forum V O T E / Psychological Thriller / Closed

Started June 26, 2018 by @WriteOutofTime

tune

Xander listened in on Paige and John. He couldn’t help but scowl. He thought it was all an act of self-preservation. If they played the two lovers, they’d maybe get pity points.
“They just met… how are they so attached and in love?” Xander asked Enzo, “I want to feel bad for them, but… everything feels so numb, and it’s not like they didn’t know this could and probably would happen. She broke, didn’t she?”
He sighed deeply and shook his head.

Enzo had to agree. He kept his voice low as he peered at the two lovers. "You'd think after knowing each other for…what, a day? Two days? Maybe even three? They wouldn't have fallen in love that fast. It's crazy that they think we'll believe them." Even as he said it he felt slightly uncomfortable. Just because he was used to manipulating others, doesn't mean everyone else does. Still. Three days, at most, was not enough to fall in love.

Paige turned around, tears in her eyes, and looked at Xander and Enzo. "You think that this is all for show?!"

(wow she has good hearing lol they were whispering)
"No," Enzo said, his voice sounding sincere even to his own ears, "of course not. We just meant that it's been such a short time, that maybe out of desperation you formed a relationship. I don't doubt your feelings, Paige, only the depth of them." He blinked at her, his eyebrows twitching. Did she really believe she loved him? What was John's play in stringing this girl along, then?

(I guess I’ll just go with it)

John looked at Enzo calmly. And he swallowed. His hand shook slightly as he took a step away from Paige. And then he scanned the room for something sharp. Then he looked down at his arm, already envisioning the blood. He looked at Enzo and Lixi again, “It hardly matters. I’m sure you two will be happy to come out on top anyways. They said only a few will survive. No one would dare touch Lixi because she’s a child,” John’s empty eyes looked at Lixi, then back at Enzo, “And you automatically get to walk out free too become she loves you like family. Our lives,” John gestured to Paige and River, “Are worth nothing to you. Our families and friends. Nothing. So if I’m not allowed to love Paige without it being ‘shallow’,” John took a shaky breath, “Then I have nothing.”

Enzo met his gaze with unwavering determination. "It's not that I don't care. I just know what I have to do. You make it sound selfish but I've got my duty. You do what you gotta do, and I'll do what I gotta do." He glanced over at Paige for a moment, before returning his gaze back to John. "I hope the two of you find peace."

“Ah. I see. You’re selling it off as a ‘duty’,” John narrowed his eyes, “A man in his mid-thirties gets to escape compared to teenagers who haven’t even finished college. Because it’s your ‘duty’. Because you can’t let Paige or River get out instead with Lixi. Because you’d rather save yourself than let someone who has more to live for get out,” John took a deep breath, walking over the small mirror hanging on the wall, “So I’m sorry, because I think that’s selfish.”

Enzo stood, towering over John, his eye glaring down at him. "You don't know what the f–ck you're talking about, amigo," he said, his voice low and deadly calm. "I would gladly die in your place. In Paige's place. But I have a duty to Lixi, and more importantly, to my nephew. He's only 13, and he's sitting alone in an apartment in the sh–ttiest part of town waiting for his Tio. His parents are both in prison and I promised my sister I'd take care of him. Do I look like the type of man to break a promise, John? Answer that one. Do I look like I'd abandon my own flesh and blood for you?"

“No, I don’t think so,” John mused calmly. He took the mirror off the wall, “You can do your duty, Enzo. And I’ll,” John looked at Paige with tear rimmed eyes, “I’ll do mine.”
So John walked away. And he walked to the room where Odette’s body was put and he stopped outside, facing the door with shaking fingers. He broke the mirror against the floor and found the longest, sharpest piece.

Enzo watched John find the shard, his fingers drumming against his leg anxiously. "Listen, don't –don't do anything stupid. This isn't Romeo and Juliet. You don't have to die here." He knew even as he said it that it was pointless. At least he could feel as though he'd tried.

John looked at Enzo and tipped his head back and laughed. He cackled. Maybe he was crazy. Maybe this was stupid. But he made sure to grin at Enzo as he replied, “You already planned to kill me, what does it matter to you? Besides, I’m just finishing business from years ago,” John traced the scar down his arm. It was faint enough that no one would know unless he pointed it out.

Paige watched in horror. She had recoiled against a wall.

And John stuck the shard of glass into his arm and ripped it down the side. The pain was paralyzing and he slumped against the door, clutching his arm. He grimaced and he pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and set it on the floor next to him. He took the shard of glass to his other arm, his blood everywhere now, “I love you Paige,” He gasped out calmly.

Enzo turned away, trying to hide the horrible sight from Lixi. He bit down on his tongue to keep from reacting, his hands shaking.

Lexi was trying to suppress a scream that was building up in her throat as she watched the horrific sight that Enzo was trying to hide from her. A tear trickled down her cheek as she clammed her hand over her mouth. This was all her fault, she should be the one to die. She couldn't watch anymore as she turned away and she ran, deep within the mansion. Breathing, ragged, mind, shattered, hope, gone, she hid and curled up in a ball. Everything she closed her eyes, she saw the scene, the argument playing over, and over, and over again, never stopping. But I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, but I should. Lexi was crying so hard, all you could hear was the sharp intakes of breath.

This was all her fault.

Enzo watched Lixi go. He wanted to go after her –to comfort her, to reassure her…but his feet wouldn't move. Nothing would. All of his energy was spent trying to keep from looking at the body, the blood, the death in the middle of the floor.

Xander sighed. “It didn’t have to end this way. How dare he accuse you of being only out for self-preservation when he literally sat there trying to make you feel bad? And then killed himself for what?! If… if that’s love…? I’d… god, I’m not sure what I’d do…”

Paige let out a horrible wailing noise. She collapsed onto her side, her whole body racked with sobs.

(Oh friends I had a thought)
The screen lit up once’s again, stopping the feed everyone so worried about. “Paige sorry not sorry but you didn’t vote. You shall die.” It read. Then the screen flashed a blood red and changed to new text. “As for the rest of you… you will be voting again in 10 minutes. This time it’s only for one person.” It read, probably confusing everyone. “To die or not to die. John, you had the most votes. Everyone except John is to vote again. Should John die? Or should he live? You have 10 minutes starting now.” The screen became a clock- no a timer. It started at 10 minutes and began counting down.