So. Virginia had been there the whole time.
Not, like, there there. Not up close. But she had seen the whole thing, sitting on a crate in the distance.
SB08: VIRGINIA BURNS: START
She hadn't recognized exactly who it was. A girl and a boy, she was pretty sure, but names didn't come to her. It had happened pretty fast, while she was just sitting there cradling the shotgun in her lap like a baby, or a pet cat or something. Thinking of it like a pet made her absently stroke it, running her palm over the metal that was slowly warming to her hands and the sun.
Anyway.
It had happened really fast, and so Virginia hadn't had time to decide whether she was going to react before the opportunity was already gone. The boy went into the water, and he didn't come back up, and the girl ran away as fast as someone could while bumbling from floating crate to floating crate, and that was that.
Her heart was pounding. She could feel it in her throat. Her eyes were dry, but that was mostly because she'd never really been a crier.
This was how people felt in the moments before a disaster, maybe, only time was supposed to slow down then. She guessed that she'd actually already had that moment, when the guys in suits knocked on her classroom door and called a few people out. Everyone knew what that meant, even if they didn't really watch SOTF.
Virginia had started packing up her things as soon as she saw them, but they'd told her to leave her stuff, so it didn't really matter in the end.
So not quite pre-disaster slowdown. Not quite panic attack. She was... buzzing. That worked. That worked for now.
Virginia sat staring out to where the boy's body had disappeared between crates, and she wondered if it would be floating there like driftwood if she made her way over, or if it had gotten crushed between them. She wished, not for the first time, that she had decided to disregard all the rules and just bring drugs to school in case she needed them. Now she needed them and didn't have them. Classic, really.
The buzzing finally retreated enough for Virginia to decide to stand. The crate she was on was stable enough to do that, but it wasn't steady. She didn't know what purpose these served, aside from right now making terrain so that people wouldn't be left floating in open water. Throwing someone in and having them drown before the knockout gas ever wore off would be bad TV, she guessed.
Carefully, less gazelle and more wobbling baby giraffe, Virginia made her way over to where the boy had fallen in, to see what she could see.
Revolution No. 9
Turn me on, dead man.
And further aways away, near the rim of the cargo floats, Abel followed behind the girl. Cautious, careful, calculated steps. How embarrassing would it be to drown from the word go? He couldn't imagine.
You know, he'd never been on a yacht before? First time for everything, he supposed, even during a murder game. But wow! When they talk about the view from those things, they really meant it. He even got a little show, what with the whole people already murdering each other. Must've been rough for that kid.
But there was another actor in this play here, another girl, determined to get to where that boy got pushed off. But why? Well, he'd-
...Whoops! Almost fell. Maybe this actually was a little harder than it looked. But he was committed now, and he always saw his commitments through.
And so ((SB10: Abel Kuntz)) kept following right along.
You know, he'd never been on a yacht before? First time for everything, he supposed, even during a murder game. But wow! When they talk about the view from those things, they really meant it. He even got a little show, what with the whole people already murdering each other. Must've been rough for that kid.
But there was another actor in this play here, another girl, determined to get to where that boy got pushed off. But why? Well, he'd-
...Whoops! Almost fell. Maybe this actually was a little harder than it looked. But he was committed now, and he always saw his commitments through.
And so ((SB10: Abel Kuntz)) kept following right along.
Well, he was certainly dead. Virginia could see that much even a few crates away as she closed the distance. He'd been crushed between the heavy metal crates, and they hadn't drifted apart again far enough to let him sink fully into the water.
He wasn't in Virginia's class, so she didn't know his name.
She stood, balancing on the crate with her feet slightly apart, one hand clasping the strap of the bag on her shoulder, one hand holding the gun. It was heavy, but she was already getting used to the weight. Firing it out here would probably knock her right into the water, and then her makeup would be ruined, and she'd have to swim back to something solid while also lugging the gun, so better not. There was nothing to aim at, anyway. Just a stray thought. She couldn't shoot her stray thoughts out of the sky.
Virginia had never seen a dead body in real life, and that was why she was thinking about inane things like being able to shoot her metaphysical thoughts. Let's just go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room there. There was a dead boy in the water in front of her, and not a pretty and artful dead boy, a very messy and battered one, and she didn't. She didn't know what to do with that reality in front of her. Her thoughts could float through the sky, but they kept coming back to him now, dead in the water.
What can you do for a dead person when you don't even know their name?
Virginia wasn't a crier, but now her eyes were stinging, and she didn't think it was because of the salty air.
He wasn't in Virginia's class, so she didn't know his name.
She stood, balancing on the crate with her feet slightly apart, one hand clasping the strap of the bag on her shoulder, one hand holding the gun. It was heavy, but she was already getting used to the weight. Firing it out here would probably knock her right into the water, and then her makeup would be ruined, and she'd have to swim back to something solid while also lugging the gun, so better not. There was nothing to aim at, anyway. Just a stray thought. She couldn't shoot her stray thoughts out of the sky.
Virginia had never seen a dead body in real life, and that was why she was thinking about inane things like being able to shoot her metaphysical thoughts. Let's just go ahead and acknowledge the elephant in the room there. There was a dead boy in the water in front of her, and not a pretty and artful dead boy, a very messy and battered one, and she didn't. She didn't know what to do with that reality in front of her. Her thoughts could float through the sky, but they kept coming back to him now, dead in the water.
What can you do for a dead person when you don't even know their name?
Virginia wasn't a crier, but now her eyes were stinging, and she didn't think it was because of the salty air.
Abel stopped when the girl did. Close enough that if he said something right now she'd probably hear, but far enough away that if she did go straight to blasting him with that shotgun, well, good luck; Abel was built different.
But he also.... honestly kind of didn't know quite the right thing to say right now. So he just did what he did best and kept watching, crouched down on his crate with the pistol-knife gripped in his left hand like a knife and a God damn civil war pistol welded together would do anything other than subtract from the sum of its parts.
That was the plan, anyway, though his eyes slowly wandered away from his target. Wherever they were, it sure was pretty, or at least it would've been if the producers would've committed to a single type of boat instead of throwing everything haphazardly together like a Jackson Pollock. Abel also was never the seafaring or oceanview type to begin with (yes, he was aware he lived in Miami), but in ordinary circumstances this really would be the perfect weather and the perfect view to lounge on a recliner with a piña colada in hand with your shirt unbuttoned down way too deep of a V for everyone else's comfort.
Okay, back to the girl. It was kind of annoying he couldn't put a name to the back of his fair ginger-haired maiden with the headphones, but she'd have to turn around someday at least. He'd wait here all day if he had to.
But he also.... honestly kind of didn't know quite the right thing to say right now. So he just did what he did best and kept watching, crouched down on his crate with the pistol-knife gripped in his left hand like a knife and a God damn civil war pistol welded together would do anything other than subtract from the sum of its parts.
That was the plan, anyway, though his eyes slowly wandered away from his target. Wherever they were, it sure was pretty, or at least it would've been if the producers would've committed to a single type of boat instead of throwing everything haphazardly together like a Jackson Pollock. Abel also was never the seafaring or oceanview type to begin with (yes, he was aware he lived in Miami), but in ordinary circumstances this really would be the perfect weather and the perfect view to lounge on a recliner with a piña colada in hand with your shirt unbuttoned down way too deep of a V for everyone else's comfort.
Okay, back to the girl. It was kind of annoying he couldn't put a name to the back of his fair ginger-haired maiden with the headphones, but she'd have to turn around someday at least. He'd wait here all day if he had to.
So, what. What did she do. Now.
Trying to allow her mind to not be present, not be cognizant of the here and now was a losing battle. Just Virginia and a dead boy floating there, and the moment was going to go on for as long as she allowed it. No matter how long she stared, she didn't remember his name.
Virginia stepped closer. Two crates until she would be standing on the one he was squished up against.
She stepped closer, bobbing with the movement of the crate in the water. Obviously, she was getting closer for a purpose, but what? What was it? Her subconscious, or the consciousness that she wasn't on speaking terms with right now, refused to reveal its secrets until she was right there and the moment was-
Was-
Virginia stumbled, and there was a terrifying, instantaneous vertigo, and she saw herself go into the water next to the boy, and she saw herself drowned and crushed at the same time, and Virginia shrieked, a loud, clear, piercing note that shattered the quiet that had previously only been punctuated by her own footsteps and the occasional sound of things in the water bumping into each other. Then she landed hard on her knees on the crate next to the dead boy.
Virginia doubled over, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching the gun against her stomach, like she was shielding it from the world. She didn't cry. Her eyes stung, her knees stung, but she didn't cry. She stayed scrunched down with her forehead nearly touching the surface of the crate, breathing hard. Some part of her waited for the dead boy to grab her and try to pull her in to drown, but he stayed dead and unmoving, which was sadder, really.
Trying to allow her mind to not be present, not be cognizant of the here and now was a losing battle. Just Virginia and a dead boy floating there, and the moment was going to go on for as long as she allowed it. No matter how long she stared, she didn't remember his name.
Virginia stepped closer. Two crates until she would be standing on the one he was squished up against.
She stepped closer, bobbing with the movement of the crate in the water. Obviously, she was getting closer for a purpose, but what? What was it? Her subconscious, or the consciousness that she wasn't on speaking terms with right now, refused to reveal its secrets until she was right there and the moment was-
Was-
Virginia stumbled, and there was a terrifying, instantaneous vertigo, and she saw herself go into the water next to the boy, and she saw herself drowned and crushed at the same time, and Virginia shrieked, a loud, clear, piercing note that shattered the quiet that had previously only been punctuated by her own footsteps and the occasional sound of things in the water bumping into each other. Then she landed hard on her knees on the crate next to the dead boy.
Virginia doubled over, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching the gun against her stomach, like she was shielding it from the world. She didn't cry. Her eyes stung, her knees stung, but she didn't cry. She stayed scrunched down with her forehead nearly touching the surface of the crate, breathing hard. Some part of her waited for the dead boy to grab her and try to pull her in to drown, but he stayed dead and unmoving, which was sadder, really.
She moved again, and as she did Abel echoed her steps onto the next crate.
...Should he maybe've said something after all? Get her to come back out of his Good Samaritan heart before she got nabbed by Neptune herself? Whatever reason this girl wanted with that spot sure must've been a heck of a reason.
And then she moved again. And he did the same. Or rather, he barely did because that scream probably broke through 12 different sound barriers.
And down she went. Oh, the humanity.
....Uhm. ...Hmm. Okay, time to play on the offense again.
He squatted back down on his crate, looked around a bit and especially behind him to make sure no one was following him. He wet his lips with his tongue and gave himself a little countdown which he didn't really know why he did but he did.
And then he blew a sharp whistle that cut through the saline air. Pause. "Hey!" He shouted. "Everything okay? Need any help?"
...Should he maybe've said something after all? Get her to come back out of his Good Samaritan heart before she got nabbed by Neptune herself? Whatever reason this girl wanted with that spot sure must've been a heck of a reason.
And then she moved again. And he did the same. Or rather, he barely did because that scream probably broke through 12 different sound barriers.
And down she went. Oh, the humanity.
....Uhm. ...Hmm. Okay, time to play on the offense again.
He squatted back down on his crate, looked around a bit and especially behind him to make sure no one was following him. He wet his lips with his tongue and gave himself a little countdown which he didn't really know why he did but he did.
And then he blew a sharp whistle that cut through the saline air. Pause. "Hey!" He shouted. "Everything okay? Need any help?"
A whistle. A whistle answered her scream, and then a voice. She couldn't immediately place it, which was unsurprising but not comforting.
Virginia let go of the gun with one hand and pressed it flat against the crate, using the leverage to slowly peel herself back up to a kneeling position. For a moment, she just stared out over the water, over the boats, over the debris, and she didn't say anything.
When she finally turned, there was another boy that she vaguely recognized but again couldn't summon a name for.
"Someone," she said, and her voice was dry and raspy. She swallowed thickly. There was water in the bag that she had seen when she picked up the gun and the bandanna that was knotted around her wrist, but she hadn't had any of it yet. She hadn't been sure she would be able to keep it down.
"Someone is dead over here."
Virginia let go of the gun with one hand and pressed it flat against the crate, using the leverage to slowly peel herself back up to a kneeling position. For a moment, she just stared out over the water, over the boats, over the debris, and she didn't say anything.
When she finally turned, there was another boy that she vaguely recognized but again couldn't summon a name for.
"Someone," she said, and her voice was dry and raspy. She swallowed thickly. There was water in the bag that she had seen when she picked up the gun and the bandanna that was knotted around her wrist, but she hadn't had any of it yet. She hadn't been sure she would be able to keep it down.
"Someone is dead over here."
Abel squinted as the girl showed her face to him. Yeah... yeah. Heh.
...Huh. In all of this rigamarole, he didn't notice the pretty egregious smudge on his lenses. Should probably take care of that.
"Yeah," he replied, taking off his glasses and rubbing them against the tail of his shirt. He checked them- still not good. A breath would fix that. "I saw, too. Pretty crazy stuff."
He checked the lenses again- Yes, good as new or at least marginally so.
He stayed kneeled down on his crate, both arms resting on top of his raised knee as the pistol hung limp in his hand and the pink bandana blew in the wind under the rolled-up sleeve of his left arm.
"You know him?"
...Huh. In all of this rigamarole, he didn't notice the pretty egregious smudge on his lenses. Should probably take care of that.
"Yeah," he replied, taking off his glasses and rubbing them against the tail of his shirt. He checked them- still not good. A breath would fix that. "I saw, too. Pretty crazy stuff."
He checked the lenses again- Yes, good as new or at least marginally so.
He stayed kneeled down on his crate, both arms resting on top of his raised knee as the pistol hung limp in his hand and the pink bandana blew in the wind under the rolled-up sleeve of his left arm.
"You know him?"
Virginia's eyes were watering a little, but now she thought it was probably because she'd just bruised both her knees. She lifted one hand off of the gun and dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her finger, trying not to smudge her makeup too much.
"No," she said, pausing to clear his throat. "I mean, I've seen him. Don't know his name. I just..."
She what? Came over to poke the dead body with a stick, she guessed. What else did you do with dead things? He was already halfway buried at sea.
"I wasn't sure if he was dead or not, when that girl left. So I came to see."
She sat there for another minute. "He's dead," she repeated unnecessarily. "So. That's that, I guess."
"No," she said, pausing to clear his throat. "I mean, I've seen him. Don't know his name. I just..."
She what? Came over to poke the dead body with a stick, she guessed. What else did you do with dead things? He was already halfway buried at sea.
"I wasn't sure if he was dead or not, when that girl left. So I came to see."
She sat there for another minute. "He's dead," she repeated unnecessarily. "So. That's that, I guess."
"Sounds like it." Abel smirked, and then coughed as he got a lungful of the salty air. Now he remembered why he wasn't fond of the ocean.
After that fit cleared, his eyes scanned the boundary breaks of his own crate. Mind the gap, indeed; something like that wasn't a real kosher way to go, or at least it wasn't in Abel's top 3 deaths. Though, to be fair, that wasn't a list Abel ever really expected to cross stuff off for completion either.
"Yeah, I don't think anyone could just grab an ice pack and walk something like that off." Shrug. "So it goes; at least you didn't really know him?"
A wave jostled Abel's crate around a bit, knocking him around slightly but he recovered pretty easily. "...Think we should try freeing him or is he stuck in there pretty good?"
After that fit cleared, his eyes scanned the boundary breaks of his own crate. Mind the gap, indeed; something like that wasn't a real kosher way to go, or at least it wasn't in Abel's top 3 deaths. Though, to be fair, that wasn't a list Abel ever really expected to cross stuff off for completion either.
"Yeah, I don't think anyone could just grab an ice pack and walk something like that off." Shrug. "So it goes; at least you didn't really know him?"
A wave jostled Abel's crate around a bit, knocking him around slightly but he recovered pretty easily. "...Think we should try freeing him or is he stuck in there pretty good?"
Virginia looked back at the dead boy as the living one paused to have a cough. "He's... stuck between the crates. I think if we pushed one away he might. Come loose." She wanted to say he'd float away, but that wasn't really the case, unless they pulled him out of the water and dragged him all the way to the edge of the arena. Virginia guessed they could do that, if the new guy wanted to, but she wouldn't be able to carry a person, or a body, on her own.
Floating away was a nice idea, but. People's families probably wanted to have something that they could put in a casket or cremate. So it was probably best to leave the bodies where they could at least be retrieved at the end. Keeping that in mind, she still thought it would be nice for the dead boy to not be wedged between the crates the whole time, getting pulped over and over.
"They seem pretty heavy, but we might be able to do it. What's your name?"
Floating away was a nice idea, but. People's families probably wanted to have something that they could put in a casket or cremate. So it was probably best to leave the bodies where they could at least be retrieved at the end. Keeping that in mind, she still thought it would be nice for the dead boy to not be wedged between the crates the whole time, getting pulped over and over.
"They seem pretty heavy, but we might be able to do it. What's your name?"
Pushing one of the crates sounded good, or at least they could try with the help of the waves. It was as much effort as an almost complete stranger could ask for, at least. Besides, Abel for sure wasn't gonna be carrying a damn body back across here.
"Let's get to it, then, I guess." Abel pushed himself back up to his feet and headed for the edge of his crate closest to her. "I'm Abel. I'm coming over. Please don't shoot me."
"Let's get to it, then, I guess." Abel pushed himself back up to his feet and headed for the edge of his crate closest to her. "I'm Abel. I'm coming over. Please don't shoot me."
"I won't shoot you," Virginia promised. It was an easy promise to make, since she'd already gone over all the cons of even trying to fire the gun in the current location.
She'd already seen that you didn't need a weapon to die right here.
Anyway.
She stayed kneeling as Abel made his way over, since she was going to lean over and try pushing the other crate wedging the dead boy up against this one. As she waited, she realized she'd neglected the other half of the pleasantries. "I'm Virginia, by the way." She absently reached up with the hand that had been designated as her free hand and flicked her scorpion earring, freeing a lock of hair that had gotten tangled in it. "Sorry I didn't remember. I'm bad with names." She didn't pay attention to names, a lot of the time at school. Most of the people she liked weren't in school anymore. Most of them wouldn't be here.
Anyway.
She'd already seen that you didn't need a weapon to die right here.
Anyway.
She stayed kneeling as Abel made his way over, since she was going to lean over and try pushing the other crate wedging the dead boy up against this one. As she waited, she realized she'd neglected the other half of the pleasantries. "I'm Virginia, by the way." She absently reached up with the hand that had been designated as her free hand and flicked her scorpion earring, freeing a lock of hair that had gotten tangled in it. "Sorry I didn't remember. I'm bad with names." She didn't pay attention to names, a lot of the time at school. Most of the people she liked weren't in school anymore. Most of them wouldn't be here.
Anyway.
...Oh. Her name was Virginia. Could've sworn it was Valerie or Amy or something. Didn't really matter, anyway; Abel was just gonna forget it in 5 minutes with a face as plain as that. Maybe 15 minutes, if she was lucky.
Seemed like she had a problem when it came to names, too. He just shrugged at her apology.
She seemed trustworthy enough, so Abel laid down his arms and put his pistol back in his bag before walking over the last few crates until he was where he needed to be.
...This must've been the kid. Hmm.
Anyway. Abel copied Virginia and knelt down at the edge of the crate. "All right, so..." He clapped his hands together. "I think there's enough buoyancy we can work with the water and at least get this kid untrapped, but don't fall in after him yourself. Unless you want to, I guess; I'm not your babysitter. But uh... whenever you're ready, I suppose."
Seemed like she had a problem when it came to names, too. He just shrugged at her apology.
She seemed trustworthy enough, so Abel laid down his arms and put his pistol back in his bag before walking over the last few crates until he was where he needed to be.
...This must've been the kid. Hmm.
Anyway. Abel copied Virginia and knelt down at the edge of the crate. "All right, so..." He clapped his hands together. "I think there's enough buoyancy we can work with the water and at least get this kid untrapped, but don't fall in after him yourself. Unless you want to, I guess; I'm not your babysitter. But uh... whenever you're ready, I suppose."
"Okay," Virginia said, and then she just sat there for another minute because she wasn't ready. If she let go of the gun, Abel might grab it, because she'd promised not to shoot him, but he didn't really have a reason to believe her, and she hadn't gotten any reciprocal promise out of him that he wouldn't try something. That was another thing to consider.
She was going to have to... touch him. The dead boy. It was pretty much unavoidable if she wanted to reach over him to push at the edge of the other crate, especially if he was. Snagged on it. If he didn't come loose and sink, they might have to free him by force.
God, she... she'd never really thought about touching a dead body before. She didn't really use death imagery in her music or the art that went with it. In the kind of literature she liked, death was usually poetic or at least dramatic and fitting. Corpses got to stay clean and dignified.
I can't remember your name, she thought at him. I'm sorry.
"Okay," she said again. She set the shotgun down by her leg, on the side of her opposite from Abel. "On... three? We'll push."
She was going to have to... touch him. The dead boy. It was pretty much unavoidable if she wanted to reach over him to push at the edge of the other crate, especially if he was. Snagged on it. If he didn't come loose and sink, they might have to free him by force.
God, she... she'd never really thought about touching a dead body before. She didn't really use death imagery in her music or the art that went with it. In the kind of literature she liked, death was usually poetic or at least dramatic and fitting. Corpses got to stay clean and dignified.
I can't remember your name, she thought at him. I'm sorry.
"Okay," she said again. She set the shotgun down by her leg, on the side of her opposite from Abel. "On... three? We'll push."