The Girl Who Owned an Island

[Laurels]

Alba nodded as she knelt to her knees. There was a gun in Kaitlyn's bag for her. She had heard her little brother say he was shooting an uzi when he was playing with some other boys in the neighborhood, so she knew it had to be quite deadly. Sure enough, there it was. Alba grabbed it by the barrel as Kaitlyn instructed. Once she had it out of the bag, she stood back up and faced Kaitlyn.

"Okay," she said. "I have the gun. Kate, what is going on?"

Alba could feel her eyes starting to water.

[D/N]

"What's going on..."

What's going on is this is a party that's never gonna stop and a feeling that can't end.

"Like holy shitsicles Alba you know what's going on! I know you, you're not fucking dumb but what's going on?"

Granted, this specific situation was... oh she had to admit, kinda out there. But you had to think outside the box. If you wanted to own it.

What's also going on is that Toll Booth was complete. It was dead. 'Cause it might've been enough for Day One but on Day Six you needed more. You needed to up the dosage. You needed to go from a few straggling zombies to the whole goddamn horde.

She stepped towards Alba. Just in case the other girl was getting the idea to bolt now.

Hahaha. Bolt. Like the crossbow bolts. Fuck, that was a good one.

"What's going on is that... me, you no one's gonna get to the end we just keep chickening out when it counts. Keep the gun in one hand there, Alba. I like you. You're good. But you're..."

Alba was what? She wasn't anything. She just wasn't enough. She was just a friend. And that's why it had to be her. It had to be her since the rush was going so far beyond anything she'd expected now because of that.

Kaitlyn took another step and held the bow steady.

"You got a chance here, Alba. Don't do anything I don't tell you to and I promise... I fucking promise I will not shoot you. Now let's walk. Into the cove there. We're gonna play a game.

"It's called High Tide."

[Laurels]

Alba lowered her head as Kaitlyn began to insult her. It hurt to see her friend suddenly turn on her, so she didn't want to look at her. She moved the uzi to her dominant hand as Kaitlyn instructed. She felt a tear fall down her cheek. She had never imagined herself in such a position, and if Kaitlyn was giving her specific instructions, then she would do so if it'd ensure she'd live.

Kaitlyn wanted to play something called "High Tide." Alba looked up at her friend.

"High Tide? I..I've never played that before. What do I have to do?"

Alba stared at Kaitlyn and bit her lip again. She had no idea what Kaitlyn had planned, especially if it meant one of them was unlikely to leave the cove. She slowly breathed out, and awaited Kaitlyn's instructions.

[D/N]

"Yeah, I just made it up."

Okay, so Alba wasn't gonna move. Kaitlyn stepped forward and tensed the custom trigger with with finger.

That got her going.

"It's a game of... The tide's coming in here soon. We're gonna welcome it. That's it. I did this back on like day one, but I fucking lost my nerve. I blinked and took off when it was like at my knees."

She led Alba down into the cove. It felt damp. Kaitlyn could feel the the pressure about to drop, she could almost see it in the rocks. It felt like the walls were about to fucking close in here.

It felt spectacular.

"There's only one rule. Don't blink. You blink and try to run, I gotta shoot ya. You blink and try to shoot me... well good fucking luck getting a shot off before again, I shoot you. Cause I'm good at this. I used to go turkey shooting with my dad, you know that?"

There was one more rule, of course.

"I blink and try to run early, then I don't deserve it and you shoot me. Or you can run yourself, I don't give a shit. But if you can hang on long enough... you're free to go, cause I'll be going too. If you can make it out."

[Laurels]

Alba allowed Kaitlyn to lead her towards the cave. Kaitlyn had devised some game for them to play, and considering it involved guns and crossbows, Alba was terrified for just what "High Tide" would entail.

Kaitlyn explained the rules to her. They were playing a game of Chicken with the ocean, waiting to either shoot one another or let the water raise to the point where they drowned. Apparently, if Alba could hold out until Kaitlyn admitted defeat, they could both leave alive, but trying to run or shoot the other person would result in death. Alba wanted them both to leave, but the rising water levels scared her.

Alba breathed in and out, another tear falling down her cheek.

"Kate, why are you doing this? What will this accomplish?"

Alba's gaze went from Kaitlyn's weapon to the unfamiliar gun in her hand. She didn't want to kill Kaitlyn, and if Kaitlyn lost the game, Alba wasn't sure she could actually kill Kaitlyn as per the rules.

Alba covered her eyes, taking the time to flutter her eyes to clear the tears out. She moved her hand down and stared at her friend. If this was as Alba suspected, what Alba really needed to be concerned about was if Kaitlyn decided to play fair or not. Alba wasn't going to kill Kaitlyn, but maybe Kaitlyn was already thinking of how to kill her.

"Please, just let me go," she pleaded.

[D/N]

Let her go.

"Let you go. Why?"

She let that question hang over the air a bit.

"What, cause I like you?"

See, and now Kaitlyn was starting to get pissed.

"Are you gonna wander around this island like 'lalalalalalala' some more and then die because some crazy kid finally shoots you, Alba? Because you obviously fucking are, I know you too good. Half our goddamn class is already dead."

Because the whole thing was she christkilling knew that Alba had the potential to be more than that. That was why she was so perfect for this! If Kaitlyn had dragged Mia back from the dead and put her here... well that chick would already be blubbering on the floor. Alba at least had a chance, but she just... wasn't... getting it.

"Hey... in derby, you just gonna scream 'aaaah' and duck when some bigass dyke tosses an elbow at you or are you gonna take it and then knock her on her ass?"

Kaitlyn nudged the scuffed edge of her shoe on the ground. Digging in a bit. Had to keep her stance ready here because any moment, it was gonna start.

"I've.... lost my nerve so many times here. I gotta do this, or I'm not gonna last either, you know."

[Laurels]

Alba remained frozen, her head slightly down as Kaitlyn ripped her apart. The person Kaitlyn was describing did sound like how Alba had been acting the first few days on this island. But even she was past that now. She saw two people die, saw another nearly die, and has been worried about her safety and the safety of those around her more times than she could count at this point. Kaitlyn didn't know what she had been through, and for her to judge her as weak and pathetic was just wrong.

It also didn't help that Kaitlyn was using language she didn't like. Seriously, not every girl who played roller derby was a lesbian, and the D word wasn't very polite.

"Kaitlyn, you know how I play in roller derby," Alba said. "I'm not some weak girl there. I'll fight back there, and I'll fight back here. But what I also know is that roller derby is a team sport."

Alba swallowed the lump in her throat and stared at Kaitlyn.

"This game isn't like a roller derby match. We're not Reina Roja and Katy Buried here, but Girl #35 and Girl whatever-your-number-is. I know that the best way to make it through this is together. That's why I've been sticking close with good people like Brendan and Fiyori and Bryony Adams. Because I want to work with the right people so we don't all die. For god's sake, I was even doing target practice yesterday so I could be prepared if someone tried to kill me or my friends."

Alba clenched the uzi.

"So please, don't act like you have to do something like this to survive. Let's just get out of here and go somewhere else. We can find the others and think about what to do next. I won't tell the others about this game, I promise."

She stared directly at Kaitlyn.

"Please."

[D/N]

Oh.

Was that hesitation?

"Next..."

Kaitlyn coughed. Held her crossbow steady. It really was a beautiful thing. Who the fuck had come up with this idea? One pull of the trigger and the bolt flies out and embeds itself wherever you want.

"Next there's what, stick around and what? I stuck around all the last couple days doing nothing and being gutless and guess what, I felt like crap. Next there's..."

Kaitlyn heard it a second before anything else. Man, she had great senses.

The water started flowing in. Slowly at first. Just like day one. Let it build.

"You'll feel it Alba. Once you get it, it's... best feeling in the world."

[Laurels]

Alba felt the water start to flood into the cave. It was very little at first, but it was a sign of what was to come. Alba could start to feel some get into her shoes and wet her socks. She clenched her teeth as she felt it. If this was how bad it felt at foot level, she couldn't imagine how uncomfortable it would feel at waist level or higher.

Kaitlyn didn't seem willing to consider the idea of dropping the game and leaving. Alba's eyes darted around the cave. There had to be something she could say or do to convince Kaitlyn to stop this. Something so they could both leave. Alba had a thought.

"Kate, if we both survive and walk out to discover our bags have been stolen, then what?" she asked. "We just left perfectly good supplies out in the open for anyone to take. Would that be worth this feeling you care so much about?"

She prayed that would matter to Kaitlyn.

[D/N]

Oh man. Oh man ohmanohmanohman.

Kaitlyn could feel her heart jackhammering as the water oh-so-amazingly slowly flowed over her ankles. Yeah.

"Yeah."

It was worth everything.

Just breathe in and out and let the feeling in.

[Laurels]

Alba shuddered as more water came in. From the looks of it, Kaitlyn was enjoying the moment and didn't have much to say or think about the question she asked. Alba understood then. If material items weren't enough for her, maybe threats. Well, not direct threats. That could cause Kaitlyn to shoot Alba.

"Kate, Brendan and I separated not too far from here," she said. "If he and Fiyori are looking for me, they might come this way. They could see the rifle out there and come charging in. I don't want to give them cause to harm you, but Brendan has a gun too, and he may kill you if he thinks you'll kill me. Heck, someone else could stumble in while we're playing this dumb game and kill us both."

Alba shook her head. It hurt to lie about Brendan, but surely Kaitlyn had suspicions about his reputation at this point.

"Kate, please. We're only asking for someone like Isabel or Kimiko to rob us and kill us while we're distracted. Let's stop. This is stupid."

Alba shivered again. Something had to give for this girl.

[D/N]

The water was creeping past her shins. So she'd already beaten last time. That was pretty kickass. Not even close to enough to prove it, of course. But it was a start.

And Alba just kept trying to ruin the moment.

"Just a few more minutes..."

Kaitlyn stared over her crossbow at her.

"Better lift up your gun. It's gonna get soaked and those things don't work too well underwater. And keep it in one hand, duh."

Her dad had taught her that. He'd taught her everything. Kaitlyn realized that now. Sure, there were fights at times, there was the whole 'Dad, you suck!' spiel she guessed every teenager went through. There was Melanie, when it should have just been the two of them. There was the time he'd caught her stealing fifty bucks from him and backhanded her across the face. But there was one thing he'd given to her above all, beyond driving her halfway across the state to derby and letting her set up an account on PokerStars with his credit card. Because he'd also refused to buy her skates because she was old enough to find a way to pay for them herself. Because when she'd busted out the first time he'd forced her to realize that that was her own mess to deal with. Because he'd taught her to do one thing, and that was own it.

And she'd be making Keller Greene so proud of her.

"Alba... Christ. How strong are you, huh? You just wanna... Okay, you ask yourself one thing. What's the size of your dream?"

Did she dream of winning or did she dream of even surviving or did she dream of just hoping she could hang out and somehow make it to the end?

Cause Kaitlyn dreamed. And there were no more dreams of shit like just hoping you could stay alive another day without earning it.

"Cause if you actually want to live? That's your dream? Then this is it! Own it, and let yourself fucking feel!"

[Laurels]

Alba raised the uzi up at Kaitlyn's suggestion. More water was coming in now, causing Alba's pants to get wet and cling to her skin. She figured they were getting close to the end, or at least close enough to Kaitlyn's level of tolerance, so she may as well continue to do as Kaitlyn ordered. Granted, the idea of pointing a gun at her friend didn't make her feel any better. She had no idea how the gun worked or if the safety was off, but she really hated the idea of keeping it aimed at Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn may be crazy, but she was still a friend.

Kaitlyn, unfortunately, didn't have time for any of Alba's questions. She was back at attacking Alba, this time targeting her dreams. Alba could feel more water rushing in as Kaitlyn continued to go on and on about how this was it.

"What makes you think this is my dream?!?" Alba shouted. "My dream is to become a veterinarian and start a family someday, not play Chicken in a cave on some damn island with my friend! You're the only one enjoying this, Kate, and the fact that I'm not doesn't mean I'm weak. It just means I'd rather be anywhere else than here right now!"

Alba lowered the uzi momentarily, pressing the palm of her free hand to her forehead. Tears were starting to stream down her face.

"Kate, do you want to kill me that badly? Is that your dream? Or would you rather I kill you?"

[D/N]

And just like before it was coming in faster and faster and it was almost up to her waist.

"Yeah, well my dream was to move to Vegas and fuck around and gamble and play roller derby, but this is better, Alba! This is... lift your gun up a bit higher."

Yeah. No chance Alba could get both hands on it, aim and fire. See, Kaitlyn never said this game was totally fair. But Alba, poor Alba was getting close to breaking point and Kaitlyn couldn't have that. Not yet.

"Alba... I don't want to kill you. You will always be my friend. And you haven't... you're so close. Now let me feel it a minute more."

Not yet because the feeling was exploding in her body now and Kaitlyn wished she could close her eyes and let it sweep over her. It was surging through the pit of her guts because she had guts and she knew it now and it was stiff and intoxicating like nothing else.

She kept breathing. "Own it," she muttered to herself.

"Own it. Own the city."

It was orgasmic.

[Laurels]

Alba looked at Kaitlyn as Kaitlyn continued to ramble. What happened to Kaitlyn that made her become like this? Was it something on the island, or was it always lying there dormant? Killing that girl the other day must have done something awful to Kaitlyn if the girl Alba knew back home was as sane as she thought she was. Alba kept the uzi by her side and stared at Kaitlyn.

The water was getting higher and higher. It would be at Alba's waist soon. She was getting colder and more miserable the longer this went on. Kaitlyn had to be reaching her limit soon. If she wasn't, then Alba knew there wasn't any hope for her friend.

"Kaitlyn, I can't," Alba said, her voice wavering and her gaze lowered to the rising water. "I can't enjoy this like you can. Sorry, but I want to leave. Please tell me you've had enough and that I can go."