Chapter Text
A lone bird calls out, its song getting cut off by a gun shot. I hear it fall, shaking my head and moving on. Something sounds from behind me, and I lash out with Solver. The bright red blast pushes my stalker back, and I grit my teeth. My eyes land on her, and I straighten up.
“Woah, hey, Dolly. It’s just me.” Lizzy glares at me, adjusting her pink dress. “I saw you come here and thought I should follow you.”
“Почему?” I ask. “Я не делаю ничего веселого.”
Footsteps ring out, and I flash red light. A silhouette greets me, and I force the figure closer. A girl with silver hair and twitching bunny ears pouts, and I throw her back. Her hat flies off, and I make she she gets it. Her pained yelp makes me roll my eyes.
“Who was that?” Lizzy asks, sounding like she doesn’t care.
“Мусорный кролик,” is all I can say. I shrug and turn on my heel, and Lizzy chases after me. Once at my side, she stays in a casual stroll while I try to rid myself of her. “Если останешься со мной, ты не увидишь красивого зрелища.”
“That’s never why I’m here,” she replies. “I’m just here for you.”
“Просто оставить.” I wave my hand. “Это для твоего же блага, Элизабет.”
“Ни в коем случае, Долли. Я очень сильно люблю тебя!” Lizzy exclaims. “Come on now, show me whatever you do out here.”
“Please, leave,” I murmur. “It’s for your own safety.”
She grabs my arm, and I flick my fingers. A ring of Solver encircles her wrist, and I move to push her away.
Lizzy kisses my cheek, and the ring disappears. I stare at her, sighing. She smirks, knowing she’s won. She links her arm with mine, and I resign myself to having a witness. With a light giggle, she gently strokes the spade marking on my cheek.
The first person we come across is clearly ready to rob someone. He winks at Lizzy, ignoring me entirely, and flicks her hair. I grin, rage filling me, his hands roam over her body, and she squirms.
“H-hey, I’m actually with h-“
He collapses into a mass of red, and she screams, stumbling backwards and tripping. Bands of Solver wrap around his crushed limbs, and I pin him against a tree. His eyes roll with each movement, and I reach up to lick blood off his cheek.
“Wha…..what did you……” Lizzy’s terrified eyes lock with mine, but she flinched and pulls away.
I use the Solver to keep her in place, and she shrieks again. Tears stream down her face, and we continue on.
A girl looking for her brother, dead.
A boy wanting to find his pet, dead.
A couple hoping for a way out, dead.
A group trying to escape a Bandersnatch, dead.
A boy looking for his sister, dead.
All of them, and more, their bodies getting left in my wake.
Lizzy’s crying gets quieter by the time the moon has completely risen, but when I look back, she still has tears staining her face. I wipe one away, and she flinches backwards.
“W-who….are…….you?” she chokes out.
I shrug, and she makes a run for it. I raise my hand……
She vanishes from my sight, and I shake my head. I continue on the darkened path, uncaring of where I go. She can truly leave for all I care.
As I walk, my ears strain to pick up the faint sounds of something. I turn, but nothing other than black vines are behind me. I choose to ignore it, knowing I can take care of myself.
I come across another person, this one a girl in an elegant dress, and I don’t even wait for her to look at me. Her life is gone in an instant.
The rustling grows louder, and I prepare the Solver. When I look back……
My jaw drops, and I slash at the vines. They cloud around me…..