❄ d e l i c a t e ❄

“Let’s talk about something else, then.” Alex realized all thoughts had left his mind except for subjects that related to murder. “You ever think about moving? I hear Maine is nice this time of year. Get some salt-water taffy, go down to the pier and the boardwalk, maybe eat some chowder.” As someone who watched horror movies in order to critique their monsters, he probably wasn’t the best person to talk to after a trauma. “You know where else is nice? Nova Scotia. Total stereotype, I know but Canadians are just all really nice. One time I accidentally backed up into someone’s car and they apologized to me. It was a parked car too.”

The light hearted scoff that blossomed on her lips fell to a sigh at his question. Smooth change of topic. “Too many times, probably.” It was almost impossible to grow up here and not find yourself wanting out, even harder for people to get out apparently. Everyone she knew that managed to leave for even a little while always came back. “I’ll pass on the chowder though.” She turned her nose up slightly, unable to fully comprehend the idea of moving at all after everything. “Nova Scotia? That seems a little out of the way, don’t you think? A little too drastic on the scale of getting out of town? That’s like.. fugitive territory.”

“Nobody died? A part of me died just by actually going to the damn thing.” He argued as he leaned back into his couch, one arm outstretched along the back. The recent happenings were certainly unsettling to say the least, but Cade held no actual worry for the note that lay attached to the deceased male. “Hey, what about the — nope, scratch that one too.” He grinned shortly after his words, showing that he was simply joking.

        “I’m just saying — as grim as it is, that letter didn’t seem like child’s play, you know? The fuck is a doppelganger anyway?” Fletcher remarked, blatantly ignoring her plea as he spoke. “Oh come on Caity, surely it wasn’t that bad..”

“No..-- no you’re right, but even without the letter it doesn’t seem like something anyone should just.. shrug off. But what’s anyone going to do? Nobody is coming forward with this.. stone.. I.-- I have no idea.” As uncomfortable as it was, Caitlyn could forgive Fletcher his curiosity, it wasn’t new. “His heart was ripped from his chest, just sitting there.-- it was that bad.”

It wasn’t that Jaxon particularly wanted to talk about the recent death, it was simply that the town didn’t seem to want to talk about anything but. Every conversation he’d walked past on his way to the small diner was some variation of the Founder’s Day event. “No more talk of dead guys, got it.” It was his way of attempting to joke, to make light of the otherwise heavy situation. “So then, how do we feel about romantic comedies?”

Send ✉ for an 2 AM text

CT:  I miss you

Send ✘ for an unsent text

CT: I know things are.. weird, with us, but thank you for helping clean up the shop, you didn’t have to do that. You didn’t have to do any of this, the fact that you’ll even talk to me is crazy and maybe it’s just proof enough that I made a complete mistake when I left.(sent instead)CT: thanks for today.

Send ☠ for a threatening message

CT:  If you’re getting more cotton candy I swear to godCT:  the stuffed baby shark gets it.

Send ❤ for a lusty/loving/affectionate message

CT:  You were always too good for me, Josh. Nobody else would have stayed when you did, nobody would have tried. I love you so much more for everything you’ve ever done for me..

Send ♣ for a drunk message

Send ✘ for an unsent text

“When was the last time we managed to make it through a town wide event without something happening?” She muttered against nonchalant thought as she slumped into the confines of his couch, “Prom? Nobody died that night --- Tommy almost puked himself to death but.. nothing crazy.”

This town was going to hell. That was all Keira could think of as she sat at one of the picnic tables, a coffee and a water in front of her from when medics had shoved both in her hands. The discovery of the body added on to how much of a dark turn things had taken recently. She had shoved the medics aside earlier, fighting them until they left her alone. Keira didn’t need their help, despite how she showed the clear signs of shock. Her leg still screamed in pain, a nasty wound healing from when she had fallen into the pit during the full moon the night before. But the discovery of the body still echoed in her mind. She could still smell the metallic scent of the heart on the ground. Hazel orbs flickered to the one who dared to approach her. “I’m fine. Please, go help someone who needs it.” Namely a human, though her voice was void of malice. Keira was just tired and spent. What was happening?

In reality, she’d only wanted to move away from the throng of people in the middle of resorting to chaos to get through the night. The incessant buzz of heartbeats and voices drowned out her cling to self control  -- added the scent of blood and her whole body felt like it was on fire. “I’m..-- yeah, I’m not going to be any help to anyone in there.” She’d never done well with social situations in the first place, let alone chaos and murder. Things she’d tried to drown out in months passing. “It’s probably best if.. I’ll try not to bother you.”

Sighing sadly as she held the apple in her hand, this was perhaps the first time she had ventured outside since the morbid events that ended the town celebrations. Sniffling slightly and looking over when she saw someone. “Sorry.” She muttered, quickly wiping her cheeks and letting out a breath. “I-it’s just so awful, everything that happened.” She muttered, carefully placing the apple back rather then in her basket. “What an awful way to end such a happy day.”

         “Welcome back to the land of the living; metaphorically speaking of course.” Joshua remarked as he watched them slowly wake from their position on his couch. “Seems you may have had one too many and hit your head on the way down last night, took quite the fall from grace, might I add.” He continued, placing a glass of water and some pain relief on the coffee table before them. “How are you feeling?” 

“Quit stuffing your face with cotton candy, there’s not going to be any left at this rate.” Caitlyn pointed out, snatching a handful from him before he could object, “The line at the haunted house has died down, come on, I need someone who won’t let me chicken out this year.”

She had been watching the people of this town - observing how they interacted with one another with a flask lightly held with her fingers. She watched as a woman got a little too drunk and tripped in her heels, a child running so fast that their mother had to rush through the crowd to catch up with them and two aggressive fellows shout so much in one another’s faces that one of their fists collided with the other’s nose. Violetta scoffed, the corners of her lips twitching upwards in amusement before bringing her drink up to her lips again.

Her eyes locked with a stranger’s then and she rose her brows at them, “Don’t look at me - I wasn’t meddling in that at all.” 

      “Right, ah, sorry.” Joshua remarked, feeling somewhat at fault for her broken reply. He wasn’t here to drag up the past, he was here to help her and contrary to popular belief, confirm she was okay with his own two eyes. As she spoke he went about looking over the door, pressing against it light he confirmed something definitely continued to bloke the other side, stepping back he drove his shoulder against the door with all his might. Whatever was on the other side budged slightly, and with another hard shove the object moved and the door swung open hard on it’s hinges. Her last words, echoed out as the door came to a stop. “Oh — did you leave them alive?” The male questioned, he had to ask if not for the victim for her own sanity, for he didn’t need ask to know by the look on her face that it was weighing heavy on her shoulders.