Street Duelist
Chapter 4: Duel Disk Detonation Part II
Time had stopped, everything at a stand-still. The single threat of blowing the place out kept everyone on their toes, not daring to breathe, for fear that I would hear them and drop the single worn card on my duel disk. Just one simple movement. Just one second. That was all that I needed. And I loved it. There was just one person out of everyone that wanted to ruin it though.
"If you would help us, the Enforcers could achieve their goal," I told him.
"This isn't what we wanted," he argued. "Why are you doing this?"
"You know I don't break promises, Yusei," I replied, still standing completely still with my hand over my ready duel disk. "You of all people should know that."
"What are you talking about?" He still didn't get it! How stupid could he be?!
"I'm doing it for Kalin," I fearlessly said. I didn't expect the sympathetic look that I was given. As whispers of Kalin went all about the room, he was staring at me with sorrow.
"Sandy..." Yusei calmly started, "what's happened to you? You've become obsessed with this. So much that you've pretended that he's still here..." It's like he was calling me insane!
"Excuse me?!" I let my anger flare up, the fire growing bigger as I screamed. "Kalin is here! He visits me every night and talks to me!" Armstrong's laugh cut in before Yusei could reply.
"The girl's finally lost it!" The chief went on, wearing my patience thin, "I think she belongs in our higher security block! Maybe even an asylum!"
"Will you be quiet?" Yusei shut him up before looking to me. "Don't listen to him, everything will be okay. Just set the duel disk down." He stayed calm and collected, negotiating as if I'd listen. He was wrong.
"No," I narrowed my eyes, "I never break a promise."
"There is no promise, Sandra!" He finally burst out, "stop making things up and put it down!"
I had been a bit surprised that he had raised his voice towards me, but instead gave a laugh. "You're not the the position to be making demands," I didn't know why we kept carrying on this conversation. I knew I wanted to do it. Maybe something about it wasn't satisfying enough? Maybe I still wanted to prove something. I always did tend to take risks, but it couldn't matter if we would all go down anyways.
"Sandra." He balled his fists, holding something back. He was upset, and trying not to show it. "I'm sorry. I really am," he said it again.
"No, you're not." I was getting tired of this.
"All the pain you felt... That you feel," he inched only a little closer as his voice softened. He was still a few feet from me. "I shouldn't have left you alone to deal with it. I see now my mistake. I failed Kalin-" he stopped.
My guard was dropped only slightly at the mention of Kalin. My eyes fully opened as he was speaking. He really did seem to be sincere. It was true that I was left alone. My legs shook a little and I stiffened, refusing to fall.
"I left Kalin, thinking it was the best thing I could do," he continued regretfully, "I was so wrong. I left him when he needed someone."
"He had me!" I shot back.
"I know," he simply replied. "That was only another mistake. I lost Kalin- we all did. It was my fault."
"Yes," I agreed, "it is." He wasn't finished though.
Yusei's head bowed down, his fists trembling. His voice spoke softly, only able to manage that much. "I promise I won't make the same mistake."
I was confused at his last statement, but wasn't given any time at all to consider it. I was on the floor, the air knocked out of my lungs. The card that was in my hand was gone, dropped from the impact. The duel disk left my arm, gliding across the floor. I tried to reach for it, but only got to see it be smashed by a heavy boot. I watched in shock as the shards of plastic spread everywhere and the wires inside of it snapped. I then snapped out of it.
"Let me go!" I ordered him, pushing against him. His hand stopped my fist from hitting his face, pushing my arm against the floor. "Kalin will get you for this, Yusei Fudo!" I screeched the threat.
"Listen to me!" He yelled down at me fiercely. "I thought I already pounded this into your thick head! Kalin is dead! And he's not coming back!"
I froze. Only three words were processed. The same three words from before. My mind went back to then, remembering every little detail of that night. I remembered the expressions on their faces as I had walked into our hideout in the old apartment complex; they were full of sorrow and hopelessness.
Back then, I was just recovering from the incident. The scar on my side throbbed, reminding me that he had shot me. He had been reckless enough to injure me. His friend. When the news had been broken to me, I denied it entirely. I had refused to believe it was true... Until Yusei made it clear to me. That day I had cried. This day was no different.
The tears came to my eyes. I still didn't want to believe it. I saw him. I knew I did... But I had also seen the letter back then. The lines on it were loud and clear, making me hurt even more from the insensitivity a simple letter could hold.
I was released and he stood, holding out his gloved hand to help me up. I could tell that he was sorry for what he did. I just wasn't sure if I was ready for forgiveness... I still shakily took his hand and stood, stepping away from him to cast my glance away. Was I supposed to be thankful for what he did? He stopped me from fulfilling my promise... But what if Kalin had never been there to start? What if my mind was making things up...? I missed him so much. I wanted to make up for what happened to him... I really did.
"Alright, sixty-five." My arms were wrenched back and I fell to my knees as I was called by my identification number. Strands of my hair fell into my face and I looked up. There was the chief, playing with his beard.
Armstrong chuckled, "you've just earned yourself a cozy cell in our highest security block. Where I will get to see your pathetic little satellite face every day until you die." His tone was sadistic as ever, trying to push me over the edge. "I'll even be nice and let you have Kessler's old cell!" His laugh stung and I winced. He was so cruel.
"Let her go," Yusei stood up to defend me. I was surprised that he would, but at the same time it was predictable he would choose to argue something that he couldn't help.
"She earned her place," Armstrong looked to him, "and I suggest you learn yours." Yusei could only stand helplessly as they took me. He couldn't help me anyways. No one could.
I was taken to what was referred to by other inmates as the Hive. I could see each and every cell from the railed platform. The cell that the guards had in mind for me was the lone one in the shadows of the room. The rusted door haunted me, sending chills down my spine. I had expected to be thrown in like every time before. Things must have been different in this block.
The merciless guards all pushed me around, letting me hit the closed cell door with my back. I wished that was the end of it. The pain I had felt with every blow and cruel remark was unbearable. If I hadn't been so upset, I would have had it in me to fight back. But something in me said that it would only make things worse. To be finally left in the old cell was almost comforting. Back in the darkness where I had had conversations with Kalin. Only in this cell, I felt the same pain he once did. I didn't bother standing from the floor, just laying there broken.
The door screeched open and let in light one last time. Armstrong's voice sounded once again, "you are going to spend every moment of your pathetic life just as Kessler did." His dark laugh carried on even after the door was shut and he was far down the hall.
I didn't think that I would ever see out of that cell again. I was condemned to sit there alone in the darkness. I couldn't last too horribly wrong, given that Kalin was gone within weeks... But I still knew that every minute would be made pure torture, and that was enough to smother the fire inside of me. It would have been easier to find something in that cell to end it with, but that must have already been attempted once, as only the spaces where objects used to sit were a lighter color than everything else.
"Are you giving up?"
My eyes shot open. I couldn't have heard that. I just couldn't have! I pushed myself up, every muscle aching. There he was. Sitting casually on the dirty mattress that lay on the far end on the small room. I shook my head, disbelieving.
"You aren't real," I closed my eyes, "you can't be!"
"Is that what you really think, Sandra?" I heard him stand and approach me. The footsteps sounded so real and I wanted to scream. I only dared open my eyes when I could feel his breath on my neck.
"I'm as real as you are, Sandy," he whispered, a wry smile on his lips. "They may think you're crazy, but I know you're not."
"Stop!" I cried out, not caring if I was heard. As long as this nightmare would go away! His hand clamped down on my mouth, convincing me that he was real.
"Listen to me," he ordered. "I will help you out. You just have to trust me, okay?"
