Chloe's Rampage

Aoi heard it.

'…Nee-san.'

The way he'd said it when he was six and the thunder shook the roof in Kyoto… The way he'd said it from under her futon at two in the morning with his small cold feet pressed against her legs. 

'Nee-san, I'm scared… Nee-san, don't go…'

Her whole body jerked against the rope on instinct and then she saw Leo's hand reaching out toward his at the mouth of the airlock. 

She saw his boots sliding across the plates toward the gap… she saw his face, for one frozen millisecond, through the tear in the sleeve then Aoi heard the boot crack against her own cheek.

'I always hated you, Nee-san.'

Aoi stopped struggling.

She lay there on the deck with her one good eye open and her split lips pressed together, and she didn't say a word.

Chloe giggled.