((Shoshanna Kowalczyk continued from If I ever acquire wisdom, I suppose I'll be wise enough to know what to do with it))
Shoshanna slowed her run as she leaned against a wall. They had been running for a bit after fleeing the banquet hall. It didn't appear that Seo-yun and Mandy were following them, which was good. Shoshanna had looked down and noticed that she was leaving a trail of blood as she ran. But considering how fast she had been going, it wasn't a heavy trail of blood, but small trickles that were slightly hidden due to the carpeting. That was at least good.
They had made their way a few floors down and into one of the cabin room halls. Shoshanna had stopped running when she felt like she was going to collapse. Leaning against the wall, she looked down at the wound on her chest. She winced as she lifted her shirt up a bit and stared at it. It looked like the amount of blood had increased, definitely pumped out by her out-of-character cardio. She could feel herself getting really tired and weak in the legs, and this was definitely not because of the aforementioned cardio.
"Shit... guess this is it..." she muttered to herself.
Shoshanna looked over to Rhonda, then to a nearby cabin. She reached out and opened the door.
"Hey, let's hide here," she said, stepping inside. "We've got stuff to talk about."
The Legacy of Shoshanna Kowalczyk
Private; Permission to post here approved by staff
The Legacy of Shoshanna Kowalczyk
G014: Mayumi Tendou
(Rhonda Rollins continued from If I ever acquire wisdom, I suppose I'll be wise enough to know what to do with it)
Rhonda had checked over her shoulder when they first fled the banquet hall, but after she saw that Seo-yun and Mandy hadn't managed to follow them, she hadn't looked back. She was a faster runner than Shoshanna, so it didn't take much for her to catch up, but she held back just slightly so that she could keep pace with her. She could have easily passed her, but she wanted to keep an eye on her. Sho was wounded, and Rhonda didn't want to risk her falling behind. As they made it further and further away from the scene of the fight, she got more vigilant, scanning each door and hall they approached to make sure they wouldn't be taken by surprise.
When Shoshanna stopped completely, Rhonda swiftly made it to her side. The tiny blood spots that she had seen in Sho's wake during their run had concerned her, but she had kept trying to convince herself that maybe they had been left by someone else earlier on, but she knew that she couldn't keep fooling herself. The stain on Sho's shirt had gotten big, and that meant that she had lost a lot of blood. With how unsteady she looked, Rhonda thought that she might have to catch her at any moment, but at least she had enough energy to get herself into a nearby cabin.
"Yeah, sure." Rhonda said, following her inside. "I'll, uh... patch that up for you while we're here." She added, still clinging to the hope that they would both be able to make it out of this. "Is this about the plan? You got the wire, right?"
Rhonda had checked over her shoulder when they first fled the banquet hall, but after she saw that Seo-yun and Mandy hadn't managed to follow them, she hadn't looked back. She was a faster runner than Shoshanna, so it didn't take much for her to catch up, but she held back just slightly so that she could keep pace with her. She could have easily passed her, but she wanted to keep an eye on her. Sho was wounded, and Rhonda didn't want to risk her falling behind. As they made it further and further away from the scene of the fight, she got more vigilant, scanning each door and hall they approached to make sure they wouldn't be taken by surprise.
When Shoshanna stopped completely, Rhonda swiftly made it to her side. The tiny blood spots that she had seen in Sho's wake during their run had concerned her, but she had kept trying to convince herself that maybe they had been left by someone else earlier on, but she knew that she couldn't keep fooling herself. The stain on Sho's shirt had gotten big, and that meant that she had lost a lot of blood. With how unsteady she looked, Rhonda thought that she might have to catch her at any moment, but at least she had enough energy to get herself into a nearby cabin.
"Yeah, sure." Rhonda said, following her inside. "I'll, uh... patch that up for you while we're here." She added, still clinging to the hope that they would both be able to make it out of this. "Is this about the plan? You got the wire, right?"
"Yeah, it's about the plan," Shoshanna said as she stepped into the cabin. It looked like the same plain, kinda dull cabin she was in with Jasper and Gus on the first day. God, that felt so long ago. So much had changed since then.
Shoshanna plopped the bags on one of the beds, adding the stolen piano wire to the pile. Her hair had gotten messed up from all of the falling and running, so she quickly pulled the bandanna out of her hair and let her curly hair spill out.
"I got a bit to say and..."
Shoshanna stopped and stumbled. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the nearby end table, catching herself. Her gaze was weakening, and she was finding it hard to stand.
"Crap. Never mind, I may not have as much time as I thought."
Shoshanna plopped the bags on one of the beds, adding the stolen piano wire to the pile. Her hair had gotten messed up from all of the falling and running, so she quickly pulled the bandanna out of her hair and let her curly hair spill out.
"I got a bit to say and..."
Shoshanna stopped and stumbled. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the nearby end table, catching herself. Her gaze was weakening, and she was finding it hard to stand.
"Crap. Never mind, I may not have as much time as I thought."
G014: Mayumi Tendou
Rhonda placed her bags on the bed opposite the one that Shoshanna put her things on. Since they had a moment to themselves, she might as well take a load off her back. With the bag off her shoulder, she leaned forward to listen more closely to what Shoshanna had to say. She was hurt worse than they could do anything to fix, and Rhonda didn't want to waste her time by asking her to repeat herself.
Before she could even get anything of note out, Shoshanna stumbled, and Rhonda reached out to help steady her. Shit, it was even worse than it looked. Rhonda wasn't sure how much longer Shoshanna had, but she couldn't imagine it could be more than a few minutes at this point. She swallowed, and her throat felt like a stone was sliding down. She struggled to find something to say, because she didn't want to have to acknowledge the fact that she was almost definitely about to watch someone else die.
"It's all right." She lied for her own comfort while pleading to Shoshanna. "Just say what you need to. Please."
Before she could even get anything of note out, Shoshanna stumbled, and Rhonda reached out to help steady her. Shit, it was even worse than it looked. Rhonda wasn't sure how much longer Shoshanna had, but she couldn't imagine it could be more than a few minutes at this point. She swallowed, and her throat felt like a stone was sliding down. She struggled to find something to say, because she didn't want to have to acknowledge the fact that she was almost definitely about to watch someone else die.
"It's all right." She lied for her own comfort while pleading to Shoshanna. "Just say what you need to. Please."
Shoshanna clung to the end table, her breathing starting to increase. She glanced around the room. Aside from the two twin-sized beds, there was a small desk with an chair. She looked around and noticed the cameras in the room. There was one near the door pointing into the room. Perfect.
"Okay, first, I need to sit down. Give me the chair. I want to be upright for this."
Rhonda passed her the chair and helped Shoshanna into the seat. Shoshanna tried her best to sit upright, making sure the camera at the door was going to get her face. She was about to die in front of millions of people, so she may as well make sure they enjoy her final moments. Moreover, if she was gonna die in front of millions of people, she wanted to die in a way where she could enjoy her final moments.
"Right. So, Rhonda," Shoshanna said to her ally. "It looks like I won't be escaping. But all my notes are in my bag, and I talked to you and Nadine about some theories I had to get the collars off. It's all written down, so that should give you a lead, and an explanation for what to do with the piano wire. We can't be the only ones trying to get out, so if you can find Nadine and a few sane, smart people, maybe you'll have the springboard needed to sail past the arena border."
Shoshanna breathed in and out.
"And...it's only fair that you can use my body as a test subject. Out of fairness to Marion and Jasper. Just treat me with dignity when you do. Do you got all of that, Rhon?"
"Okay, first, I need to sit down. Give me the chair. I want to be upright for this."
Rhonda passed her the chair and helped Shoshanna into the seat. Shoshanna tried her best to sit upright, making sure the camera at the door was going to get her face. She was about to die in front of millions of people, so she may as well make sure they enjoy her final moments. Moreover, if she was gonna die in front of millions of people, she wanted to die in a way where she could enjoy her final moments.
"Right. So, Rhonda," Shoshanna said to her ally. "It looks like I won't be escaping. But all my notes are in my bag, and I talked to you and Nadine about some theories I had to get the collars off. It's all written down, so that should give you a lead, and an explanation for what to do with the piano wire. We can't be the only ones trying to get out, so if you can find Nadine and a few sane, smart people, maybe you'll have the springboard needed to sail past the arena border."
Shoshanna breathed in and out.
"And...it's only fair that you can use my body as a test subject. Out of fairness to Marion and Jasper. Just treat me with dignity when you do. Do you got all of that, Rhon?"
G014: Mayumi Tendou
Rhonda took a seat on the bed when Shoshanna started talking. It didn't do much to help the painful feeling bubbling in her stomach, but the last that she could do is be respectful while she listened to Shoshanna's final requests.
Final. That was the word that hung heavy over both of them. Rhonda could see Shoshanna's pain, and Sho was feeling it, and both of them knew that this was the end of the line for them as a group. Once this conversation was over, Rhonda would have to go it alone. Shoshanna took all of the steps to make that very clear. She bequeathed Rhonda with all of her supplies, in particular her notes on the collars and the piano wire that they had gone through the danger of retrieving. And to top it off, she gave Rhonda permission to test their collar removal strategy on her. Their only previous experiments had been on Marion, who was dying, and Javier, who had been dead for hours. It was clear what this meant. Shoshanna knew that she would be joining their numbers very soon.
Once again, Rhonda's words failed her badly. There was a really good chance that this could be the last thing that she ever said to Shoshanna. How was she supposed to handle that? She wanted her words to be profound, to have some sort of an impact. But she wasn't a skilled wordsmith. She was just Rhonda, and Rhonda wasn't meant for this.
She sighed and somberly ran her fingers through her hair, looking over at Shoshanna after the proposal was made. "I will." She replied with a nod. But she was able to will herself to say one more thing before letting Shoshanna go.
"And, um... thanks. For giving me a chance."
Final. That was the word that hung heavy over both of them. Rhonda could see Shoshanna's pain, and Sho was feeling it, and both of them knew that this was the end of the line for them as a group. Once this conversation was over, Rhonda would have to go it alone. Shoshanna took all of the steps to make that very clear. She bequeathed Rhonda with all of her supplies, in particular her notes on the collars and the piano wire that they had gone through the danger of retrieving. And to top it off, she gave Rhonda permission to test their collar removal strategy on her. Their only previous experiments had been on Marion, who was dying, and Javier, who had been dead for hours. It was clear what this meant. Shoshanna knew that she would be joining their numbers very soon.
Once again, Rhonda's words failed her badly. There was a really good chance that this could be the last thing that she ever said to Shoshanna. How was she supposed to handle that? She wanted her words to be profound, to have some sort of an impact. But she wasn't a skilled wordsmith. She was just Rhonda, and Rhonda wasn't meant for this.
She sighed and somberly ran her fingers through her hair, looking over at Shoshanna after the proposal was made. "I will." She replied with a nod. But she was able to will herself to say one more thing before letting Shoshanna go.
"And, um... thanks. For giving me a chance."
Shoshanna smiled at Rhonda.
"No problem," she said. "Thanks for being a friend at the end. And best of luck."
Shoshanna sighed, then turned her head back to the camera, some of her hair falling in front of her face.
"Now, Rhon, I hope you don't mind," Shoshanna began, "but I have some things I need to put out into the world before I go, and so I hope you permit me to ramble without interruption. I have some things to say, and I don't want to stop once I start. I want to see if I can top Clara Hoffman's speech."
Shoshanna brushed her hair behind her shoulders, tipped her beret a bit, and focused on the eye of the camera.
"Producers," she said. "Zoom in, turn up my mic, and make sure you don't miss a word. You've already got me questioning the quality of this production with the announcement kerfuffle earlier, so I trust you'll get all of this down, and treat it like you're trying to get a raise or an award for it."
Shoshanna positioned herself so her arms were resting on her thighs, propping her up. She breathed in, then out, and then, she began.
"Well, this sucks!"
Shoshanna chuckled to herself.
"I know, I know. I must be really disappointing a lot of you right now. All you oddsmakers who were betting in favor of my escape, or that I'd win, or of me dying earlier or later than this, or that I'd die to someone other than Seo-yun, you're out of a lot of money, and for that, you have my condolences. I mean, not a lot of them. You're still trying to profit on my life, and for that, you can get fucked with a hedge trimmer, but I don't want to spend my last moments of life feeling bitter.
"I want to spend my last moments of life making a few things clear to ensure this footage works as a living will. I guess I need to get the important stuff out of the way since odds are I'm gonna drop dead any minute, and yeah, believe it or not, it fucking hurts to talk right now. But I've earned the chance to say whatever I want and to command your attention. And all I had to do was set a bitch on fire and force another to spend the rest of her life looking like a pirate. Go figure."
Shoshanna paused and licked her lips.
"Okay, living will stuff. Jewel Evans, you said you'd quote my review for a future edition of your book. Please donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of that edition to my family. 10% should be fair. 15 if you're feeling generous. In perpetuity. Your book will sell, and my parents are about to lose their house, so do that as a favor to me and Jasper.
"Stephanie Cahill, my mentor. Sorry I dunked on you and your team color throughout this. You were a good mentor when I did chat with you, and you have my respect for that. Like Jewel, help my family too. Maybe set up a scholarship fund for my siblings and their descendants. Surely you can put together something like that?
"Also, Steph, if you can, get a good lawyer for my parents so they can negotiate the rights to my image and any royalties that will come off this show. I don't know what the SOTF team has planned for my ugly mug, but make sure they don't get fucked over on that.
"Mom, Dad, don't let the money go to your heads. You've got the chance to save the home, or upgrade to a better one. Take care of the siblings, and then do some nice things for yourselves. Take some trips, maybe open another restaurant. Just don't become another pair of rich Miami assholes who drive their Ferraris into the ocean when a seagull shits on it. Keep being the awesome people you are.
"Chava, Oskar, Simon, Marya, you guys can divide my stuff. Just be fair about it, and don't ruin your relationships over it. Marya, I leave you the responsibility to manage my blog. It should be signed in on my computer because I'm a trusting bitch, but moderate it, or close it down, whatever you choose, just preserve it.
"I love all of you. Sorry I couldn't survive this, and sorry for anything else that may have pissed you off. You don't have to forgive me, but I hope I made you guys proud."
Shoshanna breathed in, then coughed a bit. She coughed into the crook of her elbow and saw blood.
"Okay, guess I got to speed this up.
"I gotta say, being a fan of SOTF, being on the show is completely overrated. It's fun to be detached from the program and try to look at it from educational or critical standpoints, but that really doesn't make up for the fact that it's murder, and lives are being destroyed in the process. I'm aware I'm a hypocrite in this scenario though, considering I just spent the last two minutes working on how my next of kin can live a lavish life from here on out because of my participation in this schlock, but hey, I never claimed I was a good fan. You know how Roxane Gay calls herself a 'bad feminist' so as to give herself accountability and to ensure she doesn't have to live up to an impossible standard? Yeah, I think I'm like that. 'Bad fan' sounds like the right term to describe me. Mom, Dad, market that if you can.
"Okay, hypocrisy aside, I don't like that I ended up here, but I think I have enough takeaways from this experience that I can say I'm not totally worse off from it. I know, I know, that's silly considering I'm bleeding to death in front of all of you. But I was just a poor, Jewish girl from Florida who could only imagine leaving an impact on others. Who could only dream of doing something with her life to leave her mark on the world. Maybe it'll only be because of what I did to Seo-yun and her lackey, which, hey, that has to make a highlight reel somewhere, come on. Maybe it will be because of this dying monologue which some of you will think is either brilliant and iconic, or pretentious and overblown. I can't control the narrative, but I can give it material, so I'll let you make the decision.
"But while I was here, I was probably the woman I wanted to become. I was a leader. A planner. I was intellectually stimulated. I was tested. I risked. I theorized. And most importantly, I found people to really care about, even if I barely knew anyone due to how few junior class people I ran into during my time here. Jasper, Marion, Nadine, Rhonda, and even poor Gus. You were all real dudes, and I'm glad I met all of you, even if this is how it ends.
"So...I guess...in the end...I may not have found a way out..."
Shoshanna slumped her head a bit, before picking it back up.
"and I may not have done anything worth a damn in the end..."
Her eyes began to dim. It was getting harder to see the camera.
"... but I tried, and that's enough for me. I now know I'd never survive this game if I ended up here, but I'm at peace with that."
Shoshanna turned her head back to the camera, closed her eyes, and gave a big smile.
"And isn't that nice? To find peace at the end of all of this? You should all try it when the time comes."
Shoshanna gave a thumbs up to the camera.
"I highly recommend it."
Shoshanna lowered her arm and slumped her head forward.
She was done.
"No problem," she said. "Thanks for being a friend at the end. And best of luck."
Shoshanna sighed, then turned her head back to the camera, some of her hair falling in front of her face.
"Now, Rhon, I hope you don't mind," Shoshanna began, "but I have some things I need to put out into the world before I go, and so I hope you permit me to ramble without interruption. I have some things to say, and I don't want to stop once I start. I want to see if I can top Clara Hoffman's speech."
Shoshanna brushed her hair behind her shoulders, tipped her beret a bit, and focused on the eye of the camera.
"Producers," she said. "Zoom in, turn up my mic, and make sure you don't miss a word. You've already got me questioning the quality of this production with the announcement kerfuffle earlier, so I trust you'll get all of this down, and treat it like you're trying to get a raise or an award for it."
Shoshanna positioned herself so her arms were resting on her thighs, propping her up. She breathed in, then out, and then, she began.
"Well, this sucks!"
Shoshanna chuckled to herself.
"I know, I know. I must be really disappointing a lot of you right now. All you oddsmakers who were betting in favor of my escape, or that I'd win, or of me dying earlier or later than this, or that I'd die to someone other than Seo-yun, you're out of a lot of money, and for that, you have my condolences. I mean, not a lot of them. You're still trying to profit on my life, and for that, you can get fucked with a hedge trimmer, but I don't want to spend my last moments of life feeling bitter.
"I want to spend my last moments of life making a few things clear to ensure this footage works as a living will. I guess I need to get the important stuff out of the way since odds are I'm gonna drop dead any minute, and yeah, believe it or not, it fucking hurts to talk right now. But I've earned the chance to say whatever I want and to command your attention. And all I had to do was set a bitch on fire and force another to spend the rest of her life looking like a pirate. Go figure."
Shoshanna paused and licked her lips.
"Okay, living will stuff. Jewel Evans, you said you'd quote my review for a future edition of your book. Please donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of that edition to my family. 10% should be fair. 15 if you're feeling generous. In perpetuity. Your book will sell, and my parents are about to lose their house, so do that as a favor to me and Jasper.
"Stephanie Cahill, my mentor. Sorry I dunked on you and your team color throughout this. You were a good mentor when I did chat with you, and you have my respect for that. Like Jewel, help my family too. Maybe set up a scholarship fund for my siblings and their descendants. Surely you can put together something like that?
"Also, Steph, if you can, get a good lawyer for my parents so they can negotiate the rights to my image and any royalties that will come off this show. I don't know what the SOTF team has planned for my ugly mug, but make sure they don't get fucked over on that.
"Mom, Dad, don't let the money go to your heads. You've got the chance to save the home, or upgrade to a better one. Take care of the siblings, and then do some nice things for yourselves. Take some trips, maybe open another restaurant. Just don't become another pair of rich Miami assholes who drive their Ferraris into the ocean when a seagull shits on it. Keep being the awesome people you are.
"Chava, Oskar, Simon, Marya, you guys can divide my stuff. Just be fair about it, and don't ruin your relationships over it. Marya, I leave you the responsibility to manage my blog. It should be signed in on my computer because I'm a trusting bitch, but moderate it, or close it down, whatever you choose, just preserve it.
"I love all of you. Sorry I couldn't survive this, and sorry for anything else that may have pissed you off. You don't have to forgive me, but I hope I made you guys proud."
Shoshanna breathed in, then coughed a bit. She coughed into the crook of her elbow and saw blood.
"Okay, guess I got to speed this up.
"I gotta say, being a fan of SOTF, being on the show is completely overrated. It's fun to be detached from the program and try to look at it from educational or critical standpoints, but that really doesn't make up for the fact that it's murder, and lives are being destroyed in the process. I'm aware I'm a hypocrite in this scenario though, considering I just spent the last two minutes working on how my next of kin can live a lavish life from here on out because of my participation in this schlock, but hey, I never claimed I was a good fan. You know how Roxane Gay calls herself a 'bad feminist' so as to give herself accountability and to ensure she doesn't have to live up to an impossible standard? Yeah, I think I'm like that. 'Bad fan' sounds like the right term to describe me. Mom, Dad, market that if you can.
"Okay, hypocrisy aside, I don't like that I ended up here, but I think I have enough takeaways from this experience that I can say I'm not totally worse off from it. I know, I know, that's silly considering I'm bleeding to death in front of all of you. But I was just a poor, Jewish girl from Florida who could only imagine leaving an impact on others. Who could only dream of doing something with her life to leave her mark on the world. Maybe it'll only be because of what I did to Seo-yun and her lackey, which, hey, that has to make a highlight reel somewhere, come on. Maybe it will be because of this dying monologue which some of you will think is either brilliant and iconic, or pretentious and overblown. I can't control the narrative, but I can give it material, so I'll let you make the decision.
"But while I was here, I was probably the woman I wanted to become. I was a leader. A planner. I was intellectually stimulated. I was tested. I risked. I theorized. And most importantly, I found people to really care about, even if I barely knew anyone due to how few junior class people I ran into during my time here. Jasper, Marion, Nadine, Rhonda, and even poor Gus. You were all real dudes, and I'm glad I met all of you, even if this is how it ends.
"So...I guess...in the end...I may not have found a way out..."
Shoshanna slumped her head a bit, before picking it back up.
"and I may not have done anything worth a damn in the end..."
Her eyes began to dim. It was getting harder to see the camera.
"... but I tried, and that's enough for me. I now know I'd never survive this game if I ended up here, but I'm at peace with that."
Shoshanna turned her head back to the camera, closed her eyes, and gave a big smile.
"And isn't that nice? To find peace at the end of all of this? You should all try it when the time comes."
Shoshanna gave a thumbs up to the camera.
"I highly recommend it."
Shoshanna lowered her arm and slumped her head forward.
She was done.
SB012 Shoshanna Kowalczyk:
DECEASED
DECEASED
G014: Mayumi Tendou
After Shoshanna made her request, Rhonda didn't make another sound. She sat by and let her say everything that she needed to. Shoshanna poured her heart out to everyone who needed to hear what they had to say, whether or not they may be watching. It made her wonder if her dad was watching, and she realized that she really, really wished he wasn't. She didn't want him to see her the way the was now. Injured, scared, and stressed to the point that a shock could make her fire off a shotgun shell or crack something with a gunstock.
She tried not to get mired down in her own thoughts and instead respect Shoshanna's time with the floor. So she waited and listened until Shoshanna became limp and silent. At first it didn't really hit her that someone had died right in front of her yet again. All of the other deaths she'd witnessed had been violent and graphic, while Shoshanna's death just... happened quietly. There was no fanfare when she slipped away, and it took a few seconds for Rhonda to stop waiting to hear what else she had to say. She was just gone.
Rhonda blinked, and the realization flashed into her mind. With a sad nod, she stood up and reached into Shoshanna's bag to fish out the notes that she had been directed to take. And for at least a half-hour, she did nothing but read. She stacked her and Shoshanna's duffel bags in front of the door and took all of the time she needed to read and take in every detail of the notes. She read through everything about the pinholes, and remembered how poorly the experiments with them had gone. In vivid detail, no less. She felt uncomfortable just reading the theories about how they might work.
She scoured the notes for anything else that might give her a hint for a new idea. She knew that there had a be a good reason for why Shoshanna wanted the piano wire. The needled had already failed to earn the results that they wanted, and the wire was basically just a really big needle with a little more flexibility to it. There had to be something in there that would explain why it was so important, a magic key that would make all the pieces fit together. Sentence after sentence, page after page. It was in there, it had to be.
And sure enough, it was there.
Buried in one of the pages was a theory. A risky-sounding one, but it explained the wire. Trying to deactivate the collar through the pinholes didn't work, but that didn't mean that there weren't still other methods to try. It required heating the piano wire, just like what they'd tried with the needles. But instead of putting it in the pinholes, she would try to use it to saw through the collar. It sounded unbelievable especially since most of the collar was metal itself, but it was also a fairly thin collar. And with enough force and friction, she might just be able to wear through it. She glanced over at Shoshanna, wondering if this was what she had wanted her to find.
Wordlessly, she started preparing to carry out the next phase of the experiment. Positioning Shoshanna gently on the bed, she took out her lighter and spent the next few minutes getting the wire nice and hot. It was a dull process, but a necessary one. Once she was pretty confident in its heat, she tested it by tapping the heated area with her finger, and it took a good amount of willpower not to recoil as it left a thin burn on said finger that she was pretty sure would turn into a blister eventually. It was painful, but it meant that the plan was working.
Now came the technical part. She carefully slid the wire under Shoshanna's collar, worried that even being a centimeter out of place might be enough to piss off the collar and set it off prematurely. She managed to slip it through, and she knelt on the bed with one knee on the mattress, and the other on Shoshanna's chest. She grabbed either end of the piano wire, and she started sawing at it.
Rhonda wasted no time in picking up speed, grinding the hot wire against the collar with as much speed as she could manage. She leaned back to generate more torque and hopefully cut through it faster. It didn't take long for her to realize how uncomfortable this process would probably have been if Shoshanna was still alive, with the wire pulling on the collar and Rhonda's knee on her chest as she put all of her strength into trying to saw through the collar. But still, this was a test run. If Rhonda could get it to work, then she could figure out the rest later. All that mattered was that she could get rid of the collar.
At any moment, she expected the warning screech to come back to let her know that she was doing something wrong, but it never did.
Instead, the collar just blew up without warning, and she fell to the floor with the wire still in her hands.
She laid there in shock, not wanting to get up and see the results of her handiwork. Instead, she stared at the ceiling and took in the immediate results. She had failed. They had already run several tests, and this one ended the same way. Arguably worse, since this time she didn't even get a warning before the collar went off. Her hand that had been closest to the blast was sore and bleeding, with a painful gash running down the back of her hand after a piece of shrapnel caught it and ripped across as it flew by.
She sat up, still feeling stunned, and had a hollow, painful feeling as she saw Shoshanna's body, her neck now torn open and bloodied from the collar's blast. Rhonda wasn't sure whether she'd rather vomit or cry. She'd already seen the results of collar detonations before, but this time it was her fault. Shoshanna was already dead at the time, but even though she hadn't killed her, she still felt like she had disrespected her and all of her hard work. All of her note-taking and taking care of the team and their plans after Marion had died, and this was where it ended up.
Rhonda's arms felt heavy as she tried her best to give Shoshanna the closest thing to a proper send-off that she could manage. She smoothed out the sheets on the opposite bed as well as she could, and transitioned Shoshanna to that one, so that she couldn't have to lay in a burned, bloodstained bed. The new mattress started to stain after Rhonda laid her to rest, but that didn't matter. She took one of the clean sheets and laid it over Shoshanna's body, covering it and hiding it from the camera's soulless gaze. They already knew where it was, so she could be collected and returned home after the season was over. They'd damn well better send her home.
Rhonda sat on the ground, next to the foot of the bed. Her legs were pulled up to her chest with her arms crossed on top of her knees, and her head resting in her arms. She sat there for a good while, the only real movement being when she wiped her watery eyes on her sleeve every few minutes. After everything she had been through, every fight, and every plan, she was alone. Nadine was still hopefully out there, but Rhonda would have to break the bad news to her if she saw her again. And Rhonda wasn't sure if she was cut out to be a leader to boot. She had the notes and the wire, but that was all she had.
The wire. Rhonda looked at it in her hands, and it looked like the collar's destruction didn't end at Shoshanna's neck. The heated area that had been sawing at the collar was badly damaged, and she was pretty sure that she could break it with her bare hands from the way it looked now. Exhaling sadly, she made a note to grab another wire from the piano if she could get one. Shoving it into her bag, she got to her feet and looked at the camera.
She hadn't addressed any of the cameras once outside of generally acknowledging their existence. A lot of it came from her just generally hating them, and she knew that if she did talk to the camera directly, then it would almost definitely be used as content for the show. But now she actually wanted to say something. Something in Shoshanna's speech had inspired her, and made her want to say her own piece. But no matter how long she stood there staring at the camera, no words came out.
She gathered her bag as well as Shoshanna's, and looked back at her one last time. She sighed and managed to find the only thing to say that could really sum up how she felt.
"I'm sorry, Shoshanna."
Rhonda stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Shoshanna at peace as she moved on with her mission.
(Rhonda Rollins continued elsewhere...)
She tried not to get mired down in her own thoughts and instead respect Shoshanna's time with the floor. So she waited and listened until Shoshanna became limp and silent. At first it didn't really hit her that someone had died right in front of her yet again. All of the other deaths she'd witnessed had been violent and graphic, while Shoshanna's death just... happened quietly. There was no fanfare when she slipped away, and it took a few seconds for Rhonda to stop waiting to hear what else she had to say. She was just gone.
Rhonda blinked, and the realization flashed into her mind. With a sad nod, she stood up and reached into Shoshanna's bag to fish out the notes that she had been directed to take. And for at least a half-hour, she did nothing but read. She stacked her and Shoshanna's duffel bags in front of the door and took all of the time she needed to read and take in every detail of the notes. She read through everything about the pinholes, and remembered how poorly the experiments with them had gone. In vivid detail, no less. She felt uncomfortable just reading the theories about how they might work.
She scoured the notes for anything else that might give her a hint for a new idea. She knew that there had a be a good reason for why Shoshanna wanted the piano wire. The needled had already failed to earn the results that they wanted, and the wire was basically just a really big needle with a little more flexibility to it. There had to be something in there that would explain why it was so important, a magic key that would make all the pieces fit together. Sentence after sentence, page after page. It was in there, it had to be.
And sure enough, it was there.
Buried in one of the pages was a theory. A risky-sounding one, but it explained the wire. Trying to deactivate the collar through the pinholes didn't work, but that didn't mean that there weren't still other methods to try. It required heating the piano wire, just like what they'd tried with the needles. But instead of putting it in the pinholes, she would try to use it to saw through the collar. It sounded unbelievable especially since most of the collar was metal itself, but it was also a fairly thin collar. And with enough force and friction, she might just be able to wear through it. She glanced over at Shoshanna, wondering if this was what she had wanted her to find.
Wordlessly, she started preparing to carry out the next phase of the experiment. Positioning Shoshanna gently on the bed, she took out her lighter and spent the next few minutes getting the wire nice and hot. It was a dull process, but a necessary one. Once she was pretty confident in its heat, she tested it by tapping the heated area with her finger, and it took a good amount of willpower not to recoil as it left a thin burn on said finger that she was pretty sure would turn into a blister eventually. It was painful, but it meant that the plan was working.
Now came the technical part. She carefully slid the wire under Shoshanna's collar, worried that even being a centimeter out of place might be enough to piss off the collar and set it off prematurely. She managed to slip it through, and she knelt on the bed with one knee on the mattress, and the other on Shoshanna's chest. She grabbed either end of the piano wire, and she started sawing at it.
Rhonda wasted no time in picking up speed, grinding the hot wire against the collar with as much speed as she could manage. She leaned back to generate more torque and hopefully cut through it faster. It didn't take long for her to realize how uncomfortable this process would probably have been if Shoshanna was still alive, with the wire pulling on the collar and Rhonda's knee on her chest as she put all of her strength into trying to saw through the collar. But still, this was a test run. If Rhonda could get it to work, then she could figure out the rest later. All that mattered was that she could get rid of the collar.
At any moment, she expected the warning screech to come back to let her know that she was doing something wrong, but it never did.
Instead, the collar just blew up without warning, and she fell to the floor with the wire still in her hands.
She laid there in shock, not wanting to get up and see the results of her handiwork. Instead, she stared at the ceiling and took in the immediate results. She had failed. They had already run several tests, and this one ended the same way. Arguably worse, since this time she didn't even get a warning before the collar went off. Her hand that had been closest to the blast was sore and bleeding, with a painful gash running down the back of her hand after a piece of shrapnel caught it and ripped across as it flew by.
She sat up, still feeling stunned, and had a hollow, painful feeling as she saw Shoshanna's body, her neck now torn open and bloodied from the collar's blast. Rhonda wasn't sure whether she'd rather vomit or cry. She'd already seen the results of collar detonations before, but this time it was her fault. Shoshanna was already dead at the time, but even though she hadn't killed her, she still felt like she had disrespected her and all of her hard work. All of her note-taking and taking care of the team and their plans after Marion had died, and this was where it ended up.
Rhonda's arms felt heavy as she tried her best to give Shoshanna the closest thing to a proper send-off that she could manage. She smoothed out the sheets on the opposite bed as well as she could, and transitioned Shoshanna to that one, so that she couldn't have to lay in a burned, bloodstained bed. The new mattress started to stain after Rhonda laid her to rest, but that didn't matter. She took one of the clean sheets and laid it over Shoshanna's body, covering it and hiding it from the camera's soulless gaze. They already knew where it was, so she could be collected and returned home after the season was over. They'd damn well better send her home.
Rhonda sat on the ground, next to the foot of the bed. Her legs were pulled up to her chest with her arms crossed on top of her knees, and her head resting in her arms. She sat there for a good while, the only real movement being when she wiped her watery eyes on her sleeve every few minutes. After everything she had been through, every fight, and every plan, she was alone. Nadine was still hopefully out there, but Rhonda would have to break the bad news to her if she saw her again. And Rhonda wasn't sure if she was cut out to be a leader to boot. She had the notes and the wire, but that was all she had.
The wire. Rhonda looked at it in her hands, and it looked like the collar's destruction didn't end at Shoshanna's neck. The heated area that had been sawing at the collar was badly damaged, and she was pretty sure that she could break it with her bare hands from the way it looked now. Exhaling sadly, she made a note to grab another wire from the piano if she could get one. Shoving it into her bag, she got to her feet and looked at the camera.
She hadn't addressed any of the cameras once outside of generally acknowledging their existence. A lot of it came from her just generally hating them, and she knew that if she did talk to the camera directly, then it would almost definitely be used as content for the show. But now she actually wanted to say something. Something in Shoshanna's speech had inspired her, and made her want to say her own piece. But no matter how long she stood there staring at the camera, no words came out.
She gathered her bag as well as Shoshanna's, and looked back at her one last time. She sighed and managed to find the only thing to say that could really sum up how she felt.
"I'm sorry, Shoshanna."
Rhonda stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Shoshanna at peace as she moved on with her mission.
(Rhonda Rollins continued elsewhere...)