"Do you remember now?" The blue-haired girl stared into my eyes, her peach-colored irises unblinking.
"I do."
I don't.
But I've reached my limit. I can't take this anymore.
We're both sitting on the elevator floor. Could be an hour, could be four—I've lost track. All I know is she's beaten me so badly I can barely see straight.
This is the case of being bullied to the point you willingly come to school, find the bully, and hand them YOUR money.
My head rests in her lap, surprisingly soft and warm, as her fingers comb through my hair.
"Really?" she asks.
I force a nod.
"Oh!" She crushes me in a hug, pressing my face into her chest until I can't breathe.
Great. Death by suffocation.
One conclusion: this girl is completely insane. I have no idea how I ended up here, and it's driving me crazy how powerless I am against her.
[Wait... who exactly is she?]
You know those types of psychos who keep laughing even when you cut off an arm...?.
[Then how did you get mixed up with someone like that?]
I don't know. Well, something's coming back to me. But I really hope it's not who I think it is.
"So..." She pulls back. I can breathe again, but there's this weird sense of loss.
"Why?" Tears gather in her eyes. "You promised you'd come back for me. But you never did. Why?"
Yep. It's her.
Why? Why did it have to be her?
"I tried, I really did. But I was so weak—I nearly died multiple times. When I finally made it back... You were gone."
Best lie I can manage right now. She's a psycho but brilliant. Any more detail and I will just shoot myself in the leg.
"Really?" Her smile widens.
"Yeah."
Fuck.
BAM!
It felt like my gut imploded. "Christ!"
"Why are you lying to me?"
"I'm not lying."
I shouldn't have said that.
BAM!
"Stop it!" The last of my strength drains away.
I tried to push her away, damn, I really tried. But this monster is too strong for me.
"STOP LYING!" She's crying now, actual tears.
I really want to strangle this bitch so much?!
'Just let me go!'
How can she cry when I'm the one getting beaten to death?
"DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I WAITED FOR YOU?"
"I said I'm not—"
BAM!
"Stop it! I'm not—"
BAM!
"I'm not—"
BAM!
"WAIT! Yes, it's a lie. I never came back for you." The words tumble out as I couldn't take it anymore.
[This is hard to watch.]
'Then help me.'
[You're that desperate? You know what my help costs.]
'Forget it.'
[Your choice.]
'Tsk,'
'But... how did you even meet this psycho in the first place?
'Two years ago, while traveling the empire, I got into trouble and ended up getting kidnapped. She was there in that hellhole too, with a lot of other kids.' I watch her wipe her tears with the back of her hand.
What happened?
'She was just a kid back then. I'd spent two months in that place, watching people get sold off as lab rats or slaves, no one wanted me given my condition, and for some reason... those bastards didn't sell her too.'
She didn't talk at first, but eventually I got her to open up. We became friends - or at least, she thought we did. When I figured out she had powers, I convinced her to help me, together we could escape.'
[So you used her to escape and then abandoned her?]
Pretty much.
I escaped with her help... but she got caught.
Well, at least the plan worked.
"Did you really see me as a friend, or was I just a tool for your escape?" she asked.
This is it. The question that'll either save me or kill me.
But I have a feeling I'm going to die in here either way.