Post by Ernst Robel on Dec 13, 2009 1:12:35 GMT -5
...should not be lead up to rape.
At this point: Right after the Game ends. Karah still has Travis' hand in hers (though Travis himself is not attached, of course).
I stood there, at the edge of the bridge, and debated. Was this drop far enough to kill me? Or would this way require me to sit under the surface, watch my own vision go black.
"Get down from there."
Fifteen years of hate made my body tense, but I didn't turn. My knuckles tightened around my burden, and I lifted one foot.
"Seriously, Karah. What are you trying to prove? That the 'love'," I could see the smirk, the disbelief in his face without even turning. "you pretended to feel for him wasn't all just an illusion?"
That was too far. I twisted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You don't know shit!"
He stood there, as cool and collected as he's ever been. No matter that a few hours ago, he lost his immortality, his girlfriend and the rest of his team. And partially because of me.
Opposite him in every way, I stared down at him. My hair was still sticky with sweat, and my clothes were covered in blood. It wasn't mine. And my hand, still grasped around what I had lost. If anybody had driven by, I would have been reported. But it was just past three in the morning on a weekday. There were no wanderers about.
"I know you better than anyone, Karah." He was doing that on purpose. Saying my name again and again, as if nothing had ever happened between us. "I know you're not a big enough coward to really jump."
That was it. Out of my outstretched fingers shot my medium, aiming for his heart.
Jeremy smirked, and stepped aside, grabbing it as it shot by him, and giving it a swift jerk. Unexpecting, I stumbled off of the bridge's edge, and he caught me with two strong arms.
"What-"
Arms tightening around me, he shut up my half-asked question by covering my mouth with his.
My brain began to panic, telling my body to fight back, to stab him and kill him and spread the remains across the country so that he would never in a million years ever come back. But my body wouldn't have it. Instead, my mouth opened, my arms pulling myself closer to him as I deepened the kiss. My heart began to beat wildly in my chest as my eyes closed. His arms traveled to my hips, and my fingers began to weave themselves into his hair. And for a moment, I was young and innocent again. It was before we had ever heard of the Game, back when I thought that this was love.
Head pounding. Trying to scowl as he broke the kiss, but still kept me in the circle of his arms. It was all I could do just to keep my feet underneath me, my heart beating.
"You actually kept this?" His voice was low and teasing, and my stomach clenched. He was holding Travis's hand from its base, as if it were some object that disgusted him, not the precious lifeline that it was.
"Give it back." I didn't remember dropping it, but I must have, because both of my hands were now wound in his hair. I couldn't move. My breath had caught inside of me. "Give it back, Jeremy."
His smirk had my head spinning. My knees threatened to give. "And let someone see it? I don't want you to get put away forever, Karah. I was awfully lonely these last few years."
"Liar," I spat. I couldn't move. He had done something to me, paralized me. "I'm sure Honor gave you much more than I ever did, too."
The only change in him was the steel that invaided his gaze at the mention of her name. Still holding onto my back with one tight hand, he twisted, and cast the hand out over the bridge's edge. I watched as it made the fall we were supposed to make together. My knees hit the hard concrete hard enough to bruise. I couldn't feel it.
The hands surrounding me pulled away. "Have a nice life, Karah," spat the voice, and footsteps carried him away. I should care. I knew that. But I didn't. I was beyond feeling at this point. I had retreated into the same place I had gone after being left behind. No room for hate, or grieving. No room for Karah.
A car pulled up. A clean, unfamiliar hand appeared in my line of vision.
"Come on, girl," said the voice. "Let's get you out of here."
I took the hand.
At this point: Right after the Game ends. Karah still has Travis' hand in hers (though Travis himself is not attached, of course).
I stood there, at the edge of the bridge, and debated. Was this drop far enough to kill me? Or would this way require me to sit under the surface, watch my own vision go black.
"Get down from there."
Fifteen years of hate made my body tense, but I didn't turn. My knuckles tightened around my burden, and I lifted one foot.
"Seriously, Karah. What are you trying to prove? That the 'love'," I could see the smirk, the disbelief in his face without even turning. "you pretended to feel for him wasn't all just an illusion?"
That was too far. I twisted, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You don't know shit!"
He stood there, as cool and collected as he's ever been. No matter that a few hours ago, he lost his immortality, his girlfriend and the rest of his team. And partially because of me.
Opposite him in every way, I stared down at him. My hair was still sticky with sweat, and my clothes were covered in blood. It wasn't mine. And my hand, still grasped around what I had lost. If anybody had driven by, I would have been reported. But it was just past three in the morning on a weekday. There were no wanderers about.
"I know you better than anyone, Karah." He was doing that on purpose. Saying my name again and again, as if nothing had ever happened between us. "I know you're not a big enough coward to really jump."
That was it. Out of my outstretched fingers shot my medium, aiming for his heart.
Jeremy smirked, and stepped aside, grabbing it as it shot by him, and giving it a swift jerk. Unexpecting, I stumbled off of the bridge's edge, and he caught me with two strong arms.
"What-"
Arms tightening around me, he shut up my half-asked question by covering my mouth with his.
My brain began to panic, telling my body to fight back, to stab him and kill him and spread the remains across the country so that he would never in a million years ever come back. But my body wouldn't have it. Instead, my mouth opened, my arms pulling myself closer to him as I deepened the kiss. My heart began to beat wildly in my chest as my eyes closed. His arms traveled to my hips, and my fingers began to weave themselves into his hair. And for a moment, I was young and innocent again. It was before we had ever heard of the Game, back when I thought that this was love.
Head pounding. Trying to scowl as he broke the kiss, but still kept me in the circle of his arms. It was all I could do just to keep my feet underneath me, my heart beating.
"You actually kept this?" His voice was low and teasing, and my stomach clenched. He was holding Travis's hand from its base, as if it were some object that disgusted him, not the precious lifeline that it was.
"Give it back." I didn't remember dropping it, but I must have, because both of my hands were now wound in his hair. I couldn't move. My breath had caught inside of me. "Give it back, Jeremy."
His smirk had my head spinning. My knees threatened to give. "And let someone see it? I don't want you to get put away forever, Karah. I was awfully lonely these last few years."
"Liar," I spat. I couldn't move. He had done something to me, paralized me. "I'm sure Honor gave you much more than I ever did, too."
The only change in him was the steel that invaided his gaze at the mention of her name. Still holding onto my back with one tight hand, he twisted, and cast the hand out over the bridge's edge. I watched as it made the fall we were supposed to make together. My knees hit the hard concrete hard enough to bruise. I couldn't feel it.
The hands surrounding me pulled away. "Have a nice life, Karah," spat the voice, and footsteps carried him away. I should care. I knew that. But I didn't. I was beyond feeling at this point. I had retreated into the same place I had gone after being left behind. No room for hate, or grieving. No room for Karah.
A car pulled up. A clean, unfamiliar hand appeared in my line of vision.
"Come on, girl," said the voice. "Let's get you out of here."
I took the hand.
