[DRYH] Aftermath (10)

Rich

It's nearly four o'clock in the morning when you find yourself arriving in your own bedroom again. Feels like it's been days. You whole body is aching with soreness and lack of sleep, your eyes burn, too. The Wax King assured you the real world, the city slumbering, should be safe for a while.

Who knows? Maybe you could actually try to sleep. Can you even do that anymore?

Across the street, Amanda's bedroom window is lit. She's probably having trouble sleeping, too, now. But that's not your problem. Your family is asleep, another note from your father, upset that you didn't come home last night. Threats, as usual, furthering your punishment without "some damn good explanation".

And now, it's just you, alone.

What do you do?

WPTunes

I take off the camera - almost forgotten that it's been on my head this whole time. Strangely, the battery's not quite dead, and I hook the thing up to USB. It's become an albatross, really, a reminder of who I used to be, but I said I was making a movie, so I'm going to try to make a movie. Eventually. Not tonight, though.

I take a minute to remember, to mourn. Mother When killed by my own two hundred hands. So many of the Smothered dead. Madalena. Bianca.

Bianca... I remember how I first met her, as Jasmine with something slightly... off. How I somehow stole her from Mother When. Her protectiveness. Kaley Cuoco. Stoya. That moment on the subway, after I killed the Geisha, when I realized that I had caused the blood leaking from her side. Her fierce defense against Mother When... did that save my life? Probably, somehow.

Transforming a Scar: I wounded Bianca during a blindly rageful fight.

Spending 5 Coins of Hope without drawing from the coffer. Reduce Exhaustion by 4, to 2, and Uncheck a Flight response box.

Adding a Scar: So much death at Mother When’s. So much.

I lay on my bed, eyes open, still unsleeping, but I process, absorb my new world. I'll deal with the dangers of tomorrow (later today?) when they come, but for now I'm just breathing.

Rich

As you stare at the ceiling, mulling over the triumph and the disasters, there's someone watching your house.

Sitting outside, in Todd's jeep, is Bud. His bloodshot eyes are trained on your home. He doesn't know why he should hate you, not really. Someone told him that you're at fault, and with nothing else to believe, he did. He's plotting his revenge, Benny.

--END SESSION--

That resets all Coins to 0. Good use of the Scar there! We'll pick up at school in next session.