March 19, 2067
1035 CDT
Ink-Again, Central Olympia
Ruby Redheart's Point of View
Something is going down from about two chairs down on the left side of the shop.
“I don’t work for free! I can’t believe you wasted my time, you son of a bitch!” Mom’s employee shouts at a customer getting out of his chair.
“Woah! Iagashah, chill out! What’s going on?” Mom yells as she jumps into action.
“This jackass thought he could waltz into the shop and get a tattoo without paying. He has to get the window treatment!” Iagashah explains.
“Fuck off! I-i’m not getting the window treatment!” The customer angrily declares.
Oh no! He’s got a gun! H-how did he get one?! Civilians aren’t allowed to have one!
“Back the fuck up!” The customer shouts at Iagashah.
“Or what? What are you gonna do, shoot me?” Iagashah angrily protests as he approaches the customer.
“Iagasha, stop!” Mom screams in horror.
Oh my god. H-he shot him, he actually shot him! He took two in the chest at point-blank!
“Yo, what the fuck?!” Mom’s customer yells out in distress as he runs towards the front exit.
“Girls, get down!” Mom hollers in fear.
More gunshots. M-mom’s customer. His, his body.
“Hey, Ruby, relax. Look at me,” Scarlett whispers as we cower on the floor.
A headshot. Half of his body made it out the door, and the other half was… gulp… Someone’s bound to notice the commotion and the body. I’m supposed to stay calm, but I-I can’t!
“Dad and the police will be here in no time,” Scarlett reassures me as she holds my trembling hands. “Mom and Dad deal with dangerous situations every day, so we just have to stay calm and let Mom work. She’ll protect us, ok? She taught us to never doubt a Redheart remember?” She reminds in a calm tone as she maintains eye contact.
“N-Nobody fucking move! E-Everyone move to the center of the room! Now!” The murderer demands. “You, redhead MILF in the booty shorts,” he points the gun at Mom. “This is your fucking shop, right? Y-You better tell everyone to listen, unless you want another dead body in here.”
“Shit. Everyone do as he says and keep your hands up!” Mom orders to us and the five others in the shop.
“We’ll be ok, Ruby,” Scarlett whispers as we walk to the center of the room with everyone else.
My heart…
“What’s your name?” Mom asks as we all sit in a tight circle.
“D-Doesn’t matter,” the criminal anxiously replies.
The suspect is a Caucasian man with balding gray hair, a gray shirt, blue jeans, and appears to be fifty years old.
“I guess I should introduce myself first. My name is Rosine Redheart, and you just pissed me the fuck off. Do you know what the fuck you just did? You murdered my friend in cold blood, over some money! The police will be here any minute, so what are you going to do? What’s your grand scheme? Your big escape? I wanna know the name of the man who fucked my day up,” Mom demands in a calm yet angry tone.
“Jack. My name is Jack. I’m sorry. I-Shit! I fucked up. I fucked up!” Jack mutters in shame.
“It’s not too late to fix this, Jack. All you have to do is drop the gun and surrender to the police. Nobody else has to get hurt,” Mom calmly explains.
“The police?! No! They’ll never take me alive! I can’t go to jail! Shit. I-I barely make enough to support myself, and I owe money to some bad people anyway. I just, I just wanted a stupid tattoo. I have grandchildren who’ll be drafted soon, and they all wanted to start a stupid tradition of family tattoos. Oh god, what did I do?” Jack panics as he shakes his head.
“Jack, you fucked up. You made it clear that you don’t wanna surrender, so now what? Let’s say you do somehow escape. Where will you go? You can’t stay here, and you don’t seem like the type who can survive without a kingdom. Hell, even I can’t survive without a kingdom,” Mom continues.
“Scorpius. I-I can make it,” Jack unconvincingly answers.
“You’re unbelievable, but ok, Jack, I’ll play along. So, let’s say you do somehow make it across Hades and The Styx River. You’d still have to get past the safe zones without a Halo or supplies. That pistol can only take down a certain number of monsters before it runs out of ammo, and then what’s your game plan versus the groups of murderers, rapists, and thieves? Finally, if you do miraculously reach Scorpius, what will you do before they immediately rob and kill you?” Mom explains with authority.
“Then I’ll go to Athens! Shit bitch! What the fuck?!” Jack screams in rage as he continues to pace back and forth.
“Athens?! You’ve completely missed my point, Jack. I’m trying to say that your safest option is to face the consequences of your actions and surrender. There is no other alternative. Anything else you do will only make your life worse,” Mom smoothly unfolds.
“Worse? With how fucked up this world is, I doubt anything can get worse. We’ve been imprisoned inside this bubble for years, and it’ll stay like this forever!” Jack hopelessly cries out.
“Sigh, Jack, there’s a light at the end of every tunnel. The Age of Zombies is only another obstacle for mankind,” Mom ends with a smile.
I hear a beeping noise.
“Oh, fuck!” Jack screams out.
“Close your eyes gi-!” Mom yells bef-
Another gunshot. Woah.
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“Fuck! That was close!” Jack cries out in relief.
He-he shot Iagasha’s corpse?
“Y-you were just stalling! I almost got bit!” Jack accuses as he points the gun at Mom.
The beeping must’ve been Iagasha’s Thunderbolt.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Just surrender already,” Mom rolls her eyes at Jack.
“Oh yeah?” Jack says in disbelief as he stomps towards Mom and kicks her in the face.
Mom! Ummm, Jack? Why is he looking at me?
“Stop!” Mom shouts in fury as he snatches me away.
Ow! My-My hair!
“Ruby!” Scarlett helplessly cries out.
“Let me go, you motherfucker!” I scream.
It hurts, but he keeps dragging me.
“I’ll slit your throat!” Mom yells as she gets up.
“I can easily crush this little girl’s throat by continuing to apply pressure with my arm like this,” Jack says as he squeezes.
Stop! Please!
“I-I’ll let a hostage go, in exchange for direct negotiation with the police chief,” Jack reveals.
“You fucking coward! Take me hostage, instead, and leave my daughter alone!” Mom shouts in anger as tears fall down her face.
“Think again! I’m the one with the gun, so I’m in charge here! Piss me off or try to trick me again, and I’ll tattoo your little girl’s skull with lead!” Jack loudly threatens.
I-I can’t stop crying! I can’t, I-I need air!
“Sir, my sister is dying!” Scarlett begs. “I’m practically the same age as her, so take me hostage instead! Please! She’s having a panic attack!”
Scar…lett?
“Fine!” Jack… agrees as Scarlett takes my place.
Cough, cough! Ow! D-dickhead.
“Ruby, it’s ok. We’ll be ok. We Redhearts always stick together no matter what,” Mom whispers as she hugs me tight.
We’ll be ok, Mom? Then why are we all crying so hard? Dad, please save us.
*
30 minutes later
*
“Jack?” Dad announces near the front door. “It’s Chief O’Connor. I’m unarmed and coming in with my hands up,” Dad calmly declares as he slowly walks through the door.
“About time!” Jack shouts as he points the gun at Dad.
“You don’t have to do this, Jack,” Dad says.
“I’ll give the damn orders here! Here’s what I want, I want a bag of supplies that’ll last me for months, a car with a full tank of gas, a safe escort out of the capital and the safe zone, and finally, I-I want a halo,” Jack nervously orders.
“You’re unbelievable,” Dad states in disbelief.
“Nobody’s walking away alive until I get what I want,” Jack responds as he continues to squeeze on Scarlett’s throat.
“Ok, we can get you everything you want, but on one condition,” Dad promises as he gets on his knees. “Let Scarlett go. Please, let my daughter go and take me instead. You only need one hostage. I’ll handcuff myself and do anything you want. As a founding member, I swear that no harm will come your way with me as your hostage. Just please let her go,” Dad begs in grief.
“No can do, chief. Now quit stalling and g-get me what I want. My life is finished, and I’ll never get to see my family again. I’m already a murderer, so more bodies don’t mean shit to me. This world is unforgivable,” Jack says as his body begins to tremble.
“It’s not too late to surrender. You don’t have to do this. Think about your children and grandchildren, Jack. You can still see them,” Dad kindly reminds him.
“T-They won’t see me as their father or grandfather anymore. The only thing they’ll see is a murderer,” Jack denies as he slowly lowers the gun.
“You’re family. They’ll love you no matter what happens,” Dad guarantees with a smile.
“Y-You think so?” Jack says as he tears up, and releases Scarlett.
“I’ve been an officer of the law for over thirty years, so I can tell that you’re not a bad man, but sometimes good people do bad things. Jack, give up before this gets any worse for you. Nobody else has to get hurt,” Dad peacefully pleads.
Hero!
“I-I surrender,” Jack finally gives in.
“Troy don’t!” Dad calls out.
My fucking eyes! A-a flashbang?!
“Girls!” Mom screams, followed by the sound of rapid gunshots.
Fuck, m-my eyes. Ow. Who, who tackled me? Am I dead?
“Ruby!” Scarlett cries out in shock.
“Suspect is down! We got the bastard!” A man’s voice announces.
“Check on the hostages! Is everyone ok?!” Another man’s voice calls out.
Police? They must’ve snuck in through the back. Yes! Finally! My vision is returning.
“Rosine!” Blurry Dad yells as he rushes over.
“Cough, cough, ow, well, this sucks,” Mom chuckles.
Why, why is she on the floor like that?!
“Scarlett? What happened? What’s wrong with Mom?! Stop crying like a baby and speak!” I say.
“I need a Doctor! NOW!!!” Dad calls out as he puts pressure on Mom’s chest.
“Whose blood is on my shirt?! Scarlett, tell me what happened! Tell me now, four-eyes!” I yell.
I’m gonna beat you up if you don’t tell me, Scarlett!
“Girls. Don’t fight before I take away your instruments,” Mom warns with a smile. “Cough, cough!”
That’s a lot of blood! No. No way. No fucking way!
“Rosine, stop talking. You…you have to save your strength,” Dad pleads as he holds Mom’s right hand.
“Patrick… come here,” Mom giggles, followed by her giving him a kiss.
“Two gunshot wounds to the chest? I’m lucky to still be breathing, but we both know that I won’t make it,” Mom outright lies with a smile. “What I’m… about to say is more painful to me than my wound, but it looks like this will be Rosine Redheart’s last day on Earth,” she says as she tears up and struggles to breathe.
Don’t say that, Mom!
“Mom, what the heck are you saying?! How is any of this lucky?!” I ask.
“Ruby, if the bullet hit her heart, then she would’ve died instantly, but at least this way…” Scarlett sa-
“I get to say goodbye to my amazing family!” Mom interrupts with a smile. “Good job, Scarlett. You’re the best big sister in the world!”
“You’re being unfair! You told us that we’ll all be ok! You said so! You said we’ll all be ok!” I say.
Why? Why is this happening?!
“Ruby, Mom saved our lives. Please, please don’t do this,” Scarlett flaps her gums.
Shut up, Scarlett!
“I don’t have long, so listen up everyone,” Mom hastily declares. “Patrick O’Connor, my loving husband! My love for you will last forever. Our first date was very, very strange. It was the first time a man treated me with respect, and I had no idea how to react, so I gave you a hard time. I was so, so scared that I ran you off, but that fear went away after you saw through my childish act and asked for a second date. I barely remember the second date because I was having too much fun reminiscing about our first date. It’s the second happiest day of my life,” Mom reveals in pain, yet maintains her smile.
“What was the first?” Dad cluelessly asks.
“Men. Hah, so oblivious,” Mom rolls her eyes. “The happiest day of my life was when we got married, of course. Kiss. I love you, Patrick O’Connor.”
“I-I love you too, Rosine Redheart,” Dad painfully cries in tears.
He never cries. This can’t be happening.
“Scarlett Redheart, the brains of the family. You are so, so intuitive. You’re so smart that you even started to teach me about musical instruments, leaving me speechless and proud. You’re so intelligent, brave, and cool-headed, traits you’ve unmistakably acquired from me, of course. You’ll be excellent at whatever you decide to do in life. You know what I think to myself every time… I see you and your sister?” Mom asks as she holds Scarlett’s hands.
“What do you think, Mom?” Scarlett asks in fear.
“How did a screw-up like me give birth to two amazing kids? I have no doubt that you two will change the world one day, and I know this because Redhearts are born to be amazing. Unfortunately, it seems that the world can only have so many amazing Redhearts at a time. It must be why I won’t be able to see you two grow up to become the beautiful and strong women I know you’ll become! That also means that… you’ll have to step up and look after your sister since I won’t be able to do it anymore. I love you, Scarlett. You and your sister make me so, so happy.”
“I love you too, Mom!” Scarlett achingly shrieks as she and Mom hug each other.
No. Don’t say it. I can’t… I can’t do it. I’m not ready. Not again. I-I.
Scarlett helped me hug Mom?
“Ruby Redheart!” Mom says proudly.
Everything is so calm now…
“My little troublemaker. You’re so unpredictable, eccentric, and kick-ass, which you clearly get from your father. You have the voice of an angel, and you’re a natural rockstar! I wish things weren’t so bad because I would have been able to see you perform at your sold-out concerts. Front row seats and I would allow swearing in your songs, only because you and your sister are the only people who are more amazing than moi. And music isn’t the only thing you’re good at. You learn things extremely fast and notice the little details, so I have no doubt that Ruby Redheart will be a name that the entire world knows one day. Ruby, I know you probably won’t, but try your best to stay out of trouble and stay away from boys until you’re sixteen. You too, Scarlett, and make sure it’s someone good like… your father. Ruby, let’s say it together. One more time, you know what I’m talking about,” she says softly.
“Mom! I, I can’t. This freaking sucks!” I say.
“Ruby, you can do anything,” Mom says.
Mom…
“The Notorious, Punk Rock, Guitar Playing, Explosively Unpredictable, Unstoppable Redhead, Lead singer of “Evil on Tour; The AMAZING Ruby Redheart!”
“I love you, Ruby Redheart,” Mom quietly says as she… drifts away.