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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2017 23:35:13 GMT -5
The sun's rays trickled through the canopy above and Guy tried to find peace in that moment. After all, it was a beautiful day, and getting a little bit of alone time was good for the soul. He had rolled up his slacks to his knees and let his feet soak in the cold river as he read his bible. He often went back to the front, which had two different hand-written notes; one from his father, the other from his mother. Guy read those words and was reminded of her love, and tried to hold onto that feeling for as long as he could.
Dr Wright would have preferred to sit in the peace and comfort that was his mom's cursive writing, or in his father's loud, bold, all-caps writing. He wanted to study them and be lost in the old, faded ink, and to feel the thin paper of his first, and of his only, bible. Instead, he was often brought back into the reality of the now, a place that he could not grasp his mind around, a place that was so foreign and... and sinful. It left a sour taste in his mouth, and days when they discovered new things, he often was revolted. They had always talked about the rapture coming, and it had come... but those who had landed were sinners: the real sinners. This world was hell, regardless of what others wanted to believe. They would have to pray for forgiveness, and all of them would need to repent for their sins. They might not have known then, but perhaps with a little guidance...
Guy closed the bible and set it in the grass beside him. He leaned forward to stare at the distorted reflection of himself as he fiddled with a cigarette. More importantly, he fiddled with his last cigarette. The past few months he had anxiously smoked his small stash away, and twofold during the scorch. He didn't have anything else and his drop had yet to come. His last cigarette was more important than any cigarette, because he would need to decide the most appropriate time to have it. Even then, day two of no smoking, he was starting to feel irritable and angry. He'd almost smoked the thing at least ten times already, and had he not lost his lighter, he would have smoked it that morning.
He, of course, knew someone that might have cigarettes. But the two had avoided each other, and even being around the girl seemed to swallow him in both guilt and anger. She had not deserved to see him in his weakest moment... but he had not asked her to save him.
In this new world, death was more of a mystery. The mere thought of hell seemed lightyears worse than what he experienced now: a hot, but mostly pleasant day by the river. But somehow, death just seemed better in general. He scratched at his hand, bringing the cigarette under his nose so he could smell the pleasant mix of cloves.
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Post by Riley Jones on Mar 8, 2017 0:38:54 GMT -5
The night that Guy Wright had tried to kill himself was one of the many memories that had carved itself into Riley's brain, much like the night her parents had died. She could still picture the blood on her hands and smell the heavy, iron scent of it in her nose. She could still remember the blood smeared on her clothes and across her face. She could remember pacing back and forth in the emergency room while she waited to find out if he'd survived or if she'd lost yet another person in her life that was important. And she could remember, once she'd found out that he was going to be okay, leaving without going in to visit him because she'd been angry.
She stayed angry.
Seeing Guy on the river bank brought back all of those memories and reignited the anger that she'd felt toward him. More than anything she wanted to stalk right up to him and punch him square in the mouth for what he'd done because he hadn't just hurt himself. He'd hurt her, too, and he'd never even apologized for it.
She crossed her arms over her chest and she stared at his back as he stood there, trying her hardest to decide if she wanted to say anything to him or just turn and walk away. Why was he even there, anyway, if he'd been so set on killing himself back on Earth? Why didn't he just stay there and blow up with everyone else. At least he'd have his wish. And as a bonus for him it really couldn't be considered suicide so his God couldn't smite him for taking his own life.
Her gaze fell to the bible in the grass and she snorted, then wished she hadn't because if he hadn't known she was there before he definitely did now. "Still reading that damn bible?" She asked because there was no use in pretending that she wasn't there. "Why are you even here? Didn't you want to die?"
@guy
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2017 1:05:23 GMT -5
He jumped when he heard her snort, half expecting to see something very not-human. Instead he saw red hair and angry blue eyes, which wasn't that much better. Guy returned the cigarette to its spot behind his ear, grabbed the bible, and got up, as he wasn't super fond of talking to the girl with his back facing her. Guy's arms folded protectively around the book, not putting it past her to grab the thing and chuck it into the river. "You say that like you expect me to suddenly stop," he accused. Her next words were a sharp jab at him, and he blinked in disbelief. He had known Riley was angry, he'd made plenty of people angry that night. Regardless, he hadn't expected her to still be angry.
He shouldn't really be one to talk, though. He still regretted that night, and even more than that, he regretted that he was still alive. Had he not chosen his birthday, of all days, maybe he wouldn't be alive. "I believe I'm still here for a reason," he finally said. He wasn't sure why, but Riley had saved him. God kept him alive, and maybe not on earth, but on this new planet, for something. It was all he had to go on, and often times the single thing that kept Guy Wright up in the morning. He didn't like this new world. He missed his phone, his cat, he missed being able to go to the store and buy cigarettes, and he missed being able to drink until he couldn't feel anything anymore. You couldn't play Pokemon Go in outer space, and especially couldn't if your phone battery was dead.
Defeated, he opened his arms. "What do you want me to say, Red? What do I need to do so we can get past this?" he was angry, too. Riley had not considered his own feelings, and her abandoning him was a clear indication of that. "We're in a new world, and in a new life. Stop being a baby and man up. Say what you have to say to me," he patted his jaw, "Get a good punch or two in if it'll make you feel better.
"But don't expect me to apologize. Not when you abandoned me like you did."
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Post by Riley Jones on Mar 8, 2017 1:34:14 GMT -5
"Isn't reading the bible after trying to kill yourself a little hypocritical?" Riley shot back. "Isn't suicide a mortal sin?" Oh yeah, she knew a little bit about religion, but that didn't mean that she actually believed in God. It was something that she and Guy had always butted heads about, and it was something that probably wouldn't ever change.
"You're here because I fucking saved your ass!" That he would credit God for his survival was like a slap in the face to her. She'd been the one that had stopped his bleeding, had helped administer CPR so he wouldn't die. She was the one that had waited in the emergency room wheneveryone else had went home even though she was angry at what he'd done. "I should have let you die." She said bitterly, though she was unsure if she meant what she said because, yes, she was still angry even after all the time that had passed. She was a woman who held grudges and Guy knew that.
What did she want him to say? How about I'm sorry?
"A new life doesn't change the past!" Riley shouted. "It doesn't change what you did!" And it didn't change how it made her feel. Or the memories that his attempt on his life brought with it. But he refused to understand or see any view other than his own -- which was like the pot calling the kettle black. Punching him in the jaw sounded like a good idea, but she held herself back, her hands clenching into fists as she stood there.
And then he said it.
He accused her of abandoning him.
Riley's jaw dropped and she stared at him in disbelief. "Don't you fucking dare." She hissed. "You tried to abandon me first!" He knew about her parents ... she'd told him about their murder-suicide and he knew how she felt about it... and he'd still tried to kill himself. How did he expect her to feel? How did he expect her to react? Why would she want to hold on to someone who didn't seem to care one way or another if he lived or died?
@guy
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Post by Deleted on Mar 8, 2017 2:02:31 GMT -5
His hands dropped to his sides, fingers digging into his palms with every ounce of strength that he had. He wanted to continue to argue with her, but firmly knew that Riley was saying those things out of evil. She didn't believe in any of it, and as much as he didn't want to let it hurt him, it did. His face was red as he held himself back, not wanting to veer too badly off the subject. God had placed her in the path to save his life, and though it had been physically Riley, spiritually, God had saved him. Or damned him. Or.... he didn't know.
Riley continued to take unexpected, deep stabs at his heart. Half of him didn't want to hear anything else that she had to say, and half of him believed every word of it. This half was louder and more convincing, it fueled the dark thoughts that he often said to himself. She should have let him die. He was awful for it, he didn't deserve any forgiveness from the Lord, he had sinned, he had sinned more than Riley could have fathomed. God forgave, but could he be forgiven?
Guy sort of wanted her to punch him, because for whatever reason, he felt like it might help. He could get a broken nose, or jaw, or something, and they could go back to the life they'd had before Miss Lacy had reminded him of his sins.
You tried to abandon me first!
Why was he wasting his time being angry at her? Forgiveness. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Guy wasn't sure if God forgave him, but he knew that the path to that was to forgive others; to forgive himself. He was silent, he concentrated on the sensation of his nails against the flesh on his palms. He saw Riley as the angry, hurt girl she'd been the night she finally broke it off with her fiance.
"I'm sorry," he broke the silence. "I am trying to be better."
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