Tell me again, what it's like to die in the cool moonlight
It was night.
Each second stretched out to an eternity, echoing in his ears the whispers of each person that had ever seen the end of his rifle, shot down in the prime of life in that hopeless war.
The same would happen tonight. Each second brought them closer to someone dying, some poor soul damned by the votes of his or her's own comrades.
The clock continued to tick.
The door creaked open.
Fighting instincts flashed through him, but all he was rewarded with was a tray of food shoved into his hands. He stared at it, the bowl of rice that would do little to nourish him, let alone both himself and his partner.
He sat, handed Loto the bowl.
They ate together in uncomfortable silence. All that Otto could think of was the clue room, the accusations that followed and his own vote. The vote that would send people to their deaths, regardless of whether they were innocent or guilty. He was almost certain that those he had chosen were the wolves, but if they were not... he could not stand the guilt that would bring.
He wouldn't have to. For all of a sudden, his stomach lurched and his partner begins to heave, spittle dripping from the sides of his mouth.
Fire consumes him, twisting his stomach and throat into writhing knots, and he grabs his throat, eyes wide. No. What had he done?
Limbs trembling, he dropped to his knees, fighting the horrid feelings and the blackness that encroached on the edges of his vision.
Feliciano. Elizaveta. Johanna. Their profiles flashed through his mind and he clung to them, mouthing 'Oh God, Oh God' through the foam spilling from his lips.
Please...
His mind swam and he knew then, there was nothing he could do but surrender. This was not an enemy that could be beaten, one that could be waited out and escaped from later. No. This was his end.
So he clutched to the memories, held them close to his chest as he heaved and twitched and mouthed words that he vaguely hoped the cameras would catch. 'Hold on, hold on. Don't surrender...
His head hit the floor.
The darkness was all-encroaching... but then he saw light.