A Roaring In The Blood

[Shiola]

((Tyrell Lahti continued from Untrust Us))

That fucking idiot.

Waking up, Ty had expected more protests about staying in the Temple. He’d expected the three of them, four if Princess awoke, to sit around and take in the morning’s announcements. Take stock of their supplies, their weapons, and assess the situation. Be smart about it. Be worthy of whatever dumb nickname they’d given themselves by actually organizing, actually planning so they could achieve the goals they’d set for themselves. Which, as far as he could tell, amounted to killing Erika and not dying.

Lucas had been handed everything he needed. A gun, a collar radar, and the one person who had more information about his quarry than anyone else. Ty had given him more information than he deserved, choking on the venom that he spewed out of his mouth, describing the best way to kill his serially homicidal girlfriend. All he had to do was stay, all he had to do was follow a few simple instructions and he could've gotten what he wanted. They might have all incidentally survived longer as a result, given all they had to work with.

But no, of course not. Of course he’d decided to do the stupid thing and go after her alone. What was he afraid of, that someone else might kill her first? That she could somehow get away? Even if she carved a worse path across the island in the interim, eventually they’d run into her. There were still other killers to worry about, and they still had to look out for Princess. Was it really so easy to abandon the three of them?

This is all he thinks about. Maybe it wasn’t easy, but he had to do it anyways. It’s not like I gave him any other impression, I pretty much confirmed all the shit he was already telling himself.

He stared out from the doorway, crowbar in hand and bag slung across his back. For the past five minutes he’d been lingering there, debating internally whether or not he had any right to go after Lucas. Given Princess’ state there was no way her and Katelynne could keep up, not at the pace Ty needed to go to even find Lucas. He thought about waking them, but it would take more time than he thought he had. They might insist on going, or argue that he ought to stay here.

There was a part of him that knew he should have. That he should’ve let this person go on their suicidal vendetta and hope that he managed to succeed against all odds, that he wouldn’t get disemboweled by one of the other killers on the island before he even laid eyes on her.

But he’d encouraged him. Given him the tools he needed to actually accomplish it. This was something he was responsible for, something he ought to take responsibility for. For all the sins he’d committed, denying the weight of his words and actions were at least the most insipid. As much as Lucas couldn’t just let this go, it wasn’t right for Ty to just let him go.

I’ll come back. If you’ll still have me, I won’t leave again. I promised him the same.

Katelynne had faced down Quinn, and lived. She’d made it this far, and was stronger than she seemed at first. Her survival wasn’t contingent on him, as much as he wanted to help. As much as it felt like a way to shirk responsibility, Ty tried to trust his instincts. They’d look after one another.

I’ll come back. I promise.

He thought of his sister. The other, other Katie. How it hurt when he realized she wasn’t coming back, though he managed to find a way to understand. Hopefully those two would find a way to understand, to know why he had to go after Lucas. If they did, they’d know he would find them again.

After taking one final look back, Ty stepped away from the Temple steps and once again set out to the rest of the island.

With any luck, he thought, he’d do better the second time around.

((Tyrell Lahti continued in Something To Believe In))