Some Things Never Go Away...
What we remember from childhood we remember forever - permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen. ~Cynthia Ozick
*Ten Years Ago on Blackburne*
Bel kneeled down, the weight of the backpack shifting to the side a bit while she leaned in between two rocks to grab at a shiny green plant. The leaves were tipped in purple and she knew that if she ground it down in her mortar it would make a great pain reliever. She grumbled when her hair fell in front of her face and she swore that she was going to get Nina to cut it. Why she didn’t cut the waist long fiery locks before was beyond her.
She clasped the plant and tugged, ripping it from its home with a triumphant sound of glee before standing up and looking at her prize. Enough to make enough pain reliever for half the village her Sayasi was in.
Perfect.
She put the plant in her hip bag and tilted her head up to let the warm sun beat down on her face and body, the sharp smell of desert air filling her lungs. She could smell everything. The desert plants, the sun, the sand and even some kind of animal. She wrinkled her nose as she coughed. Smelled like something died. She rubbed her nose before reaching back and pulling her long hair into a bun, winding it tight around the base of her neck. She knew to keep her neck covered, but she was close enough to home that it wouldn’t matter much.
She pinned her hair back and stretched before treading over the rocky terrain, her sandals gripping at the rocks while she hiked over the hill. She thought about her dad and what he was planning for dinner. How he warned her to stay close by. He had a concerned look to his face and she knew he looked worried. He never really worried much about her running through the wastes, so when he warned her, she knew there was something to it.
The smell of dead animal got stronger and Bel frowned, curious to know what died so close to home. She will have to tell her dad and they can get rid of the carcass together.
She made her way over the hill and she stopped dead in her tracks, her father was fighting off what looked to be… dead people. She had read about this. Zombies? But these were far more terrifying than any zombie she ever imagined. They screamed and roared and the sounds sent chills of fright through her young body. She froze in terror while her father fought one off, his gaze swinging up to hers and his eyes widened.
“BELIZE! RUN!! RUN!” His words were cut short as one jumped behind him and grabbed either side of her father’s head. His glasses flying off as the monster ripped his head from his body, his body slacking then falling to the ground in a heap, blood pouring from his neck. The other monster dropped its bat and ripped her father’s arm off, bringing the appendage to its mouth and took a bite of it, blood covering its mouth while it tilted its head back and roared in victory.
Bel must of screamed, the sound of pain and despair erupting from her chest at the sight, because both monsters turned their head in her direction. In a second, she turned and ran, ran towards the town she had come upon on a few times. Her chest heaving as she scrambled over rocks. She could feel the tears run down her face, mixing with the dust of the desert. Her fingers gripped at rocks as she climbed and ran, her body starting to ache with the strain.
She could hear them, behind her, screaming and howling, the crunch of rocks beneath their feet as they chased her. She had no time to think. The town so close she could smell it, could hear the sounds of people. The sounds of ships. She screamed. Loud and hard, screaming the same word over and over again while she ran towards the town.
She made the mistake of turning her head to see where they were at and she tripped over a rock. Sending Bel flying through the air and skidding across the rough sand and rocks, her body curling before it stopped abruptly against something. She curled up into a fetal position, her arms curling up over her head while she started to cry.
Then she heard it.
Pop… Pop Pop Pop…
The sound of gunshots. The penetrating sound of bullets hitting flesh invading her mind while she cried, her body shaking in fright and grief and horror.
She could hear his voice. Gentle and rough as it wrapped around her, the feel of his arms curling under her legs and wrapping around her shoulders. She felt him lifting her and she felt her hair loosen and fall down from its prison of a bun. Her eyes opened and she looked up at him, blue eyes brighter by the tears as she resigned herself to think that this thing holding her was one of the monsters. When she looked upon his perfect face, grey eyes and shaggy blonde hair, her world turned to black, fainting in her savior’s arms.
It wasn’t until later, in Sarge’s ship, that she learned what those monsters were.
Reavers.
*Ten Years Ago on Blackburne*
Bel kneeled down, the weight of the backpack shifting to the side a bit while she leaned in between two rocks to grab at a shiny green plant. The leaves were tipped in purple and she knew that if she ground it down in her mortar it would make a great pain reliever. She grumbled when her hair fell in front of her face and she swore that she was going to get Nina to cut it. Why she didn’t cut the waist long fiery locks before was beyond her.
She clasped the plant and tugged, ripping it from its home with a triumphant sound of glee before standing up and looking at her prize. Enough to make enough pain reliever for half the village her Sayasi was in.
Perfect.
She put the plant in her hip bag and tilted her head up to let the warm sun beat down on her face and body, the sharp smell of desert air filling her lungs. She could smell everything. The desert plants, the sun, the sand and even some kind of animal. She wrinkled her nose as she coughed. Smelled like something died. She rubbed her nose before reaching back and pulling her long hair into a bun, winding it tight around the base of her neck. She knew to keep her neck covered, but she was close enough to home that it wouldn’t matter much.
She pinned her hair back and stretched before treading over the rocky terrain, her sandals gripping at the rocks while she hiked over the hill. She thought about her dad and what he was planning for dinner. How he warned her to stay close by. He had a concerned look to his face and she knew he looked worried. He never really worried much about her running through the wastes, so when he warned her, she knew there was something to it.
The smell of dead animal got stronger and Bel frowned, curious to know what died so close to home. She will have to tell her dad and they can get rid of the carcass together.
She made her way over the hill and she stopped dead in her tracks, her father was fighting off what looked to be… dead people. She had read about this. Zombies? But these were far more terrifying than any zombie she ever imagined. They screamed and roared and the sounds sent chills of fright through her young body. She froze in terror while her father fought one off, his gaze swinging up to hers and his eyes widened.
“BELIZE! RUN!! RUN!” His words were cut short as one jumped behind him and grabbed either side of her father’s head. His glasses flying off as the monster ripped his head from his body, his body slacking then falling to the ground in a heap, blood pouring from his neck. The other monster dropped its bat and ripped her father’s arm off, bringing the appendage to its mouth and took a bite of it, blood covering its mouth while it tilted its head back and roared in victory.
Bel must of screamed, the sound of pain and despair erupting from her chest at the sight, because both monsters turned their head in her direction. In a second, she turned and ran, ran towards the town she had come upon on a few times. Her chest heaving as she scrambled over rocks. She could feel the tears run down her face, mixing with the dust of the desert. Her fingers gripped at rocks as she climbed and ran, her body starting to ache with the strain.
She could hear them, behind her, screaming and howling, the crunch of rocks beneath their feet as they chased her. She had no time to think. The town so close she could smell it, could hear the sounds of people. The sounds of ships. She screamed. Loud and hard, screaming the same word over and over again while she ran towards the town.
She made the mistake of turning her head to see where they were at and she tripped over a rock. Sending Bel flying through the air and skidding across the rough sand and rocks, her body curling before it stopped abruptly against something. She curled up into a fetal position, her arms curling up over her head while she started to cry.
Then she heard it.
Pop… Pop Pop Pop…
The sound of gunshots. The penetrating sound of bullets hitting flesh invading her mind while she cried, her body shaking in fright and grief and horror.
She could hear his voice. Gentle and rough as it wrapped around her, the feel of his arms curling under her legs and wrapping around her shoulders. She felt him lifting her and she felt her hair loosen and fall down from its prison of a bun. Her eyes opened and she looked up at him, blue eyes brighter by the tears as she resigned herself to think that this thing holding her was one of the monsters. When she looked upon his perfect face, grey eyes and shaggy blonde hair, her world turned to black, fainting in her savior’s arms.
It wasn’t until later, in Sarge’s ship, that she learned what those monsters were.
Reavers.
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