The abrupt end of the confrontation practically left Oliver's head spinning as he watched Richard slowly disappear into the rain. He glanced from Richard, to Nathan, to Madison, and then back to the departing figure as he slipped his hand his hand out of his pocket, letting it fall limply to his side as the adrenaline building up inside of him rapidly faded away, to be replaced by a muted feeling of simple disappointment.
Here he was, back to square one. The chaos that he had been so eagerly anticipating had fizzled out into nothing, and all that was left was him, standing there with the attention of the two others most certainly fixated on him, the only remaining stranger. There was no way he'd be able to pull anything off, not like this.
Fuck.
Well, Oliver was smart enough to know when to fold his cards. Getting involved with this was a stupid decision in the first place, and he wasn't about to stick around moping about lost opportunities. Maybe he did deserve the supplies more than them, but life just was that way sometimes. Luck was on their side this time, no shame in that.
He gave a quick salute to Nathan and Madison before turning to make his exit, hints of dejection poking through his forcedly casual tone.
"Well, guess I'll be heading out too, and let you two spend some more quality time together. Good luck."
He paused for a moment before turning back to look at the pair one last time.
"You'll need it."
((Oliver Lacroix continued elsewhere))
Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay
Day 3 post-announcements /// Open After Ricky posts!
And just like that, they were gone, both boys disappearing back into the wilds whence they came.
And once more, it was just Nathan and her, separated only by a couple feet of wet sand and miles of resentment. Finally, Madison let her fear catch up to her, let the rolling of her nausea take her, allowing herself to finally sink to her bared knees, miry beach below fighting back against her only momentarily before parting and accepting.
She could only stare at Nathan beneath a curtain of matted, wet hair, strands adhering to her bruised forehead and cheeks that she didn't bother to push away.
He hadn't saved her.
If he kept running like she'd told him to, nothing would have even happened. There wouldn't have been a Richard or an Oliver, there wouldn't have been a gun or a bungled robbery, no proclamations of hate that cut deeper than the cold rain.
Or the sick disappointment that there hadn't been a different outcome, that Richard hadn't shot her when he had the choice and relieved her of the nightmare. That her autonomy was ripped from her and their deaths would be Nathan's fault instead of hers. That her family would be the ones allowed to be angry and that everyone would see that she did the best she possibly could.
But here they were again and she didn't know how much more she had in her.
And all she could do was stare at Nathan, with his gifted food and water that she hoped he knew he couldn't to imbibe in.
And once more, it was just Nathan and her, separated only by a couple feet of wet sand and miles of resentment. Finally, Madison let her fear catch up to her, let the rolling of her nausea take her, allowing herself to finally sink to her bared knees, miry beach below fighting back against her only momentarily before parting and accepting.
She could only stare at Nathan beneath a curtain of matted, wet hair, strands adhering to her bruised forehead and cheeks that she didn't bother to push away.
He hadn't saved her.
If he kept running like she'd told him to, nothing would have even happened. There wouldn't have been a Richard or an Oliver, there wouldn't have been a gun or a bungled robbery, no proclamations of hate that cut deeper than the cold rain.
Or the sick disappointment that there hadn't been a different outcome, that Richard hadn't shot her when he had the choice and relieved her of the nightmare. That her autonomy was ripped from her and their deaths would be Nathan's fault instead of hers. That her family would be the ones allowed to be angry and that everyone would see that she did the best she possibly could.
But here they were again and she didn't know how much more she had in her.
And all she could do was stare at Nathan, with his gifted food and water that she hoped he knew he couldn't to imbibe in.
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Nathan stared at his hands. He held one bottle of water and one energy bar. The bars did not taste good. He tried them before, back at the mansion. They were hard to bite into and even harder to chew. They hurt his jaw. The first time he tried to eat one, he spat out the first bite. Madison yelled at him. Nathan slowly ate the rest of it after that. It did not taste very good still, but it tasted okay, and he was very hungry. Now, he was even hungrier. They had no bread and they had no crackers.
One bottle of water. One energy bar. And he was alone, except for Madison.
Nathan looked up from his hands at Madison. She was looking back at him but she was not saying anything. She just seemed to be waiting, Nathan thought. He closed his eyes and thought, his jaw moving up and down, side to side.
A raindrop plopped on his nose. Then another. Plop plop!
"Here, Madison..." Nathan said slowly, holding his hands out for her to take the gifts Richard had given him. She looked tired and hungry too. And the bar was not that good anyway, Madison probably liked it more. "I'm sorry, I yelled at you..."
One bottle of water. One energy bar. And he was alone, except for Madison.
Nathan looked up from his hands at Madison. She was looking back at him but she was not saying anything. She just seemed to be waiting, Nathan thought. He closed his eyes and thought, his jaw moving up and down, side to side.
A raindrop plopped on his nose. Then another. Plop plop!
"Here, Madison..." Nathan said slowly, holding his hands out for her to take the gifts Richard had given him. She looked tired and hungry too. And the bar was not that good anyway, Madison probably liked it more. "I'm sorry, I yelled at you..."
“Nathan...”
There was only defeat in her voice, beach and rain threatening to swallow her the longer she sat dormant; hands reaching to receive Nathan's offerings. She wanted to smack them from his hands, yell at him that he should know better after everything that happened at the mansion. Not because she was mad at him, but because he was in front of her and because he was showing her kindness and because he was apologizing and she couldn't reciprocate. The want was there, the words tickling the back of her throat like the promise of vomit, but they never came.
“You know we can't,”
It was as if she was trying to convince herself simultaneously, a desperate want now latching to her words, and it'd be a lie to say it didn't hurt when she unscrewed the lid of the water and tipped it over, letting it marry with the wet of the sand. It'd been a day, maybe more, maybe less, since they'd eaten or drank anything aside from the water the storm offered and the more time passed, the more poison seemed worth it.
And while it seemed harder to poison the brick-like ration bar and part of her was desperate to sink her teeth into it, it couldn't be trusted, just like Oliver and Richard and Kelly couldn't be trusted, and it, too, found a new home in the ocean several feet away.
“...but thank you.”
She didn't let her eye contact with him linger, averting her gaze downwards as quickly as the words left her mouth.
Her focus was, instead, shifted on the struggle to get back on her feet, wet clothes hanging like iron shackles on her thin, hungried frame, but she eventually managed with minimal intervention from Nathan. And it was becoming apparent to her without the shield of adrenaline how exhausted she was and she knew the same could be said for Nathan.
But she knew they still had to move, no matter how much she wanted to fall to her knees again and let the beach claim her.
She didn't say anything else to him, no 'ditto' or 'same', never a returned 'I'm sorry, too', instead grabbing his wet hand in hers before leading him back towards the woodlands.
Gentler this time, though.
** Madison Springer, girl no. 12, continued in... A Smooth Criminal
There was only defeat in her voice, beach and rain threatening to swallow her the longer she sat dormant; hands reaching to receive Nathan's offerings. She wanted to smack them from his hands, yell at him that he should know better after everything that happened at the mansion. Not because she was mad at him, but because he was in front of her and because he was showing her kindness and because he was apologizing and she couldn't reciprocate. The want was there, the words tickling the back of her throat like the promise of vomit, but they never came.
“You know we can't,”
It was as if she was trying to convince herself simultaneously, a desperate want now latching to her words, and it'd be a lie to say it didn't hurt when she unscrewed the lid of the water and tipped it over, letting it marry with the wet of the sand. It'd been a day, maybe more, maybe less, since they'd eaten or drank anything aside from the water the storm offered and the more time passed, the more poison seemed worth it.
And while it seemed harder to poison the brick-like ration bar and part of her was desperate to sink her teeth into it, it couldn't be trusted, just like Oliver and Richard and Kelly couldn't be trusted, and it, too, found a new home in the ocean several feet away.
“...but thank you.”
She didn't let her eye contact with him linger, averting her gaze downwards as quickly as the words left her mouth.
Her focus was, instead, shifted on the struggle to get back on her feet, wet clothes hanging like iron shackles on her thin, hungried frame, but she eventually managed with minimal intervention from Nathan. And it was becoming apparent to her without the shield of adrenaline how exhausted she was and she knew the same could be said for Nathan.
But she knew they still had to move, no matter how much she wanted to fall to her knees again and let the beach claim her.
She didn't say anything else to him, no 'ditto' or 'same', never a returned 'I'm sorry, too', instead grabbing his wet hand in hers before leading him back towards the woodlands.
Gentler this time, though.
** Madison Springer, girl no. 12, continued in... A Smooth Criminal
-
MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Nathan watched the water hit the sand, and said nothing. He slowly looked back up to see Madison throw the bar away, and said nothing still. Madison told him he knew why.
He did not quite know why they could not drink the water or eat the food, but he understood that Madison had to have a reason, that she thought it was dangerous. Something about those things could hurt them. He wondered if it had something to do with Mercy getting sick. When Mercy got sick, that was when everything became terrible all at once.
Nathan sniffed, his nose full of snot that made it hard to breathe. He had no tissues to wipe his nose with, so he sniffed again, then a third time. He did not protest again when Madison began to lead him away. His stomach grumbled loudly. It hurt, but it also tickled. Nathan managed to quietly laugh.
"My belly made a noise, he mumbled."
They walked.
"Where are we going now?"
((Nathan Coleman concluded here))
He did not quite know why they could not drink the water or eat the food, but he understood that Madison had to have a reason, that she thought it was dangerous. Something about those things could hurt them. He wondered if it had something to do with Mercy getting sick. When Mercy got sick, that was when everything became terrible all at once.
Nathan sniffed, his nose full of snot that made it hard to breathe. He had no tissues to wipe his nose with, so he sniffed again, then a third time. He did not protest again when Madison began to lead him away. His stomach grumbled loudly. It hurt, but it also tickled. Nathan managed to quietly laugh.
"My belly made a noise, he mumbled."
They walked.
"Where are we going now?"
((Nathan Coleman concluded here))