"Though we may not survive it..."

[OnceForgotten†]

(Coming from: Cody's Arrival)

Marcus slowed his run to a stagger, heaving great gulps of air as he walked. He could still feel the blood trickle down his back from the lashing that the Cody character had given him. He looked around wildly as he approached the river, hoping against hope to see someone friendly again. He was nearly exausted, and knew that if he did not find someone soon, he would collapse from thirst and heat exaustion. Sweat glistened on his forehead and ran down his back, stinging the lacerations that crisscrossed his entire form. He slowly made his way down the river, yearning to drink of the crystle depths, but also knowing that ecoli and bacteria run rampant in tropical areas like the one he was currently stuck on. He skirted the edge of the river, coming around a small bend, when he noticed two girls conversing ahead. He thought....It cant beMarcus began sprinting again, closing on the two girls
"F-f-f-finally f-f-f-found....." With that, Marcus collapsed, exausted.

[LadyMakaze†]

Madelaine blinked and stared in surprise as Marcus suddenly appeared from not far beyond the riverbend, exhausted and apparently injured, collapsing to the ground. She had been wondering if he had stayed behind when the rest of the group ran off.

She looked on in concern, stepping towards him a bit.

"A-Are you alright?" She murmured to him, still slightly intimidated by his large form. "Can you walk? We have to move quickly." She looked around for Hawley, but it seemed that he had gone off already.

"Hawley is just up ahead. Go to him for help, I have to help Amanda here. Sorry..." She hesitated a bit, then added, "Go on ahead if you want, we'll catch up."

Helping Amanda keep her balance as she continued to walk, Madelaine carefully guided the both of them in the direction towards the Lookout point, away from the river.

Once they were out of listening range from Marcus, Madelaine murmured quietly, "Hope no one followed him here..."

[Cactus]

As much as Amanda wanted to go back and help Marcus, she knew that Madelaine's words were true. Neither girl was in good enough shape to try and help him, and the fact of the matter was that he'd definitely be better off with Hawley and David - Hawley seemed comfortable in the medical sense, and David was a classic protector, so Marcus would be safe. Looking at Madelaine, she nodded with a sigh.

This island, it's like hell. You wander off for a few minutes and you come back all covered in blood, with sores and hellish cuts all over your body. Such a serene-seeming place, maybe this really is hell...

"Yeah, if Marcus was followed...by whomever did that to him, we might be in trouble. I'm hoping that you still have your gun, right?"

Looking around, Amanda sighed again.

"I guess I just need to talk to someone. Hawley and David are boys, they wouldn't understand. Some things, you just...you just need to talk to another girl about."

Amanda's eyes fell to the ground.

"I know that it seems like all that I talk about is Adam, but Madelaine...I'm truly worried about him. I know the kind of person he is, I know that there will be some people who will use his kindness against him. I'm absolutely terrified of it. I know he's got a shotgun, and he's well armed, but I don't know if he's the kind of person who's even able to kill someone. I don't know how he'd handle it if he did."

She paused, and looked up at Madelaine.

"Madelaine, I've never felt this way about ANYONE before. Never. Not my friends, not boys, not even my family. I think...I think that I'm actually in love with him. Not just the teen love, but...but real love."

Amanda frowned, her eyes tearing a little.

"The problem with that is that of course, the time that I had to find it out was when we all get kidnapped and put on an island where we all have to fight to the death. So it's really likely that neither one of us will make it off alive. How unfair is that? I finally realize what true love is, I finally UNDERSTAND all the emotions that I've been feeling, and for what? What's even the point? I could be dead soon anyways. It could be a day, it could be a week, it could even be an hour. There's a really good chance that I may never see him again. And Madelaine...I don't know...if I find him dead, I don't...I don't know if I'll be able to go on. I really don't."

Sniffling, Amanda leaned on Madelaine for support. A tear was rolling down her face at this point. There wasn't much else she could say. There was no way to choose your feelings. You felt how you felt, and this was something that Amanda Jones was feeling all too well at this point in time.

[riserugu†]

((Continued from: Shelter from the Rain))

I spent most of last night dragging this lake,
for the corpses of all my past mistakes.
Sell me out - the jokes on you…

The pain in his leg had grown into a throbbing pain now, coughs escaping from him ever so often. His clothes wet by the rain had long since dyed, though blood since stained his clothes and skin, and around his lips where also specks of blood.

His hat casted shadows over his dulled green eyes which where focused on his black sneakers as he moved along the groups of undergrowth, trees, bushes and other overgrown plant life that he had found himself in when he had ran away from the lighthouse. Just leaving his friends… though lightly he wondered if they would miss him…

We are salt- you are the wound,
Empty another bottle,
and let me tear you to pieces.
This is me wishing you,
into the worst situations.

Though now Blaine’s voice didn’t hold the usual cheerfulness it had these past days, now it had become darker… if not sadder and echoing in the pain his body was feeling. Pausing briefly, he lifted his head from where his attention had been focused on the ground when the sounds of rushing water broke through his thoughts and broke him back into the real world.

I'm the kind of kid,
that can't let anything go.
But you wouldn't know a good thing,
if it came up and slit your throat.

Glancing over the area of undergrowth, and trees he stood in he turned to his left and began moving toward the sounds of water rushing along it’s way to the ocean beyond…

Your remorse hasn't fallen on deaf ears;
rather ones that just don't care.
Because I know,
that you're in between arms somewhere,
next to heartbeats,
where you shouldn't dare sleep.
I'll teach you a lesson,
for keeping secrets from me.

Reaching the riverbank after a few moments of walking, he paused before leaving the hidden safety of the bushes when the sight of two familiar people came into view as well, crouching onto the ground somewhat he watched the two lightly. These two had been at the lighthouse hours before…

Take your taste back;
peel back your skin.
And try to forget how it feels inside,
you should try saying no once in a while,
Oh once in while.

Neither seemed well, the one dressed in a school uniform having to asset the other in walking. Blood staining the back area of the uniformed girl, while bandages covered the other’s leg. Sifting in his spot somewhat, he gripped the handaxe tighter in his left hand…

One had pointed a gun at him… wanted to kill him he bet.

The big man was there as well, so when he walked away Blaine had to admit he was happy. So as silently as possible he followed the two girls, as he walked away from the river and toward what seemed to be the large cliff in the distance, probably where the rest of their friends where.

Pursing his chapped lips out somewhat, he slowly lifted himself from the ground and started moving out from behind the undergrowth. The lyrics of his current song finding a voice, and being sung into the air in a light whisper…

And did you hear the news?
I could dissect you,
and gut you on this stage.
Not as eloquent as I may have imagined
but it will get the job done (you're done.)
Every line is plotted and designed,
to leave you standing,
on your bedroom window's ledge.
And everyone else that it hits,
that it gets to,
is nothing more than collateral damage.

Take your taste back;
peel back your skin.
And try to forget how it feels inside,
you should try saying no once in a while.
Oh once in a while…

Stopping briefly he overlooked the two’s backs from where he stood swinging the handaxe along his side while the piano wire remained wrapped about his right hand. “Didn’t mean to follow… didn’t. Blaine managed to find girls, managed to find the one of the ones who pointed that harmful weapon at him. Harmful, It hurt Blaine’s feelings… now Blaine has to hurt your feelings.”

[LadyMakaze†]

As the two made their way carefully along the path, all Madelaine could do was offer a listening ear as Amanda spoke of her worries about Adam: how she was deeply worried for his safety, the love that she had for him, and the circumstances they were placed in. Listening to her friend, the person she now trusted the most who also trusted her the same way, Madelaine suddenly felt helpless again.

It was a painful feeling, not knowing the right words to say to a friend going through so much strain. Not knowing how to ease her pain, make her feel happy, or even at least make her feel alright. Even now, Madelaine helpless just knowing that she could not share her pain.

But even if it did not help much...even if it did not mean much...in the name all things merciful, even if it did not mean anything at all, Madelaine just had to let out what she thought on the whole matter.

"Even...even though we're in a situation like this...." she started in a low voice. "That kind of thing....that kind of feeling...it's not pointless. The world can be so cruel, both you and I know that. But even though we might lose our lives soon, and perhaps even more...that doesn't mean we should give up on the things that we can still keep."

She paused for a moment to clear her throat.

"I've....I've never fallen in love before. I've never even been close to a boy, for that matter. But...I do know what it's like to deeply, truly care about someone. I mean....I care about you, you know. Even though...deep in my mind, I know that our time is limited. Yet I still can't help but hold onto things like our trust and friendship. In this kind of situation, friendship may be seem pointless, and trust may as well be dangerous. But to me...something so insignificant...it may as well be the most important thing in the world to me. So I can't let go."

Madelaine stopped for a moment to hold her friend gently, lowering her voice into a murmur.

"We can't see into the future...but we can at least hope, and make the best out of everything."

She suddenly stopped short upon speaking these words, hearing the lilt of a melody, sung by a quiet, but oddly familiar voice. Immedately, she swirled around towards the direction of the voice, moving in front of Amanda. Her eyes widened as she instantly recognized the figure that had stepped into the clearing, looking at them, grasping a wire and the handaxe, uttering accusing words.

Madelaine gasped out in reply, "You don't understand! I had to protect my friends! From you....I had to..." Her resolve suddenly faltered.

To speak like a child....perhaps he knew not of what he was doing...

Her hand moved swiftly towards the gun inside her pocket, only to hesitate for a moment in deliberation.

[riserugu†]

Blaine swayed lightly in his spot as he lifted his head to cast his attention fully on the girl that had turned to him, muttering words of an excuse to him. A simple grin of sorts found his lips as he listened, watching her movements lightly.

“Friends… it must be such a nice thing. But no one has ever wanted to be Blaine’s friend and those who did never wanted to play and usually ended up falling asleep and never waking up. Like Jimmy – you saw him at the lighthouse… sleeping.”

He took another slow step toward the two, closing his eyes briefly as he lifted his head toward the sky. “Ever since mama put dad to sleep, no one’s ever wanted to be Blaine’s friend.” Reopening his eyes, he watched Madeline again as her hand went toward her pocket.

“But that’s okay… if no one want’s to be Blaine’s friend…” He began, lifting the handaxe and resting the blade in his free hand running his thumb along the blade. Splitting skin, and exposing blood and at that same moment breaking into a run to cover the distance between himself and girl’s raising his handaxe and bringing it down as he got within striking range of them, namely the one he knew to have the gun.

[LadyMakaze†]

Gulping slightly as the blood-stained figure grinned ominously at her, Madelaine pursed her lips, struggling to regain her resolution. The pain in her shoulder was now long forgotten. The adrenaline that coursed through her was now renewing its effect. She planted herself in front of Amanda, but for some reason her trembling hand had remained frozen midway through her pocket, unable to withdraw the gun.

And now...she continued to listen to his words, which made him seem almost pitiful yet ominous at the same time. Threatening to fall into a panic, her mind deliberated, racing.

To Madelaine, to kill another was wrong and immoral. To do such a thing, to murder her own schoolmate...someone as young as she was... it was unthinkable but...

No, she had to. In order to protect herself, in order to protect Amanda. It was an act of self defense, not murder. She had to kill, otherwise she and Amanda would end up being the ones killed. Yes, this was what she had to do.

But wait....this boy....was not normal. He knew not of what he was doing. But if he knew...if only he knew...
She knew that it was almost worthless to even try, but still....she had to, just to make sure.

"Friends...do you even know how to be a friend yourself?" Madelaine cried out helplessly as the boy approached. "What you did. They don't do that to eachother...not friends...Friends don't hurt eachother like that!"

But the other one continued to attack relentlessly. In her mind, Madelaine felt something snap. She withdrew her weapon. Her designated weapon, the tire iron. Desperately, she struggled to use the curved end to deflect the oncoming blade. Stepping back, she accidentally bumped into Amanda, and stumbled over in the process. She called out to her friend as she fell to the ground.

"Just go! Find Hawley and David!"

[Cactus]

Amanda's face went completely pale as she recognized the blood-stained boy who stood before them. It was the boy from back at the lighthouse, the one who...Madelaine had threatened with a gun. Amanda didn't have time to think before she saw the boy - strangely, talking in the third person, rush towards them with speed that she had almost never seen before. As Madelaine took a step back, Amanda stumbled back and twisted her bad leg as she tripped backwards over a fairly large rock. Crashing down onto the ground, she groaned in pain as the world spun around her. She heard Madelaine call something at her, but...it wasn't any use, she couldn't understand her...

[riserugu†]

Blaine allowed the handaxe to fall back along his side as he saw the one trying to defend both herself and the other girl fall to the ground, the other following suit and falling to the ground soon after the first.

The grin returned as he changed from facing Madeline who was yelling at other to run, to this other girl with the hurt leg, and without a visible weapon to use against him.

“Poor injured birdies… all alone…” He said, taking a few steps to where he stood off to Amanda’s side glancing down upon the fallen girl.

“But don’t worry, you can go to sleep, just like all the others.” He mused, flashing a smile as he crouched down raising his weapon above his head and bringing it down aiming it toward the girl’s stomach.

[Cactus]

As she blinked to try and get her vision to come back into focus, it was to Amanda's horror that she saw the bloody, seemingly psychotic kid standing overtop of her. He wore a slight little smile and seemed to look peaceful, if not completely insane at the exact same time. Amanda might think that he were trying to help her, if not for the fact he was covered in blood. Her mouth dropped open as he spoke at her, telling her that she would be able to goto sleep, too. As he raised the hand axe, Amanda couldn't say a word. This was it. This was how it was all going to end. Amanda Jones would die at the hands of a psychotic classmate of hers. A tear rolled down her face as she thought, all in a split second, about how she would never be able to truly tell Adam how she felt about him. It was, at this point, her one regret.

As the kid brought the blade down, Amanda braced herself, waiting for the feeling of the blade sinking into her flesh.

~~~

...it was at that point, when Blaine began to bring the blade down, that a single loud CRACK rang out, sounding all throughout the valley. The crack sounded like a gunshot - which indeed, it was, with the bullet heading for Blaine's shoulder...

...and watching the bullet travel towards the boy stood a relatively tall, red-haired teenager. Wearing a green Audioslave t-shirt, and with a baseball bat sticking out of his knapsack, a shotgun hanging from his pack, he teen held a pistol out, arm extended, a look of anger on his face.

The shooter was none other than Adam Dodd.

((Continued from: ...long before your time has come.))

[riserugu†]

The blade of the handaxe never met its target as when the loud thunder-like crack sounded, he found himself pausing in the descent as the axe dropped from his hands landing on the ground beside the girl inside of in her when the bullet met it’s target.

The force the blast ripping through skin, tendons, muscles and tearing his shoulder into a bloody mess as an explosion of blood followed as the bullet exited his shoulder, a mess of flowing blood, and the exposed bone of his shoulder blade remaining showed in the fading daylight.

Cries admitted from Blaine’s throat as he collapsed to his side, fingers going up to touch the damage, before he moved pushing himself up and turned glaring though tear-stained eyes at the new person to enter the area. Without a word spoken to him he reached down using his right hand, as he couldn’t truly feel much of his other besides the pain and pushing himself off the ground and into a quick run at the other male.

Using a similar tactic as he had just used against the girls, raising and bringing down the handaxe as he got within a range where the handaxe could tear into flesh.

[Cactus]

It was much to Adam's chagrin as he watched the bullet tear through the arm of the boy standing over Amanda. Thankfully, he thought, the axe didn't go to where it wanted to. As he glanced over at Amanda, however, he let his eyes go off Blaine for a split-second, and that was when the other boy charged at him, breaking into a very quick run, one that took Adam completely off guard. He hadn't anticipated anyone to be THAT fast, and as the boy swung the hand axe at him, he tried to twist out of the way. The good news was that instead of reaching his neck and vital arteries, as the blow had been intended to, it had missed that target altogether. The bad news, however, was that that target was Adam's left arm. As the axe cut into his upper arm, Adam grimaced and finally screamed out in pain as his arm began to bleed.

"AUGH! FUCK!"

An unfortunate side effect to the arm being slashed with the axe was that he dropped his pistol onto the ground. Wincing as he took a step back from the boy, he looked again at his freshly injured arm.

Looks like my uninjured streak is gone...FUCK...

As adrenaline began to pour into his system, Adam knew - if this boy was not dealt with, it might mean his own death, as well as Amanda's. And that...that was something that he couldn't deal with. Trying to reach for his shotgun, he found that the large weapon was caught in the strap of his bag. Swearing loudly, he grabbed the baseball bat he had retrieved much earlier from the body of Terry Woodward and quickly turned, swinging the aluminum bat at the other boy, hoping that somehow, he'd find flesh.

Adam was beginning to get very angry as he thought about the fact that if he hadn't gotten there sooner, Amanda might have been dead...

[riserugu†]

Blaine had to admit he was upset to have missed his intended target, and instead only get his arm. But his thoughts of another attacked with broken when he felt something cold, and hard come in contact with the side of his head sending him collapsing to the ground, burying dirt and grim in the mess of a shoulder.

Whimpering he reached out, once again gripping at his handaxe and bringing it into his good hand as he struggled to force himself back onto his feet. “No… can’t die… Blaine can’t go not now.” He muttered to himself, he didn’t want to go into that sleep his pets, and Jimmy had gone into to.

Growling lowly to himself, he pulled himself back on his feet and struggled to raise the axe once more but only found himself collapsing again onto his knees his hat falling from his head as he lowered his head. Flows of bright red starting to come down the right side of his face. “Can’t…”

[Cactus]

As the bat hit the side of Blaine's head with a sickening thud, the reverberation of the vibration caused Adam to drop the bat - his broken wrist from many years ago instantly causing him pain, which caused him to basically get even more angry. It was then that his defenses simply broke down. All of the anger, all of the white-hot rage - it came a tumbling out. To Adam, a part of him seemed to jettison from his body, and it almost seemed like he was watching his body act without him. A sense of intense quiet filled the area.

Closing time,
Open all the doors and let you out into the world

As he watched the boy collapse to his knees, Adam's fury overwhelmed him. Seconds later and he'd be watching Amanda bleed to death. TO DEATH.

Closing time
Turn all of the lights on over every boy and every girl


As Blaine murmured something unintelligable, Adam, shaking with fury, picked up his knapsack, and grabbed at the straps that held the shotgun to the bag.

Closing time
One last call for alcohol so finish your whiskey or beer

Giving a big yank, he finally worked the shotgun free, his hands shaking profusely as he checked the chamber. There was indeed a shell inside of it - several, in fact. He hadn't fired his weapons hardly at all since he got them. His face completely red with rage, he closed the barrel again.

Closing time
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here

Looking over at the prone Amanda on the ground to his left, his face began to shake. Adam was basically vibrating completely right now, having lost complete self control.

I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home
Take me home

Taking the shotgun in his left hand, he winced as he had a bit of trouble supporting the weight of the gun, what with his arm bleeding and all. Grimacing, he smacked his wound with his right hand, which sent a surge of pain and adrenaline down his body.

Closing time
Time for you to go out to the places you will be from

Shifting the shotgun to his right hand, he extended it out at an arm's length and placed the muzzle against the neck of the fallen Blaine Eno. The boy visibly recoiled as the barrel touched his neck, but due to his head injury - he wasn't able to move.

Closing time
This room won't be open till your brothers or your sisters have come
So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend

With rage in his eyes, Adam looked at Blaine and spoke, his voice shaking, the rage evident in his voice.

"This game...this sick, twisted game...and you have the gall to try and take away from me the one thing that I'm playing for, the one PERSON that I care for more than anyone else on this godforsaken island? Goddamn you. I hope you burn in hell, you son of a bitch."

And with that, Adam Dodd - the optimistic, cheery, friendly guy from Canada wrapped his finger around the trigger of the shotgun, and pulled it back as hard as he possibly could.

Closing time
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

[riserugu†]

The force of such a weapon in such close range, equaled death from those in its way. And as the cool metal of the gun pushed into his throat, breathes becoming rapid as he fought the tears that where falling down his face from both the pain of his wounds and that of a new emotion; fear.

The pounding in his head was enough to keep him pressed against the ground in a somewhat kneeling position. And as he listened to the other young man’s words above him he couldn’t help it when his body begun shaking violently as he watched his finger find the trigger of the large weapon…

They say… when you die, your life flashes before your eyes.

Nothing like that happened for him…

And instead he was met by a thundering like sound as the blast of the shotgun, and the BBs from scatter shot tore into his throat snapping his head back, as another explosion of blood spewed forth as multiple BBs exited the back of his neck.

Shallow gasps ringing in the air, the only thing getting into his lungs being the blood pouring down his throat. And slowly Blaine’s head lowered somewhat, hardly anything remaining to hold the throat together in the grizzly aftermath of the killing.

And soon after, he body slumped forward and fell on his side against the ground. Green eyes still opened, and wide with fear as some of the tears that remained, and the blood continued to roll down his face as they stared blankly toward the fading sun.

B29 – Blaine Eno – Dead