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whxtedreams · 8 months

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Chapter 12 - He Would Wait For You

Summary: The ambush of the cult compound. Not everything goes to plan, but when does it?

Tags: Descriptions of torture, anxiety, fear, mentions of past loss, violence, descriptive violence, death/murder (no main or supporting characters), blood and injury, hurt and comfort. (please let me know if I missed any)

Word Count: 10k

Now

All eyes are fixated upon you as you stand in front of the group of men listening with intent as you go over the details of the ambush in a calm and calculating way, ensuring that you are as accurate as possible with your orders.

Being around this many men used to terrify you, but now you feel nothing but authority and control as you stand before them. You spot Billy in the front with his head in his hands as he listens intently with a smile, while Joel stands at the back of the small group with his arms folded over his chest, staring at you with unblinking eyes and a blank face.

You explain how you had surveyed the area from the hill when you initially had arrived. You tell them that it would be easy to get in given its lack of physical security, but the school is swarming with cultists. You had spotted an easy thirty just outside, and at least twenty through windows before you gave up counting.

"You will take care of those on the outside while Joel and I sneak through the back exit and take out those on the inside. Once we've opened that main entrance door for you and have cleared those inside, you will work your way inside. Understood?" you explain, detailing the plan of attack to them clearly.

“What? Just the two of you inside?” A man speaks up, one of Billy’s brothers. You nod and he frowns. “Surely you’ll need more than that?”

Joel responds bluntly with a statement of "We know what we're doing." as he glares at the back of his head, his tone giving off the aura of confidence and competence.

You nod at Joel in thanks before continuing, explaining firmly and with a clear and authoritative tone,"I don't care who or how you kill them. But there is one person you do not touch." You remove a sketch from your pocket and hand it off to one of the men standing in front of you, telling them to pass it around and to make sure that everyone is informed and clear on who they are not to touch. “This person, you do not harm. You do not touch her. She is mine, and mine alone.”

The men all nod to indicate that they understand and have memorised the face, with a few of them looking at the sketch with disdain as they notice the face that was chosen for them to avoid. You feel a wave of anger and a grit of your teeth, wanting nothing more than to get revenge on the person pictured within the sketch.

The man in the back asks with a quiet grumbling from the back of the group, "Why are we listening to you anyway?" and your head turns to face the voice, your eyes landing on the man with a level look of indignation.

You ask back with a low and firm voice, "You want to repeat that?" and wait for the man to respond but he seems to back down and fall silent, looking anywhere but at you. “That’s what I thought.” You mutter dryly as you’re handed back the sketch.

You dismiss the group and turn to Joel, gesturing with a tilt of your head that signals for him to follow you. The men all nod and leave quietly, each of them taking their positions to prepare for the assault to begin as the sun starts to begin its descent.

Joel follows you to the edge of the cliff and stands beside you, creating a barrier from the setting sun as you both look down at the school.

Your eyes wander up to Joel as he looks over the building, his eyes scanning the location.

Your heart aches as you observe his side profile and feel the unfamiliar and uncomfortable tightening within your chest. You wonder why you are feeling this way now, unsure of the origins for this strong emotional reaction that had started with that first touch of his and had left you feeling out of control.

It had come out of nowhere initially – you thought – but Joel had informed you that he had been wanting to touch you and have you close to him for weeks now. The illusion and facade that you thought you knew about him both suddenly disappeared as if a ghost had passed before your eyes, yet that same facade had now also crystallised into something real and concrete. Everything you thought were insignificant looks, touching, and conversations that you had brushed off as being meaningless now hit you like a truck and it suddenly made all the sense in the world.

He made sense in your life and you made sense in his.

But if you had him, you could lose him.

You hadn’t let yourself think about Joel since this morning, too occupied with the upcoming attack. But now as you look at Joel, you can think of nothing but him. And that scares you because you should be thinking about Annabel. Should be thinking about tearing the cultists to shreds. But instead, you think of Joel.

Your fears overtake you as you believe that you will lose him, just like you've lost everyone in your life before him. He would promise to stay, to be a rock in your life and offer you stability and comfort. And yet, just like everyone else, you won't believe that his words will be true, that he will eventually be crushed to dust under the heels of this world and slowly slip away like sand falling through your fingers.

In an overwhelming sense of denial and desperation, you attempt to take control of the situation and crush the emotions within you that are running through you like a wildfire. Rather than letting yourself be vulnerable in front of him and letting him get closer to you and getting in any way emotionally attached, you resolve to keep your emotions at a far distance to prevent being crushed by him or anybody else. You won't allow yourself to be crushed this time, but rather will keep those emotions you feel for him buried deep down and never allow them to see the light of day.

Joel finally turns his attention towards you, searching your eyes as his look grows tender and his gaze softens. You freeze up and feel an overwhelming sense of panic as his eyes seem to peer directly into your mind and heart. "You think too much," he says on an exhale.

You shrug and rip your eyes away from his as you look down at the darkening building below you, finding some sort of solace in the shadows and darkness that have begun to slowly envelope the building and its surroundings. "Maybe."

You can feel his eyes still gazing upon you, feeling his look burn holes into the side of your face as you focus on everything but him. You've desperately wanted to just give in and look back at him, to just turn your head and lean in to kiss him, but no matter how much your heart wants to do this, your mind is forcing you to keep your lips locked up tight, forcing you to keep your eyes straight ahead and not to give in to the overwhelming desire to just grab him and claim him as yours, despite how much you want to.

Joel let out a sharp sigh before turning back around to face the horizon, placing his hands on his hips and looking off into the distance. "I’ve got your back down there. Just shout and I'll find you," he tells you, his voice growing back to the calm and soft-spoken level as he attempts to ease your nerves and assure you of his protection.

You have an urge to snap back at him, to just tell him that you don't need protection or anybody standing at your back ready to come in to save you. That you do just fine on your own. Instead, you bite down your words and allow the frustration to linger inside you as you nod and just say that you have his back too, knowing that you need him down there just as much as he needs you. There is no sense in trying to fight it at this point.

You hate yourself for wanting to protect him, for letting him slip under your skin and into your mind. You hate him for this sudden shift of dynamics and for completely turning your world upside down in the blink of an eye. You hate Tommy for having a brother and being the person to introduce him to you.

But you don’t hate them, not really.

You hate yourself for letting yourself feel again.

You don’t deserve to feel anything, not after Annabel.

Trying to relieve some of the internal strife you are facing, you try to ease yourself and offer your promise to Tommy instead. You promise him that you will ensure Joel makes it back to him safely and that no harm will come to his brother. You don't make any promises to yourself, because making a promise to yourself would imply that you care for Joel, which is something that you are not willing to admit to yourself.

Of course you care for him, always have. But after this morning, the care you feel for him is different. You can’t explain it, can’t understand it. You’ve felt protective before so that’s not new. Protective over Annabel, over Tommy, over Emily. But this, this feeling you have for Joel is crushing. It scares you, panic bubbling in your throat.

You don't understand and it makes you want to grab whatever you can and throw it over the cliff, making you want to scream out in frustration.

You long to return to yesterday, when everything was still innocent and untouched, when you didn't know that he felt anything more than just friendship for you. When you weren’t plagued with questions at the forefront of your mind about your own thoughts and emotions and you could just exist without all of the confusion and fear.

But who are you kidding really? You knew the moment he held you in his arms this morning, it was over for your heart. You feel a sense of defeat knowing that Joel has captured your heart so easily, and you cannot deny the fact that you are absolutely hooked on every aspect of his being. You feel angry at yourself, wishing you hadn't fallen so easily.

Internally, you are screaming and crying as you realise the unbreakable grip he has on you, the hold that he has on your heart and mind and how it has taken over your entire world. You are kicking and fighting against the inevitable pull he has on you, yet no matter how much you struggle, it is already too late.

You wanted to fight this sudden feeling of surrender but realised too late that the tides had already washed you out to sea and that there was nothing you could do but let the waves crash around you. The more you fight to free yourself, the more he grips and holds on tightly, refusing to let you go or to grant you an inch of space.

No matter how much you battle your own mind and emotions, when you look back up at him and you see the warmth in his warm smile, your heart finally gives in, allowing itself to shatter at his feet, completely falling to pieces at the mere sight of his warm smile.

You let go.

Joel seems to truly be a mind reader as his hand reaches out and places itself on your lower back, making small circular motions over your shirt as he senses your defeat and senses the internal struggle going on inside of you. That sensation makes you feel the urge to push away from him, but also the temptation to lean closer and fall in his embrace, wanting both the distance and the comfort at the same time.

Joel Miller has set a whirlwind in your brain.

A slow and steady wildfire is growing and burning in your resurrecting heart, a flame that he has single-handedly started to bring back to life with the very hands he has used to snuff out the lives of others.

What you don't tell Joel is that your dedication to him is not just a temporary promise. You will have his back now and forever, because you have chosen him as the person you will devote yourself to. You'll stay at his side and stand behind him until your last breath is forced from you, and there is nothing that can or will tear you apart.

The sounds of gunfire fill your senses as you stand at the back entrance of the Cult compound with Joel standing close to your side. The screams surrounding you grow louder and louder as you hear the cries of human voices, though it is difficult to distinguish if the screams are coming from allies or enemies.

You focus your attention on Joel as his demeanour grows intense and sharp in the moonlight. His face grows stern and his grip on his rifle tightens, his eyes growing sharper as he meets your gaze. His eyes are like nothing you’ve seen before. Not the Joel you know, but a Joel you’re intrigued to know. His eyes seem intense and almost threatening, but there is a sense of comfort and reassurance in them rather than the fear or intimidation that usually comes with this type of glare.

His eyes grow harsh and sharp as he stares directly into yours, his gaze becoming intense and full of a strange mixture of emotion and expression. His scowl sets deep into his face, almost making him look menacing, but oddly enough you find yourself feeling a certain attraction towards that scowl, feeling it stir a mix of emotions inside that you are finding difficult to place a name on.

A silent question: Ready?

With the slightest of nods, you respond with your own silent response: Yes.

His hand reaches for the door and your hand not holding onto your dagger grips around his wrist. His head snaps back to you with a tilt of his head.

You let go of his wrist and hold out your pinky to him instead. When he looks down at your pinky, he is caught off guard and confused by the strange childish gesture that you have just made, seemingly not knowing what is going on with you.

“I promise I’ll find you.” You whisper.

His eyes widen and his eyebrows rise almost subconsciously, the muscles in his face wrinkling with the expression of his forehead, looking at you with confusion as he attempts to process the unexpected gesture.

He doesn’t understand, of course he doesn’t. Why would he? He wasn’t there as each promise was made between you and your niece. Wasn’t there for each precious pinky promise made to a child to soothe their nerves. Wasn’t there as those promises began to soothe your nerves more than hers as she grew older.

He’s here now. After. You never thought there would be an after when it came to Annbel, but there is and he found it.

“Say it back.” You instruct him as he looks back down at your hand.

He huffs as he interlocks his pinky with yours and instead of the adult soothing the child, you feel the ache in your chest ease as his finger grasps your small and soft finger firmly in his own and holds yours in a firm and unbreakable pledge of promise.

“I promise I’ll find you.” Joel responds, and you know he said it because you see his mouth move, but you don't hear his voice.

You hear Annabel.

Joel's hand drops from your own as he lifts his bandana over his lower face and your mirror his movement. He slowly opens the door only a crack, giving you nothing more than a brief glimpse of the heavy boots and armed hooded men running past the door. You remain pressed up against the exterior wall, keeping your back to it as you wait for the noise of the boots to fade away and disappear down the dark hallway in front of you before moving in.

Your body releases all the air from your lungs with a deep and forceful exhalation, along with all of the thoughts that had previously filled your mind now escaping your body in the process. There is no time for thoughts of fear and concern about your heart or emotions. All that matters now is the destruction of the enemy cultists inside this compound.

You can deal with Joel later.

With a slight nudge of pressure the door is slowly swung open, glowing rays of light from the full moon spreading out onto the floor. Joel's footsteps are like swift and silent shadows, leaving behind no trail of sound or noise as he enters the doorway and moves into the building with his gun raised and aim focused. Joel's intense concentration spreads out through the hallway where it seems to engulf any ounce of air that remains in between both of you, the tension and atmosphere suffocating in the space between you.

It’s intoxicating.

His focus grows ever stronger, the way he grips his gun, the way he moves his feet, it seems that every part of Joel has been honed to a sharp point, becoming the ultimate tool for your mission. You step forward into the building behind him, not daring to make a sound as you attempt to blend in and remain hidden in his shadow, acting as the perfect silent partner to the operation.

Joel's hand shoots out and grabs you, stopping you in your tracks as he meets your eyes and gazes down at you. "I'll go this way," he declares, tilting his head towards the direction the cultists have headed up, before pointing with a single extended finger down the dark corridor to your side. "You go that way," he orders, his tone making it clear that this is not a request but an order. You nod in agreement as his hand drops back to his gun.

You watch Joel as he walks down the dark hallway with firm and quick strides, his focus and attention completely on the task at hand. You watch that last glimpse of him slipping into the darkness of a room before the door closes behind him as the space he leaves behind you is now filled with the deafening silence that comes from his absence.

If this was the last time you would see him, this cult's settlement would burn to the ground as your own fury and anger would consume you entirely once again, turning you into nothing more than a fireball of uncontrollable rage.

A rage so blind it burns through your veins like loose hand grenades.

They will take no more from you.

You turn on your heels and face the long and ominous hallway, letting the moon light filtering through the windows and the darkened dirt under your feet become your temporary path. You walk quietly and cautiously, the only sound is the soft whispering of the wind whistling through the cracks in the windows.

You silently urge for someone to round the corner, hoping for someone to appear in front of you so you can finally vent your frustration and wrath upon any enemy who will take the bait that you are placing in front of them.

When you turn the corner and come face-to-face with a cultist who is wielding a bat, the smirk on your face suddenly fills you with a sense of satisfaction and confidence that shines brightly.

His bat swings and you duck as it comes in contact with the wall beside you. Without warning you take hold of the barbed wire end and yank it harshly out of the grasp of the enemy, your protective gloves saving you from any pain that the sharp wire might have brought on you. You then take a swift, hard-hitting kick to the cultist's stomach, the power of your kick loosening his grip on the back and making him let go of his only weapon.

He stumbles back briefly before gripping his stomach and snarling in pain and rage, the heated flames in his eyes growing bright and angry. "Hellhound" he growls from the depths of his lungs, the heat and fury of his voice burning deep down into you as he stares you down with such an intense glare that you could have sworn he could burn a hole right through everything between you and his stare alone.

That name, the word that had been metaphorically branded upon your flesh against your will as a disgusting reminder of the horrific ordeal and the loss of Annabel, now fills you with burning rage and unstoppable vengeance. You had sworn on your life that you would tear the entire cult apart with your own two hands, ripping them apart piece-by-piece if they had so much as touched a single hair on her head that night.

Instead of sparing her, he laughed.

“You, my sweet child, are a mere protector of hell – the omen of death. A Hellhound. You could do so much good in this world. Instead you protect sinners, those destined for hell. If you want to hunt us down like a dog, I hope you find God along the way.”

The words echo through your mind like a burning scream, those who had hurt your precious niece so terribly that one horrendous night with nothing more than the intent to inflict misery and pain on you.

You swing the bat hard, taking no restraint as it impacts his shoulder with full force impact, feeling the shock echo back up into your body. Your aim was not to kill him yet, just to get your point across that there will be no mercy.

The infamous Hellhound title had spread throughout the cultists – a legend almost – as the tale of you destroying outposts and the destruction of your enemies spread like wildfire across the land, your name becoming the very symbol of death and vengeance. If they wanted to taint your image with the omen of death, then you would live up to its name, giving them only death and destruction as you continue to slaughter them one after the other, all in the name of justice and retribution for those they have harmed.

For Annabel.

For who you once were.

The cultist crashes forcefully into the brick wall as you make strong and quick use of the bat by using his own weapon against him, slamming the bat across his back with full force. It knocks the air out of him and leaves him dazed and disoriented as you drop the bat to the ground and crowd his body from behind. With no time to waste, you swiftly remove the hood from his head and grab onto his strands of hair tightly. His shouts of pain echo throughout the hallway, the impact of his face against the cold, rough brick wall doing nothing more than adding to the fury fueling the flames of your rage.

"You and I are going to have a little chat." You hiss and he breathes in sharply as you hold the sharp edge of your dagger to the cultist's throat, the point of it just barely touching the sensitive skin beneath his chin. You tug on his hair hard, pulling him away from the wall and making him grunt with the sudden jerk.

You guide him the short distance into what appears to have originally been a classroom, the signs of the children who once used this place of education still apparent. The artwork of the young students remains plastered against the walls, the colourful and childish drawings a stark contrast to the grim reality of what you’re about to do to this man. The alphabet is still caked onto the chalkboard at the front of the room, though it is smeared and barely readable against the caked dust that has accumulated in this place since the last class taught.

The cultist's breath grows quick and shallow as you remove the sharp and cold blade of your dagger from the sensitive skin against his throat as you begin to pull a chair behind you. The scrape of the sharp legs of the chair moving across the floorboards causes a loud and distinctive sound to echo through the room, drawing all attention to the presence of you both in the place once reserved for learning. The cultist is dragged behind you forcefully, his hair pulled and yanked by you into the chair placed in front of you.

Before he has a chance to move against you, with a swift movement you abruptly stab him in the thigh and he screams in agony. His cries of pain echo through the room, the sudden stab in his thigh causing a jolt of pain to shoot through his veins and fill his mind with intense agony. Before he can gather his thoughts, you quickly take the rope from your belt against his wrists and tie them tightly around the chair, binding his hands to it and making them secure as you do so. His cries of pain grow louder and louder now that his hands are tied tightly to the chair, yet you still take your time to ensure that the rope is properly tied before you allow your focus to shift elsewhere.

Now that his hands are tied together tightly and securely to the back of the chair, you grab his hair and jerk him towards you slightly as you move around to the front of the chair, leaning down near his face to look him directly in the eyes.

“Now, I'm sure you've heard whispers of what I can do,” you smirk playfully as you look at him through your eyelashes. “Heard what I've done to your friends,” you add with a small chuckle, your smile turns into a sinister grin as you wrap your other hand around the handle of your dagger and apply pressure to the blade. He throws his head back in pain, his breath catching in his throat. “That I can do terrible, awful things to you.”

You find yourself thankful that you split up with Joel because what you’re about to enjoy doing to this man, is a side of you that you don’t want him to see.

You release his hair as his head is thrown back in pain, and instead wrap it around his jaw and force him to look back at you, his eyes narrowing as he meets your deadly gaze. “You know why I’m here. All you gotta do is tell me where she is.” You try to reason with him, your grip on his jaw tightening as you speak. “Do that and I’ll make this quick.” you lie, trying to convince him to give up the one you’re after.

He glares at you, his face tense with anger and agony as he struggles to breathe. “You’re a fuckin’ psychopath!” He chokes out, his voice strained with pain. His words make the anger in you rise and a sinister chuckle escapes from your lips. You release his jaw and your hand rests on his other leg as you tighten your grip on the dagger.

You find pleasure in his pain and a twisted smile spreads across your face.

You lean in close, your face almost touching his as you whisper, “Oh honey, you have no idea,” you reply, a sadistic glint in your eyes as you watch the pain and fear in his. With a quick movement, you twist the blade and his thigh causing him to let out a deafening, agony filled scream as his head drops to look at the dagger in his thigh.

You keep your eyes locked on his face as you tap his chin up to look at you. “Look at me.” You demand.

His voice rises to a high-pitch as he begs for your mercy, pleading for his god to answer his cries and pleading for you to end whatever it was that you had started with the swift jab of the dagger to his thigh. You remain unmoved as his desperation grows, the pathetic pleas of mercy and his cries of pain holding no weight towards you. You lean down close to him as you stare directly at him with piercing, unmoving eyes, giving him no hint of mercy.

You pull another dagger from your belt and watch as his eyes widen in fear, begging you not to.

You do.

The dagger is plunged into his other thigh and his scream is like music to your ears. “You bitch!” He yells in agony, his words slurred and distorted as the pain and blood loss begins to affect him. More blood drips down his legs and pools on the floor beneath him as he glares at you, trying to hide his fear but doing a poor job.

You laugh and chuckle to yourself as you hear the cultist's cry and begging for mercy fall on deaf ears. The gunshots coming from the other side of the building catches you off guard, your head quickly snapping and turning towards the sound. In that instant all fear of your own and your worries for Joel's safety break free, sending a sudden rush of anxiety and worry through you.

Fun’s over.

You turn back to the man and twist the other dagger, your grip tightening around it as you stare him directly in the eyes. Your voice becomes harsher as you demand his answer, a sense of impatience and unease now taking over within the air surrounding you. "Tell me where she is now", you speak out in a stern and unforgiving tone, letting your intentions and words sink deep down into his being.

A raspy voice leaks out from his lips, his voice struggling to form words as his eyes remain closed from the pain and shock he is currently experiencing. "She’s in the gym. She claimed the locker rooms." he confesses, a slight glint from the corner of your eyes becoming noticeable in your expression as the words begin to make a smile grow on your face.

All it took was a little bit of pain, and he told you everything you needed to know.

You tap his cheek mockingly, his head tilting to the side. “Now that wasn’t so hard was it?” You huff, your expression stern yet sarcastic.

You pull both knives out with a grunt and he lets out a gasp of pain. You wipe the blood on your jeans before you move to straddle his lap as he sits limply against the chair. His head shoots back at you as he swears, his eyes wide with anger.

“You bitch! I told you what you wanted!” He grits as your legs put pressure on his wounds, the blood seeping into your black pants.

You shrug as you tear his shirt open with your dagger, the fabric hanging over his shoulders and frame his torso. Your dagger hovers over his chest and it scrapes down as his body tenses.

He stares down at the dagger in fear, his body trembling under you from shock. “You- you said you’d make it quick?” He argues, his voice chokes as he meets your gaze with pleading eyes.

You hum in thought. “I guess I lied.” You smile sweetly before you begin to carve into his chest slowly. His body tenses again as he lets out a deep, hearty scream mixed with agony and pain. His head falls back and his legs tense under you as you work your dagger into him.

His screams slowly fade, dying down to soft cries as his body rattles and jolts beneath you. You lean back and sigh, tracing your hand along his bloody chest. You made quite the mess and you took pride in your work, impressed with your own skill and tenacity in breaking the man.

You stand from his lap and take a step back, nodding to yourself with satisfaction. His eyes stare up at you, lifeless and cold. His chest rises and slows with each breath. You shrug once more and pull your gun from the holster on your thigh.

“Go to hell.” The man sighs his dying words as you aim the gun at him.

“I’m already there.” You pull the trigger, delivering a fatal shot between the eyes.

You take one last look at the words carved into his chest before you leave the room.

For Annabel.

You make your way to the gym and are struck with an unexpected disappointment as you notice a lack of cultists and opposition, the only sounds that accompany you on your journey are the distant gunshots that echo faintly in the opposite direction.

The absence of other cultists surprises you and for a moment you consider that you may have made a mistake; that perhaps you are walking into an ambush of cultists awaiting you alongside your target. You take a moment to compose yourself and prepare yourself mentally for any unforeseen circumstances that may lay ahead of you, and take a deep breath as you stand in front of the gym doors.

You place your ear to the door; quiet.

You slowly push open the door with your gun in your hand and enter the new room. The air thick and tense with a lingering sense of uncertainty and danger, the faint smell of gunpowder and metal filling your nostrils as you hear the light thud of something landing at your feet. You freeze as your eyes look down to see it roll to your feet, and for a split second you are at a loss of words.

Ha! Oh fuck.

Your body is hurled backwards as the explosion is triggered, the blast knocking the air out of your lungs and sending a shockwave around you as you are thrown to the ground, a cloud of dust covering the air around you as you struggle to catch your breath. Your eardrums ring out, the ringing in your ears deafening even as you try to calm your breathing and calm down. Blinking your eyes open, you stare at the world around you, your vision blurry and your head still fuzzy from the impact of the explosion as the world begins to seem like it is slowly spinning.

Your body feels as if it has been pounded by a hammer, each bone in your body feeling heavy and aching with the pain of the explosion. As you lift your hand to your head, a sticky and hot sensation covers your hand as you lift it to your eyes, the substance covering your hand being your own blood. A loud swear escapes your lips as you drop your hand back to your side, the pain and soreness in your head growing stronger with each passing second as your mind tries to keep up with the sudden jolt of agony.

The dust settles on your face and chest, a layer of dirt and grime covering you as your lungs choke and cough in the dusty air, your lungs screaming in the process. You claw at the cloth covering your face and pull it down to try and breathe. You struggle to force down a choked cry and close your eyes as you focus on trying to breathe and remain calm, your entire body still burning and screaming in pain.

You’re not dying here.

You shift your head to the side at the sound of the footsteps that suddenly interrupt your moment of concentration and pain-filled breathing, your head feeling fuzzy and dizzy from the sudden movement which begins to slowly blur your vision. Your mind fills with a sudden rush of panic and you quickly try to roll over to stand up off the ground, the effort and weight your body is currently experiencing causing your arm to begin to falter and bend, sending you crashing back down to the floor.

“Just shout and i’ll find you” Joel’s words echo in your mind and you open your mouth to shout his name but the heel of a shoe forces your head to the ground. A broken scream rattles through your body as the side of your face meets the ground.

You fight your body with every ounce of strength and willpower left in you to remain conscious, knowing that if you do succumb to the sudden urge to slip into the arms of unconsciousness, it could very well be the death sentence you had long been fearful of. A hand presses down and takes a fist full of your hair forcefully as your head is smashed back down into the ground with such force that the fight slips away from your body, the world around you going dark and black as the last thing you think of is Joel.

The sensation of cold water falling onto your face causes you to gasp back to life, shock and confusion filling your mind in the process. An intense, spinning and dizzying sensation assaults you as you open your eyes and stare at the blurred image of your lap, blood dripping from your head onto your pants as your vision spins and swirls around you. The dizziness and spinning causes a wave of nausea and sick feeling to fill your insides as the intensity continues to grow and the world begins to twist and distort around you.

The same hand grabs hold of your hair again, twisting and pulling it up harshly towards the person who is holding it. You find your eyes locking onto theirs while you're unable to make any sound other than a silent cry in pain, your mouth opening to let the cry escape but it is left trapped in your throat, no sound coming out as the world spins around you.

Your vision starts to become slightly more focused as you manage to meet the eyes of the familiar face in front of you, the red hair instantly throwing you back to that night. The memory of her leaving you in the cold shipping container with Annabel's dead body flashes through your mind, the image and fear that you had felt at that moment coming back to the front of your mind in vivid and sharp detail.

"This ends now." The familiar face and voice of the woman sends a rush of adrenaline through your whole body as you forcefully sit up in the chair. You let out a quiet, silent chuckle as a deadly smile spreads across your face, letting a hint of malice and darkness creep into your eyes as you face her.

"Let me out of this chair and I'll fucking end it." Your bloody and angry words are met with nothing but a dismissive roll of her eyes, the woman showing nothing but an almost complete indifference to your anger and threats. As she gives you a condescending look, you feel an overwhelming sense of frustration and rage that fuels the malice and darkness in your eyes as you stare at her.

Her grip on your hair finally releases as she lets her hand fall down to her waist band, pulling out the gun and placing the barrel directly on your forehead. Her eyes stare you directly in the face as she clicks the safety off and releases a sigh, letting a small smirk cross her lips. “I told him we should have killed you with that bitch.” she says with a hint of malice, waiting for the right moment to end your life.

You stare up at her as your heart skips a beat and your lungs tighten, your entire body locking up with panic as you struggle against your restraints. You try to force the cable ties to break as you flail and squirm the best you can, but the force and tightness of the cable ties proves to be too much as you are unable to do any real damage to them without having something that could effectively cut into the cables. As the woman's stare remains locked onto yours, you can't help but feel that this moment will be your last.

You think back to Tommy, the last real conversation you had with him. An argument full of tension, anger, and fear. You also think back to Joel, the last moment you had with him, spent fighting yourself and your own emotions when it should have been spent in comfort.

It's true what they say, you never know what moment will be your last. Your last meal, your last hug, your last laugh. You also know that this moment, looking directly into this woman's gun and her cruel, empty gaze, could very well be your last breath.

In this moment, you close your eyes and prepare yourself for the eventual end. An image of Joel flashes through your mind as you sit back against the chair, trying to hold onto the comforting memory of his face as the last image that flashes before your eyes as you wait for the cold and quiet embrace of death.

As the gunshot echoes and light flashes across your eyes, you feel nothing but a cold numbness surrounding you as you feel no pain from the shot. You have heard people say that overwhelming pain can lead to numbness, but even as you lie there waiting to die, your mind is overwhelmed with shock and fear as the silence and stillness seem to slowly envelope you.

Hearing the sound of a lifeless body hitting the ground, you open your eyes to find the woman that had had you in her grasp now lifelessly sprawled out on the floor at the feet of your chair. You look up and see a man in the doorway with a gun raised in your direction that you had previously tried to enter through, your mind and heart pounding in your chest as your breath comes in shallow and fast breaths, your body shaking with a mixture of adrenaline and pain.

The man is clothed in a dark rusty brown coat with a bulletproof vest covering his chest, various pouches strapped to his body and a thick scarf wrapped around his neck and face, but you cannot see his face in the darkness of night. The man looks in your direction for several long seconds before he swiftly moves from the doorway and disappears from view, as if he was never there.

You glance at the woman's body again as the moonlight settles over her body, watching as the pool of blood grows around you and her body until it reaches your feet. The thought of her demise and her dead corpse brings about a grim satisfaction to you, despite the fact that it was not your hand that delivered the final blow. You let a low smirk cross your lips as you watch the lifeless woman stare blankly, her face now filled with an unemotional stare in her cold and dead eyes.

The ringing in your ears makes it difficult to make out the words that are being shouted, your body slowly returning back to a state of exhaustion and pain. You feel the adrenaline slipping from you and the pain of your injuries seeping back in, your energy levels beginning to drop drastically and your body becoming overwhelmingly tired. The thought of yelling back makes you feel more tired than actually yelling, and you let out a low groan and let the exhaustion wash over you as you decide to ignore the voices for the moment.

Joel's inside the school theatre when he hears the explosion, perched high above on the second level and firing shots at the cultists below as they fight with Billy’s family on the ground. The gunfire echoes through the school theatre as the cultists below scramble for cover, their bodies moving frantically and chaotically as they try to dodge Joel's bullets and the attacks from his back up. He can hear the frantic screams and shouts from the cultists below, the gunfire and the explosion, a cacophony of noise that sends his heart pumping and his body sweating from the intensity and adrenaline rushing through him.

Joel hesitates, turning his head towards the source of the explosion after hearing the sound reach his ears. His heart skips a beat as he hopes that the explosion he had heard was one you set off, rather than the one meant to blow you up. He feels his stomach clench and his breath catch in his throat, his eyes slowly narrowing as the realisation that the explosion might have been meant for you sets in.

He dreads splitting up with you, he shouldn't have left you.

Joel curses loudly as he turns back to the scope after hearing a distant explosion, instantly shaking his head to clear his mind of the thoughts and fear that had rushed to flood his mind. His mind instantly turns back to the present and the cultists below, his finger pulling the trigger to fire shots at the cultists sneaking up behind Billy. The first cultist falls to the ground while the others duck and weave away from Joel’s gunfire as they try to dodge his attacks while Billy fights them off with his own weapon.

No, you can take care of yourself.

Joel's body stiffens as an image of you fills his mind, the picture of you slumped against the church wall with a deep, red cut across your stomach sending a wave of nausea through him. The image lingers in his mind, no matter how much he tries to push it back and bury it, your bleeding body and blank stare remaining engraved in his mind as his mind begins to fill with guilt.

What if you were laying half dead, needing help and he’s here thinking you’re fine on your own?

“Shit!” Joel swears as he stands, leaning over the balcony and takes in the fight below him. There’s around ten or twelve cultists left and he decides the rest of the group are capable of taking them out without his help.

Joel pushes himself away from the balcony, jogging back up the stalls and out the door. He back tracks down the hallway to where he left you and heads down the staircase, running down the stairs as quickly as possible, his mind filled with a combination of panic, worry, and fear, wondering what he will find when he reaches you.

Flash after flash fills his mind without any control or order, his mind instantly going through a bombardment of images of Sarah bleeding out in his arms, Tess' eyes as she told him she was going to die, Ellie unconscious on the operating table as the Fireflies were about to murder her in the name of medicine, and you slumped against the church wall with a gash on your stomach. All this happening in such a short period of time causes his mind to spiral and his heart and stomach to lurch into his throat in desperation and fear, his adrenaline suddenly spiking up higher than before.

Joel stops as he clutches onto the wall, bracing himself as he feels his body suddenly become overcome with a wave of overwhelming anxiety and desperation. His body begins to grow more and more anxious and stressed, his heart pounding hard in his chest for several moments as he tries desperately to slow it down and keep it from spiralling out of control and sending him into a panic.

He can’t do this, not now.

Joel pushes himself from the wall, continuing to follow the hallway as he frantically checks each room, determined and desperate to not miss you. He walks with a sense of urgency, his breath becoming more and more laboured as his anxiety continues to grow greater and greater with each room he checks.

He stops in his tracks when he enters a room with a man tied to a chair. He slowly walks towards the dead man, stopping in front of him. He lifts his head to see a bullet wound in the middle of his forehead before his eyes wander down to his carved out chest. The words carved on his chest make it obvious that this was your doing.

The torture you inflicted on this man seems to have a striking resemblance to the sort of torture you inflicted on the man in the church, and he nods his head approvingly before dropping his head.

If anyone in this world has harmed you, he promises to himself that he would do much worse to those responsible and not feel any remorse or regret. As he makes this decision, he feels a cold determination settle into his heart and mind, a sharp focus and clarity that will drive him to do whatever is necessary to protect you.

Every ounce of anxiety disappears from his body as he leaves the room.

He’s going to find you alive, and if he doesn't – well he doesn’t want to know what he will become.

The fear of losing someone else, the pain of another loss is something so devastating that it will leave nothing of him, it would destroy everything left of him.

Joel hears a gunshot in the distance, a distinct and ominous sound that sends a shiver down his spine and sends his adrenaline skyrocketing all over again. His heart begins to pound harder and his breath grows tighter as he sprints down the hallway in the direction of the sound, hoping that the gunshot he heard was from the gun you carried, rather than one aimed at you.

Joel turns the corner as he follows the sound and witnesses the blood on the floor, his heart growing heavier and his sense of panic and desperation intensifying as he walks over the blood, loudly shouting your name as he searches for you among the rubble and debris, coughing in the dust filled air.

No body, that's good.

Joel bursts into the gym and is stopped in his tracks by the sight of your body slumped over in a chair in the middle of the room, a dead body lying on the floor close by. The imagery instantly sends bile up to his throat as he stares in shock, his body going rigid with fear.

No.

Please no.

Joel's feet make an initial slow and cautious advancement towards you but they quickly gain strength and speed, his legs carrying him with increasing pace and intensity as he comes within arms reach of where you sit. He doesn't think about the pain in his knees, or anything else as he drops his gun and kneels down in front of you. Your eyes open as his hands cup your face and relief washes over him at the sight of you smiling weakly at him.

"You found me." You choke out, your voice weak and hoarse, but the sound of your voice fills Joel with an overwhelming sense of relief and comfort. He gently traces the bleeding wound on your temple, his touch soft and tender, a delicate and caring caress. You close your eyes and gasp at the touch and he closes his eyes and leans his forehead on yours.

Pain is good. Pain means you’re alive.

You’re alive.

"I promised." Joel whispers back as he gently raises his forehead to properly look at you and check you for any other injuries, his eyes scanning your face and body as his hands grip onto your shirt. Too scared to let go of you.

"You told me my luck would run out one day." You make a mild effort to sound light and playful but your tone is tinged with a heaviness that is a sign of your weakened body as you take a deep breath and inhale of air only to start coughing. You meet Joel's gaze, but your eyes betray a pain and struggle that is evident even in your attempts to appear light-hearted.

Joel's eyes widen at the sound of your hoarse and painful cough, his hand instantly pressing against your chest to try and support your weak body. You cough harder and louder as you attempt to get your lungs to work properly again, with your head dropping onto his shoulder from the overwhelming cough. Joel holds you as close as he can, concerned and fearful of your weakened and injured state.

"I didn't say that?" Joel asks with a note of confusion in his voice, his hand gently caressing into your hair as he holds you close to him.

You lift your head from his shoulder and cough again before responding. “In the church, you told me my luck would run out if I kept going after them.”

Joel shakes his head, his frown deepening as he looks at your weakened form and hears your laboured breathing and hoarse voice, and his hands leave you. "I was an idiot, you're not dyin’ on me. Not today." His voice is strong but pleading as he reluctantly gets up from you, his eyes looking at you and trying to assure you that he will do everything in his power to keep you alive.

Joel quickly cuts the ties that are binding your wrists and ankles, his hands working with speed and efficiency to free your limbs from the cable ties. Your body remains mostly still, your strength and energy depleted.

Joel carefully coaxes you to your feet, slowly and carefully positioning your arm over his shoulders as he wraps his arm around your back to help support you. You try to make a step forward, but lurch forward as you empty your stomach on the floor as your legs quickly give out and you instantly put all of your body weight onto him.

He lowers you back to the chair before he picks up his rifle and swings the strap over his so it sits over his back.

"Don't fight me on this." Joel warns and you don't get to question him before his arm wraps around your back and under your knees as he gently lifts you off the chair and holds you close to him, groaning at the added weight. He struggles slightly to keep you held as you cling onto him and lean into chest, your weight straining his body.

A strain he welcomes.

You sigh into his chest and he feels your hands grip onto his shirt as his own grip onto you, neither of you wanting to let go of eachother.

Because you’re both alive and breathing.

Smoke fills the hallways as he holds you tightly in his arms, his own lungs struggling to breathe. He stops and his eyes widen in fear as fire fills the end of the hallway, blocking off his exit. His mind races as he tries to remember another way out. He steps backwards as he looks up at the signs on the walls, looking for another exit sign.

He spots a fire exit sign and he sighs with relief as follows the hallway to the side, his pace picking up.

Joel pushes his back on the fire exit door at the end of the hallway, his muscles feeling the strain and tiredness from carrying your weight with ease but not without difficulty as you lean into him. You breathe steadily and deeply at the fresh air that hits your nostrils, the sudden rush of cold air causing your lungs to gasp for clean air that they declined in the stale and stagnant dust filled air you had been breathing inside the gym after the explosion.

One of Billy's brothers, Ben appears from around the corner of the building, their gun and torch aimed at Joel and their glare piercing right through him. Joel's grip around your body tightens further as he’s temporarily blinded from the light, his hands surly bruising your skin from the pressure and strain. His glare at the man matching the man's glare at him, a stalemate of deadly and dangerous intent, but his gaze never faltering as he protects you by sheltering you in his arms.

“Oh shit, sorry.” Ben apologises as he lowers his gun and torch once he recognises Joel. His eyes lower to you in his arms and his eyes widen. “We – we thought you were both already out. We lost track of you in the theatre, thought you left.”

“Well we weren’t.” Joel snaps as he walks past him. “Could have fucking killed us.” He mutters as Ben jogs to match his long strides. He wants you out of here, far from this fucking place as quickly as he can.

“Oh come on, we wouldn’t have set the place on fire if we knew either of you were still in there.” Ben tries to reason with him but he grits his teeth and shakes his head.

Ben reaches his hand out to grab onto Joel's arm and instantly Joel grunts in warning, his grip tightening around you. His glare at Ben is piercing and filled with rage.

“Let me help, man. She doesn’t look good and you’re obviously struggling.” Ben offers as he reaches for her.

“Don’t. Fucking. Touch. Her.” Joel's voice quickly drops down to a low and dark tone as he warns Ben, the air tense and thick with the threat of violence lingering right underneath. Joel's glare holds no room for argument, the warning coming from a dark and dangerous place inside of him that has snapped and he is no longer willing to entertain any thoughts of anyone near you.

Ben’s hands snap back beside his head in his own defence. “Yeah, okay, okay,” He quickly attempts to calm Joel down by taking a step back. “I’m going to run ahead, make sure a car is ready then.” He offers before he runs off towards the front of the school where they used the trucks to run over as many cultits as they could before the fight began.

Joel watches as he turns the corner of the building before he hears his name fall from your lips. Your face is scrunched in pain as you look up at him, blood staining your face as it seeps from your temple and your hair sticking to your face. But instead of you, he sees his daughter bleeding out in his arms and he forces the image out of his mind with all his power, struggling to focus on you and not the past.

“It’s okay baby, I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.” Joel promises as he works to carry you to the front of the school. He tries his best to reassure you, his voice filled with compassion and the soothing words.

Because you are going to be okay. You have to be.

He’s so close to having you as his, Joel could feel your thoughts and emotions, the conflict and pain that you were feeling inside being so intense that it felt as if he could almost hear them himself. He knew that your thoughts and feelings were conflicting, that you weren't ready but he wanted it so badly.

But Joel would wait for you, waiting as long as it took until you were ready for him, until your conflicting thoughts and feelings came in line and you were sure about what you wanted. He would wait until every single hair turned grey on his head and until his days ran out, the desire and want for you burning intensely and making him willing to wait for as long as it took.

“You're going to be okay.” Joel sighs, his words more directed towards himself than to you.

Chapter 13

Notes

I have spent three weeks sitting on this. The first 600 words took two of those weeks. Don't ask why; I don't know why, but I just hit writer's block.

Was the fights even okay in this? I have no idea.

Joel's POV made me cry so suffer with me.

I am so sick right now with the flu I don't know why I put myself through the pain of Joel's POV but it happened.

This chapter actually had a completely different outline, different ending and fight scenes but suddenly there was an explosion and I was like huh.. okay sure this works.

I am so self-conscious of these fight scenes and, actually, this whole chapter, probably because I'm sick. Please be kind to me. I'm sensitive and haven't taken my Lexapro in a few days.

Anyway, Joel's "Don't fucking touch her," yeah- just yeah.

Tags: @ratoonstown , @orcasoul - comment if you want to be tagged in upcoming chapters

#pedro pascal #joel miller #joel tlou #the last of us #joel fanfic #tlou #tlou joel #joel x reader #tlou fanfiction #joel x fem!reader #joel x f!reader #joel x you #joel miller tlou

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thecasscain · 6 months

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Jason & Bruce in Legends (1986)

[Jason: Yeah -- and maybe they won't! I mean, I was almost killed by the very people we were supposed to be protecting!

Bruce: I can't believe that was intentional--! Goaded by Gordon G. Godfrey, they were out of control -- didn't know what they were doing --!

Jason: Oh, I think they knew exactly what they were doing, Bruce! I think maybe deep down, they all really hate us -- maybe they fear the Batman more than the criminals do! Maybe we remind them too much of everything they're not and can never hope to be!

Bruce: You're wrong, Jay.]

Started reading this comic bc of Captain Marvel (this is the one where he gets framed for murder), but I was caught by this little argument between Bruce and Jason after the latter was caught in a mob that was being influenced by G. Gordon Godfrey into a riot and then injured.

Jason changes his mind and saves the day later, of course, but I wonder what the Red Hood would think of it looking back.

Billy has this really nice moment later:

Guy echoes Jason's earlier concerns and Billy kinda rebukes him here.

Idk if I'd call the whole "kids can't be convinced that heroes aren't needed and that's why Darkseid's plan is doomed to fail" etc thing the best writing ever but I've definitely seen worse and more obnoxious around.

And then Justice League International is founded and Wonder Woman does a Batman where she leaves without them noticing and all of the heroes present sigh wistfully and goes, "She's such a badass." All is right in the universe.

I also get psychic damage from seeing comics!President Ronald Reagan and Superman interact amicably throughout the whole run.

#dc #liveblogging #jason todd #bruce wayne #billy batson #i wouldn't say this comic is good but i also wouldn’t say i had a bad time exactly #although i skipped some of the first issue bc i wasn't really interested in cosmic boy or whatever #sorry dude. im sure you're real interesting but uhh. yeah

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the-teddy-bear-butch · 2 years

Text

Too sleepy to write, too wired to sleep

Have another au on the WIP list that I haven’t talked about yet!

“there in the garden, she looked my way”

(Title from Predator & Prey by Griffin Puatu)

Or: Beauty & the Beast AU, ft vampire Nancy

Nancy was always dangerous. She was an independent woman, she didn’t want to get married, she could read. It was blasphemous. It was enough that the townspeople wanted to burn her at the stake—so she asked a “fairy” (secretly a witch) for help. The witch obliges, but with a curse—vampirism. Nancy is given the strength to protect herself, but at the cost of a ravenous hunger she can never truly sate. She killed someone. It wasn’t intentional, but it happened—so she ran away, secluded herself in a castle all her own for nigh a century.

Enter Robin Buckley. Once again, the town has an outcast. Robin is strange. She talks too much and knows too much and there’s talk that she may be… Queer. She knows what the town says of her, but she goes about her life regardless. She’s the baker’s daughter, and she sometimes travels to deliver goods.

One of her deliveries goes wrong. It’s a stormy night and she loses her way. She seeks solace in a dark castle she’s shocked she didn’t know existed.

She’s welcomed to a place of magic and mystery—home of a mysterious, beautiful woman, cherry red lips and skin pale as snow. Nancy doesn’t hold her against her will, but the storm—perhaps destiny—keeps her there.

They fall in love along the way. Robin eventually discovers what Nancy is. Angst aplenty.

Billy playing the role of Gaston? I just think Nancy and Robin should get to murder him.

#there in the garden #I have a potential way of working werewolf rob in too we shall see #I just wanna be annoying about Robin being sunlight #and Nancy being a vampire #ronance #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #robin x nancy #nancy x robin #vampire nancy wheeler

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theladybarnes · 2 years

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CHAPTER THREE: PSYCHO KILLER

“Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better! Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh”

▸ summary: never one for theatrics, you’re hoping that the first day goes off as planned ▸ characters: steve, eddie, will, jonathan, ft a special guest! ▸ word count: 6.7k ▸ warnings: semi fluff, descriptions of gore imagery, (MINORS DNI) murder, stabbing, mentions of gore ▸ series masterlist

9:20 AM

For the time of the day, the sun shined heavily down over the campsite that morning. What would have been a happy start of the summer, did not stop the gloom that invaded your emotions. In fact, it would seem nothing could stop your mind from feeling all over the place.

There were so many things in mind that made you feel upset. Not only did Steve lie to you about the plans for after summer. But Billy Hargrove of all people had been the one to tell you, and in such an embarrassing way too.

“Are you really going to ignore him all day?”

The sound of your best friend snapped you out of your thoughts momentarily. Making you look up from the sign up sheet that you had been taking names on all day. Once you had woken up that morning, you made it your main goal to completely ignore your boyfriend. Even going as far to arrive at the rec hall first and take place at the sign up table. Forcing the other two to be the ones to greet the kids fresh off the bus.

But now they’ve all arrived and you’d have to tend to your small group of kids eventually.

“I just might ignore him for the summer.” you said calmly, putting away the paper work into the folders Murray had given you earlier.

“Come on, Baby! He’s literally been pouting all morning. I can’t stand to look at his pathetic face anymore.” Robin cried. The two of you peeked over her shoulder to notice Steve kick absentmindedly at a rock as he looked around the now empty parking lot.

“Robs, I don’t even know what to say to him. I’m still upset about it all.”

Shaking her head at you, Robin gave you a pointed look before she took the papers from your hands. “Look, I’m not trying to over step on your relationship. But maybe just hear Steve out? I promise he has pretty good intentions..”

She doesn’t give you a chance to reply back before she goes off with your work, leaving you to sit down at the chair and watch as Steve turns away from the lot. The two of you make eye contact for a second, making your heart race.

All Steve does is give you a sad smile and a meek wave, scared to move forward to you. Sighing to yourself, you climb out of your chair, fixing up your shirt before you make your way over to him.

He straightened up a bit, running a hand through his hair before he walked over to meet you in the middle. “Hey.” he said softly, looking down at you. The softness in his brown eyes almost makes you want to figure him already, but you know you have questions to ask first.

“We have thirty minutes before we have to tend to our campers. Do you wanna walk me to the cabins?”

Nodding his head, Steve lets you lead the way, keeping his hands laced together behind his back. Almost afraid of touching you.

“So last night..” you started, not sure how to begin the conversation.

“Last night was shit.”

His bluntness made you giggle a bit before you nodded in agreement. “Definitely wasn’t the way I wanted things to go.” The space between you both gets smaller and you keep your gaze forward instead of at Steve.

“How did you want it to end?” he replied softly, his shoulders brushing gently against yours.

You wait until you’re at the steps of your cabin, stepping up a couple before you turn back at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?” you asked instead, momentarily ignoring the one he just asked you.

Steve frowned a bit, moving to lean against the staircase railing as he thought of what to say back. “Because I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot.”

“Except, I am, Baby. How am I supposed to feel about myself when I can’t get into the same school as you?” He licked over his lips, head shaking as he continued on. “I mean, we planned ahead all last summer that we didn’t even think I didn't have the grades to get in?”

“So just what were you planning to do come fall?”

“Well for one thing, I had planned to let you know about this summer on my own time. Didn’t think Billy fucking Hargrove of all people would expose it like that in front of our friends.”

You couldn’t help but agree with that part. But there was another thing that had you unsettled. Reaching out, you take his hand into yours. His brown eyes flickered to where you were linked up before he glanced to your own, giving you his attention.

“Why didn’t you tell me when you found out? I wouldn’t have..I would never have judged you for it.”

“I know you wouldn’t.” he squeezed at your hands, “I was just scared. Everyone we knew either got into their dream school or had their plans ready to play out. I didn’t know what to do when I realized I put a damper on ours.”

“My plans after graduation wasn’t to go to school. It was to start on the next adventure with you. It’s still my plan.”

He took your words as motivation to take a step up, leaning closer as he pulled your hand to press against his chest now. ”Do you really mean that?” The morning sun cast almost a perfect glow around him and you felt guilty for being so gloomy towards it earlier this morning.

“Of course I mean it. Whatever I do or go, I want all that with you.”

Not even taking a second longer, Steve leaned down and pressed his lips gently to yours. Pouring the apology into his kiss as he pulled your body flushed against his. The beat of your heart flutters at the sensation and you seek out to wrap your arms around his neck.

The two of you were so distracted in the perfect apology that you don’t hear the footsteps of campers approaching at your cabin.

“Oh God, he looks like he’s eating her face.” Dustin exclaimed.

“Any second longer and she might just let him.” Max added, giggling to the boy beside her.

The two of you pull apart quickly, glancing over at the two kids as you fix your clothes. The redheaded girl crossed her arms, looking at you with a mischievous smirk while Dustin shook his head in disapproval to Steve.

You guys have known these kids for a while now. Having been one of the babysitters around Hawkins with your friends Nancy and Robin. Really though, when you started to date Steve the kids began to realize just how much of a mother he was, making him an honorary babysitter.

“I thought you guys were supposed to meet us by the archery field.” Steve grunted, moving his hand to place around your waist.

“We were but when you two failed to show up ten minutes ago, we were sent to come get you guys.” Max explained looking between you and Steve. “We didn’t think you guys would be hooking up in the middle of the morning.”

“That is not what we were doing!” Steve sighed, moving you guys down the stairs. “You punks wouldn’t understand but we were making up.”

“Making up? You already lost her, Harrington?” Giggled the younger boy. It was harder to continue seeing these kids as just children anymore. Most of their little friend group were starting high school after the summer.

“Enough teasing!” you pleaded, pouting over at the two kids. “You guys go ahead, we’re right behind you.” Motioning them to go ahead, you reached over to lace your hand with Steve’s, giving a gentle squeeze as you both began to walk in the right direction.

“You never answered my question before.”

“Which one?” you frowned, looking up at him.

“Last night. How did you want it to end?”

A mischievous smirk tugged at your lips as you stepped ahead of him, letting go of him to momentarily walk in front of him.

“I would have rocked your world. All night long.”

“God, you kill me.”

6:45 PM

The rest of the camp day went thankfully smoother than your morning. Possibly because of your making up with Steve. But really, Murray did go all out with setting up good accommodations for the camp as well as setting up the perfect games and events for all the kids to enjoy.

There were only around fifty kids this summer, just enough to need one bus. But also give you guys the time to find out what you would need in order to run a successful summer. Still, even with that small number you had your own group of six kids in the divide.

Those kids were thankfully some of your former babysitting gigs, making it easy to lead them around.

“I’m starving! Can we leave yet?” whined Jane, or as her friends called her El, as she finished cleaning up her paint brushes. Max nodded her head in agreement beside her. “El’s right! Isn’t dinner starting soon?”

You glanced over to the clock on the wall, frowning at the time. Normally you’d be the first one to head over and eat early, but after you notice Will’s enthusiasm towards the painting he spent the past hour on, you couldn't help but give him extra time.

“Can’t you guys give it just five more minutes? I promise we’ll leave after that.”

The other three kids whined in unison but continued on cleaning their work areas as you made your way over to Will. The painting he was working on was one of a middle schooler, but even you could see the certain areas of talent he had.

“Sweetie, we’re gonna have to wrap it up soon.”

“I know! I’m so sorry. I just had this idea in mind and I wanna show Mike and the guys..”

You frown a bit, knowing the poor guy is probably feeling a bit left out since he’s separated from his group of friends. It was hard not to look into his doe eyes and give in to his little requests. “Alright, whoever finished wrapping up their station and put their work in our group’s locker can go.” The others immediately got excited with their dismissal, pushing things together and cramming it in the back. “And check in with Robin for your dinner card! It’ll be my ass if you guys just go in alone!”

You followed them out the door, checking to make sure they went off in the direction before joining Will back inside. Really, with all the talking and playing you did today, it felt kind of nice to have a little bit of peace and quiet.

Sitting by the window, you pulled up a sketch pad and an oil pastel box, using the scenery to do a bit of art yourself. The area was so calm and beautiful towards this time of day. Your eyes gazed over towards where the cave peeked out from between the trees.

The cave no longer felt as cool and inviting like it did the night before. And honestly, you would be okay if you spent the rest of your time here ignoring it. But no matter how hard your eyes tried to look away it was like it was being automatically drawn in. Like something was calling out to you there.

In the distance there’s a glimmer of light that comes from the cave entrance and you notice a dark shadow creep out. But that couldn’t be real, could it?

The dark shadow seemed to grow, casting it’s darkness over all the trees. It was spreading out towards the camp. How was that possible, why would it come near here? Why can’t you–

“Hey, are you okay?”

You gasp out loud at the sudden voice, letting the items fall from your hands before you look at the boy beside you. “I’m sorry!” you sighed, chuckling a bit at how easy you were being distracted. Glancing back at the window, you notice the cave returned to looking normal again. No darkness was spreading, just the night coming in.

“You dropped your picture.” Will chided, bending over to pick it up. He carefully wiped off some dust before he really looked at the sketch. “This is kinda cool..in a creepy sort of way.”

Giving back the paper, you flip it around to see the drawing. The lake and trees are all dark and curved towards where the cave sat. Instead of creating a nice landscape, you’ve drawn a dark ominous black hole of the cave. It’s unsettling, making you place the paper front side down with a small shudder. “Let’s go eat.” you suggest, taking Will and leading him out the room.

The sun light was fading away faster the closer you approached the dining hall. Will babbling to you about all the stuff he wanted to do in the art room this summer while your mind went into chaos over the picture you had drawn.

Inside the dining hall felt warm and welcoming as you two filed in. Dustin and the gang yelled over for their friend the moment you two entered inside, making you smile when they scooted over for him to join in. Other kids were happily eating, talking, or reading as dinner went on.

“Hey, I was wondering when you were coming.” A voice said from your side.

Eddie, holding two cups in his hand approached you with a beaming smile as he gave you the cup. “Sorry about the wait.” you said finally, realizing you had gone quiet. “Will wanted to finish up a project.”

The taller boy gently ushered you over to where the rest of the counselors were huddled together. Letting his arm hang over your shoulders as he led the two of you through the sea of kids. When you arrived at the table, Nancy and Robin were currently calming Steve down about something when his brown eyes found yours. His gaze flickered briefly to where Eddie’s arm hung on you before he gave you a weak smile.

“Baby,” he said, getting up. “Missed you.” The other two girls giggled a bit at his cool behavior before scooting down to allow Eddie to join in on their side. Steve wasted no time in sliding an arm around your waist as he helped you sit down beside Jonathan.

“I was telling the girls here if you didn’t come in soon enough that I’d make a search party for you.”

“Sorry about that. I was waiting around with Will.” You leaned in to boop the tip of his nose. “Thanks for thinking of me though.”

Steve scrunched his nose before he leaned in to press a kiss against your lips. The fluttering familiar feeling returned to your stomach. Making you forget momentarily about the spooky moment you had before coming in.

“Ok, now that Steve can finally shut up about where Baby is. Can we talk about how shitty this first day has been?” Robin whined, using the bread roll she got to take her frustrations out on. “I know we gave Heather and Billy shit last night but they’ve literally flaked ALL DAY.”

The new bit of information pulled you away from Steve’s feverish kisses. “Wait, hold the phone. What do you mean flaked all day?”

Nancy took a sip from her coke can, giving the sugary drink a sour look before she scooted it over for Robin to have. “Robin, Ed, and I have split up their kids and taken on their work load the whole day. Murray’s been trying to find them but with Billy’s car gone we’ve all assumed they took off after last night.”

“That would explain why I didn’t see him last night.” Steve threw, taking a glance at you. You nod your head in confirmation, remembering from that morning that his bunkmate’s bed was still made. You doubt someone like Billy was an early riser.

“I’m sure we’ll all be able to take turns taking care of their kids. We’ll divide up the time each one of us has a few extra.” Nancy tried, giving the group a wry smile. “And if they really don’t show then we can maybe convince Murray to give us bonuses.”

“Well shit, should have started with that.” Eddie chuckled, he extended his coke can up, looking around the group. “Now that those jerks are gone. Let’s have a good summer, eh?” The group responds happily, taking their own drinks and cheering together before you all continue your meal.

Despite the festive feeling coming back and Steve’s gentle reassuring caresses, there was too much of an anxious feeling growing inside you. Not only were people failing to show up to camp, but now they’re ditching?

“Hey, we gotta start gathering up the kids to the rec hall. Murray wants to start the announcements.” Steve said into your ear. “Finish up eating and I’ll come back to get you, okay?”

“I can stay with her.” offered a voice from across you. Steve and you took a glance over to find Eddie smiling at you two. “I’m a slow eater and could use the time alone with my good friend.” For a second Steve’s hand tightened at your arm, like he was nervous before he smiled and nodded his head.

“I’ll see you soon.” he whispered softly, leaning in to press a kiss to your cheek. Looking back up at him, you give a sweet smile before watching as him and the others gather up their stuff and leave. The groups of kids were all eager to follow after them, taking most of the sound from the dining hall with them.

All that were left now were you and Eddie.

“God I can hear myself think again.”

You chuckled at his comment looking around the empty hall. “Tell me about it. I love the kids but when they all start talking over each other I feel like my head is gonna explode.” Picking at the small bit of meat loaf on your tray, you glance back to your friend. Finding him giving you a curious look.

“Do you think you’d ever have any of your own?”

“What, kids?”

He nodded quickly, tapping his fingers against the can in his hand. The metal rings making a small clicking noise as he waited for your reply.

“Gosh, I don’t know.” you hummed, trying to really think it out. “I think so? Of course not right now, but yeah, maybe something like kids one day would be nice.”

“Is that something Steve would like?”

“You kidding?” you snorted, taking a sip from your can. “I think on our third date Steve admitted that he wanted to have six kids with me.” Eddie’s eye widened at that, nearly choking on the liquid that had been in his throat.

“And you’re okay with that?!”

“I’m into the idea of a couple. Like two. But all that with Steve?..” The idea made you flush, making you a bit shy as you picked at your food. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

The other boy’s face seemed almost unreadable when you answered. He gave a small smile as he gathered up some of the trash on the table. Helping you take away your tray before he finally spoke up again. “So I guess you’ve forgiven him for what happened last night.”

The two of you moved towards the doors, bumping into each other playfully as you walked towards the main doors. “It’s not like he cheated on me. He was just nervous to tell me the truth.”

“It’s still lying.” Eddie shrugged, moving to open the door for you, “Just worried you’re forgiving him easy because you like him.”

You frowned at that, glancing at Eddie for a moment before you looked ahead towards the rec hall. “I forgave him because his reasons weren’t bad. They were just nerves and his own fears.” You stop the two of you from reaching the door, making Eddie stare down at you a bit confused. “And I don’t just like him, Ed, I love him.”

“Love?” he asked, looking perplexed. “Such a big sentiment for post graduates don’t you think?”

“Well, when you know then you know. There’ll be things you can forgive and move on about.” you shrugged, not sure where Eddie’s sudden skepticism came from. “Maybe one day you’ll find someone you feel that way with.”

He let out a big puff of air from his nose, a small tight smile on his lips as he extended his hand over towards the door. You take the initiative to go forward, opening up the creaking wood to hear Murray begin his speech for the night. The two of you make your way in, waving down to the wall where your friends stood waiting. You take a few steps forward, happy to join them at their side. But not without hearing Eddie mutter back to you.

“Maybe I already have.”

7:50 PM

“Alright! If I may have your attention!”

Voices hushed all around as Murray took to the center of the hall, standing just in front of the stage so he could view the kids.

“Like I had mentioned in this morning’s greeting, I’m very happy to have all you..wonderful children here! Camp Night has been such a vivid dream of mine, and I’m happy to see that our first day has gone off successfully!”

The kids gave a half assed round of applause, causing the older man’s nose to twitch. “Of course, the day would not have gone by perfectly well had it not been for our novice but eager camp counselors! Give them a hand.”

This time the kids all burst into cheers, giving the group their well deserved love. Murray casually brushed down the comb over his greasy head as he ignored the way the kids showed obvious bias to their favorite counselors. “Yes! We do love them, don’t we?” he muttered, raising a hand to get back the attention.

Your eyes scanned over to the kids, smiling at the few that you’ve known for so long before your eyes landed on Max. She had been looking for her step-brother all day and you knew you’d have to pull her aside after all this to tell her he might have ditched the plans.

“Is it just me or have those punks in the back not stopped talking since we got in.” Steve whispered beside you, making you turn your gaze away from the redhead to her friends in the back. Mike and Dustin were huddled close together, both boys expression almost angry as they conversed back and forth quietly.

“They look like they’re fighting.” you replied back. “Maybe they’re planning on playing a game of DnD tonight?”

“Without me?” Eddie chuckled from your other side. “How cruel, they didn’t even let their dungeon master know.”

Almost as if they knew they were being watched, the two boys glanced in the direction of the group. Eddie and Steve gave off little waves to the two while you shook your head in mock disappointment. Mike frowned at that, whispering one last thing to Dustin before he turned to face Murray. Dustin gave off a half shrug, waving back at you guys before joining his friend.

The three of you were so distracted by the equally distracted kids, that you missed the majority of Murray’s overdrawn ending announcement.

“The summer should go on perfectly with all that we have planned out for you kids. All I ask in return is that you have fun, learn some new hobbies, and make sure your parents write out their checks to Murray Bauman.”

The ending joke seemed to make only Robin laugh, mostly due to its awkwardness and finally Murray gives the kids a goodnight, signaling to step forward. Giving her the room for the center of the hall, Murray waved off everyone else, stepped towards the doors and disappeared for the night.

“While that lovely speech had us amped up for the summer, there’s just a few things I wanna announce before we let you kids go off for the night. But first, let me hear some noise!” The kids all surprisingly give out a happy cheer for the girl, making even the group join in with them. Nancy blushed a bit before she encouraged them to do more.

“Who’s ready for a swim meet this week?!” The crowd yelled excitedly.

“How about an art exhibit for July?!” Again she’s met with happy roars.

“And how excited are we to end the whole summer with an amazing, all out, talent show?!”

The kids seemed really excited for that, all jumping out of their seats to cheer for the bigger events. You all joined in with them, clapping loudly when all of a sudden the lights went out. The room has barely a flicker of light in from the windows, making it hard to see in front of you. Voices die down to a murmur and you’re about to suggest checking out the problem when the sound of the curtains to the main stage begin to pull open.

With a sudden switch, the stage lights come to life, making your eyes squint a bit at the sudden light change. The new lighting gave the crowd a chance to witness the display made out for them. But to their horror, it is not a prop that Murray had set up.

“Oh my God!” Yelled Robin from behind you. Kids begin to shriek and scramble around as they all try to get away from being beside the stage. Your vision is momentarily blocked by Steve, trying to keep you from seeing the view.

“Everybody get to the buses!” yelled Jonathan. Nancy rushed over towards the kids, moving them towards the doors. The shrieking would not stop and you finally pushed past Steve to see what they were all looking at.

Strapped to a wooden cross was Billy Hargrove. But instead of the cocky familiar expression you had seen for years, the look of terror was flashed over his face. Embedded all across his body were various arrows. Like someone used his body as a target practice for their archery lesson.

You let out a scream, nearly falling at the sight of the body when suddenly a pair of hands wrapped at your shoulders. “Come on. We have to get out of here.” you can’t even look up to who has you, the body kept your gaze on it until you were being ushered out the hall.

“What the hell is happening?!” you panicked, suddenly looking to who was holding you close. Eddie stood by your side as Jonathan rushed over to join you.

“Everyone is just running rampant! We gotta get these damn kids to the buses!”

“Jonathan!” The sound of Will rushing over to his brother gives the boy a sudden relief while El and Max quickly follow him. The brunette girl held her best friend in her arms, consoling her for the sight she just witnessed. “What do we do?”

The boy looked around the group, before he brought the tip of his fingers into his mouth, blowing out a whistle. The sound was able to alert a lot of the kids still around the hall, giving them a chance to come over to where your small group was. “Guys, we gotta stick close together!”

“Who the hell did that?!” shouted a kid from the back. “Are we in danger?!” voiced another, making you shudder at the idea of the person behind that display still being around. Jonathan wiped a hand over his face, trying his best to keep calm.

“I don’t know.. But we’re not safe here. We gotta get everyone on the boss and back home.” he concluded. Looking at you and Eddie. “I can get these kids to the bus. But everyone else was pulled in different directions..”

“You want us to split up and find the rest?” Eddie finished, hand reaching to pull your arm and bring you closer. Jonathan nodded in reply, keeping his brother at his side as the kids gathered around you guys.

“We can find them.” you said finally, realizing that now was not the time to be stuck in fear. There were kids, you had to help make sure that they got back home.

“Are you sure? You can always stick with Jonathan on the bus..” Eddie offered, moving to cup his hand against your cheek. The gaze in his eyes is strong, like he’s trying to be brave for you and you can’t help but smile a little when you answer again.

“The sooner we find them the faster we’re outta here.”

“Okay, you guys be safe. Try to find the others and send the kids my way. “

You both wave off Jonathan, assisting kids to follow close behind your friend while you get ready to find the rest. Eddie dashed quickly to rec hall, making you worried he’d go back into where the body was. But just as quickly as he had ventured in, he came back out with two flash lights, giving you one as he pulled you in the directions of the cabins. “I counted ‘bout thirty-five kids following behind Jonathan. How much does that leave us to find?”

“Fifteen. But I’m not too sure who’s missing exactly. We’re gonna have to move fast to get a head count.”

“Fifteen.” Eddie repeated, tugging you towards the first cabin, he slowly turned back to you. “You ready?”

“Let’s do this.”

You gripped tightly to your flashlight, staying close to Eddie as you both ventured in. All you could do was pray that Steve and the others were safe until you could find them again.

8:10 PM

“Keep to the back of the bus! More kids are coming in!” Jonathan yelled, hand holding the bus door open. The amount of kids that followed were thankfully the majority of the campers. And from the looks of it, more kids seemed to find their way back to the bus from the cabins.

If they kept moving at this pace, they could get the kids out of there safely and hopefully no one else would get hurt tonight.

“Jonathan, please. W-we can’t leave yet” Will sniffled, looking up at Jonathan with his doe eyes.

“What do you mean? Will, you need to get back on the bus.”

“I know!” cried Will, “But the rest of my friends aren’t here. Why aren’t they here?!”

Jonathan looked across the bus, noticing that his brother’s close friends were indeed not on the bus. He’s about to form up another plan when the sound of panicked screaming erupted from the dining hall. The boy felt his heart nearly climb his throat as the fear seeped back inside.

“Whoa, dude! What the hell is going on?!”

Jonathan stepped off the bus to find the source of the noise. To his relief, Lucas alongside Argyle, a friend from his Junior woodshop class. The guy couldn’t hurt a fly let alone do what the killer did to Billy. His apron clapped in the wind as the two came to the bus with worried looks.

“Thank God, you’re here man.”

Argyle pushed his long black hair away from his face, placing a gentle hand on top of Lucas’ shoulder. “Little dude here came running into the kitchen screaming something about a killer in the camp. We kinda hid out a bit in the chiller before we thought to come to the buses.”

Jonathan quickly pushed Lucas to join the other kids in the bus before he pulled Argyle into a huddle. “He’s right. During the announcements a counselor’s body was revealed dead…we don’t know what’s going on. But we gotta get these kids out of here.”

The other boy paled at the words, looking sick as he glanced at the camp behind him. “Then why the hell are we standing around? Let’s get the hell out of dodge!” He pushed past his friend, climbing inside to join in with the other kids.

“Give me a head count!” he shouted through the window. It was only a couple of seconds before his friend stuck his head out a window to look down at him.

“I’ve got forty-eight little dudes in here! Is that all of them?”

Will popped his head out beside Argyle, looking over at Jonathan with the same worried look. “No! Mike and Dustin aren’t here! We can’t leave them!”

Kids around him began to cry out, not wanting to stick around any longer. The stress was getting to Jonathan and he felt like any second he was going to crumble into a panic attack. Scanning out in the parking lot, he checked again for any of the others to come back. Hopeful that his close crew would make it on time to leave.

But the more he waited the more the kids cried out.

“Argyle!” he called out, stepping back into the bus. His friend stepped forward, looking at the boy expectantly. Reaching into his pocket, Jonathan fished out the keys to the bus before he pushed them into his friend's hands. “You’re gonna have to get them out of here.”

“But dude you could–”

“I know..but there’s still two kids and Nancy..I can’t leave them. I gotta get the rest.”

Will rushed over from his seat, wrapping his arms around his brother. “No! Please don’t go. We can just wait them out. Just a few more minutes!” he begged. An overwhelming feeling flushed over Jonathan and he gently pulled his brother from his body.

“We can’t risk anyone else getting hurt, okay? I’ve got my car and so do the others..”

“I-I can’t lose you, Jonathan.” Will cried, glancing back at his two friends. Lucas had taken his turn in holding Max. Murmuring soothing words into her ear while El looked out the window with a hopeful look for the others to come.

“You won’t. I just gotta make sure the others are safe too, okay?”

Nodding over to his friend behind him, Jonathan gently pushed his brother into his friend’s arms. Letting the other boy hold onto him as he got off the bus. The sound of Will’s pained cries nearly stopped the boy from continuing on. But if he left the others without help, he’d never be able to live with himself.

The sound of the bus roaring to life, gives Jonathan a little hope as he ventures back towards the camp. He heads towards the main office where Murray is supposed to be, and more importantly, where the only phone in the camp was.

“Murray!” he yelled out, stepping inside the small cabin. The smell of dust filled his senses and he noticed quickly that the owner had not cleaned up in here despite the fact that the place just opened up. “Murray, where are you?!”

“..over here..” whispered a voice.

Jonathan felt a chill run up his spine, and he quietly stepped into the back office. “Murray?” he whispered back, scared to make any sudden loud noises. He notices the phone by the desk, reaching over to pick up the device before dialing the police.

“..nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”

“We need help over at Camp Night! There’s been a murder and kids and fellow employees are missing!”

The voice on the other line quickly stepped into taking info on the directions to the camp, returning the feeling of hope back to the boy.

“We’re sending in several units over to you now. It should be within the hour, you guys just hold tight.”

“Hold tight?! There is a murderer on site, how the hell are we supposed to be safe!?”

“Gather up as much individuals into an enclosed space where you guys can safely keep watch. I’m sorry, help is coming over as quickly as they can–”

The dial tone suddenly pings in and Jonathan frowned down into the device. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up and before he could turn around, a hand pushed the back of his neck to slam his face onto the desk.

A pained yell fell from his throat while the bruising pain rippled across his head. He tried to use his hand to push himself up from the desk but before he could even lift himself up, a knife was lodged into the back of his hand. Pinning it down to the desk.

He barely peeked over his shoulder to realize the cloaked killer had joined him in the room. “Get the hell away from me!” Gritted out Jonathan, using his other free hand to try and pull the knife out. The killer is quick to draw back his fist and collide it against Jonathan’s cheek. Making the boy fall against the desk again.

Not wanting to give up, Jonathan jerks his head back, causing his body to fling quickly backwards, bumping into the person behind him. A groan fell past the killer’s lips and Jonathan used the temporary distraction to throw a punch against the assailant. “Take that you bastard!” he yelled, throwing in another hit to their gut.

The killer let out a huff, bending forward as they took in the blow.

Jonathan reached back for the knife on the desk, ready to attack again when the killer roared at him, tackling the boy on his back against the wood again. The two managed to keep each other at bay, equal in strength against each other.

It isn’t till the sound of a voice outside the window that Jonathan became distracted, hopeful that it’s a friend to help. But with his eyes off the attacker, a punch is quickly thrown against his cheek. Causing his to sag back before the killer grabbed Jonathan by the sides of his head and banged his skull against the desk.

Stars form in Jonathan’s eyes. The feeling of cool wires suddenly bursts against his neck and before he can open his eyes, the killer has wrapped the phone cord around Jonathan. “Wait!” he hissed, trying to tug at the plastic.

But the killer is too quick and he’s using both hands to tug at each end. The wire tightened around Jonathan’s neck and he could feel his air supply cut short. His hand fight against the person above him, trying to use what little strength he had to push the person off him.

All his pushing was to no avail. The killer’s strength was too much and each tugged caused Jonathan’s head to go lighter. The lights blurred and the pressure against his throat was becoming unbearable.

“We have to find Jonathan and get out of here!” yelled a feminine voice.

Nancy.

Jonathan felt the water spring to his eyes as he thought about his only love. He’d never get to tell her how much he loved her. How he knew she had her own faults that were harder for her to come through. That even though he knew she might be in love with someone else, she was it for him.

“P..leas.e..” whimpered Jonathan. The killer shook their head, reaching over for the knife that laid at their side now. The boy beneath them was perfectly weak, unable to even keep his eyes opened.

The boy’s last image was the sight of the killer raising the knife above their head, metal glinting for a moment before it was plunged down into Jonathan’s chest. The sound of their hand hitting against the boy’s chest was a clear sign of how deep the knife got in.

Pulling the knife back out, the killer stabbed the knife in again and again. Making blood spray out from every stab that went into the body. And when he felt like it wasn’t enough, they reached down to pull up at Jonathan’s shirt, giving view of the boy’s chest before he plunged the knife again. The slicing sound not even bothering the killer as they carved into the chest.

It’s not until a gentle hand is placed on their shoulder that the killer turns to find their partner.

“Having fun?”

“...be mine?”

The other killer chuckled, looking down as their partner slowly pulled out a jagged piece of skin in the shape of a heart.

“It’s almost time.” noted the other person.

“Spectemur agendo. (Let us be judged by our acts.)”

9:45 PM

A/N: RIP to the homie Jonathan. You will be missed. The reveal is coming soon! I hope you all enjoy!

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #Steve Harrington x female reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington fic #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson imagine #Eddie munson fic #stranger things fanfic #au #rrh #gore tw

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ramblingdisaster73 · 2 years

Text

4x05 Thoughts

So we were right saying O’Brien’s nephew was the bomber – yay

Oh, murder – nice little head shot for the nice hiker dude.

There goes Owen with his celebrity references – he always talks about movies or celebrities – especially when trying to talk someone into something or when he is in a position he is actually inexperienced in – (ex: 3x12 Stakeout & whatever one he used this season already)

I love Mateo

Paul’s face at Owen’s “You would look smokin hot on my bobber” was priceless.

I love that they ALL think that the complaint is one – against Owen & two – from Pearce.

She has a beautiful voice

The interview montage was great

“Bam Bam” Nancy Gillian

I think Nancy and Mateo now share a brain cell – they were so similar to each other in the interviews

“Do we know each other” – pinged all the ‘this is Paul’s love interest’ bells – INSTANTLY

I like TK saying “He would never do something stupid like that again” – it was the again part – immediately followed by Paul’s “Did he do something stupid again?” in the most resigned voice.

I understand the whole it not being right to call the lady crazy – and an apology is a pretty reasonable request – the rest – NOT AT ALL

I love Captain Owen Strand – the man that backs his crew – supports their decisions – this is the Owen I can get behind – this is where he excels.

I didn’t think the mother appeared inebriated, but I wasn’t totally sure on what was going on – I have had similar things happen to me with my migraines – so I thought it would be something neurological.

The temporary relief that Cap wasn’t in trouble – followed by Marjan telling them she was – they all did that so damn well.

Marjan and Owen always kill their scenes together – they do truly have so many similarities (I think she is more like him than TK is, and I think that Owen sees that too)

So, the only one that knew that the dude came to the firehouse was Marj, who is now conveniently gone – hmmm

Fucking stalker Honor Dogs Bomber dude

This dude is already a better stalker than Sadie was

I do feel like he has some real hesitation on what he is doing – like he is being forced.

Or he is a pretty good actor and is selling the hesitation to me really well.

I love that they handled Grace getting personally involved in a case VERY differently than the OG one did with Maddie.

I like that a central theme in this show overall (intentional or not) is that we should follow or at least listen to our instincts & to look further into something that we question.

Was one of the tests for casting the main characters a wide range in facial expressions – no matter the situation? Because this cast kills them all.

Owen showed a lot of growth – he didn’t punch the bearded fuckwad in the HR office

Seriously though – how is he not in jail? Such an accurate representation of the United States judicial system.

I hate him – like more than I did Billy at the end of Season 2.

He is abusive right? Like the red flags could fill a football field.

His ‘wife’ looks so uncomfortable

I love Marjan

I hate fuckhead beard face & his wife

Fuuck their gofundme – you lost your shit because you quite literally lost your shit

I LOVE that Marj talks to Paul, Mateo, & Nancy about this

I love Nancy immediately supporting her

I also think it’s hilarious that they are at Owen & Mateo’s house

Grace being so distracted, but replying was so great

She almost got herself out of it

I love them so much

Charlie is adorable

Ever the supportive husband

“A big scary man”

“I thought you’d be old.”

The twins are great – nice to see them teaming up on Mom

Tommy saying what we all were “Why aren’t you calling 911?”

I love seeing Grace lose her shit – not be in control

Interesting – in 4x04 we saw Carlos “Control Freak” Reyes lose all control, now in 4x05 we see Grace “calm & cool” Ryder lose all control in the field instead of at her desk – and both played it so well

I am with Judd & the kid on coconut in candy bars

I love the Tommy & Grace relationship

It feels real, organic and relatable

I like that Tommy tells Grace how much she does help – how important her role is in the whole first responders world.

So as soon as I saw bomber stalker in the apartment, I knew it would burn or blow – just didn’t expect it to be in the very next scene.

It’s so fucking horrible that two greedy grifting douchebags made her doubt her instincts to much

So, did Owen see the bomber stalker or not? It looked like he did, but??

So punching is better than talking?

I love that Paul went to file a report against the department

I love that she knew Paul pre-transition

I enjoy how observant he is.

I hate it when you know someone from somewhere, but can’t figure out where the hell you know them from

I love the support that Paul and Marjan have for each other

The FD chief is a dick – also I am pretty sure any suit filed by those idiots would be thrown out due to their own actions.

“Please wish her luck with whatever she decides” Asha to Paul – Paul – ‘yeah, I already know what she will be doing”

I am so happy Marjan stuck to her personal morals.

Owen’s reactions while watching the video were great

I agree with Marjan

I can’t wait to see what her journey brings

Just wonder if it will be until 4x09 til we see her again?

He wanted to sell it so bad to Clarke, but tries to talk Marj out of it.

The goodbye for now scene is beautiful

TK looks amazing in that sweater

Mateo will be such a helicopter dad

I am happy that I was wrong with Marjan getting hurt due to Owen’s involvement with the Honor Dogs/FBI – they really had me wondering all the way til the end credits.

You do NOT need to buy another bike – unless it is a bicycle or maybe even a unicycle if you want to be challenged. Not too many criminal organizations in the unicycle community

#911 lone star season 4 #911 lone star spoilers #episode 4x05 #episode thoughts #marjan marwani #grace ryder #126 firefam

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markwatnae · 2 years

Text

I posted 8,772 times in 2022

That's 275 more posts than 2021!

736 posts created (8%)

8,036 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@wretchedwisteria

@dressrosinante

@punsbulletsandpointythings

@prfury

@obaewankenope

I tagged 1,291 of my posts in 2022

#the sandman - 72 posts

#bruh - 26 posts

#obi wan kenobi spoilers - 24 posts

#tbobf - 24 posts

#tbobf spoilers - 23 posts

#oh my god - 15 posts

#dreamling - 10 posts

#markwatnae fic - 9 posts

#yes - 9 posts

#shut the fuck up - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#just imagining stitch and jumba tossing that bomb back and forth until it explodes and saying 'happy birthday' 'merry christmas' 'happy hanu

My Top Posts in 2022:

what is the strangest animal that you love for no reason?

mine is crabs

102 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

I’m not done rambling about the perfect tragedy of Fear Street.

The Shadyside killers are as much victims as their victims are. They didn’t snap and kill people knowingly. There was no malice or intent. They were completely and totally incapable of fighting the possession. But no one knew that until Deena reunited Sarah’s hand with her body.

Cyrus, Tommy, Ryan, Harry, Billy, Ruby. None of them made the decision to kill; they had that taken from them and they were forced.

These people were reviled for decades, centuries even, as murderers, criminals, scum of the earth, when they were the first victims of the Goode family.

Tommy was kind and funny and sweet but he wasn’t remembered that way. He was remembered as a cold-blooded murderer who killed children at summer camp with an axe.

We don’t know much about the other killers but I imagine they were much the same.

Heather and Ryan were friendly, maybe not friends, but Heather died thinking Ryan had just snapped and killed the other mall staff before stalking her through the mall and attempting to gut her. He brought her a smoothie and was going to give her a ride home less than a minute before he was possessed. He had no intention of hurting her until Nick Goode made him.

123 notes - Posted May 17, 2022

Ok like I LOVE Hob being the more protective and dominant partner and always taking care of his pathetic sopping wet boyfriend I really do

But I also love Dream being his usual overbearing self and taking charge of everything always and Hob is so chill he just goes along with it and loves it

The best is these two things coexisting together seamlessly

377 notes - Posted September 15, 2022

“You’re a fair bit quieter today than usual,” Hob says, soft and coaxing. “Can I do anything?”

Those four words make the back of his throat sting. He grits his teeth.

Hob knows. He always knows. He clocked Dream in 1389 and he’s only gotten better at reading him in the past 637 years. Dream couldn’t hope to hide anything from him now.

Dream looks down at his lap. Hob’s attention doesn’t waver.

“I lost Jessamy today,” he says. “One hundred years ago.”

“Oh, darling,” Hob breathes. “I’m so sorry.”

Dream shakes his head. He’s not sure why. It just feels right. Perhaps a last ditch effort to deny his greatest loss in the last century.

766 notes - Posted September 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

we have like negative amounts of information on Jessamy but there is one piece that is driving me insane:

she was inside Dream’s coat

1,170 notes - Posted September 10, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

0 notes

angelofbloodlust · 3 years

Note

YO YO YO Randy x Billy's sister 👀

A/N: HELL THIS IS A FUN REQUEST, I get an odd joy out of writing Randy and Billy’s rivalry 😭 and regarding your other message, don’t worry about requesting a certain gender!! I’ll be taking that portion out of my list of dont’s, I don’t mind it anymore <3

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Randy Meeks x Fem!Loomis!Reader

You and Randy had been close for a long time now, having instantly bonded the moment you and Billy were introduced to him and the others

Billy didn’t mind at first, as it seemed you two were nothing more than best friends, and despite Billy and Randy’s mutual dislike for the other, Billy still wanted you to be happy and left you be to be friends with whoever you please

But, the moment you two began to seem extra touchy with each other, Billy wasn’t anything short of distressed and pissed

First this motherfucker goes after his girlfriend, now his sister?? He didn’t think he had done enough for Randy to act this petty towards him

But, he kept his mouth shut. Until you two officially came out with the announcement you two were dating, anyways

Cue the violent glaring from Billy every time you two are sat beside each other, his anger of course more directed at Randy than you

Expect a bunch of talks with Billy back at home with him dramatically expressing his worry for you dating “someone like Randy”, and you can’t help but get fed up with your dumb brother for being so concerned for absolutely no reason

You knew Randy, and you could guess his intentions were well with you. There was no way you were letting Billy mess up the first relationship you were actually happy in

You never really understood why Billy and Randy didn’t like one another so much, or why they both handled it like children with their little jabs at each other to make the other annoyed

You had to have Randy assure you this wasn’t just another way to get at Billy after a point, and he promised you endlessly that he does love you, and his words were more than true

But.. He couldn’t help but thrive a bit knowing how pissed Billy was at him

Seeing the way Billy would scowl each time you leaned into him was a sight that would overjoy him to the core

Until Billy decides to get a bit more.. confrontational

Billy’s never been the type to shy away from telling someone off, and you weren’t surprised to hear from Randy that the two had a very terrifying talk about Randy treating you well, or else.

You were mad at Billy for threatening your boyfriend, of course, but nonetheless you appreciated your brother being so protective over you. After ensuring Randy wasn’t too shaken up, you found yourself happy that Billy was at least making a step towards being a bit more accepting of your relationship

But with the closer you and Randy grew in your relationship, Billy’s anger turned into worry as the deadline for his and Stu’s murder plans approached

There was the risk of ending up having to kill Randy and leaving you entirely heartbroken, and Billy didn’t know how he could cope with the thought of you being in so much pain

A thought he had looked forward to was now something he stressed over, Randy wasn’t an option anymore. He had to do whatever he could to keep you both far from Stu’s party and out of the way

And after suggesting that you two take a night to yourselves back at home, he got exactly that. You weren’t sure why Billy was so insistent, but you were pleased that Billy was happy to leave you two be on a night where your father wouldn’t be home and you could finally have some proper alone time with your boyfriend

Billy would learn to adjust to you being with Randy, as long as Randy can put aside his grudge as well. Especially after the success of Billy and Stu’s night of kills, with being under the belief that Billy had been attacked, Randy learned to be nicer to him and even make an attempt to befriend him a bit more genuinely

They’ll always have their petty moments, of course. But still, you all made your attempts to move on and have your happily ever after

Just as long as Randy didn’t push it and hurt you, or else Billy would happily let himself be rushed off to prison at the expense of protecting you.

#scream 1996 #scream #slashers #stu macher #billy loomis #randy meeks #randy meeks x reader

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lasagnaflavoredgrapes · 2 years

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Mr. Morris Conspiracy

So, i have been re-reading Whiz Comic (which is now public domain btw,) and i notice some really weird Sugar Honey Ice Tea.

Why the heck is a ten year old being send to radio broadcast in the middle of a - (excuse my french) - fucking wild fire, an active shooting between police and prisoners (he could get shot in the crossfire!) , and a hurricane?? ( Do you want to blow Billy away Mr. Morris? Do youuu?? Look at him barely holding on a tree for dear life! )

At the same issue, he even got transported to broadcast in an active BATTLEFIELD!

Does Mr. Morris have a vendetta against poor Billy or something??

Then, I remember how Billy got the Job...

“This is a serious matter, Boy. I’m in no mood for joking about it, you’d better go before I lose my temper.”

“All right, I’ll go but if I find the Phantom’s Laboratory, will you give me a job as a radio announcer?”

“A job? I’ll give you anything you want if you find this madman and now get out. I can’t waste any more time listening to nonsense.”

Bruh! clearly, Mr. Morris doesn’t trust Billy to keep his end of the deal! But we know how it ends...

...

sooo... there are two ways this could go, either Mr.Morris, who wasn’t expecting Billy to keep his promise snapped and turned into a ten-year-old murderer. OR he wanted to test Billy’s determination to keep his job by sending him to traumatizing places and waits until Billy himself decided to quit.

But then, as time goes on. As it turns out the radio broadcasting is more successful than predicted! Billy even appears in the front page of a newspaper for exposing Beautia.

And would you look at that, Billy is finally asked to broadcast in a normal place, the new opening of a circus.

Bonus: Happy Billy Batson :D

Jk, jk I like Mr. Morris I just find it kinda funny how Billy always got transported to unimaginably dangerous places to do his broadcast, it’s probably not out of malicious intent thought. It’s just the time back then... I guess? ,’:/

Thx for reading, ignore any grammar/ spelling mistakes.

#This whole post is just a joke don’t take it too seriously.#billy batson #shazam #Mr Morris #Sterling Morris #billy: Please let this be a non-threatening live broadcast :')#Mr.Morris: *sends Billy to live broadcast in the middle of a hurricane

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 3 years

Note

I kinda find it funny how, if Ed didn't break up with Bella and then chase after Victoria in NM, we might not have gotten the events of Eclipse. Girl was just vibing with her makeshift "guards," and he had to mess it all up by having her see how newborn armies work and inspire her. Do you think Vic would've still would've gone after Bella if not for NM's events (and how it'd go down)? Cause low key I think it's funnier if she wasn't a danger but Ed made her into one jfksaldjf.-Sw

I think she would have.

True, Victoria comes up with the newborn army scheme after Edward chases her down to Mexico, but she also doesn't use it right away. She tests the waters in Forks for a very long time before she decides to invade.

In other words I, sigh, agree with Edward on this: Victoria was coming back to murder Bella Swan in vengeance no matter what was happening.

Without the newborn army, however, things would have played out very differently.

A Bit on the Romantic Tragedy Penned by Edward Cullen

First, a note, Edward had always intended to leave Bella. From the moment he realized he was in love with her he told himself that he would one day leave her. It was just a matter of when.

In Twilight, he's torn. He knows he shouldn't be a part of her life, that bringing her into his world almost necessitates her becoming a vampire, but he also really doesn't want to let her go. He doesn't think he's strong enough to do it.

And as Bella keeps getting herself into danger he gives himself more and more excuses.

If he's not there, then Bella will get crushed by a van or raped in an alley or eaten by bears. Her number's up, and Edward is single handedly fighting fate to keep this angel alive.

Bella needs Edward, therefore he can't possibly go.

The birthday party put things back into perspective. Edward's family is the most dangerous threat to Bella there is, Edward himself really may lose control one day and devour her, and unless she turns (which Edward absolutely does not want) then she has no future with him.

The family has to leave now.

However, if there's no birthday party, then Edward doesn't have that catalyst and reminder. He likely decides to himself that he will leave Bella after graduation, his family will move towns, Bella will attend whichever university she attends, and he will have had a few wonderful years with Bella pretending he's a regular high school boy dating a regular high school girl.

When Bella then dies a natural human death sometime later, Edward will go to Volterra and kill himself (and force the Volturi's hand when Aro refuses to do it).

Of course, he'd probably break here too, but that's a different story.

I do think without Jasper's slip up and the birthday party, that Edward would have stuck around for New Moon.

The World Without Bella's Birthday Party

Bella throws the fit she didn't in canon.

She doesn't want this birthday party, she never asked for this birthday party, AND WHY DOES BELLA ALWAYS HAVE TO HUMOR ALICE?!

Bella has had a summer filled with Alice. In canon, this was a delight, in this world Bella realizes that maybe they spend most of their time doing what Alice wants to do rather than what Bella wants to do.

Alice is clearly throwing this party for Alice's sake, everyone knows it, and Edward tells her, "Please humor my sister and be a good sport."

Isn't this party supposed to be about Bella?

Alice is terribly upset and does not handle any of this well, Edward tells Bella to be reasonable and be the better person and give Alice this party, Rosalie thinks this is all petty bullshit but has mild respect for Bella on calling Alice out on this, and Carlisle is rubbing his temples somewhere trying to let the children deal with this themselves.

In the end, they compromise, Bella's birthday is Edward taking her out to dinner at an expensive restaurant in Seattle of Alice's choice, Bella wearing a fancy Chanel dress that Alice selected for her.

Bella's still embarrassed and miserable, but at least there aren't a billion pink candles.

As a result, there's no birthday party, no papercut, and no dumping.

The next several months instead are spent with Bella and Alice in a battle of wills and a real rough spot in their friendship. Bella tries to explain to Edward that Alice treats her like a doll, not a person.

Edward, of course, has no idea what she's talking about.

Bella fails to realize that Edward also treats her like a doll and not a person.

Laurent's Scouting Mission

As in canon, Laurent is probably sent by Victoria to scout. Victoria probably never left the area which means (remember this is book universe where Riley was in California) that she never turned Riley.

Without being all over the Forks area killing hikers, probably fewer wolves are turned. Yes, the Cullens are in the area, but they've been there three years, are very non-threatening, and in that time only Sam shifted.

We don't see the deluge of shifting until after the Cullens have left and Victoria starts actively attacking the area.

(Yes, this is worthy of a meta but that meta is not this meta)

Regardless, Laurent shows up, Sam's not sure if he's one of those friends of the Cullens or not, and Laurent walks in to see that all the Cullens are there.

Just like he expected.

Because Victoria has sent him to die.

Carlisle feels a headache coming on but is not shocked to see that Laurent's eyes are red again after only a few months. (Though this explains the sobbing phone call that Carlisle got from Irina asking if he'd seen Laurent because that beautiful, perfect, man has gone missing!)

Laurent provides some weasley bullshit explanation anyway. He asks, though it's really more of a demand, that he join the Cullen coven (much larger than the Denali, very gifted, and very powerful). Carlisle says no, Laurent has to stick to the diet if he joins the coven and he has to mean it. Given Laurent's current appearance, it seems as if Laurent is not willing to do that.

Laurent then begs them to let him stay: Victoria will murder him otherwise (and oh by the way she's after your Lunchable Bella Swan). That gets Edward into action, he demands Laurent's death and that he then hunt down Victoria personally.

Carlisle politely suggests that Laurent, rather than seek shelter from them who he knows Victoria intends to cross paths with, go back to the Denali and give the diet another whirl.

Laurent flees back to the Denali, Irina is ecstatic to see him. Victoria's not even surprised.

The family discusses what to do about Victoria. Carlisle would rather not hunt this woman down on hearsay alone. Jasper thinks they should have killed her to start and letting her escape was foolishness, he told them she'd be back. Edward for once is with Jasper, Victoria must be destroyed before she can harm Bella. They look to Alice and, yeah, there's a good possibility that Victoria will be back.

Edward is torn between hunting down Victoria and protecting Bella in person. Jasper leaves before he can make the decision, which of course angers Edward beyond belief, but, well, he guesses it is what it is.

Edward decides to not tell Bella that a vampire is after her life: it'll just worry her.

Jasper's Hunting Mission

Jasper likely has a devil of a time catching Victoria, as he did the first time, because of her gift. He ends up having very long phone calls with Alice as he tries to coordinate a successful solution to this.

Because Edward never left Bella, she never sought out Jake. She never forms her friendship with Jake nor realizes the secret behind the shapeshifters.

Billy tries to give Bella a few more ominous warnings but there's no getting through to this girl.

Edward never proposes to Bella because he's intent on leaving her after graduation. He does not tell Bella this though she constantly worries about it.

He assures her they can have a long distance relationship at college (he has no such intentions).

Victoria is kept out of the Forks area by Jasper and likely takes the one obvious route left to her. She has nothing left to live for, and it doesn't matter how much terror she lives in the Volturi, if this means her death then so be it.

She goes to the Volturi and narks on the Cullens.

Victoria Narks

It... does not go as planned.

Aro placates Caius with many excuses: this girl is in her primary schooling, is the only daughter of a police chief, she cannot simply disappear.

Carlisle is likely waiting until after she graduates and can disappear across the country.

And yes, technically this James fellow had bit Bella and they had their perfect chance but... Well, Aro will talk to Carlisle, it is not breaking the law yet.

Aro travels to Forks in person with Renata, shows up on Carlisle's doorstep, and says, "We need to talk."

Aro lays down the law, this girl better be turned after graduation, and Aro can only stall Caius so long. Also, great to see you, you built yourself a coven and that's perfectly marvelous.

Edward, of course, throws a fit but the law is the law and the law just visited them for tea. Aro makes it very clear that either Bella is turned, she dies, or Aro will have no choice to take adverse action against Edward at the very least (if not Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens).

Aro also points out this is an unsustainable relationship that's not good for anybody. Yes, it's too bad the girl has no choice, but they really should have thought of that before Edward walked around strongly hinting he wasn't human.

Edward insists they vote.

The vote doesn't go the way he likes.

Esme doesn't want Edward to live in misery after Bella dies, Rosalie doesn't like the idea of turning Bella but it appears they have no choice, Jasper (via conference call) doesn't want to be the one to eat Bella and it's stupid given the VOLTURI IS IN THE ROOM FOR THIS VOTE, and Carlisle notes that it appears Bella has no other option and at least this seems to be what she wants?

They will turn Bella after graduation.

Edward smashes a TV.

They tell Edward to tell Bella, it should come from him, Edward never does.

Instead, out of nowhere, he asks her to marry him and elope. They can live on a deserted island somewhere.

Bella thinks this is stupid and says no.

Edward dies inside.

Victoria Chooses Death

Victoria is out of options, the Volturi did not come through, and she wanders out of Volterra in a daze.

She guns it for Forks with Jasper hot on her tail. If there's one thing left for her, she will murder this Bella Swan before she dies. She fails, Jasper catches up to her in Forks and murders her.

No one tells Bella.

Graduation

After graduation, Carlisle picks Bella up. Bella has no idea what's happening, Carlisle assumes she does. Carlisle lays down the game plan, she's going to take a summer abroad before school starts, travelling with Alice, then both she and Alice will disappear in an accident.

Bella asks him to hold up, what the hell is he talking about?

Carlisle realizes with dull horror that Edward never told Bella. He awkwardly explains that the Volturi personally came to visit and, well, they have to turn Bella into a vampire.

He's very sorry.

Bella's very on board with this, she asks if it can be Edward that does it.

Carlisle says no, that's not a good idea.

They stare at each other.

Carlisle cannot believe Edward didn't tell her.

Edward and Bella do not get married nor does she have sex with him as a human.

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therealvinelle · 3 years

Note

What if it was Charlie and Bella that switched bodies upon Bella's arrival at Forks?

Oh, god, the awkwardness.

The only thing worse than being a shy, virgin teenaged girl in her father's body, having to figure out how dress in the morning and pee, is being a middle-aged man in his teenaged daughter's body.

Charlie and Bella are both shy and awkward people and it's very possible they would just die. Both of them. The embarrassment might just prove too much to handle.

If, however, it didn't, and they have to live like this...

Bella's education can't be put on hold, and Charlie can't afford to stop going to work.

They'd have to impersonate each other in their respective zones - Charlie goes to high school and brings the homework back to Bella, and Bella goes to work for Charlie and brings the paperwork home. At home they suffer terribly under the awkwardness of it all.

Bella as Chief Swan

She goes to work, and has no idea what she's doing. Someone is drunk in public and needs escorting home? Bella reeeeally doesn't want to be the one to do that. Or should she be arresting them?

She performs poorly at work, and relies completely on her colleagues for even basic judgement calls. Which is bad because she's supposed to be the sheriff, not them. From being a seasoned cop, chief Swan has suddenly become a jumpy rookie.

Charlie, hearing about this at home, is tearing his hair out and seriously worried about losing his job over this.

He has to tell Bella to take out a sick leave. She jumps on that.

Charlie as Isabella Swan

He goes to school, and is every bit as awkward as the new girl in class as Bella is, only with the added dimension that he's hanging around his friends' kids and that's... it's weird, it's just weird.

Weirder still is Biology class.

He's always had a high opinion of the Cullens. It's a good, wholesome family.

Or so he thought.

There is something wrong with that Cullen kid.

Charlie spends that Biology class feeling increasingly alarmed by Edward's behavior.

When Edward takes a leave of absence for a week after that he's not sure what to think. It's not enough to send Bella to have a chat with the boy's father, he'd only be putting more stress on his already stressed out daughter, but... Charlie doesn't like this. He doesn't like this at all.

Edward returns to schoo, and starts making small talk with Charlie, suddenly Mr. Polite.

It becomes real clear to Charlie, real quick, as Edward asks questions and is interested in Bella, that this kid is flirting with his daughter.

Oh, no. No. No for all the reasons. This kid is a creep, he looks creepy, and even if he was alright, Charlie absolutely cannot encourage any romantic endeavors while in his daughter's body. Oh no.

He cuts off Edward's questions with a polite, but firm "Sorry, not interested."

Edward is agog.

He is agog, astonished, mortified, and offended.

Who does this girl think she is?!

He shuts right up, and spends the rest of the day stewing. So this is what's happening in this girl's brain. It's not that she's not talking to the other students because she's mysterious and on a higher mental plane, nope, she's just that much of a stuck up.

"Not interested"?!

He recovers well enough, or, well enough to go talk to her after school that day.

He's standing by her car when she gets to it, smiling crookedly. "Hello, Bella," he murmurs, leaning against the driver door. (Can't have her leave before they've talked.)

Charlie blanches.

His instincts were right about this kid.

He finds himself suddenly glad he and Bella swapped bodies. He's an adult and a cop, he knows how to deal with this kind of situation. Bella is safe elsewhere.

This kid can look forward to a juvenile restraining order.

"Hello, Cullen," he says civilly, not wanting to escalate the situation. "Would you please move?"

Edward's boyish smile widens. "I just want a quick word with you, if that's alright," he says, not moving. He lowers his chin, and looks up at Charlie through his eyelashes. "It seems I gave you the wrong idea earlier."

Is this the kid's idea of making like he's not flirting with Charlie's daughter?

"I see," is all Charlie says, and throws a pointed look at the car door. "Look, I really do need to leave. I have to be at work in fifteen minutes."

Edward's lip twitches. Does she really.

At this point, he doesn't want her to get away so easy, if only out of spite. Again, who does this girl think she is.

"How about I give you a ride?" he asks politely, still smiling. Nevermind that he knows her scent would become overwhelmingly strong if they were in a car together. It's overwhelmingly strong as it is.

God, that scent.

Charlie, meanwhile, hearing those words, watching that kid's eyes look less and less human by the minute, is suddenly wishing he had a tazer. Scratch that, a gun.

Thank god it's him in this situation, and not his daughter.

"No thank you," he says tightly.

Well then.

Edward tried, he really did.

He gave her several chances.

All too aware of the many witnesses in the parking lot he lets Bella get into her car, and then once she parks her house in the driveway (of course she was lying about work!) and no one is there to see, he whisks her away to be killed in the woods.

The aftermath

Charlie-as-Bella is murdered in the woods, it's horrible, then suddenly he's back in his own body.

He tries to find the place he was taken to, desperate to find her, to find something, but Edward was moving at a pace where he couldn't see at all where he was going.

A funeral is held.

The Cullens show up, Edward sporting a pair of black aviators.

He goes to Billy, tells him what happened, that he was right about the Cullens being demons. They killed his daughter, and god knows who else they're going to kill.

Billy is horrified, but ultimately not surprised. The Cullens were lying about their intentions, then.

The treaty is void, and the Cullens have to die.

As Sam and others start phasing, they start preparing for war.

And this is where I'll leave this AU of, as we're headed towards a bloodbath.

#charlie swan #bella swan #edward cullen #twilight #twilight meta #twilight renaissance #the cullens #billy black

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mediocre--writing · 3 years

Note

hiiiiiii :D

i’m going to give you both a harringrove and a kegboys thing

harringrove: the mindflayer didn’t kill billy and billy spent months recovering. when he was let out he didn’t speak to people. but steve was the only one capable of holding onto the patience enough for billy to eventually start talking to him. billy gets a job at a slow business convenient store/gas station. and steve meets him to have lunch together outside in the back every day.

kegboys: steve had a pine tree at the front of his house with a yellow ribbon for barb. and one year billy cuts it down without knowing about its significance. steve eventually finds out what happened and tommy had to take him to the other room before telling billy what he’d done. they spend the day making steve feel better by getting a brand new tree and retying a ribbon even bigger than before.

oooooh these are both so good.

Harringrove: I think that, especially after Steve's whole fiasco with the Russians, he doesn't mind the quietness that comes with Billy. Doesn't mind waiting for him to speak because Steve himself does't really know what he would even say.

Steve's parents, after his 18th birthday, pretty much never came home. They had like seven other houses elsewhere and Steve was his own functioning adult, so they, frankly, didn't give two shits. So Billy stays with him. Plus, Steve's got no job after the mall burned down and his parents are still paying for the house and everything, it's not like it's much of an issue.

They bond in a silent way. Billy can't talk. Like physically, for the first three-ish months, can't get his voice to come out in any understandable fashion, as having a tentacle forced down his throat pretty much ripped at every bit of skin there.

But they communicate. Steve is used to his lonely life in a mansion and just appreciates another body being there that makes it not so lonely.

They function around each other. Whoever gets up first makes the coffee, whoever goes to sleep last turns the main lights off. Whoever opens the clean dishwasher has to empty it and whoever tracks the most snowy footprints in has to mop next.

The first time Billy really talks to Steve is after a nightmare. But not from Billy (he's become really good at controlling how loud his whimpers and crying can get, even asleep [fuk u neil🖕]). Steve is pretty much screaming bloody murder in his sleep and Billy can barely get up the tall staircase as it is, but mixed with sleep and his rush, he slips a few times trying to get to Steve, thinking something is really wrong.

By the time he bursts into Steve’s room, Steve is sitting straight up in bed staring at the blurry light while trying to catch his breath. Billy cautiously walks up to him, flips on a lamp light so there wouldn’t be any in-the-dark scares for Steve, and sits across from him on the edge of the bed.

Steve ultimately just collapses into Billy’s chest and sobs and sobs and sobs until he’s got it all out and the only thing that can be heard are Steve’s unsteady breaths and Billy’s reassurances. It’s the softest Steve thinks he’s ever heard Billy speak to anyone.

Steve starts sleeping in the guest room downstairs with Billy after another incident when he starts screaming occurs because it wears Billy down a lot to battle the stairs (his muscles are worn thin and he has very little strength these days). Steve stirs in his sleep but hasn’t panicked like that since he started cuddling with Billy.

Joyce eventually pulls some strings and gets Billy a job at Melvald's (small town business start picking up after Starcourt burning down) where he can just sit in a chair at the front and check people out. Occasionally she’ll have him stock small things like keychains or the snacks at checkout.

Steve visits most days during Billy’s break time. Brings take out from Benny’s or leftovers that Mrs. Henderson insisted on dropping off every other week because the boys “needed good, homemade food that they wouldn’t make for themselves.”

Billy has never felt more taken care of in his life and enjoys the gentle breeze when he and Steve chat behind Melvald’s and eat, sharing what’s happened during the few hours they’d spent apart or discussing what their weekend plans would be. Maybe what they were hungry for for dinner that night.

One day, when they’re eating a tuna casserole straight out of the Tupperware Mrs. Henderson had put it in, a stray cat comes and kneads gently at Billy’s thigh, over his jeans, and he puts a bit of the casserole on a napkin for the small kitty.

It becomes a routine and eventually he brings out a can of cat food from the store to feed the cat when he takes his breaks. They call her Melly (after Melvald’s, of course) and eventually she finds a way to sneak into the Camaro and becomes a full-fledged, sassy, rude house cat that has to sleep in the bed with the boys every night or she will scream her little cat scream and scratch at the door until they let her in.

Kegboys: (ok I tweaked this just a tad bc I couldn’t find a reason for billy to just chop down a random tree) Steve planted the tree after she’d passed away. He didn’t know how to feel about it. He felt awful, of course. He goaded her into drinking with them just because he wanted Nancy and look where that got him. He basically killed a girl and he lost his girlfriend.

He plants this tree, it’s thin and just taller than he is, but every year, after winter ends and plants bloom again, he ties a beautiful yellow bow around the thickest branch near the trunk. He looks at it every morning through the window, the small pine tree at the end of the driveway.

Only Tommy was there that night, the night a few weeks after it had all “ended” (the first time) and Steve breaks down. Sobs like he never has before, talking in fragmented sentences about how he’s to blame, he killed Barb out of teenage ignorance and because he wanted to have sex with Nancy Wheeler. What a fuckin’ waste.

Tommy is actually the one who suggests they plant the tree in the first place, a life now gone for a life yet to live. Steve takes care of that tree like if it died, he would too.

Steve ties a ribbon on it the first year. Tommy adds a second the next year.

Nobody else really cares. It’s a tree, not a giant portrait of the girl, for crying out loud. Nobody says anything about the bow that gets put on the tree because nobody would put together that the tree represented Barb, it’s just a tree to everyone else.

Billy wasn’t around for the beginning. He knew that a girl close to Nancy and Steve had died, sure, but he hadn’t known that it was in Steve’s pool and he never knew about the pine tree that grew at the top of the driveway.

There was a storm, a big one right at the tail end of summer, one that ripped up plants and trees and shingles off of houses, flooded the ditches and low points in the town.

Billy takes it upon himself to try and fix the Harrington’s trashed yard once the storms let up. He rakes away all the pine straw that had descended and piles up all the large branches and debris. There’s a tree, the pine tree that usually stands tall at the end of the driveway, that was severed at the base, only a mere three or four feet still protruding from the ground, the rest split and resting, half connected, on the ground.

Billy breaks off the part that was already off, puts it in the pile with the rest of the debris.

The stump stays at the end of the driveway and Billy goes inside, walks up to Steve and Tommy in the living room after washing his hands and grabbing some water. Tells them that he straightened up the yard.

“And that tree at the end was broken, so I picked off the part left hanging and put it on the fire pile. I figure we can find something else to plant in it later this week or--”

He’s cut off by Steve jumping off the couch and running out of the front door. He stands a few feet away from the stump left over and falls, bare knees hitting the still damp and muddy ground as he shows no other reaction.

Tommy’s right behind him, holds his shoulders from behind as he stares at the tree. Billy, from behind Tommy, doesn’t ask a question but stares confusedly at the boys who seem distraught by the disappearance of a seemingly meaningless tree.

Gentle coaxing, “C’mon, Steve. It’s alright, it’ll grow back and we can buy more ribbon, I promise, but you have to come inside, you’re all muddy,” from Tommy convinced Steve to come inside.

With no care for how his mother would react to her perfectly white rug being ruined by the dirt, Steve trudges through and eventually lays on the couch, cradling a pillow to his chest while Tommy promises to make him something warm to drink.

He beckons Billy into the kitchen with him as he puts the kettle on the burner, enough water for all three of them to have tea, and turns to Billy.

“Why’s he so upset about a tree?” Billy didn’t mean for it to sound harsh or inconsiderate, he was just curious why Steve seemed so distraught over a pine tree that was nowhere near as tall as the ones that were around the house.

“Ok, so, you know Barb, the girl that died here?”

“She died here!?”

“You didn’t know?”

“Well nobody talks about it, how was I supposed to know?”

“You should--Nevermind, anyway, she died here because of the whole other-world-monster-guy and Steve blamed himself for it, for, like, ever,” Tommy rested his elbows on the counter, “So, when he finally told me about it, we wanted to do something for her, like a memorial thing, anyway, we decided on a tree and he always ties the yellow ribbon around it and he takes care of it like it’s a child, but it’s gone so--”

“--He feels like he let her die again. Like it was his fault,” Billy concludes.

“Yeah,” Tommy assures before turning to the cupboards and pulling down three mugs, pouring the hot water in before placing tea bags in each.

“I mean, is there anything we can do? I feel awful, but the tree was already snapped, I couldn’t have like mended it or anything. I swear it wasn’t intentional,”

“You wouldn’t have known, it’s not your fault. I think Steve just feel a little out of his own mind at the moment, like he lost the hold he had on her. I really don’t know,”

Billy and Tommy stayed on the couch with Steve that day, they just rested and drank tea, listen to soft music on the radio, and took care of the droopy brunet.

They didn’t replace the tree. They let the old one stay and made sure to take excellent care of it. They’d tie three ribbons on the tree every year, made sure they were tied tightly, the tree growing faster and more prosperous than before, and Steve was better.

He realized that sometimes you have to get cut down before you can really unveil your true potential, that a little extra love can do wonders.

#idk if the last one is really what you wanted but it was kinda all I could come up with #harringrove #kegboys #keg boys #Steve harrington #Tommy h #Tommy Hagan #billy hargrove #stranger things #mediocre—writing #mw harringrove

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