#redacred aaron

[beewithknee]

isolation

aaron + ollie hurt/comfort

c.w/t.w - depression, self-isolation

It was dark in your room. Your curtains were drawn but by the slivers of light, you guessed it was about midday. You didn't know exactly what time it was, you didn't care either. The incessant buzzing of your phone was what brought you back to reality. You figured it was either Aaron or Ollie, for the last week your answers to their messages had become shorter and shorter until they had stopped entirely. The isolation was painful for you but it was what you decided was best, your lovers didn't need you. They had each other and were stable, you were the trainwreck that derailed their whole lives. Your laugh filled the air like a toxic chemical, poisoning everyone in your vicinity. You were like a broken clock, pathetically ticking every once in a while. At some point the buzzing turned into persistent knocking and somewhere deep in your foggy brain you were aware that that meant you had to go answer it, but alas, you simply didn't. You did feel slightly guilty, dropping off the face of the earth was fine enough for you but it would’ve been worrying for your lovers. The immense guilt that weighed you down, turning into exhaustion as your eyelids slipped shut.

“Aaron, shouldn't we at least give them another minute?” Ollie fretted. Both men had keys to your apartment, but they were rarely used, so to the anxious man it felt weird. Taking a deep breath, Aaron pushed all his annoyance down knowing that he was just tired of the cold shoulder they’d been receiving. Ollie didn't deserve his stressed anger. Sliding the younger’s hands into his, Aaron sighed. “It’s been nearly three days of radio silence. Something is wrong. You know how clingy they are, all I wanna do is go in here and see if they’re alright.” Aaron explained slowly, squeezing his partner's hands gently before dropping them. “Yeah, it is weird for them to do this. Okay fine, do it.” Ollie relented, shaking his head slightly. It still felt weird to him but he knew the blond was right. This wasn’t you. A pit of nerves and despair settled deep within both boys as the older turned the key in the lock slowly. Their breath hitched in both their throats as the door was pushed open with a creak that sent shivers down their spines.

“What the-” The words were cut off as Ollie gasped, hands coming up to his mouth. Your apartment was a mess. Both your lovers knew that you hated having a messy room and the rest of your home was no different but now… There were dirty dishes strewn around the place, blankets and pillows thrown haphazardly in the living room, clothes were just dropped on the floor and all the blinds had been drawn. “Oh fuck.” Aaron cursed, taking in the surroundings.

Something was seriously wrong.

The men moved cautiously through your apartment, desperately searching for any signs of life. Their footsteps sounded like booms in the eerily silent house.

The cold was back, you were frozen as you woke once again. It was to the point where waking up was an exhausting task. Many people referred to the feeling as a pit in your stomach but that wasn't right. It was more like a seed that plummeted, growing a tree and spreading its poisonous limbs through you. At first it had started in your chest, taking a hold of your heart and twisting with such force that even breathing hurt. It moved up into your head, alarm bells had sounded but you had ignored them, pushing them away until it had taken hold of your hands and moving became too difficult and by then… Well by then it was too late. “Ollie, look.” Aaron whispered out, gesturing towards your closed bedroom door. The other nodded. Your door was pushed open silently and you could feel their presence. You knew who it was, their smells are evident of that but you didn't move. Figuring that if you melted into the blankets enough then your still body could be passed off as an odd pillow lump. Unfortunately, lady luck was not on your side. “Honey?” Aaron whispered out, voice soft and concerned. You simply blinked, praying to every god that they’d leave. You had fucked up enough already, you just needed to get away and allow them to start over. “C’mon, look at me.” He coaxed, bending down beside your bed, hand resting on your shoulder above the blankets. Ollie sat next to him, facing the picture of worry.

Shit.

You avoided his eyes until a hand snuck under your chin and raised your gaze to him. What he saw terrified him. Your once shining eyes were now lifeless and they screamed for help. It was as though your bed was a tomb now rather than a resting place. He could see the haunted dreams that played just behind your pupils, the silent pleas that danced on your waterline. “What happened?” It was a beg. He needed you, needed to know you were still in there. You said nothing, simply curling up into a tighter ball.

“Hey baby, can I lay with you?” Ollie tried a different tactic. He got a shrug back, taking that as an okay he slipped in behind you. You were warm, a little too warm but he figured that was just from the multitude of blankets you were hiding under. Aaron didn’t move, he didn't know what to do.

“Alright, here’s what’s gonna happen. Ollie is gonna get you into a bath, while he does that I’m gonna clean up your apartment and then we’re gonna get some food into you. Okay? Okay.” The blond decided, nodding to his counterpart who held you tight. You didn’t put up a fight as he lifted you, carrying you like a delicate flower before depositing you onto the bathroom bench. “Look at me, please?” Ollie kept his voice soft, smiling as you met his gaze. “We’re not going anywhere okay? We love you. We wanna be here for you, when you’re happy and you get the promotion but we also wanna be here to help you through the shitty times when life seems too exhausting, when even answering messages is too much to deal with. We’re gonna be here, through thick and thin whether you want to push us away or not. We’re not going anywhere. You're not alone anymore.” He promised, resting his forehead against yours in a silent exchange. After a few silent seconds, you nodded and Ollie leaned back, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Alright then, let’s get you cleaned up, baby”

[darlin-collins]

Omg no-😭

Get her follows back up

All of ur work was posted here and on AO3 right?

Plz say yes, i like re reading your fics<\3

So, my @dominimoonbeam account was terminated. This is yet another first for me. I've never had an account terminated or even suspended before. Interesting. I may have flown too close to the sun with the steamy fanfics. I thought I was posting the truly steamy ones to ao3 but there's a chance I don't know how to filter myself well enough?

Still, would have been nice to get an email. Worst sort of way to be fired.

[fight-for-humanity]

Sundown

I found myself at a beach. My feet sunk into the sand, the grains squeezing in between my toes. My gaze faced the water as the waves lapsed against the shore. It was beautiful, from the fresh air to the vivid cerulean color of the sky. The soft roar of the ocean swell could lull you to a restful sleep. I don't remember Redacre having an ocean, but I didn't think to question it.

The chorus of laughter and jubilation reached my ears. Turning my head to investigate, I found many familiar faces also here with me, each in various stages of beach time fun. There were many different kids from the Club, members of various cliques intermingling to build sand castles and bat around a beach ball. Everyone was happy. Strange though. I thought those two hated each other, yet they were sitting together, laughing and drinking juice under a little umbrella to shield them from the sun. I didn't think to question it.

"Hey, Ry!" A voice called to me and grabbed my attention, a voice I so desperately missed. I twisted around to find Connor waving at me with a wide smile stretched across his face. His long black hair was tied back into a ponytail. He must have finally come back from his deployment. Beside him sat my mother in a beach chair, equally happy and waving at me. Awake. I mirrored their smiles and waved back.

This was everything I ever wanted. I should be happy. My heart should be threatening to explode in my chest from joy, but it wasn't. I didn't feel anything. I didn't even feel sad. I just felt blank, but at the moment, I didn't notice. I didn't think to question it.

I froze as I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. I was flooded with an urge to run, but before I could call to my family for help, I was spun around until I was face to face with a kid covered in grime and dirt, out of place in this glowing paradise. My mind screamed danger, but I couldn't flee. I was held firmly by a hand on my shoulder and one holding my head, forcing me to maintain eye contact with this kid with a threatening aura. Ever so slowly, the paradise faded from my vision, and I felt my numbed senses come back to life, like I was being pulled out of a dream. With my mind's return to clarity, I recognized who the kid was.

Aaron Costa.

"I wasn't sure I knew how to do that," Aaron said with a sheepish smile, releasing me upon realizing I was awake.

I blinked rapidly, trying to regain my footing on reality. I took a quick assessment of my surroundings. It was dark. I was in the Maze, surrounded by dirt walls. The sharp ringing of multiple metallic strings permeated the air. I fished through my memory, diving back as far as I could remember to discern how I got here. I remember putting on a Sleeper's uniform and wandering into the woods with other Club members. I'm unsure exactly how we arrived, but we soon found ourselves in a familiar place, though not a specific place we had been to before. I remembered hearing our names being called out by the Voice. We had been led to where the Sundown ceremony was being held, where we saw Bells. I remember time standing still as she fell.

My body tensed at the memory, a torrent of dread overwhelming my senses. That was the last thing I remembered. I blacked out afterwards, but how I ended up in that dream-like state was a mystery to me. I looked to Aaron for answers, but as my eyes wandered to his white jacket, the words died in my throat. He was the enemy, a part of those wretched, horrible people responsible for the tragedy of Sundown, yet he pulled me out of the Song. The same person who tried to force me to the red door now saved me from it. I was bewildered, amplified by the emotions I was already overwhelmed with after seeing the aftermath of that blasted ceremony. I held myself together for now.

"What happened?" I asked, giving him a cautious, yet inquisitive look.

"They found the Club in the Maze after... After..." he stammered, guilt ridden gaze sinking to the floor. A few times his mouth would open, only for no sound to come out. He let out a sigh and shook his head, brown strands of hair falling into his face. "I followed the Sleepers and then found you here, suppressed."

I tried rummaging through my memories again, trying to pick out a moment I could have ran into the Shape. A vision flashed through my mind, though the fogginess of it made me wonder if it happened in a dream or not. I was running with some of the Club members when we felt a familiar pressure in our heads. I stopped to face our pursuer. I didn't have the time to further ponder this faintest of memory before Aaron spoke up again.

"We're..." he paused, face scrunched in thought. "I'm sorry, RK. Really. I wanted to end hatred and suffering for everyone, not just the elite few built up on the bones of others. The Voice hid so much from us. I never wanted this."

I was skeptical. He was complicit in so much suffering by following SA1, yet they convinced him that the Blackout Club was the ones hurting others. Does his ignorance excuse his culpability? I didn't think Aaron would have been on board had he known about the experiments and the sacrifices, but I couldn't act as jury, judge, and executioner on whether or not he deserved forgiveness. Not now. Not in the middle of the Maze with the Instrument aggressively banging and clanging around us. He pulled me from the Song, so he deserved some gratitude, for now.

"You didn't know," I attempted to console him, a deep sigh escaping my lips. "But, we need to get out of here."

"One more thing," he interrupted me. I raised a brow. What could be more important than escaping the doom tunnels? Aaron took a deep breath. "I realized I was wrong. About the Song. About Speak-As-One. About everything."

I looked at him in surprise, eyes wide.

"I hated to see you feel sad. I thought the Song would help you by taking away your pain. But...that would have also robbed you of your joy." He fidgeted at the corners of his jacket, his thumb running over the white fabric. "You continued to fight even when you felt everything was hopeless. You earned your happiness when you felt the entire world was against you. It would be wrong to take that away from you, or anyone, after you fought so hard for it. And now..." He let out a breath, his eyes falling to the floor briefly before rising to the ceiling, as if he was looking for some kind of answer written clearly on the walls to ease his confusion. "I don't know. I thought I was helping the world become a better place, it turns out I was the one being fooled all along. I know sorry doesn't make everything alright, but I am. Really."

I stood flabbergasted at his admission. You fool. You big oaf. Why didn’t you come to this conclusion earlier? Why now, of all times, when shit was hitting the fan? We could have been friends. I wouldn’t have had to hurt as I did. I should have yelled at him right there, chastised him for what he and his own put me through, for what they put us through, but thoughts of Sundown still dwelled in the forefront of my thoughts. I just wanted everything to be okay again, for everything to be happy again. I missed it. I yearned for it so deeply. I remembered laughing and playing video games with Aaron, before this all started. Everything became so complicated since those simpler times. A mix of anger and sorrow swirled in my head and panged in my heart, but before I could muster a response, a familiar, yet threatening pressure pulsed in my head as if on cue. A loud clunk of the Instrument reverberated through the Maze. Aaron must have felt it too, judging by the wince that escaped him.

“We can talk more later, but we really need to go. Now,” I said, grabbing the sleeve of his white jacket to urge him forward.

Aaron was as still as a statue, staring down the tunnel behind us for a long moment before turning back to me.

"There is an exit," he explained. "Hug the right wall. The cave will split off into forks or intersections four times. After the fourth, there is a ladder to your left. Climb up and take a left. Keep going and you should find yourself in a place that's more familiar."

My mind threatened to blank out at his long list of directions, but I repeated that little mental map in my brain so it wouldn't slip out of my memory. If I got lost, I am certain he would correct me on the way regardless, but we had no time to lose. Hesitation would kill us.

"Let's go. Quickly," I urged, tugging on his sleeve. He simply gave me a smile and nodded his head.

"I'm right behind you."

With a nod, I released his sleeve and spun on my heel, rushing down the tunnel as fast as I could. I could still feel that damn pressure in my head, evidence of our invisible pursuer hot on our tails. With each right turn, the pressure lessened, and after the third it was gone completely. I didn’t stop. We needed to find somewhere safe first before letting down our guard. I ran and I ran until my lungs burned. As soon as the ladder entered my vision, I grasped the railings and climbed as fast as I could, taking the immediate left as soon as my feet reached the next level. Farther down the tunnel, I could recognize the bunks of the Barracks. We made it. I could easily make my way back from here.

With a triumphant smile, I turned back to Aaron, but he wasn’t there. My expression deflated immediately.

“Aaron?” I bleated softly, taking a step down the tunnel I came. “Aaron??” I called out again. The loud twang of the Instrument answered me. Panic settled in my chest, and as I took a step forward back to the ladder to search for him, the pressure returned in my head. I winced and grabbed at my head. The Shape was close and approaching quickly. As I turned to leave towards the Plexus, I swallowed my fear and convinced myself that Aaron could find his way out. He would find me again.

He would be okay. He was one of them.

Right?

[fight-for-humanity]

Hunger

[cw: violence, swearing]

A dim glow of the street lamps illuminated the quiet town of Redacre. From this sight alone, one might make the assumption that it was a normal, peaceful town, where families gathered around the dinner table each evening to have a meal together and spend time in each other’s company, or where kids would go to school to meet up with their friends to laugh, joke, and talk about the most recent gossip or who they were going to junior prom with. But, I knew better. We all did. Dinner tables were often empty. Families were too tired to spend time together, either because they never slept or they dug down in the labyrinth hidden underneath the town all night. Innocent teen gossip was replaced by the somber air surrounding the discussion of who went missing the previous night.

And then there were kids like me, sorry bastards who were fortunate enough to hear Voices in our heads and wake up in the middle of the night in odd places where we didn’t initially close our eyes. I was a member of the esteemed Blackout Club who sought to disrupt the nightly operations of one of these mystifying Voices, often at the expense of a good night’s rest. Fortunately for me, it was the last objective of the night. Upon its completion, I would be able to head back to the boxcar for a quick nap before sneaking back home. Some nights, I had a group to keep me company, but not this night. Schedules clash and accidents happen, especially with the risky work we’re doing. I zipped up my black hoodie to stave off the cold Virginia air. I wanted to get this mission done as soon as possible.

Bzzzzzz.

I froze suddenly, then grimaced. Damn phone. I wish I could just turn it off during missions, but HQ insists we leave our phones on so they can track our progress and send us updates while we’re “out in the field”. Admittedly, it provides some insurance, in the odd case we get suppressed and need to be saved in the morning. Still, I can’t help but jump out of my shoes everytime it buzzes in my pocket. With a sigh, I retrieved the damn thing and looked at the message. 

Your Stalker: “Behind you.”

A gasp escaped my lips. My blood ran cold at the sight of the text message. Reflexively, I twisted my head around to see a familiar face, one I hoped I wouldn’t see again. Aaron Costa, leaning against a tree and looking directly at me. A black bandana covered the lower half of his face, and he wore a signature white and red jacket. The last time I saw him, he tried to drag me to the red door, force me to live in an eternal slumber, listening to the same old song forever. He tried to make me a walking puppet for the Voice that was deemed worse than the others.

“Please. Don’t freak out,” he hushed before I could say anything, his hands raised half way in an attempt to appear unthreatening. It was a decent attempt, but at his height, he mostly towered over me. He’d be a threat to the average person. Still, for as much of a threat that he was, my eyes couldn’t help but wander to the scar down the side of his face. It was the battle wound I gave him when I managed to get away from him on that fateful night. 

I took a step back. “What the hell do you want?” I hissed, teeth bared. I glanced left and right to look for possible escape routes. I might be able to outrun him. I knew for damn sure I could out maneuver him. The Club’s training made sure we could escape an enemy bigger than ourselves.

“I need your help, RK,” Aaron pleaded, pulling down his bandana and taking a step forward. In response, I took a couple steps back. If he gets within arm’s reach of me again, it’s game over. I’ll be at the red door before I know it, and I have no spare drone part to save me this time. He froze, noticing that I was putting space between us. “I’m…” he stammered. It was odd to see him flustered. He always had this air of calm around him, but I guess that’s just who I thought he was. It was just a ruse to get close to me, so he could convert me to his weird religion. 

“I’m sorry about what I did. What I said about your brother was insensitive,” he continued. “I was just…” he paused, searching for words. “I didn’t expect you to respond like that. I thought I could show you how that club lies about us, how destructive they are, how much better it would be with us. I failed, so I felt like... it was the only way to keep you as my friend. It was desperate and stupid.” There was a certain honesty behind those brown eyes, imploring me to listen. I was such a sucker for sob stories, but the voice of reason in my head was too strong. I knew we could never be friends like we once were.

“Well, what the hell did you expect to happen?” I growled, tightly crossing my arms in front of my chest. “You chose your Voice over me, a person! A human being!” Aaron didn’t respond, his gaze sinking to the ground. Did he want to argue about it, but was holding his tongue? I wasn't sure. In a different town, with no Voices, we would have been friends. I couldn’t help but wonder how my other relationships would be different if the looming threat of Voices didn’t hang over everyone. 

Here, in Redacre, I wasn’t afforded that opportunity. I always had to remember the grasp the Voices had on everyone, how much people tried to fill in missing puzzle pieces with them, to dull the emptiness and pain that was so common to the human condition. I had to remember what people were willing to do for the Voices. I could never forget. My honest friendship could never compete with a millennia of manipulation techniques. I’m not good enough. I would be thrown to the wolves easily, just like before.

After a moment of silence between us, my curiosity got the best of me. With a sigh, I asked, “What do you need help with? I’m not doing any stupid Chorus things.”

The tension in Aaron’s shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath. “No. It’s nothing like that,” he explained. “We are...being hunted. By the Beast."

"The Beast?" I asked.

"The Hunter," he clarified. "Some of us have gone missing, and I know you have been making notes." 

I arched a brow. "How do you know that?"

"Kids talk at school," he answered. "Please, RK. I don't want more people getting hurt. I just need more information so I can help protect them."

"You mean protect more Stalkers like you?" I gave him a skeptical look and planted my hands on my hips.

"No matter what you call them, they are still people," he responded with a frown.

I paused. Dammit, Aaron. He was right, in his own twisted sense. The thought of more people forced under the Hunter's sway hit a particularly sensitive nerve.

With a soft sigh, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a flipbook. With reluctance in my tone, I held it out to him and said, “Here. These are the more recent field notes.” 

Aaron reached out and took it, his eyes scanning the little pages as he flipped through them. “The Hunter is experimenting on people?” he asked.

“With these weird tablets, yeah,” I answered with a nod.

“And these curses…” He murmured, his face scrunching in confusion. He flipped the notebook around and pointed at a poorly drawn doodle of a person with sharp, gnashing teeth. “What does this mean?”

I couldn’t help but snerk at my own artistic talent. “That’s, uh, one of the curses.” That answer didn’t seem to work for Aaron. He still looked helplessly confused, and a little concerned. “It’s called the Hunter’s Hunger. It gives you, like… these cravings, where you just want to, like, bite someone. It’s like mental torture if you try to resist it.”

He frowned and flipped to a new page, taking a moment to study before looking back to me. “Can I keep some of these pages?”

“Yeah, whatever. The curses and stuff are the last four pages,” I said grudgingly. Aaron gave me a grateful smile as he ripped the pages out and handed the flipbook back to me. “Do you really not know anything about what’s going on with the Hunter? Are your people not told anything?”

Aaron’s lips pursed. “Anything we’re not told is to protect us and keep us safe. I trust them.” I let out a sigh at his response. Clearly, they weren’t being kept safe if Stalkers were disappearing, but he had such blind devotion that he’d be willing to sweep anything under the rug. Is that how they all are? Every kid who has an attachment to a Voice? Voices become so infallible that they can do nothing wrong?

“Hello? Someone there?”

Aaron and I both froze as a foreign baritone broke the silence of the night’s gentle ambience. The voice didn’t sound familiar, and judging by Aaron’s reaction, it wasn’t a Lucid or anyone he knew either. It definitely didn’t have that Lucid masked-sound to its tone.

“Come on. I knew I heard ya. Come out, come out,” the voice cooed. 

“Who is-” I began to whisper, but Aaron halted me with a soft shush, his finger pressed against his lips. He turned around and slowly stepped towards the nearby house, pressing his back against the wall. I followed him as he peeked around the corner in order to take a look at the strange fellow for myself, but Aaron stuck out his arm to block me before I could go further. He turned his head and gave me a look of concern. I shot him a nasty look. Aaron really needs to do something about his annoying “save everyone” superhero attitude. With an annoyed sigh, I grabbed his wrist and pushed it down and out of my way. He didn’t try to hold me back again, but from the corner of my eye, I could see his shoulders sulk.

A man that appeared to be in his early twenties walked down the street, looking under cars and behind corners for us. He wore torn up jeans and a loose black t-shirt. I looked a little closer and it looked like a rock band shirt with a colorful, abstract logo, but it wasn’t any band that I knew of. His shoulder-length dirty blond hair was pushed behind both of his ears.

“Greyson Burke,” Aaron whispered, his brows arched in surprise.

“You know him?” I looked up at him with a curious look.

“He was a senior at Central High when I was a freshman,” Aaron answered, his eyes still trained on Greyson. “After graduation, his band started playing at one of the local bars, but they stopped a few months ago. I thought their band split up, or something.”

Greyson was getting closer. I could see a wicked grin stretched across his face, his crazed green eyes still searching for the source of the voices he heard. A few more moments, and he would be upon us.

Aaron turned his body to me. “I’ll distract him. You go home, RK,” he told me. Sounds like a plan. Didn’t have to tell me twice. I was sure Aaron would be fine. He can handle himself. I gave him a nod as he stepped out of our hiding place out onto the street towards Greyson. I turned the other way and started sneaking back to the privacy fence, but I stopped. Curiosity got the better of me. I retracted my steps and peaked around the corner to watch the exchange.

“There you are. I knew I heard someone,” Greyson said with a sick grin. There was something off about his body language. The way he curled his fingers and dug his nails into the side of his pants. The way he would occasionally gnaw at his lower lip, and how he breathed through a partly open mouth. He wasn’t well. There was something wrong with him. He looked… hungry.

“What are you doing here, Greyson?” Aaron answered, his voice tense.

Greyson gave a nonchalant shrug, his tongue darting out of his mouth to wetten his lips. “I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I’d take a stroll, and look for a dance partner, y’know?” He took a step forward, approaching Aaron. “Is that… Is that you, Aaron? Aaron Costa?” He craned his neck forward, squinting his eyes to get a better look. “Damn, boy. You’ve gotten tall!” He threw his head back and laughed, hand holding his stomach. Recomposing himself, he wiped his eye with the back of his hand and took another step forward. “Have you been working out? You look strong. I bet you would make an excellent dance partner.” Aaron stood his ground, not responding as Greyson studied him. When his green eyes landed on the side of Aaron’s face, his grin grew wider. “Nice scar. Want a matching one on the other side?” 

“Why don’t you just go home?” Aaron said, eyes narrowing. You wouldn’t think he was nervous by the tone of his voice, but I could tell he was by how he gently fidgeted with the corner of his jacket between his fingers.

Greyson released a piercing laugh. “What’s wrong? You don’t want to dance?”

“Are you really looking for a fight you can’t win?” Aaron responded with an incredulous look. He had a point. Greyson was a bit gangly, compared to Aaron. Plus, Aaron had height on him. You could easily make the initial impression that Aaron would overpower Greyson in a fight.

“Oh, no. No, no, no. I don’t know about that,” Greyson said with a soft chuckle, running a hand through his hair before shoving both hands into his pockets. “You might be a big bastard. But... I don’t play fair.” In a swift motion, Greyson pulled his hands out of his pockets and lunged at Aaron, his hand gripping a pocket knife. My eyes widened as I caught sight of the weapon, a breath catching in my throat. Aaron had a similar reaction and reacted quickly by grabbing Greyson’s wrist. I heard a growl from Greyson’s throat. “Come on, Aaron. Just a little bite!”

I stood paralyzed as the two struggled with each other. Aaron would still be fine, right? Of course he would win. Anxious thoughts continued to run through my head as the battle waged. Greyson was stronger than he appeared, and Aaron was wearing down. Block after block, dodge after dodge. The pocketknife caught his heavy, white jacket a couple times, ripping into the material that was fortunately thick enough to protect his skin. Maybe Chorus does care after all. Aaron couldn’t manage to get a hold on him to subdue him, and every punch he landed didn’t seem to phase his attacker. There was something unseen fueling him, some hunger.

Greyson shoved Aaron back against a sedan, his body slamming against the metal with a reverberating bang. Aaron grimaced and momentarily lost his footing, but caught himself by grabbing the trunk of the car. “Gah...Shit...” Wow. Aaron actually swears. It would have been funny if this was not a life or death situation. I had seen enough. Panic was settling in, and if I did not do something, Aaron would just turn in to another missing Stalker. I stepped out of my hiding spot and made a bee-line towards them both.

“This was fun. Sorry it’s over already,” Greyson taunted. He reversed the grip on the pocketknife and moved in. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, my feet pounding against the pavement. With a battle yell, I barreled into Greyson, catching him by surprise and knocking us both to the ground. The pocketknife clattered against the concrete out of his reach.

I winced as I fell and twisted my head around to where Greyson landed. On his hands and knees, he shook his head, hair draping over his face. He slowly turned towards me. “RK...RK....RK… There you are. Did you want to play too?” he growled as he stood, his face splitting into a wide smile. I hoped I bought Aaron enough time to recover.

I scrambled to my feet, but before Greyson could change his target, Aaron moved behind him and slipped his arms underneath his armpits, locking his hands behind his neck. Greyson struggled to free himself from the hold, his arms flailing in the air. Aaron twisted his body and threw Greyson against the car, his head smacking into the window and shattering the glass. Greyson fell limp to the pavement, shards falling around him.

I flinched at the sight, but I was distracted by Aaron’s urgent plea. “Leave him.” Together, we ran off away from the street and houses, the blaring car alarm becoming more and more distant the farther we ran. Soon, we were surrounded by trees, only the soft glow of Redacre’s lights visible over the dense foliage.

“I told you to go home,” Aaron said after twisting around to face me. He was in bad shape and struggled to catch his breath.

“Don’t be a fucking idiot, Aaron. You’d be dead if I did,” I retorted, looking at him defiantly.

Guilt flashed across his expression, but he managed a soft smile and held out his hand, extending it towards me. “Thank you for having my back. I hope we can be friends again,” he said to me.

I looked at his hand, lips pursed into a frown. A long moment passed between us before I turned my body. “Be careful on your way home, Aaron,” I gave him those parting words, pulling my hoodie over my head as I walked away.

Never again.

[fight-for-humanity]

Alone, Pt 2

content warning: some violence

Metallic twanging filled my ears, rumbling my head and chest like the bass of a passing car. I groaned as I shifted on the hard surface I laid on, my hand reaching up to pull my pillow over my eyes. However, only empty space greeted me as I searched for that soft cushion that once cradled my head. Did it fall off the bed? 

Confused, I rewound what I could remember of the previous night. It was difficult, in my groggy state. It was dark. The stars were out and Mom had yet to leave the house. I remembered holding a little screwdriver in one hand and the metal skeleton of a makeshift drone in the other. I remembered putting one of the propellers in my pocket. Yes. I was laying on it. I could feel it sticking in to my side through my clothes. I must have fallen asleep without changing in to my pajamas, but I had managed to kick off my shoes before dozing off, at the very least. My eyes fluttered open as I sat up. I laid directly underneath a blinding light, in what appeared to be a dark tunnel lined with wooden support beams. 

A startled gasp escaped me as my eyes adjusted. A figure was crouched nearby at the corner of the light’s edge, their white jacket barely visible in the shadows. My heart threatened to jump through my chest as I instinctively scooted away with a quickened pace. Thoughts of abduction began to race through my head, but some little part of my mind demanded focus. Panicking would only lead to me getting murdered. Probably. 

It was difficult to identify the person. Their lower face was concealed by a black bandana, but as soon as I heard their voice, recognition hit me like a freight train.

“Are you alright?” That same voice, always blanketed in concern for everyone and everything. Aaron Costa. 

The white-jacketed figure stood and stepped into the light, pulling down the bandana and letting it rest loosely around his neck. With his identity properly revealed, my suspicion was confirmed.

“Wh-what...” I stammered past hastened breath, adrenaline still shooting through my body. “Where…” As I calmed, I realized where I was. The darkness. The smell. The eerie sound that shook my bones. I was in the Maze. “...How did I get here?”

“I caught a couple sleepers taking you down here,” he explained, extending his hand out to me to help me up to my feet. I waved dismissively towards his offer and stood up on my own. I don’t need help when I can so easily do it myself. Fortunately, he didn’t seem offended by it. 

“They were taking you to the red door,” Aaron said. “But, I got to you before they did. You are…” He hesitated for a moment, perhaps rolling the words around in his head before saying them. “....more fun to hang out with when you’re awake. I thought, maybe we could see eye to eye.”

I was silent, simply giving him a blank, perplexed look. My expression morphed into a disturbed confusion as his words settled in my befuddled mind. 

Aaron took that as a cue to continue. “They… wanted to help you. I know how much you’ve been hurting, and it doesn’t have to be like that. Speak-As-One will take care of you. You don’t have to feel alone anymore.” There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as he spoke. He...he wasn’t… There was no way he was one of them.

“Do you mean Chorus? The ones responsible for all this?” I countered. “You want me to help make our lives even more difficult? To...what, kidnap people? Snitch on the Club? Take away more parents and turn them into sleepers? Hurt more people?”

Aaron shook his head briskly. “No, we’re not hurting you. We’re trying to save you. I’m trying to keep you, and everyone else in Redacre safe. All that club is doing is putting people’s lives in danger and making people suffer. They will hurt your mom, or they will hurt you. If everybody followed the same Truth, your brother wouldn’t have been sent to die in some pointless war.”

At that moment, when my brother was used as an emotional bargaining chip, something snapped inside of me. I couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact emotion I felt. Perhaps sorrow, anger, disappointment, or betrayal. There were quite a few that were worthy candidates, but all I knew for certain, is that I saw red. 

My fists clenched and my body tensed. “Aaron. Are you serious? Do you hear yourself? Do you know how fucking crazy you sound?” I growled, my tone dripping with venom. I found myself taking a step forward, closing the distance between us until I was within arm's reach of him. Silver eyes shone in defiance. “No. I’m not joining your little cult. These people are not here to help us. They are here to enslave us. They tear apart families, spy on us, and kill us if we get too close to the truth. And you’re willing to do their dirty work for them. All of this... for your imaginary friend?”

There was a tense moment of silence between us. I expected him to argue back, mirror my anger, but there was no sign of hostility in his expression. His face sunk in to what I could only describe as a face of regret.

Aaron’s hand snapped forward and clasped my wrist. I had no time to react. He turned and started pulling me along with him down the tunnel. My eyes shot open, and I tried digging my heels into the dirt, but socks do not offer much traction.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, trying to pry his hand off of my wrist by digging my fingers under his palm.

“Saving you,” he responded, flatly.

As we rounded a corner, I understood what he meant. I saw a door illuminated in the light, with a white eye painted in to the red surface. The red door. He was taking me to the red door.

My stomach sank. “A-Aaron, that’s going to kill me.”

“No, it’s not,” he said with a soft sigh.

“It might as well!” Pulling away wasn’t working. If I didn’t think of something fast, I was going to be put to sleep. Forever. Wait… I got it. The drone propeller in my pocket.

Aaron twisted back around to face me, keeping his hold on me. “I don’t understand why you insist on being miserable. Why won’t you let me help you?”

Seizing the opportunity, I reached into my pocket using my free hand. My shaking fingers fumbled with the propeller, trying to get a good hold before pulling it back out. I couldn’t help but to close my eyes out of fear for what I was doing. Before he could react, I swiped it upwards like a blade towards him as fast as I could. I knew I made contact when he shouted in pain and released me. 

As soon as my wrist felt freedom, I spun around and bolted in the other direction. Before I turned the corner out of sight, I glanced behind, and saw Aaron clutching at the side of his face, blood seeping from between his fingers. There was no time to feel guilty. I had to get out of there. I ran until I thought my lungs would explode. My legs screamed for me to stop, but I continued.

I don’t know how I managed to get back home. Dumb luck perhaps, but as soon as my foot touched the cobblestone in front of my house, I knew one thing for certain.

I couldn’t stay here overnight anymore.

[fight-for-humanity]

Alone, part 1

“You could at least let me win once,” Aaron said with a grimace, though the grin that stretched across his face betrayed him. I don’t know how he always managed to stay so positive, even in the face of such a staggering defeat.

“Naw,” I replied with a laugh, mirroring his grin. “Get good.” I readjusted my grip on the console’s controller. “Wanna go again?”

Before he could respond, Mom’s voice interrupted us from the doorway. “Would you kids like anything to drink? How about snacks?”

Aaron twisted his head around and donned a polite smile. How proper. “I’m alright. Thank you, Mrs… Uh…” he stammered, his expression scrunched in uncertainty. 

Mom chuckled, stifling a laugh with her palm. “Ms. Morgan is fine,” she said. “I don’t believe I caught your name though.”

There was a quick flash of confusion on Aaron’s face, but he was quick to recompose himself. “Oh. I’m Aaron. Aaron Costa.” He paused for a moment. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Costa?” Mom inquired, curiously. “Any relation to Diane Costa?”

He responded with an affirmative nod. “Yeah. That’s my step mom.”

“Ah! She is my supervisor at work. Small world,” Mom said with a laugh. After a subtle yawn, her gaze turned to me. “Ryanne, if you or Aaron need anything, let me know. Alright?” She sent a smile our way before turning to ascend the stairs.

She is probably off to her room to sleep, as always. It’s all she does. Work. Sleep. Work. Sleep. I released a bitter sigh and dipped my head, though Aaron’s voice interrupted my melancholiac thoughts.

“Ryanne, huh?”

My head snapped up and turned to him. His face was completely covered with a look of smug victory. I’ve never told him, or anyone, my name. Ryanne suited a girl who wore powdered wigs and fancy dresses in order to attend the ball, so I made a point to go by RK instead, but now he looks like he just discovered the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Was this his revenge for getting beat at the game so many times? Jury says yes. I pushed his shoulder with a hand and hissed, “It’s still RK to you.”

He simply burst out laughing at my reaction. What an ass. After a moment to restore his composure, he waved his hand dismissively.

“Yes. I know. I wouldn’t call you something you wouldn’t want to be called,” he said before falling into a short, pensive silence. “I thought R-K were your initials though. Where’s the M from Morgan?”

I shook my head. “My mom went back to her maiden name after the divorce. Me and my brother have my dad’s name still.”

Aaron’s head cocked to the side, curiously. “Does your brother live in Redacre too?”

I froze. Fear grips me each time Connor enters my thoughts. I miss him so much. I’m so worried for him. My mind always over thinks and goes to the worst possible timeline where he’s hurt, or even worse, killed. Thanks, anxiety. “N-no, uh…” I began, “He’s in the military. He was deployed, and that’s when we moved here.”

Aaron’s expression grew serious, and he fell into silence as he searched for the right words to say. There were none. “Oh…I’m, ah, sorry,” he managed to say. 

Before an awkward silence could settle between us, I shook my head and painted on a smile. “No worries. It’ll be fine. For now, it’s just me and my mom. Kind of. Ignoring the whole… sleepwalking thing,” I said, waving my hand with a conversational flourish. An impish grin settled on my face. “I could probably start smoking cigarettes and other stuff and she’d be too tired to notice.”

“You shouldn’t,” Aaron responded, sternly. His tone caught me off guard for a moment. I thought we would laugh over it, but he appeared...actually concerned? It seemed the awkward silence was inevitable, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.

“Ha! I’m just joking!” I chortled. “It just, uh, sucks that she’s hardly ever around. I know that sound weird. We butt heads sometimes, but she’s still my mom, you know? Just makes me, uh, feel alone sometimes.”

A brief frown sunk on Aaron’s face, but he managed to salvage it and give me an encouraging smile. “Yeah, I get it. It sucks when your parents are never around or too tired to even acknowledge you. When my parents started sleepwalking, I took my stepmom’s van to the woods and stayed there. Felt better saying I was the one leaving them instead of being the one that was left, yeah?” He paused, briefly. “You’re welcome to come with, so you’re not just sitting at home being sad.”

My nose scrunched at his invitation. Was he being serious? Stole his stepmom’s car and lived in the woods? Did his parents report him missing? Did they report the missing van? How does he go to school? Doesn’t living in a van in the middle of the wilderness with a boy sound all sorts of wrong? Questions raced through my mind at a mile a minute, and my confusion must have been evident by my expression, because he was laughing before I could formulate a response.

“No. I’m kidding. You should see the look on your face,” he teased. “No, but really, I’m sorry you feel alone.”

I managed to force a laugh. “I mean...those kids at school keep me busy enough, at least. They’re helping me make a little robot-thing. That’s been fun.”

Aaron shifted his seat on the couch. “You still hang out with them?” he asked.

“Well...yeah? I can’t just sit at home feeling alone, right?” I said, giving him a confused look.

“Those kids are…” he paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “...just a group of cliques. They aren’t going to readily include you.” His voice was filled with concern. “They’re just going to hurt you even more.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. He had me at a loss for words. “I… can still do my part, right? To help?” 

“Just be safe.” Judging by his expression, he was unconvinced, but he seemed to let it go. For now. With a wide grin, he lifted his controller and wiggled it in his hand. “Gonna let me win this time?”

I burst out laughing. “Yeah. Right.”