Changing Seasons

Can a change of heart happen when you are on the run and trying to survive the dead

Summary

Survival is key, don't trust anyone, above all else, run, hide or kill if you run into the sick and dying. These are the rules Maka has made for herself, she can't trust anyone after witnessing what she thinks the end of the world is. She's skilled in using weapons, and getting out of tricky situations. She has survived along with a few other people that tag along with her, in her safe haven that is dwindling with food, lodging, and most of all her books that she has saved or collected while roaming or out on missions. Sadly though, Maka's safe haven is dying and she knows that there will be no food, no shelter and no safety if her community doesn't receive the help it needs

Soul is a runner, he ran away from the only place he knew was safe, but didn't feel safe staying where he was. He's not much of a talker and has fended for himself for the past few months since his disappearance from where he came from. Soul knows he's being hunted and will do anything to keep away from where he started and hopes he never ends up going back, he knows what they will do to him, and he's not ready to face the kind of truth that has been bestowed upon him.

When Soul is found and brought to the community Maka insists they take him back, despite his cry and plea for help, because she knows he's a wanted man, and when Maka was told about him and if she brings him back, they promise a better safe haven for her and her friends.

As they journey together, Make is having a change of heart slowly, As Soul gets to know Maka he can't help but feel something towards her. Maka will have to make a choice between saving her community or save the boy she has fallen in love with. The only thing is Soul can't tell her why he ran away, why they are so despite for him and a secret that he can tell no one, because he promised

Fall

Leaves are changing and so is the world

Maka-Fallen Leaves

"Maka, dinner will be ready soon, finish up your homework please" Mom calls down from the kitchen. I simply yell back from my room that sits just to the right at the top of the stairs okay. I return to working on my school project. I can smell the chicken cooking on the stove and can tell she added ginger to it just by the way my mouth is watering. I can also tell by the way she's chopping veggies up we're having fried rice tonight, which is one of my favorite dishes from her. I smile to myself and shut my room door to help me concentrate and blast my music.

I shut my music off and when I do that I feel as though I finish my paper, just as the rice finishes up, as I open my room door and can hear it beeping. I look at my project thinking, I can always work on it some more tomorrow. I have two days to finish it and know that I've gotten the majority of it done already. Besides, two days is all it will take to finish it and I can turn it in before the weekend and know my grade will be set and ready for the following Monday.

I look at the time and see that papa should be home any minute or maybe he's already come home and I just didn't hear him with my music blasting and my door shut. I take a big sniff of the air, but instead of flavors and spices mixing just right, I smell something burning, like the chicken and all the spices are burning in the pan. Wondering what is going on and why food is burning, I head out of my room and make my way down the stairs.

I stop short before the kitchen and can hear small little groans, and something that sounds like it's being chewed on. It sounds like ringing a rag that is filled with water or when you have too much water and you can hear the rag squishing against you and the surface you're cleaning. I wonder if that's all mama is doing. The rice cooker is still beeping and the stove is sizzling away, when I peak and see dad crouched over mama.

I let out a little shirk "save it for the room guys gross" but then papa turns to me with a mouth full of blood and my jaw drops.

Mama is sitting up, her arms limp and her legs straight out in front of her. Her head lays to the side as I see there is still fear in them from whatever papa has done to her, a chunk of her flesh has been taken out of her neck and there's blood covering the upper half of the right side of her body. Man slides a little when papa lets go of her and that's when I let out a scream.

Papa then lunges for me and as I scream, and I jolt straight up in my bed or more like my cot. My breathing is heavy and I feel like I'm already drenched in my own sweat from my dream. I steady my breathing and try my best to take my surroundings in. It's morning, it smells like eggs, the leaves are changing color and I am laying in my bed. I look over at my door and see it's been shut, I remember leaning it open, at least, I think I left it open, maybe the wind blew it shut when I was asleep.

Again with these dreams, when will they stop? I put on socks and head toward the kitchen, still in my Pjs to see who the chief is this morning. Before I open the door though, I see my hand shaking and pull my hand back fast. I can feel my lungs tightening, and suddenly I find myself running back to my bed. I get in as fast as I can, throw the covers over my head and curl up, underneath my the warmth and comfort of my blankets.

The thing is, I'm not even sure what I dreamed was real. I can't remember if it was papa, if papa even came home knowing (god knows who he was with) or if papa saved me, maybe I saved myself, maybe I ran away, I can not recall what really happened. I haven't seen papa since that day, is he dead, alive, with some new fling kissing another new pair of lips somewhere, or maybe he's turned and I'll run into his corpse sooner or later, he won't even recognize me. All I know is or at least remember is, mama was dead in the kitchen, her flesh had a chunk completely gone and there was blood everywhere at least I think that's what happened, I really can't recall what happened. The house probably burned down after I had left it behind or whoever rescued me, no clue how I really got out of the house. All I know is I woke up in a hospital surrounded by panic and then escaped with a few others, got in the car and drove away. Sometimes we'd stop and get a new car that had gas, or get supplies at the store or even try to steal from others. I can feel my breathing settling as I recall the events and put them in order.

I finally sit up and take a deep breath in, reminding myself, I can open the door and everything will be fine. Maybe I do need to put a note up saying "please do not SHUT my door." If the wind really did blow it shut, guess I'll have to shut my window at night. It is getting chilly out though, the leaves are changing but I also feel a change in the air.

When we were on our own, we ended up in a small town somewhere in West Virginia. Stein found us, on the edge of starvation, dehydration and death, he tooks us to an abandoned house that seemed like it might have been farmland, with how big it was. We never questioned if it was his house or a house he just found. He had water, shetler, food, warm beds and everything else in between. We've been here for roughly six months, but then again who knows, I lost track of time when we were on the road and just trying to survive. If you think the world is ugly now, just wait until your own species is on the edge of survival.

I take a deep breath and head towards the door, I close my eyes and swing it open. I can hear light chit chat going on in the kitchen as I make my way there towards the smell. If Stein is cooking, then I'm guessing the trader finally came with supplies. Our tader used to come almost every month, but I'm guessing the reason he showed up today was because he finally had resources, after nearly two months. Is our supplies here getting that low?

"I'll keep a look out and tag along if they are coming this way, that's a long way back. Guess it's time to see how well these kids can drive" wonder who they are talking about.

"I would really keep the rewards in mind, these day, a big community with everything is more promising than money" Stein chuckles at that statement, and when they both spot me, they clear their throats.

The trader leaves out the door, without another word. I hear the front door open, and out he goes, I hear his car start up and drive away to his next destination. I look at Stein, who is back to cooking quietly.

"Would you like a drink?" he asks gently, I start towards the cupboard's door to get a glass, it's then I realize my hand is still shaking and I retract it quickly.

"Again? Sorry I should have opened your door this morning, the wind blew it shut last night. But also I didn't want to waking any of you with me banging pots around and washing last night's dishes"

"Sorry, I should have done those, I was the last in the kitchen as we speak, trying to make myself a snack." Stein doesn't say anything, a quick deep breath in and I open the cupboard, grab a glass and fill it with water. Once the cold refreshing water hits my throat, I suddenly feel better and feel as though my world isn't spinning.

Again, and again and again, these nightmares of the night it started seem to never cease .

Tsubaki and I are the first ones doing our protrolls, making sure the dead or the sick come wondering. We also wonder to see if the stores still have anything, if houses have anything really we're out looking for supplies, making sure we are in the clear and making sure no human comes wandering over, if they do, we either threaten them to leave or straight up kill them. Killing has become such a natural instinct these days I nearly don't think twice about it. Guess that's what happens when you hang and survive with the wrong group first. Tsubaki, though, has kept her sweet and kind nature through everything we have been through. I like taking her more, because she helps with just threats. Liz on the other hand, she'll just straight up kill, no questions asked, and then does well with hiding the body, I've seen her feed the dead a person before, sometimes their screams are hard to get out of your head.

Kid swears by the gun, but they are loud and attract unwanted attention. I use knives, a bow, something that keeps quiet, it makes moving along much quieter and helps when you're sneaking around. Silent takedowns, means no one saw, no one heard and no one will ever know. Sometimes when they do find the body though, they get mad, they get panicked or they start to cry. Crying hits a nerve within me, what if they loved each other, what if they were really good friends, what if…what if..what if…

"Your quiet this morning Maka, everything okay?"Tsubaki's voice is gentle and kind, you could put a newborn baby to sleep with how she talks. It makes me smile and I look at her, her blue eyes seem worried. I can see why Black*Star and her work so well together. Black*Star has so much energy, never shuts up, and is as loud as people screaming at a theme park. She is his calm, his water to his fire. They do make a cute couple, I'm happy, even though these days are shit, they were still able to find love.

"Yeah, I'm okay Tsubaki, thanks for checking on me, it helps" I know it's not a satisfying answer, but it's all I can muster out of me for now. "Come on, we're almost to town." She follows silently behind me.

Just as we're reaching the town, I can hear someone breathing heavily as though they have just run out of breath. I look up, to see a boy with hair white as snow and eyes so red, they remind me of rubies. Tsubaki stands beside me, her knife ready, but I still have my guard down looking at him. I can't tear my eyes away from those dark, haunting red eyes. He seems lost. His clothes look work and tattered as though he's been on the streets for a couple months, yet he looks lean and toned, this young man really knows how to survive. He also looks as though he had just been in a fight recently, his shoulder is bleeding, definitely not a bite mark, he was stabbed or shot for sure by someone. He also has blood on his head, he must have come from a fight.

"What do you want?" Tsubaki asks in a sharp tone. She can be firice when she needs to be, but that sharp tone knocks me back to reality, and then I get my knife ready as well.

"You heard her, right, what do you want?" I try my hardest to sound intimidating to him, but he just stares at us, breathing heavily and eyes are starting to soften, he sways, falls down to his knees and lays on the ground.

I take a couple steps forward only to him say

"I have to run" he passes out and for once looks at peace, even though just a few seconds ago. He was in pain.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM" A woman calls from a distance. Her blond hair was in a braid but looks as though it's coming undone I'm guessing from the fight they were just in.

I back up next to Tsubaki and this time I pull my bow and arrow out and aim right at her.

"Hold it!" I snap

But she keeps moving towards the boy that has just fainted. I draw my bow and that's when I hear Stein shout not to shoot. I look back and see Stein run past us and kneel down right next to the boy and whoever the woman is.

"Are you Medusa?" Her yellow eyes meet his and she nods quietly.

"What's going on here?" I lower my bow and Tsubaki also lowers her knife.

"This is going to be a mission." He stand and looks at Tsubaki and I "you are going to help this boy get back to his home" he picks him up, his white hair shinning in the sun. "I'll explain everything, back at the house. It's quiet and it seems these two already took out a gang or something, so no need to pratroll any longer."

I have to run, those were the words he said. Why are you running? Like I said, as the leaves change, so did the world, at least my world changed…

Soul-Falling Down

"You have to run and don't stop, do NOT stop, keep running until they can't find you, run Soul, get out of here go!"

Run…run…run…that's all I've been doing since escaping from Nevada. I can't go back, I can't…I can't…I can't. Emerald green eyes are the last thing I see before my world goes black.

"I have to keep running" green emerald eyes. They look soft but hurt, did someone hurt you too? Are you running away from something too?

Thanks for reading y'all. this story honestly came out of no where just rand one day remember Soul Eater sat down and watched it and well here we are. Let me know what you think thanks 💜💜