Insert wildly witty description

I'm queer. I'm salty. I write things that I hope will be enjoyed by some. 

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

“A work in progress” Final

Alicia looked down at the other girl through the corner of her eye. She watched as Elyza rolled onto her back, and stared up at the night sky. Her body stiff, face hard. The tip of the cigarette glowed as she took a long drag. Smoke billowed out her nose, taking with it some of the tension in her body.

“What’s going on with you?” The questioned tumbled out before Alicia had time to catch it.

“Nothing is going on with me.” The words were terse and cold. Meant to cut the conversation off before it even started. Alicia pressed on,

“You say that, but we both know that’s not true. Talk to me Elyza, please?” the blonde girl sat up sharply, taking one last drag from the cigarette before flicking it in the murky abyss. She rounded on Alicia, her eyes blazing in the darkness.

“Alicia you know shit all about me. Don’t pretend like you know when I am acting out of character.”

Elyza watched as the malice in her words struck a chord in the other girl. Her posture stiffened, her face wiped clean of any emotion. She sat there shaking, anger rolling off her in hot thick waves.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out when someone is being a bitch.” She spat the words, nostrils flaring. The two girls stared at each other in the darkness. Alicia plagued by frustrated longing, Elyza drowning in bitter guilt.

“Fine whatever Elyza. Be miserable I’m done caring” Alicia rose, heading briskly for the house. She felt the anger dissipate, quickly burning through what little fuel it had. She halted, looking over her shoulder. The other girl had curled in on herself, arms wrapped around her legs, head bowed. Her back trembled as silent sobs rocked her. Alicia slowly walked back over and sat wordlessly down in the grass beside her.

Elyza tried desperately to fight back the torrent of tears streaming down her face. She knew fighting would be futile against the now open flood gates. There was nothing left to do but weather the storm. All the anguish that she had meticulously placed away in tiny parcels around her subconscious broke free. She felt them seeking each other out, fusing, threatening to consume her. The events of the past few months, the thoughts she had refused to have, they all bubbled to the surface; a thick black tar sticking to her like oil on feathers. It slowly began to congeal, shaped by her subconscious into grotesque figures. They lumbered through her mind, converging on the last small circle of light she had curled into. The boundary of her safe barrier shuttered as the figures pressed relentlessly against it. She stared in wide eyed horror as all her memories; fears; lost hopes were reflected back to her in their dead black eyes.

Suddenly heat radiated up her arm. She looked down to find a hand resting gently just below her elbow, a life preserver in the ever encroaching sea of black. She slowly raised her tear soaked eyes to find Alicia’s concerned face staring back at her. Elyza stared at the girl’s almond shaped eyes, the beautiful green a muted grey in the darkness. They had changed since the day she had pulled that trigger. They no longer had that almost imperceptible air of innocence. No, they had hardened into the precious stones they so strikingly resembled. The soft glimmer of uncertainty that she could never shake, despite how hard she made her face, had finally been lost. Such a subtle shift and yet it was all Elyza could see when she looked in those striking emerald pools.

“I’m so sorry.” she felt herself sob the words, fresh tears cascading down her cheeks. She closed her eyes fighting off the wave of nausea that had washed over her. The guilt sat in her stomach, a lead weight pulling her back down into the darkness of her mind. She had been the reason Alicia had lost that rare glimmer of innocence. In a world that had robbed Elyza of all that she had been, she was the reason the girl sitting in front of her had lost a piece of her former self.

She felt hands lightly cup her cheeks, pulling her face gently up. She opened her eyes to Alicia’s softened features, eyes swimming with worry. She felt herself look away, terrified despite the darkness of the reflection that lurked in the girl’s eyes.

“Elyza look at me.” The words soft but firm.

Elyza looked up, wincing ever so slightly.

“Why are you sorry? What is going on?”

“I failed.” The blonde girl’s head sagged, a new round of sobs shaking her frame.

Alicia’s heart ached, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She remembered the shock of seeing Elyza laying vulnerable in her bed after the bullet had taken it’s toll. Even that had not prepared her for seeing the girl she cared for so raw and broken. She felt helpless as the girl before her grappled with an adversary only she could see. Alicia reached out gently placing her finger under Elyza’s chin, lifting her head up once again.

“What do you mean you failed?”

Alicia watched the blonde girl’s face contort, a battle between letting some of the pain go or fighting to gain control.

“You should never have been there.”

Alicia’s nose wrinkled in momentary confusion. She hit the rewind button in her mind, searching for the answer to Elyza’s cryptic words. She paused her memories on the broken glasses and the ever growing pool of blood.

“Is this about Jason?” she whispered softly.

“You should never have been there Alicia. You should never have had to pull that trigger. I failed, I was supposed to keep you safe,” Elyza’s voice began rising with her hysteria, “You had come this far without compromising yourself and then you met me. You compromised who you are because of me.” Her voice broke, lip trembling.

“Elyza it’s not that big of a deal, really.” Alicia was shocked at the truth behind those words. Part of her had thought she would say them in an attempt to soothe the other girl, yet they had come forth so easily.

“It is that big of a deal Alicia. I have given away pieces of myself day in and day out since the moment the world turned upside down. I look in the mirror and I’m not the same person I was months ago. You see a version of me that is so new, even I don’t know what she’s capable of at times. I wanted to keep you from that. You see enough of the dead when you’re awake I didn’t want them to plague you when you close your eyes too. This world hadn’t tainted you yet, hadn’t shaken your concept of morality. I wanted to…” Elyza’s words trailed off, her head falling into her hands.

“This was going to happen one way or another Elyza. This is how the world is now and besides I wouldn’t change what happened. You’re here because I fired that shot. You’re sitting in front of me right now because I gave that piece away. I would give all my pieces away if it meant keeping you right in front of me.”

The blonde girl raised her head, her face wearing a fierce scowl,

“I’m not going to let you lose yourself because of me.”

“That’s not your choice to make now is it?”

The girl’s glared at each other. Tension danced between them, both steadfast in their pigheadedness. Alicia watched the other girl closely, slowly taking in every part of her. Her eyes were inky black pools in the night, her lips pursed in a defiant scowl.

“Alicia…”

Before Elyza could finish she was cut off by the other girl’s lips on hers. It was a hesitant kiss, a tentative offering. Elyza’s brain wreathed inside her skull, drowning slowly in the endless tidal waves of guilt, yet underneath the blanket of turmoil Alicia’s lip had lit a small spark deep within. Her brain reached desperately out for it, taking hold and running with it.

Alicia felt Elyza pull her in closer, the kiss deepening. The distanced between them closed as she was pulled into the other girl’s lap, her legs wrapping instinctively around Elyza’s waist. She felt the clip gently pulled free from her hair, the thick wavy curls spilling down over her shoulders. Alicia pulled away momentarily, her eyes opening to find Elyza staring intensely back at her. The tips of their noses brushed, their breathing shaky. Alicia felt finger tips creep slowly under the back of her shirt leaving a trail of heat along her spine. Desire burned in her stomach, the heat radiating down in tantalizing waves of pleasure, a soft moan escaped from her lips. Elyza pounced, kissing her hard. They crashed into each other, desperation meeting longing. Alicia felt lips kiss lightly along her jaw, nipping at her neck ever so slightly. White hot lines ran in trails down her back in the wake of the other girl’s nails. Their lips found each other again in the darkness, hunger fueling their movements. Her shirt was effortlessly pulled up and off her, tossed to the side becoming lost somewhere in the dark. Elyza moved with ease, quickly shifting the other girl onto her back in the warm grass. Alicia felt the fabric of her shorts sliding over her hip bones, the other girl’s lips leaving a burning trail as they moved at a teasingly slow pace from her navel down. Suddenly Matt’s face materialized behind her closed eyes, confusion burning up the desire that had cloaked her.

Elyza felt the girl hesitate beneath her, and slowly looked up. She could see the anxiety dancing in the other girl’s eyes. She knew it would be wrong to push her any further. Her subconscious sage nodding in approval, reminding her that this needed to be Alicia’s choice. Elyza rolled away, groping for the discarded shirt in the darkness. Her fingers wrapped around the cloth and she handed it back to its owner, turning her back so the other girl could have a moment of privacy. She let out a shaky sigh, running her hands through her hair.

“I’m sorry.” Alicia felt her face burn in the darkness as she wrestled with her shirt, “I just, I don’t know what I want. I mean I do, I just.” Her words tumbling out in a nervous jumble.

“There’s no need to be sorry,” Elyza paused thoughtfully, “you’re just a big old tease is all.” Alicia could just picture the sly smirk the girl was wearing. She slid up beside her, punching her playfully in the thigh. Elyza laughed, wrapping her arm protectively around the other girl.

“Face it sweetcheeks you want me.”

“Wow, and here’s to think for a minute I actually was starting to miss your smart ass remarks.”

The two of them stared at each other, Elyza feigning hurt, Alicia trying hard to remain stone faced. After a moment the two girls broke out into a fit of giggles. They fell back into the grass bodies shaking with laughter. Slowly the fit subsided and the two girls lay breathless, finger trips brushing. Slowly Alicia inched closer to Elyza, coming to rest her head gently on the blonde girl’s chest.  

“You know you can’t keep me one hundred percent safe right?” Alicia’s voice was soft yet firm.

Elyza felt herself nod as she slowly wound a strand of the other girl’s hair around her finger. As they lay there in the darkness she felt herself smile at how easy this felt. She looked at Alicia’s head resting on her chest, committing the moment to memory. She lay back in the grass, a feeling of calm settling over her.

“I’m not going anywhere. I will be here when you sort through it all.” She heard herself whisper softly.

Alicia looked up at the other girl staring intently up at the sky. The words had been so gentle she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. She brushed her lips lightly against the other girl’s jaw,

“Let’s just call us a work in progress?”

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

“A work in progress” Part 2

Alicia sat on the edge of her bed chewing absent mindedly on her lip. She had been tossing in her bed unable to sleep, when the lightest of footsteps had drawn her attention. Her body had instantly gone rigid. Her muscles taunt, ready for the imposing threat. A shadow flitted past her door and she felt her body relax, she knew the owner was Elyza. The other girl moved with such a smooth predatory gait she was unmistakable. The urge to follow the girl surged through her. Between the trip to Strand’s house and Elyza’s accident there hadn’t been much time for the two of them to be alone. Alicia stood and crossed the room to the open doorway. The memory of their fight earlier burned white hot in her memory sending a wave of uncertainty rolling through her. She stopped at the door way, chewing nervously on her lip again. The thought of another fight churned her stomach. She watched in her mind’s eye as anger, hurt and rationality toppled around each other, vying to be the deciding factor in her movements. Righteous indignation crept from the back of the fray, seating itself in the driver seat of her conscious, propelling her forward.  

She crept quietly through the house with a grim determination. She wasn’t sure how she knew she would find the other girl outside, the knowledge just sprang forth, as if Elyza’s mind were a familiar playground for her. The back door stood open a crack, a light breeze rustling the curtains. They were lit faintly from the glow of the pool, giving them an eerily ethereal appearance as they billowed in a beautiful interpretive dance. Alicia slowly pushed them aside to step into the darkness of the night.

The surge of the fresh night air washed over Alicia. She took a deep breath, letting the open confines of the back yard momentarily tamper the frustrated burn that was simmering just below her skin. She stretched her arms above her head and felt the tension in her back unfurl. She let out a soft groan of pleasure, a fleeting feeling of peace washed over her. She let her eyes lazily scan the patio for the other girl. The patio furniture stood empty, and forlorn in the shadows. A small wave of relief washed over Alicia, she wasn’t ready for the confrontation she knew she was about to face. She wandered over to the edge of the pool and lightly dipped her foot in.  The lights illuminated the refreshing cool water from beneath, giving it life of its own. It swirled and danced, radiating an aura of calm. A small sound off in the darkness caused her gaze to snap up, her body tensed. The sound came again, and then again followed by a hushed curse. Alicia felt her muscles relax, Elyza’s accent was unmistakable. She walked in the direction of the sound her ears acting as her guide while her eyes adjusted to the murky black around her.

“Shit come on.” Elyza cursed at the malfunctioning lighter. She gave it a small shake listening intently for the soft burble of lighter fluid. Pleased with what she heard, she brought the lighter to the tip of the unlit cigarette that hung limply between her lips. She flicked the mechanism again, much to her displeasure the spark still refused to catch. She felt her eye twitch as she fought the urge to chuck the piece of plastic into the abyss in front of her. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Someone had once told her to focus on her breathing whenever she felt out of control, that it was supposed to ground you. Elyza didn’t feel very grounded, in fact she could still feel her eye twitching incessantly behind her closed eyelid. She let out a frustrated huff of air, mentally giving her mystery advice giver the middle finger. “Look if there is any sort of cosmic power up there, could it just give me this one small break.” She mumbled into the still night air. After a moment she let out a long dejected sigh and tried the lighter again. The spark caught and a flame flickered to life. Elyza inhaled deeply, silently thanking whatever was up there for enabling her smoking rampage. She laid back in the grass and stared at the sky, a steady stream of smoke trickling up and away from the cigarette between her lips. For a brief moment she felt calm, a small piece of her old self peeking through the layer of blood that coated her new persona. Her attention sharpened as she heard the rustling of footsteps behind her. The small glimmer of the old her dissipated, fizzling out with the surge of adrenalin; a stark reminder that there was no escape from this new world. She listened carefully, her body assessing the potential threat. The movements were too steady and sure to belong to the dead. The fight fled her body like a deflated balloon. She was tired of constantly needing to fight, tired of constantly looking over her shoulder. She just wanted one night where she could lay in the grass, her mind a soft buzz in the background.

“I didn’t know you smoked.”

Elyza felt Alicia sink to the grass beside her.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.” She mumbled tonelessly, making a point of taking a deep drag on the cigarette. She knew she was acting like a petulant child, but she was remiss in her desire to be the bigger person. The nicotine radiated a moderate level of calm throughout her, tampering the gurgling well of annoyance Alicia’s presence had unearthed.

“I feel like I’ve known you forever.” The other girl’s soft hesitant voice cut through the thick chemical haze that lay over Elyza’s mind. She turned her head in the grass to get a better look at the girl beside her.

Alicia sat with her legs up, chin resting on the bony prominence of her knees. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her legs, as if she were trying to hold herself together. She had gathered her thick curly hair up in a hasty bun, a small plastic clip trying desperately to hold it all back. A loose tendril had managed to escape, curling down against her cheek in solitary defiance. The white tank top she wore hugged her slender frame, grey pajama shorts showing off long tanned legs. She gazed into the distance chewing absent mindedly on her lip, eyes glazed as her thoughts shifted and swayed; invisible specters haunting only her. She looked so small and innocent, Elyza wanted desperately to pull her down into the grass. She wanted the both of them to lay there watching the stars, laughing till the sun began to creep across the horizon. Instead she lay there wondering what it would have been like if they had found each other before chaos had descended upon the world; wondered if they could have ever had a normal life together. The pit of her stomach constricted, an ominous feeling slithering from the depths of her subconscious. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew that deep down they would only ever find each other in the darkest of places. Knew that their lives were intricately woven around tragedy. They would never know the meaning of normal, not when they were together.

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

“A work in progress” Part 1

The sheet clung to Elyza’s sweat soaked skin. Her naked limbs splayed at all angles in an awkward attempt to cool off. Stale night air billowed in from the open window, heat clinging to the breeze. The warm air swirled throughout the room creating a suffocating pressure. Elyza thrashed around in the bed, trying to find some level of respite from her slowly mounting anxiety. Her breathing become labored as the heat slowly sucked the air from the room, the walls inching ever closer to her. She wrenched the thin sheet from her body. Scrunching it in a ball she threw it across the room, where it landed in a dejected heap. At this point she knew there would be no sleep. The endless swirl of thoughts fueled by the relentless heat were enough to drive even the most sane mad. Lurching from the bed she crossed the room sweat beading on her forehead. She sank to her knees and began rummaging in her pack. Her hands navigated the contents of the bag with assured quickness, extracting a pack of cigarettes, a lighter and her hunting knife in mere seconds.

She moved like a specter through the darkness of the house. The silence was calming, the stillness reassuring. Since being shot she had become a beacon for attention. The subject of continual simpering and side long glances. It grated her nerves. She snorted softly in the dark, recalling memories from a time long past. The girl she used to be would have relished the attention. She had once lived for large gatherings, the social butterfly continually flitting from group to group, soaking up people’s energies like a succubus. She had thrived off continual social interaction, it had been her fuel. The skin on the back of her neck now tingled with anticipated danger with the mere thought. To be in a large group was to walk around with a target painted on your back. It was a neon sign for trouble, whether that be from the undead or more often than not from the living.

She had adapted quickly to this new world, learning to thrive on self-sufficiency and the quite that came with isolation. Her constitution had hardened, bathed in the blood of the dead. She had turned herself into the most reliable weapon she had, relying on instinct and a deteriorating lack of moral regard. She no longer thrived on the need for others, she operated as a single deadly unit; that was until she had run smack into Alicia Clark. Since then she had slipped back into the role of social human with relative ease. Like riding a bike she had been able to slide into the motions again, a smile here, a joke there. As familiar as it felt, it had taken on a completely different air. Like a recovering a favorite sweater you had lost, it still fit but it wasn’t quite like you remembered it. At the end of the day she no longer went to bed feeling energized; she went drained, agitation prickling her skin. The days when she was able to slip away on her own were the days when she felt most herself. Her run in with Jason and the business end of a handgun had rendered her useless, stripping her of the independence she had fought to develop. She was like a panther that had lost its claws, leaving her nothing more than a glorified house cat. The continual doting had taken on an air of condescension. She had lost her ability to be self-sufficient, instead drowning in a continual stream of helpful hands for the most menial of tasks. Worst of all was Alicia.

Elyza opened the back door sliding into the openness of the yard. A sneer contorting her features with the thought of the other girl. She had been nothing but devoted since the accident, constantly by Elyza’s side offering assistance at the slightest falter. At first it had been touching, now it was just insulting. Earlier in the day Elyza had finally snapped, tearing into the other girl in typical self-destructive fashion; a trait she had unfortunately maintained despite the onset of the apocalypse. She knew there was more to her anger than she was willing to let herself think about. It wasn’t just the loss of her dignity that was fueling the perpetual state of rage, it went much deeper than that. Bubbling at the core was a well of despair continually being fed by a stream of equal parts guilt and failure.

Jaw clenched she made her way across the expanse of the backyard to the rocky outcropping facing the Pacific Ocean. She stood at the precipice, staring into the abyss before her. The soft sound of ocean lapping at the side of the cliff far below was the only indication of an end to the darkness. Elyza stood there longing to step out into the dark inviting void. It would only take one small step and it would all be over. She felt the crushing weight of failure settle down on her shoulders. If she was Atlas, then her guilt and shame were the world, but unlike the Greek god she was faltering under the weight. She swallowed hard, shakily pulling a cigarette from the pack in her hand and placing it between her trembling lips. She flicked the lighter to life, the small flickering flame igniting the tip into a small orange flare in the darkness. She took a long drag holding the acrid smoke in her lungs for a moment. A rush of chemicals surged to her brain easing the swell of emotions that had momentarily clouded her thoughts. She had been a causal smoker prior to the end of the world, enjoying the social aspect that came with it more than the actual effects of the tobacco. Now as with everything else her smoking habit had under gone a shift. Rather than let most of the cigarette burn itself out while she made small talk with strangers, she now hungrily sucked down the chemical drenched smoke. Smoking became an anchor to sanity, it grounded her whenever the world was spinning too far out of her control.

She felt herself snort, a cloud of smoke billowing from her nostrils. How in the world could she even decipher a good day from a bad one anymore? Shouldn’t every day be considered an overwhelming mess? She chewed on that thought for a moment, amused at the absurdity of the entire situation. After a moment she blinked, and slowly lowered her body to the ground. The warmth of the rocks against her clammy skin caused her to look down. In her haste to escape the confines of the house she had forgotten about her choice of sleepwear. She giggled at her batman underwear, momentarily feeling her age again. She draped her naked legs over the edge of the rocks, letting them dangle in the open space before her, feeling content with only half of herself free floating in the darkness. She took another long drag on the cigarette, the tip glowing bright orange; a tiny chemical firefly floating in the air.

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Fight

Elyza winced as she tried to pull her shirt on. Her shoulder screamed in protest, the rest of her body an incompliant mass of stiffened muscle. She wrenched the piece of fabric off, throwing it across the bathroom in a fit of frustration. Pain seared along her nerves. Her breath came in agitated bursts from her nose. She closed her eyes, and rolled her neck trying to break up the tension that was forming. She rested her hands on the sink in front of her. The cold porcelain chilled her palms, sending soothing tendrils of cold along her arms. Elyza looked up at the reflection of the stranger in the mirror. She refused to accept that the gaunt girl, covered in bruises was her. The girl staring back at her was a feeble stranger, a shell in comparison to who she was. Elyza sneered at the girl in the mirror, the girl’s expression was feeble.

A soft knock echoed on the door.

“Elyza? Everything ok?” Alicia’s voice was soft and hesitant. It made Elyza’s blood boil.

She walked over to the door and wrenched it open, biting hard on the side of her cheek as the pain in her shoulder flooded her system. Alicia wore a stunned expression, color rising on her cheeks. It took a moment for Elyza to realize that she had never managed to get her shirt on.

Alicia felt her cheeks burning, as the pit of her stomach glowed with a tantalizing warmth. She fought to keep her focus trained on Elyza’s face, but the draw of the other girl’s bare skin was too much. She felt her eyes slowly slide down, drinking in the sight of the exposed girl. She wanted desperately to slip off her bra, remove the last barrier so she could drink in the sight of the girl to her full extent.

“Glad to know bruises and scars get you going.”  

Elyza shoved passed the other girl. A deep part of her purred with satisfaction at Alicia’s poorly concealed interest; yet she couldn’t shake the burning agitation that hovered at the surface of her mind. She bee lined for the dresser beside the bed. Yanking the top drawer open with her good arm, she rummaged viciously through the pile of clothes. She pulled a grey zip up hoodie from the bottom of the fabric heap, and slammed the dresser closed behind it. Her mind churned. Heat coursed through her body. Her rage seemed blind and unfounded. It simply swirled and surged throughout her, a large all consuming entity.

Elyza closed her eyes briefly, breathing heavily out her nose. She knew where the anger stemmed from, knew what fueled it, pushing it closer and closer to an inferno. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, forcing the creeping thought back into the depths of her mind. She yanked her good arm angrily through the first sleeve, anger controlled her thoughts, controlled her movements. She went to pull her second arm through but was abruptly stopped by the white hot searing pain in her shoulder. Her vision blackened at the edges, bile rose into her throat. She reached out for the dresser to steady herself, the room swimming around her.

“Elyza shit.”

She heard Alicia’s voice, but it sounded faint and far off, like she was yelling down a long tunnel. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep shaky breaths. Elyza’s head had just begun to clear when she felt a hand rest gently on her back,

“Do you need some help?”

Anger surged back to life inside Elyza, burning up the remains of the dissipating fog in her mind. She wrenched herself away from the other girl’s touch,

“I don’t need help. Not from you, not from anyone.” Elyza felt herself screaming one set of words, while desperately thinking another, “I don’t need you Alicia, I never have.”

Elyza watched as the concern on the other girl’s face dried up. Her features hardened into a nondescript mask, but her eyes remained deep green pools of hurt. They swirled and danced, reflecting back a girl Elyza hardly recognized. She wanted to reach out for Alicia, pull her close, tell her she didn’t mean it. Her mind remained shackled in place, bound by the rage she couldn’t shake.

“What is your problem?” The words came in a half-hearted hiss. “I haven’t done anything to you.”

Elyza clenched her jaw and stared at the floor. She couldn’t bring herself to keep staring at the stranger dancing in Alicia’s eyes.

“Why are you acting like this? You’ve been different since,”

“Since what Alicia? Since I almost died? Since you were my knight in shining armor?”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” the words were meant to come out demanding and angry, but they sounded panicked. Elyza felt herself look up. A whole new girl stood in front of her. Alicia had shrunken, no longer a resolute wall of indifference. Waves of anxiety rolled off her, Elyza could practically hear the girl’s frantic heartbeat. Her eyes were shiny with desperation, tears hovering on the periphery, ready for their maiden voyage. This sudden change knocked Elyza off guard, confusing her deeply.

“You’re not you. You’re not the girl I…” Alicia let the sentence die between them.  

Elyza stared numbly at the other girl, her mind filling in the blanks of Alicia’s thought. The unspoken word hung between them. Elyza’s mind was screaming at her to say it out loud, to reassure the other girl that she wasn’t alone in how she felt.

“You’re right. I’m not.” She turned from the room, slamming the door shut on the tear streaked face behind her.  

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Move Conclusion

A violent scream erupted from the house. Alicia shot up off the grass breaking the fleeting moment of connection with her mother. She turned the corner just in time to see Daniel apply a knife blade to the bullet hole on Elyza’s shoulder. A cloth had been stuffed into her mouth stifling any further screams. Muffled whimpers managed to slip passed the blockage as the girl wreathed in agony beneath Travis’ firm grip.

“Get off her! You’re killing her!” Alicia lunged for Daniel. Before she could reach him a set of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her backwards out of the room. She whirled expecting to come toe to toe with Maddison, a sharp barb poised on her lips. A pretty girl stood in front of Alicia, her eyebrows were wrinkled in concern giving her face a haunted aged expression.

“They aren’t killing her. They are trying to cauterize the bullet hole. They are trying to save her.”

Alicia faltered, momentarily thrown off guard by the presence of this new stranger. After a moment she narrowed her eyes, her face shifting into it’s characteristically neutral appearance. She turned to go back into the room and felt a hand wrap firmly around her upper arm. She turned her head, her eyes meeting the stubborn gleam of the strange girl’s.

“Look you don’t know me, and I can tell you care deeply for her,” the girl inclined her head towards to the room where Elyza was being kept, “she saved my life, I owe her. I can’t let you go in there and potentially screw something up.”      

The urge to protest swelled inside Alicia, her muscles growing taunt ready for the energy needed to pull away. Her bubble of defiance quickly deflated as the exhaustion from the day’s events came in, a dark tide washing over her entirely.

Lindsey felt the fight go out of the other girl. Her cold look of indifference had been wiped clean, replaced by anguish and exhaustion. Her once burning emerald eyes now sat dull and muted within hallowed out sockets, the dark under circles a stark contrast to her otherwise porcelain complexion. This girl had gone from looking formidable to a hollowed out husk. It was as if another presence had momentarily taken over, but the connection had been tenuous and suddenly the girl was left an empty vessel of potential once more.

Travis emerged from the room with an unconscious Elyza in his arms. Both girls turned their eyes to him. “I need to get her into a bed, any chance you can lead me to a room?” Lindsey quickly nodded her head, “follow me.”

She led the man through the labyrinth makeup of the house, to a first floor guest bedroom. She pulled back the covers on the bed, watching as Travis lay the girl gently onto the open space. A sense of discomfort took hold of her. She had perfected the art of pulling things apart, learning how they worked together to form a cohesive unit, only to finally reassemble them. It was a skill that had resulted in her natural inclination towards mechanics; yet it wasn’t just a skill solely reserved for machines. She had learned how to rework and transfer this knowledge, applying it to the most complex machines of all, humans. She hadn’t known Elyza long but it was obvious the girl had worked hard at carefully constructing her hardened outer shell. Lindsey had been astounded by the fierceness of the other girl; the lethality of her movements and her ability to maintain her resolve in the face of imminent danger. Seeing her laying on the bed wearing a foreign mask of fragility seemed invasive, as if the girl had been stripped bare, naked for all to see.

A tentative knock at the door drew both Lindsey and Travis’ attention. Alicia stood in the doorway with a mask of indifference. Lindsey watched as the corners of her mouth twitched, nostrils flaring ever so slightly. This was a girl on the brink of chaos, anguish boiled just below the surface. It was a slow growing pressure, one that had been mounting, for how long Lindsey couldn’t quite say. Eventually the pressure would be too much and a breaking point would be reached. The aftermath could be devastating, Lindsey mused to herself.

“Can I see her?”

Alicia felt her voice quiver. She momentarily chided herself before the exhaustion washed back over her like a cloying fog. She watched numbly as Travis nodded his head in ascent, moving past her in the doorway. Lindsey followed closely on his heels. The way she never took her eyes of Alicia made her feel uncomfortable, as if the raven haired girl were picking her apart, learning more about her than even Alicia knew herself.

Once the room was empty the small shred of composure Alicia had managed to hold onto, fled. She walked slowly across the room and stood over the unconscious body in the bed. The girl laying there was not the Elyza she knew. Her normally golden hair, looked faded and brittle as if she wore a wig of straw. Her tanned skin was pale and ashen, like the sheets surrounding her. Alicia was taken aback by how small the girl was. She had such a commanding presence it was easy to overlook the fact that she was shorter than the rest of their company. Alicia sat lightly on the edge of the bed, not wanting to jostle the other girl. She reached her hand out, gingerly touching the dark purple bruise that was forming on the girl’s cheek. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she swiped them hastily away. She needed to be the strong one right now, needed to be the one that guided Elyza back from this.

Alicia felt herself slide down onto the floor, and position herself against the bedside dresser. She felt a familiar long forgotten energy surge through her. Her face hardened, her posture became alert and focused. She would sit here for as long as it took. She would guard this girl, the girl she loved, with a warrior’s ferocity. She felt her mind buck at the sudden intrusion of her love for Elyza. It had been a notion she wouldn’t allow herself to acknowledge. It was something that confused and scared her, yet it was so deeply rooted inside her that she knew it was futile to continue resisting. Her mind settled and she let the feeling swirl unabashed within her. Felt the way it warmed her, fighting back the lingering fog of exhaustion. She wrapped her index finger around the other girl’s, holding fast to what they were, what they had always been, and what they would continue to be.  

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

I’m Tired

I’ve been wanting to get back on here and post more writing pieces, but I was working two weeks straight (weekends included). I had planned to have a post up Sunday morning, but then I woke up to the news of what happened in Orlando. The entire situation combined with my already sleep deprived body put me into a bit of a downward spiral. I had to take some time to figure out where I stood with everything, what it meant to me, and what I was going to make of it moving forward. After much crying and reflecting I feel like I am stable enough to come back to social media.

For anyone out there that sees this and is LGBTQ+ know that

You are loved.

You are valid.

You are beautiful.

You are worth it.

This blog is a safe space if anyone ever feels alone and needs someone to talk to. Please don't hesitate to message me.

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Move Part 4

Movement in the window down the hall caught their attention. Lindsey pulled Elyza’s knife from her back pocket. “Look fact of the matter is we are both in this together. I don’t know you, you don’t know me but we can be useful to each other right now. Deal?” Elyza nodded an affirmative, and took the knife from the other girl. Pain pulsated in sharp bursts through her chest as they crept quietly down the hall to the window. Elyza used the blade to move the curtains free, and peered out. Standing off to the side were Maddison, Travis and Daniel, they spoke in hushed tones to each other their words muffled by the glass. She tapped gently, all three heads shot up, a smile broke out on Travis’ face. She motioned to the front door of the house, praying that Lindsey had left the doors unlocked. The click of a gun hammer drew Elyza’s attention. She turned slowly towards the sound, composing her face into a neutral mask. Jason stood wild eyed, his arm wrapped around Lindsey’s throat, the revolver pointed at her temple.  

“Jason let her go.” she cooed in an even tone, “If you let her go, we can both help you find your family. That’s what you want right. To find your family?” With each word Elyza moved slowly closer, making sure to keep the blade concealed behind her. 

“Come on Jason, I know you don’t want to hurt her. If you let her go, we can leave right now and go find your family. I’m sure they aren’t far.” Elyza ran her eyes slowly downward looking for an advantage. She noticed his positioning had left is right thigh slightly exposed; a plan slowly began to form in her mind. She flipped the knife blade in her hand, and dove to the right sending the weapon flying through the air. Everything moved quickly from there. The blade lodged itself into Jason’s thigh. He snarled in pain. his grip on the other girl momentarily weakened. Lindsey took advantage of the distraction and jerked free. The sudden movement jarred the hand holding the gun, and a shot echoed through the house. Elyza’s ears rang, her chest screamed in protest of the sudden movement. She swallowed the rising bile, looking to Lindsey who was curled in a ball hands wrapped protectively around her head.  

Elyza made a move towards the girl, but was yanked sharply backwards. Pain shot through her scalp as she was dragged backwards by her hair. The ringing in her ears had begun to subside. She thought she heard muffled footsteps and voices. Before she had time to call out she was thrown through the back door onto the hard tile. She cried out in pain as she hit the ground. Every nerve in her body was screaming, her brain threating to shut down from the overwhelming tidal wave of sensory input. She didn’t have time to compose her thoughts, Jason had grabbed the back of her hair again and was dragging her across the warm tiles,

“This will get them back. I know it will. A life for a life. They’ll see, they’ll all see. I can provide, I can protect!” Jason rambled.

Suddenly Elyza’s head was thrust under the cool water of the pool. She fought to surface, but she was held firmly in place. No sooner had she hit the water, she was dragged out again. A sudden rush of air filled her lungs, she sucked greedily at the oxygen. She felt herself being thrust forward and once again she was pushed back under. Everything was beginning to grow fuzzy, her body felt raw and battered, pain hammered through her. She felt her energy fading quickly. A slow dark thought pushed through the din in her mind; maybe this was it, maybe she would finally be able to rest. Her mind grew dark, the pain was slowly beginning to slip away. Suddenly air rushed into her lungs again as she choked up pool water, the pain igniting anew.

Jason still held the back of her hair, but his attention had been drawn by someone in the yard. Exhaustion tugged at Elyza, her legs slowly giving out beneath her. She heard a soft voice, but exhaustion had rid her of understanding. She felt the cold hard bite of metal against her head as Jason pressed the muzzle of the gun more firmly to her temple. All hope of resisting had fled her, she just wanted it to be over. She slowly raised her gaze to the person in front of them, a silent plight etched in her tired blue eyes. The sun shifted behind a cloud, and the figure in front of them came into focus. Elyza felt her heart lurch. Standing with a gun pointed at Jason was Alicia. Her face was grim and expressionless, yet her eye blazed. Incoherent sentences were flowing in an endless torrent from the man, Elyza barely registered them as she stared transfixed by the girl in front of her. Memories surged through her tired mind, black war paint; the glint of a sword; emerald green eyes. A name bubbled forth on her tongue, just out of reach. Her eyes slowly opened as recognition took hold. The sound of a gun shot shattered the fragile glass like memory, and everything went dark.

Alicia watched as smoke curled up from the barrel of the gun. The kick back from the shot had taken her by surprise. Her once clean shot veered ever so slightly off course. Alicia watched as the projectile entered the side of the man’s neck, tearing free with a small spray of red. His eyes flew open in shock, his grip on Elyza loosened and she fell to the ground. Blood surged from the wound, Alicia stared transfixed by the pulsations of the blood flow. The man crumpled to the ground, his body began to spasm, blood pooling around him. Confusion flitted through her mind, this moment felt wrong somehow. Not wrong because a man was laying dead by her hand. No, it felt wrong in how she had done it. She looked at the gun, revulsion bubbled up. As suddenly as the moment had washed over her it had ebbed and she snapped back to reality.

She rushed over to Elyza’s crumpled body, and lightly touched her shoulder. When there was no response Alicia slowly pulled the other girl off the deck into the grass, away from the man and the slowly growing lake of crimson. She fell to the grass beside the girl, pulling her head gently into her lap. Fear surged through Alicia, as she frantically searched for a pulse. Elyza’s eye lids fluttered softly, slowly opening a crack. Tears streamed down Alicia’s face and she fought back a sob.

“Hey sweetcheeks,” Alicia cut off the blonde girl’s comment, her lips pressing firmly to Elyza’s. After a moment she slowly pulled away smiling, “I could get use to you being quite.”

A tired smile took hold of Elyza’s face. Pain radiated through her entire body, exhaustion hung over her like a dark cloud. She heard the faint sound of voices coming from the house, calling for Alicia. She heard Alicia call back, footsteps sounded in the backyard shortly after. Elyza’s felt herself drifting out of consciousness, her mind growing continually foggier. Before succumbing to the blackness she registered the brush of fingertips over her cheek, a soft whisper of hold on echoed slowly through her mind.  

Alicia felt the panic com rushing back as the girl in her arms became unresponsive. A slick sticky feeling on her legs caused her to look down; blood coated her skin. The sickening realization that it was Elyza’s blood hit her full force. Tears welled in her eyes, and she hunched protectively over the other girl. Alicia looked up as Travis and Maddison rushed out of the house. Travis reached them first, falling to his knees beside them.

“Help her, please.” Alicia felt her voice crack as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Travis shifted Elyza off Alicia’s lap and into his arms. She watched heplessly as he carried the limp body of the girl into the house. She felt herself going numb, shock setting in. Her hands shook violently, the gun falling to the ground in front of her. She faintly registered her mother’s concerned voice beside her. “Elyza’s blood is on me, so much blood.” The thought ricocheted violently through her mind, the implications threatening to consume her. The world began to spin out of control. Somewhere in the distant corners of her mind she had registered her mother kneeling down beside her. She looked up at her mom, tears welling in her eyes.

“She has to be ok mom, she has to.”

Maddison pulled her daughter into her arms, holding her tightly trying desperately to try and absorb some of the anguish rolling off Alicia. Her stoic daughter crumbled into her, and for once let herself be held.  

Daniel cleared off the dining room table, providing a make shift examination table for Elyza. Travis laid the girl gently on the table. A dark bruise was forming on her jaw, and around her eye; a deep cut standing prominently on her lip. Bruises and scraps peppered her arms, a tear in her shirt revealed further contusions underneath. A small pool of blood had begun to form underneath her right arm, and her breathing was shallow and raspy. Daniel had returned to the room with a handful of towels and a basin of hot water. He went to work clearing away as much of the blood and dirt from the girl’s shoulder as he could.

“Bullet wound. Good news it appears to have gone completely through. Bad news it looks like she’s been bleeding heavily for awhile. We need to get her cleaned up and closed as quickly as possible.”

“How exactly are we suppose to do that with no medical supplies?”

“I can do it, but it won’t be pretty. I’ll finish cleaning as much as I can with the cloths, in the mean time I need you to find me a bottle of alcohol.” Daniel pulled his knife from his pocket and placed it down on the table. The two men’s eyes met, a silent understanding slowly blossoming between them.  

Travis vanished into the kitchen to grab the requested item, retuning in a matter of minutes. Daniel quickly finished cleaning as much of the debris away as possible. He unscrewed the bottle of vodka Travis had found, pouring it slowly over the wound. Travis noticed Elyza’s face crinkle slightly “shit she’s coming around” He hardened himself against the thought.

Daniel pulled a lighter from his pocked, the two men’s eyes met again. There was no pleasure in what they were about to do. Daniel motioned to the girl, indicating for Travis to restrain her. He flicked the lighter, a spark slowly ignited to life. Travis watched as the other man held the flame under the tip of the knife. The man’s movements were so sure; not so refined as to be habit, but steady enough to imply familiarity. Daniel slowly removed the lighter from under the blade, Travis tightened his grip on the girl. The blade moved through the air, coming to rest on the wound with a soft hissing sound.

To be continued....

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Move Part 3

A swarm of crows took flight, fleeing from the abrasive blast of gun fire that ricocheted off the houses. Alicia looked up from the playing cards in her hand and met Ofelia’s gaze, the fear she felt was reflected back at her. Cards fluttered to the bed of the truck, discarded in haste by the two girls. Unease wound its way through the members of the group. Maddison grabbed a pistol from the back of the truck, checking to make sure it was loaded.

“I’m going to find out what’s going on.” Grim determination lined her face. Daniel nodded in agreement, moving beside her pulling a knife from his back pocket. Movement up ahead drew all of their attention. Travis was running down the street, Alicia strained to see behind him, praying for a flash of blonde. The distance closed the between them, but there was no Elyza. Alicia felt fear coil its way around her heart, teasing it into a frenzy. 

“Travis what the hell is going on?” Maddison reached out for him, running her hand over his heaving back.

He gulped greedily for air, sweat trickled off the tip of his nose “I’m not sure. We saw movement in the house and Elyza insisted on going to check it out herself. I heard a struggle from behind the fence, and then a gun shot.” He took a deep ragged breath, pushing his hair back from his forehead, “We had agreed before that I would come back here and get everyone to safety.”

“And you listened to her?” The accusation exploded from Alicia.

Travis turned to her, “Alicia we’ll get her back.”

“No we won’t” Strand stated, his voice cool and calculated.

Alicia whirled on him, “After all she has done for you, you’re just going to leave her to die?”

“She was a means to an end. She got us to where we wanted to be, we no longer want to be here. She unfortunately was the price for this knowledge.”

Alicia felt her mind spinning out of control. Fear had snaked it’s way throughout her. It clung to her nerves making her knees tremble. It flooded her senses threating to overwhelm her; her vision blurring at the edges. She swallowed hard forcing herself to gain composure, this was a fight she needed to win.

“What about the house Strand? We only took limited supplies from the loft expecting to have the opportunity to further stock up once we got here.” Maddison reasoned, pragmatic as always.

“It isn’t safe; we need to move on.”

“No.” All eyes turned to Travis. His face normally relaxed features had hardened, his posture stiff. “We are not leaving that girl behind, not after all she has done for us.”

“Travis” Maddison began,

“Maddison she is just a girl. She isn’t much older than Alicia. Would you want the same fate to happen to your own daughter? Hell she’s the reason Alicia is even still here; the reason Nick was able to detox properly; the reason you’re even holding that gun right now.”

Maddison’s lips flattened into a grim line. After a moment she nodded her head slowly, “Travis is right Strand, we have to go and get her.”

Alicia held her breath, anxiously watching the exchange.

Strand narrowed his eyes, “Fine, you have till nightfall, if you aren’t back by then I am leaving with the truck and supplies.” Travis’ face pinched, but he finally conceded with a tired nod of his head. Alicia strode over to the cache of supplies. Hoisting herself up into the bed she pulled the weapons bag free from the pile. She sifted through it till her hand found what it was looking for. She pulled the pistol from the bag and stared down at it. The weight of it took her by surprise. 

“Put that down.” Alicia turned to face her mother.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No you aren’t Alicia. You’re going to stay here. Daniel, Travis and I will go up there.”

“I’m coming with you.” The tone in Alicia’s voice was so raw it took Maddison aback. There was something in the way Alicia was insisting, an urgency that Maddison couldn’t quite understand. She looked at her daughter, taking in her stone like expression. She pulled Alicia into her arms hugging her close. She nestled her face into her hair and breathed deeply, “I wish I could keep you safe from this world.”

“I need to go mom, I need to.” Alicia’s voice broke and tears stained her mother’s shirt. Her mother squeezed her tightly one last time before pulling away. Maddison stuck out her hand and gestured at the gun. Alicia hesitated before handing it to her, Maddison took it quickly ejected the clip to make sure it was loaded. Satisfied she reassembled the gun with a quick snap. She gave Alicia a crash course on how to use the weapon, handing it back to her once she had completed the lesson. Once the gun was back in Alicia’s hand, Maddison turned to Travis and Daniel, “let’s go.”

Pain surged along Elyza’s arm causing her vision to swim. The bullet had torn clean through her shoulder, just below her clavicle; blood seeped slowly from the wound. She looked at the rope that bound her wrists to the chair, and back up again at the girl who had tied her there. She had gathered her long hair up into a messy ponytail. It had dried to a rich dark mahogany colour that complimented her large dark brown eyes. She leaned against a table staring at Elyza, her arms crossed over the black tank top she had thrown on. Her arms were lean and muscled, as was the rest of her small frame. Elyza couldn’t help but feel like the girl was slowly teasing apart all of her intricate workings, analyzing them, and slowly piecing together how they operated as a whole.

The man strode in from the yard and slammed a radio transmitter down on the counter in front of the girl.

“Lindsey, you said you could get this working. You haven’t. If you aren’t going to be of use to me then we are going to have a problem.”

Lindsey narrowed her eyes at the man, “If I said I can fix it, I can fix it. May I suggest something though? Stop walking in every hour and taking it away from me in some vain attempt to make it go faster.” The crack of the man’s hand against the girl’s cheek reverberated through the walls of the empty loft. 

“Finish it.” The man spat. He turned his attention to Elyza and sauntered over. He ran his hand through his black shaggy hair, pushing his glasses up along the bridge of his nose as if his previous altercation had been nothing more than a nuisance. He kneeled down in front of Elyza and rested his hand on her knee. Her skin crawled, trying desperately to slide out from under his palm.

“So what am I to do with you.”

“First of all, you can kindly take your hand off my leg.”

The smile that slid onto his face was predatory, yet his eyes remained dull and empty. Elyza knew that look, she had seen that look mirrored in her own face. This guy has lost all touch with reality she thought, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.

“I’m assuming there are more where you came from, so why don’t you just tell me and make it easy for yourself.”

She stared at him unblinking. His hand shot out slamming hard against her cheek. Her skin seared but she refused to cry out in pain. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.

“I’ll only ask once more, where are they?”

Elyza looked up at him spitting full force into his face. The man reeled backward, kicking out at the chair with his foot, knocking Elyza onto her back. She felt the wind flee from her lungs with a sharp wheeze, her nerves screamed, pain lanced through her shoulder. Her vision clouded at the edges, darkness threatened to overtake her.

“You fucking little bitch!” The man loomed over her. Her blood streaked across his face, amplifying the crazed expression he had taken on. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, eyes black pools of wreathing hatred.

“Jason, it’s fixed. I fixed it. Here take it outside. It should work now; you should be able to reach your family.” The girl’s voice came rapidly from the other side of the room. Jason’s nostrils flared as he kicked violently out at the girl on the floor. Elyza heard a small snap in her chest, pain exploded behind her eyelids. She whimpered softly as the man retreated slowly from her, the hatred still bubbling like black lava in his eyes. Elyza listened as his footsteps slowly faded with distance. Suddenly she was right side up again. Her eyes met the other girl’s and she couldn’t help but let out a weak laugh.

“Is he always so welcoming?” she choked.

“Oh yea, you caught him on a particularly chipper day. You should feel lucky.”

The girls exchanged sly smirks.

“So I’m willing to wager that you two aren’t exactly friends.”

“No not exactly. I found this house early on, the car I was driving broke down, and I needed to find a garage with supplies to fix it. I just so happened to settle on this one.” She began pulling at the ropes around Elyza’s wrist, working loose the knots she had tied minutes ago, “I woke up one night to find him sitting in front of me with a gun pointed at my head. He was raving about finding his family and how I needed to help him.” She worked the first knot free moving on to the second, not missing a beat, “I figured we were passed the point of needing to lock doors, I mean it’s not like a zombie can open a door right? Anyways he found the old boat radio in the garage and has been convinced that if I fix it he can find his family. I don’t think his family is even alive to be honest.” She finished working the second knot loose. Elyza slowly massaged her wrists, her hands tingled uncomfortably as the blood flowed back.

“I’m sorry if those were a little tight. I was a little bitter about the head butting in the yard.”

Elyza smirked, “I’m really sorry about that, I didn’t realize you were the sane one.”

“I never once said I was sane.” A devilish smile lit up the girl’s face, “I’m Lindsey Cuervo.”

“Elyza Lex.” They quickly shook hands, supressing giggles at the absurdity of the situation.

Continued in The Move Part 4

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

OOPS!

Sorry everyone! I went out with a friend to a queer, feminist comedy concert last night and totally didn't post anything story wise! I will get right on that. On the plus side the concert was hilarious (in case anyone was actually interested in knowing!)

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Move Part 2

Alicia stared dully out the window. The buildings slid by blurring together into a mass of mottled colours. Her mind wandered to the day Elyza had returned her safely to the loft. The terror she had felt while waiting for the blonde to round the corner of the street was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She closed her eyes, remembering the relief she had felt when she had seen Elyza limping slowly up towards her. The sight of the other girl had unearthed something deep inside Alicia, a feeling that she had been trying to avoid ever since. The memory of the blonde girl’s lips on hers sent a wave of heat through her lower torso. Alicia’s eyes flung open as the drone of a motorcycle drew near.

Elyza sped up till she was on par with the car, she gave a subtle look to her left. Alicia’s emerald eyes peered up at her, her face had that characteristic look of annoyance on it. Elyza felt a small wall inside her come down, a soft laugh escaped from within. She turned fully to face the window, playfully sticking her tongue out at the other girl before speeding off.

Alicia supressed a giggle at the ridiculous face outside the glass. For a brief second the mood felt light, she felt her age again. Elyza tore ahead of the car, Alicia felt the heat burning inside her as she watched the air tug at the other girl’s thick blonde hair. A snort of laughter came from beside her. She turned to find Nick watching her, amusement tugged at the corners of his eyes. She scowled at him, a moment of sibling normalcy transpiring between them. Nick wiggled his eyebrows in a knowing fashion, motioning his head in the direction that Elyza had gone. Alicia punched him in the leg, the dull thump caused her mother to swivel around and look at them.

“What was that?”

“Oh nothing, Alicia is just really excited for when we get to the new place. She’s can’t wait to go for a ride with Elyza. Isn’t that right sis?”

Maddison shifted her gaze solely to her daughter. Alicia shrugged nonchalantly, concentrating hard on maintaining a look of steely indifference. Maddison gave a small shake of her head, “we will discuss this when we get to the house.” Once her mother had turned safely back around, Alicia shot a piercing glare at her brother. Nick gave a shrug of his shoulders, feigning innocence. She rolled her eyes and stared back out the window. The thought of her lips on Elyza’s skin danced through her mind.

The caravan pulled to the side of street about a block from their destination. At Elyza’s insistence they hid the vehicles, she didn’t want them to draw anymore attention to themselves then necessary. Leaning against the hood of the truck she checked the shot gun over. She slowly looked around the street, a feeling of unease had settled over her. Something wasn’t right, they hadn’t seen a single infected since entering Strand’s gated community. She knew she should feel relief at not having to clear the neighbourhood out, yet something gnawed at her instincts.  She slung the shotgun around onto her back, and walked over to the group as they were unloading their bags.

“I think you should wait here.”

Strand turned to look at her, “Now why exactly would we do that?”

“Something isn’t right; I want to check the house first.” Her hardened expression drove home her words. 

Daniel stepped forward to her defense, “She’s right, there is something off about this place. Do any of you not find it strange that we haven’t seen any infected yet?”

“So what exactly do you propose we do?” Strand directed the question right Elyza.

“Well no infected could mean one of two things, either they haven’t made their way up here or someone has been clearing them out. Let me go ahead, scope out the house and make sure it’s empty. If I’m not back in twenty minutes, leave.”

“No.” Eight pairs of eyes swivelled to the source of the objection. Alicia felt a blush creep to her cheeks, but forced herself to maintain her composure. “We aren’t just going to leave you, plus it’s stupid of you to go alone.” She gave herself a mental pat on the back for keeping a steady voice. She watched as Elyza’s eyes softened, a fleeting moment of connection passed between them before her face hardened again.

“I’ll go with you” Elyza raised her eyebrows in surprise. Travis stepped forward, a small hatchet in his hand. She began to protest, but the determined look on the man’s face halted her. She met his eyes and gave a short curt nod. Elyza swung the shotgun into place on her back, removing the hunting knife from it’s resting place on her ankle. She raised her eyebrows at Travis, and took the lead down the street before anyone else could protest. They walked in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Elyza looked over to catch the man staring at her.

“Can I help you?”

A thoughtful look crossed his face, “how old are you Elyza?” Elyza stared bewildered, was he really trying to make small talk,

“well?” he asked expectantly.

“23.”

“Were you in school?”

Elyza felt herself stiffen, “yes” she breathed softly.

“I use to be a teacher. High school English actually. What were you taking?” Elyza watched the ground as she walked, “fine art, specializing in painting.” She blinked back tears as memories from her past slid from the small opening in her defenses. She swiped furiously at her face, and glared at Travis, “That girl is dead, has been for awhile.” Travis gave his head a small sad nod, exhaustion tugged at his kind eyes. He would have made a great teacher, Elyza thought. She slowed, something was wrong, she didn’t know how she knew but caution coiled in her stomach. She looked up ahead at Strand’s house, a flicker of movement caused her muscles to stiffen. She noticed Travis go rigid beside her, she met his gaze and knew he had seen the movement also.

“I’m going around the back, I’ll slip in and see what I can see. Stay put at the back gate and cover my back. If I’m not back in ten minutes, go back to the others and leave.”

“Elyza, I can’t let you do this.”

“Travis I’m not your responsibility, and besides I draw a lot less attention than you do.”

Travis gave the girl in front of him a long hard look. She had seemed so young and vulnerable a moment ago, now her eyes look haunted. This world had changed her, stealing away the youthful glow that should have emanated from her. He didn’t want to let her go alone but she was right, she could slip through unnoticed more easily than he ever could. He nodded his head slowly in accent.

The two of them hurried to the side of the house, easing slowly along the wall to the back yard. They halted once they reached a midsize electric security gate. It like everything else Stand seemed to own was metal and modern. Sheathing her knife, Elyza took a minute to assess the height. She removed the shotgun from her back and handed it to Travis, “hold onto that, if you lose it I will have to hurt you.” After a moment she used the side of the house as leverage to hoist herself up and over. Before falling to the other side she looked back and Travis. The look in her eyes was firm. No words transpired between them, there was no need. Travis gave his head a sad little nod. Satisfied with his response the blonde disappeared from sight.

Elyza fell into a silent crouch, taking a moment to survey her surroundings. Strand really knows how to live in style she thought smugly. The backyard was on a cliff scape overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A rocky hiking trail wound its way down the cliff side to the rocks and ocean below. If ocean water wasn’t to your liking a sleek infinity pool was situated off a large ebony patio. A white curtain billowed in the breeze signaling that the back door had been left ajar. Elyza moved swiftly towards the opening, fresh wet footprints retreating into the house halted her. Shit, I was really hoping I wasn’t right, she sighed softly to herself. She eased up to the side of the door, forcing her breathing to slow. She focused on the sound of approaching footsteps, her grip tightening on the knife handle. A slender girl emerged from the entry way, her hair was dark and wet, slicked back out of her face. She wore a sports bra and dark blank panties, a perspiring glass of water in her hand. She set the glass down on the patio table and ran her hands through her hair, unaware of Elyza at her back. Elyza moved quickly covering the distance between her and the girl in three short strides. She wrapped her arm firmly around the girl’s upper torso pulling her in tightly, pressing the blade of the knife against her throat.

“Don’t even think about screaming” Elyza hissed into the girl’s ear.

Elyza felt the girl stiffen against her.

“How many are left in there?”

“Now why exactly would I tell you that?” The girl’s dry tone confused Elyza. She had a knife to her throat, there should be a little more compliance. Before she had time to process the girl had wrenched herself free, shoving Elyza hard into the patio furniture. The blonde snarled. Righting herself she charged, tackling the girl to the ground. They grappled in the grass, fighting to gain control. The girl was stronger than she looked, easily pinning Elyza underneath her. A raven pendant flashed before Elyza’s eyes, momentarily distracting her. The girl jumped on the moment of hesitation, smashing her opponents wrist hard against the ground. Elyza’s felt her grip on the knife loosen. Her wrist struck the ground again. Pain seared through her arm and the blade slipped from her hand. Before the other girl had time to grab the weapon Elyza slammed her head forward. Her skull made contact with the other’s face. She yelped in pain, reeling backwards from the impact. Elyza pounced, slamming full force into her opponent. She managed to pin the girl to the ground, raising her fist for a swift finishing strike to the temple. A gun shot ricocheted through Elyza’s ears, white hot pain ignited in her shoulder.

“Get off her, or the next one goes into the back of your head.”

To be continued in The Move Part 3

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Move Part 1

Alicia looked around at everyone gathered in the living space of the loft, the nervous energy was palpable. Hurried footsteps sounded in the hallway outside followed closely by Elyza emerging through the front door. She strode into the room wearing her characteristic smirk, blonde hair swept up in a messy ponytail.

“Well?” came Strand’s curt tone.

Elyza raised her hand, giving her wrist a small shake. A set of car keys gave a soft joyful jingle. Travis crossed over to the girl and rested a hand on her shoulder giving it an appreciative squeeze. The hint of an impressed smile threatened to break out on Strand’s face, “I knew you’d be of some use.” Elyza shrugged her tanned shoulders, delight danced in the light of her blue eyes.

It had been a week since the cocksure Australian had blazed into Alicia’s life, saving her from a horde of infected. Despite being a stranger, the presence of the girl had unlocked a door deep inside Alicia. Threads of familiarity had crept forth, slowly winding their way through her subconscious, lurking at the edges just out of her reach. It wasn’t just a sense of connectedness that could be felt between the girls, no, there was an undeniable draw. It was magnetic, as if the universe had tethered them together, as if they had belonged to each other a thousand lives over. Alicia couldn’t put it into words, it was a burning just below the surface of her skin that ignited with every subtle interaction. Elyza, whether she knew it or not, was able to push all the right buttons, resulting in equal parts frustration; confusion and longing inside Alicia.

Elyza strode past, the smell of lavender shampoo and leather trailed her, drawing Alicia from her reverie. The blonde stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. Things had been tense between the two of them ever since Alicia had unceremoniously kicked the other girl from her room in a fit of confused frustration. A divide had opened between them, a space neither of them was willing to broach first. The confines of the loft had proven too much one day resulting in Elyza slipping out, not returning till late into the night. Alicia had been sitting silently in the living room concealed by darkness, waiting for the other girl to return. Elyza had crept in quietly, the metallic scent of blood cloaking her. Alicia had watched as the girl moved with a robotic numbness through the loft. Her once white shirt should have glowed in the moonlight, instead it remained dark, hugging her skin tightly. A deep sadness radiated off the normally sarcastic cheerful blonde. Something had happened that day, Elyza had returned withdrawn and sullen, choosing to spend much of her time alone. She frequently would slip out into the city, more often then not on a mission Strand had bestowed on her. Alicia rarely saw her for more then a few minutes at a time each day. 

She watched as Elyza bent to retrieve her pack, hefting it onto one shoulder her leather jacket slung over the other. She could feel her eyes tracing their way over the other girl’s figure. Her cheeks warming as she recalled the small patch of naked skin she had glimpsed while Elyza had been changing the first night she had spent in the loft. The desire to slip the other girls’ tank top off crept from the corners of her mind, causing her breath to hitch. The feeling of eyes on her drew Alicia’s attention upwards. She met Elyza’s steely gaze and a deep flush crept up her neck.

“Why are you all blotchy?” Chris’ voice punctured through the charged air that had been growing between the two girls.

“Yea Alicia, what’s up with that?” Elyza shot, a snide smile plastered all over her face.

Alicia felt herself bristle with irritation. She swallowed the urge to tear into the other girl, opting to turn away and retrieve her packs.

“Alright, everyone have what they need?” Maddison looked around the room at a chorus of grim nods, “Strand, Daniel and Ofelia will ride in the truck, the rest of us will go in the car that Elyza managed to find.” The blonde girl gave a mock bow, winking playful at Ofelia. Alicia felt her jaw tighten, nostrils flaring from irritation.

The group filed one by one out of the loft, Strand coming last closing the door definitively behind them. Everyone loaded the bed of the truck with the supplies they had packed, covering them with a tarp in an attempt to be less conspicuous. Once everything was secure, Elyza called to Travis. He looked up in time to see a set of car keys on a crash course towards his forehead, catching them at the last possible moment. He looked in the direction of where they had come ready to inquire as to why she had tossed the keys to him, but the blonde girl had disappeared. A loud rumble from the side alley drew the group’s collective stare.

Elyza eased out of the alley on her bike, the sound of the engine turning over had sent a wave of pleasure through her. She looked up from her internalized moment of glee to a menagerie of expressions directed at her. Her eyes sought out Alicia, curious as to her reaction. She was standing just off to the side by her mother, a look of cool annoyance lay over her face; her eyes danced with a curious fascination, a light blush rising on her cheeks. Elyza felt a pang of satisfaction at the other girl’s poorly concealed curiosity.

“Anymore surprises, or can we move?” Strand said, motioning to the driver side of the truck. The moment was broken and everyone shifted into their assigned positions. Simultaneously the car and truck engines turned over, the chemical scent of exhaust slowly drifted towards Elyza. The vehicles began moving forward, Strand taking the lead acting as the navigator on their little expedition. Elyza turned in her seat, taking a moment to look back at the loft. A small well of sadness opened inside her. The all too familiar feeling of loss sat expectantly in her mind, like an obedient pet waiting for her return. This had been the first safe place for her since the start of it all. In the confines of this loft she had been allowed a brief respite from the harsh world that lay beyond the walls. Elyza blinked quickly, turning away from the building. The world had turned into a game of keep away, there would never be a permanent safe place, of this Elyza felt certain. The thought hollowed her out, leaving her feeling scared and vulnerable. Her mind shifted into defense mode, closing off the gates to her emotional centres. Her face hardened, eyes turning to ice. She turned back around to face the road in front of her. Kicking the bike into action she raced after the quickly dwindling line of cars.

To be continued in The Move Pt.2

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

Elyza

The humid LA air lay over the city like a thick wool blanket. The heat was suffocating, an omnipresent pressure exerting its considerable weight on the surrounding landscape. Elyza’s white tank top clung to her, soaked through with sweat. Drops of moisture slowly wound their way over the hills and valleys of her features. She wiped quickly at her brow, taking a moment to bend at the waist; sucking in some much needed air. Christ I doubt even the undead are out in this heat; the thought brought only a marginal sense of comfort. She righted herself and continued on, winding her way through empty streets; the rhythmic bumping of the shot gun against her lower back instilling a sense of security. While the weapon provided a means of comfort there was still something unsettling about walking through the abandoned city. The once prevalent mindset of escaping the hustle and bustle had been snuffed out. The silence had found them; it had slithered in one night slowly spreading out it’s tendrils enveloping the city. Silence was no longer something you sought out; it was something you were forced to endure.

Elyza walked down the middle of the street, the heat and silence battling to see who would be the first to break her. She began to hum softly to herself, a light melody to sooth the abrasive quite. A drop of sweat tricked off her nose onto her lips. The tip of her tongue darted out capturing the salty moisture. I would pick the hottest day of the year to make this trip, she thought dully to herself. She scanned the horizon before her, searching for a ripple in the stillness. Her gaze fell on a shaded alcove, her legs changing trajectory before her brain had time to catch up.

The shade offered little in the way of a heat differential, but it was a minor reprieve from the unrelenting rays of the sun. Elyza sank to the ground and unclipped a water bottle from her belt loop. She took a long swig and let the cool water sit in her mouth. She pressed the perspiring bottle to her cheek, a sigh of relief rushing out of her as the cool plastic soothed her sun burnt skin. She leaned back against the brick wall and closed her eyes, it was nice to be alone again.

It had been four days since she had saved the girl with the emerald eyes. The mere thought of Alicia sent a burning wave of frustration coursing through her. Elyza had awoken that first morning to Alicia shooting out of bed, a warm flush creeping up the girl’s neck. Elyza had sat up in a confused daze, the events of the previous night slowly trickling in. Alicia began to stammer out some half baked excuse for why she had been curled up next to the other girl all night when Elyza had finally felt her composure snap.  She had rolled out of the bed, crossing the distance between her and Alicia. “Enough. Just enough. Stop making some ridiculous bullshit up in your head to try and make yourself feel better.” With each word she had moved closer to Alicia, backing the other girl up against a dresser. “Stop pretending like you haven’t felt something between us.” She had watched as the other girl’s face hardened; felt the venom in the girl’s voice as she spit the words get out. Since then, anytime they ended up alone in a room together Alicia made every attempt to avoid even the slightest amount of interaction. Despite the desperate attempt to remain distant, Elyza knew it was just an act. She would catch Alicia timidly looking at her when she thought Elyza’s attention was else where. The snippets of awkward conversation that transpired between them always resulted in Alicia staring at Elyza’s lips without her realizing.

Elyza let out an exasperated snort, leaning her head back against the rough exterior of the wall. Every part of her wanted to be the one to break the uncomfortable shroud that had fallen over them, yet a tiny voice continued to trickle in from her subconscious stalling her haste. Whatever was to grow between them, Alicia had to be the one to facilitate the structuring of the foundation; Elyza simply had to let her lead. A wave of uncertainty lapped at her conscious, sending a chill down her spine. A deep fundamental part of her knew she was tied to this girl. She knew her heart belonged to Alicia, like it had so many other times before. Yet what if for some reason this burning certainty inside her was unfounded, perhaps spending so much time on her own had left her secretly yearning for the closeness of another. What if the intensity she felt towards Alicia was merely a by product of the girl she once was? The girl who had known how to love deeply; the girl who was so captivated by the beauty of the world, she meticulously tried to capture it on canvas; the girl who hadn’t been afraid to chase her dreams and had lost so much because it. Elyza felt her conscious harden, that girl was dead. She had died long ago, back when she had taken her first life. Memories slowly began to drift up from the depths where she had been kept them locked away. She felt herself bristle as they danced at the edges of her mind.

The shuffling of footsteps drew her attention and she rose quickly to her feet. A walker slowly emerged from a near by alley. Oh look a pick me up Elyza thought, a smile slowly spreading across her face, contorting her features into a maniacal mask. The walker turned towards her as the scent of living flesh drifted through the air. She had begun to close the distance between her and the shambling corpse, when something caught her attention. There was additional movement in the mouth of the alley that the walker had come from, realization began to blossom in Elyza’s mind. Her smile hardened, her eyes taking on a predatory glint. One by one she watched as three additional infected lumbered awkwardly onto the street. She drew the hunting knife from its sheath on her ankle and charged the remaining distance between her and the first corpse.

Rage bubbled up inside Elyza, hot and thick it cloaked her like a well fitting jacket. She lashed out viciously at the walker’s skull. The blade made contact, embedding itself deep inside it’s intended target. The body collapsed, finally at rest; the knife falling with it. Shit you’ve got to be fucking kidding me Elyza thought frustration tugging at the corner of her mouth.

She braced her foot against the dead’s chest and wrenched the blade free. The second infected had closed the distance and slammed into her, knocking Elyza onto the ground. The rage surged through her, and she kicked violently at the knees in front of her. The walker fell to the ground, grasping onto her ankle. Teeth gnashed together in a desperate attempt to tear flesh. Elyza leaned forward and slammed the knife blade into the back of the walker’s skull. She rose to her feet and yanked the weapon free from it’s resting place. She snarled at the body, slamming her heel onto the skull. The impact resulted in a sickening crunch, her stomach twisted with a sick satisfaction. Movement gathered her attention and she quickly side stepped. The walker was caught off guard by her sudden change in direction. There was no time for it to turn as a blade slammed into the side of it’s head.

She turned her attention to the final walker. Rage coursed through her system like a drug, igniting her nerves. She snarled and charged at the last infected. Running full force, she plowed into the body in front of her; sending them both sprawling. The intoxicating effect of her anger and frustration threatened to consume her. It jerked at her muscles, moving her as if she was possessed by a demonic puppeteer. Elyza rolled away from the thrashing corpse, rising to her feet. She started down at the infected, memories surging from the dark abyss where she had desperately tried to keep them tethered. The corpse wreathed, twisting and clawing it’s way closer; drawn by the insatiable desire to rend flesh from bone. Memories continued to seep from the cracks in Elyza’s subconscious, faces burned the back of her eyelids. She choked back a sob and slammed the hunting blade into the walker’s skull.

Her roommate.

Crunch.

A child.

Crunch.

Her girlfriend.

The faces continued their parade through her conscious; the skull no longer crunched with each plunge of the knife. Like any inferno, the rage slowly began to burn itself out. Elyza let her arm drop limply by her side, the blade falling from her hand. She looked down at the remains in front of her, a wave of nausea rolling through her. A wet metallic scent hung in the air; Elyza could taste the copper on her lips, her face wet and sticky. Revulsion crawled across her skin, causing a chill to course through her body despite the blistering heat. Slowly she pushed herself to her feet, sheathed the blade and let the hollowness inside envelop her.

She stood in place, staring at nothing. The sun moved through the sky, the shadows of her surroundings becoming longer. Elyza blinked slowly as she fought her way back from the depths of her anguish. She felt her conscious crawling bruised and battered into the safe confines she had meticulously created; slamming the walls down behind itself. As her mind went to work restraining the escaped thoughts, Elyza felt her legs propelling her forward. Her surroundings blurred, her vigilance slowly slipping away. She knew she was in no immediate danger from any walkers, the scent of death lingered all around her.

Elyza was unsure how much time had passed, the brief respite from danger had allowed her to move in complete autopilot. She stood staring at her destination, unsure as to how she had made it here without remembering the second half of the trek. She gave her head a confused shake and slowly began moving the industrial garbage bin out of the way. The screeching of the metal against cement no longer triggered fear inside her. She worked quickly to unbury the item she had come in search of, a sense of desperate urgency over taking her. She looked down; the cloth tarp in front of her had been dirtied in a vain attempt to add a camouflaged appearance. She took hold of the cloth, tugging at it slowly. As the fabric slid away Elyza felt a small part of herself returning. A tiny smile made its way onto her face as she ran her hand lightly along the motorcycle in front of her.

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

Housekeeping

Hello lovely humans who have decided to follow me on this really random, yet thrilling adventure of mine. Just wanted to shout out and say thank you for actually following me! Also just a few quick things:

1) my friend came up with a really swell plan of a release day, so new posts will come out on Thursdays ! If for some reason people want more faster well then I shall up my game!

2) The posts will follow a continual universe/time line deal, with small time hops here and there! I will however take requests should anyone desire something specific to read :)

Thanks again everyone! and welcome to this crazy ride

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

Alicia Brings Home a Stray Conclusion

Elyza poked her head into the open room, her eyes landing on the girl laying on the floor beside the bed.

“Couldn’t make it all the way huh?”

Alicia shot upright, pain shooting along her nerves as if to scold her. Her eyes settled on the girl standing in her doorway wrapped in just a towel. She knew it was Elyza, but without the mask of dirt and blood she was floored at just how attractive the other girl was. The small towel hugged her frame, causing a flush to creep up Alicia’s neck. She forced herself to take a shaky breath,

“yea uh, turns out I’m a lot more battered than I originally thought.”

“I know the feeling sweetcheeks. Mind if I just throw this fresh pair of clothes on?”

Alicia stared baffled at the girl. Elyza laughed at the terrified interest that mingled on the other girl’s face.

“I’ll hide behind the closet door, I promise.”

Alicia nodded her head slowly, her eyes trailing the blonde girl as she opened the closet and stepped behind into the makeshift dressing room. Her breath all but stopped as the towel hit the ground beside the Elyza’s hiding place. Alicia shifted her eyes, and caught a glimpse of the girl in the vanity mirror. The beast inside her raised it’s head, it’s attention having been drawn. The reflection was only a sliver of Elyza’s side profile. None the less Alicia felt herself leaning, hoping to gain even a glimpse more. She forced herself to sit back in place, mentally muzzling the beast that was thrashing around inside her. “I’m not gay, but why do I feel this way. Why am I desperately wanting to be close to this girl, I don’t even know her.” Her mind echoed within her conscious. The tendrils of familiarity swiftly punctured her thought with holes of doubt.

“Jesus I didn’t realize your ankle was that bad.”

Alicia quickly looked up. Elyza had emerged from behind the closet door, her towel replaced with a well fitting tank top and pyjama shorts. Alicia felt lightheaded from the surge of heat that coursed through her blood stream. Logic shoved it’s way back onto the throne within her conscious, momentarily slapping her back into focus.

“Neither did I, till I suddenly couldn’t put any weight on it.”

Elyza felt the concern bubble up inside her. She crossed the small space between her and Alicia and kneeled down on the floor beside the other girl. She tentatively reached out, lightly brushing her fingertips over the swollen joint. A shock danced from

Elyza’s fingertips, sending surges of excitement along Alicia’s leg.

Elyza looked up to find green eyes staring at her, a light flush peppered the other girl’s cheeks. The fire of expectation cracked between the two. Elyza forced herself to look down, walling off the pit of desire that had opened up within her. She placed her palm against the sole of Alicia’s foot and instructed her to push as hard as she could. She repeated this action a number of times and slowly nodded her head.

“Well on the bright side sweetcheeks it’s just a sprain, but you’re going to have to take it easy for a couple of days. I’m going to go and see if I can scrounge up some first aid supplies.”

Alicia watched as the other girl left the room. She felt her heartbeat returning to a normal pace. The moment that had passed between the two girl’s left Alicia’s skin a light. Sparks of desire twitched across her skin. She shook her head and leaned back against the bed, the sparks intensity fizzling out with the prolonged distance between the two. Alicia let her eyes close for a moment, and tried to tease loose the content lurking at the edges of her conscious, fueling the shroud of familiarity that perpetually lingered over Elyza. A flash of green and the smell of forest surged through her memory. Alicia’s eyes flung open as the sound of the other girl returning to the room dragged her back to the present.

Elyza raised her hands in victory, a tensor clutched in one, a bag of ice in the other. Alicia felt the corner of her mouth turn up in a small smile at the excitement mirrored in the other girl’s brilliant blue eyes. The blonde placed her prizes on the bed and kneeled down beside Alicia. She wedged herself gently under Alicia’s arm and with surprising strength hauled them both to their feet. Alicia winced and let the other girl position her slowly onto the bed. Once she was comfortably in place, Elyza returned to the foot of the bed. She placed Alicia’s leg in her lap and set to work patching up the girl’s injured ankle. In a short amount of time she had expertly attached the icepack to Alicia’s ankle with the bandage. She bunched the towel from the floor into a bundle and used it to elevate the injured joint.

With her work complete Elyza stood to go. She had seen a couch on the first level that looked like pure bliss when compared to her previous sleeping arrangements. The gentle grasping of fingers at her wrist stalled her. She looked down to find a pair of green eyes laden with sleep staring up at her.

“Don’t go.” Alicia whispered so softly Elyza had to strain to hear her. “Please?”

She smiled softly at the other girl as she climbed into bed beside her, making sure to leave a space between them.

“How’d you learn to be so good at first aid” Alicia mumbled sleepily.

“My mom worked on the trauma floor of a hospital.”

“Where is she now?”

“I don’t know; when I turned eighteen she told me to leave and never come back.” The words came soft and halting, causing Alicia to look up at the blonde girl. Sadness had settled over the girl’s face tampering the fire that had once blazed in those blue eyes. Alicia fought with the sleep that was threatening to overwhelm her,

“Why would she do that?”

“She wanted me to be a doctor, I told her that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I admired her for being so great at what she does, but I wasn’t meant to do the same…”

Elyza trailed off mid sentence, her attention drawn downwards. Alicia had succumbed to her fight with exhaustion, but that wasn’t what had drawn her gaze. In the moments before she had fallen asleep, Alicia had inched her hand across the divide between the two. Elyza stared down at the single finger that had wound its way around her own index finger. A small smile broke through the mask of sadness. She stared at the sleeping girl beside her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt whole.  

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

Alicia Brings Home a Stray Pt.2

Elyza slowly stripped her clothes off. The action of undressing caused all of her muscles to scream, leaving her momentarily winded from the effort. She let her clothes fall to the ground before her and took a moment to assess her appearance in the mirror. The person staring back at her was not the girl she had once known. She gripped the edge of the sink and closed her eyes. Memories flashed behind her eyelids. Moments of laughter had been replaced with moments soaked in blood. The undead ambled slowly towards her through the fog of her conscious, relentless in their pursuit to make her remember their faces. Her eyes flew open, bile rushing hot and acidic from within. The minimal contents of her stomach exploded forth, her insides turning against her in a vain attempt to purge her of all she had done. Tears trickled down her face, Elyza touched her cheeks in confusion. It had been so long since she had cried, the action felt foreign to her. She looked back up at the stranger in the mirror and watched as her features contorted into a hardened mask. The tears dried on her face, leaving imperceptible trails of salt; the only evidence that there had ever been any moisture at all. She felt her mind compartmentalizing the anguish, sectioning it off into small parcels of pain and squirrelling them away to the darkest recesses of her mind. To feel was to die, and to die was to leave Alicia alone in this hell hole, something Elyza was not about to let happen. The familiar desire to protect the girl surged through her system, providing the ignition for her brain to kick-start itself back into survival state. She didn’t understand how she was connected to this girl, but somewhere deep in the far corners of her subconscious she knew she had failed to keep her safe before. The notion tore at the very core of Elyza, a feeling of emptiness welled up from deep inside her. She felt her body moving in autopilot, her legs propelling her towards the safe confines of the warm cascading water.

Alicia lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. Pain surged through her body, converging on her ankle and tailbone. The human body was a funny thing, fragile and yet so durable. In a moment of crisis, it was amazing how far a little adrenaline could propel a person. She was finally beginning to understand the stories you hear of outstanding feats performed in the face of death; a man cutting off his own hand; a woman lifting a car to save her child. Alicia sat up, a groan reverberating through her. Her tailbone screamed in protest, but she needed to assess the damage to her ankle. She unlaced her shoe, tentatively extracting the protesting appendage. Once free from the restricting confines, pain surged to the area anew. Alicia bit back a cry as her nerves seared in response to her slowly rolling off her sock. To no surprise her ankle was swollen, a deep purple beginning to well up over the surface. She let out a small resigned sigh and eased herself back down onto the bed. The urgent hushed whispers from the lower level floated through the cloud of pain that had settled over her senses. As gently as possible she lifted herself from her bed and limped out onto the landing. Her new vantage point afforded her the ability to better hear the conversation below.

“That girl looks like she’s been to hell and back.” Travis’ voice drifted upwards.

“God she only looks a few years older than Alicia.” Words only a mother would say, Alicia thought to herself as she inadvertently rolled her eyes.

“Was she alone?” Strand inquired, a subtext of interest tickling at the tone of indifference.

“By the look of her I would assume so. Why would anyone carry a pack like that if they had a camp to go back to?” Travis reasoned.

“We can’t let her go back out there by herself.” The concern in Maddison’s voice was evident. Alicia felt her heart clench in her chest. Strand would be the one to have a final say, he had made it clear his voice was the only voice.

“The girl is a fighter, of that much I am certain. She may be of value, or she might just be dead weight.” Strand mused to himself, “We keep the girl as a test run. We still have a way to go, no doubt the trip will prove, daunting. If this girl is as hardened as she appears, her skill set may be of use to us.”

The tone of Strand’s voice caused a sense of unease to flare within Alicia. Strand was a man of opportunity, if Elyza wore out her usefulness he would have no problem dispatching of her. Alicia forced herself to swallow her worry; for now, Elyza had a place within her group. The beast inside her gave a contented snort, her stomach fluttering in response. A small smile crept over her face, a feeling of giddiness taking hold. She limped her way back to her room, not even the screaming protest of her body was enough to wipe the smile from her face.

The warm water cascaded over Elyza’s naked frame, pulling the blood and dirt caked into her pores with it. With each passing minute the water streaming over her body faded from it’s initial dark brown, back to clear. The warmth eased the ache of her muscles, and for a fraction of a moment she felt like her old self again. She reached for the first bottle of shampoo she saw, distributing a healthy amount onto her open palm. She scrubbed at her hair, gently at first but with an increasing sense of urgency. She dug her fingers into her scalp, tearing at her skin fighting to wash away the past three months. From her hair Elyza moved to the rest of her skin, scrubbing vigorously at the caked on streaks of blood. In the back of her mind she knew that no matter how hard she scrubbed she would never be clean of what she had done in the name of survival. She gently replaced what was left of the bar of soap, taking a few extra minutes to let the water flow over her newly cleansed body.

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

Alicia Brings Home a Stray Pt.1

Elyza stood on the threshold of the loft style apartment, stunned by what lay inside. It was as if she had stepped on a reset button coming into the building, taking her back to the world before it’s fall. The loft was modern and gleaming, all stainless steel and rich ebony. The contents of the living space were spare yet immaculate; untouched by the chaos outside the walls. Elyza had never been privy to comforts such as these, not before the incident and most certainly not after.

Alicia moved into the confines of the room, oblivious to the uncomfortable confusion that had settled over her companion.

“Hello?” Alicia called into the open space. The two girls lifted their head as shuffling footsteps sounded from the upper level.

“Alicia! Oh thank god.” She heard her mother’s relieved exclamation from the landing; followed by the sound of hurried movement down the stairs. Maddison flew across the room, engulfing her daughter in her arms. Alicia bristled and extracted herself from her mother’s clutches. Hurt clouded Maddison’s face, immediately being replaced with frustration,

“Where the hell did you go Alicia? We’ve been worried sick. God this isn’t a game; you could have been killed or worse.”

Alicia pursed her lips in indignation, “in case you have forgotten, I’m not Nick.” She spat the words with such venom, Elyza felt herself inadvertently flinch, “Obviously I’m aware of what could have happened, but did it?”

Maddison’s jaw clenched. Before she could respond to her daughter’s biting retort she noticed the blood soaked blonde standing unsure in the door way. Elyza watched the exchange between Alicia and her mother in uncomfortable silence. The thought of slowly backing out of the apartment flickered through her mind.

“Who is she?”

Maddison’s voice abruptly burst Elyza’s budding escape plan. She felt the burning desire to make a wise crack bubble up. An awkward smile contorted the blonde girl’s dirt streaked face as the sarcastic devil on her shoulder was bound and gagged by the only slightly more put together angel. She lifted her hand, giving Maddison a tiny finger wave.

“Hello I’m Elyza, Elyza Lex.” The narrowing of Maddison’s eyes caused Elyza to slowly lower her hand. Maddison’s face contorted into a mask of feral protectiveness, the look only a mother could possess.

“Yikes, poked the bear a little I see.” The words tumbled from Elyza, feeling just in their ability to bypass what little filter she had. She mentally pictured her shoulder angel shaking its head in disbelief, a wry smile still tugging at the corners of it’s mouth.  

Alicia shot a “you must be fucking kidding me” look at the blonde. Now was not the time for Elyza to be running her mouth. Maddison gaped at the strange girl, momentarily knocked off her guard by the sarcastic comment. Movement upstairs caused all three women to look up.

“Maddison what’s going on” a man’s voice drifted down, caution dancing around each syllable.

“It’s alright Travis, Alicia’s back” Maddison returned in a reassuring tone. Travis made his way down the stairs, his eyes immediately falling on Elyza. Concern twisted the corners of his mouth, yet his eyes remained open and understanding.  

“Uh and who might this be?”

“I was just trying to get to the bottom of that.” Maddison shot a piercing look at Alicia, raising her eyebrows expectantly. The girl crossed her arms in a show of defiance. Elyza had grown to know the look that had crept over the other girl’s face. Her thoughts moved rapidly, allowing for her to quickly interject before Alicia could slam her mother with a scathing retort,

“I’m the one who saved your daughter. She managed to get herself into a bit of a bind. I helped get her unbound. Sorry it took a little longer than expected, your daughter is a bit pig headed.” Elyza felt the burning look of irritation Alicia was giving her, but she didn’t break eye contact with Maddison. She knew the woman was assessing her, trying to understand the kind of person she was. After a moment her posture relaxed. Her eyes remained guarded; a genuine smile slowly tugging at her lips,

“I appreciate you taking care of her, and making sure she got back here in one piece.”

“And who exactly is this?”

Elyza turned her head towards the new voice. A man slowly emerged from the shadows, crossing the room in long precise strides. Elyza’s fel her skin prickle with each step he took. There was something about this man that raised her hackles. 

“You want the whole explanation or the Spark Notes version?” she shot at him.

“Well aren’t you a scrappy one.” A slight hint of admiration in his voice.

“Strand this is Elyza, she helped Alicia get back here.” Maddison offered in a succinct summation of the events that had transpired.

“Glad our lovely Alicia was saved from her regrettably stupid mistake.”

Elyza glowered, her fists balling at her side. Pain seared through her hand. Blood renewed its flow, hot and fresh from the wound she had sustained from the hunting blade. All eyes turned to Elyza and the dark crimson drops settling on the floor. Alicia crossed over to her and gently took her arm.

“I’m going to take her up to the bathroom. She needs to get cleaned up.”

Maddison and Travis turned to Strand, waiting for him to veto the action. He simply stood there, eyes assessing the blonde girl. Alicia pulled Elyza gently over to the stairs, giving her a small reassuring smile. They ascended to the second floor landing, Elyza following numbly behind Alicia. The surge of adrenaline that had been coursing through her system was beginning to fade. With each passing minute she was becoming acutely aware of each scrape and bruise she had sustained. Alicia reached her hand around the corner of the dark room. A light flickered briefly before illuminating the space, vanquishing the shadows. Elyza blinked slowly, confused by the sudden incursion of light. Alicia noticed the crinkled brow of the other girl and laughed softly.

“How is this even possible right now” Elyza pointed at the light, terrified she was hallucinating. Her muscles screamed with the action and she quickly let her arm fall limp to her side.

“This is Strand’s loft. It’s equipped with a backup generator and water reserves, hence the lights. Believe it or not we were actually making our way to one of his other properties, when we had to make an unforeseen stop. The plan is to hopefully get back on track and make our way still to that other house.” Elyza nodded her head slowly not really hearing what the other girl had said. Alicia saw the exhaustion taking root in the other girl’s brilliant blue eyes. The gleam had been dulled, pain lanced through them. Alicia crossed the room to the shower and turned it on. A weak smile played across the blonde girl’s face,

“Going to try and get me naked already Ms. Clark?”

Alicia shook her head in exasperation. Elyza slowly undid the button on her jeans. The breath in Alicia’s chest caught, she looked up quickly at the blonde. Fire danced through Elyza’s eyes, burning up the exhaustion in it’s wake. Alicia scurried quickly passed the other girl, closing the door definitively behind her. She leaned against the door, fighting to maintain her resolve. How was it possible that this girl was able to fluster her so? She shook her head slowly, and made her way down the hall to her room.

[saltyqueerfanfic-blog]

The Meeting Conclusion

Alicia watched, confusion breaking through her carefully composed mask. She stood staring down at the blonde as she rummaged in her pack.

“Ah there you are” Elyza cheerfully exclaimed as she withdrew her hand.

“Seriously Elyza?” Alicia stared baffled at the ipod sitting in the girl’s outstretched hand, “I don’t think now is the right time for a dance party.”

The characteristic smirk reappeared on the blonde girl’s face, temporarily softening her features.

“Ok smart ass, why don’t you listen for just a minute”

Alicia pursed her lips and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Elyza continued.

“There is about enough battery in this bad for maybe three songs, four if you’re exceptionally lucky.” Alicia’s exasperated eyes pushed the blonde onward, she needed to lay the plan out before she lost the other girl’s attention.

“There is a playlist called run, it’s mostly hard rock and a splash of punk.” Alicia’s nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Not everyone listens to top 40 bullshit princess,” Elyza quickly continued cutting off Alicia’s biting retort, “the point is I want you to put these bad boys in your ears, crank it, and run. Don’t look back, just run till you make it to your camp.”

She took Alicia’s free hand and placed the device in her palm, closing her fingers definitively over it. She looked up to find blazing green eyes burning a hole right through her.

“This is stupid I’m not leaving you.”

“Sweetcheeks you’re no fighter, and I’m getting you back in one piece.” Alicia was momentarily taken aback by the fierceness of Elyza’s words.

“Besides you’re not leaving me, I’ll be right behind you. Have to make sure you don’t get lost after all this.” Elyza joked feebly.  

Alicia stared at the dirt streaked girl who had saved her; this girl who ignited deep rooted sense of knowing and safety and she fought to hold back tears. The weight of a lifetime of goodbyes fell between them. Alicia took a small tentative step, closing the distance between them. She noticed Elyza go stiff, her breath all but stopped. The past danced between them, weaving elusively in and out, fueling the moment.  

Elyza felt the buried sense of familiarity flare in her mind. It prickled at her subconscious, like a dog on a chain; a bone just out of reach. Elyza’s muscles screamed for movement, for the remaining distance between the two girls to be closed. The air sizzled and popped, teasing the two of them. Her conscious screamed for the moment to cumulate into the twining of their bodies. A good bye they had been deprived of before; a goodbye that tore at the core of her, opening long sealed wounds she didn’t even know she had. A familiar name settled on Elyza’s lips, but before her conscious had time to process, the dark abyss of her subconscious bristled and severed the slow emerging memories. She blinked at the vulnerable emerald eyed girl standing before her and knew she couldn’t allow herself a good bye, not yet. She leaned into Alicia and brushed a feather light kiss across her cheek. “Run.” She whispered soft yet forcefully. She turned quickly out of the alley before she could be stopped.

Alicia’s cheek burned where the other girl’s lips had been. She choked back her swirling emotions, sealing them firmly in the depths of her mind. She put the headphones in, and with a shaky breath hit play. A harsh rasping scream filled her ears. The music pulsed, igniting her nerve endings. The music plucked at her conscious teasing it into an amped up frenzy. Elyza’s last word was seared into her mind, the music danced in and out of it, giving it a whole new life. Alicia clenched her fists and emerged from the alley at a sprint.

Elyza had thrown a rock as she had rushed from the alley. As intended the walkers had turned their heads towards the clattering sound. Elyza’s scent drew their attention to her, and they began to close the distance.

“Good” she thought, “that’s it, come closer you dead pieces of shit.” Alicia tore out of the alley, Elyza smirked taking a minute to appreciate the sight of the girl running away from her. Horror overtook appreciation; one of the furthest walkers rounded on Alicia knocking her off balance. She stumbled catching herself on her hands and knees. Elyza felt her temper flare; this was not happening again. She side stepped the closest walker, lashing out viciously with the knife. The walker crumpled as she tore past it. She danced out of the reach of another corpse, closing the distance between her and Alicia. The walker clung to Alicia’s ankle, teeth gnashing in a desperate frenzy to taste the girl’s soft skin.

“Fuck there’s not enough time.” Elyza thought desperately. Jaw set, she flipped the knife into her hand; the blade bit into her palm. Anger and determination dulled the sharp ting where the weapon cut into her skin. Elyza took aim and let the knife fly. It soared through the air with deadly precision, embedding itself deep into the skull of the walker. It went limp and Alicia looked back in shock.

“Run god damn it!” Elyza screamed at her. She rounded and kicked a walker in the chest sending it backward and away from her. She pulled the shot gun free from its nesting place, and blasted the skull of another one of the undead. She turned in time to see Alicia round the corner out of sight. Elyza breathed a small sigh of relief and started running after her. Her eyes settled on the discarded mass on the ground a few feet in front of her. She quickly reloaded the gun and fired, taking out the closest walker. She rushed over to the mass and began throwing the fallen art supplies into the plastic bag.

“Jesus she is clearly not a light shopper” Elyza threw the last can of paint into the bag as dead hands took hold of her pack. The unexpected weight caused the blonde girl to lose balance and hit the ground. The impact caused the air to explode from her lungs, “shit” her brain gasped. Blackness tugged at the edges of her vision.    

Alicia’s lungs were seizing, leg muscles twitching. The angry pulsations of the music pushed her on. She saw the apartment appearing, relief flooded through her momentarily washing away the pain searing through every fiber of her body. She registered the taste of salt on her lips, tears poured unabashed down her cheeks. She reached the building and collapsed on the side walk, sobs wracking her body. The music was suddenly gone from her ears, the silence fueling her sobs.

“Elyza” the thought surged through her body with such ferocity it pulled her back to her feet. She scanned the end of the street waiting for the blonde to round it with her cocky smile plastered all over her features. Minutes passed with no appearance of the other girl. Alicia felt a renewed sense of fear take hold of her, but this time it felt different. This wasn’t a fear for her life, this was a fear for her heart. A fear that she might have lost something precious that she didn’t fully understand yet. A cold sweat broke out over her skin, as she fought back a sob. She wiped furiously at her eyes, pleading with herself to keep it together. Movement at the end of the street caused her to look up.

Alicia’s heart caught in her chest, her emotions broke free from the tenuous cage she had been housing them in. She felt herself sprinting back down the street, all traces of exhaustion wiped clean. She ran full force into the body in front of her, momentarily knocking them both off balance. They corrected and Alicia wrapped her arms tightly around the body. She felt arms encircle her waist and hold her tightly.

“Elyza” she sobbed and pulled the girl closer.

“Hey sweetcheeks you’re crushing me; I sort of need to be able to breathe.”

Alicia pulled back from the girl and quickly looked her over. She was covered in dirt and blood, a bruise forming on her jaw. A fresh cut on her hand dripped large dark drops of blood onto the pavement at her side. Pain tugged at the corners of the girl’s sparkling blue eyes. Seeing Elyza in pain stripped Alicia’s nerves leaving her feeling raw and helpless. She looked down and noticed a full plastic bag in the girl’s uninjured hand.

Elyza followed Alicia’s eyes, turning her wrist ever so slightly. The art store logo slowly rotated into view.

Alicia made no attempt to stop the tears that cascaded down her cheeks. She looked up at Elyza, her eyes had softened back to their liquid blue, a small warm smile tugged at her lips. Alicia moved without thinking. Her arms wrapped around Elyza’s neck. Pulling the girl in close, Alicia kissed her soft and slow. She felt the blonde stiffen and immediately soften again as she pulled Alicia in closer. Familiarity once again danced around them, fueling the embrace. Alicia kissed the other girl harder, causing her subconscious to explode behind her eyes. Familiar images danced their way across her eyelids. Elyza’s dirt streaked face stared back at her, yet Alicia knew it wasn’t Elyza; not exactly. Despite her ability to recognize the inconsistency between the two versions, Alicia felt just as drawn to the image of the girl currently burning in her mind. Understanding danced within her conscious reach, she pushed trying desperately to understand what all this meant. Matt’s face suddenly flashed through her mind, and she felt herself falter. The understanding that had been within her reach fled back into her subconscious. Alicia immediately broke the kiss, awkwardly taking a step back.

Elyza felt a void open between them. A voiced whispered softly inside her head, halting her from closing the distance again,

“Don’t, this needs to be her choice, just like it once was yours.” The words were punctuated with a sense of prophetic foresight, serving as a much needed braking system.

Alicia chewed on her lip. She didn’t understand what was between her and this girl, but a small voice inside her was urging her to find out.

“So you’re not gay huh?”

The harsh Australian accent cut through Alicia’s thoughts like a white hot blade. She felt herself bristle.

“I’m not.” The words came out confident enough, but doubt gnawed at the back of Alicia’s mind. Much to her surprise Elyza didn’t argue, merely shrugged and handed the art supplies to Alicia.

“Well sweetcheeks I better be on my way. Mission save the princess was a rousing success, on to find more fair damsels in need.” Elyza bowed mockingly and turned to go. Alicia grabbed her arm and turned her back around.

“Look you’re alone, and lord knows we need a fighter with us. Stay. This could be good for all of us.”

Elyza looked from Alicia’s hand on her arm, to her piercing emerald eyes. The hidden subtext of Alicia’s words reflected back in those beautifully intense windows into the inner workings of her mind. She nodded her head slowly, she didn’t think she would ever be able to say no to those eyes.