Kids with Guns

Super Llama† · #1

{{continued from The Wind Below}}

"No...shit, no..."

Noah stood in the doorway of the cottage, staring down at what used to be Vera Lang.

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(earlier)

John, Kyrie, Vera, where the hell are you?

Noah made his way through the jungle, using his newly-gained harpoon to push aside the brush as best he could, though it wasn't as effective as he had hoped. He hadn't seen Emma since he had left, so he assumed that she had decided not to follow along. For a moment, he felt a bit of regret for not stying behind to help her. She was obviously scared out of her mind, and he couldn't blame her for that, seeing what she was running from. But the worry for his group overruled the worry for Emma. Sure, he had only been around the other members of his group for the same time he'd been around Emma, but he still liked to think of them as people he could trust.

But where the hell do I even start? This island is huge! It was just then that he noticed a large break of trees nearby, heading towards it. Soon after, he noticed a cottage in the distance. Well, that's as good a place as any to start, I guess. Here's hoping I don't run into yet ANOTHER crazy.

His approach was interuptted by the sound of gunfire. What the fuck!? Ducking down instinctively, he looked towards the front door of the cottage to see the back of someone who looked vaguely familiar.

...is that Lex? She was certainly wearing the same outfit that the girl from the showers was wearing. It MUST be her. But who the hell was she shooting at? The idea came into his head to go over to her, but then he remembered how hostile she was to him and the others. Maybe it'd be better if I just stayed put for now...

He knelt in wait as Lex apparently started to converse with the person she was shooting at, which only served to confuse him, before shouting out a loud "DON'T FUCKING HELP ME!" and kicking at something before storming off.

...okay, now I'm curious. He was well aware that he would more than likely find a dead body inside, but there was still a chance that there was somebody still alive. Getting up and cautiously making his way to the front door, watching out for any sudden movements that may signal an attack.

What he saw caused him to drop his harpoon right to the floor.

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"Dammit..."

It was Vera that Lex was shooting at. It was Vera that Lex had KILLED. But why? They had been travelling together before he came into the scene. And even though she had fallen out with the group, this was the last thing he expected.

"DAMMIT..."

He clenched his fists tightly. So tightly, in fact, that his nails started to cut into his palm. He didn't even notice the pain, though. His mind was busy reeling with pure, undiluted rage.

Noah turned around and punched the doorframe. Hard. And then he did it again. And again. And again. And again. Over and over, his knuckles split and bleeding, leaving crimson stains on the wood.

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!!"

Without thinking, he drove his head right into the doorframe now, which only served to make him stagger back, tripping over a nearby rock and falling over. He lay there for a while, sobbing uncontrollably as he stared up at the sky. "God dammit..."

Why would he be so distraught over losing somebody he had known for less than a day? Well, that wasn't entirely the reason. When he, Vera, Kyrie, and John were still at the showers, he had inadvertantly made himself the leader of the group. He had resolved to find a way to get off the island, and to make sure all of them escaped with him. But he had failed. The group was separated, and now one of them was dead. And in that occurance he was faced with his own uselessness. The front of optimism he had been struggling to hold up against the atrocities of the game (and failing miserably) had finally crumbled. What the fuck kind of leader was he? His group was likely scattered all over the island, not one of them armed with an effective weapon for fighting off the players that hunted them. It was only a matter of time before they too were taken out.

But they're still alive.

Noah blinked as optimism suddenly prevailed with a single thought. That's right, they may be at the mercy of the players, but the important thing is that they're still alive. And if they're still alive, then they still can be saved.

Getting back up, he brushed himself off and went back to retrieve his harpoon, when he looked back down at Vera. It wasn't right, just leaving her there like the world's most morbid doorstop. But he didn't have time to dig a grave for her, either. He had to get moving. Stepping inside and looking around the room until he found what he was looking for, he then picked up Vera's body (not without some difficulty; she was heaver than she appeared), carrying her over to the bed and throwing back the sheets. He laid Vera's body on the bed, covering her back up, including her head. It was a lot better than just leaving her sprawled out on the floor. For a moment, he thought to say a prayer, but then again he was never the religious type, and this was doing absolutely nothing to persuade him otherwise.

"...I'm sorry. I have to go now." Was all he could manage after a moment, stepping out of the bedroom and closing the door behind him, picking his harpoon back up before leaving the cottage and heading back into the brush.

He'd find Kyrie and John, he'd do whatever it took to keep them alive. Then he'd find SADD, and leave the two of them with them. And then? And then he'd find Lex, and he'd make her pay for what she did to Vera. He couldn't let himself have true peace until Lex was dead.

{{continued elsewhere}}