Post by Madalyn LeBlanc on Jan 8, 2017 15:24:48 GMT -5
In the three years since the world had ended, Maddie had only ever been this scared once before. When the station burned down not even a full year ago, and she and her brother had to scatter like frightened roaches. They had lost Jay that day, and more than that, they had lost their home. They traveled together, just her and Parnell, until they took sanctuary in her clinic. Avery came along recently, and it had been a simple life. Parnell kept them safe, and they all banded together. Bryce and the Crowes arrived, and Maddie knew that they would keep her safe. But Parnell did not, and with the way that her lover and her brother were starting to square off, she was getting scared that she was about to lose one of them. Or worse, both of them.
Bryce came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders, and although his touch was loving, his words towards her brother were harsh. Parnell spat right back, coming to Avery's defense. They were talking shit, squaring up to each other, and Parnell insulted Bryce's intelligence. It was getting ugly fast, and Maddie didn't want to lose either of them to a heated argument. They didn't have time to grab supplies like Avery wanted, and they didn't have time to stand around bickering either.
"Parnell, stop!" Maddie called. "We don't have time for this!"
She appealed to his rational side, and in his eyes, she knew that he knew she was right. They could fight later, assuming that they got a later. But the boys weren't done sizing each other up. Bryce, hands on her shoulders, made the claim that her brother and Avery could leave once they arrived at the property. And Parnell, hand on her wrist, swore that they would all be leaving the moment that they got Jude. He challenged Bryce and hit him where it hurt, rubbed his face in the fact that he hadn't been around to protect her. Parnell was unaware of the conversation that they had had in the back room, but she knew that it poured salt in the wound in a way that he couldn't possibly imagine.
She almost wanted to wince, but the desire was cut off when the walkers smashed through the windows downstairs. Maddie gasped in terror, not having a weapon at her disposal. Luckily, the fighting was put on hold in exchange for escaping upstairs. She raced with Bryce, never letting go of him, and followed her brother's lead. They ventured out onto the fire escape, and she helped Bryce as they moved down the slippery steps with anxious feet. The last thing they needed was to slip and open his wounds. They all made it down to the ground, and Brad and Avery hopped into the bed of the truck. They opened fire on the roaming walkers, and it gave Maddie and Bryce time to escape across the yard. Bryce pulled her into the back with him, and she glanced to Parnell as she followed. She knew that he wasn't going to be happy, and it was reflected in his tone as he protested her decision.
"Maddie, in the cab!"
"There's no time!" She called. Parnell yelled for Bryce to keep her safe, and in her heart, Maddie knew that he would. He had protected her long before the world ended, and he had a feeling that he would protect her long after. She settled in the bed of the truck with him, and as they tore out of the clinic, a walker tried to reach out and grab her. She gasped and leaned into Bryce out of instinct, and he pulled her away from the dead. Parnell swerved to help his efforts, and Maddie shielded her eyes as they passed another set of headlights.
She rested her head on Bryce's chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat. She clung to him out of instinct as Parnell stopped short, and as Brad slid away from Avery, Parnell asked if everyone was okay. "We're fine!"
As they left the clinic in their wake, Maddie frowned and nestled up against Bryce. Her eyes were downcast, and this wasn't a conversation that she wanted to have in the back of her brother's getaway truck, sitting partially in a rain puddle. But the audience in the back would have to be accepted; Maddie needed to soothe this tension before they arrived at the Manor. Otherwise, it would be explosive and she would be forced to make an impossible choice.
"He's my brother, Bryce. Please try for me." She let the implication linger between them, though the storm swallowed her words as they quintet sped off into the dead of the night.
Bryce came up behind her and grabbed her shoulders, and although his touch was loving, his words towards her brother were harsh. Parnell spat right back, coming to Avery's defense. They were talking shit, squaring up to each other, and Parnell insulted Bryce's intelligence. It was getting ugly fast, and Maddie didn't want to lose either of them to a heated argument. They didn't have time to grab supplies like Avery wanted, and they didn't have time to stand around bickering either.
"Parnell, stop!" Maddie called. "We don't have time for this!"
She appealed to his rational side, and in his eyes, she knew that he knew she was right. They could fight later, assuming that they got a later. But the boys weren't done sizing each other up. Bryce, hands on her shoulders, made the claim that her brother and Avery could leave once they arrived at the property. And Parnell, hand on her wrist, swore that they would all be leaving the moment that they got Jude. He challenged Bryce and hit him where it hurt, rubbed his face in the fact that he hadn't been around to protect her. Parnell was unaware of the conversation that they had had in the back room, but she knew that it poured salt in the wound in a way that he couldn't possibly imagine.
She almost wanted to wince, but the desire was cut off when the walkers smashed through the windows downstairs. Maddie gasped in terror, not having a weapon at her disposal. Luckily, the fighting was put on hold in exchange for escaping upstairs. She raced with Bryce, never letting go of him, and followed her brother's lead. They ventured out onto the fire escape, and she helped Bryce as they moved down the slippery steps with anxious feet. The last thing they needed was to slip and open his wounds. They all made it down to the ground, and Brad and Avery hopped into the bed of the truck. They opened fire on the roaming walkers, and it gave Maddie and Bryce time to escape across the yard. Bryce pulled her into the back with him, and she glanced to Parnell as she followed. She knew that he wasn't going to be happy, and it was reflected in his tone as he protested her decision.
"Maddie, in the cab!"
"There's no time!" She called. Parnell yelled for Bryce to keep her safe, and in her heart, Maddie knew that he would. He had protected her long before the world ended, and he had a feeling that he would protect her long after. She settled in the bed of the truck with him, and as they tore out of the clinic, a walker tried to reach out and grab her. She gasped and leaned into Bryce out of instinct, and he pulled her away from the dead. Parnell swerved to help his efforts, and Maddie shielded her eyes as they passed another set of headlights.
She rested her head on Bryce's chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat. She clung to him out of instinct as Parnell stopped short, and as Brad slid away from Avery, Parnell asked if everyone was okay. "We're fine!"
As they left the clinic in their wake, Maddie frowned and nestled up against Bryce. Her eyes were downcast, and this wasn't a conversation that she wanted to have in the back of her brother's getaway truck, sitting partially in a rain puddle. But the audience in the back would have to be accepted; Maddie needed to soothe this tension before they arrived at the Manor. Otherwise, it would be explosive and she would be forced to make an impossible choice.
"He's my brother, Bryce. Please try for me." She let the implication linger between them, though the storm swallowed her words as they quintet sped off into the dead of the night.