𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 (Kill Bill)

𝐈𝐈𝐈.

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝐈𝐈𝐈

𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞. Budd had stuck around long enough to drive Danielle back home after her shift. She was quiet the entire drive. Anxiety was welling in her mind. This entire week was off to the shittiest start, and she just knew that something bad was going to happen.

Her eyes flickered toward the trailer as Budd slowed the truck to a stop. "How long you think we got left?" she asked him.

"She's movin' fast," he answered, and that seemed to be the end of that conversation.

They climbed out of the truck, Budd draping an arm around her shoulders.

He stopped in front of the trailer's door, about to light a cigarette, but reconsidering. He and Danielle stared out at the darkness that surrounded them. Nights in the desert were quiet. Calm. 

But something felt off.

Budd's eyes finally centered on a hill just ahead. A faint smile played at his lips as he took off his hat.

It took a nudge to the arm to get Danielle moving again. She walked almost backward, staring up at the hill as she climbed up the steps and into the trailer.

Danielle kept her voice low even when they were inside.

"She's here."

Budd nodded, answering just as quietly. "I think you're right."

Danielle bit harshly at her lip, trying to occupy herself with something, anything, anything at all. But her mind wasn't wavering.

Beatrix was here. She was actually, really, fucking here.

"I don't want to die," she told Budd.

He hesitated. "Fight like hell, then," he finally concluded. "Knives ready."

She let out a sharp breath, twirling one of the blades in her hand, sparing a glance at Budd. He had a plan, she could see it in his eyes. Whatever it was, she just hoped it worked.

Outside, she heard the sound of a dog growling and barking before it broke into whines and yelps.

It was Budd who went to investigate, peering out the window into the inky blackness.

He didn't see Beatrix, pressed against the side of the trailer, waiting, biding her time. He closed the shutters and glanced back at Danielle. "Coyotes."

"All right," she said. Her voice was weak, her mouth dry.

When Beatrix did make her move, Budd was ready.

Danielle was right, he certainly did have that plan.

And that plan removed a shotgun full of rock salt and a blast to Beatrix's chest before she could take a step through the front door.

She flew backward with a groan, landing solidly on the ground outside. Danielle winced, biting harshly at her lip, tasting blood.

And Budd was actually laughing. The son of a bitch found this to be fucking funny.

 She shot him a look that silenced him in an instant, but the damage was already done.

Nonetheless, she followed him outside, her grip on her knives tight, even though she knew Budd could cause just as much, if not more, damage with the shotgun if need be.

Beatrix lay flat on her back, blood soaking through her clothes.

"Now, that gentled you down some, didn't it?" Budd asked. 

He moved to stand over her, looking down into her blue eyes. 

The sword on the ground beside her glinted in the moonlight. A quick look from Budd told Danielle what to do. She picked it up, turning it over in her hands.

"Yep," Budd said with a stiff nod, taking out the cartridges of the gun and throwing them aside. "Ain't nobody a badass with a double dose of rock salt dug deep in her tits." Beatrix coughed weakly as Budd started to reload the weapon. "Not havin'... tits..." he lowered down to better look at her eye-to-eye. "...as fine or as big as yours, I can't even imagine how bad that shit must sting."

"Shut the fuck up, Budd," Danielle stated.

Beatrix was still coughing. Budd ignored Danielle. "And..." he began to deal with any other weapons Beatrix had on her. "... I don't want to, neither."

She looked at him slowly, face covered in dust and sand, blood on her lips. She spat at him, splattering blood and saliva across his face. He closed his eyes, wincing, before he wiped it away, spitting at her in return.

Danielle closed her eyes.

"I win," Budd said with a faint smirk.

He stood up, kicking her over onto her stomach. From his back pocket, he drew out a syringe, pulling the cap off with his teeth. He sank the needle into her ass, earning a groan.

Then, she slumped down.

Danielle looked from her feet to Beatrix to Budd.

His eyes met hers.

"This is how we survive," he said. "You may not like it, but it's the truth."

She nodded stiffly.

"This is how we survive," she agreed.