As soon as Ariana entered the diner, the smell of burnt cheap coffee, fried food, and pancakes hit her. It was much different than the damp humid smell of outside. Even comforting since the diner was turning out to be another home other than the gas station.
Home…
She remembered the events of last time and shivered, but with determination, she pushed it aside, forcing herself to think about the hours of mundane and boring routine of wiping empty tables, washing dishes or even swipe the floor.
She trusted- no, she believed in her Levi to do what he could.
So, for hours, she wiped the same counter more than twice, wiped the tables that were empty after people finished their breakfast. Made sure they had something to eat by filling up the buffet line.
And then went in the kitchen to prepare food for lunch. All the things that she volunteered to do after the death of her parents. Because they- Levi and her- needed food. So that no one would kick down their doors because they weren't contributing to either the town or the colony house.
All they were doing was take, take, take.
At least, that's what they thought, Ariana assumed. She could see their stares, their confusion and dislike and some even with hate for trying to be different. For not using the trinket or charm on their door to keep the monsters away just like they were doing.
Ariana couldn't understand their logic. But she didn't care either way. She didn't care for their stares or their whispers.
The only thing she cared about, was to make sure Levi had something to eat.
So, he had the energy, the strength to fight the monsters at his best if or when it was time. And last night, it had gotten very close to it.
Ariana shook her head, stopping the shaking of her body with pure will and determination. She wasn't scared- she told herself. She didn't fear those hideous things. And their terrible smile. No, she was stronger than that. She needed to be stronger than that so Levi wouldn't worry. So, he wouldn't push himself too much.
Instead, she looked to the people coming and eating in the diner as distraction. There were some new people- barely two weeks in- that she hadn't bothered to introduce herself. There was a family of three, parents and a boy. A family of four, with two girls. A single man. Two women.
They were trying their best to get used to their new life, their eyes still showing the fear and unease and exhaustion with everything they were seeing and feeling.
Ariana wondered if any of them were like Levi or her. Were any of them hearing things? Seeing things? If so- what?
'Keep your distance from everyone.' Her husband's words echoed in her head and Ariana couldn't find a reason- a good enough reason- to refuse those words. And even if she could, she would never.
Because it was a human that had taken her family.
Not monsters with ugly smiles. But a human who had lost her mind and started shoting. And ever since then, something in her had been broken. She found herself not being able to trust anyone on an instinctual level anymore. Just like before. Almost as if her innocents had been shattered and broken- not almost- it was exactly as if her innocents had been shattered.
She couldn't help but look at these people and wonder.
'Which one of you will kill my Levi?'
She tried her best to return to how she was, but she couldn't. And Ariana found herself being… comfortable. She'd rather not trust anyone than trust them and then lose the love of her life. Ariana didn't know what she would do if that happened. Especially in a nightmarish place like this town.
With a sigh, she went to the back to drink a glass of water-
"Hey."
A man's greeting stopped her from pushing the door open. Turning, Ariana saw someone familiar. The father of the only twins, with his family already taking a booth with food. Though one of the girls seemed to be looking at her father and her with excitement.
"Hi?" She greeted back, confused. Her eyes went to the line of food that was already prepped and warm. Then back to him.
"Uh, I was wondering if you have any egos?" He nervously asked, voice unsure and uneasy. Eyes that were barely holding back exhaustion and fatigue, just like the rest of the people who lived in this place long enough. Though Ariana wasn't sure if this family were here long enough for them to adapt this fast…
"I kinda promised her-" he looked to the excited girl who waved at them, and then back to Ariana "something special for breakfast…" He ended… lamely.
Ariana frowned at him, annoyance bubbling in her chest.
"Don't promise something you can't keep." She snapped, her voice low.
"I-"
"This isn't your old life where you can order whatever you want." the words were out before she could stop them. "We have limited ressource." Her frowned deepened, her words growing sharper with each second as something about the man in front of her disturbed her. "So, eat what you see. If you don't like it-" Her eyes trailed to his family and she stopped before she could humiliate the man in front of his family more.
A trace of regret bloomed in her chest. Her eyes fixing on the girl's face. All her excitement gone, her face filled with guilt and regret for something she had no part in. The regret grew and her annoyance along with it-
She closed her eyes before she could snap at the man again. Took a deep breath and let it out. Without looking at the man, she turned and went to the back, missing the dazed look in the man's eyes.
…
An hour later, she returned to the counter with a plate with two egos all warm. The family turned towards her, the mother ready to say something before Ariana put the plate in front of the scared girls.
The twins' eyes widened.
So were their parents.
"I'm sorry for snapping at your dad earlier." She whispered, the words being harder to push out than she expected. Yet she didn't look at the man. Her eyes only on the girls' surprised expression and the mother's new look at her.
Before they could say anything, she turned, walking away and keeping herself busy.
During those times, the small jukeboxes on the tables played music twice.
Once it sung something about being a lady killer.
The other about something something- 'since the night you left. I just couldn't stand myself anyway'.
At least, that was the lyrics.
And so, that's how she passed the hours until lunch…
…
Launch hours bled slower than she would have liked. With the only highlight of her day being the fact that Levi had come and sat in the counter to eat a little. She passed an hour or two just talking. It was barely anything she would have liked, but it helped her putting her guard down around strangers while he was around.
She tried to make sure he ate enough though, even when he insisted he was full, she force fed him some more. To which, he hesitantly sat down, opened his mouth and let her fed him while eating herself.
All while whispering to her what he had done so far. But nothing specific was said. Just that he had went back in the forest to set up some traps and look around both around town and in the forest.
That was all she needed to understand what he meant.
And during those few hours, she noticed the looks turn into jealousy from both men and women around them. And it could have been for multiple reasons.
Not that she cared to list them.
When Levi was done eating, a kiss on her forehead was her reward, and then, he was gone and she was left to keep herself busy so time would pass.
Slowly, the diner became less crowed. The light outside went from crisp white to gold yellow and then, finally, to that familiar orange light. Meaning, the day was ending and the hunt was starting…
Ariana steady untied the apron on her- or at least, she tried to be steady as her hands shook. She advised the rest of the people inside the diner to leave so she could close it, but once she saw how they were taking their time, Ariana just told them to close the diner themselves and stepped out. She wouldn't risk herself for them.
At once, the damp, humid air hit her again and she couldn't help but shiver. Even when there was no cool breeze.
She shook it off, arms wrapping around herself and rubbing the goosebumps away.
She started walking towards her home- Levi's warm hug came to mind at the word. A smile spread on her face.
The gas station wasn't far. She'd spand lots of time walking from and to it. But she still walked towards it, quick, her eyes on the ground, arms wrapped around herself so she could imagine the warmth of Levi's cuddles. She made it halfway before a voice- familiar voice- called out to her.
"Please…"
She startled hard, her heart slammed into her throat.
She turned, finding the man from breakfast- Daniel- the name came to her after remembering the man's wife calling him that during breakfast. Right, she remembered, the man and his family had came to this nightmare barely a month ago.
He came to her a little fast, hands open and shaking, eyes going to their surroundings as if watching something or making sure no one was looking at them. Ariana shivered again, a frown on her face. There was something weird about the man. Something wrong with his eyes and his whole body.
He looked twitchy and sweaty. The exact opposite of her.
"It's- it's my daughter. Anna." He began, head turning every few seconds, before he would look at her again. But his eyes remained fixed on her lips, not her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak-
"Something's. Something's wrong with her- she can't breathe right, she keeps saying there's something in her chest-"
He turned his eye to the side and Ariana reflexively turned as well, seeing no one. Yet the orange light in the sky was getting darker with every second. She felt a sense of urgency in her chest.
"I can't help you-" she told him, taking two steps away from the frantic man- he cut her off, a moment of panic and fear on his face-
"Please! You're the only one who can help!" He almost shouted. Almost.
But still kept his voice low.
"I-"
"You're the closest thing to a doctor!" He whisper shouted, and for some reason, Ariana was feeling something wrong. "Please! My daughter- she needs your help. Please!" He grabbed her wrist and Ariana's whole body jolted, the sense of wrong amplifying to a terrifying degree.
Before she knew it, her body moved, her free hand- the bottom of her palm hit him directly in the nose.
The sucker punch knocked the father's head back in pain and surprise, making him take a couple steps back. It also freed her captured wrist.
Immediately, Ariana took a couple steps back towards the diner, her eyes wide. Immediately, she realized why she was feeling something was wrong.
"Who told you." She demanded. "Who told you that?!" She repeated, her eyes going from the man to the gas station behind him. If she ran, maybe she could make it. But the diner was closer- should she-
No-
"No̵w̴... befo̷r̷e̴ sh̵e̶ r̴u̶n̶s̷."
She heard it. A voice- no the voice. The thing that had once terrified her, clear as day.
Ariana went cold to the marrow, her body locking up without her permission. And she screamed in her head, ordered- demanded her body to move.
As soon as the feeling returned, Ariana ran!
She never even saw his hand move.
A bloody hand caught her by the shoulder- her mouth opened to scream, to make as much commotion as possible-
His other hand hit her right in her ribs from behind, all the wind pushed out of her lungs as she silently gasped- falling to the ground. For a moment, all Ariana could see was white as pain filled her entire body, the world tilted and before she knew it, she was on her knees, palms on the gravel as it tore her skin.
For a second, she forgot she could breathe.
Then the hands returned, more than two this time.
She dazedly looked up- finally she could breath, as she went into a coughing fit. She inhaled deeply, a plan formed-
A hand on her throat halted everything and Ariana struggled, nails scratching the wrist and then the face of the man in front of her-
"Ah! Fuck!" Daniel exclaimed as Ariana went for the eyes, a long scratch mark on the man's cheek as he dodged-
A fist came crashing on her face once more- her curly hair along her body snapping to the side once more. Her vision disappeared once more, and when it came a moment later, she found herself on her side, no hand on her body as Danial wiped the blood from under his nose and cheek.
She screamed- at least- she tried- only to end up coughing as something liquid came up her throat-
She heard one of them say something to the other or maybe it was to her.
Ariana tried once more to yell out the name on her lips-
"Levi-" Her voice was barely a whisper-
"Levi!" she tried again, just barely being louder than previous- her vision turned white once more as a sharp foot drove itself into her stomach- throwing her into another coughing fit as she vomited this time.
But she could still hear and whatever strength was in her seemed to disappear as the sky kept getting darker.
The fear, the panic, the terror for her life transformed as she heard what they were saying.
"We're sorry. It's the only way. It's the only way, isn't it-"
They knew she'd take that road back to her home. Back in the arms of her husband, her love-
"Let's get her to the middle." Daniel's voice had gone flat but it didn't hide the fear and guilt he was trying to hide. "Out to the open ground. By the time she wakes up, it'll be too dark. She won't have anywhere left to run."
She feared for Levi. She desperately demanded her body to move, her voice to work. Then she began negotiating with it-
"They promised. It's the only way-"
She wanted to tell them that it was lies-
She glared at the men looking down at her, the pain, the anger fueling her.
"You-" idiots she wanted to yell, but couldn't as the other man- from colony house she realized- kicked her in the head, her vision spinning before darkness claimed her.