"Zack?"
"Yeah, Gramps?"
"It seems we're getting a little short on groceries, I'm going to head to the store to pick up a few things. Is there anything you need me to get?" the old man asked.
Zack slid himself off the old, tattered couch, and stretched to pop some kinks in his back, "Hold up, I'm comin' with ya'."
He slipped on his boots, a baggy hoodie, then a face mask with pair of fingerless gloves to complete his outfit. He was ready to go and help the old man out, after all, he definitely needs extra muscle to tote around their bags of groceries. Zack let the old man lead the way first, before closing the door behind themselves.
Isaac walked beside the elder, keeping up to pace with him with no signs of impatience at all. This was normal to him, just another every day thing to accompany the old man when he needed it - even if he didn't ask. It was almost like the situation he was in when he was a child, which clearly showed Gramps' influence on him. The two walked along the riverside, with Zack noticing a small few people trying to catch some fish. The town nearby was quite as bustling today, many people roamed the sidewalks, and showing various kinds of emotions near Zack and the old man. Isaac always felt some sort of boil within his blood, as agitation rose from every smiling expression he saw.
Maybe tonight, he can bust a few skulls.
"You never did answer my question, is there anything you really need?"
Zack's bi-colored eyes stopped locking on the various emotions of others and focused on Gramps beside him.
"I'm not picky," Zack replied, "...hmm...actually...it's been a while since we had bacon."
Gramps softly chuckled, "Seems to be your favorite, huh?"
Isaac smirked slightly, he'll have to admit, some foods have grown on him, and a simple breakfast entree happened to be one of them. As the two got into the busier part of town, they walked past multiple townhomes, some appeared occupied and properly decorated, while others were obviously empty and looking for tenants. Something about it caught his eye, the further he and Gramps strolled down the sideway, he noticed a familiar sight - well, partially familiar. On the steps, he could spot a young girl, sitting with a sullen expression on her face, and appearing as dead as ever. He's seen her before, back in the alley, looking all roughed up. It's none of his business anyway, and returned his gaze to face forward to where he and Gramps were headed. With no warning, the creak a door being forcibly opened was heard, followed by the thuds of angry stomps. Isaac turned around to see what the hell was going on, but the sight that caught his eye almost made his stomach turn. A blonde man, older than he is roughly collided into Gramps, prompting Zack to quickly dive for him before he could topple to the ground.
"Holy shit, Gramps...you okay?" he sputtered, then brought his attention to the bastard that nearly knocked him over. Even with the slightest whiff, he can pick up a faint scent of alcohol.
"Watch where you're going, you old fart!" the man shouted.
"How about you watch where you're going, ya' fuckin' drunk asshole!"
The girl watched the conflict, unsure if she should sneak off, or continue watching - either way, she had a bewildered expression on her face. The man just stood there, blatantly not giving a damn who or what the other was, all that mattered was a wrong has been committed and the other refuses to take responsibility for it.
"What the fuck did you just call me?"
Under his mask, a devious smirk perked upon Zack's lips, "Ya' deaf too? I said you. are. a. drunk. asshole!"
The blonde man grit his teeth in aggravation, clearly despising Zack's defiance, and bold attitude. He approached Zack, clenching his fists and straightening his shoulders to appear big. Isaac wasn't backing down, nor was he going to show any signs of being intimidated. The young man knows this tense atmosphere, he's felt it many times before, all the way to a bitter memory - it was pissing him off. The blonde man lunged for Zack, swinging an arm forward to direct a punch to his face, but the young man was surprisingly quick, leaning back just enough to evade the strike, while giving himself plenty of room to snag the fist with his own tight grip. The two men shot each other a glare, but Zack was quick to break it by twisting the man's wrist. The blonde grunted a pained sound, as he nearly buckled onto his knees. This amused Zack, as if proud with having such a supposed hard-ass at his mercy with a simple twist of the hand - he could take him down in any goddamn way if he wanted. Perhaps he can knock him out right now.
"Calm down, Zack...I'm alright," the old man muttered, "I just got a little disoriented, that's all. No need to cause any trouble."
Zack's off-colored eyes glanced to the old man, watching straighten himself, and carefully set themselves back to what they were doing. The grip on the blonde drunk's hand loosened, and Zack shoved him back to give him some distance away from him and from Gramps.
"Fucking piece of shit, do you know what I fucking am?" the man shouted, only for Zack to turn around and begin walking away, "I'm a cop, and I could arrest your punk ass for assaulting an officer of the law!"
Zack stood there for a moment, silent and unflinching, before turning his attention back to the raging blonde man. His opponent appeared amused for a second, like perhaps he made Zack lose his wits for a moment, after all, who would dare to get onto the bad side of the law? Isaac continued to stare at the arrogant man - god, he really fucking hated people who smiled. His fists clenched, and slammed a foot down to charge at the man. However, he stopped short at only one vicious step. Just the aggressive act alone was enough to make the blonde man jump and stumble backwards.
Zack huffed a faint laugh, seeing the "cop" would fall so easily for a mock charge, "Yer' also a spineless chickenshit too...I'm out."
He turned back around to focus on Gramps, making sure he wasn't limping or having any sort of trouble leading the way, but it appeared like he was shrugging the incident off with no problem.
The girl watched the two walk off, then to the drunk blonde man, and quickly made work to slink away into the small nook of an alley. It was like instinct told her to make some distance before trouble found her. Something else as well, like a compulsive need to follow this person who boldly stood up without any fear of retaliation - hell, bring him to his knees. The girl made her way through the small alley to catch up to the two men, and shyly stuck her head out. They're still ahead of her, even though they walked a casual pace, her anxiety was only making the distance grow larger.
"W-Wait up…"
One of the men stopped in their tracks, the younger turning around to see who called out to them. Zack noticed it was the dead-eyed girl, except, he noticed a different expression on her face - curiosity.
"Th' hell do you want?" he grunts.
Words quickly escaped her, her lips tightened and her blood ran cold for a short second, why was she bothering this person? Then she reflected on how the man stood so defiantly, "...Y-You're the first to ever stick up to my dad like that…"
"Eh?"
"You just stood up to him without caring what he might do," the girl continued, "and you just made it look so easy."
"That piece of shit is yer' dad?" Zack replied. "Hmph, no wonder you look like some kinda lifeless doll."
The girl turned her gaze away, with a slight expression of shame on her face, "...Y-Yeah…"
"So, why are ya' botherin' me? Just came t' give me a pat on the back or somethin'?"
Gramps noticed Isaac was lagging behind him, it was always a special sense of his to know when he's wandered off or if something caught his attention. The old man stopped in his tracks, and made his way to backtrack to and and see what Zack was up to. It only took him a few steps until he could sense the young man's presence again, however, he noticed someone else as well. Zack with someone, aside from sensing it, he can hear their voices as well, and the young man obviously wasn't one to strike idle talk.
"Oh, Zack...did you make a friend?"
"Huh?! What?! N-No!" Zack sputtered, in a short burst of panic.
Even the little girl in front of him appeared startled. However, the old man simply shrugged off the tension in the air, and took Zack's denial as simply being shy. After all, it took him quite a while to grow on the old man when he was young. He calmly approached the girl, while she huddled to herself in a shy manner, she was obviously not used to someone having such a calm vibe.
"Would you mind if you could have lunch with us?"
"Huuh? What about the groceries?" Zack argued.
"I-I really shouldn't, I feel like I'm suddenly imposing," the girl stuttered. Maybe she shouldn't have let curiosity got the best of her.
"No, nonsense," the man cheerfully replied, "I can make us some tea. Our home isn't very far from here, and besides...it's not often that Isaac gets to make a new friend."
"Dammit, I didn't say she's my friend! I'm a grown ass man, and she's just a brat!" Zack growled in annoyance.
"You still need to go out and make a few friends, my boy," Gramps retorts.
Zack let out a frustrated huff, before pouting at him, "Can't ya' save that crap for later? We still get groceries to pick up."
"They won't be going anywhere, don't worry."
It's clear that Gramps was ready to take this complete stranger home to enjoy some lunch and idol chat. Zack grit his teeth in annoyance about it, but he really couldn't say much about it, the old man did the same for him.
He hums out an annoyed, but defeated groan from the back of his throat, "Go on ahead of me then, I'll go pick up the grub."
It looks like No wouldn't be taken for an answer, both for Zack, and this doll-like girl. He can see her mentally grasping at straws, like maybe she made a big mistake to talk to the both of them, but also confused at what she should do. Clearly from her expression, she was never treated with such kindness before, and did not know what she should do.
"Hey girl...as long as you don't mess with Gramps like yer' shitty ol' man did...then we'll be fine," he growls, then focused on the elderly man. "I'll see ya' back at the house."
Before Gramps could ask him to reconsider, Zack was already walking away from the two, and was rather quick to have made some distance. The old man let out a faint sigh, before gesturing for the girl to follow him back to their home. The young female was pretty nervous, she was going to the home of a complete stranger, but she knew she was in no danger. There were no ill vibes coming from him at all, and it seemed obvious that this old man enjoyed having some sort of company. She was surprised to see there was a house just outside of town, though, it was awfully run down - he must be one of the more impoverished people who choose to live in the outskirts to avoid trouble. When he opened the door to the shack, the girl was surprised how nicely kept it was, almost comfortably rustic. Showing proper courtesy, Gramps allowed the girl in first, before closing the door behind them, and removed his coat, so he could get a kettle going.
"I do apologize for Zack's bluntness, he's a little rough around the edges, so it takes him a while to get used to new people," the old man said, as he shuffled to the kitchen.
"I-It's alright…" the girl shyly replied. "I'm sorry, you both were busy…"
"No, it's quite fine, we don't get guests very often," Gramps replied, turning on the tap to fill up the kettle.
For such an old shack, the girl wonders how some utilities were running. Maybe since it's old, this home ran on a well, instead of being connected to the main water supply. The electricity might be run with other means, but she didn't want to put too much thought into it. She's in another home, with this strange old man making some tea, along with that brash man who stood his ground against her father. That man definitely was what piqued her curiosity.
"His name is Zack, right? Is he your grandson?"
The elderly man lit the stove to let the small fire bring the kettle to a boil, before quietly shuffling over to a small kitchen table and sitting himself down to wait. The girl didn't want to be rude, and made her way to the table as well to sit with him during this moment of idle chatter.
"No, we're not related at all," Gramps replied, "I have no children of my own. I just happen to have found him when he was young."
"Found him?"
The old man nodded, "He was sleeping in a car, while I was on one of my walks. I just happened to wake him up when I found that vehicle out of place."
The old man was ready to continue, but heard a rough knock on the door, before it opened up. Isaac had returned with a handful of groceries, before he tapped the door shut with his foot.
"Oh, that was quick."
"Yeah, just got the basic crap for now," Zack grunted, then focused his attention to the girl. He stared at her for a moment, then huffed to himself as he hauled the food into the kitchen.
The man was putting away the different types of food, then noticed the kettle on the stove. He can feel himself breaking out into a cold sweat, as his off-colored eyes focused on the flames licking underneath the metal container. With shaky hands, he backed away to set a loaf of bread in a bin where they often kept it. He needs to get far away from flame, even if it was small or controlled, just looking at it made his stomach churn.
Zack left the kitchen, only to hear Gramps and the girl talking to each other again.
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"
"I-It's Rachel...Rachel Gardner…" she mumbles.
"Oh, that's quite a beautiful name," Gramps replied with a soft smile.
"Th-Than-"
"Hey, Gramps…" Zack interrupts, "maybe you should check on that kettle."
He probably should, the old man pushed his chair back to get up and return to the kitchen. Zack, on the other hand, stood where he was, and slid the mask off his face to make himself comfortable within the place he calls home. Like a secondary instinct, Zack knows when eyes were on him, it almost feels like an unbearable burning sensation within his own body, and it infuriated him. His heterochromatic eyes glared at the girl, noticing she was indeed staring at him with a startled expression.
"Quit ogling me, got it?!"
"Zack, that's no way to talk to a lady," Gramps spoke.
That made Zack freeze up for a moment, then huff in annoyance, before sitting himself down. The old man was right to say that he was rough around the edges, as the girl directed her gaze away to prevent from agitating him further.
"I don't like people starin' at me like some fuckin' animal," Zack grumbled to Rachel.
"I didn't mean to come across that way, I'm sorry," Rachel mutters, "...I'm just a little curious what might've happened to you…"
Isaac raised a brow, there was a different tone in her voice, aside from the usual timid behavior - empathy. She's empathetic to his appearance. Zack lightly ground his teeth together a hummed a growl, he doesn't want her pity.
"It's none of yer' business…"
There was an awkward and still silence for a while, until Gramps shuffled back to the two with a small tray containing a teapot, some cups, and items to compliment their hot drinks. Next to it were a few slices of bread that Zack had just purchased. He set the items down onto the table, and placed the cups for each person at the table. Staying true to his manners, he allowed the younger ones to help themselves first.
"Dig in, you two," he spoke.
Rachel was obviously still sheepish to make herself at home, until she saw Zack just help himself without hesitation, grabbing a piece of bread, and shoving it into his mouth, before pouring a fill of his cup. The girl was more delicate with her approach, grasping the fragile teapot and pouring the liquid into the cup, then fixing it up to make it perfectly palatable to her taste. She quietly sipped at the warm drink, a bit taken by the sweet taste - nothing fancy, but still good. Zack just watched her in silence, while chowing down his piece of bread. Something about her just feels so odd, first she avoided him the first time they locked eyes in the alley, and how she's right here in their home.
"Hey, so what made ya' finally unbutton yer' lips?" Zack spoke, "last time I saw ya', you pretty much wanted nothin' to do with me."
"I…" the girl hesitated to speak, "I guess I was impressed by your boldness to stand up to my father like that…"
Gramps showed an expression of concern, while Zack remained stoic about it, and simply huffed at the memory of that drunk bastard.
"I never backed down to some asshole, why should I start now?"
"He's a police officer, that threat he shouted wasn't a bluff," Rachel murmured.
"I don't give a shit who or what he is, a prick is still a prick," Zack replied, "I can stick up for myself whenever the hell I want to…"
No matter who or what the opponent was, Isaac will never bend or back down - that's the bold courage that drew her to finally open up. Through the hollowed abyss within her orbs, there was a faint glimmer, either admiration or hope. Whatever it was, it was a faint twinkle of life. Zack's thoughts began to wander, her father would easily lord a power like that over others to be in control. Rachel's bruises and bloody nose, faint, but easy to see in the darkness, was his doing and bore no sense to remorse in their voice as Zack tussled with him. Of course people like him would be. That drunk bastard treating a kid in such a way…
Almost like…
"Hngh!" Zack grunted out in pain.
His hands began to shake, before burying his face within his palms, and his fingers gripping tightly at his hair. He began to breathe heavily, with a faint hint of growls following his exhalations.
Being smacked around…
Shouted at…
' I wanna kill… '
Isaac's vision struggled to stay in reality, hazing in and out, as images flashed into his mind - Blood everywhere, along with a dripping, glistening knife, and his reflection shaded in red. His muscles seized for automatic control, while Zack nearly curled up into a ball at the table.
' I wanna kill, I wanna kill, I wanna kill… '
Rachel had a shocked and concerned expression on her face, was Zack having some sort of seizure? She reached a hand up to try and provide aid, but quickly retreated, as soon as the man slammed his hands onto the table and stood up. Isaac panted heavily, his body quivering, with a look on his face that shows he was lost and disoriented. He grit his teeth, before he backed away, and quietly headed towards the door.
"...Stepping out…"
It was almost like he was robotic, as he exited the home. Gramps faintly sighed to himself, as if he was used to an episode like this happening before.
"I'm sorry you had to see that…" he said. "It happens from time to time, but fresh air seems to clear his head."
"What was that?"
"An episode he tends to fight every now and then," Gramps replied, "...as I was saying prior. I found that unfortunate, starving boy in a car. There was something more about him though...he smelled of blood."
"Blood?"
"Yes, and quite a hefty amount," the elderly man said, "...wherever Zack came from, it must've been an awful environment. He never talked to me about it, but he's dropped subtle hints. I've always sensed his troubles on day one. His distrust made it so plain, but being blind helps me see Zack in some other perspective. I saw rage and sorrow in him, and it's this side that makes him act out so violently at times…"
"...He...he's never been violent with you, has he?"
A gentle, but somber chuckle escaped the old man's lips, "No. Never. He would never think to do such a thing. I'm old, blind, and quite defenseless. Zack's become quite protective of me ever since he grew into a man. I wonder if he still believes that he owes me for taking him in, and gave him somewhat of a stable life compared to what may have happened to him prior."
Almost subconsciously, Gramps ran his fingers along his forearm, quietly reminiscing the toughened scar tissue he felt on Zack's arm - burns, that's what they definitely were. His expression drooped to an empathetic expression.
"Poor boy…"
Isaac was a kindred spirit, like her, she came from an unstable place. Yet, how did he escape from it? Did the mentions of blood have something to do with it? Or was it an opportunity he took to get out of it? Or perhaps...was it the reason for his bandages? She doesn't know, and Gramps only knew fragments.
The girl stepped out of the small home to see where the man could have wandered off to. The footprints didn't show that they headed towards town, but they ended at the wild grass around the property of their home. She can hear harsh grunts, and the sound of something flailing against the wind. Rachel followed the odd sound, and could see the young man with an item in hand. He was wielding a metal bat, covered here and there with scrapes and dents, yet he swung it back and forth with such a strong force, that anyone could hear it.
Zack reeled his arms back to swing the metal bat a few more times, using as much force as he can. Eventually he lowered his arms to take a short breath, but instinct nagged at him in the back of his mind that someone was within his presence. He turned around, and saw the girl was watching him.
"Finally leaving?" he mutters.
Rachel shook her head, "The old man asked me to check up on you, he was getting a little worried."
Isaac lightly rolled his eyes in response, "I'm fine...I got it out of my system…"
The heavy, awkward tension weighed between the both of them, causing a brief silence. Zack set the bat down, and used it as a prop to lean on.
"So, those shiners th' other day...those are from yer dad, wasn't it?"
The girl was confused at first, but realized that he meant her bruises and bloody nose. Zack knows the answer, but for some reason, he just has this need for confirmation. Rachel tightened her lips for a moment, as if ashamed to answer, but gently nodded. That made Zack narrow his eyes with an angered growl, it seems no matter where he went, there were always disgusting and irredeemable people - just like those sick fucks in the Orphanage. People who bring misery to others.
"How come you don't have the balls to just up and leave?"
"I could run, but my dad's a police officer, he can track me down," Rachel replied, her eyes hollowing again, "...who knows what he'll do if that ever happens…"
"...Who said he had to be alive when ya' do it?"
That alarmed the girl, as she stared at the bandaged man. There was a gleam in his golden eye, a sinister red glow of sorts that gave a clear signal for a lust of violence. Her stunned expression made Zack pause at his words, this girl isn't him, and he should watch what he says.
"Forget about it. Dipshits like him tend to get under my skin…'s all…" Zack spoke. "...Gramps seems to like ya'...he doesn't really invite much people to his house…"
He knows exactly why, not many people would be interested in entering the home of a bum, and some burned freak like himself. During the years being with him, maybe 2 people - tops, stopped by? One was supposedly some bigwig for the city, and the other was one of the pharmacists Gramps often frequented for medicine. Even if they acted friendly, Zack knew they were intimidated by his appearance. He was tall, built, dressed conservatively unlike most people, and there was always an untamed stare in his eyes. This girl though, what's her deal?
"Hey, so what's the real reason ya' came up and opened yer' trap. I get the spiel of how much of a shitstain your dad is, but somethin' tells me you got other motives. So, spill it."
"I…" Rachel hesitated, "...I want to be able to stand up for myself, like you. I was wondering if you should show me."
Such a request was met by a jeering laugh, "Show you? Please. A lil' girl like you won't have the guts."
"I won't know unless you teach me!" she insisted, almost raising her voice to retort. "...I'm just tired. I'm really tired of being someone else's scapegoat, as well as their punching bag…"
Isaac grit his teeth, he knows that frustration all too well. That vile feeling of being something other than human, and being forced into it - monster, freak, tool …
History will surely repeat.
"Fine, whatever…" Zack mumbled, under his breath, "but, I'm not to blame when ya' one day snap n' off your dad...got it?"
Rachel quickly nodded in response, almost feeling a new sense of hope.
"You swear?"
"Anything that comes out of my mouth, isn't a lie."
Knock, knock, knock!
"Christ...who the fuck is it?"
Isaac sleepily picked himself up from the couch, his hair was a ruffled mess, while the blanket rested at his lap. It's fairly bright inside the shack, which meant it was possibly a mix between late morning and early afternoon. Gramps must be out walking around this time.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Calm yer' tits, I'm comin'!"
Slowly, he picked himself up from the cushioned furniture, and slipped on his hoodie to make himself comfortable. He grasped the doorknob, and opened the door to see just who was on the other side. His heterochromatic eyes blearily looked around for who was there, but realized they were much shorter than him, so he focused his attention downward, and spotted the girl from before.
"Huh? What are you doing here?"
"I snuck out from my house. You promised to show me how to stick up for myself, remember?" Rachel replied.
Zack tiredly raised a brow, until the memory hit him like a brick, "Oh right...yeah, I did promise that…"
The man rubbed at his eyes a little, then stepped aside to grab his boots. The girl was patient for Zack to set himself straight, before heading out for the day. He stepped out and closed the door behind him. Rachel watched him walk ahead of her, before signalling the girl to follow to wherever he went. Zack lead her behind the home, walking into the patch of forest, almost losing the home within sight.
"How much should I pay you for teaching me?"
Zack let out a soft groan, "I don't need yer' cash...you can pay me in some grub. Just feed me when my stomach starts growlin'."
This was a surprise, he valued food much more than currency. She recalled the words Gramps spoke to her, how Zack was found starving, and where he came from was unstable - which meant he must've picked up his own kind of priorities.
"Hey Zack…" she beckons, "...have you...gone through the same kind of troubles as me?
That almost made Zack want to let out a bitter laugh, but only a grunt hummed in his throat, "Worse…"
Isaac continued on a little further until he felt like they went deep enough into the woods, he turned around and stared right at the girl. Before anyone knew it, he roughly grabbed her by the shoulders and pinned her against one of the trees. Rachel was startled by this sudden movement, but her body didn't respond. It was as if it was accustomed to treatment like this. Alone, and deep in the woods, she should've known that she walked right into a trap. Zack stared into the girl's blue eyes and saw that look from before - that dead and hollow abyss, completely devoid of life. She's practically given up before she even tried.
"Christ, you're boring…" Zack mumbled, "aren't ya' going to do something about this? Squirm? Thrash? Fight back? Come the fuck on, do something! I could do anything I want with you, if yer' just gonna sit there."
"But...you're bigger than me...I won't win…"
"Haah? Are you fuckin' kidding me?" Zack grunted, "winning doesn't fucking matter, it's about saving your ass! Yer' a small brat, you can easily wriggle free and run off. So go on, kick or scratch at me. I can fuckin' take it!"
Uncertainty was on the girl's face, but quickly made an attempt to squirm free. There was no strength behind her effort - hell, he had a stronger fight from his very first murder, but this is pathetic. He grumbled in annoyance, then lowered his arms to let the girl go, and watched her drop to her knees.
"I knew you didn't have it in you…go home."
The girl watched Zack back away from her, unimpressed by her tries, and ready to go back to his own home. Rachel felt a sinking feeling within herself, this is her one chance, and already it's slipping away.
"No!" she shouted desperately. The girl got up to her feet, and stared at the man, "Do it again."
Isaac raised a brow, even with her dead eyes, she appeared rather serious. He breathed out a huff a pitied amusement, she's such easy pickings and he knows it, but her determination was admirable. Disinterest continued to be displayed within his body language, as he slowly walked off into the direction of his home - until his eyes locked right back onto the girl, and thrust his arm forward to ensnare her again. Rachel felt a twinge within her core, and her body began to work autonomously. Her legs sprung, and allowed her to dodge Zack's attempt at pinning her.
They were both surprised that something actually happened, however, just because she dodged once, doesn't mean that was the end of it. Another thing about Isaac was, he was quick, perhaps even quicker than any normal person. Every lunge of the hand was almost like the speed of a striking snake, as if he was determined to capture his prey. His hand finally grasped the girl's wrist, preventing her from dodging yet again, and pulled her close to shove her against a tree again. She was pinned, just like before, except, Zack noticed a stronger fight in her. She squirmed in his grip, trying her best to wriggle her body free from the man's grip. It's not just the thrashing of her body, but her hands tried desperately to give her the space needed to break free, and she began to kick as well - perhaps, a little too closely. Rachel's legs kicked back and forth, almost landing right between his legs, actually causing a short burst of panic through Zack for a moment. He moved his hips back just enough to avoid getting kicked, and loosens his grip on the girl.
"Watch it!"
The girl slipped from Zack's grip and dropped onto the ground, and winced a little, "...but you said to kick, and that you could ta-"
"I know what I fuckin' said!" he cut her off, "...but how the hell am I supposed to teach ya jackshit, if ya' go and kick me in the junk?"
A blush quickly creeped upon Rachel's cheeks, and she hid her embarrassed expression within her hands. She can't believe she almost incapacitated the man without even thinking about it. Seeing her act like something else besides some emotionless doll made a smile form on Zack's lips, it was amusing really.
"Hey...what's yer' name again?"
The girl's expression calmed a little, "I-It's Rachel...Rachel Gardner."
"Rachel, huh?" Zack mumbled. Then began to walk back towards the home, "Welp, let's get going, Ray…"
"Did you just call me…?"
"If ya' want me to teach ya' how to grow a backbone, then hurry your ass up! I'm fuckin' starving," Zack growled.
Rachel was surprised by this nickname, but deep down, it made a strange warmth twitch within her chest - a happy and fluttering feeling. A small, gentle grin formed on her lips, and followed the man out of the woods, and back to his home. Isaac waited on Rachel to catch up with him, then gestured the girl to follow him to wherever he planned to head to next. She saw he was heading into town, while digging through his hoodie's pockets for the facemask he had on yesterday. It's plain to see that Zack's bandages must be a sensitive subject for him, especially when it came to stares, getting snapped at about them was enough. Zack lead the way through town, ignoring every person to walked by, and glaring at those who dared to stare at him. Ray quietly followed behind him to wherever he had in mind to go. She can smell the scents of various food cooking, along with hearing the faint grumble of Zack's hungry belly, his destination was definitely the areas where the shops were more restaurant-heavy - he wanted to be paid in a meal, after all.
"Where do you want to eat?" Ray asks.
"Yer' the one payin', so pick wherever - food's food to me."
That would make things easy, she scanned the many different eateries within the area, and noticed a deli and sandwich shop that had a rather pleasing smell. There was a small crowd, which was a relief to Zack, less irritation to make him lose his appetite. Ray glanced up at the menu and noticed they had a good selection, with reasonable prices to boot. When she turned to ask Zack what he wanted, she noticed a confused expression on his face, like he was staring at something completely foreign.
"Is something wrong?"
He didn't answer, as he brought a hand up to feel at the menu.
"...What the fuck does this say?"
Rachel glanced back at the menu again, the words were pretty big to read, especially for patrons who just want to come in and out with their order. Then, a thought hit her.
"You can't read?"
Zack flinched, then glared at the girl, "I can read, dammit! I just...do it differently…"
She stared at the man's hands, he wore fingerless gloves, where she could see scarred and calloused fingers running across the menu. Suddenly, she recalled Gramps - he was blind, and Zack grew up with him. So for him to read differently , that must mean, he's trying to read Braille. It makes sense now. The girl approached the counter, leaving the confused Zack to his devices, and spoke to one of the workers at the cashier. They sweetly smiled to her and handed her a pamphlet to give to Zack.
"Here, try this," Ray said, handing him the sheet of paper.
It was a blank sheet of paper, no pictures, but just rows of bumps. Rachel observed Zack's expression, and noticed familiarity as soon as he ran his digits along the pamphlet - her assumptions were true.
"Hey...mind if I get somethin' for Gramps too?"
"Go ahead," Ray replied. "What did you have in mind?"
Zack ran his fingers across the bottom of the menu, "...Stew, I guess...he's been having a tough time chewing lately…"
' Zack's become quite protective of me ever since he grew into a man. '
For such a gruff man, Isaac really did show care and concern for the old man. She won't blame him, the elder was very kind-hearted.
"Alright, I think I got an idea what I want…" Zack prattled, "club sandwich, extra meat."
Rachel glanced at the pictures on the menu, and saw the stacked sandwich with beef, turkey, and ham all smooshed into one sandwich. Somehow, she was not surprised. She snapped out of her little bubble, when she felt Zack poke at her with the slip of paper.
"Get somethin' for you too...a pipsqueak like you needs to grow."
That earned a pout from the girl, amusing Zack yet again. It only took a few minutes for Rachel to place the order, and have it all constructed, then backed up for them to take home or eat at one of the tables. Given Zack's nature, she can assume he would prefer to eat in a private place where he felt safe, and home would definitely be the spot.
"All set?" Zack asked, only to see her nod in reply, "Good...let's head back."
"I told ya' to get somethin' for yourself…"
"I'm not all that hungry," Ray protested.
"Yer' not gonna get much tougher if you starve yourself, ya' know?" Zack grumbled, he grabbed the bigger plastic bag from the girl and dug inside. He pulled out a couple of fries, sticking one into his mouth to snack on, but handed the bigger fry to the girl.
"Eat."
He wasn't going to take no for an answer, so Rachel relented, and grabbed the fried food from Zack's fingers.
"Take advantage of getting a meal, while you can," Zack continued, "...sometimes you just never know when you'll never get it again…"
Rachel glanced at the fry, as she pondered over his words. Food must be very valuable to him, especially after what the old man had told her about Zack - found distrustful and starving. He must've been deprived of food for such a long time. Taking his words into consideration, she quietly ate the food that was given to her.
The two made their way back to the small shack in the outskirts of town, Isaac noticed someone was sitting at the front porch, he was wary at first if it was someone undesirable, but something stuck out that helped Zack recognize the individual - an old straw hat. Gramps was home, and enjoying the warm sunlight after his usual walks. He turned his head and focused his attention towards the two coming is way, sensing their presence drawing near.
"Ah, Zack...I wasn't expecting you to be out today, what's the occasion?" Gramps asked, then perked his head up a little, as if he noticed something different, "...someone is with you."
"It's the same brat from yesterday," Zack replied, then dug into the plastic bag to pull out a styrofoam pint, "here...got ya' somethin' to eat."
The old man gently grasped the item, then felt Zack hand him the plastic utensil that came with it, "Oh, thank you. I am getting a little hungry."
He turned his attention back to the girl, sensing she was beside the gruff man. A soft, but teasing grin appeared on his mustached face, "See? I knew you made a friend."
Isaac gave Gramps a stern pout in annoyance, "I ain't her damn friend...I'm just keepin' my word about teaching her some stuff to get her off my back."
"Heh...sure thing, Zack," Gramps teased again.
The man hummed a groan, then stood back to let the man eat his meal, "Look, I'mma head around the back for a bit. It'll be just a moment."
"Take all the time you need, Zack," Gramps replied, then waved to Ray, "It's nice seeing you again."
Rachel gave the old man a gentle grin, before waving back to him, "You too, mister."
Isaac led the both of them back to the area of the woods where he pinned her. He sat himself down and pulled out the assortment of food all boxed up, and flipped open the lid to dig into his meal. Rachel can see his eyes light up, food really was a strong motivator for him - a luxury, even. The man grabbed the large sandwich and chowed down without thinking twice on how to tackle it. How he devoured his food, it was almost treated like it could be his last meal.
After a few large chomps, Isaac focused back on the girl again - something about her left him a bit curious, especially given she asked him for self defense advice.
"Hey...is it just you and yer' shitty dad at your place?"
Rachel paused at the man's question, "No, my mother is there too...she...she's just…"
"I take it she gets smacked around too."
Ray kept quiet at his response, but reluctantly nodded, "Y-Yeah…"
"So, what about her? She don't have the guts to leave yer' dad?"
The girl faintly sighed, "...actually, she's just as bad as him. Except, she's more vocal than physical."
"Ah...one of those bitches…" Zack grumbled. Then huffed a mocking laugh, "Sounds like yer' folks were made for each other."
"I suppose...when I was very young...things were never like that…now, they fight constantly, and at times, I often get dragged into it."
"True colors tend to show eventually, don't take it personally," Zack replied.
Deep down, Isaac knows this feeling, this inner isolation with no allies to help or even give some sort of encouragement. It's lonely, but also a harsh dose of reality - the only ally is yourself, if you want to live another day. The more his heterochromatic eyes stared at this doll-like girl, the more he can see himself, a broken child who had been battered and left to fend for themself. A child that is on the verge of a breaking point. It's that thought that slowly made his stomach want to turn in disgust. If he ignored her or left her all alone, chances are, she probably would end up like him.
A memory flashed in the back of his mind, making him grit his teeth - a dark night, silenced by death, until a bloodcurdling cackle filled the blood-stained room. His first murder. The memory still leaves a bitter damn tastes in his mouth, bitter, but also, sweet. He shook the thought from his head, and focused his attention on the girl again. He grumbled to himself, then dug his fingers into the other half of his sandwich, tearing it apart, and setting it onto the untouched half of fries. He scarfed down what he had left, then handed his share of food to the girl.
"Here, take it. After yer' done eating, we'll finish where we left off."
There was no one. No one at all. All alone. Isolated. Tormented. Left to fester. Left to hate. Left to become a monster…
"Alright, now fucking kick! Hey! Not there! I told you not to kick there!"
They were at it again, Isaac was teaching Rachel to fight her way out of being grappled and pinned, and the results were definitely showing. Ray wriggled her way free each time, and whenever she couldn't she made sure to thrash hard to get Zack to let go. Hell, she even fought him back before he had a chance to grab her - something he did not teach her yet. Isaac was damn impressed with her ability to learn quickly, or use her wits about her. Clearly, there was more about her that was being repressed with her shitty life. Zack lunged for the girl again, feeling her slap his hand away from her, but she didn't count on his other hand grabbing her by the shirt, and picking her up from the ground. The man smirked menacingly at her as he had her at his mercy, yet he was also curious how this girl could think of how to get herself free. Yet, she stayed motionless.
"C'mon...giving up already?"
"You told me to watch where I kick...and...well, it's the only place to think of where to do it, if I need to break free from this situation," Ray stoically replied.
So blunt, yet so calm - it was almost a little scary. Zack shyly huffed with the roll of the eyes, then dropped the girl from his grip, looks like she already had a plan before she could act on it, "Smart ass. Well, whatever. Ya' got the basics down. So, don't go taking anyone's shit, got it? It's your job now to look out for your own skin."
One thing bugged him though, almost like a sense of dread, "...by the way...how bad is it over at yer' place?"
That made Ray curious as to why Zack needed to know, but, it was almost a relief to have a listening ear, "You've seen my father drunk when he tried to pick a fight with you. It's a common thing. After a long day of work, he drinks. Sometimes he doesn't come home the next day, sometimes he does, and when he does...he's very violent. My mother is a very bitter woman, as I said before, she chooses to use words as her weapon, and because of it, she and my father get into very heated fights. I'm either caught in the crossfire or dragged right into it as some sort of leverage. I really hate it, I hate being used as a weapon or a scapegoat, but...it's become so recent...so regular...this is normal to me now."
' That's not normal...it's being numb… '
"Well, if ya' wanna break from your ' normal ' life...Gramps would appreciate your company…" Zack muttered, keeping his gaze away to avoid appearing soft. Then, something sparked in his mind, "Shit, speakin' of...I should check on him. Let's get the hell outta here."
Their business was done with for the day, Isaac slid his hands into his hoodie pockets for comfort, while he lead the both of them out of the forest. Everything seemed fine, until he felt a snag at his sleeve, the man groaned in annoyance and tugged to get himself free. The sleeve was stuck on a jagged branch, with no signs of it coming off so easily, and with him yanking himself free so roughly, the sharp wood pulled at the piece of clothing. A loud rip followed from the annoyed grunts, until it suddenly shut Zack up, he watched as a large hole tore itself in the sleeve of his hoodie with little effort.
"Are you f-?...God dammit!" he swore.
He stared at the gaping hole in his clothing, then angrily grabbed at the small branch to break it apart.
"Man, this is my favorite fuckin' hoodie!"
The girl walked up to the irritated man, and grasped at his arm to take a look at the damage, "This doesn't look too bad."
"Are ya' blind or somethin'? Look at it!"
"I can fix it, I'm pretty good at sewing," Ray replied.
Isaac looked at her with a raised brow, then rolled his eyes in annoyance - may as well take her word for now. They approached the old home, with Zack entering the place first, and holding the door open for the girl behind him. Gramps was nowhere to be seen, but he spotted the plastic utensil in the kitchen sink. He'll check on him while the girl was busy. Isaac did recall seeing a sewing kit, when the old man often patched up his tattered coat, and dug around the place to figure out where it was stored. He opened cabinets and closets, and even tossed some fabric around until he noticed a small tin. With a short rattle, he can hear small pieces of metal shuffling in the tin, along with something slightly bigger.
"Here...use this," Zack said, as he gave her the small tin.
The girl opened up the tin, and saw an assortment of threads, and some needles - both straight and bent. She picked up a straight needle and got to work to threading it, while Isaac unzipped his hoodie. With little to no warning, Zack tossed the article of clothing towards her, watching it land right at her face. Ray almost dropped her equipment from the short burst of shock, then broke herself from being stunned. Zack let out a short laugh, while the girl removed the clothing from her face and shook herself to her senses. Then, her blue eyes got a glance at Zack's physical appearance. Like his face, his torso was also adorned in bandages, leaving his hands alone for his gloves to cover. This surprised her, but her eyes also focused on his build. Despite living in a life of poverty, he was surprisingly well fed and definitely built - it was enough to make heat creep upon her face. Ray shook herself again, this time, blushing from embarrassment. Zack, however, didn't think much of her adverting her eyes, he was more interested in checking up on Gramps, while the girl worked on fixing up his hoodie. He approached the old man's bedroom, and quietly opened the door to take a peak. Just as he thought, the old man was taking a quick nap after his meal. It gave Zack a sense of relief, and he closed the door to let him continue resting. With that giving Zack a piece of mind, he returned to the living room, and pulled up a chair to watch Rachel patching up his clothing. He sat in it facing the opposite direction, using the back to rest his arms on as he focused on the girl's movements. In and out the needle went into the hoodie, sealing the tear with little to no effort - it was almost hypnotic.
"I'm surprised yer' not scared of me…" he mumbles.
Ray paused to look up at the man, "What do you mean? Why should I be scared?"
"Don't I look like a monster to you?"
For Gramps to inform her of Zack's distrust in others, then self-doubt must also be part of that package, especially over his bandaged appearance - even having him snap at her yesterday was proof enough. The girl lightly shook her head, Zack was intimidating in other ways, but his appearance didn't scare her at all.
"Not at all, you're just another person, like me."
Isaac stayed quiet, then watched Rachel hold up the hoodie to observe her handiwork. She appeared quite proud how it looked, almost like it was barely noticeable. A small grin appeared on Ray's face, before taking the sewing items to set them back into the tin. With the job done, she handed the article clothing to the man for him to redress in.
Zack grasped the hoodie, then slid it on, without thinking twice about it, "...Y'know...yer' the second person to say that...tell me that I'm...normal…"
"Well, I'm honest. I know you have all those bandages, but after hanging out with you...I know that you're just another person," Ray spoke, "...someone that kind of gets where I'm coming from."
Isaac lightly ruffled the girl's golden hair, unsure to be honored or annoyed, "Yeah sure...thanks for patchin' up my hoodie."
That acknowledgement for a good deed filled Rachel with a warmth inside herself, something very pleasant. It was a feeling she hasn't felt since she was very small, from a very distant and blurry memory. Getting a positive reinforcement, it coaxed a smile upon her face - small, but innocent. It was different than the smaller grins she gave him earlier, even different from the different smiling faces he's seen day to day that annoyed the hell out of him. Something about her smile threw his mind through a loop, like it paused while trying to process what he's seeing - so sincere and alive, but her dead, doll-like eyes seemed to cancel it out.
A strange tension settled between them until the girl pulled out a small device from her pocket to check the time.
"I-I should get going, my parents will get suspicious if I'm out for too long."
Isaac huffed, "You don't gotta put up with their bullshit, remember that."
Rachel nodded, and waved him goodbye, before leaving the home. He can hear her run off, until the thuds of her footsteps could no longer be heard. He exhaled a heavy sigh, while his fingers raked through his messy black hair. Zack dropped himself onto the couch, as he tried to figure out everything that happened today - he hung out with this girl, conversed with her, and lowered his guard, just like with Gramps. It's strange, but very damn annoying.
' Why does Gramps want me to hang out with her anyway? ' he thought to himself.
He's never steered Zack wrong before, hell, that's why he's the man he is now. However, pressing him to go out and talk, even make a friend, it's weird.
' I'm getting on in age, and I won't be around forever… '
He's said it plenty of times before, even as Zack was growing through his teen years.
' Don't say shit like that, Gramps...you're too damn stubborn to just up and kick the bucket… '
Those always seemed to be the magic words for the old man to keep going for another year, but still...it feels so somber.
Zack shook his head for a moment, wanting to shake such thoughts out of his mind, and figure out what he wanted to do next. His off-colored eyes glanced at the window, and watched the glare of the sun start to dim into the dark of night. Somehow, his thoughts went back to the girl, is she really taking his advice into heart? Hell, did he make things worse, now she can fight back? Nostalgia began to rush through Zack, and not in a good way. Images began to flash in his head yet again, making the man groan in frustration, while he gripped at the sides of his head. This nostalgia was all he ever felt since being around the girl - the urge to kill is rising within him again, but he knows this isn't a strong episode like earlier. He can just go smack a few heads to sate it.
The man grumbled, as he picked himself up from the couch, and stepped outside - where he kept his trusty bat.
"Twenty, forty, fifty…"
Isaac was hunched over a new victim, he had a few dollar bills in hand, as he counted the amount he's gathered. Learning currency was something he's done on his own through observation - well, the paper currency, coins were too much of a pain in the ass.
"Fifty seven bucks…" he mumbled aloud, before pocketing the cash.
He stared at the unconscious man on the ground, seeing a small trickle of blood pool at his head, but continued to exhale shallow breaths. A sense of dissatisfaction continued to loom over him, like instinct was telling Zack that he wasn't finished. The man shrugged off such a small nag, his desire for violence was already quelled by his mugging - three people was more than enough for now. He needs to head home, before people would get suspicious - plus, having a big wad of cash would bringing some unwanted friends . The last thing he needs is for Gramps to be bothered with what he's been doing.
As Zack snuck his way back home, his mind reflected on that girl again, despite the nostalgia he feels, there was this other inner thought occuring in his mind - she's just like him in a way, growing up in a shit environment from the very start.
"She'll snap one day...dunno how, but she's gonna butcher them all…" Zack thought aloud, as his familiar safeplace was within view. "She'll never get rid of that desire to do it again…"
Even now, he's still fighting that craving within himself, and dropped off the contorted bat to be used for another day. Isaac entered the home, where he took out the wad of cash, and pulled open an old floorboard to stash it in until tomorrow. He wants to sleep, and just cleanse his mind of these thoughts. However, he knows he's right, no matter how he'll try and sleep it off, the girl was a potential ticking time bomb, delaying on borrowed time - for a reason to finally explode.
Just like him.
