hvneysuckled

[hvneysuckled]

“  Yum.  ” Dilara replied, forcing herself to not think about the cute rabbit having probably gone out to get food for its own family and ending up on this lady’s dinner menu. Not that she could even judge. With what little there was available in the town, Dee was surprised there weren’t rabbits and squirrels hung outside every house in the town awaiting a bigger catch. Come to think about it, she hadn’t bothered to question the food being served at the diner either. Being a vegetarian in a place such as this could only add fuel to their suffering, so she folded her skirt and played pretend. It wasn’t ‘rabbit’ or some other type of roadkill, it was chicken, pork, and lamb. The fish was often easier to consume, had it not been for the eyes staring back at her on the plate. Not even the three years she spent professionally behind a stove had warmed her up to this. 

The longer she listened to the woman, the wider her eyes grew but she couldn’t bring herself to make a face. Seeing how violent that woman could be at first glance, Dee figured it best to not add on to their already sour meet by displaying her revulsion. “  What - uuh-  ” before she could form proper words the lady was back on the move. This time, heading away from Dilara along with the dog. When no invitation was offered, she figured it was best this way. “  I think it’s best that I stay here.  ”

a normal society lead an amber lit dining table. laughter of old memories filled the room as people gathered to the table to share a home cooked meal. margot saw those scenes displayed in media. saw images of them in books. the same scenes didn't mirror into her home life. not with a father with a liquor stained throat, and crimson hands. not in her adoptive parents lonely neglect — and certainly not here with dilara — in a town where smiling faces stayed tauntingly glued to the windows. margot was a dreamer to what she was not — what she could not fully have.

"rabbit." grin stretched thin. the expression nearly dimished the former tune of tension once provided by an intruder. margot's mind collected what little she knew of the other woman, and decided they'd been friends. great companions. that dilara would provide warmth that she saw in those scenes. — if not, margot's mood could flip like a switch. "fresh meat. you missed out on the hunt." eyes seemed into dilara's. wondering if the woman had a violent streak. "—and the undressing." smile still remained. "did you ever read...." humming in thought..."peter rabbit?" a snap of her fingers, and phantom was at her side following margot into the kitchen area.

[hvneysuckled]

Spot on decisions wasn’t something Dilara ever applied to life beyond the hospital. She’s never had to. Her entire life was scripted from before she was ever born. Who she’d be, where she’d go, and even the career she’d take in life had all been orchestrated years before her conception. Going through life had been more of a daily checklist than anything else. In Arcadia, however, it seemed like the only way to stay alive. If that’s even what they were. One wrong move could leave them with a terrifying outcome and while taking changes was easy enough, she felt rooted to her spot. Mind running in circles as she planned her next course of action. 

“  Wait! Hold on.  ” Dee reached out to grab the girl, “ Our best bet is to find one of the cabins.  ” Whichever way that was. She glanced all around them, squinting her eyes to hopefully get a better view of their surroundings. There were voices all around, some crying while others moaned in a guttural unnatural rhythm. A mimic, it seemed, of the grunts humans make. “  Jesus. I think - maybe - no. Let’s just go as you were and hope to find it.  ” So long as they stayed within the trees they could side step them. As far as she had heard They did not run. Dilara swallowed hard, focusing on staying close to the girl all the while thanking her personal trainer for forcing her back and back again on those lengthy hikes every summer despite her constant protest. For once she could outrun her problems. 

Talking became almost trivial as she focused on getting somewhere. It wasn’t until a loud scream brought her to a stand still that Dee noticed how close to the clinic they now were. “  Up ahead!  ” she called, just as another scream rang from their immediate left. 

The woman didn't seem to have nearly enough urgency for Tessa's liking. She didn't know much about what this place was or what they were, but she did know enough to assume she didn't want to get up close and personal with them and find out for herself. Looking back over her shoulder Tessa grimaced, throwing up her hands in exasperation at all the questions spilling out of the other's lips. "I don't know, either! Away seems like a pretty fucking good bet." She gestured in the opposite direction from which she'd come - but then again, the direction Dilara was coming from didn't seem particularly inviting, either. Fumbling through the darkness in the middle of a forest? Yeah, okay, perhaps there was another way...

Tessa spent just another moment or two glancing around at their surroundings and searching for another answer. "I'd rather not sit around waiting to find out, would you?" She asked, her brows lifting as if in challenge. "There were like, I dunno, a dozen or something - on the heels of some guy --" She gestures back the way she'd come. "Maybe we can lose 'em around the block?" She was dancing on her feet, itching to keep moving - but uncertain now of what way to go. "While you wait around thinkin' about it, I think I'm gunna hedge my bets -- that way...You in or out?" She starts moving the way she'd indicated, feeling reassured in that at least she wasn't just sitting around waiting for death to come - and she wasn't about to spend her time worrying about this stranger if she wanted to wait, herself.

[hvneysuckled]

[hvneysuckled]

“  In the tea?  ” Dilara asked, more surprised than she shouldn’t have been by the comment. It wasn’t unheard of to spice up one’s coffee - though she’s never done - but tea was news to her. Her mother would have a heart attack if she ever got back to tell her about it. “  I mean, for sure.  ” She said, after a moment of taking it in. If there was ever a place to try new things, Arcadia had to be it, no?

Dee brought her knees up to her chest, stuffing her cold fingers behind her knees for additional warmth and comfort. As much as she missed her sweet Emre, Dilara could only thank the heavens for the distance placed between them. Though it hurt her like hell to be away from him, she could be confident that he wouldn’t miss her too much. A few months perhaps, given his age, but then he’d easily forget about her. Alana had barely been a few weeks old when Dee arrived here. Soon enough none of them would remember a life with mom. “  Not even the innocent get spared here.  ” she commented, shaking her head with distaste. The things in the woods were bad enough for them to process - hell, the nightmares that took over them had felt more vivid than being awake. In the midst of all her brain rot, Dilara hadn’t put much thought onto what the little ones in Arcadia felt. “  We’ll figure something out.  ”

THE END

"'s alright." soft. as rylee always was. while lips lightly curled in appreciation — her heart slightly throbbed. vacancy from someone who once loved her so deeply — a piece of her children. their father. the chill of the air kept her sigh from depleting in one huff. the air slowly seeped out giving her a minimal relief.

dilara held such a warmth in her presence. something rylee felt eased around. kindness ran deep, and the woman wouldn't let it go unnoticed. "appreciate ye." gentle. "i make a mean cuppa tea if ye ever want to have more company. can always splash a little of that in it." brows lifted at the bottle. "a night on the lash." eyes mirrored the same sincerity. "the girls have been having a lot of..." the pause — forced by the uncomfort of her children's pain. "nightmares. 's bad enough that the town is full of horrors, but their mind ? when they're supposed to have a restful mind ? hate it." the rest of her held breath now slipped out fully. it felt like a relief to talk about topics rylee harbored for the sake of her daughters.

[hvneysuckled]

Dee glanced down at her journal once more, though her attention no longer resided with it. “  It’s well written. ”  She said, raising the plain blue journal, “  Though very old, so there’s a few things in there that are… more than a bit questionable.  ” Or at the very least for the modern world. In their current situation, the journal could be easily applicable. But no matter how useful the book may be, she couldn’t deny that her interest in it lied only in easing her thoughts. A distraction from everything else that derailed her mental and made this town too hard to process. From the emptiness that had taken over her life ever since she stumbled onto that tree, to the loss of her children and everything she's ever known.

“  A party, you say?  ” she asked, though she had heard plenty about it over the last few days. Dilara didn’t know many people in the settlement so initially there hadn’t been much thought of going, but if Logan was going… “  I mean, I could be persuaded with a fun little dress up session beforehand? Do we have enough time?  ” There was no way she’d show up wearing the same scrubs she’s worn the last few months. Granted they were washed, but she really wanted to take advantage of the occasion Dilara wanted to go all out. Find a dress in the mess of clothes she was able to select and those old fashioned heels she dug out from the attic. “  I could do your hair.  ”

“Dang. Not meant to be then.” Logan shook her head with a half-smile, unable to maintain a genuine spirit of frustration for too long given there was truly no solution. Next time she would know better to skim further ahead for safety, make sure every fibre binding was intact. There was a strange poetic irony about an unfinished story in a town full of unfinished people. Figures frozen in time by factors outside of their control, personalities and aspirations ripped out from the centre. No sense of completion, of endings — only new beginnings. “Yeah, this is the library’s. Suppose I shouldn’t have read something for pleasure, not business. So, touché…” Casting her eyes around the room, though nothing physically inhabited the space beyond Dilara and herself, the town had a peculiar way of absorbing information as if ears and eyes inlaid every surface, “Lesson learned,” she concluded with a passive wave of one hand. Whoever you are. Whatever you are.

Logan’s shoulders sagged slightly as she leant over to set down her book down on the desk in front of her, realising only then how tense she had grown from hours spent in one rigid position. “I hope you’re having better luck with yours,” she spoke, arms stretching out ahead of her in an attempt to relieve the tension radiating down the stiffened muscles. Abandoning the long silence which had previously cushioned the space between two engrossed readers, she perched her elbows on the desktop and raised her eyebrows suggestively as a new thought struck: “Is the plan to read the afternoon away, or are you up for playing party girl tonight?” 

[hvneysuckled]

Though she tried her best to not think of it, Dilara couldn’t help but to feel terror whenever someone walked past her. She hid it well. Composing her features before anyone was close enough to notice in the darkness that surrounded them, but having lost her ability to see a mere ten steps ahead of her - in a place such as this - felt like yet another slap in the face. Like another comedic tragedy just waiting to happen. So while she would have loved nothing more than to stay in the safety of her new home, Dilara forced herself through the town day after day. Ensuring she stopped for nothing and no one on her walk to the clinic, and more presently - the diner. 

“  Um,  ” she had taken two steps within when he spoke, which didn’t leave her much of a choice but to accept in his excitement. “  Sure, what is it?  ” Dilara eyed the soup, questioning its content, but hoping his answer was relatively normal. In the few months she’s been around, there’d been more than a few questionable meals placed before her. Some she couldn’t fathom yet still closed her eyes and accepted the rations. “  Hopefully just beef, right? Lie to me, if not.  ”

Open ! | Bastian and your muse at the diner

The darkness that had settled upon the town was...unsettling, if one was to put it lightly. But time didn't stop. It just kept on moving, and Bastian had stopped trying to make sense of any of it long ago. They had to keep on keeping on - and one way they would do that is to make sure they all got at least a somewhat satisfying meal in their bellies.

Bastian had made it his own personal mission to try and keep the survivors of the town fed with healthy and tasty meals, even if what he was working with was limited. He was working on a stew on this particular evening when someone stepped into the diner and closed the door firmly behind them. Yeah, life still went on and people still needed to eat, even if there were creatures looking to kill you beyond those doors.

He shook away the thought and slapped a smile onto his face, grabbing a spoon and a bowl to fill with a serving, soon approaching the newcomer and extending the bowl in their direction. "Here - please. You've got to try this and let me know what you think."

[hvneysuckled]

Dee’s eyes jumped to his, guarded to not give too much away, though his silken touch sent her nerves ablaze. The image of the animal made her face shrink with distaste as he spoke, but Dilara couldn’t get past his question. You sure you’re the right doctor for me? Dilara bit down on her lip, eyes threatening to escape his angular visage but every cell in her body said to keep still. Her face had already betrayed her calm, the least she could do now was keep her words fresh. She held her head up and - with a slowly increasing smile - shrugged one shoulder. He couldn’t actually expect her to respond when options in Arcadia were slim to none. “  Feel free to find another.  ” she offered vibrantly, having found it close to impossible to not be elated in his unequivocally placid demeanor. Warmth dressed her once more while he gazed upon her, and in a similar fashion she followed suit. 

He was handsome, she noted. In that - relatively - tall , dark, and mysterious way she often read about in her books. Someone who spoke more with their silence than they did with their lips. More connected to the echoes in empty halls than the living traveling amongst them. Denying her curiosity - and therefore interest - should be foolish. Or it would have been, if his words didn’t spark her need to redress the conversation. With a huff, Dilara retrieved her hand to her side, brushing her hair forward as she took a few steps back. Dismissing him without words so she could pretend to go back to work like normal. “  You should be more careful out there. You don’t wanna anger the wrong beast. There’s not much I - or you know, a doctor of your choosing - can do about rabies while we're still here.  ” 

Her vein-work pops from its supple brisket-flesh,   betraying the tight gilt of a body’s need to exist alone.     The emerge is bleatingly soft,   far from overt,   and knots glimpses along the length of her arm.     Lace atop blood.     Frayed ends sewn,   unbeknownst,   to a mordant fibre.     Your desire is nascent,   here,   in the sweet grapevine scent of your joining.     Her hand-print on his skin,   prickled-pink,   to remember this wound after each moonturn.     Bark-bare indulge.     A tear duct salted with rice seed.     To root and enflame.     Corruption from within,   carving that in from a without.     This is your cavity,   look upon the whiteout eclipse:   a dewdrop star embossed,   somehow,   before the mortal moon.     How could you shirk her,   now that you’ve seen her?     And how could she retreat with a nail-brushed peel,   open and out before its bloom is due.     Raw and damp.     Like a chewed wad of cheek spat into wet grass.

Before she could slip away fully,   he palms the back of her hand until it returns to the bandage and the surrounding skin.     Saddled by his gentle groom.     ‘   You feel that?   ’     His muscles ripple.     There is no hard-set line on his face.     Grim for the fleece-dust of her red touch.     ‘   That means it hurts.   ’     Raised brows.     Quaint diablerie,   almost boyish,   in this coalesce of you and her.     Inflection borders on rasp,   now,   as her blush extends to his arm.     ‘   That’s also why the coyote hung from me for so long.     Don’t tell me it knows blood better than you do.     You sure you’re the right doctor for me?   ’     A wrinklet of a smile.     His calloused fingers catch on her knuckles.     And then:   his gaze catching,   like rain droplets,   along her bone.     Rabbit-cheeked.     ‘   Were you this quick to deflect before?     Waiting for someone to see you   ( … )   and too blushed to admit it.   ’

[hvneysuckled]

Her eyebrows raised in surprise, either at the audacious way he secured access to her leg or the shiver that burned through her when she felt his warm touch. Took great restraint keeping herself from reacting along to it. She blinked at his words then humor took over and she found herself fighting a giggle. She covered her mouth quickly, hiding the humor as she realized he wasn’t jesting. Curiously, Dee balanced on the thought. Her feet hurt bad enough as it was and Dee knew the sweet relief of getting rid of the heels was too good to pass up. 

Pursing her lips, she nodded. As she mumbled, she reached for the wall at her back -securing herself against it and sighing with content. The slight shift of her weight as she rid herself of all her weight instantly eased the ache and she offered her foot. “  I could do it on my own.  ” Not that he asked, but she said it just the same. Ensuring he knew she could handle herself just fine. That help was not needed. There were just too many people around - always. Too many eyes to watch her unsettled. But she was delighted despite herself. Thrilled by his mere interest, let alone his intent in providing her with a guiding hand. 

She couldn’t help but compare. An act as simple and chivalrous as this would have gone untouched by her husband. Their focus always set on business and mingling. Handling the world around them from two separate corners as though their bed went unshared. Disinterest lining her every step where he was concerned. Or so it felt. After a while Dilara became complaisant. Used to it all so she’d no longer notice. 

Her hand reached forward, absentmindedly digging into the strands of Nicolas’ hair with more comfort than she should have allowed. The strands of his hair were thick and shimmered with the oils of his scalp. Soft as they slid through her fingers.

In a different vignette,   there would be a balcony.     Her silk nightgown would trail with the cobwebbed curtains.     Bleached hide,   drying in the wind.     Potted milkwood bushes would sit on either end,   sticky as untouched doll-skin,   or maybe it would reach from the soil below,   to estrange her from cold stone.     She would be blue,   that night,   when you stare at her back,  and just as enthralled by her petal-picked interest.     Pulling at have-nots and will-nots.     And you:   the wish-fors,   the forget-nots.     Svelte in her ivory pinch.     Pillowed burial.     This image tapers flatly into nothing.     Evanescent.     Interrupted by the din of a cramped dance.     Landlocked,   here where none should live,   by virtue of your meet.     You were destined for dead earth.     For you are here,   awaiting her pained soles in the heel of your hand.     Lotus-sick.

The pollen-blister marbles her skin and scent and taste and—   and she doesn’t offer her shoe.

She is alight under her gaze   —   fluttering happily in her summer floret way like she was while glistening,   blood-slick,   along the floorboards   —   but cannot peel her gums back,   to reveal her true wants.     That is what his hand is for:   combing her cutely into a looser meat.    A pull as slow as a scream making orifice of a candle-lit mirror.     Her plush-petal meat.     His hand curls around her calf.     Firm.     Warm.     Her dress bunches midway between his wrist and elbow.     There is no pull nor grip.     It is just there.     ‘   Lean on me,   and hand me your foot.   ’     A slow cadence,   stern in this reprise.     Oil-spill heavy.     Absently affectionate like a knuckle pressing,   again,   against a greening bruise.     His thumb brushes her taut muscle once.     You can’t see her neck from this angle.     ‘   Be good for me,   Dilara.     I won’t ask again.   ’

[hvneysuckled]

Dilara watched the younger woman, incredulously as the blonde seemingly cycled through words and picked at whatever matched the narrative in her brain. It was all she could assume as the conversation went on. She wondered if perhaps this was normal behavior for the woman or if there might have been some underlying illness to her mental health. It wouldn’t be too outrageous an assumption with the horrors that threatened them each night and would gradually become worse as the years went on. Fear alone was detrimental to one’s psyche, so while Dilara wanted to completely ignore her for the remainder of the night, she found herself turning to one of the pew’s.

Taking a seat, she replied, “ I have. I know - it was all just… ” Unexpected? Too real? Dilara didn’t know how to explain any of it. While she hadn’t seen the creature on the other side of the window, Dilara had pictured it all. Her son, or whatever thing was pretending to be her sweet Emre waiting patiently on the other side. Would it look like him? Would she recognize it or would she immediately know it wasn’t him? “ I hadn't encountered one before... it? Those things - I just- ” Her gaze found the girl once more and she pressed her lips. “ It sounded like my son. Which is crazy, I know, he’s not even here, but it sounded so much like… like his voice - like… It doesn’t matter. I um- I’m sorry I scared you. I’ll be out of here as soon as I can. ”

Fuck the talk about God’s house being for everyone - times were different here, and this was Valentina’s home still. She could tell she was grating on the woman’s nerves, and she didn’t care. If anything, it only made her feel more empowered. It was an ugly side to her, sure, and one that she didn’t unleash very often - in the last few years of living here, when Leandro and his children showed up, she made the conscious effort to be a little bit better, something that was a bit more of a role model as opposed to the straight up bitch she was before. 

But who was she kidding; it was only dormant, never truly gone.

“Condolences are just fine, thank you,” Valentina said, generosity dripping from her tone, the only thing to focus on instead of the woman’s words. Regardless of what she said, Valentina didn’t believe that if she didn’t walk in on her tugging at the curtains, she wouldn’t have let whatever was out there in. It was a very specific, very unique approach They had, one that had that delightful personal touch of hell with it. Still, after all these years, she saw Robbie, and had long since stopped seeing her family members after she began to wonder how they looked as they aged - their faces were faded with memory, and it’s not as if she had pictures with her to remind herself. Those remained on a phone that no longer worked, that was cracked from the accident anyway. “Are you done?” she asked, picking at the split ends in her hair while the woman complained. “Onto things that matter - someone hopefully gave you a rundown of how this place was? Or did you just not pay attention? Otherwise, I'll fill in the blanks.”

[hvneysuckled]

Growing up, and even now as an adult, Dilara was never one to fixate too much on television. The occasional movie night with her parents and siblings, but aside from that she stuck to her books and medical videos - surgical films her parents saved from back in their prime and she was unwilling to let rest for most of her childhood. Listening to the other woman gush so profoundly made her wish she at least had an inkling of the show being described, but clueless as she was all Dee could come up with was a humorous smile and a raise of her brows. “  I don’t believe I’ve ever watched, but you’re making me wish I had.  ” she commented between her speech and a small laughter erupted. Maybe she’d ask for a rundown of it later on.

Dee wasn’t someone who spent too much time fostering new friendships seeing as she barely ever had time for her own family - children aside - but being stuck in this town was suffocating with nothing to do. The clinic had more than enough abled medical professionals so her skills weren’t often used unless the damage was grave. It was easy enough to keep herself distracted for a couple of hours, and while making new friends came with the horrific realization that they could die at any given time, she didn’t want to stop living due to those fears. As time passed by, Dilara found herself gravitating towards more and more people. Looking for some light in the darkness that enclosed them. “  I do hope those words come with more than just lip.  ” Dee teased, turning to find the first place to lay her cup before she reached for the blonde’s hand and pulled her towards the music box currently playing. She wasn’t a dancer beyond the basic sense of the word, but that never stopped her from letting the music consume her. “  Show me what you’ve got.  ”

"better than having that sixth sense the kid had in the movie. the one about seeing dead people ?" a classic. "shit used to terrify me a little bit. you know, do the entire thing where," cup in hand, clover lifted both of her hands to mimik her story. "i just covered my face the entire time. just peak through my fingers." a laugh, charming through her rambling. "total dweeb stuff, but man, that film is actually really sad. annnnyways." some vibrant neon light was flashing behind dilated pupils. all due to dee's next line of words. clover's chest was ill with palpitations that a gorgeous woman had a) brought her a drink, b) mentioned that they'd be dancing together...or anywhere near one another in the same vicinity. clover knew the stories of the settlement, but couldn't believe the gift this tree was providing to her. eyes quickly looked upwards a small thanks to whatever gods were up there. a first thanks to the hellish town. "oh ? i don't know if you're prepared to see the killer dance moves i've got hidden up my sleeve." awkward. heat rushed to clovers cheeks. "seriously going to impress the hell out of you." teeth bit down on the rim of her cup. a pressured attempt to gather herself together.

[hvneysuckled]

It hadn’t occurred to her that those whom she loves could also find themselves stuck here in Arcadia. That her having gotten stuck here would lead to her siblings, parents, or even kids also ending up here. It made sense, of course, having encountered Shaw who she knew from her past but the image of her husband and children also coming through whatever veil glued this town to the rest of the world terrifying her immensely. Though Rylee did not look in her direction as she spoke, Dilara was given enough information to understand. Alec had found himself here but did not encounter a similar sentence. Her eyes closed in mourning for this man she had never met. For the children who did not deserve the pain of losing a parent on top of losing their freedom, and for Rylee who - unlike her girls - had the imprint of all that happened polluting her brain. 

“  I’m so sorry.  ” Dilara apologized, wishing she could reach over to offer some comfort but understanding that the touch may not be wanted in her grief. “  I can’t begin to imagine the world of -  ” she stopped herself from finishing the sentence. Nothing that she said could help ease the pain Rylee felt, but she understood well the strength of a mother pushing through hell. “  If you ever need anything - anything at all - do feel free to approach me. I won’t claim to feel your pain, I don’t think anybody really can, but you’re not alone. You know? In a place like this, we have to help each other any way we can. If anything for the children.  ”

if there had been a safety in death — dilara was right, her daughters father was safe. safe away from the torment of this trapped town. silenced from fear. rylee's heart had a way of thumping harder along the topic. often carrying palpitations of anxiety, the woman felt these ones slow...but still carry harshness. the loss of him, alec, was a moment she hadn't allowed herself to mourn. not in full. it was only in spare moments. a moment away to her abandoned car, or her knees becoming damp from the soil that alec had been buried beneath. her tears soaking within failing to have him grow into anything but a empty vessel.

cold pinched her cheeks red. "no." rylee couldn't lift her gaze to dee. not yet. too afraid that she would unravel that outer strength. eyes instead, watched her feet kick the melting snow that rested on the porch. "ye know, it was just me, and three of my daughters at first." brows furrowed. "for a few months i thought my oldest daughter, alec, and..." lungs pinched, "ophelia had been safe... but then they ended up here too..." how did that work ? so many questions left unanswered. left the woman confused. "none if it makes sense, i suppose. — but," thankful for the small sips "a few weeks after the others came...i dunno, really... alec just..." rylee didn't know how to speak on what her mind couldn't explain, or what her stomach couldn't digest. "his body was found outside of the woods. just... shredded apart." the beds of her eye lids stung. "the girls didn't see him." thankful. "..but some images ye just can't rid from ye mind."

[hvneysuckled]

Waking up to a world enclosed in darkness still, Dilara found herself uneasy and in need of her own space. She couldn’t tell what time of day it was, and for a good moment felt like maybe she hadn’t fully slept through the night. It took coming out of the room to a house packed with worried expressions and fearful murmurs to realize that perhaps things were not as ‘normal’ as they usually were in Arcadia. The sun had not risen, despite the night no longer being present. Dilara had stuck around for a couple of hours. Searching around the house for anyone familiar enough to help clear her confusion and when she had come up empty she forced herself outside. 

She’d never been afraid of the darkness, but the fear coursing through her veins as she walked through the thickening woods made it almost impossible to not picture sinister smiles everywhere she glanced. Somehow the realization that she was not the only person outside made it a worse experience entirely. How would she know what was real and what was not? Who she could trust and if she’d be able to tell who she could not. The deeper into the tree’s she went, the louder it became. Turning back now, Dilara would find herself unable to find her path back to the settlement house so she pushed forward where she hoped the town was. 

A scream escaped her lips during the collision, and instead of listening to anything the other said Dilara pushed away from her - heart thundering in her ears. Had it not been for the fear reflected back at her in the other woman’s face, Dilara would have pushed past her. Instead, she glanced over her shoulders at the blinding darkness and swallowed hard. “  I don’t know where to go. I think the town’s where you were coming from.  ” she said, half stumbling through her words, “  How many?  ” There was no way that turning back to the trees was their only safe passage. Being as close to the town as they were, it felt only right for them to attempt to pry a door or two open. As far as she knew, the creatures were slow and steady. They walked - not ran - so if they gathered enough courage to zoom past them, they should be able to get away. “  Do you think we can outrun them?  ”

Closed for @hvneysuckled | Tessa & Dilara somewhere in town

Tessa needed a cigarette. Or a joint. Perhaps something stronger. Or maybe just to not be here anymore. Surely she was losing her mind. This wasn't how the world worked. The sun didn't simply not rise in the morning. Tessa was no fucking scientist, but at least that much seemed clear. Unless the whole entire planet decided to stop rotating for some reason, and that was a whole different issue. Somehow that seemed even more unlikely than just this one black hole of a town being sucked into eternal darkness. Given what she knew about the town already, it didn't seem that farfetched.

Maybe she should've taken the unnatural quiet of the evening (morning? afternoon? midnight? At this point it was anyone's best guess) as a sign while walking slowly down the path. She was on high alert - that much she'd learned from the past few days of darkness. Then the silence was punctuated with racing footsteps, and she turned around to see what the commotion was. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

'Run!' The other person had shouted, hands waving frantically through the air. They didn't have to tell Tessa twice - she took off without a second thought, only sparing a glance over her shoulder to spot the hoard of them not far from the person who had yelled.

Turning the corner and nearly colliding with another, Tessa didn't stop. She just grabbed onto the woman's hand and tugged her along. "They're coming."

[hvneysuckled]

The offer was unexpected, seeing as how the woman had reacted to her being there in the first place, but a single glance up to the sky told Dilara it was best to remain. That attempting to make her way back to the town so close to sun down was not a journey she wanted to embark on. Not when there were worse things threatening her life out there, than that of the woman and her dog. Or so she’s been told, as she’s yet to encounter the real thing. Seeing the injuries and deceased bodies over the last month had been enough proof to keep her from venturing into the night. To ensure her windows remained closed and her door locked. 

“  What kind of stew?  ” she asked curiously, no longer walking towards the door but also not approaching her either. Dee kept a comfortable distance, having already witnessed the quickness of the dog. In all of her life she’s never had a pet. With her parents always off working, and her taking care of her siblings over the years, there was never a need to add more to their plate. Her sisters always wanted a cat, but Dilara could have cared less. Her irrational fear of animals and their loyalty to humans went deeper than she’d admit. While she understood most pets could be harmless, it didn’t stop her brain from thinking up scenarios where she’d be attacked. “  Maybe I can help.  ”

stillness mirrored between woman, and owner. the dog sat in respectable distance from dilara. most mistook the real beast between the two. phantom, harmless unless a rabbit crossed his path. margot knew he had a fear of flies. whenever they swarmed around him, the dog would run off — fail at nipping the flying bug. margot — she could be vicious if provoked. catastrophic. nothing more than a time bomb. one that hadn't always ticked towards disaster. surely, she could be diffused.

"you could stay —" an offer of her tongue. no poison at the tip. the cabins could grow lonesome. while margot enjoyed the solace of isolation... there was such a point where she yearned for a taste of human connection. not from the taunting smiling faces outside of her windows at night. "the one next door is empty. not much too it. just left over junk from the person before. wasn't much of a decorative person, and most has been scavenged." was dilara scared ? a brow cocked, ears perked — margot's mouth twitched pleased that she could almost tell the rhythm of the others heart. "do you like stew, dee?"

[hvneysuckled]

Gathering blood was something that always reminded her of her early resident years. Going from almost no sleep to breaking her neck over the pages of a book to then spending hours and hours working at her family’s clinic in order to get some extra experience in. It perhaps wasn’t healthy for many people to do, but her field of work required a specific mindset and dedication that Dilara was only too willing to embrace. Her dream had always been to follow in her family’s footsteps. Doctors after doctors, going back at least six generations in the time they have immigrated to the states. 

For her, making the decision had been as easy as breathing. She was the eldest of her siblings - first of three daughters - and a good four years to separate her from the rest, so she spent a good deal of time hanging out and learning from her parents whenever they could afford her their time. Watching their video taped surgeries became an addiction. In a place like Arcadia, where tomorrow was not promised, all of these memories seemed to surface out of thin air. Guiding her day to day and keeping her from wallowing in her current misfortune. 

“    Uhh, yeah. I believe we have some out back from yesterday, I’m sure we can afford to get you two.  ” she said, nodding as she diligently worked through setting up the bag. Cleansing the area before prickling him - all the while continuing to speak in an attempt to distract him from the pinching feeling of the injection. “ Could you remind me, how old is she? I don’t know much about cows, but once when I was younger - I had a nanny who took me to a farm where a baby calf was being born. It was my first time being so close to such a thing and I was elated, but my parents absolutely hated it. Crazy because I was allowed to watch their medical tapes, but for some reason a birthing cow was too much for my sweet innocent eyes.  ”

Mav would have loved to say he was a man of few fears. Most days he was undisturbed by the horrors of this place, not by choice but out of necessity. He felt burdened by the responsibility to brave face even when he was afraid. It had been like that at home too, when it was just his mom, his younger brother, and him left to watch over the ranch. He worried often about putting food on the table, of his ability to manage to keep the ranch running, of his mother's grief and how it might manifest. It was this type of thinking, of needing to be more than he could offer, that often landed him in situations like this one.

He shared a dubious look with Dilara, even as she laughed with him (an important distinction, to be sure, many people had laughed at him when he'd been younger, and smaller —when his stature hadn't been so imposing), and nodded. Mav swallowed and extended his arm out for her to take. "Okay, aah trust ya," he settled on saying. It was almost comical to him that she could be thinking of food at a time like this, but the idea of a fruit did sound appetizing. "Ya got any apples? One fo-wah meh 'n one fo-wah Milk?"

"Ya should see the young cow now, almost a big as them other cows." He said it with a hint of pride, but underneath it there grew concern that one day that cow might be big enough and needed enough to be put down.

[hvneysuckled]

Though the situation called for nothing but alarm from her, Dilara couldn’t help but offer a small smile back to him. A shared acknowledgement of where they had once been and where they now reside. The past and their horrifying present. They didn’t often see each other, and less so over the years, but still Dee could make up the lines of his face which hadn’t changed since youth. Her time around Benjamin had been cut short after his mother’s disappearance, and even more as the years went on. Regardless of the lack of reason for her proximity back home, she often attempted to get him out when she could. Put a bit of distance between everything that was home and the rest of the world.

“  I think we’re beyond Mrs. Kaplan now, no?  ” she teased, doing her best to maintain a level of ease in her surprise, “  Dee is more than fine, Ben.  ” At his words, she glanced around in an attempt to locate them before giving up entirely and returning her gaze to Ben. Each day that went by Dilara couldn’t help but wonder about their whereabouts more and more. At first she had been convinced she was in some sort of coma. That in their drive to the restaurant, Dee must have slid off the road and gotten into a vehicular accident that left her close to death and this was all playing in her mind. What’s the worst thing that could happen to her beyond being ripped from her family? Add on that extra layer of supernatural - the things hiding out in the woods until nightfall - and you had your own personal hell. “  Do-...  ” she began, but paused, thoroughly unsure of how to even ask the question or whether it’d even matter at this point. So instead she focused on enjoying the night as if their being here was as normal as day. “  I’m doing alright - for the most part. A little unsure of all of this, but what can we really do - right? How about you? How long have you been here?  ”

Ben had his own reasons for staying away from the settlement, but there was a morbid curiosity to him that made it hard to resist its allure. In the time since being here, he’s only passed it by - it was a farther walk than he was willing to make sometimes, and any of his hunting duties usually took him on the other side of the forest - less people, more likely to get lucky with game. He’s already heard ample stories, but the invitation was pinned to his door and he immediately asked Shaw about it - he received an answer a bit on the elusive side, and upon finding out they were going, he figured he’d tag along too.

Mother and son, their first outing together without his father… probably ever. And it was here.

The stress of the place meant that Ben hadn’t been eating too much, even when he knew he should have been keeping up his strength given his chosen profession here. Nevertheless, he found himself ravenous over the food, picking and picking and never settling with an actual plate, just moving along the spreads until he felt he was satisfied. Or until he felt a hand on his back and glanced up, frowning immediately in confused recognition. “Mrs. Kaplan?” he asked, swallowing down the crumbs of food still on his tongue. He gave her a smile and an awkward hug befitting their tertiary relationship. Seen through the years, surely, but during the games he was always clean cut and clean shaven - now his curls had some room to grow, his dark beard coming in nicely, given the circumstances. No more a boy. “Yeah, they know. I don’t know where– we came together, but I guess I got lost,” he attempted to joke, realizing too late that it was probably in poor taste - they were all lost, weren’t they? “How are you?”

[hvneysuckled]

She turned, coming face to face with a young man who she’d yet to encounter. Not that she knew much of the people around still, but aside from the children in town, he seemed like one of the  younger ones around. He had kind eyes, she noted - and an air of cluelessness that didn’t differ from the rest of them. Dilara had always been a people person, oftentimes going out of her way to learn whatever she could about them and offering help in any way she could. 

Arcadia wasn’t a place where her help meant much beyond the clinic - and she wasn’t sure she was properly equipped to function in the same manner she would have back home, but something about him beckoned her to smile and nod. To engage in conversation. “  Of course.  ” she replied, turning her attention completely towards him and offering the cup. “  No, you can totally have it. I have my own.  ” And to assure him further, she raised the other cup to cheer. “  I can’t exactly guarantee it’s the best for hydration, most definitely doesn’t go down like it, but I’m sure we could find you some water somewhere around here?  ”

There was a nice fortune teller lady that was back at the circus, one that used to make soaps for Zale and one time baked him a whole loaf of sourdough bread. He didn’t like sourdough very much, but it was a nice gesture and he ate the whole thing that night with a raisin jam. She had the longest, thickest red hair that stretched all the way down her back and for a moment, in the haze of the substance, he had thought he saw her again. 

Until she turned around to a man, cup extended in her hand. A pang of disappointment thrummed in his chest - that would have been one nice thing, to see a face that he recognized. There were so few people in the world he knew, that he spent his day to day life with. He forgot faces in the crowd the instant the performance nights were over. Still, thinking how nice that fortune teller was gave him the confidence (not that he needed it) to approach the red haired lady after the man turned down the offer and turned away. “Can I have that?” he blurted, pointing to the cup. “I was thirsty earlier. I still am. Unless you’re drinking it, then I’ll get my own.”

[hvneysuckled]

She initially raised her eyes curiously, unsure what she had done to gain such a reaction from the other, and soon found herself returning a small laugh ending in a smile. Dee wasn’t sure what part of her sentence could’ve been misconstrued as homo so she gave a small shrug and teased, “  Hmm, perhaps I’ve got a sixth sense for these things.  ” Though truthfully, she couldn’t bear to drink alone for too long, and the bit of company - even if just for a singular cup - was enough to keep her content. She was already a little out of sorts being at the settlement with all the rumors she’s heard. Dilara didn’t think herself capable of witnessing any of the deviant acts she heard whispers about. Focusing on getting to know a person or two seemed like the only other solution to ignore her unease. “  Hopefully, that gained me a dance?  ”

" — it's totally crazy that you're here right now." the room was beginning to smudge in sight. the gathering's chatter was dissipating into slower, drawn out sounds. the toxins clover consumed were taking over any proper mobility. at this rate, she'd be cooked soon, and crawling to find a corner to curl up in. clovers number one party trick was being able to fall asleep anywhere, in any position. sleep was a gift. — not as fulfilling as the current cup extended to her. "i was just literally thinking...damn i wish my cup just magically filled itself.. and here you are. in a no-homo kinda way." ...or... clover wouldn't mind. "you've got that mind reader energy." a party. a moment to forget the bullshit around them. THIS is what clover had longed for.