A Time to Build And A Time to Destroy

[Rattlesnake]

"How far could you throw her?"

"Girl's bad fuckin' news. Bad, bad, bad fuckin' news. Like normally I'd say, hey, you know, do your thing. Maybe it's not strictly smart, but maybe that's not your angle. You'll do somethin' interesting at least, and a plan's better than no plan, you know? This one's a wildfire, though. Like, you stand there watchin' and thinkin' it's dangerous, and the wind blows the wrong way and it's a fuckin' desolation and you're in the middle of it. She-

"...I think all the Crabs would benefit from hearing that.

"But enough about her. You got yourself a new plan, huh?"

[Applesintime]

Pippi was... bad news. Anthony, at first, didn't understand what he meant, what Ben was implying by his whole wildfire thing. But eventually, he somewhat figured it out. Maybe she necessarily wasn't dangerous. Maybe she was. But blowing around her was a wind of death. He didn't know, Ben was being unclear. Maybe that was intentional, but he needed to know.

"I don't know Ben, I don't-I don't fucking know. I have these... I have a billion things running through my fucking mind, I'm fucking flat roofing, I don't want to fucking die on live TV! This is a fucking nightmare! And I don't fucking get how people can just willingly pick up guns and knives and kill each other! A week ago, a fucking WEEK AGO, we were friends! Maybe we didn't all goddamn like each other, but the second it was goddamn acceptable, that you could pick up a gun and blow each other away, everyone started fucking champing at the bit to murder each other! I don't wanna be on my fucking ones, but- Fuck, I don't know, Ben."

He took a breath. Fuck it, he didn't care if some fanboy or fangirl wanted to have his drink, he was thirsty as fuck. Sipping at his Gatorade - classic flavour, he wanted to save the orange for another time, he allowed himself to take a breather before responding.

"I-

"Two things, Ben.

"One. What has she done? Like, how is she bad news specifically? Is she a player? Is she like, luring me to my death? Should I... would it be prudent to take care of her?

"And two. The whole player thing. What are your... thoughts on it. I know it's idealistic, I know I'm probably going to die, but truth be told I don't give two fucking shits. I'm not going to let Ivan, Seo-yun, all of them, get out of this place without someone going against them. Someone trying to stop them. I know it's like..."

Anthony looked down, at his wooden board.

"I don't have good weaponry. But guerrilla warfare, innit? Can't exactly make myself a petrol bomb or anything like that, but I'll have to catch them lacking elsewhere. Get them while they're sleeping, break their fucking legs, kick 'em in the balls, whatever. Because a lot of my goddamn friends are dead right now, Ben! Jasper, Seth, Leo, and I'll be fucking damned if they get another. If they kill more innocents."

"...Do we have any petrol here, Ben? All I'd need is glass or something, then'd I have a petrol bomb. Better than a shitty board and a shiv."

"And, uh. Just a warning. I don't give a single fuck what bandana they wear. Whether it be orange, blue, or fucking brown as shit. So... if I end up taking down one of my teammates, sorry, mate, but it's their funeral. They didn't have to kill someone, and it's just like, reaping what you sow, innit?"

[Rattlesnake]

"First things first."

"There may be some information that we aren't strictly given to go-ahead to share. She's been trouble, she is trouble, she's gonna be trouble, believe me on that. Maybe you can try to cut her short, but I'm not sure she needs the help there.

"Now for your plan, I hope it doesn't turn you off if I think that's excellent. That's the sort of drive you need in this place." The voice from Anthony' collar rises sharply, losing its usual smoothness. "But don't fuckin' fuck with the Crabs alright? This is - look, nobody asked to be here, yeah? And you, you, you sit there. No a fuckin' hope, not a fuckin' dream, but you pink up your gun and you think, maybe there is a way. Maybe I'll still be broken inside when it's all done, but I'll still be here and I can find a hole to sink into and cover over the entrance with sponsorship money so I can hide from the people who did this to me."

There is a short sigh, and the voice regains most of its former tone.

"Purely hypothetical, by the way. And I guess I should be one to talk about teamwork. But this time it's official, you know? And the Crabs are doin' great so far. You make it to the end, let's be realistic, maybe five crabs left. And maybe you killed one. That means you're the reason only five highschool kids got out of this place without being gunned down instead of six. That's 100% on you. Think you could live with that?"

[Applesintime]

"Alright, alright! I'll leave the Crabs alone, alright? I'll just - look, at least I know Ivan and Seo-yun aren't on my team. She isn't on our team, at least because like, the Krakens have five kills or something so it's a 50/50. Is she on our team?" Of course, Anthony wasn't going to just not kill a killer because they had a certain colour of bandana wrapped around their arm or head or whatever. He wanted to tell Ben to fuck off, that he didn't need his help and he was going to kill whoever was the fucking killer if their bandana was brown, blue or orange, that he would do what he had to without his assistance.

But he stayed quiet, because that was a stupid idea. Ben was the one person he could rely on, and as Ben talked, he just nodded, sipping from his Gatorade. Heh, he wondered how that gator he saw in the park was doing? Probably floating around like, a zoo or Louisiana or something, happy as Larry, not knowing that the four people who had encountered him were going to end up dying. Jesus, that little guy'd end up outliving them all. No. No, he wouldn't outlive Anthony, because he was going to live, goddamn it. He would live, he'd go home, he'd become a goddamn EMT and instead of being forced to take lives, he'd be the one saving them. What would he do when he got out, what's the first thing?

Takeaway.

Had to be a takeaway. No matter how shitty, how greasy or however poor the takeaway was for its health and safety, it'd be absolutely pengers.

"Alright. Before I go, before your time gets cut off or anything, any tips? If I do end up taking care of her, I mean. I- I already know the parts to hit - veins, head, arteries, all that shit, but I mean... mentally." It was absurd, how he was talking about killing her in a way that sounded more like he was gonna become her carer or some shit. But, until he could get off this place, that was his life.

He hated it.

[Rattlesnake]

"Nah, she sure as hell ain't on our team.

"And when the time comes, don't hesitate. Most people do. But, like, they call it spirit of the staircase or something? When you're walking away from an argument and you're thinking, man, I could have said this totally cool thing and destroyed that guy. Think about that now. She blocks my swing, I'll give her a cunt punt. She takes it to the ground, I'm going for her eyes, you know? It's the most important thing you've ever done, and probably the most dangerous, so don't half-ass it. Let her be the one trying to beat your plan on the fly. And if you wanna gloat, or give some heroic speech or whatever, do it later. There will be time. 'Cuz I'll be honest, highschool kids kinda fuckin' suck at killing each other. It's hardly ever just bang, boom, lights out."

There is a brief pause.

"You're a good kid, Anthony. Hope to meet you later. For now... good luck."

[Applesintime]

"Thanks. I... I'll keep that in mind. Hopefully, though, hit the right place, and maybe lights out. Then, uh, it won't be just as hard." What wouldn't be so hard? Beating her head in? Stabbing her to death? Being able to physically do it, to kill another person, to wipe out 16-18 years of life, of family, of love? So many possibilities, snuffed out like a flame. No, no, he needed to figure out what she was doing if he decided to do it. If he wanted to do it, after he learned what she had done. She wasn't on the announcement, sure, but maybe there was a corpse lying somewhere with a pink bandana around their head or arm and it was that baton she held that had cracked their head in.

"Hopefully, heh. Hopefully... I dunno if you can still reply or whatever, but, uh, if I don't make it out of this place alive, can you... make sure my body gets back to them? I want a funeral, not to just sink down to the ocean floor and get my eyes nibbled by crabs or some shit." For a second, his fingers twirled his crucifix around, a reminder of his faith. God knew what would happen, and that calmed him somewhat. It was set in stone, maybe, and no matter what happened, he probably couldn't change that.

Tossing his finished bottle of Gatorade to the side, Anthony picked up the wooden board, stepped gingerly past the glass of the spotlight, and made his way into the open flotilla.

((Anthony Golden continued in It Means Everything))