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Michelle Fuller didn’t know what to think when Don came downstairs alone.
He had his rifle- or was it Teddy’s? - in his hands, and a scowl on his face and yet she just couldn’t feel intimidated by him. He didn’t have his heart into it.
They were silent, those first ten minutes. Then, she spoke, words careful.
“So why are you doing this?”
She couldn’t not be blunt. It seemed to be the only thing that worked on the two men.
“..shut up.” Don said, after a few hesitant seconds.
“No, really, Don, why?” Michelle pressed.
“You aliens are killing us.” He spat, something he’d seen Teddy do once. Or twice. Or several.
“How?”
He didn’t reply.
“Don?”
“You’re killing the bees.”
“Well,” Michelle said slowly. “I can’t do anything about it from down here.”
He paused. Swallowed.
They were maybe a meter apart. Michelle leaned in.
“You want to be free, don’t you, Don?”
She felt guilty saying it.
“I can help you become free. This can all work out for you.”
Words that evaporated the second they rolled off her tongue.
“You can still do the right thing.”
Teddy would probably lose his mind once he found out.
Michelle met Don’s eyes, narrowed ones that were starting to show the slightest hint of remorse.
“I guess,” he began, slowly. “I guess I do want to be free.”
She didn’t hesitate. Held up her cuffs, tried to look sincere.
“Take the first step here, Don.”
He hesitated. His hand reached into his back pocket. The soft, muffled jingling sound was strangely comforting to her. She shifted.
He did the cuffs around her ankles first. She rubbed them slowly, wincing as the cuffs around her wrists tightened.
He paused when he got to the cuffs around them.
“Teddy’ll be mad.” He said, frowning.
“You’re setting Teddy free, too.” She reminded him. One last, desperate attempt.
He nodded, slid the key in.
Turned it. The cuffs slid off.
She didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the gun on his lap, slammed it up his chin, and ran.