SOTF Mini

[[But he couldn’t go forever]]

All it took was one stumble, one trip and they were both down.

“Fuck!” Was all Joel could get out before falling, just barely turning his face away from the pavement in time. He could feel pain in his arms already, probably bruises in the making and a fresh cut or two. But it didn’t matter, he could patch it all up and be fine, he would be fine.

He got to his knees, getting Orion on his back again, looking him over as much as possible. Survey the damage, see what he could do, try to make it all better.

Let me be paranoid, please please PLEASE just let me be paranoid, let him be okay, let him live, don’t do this to me, he did nothing wrong, he deserves to live, just tell me what to do to make it all better, someone just let me do something to make it all okay again, please, God.‘

Orion couldn’t really feel anything, but it hurt all the same. It was getting really cold, too. And hard to think. It took all the energy left in his body to look up and speak.

Orion didn't even speak the words. He only made his feelings known once, and it kept playing and playing and repeating in Joel's head. Over and over and over and over and over and over again. He wanted to help, he needed to help, but...but what could he fucking do anymore? Saying Orion wasn't going to die, that he was going to be fine-it was just a lie. A lie he told to try and make things better like telling Sasha Santa was real, except this time instead of making someone smile it was just prolonging things and making it worse and why couldn't he just fix this why couldn't he have stopped this why couldn't he have just been responsible like always why why why why-

Something was dripping from his hand.

He glanced over, and saw quartz had cut into the palm of his hand.

'Make it stop.'

He looked back to Orion, vision starting to go blurry as he tried to hold back the tears.

'Please.'

"Okay."

A tremble in his breathing.

"I'll-I'll make it stop."

The rock was raised above his head.

"I'll make it better."

Joel swung the rock into Orion's temple.

Orion closed his eyes.

S032: Orion Williams - DECEASED

Joel would remember the sound of Orion's skull cracking under his hand for the rest of his life.

His last words-his last word...was thanks.

Joel couldn't remember the last time he'd cried. He'd always had to have been the strong one. He was the oldest. He had to take care of Martin and Fox and Sasha and Olive and Ace. He didn't have time to cry. He had to comfort others crying. He didn't cry.

The tears streaming down his cheeks didn't care about that, though. A dam was broken, and it would flood.

But he still had things to do. It was his last promise, and he would do it.

He would make it better.

Joel's body was on auto-pilot. He was on his feet. The rock was on the ground. The bags were on the ground. It didn't matter right then.

He needed to make it better.

Orion's legs had been spread out a bit and somewhat bent at the knees-a result of the fall. He straightened them out.

Orion's right arm was underneath him, against his back-a result of Joel turning him over. He gently lifted the body, moved the arm, set him back down, and folded the arm over his chest, right hand on his left shoulder.

Orion's left arm was straight, almost like a half T-pose. He folded that arm over his chest as well, left hand on his right shoulder.

Orion's head was on its side, a pool of blood forming under it-the wound was on the other side, but gravity was doing it's normal work. He straightened it out, the back of his head being against the ground.

The rock that killed Orion was next to his head, blood still spattered on it. He grabbed it and shoved it in his bag, zipping it up quickly. He shouldn't have his own murder weapon left with him.

There wasn't much more he could do to make it better. He did almost everything he could to make it better. There was only one more thing he could think of to make it better.

Joel took the bags and left his victim to rest.

[[Joel Foster continued in Say It Three Times In A Row]]