<i>Location: Abendblume Community - outside grounds</i><br/><br/>The situation had gone from dramatic to dire, and somehow now it was ridiculous. Clip, clop, clip, clop...<br/><br/>Outside, Kennedy could only see the tops of trees and bits of sky going by. Inside, he could only see knees. Four sets of knees; two on either side of him with legs cramped up to accommodate his impossibly scrunched-up form on the floor of the carriage where he'd been unceremoniously dumped into the already full carriage. Clip, clop, clip, clop...<br/><br/>Abendblume had once been a lavish beautiful fairy tale setting with pristine views and lush accommodations. The wedding package had been no different. Now the white wedding carriage served as the transportation for the last day of their lives at Abendblume and the first day of their lives out in the wilderness. Clip, clop, clip, clop...<br/><br/>The horses still kept their royal step and gait despite no longer having to parade around beautiful brides and sophisticated grooms. Kennedy snorted with the irony of it. All the pretense of the world had crumbled around them, yet, Hale, like the horses who still enacted the ceremony of their former lives, still clung to the hierarchy of a world that no longer existed. Established families was a phrase that was simply synonymous with the people Hale felt were 'worthy'. Upper class.<br/><br/>Around him in the carriage were those who didn't fit that mold. Phil was a stout heavyset man who used to be an assistant manager at an Office Max. Clair, with her shaggy faded purple hair and plethora of facial jewelry, had worked part-time at a gas station and attended community college. Kennedy thought he remembered that it was for English, or maybe it had been business. He wasn't sure, but he remembered she liked Avenged Sevenfold, though. It was tattooed on her wrist. There was also Miguel, a factory grunt, and middle-aged Vernon the ex-alcoholic title agent.  All once part of the world and now deemed useless.<br/><br/>His anger welled up and he yelled at the driver. "Stuart, dammit! Turn this thing around. Hale<i>has</i>to listen to us!"<br/>Stuart didn't answer. He'd been the head groomsman at Abendblume for nearly ten years. He and his wife managed the stables and carriage services offered by the resort and were most certainly<i>not</i>on the list.<br/><br/>"Stuart!!!"<br/><br/>"It's useless..." Clair said with a sigh as the other riders stared out the windows with their own thoughts about their demise.<br/>They were taken to the exit gates of the property where more guards waited. The plan, it seemed, was that they'd shuttle everyone out to the gates and send them on their way. Kennedy, along with the others, was pulled from the carriage and left with the gate guards. On the ground along the high stone fence of the property line were backpacks, suitcases, and bundles tagged with names. All of their names. All of their personal effects.<br/><br/>"For god's sake..." his eyes widened with the realization of just how planned everything had been. The provisions were there, too and Clair was at his side.<br/><br/>"Pretty fucked up, isn't it," she said as she rocked back and forth with her hands buried in her hoodie.<br/><br/>"Hyeah, just a little." his mind was moving already. "Let's look through these so we know who's things are here and when we have everyone, we'll gather them up and make a plan. We've got time. We've got plenty time before dark..." he reassured himself as much as he tried to reassure her.