with the itchio news being what it is, the entirety of SAD SACK is still up but has indeed been delisted (which sucks cus we were like parked on page 1 of the search for best performing horror comix for years, womp womp)
we’re still up permanently on GODLESS.COM but ill be doing a more proper post about it later with links & the like, mostly not looking forward to having to update all links to redirect lol
finally my next fan art piece for SAD SACK, created by the outstanding @meanbossart and @barbatusart! god damn i've been so busy i haven't had time to do more, but my recent rereads have been EXTREMELY inspiring
BOG has quickly become the book I return to the most (though honestly my favourite chapter really depends on which one I'm actively reading). Garv you sick fuck. going through each book, paying special attention to ANY character is so revealing, and Garv's such a fascinating foil to witness it's RIDICULOUS.
to me, Garv is SAD SACK.
Had a lot of fun with this one! it's been forever since I've had to use myself as pose reference - made me feel like i really made it, honestly.
god i cant wait until i have more money so i can keep reading sortie
Part 1 - Part 1.5 - Part 2 - Part 2.5 - Part 3 - Part 3.5 - Part 4 - Part 4.5
Part 5 - Part 5.5 - Part 6 - Part 6.5 - Part 7 - Part 7.5 - Part 8 -Part 8.5
WC: 1521 CW: None
It was past midnight when they finally released him. The sky was alight with sparkles and the smell of sulfur, but his insides were writhing in darkness.
Over an hour of grilling where he refused to talk, refused to change his story. Only one question left unanswered- Where was Tahny now?
He flipped open his phone, five texts and a missed call from Hunter. They had been expected at the new years gathering and never showed. He clicked on Tahny's number:
“Where are you? Are you okay?”
He didn't send it, instead clicking on the phone icon to open a call.
Beep
Beep
Beep
“Hey, it's T, you know what to do,”
The away message chimed
“Tahny, it's Cross, pick up,”
He hung up, and immediately dialed again. And again.
No answer.
He sent the text, and called Hunter instead.
“Cross, what the fuck, man, you missed the countdown! You two couldn't stop hum-”
“Hunt, I need a ride. I'm at the police station,”
…
“What the hell are you there for,”
“It was a bad night. Really bad, my car’s still on the other side of town, can you come get me?”
“... I would, you know I would, Cross, but I'm really drunk and-”
“Fine, fine… I'll get a ride share thing,”
Typical.
“You sure? You don't sound-”
“It's fine… is Kat there? Has she heard from Tahn?”
“Her and Will left a little bit ago but I'll put some feelers out.”
“Thanks,”
“Hey, why-”
He hung up cursing under his breath. He didn't have much in his account right now and checking the apps he could only afford a ride to campus. With the celebrations he'd probably have to wait till tomorrow to pick up his car.
He tried calling Tanya again as he waited. Still no answer. A cold feeling of dread started to coil in his middle, the rush of the night finally hitting him.
They were fucked. A man is dead.
~~~
Crosshair startled awake at the sound of Hunter snoring. He had gotten back to the dorm room a little after Cross had and promptly passed out.
He rubbed his hand over his face, surprised he had slept at all. It was still dark out, and he rolled over to grab his phone from the charger.
5:30 am.
Still nothing from Tahny.
He dialed her, hoping that whatever she was doing, wherever she was- she could talk to him.
The line clicked, a recorded message leaving him feeling empty.
“The number you have dialed is not in service, please hang up an-”
Disbelief washed over him as he hit redial.
The same message, every time he tried.
His jaw had never clenched so tight.
A few seconds and a message was typed out to Will.
A few agonizing hours and he had a new number to try.
“Who's this?”
Good, she was up.
“Kat, it's Crosshair. Have you heard from Tahny at all?”
“No… why?”
Her voice was suspicious, but tinged with obvious worry.
“It's too much to explain over the phone… can you meet me at the coffee shop off the main courtyard?”
“Uh, yeah, it'll take me a minute but I'll be there,”
“Thanks.”
The line clicked as she disconnected.
What now?
He hurriedly slipped his shoes on, debated changing since he slept in his clothes; decided to leave it.
Crosshair stared at his phone as he walked. Tanya didn't have any socials… well, not real ones. She had a very carefully maintained public persona taken care of by one of her dad's interns. He decided to message them any ways, one by one, finishing by the time he reached the main courtyard of the University.
He spotted the bright, strawberry hair as he walked up.
“Kat! Thanks for coming,”
“Hey… Cross, does this have to do with her phone being disconnected? Did you piss her off? She does that you know…”
He didn't. And he didn't think she was pissed at him… was she? No, that didn't make sense.
He gestured to the door and they ducked into the loud cafe. He grabbed a cheap black coffee and she ordered her usual before finding an unoccupied corner.
“What the hell is going on Cross? You look like hell.”
He explained, as brief as he could. The shoot, the asshole photographer, him being asked to leave and what he came back to.
At that Kat's mouth hung open, horror in her eyes.
“You're messing with me right?”
“I wish I was. I need to check her flat but my car is still at the crime scene.”
“I can drive us over,”
“Can you take me to my car? I need to be able to check her parents' house if she's not home.”
She agreed reluctantly, and they left with drinks in hand.
~~~
He got out of the car and waved a thanks to Kathy who leaned over the passenger side to look up at him through the window.
“I'm gonna check with those friends we talked about and hit a few of her alone spots… we'll find her, Cross”
He was grateful but didn't feel too confident as she eased away from the curb. He had checked the socials in the car, the staged accounts had blocked him.
They had already stopped by the flat, she hadn't been there. The bed was still rumpled as they had left it and the cups from yesterday’s morning coffee were still in the sink. Next stop was the estate uptown, and he wasted no time slipping into his car and starting the ignition.
The lit gatehouse came into view as he pulled into the long drive, rolling down his window.
“I can't let you in Mr. Hoia.”
“C’mon, Henry, that's bullshit,”
He had cultivated a report with the old guard man the days he spent with Tahny at her parents, and now Henry looked at him with pity in his eyes. He leaned out and against the car's doorframe.
“I have my orders, but even if I did let you in… she's not here,”
“Where is she then? Henry, what do you know?”
The old man sighed,
“She's been sent out of state, where I don't know,”
“What? Already?... Why?”
“I don't know anymore than that, and I was told to give you this,”
He passed him a heavy envelope, and stepped back into the small white guard building. Crosshair rolled up his window and opened it.
Inside was Tahny's phone. The outdated slide model felt small in his hand as he tapped the screen awake. Her usual background was gone, the default lighting his features as his heart sank once again.
The phone had been wiped. The only thing on it was an open notes app which read,
“You’ve been useful.”
~~~
He wasn't aware of himself as he drove away from the Ramos estate. The sun was already starting to dip towards the horizon and the orange light of sunset drenched everything in a way he simply couldn't appreciate. He was numb.
The car moved through the industrial district almost automatically. He wasn't sure why he was headed there, maybe just to curl up in the bed they had only started to call “theirs.”
Crosshair's breath caught as her building came into view, the lights were on.
Was Henry mistaken?
He was a little heavy on the gas as he closed the distance to the waterfront. Swinging into the underground garage a little too fast. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator and reaching for his key he had yet had the privilege to use, letting himself into the flat.
“Tahn-?”
But his call cut short.
The flat was empty. His voice bounced back to him off the polished concrete floor. The furniture, the racks of handmade garments, the rumpled bed and coffee cups were gone. Everything that had made it hers was gone. Even the faint smell of her perfume was pushed out by the scent of bleach.
Was it really over? Already? They had only just begun and now…
The cold of the stone wall seeped through his jacket as he slumped against it. The stress of the day finally crashed on him as he sank to the floor, burying his face in his hands.
He wanted to cry. His eyes stung, his face was hot, but no tears came. He wanted to scream and cry like he did when he was little but he just sat… an empty man in an empty flat.
Crosshair didn't track how long he stayed like that. Staring at the absence of her, but eventually it was too much. He lifted himself up onto legs that had fallen asleep, and stumbled away from the life he could have had. Back down the stairs, back to the garage… which wasn't empty.
Flanking his old beater of a vehicle were two squad cars. The respective officers leaned against them, waiting for his arrival.
“Mr. Hoia, we're going to need you to come with us,”
“... Why?”
But they had already moved behind him, the cold steel cuff ratcheting around his wrist.
“You're under arrest for the murder of Ryan Drecko,”
Seriously the jakolas are so sad that they took the original on then cropped to edit out the group to make it look like jd and Nic were only in this picture it’s a sad life when you have to create your own narrative
