𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒.

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀

[ً @aslovewept]

the body & the blood.

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- mess: rolls of stained gauze , a half-empty bottle of rubbing alcohol , duct tape , and enough bloodied scissors and tools .

hands slapped the box down on the battered coffee table in the living room with a heavy thud .

" sit . "

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

one boot planted forward like some massive , inevitable thing making its mind up . that low , graveled voice rumbled deep from his chest , slow and heavy like distant thunder crawling across a flat sky .

for a moment , hands just stared at her . nostrils flared again , -

[‍ 𝕯𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 ‍ ᴼᴿ ‍ G͟L͟O͟𝑹𝒀 @straygone]

lips part to say something , anything , when he appears within doorframe . light from inside spills into the yard , backlighting against towering figure before her . she stares for a few moments , processing his words . lashes flutter and gaze falls , shame sinking in .

&&

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- " shut he door ‘fore somethin’ crawls in , " he barked over one shoulder .

boot soles scraped against the cracked linoleum as he dug through a rusted metal tackle box on the counter—the same one he used for wiring jobs and quick patch-ups on the road . the inside was a -

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- fingers clutch tight over her ribs . his nostrils flare . slow blink .

" you bleedin' in my fuckin’ yard now ? "

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

somewhere inside the house , a radio plays low—scratchy country rock mixed with the hum of an old ceiling fan . porch light flickers once , half alive from some loose wiring hands probably never cared to fix . hadow shifts behind the dusty curtain , steps follow . -

[‍ 𝕯𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 ‍ ᴼᴿ ‍ G͟L͟O͟𝑹𝒀 @straygone]

— @electronictraps

god forbid she actually attempt to take a night for herself , unwind after hours and hours of nonstop studying . the bar itself seemed promising in some way , at least offered the prospect of a proper drink .

&&

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- hands' voice cuts through the night , low and mean and coming from just inside the door before it even opens .

" what happened now ? " door swings wide , silhouette filling the frame like something pulled out of a bad dream . dark blue eyes drop to her side where her -

[‍ ‍𝐄͜𝑠𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑟̮̑𝑖𝑐 ‍ ݁ᛪ༙ ‍𝒲𝙾𝙴 . @FOGBOUNDGUILT]

/

everyone, this is your reminder that what’s happening in GAZA , LA , CALIFORNIA is inhumane. urgent. and fucking cruel. it’s a crisis. please keep them in your thoughts and never stop spreading awareness.
the media isn’t covering what’s going on right now.

🧵

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- hand dragged down over his mouth , then rested again on his knee . " after that i , i learned . ain’t about what you feel — it’s about what you do when you feel it . and i'm real bad at sittin' with feelin’s . they rot in me . grow teeth . "

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

broad frame sat heavy in the dirt beside her , hunched foward slightly , elbows resting on his knees . fingers interlaced , a crow called from a telephone wire overhead , somewhere distant — the kind of sound that didn’t linger , didn't wait for anyone .

then his head turned ,-

[‍ 𝕯𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 ‍ ᴼᴿ ‍ G͟L͟O͟𝑹𝒀 @straygone]

hair that had draped over her face is tucked behind her ear , slowly working through the shame of letting herself fall apart so easily . teeth caught upon trembling lower lip , waiting until she felt she could speak again to release it .

&&

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- now , the weight of confession that didn’t ask for forgiveness . " and by the time i moved again , by the time i stood up , i'd already . . . "

he stopped . not like he got choked up , but like he’d simply decided the rest didn’t matter . what was the point ? -

[ᴰⁱᵉ, ᴰⁱᵉ, ᴰⁱᵉ .ᐟ @GRlMEMBRACE]

⠀
⠀

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- beside her with a grunt .

" you ain't gotta smile , " he said , quieter this time . " but you gotta stand up . can't let that sadness hold you still too long , y'hear ? you go still in this place . . . somethin’ bad finds you . real quick . "

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

" ya are too sad , " hands rumbled low , voice like gravel scraped across steel — weighty and final , but not cruel . dark blue eyes studied her like she was something breakable , which — considering his hands could pop a grown man's skull like an overripe peach — meant -

[‍ 𝕯𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 ‍ ᴼᴿ ‍ G͟L͟O͟𝑹𝒀 @straygone]

a few blinks performed in futile attempt to rid her eyes of tears , some of which already flow down her cheeks . marlene sniffles , lifting a hand to wipe her eyes .

“ ye — yeah . . alright . “ she exhales shakily , gaze cast down towards the ground .

[𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒. @electronictraps]

- something .

he let out a short breath , not quite a sigh .

" ain’t no good cryin’ round here . them tears just get soaked up in this dirt and forgotten . don’t nobody remember tears out here . just blood and rubber . "

he shifted a little , settling down onto the dirt -