Class 108's Apocalypse Field Trip | Chapter 7.
“Don’t touch that!” Klaus had yelled, stumbling towards Riko with grime on his face. Riko had held a bug in her hands, a beetle, and Klaus had always been fond of those. But she had just looked so angry, Sydney thought, and she didn’t want to intervene. She had been content to continue to climb the tree, observing from afar.
She didn’t know when the small fire had started, or how it had, but it did, and then the beetle was burnt. There was a look of satisfaction on Riko’s face that Sydney remembers she’d found off-putting at the time. Klaus had been angry, but he’d stomped away, leaving Riko alone with the ashes of the beetle. A lighter rested on the ground when they were finally called inside for their next class.
Sydney had never liked that look on Riko, but she’d be lying if she said it was the first time she’d seen it. That, though, was to her knowledge the very first.
“Syd?” Cypress tapped her shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie. Sydney started, leaping back before settling down again.
“Ah, sorry. I’m always a bit jumpy these days.” She said, rubbing her neck sheepishly before she cocked her head to the side in question. “Did you need something?”
“Not really, no, you just looked…” he gestured, trying to find a word, “out of it. You good?”
She nodded sparsely, looking over to the burning building in front of them in discomfort. The scene was an ashy sky full of a sadistic energy. There was screaming, she knew, though these days it didn’t bother her as much as it should’ve. The rest of the class, spare Tabitha and Riko, who had decided to go inside the burning building, were chatting amongst themselves. Well, except for Katie, who was characteristically silent. Sydney had chosen to stray a bit from the group, needing some space to think.
“Just…memories.” She said, and he seemed to understand. Cypress didn’t ask for her to specify; that was something she liked about him, he knew when to not pry.
After a short silence, she spoke again. “Do you remember how Riko used to burn Klaus’ bugs?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. I always thought she was crazy since it didn’t really matter.” He shrugged, reminiscing.
“What?” Sydney looked up to him in question.
“Well, they were all gonna die at some point; I didn’t see the reason she was killing them off early.”
Sydney thought to herself, twisting one of her blonde braids that she’d done a few minutes before they entered the Desolation’s domain. “Huh, I’ve never thought of it that way. I guess you’re right, though.”
Cypress grinned. “I’m always right.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” She teased, before pausing. She had been meaning to ask him something that had been on her mind recently. “Do you think there’s…something off with Tabitha?”
Cypress tensed, barely, but it was still noticeable. “About the whole, ya know, listening in on statements thing?”
“Yeah. I just…” she trailed off.
There was a pause of silence, before Cypress spoke again. “Have you talked with anyone else about it?”
“Katie, but no one other than that. I think that Mr. Sims noticed, but I don’t know why he isn’t saying anything.” She shrugged lamely.
“Do you think…” he shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Hm?” she questioned, looking to him curiously.
“Do you think she’s becoming like…like him?” Cypress said, finally.
Sydney thought on it and shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you think it really matters?”
Cypress pondered. “In what way?”
“I mean, she’ll still be Tabitha even if she’s not…human. Or whatever.”
Cypress thought to himself. “You know, you may be right. I wonder how Riko and Tabitha are doing right now.”
“FUCK!” Tabitha screeched as she tripped over her untied shoelaces into some fire. She got out quickly enough that she didn’t burn terribly; it was barely even visible, but it still hurt.
“That’s what you get for coming into a burning building.” Riko shrugged, dusting her off. She seemed to be trying to play it cool, but there was a haunted look in her eyes. Tabitha was about to ask before deciding it would be best to leave it alone, however much it pained her.
“Hypocrite.” She grumbled.
“Sure.” Riko said, shrugging. “It’s just fire, you know.”
“Isn’t that enough?” Tabitha snorted, moving around another burning pillar of fallen wood.
“If it kills you, yeah. But pain is just pain.” Riko told her as she tugged at her turtleneck. That same odd expression came over her once again, before Tabitha broke it up as she spoke once more.
“Oooh, look at me, I’m Riko and I’m so tough! Pain is just-”
“Fine. Vomit your horrors.” Martin said, before turning to the two students hesitantly. “And you’re sure about this? It can get graphic…”
When he said that last sentence, it almost seemed dull, and his eyes took on the same dullness as well. Tabitha had noticed that, but she’d decided to wait for more information to bring it up.
They both nodded, and Riko pushed her glasses up.
“We’ll be fine.” She said, looking him dead in the eye in a silent dare to try to stop them. Tabitha hadn’t the same aggression, but she didn’t exactly seem keen to leave either. Martin sighed, hesitating before walking away into another part of the flaming building.
“Limping and desperate, she turns to see her furniture in flames, the bookshelves full of memories that she can’t quite place but knows are precious to her curl and float away as ash. The photos on the wall of her family-”
Rikk was tense, a haunted look coming onto her eyes as she picked at her turtleneck. Tabitha noted this absently, but didn’t comment.
The two listened intently as he droned on, but then Riko seemed to snap up out of nowhere. Tabitha would’ve liked to turn to her questioningly, but she was so enraptured in the tale that she didn’t.
Static began to rise, and still Tabitha didn’t seem to make any note, but Riko certainly did. She turned, watching Martin avoid the flames and shout for them.
“Jon! Tabitha! Riko!” he called, and Riko started trying to shake Tabitha, who was still focused on Jon’s statement.
“-whose faces seem indistinct but she knows that-” Jon continued, and Tabitha still wasn’t reacting as Riko tried to shake her back to herself.
The static rose in volume. “Jon!” Martin called once more, trying to get his attention, now standing right new to Tabitha.
Riko and Martin exchanged looks of worry.
“-she loves, begin to blacken as the glass-” He still wasn’t stopping, and Martin grit his teeth, before coughing as he inhaled thick smoke.
“Come on Jon!” He began to shake the Archive harshly, and Riko tried to pinch Tabitha. Her leg caught on some fire but she paid it no mind, setting it out calmly as she continued to yell in Tabitha’s face.
“You idiot! Snap out of it!” she yelled, now pulling Tabitha’s hair in an attempt to get her free from whatever kept her listening. Tabitha was still unaware, enraptured by the Archive’s words.
“Jon, come on! Come back!” Martin yelled, shaking him even more frantically.
“-this devouring Desolation, and she-”
Then Martin slapped him, and Jon was sent stumbling before he looked up to Martin, whose eyes were wide, and body panting.
Tabitha groggily came back to herself since the statement had passed. She looked up, eyebrows furrowed.
A thunder like crackling noise engulfed their ears, and they heard a laughing noise. Jon rose up, stepping in front of Martin and the two students.
The woman was short, and her expression was that of sadistic amusement. That was the first thing Riko noticed. Tabitha too, watched her, brows still furrowed as the grogginess seemed to dissipate.
“Fancy seeing you both here.” She spoke sarcastically. “To what, exactly, do I owe the pleasure-the honor-of being graced by the great and powerful Archivist, harbinger of this new world and his…valet? And not just that, two children? Archivist, are they gifts? Your really didn’t have to-”
“Stop. Naturally, we came to see you.” Jon said, and his tone was nearly conversational in its predatory nature.
“Why stop! I am amused. Though one of you more than the other.” She made her way over to Riko, who didn’t even flinch.
“Get away from her, or I will make you.” Jon threatened.
“No need! I won’t hurt her.” Jude lied, taking her wrist and burning it. Riko didn’t flinch as her flesh singed, and instead looked bored and annoyed.
“That was rude.” Riko said, yanking her hand away.
“I will smite you where you stand if you-”
“She really is interesting, this one. Say, where did you get those burns? They’re quite nice.” Jude asked, still focused on Riko.
“Stop it, just. Shut up!” Martin said, getting in between them. Jude scowled.
“Mr. Blackwood, it’s fine.” Riko said, coming out from behind him and approaching Jude. She narrowed her eyes.
“Was it you?” She asked, after a short pause. Jude grinned wickedly.
“Was what me?” she asked.
“My house burned down and it felt like this place does. Was it you?”
“Houses burn. Doesn’t need to be supernatural.” Jude answered conversationally, avoiding the question.
“But it was.” Riko said firmly. “So, I’m asking, was it you?”
Jude looked her up and down. “You seem familiar, but I’ve burned a lot of houses and killed a lot of people. It hardly matters to me.”
Riko nodded, examining her wrist and seemingly not noticing her calf being burned by a flame that had started it. She absently looked down after a few seconds and removed her leg from it.
“Good enough for me. You can kill her now, Mr. Sims.” Riko said, tiling her head. Her eyes gleamed with something akin to malice that Tabitha chose to not acknowledge.
Jude’s eyes widened in fear, and then anger. She grit her teeth, preparing to speak when Jon beat her to it.
“Not yet. Jude, I’m curious, did you know what you were doing?” Jon asked, and an odd sheen of dark amusement fell on his face. The face of a predator.
Martin and Tabitha coughed, smoke surrounding them. Riko seemed unaffected.
“Know about what?” Jude asked, raising an eyebrow boredly, putting on a brave face.
“That marking me would lead to this.”
“No. I had no idea.” She said, hesitating.
“So why did you do it?” Jon asked, putting only a slight bit of compulsion into his voice.
“Why d’you think? Because I wanted to hurt you.,” Martin coughed, “Because you were annoying and I didn’t like you, so I hurt you.”
“You’re an asshole.” Tabitha concluded. Riko stayed silent.
Martin scowled, gripping onto him protectively. “I’ve heard enough. Do it Jon.”
Jude took a shaky breath. “No need for that! I’m sure we can come to an-”
“You’re bluffing, what would be the point-”
“You know I’m not. You’re already afraid.”
“Oh, I see. I get it. You finally get a sniff of power, and the first thing you do is try to settle some old scores. Play the big man; get off on good old-fashioned petty revenge.” She scowled, anger momentarily taking over her fear.
“I’d have thought that was a mindset you would appreciate. Now, feel it. All the terror and pain you’ve inflicted.” The static builds.
The static increases, and for the first time, Jude’s fear shows on her face.
“Look, look. Wait. Right? I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have burned your hand.”
“No. You shouldn’t have.” Jon says unforgivingly.
“Please don’t kill me, I-sure, I-we all moan about the Eye; who doesn’t? But-we’ve won, both of us! And that’s great!” She says, breaths coming out harshly in a final plea.
“If I’d known, would I still have marked you? Yes. I would. I’m…happy in this world. I belong here. And so do you.”
The static is almost blinding now, overtaking the cacophony of screams. Riko looks on boredly, but Tabitha sees the sadistic glint in her eye increase as Jude’s please begin to get smaller.
“Just die already!” Martin shouts, and Tabitha would cheer if she wasn’t so enraptured.
It takes another two minutes for Jude Perry to end.
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