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.・゜-: ✧☾ ☽✧ :-゜・.
Night had fallen like a shroud by the time the vehicle pulled onto the empty road, headlights slicing through darkness that felt too still, too quiet. Levi sat rigid in the back seat, jaw clenched, his gaze hardened, staring in front of him
As much as Levi had tried to convince Rick to let him stay with Stella he had still been forced to sit in the car.
From the driver's seat, Rick popped open the glove compartment. A collection of license plates with the names of states on them. Levi's gaze dropped to them, a bitter suspicion igniting in his gut. His mind instantly jumped to conclusions - license plates collected from every state where Aaron's group had captured people - trophies.
Aaron peered over Rick's shoulder and smiled at the sight of the license plates. "I'm trying to collect all 50 states," He explained. "Put them on a wall in my house."
Levi's eyes flicked to him. "You have your own house?"
"Yeah," Aaron nodded toward the yellow envelope between them. "See for yourself."
The boy's eyes lingered on him for a moment before reaching for the pictures. He scanned the photos, the black and white images of houses. They looked like they could have been taken before the world went to hell. Spotlessly clean and almost untouched. Levi swept through the photos of streets and neighborhoods, something twisting in his chest at the sight. Almost longing. Within seconds images, of what life could look like there, safe, healthy, living, raced through his mind. But something was off about the pictures. Like something was missing. They were too perfect. Like museum displays. Sterile. Soulless.
"Why don't you have any pictures of your people?" Levi glared up at Aaron, a feeling of unease creeping up his spine.
Aaron paused—too long. "Uhm.. I took a picture of the whole group but I didn't get the exposure right." He explained and Levi looked up to meet Rick's gaze in the rearview mirror. Neither said a word, but the unease was mirrored, clear as day. Aaron noticed it too—his words began tumbling faster, laced with defensiveness. "When I tried to develop it later, it just-"
"Did you ask him the questions?" Levi cut in, eyes still locked on Rick who shook his head. The younger boy put the pictures down and narrowed his eyes at Aaron. "How many walked have you killed?"
Aaron blinked at the unexpected question and his gaze flickered to the two men in the front, hoping to get some reassurance but all he gained back was hard glared. "I'm sorry. What?...."
"How many?"
He turned his head back to Levi. "I don't know. A lot."
"How many people?" The young boy asked, his voice firm and harsh.
Aaron swallowed hard. "Two."
"Why?"
The man huffed out a short breath. "Because they tried to kill me."
