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A Noble Sacrifice

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A Noble Sacrifice

On July 25, 2015, Posted by , In Sporadic Writings, By ,,,,, , With No Comments

“Hey, Red,” Riley drawled, striding over to the shooting range, grinning. “You wanna play a game?”

Jade frowned at her, her brows furrowing over her green eyes. With her chin, she angrily gestured at the tigers, dolphins, and dogs in her arms, piled high from her time of winning Aris prizes from the amusement park games. And, regrettably, agreeing to hold them for her. She didn’t realize Aris really liked stuffed animals.

“Fuck off,” she slurred around her oversized lollipop. Riley snickered.

“Sorry, I forgot your mother doesn’t allow you to play with guns.”

Jade groaned, the sound quite loud despite the constant noise from the large crowd rushing to rides and games. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes narrowed.

“How many times are you going to use that joke?” Jade grumbled. Riley shrugged, unsuccessfully suppressing a smirk.

“Until it stops being fun. Oh, speak of the devil!” Riley nodded to Aris, the taller woman compared to her, but still short compared to Jade. Aris smiled pleasantly at Riley.

“I’m glad I caught up to you two!” She walked up to Jade and looked up at her. Jade frowned, looking away, already knowing what she was going to ask.

“I just found the cutest stuffed animal! It’s this little wolf pup,” she spread her hands out, suggesting it was not little in the slightest, “and it’s just over there! It’s a test of strength!”

“Forget it,” Jade growled. “I’m already carrying enough of your shit.”

“Ah, c’mon.” Riley chimed in, crossing her arms over her tank. “Don’t be such a baby. I thought a big strong warrior like you could carry this no problem!”

“Are you saying you don’t think you could win the match? All you have to do is bang a hammer on the button and hit the bell! Easy, right?” Aris grinned. Jade looked at her from the corner of her eyes.

“I don’t understand why you don’t do it yourself. You could surely win something that way.”

“Yes but not what I want,” Aris whined. She clasped her hands together and bent her knees, begging. Jade’s brows pulled together.

“Oh, Vix, don’t do that. Don’t be gross. Aris, stop. Aris. Aris, stop.”

Riley chuckled. “I bet you can’t do it, Red.”

Jade frowned. “I can do it. I don’t want to do it.”

“I bet I could beat you.” Riley put her hands behind her head and rocked back on her heels. “By a landslide.”

Jade pursed her lips with a hint of a competitive grin. “Aris, you’re going to have to hold your own shit for a while. I’ve got to show Ri who’s boss.”

“Yesh!” Aris bad a fist and pulled it down, eager to get that stuffed animal. Jade shoved the pile of animals into Aris’ arms and crossed her arms.

“Lead the way, Sell-out.” Jade said, eyes on Riley. “You’re goin’ down.”

“Whatever you say, Red.”

 

The game was definitely rigged. That much was obvious when a burly man smashed the hammer hard enough the button cracked without getting the bell at the top of the tower to ring. Jade arched a brow at Riley.

“Age before beauty, Ri.” She taunted.

Riley laughed. “You’re going to eat your words, Red. Just you watch.” She strode across the dusty earth and took up the hammer. It wasn’t too heavy, but it was slick with sweat from those who had tried this before. She took a breath. She moved next to the button, threw the hammer over her shoulder and—

Well, that was certainly embarrassing. She swung downward, but it was too late. The hammer had flown at of her hands and she heard an angered yelp from behind her. She whirled around to see who she hit.

Please don’t let it be security, please don’t let it be security.

In a short skirt and a half shirt with the words ‘Queen’ written over it, a woman looked positively pissed off that a hammer had just smacked into her gut. She held it now, glaring at Riley with murderous intent. Riley laughed sheepishly.

“You had to hit Dox,” Jade hissed under her breath. She glared at Riley, who shrugged sheepishly.

“Sorry?” she whispered back.

“Jade?” The man next to A’doxia in a pair of black jeans and a tux t-shirt looked over at them. Thaddeous smiled. “What are the odds?”

“Not low enough.” A’doxia replied. She walked forward, up to Riley. Riley arched a brow as a warning. A’doxia loomed over her.

“Is this your hammer, darling?” she said sweet enough to make teeth rot.

“Yeah, thanks for catching it with your gut.” Riley combated. A’doxia smiled and let out a small laugh without opening her lips.

“Yes, you’re quite welcome.”

“Wow, personal space.” Jade muttered, grabbing Riley’s arm and yanking her away. Thaddeous stood near Jade now, one hand out of his pockets, near Jade’s hand. Jade seemed to ignore it, but she was ignoring it too obviously. Her face was flush.

“Thaddeous, so good to see you!” Aris chimed, walking between Riley and A’doxia, smiling over at Thaddeous. The stuffed animals were glaringly missing. Jade grumbled.

“If she threw them in the trash, so help me…”

“Hey,” Riley whispered, eyes on Aris who now chatted up pleasantly with Thaddeous. “I say we hit that Red Rum ride not far away.”

Jade looked down at her. She glanced up at the glowering A’doxia, who was digging holes with her eyes into Riley’s skull. She grinned.

“How fast can you run?”

Riley’s grin grew ever wider. “Don’t have to outrun the bear, just got to outrun you. Any bets?”

“I think threat of Dox is enough.” Jade snickered. “On my mark.” She waited a moment, then took off running without saying another word. Riley yelped, A’doxia starting after them like a cougar hunting moving prey. Riley spun around and dashed after the laughing red-head, her black shirt blending with the sea of people.

“Damn it, Red!” Riley howled. A’doxia was on her heels, hammer held tightly in one hand. Her eyes held vengeance. Oh, Lord, what had she gotten herself into?

She pushed past people and burst into a less populated area. Ahead, Jade had been stopped by a security officer. Jade was arguing that it was perfectly legal to have alcohol in her pockets at all times. Who knows when she might need it? Riley wondered how he had suspected it when she noticed one of the bottles was half empty. Did Jade really take a drink when she was sprinting for her life? A laugh slipped from her lips. Well, one last toast before she dies, right?

Riley dashed past Jade, who noticed the quick movement. Her face fell and she spun around, A’doxia’s eyes locked on the closer target: Red.

“Fuck!” Riley heard Jade scream. She glanced behind her to see Jade diving into the crowd of people, the security officer screaming and blowing a whistle. A’doxia twirled past him, muttering something that made him nod in slow, reverent awe. Enough to make a grown woman sick. Riley felt like throwing up in her mouth.

Jade was fast, though, and was catching up, A’doxia not far behind. Ahead, the sign for the coaster was in the air, offering protection for those who might need to escape from a psycho.

The ramp for the ride began, noticeably full to the brim. Riley didn’t risk it, she leapt onto the side railing and waited for her balance to come to her. People stared, some people further down the line moving to sit on the railing. Well, she wasn’t about to see A’doxia’s scary shit up close. Jade leapt onto the opposite railing and looked over at Riley.

“You know, the worst thing about Dox is she doesn’t get personal space.” Jade grinned madly. “Something you’re going to find out!” She turned and dashed ahead. People were sitting on the railings but Jade bounded over them valiantly. And when she couldn’t she moved to the line itself, shoving people out of the way. “Secret police,” she screamed. “There’s been a bomb threat! Get out of the way!”

Riley wasn’t about to lose. She dashed forward, leaping over people when she could but eventually she was forced to the ground. Jade hadn’t succeeded in convincing people she was secret police, so instead she tore off the sweatshirt she was wearing and revealed the horror of her mechanical tinkering. Metal parts, gears, small pointy bits, all strapped to her body with belts, string, and whatever else she could find. Which, by the way, made it look like she was a walking bomb.

“Fuckin’ move!” Jade shouted. People moved then, screaming and panicking, shoving each other to get away. Jade stuck her tongue out at Riley, who had to fight against the crowd so eagerly attempting to trample her. She looked over her shoulder. A’doxia was on the railing, stepping on fingers and smacking people off with the weapon she held. What a crazy bitch.

Riley bounded over a small separating line and ran in the clear space right by Jade’s back. They charged valiantly up the tower to boarding platform of the ride, the less terrified taking video of their passing. Oh, she was so going to jail. So screwed. So, so screwed.

At the ride’s top, Jade pulled her sweatshirt back over her body, covering the machine parts tied and hooked to her shirt. It didn’t fool those at the top of the coaster, who had heard all the commotion below and screamed and ran past her when she arrived. She bounded over the closed gate to the ride, another car arriving a moment later.

“I’ll blow this whole fuckin’ place!” She hollered. “Get out of the car!”

Riley looked at her. Wasn’t she being a bit…extreme? They were certainly going to jail for this. She was going to have to go into hiding. She was so very doomed.

Everyone bailed, pushing each other out of the way in an attempt to escape faster. A’doxia could be heard pounding up the steps behind them. Riley leapt into the front car. No way she was going to lose. Jade jumped to the controls and lowered the safety bars. Riley blinked and turned around in her seat.

“Red? You’re not…?”

Jade looked at her hard. “Riley.” She sighed and pressed a button, the coaster jerking into motion. “Remember me.”

No!” Riley cried. “Jade, you’ll die back there!”

Jade raised her fist. “Fuckin’ remember me, you ass.”

And Riley never saw Jade again. It was a pretty fun ride though. Really cool. 10/10 would ride again.

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