foolish, fragile spine

“STOP following me.” Cameron spoke between gritted teeth. The sensation of being followed produced the tingling sensation at the nape of her neck. The same one that stood her hair on end and told her to RUN. This was no ghost tailing her and–though the dead did walk the earth–HE was not among them. “I don’t know where your stupid camp is, okay?” She marched forward until she thought she heard a defeated sigh, punctuated by the absence of footfalls on gravel. Against her better judgement, Cameron sighed and halted her pace, pausing briefly to allow herself to change her mind. “Fine.” The agreement finally left her lips, which up until the word reached her tongue, had been firmly pressed together. “Fine, okay. Just–don’t talk my ear off and I’ll help you.” Without turning to look back at the person, she continued. “Give me a landmark or something to go on.” Helping a stranger like this? Finn would be so proud.

Playing the INGENUE was not her favorite role, per say, but it was by far the easiest to string along. The simplest to carry out. Probably because, to some degree, she WAS just as innocent as her wide, chocolate eyes dictated. LOST PUPPY suited her well -- no matter how many turbulent deals she closed in the name of FAMILY, no matter how many children were lost in the street wars due to HER orders ( subconsciously or not ), there was still a portion of her that tasted of naivety. Beatrice was not a follower ( at least, not when it came to STRANGERS ); she’d been taught to second-guess and step on the ground just a bit HARDER. But she was lost. Terribly, awfully lost. ( She blamed the mindless RUNNING AWAY from those damned dead things. ) And the woman before her SEEMED safe enough to stick around. Beatrice adorned her lips with a faint smile and stepped closer to the other woman. “Thank you -- REALLY.” She wasted no time with unnecessary blabber ( this deal was likely as good as it was going to get and the young woman wasn’t about to complain ). “I need to get near downtown,” she informed the other ( she was NOT going to tell the other just where she lived; once she reached the city center she could manage ).