MARLEY // Max Mayfield

This Is The End

The ground rumbled beneath them, high ringing and clattering metal echoed throughout the trailer, a mess of cookware and memories splattering across the stained floor, hardened with mouldy muck. Marley stumbled, smacking her head against some pillows and letting out a low groan as Max fell on top of her and Dustin very nearly sat on her face. There was shouting up ahead, pleading for Steve to drive faster, as fast as the portable home could go, as its owners banged against the glass like undead ghouls, probably an unfair comparison considering they were simple homeowners trying to get a group of rowdy teens out of their house. Tick.

Yes. That's right. They were stealing somebody's home. 

A ghastly face jumped out at Marley and she palmed the Michael Myers mask, earning her a loud boyish yelp as Eddie fell to the floor and tripped up Lucas, they landed in a groaning heap and Marley would have apologised had she had the chance to catch her breath, however, she was soon tasked with fighting off Dustin's rear as the boy failed to maintain balance once again. It was chaos, a clatter of cries and desperate pleas to get to a solid road rather than the bumpy earth of the trailer park. Tock. Steve was shouting back just as shrilly, telling the gang to: "Grab onto something instead of whining so goddamn loudly!" As he drifted through clothes lines and ploughed through lawn chairs.

"Shit! They look pissed." Dustin so astutely observed. He had finally planted his ass on the arm of the couch, and Marley found herself lying across it.

"Well, I mean, it's not every day you lose your house and car in one fell swoop!" Robin quipped, her voice cracking as Lucas and Eddie wrestled for their bearings, still rolling around on the floor.

A trash can flew through the air, visible through the skylight, and Marley found herself following its trajectory. Through the back window, she watched as it crumpled and cracked, spilling its innards across the road behind them as finally, they made it to solid ground, the two homeowners hunched over and heaving in the ruin they had left.

Everyone let out long breaths, falling into seats and kicking spilt goods to the sides of the trailer, too lazy and uncaring to clean the vehicle they had stolen. Marley helped Max upright. She had been clutching Marley's shirt throughout the entire debacle, her knuckles pale and tight. Tick. It took some convincing for her to let go, the redhead pushing herself up using Marley's shoulders and letting out a sigh.

"That was...intense," Max said, looking around at everyone.

"Yeah...intense," Marley breathed, "that's definitely the word for it."

The Michael Myers mask landed in Max's lap, its insides bloody. Marley grimaced as she looked up at Eddie, who was nursing a bloody nose. Lucas looked to be sifting through the fridge for anything cold for the boy to press against it.

"Sorry," Marley said, "you scared me."

"Right," Eddie grumbled as he accepted the cold mystery mash in a ziplock bag Lucas presented him with.

"I think it's an improvement," Robin said as she passed them to join Nancy and Steve up front.

"You idiots should've buckled up," Erica so helpfully said as she rolled her eyes. "And I agree with Robin, total improvement."

The trailer crew delved into silence, their tender hearts still pitter-pattering from their heist; they needed a moment to gather themselves, and here, on the road, they would be allowed this one thing. Marley sunk into the couch, closing her eyes as Max rested her head against her shoulder, Kate Bush still singing into her ears, the others migrated further to the front, to offer them privacy perhaps but alternatively to convince Steve to let Nancy drive for a few hours after his rampage of the park.