Fight For Humanity

Just a normal teen in a creepy town trying to stay awake and keep her head her own. (avatar by https://twitter.com/tylivole)

[fight-for-humanity]

Sundown

I found myself at a beach. My feet sunk into the sand, the grains squeezing in between my toes. My gaze faced the water as the waves lapsed against the shore. It was beautiful, from the fresh air to the vivid cerulean color of the sky. The soft roar of the ocean swell could lull you to a restful sleep. I don't remember Redacre having an ocean, but I didn't think to question it.

The chorus of laughter and jubilation reached my ears. Turning my head to investigate, I found many familiar faces also here with me, each in various stages of beach time fun. There were many different kids from the Club, members of various cliques intermingling to build sand castles and bat around a beach ball. Everyone was happy. Strange though. I thought those two hated each other, yet they were sitting together, laughing and drinking juice under a little umbrella to shield them from the sun. I didn't think to question it.

"Hey, Ry!" A voice called to me and grabbed my attention, a voice I so desperately missed. I twisted around to find Connor waving at me with a wide smile stretched across his face. His long black hair was tied back into a ponytail. He must have finally come back from his deployment. Beside him sat my mother in a beach chair, equally happy and waving at me. Awake. I mirrored their smiles and waved back.

This was everything I ever wanted. I should be happy. My heart should be threatening to explode in my chest from joy, but it wasn't. I didn't feel anything. I didn't even feel sad. I just felt blank, but at the moment, I didn't notice. I didn't think to question it.

I froze as I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. I was flooded with an urge to run, but before I could call to my family for help, I was spun around until I was face to face with a kid covered in grime and dirt, out of place in this glowing paradise. My mind screamed danger, but I couldn't flee. I was held firmly by a hand on my shoulder and one holding my head, forcing me to maintain eye contact with this kid with a threatening aura. Ever so slowly, the paradise faded from my vision, and I felt my numbed senses come back to life, like I was being pulled out of a dream. With my mind's return to clarity, I recognized who the kid was.

Aaron Costa.

"I wasn't sure I knew how to do that," Aaron said with a sheepish smile, releasing me upon realizing I was awake.

I blinked rapidly, trying to regain my footing on reality. I took a quick assessment of my surroundings. It was dark. I was in the Maze, surrounded by dirt walls. The sharp ringing of multiple metallic strings permeated the air. I fished through my memory, diving back as far as I could remember to discern how I got here. I remember putting on a Sleeper's uniform and wandering into the woods with other Club members. I'm unsure exactly how we arrived, but we soon found ourselves in a familiar place, though not a specific place we had been to before. I remembered hearing our names being called out by the Voice. We had been led to where the Sundown ceremony was being held, where we saw Bells. I remember time standing still as she fell.

My body tensed at the memory, a torrent of dread overwhelming my senses. That was the last thing I remembered. I blacked out afterwards, but how I ended up in that dream-like state was a mystery to me. I looked to Aaron for answers, but as my eyes wandered to his white jacket, the words died in my throat. He was the enemy, a part of those wretched, horrible people responsible for the tragedy of Sundown, yet he pulled me out of the Song. The same person who tried to force me to the red door now saved me from it. I was bewildered, amplified by the emotions I was already overwhelmed with after seeing the aftermath of that blasted ceremony. I held myself together for now.

"What happened?" I asked, giving him a cautious, yet inquisitive look.

"They found the Club in the Maze after... After..." he stammered, guilt ridden gaze sinking to the floor. A few times his mouth would open, only for no sound to come out. He let out a sigh and shook his head, brown strands of hair falling into his face. "I followed the Sleepers and then found you here, suppressed."

I tried rummaging through my memories again, trying to pick out a moment I could have ran into the Shape. A vision flashed through my mind, though the fogginess of it made me wonder if it happened in a dream or not. I was running with some of the Club members when we felt a familiar pressure in our heads. I stopped to face our pursuer. I didn't have the time to further ponder this faintest of memory before Aaron spoke up again.

"We're..." he paused, face scrunched in thought. "I'm sorry, RK. Really. I wanted to end hatred and suffering for everyone, not just the elite few built up on the bones of others. The Voice hid so much from us. I never wanted this."

I was skeptical. He was complicit in so much suffering by following SA1, yet they convinced him that the Blackout Club was the ones hurting others. Does his ignorance excuse his culpability? I didn't think Aaron would have been on board had he known about the experiments and the sacrifices, but I couldn't act as jury, judge, and executioner on whether or not he deserved forgiveness. Not now. Not in the middle of the Maze with the Instrument aggressively banging and clanging around us. He pulled me from the Song, so he deserved some gratitude, for now.

"You didn't know," I attempted to console him, a deep sigh escaping my lips. "But, we need to get out of here."

"One more thing," he interrupted me. I raised a brow. What could be more important than escaping the doom tunnels? Aaron took a deep breath. "I realized I was wrong. About the Song. About Speak-As-One. About everything."

I looked at him in surprise, eyes wide.

"I hated to see you feel sad. I thought the Song would help you by taking away your pain. But...that would have also robbed you of your joy." He fidgeted at the corners of his jacket, his thumb running over the white fabric. "You continued to fight even when you felt everything was hopeless. You earned your happiness when you felt the entire world was against you. It would be wrong to take that away from you, or anyone, after you fought so hard for it. And now..." He let out a breath, his eyes falling to the floor briefly before rising to the ceiling, as if he was looking for some kind of answer written clearly on the walls to ease his confusion. "I don't know. I thought I was helping the world become a better place, it turns out I was the one being fooled all along. I know sorry doesn't make everything alright, but I am. Really."

I stood flabbergasted at his admission. You fool. You big oaf. Why didn’t you come to this conclusion earlier? Why now, of all times, when shit was hitting the fan? We could have been friends. I wouldn’t have had to hurt as I did. I should have yelled at him right there, chastised him for what he and his own put me through, for what they put us through, but thoughts of Sundown still dwelled in the forefront of my thoughts. I just wanted everything to be okay again, for everything to be happy again. I missed it. I yearned for it so deeply. I remembered laughing and playing video games with Aaron, before this all started. Everything became so complicated since those simpler times. A mix of anger and sorrow swirled in my head and panged in my heart, but before I could muster a response, a familiar, yet threatening pressure pulsed in my head as if on cue. A loud clunk of the Instrument reverberated through the Maze. Aaron must have felt it too, judging by the wince that escaped him.

“We can talk more later, but we really need to go. Now,” I said, grabbing the sleeve of his white jacket to urge him forward.

Aaron was as still as a statue, staring down the tunnel behind us for a long moment before turning back to me.

"There is an exit," he explained. "Hug the right wall. The cave will split off into forks or intersections four times. After the fourth, there is a ladder to your left. Climb up and take a left. Keep going and you should find yourself in a place that's more familiar."

My mind threatened to blank out at his long list of directions, but I repeated that little mental map in my brain so it wouldn't slip out of my memory. If I got lost, I am certain he would correct me on the way regardless, but we had no time to lose. Hesitation would kill us.

"Let's go. Quickly," I urged, tugging on his sleeve. He simply gave me a smile and nodded his head.

"I'm right behind you."

With a nod, I released his sleeve and spun on my heel, rushing down the tunnel as fast as I could. I could still feel that damn pressure in my head, evidence of our invisible pursuer hot on our tails. With each right turn, the pressure lessened, and after the third it was gone completely. I didn’t stop. We needed to find somewhere safe first before letting down our guard. I ran and I ran until my lungs burned. As soon as the ladder entered my vision, I grasped the railings and climbed as fast as I could, taking the immediate left as soon as my feet reached the next level. Farther down the tunnel, I could recognize the bunks of the Barracks. We made it. I could easily make my way back from here.

With a triumphant smile, I turned back to Aaron, but he wasn’t there. My expression deflated immediately.

“Aaron?” I bleated softly, taking a step down the tunnel I came. “Aaron??” I called out again. The loud twang of the Instrument answered me. Panic settled in my chest, and as I took a step forward back to the ladder to search for him, the pressure returned in my head. I winced and grabbed at my head. The Shape was close and approaching quickly. As I turned to leave towards the Plexus, I swallowed my fear and convinced myself that Aaron could find his way out. He would find me again.

He would be okay. He was one of them.

Right?

[fight-for-humanity]

An icon commission I got from jordan on Twitter! (https://twitter.com/evilglutton)

[fight-for-humanity]

Connor, Part 1

Rain lightly tapped against the window. It was as if the sky knew how my universe felt at this moment—Grey and cold, with the cry of a harsh wind. Mom was in the room directly behind me, sitting quietly at the circular dinner table. There was an odd tension in the air. I was uncertain of the details, but I knew one thing for sure. It was a word that some kids dreaded to hear. Divorce. It ripped away a sort of normalcy from me, and I had difficulty wrapping my young head around the concept that I would only have one parent from now on, or maybe even just shuffled between them like I was an object to borrow. I was not sure what would happen, and the unknown of it all consumed my thoughts.

Perhaps for some, you could see it coming, and it’s a relief when they finally split so you don’t have to hear your parents shouting anymore, but I did not see any signs. No arguing, no cold shoulders, no nothing. Mom ambushed me with the news unexpectedly, and I stood there confused with my heart in my stomach. Maybe I just didn’t know what to look for. I was only thirteen, after all.

My fingers trailed down the cold window, making lines in the condensation. Releasing a soft breath, I turned and walked towards the stairs towards my room. I was tired of sitting there in a dark living room, moping. I would prefer to do that in the comfort of my own room.

Before I could reach my destination, a soft cry made me halt my steps. It came from my baby sister’s room. It appeared she had woken from her sleep and became unsettled. Perhaps she could sense my own restlessness. I wasn’t sure how smart babies were, given their small, wrinkly, potato appearance. Fresh from the womb and she was already thrust into a world of uncertainty.

My mind went back to the image of Mom sitting in the kitchen, head resting against her hand. A fussy baby would just add to the stress that was already on her shoulders. Yet, I knew nothing about babies. How do I even hold one?

Another whine from the infant distracted me from my overthinking. I winced and gathered up the courage to try and calm her down before she could disturb Mom. I approached her crib and rested my hands on top of the bar, peering down at my little sister. Little silver eyes peered back, squinted up at me. Her small arms and feet kicked about as if trying to lash out at whatever bothered her. Or, perhaps it was boredom. Who really knows what goes on in a potato’s head.

“Uh. There, there…” I murmured, mustering an awkward smile. She didn’t seem satisfied by that. My sister still kicked about and whined in defiance. Hesitantly, I reached into the crib and scooped the infant into my arms. Was I doing it right? All I remembered was that I needed to hold her head. She continued to whine and wriggle, and I was fearful I would drop her if she kept it up. That was just what Mom needed to worry about. Frustration entered my thoughts. She didn’t even know why she was upset. She had no idea what was going on with Mom and Dad. We are the ones actually upset for actual reasons, and here she is, kicking for reasons beyond my understanding. It struck me as selfish, even coming from a baby. Perhaps all babies are inherently selfish, and for a brief moment, I resented my sister for her ignorance.

A thought hit me at that moment. There were two kinds of people in the world. Ones that believed “I suffered. Why shouldn’t they?” and ones that thought, “No one should suffer like I did.” It would be fair, wouldn’t it? If I had to be miserable, then she could be miserable too. But, a feeling deep inside me detested that. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t deserve to suffer for a conflict she had no part in. My face softened, and I held my little sister closer to me. “I’m sorry,” I spoke softly. “This isn’t fair.” Tears threatened to burst free from my eyes. Now, I was the upset potato. It truly wasn’t fair.

My sister’s little silver eyes looked up at me. Her restlessness ceased for the time being. She reached her grasping hand up towards me, grabbing onto a fistful of the black hair that rested on my shoulders. A small smile cracked my miserable face.

This wholesome moment did not last for very long before she yanked on my hair, pulling my scalp. I hissed in pain and tried to gently pry her fingers off my hair. I should consider putting it up, or else I would suffer from my baby sister’s hair pulling until she grew out of it. However, she thought this was hilarious. A wide toothless grin stretched across her lips. It was infectious, and I found myself chuckling.

“Ha, ha. Very funny, Ry.”

I looked around her room. Perhaps there was a toy or a book to distract her with. I hoped it would distract me too. For now, we had each other.

[fight-for-humanity]

A commission of RK in the Place Between by notexodus6000! (https://www.fiverr.com/notexodus6000) I adore their art. So pretty.

[fight-for-humanity]

In commemoration of my first Voice visit last year, I commissioned GrannyOaky (https://twitter.com/grannyoaky) for a scene from it. She did absolutely fantastic with the concept I had and I love her creative additions. I don't know if EH knew my character was stewing over the disappearance of UC or if STG meant the Club's general anger over the loss of DFU, but her timing was absolutely perfect in the grand scheme of things.

[fight-for-humanity]

Hunger

[cw: violence, swearing]

A dim glow of the street lamps illuminated the quiet town of Redacre. From this sight alone, one might make the assumption that it was a normal, peaceful town, where families gathered around the dinner table each evening to have a meal together and spend time in each other’s company, or where kids would go to school to meet up with their friends to laugh, joke, and talk about the most recent gossip or who they were going to junior prom with. But, I knew better. We all did. Dinner tables were often empty. Families were too tired to spend time together, either because they never slept or they dug down in the labyrinth hidden underneath the town all night. Innocent teen gossip was replaced by the somber air surrounding the discussion of who went missing the previous night.

And then there were kids like me, sorry bastards who were fortunate enough to hear Voices in our heads and wake up in the middle of the night in odd places where we didn’t initially close our eyes. I was a member of the esteemed Blackout Club who sought to disrupt the nightly operations of one of these mystifying Voices, often at the expense of a good night’s rest. Fortunately for me, it was the last objective of the night. Upon its completion, I would be able to head back to the boxcar for a quick nap before sneaking back home. Some nights, I had a group to keep me company, but not this night. Schedules clash and accidents happen, especially with the risky work we’re doing. I zipped up my black hoodie to stave off the cold Virginia air. I wanted to get this mission done as soon as possible.

Bzzzzzz.

I froze suddenly, then grimaced. Damn phone. I wish I could just turn it off during missions, but HQ insists we leave our phones on so they can track our progress and send us updates while we’re “out in the field”. Admittedly, it provides some insurance, in the odd case we get suppressed and need to be saved in the morning. Still, I can’t help but jump out of my shoes everytime it buzzes in my pocket. With a sigh, I retrieved the damn thing and looked at the message. 

Your Stalker: “Behind you.”

A gasp escaped my lips. My blood ran cold at the sight of the text message. Reflexively, I twisted my head around to see a familiar face, one I hoped I wouldn’t see again. Aaron Costa, leaning against a tree and looking directly at me. A black bandana covered the lower half of his face, and he wore a signature white and red jacket. The last time I saw him, he tried to drag me to the red door, force me to live in an eternal slumber, listening to the same old song forever. He tried to make me a walking puppet for the Voice that was deemed worse than the others.

“Please. Don’t freak out,” he hushed before I could say anything, his hands raised half way in an attempt to appear unthreatening. It was a decent attempt, but at his height, he mostly towered over me. He’d be a threat to the average person. Still, for as much of a threat that he was, my eyes couldn’t help but wander to the scar down the side of his face. It was the battle wound I gave him when I managed to get away from him on that fateful night. 

I took a step back. “What the hell do you want?” I hissed, teeth bared. I glanced left and right to look for possible escape routes. I might be able to outrun him. I knew for damn sure I could out maneuver him. The Club’s training made sure we could escape an enemy bigger than ourselves.

“I need your help, RK,” Aaron pleaded, pulling down his bandana and taking a step forward. In response, I took a couple steps back. If he gets within arm’s reach of me again, it’s game over. I’ll be at the red door before I know it, and I have no spare drone part to save me this time. He froze, noticing that I was putting space between us. “I’m…” he stammered. It was odd to see him flustered. He always had this air of calm around him, but I guess that’s just who I thought he was. It was just a ruse to get close to me, so he could convert me to his weird religion. 

“I’m sorry about what I did. What I said about your brother was insensitive,” he continued. “I was just…” he paused, searching for words. “I didn’t expect you to respond like that. I thought I could show you how that club lies about us, how destructive they are, how much better it would be with us. I failed, so I felt like... it was the only way to keep you as my friend. It was desperate and stupid.” There was a certain honesty behind those brown eyes, imploring me to listen. I was such a sucker for sob stories, but the voice of reason in my head was too strong. I knew we could never be friends like we once were.

“Well, what the hell did you expect to happen?” I growled, tightly crossing my arms in front of my chest. “You chose your Voice over me, a person! A human being!” Aaron didn’t respond, his gaze sinking to the ground. Did he want to argue about it, but was holding his tongue? I wasn't sure. In a different town, with no Voices, we would have been friends. I couldn’t help but wonder how my other relationships would be different if the looming threat of Voices didn’t hang over everyone. 

Here, in Redacre, I wasn’t afforded that opportunity. I always had to remember the grasp the Voices had on everyone, how much people tried to fill in missing puzzle pieces with them, to dull the emptiness and pain that was so common to the human condition. I had to remember what people were willing to do for the Voices. I could never forget. My honest friendship could never compete with a millennia of manipulation techniques. I’m not good enough. I would be thrown to the wolves easily, just like before.

After a moment of silence between us, my curiosity got the best of me. With a sigh, I asked, “What do you need help with? I’m not doing any stupid Chorus things.”

The tension in Aaron’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath. “No. It’s nothing like that,” he explained. “We are...being hunted. By the Beast."

"The Beast?" I asked.

"The Hunter," he clarified. "Some of us have gone missing, and I know you have been making notes." 

I arched a brow. "How do you know that?"

"Kids talk at school," he answered. "Please, RK. I don't want more people getting hurt. I just need more information so I can help protect them."

"You mean protect more Stalkers like you?" I gave him a skeptical look and planted my hands on my hips.

"No matter what you call them, they are still people," he responded with a frown.

I paused. Dammit, Aaron. He was right, in his own twisted sense. The thought of more people forced under the Hunter's sway hit a particularly sensitive nerve.

With a soft sigh, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a flipbook. With reluctance in my tone, I held it out to him and said, “Here. These are the more recent field notes.” 

Aaron reached out and took it, his eyes scanning the little pages as he flipped through them. “The Hunter is experimenting on people?” he asked.

“With these weird tablets, yeah,” I answered with a nod.

“And these curses…” He murmured, his face scrunching in confusion. He flipped the notebook around and pointed at a poorly drawn doodle of a person with sharp, gnashing teeth. “What does this mean?”

I couldn’t help but snerk at my own artistic talent. “That’s, uh, one of the curses.” That answer didn’t seem to work for Aaron. He still looked helplessly confused, and a little concerned. “It’s called the Hunter’s Hunger. It gives you, like… these cravings, where you just want to, like, bite someone. It’s like mental torture if you try to resist it.”

He frowned and flipped to a new page, taking a moment to study before looking back to me. “Can I keep some of these pages?”

“Yeah, whatever. The curses and stuff are the last four pages,” I said grudgingly. Aaron gave me a grateful smile as he ripped the pages out and handed the flipbook back to me. “Do you really not know anything about what’s going on with the Hunter? Are your people not told anything?”

Aaron’s lips pursed. “Anything we’re not told is to protect us and keep us safe. I trust them.” I let out a sigh at his response. Clearly, they weren’t being kept safe if Stalkers were disappearing, but he had such blind devotion that he’d be willing to sweep anything under the rug. Is that how they all are? Every kid who has an attachment to a Voice? Voices become so infallible that they can do nothing wrong?

“Hello? Someone there?”

Aaron and I both froze as a foreign baritone broke the silence of the night’s gentle ambience. The voice didn’t sound familiar, and judging by Aaron’s reaction, it wasn’t a Lucid or anyone he knew either. It definitely didn’t have that Lucid masked-sound to its tone.

“Come on. I knew I heard ya. Come out, come out,” the voice cooed. 

“Who is-” I began to whisper, but Aaron halted me with a soft shush, his finger pressed against his lips. He turned around and slowly stepped towards the nearby house, pressing his back against the wall. I followed him as he peeked around the corner in order to take a look at the strange fellow for myself, but Aaron stuck out his arm to block me before I could go further. He turned his head and gave me a look of concern. I shot him a nasty look. Aaron really needs to do something about his annoying “save everyone” superhero attitude. With an annoyed sigh, I grabbed his wrist and pushed it down and out of my way. He didn’t try to hold me back again, but from the corner of my eye, I could see his shoulders sulk.

A man that appeared to be in his early twenties walked down the street, looking under cars and behind corners for us. He wore torn up jeans and a loose black t-shirt. I looked a little closer and it looked like a rock band shirt with a colorful, abstract logo, but it wasn’t any band that I knew of. His shoulder-length dirty blond hair was pushed behind both of his ears.

“Greyson Burke,” Aaron whispered, his brows arched in surprise.

“You know him?” I looked up at him with a curious look.

“He was a senior at Central High when I was a freshman,” Aaron answered, his eyes still trained on Greyson. “After graduation, his band started playing at one of the local bars, but they stopped a few months ago. I thought their band split up, or something.”

Greyson was getting closer. I could see a wicked grin stretched across his face, his crazed green eyes still searching for the source of the voices he heard. A few more moments, and he would be upon us.

Aaron turned his body to me. “I’ll distract him. You go home, RK,” he told me. Sounds like a plan. Didn’t have to tell me twice. I was sure Aaron would be fine. He can handle himself. I gave him a nod as he stepped out of our hiding place out onto the street towards Greyson. I turned the other way and started sneaking back to the privacy fence, but I stopped. Curiosity got the better of me. I retracted my steps and peaked around the corner to watch the exchange.

“There you are. I knew I heard someone,” Greyson said with a sick grin. There was something off about his body language. The way he curled his fingers and dug his nails into the side of his pants. The way he would occasionally gnaw at his lower lip, and how he breathed through a partly open mouth. He wasn’t well. There was something wrong with him. He looked… hungry.

“What are you doing here, Greyson?” Aaron answered, his voice tense.

Greyson gave a nonchalant shrug, his tongue darting out of his mouth to wetten his lips. “I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I’d take a stroll, and look for a dance partner, y’know?” He took a step forward, approaching Aaron. “Is that… Is that you, Aaron? Aaron Costa?” He craned his neck forward, squinting his eyes to get a better look. “Damn, boy. You’ve gotten tall!” He threw his head back and laughed, hand holding his stomach. Recomposing himself, he wiped his eye with the back of his hand and took another step forward. “Have you been working out? You look strong. I bet you would make an excellent dance partner.” Aaron stood his ground, not responding as Greyson studied him. When his green eyes landed on the side of Aaron’s face, his grin grew wider. “Nice scar. Want a matching one on the other side?” 

“Why don’t you just go home?” Aaron said, eyes narrowing. You wouldn’t think he was nervous by the tone of his voice, but I could tell he was by how he gently fidgeted with the corner of his jacket between his fingers.

Greyson released a piercing laugh. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to dance?”

“Are you really looking for a fight you can’t win?” Aaron responded with an incredulous look. He had a point. Greyson was a bit gangly, compared to Aaron. Plus, Aaron had height on him. You could easily make the initial impression that Aaron would overpower Greyson in a fight.

“Oh, no. No, no, no. I don’t know about that,” Greyson said with a soft chuckle, running a hand through his hair before shoving both hands into his pockets. “You might be a big bastard. But... I don’t play fair.” In a swift motion, Greyson pulled his hands out of his pockets and lunged at Aaron, his hand gripping a pocket knife. My eyes widened as I caught sight of the weapon, a breath catching in my throat. Aaron had a similar reaction and reacted quickly by grabbing Greyson’s wrist. I heard a growl from Greyson’s throat. “Come on, Aaron. Just a little bite!”

I stood paralyzed as the two struggled with each other. Aaron would still be fine, right? Of course he would win. Anxious thoughts continued to run through my head as the battle waged. Greyson was stronger than he appeared, and Aaron was wearing down. Block after block, dodge after dodge. The pocketknife caught his heavy, white jacket a couple times, ripping into the material that was fortunately thick enough to protect his skin. Maybe Chorus does care after all. Aaron couldn’t manage to get a hold on him to subdue him, and every punch he landed didn’t seem to phase his attacker. There was something unseen fueling him, some hunger.

Greyson shoved Aaron back against a sedan, his body slamming against the metal with a reverberating bang. Aaron grimaced and momentarily lost his footing, but caught himself by grabbing the trunk of the car. “Gah...Shit...” Wow. Aaron actually swears. It would have been funny if this was not a life or death situation. I had seen enough. Panic was settling in, and if I did not do something, Aaron would just turn in to another missing Stalker. I stepped out of my hiding spot and made a bee-line towards them both.

“This was fun. Sorry it’s over already,” Greyson taunted. He reversed the grip on the pocketknife and moved in. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, my feet pounding against the pavement. With a battle yell, I barreled into Greyson, catching him by surprise and knocking us both to the ground. The pocketknife clattered against the concrete out of his reach.

I winced as I fell and twisted my head around to where Greyson landed. On his hands and knees, he shook his head, hair draping over his face. He slowly turned towards me. “RK...RK....RK… There you are. Did you want to play too?” he growled as he stood, his face splitting into a wide smile. I hoped I bought Aaron enough time to recover.

I scrambled to my feet, but before Greyson could change his target, Aaron moved behind him and slipped his arms underneath his armpits, locking his hands behind his neck. Greyson struggled to free himself from the hold, his arms flailing in the air. Aaron twisted his body and threw Greyson against the car, his head smacking into the window and shattering the glass. Greyson fell limp to the pavement, shards falling around him.

I flinched at the sight, but I was distracted by Aaron’s urgent plea. “Leave him.” Together, we ran off away from the street and houses, the blaring car alarm becoming more and more distant the farther we ran. Soon, we were surrounded by trees, only the soft glow of Redacre’s lights visible over the dense foliage.

“I told you to go home,” Aaron said after twisting around to face me. He was in bad shape and struggled to catch his breath.

“Don’t be a fucking idiot, Aaron. You’d be dead if I did,” I retorted, looking at him defiantly.

Guilt flashed across his expression, but he managed a soft smile and held out his hand, extending it towards me. “Thank you for having my back. I hope we can be friends again,” he said to me.

I looked at his hand, lips pursed into a frown. A long moment passed between us before I turned my body. “Be careful on your way home, Aaron,” I gave him those parting words, pulling my hoodie over my head as I walked away.

Never again.

[fight-for-humanity]

A goooorgeous picture I commissioned from https://twitter.com/eveblum_art! Gotta remind the other kids to stay awake before they think about that prayer :>

[fight-for-humanity]

I won a commission during the Redacre Neighborhood Watch stream by Kip! (https://twitter.com/TheKipasaur) It’s a bit of a homage to the first ever commission I got of my kid, and I love it so muuuch.

[fight-for-humanity]

A drawing of young adult RK I got from Crateshya/FatPhoenix! https://twitter.com/FatFhoenix  Shorter hair, no more edgy hair dye. Still stayin’ awake tho

[fight-for-humanity]

Tear (https://twitter.com/diioxii) made me this adorable icon of RK and I adore it. 0_0

[fight-for-humanity]

A flat color bust of RK by Maverwyn! https://twitter.com/maverwyn

[fight-for-humanity]

An act 3 character bio by Novocaine! I love putting all three together and seeing how she has changed throughout the acts.

[fight-for-humanity]

A commission I got of my kid’s squad in TBC! Artist is the ever so wonderful azurajae! https://twitter.com/azurajae

[fight-for-humanity]

The tin foil halo, in all of its glory. Feels pretty good to be paranoid and unwashed. Commission from Crateshya/FatPhoenix! https://twitter.com/FatFhoenix

[fight-for-humanity]

Alone, Pt 3

My eyes stared dimly up at the ceiling, entranced by the spinning ceiling fan. I spent a few hours in this position, lying on my back in bed. Every day, especially on school days, I would waste time until mom would go to sleep and inevitably leave the house to do whatever Sleepers do. That gave me the opportunity to sneak off to the boxcar, do a few missions, pass out there, then wake up and sneak back home before she notices. Finally, they trusted me enough to give me the location instead of blindfolding me and escorting me there.

Usually, I would do homework, read a book, or write something to pass the time until I left, but the energy just wasn’t there tonight. I was deep in thought over my place in the Club, about who I was to them. How many of them say they are my friend? Would they sacrifice me to their precious gods? Their irreplaceable imaginary friends? There was no doubt in my mind I’d be sacrificed in exchange for honeyed words and a head pat if a Voice ever told them to. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve done it to someone. Bastards...

Outside my door, I heard the faint sound of bare feet shuffling down the wooden stairs. I lifted my phone to my eyes to meet my gaze, peering at the time displayed on the screen. Yeah, it was about time for her to get up, which signaled it was about time for me to get ready. After waiting a few minutes, I swung my feet off the bed and pulled myself up. For a moment, my head was foggy and I felt dizzy. I should have gotten up slower. Dammit. I squeezed my eyes and cradled my head in my hands until the room stopped spinning, and upon recovery, I stood to my feet and approached the closet.

The closet shutters creaked as they opened, revealing the tops that hung neatly in a row on the rack. I reached my hand in and pushed clothes aside until something caught my eye. A black, hooded jacket. Dark. Like all the despair in Redacre. 

Perfect.

I pulled it off its hanger and slipped it around my shoulders, sticking both arms through the sleeves. I straightened the fabric out with a quick brush of my hand and did a quick appraisal in the mirror before grabbing my backpack, filled with snacks and other various supplies. Slinging it over my shoulder, I pushed the door open and made my way to the front room.

“Ryanne? Why are you up? Are you going somewhere?” 

My feet barely left the last step on the stairs as mom’s voice called out to me. I froze, paralyzed and bewildered as to why she was even still at home and awake. I should have made sure she actually left. I’ll beat myself up for my complacency later. My eyes darted to find the source. I found mom sitting on the couch in her pajamas, one leg crossed over the other. Her hands rested on top of her knee, her fingers interlaced with themselves.

“Ah...” I just stood there, the gears in my head in overdrive as I worked on coming up with a good excuse. “I’m going to a friend’s house to help her study.”

Mom looked unconvinced and folded her arms tightly across her chest. “This late? It’s past curfew.” She pauses, her face slowly twisting with concern. “You’ve been acting so strangely lately...”

I held my tongue. If only she knew the truth. I have tried to tell her about the sleepwalking, the maze, everything. Everytime I did, she would just get this blank expression and zone out. 

“Heh, I know, but…” I explained, sporting a sheepish grin and an awkward chuckle. “I, uh, slept in, a little bit, longer than I should have. If I don’t go over there, we’re both gonna fail the test tomorrow. I’ll be really quick. I promise. Super promise.”

Her brows furrowed, then softened. “I haven’t seen that Costa boy in awhile…” She asked. “Did you two have a fight?”

My fingers curled into a fist as I grew tense, but with a soft exhale, I let it go. “Yes,” I admitted. It wasn’t a lie.

Mom stood from her seat and began to approach me with a sympathetic frown, her head canted to the side. “Oh, honey. I’m sorry. He was such a nice boy too. I thought you two would go to junior prom together.”

Gross. “It wasn’t like tha-”

“But don’t worry. You’ll always have your mom.” A warm smile graced her lips as her arms opened to envelop me.

Without thinking, I stepped backed away towards the front door before I could get wrapped in the hug. “But I don’t,” I hissed. “You’re never home, and when you are, you’re practically a zombie. You moved us here while Connor was gone because you thought it’d bring us closer together, but all you’ve done is leave me. We’ve never been more farther apart.”

She was stunned, and to be fair, so was I. I had stopped myself from boiling over at her for so long. I suppose, with everything going on, it was bound to happen sooner or later. In that moment, I knew I broke her heart. “Ah...I’m sorry, Ryanne… Work has been-” 

Before she could finish, I spun around and opened the front door, slamming it behind me as I slipped outside. A dull ache settled in my chest. It made me want to run, hide the tears that threatened to break, but a crying, running girl would get attention that I didn’t want. I pulled my hood over my head and stuck close to the shadows as I got closer to the forest.

You were right. I am alone.

[fight-for-humanity]

A commission from Derp-Acolyte (https://twitter.com/Derp_Acolyte)! I’ve adored their renditions of the Voices ever since I first joined TBC and saw their art. When I saw they had commissions open for headshots, I slammed that message button so fast. I’m in love with the background.

[fight-for-humanity]

(Tumblr decided this didn’t exist anymore, so I had to reupload it.) I had to given Aaron some love, so here’s a commission I got from Novo! (https://twitter.com/tylivole)