Pia and Paisley were supposed to have their moment and rejoin with Matt and go on their way. That was all.
That didn't happen, of course.
Voices, the door, gunfire. Matt's yell.
Her own voice too, rising in that split second of quiet between the shots and Matt calling out. "Paisley, get down!" Nevermind that Paisley had a gun close at hand too, or that it wasn't even them being shot at. The blood was roaring in Pia's ears as she lunged for the chair where she'd left her gun.
Adrenaline was good, it was familiar. Everything seemed clearer, sharper, and the weight of the gun in her hand was almost a relief.
She spun. Someone facing away from her, unfamiliar.
Raised her arms, caught a glimpse of someone sprawling just beyond the stranger. Matt.
Without letting herself think, Pia fired wildly.
Fear and Loathing in Tiki Land
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The Honeless Beard
- Posts: 907
- Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:47 am
- Location: Got it? Good, now get inside.
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
Matt's thoughts were many, as the bullet raced towards his brain, Pia's shot missing Ramon - if that were her target - and heading low and to the right, barelling towards the space just above his left eyebrow. The impact shattered bone and rended flesh, sending chips of white smeared red scattering over the wooden porch, dousing Ramon's left pant leg slightly with spatter. Brain matter and gore flew from the back of his skull, drenching the snow with warm reds and pinks and beige.
What remained of Matthew's face was an expression of pleasant surprise.
((Matthew Weiss, #Wess is Scheiss))
What remained of Matthew's face was an expression of pleasant surprise.
((Matthew Weiss, #Wess is Scheiss))
The hug was bittersweet. It didn't leave Paisley with the hope Caroline clearly intended for her to have.
Do you really think everything will be alright?
Then why can't you say it to my face?
Paisley frowned. If there was one thing she hated, it was being patronized. Like a child. Yes, she was crying a few minutes ago, but she was eighteen for crying out loud!
For a brief second, Paisley hated Caroline. But then she realized that her feelings weren't honest. She didn't hate Caroline. Caroline was just a convenient scapegoat to project all of her troubles onto.
Paisley wobbled. Matt said something but she did not pay it any mind, his voice to abhorrent for her to pay any mind. She stared at the floor as Caroline said for them to be safe.
"Eli told us to stick together," she mumbled.
Paisley felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She looked up, into Pia's face. Her friend spoke calmly, honestly.
Paisley smiled.
"Pia," she said. "I - I never thought you were going to..." She sighed. "You're a good person Pia. I know that. And I know that you'd never hurt Tucker. I just -"
A loud bang, then Matt started screaming their names.
Paisley went from acceptance to dread in six seconds flat.
Pia told her to get down, then she reached for her gun. Paisley realized that Matt's gun, the one she gave her, was on the floor.
"Pia! Wait!"
The fact that she reached for the gun so quickly should have scared her, made her pause, but Pia started shooting at something out of her vision and nothing else mattered.
Paisley's eyes burrowed into Pia. The ringing in her ears made her nauseous.
She didn't see the boy that had first shot Matt. All she saw was Pia and Matt.
Or, whatever was left of Matt.
Paisley stumbled back. She stared into the body outside. Her mouth hung open.
Fear is a good thing. It is our protective barrier against the things we cannot cope with. And sometimes, when one is under a great deal of anxiety, they tend to act... erratic.
If things were different, maybe Paisley would have shrugged it off. Seemed perfectly normal. But for the life of her she could not explain why she started chuckling.
"Pia."
Paisley took a step back, eyes never leaving the body but her focus most definitely leveled with her friend. Who just killed her teammate in cold blood. Paisley didn't see anyone else. Her mind just connected the dots on their own.
Paisley buried her hands in her hair, inadvertently pushing the band holding her ponytail off. Her hair fell over her shoulders, fingers tangled in the roots.
"What did you do?"
Eli told her to stick with Matt and Caroline but Caroline wandered off and Matt's face reminded Paisley of a cherry pie, oh god it made her want to vomit but she was too busy giggling. Giggling and sobbing, if she had any more tears to spare she'd be wasting them.
Paisley dropped the rifle again. She dropped to the floor, seeing only Pia and what used to be Matt crumpled outside the door.
"This can't be happening."
Paisley was right back where she started, minutes earlier; Gun on the floor, her hands balled into her hair, rocking back and forth, eyes closed so tight she could see stars. She wasn't laughing anymore, just hiccuping.
Do you really think everything will be alright?
Then why can't you say it to my face?
Paisley frowned. If there was one thing she hated, it was being patronized. Like a child. Yes, she was crying a few minutes ago, but she was eighteen for crying out loud!
For a brief second, Paisley hated Caroline. But then she realized that her feelings weren't honest. She didn't hate Caroline. Caroline was just a convenient scapegoat to project all of her troubles onto.
Paisley wobbled. Matt said something but she did not pay it any mind, his voice to abhorrent for her to pay any mind. She stared at the floor as Caroline said for them to be safe.
"Eli told us to stick together," she mumbled.
Paisley felt a pair of hands on her shoulders. She looked up, into Pia's face. Her friend spoke calmly, honestly.
Paisley smiled.
"Pia," she said. "I - I never thought you were going to..." She sighed. "You're a good person Pia. I know that. And I know that you'd never hurt Tucker. I just -"
A loud bang, then Matt started screaming their names.
Paisley went from acceptance to dread in six seconds flat.
Pia told her to get down, then she reached for her gun. Paisley realized that Matt's gun, the one she gave her, was on the floor.
"Pia! Wait!"
The fact that she reached for the gun so quickly should have scared her, made her pause, but Pia started shooting at something out of her vision and nothing else mattered.
Paisley's eyes burrowed into Pia. The ringing in her ears made her nauseous.
She didn't see the boy that had first shot Matt. All she saw was Pia and Matt.
Or, whatever was left of Matt.
Paisley stumbled back. She stared into the body outside. Her mouth hung open.
Fear is a good thing. It is our protective barrier against the things we cannot cope with. And sometimes, when one is under a great deal of anxiety, they tend to act... erratic.
If things were different, maybe Paisley would have shrugged it off. Seemed perfectly normal. But for the life of her she could not explain why she started chuckling.
"Pia."
Paisley took a step back, eyes never leaving the body but her focus most definitely leveled with her friend. Who just killed her teammate in cold blood. Paisley didn't see anyone else. Her mind just connected the dots on their own.
Paisley buried her hands in her hair, inadvertently pushing the band holding her ponytail off. Her hair fell over her shoulders, fingers tangled in the roots.
"What did you do?"
Eli told her to stick with Matt and Caroline but Caroline wandered off and Matt's face reminded Paisley of a cherry pie, oh god it made her want to vomit but she was too busy giggling. Giggling and sobbing, if she had any more tears to spare she'd be wasting them.
Paisley dropped the rifle again. She dropped to the floor, seeing only Pia and what used to be Matt crumpled outside the door.
"This can't be happening."
Paisley was right back where she started, minutes earlier; Gun on the floor, her hands balled into her hair, rocking back and forth, eyes closed so tight she could see stars. She wasn't laughing anymore, just hiccuping.
((Skipping to avoid inactivity))
No.
No.
That hadn't been what she meant to happen.
Paisley was screaming and laughing, demanding explanations, but Pia couldn't reply over the hysterical laughter that was trying to bubble up in her own throat.
She didn't have time to answer, because whoever it was that had fired the first shot was still there
Fight or flight?
Pia Malone had never in her life chosen flight, and now wasn't the time or place to try and turn over a new leaf. She dropped to the side, out of view of the doorway, and grabbed her backpack, yanking the zipper open and scrambling for more ammo.
No.
No.
That hadn't been what she meant to happen.
Paisley was screaming and laughing, demanding explanations, but Pia couldn't reply over the hysterical laughter that was trying to bubble up in her own throat.
She didn't have time to answer, because whoever it was that had fired the first shot was still there
Fight or flight?
Pia Malone had never in her life chosen flight, and now wasn't the time or place to try and turn over a new leaf. She dropped to the side, out of view of the doorway, and grabbed her backpack, yanking the zipper open and scrambling for more ammo.
Ramón went down as he tackled the other guy, the pair of them tangling together as legs buckled and arms flailed, and Ramón heard a kind of sucking gasp.
They landed hard, and blood oozed, staining Ramón's arm, his shirt a little... the other guy was in much worse condition. He called out a pair of names, the people that had been inside- must be, and Ramón quickly became aware of the precarious position-
Right, right, focus, focus, not thinking about the fact he'd just shot someone in cold blood, needing to think about springing the trap.
There was a gunshot as Ramón rolled to the side and he didn't stop, rolling clear off the porchway and landing on the ground below with a soft whump. He scrambled to get his legs underneath himself and then did the only thing simple enough for a half panicked mind to think of doing.
He ran.
((Ramón continued in There Was a Firefight))
They landed hard, and blood oozed, staining Ramón's arm, his shirt a little... the other guy was in much worse condition. He called out a pair of names, the people that had been inside- must be, and Ramón quickly became aware of the precarious position-
Right, right, focus, focus, not thinking about the fact he'd just shot someone in cold blood, needing to think about springing the trap.
There was a gunshot as Ramón rolled to the side and he didn't stop, rolling clear off the porchway and landing on the ground below with a soft whump. He scrambled to get his legs underneath himself and then did the only thing simple enough for a half panicked mind to think of doing.
He ran.
((Ramón continued in There Was a Firefight))
Neither of them said anything for the longest time. Long enough to bring Paisley out of her stupor and allow her some rational thought.
There must have been someone else, Paisley figured. Why else would Pia be scrambling for more ammo when the only person outside was dead? Paisley trusted Pia. And even if there wasn't anyone else out there then maybe... maybe it was an accident. Paisley wanted to ask Pia what happened, to give herself a frame of reference.
None of it mattered though. Matt was gone. Caroline was gone. Any plan Paisley had thirty minutes ago was gone. All she had left was Tucker, who could be dead for all she knew, and Pia and Eli, neither of whom were talking. So Paisley was alone.
She hated this feeling, this hollow in her chest. Logic and rationality were long gone, replaced with a dull, numbing unassuredness.
Paisley dusted off the cuffs of her jeans. When she spoke, it sounded empty.
"So I," Paisley scratched the back of her neck. "I guess that's it, then."
Paisley did not cry, or laugh, or anything for that matter. She just brought her knees up under her chin and closed her eyes.
When Paisley fell silent again, she head Pia getting up. She came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Paisley smiled, bringing less joy and more calm. It was over, she thought. You can try to pick up the pieces later, trust Pia.
The gravity of her situation bore down on Paisley's shoulders. So great, she didn't know if she could carry that weight. Paisley wanted to go home but she did not want to consider the alternative.
With Pia's hand on her shoulder, though, everything felt manageable. Paisley muttered a "thank you" and slowly fell asleep.
(Pia Malone and Paisley Hopkins Indie game the thread title.)
There must have been someone else, Paisley figured. Why else would Pia be scrambling for more ammo when the only person outside was dead? Paisley trusted Pia. And even if there wasn't anyone else out there then maybe... maybe it was an accident. Paisley wanted to ask Pia what happened, to give herself a frame of reference.
None of it mattered though. Matt was gone. Caroline was gone. Any plan Paisley had thirty minutes ago was gone. All she had left was Tucker, who could be dead for all she knew, and Pia and Eli, neither of whom were talking. So Paisley was alone.
She hated this feeling, this hollow in her chest. Logic and rationality were long gone, replaced with a dull, numbing unassuredness.
Paisley dusted off the cuffs of her jeans. When she spoke, it sounded empty.
"So I," Paisley scratched the back of her neck. "I guess that's it, then."
Paisley did not cry, or laugh, or anything for that matter. She just brought her knees up under her chin and closed her eyes.
When Paisley fell silent again, she head Pia getting up. She came over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Paisley smiled, bringing less joy and more calm. It was over, she thought. You can try to pick up the pieces later, trust Pia.
The gravity of her situation bore down on Paisley's shoulders. So great, she didn't know if she could carry that weight. Paisley wanted to go home but she did not want to consider the alternative.
With Pia's hand on her shoulder, though, everything felt manageable. Paisley muttered a "thank you" and slowly fell asleep.
(Pia Malone and Paisley Hopkins Indie game the thread title.)