she fought like a girl

she tends to a v o i d PACKS of people, for obvious reasons. big groups attract all sorts of trouble ( rest assured that olivia can conjure up enough trouble all on her own ). big groups mean bonding and chatting and MAKING FRIENDS, which she has not been excelling at as of late. big groups also mean dealing with others, and sharing, and SWAMPING SECRETS which she’s not overly inclined to do. but big groups have their perks – like an actual idea about medical shenanigans. the cut on her arm is turning YELLOW and she doesn’t think that’s a good sign, so forgive her for seeking a s y l u m with a local camp. healers are never too keen on wasting their own resources on STRANGERS, but they’re not keen on letting people die either and beggars can’t be choosers. they treat her arm with little fuss and only a few sour glances. she answers the basic hows and whys and then she’s on her merry way. that is, she WAS on her merry way until a collision takes place and has her h i s s i n g in pain at the crash against her wounded arm. ❝ fucking shit. ❞ the girl – the INTRUDER – is all quick apologies and smiling shame. all soft edges. ❝ ugh – only the last bits of my dignity, ❞ olivia mutters, checking on her arm, ❝ everything else seems to be accounted for. ❞    

aster was quick to pick up all the flowers she had dropped, she really needed to be more careful, it could’ve been a walker and that’s it! that would’ve been game over for her and sadly she didn’t have any more lives. “ i’m so so sorry again, i should’ve watched where i was going”, she offered the girl a slight smile before looking at the girl’s arm, it was HURT -- had she caused this? no, a small accident couldn’t have cause that much damage on someone. panic was now rushing through her “ your arm, what happened? is there anything i can do to help?”. aster wanted nothing more than to help because it seemed bad, she was no doctor but she had seen plenty of injuries before, she was just hoping the girl hadn’t been bitten or something for that matter. “ you weren’t bitten right?.. i mean if you weren’t you can come back to my camp we can find someone to fix that up immediately”, even if the girl had been bitten aster would have tried to help, maybe to make her feel more at ease or help her to stop suffering, but she didn’t think of that second option. aster would NEVER take someone’s life unless they were a real threat and the girl in front of her was no threat.

horror movie sentence starters 🎃👻🔪

in honor of the upcoming spooky season, here are some sentence starters from various horror movies. feel free to adjust pronouns or tweak sentences to suit your muse. potentially triggering material ahead! these range from lighthearted to super dark.

❝  that cold ain’t the weather. that’s death approaching.  ❞ ❝  get away from her, you bitch.  ❞ ❝  i’ve got news for you pal, you ain’t leadin’ but two things right now: jack and shit.  ❞ ❝  they’re all gonna laugh at you.   ❞ ❝  these are godless times, [ name ].  ❞ ❝  when there is no room left in hell, the dead will walk the earth.  ❞ ❝  boy, the next word that comes out of your mouth better be some brilliant fuckin’ mark twain shit. ‘cause it’s definitely getting chiseled on your tombstone.  ❞ ❝  we just cut up our girlfriend with a chainsaw. does that sound ‘fine?’  ❞ ❝  what an excellent day for an exorcism.  ❞ ❝  i’m the guy that’s gonna save your ass.  ❞ ❝  be afraid. be very afraid.  ❞ ❝  we came, we saw, we kicked its ass.  ❞ ❝  i get this ache… and i, i thought it was for sex. but it’s to tear everything to fucking pieces.  ❞ ❝  it’s halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare.  ❞ ❝  you know that part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid and everyone hates them for it? this is it.  ❞ ❝  they’re coming to get you, [ name ]!  ❞ ❝  whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.  ❞ ❝  we all go a little mad sometimes.  ❞ ❝  i’m not gonna hurt ya. i’m just gonna bash your brains in.  ❞ ❝  i see dead people.  ❞ ❝  if i weren’t about to shit my pants right now, i’d be fuckin’ fascinated.  ❞ ❝  this is not a dream! this is really happening!  ❞ ❝  i’m scared to close my eyes, i’m scared to open them.  ❞ ❝  we’re gonna die out here.  ❞ ❝  vanity, definitely my favorite sin.  ❞ ❝  there is something horrible happening in my house.  ❞ ❝  come on, [ name ]. you’re not a psychiatrist, and we’re not here to talk about my father.  ❞ ❝  this is as close to hell as i ever wanna get.  ❞

“that’s   a   little   easier   said   than   done,”   noah   says,   an   unwelcomed   wrinkle   of   his   nose   at   the   truth   of   why   that   is.   “i’ve   never   really   seen   that   many   wild   berries.   i   don’t   really   know   much   about   the   wild   in   general,   but   …   thank   you   for   that   advice.”   it’s   not   every   day   that   you   come   across   someone   who   offers   you   their   fruit   snack,   their   art   and   their   little   tips   on   how   to   survive   colorado’s   strange,   strange   setting.   “i’ll   make   sure   to   keep   that   in   mind.”   he   pauses   for   a   brief   moment,   listening   to   her   go   on   about   the   flowers.   eventually,   noah   finds   himself   nodding   his   head   in   half-agreement   but   he’s   far   too   MESMERIZED   by   her   and   her   energy,   albeit   it   be   a   little   …   awkward.   but   he   knows   that   isn’t   her   fault.   “how   do   you   know   so   much   about   these   things,   anyways?   the   wild   berries   and   stuff?”  

he   smiles   as   she   talks,   laughs   even   when   the   topic   grazes   stick   drawing.   haven’t   they   all   started   there?   when   she   asks   him   a   question,   noah   almost   forgets   how   to   speak.   there   are   so   many   ways   to   answer   it.   “yeah.”   he   nods,   taking   his   eyes   away   from   the   front   cover   of   her   sketchbook   to   look   at   her   while   he   spoke.   “i   started   when   i   was   ten,   i   think.   i   took   it   up   because   i   wanted   to   do   special   effects   makeup,”   none   of   it   is   a   lie   —   in   fact,   noah   feels   at   ease   while   he   tells   her   this.   she   would   understand,   having   her   own   history   with   the   subject.   “before   any   of   this,   i   was   actually   studying   art   in   california.   which   –”   a   chuckle   is   forced   out   of   him,   then.   “–   totally   explains   why   i   don’t   know   a   single   thing   about   the   wild.”  

“ just don’t eat any berries that you don’t fully recognize”, he was right though, it took aster MONTHS of learning to see which berries would probably kill her and which were fine to eat, it was frustrating because in her eyes they all looked the same but now she was able to see some sort of difference, even if it was a slight one. “ i’ll help you if you want, i can make you a little drawn guide of which are safe and which aren’t, i wish someone would’ve done that for me when i was learning but my mom was a terrible artist in the sense of drawing” aster’s memories of her mother made her happy, she wished that she could be with her, alive and well but deep down aster knew that it would never happen again. her little train of thought came to a halt when she heard him speak again “ well i’d go on long hikes with my mom and she’d teach me everything, i feel like deep down she knew that something like this would happen and she just wanted me to be ready you know?” or maybe it was all just a huge coincidence and aster was lucky to have some sort of knowledge. 

aster’s face immediately lit up as he mentioned special effects makeup, that was something she’d always been interested in it but if she wasn’t good at regular makeup at times then she knew she’d fuck up special effects makeup. “ that’s so amazing though!!, i’ve always wanted to learn but i tried once and i think i ended up giving my friend some sort of accidental chemical burn”. aster was one of the clumsiest people with pretty much everything but not with her art, NEVER with her own art. “ i moved to california before all of this happened, i had started studying art there as well, it had always been my dream but this kinda ruined it but it's fine i guess, it didn’t take away my art”. the girl had finally started feeling more comfortable, it was easy talking to him and for once in the past ten minutes she’d finally been able to control her breathing. 

a  bored,   dull  look  covers  delicate  features.   platinum  hair  is  a  mess,   tasseled  and  tangled  into  a  bun  on  the  top  of  her  head.   keeping  her  eye  out  as  she  walks  back  to  her  place,   green  eyes  spot  another  survivor.   it’s  not  her  job  to  protect  them,   she’s  half  tempted  not  to  say  anything  at  all  about  the  walker  on  their  tail.   but  her  conscience  wouldn’t  allow  for  that.   ❝ HEY!   คนบ้า!   ❞   a  huff  escapes  plump  lips.   ❝   look  behind  you.   didn’t  you  hear  the  announcement?   it’s  not  safe  out  here.   ❞   nevermind  the  fact  that  she’s  out,   unprotected  and  on  her  own. 

aster knew it wasn’t safe, she KNEW she had to go back to safety but there was something about helping another that just made her go through the scariest most dangerous things just so that she could ensure someone’s safety, even if that was an animal’s. “ i know, i just, there’s this cat that lives around here and i wanted to bring her with me for a while.. to check that she’s okay..” aster had wanted to adopt the cat but it was one of those that just like being on their own but even then, aster wanted to make sure nothing happened to her. “ you can help me look for her, if you’d like?”

noah   lau   speaks   his   father’s   language   and   he   turns   his   head   at   the   sound   of   a   childhood   nickname   from   his   mother’s   vernacular   …   but   he   and   his   sister   were   born   under   the   sun,   in   the   warm   winter   season   and   even   hotter   summer   seasons   that   they   have   come   to   know   in   the   city   of   san   jose   :   colorado’s   wilderness   is   something   that   he   is   …   not   very   knowledgeable   of.   this   state   is   something   that   scares   him   and   most   days,   he   witnesses   sabrina’s   eye   twitching   as   she   reads   maps   stolen   from   various   convenience   stores.   “paralyze   you?”   he   almost   stutters.   he’s   far   too   afraid   to   ask   what   …   in   these   woods   could   do   so.   the   laugh   that   comes   from   is   nothing   but   good-natured   ;   he   is   amused,   among   things.   “a   thank   you   note   is   better   than   nothing.   i   hope   they   appreciated   it   —   it   takes   a   lot   of   guts   to   say   thank   you,   if   you   ask   me.”  

“i   guess   that   can   work,”   he   shrugs   also   and   noah   can   feel   ผีเสื้อ   —   butterflies   —   in   his   stomach   :   he   likes   her,   alright.   “cherry   blossom   season   might   be   over   but   who’s   to   say   that   it’s   not   trendy,   right?”   it’s   his   heart’s   desire   to   be   as   easygoing   as   possible,   and   he   doesn’t   mind   her   refusal.   “hey,   that’s   no   problem.   your   choice,   but   you   can   take   this   for   your   hands   anyway.”   his   smile   is   unwavering,   handing   her   the   small   towel   and   hoping   that   she   wouldn’t   continue   to   protest.   it’s   the   least   he   can   do   for   …   bearing   witness   to   her   clumsy   moves.   he   reaches   over,   a   hand   taking   the   sketchbook   and   place   it   on   his   lap   with   caution.   “how   long   have   you   been   doing   art?”   noah   asks,   hoping   that   it   would   calm   her   down   somehow   —   he’s   a   little   worried   by   how   much   she   rambles   on   like   this.  

“ yeah but don’t worry you’ll be fine just don’t take any wild berries you’ve never seen before”. aster’s mom had always taught her of the wilderness, what aster could and couldn’t eat out there, maybe deep down her mom always knew a day like this would come and wanted to have her daughter prepared for survival but it could also just have been a skill or a life tip that she passed on onto her daughter, whichever of the two it was aster didn’t want to think too much of it. “ i’ll bring them some flowers next time that seems nicer than a thank you note i mean if i had to choose i would choose flowers but that’s a personal opinion i guess..”, her love for all types of flowers was noticeable from the moment you met her, if it wasn’t for her rose tattoo on her shoulder ( very cliche) it was for the plenty of drawings of flowers in her sketchbook. they were literally everywhere mostly in small doodles and even her white vans had now been painted over with sunflowers and roses, she had done those before the whole outbreak began and even had painted some for her friends since they had liked them, aster was pretty handy when it came to creating things and even now it was useful. 

aster nodded offering him a small smile “ i would draw something different but the colors match well, this way i won’t have to wait until cherry blossom season to see them again” sure it wasn’t the same but aster didn’t even know if there were some actual cherry blossom trees around here. taking the small towel the girl cleaned her hands from the mess she had just created and somehow had to clean up as well, if there was something that aster had to take from this it was to learn how to control her clumsiness around people, especially him at this point and moment in time. “ uh well if you count stick drawings then since i was about three? --” a small more relaxed laugh escaped her lips before shrugging “ i don’t really know, i’ve always been drawing things or photographing them, if you speak ‘professionally’ which by the way i don’t think i am, then i guess a good seven years”. art was one of the things her mom first introduced her to, it was a way of expressing herself and aster took it up immediately and luckily enough she had the talent, a talent she wished now came to more use.. “ you like it? art i mean”

                    ❛  you can break their arm and i can give them a piece of my mind, or  .  .  .  .or just tell them off gently  —-  i’ll just be there for moral support  &  emotional backup for sure. ❜   the extent of her aggressive streak  ;  in fact  , there had been few moments in her life that had resulted in VIOLENCE. her brothers were the violent type  (  her sister was the vengeful type.  )  and usually dealt with her ordeals for her  ,  not that she APPROVED of the act of assaulting another  in any form.  confrontation  ,  delilah had learnt  ,  was generally something you could IGNORE  ,  especially if the ending result would be another being harmed  —-  she couldn’t handle hurting another  ,  she couldn’t handle taking another’s life. it is not in her jurisdiction to play the OPPRESSOR just like it’s not in her jurisdiction to play GOD.  ❛  it literally is  !  in fact  ,  even chester won’t touch it.  ❜  and she has tried  ,  many of times  ,  to palm it off on her canine companion with complete failure  —  the dog has looked at her like she was an idiot.  tucking her legs beneath her  ,  delilah takes her place besides her friend.   ❛  so true  ,  and the world isn’t going to heal if they don’t try moving on from that. ❜   delilah UNDERSTANDS the importance of security & survival  ,  but that’s just breathing  –  it’s not living  ,  it’s not moving on  ,  it’s not seeing the beauty in a sunset and knowing there’s a future beyond what they possess now  (  and it doesn’t involve an endless WAR & STRUGGLE.  )   ❛  and besides  ,  they’re missing out on sunsets and berries. ❜  she smiles  ,  plopping another in her mouth  &  staring up at the arrangement of colours spread out across the skies.   ❛  i usually come out after the sun goes down to be honest  –  i love the stars  ,  the moon !  –  when i was younger  ,  besides something in music  ,  i had this crazy idea that i was going to be an astronomer & work somewhere cool like NASA.  ❜   but why bother with the family she had? why bother when rising to the top felt like you were drowning in ICE ?   —-  pessimism is not allowed when it comes to delilah rosenberg.   ❛  but anyway  , ❜  change of subject  (  no use getting stuck in the past  –  you’ll get lost there.  )  she gestures to the sketchbook  ,  hues glimmering with curiosity.  ❛  what have you been working on?  ❜

“see if a dog won’t eat it then why would you? it’s just nasty like i remember when i was younger i would steal it from people just to throw it away. it’s very unhealthy as well” but this wasn’t the time to talk about health or to worry about it no matter how much aster wanted to, there was no way she could go back to her typical diet of fruits and salads and vitamins and all of that was very healthy and made her FEEL good and alive, now with a simple strawberry the blonde girl was happy. “ we don’t have to move on because i mean it hasn’t passed but we can learn to live in it, sure things will never really be as before but there’s still so many amazing things that we can enjoy”. aster would be lying if she said she was never scared, the first few weeks of the outbreak she was TERRIFIED, not knowing if she was going to survive or what was going to happen to pretty much everyone and everything, now a she was a bit more calm about it, she understood that it happened and now she had no other choice than to live in fear or try and live her life as best as she could enjoying every little things. aster couldn’t help but smile at delilah’s little story, she loved learning about everyone and more about people as kind and honestly beautiful as delilah “ nasa has always seemed really interesting, wouldn’t it be scary to go to space though? yeah it would be beautiful but it would be so lonely as well”, aster was now used to loneliness but still the thought of it still made her quite sad.. she quickly snapped out of her thoughts as soon as delilah changed the subject to her sketchbook, handing her the book aster’s small frown that had been appearing suddenly changed into a smile “this sunset, i was thinking of seeing if i could get some better painting supplies and maybe recreate it in a mural inside the camp”

Max regarded her with a loose smile, caught a little off his guard. Flowers? Bright colors? Since when did any of that matter, now that the world was tearing at the seams. But Aster seemed convinced and Max liked the idea that things could be just a little bit normal again. “Ours too,” he said absentmindedly.

“You’ve been to Greece and Australia?” he asked, impressed. “That must have been amazing.” Max had wanted to travel when he was younger. Before all this and before the army. As he grew up, he’d just realized that it wasn’t in the cards for him. Simply not enough money. But the nicest place he’d ever visited… He could remember it, but how to describe it? The rocks all red and burnt orange and the brush deep green, all scattered and tumbled against a deep blue and black sky. How could he tell her what that night in the canyon was like?

“ i’ll get some flowers for our camp soon, i feel like it would liven up the place a bit more i mean we’re all alive and we should act like it instead of acting as if we were just as dead as the walkers”, sure aster knew that life was different now and it was never going to be the same but that wasn't going to stop her from living her best life or trying to at least. 

aster nodded at the question and smiled before turning some of the pages of the sketchbook to reveal the landscaped with the locations written underneath them “ i was born in greece then my mom took me back to australia when i was old enough. they’re pretty amazing places, if there wasn’t an outbreak i would really recommend going but this is the best thing we’ve got now”. aster really missed her home, both her homes and if she could go back she would but she’d be going back to a whole lot of emptiness

picking flowers was an activity that aster did whenever she could really but more during the spring and summer time, she always thought they looked beautiful inside the camp she stayed in, they really gave a pop of color and LIFE to the place, something that was really lacking these days. she had been lucky today, she found some sunflowers ( one of her favorite type of flowers) and was going to head back and show them to delilah, the girl was beyond excited to share her new find with her friend and maybe even gift her one of the sunflowers, they were healthy and pretty much looked like they came out of a painting. aster wasn’t even focused on where she was walking anymore she just wanted to get back fast before anyone wondered why she was just carrying a huge amount of flowers with her, before she knew it she collided with another person “ oh god i am so sorry --” she spoke quickly before realizing all her flowers had fallen everywhere “ fuck..” trying to pick them up she looked up to the girl she had just collided with and gave her a warm smile “ sorry about that really, it was all my fault i hope i didn’t make you drop anything?”

brows  lift  at  the  reaction  that  he  has  managed  to  elicit  from  the  girl  :  cheeks  painted  a  bright  shade  of  red,  and  a  rather  awkward  monologue  of  sorts.  noah’s  amusement  is  one  that  can  be  easily  seen  on  his  face,  but  he’s  certain  not  to  tease  her  about  it.  there  are  all  sorts  of  people  in  this  world  and  one  kind  include  those  who  aren’t  used  to  hearing  noah’s  greetings  often.  he  sees  it  as  meaningless  and  vindictive  to  tease  her  about  it,  and  it  is  out  of  line  for  him  to  do  so  –  so  he  doesn’t  …  and  he  would  never  even  try.  “thank  you,”  he  takes  another  one.  “where  did  you  get  these  anyway?  it’s  been  hard  trying  to  find,  like,  actual  edible  stuff  in  the  woods  lately.”  

his  interest  is  at  its  peak  at  the  mention  of  drawing  —  art,  something  that  he  knew  and  understood  and  loved.  noah  nods  excitedly,  opening  his  mouth  to  respond  only  to  be  interrupted  by  a  clumsy  swat  of  her  materials.  concern  flashes  in  his  eyes  and  a  laugh  that  never  makes  it  past  his  mouth.  “i  hope  you  have  a  working  washing  machine  somewhere  for  that,”  he  jokes  lightly,  taking  a  seat  next  to  her.  “here,  let  me  help  you.”  he  shrugs  a  shoulder,  his  pack  off  his  pack  and  grabbing  a  towel,  dousing  it  in  water  from  his  bottle.  noah  holds  his  free  hand  out  to  her,  “your  hands  —  may  i  take  them?  then  maybe  you  can  take  the  sketchbook  and  hand  it  to  me  yourself.”  he  offers  her  a  smile,  “it  only  makes  sense.  it’s  yours,  after  all.”  

“ well yeah it’s difficult to find anything in these woods, half of them will probably kill you or leave you paralyzed and that would be no good --” aster let out a nervous laugh reminding herself to breathe between words and to pull herself together, she couldn’t be turning into an awkward mess with each sentence. “ i traded them, well kind of. i saw them in one of the camp’s gardens as i was walking here and i took some but in exchange i left them a thank you note which if you really think about it is kind of a trade”. aster knew that it wasn’t good enough just to leave a note but she was scared they wouldn’t let her take any and she didn’t have anything of value to actually trade them for, all the things she had were things she really needed and couldn’t or wouldn’t let go of no matter what. 

looking down at the mess she had just created aster shrugged it off lightly ( internally she was screaming) “i’ll just paint the jeans, its mostly pinks so i can create some branches of cherry blossom flowers or something, i’ll figure it out” she spoke calmly trying to figure out how the hell she would clean all of this up knowing she would only mess it up again. clumsiness was something that came with the wave of awkwardness and there was no moment where she hated herself more than in these moments. “ uh--”  great, her mind had completely stopped working, trying to calm her mind down was probably worse than rebooting an old computer that needed some heavy fixing so instead you threw it away and got a new one but aster couldn’t quite do that with herself. “yeah but you can just grab the sketchbook i mean everyone is free to grab is as long as they don’t harm it and i’m guessing you won’t”. aster knew he was probably doing this to be kind and she didn’t want to discredit his kindness or make him feel like she hated him because that wasn’t the case, the case was that as soon as he’d take her hands he’d realize just how much they were shaking “ you don’t have to it’s fine but i’d appreciate it, i mean i don’t want to make my jeans worse” 

“Jeez, I don’t know either. I feel like anything goes, these days,” he offered with a shrug. He knew it wasn’t very helpful, but he was a little preoccupied with wondering if going back after having stolen food—a very precious commodity—was a great idea. He didn’t want anybody hurt.

She handed him a notebook full of different sketched landscapes and he flipped through slowly. He couldn’t help the smile growing on his face. “Yeah. I’d love one, Aster. Thank you.” Little things like this made his day, reminded him why he stayed in Balfour. Although, it’s not like he had anywhere else to go.

“ i’ll leave them some flowers next time i pass by, their garden looked like it needed some more bright colors”. in all honesty aster just wanted to see the world as it was before, a world filled with life and color and not one that had become so dull and grey, she knew that people couldn’t help it but they could also change their attitude but for some it wasn’t that easy. 

“ right, you can describe to me the nicest place you’ve ever visited and i can draw it for you, that way you won’t miss that place as much. that’s why i have drawings of greece and australia, makes me feel a bit closer to home” the girl spoke with a small smile, she wanted to help everyone feel better but sometimes not even the drawings worked, there were days were aster would really miss home and she’d just cry for hours but she’d never let anyone see her because she wanted everyone to see her as positive. 

                              there was one way to find the BRIGHT blonde delilah had come to know  ,  just one delilah had discovered in her attempts to befriend her  ,  just find the prettiest place the world could offer you and you’ll find that girl with her sketch books and colours as she tries to recreate the DREAM on paper. delilah admired the arts  ,  admired the beauty it brought  ;  although she wasn’t much of an artist of the sketching form  (  music was more suited to her talents  ,  drawing? didn’t exactly agree with her.  )  she found it comforting to see  ,  to watch  ,  like the world wasn’t as DARK as it seemed & there were still specks of diamonds to be found in the rough.  ❛   if anyone ruins your perfect little set up  ,  i’ll PERSONALLY have something to say about it.  ❜  internally  ,  because she isn’t one for conflict  ,  but she’ll defend your honor on the inside ! coward.  she tucks the earphones of her ipod into the pocket of her overalls  ,  greeting aster with a broad smile.   ❛  oh yes please  ,  there’s only so much beef jerky & canned corn you can handle ‘round this place before going complete bonkers.   ❜    she takes one before deciding on two  ,  and gestures to the blanket spread out across the lawn of balfour’s gardens.  ❛  thank you  ,  mind if i sit?   ❜  

“ don’t worry, if someone had ruined it i probably would’ve broken their arm” it was meant as a joke, aster wouldn’t physically harm anyone but if someone did destroy her stuff she would give that person a piece of her mind. aster wasn’t one for any violent confrontation but in the past months she had gotten into a few fights defending the things she stood for, it didn’t end pretty but with each experience she learnt, even if it hurt. “ see beef jerky is just nasty, i don’t get how you can eat that because it looks and smells like dog treats”, aster wasn’t a vegetarian but there were some foods that she refused to eat, she was quite the picky eater at times and she knew that it came at great disadvantage during these times. the girl nodded at delilah’s question, moving some things around so she could sit comfortably, aster was never one to say no to company and even less delilah’s, it was nice being around someone as kind as her, it made her happy. “ there you go, i was going to bring some more pillows out but i didn’t think anyone would come out to see the sunset, everyone is worried with the whole ‘there’s people eating us’ thing” she spoke with a small laugh, for aster the outbreak wasn’t even a huge deal anymore, she was just trying to live her best life. 

LOVELAND, LARIMER COUNTY. aptly named, too. the walk there had been nothing short of romantic, past a burned-out motel that forced a grimace as she caught traces of smoke and pastures long neglected. up the 287 the only sound to comfort her was the faint sweep of a summer crosswind. that, and her laboured breathing. it was warmer than usual, sun relentless. the cotton shirt she wore clung to her skin, worst at the small of her spine where a heavy bag rested. 

the place had no doubt been scoured time and time again, yet it didn’t deter her from passing through on her way north. habits continued to be hard to break. nobody had tampered with the sign of the sonic drive-in yet. the block letters remained, reminding her that pretzel dogs were, still, back again to satiate the rumble of a lonely driver’s stomach. not even the ransacking which left the windows broken, door wide open and corpse with a hole in its skull by the front door had touched it. a feeling in the pit of her gut hinted that main street wouldn’t be much better.

it was worse.

a soft curse escaped her mouth, slipped into the wind at the centre of town. clammy hands faltered for her gun, silent and cold and sweaty on the buckles. if she didn’t back up from the mass of undead without a sound, there’d be hell to pay. her efforts came undone the moment her rucksack hit something warm, malleable, arguably HUMAN – a person she hadn’t brought along for the trip.

‘ oh– oh, my GOD, ’ the hiss was barely audible as she turned to face them, free hand waving in disbelief. ‘ you scare me, i make a noise, we’re both dead. what’re you trying to do?  ’

long adventurous walks were something aster wasn’t used to doing since the outbreak began but with the fact that she now had somewhere safe to return to well it changed the game, the past two weeks she had been going off to new places, exploring the areas and today was no different. aster was used to walking long distances, her mother always took her on walks along the beach in greece or australia, wherever they were really. 

the last thing aster wanted to do was scare someone or harm them in any way and that’s what she had accidentally achieved in this case, the first thing not the second ( thank god) “ sorry! sorry i was just, wondering around i didn’t mean to scare you or anything i’m sorry!” taking a step back to give the girl some space aster was wondering what she was doing here, was she just exploring as well or did she gave a deeper purpose? “ i promise i don’t do any harm”

“I mean, a little bit, but… It was just a few, right?” Max asked, kind of chuckling when she mentioned the thank you note. “Did you really? That was… Polite of you. They can’t be mad if you left them a note, I guess.”

Max took a knee next to her blanket, not wanting to get his filthy shoes on it or any of her art supplies. He was struck, unexpectedly, by her obvious appreciation for the scene before them. It was nice sunset, sure, but Max couldn’t get past the fact that it was setting over countless bodies: dead, dying, and beyond. Aster didn’t seem to mind it one bit. “I’d like that. If you’re willing to share them, that is.”

“ i feel like it would have been rude if i had just grabbed them without saying thank you so i left them a little note, i feel like i should go back another day and give something in return but i don’t know what they’d appreciate.” aster knew that food was everything these days so she wanted to make sure to give something return but she didn’t have anything worth of enough value at that moment. 

the girl was quick to hand him her sketchbook filled with countless drawings, from landscapes to portraits to little countless doodles, she didn’t mind sharing them just as long as they didn’t ruin the art. “ i can make you one if you’d like, i know i’m not the best but i try my best and that’s what counts right?”.  

he  doesn’t  want  to  seem  threatening.  that’s  the  last  thing  he  wants  ;  he’s  here  to  make  friends,  not  start  a  meaningless  fight.  his  footsteps  can’t  be  any  quieter  than  he  can  will  them  to  be  —  soles  of  his  shoes  scraping  the  ground,  stirring  the  silence  that  the  girl  had  momentarily  been  basking  in.  he  finds  an  apology  stuck  at  the  base  of  his  throat  at  the  sight  of  her  :  studying  her,  staring  at  how  she  speaks  and  offers  her  a  bowl  of  fruit  with  such  ease.  fluttering  heart,  a  hand  hovering  over  the  basket,  lips  pulled  taut  to  a  sly  grin.  “it’s  not  the  poisonous  kind,  right?  it’d  be  a  shame  to  die  in  the  hands  of  the  prettiest  girl  i’ve  seen  here  yet.”  

a  tilt  of  his  head,  a  mouth  full  of  curiosity  that  tastes  a  lot  like  the  berry  that  he  happily  eats.  noah  takes  a  small  step  forward  and  he  waits  until  he  is  offered  a  spot  by  her  side  —  again,  he  isn’t  here  to  intimidate,  to  be  less  than  kind.  “what’s  that  you’re  doing?  the  set  up  …  what  is  it  for?”  

aster went bright red as he said the words ‘prettiest girl’, she didn’t deal well with compliments ( one more and she’d blow up just like a puffer fish). “uh yes i mean no! no they aren’t i mean otherwise i wouldn’t be eating them and this is the second bowl i’ve had so i mean if they were i would probably be dead by now”. aster became awkward really quickly in certain situations and she hoped that this was peak level of awkward that she’d reach in this conversation. “ you won’t die, i promise”

“ drawing, i like to draw pretty things or well just about anything. i have tons of drawings if you want to uh sit down and take a look?”. she moved to make some space next to her, shifting her things and accidentally splashing bits of the paints she was using all over her jeans  “oh god, i’ll deal with that later um yeah sit down, if you want!! if not it’s fine i’ll just give you the sketchbook here --” reaching down to grab it she realized her hands were covered with paint as well “ you’ll have to grab it, sorry, usually i’m not this messy..”