pic by (@ _enkibou_) on Twitter



The curtains opened up, a haunting piano playing in the background. A figure that looked strangely familiar was revealed, holding what seemed to be a headless doll. Another thing was that she wore the same uniform the choir wore.

She slowly stepped into the light, with a walk kind of like your own. Though, it was more like a doll than a puppet. Her skin seemed regular, but near her head, it was a ghastly white.

Her lips were cherry red, cheeks painted pink with a blush. Her eyebrows looked painted on, and her hair looked...fake. The most haunted thing about her was her eyes. They were pitch black, no pupil, no iris, no sclera. Were those...stitches by her neck?

"Jane Doe, is what the coroner said," she began, standing in between Mischa and Constance. "They found my body, not my head. No parents came, so they never learned by name, or who I used to be, my life...and unsolved mystery."

She spoke with rhymes, like a poem. Every once in a while, her head would twitch sporadically. Her gaze bore on to the darkness of the supposed warehouse they were kept in. You watched with interest, mouth slightly agape.

"From ashes I was made, and ashes I return, and now I walk alone...and wonder why?" Her voice was haunting, almost on the same octave as your own.

Why?

Why?

Why?

The spotlight on the girl slowly faded, and she went as still as a statue. Constance breathed heavily from to her right, pursing her lips together nervously.

"Did anybody just pee themselves a little?" she inquired, then noticed the confused and slightly disgusted stares of you, Misha, and Ricky. "Me neither."

The woman's head turned to the side, pinning Constance down with her black-eyed gaze. She waddled over to the plus-size girl, her hands slowly coming up to show Constance her doll that lacked a head.

"Would you like to brush my dolly's hair?" she echoed, tilting her head to one side.

Constance slowly turned, eyes blown wide. Though she tried to look relaxed, anybody could tell that she was frightened and probably hyperventilating.

"I'm really freaked out right now," Constance told the girl, to which she brought her doll away.

"Do you want to know what really freaks me out?" she asked, looking off into the distance.

"Not really ever at all, sorry," Constance replied, slightly rambling as she shook her head.

"Meet Jane Doe," Karnak piped up, "Catchphrase:"

Jane stepped into the spotlight, an eerie piano playing in the background as she spoke.

"When a lioness has children, she stops making love to the lion," she began. "The lion gets jealous, sometimes so jealous he eats the children...you think this would upset the Lioness. Far from it, they make love again like the children never existed. I find that idea terrifying."

Jane then stepped back to Constance, still once more. But this time, a smile adorned her lips. It was relieving to see her ghastly features show some kind of emotion for the first time.

Constance turned to Jane in horror, slowly backing away to try and not alert the doll-like woman. However, she did indeed notice. Her head slowly turned to the side as Constance spoke.

"I'm gonna stand a little further away from you, okay?" she stated, backing away till she darted for it. However Jane just followed.

Suddenly, Mischa brushed past you, catching your attention. He angrily typed into his phone, grunting as he mumbled to himself.

"I cannot get any wifi up in this bitch," he cursed, accent thick as he stepped forward.

"Meet, Mischa Bachinski," Karnak announced.

The spotlight came again, and Mischa lazily looked up. For his pose, he suddenly grabbed himself by the groin. Your eyes widened with a quiet snort from beside Ricky who gave you an amused glance.

"Ukrainian bad boy, catchphrase:"

Then, Mischa took off his hat, a solemn and almost frightened look in his eyes. He held his hat to his chest as he spoke.

"My gangster persona is just armor to conceal that I am naked child wandering in the wilderness holding in my hands my wounded, fragile heart," he monologue, hugging himself slightly.

His brow furrowed as he regained control of his body, walking away. You blinked multiple times, turning your head as he strode elsewhere. Mischa found a random corner, hiding whatever he was doing on his phone.

As Ricky stepped forward for his catchphrase, you took the opportunity to dart in the dark of the warehouse to confront him. With quiet steps, you walked towards Mischa, looming beside him but not peeking to his phone.

"Are you okay?" you inquired, leaning forward with a wobbly back.

Mischa turned to you, eyebrows narrowed with a wrinkled nose. This was normal for him, so you were used to it by now.

"I'm fine," he deflected your question, walking away to the other side of the warehouse.

You stood there, looking rejected as you picked at your nails. You then turned to Ricky, who had somehow activated the noise of his favorite ride, the Gravatron. He had chucked his crutches aside, catching you by surprise.

"Game on," he smiled, then darted away like an excited child.

You sighed, watching as Ocean talked to Karnak once more. You were about to go listen, when you felt a presence behind you. With a turn of your head, you saw Jane, holding her doll by one hand.

"He is...interesting," she whispered, voice echoing.

You looked up at her, giving Jane a smile.

"He is, I just wish he would open up to somebody," you murmured, not noticing the way Jane's eyes flicked from you to Mischa.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.

Jane leaned in closer, and you gave her a gentle smile.

"Mischa is...very protective of himself, from what I can guess, he doesn't wanna be hurt again," you replied, and she nodded in reply.

Suddenly, you felt yourself moving on your own again. Constance came over to you and Jane, handing you a piece of cardboard on a stick. As you moved along, you managed to catch a glance at what was on the cardboard.

Was that a picture of Ocean? Your brow furrowed in confusion as your body was guided over next to Noel. Ocean had begun to say something, wait- singing? Why was Ocean singing?

What the World needs is people like me

To keep it all spinning around

I'm the move, I'm the shaker, I'm the headline maker,

I get up

I get up

Ocean then pointed to the ground as the octaves of her signing slowly swung lower and lower.

And no one's gonna keep me down.

She then proceeded to point at the choir, who all stood confused. Though at this point, it actually couldn't get weirder, so you just decided to roll with it. Better to not question the logic of this place you found yourself in.

Okay, it's clear

I'm the top of this class

These folks here while they pump the gas

Fetch me a coffee, shine my shoes

Some of us are winners

Some were born to lose

Wow. Your brow furrowed as you slowly realized that Ocean was trying to suck up to Karnak, get his attention and his liking. She wanted to live so badly she wasn't even thinking about you or the rest of the choir.

Then, a spotlight shone onto you, Noel, and Constance. Ocean then pointed to you guys in that order as she sang.

You got the sandwich artist

The security guard

The Walmart-Greeter with an overdrawn credit card

Ocean then gestured to Mischa, clearly talking about him as she sang. And as she did, Mischa seemingly began to cheerfully dance, however it seemed Karnak was the one in control of that. It was amusing.

He smokes Ganja

Ooh, it's so groovy

To stay at home

And watch a Transformer movie!

Constance then came around the corner with an empty fast food cup. She tossed it to Ocean who looked at it in slight disgust.

She serves me coke and a medium fries

And no thanks, I don't want it supersized

Cause that's low-class! Diabetes in a cup

Keep your head down, and things will look up

The choir then came together from behind Ocean, all holding the little signs of her face above their faces. Your guys' bodies moved and danced as Ocean sang the supposed chorus.

What the World needs is people like me

To keep it all spinning around!

I'm the mover, I'm the shaker, I'm the headline maker

Mmm, I get up!

She gets up

I get up!

And no one's gonna keep me down!

Seriously?

This one here? He's rarin to fail!

Rob a 7/11 and go straight to jail

Maybe steal hubcaps? Maybe steal booze?

Expressing himself with his homemade tattoos

Ocean stood by Mischa as she sang, basically insulting her own choir mate just so Karnak would like her more. Though you loved Ocean, she was beginning to piss you off.

Then, Ocean walked over to you with a smile as she looked to Karnak.

Knitting at home with nothing to lose,

Probably sitting alone watching TV

She's not worth anything! You gotta believe me!

Always alone and always dreaming!

Though you weren't in control of your body, you were able to give Ocean the nastiest glare you could muster. This was getting ridiculous, maybe even foolish.

Soccer mom, minivan

Four little brats, no steady man

Do we really need another organ donor?

Maybe that was a little harsh, love you!

Ocean held Constance by the shoulder as she mocked her best friend, and you got even more irritated. She even had the audacity to say she loved Constance after taunting her relentlessly.

Oh?

Pokemon, Spiderman

This kid doesn't have an attention span

And what's he gonna do? Solve a rubix cube?

How long's he got if we feed him through a tube?

What the world needs is people like me

To keep it all spinning around

I'm the the mover I'm the shaker

I get up

She gets up!

I get up

And no one's gonna keep me down

And as we move through life

To find our place in the crowd

Some don't make the cut

That's crystal clear

Oh yes! Oh yes!

Oh isn't someone keeping score?

I've gotta say this out loud?

I mean

Do we really need another zero?

Or zero?

Or zero?

Or zero?

Or zero?

Add em' all up and you'll still get zero!

What you really need is futher mucking hero!

Ocean then heroically kicked from where she stood beside Karnak, who watched with a blank expression. She then walked to the side while pointing to the line that the choir had aligned into, Ricky first, then Noel, then Mischa, then Jane, then you, then Constance.

And oh oh!

He'll never learn to read!

Oh oh!

He's never gonna breed!

Oh oh!

Going to jail guaranteed

And she's a freaky monster.

You all then began to clap to the beat as Ocean sang towards Karnak.

Yes there's a problem!

I'm the solution

Darwin had a theory called?

Evolution!

He put it into words, but it's plain to see

We need a little less of them

A little more of me!

What the world needs is people like me!

To keep it all spinning around!

She gets up!

We can't all be heroes

No!

Most of us?

Zeroes!

Me me

Me me

Me me

Me me

Oh! Oh!

A little more of me!

She gets up!

Oh what the world needs is people like me

To keep it all spinnin' around!

I'm the mover I'm the shaker I'm the headline maker mmm!

She gets up!

Some stay down

We can't all be heroes!

No!

Most of us?

Zeroes

Some fly high!

She gets up!

She gets up!

I get up

I get up

Some stay down!

And no one's gonna take me down!

As you had zoned out during Ocean's song, you found yourself being stood on a human period. Your broken bones ached as Constance and Jane stood atop of you. You were pissed as Ocean smiled brightly from where she stood.

"What a rush! Who's next?" she demanded, pumping a fist into the air as she hopped off of the human pyramid she had created.

Karnak slowly turned to her, his eyes now glowing a faint red. You hoped he realized that Ocean was being a bitch right now, and didn't fall for her bargaining.

With a grunt, you allowed Jane and Constance to climb off of you, then tried to get off yourself. As you slid off of Noel's back, a hand had held out to you for leverage. You took it, allowing your shaking stance to regain balance.

Mischa took his hand away, clicking his tongue as he got right back on his phone. The moment you noticed it was him you were slightly surprised, but decided not to question why he would go out of his way to help you. Instead you just thanked him quietly as you helped Ricky onto his feet.

"Maybe now would be a good time to say that whoever is brought back to life shall be chosen by a unanimous vote from the entire choir," Karnak monologued.

A smirk crossed your lips, arms crossing as you faced Ocean and the machine. The ginger looked devastated, mouth opening and closing as she tried to voice something. Yet each time she failed.

"But- but if I would've known that-" Ocean got interrupted by Karnak.

"You wouldn't have called every one of your potential judges a loser, crowing

about your superiority in song, culminating in you standing on top of them in a

human pyramid?" his eyes turned an even darker shade of red as he continued. "That did strike me as an unorthodox strategy."

Ocean then slowly turned to the rest of the group, who all gave her nasty gazes. Noel gave her a look, an eyebrow raised like he was waiting for her to give the group an explanation. Constance just looked hurt, and Ricky stood to the side with an unreadable expression.

"What?" Ocean asked innocently, like she had done nothing wrong.

"What?! You just told your best friend her greatest achievement in life would to be become an organ donor," he hissed, pointing to Constance.

"Not just your best friend but all of us! I'm worth nothing? Really Ocean?" you piped up, venom lacing your words but you didn't act on your anger.

Constance patted your shoulder, trying to calm you.

"I'm usually more of a melody person, less of a lyric person truthfully..." she trailed off. "'Organ donor?' is that what you said?"

Ocean decided to take advantage of Constance's confusion, rushing forward and taking her by the hands. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, mustering the most innocent expression she could.

"I was in the moment!" she protested. "Sorry Constance I didn't mean-"

Constance interrupted her, backing away slowly.

"It's okay," she replied. "It kinda really super hurts but-"

"Do you want to know what I find kind of really super hurts?" Jane seemingly appeared out of nowhere from behind Constance, getting the both of you to flinch with a startled noise.

Constance got control of her breathing, looking to Jane with a nervous smile.

"Maybe later, thanks," she replied, "sorry!"

She then darted away only for the doll-like girl to follow her again.

Ocean then began to ramble about how much she actually loved the group, but you weren't buying. Actually, no one was buying it. From the corner of your eye, Noel walked up with a concerned expression.

"You okay?" he inquired, resting a hand on your shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm okay," you confirmed, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Mischa!" Ocean called, darted over to him as he typed into his phone. "I love you! I even pretended to believe in your imaginary fiance!"

Mischa turned around with a furrowed brow, irritated with the ginger.

"She is not my imaginary fiance, she is my real fiance- on my telephone," he snapped, gesturing angrily to his phone.

That- was not what you were expecting. Mischa was engaged? Why hadn't the choir told you, and why hadn't Mischa told you? Surely it wasn't much of a secret for him to have a fiance, especially if everyone else knew.

Why was this bugging your brain so much?

As Ocean continued to panic, you waddled over to Mischa who continued to grumble into his phone. He only noticed you as you stumbled for a moment, taking a second to regain your composure.

"You uh..." you cleared your throat, looking to the side. "You have a fiance?"

Mischa looked up from his phone, nodding to himself. He stuffed the device back into his pocket, clasping his hands together. Even as he talked to you, he refused to make eye contact. But you were used to that by now.

"Yes, she is-" he paused. "My...Talia...my perfect Talia."

You smiled, though it was solemn as well as joyful. He would never see Talia ever again, and that broke your heart. Though, you didn't have much time as it seemed that Noel was up next for this...singing contest or whatever.

"I'm sorry," you whispered as your body was taken control of again.