WARNING: This next and final part is heavy on the violence and graphic content. If this is not your speed, please look away. Otherwise, feel free to let me know your thoughts. I also left it open for a sort of continuation. Maybe I’ll keep it going, though it depends on the general opinion of the work. Hope you enjoy.
The cicadas in the trees over the ridge chirped loudly. They were not aware of what was transpiring just below them. They were not aware why it was so earth shattering or important. They called out into the night, only wishing to be heard over the screams and curses that echoed out over them. Morgan heard these chirps and registered them briefly as she and Mariah glared across their invisible circle at each other. She wished it would stop. Wished it would let her focus. But...she knew she was kidding herself. She had never truly been more focused in her life. She knew she loved her little sister. Knew it even now. Even after the vow they had made in haste and anger to make this fight to the death last as long as they could. She knew she loved Mariah. But she was still not going to let herself be the one to die here. She saw that she and Mariah were both bleeding now. Not as profusely as they had thought at first. But enough to mar both of their faces with traces of red. She wanted more. She loved her sister.
And so she intended to let the both of them get their fill of violence.
She slid her right foot forward, going into a wrestler’s crouch. Her hands were raised...one in a fist, and the other in an open but rigged clawed formation. She knew that those that died in the Rite of Culling became organ donors upon their deaths. She saw Mariah crouch low and bare her teeth, hands ready to catch any onslaught she might deliver.
She knew that those organs were often used to repair the survivors. She knew they could fix anything. Missing eyes, broken bones, ruined organs. She knew technology was at its best these days. She dug her toes into the gravel filled and hard packed sand. “Say the word little sister.” she growled. She knew that no matter what....whoever survived this would be good as new in no more than a few weeks.
She knew she loved her sister. And she knew that it didn’t matter. She’d hurt her. She’d hurt her badly. She would do so, and then she would kill her, or she would be killed. Either way, Mariah wouldn’t suffer for long. She let herself breathe out a sigh of relief at the thought. She could let it all go now. “The word...” Mariah hissed, and the world exploded around them. Just as the biblical prophecy described the sky unfolding as if it were a scroll, and the moon turning to blood, the entire universe converged on their emotions in that moment.
A savage scream. The scrape of bare feet on raw earth. They dove into each other and began to melee. Like schoolyard brawlers in search of a petty victory, they pummeled and pulled at each other. One hand wrapped in the other’s hair, they howled into the night as fists found purchase on each other’s faces and bodies. Nothing mattered now but inflicting pain. It wasn’t until Morgan had been struck hard across the cheek that she saw an opening. The blow had been hard, and it had opened the floodgates of her survival instinct. She saw as Mariah drew her fist back again. A bit too far. She knew her other hand was firmly rooted in her hair. It burned like hellfire after all. And with that, she jolted forward, raising her knee into Mariah’s open legs, driving it deep into her crotch.
A scream ripped open the night and Morgan seized her opportunity. She jabbed her little sister in the mouth with a quick and precise strike, then let go of the hold she had in those pretty curls and aimed low. She grabbed Mariah’s right breast through the sports bra and dug in her fingers. She heard Mariah hiss as she clutched her and drove forward, yanking at her sister to unbalance her and once again bring the fight to the ground. They tumbled, and Morgan again found herself on top of Mariah. She continued to dig her fingers into her little sister’s breast, eliciting an open mouthed groan of pain before she moved her left hand to grab the sides of Mariah’s face, clutching it hard and forcing her opponent to look up at her. Mariah’s fingers were still wrapped firmly in her hair and her other hand gripped Morgan’s shoulders firmly from her place on the ground. For a full minute, they heaved heavy gulps of air into their lungs and glared at each other, inflicting what pain they could with the hand they had placed on their point of attack.
“What now Mariah?” Morgan asked her sister as she bore down on her. “All you can do is pull my hair? Come on...what now?” She taunted as Mariah growled up at her. “I’m just getting started you whore.” Mariah spat back at her. They were both filthy. Covered in dirt, and spots of blood from the battle thus far. As they looked at each other, their still position giving them both a chance to breathe, the pain began to set in again, as did the gravity of what was happening here. Morgan let go of Mariah’s face and SLAPPED her hard and fast on the right cheek. Mariah grunted as her face turned just as another slap was delivered, echoing in the night with a savage clap.
“I think I’ll just smack you around a little for now.” Morgan smirked as she slapped her sister across the mouth a third time. This time getting an angry exclamation from her. As she reared her hand back a fourth time however, she felt the world upend itself. Mariah had used her leverage in Morgan’s hair and on her shoulder to roll the two of them over. Mariah, now on top and with her face and breast free of the older girl’s clutches, straddled her opponent and pinned her to the dirt before slamming her fist into Morgan’s face. Morgan yelled and found her scream cut short as Mariah’s hands found her throat and squeezed her windpipe shut. She gurgled as Mariah gripped her tightly, letting out whining and choked gasps of air as the chokehold took her. Her legs kicked and her hips bucked in the dirt as Mariah pressed down on her. Mariah grinned down as the moonlight washed over Morgan’s face. She gripped even harder as Morgan began to pry at her wrists to loosen them.
“You don’t have to pretend you don’t like it.” Mariah taunted. “I know you like Adam to choke you.” She said, referencing Morgan’s boyfriend. “Who knows? When this is over, maybe I’ll ask him to show me what he can do.” She of course would never do such a thing...But in the moment, she wanted to say it. Morgan glared up at her and continued to gurgle out. Suddenly, she reached down, getting her hand between both of their struggling hips and dug her fingers into the front of Mariah’s shorts in a brutal clawing maneuver. Mariah shrieked and let go of Morgan’s throat as she leaped back away from her, scrambling to her hands and knees a few feet from her sister. Morgan quickly got to all fours as well and they stared across the darkness at each other. Neither said a word. They only sprang at each other. Both of them grappled and scratched at each other’s bodies and faces as they tumbled across the sand. Finally, with a shock, they felt the cold of the shallow edge of the creek as they hurdled into it. The sounds of splashing and bodies smacking into the water harmonizing with the sounds of grunting and screaming as they savagely wrestled together in the creek’s edge. As they punched, kicked, scratched and bit at each other, opening new cuts and forming new welts and bruises, their howling slowly transitioned into angry and pain filled sobs. Mariah found herself screaming out as Morgan’s teeth found her shoulder and clamped down on it. She cried out and pummeled Morgan’s head and back as she writhed to get loose. Even splayed out on the ground, luckily the water here wasn’t deep enough to submerge them.
Both girls sobbed into each other as they tumbled and wrestled like battling snakes in the water’s edge. Morgan’s teeth refused to let go and Mariah clamped her own mouth onto her older sister’s neck. The two of them writhing their heads back and forth as they tasted the blood seeping from the wounds they were creating. Their hands scratched and raked at each other’s stomachs, breast and faces, opening shallow cuts and raising welts. Neither of them had ever cared much for long nails, and so the damage they did with their claws was superficial, but painful. The fight now truly resembled a battle of two cats as they tumbled, kicked, scratched and bit at each other savagely.
Morgan finally managed to break the mutual attack as she reached down and slid her hand into her younger sister’s shorts, digging her fingers in to where she had attacked Mariah’s crotch earlier. Mariah couldn’t help it. She screamed out and her teeth came off of Morgan’s neck. As her head reared up, Morgan palmed her face and SLAMMED it back down onto the ground. A splash mixing with the disoriented sobs that it ripped from Mariah’s throat. She let her teeth come off of her sister’s shoulder and looked down at Mariah. She saw that the blow to the head had affected her pretty badly and so she followed up, pulling her head up by the hair and slamming it down again. Both girls sobbed loudly. Morgan raised her knee and brought it down with all the force she could muster between Mariah’s legs. Mariah went white as her tears reached a crescendo. Again, the knee came down. Both of them stared at each other, not in anger any longer but in desperation, pain and fear. Mariah struggled to throw Morgan off of her, but it was no good. She was pinned, her pain and exhaustion winning out now.
Morgan slowly rose, taking Mariah by the hair with both hands and then slamming her fist into Mariah’s mouth. A spray of blood flew into the water as Mariah collapsed with the punch. She landed face down, barely holding her head above the water. Morgan fell to her knees behind her sister and grabbed one of her ankles which kicked out at her to ward her off. She twisted. Mariah howled out and kicked even more frantically until Morgan used the skills she had learned from her boyfriend, a wrestler on their college team, to pull in an ankle lock. She looked at Mariah briefly before she savagely cranked the hold onto her. Mariah howled, screaming, sobbing, her cries reaching a fevered pitch. If this had been a simple fight, she surely would’ve surrendered. But again, that was not an option. Morgan continued to sob as she pulled, and finally...she felt the ankle snap. The sound was drowned out by the primal screaming cry of agony that came from her sister’s mouth. She let go, and Mariah’s leg fell limp on the ground, the joint of her foot now useless to help her to her feet.
She cried in pain and despair as Mariah clawed her way through the mud away from her and she stood slowly. Staggering on her feet as she walked to Mariah’s prone side, kneeling and holding her down. She raised her knee and slammed it into Mariah’s side. She screamed out again as Morgan felt the rib she had hit give way. She hit her with another knee, aiming for the same place. Mariah swiped at her, raking fingers across her stomach. Morgan hissed through her tears and slammed a fist into Mariah’s nose, getting a stream of blood flowing freely now. She struck her again. Again. Again. Again. Her frustration and fear now pouring into this onslaught. Mariah tried to grapple her again but Morgan slapped her away, standing and stomping down on her sister’s back, right between the shoulder blades. With her foot on Mariah’s back, she grabbed her left arm and twisted, again feeling the pop from a dislocated joint. This time it was her shoulder. She listened as Mariah sobbed, screamed, and wailed. The intensity of her screams lowered a bit as Morgan heard a distinct crack in the noise.
The poor girl had ruptured her vocal cords. Morgan then decided to move this to the dry land. She mercifully grabbed Mariah’s good arm, and pulled. Slowly they came out of the water. Blood soaked, covered in mud and blood, the dirt on their faces both streaked with tears and river water. They both sobbed and Morgan dropped her younger sister on the edge of the creek, sitting down beside her and just looking at her. She did not attack. She just took in the scene as Mariah cried and tried to stand, but finding herself unable with two ruined joints. She waited a moment, then approached her. But Mariah had one last trick. Her good arm shot up and grabbed Morgan’s face. Before she had a chance to react, Mariah’s thumb had dug into her right eye, breaking it. Gouging it into blindness. Morgan let out her own horrible scream as she felt the blood gush down her face, and she clutched it tightly. “OH GOD NO NO NO!!!” She wailed as she shook with racking and body crippling pain. She kicked out at Mariah, hitting where the broken ribs were. They both cried out and Morgan felt the adrenaline flood her again. She mounted her sister and began to pummel her face relentlessly. It was a horrible sight. Mariah’s face swelled and bled as the blows rained down on her. Morgan planted her knee and dug it into the hurt shoulder as she knelt on top of her sister.
Now for payback. She grabbed Mariah’s face and planted her thumbs into Mariah’s screwed shut eyes, digging in firmly. “No...” Mariah whimpered. “Please sissy no.” she begged as she tried to shake the hands off of her. It was no use. Morgan felt the sockets give way. She had blinded her sister. Their screams and sobs echoed into the night now. Morgan noted that she could no longer hear the scuffling of small animals, nor the chirps of cicadas in the trees. Their primal battle had frightened all of them away. Morgan looked down at her little sister and slammed her fist down onto her face. Mariah just sobbed.
“M-M-Morgan-n-n...p-p-please.” She whimpered. Morgan froze her assault. “I-I c-c-can't f-fight anymore....I’m al-al-ready dead.” She cried as if she were a toddler again. “I...I...I...I” She shook underneath Morgan’s body. “I need it to be over.” Morgan did not answer. She simply looked at her sister, and she felt the grief rise in her like a horrible tidal wave, destroying everything in its path. She screamed in despair.
“IT’S NOT FAIR!!!!” She wailed. she cried in agony as she looked at Mariah. “I DON’T WANT TO!” but she knew she had to. With her body racked with sobs....she took hold of Mariah’s head. She twisted hard, and heard a pop. However, instead of falling limp, Mariah’s body began to twitch and shake. She screamed, but now the screams were incoherent. “Oh god...” Morgan whispered. She had botched it. Mariah was now in more agony than ever. She quickly grabbed at Mariah’s throat and squeezed with everything she was worth, trying to put her out. To end the misery and pain. “I’m so sorry.” She sobbed. “I love you. Please go to sleep. It’ll be over soon.” She pleaded.
For thirty full seconds, Mariah bucked and twisted under her until finally, her motions began to slow and then mercifully stop. Morgan cried into the night as she held on a bit longer. Finally, she felt the shudder and saw her sister’s teeth clench. Her death throes had finally come. She held her a while longer until she was sure. She placed her fingers on her sister's neck. Nothing. No pulse. It was over.
She rolled off of her body and onto her back, letting loose a cry of sheer desperation, anger and pain. She had survived. She could have every injury she had sustained repaired. Even the missing eye. But she could never get her little sister back. ‘WHYYYYYY?!”: She shouted at the sky, challenging every god that ever had been dreamed into existence to answer her. She heard distantly, the approach of footsteps. Who was here? She couldn’t imagine.
But of course, Mariah’s microchip had reported that she was dead. Paramedics were now descending on the scene. She felt herself lifted into a gurney and rushed away. She allowed herself one last look at Mariah’s broken body before she saw the doors close. One of the young men who began to treat her waved another away. “Go help with the other. I’ve got this one.” He said. As he leaned over Morgan, he whispered, “I’m so sorry. This...none of this is fair. Don’t say a word...act natural.” He said, pressing a small card into her hand. “I am part of a resistance movement. We want the Culling to end. I know you do too. Once you’re recovered, meet us at that address. June 1st is the next time we will meet. If you’re willing to keep fighting, and if you want justice....Meet us here.” He said simply before shouting to another medic to hand him an IV bag.
Morgan barely had time to process this as she slipped silently into unconsciousness.
END