INSIDE THE SINNER.

david adeyemi. xxvi. rogue.  

[invalescos-blog]

( shchidis‌. )

there’s a book sitting in her office about MENTAL HEALTH, right beside the pile of crumbled papers she’s yet to unfurl. a voluminous, multi-chapter book with a table of contents she’s skimmed over and over – taking notes of divisions by name and number; date burning into her brain as brown eyes discover new terminology. she got the book in a downtown library – took the blood stained thing away from the space of an undead librarian trying to take a B I T E. she took it over a year after the i n c i d e n t. late, perhaps. but the first step towards recovery is accepting that there is, in fact, an issue. hers goes by the name of post traumatic stress disorder. a deduction she’s come to all by herself. they used to warn people about self assessing one’s health, how GOOGLE was not always the best bet. there aren’t a ton of doctors anymore, though, and alia’s not particularly interested in letting someone else probe her mind and touch the scars before she’s had a chance to analyze the demon herself. 

so, yes, a self-diagnosis might not be the best, but it’s what she’s got. and it’s something. it’s sustenance. it’s a COMFORT. name the demon. name the monster. name the choir of voices inside her mind. ptsd. the book says talking helps. says meds help. says there’s TREATMENT. medication is a no-go; she wouldn’t know where to start nor are there any providers currently available due to the fact of them being, well, dead. talking ? she’s…working on it. she hung up the pictures and paintings and children’s letters up on her office wall three weeks before christopher found them. she tore them down right after – crumbled pieces of paper sitting next to her book. she tore them down and kicked him out and told him to fuck right off. perhaps the ache of that can be considered treatment. the DISCOVERY on his behalf. perhaps that counts as TALKING ABOUT IT. she doubts it. still, she sought the boy out with a storybook in hand and a tale on her lips. perhaps that is healing. 

christopher is not DAVID, though. christopher knows nothing but what she wants him to know, what she shows, what she s a y s. he knows the boundaries. david ? boundaries were not exactly part of their relationship. she’d climb in through his window after midnight and offer a beer, or a joint, or an escapade S O M E W H E R E. he’d seen her go from girl to woman, from loner to teacher, from empty to spilling. there were NO SECRETS between them; raw vulnerability. RAWNESS is not a thing her fragile mind can handle right now. alia is getting better at it – the sharing –, but better does not equal good. can anyone blame her for running from him ? for running from this boy, this man, this friend whose mere face makes her skin tingle uncomfortably and the chorale of dead children in the back of her brain scream louder ? then again, perhaps peace of mind is not a thing destined for her. no one ever said monsters deserved BREAKS. at any rate, there’s no escaping him now. time to face the dragon. down the stairs and to the front door – the banging on the door makes her even more anxious ( anxiety in alia ? easily confused with irritation ). she opens the door without much pause; lets the thing swing open and burns her eyes on his – fiery, hot. she’s a rattlesnake and he’s just stepped on her tail. ❝ alia IS here, ❞ she corrects harshly, ❝ and she’s not interested in talking to you. ❞

    TO LOVE ANOTHER SOUL so immensely — david hadn’t realized it was possible until he met alia. soulmate tied together by the mythical red string of fate. even in times that they were apart, the two always found a way back to one another, to REUNITE under any circumstances. he remembered days and nights where he’d desperately tug on the strings, follow them like bread crumbs until it led him back to her — and perhaps that was why it was so difficult to leave the past in the past, to leave all these doubts and wishes for a brighter future back in star-filled nights. he didn’t want that to all disappear, even if it had been gone for such a prolonged period of time. he didn’t want the wander, the sentimentality of their youth to be wiped away like everything else. he longed for the luxury of having known someone who knew him BEFORE blood stained his hands. david wanted someone who knew him better, who knew his heart. an anchor from one life to another. & sure, the more he sat out here — fists clenched, nails breaking flesh, eyes staring WIDE, afraid he might miss her — the more he began to realize that perhaps that’s not what she wanted. the transient way in which she F L E D from him — like a criminal running from the scene of the crime as to avoid identification. it made him wonder what she had done in the years they spent apart, what demons had been chasing her. listing his head from the door, david took a step back, only then realizing how FOOLISH he was for coming here, for pounding on the door and yelling like some sort of child. still, however, none of that was enough to force david to turn away and leave. & perhaps that was a part of the problem, one of the many reasons for why alia was never a welcome being in the adeyemi house. ‘ that girl will be the death of you, dan uwan ! ’ she would shout at him, pointer finger raised in scolding fashion. even then, his aunt knew that david would die for the girl, would willingly bolster himself into the storm of her, the sea salt wearing away at thick skin. 

     & THERE SHE IS ! the fierce image of the feral girl she once was, closer to the girl he first met rather than the woman he’d grown accustomed to grabbing coffee with once in a blue moon. she was an image of nostalgia, harsh BURNING words being spewed at him. he didn’t care. david does not fear whatever monster she may have become, whatever dragons she could be preparing to unleash upon him. sweaty palms are relieved of the piercing pain that comes with clenched fists, but his heart remains a racing, wild thing and his eyes remain focused on her, a REFUSAL to look away from her shrewd gaze. he had weathered this storm before, and while it was milder then, he had been through it. ❝ well, she also opened the door so it’s a little hard to believe that she doesn’t want to talk to me at some capacity, ❞ david spoke calmly to ever out her AGGRESSIVE nature. ❝ i miss you. ❞ the words are HARDLY audible, just a ghost of what he wanted to say, but didn’t have the strength to declare. still, he felt it in his heart. a longing to return home from the war he had been fighting for so long. & maybe it was selfish, but then again, david never claimed to be a selfless man and the daunting, cold feeling in his stomach is simply a confirmation of this. the feeling of having done something WRONG sits in the pit of his heart, and he drags it along like spare baggage. 

[invalescos-blog]

( arcanatold‌. )

     𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄  𝐃𝐎  𝐘𝐎𝐔  𝐆𝐎  𝐍𝐎𝐖?    you  have  already  hidden  yourself  away,   refused  to  step  forth  &  put  in  to  action  what  he’s  rightfully  owed.   and  so  now  what?   FALL  ON  YOUR  OWN  SWORD;    stick  with  your  plan,   stick  with  him,  so  that  you  can  choke  on  the  repression  thick  as  blood  in  the  throat.     ‘     it’s  for  you,  david,  not  them !  you  deserve  more  than  staring  at  wood  and  junk  all  day.     ’     she  feels  like  she  means  this.    why  can’t  she  give  him  more,  then?    maybe  because  she  is  little  more  than  a  residual  haunting;    simply  repeating  what  has  been  said  and  done          a  stuck  thing,   like  an  old  tape  broken  and  repeating  itself.        ‘     lawns  are  awful.  i  think  you  should  scratch  having  one  at  all.     ’     they  remind  her  of  rich  folk  lounging,   abiding  rules  &  going  places.    they  sound  boring.

     ‘     yeah?     ’      she  finds  it  hard  to  admit  that  every  bit  of  exploration  she’s  done  has  lead  to  him,    that  she  overlooked  and  said  another  day  in  her  rush.   she’s  no  clue  what  houses  he’s  even  talking  about.  she  knows  the  car  is  near  ( *  left  to  him ),    but  wherever  he’s  talking  about  seems  like  it  doesn’t  warrant  all  that.   it  is  double-edged,  though,  the  blade:   to  walk  and  spend  more  time  with  him  sounds  as  pleasant  as  it  does  dangerous.    fingers  grip  around  yellow  stone,  and  she  knows alistair  would  tell  her  to  be  brash.   he’d  tell  her  she’s  nothing  to  fear.     ‘     alright,  but  if  i  get  tired  you’ve  gotta  carry  me.   i’ve  been  walking  for  months.     ’      somehow,   she  doesn’t  think  offering  to  show  him  her  blisters  fits  the  mood.   but,     ‘     i’ll  show  you  the  damage  when  we  get  there;  it’s  like  a  full-fledged  slasher  film  in  these  things.       ’      she  brings  it  up  anyway,   pointing  to  her  boots.     

     DESERVING OF WHAT ?  david wants to question her, to bring up the past, to dwell on it so that maybe the future, no, THEIR FUTURE can be better. with all this talk of deserving, it isn’t far-fetched for his mind to wonder to the elephant in the room: WAS HE DESERVING OF ABANDONMENT AS WELL ?  he ponders the question, eats it up and tastes it in all of its vileness. he doesn’t like it, not one bit.  the memories, the justifications, the reasons. it isn’t until then that he realizes he doesn’t want that. he wants joan.  simple & plain with no creases, no complications of wrinkles added to straighten out.  he wants the past, the piggybacks, the STARGAZING from the back of the pick-up truck.  he wants all of it, back to normal. the issue ? he knows the suffocating truth of her actions or lack thereof are now embedded into mind like the fine print on a contract.  he knows its there, but for now, he’s willing to graze past it, move onto the next bit, and RESIGN HIMSELF TO SILENCE. ❝  alright, alright. i trust you with the condition of this here trolley, okay ?  we’re going shopping and you’re going to redecorate this entire place with all the curtains you want. ❞

     ❝ yep. and then MAYBE tomorrow we can take the truck to find some better stuff.  i’d kinda like to make a hammock or something. or maybe an actual mattress. ❞  her words pull LAUGHTER from him, a rarity as of late, especially when it came to joan.  nevermind that the only reason she had been forced to walk for months was to her own undoing, her own DETRIMENT.  ❝ oh, obviously i’m going to carry you if you get tired, ❞ david agrees.  he remembered the days in which he would carry her without question, no looks of discomfort, no complaints.  ❝ slasher film, huh ? ❞ the man tilts his head, INTRIGUED by the comparison.   ❝ well, now i gotta see this.  are we talkin’ freddie kruges style or more like ghost face ? ❞  turning, david began to lead the way out of his trolley, stopping once his feet were on steady grounds. 

[faithtrustpixiedust5]

[wordsnquotes]

…One day—preferably when we’re both blind drunk—we can talk about it.

J.D. Salinger,  Franny and Zooey (via wordsnquotes)

[love-personal]

[invalescos-blog]

( riifleshot‌. )

before the outbreak, alice was fairly picky with her food. there weren’t many things she liked. she was a vegetarian, back in the day. but she was forced to abandon her preferred diet, since she had to scrumble to look for food. beggars can’t be choosers, right ?

‘ football, huh ? i used to dance. i run a ballet academy for young girls in new york city. of course, nobody has time for these things nowadays. it’s all about survival, or death. ’

     EYES LIT UP at the mention of ballet — flashes of a life before filling his mind. ❝ no way ! ❞ david spoke with enthusiasm, and perhaps it was over-the-top, but the man didn’t care. still, he kept his voice just low enough to not attracts any walkers that may have been roaming around. ❝ that’s so cool. i used to do ballet too. my coach always told the team to do it and it was pretty much only me and another guy that were willing. ❞

     he shrugged for a moment, analyzing how STUPID it was that no one was willing to just put on some under armors and do some ballet for the sake of their fragile masculinity. ❝ i was pretty good. had some nice numbers with my dancing partner at the time. ❞

[dailypaddys]

[invalescos-blog]

( survivng‌. )

she rolled her eyes, draping herself across the wall of the brick building dramatically. “   i wouldn’t venture to call this hell hole a country anymore, but it’s free anarchy-wise.   ”  she corrected him, taking another bite off of her protein bar. “   thanks for checking up on me, dad, but i got this. girl’s gotta eat.   ”

     there was a playful roll of his eyes that followed her words — it seemed like there was a never a conversation with katelyn that DIDN’T come with inserted facts or opinions. nevertheless, that was one of the reasons david cared for her the way he did. ❝ DAD ? ❞ the man questioned, brows raised. a hand raised to is chest in astonishment, mouth agape. ❝ listen, if i were your dad, which i’m not, i would have had to have had you like...when i was five or six which is GROSS, ❞ david retorted with a scoff.

[invalescos-blog]

( delilahmaes‌. )

delilah vaguely realized that she probably shouldn’t be out there for too long. sure, she had tended to all the people who had seemed to need her help before she left, but there could be more by the time she returned. there was always more things to do. more people to help. chocolate brown hues were resting on the ocean just ahead. it was a beautiful sight that they could still appreciate, even among the chaos. although she had intially came out there for a break, the blonde was more than happy to have someone else sit with her if they would like to. the man seemed a little awkward, and she let out the lightest of laughs, grinning at him to try and appear as welcoming as possible. “you’re not intruding at all. of course you can,” she responded, patting the sand beside her as invitation.

     often times, david FORGOT that there was still kindness in the world, still light. even with the generosity of the wharf, the man found it easy to get wrapped up in the darkness, thoughts and beliefs of absolute TERROR consuming him. this scene on the beach with this woman, however, was a fine example of why all was not lost. a moment of normalcy to CLING to. he breathed a sigh of relief, allowed the ocean waves soothe him just enough for him to accept that it is okay to sit down. the man plopped down beside the woman, arms resting on his propped legs. ❝ delilah, right ? i think i’ve seen you around a few times, but we’ve never actually met face-to-face or anything like that. ❞

[filmsoundtracks-moved]

[invalescos-blog]

( shchidis‌. )

( @invalescos )

her mother used to call her baby dove. tiny wings would flutter helplessly against the nest – not quite prepared for the long journey ahead. always needing that push. and the push could be anything, really. a WORD, an insult, a f e e l i n g. and there her wings went; her legs – pushing against the ground and intent on ESCAPING. like a magician that never quite learned the tricks right. the act of disappearing never quite worked out for her: she’d be found on the school’s rooftop and under the bleachers and in the boys’ bathroom. and then, when the flight failed, the f i g h t kicked in. venom words and heated glances; forest fire unleashed. death bringer. her mother used to call her baby dove but alia’s certain she’s more of a CROW.

outrunning her problems never works out in her favor, because the problems have a tendency to FIND HER. does she leave a scent trail ? is she truly that awful at hiding her own tracks ? it would certainly seem so, because there comes a P R O B L E M disguised as a man. or a boy. or a friend. truly, she’s not sure what to call him anymore. it’s been a while since their last facetime conversation and alia’s not convinced she knows how to converse with him any more. 

he has feet that lead him up the driveway stemming from myra way, right up to the house numbered 415. her house. it’s been her house for quite some time ( one could thank her ever-absent father for THAT trust fund ). she sees him through the large window, and she also sees that there’s no place left for her to run. her home – HER PRISON. knock, knock on the door. alia sighs; sweaty hands reach for the window and, despite the fear in her belly, she calls down. ❝ there’s no one home. ❞

     in the pursuit of happiness, david often lost sight of himself. in elementary school, he shoved a peer aside so he could be first in line, and in high school, he relentlessly pursued the alcohol and poison that filled his mind, body, and soul with MOMENTARY happiness. for just a small, fleeting few seconds, it was enough for him. give a reveler a party, he’s sure to ask for more. give a player some glory, and he’s sure to grow bored, conceited — an icarus of sorts. & so icarus fell, his feather and wax wings falling apart until he was left in the oceans of the world, alone. it was a lapse in judgement, an oversight that cost him everything as he traveled to nearly each and every state of the country until there was no longer any happiness to chase, no longer any sustenance to life. 

     DEPRESSION hadn’t hit the mall cop as it would others. he had people, sure enough. he had relationships, friendships, families ( though, estranged as they may be, they were there ). he was not entirely alone and among the wreck of his life, there was always alia shahidi. a friend, a prom date, a late night meet up in the park to watch the stars and smoke cigarettes. within darkness, there was light, and alia had been there before he reached his peak in high school. she was there when most people weren’t, and he to her. & perhaps that was why he had left well enough alone when he had nearly CONVINCED himself that she was nothing more than a well-placed dream within a nightmare. 

     but there were times, moments in which david PURSUED the girl, tried to follow her and see if this was real. but alas, most days he gave up, fell short, turned around, and walked home. today, however david walked with gusto, chest puffed up with bravado and true passion to FIND HER. his fist pounded against the door and he waited a moment, awaiting a response. & that’s when he heard her, that same voice he had fallen asleep to years ago on the phone. ❝ alia, come on ! ❞ david exclaimed, frustrated. ❝ look, i know you’re in there. this place practically screams ‘ alia was here, ’ alright ? ❞ the man lowered his voice, forehead pressing up against the door. 

[invalescos-blog]

( riifleshot‌. )

she hadn’t had a friend in a long time. she had companions, in the beginning, but most of them either died or were left behind for they were too faint - hearted to continue. whatever happened to them, alice didn’t know. but she could easily guess.

‘ i think we all need some extra calories nowadays. ’ with their lives on the line, food was essential to keep them going. moreso, because both of them were ROGUES. loners, who relied only on themselves to survive. why this man chose to travel alone, she didn’t know. he looked pretty faint hearted to be dealing with the infected & the raiders, but somehow he was here.

‘ i’m alice. pleasure — ’

     hands shuffled around in his bag until eventually, they found a couple protein bar and an unopened can of pork beans. one by one, david pulled them out, placing them gently on the table. it was an off mix, definitely — pork beans and protein bars — but it was far from his usual diet pre-outbreak. ❝ i know i don’t look like it now, but i used to play football. people used to think i was a pretty big dude back then, ❞ the man paused, shrugging to himself.

     ❝ nice to meet you, alice. ❞ of course, he HOPED it would be. surely, this woman seemed dangerous, but she also seemed nice enough to share with him whatever food he had rather than SHOOT HIM DEAD — that had to count for something, right ? ❝ nice to meet you too, alice. ❞ 

[invalescos-blog]

( atrcphied‌. )

the temperature began to drop as the hues in the sky transitioned from bright oranges to dark blues. finding her way back to her apartment building was sometimes difficult even with the markers she’d placed. it was mostly abandoned and peaceful, and she always happily anticipated her nights there. as she progressively became more lost she decided it would soon be too dark to keep trying. the remaining sunlight peaked through the buildings as she called it quits. 

marley pulled open the glass door of a convenience store hoping to at least find something to eat. she’d move onto shelter after she settled the rumbling pleas from her stomach. she found a couple packages of rice krispies before the silent atmosphere was disrupted by heavy footsteps. she quickly pulled her knife, shielding her chest as she went to crouch down around a shelf. too late. the stranger was already coming through the doors and had likely spotted her. she stood still as she stared him down, “ shit. ” marley mumbled under her breath. 

his features were recognizable only after squinting and analyzing his face for a moment. “ — david ? ” she questioned, voice raspy from lack of speaking. it couldn’t be him, right ? what were the odds ? there was the possibility that it wasn’t him and she was actually delusional, but even with sunlight fading and little to go on she knew his presence. 

@invalescos

     david had learned long ago that if you stayed out in the city long enough, that MONSTERS would soon come out. even before the outbreak, david had lived the scene of a late night party goer, and from that he learned firsthand of all the dangers that unfolded. nowadays, however, the fiends that took control of the streets at night were the undead familiar faces of the city — the business man from the top floor, the cute girl he once accidentally brushed up against at starbucks, and the little girl who once stared too long and got scolded by her mother. they were all there, all HAUNTINGLY alive, yet dead at the same time.

     it was because of all this heartbreak he felt for the poor souls that david had decided long ago that it was best he AVOIDED it all together. he didn’t enjoy killing those people, not by a long shot, and this was his one middle finger to the world and notion that apocalypse meant that he needed to become a cold-blooded killer. it was the one thing he could control in life these days, his only true power he still held — & this abandoned convenience often acted as a solace from the walkers that roamed the streets, gnawing away at the flesh of the living.

     as the man entered the back entrance of the convenience store, he let out a sigh of RELIEF. it was only one of a long list of the homes he had taken throughout the outbreak, but it was a home, no less ( at it certainly was in better shape then the trolley he slept in across town ). carefully, david set his back pack down beside the door and slowly, he walked further into the store. then, a shadow in the distance appeared and disappeared — much too fast for the dead. an uneasy feeling crept over him as he grew still, eyes straining to see the other. there was a familiarity that he couldn’t quite place his finger on, and that voice — oh, the waves of NOSTALGIA washed over him. ❝ MARLEY ? ❞ david questioned, tilting his head. 

[invalescos-blog]

( arcanatold‌. )

      𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃  𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑  𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐎𝐅  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄  than  the  living  do.   she’s  confused  to  be  asked  until  she  remembers  who  she’s  with:   david.     ‘     mhm !     ’     she  affirms.    the  notebook  now  lays  forgotten  on  the  floor  in  front  of  her,   and  her  eyes  scan  about  the  car.   it  looks  no  different  than  most  places,  but  it  is  permeated  with  him,  and  somehow,   that  makes  it  worse  and  better.     ‘    you  should  get  some  curtains.   but  you  should  tie  them  back  when  you  do,   just  so  that  you  don’t  succumb  to  total  darkness.     ’     she’s  poking  fun  as  though  it  will  save  her,    as  though  it  will  spur  him  further  into  jest  himself,   or  into  kicking  her  out.    humor  is  humor,   an  excuse  is  an  excuse.

      ‘    and  a  lamp,  david        you  need  a  lamp.     ’     it  won’t  function,  she  knows,  but  it  would  really  fill  a  corner  out,   and  he’s  asking  for  any  advice.     ‘    you  can  really  fool  people  into  thinking  you  like  light.   nobody  will  expect  that  this  is  actually  like,   a  metal  cave.     ’        &  it  may  not  be  obvious,   but  she  does  like  the  place  as-is.   she’s  only  scared  of  not  speaking  now,   because  the  last  days  were  too  still,   too  silent,   and  she  doesn’t  want  to  go  back         the  quiet  is  lonely,   a  feeling  she  is  tired  of.    still,   despite  being  invited  to  speak  on  it,    despite  being  heard,   getting  her  way,   she  feels  alien  here;   an  intruder,   an  outsider.     ‘    we  should  go  shopping.     ’

     INSOUCIANCE !  oh, david wonders if she realizes how she comes across —the nonchalance that comes with each and every word she says.  it haunts him knowing that the hurt within him will most likely go unnoticed, untouched.  he is a tangle of knots that joan most likely DOESN’T want to be untangled, but oh, how he wishes she would.  in some strange, masochistic way david wants joan to be the one to unravel him, to piece him together with her delicate hands and slender fingers.  ❝ curtains ? ya think ? i mean, that won’t really help too much with the boarded up windows.  i mean, i was kinda going for the whole ‘ get off my lawn ’ vibe at first, ❞ he admits, witholding that SHE WAS THE REASON why he wanted to be alone, why he had struggled to trust anyone else. 

     & that’s when he is reminded of one simple fact — she was not his, nor was he hers. they did not belong together, not matter how much it FELT that way at times. joan was a force of nature, a truly wild and untamable spirit while david — well david was a weak, pitiful man, especially when it came to joan.  ❝ shopping, ❞ david repeats to himself. he could never say no to her, not like this. not when the THREAT of her possibly leaving and never coming back was far too immimnent. not when he’s spent the last few months without her. he missed her too much, far too much and no matter how much heartbreak there is, david is a pushover in the end.  ❝ there’s a few houses up the street. i think if we go now, we might be able to make it there and find some curtains at the very least, ❞ the man suggests.  

[invalescos-blog]

( svrrenders‌. )

alex rolled his eyes a little but it was endearing more than anything. the first time david had learned about his job pre-infection, the expression on his face had been priceless. 

“oh, great. that solves that then. don’t know why i expected any other reaction on your part.” he grinned at david before he made his way to the window and peer out, checking both ways to make sure it was clear. “run into anything nasty on your way here? it’s been suspiciously quiet. haven’t seen a single rotter.” the last thing he needed was to run smack into a horde and he was sure his friend felt the same way. 

     ❝ of course, man ! i am but an insect to your daily life, let’s be real, ❞ the man joked, a smile pulling his lips. he was joking, of course. if it had been true, then there would be no way that alexander would still be taking care of him as much as he was, especially not when food was as sparse as it was now

     there was a shrug of his shoulders to the questions — truly, one should not be as chalant as david when it came to matters of LIFE & DEATH, but he couldn’t help it. he hated thinking about it, hated imagining the undead and their gore. ❝ not much. a few walkers here and there but no major hordes. i think i saw a few raiders down the road to so we should probably go the opposite way of that, ❞

[invalescos-blog]

( riifleshot‌. )

alice was definitely not the type to make small talk. shooting would get rid of the person & then she could claim their belongings. but even this ruthless rogue had some humanity left in her. the man looked pretty helpless anyway. not much of a threat. hell, she was surprised he was still breathing with that soft attitude.

the gun was eventually lowered & put back in its place. ‘ so you’re a rogue. guess we have one thing in common. camps are too crowded, too noisy for my tastes. ’ she pondered his offer for a short moment. ‘ why don’t we share that food ? you look like you could use the extra calories. ’

     in times like these, it was easy to FORGET the guns that were being pointed — it had happened more times than he could count and after a while, the threat of death no longer felt imminent, but rather a fleeting moment that would soon fade. still, he couldn’t help but feel the tightness in his chest loosen as the gun was lowered, a sigh of relief following ( though, he always kept in mind that she could still SHOOT, still kill him in one way or another ). 

     there was something stern about the woman, something that made david stay on his toes, ready to respond to just about any question she had or simply obey to her orders or suggestions. perhaps it was simply because he was raised to respect anyone, especially those above him, or perhaps it was just the way she held the gun with such grace and confidence — as though she had killed many prior to him. whatever it was, david didn’t care. ❝ yeah, i guess we do have that in common, ❞ david nodded. slowly, he reached for the bag, careful with his movements as he did so, opening it in front of the other so she could see with completely certainty that he would ONLY grab the food. ❝ really ? well, i think that’s the first time i’ve heard that i could use some extra calories, ❞ he joked. he was an ex-jock, after all, and he was used to being bigger than most.  ❝ i’m david, by the way. ❞

[invalescos-blog]

( survivng‌. )

a ponytail of jet black hair whips across the wind as kate settles into position behind an abandoned building. so far, no trouble in sight. today she’s supposed to move from her camp a few miles away from drisco to fisherman’s wharf –  a trip she could probably complete in her sleep. she grabs her rations for the day’s lunch – a chocolate protein bar – and begins to unwrap it, taking her eyes off of the intersection for a split second. this has become her new normal. it just hasn’t settled in yet. after taking a satisfying chomp off of her snack, her eyes dart up in surprise. “   what are you doing here ?   ”

     ❝ what do you mean ? ❞ david responded sassily, a tilt of head and his hands on his hips.  ❝ it’s totally a free country,  KATELYN and i can be wherever you want, i’ll have you know, ❞ he continued with an exasperated sigh. ❝ i should be asking you the same thing. why are you out here eating a bar and not paying attention to all of your surroundings ? this is truly, truly unacceptable ! ❞ a TSK followed shortly after as he shook his head with disapproval.