TheRemnant: This is Not Flesh & Blood

STRIPES (Final Part)

SCENE TEN:

Saku utters, "There's no time to worry about him right now," she squints her eyes suspiciously, "Whoever he was."

"What are we going to do?"

"We don't have many options."

Shikauhno asks hesitantly, "Are we really going to...hurt Nani?"

Saku places a comforting hand on Shikauhno's shoulder and explains, "Yes and no. But don't worry, it will only be temporary. All we must do is stop his heart, long enough to free him."

"How?"

"I have an idea."

"And what about him?" Shikauhno asks while eyeing King; whom is moving around sporadically.

"He's a wildcard, but we'll handle whatever he might throw our way."

Shikauhno nods in agreement.

Saku continues, "In the meantime..."

Maku shouts from a distance, cutting her off, "We need to hurry!"

Saku and Shikauhno both look back, with concerned expressions.

"Go!" Shikauhno instructs Saku. "I'll be fine," she reassures.

Saku reluctantly makes her way towards Maku and Naninatso before leaving Shikauhno with advice, "Whatever you do to him will effect Nani."

"Right, I'll figure something out."

Shikauhno looks down at Shizukana's broken blade and the other handheld weapon she's holding, 'I'll just have to keep him busy.'

King follows Saku with his eyes without moving.

SCENE ELEVEN:

Saku and Maku are standing before Nani as he is mercilessly being dragged towards the mouth of the cross.

They exchange glances with each other and Saku gets behind Nani. She props him up and wraps her arms around Nani, placing him in a tight choke hold.

"I'm sorry Nani," Saku utters before tightening her grip around Nani's neck, "But this is our only, lowest risk option."

Naturally, Nani squirms and attempts to loosen himself from her grasp.

"Calm down," Saku utters gently.

Nani claws at her wrists and hands as Saku exclaims, "Calm yourself Nani; if you don't, you'll really die and we won't be able to save you! This is the only way, it's all we have!"

"You're going to break his neck!" Maku argues.

Saku ignores his words and tightens her grip even more so. 

Nani's body finally falls limp but Saku persists.

Maku raises his voice, "That's enough Saku!"

SCENE TWELVE:

King watches Saku, Maku, and Nani from afar without moving; meanwhile, Shikauhno devises a plan, 'Wait a minute, I'm guessing those pages he ate were soaked with Nani's blood. So what would happen if I willingly offered my own?'

Shizukana disappears from Shikauhno's hand and she carefully brings the short dagger to her open palm. She inflicts a diagonal, clean cut onto herself without even wincing.

King's head turns toward Shikauhno first then the rest of his body follows.

Shikauhno begins running the opposite way as her blood drops onto the floor.

King lets out a shrill yell in excitement. He keeps his face close to the ground, in order to smell her blood, as he follows the trail. 

SCENE THIRTEEN:

Saku finally releases Nani and his body falls.

Saku and Maku wait for the shackles to disappear from Nani, however they persist and continue to pull Nani. They are now moving somewhat quicker.

"It didn't work!" Saku blurts in disbelief.

Nani gets dragged into the mouth of the cross' coffin and it begins to close slowly with an eerie creak.

SFX: Deep, creaking noise

Saku and Maku attempt to keep it from closing all the way.

Maku attempts using MAshido to keep it pried open but MAshido shatters under the pressure and dissolves into nothingness.

Nani's eyes suddenly open wide. The outside light pours into the open space of the cross. 

SCENE: FOURTEEN

King is still hungrily chasing Shikauhno. Suddenly he stops and stands in place. Shikauhno notices the silence and glances back, 'What happened?'

Shikauhno completely turns around and peers at the cross from afar, it appears to be closed from her point of view.

'Where's Nani?'

Shikauhno's thoughts are interrupted when King begins to run at her.

She gets in a defensive stance and blocks his double arm strike. King and Shikauhno engage in hand to hand combat; Shikauhno is defending as King does most of the attacking.

King grabs her wounded hand and tries to lick her blood.

Shikauhno reaches for her blade that has fallen to the floor, but stops, recalling she must refrain from inflicting major injuries to King.

Instead, she kicks his abdomen, making him release her hand.

'Sorry Nani.'

King is now holding her small knife in his mouth.

Shikauhno thinks, 'Well this just got more tricky.'

SCENE FIFTEEN:

Nani utters in a breathless whisper, "The cross."

As it continues to close Maku inspects the cross carefully. He examines all of its' deep scratches, cuts, pocket marks, and other various marks in the surface of the cross.

With closed eyes, Maku carefully searches all of the cracks and scrapes with his fingers.

Saku speaks aloud, "Don't these marks look like more than just marks to you? They're all different, unique..."

Maku finishes her thoughts, "Like scars and wounds."

Saku's eyes widen, "This is..."

"A crucifixion," they utter simultaneously in fear.

©

つづく

We hope to see you in the next episode in 2019!

Upload: 12/28/2018