'Marina puts her hand over her heart and says, "I pledge allegiance to the United States of America- to the land of ignorance and of deception, to the land of injustice, and to the land that we hope to never meet in again."
The camera cuts off, and the sound of a gunshot resonates throughout the room.
Roz has been shot... Roz is dead.'
* * *
Marina looks up to see President Wiley holding a gun at Roz. Marina would have been wondering why President Wiley finally decided to do something for himself instead of using one of his henchmen, but she is to busy worrying about her friend who is seemingly dead.
"Why," Marina asks him?
"Because you deserve to lose everyone," he tells her in a menacing voice.
"No. Why did allow this to continue? I understand that it was not you who started this mess, but why are not stopping it?"
"I am doing what is necessary. Changing things now would cause utter chaos. Anyways, it is working; why change what does not need to be fixed?"
"What happened to make you such a horrible person," Marina questions, shocked at his inhumanity?
• • •
'Mobocracy: domination of the masses. If I do not control these people, they will immediately make the wrong decisions. By sheltering them, I am protecting the masses,' the man thinks. He truly believes he is doing the right thing, while not for the individual, for the majority.
• • •
"The system is flawed, and it is barbarous. How is that a good thing? You are taking away a person's choice," Marina continues, completely unaware of his thoughts.
"What they do not know cannot hurt them. Who would believe you over their President? No one."
"They do not have to believe her," Lila chimes in. Marina had forgotten she was there.
"What do you mean," President Wiley asks?
"You just told them for yourself," Lila shrugs.
Lila had been broadcasting the whole entire conversation leading up to this very moment.
Marina looks at Roz. Unlike the other death's she had witnessed, Roz had not fallen; no, instead she had slumped over in her chair. With the shot of a gun, the only thing that fell was the government...
* * *
Roz is not dead. She should have been, but she isn't- at least that is what the doctor tells Mrs. Beckett. The bullet has been removed from her spine, and she will be starting rehabilitation soon. They can only hope she will be able to walk again. For now, she will be in a wheelchair.
* * *
"Are you okay," Marina asks her quietly, sitting down in the chair beside Roz's hospital bed?
Roz gives a small nod, "I'm not dea-." She stops, remembering that her friend had just recently lost Otis and her father.
"Do not feel like you cannot talk about death in front of me," Marina says, catching on to Roz's poor word choice. She reaches over and squeezes Roz's hand, "I am glad you are not dead too. I do not think any of us could handle anymore death. I thought for a second. All I saw was you fall, and I thought-."
"I know. I was so scared for a second."
"You were scared? I did not even know that was possible."
"I was terrified. I thought I was going to die before I could tell you that I love you," Roz looks Marina in the eyes, not allowing her to doubt the words for a minute.
'Always the straightforward one,' Marina probably would have been thinking if she had not been so taken aback by the words.
"You love me too," Marina mumbles quietly?
"Of course, I do. What's not to love?"
And Marina is content.
* * *
"Visiting hours are over," a male nurse tells her in a routine voice. 'He must say that at least twenty times a day,' Marina thinks. She decided to let Roz talk to her grandmother for a while, having spent far more time with her; however, they never really got to discuss what the future holds for them.
"I don't want you to leave," Roz complains, grabbing her wrist when Marina repeats what the nurse had told her to Roz and her grandmother.
"I know, but I have to. I promise I will visit you as soon as I can tomorrow morning," she promises.
"Please stay," Roz whispers?
"I will see what I can do," Mrs. Barret chimes in with a sigh, going off to find the nurse.
* * *
"They were hesitant, but they will let you stay as long as you do not keep Roz awake," Roz's grandmother tells the girls.
"Thank you," Marina replies gratefully.
"I will be back tomorrow morning with some fresh clothes."
* * *
"Marina?"
"Yes?"
"Why are you curled up in the chair?"
"I just thought you might need some space," Marina admits in a whisper. 'She is paralyzed from the waist down.'
"I can't sleep," Roz whispers back. Marina knows the feeling. She moves her legs out from under her and walks over to the other side of Roz's bed.
She curls up beside her, trying to find a comfortable position.
"Is your hand on my leg," Roz asks quietly?
"Yes?"
"I can't feel it."
"I will move it if you want me to," Marina tells her.
"It's fine. I just wanted to know."
Marina moves her hand up to Roz's shoulder. "Is that better," she questions?
Roz mumbles something inaudible in response.
Marina pauses, a conflicted look on her face, before asking, "What are we? I mean, I know we both love each other, but are we...."
Roz gives Marina a small smile, "Marina Rosewood, will you do the honor of being my girlfriend?"
Marina lets out a small, uncharacteristic giggle before relying, "Of course."
YOU ARE READING
Shades of Purple
Science FictionWhat would you do if you knew the day you were going to die? Would you be more careless, living life to the fullest, or would you be more cautious, knowing exactly how long one mistake would stick with you?
