solitude

wes dunham. 34. springhill suites. hunter.

[wesdunhamx-blog]

◎ littlexxlottie

Lottie looked over at the the other for a moment before she smiled, “Didn’t expect to see you here..”  she said as she stood by her kitchen sink cleaning some vegetables which she had planned on having for dinner later that day.. She turned around, and wiped her hands on the apron she had tightened around her waist as she leaned back against the sink, looking at the familiar man.

Wes smiled at the sight of Lottie in the kitchen. She always made him feel so warm inside, she gave him a sense of security that was rare to come by in the past twenty years. When he was around Lottie, despite having known her only since Cheyenne, it was as though things were the way they’d been so many decades ago. As if he could just walk out right there and go to the supermarket, and worry about the never-ending lines rather than whether or not there was enough to go by the winter. 

He flung a dead rabbit on the table. Meat was rare, but he’d spotted the animal scurrying in the bushes and had not hesitated. Wes grinned widely, like a little boy proud of his work at school.  “Well, you know... It’s been a bit since I stopped by like this, thought I’d help for dinner,”  He wasn’t one to visit old friends spontaneously. They usually just crossed paths with him. But Lottie was one of the few he’d really known from Cheyenne, and he did care about her. So, here he was, a rabbit in his arm and the biggest smile plastered on his face. “Hope you’re not done there, that way I can help out, or something,”

[gosh]

They call you heartless but you have a heart and I love you for being ashamed to show it.

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

(via incantevoles)

[wesdunhamx-blog]

※ rorydamiani

“Nymeria, come on.” If there was one thing that Rory would rather do than befriend this man standing before her, it would be fight a whole crowd of walkers — if only those monsters still existed ; sure, they DID but there were far less of them now, stuck between buildings and left to rot. The girl — woman now — watched as her beloved dog snuggled up to the stranger. If she valued her damn life, she would follow Rory’s voice like she always did. “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull but I want you to stop.” This one, the menace in her voice not clear enough to be heard, was addressed to the man. “We need to go home and you’re not allowed to come home with us.” What has made her so bitter? It was the fact that this was the survivor who saved her ass that time where her recklessness cost her a life ; her OWN. “I can’t afford having you around when all you do is brag about your one-time rescue.”

“Hey,” Wes’ smirk faded and he pet the dog one last time, “Come on, I was just kidding around,” He tried remaining serious but it proved difficult and, in a joking tone he added, “I mean you obviously didn’t need me there,” He stopped abruptly at her words I want you to stop. Harsh, piercing. Whatever, he tried to convince himself.  “Sure, go home. Doesn’t look like this one wants to leave without me though. At least someone’s grateful,” he retorted, he tried to sound just as harsh, but this didn’t work since his eyes were all over the woman’s dog. He hadn’t seen one as cute as this in ages. “Fine. I’ll stop. I won’t even help anyone anymore, can’t get as much as a thank you nowadays.”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

❀ littlexxlottie

“It’s not that one i’d worry about making havoc.. “ she said and watched him as she probably would´ve prefered the walker on the ground before the stronger man standing in front of her… She looked at him and smirked before letting out a slight chuckle as she heard what he had planned to do next, leaning the arrow head on his chest for a slight minute, “Think you can handle that? All on your lonesome..?” she said, just teasing him. Sure it was the end of the world, and dead things where everywhere, but you had  to have some fun now and again.

He lightly chuckled before responding, “I don’t think you need to worry about me, either. I only wreak things when needed,” Wes was pretty calm, or at least he gave off that feeling by not showing much of what he actually felt. In any case, he was enjoying Lottie’s company a bit more than expected, and he thought an extra pair of hands could come in handy. It couldn’t hurt to ask, could it? “Generally, I could, but you seem like you could be a lot of help. Want to tag?”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

☞ littlexxlottie

Lottie looked over at him as he seemed to have snapped out whatever thoughts he was in, and looked over at her. Seeing the look on his face she looked around herself for a second, unsure why he looked so surprised.. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her before. He’d actually seen her a lot but that was besides the point.

“Here?” she said before hearing the sentence that came next. “I don’t know why.. Call it intuition or what not, but i saw this kinda thing coming.. And they wouldve needed me if that thing had lived for a any longer..” she said, and lowered the bow, throwing it back over her shoulder before walking over to him to retrieve the arrow..

“Oh, okay, good...” He was relieved it was her, honestly. Anyone else and he would have felt even more intruded upon than with Lottie. He knew her, and he didn’t worry too much about it. He just liked being alone, but maybe for once, a little company wouldn’t be so bad ? “Yeah, I get you. You shouldn’t worry too much about it, I doubt this thing would have broken much havoc. But, thanks, anyway,” he cracked a small, friendly smile. It was nice someone cared.  “Well, I should go find some food, wouldn’t want to starve when everyone else is trying to eat us.”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

☀︎ noahashbury

    Finally getting a good look at the man, an even deeper familiarity settled in — A CONNECTION. Perhaps it was all in his head, the whole déjà vu bullshit had seemed to be happening a lot lately. But there was something… different? Unsure.

    Noah made certain that his hands were out in the open. It was one thing he learned from his father, especially with Los Angeles police. Keep your hands in a visible place, make sure they know you aren’t holding your gun, ready for fire.

    The voice, even more recognizable.

              ( Faces aged faster than voices changed. )

    It was clear to Noah that he struck a familiarity with the man as well, the look on his face making it seem as though he was searching for the answers. Subconsciously, he mirrored the stranger’s face, equal amounts of confusion on both ends. “What the fuck? I know you from somewhere.”

         It wasn’t every day that Wes crossed paths with a familiar face. Of course, he knew the faces of the people who were in his group. That was the good thing, though, he didn’t have to worry about not seeing a single face, except for the occasional one that would want to shoot him over a can of beans. He’d already been through that, and certainly wasn’t planning on living that again anytime soon-- as long as Springhill Suites was still there.               But this was different. He didn’t recognize the face or the voice from anyone he’d seen since the outbreak. He would have immediately clicked if it had been someone he’d met in the past year or so.                       After all, he hadn’t crossed paths with that many people. No, this had to be from before.                                       “Yeah, somewhere...” Wes furrowed his brows trying to remember. He saw a party. Drinks. Drugs. The usual. He couldn’t clearly remember anything, but he’d seen this guy’s face for sure. “What the fuck...” he muttered.

[wesdunhamx-blog]

➣ fvccvbvs

Nadja Bowman was NO HERO. It was apparent to her the first time she watched Star Wars as a rambunctious kid and he first thought was the sith are fucking cool. It was apparent to her at fourteen when, instead of standing up to her father when she caught him cozying up to one of his students she didn’t confront him or her mother, but instead smashed his car windows in with her skateboard. She’d lived her life under the credo that she didn’t give a fuck about anyone else but herself.

Still, despite her best efforts she was NO VILLAIN either. She’d denied it when she busted a guy’s nose for grabbing some girl’s ass in her bar. She denied it still when she hugged her best friend Rosario just THAT MUCH TIGHTER after a close call. And she denied it to herself ever time she helped a survivor out that she didn’t have to.

After a relatively unsuccessful booze scavenging trip, Nadja had been chain-smoking and kicking rocks on her way home–shotgun slung over her shoulder, SMACKING against her backpack with every ambling step, bat hung across her shoulder. The scrambling sound of the dead hardly registered with her anymore and it wasn’t until she heard a very ALIVE gasp that she gave any semblance of a fuck. Spotting the man and the small child that’s teeth gnashed for his flesh, Nadja rolled her eyes and flicked the almost-done cigarette to the ground, stomping on the butt as she picked up her pace towards him. “Goddamnit.” She muttered in annoyance, grateful that she’d never had any hangups about taking out DEAD CHILDREN.

The bat was spray painted black on the end, and she’d spent HOURS hammering nails into it one rainy afternoon in the fall. It came down HARD on the girl’s head ( dead fucking center ) with a hearty CRACK. “You know the little one’s are worth like–fuck–I don’t know. Eighty points or some shit?” The smirk on her face was one of unbridled amusement and hubris as she groped the inner pocket of her leather jacket for a pack of smokes. “You need a hand there, buddy?”

“Oh, really?” Wes practically mumbled. Words full of surprise, unlike his voice, which was somewhat monotone.

Wes wasn’t one to see killing as a game. Sure, the things were already dead anyway, but bashing in brains was still some serious shit in his mind.  In fact, he’d never really thought about killing them off in any way until now. Perhaps he felt like this because he’d been startled by the woman’s presence and, above all, the fact that she’d just killed off his alone time-- and the dead kid at his feet. Wes was rarely afraid but, when he felt someone intruded on him during private moments like this one, he was afraid of one thing. Afraid they’d see he was weak. 

WEAK was what his father called him his entire childhood and part of his adolescence.             He was WEAK because he had done nothing to save his sister.             He was WEAK because he cried at night thinking about Libby.             He was WEAK because he didn’t ask a certain girl to the winter ball in middle school.             He was WEAK because he’d rather run away than face his fucking father.

At least being weak was something.                                       His mother ignored him.

“Just thought it was about to bite me. Didn’t think I needed to shoot it since it’s stuck, you came just at the right time, thanks,”

Wes eyed her, curious as to who she was.

“My group’s dinner just ran away because I got distracted,” he chuckled, making fun of himself, “Just need to find something to replace a whole deer,”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

⌖ moutthsxmadexofxknives

This blonde stranger has managed to wander his way into her neck of the woods, and considering the fact that she didn’t know this mother fucker from adam, she’d begun to follow him. Regardless of the fact that these days, Cassidy was often either drunk or high, she was still capable of being quiet when she needed to be. She’d been following the man for at least an hour, making certain he didn’t find and up and steal her shit like the last asshole that intruded onto her property. And she’d been keeping to herself, right up until she watched the next scene unfold.

Cassidy watched the man in silence as he aimed the gun at the zombie’s temple, this was nothing strange. What was different, however, what seemed to piss the redhead off, was the fact that after several moments, he moved the gun instead. Seeming to decide not to put the moving.. snarling living infection out of it’s misery.

Something about his empathy, weakness in her mind, it seemed to piss her off. It seemed to spur her forward. Moving from her hiding place in a crash of brush and dried leaves and twigs, Cassidy made her way toward him. Fierce, sea-green eyes shifted from the man to the scrambling, rotting girl on the ground, before she lifted one heavy, steel toed combat boot. For someone as small as her, barely 5'4, she brought her foot down onto it’s rotting skull with surprising force, caving it in and effectively stopping the snarling and squirming with one sickening squelching sound, before she turned her gaze on him.

“Hey, sunshine? Try to save that fucking bleeding heart bullshit for living things. You know, things that can’t hide in the goddamned brush and infect anyone that comes this way after you’re fucking gone? They’re a walking goddamned disease, jackass. Every single one of these mother fuckers that’s still left moving is one that’s going to kill someone else. Namely me, considering you’re traipsing around in my fucking territory.” It was an odd scene, someone so small reprimanding a man twice her size as her eyes narrowed up at him.

“Jesus.”

Wes had seen it all. He’d seen junkies ODing on his carpet, gangs shooting at each other from across the street, kids slipping baggies into their lunchboxes. He’d seen lots of shit before the outbreak hit, and everything that came after was the same shit but messed up in a different kind of way.

What he’d never seen was someone as small as her daring to stand up to him for no fucking reason.

“Your territory?” He didn’t flinch, he only frowned, but he avoided raising his voice. She was mad enough as it was, he wasn’t going to provoke her for no reason.

“Now, whoever you are, don’t get on your high horse, giving me lessons and all. I’m not about to spend sacred bullets on a rotting corpse that can barely move. Thank. You. Very. Much.”

He genuinely had no idea anyone lived there. If he had, he would have been more discreet, taken what he could without being seen. He wasn’t stupid, but she seemed to think otherwise. 

Wes cleared his throat and took a step back,

“Whatever. Forget it, I didn’t know you camped here, I’m only looking for food.”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

“I hurt myself today to see if I still feel, I focus on the pain⏤ the only thing that's real.”

☞ WES DUNHAM ☞ 52 ☞ BRAD PITT

✘ BIO

⏤ The memory of his sister remains, but with the days growing longer and the nights growing darker, it has become more distant and affects him less than it did twenty years ago. 

⏤ Wes is still distant and secretive, he likes to keep to himself but is loyal and protective when he’s grown close to someone. He’s kept a few of his friends for over eighteen years.

⏤ With the camps falling, Wes was unsure where to go. He started off living in different abandoned buildings close to camp, sometimes in abandoned cars and vans. He still hunts like he used to, something useful that he’s good at.

✘ PLOTS

▹ ▹ ▹

[wesdunhamx-blog]

❖ ofcelestes

walkers were not human beings. celeste was not a scientific person, but she knew that much. they were beyond their help. they were gone. in fact, they were inhumane and should be killed. she knew this !

                        so, why the hell couldn’t she do it ?

why did her hand tremble whenever she held a gun ? why did she see someone sister, son, wife whenever she tried to kill a walker ?? what had changed inside her during the outbreak ? celeste could still remember when she had been on the front lines of a war. this was just infuriating to her. so, when the shot was never fired by the male, she was a little taken back. it even made her come out of her hiding.

“ so, i’m not the only one that can’t kill those things ? “ she asked out of nowhere as she stepped out of her hiding spot. “ sorry. that was totally creepy, right ? “

Wes looked at his feet for a little longer, sighed, put his gun away. He just couldn’t do it. This had nothing to do with who this kid could have been. They’d all been someone’s sister, daughter, mother, father, brother. They’d all lived lives before this. They’d all gone to school, had a job, cared for people. He couldn’t because the guilt, over twenty years later, still gnawed at him, grasped at his heart, ate him up. Twenty two years had gone by, and he’d spent each day hating himself over it, just like his parents had after that day.

He turned to look at where the voice came from, his lips tight, barely twitching. He thought a bit before speaking,

“No.” Wes bluffed, “I’m not about to waste my bullets on a thing that can barely take a hold of my ankle,”

He couldn’t help but smirk a bit, “Don’t worry. Do you usually hide behind trees spying on people?”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

  ✯ winglessrossi

        ☾ ➳   Angel had found himself watching the blonde-haired man - he ALSO had his eyes on the deer, but he was mostly certain that the other had arrived first.   And honestly, if he failed - Angel had his Glock poised and ready.

      However - the deer slipped away as they both were distracted; Angel spotted the undead creature snapping at the other’s leg and turned his gun to the threat.   He watched as he hesitated - and then refused to fire, and Angel found himself wondering why - but Lord knew it was not his place to ask.

      “Hey - you - did you get bit?”

Wes turned to the male voice behind him. There was nothing he hated more than felling disturbed.  He felt like a teenager, making all the efforts to hide whatever it was he was doing. Difference was that with Wes, this kind of did work.

“Fuck no. I’m good, just no point in wasting my ammo on this thing,” he lied.

Wes put his gun back in his belt, took his knife out instead. “So... You from around?” He asked, taking a couple of steps back-- just in case.

[wesdunhamx-blog]

✹ gabriellexjackson

As Gabrielle heard another’s voice she could help but be DRAWN to it much like a sailor would a sirens call, so she walked lightly and hid watching the scene play out in front of her. Watching closely as the man halted on shooting the young zombie, she understood all to well what that was like; that reminders of those you had lost when the whole world basically changed overnight. She nervously played with the pastel pink rosary ( her last reminder of a mother’s love long forgotten ) that was wrapped tightly around her wrist and stepped out. “Sometimes you don’t have to kill them.” She whispered voice smooth as silk and almost as light as the puffs of hot air that poured from her mouth in the icey air.  

Wes stepped back. The soft voice barely startled him, but he regained his posture and nodded, “Yeah, it’s not worth wasting a bullet over anyway. The thing’s stuck,” It was hard, pretending he didn’t give a damn, but that was something that hadn’t changed since the whole world blew over.  Well, she seemed harmless but Wes wasn’t stupid. “Who’re you? What are you doing alone out here?”

[wesdunhamx-blog]

❅ liketoyzombies

The winter season had once been Olivia’s favorite. Cold gnawing at her cheeks as she watched the children run around in the snow, letting it dip their clothes in water right to the tip of their toes. There was something innocent about the frigid weather, something pure. Now, however, with no happy children and no real way to keep warm besides lighting a damn fire ( in her case, anyhow ), there was little about the cold she liked. What was worse, though, was when she had to venture outside.  While Olivia was certainly working out her issues, she hadn’t quite gotten around to sporting boots yet. The brunette promised herself she would eventually – someday. Just not yet. How an item of clothes could trigger much of anything was a bewildering though( a pathetic one, too ).

This was why she found herself walking on humid ground, not quite snow but fresh still, and feeling the cold creep up those tattered Converse she could barely even call shoes. Treading through the wild like she knew where the fuck she was going ( she really didn’t ). Coping was strange, Olivia came to realize, and strange things caused inexplicable things. Like this walk. Like how she found a rough looking character pointing a gun at an undead. An undead child. Oh, but no shots were fired. No bang painted the air. Nothing. Instead the stranger lowered his weapon and meanwhile, Olivia felt that familiar shot of panic shooting through her system.You’ve got this, she told herself – she’d been working on this. On not letting things like this – an undead child – trigger her. The panic was there, though, latent like adrenaline injected through the heart. “Well, fuck me,” she nearly whispered, knowing full well her attention should be directed at the blonde man with a gun and not the child that could not do her any real harm( oh, but it most certainly could ).

He closed his eyes and exhaled loudly, letting the cold breeze brush his cheeks. The cold was sharp, like a knife, but if he just closed his eyes for a second a stream of memories came crashing down.  The cold, winter wind turned into the hot rays of Florida sun. He remembered fake snow fights with Libby on the beach, where they’d throw humid sand at each other before jumping in the sea. He remembered the warm rain, how they’d walk right through it soaking wet, wearing only tank tops and shorts. He remembered sitting in front of the TV with little Libby lying next to him as the block of ice melted and the fan blew cold droplets on their faces. He remembered Libby and her light hair, the dimples on her cheeks and her high-pitched laugh. He could almost forget that last memory so long ago, forget that he was the reason they’d never seen her again.

Wes slowly turned around, loosely holding his gun. He knew he didn’t risk much around here, he’d have been aware. He didn’t expect finding a figure standing behind him, though. His grasp on his handgun immediately tightened,

“Who are you?” He asked the brunette. For some reason, he didn’t feel an immediate threat, but he would still be careful.

[wesdunhamx-blog]

☾ littlexxlottie

Why she had felt compelled to follow the man as he went out hunting, she didn’t know.. It was as if something in her made her feet move in the direction he had walked, as well as being as quiet as she possibly could be. Only managing to grab a hold of a bow, she walked through the woods, she looked around, seeing nothing but trees, leafs and the occasional walker in the far distance. Finally looking up she watched as the man had stopped dead in his tracks, gun raised in his hand, she awaited the sound of a shot, which never came..

It was then that she watched his glaze fall to the ground, as well as his hands as she barely heard the sound that came from him. She picked up her pace and walked over to him, seeing that it was a walker trying to get at his leg, and he didn’t do anything.. he did nothing to try and kill it..  she flung the bow over her shoulder, and got an arrow before placing it against the wire and pulling the line back, creating tension as she pointed it at the wakers head, only taking seconds before letting go of the line and the arrow itself buried itself into the walkers soft skull, being sure that it wouldn’t get back up any time soon..

“Wha--” Wes had no time to be startled, she had a clear shot and the thing stopped moving almost immediately.  By then, he’d also recognized Charlotte from his group.  Seeing her wasn’t surprising. Seeing her outside of Springhill was.  He couldn’t help but wonder why she was out here with him, instead of back at camp caring for people like she usually did.

“Whu- what are you doing here?” He finally stuttered, still quite surprised she was out here, killing off the undead. “Don’t they need you back at camp or something?” Wes couldn’t help his voice from sounding harsh, arrogant. He was used to hunting on his own, he enjoyed the solitude and was more than content with his own company. He always had to pretend with other people-- pretend he was stronger than he really made himself believe.

[wesdunhamx-blog]

☀︎ noahsashbury

    For the most part, Noah was a stumbling mess, lost in the woods without a clue where to go. He wasn’t like most people, didn’t have a knack for knowing which direction to go. He knew places by landmarks and every square inch of the woods looked exactly the same. It was scattered with dead bodies, littered with trees and useless supplies dropped by others. In other words, this whole thing was a complete waste of time.

    The low mumble of another could be heard, but it sparked none of Noah’s interest. He made no efforts to run towards it, but he did find himself slowly inching closer to whoever had spoken. Hidden behind bushes, Noah found himself watching the familiar looking man just stare at the walker that nipped at his heels, desperately trying to rip flesh from bones.

    With brows furrowed together, the man stepped out from the bush, his eyes scanning over the situation. Those eyes — oh how they displayed such sadness. Noah could empathize with, could see the way the walkers bring up emotions and memories of what used to be.

    “You don’t always have to shoot,” He finally said, breaking his looming silence.

His eyes couldn’t leave the struggling dead child at his feet. It didn’t look like her at all, but to think that she could have turned into this... He felt as though he could cry. Half-hoping she had survived all these years and was still alive somewhere, half-wishing her abductor had killed her so that she didn’t have to go through the shit he did.

Finally, Wes put the gun back in its holster and took a knife out in its stead for protection. Guns would be useless for simple scavenging, and he’d probably attract more of the undead.  He let out a long sigh before being startled by a voice,

“Who the fuck are you?” He let out, his voice full of surprise. He cocked a brow in confusion, he was pretty sure this guy’s face was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it...

[wesdunhamx-blog]

Wes slowly stepped behind a tree, his eyes focused on a deer a few feet in front of him.  Leaves crackled beneath his feet, he stepped on a branch, his breath fogged the cold air in front of him. Then, for an instant, everything was immobile.  He was about to position himself when out of nowhere he felt a hand grasp his calf...

“Holy fu--”

He tugged his leg free and saw an undead girl biting at him. Wes took a step back, aimed with his handgun at its forehead, but his finger wouldn’t press the trigger.

                         There was something about undead little girls that got to him.

                     They reminded him too much of her. Libby. Sweet, harmless Libby.

He stared at the pitiful, gnawing thing at his feet, but couldn’t get himself to do it. Looking up, he noticed the deer was gone.  Maybe going back to find some empty place to scavenge canned goods would be a better idea to gather enough food for this time.