#Brown Leather Camper Boots

[hottiesbooted]

Brazilian Model:  Isabeli Bergossi Fontana @isabelifontana

Magazine: Sports Illustrated, 2002.

Photography: Steward Shining

Location: Argentina.

[traumatrios]

her eyes invite you to approach

pairing … luke castellan x daughter of ares!reader

word count … 1.5k

warnings … vv suggestive, alcohol, luke is a perv, but it’s ok bc you are too 😊, not proofread

a/n … this chapters songs are: no1 party anthem by arctic monkeys and eyes without a face by billy idol

They were glowing, despite the dark brown hue that adorned his iris’. Luke’s eyes drew you in, halting the search for your sister your own eyes had been intent on finding.

The tool shed was used most often as a hotspot for parties instead of its intended use of holding tools for the strawberry fields and weapons for friendly games. The decorations of axes and spears settle a comfort in your body.

But those eyes; the way they had been fixated on you. They’d been staring at you for so long you began to feel the phantom pain of burning on your face. The muscles in your body tensed when they began to enlarge. You realize it’s because he was moving closer to you.

Sure, you were used to stares and pointed looks from other campers, it was a frequent response to your parentage. Being an Ares kid automatically meant you weren’t going to have many friends outside of your cabin. Your father’s reputation preceded you too much to not intimidate anyone.

But it didn’t seem to work on Luke Castellan. In fact, he was intimidating you. This is what he was known for; his daunting smirks and undeniable charm. It was no wonder he was the son of Hermes. But people knew better than to connect the dots to his face.

Soon enough, the tips of his worn black converse and your pointed boots were touching, as he nearly teleported in front of you. You were too lost in the clouds of your thoughts to pay attention to his stealthy path towards you.

“Luke,” you greeted, a friendly smile at-first-glance painted across your face. The fire that fueled the beating of your heart and the flow of your veins hidden behind the deep tint of your lips. 

The sound of your name coming from his lips already caused a ripple of nerves to weaken in your thighs. “I saw your sister walk out with my brother a couple minutes ago.”

You shrugged, adding more product to the pre-existent lip marks on your cup as the liquid trailed a burning sensation down your throat. “Unsurprising, they can’t keep their hands off of each other for more than 15 minutes.”

A cash register ding sounded in your mind as you began daydreaming about the smooth surface of 20 bucks being smacked into the palm of your hand when Clarisse realizes you won your bet. 

“You won’t be able to last 15 minutes in that shed,” you remember your remark to Clarisse a few hours before the party. 

“Wanna bet?” she commenced your inevitable win. “Only if you wanna lose, Lisa,” a shit eating smirk spread across your lips as your fingers curled around the other’s palm in a handshake. 

“Gods, stop calling me that!”

Luke’s laugh rumbled through his throat and touched every corner of the contained space and brought you back to the present. It made you realize how small the shed was. A chill ran down your spine.

Your eyes began to travel down the veins that bulge under the skin of his arm, disappearing behind the dark denim of his jean pockets. The other hand was clasped around the rim of his red solo cup. You realized this was the closest you all would get to regular teenagers. 

“I haven’t seen you in the arena recently, finally scared of me?” Luke tested, pulling your gaze from his arm. You tilted your head at his assumption.

“I’m sorry, I’ve been too busy having a life. Why, you miss me?” The comment causes a blush to adorn both of your faces, though you believe his was much deeper— it was pretty dark.

“Just miss beating you, s’all,” his voice quieted down to an intimate volume. And from the mere distance (or lack of), you knew it was one only you and him could hear. 

“Uh-huh,” you rolled your eyes playfully. The leather of your jacket sleeves rubbed against one another when you crossed them, peeling your eyes away from him to spectate the party. It was a weird combination— your cabin (Ares), the Dionysus twins (whom you could identify by their pale blonde curls), a gaggle of Aphrodite girls in the corner seducing a poor Hephaestus kid, a couple Hermes kids (including Luke) and you could’ve sworn you saw a few Athena kids rolling blunts through the window to outside.

Luke followed your gaze, the indistinct yet noisy conversations filling the air between your two. Then, he looked back at you. His attentive eyes swallowed in the sight of your dazzling vanity. He could see glitter shimmering on your eyelids and a few strands of silver tinsel blending into the texture of your hair. Your legs were bare, pressing together as the cold winter wind managed to slip between the wooden walls of the shed and torment your skin with goosebumps. 

He imagined what his hands would look like gripping the skin.

Your leather jacket (covering what he wanted most to see) was black and worn at the elbows from your extensive use. He can recall every time he’s seen you wear it; the quick descent from stiff, shiny leather to its now dull and scruffed material. Luke’s eyes trailed back up to your face, but not before tracking across the supple and pure skin of your neck. 

“Y’sure you aren’t a child of Aphrodite?” His voice startled your head to whip back to his, nearly knocking your noses together from how close his face had gotten to yours during your people watching. 

When it registered, the compliment sent heat to your cheeks despite the feelings you had towards the cabin. 

You didn’t mean to be stereotypical but they were serpents wrapped in pink bows and itchy glitter. Don’t let the compact mirrors eclipse their strategy for trapping others. Your mind flashes back to the time an Aphrodite kid legitimately caught you upside down with a rope rubbing against your ankle and the other end tied to the thin limb of a tree. Their giggles echo in your ears. 

“No. I’m not,” your response is cold, causing the short conversation to fall flat. Luke raises his eyebrows at the bite in your voice, pressing his lips to the cusp of his drink to hide the amused smirk that spread across them. “I know you have a certain bond with them, though.”

Luke scoffed at the dig. Yes, he had a reputation with a few (multiple) girls at camp, but that wasn’t a big deal. You try putting a hundred kids together in a confined camp and see what happens. 

“Sounds to me like someone’s jealous.”

Oh please, he was just trying to rile you up at this point. Your eyelids fell to shoot him a (hopefully) menacing side eye, only being met with a prideful grin and his wiggling eyebrows. He followed it with, “Am I right, spitfire?” 

The nickname made the hairs on the back of your neck stand and the, once cold, feeling of your bare skin melt into a flustered heat. He knew just from the near-petrified look on your face that it would live on forever between you two. 

“Nooo,” you drew out, scrunching your nose in spite of the boy. Tilting the red plastic, you funneled the rest of your drink into your mouth. shuffling your feet across the dusty floor of the shed to crush your plastic cup and throw it into the garbage, feeling Luke’s burning gaze melt into your frame (and how the thin fabric of the tank top underneath your jacket pinched against your tits). Luke licked his lips, seeing how the peaks of your nipples poked through the fabric. 

“Uh-huh,” he mocked your attitude from earlier in the night, causing an irresistible smile to break across your face as you hit his chest in reprimand. He caught your hand in his before it could fall back to your side, pulling your bodies together. His breath fanned across your face, the tingling smell of beer (courtesy of the Stoll brothers’ sneaky escape from camp) and minty toothpaste filling your senses. You could swear your senses detected the slight aroma of cherry chapstick as well. 

You admit it, you wanted to kiss him.

“You know it’s true, spitfire,” it was as if he’d read your mind, “you want me.” His voice was hypnotizing, you weren't sure if that’s what made the statement true or your honest feelings towards the boy. “And what if I do?” you pointed an eyebrow up, your eyes staggering around his face until they had nowhere else to go but his eyes– where he was already looking into yours.

He didn’t say anything else, only jerking his head towards the exit of the shed and provoking a nod from your side of your shared bubble. With Luke’s hand on the small of your back guiding you through the crowd, you realized you had been another victim of Luke Castellan’s charm.

loverschatbox, 2024

[sunwarmed-ash]

🔥Sinful Sunday🔥

Prompt: Snow | Cold Fingers & Warm Lips

This prompt is brought to you by @thediktatortot!! Thank you for the inspo! It was just what I needed to cut through the writers block! As a thank you I continued writing on this piece :3 (tumblr prompt masterlist)

Here (In Your Arms)

Fandom: Stranger Things Ship: Mungrove Rating: 🔞 Explicit 🔞 Tags: flirting, anal sex, safe sex, cold fingers warm lips, spit kink, finger sucking, hair pulling, Preview:

It’s cold today. And yeah, it's always cold in Hawkins in the winter time, but today is like, record breaking cold, like ‘you should be worried about the effects on the planet as a whole,’ cold. It fucking sucks, but by some miracle, the camper still has electricity and heat. 

Eddie's warming his extremities in front of a modest space heater in the ‘living room’ when there's a sharp series of knocks on his front door.

He opens the door to his new (within the year new) neighbor, Californian transplant Billy Hargrove. His lips are almost as blue as his jeans and if Eddie had taken any longer to open the door there was a good chance he would have remained frozen on the spot.

“Powers out,” is all Billy says by way of explanation before using his bodily advantage to shoulder his way inside. 

Eddie blinks twice and then, 

“Oh shit,” he says, looking across the street to the Mayfield’s/Hargrove's dark trailer. “What about your fami-”

“Motel. They’re fine.” Billy says.

That at least lets Eddie's conscience rest enough to shut the front door. 

“Oh. Alright, well, not that I don’t like your company, but uh, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Do you really think I want to be stuck in a fucking motel room with them?”

“Fair point,” Eddie snorts. Red was cool, but he didn't know much about her mom. And he unfortunately knew too much about Neil. So instead of kicking the man out, he says “Make yourself at home.”

Billy beelines for the space heater and pulls his gloveless hands out of his jacket. He’s not wearing anything thicker than that faded, brown, leather jacket Eddie’s seen him rock at parties and his usual pair of acid wash jeans. No hat, no gloves, no boots, no coat. This fucking guy…

“Dude…” 

“What?” Billy snaps, rotating his blue, likely numb fingers in front of the space heater. 

“You still haven’t gotten a proper jacket?”

“Didn't think I’d still be here,” Billy replies bitterly. And again, Eddie can't blame him. He knows how much Billy misses California. And how in Billy's twisted mind he misinterprets buying a winter coat as permanent as of a move as buying a house in Hawkins. “Well, you are,” Eddie says, walking over to Billy’s side and flopping down on the ground to his right. “And, you're here, so at least let me help.”

[godling-jesse]

PROMPT 003: COWBOY CARTER !

As a self proclaimed city boy, Jesse's experience with horses, ranches, and the like is very limited. So while he's not exactly in his element as he's getting ready to go on the quest, he's still a little excited, if not a little nervous. He doesn't do too much in the way of getting ready. He's elected to go a bit more on the earthy tones, nothing bright and flashy. He's taken to asking the opinion of people who have experience, just so he doesn't make a fool out of himself. The goal is to blend in after all, right? So deep brown leathers are his go to, with a matching shirt and a pair cowboy boots he'd barrowed from one of the campers. While it's not his go to look, it's definitely one he thinks he pulls off well enough. The hat was his ex-boyfriend's, sandy brown that seems to match his jacket almost to a tee.

As far as his horse goes, Jesse wasn't necessarily looking for a particular horse. His initial lack of confidence when approaching most of them only earned him a disapproving sniffs. Then he found one; a bold stallion with a light brown coat, and a jet black mane named Shadow. While it wasn't necessarily the type of horse that would scream son of Apollo, it was the temperament that seemed seemed to connect to Jesse so quickly. Excitable and adventurous, eager to please, but willful, it was an easy match. Not being a particularly seasoned rider, it did take Jesse a few spills in the field to get the hang of it, but luckily Shadow was not only a patient mount, but eager to teach. In no time, Jesse was ready to trot along his companions like a pro.

[oceanblueeyesoul]

Heyy! I would like to request a cabin matchup and a regular matchup for PJO!

I'm 17 years old (almost 18), I have dirty blonde hair naturally (it's dyed brown right now). I have dark green eyes and some freckles. I also have a nose piercing along with double ear piercings (and soon to be a conch piercing). I'm a lesbian, my pronouns are she/her. My style is all over the place lol. I can go from boho style to grunge in a day, but on a regular day I love to wear flare jeans and flannels with leather boots. I'm a hufflepuff and a Chaotic Good. I would say that I'm determined, resilient, confident, funny, caring, kind, responsible. I have anxiety, seasonal depression, and ADHD. My memory is absolutely crap because of those and I can be a little moody because of those (all the way from sad to happy and super hyper). I also might have some sort of nightmare disorder (gruesome nightmares (I'm working it out with the doctors)). Some of my favorite bands are ABBA, Queen, Led Zepplin, ACDC, Skillet, and Halestorm. I love animals! Some of my hobbies include mainly writing, reading, and painting or drawing. My family is military. I am really scared of snakes and needles. I love true crime, too! I hope this is enough! Thank you so much!

Hi there, sweetie! I really hope you like this a lot!

PJO Cabin Matchup

You give me Cabin 13 (Hades) vibes! You and your siblings would watch true crime movies together and the younger campers would love to play with your piercings because they think they are so cool.

PJO Matchup

Your PJO soulmate is...

PIPER MCLEAN!

She would definitely listen to your favourite bands and she would be dancing and singing to your favourite bands songs with you and the younger campers as well.

She would be fascinated with your piercings a lot because she hasn't seen anyone with so many piercings before you came along to her life.

When you fell asleep at night time, she would love to count your freckles because she thought they were constellations on your cheeks and at the daytime, she would love to look at your dark green eyes because they remind her of nature and emeralds in her eyes.

Gryffindor x Hufflepuff soulmates!

Chaotic Good x Chaotic Good sweethearts!

[gatheringfiki]

The following ficlet was written by @metztlilua based on this photoset.

FiKi, Gen.

You might also be able to read this story on AO3.

If you’ve enjoyed this story, please leave a comment either in replies or on AO3. :)

Family

---

Fili walks around with his boots muddy and his pants wet from the woods, and the remainders of the rain dribbling, his jacket clings to his skin and his backpack weighs him down as he puffs an struggles to get his feet moving, they've been walking for about two and a half hours with only one break, and the rain has been pouring down for the last hour just finally stopping, and he feels like the least fortunate soul in the entire world

Well

The least fortunate aside from his little brother kili, who looks even more tired than he does, he has mud trailing all the way up his ~uncovered~ legs and to the middle of his shorts because he feel down when the rain started, he has scratches and rock burn marks on his right arm/ hand and leg where he tried to catch himself and he's dragging the SNEAKERS he decided to wear on the pavement, to be more specific, his sneakers made out of fabric and plastic instead of the waterproof material and leather that their uncles and his own boots are made of, so his feet are probably as wet as the rest of him, and his socks who were once white are now brown and soggy with mud

-Can you get him to stop? I think I'm going to pass out- he whispers to Fili, leaning against him and sliding his dirty forearm on his face. The blonde feels his breath hitch  for a small second when kili licks the last drops of rains of his lips but he brushes it off, chuckling and nodding in agreement, he doesn't think he can keep up for much longer himself

-I'll do my best but maybe you should drop some of the things you collected, Kee. That way it would be easier - kili sticks his tongue out and shakes his head no, his feet make squish noises when he walks and Fili gets mixed feelings; remembering kilis rain boots when he was a toddler and the noises he's heard coming from his room or the bathroom ever since Kili got big enough to have interest in sex

-Uh. Uncle...- Thorin groans, already smelling the request from his nephews; they weren't too far away from their camper and stopping now would cause them to get behind on their schedule and hit traffic on the way back

-no, Fili- he smiles - we can't stop

-this is child abuse!- kili grumbles, huffing away a strand of hair that falls on his face and Thorin laughs  at his nephews as they manage to reposition their heavy backpacks on their backs

-on what grounds would that be abuse, kili Durin? - Fili gets a lump on his throat every time someone uses Kili's full name because he has the same one.

Thorin keeps walking, not facing them but answering all of the whines coming from them

"we've been walking forever"

-it's been two hours, Kili

"we haven't eaten yet"

-had you woken up a little earlier, maybe we could have eaten, Fili

"my shoes are wet"

-I told you to bring boots- Fili laughs out loud at Kili's annoyed grunt

"my backpack is heavy"

-Throw your souvenirs away then

Kili refuses shaking his head again "mmm-mmm, they're for making ornaments for mum" the blonde turns to look at Kilis concentrated face; sometimes he forgets, with all the NOT INNOCENT glances he catches himself throwing at him; that Kili is still somewhat innocent and pure and collects rocks to hang on the Christmas three as ornaments

"it's still raining" Fili mumbles, always taken aback by Kilis sudden expression of pure childlike behavior

-it's drizzling at best and you kids could use a shower

They keep complaining louder and louder, staring compliantly at each other as they make their way into the creek a few miles before the car and finally their uncle snaps

-will you two stop?! I'll go bring the car and come back to get you but I don't wanna hear this anymore 

                                         ____

Fili pushes away the vague feeling that Thorin will leave them behind and never come back because that's ridiculous and he just sighs, sitting next to His brother on a rock by the river

-show me what you collected? - the blonde asks trying to maintain him active and reacting because he knows he'll try to fall asleep otherwise and kili smiles softly, he opens his backpack and shoves it his way, suddenly set on the idea that he absolutely NEEDS to go in the river and wash his socks and shirt because he doesn't love the mud getting hard and prickly against his skin

The eldest Durin watches carefully, pretending to riffle thru the many pebbles Kili has tied in some sort of ornament shape while the youngest strips off of his layers and places them away from the water; the elastic band of his boxers peaks up the hem of his shorts as he stretches

When DID he get a happy trail?

-I'm not sure we have time for that, Kee- Fili pries, his cheeks start to feel warm and an unsettling feeling creeps into his stomach when he realizes what he's thinking, where his eyes are pointed

Kili mumbles incoherently, sitting down getting lost on washing away the dirtiness of his socks

-Fee! Come here! Look at this

-I'd rather not- Fili confesses, feeling the same confusion he had before, remembering ten year old Kili showing him the fireflies he catched on a jar, not knowing when exactly he started seeing the brunette in a different way; when he started noticing the way his long locks frame his face and the way he laughs freely makes butterflies fly on his stomach; and somehow even when Kili is just sitting calmly not looking back at him, Fili feels the pull of OBLIGATION gnawing at him and forcing him to go sit next to Kili, he can never say no to him.

The younger Durin looks up at Fili, grinning and handing him a rusty key from the river

-I found it here!- something screams to be careful and not let kili cut himself and get tetanus but he takes the stupid key and inspects it, it’s some sort of charm, clearly made as a token to bring back home, in it there’s something written he’s pretty sure his brother didn’t bother inspecting

FAMILY

It rips a giggle out of him, a distressed, hopeless one that lets him know destiny is watching, and will not forgive Filis brewing feelings, even if he he does try to keep them at bay tho if he is completely honest, it gets harder and harder as Kili keeps growing up, the sound of his voice getting deeper, his body getting slimmer and the flirtatious smiles he throws around left and right have Fili feeling dizzy and guilty to a point he can’t stand hanging around Kili alone for a long time.

Kili sighs in contempt, ripping his older brother form his spiral as he leans in closer to Kili, using his right leg as support to take the key from him and sending shock waves thru the older one

-hey! I found it!- Fili gives it up pretty quickly, hoping to end the innocent yet burning contact that makes his jeans tighter, he scoots further away from Kili, sweat beads forming at the back of his head

Where is Thorin?

Kili looks closely at the key, finally taking his time to inspect it and probably wondering where it came from, the sun starts to set, making Fili mildly worried for their uncle who still hasn’t shown up but more importantly the fact he’s alone with his half naked brother

Who massages his own upper back, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes to the back of his head, his mouth hangs slightly open

-Hell be back soon, Fee - once again Kili cuts into his anxious spiral, there’s a tone of annoyance to his voice that he knows comes from Filis distracted state, Kili doesn’t like one sided conversations, who would? but what can he do other than worry and tune out the sound of actual groaning noises coming from his little brother that send pictures of Kili with his leg spread out all pretty on the bed for him, as Fili sinks into his heath, bitting marks into his long neck and collar bones, the brunette moans…

-Fili…

-yeah, kee?

-are you mad at me?- kili’s never been one to meddle around tricky subjects, he fidgets with the key as Fili shakes his head no, a warm smile back into his face to try and comfort him -did I do something wrong?

-no! Kili I’m not mad

this is the other reason why he tries to avoid these times with his little brother; the distancing from about four years now must be difficult for kili and the blonde hates to be the reason why he feels this way, but as much as he tries to hold back and push away all the feelings that are NOT supposed to be happening, he can’t do it, and he can’t act on them either.Hell, he knows if he acted upon them Kili would not correspond to his feelings so the best way to go about it it’s distance.

-you have done nothing wrong, Kili. You’re perfect

The moon is all the way up into the air now, hitting Kili’s frame and the worried, almost upset expression in his face

-but there’s something that it’s happening to you, isn’t there?

Fili nods before he can even process the fact he probably should lie and now he has to make something up, or maybe he’s in the clear and Kili won’t pry for the answer

He doesn’t

-can I do something about it?- of course is that question instead of anything else, of course it’s still the moon up into the sky, the stars shining above them, sitting so closely to each other and the sound of water streaming gently down on a summer night, unsupervised and so very CLOSE but so unreachable

-no, not really- he fixes his gaze down onto the ground, in between his boots he sees something shiny where Kili has been kicking the dirt around in the river; it’s another one of those key things, he grabs it carefully, and places it in his hand, fidgeting with it as well, he runs his finger tip thru the words, trying to make out what they say

-I’m sorry…I’m here if you need me- he hugs him by the side, distracting him completely from his original task and it makes Fili want to cry with exasperation

Of course Kili is there

He is always there

He looks down, fighting back the tears and finally making up what the words say

COURAGE

AH, fuck it

-I know, Kee

He places a hand on his neck, rubbing his thumb on his cheek, his heart races a million miles and hour, his brain telling him to back out at Kili’s puzzled face; his heart drives him forward, inching slowly to his brothers lips, he feels his eyes closing and then

Nothing

A buzz comes from Kili’s phone in his backpack and they both jump; Kili’s eyes are wide and he swallows hard; they both sit there for a second before Kili finally reacts and runs up to his backpack, splashing water all over

-Fuck, uncle Thorin is here- he mumbles putting his clothes back on hurriedly, as if Thorin was hearing them, they hear a horn on the distance. Fili jumps up Bringing his brother’s socks and shoes and hands them to Kili

they both run wildly and dumbly thru the clearing; sharing giggles and small laughs, before finally making it to the camper, their backpacks don’t feel heavy anymore and Thorin looks at Kilis feet, horrified

-just about WHAT where you two doing??

Kili laughs; turning around to share a complaint look with the blonde and there’s a small hint of hope in Filis heart as they sit in the back of the car, Kili looks at him one last time

-swap with me

-huh?

-your key, I want it

Fili hands it over

He can’t ever say no to his brother

[bellyluz]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Camper Brown Leather Chelsea Ankle Boot Bootie Shoes size 41 Mens US 8 Womens 10.

[justin-johnson]

The Shadow of the Mountain

The Shadow of the Mountain

By Justin Johnson

Driving down the dusty mountain dirt road, Steven tapped his steering wheel to the beat of Pink Floyd the Wall on the only radio station he could find. His arm draped from the window with a cigarette pinched between his fingers. His aging blue Silverado pulled a DIY rickety dual-purpose camper formatted from an ATV trailer. He built it to still house his ATV but as a dry place to sleep additionally to store their supplies if inclement weather showed up. He had been driving for the last three hours from his home in Boise to the mountains of northern Idaho. Steven was in his late twenties with a sandy brown hair and a few days growth of a stubbled beard. The frequent vibrations from his stiff shocks were beginning to rattle his rear-view mirror loose from its fixed position. A grin creased his face as he put it back to its rightful place, for the dozenth time. His time in the Marine Corps has taught him to be super anal about the proper placement of things. He has been out of the Corps for some time now, and still liked to wear his BDU’s or “cammies” as the Marines called them, while he camped or hunted.

Doing a double take at his reflection he noticed the dust had been agitating his dark green eyes and were becoming an irritated red. Taking advantage of the straight road and painfully slow twenty miles per hour speed limit, he quickly rubbed them.

“Is it the dust or the pollen that is bothering you?” Asking with a soft voice was his wife Katlyn in the front passenger seat, “I got some eye drops you can use.” She was groggy and trying tried to find her bearings from the typical nap that inflicts every passenger on long road trips. Approximately the same age as her husband, she was blessed with beautiful blue eyes and soft auburn hair that reached the small of her back. She wore a black sweater and loose leggings despite it being late July, the mountains were always much cooler than back home. Her hiking boots felt tight and uncomfortable from the leather not being worn for months, but she would break them in soon enough once she got the opportunity to walk around.

“It’s just the dust, I’ll be better as soon as we stop.” Steven replied quickly, hoping that she would not push the issue. After his time in the service, he felt his eyesight was the only thing still in working condition, anything that came near his eyes made him squirm, especially eyedrops.

“As you say,” she sighed at his macho man persona all men exhibit, especially when they were in the company of women. Seriously, she thought to herself, why are men so afraid to get help with anything? They could be outside, strangled by Christmas lights, while missing a hand, and still would not dare to ask for help. “Are we almost there?” She asked.

“Almost…” Steve cut himself off suddenly as they came around the bend. The road to take them to their favorite campground area was prohibited for regrating. Of course, in classic Idaho fashion these areas are to be blocked for construction, but not a single crewmember can be seen at the worksite. “Are you serious?!” Steven snapped slugging both fists on the steering wheel.

“Well, what do we do now?” Katlyn pondered, equally vexed by the set back.

“We can camp along the lake, but it is going to be packed this time of year. We will likely get some asshole that doesn’t keep his dogs nor his kids in his own camp site. This is not Walmart people; you cannot just let your damned snotty offspring run loose like they are free ranged cattle.” Steven jeered. “Or we take this path on the right and see where it goes?”

“Sounds like the beginning of a Friday the 13th movie.” Katlyn chuckled.

“I refuse to go lakeside; but if we come across a demon zombie in a hockey mask, I am out of there.” Steven laughed with a slight pause, “…but not before I trip you, so I can get away.”

“So chivalric.” Sarcastically Katlyn smiled. “I guess then no bongs, booze, or boobs since that is the recipe of how to get yourself killed in those movies.”

It had been an hour since they made the decision to follow the path veering right, and they were beginning to get concerned when they had not seen a designated campground for some time. The ponderosa pines towered over the road, high enough that Steven nor Katlyn could not see the tops of the trees from their vantage point.

“I think we may need to go back. Are we even still at the lake?” Katlyn asked anxiously, “it’s really starting to feel like that horror story analogy.”

“It seems we are near the top of the mountain.” Steven mumbled trying to focus on the tight turns and steep grading of the road, all while scouring for a suitable campground. He could feel the tires slip on the gravely road making his knuckles tighten.

“Look!” Katlyn cried gleefully as she pointed her finger past Steven’s nose blocking his line of sight. “Sorry, but how about this spot?”

“I am ready to just camp anywhere. I am tired of driving.” Steven yawned coming to a stop. To his left was a nice clearing big enough for three or four separate campsites and to the right was a tough nearly vertical climb up. The gears grinded as he set the emergency brake, snappishly waking Sue a 5-year-old pure-bred German Shepard. She had been sound asleep basically since they first left. Whimpering and barking impatiently for someone to let her out, there was so many new smells and bountiful places to pee. Steven visually checked to see if the spot had potential and if he could pull the truck and trailer in. There was a small path riddled with ruts and potholes, but it was doable.

“Are we going to stay here?” Katlyn excitingly queried.

“Yeah,” Steven affirmed opening the back door for the dog and Sue immediately jumped out sniffing three different logs, urinating at each one. Katlyn got out and examined the road ahead while Steven put the truck in gear.

“You will have to ground guide me.” He yelled out the window.

“What?” Katlyn responded. She never understood his military terminology.

“Tell me where to go!” He shouted, grouchy from the long day while thinking to himself, it is self-explanatory. He rolled the truck down the path with his head out the window caricaturing Ace Ventura as Katlyn pointed out every dip in the road.

The three campsites are centered around a circular path, leading them in and out of the campground without having to do a three-point turn. Coming to a final stop he killed the engine and set the windows halfway down as a precaution. The last time they were at the old spot, he had accidently locked his keys in the truck and was nearly shot asking the nearest campers for a coat hanger to break into his own vehicle.

Steven moved swiftly with purpose to set up camp as fast as possible. He unlocked the bolts of the trailer’s gate and with a heavy slam it thundered against the soft dirt with a metallic thud.

“Honey, come look at this.” Katlyn ordered with an alarmed tone.

He shoved the cooler full of beer and soda under the axle of the trailer then marched towards Katlyn who was standing back where they had come in. The pelt of a white tail deer, minus the head, had been laid out in the dirt like it were a rug and had ants crawling all over it. He grabbed a stick trying to flip over a leg and the stick glided through the hair with no resistance. “The ants cleaned it of all its tissue.” He examined “Why was it sprawled out like this? Are there any bones or remains nearby?”

Quickly Katlyn replied, “no, it is just this.”

“I would say this is a mountain lion kill, but no cat spreads out a deer skin rug when they finish eating. Maybe a hunter, but it isn’t deer season. So, a poacher possibly? I am not entirely sure.” His admission of bewilderment was uncommon from him, he was always a bit of a know it all.

“Should we still camp here?” Doubting her commitment to stay and covered her chest and stomach, as she usually did while under distress.

“We should be fine. This was likely poached, and the perpetrator is long gone now. This is a hunting campsite, see look at those big logs tied up in the trees, they are meant to hang your harvest so you can skin and butcher it.” Steven theorized as he scanned the camp for more clues.

“Yup, we are definitely getting murdered. This is how every horror story starts. A young couple lost in the woods, finds a mysterious dead animal, and CHOP! Jason is practicing his putting with your balls.” Katlyn laughed at the absurdity of her statement, but the correlation between the set of circumstances were too akin to ignore.

“More like bowling.” Steven retorted in a low voice and walked in a wide legged gait as if his was overburdened by the enormity of his testicles; trying to make light of a bad situation.

“Keep it up and I’ll change them to BBs.” Katlyn scoffed.

“Ah you got jokes now.” Poking her in her shoulder with a smile. “Leather Face will have a pair of D sized naughty throw pillows donated by you.”

Katlyn scowled under her brow and brandished a smirk at his observation about her chest size.

“We should finish unpacking... Hey, wait a minute!” Steven stopped after realizing the dog was missing. “Sue! Sue! Here pup-pup!”

Spinning around, Katlyn visually skimmed the area while too calling for the dog. “Sue girl! Come to mommy! Sue!”

Seconds ticked by and in the state of dread it felt like minutes then suddenly loud crashing came near the hastily unfinished campsite. “Come on Sue baby!” Katlyn hollered.

“You know in horror stories they always kill the dog off first.” Steven pointed out in a poorly timed observation about the cliché of horror movies’ plot lines. Sometimes his quick wit and recollection of facts comes faster than his common sense.

“Don’t say that!” his wife harshly scorned.

Pre-cautiously unbuttoning his USMC KBAR sheath on his belt preparing for the worse when a cheerful head popped out from the brush with her long tongue drooping from the side of her mouth. She had been chasing squirrels in the underbrush, and now thought it was feeding time.

“You scared mama, naughty girl. You stay in camp.” Katlyn pointlessly disciplined the dog. Sue was just going to run off again seconds later, she had to seek vengeance on the squirrel that had assaulted her with a pinecone.

Steven used a self-invented way to tell the time by finding magnetic north, closing his eyes, pointing his hand straight up, and moved it west like he was counting the hand placements on a reversed standard clock from high noon until he pointed directly at the sun. He roughly calculated it to be around two o’clock.

“I want to go check out the area and see what is on top of this hill before it gets too late, and I was going to take the dog.” Steven explained as he stuffed in a couple bottles of water into his camelback for Sue. He also crammed in a couple pieces of beef jerky into the side pouches and slipped it over his shoulders. With a sharp whistle and snap of his fingers Sue burst through the brush scampering to his side.

“Alright, can you please be safe.” Katlyn pleaded, knowing his ability to get himself hurt because of his clumsy big feet.

“I got my flask of whiskey and a pack of smokes, I’ll be good.” He responded, as if he intentionally tried to get himself hurt or stuck in cosmically odd predicaments.

He began his trek up the hill slowly as the ground beneath his feet would slide-out and he would ride it down a few inches and continue the climb. In some parts of the hill, the brush was thin with wide open spaces. In others he would have to get down on his stomach and crawl along the ground under the foliage. “Just like low crawling under the barb wire back in the Corps, huh Sue.” Steven uttered, as if the dog knew what the Marine Corps training was like.

Looking up, he saw where the summit of the mountain was likely to be. He could not see beyond it, and he wanted to take a solid rest there before starting his push back down the hill. He stood in a clearing of several yards with no bushes to hinder his walk, just the very old pines that loomed above everything. Keeping focused on his goal, he had to reach the summit and be in back camp before it got dark. The chances of him then encountering a predator rose sharply after nightfall; they had encountered a pack of wolves and a bear cub at the old spot a year ago.

Still perplexed by the deer kill, why was it not disturbed by scavengers? Those ants could clearly clean the tissue from the fur but that would take a while, and nothing stays untouched for long out here in the woods. Remains are perpetually scattered in the wild; it was when a carcass is left untouched does it become an enigma. An untampered cadaver generally points to it being toxic, contaminated, or claimed by the area’s top predator. The loud caw of a raven broke him from contemplation while it fluttered from one treetop to the next.

He reached the lip of hill believed to be the summit but was gravely mistaken, it was not the top, not even close. He had gone chukar hunting his whole life, so he knew how the game was to be played. “Time for a quick break Sue dog.” Said Steven with a grunt while positioning himself up against a tree. Drawing water through the flexible hose and turned over his boonie cover to act as a bowl for Sue to drink from.

Lighting a cigarette and closing his eyes, he cleared his head. Alas he was away from the annoyances of social media, of every person who graduated from Facebook Meme University where they got their degrees in medical practice, economics, philosophy, and political science. Those people had no idea what the hell they were talking about, only parroting the sound bites of their favorite cable news analyst who too were also only reading off what somebody else had written for them. In this moment of silence did he realize that there was only absolute silence. No birds, no insects; no other animals gracing the area with their calls, and that was the problem. In Iraq he learned when an area got strangely still, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) and or an ambush was waiting for them.

Under intense scrutiny Steven inspected all the cover and concealment locations he could identify. The only racket heard was the rapid pants from Sue. Quietly he reached over and clamped her mouth shut.

Sue darted her eyes back and forth in confusion until she read the eyes of her human who bared that overtly focused thousand-yard stare; like he could see the ghosts of the next world over.

Steven moved his hand from her muzzle and watched Sue for a moment to gauge her reaction and see if she would catch the scent of something nearby. The dog was not trained for tracking humans nor game, but her sense of smell was by far superior to his, and if a big cat were lurking about, she would hopefully gain its scent before it got too close. It was not a failsafe idea, but it increased his chances of early detection. Only two things in the world scared him, snipers and big cats, because both could kill a person before the victim even knew something was watching. Sue seemed clueless as to what she was supposed to be doing, but Steven held firm that something was spying on him and had been doing so for a while. His military training and combat experience was still sharp and his biggest take away from the service was to trust his gut above all his other senses in these situations. It has served him well enough in the past.

Feeling he had rested long enough and wanting to move away from this spot, he stood up stretching the cramped and tired muscles of his legs and lower back. Focusing on his next mental waypoint at what he hoped was the next “top” of the mountain, he stepped off. At his eighth step Steven caught something in his peripheral vision. Instinctually he spun to face the target while dropping to the kneeling firing position. He was seeing nothing, but he was sure that he had seen something. It was a light brown color, matching the tone of the bark of the surrounding trees, he swore too there was a hanging arm beside of a trunk, and it had to be approximately five feet long and as wide as his waist.

He had gotten an early start, drove half the day, set up camp, then walked up this god forsaken mountain; possibly his eyes were playing tricks on him. Maybe he was watching too many Bigfoot shows. They amused him, for one night a team of five people move through the forest with a whole camera crew in pursuit, while they noisily narrated their experiences with flood lights, and claimed every sound of a stick breaking was always done by Sasquatch. These “Squatchers” as they call themselves would likely scare everything away in the forest.

Steven waited for a few minutes. Grabbed for a stick and playfully waived it in front of Sue’s face for her to get excited and fetch it and tossed it into some bushes up the trail. He hoped this trick would bait whatever was behind the tree into thinking they had left and show itself, but nothing moved.

A lot more mountain was left to go, and if he continued wasting daylight thinking a tree was bigfoot, he was going to be coming back to camp in the dark, then Katlyn would beat him to every inch of his life for making her worry about him.

His hike was arduous, he reached one waypoint after another until finally the terrain flattened out and he could see beyond the other side of the mountain. He took a deep breath of relief and marveled at the landscape; nothing was tainted by man’s presence. Time to take that long break he promised himself. Removing all his clothes to dry out he thought, why not, who is going to see me? Fully in the nude, he leaned up on some granite slabs that had heated up from the sun and was the perfect temperature for sunbathing. Using the opportunity since he was nude, he checked his body for ticks. After assuring himself that he was parasite free, he nestled the camelback under his head for a pillow and called Sue over to lie beside him, and they drifted off for a quick nap.

The loud caws of a raven awoke him. Granite does not make for a fantastic mattress, so his muscles were rigid. His clothes were dry enough now, which reduced his odds of getting an irritable heat rash. He donned on his uniform and used his method to calculate the time, somewhere around seven pm. He was going to have to hasten his descent to reach camp before it got dark within the next two hours.

“Come on Sue girl, let’s go!” Steven called out motioning with a swinging arm and followed by with a snap of his fingers, her hand signal to follow him. Walking from the summit shelf, he noticed a large amount of elk scat, enough to fully cover the area. To give an estimated size of the herd was nearly impossible. It made sense why there was so many elk hanging kits, he quietly contemplated. At a moderate pace he staggered his way down from one favorable spot to the next, getting to camp before dark fall was the priority, but to rush it would be extremely foolhardy. If he injured himself and impeded his ability to walk, he would have to sit and suffer until help arrived.

Twenty minutes ticked by as he made good time along the mountain’s exterior, then was stalled on a small rock outcrop above a steep slope of a jungle of thorny bushes. It would take him forever and a half to get through it all, but his other options was to go back up from whence he came then down along the opposing ridge to his left. He could also side hill it across to the ridge, but the ground was slick with mud, and he could easily stumble.

While pondering his dilemma, a pinecone landed at his feet. He inspected where it may have originated from. There were no trees directly overhead, nor a raven or any other animal could have dropped it from above. It had to be thrown by something, and was it accidental or intentional?

His heartbeat quickened; something was pitching pinecones at him from a vantage point he could not identify, triggering his fear of being attacked by an unseen foe. Trapped on a ledge hanging over a thicket that would cut him up if he dared to push through it, but whatever was shadowing him, was above him or at his elevation, leaving him only one real option.

“Oh, to hell with this!” Steven bellowed in frustration. He picked Sue up in his arms and carried her down the rock face to the edge of the brush and set her down. “Go Sue, get home, get!” He ordered tapping the dog in the rear with his foot to lead the way. Sue bolted through the brush easily, but Steven’s experience was anything but. The branches scratched and cut at his face as he strained to follow the rustle of the dog ahead of him in the fleeting sunlight.  

Atop that rock face he just climbed down, he felt the distinctive presence of something closely stalking him, and it was big. Steven thrashed his body against the brush of a thousand blades, giving away caution for speed and agility. His progress was halted when the branches no longer parted as he moved through them, it was now too thick to walk beyond like a wall. Encased in a cage of thorns he could hear the hefty thud of his assailant forging its path down the mountain side towards him.

Steven went into survival mode now by drawing out his KBAR and hacking frantically at branches until he could make a diving leap over the tops of the thicket around him, like a running back jumping over the offensive line into the endzone. He did not know what was on the other side, but his foe had made the decision for him, and he leapt.

The branches snapped and stabbed him as he descended, it was a much longer fall than he anticipated. His lungs deflated when he tumbled to the ground and landed on his stomach and face. Struggling to gasp for air while scrambling to his feet, but his body was not responding to his commands. He could feel bruising, deep in the muscle tissue as he slowly moved, but lacked the pain that should accompany it. Nothing felt broke yet, but he was running on pure adrenaline; a high you can only achieve when you legitimately think your life is in danger.

The pursuing being was frightening close to him now, he could hear the powerful breaths from an enormous set of lungs. Steven’s imagination ran wild with theories of what was following him, he could not think of an image, just a surging black mass with a murderous intent.

While on the ground still trying to catch his breath and get to his feet, he noticed the stems of the bushes was a gap of about eighteen inches he could crawl through; this must be how Sue had to be getting through so quickly. Steven removed his camelback, hugging it in his armpits and began low crawling. It was exhausting, but it was all he could do. Listening behind him where he had crash landed moments ago, he could hear the creature ripping through the brush. The drop off that severely injured Steven, the beast cleared it in three strides without falling.

“Sue! Sue! Where are you girl?” Steven frantically cried out, trying to get a ping on her position, but there was no response. Desperation is said to smell, in this case Steven reeked of it. Steven ran, crawled, and even rolled his failing body, unsure if he was gaining ground or losing it. In a summoning of all his strength and willpower he gave a frenzied shoulder charge at the dense foliage that could topple a door from its hinges. The battered human bored a way through until he collapsed from exhaustion onto the ground, he no longer could move and was petrified to finally see what horrid thing had been chasing him, just before it ended his life.

A long-wet tongue streaked over his face. “Oh Sue, thank God its you.” Steven muttered with a heavy sigh of relief since he did not hear her approaching. Her company gave him the resurgence of will and he was committed to getting out of here alive, because if he perished, Katlyn would be left alone and no idea of what was lurking in the trees.

Helping himself to his feet, he poked his head through the canopy, much like a groundhog peering out of its hole. He saw where the thicket was thin to his left and a way through it. Curiosity set in, and he had to see what was hounding him. Though it sounded like an army of horses, he could not see his attacker, but he wasn’t going to sit and wait for a clean sight picture of it either. Several more cuts were added to his face and neck, but he could deal with his injuries later, like when he was not getting chased by a murderous twelve-hundred-pound sasquatch. His uniform’s material was thick, so it had softened up much of the stabs mother nature threw at him, but it still caused abrasive cuts.

The brush was thinning out and the terrain looked more familiar, he could feel safety within reach. Beyond exhaustion and bleeding from thousands of punctures and cuts, he continued pushing passed his limits. The brush dissipated, and the smell of campfire smoke graced his nostrils with a warm feeling of safety. He thought to himself of how he was going to smoke a pack of cigarettes, drink a twelve pack of beer, and pass out drunk wherever he may fall; he just had to reach camp. This was the hardest he had pushed his body since he fought in Fallujah.

The last of the trees passed him by then he slid down the final slope of the mountain onto the road. He heard the beast call off its chase by ending its violent display of thundering through the brush and became as nothing more than a whisper on the wind. With the threat diminished just as the last bit of sunlight faded over the horizon, Steven could finally see Katlyn feeding the campfire.

“Well, hello there stranger,” With a warm welcoming smile she greeted him.

He wanted to fall to his knees before her and cry at her feet while recounting what had transpired. He knew this would freak her out, and she may even want to leave, but this was their annual vacation trip, and he would not want to see it ruined. He also had no idea how to explain what was after him. Was it a bear? A Sasquatch? To add as a final point, he was so fatigued he could not load the campsite and drive home without risking falling asleep at the wheel, and Katlyn despised driving his truck. “You know, I went out for a pack of smokes and a gallon of milk, but I realized no one would put up with my crap.” Steven said, obviously trying to mask the experience half of what his nightmares were made of.

“You’re damn right they won’t.” She shot back with their usual banter and gave Steven a hug. “Eww, honey you are all sweaty and looks like you tried running through a tree.”

“Tried and failed,” Steven coughed. He really thought to himself because Sasquatch was on my ass all the way down the mountain, and I had to run through the forest like it was on fire. He gained his composure and lied, blaming it on Sue for leading him into some serious brush, and he had to crawl out of it.

Steven plopped down in a chair and cracked open an ice-cold beer from the cooler and lit a cigarette, very rarely does a beer and a cigarette taste so great than when you thought you were legitimately going to die.

Several hours later and a highly viscous blackness from a new moon night had engulfed the land beyond the tiny dome of light of their campfire. Katlyn and Steven were both ready for bed. She had set up the tent and the beds while Steven was gone and pulled the ATV out for a spin to collect firewood from around the area, then parked it in front of the truck. They thought it would be best to let Sue sleep in the trailer with the coolers and lock it up so Sue could not get out, and nothing could get in.

Steven grabbed his twelve-gauge shotgun and loaded shells into the magazine well but left the chamber empty. He never liked to see a firearm stored fully loaded, even if it were temporary. This was a common practice for them during a camping trip, to have something for personal protection while they slept. He would not intentionally go for the kill shot right away, unless he knew it was the only and last solution. In war he spent much time in the company of Death, and he wanted to limit his chances of seeing the old acquaintance again if possible.

Properly secured in the camper trailer for the night was the dog and food supplies. The fire was fully extinguished. Steven stuffed the shotgun under his cot with a flashlight, those heavy ones the police use that could knock out a charging Tyrannosaurus Rex. After some good night wishes both Katlyn and Steven fell quickly to sleep.

Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Steven woke up by a repeated racket across the road down into a valley of old dead timber. He sat up and listened for a bit, wondering what it could be. The sound was repetitive came in two sets of threes. Was it a ranger coming around and checking to see if the campers were alright, and campfires were appropriately extinguished? No, it could not be. Why would they be tapping so loudly and not simply shine a light on their tent?

It sounded like it was a rock banging against a tree, then Steven’s spine ran cold…could the creature have followed him back to camp? He could not just simply meld back into the general public; they were the only ones out here for miles. He listened to this rhythmic patter for several minutes when his wife sat up.

“What is that?” Curiously Katlyn asked.

“I do not know; I have been listening to it for a while. It sounds like a rock beating against an old dead tree.” Steven answered with a whisper.

“Is it a bear?” She again questioned. “A bear clawing at the bark of a tree to get the grubs inside?”

“It is too repetitive to be a bear, it comes three times and in set of two, then silence for about twenty seconds, and picks up again.”

“A ranger then?”

“I asked myself that too, and I do not think so. Why would they be tapping a tree with a rock and not just wake us up if they wanted to talk?”

Steven felt under his cot for the flashlight and shotgun, mentally preparing himself to keep calm and identify the situation and not going in guns a blazing. Ten minutes of the persistent tapping passed and faded away back to normalcy. They stayed ready to await the stranger in the darkness, but there was nothing but crickets chirping. Feeling whatever had been out there, has moved on. Resting back into their beds, they tried to get back to sleep.

Steven awoke by rustling in the trailer, he could hear Sue stirring about, what was she so upset about this time of night? Likely a deer wandered into the campsite. He tried to ignore her; whatever Sue was doing would likely not concern him. He was being paranoid that is all.

A whisper from Katlyn’s sleeping bag startled him, “What is wrong with Sue, does she need to go potty?”

Steven yawned. “I think a deer, or an elk wandered to the edge of camp, and she wants to go after it.”

“I do not think so, I hear her whimpering. She needs to go potty.” Katlyn corrected. Steven was almost deaf from his service, and Katlyn had the hearing and sense of smell any blood hound would be envious to have. It would be wise of Steven to adhere to her woman’s intuition and senses about these sorts of things, comically referred to as the reason women live longer than men.

“Well then, I can go…” Steven stopped to hear the trailer rocking back and forth. At first it was gentle, like shifting weight on a squeaky mattress. Next came heavier shaking, the rickety wood was creaking as it swayed with the frame of the trailer. Steven listened intently while he deliberated if it were a bear. He argued with himself about it, did he truly believe it to be a bear, or it was what he wanted it to be and not be his assailant. He quickly considered the thought of running out and scaring it away, but likely if he spooked the bear, it may even make matters worse, especially if she had cubs, then he would just get mauled. If it was his mountain nemesis, Steven wouldn’t stand a chance against it and would have to probably shoot it, in a best-case scenario.

Sue stopped her whimpering in the back. Either the thing left, or she probably feels safer in there than in the tent, he thought to himself. They only had a thin membrane of fabric to hold against the violent veracity of a determined bear’s claws shredding their shelter in mere seconds. Sue had several layers of plywood bolted together and to the frame of the trailer which was also hooked onto a large truck.

“Please go check on her, I’m worried.” Katlyn begged.

“Hopefully it isn’t Jason. The man always must go out in the darkness to check on the situation, only to be murdered.” Steven lightly joked, the parallels of most horror stories and the experience thus far was almost on par, now it is time for the big monster reveal.

Armed with the shotgun and flashlight, he already felt safer than up on top of the summit, but that experience is still unknown to Katlyn. She unzipped the tent and Steven crawled out instantly shining the flashlight towards the trailer thirty feet away. Nothing, there was absolutely nothing there. No disturbed dust, not even the trailer was swaying anymore. He held the shotgun up at the ready, relying on his training yet again, he maneuvered across the campground towards his truck.

The shine of the silver tarp he installed to limit dust from coating everything in the back as he drove was undisturbed. Sliding the tarp flap over, Sue was lying in the corner, calm and quiet. Steven observed the dirt along the trailer, it was soft soil so anything that was there would have to leave prints of some kind, and yet there was nothing, just the familiar prints of their boots and the dog.

“What is going on? I know I heard this camper rock,” Steven interrogated himself. He leaned up against the trailer and pushed against it, with the weight of the wood and the food inside, the trailer was so overburdened that it barely budged. He was likely stressing the axle weight limits with all this plywood he erected onto it, let alone a monster thrashing it about. “This cannot just be Sue. She could not make it move like this; I cannot even recreate the same creaky noises.” This was another mystery not answered by his encyclopedic memory. Steven scanned the flashlight along the darkness looking for eye shine in the tree line. Once he spotted seventeen coyotes that had come to the edge of his campsite, and he was too drunk to think sensibly then. That was a hundred miles away at another lake, but those coyotes were loud and were trying to intimidate him into leaving his food for them to plunder. This thing is giving a whole new definition to the term terrorist, it wanted them gone.

Perplexed, Steven strolled back to the tent and laid in his clothes on top of his sleeping bag waiting for this creature to appear again. Ten minutes rolled by, and nothing was happening. Katlyn zipped up the tent, but they stayed alert on the cots, just waiting for the resurgence of fear this thing was capable of. Within three minutes of her closing the tent, the trailer began to rock back and forth once again, this time even more violently. In the utter darkness of the tent, Steven could see the white in Katlyn’s eyes. She was justifiably afraid now, as was he.

The soft whimpers of Sue mortified them as the robust trailer rocked with enough momentum to life one wheel in the air and tussled everything inside. The normally brave German Shepard let out a terrified bark and her claws scratched at the wooden interior, clearly trying to flee from her attacker. Without hesitating Steven readied his gun and flashlight when a loud gutter roar froze his bones. He had never heard such a bellow, even in the movies. The sound carried weight like standing by large speakers with a deep bass at a rock concert.

Sue’s continued cries for help sprung Steven back to action as he tore out of the opening and went to finally meet this shinobi of the mountain. Shotgun set on fire and a shell loaded in the chamber, there was no turning back now, he was going to put something in the dirt. Moving with the agility and grace as he did in the Marines, he snapped the shotgun to his shoulder with his left arm providing stability with his elbow so he could shine the flashlight downrange and finally give an identity to this monstrosity.

Again, darkness there and nothing more. “I am in my own version of The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. There is nothing out here!” Steven shouted towards Katlyn to come and inspect as well; his eyes must be having issues. It took him literally three seconds from the roar until he had the muzzle trained at the trailer. Nothing could evade him and without a sound. The tree line was about twenty feet from the tent and even further from where the truck is.

Katlyn slipped on her boots and ventured outside; Steven hardly wore shoes even out in the woods, so his feet’s soles were thick and used to the sharp prick of a thorn or the jagged edge of a rock. Folding her arms across her chest in her defensive stance while she followed Steven’s flashlight beam.

Steven checked in on Sue, she was huddled in the corner of the trailer amongst the jumbled coolers and food, trying to hide herself amongst the very little she could. He knew this was more than enough for her. She was a large dog, and she was not even willing to bark or growl to scare off this creature, she just resorted to crying for help. Steven let down the gate and picked up Sue and put her in the truck then rolled the windows almost all the way up so she could still get clean air, but nothing could get in through the window except for a moth, and those didn’t terrify Sue…in fact she often ate them.

Steven and Katlyn spent another hour in the cold darkness scouring the campsite for footprints, carefully inspecting the ground and the surrounding area for any sign of life that could not be associated with the two humans and one German Shepard, but nothing was there.

Katlyn yawned ready to go back to bed, “Should we sleep in the truck with Sue?”  

“If this thing shows up again, we will, I’m done playing games with this thing.” Steven growled.

          “I need to go to the bathroom,” She shamefully admitted. “Can you please go check by those trees and promise me that nothing is there, I really got to go.”

“Fine, but if I get eaten by bigfoot or the ghost of Robin Williams, please don’t tell everyone I died making sure it was safe for you to pee.” Steven joked. It was hard to have a sense of humor right now, but if he gave into fear, it would not benefit them. He had to remain as cool and collected as possible, taking in everything.

He checked behind the trees until he felt confident that he would not be lying to her about something lurking about. Steven gave the go ahead and continued looking at the tree line until Katlyn returned. Locking the trailer and truck doors with keys in his hand, he went into the tent. He removed the shell from the chamber of the shotgun, then placed the shell back in the bottom magazine well and laid it beside him. He was going to be sleeping with his weapon tonight, like he would do in Iraq.

He spent the next several hours swaying in and out of sleep, immediately waking himself up again when he drifted off. He felt that he had to always had to listen for whatever stalked their camp site and likely chased him down the mountain.

In the days to come, very little happened and the heavy atmosphere that haunted the campground faded away. The intense activity experience ceased, but they continued to feel as if there were something watching them from atop the mountainside. Steven dared not to venture up to the summit again, for fear that he would invoke the wrath of the mountain’s shadow stalker. He would come back again, to hopefully acquire the answers he sought.

[thebrotherssalvatore321]

Keeping Secrets Ch. 37

Keeping Secrets Masterlist

Katie woke up to find herself standing on black marble covered in an inch of water that she was somehow on top of. A sky of black hung over her head. Not the beautiful kind speckled with bright stars, but a glossy, inky darkness that caused her chest to tighten.

As she stood up she saw that she was wearing a plain white long sleeved off the shoulder cotton dress that flowed down to her feet. A child’s laughter drew her eyes down into the water to see that a thousand shards of glass were scattered around her feet. The laughter came from one of the shards and she looked down to see within it a little boy around seven or eight with blond, bowl cut hair and innocent green eyes running through the woods.

As Katie reached down to pick up the shard, the little boy jumped, popping out of the glass as the vast darkness turned into a bright forest that smelled of pine needles and warm soil. She didn’t know why, but the scent made her feel at home. “Don’t be scared Momma, it’s just me.”

“And you are…?”Katie asked with a frown.

“Fun.” The little boy bounced on his feet, full of energy. “Wanna play hide and seek?” he asked, perking up with a smile.

“No. What I want is to know where the hell I am.” Kate told him then looked around them.

“Hey!” the boy picked up a pine cone and threw it at her chest. “No swearing.”

Katie leaned down to look the little boy in the eyes. “Look, you little brat, I don’t know who you are and I don’t care. I just want to get out of here.”

The boy glared at her. “Be nice!” he ran off making Katie run after him. “Nanna nanna boo boo. I can outrun you.” the boy sang as he ran. Something about the phrase made Katie start laughing as she caught up to the boy and scooped him up in her arms.

“I remember you now.” Katie told him as she made a claw motion with her hand and attacked his stomach, making him giggle from her tickling him. “Hello my sweet little Jonah.” She told him as she set him down then kneeled down in front of him.

“Hello momma.” He told her as he placed his little hand on her cheek with a smile. When she smiled back he evaporated into a mist that swirled around in the air forming a bright yellow ball. It sank into her chest causing a feeling or motherly love, caring and compassion overtake her.

With him gone the forest faded away and she was back in the dark place, standing in the center of the shattered glass again. “Phasmatos Tribum,” Katie heard someone say and looked down at a piece of glass to see a beautiful almond skinned woman standing at a table in the bedroom of an old Irish homestead, working a spell. This time as Katie reached down for the glass, she got sucked into it and she found herself sitting on a bed while another, slightly younger woman that looked a lot like the woman working the spell, pressed a cloth to Katie’s back making her hiss in pain.

“Sorry.” The young girl told her. “Someone needs to show that man how it feels.”

“Fiona.” The woman working the spell snapped at the young woman. “Mind your tongue. If someone should over hear you it will be you on the receiving end of that whip.”

“Yes mother.” Fiona told her quietly. Fiona finished cleaning the wounds then sat down on the bed in front of Katie. “Hannah, promise me when we get old enough we will leave this place, both of us. I know you do not want to live under your fathers thumb forever and I don’t either. Promise me that when you find a good man you will take me with you.”

Katie had been sitting quietly on the bed, trying to remember this and when she looked into Fiona’s dark brown eyes she did. She remembered that when she married Ronan she stole money from her father’s office and ran with Ronan. They used the money to start Fiona’s shop in the town they moved to. “I promise, Fiona. You’re my best friend. I wouldn’t dare leave this place without you.”

Fiona wrapped her arms around Katie who wrapped her arms around her first best friend’s shoulders feeling friendship and loyalty sink into her and when she opened her eyes she was back in the black place.

“Okay I see what’s going on here. These pieces are me, I’m a mother and a friend.” She said looking around at the shattered glass around her. “This is going to take a while.”

“Not as long as you might think, Doormat.” A voice came from one of the pieces and Katie looked over to see a woman pop up from the floor, joining her in the black place.

Katie looked at her, taking in her blond hair streaked with red, pulled back in a Vikings ponytail. A leather corset with buckles covered her torso while a leather Viking’s skirt wrapped around her hips. There was a fire in her eyes and a spear in her hand. “Why are we still here? Aren’t you supposed to take me to a memory or something?”

“I’m not a memory, I'm a feeling.” The warrior told her with a voice full of strength. “But if you insist on memories…here.” The woman walked across the water with an eye roll and plopped her hand down on top of Katie’s head. Katie telling Alaric about Mayor Lockwood abusing Tyler, telling her grandfather off and telling Elena off when Caroline made them all have a sit down flashed through her head. The last memory was Katie fighting the werewolves that were holding Caroline hostage in a camper.

“You’re my fight, my strength to keep going.” Katie said as she lifted her eyes. “My inner warrior.”

“You often forget I exist and quite frankly I’m tired of it. You need to learn to be a big girl and pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you have to. We’re stronger than you think we are.” She told her and Katie swallowed hard. “And if we’re going to survive in this hard world you need me.” she held her hand out to Katie who grabbed it and gave it a shake. The warrior pulled her into a hug and sank into her filling Katie with strength and power. Most of the other shards of glass floated up, turned into a big ball of mist that floated over her head then dropped, filling her with all the memories she had lost when she shattered.

After she absorbed it all she looked down at the last, large piece of glass and picked it up to see within it an auburn haired woman in a black, form fitting tank top, short black shorts and thigh high stiletto boots standing in the middle of a street as a man strolled past, the woman grabbed him around the neck and spun him around for Katie to see his face, he was an older man, too tan and too buff for his age. It was her grandfather. The woman’s eyes turned red and fangs appeared in her smile before she bit his neck, killing him before she tossed him to the side giving Katie an unforgiving smile.

Katie watched from an aerial view as people came to the woman as if drawn to her like flies to a honey. Each of them were either drained of blood or got their hearts ripped out. The last person to come to the woman was a little girl that looked no older than six and a man. Fear was clear in the girls little eyes as she watched the woman rip out the man’s heart. The dark ruthless girl placed it in the girls hands making the girl scream and run. The woman looked up at Katie and hissed, showing off the blood on her fanged mouth and the veins under her red eyes.

With a hard face and fight surging through her she threw the glass away from her like a throwing star. The glass stopped in mid air a few feet away from her and materialized into the haunting, monstrous version of herself. She reeked of anger, hatred, danger and most of all an overpowering thirst for human blood. “I won’t accept you.” Katie told her.

The dark, terrifying woman whooshed over to her grabbed her by her neck and body slammed her into the granite. “Then you…will die.” Her words came out as an angry growling hiss.

“No.” Katie brought her feet up and kicked her in the chest sending her flying through the darkness. Darkness landed in what Katie called the superhero landing and skid backward splashing water up around her. Katie flung herself up and held her fists in front of herself.

“You think you can survive without me?” Darkness asked as she whooshed back over and threw a punch that Katie dodged.

“I will be better off without you.” Katie told her, making her laugh.

“Look at yourself.” Katie looked down at herself to see she was now wearing a white ribbed racer back tank top, jeans shorts and black and white converse, but her arms were purple all the way up to her shoulders and spreading fast. While she was distracted Darkness threw a punch, catching Katie’s jaw and she stumbled back from the blow.

“It will stop when I get out of here.” Katie threw a punch that Darkness dodged.

“You get out of here without me and you will die within seconds.” Darkness threw a punch and Katie dodged it then threw one of her own catching Darkness in the jaw then kicked her in the chest knocking her to the granite.

She grabbed Darkness up by her black tank top and glared at her. “I said no.”

“And I said…” Darkness breathed hard from the blow to her chest, “You will die if you don’t. You may be stronger than me, you may be able to keep me at bay, but if you go back to your body without me…without a piece of who you are…you…will…die.” Darkness looked at her with a dead serious face. “No more Elijah. No more Klaus. You can kiss your friends goodbye too.” Katie’s eyes grew wide remembering everything everyone told her in the video Caroline made for her. “Accept me.”

She blinked, tears slipping from her eyes. “If I accept you…I accept that I am not a good person.”

“You’ve never been a good person.” Darkness told her as she jumped up. “When we were known as Hannah did we not think of a million different ways to turn that whip on Father, or to poison him? You even thought about running away in the night and abandoning your poor little sister. Then as Katie…you contemplated killing your grandfather in his sleep. You thought about tying him to a chair and breaking every bone in his body then slitting his throat for ever letting Mayor Lockwood touch you. You cheated on Tyler with Damon and yeah you knew it was wrong, you felt a little bad about it, but you weren’t sorry. You slept with Klaus knowing that Elijah still loves you. Then of course there are all those people you killed after you flipped your switch. You don’t feel sorry about that. You don’t care that they had family and kids. Their blood tasted better than any blood bag ever did. You have power over humans and you revel in it. There has, and always will be, a darkness in you whether you want it or not. The only thing you regret is what you did to that poor little girl.”

“I don’t want you. Suppressing you is tiring. I managed to hold it back as a human, but now…every day is torture.” Katie said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Then maybe it is time you accept me…accept the darkness in you…and find a way to embrace me instead of suppress me.” She told Katie with a glare. “You have to accept me or need I remind you. You’ll. Die.”

As much as Katie hated the darkness in her, she loved her friends. And she loved Elijah and Klaus. She still wanted all the things she always did out of life…she wanted to live. “I accept you…”

As soon as the words left her mouth the woman threw herself into Katie, not sinking into her gently like the others had, but invasively inserting herself into her. Like the splitting of cells, but reversed. Katie threw her head back and screamed out in pain as the darkness seeped into her, fangs formed in her mouth and veins popped under her eyes, pumping the whites of them full of blood. She squeezed her eyes shut and fell to her knees. After a while the pain subsided and she fell back in relief.

She expected to hit granite; instead she started falling down a black tunnel. She felt like she had been falling for forever when out of nowhere she stopped mid air and a woman appeared in front of her holding her hand out as if she was keeping Katie from falling further even though she was floating too. “Who are you?” Katie asked, taking in the woman’s long brown hair and blue eyes. She looked to be in her late forties.

“Dahlia.” She answered. “It seems fated that you should end up here in the place of my slumber.” Katie gave the woman a confused shake of her head. “Your soul shattered, landing you neither on earth, passed on or on the other side. That’s not something that happens often.” Katie just glared at the woman. “When you shattered, your memories scattered throughout this place. While you were putting yourself back together I was looking at them and I’ve seen enough to know you’ve been intimate with my nephew.”

“Look I don’t know who you are, but I’m pretty sure my memories and who I’m intimate with are none of your business and I’d like nothing more to continue my journey back to my body.” She told her with an attitude induced sway of her head. “So if you could kindly put me down it would be highly appreciated.”

“Before I put you down I’m going to give you a gift.” She told her still holding her hand out in front of her.

“What?” Katie asked.

Dahlia flicked her wrist causing an odd tingling feeling to spread over and sink into Katie’s lower abdomen. “You’re welcome.” Dahlia dropped Katie and as she fell she looked up to see Dahlia disappear.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie shot straight up in bed taking in a deep breath. She looked around to see her friends in the doorway of her bedroom at Klaus’s house, “What the hell happened?” she asked then looked up at the blood bag hanging on an iv that was stuck in her arm. “I’m starving.”

As her friends came back into the room Elijah took the blood bag off the pole while she pulled the needle out of her arm. He disconnected the tube then handed her the bag. She grabbed it and sucked it down, the color returning to her skin as she did. “What is the last thing that you remember?” Elijah asked as he took the empty bag from her.

“You…making me feel with our link.” Katie answered, then realized that she didn’t feel the pull in her stomach that she usually did when he was near. “Our link…” she sighed, looking Elijah in his brown eyes. “It’s gone.”

“I assume you are relieved.” He told her bluntly as he looked down at the tube in his hand.

She frowned remembering she had told him that she’d hoped it would break when she turned off her humanity. “I-” she was cut off when something started burning her chest and she grabbed it and pulled it off to see the necklace Damon had given her hanging from the chain in her hand. “Ouch.” She sighed and put it down on the bed beside her seeing the picture Stefan had framed for her and the drawing of her in her ball gown that Klaus had made. “Seriously someone tell me what the hell’s going on.” She said as she took the necklace Elijah had given her off her wrist and set it on the bed next to Damon’s. She noticed the bracelet her friends had given her and decided to leave it on.

“We thought you were dead, Katie Cat.” Damon told her from where he leaned against the white post of her footboard.

“Huh?” Katie asked.

“When Elijah reached out to you with your link he overpowered your soul and shattered it.” Bonnie answered. “Without a soul, your body started dying.”

Katie looked over at Elijah. “Did you know that would happen?”

“No.” he answered simply. “If I did I never would have reached out to you like that.”

“Okay, I’m out of here.” Elena said and left the room.

“Good to see you up, Katie Cat.” Damon said as he walked over to her and kissed the top of her head. “Try not to die again, okay?” he told her then rushed after Elena.

“Yeah, I’m gonna go.” Stefan spoke up feeling awkward since he and Katie hadn’t been on good terms for some time now.

He started to leave ,but Katie spoke up. “Hey Stefan?” he turned and looked back at her. “I don’t hate you, just do you know. You weren’t really yourself and you rightfully wanted revenge. I just happened to be on the bad side of that.” Stefan just looked at her. “Are we good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” He told her with a closed lipped smile and a nod then left the room.

Katie looked at Bonnie and Caroline, “Is a fresh start too much to ask for?”

“No, we’re good too.” Bonnie told her with a teary eyed smile.

“So we’re all friends again?” Caroline asked with a bright smile that made Katie smile.

“Yes.” Katie answered. “Well, the three of us are. I’m not sure what was up with Elena.”

“She flipped her switch, but that’s a long story for another time.” Bonnie told her looking sad all of a sudden.

Caroline looked at Katie, sitting on the bed with both Elijah and Klaus at her side. “We’ll give you three some space.” She hit Bonnie’s shoulder with the back of her hand to get her attention then jerked her head to the door. “We’ll see you tomorrow?” Caroline asked Katie who nodded.

With them gone Katie looked back and forth between Klaus and Elijah. “I need a drink.” She slid off the bed and headed downstairs. She grabbed a bottle of bourbon out of the liquor cabinet and a glass. When she turned from the fridge from putting ice in the glass she found Klaus and Elijah sitting at the bar behind her. “I have no idea what to say to either of you. Somehow I’m sorry just doesn’t seem to cut it.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” Elijah told her and she sighed.

“Yes, I do. I shouldn’t have told you about me and Klaus.” Klaus blinked at her and tilted his head to the side. “Not like that anyway.” She poured some bourbon over the ice and capped the bottle. “But you know what?” she picked up the glass and pointed her finger at Elijah. “My love life stopped being your business when you…what did you call it again?” she asked looking around in thought even though she remembered exactly what he’d said. “Right, you let me go. Like a bird that wasn’t perfectly fine with the cage she was in.”

“Niklaus, will you give us a minute?” Elijah asked with a look at Klaus. Klaus looked at Katie and she gave him a nod. So he walked away. “I left because I thought it was what was best for you.” he told her and she opened her mouth to say something, but he held up his hand and she closed her mouth. “But as you pointed out before we passed out, you’ve had enough people telling you what to do. I will forever regret becoming one of them. All I can do is hope that you will one day forgive me both for leaving you and shattering your soul.”

Katie took a drink then set the glass down. “You hurt me, Elijah. You broke me, my trust and my belief in love.” She took a drink as she watched him straighten the place mat in front of him. “And yes, I’m relieved that our link is broken.” he stopped and looked up at her with a frown. “But it’s not because I hate you for leaving me or any other malicious untrue reason. It’s because the whole time I was with you I didn’t know if what I felt for you was real or if it was the link pushing me to feel something for you. I blindly trusted it and jumped in feet first because I wanted so badly to feel loved and wanted.” She paused to take a breath and another drink.

“I will admit it was unfair of me to expect us to simply pick up where we left off. I just missed you so much and waited so long to find you again that I overlooked that while you are exceptionally similar to the woman I fell in love with you are also vastly different.” He told her, not looking her in the eyes.

Katie threw back what was left of her drink and poured another. “I told you that I would always love you, link or no link and I meant it.” she walked around the bar to stand in front of him.

“As did I.” he told her and she smiled a little then let it fall.

“I’m going to be honest with you, I was hoping when that link broke that I wouldn’t feel anything for you. That I could have an easy out of the pain that loving someone inevitably brings. But I look into your eyes and I feel that pain and heartbreak. So I know it was real.”

“So what does that mean for us?” he asked as he propped his elbow up on the bar.

“It means that while I still love you and I always will, I can’t overlook that you chose to leave me. It means I can’t just…jump back into it with you. However what I can do is forgive you for leaving me and shattering my soul. We both need to let go of the past and move on.” She told him.

He looked back down at the place matt, tapping it with his fingertips. “And do you intend to move on with Klaus?” he asked quietly.

She sighed and leaned her hip on the bar. “If he will still have me, yes.” She saw a pained look flash across his face. “I hope you know it wasn’t my intention to hurt you by sleeping with him. I never intended on having feelings for him at all, it just kind of happened.”

“You do not have to explain yourself to me.” He told her as he took his hand off the bar and stood up. He looked around with squinted eyes and pursed lips before he sighed and placed his hand on Katie’s cheek, touching her for the first time since she woke up. Her eyes slipped closed from the comforting, familiar touch before she opened them and looked at him. “Does he make you happy?”

She picked up her foot and started tapping the toe of it into the hardwood floor. “Yes.”

“Then you have nothing to feel bad about.” He told her then leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead as her eyes slipped shut. “Goodbye, Katie.” By the time she opened her eyes he was gone.

She was getting a blood bag out of the icebox when Klaus found her. “I see Elijah is gone.”

“Yep.” She said as she ripped the corner of the bag off with her teeth and spit it onto the bar then poured the blood into a clear glass.

“And you’re still here.” He observed.

“Is that okay with you?” she asked as she lifted the glass to her lips and took a drink.

“You are kidding right?” he asked as he walked around the bar and picked her up by her hips making her yelp and attempt to not spill her drink as he set her on the counter. She set the glass to the side and wrapped her legs around him as she rested her hands on his broad and toned yet kind of skinny shoulders. These actions told him all he needed to know before he pressed his lips to hers in a slow passionate kiss. After a few seconds it broke and he pressed his forehead to hers. “Do you know how hard it was to not kiss you the second you opened your eyes?”

“Not a clue. I’ve never wanted to kiss myself.” She popped off and he pulled back to give her a get-serious look that made her smile a cheeky smile at him. “How long have I been out?”

“Three weeks.” He answered.

“And how long since I flipped my switch?” she asked. “I kind of lost track of time in that horrible windowless room you and Elijah locked me in.”

“Around three months.” He answered and she slipped her hands down his chest.

“A lot can change in three months,” She pointed out looking him in the eyes.

“A lot has changed.” he told her as he looked into her eyes and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, “I’m hoping we haven’t?”

She smiled and bit her lip. “We haven’t.” As soon as the words left her lips he kissed her hungrily and slipped his hands under her white tank top. She pulled away. “Whoa, hey, what about Rebekah?” Katie asked.

“She has her own house now.” he told her then started kissing her neck. “We had a bit of a falling out.”

“Something tells me a dagger was involved.” He rolled his eyes at her then started kissing her neck. “Slow your roll there Big Bad Wolf.” she told him as she pulled back and smiled at the aggravated sigh that left his lips. “Before I get too lost in you can I have a few minutes to myself to shower and just…take a beat?”

“Of course.” He told her then back up.

She hopped down, grabbed her glass of blood and down it. “I’ll find you when I’m done.” She told him with a flirty look as she headed upstairs.

Since they had the house to themselves she didn’t bother grabbing clean clothes before she went to the bathroom, turned on the shower, waited for the water to warm up then stepped inside. As the warm water cascaded down her shoulders and back she thought about everything that she’d done since she flipped the switch, every kill, every person she compelled to do her bidding...none of it bothered her. She knew she should be weeping at the thought of taking someone’s family away from them, of how many grieving people there were in the world thanks to her and her blood lust, but she didn’t feel the need to. Yes she shouldn’t have killed them, but she couldn’t beat herself up about it.

Then she remembered the horrified look on the little girl's face as she placed her dead father’s still warm heart in her little hands. The thought of her face being the stuff of that little girl’s nightmares, how much therapy that little girl was going to need just to function as a human. The realization that she single handedly crushed that little girl’s innocence broke her. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she pressed her back against the shower wall and slid down wrapping her arms around her wet knees as she let it all out.

Eventually though she realized crying wouldn’t make it any better. So she stood up, finished showering then wrapped her towel around herself and went to her room. After throwing on her usual lounging around outfit of a tank top and shorts she found Klaus in his room, lying shirtless in bed, reading a green faux leather book. “So this is your room huh?” she asked from the doorway as she looked around. Brown and cream sheer curtains hung over the windows, a brown and cream bedspread covered Klaus’s lower half and a round dining table sat under a crystal chandelier that matched one of the chandeliers that had been in her holding room. Several framed handwritten letters hung on the wall over the head of the bed. A lamp that sat on the bedside table dimly lit the room.

“How was your shower?” he asked, having heard her crying. She walked over to his side of the bed and hopped up on it then straddled him. Instead of answering him she pressed her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around his waist. The hug surprised him. Yes, they were close, they spoke intimately and had sex, and he’d hugged her when she cried about Elijah leaving her, but this hug was something more. This hug showed a certain amount of neediness and that wasn’t something he’d felt from her before. She cared about him, she wanted him, but he never thought she needed him. The fact that she did shook him to his core as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held the back of her neck with the other hand. The words I love you almost slipped over his lips, but he kept it to himself. Her soul had just shattered and in doing so flipped her switch back on, she was dealing with enough emotionally without him adding to it.

So instead of saying it, he slid down in the bed, keeping her on top of him as he grabbed a pillow and put it under his head. In an attempt to further comfort her he started playing with her damp hair. She hummed, closed her eyes and started lazily sliding her fingertips up and down his side. “That feels good.” Her words made him smile. “Klaus?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, Sweetheart?” he asked, still playing with her hair.

She found herself wanting to say those three little words, but she couldn’t let herself. If she said it out loud she’d be letting him in. If she let him in, he could hurt her and if he said it back…she could hurt him. He was the last person she’d ever want to hurt. So instead of I love you she simply said, “Thank you.”

“Any time.” He told her, making her smile. Then she opened her eyes and saw the green book on the bedside table.

“Is that my journal?” she asked, putting her hand on his chest as she pushed herself up.

“Yes.” He answered and she sat up to straddle him.

“Why were you reading it?” she drawled with suspicious eyes.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” He answered and she glared at him. “I’m the reason you abandoned your humanity, I wanted to be the one to help you find your way back.”

“So what did you find out from reading the melodramatic bull crap that is my journal?” she asked as she started drawing nonsensical shapes on his chest.

“I know you like Italian food, hate chocolate and love cheesecake and strawberry ice cream. I found out that you lost your virginity to Damon, poor choice if you ask me, as well as a plethora of other things, but what caught my attention most was the poetry.”

“Ugh.” She made a disgusted noise and wrinkled her nose. “Why?”

“Because it’s good.” He told her, giving her thigh a light squeeze. “And I like poetry.”

“So…” she sighed, deciding to change the subject before he decided to start filling her head with compliments. “Fill me in on what I’ve missed, please.”

He pushed himself up to lean against the headboard then moved her around to sit between his legs leaning back on him with his arms wrapped around her.

From there he told her everything that happened since she flipped her switch. How, when he found out about Katie flipping her switch, he made Bonnie put him back into his body that hadn’t been completely burned because the casket he was in when he was stabbed got closed and extinguished the flame.

How the hunter named Connor showed up in town. He was part of a group of five supernaturally gifted vampire hunters whose mission was to find the original immortal, Silas, and the cure to immortality, cure Silas then kill him. Klaus had to leave Katie with Elijah to help control the hunter. The freshly turned Elena killed the hunter and therefore became haunted by the hunter's curse. When Elena killed the hunter, the tattoo that only hunters and potential hunters could see, showed up on Jeremy and the only way for Elena’s hallucinations to stop was for Jeremy to kill a vampire. Caroline talked Klaus into letting Jeremy kill one of his hybrids.

Some guy named Shane who was a professor that took over the college class that Grams used to teach, started teaching Bonnie a type of magic called expression not telling her that it was dark magic. Stefan and Elena broke up. Klaus and Stefan started working together to grow Jeremy’s tattoo that would lead to the location of the cure to immortality. They both want it for Elena.

They found out that Elena was sire bound to Damon. Meaning she was in love with him before she turned. Klaus found out when they all tried to neutralize him that his hybrids had broken their sire bonds to him and Tyler had led the rebellion. Klaus killed all of his hybrids and Tyler’s mom. Kol found out about them trying to find the cure and knew that if they did Silas would unleash hell on earth so he tried to thwart any attempt to find Silas. Klaus turned a bar full of people for Jeremy to kill and complete his mark, but Kol killed them before Jeremy could. Elena asked Klaus to help keep Jeremy safe from Kol who was trying to kill him to keep them from following the hunters mark. Kol also compelled Damon to kill Jeremy so he got locked up in the basement for a little while.

Kol tried to cut Jeremy’s arms off to keep the tattoo from spreading, so Elena killed him. Klaus was going to burn them both in the house, but Bonnie managed to trap him in Elena’s living room with a spell. Because Kol’s whole sire line died, it completed Jeremy’s mark. Klaus was stuck there while the others, besides Caroline and Tyler, went to Nova Scotia to find Silas and the cure. Tyler told Klaus that his plan was to cure Klaus and kill him. Caroline cleaned up Kol’s body while Tyler taunted Klaus on exactly how he was going to kill him. Klaus took his anger at Tyler out on Caroline by biting her. Tyler left Caroline there to make Klaus watch her die. Klaus couldn’t let her die and cured her. The next day Klaus, Caroline and Tyler used a hunter’s sword to decode Jeremy's tattoo, revealing that there is only one dose of the cure. Because Tyler tried to kill him, Klaus ran him out of town. Katherine killed Jeremy by feeding Silas his blood in order to get the cure out of his mummified hands.

Jeremy’s death put Elena in unbearable pain and Damon told her to turn her humanity off not knowing it would break the sire bond. She burned her house down with Jeremy in it.

“Can’t say I haven’t thought about burning my house down.” She commented.

“After everything I just told you that’s what you comment on?” he asked, putting his chin on her shoulder as he looked at her face. She just shrugged. “No comments on the fact that I slaughtered my hybrids and killed your ex-boyfriends mother?”

“I get why you killed your hybrids, but on the flip side I get why they tried to kill you.” he poked her in the side. “What? For someone who wanted them for a back up family you kind of treated them like slaves.” She told him bluntly. “As for Tyler’s mom…she had her nice moments like trying to help me win Miss Mystic, and she loved her son, but mostly she was just a bitch. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard her call me trash. Pretty sure if you didn’t kill her I would have eventually.” She told him then turned around and straddled his lap.

Things were comfortably quiet for a little while as they both just enjoyed being with each other. “Happy birthday, by the way, I’m sorry I did not get you anything.”

“You’re the only birthday present I need.” She told him then wrinkled her nose. “That sounded far less cheesy in my head.”

He smiled. “I do not mind cheesy.”

She glared at him playfully. “You secretly love romantic chick flicks don’t you?”

He laughed looking a little embarrassed. “Maybe.” Katie smiled and looked at her hands exploring his torso. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Nope. I like it.” she told him then leaned down and kissed his neck.

“So what do you want for your birthday?” he asked as she kept placing random kisses over his neck and chest.

“An art lesson.” She answered, surprising him.

“The woman that colored in a coloring book to pass art class wants a lesson?” he asked and she stopped showering him with kisses to look at his face.

“I would have liked to learn, but the teacher sucked and it was kind of nice to have a break from my other, harder, classes.” She told him as her hands slid over his shoulders and down his arms to his hands that rested on her thighs and grabbed them in hers. “I want to know more about the things you’re passionate about.” She admitted as she pressed her palms to his.

He threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her into him catching her lips with his in a kiss that slowly deepened. After a few minutes of making out he let go of her hands, grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head. He looked into her eyes as his hands found her breasts and kneaded them as he kissed her neck, his actions pulling a sigh from her as he slid down to lay on his back. She grabbed his chin and kissed his lips then kissed down his jaw line to his neck, pulling a sigh out of him with her touch. Her hands explored his torso as she kissed his collarbone, the hollow of his neck, the center of his chest then surprised him as she kept kissing lower, making his breath quicken when she threw the covers over her head and took him into her mouth. The grunt her action pulled out of him made her laugh only giving him that much more pleasure.

She was just starting to have fun when he threw the covers off of her, grabbed her chin and pulled her up for a heated kiss. “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you?” he asked between peppering kisses over her neck and shoulders and his hand caressed her back.

“Show me?” she asked and he pulled away from kissing her to look her in the eyes as he rolled them over. She wrapped one arm around his torso while her other hand held the back of his neck. As he hovered over her, braced on his hand on the bed next to her head, he slipped his hand down her chest. He didn’t break eye contact as he moved his hand to her breast, kneading it before he pinched her nipple making her moan and dig her fingertips into his back. Desperate to have his lips back on her she pulled him to her for a needy passionate kiss. As they kissed his hand moved down her stomach then slipped into her shorts and panties. His talented fingers pulled a whimper from her that made him pull back and look her in the eyes as he pleasured her.

After a minute she pushed off the rest of her clothes, grabbed his wrist, pulled his hand away, rolled them over then sat up. When she slipped his slick fingers into her mouth he thought he was going to lose it, but he managed to hold back as he slipped them out and sat up. He grabbed her beast in his hand as she slid her hands over his toned arms. A growl left his lips as he attacked neck with kisses and nibbles making her laugh then sigh before he whooshed them around and sank into her.

A sigh left her lips as she squeezed her eyes closed and wrapped her legs around him. His sighs and groans only fueled her fire just as her whimpers and moans fueled his. He could tell she was getting close and as if on cue she sighed, “God, Klaus.”

“Come for me, sweetheart.” His words tipped her over the edge making her dig her fingernails into his back and tighten her legs around him. The slight pain of her nails in his back and intense pleasure of her orgasm sent him tumbling after her and pulled a loud grunt from him, making her smile as he let his head fall to her chest.

After they had both come down from the high he picked up his head and looked her in the eyes. As she moved her hands from his back to his chest she saw the blood on her fingernails and her smile faded. “Did I scratch you?” she asked, taking her hand off of him a little shocked at what she had done.

“Mmhmm.” he hummed and started kissing her chest absentmindedly.

“Did it hurt?” she asked, still looking at the blood on her fingertips.

“Only a little.” He answered.

“I’m sorry. I’ve never done anything like that before.” She told him.

He stopped kissing her to look her in the eyes. “Pain and pleasure sometimes go hand in hand.” She just looked at him with a frown. “It’s fine. I liked it.” he assured her.

“If you say so.” She told him deciding not to harp on it. He rolled off of her to lie on his side, turned off the lamp then pulled the covers over them. He smiled to himself when she tucked herself into his chest, intertwined her legs with his and wrapped an arm around his waist. She was being clingier than usual and he couldn’t help but love it.

He thought she was just reveling in the calm after the storm like she used to, but after a few minutes her breathing changed and he looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. So he kissed the top of her head and let sleep overcome him, happy that she was back in his arms.

[obsidiancreates]

Making a Campsona because it seems fun

Name: Sid! Last name? Why do you need to know? *suspision*

Pronouns: she/her! (although honestly I’ve been referred to as they/them and despite being cis I find I don’t mind at all so that works too.)

Height: 5″ 9′, but almost 5″ 10′!

Eye color: Central heterochromia with blue, green, and brown! Though if we can do fantasy colors... I’d like purple.

Hair color: Light brown/caramel brown with some faint red and purple left over from dying my hair months ago.

Hair style: Just past shoulder length, in a ponytail that I keep needing to tighten, bobby pins and barrettes to stop flyaway strand but they and a lot of frizz happen anyways. Keeps saying I’ll cut it and keep forgetting.

Skin tone: Fair with pink undertones!

Outfit: Black Camp Unus Annus shirt and likely some jeans or jean shorts, either tennis shoes or some leather/pleather boots.

Accessories: Purse/backpack with things like snacks, flashlight, water, sunscreen, notebooks, portable phone charger, various other items “just in case”. Oh and also purple glasses and maybe a hat (probably my Venturiantale one, sorry Unus Annus merch).

General appearance: Very skinny, somehow never tans and only sunburns, probably doing some kind of stimming at any given moment, or being creepily quiet and still.

Unus or Annus: Probably fits more as an Unus but I never did figure it out.

Short bio (personality): Mostly friendly, if anyone needs something I have in my bag I’m happy to offer it. Easily confused and startled by the wilderness around us, constantly shocked by the creatures and plants. Scared oof possible spider and bugs when hiking, but oddly confident once I get going despite not knowing where the hell the trail actually leads. 

Strengths: Constantly paranoid of something going horribly wrong so always carrying some at least semi-useful items and probably has a book on what to do in emergencies, decent at rational thinking.

Weaknesses: Prone to anger when scared, complete lack of any athletic ability or muscle strength (except in my core for some reason), asthma.

Cabin: Still confused on which cabin to pick and just follows my girlfriend.

Your “role” as a camper: The Mom Friend camper, maybe also a storyteller around campfires because I do love telling a good story.

Favorite camp activity/ies: Has never been to a camp before so everything is exciting and I have no idea what I like most yet.

Other: Bit of a baby sometimes when confused, which happens often, especially when asked to make a decision for a group.

[mastrmiscellaneous]

PJO OC Profiles

I have no where else to put these, so here:

Name: Justin Colby Peters

Godly Parent: Apollo

Family: Diana Peter (mother), Lucille Peters (younger sister), Marilyn Peters (grandmother), Clara Bones (friend/partner)

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: White American

Birthday: 4th May, 1997

Age: 24 (first went to camp at 11)

Height: 6’

Build: slim, athletic, broad shoulders and strong arms from archery

Hair: golden blond, ear length comb over favouring the left

Eyes: Ice Blue

Skin/Complexion: Justin has pale white skin, mostly untouched by wounds or marks. until he came to camp, and he earned small scars from training. When he turned 15, he was attacked by the Nemean Lion and lost his left leg, as well as earning many scars from his teeth and claws.

Skills: Archery, music (guitar and wind instruments), cooking,

Special abilities: deadly accuracy. Justin is the plague bringer; his powers being derived from Apollo’s plague powers. He can make anyone sick in many levels with a thought, ranging from sneezing fits to something much more deadly.

Job(s):

Music     teacher

instrument     repair

Weapon(s):

Dagger

Bow     and arrows: Horse bow, pine arrows with grey and red fletching

Attire:

Camp Half-blood shirt

Blue varsity Jacket

Either blue jeans, or blue basketball shorts

blue converse

Bio: Justin was born in a small town outside St Cloud, Minnesota, and was raised by single mother, Diana Peters, and his grandmother, Marilyn. Diana worked as a musical instrument builder and repair person. She owns a workshop (Muse’s Sound), and lives on the apartment above the shop. Justin grew up making music with his mother, learning guitar and flute. When he was three, Diana met another man, and a few months later, his little sister, Lucille, was born. He protected her from that day on.

Eventually, Justin started noticing he was different, for more reasons than just his Dyslexia. When he was getting picked on, and the bullies started feeling ill whenever they upset him. It always seemed to link to what Justin was thinking about. He struggled to come to terms with this magic, but eventually learnt to control it. he only ever made one fatal mistake.

He went to Camp Half-Blood age 11, taken there by his mother, when monster attacks started happening every day for a few weeks. He was left at camp with Lucille, and clamed that very same night. This is where he met Clara Bones, with whom he became fast friends, and eventually lovers.

Aged 15, Justin and Lucille bumped into Hephaestus, Lucille’s father, who sent them on a mission to collect some of the Nemean Lion’s mane for experimentation. During the fight, the Lion clamped his jaws around Justin’s left leg and thrashed him around. Justin woke up a day later in Hephaestus’ forge, being cared for by Apollo. Apollo had not been able to save his leg, but healed the wound over, just inter his knee joint. Hephaestus and Lucille build Justin a celestial bronze prosthetic, that he uses with complete pride.

Name: Lucille Marilyn Peters

Godly Parent: Hephaestus

Family: Diana Peter (mother), Justin Peters (older brother), Marilyn Peters (grandmother), Clara Bones (friend)

Nationality: American

Ethnicity: White American

Birthday: 11th November, 2000

Age: 21 (first went to camp at 8)

Height: 5’6

Build: strong, with broad shoulders and thick arms. Lucille does not have a traditionally feminine form, with a bigger waist and generally broad physique.

Hair: shining bronze. Cut neatly halfway down her neck, parted to the right.

Eyes: copper brown

Skin/Complexion: honey tanned skin, darker than Justin, making it hard to believe they are siblings. She has small scars dotting her body from training and building things. her hands are covered in huge, ugly (her word, no one else’s) birthmarks, coloured startling red and spotted with pale marks.

Skills: Music (Piano), electrics and forge work, engineering

Special abilities: electric/machine sensing (can track electrical signals and sense how they work)

Job(s):

NASA     engineer

instrument repair (growing up)

Weapon(s):

Leaf shaped dagger:

Celestial bronze hammer

Attire:

Camp Half-Blood shirt (on occasion)

Dark brown woollen jumper

Black ¾ jean shorts

Brown leather boots

Brown leather gloves

Welders goggles

Brown and red worker’s belt

 Bio:

Lucille was born when her older brother, Justin, was 3 years old. She appeared to struggle a lot growing up with colour and identification. She was diagnosed with Protanopia type red-green colour blindness when she was 5. She was also diagnosed with ADHD at 6 years old.

 Lucille loved creating from the moment she could hold thongs. She helped her mother repair instruments on her workshop form a young age, and was trusted to do it on her own when she was 10.

 She went to camp aged 8, had a terrible first night as she had to sleep on the floor of the Hermes cabin away from her brother, as he had been claimed, but she had not. Luckily, she was comforted by Clara, and was claimed by Hephaestus the next day at breakfast. She thrived in the forge, and loved building things with her siblings, but still struggled because of her colour-blindness. Luckily, the Hephaestus kids were kind and sorted tools and materials with labels saying what they were.

 When Lucille went on a quest for her father with Justin when she was 12, going after the Nemean Lion, she managed to grab enough some mane hair for Hephaestus. As a reward, the god of the forge made her welding goggles that corrected her vision, allowing her to see the whole spectrum of colours. She cried when she saw them for the first time. Now she wears her goggles around her neck everywhere she goes, just in case she needs them.

Name: Clara Atalanta  Ostá

Godly Parent: Hades

Family: Clio Ostá (mother), Justin Peters (friend/boyfriend), Lucille Peters (friend)

Nationality: American, Greek

Ethnicity: Greek (Athenian)

Birthday: 12th January, 1997

Age: 24 (10 when first went to camp, claimed at 17)

Height: 5’9”

Build: slim and athletic, gymnast physique

Hair: dark brown, straight and long, parted favouring the right. She dyed it blue after she was claimed, because she said it was referencing Hades from the Disney film, which annoyed Hades

Eyes: Icy blue

Skin/Complexion: dark chestnut brown skin. She has the least amount of scars between her friends, as she was a year round camper, and not allowed to go on quests until she was claimed.

Skills: expert swordsman, cooking, drawing, writing

Special abilities: Clara has powers over darkness and shadows. She can shadow travel long distances without passing out. She can summon a dark mist to cloak her surrounding area, and pull shadows and darkness to encase her surrounding area. When she uses this power, everyone around loses their vision, unless she waves her hands in front of their face.

Job(s):

Librarian

Home-school Teacher 

Guardian of Athens

Weapon(s):

Celestial Bronze Spartan style short sword

Attire:

Camp Half-Blood shirt

Grey woollen jumper

Black jeans

 Black leather boots

Bio:

Clara was born in Athens to single mother Clio Ostá, a Literature and History researcher for the University of Athens. As Clara grew up, her mother slowly became more and more paranoid after her exploits as a Guardian of Athens and the exposure to Clara’s power set, filling their home with protection symbols from Greek and Rome tradition, mostly Greek. Her paranoia forced her to move away from Greece, as she rightfully feared the ancient stories and monsters were coming for her and her child. Clio uprooted her small family when Clara was 7yrs old, and moved them to a small town in the middle of Maine, getting a job in the Classics department in the University of Maine. However, her paranoia continued to grow, and life at home was no longer an option for Clara.

When she was 10, Clara ran away after being sent a note from an unknown sender about a safe place for people like her. The note led her to Cam Half-Blood, where she stayed year round until she was claimed at 15. Through these five years, she calls home every so often to tell her mother she is safe.

[steves-on-a-plane]

Double Trouble (Pt. 1)

Words: 2310 Pairing: Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes (formerly & eventually) Other Characters: Betsy Sarah Rogers (oc) & Eleanor Roosevelt Barnes (oc) Other Info: Parent Trap AU Inspired by: @caffeinated--writer​‘s Post Summary: Betsy Rogers is about to be dropped off at a summer camp she doesn’t want to go to. She’d much rather spend the summer with her father and his friends moving into their new place. Ellie Barnes has been attending Camp Sunshine every summer since she was seven. This summer she’s going to finally be a Cabin Leader. But both girl’s lives are about to change when they discover a secret that ties them together forever. 

Camp Sunshine. Thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Sarah Rogers could have gagged as she read the name off the swinging wooden sign their car passed under. The sign was hung crookedly by a pair of chains that each connected to a large beam.  Camp Sunshine sounded like exactly the sort of place Steve Rogers would send his only daughter. Betsy continued to stare out the window, looking anywhere but at him. She imagined it was the type of camp that didn’t allow junk food or for the campers to be up past seven. The kind of camp that gave out patches for making popsicle stick houses or some other such nonsense.

“Why the long face, Bets?” Her father asked. He maneuvered the car into a turn and waited for her to respond, even though he already knew the answer.

“I don’t want to be here.” She mumbled to the window.

“I know, Chickadee.” He sighed, digging out an old nickname he only used when he was really trying to win his daughter over. “But we’ve been over this. You’re too big to fit in my luggage.” He joked, trying to get a laugh out of her. Betsy couldn’t help but smirk. Steve Rogers was the king of dad jokes.

“Don’t think I can’t see that smirk.” He commented, still driving down the winding camp road.” Listen, Bets I know you don’t want to go to camp, but I’ve gotta help Tony get the new compound set up and you need to be around kids your own age more.”

“I don’t like kids my own age!” She pouted. “I want to hang out with you and Tony and Natasha!”

“Well, maybe you just haven’t found the right ones yet.” He suggested.

“Well you should hang out with people your age.” She thought it was a very good comeback considering her dad was over ninety years old.

“Ha ha,” The captain feigned a laugh. “That’s different and you know it. Clint said this camp is nice. It’s where he usually sends Lila every summer.”

“Yeah, even the Bartons are going on a family vacation this summer.” Betsy complained. Steve sighed again.

“It’s only four weeks, Bets.” He added before driving the rest of the way in silence. The car didn’t go much further before stopping just outside of the main cabin. All around the manicured lawn of the main cabin girls were milling about in small groups of two to four. Some eagerly waved good-bye to their parents while others, like Betsy, looked as if they didn’t want to be there.

“Well, Chicakdee, this is where we say good-bye.” Steve told his daughter regrettably. She finally looked over at him and said the snarky line she’d been saving up in her mind for a full week.

“You mean this is where you ditch me for four weeks.” She huffed before opening the car door on her side. Betsy walked to the back of the car and waited for her dad to pop the trunk. When he did she reached in and grabbed her bags. She slung a duffle bag over one shoulder and her backpack over the other before slamming the trunk down. She then tapped on the trunk twice, so he knew she’d gotten everything, just like she’d seen the captain do when one of the Avengers dropped him off at home.

Betsy walked back towards the driver’s side and leaned into the window. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to do it, but she managed to kiss her father on the cheek. She then leaned back and offered him a salute.

“Bye, Captain Dad.” She said, bringing her arm to her side. “Promise you’ll at least write to me?”

“You’re going to summer camp, not to war, Bets.” He laughed. “But I’ll write, I promise. Stay out of trouble alright? I love you!”

“I love you too.” You answered back before he rolled up his window. It was a strange ritual that he insisted on for as long as she could remember. You should always tell someone you love them when you mean it because you never know when your last chance to say it might be. He’d told her once and the sentiment always stuck. She waited until his care had turned around and disappeared out of sight before heading inside the main cabin to check in.

“Name dear?” The elderly woman who was checking in campers asked her.

“Betsy or Elizabeth.” She added, realizing her father had probably registered her with her full name. “Elizabeth Rogers.”

“Ah, Rogers.” The woman nodded. She marked something down on the list in front of her. “You’ll be in the Cabin Five. You should find it easily enough. Your Counselor’s name is Ellie. Next!”

“Okay…” Betsy wandered outside back onto the lawn and hoped that she could find her way to cabin five.

“Ellie! El!” Betsy turned to look for Ellie, the girl who was supposed to be her cabin leader, as it seemed someone had spotted her on the lawn somewhere. But while she squinted against the sunlight a girl approached her talking a mile a minute.

“I heard you were a Cabin Leader this year! That’s so amazing! I mean it makes sense, you’ve been coming here for like ever, but what’s with the new look? I mean I’m into it but hiking boots? A denim jacket? Helllooo? Earth to Ellie!” The girl finally stopped for a breath.

“Sorry were you talking to me?” Betsy pointed at herself. “I’m Betsy Rogers and you are?”

“So so so sorry!” The girl exclaimed. “You look just like this other girl, Ellie. Have you met Ellie before?”

“I, ah, no.” Betsy shook her head. “But I’m looking for her. I’m supposed to be in Cabin Five with her. Do you think you could…”

“Oh Cabin Five!” The girl remarked excitedly, interrupting Betsy. “I can totally show you the way!” The girl grabbed Betsy by the hand and started leading her across the lawn. “I’m Joss by the way. Nice to meet you Betsy. I can’t wait to show you to Ellie! She’s gonna freak!”

Eleanor Roosevelt Barnes was in her cabin unpacking as she waited for her new campers to arrive. This would be her seventh summer at Camp Sunshine. She’d been going every summer since she was a little kid and this year, she was finally a Cabin Leader. She would be responsible for a whole cabin of campers. Sure, it would really only be her friend, Joss, and two other girls their age but she was excited anyway. Ellie put her hands on her hips and surveyed her four pieces of matching luggage.

“Maybe I’ve packed too much this year.” She sighed. She did pack an entire bag of just make-up and hair accessories.

“Ellie!!! Ellie! There’s someone you’ve got to meet!” Eleanor could hear Joss’ shouted from inside the cabin before the thin screen door flew open. “Betsy, this is Ellie.” Eleanor looked away from her luggage and over at the cabin door. The girl standing between her and her best friend nearly took her breath away.

Betsy was dragged across the camp by Joss, a girl who hardly ever seemed to stop talking. When they finally reached Cabin Five, Joss continued to rattle on while forcing Betsy inside. The cabin’s only other occupant at the time was quickly introduced as Ellie.

Ellie was, at least in Betsy’s opinion, way too overdressed for camp. Her dark brown hair was curled into perfect ringlets which had to have taken at least forty-five minutes to set. Her make-up was trendy and colorful. The kind you’d see on an Instagram model with perfect eyeliner wings. She wore a hunter green skirt that stopped just above her knees which perfectly coordinated with the camp counselor polo shirt she was wearing. Even her shoes where a pair of keds in the same hunter green.

Betsy, from Ellie’s perspective, looked like she’d just crawled out of bed and dressed in the dark. Her dark hair had been twisted into some sort of a knot that barely resembled a bun. She wore a denim jacket over a faded red t-shirt. She had on shorts of a different color denim from her jacket and a pair of brown leather hiking boots.

Despite their differences, both girls noticed that they had the same ocean blue eyes and a nose that was broad and pointed upwards. Their hair was nearly the same color except that Betsy’s was streaked with highlights from the sun and Ellie’s had the faintest remnants of bleach on the ends from when she thought balayage would be a good look on her. If they didn’t know any better, they would have said they looked like twins.

“Sorry, what did you say your name was again?” Ellie asked. She smiled wide so that she was showing as many of her perfectly white teeth as possible.

“Uh, Betsy.” She answered quietly. “Like Betsy Ross, my dad kind of has a thing for history.”

“Tell me about it.” Ellie laughed. It was a light laugh, like a bird’s song. It was the same laugh that Betsy had. That’s why her dad had called her Chickadee. He said her laugh sounded like a bird’s song. “My dad’s named after a president. So, he thought it’d be cute to name me after a first lady!”  Ellie rolled her eyes. “C’mon in and get settled. We don’t have a lot of time to unpack before dinner starts.”

“Okay, is no one going to talk about the fact that the two of you look exactly the same?” Joss asked. “Like exactly the same?” Betsy and Ellie looked at each other, neither wanted to admit that Joss was right. “I mean El, you’re always saying how you wish you had a sibling! Maybe you and Betsy are related!”

“Not possible.” Ellie shook her head. She took a stack of photos out of one of her suitcases and started pinning them to the cabin wall with thumb tacks. “My Dad doesn’t have any family. Unless you count Bill and Javier and the other guys from the shop. It’s just been me and him for as long as I can remember.”

“It’s the same with me.” Betsy agreed. She tossed her bags on one of the open beds. “My dad told me once that there were only two people he ever loved before me. He lost his first love in a really tragic accident and the second…” Betsy shrugged. “Well, we never really talk about him. It’s too hard for my dad, I think. Instead we kind of surrounded ourselves with a ton of found family.”

“What about your mom?” Ellie asked looking away from her picture collage on the wall.

“I don’t have one.” Betsy replied. She sat down on the bed she’d claimed for herself. “At least not the way that most people do. My Dads had me with a surrogate and when they split up I stayed with my Dad, Steve, because he stayed living in New York. My other dad moved away before I was even a year old. I don’t even know his name.”

“Okay that’s weird.” Ellie admitted. “Because my Dad had me with a surrogate and he used to live in New York but we live in California now. He said he left the guy that he was with because they were just too different. He said he didn’t even take much with him, just me. But there’s this picture of a blonde man taped to his toolbox at work. I always wondered if that was my other dad. Do you know what your other dad looked like?”

“I Saw a picture of him once, in a framed photo on my dad’s dresser, but when he saw me looking at it, he put it away.”  Betsy explained.

“Did he look like this?” Ellie riffled through the stack of photos she’d brought with her until she found the one she was looking for. It was a picture of her Dad standing outside of his garage. She’d taken it about two years ago when constructions was completed on the new factory. “Bucky’s Motorcycle Co” was what the new sign that stretched across the whole building read. Standing under the sign, smiling proudly was her dad. James Buchan Barnes. He had the same dark hair as Ellie and the same nose, and even, Betsy noticed as she studied the photo, the same ocean blue eyes.

“That’s him.” Betsy said, not taking her eyes off the photo. “That’s the guy I saw in the picture in my Dad’s room. Wait your dad’s the owner of Bucky’s Motorcycles? That’s so cool! My Dad has one of those, but he never lets me ride it…”

“Betsy! Focus!” Ellie commented impatiently. “Do you have a picture of your dad?”

“Right!” Betsy nodded. She sent aside the photo of Bucky and reached for her backpack. Inside her wallet she pulled out a small photo of her Dad that she’d taken with her instant camera. He’d just come back from a mission and was still wearing most of his Captain America uniform. He held his helmet in one hand, while his other was pressed to his chest. His head was tossed back on laughter. “It’s not the best,” She explained handing the photo over to Ellie. “But it’s the only one I have with me.”

“Wait, your Dad is Captain America?” Ellie asked as she studied the photo Betsy handed her. “My dad told me that my other Dad was in the military. That’s how they met.”

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Joss gasped reminding the other two girls that she was even there. “If your if Ellie’s Dad looks like your other dad, and Betsy’s Dad looks like your other dad, doesn’t that make you both like, sisters?”

[aurora-the-kunoichi]

Aftermath Part 3 - The Meeting

Sorry for the delay in the release of this next part. Mun has found herself lacking in motivation in writing. I hope you enjoy the next installment in my apocalyptic TMNT story. 

Raphael and Reader

Everything hurt; even your eyelids ached, throbbing red flashes of pain as you tried to peel them open to see where you were, this wasn’t normal. What was going on, why did…..oh….OH….it was coming back in vivid angry snaps of memory. You were fighting off those men on the roof, who came unannounced and dead set on bringing you back to someone, to break you? Those assholes almost had you too before those four giant turtle men came, distracting them. The red banded one’s face flashed before your eyes concerned etched in his features. He had tried to save your dumb ass as you stumbled back in shock. The rotted out opening in the roof, how could you have not been aware of your surroundings? You could hear your mother scolding you in the back of your mind. Idiot!

As the world came rushing back you heard voices, male voices, not good. The fear bubbling up from your gut hoped it wasn’t those men you had encountered on the roof, prayed in fact, which you hadn’t done in years.

“I think she’s coming around?”

“Dudes, you think she’s gonna freak?”

“Can you get back nutball? She’s gonna freak if she wakes up and your ugly mug is inches from her fucking face.”

“Raphael can you please watch your language. We have a guest.”

As the light pierced your vision green became the forefront. Once, twice you blinked as the green blurry masses came into focus. Crystal clear they became, large muscle bound shelled behemoths just a few feet from where you lay. In the back of your mind you had hoped they were a figment of your imagination as you tumbled to your doom, but the four very large, very real man turtles stood around you.

The tallest of the four seemed to be concerned the most, his brown eyes moving behind a tattered purple mask and a pair of tech goggles sat upon his green bald forehead. His upper body well-muscled was sans clothing except for suspenders littered with multicolored patches and an arm band which seemed to hold a working tablet. He had a pack on the back of his shell and a small solar panel perched on the top with a weird pole attached to its side, it looked electric? From what you could see of his lower half he was wearing black cargo pants that held an array of gadgets and unknown gizmos strapped to his narrow hips. His left arm despite green with scales was covered in several all black tattoos that went from his shoulder cap to his pointer finger. His right arm had a nasty looking scar around his bicep, the green scaled flesh faded to white scar tissue reaching from mid bicep to his armpit. By the looks of the damage he had nearly lost it.

The one next to him was the smallest of the bunch but did not lack in bulk, his eyes were a brilliant light blue outlined in orange fabric. The front of his plastron looked carved in intricate designs, scrolling from the top left to the bottom right, but to your trained eye you could see the designs were hiding a long deep gash that had to have been painful to endure. His whole right arm down to the middle of his open side was drenched in vivid pigment and abstract watercolors. Along with a brightly colored octopus on his left shoulder, tentacles running up towards his throat to around his collar bone. His lower half was covered with brown shorts and knee pads and what looked like homemade shoes for his massive feet. And hanging on each swaying hip were a pair of fucking nunchaku?! Nunchaku?

The third was the second shortest but by the way he held himself he was very important, maybe the leader?  His green crown was wrapped in blue silhouetting his vibrant ocean blue eyes, he definitely oozed control. The top of his plastron had the same intricate detailed carvings covering what looked like a jagged gash across his chest moving from the left to just past the middle of the boney plates. The difference in his carvings was the indents looked blackened, enhancing the artwork, making it pop. Across his broad chest sat what look like a holster, black leather with dark blue embroidering running the length of the strap. His lower half was covered by black pants with knee pads protecting his joints with a strap around his left thigh holding an array of blades.

The last was the brute, not quite the tallest but definitely the one who worked out the most. A red bandana covered his whole head draping down to cover the back of his thick neck. His biceps were bigger than your head with dense muscles shifting under the green flesh as he palmed a half eaten apple in his right fist. His plastron had the most carvings covering nearly all his front breast plates besides the lower left section. His wide hips held a belt that slung lazily holding a set of red sais. His bulky legs were covered in dark green camo pants tattered and worn from years of abuse. His feet also adorned specially made footwear because you had never seen such gigantic black boots in your life. You wondered who the shoemaker of the group was.

Slowly you braced your hands under your back and sat up eyeing each mutant warily.

“Careful now, you got a pretty nasty concussion when you fell. Take it nice and easy.” The tall purple one yelped reaching for you out of reflex. When you recoiled, his face fell into a deep frown and stepped back out of your personal space.

You didn’t feel like you were in danger but that didn’t mean that you weren’t. You’re first interaction with humans in 10 years had left a sour taste in your mouth. But these four weren’t really human, were they?

“Umm….did you set up your rig, it’s quite impressive?” the tall one asked obviously trying to break the tense moment between you all. “How did you get the engine to take the solar power?”

You were about to say something but the horror of it hit you, your truck and camper! How long had you been out? Someone could steal all your hard work! Then you’d be stuck here!

The one in blue must have sensed your inner panic and lifted his large green hands in a non threatening manner. “Hey, hey miss calm down. Your truck and camper are safe; it’s down here with us. After you fell and we dispatched Donovan’s men, we brought you and your vehicle down here where they can’t get to it. The reason Donnie is asking because he got to drive it and hasn’t stopped talking about your work for almost 3 hours.”

“Down here? Donnie? Where are we? Who are you? Why did you help me? Donovan’s men?”

“Whoa whoa whoa there, that’s a lot of questions.” The red one chuckled taking another healthy bite from the apple. “By the way, thanks for the apple.” He winked finishing the sweet flesh in one final crunch. “It’s been years since I’ve had one.”

“God damnit Raph.” The purple one moaned in frustration hold his head in his hands. When he lifted his face you could have sworn his green cheeks had a red tint to them. “I’m sorry miss; you are in the sewers below what used to be New York City. I’m Donatello aka Donnie. This one here..” he wrapped his arm around the small but bulky orange banded one pulling him closer. “Is Michelangelo and he’s the youngest of us all.”

“You can call me Mikey though.” Michelangelo winked reaching his hand out for a knuckle bump.

His large knuckles were massive and highly scarred, like he had lived a very hard life. Which from the looks of their battle worn bodies was true for all of them? Reluctantly you lifted your hand and completed the bump to his very apparent excitement. His blue eyes shone bright as he leaned further into Donatello gracing you with a large white smile that warmed your soul.

The blue one stepped forward and bowed slightly, “I am Leonardo, and I’m the eldest of my three brothers and the leader of our clan. The one who took an apple without permission is Raphael, my second in command and 2nd oldest. I apologize for his rudeness, but I must confess we all were a little excited seeing fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s been a while since we’ve seen, let alone consumed any. We live underground but Mikey had a garden set up on a roof top not too far from here, but it kept getting looted. Soon there was nothing left to regrow because seeds grew scarce and no left-over parts of the food to replant. It was a major disappointment to all of us. How have you managed to grow them after all this time?”

Swinging your legs over the side of the bed you rested on you cracked your neck and took a deep breath. “Ummm, my name is Y/N, yes I set up the rig, been working on it for years. I’m not from New York, let’s just say I’m from somewhere with a lot of land. I’m here scavenging for parts. My parents were preppers so when everything went down and I lost everyone, I had enough skill set to be able to survive.” And there it was, like an idiot with no filter you word vomited too much information to four complete strangers who were the first to be nice to you in ten years. “I have an extensive garden at home as well as live stock…..fuck.”

All four of them chuckled as you spewed word after word at an alarming rate. In fact they were surprised they could understand you at all with how fast you were talking. Donnie lowered his goggles and saw just how fast your heart rate was and the temp of your body rising rapidly. He began to worry if this was too much for you?

“You’re having a panic attack aren’t you? Are we too much for you or have you been alone all this time and not use to this much social interaction in one day?” he asked quickly stepping towards you still keeping an eye on the red flush drenching your cheeks.

Looking to your hands you saw them shaking and your lungs, Jesus Christ they felt like they were being squeezed from the inside. And let’s not talk about your heart, it felt like it was trying to hammer straight through your chest. Your fingers curled in your shirt clutching at your thumping breast. “Is that was this is? A panic attack? I feel like I’m dying…”

Soon you felt two hands, two very large hands on your shoulders holding you steady before you tumbled back from the bed you were perched upon. Golden green eyes and red flooded your vision and a musky scent of engine oil and leather invaded your senses.

Raphael was inches from your face, his massive body so close you could feel the heat radiating off his pebbled flesh. He smelled of masculinity and something rough, you could taste it on your tongue and it traveled to your belly warming it pleasantly. “Look at me, listen to my voice.” The rumble from his deep voice vibrated fluidly through the little space between you. Seeping into your pores and headed straight to the apex of your thighs. He smelled of trouble, the best kind of trouble.

“Deep breaths now, we ain’t gonna hurt ya.”

God he smelled good, you took slow deep pulls of his scent and found everything slowing down, your heart, your lungs and the whole damn room around you. All you could see was his face and the slow creeping smile that revealed his white teeth and the pink tip of his tongue bit between them.

“Do ya feel better now?”

Another hard swallow and you suddenly because aware your hand was now resting on the boney plates of his warm plastron. Why did it feel so comforting to touch him? Yep you were in trouble, so much trouble.

 All my works

@blossom-skies​

[nicostolemybones]

Ghost King Solace

When the newest campers arrived at Camp Half Blood and received the standard tour and basic history, they were left wondering which camper they absolutely had to avoid- because Cabin 13 was terrifyingly dark, and from what they’d heard, children of Hade tended to be on the wrong side of morality. Cabin 13 currently had pitch black walls, carved from obsidian, tourmaline, black tiger’s eye, onyx- just about every black crystal one could imagine. The roof twisted into a spire, an empty bell tower at the top looming over camp and casting a sharp shadow on the ground, extending out like the cabin was trying to pull you in, a black carpet of shadows inviting you in a your peril. The door was deadbolted- in fact, there was a large bolt on the outside. The door was wooden, with a tiny window embedded in- the window had bars running through it, like it was repurposed from a prison or an old psychiatric hospital. The cabin seemed designed to keep people in, and to keep people out. It was pitch black inside, impossible to see in, although they figured that if the inhabitant was to stand right close to the window, then the light outside would be enough to show their face. In fact, when they saw a pale figure move across the window, they screamed and ran.

By the time the tour was over, they figured the inhabitant was most likely Nico di Angelo. He seemed to fit the tone of the cabin- he was terrifying, to say the least. He was five foot three and ninety eight pounds of pure spite, eyes like brown glass and dark black curls unruly and untamed, jutting out like bat wings. He was pale and gaunt, the slight hint of an olive undertone only visible if he stepped into the sunlight. The boy was silent when he walked, appearing behind people and speaking without a warning. He wore clothes as dark as his personality appeared to be, with gruesome images of zombies and ghosts and graveyards and heavy metal bands. His boots had thick platform soles, metal screwed and bolted and riveted into the them, buckes all up the side and laces all up the front, purple leather flames snaking up the toes, the heels, and the top of the boots.

However, everybody was rather surprised when, during a game of Capture the Flag, the boy was seen to shoot an arrow at a particularly violent Ares camper and run full pelt to a wounded Athena kid, dropping to his side and emptying the contents of a medical kit. The boy worked quickly to irrigate and treat the wound, hands glowing a warm dark amber, like embers, as he sang a hymn to Apollo and healed the wound with the light. The boy was a son of Apollo, which evidently, left everybody confused.

That’s also why, of course, they were so surprised when they finally saw the Son of Hades. The chill in the air was enough warning that something terrible was probably going to happen and they were probably going to die in the forest before they’d graduated middle school. They were even more surprised when Will Solace stepped through the shadows, strutting confidently as the smoky tendrils seemed to dance around him, wrapping around his arms as he raised them, the earth shaking and splitting as skeletons clawed their way out like bone spiders, following him forwards. Holy shit, he was scary and cool. He lifted an arm, and the shadows extended from him like whips, tendrils of darkness lashing out at the Ares campers who were attempting to get to di Angelo. Seeing the Ares campers who had spent their mornings shoving the new campers’ heads into toilets now running like their life depended on it was certainly something that sparked joy amongst the newcomers. It was when the shadows finally retreated that they were able to properly take in the walking contradiction that was Will Solace.

The boy was a fashion disaster. He should not be allowed to dress himself, they figured. He was wearing a horrible bright orange shirt- not even a camp shirt, which would have been a forgiven fashion faux-pas, but a neon orange shirt with “geek” scrawled across it. To make matters worse, he had a green button down over the top, but it wasn’t moss green or forest green or mint green, but rather mould green, neon green, and snot green plaid. And the as if two layers in the middle of summer wasn’t enough, he wore a yellow leather women’s jacket over the top- but damn was the jacket to die for. However, on the back was a badly painted stylized sun. The boy also wore the worst shorts they had ever seen- neon blue with suns and clouds and beath umbrellas and ice creams and parrots and way too many hand drawn flowers scrawled on in felt tips bleeding out and smudging. And finally, neon pink flip flops with matching loom bands. But damn did that boy wear those clothes with a confidence they’d never seen before. It was very clear that Will Solace couldn’t give two shits what people thought of him, because it was clear that he was dressing for himself and nobody else, and if that boy wanted to wear an outfit that clashed, he’d wear an outfit that clashed. He glared at everybody, an unspoken challenge of ‘say something, I dare you’ in his eyes.

And just like that, with a wink to a very flustered and distracted Nico di Angelo, Will sprinted into the shadows, smoky tendrils still radiating up from the dead grass footsteps he left behind.

In the next few days, the new campers quickly realised that Will Solace was, to put it impolitely, a little ray of fucking sunshine. He handed out bright yellow lollipops to campers, set up a lemonade stall, stuck post-it notes with compliments on camper’s backs to make them smile, picked sunflowers to decorate all the cabins, and even made the cat-like Nico blush. Despite not knowing him, the new campers instantly felt safe and comfortable around him. He radiated unconditional love. Campers felt empowered to express themselves, because if Will could wear whatever he wanted, then so could they, why not? In fact, when one of the recently claimed boys from the Aphrodite cabin was being teased by a bunch of Ares campers for wearing a skirt, Will Solace appeared from the shadows behind them, tapped the leader on the shoulder, and punched him in the face. He sent them running, then put a gentle arm around the boy and invited him to sit with him and his friends- who just so happened to include THE Percy Jackson who they’d only heard of in camp legend. All of the most popular, most respected members of camp were there, and Will made sure everybody invited the boy in with open arms. Ghost King Solace was everybody’s ally, and camp life was just a little bit less grim with him by everyone’s side.

@solangeloweek day 3- godswap

[gwoongi]

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗎𝗌 ✰ taehyung (1)

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗎𝗌 kim taehyung / reader genre: zombie apocalypse au words: 6793

You just wanted humanity to survive.

warnings: violence, swearing, sexual content, gore and blood, death, taboo themes, drug and alcohol use

a/n: hi!! this has been in the works for literally. a year. maybe even longer. it has caused me so much pain and stress + im so happy to be putting her out into the world!!!!! thank you for all your endless support and i hope u all like this fic!!!!!!! :D ((it is a revised version of my older “the last of us” fic on cosykims!)) 

[ Moodboard || Playlist ]

01. denver ↝ 02. holiday with me ↝ 03. sad forever ↝ 04. surely ↝ 05. scorpion ↝ 06. shakespeare

“...city centre is now closed until further notice, after a bomb was detected near the subway station at 3:45pm. Reports say that the bomb was not a hoax, and was indeed planted there by foreign intel…”

“After three major bomb alerts in cities across the country, the senator has released a statement saying the following: Relations with foreign powers are continuing to get worse. Bombs are being planted around our country, and the threat of nuclear war is among us. Currently there are no dramatic changes, but our channel will keep everybody within the area notified.”

“...I repeat, this is not a drill. North Korea have finally declared nuclear war on the western hemisphere, challenging other powers to ready their weapons and start to fight. Curfew is now under way, and everybody must report to nearby shelters in the case of an emergency. May God be with you all.”

“...thanks, Janet. What we are seeing here is the aftermath of what appears to be catastrophic damage done by a foreign bomb in New York City. Thousands of people are suspected to be dead and bombs are still being detected in the radar. This is no longer a fantasy - this is the reality of our country. God Bless America.”

“...months after the fighting has ceased across the Globe, the Government have set up control areas to prevent the possibility of an infection, of which was caused by the toxic chemicals of the bombs dropped just three months ago. Citizens are to be evacuated within three miles of controlled areas and gas masks are being supplied to everybody South of Nebraska….”

“...what appears to be a virus has spread throughout controlled quarantines this evening. Reports from the state suggest that the word ‘zombie’ might fit the description of this virus. This is not a joke, I repeat, we are dealing with a nationwide crisis here. Everybody is to stay within their homes.”

“...the world is ending….hundreds and thousands of people are expected to fall to the virus caused by the aftermath of war...flesh-eating zombies….may God be with us all….oh God...oh God!”

Three Years In 01:12am.

Contrary to popular belief, there were many good things about the apocalypse. One, you wagered, was the fact that there was barely any pollution in the air; in fact, on an evening, you could see the whole galaxy without a telescope, breathing in the life of speckles of white, shooting ivories and the smile of a lonely moon. Two, there were no official rules to life. Unlike life before, no human is illegal, now. Border control is non-existent, and immigration and tax and how much money you’re going to make come payday is no longer important to anybody still alive. And three, if you were lucky, it was always silent.

Before, you used to sneer at silence. The way it mocked you, and humiliated you after a high-school presentation, or after the punchline of a joke. The way the silence slowly picked at your bones and flesh in the attic bedroom of your grandparents’ bungalow in the northern part of the city, secluded in mountains and barren trees; the silence laughing at the way you stared out that small box window, praying for a miracle to make noise. 

But now, silence is your new best friend. Silence indicates that nothing is near, and danger is less likely. It heightens every sense, and keeps you awake at night. Against any loyal survivor or camp-member, you valued silence as the number one ally.

Sniffing once, you caught your nose running, stepping over a large pile of rubble that had fallen from the roof of the warehouse you were currently based in. Careful to not awaken any of your fellow campers, you made your way towards the large wire fence, pulling a cable tie around the sliced wire to tie it together - an unpractical reinforcement, although quieter than chains. And as designated leader of the camp, you admit that it’s hard to keep everybody sane and grounded. Safety was of paramount importance, but you can’t fake it. You can’t lie to your campers by saying everything is safe. Because nothing is safe anymore.

Scraping scrap metal across the tarmac, the distant sound of boots made you glance up, noticing the familiar scuff of red leather and you turned away, not having to look up to know it’s the new guy, Kim Taehyung.

“Need any help?” his voice called across the loud silence, his fingers toying with a loose strand of polyester attached to his jacket.

“I’ve got it, thanks,” you replied, fiddling still with the ties around the looped chain.

Taehyung moved forward anyway, indifferent about the tense tone of your voice. He missed the hint entirely, coming closer when all you want is for him to go away. “It doesn’t look like you’ve got it. Here, I’ll hold the fence.”

You flinched when he appeared by your side, your face meeting his helpful gaze with a sharp glare. Regardless, you sighed loudly and relaxed, letting him hold the fence in place as you wrapped around the cable tie, clamping it closed before moving to the next hole created by cutters.

“Are you always this pushy?” you asked, avoiding his stare as you worked to close all the possible entrances (and exits).

“I just wanted to help,” Taehyung confessed quietly. “I felt pointless in there, not falling asleep. Plus, Jiyong snores. I wanted some peace and quiet.”

At that, you scoffed and smile. “Well, I can believe that. He’s always been a snorer, ever since high-school.”

Taehyung made a noise of acknowledgement, finally accepting defeat and crouching quietly beside you, wordless but inquisitive. It had only been three days since he joined the camp by chance; he was one of the lucky ones who approached your camp and made it inside. A law you lived by, inside your cluttered and hazy and scared brain, was that you never accepted outsiders into the camp. Sticking by friends you’ve known and trusted for years seemed safer than blindly trusting someone you had never met before. But, as Seunghyun pointed the sniper rifle at his tuft of brown hair hanging on his forehead, Yena had bounced down from the watch-tower with wide eyes - “he needs a Doctor, Y/N. He’s bleeding from his knee. We have the supplies, we can save his life.”

You just wanted humanity to survive.

And so the gates opened and he lay down on a medical bed inside the warehouse, and Yena and Jisoo helped patch up his wounds. Now, here he is; lingering in the shadows of the warehouse, limping across the length of the grounds, begging for jobs to keep himself occupied.

“You work a lot,” Taehyung noted. “I never see you sleep at night. Insomnia?”

“One person always stays on guard during the night,” you explain, tugging at the wire to make sure it holds. “I volunteer because there’s always something that needs to be done around here. If you think you’re safe, you’re wrong. Nobody else wants to do it, so I will. Just to keep myself busy, mainly.”

Taehyung nodded. “I get that. Before I came here, I just walked. I never stopped walking from where I was, constantly looking for somewhere safe to go.”

“Ain’t that the way,” you replied. With nothing left to do with the fence, you eventually turned to look at him, staring at his face outlined by the dim gas-lighter by the door to the warehouse. “You been on your own for a while?”

“No,” he answered, hesitantly. “I was with my sister when the virus first broke out. We were both at NYU. We got separated in the manic and I joined a small group of science students on their way to find a cure. Clearly, that didn’t work out. I figured it was safer on my own, you know? I had no idea where she went. So, I walked.”

“And your leg?” you asked, looking at his knee, still wrapped in soaked bandages. “You got hurt pretty bad, huh? Biter get you?”

“Unfortunately not. I got jumped by a couple bandits on my way here. I got away when a few walkers came by, but barely escaped. Then, I came here.”

You stood up as he spoke, him following your every move like a mirror. “‘Walkers.’ You can tell you’re from New York.”

Moving away from Taehyung, your feet take you to the mid-height fence near the drop towards the forest, a view overlooking the tops of tall trees, a spiralling path faded by fog and the familiar outline of a deserted city near the horizon. Kicking the fence gently, it stays in place, requiring no fortifications or attention. Nothing could climb the steep drop beneath it. Resting your elbows on the beach wood of the fence, you rest your weight and stare towards the city, analysing the corners of each building, jagged lines like a maths puzzle.

“While I was getting patched up,” Taehyung began, after a long moment of serene silence, “Jisoo told me that you guys go out on trips, hunts in cities. How many have you covered?”

“Only one,” you replied, nodding in the direction of the city in front of you. “That’s Denver. It’s so large that we barely covered a third of it in the two years we’ve been here. We planned to keep moving, but we had some...complications along the way. We got trapped up here. Every week we send out a group to scavenge the cities, find whatever we can to prepare us for travels. And last week, Jiyong’s pick-up truck ran out of gas for good, so anything we can find to help get that back and running would be great.”

Taehyung nodded with understanding, picking at the dry skin around his bitten-down fingernails. “I hear it’s in a few days. Shouldn’t you be asleep, resting for it?”

“I can’t sleep,” you said quietly. “Not anymore. And it’s like I said, there’s always shit that needs to be done. The drive to the city is around half hour, I can catch some z’s on the way there and between shifts. Why so curious, anyway? You coming with us, or something?”

He shrugged. “Can I?”

“Have you got anything better to do?” you retort, and he smiles slightly, looking down. “I hear you’re a good runner. We could use the extra legs and arms. If your knee’s up to it, course.”

Gratefully, he nodded with acceptance. “Come to think of it, your group is quite small. Has it always been this selective?”

As the words left his lips, Taehyung felt himself regret that sentence, noticing the way you tensed next to him, hands pausing in their movement of toying a blade of grass that hugged the fence post.

“I’m sorry. That was rude-”

“There were others,” you replied tensely, your demeanour changed instantly. “But like all other groups, we lost people along the way. Good people. Kind and loving people. In a world where life is so short, I can’t afford to lose anybody else.”

You clapped his shoulder roughly, “you’re new, Taehyung, and I don't expect you to understand. But we’re a family here, and the safety of the group is essential. You’re gonna lose people along the way but…”

Your voice trailed off, and Taehyung looked up. He got it. You didn’t have to continue speaking for him to put the pieces together.

Two Days Later. 08:19am.

The lively sound of a rumbling engine stirred Taehyung awake, the noise travelling from the square all the way to the South-Wing, painted in yellow as ‘Zone S’. S for sleep, or S for safety, Taehyung couldn’t quite decipher.

Sitting on the rectangle straw-sheet, he slipped on his socks and signature ruby leather boots, carrying his jacket over his arms as he left the zone and moved towards the square, where the sun bled out onto the dusty tarmac, a glimmer of glittering light causing him to squint as he crossed the width of the kitchen. He smiled at Yena, the youngest in the group, only eighteen amongst middle-aged outcasts, and passed her at the table, ignoring her wavering stare.

“Taehyung. Good morning.”

He forced himself to smile over at Taekwoon, only slightly intimidated by the size of his muscles behind a grey sleeved tee, and the way he effortlessly lifted a duffel bag filled with weapons into the trunk of the Subaru. Taekwoon looked over gently, in an effort not to afraid the newbie, and then he shut the boot of the car and approached him.

“You coming on our trip today?” he asked, and Taehyung nodded.

“Did you clear it with Y/N?”

“Yes,” he replied surely. “She invited me.”

Taekwoon smiled mockingly, laughing out of his nose. “Right. Sure she did.”

Taehyung blinked, unfamiliar. “Where is Y/N? Isn’t she coming with us?”

“Yeah. Protocol around here is similar to certain armies,” Taekwoon explained lamely. “The leader always helps out on missions. Hey, she’s nothing like that old guy out of Wonder Woman, I’ll tell you that.”

“Y/N is the leader?” Taehyung asked dumbly.

Taekwoon turned then, resting a hand upon the hot black exterior of the car. “Does that shock you?”

“Kinda. She looks so…”

He didn’t continue, but Taekwoon nodded in understanding. “We get it. But without her, none of us would be here. I couldn’t think of anyone better leading us. Well, I mean, I’d proper love a Rick Grimes around here, but you can’t have everything. Jiyong and Seunghyun are technically leaders, too, but we just say Y/N is to deprive them the satisfaction of feeling powerful.”

From behind him, the short sound of footsteps made Taehyung turn, meeting your gaze halfway as you briskly passed him, cheeks clammy, freckles on display. He’d never noticed them before. At your entry, the group of hunters gathered around the bonnet of the car as you spread a map down on it with a short slap, a dying red Sharpie in your hand, circling the next part of the city.

“Last week we went to this section, so try and focus on these areas today,” you explained, waiting for Taehyung to shift into a position where he could see the map carefully. “Denver was one of the worst hit cities, so we could either be lucky and find bodies, or unlucky and find biters. Either way, try and avoid making sound. We have the radios and walkies in-case we get into any sort of trouble. If we lose signal, meet at the car before sunset. Remember - don’t risk your life if one of us doesn’t arrive on time. Give it five minutes after the sun begins to disappear, and if we’re not here, go on ahead. We can’t sacrifice our supplies for the sake of one man. It’s harsh, and we go through this every time, but I’m making it clear to the fresh meat.”

Everybody, minus Taehyung and his bewildered expression, nodded with understanding, a quiet murmur overpowering the groan of the dead hanging in the shadows of the forest surrounding the warehouse.

“Is there anything anybody wants to ask for before we head onto the road?” Jiyong asked, his voice in the same usual volume- quieter than a shout, slightly louder than a whisper.

“Gas is a priority,” Taehyung suggested, remembering the conversation about the useless pick-up truck sitting in the back near the barrens.

Taekwoon nodded, “we need gas for the truck, and in-case our getaway vehicle runs out unexpectedly. We’re on our last few drops.”

“The usual, I’d expect. Food is obvious, water, clean water. Clothes, or batteries would be great, too. Never skip over a store because it looks empty,” Doyoung, Yena’s brother and the best shooter within the group aside from Seunghyun, said, looking at Taehyung all the while. “Pharmacy's look emptied, but there’s always the office near the back that’s filled with extra medicine. The keys are usually on a staff member who’s lurking or dead. You have materials that can pick the lock.”

“How do you know that for sure?” Taehyung asked, meanwhile the rest of the group readied the truck. You stayed near Taehyung, eager to hear what he had to say.

“I used to work at my Dad’s pharmacy before shit hit the fan,” Doyoung shrugged. “I know my way around a pharmacy, is all.”

Having little else to do, Taehyung simply nodded and stood still, waiting for the group to finish setting up the car, with Taekwoon riding his motorcycle near the front like a Police escort.

“Ready?” you asked, stopping by his side as the group hollered for everybody to get inside. Yena hurried out towards the gate, hanging by the loose chain ready to open it up. Taehyung sucked in a breath quietly, and looked at you with as much optimism as he could. It came out falsely, but you appreciated his efforts.

“Not really. Will I ever be?”

You didn’t know how to answer that. No response was good.

The city was unusually quiet.

Beside you, in the back of the car, Taehyung stared silently at the scenery as it rolled past, just as the car crossed into the city’s territory. Immediately, he could see the stark contrast between the wilderness and the madness; a concrete jungle, overpowered by lush green and forest ferns, weeds that turreted as high as traffic lights snaking up the drains of apartment complexes, tufts of cloth dancing in the breeze. Despite the damage from nuclear destruction, Taehyung was surprised that nature could take over so quickly. He stared in silence at the sight of rusted vehicles abandoned in the streets, decorated with blood red graffiti, the walls of buildings reading “DEAD INSIDE” or “KEEP OUT”, neither better than the other. As the car crossed through an intersection, down one of the streets, water had eroded the roads; murky green water bouncing off the heavy sunlight creating patterns on the brickwork, faded and dressed in dark ivy.

“Reminds me of Chernobyl,” Taehyung commented on the way there.

As the car pulled up in a relatively deserted section of the city, Jiyong switched off the gas and hopped out instantly, wasting zero time. Taehyung clambered out afterwards, holding open the door as you climbed out after him, nodding as a thank-you, already familiarising yourself with the silence.

Taekwoon began to hand out weapons from the duffel bag in the boot as you stared in all directions, analysing pathways and gaps between buildings. Craning upwards, the canopy of unstable concrete, the decaying body of two large towers collided together, made you feel uneasy, and you turned back towards the group, gladly taking a pistol and extra ammunition.

“Remember the rules,” you reminded. “Stay in your partners. Taekwoon and Doyoung, go North. Jiyong, Seunghyun, go West. Jisoo, you’re okay to go South, yes? I’ll take the newbie with me East.”

Jisoo nodded, loading her gun. “I don’t need a man to slow me down.”

“Just be careful,” you warned, happy to see her confident going alone. Taehyung shifted from foot to foot, shakily taking a pistol from the bottom of the bag and following behind you as you moved towards the East direction, towards the fallen ruins of Denver city.

After some minutes of silence, Taehyung spoke up: “where are we going?”

“Further into the city,” you replied, not missing a beat. “Most of the stores close to the square have been checked already. But the ones further in the city are more likely to stay in tact. Nobody comes in here unless they want to die. Thankfully, it seems quiet today.”

“We got lucky, then,” he decided.

“I hope you’re right.”

A few more minutes in, and Taehyung felt himself cower at the sight of more skyscrapers leaning together, debris falling from the sky and landing in tufts near his feet. He ignored the stained blood from feet as he crossed a gravel pathway, near a sectioned off waterpool barricaded by old cars. Distracting himself, Taehyung invested his attention towards yourself, watching cautiously as you fiddled with buttons on the small radio you picked up along the way.

“Should you really be using that out in the open?”

You paused, scoffing slightly. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I believe you, but, that’s making noise.”

“What about it?”

Taehyung narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Noise attracts walkers.”

With a final sigh, you turned to him over your shoulder. “You’re going to attract ‘walkers’ in a minute. Just...keep your voice down, yeah? The radio is our only way to communicate with those outside our group. It’s either this, or walking straight into death. You want that?”

“Obviously not,” he replied.

Opting to keep you happy, Taehyung didn’t say anything else. Instead, he followed your heels closely, muttering soft thanks when you lifted up a beam for him to duck under, or pointed out a hole of muddy water that was probably contaminated. In his ears, he listened for the sound of something - anything - to come through on the radio, when a voice cut through the radio static.

“...nothing left. I’m leaving the city, with as many people as I can. We have to leave people behind, but...they’re in no position to travel. Alby is sick, and Jaena’s leg is infected. We don’t have much time left…”

Taehyung moved closer to you, and you positioned the radio so he could hear.

“There’s nothing left for anybody in City Ten. Bandits and hunters come to scavenge stores but there’s nothing we can do about it. We gathered all the medical supplies in our store room in Block 18. Fuck, I don’t know what building we are in, but we can see the large building that towers over all others from our window. Tommy came in saying he has everything ready for us to go. We’re heading North, towards Washington. Some survivors said there was a group of student scientists there with a bunch of NASA officials, working on a cure. They’re calling Washington the safe zone, or something, I can’t remember. Denver is empty.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” Taehyung said in a low voice, and you looked at him briefly before looking back at the radio, as if it would do something visual.

The voice continued breathily: “If you’re still in the city...if anybody even still listens to me, you need to get out. You need to head to-” she paused over the line. “Fuck, they’re here. I hear them.” Her voice got quieter, breathier, like a whisper. You decided to continue on foot next to Taehyung, waiting for her voice to come back through the line. For what felt like eternity, she made no response.

Taehyung heaved himself up over an abandoned car, extending a hand down to you to help pull you up. Climbing up after him, you snatched your hand away when you realised he was still holding onto you, brushing your hand on your jeans and jumping down from the car back onto the floor.

“Hey, Y/N, how about we head over--”

Abruptly, the woman’s voice cut back in through the silence. “Oh fuck! Oh my god, they k-killed him. They killed him, oh my God, they’re coming back for me, stop! Leave me alone!”

Her screams were screeching, loud enough to shatter glass. Taehyung immediately fumbled for the volume, hissing when the radio continued to scream out into the silence of the city. As quickly as her screams became deafening, they became deaf, fallen silent, only static replacing her noises. As if overcome with fear, you toss the radio to the side, causing it to smash into pieces.

“What are you doing?” Taehyung exclaimed suddenly.

“I don’t wanna hear that,” you replied, shaking your head furiously. “Come on, let’s keep going. We’ve already wasted time listening.”

“She’s in trouble,” Taehyung continued, nonetheless following you. “We could try and find her, and help her.”

You smiled bitterly, hiking towards the nearest convenience store at the ground of a large high-rise building, slanted and glass-covered. “Taehyung, you’re sweet. Really, and I so like that about you. You’re a good asset to the team, and I want to keep it that way. But, we can’t afford to save her. By the sounds of things, she didn’t make it.”

“You don’t know that.”

Pausing to observe a blood-covered metal bat rolling back and forth by the open door to the store, you crouch to pick it up and swing it back and forth. “You’re right, I don’t. But I care more about our survival than hers.”

Behind you, he scoffed and shook his head. “You’re heartless.”

“No, I’m realistic,” you counter, holding the door open for him and handing him the metal bat. He caught it with a breath of air. “Look, I don’t want to argue with you about it. We can discuss it back at camp. For now, we have to look in the area and find somewhere to scavenge. This’ll do for the moment. Take the chemist and the clothes, I’ll scan the aisles for food if there is any. If you see bottled water, please get some.”

Taehyung reluctantly sighed, following you through the door and flinching when his boots crunched shards of broken glass on the floor. Shuffling into place, Taehyung scanned the room with a somber expression; the shelves near the door had been stripped clean, with only crumbs and stains marking the off-white colours, faded neons screaming nursery rhymes as he approached the first aisle. To his delight, or more so relief, he noticed food still on the shelves towards the back of the store, and he moved his gaze towards the right side of the store, where a hanging light, swinging to and fro with a daunting creak, read “Clothing”, where a neon should have bled out into cyans and magentas.

“Take half an hour?” you suggested, tossing him a spare flashlight from your backpack. “Meet back here if you can’t find anything useful. Take what we need, not what you want. I mean, clothing is preference, but- you know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” he replied, sounding almost indifferent. “I know. Be careful.”

To that, you smiled. “You too.”

Waiting until Taehyung had shuffled into the shadows of the clothes department, somewhat near to the flickering blue glow of the chemist desk, you gulped and retreated towards the far shelf, crouching to pack in a can of beans and some soup, close to expiry but good enough to salvage. By the end of the search, your bag was near enough filled to the brim; you had plenty of food, and lighters to aid Jiyong’s bad smoking habit, alongside a pack of cigarettes you found at the back of the shelf next to some ammunition and a discarded wallet. A pack of batteries lay like a ripe cherry in a bunch of rotten ones, and you barely wedged it into the front pocket of your bag. Feeling successful, you swung the backpack onto your shoulders and rose from your crouch behind the shelves.

Poking your head over the stacks, the sound of Taehyung dragging clothes across the rails puts your mind at ease, distracting you from the low hum of the undead, which, as if it were possible, seemed to get louder and louder. Probably paranoia, you guessed, minding your own business as you approached the counter looking into the bakery. You stared sadly at the moulded breads and pastries, eyeing them with a new hunger. If you remembered hard enough, you could remember visiting a store just like this one and buying fish at the market, and then buying a custard cake at the bakery with your college friends.

At that thought, you looked away, leaning over the counter to eye the floor, messed with flour and footprints dotted with red shuffling towards the kitchen, where silence screamed out. You took a guess that the red wasn’t your ordinary jam, and you gulped, sadly imagining who the unlucky victim was. Shrugging off those thoughts, you prepared to pick yourself back up onto your feet when a loud shuffle made you freeze in all movement.

Please be Taehyung.

Turning around slowly, you held your breath calmly, facing the store. As you turned to look to your left, the sight of a biter hovering near the glass doorway to the side-store made a chill run up the length of your body. You did nothing. It simply stared.

Perhaps if you moved slowly, it wouldn’t see you. Albeit wishful thinking, it seemed better than nothing at this point. It stood there dauntingly, shaking from side to side with a tremor, lips torn apart and skin ripped, maggots clinging to the rotten flesh. It let out a snarl, teeth curling and stirring creamy foam out of its mouth, fingers curled like dinosaur claws. As it waited, you turned fully, hands spread flat on the counter of the desk, observing all possible exits.

There was the safe route; towards Taehyung where he could help you take out the biter coming after you. There was the risky route; straight back towards the door, where noise would attract both the biter and Taehyung anyway. Or there was the stupid route; towards the biter, ready for attack.

Thankfully, you’d seen zombie movies enough times to know that running towards the biter almost always got you killed. Instead, you moved slowly, almost unmoving entirely. The biter stayed in place, biting air, snarling at the wind. Walking as quietly as you could, you edged towards the clothing section to find Taehyung, already somewhat comforted by the continuous sound of him dragging hangers across the rails. Every step was taken without breath; afraid that even blinking would send it into a frenzy, silence was of new paramount importance.

Inching further towards Taehyung, you flinched violently when the biter growled loudly, making enough noise to pull Taehyung’s head out of the clothing racks, bag practically stuff with clothes he basically didn’t really need. When the noise was followed by silence, he gripped his bat handle tighter and dropped his backpack to the tiles with a soft thud. Taehyung moved slowly towards the open archway separating the clothes to the foods, taking his time looking at the way the lights flickered, and the sound of the wind getting caught in the tiny cracks in the window-panes.

“Y/N?” he called, unaware. His grip tightened on the bat when nothing responded, only a murmur, a groan that sounded guttural. “Y/N?”

Approaching the arch, he turned into the main foyer of the store and froze in place when he saw you; standing like a statue by the counter, facing him with eyes wide. Without saying words, he seemed to know what to do - he looked back and forth between yourself and the biter, staring at the way it swayed from side to side, occasionally jolting as if having a seizure. Looking back at you, he paused when you held your hands in front of you, as if warning him to stay away.

“Don’t move,” you mouthed, afraid of a whisper being too loud.

He nodded, although you barely caught it. “What do we do?” he mouthed back.

Catching your breath quietly, you began to move slowly towards him, dragging your feet across the tiles wiped with tomato coloured red. Taehyung held out his hands invitingly, bat still pointed outwards, shaking slightly. He couldn’t pinpoint whether it was nerves, or fear, but either one drove his hands further outwards, taking small steps of his own towards you, quiet in an effort to not distract unwanted attention.

“That’s it,” he whispered, the smallest of whispers, waving his hands slowly in circles. “Slowly…”

The taste of blood swam through your mouth as your teeth sank down onto the inside of your lip, hands shaking violently as you steadily stepped towards your partner. Closer than breath, he was steps away, when your foot came down on shards of cloudy glass.

It ripped through the silence like a cough in Church.

The biter jolted with a high-pitched scream, too loud for you to turn around to check its expression. Taehyung stared over your shoulder at the way it broke out of a trance, screeching loudly at the sight of sounds. Time was running out; Taehyung yelled your name loudly, causing you to hurry towards him to grab his hand extended outward. As you skidded past his legs, his voice rang in your ears, lips brushing your hair: “Outside! Now!”

Grabbing his bag discarded on the floor, Taehyung swung it over his shoulders as you hurried ahead, ducking through a broken window. With impatience, Taehyung pushed you out, hands on your upper-back thigh, cradling you as you jumped out the hole and onto the road. He barely made it out, tugging at the thin material of your sleeve and dragging you out into the dust on the road. From behind both of you, the doors separating the biter and the store smashed open, alerting at least a dozen others lingering nearby in the dusty shadows.

They were newly infected, still grasping on to whatever shreds of humanity they had left. Running fast, screams loud, hands still rotting the flesh away; the biters ran from behind you down the road, screaming with every step, nudging you both further down the large road to nowhere. You weren’t even sure if this was the way you came; all you seemed focused on was the sight of Taehyung’s feet leaving you behind in a cloud of dust. He was faster than you had anticipated, but, with experience, you endured the heat of the panic and gravitated towards his side.

“Y/N-” he began, looking at you with a breathless expression.

“Don’t talk!” you screamed in reply, pulling at his arm. “Just fucking run!”

Passing identical buildings, acting like copied and pasted images, it was hard to deny that you were exhausted. At one point, it felt like Taehyung was dragging your weight, your legs too tired to hurry along after his frame. The cries of hunger and agony from the biters behind you increased in volume, filling the atmosphere with a heaviness. If the group were close, they had heard the noises and thought better than sticking around.

“Turn! Here, here, here, here, don’t fucking stop running!” screamed your voice over the chaos, pushing Taehyung by his shirt towards a small and narrow alleyway between two smaller stores; a ladder, enclosed by a bar painted an ebony black, smiled in the darkness, and Taehyung thankfully ran towards it without hesitation. The sharp turn caught the mob off-guard, sending them skidding across the road.

Taehyung began to climb up the ladder, and you swiftly followed, veins pumping with fear and adrenaline, hands shivering as you climbed from step to step, height to height. A biter lunged for your boot, sinking its teeth into the heel and you kicked it in the jaw, a growl emerging from its torn jaw as it collapsed back into the hoard.

Finally reaching the top of the roof, you heaved yourself up over the low brick wall, physically feeling the exhaustion in your arms, a dampness under your armpits. Landing with a thud on top of Taehyung, a breath of hot hair released from your lips, strands of hair sticking to your forehead like cake mixture to a bowl. Both of your breaths were in sync; Taehyung lay beneath you, unmoving for the several moments of gathering breath, with the shakiness of his hands vibrating against your waist.

When the reality of lying on top of Taehyung sank in, you shuddered and lifted yourself up off his stomach, your palms scratching on the scorching hot roof. Behind you, Taehyung lifts himself up off the floor, leaning over the side of the wall to peer down at the biters below. Groans fill the air as he spots biters learning how to climb the ladder, and he gulps, saliva hot and solid moving down his dry throat.

“That was fucking insane,” he hissed, turning to you sharply as you pace in ovals on the roof. “What happened down there?”

“Biter came up on me,” you muttered, “didn’t hear it until it was too late.”

The biters congregated down below, a loud compilation of groans becoming disheartening as you fail to come up with a solution to this incredibly difficult problem. Taehyung jerks himself away from the wall, crouching to his backpack to take a swig of water he was planning to save until later. You turn halfway, thankfully taking a sip of the water he hands to you once he swallowed.

“What do we do now?” Taehyung asks, hands on his knees. He’s hunched over. “The group leaves at sundown. Will they wait?”

Swallowing thickly, you shake your head and shove the water back into his hands. “No. It’s the rules.”

“Fuck the rules,” he replies. “We’re a team.”

“Yeah, but we’ve worked this way for a while now. We won’t change just because you arrived to the group.”

Taehyung scoffed. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Letting out a sigh, you pace back towards the wall overlooking the city. “It’s not ideal, I know. But if the group wait a second longer and lose their supplies to bandits or biters...it would be a waste of time. Our group are already vulnerable back at camp. We don’t wanna leave people behind. If you can help, do it, but we’re on a roof in the middle of the city and there’s no way in hell we can make it back in time without leaving right now.”

With nothing useful to say, Taehyung let his body drop with a thud on the floor, a cloud of dust circling his thighs as his bag dragged against the side of the wall. Above, the sky transitioned into auburn colours, clouds moving faster than smoke rising out a chimney, carried by the wind towards the direction of the camp. The sound of cicadas and the haunting birdsong, and the constant groan of death, was all to be heard as you clenched your outstretched hands into small balls, cursing the air with your gaze cast downwards; it eventually fell on the sight of a rusted, and unstable balcony a few stories below, a scrap of magenta cloth clinging to the corners, broken glass twinkling in the light.

As time moved, and hours rolled by, Taehyung had napped twice and your eyes would not move from the sight of the balcony, analysing each pattern and grid and rusted area, calculating jumps and falls and possible scenarios in your brain. Eventually, when the sky had darkened with rain clouds and night, the sun dipped behind a large storey building. Maybe the group would wait for you.

Maybe they’d think differently because you were their leader. Or maybe they didn’t need you.

With a fright, Taehyung jumped when you spun around to him, crouched on your knees with an urgent voice. “I have one plan, and if this plan fails, we are doomed.”

“Sounds promising,” he commented, without giving a plan of his own. Taehyung rubbed his eye with the heel of his palm.

“There’s a balcony,” you explained, moving across the roof to show him, pointing down at the brown painted overhang. He nodded with understanding, “it obviously goes into a room. We could sneak through the building and come out through the front. The herd are around the back, or in the alley, and the ones up front are too tired to react in time. We use that time to run back towards the truck. The group might have stayed behind for us, but if not, we can try to see if any of the cars around the area are salvageable. If all fails...we could camp in a building for the night. Start walking to camp. We’d be there in a day, or two.”

Taehyung stood quietly, thinking.

“It’s risky,” you considered, looking at him, bottom lip between top teeth. “But it’s the only plan I have.”

“It’s the only plan we have,” Taehyung replied. “I couldn’t think of anything better. Are you okay to run?”

Nodding your head, you adjusted the straps of your backpack, tightening it so it would manage the drop in silence. Taehyung hesitated, watching you climb over the half-wall and settle to sit, your legs hanging over the side above the short, nonetheless intimidating drop to the balcony. Quickly, however, he followed; Taehyung heaved himself up next to you, watching nervously as you pushed forward and back, with inner conflict.

“Ready?” he asked, gently, without demand.

Without talking, you pushed.

NEXT CHAPTER.

[shanoaravendare]

Welcome to Camp Unus Annus

Campsona Description Form:

(credits: @ambrosiadreamer​)

Name: Shanoa Pronouns: She/Her Height: 5′ 4″ Eye color: Dark Brown Hair color: Dark Teal Hair style: Down to her ass and a little wavy, no bangs. Often worn in a braid or put up in a bun that’s held in place with 2 sharpened pencils. Skin tone: Just tanned enough that she isn’t as white as paper Outfit: White Camp Unus Annus shirt, lightweight grey leggings, Unus Annus socks, black hiking boots Accessories: Black Unus Annus bandanna covering the top of her head so her scalp doesn’t get sunburned, brown leather-bound notebook with a pen in a sleeve on the spine, owl shaped pocket-watch necklace, lightly mirrored blue-light blocking glasses in cat eye shaped frames General appearance: Looks like a stereotypical bookworm, carries a little more weight than she would like to but has a surprising amount of muscle under it Unus or Annus: ANNUS Short bio (personality): A self proclaimed “font of useless knowledge”, Shanoa knows just enough about a wide range of topics to be dangerous. Whether to herself or others has yet to be determined. She has always loved camping and leaped at the opportunity to attend Camp Unus Annus. Her last two buddies got fed up and abandoned her when she found comfy spots in the woods to sit and write. She was super excited to find out that Counselor Annus was going to lead a writing workshop, but somehow it never seems to show up on the schedule?  Strengths: Extensive knowledge of folklore, able to jump to conclusions theorize with small amounts of information, writing Weaknesses: Anxiety attacks, crush on Counselor Annus, arachnophobia Cabin Tent: THICC Water Your “role” as a camper: Camp historian/chronicler Favorite camp activity/ies: Swimming, writing, making s’mores, ancient burial techniques workshop, astronomy, astrology, nightly campfire sing-along/chanting session Camp Buddy: Apparently The Author??? (Explanation to follow) Would desperately love for that not to be the case.

Other: Makes calligraphy name tags for everyone’s places in the dining hall using ink she made from stuff in the woods. If you’re not feeling well she’ll whip out an herbal teabag from nowhere that will have you feeling better in no time. Likes to recruit people for lucid dreaming adventures. Occasionally has premonitory dreams. Will make friends with pretty much any/everyone. There is no predicting what music is going to be on her playlist, all algorithms have given up. Keeps giving Counselor Annus little bundles of Oak Leaves, Apple Blossoms, and Deep Red Carnations.