jyvaswriting

[jyvaswriting]

The Lake

On his fifty-fourth exploration outside, Riley found a stranger sitting on a plateau above a lake. It could have been one of the looters. But from the way he sat, from the way he was gazing at the water, from the way he was letting the rain soak through to his skin, it was clear that he wasn’t a threat. So Riley approached him.

“Hey,” Riley said.

The stranger shifted in his spot and turned around. It was another boy, his face worn and tired as every other survivor Riley had met. “Hey,” said the stranger. “Who are you?”

“I’m Riley,” he said, coming to sit down next to him. “You?”

“Me? I’m… well, I’m dead.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that why you have no suit on?”

“Yup. Had a hole in it that I didn’t see. Wandered through a risky spot a few weeks ago, and now… Yeah.” The stranger looked aside at Riley, and smiled a bit. “Don’t have to wear all that shit now, though. Yours looks silly.”

Riley looked down at his chest, where he had an oversized raincoat, over a jumper, over a jacket, over two shirts. “It is a bit big for me. Our bunker didn’t have any proper hazmat suits.”

“Perhaps that’s for the best. Harder to get poisoned with… is that four layers? Four layers, over two.”

“It’s five,” Riley said. “I’ve got two shirts on.”

“Geez. Doesn’t it get hot, Riley?”

“I got used to it.”

“No thanks. Look at me,” the stranger said. “I’m dead, but I’m freer than you and everyone else now. Free as anyone can get nowadays.”

“Free because you can wear whatever you want now?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t think so,” Riley said. “If you went naked you would be free as anyone could get.”

“I’m dead, not crazy. I still have some modesty.”

The two chuckled for a bit, then it died away, and they both looked down at the lake together. The only sounds were of the rain and wind and trees and Riley’s respirator.

 “I came here ‘cause I wanted to see something nice, for once, before I died,” the stranger said. “I went to a lot of places, y’know. After giving all my stuff away. I asked around to see if people knew any pretty areas. Walked down this big empty road. Went through this forest. Saw some cool old street art. And I thought this lake would be good, but, well…” he held up his hand to indicate the rain. “World said ‘nope’.”

“You should’ve checked your suit for holes,” Riley said.

“Yeah. Should’ve. Should’ve worn more layers as well. Should’ve not gone to a radioactive abandoned supermarket that was already cleaned out. Should’ve not said rude things to my mum. Should’ve.” The stranger’s voice broke, and he covered his face, and Riley saw his thin hands. Piano-wire tendons stuck out underneath his eroding skin. Riley rummaged inside his bag.

“Here,” he said, holding out a muesli bar.

The stranger looked up, and he gave Riley a weird half-smile. “Dude, I’m a goner. There’s no point. You need it more than me. Put it back, silly.”

Riley only held it closer to his face, and after a moment, the stranger sighed and accepted it.

“How long has it been since you ate?” Riley asked, as the stranger took apart the wrapping.

“Few days. A bit after I found out.”

“You need water too?”

The stranger’s eyes flickered over to Riley, and Riley took that as a yes. He brought out his bottle and watched as half of it was gulped down in two seconds.

“Don’t blame me if you get thirsty on the way home,” the stranger said, licking his lips and handing it back.

Riley took it without a word, and there was a pause.

“Thanks,” said the stranger.

“So you really do still have some modesty.”

“Ha!” the stranger grinned, and Riley grinned back.

 The two boys gazed back at the still lake again, one with only a stained white shirt and shorts, the other with an oversized raincoat and a jumper and a jacket and two shirts and gloves and two pairs of long pants and his bag.

The stranger’s eyes went to it.

“What? Riley said. “Want more?”

“No,” said the stranger. “I was just thinking about something.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“Well, you’ve got a gun, right?”

“Yeah. A pistol.”

“I’ve got one of my own. Was gonna use it on myself, but… I’ve been scared. Even though I know I’m already dead. And I think it’s broken by now, anyway. Can I ask you something, Riley?”

“Yes.”

“Can you shoot me? It’s starting to hurt now. The radiation. I was planning to go to other places, but this isn’t so bad. Even though it’s raining. And…. And it’d be nice to have a friend do it, even if that sounds a bit morbid.”

“All I did was give you a muesli bar and some water,” Riley said.

“More than anyone’s given me for a long time.”

“Can’t be friends if I don’t know your name.”

“Oh. Sorry.” The stranger hesitated for a moment, swallowed a lump in his throat. “Will you remember it?”

“I will.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” He cleared his throat. “It’s Jay.”

“Hi, Jay. I’m Riley.”

“Nice to meet you, Riley…” Jay turned his head away, and when he came back he had an exasperated scowl. “This is dumb.”

“Huh?”

“I’m about to let myself get shot by someone I met like ten minutes ago, who’s gonna be the only friend I have left, and I can’t even see your face properly.”

There was one more long, quiet moment, and then Riley’s hands went up to his head. His fingers slid over to the clasps on his respirator, and then Jay grabbed his arm.

“What the heck are you doing?”

“I’m taking my respirator off—”

“What? Are you kidding me? Just for a dumb nice moment? Take your hands off it, man.”

“I don’t think there’s any radiation here anyway.”

“Not worth it,” Jay said. “Listen, I’ll accept that I’m maybe still worth a muesli bar and some water, but not your damn life. Alright? Not worth the risk. Keep the thing on, you idiot.” Riley dropped his arms, and Jay relaxed, slumping back on his elbows. “Jesus Christ, you are dumb.”

“I just wanted to be nice.”

“You already gave me food and water. And I can still see your eyes, Riley.”

“Oh.”

“…They’re pretty nice eyes. Dumb as hell, though.”

“Thanks?”

“I think we could’ve been good friends, Riley.”

“I think so too,” Riley said.

 It had stopped raining. They looked into the lake as the raindrops slowly stopped dripping down Riley’s raincoat and the clouds parted and sunlight began to shine weakly down onto the water, reflecting off the blue ripples.

Jay looked up. “Whoa. Sky’s decided to be nice. I think that’s my cue.”

Riley looked sideways. “You’re… ready to go?”

“Yeah. Just make sure you do it in one shot or I’ll start screaming and the noise will be really annoying. Actually, shoot me several times just to make sure, okay?”

“Okay. What about your body?”

Jay squinted. “Want the view to yourself, do you?” Riley opened his mouth, and Jay stopped him in his tracks. “No. Don’t talk. I can already tell you were gonna say something dumb. It was a joke. I’m not gonna ask you to dig a grave so… you can, uh… toss me in the lake, I guess?”

“But then you’d ruin the view,” Riley said, straight-faced, and Jay burst out laughing, and his glee was cut short by pained coughs.

“Oh, man. Ow. Okay. Yeah. I’m ready.” Jay got into a kneeling position, then frowned and sat with his legs straight, then went cross-legged, then went back to kneeling. “Okay.”

Riley reached into his bag and found his gun. Checked it. “Okay?”

“Okay. No, wait—” Jay held his hand up just as Riley cocked the pistol, and went searching inside his back pockets. He pulled out a banged-up old pistol, some Tic-Tacs, and a small camera. “Here,” he said. “Save you the trouble of looting my corpse.” Riley accepted them, and put them in his bag.

“Thank you,” he said.

“No, thank you.” Jay held up his fist. “BFFs?” he asked, with a small, wry smile.

Riley bumped it. “Yeah. BFFs.”

Jay took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready. For real, this time.”

Riley held up his pistol and found his hand was trembling. “It… It was nice knowing you, Jay,” he said.

“It was nice knowing you too, Riley,” Jay said. “See you later.”

Riley held the gun to Jay’s temple.

“See you.”

Jay closed his eyes, and Riley pulled the trigger.

[jyvaswriting]

nazi short story

I knew I was going to leave when the Captain brought the woman in to sing for us.

She was dragged in by her arms between two other soldiers, and I watched in silence as she was dumped, like a pile of trash, whimpering and broken, before the Captain’s desk. She was a beauty. Even in rags; even with hunger stripping away her flesh; even with tangled hair and wild eyes that made her look like a ghost. Even though she was a Jew.

The men escorting her made a show of cleaning her grime off of their hands and stepped to the side. We had a table with wine and a red velvet carpet and a fireplace to keep us warm. She had nothing. She stared around at us, these men in spotless black uniforms, with black boots and black gloves and black hearts. I pray she didn’t see me.

The Captain spoke, and said we needed entertainment. He said he knew she used to be a singer. He told her to sing. When she gazed up at him, uncomprehending, an officer struck the back of her head and repeated the Captain’s order.

So she sang.

The Jew did not stand, but stayed as a small, shivering wreck on the floor, with the carpet that was worth more than her life. And she sang. Her voice shook at the very beginning, but it grew stronger, and we listened while the Captain leaned back in his chair and drank. I did not understand her language, but I didn’t need to. I knew of what she was singing. The woman sang of her cold and her hunger. She sang of loneliness and despair. In her sorrowful refrain, she sang of her family and her friends, of hard-earned meals around a wooden table. In her voice I saw a night of broken glass, of fear, of being hunted without knowing why, of mourning for hundreds of lost innocents. At the climax, her voice rose high and cracked, a single note of pain and desperation. I felt these things, and I felt overwhelming shame. As her voice faded I looked around at my fellow officers and sergeants, and I wondered if any of them had heard the same song that I had.

Then the Captain waved his hand, and she was shot through the head, because to him she was less than human. In my head, where no one could hear me, I thought that the Jew was more human than all of us. Her body was taken away to be dumped in a pit. We marched out of the room in single file, and every soldier returned to their duties.

Every soldier except me.

In the middle of the night, at the right time, I broke the neck of a guard who was watching the perimeter, and I left, with the Jewish woman’s song and my shame still echoing in my head.

[jyvaswriting]

two dudes in a bar downtown having a drink

“We can’t keep doing this forever, man, you know that.”

“It’s been going alright so far,” Chris said.

“Sooner or later you’re gonna slip up and get tracked down, or me ‘n’ Terry will get shot in the wrong place and you won’t have anyone to drink Harrison’s with.” Davis set down his drink and looked his young partner in the eye. “We’re both smelly old men, we’ve got our backup plans – but you don’t, Chris. You need some – some places you can go if and when this all turns to shit.”

Chris scratched the back of his head. “I’ve got ideas…”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Chambers?”

“Nah, they’re not hiring.”

“Waithe. They want pen testers.”

“Maybe.”

“There’s a bunch of small shops in the Copper district looking for tech dudes…”

“Nobody gives a shit about the Copper district,” Davis said.

“Yeah, I was just kidding. Council?”

“The Council?”

“Sure – could fire up a resume, show them a few programs, give them a spiel about my passion for development, blah blah blah. Easy.”

“I dunno if you’ve ever been told this, man, but you’ve got a pretty distinctive appearance. You’re gonna get scanned and identified and tased the second you show your face there.”

Chris frowned. “I could dye my hair.”

“And your eyebrows?”

“And my eyebrows.”

“And your skin?”

“I could do that too,” Chris said, slightly less certain this time.

Davis snorted and picked up his Harrison’s again. “Right,” he said. “Sure.”

“Or I could just get my hands on one of those face-changing thingies – hey, why am I the one being doubted here?” Chris said. “You��can’t even get a girlfriend.”

“You don’t have one either,” Davis pointed out.

“Yeah, but you’re old.”

“Gonna pull out that card again, huh? I could get one, easy,” Davis said. “Just not really wise right now, considering what we do.”

“I totally believe you,” Chris said, in a tone indicating that he didn’t believe Davis whatsoever.

“I’ll show you right now.”

“Alright, Casanova, go.”

“OK,” Davis said, downing the rest of his glass in one go. “You think I can’t land a girl?” he said loudly, making sure the entire bar heard. “I’ll get a girl. Just gotta find the prettiest one here…” he turned in his seat, eyes roving till they landed on a pretty brunette sitting alone behind them. A pretty brunette that blushed furiously and stared at her table once she realised that Davis was looking at her.

“Hey,” Davis said. “What’s your name?”

“Alice,” the woman answered.

“You single, Alice?”

Alice nodded, far too red-faced to speak.

“Ever been with a black guy?”

She shook her head.

“Want to?”

She gave a shy nod, Davis slid off his seat to join her, and when he came back there was a triumphant, smug expression on his face and a new number in his phone.

“Girl gotten,” Davis grinned, nudging his younger partner, but Chris wasn’t looking at him.

“Chris?” Davis said, brow furrowing, then followed his gaze to the wall-mounted television. Davis’s mouth opened to speak again, then closed, falling into nonplussed silence like the man next to him.

The smattering of rain outside and the hubbub of the bar made the TV almost inaudible, but they didn’t need sound to understand what was happening. There was a tall building – an office, by the looks of it – shattered windows, smoke billowing out of the holes pounded into it. A close-up of the structural damage, wrenched steel and deep claw marks in concrete. More buildings. A skyscraper. A shopping mall, an ashen pile of what looked like the remains of several transport shuttles.

“Holy fuck, that’s in the middle of the city,” Davis breathed. Chris didn’t answer, eyes riveted on the screen where the newswoman was speaking. There was a video – a shaky recording of two dark silver streaks flying in and out of skyscraper windows, emitting blasts of light that left fire and rubble in their wake. Then, finally, a still image of one of the creatures – one of the robots, Chris realised. It was a robot. Sleek, streamlined form, digitigrade legs, almost unnoticeable slots all over the body where weaponry was hidden – and a faux face, completely featureless save for the two large shining blue eyes.

“That’s right up your alley,” Davis said.

“No,” Chris replied, still staring at the TV. “No, I never would… deal with one of those things, um… physically. Only, like, programming them. Or teaching them. Stuff that goes happens before they’re activated. Not... that.” He paused, breaking out of his reverie to glance at Davis. “That’s gonna take a fuckin’ military squad to deal with, not some computer nerd.” He cocked his head. “That’s up your alley.”

“Nah. I deal with bots sometimes, but not the thinky type,” Davis said, looking down at his now-empty glass. “Like this thing.” Davis motioned towards the machine bartender coming over, smoothly replacing his old glass with a new one. “Just does its job. Either works or it doesn’t. Nice and simple, y’know?”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “And the thinky bots take too much thinking for you?”

“Yeah.”

They chuckled and Chris’ eyes went right back to the screen, questions swirling around his head. “Look at that thing,” he said. “Must be still in development, cause I’ve never come across anything this advanced on the internet. Would’ve been worked on somewhere secure to keep it hidden. How did this –” he gestured at the screen showing the two androids blasting apart a grocery store, “–happen? There’s always a kill switch installed on every machine with any kind of humanlike thought. What happened to that? And where’s the company logo that’s meant to be on its head?”

“Who cares?” Davis said, already halfway through his new glass. “Just be glad they’re not on our end of town ‘n’ that we don’t have to deal with ‘em.”

It was in this moment that the bar door opened, and a chick with a sick hoodie and green hair walked in. She wore strapped boots, had a pistol at her hip, and was looking directly at him.

“Christopher Silverstone?” she said.

She knew his name. Big red flag. “Yes?” he answered.

“Finch. I’m from Blackwall. Can you come with me?”

Chris exchanged glances with Davis. “What for?”

“Business.”

Chris turned to face her and stood up, his hand hovering over his back pocket. “…Does it involve those scary robots on the telly behind me?”

“Uh…” Finch cocked her head for moment, listening into the small box under her left ear. “Yes,” she said, straightening up again. “It does.”

“What happens if I don’t want to?”

Again, Finch listened into her earpiece before answering him. “I will physically restrain you and have you come with me by force, and I’m allowed to ‘cause I got this piece of paper from the Council which says I can do that.” She paused. “And other things.”

Davis finally spoke up. “Chris,” he began, “this lady seems to be bothering you.”

“That she is,” Chris answered.

“You don’t seem to be enjoying it.”

“No I am not.”

Finch raised an eyebrow and looked at Davis. “Davis Barrister. You two are working together, huh?”

“You know me?” Davis said. “Well, I feel famous now.”

“Mmm-hmm. Do you know who I am?”

“Not a clue.”

“Great!” Finch said brightly. “Means I’m doing my job right.” She switched target. “Mr. Silverstone, are you gonna come with me, or do you want to do the, um, physically-restraining-you thing?”

“Whoa, now,” Davis cut in. “You’re saying that as if I’m not gonna bust your head in the second you try to do the physically-restraining-him thing. Chris ain’t going anywhere he doesn’t wanna go.”

At this, Finch sighed and frowned – but it was less of a concerned, scared-for-her-life kind of frown and more of an annoyed, why-do-I-have-to-deal-with-this one. Then the voice in her earpiece said something and she perked up again. “You’ll get paid hella money,” she offered.

Chris and Davis exchanged glances, then looked back at the woman.

“Well shit, why didn’t you just say so?”

[jyvaswriting]

some loser arrives into town

The drive to Philadelphia had taken longer than Chris thought it would, but now he was almost there. The man let go of a deep breath, urged his car forward, and it complied. The sun was going down, the birds were chirping, and the car sputtered to a stop as it finished rolling down the hill, barely a mile from the city outskirts.

“Really?” Chris groaned. The car didn’t respond. “Fuck you,” he said, stepping outside and kicking its front door closed. He took a moment to breathe into his gloves and straighten his sweater before heading around to the boot to lug out his suitcase.

The car’s antiquated robotic voice came from its speakers. “I’m sorry. I am out of power.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Chris muttered, looking up to the city and setting his teeth.

“Will you push me the rest of the way?” asked his car.

“Do I look like someone who can push a car to you?”

“I don’t have eyes. I cannot see.”

“No, Car Dude. I can’t push you there.”

Car Dude was silent for a while. “Are you planning to leave me here? Alone in the snow?”

“Stop trying to get my sympathy, man.”

“Okay.”

Chris scratched at his white hair, trying to think. “Look, I’ll get you towed in as soon as possible, alright? Go hibernate.”

“Alright,” said the car. Its headlights dimmed and flickered off, leaving Chris alone with a painfully cold twenty-minute hike.

 -

 Philadelphia didn’t seem that much different to Dover, besides the skyscrapers. And the fact that it wasn’t sinking into the ocean. That, Chris surmised, was most likely thanks to the big fat moat and the big fat wall that shielded the city from the sea to its east. The big fat wall that was blocking his way in.

For a moment the pale-skinned man stood in place, looking up at the hunk of metal and concrete that loomed over him.

“Yo!” he called out. “Anyone up there?”

“Hey! You’re at processing gate number twelve!” The sudden sound from his left made Chris jump in place and drop his suitcase.

“The hell-”

“Oh!” said the voice, its previously-perky tone deflating somewhat. “Sorry. Did I scare you?”

Chris righted himself and recovered his suitcase, not quite managing to do the same with his dignity. Now that he looked, he saw that the voice was coming from an innocent-looking speaker box off the path.

“Uh, hi,” he began, stepping closer. “Yeah, you did. Kinda.”

“Sorry again,” said the speaker box. Whoever was on the other side sounded female.

“That’s alright,” Chris said. “Um, is there a way around this wall, or-?”

“Oh – yeah-” He heard computer keys, the creak of a chair. “I gotta process you. Sorry, I’m a bit new to this job-”

“It’s fine,” Chris murmured, looking back up at the wall. It rose at least a dozen metres up into the air, preventing him from seeing anything at all on the other side. With the moat right in front of it, the thing made Philadelphia look like a huge castle. Hadn’t been made to encourage tourism, that was for sure.

“Hey, um…”

“Sarah,” said the speaker-box lady.

“Sarah, why do you guys have a wall around the city? I mean, I understand the part protecting it from the water, but… why surround the whole thing?”

“Oh, our WMD shield’s in it,” Sarah replied.

“Huh?”

“Yeah, we’ve got the entire thing built into the wall. All the… stuff,” Sarah finished lamely. “Barrier doesn’t extend past the walls that far, though. That’s why the roads outside are all messed up. Besides, the wall would look weird if it just ended at the ocean. Like, walls usually go into mountains and stuff, or they form a circle or a square perimeter. Would look weird if it just kinda ended, right?”

“I guess,” Chris said. His gaze stayed on the wall until the speaker buzzed again.

“Oh, here it is.” The sound of Sarah clearing her throat came through. “Do you have any ID you can present, sir or ma’am – uh, sir. You’re a sir. Probably.”

“No – I didn’t know I needed an ID…”

“That’s okay!” Sarah said brightly. “We’ll supply you with one. Full name?”

“Christopher Silverstone.”

She was typing again, wherever she was. “Age?”

“Twenty.”

“Occupation?”

“Unemployed,” Chris said.

“Reason you’re here?” Sarah asked.

“Coming here from Dover.”

There was a slight pause from the speaker box. “Ohhh. Dover. Ground underneath eroded away, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Dang, that was, like, days ago. You’re late. Everyone else is already in.”

“Yeah, well…” Chris said, turning back to look at Car Dude, who was still sitting at the foot of the hill. “My car kinda sucks.”

Chris heard Sarah stifle a giggle and a little tingle went up his back.

“Okay,” Sarah said, “There’s gonna be a little rod thing that comes up from the speaker box. Can you look into the very top of it when it does, with a neutral-ish face? It’s for your ID photo.”

“Uh, yes ma’am.”

Chris stood in place as a slight whirring sound occurred and the little rod thing popped up from the top of the box, stopping at eye height.

“Alright, now smile!” Sarah said. “I mean, whoops, don’t. Don’t smile. Neutral face.”

He complied, there was a small beep, and the little rod thing shrunk back into the speaker box.

“Alright, here,” she said. There was the sound of mechanical whirring and a little green plastic card came out from a slit underneath the speaker. “There’s your card. Don’t lose it, yeah?”

#6,325,466. Christopher Silverstone. Age 20. Dover refugee. 3C.

“Thanks,” he said, brow furrowing.

“No worries! Before I open up the gate, I gotta tell you – steer clear of the, um, inner city area at least till tomorrow, cause there’s a situation happening over there right now and civilians aren’t allowed in.”

“Oh?” Chris said, feeling his ears perk up. “What kinda situation?”

“Dunno, that’s just what I gotta tell you,” Sarah said.

“Ah. Okay.”

I’m gonna let you in now, should be right ahead of you.”

“Alright – oh, um, wait –”

“Hm?”

Car Dude. He’d forgotten about Car Dude. “D’you know about any towing services in the city?”

“There’s one at Olive Street, up the northern side,” Sarah said. “Don’t know if it’s safe to go there, though. Mercenary guilds, y’know.”

“Mercenaries?”

“Yeah. Nasty people. But there is a nice heated pool in that area. Looks like you could use one.”

“Was it the gloves or the sweater?”

There was a smile coming through her voice. “Both.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to visit, then.”

“Cool,” Sarah said cheerfully. “It’s called The Millennium Pool. Tell Kristy I said hi!”

“Sure.”

The audio on the speaker switched off, and Chris stood standing next to it for a few seconds before it turned on again.

“Fuck, sorry – gate – forgot-”

[jyvaswriting]

claire loses her mind

“Wakey wakey.”

Everything was blurry. Finch tried to open her eyes, screwed them tight, then opened them again. There was a cold floor under her knees. She was in a room, illuminated by a solitary bulb, silhouetting… someone standing over her.

Finch yelled, went to stand up – and was jerked back down to the concrete, held by what she realised were manacles around her hands.

Candine grinned at her and kneeled down. “Hey, Claire.”

“What the fuck-”

“Yeah, you got caught,” he said. “Turns out you and your buddies weren’t immortal after all.”

Not… immortal? What-

“Where are they?” Finch demanded. “Bone? Terrier? Dee?”

“You mean Christopher Silverstone, Terrence Grant, and Davis Barrister?

Her face blanched.

“Where,” she said, trying to keep her trembling voice level, “Where are they?”

“Dead,” Candine answered. “Got shot real good.”

Finch screamed and helplessly tried to move again, getting her knee underneath her and pushing against the floor, determined to either shatter her chains or break her kneecap doing it-

“They were the lucky ones, y’know,” Candine said. “I don’t envy what’s about to happen to you.”

Finch stopped and stared at him with red eyes, praying with all her heart that the bastard would trip on his fat head and die. “What’re you going to do?”

“What am I going to do? I didn’t mention anything about me being involved-”

“What the fuck are you going to fucking do to me?”

“Whoa, now. You should stop that yelling before I have to ask my buddy there to gag you,” Candine said, and for the first time Finch noticed the man standing behind her captor. Blinking down tears, she gritted her teeth and forced herself into sullen silence.

“Good,” said Mr. Piece-Of-Shit. “Now, uh, the government’s gone through a bit of a fuss debating what to do with you, what with launching the entire world into nuclear war.”

“We were trying to-”

“Uh-uh,” Candine interrupted her. “I’m talking.”

“Fuck you, asshole – you know that we didn’t-”

“One more word and you’re gettin’ the gag.” Candine waited for her to talk, and when she didn’t, he smiled. “Good. As I was saying – We didn’t really know what to do with you, since the death sentence is, unfortunately, banned. We could just put you in a life sentence, but let’s be honest-” Candine let out a stupid little laugh- “Nobody here wants you alive. Thankfully,” he said brightly, “I came up with a suggestion! You can ask me what the suggestion was now.”

Finch took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and exhaled. “What,” she said, “Was your fucking suggestion, Sir Fuckface?”

At her words, Candine let out his widest grin yet. “Tell me, Claire-”

“You don’t get to call me that-”

“-Do you know what a lobotomy is?”

She froze.

“Surprise!”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“It’s happenin’.”

“Fucking God fuck – that’s the same as fucking murdering me, you fucking god damn mother fuck-”

Finch could say no more as a rough gag was shoved into her mouth, cutting her words where they stood, leaving her able to only emit muted screams.

Through a blurred veil of tears, Candine was still smiling. Holy mother of assholes, he was still smiling. “Surprise number two,” he said. “It’s happening now.” He took a moment to grin at her one more time before he stood up and his assistant unlocked her chains, roughly grabbing her by the armpits, hoisting her onto an emergency bed.

 -

 The overhead lights of the prison flashing by were the only thing she could see, besides the men escorting her and fucking Candine. Finch screamed into her gag all the way.

This is not it. This is not the end. They are not dead. They’re going to come for me and Jay’s gonna shoot Candine in his stupid fucking mouth and we’re all going to live.

Her heart was hammering against her chest, sweat coming down her brow, and Finch realised her hands were shaking. Candine had to be lying. There was no way. Bone wouldn’t die to a couple government shitbags. Dee wouldn’t get caught. There was no way. They had to be alive. They had to be. Because if they weren’t, then…

Please God no.

The lights suddenly stopped moving. Candine came into the centre of her vision, that smile not able to leave his fucking face. “We’re here.” He stepped away for a second and came back with what looked like a circular glass, like the ones dentists used to shine light on your teeth. “Thanks to the miracle of modern technology,” he said, “We have machines to do this nasty stuff now. Quick, easy, none of that Neolithic head-opening business.” Candine put on a pair of lab glasses. “Though it’s still gonna be a little painful,” he added.

Finch felt the gag being stripped away.

“Don’t want to miss your last words.”

She could feel her shuddering breath going in and out of her lungs, the cold air on her face, the cloth of the bed under her clenched, trembling hands, the wetness streaking down her cheek. It was happening. Candine was going to effectively erase her – her memories, her brain functions, everything. She���d be reduced to the mental capacity of a drooling child.

No.

“Kill me,” Finch said.

Candine frowned and put up his glasses, leaning in. “Sorry?”

“Fucking kill me,” she repeated.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Candine said.

“Do it, you fucking asshole.”

“Nope.” Candine moved out of sight again.

“Candine, kill me. Kill me. Fucking kill me.”

“Weren’t you guys the ones who had the death sentence removed in the first place? Something about it being inhumane to murder a human being against their will, I recall.”

“I want to you to kill me. I want to die, Candine, do you fucking hear me? I want to die.”

Something entered the inside of her elbow. Numbly, Finch moved her head down to see a needle.

“I lied about the pain part,” Candine said cheerily. “Regulations require me to give you anaesthesia – but there’s nothing about knocking you out entirely. Besides-” He leaned by her ear, reducing his voice to a hiss- “I don’t want you to get distracted.” With that, he gestured to people out of sight to come. Strong hands went on to her shoulders and knees, pinning her down, and Finch convulsed.

“Kill me. Kill me. Kill me, Candine - fucking smash my head in with a hammer, I don’t care, just-”

The lobotomizing machine was being readjusted, aimed right between her eyes-

“KILL ME! KILL ME, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! ISN’T THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? FUCKING KILL ME, I AM FUCKING BEGGING YOU PLEASE GOD DON’T FUCKING-”

“It was fun,” she heard him say.

“NO! NO, NO NO – PLEASE! PLEASE, CANDINE, I’M FUCKING SORRY – FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING GOD PLEASE-”

Zap.

A/N: haha geddit cuz claire literally loses her mind

[jyvaswriting]

thomas stabs people

         1. EXT. HOLBORN - EVENING

         It's getting late in the day. Most of London has retreated          into their homes. Holborn is a large road in Camden.          Populating it are innumerable shops, yellow lights spilling          out onto the pavement from grimy windows.

         We see THOMAS EDEL, a pale, black-eyed man, hiding behind a          wall. Following his orders are twenty-five THUGS. THEY ARE          NOT GOOD PEOPLE.

         A small black cat speaks to Thomas in a female voice. Her          name is Verena, and she doesn't exist.

                             VERENA                    Remember, they’re gangsters and                    thugs. The law was going to punish                    them anyway. You’re just doing it                    for them. Just… don’t think about                    it.

         Thomas barely acknowledges his own imagination's words. She          disappears. He's intent on the road. His trained eyes are          seeking out particular people there. He waits for a while,          then observes a man walking into BARNARD'S INN. At a silent          hand gesture from him, the two dozen people behind him make          their way forward, and a FIGHT begins. SWORDS AND SCREAMING.

         Thomas does not engage on the street, and makes his way next          to the doorway of the inn. He draws a weapon from inside his          coat. It is a SEAX.

         He holds his weapon ready as the door is flung open and the          FIRST gangster comes outside. Thomas acts with COLD,          CALCULATED SPEED. The seax's pommel bounces off the first's          forehead, and the blade goes into his neck. Thomas grabs the          man by his hair, SHOVES him aside, and walks in.

         ONE.

         2. INT. BARNARD'S INN - EVENING

         Another man is just behind his partner, and has his stomach          slashed open. BLOOD EVERYWHERE. The gangster SCREAMS, and          Thomas cuts his throat to make it stop.

         TWO.

         There are FOUR sitting at a table when Thomas walks in. One          has the presence of mind to realise what is happening, and          wildly CHARGES Thomas with a knife. The little thing is LIKE          A TWIG next to his seax. Thomas makes use of his superior          reach and the man's reckless attack. The point of his seax          lands in the man's skull.

         THREE.

         One of the remainders FUMBLES for a flintlock pistol. The          other two get up and approach Thomas, more CAREFUL than          their previous comrade. One carries a KNIFE, the other has a          CHAIR. Thomas sidesteps the knife, and grips its owner's          forearm. The CHAIR comes in from his right, and Thomas          TWISTS to the side, raising his shoulder to avoid being hit          in the face -- it CRASHES into him, but has little effect on          the man. Thomas PULLS and sends the knife-man stumbling          forward. A CRUNCH of bone as the seax enters the gangster's          chest. The FOURTH flails, trying to stab Thomas as he drops,          and Thomas KICKS HIM OUT OF THE WAY.

         FOUR.

         The chair comes again and this time Thomas CATCHES IT,          TWISTING it out of his enemy's grip. He throws it into the          man's head. The gangster reels back and scrabbles for a          bottle on the table. His back is exposed, and Thomas takes          advantage of that.

         FIVE.

         With his seax BURIED in the writhing FIFTH's spine, Thomas          grips his neck with his free hand, hoists the man up with          some effort and faces the SIXTH. The sixth has his pistol          out, and his hand is shaking. Thomas takes a step closer and          the sixth tries to move to the side, to get a clear shot.          One step closer. Two. On the third the sixth gangster's          finger TIGHTENS ON THE TRIGGER, and Thomas THROWS the fifth          onto him. There are TERRIFIED YELLS underneath the body.          Thomas kills him, and takes his gun. He deals with the          still-moving FOURTH.

         SIX.

         Two more come down the stairs at the far end of the inn. The          one in front is SHOT.

         SEVEN.

         The EIGHTH is prepared. A sabre is in his hands and he stays          by the stairs, presumably waiting for the others to come.          Thomas drops the spent pistol, runs at him. He DEFLECTS the          eighth's PANICKED THRUST. A wild CUT follows and Thomas          catches it in his hand - AND THERE IS A METAL PLATE IN HIS          PALM, PROTECTING HIM. There is SHOCK in the eighth's eyes as          Thomas digs the seax in his abdomen. The eighth SCREAMS,          CLAWS AT THOMAS' COAT, and Thomas silences him like the          rest.

         EIGHT.

         Something hits his back and Thomas stumbles forward, FORCED          TO HIS KNEES. He twists around. The NINTH is there, sabre in          hand. Behind him, at the top of the stairs, is the TENTH,          reluctant to come down. Thomas reaches around, and feels the          back of his coat. The material there is SHREDDED, and          beneath is cold metal, a new cut where his armour had saved          him.

         The ninth gangster is wide-eyed, wondering how Thomas isn't          dying yet. Thomas gets to his feet.

                             NINTH GANGSTER                    What the fuck?

         He stares at Thomas, stares at his eight dead friends draped          over the floor, stares at the BLOOD SPRAYED ON THE          FLOORBOARDS. And he RUNS. Thomas reaches into his coat and          draws a pistol.

         NINE.

         Holstering his gun, BREATHING HARD, Thomas turns to face the          tenth. It is a mere TEENAGER. Mouth trembling, hands          shaking. Thomas advances up the stairs, and STOPS IN HIS          TRACKS when he sees the pistol.

                             TENTH GANGSTER                         (Stuttering)                    D-d-don't come closer o-or I-I'll                    shoot.

         Thomas steps back from the stairs. His eyes do not waver          from the ones bright with tears.

                             TENTH GANGSTER                    P-put yer hands up a-an’ move back                    t-to th-th’ wall.

         He indicates the wall opposite the stairs. Thomas obeys,          blood-soaked seax still in his hand.

                             TENTH GANGSTER                    I-I’m gonna come down th-th’                    stairs, now. Y-you stay there.

         Thomas waits as the boy shakily takes a step down, watching          the pistol. It stays on him as the tenth goes down another          step, then another, then another...

         Only only on the last step do the teenager's nerves betray          him -- the GUN GOES DOWN FOR A HALF-SECOND -- and Thomas          THROWS his seax. Its hilt STRIKES the teen's head - not          enough to kill him, not enough to knock him unconscious, not          enough to even wound him to any meaningful degree - BUT IT          IS ENOUGH. Thomas LUNGES FORWARD and puts his hands around          the teenager's throat. CRYING, SCRABBLING FINGERS, DESPERATE          PLEAS, and then... SILENCE.

         TEN.

[jyvaswriting]

nuclear bombs go boom boom

         1. INT. PARK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM - DAY

         PRICE COUNTY, WISCONSIN.

         PARK FALLS HIGH SCHOOL.

         LATE AUGUST, EARLY AFTERNOON.

         There is a kid sitting at a desk in the middle of the          classroom, pouting down at the paper before him. He is RILEY          SIMMONS, and he's in after-school detention.

         At the front of the classroom, MRS. PENNY ANDERSON sighs.

                             PENNY                    Riley, I wouldn't have to keep you                    in like this if you'd just do your                    work.

         Riley looks up at his teacher and gives her what he thinks          is a charming smile.

                             RILEY                    You don't have to keep me in...

                             PENNY                    Yes I do, Mr. Simmons.

         Pause.

                             RILEY                    I'm sorry, miss. I can't focus--

                             PENNY                    Don't be sorry, just do the work.

         Riley SLOUCHES in his seat and looks out of the classroom          windows. There's a dying sky. It's pretty shades of blue and          purple and red. There's trees and bushes and... something          moving in the bushes.

                             RILEY                    Mrs. Anderson, look.

         He points at the ball of fur peering into the room. It's          MAX, a cat.

                             RILEY                    It's Max.

         The teacher looks up from her phone.

                             PENNY                    So it is.

                             RILEY                    Can I bring her in?

                             PENNY                    What? Don't be ridiculous, you have                    to do your work.

                             RILEY                    Please? She wants to come in, look.

         Right on cue, the neighbourhood cat meows and paws at the          glass.

         Overpowered by this sudden display of cuteness, Penny gives          in with a rueful smile.

                             PENNY                    Fine. But if the principal comes                    in, it was your idea.

         Riley flashes a grin at his teacher and gets up, going over          to the window. He undoes the latch and the cat makes her way          into his arms in the SLOW, CURIOUS manner that all cats          have.

         Riley cradles her in his arms as he makes his way back to          his desk.

                             PENNY                    You're not going to be able to                    focus with her there, are you?

                             RILEY                         (indignant)                    Yes I can!

                             PENNY                    Alright, then show me. You've got                    your cat in the classroom. Now I                    want my homework finished. Sometime                    this century, please.

         Riley HUFFS. He sits down, stroking Max.

                             RILEY                    Don't mind the mean teacher, Max.                    She's just a grump.

                             PENNY                    I heard that. Do the work or I'll                    put her back outside.

         That did it. Riley quickly puts Max down and gets to          scribbling on his paper, but it's NOT LONG before he stops          again, looking back outside the window.

         It's mostly blue and purple now. The red is receding. The          breeze is blowing through the trees. It's relaxing. Riley          almost goes back to his work, but then something makes him          look at the window again.

         The red. It is INTENSIFYING. There's YELLOW. The red is          RISING, COMING BACK, and Riley doesn't understand what he's          seeing. IT'S TAKING OVER THE SKY. THE WIND IS BLOWING TOO          HARD.

         Riley looks at Mrs. Anderson, who HASN'T NOTICED A THING          because she's looking down at her phone again.

                             RILEY                    Mrs. Anders--

         BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

         A sound like CRASHING THUNDER, ONLY A THOUSAND TIMES        LOUDER.          A SHOCKWAVE sends Riley CAREENING SIDEWAYS. We hear WINDOWS          SHATTERING. Penny is KNOCKED ONTO THE FLOOR and SHOUTS OUT          in surprise. All at once, Max the cat is YOWLING and RUNNING          OUT OF THE CLASSROOM, DESKS are SENT TO THE GROUND, PAPER is          FLYING EVERYWHERE. There's a dozen CAR ALARMS going off,          leaves and dust are BLOWING INTO THE CLASSROOM.

         It's CHAOS.

         Riley gets up and scrambles to the window, SQUINTING through          the DUST AND WIND. He DOES NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS but it's          BLINDING, and he covers his eye with his hands and TURNS          AWAY.

         Penny joins him, and she's TERRIFIED. She does not look          outside, because the LIGHT now FILLS THE CLASSROOM, and for          a few EXCRUCIATING seconds she can't move and her eyes are          screwed shut.But we can see, and we can see their bones and          their blood vessels, because the light is so strong. It's          surrounding them.

         Penny wills her hands to let go of the windowsill and take          RILEY'S HAND and they're RUNNING, SCRAMBLING out of the          classroom and out of the school halls, she's YELLING          SOMETHING to Riley the whole way but he can't hear her          because there is so much NOISE. WIND is WHIPPING their faces          and there's BIRDS CRYING and things flying around that          shouldn't be. And there's the CONSTANT THUNDER, like an          ERUPTING VOLCANO. It's titanic and it's mountainous and it's          SURROUNDING them even more thickly than the air itself.

         2. EXT. SCHOOL FIELD - DAY

         They've reached the SCHOOL FIELD, and Riley doesn't          understand why Mrs. Anderson has brought him here. All he          knows is TERROR and now HEAT, and it feels like he's ON          FIRE. Riley is CRYING and he's SCREAMING. It's HARD TO          BREATHE and he's COUGHING. He's in PAIN and he's never been          this scared in his life. A SHOCKWAVE KNOCKS PENNY OVER again          and RILEY goes FLYING several metres forward, and he almost          wants to lay there and let whatever would happen happen to          him, but Penny is there again and she's dragging him up and          they're running again. All the while the LIGHT envelops them          and Riley's starting to feel like it's the wrath of God          himself.

         They reach a bomb shelter, an old one built DECADES ago.          Some people are already there, going down the ladder. Riley          turns around and looks. There are others coming to them, but          some are so, so far away. They're stumbling and terrified          just like him. He looks back at the school and there's          broken glass and things flying out. The lights have gone          off. Finally, he dares to look up at the sky.

         IT'S A NUCLEAR BOMB.

         And then Penny takes his hand again and DRAGS HIM into the          shelter, yelling at him with a hoarse voice.

                             PENNY                    DOWN THE LADDER!

         Riley nods and complies, shaking hands taking him down the          rusted ladder, then she follows him, and he can hear other          people coming down with him, down into the blackness.

[jyvaswriting]

jez and caelia become best buds

         1. EXT. EPISTE - DAY

         A frame devoid of a foreground. In the back is the desert          town of EPISTE, located in the khanate of DELEBRE. SAND and          DUST, carts drawn by camels and hands constantly checking          water skins for their fullness. The days here are          swelteringly HOT.

         Offscreen, there is the clinking of chains and the sound of          shoving. Sandals over sand and someone cursing.

         SEVERAL PEOPLE walk into frame. In front, JEZEBEL, already          seemingly OUT OF PLACE in this place where women keep their          eyes to the ground and cover their faces. She is of average          height, but is immediately DWARFED by the next person          onscreen. This is CAELIA, another woman, although next to          each other the two look to be of different species entirely.          They nearly are. Caelia is an APATRIAN, and like all          Apatrians, she is tall. Huge. She's muscled and scarred,          looks like she could crush a man's head with her bare hands,          and is being restrained by five rough-looking guardsmen          behind her with weapons at their belts. She has a metal          collar around her neck and chains around her arms and ankles          and a gag in her mouth. Last is AL-DIIB. He is, compared to          most people, an imposing man - but like the others he seems          diminuitive next to Caelia. He is a SLAVER, and a very          shrewd one at that.

                             JEZEBEL                    Here.

         The assembled party stops. CONFUSION. Al-diib and his          guardsmen are TAKEN ABACK. Even Caelia appears puzzled at          what the young woman just said. They look around at the          mostly-empty street as if expecting something.

                             AL-DIIB                    Here?

                             JEZEBEL                    Yes.

         Al-diib PAUSES. In all of his years of buying and selling          slaves, he has never come across a situation like this.

                             AL-DIIB                         (Carefully)                    Young lady, when we spoke, and we                    negotiated this deal, I was given                    the impression that you had an...

         He gestures vaguely with his hands.

                             AL-DIIB                    Entourage?

                             JEZEBEL                         (Blithely)                    No.

                             AL-DIIB                    You do not?

         Jezebel shakes her head slightly.

                             JEZEBEL                    No.

         Al-diib hesitates again. His greed fights with his          professionalism as a businessman.

         The guards look amongst each other, smirks forming on their          faces. It's obvious they are having trouble repressing          laughter.

         Caelia STARES down at the girl before her. SHE THINKS          JEZEBEL IS AN IDIOT.

                             AL-DIIB                    I apologize if I offend you, little                    miss, but - are you in your right                    mind? Did you perhaps indulge                    overmuch on the drinks last night?

                             JEZEBEL                    The deal has been made and the                    money paid, has it not?

                             AL-DIIB                    Yes, but - girl, you were there                    yesterday, yes? You saw this-

         -- He indicates Caelia -

                             AL-DIIB                    --thing fight. The deal has been                    made and she is yours, yes - but I,                    as a professional, am hesitant hand                    her over to you without knowing                    that you have the proper...                    measures, to keep her obedient.

                             JEZEBEL                    Worry not, mirze, I can handle her.

         A moment of silence between the two, underlined by the          guardsmen now exchanging glances and smiling even wider.          They don't even try to hide it from Jezebel. Caelia feels          their attentions slip and their grips on her restraints          loosen. Her fists curl, but she does not act just yet.

                             AL-DIIB                    You? Alone?

                             JEZEBEL                    Yes.

         Al-diib leans in, peering at Jezebel. Searching for deceit.

                             AL-DIIB                    You have nobody with you? Nobody at                    all?

                             JEZEBEL                         (Completely unaware or                         uncaring of the dangerousness                         of her words)                    Nope. No-one.

         The slaver straightens, coming to a decision. He smiles, and          it is a wide, indulgent, thinly-disguised sneer. It is clear          to all present except Jezebel what he is thinking.

                             AL-DIIB                    Very well. As you wish.

         He orders his guards to hand all of their chains to Jezebel,          and he gives her a key.

                             AL-DIIB                    I thank you again for choosing to                    do business with me, and I am glad                    we have come to an agreement.

         He reaches out to shake Jezebel's hand. She returns the          gesture, and in doing so nearly drops all of Caelia's          restraints. The gladiatrix watches this happen in silence,          stunned.

                             AL-DIIB                    Heta carek din em hev bibînin,                    Jezebel the Nameless. Until we meet                    again.

         Jezebel GRUNTS under the weight of Caelia's chains.

                             JEZEBEL                    It was a pleasure.

         Al-diib and his troupe saunter away, leaving the young          Jezebel alone with her newly-acquired Apatrian slave. Or          alone as they can be in the middle of a bustling desert          town.

         Jezebel waits until they are out of earshot before promptly          dropping the heavy chains looking up at Caelia, who is          nearly twice her size and clearly deciding on whether or not          to let Jezebel live.

                             JEZEBEL                    By the Eight, that was a long                    process, wasn't it?

         She waits for Caelia to reply, but the other woman is          gagged.

                             JEZEBEL                    Oh. Yes. Right. Can you lean down?                    I will take it off for you.

         Caelia obliges, with great reluctance. Jezebel goes on her          tip-toes to undo the knot.

                             JEZEBEL                    There.

                             CAELIA                    Thank you.

                             JEZEBEL                    Now, I'm sure you remember what-

         Caelia shoves out her hands, still bound.

                             JEZEBEL                    Ah. Those too. You know what, maybe                    it's not a wise to speak out here                    in the open.

         She heaves the chains up again and into Caelia's arms.

                             JEZEBEL                    Come, come. We'll find somewhere                    more private. I'll undo your hands                    and legs there.

         Jezebel sets off at a confident trot. Caelia CHOOSES TO          FOLLOW.

         They find a relatively empty alley and Jezebel beckons          Caelia into the shadows. She begins undoing Caelia's hand          restraints, although her progress is slow.

                             JEZEBEL                    So. Yes. You are my travelling                    buddy now.

         The Apatrian does not answer.

                             JEZEBEL                    We are going to travel up the                    Cimejiye, about halfway. That's                    where my mother's grave is. I'll be                    frank with you, I don't really know                    how to travel. It's a miracle I've                    even made it here, to this... nasty                    place.

         Caelia's hands are free. Jezebel moves to work on her legs,          but the larger woman stops her and does it herself, kneeling          over. Not once does she look at her saviour.

                             JEZEBEL                         (Slightly taken aback by                         Caelia's manners)                    Well, alright... um, I want you to                    help me plan out and prepare for                    the trip. Because... I feel like                    you'll know how to do that. Given                    your history. Tell me what we'll                    need. I can buy it. Then we go, and                    once we're done you can be free to                    do whatever you want. We'll go our                    separate ways.

                             CAELIA                    We go our separate ways now.

         She's now completely unbound. She stands up to her full          height, which is honestly TERRIFYING, and easily pushes          Jezebel out of the way, knocking her to the earth.

                             JEZEBEL                    Hey!

         Caelia does not say anything further, already striding away.          Jezebel gets up and pursues. She has to do a half-jog to          keep up with Caelia's walking.

                             JEZEBEL                    Where are you going? Come back                    here!

                             CAELIA                    I am going away from you.

                             JEZEBEL                    No! Bad slave! Bad! Stop! Stop, I                    say!

         Caelia stops and whips around. Jezebel almost collides with          her torso.

                             CAELIA                    You are an idiot.

                             JEZEBEL                    Hey - well, yeah, but-

         The other woman has already turned around again.

                             JEZEBEL                    Oi! What does me being an idiot                    have to do with anything?

                             CAELIA                    It means I will not go with you.

                             JEZEBEL                    That's really rude!

                             CAELIA                    It is for your own good, fool.

                             JEZEBEL                    How?!

                             CAELIA                         (Still not looking at her)                    Was your mind off in the sky while                    you were speaking with the slaver,                    you stupid insect?

                             JEZEBEL                    Only a little bit. And don't call                    me a stupid insect, thanks! Didn't                    they teach you any manners in slave                    school?

                             CAELIA                    You are hopeless.

                             JEZEBEL                    Don't call me that, either!

         Caelia stops and faces Jezebel again. She was already short          on patience before...

                             CAELIA                    Listen. Girl. I do not know who you                    are. I do not know how you got the                    money to buy me. I do not think                    Al-diib does either. Maybe you come                    from a rich family or something.                    Maybe you stole it. That does not                    matter. What matters is, there was                    a lot, and you act very carefree                    about it. So there is more                    somewhere. Al-diib is going to find                    us, maybe later tonight, maybe in                    the next few days, with probably                    two dozen men behind him. He will                    try to recapture me and then find                    out where the rest of your money is                    from you. I do not plan on going                    back to him, and I am sure you do                    not want to have your fingers                    broken one by one and your legs cut                    off. That is why it is best that                    you do not come with me. Do you                    understand?

         Jezebel listens to her speech, but she is not left with the          slapped-by-reality wide-eyed terror that Caelia was hoping          her to be in.

                             JEZEBEL                         (Slowly)                    Well, firstly, you're coming with                    me, so remember that. Secondly, I                    just paid a lot of money for you,                    and I'm not about to just let you                    walk off!

                             CAELIA                    Were you listening to what I just                    said?

                             JEZEBEL                    Yes.

                             CAELIA                    Do you not care about being                    tortured?

                             JEZEBEL                    That would be fairly bad, I guess,                    but it won't happen.

                             CAELIA                    How?

                             JEZEBEL                    I... it's a secret!

         Jezebel gives the Apatrian a winning smile.

         Caelia is not won over, and gives her an exasperated look.          She continues walking.

                             CAELIA                    Idiot.

                             JEZEBEL                    It's true! Trust me!

                             CAELIA                    I do not. Did you notice that                    Al-diib already had somebody                    following us from the moment he                    walked away?

                             JEZEBEL                    Um, no...

         Jezebel glances behind her, but sees nothing.

                             CAELIA                    Did you just turn around to look at                    them?

         She waits for an answer. None comes.

                             CAELIA                    See. You are an idiot.

         Jezebel follows behind Caelia for a while, quietened. The          sun is getting low, and the streets are emptying. Every time          they pass someone, though, a head turns to stare at the huge          woman. It's hard not to. They've all seen her before - in a          pit, fighting, bathed in blood, or surrounded by Al-diib's          guards and wrapped in chains and rope. They all have an          obvious question in their eyes, but none dare approach the          scarred gladiatrix.

                             JEZEBEL                    Where are you going?

                             CAELIA                    Stultus. Leave.

                             JEZEBEL                         (Indignant)                    I care because I just freed you                    from that guy! And now you're just                    walking off! You owe me.

                             CAELIA                    I said 'thank you'.

                             JEZEBEL                    That's not nearly enough! And you                    shoved me!

                             CAELIA                    Yes. I could have gouged your eyes                    out, but I did not. As a sign of                    thanks. Stop following me, idiot                    girl.

                             JEZEBEL                    No.

                             CAELIA                    Leave, or I will make you leave.

                             JEZEBEL                    No. You won't.

                             CAELIA                         (Aggression rising)                    You think I won't?

                             JEZEBEL                         (Seriously)                    No. I think you can't.

                             CAELIA                    I pushed you to the ground with one                    hand, fool. Do not test my patience                    any longer. I will beat sense into                    you.

         As soon as the Apatrian says those words, she feels two          small hands pushing on her back, trying to shove her over.          Jezebel, obviously, has no effect on Caelia.

         Caelia takes a deep breath. Then she turns sharply left,          heading into a hut on the side of the street, shoving the          door open. Jezebel follows suit.

          2. INT. EPISTE HUT - EVENING

         Inside is a family, preparing to have dinner. They freeze.

                             DELEBRIAN MAN                    Ew çi ye lo?!

         Caelia ignores him and points outside, speaking in the          common tongue.

                             CAELIA                    Out.

                             DELEBRIAN MAN                    Asteng kirin-

         He recognizes her, and so does his wife and two kids. They          grab their bread and PROMPTLY GET ON THEIR FEET, scurrying          outside like frightened mice, all the while yelling          Delebrian expletives.

                             JEZEBEL                    Why'd you-

         The door shuts. Caelia pivots, and SWINGS at Jezebel's head          - harder than she really meant to. It is a QUICK, VIOLENT          blow - one that would have given any grown man a concussion          had they been standing in Jezebel's place. BUT, to Caelia's          SILENT RELIEF, NOTHING HAPPENS. She feels no resistance, and          her fist hits nothing but air.

         AND JEZEBEL HAS NOT MOVED.

         BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.

         Caelia does not waste time and tries to GRAB Jezebel - and          her hand grasps at the now-vacant material of Jezebel's          clothing.

         There is a faint sound, like something between SAND shifting          and SMOKE.

         The infuriating girl herself has taken merely one step to          the side, and is now for some reason STARK NAKED. Caelia saw          what happened that time. She steps back from the girl half          her size, suddenly VERY WARY of what she's looking at.

                             JEZEBEL                         (Resigned)                    Great. Now we've both seen each                    other naked.

                             CAELIA                    You - what in Samarra's name-

                             JEZEBEL                    I was really planning to show that                    to you later, you know.

                             CAELIA                    You are one of those things? You                    are a Destnedayîn? Untouchable?

                             JEZEBEL                    You know about them?

                             CAELIA                    What the fuck does a Destnedayîn                    want with me?

                             JEZEBEL                         (Pointedly)                    I want you to be my travelling                    buddy.

         A PAUSE. Caelia recovers from her shock and reasserts          herself. Untouchable or not, this kid is still a kid.

                             CAELIA                    No.

                             JEZEBEL                         (Infuriated)                    No?!

                             CAELIA                         (Shaken, in spite of her years                         of experience)                    No. I care not for your powers from                    the beyond. I will not be coerced                    by the likes of you.

         Jezebel is visibly upset by these words.

                             JEZEBEL                    I - you - I can't believe you!

                             CAELIA                    You can't stop me, daemon.

         Now anger registers in Jezebel's eyes.

                             JEZEBEL                    I'm not a demon!

         Caelia moves to walk away, but before she can take two steps          Jezebel's hands pull at her ankles and nearly trip her.

         Caelia ROARS and punches at the naked annoyance, but misses          entirely again. Jezebel's form seems to EVAPORATE before her          hands, her head turning into dark smoke before she is          touched, then reforming.

                             CAELIA                    Rrrrrgh!

         Two more furious swings. A kick that would have sent another          person into the air. NOTHING WORKS. Jezebel tries to trip          Caelia once more, and her hands are definitely solid when          she does so - Caelia tries to STOMP her head in, with no          result.

         She hears giggling. Jezebel has definitely done this before.

         The gladiatrix furiously fights the air while she is POKED          and SLAPPED and TICKLED and MOCKED RELENTLESSLY. All her          muscle is USELESS against Jezebel.

         Finally, Caelia stops. And thinks.

                             CAELIA                    You don't want to be seen, do you?

         This gives Jezebel reason to pause, and Caelia takes the          opportunity to launch a lightning-fast jab. She fails again,          but sees that Jezebel has to raise her eyes to look at her          fist before becoming immaterial.

                             CAELIA                    And you need to know an attack is                    coming to react to it.

         Jezebel is WORDLESS. Caelia opens the hut's door.

                             CAELIA                    I'm going to walk out onto the                    street, with your clothes-

         --She holds up Jezebel's clothing, still in her hand-

                             CAELIA                    -And if you follow me, the whole                    town would be watching me, and see                    what you are. Assuming they don't                    die laughing at how skinny you are.

                             JEZEBEL                    T-the - we Destnedayîn are                    worshipped here, you know.

                             CAELIA                    Yes. But you don't want to be                    recognized, do you? For whatever                    reason you may have.

         Caelia sees the look in Jezebel's face. Victorious, she          turns to leave.

                             JEZEBEL                    Wait!

         Caelia does not wait.

                             JEZEBEL                    I'm sorry!

         Caelia waits. Jezebel slumps onto the ground.

                             JEZEBEL                    I'm sorry I tried to make you go                    with me. You can go. Just let me                    have my clothes back, please.

         Caelia HATES THIS. More than everything Jezebel said or did          before. She HATES that she does not know how to answer. She          would like nothing more than to be able to simply leave this          girl here in this empty house. BUT SHE FEELS SOMETHING          PULLING HER BACK.

                             CAELIA                    You are pathetic.

         She HOPES Jezebel will answer with anger, or indignation, or          anything beyond defeat. Jezebel does not.

                             CAELIA                    What kind of Destnedayîn are you? I                    thought your kind was strong.

                             JEZEBEL                    I-I'm not a - well, I am,                    physically, but-

                             CAELIA                    Speak up. Properly.

                             JEZEBEL                    I said I was came from Medenseig                    earlier. Remember? I wasn't born                    where - where the Destnedayîn                    usually are. Up north.

                             CAELIA                    There are no Destnedayîn in                    Medenseig.

                             JEZEBEL                    Yeah. My mother was Destnedayîn.                    But she... coupled with an                    outsider. So I was sent away to                    Medenseig and they both got                    executed.

         Caelia shuts the door again. THIS GIRL IS IMPORTANT. Caelia          does not like it, but that is what her instincts are telling          her, be it destiny or damned pity. She does this because the          eyes of fate are upon her, NOT FOR THE GIRL. She would NEVER          do anything for this annoying gnat otherwise.

                             JEZEBEL                    Why are you suddenly caring? Give                    me back my clothes!

         Caelia would DEFINITELY never do anything for this annoying          gnat otherwise.

         ...She tosses Jezebel her clothes.

                             JEZEBEL                    Why are you still here?

         The pitiful girl wrestles herself back into her tunic...          then slowly looks back up at Caelia, who hasn't moved. Their          eyes meet.

         A smile slowly starts to creep onto Jezebel's face.

                             JEZEBEL                    ...I knew it.

         Caelia scowls at her.

                             JEZEBEL                    I knew it! Ha!

                             CAELIA                    I have not-

                             JEZEBEL                    -I knew you had a soft side! I knew                    it! I knew the second I saw your                    damn pissy face!

         Jezebel falls into CACKLING LAUGHTER. It is a sound that          Caelia will have to endure for a long time.

[jyvaswriting]

isabel and matias being sappy

         1. EXT. TRAIN STATION - DUSK

         LONG SHOT on a quiet, edge-of-town train station. It would          be empty, if not for the two people sitting together at the          far end. They are ISABEL WATERS and MATIAS CARABALLO.

                             ISABEL (O.S)                    Will you wait for me?

         CUT IN CLOSER to MEDIUM SHOT OF THE TWO.

                             MATIAS                    Of course I will. Why wouldn't I?

                             ISABEL                    I dunno. It's gonna be three years.

                             MATIAS                    You think I'd lose interest and go                    for another girl?

                             ISABEL                    I'm kind of scared of that, yeah.

                             MATIAS                    Don't be. I wouldn't do that to                    you. Come on.

         Isabel sighs, some of her nervousness alleviated.

                             MATIAS                    Not after all the shit you've put                    me through.

         She LAUGHS, and it's LIKE SPRING RAIN to Matias.

                             ISABEL                    You're right. Sorry. I'm just being                    paranoid again.

                             MATIAS                    It's okay. It's a lot better than                    it was before.

         He pauses.

                             MATIAS                    You're a lot better than you were                    before.

         Isabel acknowledges his words, but does not speak. They sit          together in silence, both desperate to not waste this last          moment together. They DRINK IN EACH OTHER'S COMPANY.

         Matias speaks up after a while.

                             MATIAS                    Just call me when you get there,                    yeah?

                             ISABEL                    Yeah. Duh.

                             MATIAS                    And the next day. And when you                    arrive at the uni. And tell me what                    your teachers are like.

                             ISABEL                         (Voice breaking)                    Mat, I'm gonna be fucking texting                    you like ten seconds after the                    train takes off.

         Matias smiles.

                             ISABEL                    I'll never forget. Okay?

                             MATIAS                    I'll make sure of it. If you don't                    call then I will.

                             ISABEL                    Yes, daddy.

                             MATIAS                    And... the drugs.

                             ISABEL                    I know.

                             MATIAS                    You can stay away from them this                    time.

                             ISABEL                    I know.

                             MATIAS                    I believe in you, Bell. I know you                    can do it. You'll kick ass and                    graduate and come back and                    everything will be fine.

         They look into each others' eyes.

                             ISABEL                    ...I know.

         THE DISTANT ROAR of an approaching train. The time's coming.

         Bell feels a distant panic. She doesn't want to go, not just          yet. She stands up.

                             MATIAS                    The train--

                             ISABEL                    Mat - Mat, wait. I don't wanna go.

                             MATIAS                    You have to.

                             ISABEL                    No... there's one more train                    coming.

         She swallows, fights back tears.

                             ISABEL                    In, like, thirty minutes. I--

                             MATIAS                    You want me to stay a bit longer?

                             ISABEL                    Yeah.

                             MATIAS                    Okay.

         Isabel slowly sets herself back down next to Matias as the          train slows down in front of them, blowing out smoke,          puffing to a halt. They don't move, and when the conductor          pokes his head out from the front of the train, Matias gives          him a wave and shakes his head. The conductor's head goes          back in, and the train continues on its way.

         They are alone again.

                             ISABEL                    I'm scared.

         Matias has no answer for her. Instead, he pulls her in          closer. Isabel rests her head on his chest, and they wait          for the last train together.

[jyvaswriting]

da

         BLACKNESS.

                             STEFAN (V.O.)                    I was born on June 2nd, 1922.

         PURE WHITE. FADE IN: revealing the whiteness as snowflakes,          gently falling down...

         To the city. A cold place, with gray buildings and few          people out on the streets. The snow coats the roofs and          cobbles and pavement.

         1. EXT. MISLOVY - DAY

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    In 1950, I was... twenty-eight                    years old - no, twenty-seven at                    this time.

         STEFAN, younger than he sounds as he's speaking. He is          bundled in dilapidated-looking yet warm clothing; most          notably a long coat that seems just slightly too large for          him, almost as battered as its wearer looks.

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    At this time, the war between us                    and Vserov had not happened yet,                    but it was inevitable. Everybody in                    the country could feel it coming,                    you know... a lot of mistrust.

         MISTRUST, reflected in the eyes of everyone the young Stefan          passes as he makes his way down the road. People keep to          themselves, huddled and bent over in the cold. Mouths are          curled into thin, bitter lines. Hardship and resentment.

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    People did not want to talk you if                    they did not know you, because                    anyone could be a Vserov spy. Even                    your neighbour that you know for                    many years could have defected to                    keep himself safe. I saw people I                    knew that had been good friends,                    and then once the kidnappings                    happen, everyone keeps to                    themselves. And then, if you found                    someone that you knew was a spy,                    you could not report them to the                    government. Because the phones were                    all tapped, you know? And the                    Mislovy government was weak. They                    were falling apart. We had                    politcija, but they were too thin                    and many were corrupt so you could                    not trust them.

         A GUNSHOT punctuates the air.

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    So... people dealt with the spies                    themselves.

         There is distant shouting; sounds of someone being SHOVED,          furniture being knocked over, wooden walls taking an impact.          On the street, some people raise their heads or walk faster,          but none come over to help or investigate. THIS IS AN          EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE NOW.

         Stefan, too, DOES NOT INTERFERE. HE ONLY WATCHES as three          men in civilian clothing haul another out of a doorway. The          discovered traitor sports a bloodied lip, a broken nose, and          a black eye. Stefan walks on.

                             STEFAN (V.O.)                    And it was hard. You know? It was                    hard. Especially since I was not                    born in Mislovy. So people were                    more suspicious of me. Some days, I                    remember thinking that I just                    wanted it to happen, I wanted the                    war to hurry up. The whole country                    simply waiting to be annexed. I                    wanted it to hurry up so we go into                    Vserov and then maybe things can go                    back to normal. I knew it would                    still be violent, and many people                    would be hurt, you know, as it                    happened. But it would be better.                    So we can have more food again and                    I can find a job. But that was                    dangerous to think.

         2. EXT. MISLOVY MARKETPLACE - DAY

         Stefan arrives at the city centre: a plaza far too large for          the sparse amount of stalls that still weather the cold in          it. There is a sizeable amount of people here, however, and          to Stefan that means more danger. He enters the marketplace.

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    Because I knew of some people that                    thought the same way as me, but                    they act on these thoughts. They                    did not defect and help Vserov -                    well, some did, but - these ones,                    they go to the government, the city                    council, they plead for us to                    accept Vserov influence and let                    Mislovy be absorbed into their                    territory without a fight. But they                    were treated the same as the spies                    and defectors that got caught, so                    everyone tries to behave the right                    way. Try not to stand out, show                    that you support our country, that                    you do not want Vserov to take over                    even if that means going hungry.                    You had to be a patriot. And anyone                    who was not a patriot was, ah...                    ostracised. Until somebody decides                    they are less than this, that -                    that they were a bad guy and then,                    you know... dealed with them.

         Stefan makes his way through the marketplace. Some people          recognize him, and this is seen through them briefly making          eye contact, but only briefly. Everyone KEEPS TO THEMSELVES.

         Stefan stops at a stall, and again, the stall owner, POLINA,          meets his gaze, but she quickly lowers her eyes again, as          does Stefan.

         Unready to speak just yet, Stefan stops and makes a pretense          of checking his coat for holes. Polina does something          similar, rearranging her wares. But once she is sure Stefan          is not looking at her, she takes another quick glance at his          face. She is concerned about how he is doing. THEY KNEW EACH          OTHER, ONCE.

                             POLINA                         (Tersely)                    Stefan.

                             STEFAN                         (Distractedly)                    Zdravo, Polina.

                             POLINA                    How are you doing?

                             STEFAN                    Good, good.

                             POLINA                    Valerija giving you much trouble?

         Stefan has to take a second to remember.

                             STEFAN                    Oh, no, we're doing okay.

                             POLINA                    Still having trouble with water?

                             STEFAN                         (Confused)                    What? No--

         --He LAUGHS NERVOUSLY, pointing upwards at the snowflakes          still drifting down.

                             STEFAN (CONT'D)                    We have-

                             POLINA                    - No, I meant-

                             STEFAN                    - Snow, we can just-

                             POLINA                    - Warm water.

                             STEFAN                    - Melt - oh.

         Stefan scratches the back of his head, and then an itchy          spot on his facial hair. He STRUGGLES to get his thoughts in          order.

                             STEFAN                    No, we don't.

         Polina opens her mouth to speak. Stefan quickly stops her.

                             STEFAN                    No, no, no - it is fine. Keep your                    water. We'll live.

         A LONG PAUSE. They both take the moment to breathe.

                             POLINA                    So, you want...

         She gestures towards her wares. FOOD. It's all wrapped up in          brown, slightly dirty paper bags to protect it from the          bitter cold, but there are words carved into the wood          beneath it. BREAD. FISH. POTATOES. CHICKEN AND BEEF.          Stefan's gaze lingers on the last two.

                             STEFAN                    Bread. Please.

         Polina LOOKS UP AT HIM QUESTIONINGLY. Stefan silently holds          up two fingers, she brings up two loaves of bread in a bag,          and money is exchanged without a word. Stefan produces an          OLD, ROUGH-SEWN BURLAP SACK from inside his coat. He HIDES          the bread inside his sack, and, JUST AS QUICKLY AS IT          APPEARED, the sack is hidden again, out of sight from          opportunistic thieves.

                             STEFAN                         (Already making his leave)                    Zbogom.

                             POLINA                         (Calling after him)                    Stay safe, Stefan.

         Stefan walks away.

                             STEFAN (V.O.)                    So.

         Stefan leaves the way he came, out of the marketplace, back          over the ice-coated cobbles.

         3. EXT. STEFAN'S APARTMENT - DAY

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    Mislovy. 1950. Very cold, very                    hungry place. Vserov is about to                    invade and everyone is scared.

         He arrives at his home, a cold grey apartment. Stefan          trudges up two flights of stairs and stops at the second          door on the second floor.          STILL LONG SHOT: STEFAN AND HIS APARTMENT DOOR

                             STEFAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)                    Everything is... dangerous. Not                    safe. You can not trust your                    neighbours and there is fighting                    every day. Not a good place to be.

         From a distance, we see Stefan fumbling with his keys on one          hand, the other still protectively holding onto his sack of          food under his coat, shooting furtive glances to the side.          He finally finds the right key, gets it in the keyhole,          opens the door, and--

                             STEFAN'S FRIENDS                    SURPRISE!

         A SUDDEN BLAST of WARMTH and FRIENDSHIP on this freezing          day. For a fraction of a second, we see people inside the          apartment, jumping out from sofas, raising their hands,          throwing confetti, one running at him with a cake, before--

         Stefan reflexively SLAMS the door shut and the sound is cut          off.

         He stares at the wood for a few seconds, processing and          collecting himself. He's too far away to read his face, but          we see him take a deep breath and heavily exhale it,          shoulders rising and falling. Sudden fear gives way to the          dawning of a happy realisation. He tilts his head up to the          snow-white sky for a moment, as if giving thanks to a higher          deity. Then he realises he's dropped his food sack in his          shock and picks it up. He reaches for the door handle -- but          it OPENS BEFORE HIS FINGERS TOUCH IT. There is laughter and          a woman comes out. Her name is VALERIJA.

                             VALERIJA                    Stefan, come on!

         Valerija embraces him and grabs him by the hands. Stefan          allows himself to be pulled in and the door closes behind          him.

         PAUSE FOR A BEAT.

                             STEFAN (V.O.)                    ...It was the best time of my life.