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A scream rang out as a large boom filled the area. Before Jerry could even react, before he could turn, before he can blink, the ground shook and the sound waves hit him first. It crushed his tiny robotic beaver body, nearly exploding him into pieces. The screams of the victims around him had taken over all sound aside the loud noise from the fake trees that were surrounding them.
That’s when Jerry finally woke up in his real body. He screamed and yanked his head from the device around it.
“No!”
His hands shook, he felt dizzy. He was so disoriented that he tried to stand from his seat, he stumbled. Though he fortunately managed to still himself and keep going. All that was in his head now was hoping and begging whatever power was out there listening that no one was hurt, no one has died, everyone was okay.
Though a louder voice in his mind told him what he knew was true.
~~~
Mabel felt pain all over. She felt like her lungs had been crushed and like a rock weighted heavy on her body. All sound around her was muffled so she couldn’t hear a think. She could barely process the screaming around her as she attempted to lift herself back up but couldn’t. She just couldn’t, not even lift herself up with her good arm.
“H… Help…” Mabel whimpered weakly. Not enough for anyone to hear. She didn’t even know who she was crying to for help. “Please… help me…”
There was static in her ear. The comm.
”J-Jerry…” she gasped. “Jerry, please- are you there…?”
Nothing. Just static.
Mabel didn’t know how long she was on the ground like this but she did know she just needed to move. She had to. Tears fell down her face as she cried out in pain, using all the strength in her body to do something. ANYTHING. When she finally flipped herself over, she screamed. Her body was in so much agony. She screamed and cussed and cried into the grass beneath her. All of it was muffled in her ears. It was clear that the speakers had deafened her.
She smelled the metallic scent of blood all around her. But, somehow, she pushed down the overwhelming urge to vomit. Her body was already so weak, she doesn’t know how she even managed it. One thing she couldn’t do, though, was get up. She couldn’t. She couldn’t breathe and every movement felt like fire. Every attempt at getting up was like an anchor weighing her down.
However long she was there, it was enough time that Mabel began to see the blue and red flashing of police lights and the muffled wailing of ambulances. Mabel sobbed in relief.
~~~
After he had made sure the ambulances were where they needed to be, Jerry ran home and pulled on a shirt, pants, and shoes, rushing as best he could. His mother was in a panicked frenzy and, really, he couldn’t blame her. But he couldn’t stop now. He quickly assured her he’s okay and that he will be back as soon as possible.
Jerry ran towards the glade. Empty with animals and water, now filled with bodies. Bloodied, screaming, crying. Getting close enough, Jerry felt himself getting dizzy all over again. When his eyes finally landed on everyone…
He looked at them all in horror.
Too horrified to make a noise or even move.
Now all that could run through his mind at this very moment was; ‘Dear god, what have I done?’
But then…
“Mabel.” Jerry breathed. Suddenly all of this was blocked out of his vision. Maybe it was his brain protecting himself. Maybe it was because now he needed to get to Mabel. Either way, he began moving. He ran past paramedics who were checking everyone for a pulse. One paramedic yelled at Jerry to get out of there but he didn’t listen.
“Mabel! Mabel!?”
Jerry caught a quick glimpse of the crushed little beaver robot he was just in. Mabel had to be nearby.
Then he spotted her.
Black hair, white cast, green jacket. Body bloodied and battered. It wasn’t just from the speakers. Titus did a number on her…
“Mabel!” Jerry ran over to her and got to his knees to check on her. He didn’t know what to do so he gently brushed her hair from her face to see a sign of any life. Her freckled face came into view, brown eyes closed. “Mabel! C-can you hear me?”
It took a second, one second too long for Jerry, but she looked up at him. Eyes foggy and unfocused but open and alive. Mabel was alive.
Jerry was blurry in her vision but she could still see him and just barely make out his voice. “J… Jerry…?”
He let out a relieved breath, sighing as he put a hand on her back in reassurance. “Oh my god! Thank goodness- y-you’re going to be okay, Mabel, everything is gonna be fine.” His voice shook with every work as tears welled up in his eyes.
“… Y… You came for me…?”
“Of course I did- I got here as fast as I could for you.”
”Jerry, I can’t breathe…”
“We’re gonna get you out of here, Mabel, you’re going to be alright.”
Before Mabel could say anything, two paramedics came up to them with a stretcher. “Sir, you can’t be here!”
“I get that- I-I just needed to see if she was alright-“
“I understand but you need to move aside so we can get her in the ambulance.”
“Shit- right! I’m sorry. She’s alive but she can’t breathe well…”
Jerry stood up and backed away. He watched as the paramedics slowly flipped Mabel on her back, causing a painful and weak cry to escape her. Hearing that sent a sick feeling in Jerry’s stomach,. Paramedics asked her question after question, only for Mabel to finally let out a broken; “I can’t hear you…”
As they put her in the stretcher as carefully as they could, all Jerry could do was watch. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. His eyes scanned the entire area. So many families. People crying, paramedics checking pulses, some people not even moving anymore…
‘What have I done…?’
~~~
“No, I told you. It was a robot version of me.” Jerry answered. It was so late in the night, probably sunrise by now, and he was now in an interrogation room with two men who were, understandably, NOT happy. “I know that sounds ridiculous but I would never have hurt those people! There were children there.”
“One child dead and many injured.” One of the investigators said firmly. Jerry felt a huge sting of guilt.
“You better get your story straight, Generazzo-“
“I would NEVER lie about this! It was a robot— these two women made this robot version of me and someone else used it to— t-to do what he did!”
“Two women? Who are they?”
“I-I don’t remember their names. I think one of them was— uh— Sam? And another one. I never met them until last night when, I told you, I had been held captive.”
“By the women?”
“No. They were held captive, too.”
“By who?”
“… You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Why?”
“Because—“ Jerry stammered. How was he meant to explain any of this? Was he supposed to explain that an evil butterfly put his consciousness into a robot body to kill people? That sounded INSANE. So insane that Jerry almost wondered if he did hurt everyone and now he was having some psychotic reality break. “… Y-You… just wouldn’t. I suggest detectives get the evidence here sooner or later.”
“On top of that,” one of the investigators spoke. “We get the two women in here now. Can you describe what they look like?”
~~~
“Can I see Mabel?”
“Mabel Tanaka? No. We are told she is in critical condition and can’t be seen by any visitors.”
“Fuck.” Jerry whispered, sitting back in his seat and rubbing his face tiredl. It was day two of the investigation and he was getting anxious not knowing how Mabel was. “Can someone at least tell me if she’s, you know, breathing? Surviving? Doing at least a little better?”
“Hm… are you kin?”
“No.” Jerry said as if that was the most obvious answer. Because it was. “I’m a concerned party, though, and as Mayor, I’d like to know how someone near death is doing.”
“Mr. Generazzo-“
“Please. She… she has no family here…”
There was a beat of silence between him and the officer watching him before the officer sighed. “I will see what I can do.”
“Thank you.” Jerry sighed. He knew that didn’t mean much but if there was a chance he could get at least a little information on Mabel’s wellbeing, he was pacified for now.
~~~
Dr. Sam and Nisha. Those were the names. Dr. Sam was Mabel’s professor at Beaverton University. Mabel was a science major, Jerry didn’t know what specifically but he guessed it had something to do with nature since she lived it so much. It really put into perspective that Mabel was only a kid. Only nineteen. In her second year of college and yet she was in the hospital right now because of Jerry’s stupid decisions. So many kids were in the hospital because of him.
He never thought things would turn out this way.
The investigation was a long and tedious process but they concluded that, yes, a robot Jerry killed and hurt those people and even video footage from the hopping technology was recovered to prove everyone’s innocence and explain some very confusing things. Everyone was proven as innocent but Dr. Sam’s hopping experiments were shut down.
When the three left the police station, Jerry was a mess. Dr. Sam put a hand on his back and assured him that Mabel will be okay but how could she know? No one knew! For all they know, Mabel could be dead right now!
The whole time since that night, he dreaded the news telling him who else had died. He anticipated being told Mabel didn’t make it. He has tried to mentally prepare himself but he just couldn’t.
When Jerry returned home, he silently hugged his worried mother and, for the first time in a long while, he cried. It was like all the emotions that built up since that night finally broke down and crashed into him all at once…
~~~
“I’m here to see Mabel Tanaka.”
The day he as finally able to go see Mabel, he was admittedly extremely anxious. He had been busy at work, trying to pick up the pieces and doing whatever we could for the families affected by what Beaverton very quickly began to call “The Beaverton Rally Massacre”. Every time Jerry heard that name, he had to physically will himself to not throw up. Again. He could barely get any work done with Mabel on his mind.
But he was recently told that Mabel had survived whatever operations they did on her and she was able to be seen by visitors. Now, Jerry at the hospital with flowers and a stupid “get well soon” balloon. As if a balloon was going to cure her but he thought it’d boost her morale a little.
He very quietly entered the hospital room and immediately saw Mabel in her hospital bed. Breathing mask on her face, a bag of whatever attached and taped to her arm, and a night gown replacing her mess clothes. The jacket she always wore was now under arm, her hand holding onto it as if someone would come in and take it from her. She had a few letters, flowers, balloons, and chocolates given to her by Dr. Sam, Nisha, Conner, and a few of Mabel’s classmates. It was definitely a lot and Jerry smiled at it all. He always assumed Mabel was completely alone but here she was, surrounded by proof that she wasn’t.
Jerry took a small breath and carefully made his way towards the girl, checking if she was awake. He wouldn’t want to bother her if she was resting.
Hearing movement, Mabel hummed softly and opened her eyes. She rubbed them until they landed on Jerry immediately. Her tired face shifted to surprise.
“Jerry?”
“Mabel.”
“What… What are you doing here…?”
Jerry looked around and shrugged, holding up the flowers and balloon. “Let’s see. Why would I be in your hospital room with gifts?”
“… Huh… aren’t you busy with your mayor duties?”
“Mayoral. But that’s not my priority right now.” Jerry said as he put down the gifts on a nearby table.
“Uhuh…”
Jerry pointed to a nearby chair. “Mind if I sit…?”
“… Go ahead.” Mabel said, a hint of hesitance in her voice. She reached over to a small remote attached to her bed and pressed a button to lift the upper half of her body.
“… So… you okay…? H-how are you feeling? Are you feeling okay…?”
Mabel sighed. “Well, I lost partial hearing, my lungs collapsed, and my internal organs got a teeny bit crushed. And somehow I’m alive. So… you tell me.
Jerry frowned and sighed. “I figured. But I’m so glad that you’re alive. I couldn’t sleep not knowing if you were okay or not… they wouldn’t really tell me anything.”
“… Jerry Generazzo, were you worried about ME?” Mabel said, making a show of acting surprised, hand to her chest. “I’m touched!”
“Mabel-“
“Seriously, Jerry, I’m flattered. Who knew you had feelings that wasn’t just desperation for approval?”
“Okay, wow. That is… damn. Okay- I-I’m serious, Mabel, I was very worried. Beyond worried. I mean- I’d wake up in cold sweats thinking about… what if you… i-if you…”
Mabel looked at him for a moment. She didn’t really know how to even respond to that. Hearing that Jerry, of all people, the man that she has had a whole rivalry with for almost a whole year… worried about her? Now he was sitting beside her after everything. Asking if she was okay. Not being condescending or talking down to her anymore. Them not yelling over each other or Mabel trying to start something that would inevitably lead to her being escorted away by police.
They weren’t enemies here. They were… something. Allies? Mabel didn’t know.
“Mabel… you were right. About everything.”
Mabel was taken more aback by that. “Wait what?”
“You were right. What I was doing was not okay. I am selfish and I am a liar. I absolutely am not a good person and my actions caused all of this. Landed you here. So many people hurt and killed because of me. It honestly shouldn’t have taken all of this to make me realize I was wrong.”
Mabel stayed silent as she listened.
“Mabel. I mean it when I say this; you are the strongest, most stubborn, most incredible girl I’ve ever met. I was just too self absorbed to ever acknowledge any of it. I don’t care how impulsive you are, you do what you know is right and I commend that. I really do.
“… Huh…”
“… Was that— is that weird? Did I make you feel weird? I probably should’ve-“
“No, no. It’s just that… I didn’t expect to hear that from you. Of all people.”
Jerry chuckled softly and rubbed his eyes. “I know, I know…”
“You mean it, though?”
Jerry looked at her for a moment before he nodded. Mabel couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped her as she fidgeted with her blanket.
“Well… wow. I mean… thank you…?”
“I should be thanking you. You literally saved my life even after everything I’ve done and you were repaid in… all of this. You don’t deserve this.”
“Don’t worry about it. Besides, I only wanted to just scare you into stopping the beltway. I didn’t want you to die. I’m an environmentalist, not a monster… you aren’t either. Just really… stupid, no offense.”
Jerry hummed. He really wanted to believe that. He just couldn’t…
In all honestly, he’d completely forgotten about the beltway. At least a little. When asked what he was going to do about it, he didn’t answer. Instead, he snapped at whoever asked such a ridiculous question before apologizing. But, seriously, why would he be focused on that right now?
What am I going to do about the beltway? Jump off it, preferably! He thought.
He really didn’t have answer for their question then. What was he to even do about the beltway?
Well, he has the answer now.
“Um… speaking of the beltway, Mabel…”
“I get it, you’re still not letting up. But as I’ve said, I’m not gonna stop fighting you about it.”
“No, that’s not what I was gonna say.”
“… What…?”
“I… I’m thinking about maybe… rerouting it completely. Tear it down and start over in a way that doesn’t touch the glade… maybe. I-I mean, people still want the beltway— they haven’t shut up about it lately— but I know now that it’s not worth losing the-“
“Wait! Wait, you’re going to leave the glade alone?”
“… Yeah. Yes, I should have just said that.”
Mabel looked at him in surprise before a hopeful, though hesitant, smile slowly began to form. “Really?”
“YES, Tanaka, I’m serious. This is real. I’m not going to touch the glade! What do I have to do to make you believe me?”
“Nothing, I guess, I’m just trying to see if you’re not just messing with me or something.”
“No! Geez, Mabel, who do you think I am?”
Mabel chuckled as she shook her head. “Wow… wow— I can’t believe… I don’t know what to say! Uh— th-thank yo-“
“No, stop it, you shouldn’t thank me.” Jerry held up a hand to stop her. “Please, God, don’t.”
“Okay, okay.” Mabel said. She lied back in her bed and looked at nothing before smiling wider and giggling. “I really did it! I got it through to you. All it took was me nearly dying. Not that I’m getting ideas but if that’s all it takes—“
He knew she was joking but that made him feel sick. Jerry fell completely silent for a moment as Mabel rambled off with her dark joke before he quickly stood up from his chair. “Okay- I’m gonna— I gotta get to work.”
“Oh- okay?”
“Yeah! Yeah. Uh- hope you like the gifts and I hope you recover soon.”
Before Mabel could respond, Jerry quickly disappeared into the hallway and the teenager was left alone.
“… Okay…?”
Jerry didn’t dare let himself break until he was outside of the building. He leaned against one of the stone walls of the hospital before sobbing into his hands.
He hated himself so much.
He felt like such a monster.