Young Writers Society

Jerica bit her lip. It'd be kind to soothe Eve. Or to at the very least change the subject. But. "Why's that?"

"You know, we probably both deserve this hell," Evaline said instead, her mind starting to unravel more and more. "If you're an assassin, you've probably committed atrocities too - and perhaps more than I have, in the physical sense. So that's just perfect. That's probably why we're paired. Two messed-up people in a messed-up world. Isn't that poetic?"

Of all the things that had happened to her today, this felt the most natural. She was used to people tossing things in her face and telling her exactly what they hoped would happen to her. So, she let those comments slide off her shoulders and instead focused on, "What do you mean, in the physical sense?"

Evaline faltered, not expecting this question. She basically told Jerica she belonged in hell, and her response was to pick apart her words?

"You know," she said nonchalantly. "Physical. Like able to be touched and felt. Atrocities in the physical sense."

Jerica squinted. This was a deflection if she'd ever seen one. And she had. Because she did it a lot.

"I know what the physical sense is. And I probably have done more than you. I've done more than most people." As if she needed to be reminded of that. She was fully aware that she was a monster. That she deserved hell. She and Eve and the entirety of Beirania were in agreement on that fact. But it didn't make her any less curious. "But that implies you've done atrocities of a different sort, if you're making the distinction. So, what do you mean by that?"

Evaline had to hand it to Jerica: she was smart. It seemed that she was able to see through her sour words and intentions, but when it came to herself, Evaline was stubborn.

"So, we're in agreement that you have killed a lot of people then," she said extremely bluntly, not even caring how this sounded. "Perhaps this world is your punishment because of that - and we're only on day one."

"I'm an assassin, Eve," Jerica said, exasperated. "What did you think I meant by that?"

She had told Eve that little tidbit.

"And perhaps it is my punishment," Jerica continued, unwilling to let Eve squirm her way out of answering. "Doesn't explain what you're doing here, though. What've you done, in the not-physical-sense?"

"You could have been hired to kill one or two people, and you'd still be an assassin," Evaline countered, stubbornly refusing to answer Jerica's question. "So you agree, then. You've committed atrocities of your own, involving much more than one or two people."

"I'm not sure why you think I'd disagree," Jerica answered simply. "If this is hell, then I know why I'm here. More curious about why you keep deflecting my question."

"Well, maybe your hell involves me never answering any of your questions," Evaline continued, starting to let the impatience seep into her voice. "Why do you even want to know? Why do you care so much?"

That would explain a lot, actually. Eve not being here to pay for her crimes, but instead to make Jerica's punishment even worse. It'd explain why she was so utterly infuriating.

"Ah, so you're admitting you're the Evil One?" Jerica snapped, getting progressively more annoyed the longer this went on. "Or, how do you keep saying it, 'so you agree'? That you're the Evil One?"

She should stay calm. Derik always said you catch more flies with honey than salt. But saltiness was in Jerica's veins.

"You can insult me all day, I guaran-fucking-tee I've been called everything you can come up with and worse," Jerica went on, unable to keep the frustration out of her voice if she tried. And, she didn't try. "It doesn't bother me."

A slight lie.

"But if we're going to be sitting in a fucking tree trying not to get mauled for whatever the fuck we both did to deserve it," Jerica finished. "You may as well tell me what the fuck you did to get stuck up here with me, sweetums."

Evaline could feel her patience wearing thinner and thinner, and she was sure most of it was boiled already. Unlike previous times when she lost her patience and then her temper, this felt slow and thick with apprehension. Her fuse wasn't lit, because Jerica took away the fuse. She was left alone, hollow and empty.

"No," she said cooly, getting comfortable on the branch again.

She wasn't going to tell Jerica a damned thing.

Jerica twitched, anger surging through her. What would Derik say? Calm down before you ans--

"Ah, my mistake for assuming you had the capacity to be useful."

He wouldn't have said that.

"Guess I shouldn't have expected much."

Or that.

Evaline scoffed derisively at Jerica's comments. With the lack of patience, she felt herself tapping into the well of irritation and annoyance, knowing there was a finite amount before she'd completely lose it.

"Oh, sor-ry that I'm just a useless pile of skin and bones to you," she said with mockery, glaring at the space in front of her. "If I'm so incompetent, why bother even saving me? Why bother asking questions? Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Oh, my mistake, would you rather be trampled by a herd of rhinos instead of having to talk to me?" Jerica snarled, pissed off. She'd tried to be nice. Made far more of an effort than she ever did back home. Now, she was being reminded why she didn't try to make friends. "Think your opportunity for that's passed, but luckily, we have a whole pack of wolves at our disposal. I'm sure you can make due."

Jerica hesitated a moment, realizing before Eve could even respond that she didn't mean it. She certainly wouldn't shed any tears if she didn't have to deal with the bitch anymore. But she knew full well that she couldn't just sit by and watch someone get mauled without at least trying to help. Eve was an infuriating, idiotic, bitch but she didn't deserve to die for it.

"Actually, don't. I don't feel like saving you again." Jerica crossed her arms and glowered up at the branch Eve was sitting on, even though she couldn't properly see her. "Never met someone so ungrateful to have their life saved before."