[Yellow #4 - Marcus Walker. Continued from Tread Softly.
Thread started with permission from the mods.]
He knew it was coming eventually. The entire time they had been walking, Marcus was thinking about how he was going to handle it. How he was going to explain things to Anna and Axel. How he was going to make them, or at least her, see his side of events. For hours, he said very little and thought too much about what he was going to do when the truth came out that he, not Skye, was directly responsible for Devonte's death. By the time they were settling down for the night next to some lake, time was running out. And Marcus had nothing.
Time's up. Either he sit and wait for it to come, or he explain it to them now. Better to get it done with now on his terms.
"Before it comes, there's something I have to tell you two about the announcement. I'm going to be on it. And it's going to say that I killed Devonte. But I can explain."
Marcus made sure that he knew exactly where the bolts were before he started talking too much, though. If this didn't go perfectly, if Axel decided he was going to take things into his own hands, Marcus was going to be ready. But when it came down to it, Marcus wasn't as hard as he put on to be. He wasn't as hard as he used to be, beating every fuck who looked at him wrong and doing whatever it took to keep his siblings safe, even if it meant taking a bullet. Marcus didn't want to be that hard and when he started talking, when he started telling Anna what happened, he knew that it would be difficult. The thought of it was painful enough, let alone recounting it to defend himself. By the time he reached the end of what he was saying, his voice was breaking and he just barely kept himself from breaking down.
"Skye shot Devonte. Skye shot him, and he was bleeding, and there was nothing anyone could do. And Devonte didn't want that. You know him, Anna, he didn't want that. To let someone like Skye kill him in this... Devonte didn't want that. He asked me to make it quick. I couldn't stop the bleeding and god damn did I try..."
Marcus dried his eyes and did his best to do what he could. Man the fuck up. The last thing he needed was Devonte coming back just to call him gay. But what he wouldn't give to hear that dumb ass say 'Nigga, you gay' one more time. Breaking down was pointless, but Marcus knew he couldn't always be hard. But he had to try.
"Devonte was going to die one way or another with as bad as he was bleeding, and he knew it. So I did as he asked, and made it quick. But his death was still by my hands, and I'll be on the announcements. I just... thought you should know beforehand."
So Marcus put it all out there. He bit the bullet and told them himself instead of waiting for the announcements to tell them for him. But the news about Devonte wasn't the worst thing that was going to come out on the announcements that night. Far from it.
The bad news was only just beginning.
Tainted Love
Some time in the night
Tainted Love
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((Anna Hitchins continued from Tread Softly))
The announcements came on soon after Marcus had finished explaining himself. Anna hadn't even noticed that she had put some distance between herself and him in the meantime. After all, on the walk itself she'd stuck somewhat close to him. Familiarity bred the proximity; fear took it away.
But it wasn't as simple as being afraid of Marcus. Somewhere in the recesses of a mind recovering from loss, Anna could believe the story. Maybe it was the quivering of the voice, the wetness of the eyes, or maybe just the bluntness of the words, but it made sense.
She bit her lip, took a breath, resolved not to pass judgment. There was a movie reference, some allusion to a character or a plotline that waited to bubble forth, but Anna shoved that back. Now wasn't the time.
She stayed silent. She strayed closer. A sun-baked red hand reached out, found its way onto Marcus's shoulder.
She shuddered when another familiar name was rattled off.
The announcements came on soon after Marcus had finished explaining himself. Anna hadn't even noticed that she had put some distance between herself and him in the meantime. After all, on the walk itself she'd stuck somewhat close to him. Familiarity bred the proximity; fear took it away.
But it wasn't as simple as being afraid of Marcus. Somewhere in the recesses of a mind recovering from loss, Anna could believe the story. Maybe it was the quivering of the voice, the wetness of the eyes, or maybe just the bluntness of the words, but it made sense.
She bit her lip, took a breath, resolved not to pass judgment. There was a movie reference, some allusion to a character or a plotline that waited to bubble forth, but Anna shoved that back. Now wasn't the time.
She stayed silent. She strayed closer. A sun-baked red hand reached out, found its way onto Marcus's shoulder.
She shuddered when another familiar name was rattled off.
<<<Axel Stadler continued from Tread Softly>>>
Axel looked up as Marcus finally broke the tense silence. He'd been starting to feel tired, having not had much chance for rest since he woke up on the beach with a sedative-induced headache. He was not feeling the slightest bit sleepy, however. The two were very separate sensations for him and they rarely came at the same time. He wouldn't need to force himself to stay awake tonight. It was already more or less inevitable.
He turned his head and looked out over the lake as Marcus' story got ugly. His mind was racing ahead, already guessing where the story ended up - a mercy killing. The truth didn't come as a surprise to him, but Marcus' display of emotion did. There was something that was still a shocker even if you'd watched it on your TV screen so many times before. Seeing that even the toughest man could be reduced to tears so easily. That's why you had to be more than tough, you had to be callous in order to be the fittest and survive.
Axel waited after he finished, waited for Anna to say something to comfort him. She was his friend. Instead, the announcements came on, calling out the roll of the dead. And there were a lot of them. "Fuck," he said when he heard the name Jaszmine Johnson. "She was on our team and she had the gun." He put a hand to his belt, remembered he'd given the scissorshank to Anna already. He kept repeating the names in his mind, to punch them out when he had the chance.
He was about to ask Anna to borrow the blade again. But when he looked back at the two of them, her arm on his shoulder, tears in both their eyes, he let the question die in his throat. He realized that this was one of those moments that would make it to the final cut. Here he was, standing on the periphery of an extremely emotional moment. He could stand aside as a nobody, an extra, as they worked out their feelings. Or he could make an impact, finally have a chance to talk before the camera and share a glimpse of his own character with the audience.
He pictured himself in Marcus' shoes, putting Laney in the place of Marcus' friend. Holding her in his arms, slowly bleeding to death. Would he have done the same? Yes, yes, yes. And she would have done it for him. And that was something they admired in each other, that they didn't flinch at the things that other people would.
"Marcus, what you did was terrible, and no one should have to be in that position. But it was the right choice. Here in this place, letting him die on his own terms was the right choice." And he waited to see just how that statement would hit.
Axel looked up as Marcus finally broke the tense silence. He'd been starting to feel tired, having not had much chance for rest since he woke up on the beach with a sedative-induced headache. He was not feeling the slightest bit sleepy, however. The two were very separate sensations for him and they rarely came at the same time. He wouldn't need to force himself to stay awake tonight. It was already more or less inevitable.
He turned his head and looked out over the lake as Marcus' story got ugly. His mind was racing ahead, already guessing where the story ended up - a mercy killing. The truth didn't come as a surprise to him, but Marcus' display of emotion did. There was something that was still a shocker even if you'd watched it on your TV screen so many times before. Seeing that even the toughest man could be reduced to tears so easily. That's why you had to be more than tough, you had to be callous in order to be the fittest and survive.
Axel waited after he finished, waited for Anna to say something to comfort him. She was his friend. Instead, the announcements came on, calling out the roll of the dead. And there were a lot of them. "Fuck," he said when he heard the name Jaszmine Johnson. "She was on our team and she had the gun." He put a hand to his belt, remembered he'd given the scissorshank to Anna already. He kept repeating the names in his mind, to punch them out when he had the chance.
He was about to ask Anna to borrow the blade again. But when he looked back at the two of them, her arm on his shoulder, tears in both their eyes, he let the question die in his throat. He realized that this was one of those moments that would make it to the final cut. Here he was, standing on the periphery of an extremely emotional moment. He could stand aside as a nobody, an extra, as they worked out their feelings. Or he could make an impact, finally have a chance to talk before the camera and share a glimpse of his own character with the audience.
He pictured himself in Marcus' shoes, putting Laney in the place of Marcus' friend. Holding her in his arms, slowly bleeding to death. Would he have done the same? Yes, yes, yes. And she would have done it for him. And that was something they admired in each other, that they didn't flinch at the things that other people would.
"Marcus, what you did was terrible, and no one should have to be in that position. But it was the right choice. Here in this place, letting him die on his own terms was the right choice." And he waited to see just how that statement would hit.
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A voice echoes from both collars...
"This is all well and good, but come on now, don't just sit there, children. Where is that fighting spirit? The announcements are most upsetting, true, but look at it this way. You were all alive to hear it. Be thankful that you weren't dead and on it. Let's make sure we stay alive to hear them all, shall we?"
"This is all well and good, but come on now, don't just sit there, children. Where is that fighting spirit? The announcements are most upsetting, true, but look at it this way. You were all alive to hear it. Be thankful that you weren't dead and on it. Let's make sure we stay alive to hear them all, shall we?"
[Sorry about the delay. Been dealing with family stuff.]
And it all came crashing down.
Even with Anna there with him, the impact of that last name... It was the last straw, and broke him. Marcus couldn't hold back the tears, couldn't just tell himself to man the fuck up and push it aside. No, when he heard her name called out at the end of that announcement, it was over. No more being hard. No more manning the fuck up. No more. That was it. That was all Marcus could take. He just gave up. Just broke down, and found comfort in Anna's shoulder.
"They're all gone."
Marcus' voice was weak, but it was there.
"They're all gone, and we're all that's left. Just you and me."
Anna really was all he had left. She really was the only friend he had on this island now, and was probably the only person he could count on, the only person he could trust. Even if she somehow managed to get worse here, even if she was still annoying little Snowflake, she was his friend. And she was the only one he had left in the entire world. Marcus' entire world, all that he really had left, was gone. He was broken. And he would have stayed broken for a lot longer, if he hadn't heard what Axel said. He would have remained with his head on Anna's shoulder, but the words Axel said when Jaszmine's name was called out and the words he had to give Marcus, were filling Marcus' ears like shit. Gave him a bad taste in his mouth, listening to Axel talk. Especially now. Especially when he disregarded Jaszmine's death with nothing more than an 'Oh well, too bad.'
She deserved better than that. She deserved so much better.
Marcus moved away from Anna and turned his attention on Axel.
"She was my friend."
Simple. Short. But Marcus' voice was scathing. A moment ago, he could barely find it to speak to Anna. But he sure as hell found it to give Axel a piece of his mind.
"Jaszmine Johnson was my fucking friend, and she was more than just a member of your team who got a lucky fucking draw."
Marcus stepped forward as he spoke. He pointed at Axel, clenched his hands into fists, and with every sentence he spoke, he got louder.
"You want to tell me I did the right thing? Fuck you. What the fuck do you know about it? You don't know them. You don't know what it's fucking like. You keep your fucking mouth shut about things you have no business talking about, you got me Clampett? You don't say a fucking word about Devonte. You don't say a fucking word about Jaszmine."
Marcus was absolutely livid, and it showed. There was no attempt made at restraining his tone, not even the smallest attempt at trying to keep quiet.
"You're just another fucked up little white kid from the inner city who sat in the fucking corner and whacked it cause you had no friends. You don't fucking know what it's like to watch your friend die. You don't know what it's like when they're trying their best to keep you from feeling like you're killing them. You're just another fucking loner from the school of social rejects!"
There was nothing stopping Marcus now. Nothing to stop his tirade, and nothing to stop him from throttling Axel. And boy did he want to. He so wanted to put hands on Axel and strangle the life from his skinny white body. Marcus was so close to pulling out one of the bolts he had and burying it in Axel's eye. But by now, Anna had stepped in. She was stopping him. She was keeping him from killing Axel. Because while Axel's life wasn't worth anything to Marcus, Anna's was. She was all he had left. And she was holding him back.
For such a little thing, she had some strength to her.
"They deserved better than this. Their lives were worth more than anything. But you?"
And Marcus just stared at Axel.
"You're worthless."
And it all came crashing down.
Even with Anna there with him, the impact of that last name... It was the last straw, and broke him. Marcus couldn't hold back the tears, couldn't just tell himself to man the fuck up and push it aside. No, when he heard her name called out at the end of that announcement, it was over. No more being hard. No more manning the fuck up. No more. That was it. That was all Marcus could take. He just gave up. Just broke down, and found comfort in Anna's shoulder.
"They're all gone."
Marcus' voice was weak, but it was there.
"They're all gone, and we're all that's left. Just you and me."
Anna really was all he had left. She really was the only friend he had on this island now, and was probably the only person he could count on, the only person he could trust. Even if she somehow managed to get worse here, even if she was still annoying little Snowflake, she was his friend. And she was the only one he had left in the entire world. Marcus' entire world, all that he really had left, was gone. He was broken. And he would have stayed broken for a lot longer, if he hadn't heard what Axel said. He would have remained with his head on Anna's shoulder, but the words Axel said when Jaszmine's name was called out and the words he had to give Marcus, were filling Marcus' ears like shit. Gave him a bad taste in his mouth, listening to Axel talk. Especially now. Especially when he disregarded Jaszmine's death with nothing more than an 'Oh well, too bad.'
She deserved better than that. She deserved so much better.
Marcus moved away from Anna and turned his attention on Axel.
"She was my friend."
Simple. Short. But Marcus' voice was scathing. A moment ago, he could barely find it to speak to Anna. But he sure as hell found it to give Axel a piece of his mind.
"Jaszmine Johnson was my fucking friend, and she was more than just a member of your team who got a lucky fucking draw."
Marcus stepped forward as he spoke. He pointed at Axel, clenched his hands into fists, and with every sentence he spoke, he got louder.
"You want to tell me I did the right thing? Fuck you. What the fuck do you know about it? You don't know them. You don't know what it's fucking like. You keep your fucking mouth shut about things you have no business talking about, you got me Clampett? You don't say a fucking word about Devonte. You don't say a fucking word about Jaszmine."
Marcus was absolutely livid, and it showed. There was no attempt made at restraining his tone, not even the smallest attempt at trying to keep quiet.
"You're just another fucked up little white kid from the inner city who sat in the fucking corner and whacked it cause you had no friends. You don't fucking know what it's like to watch your friend die. You don't know what it's like when they're trying their best to keep you from feeling like you're killing them. You're just another fucking loner from the school of social rejects!"
There was nothing stopping Marcus now. Nothing to stop his tirade, and nothing to stop him from throttling Axel. And boy did he want to. He so wanted to put hands on Axel and strangle the life from his skinny white body. Marcus was so close to pulling out one of the bolts he had and burying it in Axel's eye. But by now, Anna had stepped in. She was stopping him. She was keeping him from killing Axel. Because while Axel's life wasn't worth anything to Marcus, Anna's was. She was all he had left. And she was holding him back.
For such a little thing, she had some strength to her.
"They deserved better than this. Their lives were worth more than anything. But you?"
And Marcus just stared at Axel.
"You're worthless."
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Jazmin was dead. Devonte was dead. But what was Marcus talking about? They still had someone else.
Yeah?
He was crying into her shoulder, and she wasn't entirely sure what she was supposed to be doing. She knew in the movies you patted them on the head, whispered that it "would be alright", so that's what she did. She was surprised by the honest sincerity she managed to work into her voice.
And then everything had gone right to hell again. The detached, pragmatic way Axel talked about Jaszmin set Marcus off. It made Anna mad, too, but she knew why he said it. They had to survive, lest their friends be dead for no good reason. But still Marcus came on, and she could barely hold him. As it was, her feet skidded backward in the dirt as she tried to dig in and keep him from bludgeoning their cohort.
"M...Marcus! We can't...can't do this. No one's worthless."
Not entirely true. She had the vague realization that if anyone here was worthless, she was a strong candidate.
Yeah?
He was crying into her shoulder, and she wasn't entirely sure what she was supposed to be doing. She knew in the movies you patted them on the head, whispered that it "would be alright", so that's what she did. She was surprised by the honest sincerity she managed to work into her voice.
And then everything had gone right to hell again. The detached, pragmatic way Axel talked about Jaszmin set Marcus off. It made Anna mad, too, but she knew why he said it. They had to survive, lest their friends be dead for no good reason. But still Marcus came on, and she could barely hold him. As it was, her feet skidded backward in the dirt as she tried to dig in and keep him from bludgeoning their cohort.
"M...Marcus! We can't...can't do this. No one's worthless."
Not entirely true. She had the vague realization that if anyone here was worthless, she was a strong candidate.
OOC: My turn to apologize for the hold-up, I've just been moving into college.
Axel took a few involuntary steps back when Marcus exploded on him. He saw Marcus forming his hands into fists and and shifted his grip on the sock, holding it by the rock end, felt them grinding against each other between his fingers. He didn't think he could do much good with it. Even if he landed a perfect hit, smashed Marcus' jaw, shattered a bunch of his teeth, he doubted it would slow him down at alll when he was in such an enraged state. Escape would be the only option.
Marcus' rant wasn't really cutting Axel too deeply. He'd gotten enough yelling from his parents before that this kind of thing bounced off of him. His parents had called him worthless for wasting his time lounging around in the basement watching movies and SOTF all day. It didn't bother him what other people though. Think a little deeper and we're all worthless.
But Anna stopped Marcus before he could actually commit any vioence. And Marcus let himself be stopped. He wasn't yet crossed the line, and this alliance could be salvaged. But Marcus and Anna needed some space.
"Whatever you say." Axel had to restrain himself from saying the things he really wanted to. We're all worthless here. We're game pieces. And take a look at those bandanas. You may find out how it feels to kill two friends. Those were the things he'd say if he wanted to to start the fight. He did think though, that maybe Marcus would find it in him to kill himself before taking another of his friends' lives.
"I'm sorry for what I said and for what happened to your friends." Sorry you didn't like hearing it" would be a little more truthful. "We have to keep thinking forward, though. Why don't I go scout around a little bit and see if there's anyone else close to us? You guys can chill around here. I'll be back in like half an hour if I'm not dead. OK?"
Axel took a few involuntary steps back when Marcus exploded on him. He saw Marcus forming his hands into fists and and shifted his grip on the sock, holding it by the rock end, felt them grinding against each other between his fingers. He didn't think he could do much good with it. Even if he landed a perfect hit, smashed Marcus' jaw, shattered a bunch of his teeth, he doubted it would slow him down at alll when he was in such an enraged state. Escape would be the only option.
Marcus' rant wasn't really cutting Axel too deeply. He'd gotten enough yelling from his parents before that this kind of thing bounced off of him. His parents had called him worthless for wasting his time lounging around in the basement watching movies and SOTF all day. It didn't bother him what other people though. Think a little deeper and we're all worthless.
But Anna stopped Marcus before he could actually commit any vioence. And Marcus let himself be stopped. He wasn't yet crossed the line, and this alliance could be salvaged. But Marcus and Anna needed some space.
"Whatever you say." Axel had to restrain himself from saying the things he really wanted to. We're all worthless here. We're game pieces. And take a look at those bandanas. You may find out how it feels to kill two friends. Those were the things he'd say if he wanted to to start the fight. He did think though, that maybe Marcus would find it in him to kill himself before taking another of his friends' lives.
"I'm sorry for what I said and for what happened to your friends." Sorry you didn't like hearing it" would be a little more truthful. "We have to keep thinking forward, though. Why don't I go scout around a little bit and see if there's anyone else close to us? You guys can chill around here. I'll be back in like half an hour if I'm not dead. OK?"
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"Yeah, you go do that."
Marcus didn't say much to Axel after that, after it was all over. He just stared at him for a moment before turning away. Marcus was done yelling. He wanted to beat Axel. Oh how he wanted to beat him. Pound him down into the dirt. Stomp him out and be rid of him once and for all. But he didn't. He wanted to, but he didn't. Anna was trying her best to hold him back, and even though he could have ignored her, he didn't. She was all he had left and he didn't want to risk her getting hurt in the crossfire. He didn't want to risk driving her away by pummeling her first companion. She was all he had left and he didn't want to let her go.
"God... Jaszmine."
Now that his anger was gone, all Marcus had left to think about was Jaszmine. And Devonte. And Anthony. All of them, gone. They were the only ones left, him and Anna. And that was it. There was no changing that. He couldn't make it better, he couldn't right any of the wrongs, and he couldn't just hit rewind on the tivo and turn the show off. He was on the show. 'Reality' TV became reality in a way Marcus never quite expected. Even now, he could remember being back at home and listening to other kids go on about what they would do if they were on the show. How they would survive. How they had the perfect plan for winning it, if only they were on the show.
Well, here was Marcus' chance. And he'd spent a good deal of it crying. Crying over Devonte, crying on Anna's shoulder, practically crying when he heard Anthony. It's all he'd been doing. He beats someone, then cries. He threatens someone, then cries. He nearly kills someone... then what? The only thing left was for Anna to die, or for Marcus to die. That would fit the pattern. That would wrap it all up nicely, wouldn't it? A chain of tragedy surrounding Marcus the moment he started the game. A chain that was inevitably going to strangle the life right out of him, one way or another.
And there was nothing he could do.
No.
No, he could fight it.
He could protect Anna. He already had her at his side. All he had to do was protect her now. Protect her the way he should have protected Jaszmine. Protect her the way he should have protected Devonte and Anthony. All he had to do was protect her the way he protected Laney and Grant back home. Keep her out of trouble. Keep her away from the people who caused trouble. If he had to, he could take a bullet for her. If he had to, he could kill for her. Yeah. He could protect her. He had the strength, and the tools, and the ability. He had the reputation now as well. He was a killer. He was, for all intents and purposes, a murderer.
All he had to do was protect Anna. And protect her he would.
"I'll make you a promise, Anna."
And he was going to make sure that she knew it. Because she was all he had left.
"Starting now, I promise that I'll stay with you. I promise that I'll protect you from everything in this piece of shit game. I couldn't protect Jaszmine, or Devonte, or Anthony, but I promise that I'll protect you. Even if you do choose to take every stray dog you find with you."
Despite all the anger that had been there only moments ago, and despite all the sorrow that still hung overhead, Marcus did his best to eek out a smile for Anna.
Because she was all he had left.
Marcus didn't say much to Axel after that, after it was all over. He just stared at him for a moment before turning away. Marcus was done yelling. He wanted to beat Axel. Oh how he wanted to beat him. Pound him down into the dirt. Stomp him out and be rid of him once and for all. But he didn't. He wanted to, but he didn't. Anna was trying her best to hold him back, and even though he could have ignored her, he didn't. She was all he had left and he didn't want to risk her getting hurt in the crossfire. He didn't want to risk driving her away by pummeling her first companion. She was all he had left and he didn't want to let her go.
"God... Jaszmine."
Now that his anger was gone, all Marcus had left to think about was Jaszmine. And Devonte. And Anthony. All of them, gone. They were the only ones left, him and Anna. And that was it. There was no changing that. He couldn't make it better, he couldn't right any of the wrongs, and he couldn't just hit rewind on the tivo and turn the show off. He was on the show. 'Reality' TV became reality in a way Marcus never quite expected. Even now, he could remember being back at home and listening to other kids go on about what they would do if they were on the show. How they would survive. How they had the perfect plan for winning it, if only they were on the show.
Well, here was Marcus' chance. And he'd spent a good deal of it crying. Crying over Devonte, crying on Anna's shoulder, practically crying when he heard Anthony. It's all he'd been doing. He beats someone, then cries. He threatens someone, then cries. He nearly kills someone... then what? The only thing left was for Anna to die, or for Marcus to die. That would fit the pattern. That would wrap it all up nicely, wouldn't it? A chain of tragedy surrounding Marcus the moment he started the game. A chain that was inevitably going to strangle the life right out of him, one way or another.
And there was nothing he could do.
No.
No, he could fight it.
He could protect Anna. He already had her at his side. All he had to do was protect her now. Protect her the way he should have protected Jaszmine. Protect her the way he should have protected Devonte and Anthony. All he had to do was protect her the way he protected Laney and Grant back home. Keep her out of trouble. Keep her away from the people who caused trouble. If he had to, he could take a bullet for her. If he had to, he could kill for her. Yeah. He could protect her. He had the strength, and the tools, and the ability. He had the reputation now as well. He was a killer. He was, for all intents and purposes, a murderer.
All he had to do was protect Anna. And protect her he would.
"I'll make you a promise, Anna."
And he was going to make sure that she knew it. Because she was all he had left.
"Starting now, I promise that I'll stay with you. I promise that I'll protect you from everything in this piece of shit game. I couldn't protect Jaszmine, or Devonte, or Anthony, but I promise that I'll protect you. Even if you do choose to take every stray dog you find with you."
Despite all the anger that had been there only moments ago, and despite all the sorrow that still hung overhead, Marcus did his best to eek out a smile for Anna.
Because she was all he had left.
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Something, some small voice in the back of Anna's head had clicked with the gravity of the situation, and of the seriousness of Marcus's words. It still wouldn't be solid with her yet, but underneath a mind addled by millions of movies and theatrical productions, Anna learned something.
anthony's not here anymore
So when Marcus made his promise, and seemed with every fiber of his being to be telling the truth, she nodded, tears welling in pained eyes.
"O...Ok Marcus. I promise I won't get tied to railroad tracks or a a giant circular saw or strapped to a runaway horse. I won't make it hard for you. I'll be the action lady, I swear."
She didn't have much to say after that. She didn't want the camera to see her cry, so she settled for burying her head into Marcus's shoulder, letting him return the favor.
This movie sucked.
anthony's not here anymore
So when Marcus made his promise, and seemed with every fiber of his being to be telling the truth, she nodded, tears welling in pained eyes.
"O...Ok Marcus. I promise I won't get tied to railroad tracks or a a giant circular saw or strapped to a runaway horse. I won't make it hard for you. I'll be the action lady, I swear."
She didn't have much to say after that. She didn't want the camera to see her cry, so she settled for burying her head into Marcus's shoulder, letting him return the favor.
This movie sucked.
"Yeah. You go do that."
Good. That was exactly what Axel wanted to hear. He turned away from the other two. Which way to go? He chose a direction at random that wasn't the way they'd come from. Started to walk. Forced a song through his head to tune out Anna and Marcus when their voices started up again. He thought about his scissor blade now, wondering if Anna would have given it back if he'd asked. Too late. And probably not. He wondered why he'd given it to her in the first place. She wouldn't use it to save her own life.
To save Marcus, maybe. Power of friendship crap. She'd use it to save his life. Cry about it later. Be traumatized for life. Assuming she lived long enough to be traumatized. Violence. Violence felt like it would be great right now. Time to go find someone to perpetrate some violence on.
<<Axel Stadler carried on to: Where do you Run When There's Nowhere to Hide?>>
Good. That was exactly what Axel wanted to hear. He turned away from the other two. Which way to go? He chose a direction at random that wasn't the way they'd come from. Started to walk. Forced a song through his head to tune out Anna and Marcus when their voices started up again. He thought about his scissor blade now, wondering if Anna would have given it back if he'd asked. Too late. And probably not. He wondered why he'd given it to her in the first place. She wouldn't use it to save her own life.
To save Marcus, maybe. Power of friendship crap. She'd use it to save his life. Cry about it later. Be traumatized for life. Assuming she lived long enough to be traumatized. Violence. Violence felt like it would be great right now. Time to go find someone to perpetrate some violence on.
<<Axel Stadler carried on to: Where do you Run When There's Nowhere to Hide?>>
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Flayer. 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.
"Yeah. You'll be my action lady, alright."
Marcus put his hand on Anna's back, and let her remain there on his shoulder for as long as she needed. And he expected that she needed quite a bit of time. Marcus had his moment, and as he gave Anna hers, he looked around. Axel walked off. He didn't bother calling out to him, or stopping him. He couldn't be happier to see him just walk off and disappear from sight. He'd have a time trying to explain it to Anna, and she might be reluctant to just leave Axel behind, but it was for the best.
Marcus didn't trust Axel. He didn't trust anyone. He had someone to protect and that was just what he was going to do. Anna was his to protect and his to watch over, and he was going to do just that for as long as he possibly could. He failed Devonte, and he failed Anthony, and he sure as hell failed Jaszmine, but he wasn't going to fail Anna. Not again.
He could take another bullet.
"Come on, let's get out of here. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and not much time left to find a good place to set up for the night."
Marcus didn't have a clue as to where they were going to go, but he knew they needed to sleep before they could get going. Marcus could keep going, but he knew Anna couldn't. He'd pushed her hard enough today. They could continue on their way tomorrow. Tonight, they were going to sleep on the shore of the lake, and sleep for as long as they could. For as long as it was safe to.
Marcus would keep Anna safe. No matter what.
[Yellow #4 - Marcus Walker. Continued in Somehow Precious.]
Marcus put his hand on Anna's back, and let her remain there on his shoulder for as long as she needed. And he expected that she needed quite a bit of time. Marcus had his moment, and as he gave Anna hers, he looked around. Axel walked off. He didn't bother calling out to him, or stopping him. He couldn't be happier to see him just walk off and disappear from sight. He'd have a time trying to explain it to Anna, and she might be reluctant to just leave Axel behind, but it was for the best.
Marcus didn't trust Axel. He didn't trust anyone. He had someone to protect and that was just what he was going to do. Anna was his to protect and his to watch over, and he was going to do just that for as long as he possibly could. He failed Devonte, and he failed Anthony, and he sure as hell failed Jaszmine, but he wasn't going to fail Anna. Not again.
He could take another bullet.
"Come on, let's get out of here. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and not much time left to find a good place to set up for the night."
Marcus didn't have a clue as to where they were going to go, but he knew they needed to sleep before they could get going. Marcus could keep going, but he knew Anna couldn't. He'd pushed her hard enough today. They could continue on their way tomorrow. Tonight, they were going to sleep on the shore of the lake, and sleep for as long as they could. For as long as it was safe to.
Marcus would keep Anna safe. No matter what.
[Yellow #4 - Marcus Walker. Continued in Somehow Precious.]
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.
Anna tried to regain what little composure she had left, wiped dry her eyes and a small line of snot that had trickled from her left nostril. Vaguely, she hoped she didn't leave any of her facial drippings on Marcus's shirt. Again, unbecoming of a leading lady.
You're really more of a supporting character. For a quick laugh, you know?
She nodded when he reassured her. He was sincere, that much was certain, and it made her feel comfortable.
"You start the fire, I'll bring the marshmallows." She said to him, smiling. Still, there was a niggling thought in the back of her head, the one about the teams. She wondered when exactly those colored pieces of cloth would come into play.
Hopefully never.
(Blue#2-Anna Hitchins, continued Somehow Precious)
You're really more of a supporting character. For a quick laugh, you know?
She nodded when he reassured her. He was sincere, that much was certain, and it made her feel comfortable.
"You start the fire, I'll bring the marshmallows." She said to him, smiling. Still, there was a niggling thought in the back of her head, the one about the teams. She wondered when exactly those colored pieces of cloth would come into play.
Hopefully never.
(Blue#2-Anna Hitchins, continued Somehow Precious)