By The Who
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
No one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool
And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
And if I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm; let me wear your coat
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes)
Chapter 7: Dreams and Massacres
O-Ren opened the door to her light blue sedan, the afternoon sky hanging over as it passed three o'clock. The sky was clear of any clouds, the sun shining brightly.
What a beautiful day, O-Ren thought as she carried her briefcase up the walkway to the house.
The house was a two-floored. It was perfect for when she had broken the news to Greg. She had decided to run after waking up that morning, out of pure luck, bumping into BEEP in a 24 hour mini-mart, telling her of Bill and his plan. After that, she ran. She got as far away from El Paso, back to L.A. And she told him everything, the whole truth from start to finish. He was shocked, but he got over it. They had moved to a small quiet suburb, where Bill himself never would have thought about looking. She had said her final goodbye to Bill over the phone, being always aware that if he did show up at her front door, that she would have no choice but to kill him. Yes, she cared about him, him being a father to her. But if it had to come down between her, Greg and the little one, and Bill, she would have chosen her and her family over him. She didn't want to leave behind the family she had worked so hard for. She got herself a job as a legal aide for one of the law firms in town. From one side of the law, she converted to the other. Sure, it wasn't as fun as taking out the trash herself, but at least she was helping making the world better legally. She was happy with the way her life had become. She wondered if Black Mamba was okay, if she had run or if she had a gun ready to use against Bill and the others. Never the less, she prayed that she was safe. After all, she was like a sister.
O-Ren entered the house, the sweet smell of strawberries enticing her nose. At that moment, she had the idea for a perfect dessert for her family: strawberry shortcake. She sat the briefcase by the door, tucking it back against the wall before heading around the staircase to enter the kitchen. For dinner, she thought in the morning before heading off about fixing a Vietnamese meal that she had read about called pho, pronounced as "far". Sure, she was half Chinese-American and half Japanese, but it didn't mean that she didn't like to have other types of food. Besides, she was always told that it was good to try out things. And she wanted her family to always try out something new. Before she left, she left a pot to simmer some beef ribs, a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, onions and peppercorns. She knew that when the time was ready, she was going to have to slice some steak into thin pieces and lower them into the hot stock. As she had donned an apron that said "Kiss the Cook", she had the feeling she forgot something. It was at that time she heard the front door open and close.
"Mommy," she heard a child's voice, "I'm home!"
"In here, sweetheart," she replied.
O-Ren pulled some items out of the refrigerator, setting them out onto the counter. She closed the door just in time to see a little girl dressed in a pink shirt and a brown pair of shorts. The little girl looked almost like O-Ren did when she was a child. O-Ren was glad that she had a daughter. The little girl made her way over to the dinner table. O-Ren decided that dinner could wait a few minutes. O-Ren headed over to the girl, giving her a hug after kneeling down. She followed that with a kiss to her forehead.
"Did you have a good day at School, sweetheart?" O-Ren asked in a sweet mommy voice.
"I did. I learned my ABCs today. Did you have a good day at work?"
"Yes, I did."
"Did you think about me?"
"Every second, of every minute, of every hour," was the only reply O-Ren gave.
She held the little girl in her arms as she hugged her again. It just felt right to hug her. She still had the feeling that something was missing.
"Where are my lovely ladies?" she heard Greg's voice.
"In here!" the little girl cheerfully called out.
O-Ren allowed the girl to slip from her arms so that she could meet her father at the doorway of the kitchen. He picked her up, hugging her.
"There's my lovely daughter," he said, giving her a small kiss on her cheek.
O-Ren smiled as she stood up and moved over to them. She planted a small kiss on her husband's lips, noticing the look of disgust on the little one's face, typical of that age.
Everybody's home, she thought, the way it should be.
O-Ren moved back to the counter to continue to make dinner.
"How was your day?" O-Ren asked.
"It was okay. Took care of a little boy who scrapped his knee from skateboarding. And you?"
"Same as it ever was," she replied with a small smile on her face.
"What's for dinner?"
"A Vietnamese dish I picked up from Bill a while ago."
O-Ren noticed something about the ingredients. She was missing a few. She knew that she had them, but they weren't there. Then it came back to her.
"Shoot," she said under her breath, "I left a bag of groceries out in the car."
"Want me to get them?" Greg asked as he sat the little girl down.
"No, no... I'll get them. I'm the queen of short term memory loss."
O-Ren removed the apron and began to head to the door when she felt a great weight increase ion her right leg. She looked down to find her daughter her arms wrapped tightly around her leg.
"Mommy, please don't go," the little girl begged, "I'm scare that you won't come back."
O-Ren noticed the look in the little girl's eyes. She really was scared. Greg came up and pulled the little girl carefully off her leg, picking her up and holding her. The little girl still had the look of fear in her eyes, her eyes watering up. O-Ren smiled warmly, wiping away the water from the little girl's eyes before they could become tears.
"It's okay, sweetheart," O-Ren replied, "I'm not going anywhere."
O-Ren continued on, leaving her husband and child behind in the kitchen. She wondered what it was that her daughter was scared about. She put the thought out of her mind as she opened the front door and stepped through it. But something was wrong, very wrong. She wasn't outside of her house. The street, the lawn, the sedan, the driveway and walkway were not where they should have been. She wasn't even outside. She was inside. She was in a room, someplace else. It was almost as if she had stepped through some sort of portal to another room, if not dimension. And the place she stepped into was a church. Everything was neat and in order and clean. It looked like a typical southern Christen church, except that it had a wooden floor and the wooden rafters overhead can be seen, the inside of the roof at the very top. The walls were white, an organ at the far side from where she had come in. And at the far end of the room on her right was the main entryway.
She heard the sound of the door slamming shut behind her, causing her to almost jump out of her skin. She didn't want to be there. She grabbed the handle, trying with all of her might to pull it open. But the door didn't budge. She didn't want to be there, she wanted to be back at her house, and she wanted to be with her husband and child. But it was too late.
She heard the sound of heavy breathing, deep and short breaths that she seemed to recognize. It was the kind that someone would have when they are in a panic. O-Ren turned around to notice that the setting had changed. Before, the church was empty, clean and in order. Now, there were people, most of them dead, lying on the floor near to where she was standing, near the front of the crucifix. A preacher was one of them. There was one body that was breathing, sporting a bridal gown and a stomach that indicated three months of pregnancy. O-Ren got closer, suddenly realizing who it was. It wasn't hard to forget those blue eyes and blonde hair. It was Black Mamba. Her face was covered in blood and bruised. She began to whimper, as if each breath was causing pain.
O-Ren looked towards the doorway, as she heard the sound of boots walking towards them. She saw Bill coming down the isle. Behind him, standing in the doorway was herself, dressed all in black. She stood back, watching Bill. Neither seem to take notice of her, standing there next to the blood-splattered bride. Bill stopped next to BEEP, looking down at her.
"Do you find me sadistic?" he asked her, pulling out his handkerchief from one of his pockets.
O-Ren watched as Bill knelt down beside the bride. She flinched when he touched her, wiping away some of the blood on her face.
"Bill?" O-Ren tried to get his attention, her voice coming out slightly muted.
But Bill continued on, the O-Ren in the doorway keep her eyes on him. Neither still took notice of her.
"You know," Bill continued, "I'd like to believe, even now, that you are aware that there's nothing sadistic about my actions."
Bill paused for a moment, with a matter of fact look on his face as the thought came to him.
"Maybe towards those other jokers. But not you."
Bill stuffed the handkerchief into his coat pocket. As he rose to stand, he retrieved his Colt from its holster, hidden under his jacket.
"No kiddo..."
O-Ren didn't want this. Black Mamba was pregnant. No innocent bystander like an unborn child deserved to die like this. She grabbed a hold of the gun, right at the cylinder that held the bullets. Bill cocked the hammer back, O-Ren still going on noticed by him.
"Bill, stop!" O-Ren screamed.
"...this is me at my most..."
"Bill, please!"
She gripped as tight as both of her hands could, sure enough that the cylinder couldn't turn.
"...masochistic."
"Bill," BEEP's words catching O-Ren's attention, "It's your bab..."
The cylinder turned as Bill pulled the trigger, even with O-Ren still holding it. At the moment the shot rang out, O-Ren felt a sharp cutting into her lower right shin. She backed away quickly, looking down at her leg. She noticed that he clothes had changed. She was now wearing a white kimono. She also noticed the large slash on her right shin. She could feel the warmth of blood slowly inching its way down her leg, red staining white. She also realized she was holding a samurai sword.
What the hell?
And she suddenly became aware that the setting changed completely. She no longer stood in a church. She was standing in an old-fashioned Japanese style courtyard, a beautiful place covered in snow. And across from her was Black Mamba. She wore a yellow jumpsuit with black stripes crawling up the sides, stained in random splatter of blood. She was slim, like the way O-Ren remembered seeing her last. She held what looked like a Hattori Hanzo sword or something close to it. She was breathing heavy, almost exhausted.
They stood apart from each other, the only sound being a deer scarer clanking off in the distance as it filled and poured water out. O-Ren didn't know why she wanted to say this, nor did she know what it meant, but she felt that she had to.
"For ridiculing you earlier..." she said in a light whisper, "I apologized."
Even from the distance that she stood, O-Ren noticed BEEP's lower lip quiver, sadness briefly coming into her eyes, a look that she had never seen from the blonde assassin before. She inhaled deeply as if trying to find strength inside of herself.
"Accepted" Black Mamba replied, her voice sounding as if it were breaking between calmness and sorrow.
Without warning, O-Ren felt something wrapped around her neck. It was rather tight, making it hard for her to breathe. Her surroundings changed once more. BEEP was the first to change. She no longer wore the yellow jumpsuit. She now wore a red shirt, blue jeans and a black leather jacket; the left sleeve had a cut in a diagonal, an appearance from a sharp blade. Her hair was pulled back from her face, yet she held the same sword in the same hand. But she was joined by two others. Greg was on Black Mamba's left, sporting two Colt revolvers in their holsters and an automatic pistol in his right hand. On the right of the blonde assassin, was Lucas. He also sported two Colts in their holsters, a Winchester rifle in his hands. His left leg looked as if it had been shot, a bandage tinted lightly in red. The surroundings changed, this time to what appeared to be a hall. She looked up and took notice of a wire cable leading up from behind her and over a support beam above her. She also realized her hands were bound by duct tape.
What the...?
She looked over to her left to find a woman whom she had never seen before. She appeared to be Japanese, late 30s. She held an M-16 in one hand and what appeared to be the controls to something. Before O-Ren could figure out what the controls were for, the tightness around her neck got tighter and she was lifted off the ground.
"NO!" Greg yelled, both Lucas and he readying their guns on the woman. She dropped the control box, causing O-Ren to be suspended nine feet off the floor. She lost track of what was happening, now focused on the wire cable that was choking her. She tried to get her fingers in between her throat and the wire, but her hands were bound in a way that it was useless to her. She didn't want to die this way, not without honor and especially not in front of Greg.
She tried to scream, but nothing was coming out. It was as if she had no voice. No matter how hard she tried, her screams were silent. She could feel the world slipping away from her. The phantom pain in her right leg, stomach and head came back, as she felt rocking, hearing a woman's voice.
She bolted up right in her bed, a panicked scream escaping her throat. She felt someone there, holding her wrists.
"O-Ren, calm down!" the voice said, "You were having a nightmare, you're safe!"
O-Ren took deep breaths as Sofie switched on the bedside light. O-Ren looked at the clock, it reading 4:23 a.m. Sofie was there, nothing on but a robe and a nightgown. O-Ren hadn't seen Sofie with her hair down before. Sofie let go of O-Ren's wrists, kneeling down beside the bed.
"You were screaming," she said, "I could hear you through the wall."
The combination of the cool air and sweat made O-Ren shiver.
-
O-Ren sat at the table, wrapped up in the thick comforter. The phantom pains she had dissipated minutes after being awaken. Sofie brew some coffee, the gourmet kind. She poured some into two cups.
"Would you like cream or sugar, O-Ren?"
"Black's fine."
Sofie carried the cups of coffee over to the table, placing a cup in front of O-Ren. The contents weren't too hot, but that didn't stop the Chi-Jap-American before. She took one big gulp, the liquid warming halfway down her throat. It was good.
"Are you okay, O-Ren?" Sofie asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Today is the day you're going to kill Black Mamba. I understand about how you must feeling, seeing that you were close to her."
O-Ren nodded.
"I don't understand why she did it. If she wanted out, she could have retired like Vernita. I don't care who you are, making people you know think that you're dead is come hateful and cold-blooded shit. I'm not sure if I really want to do it. I hate her for what she's done, but to kill her is something that I can't come to a solid conclusion on."
"Why not tell Bill?"
"He hurts as much as I do. He would probably tell me to cowgirl the fuck up. Though he knows what will happen to her, I...I don't believe he knows what will happen to him."
O-Ren took another sip from the cup, the contents cooling down a tad bit more than before. She noticed the concern look in Sofie's eyes, reaching over and taking a hold of O-Ren's hand, like a friend.
"I'm sure he would understand."
"You don't understand, Sofie. You're not a murderer like Bill or me. We HAVE to do it. Our pride is on the line."
"I do understand, O-Ren. I know you're hurting, but it's not just about BEEP. I know that."
O-Ren pulled her hand clean from Sofie's grasp. She tried to keep her composure. Sofie couldn't know of what it was that O-Ren did. None of the Vipers did, not even Bill. It was her choice, damn it. It wasn't Bill's, it wasn't Greg's, it was HERS. Yes, what she did may have affected her relationship with Greg, but there was no way for him to find out. She did what she did because she wasn't ready. And Sofie didn't or couldn't know about it.
"Don't try to analyze my life, Sofie. We're not friends, and you sure as hell aren't a Viper. Maybe that's why you're not, because you FEEL. And I sure as hell don't want your sympathy."
O-Ren could see that her words were hurting Sofie, keeping her tears back. Sofie didn't say a word, downed the rest of the coffee in her cup and left, shutting the door behind her. O-Ren closed her eyes, shaking her head at what she had done.
Why the hell did you do that? She was only trying to be friendly, to be supportive.
O-Ren rubbed her forehead, not able to come up with an answer. Maybe it was because Sofie had tried to pry into an area of her life that she wanted to keep a lid on. Just as long as everyone stayed out of that area, she'd be okay. Everyone would be okay. She slowly finished off the remains of the coffee in her cup, thinking it would be a good idea to go get a head start on getting ready. She took a shower, brushed her hair and teeth, slipped into a fresh pair of underwear before donning black. And to finish, she fished out two pills of the prescribed antibiotics from a Ziploc baggie she hid in her case. She looked at the clock. It read 6:32 a.m. It was still early.
-
The road was a bit deserted as she walked. Of course, this was 6:41 a.m. in El Paso, not L.A. She had completely forgotten most of the dream she had before, except a few fragments like an empty church, a yellow and black jumpsuit and a wire cable. It didn't matter anyway, not that it was important. She tried to focus on the upcoming task, killing BEEP. It wasn't difficult, but it wasn't easy to do either on so many levels. O-Ren found herself at a Stop 'N' Go not too far down the road. Behind the counter was a rather attractive blonde. For a brief moment, she thought it was Black Mamba, but it wasn't.
"Excuse me," O-Ren began to ask, "Do you have a public restroom here?"
"Yeah, head, towards the back and it'll be on the left."
The restroom smelled of bleach and air freshener, a sign that it had been recently clean. She didn't need to use the restroom. She went over to the sink, splashing some water on her face from the running facet. She looked into the mirror, seeing a woman who looked like her staring right back.
"Do you want to do this?" her reflection asked.
"I don't know," she replied.
"You better decide soon. Time is almost up."
She turned off the facet, pulling a piece of paper towel from the dispenser. Why did she have to convince herself to do it? She was under orders. That was a good enough reason. She should just follow orders like she had before, with no emotions. It was as simple as that.
She came out, deciding on buying a bottle of water. She felt her mouth was slightly dry, probably somewhat parched from the walk. She wondered who it was that came up with the idea of bottling water, seeing that they most definitely had been backstroking in money when they started to do it. She had her back turned to the counter when the bell for the door ran as it opened. O-Ren paid it no mind as she tried to decide what size to go with.
"Hey, Arlene," she heard the cashier.
O-Ren sensed a familiar presence before the voice she heard had confirmed who it was.
"Hey Michelle," Black Mamba's voice came up.
O-Ren looked over at the glass door she held open, able to catch the light reflection of the counter. She was shocked to no only see her old friend standing there, but what hit deep in the core of her being was that BEEP's stomach was big. She was pregnant. The shock dissipated and the phantom pain in her stomach returned and made friends with the hatred that was bubbling under the surface. O-Ren grabbed one of the bottles and closed the door. She didn't want to attract attention to herself, casually stepping off to the side and in front of a Little Debbie snack display. She peeked around the display, realizing that neither Black Mamba nor the cashier noticed her.
"Whatcha doin' here this early?" the cashier asked.
"I couldn't get much sleep, so I figured I'd come in and get some ice cream."
"Your usual?"
"You know it."
O-Ren watched as the cashier headed over to what appeared to be a freezer unit. At that moment, a bitter taste was developing in her own mouth.
It's not fair! It's SO not fucking fair!
The cashier returned to the counter with a waffle cone with a large amount of ice cream packed into it.
"Here you go, Arlene, one waffle cone of Vanilla Twist."
O-Ren watched as "Arlene" paid with a ten, accepted the change and carefully took the cone.
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" the cashier asked.
"No, but I am excited. We're having our wedding rehearsal today."
"I wish you luck," the cashier said, "You can never tell when things are going up."
"Thanks," BEEP replied as she headed for the door.
"Say 'hi' to Tommy for me."
And like that, she was gone. However, the anger and pain still lingered inside O-Ren. She held herself quietly inside, paying for the water and leaving the store. She headed back to the Dew Drop Inn. She got half way there until the pressure that was building up had finally blew. She stopped into her tracks.
"FUCK YOU, YOU COLD-HEARTED BITCH!" O-Ren let out at the top of her lungs, her furious scream echoing over the plains.
She made up her mind. She wanted to see Black Mamba suffer. She wanted to make her suffer, to make her bleed. O-Ren had suffered for three months and four days. Though she knew that Bill wouldn't allow for that long for suffering towards his 'gal', she hoped that all the Vipers would deliver the suffering in magnitude. She chugged a few gulps of water from the bottle before walking again, hoping to cut down the taste in her mouth.
-
Everyone went to breakfast at a nearby diner. Budd was the only one talking, telling this about this guy named Butch Coolidge who used to be a boxer. Not that many of the group was paying attention to him, O-Ren being one of them. She wasn't sure if anyone noticed her silence, or the hatred that had flared up inside her. She couldn't believe that BEEP was pregnant, living under a phony name and trying to blend in. If anyone deserved such a life, it was O-Ren. Black Mamba was living the life that should have been hers. She earned it. What made it worse was the fact that she ran and stole that new life. Vernita earned the right for the life away from the job. But O-Ren deserved that life more than any of the Vipers, not because she worked for it, but because she had no real family. She wanted a family, a worker bee job, a sedan and a small house on a quiet little street. How dare Black Mamba try to steal that right that she obviously didn't earn?
O-Ren noticed Bill was watching her. She realized he had noticed something. She got up, heading to the restroom. If there was one thing about restrooms, she knew that they were private; no one would burst in and bother her. She found refuge in one of the stalls, leaning against the door. She needed to clear her head. Too much thinking could be distracting while on the job. It was a hit, another on the long list of people whom the Vipers had killed. And Black Mamba was going to be next. She really wanted to get it over with, so she could go back home to the man she loved, get it over and be done with it. Suffering in magnitude. A fair punishing for the deadliest woman alive, for the life she tried to take from her.
She heard a knocking on the stall door.
"O-Ren?"
She opened the door slightly to see Bill.
"You know you're in the ladies' room, don't you?"
"It wouldn't be the first time," he replied with a light chuckle.
She allowed him into the stall. She told him about BEEP being pregnant. She also told him about how she was feeling about the whole thing. Bill appeared to be calm the whole time.
"I tell you, O-Ren, she'll suffer. Thinking about it now, maybe I should be doing this myself. I guess its too late now."
"Bill," O-Ren hesitated a moment, "I want this to be my last hit too."
Bill remained silent.
"I can't keep doing this. I can't keep lying to Greg. A relationship is based on trust and honestly. And like all things in a relationship, it's a two-way thing. I can't keeping lying to the man I love when he's been more than honest to me."
"An honest man," Bill spoke, "A rarity in this day and age."
"So, after this, I ask you let me go. And when I get home, I am going to tell him the truth about everything. Every little lie I've told, every little thought I've had and every secret I've kept from him."
Bill nodded. If there was one thing she knew about Bill, as long as someone was honest to him and explained it to him, he was clearheaded when it came to discussions. Then he would be reasonable, understanding and react accordingly.
"Before Vernita picked me up yesterday, Greg asked me if we were fucking each other."
This caused Bill to laugh. O-Ren couldn't help but chuckle too.
"Well, Cottonmouth, when you start telling him the truth, you can tell him I'm a sucker for blondes. Brunettes aren't my kind of women. They're too strong willed for my taste."
"Thank you, Bill," she replied, knowing that he was complementing her.
"As for this being your last hit, I'm sorry to see you go. All I can say is that if there is ever anything you need, I'll back you up, no matter what. You've been like a daughter to me."
She nodded. Bill had been a father to her, though he had participated in the death of her parents. After dealing with Black Mamba, she was done. No more lies and it was about damn time too. Some things needed to be corrected. If only this situation had happened last month, then things would have been looking completely up. BEEP had committed a crime against O-Ren and the others. And it would be the Vipers to deliver the punishment.
-
There was a gas station not too far down the way from the Two Pines Wedding Chapel, it appearing to have long since been closed down. Bill pulled the van into the shade beside the decrepit building. The Vipers climbed out, getting the M-16s ready for use. Bill had his flute with him. He turned to Sofie, who was fishing out a pair of binoculars from the duffle bag.
"Wait for me to go inside," Bill said, "That'll be your signal."
And Bill began his walk over to the chapel, Sofie standing watch for the Vipers. O-Ren loaded a fresh clip into the gun. Budd had decided to leave his sword in the van. Vernita slid her SOG knife into her right boot, draping her pants leg over it. There was very little vegetation out in the El Paso desert. O-Ren didn't care who would tell her otherwise, El Paso in no way looked like California.
Budd begun humming a Johnny Cash tune, "Ring of Fire" she believed it was. If she were ever asked, she was a Beatles kind of girl. She thought about the song "Strawberry Fields". It was one of her favorites, but there was one at the top of her list that she liked more than "Strawberry Fields".
It took only a few minutes to go by before Sofie piped up.
"Oh my," she said, lowering the binoculars.
"What is it?" Budd asked.
"BEEP is pregnant."
"Give me those," Vernita said as she snatched the binoculars from Sofie's hand and looked into them in the chapel's direction, "She's not kidding. Motherfuckin' Black Mamba's pregnant! O-Ren come see this."
O-Ren already knew.
"It doesn't make a difference," O-Ren replied, "She's dead either way."
O-Ren noticed Elle looking at her, a cool look of appreciation in her eye. She made a gesture to O-Ren that looked as if she were tipping off an invisible top hat to her. Despite the knife throw at Jackrabbit Slims the night before, O-Ren knew that Elle now had respect for her. They both were on the same page when it came to hating Black Mamba, even though they each had separate reasons. Vernita continued to watch before she turned to the others.
"He's in," she said, "Sofie; wait for us to go in before pulling the van around."
Sofie took the binoculars as Vernita began to lead them down the road Again, the Beatles lingered on her mind. Though "Strawberry Fields" was echoing throughout her mind as she walked, she pictured the "Abby Road" album cover. She was the third in the line as they walked. If she had to associate the Vipers to the Beatles, particular on that album cover, she would have been McCarthy, barefoot with a cigarette.
They stopped in front of the church, Vernita and Budd on her left and Elle on her right. She could see Bill inside, standing off to the left, watching the pregnant bride and her wedding party at the very end of the room. She had on her wedding dress, including her veil. O-Ren could feel the hatred and pain she suffered, a high pitched siren wailing in the back of her mind that drew out the music of the Beatles. She was at the point where she wanted to explode. All at one, they lifted their guns and ascended the steps, passing through the entryway.
"What in the hell!" the preacher let out a second after witnessing the Vipers enter.
At the same time the bride and her party turned to see what had caught the preacher by surprise, Bill looked over at the Vipers and nodded. O-Ren knew it was time to start. The wedding party began to panic.
"NO! BILL!" Black Mamba screamed
But it was too late. O-Ren concentrated her fire on the best man and groom. Elle targeted the organ player, while Vernita took out the bride's maids and Budd killed the preacher and his wife. After the clips were empty, the only person left standing was Black Mamba. She was in shock, which turned into fear. O-Ren concluded that she knew why they were there and why she was left standing. Bill had ordered it so.
Budd and O-Ren were the first two down the isle, wit Vernita and Elle following them like a pair of Bride's maids. Bill moved over to the entrance, leaning against the frame like an old-man version of James Dean. The Vipers formed a circle around the bride, the shock of what happened and confusion wore off and was replaced by fear. She knew what was going to happen next.
She looked towards Bill, hoping he would spare her. O-Ren's gaze followed hers. Bill had no sympathy at that moment, or at least he didn't show it. Bill actually had an amused smirk, typical of him when it came to having an idea fit for the moment.
"He, who with sin," Bill spoke, "Cast the first stone."
O-Ren knew what it meant: let's do it. The bride taking deep breathes, trying to keep her eyes on each of the Vipers. She tried to hug her stomach, trying to protect her unborn child from the beating to come. This made the siren in the back of her head not only get louder, but the pitch changed to some higher tone that gave O-Ren a small headache. Just as the Bride turned to face her, O-Ren took one step forward and delivered the first blow, a hard left. The bride stumbled sideways into Vernita, who kneed Black Mamba in the groin. She shoved her over to Budd, who gave her a head butt into her face. O-Ren had already become lost in an emotional haze at this point, the last piece of the beating she recalled was Elle grabbing a hold of BEEP's hair and pulling her close to deliver a blow.
-
She awoke in the darkness of the morning, bolting upright in bed. It had been another nightmare. It was completely different from the previous ones. It felt real. She chuckled to herself, glad that what it was. El Paso had been nothing more than just a dream. The green digital face of the clock read 4:23 a.m., it resting on the small nightstand next to the bed. She felt his arm draped over her waist, holding her gently close to him. She carefully slipped out of bed, the cool air tickling her naked body as she moved out of the room. She moved her way through the dark, finally reaching the bathroom. She turned on the light, closing the door as she did so. She looked in the mirror, taking in every detail of her image. Her eyes, her hair, her nose... Everything seemed okay, for the time being, as it always had been.
God, what a strange dream that was.
She splashed some water onto her face, drying her face with a towel that had been left hanging on the side of the sink. She switched off the light, heading back into the bedroom. She carefully slipped back into bed, not wanting to disturb her love. It was only after she got settled in that she realized something was different. He wasn't facing towards her, his back turned to her. It was weird to her, because he had never slept facing away from her before. Maybe the dream was trying to tell her something, to tell him the truth. She sat back up, feeling that it was best to tell him right there the whole truth.
"Greg?" she said as she shook him.
He turned onto his back. But it wasn't Greg. It wasn't even a he at all. It was her. O-Ren saw herself lying next to her, dressed in a white kimono. But what shocked her most was that top of her head was missing, her brains exposed. O-Ren was in shock. The one lying next to her made eye contact with her, her eyes watery, on the verge of tears.
"Nase desu ka?" she said.
-
The electronic tone, playing the first few keys of "Aula Lang Sigh" pulled her back. She found herself, standing over the bride with her hands on her hips. Her hands and knuckles stung with pain from delivering hard punches.
O-Ren turned her attention for a moment to Sofie, who was answering her cell phone. O-Ren wanted to smack the cell phone from Sofie's hand and then smack that smile from her face. But she ignored it, looking back down at the blood-splattered bride.
The bride's lower lip had been busted, one of her eyes already swelled shut. She looked much like how a girlfriend to Mike Tyson would. She still had one good eye that looked at them, but then slowly focused on her. For a brief moment, O-Ren felt sorry for Black Mamba.
I'm sorry, old friend, she thought, but you brought this on yourself. You had to pay what you did to me.
Bill tapped Sofie on the shoulder, motioning for her to leave. He whistled to the Vipers, all of them accustomed to Bill's signals. Vernita and Elle slowly turned and started towards the entrance. They picked up the groups guns before they exited completely. Budd knelt down next to BEEP, with a small smile on his face and a chuckle escaping from his throat.
"You're lucky you weren't dating me," Budd told her, "'Cause if you were, I would have made you a filleted fish with my Hanzo sword. Slice and dice."
O-Ren wished that he would. A part of her wanted to see the look on her face as her bowels came out. But that was unlikely. They pretty much did all they could do to her. Bill that it clear that he wanted to finish it. Budd stood, heading for the entrance. O-Ren looked back at Black Mamba for the last time. A friend and sister had become a complete stranger to her. She turned and begun to leave. She had almost passed by Bill before he caught her by the arm.
"Stay," was the only thing that Bill said to her, in a low mumble.
O-Ren understood why he wanted her to stay. He knew Black Mamba had hurt both of them a lot deeper than the others. It seemed fair that there be a witness to the execution. O-Ren could hear the bride's heavy breathing, deep and short breathes she seem to recognize. It was the kind one would have in a panic. Then came a whimper.
Bill's boots echoed in the confined room, a room that was meant for prayer. Now, it was a courtyard for BEEP and Bill was the executioner. He stopped next to her, his back facing towards O-Ren.
"Do you find me sadistic?" Bill asked the blood-splattered bride.
He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket, kneeling down next to her.
"You know, I'd like to believe, even now, that you are aware that there's nothing sadistic about my actions..."
O-Ren had a case of dejavue. She sworn that she had heard those words before. Her mind trailed off, trying to place where she heard them. But something came to her mind: Bill, it's your baby... A brief fragment came into her mind. She remembered a small piece of it. A church... Bill... BEEP... And O-Ren in the doorway.
"...this is me..."
O-Ren remembered it. A dream told of it.
"...at my most...
The dream predicted this...
"...masochistic."
The word had pulled her attention back.
"Bill..."
A part of O-Ren told her to stop this. The wounds that Black Mamba suffered would have made her bitter, but would eventually fade. If she didn't there would be some sort of hell to pay. O-Ren began to inhale to speak.
"...it's your bab..."
BANG! O-Ren stood with her mouth slightly ajarred. The chance to take back any damage was no longer there. The opportunity to change things had come and, in a fleeting second, had gone. Bill slowly turned, his pale face seeming distant in thought, or maybe in shock. He put the Colt away, walking towards the entrance. He paused right next to O-Ren.
"Nevermore," Bill mumbled lowly.
O-Ren looked at him as he picked up his flute from the bench out on the porch before he headed over to the waiting van. Bill had mumbled the most recognizable line from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". How fitting it was in the case of Bill and BEEP. O-Ren bowed her head and made a silent prayer.
Dead God, please forgive us for our sins we've committed. We are all lost. And watch over Black Mamba, and forget her for hers.
"Amen," she concluded, turned and headed for the van.
(To be continued...)