I love my mornings with Delilah. We wake up at the same time; like clockwork, our consciousness barely coming to fruition. Then when she comes into focus I see her. Her.
"Hey, handsome," she mumbles, those damn dimples showing with that perfect smile.
"Hey, gorgeous."
"I'm going to take a shower—don't follow me in this time. I actually want to take an actual shower before school,"
I don't protest. I just lay in her bed, grateful for what I have.
My phone vibrates. It's a text message. When I check who it's from it says it's from My Protector.
My Protector: Lucy's house. Come alone. This is an emergency.
Me: Why? What's going on?
Them: Just come. Remember Lucy's big plan? This has to do with it.
Me: Will I finally get to meet you face to face?
Them: Yes. Come now.
I put on my clothes and a jacket and tell Delilah I'm gonna head out early. She tells me goodbye and I'm off walking to Lucy's house.
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There's caution tape torn down from Lucy's house door and the door is wide open. I take my time entering her house, listening for any sign of anybody within.
Then a shadowy figure walks in from upstairs. I almost jump out of my skin with how large they are in stature. But then they step into the light from the doorway and I know who they are.
"Daniel?" I ask.
Daniel stops, taking notice of me.
"Good. You're here," he says.
"You're 'My Protector'."
"Yeah. I wanted to tell—believe me—but Lucy said she'd hurt Stacy if I said anything."
He's holding something behind his back. So he's also the person working with Lucy.
"What's behind your back?" I ask.
He swallows hard, "The final part of Lucy's deal. She said I'm free to go once I do this one last thing for her."
He reveals what he's holding from behind his back and it's not what I was expecting. It's a wooden cross, much like the one I had a necklace of that had the flash drive within it.
He drops it on the ground, smashing it under his sneakers. When he lifts his foot, a laminated piece of paper with a scannable URL code unrolls itself.
I take it off the ground and scan it with my camera phone. It takes me to a web address that I press on and it opens to a live stream that's about to start. When I look around on the website I realize it's Lucy's website.
"What is this?" I ask.
Daniel looks as lost as I am. Then the stream starts.
The camera is unfocused, but soon focuses on a familiar crimson eye. The camera then pulls away and in high definition, I see Lucy holding a camera above her head showing off her attire. A tied-off tank top, exposing her belly, and black jeans. A pair of black horns sit atop her head.
"Hello, Hawkins! My name is Lucy. I am the Devil and I come to you with a proposition. You see—I'm a woman of my word," The entire time she's talking the camera is shaking around and pausing randomly in sporadic positions. Even the look in Lucy's eyes. I've never seen her like this before, "And I recently realized something. I'm not an Angel. And it doesn't matter how hard I try to be one. Eventually, the call of the flames will always call me back."
The charred remains of the church flash in my head. Was that her? And the police checkpoints in Denver. They might have been looking for her.
"And I've been trying to quell it. Stop it," Lucy coos, "But then I realized, it's not my fault. It's yours."
She's holding the camera out in front of her face now. It's completely pitch black in her surroundings.
"No—not yours silly," She laughs in a high pitch, "Yours. Gods. This is all God's fault. And who amongst us is God? Ding! Ding! Ding! That's right! It's Judas."
My heart sinks into the floor.
"So here's my proposition. I will start killing people unless someone brings Delilah Lor to me. Whoever brings Delilah to me will stop the bloodshed. I'll begin once first period starts, which is... right now! And by the way. This isn't a recording. I'm actually broadcasting live in Hawkins High. Yep. I escaped prison bitches! It's a long story, but you'll learn it soon enough. So come Judas. Watch as I take the world from you as you save theirs."
She drops the camera on the ground. She then takes a step over the camera, and by the looks of it, she's holding an assault rifle in her hands.
I feel like I'm trapped in the static of a vintage TV. Delilah is at school right now. Surrounded by students who no doubt just saw that livestream being broadcast.
"Call the police," I blurt out. Daniel reaches into his phone and pulls it out tapping at the screen.
"There's no service!" He yells.
"What? We just watched that broadcast?"
"It must've just gone down. Do you think she did it?"
"I don't know—Fuck! We have to go!"
"Wait, wait, wait, you don't mean go to school do you?"
"Delilah's there. I can't leave her."
I run upstairs and head into Lucy's room. The entire area has been turned over by investigators. I just hope what I'm looking for is still here.
I find the air duct on the floor near the window and take the top off. I reach inside and I feel a bag within. I grab it's fabric and pull it out.
Daniel runs into the room and asks what I'm doing.
"She mentioned she kept stuff in here once," I say, emptying the contents of the bag out onto the floor. A pair of white oval-shaped pills in a baggie and a pair of brass knuckles lay on the floor in front of me. I take one of the brass knuckles and put it on my right hand.
"She has a gun! What is that gonna do?" Daniel asks.
These same weapons were used to kill Matthew. I hope I can use them for something greater.
"Let's go," I say, pushing past him and running out of the house.
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I don't stop sprinting towards Hawkins High. I don't check to see if Daniel is keeping up with me. I'm surprised I'm outrunning him even though he's a quarterback.
Daniel screams my name somewhere far off from behind me but I can't stop. I need to get to Delilah. I can't lose her.
My house is approaching and I'm thinking of going to my car but I decide against it. It would take too long to get in the car plus traffic and parking and getting out. It'd be better if I just sprinted the rest of the way and took the mining entrance since that's probably where Lucy entered.
I pass my house and my body is on fire. My legs feel like they're made of balloons that are about to implode. My breathing is paced, but my lungs are starting to hurt. I've never done running like this before. Honestly, I think the only thing that's keeping me going is this amped feeling my heart is feeding my body. With every step I take, I feel like Death is getting closer and closer to Delilah, which makes me want to run even faster.
It takes me no time to pass through the park where I first met Lucy. God, I really fucked this up. Everything that's happening now has to be my fault. If I could just turn back time, maybe I could've done something different where we all could've ended up being happy.
When I arrive at the mine entrance, the gate with the No Entry sign is wide open, peering into utter darkness. I take my phone out, turn on its flashlight, and prepare to head in, but Jesus calls my name out from behind me. I turn to him and he's bloody. With a crown of thorns on his head and his face beaten past recognition. His body is covered in welts and bruises. And his wrists—a bleeding hole in each one. The same goes for the area above his feet.
"What?" I ask. I don't have time to comment on his appearance.
"Let's not be so hasty. Perhaps our friend has left us a little something behind to greet us in our desperation."
I examine the gateway and finally notice it: a thin fishing line a few inches off the ground, perfect for me to trip over. The lines go off into a tin can with a strange device on it; a boobie trap.
So that's what she's been doing with all those fireworks.
"Even if I trip those, that probably wouldn't kill me," I say.
"But look at that blinking light. They're connected to a device maybe? There's more than one."
"So there not bombs there—"
"Alarms. To let her know where you are."
Lucy's really thought this through. I'm gonna have to need Jesus by my side at all times if I'm gonna stand a chance at finding Delilah.
Daniel finally catches up, wheezing and heaving; trying to catch his breath.
"Lucy's booby-trapped the place," I tell him, "She's probably booby-trapped all the exits too. We gotta be careful going in."
"Judas—I'm—I—You said booby-traps?" Daniel asks.
"They're just alarms. I think. C'mon, we gotta find Delilah."
"I—"
I stop and examine him. He's staring at me like he's lost. He can't do this.
"Okay," I start, approaching him, "Go to the neighboring houses of the school and knock on the doors. Tell them what's going on. Keep trying to call the police. And watch out for any students escaping through the doors. Can you do that?"
He nods.
"Good. Go!"
He turns around and begins running towards the front of the school. I take a few deep breaths, step over the first trip-wire, and prepare myself for the gymnastics I'm about to do to avoid these bombs to get through this mining cave.
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As I get closer, a bell that rings three times can be heard. After the final ring, a monotone voice says "Security Alert," twice over the intercom. Then it just repeats. All of the tin-can bombs have a red beeping light that's synced with each other. It wasn't hard navigating through the alarm field, just time-consuming. Which I bet is exactly what she wants. She's just trying to slow me down.
The "Security Alert," Is booming behind the door once I arrive. I push it open and something like a loud bang sounds off behind the door. Sparks fly from behind the door and out into the hall and the noise doesn't stop.
"RUN!" Jesus commands from behind me.
I start storming down the halls. Trying to get as far away from the sound of fireworks as possible. I turn to my left, going down a hall, then my right, and ascending two flights of stairs before hiding behind some island lockers in the middle of the large main hallway on the second floor. While calming my breathing, I listen for anything besides the constant droning of the intercom alert. Then I hear something. Something like a wince coming from my right. I turn towards it and see a trail of blood starting from the middle of the aisle and going around the corner of the lockers.
Please don't be her. Please God don't let it be her.
I round the corner and see Stacy Flannigon lying on her belly. The trail of blood is smeared under her pink jacket and black leggings. A spot of blood stains her lower back and she's crying. She's still alive. SHE'S STILL ALIVE.
I kneel towards her left and she squeals but I shush her.
"It's me! It's me!" I whisper shout at her, holding her shoulders.
"Judas? I'm actually glad to see you."
"Are you okay? What hurts?"
"That's the thing—" she looks up at me, tears in her eyes, "It doesn't hurt. I can't feel my legs. I can't feel them at all—I'm scared Judas—"
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm gonna get you out of here, okay? You're gonna walk again. You're not gonna die. C'mon. I gotta get you to Daniel. Let's roll you over."
I reach over her body and grab onto her right arm and waist. I then pull with all my strength and she helps me with her arms, rolling her over onto her back. I then slip my arms under her knees and back and lift her off the ground, almost slipping on her blood.
"Okay," I start talking to Jesus, "Where's the nearest exit?"
He appears from around the corner where the blood trail came from.
"That would have to be the west exit, near the commons area," He says.
Stacy is examining me the entire time.
"Right, okay," I say, "Let's go there now."
"Did a betrayer come to spoil the fun?" Lucy's voice shouts from the other end of the hallway. Jesus motions for me to follow him and I do, taking cover behind the lockers.
"I know you're here, Judy!" Lucys says. Her voice sounds different. Like she's become a whole new person, "You set off my traps. You like 'em? A friend in prison taught me how to make them."
I pear around the corner and I see her. She's holding some kind of assault rifle with a silencer on it. She has a belt with magazines on it and an ire in her eyes. She begins to saunter down the hallway and I realize I'm in a predicament.
In the position I'm in, no matter where I run, Lucy will see us. I can't hide behind the lockers forever; the two of us are too much of a mass to hide behind these islands with the pace she's walking down the hallway. And I can't take the west entrance anymore. If I do that will leave us with no cover, and even if we get outside, there's no cover out there either.
"The only chance you got getting out of here is back the way you came," Jesus says.
I swallow then peak around the corner to gauge where Lucy is. She's a quarter of the way down the hallway.
"I know you can hear me, Judy!" Lucy exclaims, "Did you always stay in Heaven because you too feared your own creation?"
She thinks I'm a God. Time to see if I can run like one too.
I run around the corner and begin to jump down the first flight of stairs, feeling a pop in my left ankle as I land on it, hitting the ground.
"Fuck!" Escapes my mouth. I think I sprained it.
"There you are, Judy!" Lucy yells. There's no time to worry about my ankle. I get a running start, hold onto Stacy tight, and jump over the second flight of stairs. I land perfectly this time, my ankle protesting in pain from such an act. But I have to push through it. I take a left this time and begin running toward the cafeteria.
I use my back to open the cafeteria doors and start making my way to the kitchen noticing that the lights in the entire room are off, the only light coming from the window in the door to the cafeteria. Once inside, I sit down behind a countertop in the kitchen. The weight of Stacy is starting to get to me. I'm starting to realize how heavy humans are.
The sound of squeaking sneakers runs by the cafeteria doors and I exhale relief. I check around the corner and can only see a sliver of the cafeteria entry door, but my heart sinks when I see Lucy's, horns poke through the window. I dart back into cover and hear the door to the cafeteria open.
"You wouldn't happen to be in here, would you Judy?" Lucy asks.
I turn to my right to face Jesus.
"There's only one way out of here and she's blocking the exit," I tell him.
"I mean—I can't even fathom why you're trying to save Stacy," Lucy goes on, "I mean—she's disgusted by you! She hates you. They all do."
Stacy's grip around the collar of my jacket tightens.
"We need her to get away from the door. Have her come to us," Jesus says.
"How do we do that?" I ask.
"We make this place a maze. Then we lure her in. Confuse her."
"How do we lure her in?"
"Ha! Looks like someone's leaking," Lucy taunts. I check around the corner and see we've been leaving a trail of blood droplets this entire time. That's how she knew we were in the cafeteria.
I have to think fast. She's going to find us and quick if I don't outmaneuver her in this kitchen somehow.
Then I see the walk-in freezer and I have an idea.
"Stacy, do you have anything sharp?" I ask.
"I have a nail file in my left jacket pocket. But she has a gun," Stacy says. I reach into her pocket pulling out the nail file that's in the shape of a knife.
"It's not for her," I say, holding the small dull blade in my hand.
I was hoping for a razor or a pocket knife, anything sharper. This is going to fucking suck.
"I gotta hide you," I tell Stacy, "Let's go."
I pick her up, this time covering the spot on her back and staying low under the countertops as I maneuver deeper into the kitchen. When I think I've found the perfect place to hide Stacy, I hear Lucy enter the kitchen.
"And the trails gone cold!" Lucy emotes.
I open the old fridge I know the school was about to throw out and I put Stacy in it. It's not comfortable but it'll have to do.
"There's something I need you to do. It'll be easy," I take the belt on my pants off and hand it to her, "I need you to tie this around the door handles of the cafeteria once we get outside, okay?" Before I close the door, I meet her eyes. "You're brave. You're strong. I'll be back. I promise. I'll knock three times." I say, closing the fridge after.
I turn and take out the nail file. Holding my left wrist in front of me I take three quick deep breaths and plunge the file as deep into my left wrist as possible. Only about half an inch or so goes in but I have to bite my lower lip to not to scream. My body is pleading, begging for me to stop; to pull it out. But I can't stop here. I then dredge the file from left to right across my wrist and yank it out, putting the file in my pocket. Warm, red blood starts dripping down my wrist and hand. I make sure to hold my bloodied wrist up to my jacket to make sure not to leave any blood in this area.
"You know I could just turn the lights on but that's no fun," Lucy calls out into the dark. I take cover behind a wall and see the flicker of a Zippo lighter coming on. She's on the other side of the kitchen where Stacy and I originally hid.
"Where are you guys? I'm starting to feel lonely..." She starts to walk deeper into the kitchen. The orange light emanates around the lighter she's holding in the air with her free hand.
Okay. I gotta avoid the light, while also leaving a false trail that will buy me enough time for me to get Stacy out of here. I also need to make a convincing enough trail for her to follow.
I stay low to the ground, taking cover behind another wall and hugging it. I inch my way towards the walk-in freezer. It's in the center of the room to the right. But Lucy's heading right for it.
"Can't go for it right now," Jesus says, hugging the wall to my left, "You're gonna have to set a trap of your own first."
As Lucy is making her way through the right side of the kitchen, I begin to sneak my way through the left, still making sure that I'm not dropping any blood.
Once I get to the front of front of the kitchen, I unveil my hand and let the blood flow. It drips down my hand as I start making a path towards the walk-in.
"You guys wouldn't be hiding in this old fridge would you?" Lucy asks.
I search the kitchen to update myself on Lucy's position and she's standing a few feet in front of where Stacy is hiding.
Fuck. I needed to move and now. But if I still had to complete the blood trail.
It looks like I'm gonna have to bleed a little more.
I take the file out of my pocket and jam it right back where I stabbed myself earlier. Twisting the blade, I bite my tongue to keep myself from wailing in agony as I briskly run to the door of the walk-in, leaving a trail of blood behind. Once there, I open the walk-in, grab a tub of some kind of food, and hurl it toward the starting point of my fake blood trail.
C'mon Lucy. Take the bait.
A loud crash thunders throughout the kitchen. I turn towards Lucy and see she's heading straight toward the sound.
Following the path she took, I slither my way back to Stacy, knocking three times on the door before opening it.
I pick Stacy up and head for the other way out of the kitchen into the other side of the Cafeteria. I start running for the door and check to see Lucy opening the walk-in and pointing her gun inside.
But then Lucy turns around, making eye contact with me pushing the doors open with my back.
I push the door closed and Stacy lifts the belt to the door handles, her hands shaking. She starts to fumble but it drops out of her hands. My heart skips a beat.
"It's okay," I say, kneeling, "Pick it up."
I hear the squeaking of Lucy's sneakers on the other side of the door.
"Pick it up now!" I say to Stacy, this time not so calm.
She scoops it off of the ground and I shoot up. Stacy then leads the belt through the door handles of the cafeteria and locks it on the final notch.
The doors come flying at us but stop at a certain point. Lucy screams—no roars like a monster. And as I turn to head for the nearest exit, those roars soon become laughter. Giddy, high-pitched, laughter.
"She'll find a way out soon," I say out loud.
"But that buys you more time," Jesus' voice says.
"Judas," Stacy says.
"What's up?" I ask.
"Thank you. I'm forever in your debt."
"Thanks, Stacy but you don't owe me anything. You would've done the same for me."
She doesn't say anything to this.
"Shit," I say. Stopping.
On the exit door to the building are Lucy's alarms. I forgot they'd be here.
"We're gonna have to power through one," I say, "The explosion shouldn't hurt us. At least I hope. It is just fireworks. But just in case the explosion does cause damage, I'm gonna have to go with you first, Stacy."
"Wait, why?" She asks.
"Cause the explosion will be behind us, and I don't want you to take the brunt of that. So it looks like I'm gonna have to hurt myself again here. You ready?"
She nods.
I choose the center door as the exit and begin running towards it, using Stacy's legs as a sort of battering ram. The tin can alarm itself is on the left side of the door sitting in the middle, so my body should shield her from the explosion.
Contact is made with the door handle, the light on the can turns green, and a high-pitched noise followed by a loud boom blasts in my left ear. The flesh on the lower and upper left side of my back feels like it's peeled off of me with knives dipped in acid as I push through the threshold and onto the other side.
I got a messed up ankle, a bleeding wrist, and a burnt back and I have yet to find Delilah. I have a feeling this day is going to beat the shit out of me.
"Let's get you to Daniel," I mutter, breaking into a sprint toward the front of the school.
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I find Daniel in front of the Hawkin's High sign holding his phone to his ear. He turns around to see me running up to him with Stacy in my arms. His eyes widen and he puts the phone in his pocket.
"Stacy!" He cries out. He meets me halfway and takes her out of my arms and into his.
"She got shot in the back. She can't feel her legs," I tell him.
"Jesus Christ," he mutters.
"It was like a clap of thunder," Stacy says, "Then I was on the ground. And people started screaming and running around me. They all left me. But then Judas found me."
"I have to go back," I tell them. I try to pull away but Stacy holds on to my bloody left hand for a moment. My eyes meet hers and tears begin to form in hers. She then lets me go and I turn and start sprinting back to the school.
"Dude, you're back!" Daniel says.
My back didn't really hurt anymore. It was mainly my ankle and wrist that were killing me. But I didn't care. I didn't care if I had to tear myself apart. As long as I saved Delilah.
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First I needed to check to see if Lucy was still in the cafeteria.
I lean around the corner of the hallway and see the belt cut in fourths on the floor in front of the cafeteria doors. Damn. I knew she'd get out.
The problem now is I have no idea where she is. But I have a pretty good idea of where she would be going. Delilah's first-period class, Misses Durnumn. No doubt that the classroom is going to be filled with students. I have to get there and get them out of that room before Lucy gets to the room.
I maneuver through the halls at a brisk pace, checking my corners and looking out for any kind of booby trap Lucy might've set up.
Once I'm at Misses Durnumn's room, I try the door but it's locked. Obviously.
"Delilah, it's Judas. You in there?" I ask. I hear a hushed whisper and many loud shushes. There are definitely people in there.
I form a fist with the brass in my right hand and strike the window on the door. It caves in like wet paper being torn apart. Some people cry out inside the classroom as I reach in with my left hand and open the door from inside. I enter the room and see everyone huddled in the bottom right corner of the room. I scan everyone's face but I don't see Delilah. Then I assume the worst.
"Where is she?" I ask them all. No answer, "Did you guys give her over? Did you fucking sell her out!"
Some of the girls start to cry and I realize how scary I must look. I'm brandishing brass knuckles in my right hand while I'm covered in blood. I'm also limping and most of my jacket is charred and burned, exposing my seared flesh.
Yeah, I look like a monster.
"We don't know where she is," Damian says, "She didn't show up for class when we got Lucy's video."
I ponder on that information. So she could be anywhere in the school.
"Or not at all," Jesus says facing me.
"Which means the quest has slightly changed," I say out loud, "Saving Delilah was the original quest, but she might not even be here at all. So now the quest is to get everyone out of here and the side quest is to keep an eye out for Delilah... Okay."
"Is he talking to us or...?" Someone in the corner asks.
"Okay everyone, we're gonna get out of here," I say.
"But how?" Misses Durnumn asks, "We can't go out the front doors."
"I know. We're going to go out the window."
I point at the brass on my right hand and start heading the for windows at the end of the room.
"That's reinforced glass that's not meant to break," I girl from the back says.
"Yeah...this is gonna hurt," I say, holding up my left hand to line up a punch with my right into the center window of the room.
God, I need strength, I pray, holding the knuckles up to my forehead and closing my eyes. Once I open my eyes, I see a Devil in the reflection of the window.
"So, undeserving," the reflection says, "You think saving these people means you're worthy of her?"
My blood begins to run hot and I grip the knuckles so tight it starts to blister my skin. I turn around, walking to the back of the room.
"What's he doing?" Someone asks.
"Is he giving up?" Another asks.
Once I reach the other end of the room I turn around and roll my sprained ankle around, which just seems to make it hurt more.
What happens next takes everyone else in the room off guard. I guess they didn't expect me to move as fast as I did with the little room I had as I sprinted toward the glass. Nonetheless, when I struck the reflection, I cried out in pure rage. But I didn't stop there.
"Congratulations. You're your mother," My reflection says, his horns bleeding.
"I'll never forgive you!" I growl, striking the reflection's face and crying out. I strike and a faded image in my mind starts to form. Strike again, shrieking out, and the image becomes a little clearer.
The glass is starting to form cracks. Progressively getting longer and longer with each strike I deliver.
As the image becomes clearer, my knuckles and right arm begin to pound with pain every time I strike the glass. Each strike the pain worsens. And when the image is finally clear, the glass shatters, my reflection disappears, and I see Delilah in my vision. I rip my jacket off and set it on the window sill over the broken glass.
"It's only a five-foot drop," I say, out of breath. I turn around and everyone's staring at me like I'm insane.
Well, I guess I kind of am. But I think we need insane right now to fight what's going on.
"C'mon," I say, motioning them over. Damian is the first to go, then soon everyone lines up and they start jumping out of the window one by one. I tell them all to go to Daniel, take my jacket back, put it on, and head back into the school to the next classroom.
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I punch eight more classroom windows out and escort them to safety. No Delilah. At this time I'm walking the halls holding my tired throbbing right arm, getting ready to do the same thing to the next classroom that has a window in it without too far of a drop. Then I hear a familiar voice call my name from the band room.
It's not Delilah. No, it's Squid. I peek into the door window of the band room and see Squid Duct Taped to a chair in a room.
I enter the room and make my way to Squid. I only have the nail file but it'll have to do for cutting.
"You okay?" I ask, kneeling to them. Tears start forming in their eyes.
"I'm sorry. She made me do it," Squid says.
Then I see her emerging from the darkness of the room. Lucycfer Mourningstar herself. With one hand she's aiming her rifle right at the back of Squid's head.
"You just had to save them all," Lucy says. "The depraved. The Godless. The ones that don't fucking deserve it. The ones that are already fucked anyway," she looks at Squid when she says that last bit.
"Leave Squid out of this Lucy. This is between you and me," I say.
"You know what? You're right. Let's cut the fat. I don't want to kill Squid. I just want to ruin your life, Judy. Which honestly is worse when you think about it."
"Lucy—I—Why do you hate me so much? What was I supposed to do?"
"You don't get it still. This isn't hate. All of this, all of what I'm doing. It is out of love for you."
She throws her gun behind her, then unsheaths a long black knife from her belt.
"I'm not going to kill you, Judy," Lucy says, going down on three limbs and holding the knife in her left hand, "No. After I'm done with you you're gonna wish that's all I ever did."
Before I can react she dashes after me. I panic, throwing a right hook in her direction, but she twists my wrist and my arm explodes with pain. I can't even cry out in pain before she hits me in the forehead with the butt of her knife handle and I go crashing to the floor.
"Sloppy," Lucy says stepping closer to me, "You've never fought before have you?"
She's right. I've never been in a fight before. I just know how to take a beating.
We know she's not going to kill me. So this is just an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object. Who wins in this outcome? And how can I be the one that comes out on top?
I stand up, my back slouched but get kicked in the ribs, sending me flying into a concrete wall, which has me collapsing on the floor again.
"Cleric versus Rogue," Lucy says, "Let's see who wins."
I get up and this time she lets me stand. I push myself off the wall and raise my hands ready to brawl.
"Think I'm actually a Paladin now," I say.
"I like it. It suits you."
We stand there, just staring at each other at first.
"Well come on Mr. Paladin! Let's see what you got."
I approach her, throwing a right hook that she easily takes a step back to avoid. I realize I put too much of my weight in that punch and I have to use a lot of my strength to pull back fast enough not to get hit. Once I'm back in a neutral position I swing with my left and she dodges under it and spins around my back. By the time I spin around her foot hits my face. Then I feel the cold steel slicing my flesh and burning my skin as she slashes at the left side of my ribs. I retaliate with a right punch aiming for her head, but she just moves her head to the side and then wraps her arms around my arm, twisting it. I then punch her with my left, getting a blow below her lower left rib and she lets go of my arm. She then kicks me in the back away from her.
"You're adapting! But you gotta be smarter than that," Lucy says.
"I'm figuring you out," I say, facing her. I approach her again, this time going for a kick with my right that doesn't even go above my waist. She steps to the right and dodges with ease, slashing my cheek with her blade. She then lifts her right leg up and hits me in the face in the same spot she cut me with her heel. I stagger, then through a right punch, softer this time, and she ducks under it, slashing at my lower back this time, but I don't feel it that much because of the burns. She then punches me in the side of the ear with her left, kicks my left ankle which makes it give out, grabs my right forearm, jerks it at a ninety-degree angle, and runs me into another cold concrete wall.
"Where's your God now, Paladin?" Her voice is vicious and some of her spit lands on the back of my neck.
"Do you know how many Gods there are in D and D? You're gonna have to be more specific," I remark.
"Oh. Witty are we?"
She slams my head against the wall and then throws me onto a trombone. More musical instruments crash around me as I try to pull myself off the ground.
"Oh God..." I say, standing up, "Look—I'm in a lot of pain. How about we just call it here?"
Her foot makes contact with the cut on my cheek again. She then slashes at my lower left rib cage. The same spot as last time. I go for a right hook and she makes an X with her forearms blocking it. I go for another blow with the same arm and she pushes my arm away. I swing with my left and she steps past it slashing at my lower left back.
I'm starting to notice a pattern.
She then punches my sternum, knees me in the spot she cut me in the back, and straightens her leg to hit me again. I swing my right arm at her and she ducks under it, slashing my lower left back. I turn to her and she jabs me in the face with her fist then sweeps me with her legs, sending me crashing to the ground.
"Done being a smart ass?" Lucy asks. I sit up, my body protesting against the entire act. Then stand up, my blood dripping off of my face, hands, and body.
"Oh, you know. Sometimes I just need a kick in the ass," I say leaning past Lucy and winking at Squid. With the way I've been getting my ass kicked, I've gotten Lucy's back to face Squid. Squid is tied up yes, but their legs are free.
Squid notices the gesture and nods their head.
Okay... now I just need to get Lucy to back up enough to get to Squid. And to do that, I'm gonna need a little help.
"Jesus," I say under my breath, "I need you."
I close my eyes. Then open them and he's in front of me. He kneels in front of me and begins to wash my feet with a cloth. After he's done he stands and says, "You will betray me."
Something takes over me. It rushes through every fiber of my being and fills me with energy. Power. I approached Lucy and she goes into her three-limbed stance. She dashes forward at me and her foot goes for the right side of my face but I duck under it. I still feel her leg touching my hair as it passes by me. She then slashes at my lower left side but I take a step back and avoid the attack. I take a step towards her and swing for her head and she steps back. I keep applying pressure, not letting up as I push forward swinging at her. She then tries to spin around me but I turn, straightening my arms to catch her.
With all my might I throw her body towards Squid sitting in their chair. Squid with their legs ready makes contact with Lucy's stumbling back, kicking with everything they have sending Lucy hurling forward toward me. I wind up my right arm, and putting all my weight into it, I make contact with Lucy's face. She tumbles to the ground, a big red welt on her forehead.
Her eyes are closed and the knife tumbles out of her hand. She's out.
I take the knife off the ground and drop the brass knuckles. I then make my way to Squid, sit them up, and start cutting the tape off of them.
"That was... Wow," Squid says.
"Yeah I couldn't do that again I'll tell you that much," I say, cutting the last bit of tape. They stand up and I start peeling tape off their body.
"Where is she?" Squid asks.
I look to see where I last left Lucy and she's vanished. Along with her gun.
"Fuck," I say, "Let's get you to Daniel before we worry about her."
I grab the brass knuckles off the floor, put them in my pocket, and begin to escort Squid out of the school.
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"This exit wasn't open when I was last here," I say as we come up to the east entrance, one of the tin can alarms already set off.
"Someone must've set it off," Squid says.
"Alright. Daniel's at the front of the school near the billboard. I'll meet you there once I find Delilah,"
I begin to turn away.
"Wait—" Squid says, "You should come with me. I'm sure Delilah is off campus taking refuge in somebody's house. It's too dangerous."
"I have to know, Squid. I have to make sure everyone else is safe too. Be careful."
I begin to walk away then notice the door to the girl's bathroom closing. That looks like something I have to investigate.
I enter the bathroom and I'm greeted with a fire extinguisher hurling towards my face. I barely have enough time to raise my arm and block the blow as I feel something snap in my arm and I go crashing to the ground.
"Oh shit!" Delilah says, throwing the extinguisher to the ground. She kneels to me.
"I think you broke my arm," I say.
"Yeah, well, I thought you were someone else and I was trying to kill you."
"I'm so glad I found you," I tell her, holding her face with my left hand.
"Is it safe?"
"Not here. We have to leave."
"Yeah—about that."
She shows me her right ankle and it's beyond swollen.
"I sprained it during the chaos of it all," She says. "I can't walk."
"That's fine, I'll carry you."
She's leaning against the sink when I pick her up in my arms and leave the bathroom.
"Why are you limping?" She asks.
"I sprained my ankle too," I tell her.
"Show off. Higher pain tolerance and shit."
"It's just stubborn pride and anger. Nothing more."
I'm about halfway towards the east exit when I notice Delilah giving me an interesting look.
"What?" I ask.
"Can you sing?" She asks.
I laugh, "No. No, I don't think so."
"Have you ever tried?"
"Yeah—but—I only sing in private. Never in front of people. I couldn't do what you do that's for sure."
"Sing for me."
"What?"
"C'mon. I want to know."
I shake my head, then think of my favorite part in one of my favorite songs. So I sing it to her:
"Thank you, God, for giving me this insight
So I might make these wrongs right
If and when there ever is a next time
'Cause failure is a blessing in disguise..."
She admires me. Mesmerized.
"I knew you could sing," She breathes, "When we get out of this, were so gonna make so many albums together. 'Delilah and Judas Korver'. It's kinda got a ring to it."
I'm admiring her now. Starstruck.
The sound of what sounds like something under pressure exploding pierces my ears from behind me and I feel something break through my lower left back. I fall, Delilah cries out, and I drop her. She rolls a few feet away from me and I collapse on my face. I turn around to see Lucy approaching me with her rifle.
"Don't do this—please," I plead. She's standing over me now aiming the gun at my chest. The bleeding hole in my abdomen she had now given me burns like a lit cigarette.
"How did it feel?" She asks, "To have the Devil inside you? And I want you to be honest."
"What?" I ask.
"How did it feel to have the Devil inside you?"
"Wrong."
She shakes her head, "Nope. How did it feel, Judy?"
"Vile."
She inhales sharply and brings her free fist to her mouth, "UM-UM. How did it feel Judas?"
Tears are forming in my eyes, making everything blurry, "Evil."
She cocks her gun, "NO!" She's shouting like someone in a stray jacket, "I'M ASKING FOR HONESTY AND YOU ARE NOT GIVING IT TO ME, JUDAS KORVER. NOW WHEN I ASK YOU HOW THE DEVIL BEING INSIDE YOU MADE YOU FEEL, HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL?"
A tear escapes my right eye and hits the wound she gave me on my cheek. It stings.
"Good," I admit defeated.
"That's the thing. Why does something presumably so evil make you feel so good?" Lucy asks, "We aren't meant to fight this. We're meant to become it."
I see something purple peek out from a cement support. When I focus on it I see Squid holding a fire extinguisher in their hands. They're about twenty feet behind Lucy. If I can keep her distracted Squid can knock her out before this escalates any further.
"But we can't just go around killing who we like," I retaliate.
"If God wanted to stop me you would have!" She snaps back, "Everything happens for a reason right? You can call an army of angels by your side, yet you choose not to. I'll never understand why. Such a waste of power."
Squid needs to make a move to the next support beam. Maybe I can help.
"It's not about displaying power, but love," I say.
"With power, everything will fear you. And with fear comes hate. And out of hate comes love."
"But what if we didn't need hate? We should heal things like that."
"Those things are built into us by us. Were all just cells. Multiplying. And what are all cells programmed to do? Self-destruct. In some way or another, we self-destruct in our lives. With smoking. Or gambling. Or any other destructive addiction or choice. Hell, look at what you've been putting yourself through for one girl. No matter what you do Judy, the Devil is going to be a part of you. She's going to be a part of all of us. I'm just ahead of the curve."
"But so will God. God made you too. You will always have that part in you. And I know this Lucy. There's still some of that left in you."
"You're incredibly naive."
"And now you're gonna feel that way too."
She scrunches her brows then, with great speed, Squid slams the fire extinguisher on the back of Lucy's head. Lucy collapses on the ground, motionless.
I take the gun out of her hands, exhaling a breath.
Squid then looks toward Delilah and says, "Oh no."
I was too busy talking to Lucy not to notice Delilah was breathing erratically. I move to her, noticing her right hand covering a red spot the size of a baseball pooling at her lower chest.
"Delilah!" I kneel to her and throw the gun aside, grabbing her bloodied hand, "I have to move your hand gorgeous," I lift her hand and she squeals, tears cascading down her face. I then press my palm into the wound, the blood warming my aching hand as I apply pressure because I think that's what you're supposed to do in this type of situation; but when I do this she cries out.
"I know it hurts, D, I know," I stammer. I turn to Squid and they're just watching; frozen. Why aren't they helping?
I move my attention back to Delilah, "You're gonna be okay, D, I promise—I have to get you up." I put my left hand under her shoulders and her body is trembling. When I lift, she winces, her eyes clenching. Then she looks at me and grabs my collar pulling me in trying to say something.
I press my ear towards her lips and she whispers two words to me. Seven letters. And it doesn't really make sense right now. Why is she saying this to me? It's possibly her last words and that's what she says?
"Squid, help me," I plead with them. A tear falls down Squid's face.
"Judas—" Squid trails off. Then I notice Delilah has stopped making noise. I turn back to her and her ocean eyes are vacant; Just starting into the infinite nothing. She's stopped trembling. She's stopped taking those sharp breaths. She's stopped breathing entirely.
"Delilah?" I ask her, "Gorgeous? Don't do this to me gorgeous—don't do this to me—oh my God," I start rocking back in forth with her in my arms. No. No, this can't be happening, "God don't do this to me—don't do this to me—please don't do this to me—D...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."
She can't be gone. She just can't be. We were supposed to make albums together. We were supposed to make it out of this. I'm not supposed to be the one who lives to tell this tale. Whoever is willing this to be my story please don't make it this way. Please, God. Please.
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I spent some time with her there. I closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and made sure she looked elegant. Peaceful. Because if you go to meet God you know you want to look nice.
Then my hand brushes the gun beside her body. And I look at Lucy still lying on the ground. My blood begins to burn and my breathing begins to quicken. My heart, pounding faster and faster.
I pick the gun off the ground.
"Judas, what are you doing?" Squid asks.
I start walking toward Lucy until I'm standing over her, aiming the barrel of the gun right between her eyes.
"Judas!" Squid Yells.
"She ruined my life, Squid," I tell them, not taking my eyes off of the iron sights of the gun, "She killed the only woman that could ever love me."
"Judas. Don't do this. Hey—look at me, okay?"
"SHE FUCKING KILLED HER!"
"I know. And she deserves judgment. But not like this."
"This is all my fucking fault man."
"No, no it's not Judas—"
"Yes, it fucking is man. If I just finished her off in band class none of this would've happened and Delilah would still be here—"
"You can't go down that road Judas. You'll kill yourself with the what-ifs. None of this is your fault."
"You're right... It's hers."
"Judas—please don't hurt anyone..."
My anger is untethered. It just rises and rises. All I see is red. Her hair. Her eyes. I just want to see if she's red on the inside too.
She ruined my life. It's time I take hers. But all this pain. My body can't take it anymore. I've felt this before in ECT. Right before they shock my brain. The last few seconds before lights out.
I had to make my decision. And now.
"Don't do it Judas," A gruff voice pleads. I turned to my left and see Detective Nick aiming his gun at me. He must have entered through the east entrance, "There doesn't have to be any more bloodshed today."
"She killed her Nick," I stammer, "Just shot her like she was nothing."
Nick holds up his hand and starts to put his gun in his holster.
"Hey—okay—listen to me," he starts, "I know you Judas. You're not a monster. You're not someone who would take a life. Especially out of vengeance."
I look back at Lucy and she's fully awake now, her eyes wide open as I aim the barrel of her gun down at her.
The pain was becoming too much. I was going to fade, and quickly.
As the darkness starts to envelop me, I see all of my anger. All of my rage. And I scream into the void pulling the trigger. Squid shouts, Nick grabs the gun and I'm engulfed in the abyss.
Lucy:
Delilah:
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