How It Went Down

I had spent nearly a month as a watcher in the body of Rachel Kramer… at least I think it was around that time. So much had happened and none of it was good…

How could a bodiless, soundless entity like myself, possibly help? I, Komoria Vato, could do nothing to help this girl but watch with sorrow weighing down on my soul.

Her beatings continued from her useless and ugly father, while the intense rumors and bullying from the girls at school never ceased.

The only moments of respite she ever got were late into the night, before school, or on the way home from the job she lifelessly completed nearly every day.

Her brother, Richard, called her now and then, but he was busy trying to make a name for himself with his band. He was someone she could no longer rely on.

However, her time of suffering was near its end. It was only a few days now until her brother would swoop in and take her away from their circumstances that were beyond her control.

All she had to do was endure just a bit longer...but could it be that simple?

Neither Rachel nor I believed it would be.

We were on our way back from work when she got a call from an unknown number.

“Huh? Who’s...this...supposed to be?”

She hesitated at first but decided to pick it up.

“Hello, am I speaking to the sister of Richard Kramer?”

The woman’s voice on the other side of the line was full of worry and pain. Both of us could tell that something was up. Chills ran down my non-existent back. 

“Yea, I’m Rachel, his sister. What’s going on? What happened with Richard?”

She stopped walking and held her breath, waiting for a response that could determine the outcome of the remainder of her life.

“Richard Kramer… well, he is—”

“I-Is he dead?!” Rachel asked in a soft voice. “Is he....?”

“He is not deceased...but he is in critical condition. Our medical practitioners are doing everything they can, but… it's not looking good.”

“—”

“He asked us to call you before we put him to sleep. He was in so much pain, but he wanted to see you and only you. Will you come?”

————————————————————————————————————————————

Rachel looked down at her bandaged brother. His breath was faint and his entire body was in a cast. The only thing chaining him to this world was a mix of love for his sister and the life support that kept him from drifting away.

He awoke at the sight of Rachel. His eyes were the only thing we could see clearly. “Ra...Rache... Is that you? Did you come…? I knew it... I knew you...would.”

We were told that the painkillers and whatnot were messing with his head, but it was the only thing to stop the pain. He had been in a bad car accident. His friend got off better than him and called the ambulance. He sat outside the room that only family could visit.

Rachel attempted to brush the hair that covered one of her icy eyes and sighed as it fell perfectly back into place. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“Gooooood…. There is so much I want to tell you, but first….I’m sorry… Fuck, Rachel... I'm really sorry...”

His hand reached for Rachel’s moving at the speed of a slug. Rachel sped up the process and took it, tears flowing down her face. Her emotions flowed into me like a basin. I would cry if I could.

“Y-you don’t need to apologize, brother… I’m here and…,” her words sank back in her throat.

“James said he could help you set up the new apartment...but you will still need to hold a job. I’, s-s-sorry about that… I'm such a screwup. Useless...”

The grip of his hand was losing strength. It seemed he did not have much time left.

“N-no… I wanted to l-live with you and only...you. This is…”

“I know I was never a parent and it really sucks right now, but I was glad to watch you grow when pops chose not to. It’s a pretty shit fate for the older sibling to go first, though… Fucker should have been the one—for both our sakes.”

“P-please stay! I-I cant—no—I won't go on without you! I—I... I NEED YOU!!!”

“........”

The noises on what they called a ‘life support machine’ went off like crazy. Some white-clothed people walked into the room and pronounced him dead. Rachel was silent the whole time.

 It was like watching Raze die for me. Such a different person with a similar body. I was heartbroken. 

————————————————————————————————————————————

Was that it? Was it over just like that? Could we really do nothing?

I was foolish to think I would be shown something with a happy ending.

————————————————————————————————————————————

“How can I help you on this fine day?” Rachel asked without a shred of emotion.

She was back to working at her job, not even 24 hours since her brother passed. I guess she didn’t know what to do. I surely didn’t. I still had no idea what happened that got me here or why I was in this situation. I needed to get back to the real world.

————————————————————————————————————————————

A few hours went by, and Rachel got tenser and angrier at the sight of every new customer. I could feel the anger in her chest swelling up like a disease, tugging on her heart and soul. She was near her boiling point and something a lot worse than losing her job could come from it.

What the hell could I do though? I was just the observer. I was powerless. Just like when My village...

I was especially powerless to what transpired next.

A man who was cloaked in black and wearing a black mask as if to hide his identity appeared before us.

Rachel greeted him with lifeless eyes. “How can I help you?”

“You can help by putting all the money in that reg in the bag!” An object that I had seen many times in Rachel’s games was in the hand of this mystery man.

Everyone else in the store got quiet. There wasn’t a peep. All eyes were on Rachel and the masked man, not wanting to make any unnecessary movements.

The only one who could move in this world of the frozen was Rachel, who was giving the man a thousand-yard stare, full of content. “Eh? You want the fucking money?!”

“Yes, give me everything you have and no one will get h—“

Before he could even finish talking, Rachel leaped from the counter, tackling the man. Everyone else was frozen to do anything and yet, Rachel was unfazed. A gunshot filled our years, but Rachel laid her fists into the man like a punching bag.

"Ahhhhhhh! Stupid... Fucking... Shitty... Life. Fuck off! Fuck off! Fuck off!!!! I. HATE. YOUUUUUU!"

I could say she was the ideal employee, but that was not the case. She wasn’t defending this place nor was she trying to be a hero.

She just wanted to let out all her anger and stress and this man was her conduit.

“F-fuck you, you stupid cunt! Now you are trying to take something from me too? Hell no! I have nothing left, so you are going to have to make up for it!”

She slammed her fists more and more into the man’s face, screaming about her hardships and anger, her abuse and suffering, and most importantly: losing the most valuable person in her life. The dude was too shocked to respond at first and became far too weak after she laid into him.

“I-It’s not fair! It never is! I fucking hate it here! I hate everything! Life sucks! I want to be cared for without bullshit reasons and deals! I hate girls that shit-talk me behind my back and hate my guts! I won’t be a slave any longer! Not here and not to anyone!”

The man’s blood was leaking out of the mask. His skinny frame had been squirming and screaming for some time now and yet Rachel was unrelenting. Each of her bloodied fists slammed into the man’s head with a force that was meant to kill. Even for a weak girl, after a certain point, the pain would come either way.

The sight reminded me of someone else, I could almost see their forms overlap in my mind…But why?

Everyone else didn’t say a word. The man had been dead or close to dead for a while and yet Rachel’s assault never ended. Bones had creaked, skin was punctured, and pugilistic blows to the head had been delivered.

That was until the blood rush died down and the truth of her situation came to light.

We looked down. On the left of her chest was a gaping hole. She had been hit by the gunshot when she leapt at him and yet she kept on fighting. Now the fight was over…for both of them.

Rachel keeled over and collapsed in a pool of blood that was a mix of her own and the deceased man. She could still speak but chose not to. She didn’t have anything else to say…or anyone to say it to.

It was then the light in Rachel Kramer’s eyes finally extinguished.