Birthmarks and Bruises

A Personal Question

"Yep, Felix is out for the count."
Andrea sighed, twisting a strand of stray hair back into her ponytail.
"You know..." Andrea spun around to face Maxine. "I feel horrible- But, I guess it's best that I distance myself emotionally for now, right?"
Maxine clicked her tongue.
"I suppose so. You're holding yourself together really well." She swung the shovel onto her shoulder. "Maybe I misjudged you."
Andrea was surprised at herself, really. When she had first taken up a medical class, she had stressed a little about if becoming a surgeon was really for her, but... despite being emotional and withdrawn most of the time, she never really had a problem with blood or gore. Especially if it meant helping someone out, or saving their life.

Of course, in these circumstances, that wasn't the case.

She bit the inside of her cheek.
"Yeah. Well, it's just the whole fight or flight thing, really. Am I using that phrase right? Fight or Flight?"
"I wouldn't know."
"Ah, right."

Maxine fidgeted slightly- it was almost as if she was itching to get started on the grave. Either she was just looking to get it over and done with, or she was.... actually excited to get to work.
Andrea swallowed hard, noticing her dry throat and cracked lips.
Marcus had reduced to a sniffling mess at the back of the room.

I don't think I should approach him at this time. He needs some time alone.

A greyish light outlined Maxine's features as she strode towards the door. It was dawn, again, signifying the pass of another day. The older girl's skin shone a little in the full light, illuminating the series of purple marks lining her skin. It was a dark type of intriguing.
"Hey um, Maxine?"
The girl in question nodded in a silent response, her fingers tapping impatiently against the shovel handle.
Andrea took a deep breath.
"Can I ask you a personal question...?"
Maxine's jaw clenched a little, before she relaxed slightly, gesturing towards the still open doorway.
"Outside, maybe. If you wouldn't mind I'd like to get started."

The garden was a nice change from the messy interior of the house. Andrea hasn't realised how thick the air had been indoors until she stepped outside- the autumn air seemed so pleasant compared to inside that she almost smiled for a moment. A near-destroyed moss covered bench was littered with brown and golden leaves, scattered around and supposedly shed from the lone, towering oak tree looming above her head. It was actually kind of a beautiful place to be buried.
Andrea shuddered. This was all way too rushed, but in these circumstances.... what can you do? They couldn't exactly plan a whole damn funeral and invite all the remaining survivors to pay their respects.
Andrea plunged her shovel into the grass, waiting for Maxine to do the same. After a while they got into the rhythm- shovel in, stamp it down, shovel out.
The ground was damper than she expected.
Maybe it rained.
"So, that 'personal question'. What was it exactly?" Maxine asked, hurling another mound of dirt onto her considerably larger pile.
Andrea forced down the lump in her throat, and just to make sure: "are you positive you won't get angry or offended?"
Maxine nodded, not looking up from the grave which became deeper every passing minute.
She knew she probably shouldn't ask, but curiosity got the better of her.
"What did you do to your skin which means you'd have so many bruises?"
Maxine faltered slightly, before regaining the rhythm of the digging.
"Don't you have them too?" Was simply her reply. She seemed nonchalant, but something behind her eyes sparked.
"Yes." Andrea pushed on, with careful wording. "I have a few which appeared from nowhere actually- but... yours seem different. It's like they've been... strategically placed."
Maxine forced the shovel into the ground so that it stuck up on its own.

This was a bad idea. I should've just left her alone. I'm such a damn snoop, I-

"How do you think you got yours?"
Maxine had crouched to her level, grey eyes piercing into her own with their cold, assessing look she'd seen quite a few times before now. But there was something different. Maybe they were cloudier, or clearer. Darker. Brighter. Andrea couldn't tell.
"I don't know." She whispered, not being able to choke out anything louder. She started to understand Felix' apprehension. A small smirk played on Maxine's lips before she looked away, continuing her system of dig, stomp, hurl.
"Each one of them is a person, if you must know." She sighed, dismissing the fact that what she says may not make sense in the slightest. "That's why you have two-" she thrust the shovel upwards, causing a generous spray of dirt to splatter behind her. "-and why I asked about the one on your hand, but you wouldn't tell me."
Andrea's eyes narrowed.
"Because that was personal."
"And you asked me a personal question." Maxine replied, her voice silky and almost coaxing. "But it's okay."

Oh no it's fucking not.

"So could you please expand?" Andrea pushed, leaning on the handle of her shovel.
Maxine stood back, wiping her brow.
"Fine. It's quite simple, but if you don't understand that is also okay."
Andrea nodded slightly, intrigued.
"Every time someone you're close to or care about dies, a bruise will appear somewhere on your body."
She coughed.
"Alternatively, if a living, breathing entity dies after you attempt to save it..." Maxine tapped one of the many petite round bruises on her arm. "You get one of these."
Maxine shrugged, her voice lowering. "That's all I know." She grumbled.
"I don't really like to talk about it."