𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 → john murphy [2] DISCONTINUED

→𝟸.𝟶 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙻𝙾𝙶𝚄𝙴←

Roseanne Goldsman had been to hell and back.

As she stood outside the gates of Arkadia, her stomach was in knots. She should have been excited, yet all she could focus on was the aching in her legs and exhaustion clouding her mind. She glanced to her right then her left at the empty spaces beside her. The empty spaces that he should have stood in. Perhaps it was her exhaustion, or perhaps her anxieties, but she surely didn't feel like she was out of hell yet.

She heard shouts from the various posts above, but she couldn't bring herself to squint against the sun at them. She knew, at any moment, she could collapse. She wanted desperately to fall to her knees, to become somebody else's problem as they dragged her in the gates, but she couldn't. She had made the mistake of running away, and now she would return with her head held high.

"Open up!"

As the gates slowly opened, two guards approached her with their guns drawn. The sight almost made her laugh, because she knew how John would react. He would snidely remark how he told her they wouldn't be welcomed with open arms. She bit her tongue and raised her arms in the air, ensuring they saw she meant no harm. With her tattered clothes and matted red hair, she wasn't surprised that no one recognized her.

No words were spoken as the guards slowly approached her. She wanted to roll her eyes, but she resisted the urge. Although it had been months since she had been here, she couldn't remember such an intense reaction to people at the gates. Her eyes focused in on the guard directly in front of her, the only one whose face was fully exposed, and furrowed her eyebrows when she recognized him. It was Shawn Gillmer.

The odd part of him standing before her was that it had been years since she'd last seen the man. Like, pre-arrest amount of time. She was certain he hadn't been there in the short time she had spent in Arkadia. Which meant, farm station had survived.

"State your name and purpose," The man barked. Even if she wasn't in such a rundown state, she wouldn't expect him to recognize her. She bared no resemblance to the little wide-eyed girl of the ark.

"Roseanne Goldsman," She spoke up, her voice coming out raspy. "I'm coming home."

❀

Rosie sat in the cafeteria, a blanket thrown around her shoulders and a cup of tea in her hands. She hated the taste of tea, but something about the cups warmth was bringing her solace. Her stomach grumbled as she awaited whatever food they were preparing her. As she glanced around, she was shocked to find it was almost empty. No one loitered around or even smiled. She felt foolish for expecting happiness in a place where John Murphy was not.

"Sweetheart?" A voice called from behind her, the traces of disbelief lacing every word.

Slowly, Rosie turned in her seat. In the doorway, stood her father. Somehow, he looked older than she remembered. Wrinkles lined his eyes. The bags underneath of them were unmistakable, as if he hadn't slept in days. As soon as she sat down her mug and raised from her seat, he was running towards her and enveloping her in his arms. Her blanket fell to the ground, but neither seemed to notice.

"I knew you'd come back to me," His voice cracked, and Rosie wasn't sure if he was crying. It certainly wasn't the response she had expected. "I've been asking everyday for a sign, and here you are."

Rosie pulled back slowly, though his hands remained on her shoulders. Something wasn't right, and now she could fully tell. Tears were streaming down her father's face, and the cafeteria was still too quiet. Where was everyone?