She did it.
The blade tore through in one swift streak across his throat. Caleb let go of her instantly as if he'd received an electrical shock. Tears ran over the sides of his blue eyes and he smiled widely, sadly. He blinked a few times and fell to the side on the bed.
He couldn't talk, only gargle around the blood. Caleb lifted up his hands and signed.
K-E-I-K-A-K-U
His body shook and seized but he managed through the blood and tears to wink at her. If he could, maybe he'd be laughing at her a little.
________________________
Caleb was waiting with Andy for him to purchase a new external hard drive. He fiddled with some of the junk from the impulse aisle while Andy was rung up.
"Oh. You get a free pair of headphones," the employee informed them.
Andy turned and elbowed Caleb to bring him to attention.
"Don't you need new headphones? This hard drive comes with a lagniappe."
Caleb scoffed. "That's an awful big word for bumpkins like us," he said, adopting an exaggerated accent.
Andy smiled and framed his face with his hands "I have book learnin'. It's when you get like, you know, a free gift with purchase or like, buy 12 donuts get the 13th free."
"Oh, so like when you buy stuff and then get a piece of shit you don't want and you feel too guilty to be like 'No, I don't need this piece of shit.' ?" asked Caleb.
"It's about your perspective. It's a bonus."
"Or it's a junk you got stuck with once you got the thing you really wanted," responded Caleb, looking directly at Andy.
________________________
Caleb knew that it would be extremely painful for Kimiko to do this and that it would be hard for her to be alone again, but it would have to happen eventually for her to win. Maybe this would even get her another prize. He could never in a million years have been the winner, he knew that from the second he woke up. This was all he could really think to do to help her, it was all he thought he was capable of.
It was a good shot too, he thought. The terrorists would eat this up. Betrayal, love, friendship, tears. They were entertaining as fuck.
He bit his lip and looked up at her trying how to explain what had happened as succinctly as possible given he didn't have a lot of time and his signing was somewhat limited.
<You would have had to do it sometime. Ask for real cheese next time. If lucky, you'll get a gun.>
He brought up his hand up and pressed it against his mouth. Caleb then put his hand up against her lips.
He sobbed, but tried his best to maintain his smile. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel bad about what had happened. Caleb wasn't upset about dying really, he realized that he was crying because he would miss her. As much as he felt the pain pouring from his neck, the ache in his heart matched.
<You're the coolest girl in the world.>
CALEB DIAMOND: DEAD
The Lagniappe
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Ruggahissy
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He let go, pitching sideways and she gasped for air, only to be greeted with a splash of his blood hitting her in the face. It was so warm. She saw what he signed as he lay on next to her on the bed but it didn't register, not at first.
It became clear what had happened as he continued. She was sobbing, watching him explain himself.
She hadn't wanted him to die. She had just thought he was trying to kill her, but that was what he had wanted.
Painfully he touched his hand to his lips and then to hers.
He gave her one final message, that brought a tearful smile to her face. Then he was gone.
Kimiko pressed her hand to her lips and gently placed them against his.
Then she buried her face in the bed and wept.
______________________________
Kimiko didn't know how long it had been.
She was sat knees pulled up to her chest in the corner of the room. Caleb still lay on the bed, his blood dried onto the sheets, she could feel it on her lower jaw and around her mouth as well. It had dried and become itchy but she hadn't touched it. Instead she just started at nothing in particular. She felt an emptiness she had never felt before. There was a longing as well, a longing for everything to be over. She knew that she couldn't give up though. She couldn't let Caleb's sacrifice be for nothing.
He had loved her.
He had given up his life so she had a better chance of winning; letting that go to waste would be an insult to his memory.
She had to make sure that didn't happen.
Shakily Kimiko pushed herself to her feet and walked from the room. There was an emptiness in the way she walked, like a vessel that had been hollowed out and was waiting to be filled. She climbed the stairs and moved into one of the bedrooms, tearing the sheets off of it before heading back out and back down, back into the room with Caleb. She stopped in the doorway, not wanting to move any further. He looked peaceful, she wondered if he would have ascended to Tian.
She sincerely hoped he had.
There was nothing for her to give Caleb the proper funeral he deserved, on top of that she didn't have the time. Then again he probably wouldn't have cared anyway. She moved closer. Kimiko didn't want to cover Caleb with the sheet, it meant she would never get to see his face again but she couldn't bring herself to leave his body in full view of the cameras. Blinking away more tears Kimiko laid the sheet over Caleb, then she gathered up everything and left the room.
______________________________
Kimiko was sat with her back against the kitchen counter, hugging her pack to her chest. The nodachi lay beside her along with the tantō. She had heard the announcement come and go. Her name was mentioned again as they spoke of Bradley's death. Caleb's murder wasn't mentioned. Occasionally she would start to drift off to sleep but all she saw was Caleb's face and fresh tears would form.
The guilt was eating away at her, in her isolation she nothing to think about besides Caleb. She had replayed the previous day over and over in her head, embedding his eyes, his laugh, his smile. His final message to her. And whenever she closed her eyes she saw the moment itself in all its detail.
She hugged her pack tighter.
______________________________
Eventually Kimiko forced herself to leave. She had taken Caleb's supplies, the Nixon mask she had propped against her megaphone on the kitchen counter, next to the half-eaten slice of pizza. She was stood at the door, scared to open it and continue on down the path the stretched before her.
Make your life what you want it to be now. The rest will follow.
What did she want?
Taking a deep breath Kimiko steadied herself and opened the door, leaving the hunting cabin without looking back.
It didn't stop the pain she was feeling.
((Kimiko Kao continued in Why We Fight))
It became clear what had happened as he continued. She was sobbing, watching him explain himself.
She hadn't wanted him to die. She had just thought he was trying to kill her, but that was what he had wanted.
Painfully he touched his hand to his lips and then to hers.
He gave her one final message, that brought a tearful smile to her face. Then he was gone.
Kimiko pressed her hand to her lips and gently placed them against his.
Then she buried her face in the bed and wept.
______________________________
Kimiko didn't know how long it had been.
She was sat knees pulled up to her chest in the corner of the room. Caleb still lay on the bed, his blood dried onto the sheets, she could feel it on her lower jaw and around her mouth as well. It had dried and become itchy but she hadn't touched it. Instead she just started at nothing in particular. She felt an emptiness she had never felt before. There was a longing as well, a longing for everything to be over. She knew that she couldn't give up though. She couldn't let Caleb's sacrifice be for nothing.
He had loved her.
He had given up his life so she had a better chance of winning; letting that go to waste would be an insult to his memory.
She had to make sure that didn't happen.
Shakily Kimiko pushed herself to her feet and walked from the room. There was an emptiness in the way she walked, like a vessel that had been hollowed out and was waiting to be filled. She climbed the stairs and moved into one of the bedrooms, tearing the sheets off of it before heading back out and back down, back into the room with Caleb. She stopped in the doorway, not wanting to move any further. He looked peaceful, she wondered if he would have ascended to Tian.
She sincerely hoped he had.
There was nothing for her to give Caleb the proper funeral he deserved, on top of that she didn't have the time. Then again he probably wouldn't have cared anyway. She moved closer. Kimiko didn't want to cover Caleb with the sheet, it meant she would never get to see his face again but she couldn't bring herself to leave his body in full view of the cameras. Blinking away more tears Kimiko laid the sheet over Caleb, then she gathered up everything and left the room.
______________________________
Kimiko was sat with her back against the kitchen counter, hugging her pack to her chest. The nodachi lay beside her along with the tantō. She had heard the announcement come and go. Her name was mentioned again as they spoke of Bradley's death. Caleb's murder wasn't mentioned. Occasionally she would start to drift off to sleep but all she saw was Caleb's face and fresh tears would form.
The guilt was eating away at her, in her isolation she nothing to think about besides Caleb. She had replayed the previous day over and over in her head, embedding his eyes, his laugh, his smile. His final message to her. And whenever she closed her eyes she saw the moment itself in all its detail.
She hugged her pack tighter.
______________________________
Eventually Kimiko forced herself to leave. She had taken Caleb's supplies, the Nixon mask she had propped against her megaphone on the kitchen counter, next to the half-eaten slice of pizza. She was stood at the door, scared to open it and continue on down the path the stretched before her.
Make your life what you want it to be now. The rest will follow.
What did she want?
Taking a deep breath Kimiko steadied herself and opened the door, leaving the hunting cabin without looking back.
It didn't stop the pain she was feeling.
((Kimiko Kao continued in Why We Fight))
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine