Last words of the living

Juliet's eyes scanned over the words for what was probably the hundredth time, seeing the individual words but no longer piecing them together. It had been well over five minutes since she had received the message, a phone she didn't even know she had buzzing in her pocket and telling her she had a new message. But why? A message from Tomoko? And how? Why did he send this to her?

...what have I done?...

What had happened? It almost seemed... well, like he was writing a final note. Juliet swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to blur her vision. No, it -- it couldn't be. Tomoko was by no means a murderer... But as she forced herself to read the message again, panic and fear began to well up inside her. The words in the message were panicked, the sentences broken and jumbled. Tomoko had definitely been in a bad state when he had written this...

...had to save her...

And the her... Juliet reread the message, finally noting the one other name mentioned. Ennosuke. Ennosuke... she tried to recall all the people she had met on the ship. Ennosuke was the girl with the mask, SHSL Plague Doctor, or something of the sort. She had seemed rather reserved, but Juliet had noticed that she and Tomoko seemed to be friends. But... had he really killed to protect her? As she asked herself the question, a sad, shaky smile brushed the butler's lips. Of course Tomoko would have. He would kill for his friends in a heartbeat. But why, oh, why did it have to be here where he was forced to kill?!

...find the body...

Oh, god. Oh god, oh god oh god oh god -- he was going to be executed. Killed. Juliet pulled her knees to her chest, the phone still clutched tightly in both hands. Its soft glow was the only thing illuminating her room, and the low light only helped to accentuate the tears that had begin to silently roll down the girl's cheeks. Tomoko was going to die... No, no no no, he couldn't die. She wouldn't let it happen! But then again, she reflected bitterly, what could she do about it?

...I do not want to die...

Tomoko's words, though they were simply letters on a screen, somehow both scared and comforted Juliet as she sat in the dark, now beginning to sob. Oh, god, I don't want you to die either, Tomoko... Her eyes finally broke away from the screen as she lowered her head to rest on her knees, her barely audible sobs shaking her body. No. Please, no... Don't let this happen... She didn't know who she was addressing -- anyone who could hear her, she supposed -- but she knew her silent pleading was in vain. He was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it.

...I am scared, Juliet...

Oh, god, I'm scared too, Tomoko... I am scared for you. Memories of her own execution flashed through her mind at top speed, leaving nothing but fading feelings of surprise, hurt, despair, and, most of all, pain. Overwhelming pain, everywhere, invading and destroying her mind until there was nothing inside of her but that horrifying pain... The phone slipped from her hands, landing with a dull thud on the floor. There was no sign that the small girl heard it, though. Her arms were pulled tight around her legs, hugging them to her chest, as if, somehow, the smaller she made herself, the less pain there might be. Her knees were stained with tears, her sobs choking out of her and shaking her body. Though she didn't realize it, as she cried, she was quietly whispering, the words not able to penetrate through the fog of pain in her mind. Tomoko... Oh, Tomoko...

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tomokomustprotecteveryone -- you're welcome. c: