DISCLAIMER: Decisions Decisions. This is NOT the last chapter. The next one, however will be.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE:
"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. i'll always be with you."
WP
"Do y` like it?" The male asked a bit unsure of himself.
Victoria fluttered her lids for a moment, starring at the dress presented to her. Sure it was pretty. Sure it was expensive. But she hadnt exactly wanted hand-me-downs from some poor girl never to be heard of again.
"You know what, I do..It's great," She clenched in between her teeth trying to sound grateful.
"But, I dont think it'd fit is all, I'd probably be a lot more comfortable in my own clothes."
However, catching her eye had been a small pocket knife, she examined it for a moment, caressing the tip of it with her fingers.
"Well I havent seen one of these in a long while, yeah?" She exclaimed expecting Lizard to behold some sort of great accomplishment before his eyes,
Instead he gave a heavy sigh, and threw the dress back in the pile of clothes that nobody had cared for. He would just have Ruby dress the mannequins in the clothing.
Victoria merely shrugged tucking it into the front of her shirt, as if any use would come from it.
"Its really nice out," Victoria stammered impolitely ruining the moment.
"We supposed to spend this day t`gether Tor`ia." He reminded Morosely. It seemed as though she hadnt wanted to spend any time at all with him whatsoever.
"Whats today?" She asked, ignoring his statement, and drawing one hand upon her chin. Lizard wasnt too fond of the way she was acting, it was itching him to put her in place.
"Fine, les` go 'ouside." He closed frustratedly on her, grabbing her lightly by the shoulders, and pushing her towards the screen door, placing one hand on the knob, so that it opened, and a gust of wind blew in her face. She squinted momentarily, as Lizard let go of her. The sun was shining brightly, Ruby And Kelsi were on the swing set, Summer was next to Cyst on the Next house over, The both had cigarettes in there hand, which Summer looked like she needed, and cyst had a wet towel, over the barrel of his shotgun, polishing it perhaps.
Lizard firmly placed his hand on the sun hat, pulling it down to cover his burnt face. Ever since the sun had come around, Lizards skin had become much darker, a bronze color, which Victoria often complimented him on, But Lizard would only scoff at this idea, replying with
"Fuck th` sun, I burn lika fuckin` pig out ere'."
"well unlike you're heart..At least there's still something left to burn." She'd reply. He'd only motion his chin in her direction as if to agree.
Her face was towards the sky, her hair dancing slickly in the wind.
"This place.." She thought surly.
"How have I become so attached to such a place.."
She felt the blaze of Kelsi's inferno like eyes set on her, she could make out the clenching of fists on the swing set, and the pure resistance of them ever becoming anything in each others eyes again.
Her eyes rotated slowly over in Summers direction. watching as the two sat tiredly by the shot gun, smoke spewing out of every Orpheus engaged in a smooth conversation. Almost as if they were a couple. No one, would tell her to quit smoking. There was no a soul that cared.
A baby, a baby very early in it's life would be born, dead, or alive. It had not hit her yet. Trauma still befriended her.
Victoria's cheekbones fell frozen, and tense. her head lowered to the ground, in recognition of her own flaws. What she had let herself hands modeled into a prayer position, making there way slowly into one balls of fists, held slightly underneath her stomach.
She could remember the smiles of yesterday, the warmth of home. The serene light that was once her.
How could she have ever let it get so far? So far away from her..
"Lizard, I really need to get my mind off things.."
"Yer crazy if y` think i'm lettin ya have a cigarette." He jeered, pulling his arm abruptly away from her with the lighter high towards his face.
"No.." She stated firmly, bringing one hand up to rub her eye.
"Thats not it, I, I just need to be alone for a while."
"Huh, Like I couldn` tell?" He ridiculed harshly.
She peered at him, silently for a moment. Taking in his comments.
"Yeah..That's right. I'am going to walk up to jebs, and grab something, I don't think i'll make it through the week with out it." She stammered lifelessly.
"Wha` you bein' so bitch cause you on yer period?"
Her lips grappled into a straight line, her eyebrows folded downward, and she placed a hand on her hip.
"Yes, that's exactly the case." she muttered, rolling her eyes and kicking pebbles walking away from him.
Pluto faced Lizard, watching her leave,
"Knew it." Lizard scoffed incredulously.
A small laugh escaped Pluto's lips, causing Lizard to grab him by his jaw.
"What you laughin` at you ol` bastard?" lizard hissed under his breath, watching as she staggered away lightly.
"You best take Ruby with you!" He called out.
Her eyes cast an unsettling look on him, as she peered back. She felt her stomach go uneasy, as she realized what she was about to do so easily, without any caution at all.
She shifted her dark eyes to Kelsi whom had her back facing her, and her eyes peeled on the sun. She squinted her eyes painfully, not because the sun had done this to her. With their connection so long gone, it was all reason to feel regret.
She pressed her teeth roughly against her lip, locking it in place as she now watched summer inhale the last drag of smoke. Holding it as she felt Victoria stare at her, she finally let the smoke blow in Victoria's direction, which was certainly a remark of disrespect.
She felt light headed, that was for sure. Pulling both of her arms behind her head, and letting out a loud moan. She suddenly realized something she had not for so long. Something so important, it tore at her insides violently for just now remembering.
She let out a small pant, examining the area.
Recollection of home striked her.
Her own clothes, she cursed bitterly with every ounce of humanity swelled in her.
They were not hers.
"Who's-Whos's clothes were these.." She thought sickly, pulling her fingers through the rim of the shirt.
"What was the girls name?"
"What was she feeling when she wast attacked, did she scream? Did she cry, or beg for her life?"
Lizard grimaced at the frozen Victoria, folding his hands in his pockets genuinely, waiting for her to say something to him.
Had it occurred to her at all, that she was simply standing there looking insolent?
He gritted his teeth.
"Why y` gotta be such and idiot sometimes?" He rambled with danger written all over his lips.
Still, she moved not.
Her mouth hung open for the time of her standing, and her heart pounded like thunder against her insides. It traveled, streaming its way up her neck, to the unwillingness of her ear drums.
Her legs, were not the ones she stood taller on much before. Her legs were now weak. They were not her own.
Her saliva grew thick in her mouth, as she was suddenly full of inspiration and strength. She had let threats, and death get inside her head, and toy with her emotions for too long.
A day before arriving, she was strong, if you ever dared to interrupt her, she would truly decimate you. Physically, and emotionally tear your body down molecule, by molecule serving to be a true human wretch and one not to be toyed with.
Her personality was that of a steel driver, sharp and ready for action if ever provoke, she was protective, and now was overprotected,
She was strong, but now defensive, she was weak minded, but now useless. Her incessant whining was now becoming apparent, had she really thought so lowly of herself.
" I am strong." She repeated steadily still unconvinced in her mind.
By the means of aggressive hands ripping her back from a future, by the power of malicious and undiscovered minds who reigned over her,
and by the sheer lack of will power that perused her to give up because of a presumed, and uncanny weakness caged inside of her. She let herself be dragged deeper into him, descending quickly away from the life she held so dearly before her eyes in the past.
But No longer, never again would she cease to protect the ones she loved. Never again would she continue to ignore true emotion welded around her heart, scolding her soul, and burying her mind with misfortuned doubt.
No. because she was stronger. No. because she was better. And simply because, that was not her.
It was then that she came to the realization that her life, was the most precious thing to her. That her life, was more then pretty words, and clever lies. Her life- Was her witty, and intelligent mind, and that life was only hers.
She concealed her eyes tightly, ever so tightly, as sweat began to condensed down her forehead.
"We can't live like this." She beamed once again, making the sweat more intense, on the verge of cupping her face in her hands, a sharp object inside her shirt gave her a jab. She knew now. What she was about to do.
"Ruby." She spoke, the words quite tangled in her throat.
"Come here.." She let out a bit choked up. Confuse ruby set foot off the swing with a loud clatter. Kelsi gave a questioning look to Victoria, who did not dare meet her gaze. She kept her eyes focused intently on the red hooded female drawing near her.
She gulped tightly, almost to point she thought her circulation would be cut off.
Pressing her hand against the brim of her shirt, she made haste to take the small pocket knife in her hand. Thankfully unseen by the hills,
But it was not unseen by Kelsi.
Kelsi gave a silent gasp, her face draped in a bright red as she caught the gleaming of silver stretch into her friends hand.
Victoria then looked at her, her eyes shuddered with a half open, and pained expression.
The red left Kelsi's face, as Victoria narrowed her hand to Ruby, taking her palm into hers with her other pressed up in front of her.
Her back was to the village, but her eyes narrowed to Kelsi.
To say Kelsi wasn't fully aware of what she was doing, was an absolute lie. The color of her face dropped to white, as inaudible, and slow no's pleaded out of her lips. Victoria only shut her eyes firmly, and looked away.
Cyst gave a crooked gaze in Victoria's direction, nudging his head to get Jupiter's attention. Summer's attention was also now intent on Victoria.
It was obvious, suspicion was now going on, she had never answered Lizard, and was taking her time to move with Ruby, ever so slowly.
Cyst reloaded the barrel on his shut gun, putting the cigarette out from under the bottom of his boots sole.
He gave a muffled cackle, facing Jupiter, Now seeing as all the mutants began surfacing their eyes over to the specific area by the swings.
Their attention was all drawn on Victoria, and she could feel the daggers of a million eyes hung heavy above her head.
Kelsi noticed, and bravely acknowledged this fact.
She quickly put on the most artificial front ever played in her life. A fake smile spread across her face, as she cheered happily for Summer.
"Hey, Summer! Come here, I need to ask you something?"
Summer not really coming to an understanding spat back in between mutants, "What?"
She had not gotten her point.
Victoria unhitched the knife from it's resting place flicking it up unheard under her shirt.
Kelsi's eyes were set in a dead radar on it.
"I want to wear that white coat!" Kelsi intentionally let out a hint of frustration in her voice.
"White coat?" Summer repeated to herself.
"Ahh, the one Tori'a` always wore, haven seen that in a while." Jupiter jabbed with a smirk.
There was a reason for this being. The coat was ruined, thrown away, it was no longer worth a penny.
And Kelsi would already had very much have known this, being she was the one who had thrown it away.
She now understood what was going on.
Things, were about to go down.
On the inside, Summer couldn't help but return a smile to kelsi, and state "I'am coming."
This smile, and these words, were not fake.
Victoria, was proving herself to them, maybe even the last time she may have been able too,
and they were going to get out. They were making a run for it.
Her hand slid over Cyst's shoulder, bringing herself to her feet. The old flooring whimpered eerily from underneath her.
Sun down was now around the corner. And the skies were dark as ever.
The darkened sands blew over the houses, the settle of them came uneasily, as she hissed and groaned in the darkness.
The hills once again looked like terror, and macabre, uninviting with black smog surrounding them, and howls of the night drawing near.
The pompous sound of the forbidden zone was now alarming in her head. With every heart beat, the noise grew louder, and more terrifying. They were no longer connected by any human strands. It was already over.
Summer staggered up scared lifelessly, as the cold wind hit her face. In the brink of the night, Cyst looked truly evil. He let her go, as his hand ran steadily up the shotgun, he let out soft, and gnarled growls beneath his breath, the sound of the metal dragging against the wood boards as he rose. Was intimidating.
Jupiter stood tall, towering. His arms crossed and his darker persuasion antagonized the seen.
Coyotes howled louder, with blood curtailing growls that stretched for miles, catching Lizards ear, he stuck his finger inside his earlobe slightly.
His eyes glowing a ghastly, and frightening blue in the night, his deformities more pronounced, as she gripped tightly on his faithful magnum. A steady raspy breathing haltered from his mouth, that she to drag on into the air.
Pluto swallowed, and insastiously licked the top of his lips. His palms crunched into a ball as Summer reached Kelsi, his eyes fell to the Butchers house, and back at the girls, time after time.
Suspicion wound up inside of them all. This, was not the reason however they all had been acting the way they were, because it was animal instinct. It was who they were.
They were the reason children were never able to sleep at night. They were the reasons children could not lift their feet over their bed, none the less touch the ground alone at night. It was all because of them, young ones crawled up in their blankets wrapping bundles of blankets over their heads at night, in fear of the monsters banging at closet shudders, or crawling drearily with deformities from under their beds. They had reason to be scared, because these monsters were very real.
Monsters from the beginning, and until the end. For a living, they consumed flesh. You can only imagine the affects of their remission from the girls would fade of sooner or later. Moral was always expect the unexpected, and truthfully, the unexpected was to be quite expected, and highly anticipated when a bead of drool lowered itself down Lizard's cleft lip.
A killer, was a murderer, and a murderer, was a killer. There was nothing anybody hadn't tried in the past, or being that present time, to have changed anything that was bound to happen in those seconds.
Victoria's hand shot up to ruby's throat, the knife placed directly on it. Ruby let out a horrified scream, that was the least of it, before gun shots and screaming were heard.
As the knife cut into Ruby, and Summer and Kelsi sped fast darting away, Victoria took one last look at Lizard, who was now on his knees on the ground, a hand thundered solidly against the ground with the wrath of Thors hammer. Repetitive screams, gargled out of his throat, as he let out a small gag, it was all making him sick, and he should have known all along.
Ruby's unresponsive, dying of warmth body flew to the ground with a thud. Victoria faced it hysterically, realizing what she had done, and shakily stepped back before her work, her head contorted on the ground.
One last look up, Lizard's truly cold blue eyes were in motion. They cruelly narrowed their way to meet with her own eyes, in disbelief. His palms pressed steadily against the ground, very, very, intently, and contently, and slowly, he lifted his hands off the ground, reaching back for his gun. His hands traveled up the cock of the gun, reloading it. He wiped one minuscule tear from his face, and slight vomit from his mouth. As he perched up, almost to standing. Her thoughts kicked in while Kelsi, and Summer screamed far ahead of her in the hills, screaming unusually shrilly, and petrified, with no hint of amusement left.
"You'd better run."
