Parallels

Chapter Thirty: Theo and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day

"Oh, don't say that you forgot, Theodore... they did tell you that you were going to die today, didn't they?"

"Yeah, they did," I say, wincing, as I feel the pistol press closer to my skull. I want to laugh, I've done this so many damn times that it's just become just normal... I've got a pistol to my head, what part of this is normal.... Absolutely not a single fucking bit of it, that's what... but yeah, for me, it's perfectly normal, what kind of fucked up shit is that?

"Well, here's the thing," the creature says, and then I have claws digging into my head, sharp claws, bone claws, ow ow ow ow ow ow ow! Fuck, don't pass out, don't let the damn thing kill you... "I can either pop your head like this or a rope can do it, how about that?"

"Let Theo go and I'll take the rope. Let. Him. Go. It's done, James. You've won, alright? Just like you wanted all along, just like you knew you were going to this whole time...," she says, fixing me with a stare. "And don't you dare try and stop me, Theo... this isn't real..."

"Do you want it to be, wolf, 'cause I know a guy who can figure that out for you? No?" he asks as Alaina shakes her head so hard that it looks like it's going to come right off. "Aw, darn, I was really looking forward to helping you all die... didn't your kits and pups tell you that you were going to die today?"

"Yeah, they did... but if you really don't mind, I'd rather be hanged than shot, it'll hurt more. I'll suffer longer. Good for the ratings...," I mouth, hoping I'll get him pissed off enough so that he'll miss the damn shot, and I'm lucky enough to get him to miss his first shot, but the second time, I feel a slap in the chest and sparks everywhere in my vision, and then the clanking of the cell being unlocked... that got me right in the gut... fuck, twenty minutes and I'll be done for... I'm getting lightheaded already, and I know where we're going... out to the courtyard... why out to the courtyard? Why else? I'm already getting lightheaded, and we're out in the courtyard already and my breath in coming in pants and my fur is getting slick with blood...

"J- James-," I manage to stammer out as he leads me up onto the platform, dragging me by the paw, the rough wood beneath my hindpaws shoving splinters into my feet, "y- why are y- y- why're you doing this?"

His ember eyes blaze orange, and for a split second, the fat principal guise is gone, and I can see him for who he really is, black, wispy, skull head and fangs, and razor-sharp claws... no real legs, though... fuck, focus, Theodore, you have maybe ten minutes before you bleed out, having your heart be pounding right out of your chest like it is right now, yeah, that's not going to be helping anything worth shit...

"I don't owe you anything, fox, least of all an explanation..."

"Your mother would be disappointed in you, Karson..."

"Who the fuck is Karson? James, not Karson- is that that fucking annoying fox that won't go away inside my head?" the creature asks, and I've got him confused... now's my damn chance... and I stick him with the tooth...

...and nothing happens, except for my getting a backhand across the face and a laugh, cold and vile, bitter and cruel, thrown my way... getting lightheaded now... very.. The world is swimming... I guess my kits were wrong, I'm not going to hang to-

Well, there's now a rope around my neck, so never mind...

"Mister Marlboro, please, what's the point of all this? Please, I don't want to die!"

Sneering, the beast spits in my face and then sinks his claws into my gut. "You lose, fox. Good day, so long, you're messing up the balance..."

"And you're not your anger-," I manage to spit out, the words coming out flecked with blood... I'm coughing, choking on it... got to cough it out... I'm not- I feel everything slowly slowing down, is this what it feels like to die? This had better be a dream...