The Beginning of The End

Part 2

It had been a few weeks since I had decided to stay with John. But really I mean, it's not like I've chosen to become a serial killer or anything. I'm still a good person. I honestly just help John with his medical care. But it became hard to not become curious. I've always had a bit of a morbid curiosity with the Jigsaw killer cases, keeping a close eye on the news and a weaker eye on Jigsaw supporter web blogs. He saved Amanda and punished people the police were too busy protecting. I had a bit of silent admiration before this but now that I've had to live through a trap, do I still think that? I guess i am a murder, Greg had to die for me to live. But he deserved it, didn't he? After years of abandoning me day after day, wasn't that supposed to be his comeuppance? I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt, so I threw myself into my secret work. The only thing that would make me feel better.

Designing new tests. It was easy to play the moral high ground to avoid any guilt I had. We were going to be fixing people and saving the ones who deserve it. John says everyone deserves a chance, but I'm not sure if I agree with him. The sound of my curtain being drawn back brought me from my thoughts. Mark was standing in my "doorway", if you can even call it that. My room is a corner of the Wilson steel workshop with two curtains up for privacy but I'm lucky, Amanda only has one. "What do you want?" I said, I may have warmed up a little to John but Amanda and Mark are still like ice to me. "John needs you," he said quickly before leaving. Yep, cold as ice. I grabbed my hidden sketchbook from under my bed and hid it in my backpack. John wanted me to keep my talent hidden from the other two. And I'm perfectly happy avoiding any interactions with them, so I agreed.

I walked over to a separate room where John kept all his work. I looked around, admiring the new and old sketches for traps. "I wanted to see what you've been working on." John said gestring to a chair near him. I silently sat down and opened my sketch book. "So this one I call "Floss" I know it's kinda a lame name but it's the best I can come up with." I showed him the sketch I had of a person's head with individual hooks strung through each of their teeth. "A button releases each tooth from their head one by one, I figured it could be something for liars or something like that."

"And what happens if they don't complete their tasks?"

"Then this goes off." I say pulling something else out of my backpack.

"A nail bomb?"

"Yep, I figured something like this could be more..universal when it comes to tests. It can be used as a motivator for anything." John inspected my design.

"You need to control the C4 on it, the last thing we need is something drawing the police close if the test has failed."

I frowned, "You're right, I'm sorry."

"Mistakes are the mark of a human being, you are a human being aren't you?" I gave him a ghost of a smile before showing him the rest of my designs.

"You've got real creativity don't you? Maybe one day I'll even let you design a game." He said nonchalantly before turning to the machine he was fiddling with on his desk.

"A game? Really?" It wasn't excitement, it was fear. "Don't you think....I mean maybe....I think we might be killing people."

"Killing is distasteful!" John yelled, turning to me, taking me back by surprise. "We do not kill, we save! And those who do not survive simply do not deserve to, do you understand?"

I swallowed and shook my head yes in fear.

"Was your test not enough of a motivator?"
"No sir! It was!" Oh god he's gonna fucking put a reverse bear trap on my head. John sighed and put his hand on my shoulder. "Maybe you need to see for yourself what we do. And be on our side this time." I wasn't sure what he meant by this, and I don't think I want to know.

The next morning I was sitting on our makeshift kitchen counter eating cereal when my whole world felt like it came crashing down. It was the weekend, so Mark was around more. He still had to keep up appearances but he does keep the cops off our ass, so I can't complain much. No matter how unfair it seems. Mark and Amanda both walked into the kitchen as I eyed them. I get the feeling they think I still don't trust them, I mean they'd be right of course but it still hurts. They were arguing about something.

"Well maybe if you didn't screw up we wouldn't have had to do it a second time!"
"Oh I screwed up? I'm sorry, I didn't know the meat head knew how to speak!"

"Without me, you would have gotten your ass thrown in jail months ago!"

"Well maybe-"

John walked into the room and cleared his throat causing them both to close their mouths. "Veronica has something I want to show you guys."

I glare over at John, confused as hell. I just wanna eat my goddamn frosted flakes in peace.

"Uh, I wanna do what now?"

"Your sketchbook, I want you to show them." By now, both Mark and Amanda are confused and a bit angry.

"Look John, I have better things to do than look at some teenager's shitty doodles-" Mark started.
"Hey fuck you too buddy!" I yelled back at him, "Do not fucking go down this path with me, I swear to god!"

"Enough!" John said, throwing his hands down on a table shutting us both down. "I think it's time we see Veronica's tests."

"Tests? What tests?" Amanda questioned, angry but not as angry as Mark.

"Veronica has shown a great talent for engineering, I've been having her design her own tests-"

"But you won't even let me design tests yet!" Amanda yelled. Fuck.

"Her path will be different to yours."
"That is such bullshit!"

"Language Amanda." John warned. At this point I've slithered down off the counter like a deflated balloon. I silently walked away as John and Amanda kept fighting. I make it over to my corner and pull my sketchbook out from under my mattress. "So that's the thing they're fighting over? Pretty damn pathetic." I heard a voice say from behind me.

"Well I really didn't want this." I respond by not turning around. I could feel the weight shift on the bed as Mark sat down next to me. "Well, can I see it anyway?"
"I thought you didn't want to see a teenager's shitty doodles." I didn't realize that would make me choke back tears.

"Well I changed my mind." Without a word I shoved my sketchbook to him and sat down with my arms crossed. I tried to act tough and annoyed but in reality, I was scared. I never showed anyone my sketchbook, even before when it was really just shitty teenage doodles.

Mark flipped through it, keeping silent the whole time. I avoided eye contact.

"You've got some sick morbid ideas, kid."
"I'm not a kid."

"If you say so."

Silence.

"I see why John wants to use your ideas, you've got a brain that's for sure." I finally looked up at him, confused. "What kind of a compliment is that?"

"Who said it was a compliment?"

"You're fucking weird Hoffman."

"I could say the same thing about you." He handed me my sketchbook back. "Go show Amanda, maybe it'll take the stick out of her ass." That actually made me laugh a little, for the first time in weeks I laughed. He turned and went to walk away before looking back at me.

"The Floss"? What the fuck kind of a name is that?"

"It's a work in progress dick."