broken teeth, broken dreams

            she could not help but smile a little.  ‘wow that’s impressive.’  she mused, attempting to simmer down her laughter.  if she had laughed at a patient in hospital, she would have been disciplined for behaving out of line.  people came to her day after day with injuries and ailments, usually somewhere between heat stroke to combat injury.  she saw less and less walker bites thankfully, yet it was always weighing on her mind whenever she was called to give someone medical attention.  ‘did you want me to look at that for you?’

location : atlanta group time : midday status : open @finishqstarters 

     “can’t sleep either?” he called out, offering a wry smile. it was almost ironic that he wasn’t on watch duty, but he still couldn’t sleep. he was tired, that much was certain. he couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t tired, if he were being honest. but tonight, thoughts of the past weighed heavy on his mind. “i really should be getting some sleep, but…” he held up a flask instead and took a drink. “maybe this will help a bit. want some?”

“well?” cj raises an eyebrow, turning back to give beka her full attention. “did it suck?”

“it’s no green flavored playdough that’s for sure, but.” she passes the infused honey in its little jar along with a knife and the other slice of toast she hadn’t finished. “just cause the world’s ending doesn’t mean we can’t be a lil fancy, ya know?” a pause. “what’s mads up to? tell her i’m planting some trees next week if she and the other kids want to join.”

she  laughed  softly  at  cj’s  comment,  applying  a  layer  of  the  honey  to  the  toast  and  taking  a  bite  without  much  hesitation.  perhaps  why  the  play  dough  bit  had  backfired  on  her  when  madaelyn  was  little.  ❛  well  if  i  knew  i  was  going  to  eat  this  well  every  time  you  were  experimenting,  i’d  come  by  more  often.  the  play  dough  sucked,  this  is  a  masterpiece.  ❜  taking  another  bite,  she  nodded  her  head  until  she  swallowed  again.  ❛  cj  i’m  always  happy  to  get  fancy  with  you  as  long  as  a  jar  of  this  honey  is  around.  ❜   

               location :      an  abandoned  backyard ,  pigeon  forge ,  tn .                   tagging :        @finishqstarters·

        he  was  still  building  up  his  supply ,      now  that  he  had  returned  to  pigeon  forge ,  returned  to  calling  a  broken  down  amusement  park  dedicated  to  a  country  star  home ;  he  had  used  up  most  of  what  he  had  before  he  left .  however ,  the  terrain  hadn’t  changed .  he  knew  which  houses  had  gardens  in  their  backyards      (   so  many  ran  straight  to  grocery  stores ,  gas  stations ,  hoping  for  packaged  food  …    even  those  who  took  from  suburban  kitchens  often  neglected  the  back  of  the  house   ) .       he’s  moving  with  purpose  to  a  familiar  spot ,  when  he  hears  something .  he  regrips  his  hammer ,  a  new  instinct  that  had  developed  over  the  previous  months ,  and  held  it  ready ,  as  he  turns  the  corner  to  find  what  was  there .

                          location :          outside  of  savannah ,  ga                                 tagging :          @finishqstarters·

                they’re  on  edge ,       they’ve  been  on  edge  since  this  all  started  but  that  didn’t  mean  the  feeling  numbed .  they  stayed  behind  in  the  makeshift  camp  with  a  few  others ,  while  the  rest  ventured  out  to  gather  more  supplies .  perhaps  they  could  be  doing  something ,  but  a  moment  of  vying  for  normalcy  seemed          important        for  reasons  that  would  be  difficult  to  explain  if  asked .  the  backpacker  rests  against  their  chest  as  they  lean  against  the  wall  behind  them ,  fingers  plucking  out  scales  without  much  thought ,  but  the  sound  was  comforting .

        body  pushes  upright  at  the  sound  of  someone  getting  closer .   ‘   who’s  there   ?   ’ 

be  gentle.  gentle  was  never  a  word  that  applied  to  you,  it  didn’t  feel  like  it  was  supposed  to  apply  to  women  with  voices  like  yours.  too  loud  and  proud  are  women  like  you,  too  confident  in  their  abilities.  be  kind.  kindness  was  easier  but  in  an  unkind  world  there  was  no  desire  to  present  it  to  others.  your  friends  were  all  made  of  the  same  plastic  as  your  husband  and  there  was  no  kindness  in  their  world.  show  compassion.  that  they  could  agree  on,  those  who  gave  their  lessons  and  a  young  woman  coming  up  in  this  world.  everyone  deserves  compassion,  even  when  they  step  on  you  to  take  what  they  want.  beekeeping  on  rooftops  at  the  height  of  summer  in  the  city,  writing  about  lives  you  wished  you  could  have  lived,  and  following  alice  down  the  rabbit  hole  and  into  a  different  world  because  tea  is  better  than  anywhere  but  the  place  you  called  home…  these  are  the  things  that  make  you  ignore  the  tightness  in  your  chest  when  you  look  at  the  world  around  you  and  only  feel  sorrow.  

trade  in  misleading  language  dancing  around  the  self  imposed  barriers  that  confine  you  to  honesty  and  integrity,  her  sway  in  this  world  is  that  of  a  monster  with  powerful  jaws  and  powerful  words,  honeyed  sweet  with  sharp  points.  never  one  to  stay  for  long,  she  is  comprised  of  wisps  of  smoke  and  broken  promises.  these  are  dangerous  times  to  be  playing  games  when  there’s  so  much  work  to  be  done.  this  is  the  kind  of  girl  who  filters  out  lies  with  half  truths,  tarot  readings  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  and  the  comfort  of  an  ocean  just  on  the  horizon.

“   oh  yeah ,   don’t  worry.    only  need  it  for  a  second.   ”       sure  enough ,   lighter  is  handed  back  a  beat  later.    a  rueful  little  sigh,   flicking  a  bit  of  ash  onto  the  ground  as  she  speaks.       “   you  wouldn’t  believe  how  hard  they’ve  been  to  come  by.    wouldn’t  think  they’d  be  in  such  short  supply ,   but  here  we  are.   ”

THINGS WITH BEKA WERE EASY. sure, it helped that she was a leader and colby’s unfortunate need to feel insecure about his standing in the hierarchy of the mountaintop community was slightly at bay most days because of their relationship. it wasn’t that things between them were incorrect or illicit, but the last thing that colby wanted was to ever be plagued with allegations that he was partaking in activities with beka just because she was a leader in the group. he liked her. he liked being around her. regardless of things just being merely physical, he enjoyed her company. “yeah see? i have a free ticket to stay in this place,” he said, his voice faltering against the confidence laced within his words. he didn’t have a free ticket and he damn well knew that.

“i think just making a day all about her is good enough. in today’s world, there aren’t much options for lavish gifts, bek.” colby knew that she was aware of that and while he didn’t have children of his own, he had always wanted to give the world to his own patients. he couldn’t imagine actually having a child of his own to spoil. “oh i’ll be there. i’ll be there from sunrise to sunset if she’s wantin’ me there.” as he spoke, colby finished stitching up beka’s arm, pausing to grab a roll of gauze before he was wrapping her wound. “y’know i would absolutely do anything for lil’ mads,” he mentioned, his voice taking on a softer tone than before. madaelyn wasn’t his kid, but god, he hoped one day he could have one just like her. she was the strongest kid he had ever met, and in the wake of a zombie problem? it was a good thing to see in a kid. 

❛  let’s  call  it  a  reduced  price.  ❜  mirth  swam  in  her  eyes  as  she  looked  at  him,  clearly  bemused.  even  as  he  faltered  beka  couldn’t  help  her  laughter.  this  was  the  kind  of  banter  she  had  missed,  her  priorities  on  her  daughter  and  career  had  long  since  pushed  to  the  back  burner  any  personal  relationships  that  she  could  have  developed.  not  that  madaelyn  ever  campaigned  for  that,  quite  the  opposite  really.  she  had  talked  beka’s  ear  off  for  years  about  what  it  would  mean  to  have  someone  else  with  them  (  her  most  compelling  argument  was  uno  isn’t  fun  when  it’s  just  two  people  )  and  that  it  would  be  nice  to  see  her  mama  happy  with  someone  like  the  other  kids  and  their  parents.  until  colby,  beka  had  always  tried  to  placate  madaelyn’s  concerns  with  promises  of  anything  else.  taking  relationship  advice  from  a  then-ten  year  old  was  not  quite  the  highlight  of  her  year.  

still,  madaelyn’s  voice  floated  in  the  back  of  her  mind  as  beka  let  her  thoughts  roam  for  just  a  moment  about  what  it  might  be  like  if  colby  took  on  a  more  prominent  position  in  their  lives.  he’d  been  the  first  person  to  get  so  close  since  madaelyn’s  dad  and  there  was  something  about  it,  while  thrilling,  was  terrifying.  what  if  he  left  ?  what  if  things  got  too  hard  ?  there  were  too  many  variables  and  too  many  questions  to  ask  someone  that  she  was  sleeping  with  when  she  wasn’t  quite  sure  where  their  boundaries  were.  he  was  wrapping  her  arm  and  she  hummed  softly  in  agreement.  

❛  funnily  enough  i  think  that  lavish  gifts  would  be  easier  most  days.  ❜  not  that  beka  didn’t  want  to  be  present  for  her  daughter’s  birthday.  in  fact  it  was  quite  the  opposite,  having  made  sure  that  any  duty  that  might  be  relegated  to  her  would  be  covered  on  that  day.  she’d  also  traded  her  way  through  a  lot  to  find  a  candy  bar  because  she  knew  there  weren’t  enough  resources  for  a  proper  cake  (  one  that  would  feed  everyone  in  the  community,  as  madaelyn  would  want  ),  found  new  shoes  that  she’d  been  able  to  clean  up  to  the  point  they  looked  almost  new,  and  made  sure  that  there  were  enough  of  the  other  kids  and  their  parents  willing  to  join  them  for  an  hour  to  make  it  feel  like  there  was  a  party  happening.  something  worth  celebrating.  

location: an abandoned gas station in georgia.

The joy experienced due to the glorious find of a hidden away box of Kit-Kat bars underneath a picked apart attendant’s counter was only short-lived thanks to the sound of company behind her. Maybe she shouldn’t have gasped an OMG upon finding them. Immediately swerving around, Elena clutched the box of candy bars to her chest while holding her knife out in front of her. “I found the chocolates first! They’re mine.”

COLBY ALLOWED A WIDE SMILE to appear on his lips at her words, knowing that the words were hardly a joke. there were many things and feelings that colby had for the woman, but her ‘take no shit’ attitude was definitely at the top of his list. it was admirable. “that’s something you could add, but you’d have to toss me right out the door because there’s no way i could follow that.” colby reached over to grab the items needed to stitch up the gash on her arm. “just keep talkin’, this might suck.” 

as he began to stitch up her wound, he focused more on the topic of madaelyn. if there was anything he had learned through the course of their relationship, her daughter was the best conversational piece to explore. “how is madaelyn doing, by the way? i do think she might be at the top of my list,” he teased, knowing that they both knew why it wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t necessarily the truth. he might have been her daugher’s primary doctor (and dear friend if he had any say in it) but the more adult activities that he shared with beka were something that made her top the list. 

he  smiled  so  widely  at  her  that  for  just  a  moment  she  forgot  to  breathe.  desire  bubbled  up  her  throat  as  a  blush  shaded  her  cheeks  and  she  ducked  her  head  as  she  laughed.  in  moments  like  these,  the  world  felt  as  normal  as  it  once  was.  she  had  never  been  good  at  dating,  or  reconciling  her  feelings,  and  though  there  were  many  contributing  factors  to  that,  there  were  these  brief  blips  that  made  beka  forget  about  everything  but  them.  beka  and  colby.  it  had  a  nice  ring  to  it.  ❛  hm,  kicking  out  a  doctor  might  not  be  the  best  look,  so  it  seems  as  though  you’ve  found  a  way  to  stay.  but  you’re  on  thin  ice,  colby  albright.  ❜

location :   mountaintop  community. 

it’s  almost  time  to  head  out  again ,   and  that  has  tori  in  high  spirits.    leaving  is  always  risky ,   obviously ,   but  she  has  tendencies  to  get  cabin  fever  all  too  easily.       “   hey !   ”       she  greets  when  she  spots  the  other ,   striding  across  the  open  space  and  promptly  hauling  herself  atop  the  nearest  surface ,   drawing  a  cigarette  from  the  pocket  of  tattered  jeans  as  she  settles.       “   got  a  light?    mine’s  busted.    fucking  sucks.    gotta  try  and  scrounge  up  a  new  one  when  we  head  back  out.   ”       

location: mountaintop camp 

SHE WAS LUCKY TO BE THERE – CLAIRE knew that. after all, she had to prove her worth to be accepted in the first place. if it wasn’t for her education, she may have been out on her own right about now… pity, she thought, that such a beautiful green horizon might have been hiding those monsters. she sighed, lither fingers tucking golden brown hair behind her ear as she focused back on the pages in her hand. who knew that there would be teachers during all of this, but claire supposed that it at least gave the site a sense of normalcy. however today was rather slow, and the grey skies weren’t doing much for her nerves. eyes glanced up at the nearest face, and claire gave a small wave to flag them down. ❝ hey! ❞ she started, making her way over to them with a quicker pace. ❝ hey, you free right now? ❞