[EDITING]
you took a polaroid of us,
then discovered,
the rest of the world was black and white,
but we were in screaming color,
and I remember thinking
are we out of the woods yet?
••••••••••••••••...
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season 4, episode 16 (part 2: finale)
Numbness. It was all I felt. I was aware hours had passed, the sun burning against my face proved that. But I couldn't move. It was as if my body had become disconnected from my mind, protecting me from the knowledge of what just happened.
My back was leaning against the blue truck, my eyes trained on the concrete, a large puddle of blood and chunks of brain in my vision. Thankfully, it wasn't my blood.
I was aware my body ached, I could almost feel it the more I thought about it. My face was completely black and blue, blood trailing from my lip to down my neck. But I'd say I looked better than the man who did this to me.
Flashes of memory flickered through my mind like fragments of a dream, each one more unbelievable than the last.
I remembered the cool metal pressed against the back of my head, my heavy breaths, the screams, the crying, the killing. I remembered my boot viciously bashing a human skull in, having no regrets while doing so.
Both of my hands rested on my stomach, my thumb gently caressing it with care. Deep within me, I was worried about the child I was carrying after being violently thrown on the ground, would the baby be okay?
I wasn't so sure anymore.
"Hey," A raspy voice spoke up.
With a bit of hesitance, I raised my head to face the person only to see Rick, his face entirely covered in blood, reminding me of what he had to do hours prior.
As my downcast, bruised, swollen, baby-blue eyes met Rick's I could see the concern etched upon his face, his dark eyes searching mine intently. Despite the horror that we had endured, there was a sense of comfort in his presence.
I was grateful that all of us got through this without getting seriously hurt. If Rick didn't do what he did, we all might've been dead.
"Hi," I managed to croak, my voice barely above a whisper.
Rick crouched down beside me, his bloody hand reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair away from my bruised face. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice filled with genuine concern.
I nodded, the movement sending a dull ache through my battered body. "I'm fine," I replied, though the words felt hollow even to my own ears.
The ex-sheriff's expression softened as he gazed down at me, his pointer finger gently caressing the bruise on my cheekbone, his jaw clenching at the sight.
Another second passed before Rick lowered himself to the ground to sit beside me, his arm wrapping around my shoulder to push me against his warm body. Instantly, I nuzzled my head into his neck, my eyes now staring at his boots.
