Take a breath,
Take it deep.
"Calm yourself,"
He says to me.
If you play,
You play for keeps.
Take the gun,
And count to three.
-
Tifa Lockhart stared across the table at the man. He had come into the bar just before closing time. He had smiled at her and asked if she wanted to take part in the devil's game.
She thought hard about it and had agreed. Marlene was gone with her father, Denzel would have Cloud, and Cloud would never love her. What did she have anymore? If he loved her maybe he would come to stop her. But no, he wouldn't, because he was always late.
Well this time he'd be late one time too many.
-
And you can see my heart beating,
You can see it through my chest.
Said I'm terrified,
But I'm not leaving.
Know that I must pass this test,
So just pull the trigger.
-
No luck. She passed the gun back towards the man. She didn't know his name and he didn't know hers. It wasn't necessary. One of them would be gone soon.
She heard a noise outside and forced herself not to look. She wouldn't back out now, not unless he came. He would be the only one to save her.
He passed the gun back to her.
Say a prayer,
To yourself.
He says "close your eyes,
Sometimes it helps."
And then I get a scary thought
That he's here means he's never lost.
Once again she pushed the gun across the table. Tifa begged for him to come. She was so scared, but she wouldn't back out. She wanted him to come. She wanted him to tell her he wouldn't be able to live without her. That he's nothing without her. But, the door hadn't opened yet, and she was still playing.
-
And you can see my heart beating,
You can see it through my chest.
Said I'm terrified,
But I'm not leaving.
Know that I must pass this test,
So just pull the trigger.
-
He passed the gun back towards her. She spun the cylinder, placed the cold metal to her temple once again and squeezed her eyes shut. Was she making the right decision? Yes. Cloud loved Aerith and she was gone. Maybe, once Tifa was gone, Cloud would love her too.
-
As my life flashes before my eyes
I'm wondering will I
Ever see another sunrise?
So many won't get the chance to say goodbye
But it's too late to think of the value of my life.
-
She was still here. For now. Her eyes were glued to the table top; she couldn't watch him as he pulled the trigger. He pulled the muzzle from his temple and slid it across the table towards her. She picked it up and stared at it. It wasn't like Vincent's guns. It was more… devastating. She placed it against her head again and held her breath.
-
And you can see my heart beating,
Oh you can see it through my chest.
Said I'm terrified,
But I'm not leaving, no.
Know that I must pass this test.
-
She was alive for one more round. Would she live for another? She doubted it. Her luck was low at best, and she had somehow been spared thus far. How? She wondered. Maybe this wasn't the way she was supposed to die. But, she would continue to test fate, just to see. To see if he would come save her. To see if she survived long enough to see that moment. The man across from her picked up the gun and spun the cylinder.
-
You can see my heart beating,
Oh you can see it through my chest.
Said I'm terrified,
But I'm not leaving, no.
Know that I must pass this test,
So just pull the trigger.
-
She heard the door open at the same time as she heard the fatal shot.
"Tifa!" the voice at the door screamed as she stared at the man across from her, his face white, as his body slumped onto the table.
The quiet in the room was deafening and once the two heard the gun fall to the floor, Tifa started to scream.
She didn't know how long she screamed, or how hard she cried. She vaguely noticed Cloud comforting her, begging her to stop crying. But still she screamed, she had been so close to death, but she had survived, once again. And here he was; her savior. Tifa lifted her head to whisper in the blonde's ears.
"I'll never question you again."
-
Based on the song Russian Roulette by Rihanna. Reviews? Flames? I tried for something angsty. Hope you enjoyed.
-K.