Page 19 of Whirlwind
“Okay, I’m in the game.”
“Sending an invite,” Kit says. “Can you skill check without blowing the generators?”
“With the right perks equipped.”
“Do your best to keep out of sight, we’ll do the heavy lifting,” Sydney says.
“Protect the baby at all costs,” Ramona says.
“I’m the baby?”
“You are now, sweetheart,” she says. “It’s okay, though, I like kids.”
I laugh, going with it. Comedic relief is what I need. A good time. If I am the brunt of playful jokes, I’m okay with that.
“How does everyone know each other?”
“I stalked these two on a women-in-gaming Discord group until they relented to being my friends,” says Ramona.
“No matter how many times we blew her off, she just kept coming back. She’s like a stray dog,” Sydney teases, as Ramona barks and whimpers.
“Syd and I met at school,” Kit says as the loading screen starts up for the game.
“At U-Dub with Willa?”
“You know Willa?” asks Sydney.
“Yeah, I dated her sister for a time.”
“That’s how you know Kit,” she says.
“Yes, but we’re also neighbors.” The game loads us into the map. There are different ones, some inside, some outside. This one is outside, which I prefer, as it will give me more places to hide. This is one of the bigger maps, too. “Rotten Fields, nice.”
“Tons of corn for you to hide in, kid,” Ramona says.
Following instructions, I crouch and start creeping around. I won’t be dead weight to the ladies, but I don’t want to be a burden to them, either. Cautiously, I find a generator and start repairing it. An easy enough task, but it takes several minutes, and you can’t drop your alertness. The killer can easily sneak up on you.
“Oh, fuck! It’s a Pig, don’t ask me how I know,” Kit shrieks. “I’m going to loop around the house.”
“I’ll work on the gen in the barn while you keep her busy,” Sydney says.
“Headed your way, Syd,” Ramona tells her. “You good, Baby Boy?”
“Yep, on a gen on the other side of the map, Mommy.”
They all titter.
“Oh, this must be a baby killer. They’re whiffing like crazy,” Kit says.
“Let’s make some progress, then we’ll ease up. See if they’re a fun killer,” Sydney says.
“So, what’s your story, Tyson?” asks Ramona. “Married, dating, kids? What do you do for money?”
“Single. No kids. I play hockey.”
“Like, for fun?”
“No, for money. I play pro.”
