Fourth Wall

ACT II: Chapter 9

Look at us, out to get food like we were on a date or something. It was so horribly normal, I knew something had to fuck with it.

Kyo was standing right next to our table, something in his hand, smiling that way he always did. I didn't see him approach.

I stood but froze then. He was unarmed, but seeing him disarmed something in me. I couldn't reach for my knife.

"they are looking for the owner of this." he took my hands and pressed a short leather collar into them.

My collar. Could I have been so careless? Did I actually leave it on Sarah's body? I reached up to touch my bare throat. The game may very well be up soon, but there was so much more to do. I couldn't hide yet.

"What's wrong? Who is this?" Alice wanted to do something to protect me I think. But Kyo must have scared her just as much as he did me.

He nodded to himself a few times before he casually brushed my hair aside. "they are questioning people to see if anyone saw someone wearing that collar. There will be a trail soon. So be aware." he leaned in and brushed his lips over my forehead, and I held still for him. "stay safe now." he hurried off, laughing softly.

"I'll explain." I stood abruptly. "we have to go."

She let it go at that, but I didn't. I couldn't imagine I had done something so careless. Would they connect all the murders to me? Someone would have seen me come in through the border wearing the collar. I remember one woman who distinctly saw me go into Sarah's building.

The silence dragged on until we returned.

"Now tell me what's wrong." we were barely in my tent a few moments. She really couldn't just let me calm myself down.

"The guard have something on me. I left something of mine behind with my last one that I used to restrain her." I didn't make it to my bed before I had to just sit. I was kneeling on the ground just inside.

Alice knelt down next to me. "Could they find us here?"

"I don't know. Not long ago this would have been exciting. It could have been just another game. At the least I would have run away or something. But I can't now."

"You're going to let that girl be the end of you? I could come with you, we can run before they know where to look for you. We just need a place to hide."

The way she said the first made me want to strike her. but lately I had been better then that. "I know you're jealous, but now isn't the time. I hate to be real with you but you don't exactly have a claim to me."

"Jealousy isn't exactly it. For some reason I don't want to see you go down. You're too beautiful to just let yourself die. too much for this world in general."

She didn't mean physical beauty I knew. "Spoken like one of my victims. That's what you are you know."

She stood. "I know. but I didn't want you to be alone in this. She won't protect you when she finds out what you are."

I didn't get up off the floor as she left. No words came to me. She might just return to me, or she might have gone off to die like she had wanted. I wish I could say I cared. She may very well have gone out to end her life, but I could think only of Letha and the opportunity that life may be about to destroy.

~*~

I don't know why I came out to the forest. I got into my head the foolish notion that Alice would run here. I didn't care still, but I wouldn't sleep until I knew I was right. Back in the same clearing however, there was no sign of life save one.