Chapter 21
"One of us since midday. Goushi Kakutama died at 17:53."
The message has arrived at least for two hours, but Sonoko red it again and again. She and Rumiko were still in that mansion, at the moment, they were sitting in the window-ledge.
"Poor Goushi." said Rumiko sorrily "I think he was the type who refused to be in this game."
"One dead person." Sonoko stared at the distance, was speaking slowly. "Strange, isn't it?"
Rumiko looked at the endless sea of the stars, like she would have been in a different place in mind.
"Maybe everyone is tired. Tired of this pointless killing. What else could be the reason?"
"I can't decide if it is good or bad..."
"What?" Rumiko turned into the other girl's direction with curious eyes.
"I mean if we die that slowly." Sonoko did the same. "How long will this craziness last? Only one survivor, no? All the others have to die, won't it be better to make an end of this suffering immediately?"
"I… don't know. No idea, really."
Both of the girls stopped speaking and returned to watch the landscape or the sky. Not much time elapsed and Rumiko broke the silence in veiled voice.
"One could remain... that means if you and I survive the game... One of us has to die." she said the words quite weightily.
Sonoko hanged the head, her answer was only a "Hm." She did not know what to say, even was a bit ashamed that she had not got a normal answer in her mind - countless inapprehensible thoughts swirled in her head, which seemed to be beyond expression.
Rumiko continued:
"I rather kill myself than try to hurt you."
"And? What about our view of life? We believe that suicide is nothing but running from our task, so in the next life we can't be where we wish for. Not?" saying out loudly, these words sounded dull.
"That's right... but..."
Sonoko kept on speaking.
"I'm glad that our friendship is that important to you, but think about it: it's a temporal thing, lasts only in this current life. I'm sure we will meet in the next, too. And if we made something wrong now, cannot be undone and going to be everlasting. I hope you understand, what I want to explain. I don't want you to give up your dreams and desires..."
Rumiko turned around instantly. Did not want for Sonoko to see her face, so the second one could not tell whether she was in tears or not. So Sonoko ended her monologue.
"If it happens for us to survive, only you and I: there will be no winner!"
She was sure of it. But still could not see Rumiko's expression on the face so started to feel herself a bit uncomfortable. Here they are, in the last minutes of their lives and were just weeping. Okay, they did not need to smile, because not - just would be good to laugh in the face of Fate saying:
'You wanted to screw me up, don't you? But you failed, man! I'm going to a better place!'
That's why Sonoko wanted to cheer Rumiko up, but she was faster to find another topic to talk about.
"According to Moskvin's message, we're going to get another wave of parachute-gifts at ten PM."
One dead, Comrades? ONE? Now I'm really disappointed in you. The beginning was good, I can tell you that, but now... You are as flat as amusement park balloons. I hope the reason is your low supplies, therefore we decided to send planes with additional packages - so it won't be the work of your gods if you find new metal boxes falling from the sky :-). The exact time of arrival: 22:00 (aka 10:00 PM). Don't miss it and try to work hard from now on!
That was a part of the soviets' last message. Sonoko checked the time on her watch.
"We are far from ten PM and while I can't feel I could sleep, I recommend to wait for the planes to come."
Her mate nodded, whilst Sonoko nattered.
"I cannot comprehend, how can someone sleep just that easily?" she meant Riki under the word: 'someone'.
"There are two watches of him, why does he waste his strength." Rumiko shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah, he will be fit and then going to eliminate us in no time. I have read Battle Royale and know a few strategies. Anyway, it's a reasonable plan though."
"Don't give any hints to him, okay?" Rumiko whispered from fright.
"I don't think he can hear us. Always sleeping."
Right, Riki was in his 'lair' - as the girls called the other small room - since he found himself in there in the same afternoon. At the moment snoring noise could be heard, not only distant howls of wild animals.
Rumiko also noticed that - namely Riki has not moved out of the room since they met - Sonoko gave a comment to that.
"Less trouble for us, then. He can't say anything smart just ironic and offending things."
"One last part I don't understand." said Rumiko again "Riki said the truth about not killing Asuya. He isn't on the list of dead people.
"Yes, strange."
"I can easily assume, that he puts people out of the way without batting an eyelid. His attitude's a bit like Dan's and he is as hot headed as Iku*."
"Oh, great pairing." the sour reply arrived. This could be said also by Riki, who would be totally confused.
"Don't be angry with me, because of what I'm going to say, but..." Rumiko's face turned a bit crimson "You are arguing each other, like you will be together. Iku acts like that, when he likes somebody."
This made Sonoko confused.
"No, I won't be angry... but Riki and I... never!" she refused the bare thought with fast handwaves. "Shinji is my platonic boy and no matter if he doesn't care about me, I'll never give up! Ryusaki is very annoying and has insulting remarks!"
As thinking about it more deeply, Dan said more severe things to her and even Sonoko felt, it was too much, still paid no attention to the boy.
'Why am I so furious by reason of way fewer quips this time?'
She thought better to divert the conversation from love and similar things.
"According to Kawada in BR." she started rapidly "the best tactic is to stay in one place and waiting for the others - who are continuously on the move - to settle one another. Maybe we should stay here until we can. This mansion is quite decrepit and looks not too safe at the first sight. Good for a hideout."
Rumiko agreed, but asked.
"What if all the three of us survive?"
"That will be awkward."
It was hard to think, what would be then. One thing's for sure: not too encouraging conditions. That meant, their own lives won't be in their hands: Lyx and Iku could decide, what to do next.
Somewhere in the near an owl croaked into the night. It was long and languid, the girls remained in silence. They stared at the cold, star-spangled sky dived into their inner world. Sonoko hasn't noticed yet, how much her wound on the left arm hurt.
'I can just hope, it won't get infected.'
It hurt often in certain times and she felt the arm way weaker then before. That's why she tried not to use it.
'It would be good if Riki could take a look at the injury. He bound my arm impeccably, unfortunately we aren't in such a good relationship that I can ask for help.'
And on the other hand...
'Im not that pathetic needy.'
Rumiko would probably say - if she knew the thing - that Sonoko's injury would worth that much. Good thing, that neither of them have mentioned this topic since their hiding in that hut in H4.
The owl finally shut up. Lucky for him, because Sonoko and Rumiko played with the idea to throw steel shoes at it, like funny characters in cartoons. So little time, and another source of sound took wings in the night - it came directly from the mansion-yard, maybe in the near of the well. Not only noises, a moving shadow appeared out of the brambleberry bushes. The shadow was too far for the girls to see its identity, they used the cover of the dark to take shelter behind the window ledge and wait for the comer to act. And of course if Riki had not lost the night goggles, it would not have been a problem to know, who was in 'their garden'. To make assurance doubly sure, they did not hesitated, Sonoko went after the workers hammer and Rumiko for the katana - you can never know, when were these needed.
The anonymous tried to remain in the shadow of the trees, luckily, the surroundings of the well was a place like that - the fellow did not have to step into the moonlight. Not, that if he or she wanted to do that, the aim was right the well. After finding the old wood door - its movements were tormented and also the gasp - like all the anonymous' demeanor. The wobbling walk (might caused by pain in the ankle) called for Sonoko zombies from a video game to mind. The shadow down there put the rotten wood door back to its place, while cursed in undertone.
'Oh, yes. There's no bucket to bring up water.'
The bucket was missing at the time Sonoko and Rumiko found the mansion. It was daytime then, so they could easily check the cleanness of the water. Quite a disgusting result: some greenish morass, full with larvae and algae. No thanks! Prefer to die in thirst! The comer seemed very thirsty, wanted to know, too, what was the water like. Did not gave up, there was a small rubbish heap behind the well - the student looked for something useful he or she can scoop water with. Installing the found skillet to the end of the draw well's long shackle seemed to be hard, but after it was ready, the shadow let the skillet down.
Splash!
The deep object dove in the water loudly, its surface rippled for minutes long. Then the student drew the skillet up, grumblings could be heard during work.
"Let me see you... you jerk..."
Jerk? Only one person used to say that. It was not a question anymore, that Nana Bunya (girls #2) stood in the yard. Sonoko and Rumiko looked at each other with recognition in their eyes. Unbelievable, but both of them smiled and stood up from cover to gave sign to Nana - Hey, we are here and you can join us!
Their dismay was so much bigger, when they saw another shadow sneaking behind Nana's back. They should not shout to her, because the newcomer wanted to attack the girl in front of their eyes. Rudeness or not, their life was at risk - Sonoko and Rumiko went back behind the window ledge. No matter if the top of their head could be seen a bit, the brown and the black faded into the dark mansion walls. The two friends pulled for Nana with crossed fingers to finally turn around. Because Nana did not care the quality of the water (!), just drank and drank, like never in her life. She could be very thirsty if she did not see what was the water like. But the second shadow was still going toward Nana's direction. A few reach and the shadow was there.
'Come on, turn around! Turn around!'
These echoes in the heads did not hit home, the addressed girl was still drinking and the shadow reached her. Sonoko and Rumiko covered their lips with their hands, not to scream accidentally. Nana nearly turned around, but not. The shadow was faster, set the right hand onto her shoulders.
"Nana, is that you?" he was a boy, no other than Asuya Fukuda (boys #12).
At least, who could think with cold mind, recognized him - unlike Nana - her drained instinct wanted attack, so the girl did not hesitate. She grabbed Asuya screaming and in the next minute, the boy found himself to the well pressed. Not only that, he was right at the wooden door of the well, and while it was very old and worn-out, happened to throw in the towel at this holy moment. Suddenly it tore out from its place with a rapid movement. Because of that the boy lost balance and Nana's pressing was so hard: he fell into the well, after the deck pieces of the well-door. The bottom seemed unending, but finally a loud SPLASH!
Meanwhile, Nana was shouting with all her volume:
"You wanted to hit me in my back, eh?! Now you've learned the lesson!" these words kept down all Asuya's call for help.
And as Nana stepped into the moonlight, the girls in the mansion saw a small knife in her hands - its blade was almost shining like the sun in daytime, but also had dark splatters on its surface - blood without any doubt.
The winner felt warm, dense liquid on her skin. After she had a few time to calm down, stopped panting and looked down to the deep of the well. No, not a dream. Not a vision. It was clearly a body on the water dressed in black uniform, covered in blood - got to have serious wounds, because the victim became moveless within a few minutes. Like a lightning, Nana's fatal error strike her with great sense of guilt. She did not know, that Asuya was too exhausted - one heavy fight with Riki (that was the time he saved Sonoko's skin), then Otomo attacked; his escape was equal to wonder, everything run into a dollop of memory shreds - otherwise Nana could not beat him so easily. No matter though, Asuya Fukuda was gone - to be honest he wished in his last seconds, that Sonoko could pay his service back (did not suspect, that this girl was exactly watching as he was killed).
Nana realized her actions and all the consequences.
"Ah!" she whimpered "Asuya, are you okay? Say, that you're okay! I don't... Really didn't want to..."
She was still looking down to the water and the dead body, while reaching the arms downwards. Like she could pull her classmate out and bring back to life. But not. Asuya was dead. And did not move. Did not speak. No... not living...
The murderer fell into her knees and grabbed her long, blonde hair. She wiped the hands into the shirt, but the blood remained there. Not in reality, only she saw that way.
"What have I done..." she whispered brokenly. Said it again and again. Rumiko and Sonoko played the role of mute witnesses.
"Please, forgive me, Asuya. I didn't want to... Please..." now she was sure, that the boy wanted nothing just a friend, an ally in the sea of enemies. And she was dumb and killed him.
'How can I be an idiot like that?! Why did I act without using my brain? I attacked the first person I met.'
She said that in her thoughts, aloud she was only cursing, cursed herself by all the swear-words she just knew. She knew a lot anyway.
"Nana, you dumbass! You want to live like that? After killing a... classmate... A FRIEND DAMMIT! Tainted your soul with... with such things, what heartless faggots do!"
Sonoko and her friend could not tell, how they felt sorry for Nana. Knowing her act was the force of fear, they were not angry, just scared. Mainly, because the victim was Asuya, the always kind boy who had good relationship with every people in class. Also in the school. What's more, Asuya was together with Yaeka. The girl will never forgive Nana for this.
Nana imagined Yaeka's angelic face, which turned into a demonic one with yellow, glowing eyes and repeated with accuser features:
"Why, Nana? Why did you kill my love?"
'And I was the one, who wanted to merry with my boyfriend and have a lovely family after school. To have as much children it can fill out a football team. What would happen to my children in the future? They have a horrible mother!'
In reality, Nana covered her face with both palms.
"Nana, you! Die!"
Out of the blue a big bang shook the surroundings of the mansion, almost at the same time as Nana said that. Some frightened birds took wing to the dark sky.
"Agree: die!" after the gunfire, a voice sounded, came from a boy.
Nana had some strength left, during that time she could see a big hole in her belly. Her dirty shirt was totally red now from her own blood. These were her last seconds in this world; she fell into the ground soon, her face bedded into the soft soil. Her body did not writhe long, Nana Bunya passed away fast.
[Number of students: 17]
Asuya Fukuda eliminated
Nana Bunya eliminated
*Remember, Iku and Lyx are Rumiko's and Sonoko's believed guardian angels.
