The Corroded Mind of Alexandra [GTA V]

"If you were a better person, you wouldn't be here" - Spec Ops: The Line

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Wake up.

As sudden as a tornado, and with the grace of such, Alexandra awakens. In the process of moving her body so suddenly, the wound in her shoulder acts up, flaring in moderate pain, and straining her neck.

*Tss* "Fuck, what happened? Whe-"

You're lucky to be alive, girl.

Alexandra's confused, looking around, yet seeing nobody in sight. Her neck is sore, caused by the injury, yet she doesn't seem to notice, or care. Trying to gather her thoughts, she hears the voice speak again.

You aren't gonna find me by looking around. 

She realizes something, and almost instantly starts glaring, staring at nothing.

"Great, just fucking great. First I wake up with a wound in my shoulder, and now there's yet another voice to torment me. I wonder how much my own brain can torment me before I just give up."

I'm not a figment of your imagination. Just take a look at your soul.

'What the fuck is he talking about?' She thinks, not understanding a single bit of what's going on.

So you're saying you can't look at your soul? Then...

The soul thinks for a bit. Meanwhile, Alexandra is busy taking in her surroundings, not used to being so off-guard.

"Well at least you're not taunting me like the rest of them."

What the fuck are you talking about? Are you stupid?

"Never mind, I guess it just took a second for it to kick back in. On goes the self-hatred."

The soul, in anger, thrashes about within her soul, causing her to, for the first time since she can remember, scream in anguish.

"AAAAAGH, FUCK! What the fuck was that?"

Proof that I'm real, you damned fool.

"...How the..."

Alexandra starts standing up, confusion warping her facial expression.

Listen to me. I don't know why you're wounded, but you need to get to a hospital. Your wound has opened back up, and you'll be fucked if you don't get medical aid soon. Too much blood loss.

She looks down at her shoulder, straining her neck, and sees the fresh blood pouring out of it. Peculiarly, it looks as if it never closed.

'That ain't good.' She thinks, starting to look around the alleyway.

"I can't do that"

Why?

"I don't have insurance, and the hospital would ask too many questions, getting the police involved."

Of course you're a criminal. Because what other motherfucker would I bond with?

Alexandra's brows knit in annoyance. 

"I didn't ask for this."

She starts rummaging around the alley. She finds a bunch of rags, but all of them are grimy, filth dabbling across the fabrics.

What were you expecting, a hand-out?

Eventually, she looks up and sees an open window with a curtain shading the inside. It's clean, exactly shat she needs, but it's high up the building, on the third floor.

Well, better get to it.

"Not like I have any other choice."

Alexandra, despite the wound plaguing her shoulder, grabs onto the crevices on the building and starts climbing, ignoring the blood soaking her ragged shirt. The higher she climbed, the more pain crept into he existence, but she struggled on. After all, this is life or death, and as much as she'd be fine with dying, she would rather uselessly struggle for even a chance at survival. 

After reaching the window, she slid herself into the opening, finally releasing her body from its grueling work.

*WHEEZE* *COUGH COUGH COUGH* "Fuck."

She coughs and takes a second to breathe before looking around herself. As she does so, a faint voice in the distance is heard. For a second she panics, before realizing that it's coming from outside.

*Drip* A trail of blood continues leaking from shoulder to arm, dripping on the floor, and reminding her of her original objective. Once again looking around, this time without losing focus, she notices that she landed in a bathroom. Her slightly blurry gaze lands on a mirror, extending from the wall.

Getting back up and reaching towards the mirror, she opens it, revealing the cabinet inside, and a roll of gauze, along with isopropyl alcohol. 

She snatches the gauze, then goes for the alcohol, but accidentally knocks it over. Not thinking much of it, she sits back down and picks up the bottle, carefully opens the cap. Almost instinctually, she goes for a sip, but then comes back to her senses. 

As she goes to pour the alcohol-

Wait.

"What do you-"

Don't speak out loud. If anyone's in your vicinity, they'll hear you.

'...What should I do?'

Are there pliers anywhere?

'...Fuck, I forgot about that.'

Alexandra rummages through the mirror and sink cabinets, finding nothing for her troubles.

You're making too much noise. Somebody's gonna hear.

"I've already made too much noise, and if I get caught, oh well. I deserve prison time anyways."

I said not out loud, you-

Suddenly, the bathroom doors open, revealing a short-haired woman, holding a pistol.

"Who the fuck are you, and what are you doing in my house?"

...You're an idiot.

Alexandra looks up and stares into her blue eyes.

"Trying not to die. If you looked at what's around me, you'd notice."

The woman backs up slightly and gazes at Alexandra, noticing the crimson liquid trailblazing it's way down her arm, dripping onto the floor. She then looks around, seeing the gauze and alcohol next to the girl's legs. Her gaze ever so slightly softens, but barely noticeable...

Try asking her to wait until you're done.

'...Fine.'

Listening to the voice in her head, she speaks:

"I know I'm an intruder in your house, but before you call the police, or kill me, whichever you fancy, can I at least patch myself up? I don't wanna bleed all over the place when I get arrested. If you kill me, though, I guess that wouldn't matter."

The woman takes some time to think, still glaring at Alexandra, but eventually relents, pointing it slightly below her legs.

"Alright. Just don't do anything stupid."

Alexandra nods, and pulls off her shirt, pulling some fabric out of the wound. Looking back up, the woman watching her shows no reaction.

She shows no reaction. She's likely used to this.

Looking back towards her wound, She reaches towards it.

"What are you doing?"

"Digging in the wound for the pellets lodged within. Don't have tweezers."

She looks back up at the woman.

"If you have any, could you get them? I'd rather not injure myself more than I already am."

"If you're trying to get me to walk away, it isn't gonna work."

"You've already seen my face long enough to remember it, I'm barely able to move because of my emaciation, and even if I did escape, you could easily follow the blood from the wound, and get the police to scan the DNA all over this bathroom. I'm essentially a prisoner here, now that you've found me."

The black-haired woman thinks for just a second.

"...If you don't have the strength to do anything, how did you get up here?"

"Using the last bit of my strength. Now, I'm about to bleed out. Could you please get me some tweezers?"

"...Alright. Don't go anywhere."

"Not like I could."

The woman walks out of the bathroom door, into what looks like a living room, before disappearing.

...Why would you tell her all of this?

*Puff* "I'm fucked either way."

While she has the time, Alexandra grabs the bottle of alcohol and pours it over her hands, disinfecting them in preparation. Waiting for 30 more seconds, the woman appears back in the living room, still holding a pistol, but now also with tweezers.

"Here."

She tosses them to Alexandra, who swiftly swipes it out of the air with her left arm. The woman looks surprised, but says nothing.

"...Thank you."

'It sounds weird, saying that after all this time.'

Alexandra puts the tweezers on her leg and picks up the alcohol, pouring some of the disinfectant over it. She then puts it back down and picks up the tweezers again, and immediately goes to gently push the tweezers into her wound. With barely even a wince, she proceeds to slowly pick each pellet out of her shoulder, yet again surprising the woman watching. She then pours disinfectant onto the wound, wincing slightly, before gently wrapping the gauze around her shoulder.

"Finally. Took long enough."

"'Long enough'? How long have you had this wound for?"

"What time is it?"

The woman looks over to the clock in the living room.

Alexandra's hands tighten, before gently unfolding.

"10:20 p.m."

"...About 7 hours, I think."

The woman's face twists in shock.

"How the fuck are you alive?"

"I'm not sure. Mostly luck, I guess. Though, I don't know for how long. Now, I'm probably gonna pass out. I'm lucky I lasted this long without fainting, honestly. When you call the police, make sure they bring an ambulance."

"If you're gonna pass out, at least do it on the couch. I don't want a dead body in my bathroom."

"As opposed to your living room."

"Anything to get you out of my home sooner."

They gaze at each other, before Alexandra eventually gets up, making sure not to put pressure on her arm. The woman backs up, pointing her pistol fully downwards, and motions towards the couch in the living room.

Slowly, Alexandra walks towards the couch before plopping down on it, eventually laying her weary body on the cheap fabric, blurry-visioned eyes looking towards the woman.

"What's your name?"

The woman takes a second before answering.

"Chastity."

"Heh. That ain't a name, but whatever. Thank you for helping me, even if it's just to call the police right after."

"..."

Chastity Looks at Alexandra, realizing that she's finally passed out. Thinking of something, she looks down at the raven-haired girl, the strands of red streaking throughout bits of her hair, and turns around, walking off into the room next to it and shutting the door.