PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

XXXIV. Disappointed in You

Eva's lip jutted out as she went over what he said in her head. But she was so sure he was there— that he was a part of it. He was with Roy. He was with Nico. He was with Prince. He was there and nothing he could say could change that fact.

His eyes searched her face, hoping for something that could prove she believed in him. But there was nothing. "You don't believe me."

His shoulders slumped and his smile dropped. He looked utterly crestfallen, and it took everything in Eva not to apologize to him right there. He didn't deserve that.

Kenji shook his head and pursed his lips, "No, no, I swear to god, Evangeline, I wasn't there."

"Where's your proof?"

"Proof! Proof? I don't— how the hell am I supposed to get proof?"

"You find receipts, I'm all ears, Kenji Kon."

~~~

Eva was dreaming about Rutherford. She was on the lacrosse field, the ball in her stick as she ran for the opposing team's goal. The sky was a million shades of purple and orange and pink. The air smelled sweet like candy. The bleachers were filled with a cheering crowd. The ground beneath her was hard, but the more steps she took, the softer it grew until her left foot dug into the mud, sinking up to her knee.

She gritted her teeth, hands dug into the earth as she tried to pull her limb free. She set down her stick, gasping as it disappeared from view. She reached out but the mud encased her limbs, pulling her deeper into the earth.

Eva pulled and struggled against the mud, her legs disappearing. Her torso. And when it reached her head, she took a deep breath before going under.

Her arms outstretched, she popped out the other side, her torso and legs still stuck in quicksand, but she was no longer on the lacrosse field. Instead, she was in the jungles of Isla Nublar, and none other than Kenji Kon stood above her.

His arms were crossed, his head held high as he looked down on her struggling figure. The bleachers surrounded them on all sides, and instead of a cheering crowd, the teenagers booed at her.

"Please," Eva begged, her right hand reaching out towards him. "I don't want to drown."

He scoffed. His appearance grew dark. The sky filled with rolling black clouds. "You should have thought about that before giving up on me." He bent over, inches away from her. Her arms fell back into the quicksand. "Friends for life? What a joke that was. You should have given me the benefit of the doubt. You should have asked me what happened. Guess you finally get to rot for all the trouble you caused."

He stepped away. Eva sank deeper.

She gave up trying to fight. Her chest swelled with heat. She venomously bit, "Fuck you!" before her head dipped back under. The boos grew louder, deafening, as her airway cut off and she was left in utter and complete darkness.

Eva awoke with a start, her heart racing in her chest. Brooklynn looked over, asking her if she was okay.

She looked around wildly, realizing with a start that she was at Camp Cretaceous, and so was Brooklynn and Kenji. But everyone else seemed to be missing.

"The others left to retrieve kayaks," the pink haired girl answered her silent question.

Eva pushed her green comforter off her legs, feeling confined. "Why'd you two stay behind?"

Kenji walked over from their table, a wide grin on his face. What he said next, Eva didn't expect at all: "We're getting receipts."

~~~