Did she ding him for plagiarism? Send him back to the drawing board and make him think about what he'd done? She'd heard this same story a million times before, nearly every night for several months when Cassidy was younger and deep in the grips of a Sesame Street obsession. She had one of those fat, clunky books that would read the page to you when you pushed the button and she spent what felt like endless hours of her life listening to Cassidy slamming the button over and over to make the narrator stroke out.
The PTSD itself felt like enough of a reason to call him out.
“Does the tree make the cookie monster share, Nathan?” She asked incredulously.
Cheater.
... A Smooth Criminal
Day 5 - the last day of Nathan Coleman's life
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
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- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
"Nooooo-oooo!" Nathan cackled. "Because the monster cuts the tree down to get... to get, all the cookies at once!" Nathan wrung his hands deviously, like a villainous mastermind.
"Now, the monster had all the cookies, and nobody else could have... have, them, and..." he trailed off, and looked to Madison for help.
"Now, the monster had all the cookies, and nobody else could have... have, them, and..." he trailed off, and looked to Madison for help.
“You're sick...” Madison's voice trailed off, unable to deter the mask of shock from adhering to her face as she glanced back down at him.
She was under the impression that she had to keep it PG and she was silently upset that she hadn't sent the Cookie Monster to fat camp like she'd wanted. But if Nathan was ready to go Adult Swim on her, she could play. And have a lot more fun, at that.
“And... he had to go to the doctor, because Type 2 Diabetes is a bitch and he knew what he was getting into.”
She tried to reign in a smile that tugged at the corner of her lips as a thought passed into her head. Her gaze remained steady at the faux-fire as she spoke once more, careful not to let laughter sneak in.
“Wanna scream a cuss?”
She was under the impression that she had to keep it PG and she was silently upset that she hadn't sent the Cookie Monster to fat camp like she'd wanted. But if Nathan was ready to go Adult Swim on her, she could play. And have a lot more fun, at that.
“And... he had to go to the doctor, because Type 2 Diabetes is a bitch and he knew what he was getting into.”
She tried to reign in a smile that tugged at the corner of her lips as a thought passed into her head. Her gaze remained steady at the faux-fire as she spoke once more, careful not to let laughter sneak in.
“Wanna scream a cuss?”
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Nathan's giggling fit grew stronger as the story became progressively more naughty. Surely, Mrs. Bautista would have something to say about this! But they were not in class, and there was no Mrs. Bautista to tell them what to do.
Madison swore. She said a bad word that Nathan heard sometimes, and the giggling turned into a louder burst of laughter, because you were not supposed to say stuff like that, and so he found it funny that Madison did as part of their game. Then, Madison asked if Nathan wanted to say a bad word. Not just say it, but scream it, as loud as he could.
Nathan shook his head and turned up to Madison, squirming in her lap, his hands cupping his mouth in embarrassment. "Noooo," he said through calming laughter, which contributed to the tinge of his cheeks. "I can't, 'cuz my mom would get-..."
"My mom."
Nathan stopped laughing.
Nathan stopped smiling.
Madison swore. She said a bad word that Nathan heard sometimes, and the giggling turned into a louder burst of laughter, because you were not supposed to say stuff like that, and so he found it funny that Madison did as part of their game. Then, Madison asked if Nathan wanted to say a bad word. Not just say it, but scream it, as loud as he could.
Nathan shook his head and turned up to Madison, squirming in her lap, his hands cupping his mouth in embarrassment. "Noooo," he said through calming laughter, which contributed to the tinge of his cheeks. "I can't, 'cuz my mom would get-..."
"My mom."
Nathan stopped laughing.
Nathan stopped smiling.
The louder Nathan got, the more militant Madison became, quickly inserting her own hoarsed shushing between his bouts of laughter. Their clearing was close enough to the temple, albeit squirreled away in a thick coppice, that anything above a hushed tone ran the risk of attracting unwanted attention. They'd done well to avoid running into anyone since Richard and Oliver, typically keeping to the heart of the woodlands to avoid foot traffic between the larger locales, and she preferred to keep it that way.
Softly, she cupped a hand over his mouth when he persisted, his laugh echoing against the looming trees, and removed it only once he had settled and seemed as though he'd cooperate. Her own smile had managed to break across her features. It was small, not particularly toothy, but it was genuine and whether it was exhaustion or she'd just lost the last fuck she had to give, she honestly felt content.
And she listened thoughtfully when he began to speak once more, expecting him to drop a whispered 'ass' or, if he was daring like she'd been hoping, a fully formed f-bomb. But he spoke about his mom and she could feel the warmth evaporate from the clearing, as if the wind had snuffed their imaginary fire. And she looked down at him, a full head and then some smaller than her, and he wasn't a kid, none of them were, but he was and she knew he didn't quite realize or process that he'd seen his mom for the last time, that the hug she'd likely given him before putting him on the bus was the last one he'd ever get from her.
There was silence for what felt like forever, Madison's throat feeling as though it was a milimeter wide and words wouldn't ever fit through. And she couldn't do anything for Nathan, wouldn't be able to say the right words, because there weren't any and all she could do was turn towards him, letting Connor's jacket fall to the ground, and pull him into her. She couldn't be his mom, not with her wiry, bony, cold body and her constant aggression, but she could try and bring what little bit of her to him that she could.
And they stayed like that for what felt like forever, her face buried in his dirty hair and he in her chest, before she finally spoke.
“Do you regret coming with me?”
Softly, she cupped a hand over his mouth when he persisted, his laugh echoing against the looming trees, and removed it only once he had settled and seemed as though he'd cooperate. Her own smile had managed to break across her features. It was small, not particularly toothy, but it was genuine and whether it was exhaustion or she'd just lost the last fuck she had to give, she honestly felt content.
And she listened thoughtfully when he began to speak once more, expecting him to drop a whispered 'ass' or, if he was daring like she'd been hoping, a fully formed f-bomb. But he spoke about his mom and she could feel the warmth evaporate from the clearing, as if the wind had snuffed their imaginary fire. And she looked down at him, a full head and then some smaller than her, and he wasn't a kid, none of them were, but he was and she knew he didn't quite realize or process that he'd seen his mom for the last time, that the hug she'd likely given him before putting him on the bus was the last one he'd ever get from her.
There was silence for what felt like forever, Madison's throat feeling as though it was a milimeter wide and words wouldn't ever fit through. And she couldn't do anything for Nathan, wouldn't be able to say the right words, because there weren't any and all she could do was turn towards him, letting Connor's jacket fall to the ground, and pull him into her. She couldn't be his mom, not with her wiry, bony, cold body and her constant aggression, but she could try and bring what little bit of her to him that she could.
And they stayed like that for what felt like forever, her face buried in his dirty hair and he in her chest, before she finally spoke.
“Do you regret coming with me?”
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
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Nathan weakly struggled in Madison's grasp. At first, he resisted the pull of her arms. It was so sudden, unlike everything else she had ever done. He was scared, but not sure if that scared him more or less than the darkening island around him and the thought that his mom was not here.
He stopped fighting before long. It was not bad, being held by her. There was no fire to warm him, but Madison was the next best thing. She gave him a place to cry, so Nathan cried for a little while. He sobbed only briefly and before too long the sound quieted down to a whimper. Nathan's hands gripped near the hem of her shirt. He pulled downward slightly, just to feel his fingers do something and to help calm him.
At the sound of Madison's voice, Nathan pulled his head back and rubbed between his eyes and glasses with the back of his hand. He shook his head: "Regret?" he asked, sounding out the word. When Madison was quiet, Nathan decided to guess at what it meant.
"I want to come with you. You're good."
He stopped fighting before long. It was not bad, being held by her. There was no fire to warm him, but Madison was the next best thing. She gave him a place to cry, so Nathan cried for a little while. He sobbed only briefly and before too long the sound quieted down to a whimper. Nathan's hands gripped near the hem of her shirt. He pulled downward slightly, just to feel his fingers do something and to help calm him.
At the sound of Madison's voice, Nathan pulled his head back and rubbed between his eyes and glasses with the back of his hand. He shook his head: "Regret?" he asked, sounding out the word. When Madison was quiet, Nathan decided to guess at what it meant.
"I want to come with you. You're good."
Nathan wasn't going to make it, not to the end. Eventually the magnanimity that Kelly and Richard showed him would fall to the wayside once people were able to taste salvation. And she knew that. Knew that she didn't stand much of a chance, either. But all this, the games and the play pretend were fake, bandages that made it easier to get on and ignore inevitability. And what would he do if she went before him? They were already starving, living off rain water, fumes, and fear and it was her fault. Her bad judgment. And part of her wanted him to lambaste her and bring all her failure to the surface, every nasty thing that she'd ever said to him that he didn't deserve and every kind thing he said to her that she didn't. But he never would. He was kind. Kind in a way that didn't make sense to her and likely never would.
And she knew she couldn't take care of him anymore, couldn't watch him waste away on borrowed time in front of her and look him in the eye knowing that it was her fault and knowing that she couldn't do anything to fix it or save him, that if someone wanted to kill him, they could and they would. She couldn't keep looking around every corner for both of them.
And she couldn't lose him to someone else, couldn't lose him when she wasn't ready for it.
“You're a good boy, Nathan,” She lifted her head from his, barely able to force the shaking words from her suddenly dry mouth. Her hands ran down the side of his face before resting firmly over top his ears.
“You know that, right? And you know your mom loves you, and your dad loves you, and we all love you so, so much, okay?”
She couldn't look him in the eyes, but she could feel his gaze boring into her.
And she wanted to say something else, anything else that would make him happy, but all she could release was a pained, guttural sob as she dug her palms into the sides of his head and violently wrenched it to the side.
It wasn't even a second after the empty, hallow crack before his weight fell into her and then unceremoniously to the ground.
And she knew she couldn't take care of him anymore, couldn't watch him waste away on borrowed time in front of her and look him in the eye knowing that it was her fault and knowing that she couldn't do anything to fix it or save him, that if someone wanted to kill him, they could and they would. She couldn't keep looking around every corner for both of them.
And she couldn't lose him to someone else, couldn't lose him when she wasn't ready for it.
“You're a good boy, Nathan,” She lifted her head from his, barely able to force the shaking words from her suddenly dry mouth. Her hands ran down the side of his face before resting firmly over top his ears.
“You know that, right? And you know your mom loves you, and your dad loves you, and we all love you so, so much, okay?”
She couldn't look him in the eyes, but she could feel his gaze boring into her.
And she wanted to say something else, anything else that would make him happy, but all she could release was a pained, guttural sob as she dug her palms into the sides of his head and violently wrenched it to the side.
It wasn't even a second after the empty, hallow crack before his weight fell into her and then unceremoniously to the ground.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
"M... Madi-!?"
Nathan's hands shot up to Madison's wrists. There was just a little delay, a little pause before he knew something was wrong and his hands moved. Just like there was a little pause where his neck felt very uncomfortable because Madison kept pulling it to the side. Then he heard a loud, long crack. It sounded like somebody stepped on a stick, but the sound rang in both ears and frightened Nathan with how loud and close it was, close enough to be inside him.
His neck only hurt for a little more, then it felt kind of cold. He could not feel his body. It fell out from under him and Nathan imagined it had run away without his head. He could not move any thing. His head rolled to the side, and he thought maybe he still had his neck, but he couldn't look up at Madison to see her. He very much wanted to see her, to seek the same comfort she had been giving him a moment before when they hugged. That was the longest pause, the one before it dawned on Nathan that something was very wrong with his body.
Madison, please help me!
Madison!
Nathan could think the words plain as day, but he could not say them. He could not even breathe. His head moved, though he did not understand why. He wanted to move it, he tried to move it, and it moved, but not just as he told it to. He was looking up at the evening sky again. His gaze found Madison, and his lips moved. Though Nathan tried to ask for help, he just made a funny noise in his throat, the kind he might make if he got really sick and had to stay home from school.
Help me.
Nathan's hands shot up to Madison's wrists. There was just a little delay, a little pause before he knew something was wrong and his hands moved. Just like there was a little pause where his neck felt very uncomfortable because Madison kept pulling it to the side. Then he heard a loud, long crack. It sounded like somebody stepped on a stick, but the sound rang in both ears and frightened Nathan with how loud and close it was, close enough to be inside him.
His neck only hurt for a little more, then it felt kind of cold. He could not feel his body. It fell out from under him and Nathan imagined it had run away without his head. He could not move any thing. His head rolled to the side, and he thought maybe he still had his neck, but he couldn't look up at Madison to see her. He very much wanted to see her, to seek the same comfort she had been giving him a moment before when they hugged. That was the longest pause, the one before it dawned on Nathan that something was very wrong with his body.
Madison, please help me!
Madison!
Nathan could think the words plain as day, but he could not say them. He could not even breathe. His head moved, though he did not understand why. He wanted to move it, he tried to move it, and it moved, but not just as he told it to. He was looking up at the evening sky again. His gaze found Madison, and his lips moved. Though Nathan tried to ask for help, he just made a funny noise in his throat, the kind he might make if he got really sick and had to stay home from school.
Help me.
Bile rose in her throat, hot burning vomit that blackened her vision and sent her to the ground after him.
She could hear him, beyond the oppressive ringing in her ears, beyond her hoarse weeping, and beyond her violent dry heaving.
Hear him gasping; croaking as he choked on air through a ruptured windpipe, but she didn't dare look. Didn't look at his crumpled, darkened, unmoving form that whispered to her – begged for her wordlessly – just inches away.
She was screaming now; loud, pained screaming sobs as she clawed her way through the dirt and mud on hands and knees toward the fire pit just so she wouldn't have to hear him, no longer caring if anyone heard her.
And her hand found one of the stones, snaking so harshly, so desperately, around it that one of her long nails bent backward.
And she didn't look, not as she turned back to his form, taking only a second to aim, to find his head. Didn't look when she brought it up and then back down.
Again,
and she was sorry,
and again,
and she was so sorry,
and again,
until bone no longer resisted,
and she was left alone with her anguished sobs.
She could hear him, beyond the oppressive ringing in her ears, beyond her hoarse weeping, and beyond her violent dry heaving.
Hear him gasping; croaking as he choked on air through a ruptured windpipe, but she didn't dare look. Didn't look at his crumpled, darkened, unmoving form that whispered to her – begged for her wordlessly – just inches away.
She was screaming now; loud, pained screaming sobs as she clawed her way through the dirt and mud on hands and knees toward the fire pit just so she wouldn't have to hear him, no longer caring if anyone heard her.
And her hand found one of the stones, snaking so harshly, so desperately, around it that one of her long nails bent backward.
And she didn't look, not as she turned back to his form, taking only a second to aim, to find his head. Didn't look when she brought it up and then back down.
Again,
and she was sorry,
and again,
and she was so sorry,
and again,
until bone no longer resisted,
and she was left alone with her anguished sobs.
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Madison was doing her best to help him. Somehow, Nathan thought he understood that.
He loved her too.
B059: Coleman, Nathan - Deceased
He loved her too.
B059: Coleman, Nathan - Deceased
She could taste his blood in her mouth.
Oppressive iron that was seared into her taste buds, lingering no matter how many times she spat and clawed at her tongue, begging the taste of earth from her muddied hands to steal it away, begging the salt from tears and snot to mute it. Begging the sticky droplets to fall from her face and hair as if they'd never been there. Begging Nathan, now just a corpse and mire, to disappear from her sight; from existence. Begging her eyes to close, to forget about the pearly shards of teeth or bone jutting forth from a cloak of red, to unsee the remnants of his glasses forced inwards and embedded into soft matter.
And she dug.
Dug for what felt like forever. First, with the bloodied stone still clenched in a now-bruised hand, beating desperately into soft mud that fell back in on itself and then her nails. Shoveling, tearing through the ground beneath because she couldn't just leave him as he was, couldn't let him be something's next meal, couldn't let maggots or rot make him into a home.
And she dug for what felt like forever, until she couldn't anymore, until her body gave up and curled in on itself, knees to chest, ear to mud, eyes to the body that used to be Nathan.
And she didn't blink for what felt like forever, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest that she knew was a mirage. Thinking of all the things she'd robbed him of, of all the things he loved, and all the things she'd done wrong to him. And she imagined him dancing and she imagined him laughing. She imagined him at home with his parents and couldn't begin to imagine how much they loved him and she couldn't breathe, her sobs coming out in heaping wheezes.
And she reached out and grabbed his hand for what felt like forever, long enough for the warmth to leech from it and grow cold in hers, her shaking fingers tracing the dips of his dimpled knuckles and begging him to grab back.
And she hadn't realized what it meant to be alone here until that exact moment, not until she let her eyes finally close, because she knew when she opened them again Nathan would still be gone.
** Madison Springer, girl no. 12, continued in...
Oppressive iron that was seared into her taste buds, lingering no matter how many times she spat and clawed at her tongue, begging the taste of earth from her muddied hands to steal it away, begging the salt from tears and snot to mute it. Begging the sticky droplets to fall from her face and hair as if they'd never been there. Begging Nathan, now just a corpse and mire, to disappear from her sight; from existence. Begging her eyes to close, to forget about the pearly shards of teeth or bone jutting forth from a cloak of red, to unsee the remnants of his glasses forced inwards and embedded into soft matter.
And she dug.
Dug for what felt like forever. First, with the bloodied stone still clenched in a now-bruised hand, beating desperately into soft mud that fell back in on itself and then her nails. Shoveling, tearing through the ground beneath because she couldn't just leave him as he was, couldn't let him be something's next meal, couldn't let maggots or rot make him into a home.
And she dug for what felt like forever, until she couldn't anymore, until her body gave up and curled in on itself, knees to chest, ear to mud, eyes to the body that used to be Nathan.
And she didn't blink for what felt like forever, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest that she knew was a mirage. Thinking of all the things she'd robbed him of, of all the things he loved, and all the things she'd done wrong to him. And she imagined him dancing and she imagined him laughing. She imagined him at home with his parents and couldn't begin to imagine how much they loved him and she couldn't breathe, her sobs coming out in heaping wheezes.
And she reached out and grabbed his hand for what felt like forever, long enough for the warmth to leech from it and grow cold in hers, her shaking fingers tracing the dips of his dimpled knuckles and begging him to grab back.
And she hadn't realized what it meant to be alone here until that exact moment, not until she let her eyes finally close, because she knew when she opened them again Nathan would still be gone.
** Madison Springer, girl no. 12, continued in...