leavingĀ wasĀ easy.Ā theĀ remnantsĀ ofĀ guiltĀ stillĀ clingĀ toĀ her,Ā drapedĀ aroundĀ frameĀ likeĀ theĀ worldāsĀ worstĀ fashionĀ statement,Ā butĀ atĀ leastĀ itāsĀ honest.Ā leavingĀ lakewoodĀ meantĀ leavingĀ emma,Ā andĀ audrey,Ā andĀ noah,Ā everyoneĀ thatĀ matteredĀ toĀ herĀ Ā āĀ Ā andĀ itĀ wasĀ stillĀ oneĀ ofĀ theĀ easiestĀ thingsĀ sheāsĀ everĀ done.Ā itĀ hadnātĀ matteredĀ goingĀ throughĀ motionsĀ ofĀ packing,Ā shovingĀ formerlyĀ treasuredĀ objectsĀ intoĀ boxesĀ orĀ leavingĀ themĀ behindĀ altogether.Ā everythingĀ barelyĀ tangible,Ā itĀ couldāveĀ beenĀ leftĀ toĀ algaeĀ atĀ theĀ lakeĀ forĀ allĀ sheādĀ cared,Ā butĀ investingĀ inĀ aĀ wholeĀ newĀ wardrobeĀ wasnātĀ practical.Ā sheāsĀ notĀ emma,Ā sheāsĀ notĀ brave.Ā sheādĀ ratherĀ beĀ aloneĀ forĀ theĀ restĀ ofĀ herĀ lifeĀ thanĀ stareĀ downĀ oneĀ moreĀ deadĀ body.
rosewoodĀ seemsĀ ā¦Ā normal.Ā itāsĀ notĀ dissimilarĀ toĀ lakewood,Ā beforeĀ theĀ nameĀ wasĀ drenchedĀ inĀ blood.Ā itāsĀ notĀ home,Ā butĀ theĀ wordĀ hasĀ noĀ meaningĀ nowĀ anyway.Ā itāsĀ goodĀ enough,Ā likeĀ herĀ cousināsĀ littleĀ houseĀ atĀ theĀ edgeĀ ofĀ town.Ā likeĀ everythingĀ asĀ longĀ asĀ itĀ doesnātĀ endĀ withĀ aĀ knifeĀ throughĀ yetĀ anotherĀ favoriteĀ top.Ā theĀ storesĀ blow,Ā andĀ noĀ oneĀ getsĀ herĀ coffeeĀ orderĀ right,Ā butĀ itāsĀ refreshinglyĀ normal.Ā sheĀ allowsĀ forĀ tentativeĀ friendships,Ā happyĀ ifĀ notĀ surprisedĀ toĀ learnĀ oldĀ charmĀ hasnātĀ entirelyĀ lostĀ itāsĀ shimmer.Ā Ā
herĀ reintegrationĀ intoĀ theĀ socialĀ poolĀ isĀ theĀ firstĀ stepĀ toĀ howĀ sheĀ landsĀ here:Ā shiveringĀ atĀ theĀ endĀ ofĀ theĀ worldāsĀ worstĀ halloweenĀ train,Ā hearingĀ whispersĀ aboutĀ someĀ deadĀ cop.Ā throughĀ aĀ cropĀ ofĀ surfaceĀ levelĀ friendlies,Ā fewĀ comeĀ toĀ mindĀ asĀ sheĀ scansĀ aĀ shiftingĀ crowd.Ā sheāsĀ notĀ evenĀ wearingĀ heels,Ā theĀ oddsĀ arenātĀ inĀ herĀ favor,Ā butĀ sheĀ elbowsĀ herĀ wayĀ throughĀ enoughĀ toĀ spotĀ aĀ familiarĀ blonde.Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā hannaĀ !Ā Ā ā
[Ā intertwineĀ &Ā holdĀ ]Ā theĀ senderāsĀ museĀ toĀ intertwineĀ theirĀ fingerāsĀ theĀ receiverāsĀ museĀ andĀ holdĀ themĀ duringĀ anĀ emotionalĀ momentĀ toĀ reassureĀ them.Ā Ā /Ā Ā @admirareāĀ asĀ hannaĀ marin
handsĀ outstretched,Ā theirĀ fingersĀ laceĀ inĀ aĀ tightĀ gripĀ brookeĀ canātĀ beĀ sureĀ whoĀ started.Ā theyĀ stayĀ linked,Ā evenĀ asĀ brookeāsĀ definitelyĀ moreĀ onĀ theĀ sidelinesĀ ofĀ aĀ groupĀ sheĀ doesnātĀ belongĀ toĀ andĀ doesnātĀ quiteĀ understand.Ā aĀ bubbleĀ ofĀ concernĀ popsĀ inĀ herĀ chest,Ā oneĀ sheĀ didnātĀ realizeĀ sheĀ wasĀ carryingĀ around.Ā Ā āĀ Ā areĀ youĀ okayĀ ?Ā someĀ guyĀ inĀ cowboyĀ bootsĀ saidĀ someoneĀ diedĀ ?Ā Ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā trauma per capita was a rosewood specialty, especially for those who fell in the crossfire of this nameless, facelessĀ all seeing entity who was hell-bent on raining destruction down upon the formerly sleepy little town. there was a time when things here were near pleasant, when they were picture perfect,Ā evenĀ ā at least, at first glance, anyway. but itās been yearsĀ of this now. of her and her friends thinking theyāve eliminated the evil looming above their heads like an ever present raincloud, only for a clap of thunder to roll, a flash of lightning to strike, and suddenly theyāre found locked out in the pouring rain again, almost like the storm had never ceased at all.Ā
Ā Ā Ā it never gets any easier, the shockĀ never goes away. you have to be a certain type of person to become desensitized to all this carnage. it seems hanna doesnāt have the stomach for it. sheās almost glad for that, in a way. if she did, what would that say about her? about the sort of person sheād become?Ā
Ā Ā Ā tonight was particularly gruesomeĀ ā the halloween aura adding to the horrorĀ and shockĀ of it all. her friends are nearby, theyāre safeĀ ā now, at least. but concern rings out clear as day for her newest friendĀ who she realizes she hasnāt seen in at least an hour. poor brooke, new to rosewood and new to the nightmaresĀ this town always brings to the surface. sheās probably so scared.Ā
Ā Ā before she can see her, she hears herĀ calling out her name, soon followed by the crowd parting for the blonde to push on through. itās instinct, really, the way in which they intertwine their fingers. sheās holding emilyās on the other side.Ā ā brookeĀ . . .Ā āĀ hanna breathes out a sigh of relief, dropping emilyās hand to wrap the other girl in a hug,Ā Ā āĀ i was so worriedĀ when i didnāt see you. yeah . . . iām okay. weāre all okay. thank god.Ā ā