Chapter 64:

Chapter 64:

Ive said before that predicting someones behavior is easy. That you start by assuming the worst and raise your expectations slightly until you have something more realistic. That of all the base instincts and baser desires, selfishness is the most common motivator.

And I stand by that. All of it.

But sometimes, people surprise you.

It was a moment that lasted a lifetime. Stretching out long enough that I had time to mentally sort through my entire inventory, my abilities, and possible actions, all to come to one simple conclusion. There was nothing I could do.

It doesnt matter. You dont know her. It doesnt matter.

chanted in my ear.

But it did matter. The very first day, when the meteor struck, Nick and I had talked about Jinny. About how the rumor mills attention wouldnt be on him for much longer and would soon switch to her. It hadnt bothered me at all then, the idea of a persons life being thrown into chaos. It didn't matter. I didnt know her.

Yet, there she was, in an entirely different situation, deciding to prioritize the life of a stranger over hers. I couldnt understand it.

And I didnt like the way it made me feel. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

Jinny began to fall.

A brief fall, rather than a long one. She collapsed onto empty space and pushed herself up unsteadily. When she rose, she was still smiling, though her knees were visibly quivering. Nailed it.

I slashed at a rising crossbow bolt, sending its invisible carrier spinning off the platform, and made a break for the center. Now closer, I could see what had convinced Jinny of the undetectable bridge. There were two sets of wooden posts, with rope that disappeared into nothingness a few feet out.

I stepped out hesitantly, not feeling fully safe until my foot came down on something solid.

Talia disentangled herself and followed behind me, limping onto the bridge. She was bleeding, every crimson drop plummeting to the dark chitin floor far below. We hustled across the bridge at first, but when it became apparent that none of the bugs were following, slowed our pace.

A moment of silence passed between us. I found it difficult to re-contextualize everything that had happened.

Well. I ran a hand through my hair. Thats scathing.

Jinny chuckled quietly and glanced down. Im just saying, youre not the only one who sees. Who considers themselves above it all. Were all capable of judgment, just like were all capable of change. She stuck her hand back out to me. Now drink the dang potion before I have to ram it down your throat.

Only if you call it the damn potion, I joked.

Jinny pressed her lips. You know, rampant swearing is the sign of a limited vocabulary.

Do I strike you as someone with a subpar lexicon?

Fine. Drink the damn potion.

I did. Immediately, the pain in my ribs and ache in my leg faded.

The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long.

A series of thoughts occurred to me, one after another. Unlike the more outlandish theories from earlier, all the pieces slowly clicked into place. What I couldnt hash out before, was why Jinny was so quick to put her life on the line. Even if it got us killedthe expected response was to stall, to look for some clue, to come up with an alternative strategy that wasnt so extreme. It was simple self-preservation, and in this case, considering everything else, there was only one logical reason that self-preservation was absent.

I reconsidered the dead-eyed smile when she returned to school. The way shed thrown herself into this trial with excitement, despite the obvious danger of the situation. How shed walked off the precipice with a smile on her face.

How long have you known? I asked.

Known what?

That youre dying.