Wait, don't be hasty

[RC†]

((Alessio Rigano continued from Let it Die))

He figured out that the Gym was the perfect place to ambush people, because of all the stuff lying around. He could fortify himself in this and if they walk in he could either surprise them with the sword or gun, or let them walk into a trap.

When Alessio, however, walked into the gym, he was surprised as well. Ugh, that was disgusting. There was a corpse of a girl lying in front of the entrance. That was not something he wanted to see here. It was weird to think about the fact that he'll stumble more and more into corpses the longer he was on the island. That was a worse reminder that his former classmates were dead, than the announcements, because it felt so extremely real and surreal to see the corpses of people you had seen alive a week ago.

No, not a week ago, it was a couple of days ago when he saw that girl who was a corpse now. It was Astrid.

But he was not here to mourn her. He was here to play smart, play safe, don't play aggressively.

This is the place where he want to build traps. There were enough ways to build them. There was stuff lying around that he could use. For example, the weight. He could put the weight up on the doorframe to perhaps injure the next person who would walk in. But how could he go up to the doorframe? That meant a lot of work for him. Putting the weight up the door. Hm.

He pulled a wooden bench in front of the door so he could place a weight up the door by stepping on it. That exhausted him extremely. These were not like the wooden benches he had in school. These felt five times as heavy as he did not have as much energy as he did back in Kingman. He felt tired, exhausted and he did not want to pull the bench or even carry the weight. But he wasn't Fanny, so he can't put a load off and put it right on Robbie Robertson.

But when he had the weight on the door it also took him a while to position it perfectly. He did not want the weight to fall down automatically once he released it. The door had to be opened slightly, but not too much. The weight should not be visible.

It took a while, sometimes it just fell down. He almost got hit if he had not reacted quickly. But after several tries it seemed fine. The door was slightly opened, the weight was balancing on the door and if someone opened the door it would fall down.

So Alessio pulled the bench back to its original position and sat on it to wait for a victim to come. His bloodied sword lying next to him on the bench.

[Riki]

[[Johnny Ray McKay, continued from Demons Dance Alone]]

It really didn't take that long for Johnny to regret his plan. The island was a big place, and Raina could be everywhere. Maybe Raina already returned to the warehouse, just missing Johnny. She'd look for him there, and then she wouldn't find him. Maybe she'd be disappointed in him. Maybe he should have stayed. And just waited for her. Just as she had asked him to do.

He felt bad about it, and considered going back to the warehouse.

He didn't. At least for the moment. The place before him had to be the gym. There were some corpses hidden around, some of them just out of sight. Out of sight, and enough of it to be out of Johnny's mind.

The door of the gym itself was open. Not left ajar, but whoever occupied this place last forgot to close the thing properly. Or maybe the door was simply unhinged. It would make a bad shelter, having a bad door inviting the weather in, but Johnny was still choosing to enter it.

He placed the hand on the door. He moved it, and he could hear something move with it. It barely registered in his mind, but by the time it did, it was too late.

Something smashed his hand down. And with it, so fell Johnny.

[RC†]

It took a long time until the door moved. And when the door moved, it didn't actually move, since it was just an imagination of Alessio that it moved, even though it didn't. He checked to make sure that it didn't move, then went back.

Then he was bored.

He did not know how much time was passing, he had no clock. He could've waited for hours or minutes, he couldn't have felt a difference.

Then, there was a noise. Was it the wind opening the door?

No, it was a person, the door opened to reveal that Johnny was falling down. Alessio took his sword and stood up.

Then he stared at Johnny Ray from the distance.

Then he wasn't sure how to feel about having hurt Johnny.

Then, he waited for a reaction. A reaction to his action so he could react to his reaction.

[Riki]

Johnny let out a small yelp of pain, shock and frustration. Right there, on his right hand, was a dumbbell pinning it down to the ground. He could feel himself bleeding, and the back of his hand felt more than just sore.

He inspected the weight for a moment. He attempted to roll it off with a motion of his wrist, but that just was hurting. He reached for it with his other hand, and let out another grunt as he placed it aside.

It was then, when he had risen from the ground, that Johnny saw that Alessio stood in the room. Alessio, and a sword in his hand. Johnny could've sworn there was blood on the blade.

Johnny regretted his decision to leave the warehouse. But more than regret, he felt dread.

He took a step backwards, fixating his eyes on Alessio's edge. His heart pulsated, and so did his hand.

When he tried to say something, nothing came.

[RC†]

Alessio waited for a reaction of the boy, but no reaction came.

Al was not the one starting the conversation, though, either. There was nothing he could say. He was prepared what to say if Johnny spoke to him. Asked him why he had killed, asked him what his reasons were. Al would've changed topics. If Johnny would threaten him, he would not take it personally. He was prepared to strike once Johnny attacked him.

But he wasn't prepared to look at Johnny's wound. Johnny's hand. What could've happened if it hit someone else? What would have happened if that hit Vanessa? If it hit her beautiful face?

What was he going to do now? Was there an emotion in him right now that made him angry, made him move, made hit Johnny with his sword, like Michael. No. He couldn't bring himself to just slam the blade into a guy he wasn't sure of what they had experienced. What if Johnny had bad luck, no allies and Alessio was the first person he'd meet? And then he would kill him? That didn't seem...right? Wrong?

But was there a thing inside that made him open his mouth to speak with Johnny? No. There was nothing that made him do anything. Johnny was not a person he ever thought about being on the island. He couldn't recall him being on the trip.

He had no clue about Johnny, what he had experienced, what he had done. The Johnny in front of him was the big guy he knew from school that was intimidating, but on the other hand felt like someone who would not be a bad person, but a person with a good heart. But this time he was hurt, and one could see that he was not the same one from school. Was more messed up, like everybody.

He took a step forward. But just a step. Not more. A short one. A step that didn't make it clear whether he would do a second one as well.

Alessio imagined running at him and hitting his sword against his neck. He imagined he would be too slow to even arrive there before Johnny ran away. He imagine that a hard hit of him would not even harm the blonde boy. It was the big Johnny after all. Invincible. All the confidence Al had when he had stood against people weaker then him, Henry, Cameron, Maria, Astrid (a half-blind girl, goddammit), suddenly went away as he thought about how things went bad for him when he faced against the big guys, the bullies, Michael, throwing him down the tower, strong Vanessa, tearing him apart.

He didn't feel like he man'd up enough in this trip. He was strong. Stronger than others. But not the strongest.

He eyed Johnny intensely after the one step he took. How would he react? Will he move forward or keep moving back? How quick will he move?

[Riki]

For a cat dude, Al wasn't seeming very friendly. Not that cat ladies were something good, but you'd still imagine he'd be a bit less of a dick with a sword. Actually, the way he stood right there. The way he looked at Johnny. It was very much like a cat. Dogs were terrible, too, but dogs were more active. Dogs barked and jumped and ran and they made loud noises and they just attacked. Cats waited. They looked, considered, and then went in for a gruesome kill.

And Johnny knew, knew when Al took that one step forward, that Al was like a cat. Al waited, Al looked, Al considered, and now he would cut Johnny up with that sword.

"Don't get close." Johnny managed to blurt out, the words dry and tense.

[RC†]

Al was prepared to go forward, bent forward, almost lost his balance which would have resulted him sprinting forward to slash at Johnny. But Johnny told him to stay where he was. So he straightened his back to let go off his posture that indicated that he was going to sprint.

The word that came out of Alessio's mouth was not loud, but were audible because of the gym hall echoing it slightly.

"Wh-why?"

He knew the answer. Johnny was afraid. Johnny didn't want to be killed. But he had to die, like everyone else.

But perhaps there was a different answer of him. Alessio wanted to hear the answer out of Johnny's mouth. An answer that would not lead to Alessio engaging in a dangerous fight with a big person that might overwhelm him. Alessio wanted to hear an answer like that Johnny wants to be his friend and doesn't want to fight. Or threaten him and reveal what his weapon was, so Al was more certain whether he actually wanted to fight with a sword against whatever weapon he has.

An imagine of Johnny has to be constructed. No, who island!Johnny in comparision to kingman!Johnny was, is non-important. But information about how dangerous or how useful Johnny is must be gathered.

He observed Johnny's moves. No, he just stared at his mouth.

[Riki]

Al asked him for a why. It was a dumb question. Johnny thought it was a real dumb question. It snapped something in Johnny, and for that moment he didn't feel the pain in his hand.

Johnny still felt an incredibly unease. But his body was lifted from the ground, and his legs worked. He knew that he could run.

"You're not making a trustworthy impression right now."

He could've explained some details. Something about Al's past three kills. Something about that sword. Something about that weight on his hand. Was probably the work of Al as well, now that Johnny thought about it. Still, although Al asked a dumb question, what with the answer as obvious as it was, Johnny respected Al's intellect enough. Enough not to bore him with details he'd already know.

[RC†]

"..."

Well, there was nothing he could add to that. It was true. He was not trustworthy. But who was? No one. Al would trust no one here.

The answer gave away much information, though. Johnny didn't trust him. That's alright. Johnny did not say that he would shoot him if he moved forward. He did not show a weapon.

Alessio should run at Johnny. But Johnny would run away. Or worse, he would not, and beat Al. Luckily, Al had his secret weapon.

"Okay, I won't come closer."

He pulled out the fake gun out of his bag and pointed it at Johnny.

"Give me water."

He felt very Astrid.

[Riki]

"Thanks."

A bit premature there, Johnny felt in hindsight. When Al backed off, verbally, Johnny felt a ting of relief for a second there. And then everything came to ruins again when Al pulled out a gun.

So that was the cat. The cat that pulled out a gun and now threatened Johnny over water. Because things weren't going well enough, he'd now not only risk his life being shot to pieces by Al, but also would lose his water. And he couldn't afford that.

Johnny knew he wasn't the fittest in this thing, but he knew that water was important. And despite all aches and what-have-you, he would know that he couldn't depart with his water.

What he didn't know, however, was how good of a shot Al was. Could he shot Johnny, in the dark, in that distance, and with the boy running as fast as he could?

"How much?"

[RC†]

That was a tricky question. If he would say that he wanted everything, Johnny wouldn't give him everything. He had to say something specific.

But it was a good sign that Johnny considered it. Alessio had the power. He had the control with this little gun. He had his reputation of being a killer, he had his gun. He had respect, in some way. It did not make Al feel happy. But it for sure made him feel safer.

Alessio's body shook. He had no idea what to reply.

The boy with the gun looked at the ground to think about how much water he needed. He needed more water. More food as well. A number.

"Two."

He looked up again. What if Johnny just had two?

"If you have any. If you don't have water for youself left you can keep it."

He smiled kindly and gestured at Johnny that he can keep what he wants. But then he realised that being the nice guy was fucking dumb and slowly added some more words.

"B-but, food. If you have food, you can-should give it to me."

It was hard for him to talk like a selfish asshole who demands things. But that's who he is right now, isn't he?

[Riki]

Somewhere, somewhere Johnny felt sorry. Sorry for himself. He could do that, given the circumstances. Also, and mostly, for Al. He seemed so earnest, so sincere in his threats.

Johnny didn't enjoy indulging it, but he happened to know people growing up, who'd in a situation just like Al, would act a bit different. A bit more aggressive. A bit more uncaring. There would be no "give me a bit" or "only if you". There would be a demand and even if it was carried out, there would be violence.

He couldn't exactly say he felt 'good' about Al. After all, he was holding him at gunpoint still. But Johnny still felt a bit of pity, and only almost, when he took the chance and bailed.

[[Johnny McKay, continued elsewhere]]

[RC†]

The smile disappeared.

Well, there was Johnny running away. Alessio was perplexed and felt anger boiling up inside. He waited for hours for nothing. Absolutely nothing. He set a trap that had no purpose. He had a confrontation with Johnny, but nothing had happened. The game was going on for both of them. The game was not ending. He was sick of this game. He was afraid of this game. Who knew what would happen next?

So Alessio tried to set up the trap again. But then, he felt too frustrated when trying to balance the weight again. No, that trap is not successful.

He left the gym, to find a new place where he could set up safe traps. Safe ways to reduce the numbers of people here, reduce the numbers of days the class had to stay here.

But he had to look at the bright side. He survived and lived another day...There was no bright side.

((Alessio Rigano continued in All I Have To Do Is Dream))