((Continued from: Run, Xian! Run!))
While running for what seemed like forever, Cole finally set his sights upon a place that seemed like an adequate resting place. The well was a source of water, which his burning lungs desperately needed. Rinsing his bleeding wounds wouldn't be all that bad either. As he stumbled towards the well, he realized that he was still carrying Xian over his shoulder. As the adreniline wore off, he stumbled and dropped her, falling over himself onto the ground. For a second, he just lay there, his heart beating. He could feel himself bleeding with every beat, and that was a fact he really had to do something about, and soon. Looking at his left arm, he saw the corkscrew embedded within it, and winced. If he took it out, and it had hit a vein...he was done for. Swearing, he fell back, and felt consciousness slip away, the blood loss finally seeming to get to him.
Bruised and bleeding...
Here comes a bloody Cole...
((Continued from: Run, Xian! Run!))
As Xian is deposited on the ground, she shakes her head, clearing the cobwebs. But, as she looks up, she sees just in time Cole passing out. Quickly, she lunges out, and ctahces his head before he hits the ground.he carefully lowers him, and rests his head on his bag. She then looks him over, and sees the very bad wounds on his left arm, as well as where the corkscrew is imbedded.
Bandages.....need bandages....and water....
Xian spies the well, but knows it would take too long to get water from it. Instead, she pulls off her skirt, and begins to tear it into long strips. She then fishes out her water bottle, and begins to douse one of the cloth strips. She wipes around the wounds, trying to clean them as best she can, but she also relaizes she needs to stop the bleeding.
Sorry Cole...but it's all I can think of.
From her bag, Xian produces a few safety pins. She washes them quickly in water, then, carefully begins to try and pinch close the bigger of the wounds, as she bandages the smaller ones in the strips of her skirt.
It takes several minutes...but Xian soon has Cole patched up as best she knows how. She kneels, then places Cole's head in her lap...stroking his hair.
Cole...please don't die...please...
As Xian is deposited on the ground, she shakes her head, clearing the cobwebs. But, as she looks up, she sees just in time Cole passing out. Quickly, she lunges out, and ctahces his head before he hits the ground.he carefully lowers him, and rests his head on his bag. She then looks him over, and sees the very bad wounds on his left arm, as well as where the corkscrew is imbedded.
Bandages.....need bandages....and water....
Xian spies the well, but knows it would take too long to get water from it. Instead, she pulls off her skirt, and begins to tear it into long strips. She then fishes out her water bottle, and begins to douse one of the cloth strips. She wipes around the wounds, trying to clean them as best she can, but she also relaizes she needs to stop the bleeding.
Sorry Cole...but it's all I can think of.
From her bag, Xian produces a few safety pins. She washes them quickly in water, then, carefully begins to try and pinch close the bigger of the wounds, as she bandages the smaller ones in the strips of her skirt.
It takes several minutes...but Xian soon has Cole patched up as best she knows how. She kneels, then places Cole's head in her lap...stroking his hair.
Cole...please don't die...please...
Cole flutters in and out of consciousness, his skin turning a pasty shade of white. He's lost a lot of blood. His eyes flutter open and he looks up at Xian, and grins a weak grin.
"You...you think this is bad...you shoulda seen the other guy..."
He then looks at the corkscrew still embedded in his arm and shudders involuntarily.
"Oh...oh...man...that...looks gross..."
The boy fades in and out of consciousness, beginning to shake a little bit.
"You...you think this is bad...you shoulda seen the other guy..."
He then looks at the corkscrew still embedded in his arm and shudders involuntarily.
"Oh...oh...man...that...looks gross..."
The boy fades in and out of consciousness, beginning to shake a little bit.
Cole, stay with me...please...
Xian tips the water bottle to his lips, trying to get him to drink. She also breaks off bits of bread, pressing them to his mouth, hoping he'll at least try to eat. She honestly had no idea what to do, but all she knew was that Coile risked alot to save her, and she wasn't going to give him up without a fight.
Xian tips the water bottle to his lips, trying to get him to drink. She also breaks off bits of bread, pressing them to his mouth, hoping he'll at least try to eat. She honestly had no idea what to do, but all she knew was that Coile risked alot to save her, and she wasn't going to give him up without a fight.
Cole feels the water enter his mouth, and it refreshes him; the cool sensation of the liquid sliding down his dry throat. He groans once, his arm, while it seems to have been stitched up, is killing him. He glances again at the corkscrew in his arm, and he looks up at Xian.
"Seems like someone wanted to give me a handle, or...something. I mean, really...who sticks a guy with a corkscrew?"
His eyes close again but he forces them back open, looking into the eyes of the girl who's trying to save his life.
"Oh...thanks for....your help...and...sorry about the bloodstains on your shirt..."
He groans again, in a significant amount of pain. Again, he looks at the corkscrew.
"You...you wanna do me a favour and pull that out for me? It's kinda...kinda startin' to hurt..."
"Seems like someone wanted to give me a handle, or...something. I mean, really...who sticks a guy with a corkscrew?"
His eyes close again but he forces them back open, looking into the eyes of the girl who's trying to save his life.
"Oh...thanks for....your help...and...sorry about the bloodstains on your shirt..."
He groans again, in a significant amount of pain. Again, he looks at the corkscrew.
"You...you wanna do me a favour and pull that out for me? It's kinda...kinda startin' to hurt..."
Xian nods, numbly, and grabs onto the handle of the corkscrew. She begins to tug on it, pulling hard as she can, till, with a final lurch, she frees it. The blood spurts out, covering her blouse and a bit of her neck. Xian quickly ties a bandage on it, and put pressure, hoping to stop the bleeding.
Instantly, Cole wakes up from his in-and-out of consciousness state, and looks directly at the profusely bleeding wound.
"Uh oh..."
He touches the bandage which splurts with blood. It's now quite evident that the corkscrew hit an artery in Cole's arm.
"This...this, uh...this could be a problem...I think it hit an artery. In which case..."
His vision clouds a little bit, as he shakes his injured arm a little, trying to get circulation into it as the pins and needles start crawling up the arm. Little does he know, that's his blood ejecting itself from his body. The shaking of the arm doesn't do any favours for Xian's clothing, as the blood splatters all over the place. Wincing weakly, he looks at Xian.
"Hey, uh...sorry about that..."
Cole is now almost completely covered in blood, as his arm drains. He feels himself beginning to get tired.
"You know something...?" He mumbles, and motions for Xian to lean closer so she can hear him.
"Uh oh..."
He touches the bandage which splurts with blood. It's now quite evident that the corkscrew hit an artery in Cole's arm.
"This...this, uh...this could be a problem...I think it hit an artery. In which case..."
His vision clouds a little bit, as he shakes his injured arm a little, trying to get circulation into it as the pins and needles start crawling up the arm. Little does he know, that's his blood ejecting itself from his body. The shaking of the arm doesn't do any favours for Xian's clothing, as the blood splatters all over the place. Wincing weakly, he looks at Xian.
"Hey, uh...sorry about that..."
Cole is now almost completely covered in blood, as his arm drains. He feels himself beginning to get tired.
"You know something...?" He mumbles, and motions for Xian to lean closer so she can hear him.
Xian ignores the blood, trying her best to stop it, not caring she is soaking in it. She presses hard, wrapping yet another bandage....
Cole's muttering catch her attention, and she leans in ...closer...straining to hear him.
Cole's muttering catch her attention, and she leans in ...closer...straining to hear him.
He leans close to her ear, and smiles at her. This she can't see, as he's bleeding so much she's trying to keep pressure on his wound.
"You know...earlier...you asked me why I didn't write much about you in my article..."
A cough, and a shuddering spasm.
"...I told you that I'd tell you what I really thought...about you...well to be honest...I always thought you were the best looking one of the bunch...I just...didn't want to write anything bad about you..."
He coughs again, and the realization flies through his head that this is it - he's dying.
"...always kind of thought you were kind of cute..."
As a last act of maybe defiance, maybe to show the game that it may have killed him but it'll never get his humanity, Cole grabs Xian's face in both hands and kisses her. The kiss is long, and hard.
And as it goes on, Cole's life flashes before his eyes...writing in the school paper...
...fighting Andrew in the gazebo...
...dealing drugs outside of the back of the school...
...moving to the US from Canada...
...his parents divorce...
...and finally, Cole remembers looking out into the sunset in his hometown in Alberta...not a cloud in the sky, watching it set below the mountains...
Abruptly, he pulls away, and looks at Xian. He smiles as the blood spurts from his arm, covering the both of them in his blood.
"...man...I shoulda done that a long fuckin' time ago..."
He lies his head back on the ground, and shudders a sigh from his broken body, his last breath escaping him and swirling off into the trees around them.
...and then...nothing...Xian is alone...
...Boy #33, Cole Q. Hudson....DEAD.
"You know...earlier...you asked me why I didn't write much about you in my article..."
A cough, and a shuddering spasm.
"...I told you that I'd tell you what I really thought...about you...well to be honest...I always thought you were the best looking one of the bunch...I just...didn't want to write anything bad about you..."
He coughs again, and the realization flies through his head that this is it - he's dying.
"...always kind of thought you were kind of cute..."
As a last act of maybe defiance, maybe to show the game that it may have killed him but it'll never get his humanity, Cole grabs Xian's face in both hands and kisses her. The kiss is long, and hard.
And as it goes on, Cole's life flashes before his eyes...writing in the school paper...
...fighting Andrew in the gazebo...
...dealing drugs outside of the back of the school...
...moving to the US from Canada...
...his parents divorce...
...and finally, Cole remembers looking out into the sunset in his hometown in Alberta...not a cloud in the sky, watching it set below the mountains...
Abruptly, he pulls away, and looks at Xian. He smiles as the blood spurts from his arm, covering the both of them in his blood.
"...man...I shoulda done that a long fuckin' time ago..."
He lies his head back on the ground, and shudders a sigh from his broken body, his last breath escaping him and swirling off into the trees around them.
...and then...nothing...Xian is alone...
...Boy #33, Cole Q. Hudson....DEAD.
Cole?? Cole!!!!!! God..wake up..wake up Cole. Please...don't leave me...not now...please!!! Don't you dare die on me Cole....please don't.
Xian shakesCole's lifeless form, tears streaming down her face as she tries to wake him up. She hugs him tightly to her, sobbing, calling his name.
Why...why did you tell me all of that now?? Why did you wait?? Not fair...it's not fair!!!
Xian throws her head up in frustration, cursing the game, Mr Danya...all of it. She had finally found someone...someone nice, someone who liked her, and the game took him away from her. She continued hugging Cole, crying for the next hour or so.
A few hours have passed, and Xian rests Cole gingerly on the ground. Wiping her eyes clear, she is renewed, determined.
I own't let you die in vain Cole...I swear it.
Xian sees that she is soaked in blood, and her skirt is all but ruined. A blood stained girl in panties will not be a welcome sight to others on the island, so Xian sets off to clean up. She fetches buckets of water from the well, dousing herself till most of the blood is gone. She pulls off her blouse, tossing it aside, remaining in her black sports bra. Near the well, she finds some tarps and crop cloths, and roughly begins to rip one, fashoining a crude, but workable sarong. Sadly, she goes through Cole's bag, taking his supplies. She tries to lift the sledgehammer, but it is much to heavy. Still, she cannot leave it for others to find or use. Straining, she drgas it to the well, and with a great effort, she pushes it up and over, leting it drop into the well.
Xian takes out her map, and begins to plot her next move.
((Continued in: Girl #4 on the Move))
Xian shakesCole's lifeless form, tears streaming down her face as she tries to wake him up. She hugs him tightly to her, sobbing, calling his name.
Why...why did you tell me all of that now?? Why did you wait?? Not fair...it's not fair!!!
Xian throws her head up in frustration, cursing the game, Mr Danya...all of it. She had finally found someone...someone nice, someone who liked her, and the game took him away from her. She continued hugging Cole, crying for the next hour or so.
A few hours have passed, and Xian rests Cole gingerly on the ground. Wiping her eyes clear, she is renewed, determined.
I own't let you die in vain Cole...I swear it.
Xian sees that she is soaked in blood, and her skirt is all but ruined. A blood stained girl in panties will not be a welcome sight to others on the island, so Xian sets off to clean up. She fetches buckets of water from the well, dousing herself till most of the blood is gone. She pulls off her blouse, tossing it aside, remaining in her black sports bra. Near the well, she finds some tarps and crop cloths, and roughly begins to rip one, fashoining a crude, but workable sarong. Sadly, she goes through Cole's bag, taking his supplies. She tries to lift the sledgehammer, but it is much to heavy. Still, she cannot leave it for others to find or use. Straining, she drgas it to the well, and with a great effort, she pushes it up and over, leting it drop into the well.
Xian takes out her map, and begins to plot her next move.
((Continued in: Girl #4 on the Move))