#chapters: call the darkness

[fictionadventurer]

The worst part about reading in a genre where you have low expectations (in this case, Christian historical fiction) is that when a book impresses you, you have no idea if it's actually good or if you're just overly impressed because it was a fraction of a degree better than the usual garbage.

[plusultraetc]

oh how the poor sleeping habits tables have turned

[ratanslily]

the Basu family line with this Amala >

[caitrose]

Oh my god I can’t believe I forgot about this line of dialogue

And um. Uh.

I feel like Kris may be taking that advice seriously

[rennorthernlights]

The World We Knew

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3: Past Catching Up, Chapter 4

Warnings: Zombie death, description of a child zombie, you unaliving zombies, violence and violence against our girl, Tell Me If I Miss Any

October-ish, 2023. Time??? Location: outskirts of Houston

It’s been a couple days since she last talked to Static and Electricity. Much to their worry but she told them. “I’m gonna be on the move for a couple days and I’ll need it to be quiet. I promise after 3 days I’ll contact you again.” To which Static made her triple-dog swear as she laughed at him being childish about her swearing to him. To which Electricity remarked that they were being extra serious even though his tone was playful. They also swore they’d come for her if anything bad happens to her. Nothing could go more wrong than a zombie virus… right?

“Just my fucking luck.” She sighs heavily as she wipes her sweat. Packs of zombies roaming the streets and on top of that she’s running out of food preserves. “I should’ve saved them raviolis…” her stomach grumbling as she presses her back against a brick wall of the library. God what she would give to read a hard back book again. Grumbling to herself about how she almost finished the Percy Jackson series.

Her thoughts momentarily stopped when she hears the groans of the dead and that’s her cue to get a move on. Carefully looking around and noticing how run down most of it is. Most likely when the virus really took hold of this town it became a buffet. Considering the dried bloody marks on the streets, broken windows, ripped doors, “Jesus,” she murmurs as she ducks behind a car.

A rasping growl snaps her attention as a lil kid stumbles and twitches down the sidewalk. Eyes milky and searching aimlessly, half their face bitten into that she can see the inside of their mouth. She shivers as she moves her rifle to the side and grabs her knife.

She’s noticed that the Z’s don’t see that well. They rely more on their other senses which normally isn’t a problem for her. But… she doesn’t like being out in the open like this. Usually she’d be in a building by now but most have broken down doors. Not safe enough. Maybe she should go find an office building.

She pauses and grumbles lowly “Okay maybe I am predictable.” Snorting as she thinks back to what Electricity was saying and the kid snaps their head towards the noise she made.

“Shit.”

The kid runs limply at her, their blood encrusted nails reaching out to swipe at her as she steps back. Her back against the abandoned car as she waits for the kid to get closer. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs as she kicks her boot against the kids stomach. The dead kid falls down and she’s quick to get on top and stab her knife into the kids head. The kid shakes on the ground for maybe a second before stilling. Her eyes soften as she breathes out slowly. Kneeling down and closing the kids eyes, “I’m sorry you got turned kid… I hope you can rest easier now.” Wiping the blood of the kids from her knife on the kids pants.

Standing back up and dusting herself off as she looks to her side when suddenly she hears a massive BOOM!! The sound making some of the cars blare their emergency sound.

“Fatherfucker!” She yells as another explosion goes off. The sounds riling up every zombie in the area their snarls heard as they immediately start searching in a frenzy. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she curses as she runs towards a building. Artys Arts and Crafts is what she barely saw before she runs in. Ducking behind the shelves as she almost didn’t see the 4 zombies in the room. She stills fast as her eyes widen. Her hand slamming against her mouth as she tries to control her breathing.

They groan and shove against the wall to get to the noise. Mindlessly moving and twitching at every sound. Yells are heard outside and whoever is out there is just attracting more and more attention. She knows she can’t just stay here unless she clears the building. At least the noise will make it easier for her to work around getting to them one by one.

Moving to the one that’s closest she slams the sharp point of her knife to the skull. Pulling her arm back as the sound of the body falling alerts the other 3. Their heads twisting towards the sound. Their arms reaching out as she ducks under one’s arm. Swiping a leg causing that one to fall. Sheathing her knife and grabbing her bat that’s attached to the strap of her backpack. She knows she’ll need range considering the three are coming at her. She can’t risk a bullet or the noise that comes with a bullet.

Yanking her bat free and swinging it hard at the small one that runs to her. “Asshole!” Slamming the bat on head like she would a baseball. Kicking at it as zombie doesn’t go down with that hit. It snarls at her and she pulls back and swings— THUNK!! She has to run back as the other one tries to lunge at her. She curses as it almost grabs her ankle. It crawls on the ground and she stomps her boot on it’s face. She repeats that again as she tries to keep and eye on the fourth that’s staggering to her slamming her bat down on the zombie and once satisfied she pays attention to the last one.

“3 down.” She murmurs as the last one swipes at her. Their veiny hands grasping at her bat and she yells as it snaps it’s teeth towards her. She jerks her bat back making it lean forward and punches the zombie. It lets go of her bat and she slams her bat upwards with her right hand gripping the handle. Breaking the jaw of the zombie as she wails on it again and again once it stumbles to the ground. Swiping her bat to the side to force the black blood off. Walking back to the other three, slamming the blunt of the bat against their heads to make sure they’re dead before she starts checking the rooms.

“Corners and windows.” She murmurs as she checks. Thankfully it’s clear. With a heavy sigh she sits on the table in what looks like the breakroom. She already has the door shut and barricaded. “Those four must’ve been a group.” She notices as some moldy food and wrappers are thrown haphazardly on the floor. Water bottles, some snacks, and some unused toiletries, “Thank god,” she laughs as she sits in the corner. Grabbing her backpack and pulling out a granola bar. Another explosion goes off and she flinches. More noises outside and it might be a fight that’s going off.

“Rival gangs probably,” she’s seen her fair share of warring gangs. Territory claims and all that jazz. “I’ve never been caught in the crossfire of it.” She huffs out as she munches. She pulls her backpack to her. “It’s been longer than 3 days…” she swallows thickly as she knows she’ll get an earful from the guys. Taking time to count and she realizes that it’s been 5 days in total… sighing, “let’s hope they won’t be mad.

Unknown to her as someone watches her closely through the scope of their rifle. Watching as she sits completely unaware that she’s being watched. “Well, well, well,” A grin stretching back as they mark where she is on the map before taking off. “He’s gonna love this.”

————————————————————

“It’s been 5 days!” Soap yells as he hovers over the radio. He and Gaz have been more stressed the last two days. “She said 3. What if she’s hurt or worse?!” His hand slams on the wall of the room he that everyone is hunkering in.

“That’s not helpin, Johnny.” Ghost snaps as his arms are crossed over his chest. Everyone’s been on edge since their girl hasn’t been talking on the radio. It’s become increasingly harder to deal with Soap’s outbursts and Gaz’s quiet glares and clenched hands. “She’s probably trying to get somewhere safe.”

He paces back and forth muttering words in Gaelic and he glared when Ghost tells him to speak English. “And that’s the problem! We told’er to tell us when she needed help!” The Scott growls out in frustration. Eyeing Gaz as he keeps staring at the radio. His thick hands gripping it as he mutters something. “What was that?” Soaps eyes narrows.

“I said..” Gaz flickers to him hesitantly. Biting his lip before he lets out a shaky response. “I said… She might not be al-“

“Don’t!”

“Johnny there’s a very real possibility that she mi-“

“Kyle.” Price cuts through the tension when he sees the radio’s dot blinking. “Look,” He says and Kyle immediately looks at it. His heart pounding as it buzzes.

“..yone hear me? Static? Electricity? Hello?” She calls out through the line. She sounds nervous and scared. Ghost and Price share a glance as they catch the tone of her voice.

“Sunshine? Hey, hey, it’s me,” he speaks back urgently. “We thought… god, love, we thought you were hurt or worse!”

“I… I know, I’m sorry. Is Static okay?” She asks and god love her Soap stumbles to him and he answers quickly. His hand on Kyle’s back as he unconsciously moves his thumb up and down. He speaks, letting her know that he’s there as well. “I’m glad you're both okay. I got into a couple rough patches. There are too many packs roaming.” The men freeze and Soap speaks first.

“You okay? Swear we’ll come for you, Bonnie. Are you hurt?”

“No, no, I’m fine, Static. Promise.”

“What’s going on, Sunshine? It’s not like you to miss out on our daily talks even with packs roaming.” Gaz says softly, all the men huddle around him as they listen for her reply. She takes a bit to respond so he says again, “Sunshine?”

The static from the radio crinkles and finally she speaks, “Got caught in a bit of a crossfire between gangs. At least I think they’re gangs.” She says and then says quickly right after “Nothing to worry about though!”

“Gangs? Oh lass,” The Scott says worriedly, “Are you safe? I thought you said you didn’t do groups?” A tease in his voice.

“Pft, I’m a free-range roamer, Static” joking back, the radio gets loud again, “I’m hunkered down in an arts and crafts store. Killed a couple Z’s but I’m safe. Promise.” Her voice is murmured into the radio like she’s trying to be quiet. “I can hear them outside. There’s been at least 3 explosions.”

Explosions? When Ghost was out checking the perimeter, he noticed an explosion a couple miles out… could they be close to her? “You need to stay in cover, Sunshine. Don’t go out unless you have to.” Kyle says urgently. His thumb cracking and popping the air between the bones. A tale tall sign that he’s nervous. Relaxing just a bit when John places a hand on his shoulder. “Listen… we uh… we saw an explosion from where we are a couple minutes ago. Estimate about 20 minutes ago. Are we?” He bites his lip before he speaks, “Are we close to you?”

The static gets loud as she doesn’t speak for a minute. Price looks a Ghost, a worried twitch of his eyes as Ghost tilts his head slowly. “I… Maybe I don’t know?” Her voice sounds nervous again. “I can’t give a location you kno-“

“Sunny,” Kyle says, his voice warm and understanding. His hand gripping the radio as he wishes he could ease her fear. He and the team speculated on why she’s so intent on hiding her name and location. Probably has something to do with her first group.

“I’m not gonna ask for your location. You know I wouldn’t but if they are using explosives along with fighting… you might get hurt.” She could get hurt, she could die, she could get burned from the explosive. When Ghost was describing it to them earlier when he saw the explosion in the distance Soap looked worried. Soap knows his bombs, he’s a demolitions expert Goddamnit. “Please… darling, you gotta tell us if it gets too hard and you’re not safe.” He says softly, using that pleading voice that gets even Price to stumble sometimes.

“I… Well, I’m safe for now, I guess. There’s a couple building near me that has some insignias on it. Most likely to mark territories.”

“What do they look like?”

“One has what looks like a black bird and the other looks like cross.”

“Bird and cross” Ghost murmurs beside Soap. They tense when she’s about to speak but they hear a faint crash on the line. It doesn’t sound like a radio crashing but something akin to glass. “Bonnie! What’s goin on?!”

————————————————————

Voices outside causes her to freeze. The hairs on her back standing up as she listens in to what they are saying. She… she recognizes those voices. Her focused snapped back to her radio as the Scott is still speaking to her. “Bonnie!” Static yells into the radio. She curses as she zips up her backpack and putting the sling of her rifle over her shoulder. “I’m fine, Static!” She tries to say more but the sound of something slamming against wood is heard from outside the breakroom she’s barricaded in.

There’s a voice yelling outside and they’re calling out to her. Calling out a name. A name that he gave her. A name that isn’t her own but forced on her. “No, no, no,” stammering as the men on the radio are still trying to figure out what’s wrong.

“I-I think I’ve been found.” She says weakly. That voice outside making her skin crawl, memories flashing through her as her heart pounds. She put so much space between her and that group. How did they find her? She’s been so careful and cautious these last 4 months. She needs to move; she needs to leave and go. God, why can’t she move?

“Sunny, wait, darling please.” Electricity says, he sounds nervous, scared even and her heart clenches at the sound. “What does that mean? Who found you?”

————————————————————

“Handmaidens Tale.” The men all tense when she says the name. She has only ever mentioned them briefly, Soap tried to get her to speak a bit more on it the second week in, but she shut it down fast. She’s more scared, more scared than shes ever sounded. Gaz and Soap look to Price as they don’t know what to do.

The man sighs and takes the radio. “Can you get somewhere safe? Do you have a weapon?” Price says, he was planning to speak to her when the time was right but now? Now he doesn’t have a choice. “Breath, love.”

A pregnant pause that has them all on edge, fearing the worst until she speaks. “Y-You're with Static and Electricity, right? The uh Captain?” She has overheard him before, faintly but she recognized him since Soap has said it before that the voice is owned by their Captain.

“Yes, love. Listen to me.” Experience in his voice, “Estimate up to 6 people, assume guns and weapons on hand with them. They’re most likely surveying the perimeter. You can hide or you can fight.” His eyebrows crease as he speaks.

He doesn’t like this. Doesn’t like the clench in his chest when he tries to imagine her, scared and fearful. He knows all too well what fear can do to a soldier, but she isn’t a soldier. A regular civilian and that makes this situation ten times worst. At least with soldiers they are trained to compartmentalize. To work through the adrenaline and fear. She doesn’t know how to.

“Okay, okay, I-I might be ab-” She gasps when they hear something breaking. Something loud enough that the radio catches it for all the men to hear.

————————————————————

“No, no, no, please,” The window in the room she’s barricaded in is shattered as her scream alerted the people that’s looking for her. The brick thrown in has a note attached that says in scrawled-out words. Found You, My Eve.

She can hear them just outside. “T-They found me. He found me. They broke the window.” She says to the radio as she clambers to get the barricade away from the door. Maybe she can run and get away? “Oh god, oh god, I-I can’t go back. I don’t want to go back.” Her blood runs cold as she tries to breathe deeply. The radio shaking as she talks to the Captain. “I-I don’t know what to do.”

The weapons she has are momentarily forgotten as she gets the barricades off and runs down the hall. Her backpack on as her bat swings back and forth almost like it’s trying to remind her that she has it. Her fathers rifle slung to her side from the strap on her shoulder as her hand grips her radio. She can hear the Captain speaking again. Trying to calm her down to get her to think but she’s in a blind panic. The fear of what she went through and what she’ll go through if that group takes her. She hears the shoutings. “Found her! She’s on the run!” And “Don’t let her escape! Grab her!”

Panting as she runs down the street. Weaving between cars and narrowly passing the dead as her heart pounds and slams against her chest. Running into a bank as she goes behind the couches there. Not even bothering to look for any deads that could be in there as she strains to hear for the voices outside. His voice.

The Captain on the radio still speaking. “We need a description, sweetheart. Can you give us a description? Look around you. Try to think. Don’t be scared, being scared is going to cause you to make mistakes.” Too late, far too late for that.

“Look…” the man pauses, “you’re going to get caught,” she whimpers and hits her head against the couch. Her knees tensing at the statement because as much as she wants to deny it, but she knows it’s going to happen. “I need you to focus and I need you to describe them to me. I need you to describe where you are? Can you do that for me?”

“Y-Yes, I.. I can,” She whispers as she speaks between breathes. Her eyes shut tight when the front door to the bank jingles open from the bell. Alerting her to the very real situation that is going to happen. So many memories flooding her brain as her boot taps nervously on the floor.

“I-I ran into a bank near Humble. There are birds and crosses spray painted on buildings and I-“ she bites her lip when she can hear the desks being tossed. She should’ve tried to hide somewhere else. Why didn’t she think to hide in one of the rooms? Why is it so hard for her to think straight? “I’m scared. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I never got to see you.”

“Don’t say that. You’re going to see us. I swear you will.”

She’s about to respond, her mouth parted when she hears a cruel laugh from where she’s hiding. Her hands shake as she finally grabs her knife. She knows that laugh, she hates it. Hates the man that laughs like that. Her hand grips her radio as she readies herself to try and work through the fear and describe the man to the Captain. The couch is forced aside as she screams and lurches forward.

Scrambling to get up as she clutches her knife and radio. “B-Brown hair, white skin, eye patch on left eye, green eye, tall,” she words off the man’s description as the man grins and licks his lips like a wolf would a cornered rabbit. “His name is Issac.” She breathes out shakily as she takes one last glance and speaks. “Don’t let him keep me again. Come find me.”

Holding her radio in hand as she backs up. She knows she’s cornered from the way the man is so calm. Someone breaking the glass window with the note was most likely to flush her out. Most likely to cause her to panic. She curses under her breath as she has to assume that there’s others around the building. A tilt of his head as he shows his teeth in his smile. “There you are, my Eve. I’ve missed you. Had me so, so worried.” He takes a step forward as she backs away. “Who were you talking to?” His voice colder as his eyes lock on the radio she has on hand.

The Captain talking urgently on the radio that she can’t even hear since she’s focusing on the man in front of her. He extends his hand, “You won’t be needing that anywhere. Give it.” Flight or fight kicks in as she bolts down the hall of the bank. The man follows after her with a yell. Rounding a corner as a hand grips the back of her shirt as she screams.

Swiping her knife at him as she turns and aims for his arm. He curses loudly, “You little!” His arm bleeding as he slams his hand against her head. Her head hitting the wall causing the wall to crack on impact. Head-shaped crater in the wall as she feels dizzy. Distorted as she stumbles back and crumbles to the floor.

The sound of the man on the radio still trying to talk, promising to find her, is just out of reach from when she fell. Issac walks to her, nearly infront of her as he’s speaking and saying something. Her ears still buzzing as she blinks. Her breath catching as she looks up at him. Scooting back as her blood is pumping fast, her pulse nearly jumping out her skin.

She looks to her radio, then towards her knife that fell out of her grip when she was slammed against the wall. She makes a split-second decision and lunges for her knife. He laughs at her feeble attempt. His boot slamming on her hand as she tries to grab her knife and she cries out.

He makes a disappointed tut, “A good husband never hurts his wife but…” he stares down at her as she tries to shove his boot off and he only presses more on her hand making her whimper. “A good husband also shows his wife her wrongs and how to be a good help meet again.” He lifts his boot and slams it on her face.

Turning on her side with a groan. Her hand covering her now bruising face as tears spill down her face. Coughing and hiccuping as she tries to think past the pain. The pain in her face throbbing as her nose bleeds. “N-No,” she begs as the man bends as he grabs the radio. The Captain getting louder and angrier as he tries to speak to her. Cruelly only able to listen and do nothing but hear what happened. A listening witness to the assault.

“And who has been keeping my wife company?” Issac speaks coldly, a possessiveness in his tone as he stares at the woman that looks up fearfully. A bruise already growing on her face.

“Captain John Price. Where is she? If you hur-“

“That’s none of your concern. She’s mine and she’ll stay mine, Captain.” He mocks. He looks down at her and then at the radio.

“You’ll never find her.” He laughs and throws the radio away. She yells “No!” as she watches as her radio thumps hard against the wall and breaks when it hits the floor. He goes to grab her but she kicks and tries to get up. Grabbing at her collar as her hands push and scratch against his face. Her fingers digging into his eye patch as he growls in pain. Finally having enough of her antics as he balls his fist and punches her hard at the side of her head.

Going limp at the impact, her hands falling to the side of her head. A tear rolling down her face as she tries to hear what he’s saying before blacking out. Dragging her body a lil before he finally picks her up. Whistling to his men and tossing her in a car.

Her arms and legs bound tightly with rope when she finally came to. Screaming and yelling as she tried to get out of the car and away. The rope digging into her skin almost as painfully as the throb from her face. Trying to bite until someone hits her in the back of the head with the butt of his gun. “Finally,” one of Issac’s men says as she’s now easier to handle with her being knocked out again.

———————��————————————

“Fuck!” Price slams his fist against the wall. All of his boys are ready, Ghost already jumped up and started packing their car as soon as that Issac spoke to them. Gaz and Soap are standing up as Price looks at them. Both of them have murder on their mind and an itch to have blood spilled. For once Soap is quiet and Gaz looks volatile.

“Weapons free from this point on. Find any that are involved and get information out of them.” Price’s voice is rough, “Whatever means necessary.” Staring down at the radio, their only lifeline to their girl and now they won’t even be able to reach her. His hands fisted as he sees that it’s bloody from when he punched the wall. What he would give to have punched this Issac fellow. His chest heaving with anger as he steels himself. His men already moving with urgency to head out. Gaz grabbing the map so they can find Humble. And hopefully… find her.

“Let’s go get our girl.”

[silverskye13]

“Maybe just a few scars to put some constellations in those freckles.”

Oh this line. This line! Your writing frequently feels like very pretty art, but this line got me. It encapsulates Helsknight's different facets so well. It reflects the poet and the fighter all at once and I just had to share some love for it

Ah! I'm glad you like it! I'm having a lot of fun with Helsknight characterization this arc, and stuff like this is what I want to help highlight it a little. He takes pride and glee in being a warrior, and he is a poet, and sees beauty in things, and he hasn't quite gotten that Tanguish is scared of it yet.

[Well, he understands that Tanguish is more or less scared of everything, but he doesn't understand why people would be afraid of what he essentially considers sports. It's sports! We hit each other, someone gets maimed, you drink a potion you hit them again! Sports!]

The tonal dissonance is fun

[solar-halos]

for this mood board monday, i present yet another ficboard. the board in question is of franka by @ongreenergrasses

[bloodyknucklesforme]

Carnal Masterpost

Carnal (adjective) : relating to or given to crude bodily pleasures and appetites

Simon was born with what his father called 'The Curse'. A wanton craving for taboo meat. Since meeting the similarly cursed Johnny, the two had formed a bond. They didn't just fight together, they ate together, slept together, and shared everything.

When a favor to Price reveals another cursed person, Simon worries she could destroy everything.

A horror AU inspired by Bones and All and Raw among other works. TW: Blood, gore, cannibalism, smut, violence, the works, each chapter is tagged individually

AO3

Chapter I: Taste Your Bleeding Heart

Interlude I: My Fate is At the Hand of My Mistakes

Chapter II: You're Holding the Heart of Mine

Interlude II: I was Born with a Healthy Appetite

Chapter III: I Won't Bite, or Did I Speak Too Soon?

Interlude III: You Do It To Yourself, You Do

Chapter IV: Either Way, We're Not Alone

Chapter V: Don't You Ever Tame Your Demons

Chapter VI : Tell Me If I'll Ever Know a Blessing in Disguise

Chapter VII: If You Think You Can Save Me, I'd Dare You To Try

Chapter VIII: When You Open Me

Chapter IX: I Can Keep You Sacred Now

Chapter X: If Fear is in the Mind, Then My Mind Lives in Fear

Chapter XI: Maybe I'm Afraid of You

Chapter XII: Death Comes to Feast

Chapter XIII: Spectacle of Ritual

Chapter XIV: I Can't Help Myself

Chapter XV: Drag My Teeth Across Your Beating Heart

Chapter XVI: Nothing Fucks With My Baby

Chapter XVII: I Know I've Kissed You Before

Chapter XVIII: I Am Hungry, I Have Been Hungry

"I am hungry I have been hungry I was born hungry What do I need? I am something I have been something I was born something What could I be?"

-Mitski, "Abbey"

[chameleon8]

legit tech week took 2 weeks

[bhaalble]

Love Bhaal explicitly granting exemption from murderquest for both whoever his champion's special pookie is and also. If necessary, whatever breeding partners are needed to keep the line alive. This is what happens when your domain is bloodshed not death someone at some point has to be on the other end churning out babies to do blood rituals with

[theicarusconstellation]

sneak peek of cissy serving cunt in the next chapter of itd😌

[ongreenergrasses]

i just wrote probably the gnarliest lines i’ve ever written in my LIFE and i want to post about them here but sadly the prior 160 pages of context is needed for them to really pack a punch

[ratanslily]

kcd cgs can be saved now🥺🙏🏽

<333

[lux--nova]

I encountered the funniest phrase I've ever read in a scholarly article yesterday and I had to share it with yall. I will now quote scholarly sources when assessing whether something is tiny, teeny, or teeny-weeny, thank you.

[fishymom-art]

METAL AND INK EXTRA 6

“GOODNIGHT, NELLY”

[nyxypoo]

live laugh love my local library