((continued from down the road, but not that far))
Katelynne didn't even make it to the houses before her legs gave out, sending her plummeting against a tree and crashing to the ground. She couldn't see anything with her vision blacking in and out, her breathing at a murmur, but she knew.
Time was up.
Or, maybe she just gave up.
After all, what difference would it have made if she even made it back to Marco? She bailed on him. She just sat there and pouted about her own business and her own demons after Nicholas died and Marco definitely wasn't okay but Katelynne didn't care to talk to him then. And then she just let him execute Abraham. She just let him go after Marceline. Maybe she should've let him just go after Justin, too.
Even as far back as the day at the zoo, she just let him get knocked upside the head; just stood there, didn't defend him. Didn't do nothing. Didn't even realize the things he was going through back at school and why he was acting weird and would say weird things about men's clothes at the mall and everything else. Just because she was so sad and so woe is me about her own things like she was the center of the universe... selfish.
Heck, everything else, too. She didn't save Liberty. She just let her get attacked by Quinn, and hid like a little kid. Couldn't finish what she started, either; had to leave the mess she made to someone else.
Didn't do anything to save Nicholas, either. She was probably the reason Marceline found them, anyway, out there hanging with a corpse like a real normal person. She didn't do anything to stop Marceline much. She just let her shoot him. Didn't talk her out of it. Didn't sneak up behind her and do something. She could have, but she didn't.
She only kept Princess alive for her own sake, too. Just ignored her pain, and her sorrow, kept her around because Katelynne didn't wanna be lonely because only her feelings mattered.
She let Lucas go after Erika in the middle of the night. She let Tyrell go after Lorenzo AND disappear with Lucas. Couldn't even kill Erika when she had the chance, and now she was probably running around somewhere else picking the rest of them off. Daria, bless her heart, tried to help Katelynne twice and look what good that did to her. Same for that little boy from the beach probably, wherever he ended up.
If she just jumped and didn't chicken out right at the beginning, everyone would've been better off. She didn't help no one at all. She was just a load, and a liability. Always been the case, here and back in Chattanooga. Don't know why she thought any different.
...This was fine. It was fine. Marco probably thought he'd never see her again, anyway. If she was in his shoes, she'd have thunk the same. Probably was better this way. 'Least she got her wish, now. Just to die alone, nameless and forgotten and out of the way.
And that's what she did, closing her eyes one final time as her breathing slowed to a trickle with every drop of blood that kept leaking after her heart stopped.
At least she won't mess anything up for anyone ever again.
[size].[/size]
Insider Perspective // Rainy Days and Mondays
“Kate.”
…
“Kate.”
…mmm...
“Kate!”
...Huh? Was someone call-
“Oh, for fuck's sake. Get on with it,” someone interjected.
“Yeah! You didn’t come all this way just to puss ou-… er, give up!” Another voice chimed in.
“Yeah, seriously, make up your mind for once.” said one more.
"Or just, like, stop thinking. You're not great at it, anyway," said the last one.
Katelynne opened her eyes again. She was still propped up against the tree. She looked left and right- she was still alone. Where did those voices come from?
Strange.
It didn’t hurt anymore. She rose from her spot with ease and looked down at herself, at her arms, felt her face. Everything was dry. The pain and the stinging and the smell and even the dirt was gone. It was almost like she never got hurt to begin with.
Even stranger…
She looked up at the sky. It was pitch black, save for the giant silvery moon hiding behind a few clouds. Something was falling down, too. Something white. Rain? She reached out with her hand and watched as the stuff landed on her palm and evaporated. Was this… snow? Here, at this time of year? It wasn’t even cold or anything; they might as well’ve been flecks of cotton or something.
Just how long was she out for?
The way back was cut off, like someone put a pitch black wall smack dab in the middle of the road.
The way up ahead? Where the road gently curved up, it was replaced by a giant hill. At the top was something almost blindingly white, the only source of light other than the moon.
"Good. You're up, again.”
Katelynne spun around. Princess was standing right there, hands held behind her back.
“Princess?” Katelynne stood and gawked. “How-”
"Well, at least your eyes still work." Princess shook her head, and pointed ahead up towards the light. “You’re making him wait, you know.”
“Who, Marco?”
“What do you think?”
“I mean, I think I hit my head or something.” Katelynne scratched her head. “But you… you died. And- I thought I did, too. And-and this… this sure don't look like no heaven or even no purgatory that I know of."
Princess just hmm’d like Katelynne was the crazy one.
Katelynne looked back up the hill, at the light in the distance. Was Marco really here, too?
She looked down at her feet. “If Marco's up there… what if he doesn’t want to see me again? I ain’t no help… I ain’t no real friend...”
Princess walked right on by and started up the hill. “Stay here if you’d like, then. I’m not your keeper.” And then she disappeared into the night.
Katelynne kept staring at Princess’s shadow until it was completely gone in the faint haze. Maybe she really did hit her noggin. But…
She kicked her foot absentmindedly in the dirt, stomped the ground a few times. Looked up the hill, back to where she came from, and back up the hill. With a sigh, she followed Princess.
For one last time she walked, right up the hill. And she kept walking.
…
“Kate.”
…mmm...
“Kate!”
...Huh? Was someone call-
“Oh, for fuck's sake. Get on with it,” someone interjected.
“Yeah! You didn’t come all this way just to puss ou-… er, give up!” Another voice chimed in.
“Yeah, seriously, make up your mind for once.” said one more.
"Or just, like, stop thinking. You're not great at it, anyway," said the last one.
Katelynne opened her eyes again. She was still propped up against the tree. She looked left and right- she was still alone. Where did those voices come from?
Strange.
It didn’t hurt anymore. She rose from her spot with ease and looked down at herself, at her arms, felt her face. Everything was dry. The pain and the stinging and the smell and even the dirt was gone. It was almost like she never got hurt to begin with.
Even stranger…
She looked up at the sky. It was pitch black, save for the giant silvery moon hiding behind a few clouds. Something was falling down, too. Something white. Rain? She reached out with her hand and watched as the stuff landed on her palm and evaporated. Was this… snow? Here, at this time of year? It wasn’t even cold or anything; they might as well’ve been flecks of cotton or something.
Just how long was she out for?
The way back was cut off, like someone put a pitch black wall smack dab in the middle of the road.
The way up ahead? Where the road gently curved up, it was replaced by a giant hill. At the top was something almost blindingly white, the only source of light other than the moon.
"Good. You're up, again.”
Katelynne spun around. Princess was standing right there, hands held behind her back.
“Princess?” Katelynne stood and gawked. “How-”
"Well, at least your eyes still work." Princess shook her head, and pointed ahead up towards the light. “You’re making him wait, you know.”
“Who, Marco?”
“What do you think?”
“I mean, I think I hit my head or something.” Katelynne scratched her head. “But you… you died. And- I thought I did, too. And-and this… this sure don't look like no heaven or even no purgatory that I know of."
Princess just hmm’d like Katelynne was the crazy one.
Katelynne looked back up the hill, at the light in the distance. Was Marco really here, too?
She looked down at her feet. “If Marco's up there… what if he doesn’t want to see me again? I ain’t no help… I ain’t no real friend...”
Princess walked right on by and started up the hill. “Stay here if you’d like, then. I’m not your keeper.” And then she disappeared into the night.
Katelynne kept staring at Princess’s shadow until it was completely gone in the faint haze. Maybe she really did hit her noggin. But…
She kicked her foot absentmindedly in the dirt, stomped the ground a few times. Looked up the hill, back to where she came from, and back up the hill. With a sigh, she followed Princess.
For one last time she walked, right up the hill. And she kept walking.
A little ways up the hill was Yuka. She was talking with her sisters, giggling about something. Yuka waved Katelynne over and she talked with them a bit, giggling as well.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Cecil. He was tearing his map upside down, trying to figure out where to go and where exactly he was. Katelynne stopped and helped him.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Manuel, peeking out from behind a bush. A baseball rolled out in front of Katelynne. She tossed it back and forth with him for a bit.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Caroline. She was in the middle of a prayer. Katelynne joined her.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Blaise. They were pacing around in the sand, muttering to themselves and looking distraught. Katelynne stopped and talked with them for a bit.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Garren, Arjen, and Angie. They were standing together and watching the gently rolling waves of the ocean. Katelynne joined them for a bit.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Parker, Oliver, and Aoi. They were huddled around some weird sort of statue thing, trying to figure out what the heck it exactly was while Aoi was jotting down notes. Katelynne tried to help but was just as stumped.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Bert. She was sitting at a table looking at the yearbook and flagged Katelynne over. Katelynne flipped through it and laughed with her for a bit.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Quinn. She stared daggers at Katelynne before turning away. Katelynne glared as well, stopped to say something, and continued on- but not before Quinn grabbed her wrist and said something back. Katelynne’s expression softened and nodded, saying something again as Quinn let her go with a softened expression of her own.
And then Katelynne went on her way.
And then Katelynne went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Marco Volker and Julien. They were sitting down at a fire by some rice fields, eating. Marco offered Katelynne some of his… plastic baggie of salsa.
Katelynne passed.
Katelynne passed.
A little ways up the hill was Lucas. He dabbed at her as she approached. She did the same.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Ty. He pat her on the shoulder. She pulled him in for a hug.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
A little ways up the hill was Nick. He showed Katelynne a card trick and pulled a bouquet of flowers from an empty hat, handing it to her. She grinned and clapped.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.
And then Katelynne waved and went on her way.