I Believe We're the Enemy

7. Get off the Dance Floor

I scraped my hands against the wood harshly, dragging the thick rope with them. It hurt, sure, but I'd rather be in pain and free than tied up any day.

I tugged my hands in opposite directions (which was pretty hard considering the angle they were at) and after a painful few minutes of straining against the knot, I could freely move one of my wrists. I struggled against the rope a bit more before I could finally pull a whole hand out. I sighed in relief and quickly used my free hand to slip the rope gripping my ankles tightly. The imprint of the fibers in the rope indented my skin, and it seemed to breathe in the fresh air once released.

I undid the rope on my other hand and stood up, looking around for anything to use as a weapon. Then I remembered the apple; Shades had left his pocket knife sitting next to the fold-out chair. I scrambled to my feet and snatched it, stuffing it into the pocket of whoever's pants I was wearing. Then I returned to my place at the pole. Trying to escape now would do nothing, they would find me and shoot me on sight. I needed to plan this out, thoroughly. I loosely strung the rope around my ankles in a way that looked like a knot, but would easily come undone when pulled.

"You seriously can't untie a simple fucking knot.. Come on man," It was the blonde one, I finished re-fake-tying my hands together just in time.

"Come on, let me show you how," He walked over and crouched in the same position Space Man, who leant next to him to watch, had been in before. Space Man's complexion remained vexed as he narrowed his eyes to focus on his friend's actions.

"It's simple," He reached down to touch my hands and pow! I socked him right in the chin. His head flung backwards and he lost his balance, I leapt to my feet and kicked his friend right between the legs; in the crotch.

He doubled over and I snatched his gun; it was loosely hanging from his belt. I used the back of it to slam into his head, and when I was sure he was knocked out, I aimed the gun at Kobra. Space Man collapsed on the floor with a thud, he would definitely have a concussion.

"You really thought you were gonna win this," I stated darkly, it wasn't a question. I looked down at him, he shuddered under my gaze; he was pathetic. All of them were pathetic.

He rose his hands above his head. I had noticed when he first came in that he was not carrying a gun. That was probably the biggest mistake he had ever made.

"You call this winning?" He looked around fearfully.

"Don't talk unless I tell you to," I commanded. The rush of panic and adrenaline coursed through my veins, spilling itself into my bloodstream and spreading throughout my body.

"Put it down," His voice was stern but there was a shake to it that gave away his fear.

"I said don't talk," I kept the gun where it was and pulled the pocket knife out which resulted in a look of panic from him. I didn't shoot him yet, I don't know why. I bent down keeping my aim and pressed the blade of the knife to the fabric of Space Man's shirt. 

"Please," He was begging now, "Please, you can take me...kill me if you want to... but please...  don't hurt him."

I hadn't expected that. The way these guys talked to each other you would've thought they hated each other. I scoffed, as if he had a decision in who lived and who died. Better Living controlled life and death, and I worked for them; I was them. I controlled life and death.

"Please don't.. He's.. He's all I have," Tears were streaming down his face beneath the sunglasses now, "They already took everyone else I loved, they killed my parents and... and my brother, oh god.. they.. they did horrible things.. My brother... Gerard, they're horrible.... please," I scoffed again.

"They had a reason," I spat.

"They had a reason to murder a whole family in the street? To chase a little boy-- a child-- to the end of the earth?" I shook my head, keeping my face absent of expression.

"They had a reason," I repeated.

"What reason did they have? That they loved each other? That they didn't want to be restrained to a life of hopelessness and fear. They didn't want to live without a purpose? Love is fake, right? That's what they say in Battery City... But out here? Here we have to love. If we don't have feelings then we won't survive."

"Shut up about love. Love is fake," I snapped.

"Love is all we have," He argued.

"You'll survive without it. I have," I pressed the knife downwards, tearing past the fabric of his shirt and grazing the skin on his chest barely, not enough to cut through the skin, at least, not yet. I was going to kill him, though. I don't know why it was taking me so long. There was something off about this situation, about him that I couldn't place my finger on. I knew I needed to kill him, he needed to die. I couldn't do it yet, though, for some reason.

"You don't understand, Gerard! You don't understand because they.. They did this to you," He was full on sobbing at this point, and it was putting me on edge.

"They did what was right," My eyes flicked up to him, his sunglasses were off now, he was vigorously rubbing his eyes with the tattered sleeve of his shirt.

"They killed so many people.. so many innocent people, they killed your family," He cried, the anguish in his voice was becoming too much for me to bear.

"You don't know shit about my family!" I rose to my feet, anger coursing through me.

Looking at his face made me uneasy, it made me feel sick. I didn't know what it was about him, but I couldn't look at him; I returned my gaze to the body on the floor.

"Don't do this... I know this isn't what you want... You don't have to work for them anymore! You can be free," He pleaded, he was wrong. This was exactly what I wanted, the sweet revenge on these killjoys would make me feel so much better.

They were the reason my parents died, Better Living Industries just did what they had to do. I couldn't look back at him, but I didn't move the blade.

Suddenly, I heard a gun cock from the doorway. My eyes shot up at the sound and met his; Fun Ghoul. A gunshot rang in the air, slicing through the thick tension of the room like a butchers knife being brought down on the neck of a still breathing animal. A single bullet flew through the air and time stood still. The noises echoed; a scream, a heartbeat, breathing, crying, a voice. Everything was in slow motion. Time stood still. 

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short n sweeet

well not really sweet but def rly short

any predictions?