Survival Of The Fittest

{{continued from White Sparrows}}

((GMing approved hopefully))

The air was calm and salty, the endless expanse of water rolling along slowly, only barely pushed by the wind. In the middle of that seemingly endless sea sat a boat, floating across the surface at a snail's pace.

And on the deck of that boat stood a bear, in captain's attire, staring out at the horizon. After a few moments, a crewman came up onto the deck, calling out to him.

"Sir, the engineers are saying that the engine should be fixed by the end of the day."

"ROOOOAR"

The crewman just stared at Captain Robo-Bear 5000, having no idea what he just said, since he couldn't exactly speak Bear.

"Uh...y-yes sir." He said, giving up and just going back down below deck.

"Looks like we're going to be reaching the end soon." Sir Winston the Kangaroo said, taking a sip of his tea as he stood nearby.

Robo-Bear 5000 stood in silence.

"It's a lot sooner than any of us would've liked, but...well, it happens sooner or later."

"..."

"And I take it you don't like it, either."

"..."

"The great Robo-Bear 5000 can fly around the world with his rocket boosters. He can punch the moon in half. He can eat FIVE confused teenagers in a single sitting. But he can't do anything to stop what's going to happen."

"..."

Sir Winston finished his tea before speaking up again. "Well...I guess I'll leave you to your business, then." He said, turning away. "Try not to feel too bad about it. We all reach the end sooner or later."

And then Sir Winston hopped away, leaving Captain Robo-Bear 5000 to stare off at the horizon and think about better days.

--------------------

Maria was falling apart.

Helped along by Tabi, she walked as best she can. That is, with a heavy limp and burning, persistent pain with every step. It felt even hotter than before, enough that Maria could hardly concentrate. Her mind was in a haze, and as she walked she was only barely aware of her surroundings, letting Tabi and the boy she was with lead the way. Whatever thoughts came into her head were thoughts of karma, thoughts of Duncan and Cass and Warren's bodies, thoughts of trying to figure out where Max went.

Mercifully, they came across a building, and soon they were inside, Maria almost dropping to the floor and wincing as her leg protested. She tried to pay attention as Tabi and the boy talked, picking up that they were apparently at some kind of infirmary. Then she heard the sound of people rifling through things, like cupboards and drawers, while she simply scooted into a corner, tucking her legs up to her chest and resting her head against the wall, wondering if her shoulder was starting to hurt a little more than before.

The rattling and clanking went from room to room, before going back to the first and starting over. And then starting over again, sounding more desperate than before, and she could've sworn she heard a bit of cursing, but she wasn't sure. Maria felt like she was just a spectator; like she wasn't really here, just watching everything through heavy static.

Suddenly, she felt a hand touching her arm, and looked over to see Tabi, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Helping her to her feet, she led Maria slowly down a short hallway, opening a door to reveal a room with a rather odd-looking shower, and even in her current state Maria knew a golden opportunity when she saw one. Hobbling inside, she glanced back to see Tabi by the door, as if wondering if she should help her for a brief moment before deciding against it and closing the door behind her.

Her clothes off, Maria carefully made her way over to the shower, reaching out for the weird pullstring thing and fumbling with it a bit before yanking on it. Back before she ended up on the island, the cold water would've had her leaping right out of the shower, possibly tripping on something. But now, she just didn't care, and she slid back down to the floor and knelt there, letting the cold water cover her, as if it'd help bring down the horrible fever.

She had no idea how long she spent in there, one hand on the pullstring until she let go and let the water shut off whenever she needed both hands. Her wounds stung from the water, but she ignored it as best she could as the muck and the grime and the soot and the blood (Duncan's blood...) fell off, forming a rust-covered pool around her before going down the drain. As she finally finished, she wobbled a bit, suddenly feeling a bit dizzy, the last of her energy being used on this shower as she was basically running on fumes now.

Carefully making her way over to a towel Tabi left in the room, she made a half-hearted effort to dry herself off as the fever made itself known once again. She slumped against the wall, making a grab for her clothes and clumsily putting everything back on, sans the fishnet shirt, finally just deciding 'Screw it' as she tossed it aside and put on the shirt that Tabi had also left in there.

Calling out to Tabi, she soon found herself back in the room she was before while Tabi and...Ivan, as his name was apparently, discussed what they should do next while Maria went back to her favorite corner and just rocked back and forth, the fog covering her brain once again. Finally, they seemed to come to a consensus that it was going to get dark soon and there was no way they'd get anywhere before night fell, so they should just spend the night. Next thing Maria knew, she was in a cot in another room after getting a bit to eat from Tabi and getting her leg and shoulder wounds bandaged as the building slowly got dark around them and the three of them drifted off to sleep.

...two of them at least, anyway. Though her brain and body weren't exactly too active to keep her awake, the never-ending pain coming from her leg refused to let her drift off, her fever making her feel like she was being cooked alive from the inside as her clothes, even the shirt, became damp from a sheen of cold sweat. Every time she thought she'd finally be allowed some sleep, her dreams wouldn't have any of that.

Lombardi stands over her, Cass' bloodied javelin in his hand as he smiles the kind of smile you'd except to see on Satan just before he takes your soul, before raising the javelin up, aiming the point right at her, and then...

Max lying in a pool of his own blood, a bullet right through his heart. She was too late to save him. The last one was finally gone, and she was really, truely alone.

And possibly the worst of all...

Duncan standing in front of her, looking completely untouched by the island. He smiles and tells Maria that he heard her when she confessed her love to him. He says that he feels the same way, and Maria has never felt more happy in her entire life. The word elation is an understatement compared to how she felt at that moment as she stepped forward to embrace him, to never let him go again.

Only to run into some kind of barrier.

She stands in front of it, confused. She reaches out again with one hand, touching against some kind of unseen force pushing her away, and she looks up at Duncan again, to find that the smile has faded, replaced with a sad look, as if he knew all along.

And then suddenly the unseen barrier turns into a infinite black wall, and Maria panics.

She pushes against the wall, hitting it, slamming into it, trying as hard as she can to break through, but the wall won't yield an inch. Rather than being deterred, though, it only makes her more desparate, slamming her fist against the wall, slamming her shoulder against the wall, over and over, bloodstains appearing on the wall as cuts start to open up on her hands from the repeated impacts, her shoulder feeling like it'll just pop right out of its socket if she keeps going.

But she doesn't care.

She wants to see him again.

She HAS to see him again.

The outside world is just too painful without him.

Maria snapped awake, tears trailing down her cheeks. She curled up in the fetal position and sobbed quietly.

Why did everything had to hurt so much?

She wanted to be strong. She promised to be strong. But everything was just getting worse and worse by the second. A downward spiral of pain and anguish reaching so deep she didn't think she'd ever see the light of day again. Her shoulder was definitely hurting worse than before, and she started to fear that despite her efforts, the shoulder wound was infected as well.

And again she was reminded of that option. The quick way out. Her good hand moved up to her collar, fingers tracing along the metal. Once again, she considered the quick way out.

But she couldn't.

Max was so desperate to keep her from doing this. What was it he called her? A symbol of free spirit? Maria wasn't exactly sure she counted as that anymore, but the fact that she meant that to someone gave her at least a bit of encouragement. She still had to find Max, and they still had to get off the island. Everyone else was gone, but she still had one more left.

Maria laid in her cot through the longest night of her life, reminding herself of this over and over.

She has to stay alive for Max.

She has to find him.

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT

She can't let him die.

"Good morning, kiddies. My, my, if we don't have a new record."

She made him promise he wouldn't die.

"JJ Sturn learned the hard way that shotguns trump words when he messed with Jimmy Brennan."

He can't die.

"Madelyn Prowers gave up all hope or something and blew herself up. Yawn. It's getting old."

He's the only one left.

"This next one is a special treat, kids. Liz Polanski's reign of terror is at an end. Some friends of mine caught up with her."

He...

"Finally, Teo Weinstock shot Maxwell Crowe through the head with a crossbow."







































Maria wasn't sure how she ended up at this house. Tabi and Ivan must've brought her here after the announcements or something, but right now Maria couldn't care less.

He promised.

She made her promise he wouldn't die.

Why did he have to go and die anyway?

She felt like something had been torn out of her and crushed right in front of her, and now there was a big, gaping hole where that something used to be.

Maria shifted a bit on the chair and winced as her shoulder protested. The wound was definitely infected, and her leg had only gotten worse. It seemed like every single movement, even the act of breathing, brought her pain now. The fever was unbearable, her breathing heavy as she slumped over against the kitchen table.

Maria was falling apart.

Her eyes could barely focus on anything before, but as she looked around the house, something in her head was telling her that she'd been here before.

Sometimes I wonder what I'm doing here. Am I just dragging things out?

Can I really save her from all of this?

Is it bad if I can't make up my mind that... if we're both going to die... which one of us should go first? If I go first, she'll have to face this island without me. If she goes first, I'll suffer... but she'll be put out of her misery. Still, going on without her... I couldn't do it. I'm too selfish.

I'm too fucking selfish and dragging out this hell on earth.

---
((Ivan Kuznetsov, continued from White Sparrows))

---

Such thoughts bounced around the restless mind of a boy who no longer lived what he wanted to call a life. Nobody should have been subjected to this, even if he never particularly liked anybody from his own class. Before then, they were people that he shouldn't have allowed to get too close. What was the point in doing so, letting people into your heart, when they might only get in the way of your future goals and dreams of success? He never planned on sticking around St. Paul and growing old in the company of anybody from his school. He never planned on dying with them.

Earlier, the call to sleep had found him holding Tabi close to him, her head laid securely up against his right side, his arm draped over her. He never had the guts to mention it, but he never let go of the knowledge that just like she unknowingly supported his arm and kept it out of pain, so too did she support him, keeping him going in a place that could sap out your will to live. It looked like the island had gotten to Maria in every way possible, but didn't have the kindness and mercy to finish her off. Somewhere deep inside, he felt pity for her. Unfortunately, the feeling was marred by the realization that Maria may have been a sweet girl or whatever, but she was still dragging them down.

Something had to be done, but any option, any window out was covered in broken glass. If he didn't do anything, Maria would slowly bleed out near them on that cot, if she was even still alive. Tabi would have to watch her suffer, and in their attempts to care for the girl, they might expose themselves to danger from the more... ambitious students on the island that were playing for keeps. If he took the other road, though... the coldly logical approach, and killed Maria in her sleep, he might be doing himself and Tabi a favor. When it came down to the facts, that would be the most humane thing to do, and it might also save their lives.

Tabi would also hate him forever.

He looked down to the girl resting against him and bit his lower lip at the thought of that. Ivan no longer doubted that Tabi was very well the validation for his drive to make it as long as possible. He could have given his final goodbyes to his family any time he wanted and stayed in a dangerzone if he truly didn't care about living; his fear of death was no longer an excuse, because it wasn't his own death that he feared anymore. If the one person he cared about on this island, enough the point where she kept him alive... if she hated him...

((Tabitha "Tabi" Gweneth continued from White Sparrows))

Tabi's sleep was poor and sporatic. She was back in the residential area, bringing back memories that she wished to never remember. Memories of Clio, holding her at gunpoint. Memories of pulled triggers...

If it wasn't the memories, it was the fact that her attempts to help Maria weren't helping. They cleaned her up in the infirmary and she tried her best to clean the wounds, but there were so many. Cuts. Bruises. Burn wounds. She didn't even know how to treat burn wounds. But she tried anyways.

Maria's moans and winces made it worse. There wasn't anything that Tabi could do to stop them. She could only be the crutch for her and lead her to safety, wherever that was. And knowing that hurt Tabi. Seeing Maria curled up in a ball in the corner of the room.

Ivan had remained mostly silent throughout this, he took her suggestions, and did not complain about there movement. Finally, when they did stop for the day, he was there. When Maria had gone to sleep in the room, she could cling close to him. When she woke up to Maria's moans, she dug her head into his chest. It acted as a firm pillow. It was better than anything he could have possibly said to her.

Morning came, and Tabi was again awake. Her stirring woke up Ivan but he said nothing. Instantly her attention was turned to their companion. She had dissapeared from her bedroom.

Tabi let out a wordless cry and her head turned back to the kitchen. Maria had moved her way over to the kitchen table, splayed across it's frame. A chair had been knocked onto it's side, remnants of Maria's move from her bed to her new resting place.

She shuffled over to her friend and placed a hand on her back. Maria now wore the yellow shirt that she had worn on day one. It was wrinkled from the folds in her bag, but it was much better than the dirty fishnet she had worn previously and Tabi was happy to give it to her.

Maria's eyes were vacant when Tabi looked at her face. She was squinting, as if Tabi had been some far off thing in the distance. It gave Tabi chills to look at her, but she couldn't show weakness in front of her. It was going to be all right.

"Hey Maria...It's me. It's Tabi."

Tabi's hands looped under Maria's belly and with some effort, Tabi was able to prop the injured girl against her. She smelled terrible, a mix of medicine, blood and sweat.

"I'm taking you to the couch okay?"

No answer.

Tabi's gaze turned to Ivan and her lips curled down. Tears were starting to well up. She wanted to ask him what to do now, but she couldn't make the words come out. He had objected to this plan, and now it was looking like he was right. Maria's health was fading fast and now she was left lost. She readjusted herself and brought her to the couch.

She slowly guided the two of them down to their seats, and propped Maria next to her. Her hand was on Maria's head, gently brushing in between the blue and black strands. She turned back to Ivan and stared into his face.

"Ivan..."

Tabi couldn't say anything more.

"Hey Maria...It's me. It's Tabi."

. . . ?

"I'm taking you to the couch okay?"

. . .

Maria barely registered as Tabi guided her over to the couch. Next thing she knew she was staring up at the ceiling. It was so goddamn hot, and everything wouldn't stop hurting, but the hand on her forehead was nice. Small comforts, she guessed.

Hey, the ceiling wasn't that blurry before, right? And she was feeling really tired. It'd be nice if she could actually get some actual sleep. Take her mind off the fact that she fucked up royally, and now everyone was dead. Take her mind off of the fact that she was a useless human being that did nothing but beat up and get everyone killed.

Her breathing slowed, and her eyes grew half-lidded. For some reason, she felt some kind of finality behind it all. She felt like she should say something. like she wouldn't get another chance. But the words never came. Her thoughts were all muddled, blending together and becoming indistinguishable.

This was all just too much for her. She needed some rest. Maybe things things will be clearer later. Or not.

Maria closed her eyes.

And drifted off.











!!!

Wait.

This house.

Lombardi stepped out into the open, submachine gun at the ready.

This house is where...

With the loud and repeated crack of the gun, Duncan fell over onto her, blood everywhere.

Then that means...

Maria's eyes snapped open and she forced herself into a sitting position, her body screaming at her to stop. But she couldn't.

That door. That door over there.

She got to her feet, her steps more like lurching. Just throwing herself in a direction and hoping one of her feet will be there to meet her. She hit the door audibly, hearing Tabi telling her to stop, even reaching out and trying to get her attention.

But that room...

She turned the knob and fell forward, tumbling into the room, her sudden surge of strength disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Reaching out, Maria picked herself up just enough for her to look up towards the bed.

"Welcome back."

There was Duncan, sitting on the bed and looking down at her, looking none worse the wear.

"Dun...can..." Maria's voice cracked, barely audible. Just as broken and pitiful as she was. The strength was draining quickly, and the urge to sleep persisted, offering a release from the horrid pain coming from the shoulder that was helping to prop her up.

"How's the escape plan going? Did you figure anything out?"

Oh...

Maria's dulled eyes looked down at the floor. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him at the moment.

"I...I'm sorry...I didn't...find anything...and now everyone's dead...even you..." Despite what some may think, she wasn't stupid. She knew Duncan hadn't miraculously come to life, and this was just some hallucination or something. Maybe from all the pain. Maybe from the trauma. But whatever the case, Maria was batshit crazy and seeing things.

But she couldn't stop herself from talking to him like he was really there. Even a hallucination was welcome at this point.

"I...I'm so useless...I couldn't do anything..."

"Maria..."

Duncan got up, walking over and kneeling down in front of her. He reached out, and brushed a hand through Maria's hair. It was like he was really there, right in front of her.

"Maria, it's okay. You did what you could, and that was all any of us could do."

"But...but I still couldn't..."

"Maria, don't worry. It's over."

Huh? What does he mean, it's over? She was still on the island, how could it be over?

"Maria, I want you to go to sleep, okay?" Duncan said. Sleep, that sounded like such a good idea right now you wouldn't even believe. "Just go to sleep. When you wake up we'll be out of here."

"...we...?"

"That's right. You and me, and Cass and Max and Warren. They're all waiting for you."

Really? It was starting to sound so plausible, despite her rapidly fading better judgement.

"...that..."

Maria looked up at Duncan, only able to do so partway, as suddenly she was completely on the floor, unable to lift a finger.

She looked up.

And she smiled. An honest, sincere smile.

"That...that sounds nice..."

When was the last time she smiled a real, honest to God smile? Hell, she couldn't even remember. There was been so many fake ones as of late. Smiles that were just there to hide the pain and fear from everybody. It felt good to give a real one for once.

She could hear voices in the background. Hear someone frantically yelling to her. Voices trying to call her back. She could even feel someone trying to move her, but in her own mind she was still lying there, with Duncan still there, kneeling over her, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay.

...huh, that was odd. She was starting to lose feeling. In everything. But somehow she didn't really mind. At least the pain was going away, right?

God...she was so tired...

She could just close her eyes and sleep forever...

No more pain...

No more grief...

No more fire, or evil British people...

Maria started to close her eyes, and then it came to her. What she wanted to say.

Yeah...yeah, it sounded about right.

"G...good...bye..."

G017: MARIA GRAHAM - Rest In Peace

To watch Maria fade from life in front of his very eyes, this was something that breached many of Ivan's defenses. By now, neither he nor Tabi were a stranger to death. What he ended up doing to Keith still haunted him if he wasn't looking at the girl with him who could remove that pain. Similarly, Clio's last desparate attempts to cling to life as she bled out all over the road was not something that his memory could just toss away in the trash bin. Maria, though... she was different. She was never an enemy or even a threat, just a hanger-on that he was reluctant to take on in the first place. Especially potent, she was Tabi's friend, and she literally had just died in Tabi's arms.

There was nothing he could do. He couldn't have saved Maria at all, and was right in saying that she was doomed from the start. Why did he have to be right in saying that she was, though? Another girl was gone that he never really knew; by all rights, he should not have even cared. It should have been nothing more than one person out of their way towards getting as far as they both possibly could. Yet, as Maria now slept eternally before the both of them, Ivan closed his eyes and did something that he hadn't done in a long time. He began to pray for Maria and the safety of her soul, murmuring it the way his mother had taught him in Russian.

"Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend the souls of thy servants NN., and beseech thee to grant them rest in the place of thy rest, where all thy blessed Saints repose, and where the light of thy countenance shineth forever. And I beseech thee also to grant that our present lives may be godly, sober, and blameless, that, we too may be made worthy to enter into thy heavenly Kingdom with those we love but see no longer: for thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of thy departed servants, O Christ our God, and unto thee we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."

The words in his head were Russian, but in his heart the language made no difference. Near the end of his prayer, Ivan's hands gripped Tabi's shoulders in defiance of his timidness, both to comfort her and steady himself. Nothing could make the pain go away, and he understood that. As much as he hated this fact, Tabi would not smile again for a long time. A whisper of 'I'm sorry', or any other such condolences felt hollow and worthless, and so Ivan just pulled her close. His eyes kept off of Maria out of a mixture of both repsect for the dead and fear... fear that they soon might end up like her.

Ivan had said nothing to her. Not that Tabi was really expecting him to. If he had said anything, she could admit that she probably would not have heard him either. There was something else that held her attention.

Her primary focus was the rhythm of Maria's breathing. The rise and fall of her chest, the fading sounds of air passing in through her. Every falter made her hold her breath. Every irregularity drew her attention now. It was painful to stare at her friend like this. Her face was still littered with cuts, and large purple sploches of bruises. Her face was contorted in a frown and when Tabi stared into her eyes, there was nothing to be found there. No joy, no peace, none of the features that resembled the Maria of Bayview were there. It was all gone.

Maria had drifted off to sleep and that was when time had come to a halt. Tabi's hand moved away from Maria's head and were placed to her knees. She wished to look away from the companion to her left, but dared not turn to her right either. Ivan had never wanted her to come along. When she first suggested the idea he had been hesitant to do so, and it was only because she had to beg. She had to be the one to save her friend. Now, it was looking more like his fears were correct. Her fists crumpled into little balls as she stared down at her once blue sneakers, now stained and looking less like the new pair she had bought only a month before their feild trip.

Tabi was trembling now. She wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere in the world, she didn't care to name a specific spot. She just wanted to be away from here. She felt the dampness under her eyes and she was sniffing constantly, trying to fight back the runny noise that had developed.

At first, she didn't even realize it, but moments later Tabi notice that Maria's pressence had vanished. This feeling jostled her back into reality and she quickly scanned the floor, expecting the drummer to have fallen down onto the floor. But when she looked, she saw Maria's feet wobbling across the room. Instantly, Tabi bolted from her seat and rushed to Maria.

"Maria w-wa-wait a minute!" she said, clinging to her friends shoulder as she colided with the a closed door. "You-you're not ready to do this. Yo-you have to...you have to rest."

Maria was ignoring her. With a zombie like devotion, Maria's hand was clutching at the door handle. She was overexerting herself and Tabi tried to pry her away from the door, but she held firm to the handle.

"Maria, please you have to sit down!"

The door clicked open, and Maria fell with it into the doorframe. Tabi yelped in fright at how fast she had fallen and fell down to her knees moving next to her friends splayed body. Maria lifted her head up, staring up at a bed that was in the centre of the room. In the middle of this bed was the bloody corpse of a boy. Not just any boy, but Duncan McMahon, Maria's boyfriend. His body was placed as if he had been sleeping gently, And were it not for Maria, it would have caused her to back away.

Maria began to speak out, but to Tabi's ears, there were no words. They were just incoherent whispers that she could not understand.

"Maria!" she called out, "Maria listen to me."

More whispering, as if she was having a seperate conversation in a language she was not privvy too. Maria's face was contorted in a look of confusion, fresh blood was coming out of old cuts and a small trickle ran down her left nostril. Tabi placed a hand on her shoulder, trying her hardest to shake her back to alertness.

"Please, Maria." the tears were now falling from her cheeks onto the canary yellow of the borrowed shirt Maria wore, "Maria I need you to stay with me. Come on!"

Tabi shook her now, but her pleas were yeilding no response, just more mumbles. Tabi had tried so hard to save her. She was still trying her hardest now. Every fibre of herself that she could lend to Maria's aid was being used and now she was shouting at her friend.

"Maria please! Stay with me! You're going to be alright!"

"...that..."

Tabi gasped, and couldn't help but beem at finally breaking through to her. Waves of relief pounded into her chest. Maria was smiling too. A recognition of her existance!

""That...that sounds nice..."

"Yes," Tabi said, surpressing a hiccup, "Yes it is! Alright now I need you to come up with me okay. On the count of 3. 1...2...3..."

Tabi pulled at her shoulder, but Maria wasn't making any attempt to move.

"Maria?"

Tabi pulled again, and this time she noticed how limp Maria's body was starting to hang in her arms. Tabi's elation was starting to sink down. And she edged herself over to look into Maria's face.

"Ma-Maria! You're still here right? Maria listen to me!"

"G...good...bye..."

Maria's eyes were half closed, and now all of the weight that Tabi had in her hands was starting to slip down until it gently tapped the floor.

"M-maria?" Tabi said, her voice no more than a whisper.





Silence....



"Maria?"



Tabi's hand was cupping over her mouth. And her head started to shake.

"No...no...no no...no no no no NO!"

Tabi didn't move, she had been rooted to the spot now, forced to look into her friends face. She kept repeating the same phrase over and over with faster cadence and despite her immense desire to flee, she was forced to look upon the face of the drummer of Blank Nation. The forme-

A hand on her shoulder stopped her sobs. The hand of the man that she had convinced into bringing Maria along with them. The man that listened to Tabi's claims that she could help her. The man who helped her bandage up minor wounds and to pass the medical tools she could use to bring her back to health. The man who sat there all the while. Listening to Tabi's words. Her foolish, naive, misguided words.

Her shoulder brushed his bare leg, and without warning, she clung onto it. Her words now became just a loud series of wails, she couldn't force herself to speak now. She had tried so hard, to bring Maria back. She had tried so hard. And she had failed Maria. She had failed Ivan. She had failed herself.

A deep pain seared into her chest. Building slowly from within and spreading out into the very depths of her shaking body. Tabi had heard so many names on the intercom. Names of the people who had died. Many of them she had recognized as her own friends. Friends that were no longer there. The loss of them had been great, but she was never there to witness it. The loss that she bore witness to now, the loss of Maria Graham before her very eyes, hurt more than any of them combined.

Tabi continued to cry. Ivan's legs merely became a crutch. Much like she had acted as one for Maria. The only question that run in her mind, was the same she had before.




What now?

Please don't cry.

For the love of god, please don't cry. Because when you do...

When you aren't happy, when the tears fall, when you're weak...

I want to cry too.


Ivan could offer a hand to rest on Tabi's shoulder all he wanted, supply a part of himself to cling to, but that wouldn't put a smile on her face. The bleak and grim possibility sunk into his heart that Tabi may have reason never to smile again. Nobody could, with conscience, fault her for this; this island had been pure hell on everybody so far, and for those who hadn't yet found the release of death, the pain wasn't going away just yet. For whoever managed to survive the ordeal, no matter who it ended up being, the pain might never stop.

As he continued to look down at the girl who sobbed into him and looked to him for the comfort that he felt he could never provide, Ivan wondered if by saving Tabi and fighting for her life as long as he could, he was also condemning her to all the pain that this cold, unforgiving world had to offer in life. Were their dead classmates still in pain? Were any of them in heaven yet? For that matter... were any of them in hell, and was that where he was going when all of this was over?

In some ways, Maria really was the lucky one in all of this, no longer having to watch all of her friends die one by one. Now she could be with whatever friends she happened to care about. This thought brought Ivan's eyes up and into the room that Maria had been so desparate to reach. That body... as vague as the memory was, he remembered that the two were together. Such a thought surprised him, as he cared about Maria and whoever this boy was just about as much as he cared about Tabi when they were all at school. That was to say, everything going on around him was just a whitewashed blur as he focused on the road straight ahead. But now, little pieces of the past weren't so fuzzy. Those times that the strange and annoying spunky brunette walked by him in the halls were now those times Tabi and he had walked by, not even exchanging glances. Back then, they were nothing.

Nothing was more than just something, now. With the pleasure that came with Tabi serving as his guiding light to press onward, and the only one to keep his ties to home alive, also came the responsibility to protect her and do everything he could to keep her content. 'Happy' was a goal that was not currently attainable, but he'd settle for comforting her in some way... any way.

"Tabi, you need... you need to stand up." Ivan said quietly, dedicating his other arm to holding her head. Fingers ran through hair long since abandoned by any real care, but even with the hell that she had been put through, it still managed to be delicate and beautiful. Her soul was every bit as precious and beautiful as her body, which was why her grief pained him as much as it did. His hands coaxed for the kneeling girl beside him to stand, but she remained down on the floor. Ivan bit back the urge for his own tears to spill out as he bent the leg Tabi wasn't clinging to.

"Come on... come with me." Ivan placed his hands underneath Tabi's arms and, taking great care not to yank too hard, firmy lifted upward. After a moment or two's worth of resistance, the girl's grip gave way to pulling down on him, finding it in herself to rise partway to her her feet. When they could only go so far before knees began to quake, Ivan moved around to Tabi's side. Issuing a silent command to lean back, Ivan supported Tabi's upper body with his left arm and her legs with his right. The burn in his right arm seemed to have diminished at least a little; perhaps the week-old wound would finally begin to quiet down.

It only took a few paces to move back to the couch that they had been resting peacefully at just a few moments before. When Ivan eased Tabi down onto it and let his arms rest, he brought his head close to hers. He hoped with all his heart she wouldn't push him away, even though she had every right to in her grieving. With a heart this heavy with emotions, sometimes people didn't think clearly... he knew he was just barely hanging onto lucidity as it was. Hanging on, however, was necessary for her sake.

"Just give me a sec... hon... I'll be right back."

Ivan turned and stepped back to where Maria had fallen. As much as he really didn't want to touch a dead body, this was just something he had to do. There wasn't really much of a reason he could outright state, he just... had to do so in respect for the girl. Not only did he have to move Maria respectfully, but to ease things for Tabi's sake, he had to do it quickly. Scooping his arms under the ridiculously light girl's form, Ivan solemnly lifted her up and brought her inside the bedroom that was already occupied with a guest. The exact positioning was a bit odd, but as long as Maria was set down next to this boy who had already met his fate, who hopefully shared an afterlife with Maria, then that would be alright with him.

With the deed done, Ivan backed out of the room and shut the door in his wake. It was the most he could have done. While trying to keep the heaviness in his heart out of his footsteps, he approached the girl on the couch and knelt in front of her.

"We... we did all we could. I'm sorry."

What now?






Tabi Gweneth found herself unable to answer such a question. Her mind had been struck dumb with the facts lain plainly in front of her. Maria's body lay before her. Broken, bloody, burned, bruised, and completely lifeless. She was still hugging Ivan's leg as if she were clinging tightly to her old stuffed rabbit that she had back when five. Whenever the world got scary, Tabi could always rely on her bunny rabbit to keep her safe, to protect her from the bad stuff lurking out in the closet.

Now, there was no stuffed rabbit. Tabi was nowhere near her old pink bedroom. The monsters had come out of the closet again.

Memories. Memories of days in the St.Paul. Back at the Promenade hanging out in the food court. Memories of telling her friends that they should wear a helmet. Memories of picking up the pieces when they didn't listen. Maria, Etain, Max...They were gone now. She kept trying to think about others but by now the names were a haze to her.

A hand found it's way into her hair. In a way, it helped stem the flow of Tabi's tears. The repeated brushes of Ivan's fingers through her long, tangled hair. She remembered the days when hair was something she focused on. Days spent agonizing over whether she should put highlights in her hair. Tabi had thought that it would make her cuter, maybe get noticed by a cute boy...

She closed her eyes. Maria had chose to take highlights too, in typical Maria fashion it was always something a little different. Electric blue, only someone like Maria would chose to put that in her hair. It had fit her personality, always being someone who could break away from the pack. Be different. Be a little crazy.

The hand had lifted from her head, and moved down to her shoulder. It was trying to push her up. She opened her eyes and squeezed Ivan's legs tighter. No, she couldn't leave Maria now. There was so much that she had wanted to say! She wanted to apologize. She wanted to tell Maria about how hard she had tried. She wanted to tell her about what had happened to her. She wanted to talk about all that had happened on what would only be called Day 4 to everyone else. Tabi couldn't say it though, she just shook her head and made little moans, objecting to being lifted away.

"Come on... come with me."

The arms of Ivan had now looped under her own and were starting to pry her away. She tried desperately to cling on.

No! Maria! Maria I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

Tabi's grip slipped, and she let go. She was on her feet.

Her whole body quivered as if she had been submerged in water. The same hands that had lifted her forwards now guided her towards the door. She turned her head back as far as she could, straining to look back to Maria one last time. She caught a glimpse of blue hair, but that was all that she could see before stumbling, only to have Ivan prevent her from falling to the ground.

That final sight came as a blessing and a curse. At once, she felt as if a weight was now gone, released from her and it felt like a relief. That same relief, however, could not yield the pain that she felt trying to save her from her fate. The pain of knowing that she was not successful. Now it was added to the pains already felt here. The pain of nearly losing Ivan, the pain of what had happened on Day 4. The pain of knowing that it was viewed and judged by millions, the pain of knowing that she was back here.

His arms guided her back and she silently obeyed. What happened next had surprised her. Ivan's other hand moved down her body and stopped at the back of her knees. It was a feeling that caused her to let out a small peep, it had tickled and caused her to bend her knees. Then, she was no longer on the ground. She blinked, staring up into Ivan's face. His cheeks were flushed and beyond his green sunglasses his eyes seemed oddly bleary. She was jostled slightly with every step and she couldn't help but notice his winces. She turned to look at the bandaged arm that had been shot at by Clio's bullets on the day they met on the island. Her puzzled look turned to a frown and her gaze shifted to the floor below her. Her face was becoming hot and she felt the rosy plumes rushing to her cheeks.

He didn't need to do that...

With the same gentleness from before, Ivan had placed her onto the couch. Her face turned up to meet Ivan's hoping for an answer, but none was given to her. Instead, he leaned in towards her, their foreheads touching. It was an odd feeling, his skin touching hers. There were words exchanged. Private words, that Ivan did not say to her aloud. It was as if he was projecting out to her.

I'm here...

He spoke to her aloud this time. She tried to cling onto what it was he said, but missed it. He pulled away and turned to the room that Maria lay. Tabi closed her eyes, she didn't wish to look back now. Any more and it would be too much for her.

A click of the door, caused her to snap them open again. She looked to her lap and saw her hands. There were quivering, clutching each other, they felt cold as if all the heat had been sucked away. Tabi sniffed, trying to retract the moisture that lingered above her lips, to little success. She rubbed her hands, hoping to generate a furnace from within them, but again, success was not to be found.

"We... we did all we could. I'm sorry."

Ivan had returned to her peripheral vision. Tabi's hands broke apart before her. As if he had known what the gesture had meant, Ivan placed his own hands in hers and his forehead glued itself to Tabi's own. The silence that was shared between the two of them returned once more. Tabi's thumbs folded over and massaged the back of Ivan's palm. There were words that she wished to say but found herself unable to do so. She had to say something, acknowledge what had happened and acknowledge all it was that Ivan was doing now.

Her eyes looked to Ivan's lips, causing her to fold her own over and over. She pushed upwards, guiding Ivan's head up until he was now staring at her eye to eye. Hesitation followed for a moment before she moved in and kissed him.

She pulled back and cast her face downwards. A mistake. No, she was not supposed to do that. Here she was kissing Ivan, when seconds before, Maria had died before her eyes. The very action was just...wrong...Why did she do something so selfish?

The tears fell again, silently now, the impact they made on the floor the only sound to be heard between them. Her thumbs kept massaging his hands, small semi-circles that meant nothing and would lead to nothing. She had to speak though, before Ivan could do anything. Before it got worse.

"Ivan I..."

Tabi's voice caught herself, and instead of saying anything she retracted her lips. Ivan had said that he was here for her. Any words she said now would be regretted as much as her kiss.

Her hands tightened around Ivan's and began to shake. She squeezed as hard as she could holding onto Ivan, trying to hold off any more tears.

Don't let go...

((Post to fight inactivity before the party begins))

I will never let go.

So long as I have you to live for,

So long as you can be my guiding light,

And can keep my heart together.



You are the one who holds me

And who can keep my chin up

Even when sometimes it seems

As though I am holding you up.



I will continue to be there for you

Because you are my strength

And you are also my salvation.

Without you...



I'd be lost.


Nothing had to be said. Words had long since lost any sort of impact on this island. And so, Ivan held Tabi close. Two lost children sat on the couch, awaiting the next day.

Night had come for the two of them. Tabi had finally stopped weeping, despite an ever present desire to continue on until she became a mere puddle on the floor. Even still, Ivan had held onto her. It was amazing at both how fast time had passed, when it felt like it was moving at a snails pace. Sweat had seeped through the cracks between their enclosed hands and despite the tingle of discomfort, they did not part only loosening to numb the pain.

Tabi's thoughts remained constant. An albatross around her neck was growing heavier and heavier with each passing hour and every passing day. The weight of having murdered someone. The weight of being labeled "best killer". The weight of being judged by her fellow students, her friends. The weight of being watched by the world. The weight of being judged by her family. And now the weight of failing to save her best friend from this horrible place. Each of them becoming another stone anchoring her down.

And yet, even so. There was one balloon that kept bringing her up, straining to keep her afloat. Ivan Kuznetsov was still here. Bearing the same loads that she had been carrying. That night, was a joyous moment, the only one Tabi could actually claim for herself for the week she had been here. She struggled to remember all that had happened that night, but they had fallen for each other. Tabi had worried about whether it was a culmination of their situations or something true, not artificial.

No it was love. Definitely love. Without question.

Guilt had still remained within her. She loved Ivan, but in kissing him now, with Maria so soon departed, felt like a betrayal. There was supposed to be a respect for the dead. A respect for a dear friend, recently departed. How dare she move on so soon!

And yet his hands felt so warm...

Ivan had now taken a seat beside Tabi on the couch, gently guiding her into his chest. Tabi didn't look at him at first, choosing to look down upon the shag carpet. All there was in these damn houses were shag carpets! There was shag back when Clio had died and now there was shag here! Tabi had wished that they just walked on uneven floorboards instead!

A hand was gently placed on her head, running through her hair as if it were a wheat field. It caused Tabi to inhale sharply and close her eyes. These hands had a rhythm to its movement. Swish. Swish. Swish. The hands were rough, and yet the care placed in it was that of an artist. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Ivan staring back at her. It was a peculiar feeling, looking up at him. Had his jaw always been that strong? His eyes too, not the ones hidden under shades, the ones that were a vibrant blue. They looked so gentle, yet...confident...

She forced herself to sit upright. Another unnoticed surprise. Ivan was actually shorter than her. Had it always been like that? She had been hiding behind him and nuzzling into him so much, she hadn't realized this. Funny how that worked out...

For a moment, Tabi flashed a smile, before moving her head into Ivan's until they lightly touched each other. There they rested and stayed there as the sun went down and sleep started to drift into her mind.

She had always talked about Duncan...Maybe...she'd understand...

Tabi's hand was still locked in Ivan's. She didn't want to leave it...Not tonight...

((We are moving into day 8))

(Imraan Al-Hariq continued form Back in St. Paul, if Just for an Evening...)

Imraan had eaten. He had rested. He had allowed himself one last vestige of the civilized world, and moreso, one last reminder of those he was trying to save.

Now, it was time to act. He HAD to act.

Previously, when he had thought he had been ready, Imraan had recited to himself the Beatitudes. He had been wrong to do so, just as he had been wrong to think he was prepared so early in the game. He wished again that he had brought a Bible with him on the trip. He could have taken one from the Parish, perhaps, but that was no longer an option. They could not be considered holy. As it was, his memory searched itself back, and settled on the necessary verse.

Finally, be strong in The Lord and His mighty power.

He was ready.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

To take his stand.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the authorities, against the power of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The authorities. Danya. Danya could not be defeated through strength of arms, or through escape. He could only be defeated if someone like Imraan took a stand, and deprived him of a winner, deprived him the satisfaction of letting one who spilled blood win this game.

Ones like those he had glimpsed inside this house. Ones he had met before, and let them go off to kill again. To kill and be REWARDED again. Danya would no doubt be pleased with Ivan Kuznetsov and Tabitha Gweneth.

He would be less pleased with Imraan Al-Hariq.

Therefore, put on the fill armor of God, so that when that day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

A size 16 basketball shoe kicked down the door.

With the way that Tabi laid against his arm (the good one of the two, anyway), Ivan could feel it starting to drift off to sleep. He couldn't bear to move it, though, since Tabi seemed to be drifting that way as well.

As for him, he too could feel the effects of exhaustion kicking in. Being on this island didn't afford for a lot of sleep, and what little they could get was almost never peaceful. With Maria sleeping eternally in the other room, it wasn't impossible to feel just a little jealous of that. But then, Ivan had to think about just why he was subjecting himself to this continuously. There was somebody he still had to keep alive, so he had to keep going. As long as Tabi could wake up in the morning and he could see her smile, there was nothing wrong with sleep.

One of his eyelids fell almost before he had even realized it, and soon, the other one was heading that way as well. Almost unconscious, Ivan slowly leaned towards Tabi and shut his eyes.

I lov-

CRASH

An explosion ripped through the house, tearing Ivan's heart out of his chest through his throat. It only took a moment to decipher just what the thunderous noise echoing off the walls had been when it was followed by the first heavy footsteps just out in the hall. The door had been forced open.

Ivan wrenched his arm out from under Tabi and pulled forward a bit to reach for one of the handguns that once belonged to Clio and had been stashed in the currently unzipped dufflebag. No time... no time, if he was too slow, whoever was after them would surely come in and kill them both. No time to waste at all.

"Tabi, go! NOW!" Ivan barked, unable to check and make sure the girl had even moved, for his gaze was fixed on the doorway into the living room. On the same doorway, his gun was trained, his hands shaking tremendously. His mind formed nightmares on the other side of that wall for his fears to feed off of, but what revealed itself in short notice was far greater than that it had been imagining.

"N... no... not you, what do you want!?"

It was a stupid thing to ask. Ivan already knew what he wanted.

Sleep came easy for Tabitha Gweneth that night. A luxury that she had not been privvy to during her stay on the island. It was because of the situation she was in now, that helped guide her along. Her cheek was gently pressed to Ivan's chest, rising and falling with the ebb and flow of his breath. It soothed her and guided her into closing her eyes and sleeping soundly. No dreams this night. No terrors awaited her in the dark...



BANG


Tabi's eyes snapped open at the violent sound. The surge of natural light caused her to blink rapidly. It was morning. Her vision was still hazy but her mind was alert. It was from outside the living room. Was it an animal?

No, an animal wouldn't make that noise.

Ivan rushed up and pulled Tabi from the couch. The sound from behind the closed living room door was slow and deliberate.

Clop. Clop. Clop.

Ivan barked out an order and Tabi found herself quickly scrambling over to her bag and shakily grabbing hold of her backpack. She tried to loop it around. There was a moment of hesitation when she went to the door to the bedroom. She turned back to Ivan, he was not following her. What was he waiting for? Weren't they both getting out of here?

There was a fumbling at the door, and Tabi had no choice but to open her door and rush in. There was a door in the other side of the room, their way out, but Ivan was still in the other room. She closed the bedroom door behind her, keeping just enough space open to peak out into the living room. What came into the room caused her to cover her mouth to prevent her from shouting out his name.

There was no mistaking it. The tanned skin, the tall frame, the black hair. The shotgun in his hands. This was the man that had found his way into that dream. The man that had almost killed her when she tried to save Ivan's life. He had said that he would come for them, if they were ever found on the announcements again. She gulped back the lump in her throat, memories were flooding inside, making her chest become heavy and ache.

Imraan had come to fufil his promise. He had come for her.

Ivan had asked what he had wanted from them. But there was no doubt as to what it was. Ivan needed to get out of here. If he didn't escape, he would be killed. But Tabi couldn't move. She just looked on, paralyzed by memories.

He had come for her...

Imraan came around the doorway, shotgun in position, dimly aware that he was piecing his approach together out of the fragmented memories of action movies and cop shows. He came, and stopped.

Ivan stood there, gun drawn

Deja vu. Same situation as before.

"Ivan. You pull the trigger, you're dead. Don't know if your gun'll stop me. Mine'll stop you."

Same situation. Different Imraan.

He scanned the room. Oh, he knew Tabitha was here somewhere. He'd seen her, seen both of them as he'd taken another trip through the residential area before heading off to another island location.

"Not gonna waste words, Ivan. Where's Tabitha?"

Somehow, he was keeping his voice flat. He didn't know how. Now that he was facing one of the students he was seeking, he wanted to scream. He wanted to shoot. He wanted to stride right into the room and choke the life out of Ivan with his bare hands. Him and everyone else who had given in. It would be an eye for an eye, it would be justice. For everyone. For Jessie. Ivan might not have brought the knife down on her himself, that was Peter Siu's doing and God willing he would answer for it, but it was BECAUSE of Ivan, because of Tabitha, because of all of them that they would not be able to escape, it was because of all of them that they were here in the first place! It was because of every killer, every so-called "player", that this game even existed. What would Danya have done if they all refused to play? There would be no game, that's what. There would be no point. Danya would lose. But now? It was way, way too late for that.

And if Imraan could not make Danya pay, his accomplices would.

But he managed to keep his control. For now. He was sweating and nearly trembling with adrenaline, his lungs were pushing oxygen throughout his body and he was breathing hard, nostrils flaring like an angry bull, but he kept control, waiting for Ivan to answer.

Just like shooting a free throw at the end of the game.

Course, I was never much good at free throws.

"I warned you. Before. Where is she?"

The unpleasant emotion of fear had come back for Ivan in the form of Imraan. It was hard not to be intimidated, even without the history of what had happened between them. Imraan was at least a foot taller which brought Ivan's gaze upward, and the Russian felt even smaller in his crouched stance; one knee on the couch, one foot on the floor. Even the weapons each boy wielded seemed to highlight the size disparity - the shotgun dwarfed the gun Ivan held in his trembling hands, and he suddenly wished against logic and reason that he had pulled out the Pancor instead.

Here they were again, pointing guns at each other. The judge said things in a voice that exuded confidence, and Ivan admittedly wanted to run in terror. Natural instincts told him to give up the girl, do what Imraan wanted and beg for his life under the slight chance that maybe the just executioner would show compassion. As much as the boy tried to remain stoic, to not let any of his fear show, Ivan was just that: a scared boy who wanted nothing more than to see the light of another day.

Yet, against all of the accursed instinct, Ivan's framed eyes remained locked on Imraan's.

"Ivan, pull the trigger and you're dead," Imraan had said. "Don't know if your gun'll stop me. Mine'll stop you."

One well-placed bullet will stop anybody, shithead. A nice-sounding one liner in his head, but he was too frightened to say it.

"Not gonna waste words, Ivan. Where's Tabitha?" Imraan had continued, confirming Ivan's fears. The only reason Imraan hadn't shot yet was because Ivan wasn't the one he was after. Ivan watched Imraan's eyes scan the room, and then grew nervous as they trained on him once more. Imraan repeated the inquiry... demanded to know where she was. And when he found her, there was only one answer to the question Ivan didn't want to ask.

"... You can't have her." Ivan spoke solemnly, trying to steady his hands. "... And you can't have me yet, either. I don't want anything to do with you, neither does she. She... she did it to save my life, okay? She didn't want to kill Clio!"

He got the feeling that his words fell on deaf ears, but Ivan stood determined. If Tabi were not here, perhaps he would have lowered the gun and taken what punishment Ivan wanted to give him, but he had somebody to protect. If he died, she would be left defenseless against a shotgun and an unshakable conviction. Only this fact kept Ivan from running.

"Leave us alone. Please."