Scarred For Life

Chapter 18

I could...feel the moment my father was pushed deeper within the beast. Our connection was....severed, hanging by the thinnest thread you could think of. When the dust settled, I didn't even bother to turn around to look at him. I was numb. I am numb.

My body ached, the cuts on my side slightly reopened. I couldn't even find the energy to stand. Jinx had to move an unconscious Vi off of me when it was over. I just laid there, watching as they tended to Vi's injuries and took her away, gripping onto my chain knife in case any harm came to either of them. Then, I stood up, unhooking my belt and tossing it aside before putting my hands up.

I surrendered. Jinx stood beside me.

We allowed the enforcers to strip us of everything, remaining silent, unable to find the energy to move more than we had to. I could feel Jinx and I's shared despair and misery though it's not like she was trying to hide hers.

I sat with my back up against the dirt wall of my cell, staring through the bars into the light. My eyes shifted down to the cell across from me. Long strands of blue hair stretched across the floor as Jinx laid there, not moving a muscle.

"You still with me" I called out shakily.

Jinx didn't respond. I remained calm as I continued to wait for any sign of life from her. I watched as she slowly raised up, keeping her back to me and hugging her knees. A slow exhale escaped me.

"Why are you here" Jinx's raspy voice echoed softly.

"I don't trust you to survive on your own" I lied. A sigh of defeat escaped my lips as I stared down at myself. "I don't...trust either of us right now."

"You...You shouldn't be here, Scarlett" Jinx spoke. "You haven't done anything wrong"

I scoffed, holding my bare feet. "You don't know the half of it. I may have...cut up a few enforcers."

I watched as Jinx slightly shifted at my words, her chin coming over her shoulder.

"The boy savior finally let the hound off her leash" She said.

The both of us wanted to let out giggles but neither of us had the ability to laugh, not anymore.

I curled up against the wall as she mentioned Ekko. My throat burned, my chest ached. My dry eyes longed for the moist feeling of tears but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't cry, not anymore.

"I'm sorry for not being there for you" I croaked.

"What" Jinx said, as if she couldn't believe her hearing.

"I've felt...so guilty since that night in the cannery. I could've done something, I could've taken you away from him" I spoke as visions of Powder and Silco through the flames glitched in front of me. "I was..just so angry. And the night when Ekko came back telling me you refused to leave I...I felt justified. I should've let him keep trying, I should've gone with him. Maybe things would be different."

"No" Jinx sighed. "You would just resent me. I'd give you more reasons to hate me. I...I am who I am."

"You are...my sister" I spoke up. "Maybe things would've been rocky at first but despite what we both thought we- we needed each other."

There was a long silence as we sat with ourselves in the dark cells. Our stomachs sunk in and our throats grew dry as we both refused to eat or drink what was brought to us. It was clear that we were there for each other in spirit, an agreement that we would both continue to breathe for the other. An unspoken agreement of course for neither of us had the energy to speak, not anymore.