\u201cHey, Red,\u201d Riley drawled, striding over to the shooting range, grinning. \u201cYou wanna play a game?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jade frowned at her, her brows furrowing over her green eyes. With her chin, she angrily gestured at the tigers, dolphins, and dogs in her arms, piled high from her time of winning Aris prizes from the amusement park games. And, regrettably, agreeing to hold them for her. She didn\u2019t realize Aris really liked stuffed animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cFuck off,\u201d she slurred around her oversized lollipop. Riley snickered.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry, I forgot your mother doesn\u2019t allow you to play with guns.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jade groaned, the sound quite loud despite the constant noise from the large crowd rushing to rides and games. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many times are you going to use that joke?\u201d Jade grumbled. Riley shrugged, unsuccessfully suppressing a smirk.<\/p>\n
\u201cUntil it stops being fun. Oh<\/em>, speak of the devil!\u201d Riley nodded to Aris, the taller woman compared to her, but still short compared to Jade. Aris smiled pleasantly at Riley.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad I caught up to you two!\u201d She walked up to Jade and looked up at her. Jade frowned, looking away, already knowing what she was going to ask.<\/p>\n \u201cI just found the cutest<\/em> stuffed animal! It\u2019s this little wolf pup,\u201d she spread her hands out, suggesting it was not little in the slightest, \u201cand it\u2019s just over there! It\u2019s a test of strength!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForget it,\u201d Jade growled. \u201cI\u2019m already carrying enough of your shit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, c\u2019mon.\u201d Riley chimed in, crossing her arms over her tank. \u201cDon\u2019t be such a baby. I thought a big strong warrior like you could carry this no problem!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying you don\u2019t think you could win the match? All you have to do is bang a hammer on the button and hit the bell! Easy, right?\u201d Aris grinned. Jade looked at her from the corner of her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand why you don\u2019t do it yourself. You could surely win something that way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes but not what I want<\/em>,\u201d Aris whined. She clasped her hands together and bent her knees, begging. Jade\u2019s brows pulled together.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Vix, don\u2019t do that. Don\u2019t be gross. Aris, stop. Aris. Aris, stop<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Riley chuckled. \u201cI bet you can\u2019t do it, Red.\u201d<\/p>\n Jade frowned. \u201cI can do it. I don\u2019t want<\/em> to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI bet I <\/em>could beat you.\u201d Riley put her hands behind her head and rocked back on her heels. \u201cBy a landslide.\u201d<\/p>\n Jade pursed her lips with a hint of a competitive grin. \u201cAris, you\u2019re going to have to hold your own shit for a while. I\u2019ve got to show Ri who\u2019s boss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYesh!\u201d Aris bad a fist and pulled it down, eager to get that stuffed animal. Jade shoved the pile of animals into Aris\u2019 arms and crossed her arms.<\/p>\n \u201cLead the way, Sell-out.\u201d Jade said, eyes on Riley. \u201cYou\u2019re goin\u2019 down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you say, Red.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The game was definitely rigged. That much was obvious when a burly man smashed the hammer hard enough the button cracked without getting the bell at the top of the tower to ring. Jade arched a brow at Riley.<\/p>\n \u201cAge before beauty, Ri.\u201d She taunted.<\/p>\n Riley laughed. \u201cYou\u2019re going to eat your words, Red. Just you watch.\u201d She strode across the dusty earth and took up the hammer. It wasn\u2019t too heavy, but it was slick with sweat from those who had tried this before. She took a breath. She moved next to the button, threw the hammer over her shoulder and\u2014<\/p>\n Well, that was certainly embarrassing. She swung downward, but it was too late. The hammer had flown at of her hands and she heard an angered yelp from behind her. She whirled around to see who she hit.<\/p>\n Please don\u2019t let it be security, please don\u2019t let it be security. <\/em><\/p>\n In a short skirt and a half shirt with the words \u2018Queen\u2019 written over it, a woman looked positively pissed off that a hammer had just smacked into her gut. She held it now, glaring at Riley with murderous intent. Riley laughed sheepishly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou had to hit Dox,\u201d Jade hissed under her breath. She glared at Riley, who shrugged sheepishly.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry?\u201d she whispered back.<\/p>\n \u201cJade?\u201d The man next to A\u2019doxia in a pair of black jeans and a tux t-shirt looked over at them. Thaddeous smiled. \u201cWhat are the odds?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot low enough.\u201d A\u2019doxia replied. She walked forward, up to Riley. Riley arched a brow as a warning. A\u2019doxia loomed over her.<\/p>\n \u201cIs this your hammer, darling?<\/em>\u201d she said sweet enough to make teeth rot.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, thanks for catching it with your gut.\u201d Riley combated. A\u2019doxia smiled and let out a small laugh without opening her lips.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you\u2019re quite welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWow, personal space.\u201d Jade muttered, grabbing Riley\u2019s arm and yanking her away. Thaddeous stood near Jade now, one hand out of his pockets, near Jade\u2019s hand. Jade seemed to ignore it, but she was ignoring it too obviously. Her face was flush.<\/p>\n \u201cThaddeous, so good to see you!\u201d Aris chimed, walking between Riley and A\u2019doxia, smiling over at Thaddeous. The stuffed animals were glaringly missing. Jade grumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cIf she threw them in the trash, so help me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d Riley whispered, eyes on Aris who now chatted up pleasantly with Thaddeous. \u201cI say we hit that Red Rum ride not far away.\u201d<\/p>\n Jade looked down at her. She glanced up at the glowering A\u2019doxia, who was digging holes with her eyes into Riley\u2019s skull. She grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cHow fast can you run?\u201d<\/p>\n Riley\u2019s grin grew ever wider. \u201cDon\u2019t have to outrun the bear, just got to outrun you. Any bets?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think threat of Dox is enough.\u201d Jade snickered. \u201cOn my mark.\u201d She waited a moment, then took off running without saying another word. Riley yelped, A\u2019doxia starting after them like a cougar hunting moving prey. Riley spun around and dashed after the laughing red-head, her black shirt blending with the sea of people.<\/p>\n \u201cDamn it, Red!\u201d Riley howled. A\u2019doxia was on her heels, hammer held tightly in one hand. Her eyes held vengeance. Oh, Lord, what had she gotten herself into?<\/p>\n She pushed past people and burst into a less populated area. Ahead, Jade had been stopped by a security officer. Jade was arguing that it was perfectly legal to have alcohol in her pockets at all times. Who knows when she might need it? Riley wondered how he had suspected it when she noticed one of the bottles was half empty. Did Jade really take a drink when she was sprinting for her life? A laugh slipped from her lips. Well, one last toast before she dies, right?<\/p>\n Riley dashed past Jade, who noticed the quick movement. Her face fell and she spun around, A\u2019doxia\u2019s eyes locked on the closer target: Red.<\/p>\n \u201cFuck!\u201d Riley heard Jade scream. She glanced behind her to see Jade diving into the crowd of people, the security officer screaming and blowing a whistle. A\u2019doxia twirled past him, muttering something that made him nod in slow, reverent awe. Enough to make a grown woman sick. Riley felt like throwing up in her mouth.<\/p>\n Jade was fast, though, and was catching up, A\u2019doxia not far behind. Ahead, the sign for the coaster was in the air, offering protection for those who might need to escape from a psycho.<\/p>\n The ramp for the ride began, noticeably full to the brim. Riley didn\u2019t risk it, she leapt onto the side railing and waited for her balance to come to her. People stared, some people further down the line moving to sit on the railing. Well, she wasn\u2019t about to see A\u2019doxia\u2019s scary shit up close. Jade leapt onto the opposite railing and looked over at Riley.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, the worst thing about Dox is she doesn\u2019t get personal space.\u201d Jade grinned madly. \u201cSomething you\u2019re going to find out!\u201d She turned and dashed ahead. People were sitting on the railings but Jade bounded over them valiantly. And when she couldn\u2019t she moved to the line itself, shoving people out of the way. \u201cSecret police,\u201d she screamed. \u201cThere\u2019s been a bomb threat! Get out of the way!\u201d<\/p>\n Riley wasn\u2019t about to lose. She dashed forward, leaping over people when she could but eventually she was forced to the ground. Jade hadn\u2019t succeeded in convincing people she was secret police, so instead she tore off the sweatshirt she was wearing and revealed the horror of her mechanical tinkering. Metal parts, gears, small pointy bits, all strapped to her body with belts, string, and whatever else she could find. Which, by the way, made it look like she was a walking bomb.<\/p>\n \u201cFuckin\u2019 move!\u201d Jade shouted. People moved then, screaming and panicking, shoving each other to get away. Jade stuck her tongue out at Riley, who had to fight against the crowd so eagerly attempting to trample her. She looked over her shoulder. A\u2019doxia was on the railing, stepping on fingers and smacking people off with the weapon she held. What a crazy bitch.<\/p>\n Riley bounded over a small separating line and ran in the clear space right by Jade\u2019s back. They charged valiantly up the tower to boarding platform of the ride, the less terrified taking video of their passing. Oh, she was so going to jail. So screwed. So, so screwed.<\/p>\n At the ride\u2019s top, Jade pulled her sweatshirt back over her body, covering the machine parts tied and hooked to her shirt. It didn\u2019t fool those at the top of the coaster, who had heard all the commotion below and screamed and ran past her when she arrived. She bounded over the closed gate to the ride, another car arriving a moment later.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll blow this whole fuckin\u2019 place!\u201d She hollered. \u201cGet out of the car!\u201d<\/p>\n Riley looked at her. Wasn\u2019t she being a bit\u2026extreme? They were certainly going to jail for this. She was going to have to go into hiding. She was so very doomed.<\/p>\n Everyone bailed, pushing each other out of the way in an attempt to escape faster. A\u2019doxia could be heard pounding up the steps behind them. Riley leapt into the front car. No way she was going to lose. Jade jumped to the controls and lowered the safety bars. Riley blinked and turned around in her seat.<\/p>\n \u201cRed? You\u2019re not\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n Jade looked at her hard. \u201cRiley.\u201d She sighed and pressed a button, the coaster jerking into motion. \u201cRemember me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!<\/em>\u201d Riley cried. \u201cJade, you\u2019ll die back there!\u201d<\/p>\n Jade raised her fist. \u201cFuckin\u2019 remember me, you ass.\u201d<\/p>\n And Riley never saw Jade again. It was a pretty fun ride though. Really cool. 10\/10 would ride again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cHey, Red,\u201d Riley drawled, striding over to the shooting range, grinning. \u201cYou wanna play a game?\u201d Jade frowned at her, her brows furrowing over her green eyes. With her chin, she angrily gestured at the tigers, dolphins, and dogs in her arms, piled high from her time of winning Aris…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[5],"tags":[29,82,155,156,154,37],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p27tjX-eM","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/916"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=916"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":917,"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/916\/revisions\/917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/winter-publishing.com\/welcome-to-winter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}