Previously on Ristical…
Andy and Jamey go after Zerona…
… She tries to trap them…
… And kill Andy’s sister…
… But in the end, Zerona is finally beaten at her own game.
Chapter 10: Kiss Me Goodbye (Final)
Weeks had gone by and no one had seen or heard of Zerona. This made Ristica very restless.
After she came home from hospital, she stayed in her room all day in silence, avoiding the windows and doors and often just staring at nothing while in a trance-like state.
It was like her soul had left her body and all that remained was an empty shell that never smiled or danced or wrote new blog posts.
Ristica hardly ate and so Ice made it a habit to frequently check up on her. It reached the point where Ice would only go out once a week because she was so scared to leave Ristica alone for too long.
As for Jamey, he often knocked at the door of Ice’s apartment but as soon as Ice opened the door and saw him standing there she would slam the door in his face.
To Ice, Ristica was her responsibility but Jamey’s carelessness hurt Ristica and it made Ice feel like she had failed to protect her cousin.
Unfortunately, there was no way for Jamey to know what went on in Ice’s head because she didn’t want to speak to him.
But Jamey had other concerns.
His days in Calectico were numbered. Jamey had asked Andy for a favor, one he could only repay by returning to the Nightfall gang permanently.
Early one morning, Jamey went to see the ‘favor’ he had asked Andy for, which was in the spare room of his apartment.
All the doors in the apartment were unlocked except for the front door and the spare room, guarded by one of Andy’s men when Jamey wasn’t home.
The man unlocked the door and Jamey went in alone.
The spare room was a revolting place to be.
A CD player from a junkyard stood behind the door and at the far end of the room was a cage where a bathroom used to be. Enclosed in the cage was a nasty old toilet and sink on one side. The windows were boarded up and so the stench of the toilet took the whole room.
On the other side of the cage was a pile of garbage, stacked up as a bed on which a very sickly Zerona Scath slept.
She was barefoot and dressed in nothing but a dirty, old, buttoned up shirt. When she heard the door creak open, she sat up sheepishly and folded her legs.
“You come here every day. Why?” Zerona asked. Although her body looked frail, her voice was as sharp as ever.
Jamey didn’t respond. Standing at the door, he just stared at her blankly.
Zerona shrugged, “I don’t mind. I get to see you every day. Does Ristica get to see you every day… or is she disgusted by the sight of you?” Zerona fiendishly asked, knowing it would infuriate Jamey.
Jamey snarled, “We need the access codes for your penthouse.”
Zerona laughed weakly and came up to the cage bars, “Why? Are you and your little thug friends planning to throw a house party, perhaps to celebrate your grand return? You left the Nightfall because of me and now you’re back again, probably until you die, all because of me. How ironic-“
“The codes.” Jamey impatiently interrupted, “Don’t make me ask again.”
Jamey came forward and stood right up to her.
“If you don’t, I’ll come back here with a sling and a bucket full of ice blocks. You have 3 hours to decide what you want or else I will decide for you.”
Jamey turned around and walked to the door while Zerona began screaming and rattling the cage.
“Wait! Don’t go! I’ll tell you!” Zerona screamed.
Jamey stopped at the CD player and switched it on. A loud, unbearable screech began to play and he set it on repeat.
“See you in 3 hours!” Jamey yelled over the noise and left.
Zerona slammed her fist on the cage and covered her ears in agony.
Elsewhere, Ristica was preparing to leave.
She stood outside the apartment building hurriedly packing her luggage into Ice’s car which was parked out in front.
Ice came out of the building holding a big box. She put it on the ground.
“Do you have everything?” Ice asked.
Ristica nodded, “Yes. I double checked.”
“Are you sure your sister knows you’re leaving here today?”
“I spoke to her less than an hour ago.”
“Do you really have to go?” Ice pouted.
Ristica couldn’t answer.
Ice gently pulled her into a hug, “I’m sorry that things turned out this way.” She said, burying her face in Ristica’s shoulder to hide a tear that ran down her cheek.
“It’s not that bad. I’ll still be in this city, just not here.” Ristica comforted her.
Ice pulled away and went back to pick up the box.
“Okay, fine, but I’ll visit often and you must come to my shows, free of charge, of course.” Ice instructed and went to put the box in the backseat.
Ristica smiled broadly. It was the first time she smiled since the incident at the warehouse.
Just then, Jamey walked out of the building. He looked at the box Ice was putting in the car and then at Ristica.
Ristica’s smile faded almost as quickly as she had seen him. She quickly spun around and walked towards the car.
“Where are you going?” Jamey asked, genuinely confused at what was going on.
Ristica stopped, “Away from here.”
“Ice, may I have a moment with Ristica.” Jamey requested.
Ice looked at Ristica who then nodded.
“I’ll be waiting.” Ice said before she got into the car.
Jamey came closer to Ristica.
“Why are you running away?” Jamey asked.
“After everything that has happened here, do you really have to ask me that?” Ristica replied, frowning.
Jamey sighed, “I know that you’re angry with me. I should have told you the truth about me… about Zerona… but I was afraid that you’d run away from me and now, just as I feared, you are leaving.” Jamey solemnly expressed, “I totally get why you want to go away but Ristica, can you honestly say that you feel nothing for me, absolutely nothing?”
Ristica turned away. She couldn’t look him in the eye.
Just then, Jamey pulled her back around and kissed her. She wanted to push him away right at that moment but she didn’t. She couldn’t.
It seemed that a little smile formed on Ristica’s lips but only for a moment. Suddenly, she pushed him away.
“No… I can’t stay.” She mumbled.
Jamey tried to touch her shoulder, “Ristica-”
“Don’t try to look for me.” Ristica pushed him away.
She got into the car and left.
Jamey watched the car disappear into the distance, feeling helpless and more alone than ever before.
That night, Jamey sat in the living room for hours, unable to sleep or even function. Andy had given him control over a hideout at the docks but Jamey couldn’t be bothered.
He wasn’t happy.
On the other side of town, Ristica was sitting by a window in her new room, unable to sleep. Her big sister’s home was a spacious, 4-story house in the suburbs, surrounded by beautiful gardens and scenery but Ristica couldn’t be bothered.
She wasn’t happy.
On the same night, in a cockroach-infested cage, Zerona was peacefully lying on her garbage heap.
Her skin was cold, blistered and wet because of Jamey’s recent torture method, only because he was angry about Ristica leaving and not because she refused to tell him the penthouse codes.
The room was cold and the smell that came from the toilet burned her nose but Zerona couldn’t be bothered. She would see Jamey every day and Ristica wouldn’t.
She was very happy.
Ristical Stories 