𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 (Kill Bill)

𝐕𝐈.

𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝐕𝐈

𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭. Danielle's breath caught in her throat. She dropped her glass, pulling her legs up on to the couch as it shattered on the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.

A snake.

It lunged and bit once. Twice. A third time.

Budd was on his feet before it could strike again. He threw the table back, sending the suitcase and the money toppling to the ground, bringing the snake with it.

Elle just watched, smiling slightly as Budd ran back in a panic. He made for the sink, knocking over bottles and dishes in the process before he crumpled, catching himself on the counter and clutching at his face.

Danielle's eyes were horribly wide, her mouth agape. She was speechless.

Budd took a few steps back, stumbling, trying to catch himself on a chair, only for it to break beneath his weight. He fell to the side, his weight dragging him down.

Finally, he hit the ground for good, flat on his back, gasping for air, groaning in pain.

"I'm sorry, Budd," Elle said, lighting a cigarette. "That was rude of me, wasn't it? Budd, I'd like to introduce my friend, the black mamba." She looked to the snake that was currently slithering across the living room carpet, making Danielle curl into a tight ball. "Black mamba, this is Budd." To Budd, she continued, "You know, before I picked that little fella up, I looked him up on the internet. Fascinating creature, the black mamba." She sat down in the rocking chair, glancing at Danielle before she pulled out her notebook again. "Listen to this. 'In Africa, the saying goes 'in the bush, an elephant can kill you, a leopard can kill you, and a black mamba can kill you, But only with the mamba, and this has been true in Africa since the dawn of time, is death sure. Hence its handle, death incarnate.' Pretty cool, huh?"

"Elle," Danielle managed to whisper. "Elle, it's over."

Elle shook her head. "I don't think it is. Besides, I have more notes." She flipped a page and continued. "'Its neurotoxic venom is one of nature's most effective poisons, acting on the nervous system, causing paralysis. The venom of a black mamba can kill a human being in four hours if, say, bitten on the ankle or the thumb. However, a bite to the face or torso can bring death from paralysis within twenty minutes.'" She pulled a face. "Sorry, Dani. Not much time left." Then, she looked at Budd, still on the floor, still alive, but barely. "Now, you should listen to this, 'cause this concerns you." She flipped to the next page in the notebook. "'The amount of venom that can be delivered from a single bite can be gargantuan.' You know, I've always liked that word 'gargantuan.' I so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence. 'If not treated quickly with anti-venom, ten to fifteen milligrams can be fatal to human beings. However, the black mamba can deliver as much as one hundred to four hundred milligrams of venom from a single bite.'"

She closed the notebook, tucking it away in her jacket. "Now..." she said. "In these last agonizing minutes of life you have left, let me answer that question you asked earlier more thoroughly." She ground her cigarette out on the arm of her chair. "Right at this moment, the biggest 'R' I feel is regret. Regret that maybe the greatest warrior I have ever met, met her end at the hands of a bushwackin', scrub, alky piece of shit like you." She let out a sigh. "That woman deserved better."

Her eye fell to Danielle. "Dani, go to him. I'll figure out what to do with you next."

Danielle was on her feet the minute the words left her mouth. She dropped onto the floor beside him, pulling him so that his head was in her lap. His eyes found hers for only a brief moment before he stopped breathing.

The scream that left Danielle was something she had never expected to hear from herself. The sound tore out of her throat, harsh and animalistic. In her chair, Elle was shaking her head. She got to her feet, starting to put the money away in the suitcase as Danielle broke into sobs, clutching at Budd's body. As she did, she looked up at Danielle.

"Might just leave you to stew on this. I know you didn't help, anyway."

Danielle took a deep breath. She struggled to find words, but they came eventually. "Leave some of the money."

Elle snorted. "And why should I do that, sweetheart?"

Danielle swallowed hard.

"I'm pregnant, Elle."

That earned a faint laugh. "Got a little Budd bun in the oven?"

But Elle flipped through the stacks all the same, tossing some in Danielle's direction.

"Fifty thousand. Only because this is just pitiful."

Danielle gave a nod. "Good," she said. She steeled herself and took a breath. "Now get the fuck out of my house, or I will kill you, right here, right now."

Elle opened her mouth to answer, then her phone rang. She sighed, pulling it out and answering.

"Bill," she greeted. "I have some tragic news. Your brother's dead. I am so sorry, baby. She put a black mamba in his camper. Danielle tried to run, but she got her with the sword. I got her, sweetie. She's dead. Let me put it this way, you ever start feeling sentimental, go to Barstow, California. When you get here, walk into a florist and buy a bunch of flowers. Then you take those flowers to Huntington Cemetery on Fuller and Guadalupe, look for the headstone marked 'Paula Schultz', and lay them on the grave. 'Cause you will be standing at the final resting place of Beatrix Kiddo."

She picked up the suitcase, stepping around Danielle as she continued into the phone, "Look... I can be there in about four hours. Do you want me to come over? No, no, no, no. You need me, baby, I'm there. Okay. I'm leaving now. You go smoke some pot or somethin'. I'll be there soon."

She grabbed Beatrix's sword, zipping up the suitcase. She looked at Danielle, still on the floor, clutching at Budd's corpse. "You're safe for now."

And then she was off, kicking open the door.