((continued from west housing))
He could feel the dull buzz of the earth beneath his feet. The damp forest air felt warm against his bare forearms; he'd kept his sleeves rolled up. The cult robe was stuffed into his backpack. He stood there, glaring through a camera mounted on a tree, his eyes full of a blunt rage.
He had shit he needed to say. He couldn't keep holding things in. Holding things in was why he'd thought Quinn was goddamned Ghost Camila.
He had nobody to talk to except the camera.
He opened his mouth; his voice dark, bitter.
"I'm -" his mouth hung open for a few seconds, trying to find the words it wanted to say. "- I'm fucking done. I can't fucking - I'm just - I don't -"
He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and opened his eyes. His eyebrows narrowed.
"I'm done with love."
He exhaled slowly.
"I'm done with it. I hate it."
His grip on the gun tightened.
"Love is - it isn't a good thing. It's a prison. It's just - it's bullshit. It doesn't exist - or it does, but like... it's the same thing as all the other bullshit we feel. You can't quantify it. You can't define it with anything other than synonyms. And yet -" his nostrils flared, "- and yet we act like it's the most important thing on Earth. We act like it's some noble thing. It isn't. Stop fucking romanticizing things. Get over yourselves. I'm over myself now. Beryl was bullshit. She was mentally ill, and I was in love with the way she was mentally ill. I thought life worked the way it did in movies. It doesn't. Fucking remember that. You don't live in a goddamned movie. You and everyone you care about matter so much less than you think. Get the FUCK over it. I've watched so many people break because of love. I've watched people -" he gritted his teeth, "- I guarantee almost everyone who's died here died specifically because somebody loved something. Whether it was for life, somebody else, or themselves; it was all for love. So I'm done. I'm done with the excuses. I'm done calling things love. I do what I do for validation and catharsis. Honor, dignity, humanity, it's all BULLSHIT. It's human nature to want. We're just tamer animals. We go feral just like everything else. Fuck you. Stop watching this. Burn yourselves to the ground."
Every word dripped venom.
"Die happy while you still can."
He turned away and walked out of the camera's view.
He cupped his hands to his mouth and howled at the sky.
Bait.
He paced over to a convenient-for-ambushes bush and crouched in. He took off his glasses and placed them into his pocket; he didn't want his position to be revealed by them glinting the light from the flashlights of whoever answered his call.
He remembered why the human eye was in the place it was.
He wanted some goddamn catharsis. He wanted some goddamn validation.
He wanted to feel satisfied. What that would entail depended on who answered his call.
Love Love Love / Pa Pa Power
Day 6, 4 AM-ish (c o n c l u d e d)
(( ACT TWO, SCENE FOUR ))
EXT. WOODS - PRE-DAWN
The camera pans away from Michael's position and focuses on the dark wooded path before fading to black.
The sounds of footsteps and ((a girl)) humming an indistinct tune crescendo in the black. The camera fades in on her feet before panning up to show her digging under her nails with Reuben's knife as she walks down the forest path.
So like... yeah, Jonathan was a bust. Boy could still really get around, it seemed. But it was okay. He wasn't gonna make it for long, and there was always a revolving door of guys she could focus her efforts on. Plenty of frogs in the pond or fish in the sea or whatever the hell that analogy was.
Anyway, so. Right. New plan. After leaving Val and Meka, BANDAGED GIRL stayed around the big ass houses, but no one else really interesting came. So, like, instead of waiting for an opportunity to fall in her lap again it was probably better to be proactive about it now at this point. So here she was in the middle of the woods wandering around to nowhere in particular other than managing to avoid those psycho bitches that keep showing up in the announcements, so like guess the plan to not fucking die was working.
And here in these woods was the sound of some pained dude howling like a fucking wolf or some shit, but ya know? She could work with that. Maybe. Maybe even mercy kill them for their broken heart. Hehe.
But ANYWAY here she was walking to her possible inevitable death because she was stupid and lonely but it was funner than curling up and dying, maybe a little more than marginally. Kept the flashlight off, though, just in case. Also had the knife out, just in case. Maybe she was riding on this power trip or maybe she was feeling validated since Gran'ma wouldn't let her get that taser for her 14th birthday.
She stopped when she reached the place that sounded like the source of the howl, but on the real? She was kinda feeling like that John Travolta gif from Pulp Fiction. You know the one.
Like, where the fuck was he? WANDERING GIRL was like the only person fucking here. Maybe she got it wrong. Didn't think her hearing was that bad, though.
The only other things here were one of the cameras, a kind of dense bush, and a bunch of fucking trees and shit?
She looked at the bush just up ahead. It really was a marvelous bush. The perfect height to ambush someone out of. Made her think about voyeuring all up on Paloma and Amber and the others at the lake over Reuben's body a few days back. It was fun; she'd def do that again.
She looked back to the camera, its silent glare reflecting the distorted visage of her and the bush behind in its lens.
Damn she was looking like a hotmess.
She chortled and threw her arms up. "I guess it's just you and me here, bud."
He didn't have to wait long. He could make out a silhouette; a glint of metal in the moonlight. Someone with a weapon, he presumed. She was short and thin and looked kinda like Quinn from this distance.
She looked right at him. Then she looked away! Then she looked at him again!
He held his breath. His heart was at like 120 bpm (mostly from the amphetamines).
She laughed; acknowledged the fact that there was someone in the bush. She didn't have Quinn's voice! She didn't seem, like, scared or pissed that there was someone in the bush. She just seemed okay with it. He was reminded of how he'd talked to The Owl.
He supposed he'd have shot her if she'd said something rude like Jonathan had.
He took a breath. The bush rustled as his hand snaked into his pocket to grab his glasses. He put them back on. The intruder's face was recognizable now.
Teresa Rojas, reputed wild child and also murderer of Reuben. She hadn't killed anyone else since then, as far as he knew, so like she probably wasn't Quinning things up. Morally flexible but not 100% going to murder him. She met all the requirements needed to be someone he didn't want to immediately shoot.
Maybe he wouldn't have to be a solitary party animal.
Someone to make happy. Making people still made him happy. It was just, like, he was making them happy for his own benefit. He'd be doing it for validation. Their happiness wasn't the main goal; his happiness was - but, like they would both mutually benefit or whatever.
"...lit," the bush said.
She looked right at him. Then she looked away! Then she looked at him again!
He held his breath. His heart was at like 120 bpm (mostly from the amphetamines).
She laughed; acknowledged the fact that there was someone in the bush. She didn't have Quinn's voice! She didn't seem, like, scared or pissed that there was someone in the bush. She just seemed okay with it. He was reminded of how he'd talked to The Owl.
He supposed he'd have shot her if she'd said something rude like Jonathan had.
He took a breath. The bush rustled as his hand snaked into his pocket to grab his glasses. He put them back on. The intruder's face was recognizable now.
Teresa Rojas, reputed wild child and also murderer of Reuben. She hadn't killed anyone else since then, as far as he knew, so like she probably wasn't Quinning things up. Morally flexible but not 100% going to murder him. She met all the requirements needed to be someone he didn't want to immediately shoot.
Maybe he wouldn't have to be a solitary party animal.
Someone to make happy. Making people still made him happy. It was just, like, he was making them happy for his own benefit. He'd be doing it for validation. Their happiness wasn't the main goal; his happiness was - but, like they would both mutually benefit or whatever.
"...lit," the bush said.
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
Hmm?
The bush moved in the camera's reflection. Or maybe WANDERING GIRL was high off a nutrition bar or sum'n.
She turned around, and no. The bush really was straight vibing in the dark. Even spoke back to her. Something about being lit. Or maybe that was supposed to be more like
LIT . Hopefully the later; didn't really feel like dealing with a forest fire right about now.
Heh.
She smirked, taking a few steps closer to the vibing bush. Her hands played with the knife, twisting and rolling it around in her palms.
She stopped several feet away from the bush. Still couldn't get a good look at the probable occupant but this was good enough.
"So... Where's the party, Mr. Bush? Or did I miss it?"
The bush moved in the camera's reflection. Or maybe WANDERING GIRL was high off a nutrition bar or sum'n.
She turned around, and no. The bush really was straight vibing in the dark. Even spoke back to her. Something about being lit. Or maybe that was supposed to be more like
LIT . Hopefully the later; didn't really feel like dealing with a forest fire right about now.Heh.
She smirked, taking a few steps closer to the vibing bush. Her hands played with the knife, twisting and rolling it around in her palms.
She stopped several feet away from the bush. Still couldn't get a good look at the probable occupant but this was good enough.
"So... Where's the party, Mr. Bush? Or did I miss it?"
He ground his teeth as Teresa turned around to look at him. He was pumped. He wasn't sure what about, but he was pumped! He caught the gleam of her knife moving around. Then she asked him where the party was.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
He just wanted to have some goddamned fun once before he died. Teresa was the kind of person he could probably have fun with without having to murder her/be murdered by her, so like, this was gucci.
The pistol was still in his right hand. Juuuuuust in case she tried to stab him, or like, some rube like Claude popped out of the trees.
He liked this. He was having fun.
He wondered what angle Teresa was playing at.
"Party's just starting, I think. Lori Martin gave me some LSD while she was dressed up like an owl. Y'all want some?" the Party Bush asked.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
He just wanted to have some goddamned fun once before he died. Teresa was the kind of person he could probably have fun with without having to murder her/be murdered by her, so like, this was gucci.
The pistol was still in his right hand. Juuuuuust in case she tried to stab him, or like, some rube like Claude popped out of the trees.
He liked this. He was having fun.
He wondered what angle Teresa was playing at.
"Party's just starting, I think. Lori Martin gave me some LSD while she was dressed up like an owl. Y'all want some?" the Party Bush asked.
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
Ahh... he was that kind of bush, huh?
"That's a little more hardcore than the party I was expecting, but I can fuck with that. Lemme think about it." WANDERING GIRL laughed a fake laugh and squatted down in front of the Party Bush like some sorta guitar-toting youth pastor about to talk about the real "OG", Jesus.
The knife twirled and gently bored into the ground, caking the tip ever so slightly with mud.
"Were you or Lori the one making those sounds, Mr. Bush? Or Jonathan? Unless you're him, but I don't think he knew the first thing about partying."
"That's a little more hardcore than the party I was expecting, but I can fuck with that. Lemme think about it." WANDERING GIRL laughed a fake laugh and squatted down in front of the Party Bush like some sorta guitar-toting youth pastor about to talk about the real "OG", Jesus.
The knife twirled and gently bored into the ground, caking the tip ever so slightly with mud.
"Were you or Lori the one making those sounds, Mr. Bush? Or Jonathan? Unless you're him, but I don't think he knew the first thing about partying."
He smiled, because UGH JONATHAN.
"He sure fuckin' didn't," he stated bluntly. He wondered how Teresa knew of Jonathan's party-ruining abilities.
He glanced down at the knife.
He inhaled. "Lori ain't here. The owl costume was Reuben's mascot suit; that's a fun fact," he exhaled amusedly. "I'll cut the shit. I've been pointing a gun at you this whole time. I'm a killer; you're a killer. Let's make a deal. Friends?"
"He sure fuckin' didn't," he stated bluntly. He wondered how Teresa knew of Jonathan's party-ruining abilities.
He glanced down at the knife.
He inhaled. "Lori ain't here. The owl costume was Reuben's mascot suit; that's a fun fact," he exhaled amusedly. "I'll cut the shit. I've been pointing a gun at you this whole time. I'm a killer; you're a killer. Let's make a deal. Friends?"
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The knife stopped spinning. It picked into the ground a couple of times and remained motionless.
"Sure. Friends. I'm listening."
"Sure. Friends. I'm listening."
"Rad. Lemme preface this by saying I'm not going for the win. If I was, I'd have shot you by now. You seem like you know how to have a good time. I'm trying to have a good time, but it's hard carpe diem-ing shit up alone. I get someone to hang with and you get, shit, I dunno, also that. Depends on what you want, I guess. Ain't worth it to kill me."
He paused.
"This is Michael Froese, by the by."
He paused.
"This is Michael Froese, by the by."
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
"Is that so." She smirked. The knife danced again.
Silence.
"Ya know, Reuben said the same sorta thing until he pussied out. Said he knew how to party, until the party got too real. Which is fine, I guess, if you're the kinda jackass to bitch out of commitments. But I think he thought he had a chance getting outta here alive, so like... I appreche that you and I are kinda on the same wavelength."
The knife stopped again. Her eyes pierced through the bush, right at the moonlight bouncing off of Michael's glasses. The trees rustled in the night wind.
"But I think you know what's up. So, tell ya what. I'm down."
She raised the knife and clutched it close, pointing its tip directly at the bush.
"But don't you ever fucking point that gun at me again or I will shove this knife so far up your ass you're gonna be bleeding out your bootyhole for a month."
With that, she flipped the knife around in her hand and stood back up. She sheathed it back in its holster, now properly suspended around her left leg. And then she bent over again in front of the bush, hands resting on her slightly bent knees.
"So, Mikey... ready to party?"
Silence.
"Ya know, Reuben said the same sorta thing until he pussied out. Said he knew how to party, until the party got too real. Which is fine, I guess, if you're the kinda jackass to bitch out of commitments. But I think he thought he had a chance getting outta here alive, so like... I appreche that you and I are kinda on the same wavelength."
The knife stopped again. Her eyes pierced through the bush, right at the moonlight bouncing off of Michael's glasses. The trees rustled in the night wind.
"But I think you know what's up. So, tell ya what. I'm down."
She raised the knife and clutched it close, pointing its tip directly at the bush.
"But don't you ever fucking point that gun at me again or I will shove this knife so far up your ass you're gonna be bleeding out your bootyhole for a month."
With that, she flipped the knife around in her hand and stood back up. She sheathed it back in its holster, now properly suspended around her left leg. And then she bent over again in front of the bush, hands resting on her slightly bent knees.
"So, Mikey... ready to party?"
He held his breath. He was pretty sure he'd shoot Teresa if she said no deal.
She mentioned that Reuben had been her ally, and there was a moment where all the Murder-Party Bush felt was doubt and regret. He surmised Reuben pussying out was why Teresa'd killed him. The moment passed, though, when she agreed to the deal.
Soft, warm radio static filled his mind. Fun. Validation? Validation.
Then she pointed the knife at him and threatened to stab him in the butt if he pointed his gun at her. He blinked. His brain was empty for a few seconds. She was scary!
Scary was fun, he supposed. Maybe the other way around; he'd always been scared of fun.
He watched as she stood up and sheathed her knife. He flipped his gun's safety on, and the bush rustled as he stashed it into his pocket.
She called him Mikey. Nobody called him Mikey back at home (well Morgan did when he was being a meme but other than that nobody called him Mikey). He was okay with being Mikey now. She asked him if he was ready to party.
Yeah probably he was ready to party he guessed.
He was ready to forget.
He rose out of the Murder-Party Bush, and fwipped his hair back into place with his hand. He looked down at Teresa, the moonlight shining off his concerningly-dilated pupils. He had about a foot on her height-wise (okay maybe more like half a foot), but like, he guessed that they were probably around the same weight.
He made a soft clicking sound with his tongue. "Fuck yeah I'm ready; I ain't Reuben," his nose itched. He scratched it. "Realtalk, if you need a boost, I've got a shitload of speed, so like... yeah. Figure you aren't the only person who's decided to find out what all the noise was about, so uh, wanna like ambush whoever decides to check it out? Or, I mean, we could just chill, I guess."
She mentioned that Reuben had been her ally, and there was a moment where all the Murder-Party Bush felt was doubt and regret. He surmised Reuben pussying out was why Teresa'd killed him. The moment passed, though, when she agreed to the deal.
Soft, warm radio static filled his mind. Fun. Validation? Validation.
Then she pointed the knife at him and threatened to stab him in the butt if he pointed his gun at her. He blinked. His brain was empty for a few seconds. She was scary!
Scary was fun, he supposed. Maybe the other way around; he'd always been scared of fun.
He watched as she stood up and sheathed her knife. He flipped his gun's safety on, and the bush rustled as he stashed it into his pocket.
She called him Mikey. Nobody called him Mikey back at home (well Morgan did when he was being a meme but other than that nobody called him Mikey). He was okay with being Mikey now. She asked him if he was ready to party.
Yeah probably he was ready to party he guessed.
He was ready to forget.
He rose out of the Murder-Party Bush, and fwipped his hair back into place with his hand. He looked down at Teresa, the moonlight shining off his concerningly-dilated pupils. He had about a foot on her height-wise (okay maybe more like half a foot), but like, he guessed that they were probably around the same weight.
He made a soft clicking sound with his tongue. "Fuck yeah I'm ready; I ain't Reuben," his nose itched. He scratched it. "Realtalk, if you need a boost, I've got a shitload of speed, so like... yeah. Figure you aren't the only person who's decided to find out what all the noise was about, so uh, wanna like ambush whoever decides to check it out? Or, I mean, we could just chill, I guess."
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
Oh damn. Been so long since she was really with anyone WANDERING GIRL forgot what it was like to be eclipsed by someone by a foot - well, maybe more like half a foot. He was kinda waifish like Reuben too, but like it was okay. He had the spirit. He had the moxie. He had the chutzpah. Also he had a gun; who really needed to be strong or fast or smart when they had a gun?
"Yeah, I'm down for hanging here, seeing what happens. Not really doing anything else anyway." She returned his maybe a little concerning dilated pupil gaze with a smile of her own, front teeth showing with manufactured eye creases.
She looked around. It looked like there was another damn good bush to ambush someone out of a couple of feet away. That'd work, at least in regards to keeping personal space. Also, like, B.O. and stuff considering he probably also hadn't showered in a week. Though it kinda seemed like her nose had gotten used to the worst smells around here. Couldn't tell if that was kinda gross or not.
Anyway.
"Yeah, lemme go hide over there."
She turned back to her compadre from another madre and bowled her hands together. "Probably not a good idea to run around with a knife in the dark, but I'll take some for later. Hook me up, holmes."
"Yeah, I'm down for hanging here, seeing what happens. Not really doing anything else anyway." She returned his maybe a little concerning dilated pupil gaze with a smile of her own, front teeth showing with manufactured eye creases.
She looked around. It looked like there was another damn good bush to ambush someone out of a couple of feet away. That'd work, at least in regards to keeping personal space. Also, like, B.O. and stuff considering he probably also hadn't showered in a week. Though it kinda seemed like her nose had gotten used to the worst smells around here. Couldn't tell if that was kinda gross or not.
Anyway.
"Yeah, lemme go hide over there."
She turned back to her compadre from another madre and bowled her hands together. "Probably not a good idea to run around with a knife in the dark, but I'll take some for later. Hook me up, holmes."
Wait... running around? In the dark? With a knife? A.) wasn't that what already Teresa was doing and B.) he didn't understand what that had to do with speed and - OH RUNNING WAS FAST AND FAST WAS SPEEDY AND SPEED WAS SPEEDY OKAY HE GOT IT.
He let out a single, shallow laugh. Kind of a 'heh' noise. It wasn't a genuine laugh, but what mattered was that it sounded like a genuine laugh. "Cool cool."
She was short enough that he could kick her in the face probably. He didn't kick her in the face, but he thought about it. Just for fun, he guessed.
He slipped his backpack off and held it in front of him, The Many-Eyed Bear's gunshot wound-laden head staring at Teresa with its eponymous many eyes. He unzipped one of the backpack's side pockets, pulled out a prescription pill bottle, and put the pack back on. Then, he fumbled with the child safety cap for a sec and poured twelve-ish pills into his hand. He screwed the cap on with the back of his hand and dropped the pills from his palm into Teresa's hands. He reached back and stuffed the pill bottle into the pocket where it came from and zipped it back up.
"Am bush," he sank back into the bush, "Ambush."
He let out a single, shallow laugh. Kind of a 'heh' noise. It wasn't a genuine laugh, but what mattered was that it sounded like a genuine laugh. "Cool cool."
She was short enough that he could kick her in the face probably. He didn't kick her in the face, but he thought about it. Just for fun, he guessed.
He slipped his backpack off and held it in front of him, The Many-Eyed Bear's gunshot wound-laden head staring at Teresa with its eponymous many eyes. He unzipped one of the backpack's side pockets, pulled out a prescription pill bottle, and put the pack back on. Then, he fumbled with the child safety cap for a sec and poured twelve-ish pills into his hand. He screwed the cap on with the back of his hand and dropped the pills from his palm into Teresa's hands. He reached back and stuffed the pill bottle into the pocket where it came from and zipped it back up.
"Am bush," he sank back into the bush, "Ambush."
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
"Thanks, king."
Damn, dude really was packing! Or rather, Lori was. There was probably some stuff to unpack there along with the fucking creepy as hell teddy bear with way too many eyes, but BUSH GIRL wasn't gonna worry about it.
But like... damn. These must've been Lori's draw; she definitely seemed the type to be way too square and way too much of a pussy to be bootlegging fucking LSD out of DC. Fuck the chain whip, or the knife, maybe not Michael's gun but like... this was the real winner here.
Now BUSH GIRL had to... uh... figure out where to keep these.
...Nevermind, that's right. She had a plastic baggie in her duffel. Somewhere around.... here. Okay. Good. Got it.
Michael slunk back into the Party Bush, and she did the same in her own just like how Bush did 9/11.
"So, like...," Lady Bush spoke, shaking her branches. "Wanna talk about anything while we wait? Or play a game? Or I can just shut up if ya want I guess."
Damn, dude really was packing! Or rather, Lori was. There was probably some stuff to unpack there along with the fucking creepy as hell teddy bear with way too many eyes, but BUSH GIRL wasn't gonna worry about it.
But like... damn. These must've been Lori's draw; she definitely seemed the type to be way too square and way too much of a pussy to be bootlegging fucking LSD out of DC. Fuck the chain whip, or the knife, maybe not Michael's gun but like... this was the real winner here.
Now BUSH GIRL had to... uh... figure out where to keep these.
...Nevermind, that's right. She had a plastic baggie in her duffel. Somewhere around.... here. Okay. Good. Got it.
Michael slunk back into the Party Bush, and she did the same in her own just like how Bush did 9/11.
"So, like...," Lady Bush spoke, shaking her branches. "Wanna talk about anything while we wait? Or play a game? Or I can just shut up if ya want I guess."
"I dunno, I'm fine with whatever," the Party Bush rustled a bit and a metallic click was audible from inside. "Like, just as a heads up, I'm getting my gun out in case someone shows up. I think I pissed Quinn off preeeeetty bad, so like, if she shows up... pow pow, y'know? She shot at me like six times from close range and she didn't fuckin' hit me once, and like, it's not the first time I've survived something that definitely should've killed me. Weird shit keeps happening and it's like, I dunno if I'm just really lucky or if like..."
The Party Bush made a noise that sounded kind of like laughter. It was more like a repeated, quiet, shaky breath. The kind of breath people took when they were either laughing or crying.
"...I got a ghost friend. Shit, whoops, I'm rambling. Quinn's probably got a fansite. She's wild. I, uh," his voice got kinda quiet, "we definitely have fansites."
The same pseudolaughter sound.
"D'you think we've got fansites?"
The Party Bush made a noise that sounded kind of like laughter. It was more like a repeated, quiet, shaky breath. The kind of breath people took when they were either laughing or crying.
"...I got a ghost friend. Shit, whoops, I'm rambling. Quinn's probably got a fansite. She's wild. I, uh," his voice got kinda quiet, "we definitely have fansites."
The same pseudolaughter sound.
"D'you think we've got fansites?"
none of you can prove im in v8
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.