Duskwood: after episode 10

Chapter 8

Jake's pov

"I'm sorry that you haven't heard from me.
It's just...
I was there, Y/N. In the mine, with your friend, Richy... It was- it was too late."

I lied.
I didn't have the courage to tell Y/N that... I don't think I'll ever be able to...

*At the mine*
Chat:

Y/N: Alan knows about the Ironsplinter Mine
He's on his way to you right now
You have to hurry!

~~~~~~~~~

As I'm trying to climb down the ladder, I'm raising my phone high so that I can catch signal. But to no avail.
The ladder is close to falling apart, but unfortunately I have no other ways to exit this mine.
I need to keep going.

But it surely wouldn't be easy for me. The ladder suddenly breaks in half, collapsing on the ground.
Fortunately, I was a few meters above the ground, so I don't believe I have any injuries.
But still, I hit my body hard and it takes me a few minutes to stand up.

While I am trying to find which path to follow, I smell something.
Something burning.

"That's it. I'm done." I hear from far away

"I fucked up everything, like I always do.
I betrayed my friends, my family, myself."

It's a male voice.

I attempt getting closer to the sound as possible.
And now, I'm able to hear sobs too.

"That's what I do. I fuck up everything."

It cannot be.
It's Richy.

He is laying on the floor with his back on the wall, full of tears and blood.
I want to feel sorry for him, but I can't. Not after what he has done.
To me, my family...

Anger bursts inside of me.
It's like a button has been pressed.

The mine will be burnt in a matter of minutes, but I don't give a damn.
This is the moment I have been waiting for.
The criminal that I have been trying to find these years, in front of my eyes..

He is not getting away that easily.

I slowly walk towards him, until he notices my presence.
He is not fighting back, he doesn't press his wound to avoid any more bleeding.
He is just laying there, staring at the flames.

My footsteps now echo the room and eventually he notices that someone is standing in front of him.

"Wait. Is that the renowed hacker? he asks smirking

"Oh, it is." I respond spitting on the ground

"Y/N has been talking about you."

That feels comforting.

"So, what's your business here, pal?
Came to finish me yourself?" he says between breaths and coughing

The fire is burning everything rapidly and there is smoke in the air.
You can hardly see.

I put my arm in front of my mouth in order to breathe through the smoke and continue.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you? You spread chaos everywhere you go and make everything miserable."

"That's why you came? To judge me? Go ahead. I've heard the same from the others." he replies plainly

I couldn't resist the urge.
He is something else.

I clench my fists to gather my strength and hit him on his face so hard, that his nose starts bleeding.

"Why did you do this? What was your purpose all along?" I ask full of anger

He laughs.

"I guess I am the villain of the story here?" he stops and takes a short breath

I don't answer. He already knows.

"I know I caused trouble, but they deserved it. Both Hannah and Amy.
I did bad things, bad things that I will never forgive myself for. And noone else will.
I'm glad I put things in place. At least I'll leave this world knowing that parasites left."

The smoke makes it extremely difficult to breathe, so I try to make the conversation shorter.

"Why did you decide to let Hannah go then? Was that also included in your shitty plan?"

He laughs again.
The urge to kill him myself is pretty strong now.

"It wasn't, to be honest. I just thought, you know, it's a shame. You all have sacrificed a lot to find her, so I decided to let her go.
I kept her for as long as I could. I believe she learned her lesson."

We pause to look around. There is a tremor and rocks are falling.
It's time to go.

I glanced at him one last time. Gave him a disrespectful look, to show him that he isn't worth anything. He doesn't worth mercy.
He ruined many things.
He betrayed his family and close friends that cared about him the most.
He betrayed himself with his actions.
He turned into a monster.

Now these actions, are turning into scars.
Scars that will never be able to be healed.

"Burn in hell." I mutter under my breath