This Too Will Pass

[KamiKaze]

So that was it then.

That's when they ran into Delilah. And Pepper. Now it was starting to make sense. A picture had begun to form in Katie's mind. Pepper and Delilah had walked in. It started off decently, but then the announcements came on. And that's when... panic? That was her only guess.

And there was Leo. The one who let her in.

Just like how Katie let Sycanus in. Sycanus, who Simon was apparently going for. She was the one who tried to be nice to her, and what happened? Ramona died. So did Warren and Ken. And then Benny died because she was so...

Angry.

In hindsight, many things that happened were started by her. She should have shooed Sycanus away, and let her and Simon continue their feud. And yet, here they were.

She empathized. How could you not?

That's when Leo asked about Benny.

Katie felt herself tense up. There were a lot of things she could say. How could she answer that question? She didn't know.

"Until he..."

She couldn't finish. Katie tried and started again.

"Until we ran into Simon the second time."

She looked back down on the ground.

"He told me something before he... you know. Benny. He told me about how there was a file on his computer."

[Acidic*]

Nodding slightly, Leo smiled a dry smile. At least Benny died doing the right thing, and made sure another psycho wasn't leaving this place. He had no idea who in their class was still left, or how everything was going to end. But Leo couldn't wander around doing nothing.

When Katie mentioned a file on Benny's computer Leo had to think a bit before remembering a conversation he had with him once. A will filled with the most insane things. A rusty, short laugh escaped Leo's mouth.

It was the first time he laughed here.

he looked at Katie and said,

"Was it about his will?"

[KamiKaze]

"You know about it?"

Katie's eyes examined Leo as he laughed, mentioning that it was a will. Maybe it was a joke, but it was kind of the knowing laughter. So he heard about it from Benny beforehand?

"Yeah, it was. He... he said to tell his parents that it was there, and to tell them the password was... um..."

Katie thought for a second.

"... Owlbungeecord. No spaces."

It felt weird sharing Benny's last words with him, but there you go. Leo seemed to know about it. Benny probably mentioned it to him at some point. To be honest, she kind of wondered what was on it to begin with. Now wasn't the time to wonder, but you know.

She forced a sad smile.

Knowing Benny? Probably something full of jokes and such.

She was going to miss him.

In fact, she was going to miss a lot of people.

Who was even left, anyways? How many were still around? Apparently enough to herd everyone into town. So... not that many.

That was kind of a harrowing thought.

[Acidic*]

Leo nodded after he was told the password, and let the conversation fall into silence from there. This felt strangely final, the feeling of his mortality clamped on his gut like an obese, raccoon. Holding on to his soul and it was slowly tearing with the weight. After a while he took the sword and said,

"I'm sick of this place." And started walking away. He felt like he should say something, like people apparently should over dead bodies. Stopping in his tracks he thought for a bit.

What would they like to hear?

That he killed the two responsible for their deaths? He had a feeling they wouldn't like that, but Holly's and Delilah's heads were all he had to offer at them moment. Finally, he turned to the house's burned skeleton and said,

"I hope I don't have to see you guys again for a long time." Then a short silence before he said, "And thank you, Roy." With that for them he took off in searching for a place for him and Katie to spend their time.

[[Leo Raclaw continued elsewhere]]

[KamiKaze]

After a while, it went silent again.

It was both welcoming and tense.

Katie didn't know whether to embrace or break it. It seemed warm and cold at once. Like they didn't know what to say, and that they had...


Changed.

That's the word.

Changed.


Katie shuddered, and suddenly, Leo stood up. It was time to go, then. As she stood up, she heard him say something to the charred remain of the building.

He said he didn't want to see them again for a while.

And suddenly, Katie felt like crying. She felt like grabbing Leo and hugging him right then and there. She felt like breaking down into a small whimper, and to stop existing right at that moment.

She had changed. They all had. She had seen things she had never expected to see in her lifetime, thought things, said things, did things. Leo did too. So did Benny.

The worst part was, she knew it wasn't over. Deep down she knew she had to find Rebecca, and then? It was time to get justice. Rebecca was probably the biggest killer or something like that. She had already made plans to go after her, and there they were. Simon was gone, but at what cost? The only thing left was to stop her and anyone else.

Maybe once they got rid of Rebecca, they could not end there. Katie wanted to track down the Sheriff, find out who he was, and... make sure he realized what he had done. The only thing left to do after that. Stop the killers, stop the Sheriff.

It was far from over. That was, again, the worst part.

As Katie followed Leo, she told herself to keep in mind those who she was fighting for. Her classmates. Their deaths wouldn't be in vain.

Benny wouldn't have died pointlessly. Nor would have anyone else.

She promised this to herself, and went on.

((Katie Tanaka continued elsewhere))