It had to have been a few hours by now. Hours of nothing but the sounds of wind bowing the trees in a rush, twigs and leaves crunching beneath his boots, and the occasional talk or invocation for Lucas to help him. The only constant thing had been the agony grinding away at him.
He likely would have thought less of himself for needing it just a day ago, but things had changed quickly. He was grateful for the help, and he'd seen where insecurity had left him.
| Ivy had found it, at the start, and had gotten a rib snapped in half for her trouble. She'd been stupid to say what she had, yes... Ashlynn, on the other hand, had known full well where they were and yet refusing to stop tearing into him when he brought up the obvious issues with gathering innocent, non-violent people into a single place and making them easy pickings. It did not make what he'd done right, but it hadn't come from nowhere. Hmm. It wasn't too surprising that his own conscience would get the better of him. His hands were bleeding again too; he found it a perfect mark, the sign of stigma for what he'd done. But with what had happened now, he believed something more lasting was called for. |
But she hadn't been herself, not wholly, and he had known that on some level. It was a part of what had driven him to stop. Ashlynn had been one of those innocent people herself. Whatever excuses might be made for murdering her wouldn't hold up to the reality of what it was that he had done, and there could be no getting around that. It was beyond shameful, killing someone he might have cared for in another life in a fit of anger. Somewhere, deep inside him, he knew once more that this wasn't the way he should take. He had done a horrible thing, yes, but what had happened to Katie and Saffron wasn't done by his hands... Yet he had already taken it upon himself, and so there was no other way he could see. |
Julien didn't stop moving, since it was arduous enough dealing with the pain without trying to wipe down his hands, or redo the stitches. He did have an idea even with the pain filling his mind and dulling his thoughts, now there was a knife to go with the lighter that had so helpfully been provided, but it had to wait.
He had enjoyed testing his body once, it occurred to him, brushing right up against the edges of what he could do before his strength gave out and then slowly, steadily, pushing them further. In a way, he still did. This final time would just be a matter of pushing past what he could take until the inevitable came calling. Chances were that he would welcome it when it did happen.
No doubt if Ashlynn was watching she would find some manner of happiness in Julien ripping himself apart upon others, one piece at a time. From what little he truly knew of her, she certainly seemed spiteful enough to find solace in it.
Patience, though.
The pain racking his body now was a beginning enough, and he was sure that more would come in time. So for now Julien could carry on walking in his slow, limping gait, and he did do just that.
The sparse hours dragged on, and still the wind blew by overhead.
[ Julien Leblanc continued elsewhere. ]