#torn clothes and signs of deep starvation and dehydration

[yb-cringe]

kind of obsessed with the third person perspective of all this. imagine the purgatory arc from the census bureau perspective told like a report. a dark shadowy virus takes over your vacation island. your residents go missing while on their way to evacuate somewhere better. and when they come back they are not the same. not even close.

they never fully explain what happened but their teeth are sharper and bonds have changed and their breath smells like blood and viscera and you dont know if its their own or someone elses. they all look incredibly hungry, scarred from poison or beasts or lava, and they refuse to drink tea because it makes them sick to their stomachs.

how do you write a report about that. how do even begin to explain what happened.

[crossbowking]

The Road Ahead : Chapter 5

Chapter Index HERE

Summary : (Set in the beginning of season 1) Anna Brooks lost everything after the world ended — the last remaining part of herself being her older brother, who she lost contact with after communications dropped. While en route towards Atlanta to find him, Anna’s truck breaks down, leaving her at the mercy of the cruel new world. Now, Anna must face her fears head on as she struggles to deal with devastating loss, constant danger, and finding her way in a land that now belongs to the dead. But sometimes, a glimmer of hope can be found disguised as a short-tempered, hard-headed redneck who may just save her life in more ways than one.

Pairings : Daryl x Original Female Character

Warnings : Slow-Burn, Language/Violence/typical Walking Dead themes

Author’s Note : This chapter is a bit short - sorry to disappoint! But I promise that the next chapter is nearly twice as long! Thank you for all the wonderful feedback! I couldn’t stop smiling reading everyone’s comments! I love when you babes share your thoughts and opinions with me! It makes this process so much more enjoyable! So thank you!!!

Happy reading!!!

xx crossbowking

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Previously...

She held the flashlight to her chest, curling inward as a hunger pain rocked through her body, her lips cracked and dry with thirst, unease coursing through her veins.

Then, with nothing more left to do, Anna cried herself into a restless sleep.

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Now...

Anna woke up the next morning feeling more exhausted than ever.

She’d tossed and turned all night, afraid the moment she closed her eyes, something would go horribly wrong. Every time she felt herself begin to doze off, flashes of blood and death would invade her mind, making sleep a futile thing. She could feel the ever-present dark circles under her eyes growing and wondered if she’d ever sleep well again.

Anna scoffed aloud at the concept of sleeping through the night ‘nightmare free’. She hadn’t had a good nights sleep since the world went to shit…and even before that, her dreams had been plagued with the horrors from her everyday life...

Anna scrubbed at her face, hoping a little blood flow would get her up and moving, but she found her limbs heavy as lead. She stared up at the decaying ceiling, feeling the Georgian heat beginning to press against her bones, the day already suffocatingly humid. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of her face, settling at the nape of her neck.

She needed to find water and soon — otherwise, she’d most likely die from dehydration before she even set foot in Atlanta.

Anna groaned softly as she pulled herself into a sitting position, absently rubbing her empty stomach, her fingers tracing the faint outlines of her ribcage — she hadn’t been able to feel her ribs last week. Things were not looking too good for her right now.

With a sigh, Anna clambered to her feet, dragging her backpack and flannel off the ground with her. She straightened out her dirty, torn jeans that hung off her hips, fastening her belt as tight as possible, hating how much room she still had between the fabric and her skin.

Ignoring the nagging in her head that told her she was slowly starving to death, she stretched out the kinks in her neck as she glanced out the front store window. If she had to guess, she’d say it was late morning — the sun wasn’t at its peak, but the morning dew had already settled — which gave her more than enough time to trek into the city and find her brother’s apartment — and hopefully her brother — before nightfall.

Anna started pulling everything out from her backpack, laying it on the counter to take inventory — two cans of string beans, one can of peaches, two protein bars, an open can of Red Bull, half a bottle of Advil, a toothbrush and travel size bottle of toothpaste, half a roll of toilet paper, a flashlight, a can opener, one change of clothes, an empty canteen for water, and her gun with five bullets in the chamber. Her supplies were dwindling faster than she was able to restock and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could survive off one can of string beans a day.

Anna took a generous swig from the opened Red Bull, knowing that the beverage would only result in further thirst but choosing to quench her parched lips instead. She unwrapped one of the protein bars, nibbling on the end as she toyed with the chain of her necklace.

She’d inspected the mini-mart top to bottom for water, but there was nothing — no bottles, no jugs, no cases, no hidden stashes in the storage room, no water in the pipes, not even a god damn vending machine. Scavenging a surrounding neighborhood was an option, but that would delay her getting to Atlanta. Plus, she only had five bullets left and no other weapon on her, leaving her defenseless against more than a couple walkers. But no matter how badly she wanted to get to Atlanta, no matter how badly she wanted to find Ben…she needed to find water first.

Anna finished up her protein bar, ignoring her stomach’s protest for more, and downed the rest of her Red Bull. She would just have to take half the day to scavenge — it was her only option at this point.

With a sigh, Anna shoved everything back into her pack, tied her flannel around her waist, and slipped her backpack over her shoulders. She scanned outside the front building, looking for any signs of the dead as she picked up her gun. Just a few lone walkers limped about the street, heading in the direction of the city. It was nothing to worry about — she would just sneak out the back, hop in her truck, and leave those biters in the dust.

Anna made her way out of the main room and into the storage area. She rolled away the shelving unit she’d propped up in front of the exit, pushing it to the side. But right before she moved the plywood she’d used to block off the open doorway, she paused, spotting something to her left.

A cooking pot.

Not the most convenient weapon of choice, but it was better than firing off her gun and risking the chance of attracting a bigger crowd of biters. Anna picked it up, testing the weight in her hand before tucking her gun into the waistband of her jeans. It would have to do.

Gripping the pot in her left hand, she used her right to pull away the piece of plywood, shielding her eyes for a moment against the glare of the sun bouncing off the pavement.

And then, after her eyes adjusted, she looked around — and what she saw made her stomach drop.

A herd. Right outside the mini-mart. Wandering across the back parking lot. Her appearance having drawn their attention solely on her.

“Oh shit,” Anna whispered in horror, quickly scrambling back inside the store as the first walker made its swipe at her. “Shit, shit, shit,” she hissed, gnashing her teeth together as she swung the pot towards the walker, slamming the bottom against the side of its head. Her heart hammered against her chest as more of the dead began to filter into the store, hungrily reaching for her as she stumbled backward, further into the storage room.

Anna’s stomach plummeted as she smashed the pot against another walker that had gotten too close. There were too many to fight off. She frantically scanned the room, searching for a way out, when she suddenly spotted a rusted ladder attached to the back wall. She had no idea where it led, but if she couldn’t go left, right, forward or backward…she would just have to go up.

Anna landed a powerful kick into the gut of the closest walker, watching as it fell backward into the crowd, knocking a couple others down like bowling pins. She took the opportunity to scramble over to the ladder and began climbing as fast as her body would allow her. She felt a hand wrap around her ankle but quickly kicked it off, climbing until her head touched the ceiling. Wrapping her shaking limbs around the ladders top rung, Anna looked down.

A mass of the dead crowded below her, the group so vast she could no longer see the floor. Outstretched hands reached up towards her, some soaked in blood, others rotting to the bone — but all vying for her flesh, fueled by nothing but innate hunger. Their collective groans grew into one deafening growl, sending Anna’s heart into overdrive as her grip began to quiver around the rung.

Anna took a deep breath and forced herself to think rationally. Someone wouldn’t attach a ladder to the wall if the ladder didn’t lead somewhere…she turned her gaze away from the dead and scanned the ceiling above her, using her fingertips to feel for some sort of door or latch.

Within seconds, she felt a groove in the ceiling. Using her finger, she followed the crack until she felt a handle. A burst of hope shot through her as she twisted the handle, using her shoulder to push the hatch up. Sunlight surged through the opening as Anna climbed through the hole and onto the flat top roof of the mini-mart, slamming the flap closed behind her.

Stumbling backward, Anna ran a shaky hand through her matted hair, sliding her backpack off her shoulders as she frantically looked around. She inched towards the edge of one side of the square building and peeked over, feeling as though someone punched her in the gut at the sight of how many walkers had swarmed there. She scrambled to look over the other three sides of the building, seeing nothing but an endless crowd of biters — even more ambling out of the woods, drawn in by all the commotion.

Backing away from the edge, Anna fell to her knees, splaying her hands out in front of her, her fingernails digging into the concrete.

What the hell kind of ending was this? After everything she had been through, she was either going to climb off the roof and get massacred by walkers…or she was going to stay put and die a slow, miserable death due to starvation and dehydration. Feeling every ounce of fight drain out of her, Anna curled up on the roof, too tired and too discouraged to do anything else.

The roar of the dead below eventually dulled as Anna closed her eyes and thought of her family. She pictured her father’s eyes — warm, like honey — so similar to hers. She remembered her mother’s smile — weary, but bright — even on the days she couldn’t muster the strength to get out of bed. She imagined her brother’s hands — strong and calloused from spending hours working on car engines — guiding her away from their mother’s hospital room…

Anna squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, curling her knees closer to her chest.

Things had gone from bad to worse to downright shit.

And now, the undeniable truth was this — for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Anna Brooks was completely screwed.

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A/N : Oh shit...what’s going to happen next?! 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What would YOU do in this situation? Try to fight your way out or stay on the roof and hope the herd eventually loses interest?! Share your thoughts!

CHAPTER 6 WILL BE POSTED SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7TH! (AKA THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 9 PREMIER!!! I’M SO PUMPED.)

Feedback is INCREDIBLY important. I write for my own happiness, but I also write for YOU. So don’t be afraid to shoot me an ask or message or leave a comment with your thoughts! It truly motivates me and helps move along the writing process. Let’s discuss and be friends!

If you want to be notified when I post again, let me know and I’ll add you to my tag list!

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[asmosfav]

Snow Fallen

An OC story/fic

❅ ❅ ❅

The young demon walked around the hills aimlessly, with only one goal in mind…

Stay alive

It’s been two years since his only family passed, and his afterlife has not been kind to him, ever since he’s been cursed with nothing but starvation and dehydration, the fact the young demon has managed to survive to this point was impressive on its own.

Niko stared at all the trees, having somewhat hope of seeing at least one fruit, even though he knew they all have died in this storm, he was desperate for SOME sort of sign of hope, but all hope for the demon seemed doomed, and he was starting to believe it too.

He stumbled around a bit, hours and hours of near endless walking in the harsh snow has taken a toll on him, feet covered in blisters and sores from nonstop walking in tarnished shoes, he was shivering heavily, with clothes as torn as his, warmth was nonexistent to him. His nose was bright red, and near constant sniffing, and his long dark hair all messed up, not a single sign of it being brushed was seen, but one of the most noticeable, and depressing things was the demons eyes. No sign of life in them, no shine and no hope at all. Large dark circles laid under his eyes, it’s been years since he last slept well, being plagued by endless nightmares of that very day two years ago.

Snow covered his head and nearly his whole body, his walking getting slower and slower, as his will to keep going was slowly rotting away, just like his hope to keep living on. The boy was struggling to even lift his legs up out of the snow, as he kept pulling and pulling to break out of the snow.

After a few more hours of what felt like years of wander, Niko finally couldn’t continue on, every second of his time in the snow felt like pure agony, he stopped and laid against a tree facing out into the hills, the Devildom being seen in the distance, the light of the kings castle serving as a guide for fellow wanderers.

As he stared at the shining lights of the castle, he started to wonder:

“Is there a reason..to keep going on?..”

He didn’t know, he didn’t see a reason to continue on, if this is how his life is gonna be from now on, forget it. He’d rather return back to celestia, being their ruler at his age seemed more acceptable than this winter hellhole he was currently in.

While all of those thoughts flooded his brain, his tired heavy eyes saw something..no…someone? And from what he could tell…someone he hasn’t seen in years, he rubbed his weak eyes and brushed a bit of snow out, it couldn’t be her…right?

With as much strength as he could muster, he pushed himself up off the snowy grounds and slowly walked towards the person, he squinted at the figure ahead of him…

It was her, it really was her..

Niko found it, he found hope, he wanted to believe it, and he was sure deep down in his frozen heart, it was real.

He shouted out, despite how much it hurt him, his raspy voice calling out:

“ASTRID!! ITS ME!!”

He knew he shouldn’t, but he was too excited, he couldn’t believe his eyes, she was back! One of the only people to ever show him love was here, even though..he knew what happened to her, and the harsh reality with it.

Asking Niko now, he’ll tell you it was just him wanting hope, but deep down, he really did believe she was back, he didn’t wanna accept the reality he saw years ago.

He didn’t have time to think about the consequences, he ran straight towards Astrid, one of the only people to care, someone who always put him before her, a demon more kind than an angel.

The demon called Astrid turned around, Niko reached his arms out as attempt to grab her, he never wanted to let her go again. As he finally reached the figure, stumbling even more, as he jumped into Astrid’s arms…

She vanished…

Niko felt nothing, he didn’t understand what happened, it was her..right? He fell right into his knees, feeling a sharp sting from the cold ground and his scraped up knees. He felt around the snow, digging into it, he didn’t believe it, she was there! How could she just disappear?!

The demon balled up a handful of snow, tearing up from the stinging pain of his raw palms coming in contact with the snow, he couldn’t lose her again! He was hoping, that she would appear again and he would be able to say all the things he wanted to say.

To say, he was sorry for being responsible for her death, her brothers death and her own fiancée’s death. How he was nothing but a cursed child, with no good qualities. But he couldn’t, he had to accept it, they were all gone and weren’t coming back to him.

He couldn’t take it, he let out a loud cry, filled with pain. He wanted to stop crying, but he couldn’t, all of the days of built up sorrow finally came loose, he cried and cried until he was too tired too.

And what unfortunate timing, by the time he stopped sobbing, it was night, all light source besides the moon shining onto him and the Devildom castle. He tried to get up off his knees to continue his travel, but he couldn’t.

He tried to stand, but he couldn’t, it was like he was glued in place, he tried to sit up but he still couldn’t. After numerous attempts to stand, he found himself laying on the ground, staring up at the moon while the snow fell on his face. His shaky arms extended as if he wanted to touch the moon, his blue fingertips covered in snow. Despite this awful scenario to a human, or anyone with hope, Niko smiled up at the snow filled clouds, it wasn’t a good way to go out but he didn’t care.

Niko started to let tears fall down his face again, closing his eyes and ready to accept his fate:

“Falling to the snow..what a beautiful way to leave this horrid place..”

And he blacked out, the demons hands fell to his sides, a faint smile on his face. But this wasn’t the end.

The future king Diavolo was on a late night patrol, wandering the Devildom’s more further hills, he saw something in the distance, thinking it was an angel he quickly ran to the scene of the unknown figure. He reached the hill Niko was in, looking around a bit before looking down and seeing the dying demon.

Diavolo kneeled to inspect the demons current state, he could tell he needed help, and has been long overdue for some help. Diavolo picked up the demon and walked towards the castle, being ready to treat and hopefully fulfill the demons needs.

Little did he know, the future of the demon he saved, was completely altered because of his unknowing decision, to save that demons life.

❆ ❆ ❆