[Boy #14 - Alex White. Continued from The Lesson Today is How To Die.
Thread started with permission from the mods.]
Alex was hungry.
That's why he was here. He was hungry. He was hungry and tired and absolutely sick of bread and crackers with water every day. He'd run out of luck when it came to finding food out in the woods, so he was trying his luck in town this time. It had taken him a while to get here, sure, but what was a few hours out here? He'd have plenty of time to find Allen when he had a decent meal in his stomach and maybe even a good night's rest in one of the houses in this part of town. First things first, he was looking for dinner. Lunch. Breakfast. Whatever meal it would end up, he wanted to find food. Even if it was a can of Vienna sausages or spam, it would be better than anything he'd had since he'd woken up on this island.
He wasn't having much luck anywhere, it seemed.
He figured he would at least have some luck here. It was a grocery store after all. He thought finding food here would be easy. Just pop in, grab some food, and pop back out. Simple as that. Unfortunately, it didn't look like it was going to be that easy or that simple. Even here, it was slim pickings. But he had plenty of time to keep looking, sifting through everything in the store, going up and down the aisles. He had plenty of time. Time to search. Time to think. Time to wonder, and worry. Time to regret.
"What's done is done. No use crying over it."
Right... right. No use getting upset over it. He couldn't change what he has done. No one could. That's just the way it was. There was no point in sitting there and sulking. When it came down to it, Alex knew he would have to do it all over again. When he found the people he was looking for, he would have to do it all again. The fighting. The struggling. The killing. No one was left to protect or worry about. No one was left to confide in or trust. They were all dead, dying, or killing, and Alex joined them. It was who he was now, but he wasn't doing it just for the sake of doing it. He wasn't doing it just to follow his friends. No, he made a promise to survive this thing, and he would survive for as long as he could. This was, after all, his game.
He would keep hunting.
His hunt for food would continue as well. It was dark in here without any lights, but he got by with a flashlight. Searching the aisles in the dark. Looking for food, water, supplies. Looking for anything he could use. Hoping no one else had come to take it all yet. Hoping no one else would come along while he was there. Thinking back on Andrea. On Will and Rena. The entire time, thinking and worrying and wondering what he was going to do with Allen when he found him. Remembering how he reacted when he found Andrea, how to treated her, how angry he was. How everything he did was done just to get what he wanted, and it was so close now. Just find Allen and he would have it all. Just find those pills and things would be better. He could think. He could act. He could stay alert and push himself beyond his limits.
He could focus on the game, and win. Just find those pills.
Up and down the aisles, Alex searched.
In the dark, alone... but for how long?
Monsters
Private.
Monsters
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Dr. Nic. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
((Annaliese Hansen, Allen Birkman, Isabel Guerra, Raymond Dawson, and Alex Jackson continued from Man Your Man Could Smell Like))
Ray and Allen set Isabel as comfortably as they could against the wall of the grocery store.
The trip to the store had been in almost abject silence; Ray didn't know why Alex or Allen didn't say anything, but he guessed Annaliese stayed mum because she was worried he was mad at her.
And he was, to a point. She had gotten them deep into a pile of shit that he almost couldn't have gotten them out of, and Ray was, to say the least, somewhat miffed about that. Everytime Annaliese had tried to catch his eye on the way over, he looked away and kept his silence. He wasn't sure he could remain civil. Not right yet. Over the last couple days he had started to love the girl as much as his own flesh and blood sister, love her to death, but goddammit, she had done wrong.
After making sure Isabel was as well-propped as they could manage, he looked into the front window of the store. It was dark inside, which would make it a bitch to search for supplies. But whatever. They had to do it.
"Hope we can at least find a can of beans or some shit like that." He said to himself and the group at the same time.
Ray and Allen set Isabel as comfortably as they could against the wall of the grocery store.
The trip to the store had been in almost abject silence; Ray didn't know why Alex or Allen didn't say anything, but he guessed Annaliese stayed mum because she was worried he was mad at her.
And he was, to a point. She had gotten them deep into a pile of shit that he almost couldn't have gotten them out of, and Ray was, to say the least, somewhat miffed about that. Everytime Annaliese had tried to catch his eye on the way over, he looked away and kept his silence. He wasn't sure he could remain civil. Not right yet. Over the last couple days he had started to love the girl as much as his own flesh and blood sister, love her to death, but goddammit, she had done wrong.
After making sure Isabel was as well-propped as they could manage, he looked into the front window of the store. It was dark inside, which would make it a bitch to search for supplies. But whatever. They had to do it.
"Hope we can at least find a can of beans or some shit like that." He said to himself and the group at the same time.
Alex walked quietly with the others to the grocery store. An unusual state for her, even now she was brimming with quetions, but was biting her tongue. She wasn't sure what she'd managed to get herself into this time. They'd seemed normal enough when she'd joined them. Now she wasn't so sure.
She wasn't sure exactly what would happen if she asked what they were thinking attacking armed students. She glanced over towards the others in time to see Ray pointedly ignore Annaliese. If those two were arguing, where did that leave the rest of them she wondered.
She blew out a breath which turned into a chuckle at Ray's comments.
She wasn't sure exactly what would happen if she asked what they were thinking attacking armed students. She glanced over towards the others in time to see Ray pointedly ignore Annaliese. If those two were arguing, where did that leave the rest of them she wondered.
She blew out a breath which turned into a chuckle at Ray's comments.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Arscapi. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
JamesRenard†
- Posts: 238
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:55 am
Allen knelt down beside Isabel, keeping an eye on her breathing and watching to see if her condition changed at all. Nothing new had happened on the way to the grocery store, Isabel remained unconscious and everyone was remaining just as quiet. Nobody talked, and Allen could sense some animosity between Ray and Annaliese. It was only because of Isabel that he stayed with the group; had she not been there, he would have left them all behind to go off to find Andrea by himself.
'Andrea...'
She was still out there, somewhere. Hopefully she was safe, working on that plan and staying out of danger. Well, anything more dangerous than being in the middle of Survival of the Fucking Fittest. And once Isabel woke up (not if she woke up, when she woke up, Allen continually reminded himself), they would go looking for Andrea together. And maybe bring Ray, or Annaliese or the whole group with him.
'Oh... wait, Andrea said just to tell a few people, I guess it'll just have to be me and Isabel going then,' Allen thought. He felt really bad for having to abandon everyone else, but he didn't know them all that well, and he didn't want to jeopardize the plan and get everyone killed as a result. That would do no one any favors whatsoever.
Back in the present, Ray announced that they were going inside the building. "I'm going to wait out here with Isabel and make sure she's okay, if that's okay with you guys," Allen spoke, looking up to the other boy. "Just grab anything. Right now anything's got to taste better than stale moldy bread and water."
'Andrea...'
She was still out there, somewhere. Hopefully she was safe, working on that plan and staying out of danger. Well, anything more dangerous than being in the middle of Survival of the Fucking Fittest. And once Isabel woke up (not if she woke up, when she woke up, Allen continually reminded himself), they would go looking for Andrea together. And maybe bring Ray, or Annaliese or the whole group with him.
'Oh... wait, Andrea said just to tell a few people, I guess it'll just have to be me and Isabel going then,' Allen thought. He felt really bad for having to abandon everyone else, but he didn't know them all that well, and he didn't want to jeopardize the plan and get everyone killed as a result. That would do no one any favors whatsoever.
Back in the present, Ray announced that they were going inside the building. "I'm going to wait out here with Isabel and make sure she's okay, if that's okay with you guys," Allen spoke, looking up to the other boy. "Just grab anything. Right now anything's got to taste better than stale moldy bread and water."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler JamesRenard. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
"Shit."
"You've got company, boy. You know what to do."
Right. Find a place to hide, that was his first order of business. The noises outside weren't random, they were voices. Several of them, to boot. There was a back way out of here somewhere around here, but Alex wasn't about to take off running just yet. This was supposed to be his game, after all. And he was there first, scavenging the grocery store before they ever came along, so why shouldn't he stick around and make sure he got the pick of the harvest?
Alex slipped behind a shelf, and then another. Back further into the store. Against the refrigerated sections, with the glass doors to his back and the faint smell of rotten food. Rotten food with just a hint of old milk. It was dark as all hell back here, and the only windows were up front. Perfect place to hide. Perfect place to sit tight and wait for them.
Also the perfect place to find broken glass.
The remains of the bottle crunched underfoot and Alex froze. He waited. He listened. Then he relaxed. No one heard it. No one was inside yet to hear it. But broken glass was a perfect tool. He'd used it before to great lengths, why not again?
He palmed a piece of glass, and waited.
In the dark.
He waited.
"You've got company, boy. You know what to do."
Right. Find a place to hide, that was his first order of business. The noises outside weren't random, they were voices. Several of them, to boot. There was a back way out of here somewhere around here, but Alex wasn't about to take off running just yet. This was supposed to be his game, after all. And he was there first, scavenging the grocery store before they ever came along, so why shouldn't he stick around and make sure he got the pick of the harvest?
Alex slipped behind a shelf, and then another. Back further into the store. Against the refrigerated sections, with the glass doors to his back and the faint smell of rotten food. Rotten food with just a hint of old milk. It was dark as all hell back here, and the only windows were up front. Perfect place to hide. Perfect place to sit tight and wait for them.
Also the perfect place to find broken glass.
The remains of the bottle crunched underfoot and Alex froze. He waited. He listened. Then he relaxed. No one heard it. No one was inside yet to hear it. But broken glass was a perfect tool. He'd used it before to great lengths, why not again?
He palmed a piece of glass, and waited.
In the dark.
He waited.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Dr. Nic. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Annaliese had trailed behind the group, worrying her bottom lip as they walked. A couple of times she had tried to get Ray's attention, but he was purposefully ignoring her. She got it, she had messed up. But the others were following his lead. They were pretending they couldn't see her either.
Back at school, people often ignored her as she tried to give them a flier or a pamphlet or just explain whatever cause she had been working on at the time. She was used to that. This was more than simply ignoring her. She had violated the group dynamic and endangered them all so now they were shunning her. And that hurt so much more than being ignored in the hallways of Bayview. She looked at the ground and blinked quickly, trying to stave off the tears.
Annaliese absently rubbed her arm as Ray and Allan tended to the downed Isabel. Words were pointless now since no one would hear her. The only way to apologize for her screw up was to make up for it in some tangible way. She nodded as Ray pointed out their need for food. And water. Her water was long gone. Isabel needed food, they all did. And they desperately needed water.
She remembered some episode of a survival show on the Travel Channel. They had said that in a desperate situation, you could add drops of bleach to water and make it drinkable. Glancing at the store, she knew what she needed to do. She would go in and get some bleach and whatever food or food-like products they had. Then the others would know she was sorry. If she presented Ray with stuff to help their survival, he would know she was sorry and he would talk to her again.
As quietly as possible, Annaliese put down her bag and stepped away from the group. They were all still clustered around Isabel. She could be in and out in like, three minutes, tops.
Her heart pounding, she put her hand on the door and prayed that it was unlocked. Tugging on it, it silently opened. Taking it as a sign that this was exactly what she was supposed to do, she slipped into the darkened building.
The silence in the store was oppressive. It almost like a living thing. She shuddered as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Her skin crawled as she cautiously looked from side to side. Several times on this trip, she had either thought about or made horror movie references but nothing she had encountered compared to this.
"Don't be a baby," she chided herself. "It's just a store. Nothing in here can hurt you. You have to make amends, so get it in gear and let's go." With a confidence she didn't really feel, she strode out into the darkness.
Back at school, people often ignored her as she tried to give them a flier or a pamphlet or just explain whatever cause she had been working on at the time. She was used to that. This was more than simply ignoring her. She had violated the group dynamic and endangered them all so now they were shunning her. And that hurt so much more than being ignored in the hallways of Bayview. She looked at the ground and blinked quickly, trying to stave off the tears.
Annaliese absently rubbed her arm as Ray and Allan tended to the downed Isabel. Words were pointless now since no one would hear her. The only way to apologize for her screw up was to make up for it in some tangible way. She nodded as Ray pointed out their need for food. And water. Her water was long gone. Isabel needed food, they all did. And they desperately needed water.
She remembered some episode of a survival show on the Travel Channel. They had said that in a desperate situation, you could add drops of bleach to water and make it drinkable. Glancing at the store, she knew what she needed to do. She would go in and get some bleach and whatever food or food-like products they had. Then the others would know she was sorry. If she presented Ray with stuff to help their survival, he would know she was sorry and he would talk to her again.
As quietly as possible, Annaliese put down her bag and stepped away from the group. They were all still clustered around Isabel. She could be in and out in like, three minutes, tops.
Her heart pounding, she put her hand on the door and prayed that it was unlocked. Tugging on it, it silently opened. Taking it as a sign that this was exactly what she was supposed to do, she slipped into the darkened building.
The silence in the store was oppressive. It almost like a living thing. She shuddered as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Her skin crawled as she cautiously looked from side to side. Several times on this trip, she had either thought about or made horror movie references but nothing she had encountered compared to this.
"Don't be a baby," she chided herself. "It's just a store. Nothing in here can hurt you. You have to make amends, so get it in gear and let's go." With a confidence she didn't really feel, she strode out into the darkness.
A shot rang out.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Dr. Nic. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
((Scene 1 of Monsters, Starting now.))
Ray eyes snapped up from Isabel as the report of a gun assailed his ears. He looked around for a second, trying to gauge where it was from, until he realized that it was coming from inside the store.
The second realization was even more terrifying.
Where...
"Annalie...Where the fuck. Where's Annaliese...Oh my God..."
No. Nonononono.
"Somebody come with me, somebody watch fucking Isabel. FUCK!"
Ray almost sprinted for the door, grabbed hold of it and threw it open.
He hoped to God he wouldn't find anything in there but Annaliese, smiling.
Ray eyes snapped up from Isabel as the report of a gun assailed his ears. He looked around for a second, trying to gauge where it was from, until he realized that it was coming from inside the store.
The second realization was even more terrifying.
Where...
"Annalie...Where the fuck. Where's Annaliese...Oh my God..."
No. Nonononono.
"Somebody come with me, somebody watch fucking Isabel. FUCK!"
Ray almost sprinted for the door, grabbed hold of it and threw it open.
He hoped to God he wouldn't find anything in there but Annaliese, smiling.
Alex jumped and then froze when the shot rang out. She slowly stood and looked around as she realized that in came from inside the store. She blew out a breath to try to even her breathing as memories of being shot at while mourning Roman began running through her brain. She probably would have stayed that way for a long time if Ray hadn't started giving orders.
"Somebody come with me, somebody watch fucking Isabel. FUCK!"
She stepped forward automatically. Especially since Allen had already declared he was going to stay with Isabel. She entered just a step or two behind Ray, squinting into the darkness. As her eyes adjusted she began to make out the dark shapes that stood eerily in the store.
"Somebody come with me, somebody watch fucking Isabel. FUCK!"
She stepped forward automatically. Especially since Allen had already declared he was going to stay with Isabel. She entered just a step or two behind Ray, squinting into the darkness. As her eyes adjusted she began to make out the dark shapes that stood eerily in the store.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Arscapi. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Annaliese staggered back against one of the empty racks, her hand pressed against her midriff. It hurt. Oh, it hurt so much. She blinked rapidly, her vision blurred by the tears streaming down her face and the blobby white after-image of the flash from the gun. Her legs felt gumby, like they wouldn't support her anymore. Blindly reaching out with her free hand, she grabbed the middle shelf as her legs folded up under her.
Several items went clattering to the floor. A small part of her brain hoped that nothing had broken as she joined the items on the ground. It was so very dark. What was happening?
Ray... where was Ray?
It hurt so much to breathe. It was like there was an elephant sitting on her chest. Annaliese's head lolled to one side as she tried to focus. She needed help. She was bleeding all over the place. She could feel it running down her sides, even though she was following the first aid stuff she was taught and keeping pressure on it. Where was Ray?
She tried pushing down harder, which made her arch up off the ground and silently cry out. Lifting her hand hurt too and she managed a shaky gasp. Why was this happening? Where was Ray?
Several items went clattering to the floor. A small part of her brain hoped that nothing had broken as she joined the items on the ground. It was so very dark. What was happening?
Ray... where was Ray?
It hurt so much to breathe. It was like there was an elephant sitting on her chest. Annaliese's head lolled to one side as she tried to focus. She needed help. She was bleeding all over the place. She could feel it running down her sides, even though she was following the first aid stuff she was taught and keeping pressure on it. Where was Ray?
She tried pushing down harder, which made her arch up off the ground and silently cry out. Lifting her hand hurt too and she managed a shaky gasp. Why was this happening? Where was Ray?
Alex was still getting the lay of the land when she thought she heard something. She touched Ray's arm gently, to get his attention. "Did you hear that? It came from over there," she said quietly.
Without another word she headed towards the sound and gasped. It took her a moment to realize, in the dim light, that it was Annaliese lying on the ground.
"Annaliese," she cried rushing down the aisle. She stopped as she reached the puddle growing around the girl. "Who did this," she asked kneeling down next to her, scanning the area for whoever it was that had shot her.
Without another word she headed towards the sound and gasped. It took her a moment to realize, in the dim light, that it was Annaliese lying on the ground.
"Annaliese," she cried rushing down the aisle. She stopped as she reached the puddle growing around the girl. "Who did this," she asked kneeling down next to her, scanning the area for whoever it was that had shot her.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Arscapi. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
-
BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
((Here we go. All GMing in this thread is with full permission.))
Annaliese heard someone call out her name and feet pounding on pavement. With extreme effort, she turned her head towards the sound. It was probably a really bad sign that it was so hard to do that. It was Alex, who was down near her. 'Hi Alex,' she silently greeted the other girl. 'Where's Ray?'
Her unvoiced query was answered when Ray joined Alex next to her. She wanted to talk to him, but her lips moved silently. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't gather enough air.
Ray reached out and gathered her up in his arms, heedless of the blood. "Annaliese...Annalie..Why...Why did you come in here without us?"
She could hear the emotion in his voice. Oh, this isn't how this was supposed to go at all. She was doing this so he would be less upset with her, not more. She wanted to reassure him. It would all be okay, she was sure of it now. Gathering up her will, she slowly reached up and gently rested her fingers against his cheek.
When they had started their journey together, she was sure that it was because he had something to teach her. But she understood now why they had been placed together. It was all leading up to this. This was her job. To teach him how it was all going to be okay. It wasn't about control and dominating. It was about letting go and having things unfold as they were supposed to. It was about the journey, not the destination.
Ray was frantically apologizing. "I'm sorry, I wasn't mad at you...I wasn't. I'm so sorry.."
Oh, when did it get so cold in here? Fine tremors started to run through her. Now, in this place, in this time, she finally understood and she had to make him understand. It would all be okay.
She pushed her fingertips into his cheek slightly to get his attention. There would only be once chance to make him understand, she knew it. She was fading fast now. It was getting hard to keep her eyes open.
She struggled to find the word to explain what she was feeling, but it was getting so hard to think and she wasn't even sure she had the right words. Instead, she could only hope that he could see what she was trying to tell him. "Sssshhh..." she whispered at him, a small grin on her face. "I understand...it's all okay."
She locked her eyes on his and willed him to understand. Please don't cry. This isn't the end. I get it now. This is only the beginning. You, me, Alex, Jimmy...this isn't all there is. It's just the beginning and it's glorious.
She didn't have the strength to keep her hand on his cheek, which was so wonderfully warm and alive. She knitted her brow as she spotted the blood trail she had accidentally left on him. She needed to tell him to wipe that off. And she would. In just a second. She just needed to blink and gather her thoughts.
Annaliese closed her eyes and softly exhaled.
G073 – Annaliese Hansen deceased
Annaliese heard someone call out her name and feet pounding on pavement. With extreme effort, she turned her head towards the sound. It was probably a really bad sign that it was so hard to do that. It was Alex, who was down near her. 'Hi Alex,' she silently greeted the other girl. 'Where's Ray?'
Her unvoiced query was answered when Ray joined Alex next to her. She wanted to talk to him, but her lips moved silently. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't gather enough air.
Ray reached out and gathered her up in his arms, heedless of the blood. "Annaliese...Annalie..Why...Why did you come in here without us?"
She could hear the emotion in his voice. Oh, this isn't how this was supposed to go at all. She was doing this so he would be less upset with her, not more. She wanted to reassure him. It would all be okay, she was sure of it now. Gathering up her will, she slowly reached up and gently rested her fingers against his cheek.
When they had started their journey together, she was sure that it was because he had something to teach her. But she understood now why they had been placed together. It was all leading up to this. This was her job. To teach him how it was all going to be okay. It wasn't about control and dominating. It was about letting go and having things unfold as they were supposed to. It was about the journey, not the destination.
Ray was frantically apologizing. "I'm sorry, I wasn't mad at you...I wasn't. I'm so sorry.."
Oh, when did it get so cold in here? Fine tremors started to run through her. Now, in this place, in this time, she finally understood and she had to make him understand. It would all be okay.
She pushed her fingertips into his cheek slightly to get his attention. There would only be once chance to make him understand, she knew it. She was fading fast now. It was getting hard to keep her eyes open.
She struggled to find the word to explain what she was feeling, but it was getting so hard to think and she wasn't even sure she had the right words. Instead, she could only hope that he could see what she was trying to tell him. "Sssshhh..." she whispered at him, a small grin on her face. "I understand...it's all okay."
She locked her eyes on his and willed him to understand. Please don't cry. This isn't the end. I get it now. This is only the beginning. You, me, Alex, Jimmy...this isn't all there is. It's just the beginning and it's glorious.
She didn't have the strength to keep her hand on his cheek, which was so wonderfully warm and alive. She knitted her brow as she spotted the blood trail she had accidentally left on him. She needed to tell him to wipe that off. And she would. In just a second. She just needed to blink and gather her thoughts.
Annaliese closed her eyes and softly exhaled.
G073 – Annaliese Hansen deceased
The finger left Ray's cheek, and his head followed her hand down. She was clutched in his arms, his head next to her mouth.
He felt her breath weaken. The next breath wasn't there at all.
The floodgate broke. His eyes burned, like liquid streams of fire were pouring down his face.
"Not...Not you."
His body shuddered with choking sobs.
"Not..."
my sister
you."
He would never know how long he stayed there, with Annaliese in his arms.
((End Scene 1 of Monsters. Take it away when ready, Scene 2 guys.))
He felt her breath weaken. The next breath wasn't there at all.
The floodgate broke. His eyes burned, like liquid streams of fire were pouring down his face.
"Not...Not you."
His body shuddered with choking sobs.
"Not..."
my sister
you."
He would never know how long he stayed there, with Annaliese in his arms.
((End Scene 1 of Monsters. Take it away when ready, Scene 2 guys.))
((Rosa Fiametta continued from The Man Your Man Could Smell Like))
Rosa was breathing hard as she dashed through the streets of the town. Fit she might have been, but this was an outright, maddened sprint. Jimmy had looked out for the count, but this wasn't the first beating he'd taken. There was no sense in her taking any chances with his durability. The ground pounded beneath her feet, the wind tugging her hair, sending it streaming behind her, doubtless baring rather more of her legs than was entirely appropriate. Even though she was struggling for breath, Rosa allowed herself a tiny glimmer of a smile. That could have been worse. Much worse. All things considered, she'd come off surprisingly well from that little partnership. Hadn't been the most dignified thing she'd ever done and sadly probably hadn't been rock bottom either.
Might have come close, though.
First thing was first. Rosa needed to find somewhere to bunker down for a while, just so that she could regain her bearings and rest a little. From there, well, it was right back to the search. It had been an entire week now, and Rosa hadn't had even the slightest inkling of either sibling... aside from Ilario's presence on the announcements, that was. She worried about him, what he was doing. Part of her wanted to slap him silly for even thinking about playing the game, the rest was more concerned about exactly what state of mind her brother had to have slipped into to be killing. It wasn't a pleasant thought.
Rosa... found this sense of responsibility difficult to grasp. She'd been skirting that particular part of life for some time, much to the displeasure of her father. But hell, Junior was full of it, given the only one of the triplets he ever gave a damn about was his namesake. Rosa didn't know why it was the case, whether it was some kind of patriarchal thing, whether Ilario had just been the brightest of the three of them. Fact was, it was real rich of Junior to expect Rosa to 'live up to the family name' when he'd up and ignored her for most of her childhood. But whatever, Junior was probably dying of shame right about now anyway, given some of the things she'd been up to.
Was it moral? No, but it was survival.
Panting, Rosa stopped running, looking this way and that, surveying the buildings on the street. One of them looked like the rear entrance of some kind of store, something which seemed like a safe bet. Her supplies were running a little low, anyway. As she headed for the building at a brisk trot, the PA system crackled into life, Rosa lending it half an ear.
Which was enough to hear the name.
"Frankie!"
It was half anguish, half disbelief.
She fell to her knees, numb to the grazes of the hard ground.
No no no fucking NO!
The tears hit, the floodgates opened, and Rosa started to sob hysterically.
"Sup Rosa? Give any head lately?"
"What's the difference between Rosa and the bus service? You don't get to ride the bus free."
"Hey, it's the walking STD."
"You're playing soccer, now? You realise that it ain't the same kind of balls, right?"
"I'd say 'fuck you' but I think I got beaten to the punch on that one."
A million and one hurtful little jokes. A chilled out smile on that stupid smug face, stoned out of her mind. That niggling resentment of critcism coming from a junkie. Always biting back saying why she acted how she acted, because Frankie would just mock it. 'Accidentally' spilling the beans on her flings to Junior just for the hell of it. Needling her at every opportunity.
But god-fucking-dammit Frankie was Rosa's sister and she fucking cared about that stupid stoner grin and offensive little barbs and now she was just... gone. Dead.
Rosa didn't even hear the gunshot from inside the grocery story.
Rosa was breathing hard as she dashed through the streets of the town. Fit she might have been, but this was an outright, maddened sprint. Jimmy had looked out for the count, but this wasn't the first beating he'd taken. There was no sense in her taking any chances with his durability. The ground pounded beneath her feet, the wind tugging her hair, sending it streaming behind her, doubtless baring rather more of her legs than was entirely appropriate. Even though she was struggling for breath, Rosa allowed herself a tiny glimmer of a smile. That could have been worse. Much worse. All things considered, she'd come off surprisingly well from that little partnership. Hadn't been the most dignified thing she'd ever done and sadly probably hadn't been rock bottom either.
Might have come close, though.
First thing was first. Rosa needed to find somewhere to bunker down for a while, just so that she could regain her bearings and rest a little. From there, well, it was right back to the search. It had been an entire week now, and Rosa hadn't had even the slightest inkling of either sibling... aside from Ilario's presence on the announcements, that was. She worried about him, what he was doing. Part of her wanted to slap him silly for even thinking about playing the game, the rest was more concerned about exactly what state of mind her brother had to have slipped into to be killing. It wasn't a pleasant thought.
Rosa... found this sense of responsibility difficult to grasp. She'd been skirting that particular part of life for some time, much to the displeasure of her father. But hell, Junior was full of it, given the only one of the triplets he ever gave a damn about was his namesake. Rosa didn't know why it was the case, whether it was some kind of patriarchal thing, whether Ilario had just been the brightest of the three of them. Fact was, it was real rich of Junior to expect Rosa to 'live up to the family name' when he'd up and ignored her for most of her childhood. But whatever, Junior was probably dying of shame right about now anyway, given some of the things she'd been up to.
Was it moral? No, but it was survival.
Panting, Rosa stopped running, looking this way and that, surveying the buildings on the street. One of them looked like the rear entrance of some kind of store, something which seemed like a safe bet. Her supplies were running a little low, anyway. As she headed for the building at a brisk trot, the PA system crackled into life, Rosa lending it half an ear.
Which was enough to hear the name.
"Frankie!"
It was half anguish, half disbelief.
She fell to her knees, numb to the grazes of the hard ground.
No no no fucking NO!
The tears hit, the floodgates opened, and Rosa started to sob hysterically.
"Sup Rosa? Give any head lately?"
"What's the difference between Rosa and the bus service? You don't get to ride the bus free."
"Hey, it's the walking STD."
"You're playing soccer, now? You realise that it ain't the same kind of balls, right?"
"I'd say 'fuck you' but I think I got beaten to the punch on that one."
A million and one hurtful little jokes. A chilled out smile on that stupid smug face, stoned out of her mind. That niggling resentment of critcism coming from a junkie. Always biting back saying why she acted how she acted, because Frankie would just mock it. 'Accidentally' spilling the beans on her flings to Junior just for the hell of it. Needling her at every opportunity.
But god-fucking-dammit Frankie was Rosa's sister and she fucking cared about that stupid stoner grin and offensive little barbs and now she was just... gone. Dead.
Rosa didn't even hear the gunshot from inside the grocery story.
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
((Felicia Carmichael, continued from The man your man could smell like))
"... Rosa."
Felicia was damn near out of air from chasing the girl she loved through the streets, but finally she had stopped running. Unfortunately, now she was crying. The next action, the correct thing to do escaped Felicia's mind like a bird out if its cage, but despite all of her efforts to contain it, it remained elusive. She couldn't even pinpoint why Rosa had hit the ground sobbing beyond any of the terribly obvious reasons. This island was practically made of tears by this point, but why stop to cry now? Felicia could hardly take it anymore as she silently watched the girl from behind. All Rosa had to do was turn around and she'd see her standing there, ready to comfort her. Maybe if she said something, it would take away the fear. It would take away all the reasons Felicia couldn't just embrace her now.
The announcements had gone off. Like usual, Felicia did her best to not pay any attention to them. She couldn't concern herself with much more of this lest her heart burst in her chest. No, she learned all she needed to from Aislyn's death; she learned who she had to find, but this was far more important. She had found Rosa, so maybe now she could forget Kimberly. Somebody else would kill Kimberly, take all of this off Felicia's mind. She just wanted to be with Rosa.
She couldn't help but wonder if she heard right, though. She almost thought she heard 'Fiametta' on the announcements.
"R-Rosa..." Felicia stammered, pushing past the wall of glass to the crying girl. There was a loud crashing sound, thunder or something, somewhere, and her heart nearly lept out of her throat. She couldn't back off, though. She wouldn't allow herself to hesitate, to keep herself from Rosa anymore. She was right there. Rosa was right there.
"I... I f-finally, I mean..." Felicia tried, but nothing sounded right. Instead, she dropped to one knee and wrapped her arms around Rosa nice and tight. She didn't want to let go just yet. Not after finally reaching her.
"... Rosa."
Felicia was damn near out of air from chasing the girl she loved through the streets, but finally she had stopped running. Unfortunately, now she was crying. The next action, the correct thing to do escaped Felicia's mind like a bird out if its cage, but despite all of her efforts to contain it, it remained elusive. She couldn't even pinpoint why Rosa had hit the ground sobbing beyond any of the terribly obvious reasons. This island was practically made of tears by this point, but why stop to cry now? Felicia could hardly take it anymore as she silently watched the girl from behind. All Rosa had to do was turn around and she'd see her standing there, ready to comfort her. Maybe if she said something, it would take away the fear. It would take away all the reasons Felicia couldn't just embrace her now.
The announcements had gone off. Like usual, Felicia did her best to not pay any attention to them. She couldn't concern herself with much more of this lest her heart burst in her chest. No, she learned all she needed to from Aislyn's death; she learned who she had to find, but this was far more important. She had found Rosa, so maybe now she could forget Kimberly. Somebody else would kill Kimberly, take all of this off Felicia's mind. She just wanted to be with Rosa.
She couldn't help but wonder if she heard right, though. She almost thought she heard 'Fiametta' on the announcements.
"R-Rosa..." Felicia stammered, pushing past the wall of glass to the crying girl. There was a loud crashing sound, thunder or something, somewhere, and her heart nearly lept out of her throat. She couldn't back off, though. She wouldn't allow herself to hesitate, to keep herself from Rosa anymore. She was right there. Rosa was right there.
"I... I f-finally, I mean..." Felicia tried, but nothing sounded right. Instead, she dropped to one knee and wrapped her arms around Rosa nice and tight. She didn't want to let go just yet. Not after finally reaching her.