eyes fluttered open at the sound of a foreign entity echoing out instructions and thinly veiled threats to the islanders -- ha, that’s strange, the boy thought as he sat up and allowed the various twigs, leaves, and fauna to fall from his thin frame, i’ve even started to think of us as ‘islanders.’ that’s so funny -- it’s so funny that i could laugh about it. in fact, the boy did lightheartedly chuckle as he let the sun kiss his skin from the openings in the trees.
lighthearted may not have been the best way to describe royce carter ix’s situation, but laughing was all he could do to keep from crying, screaming, and slitting his throat.
he had seen demelza’s face -- that much didn’t really surprise him nor did it bother him -- before he had seen... his. when ember’s face appeared in the sky, royce let out an audible gasp. he couldn’t help it, really, nor did he try and suppress the shock. of course, that much shock is cheesy at that point, one would think. it wasn’t that he was shocked because he thought that his lover was indestructible, it was because he realized that he hadn’t given him a proper goodbye.
his thoughts remained occupied with thoughts of ember as the days came and went. even with the arrival of sponsor gifts aplenty -- one such gift caused him to momentarily regain his composure -- the boy remained in a daze reminiscent of the one he had been in when he arrived in the capitol. this one, however, was caused by three main ingredients: malnutrition, dehydration, and heartbreak.
oh, how the capitol must be lapping up the cheesiness of the situation.
but, still, that was just how it was meant to be. he couldn’t help his feelings, nor could he help the fact that all he wanted to do was die. as dramatic as that sounded, it was the truth for those last few days. he would wake up from his naps -- meant to preserve energy, but eventually became a way for the boy to try and evade the harsh realities of this world -- and find himself hoping that somebody -- boy or girl -- would shove a knife through his neck.
he wouldn’t win. it was hopeless. the best he could hope for was a quick death; and even though he had succumbed to the world around him (and his own thoughts for that matter) royce carter ix still found a way to be dramatic about the whole situation.
as the voice of the foreign entity faded away and the boy looked directly into the sun, he had a vague premonition. he saw himself standing atop the sun with ember. ha, isn’t that funny, he thought to himself as his body mechanically started to rise and walk towards the harbor, ember would get a kick out of that, i think -- ember on the sun.
the trek to the ship was over before he even knew it. it wasn’t until he saw two other heads pop up out of the jungle that he realized that he had made it to the final three. surprisingly, he had made it to the ship first. he stood there in the center, waiting -- nay, daring -- for somebody to approach him. a smile crept up on his face and the feeling of dread coated in delirium emerged. he was going to die -- this he knew well -- but knowing didn’t prepare him for the feelings.
when the first girl came up covered in water, royce succumbed to his primal instincts and ran as fast as he could up the stairs that led to the wheel that steered the whole thing. he tried to hide, the blasted fool, and tried to nurse the pain he felt across his body by trying to focus on the new pain he got from gripping the wooden, cracked wheel too hard. as soon as the other brunette popped onto the ship, royce felt a series of splinters crack into his skin--
but it wasn’t from his grip.
with a heave, the whole of the ship tossed and turned as its inhabitants were thrown to the ground due to the sudden force. before he could look up into the face of certain death, he saw its tentacles slither across the deck causing mayhem. the sound of crushing wood, splashing sea, and screaming girls filled the air. then, moments later as royce was lifted into the air by a single foot, so, too, did his screams accompany his female companions.
he had tried to get away, but it was inevitable. the kraken’s tentacles had found him and caught him. once he was caught, however, he didn’t resist. his body went limp as he hung upside down and stared into the open maw of death. the air became tainted by its putrid breath, but none of that really mattered to royce. even his screams faded away -- or, rather, they turned into hysterical laughter.
in the face of defeat, the boy laughed, and laughed, and laughed until, finally, the beast roared once more. the horrible smell almost knocked him unconscious, but, alas, he remained awake. he continued to laugh as he felt the grip around his ankle lessen. he continued to laugh as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the one item that hadn’t fallen as he was strung up by slimy tentacles.
he continued to laugh as the creature dropped him into his mouth.
he continued to laugh until he could laugh no more -- until the beast’s teeth crunched his flesh and bones.
he continued to laugh until his body was blown apart by the explosive he had managed to trigger within the beast.
as royce carter ix died, so, too, did the kraken. it did not die immediately. flames and smoke poured from its holes as it screamed an ungodly scream. the cannon fire signaling royce’s death was masked by the demolition of the ship as the kraken went on a frenzy. sure, it managed to flail about for a bit more and cause some mayhem to the remaining girls -- but did any of that matter to royce?
