Lindsey Fairleigh here in Fort
Bragg, at the family home of one Kyoshi Nakamura (aka Ky, KY). Ky and his
comrade-in-arms, Jason Cartwright, have agreed to do a brief interview about
their experience in the world of The Ending.
LF: First off, I’d like to thank you
for welcoming me into your, um, temporary home. I know these are difficult
times.
KN: Not a problem. You’re welcome
any time. He winks.
JC: Cut it out, KY. She’s not here
for you to flirt with.
KN: Sorry, man.
LF: Okay . . . let’s dive right in.
Jason, how do you feel about Dani?
JC: None of your business. His words are dismissive and arrogant. His
jaw clenches minutely, and I shake my head.
LF: What about Cece—how do you feel
about her?
JC: I feel like she’s a bitch who should be dead. I feel like being mauled by a group of Crazies would be too good for
her. His tone is cold and, let’s be
honest, terrifying. How can Dani stand him for more than a few minutes?
LF: Okay . . . but you, you know,
slept with her.
JC: He raises his eyebrows. I thought we were here to talk about
surviving after the virus, not my sex life. You’re asking woman questions.
LF: Because I’m a woman. I say the words dryly.
JC: A smile slowly spreads across his face. I noticed.
LF: Heat flushes my cheeks and I clear my throat. So, um, what’s been
the hardest part about living in the world of The Ending?
KN: I really wanted to find out what
happened on the next season of True Blood. Who will Sookie end up with, Eric,
Alcide, or Bill? Now I’ll never know. He
sighs dramatically.
JC: You are such a girl.
LF: And what about you, Jason?
What’s the hardest part?
JC: He pins me with a flash of raw emotion, but quickly masks it with
indifference. Trying to keep these idiots alive. His stare dares me to ask for more details.
LF: Jason, you just found out last
night why Dani left—how are you handling it?
KN: I don’t know if that’s really
the best—
JC: You’re fucking kidding me,
right? He stands and begins pacing. I
spend the entire day tearing this town apart trying to find her, only to come
back here and read an email from my sister explaining what Cece did. How do you
think I’m handling it?
LF: Obviously not well. I grumble. I can’t help but admire the graceful way he moves, pacing back and
forth like a caged panther.
JC: You think? So where is she now? He sits back down and leans forward, elbows
on knees. His eyes are intensely vibrant, like blue topaz. Did I write them
that blue?
LF: I can’t tell you that.
JC: Can’t, or won’t?
LF: Won’t. Dani doesn’t want to be
found right now.
JC: Like I care. I will find her.
LF: That’s not up to you. You’ll find
her if and when she wants to be found.
JC: He stands and looms over me. With all that height and muscle, he looms
really, really well. She’d better be okay. If she’s hurt when I find her,
I’ll . . .
LF: I scoff. You’ll what, crawl off the page and glare me to death?
JC: He stalks out of the room.
KN: Yeah, so . . . you should
probably go. It’s not really safe to be around him when he’s like this.
Actually, it’s not really safe to be around him at all right now. If he goes
after Cece, I don’t know what’ll happen. He
shrugs. Did you have to give her so many stupid worshipers? This would be
so much easier to deal with if everybody hated her . . .
LF: I shrug and give him a sad smile. Sorry Ky, it is what it is.
