With the weekend's latest tragedy, a strange mood has descended over Cartesio. What happened was unprecedented, and perhaps that's why the already decreasing hostility from the townsfolk comes to a complete halt. Could it be the strange circumstances? Bolin's desperate plea? Last week's peaceful Wednesday? Some combination? Whatever the reason, it's clear that the Sergeant's iron fist around the town has loosened. While the residents aren't jumping to interact with you, there's no graffiti, no new broken windows.
Cartesio is confused...but open to explanation, for perhaps the first time.
Still, while the town seems amiable, almost accepting again, there's little to chase away the knowledge that the Sergeant's tasks for you are near their end, and that means those without medals are doomed to their fate.
Or does it? After everything that's turned around, is it possible for you to claw your way out of here as well?
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cartesianism2018-11-18 02:58 pm
EXECUTION
Natalie's the one to perform it, and Bolin is the target. The Sergeant's bringing them to the place where it'll happen. The three walk into the execution room, none of them looking forward to this.
There's a constant feeling of tension, of thick nervousness. Natalie keeps staring at her feet, already carrying the gun as if having it in her hands will help her get used to its, to the weight of both the weapon and the task she was going to fulfill now. Bolin had his chin up, but it wasn't like he was going to try to escape, or even try to attack the Sergeant. He had gotten resigned to his fate ever since the moment he returned to the motel, he knew this was going to happen, and now they're here. He just didn't think it'd be Natalie. Maybe it was better the Sergeant was the one to do this, so Natalie didn't have to sully her hands with blood because of him.
The Sergeant wasn't exactly looking forward to this. When he opened the door, he let them in, without even a comment.
The electric chair still was broken from last time Bolin had gotten there. He hadn't imagined now he'd be on the opposite role, waiting for someone else to take his life. Natalie finally looked up, trying to remember the pointers Kino had given her. She had made it sound so simple, like it was a matter of aiming and pulling a trigger, but the consequence of such a simple action was something she hadn't fully processed yet. In a time like this, she regretted having volunteered.
"...I'm sorry..." she said, as if that was going to be any consolation. Bolin didn't even bother to reply to that, he just stepped towards her, hands up in the air. Would that make it easier for her to aim? If she missed, if she got cold feet, he didn't want to think what the Sergeant could do if she decided to back off.
Natalie's eyes widened, she held the gun up in the air, her hands shaking. She was frozen, staring at Bolin, not understanding why he was approaching. Was it to defend himself, was he waiting her to get her guard down? Pale, she stepped back, her back hitting the wall, and held the gun, shaking.
The blast from the gun was unexpected. She didn't realize when she pulled the trigger, she involuntarily closed her eyes when the shot startled her, she didn't understand it not even when she heard the sound of Bolin falling to the floor. She stood there, still holding the gun up, until finally she opened her eyes, seeing what she had done. It was over? It took so little time? That was impossible! She hadn't even prepared herself yet, Bolin couldn't...
...he couldn't be dead.
She didn't know how much time she spent staring at Bolin, expecting him to stand up. It may have been just a minute, it may have been ten, or an hour. Only when she processed what she had done, she let the gun fall to the floor and walked out of the execution room. The Sergeant didn't even try to stop her, or talk to her.
The final execution wasn't anything showy, or even unusual. In a way, it represented what these two months had been about: inexperienced people being forced to kill others against their will.
That was the last death that happened in Cartesio.