Evelyn Burns Petals

Hello again i figured i would post some of my old stuff since i didn't have the confidence before so i hope you enjoy :D

Finished February 9, 2023

“BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH!”

Chanting, chanting is all you can hear when you enter the town. It’s fairly common nowadays to hear such words be uttered by so many people. It’s a shame, to hear it another time, however it's not your business, you’d rather stay away and not accidentally get yourself caught again. That time, it almost took you a whole two days for the magic to even get the wound to scab. Either way, the point is that Evelyn is missing.You have a feeling she’s here because two days earlier she had mentioned finding a place that sold mint leaves since you and her had run out.

The earlier chanting grows louder as you make your way to the centre of town after looking everywhere for Evelyn. Hundreds, if not thousands of women, men and children alike all gather around a podium in the centre of town. The podium had what looked to be a wooden beam with the silhouette of a person you can’t seem to make out, all tied up as a person on the right seemed to be making a speech. However you were unable to hear what exactly they were preaching about for the chanting had elevated to a nearly deafening sound.

“BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH! BURN THE WITCH!!!”

You, by some miracle, get past the other townspeople just enough to just make out the person, but by that time you were already too late as the fire had already started burning.

“EVELYN!!!!”

You’re running now, your hood has fallen' off as you’re trying desperately to get past the townspeople most not moving as they and you watch the fire creep closer to Evelyn.

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!!” “EVELYN!!!”

You finally manage to get past the people in front of you, them recognizing you seemed to have made them move, clearing a path for you to get to the podium. The chanting grows ever louder as you make your way up the stairs, pushing past the mayor and getting to Evelyn. You’re suddenly being pulled back further away from her as she’sburningshe’sburning SHE’S BURNING!! You don’t even care any more as you are struggling to get out of whoever is keeping you awayawayAWAY SHE NEEDS ME!!

BANG!

Everything goes silent, so silent even that you're not sure if the silence is only for you or if the world had gone quiet for that single moment. You’re let go, somehow, but you don’t care as you run as her smoldering body falls, you catch her; she’s still hot to the touch but you can’t seem to feel a thing as she lays there, in your arms. She almost looks peaceful if not for her being so chard you almost can’t recognize her. Someone is speaking to you but all you can care to even think about is her body, she’sdeadshe’sdead SHE’S DEAD!

“Hey! It’s alright it’s dead, the wicked witch is dead! She can’t hurt you anymore like she did to us!”

You stop in your tracks for a moment,

she can’t hurt me anymore like she did to them?

Evelyn? the girl who took you in when you were on your last legs. Evelyn, the woman who would make flower crowns out of burning blossoms for you and her on summer days. Evelyn, who wouldn’t even hurt a fly when it was in the house being a nuisance, and instead held it with a wood carved cup and paper underneath to let back outside? EVELYN who would give the worst criminals a chance. THAT EVELYN!?!

The thought of her, losing her, especially in this way, makes you thirst for something more.

Something deadly

For them to not only disrespect her as a person and not view her as a person is despicable in its own right. But to take her out of this world!! You feel something equally worse than rage, something that screamed murder, that screamed blood, and to hurt hurt HURT!

Next thing that happens the person behind you starts screaming and coughing up blood. So much blood the pool reaches to your kneeling body. The mayors - you figure from the screams- “bodyguards” become worried, one of them asking behind you,

“What did you do, WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO!!”

“oh?”

You ask while lowering the body (Evelyn's body, she’s dead SHE’S DEAD), turning around to face the “guards”, cocking your head, face already morphed into an almost doll-like smile nearly able to hide your burning rage.

“What did I do?”

“Well you see, what I did there is what you will all experience when I'm done with you”

The crowd begins to whisper words and share worried glances at each other waiting anxiously for someone, anyone to be brave enough to ask the question they’re all thinking.

“What is it?”

The only other “guard” who isn’t coddling the mayor is the only person to ask the question. Silence stretches for what felt like hours but was more likely minutes just waiting for you to answer their question. Fearful of what you might say. You wait to answer even debating on whether or not to even answer their question. You make your decision after what was really minutes.

You turn to the guard, and you answer.

“Death”

The crowd gasps clearly distraught by the answer, however most too scared to speak some foolish ones screamed profanities however those to soon die down to nothing. The guards stand guard around their ruler in fear of what else you might possibly do to their mayor. It was almost cute if not for the anger you still feel. You turn to the crowd still not finished with your speech.

“AND YOU ALL HAVE 24 HOURS TO EVACUATE THIS PLACE BEFORE I BURN THIS PLACE JUST AS YOU HAD DONE TO MY BELOVED, MY WORLD!!” You nearly scream this out loud, your voice cracking ever so slightly. You feel your voice might rip open and stop making sound.

“AND EVEN WHEN YOU ALL THINK YOU SAFE I WILL COME FOR EACH ONE OF YOU AND KILL YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!” you feel anger swelling up inside you, you almost can't breathe. You try taking a mental breath but the images of her still burn brightly in your mind you give up.

“TAKE THIS AS A LESSON TO NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER TRIFLE WITH THE MOTHER OF STARS! SERVANT OF DEATH AGAIN!!” you feel as though your body is shaking immensely as you pour your soul out helplessly hoping someone will listen.

But no one ever listens

You turn back to the mayor, no longer the doll-like face before now a void with hundreds of thousands eyes nearly covering your face staring. back. at. him.

“This is not the end, but the beginning of your end.”

And as if she was never there the ‘witch’ vanishes leaving the town with dread for the inevitable.

Most don't leave that day, most not believing what she said. And with their decision they never leave again, the town seemingly still burning to this day. However those who did leave and did listen, those people lived in constant fear that one day she may come back and take their lives once more…..

And for Evelyn's body, may she rest under the burning blossom tree. Forever to burn elegantly.

The Martian Stan AU - The Apology - Excerpt

Ford was working as he always was nowadays, half listening to the radio behind him and trying to stop his heart from jumping in his throat every time that Stan stopped speaking for more than 10 minutes and nothing but static filled the room again. Ford wasn’t sure what exactly his brother was talking about anymore, as he welded a set of support bolts into place, but he nearly dropped the welding gun on his foot when Stan suddenly spoke after a long stretch of silence.

“Ford?”

Ford fumbled for a moment before shoving a stack of loose paper aside and setting the welding gun down on the table beside him. He put his hands on either side of the radio on the same cluttered table and took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart.

“Yes, Stanley?” He asked softly.

Stan, of course, didn’t hear him, but had paused as if waiting for a response before continuing anyway.

“I know, I know damn well you’re probably never gonna hear this, but I need to say it anyway before… Well. I don’t need to eat as often and shit and I know you’d love to figure out why but… I’m not sure how long I’m gonna last out here either way.”

Ford didn’t say anything, staring down at the wooden grain of the table like he could burn a hole clean through it with his thoughts alone. His palms ached from where he’d dug in his fingernails, and his shoulders mangled to hunch even further.

Stan laughed. It was a bitter, ugly sound.

“Ah, damnit. This isn’t about me. Can’t even do this right, you idiot” His brother took a deep breath. “ But Ford… I think I need to apologize.”

Some old, fossilized hurt in Ford’s heart snarked ‘you think?’, but Ford nearly gagged as he suffocated the thought before it could take root anew. He felt sick.

Oblivious to Ford’s turmoil —and of course he was, because he didn’t know Ford was right here, that Ford wasn’t going to let one of the last things he ever said to Stan be that he thought Stan was worthless— Stan continued.

“I don’t think I ever got to, back when… you know. What I said that night is a bit of a blur to me to be honest, but I know I was spouting nonsense and saying all the wrong shit and… Moses, Ford. I know it’s too late now but I’m sorry. I really am.”

Something in Ford simultaneously healed and broke in his chest at Stan’s words, but he didn’t get the chance to process it because Stan wasn’t quite done yet.

“And I need you to know it wasn’t on purpose. I’d never do that to you. Never. Why would I ever want to hurt you like that, poindexter? I just… I was scared and I didn’t want to be alone in Glass Shard Beach scraping barnacles off the Taffy shop for the rest of my miserable life and I wasn’t. Thinking.” Stanley’s voice had been rising in a steady crescendo, but suddenly got so quiet that Ford had to strain to catch the words in the buzzing static. “I’d… I shouldn’t have gone into the gym. I shouldn’t have even gone near your friggin project. I didn’t go there to break it, I would never—“ his voice broke. “I thought you knew that. I’m your brother, you dingbat, why would I ever want to hurt you?When did I ever not support you, man?”

“Then why did you do it?” Ford whispered back, just as quiet. That old anger he’d tried to push down rose up again, simmering. Stan knew he’d poured months of his life into the perpetual motion machine, that he’s shed more than a few tears and more than a little blood and sweat over it. And then he’d thrown it all away?

“I’d only hit the table, ya know. Didn’t think the grate’d pop off or anything like that. I tried to fix it. I know I should’ve told you, I know and I’m sorry, just…” I was scared, goes unspoken. Ford’s legs were shaking, and he tried to steadily himself by leaning further on the table. “I know I should’ve told you. I know. I messed up fuckin’ good, Sixer.” Ford flinched.

“I’m. I know you’re never gonna get the apology you deserve cause I was too much of a coward to actually call you and say something.” Stan’s voice was shaking. And I’m sorry for that too. And I’m sorry for not listening to you about your stupid book, and I’m sorry— ugh. We’ll be here all day trying to name my fuckups. That’s the last sorry you’ll ever hear from me you nerdy, uh, nerd.”

Stan sighed loud enough for the radio to crackle and screech. “Good going, Stan,” he muttered, his voice getting quieter as he evidently walked away, done.

And all that was left was static.

Ford pushed himself away from the table and sank into the rolling chair nearby, putting his face in his hands and trying to breathe as the chair was pushed back several feet from his momentum.

“He’s lying,” Ford tried to say, but it tasted like ash in his mouth. “He’s trying to make it so… so.” He faltered. “He’s obviously trying to deceive me.”

Trust no one.

But he had trusted Stan. And Stan got hurled into a Dimension of Nightmares for it.

Stan has no reason to lie, Fords mind whispered, because it was always against him no matter what stance he took. He doesn’t think you’re coming to save him. Why wouldn’t he try to explain the worst mistake of his life in a fit of guilt and complete loss of hope?

“Shut up,” Ford said intelligently, and he didn’t dare pry his face away from his hands, heels of his palms digging into his eye sockets and pushing up his glasses to his hairline

Stan had no reason to lie.

Stan came to help him at the drop of a hat after ten years of being too afraid to even call him.

Stan… Stan didn’t mean to break his project. It was a stupid accident, done by a stupid teenager too afraid to admit his own failings. Stan didn’t betray Ford. Not like he thought his twin had, for all these years.

Ford was wrong. About everything. He was wrong about Stan and Bill and Fiddleford and, Moses, had he ever done anything right in his entire, miserable life? Ford didn’t know.

The empty bunk bed beneath his own for those last few fateful months before Backupsmore, the tears and screaming at a boat that never even left the shore, the years of resentment and refusing to believe he missed his own twin, what was it all for? Because Ford suddenly felt the sharp sting of grief all over again, throbbing with a ferocity he’d refused to acknowledge for the past few weeks. Years.

It was like he was 17 years old again, mourning for all the wrong reasons and all the right ones too. For his brother. For his chance to become someone worthy of recognition, of love. For pushing away the ones who’d already loved him.

For the first time since the day Stan fell into the portal all those weeks ago, Ford pulled his knees up to his chest on the seat and, in the safety of his own arms, he wept.

The static crackled on, steady and unchanging. Unforgiving.

———————

@aroace-get-out-of-my-face @littlelilliana15 (if anyone else wants to be tagged pls let me know! I’m going to probably be posting more for this au sometime this week)

I have ideas for a mini comic and a whole animatic using Space Oddity so I’ll just have to see how far I get, really

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lizz-the-box

1 month ago

A While Ago Some Anon Asked Me To Draw Stangst, And Today I Finally Deliver With It. My Heart Breaks

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Evelyn Burns Petals

Evelyn Burns Petals

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