Kenopsia

Warm Soft Misery

Spere stood, and dusted the clumped snow from her sweats, Mayhem's hand on her shoulder for comfort. Although, it didn't bring much. Her and Mayhem weren't as close as they used to be. Not since Mayhem had accused her of being a murderer. At the same time, she welcomed him. She was thankful he was well, finally. And she was thankful that he even cared. He hated Stonehenge. That was clear.

The rest of the party walked past them with strange looks, until Mayhem, Stonehenge, and Spere were at the back of the pack. Fallen World stayed behind for them. They trailed the rest coldly.

Finally, as they walked through ice and snow, Stonehenge whispered, "Look, I'm sorry. What's the plan? We have to act now."

Spere gulped, "No. No. You guys aren't doing your plan, whatever it is." Mayhem glanced sideways at Stonehenge from over Spere's head. She narrowed her eyes and burrowed her frows. "So what? Now I'm getting left out of this?" She couldn't help but think it was her fault. She had told Boss her friends could be trusted, and he had trusted her.

Fallen World sighed in her motherly voice, "Baby, maybe it's best if you don't get involved."

"What? No. I'm not staying on the sidelines and watching those who I thought were my friends destroy my new family," Spere said, angrily but quietly.

Stonehenge sighed exasperatedly, "Your new family?!"

"Yes, yes. We're on our way to get our family but Windy and Boss and the others are part of that family, now, too! They've sheltered us and fed us," Spere said.

"They're killers, Spere," Stonehenge corrected. "Savages!"

Mayhem softly said, "He's right, you know. They tried to kidnap us." Spere stared at the ground as she walked. Only because they thought we were dangerous. And it seems like they were right!

Then, after a moment, she mumbled, "These people have done more for us than we've ever done for ourselves."

Mayhem responded, "Spere, we can take care of ourselves. They've done nothing but interfere with our lives." Spere noticed Fallen World not-so-sneakily sneak away from the four, and merge with the rest of the group. Spere's eyes widened. This was it. Mayhem would try to distract her. Ignoring what he'd said, Spere pushed past Mayhem and Stonehenge and raced into the small crowd of bodies.

"Spere! Wait!" It was Mayhem's voice, panic lingering in it. Before Spere was Fallen World, talking casually to Boss. A hand suspiciously in her pocket. Slowly, her arm moved.

Spere walked up and pushed between them, forcing the panic and fear and distrust down her gut, hoping to seem normal and casual, and presenting both Boss and Fallen World with a warm, fake smile. Fallen World groaned quietly.

"Spere?" Boss asked quizzically. Fallen World narrowed her eyes. Spere struggled to read her look. By the time she'd realized what it meant, it was too late. She felt Fallen World's kind hand on her back, first. Then, she felt the pain.

Fallen World's dagger had been lodged into Spere's ribcage. Fallen pushed the dagger deeper into Spere's abdomen. The blood began to leak down her side and seep into the once white snow.

Boss held her up by her arms, yelling something she couldn't make out. Spere let the pain shoot up her sides like fire and then let the cold numb it for her. Windy and Stonehenge and Mayhem and the others surrounded her now. But not because they cared. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe they had never cared at all. She groaned, struggling to stand, clenching her teeth and crying. Stonehenge yanked her down by her arm, and she slipped out of Boss' grip and collapsed in the snow. The rest of the group had stopped and was surrounding them now, too, in a small bubble of chaos, yelling, and movement. Stonehenge stepped past Spere, and swung a dagger at Boss' face, nicking his cheek as the large man attempted to dodge. A different man that Spere didn't know the name of grabbed Stonehenge's arms, attempting to pull him back, but Stonehenge shook the man off, swung his arm again, and slashed the side of Boss' throat.