A Glorious Death Part III
My name is Jill Tiny
chapter 22
by
copier
· original author:
rainman1131
Almost a full day later, Jill and Jackie stood at the other end of the city, near the door where they had first entered the room.
"I don't think I get it," Jackie said.
Jill smiled, a little sadly. "You will, Jackie. You will." She hugged her friend tightly. "But this is going to be hard. Really hard."
"What...?"
Just then the door opened, revealing a looming Mrs. Keeper. "Well, Jill, Jackie, have you-" Jill's mom looked into the room, then down to the girls at her feet. "What's going on here, girls? I see a completely intact city. I see tiny people. Alive. Didn't you understand our deal?" She turned her head. "Bring her over here, Kurtz."
Jill and Jackie watched Major Kurtz move next to Mrs. Keeper in the doorway, dragging a tightly-bound Cindy beside her. Their full-sized friend's eyes were wide and frightened above the white swath of the gag in her mouth.
"It's going to be okay, Cindy!" Jill shouted up at her friend. "Don't be afraid!"
Mrs. Keeper snorted. "It most certainly is not going to be okay, Jill. I told you to kill them all. You disobeyed me. Cindy here will pay for that. You-"
Jill held a hand up to her mother. "I just wanted you to see us do it."
Mrs. Keeper was silent, waiting.
"You see, Mom," Jill said pointing to the street. "They're trying to defend themselves. They know we're way bigger and stronger, but they came up with a plan. Look."
Mrs. Keeper looked to where Jill pointed at that street below. Major Kurtz, Cindy, and Jackie looked, as well.
For a moment, nobody said a word.
Arrayed on the street a half a block ahead, a few hundred little people had gathered. They stood in a tight formation, a solid wedge of mini-humanity stretching from one side of the street to the other, crowding up against the buildings on both sides. It was a solid wall, thirty people wide, by ten people deep. Each miniature soldier held a makeshift wooden shield in front of him, linking it with the shield of his neighbor. The warriors, young men and women dressed in civilian garb, all held long wooden spears, taller them themselves, and sharpened to a point.
Jackie shook her head in wonder. "Where did they get the weapons?" She asked, too softly for the giants to hear.
"Made 'em," Jill said, just as quietly, as she scanned the little crowd, looking for a certain face. "They tore up some old buildings. All of them can get quite a bit done when they put their minds to it."
Mrs. Keeper began to laugh. "My, God! That's too funny! What do they think they can accomplish, the pathetic little twirps?"
Jill's mouth skinned down to a tight line. Not looking up, but clearly addressing her mother, Jill said, "Like I said. It's their plan. They think that by blocking our way in a tight formation like that, they can hold us off, maybe buy some time for the others to mount some kind of defense.
Jill's mom nearly doubled over in laughter. "Oh...Oh...no...that's hilarious! Oh, Jill, that's funny!"
Major Kurtz, hovering at Mrs. Keepers side, like a loyal dog, just smirked.
Suddenly, there came a slow, rhythmic, tapping sound from the street below. As all five larger people looked down, they saw that the little people were pounding the butts of their spears against the ground, bringing them down in unison, and making a sound that was surprisingly loud in the little street, echoing hollowly up the canyon between the buildings. The tempo of the tapping gradually increased, until, finally, it stopped.
Then a cry rose up from the little people, a unified shout so high and keening and eerie, it made the hair on the back of Jill's neck stand up. She happened to glance at Major Kurtz at that moment, shocked and pleased to see a momentary flash of fear cross her harsh, angular face. Then it was gone, her features curling back into a smirk, as though it had never been anything else.
Uh-uh, thought Jill. I saw that, Kurtzie.
The cries stopped.
For several moments, there was silence.
"Jill, Jackie," Mrs. Keeper's voice was cold. "Exterminate them."
Jill took in a deep breath, then let it slowly out. She looked at Jackie.
Jackie nodded, dropping her eyes.
The girls moved out into the street.
They then...
"I don't think I get it," Jackie said.
Jill smiled, a little sadly. "You will, Jackie. You will." She hugged her friend tightly. "But this is going to be hard. Really hard."
"What...?"
Just then the door opened, revealing a looming Mrs. Keeper. "Well, Jill, Jackie, have you-" Jill's mom looked into the room, then down to the girls at her feet. "What's going on here, girls? I see a completely intact city. I see tiny people. Alive. Didn't you understand our deal?" She turned her head. "Bring her over here, Kurtz."
Jill and Jackie watched Major Kurtz move next to Mrs. Keeper in the doorway, dragging a tightly-bound Cindy beside her. Their full-sized friend's eyes were wide and frightened above the white swath of the gag in her mouth.
"It's going to be okay, Cindy!" Jill shouted up at her friend. "Don't be afraid!"
Mrs. Keeper snorted. "It most certainly is not going to be okay, Jill. I told you to kill them all. You disobeyed me. Cindy here will pay for that. You-"
Jill held a hand up to her mother. "I just wanted you to see us do it."
Mrs. Keeper was silent, waiting.
"You see, Mom," Jill said pointing to the street. "They're trying to defend themselves. They know we're way bigger and stronger, but they came up with a plan. Look."
Mrs. Keeper looked to where Jill pointed at that street below. Major Kurtz, Cindy, and Jackie looked, as well.
For a moment, nobody said a word.
Arrayed on the street a half a block ahead, a few hundred little people had gathered. They stood in a tight formation, a solid wedge of mini-humanity stretching from one side of the street to the other, crowding up against the buildings on both sides. It was a solid wall, thirty people wide, by ten people deep. Each miniature soldier held a makeshift wooden shield in front of him, linking it with the shield of his neighbor. The warriors, young men and women dressed in civilian garb, all held long wooden spears, taller them themselves, and sharpened to a point.
Jackie shook her head in wonder. "Where did they get the weapons?" She asked, too softly for the giants to hear.
"Made 'em," Jill said, just as quietly, as she scanned the little crowd, looking for a certain face. "They tore up some old buildings. All of them can get quite a bit done when they put their minds to it."
Mrs. Keeper began to laugh. "My, God! That's too funny! What do they think they can accomplish, the pathetic little twirps?"
Jill's mouth skinned down to a tight line. Not looking up, but clearly addressing her mother, Jill said, "Like I said. It's their plan. They think that by blocking our way in a tight formation like that, they can hold us off, maybe buy some time for the others to mount some kind of defense.
Jill's mom nearly doubled over in laughter. "Oh...Oh...no...that's hilarious! Oh, Jill, that's funny!"
Major Kurtz, hovering at Mrs. Keepers side, like a loyal dog, just smirked.
Suddenly, there came a slow, rhythmic, tapping sound from the street below. As all five larger people looked down, they saw that the little people were pounding the butts of their spears against the ground, bringing them down in unison, and making a sound that was surprisingly loud in the little street, echoing hollowly up the canyon between the buildings. The tempo of the tapping gradually increased, until, finally, it stopped.
Then a cry rose up from the little people, a unified shout so high and keening and eerie, it made the hair on the back of Jill's neck stand up. She happened to glance at Major Kurtz at that moment, shocked and pleased to see a momentary flash of fear cross her harsh, angular face. Then it was gone, her features curling back into a smirk, as though it had never been anything else.
Uh-uh, thought Jill. I saw that, Kurtzie.
The cries stopped.
For several moments, there was silence.
"Jill, Jackie," Mrs. Keeper's voice was cold. "Exterminate them."
Jill took in a deep breath, then let it slowly out. She looked at Jackie.
Jackie nodded, dropping her eyes.
The girls moved out into the street.
They then...
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August 15
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