#lemonaydestand

[lemonayyyyyde]

Play

A/N: A short for a contest that inspired a new wip!

---

"Wait for me!"

The clumsy sound of Amelia's stumbling feet rushing to keep up echoed throughout the forest along with the Eshirin's laughter, shrill and grating. He was above her, just out of reach if she were to jump and try to pull him down.

Eshirin had learned how to fly last week, and yet Amelia was still confined to the ground, the baby feathers in her wings heavy and soft instead of sleek and light.

"You'll never catch me!" Eshirin sing-songed, stalling above her only to give his wings another hard thrust, shooting even further from her grasp. 

She gasped at the gust of wind that he left in his wake, stumbling back before trying to steady herself to keep running. Her tail lashed in aggravation. "No fair! That's cheating!" She complained, a whine in her voice as she picked up her speed. 

"It's not my fault you're too heavy to fly!" Eshirin teased, slowing down to swoop beside her, angling his wings to glide slowly in the breeze. "You're just fat!"

Amelia let out an offended gasp, growling playfully under her breath as he sped up again. "Oh, oh! You're going to get it now!" 

Charging forward and putting all of her energy into her pounce, she lept. Her paws caught onto him, and her force sent them both crashing to the ground. She laughed as they squabbled until Eshirin let out a sudden pained shriek. Her eyes went wide as she backed off.

[[MORE]]

"My wing!" Eshirin screeched, attempting to get up from the floor but collapsing back down as he tried. "Somebody help, she broke my wing!"

Amelia scrambled backwards, her ears pinned back as she looked from him to his wing, bent and leaking blood onto the grass. "I-I didn't mean to, Eshirin! I was just playing!" 

The eagle chick just continued to scream for help, Amelia cowering and sobbing at his cries. A mantra of "I'm sorry"s left her, her paws covering her face in shame, yet her apologies went unheard. By the time the adults of the eagle flight had come she had lost her voice, defenseless against their screams of anger.

"Monster!"

"Disgusting!"

"Beast!"

They squabbled over her and her fate as Eshirin was flown away.

"We should kill her!" One eagle exclaimed out from among the others, an outrageous roar of approval causing Amelia to shrink even close to the ground.

"Maybe even skin her!" Another chimed in with a loud, cackling voice. 

"Yeah! We could-"

"Enough!" The sound of a sharp, commanding voice broke through the rest of the crowd's chatter, every eagle's beaks clamping shut as the biggest, darkest one of them all came gliding down. 

Wedir.

 He turned his head to glare at everyone gathered around, his gruff voice sounding both annoyed and angry. "What is all this commotion about?"

Everyone immediately began speaking again, the roar of their voices overlapping each other. Wedir yelled over them all again, a fierce sound almost like a battle cry. "QUIET!"

Silence fell over the group again as they watched him, his chest heaving. Finally, he straightened up. "Now...what happened?"

The eagles all looked at each other before one finally stepped forward, stammering through his words. "T-the gryphon child broke Eshirin's wing, sir. We're trying to figure out what to do."

At the mention of her existence, Amelia pressed herself lower to the ground, ears back and face pressed to the ground in submission. She could feel Wedir's glare burning into her skin without even looking up, the amber fire in his eyes seemingly scorching her feathers. She wished she could fly away from here, off into the sky and away from her faults. 

Yet as she finally looked up to see Wedir standing above her, inspecting her with menacing eyes, she knew that there was no escaping. He leaned forward, breath warm against her face as he spoke.

"So you're the one who started all of this, eh?" He murmured, voice low and threatening. He didn't give her a chance to respond before straightening up and continuing to speak. "We offer you hospitality. A home. And this is how you repay us? Through blood and the broken bones of our own?"

He hooked a talon under her beak, forcing her to look up at him. He nearly snarled his next words, an expression that reminded her of a lion- the exact things the eagles hated her for. "How dare you!"

"It...it was an accident!" Amelia cried, finally speaking after all this time and standing. She barely came up to the start of his chest.  "We were playing!"

"Playing?" Wedir asked, incredulously. "Playing?" He slashed his talon across her cheek, the harsh sting and warm feeling of blood streaming down her cheek causing her to gasp. The feathers that surrounded the wound quickly became sticky with blood. "You've been told your place around here, ground-runner! You're not to so much as speak to the young of our Flight!"

Tears welling in her eyes, Amelia tried to back up, only to bump into the other eagles that now surrounded them. Her whole body trembled from the terror she felt. "He...he was my friend." She hiccuped, tilting her head toward the ground. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Sorry means nothing from a wyrm like you." Wedir replied, his voice returning to a cold, almost even harsher tone with its calmness. He turned his eyes toward the eagle behind her, one with dark brown feathers nearly black and scar tissue built up all over him. He nearly rivaled Wedir in size. "Take her to the chambers. We will discuss the use of her there."

Before Amelia can so much as beg for another chance, sharp talons are grabbing onto the scruff of her neck, and she's carried off and away from the direction of home.

She couldn't help but cry at the monster she had become to the family she had thought she could call her own.

[lemonayyyyyde]

Party Like the Dead

Chapter One

I apologize for it all being one big chunk without any "read more" areas- sadly I am confined to mobile at the moment. Either way, here it is! The first chapter of my exclusive writeblr WIP Party Like the Dead! I hope you enjoy it. :)

---

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Chilled October air filled Alexandra’s lungs as she asked the same question she had been repeating all week. The one she always seemed to ask when Nick was involved.

She shrugged her jacket up closer to hide her skin from the wind that picked up and whipped past them, turning her gaze over to Nick as he laughed.

“I’m sure, Alex. You’re starting to sound like my mom’s old Beatles record- you really gotta stop repeatin’ yourself.” Despite his teasing words, there’s a smile pulling at Nick’s lips as he spoke. “It’s just a party- a Halloween party in the most boring town on earth for Christ’s sake!” 

Alexandra forced a laugh at that, high-strung with the remnant of nerves. Nick's voice dropped to a more sincere tone as he reached over to give her hand a light squeeze of reassurance.

“We’ll be fine. It means a lot that you would do this for me.”

Alexandra couldn’t help but give a true smile at that, pulling him into a side-hug only to have to pick off some toilet paper that stuck to her skin from his costume when she pulled away. She made a face as Nick dissolved into a fit of giggles, scrunching up her nose as she glared.

“What are you laughing at, mummy boy? You’re the one who looks like a mom’s DIY project gone wrong.”

Nick gave a scoff of faux offense, holding a hand to his chest. “How dare you make fun of my costume! For your information, this is brand name toilet paper! No DIY mom would spend the money on that!”

Alexandra laughed again, for real this time,  trying her best to ignore the stares of the kids that were beginning to trick-or-treat. The sun was setting fast, peeking from behind the two-story houses of the neighborhood. It painted everything in a soft orange light, beautiful and eerie at the same time- which was exactly the same feeling that stopped Alexandra dead in her tracks, joy melting out of her and replaced by nothing but a cold pit of fear in her stomach.

It wasn’t as if Alexandra was a stranger to this area. Quite the opposite, in fact. She had driven this road many times, spent many sunsets and nights playing on these streets. Yet that never seemed to change the feeling of unease that would wash over her when her eyes landed on the Walker country house.

Menacing and decrepit, the Walker house had been there for as long as Alexandra could remember. Perhaps even longer than it was possible for her to. Back in it’s day, the house could have been beautiful. Its bricks may have once been spotless, column’s standing tall in brilliant gleaming white. The windows would have had curtains, not moth-torn fabric hiding the broken panes of glass from kids looking to have a little fun.

Now, however, the house was something out of a horror film: overgrown with vines and weeds that twisted up the walk to the house as if they were claiming back what was rightfully theirs. Everything about it screamed ‘Danger’, including the signs that were posted out front reading ‘DANGER: KEEP OUT!’.

The press of Nick’s hand jolted Alex out of her thoughts, forcing her eyes away from the house. His eyes were full of concern, brows knitting together as he spoke. 

“You alright, Alex?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine, it’s just…” Alexandra trailed off, glancing back at the mansion-esque house lurking in the distance. “You know the rumors about this place.” Nick raised a brow, causing Alexandra to elbow him lightly before continuing. “I’m serious! That shit’s terrifying.”

“I do know the rumors, Alex. But that’s just the thing!” He let go of her shoulder, his face returning to the smile that so often graced his face. “They're just rumors! Come on, do you really think they’d leave an old cult’s stomping ground just sitting in the middle of town?”

Alexandra bit her lip, thinking over what he said. It truly would have been weird if the town would keep something as sinister as that as a centerpiece. “I suppose not. Though you have to admit, that place is fuckin’ creepy. Just look at it!”

Nick laughed, beginning to walk again as he shook his head.

“Everything will be fine. I promise. I wouldn’t take you here if it was dangerous.” He paused for a moment before continuing, a nearly sinister smirk spreading across his face as he turned to face her once more. “Unless of course, this was all a ruse and I…” He jumped towards her, arms raised in a childish recreation of claws,  “was a ruthless cult leader leading you to your doom all along! Five years of friendship, all leading up to this whole moment! The whole town's in on it!”

Alexandra couldn’t help but startle a bit at his sudden movement, glaring at him as he began to laugh and she settled back down. Her anger didn’t last long though- how could it when he was working so hard to calm her nerves with a bit of fun- and she pushed past him with a laugh of her own.

“Don’t even joke about that! I don’t even want to imagine the hell my life would be if I went into Forensics in a cult town.”

Nick had to jog to catch back up to her, a small smile on his face as he slowed down to a normal walk when she waited for him. “I mean, it would be good for business!”

Alexandra simply rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Nick.”

Nick laughed and pointedly did not shut up. “You love me. Don't even try to hide it.”

The two joked in a similar manner the entire time they made the trek down the road to the Walker House;, Nick doing his best to keep their spirits light in order to distract Alexandra from her initial fear. All of that hard work was quickly unraveled, however, when they were standing at the edge of the walkway to the house.

Being closer certainly didn't do the house any favors, especially since the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, as if on cue.

Alexandra hesitated as Nick began to start up the steps, only beginning to move again when he turned to give her a reassuring smile and extended his hand. He squeezed lightly when she took it, voice gentle as he spoke. “You'll be fine, Alexandra. I promise.”

Taking a deep breath and forcing it out slowly, Alexandra nodded and tried to imagine all of her previous anxiety melting away. Normally these things wouldn't have been so scary for her; in her high school days, she'd loved anything abandoned and creepy with the chance of paranormal encounters. Now, however, she was not quite as fond, and it certainly didn't help she had not been in this area since…

Alexandra was disrupted from her thoughts once more as Nick gently elbowed her side, obviously trying to shift her mind in a different direction, as though he could tell the dark path her train of thought was taking.

“Are you excited for your first college Halloween party? I'm sure there's going to be plenty of beautiful ladies looking for someone strong to protect them…” He winked at the last part, causing Alexandra to snort and hit his arm lightly.

“Gross, Nick. Just because I like girls too doesn't mean I'm as weird about it as you are! Besides, I thought you told me this get-together was with just a few friends and friends of friends.”

Nick opened his mouth to answer but before he could, the double doors they had wandered up to swung wide open, revealing a messy-haired and grinning Gavin - Nick's best friend.  He was wearing a cheesy cape and pointed fangs he had haphazardly glued on. Fake blood dribbling down the side of his mouth, the stark red of obvious face paint.

“‘Velcome to ve house of horrors, my friends!”

He greeted, pleased when Alexandra covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Nick merely shook his head, stepping inside and making a big show of doing a flourishing bow.

“I am honored to be welcomed into your home, Count Gavin.” He said, purposely dropping his voice a few octaves to sound more manly. “Thank you for inviting us on this wonderful All Hallows' Eve night.”

Gavin couldn't help but cheer, clapping Nick on the back when he returned to full height before pulling him into a hug.

“Nick, my man! I can always trust on you to liven up the party- you're the first one to actually bite the bait!” 

Nick shrugged, though he was obviously gleaming at the compliment. It took him a moment before he noticed he had yet to introduce Alexandra, who was awkwardly standing off to the side as she watched the two friends.

“Ah! Gavin, this is my friend Alexandra. Alexandra, this is Gavin.” 

Alexandra waved before indicating Gavin's costume with one of her hands. “Love the fangs!”

Gavin grinned, doing an over-exaggerated bow of his own before bouncing back up. “Thank you! I love the…” He trailed off, and Alexandra  grinned as she realized that he was trying to find a way to compliment her on her own ‘costume’.

Digging her hand into the pocket of her khakis, Alexandra pulled out an (admittedly hastily done) fake badge. “FBI agent Alexandra Strike on the case. Undercover agents aren't as flashy as you may think.” 

Gavin nodded, though he was obviously a bit thrown off by the casual attire. Which, to be fair, was what Alexandra has figured would happen. She didn't have the time to hit a Halloween store between studying and working.

He recovered swiftly to her under-dress though, turning his attention back to Nick as he began to walk into the home. The entire foyer was vacant of furniture and the lightbulbs hanging above on the fragile chandelier only offered a soft, dim glow of light.

Black and orange streamers were thrown wherever people could reach, weaving around the staircase railings like the vines that claimed the home outside. Overall it was dark, grimy, and pathetically covered in harmless decor to mask it's true identity- the perfect place for a Halloween party.

“Come on in! The party's just getting started.” Gavin said before waving down a girl who was resting against the wall, scrolling through something on her phone. When she caught sight of Gavin she smiled, pocketing it and coming over.

"Hey Gav- and new party peeps!" The girl gave a quick smile to both Alexandra and Nick respectively. 

"Hey Celine! This is Nick and his friend Alexandra." Gavin said, motioning to the two of them but continuing talking before they could get a word out themselves. "Where is everyone? I thought we were getting the Ouija board ready."  

“Ouija board?” Alexandra looked from Gavin to Nick, glaring at him when he shot her a grin. He knew she didn't like the whole 'talking with spirits' thing; she may not truly believe in them, but something about her mother's stern words again poking fun at something you don't understand had stuck with her. You don't fuck with Ouija Boards. 

"What, are you scared?" Nick asked teasingly, jumping away from her attempt to hit him on the arm in response. He raised both hands in defense. "Ah, okay, okay! I'm sorry I didn't warn you sooner! I didn't think you'd care!"

"Like hell you thought I wouldn't care! You know my mom doesn't like me messing with spirit stuff!" Alexandra huffed, turning to look at Gavin as he laughed.

“It's nothing to be worried about, Alex. Just an old hunk of wood we picked up from Andy's- a toy meant to make kids scared of the dark." 

Alexandra bit her lip at the mention of Andy's name, the owner of a small antique shop in the center of downtown. How old was this thing?

Celine interjected before Alex could put much thought into the question, rolling her eyes before her gaze focused on Gavin. "Be a bit more respectful of the dead, Gavin. You never know who might be listening, and I, for one, don't feel like pissing them off." She gave Alex a small wink, who despite the small flutter of butterflies in her stomach gave a nervous laugh. She then turned her attention back to the original question afterwards. "Everyone's off exploring the house- Sure you could find them if you look."

She twisted a strand of the green half of her hair around her finger before pointing up towards the stairs. "See! I think that's Lucas and Brittany right there. I'll go ask if they've seen the others."

"Alright, thank you, Celine." Gavin said, sighing once she was gone. There was the faintest hint of a comfortable grin on his face.

Even with the friendly aura, Alexandra couldn't help the low sinking feeling that settled in her gut. What was she thinking, agreeing to go to something like this with Nick?

She didn't know anyone here, she was in a house she had hated since she was young, and celebrating a holiday she hadn't enjoyed since 9th grade with Lillian.

Her heart dropped as the thought crossed her mind.

Lilly…

That was a name she hadn't thought about in a while, but she should have known the bittersweet memories would reappear.  Being in this part of town always brought them back.

She really, really didn't want to be here.

Clearing her throat to get Nick and Gavin's attention since they had been having a conversation during her silent musing, Alexandra forced a smile. "Hey, uh, does there happen to be any drinks? We walked here, and I'm a dumbass who forgot to bring a water."

Gavin laughed, shaking his head as he indicated up the stairs, the opposite direction Celine had gone. "Refreshments and snacks are in the room up there; want me to walk you up?"

"I should be good finding it myself, thanks." Alex said, her fake smile shifting to real. "Not as helpless as I look."

Gavin raised both of his hands, backing up a bit. "Wasn't saying you were." He said, though his voice still had a teasing tone to it.

Alexandra merely laughed and walked towards the stairs after muttering a quick 'I'll be back' to Nick. The moment she got up the stairs and veered to the room to the left, her body sagged in relief. No one else seemed to be in here, and a moment alone was exactly what she needed. 

Grabbing a solo cup from the table, Alex dipped it into the punch, watching as red liquid filled it.

It only took one sip for Alex to know what it was, grimacing at the taste of the alcohol that wasn't drowned out by sugary sweet syrup.

"Wow. Hawaiian punch and vodka. Classy." She chuckled to herself before taking another sip. Their dedication to the Halloween aesthetic was... admirable, to say the least.

She let herself relax as she took the seat that was in front of a desk, setting the cup down and taking in the area around her. There was a musty smell to the place, and just like everything else about the house this room seemed to give off a strange feeling of...foreboding. As though she were trespassing in a home that very much was not her own, one where she was an unwelcome guest. Even the paintings that hung upon the wall seemed to be glaring at her, gazes prickling her skin as her eyes skimmed over one after the other until it landed upon one she simply couldn't look away from.

It was a family portrait painted by a fine hand, artistry so transfixing that Alex couldn't help but admire it. A woman was standing in the middle of the frame, hands resting on the shoulders of what seemed to be two twin boys. Her face was stern, anger lines set as deep wrinkles and a small frown upon her face as she fixed her gaze on what would have been a camera in the perspective it was painted. 

Alex hadn't really noticed that she had been inching up out of her chair until she was fully standing, making her way towards the painting to get an even closer look. Unlike who she assumed was the mother, the two boys' faces weren't nearly as clear. It looked almost as if the paint that once depicted their faces was worn. Like someone had taken their nails to it and scratched out all of their features. The thought of that sent a chill down Alexandra's spine, and just as she went to look back into the woman's eyes a loud thud caught her attention, a small scream breaking from her as she spun around to see what had caused it.

A small book that had been resting on one of the shelves on the wall laid upon the floor, the pages it had opened to full of faded ink. She looked back up at the shelf to see a large rat staring at her, which quickly scampered away once they made eye contact.

Alex exhaled in relief, the fear that had been clutching at her moments before quickly melting away into embarrassment. It was a rat. Of course it was a rat. What kind of abandoned building would it be if it didn't have some sort of animal calling the place its home? 

She laughed to herself as she went back to the desk, shaking her head and downing the rest of the punch in one chug. 

"Easy now, Alex. Don't go getting too into that brain of yours. You'll just freak yourself out." She chided softly to herself as she wiped her mouth, tossing the now-empty solo cup into the waste bin beside the desk. 

Walking over to the book still laying discarded upon the ground, Alex leaned down to pick it up, surprised to find that its case had the coarseness of genuine leather. She thumbed loosely through the pages that seemed to be stained with time. Most were covered in faint penmanship, messily scrawled cursive that Alex perhaps could've deciphered if it weren't so old. 

It wasn't until she got to the last pages of writing that it became more legible, dark and confident pen strokes a stark contrast to the ones before it. It was almost familiar, the handwriting, and Alex found herself tracing it absentmindedly with her finger. Who had she known that wrote like…?

"Alexandra."

Alex jumped as she heard a faint whisper of her name, nearly dropping the book in her panic as she looked around. "Hello?" She asked, voice wavering nervously as she found that no one was in the room, the entrance still mostly shut. "Who said that?"

A terrifying beat of silence, and inexplicably Alex's eyes were drawn to the painting once again. If she didn't know it was crazy, she could have swore the woman was staring right at her. Creeping closer, Alex kept eye contact with her as she took one hesitant step after another. 

She was almost close enough to reach out and touch the painting when the door behind her swung open. "Alex!"

Another scream ripped free from her throat as she turned around, wielding the book as though she were about ready to chuck it at whatever assailant had barged into the room. She let it fall back down harmlessly to her side when she saw it was just Nick, brow raised and lips upturned slightly in amusement. 

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you, you were just taking a while- We've almost got the board all set up. Figured you'd want to be with us while we played." He leaned against the doorframe as he spoke, so completely at ease despite the stuffy feeling that Alex felt was suddenly flooding the room. 

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, sorry. There was a rat, and I was looking around the room…" Alex trailed off, biting her tongue at the urge to spill about the odd painting and whisper of her name. No need to make more of a fool of herself in front of him than she already did.

"No worries, I totally get it. This place has so many cool little nooks and crannies that I could get lost for hours just checkin' it out." Pushing off of the doorframe and instead moving to grab the doorknob and open the door wider for her, Nick flourished his arm towards the exit with a grin. "Ladies first."

Alex forced a small smile for him, sending back one last nervous glance at the painting before walking out of the room.

She could've almost sworn she saw that the women's frown had turned into a smirk before the door clicked shut behind them.

[lemonayyyyyde]

Teaser!

A bit of writing I did a while ago to introduce two characters I am considering making a small universe for :) I hope you enjoy!

---

The autumn leaves that litter the path beneath our feet dance as Fall blows her chilly breath into November air. Leaves lucky enough to still be clinging to their branches shiver restlessly in the breeze, their rustling sounds much like the chattering of our teeth as we walk, hand in hand, through the park we call our own.

“Are we almost there? We've been walking forever.”

I look over as Ashley speaks, her voice muffled by the scarf-mask she made to hide her face from the cold. She is watching me with sparkling eyes, the kind of green that abandons the trees during this time of year. Even whole partially hidden by a wave of strawberry blonde, they're beautiful and welcoming.

“Why? Are you not enjoying our romantic walk through the park?” I tease, reaching over with the free hand that wasn't clasped in hers to brush the stray strand away.

Rolling her eyes, Ashley pulls the scarf away from her mouth before nudging me in the side, nose scrunched up as she makes a face. “You know that's not what I meant, you jerk.”

I laugh to myself as I stumble away from her elbow, returning to pull her closer. “I know, but yes, we're almost there.” I say, unable to keep the smile from my face as she looks up at me with rosy red cheeks.

“Thank goodness. As much as I love holding your hand, I'm afraid keeping them out here is going to make them freeze and break off.”

As she finishes speaking I bring her hand up to my lips, pressing a kiss to it and trying to warm them up with my breath. “Better?”

Ashley laughs again, the sound lifting my heart up to my throat. “You're such a hopeless romantic. Yes, it's a bit better. You better hope your lipstick didn't leave a stain."

“You love my lipstick stains.” I retort, voice noticeably higher with faux offense as I withdraw my hand to my chest.

I'm only able to hold the act for a moment against Ashley’s stare, the laughter I'd been fighting against bubbling up into my chest.

Ash waits for me to stop laughing, a small grin on her face. One I know all too well.

“Yeah, I do.” She sighs, pulling my face down to hers for a small peck on my lips. “I really do.”

A giddy burst of butterflies explodes in my chest- something that happened every time I share a moment like this with her.

Never once did I believe someone could be this perfect. It didn’t seem humanly possible.

Well, I suppose I am right on that part. It isn't humanly possible, because she isn't human.

[lemonayyyyyde]

Post Apocalypse Blues

A/N: Some older writing while I work on some new pieces :)

-----------

‘Why me’ seems to be the only words anyone can muster these days.  Whether it’s a whisper so hushed no one can hear it or a scream so loud everybody including the danger is put on alert, it’s always there. A chant ringing in the back of your mind like an ancient spell, cursing your life with self pity.

I admit it is there in me too. The constant itch trying to persuade me that I don’t deserve this. I try to shut it out. Focus my attention on the innocent children in my care.

It always seems to hurt more than it help.

Being a leader is harder than I ever thought it would be. It had all happened so fast, the Infection taking its hosts and leaving most dead or dying. I collected as many people as I could from houses in an attempt to focus my mind on something, and next thing I know, I’m viewed as a hero.

I am not a hero, nor am I a savior. I’m some stupid girl who needed a distraction and helping others had been the only thing available. Now their lives are on me, and if so much as one of them were lost, I don’t know how I could live with myself.

 

That’s why we are currently locked in a small room, some children sitting silently and others weeping, and everyone’s eyes are on me. Thea Laserna, my only surviving friend from when the world was a much kinder place, shifts from one foot to the other as her eyes lock with mine, the silent question of what we are going to do reflecting in them.

Of our group there are four college students: Ezekiel Crosier, Bryce Howlter, Thea, and me. We’re the only students that made it out from the college without either going insane or becoming one of Them. Zeke isn't much of a fighter, unlike Thea and me, and is better at handling the kids. Bryce is our guy for supply runs, often going to the Outside for what we need.

Six kids are with us : Earl and Kayla Maloley, Elwin Lanzit, Mia Gloucester, June Silverstein, and Glenn Glover.

My hands shake as I tilt my head towards the ground to avoid her eyes. Strands of tangled brown hair fall around my face, obscuring it from view. I wish that I had chosen a better route than the one we are currently on.

Outside, the inhuman growls and other various noises of the Infected just outside the shed can be heard, along with the whipping of the wind. Occasionally a few of the smarter Sick would hurl themselves against the door,  attempting to bring it down with sheer force (and failing due to their weak body frames).

Lifting my head to look back up at Thea, I mouth ‘I don’t know’ to her in defeat. The look on her face, hurt and betrayed, crushes my heart.

Shifting my gaze toward Zeke in an attempt to escape Thea’s stare, I watch as he cradles Mia to his chest as she weeps. I can't clearly make out all of his words, but I know they must have been quite soothing, for Mia’s crying calmed quite a bit.

Guilt reclaimed its place in my heart as I watch the children and my friends sitting in this dangerous predicament, knowing that it was me and my poor leadership that had lead us here.

We used to have a beautiful little camp in which we all stayed at within the schoolyards. For the most part it had been safe, despite the occasional Infected running through and attempting to rip out our eyes.

A few more people were with us back then, older kids in the middle and highschool range, and we were doing as good as we possibly could in an apocalyptic situation. By that I mean we were surviving.

It had been at least a month, possibly more, since the Infected started attacking. We had began to settle and get comfortable in our camp,feeling as if we would be safe there and possibly even survive there until this mess was sorted out, if it ever was.

It had almost been like normal living. The kids had chores and since we were camped within the school we were even able to somewhat continue their studies. Due to the gates, we were provided a little more protection than normal.

On a particularly dark evening, one of the high school students Izaak and I were on “guard duty.” Izaak was technically an adult, having just turned 18, but even so it was foolish to ask someone who wasn’t even out of school to go on such a dangerous watch.

Even if I regret it, he was there when possibly one of the worst events of my entire life happened.

At first, nothing was out of the ordinary. There were a few Sick about, screaming nonsense  as they attempted to break the fence down . Since we didn’t have many weapons, we would save bullets by taking them out melee-style.

A few Sick were smart enough to leave after watching their comrades die, they must have been newly Infected,but while we were focusing on the Sick close-by, a hoard of massive proportions had began to formulate in the distance.

I never did learn why all of the Sick in the area decided it was a good idea to combine forces and close in on the schoolyards, be it fate or simply bad luck. Either way, before we could react the crowd converged on the fences.

There was nothing I could do about the fence coming down, or the fact that Izaak was so close by when it happened. Before I could even scream his name some of the Sick were enjoying ripping him to bloody shreds, laughing and cheering as the blood seeped into the ground.

I did the only logical thing possible in that situation- I ran. I ran all the way to the camp and explained to everyone what had happened in short bursts of words, but by the commotion they had already guessed.

Everything happened so quickly that it is hard to remember exact details. There was a sudden burst of intelligent Sick who found an entrance to the room and took hold of a few of our campmates,though I do not remember most of their names. Funny, how the mind tends to black out things you wish not remember.

I somehow managed to herd some of the people out of the room, as I said before most of the details are locked away somewhere deep in my mind, and we ran. I left behind so many people.

Anyone who couldn’t run fast enough was dead without question, anyone who tried to stand their ground for our home gone.

It was my poor leadership that let those kids get killed. We lost our home, we lost our supplies. We lost everything.

It was me who had to fix this.

“I have an idea.”

Everyone turns to look toward me as I speak, each gaze boring into my skull. They aren't going to like this. They don't have a choice.

I raise my eyes to look back at Thea, clearing my throat in an attempt to stop my voice from wavering as I continue. “Thea, you'll be in charge from now on.” I begin, and as she opens her mouth to intervene I continue to talk over her. I have no other choice. “I can distract them, I just need to make some noise. While they're busy with me, you all can run past. Find somewhere safe. I know Thea can take care of you.”

“Liz, no, they'll kill you!” Bryce’s voice comes from beside me and I can't bring myself to look at him. It's for their own good. They'll be in much better hands. I continue to stare at Thea, though I could see the tears welling in her eyes as I fought back my own.

“It will have to be quick. As soon as you hear them after me you need to go. Do you understand? Don't stop. You've got to run. No matter what is happening to me, run.”

I sweep my gaze over the group.My group. Mia frees herself from Zeke's grasp to run over to me, latching onto my leg in a hug. She sniffles as she looks up at me, her baby blue eyes blurred by tears. I run my hand through her tangled mess of blonde hair and press a kiss to her head. I'm going to miss them. All of them.

Can you miss someone when you're dead?

Thea clears her throat, wiping away her own tears. “Be safe out there, Liz. Try to get out of there alive.”

I force a smile, handing Mia to Zeke before placing my hand against the doorknob. It's time.

“I love you all.”

I'm out the door before anyone can respond.

[lemonayyyyyde]

Snippet!

Just a small bit I found from an older work that I thought would be fun to post! Hope you enjoy!

------

John wished he could say that the minty fresh taste of toothpaste mixed with blood was not something he was familiar with, but as he spat out the tainted red suds he knew that that simply wasn't true.

Split lips and broken scabs never seem to fail in bleeding while brushing your teeth.

Wiping the blood haphazardly from the corner of his mouth without much care for the smear it left on his hand, he forced himself to smile brightly into the mirror. His hair, ruffled from the rough night of restless sleep, did no help when paired with the bags and stained pink teeth. The bruised eye he was sporting looked so much like a wink he almost couldn't help but laugh.

Fighting wasn't something he meant to do often- it just sorta happened. Not to say he didn't enjoy it in the moment. The exhilaration that came with it was worth any bruise he got, and honestly speaking? John didn't mind those either.

[lemonayyyyyde]

“how many of these did you take?” For the sickness/injury prompts :)

"How many of these did you take?"

The sound of Natalie's exasperated voice jogs me out of my "moment of near-death", startling a cough from my throat. Unsurprisingly, it was the bag of cough drops she was holding out in front of her, her nose scrunched up in distaste.

"I don't know, like, five? Ten, maybe?" I said, groaning as I turned my aching body to face her properly. I hadn't had the flu in over three years. Figure the one time I visit my long distance girlfriend would be the time my immune system screwed me over.

"Dude, I just bought these an hour ago! You're gonna make yourself sick!" She stuffed the bag into the front pocket of her hoodie as she scolded me, moving over to the couch I was resting on in order to pull me to her side.

Relaxing into the touch, I press my head into her chest with a grumpy mumble. "Well, I'm already sick anyway so I can't get much worse."

"You're such a baby!"

I pull back from her embrace to glare, shooting her the bird and only pouring more when she laughed.

She pulled my hands into hers to press a quick kiss to the top. "I'm just joking, sweetheart. Though even if I wasnt, doing that only proved my point."

With a scoff that quickly turned into more coughing, I hugged her again. "I hate you." I said, but mixed with the fondness in my voice there was no doubt she knew it was a lie.

"I love you too, Mel . And I can feel you trying to grab the cough drops, so don't even think about it."

With a laugh I sink back into the couch pillows. Maybe being sick wouldn't be so bad- nothing could be with her by my side.

--

Here's something real quick I did for it! Fits pretty well seeing as I'm super sick right now haha

[lemonayyyyyde]

"She fell in love with learning dark history and just how ungodly the world could get.  Many onlooking parents and teachers called it morbid. She called it being knowledgeable. Being aware of the possibilities. She was never to be caught by surprise by any human act, because when you flip through the pages of a textbook you realize...there has never been a true time of peace."

Just found this bit from an old wip I had- Made me want to revisit it!

[lemonayyyyyde]

Human

Note: I do not do poetry often, but I found this old piece and decided I might as well post it. I hope you enjoy it.

-------------

Humans are just animals with more self-control.

Strip that away and we're all just monsters with some manners for show.

The strongest will live and the weakest will die.

You do what it takes to fight and survive

And what do we do when someone sees through?

Sees the real you trapped inside of you?

We laugh at their talk

or brush them off, shut them up.

Because if we smile just right and act oh-so-polite

Maybe, just maybe, they'll forget your plight.

You'll be safe for a day, or a hour, hopefully more.

Go back to just playing those same games as before.

We all are just human in the end, after all.

We only care for ourselves, the others can fall.

[lemonayyyyyde]

One of them

“Are you one of them?

The question hung in the air as it left Sarah’s lips, her eyes fixated on the wall in front of her. It was cracked and crumbling just like every other building around her- just like the dry skin of her hands as they twisted uncomfortably at the silence that followed. Rough calluses combined with the painful peeling of her fingers served as a reminder. A reminder that this skin was real, that these thoughts were real, and that the boy beside her was likely not. At least not anymore.

“It's okay, you can tell me if you are.” She continued when there was nothing but the whistle of wind rushing past her ears, hurrying to correct herself in concern of scaring off her only friend. “I don't mind. I just…” She paused and tried to ignore the tears threatening to fall. “I want to know if I can stop looking. I want this to be done.”

When she still received no response Sarah looked over at the pale boy beside her, his lips still sealed tightly shut and his knees pulled to his chest. His clothes, unlike hers, were pristine in a way almost incomprehensible for the world around them. He looked so perfect in the midst of it all, so unblemished. She wished she could reach out and touch him. She was too afraid to try.

She needed to know.

[[READ MORE]]

“Please.” She hated the way her voice cracked as she spoke. She sounded like a dog begging for a scrap of food from anybody around- except she was begging for companionship from the one person she had found in this world.

She didn't want to have to think about that right now, but as he finally opened his mouth, looking as if he hadn't taken in a breath at all, she braced for the worst.

“I am. I'm sorry.” He looked at her, and for the first time, she really looked back. Looked into the green of his eyes and saw it. Saw the way the green had lost the liveliness of the nature that had reclaimed the world around them. They had lost the spunk that life always seemed to carry with it...Like that of a freshly chopped down tree, his light was fading. His eyes were dying.

He was already dead.

Grandma always said eyes were the gateway to one's soul.

Sarah let out a shaky breath as she turned her face away, letting the tears tingle her face as they slid down her dirty cheeks. Wordlessly she got to her feet, tattered dress feeling as if it were weighing her down. For a moment she wondered if the world was trying to tug her down deeper and deeper until she suffocated into the earth. She almost wished it would.

Nevertheless, she turned around and smiled, like she always did. She held out her hand as she had so many times before, watched him raise his to try and get pulled up by her. It went right through, just as they both knew it would.

For a moment she almost believed that she saw tears reflecting in his eyes as she pulled away, but that's impossible. Dead people don't cry, even if sometimes, she wished they could. Then maybe she wouldn't have the only tears in the world.

“It's okay. I'll keep looking.” She said as she turned and slid down the wall, facing where the boy sat, still. “Thank you for keeping me company.”

The boy smiled, but she felt nothing. She cared for no one but herself once more. He disappeared, faded back into the air she breathed, and the tears stopped.

She was alone.

The last person alive in this hell.

[lemonayyyyyde]

Perfect (poem)

Notes: A poem about the stigma behind the want for writing to be perfect on the first draft, and the feeling that revisions make you less of a good author. I don't do poems often (as I said on my other posted one, Human) but I feel like it could be a bit relatable to others. Told from the perspective of a hypocritical editor/author.

--

Everything has to be perfect.

Every paragraph, every line, every word.

Everything has to be perfect.

To have it otherwise would be simply absurd!

So what if it's hastily written?

Every writer writes flawless, no need for revision.

A first draft you say, what is that?

There's no such thing- Stick to writer tradition!

Everything has to be perfect.

Your story must flow onto the page!

Everything has to be perfect.

And, oh dear...What was I saying?

Hold on, just let me start over.

Take two, take three, take four...

Turn off the camera, stop rolling!

Goodness, where is my editor?

[lemonayyyyyde]

3 AM

My mother always warned me that 3 am was a dangerous time. As I child I would listen to her pleas to go to bed on time, as any good child would. As a teen…well, who would want to worry their sick mother?

Each time I kissed her goodnight, her tired eyes becoming duller every day, she would whisper in my ear to go to sleep before the clock struck 3. Her wheezed warnings would stick to me as I drifted off to my own room, and despite not knowing the reasoning behind them I found myself following the orders without a complaint.

Now, as I sit here alone in my car, watching the minutes on the clock tick closer and closer… I no longer wonder why she was so scared.

It has been exactly one month since my mother had been laid to rest. Even longer since I had actually seen her face. She had always wanted a closed casket service, and who are we to deny a dead woman’s wish?

02:52. The trees seem to surround the cemetery in an almost foreboding and protective way. Even though I had parked only a few feet away from the entrance, I can hardly see into the area where so many people left their loved ones buried underground. It’s a nice thought, I suppose. Giving the dead their privacy. Not that they really need it.

02:54. I open the car door and the wind helps me shut it. It seems to be picking up, moving faster after each minute. A storm was probably coming, something I should have guessed would happen yet I still was without an umbrella, or any warm clothes really. Not that I minded, my goal here wouldn’t take long.

02:56. I walk up to the gate, look at it for a moment, and then simply hop it. Graveyards never really did have good security. I guess that’s because not many people rob graves around here. Superstitions were strongly rooted in our little, decrepit town.

02:59. I have to sprint to get to where I want to be when it starts. My mother’s grave sits where it always will be, the presence of her looming over me. I can almost hear the scolding now, as I sit on the dirt beside the headstone, reaching into my pocket to pull out my pack of cigarettes.

03:00. I can feel it in my bones, resounding through me like the chime of a clock. I finish lighting my cigarette, inspecting it before taking a drag. I look up into the eyes of the devil himself and crack a smile.

“Hey, Dad.”

[lemonayyyyyde]

Hysteria

Word count: 598

Notes: another older work while I continue to try and finish up something new to post! I hope you enjoy! :)

------

Valerie believed that everything could be explained by science. From the eclipse to the eruption of volcanoes; science had provided answers to nearly every phenomenon that had left early humanity shaking in their skin, crying out for mercy from angered false gods.

Yes, science can explain everything…

But Valerie could not fathom how it could explain this.

She had never been one to question the validity of explanations her coworkers provided her. They had said it was mass hysteria, and so she researched and treated it as mass hysteria. A corruption of the mind eating away at the brains of people all over the world, ripping through the population like a deadly plague. A plague that brought not death, but insanity.

Mass hysteria…

Valerie didn’t feel crazy.

“What the hell do you mean you don’t see it, James?” Valerie exclaimed as she exasperatedly pointed towards the giant hole suspended only a few feet away from her finger, the low and monotonous buzz it was emitting causing her skin to prickle with unease. “It’s right there!”

“I mean that I don’t see it, Val! I really don’t know what else you want me to say,” James retorted back, obviously unsettled by the way his friend was acting. “There is nothing there- you’re just pointing at air!”

Val turned to look at him, hands bunching her tangled mess of brunette hair together as she ran them over her face and then back, entire body shaking with exhaustion and fear. “How...how can you not see it?” she sputtered after a moment, eyes wide and wild as she looked from her friend to the gaping hole. “There’s a hole in reality right there, eating away at the world, and you’re telling me you see nothing? I’m not crazy! I can’t be the only one who sees this!”

James expression grew more and more concerned as Valerie spoke; he looked around the room before starting to move towards her, slowly, as if each step was a risk. He spoke in a gentle, coaxing voice. “Listen, Val...I know the promotion you got has been putting a lot of extra work on you, but I think...I think maybe these overnights at the lab are really getting to you. You look like you haven’t slept in a week, and you’re acting…”

“No, no, no…” Valerie muttered to herself, backing away from James as he approached her, shaking her head wildly. She knew that tone. She had used that tone so often to patients that came in, terrified of an end of the world that only they could see. It was a tone she used for crazy people. “No, no I’m not crazy. It’s right…”

She jumped suddenly as a sudden shock flooded through her body, turning to see that she was only inches away from stumbling into the abysmal emptiness that was growing, eating away at the room around her. It was spreading, no...devouring all that was around it. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from it, the hypnotizing dark and droning sound calling her. It was hungry, and it wanted her. It wanted them all.

God save the human race.

“You’re sick, Valerie.” James' voice came again, sounding far off despite him being right behind her mere seconds before. “You need help. There’s nothing there, Val, it’s all just…”

The next words came easily to her, slipping past her own lips at the same time they left his, finishing the familiar phrase that she too had once offered.

“In your head.”

Her body relaxed, and the blank space swallowed her whole.

[lemonayyyyyde]

Imfamous

He stared at the bodies on the ground, and then at the girl covered in blood.

“You’re late.”

She said simply after a moment of inspecting him in silence, turning away to pluck a knife from the closest body and wipe it carelessly on her jeans.

“You could have waited a little longer.” Was the best response he could muster, ignoring her annoyed huff as he took a few steps closer. “I tried to call and tell you I wasn’t going to be on time, but you didn’t answer.”

A light and airy laugh that definitely shouldn’t be coming from someone who just killed several monsters cut him off before he could continue. “Ah yes, picking up my phone and talking to Sean Hasse, the world’s deadliest vampire hunter, in the middle of a nest is a wonderful idea. How silly of me not to notice. ”

“Don’t sass me!” Sean snapped, and although he couldn't see her face as she crouched down beside another beheaded undead corpse, he could practically feel her roll her eyes. “Maybe you should have thought about not being able to answer your phone before you got yourself captured!”

“I wouldn’t use the word ‘captured’.” She said, pressing two slender fingers to the vampire's flesh and holding them there. “It’s more of...reckless endangerment that eventually lead to my imprisonment. I knew you would be here soon anyway, and it was getting boring to wait.” She looked over her shoulder, strands of dirty-blonde hair framing her face, and cracked a smile- the kind that Sean knew all too well.

Mischievous. Taunting. Adorable.

He hated it.

“That’s literally the same thing, Caroline.” His voice was full of faux exasperation as he moved closer to examine the body she was hunched over, kicking the head laying beside it away from them both as he did.

She shook her head as she stood up again, shaking her hand as if to rid herself of the feeling of his skin. “Not exactly. Capture is when you don’t mean to get caught. I meant to.”

Sean took a sputtering breath as he tried to think of what to say to that, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly as the words finally came to him. “Caroline, you can’t just throw yourself into danger like that! You could have gotten hurt, or died, or-"

She cut him off quickly, avoiding his eyes as she sauntered past him with a slight brush of their shoulders. “You can be a sourpuss and scold me later. His skin was warm, and they didn’t feed on me. There might still be a few girls around.”

Sean sighed, knowing it was useless to argue with her as she continued to walk away from him and deeper into the brood’s home. “You’re insufferable.”

Her laugh resounded off the concrete walls surrounding them.

“Sweetheart, I’m so much more than that. I’m infamous.”

[lemonayyyyyde]

49 for the injury prompt!! If you want!

Gosh mobile never let's me do asks right- of course!! I'll edit this when it is done :)

Edit:

"Hey," He says, all simple like. As if he hadn't just shown up on her doorstep for the first time in more than a year battered and bruised, blood seeping from his nose and a pained grimace on his face. As if he did nothing wrong, and this was just a normal everyday thing. Sure, it might be for him, but it wasn't for her Gods dammit!

If he hadn't so beaten already, she would have slapped him right across the face. Instead, she rushes forward, bringing a hand up to his face as she inspectes it and begins prodding at his body in search for more injuries.

"What happened?" She asks, but she knows its a pointless question, for she already knew. It was as obvious as the blood that wasn't his splattered across his face, a sickeningly black goo giving off the strong scent of sulfur and tar.

He shrugged her off of him.

"I got into a fight. It's no big deal." He mutters, pushing past her and into the cabin. He was limping slightly, and if she hadn't known he would refuse her Lexi would have offered to help. Instead, she stalks past him and into the bathroom in the hall, digging through the medicine cabinet for the first aid kit.

Funny how she had just grabbed more supplies and was already running low again.

"Like hell it's 'no big deal', James!" Lex shouts back as she slams the mirror door closed. When she emerges from the bathroom he's already sitting on the couch, head tilting back and bruising eyes closed. She continues speaking anyway. "Where the hell is your buddy? Partner? Two person rule, remember?"

"Didn't have one with me." James says, shrugging and then groaning at the slight pain doing it in that position caused. "Didn't think I'd need one."

Lex stares at him in bewilderment for a moment before it turns into a glare. "Are you fucking serious? Demon hunting by yourself? That's a suicide mission, James!" She sits down next to him on the couch, zipping open the bag as he straightens to face her.

When she looks back up, he has a shit-eating grin accompanying his words. Typical. "I'm here right now, arent I? Few broken bones, yeah, but usually I dont break anything when I do it."

This time, Lex does slap him. Not hard, but enough to cause him to look over at her in shock once he recovers. She does her best to ignore the tears welling up in the corner of her eyes as she speaks. "You could have died, James. What part about that do you not understand?"

[lemonayyyyyde]

Sorry for the self reblogs guys! I've been mentioning some works in asks recently and found that my writing tag seems to get drowned in other posts so I wanted to make it easier to find. I might have to make a new tag for my works- maybe #lemonaydestand ?

[lemonayyyyyde]

Quick update since I changed it in my bio but didnt make a post for it- you can now read my writing in the tag #lemonaydestand !