Chapter Twenty-Five: Six Feet Under
Little Mary was hovering above them, her strands of string extending in every direction as Mei Ling and Naomi took cover behind the flight of stairs that bent all the way to the top of the Spire. Jack had possession of his Hammerli and fired a few shots into the air, but even as they struck Little Mary, they were repelled, leaving no dents or scars. She looked on with the same blank smile as always, and her arm stretched eerily out ahead of her. "Do you see the mark?" she cried in sadness. Jack looked down at her stomach where a deep gauge could be easily spotted. He scowled and threw aside his Hammerli in frustration.
He looked back to Mei Ling and Naomi and then turned to Little Mary who was almost upon him. "Go!" he yelled. "Up the stairs!" They darted past him, and Little Mary took a moment to debate her decision. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she returned to Jack, her eyes becoming cloudy and gray. There was a quick flash, and Jack's arms went up, shielding his eyes. As the light receded, a dark figure stood there, strings still stretched into the opposite abyss that was above them.
Little Mary's paint was smeared, mixed, creating dark browns and black with several splashes of red. Her hair stood up in an odd way, spiking this way and that, and her eyes were more slits than eyes. At the end of her fingers were now long sharp splinters of wood, and her normal smile was a dark, upturned smile. A frown. Beading at the corner of her eye was a crystal blue tear, and it, like the rest of her, was a dab of paint, never to move from where it had been painted in the midst of the light. "They will be next," she hissed, her voice still high, but more slippery than before.
Jack drew a short knife tucked into his boot, and held it ahead of him threateningly. Little Mary thrashed with her long splinters only once, and Jack retreated in pain, a long gash in his forearm. Feeling lightheaded, he stumbled backward under the stairs and Little Mary slowly glided over, her arms held out and her strings sliding with her every move.
Jack watched a shadow linger toward Little Mary. In anticipation, he voiced, "Don't cry until you've felt pain." There was a harsh growl in his voice, his wounded arm tucked under his other. Then, without any notice of what was to come, the shadow shook furiously and Jack ebbed into the darkness in newfound fear. But as he hid under the shadow of the stairs, Little Mary cried into the night a sword sticking out of the front of her chest. Her arms were held up to the ceiling, and as she fell, the strings that bound her broke and she toppled onto the floor as Snake appeared behind the Ninja who stood triumphantly above her.
Suddenly, the Ninja grabbed his head and crumpled onto the floor. Snake called for Jack and he quickly moved beside the Ninja, trying to comfort him any way he could. Snake kneeled down before Little Mary and rolled her over so that he could see her face. It was shattered, a long crack running through it. Snake lifted her onto his knee and she began to speak, her mouth now moving with her voice. It was strange seeing her speak. Truly speak.
"Solid…Solid Snake," she choked and gasped loudly, taking in a great breath of air. "You…came to me?" She seemed to smile, and he looked back, his face unchanging.
"Yea," he muttered very quietly. The Ninja's screaming quickly ended, and he fell limp on the floor, his body ravaged by pains from inside. Naomi stumbled down the stairs upon seeing him there, and Mei Ling slowly came behind. Naomi sat beside the Ninja…her brother, and began to talk. Snake kneeled there still, Little Mary listening to her own heart crumbling.
"Frank," Naomi whispered, her hand set on his shoulder. There was no response. She laid her head on his back, and tried to listen through to his heart as it subtly thumped in his chest. Her hand stayed on his shoulder and a tear slipped from her eye, dropping onto his suit and sizzling away in an instant. "Don't you cry," she breathed. "Don't you cry. Just…just hang in there. Just for a moment longer." She paused. "I bet you'd laugh at me if you saw me crying, right? Heh…yea. I know it's been so long…since I saw you last. You'd tell me just to let go and forget about it…" She stopped then, her eyes closing and pushing two more tears over her cheeks. Little Mary took a deep breath just then, and Snake turned back to her, his concentration shifting from Naomi to her.
"Why…didn't Ocelot come…for me? Why you?" She asked, her eyes wide and the corner of her mouth twitching uncontrollably. Snake's eyes closed for a moment, and he didn't answer. "I…I must get back to him…he can help…" Snake shook his head slowly, and she frowned.
"The term marionette," he began, "came from the name Little Mary. A marionette is a puppet…you're his puppet, his pawn."
"No," she shook her head violently. "No…he loves me!"
"He doesn't love you," Snake said coolly. "Sometimes people just…aren't there for you." Snake's head was heavy, and Little Mary could see he felt pain. Meryl. That was what he thought about. Two Desert Eagles sat in the snow beside Desperado…they were just as he remembered Meryl's. Same engravings it seemed, same shine. He had let her down. He had done all that he could, but he had let her down. Ocelot had done the same to Little Mary, and Snake felt terrible for her. He could make the connection so easily.
"You…feel love?" Little Mary sighed and rolled her head to the side, noticing Naomi and the Ninja. Snake didn't answer. He could sense it, he could tell. Little Mary…she was going to be just like Meryl. Little Mary would become just another memory, lost in the wind. She would die, just as Meryl had, just as Baker had, just as Sniper Wolf had, or Fortune…she'd be just the same as any. "Thank you," she mouthed, no sound coming from her, and Snake's eyes began to swell as her head dropped.
He watched her closely, and could see the paint begin to shimmer. Then, there was a light, and hen he looked back, he saw something roll down her cheek and splash on the floor. Her tear. Snake held her tight, his eyes playing tricks on him. He saw Meryl. "No," he shook his head, and beside him, a loud noise erupted.
Naomi fell back, and the Ninja sprung onto his feet, his sword in hand. He shot a look at Naomi who seemed mesmerized by his unseen smile, and then, in a flash, he was gone. Where he had gone to, none of them knew, and once he had left, their company was still short one: Otacon was still absent.
Mei Ling was beside Naomi, her head rested on Naomi's shoulder, her hand running through Naomi's hair. Jack turned to Snake. Slowly, Snake slid out from under Little Mary, lightly setting her head on the cold, cement floor. He stared at her for moments, and then got onto his feet. Still, he said nothing. No one said anything. There was silence. Silence like he'd heard in the dead of the night after descending from the helicopter. Silence like he'd heard on the Codec only minutes ago. Silence like he'd heard, beating in Little Mary's chest. The silence he'd heard, or more properly, not heard, watching Otacon take his last gulp of air before falling away from them. It was the silence that was present every night that Snake sat in bed, an empty space beside him. The space Meryl should have filled. But the space that she didn't.
"Come on," he said to the others as he started for the door that sat in the floor under the stairs. Naomi looked at him warily, and Mei Ling took her hand, lifting her onto her feet. They looked at each other and started toward him. Jack was different, though. He was alone too. Yes, he had Rose at home, but…he knew the feeling that Snake had to live with every day of his life. That feeling of emptiness.
He looked into Little Mary's now bright eyes, and could see through them…into her. She was hollow…empty…full of pain and trapped frustrations. She felt no love…not until the moment before she died. She shared that love, the only love she possessed, with Snake in her last moments, and then she drifted away, her soul entering a new light. Jack walked to the door as Snake lifted it, and the four of them stepped into the dark abyss.
As they went down, Snake stopped behind the rest; his feet on the sixth step down from the surface. Something stirred inside him and he realized that in that one place he was with Meryl, and with everyone like her.
Six feet under…
Little Mary was hovering above them, her strands of string extending in every direction as Mei Ling and Naomi took cover behind the flight of stairs that bent all the way to the top of the Spire. Jack had possession of his Hammerli and fired a few shots into the air, but even as they struck Little Mary, they were repelled, leaving no dents or scars. She looked on with the same blank smile as always, and her arm stretched eerily out ahead of her. "Do you see the mark?" she cried in sadness. Jack looked down at her stomach where a deep gauge could be easily spotted. He scowled and threw aside his Hammerli in frustration.
He looked back to Mei Ling and Naomi and then turned to Little Mary who was almost upon him. "Go!" he yelled. "Up the stairs!" They darted past him, and Little Mary took a moment to debate her decision. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she returned to Jack, her eyes becoming cloudy and gray. There was a quick flash, and Jack's arms went up, shielding his eyes. As the light receded, a dark figure stood there, strings still stretched into the opposite abyss that was above them.
Little Mary's paint was smeared, mixed, creating dark browns and black with several splashes of red. Her hair stood up in an odd way, spiking this way and that, and her eyes were more slits than eyes. At the end of her fingers were now long sharp splinters of wood, and her normal smile was a dark, upturned smile. A frown. Beading at the corner of her eye was a crystal blue tear, and it, like the rest of her, was a dab of paint, never to move from where it had been painted in the midst of the light. "They will be next," she hissed, her voice still high, but more slippery than before.
Jack drew a short knife tucked into his boot, and held it ahead of him threateningly. Little Mary thrashed with her long splinters only once, and Jack retreated in pain, a long gash in his forearm. Feeling lightheaded, he stumbled backward under the stairs and Little Mary slowly glided over, her arms held out and her strings sliding with her every move.
Jack watched a shadow linger toward Little Mary. In anticipation, he voiced, "Don't cry until you've felt pain." There was a harsh growl in his voice, his wounded arm tucked under his other. Then, without any notice of what was to come, the shadow shook furiously and Jack ebbed into the darkness in newfound fear. But as he hid under the shadow of the stairs, Little Mary cried into the night a sword sticking out of the front of her chest. Her arms were held up to the ceiling, and as she fell, the strings that bound her broke and she toppled onto the floor as Snake appeared behind the Ninja who stood triumphantly above her.
Suddenly, the Ninja grabbed his head and crumpled onto the floor. Snake called for Jack and he quickly moved beside the Ninja, trying to comfort him any way he could. Snake kneeled down before Little Mary and rolled her over so that he could see her face. It was shattered, a long crack running through it. Snake lifted her onto his knee and she began to speak, her mouth now moving with her voice. It was strange seeing her speak. Truly speak.
"Solid…Solid Snake," she choked and gasped loudly, taking in a great breath of air. "You…came to me?" She seemed to smile, and he looked back, his face unchanging.
"Yea," he muttered very quietly. The Ninja's screaming quickly ended, and he fell limp on the floor, his body ravaged by pains from inside. Naomi stumbled down the stairs upon seeing him there, and Mei Ling slowly came behind. Naomi sat beside the Ninja…her brother, and began to talk. Snake kneeled there still, Little Mary listening to her own heart crumbling.
"Frank," Naomi whispered, her hand set on his shoulder. There was no response. She laid her head on his back, and tried to listen through to his heart as it subtly thumped in his chest. Her hand stayed on his shoulder and a tear slipped from her eye, dropping onto his suit and sizzling away in an instant. "Don't you cry," she breathed. "Don't you cry. Just…just hang in there. Just for a moment longer." She paused. "I bet you'd laugh at me if you saw me crying, right? Heh…yea. I know it's been so long…since I saw you last. You'd tell me just to let go and forget about it…" She stopped then, her eyes closing and pushing two more tears over her cheeks. Little Mary took a deep breath just then, and Snake turned back to her, his concentration shifting from Naomi to her.
"Why…didn't Ocelot come…for me? Why you?" She asked, her eyes wide and the corner of her mouth twitching uncontrollably. Snake's eyes closed for a moment, and he didn't answer. "I…I must get back to him…he can help…" Snake shook his head slowly, and she frowned.
"The term marionette," he began, "came from the name Little Mary. A marionette is a puppet…you're his puppet, his pawn."
"No," she shook her head violently. "No…he loves me!"
"He doesn't love you," Snake said coolly. "Sometimes people just…aren't there for you." Snake's head was heavy, and Little Mary could see he felt pain. Meryl. That was what he thought about. Two Desert Eagles sat in the snow beside Desperado…they were just as he remembered Meryl's. Same engravings it seemed, same shine. He had let her down. He had done all that he could, but he had let her down. Ocelot had done the same to Little Mary, and Snake felt terrible for her. He could make the connection so easily.
"You…feel love?" Little Mary sighed and rolled her head to the side, noticing Naomi and the Ninja. Snake didn't answer. He could sense it, he could tell. Little Mary…she was going to be just like Meryl. Little Mary would become just another memory, lost in the wind. She would die, just as Meryl had, just as Baker had, just as Sniper Wolf had, or Fortune…she'd be just the same as any. "Thank you," she mouthed, no sound coming from her, and Snake's eyes began to swell as her head dropped.
He watched her closely, and could see the paint begin to shimmer. Then, there was a light, and hen he looked back, he saw something roll down her cheek and splash on the floor. Her tear. Snake held her tight, his eyes playing tricks on him. He saw Meryl. "No," he shook his head, and beside him, a loud noise erupted.
Naomi fell back, and the Ninja sprung onto his feet, his sword in hand. He shot a look at Naomi who seemed mesmerized by his unseen smile, and then, in a flash, he was gone. Where he had gone to, none of them knew, and once he had left, their company was still short one: Otacon was still absent.
Mei Ling was beside Naomi, her head rested on Naomi's shoulder, her hand running through Naomi's hair. Jack turned to Snake. Slowly, Snake slid out from under Little Mary, lightly setting her head on the cold, cement floor. He stared at her for moments, and then got onto his feet. Still, he said nothing. No one said anything. There was silence. Silence like he'd heard in the dead of the night after descending from the helicopter. Silence like he'd heard on the Codec only minutes ago. Silence like he'd heard, beating in Little Mary's chest. The silence he'd heard, or more properly, not heard, watching Otacon take his last gulp of air before falling away from them. It was the silence that was present every night that Snake sat in bed, an empty space beside him. The space Meryl should have filled. But the space that she didn't.
"Come on," he said to the others as he started for the door that sat in the floor under the stairs. Naomi looked at him warily, and Mei Ling took her hand, lifting her onto her feet. They looked at each other and started toward him. Jack was different, though. He was alone too. Yes, he had Rose at home, but…he knew the feeling that Snake had to live with every day of his life. That feeling of emptiness.
He looked into Little Mary's now bright eyes, and could see through them…into her. She was hollow…empty…full of pain and trapped frustrations. She felt no love…not until the moment before she died. She shared that love, the only love she possessed, with Snake in her last moments, and then she drifted away, her soul entering a new light. Jack walked to the door as Snake lifted it, and the four of them stepped into the dark abyss.
As they went down, Snake stopped behind the rest; his feet on the sixth step down from the surface. Something stirred inside him and he realized that in that one place he was with Meryl, and with everyone like her.
Six feet under…