The vending machines on the third floor were always broke. All the money they put into this place, they couldn't get decent vending machines. Too many frills to 'em. Ben had to ride the lift down to the second floor to get a cup of coffee. He'd just done a sweep down there, didn't hear a peep, so when he heard voices comin' from the student locker room, he nearly dropped his cup
( ... )
Ben heard the shot first. An explosion that seemed to ring in his ears, loud enough to knock him off balance. But no, it wasn't the sound... Dropping back against the doorframe, Ben gasped, a deep wet rattle in the back of his throat, and slouched to the floor.
Searing pain in his shoulder, the bullet tearing through cloth and meat and bone, nicking his lungs and suddenly it felt like there was a cinder block on his chest.
A bullet, he thought vaguely. Archaic. Barbaric in a world of lasers and tranq guns.
"No..." he wheezed, fumbling for the gun at his hip, wide eyes fixed on half-naked girl tied up on the floor. She had no idea. No idea. "No- What?" he coughed, flecks of blood dotting his lips, "Don't... You don't want-" She was just a girl. Just a little girl. What kind of world was this?
God, no wonder the gun had been so easy to get. Who would want to use one of these things? She wondered if he felt that it was artistic in some way - the sound, the vibration, the raw power of it all.
This was what she was thinking as Ben was bleeding on the floor. But finally she looked over and realized that he was talking.
And Elise, meanwhile, had started to scream.
"Oh, shut up," Apple snapped, and hit her on the back of the head with the gun. She hadn't meant to do it so hard, but well, Elise had been really annoying the whole night. But the blow knocked her out cold. She slumped forward.
Apple turned back to the man, the gun still on him.
"You weren't supposed to be here," she accused, as if he'd done something wrong. He was forcing her to do this. It wasn't fair! "You don't fit the pattern. Damnit! You're ruining everything!" She sounded like a petulant child.
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"What's going on, Apple?" Elise asked, starting to struggle a little in her bonds.
Apple's mind whirred. And the stupidest thing was, her biggest thought was, he knows my name!
She saw he had a gun, but he seemed completely in shock, so acting quickly, but mostly out of panic, she spun around and fired at him.
She'd never fired a gun before.
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Searing pain in his shoulder, the bullet tearing through cloth and meat and bone, nicking his lungs and suddenly it felt like there was a cinder block on his chest.
A bullet, he thought vaguely. Archaic. Barbaric in a world of lasers and tranq guns.
"No..." he wheezed, fumbling for the gun at his hip, wide eyes fixed on half-naked girl tied up on the floor. She had no idea. No idea. "No- What?" he coughed, flecks of blood dotting his lips, "Don't... You don't want-" She was just a girl. Just a little girl. What kind of world was this?
Reply
This was what she was thinking as Ben was bleeding on the floor. But finally she looked over and realized that he was talking.
And Elise, meanwhile, had started to scream.
"Oh, shut up," Apple snapped, and hit her on the back of the head with the gun. She hadn't meant to do it so hard, but well, Elise had been really annoying the whole night. But the blow knocked her out cold. She slumped forward.
Apple turned back to the man, the gun still on him.
"You weren't supposed to be here," she accused, as if he'd done something wrong. He was forcing her to do this. It wasn't fair! "You don't fit the pattern. Damnit! You're ruining everything!" She sounded like a petulant child.
Reply
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