BADLANDS

ghost

the sight before them reminds her of when she used to stare out of her window in the city, gazing at the ridges. if she closes her eyes hard enough, she can almost see the bodies on the streets again, a glowing cigarette in her hand on the balcony.

when she opens the thoughts in her head, she can see everything.

the rich brown hair of the girls head on the white chapel floor, the inky blood spreading through the vibrant blue pool water. even more, the flash in her crowd as the gun goes off, the heat as it hits her body, the cops jeering as they shove her roughly to the dirty ground, the butt of a pistol slammed against peter's skull-

shut up, she screams in her own head, shut the fuck up. she hasn't even realized she's stopped dead in her tracks.

he hasn't even turned around.

this is when she realizes that he's gone. his ghost is gone, the warmth and compassion and energy has frozen back to icy cold bitterness.

she desperately runs to catch up to him, falling into step by his side. he says nothing. the mountain range seems so far away, an illusion that only increases in distance. she looks behind her frequently, readjusting her backpack straps

suddenly, the world blinds her in a flash of light, pulling her off balance. there's a blur of movement behind them, so far in the horizon she can barely see it.

"there's somebody out there," she gasps audibly, hysteria tinged in her voice.

his vacant eyes flash as he turns. "ashley..." he trails off. "there's no one there."

she feels a choking feeling in her throat, staring at the outline of the people heading towards them. "they're right there, what the fuck are you saying?"

"ashley," his wide eyed stare hurts more than his words. "you're going insane."

this genuine fear of her fuels her rage. she's putting her life on the line to save him. pulsing anger runs through her muscles, clenching them tight. "shut up," she hisses, staring into his eyes.

"ashley," he whispers again.

"shut the fuck up!" she screams, blindly lunging towards him.

she rips the gun out of her waistband, losing sense of the world as she raises it into the air.

he clenches her arms, struggling against her weight as he holds her back. nothing will focus, nothing makes sense anymore.

she's crying, she's crying so hard she doesn't even notice that she is, choking and sobbing on her anger and desperation. she's finally broke, snapped from the fiber of her core that kept her sane and the anger just seeps out of her as she stops struggling, lets the gun clatter against the barren ground.

nothing has been able to break her yet. but somehow, he has.

x
-

"what happened to the soul that you used to be?"

10:28 PM

it's more of a death wish than a rescue mission, she thinks late that night, curling up on the solid ground.

long gone is the sand and the bright sky- they've made it into the heart of the badlands.

they lay side by side, staring in opposite directions. the space between their backs seems material, as if she could just turn suddenly, wrap her warm arms around his waist.

that's not how it works anymore.

they won't last. they burned too fast and too hard and they'll die out. they're at a bitter end- he hates her, she loves him but she knows she's going to leave him.

she's waiting for the day she gets sick as well. waits for the day they die.

she deserves it.

X

yo I saw Halsey a few weeks ago & it was amazing I was front row & yeah :) sorry for the long wait ill post colors next week.