Everyone for Themselves

Chapter 30

February 22nd, 1991

Chapter 30-

It was hard to process all of this. Panting, Serenity struggled to catch her breath. She couldn't believe what she had just seen and done. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if she even did. But she knew she had. The picture of it all came back into her mind and she ran to the bushes, emptying the contents of her stomach into them.

It was all too much, a little too much for her to handle.

When she was finished, she lay her head against a tree, thinking this all over. She was still a little in shock from what just happened, both Paul's death and Violet's.  Now she just had to survive until... Suddenly it hit her. There was no fight for survival anymore. She was going home. Jumping to her feet, all sickness gone, her eyes scanned the forest, but she saw no difference. Where was Trent? What was she supposed to do now?

Looking up, she also searched the sky, but saw nothing there either. Brushing her long, blonde hair (that she hadn't had the chance to clean in days) back behind her shoulders, she put her hand over her eyes to search the forest again. There was no use putting her hair back, however, because suddenly a powerful wind came out of nowhere, blowing leaves out of the trees and into her face.

Yelping with surprise, Serenity brushed them off, slamming her hands against her ears over the deafening roar. She squinted upwards to see a helicopter - Trent's helicopter - hovering down to meet her. Serenity's heart felt like it was about to burst as she watched the helicopter land beside her, its blades spinning and twirling, still creating an amazingly loud sound, despite Serenity's attempts to block it out. As the blades gradually slowed to a stop, Trent finally stepped out. With a start, Serenity realized she had never been so happy to see him in her life.

"Hey there, Serenity!" he called happily.

Serenity began running to meet him, but then she suddenly skid to a stop, her eyes immediately narrowing.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?"

To her surprise, Trent laughed. "I like how you think. But no, I won't kill you."

Still slightly suspicious, Serenity edged closer to him, but, seeing he wasn't going to do anything, she finally got close enough for them to talk.

"How do you feel now that you've won?" Trent asked, his arms folded.

"What is this, an interview?" Serenity rolled her eyes, but at Trent's hard look, she replied anyway.

"Relieved, I guess. Horrified. Excited, too. I can't wait to see my family again."

"And see your family you will," Trent smirked. "Now, how did you feel when Violet revealed herself as murderer?"

"Surprised, I guess. I thought it was Marissa or Olivia this whole time, but... I don't know. Obviously it wasn't," Then she added, "I have to admit though, I'm impressed. She really had me fooled."

"Interesting. And when you realized Paul wasn't on your team?"

Serenity hesitated this time before answering that one. What did she feel? "Upset... Disappointed, maybe. I kind of hoped that for a second he would be."

"And when he gave you the rose?"

"Betrayed," Serenity said softly. "Used. He gave me that because he wanted forgiveness, only when he had no other choice. If he wasn't dying, he would've tried to kill me again."

"I see," Trent replied thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Well, Serenity, you survived. I'm rather impressed. Fighting off both murderers in one day. I've never had a year like this one."

"Trent, how many times have you done this?!" Serenity demanded, horrified.

"Mmm..." What shocked Serenity even more is that Trent actually had to think about it. Finally he just looked at her, a glint of mischievousness sparkling in his eyes. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." And with that he stepped into the helicopter, turning around at the entrance. "Well? Are you coming or not?"

Serenity was about to follow him, when she suddenly thought of something. "Ok Trent, but... Hold on a sec. I have to go... Get something."

Turning around, she ran as fast as she could back into the forest. A couple seconds later she returned, Trent still waiting impatiently in the entrance of the helicopter.

"Now are you ready?" he asked irritably.

Smiling, Serenity nodded. "Yes," she said. "I'm ready now."

And she followed Trent into the whirring helicopter, sitting down on the soft, plush seat until they lifted into the air. There were doors that shut, but they were glass, so Serenity was able to see what was outside. Buckling her seatbelt in, she gazed out of the windows in wonder.

You know, she thought. When you're looking down on this island, it really doesn't look like such a bad place.

And, still looking out at the view, she stretched out and curled up into the seats, resting her head down on the one beside her. She had only just realized how tired she was. It was amazing, how a couple months ago she thought she was going on vacation to an exotic island, a place to relax, a place to have fun and be alone for a while.

How wrong she had turned out to be.

As she closed her eyes and thought about all this, her hand moved over to the thing she had went back for, the thing she had been a little hesitant about bringing, but had done anyway, because she realized it would mean a lot to her when she did.

And as she drifted off to sleep, she carefully tucked the small, red rose underneath her so she could be sure to protect it, to keep it safe, to keep it there with her forever.

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Trent's Comments: The End.