WARNING. Violence and stuff 😂😂😀 

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"Thirty seconds," Jamison called out to the girl struggling for air. Her head was submerged in a barrel filled to the brim with water; she was trying her absolute best to fight against the fire in her lungs that was begging for air. She could feel the roughness of the wood beneath her fingers and she tightened her grip on the barrels rim. It was almost over.

She wasn't going to make it.

She promised him. She promised him she would come back.

And she wasn't going to make it.

Sparrow Ramirez had been submerged under water for exactly one minute and forty five seconds.

Fifteen more mere seconds to go. All she could see was blue and purple, purple and blue. All she could feel was the elephant sitting on her chest, making her struggle against the hands forcing her down into what would be her watery grave. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity.

Sparrow let out her air.

She remembered how beautiful the bubbles looked as they left her parted lips and popped at the surface she couldn't reach. She remembered how painful the feel of water filling her lungs and taking the place of the non-existent air-it had been a miracle on its own that she had even lasted so long-, and she remembered hearing him.

Alex, a boy no older than eight, making her swear she would come home before he woke up. Made her swear that she would make him pancakes in the morning.

He made her swear she wouldn't leave him like their parents had, and everyone knows that a pinky promise could never be broken. Yet, there she was, losing her grip faint grip on her consciousness and giving into the sleepy haze.

At least this way she wouldn't feel the burn of the lacerations the whip had made on her back. Maybe this way she wouldn't have to worry about every single thing presented to her, but leaving this way would destroy Alex in every possible way. She felt herself pulled back, hot air hitting her face immediately but she could hardly move her limbs that felt like they were made of lead. The girl's body collapsed, no air making it's way into her lungs since the water had taken up the room. She couldn't scream. She couldn't speak. All she could do was wait until the butler ended it for her. Until he pulled the gun he had pulled on the frantic girl earlier who tried to leave. Until he ended her life for her.

When Sparrow opened her eyes again it was abrupt, sudden, as she coughed up the blue death that had filled her, gasping as the man who resuscitated her had pulled back immediately. His hand then hitting her back to help her cough up what was left, which only made painful jolts travel through her in a haste.

"That's not fair!" Another girl had screeched, her green eyes wide I'm disbelief as the man unknown to her had helped her to her feet gently, letting her lean on him as needed. Even in her painful state, Sparrow managed to sneer in a raspy and broken voice.

"I believe you were supposed to cut out your eye? You cut off a toe. If you have a damn problem with it then come on! I'll do it again but you had better lose one eye!" Every word had burned her, but at least the girl had finally shut up. Sparrow didn't know what she would have done if she kept having to hear that shrill voice. Before she knew it, she was sitting again with her soaked curls hanging heavily on her head, weighing her down. She held the denim jacket given to her earlier closer around her almost bare top half. She had lost her own shirt and her own jacket when she was whipped. The man who saved her from drowning had given her his so she would be covered.

She was curious then as to why he would even give any thought into helping her. Her dark and tired eyes had traveled over to the male next to her, just studying him curiously while his emotionless and cold glare was stuck on Jamison. He had a nice jawline she had to admit, though it was set in anger. His dark and ruffled hair was wet just like hers, him having taken the barrel just like her. He was in no way scrawny, fit and lean and much taller than her. His blue eyes had finally caught her dark ones staring, raising an eyebrow. Even though the words were unsaid she just knew he was going to get her out alive.

Unless he planned to kill her and take the money for himself.

The money. How she would have loved to set fire to the incomprehensible sum that had been offered. They told her it was just a game. They told her- a small Hispanic woman with her wits about her, a round face framed by dark and unmanageable curls, and eyes so dark they were nearly black- that it was just a game.

Just a game her ass.

It started out as a dinner party.

It progressed into a miniature version of hell.

Would you rather was a game for children doing ridiculous dares. Everyone knows the game. Would you rather have to come to school naked or fight a gorilla? Stupid things like that, things that would never happen.

Not this. In one night, Sparrow had to choose between the electrocution of one person and another. In one night, Sparrow had to choose to whip one person or stab another (sadly she couldn't say at the moment she regretted Lily's death. As terrible as it sounded the girl was a monster on her own. Stabbing her in the thigh gave her a chance of living, but unfortunately Sparrow had severed a major artery that caused Lily to quickly bleed out. The butler ended her life for her).

If you won the game, you won the money. If you won the game, you got to go home. If you won the game, your problems were solved. Everyone had a problem. One guy needed the money to pay for his mother's surgery--he was shot earlier on in the night. Another needed the money to get out of debt. Died of shock.

And Sparrow? Sparrow was a legal adult of nineteen years old. She had been granted custody of her younger brother if and only if she could provide for him. He was at risk of being taken away from her. Of being put into a foster home and left to bounce around from house to house. No family left to love him.

So there she went, going through hell and back just so she could go home to him. And she was. She had to. Money or no money.

Jamison just rolled his eyes at the bickering that had gone on, gesturing for the girl who had refused to cut out her eye earlier to choose. "Would you rather," he began with immeasurable glee, "pick a card or spend two minutes in the barrel of water."

"Card," she said immediately, looking at the ones in front of her and gently picking it up to see. Sparrow watched as her gaze hardened, looking as if she was about to scream at the host.

"And what's the drawing on the card, my dear?" he asked with nothing short of a wicked grin. Sparrow forced herself to close her eyes so she didn't have to see what would happen next. She didn't want to see.

"If you think I'm cutting my eye open you're insane! This whole night has been absolute hell and I'm not doing it!" She exclaimed incredulously, making Sparrow cringe at how high her already shrill voice was turning. Sparrow could hear a mumble, a click, a bang. When she opened her eyes the girl had dropped, dead before them.

There were two left.

"Sparrow and Eric!" Jamison exclaimed with a brightening grin as he stood from his spot to seemingly congratulate the two. It only made her stomach lurch uncomfortably. "Our final two!" So the man's name was Eric? Sparrow gave him a worried look; he didn't return it. Even if she saw the slightly softened gaze.

"You've had your fun," Eric finally spoken, anger lacing his accented voice. His accent practically screamed Brooklyn to Sparrow the moment she heard it, not something she expected at all. "Now let us go."

"One more question! Ladies first I'm afraid," their host sighed dramatically then. Sparrow watched as they made Eric stand, him going unwillingly to the now empty spot directly in front of her. It was over. She was going to die and she knew it. A pistol had been placed in the middle of them, Sparrow parting her lips to speak but was cut off immediately. "Sparrow, would you rather shoot this man in front of you, take the money, and walk free? Or would you rather have both of you leave? You'll walk away penniless, but alive."

They could leave still breathing.

She went quiet. Just the look in Eric's eyes made it so very clear to her that he had someone to get back to. The fact he was even there told her that he had desperately needed the money.

She spoken to him for the first time that night, her words lodged in her raw throat for a moment. "Do you need that money?"

"Sparrow-"

"Do you need that money?" She nearly shouted, anger already filling her as she trembled. No words were spoken once more. All Eric could give her was a nod, not a trace of emotion crossing his hardened expression. That had done it for her.

Sparrow reached behind her, shaky hands unclasping the necklace with the paper bird that had hung over her heart for so long. She placed it in front of Eric, pushing the gun towards him as well. "Take it. Shoot me, take the money and go. Go find Alexander Ramirez and take care of him. Give him the home I couldn't have given him. Tell Emmanuel what happened to me. Just take it and go."

"I'm not doing that, Sparrow," Eric insisted then, leaving no room for argument as he picked up the necklace, handing it back to Sparrow as he stood from his seat. "We're both leaving, alive."

The finality in his words confirmed it, Jamison furious that his show was stopped for the sake of something so stupid such as morals. The butler hadn't even waited for the order, throwing their things that had been confiscated at the beginning back at them. Phones, wallets, Eric's car keys.

"Go, but you'll never lay your hands on a single dime of that money!"He exclaimed angrily.

"We don't want it," Sparrow deadpanned, quickly stuffing her things into the jacket Eric had given her earlier that very night. The dark denim jacket was bigger than her, warm from his wear, but it also was hell on her back. It just irritated the lashes, making her want to cringe.

The butler had showed them out with hurried steps, the pair wanting to leave the mansion far behind then. The moment the door was shut Sparrow thought she would collapse in both relief and exhaustion, tears falling from her eyes before she could stop them. He could have had the money. He could have taken it. It was her fault he didn't. "I-I'm sorry--" Sparrow had started to say before Eric's cold demeanor had vanished completely. He had his arms wrapped around her carefully in am instant, holding her as a way of comfort. Whether it was for the both of them or not she didn't know.  All she knew was the words spoken in that Brooklyn accent had made her calm down.

"We're okay," Eric whispered softly, "we're okay." 

She believed it. She held a sob back, not wanting to cry more than she already had in front of him. She hated crying. It was completely unlike her in every possible way. Even then in his arms she couldn't make herself ask for the favor she needed.  "I-I know it's wrong of me to ask, but I need to get home to my brother, I don't have a way."

"I can give you a ride," he said softly, having pulled away then. This soft demeanor of his made it impossible for her to believe that he had been cruel enough to kill a person earlier that night. Then again, so had she. "Come on." He had taken the initiative to lead her out to his old truck, seemingly on it's last legs, or wheels for lack of better word. She followed closely behind, not wanting to be left on the steps of such a wretched place. Though as much as she had been stating earlier, Sparrow couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Thank you," she whispered, hardly able to hear her own voice and when surprised when he had nodded in response, having opened the passenger door for her to slide in. That was the difficult part. Having to move killed her, irritating already raw skin. She made herself manage, pulling herself up on the seat with a loud wince as just as he had shut the door. He settled into silence, making her aware of just how cold she was. 

The moment he was in the driver's seat he had fiddled with a few knobs, not wanting her to be in the slightest bit cold. She had already endured enough and well, they were both soaking wet. "Where are we heading?" He questioned almost immediately which made her hesitate. Her part of the neighborhood was always known for it's....reputation. Not an admirable one at that. Fiddling with the sleeves on her jacket she spoke again.

"138 Burke Road, third house on the left. Outskirts of the city." Just by glancing up at him she noticed the recognition cross his expression which only led to him shaking his head instantly.

"No, no, no," he insisted then, having already started down the road the quickest that he could without the risk of being pulled over. "I cannot willingly drop you off there and leave you to suffer. You and your brother can stay with me until you find a better place to live." She knew he wasn't thinking, her eyes widening as she protested immediately.

"No,  you have no idea what you're saying right now, Eric! You'll have to drop me off and just go on your way, like things should be."

"And that's really what you want? To have your brother to live in such an unstable place?" Eric fired back, stealing a glance at the girl who was now having to second guess her thoughts. Alex would be safer somewhere more secure. Also, if Eric meant to hurt her he would have killed her without a second thought when he was given the chance. There was an uncomfortable pause until she nodded.

"Alright. Alright. But I swear to you we'll be out of your way. Alex will stay out of trouble when I'm at work." It was obvious to her that he didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything for a moment.

"My brother would be happy to see new faces," he mumbled quietly. She hadn't even noticed how far they had gotten, surprised when they were suddenly pulling into the driveway of her little rundown home. It was all she could afford. The brick was a faded red and the porch looking like one from a horror movie. She knew that inside was her brother and their little bits of possessions. She knew there would be a struggle to get him to go. Yet she would try anyways.

Sparrow gestured for Eric to follow after her not even a second later. "Come on, I know that you got hurt worse than I did." It was like her to leave no room for argument, already out of the car and making her way through overgrown grass that reached her shins. Granted, she was a shorter person and 5'4.

Sparrow just knew he was following, not looking back as she fumbled with her keys before having to force the door open. It protested with a creak, but it obliged. "Shirt off so I can fix you up. First aid kit is in the kitchen." She didn't look around her own shabby home as she walked in. She didn't let herself see it through Eric's eyes. Old furniture, only a little amount of personal possesions. No. Instead she made her way directly to the kitchen with a set frown, standing up on the very tip of her toes to take the kit down from the cabinet. By that time Eric had come in, watching her curiously with those blue eyes.

"You don't have to."

"I want to, now come on. Shirt off," Sparrow said pointedly, nimble fingers opening the bright white box as behind her, Eric had hesitantly pulled his shirt over his head. He was quick to simply turn around so the knew gashes were facing her, his toned stomach was covered in scars he didn't quite want her to see.

It was quiet as Sparrow picked up the white gauze to clean his bleeding and raw wounds, practically wincing when she saw them. "How did you not flinch?" She asked quietly, her fingers gently brushing against his bare skin before gently dabbing outwards. She was used to the routine by then.

"I couldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me in pain," he merely replied, keeping down the wince that came with her cleaning him up.

"These are going to scar I'm afraid."

"Add them to the collection."

"You have others?"

There it was. The silence that took place whenever She knew he was debating whether to tell her or not. She could practically see the gears turning, the dots continously moving as if thought was paused. "I was in the military. I wasn't...One day we were sent out, I was driving. Drove straight over a land mine." That was when she started to bandage him up, not happy that she couldn't stitch him up right then and there. She couldn't just drag him to a hospital. She knew there were questions that they just couldn't answer about their injuries.

"I'm sorry to have asked, it's your buisness not mine," Sparrow told him finally, hoping she was doing a good enough job as she kept her touch incredibly light against his warming skin.

"I propose," Eric started slowly to distract himself from the constant sting of his back, "that we work together now that I know you a bit better. Work together surviving of course. We both have people that we need to take care of, and money is tight. You help me and I'll help you, Sparrow."

She wasn't sure how much he truly knew about her. He didn't know these chunks of her life that she couldn't just spew out. He had told her something tragic, and she didn't want to do the same. Not yet. But she knew this man could keep her safe. She knew Eric could keep Alex safe. Which is why the next word to leave her lips wasn't very hard to say at all.

"Deal."

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A|N unedited due to internet problems, but will be pretty soon.

Part two soon? Yay or nay?

So this one shot was based on an actual rp Rxsesxciety and I were in. It didn't end well. Outraged about how stupidly out characters had died, we made an individual rp chain to give them an alternate ending back at the end of July/beginning of August of 2016.

That chain is still going and has over 6K responses.

Sparrow and Eric are by far my favorite ship because of how committed we are to the chat and how we took two characters and made them so much better than they were. They are my favorite couple that Rylee and I have up, Manny and Jaime following closely behind. I just can't explain how much I love the two without giving things away about Part Two that only Rylee and I know 😂😂😂

I wanted to write their beginning, and I did so in over 3K words and I'm still not done. What did you guys think? Would you like a part two?

And the game mentioned is an actual movie on Netflix called would you rather and there is violence so beware. There's also a guy actually cutting open his eye 😅😅😅😅

Love you!

-tonks