MAD

chvpter 6

That's what I'm going back to, because the time since I came back has felt like the longest months of my life. I want time to go quick again.

I take another drag, blowing smoke in the wind, "You working, love?" Someone shouts, and my heart skips, but I hide the bout of fear and ignore them, straightening my shoulders.

"Come on!" The gravel crunches when two painfully familiar men begin to follow me. Mal and his little hyena, Trent.

I sneer, pulling a long drag until the filter burns my lips before I flick it at the dock. "Yo Vi!" Mal's voice is nasalised and shrill.

When I ignore them his puppy chimes in, "Princess!" Trent hoots, my skin crawling.

The Cruella is within running distance, but I force myself to take measured, unwavering strides when I see Elias smoking with a group of guys.

Mal lurches forward and grabs my elbow. "Come on, Violet," He growls, "You don't wan' be rude, do you?"

His scarred eyebrows angle inward and his crumpled nose makes a fist on his wart covered face. The filiform warts are pronged and spiked. His beady black pupils take up his whole iris, and putrid liquor rolls off his tongue into a rank puff of steam.

"Let go." My voice is stern as Mal stares at me with too much white in his eyes. Crazy like a Zero. Mad man. I glare at him harder, letting him see I'm comfortable with crazy. He's drug-crazy, though, not M.A.D crazy.

He takes a swig of his drink then shoves the bottle against my bottom lip. "Drink. What you say? Come say hello to me friends." He yanks me, pressing himself against my hip. "I don' wan' play games-."

I wrench free and point my knife at him, making him step back and raise his arms in surrender. I fix him with a glare as I take a step back, but when I turn away, he lunges at me and I careen around, digging a nasty cut into his cheek.

Shit.

Mal hisses like a snake, grabbing his wound but I kick him and he skids to the floor, landing on his ass and palms.

"Vi!" A familiar voice interrupts and stones ping against the shipping container as Elias bolts over the last of the gravel. "Oi mate, you nasty fückin' cünt you touch her I'll curb-stomp your piss-ugly mug!" He shouts, but I grab his arm before he can do any real harm.

"I'm fine," I mutter, jerking him away when he kicks dirt and stones in Mal's face. Trent pulls his much older friend to his feet and they both turn on their heels.

"Ain't no use, Mal, we's gon' get her later. Yeah? Yous hear that! Yous fückin' watch you backs!" Trent tries to soothe as he pulls him away.

Shit.

I blink in mute shock. As feral as Lake Darling is, that was not normal. I shiver, disliking that an insignificant lowlife fuck like that actually managed to rattle me.

Upon seeing the ghost of nerves that possess my face, Elias arcs up again and throws his crooked middle finger in the air, "Fück off, feral mutt!" He shouts, then he flicks his denim collar and smooth's his fresh cut hair, peacocking the detailed line-art on the side of his head. His sun-kissed skin glows under the firelight, and the Ghoul tattoo on his neck winks at me.

It reminds me that I have the same tattoo on my sternum... that didn't age well. Elias glances at me, then he wraps an arm around my neck and tugs me to the door. "You alright?"

"Yeah." I scowl, "Thanks." I add in a softer voice.  The gravel hardens into concrete and Elias tightens his arm to take a drag of his cigarette. I catch a drift of his smoke, his sandpaper cheek grating my temple.