Murder 101

[MooCow*]

COMING FROM ‘Coppice Land of Waste’: http://s10.PLACEHOLDERLINK/SurvivalOfTheF...t=0#entry560552

For nearly six hours, Clemence had been biding her time. The boy she had been stalking had barricaded himself inside the school. And then the announcement had come. She hadn’t been fast enough. Now the whole island knew that Clemence Ceillet de Rousseau was a cold blooded murderess, and she would be able to fool no one… unless, she looked at her list of students. Unless she pretended to be someone she most certainly was not… And then she heard it, the rustling in the leaves and the figure approaching the barricaded door to the schoolhouse.

***

James Kelecks (Boy Student No. 8) was used to hiding, or so he felt. Not exactly the kind of hiding he was doing now; hiding physically away from anyone who might want to do him bodily harm. No James was a master at hiding emotions. At least that was how he often felt at Barry Coleson High.

He was a popular boy, but he hadn’t always been so. In middle school he was shy and awkward, and when he entered high school and started to bloom, people who had never noticed him before looked to him for superficial reasons. He was good looking enough to be popular, and eventually he all but forgot who his real friends were and got sucked into the whole game of the cutthroat social hierarchy. He became a fake, something that hadn’t altogether bothered him until now. Before, being fake allowed him to have all the friends in the world, but as it was, with every new friendship forged, James only isolated himself more. He had popularity, and social power, but no one he could truly confide in or even trust. It wasn’t all bad before, and for once James had felt like he had a ‘life’. However upon awakening in this hell, he realized that popularity would be next to nothing in a game where everyone was out to kill you, and that maybe he should have taken the time to establish better friendships.

He had awoken in the forest, at the start of the game and simply waited. Through two announcements he stayed perfectly still unable to move because of the shock. The third announcement got him moving. Once he learned that the forest would become a forbidden zone he had hightailed it out of the area as fast as his legs would allow.

That had led him to the school. It couldn’t really be called a school in the sense that Barry Coleson High was a school. It was ramshackle, essentially one or two main rooms and a hallway with a closet. There wasn’t even a bathroom, but rather an outhouse several yards into the foliage behind the edifice.

James wouldn’t have normally stayed there, but he was tired. It was the best shelter he could find, although the two dead bodies severely creeped him out. His weapon was a pitiful dagger, and he knew he’d be no match for anyone with a gun.

He had set about barricading the one entry with chairs and desks. He would be safe, at least until the school became a forbidden zone again.

He thought of Helena Van Garret. He had really liked her. And now he would never get the chance to tell her how he felt. If only he hadn’t been such a coward in the first six hours, maybe he would have sought her out and been able to save her from Hawley.

Hawley had been friends with James once… before James became to cool for him. Maybe if James had stuck by Hawley instead of making his life miserable, Helena would still be alive. He couldn’t really know though. For all he knew, Hawley was a killer by instinct.

It had been almost four hours before the rapping at the door came. James had contemplated not acknowledging it, just sitting back and pretending he wasn’t even there, but his curiosity got the better of him and he called out to the newcomer to see who they were.

***

Naoji Hideyoshi (Boy No. 15) was a rain soaked mess. Feeling sorry for him, James had taken the time to undo the barricade and let his acquaintance inside. Naoji’s weapon, a whip, turned out to be worse than James’s. They now sat huddled in the middle of one of the classrooms. The schoolhouse had originally been built with only one room, but the islands population grew, and a wall had been built in the middle to create two separate classrooms. As they sat in the dreary classroom, they talked.

“Are you scared,” Naoji asked genuinely.

“Oh course I’m fucking scared. I’m scared shitless. I’m so confused right now I don’t know what to do. I’ve got terrorists telling me I need to take this dagger and shove it in your throat if I ever want to see my home again. Scared is an understatement.”

There was an awkward silence. Naoji spoke next, breaking it.

“I know you wouldn’t kill anyone. I trust you.”

James felt uncomfortable, “are you hitting on me?”

Naoji looked taken aback, “NO! No, no, no. God that’s just the problem with your kind, you always think everyone’s in love with you or something, when the fact is everyone thinks you’re a backstabbing jerk. I was trying to cheer you up jackass, not get in your pants.”

James was about to retaliate when he realized he could think of nothing to say. His reputed lightning fast tongue was saved when there came another rap at the door.

“Don’t get that,” Naoji said immediately.

“Why not,” James asked, “I opened the door when you knocked.”

“I have a bad feeling,” Naoji whispered.

“Yeah right,” James sneered, “or maybe you just want me alone. Listen if they’re dangerous we’ll know. We have your list of everyone who’s killed.”

Not giving the hurt Naoji time to react, James strode out of the classroom and called out, “hello. Who’s there,” in the bravest voice he could muster.

“‘Ello,” called the source of the rapping, “please let me in.”

James didn’t recognize the voice, but it was obviously that of a girl. She couldn’t be too dangerous.

Just to be on the safe side, James thought, “first, what’s your name?”

***

Shit. This was exactly what Clemence had been dreading. Luckily she was prepared as she stood talking to one of the two boys on the other side of the door.

“My name is Cassandra Roivas,” Clemence answered as if she’d gone by the name for years.

***

Scanning his list of murderers, James saw no Cassandra Roivas. It wasn’t a fake name either. Her name was right on the student roster. He’d let her in.

“Okay hold on while I undo the barricade.”

Working at the strenuous project for the second time in less than an hour, James moved the chairs and desks back far enough to open the door enough for the girl to step inside. The first thing James noticed was her hair. It was almost hypnotizing, very light blonde, long and past her shoulder blades. Her hair was nothing compared to her face though. She was beautiful, and with a body it seemed to boot.

“Oh thank you,” Clemence sighed, “it vas terribly vet out there.”

James could only stare at her, in her school wet school uniform as she shook her hair dry.

Acting oblivious, Clemence added, “is there anyone else ‘ere?”

“Just one,” James choked, “a kid from my school Naoji. You’ll be safe here with us Cassandra.”

Clemence didn’t doubt that. “I’m so glad I found two strong boys to protect me from those psychos out there who could actually kill their friends. I’m so terribly scared right now you can’t even imagine.”

Her accent was thickly French, and James wondered if Roivas was a common surname in France.

“Let’s go in here,” James said awkwardly, beckoning her to follow him into the room Naoji occupied.

“Naoji,” James said, all business, “this is Cassandra Roivas. She’ll be staying with us for a while.”

“Hi,” Naoji said, trying to be friendly but falling short. How could James trust a complete stranger?

“Thank you for letting me stay vith you two,” Clemence AKA Cassandra replied.

“Why don’t you two get to know each other while I go and barricade the door… again,” James suggested, leaving the two alone.

Clemence seductively unbuttoned her blazer, flipping her hair and smiling at Naoji.

“Do you ‘ave a girlfriend,” Clemence asked him.

“No,” Naoji said coldly, “but I have a boyfriend.”

“Oh,” Clemence snipped failing to hide her newfound disinterest, “is ‘e…”

“No,” Naoji cut her off, “my boyfriend wasn’t on the plane. He’s not in this… for lack of a better word, game.”

“Vell is ‘e,” Clemence continued, “vhat do you call, ah yes, straight?”

“James? I’d assume, yeah.”

“I see.”

She had been worried, but it seemed that her plan would work out after all.

***

“Monkey,” James guessed.

“House,” Naoji quipped.

Clemence shook her head. They were playing charades to pass the time.

“I don’t know I give up,” Naoji said having not wanted to play a game anyway.

James eyes lit up, “the Eiffel Tower!”

“O’ yes! James you are so good at this game,” Clemence said jumping on him and giggling. They rolled on the floor. James began to laugh as well. It was just about enough to make Naoji sick.

“Yeah you to Cass,” James gasped for breath. They were becoming fast friends.

“Your turn Naoji,” Clemence sighed as she finally stopped pretending to laugh.

“I don’t wanna play anymore,” Naoji shrugged and walked out of the room, “I’m gonna take a nap.”

“Vhat’s his problem,” Clemence asked.

“How should I know,” James said, “I think he’s like in love with me or something.”

She giggled. Caught up in the moment James kissed her. He immediately regretted it, until she kissed him back. Before James knew it they were naked, making out on the carpet by the ‘story circle’. James was in heaven.

“You… are… so… hot,” James panted, “I think… I love you… Cassandra…” He’d never felt something so genuine for anyone. He’d finally found someone he could trust.

If Clemence were one to laugh, it would have taken all she could to contain it. She wasn’t however. She simply cooed, “I know,” into his ear and kept going. This boy was a dirty vile commoner. She needed to make sure people like him didn’t win this. They were all dirty vile commoners except her…

***

Naoji was awakened by a bloodcurdling howl from the next room. He was unable to move for several minutes before he ran towards the source. He was in time to see the bare naked Clemence, or to Naoji it was “Cassandra’, on top of her latest victim, James Kelecks. Naoji about vomited. The scene was too sick to imagine. It appeared they had been in the middle of sex, her riding him, when she had taken James’s own weapon, the dagger, and begun to impale him repeatedly in the chest. Her back was turned to Naoji. He ran.

***

Clemence’s face was like ice as she brought the dagger down again and again into James’s rib cage. He looked at her with bewildered eyes, unable to cry out in shock anymore.

He managed to choke out, “Cassandra,” as she jumped up, scrambling for her underwear and blouse.

“My name is Clemence,” she hissed, grabbing her throwing knives from her pack and stalking out of the room into the hall.

***

It was taking Naoji too long to undo the barricade. He had known all along that girl was trouble. He threw the desks back, but he wasn’t as strong as James so it took longer. His mind was racing and he knew he didn’t have much time. He managed to open the door enough to perhaps squeeze his body through. He thought he heard her coming. He squeezed his head out. A desk gave way and pushed the door tight against his neck. Naoji struggled to push back words on the door, but resistance was futile.

***

Walking into the hall Clemence watched Naoji struggle like a little worm to free himself. How pitiful. She threw her knives impaling them in the door. On the other side, one grazed Naoji’s temple causing blood to spurt everywhere.

“Help,” she heard him scream. Dream on dirty Jap faggot boy. Standing at the end of the hallway she braced herself for the kill. She was like a bull, and then she was off, full stride down the rather short hall. She jumped, twirled in the air, and let her foot collide full force with the solid wood door. Closing it in a split second and decapitating poor Naoji Hideyoshi.

She panted. She had bruised herself landing sideways on one of the desks, and received a nasty splinter in her left foot from the unfinished wooden door, but she had gotten the job done. The other boy way dead, and James would be too, very soon. She was sure she had punctured his lung.

***

James was coughing up blood when she returned to the room and began to dress herself. How could he have been so stupid? He was sure she was harmless. He wished she would look at him, acknowledge that he was there and he was dying but she did nothing of the sort. She was so cold. James knew from the announcement that she had killed. Clemence de Rousseau, the girl had ‘femme fatale’ written all over her. How could he have been so stupid? She wouldn’t even look at him. She was that cold. And to think for a moment he thought he’d found something genuine… love.

All in all it was only lust…

DEAD: BOY NO. 15 NAOJI HIDEYOSHI

DEAD: BOY NO. 8 JAMES KELECKS

CONTINUED IN 'Clemence': http://s10.PLACEHOLDERLINK/SurvivalOfTheF...t=0#entry817632