Well, the blanket was okay, so that was good. This whole get the collars off plan was getting off to a great start, she thought, even if Ramona wasn’t sure whether that was the truth or only she told herself to keep the butterflies in her stomach from eating their way out. She shook her hands as if to wring the stress out of them, before promptly inhaling and lifting the blanket so it covered her as well.
So, the blanket. Wasn’t her best suggestion by a long shot, but it was something that they were now doing, which meant that she’d have to now have it as her ride-or-die. Luke literally, it had to work or she’d probably die.
This whole thing was terrifying, really. Ramona had to admit that to herself, even after days of telling the people in her group not to give up hope, to keep on searching, so maybe it was hypocritical to feel this sudden pang of fear when they were so close to having it all work out, the leap of faith before the cliff of defeat of something.
The handing of the tweezers to her by Zubin didn’t help matters much, but she still flashed a smile at him.
“No problem, you’re in good hands here.”
She hoped the smile was wide enough to hide the fear in her eyes. The hand holding the tweezers was now shaking, jolting, so much so that she had to grab it with her other hand to get the involuntary motions to stop.
This was it, though. Putting the tweezers on the part of the collar that seemed the most loose, she began to slowly try to pry it open, both hands now shaking.
There was no time to mutter a prayer under breath, no time to send out any last regrets if this didn’t work out. All she had was hope, and it would have to see her through.
Hoping to Catch a Break
Midday Day 3, PM for entry
-
Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
Okay. Ramona had the tweezers, and his head was covered. They couldn’t see him. That was good. Now, all Ramona had to do was dig into the guts of the collar with the accuracy and patience of a nano surgeon.
It can only go up from here.
He felt the blanket rise.
Okay, just have to wait for a bit, guide her through it if necessary.
He felt the tweezers, and then heard a scratch, and a click.
BOOM
MALE STUDENT #18 - ZUBIN WADIA: ELIMINATED
32 STUDENTS REMAIN
It can only go up from here.
He felt the blanket rise.
Okay, just have to wait for a bit, guide her through it if necessary.
He felt the tweezers, and then heard a scratch, and a click.
BOOM
MALE STUDENT #18 - ZUBIN WADIA: ELIMINATED
32 STUDENTS REMAIN
-
jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
Saachi stayed quiet as she saw the rest of the group congregate. Her eyes opened wide in shock as three familiar faces made their way to Zubin and Maxwell. She hadn't expected to see the three girls from the church again, especially still together. What was with all of these groups of random kids? Were they just blindly optimistic about the situation they were in or was it just a survival instinct to stick in groups? The largest group she ever could claim to have been in was just with Jay, and even then the entire time felt like she was walking a fine line between him losing his shit and trying to continue the beatdown he started on day one.
Annoyingly, the group had to stay quiet, leading Saachi to eek closer and closer to the door, each movement tentative as she repeatedly glanced towards the group just in case they heard her. Luckily for her, they seemed to be more focused on the conversation they were having. Still, even right next to the entrance, she was still having a hard time catching everything they said, instead of leaving her to pick up a few words and fill in the gaps here and there.
A plan, or at least, that's what she assumed they were talking about. What the plan was about, she had no clue. They were being annoyingly vague about it. Whatever the plan was, they were all keen on following it through. The secrecy they were employing implied this plan was important, more than a 'let's stick together team' plan. Then came the words that really caught her attention.
Sacrifice.
She had to see where they were going. This was getting far too interesting for her to just drop it and leave. Obviously what they were doing was significant. At this point, her eyes were intensely focused on the scene before her. Were they enacting a plan to kill one of their own to get through the days? That seemed unlikely. Especially since they were all eager to follow through with the plan. She didn't think they were that suicidal. Were they doing an escape plan?
Wait, they could be doing an escape plan. It looked like Zubin had been picked and they were trying to get a blanket? Them? They could be talking about the organisers. The blanket could hide them from the cameras. Oh god, they could be trying to enact an escape plan.
No no no no no no. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. If it was an escape plan and it somehow succeeded, she'd be royally screwed. She had one of, if not the highest death count on the island. If they all just got rescued, all the suffering and effort she went through would've all gone to waste. It would've validated the kids who just sat around and did nothing, refusing to get their hands dirty and let others do the work for them. She refused to let that happen.
She was tempted to just bolt into the room and stop them, but she held back. She needed a plan. She was outnumbered 5-to-1, with three of them having a grudge against her. No, she had to be smart to overcome the odds. Running wasn't an option. While they were doing preparations, she took stock of the situation. Immediately, Saachi focused on Yumi's gun. That gun could overcome the numerical advantage. She prepared her weapons, her trusty trident and cleaver. Though she found it a bit unwieldy at first, she had gained enough practice to hold them at the same time while making the same basic stabbing motion. That should be good enough for what needed to be done.
As Saachi watched Ramona and Zubin get underneath the blanket, waiting for all of them to be distracted by the escape attempt, she had a brief moment of self-reflection. Had this been a few days earlier, she probably would've joined the team in formulating the escape plan. It would've been a better prospect for her at the time than killing her classmates. In a way, her stopping the escape plan was essentially self-sabotage. If their plan worked, she'd be alive and others would be as well. Unfortunately, it was too late. Too much time had passed and too many things had happened. She had gone all-in with following the rules of the game. She saw no other option.
A sudden explosion knocked her to the floor and snapped her out of her thoughts. That must've come from the house. What happened? Did they fail? Whatever it was, she knew this was what she was waiting for. Pushing herself off the floor with great force, she kicked the door open and launched herself at Yumi. She had to be quick and take the moment before it was gone forever. She let out a roar as she thrusted the spear at Yumi, a fierce intensity in her eyes.
Annoyingly, the group had to stay quiet, leading Saachi to eek closer and closer to the door, each movement tentative as she repeatedly glanced towards the group just in case they heard her. Luckily for her, they seemed to be more focused on the conversation they were having. Still, even right next to the entrance, she was still having a hard time catching everything they said, instead of leaving her to pick up a few words and fill in the gaps here and there.
A plan, or at least, that's what she assumed they were talking about. What the plan was about, she had no clue. They were being annoyingly vague about it. Whatever the plan was, they were all keen on following it through. The secrecy they were employing implied this plan was important, more than a 'let's stick together team' plan. Then came the words that really caught her attention.
Sacrifice.
She had to see where they were going. This was getting far too interesting for her to just drop it and leave. Obviously what they were doing was significant. At this point, her eyes were intensely focused on the scene before her. Were they enacting a plan to kill one of their own to get through the days? That seemed unlikely. Especially since they were all eager to follow through with the plan. She didn't think they were that suicidal. Were they doing an escape plan?
Wait, they could be doing an escape plan. It looked like Zubin had been picked and they were trying to get a blanket? Them? They could be talking about the organisers. The blanket could hide them from the cameras. Oh god, they could be trying to enact an escape plan.
No no no no no no. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. If it was an escape plan and it somehow succeeded, she'd be royally screwed. She had one of, if not the highest death count on the island. If they all just got rescued, all the suffering and effort she went through would've all gone to waste. It would've validated the kids who just sat around and did nothing, refusing to get their hands dirty and let others do the work for them. She refused to let that happen.
She was tempted to just bolt into the room and stop them, but she held back. She needed a plan. She was outnumbered 5-to-1, with three of them having a grudge against her. No, she had to be smart to overcome the odds. Running wasn't an option. While they were doing preparations, she took stock of the situation. Immediately, Saachi focused on Yumi's gun. That gun could overcome the numerical advantage. She prepared her weapons, her trusty trident and cleaver. Though she found it a bit unwieldy at first, she had gained enough practice to hold them at the same time while making the same basic stabbing motion. That should be good enough for what needed to be done.
As Saachi watched Ramona and Zubin get underneath the blanket, waiting for all of them to be distracted by the escape attempt, she had a brief moment of self-reflection. Had this been a few days earlier, she probably would've joined the team in formulating the escape plan. It would've been a better prospect for her at the time than killing her classmates. In a way, her stopping the escape plan was essentially self-sabotage. If their plan worked, she'd be alive and others would be as well. Unfortunately, it was too late. Too much time had passed and too many things had happened. She had gone all-in with following the rules of the game. She saw no other option.
A sudden explosion knocked her to the floor and snapped her out of her thoughts. That must've come from the house. What happened? Did they fail? Whatever it was, she knew this was what she was waiting for. Pushing herself off the floor with great force, she kicked the door open and launched herself at Yumi. She had to be quick and take the moment before it was gone forever. She let out a roar as she thrusted the spear at Yumi, a fierce intensity in her eyes.
(Minus accessories)
(Minus accessories)
-
Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
There was a click, then a bang, and just like that, Ramona's entire world went up in flames. There wasn't anything to do in that infinitesimally small moment, no way to cover the explosion. She couldn't hide from it. There was no running, no sobbing, only heat, fear, and an odd tingling situation in her hands. It hurt, so much, but she was still breathing somehow, still living. How?
When the sensation stopped, she was still there. But Zubin wasn't. His dead body was there, of course, but the unmoving eyes, the blown-apart throat, that wasn't him. Wasnt him anymore, because of what she had done. She had tried so hard to keep up hope, to keep people believing in something, but in the end, she just couldn't fucking do it. There was no making mom and dad proud, no being a strong and independent Shirley woman, there was only failure, staring her right in the face, those cold dead eyes seemingly boring into her soul.
Despite it all, a single tear didn't make its way way down her cheek, not even one. She was sorry, yeah, so sorry, but still it felt like her eyes had dried up, like her body had nothing else to give except air. Heaving breaths, escaping into the now blood-tinged scent of the blanket. She flexed her hands, trying to keep blood circulating through them if nothing else, but felt a strange absence. Bringing her hands up to her face, she saw it.
Her right index finger and thumb were gone, replaced by bloody stumps and the soot and the very literal blood on her hands. This was not a good situation, to be in, no, but everything felt like it lead up to her inability to succeed, roadblock after roadblock.
Simply put, Ramona felt like there was nothing more to her now, nothing else she could even give, maybe not even a comforting pat on the shoulder. There was just a deep numbing feeling in her heart, cool to the touch. Lik no matter she would do, it wouldn't end up helping. Another look at Zubin. Another look at the guy she had tried to help, but only ended up killing. Yes, she did kill him. There was no way around that fact, the tweezers on the collar before everything went up in light, and while she wished she could have said his death was peaceful, it looked anything but, the sounds and the flashes and the - really everything, too much of a mess to be considered peaceful in any part of the world.
He had trusted her, literally put his life into her own two hands, and she had failed him, the voices screaming in her brain that it was all nothing, everything was -
Wait. Wait wait wait. Oh, oh God. The voice didn't seem to be coming from her head. It was coming from the cabin. The cabin, where Maxwell and Yumi and Felicia were, and they had to have heard what happened, had to have know the failure of the entire plan. Had to go apologize to them, make everything right, even if she wasn't sure how, and soon enough, she flipped the blanket over her head, and began sprinting back towards the cabin.
When she got closer, though, she recognized the person with the spear near-immediately. It was her, Jay's little fucking partner, the one who managed to help kill Lyndi, the one who had started all of this, Saachi, the little punk-ass bitch, who needed to rot, needed to melt.
A primal scream tore it's way out of her lips as she jumped onto Saachi, and looked up at Yumi. She was scared, yeah, but Yumi was so much stronger than she herself probably knew. She had lived this long, she'd even survived on her own for a bit, and most of all, she still had something.
Maybe the spark in her had been lost with Zubin, but maybe the dream hadn't died. The plan hadn't. Maybe just a girl named Ramona Shirley had.
"GO, BITCH. RUN."
If she had nothing else to give, maybe her life would do.
When the sensation stopped, she was still there. But Zubin wasn't. His dead body was there, of course, but the unmoving eyes, the blown-apart throat, that wasn't him. Wasnt him anymore, because of what she had done. She had tried so hard to keep up hope, to keep people believing in something, but in the end, she just couldn't fucking do it. There was no making mom and dad proud, no being a strong and independent Shirley woman, there was only failure, staring her right in the face, those cold dead eyes seemingly boring into her soul.
Despite it all, a single tear didn't make its way way down her cheek, not even one. She was sorry, yeah, so sorry, but still it felt like her eyes had dried up, like her body had nothing else to give except air. Heaving breaths, escaping into the now blood-tinged scent of the blanket. She flexed her hands, trying to keep blood circulating through them if nothing else, but felt a strange absence. Bringing her hands up to her face, she saw it.
Her right index finger and thumb were gone, replaced by bloody stumps and the soot and the very literal blood on her hands. This was not a good situation, to be in, no, but everything felt like it lead up to her inability to succeed, roadblock after roadblock.
Simply put, Ramona felt like there was nothing more to her now, nothing else she could even give, maybe not even a comforting pat on the shoulder. There was just a deep numbing feeling in her heart, cool to the touch. Lik no matter she would do, it wouldn't end up helping. Another look at Zubin. Another look at the guy she had tried to help, but only ended up killing. Yes, she did kill him. There was no way around that fact, the tweezers on the collar before everything went up in light, and while she wished she could have said his death was peaceful, it looked anything but, the sounds and the flashes and the - really everything, too much of a mess to be considered peaceful in any part of the world.
He had trusted her, literally put his life into her own two hands, and she had failed him, the voices screaming in her brain that it was all nothing, everything was -
Wait. Wait wait wait. Oh, oh God. The voice didn't seem to be coming from her head. It was coming from the cabin. The cabin, where Maxwell and Yumi and Felicia were, and they had to have heard what happened, had to have know the failure of the entire plan. Had to go apologize to them, make everything right, even if she wasn't sure how, and soon enough, she flipped the blanket over her head, and began sprinting back towards the cabin.
When she got closer, though, she recognized the person with the spear near-immediately. It was her, Jay's little fucking partner, the one who managed to help kill Lyndi, the one who had started all of this, Saachi, the little punk-ass bitch, who needed to rot, needed to melt.
A primal scream tore it's way out of her lips as she jumped onto Saachi, and looked up at Yumi. She was scared, yeah, but Yumi was so much stronger than she herself probably knew. She had lived this long, she'd even survived on her own for a bit, and most of all, she still had something.
Maybe the spark in her had been lost with Zubin, but maybe the dream hadn't died. The plan hadn't. Maybe just a girl named Ramona Shirley had.
"GO, BITCH. RUN."
If she had nothing else to give, maybe her life would do.
-
Wham Yubeesling
- Posts: 1257
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:15 pm
- Location: there is a man standing behind you
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
- Contact:
The explosion was like none that Maxwell had ever seen.
Even though the blanket had covered the sight, even though he couldn't confirm for sure what had happened under it, Maxwell knew what had just happened. Maxwell knew that Zubin's escape attempt had just failed, that Zubin's idea had resulted in someone's death, and unless his memory of what had just happened had been changed, unless something changed under the cover of the blanket, then Maxwell knew who that explosion had killed. Maxwell knew that Zubin was the latest in this game to die. Maxwell knew that he had just let another person die to this game.
And this time, the explosion, the death had happened right in front of his eyes. This time, he could have prevented it.
And there was something, at that. A pang of several different feelings, emerging all at once. Zubin had been a… friend. He was odd, sure, and some of the things he said to the other people in his group did strike him as weird, but he had been friendly. Useful. If Maxwell wanted to know the newest story on the grapevine, if he wanted information, if he wanted to just talk in general, Zubin was the person Maxwell went to. Talked with. Had… at the very least, a fairly positive time with. In the end, Maxwell supposed Zubin was a friend. A good person to be around. One of the few people in this school he could honestly say he liked.
And now Zubin was dead. His corpse was underneath the blanket, collar blown. Head gone.
And Maxwell could have saved him. He could have been more critical. Told Zubin that the plan wouldn't work. Make sure the others didn't find about it. If he had done that, if he had made sure the plan hadn't been attempted, would he still be here? Would Maxwell still have his friend?
He didn't know.
All Maxwell knew was that Zubin was gone.
Just like Panya.
Just like Yasmin.
Just like Lyndi.
Just like Paris.
Was Felicia the only one left?
Was Felicia the only friend he could still protect?
He didn't know.
He didn't know and he had to save the thought until later just like all the others because he couldn't think and he couldn't focus because everything was around him. This island, this game was consuming his mind, changing the way he thought. Making him think only in terms of that. Allowing him to let his friends die, allowing him to attack, to try and kill a girl.
What could he say about that?
How could he call what he was doing good?
He didn't know.
He didn't know he didn't know he didn't know he didn't know and
(at least now Zubin's dead)
(at least now you don't have to do it yourself)
(at least now there's one less person in this game you have to tak-
Another noise.
Behind Maxwell.
He turned. He looked. He moved his head with a snap as he saw her. In the doorway. Dark skin. Grey dress. Trident in her hand.
Saachi Nidal.
Killer of Jay Harland.
Killer of Jason Andrews.
There was something he could say about her.
Words that he could think.
But there was nothing. No way he could react. So much had just happened in a second and there was so little time to think and-
Ramona. Emerging. Charging at Saachi.
Calling for the other three to run. Letting them get away while she fought Saachi.
And even though Maxwell didn't know who he was supposed to be, even though Maxwell didn't know what he was supposed to do, the order had been received from him, loud and clear.
At least he supposed he knew what to do. Right here, right now.
"There's a back door!" He called out to the other two as he began to move away from the two fighting. "Come on! Follow me!"
He moved. Through the hallways. To the door. He saw the other two behind her. Running. Following. Heading towards the door.
He stepped aside. Moved his hand. Rushed them through the door as they left.
Even though the blanket had covered the sight, even though he couldn't confirm for sure what had happened under it, Maxwell knew what had just happened. Maxwell knew that Zubin's escape attempt had just failed, that Zubin's idea had resulted in someone's death, and unless his memory of what had just happened had been changed, unless something changed under the cover of the blanket, then Maxwell knew who that explosion had killed. Maxwell knew that Zubin was the latest in this game to die. Maxwell knew that he had just let another person die to this game.
And this time, the explosion, the death had happened right in front of his eyes. This time, he could have prevented it.
And there was something, at that. A pang of several different feelings, emerging all at once. Zubin had been a… friend. He was odd, sure, and some of the things he said to the other people in his group did strike him as weird, but he had been friendly. Useful. If Maxwell wanted to know the newest story on the grapevine, if he wanted information, if he wanted to just talk in general, Zubin was the person Maxwell went to. Talked with. Had… at the very least, a fairly positive time with. In the end, Maxwell supposed Zubin was a friend. A good person to be around. One of the few people in this school he could honestly say he liked.
And now Zubin was dead. His corpse was underneath the blanket, collar blown. Head gone.
And Maxwell could have saved him. He could have been more critical. Told Zubin that the plan wouldn't work. Make sure the others didn't find about it. If he had done that, if he had made sure the plan hadn't been attempted, would he still be here? Would Maxwell still have his friend?
He didn't know.
All Maxwell knew was that Zubin was gone.
Just like Panya.
Just like Yasmin.
Just like Lyndi.
Just like Paris.
Was Felicia the only one left?
Was Felicia the only friend he could still protect?
He didn't know.
He didn't know and he had to save the thought until later just like all the others because he couldn't think and he couldn't focus because everything was around him. This island, this game was consuming his mind, changing the way he thought. Making him think only in terms of that. Allowing him to let his friends die, allowing him to attack, to try and kill a girl.
What could he say about that?
How could he call what he was doing good?
He didn't know.
He didn't know he didn't know he didn't know he didn't know and
(at least now Zubin's dead)
(at least now you don't have to do it yourself)
(at least now there's one less person in this game you have to tak-
Another noise.
Behind Maxwell.
He turned. He looked. He moved his head with a snap as he saw her. In the doorway. Dark skin. Grey dress. Trident in her hand.
Saachi Nidal.
Killer of Jay Harland.
Killer of Jason Andrews.
There was something he could say about her.
Words that he could think.
But there was nothing. No way he could react. So much had just happened in a second and there was so little time to think and-
Ramona. Emerging. Charging at Saachi.
Calling for the other three to run. Letting them get away while she fought Saachi.
And even though Maxwell didn't know who he was supposed to be, even though Maxwell didn't know what he was supposed to do, the order had been received from him, loud and clear.
At least he supposed he knew what to do. Right here, right now.
"There's a back door!" He called out to the other two as he began to move away from the two fighting. "Come on! Follow me!"
He moved. Through the hallways. To the door. He saw the other two behind her. Running. Following. Heading towards the door.
He stepped aside. Moved his hand. Rushed them through the door as they left.
((GMing approved))
Zubin exploded.
Felicia couldn’t see everything because of the sheet, but she saw enough. She saw bits of raw meat fall to the ground like slop, she saw Ramona’s hands drip with thick globs of blood. She heard the click, heard the bang, heard everything.
And she could only watch and listen. Like the useless, useless…
Felicia felt her heart rate go up, and with it, her breath gasped like a fish out of water. She couldn’t focus, or do anything. She just saw someone, someone who died because he felt that there was a way out, someone who died for what he believed in, blow up like a cow carcass. She wasn’t ever that close to Zubin, but it was still… still…
She started breathing louder, even suppressing a giggle that slipped out anyways. Her tears, however, told a different story.
It was kinda like Lyndi, in a way
She wasn’t given enough time before someone else came in. Broke in. Felicia flinched, snapping her eyes towards the door. Her heart dropped even more than she thought was possible.
Saachi was here. Saachi, that Saachi, who… who…
There was no time to react. Saachi had tried to attack Yumi, but something moved, jumped onto her. Ramona?
And still, Felicia could do nothing. Only try to breathe, only cry.
But she heard orders. And she listened.
Felicia knew what she had to do. She grabbed Yumi by the wrist, and tugged her away. Her world blurred around her, but she darted behind Maxwell. He stepped aside. And she ran out the back door, hearing the noises fading behind her as she kept Yumi nearby.
((Felicia LaChapelle continued elsewhere))
Zubin exploded.
Felicia couldn’t see everything because of the sheet, but she saw enough. She saw bits of raw meat fall to the ground like slop, she saw Ramona’s hands drip with thick globs of blood. She heard the click, heard the bang, heard everything.
And she could only watch and listen. Like the useless, useless…
Felicia felt her heart rate go up, and with it, her breath gasped like a fish out of water. She couldn’t focus, or do anything. She just saw someone, someone who died because he felt that there was a way out, someone who died for what he believed in, blow up like a cow carcass. She wasn’t ever that close to Zubin, but it was still… still…
She started breathing louder, even suppressing a giggle that slipped out anyways. Her tears, however, told a different story.
It was kinda like Lyndi, in a way
She wasn’t given enough time before someone else came in. Broke in. Felicia flinched, snapping her eyes towards the door. Her heart dropped even more than she thought was possible.
Saachi was here. Saachi, that Saachi, who… who…
There was no time to react. Saachi had tried to attack Yumi, but something moved, jumped onto her. Ramona?
And still, Felicia could do nothing. Only try to breathe, only cry.
But she heard orders. And she listened.
Felicia knew what she had to do. She grabbed Yumi by the wrist, and tugged her away. Her world blurred around her, but she darted behind Maxwell. He stepped aside. And she ran out the back door, hearing the noises fading behind her as she kept Yumi nearby.
((Felicia LaChapelle continued elsewhere))
Something had gone wrong. Yumi wasn't sure exactly what thanks to the blanket obscuring their view of the tinkering, but there were enough signs to make it very obvious. There was an explosion. Half of the shape under the blanket collapsed. She could see gore seeping out from under the blanket. Ramona reemerged with bloody and mutilated hands, while Zubin didn't come back out at all.
They had failed. They didn't figure out the collars, Ramona was hurt, and Zubin was dead.
Yumi wondered why she had bothered trying to get her hopes up at all. They had no idea what they were doing in the first place and were operating off of sheer guesswork. It would have taken either a miracle or unbelievably bad engineering in the collars for their plan to work, and neither of those factors were in their favor. Now they were down one member, and they needed an entirely new plan, if they could even come up with one.
She just felt defeated, defeated and tired. They had a chance to escape, or at least make progress towards escaping, and it had just slipped away right in front of them. She was visibly shocked by Zubin' death and the circumstances around it, but beneath that, she was weary.
And then Saachi came in. Yumi recognized her immediately. She had been the girl who had been with Jay. She had tried to kill Felicia, and she helped him kill Lyndi. She was alone now, but she was still dangerous. And then she charged Yumi, spear aimed straight for her chest and coming in fast. She probably had time to dodge, or shoot her before she got too close, but neither of those options registered. The combined disappointment from Zubin's death, terror from Saachi's attack, and shock of both events drained her body of energy. She didn't want to die, but all she could do was take a few staggered steps backwards and hold her arms in front of her face in a fruitless attempt to defend herself.
Just as the spear was about to pierce her, Ramona came from the side and tackled Saachi to the ground, throwing of the spear's trajectory. She screamed for the others to run, and moments later Yumi felt Felicia take her by the wrist. Felicia's vise-like grip brought back her sense of urgency, and she hurried after her, doing her best to keep up as the two fled the cabin at the discretion of their friend.
(Yumi Nunes continued elsewhere...)
They had failed. They didn't figure out the collars, Ramona was hurt, and Zubin was dead.
Yumi wondered why she had bothered trying to get her hopes up at all. They had no idea what they were doing in the first place and were operating off of sheer guesswork. It would have taken either a miracle or unbelievably bad engineering in the collars for their plan to work, and neither of those factors were in their favor. Now they were down one member, and they needed an entirely new plan, if they could even come up with one.
She just felt defeated, defeated and tired. They had a chance to escape, or at least make progress towards escaping, and it had just slipped away right in front of them. She was visibly shocked by Zubin' death and the circumstances around it, but beneath that, she was weary.
And then Saachi came in. Yumi recognized her immediately. She had been the girl who had been with Jay. She had tried to kill Felicia, and she helped him kill Lyndi. She was alone now, but she was still dangerous. And then she charged Yumi, spear aimed straight for her chest and coming in fast. She probably had time to dodge, or shoot her before she got too close, but neither of those options registered. The combined disappointment from Zubin's death, terror from Saachi's attack, and shock of both events drained her body of energy. She didn't want to die, but all she could do was take a few staggered steps backwards and hold her arms in front of her face in a fruitless attempt to defend herself.
Just as the spear was about to pierce her, Ramona came from the side and tackled Saachi to the ground, throwing of the spear's trajectory. She screamed for the others to run, and moments later Yumi felt Felicia take her by the wrist. Felicia's vise-like grip brought back her sense of urgency, and she hurried after her, doing her best to keep up as the two fled the cabin at the discretion of their friend.
(Yumi Nunes continued elsewhere...)
-
jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
A scream ripped through the air, matching her own roar. She didn’t have a chance to turn before Saachi felt an impact on her chest, falling to the floor as the force of Ramona threw her onto the floor. Her head smashed against the ground, the sudden shock causing her to lose her grip on her weapons, both clattering onto the floor next to her and Ramona. For a moment, she lost track of the world around her as the pain in her head magnified.
It took her a second to realise what happened. Ramona shouted at the others to run. She was on top of her, just like Lyndi was on the first day. She certainly looked worse than Lyndi, however. She was covered in blood, and from what she could tell, it was fresh. She could also smell the faint scent of burning. Looking down, she saw Ramona’s right hand.
So, the explosion was Zubin?
Saachi felt an odd sense of relief. She knew it was wrong to feel good about a classmate dying. At the same time, it was hard not to be happy about an escape plan failing, considering the situation she put herself in. The last thing she wanted was that she would end up being wrong. To face the realisation that everything she did instead made things worse instead of contributing towards her survival. To see that their attempts at escape only ended with the death of one of the conspirators gave her vindication that she was correct. To further solidify her truth as the correct truth. Not the truth of those who acted like moral crusaders.
The relief was short lived as she remembered the situation she was in. Ramona was on top of her and judging from the scream, she was less than happy to see her. Thinking back, she did kick her in the gut to get her off Jay. Even though he was a trigger-happy asshole, times like this she did miss having Jay to help her out. At least the others didn’t stick around to help Ramona out, evening the odds from the last time they were together.
“Get off me!” Saachi spat out, struggling against her grasp. Her hands were pinned and even without two of her fingers, she still proved to be stronger than she was. If she would’ve known that she would be on an island playing a murder game, she would’ve done sports or gone to the gym in preparation. Unfortunately, she was not granted the power of clairvoyance to ever see that coming, so that left her short changed in that department.
However, even if she was weaker, she had taken out tougher students. She just took out Adonis yesterday, so Ramona in comparison should be a breeze. She struggled for a bit, seeming to make no progress as Felicia, Yumi and Maxwell left the room. Apart from pure numbers, having them escape was irrelevant to her. She instead was focusing on escaping, trying to see what angles she could take to get Ramona off her.
Realising her legs were free, she came up with an idea. Twisting her body, she landed a kick straight into Ramona’s gut. She felt the wind rush out of her chest and the blood on her clothes dripping onto her already bloodstained dress. More remnants of her departed classmates stained Saachi, but she knew she had to move. As soon as she felt the grip on her loosen, she pushed herself off Ramona and went for her cleaver.
Picking it up, she instinctively kicked away the trident, trying to prevent Ramona getting her hands on it. She was going to be the one that held the advantage and even if her fingers had been blown off, she wasn’t going to risk giving her anything that can swing it back in her favour. Moving to the other side of the room, adrenaline pumped through her body as she prepared herself for the upcoming fight.
“Come and get me, Ramona,” she challenged, panting slightly but with an intense excitement in her eyes.
It took her a second to realise what happened. Ramona shouted at the others to run. She was on top of her, just like Lyndi was on the first day. She certainly looked worse than Lyndi, however. She was covered in blood, and from what she could tell, it was fresh. She could also smell the faint scent of burning. Looking down, she saw Ramona’s right hand.
So, the explosion was Zubin?
Saachi felt an odd sense of relief. She knew it was wrong to feel good about a classmate dying. At the same time, it was hard not to be happy about an escape plan failing, considering the situation she put herself in. The last thing she wanted was that she would end up being wrong. To face the realisation that everything she did instead made things worse instead of contributing towards her survival. To see that their attempts at escape only ended with the death of one of the conspirators gave her vindication that she was correct. To further solidify her truth as the correct truth. Not the truth of those who acted like moral crusaders.
The relief was short lived as she remembered the situation she was in. Ramona was on top of her and judging from the scream, she was less than happy to see her. Thinking back, she did kick her in the gut to get her off Jay. Even though he was a trigger-happy asshole, times like this she did miss having Jay to help her out. At least the others didn’t stick around to help Ramona out, evening the odds from the last time they were together.
“Get off me!” Saachi spat out, struggling against her grasp. Her hands were pinned and even without two of her fingers, she still proved to be stronger than she was. If she would’ve known that she would be on an island playing a murder game, she would’ve done sports or gone to the gym in preparation. Unfortunately, she was not granted the power of clairvoyance to ever see that coming, so that left her short changed in that department.
However, even if she was weaker, she had taken out tougher students. She just took out Adonis yesterday, so Ramona in comparison should be a breeze. She struggled for a bit, seeming to make no progress as Felicia, Yumi and Maxwell left the room. Apart from pure numbers, having them escape was irrelevant to her. She instead was focusing on escaping, trying to see what angles she could take to get Ramona off her.
Realising her legs were free, she came up with an idea. Twisting her body, she landed a kick straight into Ramona’s gut. She felt the wind rush out of her chest and the blood on her clothes dripping onto her already bloodstained dress. More remnants of her departed classmates stained Saachi, but she knew she had to move. As soon as she felt the grip on her loosen, she pushed herself off Ramona and went for her cleaver.
Picking it up, she instinctively kicked away the trident, trying to prevent Ramona getting her hands on it. She was going to be the one that held the advantage and even if her fingers had been blown off, she wasn’t going to risk giving her anything that can swing it back in her favour. Moving to the other side of the room, adrenaline pumped through her body as she prepared herself for the upcoming fight.
“Come and get me, Ramona,” she challenged, panting slightly but with an intense excitement in her eyes.
-
Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
They were all running now, Yumi, Felicia, Maxwell, all starting to make their way out of the cabin, away from Saachi. THere was at least one thing she could take consolation in, then, even as her muscles ached from continuing to pin Saachi, the struggles of the girl beneath her unceasing and violent. It was no problem, though, because Ramona could hold out, at least for a few more moments. She was nowhere near the fastest girl on the basketball team, far from the strongest, but that didn't mean she didn't put in all that work on the court for nothing. She could hold on for now. She could hold on forever.
That wasn't really true, but she had to hold onto it, considering it seemed like she had nothing else in this situation. Really, she didn't even need to hold on forever or anything like that, but just needed to hold on long enough. Maybe not for her to get away, but for everyone else to.
Saachi's arms were pinned, and Ramona was putting all of her strength in making sure that she couldn't just go up and grasp for the cleaver and the trident thing, because if she managed to reach out for that, then maybe it was all over for her.
Surprisingly, she didn't know if she even cared at that point, her rage focused like daggers on the bitch on the ground, and all of the energy coursing through her veins convinced her this was the right thing to do. Maybe she was unarmed, maybe she was already injured, but she had to keep fighting until her last breath. Zubin deserved as much as that. This was pretty much a half-court shot at this point, a gamble that seemed more and more risky with every passing second, but she still had to go on with this.
However, it only took a sudden motion and now Ramona was the one back on the ground, looking up as Saachi grabbed the cleaver and challenged her to a fight, a light seemingly gleaming in her eyes. She looked happy, for some reason, and then Ramona realized that maybe the exhilliration that she had felt when she had briefly tackled Jay to the ground wasn't that uncommon after all. It still didn't settle just right though, not in a battle for their lives like this.
Sure, the anger made her energized, more willing to do stupid things like these, but what was in aachi's eyes wasn't just adrenaline, at least not to her eyes. It was like a bloodlust, a fiendish need to hurt and destory, and yeah, Ramona got that. She wanted to be the one who did Jay in, the one who fucking snatched his weave and did him in, but that didn't make it all the more right.
Slowly, she managed to get up on her feet, slightly swaying but with a focused look on her face.
"Hokay, bitch, but this isn't about you," Ramona shouted, looking Saachi straight in the eye. "This is about them.
It was about Felicia, it was about Yumi, it was about Maxwell, it was even about Zubin who was currently laying dead on the ground circa a few minutes ago, and it was for Lyndi, laying in that flowerbed. It was for Michael, bandages and all, and maybe it was for her mom and dad, for all the Shirleys who came before and would come after.
Saachi probably wouldn't believe that if she explained. But, Ramona didn't need to explain to her.
It was with a roar that she lunged for the cleaver, movements ungraceful and sloppy, as she tried to wrench the cleaver from Saachi's grasp.
It wasn't about whether she was laying dead at the end of this, that much was for certain. Maybe that silent declaration would be enough to see her through.
That wasn't really true, but she had to hold onto it, considering it seemed like she had nothing else in this situation. Really, she didn't even need to hold on forever or anything like that, but just needed to hold on long enough. Maybe not for her to get away, but for everyone else to.
Saachi's arms were pinned, and Ramona was putting all of her strength in making sure that she couldn't just go up and grasp for the cleaver and the trident thing, because if she managed to reach out for that, then maybe it was all over for her.
Surprisingly, she didn't know if she even cared at that point, her rage focused like daggers on the bitch on the ground, and all of the energy coursing through her veins convinced her this was the right thing to do. Maybe she was unarmed, maybe she was already injured, but she had to keep fighting until her last breath. Zubin deserved as much as that. This was pretty much a half-court shot at this point, a gamble that seemed more and more risky with every passing second, but she still had to go on with this.
However, it only took a sudden motion and now Ramona was the one back on the ground, looking up as Saachi grabbed the cleaver and challenged her to a fight, a light seemingly gleaming in her eyes. She looked happy, for some reason, and then Ramona realized that maybe the exhilliration that she had felt when she had briefly tackled Jay to the ground wasn't that uncommon after all. It still didn't settle just right though, not in a battle for their lives like this.
Sure, the anger made her energized, more willing to do stupid things like these, but what was in aachi's eyes wasn't just adrenaline, at least not to her eyes. It was like a bloodlust, a fiendish need to hurt and destory, and yeah, Ramona got that. She wanted to be the one who did Jay in, the one who fucking snatched his weave and did him in, but that didn't make it all the more right.
Slowly, she managed to get up on her feet, slightly swaying but with a focused look on her face.
"Hokay, bitch, but this isn't about you," Ramona shouted, looking Saachi straight in the eye. "This is about them.
It was about Felicia, it was about Yumi, it was about Maxwell, it was even about Zubin who was currently laying dead on the ground circa a few minutes ago, and it was for Lyndi, laying in that flowerbed. It was for Michael, bandages and all, and maybe it was for her mom and dad, for all the Shirleys who came before and would come after.
Saachi probably wouldn't believe that if she explained. But, Ramona didn't need to explain to her.
It was with a roar that she lunged for the cleaver, movements ungraceful and sloppy, as she tried to wrench the cleaver from Saachi's grasp.
It wasn't about whether she was laying dead at the end of this, that much was for certain. Maybe that silent declaration would be enough to see her through.
-
jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
She could do this. She could totally do this. Saachi was psyching herself up mentally, egged on by the adrenaline and excitement coursing through her veins. Was it hubris left over from being able to take down Adonis? Ramona was no Adonis when it came to physical strength, but she was probably smarter. Though that probably wasn’t hard considering she was comparing her to Adonis.
Saachi grimaced at Ramona’s response. She didn’t care who it was about, whatever that meant. In the end, she needed to win and someone mounting a successful rescue attempt would ruin everything. It was also a chance to make a dent in yet another large group. In her mind, she was playing numbers game, slowly whittling down the larger groups until she could meet them at an equal playing field. It seemed to have worked here. Instead of five, she only needed to face one.
Everything in the end on this island was a game, disconnected from life back in Denton. This wasn’t a reflection of their true nature and anyone who believed so were deluded. The game may have higher stakes, but in the end, it was still a game. With numbers, strategies and rules that had to be followed. With her life at stake, she had committed to winning her life, no matter the stakes.
As Ramona charged, Saachi twisted the cleaver in her hands. She wasn’t going to let Ramona tackle her again. All she had to do was wait for the right moment. She predicted that Ramona wasn’t in the best state of mind. After all, she did just witness the death of her ally. That in combination with the surprise attack should be enough for her to have the mental game over her.
As Ramona lunged herself at the cleaver, Saachi quickly stepped to the side to dodge. Ramona’s clumsy movements helped Saachi see it coming and she quickly responded with a slash of her cleaver just as Ramona moved past her. Impacting neatly with her gut, she thrusted the blade through the side of her body, coating the blade and floor in blood while a blood curdling scream filled the room.
At the sound of movement, Saachi slowly turned her body, pointing the cleaver to the floor as it continued to drip blood. Ramona looked to be in a sorry state. Clutching her side, she crawled to the corner, still giving her that same defiant look she gave her at the beginning.
“Look at you, you little hero.” Saachi mocked, vestiges of her anger seeping through her words as she approached her. Something about that look pissed her off. Like she could feel the judgment emanating from her. She could feel the cleaver slightly dig into her hand as she attempted to appear in control.
“I mean, I guessed you saved your friends, but they’re still on this island, so they’re going to die anyways.” She continued, her eyes never leaving Ramona’s as she started to play with her cleaver a little in her hands. The blood was still thick and warm on her fingers and she made a deliberate effort to slow her movements. She wanted to get that determined look off her face. She had enough confidence that Ramona wouldn’t be able to fight back in the state that she was in.
“It’s only a matter of time here. How’d you think they’ll die? More botched escape attempts? Maybe one of them will start playing? Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll find them and finish off the job.”
At the last point, Saachi let out an intimidating grin. Of course, she wasn’t stupid enough to try and chase down Yumi and Felicia. But, Ramona didn’t need to know that. At this point, she knew this was needless. She could just finish her off. However, something inside of her knew that she’d be unsatisfied if she wasn’t able to rub that stupid look off her face. She wanted to emphasize how pointless her actions were. Prove that Ramona’s actions were wrong and that she was only delaying the inevitable. Even if Ramona was going to die soon anyways, Saachi just wanted to see something that wasn’t just defiance.
“Any last words? I might as well grant you that.” She spat out, raising the cleaver into the air.
Saachi grimaced at Ramona’s response. She didn’t care who it was about, whatever that meant. In the end, she needed to win and someone mounting a successful rescue attempt would ruin everything. It was also a chance to make a dent in yet another large group. In her mind, she was playing numbers game, slowly whittling down the larger groups until she could meet them at an equal playing field. It seemed to have worked here. Instead of five, she only needed to face one.
Everything in the end on this island was a game, disconnected from life back in Denton. This wasn’t a reflection of their true nature and anyone who believed so were deluded. The game may have higher stakes, but in the end, it was still a game. With numbers, strategies and rules that had to be followed. With her life at stake, she had committed to winning her life, no matter the stakes.
As Ramona charged, Saachi twisted the cleaver in her hands. She wasn’t going to let Ramona tackle her again. All she had to do was wait for the right moment. She predicted that Ramona wasn’t in the best state of mind. After all, she did just witness the death of her ally. That in combination with the surprise attack should be enough for her to have the mental game over her.
As Ramona lunged herself at the cleaver, Saachi quickly stepped to the side to dodge. Ramona’s clumsy movements helped Saachi see it coming and she quickly responded with a slash of her cleaver just as Ramona moved past her. Impacting neatly with her gut, she thrusted the blade through the side of her body, coating the blade and floor in blood while a blood curdling scream filled the room.
At the sound of movement, Saachi slowly turned her body, pointing the cleaver to the floor as it continued to drip blood. Ramona looked to be in a sorry state. Clutching her side, she crawled to the corner, still giving her that same defiant look she gave her at the beginning.
“Look at you, you little hero.” Saachi mocked, vestiges of her anger seeping through her words as she approached her. Something about that look pissed her off. Like she could feel the judgment emanating from her. She could feel the cleaver slightly dig into her hand as she attempted to appear in control.
“I mean, I guessed you saved your friends, but they’re still on this island, so they’re going to die anyways.” She continued, her eyes never leaving Ramona’s as she started to play with her cleaver a little in her hands. The blood was still thick and warm on her fingers and she made a deliberate effort to slow her movements. She wanted to get that determined look off her face. She had enough confidence that Ramona wouldn’t be able to fight back in the state that she was in.
“It’s only a matter of time here. How’d you think they’ll die? More botched escape attempts? Maybe one of them will start playing? Or maybe, just maybe, I’ll find them and finish off the job.”
At the last point, Saachi let out an intimidating grin. Of course, she wasn’t stupid enough to try and chase down Yumi and Felicia. But, Ramona didn’t need to know that. At this point, she knew this was needless. She could just finish her off. However, something inside of her knew that she’d be unsatisfied if she wasn’t able to rub that stupid look off her face. She wanted to emphasize how pointless her actions were. Prove that Ramona’s actions were wrong and that she was only delaying the inevitable. Even if Ramona was going to die soon anyways, Saachi just wanted to see something that wasn’t just defiance.
“Any last words? I might as well grant you that.” She spat out, raising the cleaver into the air.
-
Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
It was a long shot, reaching for the cleaver to wrest it from Saachi's grip. Ramona knew that, of course, but that still didn't make her any less inclined to actually go for it, trying to fight for what was right, trying to grab onto the other girl like she was a life raft in the middle of the ocean. Deep down, she knew that yeah, it wasn't going to be easy, probably wasn't going to work, but maybe if she put all of her being into it, all of her soul, then maybe it would work out.
As she tumbled past Saachi, and the cleaver sank into her gut, she knew that instantly wasn't gonna be the case.
Her screaming filled the room, her own screaming, as she struggled to remain on her feet. It was like the world was turning right underneath her, but she had to keep on standing, if only for a bit more. If she fell now, she ws pretty damn certain that she was never ever getting back up.
Never ever getting back up. That seemed like a pretty okay euphemism for the fact that blood was probably pouring out of her, hand somewhere in the vicinity of the wound in a vain attempt to stem the bleeding. Dying, no, she didn't want to go, not when everyone else was here, but then, maybe she wouldn't have to worry about whether whatever happened to Lyndi was gonna happen again. Maybe she could go watch over her friends from those pearly white gates and try to cheer them on as they tried to beat the odds in spite of fucking everything, and maybe she could be content with that.
What she was thinking was utter bullshit, but she still felt like she needed something to cling onto, when her knees continued to feel like they were going to buckle underneath her, and spots began to appear in her vision, and how everything would go black and then come back somehow brighter than before. It was so hard to keep from falling, but it was as if something inside told her that she couldn't, not until Saachi was finished speaking.
Oh, Saachi was gloaing now, as if she was some kind of Bond supervillain and whatever, and Ramona would've tried to throw out a retort, but feeling as if she was going to literally puke some organs out didn't exactly seem like the best headspace to be in for that. Seriously, though, whatever to whatever Saachi was saying at this point, because her head was swimming now, lost in a murky blood-red river, and maybe the other girl, the crazy-ass motherfucker was just trying to rile her up again, and the anger was still there, as it always was, but she decided that continuing to stand up was more important than that for now.
There were snippets of the girl's rant, something about how they probably were going to start playing at some point, how it was only a matter of time before they died, but Ramona wasn't gonna fall into that trap. Instead, she tried to focus her gaze onto Saachi, even as she continued to visibly wobble back and forth, more and more blood pouring out, and it felt that her heart was eventually gonna give out, but she had to prove something to this biatch. Didn't know what, but something. Something to prove that she wasn't a fool.
Shirleys weren't fools, that was for certain, and maybe she couldn't be the hero that she so wanted to be, but maybe she could do something here, do something now, that would change the tides in favor of life, in favor of living over just plain surviving. In favor of the rainbow after the hurricane, some kind of shelter from the storm, and all those metaphors that felt like they were steadily leaving her brain, preparing to go somewhere else. Somewhere better.
Her knees, though. Her knees still felt like hell, and she was gonna fall over, and maybe, just maybe, something told her that it was time for her to go, and Ramona crumpled to the ground, no more fight left in her body.
But that didn't mean there was no more fight left in her soul.
Saachi was asking her for any last words, and now, Ramona was humming. It was an old song, but if she remembered it right, t was Nina Simone or something. About how stars came and went, with all of their stories, some never told. How some would never make it big, but still kept on fighting, still kept on trying, and -
That was when the tears started coming, coming down in waves, and no, she was not a pretty crier, so it was a mess, the snot mixing in some of the blood, but she didn't know whether she was crying because she was gonna die, or because she had finally figured something out, done something right here. Maybe she was one of those stars, only a stepping stone for the other people out there, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad, to have kept on trying and trying until she ended up giving up her own life.
She wished she could've said that those thoughts meant she died happy, but maybe she could settle for content, just this once. There were too many unheard wishes, dreams and hopes that went unfulfilled and unanswered for her to ever die happy. There was no becoming the big hero, managing to make sure everyone played nice around here or something, and it was childish to believe in something like that, but she still wanted it. Still wanted to be the one who led them all to safety, who got them all out.
Maybe making sure they fled was enough. Maybe it wasn't, and Saachi was right, but that didn't mean Ramona was about to show any of that.
"No, no, I don't need your pity. Just, just wanted some time."
Getting more time was an impossibility, especially now with Saachi looming over her, but it was still nice to express that wish before everything went dark, the light in her eyes fading forever. Maybe the light in Saachi's eyes had already gone out, but Ramona tried not to be a downer, even with death right here.
When the cleaver swung down, but just before her brain function ceased, Ramona could have sworn she heard someone's voice, and a flash of light. Of everything she could have done, and didn't, of all she had failed at, but kept on persevering through.
It was too late to change any of it, but maybe that was okay. Just another cold comfort to take to the grave.
When the cleaver struck home, Ramona had still been humming, still been singing, and she wasn't exactly sure why.
I'll come up singing for you, even when I'm down.
Maybe no one needed to know.
G011: RAMONA SHIRLEY - DECEASED
As she tumbled past Saachi, and the cleaver sank into her gut, she knew that instantly wasn't gonna be the case.
Her screaming filled the room, her own screaming, as she struggled to remain on her feet. It was like the world was turning right underneath her, but she had to keep on standing, if only for a bit more. If she fell now, she ws pretty damn certain that she was never ever getting back up.
Never ever getting back up. That seemed like a pretty okay euphemism for the fact that blood was probably pouring out of her, hand somewhere in the vicinity of the wound in a vain attempt to stem the bleeding. Dying, no, she didn't want to go, not when everyone else was here, but then, maybe she wouldn't have to worry about whether whatever happened to Lyndi was gonna happen again. Maybe she could go watch over her friends from those pearly white gates and try to cheer them on as they tried to beat the odds in spite of fucking everything, and maybe she could be content with that.
What she was thinking was utter bullshit, but she still felt like she needed something to cling onto, when her knees continued to feel like they were going to buckle underneath her, and spots began to appear in her vision, and how everything would go black and then come back somehow brighter than before. It was so hard to keep from falling, but it was as if something inside told her that she couldn't, not until Saachi was finished speaking.
Oh, Saachi was gloaing now, as if she was some kind of Bond supervillain and whatever, and Ramona would've tried to throw out a retort, but feeling as if she was going to literally puke some organs out didn't exactly seem like the best headspace to be in for that. Seriously, though, whatever to whatever Saachi was saying at this point, because her head was swimming now, lost in a murky blood-red river, and maybe the other girl, the crazy-ass motherfucker was just trying to rile her up again, and the anger was still there, as it always was, but she decided that continuing to stand up was more important than that for now.
There were snippets of the girl's rant, something about how they probably were going to start playing at some point, how it was only a matter of time before they died, but Ramona wasn't gonna fall into that trap. Instead, she tried to focus her gaze onto Saachi, even as she continued to visibly wobble back and forth, more and more blood pouring out, and it felt that her heart was eventually gonna give out, but she had to prove something to this biatch. Didn't know what, but something. Something to prove that she wasn't a fool.
Shirleys weren't fools, that was for certain, and maybe she couldn't be the hero that she so wanted to be, but maybe she could do something here, do something now, that would change the tides in favor of life, in favor of living over just plain surviving. In favor of the rainbow after the hurricane, some kind of shelter from the storm, and all those metaphors that felt like they were steadily leaving her brain, preparing to go somewhere else. Somewhere better.
Her knees, though. Her knees still felt like hell, and she was gonna fall over, and maybe, just maybe, something told her that it was time for her to go, and Ramona crumpled to the ground, no more fight left in her body.
But that didn't mean there was no more fight left in her soul.
Saachi was asking her for any last words, and now, Ramona was humming. It was an old song, but if she remembered it right, t was Nina Simone or something. About how stars came and went, with all of their stories, some never told. How some would never make it big, but still kept on fighting, still kept on trying, and -
That was when the tears started coming, coming down in waves, and no, she was not a pretty crier, so it was a mess, the snot mixing in some of the blood, but she didn't know whether she was crying because she was gonna die, or because she had finally figured something out, done something right here. Maybe she was one of those stars, only a stepping stone for the other people out there, and maybe it wouldn't be so bad, to have kept on trying and trying until she ended up giving up her own life.
She wished she could've said that those thoughts meant she died happy, but maybe she could settle for content, just this once. There were too many unheard wishes, dreams and hopes that went unfulfilled and unanswered for her to ever die happy. There was no becoming the big hero, managing to make sure everyone played nice around here or something, and it was childish to believe in something like that, but she still wanted it. Still wanted to be the one who led them all to safety, who got them all out.
Maybe making sure they fled was enough. Maybe it wasn't, and Saachi was right, but that didn't mean Ramona was about to show any of that.
"No, no, I don't need your pity. Just, just wanted some time."
Getting more time was an impossibility, especially now with Saachi looming over her, but it was still nice to express that wish before everything went dark, the light in her eyes fading forever. Maybe the light in Saachi's eyes had already gone out, but Ramona tried not to be a downer, even with death right here.
When the cleaver swung down, but just before her brain function ceased, Ramona could have sworn she heard someone's voice, and a flash of light. Of everything she could have done, and didn't, of all she had failed at, but kept on persevering through.
It was too late to change any of it, but maybe that was okay. Just another cold comfort to take to the grave.
When the cleaver struck home, Ramona had still been humming, still been singing, and she wasn't exactly sure why.
I'll come up singing for you, even when I'm down.
Maybe no one needed to know.
G011: RAMONA SHIRLEY - DECEASED
-
Wham Yubeesling
- Posts: 1257
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:15 pm
- Location: there is a man standing behind you
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
- Contact:
And the moment the cleaver came down, the moment the singing stopped, a noise — the sound of skin slapping cloth — filled the cabin as Maxwell stepped into the room.
"Congratulations."
"Congratulations."
-
jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
The singing made Saachi pause. She couldn't recognise it, but she was certain it was a song at the very least, not random hummings. Her expression visibly softened once the tears started to flow and there was moment of hesitation where Saachi stopped in her tracks to take in everything before her.
It was truly a pathetic sight.
Saachi didn't really know what she was expecting. She had thought she had just wanted to get rid of that look Ramona gave her. She saw something that wasn't defiance but seeing Ramona cry in such an ugly way disgusted her. She wasn't sure whether she was disgusted at Ramona or herself, but she couldn't seem to shake the feeling. It reached a point where she found it hard to look at Ramona anymore. However, she couldn't look away. Well, more like she shouldn't.
Instead, Saachi kept her focus on Ramona, making sure to take in her last words. She should do at least that much. She had already won, the look was gone, so there was no need for her to continue twisting the knife. She stood in silence, looming over her as she managed to choke out a few words. Once she had done so, she brought the cleaver straight down onto her head, extinguishing the sound of music and leaving Saachi alone, watching the body slump against the corner of the room.
She barely had any time to process the situation before another sound caught her attention. It seemed like not everyone had followed Ramona's advice.
"I certainly don't feel like a winner." Saachi retorted, taking the cleaver out of Ramona before turning to greet Maxwell. Even though he was unarmed, Saachi still felt the need to be cautious around him. Out of all her classmates, she definitely regarded him as one of the smarter ones. She was able to respect that. It didn't make him any less slimy to her, in fact, his intelligence probably just exacerbated that aspect of his personality.
She held the cleaver at her side, Ramona's blood dripping onto the floor and joining the many bloodstains that had splattered the room. She stood in one corner, waiting to see if Maxwell, who stood by the entryway leading to the back, would do anything. Were Felicia and Yumi there was well, waiting to pounce on her? If they were, they probably would have done so by now, or even when she was confronting Ramona. The fact they didn't gave support to the theory that Maxwell was alone. That didn't explain why Maxwell stayed behind.
"You don't strike me as the type of kid who have a death wish." Saachi started, her body still tense as she tried to discern Maxwell's motives. "Why are you here, Maxwell? It seems awfully bold of you to confront someone like me without a weapon."
It was truly a pathetic sight.
Saachi didn't really know what she was expecting. She had thought she had just wanted to get rid of that look Ramona gave her. She saw something that wasn't defiance but seeing Ramona cry in such an ugly way disgusted her. She wasn't sure whether she was disgusted at Ramona or herself, but she couldn't seem to shake the feeling. It reached a point where she found it hard to look at Ramona anymore. However, she couldn't look away. Well, more like she shouldn't.
Instead, Saachi kept her focus on Ramona, making sure to take in her last words. She should do at least that much. She had already won, the look was gone, so there was no need for her to continue twisting the knife. She stood in silence, looming over her as she managed to choke out a few words. Once she had done so, she brought the cleaver straight down onto her head, extinguishing the sound of music and leaving Saachi alone, watching the body slump against the corner of the room.
She barely had any time to process the situation before another sound caught her attention. It seemed like not everyone had followed Ramona's advice.
"I certainly don't feel like a winner." Saachi retorted, taking the cleaver out of Ramona before turning to greet Maxwell. Even though he was unarmed, Saachi still felt the need to be cautious around him. Out of all her classmates, she definitely regarded him as one of the smarter ones. She was able to respect that. It didn't make him any less slimy to her, in fact, his intelligence probably just exacerbated that aspect of his personality.
She held the cleaver at her side, Ramona's blood dripping onto the floor and joining the many bloodstains that had splattered the room. She stood in one corner, waiting to see if Maxwell, who stood by the entryway leading to the back, would do anything. Were Felicia and Yumi there was well, waiting to pounce on her? If they were, they probably would have done so by now, or even when she was confronting Ramona. The fact they didn't gave support to the theory that Maxwell was alone. That didn't explain why Maxwell stayed behind.
"You don't strike me as the type of kid who have a death wish." Saachi started, her body still tense as she tried to discern Maxwell's motives. "Why are you here, Maxwell? It seems awfully bold of you to confront someone like me without a weapon."
-
Wham Yubeesling
- Posts: 1257
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:15 pm
- Location: there is a man standing behind you
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
- Contact:
To be honest, not even Maxwell knew why he was here.
He had been standing, at the back door, long after the other two had left. It had been obvious what it had been best to do. It had been obvious that he had to follow, push his legs forward after them, but yet he didn't. But yet he stood there, in thought, for whatever reason considering the idea of going back. Making Ramona's sacrifice pointless. Confronting Saachi on whatever it was it seemed he felt like talking about - he wasn't sure what. Somehow, despite the fact that Maxwell's mind wanted him to talk to her, despite the fact that Maxwell was risking his very life to do so, Maxwell had no idea on what he wanted to talk about, for once. No topics for conversation were emerging in his head.
Well…
He supposed Saachi was conversation enough. She was a… topic of interest for him. Not a member of his group, not someone he had talked to much - if at all - but someone he had admired, in a way. Someone he could… maybe not look up to for her independence, but someone he could appreciate for actually having it, unlike some of the others back at that school. Someone who actually knew what they wanted to do, who they wanted to be. Someone who actually stood out from the rest of the crowd.
...In more ways than one, as well. She had killed… four people so far (Ramona, it seemed, didn't turn out to be anything more than a sacrifice), and while he could appreciate the fact that she killed Jay, he wasn't the only name that Maxwell cared about, and if what the others of the group had said was true, she and Jay weren't entirely enemies. She had more to do with Lyndi's death than it seemed.
Well.
(why are you doing this)
(run run run run get away you fucking idiot)
He supposed that was enough to start a conversation.
"Obligation, mostly," he said. "You killed Jay. You killed Jason."
He paused. Adjusted the arm in his sling, for a few moments.
"I suppose there's something that could be said about that."
He had been standing, at the back door, long after the other two had left. It had been obvious what it had been best to do. It had been obvious that he had to follow, push his legs forward after them, but yet he didn't. But yet he stood there, in thought, for whatever reason considering the idea of going back. Making Ramona's sacrifice pointless. Confronting Saachi on whatever it was it seemed he felt like talking about - he wasn't sure what. Somehow, despite the fact that Maxwell's mind wanted him to talk to her, despite the fact that Maxwell was risking his very life to do so, Maxwell had no idea on what he wanted to talk about, for once. No topics for conversation were emerging in his head.
Well…
He supposed Saachi was conversation enough. She was a… topic of interest for him. Not a member of his group, not someone he had talked to much - if at all - but someone he had admired, in a way. Someone he could… maybe not look up to for her independence, but someone he could appreciate for actually having it, unlike some of the others back at that school. Someone who actually knew what they wanted to do, who they wanted to be. Someone who actually stood out from the rest of the crowd.
...In more ways than one, as well. She had killed… four people so far (Ramona, it seemed, didn't turn out to be anything more than a sacrifice), and while he could appreciate the fact that she killed Jay, he wasn't the only name that Maxwell cared about, and if what the others of the group had said was true, she and Jay weren't entirely enemies. She had more to do with Lyndi's death than it seemed.
Well.
(why are you doing this)
(run run run run get away you fucking idiot)
He supposed that was enough to start a conversation.
"Obligation, mostly," he said. "You killed Jay. You killed Jason."
He paused. Adjusted the arm in his sling, for a few moments.
"I suppose there's something that could be said about that."
-
jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
It took a while for Maxwell to respond, during which Saachi was still trying to parse his motivations. Saachi felt awkward, especially since he was confronting her immediately after she had killed someone. The fact that he seemed to be so calm having seen his ally die was unsettling to her. Or maybe he was just trying to put forward a brave front? That would be something that she'd expect out of his modus operandi. With Maxwell, it was hard to know where the truth ended and the lies began. He had a certain way with words that Saachi was pretty sure she was never going to reach, even as a debater.
It was why she still refused to let her guard down, even if one of his arms was in a sling. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the blood dripping from her meat cleaver. Each drop echoed, reverberating around the room to fill the silence between the two. The room was a disaster zone, indicative of the chaos that had occurred immediately before. Maxwell was an oddity, peculiar even back at Denton. Perhaps he was even more peculiar here if that was possible.
"Yeah, I guess there could," Saachi responded tersely. Had she killed more people than KK by now? It felt like she had. The days became a blur of fights, blood and dead bodies that she never really stopped to think about how many she had killed. Yes, this was a numbers game, but without an estimate of how many kids there were, Saachi had been more focused on just taking people down. In a way, the number of kills she had became irrelevant. She'd killed so many people now that people knew she was a player and a threat. She had already committed to playing the game, so she might as well go all out.
"It's the path I've committed to, and you know I'm not the type of person who half-asses anything I put my mind to. It's the Nidal way, one could say."
Maxwell didn't seem to pose a threat, and god knows when it was the last time Saachi talked to someone who wasn't immediately hostile. Granted, Maxwell could possibly just be humouring her and probably secretly hate her guts, but at this point, she felt like playing along. It was nice not having to be vitriolic towards another student, even if it was entirely her fault that the others were aggressive towards her in the first place. Saachi loosened a bit but still kept her eyes on Maxwell. She elected not to mention the alliance she had with Jay, mostly because she remembered Maxwell and Lyndi dated each other and she didn't want to ruin the conversation immediately.
"I'm surprised that I haven't heard your name on the announcements. You never seemed like the type to give a damn about anyone else." Saachi needled, a little smirk forming on the right side of her face. "What's your gameplan here? I assume you have one unless you've been running around the island like a headless chicken. But, knowing you, I doubt that."
It was why she still refused to let her guard down, even if one of his arms was in a sling. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the blood dripping from her meat cleaver. Each drop echoed, reverberating around the room to fill the silence between the two. The room was a disaster zone, indicative of the chaos that had occurred immediately before. Maxwell was an oddity, peculiar even back at Denton. Perhaps he was even more peculiar here if that was possible.
"Yeah, I guess there could," Saachi responded tersely. Had she killed more people than KK by now? It felt like she had. The days became a blur of fights, blood and dead bodies that she never really stopped to think about how many she had killed. Yes, this was a numbers game, but without an estimate of how many kids there were, Saachi had been more focused on just taking people down. In a way, the number of kills she had became irrelevant. She'd killed so many people now that people knew she was a player and a threat. She had already committed to playing the game, so she might as well go all out.
"It's the path I've committed to, and you know I'm not the type of person who half-asses anything I put my mind to. It's the Nidal way, one could say."
Maxwell didn't seem to pose a threat, and god knows when it was the last time Saachi talked to someone who wasn't immediately hostile. Granted, Maxwell could possibly just be humouring her and probably secretly hate her guts, but at this point, she felt like playing along. It was nice not having to be vitriolic towards another student, even if it was entirely her fault that the others were aggressive towards her in the first place. Saachi loosened a bit but still kept her eyes on Maxwell. She elected not to mention the alliance she had with Jay, mostly because she remembered Maxwell and Lyndi dated each other and she didn't want to ruin the conversation immediately.
"I'm surprised that I haven't heard your name on the announcements. You never seemed like the type to give a damn about anyone else." Saachi needled, a little smirk forming on the right side of her face. "What's your gameplan here? I assume you have one unless you've been running around the island like a headless chicken. But, knowing you, I doubt that."