Goddamn did that look painful! Vashti had intended to knock Kara down, but she didn’t expect it to be that successful. She would’ve felt pretty bad for absolutely dunking on the poor girl if she wasn’t too focused on getting the big W. She hopped up to her feet, ignored the pain in her chest, and yoinked the flag right out of that creepy tree arm. With a victorious whoop, Vashti started booking it to their goal. Gosh, she couldn’t wait to see the look on their idiot, monkey-brained faces when she won the game for her team. Vashti decided she wouldn’t trashtalk after her glorious victory. After all, no words existed that could describe the superiority of the Lizard Queen and her minions over Madison’s dinosaur team of boneheads.
As she neared the goal she turned to stick her tongue out at the losers, deciding that it was totally okay to be a complete, unsportsmanlike tool before her glorious victory. The blown raspberry morphed into a sharp “Oh fuck!” as Vashti’s vision was filled by Madison, with her arms out, in full bone regalia, soaring through the air at her. Soon Vashti was also soaring through the air as the entirety of Jurassic Park slammed into her. Instantly, Vashti dropped the flag. It was gone from her hands and then gone from her mind as she crashed into the ground, the back of her skull cushioning the blow. Utterly dazed, Vashti tried to sit up only to find herself pinned under the weight of Madison and the Jaws. Winded by the hit, a silent scream was strangled to death in her throat as she felt the pain rush back to her Outsider scar like it was a fresh wound.
And then she felt something even worse. The all too familiar sensation like she was drowning began to overtake her as the thing inside swelled like a massive tidal wave to wash away any illusion of her control. Vashti tried to warn Madison, to scream at her, but all she managed to do was thrash about like a fish gasping for air. Everything started to go black as she began sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean of her subconscious.
Herik’s quarter!
If Vashti could focus, she could achieve Gnosis and stop the Leviathan from trading the bones on Madison’s outside with the ones on her inside. Vashti fought against the undertow so that she could keep control, her hands trying to slip into her pockets. However, Madison was not making it easy. Still, she managed to move them enough to feel the soft fabric and nothing else with her fingers. Shit. Vashti’s head drooped to the side as she looked towards the sidelines, searching for her jacket where she’d left the coin. Shit!
She looked back up at Madison. Vashti really hated her guts now, but the Leviathan wanted to kill her. She had to do something. Vashti inhaled deeply. If she could warn Madison, maybe the girl could get away. The Leviathan wasn’t as fast as her. She’d be safe. The others would be safe. Her vision blacked out, and then faded back in. She was still in control. She still had a chance.
“Madison...please,” said Vashti. Her voice was distant and empty, but her watering eyes were full of terror as she began to cry. “Please. I’m sorry. Please run.”
Quietly, in the distance, Vashti swore she heard thunder.