#Tyler Holt

[a3r1s]

Tyler needed to sit back and have a smoke

[fire-in-my-woods]

The Maaaaan

[theothershin]

It's really telling that Tyler's tombstone says "eldest son and brother", while Dale's has "beloved brother and son". It's like, Tyler's the eldest Holt - that's his whole tag, his whole life. Consider it: you forget his name and only his personality, and you think, "The eldest Holt - what was his name?" That's all he is and all he ever was. That's his job. And the fact that even his tombstone never shows his true self in and out of the role he was assigned, is just tragic! But you die the way you live, and if you were never truly acknowledged in life, it probably won't happen when you're dead - the facts are all true.

Tyler is the most unique character, that he's the only one whose character is just mostly implied. He was shown as a semi-belligerent person(and it was only mentioned that he isn't usually like that, but most people wouldn't remember that one line over everything they're shown about him), and only every now and then we see the love he has for his family; the dedication and care he exhibits in front of his Ma, but also the helplessness he has around her; and the cage that's been built all around him. Here and there, in bits and bobbles and pieces, you get an implication or a small, sidelined piece of proof that he's more than it seems. And the tombstone is one of those proofs of that.

It's really telling that there's a big difference there - replacing "beloved" with a synonym for variety seems normal, or something else that's simple enough - but "eldest"? At first it seems just considerably normal, but if you've caught those bits and pieces, it looks wrong. And that fact that it's the only change at all except for the wording?! What else is there to say - Tyler Holt is a tragic character, whose thread will always have a black sheen wrapped around it, who will never escape his invisible-but-existing cage of torture, not in any of his endings, nor in his death.

[bluffmotel]

BEAR HOLT & THE HOLT BOYS ,

as dusk falls, interior night / let your father die energy drink, daniel lavery and cecilia corrigan / the hurting kind, ada limón / sophokles, elektra / aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe, benjamin alire sáenz

[xdarkestdesirex]

When Faith Meets Juvenile - Chap 2

This is a Dale Holt x reader story. There's no (y/n) insert. I'm just avoiding the use of the reader's name, and it is female-based. There are hints of physical appearance but nothing in-depth.

This writing contains highly sensitive content like violence, drugs, the use of weapons, abuse, mental illness, hostage situations, talk of suicide, religious abuse, smut, and other mature themes. Reader discretion is advised. MUST BE 18+ TO INTERACT.

I do not allow anyone to copy, alter, or repost my work as their own.

1961-word count

prev

As I slammed the door behind me, I expected the house to be empty and everyone to be at church. But there sat my brother in the living room, staring at me. His eyebrows furrowed, and he was tapping his fingers against the armrest. “Where were you?” 

“I, uh, there was an accident.” The anxiety that bubbled inside of my chest was the worst I’d ever felt before, “Are Mom and Dad home?”

“What happened?” He pointed at my leg.

“Some guy accidentally ran into me with his bike. It’s fine, though. He was very kind and helped me.” I slowly hobbled down towards the hallway, hoping to get out of this conversation. 

“You mean Dale Holt?” My brother’s voice sounded behind me. I turned and gave him a confused look, “I saw him in the truck. Do you even know who he is?”

“Why does it matter?” 

“If Dad figured out you were with him, he would lose his shit.”

“Dad won’t figure it out, right?” I know my brother usually sticks up for me with people at school, but when it comes to our parents, he’s the one who gets into trouble. Sometimes, I feel like he would love it if they thought poorly about me. 

“I don’t know. I think Dad would love to hear about his perfect daughter coming home in the truck of a juvenile.” 

“A juvenile?”

“You know, the kid who robbed the liquor store and beat someone half to death.” What my brother said took me by surprise. There was no way the person who did that was Dale. A guy who would beat someone half to death wouldn’t go out of his way to help me like he did. Is that why he said it was for the best? That I didn’t know him? I turned away from my brother and dragged myself into my bedroom. I plopped into bed and winced at the pain in my leg. How was I going to explain this to my parents? I don’t think James will immediately tell them who I was with, but I know they will have questions. Maybe I should have made him drop me off a few houses down. 

I was stirred awake by the soft voice of my mother. It seemed the evening sermon was over, and they were finally back home. The events from earlier had finally caught up with me, making my body sore and my head pound. I couldn’t fully make out what my mom was trying to say to me as I was fighting myself to wake up. Then, from my blurry vision, I could see the figure of my father walking into the room with something in his hand. Suddenly, a jolt of shock shot through my body as my dad threw ice water over me. My body jolted up; all I could do was sit there and stare at my father. For the first time in 17 years, I was witnessing what it was like for your parent to look at you with pure anger. My head hung in shame, and I waited for him to start yelling at me.

“What the hell do you think you were doing!” His voice was sharp.

“I-I-I just wanted to go to the park!” I cried out. Tears started to pour down my cheeks, and I hated myself for how easy it was to cry.

“You’ll never be allowed out on another Sunday again!”

“Daddy, I didn’t-”

“Look at you!” He gestured toward my leg and disheveled appearance. “This happens when you go against your parents and embarrass them!” He slammed his hands down onto my shoulders and pulled me off my bed. “Get her properly dressed!” My father yelled at my mother. My crying turned into wailing. My mom picked out a plain, knee-length, black dress and helped me change into it. My hair was still dripping wet from the water thrown on me. “Shh dear, your crying will only upset him further.” My mother spoke to me. Once I got dressed appropriately, my father dragged me out of the house and shoved me into the passenger seat of the car. “You better get yourself together before I pull up to the hospital. I don’t want anyone seeing you in hysterics like this.” 

The drive to the hospital took about 20 minutes, and I was able to calm myself down just enough. My eyes were red and puffy, and the salt from my tears stained my cheeks, but I wasn’t actively bawling anymore. After my dad parked the car, he got out, approached the passenger side, and opened the door for me. He helped me down and walked me to the emergency entrance. When we entered the building, I wasn’t surprised to only see two other people sitting in the waiting room. Two Rock wasn’t a busy place where people were always getting hurt. Off to the side of the entrance were wheelchairs lined up like grocery carts. My dad grabbed one and motioned for me to sit, so I did that. He wheeled me to a window where, behind the glass, an older lady sat. 

“How may I help you?” She said, staring at us with blank eyes and a monotone voice. 

My dad explained that I had injured myself badly and needed to get my leg looked at. He told the lady my brother and I had gone out and that I fell down a hill, hitting a rock and slicing my leg open. I wasn’t sure how he knew my leg was sliced open, but I guess it couldn’t be hard to guess, especially now that I’m looking at the bandaging. A bit of blood was starting to seep through. 

Once my dad gave the pepper-haired lady our information, we sat in the waiting room. A nurse opened the door a few minutes later and called my name. The other two patients groaned as I was called before them, even though they were here first. My father pushed me behind the nurse as we followed her into an exam room. She asked me a few questions about my health and what was happening as she took my basic vitals. She left the room and informed us that the doctor would arrive soon. A knock sounded on the door right before it swung open. A man in his late thirties walked in wearing a long white lab coat and glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He looked like he was trying hard to be a stereotypical doctor. We reviewed the events of what happened again, and he asked a few of the same questions the nurse had asked. 

“Alright, I’m going to undress your wound and look at what’s happening.” The doctor slid a pair of gloves onto his hands and started unwrapping the medical tape. Once all the dressing was off, he threw them into a biohazard bag. He grabbed a new piece of gauze and started dabbing around the cut. “Whoever cleaned and dressed this did a good job.” 

“It was her brother.” My father said.

I just sat there quietly, thinking about the brunette-haired boy kneeling before me as he carefully took care of my injury. I wonder what he was up to tonight? Would he tell his family about me and what happened? I doubt he would, but they probably wouldn’t crucify him the way my father did me. 

“So you got this injury falling down a hill?” The doctor asks.

“Yeah, I’m a bit clumsy,” I said, feigning stupidity.

“I’m going to clean your cut again, numb the area, and then give you a few stitches.” 

I just started at the beige wall while the doctor did his thing. Once he finished, he wrapped my leg up and handed my dad a prescription to help with any pain I might feel. My father pushed me back to the car in the wheelchair and helped me up into the passenger seat. The drive back home was completely silent. 

Dales POV 

“Dale?” Her sweet voice sounded out.

“Yeah?” My voice came out breathy and quiet. 

“I’d like to see you again someday.” The words that she said caught me entirely off guard. I wasn’t expecting her to say that. I stared at her face momentarily before a slight smirk grew on my lips. “I would like that too, Doll.” 

I watched her close the truck door and made sure she could make it to the door before I pulled out of her driveway. Driving back to the farm, I kept replaying everything that happened. I recently got released from juvie and felt cooped up. So, I decided to steal Jay’s bike and ride around town. Feel the warm breeze on my skin as I fly down the road. Not many people come out to the park near my house, so I headed that way; I wanted to be somewhere alone. Then, this girl was there, and I was slightly curious to see what kind of girl would be out here. I wasn’t trying to run into her, but wanted to get close and start a conversation. Nothing happened as I tried to stop the bike, so I yelled out to her but crashed into the poor girl anyway. 

What an idiot, I thought while thinking back to it, but I still smiled at the whole interaction. She was a cute girl, and I knew right away that she wasn’t someone from this part of town, but it did surprise me to find out that she was the priest’s daughter. At Two Rock High, a lot of the guys I hung out with before I dropped out would talk about how they wanted to ‘corrupt’ the innocent princess and would go into detail about the nasty shit they wanted to do to her. My mind might be fucked up, but if there’s one thing my Ma taught me, it was to treat a girl with respect.

I pulled up and parked the truck by the side of the house. A deep sigh escaped my lips, and I ran my fingers through my hair. She probably judged me so hard on my home compared to hers. I don’t think we’ll ever meet again. It was a fluke in the universe that our paths crossed. I slid out of the truck and made my way up the steps to the front of the house. I could hear my Ma yelling from the inside and prepared myself to walk into whatever was happening behind the door. 

“How often do I have to tell you boys not to bring animals in the house if they’re dripping blood!” 

“Quit yelling at me! We didn’t even bring any animals home today!” Pa spat back. 

“Then how do you explain this!” My Ma pointed at the blood drops on the ground. My eyes drifted to see small blood drops trailing to the bathroom. They had to have happened earlier. The blood was dripping down her leg.  “And where were you?” Ma spoke to me sternly.

“Out,” I answered.

“Damn it, Dale, you’re supposed to stay home.” 

“Don’t worry, Ma. I wasn’t getting into any fights.” I grabbed an apple from the middle of the table and headed into my shared bedroom. 

“You don’t leave this house alone, ya hear me!” She yelled from the kitchen.

My younger brother, Jay, was lying on his bed in the corner with his headphones covering his ears and flipping through one of the few comic books he owned. He didn’t notice as I flopped onto my bed opposite his and smiled at the ceiling like a dork. It’s too bad that would be the first and last time I ever saw her.

next

AN:

Hey guys! I know this chapter is shorter; there will be a few short chapters, but most will be longer! I was listening to a song earlier today that gave me better ideas for the story (hehe) so I'm excited to write them and have y'all read it! Reader and Dale's story is going to be a rollercoaster! You get to experience life with him before the robbery, and don't worry everything will lead up to that point!

[k0dster]

Let me feed the As Dusk Falls fans rq, love you guys sm

[hajimehinata]

hi folks! sorry for the delay on adf august, and my apologies for not using the official @adfaugust blog! i lost my login and i haven't had the time to come up with a long list. hence, we'll be hosting an adf august week this summer! as always, feel free to tag your works as #adfaugust2024! please check below the cut for a plain text version of the prompts:

august 18: daylight / trauma

august 19: paradise / pizza

august 20: hunter / open road

august 21: deal / debt

august 22: pig / phone call

august 23: strawberry / sinners

august 24: smoke / want

[andonutty]

some highlights of adf behind the scenes clips

[dreki]

blorbo sketch

[dale-holts-gf]

Is there anyone still in the As Dusk Falls Fandom? I got into the game wayyy late and now I feel like everybody's over it 😭😭

[a3r1s]

Zoe going hard

[fire-in-my-woods]

What does Tyler's smile look like

[theothershin]

Someone should create a fanfic where the Holt family gets away with the burglary alive and everything, but then the whole dynamic of the family erupts, with Dale and Tyler's suppressed emotions - especially Tyler's - and Bear and his gambling and new debts and anger, and their happy life with money is ruined.

[justinewt]

Meet Emily Holt - AS DUSK FALLS REWRITE OC

[AS DUSK FALLS - MASTERLIST]

Do not use my character without my consent thanks <3

warning: any arts and pictures you’ll see are not mine (I found them on pinterest) and I chose instagram model (insert actor)celeb used) to portray my oc, Emily is a character 100% created by me, Justine but the style of the bio has been inspired by (insert fic universe) wiki and bios made by director Guillermo Del Toro <3

words: 2k

EMILY CHARLOTTE HOLT bio by me

INFORMATIONS

DATE OF BIRTH: around late April 1980

AGE: In May 1998, Emily is freshly 18. She’s about about a month younger than Jay.

(Tyler is 25, so born sometime in September 1973; Dale is 21, born in mid-April 1977 – Dale and Emily are exactly 3 years and 1 week apart – and Jay is 18, born in around March 1980.)

ZODIAC SIGN/MBTI TYPE: Taurus/ISFJ

(headcanons for her family members: I feel like Tyler is ESTJ, so probably a virgo, Dale is ESTP/Aries and Jay INFP/Pisces)

SEX: Female 

NATIONALITY: American

ORIGINS: British (mainly)

OCCUPATION: High school Student at Bridgeley High (1994-1998, she graduated just a month before it all went down)

SKILLS: Horse riding and she was very handy, given she always wanted to work in the barn with her brothers

HOBBY: Horse riding, listening to music and hanging out with her brothers

CHARGES (if she was arrested/went to prison): Conspiracy (12 months of imprisonment); Complicit to burglary (class 3 felony) and guilty of 3rd degree burglary (3 years and 6 months of imprisonment); Complicit to hostage taking with no criminal intent, charged as Class 1 misdemeanour (6 months of imprisonment)

POSSIBLE TIME IN PRISON: minimum 5 years (if arrested, Tyler gets the death penalty if arrested, spends 14 years on death row before being executed in 2012, and if caught, Jay gets the same sentence but his death sentence is commuted to a life sentence without parole)

FAMILY

PARENTS: She’s the only daughter and youngest biological child of Sharon and Bear Holt

SIBLINGS: She has two older brothers, Tyler and Dale, and Jay, though they’re technically cousin.

RELATIVES: Brooke, her mother’s younger sister, Deceased. And unnamed paternal family members; mention of her deceased grandfather.

FRIENDS: Her best friend was the unnamed younger sister of Jessica (Dale’s crush)

EARLY LIFE: Emily was born in late April 1980, exactly 3 years and 1 week after Dale, and exactly one month after Jay, on the same day. So, when he was born and his mother, Sharon’s sister and Emily’s aunt died, and Sharon adopted him, she passed him as her daughter’s fraternal twin and raised her two oldest to consider him their sibling. While Dale and Tyler, their older brothers, grew up treating him as such, they both knew the truth, though Tyler, being older, was more aware of it. Emily was kept in the dark by her mother and learned about it way later.

Their brothers, Tyler and Dale, were respectively 7 and 3 years older than the “twins”. Both helped raising and caring for them, but essentially Tyler as most of the responsibility to care and protect his siblings fell on him as he was the eldest. Dale was very playful, and much more careless and tempestuous so Tyler also had to deal with him, on top of everything else, and was somewhat of a bully towards Jay, at some point using a BB gun on him. He teased him way more than he did Emily because when he did, Tyler would kick his ass (metaphorically speaking, or not), so he contented himself with making jokes. Sometime after Emily was born, Sharon let an almost 8-year-old Tyler hold his baby sister and it seemed to form some kind of bond already as he never forgot how she looked at him with her big eyes and smiled. He grew up to be very protective of his family but even more so of his sister, being on the contrary, quite distant and unaffectionate towards Jay, though he did care for him as well. But throughout their lives, he seemed to subtly, or not, make Jay understand that he cared more about Emily, as if he wasn't as much family.

Until she entered high school, Emily’s favourite brother was beyond the shadow of doubt, Tyler. He raised her and Jay since they were babies and kept Dale from teasing her, teaching her valuable skills, making her grow up to be someone very handy and skilful. She never realized that he felt some resentment and jealousy towards them still, but mostly towards Jay as he knew he wasn’t his biological brother and more or less subconsciously held it against him. He knew everything about his younger siblings, how they kept a squirrel as a pet when they were young, and he knew before she told anyone that she started liking grunge music when she was 11 or 12. For her 12th birthday, he got her the Nevermind album from Nirvana and a CD player, which she ended up sharing with Jay. He didn’t get such gifts for either of his brothers. She already idolized Tyler since she was a child, but he had officially become her favourite brother. At the time, and because she was too young to work, and they weren’t exactly rich, she wanted to find a way to get some money to get herself a pair of Converse, to do like Kurt Cobain so Tyler got her to help him fix things around the house and do chores and a month later, he came home with a box and gave her a pair of black converse, which she started wearing 24/7 at school.

She had a rocky relationship with her father and was quite scared of him for a while, mainly because he could get violent when drunk and hit their mother sometimes and would hit Tyler and Dale too when they got in the middle. But when she was younger, maybe 8 or so, he one day brought home some rabbit he had caught and she wouldn’t listen to him and sit down because she wanted to go play outside with Jay but also because she didn’t want to skin the animal, so he smacked her across the face, bringing her to tears and she ran off. She hid in the barn, in a corner, curled up and quietly crying, until Tyler, then 15-year-old, found her. He had a bruise on his cheek, and she cried even more and asked if he got hit because of her. He dismissed her worries and got her to come out and help him somewhere else on the property. At dinner, her father awkwardly apologised, coming up with excuses and empty words, talking a lot but basically saying nothing, and she just nodded, not really saying anything. She already didn’t trust her father, or feel safe around him, but she certainly wouldn’t after that. After that event, Dale would always crack jokes and used the fact that he was always teasing Jay to make her laugh. He very lightly teased her too but with Tyler watching her, he never went as far as he did with Jay. She was definitely Tyler’s favourite too. The first memory he had with her was her smiling at him as a baby, so he hated seeing her cry. He was as protective of his mother as he was of his sister. 

When she and Jay entered High school, they quickly found out how well-known their family actually was in that school, because all four Holt kids went there and the parents too back in the day. During their first year, Tyler was already 21 and very much working and Dale was already out of school, having dropped out about a year prior, and he would come pick them up everyday when Tyler couldn’t. Jay and Emily were in the same classes, so they were always together but as the freshman year went on, she made friends with other people in some of the classes they didn’t share, though always trying to include Jay in the group, but he went back to staying alone. By the end of the first semester, she had ditched her new friends and preferred to hang out with her brother, though she had kept one good friend, another girl from the group she hung out with and one boy that she liked. The two siblings began being isolated by their classmates. They would often call Jay a “weirdo” or “loser” and she would defend him. She acted exactly like Tyler did with their mom. She almost got into a fight with a couple of other kids at the school and after telling Tyler, he basically scolded her - more out of worry for her than actual anger - and told her not to get into any fights and not act like Dale, which for some reason made her want not to listen to him.

She began to act as Jay’s protector at school and it emboldened her, she was more rebellious, and it reflected in her relationship with her dad. She started to test his limits, which was probably not the best idea as he would get mad and try to hit her, but she often managed to dodge and run away, Tyler and Dale getting hit in her place, which she felt bad for. She began to think Tyler hated her because she realized he was more distant. In the beginning of the second half og her freshman year of high school, she met again a boy who was in the friend group she had temporarily joined in her first year, but he had developed a crush for her. She reciprocated his feelings and they shared a kiss. He asked her out and one week-end, Emily lied, saying she was going for a girl's pajama party as her best friend's house when really, she was going to the arcade with her boyfriend. The next morning, Sharon told Tyler to go get his sister and when he got to Emily's friend house and she wasn't there, he asked to use the landline to call his mom and told him. Sharon told him to drive around town and come home. He came home half an hour later and she was already there, getting scolded in the kitchen because she didn't want to tell them where she was the night before. At some point, she stood up because she wanted to leave, and accidentally yelled back at her mom and her dad got angrier. He swung his arm in her direction and upon dodging him, she fell against the fridge, curled up, her arms up in front of her face, eyes widened and her whole body shaking like a leaf.

Tyler and Dale got inbetween her and their dad and got hit in her place. Later, she told Tyler where and who she was with the night prior and told him she was with a guy from school. He told her not to lie and she admitted that he was her boyfriend. Dale heard and got worked up knowing a boy "touched her" and she yelled that nobody touched her and it took Tyler shoving him to make him shut up. One day at school, Dale came to pick up his siblings and he saw Emily come out of school with a boy. When she crossed his gaze and saw him, she put a distance between her and the boy but he now knew who her boyfriend was. He walked up to them and beat him up bloody. He was arrested and because he wasn't yet 18, he was sent to juvenile detention. She wouldn't talk to Dale for months after that, and didn't speak to him during the three months he spent in juvie. The boy was transferred to another school and wouldn't talk to her anymore, telling her her brother was a "fucking psycho". By the end of their second year of high school, as they turned 16, Jay dropped out and she really was alone now. She had her best friend left and that was about it for the next two years of high school.

Then, in May 1998, the events of the game happened. She wasn’t supposed to be involved in their plans, but she refused to stay behind, and Tyler agreed to let her come along, on the condition she did exactly as he said.

[AS DUSK FALLS - MASTERLIST]

Published (09/25/2024) by Andrea

[xdarkestdesirex]

When Faith Meets Juvenile - Chap 1

This is a Dale Holt x reader story. There's no (y/n) insert. I'm just avoiding the use of the reader's name and it is female-based. There are hints of physical appearance, but nothing in-depth.

This writing contains highly sensitive content like violence, drugs, the use of weapons, abuse, mental illness, hostage situations, talk of suicide, religious abuse, smut, and other mature themes. Reader discretion is advised. MUST BE 18+ TO INTERACT.

I do not allow anyone to copy, alter, or repost my work as their own.

3767-word count

Growing up in Two Rock comes with a lot of nothing. The scenery is brown dirt, cactuses, and hills. The sun beats down directly on people, leaving them crisp with a bit of heat stroke. Some kids figured out how to make their childhood entertaining, but it wasn’t an option for me. My father is a well-respected pastor at the Two Rock Chapel, and my family and onlookers expected me to be well-behaved. I was, for the most part, until I met a boy. He changed my life forever, and I’ll never forget what happened.

“Jesus said, ‘I will come and heal him.’” My father’s deep and authoritative voice flooded the churchgoer’s ears as he paced the stage. I sat front and center. So my dad could keep an eye on me and for everyone to see how disciplined I was. My mother looked perfectly prim and proper to the right of me, and my older brother was to the left, wearing a suit with his hair gelled back nicely. I wore a pale blue dress that went up to my neck with a white collar and short sleeves that puffed out. The dress was cinched at my waist to show off my healthy physique (my mother says it’s good to show off without showing skin), and the dress’s bottom belled out past my knees. I wore sheer tights underneath with heels to match. My hair was pulled into a sleek pony, and I was accented with pearl earrings and a necklace. Only the lightest touch of makeup was applied to my face to accentuate my features, but not enough to be called a whore. 

My bible was open and sitting in my lap. Like always, I followed the sermon my father was teaching. I had a notebook open and was writing down thoughts and questions that popped up. As a preacher’s daughter, I was meant to lead by example, but I wasn’t doing this for them or to be a good child for my parents. I was doing this for me. My faith has always been important to me, and damn it, I am a good kid. Sometimes, I wish I had a rebellious bone in me, like my brother, who secretly sneaks out of the house to do God knows what. One night, I followed him, but he caught me within 10 minutes and dragged me back to the house. He told me I shouldn’t ruin my innocence, that once I tasted the bad things in the world, I could never get it back. 

“I ask that some of our worship members join me on the stage as I close us out this morning,” My father’s voice became soft, “You may bow your heads and close your eyes.” My back slumps over as I droop toward my lap, and my eyes flutter close. The sound of a piano starts to float around me, and a woman’s voice begins to sing quietly.

“Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my King, would die for me?” 

My father spoke above the singing, asking if anyone in the crowd didn’t know God and wanted to get to know Him, to raise their hands, and that someone would join them to pray. People were slowly leaving their seats, going to the altar, and sitting on the ground to pray. My brother slowly slid out of his seat, sat at the end of the stage, leaning the top half of his body over it, and began praying. My mother tapped my knee as if to say I needed to join the others who were kneeling. I walked up to where my brother was and sat on the ground behind him, making sure my dress was tucked neatly under my legs and bowed my head into my lap.  

When the service ended, I was greeted by people praising me for my well-behaved manners and asking what kind of things I’d done so far over the summer. I indulged in conversation and made small talk while waiting for everyone to filter out. The heat was rising in the building, and I could feel my dress sticking to my back. Once the last person left, my family was also free to leave. Usually, after church, we go out to eat for lunch and spend the day together until evening, when the second sermon of the day starts. Yes, you must think we’re crazy for having church twice on Sundays, but that’s how we do it here. But today, I didn’t feel like going out; it would be extra hot, and I wanted to go home and get out of this stuffy dress.

“Daddy, could you drop me off at the house? I promised Nelly I would return her book this afternoon.” I asked my dad as we all got into the car.

“Can’t you do that after we eat?” He looked back at me through the review mirror.

“I’m not very hungry,” I pause, “I was hoping I could stay at her place for a little so we could talk about the book together.” It wasn’t a lie; I said I could probably bring the book sometime today, but I don’t plan to stay long at her house. I just wanted time to be by myself for a while. 

“Honey, it’s family day.” My mom states. 

“I know, bu-” 

“Oh, come on, it’s not like her to ask to hang out with friends often. Why don’t you just let her go.” My brother pipes up from beside me. I was shocked for him to come to my rescue; he protects me often but doesn’t usually go out of his way to help me with our parents.

“James is right. I think it’ll be okay, just this once, to miss a family day.” My dad speaks. A bright smile appears on my face, and I thank my father for letting me have this day. I glance at my brother with a silent thank you as well. 

As we pulled up to our house in Big Oak Neighborhood, I promised my dad I’d be back in time for church tonight and wave goodbye as they set off to some restaurant. As I enter the house, my shoulders instantly relax as the cold air hits me. I unbutton the collar of my dress as I walk down the hallway toward my bedroom. Once in my room, I kick my heels into some random corner, rip the dress over my head, and toss it to the floor. I lay on my bed for a few minutes in my undergarments, letting the cold air kiss my sticky skin. When I finally get up from my bed, I pick out a pair of short overalls that hit just above my midthigh, the shortest thing I was allowed to wear, and a plain white tee to go underneath. I put on a pair of socks and sneakers and redid my hair into a slightly messy braid. I grabbed my tote bag and put Nelly’s book inside, along with my journal. 

I entered the kitchen and grabbed the necessary things to make a sandwich: bread, mayo, meat, cheese, pickles, you know, the works. Once put together, I put the sandwich into a paper bag and then stuffed it into my tote bag. I grabbed a few more snacks from the pantry, filled my water bottle, and headed out the door. It was peak sunrise in Arizona, and the heat was hitting a hundred degrees. The sun hit the sidewalk’s concrete, bouncing up and blinding me. I squinted as I walked past the houses on my street and turned down Ranger Rd. The third house on the left belonged to Nelly. I approached the front door and knocked my knuckles against the wood. A few minutes passed, and I heard a few voices exchanged back and forth before the door swung open. 

“Hey!” Nelly’s giant smile greeted me.

“Hi, sorry to intrude. I was just stopping by to drop your book off.” I reached into my bag and pulled the book out.

“You finished it already?” She looked shocked as she reached out to grab the book from my hands.

“Yeah, I just spent a whole day reading it, which wasn’t hard since it was a good book.”

“Did you want to come inside and talk about it for a while?” Nelly’s body slid to the side, revealing I was okay coming in. 

“Oh, no, sorry, I have to get back home. It’s Sunday, so I have to be with my family. I was just allowed to stop by and drop the book off.” 

“No worries! We can get together another time to discuss the book!” Nelly said as she closed the door.

I walked, about an hour, in the direction of a park, a place I’ve gone to a few times when needing space from others. Usually, I would tell my parents I was studying at the library, but with it being summer, I couldn’t use that excuse. I found a wooden bench seat in the shade and made myself comfortable. Inside my tote bag was my MP3 player, so I took my headphones out and placed them over my ears, letting my music drown out everything around me. I pulled out my journal and pen and began writing about everything I felt. This journal was my deepest and darkest thoughts, and if anyone got a hold of it, I would be in deep shit. 

After a few hours, I had eaten all my food, and my water was almost gone. I decided it was time to leave. Collecting all my things and putting them back into my bag, I headed home.

“Watch out!” A voice behind me yelled out as I was about to cross the road. The next thing I knew, something slammed into my back, sending me flying to the ground, and a heavy weight landed on top of me.

“Ah, shit.” The gruff male voice said. Then, the heavy weight that was pinning me down lifted. I turned around to look up at what had hit me to see a figure towering over me. The sun was behind the guy who ran into me, making him look like a silhouette. “Are you okay?” He asked me.

“I-I’m fine.” I tried to push myself back on my feet, but once I put weight onto my left leg, I collapsed. I expected my body to meet the asphalt again, but instead, a pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist. When I looked at the guy this time, I could see his features. Short brown hair that was messed up from the crash, piercing blue eyes creased with worry, and a face shaped like God had carefully pieced him together. Suddenly, I forgot I was hurt and found myself staring at this guy with my mouth agape and speechless. He was a bit rugged-looking, but that made him more attractive in my eyes. A slight smirk appeared after what felt like forever of just looking at his face.

“You like what you see?” His statement ripped me out of my daze. A cough erupted from my throat, and the heat rose to my cheeks. 

“N-no,” I stuttered, “Just confused about how you crashed into me.”

“I tried to stop, but the brakes on my bike weren’t working.” 

“Could you help me stand?” He was holding me in a dip position, like we were dancing, from catching me. His face was only inches away from mine. It was the closest I’ve ever been with a male. I’d never been embraced by one before; having his arms around me was weird, but I also didn’t want him to let go of me. I felt strange for thinking this way. I mean, I didn’t even know who this guy was! He could be a murderer for all I know. 

"Ah, fuck.” The brunette cussed, “Your leg is messed up pretty good.” His crystal eyes darted around the park, looking for something, like he was worried someone would see us. The smirk that once sat across his face turned into a hard line, and his eyebrows furrowed together. I looked down to see what he was looking at. There was a large gash from the center of my shin down to my ankle, and blood was dripping down, staining my shoelaces red.

“How far do you live?” He asked me.

“I live in Big Oak Neighborhood.” 

“Why the fuck are you over here?”

“I like this park, it’s quiet.”

“You know this part of Two Rock is the trashy side, right?” 

I rolled my eyes at the guy, “I think I’ll be fine to walk back.” I tried to pry his arms off from around me, but he was way too strong. 

“Yeah, I don’t think you can walk that far.” His grip around me tightened, “My house is around the corner. I can patch you up and then drive you home.” 

He helped me sit back on the warm ground as he picked the bike up. His blue eyes scanned the black metal and wheels. Once pleased with what he saw, he helped me situate myself on the bike. I rested my hands on the handles and set my feet on the pegs of the wheel in front of me. His muscular arms reached around my sides, and he placed his hands next to mine. Slowly, he started pushing me away from the park. It took us about ten minutes to reach a brown fence, and a small house with a porch was not too far away. It was the kind of home that seemed cozy. I always dreamed of living out in the country. My home back in Big Oak was your typical suburban house. It looked identical to the ones around; the grass was green, and we even had a white picket fence. I know I should be thankful for where I live; not many people have the life I do, but I still wish things were different for me. 

Once we got to the porch, he stopped the bike and helped me off it. I felt terrible that he was going out of his way to do all this for me. Yes, he ran into me, and I wouldn’t be injured if it wasn’t for him, but he didn’t need to help me in the way he was doing. Slowly, we made our way up the steps of the porch. His strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me tight into his side as I hopped up each step on my good leg. We entered the house, down a small hallway, and entered a tiny bathroom. Without warning, I was lifted off the ground and placed on the sink counter. A yelp escaped my lips, and I gripped the male’s shoulders in front of me. He stared back at me with the same smirk from earlier.

“I’m tempted to make you yelp like that again.” His voice was low and husky as he spoke. I wasn’t fully aware of what he meant by that, but my body still reacted anyway. Goosebumps erupted on my skin, and my face burnt with embarrassment. He stood there with his arms beside me, his face inched closer to mine, stopping a breath away from my lips. I had just met this guy, and yet I wasn’t going to stop him. But he pushed away and started rummaging through the cupboards. I watched how his face looked as he focused on grabbing whatever supplies he needed. His face relaxed into its natural state, with soft eyes, his lips pursed only slightly, and his hair fell forward onto his forehead. When he got everything, he turned the faucet on and waited for the water to warm. 

“I’m going to clean up the area around your wound. This won’t hurt too bad, but I will disinfect the wound immediately after, which stings a little.” I nodded my head and watched him as he knelt to get level with my leg. As he wiped away the blood that covered my leg, he was gentle, not to hurt me. With most of the blood gone, I could see what the gash looked like, and it seemed I would probably need some stitches. He then grabbed a bottle and took the lid off. 

“Alright, this isn’t the fun part.” He said pouring the liquid right over my wound. 

“Fuck!” I yelled and instinctively covered my mouth. It hurt a lot more than he was explaining. 

“Sorry, Doll, it needs to be cleaned.”  He waited awhile for the liquid to do its thing before pressing some soft gauze against my gash and wrapping it with medical tape. He stood back up and placed himself between my legs. “You’re all patched up now.” 

“T-thank you.” I kept my gaze on the ground because I knew if I looked up at him, I would become even more of a stuttering mess. 

“I guess it’s time I drive you home.” He gripped my hips and helped me slide off the counter. If my dad knew a male was touching me in the manner this guy is, he would lose his shit. 

“What time is it anyway?”

“Around 5 o’clock.” 

“What!? You have to get me home now!” I tried to hobble out of the bathroom, which only caused the male behind me to laugh. 

“You look like a deer trying to walk for the first time.” He said as he watched me from the bathroom as I grabbed onto things around me to stay steady. “What’s the rush anyways? You have a curfew?” 

“Yes! My parents are going to kill me. I should’ve been home an hour ago!” 

“Woah, don’t get your panties in a twist. You’re a teenager. What else are they expecting? This shit is normal.” 

“Not in my household, and not on a Sunday.” Confusedly, He looked at me, “My dad is the pastor at Two Rock Chapel. I’m expected to be perfect and well-behaved. I wasn’t even supposed to be out this way. I lied and said I was going to a friend. I’m going to be in deep shit.”

“Wait, you’re the preacher’s daughter?” His blue eyes opened wide at this information. “You’re like Two Rock’s most innocent princess.” 

“Huh?” I grabbed the chair in front of me to balance myself, “People talk about me?” 

“It’s Two Rock, Doll. Everyone talks about everyone.” He made his way over to me, “Here, let me help you.” One arm reached around my side to help support me once again. 

“Oh yeah? Then who are you?” I asked, looking up at the handsome stranger. 

“I’m Dale, Dale Holt.” 

“Holt? Dale Holt?” The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before.

“You might’ve seen me in the papers. I’m pretty famous around here.” 

“Oh really? I didn’t know I was in the presence of a celebrity.” A chuckle fell through his lips, and the feeling of warmness flooded through me.

“It’s probably for the best you don’t know who I am.” Again, his face turned serious. There was something dark and lonely hiding behind his eyes. I wanted to ask him why it was for the best that I didn’t know who he was, but I knew it wasn’t my place to pry, especially with someone I just met. 

Once in the truck, I instructed Dale on how to get to my house. He slowly drove while looking at all the homes we passed. When something was interesting or cool, he would point it out and say they should add it to their farm. I could sense the want from him to be someone living behind these walls, to live the life that I have. That was the first time my heart stopped. Watching him stare out the window and play out what could be if he were a resident here. We didn’t discuss our similarities in wanting what the other had, but I could feel it from him. And in that moment, I had never felt more connected to someone else before. It was odd to connect without any interaction, but something within me stirred. He seemed to have felt the same feeling cause his head turned slowly to look at me, and we locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. We understood each other. Finally, a person, completely different from the other, felt what we felt. 

He ripped his eyes from mine and said, “Do you want me to drop you down a few houses?”

“You can pull up to my house.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want anyone thinking bad about you for being with me.” His eyes drifted down to the floorboard.

“Why would anyone think badly about that?”

“I’m not the type of guy your church people approve of.”

“Well, it’s none of their business. You may have been the reason I got injured, but you helped me. So thank you.” I flashed him a small smile, “If it makes you feel better, my parents are probably already at the church since my dad has to set up for the sermon.” He did as I said and pulled into my driveway, and just like I suspected, the family car was gone. 

“I’m sorry for your leg,” Dale spoke in a low tone.

“It’s okay. You helped me a lot today, and I really appreciate it. Thank you, seriously.” I went to open the door, but before I could get out, I felt his strong hand wrap around my arm again.

“Can you walk to the door?”

“I think I can manage this one.” He released my wrist, and I slowly lowered myself out of the truck. “Dale?”

“Yeah?” 

“I’d like to see you again someday.”

“I would like that too, Doll.” 

I closed the truck door and slowly limped to the door of my house. A stupid smile plastered on my face as I opened the door and walked inside. The sound of his truck driving away off in the distance. 

Dale Holt. The guy that changed my life forever.

next

AN:

Hey guys! I hope you liked this first chapter! I'm not the best writer in the world, but I hope you enjoy reading this. I will try to get chapters out fairly frequently, but I work 2 jobs and can get pretty busy. So please be patient with me! Please let me know if you see any errors so I can fix them! I do use editing software, but only some things get caught. I want everyone to know that some experiences the reader has are things I've dealt with personally (and so have others), so please be kind in the comments when talking about any of the serious situations!

[casualwriters]

Dating Dale Holt <3

A/n - sorry if this is all over the place I just finished this game and absolutely love the plot, and characters <3

- Dale was a love sick puppy when he met you at liquor store were you where working, you were not like any kind of person he met before in his small town, you were unique and he loved the chase, always the sarcastic or sassy remarks you gave him while ringing up his beer or Liquor.

-After a couple more visits with his brother you finally gave him your number, he was cheering and talking about you for hours, and yes Tyler did slap him a few times because he couldn't stop talking about you.

-He and you started talking for hours before he went to bed, it was relaxing for both of you, you didn't mind that his family had history it made you more interested about his Ma and his two brothers.

-Dale and you started hanging out at your house he was super cute, having his arm around you're shoulder while watching some cheeky horror film that made you jump

- of course, he had to tease you about that witch you punch him in the arm for. The night ended with you curled in his lap an empty popcorn bag and some candy wrappers, Dale kept himself closed off even when everyone saw was a jokester trouble maker, he had fears too.

- Dale was a big spoon for sure but sometimes he wanted to just cuddle into you after a long day and fall asleep to you're heart beat.

- when you Met Ma for the first time it was very intimidating beacuse you knew she was a strong woman and wanted what best for her son, but She adored you when you started fitting in messing with Jay and talking, about birds with him or hanging out around the yard cooking with her or helping with the roof. She told you she liked you and Dale together she thought you balance his chaotic nature out.

- PDA was a thing you and Dale did in public he wanted everyone to know that he was your's.

- some nights Dale would take you on the roof of the shack, after a long day of school, or you working and just sit there counting the stars with a joint in your hand than later falling asleep under the blanket.

- Let's just say this Dale is very overprotective, he was taught to treat someone with respect so when someone tries to flirt with you it does not make Dale happy, but you would normally have to calm him down, or clean up his wounds.

- some nights when Bear has been gone for weeks, and nothing has hit the fan, you and the holt family would watch movies and Sharon would kinda giggle at the horror movies and all of you would kinda look at her like she crazy.

- okay hear me out When both of you were stone you had gave Dale a stick and poke and he didn't know it was a penis witch cracked both of you up.

A