I lifted my head from the pillow, the once uncomfortable mattress had been somewhat bearable in the morning. I turned to look around but the only thing I saw was Carla, who was once turned away from me, clinging to my arm like a makeshift stuffed animal.
I looked out the barred window below me, the sunrays squeezing themselves through to shine light into my cell. I wanted to wake Carla up, just so we could get going, but she seemed a bit...peaceful. I had been looking down at her for a few minutes and I couldn't tell you what it was even if I tried. She laid with an aura of effortless elegance, with her just being there, she commanded attention without so much as a word spoken.
Waves of ocean-like hair framed her face like a halo, adding to the morning beauty of her appearance. Her lips, slightly pink and as gorgeous as ever, curved into a smile that could disarm even the most guarded souls. I wondered what she'd been dreaming about. Carla's skin was touched by the sunbeams and glowed with a natural beauty that seemed to illuminate the room around her.
I made my way down the bed, stretching my back, arms, and legs as I felt the rough tug of my clothing hug my body. The bed seemed a little like a mountain when you've just woken up. Taking Carla's arms, I tugged on her gently until she had been at least halfway off the bed in which I propped her on my back to head out.
Surprisingly she wasn't all too heavy, not compared to the last time i held her like this when we were children. She'd been as light as a thousand feathers honestly. I let her slump a little deeper into my shoulder as before beginning to walk out. I figured I should probably wake the others up as well, but they all already seemed awake and doing something.
" You two just woke up?" Himari had crossed her legs while looking over at us, a sense of robotic elegance had been in her movements in a way. She had been carving small cats into the walls, it was either an act of boredom or a sign of going insane.
"I had been wondering where Carla ended up! It turns out she has been with you this whole time, Aoto." She stretched a little and stood up, her eyes locked onto an unfinished cat doodle she'd been drawing before she took my arm and dragged me to her, sitting me on the floor.
I knew what was going to happen, pretty much everyone did, but no one knew why. It was an accidental discovery when Himari ran her hands through my hair after complaining about her headache, and when it magically took the headache away, Himari had devoted herself to giving me a pet or two to get rid of her migraines.
She massaged my scalp as her hands were gliding gently through each strand, I could see her visibly relax as a genuine smile appeared on her face, like chains on her brain were shattered! Himari tapped her foot as it seemed she was looking for someone, maybe Higa?
By the time we'd finally made it out of the cell area we ran into Higa, we were all in one place. Delilah had called us down to the gate to grab some supplies and help out, claiming it's the least we could do for letting us stay the night. When we made it down she seemed pleased with our arrival, only greeting me with a judgmental scowl before greeting the others.
"I have a small request! Would you four go out and set the barbed wire? If the zombies are as quick as you say, the bastards will run right into 'em don't you think, Aoto?" She smiled sweetly, in the same motherly nature she'd always done despite the words that would come out of her mouth. Her voice kept a maternal tone as she guided us out of the door with a gentle push.
As time passed, the harsh clang of metal echoed through the air as we unfurled the spools of barbed wire. With each stretch and pull, there was an uncomfortable sound of rattling and clicking, like a choir of angry insects. My bare hands gingerly grasped the sharp edges of the wire, feeling its cold texture. My hand snapped back and began to drip with blood as one of the barbs had stabbed into my hand. The metallic scent of rust filled the air as the others handled the barbed wire.
Carla had still seemingly been exhausted, even when she'd had all those hours of sleep beforehand, she might've slept too long.
She looked over at my hand, taking my palm and looking closely at the wound, the faint sight of bags under her eyes hadn't made her look any less enchanting than she had already been.
"A-Are you okay..?" She said, her voice still a bit raspy, she realized the fact and cleared her throat to try and fix it. "Th-that c-could be trouble if left untreated! Esp-Especially with all of the rust on the spikes! You should g-g-go inside, alright?" She continued to take my hand as she led me into the building, practically sneaking into Delilah's office and grabbing rubbing alcohol, as well as a bandage for my hand.
Carefully, Carla probed the wound, causing me to wince as she assessed the damage. Blood welled up, a beet color against the pallet my skin. With a deep breath, she pressed a sterile cloth against the wound, seeking to stop the blood from flowing out completely.
The sting shot through my arm as she cleaned the wound, each time she poked my palm, it sent sparks of pain sprinting through my bones. I sighed in relief as she finished and bandaged the wound. She couldn't help but marvel at the clean stab of the wire for some reason, how it could pierce so smoothly in its rusted state. If I didn't know better, I would've thought she enjoyed blades and sharp objects more than life.
"Thanks, but we should be headed back outside, you know? It's too hot to leave those two alone and not see them have a heatstroke, let's go" I helped Carla up, my hand wasn't stinging as much anymore but there was a minor and uncomfortable pain.
As we made our way outside, there was a loud clang behind us, as if a metal tree came crashing down, causing Carla to fall over and slam into the ground with a dazed thud as she laid motionless on the ground, seemingly knocked out. The gate had closed on us and Delilah had been standing on the other side, the same sweet smile on her face as she looked down at Carla with her eyes differing from the smile on her lips.
She looked resentful, disgusted, and even disappointed at her. It was like the gaze didn't get the 'kind, loving woman' memo that she'd been acting out this whole time. Himari had run over, helping Carla up as Higa went and tugged on the gate in confusion.
"Well, well, well! great job you four~ you truly are a blessing! really..." she squatted down, her pupils spiraling as her gentle and motherly smile morphed into a sadistic and hateful grin. She had been making her gaze directly toward Carla the whole time, since the moment I woke up and brought Carla downstairs, the scowl wasn't for me, it was for her.
She had dumped all of our weapons onto the floor, taking one and fiddling with the trigger as she spoke. "I would've loved to take you and have you here with me! Really, you're such a wonderful bunch! If only you hadn't brought that–whore woman–with you."She seemed to be pissed, but her expression didn't look like it.
"Along with you going out of your way to satisfy the girl, every second sickens me. She's not a princess, you know! She's a monster! You're lucky she hasn't gone out of her way to throw you into the gutter to survive!" Delilah had a sense of unease bursting from her body like the malevolent energy from a curse. It was almost like she'd been a zombie, pointing the gun over toward Carla and pressing it aggressively against her forehead as she seemed to force a strained smile onto her face.
"All day, since the moment you all appeared into her life all I've seen you do is cater to her needs like a bunch of fucking ants, mindless fools. She's sucking the life out of you, slowly draining you all dry while you stand by and let her. Don't you see? Don't you know what she's doing to you all?" She pressed the gun against her head with more force than before, her fingers nearly squeezing the trigger.
"She's corrupting you, transforming you into her servants, little minions that bend backwards to her every order, fulfilling her every desire without question. The worst part is you all don't even realize it, so I'll give you an ultimatum." Delilah had kicked a second gun through the gate, her gun now pointed at me instead of Carla.
"Kill the girl and I'll set you and your friends free.." her smile had turned strained and skittish, Delilah's mind was set on getting rid of Carla for what seemed to be no reason.
…
What?
Seriously, who did this woman think she was? Wasn't she Carla's mom? Why would she want her daughter dead? Her flesh and blood?
Bullshit.
Bullshit, Bullshit, BULLSHIT.
I could feel my body shaking and trembling. My fingers were burning, my head spiraled, and I felt hot like I was melting. It hurt, was I upset? Angry? Should I pick up the gun and shoot Carla? or Shoot her mom? Would I be doing right with any?
I looked around to study Higa and Himari's expressions of genuine shock. Himari had been on guard, looking at me with stress as she held Carla closer to her. Did she actually believe that I would shoot? Did she not trust me? Who did she take me for?
A girl who decided to just appear in our lives is suddenly on guard and protecting the girl I've spent my whole life with? Give me a break. The mere idea was pissing me off.
I looked down and clutched the gun harder, I wanted to scream, to give Delilah a piece of my mind. I couldn't maintain eye contact, it would've been easier to aim the gun up at her and shoot...but I'm not a killer! Was dying the best option? Killing anyone else would be an equally atrocious act so...but then again why would I have to die?
That was bad, wasn't it? If I died, who'd keep Carla in check? Prevent her from getting hurt or hurting? Could I really trust those two? And the promise we made? Was it all the same? Become happy, spend time with something, or someone, and then run away at the first sign of danger.
It was pathetic. It wouldn't be the first time either, at that point I was more pathetic than I was at the town. At least a little bit of me could boast about a growth that barely happened.
How does an arrogant, self-righteous piece of shit end up making the same mistake over and over again? Did I not learn? I'm not the victim right now, it's not about me.
There were visual blobs of thick blood, the gate was melting and the sound of static filled my ears as I felt myself begin to unravel more and more. My mind was doomed to be plagued by a false sense of security, only for it to be torn down by the illusion of strength I placed myself in. Was it courage that kept me protecting Carla? or was it fear?
Fear of what?
Fear of Carla? This new person? Or fear of Alona?
Blood began to splurge more, seemingly staining my knees as the setting began to melt away, the once barren desert twisted into a nightmarish hell. My clothes had gone damp with blood, it was splurging in disgusting patterns.
It had been staining everything it touched, from my hands to Delilah's ankles, down to Carla's legs. In the background, the unbearable sound of static filled the air, drowning out any semblance of sanity…
I took a deep breath, I needed to relax, I couldn't risk Carla's life for something so stupid. Even if I'd been a load of shit.
"Delilah..." I began, my voice quaking as the nightmare began to vanish. I placed the gun down and leaned my head into the barrel of the gun she'd been pointing at my skull, pressing my palms together as though I was going to begin praying. I just hoped my voice moved faster than her finger.
I watched her jump, her pupils dilated as my action seemed to catch her off guard. Then she gritted her teeth, her pupils sharpening and cracking like glass.
"Are–are you SERIOUS right now?! Are you willing to give up your life for her?! All of this time, you've seen what she could do, what she's done, and followed right behind her like some sort of slave! You-" she attempted to continue, to spill her never ending hatred and anger at me but was quickly shut down when Higa attempted to get up, she aimed the gun over at him and tried to shoot.
"Jam the gun." I said as the gun clicking echoed through the dry landscape. I found my tone shaley sounding harsh and almost cold in a way. My hands were still, they weren't shaking like they should've been.
Delilah had began to panic, she didn't understand that her turn to fire had long since been over. To be able to wield a weapon, you'd first have to know who your target is. If you aren't aware of simple facts such as that, pulling the trigger is just an act of blind cowardice.
"Delilah.." I took a deep breath before speaking, swaying from side to side as I stood up. Carla's mom- no, Delilah had been hitting the gun, her mind couldn't wrap around the fact that her gun had suddenly jammed, and she'd been too distracted to grab another.
I felt like my blood was boiling at top temperatures, and yet my face had remained indifferent. "As you could likely tell I'm very upset. Not because you misled a bunch of teenagers and threw them under the bus, it was for the sake of survival, I won't beat a horse for running. I will condemn you for your attitude, toward your daughter no less."
I began walking over, watching as Delilah whimpered and cowered like a scared dog. Her weapon wasn't working even as she continuously held the trigger and prayed to whatever god would listen that it would unjam so she could prevent me from advancing any further, unfortunately, God doesn't listen to snakes anymore.
"You insulted her, mistreated her, and since I've met you, you've been nothing but hostile. I don't see how I hadn't noticed before. Delilah, you're not only a vacuous woman, but a pathetic asshole to add to your fatuousness. What you've done is beyond forgiveness..." I went on, my voice wandering out of my mouth. I was long since tired of her antics, Delilah needed to be dealt with immediately.
I took a deep breath again, exhaling as I locked eyes with her like a predator looking its prey in the eye before dealing the finishing blow. "Delilah, I'll ask you very nicely, so please respect my wish." The area had gone silent, my eyes drawing upward as I kept my hands pressed in their prayer form. The sun was warm–really warm–it felt nice.
"End your life. That's all." I bit my tongue a bit, could it listen to me? Would it listen to me? This God ... It wouldn't be too far fetched to ask this creature for–to them-would be a menial act?
I hadn't had time to panic whether it would listen before I heard a yelp and Delilah shot the floor while unjamming the gun, she let out a small sigh of relief as not only did Higa and I stop moving completely, but the gun was loaded and ready to take the both of us out.
Her relief had been short-lived, however, her face dropped as she watched her hand forcefully try and move up, gun in hand. Her expression was that of pure, unrivaled horror, desperately attempting to hold her arm back, though it seemed as if it'd grown several times stronger, she began to scream helplessly.
Delilah fell onto her back, trying to hold the gun away as her hand forcefully made its way into her mouth. With her finger tightening on the trigger causing her to begin to tear up. Her screams and pleads were muffled by the barrel between her lips, tears began falling and streaming down her face like a raging river as she pried her fingers off of the gun, watching it clatter to the floors as she let out sharp, shaky breaths.
The scene sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the area. Aoto especially was shaken up, did it not work? That's not possible right? Was taking a life completely out of the question? Before Aoto could think any further about what'd happen, his train of thought was ruined by the obnoxious laugh of the whore in front of him.
"W-what the hell was that!? D-Demon! I should have known the second you arrived with the one who drowned our home in a lake of fire! You two are two peas in a pod! A witch and her broom!" Delilah's eyes at this point were completely shattered, like a hammer against glass, her hands shaking her a crooked. She laughed cockily and picked the gun up, but she stopped dead into her tracks.
Her body jolted and her face began to bloat. Her eyes bulged and her head began to shift and expand, as if someone had hid a star in her brain. Her temples throbbed, with veins pulsating at her skin like tiny rivers of rushing rivers. With every beat, inside her skull, a pressure kept on building.
Her breath quickened, as if fighting to keep her head from collapsing onto itself. The world blurred around her as the sounds faded into some faraway echo. Nothing else existed but a throb and a tremendous feeling that her head was going to erupt from her body. Instinctively, her hands stretched out to try and hold herself.
And then, just as it came, the pressure peaked and began to recede. Her body sagged with relief, muscles relaxing as the swelling melted awa. She blinked, before her head had just–blown.
Blood painted the bars and the concrete below her as her body swayed and fell against the . Both of her eyes had flown in opposite directions and yet one seemed to have melted. The blood spread to Higa's feet, hitting his shoe as it had coincidentally made a mimic of a small cat head, the ears bleeding slightly to their right. Though, maybe it wasn't a coincidence. It was a sign.