Casualty of Migration

[eternalhost7.livejournal.com]

~It's surprising how losing your hair suddenly makes you realise how vain you once were. As the final clump comes out in his hand (rather be bald than have a stupid-looking fringe) and his skin start splitting along its newly-healed seams he briefly considers lying back and letting whatever else is in this Level take him. But escape is necessary and he won't let a little thing like being too weak to breathe stop him. God he was glad he wasn't with anyone right now. If anybody saw what was happening... downstairs... they'd never take him seriously again.

Making it through Seven had been difficult and his feet were nearly bloody stumps from all the sharp garbage, but pain was something he had gotten used to. The dull heart-wrenching ache was worse than a stabbing- at least that would have been something he could appreciate- and he had wanted to tear off his own feet to stop it, but gritty resolve won out and he had made it to Six, wearing nothing but a threadbare smock and linen trousers, found among the sewage of the lower level.

The first thing he does upon arrival is sear his own feet on one of the more hidden bulls- anything to distract from their pain and the nausea and the general brain-freezing depression of suffering through a Hell worse than anything he did to his boys. It's pretty much all his body can stand and he crumples against a wall, allowing himself an unhappy groan. His insects crawl over his body as if he were already a corpse and he doesn't bother to slap them away; like a dying wildebeest.~

Comments

[wetandbothered5.livejournal.com]

I've never liked that plan. Last time we tried that plan it backfired magnificently, after all, if you'll recall, Barty.

[madlymirthful9.livejournal.com]

Yes well IF YOU'LL RECALL, Regina, you wouldn't allow me to enact my build-a-large-drill-and-tunnel-back-to-Earth-plan. There are no other plans after that one.

[wetandbothered5.livejournal.com]

I still find that to be a bit too grand a plan.

[madlymirthful9.livejournal.com]

Clearly you lack imagination.

[eternalhost7.livejournal.com]

*He's noticing the signs of another spiraling argument between the two- and he finds them rather amusing- so he steps back to spectate.*

[wetandbothered5.livejournal.com]

Clearly, if you would like to invite someone off the street along with us it should be for some other reason than to build a drill, which I truly don't think you know how to do - I don't.

[madlymirthful9.livejournal.com]

Building a drill is simple. It's a metal cone with swirly bits - all we need to do is make it spin. THEN THINK OF IT. We would emerge - indestructible and victorious - into the sunlight!

[wetandbothered5.livejournal.com]

I'm really not sure that's how it works.

[madlymirthful9.livejournal.com]

You're never sure about anything. That's part of why you found yourself in the sad swamp in the first place.

[wetandbothered5.livejournal.com]

*glances up in Andrew's direction to see if he's listening at this point, not as comfortable discussing his damnation in public as Barty is* Don't be inappropriate.

[eternalhost7.livejournal.com]

*Andrew is listening idly, not extremely interested because this is none of his business, but still taking it in in case he needs the information.*

*He allows himself to interject.*

Oh, it's not inappropriate. But we might be better on the move- I dare say we've been out in the open for a little too long anyway.

[wetandbothered5.livejournal.com]

*glances at Barty as he replies to Andrew, wordlessly telling him to shush* We have...

Where did you come from, Andrew? You don't know of any places to stay hidden, do you?

[eternalhost7.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm not going back there. *Sounds final.* There's nothing there but garbage in any case.