well, god bless your crooked little heart, st. louis got the best of me. i miss your broken-china voice, how I wish you were still here with me
Abel’s life was relatively normal. His mother was a superintendent, his father a police officer for a small county in rural South Carolina. Despite his father’s involvement with the law, Abel had always been a little restless. He’d always itched for a little bit of trouble growing up. He was devious, filled with mischief at an early age. He outgrew it, eventually— learned that it was better just to behave than deal with the boring, monotone life speeches that his father had to offer. At seventeen, Abel had no idea what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Whatever he decided on, he wanted to make sure that it wasn’t something dead end. Abel could see the dread in his parents’ eyes whenever they woke up in the mornings, how they loathed to go to their jobs. Abel never wanted to live like that— he was smart. Smart enough to do something better, to be something more than just a nobody in South Carolina.
So he moved, did whatever it took to get into the CIA. It was ambitious, and by no means an easy feat— but Abel did it. That’s when he met the best (and worst) thing that ever happened to him.
His future wife. His future ex wife.
Things went well at first. Abel loved her so much, he thought his heart would fucking burst in two. She was gorgeous, smart, skilled. They were wrapped up in each other most nights. And still, to this day, Abe has a hard time figuring out what exactly drove them apart. Maybe they were too much alike— or too different. It was euphoric, at the beginning. But the fights consumed their relationship, and it turned sour rather quickly. Abe went through phases of wanting to fix it, but there was no use. Maybe it was over before it even began. And, by the end of it all, Abe swore that he hated her.
After the divorce, Abel threw himself headfirst into his work. He prioritized it above all else. It was easier to stay busy than to dwell on his failed marriage. And that’s how he lived for a few years. Mildly miserable, but engrossed in his work.
Once the world began to fall, Abel wasn’t sure what to do at first. He knew that traveling in a large group might be risky, but being alone was even riskier.
There was no time to pack everything up and go. He threw the essentials in a bag, got into his truck, and drove as far down south as he could. Some places were worse than others, but Abel never imagined he’d end up somewhere as dark and twisted as he did.
This apocalypse evoked some dark parts in men. He was in a camp that did awful, terrible things— but Abel had nowhere else to go. He kept to himself, stayed quiet— didn’t so much as look at the poor women there. He didn’t last very long before he realized that running and dying was more honorable that surviving and watching innocent people suffer.
Now, the outcast in a new group, Abel keeps to himself. He’d never imagined seeing his ex wife there. He’d thought about her before, wondered what had happened to her— and now he had his answers. Of course she didn’t fucking die. She was a survivor.
The group seems close. Friendly. Abel has learned that it’s better not to get attached. It’s easy to lose people, in a world like this, and Abel doesn’t want to endure any of that. So, for now, he’s just sitting back— doing what he’s told, taking refuge with this group before they’re inevitably forced to move somewhere else.
“the black widow”: a chapter he buried, a love he had let go of, of course it would take the end of the world to see her again. they have continued to stand as strangers, carefully sharing glances and occasional few worded sentences. her back up could’ve been all it took to get everyone to trust him, but she didn’t. and he doesn’t blame her. ex husbands and wives aren’t supposed to vouch for each other.
“the beauty queen”: he remembers her, of course he remembers her. he just hasn’t been able to find the words to tell her his side of the story. the courage to admit he had been scared and took the first sign of shelter he could find. he wouldn’t blame her if she hates him and has no intention on harming her, then or now. he hopes someday she can trust him and maybe he could be a source of apology for her. he sees the way she’s still skittish. she needs closure and maybe he could give that to her.
“the doctor”: she smiles at him a lot, he’s pretty sure she has a bit of a crush. if only she knew the black widow would probably snap her neck if he even returned a smile. the young woman seems sweet and caring, he’s glad they have a doctor in the group and for the purpose of how important that is, is more times than not keeping an eye on her.
