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darling-heffron · 2 months ago

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I hope you like our little moodboards we are planning to do one for each chapter! I'm not the creative so you can tell when it's my shitty handiwork LMAO Sol come save me. She is the artist so... IDK why I was allowed to do moodboards. Anyway enough of my rambling, here is chapter five!!

taglist: @malarkgirlypop, @mellow-human, @next-autopsy

Chapter Five: Muddied hands

Sam laid on her belly, the map spread out before her as she used a pencil to trace her path. She needed to get from her position in Amherst to Pittsfield, which was the next closest city.

The blonde had enough supplies to last her for the three day journey, she could do it in two if she wanted but she didn’t want to risk moving in the dark again. Her plan was simple: move during the day and before the sun set she would have her camp set up.

She set out the next morning bright and early, she wanted to try and get all the way to Idaho as quickly as she could without dying along the way. But it was a massive journey, one that needed to be taken city by city.

She knew if she set out the exact route all the way to the safe haven it might not go her way. There were a million factors that could change the route drastically, so she didn’t want to plan that far ahead. Sam knew she would have to be smart about this, travelling too far away from cities could mean she wound up with no supplies.

Not that she really wanted too but she would have to hop from city to city to make it through alive.

The girl made it out of the area, the only people she had seen in her travels had been the family she met yesterday. Other than that the town appeared quiet, she didn’t want to find out why, so she left quickly.

The days were long, walking the path by herself. Sam was able to avoid most of the hoards, she could sneak past without them noticing. If she couldn’t, she found that they were very reactive to sound. Sam could throw an object in the opposite direction to her and it would trigger all of them.

Once one moved, the others followed.

Sometimes the rabid’s would be by themselves, they looked lost without the rest of the swarm, they would stagger around with no destination in sight. The stragglers would often look worse than the swarms, seemingly more decomposed and skinny. The rabid’s that stuck together looked well fed and plump, decomposing more slowly than the isolated ones.

Sam sat criss-cross striking the steel across the flint to create a spark that would light the tinder in the campfire she had set up. It was unlikely anyone would find her in the dense bush, so she felt more confident in lighting it. Sam hadn’t been using fires when she was closer to towns, she was unsure who or what it would attract. She didn’t need unwanted company, the blonde was a good fighter but she didn’t think she would stand much of a chance if a hoard or group stumbled upon her.

“Ah ha!” She grinned seeing the spark alight the dry wood shavings she had tirelessly carved earlier in the afternoon. Sam blew on the fire to keep it going, cupping it in her hands to stop the wind from putting out her hard work.

Once the flame took off she placed it in the middle of her log pile, watching the orange tongue lick at the new fuel she had given it. Sam sat close just watching the fire, enjoying the warmth it gave off, it was somewhat comforting to watch. Listening to the crackling and popping of the wood as the flame consumed it slowly.

Sam had always wanted to go camping, sit around a campfire and roast marshmallows and sing silly little songs with her family.

Not that that would even happen, her younger self was much more optimistic than the bitter girl she had become. The young girl had hope, foolishly so, but it was still hope. Still a sliver of happiness that she could imagine but never grasp.

Sam’s love of the fire soon grew to disdain, something she always dreamed of, only now she was alone and it wasn’t for fun; to roast marshmallows or sing songs around, it was for survival. Sam sighed moving further back into her tent, bringing her knees into her chest as the fire danced, almost taunting her in a way.

The blonde focussed her attention on her pack, rustling around in the bag to find what she was looking for. Sam’s hand wrapped around the cold can, pulling it to the surface so she could examine it closer. It was a can of fruit, she had wanted to try and catch something for her dinner but exhaustion pulled at her heavy eyelids. All she wanted was to fill her stomach and try to sleep.

Sam had never been a great sleeper, any small noise could easily pull her from her slumber. Samantha blamed her father for this trait, he never slept, she had never seen him rest.

When he was home he marched around the house on the phone, or sorted paperwork. He was up at all times during the night. Sam liked to watch him, sneaking downstairs after hearing the front door unlock and open, she knew it was him, he always came home late after everyone else had left or had gone to bed.

But Sam’s ears perked at that familiar sound of his heavy boots falling on the tile floor. She would sneak down and hide in the shadows, he would never notice her, hell he often forgot she existed.

Sam remembered one time he was home during the day and had run into her in the halls, he looked at her questioning her presence in his home, and then she saw it, he remembered who she was.

She would never forget the feeling in her chest, as his eyes grew hard and stance became taller, more assertive. Her father’s body reacted to her as if she was a stray dog on the street, he stuck up his nose and pretended he didn’t see her, moving on with his day.

But that young girl still held hope, still held onto the ‘maybe’s’ and ‘what if’s’. She didn’t hate her father, even after he stepped around her without an exchange of words or even the courtesy to look at her. But the Sam now, the older, more resentful, this one hated him with every fibre of her being.

Samantha curled into her sleeping bag, her trusty knife clutched to her chest, she let sleep tug her down into darkness, maybe, just maybe, she would be able to sleep peacefully tonight, but she didn’t hold hope.

To no one's surprise the blonde didn’t sleep well, noises and rustling nearby didn’t let her relax all night. She would drift off to then wake in a jolt to a noise in the distance. Sam’s mind always raced, thinking of all the things it could potentially be, she was rational, but now with the rabid’s on the loose what was rational?

Sam packed her gear, heading out on the road again. She stomped out the embers that still smoked under the early morning sun. She made her way through the trees, which was easier said than done.

These parts of the woods had never been trailed before, there was no clear path she was following, just the one of least resistance.

Sam swung her axe bringing down the dead branches and debris that blocked her way, she hummed a tune as she worked, there was nothing else to do to keep her entertained. She always had to be on lookout which drained her, every sense she had was running on overdrive.

A noise caught her attention, groaning in the distance. Sam crouched down low, positioning herself behind the trees so that she couldn’t be seen. Her ears perked like a dog, listening closely for any sign of movement. It was odd that most of the time she heard things like this she hoped it was a rabid.

Something about the people that lurked around didn’t seem too inviting.

Sam found it easier to kill the lonesome rabid’s, but the thought of finding another human that had cruel intentions sent shivers up her spine. It wasn’t the thought of killing her fellow peer that made her so uncomfortable, that part she was capable and ready to do, it was the interaction.

Trying to figure out the intentions of the person before deciding whether or not they should live or die.

Sam wasn’t surprised at what the family had told her when she had been held up in the rampaged supermarket. Sam had been in war, she had seen how people followed rules so eagerly until all hell broke loose.

People’s morals seem to all but disappear when their world turns to chaos.

Things that would seem horrific and vile when there was regulation and control; go out the window when it goes. Humans need rules and guidelines to follow, they need order to be set or it all goes to waste.

But in this new era of mankind, one where fellow humans are now nothing but mindless animals, order seems to be far from the world they used to know.

Sam stayed out of sight watching the woods closely, her eyes forever scanning the tree line.

She watched as a small hoard stumbled into view, they groaned together following the leader. They were intriguing to watch despite their gruesome and violent nature. Sam often thought it was so strange that they used to be people, like her. They had lives, jobs, and families.

But now they wandered aimlessly, their only goal was to fill their bellies.

It was sad to imagine how many people now were these awful creatures, everything they ever lived for so easily ripped away from them.

Sam was snapped out of her deep thinking by the sound of feet hitting the ground in clumsy fashion. She refocused her attention to the small group only to find they were coming straight for her.

“Ah, shit.” Sam cursed under her breath. She hadn’t needed to fight any of the rabid’s since her first meeting with the driver. But even then she never fought him, just escaped.

However that situation was different, at that time she had no idea what she was dealing with or what was happening.

Sam sprung from her hiding spot, axe ready in her hand.

“Come get me you motherfuckers!” She yelled loudly so they could find her easily.

The group barreled towards her, their noises mixing in with each other as they rushed for the blonde.

Sam swung her axe over her head bringing it down with such force that the first rabid’s skull split in half, but in its momentum the body kept moving towards her. She smashed the butt of her axe into its side, flinging it over and out of the way.

The next one chomped for her, his gnashing teeth lashing out at her flesh. Using the handle of her weapon she shoved him away, sending him backwards into the rest of the pack. They tumbled to the ground like pins, but that didn’t mean the fight was over.

The gnawing man leapt to his feet again in no time, making another attempt to get his fill from the angry woman.

Little did he know she was begging for a fight, Sam was ready to cave some heads in.

And that she did.

Sam sliced through the air with speed, the rabid stopping in its place before crumpling to the ground. The woman swung so hard she had cleanly decapitated the biter.

The last two came together at her as a pair, but they were nothing more than mindless animals, they both aimed for her face. Their gangly decomposing limbs reached for her, clawing and grabbing at the air. The pair together were strong, with both of their weight pushing Sam backwards.

She used the length of her axe to hold them back, wielding it as a barrier between them. The rabids lunged forward knocking Sam off her feet. She yelped in surprise as the pair toppled onto her. Sam held fast keeping them at arm's length, she grunted, straining to keep them at bay.

But she thought fast, tucking her knees up against her chest; she kicked out, rocking her hips upwards. Sam used the force to push the rabids over her head, they toppled to the ground behind her as she rolled backwards.

It was a quick movement so fast she was already on her knees before the rabids could even sit up. She swivelled to face them as they sprung up arms outstretched for her, her hands found the two knives that were sheathed at her belt.

Sam gripped the hilt of the daggers in a fast motion she drove the weapons upwards into the underside of their chins.

There was little resistance to the sharp daggers as they plunged into the soft decomposing flesh of the biters, their jaws turned slack as the blade of the knives pierced into their skulls. Sam withdrew the weapons from the two rabids, they slumped back lifeless.

Sam nudged the two rabids with her foot, but they didn’t move. Sam had seen enough zombie media to know that if you wanted to kill them for good, it needed to be through the head.

She cleaned her knives from the black blood that covered the blades on the back of the fallen biter. Before she picked up her pack, that had slipped from her shoulders during the attack, and swung it back on her shoulders.

************

Finally Sam had made it to Pittsfeild. The town now empty and desolate, had an eerie sense to it. She made her way into the heart of the town, making sure she kept low and out of sight at all times.

The blonde scavenged in and out of the abandoned stores. As she had made her journey she noted the supplies were now few and far between. Unlike with the first store she had gone into that still had resources in it, now the shops had been picked bare.

Sighing, she threw what she could into her backpack. It was early afternoon and thought it best to make her way as far as she could away from the town and toward Albany.

Swinging her bag back onto her back after securing the buckles, she made her way out of the store.

Sam had only made it a couple blocks before a squeak came from under her boot. She lifted her foot, revealing a dirty teddy-bear lying on the ground. Sam tilted her head, it looked familiar, but she didn’t know from where.

Her brows drew together as she studied the small stuffed bear that looked back up at her. Sam couldn’t put her finger on why the bear looked so sad, the smile that was stitched into the mouth wasn't bright and cheerful it looked so melancholy; like it was forced.

Sam placed her foot on the ground as she bent down to pick the bear up. It was only small, easily fitting into her hand.

The bear was dirty covered in muck from the ground, blood stains on his feet and tummy, but under all the grime it seemed well loved. The nose had been worn down, like the owner often touched it.

The ears were the same.

The fur on the bear looked shorter there than on other places on the bear. The teddy's hands also had the same pattern as the ears, the owner must’ve held his hands a lot.

Then Sam’s heart dropped, the memory coming back to her in a rush.

The picture of the young girl holding up her little bear to wave goodbye before she was ushered out of the supermarket by her mother.

Sam lifted her head, eyes scanning the area. The small voice in her head begging for the girl to have just dropped it by accident, it fell out of her bag without her noticing.

The voice didn’t last very long, as Sam bit her lip. Her eyes found a group of people lying on the floor, two big, one small. She approached slowly, hoping and praying it wasn’t who she thought it was.

But she was right, she stood over the small girl, hand still interlocked with her father’s. The girl’s mother was frozen in time, reaching out for her daughter. Fingers still spread wide so close but so far from her little girl that only lay inches away face down in the dirt. Sam closed her eyes, willing the searing vision of the family to leave her brain, it wasn’t something she wished to carry.

The blonde bent down tucking the small bear under the child’s arm, she didn’t think it was right to rip him away from his family as well. But even then it didn’t feel right, leaving the family face down in the street.

She cursed under her breath, she needed to leave but her conscious wouldn’t let her move until she had laid them all to rest. It was only right, the family seemed to have been taken from the world in such violence, they needed to be in peace.

Sam moved the mother first, dragging her body off the street and into the edge of the woods that they were so close too.

The woman wondered if that’s where they were going for safety, they were almost there, another couple of steps and then could’ve been in the forest. Sam laid her down, facing her up to the sky, she noted the bullet wound in her chest and the crimson that stained her grey sweatshirt.

Next she moved the little girl, she was easier. Being only so young Sam could easily pick her up and move her. So she did, Sam cradled the young child in her arms and walked her to her mother who waited for her. She walked slower than normal, letting the young girl admire the sky one last time, the way the blue contrasted against the green of the trees that stood so tall.

Her teddy bear still tucked under her arm she lay next to her mother, Sam placed their hands so they were touching. Sam then moved the father, laying him on the other side of his daughter, she moved their hands so that they were laying together as well.

Sam dug quickly. She felt bad but she didn’t have time to dig them a proper grave, but it didn’t feel right leaving them exposed to the elements. They need their privacy, so that they could truly rest.

The blonde moved them into the grave she had dug, keeping the same position she had them in as when they were laid on the grass. Sam took a moment of silence before covering the bodies in the earth. She patted the ground, smoothing it over. But still it felt empty.

Sam knew she was wasting time, but she couldn’t leave them here in an unmarked grave, nothing to show who they were.

She turned in a circle, eyes trailing her surroundings. Her eyes landed on wild daisies that sprung from the ground. Sam grabbed a handful to bring it back over the earth that held the family. Sam had never had an eye for decorating, her room often laid bare, but she placed the flowers around the edges of the grave. The rest of the flowers she had scattered in the middle.

It wasn’t beautiful but at least now it wasn’t empty.

Sam never cried much, as a child she was scolded for such things, so she learnt to hold it back. But in that moment she couldn’t help the tears that dripped down her cheeks.

The family shared so much love, their little girl had so much potential.

But now they’re gone. Buried in the earth.

Sam didn’t know their names, ages, or their life.

This life was cruel, cruller than most.

Then the thoughts trickled in, Sam cursed her mind for falling into the ‘what if’s’ again. It was a trait she trained so tirelessly to remove from her brain, but it always found a way to sneak back in.

What if she had agreed to come along with them, would she have been able to save them? Or would she have met the same fate.

It felt cruel to leave but she was wasting daylight, she huffed as she looked at the fresh grave before she headed into the forest herself.

They almost made it. The vile voice in her brain taunted. Could’ve been saved if you weren’t so heartless.

Sam groaned, shaking her head to rid the thoughts that plagued her mind. It was in the past, she had made her bed and now she would have to lie in it.

Unfortunately the family haunted her with every step she went deeper into the forest. The tightness in her chest suffocated the poor girl as she fought with her own emotions. Like she had said before, this world was cruel, the only way to survive was to be even more ruthless and spiteful than the evil creatures that lurked in the shadows.

However it wasn’t those creatures that had ended that family’s life, it was other people. People like Sam, merciless and uncaring.

A/N:

Ok so our Sam has a heart but don't tell her that or she'll beat you up. I'm so excited to be posting these I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! I hope you all are loving Sam like I do, she may be a tough cookie but I still want to give her a big hug, but she would most likely punch me in the face LMAO.

Esra ✨

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darling-heffron · 7 days ago

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Hello everyone! Lovely to see you all, hope the first month of the year is treating you well. I already exhausted lmao, so excited for the rest of the year. Also I'm back on track posting on a Saturday, no need for applause, I know I'm pretty great! Hope you all enjoy the next instalment of Momento Mori!!

Esra✨

Taglist: @malarkgirlypop , @mellow-human , @next-autopsy if anyone else wants to be added, please let us know!!

Chapter Twelve: The More the Merrier

Sam’s POV:

Somehow the lone party of one was now eight. Sam was fine travelling all by herself but the trouble seemed to have started once the friendly, all loving, all inclusive Mars arrived.

The group Mars first introduced her to seemed to be fine, she was more than capable of handling them. The men were mild mannered country boys who were respectful of Sam’s space and lack of communication skills.

She would’ve gone as far to say she had befriended the younger man, Shifty. Sam never felt uncomfortable around him and his knowledge of hunting and wildlife fascinated her.

However the newest group of Perco, Luz and Martin were a completely different story.

Luz and Mars were scarily alike. They had the same sense of humour, the same loud demeanour and the same endless energy.

And when Perco, Mars, and Luz were together, it was nightmare fuel, they were loud, rambunctious, idiots together. Seemingly forgetting the world they now resided in.

Martin seemed to be more reserved but when Perco and Luz wound him up enough he would also join in on the fun.

It wasn’t all bad though, seeing them get along so well while the world was falling apart seemed to lift the group's spirits. And having eight people in the group was actually pretty beneficial, although Sam would never admit that.

Eight pairs of eyes and eight pairs of hands went a long way when scouting, looting and looking for danger.

“Luz!” The younger girl squealed when George ran up behind her and poked her in her sides. The man laughed loudly at the blonde girl’s reaction.

“They seemed to be enjoying themselves.” Shifty commented from beside Sam, who rolled her eyes. They had been going on like this ever since they had met two days ago.

“Guys!” The older woman scolded the pair as they gave sheepish ‘sorry’s’ before elbowing each other in blame.

“Ah, go easy on them. They’re just having fun.” Bull clapped his large hand over Sam’s shoulder. But still she wasn’t impressed.

“Yeah, so much fun. And then someone falls over and we’re all doomed.” Bull chuckled at the blonde woman’s stubborn tone. Denver liked the girl, she was strong and dependable, she also looked after the younger girl with great care, even though she pretended she didn’t.

That seemed to be her MO, harsh and cold on the outside but with enough of a push she was kind and generous.

“How did we end up with two Marleen’s?” Sam massaged the lines from her forehead.

“You mean two George’s?” Martin joined the small group that hung back from the mischievous trio.

“Either way, they’re an accident waiting to happen.” Lip confirmed with a sharp nod of his head. The older group laughed amongst themselves.

—----------------------------------------

The group of eight had been walking for a day or two. They had enough supplies to last them a few more days in the forest and then they would need to venture out to another town to restock. But it was becoming harder to do with more mouths to feed, and hungry ones at that.

“Lights fading, I think we got an hour left of sun before it sets.” Shifty glanced up to the sky as he measured the time with his hand. “We should make camp.”

The rest of the group came to a halt dropping their heavy bags to the ground in relief.

“My shoulders.” Perco whined as he massaged his sore limbs with his palm.

“Get my back, I’ll get yours.” Luz jumped in front of the man. They both held each other’s shoulders whilst maintaining odd eye contact. They grunted, it was hard to tell if it was in pleasure or pain. But the sight made Sam uncomfortable.

Turning away she set up the tent as Mars hunted for wood. The shorter blonde cutely tagged along behind Bull, chatting excitedly as she went, seemingly forgetting her task and then every now and then she would remember and bend down to pick up a random stick.

Soon the fire was roaring and everyone sat around it with mildly full bellies, food was getting more scarce by the day.

Everyone was sharing stories over the campfire. It had become an odd ritual they all fell into.

Each member would share an account from their past, or a ghost tale, something to pass the time. Sam had always shared made up or scary stories, she had heard from others but never divulged into her own past. The rest of the group loved sharing history about their families and their lives beforehand. It was an odd way to get to know each other.

“Rumour has it the disease came from water.” Perco reported from across the fire.

Mars at that exact moment was halfway through her sip. Her eyes widened in panic, the young girl trapped the water in her mouth, stopping it from going any further down her throat.

She was just about to chuck her full water bottle across the space and project the water she had stored in her mouth out, when Sam’s hand landed on her knee before she could do anything.

Mouth ballooned with water Marleen turned to look at Sam who shook her head.

“Bambi, we’ve been drinking this water for days. I’m sure if it was tainted we would be mindless rabids by now.” The tall girl reassured her petite counterpart.

The young girl swallowed the liquid that she still had in her mouth, wiping the sides of her lips from any of the water that had escaped during that time.

“Right.” Mars agreed with Sam as she nodded her head.

“Yeah, no it’s not from bottled water. Word has it they did an experiment on a small rural town and put whatever chemicals they were using into the town's water source. And then they shut down their mains pretty quickly after it… got out of hand.” Perco shivered at the thought.

“It would only be their water supply that would have been contaminated.” Sam reassured the still tense looking Mars.

“Do you know where the town was?” Sam enquired further, but Perco shook his head.

“Nah, it’s only rumours I’ve heard in passing, so I have no idea if it’s true or not.” The group collectively sighed. They were completely isolated from the current events, but it appeared everyone was. With no means of communication there was no way for anyone to truly know what was happening in the world. They could only go from word of mouth.

“Wish my phone still worked.” The young blonde sighed. She was desperate to know how her family was fearing in this hard time. Mars wanted to let them know she was safe for the moment and to hold on for her return.

“You know my Dad called me every day.” The young blonde flashed her bright smile. Before it fell from her face and a heavy sigh left her lips, Sam quickly wrapped her arm around the young girl pulling her closer. The older girl gave a reassuring squeeze before someone else picked up the conversation that Mars had started.

“You alright, Bam?” Sam whispered down as the rest of the men talked amongst themselves. The younger girl already had tears forming in her eyes but that didn't stop her from nodding and giving Sam a tight lipped smile.

“What did he do?” The older woman prompted, seeing a hint of confusion on Marleen’s face, she explained, “Your dad, what did he do?”

“Oh!” The tears were forgotten and Mars’ eyes lit up with a sparkle of purpose, “He owned a hardware store- two actually. He was trying to turn it into a franchise. He looked after the first one in Adair- that’s where we grew up. And Rowan went to business school so he could run the other one, it was one town over in Bushnell but still close enough to come over every Sunday for dinner.”

Samantha let a small smile creep onto her face as she watched the girl's demeanour change. Mars went on about her weekly family gatherings and how she would get to spend time with her niece and nephew.

She explained how her mother moved to America from Spain when she fell in love with Desmond; her father. And how her Mum used to be a school teacher but retired and helped her dad with the garden section of their shop.

“He’s alive. They all are, I just know it!”

“Bam…” Sam’s smile had dropped, she didn’t want her friend to be filled with false hope. The likelihood that all of her family were alive was low.

“Yeah?” Marleen’s big wide eyes looked up at Sam. She faltered, pausing slightly, she looked to her side and made eye contact with the nearest male member of the group; Lipton.

The men had gone quiet while Marleen spoke of her kin and he had obviously been listening in, so when he heard Mars’ declaration and Sam’s hesitance, he looked up.

The look on Sam’s face must have been a questioning one as Lipton answered with a small shake of his head.

The older blonde was torn between being honest and probably hurting Marleen’s feelings or letting her have a moment of good.

“I’m-“ She started, but the childlike look in the shorter girls eyes had softened her, “I’m sure you’re right.”

———————

Leaving the forest had many pros and cons.

The biggest pro: Going into towns or houses and finding supplies. The biggest con: Being out in the open where there is more chance of running into humans or rabids.

But it was necessary, venturing into the nearby town of West Hickory was the group of eight’s big plan for the next few days. What could go wrong in only a day or two?

Sam was walking near the front next to Shifty, the pair navigating the group out of the forest and towards the township. Lip, Bull and Martin followed the leading duo side by side by side.

As usual, the troublesome trio were lagging behind and goofing off. Luz was teaching the other two some aimless game and once they got the hang of it, there was no stopping them. Giggles and laughs echoed through the otherwise silent team.

A scream rippled from the back of the group, causing everyone to pause their movements in shock. All heads whipped around to find the reason for the unexpected disruption.

It wasn’t a noise you wanted to hear in the middle of the apocalypse. The group rushed back to find the owner of the scream.

George and Mars stood, seemingly crowding around the other person who was on the floor. Perco lay on the ground groaning in pain.

“What happened?” Sam pushed her way in between Luz and Marleen. The young girl stood with her hands clasped over her mouth and a worried look on her face, Luz wore the same expression.

“We were just goofing around and Frank slipped.” Mars finally released her mouth from her grasp so that she could talk.

“Oh shit, I hope it isn’t bad.” George cringed looking down at his friend writhing in pain on the floor.

“Where are you hurt?” Lip asked as he knelt down by the man.

“My-” Perco started and then stopped again. The group that surrounded the man collectively lent in so that they could hear him.

“Your what?” Martin prompted the man.

“Uh-my…” But Frank refused to finish the sentence.

“My god man, spit it out!” Sam urged, she needed to know now whether or not she needed to put him out of his misery.

“MY ASS!” Perco yelped.

Everyone fell silent processing what the man had just said. There was a beat before the whole group was in hysterics. The short man seemed less than impressed.

“Oh yeah, laugh it up guys, real funny, ha ha. I fell over and hurt my ass, ok! It’s an actual problem!” Frank replied grumpily, but the group couldn’t hear him over their shared laughter.

“Oh damn, man that’s terrible.” Luz tried to comfort the man but he couldn’t get his shit together enough to string a coherent sentence.

“You’re all fucking children, you know!” Perco reprimanded his friends who laughed right in his face.

“That was your greatest asset.” Luz elbowed Martin who about doubled over at his stupid pun.

“To ease the pain in your butt I’ll grab you some ass-prin.” The man couldn’t help himself.

“I mean I’d make a joke about your rear, butt it’s too cheeky.” George doubled over in hysterics but the rest of the group's own laughter had died down, they all watched the man laugh far too hard at his own joke.

“Get it, rear!” But no one seemed to be in on his hilarious banter. “Oh come on, that was the best one!” Luz pouted, but his peers focussed their attention back onto the man who still lay on the ground.

“You’re gonna have to show us the damage.” Bull told Frank, who clutched his ass with both of his hands.

“No.” Perco shook his head. “That’s not necessary, see.” The man struggled to get to his feet only making it halfway up before cursing in pain and crumpling back to the floor.

“Fine.” Perco admitted defeat. “But the girl’s can’t see.”

All eyes fell on the two women who watched the man in concern. An aww fell from the younger’s lips, while the older shrugged.

“I didn’t particularly want to see your ass, Frank.” Sam grabbed the shorter girl by her shoulders and manoeuvred her away from the men.

The pair sat far enough away that they couldn't see what was happening but they could still hear it. Frank cursed wildly as the rest of the guys discussed their game plan.

It took an hour for the group to sort out his wound, they had little in the way of medical supplies. Bandages and a few steri-strips, they had nothing but water to clean the wound. From the sound of things it was a big injury.

“God, now there’s blood all over my pants. Thanks Lip!” Frank called in disgust.

“Well it’s your ass that won’t stop gushing, Perco!” The men continued to bicker between themselves.

Finally they had the wound semi-covered and had stopped the bleeding for the time being. Frank clutched onto the neck of Bull as he piggy backed him.

“Ladies, we're gonna need to find somewhere with medical supplies. I’m worried that it will get infected if we don’t stitch it up.” Martin informed the girls who were sitting on a nearby log waiting for everyone to be done.

“Next town is only a few miles away. We can get there by nightfall and stake it out from there.” Sam stood from her position with Mars jumping up by her side not long after. “Shifty and I can go ahead and make sure the path is clear, so we don’t have to worry about any more accidents.” Martin gave a curt nod before he called over his shoulder for the men to get ready to move out.

The group moved slowly, Bull carrying Frank on his back and the rest of the men carrying his belongings since he couldn’t do it himself.

“Shifty!” Sam called, turning around as she walked, he had dipped out of sight just before she turned to look for him. The girl went against her own rules and continued searching for the man as she travelled not facing the way she was going.

The woman met a solid wall. This is why she always followed her own rules. Sam turned examining the hard object she had collided with.

Her eyes widened as her gaze trailed up the structure. Though it wasn’t a structure, it was a man. Sam whipped her gun from her hip and pointed it directly between the eyes of the person who cockily glanced down at her.

“Who the fuck are you?” The words growled from her throat. She was good at menacing.

“I like a woman who can use her words.” Somehow the man’s smile grew even more smug. His hand came up to Sam’s face, his fingers so close to her cheek. She resisted the urge to shoot him right at the moment.

“Don’t touch me.” The blonde woman warned the stranger.

“You walked into me, Dollface.” Something about the way the pet name rolled off his tongue made her shiver. She didn’t like the unknown feeling that washed over her skin.

“Don’t call me Dollface, you creep. I will use this.” She gestured to the weapon she clutched tightly. Yet he didn’t flinch, his smile grew wider as his eyebrows raised.

“Feisty.” The tall man leaned forward ever so slightly, as if he was testing whether or not she was bluffing.

“Lieb.” A stern voice came from behind the man. At the same time the rest of the group finally found their way to Sam. They stopped short behind her assessing the show down she had found herself in.

Shifty fell into stance beside her, his own weapon raised.

A man came into view, tall with jet black hair and stubble across his chin.

“Ah, the boss is calling. Nice talk, sweetheart.” The man reached forward to tap his fingers under Sam’s chin, but stopped when Shifty’s gun turned to him.

The stranger threw his arms up in mock surrender before he sent a wink to Sam, then turned and walked away.

“Sorry about him, he doesn’t listen to simple commands.” The end of the statement seemed to be aimed towards the man as he walked back to the older looking gentlemen.

“You can lower your weapons, we aren’t here to fight you.” But Sam didn’t budge. “You’re right. I‘ve given you no reason to trust me.” The man spoke to the tall blonde, a smile grew on hip lips.

“Speirs.” The man gestured at himself. “You met Liebgott, I have two other men with me.”

And just like that two guys appeared from the bushes. It made Sam’s stomach turn, if something was to go wrong with the first interaction those men were lying in wait. She narrowed her eyes at the group of four.

“Tipper and Grant.” Speirs introduced his men.

“You can be on your way then.” Sam spoke harshly. They had picked up enough strays, she also wasn’t going to look behind her for the group vote, this was her decision.

“I think we found you just in time.” Lieb said arrogantly, “Looks like you have a casualty.” He gestured his head back at Perco who still clung onto Bull’s back.

“Why would you offer us help, we haven’t given you anything.” Shifty now spoke from her side. Sam was glad she wasn’t the only one who found this situation fishy.

“You can offer us something.” Speirs replied. Sam’s eyes narrowed even further.

“Sam.” Martin called from behind her. “Perco isn’t looking too good. We need their help.”

The tall blonde ground her teeth together. There was no way she was asking for help from these men.

“Samantha.” Bull’s voice was stern, the girl still hadn’t lowered her gun.

“Fine.” The older girl huffed and finally relented, flicking the safety back on and statshing her weapon on her hip.

“How can we help?”

HEHEHEHEHE ok so let me know all your thoughts, do we like the introduction? More BOB men you're welcome! Poor Perco and his pesky ass wound, classic BOB men if I do say so myself! AHHHHHH I'm so excited for the next chapter! Love you guys!

Esra✨

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