. She was probably in her late twenties, yet did hold authority in her stance. Long black hair was hanging in a single braid with some stranglers framing her sharp face. The contours of her face and creamy skin suggested someone possibly of Asian descent. Her eyes were a steely gray and shone with something Rene didn't fully understand, something she knew she wanted. She was wearing the standard guards uniform: black slacks, a black button-up with full length sleeves that in her case had been rolled up to her elbows, and a security baseball cap. She really wasn't that tall for all the strength she demanded. She was maybe, 5"5'? Rene definitely had a couple inches on her as did many of the other guards awaiting her decision.

Suddenly she smiled. Oh crap, was this going to be good or bad? "Alright, everyone returns to your posts I'll handle Miss Sparks by myself." Lora coolly commanded.

"But Ma'am..." a woman protested.

Lora whipped around giving the her a harsh look, shutting her up. At that everyone scattered, no one wanted to be on the receiving end of this woman's wrath. Gez...what had Lora done to get respect like this from the other guards? And more importantly what was she going to do to Rene? Rene eyed her suspiciously as she abruptly found herself alone with the woman. "Follow me." Lora snipped walking away without looking back.

Rene stood their dumbfound and glanced around confused. Just like that? She understood Lora had stood up for her and everything, one could even say she saved her life, but really could she trust this woman. "Hurry up I don't have all day." Lora called over her shoulder.

Well then, guess she didn't have a choice. Damn it. Rene stumbled after her as hurriedly as she could. Things sure got interesting fast. She wondered if sane people had this many issues. Rene trailed after Lora up stairs and down random hallways into a part of the asylum she had never been. She looked around curiously. Where the heck was she? Lora stopped in front of door that looked honestly just like all the rest. How annoying. Lora reached up and pulled a key on a chain from underneath her shirt. Smart, the residents with sticky fingers couldn't grab that easily even if they knew it was there. She unlocked the door swinging it open and standing back. She gestured for Rene to enter first. Taking a deep breath, Rene walked into the room. It was not what she expected.

Rene found herself in a small apartment, basically. This area must be the guard's quarters, she never realized that they all lived at the asylum. Poor saps. "So what do you think?" Lora questioned from behind her.

Rene spun around taking it all in. It was surprisingly pleasant. Natural light filtered through a couple windows that occupied the sitting area with a plush gray couch and matching armchair. A small kitchen was near the door. It had an island with bar stools and was neatly organized. The smell of coffee reached Rene. She could see a small hallway leading to where she assumed a bedroom and bathroom were. The walls were white and sparsely decorated with photos of probably family and friends. It wasn't exactly homely but it had a nice lived in feel. "It's nice." Rene completed her circle and stopping at Lora who was leaning against the door frame casually, "Do all guards live at the asylum?"

Lora pushed herself up before reaching back and shutting the door. "No, just some of us in case of an emergency."

Rene listened intently but there was no clicking of the lock. She wasn't stuck in here. She could make a run for it if need be. She couldn't help but relax with that. Lora walked past her going into the kitchen area. "You want some coffee?"

"Um... yeah I guess." Rene had honestly never had coffee. Caffeine for crazy people was not exactly encouraged at the asylum.

Lora just nodded grabbing two mismatched mugs from a cupboard. She placed them on the island and scooped up some brown stuff Rene assumed was coffee, hopefully not poison, out of a red container. The brown powdery flakes were put in a white piece of paper and stuffed in the top of some appliance. Rene watched with interest as Lora filled up a glass pitcher and poured it into the back of the small appliance. She then put the pitcher back into the machine and pressed a button. Rene could hear the machine start making noises and steam emitted from the top. So that's how you make coffee. Wow, learn something new everyday. Now if only she was a normal girl who had a reason to know how to make coffee. "It will take a couple minutes if you want to clean up in the bathroom. You can shower if you want, not like that drain hasn't seen worse." Lora jutted her head towards the hallway.

Rene raised an eyebrow. Was she serious? She was pretty sure residents weren't supposed to be in the guard's living quarters in the first place and now she'd be unsupervised in part of it. Was this woman stupid or up to something? "Go on, I'm not letting you touch any of my stuff like that." Lora glared at her emphasizing her words.

Rene turned to start down the hallway stupefied. What was going on here? She glanced back at Lora to see her back turned on Rene fiddling with something in the kitchen. Rene stumbled down the hallway in a daze. What in the world? She passed by the bedroom briefly glancing in to see a very messy room with clothes all over the floor and on the queen sized bed. Rene opened the door to the bathroom. It was bigger than the one she shared with Cassie, but otherwise simple. She stepped in and made sure to lock the door behind her, just in case. Rene stared at the shower a moment. Screw it she was nasty and wanted to be clean again. She jumped in quickly turning the water on hot. It was nice having real shampoo, conditioner, and soap compared to the no scent, all-body cleaner in the rooms. She spent a long time letting the hot water loosen the tight coils in her muscles. She stepped out, wrapping a towel around her, to a steam filled room and a foggy mirror. She probably had overdone it, but wow she felt a thousand times better. Wiping the mirror, she carefully traced her fingers against the jagged edges of the wound of her neck. It was tender and sore. Still it could be worse. She checked the other wounds again but they were merely glancing blows, nothing serious.

Rene sighed as she picked up her clothes. Nothing like getting back into dirty and bloody clothes to ruin her good mood. A soft knock rapped at the door. "Hey, I got some sweats and a hoodie you can put on for now. I'll just leave them out here."

Rene waited until she heard Lora's footsteps retreat before reaching out a hand to snatch the items. She'd have to wear her own underwear, but they were fine anyway. Rene slipped on the hoodie and sweats. They were a little small on her, still definitely better than her clothes. She stopped to slide the knife across her chest underneath her sports bra straps before pulling the hoodie back down. Checking the mirror it wasn't visible, thankfully. It would be a bit difficult to grab quickly but it was on her which was something. She picked up her disgusting pile of clothing and walked into the hallway. Stopping at the kitchen, she stood there awkwardly clutching her stuff. Lora sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned and dug around in a drawer to produce a plastic shopping bag. She shoved it at Rene, "Here wrap them up good. I'll get you new stuff before we head back."

Rene nodded following Lora's instructions, she still clung to them though like a safety. Lora poured the, now done, coffee into the mugs as though it was the most normal thing in the world. Like having coffee, with an insane person was just another day for her. Props on that one. She pulled out creamer and sugar plus got a plate and filled it with cookies. This woman was a saint! Rene's mouth started salivating. She couldn't remember the last time she had sweets. "Sit." Lora ordered, sliding the mug towards Rene.

Rene obeyed, biting her tongue. She couldn't afford to piss this woman off. She perched on the edge of the stool nervously. "Why are you still holding that?" Lora replied between taking sips of her coffee.

"Uh, I thought that maybe I could use it as a weapon if you decided to attack me. You know swing it at your head or something." Lora narrowed her eyes. Rene coughed shifting in her seat, "Right dropping it."

It thudded against the floor. Rene reached for the coffee cup feeling the cold blade across her chest. She wasn't defenseless. She tentatively took a sip, making a face. That was bitter. A small chuckle came from across the counter. Lora slide the creamer and sugar to her. Rene gladly dumped both in large quantities into the foul brown liquid. Stupid coffee making her look silly. Taking a another sip, she smiled satisfied with her new concoction. She could feel Lora's eyes on her the entire time. Rene looked up and tilted her head at her. It was a mini stare off. Lora slowly reached out with one grabbing a cookie and bit it in half forcefully causing Rene to blink in surprise. Crap.

Lora smiled obviously happy she won the little standoff. She finished the cookie and brushed her hands together to remove crumbs. "Now that that's over, it's time to tell me what happened. I want to know everything otherwise, well you know." Lora ended the sentence with wave of her hand, to give her credit though her face was grim. There was no pleasure in it.

Rene swallowed, feeling the coffee burn her throat slightly. Of course, she knew. Tell the truth and also make Lora believe it or get the chair. No pressure or anything. "Alright, nothing but the truth."

Lora smiled, "Good. Now pretend I'm your new best friend and spill your guts out."

Rene grinned back nervously, "Not literally though right?" Silence. "Alrighty then...I guess it started during free period this morning."