((Stacey Mordetsky continued from As If It Even Matters))
Stacey had been alone for a while, wandering around the island. Outside of a couple short interactions with small groups, she hadn't seen anyone else on the island. All of that time alone gave her ample opportunity to think, and all of that thinking had allowed her to come to a simple conclusion about her current situation.
She was homesick.
She missed everything about being back in Seattle. She missed her house, her friends, her parents, hell, even Jake. She wondered if her family even knew what had happened to her. For all they knew, she was off having fun at Disneyland. It might be better if they never knew the truth, and just thought that she died in an airplane crash on the way home or something. However, she knew that that wasn't true, because she knew that the cameras were filming everything she did, and that people would watch what had happened, just like they had every time the terrorists had done this in the past.
The knowledge that her parents and brother were probably going to see her made her question if she would be able to kill even further than she already had. What if their daughter was a murderer? How would they react? Sure, she could tell them that she had to do it to survive, but would it change anything? She didn't think that it would.
Stacey made her way to the top of a large hill. She stood near the edge and looked out towards the horizon. She had a great view of her surroundings, and would definitely have an advantage in spotting any potential attackers before they had a chance to reach her. If she had a gun, she would probably be able to pick them off, but that brought the morality of killing back into play, and she was sick of thinking about that after debating it with herself for the past few hours. She leaned slightly to the side, supporting herself with the broken plank. She seemed to be in a good position, at least for now.
Rise and Fall of a Teenage Girl
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CondorTalon
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((Yukiko Sakurai continued from The Bastion.))
Yukiko ran through the woods, not really stopping. She wasn't even keeping track of where she going, or if Jenna or Jack were following.
She just needed to cover some ground. She just needed to cover as much ground as possible. The more ground she covered, the faster she'd find her friends. It was sound logic. Definitely better than just sitting around, looking at maps.
Yukiko blinked. The change of light in her eyes threw off her thoughts, and she regained enough awareness to realize she was no longer in the woods, but rather in a large garden. She also noticed the girl, standing there by herself.
It took a little bit longer than that to realize that the girl was standing right in her path.
It took longer still to put two and two together, and realize that she was going to run right into the girl.
She tried to slow, to stop herself, to slow her pace, but her momentum was too much. She managed to slow down to a jog but it wasn't enough.
THUMP.
Yukiko let out a squeak as she collided with the other girl. She stumbled backwards, dropping the weed whacker and holding her nose. She vaguely recognized the other girl as Stacey Mordetsky.
"Ahh! S.. s.. sumi- s-s-sorry!" she stuttered out.
Yukiko ran through the woods, not really stopping. She wasn't even keeping track of where she going, or if Jenna or Jack were following.
She just needed to cover some ground. She just needed to cover as much ground as possible. The more ground she covered, the faster she'd find her friends. It was sound logic. Definitely better than just sitting around, looking at maps.
Yukiko blinked. The change of light in her eyes threw off her thoughts, and she regained enough awareness to realize she was no longer in the woods, but rather in a large garden. She also noticed the girl, standing there by herself.
It took a little bit longer than that to realize that the girl was standing right in her path.
It took longer still to put two and two together, and realize that she was going to run right into the girl.
She tried to slow, to stop herself, to slow her pace, but her momentum was too much. She managed to slow down to a jog but it wasn't enough.
THUMP.
Yukiko let out a squeak as she collided with the other girl. She stumbled backwards, dropping the weed whacker and holding her nose. She vaguely recognized the other girl as Stacey Mordetsky.
"Ahh! S.. s.. sumi- s-s-sorry!" she stuttered out.
Stacey heard someone coming up behind her. She started to turn around, but by the time she noticed exactly what was happening, it was too late. Another girl had crashed into her, knocking herself to the ground. Stacey fell forward, nearly falling off the edge of the cliff.
Fortunately, she managed to catch herself and avoid falling to what would have likely been certain death. She picked herself up off the ground, turned around, and glared at the girl who had run into her, who was currently stammering out an apology.
"What's wrong with you? You almost killed me!" Stacey accusingly shouted at the girl. She tightly clenched the plank in her hand and stared her down, waiting for an answer.
Fortunately, she managed to catch herself and avoid falling to what would have likely been certain death. She picked herself up off the ground, turned around, and glared at the girl who had run into her, who was currently stammering out an apology.
"What's wrong with you? You almost killed me!" Stacey accusingly shouted at the girl. She tightly clenched the plank in her hand and stared her down, waiting for an answer.
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CondorTalon
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"S-Sorry! I'm really sorry! Uh.. uhm..." Yukiko went on, as Stacey glared at her. There was really nothing else she could say right now.
"I was..." she paused, collecting her thoughts. "I was looking for someone... I wasn't looking where I was going, sorry!"
She bowed her head to the other girl. Maybe they could just let this go. Pretend this never happened. Yukiko didn't really have time for this right now, as sorry as she was. No damage was done, so there's no point in holding on to this little incident, right? Yukiko certainly thought so.
Yukiko lifted her head.
"I was..." she paused, collecting her thoughts. "I was looking for someone... I wasn't looking where I was going, sorry!"
She bowed her head to the other girl. Maybe they could just let this go. Pretend this never happened. Yukiko didn't really have time for this right now, as sorry as she was. No damage was done, so there's no point in holding on to this little incident, right? Yukiko certainly thought so.
Yukiko lifted her head.
Really? All the girl could say for herself was "Sorry"? Did she even know that she had almost pushed Stacey off the cliff just then? Was she really that ignorant to not look where she was fucking going in the middle of this god-forsaken island? Stacey was almost shaking with rage at this point. She could not believe how dumb this girl was.
"Sorry? That's all you can say? I nearly fell off the edge! You could've killed me!" She screamed at the girl. "What would you say if I died because of you? I don't think that 'Sorry' would be good enough then!"
Stacey tightened her grip on the plank even further. She was getting an urge to just bash the girl over the head with it. It was all just part of the game right? And besides, she had a good reason to be mad at her, so it wasn't like she was just killing some random person. She needed to kill at least one person to win anyway, so it was probably better to just get it over with now, before all the weak players are gone. She stood there and stared, waiting to see the girls next move. As she did so, she went over several justifications for her eventual actions in her head in an attempt to convince herself to go through with it.
It's okay. I have to do this. It's the only way home. It doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I'm just a normal girl in a bad situation.
"Sorry? That's all you can say? I nearly fell off the edge! You could've killed me!" She screamed at the girl. "What would you say if I died because of you? I don't think that 'Sorry' would be good enough then!"
Stacey tightened her grip on the plank even further. She was getting an urge to just bash the girl over the head with it. It was all just part of the game right? And besides, she had a good reason to be mad at her, so it wasn't like she was just killing some random person. She needed to kill at least one person to win anyway, so it was probably better to just get it over with now, before all the weak players are gone. She stood there and stared, waiting to see the girls next move. As she did so, she went over several justifications for her eventual actions in her head in an attempt to convince herself to go through with it.
It's okay. I have to do this. It's the only way home. It doesn't mean I'm a bad person. I'm just a normal girl in a bad situation.
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CondorTalon
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No no no no no no
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Stacey was supposed to let it go. After all, what else could she do other than apologize?
Tears began to fall from Yukiko's eyes as she took a step back. She didn't want this. She knew what was going to happen now.
She was going to die.
Yukiko squeezed her eyes shut, forcing more tears to come through. She shook her head violently.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..."
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Stacey was supposed to let it go. After all, what else could she do other than apologize?
Tears began to fall from Yukiko's eyes as she took a step back. She didn't want this. She knew what was going to happen now.
She was going to die.
Yukiko squeezed her eyes shut, forcing more tears to come through. She shook her head violently.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..."
Damn, now this is just pathetic...
Stacey watched as the girl just burst into tears and repeated the words "I'm sorry" like a broken record. Geez, this girl really wasn't cut out for the game. If she was getting all weepy after just running into somebody, then there was no way she would be able to handle watching people die, much less killing them herself. Stacey figured that it would probably be an act of mercy to just kill her quickly now before things start to get too intense.
She tried to mentally psyche herself up for the kill, to remove all guilt involved with bludgeoning the girl with her plank. As she tried to get in the zone, however, she noticed something that she had forgotten about, and that had given her a lot to think about earlier. In a tree on the hill, she saw a camera.
Stacey remembered that the game was being broadcast. Everything she did, someone would be able to see. Chances were that her parents would find the videos in an attempt to learn what happened to her. Is that what she wanted them to see? Their daughter murdering one of her classmates? She certainly didn't think so. She had hidden so many of her activities back home from them in an attempt to keep from disappointing them. How would they feel if they saw her killing someone, which was undoubtedly worse than drinking, partying, and sleeping around combined?
Shit, I can't do this.
Stacey just couldn't kill the girl. If she did, her parents would be crushed, and she loved them too much to do that to them. She tried to think up a non-violent way to take things, which would be a little difficult now that she had a jagged-ended plank clutched in her hand and the other girl was sobbing uncontrollably, but she was willing to try.
"Look, can you just calm down?" Stacey said while making a wide shrugging gesture, unintentionally brandishing the plank in a somewhat threatening manner.
Stacey watched as the girl just burst into tears and repeated the words "I'm sorry" like a broken record. Geez, this girl really wasn't cut out for the game. If she was getting all weepy after just running into somebody, then there was no way she would be able to handle watching people die, much less killing them herself. Stacey figured that it would probably be an act of mercy to just kill her quickly now before things start to get too intense.
She tried to mentally psyche herself up for the kill, to remove all guilt involved with bludgeoning the girl with her plank. As she tried to get in the zone, however, she noticed something that she had forgotten about, and that had given her a lot to think about earlier. In a tree on the hill, she saw a camera.
Stacey remembered that the game was being broadcast. Everything she did, someone would be able to see. Chances were that her parents would find the videos in an attempt to learn what happened to her. Is that what she wanted them to see? Their daughter murdering one of her classmates? She certainly didn't think so. She had hidden so many of her activities back home from them in an attempt to keep from disappointing them. How would they feel if they saw her killing someone, which was undoubtedly worse than drinking, partying, and sleeping around combined?
Shit, I can't do this.
Stacey just couldn't kill the girl. If she did, her parents would be crushed, and she loved them too much to do that to them. She tried to think up a non-violent way to take things, which would be a little difficult now that she had a jagged-ended plank clutched in her hand and the other girl was sobbing uncontrollably, but she was willing to try.
"Look, can you just calm down?" Stacey said while making a wide shrugging gesture, unintentionally brandishing the plank in a somewhat threatening manner.
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CondorTalon
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There was an uncomfortable, deathly silence. Yukiko wanted to run away, to get away from this girl who was about to kill her, but her legs refused to cooperate. She manage to to a really small step back before her leg locked up.
Was this it? Was this how Yukiko Sakurai died? Alone, by the hands of a girl she barely knew, failing to even get started on the mission she set out to accomplish?
I'm sorry, Chase. I'm sorry Miriam.
She sniffled again. Any second now, she'd feel the plank come down on her head.
Then Stacey spoke. Yukiko opened her eyes, her vision clouded with tears, and saw the blurry form of Stacey waving her weapon at her.
Something clicked when she actually saw what Stacey was about to do.
Yukiko half gasped, half shrieked.
Before she could even register what Stacey's words meant, her hands were already out, striking the girl square in the chest.
Was this it? Was this how Yukiko Sakurai died? Alone, by the hands of a girl she barely knew, failing to even get started on the mission she set out to accomplish?
I'm sorry, Chase. I'm sorry Miriam.
She sniffled again. Any second now, she'd feel the plank come down on her head.
Then Stacey spoke. Yukiko opened her eyes, her vision clouded with tears, and saw the blurry form of Stacey waving her weapon at her.
Something clicked when she actually saw what Stacey was about to do.
Yukiko half gasped, half shrieked.
Before she could even register what Stacey's words meant, her hands were already out, striking the girl square in the chest.
A squeaky, gasping noise was the next thing that Stacey heard from the girl. Had she done something wrong? She was actually trying to fix things now? What could she be freaking out about now?
Stacey never got an answer to that question, because the girl's next move was to push her as hard as she could. Stacey stumbled back, not expecting the sudden attack. In the process, her foot slipped off the cliff. She tried to catch herself, but was not as lucky as she was last time, and screamed as she tumbled over the edge.
In books and movies, people typically have introspective moments before their deaths, usually taking a look at what they did wrong, or perhaps how they could have been better people. Stacey was not granted that luxury, as her head struck a clump of rock jutting out from the cliff side, knocking her unconscious as well as likely giving her a concussion. If she was concussed, however, she did not have to suffer the effects for long, as she fell to the ground head-first, breaking her neck from the impact. The broken plank landed a few feet away from her body, having been released from her grip when she lost consciousness.
What had started as a simple mistake turned into an argument, which in turn became a tragic misunderstanding with consequences for both parties. Life-changing for one, and fatal for the other.
Stacey Mordetsky never got a chance to apologize, nor a chance to reflect. Just a lonely, pointless death.
Stacey never got an answer to that question, because the girl's next move was to push her as hard as she could. Stacey stumbled back, not expecting the sudden attack. In the process, her foot slipped off the cliff. She tried to catch herself, but was not as lucky as she was last time, and screamed as she tumbled over the edge.
In books and movies, people typically have introspective moments before their deaths, usually taking a look at what they did wrong, or perhaps how they could have been better people. Stacey was not granted that luxury, as her head struck a clump of rock jutting out from the cliff side, knocking her unconscious as well as likely giving her a concussion. If she was concussed, however, she did not have to suffer the effects for long, as she fell to the ground head-first, breaking her neck from the impact. The broken plank landed a few feet away from her body, having been released from her grip when she lost consciousness.
What had started as a simple mistake turned into an argument, which in turn became a tragic misunderstanding with consequences for both parties. Life-changing for one, and fatal for the other.
Stacey Mordetsky never got a chance to apologize, nor a chance to reflect. Just a lonely, pointless death.
G051- Stacey Mordetsky: Deceased
134 Students Remain
134 Students Remain
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CondorTalon
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She saw the girl disappear from her vision as she went over the edge. She heard her screaming as she fell. She heard the sickening thud as her body hit the ground.
There was no movement from Yukiko for the first couple of seconds. Only a realization of horror. A realization of what she had just done.
Then, reality came back to her. She turned, trying to run away. But she only managed a few strides before pitching forward onto all fours.
A wave of nausea came, and Yukiko emptied the contents of her stomach onto the grass, not that there was much inside it.
She fell into side, in the fetal position.
And she cried.
There was no movement from Yukiko for the first couple of seconds. Only a realization of horror. A realization of what she had just done.
Then, reality came back to her. She turned, trying to run away. But she only managed a few strides before pitching forward onto all fours.
A wave of nausea came, and Yukiko emptied the contents of her stomach onto the grass, not that there was much inside it.
She fell into side, in the fetal position.
And she cried.
((Jenna Rhodes continued from The Bastion))
Jenna was not happy about this, not in the slightest.
She wasn't sure how long she and Jack had been running for. Hours probably, given how much her legs hurt. The fact that they were traversing through a rough forest with plenty of steep hills didn't exactly help.
There were a couple of times when Jenna stopped to catch a breather, only to then noticed that Yukiko hadn't stopped, forcing her to continue sprinting after her before she lost track of the girl. Why was Yukiko acting like this? Did it not occur to her that running around randomly like this wasn't getting them anywhere? All Jenna wanted to do was stop and think about what they were going to do, even if it was only to decide on which direction they should head.
But nope, Yukiko was determined to run blindly through the woods. The longer she ran, the more infuriated Jenna began to get with her friend. She hardly got the chance to think of ideas for what they could do, her thoughts too preoccupied with making sure she didn't lose track of Yukiko. She couldn't fathom how the other girl could run for so long without stopping.
Needless to say, she intended to have a word with Yukiko the moment her friend finally decided to take a break.
At least, she would have were it not for the fact that after one brief breather too many, Jenna finally lost sight of Yukiko.
"No. Nonono, damnit Yukiko! I knew this would happen eventually..."
Jenna glanced around the surrounding countryside, looking for clues as to which direction Yukiko headed. She called after her several times to no success, although she suspected that even if Yukiko had heard her she wouldn't have stopped. Not knowing what else to do, she picked what she assumed would be the most likely direction and kept moving, praying that she hadn't lost sight of her friend for good.
Thankfully, twenty odd minutes later she finally found her at the top of a particularly high hill she had decided to climb, the original idea being that she would get a better vantage point from it than she would in the undergrowth. She had mixed feelings about finding Yukiko. On the one hand, she was relieved that she had been able to find her, and that she had finally decided to stop running. On the other hand, she was furious with her for causing her so much stress in the first place.
"There you are! Do you have any idea how..." she began, only to then realise that something wasn't right. She ran up to Yukiko, ignoring the stench of recent vomit as she leant over her friend.
"Yukiko? It's okay, me and Jack are here now... What happened?"
Jenna was not happy about this, not in the slightest.
She wasn't sure how long she and Jack had been running for. Hours probably, given how much her legs hurt. The fact that they were traversing through a rough forest with plenty of steep hills didn't exactly help.
There were a couple of times when Jenna stopped to catch a breather, only to then noticed that Yukiko hadn't stopped, forcing her to continue sprinting after her before she lost track of the girl. Why was Yukiko acting like this? Did it not occur to her that running around randomly like this wasn't getting them anywhere? All Jenna wanted to do was stop and think about what they were going to do, even if it was only to decide on which direction they should head.
But nope, Yukiko was determined to run blindly through the woods. The longer she ran, the more infuriated Jenna began to get with her friend. She hardly got the chance to think of ideas for what they could do, her thoughts too preoccupied with making sure she didn't lose track of Yukiko. She couldn't fathom how the other girl could run for so long without stopping.
Needless to say, she intended to have a word with Yukiko the moment her friend finally decided to take a break.
At least, she would have were it not for the fact that after one brief breather too many, Jenna finally lost sight of Yukiko.
"No. Nonono, damnit Yukiko! I knew this would happen eventually..."
Jenna glanced around the surrounding countryside, looking for clues as to which direction Yukiko headed. She called after her several times to no success, although she suspected that even if Yukiko had heard her she wouldn't have stopped. Not knowing what else to do, she picked what she assumed would be the most likely direction and kept moving, praying that she hadn't lost sight of her friend for good.
Thankfully, twenty odd minutes later she finally found her at the top of a particularly high hill she had decided to climb, the original idea being that she would get a better vantage point from it than she would in the undergrowth. She had mixed feelings about finding Yukiko. On the one hand, she was relieved that she had been able to find her, and that she had finally decided to stop running. On the other hand, she was furious with her for causing her so much stress in the first place.
"There you are! Do you have any idea how..." she began, only to then realise that something wasn't right. She ran up to Yukiko, ignoring the stench of recent vomit as she leant over her friend.
"Yukiko? It's okay, me and Jack are here now... What happened?"
((Jack McDonald continued from The Bastion))
"Running suuuuuuuuucks."
Repeat that phrase over and over again and you'll have a pretty good look into Jack's thought processes throughout the duration of their chase. It was now really dawning on him just how long it had been since he had done any long distance running. His legs, already having been sore, now felt like they could collapse at any moment. His chest felt like it could burst. His head was still throbbing. All this, combined with the unforgiving summer sun, made Jack feel like he was going to just dissolve into nothingness instantly.
He kept going, though. Of course he kept going. As much as he felt like his lungs were going to just give out, he knew he'd never forgive himself if they lost Yukiko. Not to mention she was the only straight up friend he had met on the island so far. He had no problems with Jenna, but Yukiko made him feel at least a bit... normal. Well, as normal as you could get out here.
He mostly let Jenna lead the way. She had been the one to follow Yukiko out first, so Jack figured she had a better idea where she was going. And hey, he was fine with being the caboose of this two-person train. Gave him a bit more of an excuse to take little jogging breaks.
He didn't really have the time or energy to think about what would happen if they lost Yukiko. Heck, he didn't have the time or energy to reassure himself that they were going to catch up to Yukiko. Thinking was more time and energy than he could afford right now. But still, oh god how long has it even been and I think I'm just gonna fall down on the grass and just never get back up and
Bam. There.
At the top of the hill (Wait.... when had they gotten to a hill? Ah, screw it.) was Yukiko, lying down on the ground. Jack initially assumed she had just finally gotten tired and had to stop. He didn't really care. It gave THEM a chance to stop and find out just what the heck was going on.
Since following her was no longer a concern, Jack took the opportunity to slow way, waaaaay down, taking the stroll up the hill at his own pace. Yeah, turned out not eating anything for over a day kinda screwed up your body when it came to physical activity. He lazily reached up and wiped a thick layer of sweat off his brow. He hoped the other two wouldn't mind when he requested a long break.
He still reached the Yukiko's location, though. Jenna was already talking to her, and... ugh, what WAS that smell? Jack instantly brought his hand up and covered his nose, still leaving a gap for him to speak. And... she was crying.
Jack didn't really want to hear what the problem was. But he knew he had to.
"Uh... what... she said.... ugh..." Jack gasped out between breaths. He felt like he was going to faint at any moment. Unfortunately, that was the last thing he wanted to happen.
"Sorry, I'm just... gonna... lay down... over here..." Stumbling a few feet away from the scene, Jack let himself fall down onto the ground, finding himself with his eyes looking up at the relatively cloudless sky. The blades of grass were itchy, but also noticeably cooler than the air around him. It was a welcome change.
Jack closed his eyes, still conscious but a bit more at peace for the moment.
"Running suuuuuuuuucks."
Repeat that phrase over and over again and you'll have a pretty good look into Jack's thought processes throughout the duration of their chase. It was now really dawning on him just how long it had been since he had done any long distance running. His legs, already having been sore, now felt like they could collapse at any moment. His chest felt like it could burst. His head was still throbbing. All this, combined with the unforgiving summer sun, made Jack feel like he was going to just dissolve into nothingness instantly.
He kept going, though. Of course he kept going. As much as he felt like his lungs were going to just give out, he knew he'd never forgive himself if they lost Yukiko. Not to mention she was the only straight up friend he had met on the island so far. He had no problems with Jenna, but Yukiko made him feel at least a bit... normal. Well, as normal as you could get out here.
He mostly let Jenna lead the way. She had been the one to follow Yukiko out first, so Jack figured she had a better idea where she was going. And hey, he was fine with being the caboose of this two-person train. Gave him a bit more of an excuse to take little jogging breaks.
He didn't really have the time or energy to think about what would happen if they lost Yukiko. Heck, he didn't have the time or energy to reassure himself that they were going to catch up to Yukiko. Thinking was more time and energy than he could afford right now. But still, oh god how long has it even been and I think I'm just gonna fall down on the grass and just never get back up and
Bam. There.
At the top of the hill (Wait.... when had they gotten to a hill? Ah, screw it.) was Yukiko, lying down on the ground. Jack initially assumed she had just finally gotten tired and had to stop. He didn't really care. It gave THEM a chance to stop and find out just what the heck was going on.
Since following her was no longer a concern, Jack took the opportunity to slow way, waaaaay down, taking the stroll up the hill at his own pace. Yeah, turned out not eating anything for over a day kinda screwed up your body when it came to physical activity. He lazily reached up and wiped a thick layer of sweat off his brow. He hoped the other two wouldn't mind when he requested a long break.
He still reached the Yukiko's location, though. Jenna was already talking to her, and... ugh, what WAS that smell? Jack instantly brought his hand up and covered his nose, still leaving a gap for him to speak. And... she was crying.
Jack didn't really want to hear what the problem was. But he knew he had to.
"Uh... what... she said.... ugh..." Jack gasped out between breaths. He felt like he was going to faint at any moment. Unfortunately, that was the last thing he wanted to happen.
"Sorry, I'm just... gonna... lay down... over here..." Stumbling a few feet away from the scene, Jack let himself fall down onto the ground, finding himself with his eyes looking up at the relatively cloudless sky. The blades of grass were itchy, but also noticeably cooler than the air around him. It was a welcome change.
Jack closed his eyes, still conscious but a bit more at peace for the moment.
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CondorTalon
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Yukiko's tears stained the grass as her vision blurred. The smell of the vomit wasoverpowering, and she forced herself to move, to crawl away from the vitriol, but she didn't get very far.
That's when she heard the familiar voice.
In all of the recent commotion, Yukiko had totally forgotten that Jenna and Jack were right behind her. And it was understandable that they'd be upset at her. She just running for the hills, but she had to. They needed to understand. But right now... What about right now?
Jenna's angry tone broke into one of concern as she asked Yukiko what happened.
"I-I-I was... She... she was g-going to... and... and..." she struggled to get the words out, her explanation being constantly interrupted by her hyperventilating.
The image of Stacey entered her mind again, and it took all of her effort not to heave a second time.
"I don't want to die..." she muttered.
That's when she heard the familiar voice.
In all of the recent commotion, Yukiko had totally forgotten that Jenna and Jack were right behind her. And it was understandable that they'd be upset at her. She just running for the hills, but she had to. They needed to understand. But right now... What about right now?
Jenna's angry tone broke into one of concern as she asked Yukiko what happened.
"I-I-I was... She... she was g-going to... and... and..." she struggled to get the words out, her explanation being constantly interrupted by her hyperventilating.
The image of Stacey entered her mind again, and it took all of her effort not to heave a second time.
"I don't want to die..." she muttered.
"It's okay Yukiko, calm down! We're here to help..."
Jenna briefly glanced back at Jack as he caught up, giving him a nod of approval for catching up before turning her attention back to her friend. Whilst she was glad that the three of them were able to reunite, any positive feelings she had about their reunion was overshadowed by Yukiko's alarming mental state.
What had happened that they had missed? Yukiko vaguely implied something about a girl. Had she been threatened? Had someone tried to chase her? Were they all in danger right now?
"Now Yuki, I want you to..." she began, only to stop mid-sentence the moment she spotted something out the corner of her eye, lying down at the bottom of the hill.
She got up from where she was leaning and moved closer to the ledge to get a closer look, recoiling in horror at the sight she saw. Surely she must have been mistaken? That couldn't of been what she thought it was.
After a moment's hesitance, she leaned over to take another look, and sure enough there it was. The body of one of her former classmates, twisted and broken at the bottom of this particularly steep hill. She recognised it to be Stacey Mordetsky, one of her more popular classmates. Whilst she never had particularly strong opinions about the girl, seeing her dead was more than a little unnerving.
Presumably, this was the girl Yukiko was referring to. At least, she'd be extremely surprised if she wasn't, that was for certain. At first Jenna thought that perhaps Yukiko had become distressed at the sight, seeing as that was a perfectly reasonable reaction to finding a crooked dead body like that. But then she recalled what Yukiko had just said, about how this girl was going to do something. That suggested that Yukiko had met this girl whilst she was still alive, which also suggested...
A realisation hit Jenna. One which every part of her hoped was just a thought and nothing more, despite the fact that the more she thought about this set-up, the more likely this conclusion seemed.
She couldn't have, could she? Yukiko would never... But then, why else would she be in such a state?
Jenna turned her head to face her friend, an uneasy look on her face as she mustered up the courage to ask the one question she didn't want to ask.
"Yukiko... Did... Did you..." she began, unsure really as to what would be the best way of asking this.
"What exactly happened here?"
Jenna briefly glanced back at Jack as he caught up, giving him a nod of approval for catching up before turning her attention back to her friend. Whilst she was glad that the three of them were able to reunite, any positive feelings she had about their reunion was overshadowed by Yukiko's alarming mental state.
What had happened that they had missed? Yukiko vaguely implied something about a girl. Had she been threatened? Had someone tried to chase her? Were they all in danger right now?
"Now Yuki, I want you to..." she began, only to stop mid-sentence the moment she spotted something out the corner of her eye, lying down at the bottom of the hill.
She got up from where she was leaning and moved closer to the ledge to get a closer look, recoiling in horror at the sight she saw. Surely she must have been mistaken? That couldn't of been what she thought it was.
After a moment's hesitance, she leaned over to take another look, and sure enough there it was. The body of one of her former classmates, twisted and broken at the bottom of this particularly steep hill. She recognised it to be Stacey Mordetsky, one of her more popular classmates. Whilst she never had particularly strong opinions about the girl, seeing her dead was more than a little unnerving.
Presumably, this was the girl Yukiko was referring to. At least, she'd be extremely surprised if she wasn't, that was for certain. At first Jenna thought that perhaps Yukiko had become distressed at the sight, seeing as that was a perfectly reasonable reaction to finding a crooked dead body like that. But then she recalled what Yukiko had just said, about how this girl was going to do something. That suggested that Yukiko had met this girl whilst she was still alive, which also suggested...
A realisation hit Jenna. One which every part of her hoped was just a thought and nothing more, despite the fact that the more she thought about this set-up, the more likely this conclusion seemed.
She couldn't have, could she? Yukiko would never... But then, why else would she be in such a state?
Jenna turned her head to face her friend, an uneasy look on her face as she mustered up the courage to ask the one question she didn't want to ask.
"Yukiko... Did... Did you..." she began, unsure really as to what would be the best way of asking this.
"What exactly happened here?"
Peace, as you would expect on this island, was fleeting.
The little details began to come to the forefront. The itchy grass was getting a bit too irritating. The sun was too bright. His sweat was beginning to drip onto his eyes.
After some furious rubbing to try and combat that last problem, Jack managed to work up the energy to stand up again. It was just now hitting him how utterly terrible he felt. He just wanted this all to end somehow.
"Well, there are only a couple of ways that's going to happen."
Jack's eyes were immediately drawn once again to the curled up form on Yukiko in the grass. He felt a slight twinge of guilt for his earlier thoughts. As terrible as he felt, it could always be worse.
When Jenna moved over to the crest of the hill, Jack moved in and crouched next to the distraught girl. Truth be told, he had ZERO idea on what to do. But it wasn't like Jack was going to stand around helpless. He had to do something.
"Look... it's gonna be alright. Just... you've got us here now. Everything's gonna be... fine."
Jack bit down on his lower lip. Yep, he had no idea what he was doing. Didn't help any that he didn't know why she had broken down. It might have just been general stress, but he didn't know, and Yukiko didn't seem to be in much of a mood to give any answers.
Jack looked up at Jenna... who looked notably more distraught than before. He groaned under his breath. He didn't need this. None of them needed this.
"Just... take your time, alright."
They did need answers, yes, but Jack was going to make sure Yukiko didn't end up any worse for wear.
The little details began to come to the forefront. The itchy grass was getting a bit too irritating. The sun was too bright. His sweat was beginning to drip onto his eyes.
After some furious rubbing to try and combat that last problem, Jack managed to work up the energy to stand up again. It was just now hitting him how utterly terrible he felt. He just wanted this all to end somehow.
"Well, there are only a couple of ways that's going to happen."
Jack's eyes were immediately drawn once again to the curled up form on Yukiko in the grass. He felt a slight twinge of guilt for his earlier thoughts. As terrible as he felt, it could always be worse.
When Jenna moved over to the crest of the hill, Jack moved in and crouched next to the distraught girl. Truth be told, he had ZERO idea on what to do. But it wasn't like Jack was going to stand around helpless. He had to do something.
"Look... it's gonna be alright. Just... you've got us here now. Everything's gonna be... fine."
Jack bit down on his lower lip. Yep, he had no idea what he was doing. Didn't help any that he didn't know why she had broken down. It might have just been general stress, but he didn't know, and Yukiko didn't seem to be in much of a mood to give any answers.
Jack looked up at Jenna... who looked notably more distraught than before. He groaned under his breath. He didn't need this. None of them needed this.
"Just... take your time, alright."
They did need answers, yes, but Jack was going to make sure Yukiko didn't end up any worse for wear.