necroslacker | seattle ; tuesday

Current Mood: guilty

Entry tags:

seattle ; tuesday

Sam had walked all the way back to his house after waking up completely lost yesterday. He still had no memory of what had happened and that was scaring him. But, he'd made it back after multiple people had offered him help and some food. He didn't know how he must have looked to them if they were offering him food and shelter and water.

But, he turned down each offer and kept walking. By the time he ended up back at the estate, his feet were bloody and sore, his stomach was growling and he was dirty and tired. It hadn't been a good day. There was fear clawing at him, deep inside his belly but he was ignoring it.

He stared at the door in front of him, almost not wanting to open it. He knew his friends would be on the other side, possibly angry, possibly scared and he wasn't sure if he wanted or even had the ability to face that down right now.

He needed help. He really did and he knew it. Maybe he could sneak in, pack a bag and leave. That's what it was coming too. He was going to have to leave and either find his uncle or...find Douglas.

Sam shuddered and turned the knob so he could slip inside the house. He'd shower, pack a bag quickly and leave.

[NFB again but open for interactions, if needed]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Having given Sam some time after the fiasco of the previous voicemail, Natalie had called him yesterday. Quite a few times, actually. And then cursed not knowing his friends' phone numbers. She really needed to get those.

This time, she was calling from that record store in the city. Because she'd been considering just barging in, yes.

Sam was currently getting yelled at by Ramon and glared at by Frank. When his phone rang, both his friends looked at it but Sam mostly ignored it. He was pretty numb and pretty sore.

So, he ignored the phone for the moment.

Sorry, Natalie. Try again...in a minute?

Natalie gave it fifteen –– no, twenty minutes, before trying again.

Already deciding that if her call didn't get picked up this time, she was heading out to his house.

It didn't get picked up this time either.

Sam was still arguing with both Frank and Ramon who wanted him to go to the hospital because of his feet and his general state of being. Sam argued back that he wasn't going anywhere near a hospital and he was leaving for parts unknown. They demanded to know where and he refused to tell them.

This time, no one heard the phone, basically. It wasn't being ignored, at least.

Yeah, that didn't really help any from the point of view of the person whose call wasn't getting picked up.

Natalie paid for two used CDs and then she headed out. She was at the house in a little over half an hour, now that she knew the way. And checked the door to see whether it was unlocked again before doing anything so polite as knocking or something.

The door was unlocked. Sam hadn't remembered to lock it when he'd come back. All three boys were upstairs in Sam's bedroom currently. Sam was trying in vain to put some bandages on his feet while Ramon continued to shout and Frank contemplated calling his mother.

It was a happy house today!

Natalie could tell!

But, at least the shouting told her Sam was probably here. And led her to them. Soon enough, she'd pushed her way into the room, to stand in the doorway in silence with her arms folded.

Sam saw her first and gingerly touched the bruises on his face. So, this was going to get even better now, wasn't it?

Ramon turned around and saw Natalie and actually looked pleased about it. "Natalie! Thank god. Maybe you can talk some sense into Sam! He won't listen to anyone else."

"I'm not so sure he'll listen to me either," Natalie replied, mildly. Looking at Sam, looking his injuries over and trying not to let it show how much seeing them worried her. "What happened?"

"Take your pick," Frank said, sighing in exhaustion. "Which would you like to know about? The bruises on his face or his feet or his general state of looking like a homeless person?"

Sam, it should be noted, hadn't said anything yet.

She noticed. But glanced over at Frank all the same. "Why don't you just give me everything in a condensed version?"

Frank walked over and pointed at Sam's face.

"Brid."

And then he motioned to the rest of Sam. "Being completely AWOL for a day and just getting back like an hour ago."

"I can't blame her."

If that was the worst Brid had done, Natalie couldn't exactly disapprove.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

"Leaving."

His voice still sounded rusty and unused and his throat still hurt.

His voice made her heart hurt.

"Why?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

He slowly got to his feet, wincing and limping over to his closet to find a backpack that he could use for this whole thing.

"Sam!" Ramon yelled, glaring at the back of his head. "You're not going anywhere. This is ridiculous. What the hell is wrong with you? What are you doing?"

"Sam, come on," Natalie chimed in, but with a softer tone. "I swear to whichever deity of your choosing, if you're trying to lock us out because you're trying to protect us or some crap like that..."

Sam didn't say anything because...that was the reason. He just stayed in his closet, making like he was looking for something when he really just wanted to hide.

Frank sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'm calling your mother."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Natalie said. She moved a few quiet, careful steps closer to the closet.

Frank actually excused himself to do that, leaving Sam alone with Natalie and Ramon. Ramon still looked like he wanted to scream but Sam knew that was his way of dealing when he felt helpless.

Sam grabbed some shirts idly, not even arguing about his mother being called. He hoped he'd be gone by the time she got there.

Natalie stood by the closet door. She felt pretty helpless too. She wasn't letting it show. "Sam," she said, "please don't do this."

"Have to," he answered shortly, stepping a little further into the closet like that would protect him from the two people still left.

"Your mother's going to be really upset."

She sighed, watching him. No, hiding in the closet probably wasn't an answer or a solution.

"And that's assuming we just let you go."

"You can't stop me," Sam said, clearing his throat several times. That turned into coughing and he rubbed his chest. "No one can."

Natalie bit on her lip and considered moving closer. But didn't. Yet, anyway.

"That doesn't mean we wouldn't try."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject