megatrash

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

The words that were being lobbed back and forth between the council members made as much sense to Cameron as if they were in a different language. Chesapeake often kept their people in the dark about what was happening outside of their walls – whether it was to prevent fear or instill it, she still wasn’t sure – but her curiosity was a large reason as they saw her as a threat and sought to neutralize that problem. The people here were kind yet powerful, intimidating yet calm. A rare breed to Cameron.

Two things snapped her out of the information swirling around in her head: The clicking of the box opening, and Justin’s finger tracing the line on a hand-drawn map in front of her. Everything in her head began to fit together, like pieces of a puzzle, and she was keeping her cool until she heard the words.

”You had the last hope of civilization in your pack, and you didn’t even know it.”

They made her crumbled from the inside out. Her lip began to quiver, and her eyes flooded with tears as she was striving to not completely break down sobbing. The thought of all these strangers seeing her in such a state made her feel extremely vulnerable, but knowing that the events of the past week weren’t for nothing overwhelmed her senses, and she buried her face in her hands while she tried to collect herself. There was hope.

After a few sniffles ad taking a deep breath, she looked around the room at the leaders before looking to Justin and nodding to say that she was okay. Not that he asked. Not that he even cared, possibly. There were bigger fish to fry, but he didn’t seem the type to not care. He, and the rest of them, had been so amiable, but the last thing she would want is for someone to feel the need to take care of her, or that she was weak, in troubling times like this. No. This was her time to prove that she was strong and could take care of herself. To prove everyone wrong that told her she wouldn’t ever amount to anything other than a homemaker and that it wasn’t her place to be anything else.

She cleared her throat of the emotions that had constricted, and her hoarse, stern voice broke the momentary silence in the circle. “I’m at your disposal. You have all been so welcoming, especially under the circumstances, so anything I can do, I will.” Her glanced shifted to Justin, and she smiled faintly. “Thank you,” she whispered at a volume he could only hear. If he hadn’t taken her in and protected her, she’d be dead, and the box would be in the hands of someone that would not use its contents for good. He deserved a lot more than a thank you, but it was not like she had any way to return the favor. Not yet, anyway. All she could do was help him. His people.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

“Shit.”

That was usually the first word out of Jane’s mouth in the morning, whether she woke up feeling like death or not. She usually beat the sun rising, but this morning, it was beginning to peak through her window in the small, third floor apartment, causing the insides of her eyelids to turn red. She groaned as she stretched and immediately became aware of the arm laying over her bare torso. After observing the two naked bodies in her bed, the events of last night began to flood her memory, and she gently lifted up the arm and shimmied her way out of the bed and eventually the room, grabbing a black tank top and a pair of light denim shorts before exiting.

Her roommate, Lena, had moved in about a year back, and things were platonic until a few months ago after a drunk night led them to waking up together. Jane didn’t think much of it – she thought Lena was cool, and they had fun together – but she wasn’t ready for any sort of commitment. Especially when she was leaving for tour. She didn't want to worry about anyone's feelings or holding back at all, which to her, was completely reasonable. To Lena, not so much. Their "relationship" was not one that Jane told the guys about; she knew she would be subjected to relentless teasing, especially since they all thought Lena was lame. The morning would have been a normal one if not for the other figure in her bed. Mike. One of their mutual friends who was able to join in on the fun last night. Lucky guy. They had been bar hopping downtown for hours before eventually deciding to all go back to Jane's place. She broke her own rules: The night before a big show or tour, don't party, and get a good night sleep. But in her opinion, it was worth it.

Jane searched around her apartment for her keys as an unlit cigarette hung out of her mouth until she realized she traded the car for the van they'd be driving across the country. She didn't want to drive it to the store - the thing was a lunker - so she located her longboard among the mess near her front door and took off to the gas station down the street.

The sun was warm, and the air was crisp, and through Jane's round sunglasses, she admired the palm trees waving at her in the breeze. The small California town was the only home she had ever known, but she was excited to leave and explore the country. She put in her ear buds that connected to the phone in her back pocket and hit "shuffle" as she enjoyed the vibration from the wooden board under her feet. Vertigo Flowers by Nothing was blaring in her ears as she began to maneuver the board with her feet to sway slowly to the beat as she traveled down the side walk, singing audibly to the song, causing a few honks from the cars passing by. Jane let a middle finger rise with each horn without interrupting her fun.

She got some water, two packs of Newports, and a pack of lighters and traveled back home on the long board. She owed Rob a pack of cigarettes from the other night; she must have bummed at least 10 off of him. There was sort of an unspoken rule between them that whenever one had cigarettes, the other would bum them without any record kept. It worked well for them, but Jane still liked to buy him some when she bought them for herself. After all, they would probably being going through their cigarettes pretty quickly while on the road.

Once she reached her apartment, she woke up the two in her bed and shooed them out of her room so that she could gather the last few things before going to pick up the guys. She opened her phone and typed into the group chat: Leaving in a minute. Austin, you’re the first stop. Then Sam. Then Rob. Be ready! She threw the phone on the tie dye comforter and scurried around the room as she threw some items into a large bag on her shoulder. Jane stopped in front of dusty mirror in front on her desk and stared at herself for a moment. Her hair was sloppily flowing around her shoulders and down her back, her black tank top that hugged her braless, small chest and frame, and the bags that had formed under her eyes thanks to the night before. Most people would probably think she looked like a wreck, but such trivial things like this didn’t bother Jane. She was comfortable enough with how she looked to care about what people thought about her.

After brushing her teeth, she made her way downstairs to the large, black van. Her dufflebag was thrown haphazardly in the back, and she climbed her way up to the driver’s seat and ignited the engine. A few sputters and other odd noises later, she was on the road to pick up the rest of the band. The windows were open, We’rewolf by Every Time I Die was playing loudly, and cigarette smoke poured out of the window like a chimney. At each stop, Jane honked the horn and each member would throw their stuff in the trunk and climb in the back of the van – the front seat was usually always reserved for Rob – and they would all sing along as she hit the steering wheel with the beat of the song.

They pulled up to Rob’s house, and she laid on the horn once again until she saw the door swing open. Jane slid the round frames down her freckled nose as she made eye contact with him and nodded her head towards the seat in the front to signal him in. She removed the AUX cord from her phone and tossed it into the passenger seat so he could be DJ for a while.

Rob and Jane met in high school during lunch. He was a grade ahead of her, but they instantly connected through similar music taste and other hobbies (like sneaking off campus for a smoke). She would like to think that she knew the real Rob, the one he hides away from everyone, but sometimes she couldn’t be too sure. He was her best friend, and although their pride often made them bump heads, he kept her grounded. Leveled. He made sure her dreams weren’t too crazy and usually was the one to cut her off when she had drank too much and dragged her home. If she woke up fully clothed on top of her comforter, she knew that Rob had tossed her on her bed and locked the house up for her at some early hour of the morning. At the end of the day, no matter how angry they got at each other or what stupid thing one of them did, he was always there for her. In his own way.

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

@freedomliveson Don't worry about it! Unfortunately, that's late for me on a work night as well haha.

And that's exactly it!!!
Actually, my company has multiple partners. So, I take all the data from our sales department for the day/weekend before, separate it by partner, slap it together in Excel to show conversion rates, revenue per call, etc and send it to them and hope it makes them happy. If not, then I have to do some investigative research to figure out why certain number are low/high, if there was in error in one of the system's we use, or if we just had a shitty day. That's about 1/2 of my daily tasks, I do 13 reports for different partners and 1 large master for the CEO, President, COO and other higher ups.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

Name: Jane Molloy

Nickname(s): Close friends often call her "J"

Age: 23

Favorite Song: Tomorrow by Silverchair. Her brothers always used to play the record back in the day, and she has loved it ever since.

Appearance:



Jane is very low maintenance when it comes to her routine. Wherever her hair lands out of the shower is where it will stay until the next time, and she often doesn't bother to brush it. Make-up is rarely worn, but if it is, it's usually winged eyeliner and only for shows. She usually wears band t shirts, a flannel, and some ripped jeans or shorts. Her favorite shoes are her plain black vans.

Her skin is tanned and scarred, and she has a thin frame. She has some muscle from long boarding and surfing, which is all in her lower half. She always jokes that "she wasn't meant to be a 10, so God didn't give her a big rack."

Hobbies: Singing, long boarding, surfing, being at the beach, drinking, partying.

Personality: She likes to think she is tough and can just be one of the guys, which for the most part is true. Her pride gets the best of her from time to time, but part of her would rather die than apologize for anything she's done. Jane has self destructive habits, but she doesn't see it as an issue yet. She is young and enjoying her life, what's so bad about that?

History: Jane grew up with a single mom and two old brothers and has lived in the same town since. As a kid, she'd often spend nights locked in her room with her records, singing in the mirror to songs older than she was. When her brothers left to start a life of their own, she began to lean on her friends for support and entertainment, and she started sneaking out to bars to sing at night when she was told she should pursue it as a career. Since the night she heard that, her life changed, and her goal was to start a band and live a life that her idols did.

In Bloom [HangYourSecrets x megatrash] [18+]

@HangYourSecrets

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

@freedomliveson That's alright! Hope you have a great one!

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

Cameron was treated by their medical staff – they needed to pick out pieces of glass from her side and stitch the wound – and she slept peacefully for three hours. She was even able to bathe for the first time in five days. Her once stringy, flat black hair was back to its wavy, soft texture, and her red, freckled, blood-spotted skin was beginning to return to its normal complexion, albeit darker and the blue and purple bruise that was forming over her left eye socket. She was able to change into a small, plain white t-shirt, and they washed her worn and ripped jeans for her. The kindness the staff was showing her either was because they were good people (much better people than her), or they didn’t know the chaos she had caused.

When the sun had disappeared over the horizon, a ball of anxiety formed in her stomach knowing she’d have to face Omega’s council over what had happened to their settlement and, of course, the box. This fucking box. She half expected a sentencing - it wouldn't have been her first time - and she made peace with it before setting foot into the room.

The empty chair in the council meeting made a lump rise up into Cameron’s throat. Retelling the story of Chesapeake being attacked and her journey to New York was difficult, often pausing to get a hold of herself, until she was eventually asked to take her seat again. Her eyes stayed on the floor as she listened to the discussion happening around her, only looking up if her name was mentioned. The energy in the room felt like it could be heavy enough to physically crush her. Every few times she adjusted her position on the chair, she would wince at the shooting pain in her side.

At Justin’s whisper, her head slowly turned to him and she shook it softly. “No,” she replied at the same volume. Her eyes flitted across the room before turning back to him. “I don’t think there would be this much bloodshed over some formulas and equipment, though.”

She stood up, honoring the request of Wynne and handing her the box. “If I may have a moment to speak, I…” she trailed off momentarily, shutting her eyes and taking a breath, “Chesapeake had access to plenty of purification equipment. I even have a portable one in my pack. I don’t think an elder’s dying wish would be for me to risk my life and walk over a hundred miles just to transport something we already had.” Her eyes landed on Justin for a moment. “I… I wasn’t in good standing with my village when it was attacked. They wouldn’t have given this to me if it wasn’t something significant.” She didn’t know how to end her ‘speech,’ so she walked back to her chair on plopped back into it, and her position shifted to her elbows resting on her knees and her face in her hands.

The agony she had caused them, she knew, would not be forgotten by Omega. Even if they did let her stay, she would be a painful reminder to them of this awful day. Maybe it'd be best if she slipped away in the middle of the night. Cameron chewed on her lip after sitting back up and meeting the eyes of the leaders in the room. Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears, and she looked to Justin one more time. He had a calming effect on her, which was unexplainable, but she took a deep breath and addressed the council once more.

"We need to find this key, and fast, before these assholes come for it again."

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

@freedomliveson I swear i didn't even notice!

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

She laughed at the Justin and Michael’s banter, her spirits lifting a bit, until the man with gray hair got their attention, and the reminder of what had just happened hit her like a brick. Oh yeah, I got an entire village butchered. Cameron frowned at the man’s gratefulness as she watched Justin walk off with the others, slightly nervous to be alone with the seemingly powerful commander, but his demeanor was kind, so she relaxed her tense muscles a bit. Her eyes scanned the room to make sure they were alone before speaking.

“Don’t thank me, Commander,” she began quietly, not making eye contact with him and her hand grazing the cheekbone the man had struck. “They’re… they were looking for me. Or rather, something I have.” She felt nervous telling this man about the dumb box in her pack, but Justin seemed to trust him, and somehow, she now trusted Justin. “I’m from the Chesapeake settlement. John, one of the village elders, sent me up this way with, um, an item. Something of great importance. I had no idea it would draw this much… attention.” Her icy blue eyes finally made their way to the his dark ones, hoping she wouldn’t face hatred or punishment from the Commander. “I’m so sorry. Here,” she murmured as she flipped her backpack to the front of her torso and pulled it out gently. “It’s locked. Not sure what or who can open it. All I know is I have to protect it until the right hands get on it,” she spoke lowly, taking it back from the man and stuffing it back into her now empty pack.

She sighed before continuing. “I’m not a warrior, or anyone of high standing. I got this box simply because I was alive. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, obviously,” she scoffed as one of her hand’s waved to their surroundings. Her eyes began to well with tears as she squeezed them shut to collect herself. “My village was flattened by the same crew. I don’t know anything about them other that they desperately want this thing.” Her stare shot back down to her worn leather boots. “If you don’t want me to stay, I completely understand.”

Truthfully, she did not want to leave. The nomad lifestyle in this type of environment was not possible for a woman – she’d been dead or enslaved in a week – and the option to go back home no longer existed. Cameron had even made a friend, kind of, which after nearly a year of solitude felt like a foreign concept. She felt safe here, and that feeling was something that she didn’t want to lose. But, she knew she didn’t deserve to be selfish now. Her village would execute someone who brought on so much turmoil to their home.

“All I ask before I go,” she said in her almost permanently hoarse voice, “is that my side could be cleaned and wrapped. Won’t last long out there with an infection, huh?” she joked, trying to lighten the tense mood in the room. Her fingers left the wound and she eyed them – fresh blood was still leaking from it. Her body and face were glistening with sweat and blood – both hers and the man who attempted to shoot her.

Promises left on the sand(megatrash/freedom)

@freedomliveson sweet! :D