well, god bless your crooked little heart, st. louis got the best of me. i miss your broken-china voice, how I wish you were still here with me
Abelâs life was relatively normal. His mother was a superintendent, his father a police officer for a small county in rural South Carolina. Despite his fatherâs involvement with the law, Abel had always been a little restless. Heâd always itched for a little bit of trouble growing up. He was devious, filled with mischief at an early age. He outgrew it, eventuallyâ learned that it was better just to behave than deal with the boring, monotone life speeches that his father had to offer. At seventeen, Abel had no idea what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Whatever he decided on, he wanted to make sure that it wasnât something dead end. Abel could see the dread in his parentsâ eyes whenever they woke up in the mornings, how they loathed to go to their jobs. Abel never wanted to live like thatâ he was smart. Smart enough to do something better, to be something more than just a nobody in South Carolina.
So he moved, did whatever it took to get into the CIA. It was ambitious, and by no means an easy featâ but Abel did it. Thatâs when he met the best (and worst) thing that ever happened to him.
His future wife. His future ex wife.
Things went well at first. Abel loved her so much, he thought his heart would fucking burst in two. She was gorgeous, smart, skilled. They were wrapped up in each other most nights. And still, to this day, Abe has a hard time figuring out what exactly drove them apart. Maybe they were too much alikeâ or too different. It was euphoric, at the beginning. But the fights consumed their relationship, and it turned sour rather quickly. Abe went through phases of wanting to fix it, but there was no use. Maybe it was over before it even began. And, by the end of it all, Abe swore that he hated her.
After the divorce, Abel threw himself headfirst into his work. He prioritized it above all else. It was easier to stay busy than to dwell on his failed marriage. And thatâs how he lived for a few years. Mildly miserable, but engrossed in his work.
Once the world began to fall, Abel wasnât sure what to do at first. He knew that traveling in a large group might be risky, but being alone was even riskier.
There was no time to pack everything up and go. He threw the essentials in a bag, got into his truck, and drove as far down south as he could. Some places were worse than others, but Abel never imagined heâd end up somewhere as dark and twisted as he did.
This apocalypse evoked some dark parts in men. He was in a camp that did awful, terrible thingsâ but Abel had nowhere else to go. He kept to himself, stayed quietâ didnât so much as look at the poor women there. He didnât last very long before he realized that running and dying was more honorable that surviving and watching innocent people suffer.
Now, the outcast in a new group, Abel keeps to himself. Heâd never imagined seeing his ex wife there. Heâd thought about her before, wondered what had happened to herâ and now he had his answers. Of course she didnât fucking die. She was a survivor.
The group seems close. Friendly. Abel has learned that itâs better not to get attached. Itâs easy to lose people, in a world like this, and Abel doesnât want to endure any of that. So, for now, heâs just sitting backâ doing what heâs told, taking refuge with this group before theyâre inevitably forced to move somewhere else.
âthe black widowâ: a chapter he buried, a love he had let go of, of course it would take the end of the world to see her again. they have continued to stand as strangers, carefully sharing glances and occasional few worded sentences. her back up couldâve been all it took to get everyone to trust him, but she didnât. and he doesnât blame her. ex husbands and wives arenât supposed to vouch for each other.
âthe beauty queenâ: he remembers her, of course he remembers her. he just hasnât been able to find the words to tell her his side of the story. the courage to admit he had been scared and took the first sign of shelter he could find. he wouldnât blame her if she hates him and has no intention on harming her, then or now. he hopes someday she can trust him and maybe he could be a source of apology for her. he sees the way sheâs still skittish. she needs closure and maybe he could give that to her.
âthe doctorâ: she smiles at him a lot, heâs pretty sure she has a bit of a crush. if only she knew the black widow would probably snap her neck if he even returned a smile. the young woman seems sweet and caring, heâs glad they have a doctor in the group and for the purpose of how important that is, is more times than not keeping an eye on her.
