Until It Hurts | Part 4 x reader

1

the empty hum of an infinite void filled the once-empty cabin, floorboards creaking and groaning from the weight it held as the house settled into the earth. paint chipped off the doors and stained wallpaper peeled off the walls in a spiral, spiders making home in any small crevice they could. flowers gasped under rubble outside, rocks forcing their stems to bend in unnatural ways that would result in permanently deformed spines.

fresh air whipped at a broken flag, the chain that held it on clinking as it hit the pole it was once attached to. similar sounds resonated from the inside of the cabin, chains rattling against a metal bedframe, pained mumbles leaving its captors chapped, rotten mouth.

once more, the wooden floor cried as someone began to walk, slowly, all the way to the base of the stairs before they began their descent to the first floor. ruined tennis shoes gripped the floor as they protected feet from splinters, jeans hugging tired legs and a blue sweater covering the chest. "tonio~! are you awake? did you sleep well?"

more pained mumbles resonated from a large closet at the end of the empty living room, making them smile. "i know, it was a silly question. you havent slept in a week, but i thought it would be nice to ask... are you hungry? im sure you are!"

only chains rattled in response, hands rushing to pack everything into a large, worn backpack. "i knew it! stay still, tonio, ill be right back with breakfast!"

(y/n) (l/n), known as the oddball of vivre island, was simply going through their daily routine of caring for their lover in the closet. tonio had fallen ill a while back, terribly ill, resulting in (y/n) having to be the one to care for him. its not like they minded it, to be honest. they enjoyed it.

slipping on the backpack and skipping out the rusting front door, (y/n) left for the convenience store down the street just as they would any other day. birds sang morning greetings above them, and bugs chirped a polite hello as they passed. the cabin (y/n) and tonio hid in was tucked deep in the woods, and despite the fact that they were surrounded by thick forest, wildlife was rare.

as a result of not paying attention, (y/n) tripped over the same corpse they tripped on the day before. an arm, laced with vines and dirt, fell lazily off its body, making (y/n) gasp with surprise. "oh, im so sorry tina! i wasnt watching where i was going!"

they picked up the arm and placed the joint back into its place, making small talk with the deceased. "did you see the birds? they were so pretty! its been a long time since tonio had seen birds, so i looked at them for him! he lost his sight a while back, just like you- speaking of tonio, i have to go get his  breakfast!"

(y/n) gave tinas head a quick pat before they stood back up, walking off to follow the beaten trail that would lead to the ghost town. "see you later, tina! ill be sure to say hi to avery for you if i stop by the hospital!"

the corpse, of course, didnt reply.

----------

static buzzed off of a tv wired into the corner of the room, the hum of a broken air conditioner clicking on and off every now and again, filling the empty silence that stuffed the store. blood was splattered on the wall like a fine piece of art, and a large survival knife layed discarded under an old table. old canned foods sat in pyramids on a rusting white shelf, little pens in a jar toppled sideways on the floor right next to it.

(y/n) stood still in front of the shelf that was bound to break at one point or another, analyzing each product with their head in their hand. "lets see, is there anything meat flavored? tonio only eats things thats meat or tastes like meat..."

they briefly looked towards the back room, scanning the dried blood splattered on the opposite side of the window. "what selfish people. when the pandemic hit and everyone came rushing for food, the owner just took it all and locked it up so just his family alone could use them, only to turn into one of those things himself and kill them all. thats karma for you..."

dismissing the memory with a shake of their head, (y/n) quickly shoved three containers of canned meat into their backpack, which would last for tonios breakfast, lunch, and dinner. it was a rather smart move to not take all of the food in case someone else had survived and needed supplies, but then again, (y/n) and tonio were the only ones left moving on vivre island. 

'maybe it's time i treat myself..' (y/n) thought to themselves, grabbing a box of chocolate wafers and stuffing it in their bag.  without grabbing anything else, they left the store and broke back into open air, giving a friendly wave to the rotting corpse leaned against the tree outside. "yo, angelo!"

"..."

"alright, see you tomorrow as always!"

when angelo was still alive, he would always greet (y/n) with a friendly wave when they entered the small store, and (y/n) would return the gesture. it was a small friendship, sure, but when youre considered the weirdo of the island, you had to treasure any relationship you had.

once again, just like any other day, (y/n) went back to walking to the cabin, humming a light tune to occupy themselves as they passed an empty tire swing. it was strange how they almost seemed to remember nothing before the pandemic, the rotting bodies on the street and the empty stores being all they know besides their need to care for tonio.

it was their duty, after all. ever since tonio got sick, he couldnt even function, having to be spoon fed like a child. well, a child that would try to bite the hand feeding him.

(y/n) would continue their trek back to the cabin, politely greeting the random arm floating in the river underneath the stone bridge they walked on, smiling at the tombstone of their classmate, and of course, saying hello to tina as they passed through the forest.

when youre stuck on an abandoned island with no help coming anytime soon, you can get pretty lonely...

but would you get lonely enough to keep your dead lover tied up in your house?