Changing

[AnimeNerd]

RJ was pretty sure the only reason the gun hadn’t left him entirely was because of his two sore fingers. He had been lucky as Hell that they didn’t break or get dislocated or anything from the gun being fired, or at least that was his own opinion. The thing probably had enough power to do it. Amy might’ve absorbed some of the shock, who knows.

What RJ did know in that moment was that he was alive. He was alive, as he was partially laid out on the floor. He was alive, as Amy hightailed it away from him, farther into the bowels of the ship. He was alive, as he realized that, despite her efforts, Amy hadn’t taken the gun.

For a second, silence reigned. RJ too stunned to say anything. Amy apparently decided to invoke her right to remain silent after assaulting and attempting to murder him. The only sound came from the machinery of the ship.

Then, RJ exploded.

“What, you don’t-you don’t want to try again?!” He shouted, his voice raised in intensity. “Aim a shot at my fucking face this time?!? Or do you just like stabbing the back instead of the front!?”

RJ had gotten to his feet again, taking a couple steps toward where Amy had gone. He hadn’t pointed the gun that way, though, instead just making sure to keep a good grip on it.

He wanted to scream at her, but he settled for shouting.

“I just wanted to help, Damn it!” He roared. “I just...I just...”

The realization finally hit him then. He could stay there, yell and scream at Amy more, possibly end the confrontation with one or even both of them dead.

Or he could just leave. Find the door out of here and let Amy be someone else’s problem. He would’ve abandoned the issue, yes, but had it really been his responsibility to resolve the situation? To end the problem there and then?

As far as RJ was concerned, the answer was no.

“Fuck this.” He whispered to himself, before turning and running to the exit, existing exhaustion be damned.

He didn’t know where he was going, just that it was going to be far away from here.

[[RJ Blackburn continued in Every Final Girl Has Her Scars]]

[Slam]

Amy’s heart shot up into her throat as RJ continued screaming at her. Each footstep towards her made it harder and harder to breathe. This was it. She’s screwed up. She was dead.

But then, nothing.

Nothing but a statement that wounded her pride.

She waited for the moment RJ would appear, barrel pointed at her and about to blow her head off, but it never came. A mumbled whisper, then the footsteps repeated in the other direction. It trailed off into nothing. She was left alone with her engine room ASMR again.

She sank to the floor, balling her hands into each other. Finally she remembered how to breathe. In through the nose, down to fill out the lungs, then out through the mouth. Visualise the flow of air.

Nothing stopped her. She was alone, after all. Just like she wanted. She had been able to change, and she had ditched the unwanted company. She didn’t have the gun, but she was still alive.

A real win. She should be so proud.

She finally peered around the corner she had hid behind, seeing Roberto lying there. There was a dash of red running down the front of his nose; had she done more damage with him than she’d realised? It didn’t look like enough blood to matter. She didn’t really care either, even if Roberto did look so satisfied with himself.

She had driven off someone who, as he had made clear, was just trying to help. She’d lost a bodyguard, and if she wasn’t so lucky, she might’ve died. All that lost and risked because she thought that hitting someone over the head would just knock them out. Like this was a movie.

She was really stupid. She pressed her face into her hands.

((Amy Barrows-Shaw continued where All Her Dreams have her Drown))