𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 (Kill Bill)

𝐈𝐕.

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝐈𝐕

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Two bottles of beer between them, sitting on lawn chairs beside the firepit/makeshift grill. Beatrix lay flat on her stomach only some feet away. Her sword was laid across Danielle's lap.

The sight of her just laying there made Danielle want to start crying, honestly, but she stayed quiet as Budd called Elle.

"Bill," she heard Elle say on the other end.

"Wrong brother, ya hateful bitch," answered Budd with a scoff.

"Budd," Elle corrected. "And I'd imagine the lovely Danielle is with you."

"Bingo."

"And to what do I owe this dubious pleasure?"

Budd chuckled slightly. Danielle resisted every urge to punch him in the goddamn face because the fact that he was finding any humor in this situation made anger and fear and sadness swarm her mind.

"I just caught me the cowgirl ain't never been caught."

"Did you kill her?" Elle asked, her interest piqued.

"Well, not yet, I ain't," Budd said. "I shot her full of rock salt. She's so gentle right now, I could perform a coup de grace with a rock. Anywho... guess what Danielle's got in her hands right now?"

"What?" Elle answered.

"A brand-spankin'-new Hattori Hanzo sword. And I'm here to tell ya, Elle, that's what I call sharp."

"How much?" Elle asked.

Danielle scoffed faintly. "Nothin' she can afford," she stated.

Budd raised a finger to quiet her as he answered Elle. "Oh, that's hard to say, bein' that it's... priceless an' all."

"What's the terms?" Elle pressed.

"You get your bony ass down here first thing in the morning with a million dollars in folding cash, and I'll give you the greatest sword ever made by a man. Now, how do you like the sound of that?"

"Sounds like we got a deal," Elle answered, but that felt far too easy. Danielle's grip on the sword tightened in a strangely protective way.