i may or may not have returned from the depths of hell
Cosimo Galluzzi

⁂
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
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taylor price
One Nice Bug Per Day

tannertan36
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cherry valley forever
YOU ARE THE REASON
Sweet Seals For You, Always
Keni

祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Xuebing Du

blake kathryn

if i look back, i am lost

pixel skylines
Mike Driver
ojovivo
KIROKAZE
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@masked-maker-blog
i may or may not have returned from the depths of hell
(all) things bad about my muse
Absent-minded - Preoccupied to the extent of being unaware of one’s immediate surroundings. Abstracted, daydreaming, inattentive, oblivious, forgetful.
Abusive - Characterized by improper infliction of physical or psychological maltreatment towards another.
Addict - One who is addicted to a compulsive activity. Examples: gambling, drugs, sex.
Aimless - Devoid of direction or purpose.
Alcoholic - A person who drinks alcoholic substances habitually and to excess.
Anxious - Full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune; greatly worried; solicitous.
Arrogant - Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance. Inclined to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior. Snobbish.
Audacious - Recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; braze, disobedient.
Bad Habit - A revolting personal habit. Examples: picks nose, spits tobacco, drools, bad body odour.
Bigmouth - A loud-mouthed or gossipy person.
Bigot - One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
Blunt - Characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion. Frank, callous, insensitive, brusque.
Bold - In a bad sense, too forward; taking undue liberties; over assuming or confident; lacking proper modesty or restraint; rude; impudent. Abrupt, brazen, cheeky, brassy, audacious.
Callous - They are hardened to emotions, rarely showing any form of it in expression. Unfeeling. Cold.
Childish - Marked by or indicating a lack of maturity; puerile.
Complex - An exaggerated or obsessive concern or fear.
Cruel - Mean to anyone or anything, without care or regard to consequences and feelings.
Cursed - A person who has befallen a prayer for evil or misfortune, placed under a spell, or borne into an evil circumstance, and suffers for it. Damned.
Dependent - Unable to exist, sustain oneself, or act appropriately or normally without the assistance or direction of another.
Deranged - Mentally decayed. Insane. Crazy. Mad. Psychotic.
Dishonest – Given to or using fraud, cheating; deceitful, deceptive, crooked, underhanded.
Disloyal - Lacking loyalty. Unfaithful, perfidious, traitorous, treasonable.
Disorder - An ailment that affects the function of mind or body.
Disturbed - Showing some or a few signs or symptoms of mental or emotional illness. Confused, disordered, neurotic, troubled.
Dubious - Fraught with uncertainty or doubt. Undecided, doubtful, unsure.
Dyslexic - Affected by dyslexia, a learning disorder marked by impairment of the ability to recognize and comprehend written words.
Egotistical - Characteristic of those having an inflated idea of their own importance. Boastful, pompous.
Envious - Showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another’s advantages; covetous, jealous.
Erratic - Deviating from the customary course in conduct or opinion; eccentric: erratic behaviour. Eccentric, bizarre, outlandish, strange.
Fanatical - Fanatic outlook or behaviour especially as exhibited by excessive enthusiasm, unreasoning zeal, or wild and extravagant notions on some subject.
Fickle – Erratic, changeable, unstable - especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious.
Fierce - Marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid.
Finicky - Excessively particular or fastidious; difficult to please; fussy. Too much concerned with detail. Meticulous, fastidious, choosy, critical, picky, prissy, persnickety.
Fixated - In psychoanalytic theory, a strong attachment to a person or thing, especially such an attachment formed in childhood or infancy and manifested in immature or neurotic behaviour that persists throughout life. Fetish, quirk, obsession, infatuation.
Flirt -To make playfully romantic or sexual overtures; behaviour intended to arouse sexual interest. Minx. Tease.
Gluttonous - Given to excess in consumption of especially food or drink. Voracious, ravenous, wolfish, piggish, insatiable.
Gruff - Brusque or stern in manner or appearance. Crusty, rough, surly.
Gullible - Will believe any information given, regardless of how valid or truthful it is, easily deceived or duped.
Hard - A person who is difficult to deal with, manage, control, overcome, or understand. Hard emotions, hard hearted.
Hedonistic - Pursuit of or devotion to pleasure, especially to the pleasures of the senses.
Hoity-toity - Given to flights of fancy; capricious; frivolous. Prone to giddy behaviour, flighty.
Humourless - The inability to find humour in things, and most certainly in themselves.
Hypocritical - One who is always contradicting their own beliefs, actions or sayings. A person who professes beliefs and opinions for others that he does not hold. Being a hypocrite.
Idealist - One whose conduct is influenced by ideals that often conflict with practical considerations. One who is unrealistic and impractical, guided more by ideals than by practical considerations.
Idiotic - Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless.
Ignorant - Lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact. Showing or arising from a lack of education or knowledge.
Illiterate - Unable to read and write.
Immature - Emotionally undeveloped; juvenile; childish.
Impatient - Unable to wait patiently or tolerate delay; restless. Unable to endure irritation or opposition; intolerant.
Impious - Lacking piety and reverence for a god/gods and their followers.
Impish - Naughtily or annoyingly playful.
Incompetent - Unable to execute tasks, no matter how the size or difficulty.
Indecisive - Characterized by lack of decision and firmness, especially under pressure.
Indifferent - The trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things generally, remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern. Having or showing little or no interest in anything; languid; spiritless.
Infamous - Having an extremely bad reputation, public reproach, or strong condemnation as the result of a shameful, criminal, or outrageous act that affects how others view them.
Intolerant - Unwilling to tolerate difference of opinion and narrow-minded about cherished opinions.
Judgmental - Inclined to make and form judgments, especially moral or personal ones, based on one’s own opinions or impressions towards others/practices/groups/religions based on appearance, reputation, occupation, etc.
Klutz - Clumsy. Blunderer.
Lazy - Resistant to work or exertion; disposed to idleness.
Lewd - Inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious. Obscene or indecent, as language or songs; salacious.
Liar - Compulsively and purposefully tells false truths more often than not. A person who has lied or who lies repeatedly.
Lustful - Driven by lust; preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires.
Masochist - The deriving of sexual gratification, or the tendency to derive sexual gratification, from being physically or emotionally abused. A willingness or tendency to subject oneself to unpleasant or trying experiences
Meddlesome - Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner, given to meddling; interfering.
Meek - Evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant; humble in spirit or manner; suggesting retiring mildness or even cowed submissiveness.
Megalomaniac - A psycho pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.
Naïve - Lacking worldly experience and understanding, simple and guileless; showing or characterized by a lack of sophistication and critical judgement.
Nervous - Easily agitated or distressed; high-strung or jumpy.
Non-violent - Abstaining from the use of violence.
Nosy - Given to prying into the affairs of others; snoopy. Offensively curious or inquisitive.
Obsessive - An unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone.
Oppressor - A person of authority who subjects others to undue pressures, to keep down by severe and unjust use of force or authority.
Overambitious - Having a strong excessive desire for success or achievement.
Overconfident - Excessively confident; presumptuous.
Overemotional - Excessively or abnormally emotional. Sensitive about themselves and others, more so than the average person.
Overprotective - To protect too much; coddle.
Overzealous - Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.
Pacifist - Opposition to war or violence as a means of resolving disputes. (Can double as a merit in certain cases)
Paranoid - Exhibiting or characterized by extreme and irrational fear or distrust of others.
Peevish - Expressing fretfulness and discontent, or unjustifiable dissatisfaction. Cantankerous, cross, ill-tempered, testy, captious, discontented, crotchety, cranky, ornery.
Perfectionist - A propensity for being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards.
Pessimist - A tendency to stress the negative or unfavourable or to take the gloomiest possible view.
Pest - One that pesters or annoys, with or without realizing it. Nuisance. Annoying. Nag.
Phobic – They have a severe form of fear when it comes to this one thing.
Practical - Level-headed, efficient, and unspeculative. No-nonsense.
Predictable - Easily seen through and assessable, where almost anyone can predict reactions and actions of said person by having met or known them even for a short time.
Proud - Filled with or showing excessive self-esteem and will often shirk help from others for the sake of pride.
Rebellious - Defying or resisting some established authority, government, or tradition; insubordinate; inclined to rebel.
Reckless - Heedless. Headstrong. Foolhardy. Unthinking boldness, wild carelessness and disregard for consequences.
Remorseless - Without remorse; merciless; pitiless; relentless.
Rigorous - Rigidly accurate; allowing no deviation from a standard; demanding strict attention to rules and procedures.
Sadist - The deriving of sexual gratification or the tendency to derive sexual gratification from inflicting pain or emotional abuse on others. Deriving of pleasure, or the tendency to derive pleasure, from cruelty.
Sadomasochist - Both sadist and masochist combined.
Sarcastic - A subtle form of mockery in which an intended meaning is conveyed obliquely.
Skeptic - One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.
Seducer - To lead others astray, as from duty, rectitude, or the like; corrupt. To attempt to lead or draw someone away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance.
Selfish - Concerned chiefly or only with oneself.
Self-Martyr - One who purposely makes a great show of suffering in order to arouse sympathy from others, as a form of manipulation, and always for a selfish cause or reason.
Self-righteous - Piously sure of one’s own righteousness; moralistic. Exhibiting pious self-assurance. Holier-than-thou, sanctimonious.
Senile - Showing a decline or deterioration of physical strength or mental functioning, esp. short-term memory and alertness, as a result of old age or disease.
Shallow - Lacking depth of intellect or knowledge; concerned only with what is obvious.
Smart Ass - Thinks they know it all, and in some ways they may, but they can be greatly annoying and difficult to deal with at times, especially in arguments.
Soft-hearted - Having softness or tenderness of heart that can lead them into trouble; susceptible of pity or other kindly affection. They cannot resist helping someone they see in trouble, suffering or in need, and often don’t think of the repercussions or situation before doing so.
Solemn - Deeply earnest, serious, and sober.
Spineless - Lacking courage. Cowardly, wimp, lily-livered, gutless.
Spiteful - Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite; vindictive person who will look for occasions for resentment. Vengeful.
Spoiled - Treated with excessive indulgence and pampering from earliest childhood, and has no notion of hard work, self-care or money management; coddled, pampered. Having the character or disposition harmed by pampering or over-solicitous attention.
Squeamish - Excessively fastidious and easily disgusted.
Stubborn - Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bull-headed. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute.
Superstitious - An irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear from an irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.
Tactless - Lacking or showing a lack of what is fitting and considerate in dealing with others.
Temperamental - Moody, irritable, or sensitive. Excitable, volatile, emotional.
Theatrical - Having a flair for over dramatizing situations, doing things in a ‘big way’ and love to be ‘centre stage’.
Timid -Tends to be shy and/or quiet, shrinking away from offering opinions or from strangers and newcomers, fearing confrontations and violence.
Tongue-tied - Speechless or confused in expression, as from shyness, embarrassment, or astonishment.
Troublemaker - Someone who deliberately stirs up trouble, intentionally or unintentionally.
Unlucky - Marked by or causing misfortune; ill-fated. Destined for misfortune; doomed. Parker Luck.
Unpredictable - Difficult to foretell or foresee, their actions are so chaotic it’s impossible to know what they are going to do next.
Untrustworthy - Not worthy of trust or belief. Backstabber.
Vain - Holding or characterized by an unduly high opinion of their physical appearance. Lovers of themselves. Conceited, egotistic, narcissistic.
Weak-willed - Lacking willpower, strength of will to carry out one’s decisions, wishes, or plans. Easily swayed.
Withdrawn - Not friendly or Sociable. Aloof.
Zealous - A fanatic.
ooc
orright, i must go. i have an early appointment tomorrow morning and i'm just running running running after that
but i should be back tomorrow evening, so all owed replies will be done then! :)
thank you to all of you who've followed and interacted with me so far! :3
goodnight everyone!
✷
Erin barely batted an eyelash, the same deadpan expression on her face since he had pulled out the gun and fired. “Now that you’re done with that bullshit, ya mind tellin’ me what the fuck that was for?” she asked, folding her arms and crossing her legs, hip bucking out as she stood there.
[Her eyebrows furrow, a look of clear confusion and a bit of offence on her face.]
” Excuse me?”
[She made a digused noise, dropping her arms and uncrossing her legs. Shifting her weight, she pinched the bridge of her nose before looking back at him.]
“I have no need for your fucking money, dude. I have no fucking reason to steal from you. I ain’t that type of person.”
[After a moment, her eyebrows furrow]
“Is this because I’m not white? Because if it is I swear to fucking gods I’m going to punch you so hard you’ll shit your intestines.”
[She was not kidding.]
[He growled back at her, the noise emitting from him sounding damn near inhuman.]
It ain't got a damn thing ta do with that, so don' even try ta pull tha' on me. I don't care what ya are, I know ya took my god damn money, an' I fuckin' want it BACK.
[The drugs kicked in seconds later, and that's when he really lost it.]
Ya only fuckin' came ta me cause ya must'a seen me put it in my pocket before!
Ya been followin' me, ain't ya?
[She was confused when he swatted the air. Was that a sign that he didnt want her to touch him? She waited a moment longer, and she saw his nod, hear the affirmative noise.]
Okay, okay. Thank you.
[She stepped closer to him, putting her arm around his shoulders. Leaning slightly, she was careful not to be too close to his face.]
May I touch your hair? It's a mechanism I learned, it might make you calm down a little bit.
[Her touch was cold, then hot, and stinging like the rest of his body. It was like her hand was made of tiny pieces of glass. But then, it changed, and it was warm and soft. Comforting.]
M-mhm.
[At this point, any 'mechanism' that would get him through this terrible high was welcomed. He didn't care what it was as long as he made it through this. Each one was worse that the last, but he couldn't stay away.]
✷
Erin barely batted an eyelash, the same deadpan expression on her face since he had pulled out the gun and fired. “Now that you’re done with that bullshit, ya mind tellin’ me what the fuck that was for?” she asked, folding her arms and crossing her legs, hip bucking out as she stood there.
[Thankful he was now wearing his mask, he still aimed the gun at her, even though it was no longer loaded.]
You stole what was mine!
I had a roll'a cash in my pocket when you came 'round, an' you done stole it from me!
[Had his eyes have been visible, one could see the wild, crazed look in them, and the way his pupils shrank to the size of a pin.]
No.
Takes too much effort.
[She pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in her mouth. Puffed irritably at it. Didn’t know what to do with him now. He’d learned his lesson. And she hadn’t expected it to be that easy.]
So long as y’know better.
[Even though his mind was livid, Stanley remained somewhat composed.
He wanted to ask for a cigarette, but he figured that would be...crossing a line.
He nodded.]
O-okay...
[Thinking for a moment, he wondered where this left him.]
'm sorry,...'bout Luke. I weren't thinkin' when I was there. I don' even know how I got there, really.
I wasn't...uh...in my right mind.
[Eh? She slipped the straps and pushed the mask up to the top of his head. Expression indifferent even while putting a decent bit of effort into what appeared to be a hopeless drug addict’s comfort and safety.]
[Awful buzzing noises filled his ears, but the source of the noise was unknown. He tried to close his eyes and make them go away, but focusing on the noise made him feel even more sick than keeping his eyes open did. And then the pain set in.
It started in his head and then expanded into his chest, then down his arms. Then it engulfed him and swallowed him whole, and all he could do was whine and groan and pray to whatever the fuck it was in the sky that it would all just go away.
And then he finally threw up.]
[She rumbled and got back up to her feet. Gun being placed under her shirt into her waistband and followed up by her folding her arms across her chest.]
Get up already then.
Yer fuckin’ fine.
Ain’t gonna fuckin’ hurt you again. Clean yer nose up.
[He hesitated, waited to see if they'd try to shoot him with his own gun, which he half expected them to do as soon as they had picked it up. But when he realized he was still alive, that they had since stood, Stanley slowly rose to his feet.
He wiped the blood off his face, or more smeared it around really, and sniffled a bit. One would be right to doubt the chance of him washing his face after this, because it probably wouldn't happen.]
Y-ya ain't gonna kill me? Er punch me 'gain?
Politics and violence. Also, money.
Something about linear time and object placement.
You need a shower.
[Lifted a hand to make a vague gesture by his own head.]
Michael is deploying a Unit to bust one of my landholdings somewhere in South Africa.
[Most of what the fallen said didn't make much sense to Stanley, except the slight insult of 'You need a shower'. Making a bit of a face, he couldn't help but cross his arms and shift his weight to one side. Which caused him to wobble a little, but he didn't seem to even notice it.]
Rude.
[Sliiiight interest there. Not exactly sure what he meant, but it sounded serious.]
Say what now?
Unit'a what?
[Her only formulated response was to get hold of his upper arms and push-pull him down into a ratty couch cushion.
She’s not taking responsibility for his self injury if he tripped and fell or shattered an eyeglass.]
[Everything moved too fast and too slow all at one time, and it confused the hell out of Stanley. He wasn't sure what was going on, or even where he was, but it was not anywhere he was used to. At least, he didn't think it was.
Turning ever so leisurely towards whoever it was that had placed him in a sitting position, his head slumped to one side on its own. He was still awake, but it didn't seem like for much longer.
Making a groaning noise, which was actually an attempt to speak, Stanley tried with whatever might he may have had to remove his mask. It was uncomfortable and it felt like it was trapping him in a box made of metal and lined in needles. Normally, it was welcoming and comforting. But now he wanted nothing to do with it.]
[Oh. Well.
Charlie gave a brief sigh. Hadn’t expected him to just turn tail and run, figuratively speaking. But oh well. Better than him freaking the fuck out and shooting. She’d take that opportunity and wander over, crouching to take that gun from him. Hers now.
Felt weird to hold a gun and not immediately dispose of it. But she’d hold onto it. For right now.]
Look, Tweaker. M’gonna let y’live. But y’gotta do two things first. Real easy. Real simple.
[She took his chin in her hand. Forced him to look at her again.]
One: Any sales y’make within a two mile radius from ‘ere? You owe me ninety percent of it. Two miles. Either pay up or go th’fuck somewhere else. An’ two: You do not provide t’Luke anymore.
D’you understand.
[Wasn’t really a question. More like a demand.]
[He whined a bit when she took his gun, his unclear mind not remembering that it wasn't loaded. The one that was loaded, however, was back at his home, safe and sound.
For now.]
I-I understand.
[Stanley nodded, wiping more blood from his mouth, but then turning his complete attention to his arms again. They burned now, like each little hole was it's own little fire, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get it to go away.
The part of his brain that had been swallowed by drugs, which was most of it, was furious of the outcome to this incident. That Stanley wanted to jump up and punch this damn lizard right square in the mouth, just as they had done to him. Maybe a few good kicks for good measure.
But what was left of who he was before all the drugs, the Stanley that hadn't been erased yet, was terrified for a multitude of reasons.]
I understand...
t-tell Luke...I-I'm sorry, okay?
I'm s-sorry...
[Shivers ran through the entirety of his being, and he refused to look up.]
[He’d tell you they mostly were.]
Fallen is plural. The fallen. A fallen. Like moose.
I already answered that. The Truth. Now I am having a moment to think over what you’ve told me.
[At least in one layer of mind. He tugged up a sleeve to look at the face of the gold watch there from behind sunglasses. Mulling. There’s some politic involved in meting out punishment to demons under another’s Royalty.]
It is?
[Stanley had to take a moment to think that one over. Grammar wasn't his strong suit, he'd dropped out of school in 11th grade, and never really was a great student. He'd had other interests at the time that had taken up all his time, and school was not one of them.
Even though he'd gone back and gotten his GED, and had even taken some college courses at the community college, Stanley and grammar did not get along too well.]
An'? What're ya thinkin'?
[The gun was hardly intimidating. Even when she did realize that it was pointing directly at her. She’d had enough guns pointed at her over the years that one more didn’t seem all that daunting. Maybe that was stupid confidence. But it was there, regardless.]
Think it’s fuckin’ funny t’offer crack to someone jus’ outta fuckin’ surgery, huh? Figured y’could make a quick fuckin’ buck? Get a quick fuckin’ giggle from fuckin’ up a man who’s in th’fuckin’ HOSPITAL?
[Green eyes continued to stare directly at him.]
Tell y’what.
Yer in th’wrong fuckin’ part o’ town anyway. Wherever I am is my fuckin’ turf. An’ yer currently on my turf.
Y’don’ make sales while I’m standin’ here.
[The lack of fear they were showing made him even more nervous, and his hand shook as he tried to keep it steady. He wanted to scream and unload the clip, but he also wanted to collapse and sob. There were too many things going on, too many questions and answers and statements surrounding and engulfing his already drowning mind, and Stanley didn't know how to handle any of it.
He dropped the gun.]
N-no! I...I didn't know where I was. I don't know how I got there, I woke up there...in'a fuckin' closet. I-I-I weren't thinkin' at all.
[All the track marks, old and new, burned his arms with a hot intensity that made him sink to his knees. He began to itch at them, but it proved ineffective.
He looked up. He wanted to ask them for help and forgiveness, but some dark force in his thoughts thwarted all of those ideas.]
[It’s near a snarl, yet somehow softly spoken. More like a hammer strike than a sward stab of a word.]
I’m a fallen.
[Demons were somehow lower than that to him.]
[Stanley hadn't been to church in years. It all seemed a lie to him, like some poor fucker wrote those scriptures to rake in the dough when people started buyin' the whole thing. And when he started doing heroin, that belief became even more firm.
But now he was face to face with a demon- no, a fallen - and he wasn't sure if it was a sign or a curse.]
Oh...I...uh...'m sorry.
I don' know very much about demons an'...uh...fallens? Is that tha right word fer it?
But uh...what do ya want with me?
[She didn’t immediately react. No flinching when he spoke. Only when he mentioned Luke’s name did her demeanor shift. Ears pinned back against her head and pupils shrank to slits. Snake-like as a deep hiss churned in her throat which was the only precursor to what she did next.
Which was to bring a fist back and nail him right in the face with it.
There would probably be a consequence for attacking a man who she didn’t know. Probably had some form of weapon on him. But at that moment, she was seeing red. Wasn’t considering the possibility of him retaliating. Especially not with this pathetic whimpering he was doing.
That punch was well deserved, as far as she was concerned.]
[Stanley recoiled in a bit of shock, but then the pain set in soon after, stinging his dirty skin like a cloud of livid hornets. His eyes crossed, uncrossed, then crossed again as he fought to keep conscious, his balance being completely thrown off. He staggered for a moment, steadied himself, then spat out a hefty amount of blood, with a few chips of tooth mixed in.
He didn't react until a few seconds later when he decided he could see enough to do so. Then, he reached behind his back to his waistband of his jeans, pulling out a handgun in nothing flat.
Blood came from his now-busted lip as he spoke.]
L-look, I don't know who ya are...or what connection ya got with Luke.
[Paused for a moment to look away, then look back up.]
But I'd be lyin' if I said I weren't scared right now, an' I been doin' this a long time.
[Another pause, this time to wipe the red from his mouth.]
N-now...before ya beat me ta death...w-why don't we try ta...work this out?
[Erin could recognize what was going on. Anxiety? Panic? It was close enough, she believed. Carefully, she crouched slightly, tipping her head to try to see his face.]
Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. Do you mind if I get closer? Will you mind if I touch your shoulder? I won’t hurt you, I swear I will not hurt you.
[She was sure to stay put, carefully trying to rake her mind to remember what she did with her son. Well - with him she was more familiar, it was different with a stranger.]
[Her words circled around his head like angry bees who's stingers were full of cyanide, and he swatted at the air as to drive them away. They seemed to dissipate into a thousand tiny fragments of sound, like a bunch of broken records all playing at once. It was too loud, and then too quiet, and then all he heard was static.
But somehow, he managed to hear and understand every word she had said.
He gave a small nod, which could have easily been mistaken for a twitch, and tried to hum an affirmative answer. Speaking, it seemed, was not something he was capable of.]