Hunger knows no friend but its feeder.

[benedict-donner.livejournal.com]

Day 245, Sunday, January 31st
Afternoon
Off to the woods

Caution isn't serving me well, it seems.

Oh it's bad for me it's bad for me
the knowledge that you're going mad for me
I feel certain my friends would be glad for me
but it's bad for me

I've grown hungrier since the incident at the river. I have some long white hairs tied around a bone in my box - no sense in keeping mementos of food, but those who get away... Well, a man needs something when he's kept up at night.

But imaginings are never as good as the real thing, and with the chills from swimming across the river the past few days have been miserable. I've kept warm and ate heavily, even dipping into my stores, and now I need to eat. And she did get my letter.

I felt 'til you whispered to me
completely left on the shelf
but since you started to woo me
I'm just crazy about myself

I've hardly thought about her since the river. A chance to get a beautiful gift and a decent meal, from someone who wouldn't be missed... the thought of her body bloated with drowning outrages me with its waste. Hopefully she hasn't been found yet - it would be tricky if Lannie tells someone where she's gone, though of course with things the way they are I can only say she didn't meet me - she never showed up, and I thought she'd simply changed her mind.

The idea occurred to me to report her missing, but why draw attention to myself? Better to stay quite and be surprised and worried.

And full, of course. She seemed interested in me, and though it's been some weeks I explained how winter creates its own duties. I hope she does come. She had a feral sort of look which was delightful in its way, and she was free and open and trusting. A bit of a fight to put an edge on things and then a week of good eating. And nowhere near the river.

It's so sweet for me it's swell for me
to feel that you're going through hell for me
yet no matter however appealing
I still have a feeling it's bad for me

[Open to Lannie, others]

Comments

[melania-lowell.livejournal.com]

"And I'm pretty banged up too - why not call it even?"

I roll my eyes. We'll call it even when I'm the one jumping you in the woods, pal. Though I guess he did get a little surprise when he thought he was luring a regular girl out there to kill. Asshole. He's lucky Liam's here.

"You sure you can do this?"

"Mhm. I'm fine," I say with my best reassuring smile. I hobble along slowly after them. That's the thing about guns, you don't have to be up close. I'm not used to being on this side of one. I just have to make sure I don't shoot myself or Liam or pass out. I didn't think we were this far out...

[benedict-donner.livejournal.com]

She dismisses me and reassures the boy as he prods me to get moving.

My damn knee keeps flaring, and I move slowly. If this takes long enough she'll need him to carry her, or we'll need to go to the Carnival, and won't that be fun.

We're close enough that I hear when the boy pulls my knife out of his pocket, the soft ring of steel on cloth music to my ears. Normally I'd jump up close and get my legs through my arms, but with my knee this way I don't think that'd work. Instead I stumble and fall, pushing my arms down and using the fall to hook my bad leg under the cuffs.

I cry out at the pain to allay suspicion, and manage to get both legs under me, and under my coat. I should be able to keep it hidden long enough to stand and then - grab for the knife at my knee collapses under me, sending me crashing into the boy as I wrench at the knife in his hand.

[ravenous-liam.livejournal.com]

The guy falls an' I stop short, gettin' ready to pull him back up when he moves an' grabs at the knife, knockin' us both to the ground.

I shoulda fuckin' known better. He got me by surprise an' it's his knife, so he's got a better feel for it. My grip ain't good enough an' I lose it. All I can do is try t' roll away from him an' hope I can make it.

I'm an idiot for leavin' myself unarmed. The knife I keep in my boot got lost last week. Lannie's got the gun. I'm an idiot.

Can't die now. No way Lannie'll make it to town on her own--even if he lets 'er live.

[melania-lowell.livejournal.com]

Benedict falls and I stop quickly, gnashing my teeth together when I accidentally put weight on my bad foot. Sweat breaks out all over me and I hope that maybe he just passed out.

No such luck.

In a matter of seconds he cries out and lunges at Liam. My palm stings as I grip the gun tight between my hands and point it at the tangle of guys on the ground. "STOP," I shout raising the gun into the air, firing off a round.

My ears are still ringing when I lower the barrel back to the two of them. I can't tell who's got who and who's got what at this point, but if he hurts Liam, whatever's left in this gun is going right into his head.

"Get away from Liam," I growl. Just to show him I'm serious, I aim for Benedicts' leg, sound splitting through my head as I pull the trigger again.

PLEASE LET ME HIT HIM AND NOT LIAM, PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE.

[benedict-donner.livejournal.com]

There's a crack and a shout as the boy and I wrestle for the blade. I'm bigger and heavier and meaner, and I get it in my hands and try to roll him over so I stick it in him. Hard. And then her, and then I'll eat them raw right here.

There's another crack as I stab down and someone's bleeding, and there's a thump as someone hits my leg. I stand up, eyes red and take a step towards her. "I'm going to gut you," I say as I fall down. I don't think I'm bleeding, but there's a hole through my calf.

I might actually be in trouble, now. And it's me, bleeding. That's not right.

[ravenous-liam.livejournal.com]

She's shooting an' I'm just tryin' not t' get hit--swear I heard that last one go right by. At the same time he moves an' I move an' then there's a pain in my side. It's sharp, like...well, like a fuckin' knife. I grit my teeth an' try t' stay low, scooting away from 'im. Can't help thinkin' Lannie an' me are gonna die out here an' there's no way t' stop it. I can just see him gettin' up an' I wish another time that I had a weapon.

"I'm going to gut you," he says an' I tense, wonderin' if I can stop him from gettin' to her. Then falls down an' all I can do is stare.

[melania-lowell.livejournal.com]

I think I hit him. I actually hit him! Then he gets up. My hands shake and I raise the gun level to his head.

"I'm going to gut you,"

The thick scent of blood fills my nostrils and my lips pull back from my teeth, as I growl, moving my finger to the trigger. One more step and I'm painting these trees with his brains.

He falls to the ground and I jump back, yipping at the sharp pain in my cut up heel and the sound of the gun going off in my hand. Pausing for a minute, I wait for another sharp pain indicating where the bullet went. Nostrils flaring, I glance at Liam and he just looks stunned. Benedict is still on the ground. I don't know where it went, probably into a tree or something. Taking a deep breath, I sigh and hobble over to Benedict as quickly as I can, praying that he doesn't grab my ankle as I kick the knife out of his hand. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea cause everything spins for a minute and I think I'm gonna pass out or be sick. I try to focus on something other than cold sweat, blood and the throbbing, burning pain shooting through my leg.

I can hear his heart beat and the sound of his breath. "He's still alive," I call over to Liam, squeezing the gun tighter so he can't see my hands shake. I'm half tempted to hit him with the back of the gun just to make sure he's knocked out. "Tighten the cuffs, maybe?" I suggest, trying to smile. I fucking hate this town.

Continued here. (http://community.livejournal.com/estdeus_innobis/372726.html)