BADLANDS

gasoline

"are you insane like me? been in pain like me?"
4 DAYS LATER
1:17 AM

she traces her cold fingers along the side of her ribcage, counting each bone. she's slowly becoming hollow, wisps of consciousness seeping out of her skin, leaving behind vacant eyes. she hasn't eaten since she's locked herself away, and the pain eventually has subsided.

sirens sound in the distance. the lights flicker overhead. their voices won't leave her alone.

"you can't wake up," she's traced into her skin with jagged letters. time is passing, but she's not aware of it anymore. her body is but an vacuous vessel now, living but not fully alive.

ashley's locked herself away, poured everything into becoming nothing. to feel nothing has enthralled her. to slowly rot away until this pain fades into the darkness.

a sharp pain suddenly shoots through her head, causing her to stifle a gasp.

"no," she whispers hoarsely, her first word in days. jarring memories are flooding through her head, a rush of crippling pain and emotions and she's gripping onto her skull to get it to stop.

peter's eyes are slashed open, head lolling over his corpse. the blood is bubbling from his mouth, foaming over his lips. she can see it so clearly but it's too late, she's staggering away but she can't make it stop.

no. she can't indulge herself into these visions again. gritting her teeth, ashley stares into the mirror, reflection distorted.

i'll fucking kill him, she promises herself in the shining glass. i don't care if i have to do it over and over again, for eternity.

she pictures his body slumped onto the ground once more, all of the suffering zack had caused inflicted back onto him. she's killed him once, but he had just woken up again.

this time, ashley wouldn't fuck it up.

for a second, a smile almost tugs at her lips.

this was it.
-

"do you call yourself a fucking hurricane like me?"
3:18 AM

the alley is devoid of light, ground scarred and crumbling. a single light flickers at the end, the air around her brisk. the city is still and quiet, slight whispers of life flitting around the darkness.

maybe months before this, ashley would have been afraid. her hands would have been shaking, breathing heavy.

but now, she feels vacant as she takes a step into the alley. her hair is plastered to her face, her cheeks sunken and body weak.

but if you looked into her eyes, you would only see one thing- a girl driven with insanity.

the man waiting for her is not a familiar face, hood pulled over his eyes. he's encased in the gloom, a whisper of pale skin emerging under dark clothes.

"i'll take the best you have," the words leave her mouth forcefully as she emerges from the shadows. she stares him down with demanding eyes, with a brazen complexity.

"i don't know what you're talking about," his eyes meet hers coyly.

"i'm not here to fuck around. i have the money, don't make me waste my time," she spits out, taking a step closer into the grimy alleyway.