Survival Of The Fittest

Meena took the out, of course, and began packing her bags.*

Ren joined her wordlessly, throwing their snacks and things into their backpack with neither rhyme nor reason. They didn't know why Meena had locked herself up again, but--they had to remind themself of this--that didn't matter, so long as they weren't left behind.

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*A little too cute, no?

Meena paused, as they looked to the trapdoor. Ren hadn't said anything, or objected in any nonverbal way to her packing up - to the contrary, they joined in. She was kind of expecting at least a "why?" or something.

"Sorry about... the detour. If you want to go find others from school, I'll like... follow along."

They'd been talking about the blog just a bit before, so another thought occurred to Meena. Something that she'd been aware of, but often forgot about, about one of the people Ren was searching for.

"Um... did you ever tell Kitty that eropsyche was like... me?"

"That would be a breach of confidence. So no."

Ren tossed the last of the snacks into their bag, threw the box of paper clips on top,* and zipped up.

"...and thanks." They were surprised and elated, though neither took any effort to hide. They had been wondering when Meena would ask them to leave her.

"I'm going to be looking for Kitty, of course, and Kai and Cali, Cedar, Trinity...is there anyone you would like me to keep an eye out for?"

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*Barely even qualifies as a Chekhov's peashooter, this. Don't be silly.

Meena knew that would be the answer. She might be misremembering this but she could have sworn the first thing she did after sending Ren the link to the blog for the first time was don't tell anyone from school.

She thought, for a moment. To be honest, she didn't want to find anyone. Finding Ren had been a disaster and a half for Meena, not that they knew it. At this rate, even meeting someone she knew from the school band like...

"Well... it would be nice if we could find Trinity," she lied. "I guess we're on the same page."

But in truth, that would have terrible consequences (for Meena) (the real Meena, anyway). She wanted witnesses to the inevitable end of her downward descent, but not like this. Didn't Ren know all they were doing was not even delaying the inevitable, but prolonging it, like slowing down the footage of a car crash? It would have been kinder for both of them to let her go.

Maybe that's why Meena stuck around.

Yes, in that we're both missing all our pages.

Ren wanted to push the issue--really? just Trinity?--but they did not.

They were ready, now, both of them.

Pushing the trapdoor open a crack, Ren peered around, and found the church deserted. They clamoured out slowly into the undisturbed morning air, and they were not fired upon.

The sun was only just peaking out over the horizon, its weak, shadowy rays just enough for Ren to navigate the dusty shapes around them without a flashlight. Their eyes drifted over the wonderful moldering vestments, the grimy washbasin, the remnants of ceremony and belief. Buried somewhere in this old place were the banalities essential to the running of any modern religious institution, and that Ren sought now.

"Wait a second," they whisper-called, "I have something to look for."

For fifteen minutes, the church was alive with the sound of pattering steps, doors and cabinets being opened, debris rustling and hitting the floor. Then Ren was done, and all was still again.

[Ren Vu and Meena Lalita Kumar continued in Wurlitzer Jukebox]