(This chapter is dedicated to Becky and Marquita, who always wait patiently for updates)
They had run for what felt like hours, the image of the life leaving Excella's eyes still fresh in Jessica's mind. She caught her breath, looking back as the other two did the same. "What... the hell?" She panted out, glaring at the other two. "Why did... you hold me back?! I could have stopped Albert! I could have saved Excella!"
Raymond recovered first, but still kept his hands on his knees, his breathing a bit ragged. He was never overly athletic. "No. You couldn't have. Wesker would have just killed you too... He's a lot stronger than you are."
"There are three of us and he had a fucking feather duster!" The brunette protested. "If you two hadn't held me back... If you'd grown a pair and stood up, we could have fought him off! Cella would still be here!" She sat down heavily on the ground, refusing to look at the others. They could have saved her! Why didn't they even bother trying?! Excella was their friend! Well, as close to a friend as a girl like Excella could ever be, and Jessica was almost certain that Cella would have stopped being her friend if she knew about the crush she had on Parker. But even so, the could have done something. They SHOULD have done something.
"Jess," Rachel began slowly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we could have saved her. But it's too late now. She's gone. Which means that this is REAL. She's dead, and we heard gunfire earlier too. This is real, and at the very least, Albert and God knows how many others are willing to kill one another. I never thought it was possible, but that's the boat we're in now."
For a long time, there was silence between the three friends as Rachel's words sunk in. "Yes. This IS real." Said Raymond. The strange, distant tone of his voice made Jessica look up. He looked frightened, determined, and downright scary.
"Ray? What's the matter with you?" Jessica asked, at once on her guard. She had never seen Raymond look like that before. She'd seen him in every sort of mood imaginable, and though his default setting was snobby and sarcastic, he had never looked this desperate before. This harrowing.
"Rachel is right." He replied in a voice that had become void of emotion, but was tinged with something like madness. "This is real. That means... that means only one of us gets to go home. I want to go home...I want... I WANT TO GO HOME!"
Before Jessica knew what was what, Raymond had jumped on top of Rachel and was trying to strangle her, just like Wesker had strangled Excella not moments before. Unlike Wesker, Raymond was skinny with very little muscle, and Rachel was naturally healthy and put up a good fight. But the redhead punched her in the gut, driving the air from her lungs and locked his hands around her throat.
All of this happened in a matter of a few seconds, when Jessica leapt up with a cry of "Don't!" And jumped on Raymond's back. She was trying to get a hold of his hair, his shirt, anything that she could grip to give her a little leverage. She grabbed and pulled with all her might, not realizing that she was gripping his collar.
They all stopped moving when they heard a high pitched beeping sound as Ray's collar began to blink with red light. Panic set into his eyes half a second before they heard a 'pop' and then suddenly blood was gushing from the redhead's throat, spraying all over Rachel's face and chest. The blonde began to scream, and Jessica realized that she was screaming too even as she pulled Raymond off her horrified friend. He was still alive, scratching at his throat and trying to desperately to stem the red fountain his neck had become. Then, all at once, he was still.
...
"Ugh. Well, that's lucky." David said as Alyssa pulled a zippo lighter out of her duffel bag. They assumed the lighter was supposed to be her weapon. "It's a shame none of us smoke." She said in irritation as she shoved the small object inter her back pocket. David was usually quiet and taciturn, and a bit of a lone wolf. They whole reason he was now teamed up with Alyssa and George was because the pushy girl was friends with Yoko, one of the few people in class David actually liked.
George was the other person David liked. Never really one to call the shots or take charge, but he possessed a cooperative spirit and had a sort of quiet stillness that David could respect. But right now, George was being more than quiet. He was distant, his eyes far away as they stared up at the clear night sky. "Hey, you still with us?"
The other boy looked at him sadly. "I guess you could say I'm having a sort of epiffany." He replied. "I know you two want to team up with others and find a way out of this, but I really don't see the point. You know what the Program is. Never in the history of it has more than one person come out alive. Why should this time be any different?"
They stared at him for a second before Alyssa put her foot down. "What the hell are you talking about? We're all gonna get out of here, ya understand that? I'm gonna become the world's most famous journalist, you're gonna be the best surgeon that ever lived, and David is gonna... do whatever it is David is going to do."
David almost smiled at that comment, but he was too concerned by the look in George's eyes. "George, just because nobody has escaped yet doesn't mean that there wont' be a first time."
George grinned humorlessly. "You hear that sound? That's the sound of God laughing while you make plans. Don't you think other classes from past Programs have had the same conversation that we're having now? Only one of us is walking away from this, if any. I do know for certain that I will not participate in this game. If you two want to live, then you'll have to kill eventually. Might as well start now."
"Have you lost your damn mind!?" Alyssa demanded. "We're not going to kill you! How can you even suggest that?!"
"It's better you than someone else! At least I know that the two of you will make it quick!" He shouted. He took a deep breath, becoming visibly calmer. "I'm begging you, kill me here, kill me now. I don't want to be a murderer, and I'm Catholic, suicide will send me straight to hell. Please. Do this for me. David, use your axe."
The fire axe David had been issued was held loosely in his hand. He didn't want to kill anyone unless he had to, but how could he deny George's last wish? "Are you sure this is what you want?"
George nodded. "Yes. I'm sure. Hit right here, the spot between the base of the skull and the top vertebrae. Instant death, no pain. You've always been very precise in everything." He looked over at Alyssa and handed her the baseball bat he had been issued as his own weapon. "Here. You're going to need something better than a lighter. Don't look so upset, I'm escaping my way."
He knelt then, looking to each of them with a small smile. "Good luck to you both. Do it now, David, before my courage leaves me." he bowed his head then, exposing the back of his neck.
David nodded and circled around behind him while Alyssa turned and looked away. He swallowed hard, forcing his hands not to shake as he took aim. He raised the axe and brought it down upon his friend's neck, severing his spinal cord in a quick, painless end. George was dead before he hit the ground.
The remaining boy dropped the axe and fell back on his rear as the tremors took over his body. He had just killed his friend, one of his only two friends. Why in God's name did he just do that? Why hadn't he tried to talk him out of it like Alyssa had? Surely that would have been the right thing to do instead of just... going along with it! No. No regrets. Regrets will get you killed. "Alyssa, come on. We have to get moving."
...
"Ugh! What a vulgar weapon!" Said Alfred as he drew a short-handled sickle out of his bag. "Do they really expect me to fight with this? How abhorrent!" He sat down and pouted, but his twin Alexia simply laughed musically.
"Come now Alfred, it really isn't so bad. You say it's vulgar, but I think it's elegant, unique, and very interesting. My own weapon is dull by comparison." Her 'dull' weapon was an H&K VP70 .9mm handgun. Perhaps not as exciting as a sickle, but a hell of a lot more useful. Still, her words had the effect she wanted and Alfred smiled at her.
"Yes. I suppose it is. This reminds me of those games we used to play as children. Do you remember? Where we'd play hide-and-seek with the neighbors pets?" He asked her in a whimsical tone. There had always been something deeply wrong with the Ashford twins, whether isolating themselves was the cause or the effect was anyone's guess. They were extremely wealthy, richer even than the Gionne family, and used to get away with everything.
Alexia smiled back at him. "Of course I remember. And this game of hide-and-seek is no different. Well, except that it will be a bit more of a challenge. But I think it will be fun. Oh look, here comes a pair of kittens now."
...
It had taken a little effort getting through the chaos to find one another, but Bruce and Ling were now teamed up. They were reasonably well armed, as Ling had a bolt-action rifle and scope slung over her shoulder. She even knew how to use it after a few hunting trips with Bruce and his family.
Bruce smiled at her fondly, the way her mouth was set in a thin line and her almond-shaped eyes were narrowed in focus. "You're so damn cute when you're serious." He said with a grin. Bruce on the other hand was virtually incapable of being serious, always cracking jokes, even in a situation like this.
She stared at him aghast and then punched his arm. "This is a big deal Bruce! Can't you forgo the jokes for once in your life?" Truth be told, she was happy that he was always so light-hearted and goofy, it made her feel better about their current situation. Though she would never admit it.
"Ow! Ling, you're so mean..." Bruce pouted as he rubbed the spot where she had punched him. She hit hard for such a tiny thing. "Okay, okay, you win." He set down his bag and pulled out his own weapon. It was some kind of GPS, but as it didn't come with an instruction manual, neither of them was sure what it was really for. There was a map, and two small red dots blinking on it. Bruce looked at it and scratched his stubbly chin, before he grinned in realization. "Hey! I figured out what this is! It's a tracking device! These little red dots are us! There must be tracking chips in our collars."
Ling rushed over, actually excited by the news. With this they could pinpoint where everyone was and avoid them. Or, if necessary, hunt them. But Ling didn't want to think about that. This item could very well be more useful than anything else distributed. Her eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw two other dots approaching theirs. "Bruce, look at..."
But her words were cut off by a loud BANG and a warm wetness hitting her face. It took her a second to realize the sticky red liquid was blood, then horror overtook her as she saw Bruce falling, his blue eyes wide as if with surprise, and a gaping red hole in the side of his head.
No. Not him. Not Bruce. When they had met sophomore year, she'd had no friends, nobody that would even give her the time of day. Admittedly, she had once been something of a frigid bitch, but that had been more a combination of shyness and culture shock. Still, it had taken it's tole and alienated her from almost everyone.
But not from Bruce. Every day he would come over and talk to her, not letting up even when she gave him the cold shoulder again and again. He always had something nice to say. Your hair looks cute like that. That top really brings out your eyes. You're the prettiest girl in town. Eventually Ling was forced to admit that she liked the attention that the wiry joker was giving her.
But not anymore.
He would never give her another compliment, make another joke, give her a sweet kiss. He was dead. Murdered. And his killers were nearby.
It took only a split second for all these thoughts to pass through Ling's mind. She let out a cry like an avenging angel and turned the rifle in the direction the shot had come from and began to return fire, catching a glimpse of blonde hair and a purple blouse.
The killers didn't exchange fire with her, instead choosing to flee into the woods. If those monsters thought that they could seek shelter and find a safe haven under those trees, they were dead wrong. Ling hefted the rifle over her shoulder and knelt down long enough to close Bruce's eyes and whisper that she loved him, wishing that she had said it more often instead of being so damn cold and coy all the time. She picked up the tracker, stood, and began to chase after the fleeing red dots, tears and determination battling for dominance in her eyes.
35 Students Remaining
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(Whaaaat? None of the big players this chapter? Whatcha doing to us Sam?! Relax guys. Next chapter there will be more big wigs, a lot more action, and more feels)
