[https://i.imgur.com/kzVrYtv.png]
[Goat]: Sorry… I’m supposed to be in the hospital…
[Goat]: Let me just… get some rest…
His body slackens, and he falls forward, forward…
*crack*
slamming his head against the desk. Blood flows from a gash in his forehead and his breathing soon grows faint.
The [Rooster] stands. Red flecks too, stain her shirt, for when he coughed he had turned towards her. In this fragile, frozen, moment she approaches him.
She gingerly places two fingers on his neck.
[Rooster]: I can’t find a pulse.
People react differently the first time they see someone die. Some stop thinking, as if by failing to acknowledge a person’s death then that person will remain alive. Others find themselves in tears, either from mourning the person they just lost or because they were reminded someday they too will pass. But when most people see the light snuffed from someone’s eyes, they search desperately for embers.
[Lily]: Don’t just stand there! Someone call 9-1-1.
[Pig]: I-I got it!
The [Pig], shaking, pulls out her cell phone. On it dangles a keychain of what looks like Magical Girl Mikarin (airing this spring on Fridays at 8PM PST).
She dials with trembling fingers. 9-2 — backspace. 9-0 — backspace, backspace. 1-1-1.
The [Tiger] snatches it away and pressed the buttons: 9-1-1, enter. Then she tosses the phone onto the floor.
[Tiger]: There’s no bars. What kind of shit provider do you have?
[Yuri]: I don’t have any bars either.
[Ox]: Nothing’s going through for me.
‘It’ll be okay’ ‘There has to be something we can do’ ‘It gets better’
We desperately cling onto those words. They’re like pieces of driftwood tossed to sailors drowning in the sea - shallow wood that can’t possibly live up to our expectations, can’t possibly save our lives.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The [Dragon] roars at the TV screen.
[Dragon]: Hey! I know someone must be listening.
[Dragon]: The [Goat] didn’t break any rules of the game! You can’t let him die. That’s just not fair!
[Lily]: Stop this game right now! You’ll get arrested for not just kidnapping but manslaughter too!
[Yuri]: …it’s hopeless.
I lean back into my chair and watch the clock tick down.
44:46
44:45
44:44
Soon the commotion shifts to where the [Goat] lies - or rather, the [Goat]’s body.
[Ox]: Hey, hey, hey bro, stay with us!
[Dragon]: Clear the area. I’ll do CPR.
[Yuri]: …CPR? Maybe…?
I’m still looking at the clock. Though I don’t see the [Dragon] pumping the [Goat]’s heart, I can hear the [Dragon]’s labored breaths.
*crack*
40:41
*crack* *snap* *crack*
40:40
*crack* *snap* *thump* *crack*
[Lily]: You’re hurting him… You’re breaking his ribs.
40:39
The [Dragon] continues in spite of the shattering, his expression unchanged.
*crack* *snap*
[Rooster]: If you’re doing CPR, you’re supposed to press that hard.
[Rooster]: ...It’s the right thing to do if we want him to survive.
40:28
*crack* *snap* *crack*
40:27
Someone starts crying. Squeaking hiccups, that can’t cover the sound of crunching bone.
*crack* *crack*
…
35:50
…
30:34
[Tiger]: It’s time to give up.
[Dragon]: CPR sustained for over 40 minutes has the best outcome.
[Tiger]: We don’t have 40 minutes! Isn’t it obvious? If they don’t care about his death, they don’t care about our own lives.
[Tiger]: It’s clear that if we die, then we’ll just fucking die!