Again, Todd tried to muster his courage to do what had to be done. He had to join Tea and he had to go now. Staying on this earth one more second without her was just NOT an option. He puzzled the outcome of blowing his brains out. “Viki will freak,” he thought. “She’ll probably try to have them put my brains back inside of my head. She’ll want a body for Shorty to grieve over and to have her open casket so everyone can spit on me without reciprocity. She’ll ruin everything.”
Todd moved the gun down below his chin. Shooting through his mouth should do enough skeletal damage that there won’t be any putting this HUMPTY Dumpty back together again. Todd pictured Shorty, sitting there all alone, missing her Daddy and her Tee. She’ll think for sure that Daddy had killed her step mommy when loving her was all he had wanted to do. If he had known that things would have ended this way, he would never have brought Tea out of Llanview with him. “No one will ever know just how much I loved you, Delgado. But once I get to where you are now, I’ll explain it to you. You’re the only one who matters.” Again his eyes welled up with tears. “I want to be where you are Tea. Why did you leave me all alone.” As the gun cocked backwards, he knew it was time to finally do what had to be done. “I didn’t want to be alone when I did this Tea. That’s why I always came back to you. I never thought that what we did last night would lead to this. Where did I go wrong?”
With that, the gun went off. The noise of the shot rang throughout the forest. Birds flew frantically above and squirrels and rabbits scampered off into their homes. Todd froze in the snow, stone cold and unmoving. “Damn you, Delgado. I have to be where you are. I know what I have to do now.” Todd threw the gun into the snow, near where his first shot had gone off. When his hand fell, the momentum of the gun still forced a shot. The noise had visibly shook him to his core. He still wanted to die…to be with Tea. But it would have to be on her terms. He would have to join her there. He got into his car and drove. Wildly through the woods toward Gilbert’s Run Creek. To the cliffs above, to the rocks below. Tree branches dented the sides of the car while debris fell and shattered his windshield. He knew there wasn’t much life left in this car, but then, he knew there wasn’t much life left in him either. As long as the car would go over the cliff, he would finally end his life the way that he had always wanted to…with Tea.
He drove the car faster and more furiously and totally out of control. His eyes were filled with tears and he shook all over. He cursed her name and cursed to God. “How could you do this to me? How could BOTH of you do this to me?” The trees cleared and the edge came closer and closer. Suddenly, a scream went out from the forest floor. “Don’t,” was all that echoed throughout the countryside, muffled still by the gag in her mouth. She had been dragged by Powell, rapidly behind the tracks of the car. Powell had waited years for this grand finale and he felt he had paid dearly and deserved to see the conclusion. Tea ran willfully, wanting to be closer to Todd and to possibly help however she could.
Todd’s car spun out of control and the gravel ripped underneath his tires, his feet, his body and his heart. Just as the car neared the cliffs, the momentum of the car stopped. The front tires of his car crept dreadfully close to the edge, but stopped short of going over. Todd realized he was close to fulfillment, close to completion, close to finality. He kicked open his door and breathed deeply, heavily. His body shook one last time. He sat silent, still. His mind that was racing all of a sudden was blank, empty. He was past love. He was past hate. He was at the place where he was always heading without Tea. He was standing on the edge of the abyss, yet this time, instead of her always pulling him back and away, she was down inside and all he wanted to do was join her.
“Delgado,” he screeched with every muscle of his body, his voice, his throat, and his soul. How empty his soul was now without her. How full his life had been with her. How maddening she made him, how exquisite she always was. “I never told you what you meant to me. I lied when I told you I didn’t love you. I lied when I said that I tried to erase you from my brain. I lied when I said I’d end it all for you. All I ever wanted to do was give it all to you. I wanted to be the man you always new I could be. I always wanted you. You, Delgado. It’s always been you. How good you were to me. To Shorty. To Moose. How good you were! And you will be again, once I join you. Shorty will understand my sadness. She’ll understand that I had no choice but to join you. She was always happiest when we were all together. She loved you so.”
His thoughts changed to Shorty. “Who’s going to care for you, Shorty? Blair? I can see what a great job she’s done of taking care of you while I’ve been gone! Your strutting around like a little Buchanan. Hell, you ARE a little Buchanan! Tea hated that and she probably hated me for letting that happen to you.” Todd lowered his head. He hadn’t done any of it right. Leaving Tea had been hard enough, but seeing how Shorty had turned out was almost as unbearable.
Suddenly and without warning, the front wheels of Todd’s car caved in to the ground and slid over the side of Gilbert’s Run Cliffs. “Oh My God!” Todd shouted. “Ay Dios Mio,” Tea mumbled through her gag from quite a distance away. She was standing even with the car, trying to get Todd’s attention, but Powell would have none of that.
Powell: Stop that. I’ll take you out of here if you don’t stop. I’m enjoying this.
Tea shot him a dirty, wounded look. How could he be getting so much enjoyment from such sadistic behavior. He gave sadism a new meaning. How frightened he made her. He was past out of control. He was in control and powerful against her. She realized that her fear was not only going to probably get her killed, but it was going to get Todd killed without Powell lifting a little finger toward Todd. All he had done was grab her. She never truly appreciated the affect she had on Todd. She had always thought that she was making a difference in his life, but she had no idea of the degree until just this moment. She couldn’t let Todd down; furthermore, she couldn’t let herself down. She darted out from the area she was in, but Powell had been prepared for anything. In one fell swoop, he pushed her behind him and stomped heavily upon her back.
Powell: Well, that was nice, but we’ll have no more of that. Besides, you’re blocking my front row view of the end. Manning should be dead soon.
Just as Powell’s words left his mouth and the corner of his mouth curled in a devilish grin, the Jag went off the cliffs and exploded in a furious, twisted mass of destruction.
Powell: Well, that was nice. But I’m glad it’s finally over. (Turning to Tea) Now what to do with you?
Tea stood up as her bleeding subsided along with her spirit. Powell removed her gag and listened carefully as she spoke each word.
Tea: Do with me as you will. My life is over.
Powell: (Pulling her by the collar inches from his face) Your life is over when I say it’s over. My dear, your nightmare is just beginning.
