Cheater [Watty Awards 2011]

Chapter Eighteen

*I know I'm like Cliffhanger obsessed, but if I'd written (squeezed) the whole thing in this one chapter, it would've been far too quick-paced and you wouldn't have understood a thing. So I'm splitting a chapter into parts for the last time, hehe. I hope you'll enjoy this. Be prepared for a twist at the end, everyone.*

Chapter Eighteen

            Where did I go wrong?

Her plan... foiled.

Things did not go as simply, as smoothly as she had thought they would.

Obviously, things were much easier said, or in this case ‘thought’, than done.

It was supposed to be so easy, but somehow, something had gone wrong.

She limps away, miserably, sorely, hissing in pain.

Her sister walks behind her, slowly, dramatically, determined to finish what had already begun.

Without hesitating, without even as much as a flinch, a steady hand releases a bullet into her own flesh and blood.

In the blink of eye, a body hits the ground.

She yells, as the clock approaches twelve, its ticks taking her to the edge of insanity.

Twelve.

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10 Minutes Earlier

            “Gwen?”

Gwen’s face is cut and bruised all over; she’s been beaten, maybe even tortured, although not as severely as Cole. Her head dangles low, and then, lifting it up slowly, she flips her hair out of her face.

“C...” She manages. Valerie chuckles, holding Gwen by the neck, leaving harsh, red fingerprints in her cheeks.

At this, he is ready to die.

To see Gwen like this...

 It is much worse than death. In fact, it is a clear choice - he would rather die.

All the while that Valerie has been torturing Cole, Natalie has been standing with Gwen, deep in the warehouse darkness, guarding her.

Cole gags, close to vomiting.

Natalie finally steps away from Gwen and starts to pace away.

Valerie grabs Natalie and holds her by a shaking shoulder.

“Where are you going?”

“Just to...”

Without letting her finish, Valerie warns, “You better not do anything you’re going to regret.”

“I’m not. I won’t.” Natalie looks at Gwen, quickly, the kind of look that you would miss if you even blinked.

A knowing look.

Valerie walks over to the front of the room and picks up a large, drum of a clear liquid.

“You know what to do.” She says, handing the immense weight to Natalie.

            After a few moments of silence, some spilling is heard and it becomes a constant spilling. It goes from all around the edges of the warehouse, to the very centre of the building and carries on pouring until the last drop is gone.

Natalie remains in the darkness.

“You’ve got about two minutes left. Anything you want to say?”