Put me on my battlefield when ghosts attack...

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"'M going crazy..." Tom whispered. He pulled his hand out of Michael's and moved it to his face, hiding it from view. "What happened?" He mumbled. "Where did I go wrong?" Tears leaked through his fingers. "I almost killed so many people..."

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"What?" came out like a cross between a gasp and a squeak. He almost killed people? Michael didn't know what to say.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

Tom's grey eyes peeked out from his fingertips. "I almost killed you twice." He whispered. "AndMikeyandJonandNickandWilliamandMikeandAdamandAndy... and me."

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

Michael reached out to pull Tom's hands away gently. He hated seeing him like that. "I deserved it."

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"Why?" Tom laughed bitterly. "Because you wouldn't give me my pills? Because you refused to cut my arm off? And look where that turned out!" He leant back and stared bleakly at the sky.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"Tom?" Michael watched him anxiously. He wanted to do something to make the man feel even just a little better, but he didn't know where to start or what to do.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"I'm a hopeless cause, Michael." Tom choked out. "Hopeless. Worthless." He rubbed one of his scars against the sharp forest floor.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"Hey stop that. You're not," Michael reached out and grabbed Tom's arms to pull them away from the ground, scooting closer so he could keep his hold on them.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"That's what he said." Tom stared at Michael with sad, sad eyes. "That's what he said." He didn't move his arms in Michael's cool, soothing grip.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

Michael didn't know who he was so he just repeated, "You're not," and moved just a little closer.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

Tom shifted a little closer to Michael, before sitting up. "Let's go hunting!" He gave the older man a bright smile, no sign of the tears that had been spilling down his cheek a minute ago.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"Okay?" Michael smiled, confused again, but what else was new?

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"I'm hungry." Tom stood up, pulling his ever-present gun out his pocket. He began to make his way into the forest when a dark shape suddenly launched itself at him with a vicious scream...

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"Tom!" Michael leapt to his feet and rushed over to Tom, natural gentleness shoved aside roughly by the sight of Tom being attacked. He had to save him.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

Tom struggled with the giant feral dog that was attacking him. "My gun!" He screeched. "It's over there!" He gave a howl of pain as the dog scraped its claws along his pale face.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

Michael gave up trying to muscle the dog away from Tom since it was faster and would just move back or turn on him and went for the gun. Did Tom actually want him to fire it? Even if he knew how, he wasn't sure if he would accidently hit Tom instead or not.

He ran back over with it. "Do you want me to shoot this?"

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"No, I want you to eat it." Even in severe pain, Tom still had his sarcasm. "SHOOT THE GODDAMN THING!" He bucked, frantically trying to get the dog off him.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

Michael gulped and steadied his arm as much as he could manage, moving to get what he hoped was a clear shot of the dog (if they didn't suddenly move violently) and fired.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

Tom gave a short scream of shock before letting his head drop in exhaustion. The bullet had grazed his stomach as it entered the dog. "I'm surprised." He said, pushing the dead animal off him. "I thought I'd have to tell you how to pull the trigger as well."

[Heh, you'd never guess I was a vegetarian, would you?]

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

Michael carefully put the gun down before moving over to help Tom shift the dead body of the animal, hoping it didn't have some disease or another.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

Tom stared at the blood slowly oozing through his t-shirt. "Remind me not to go near the sea until that's dried." He frowned. "Hey, Australian. Can you hear a whimpering noise?" He cocked his head.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"What whimpering?" Michael started listening but it was hard. It seemed like all he could hear was his heart beating in his chest. He'd been so scared for Tom.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

Tom put a finger to his lips and beckoned for Michael to follow him. He moved further away, closer to where the dog had come from. "Puppy!" he suddenly cooed, swooping down on a perfect miniature of the dog that had attacked him.

Number of posts : 1515 Age : 42 Registration date : 2007-06-27

"So that dog was protecting its baby?" Michael looked down at the puppy and felt a little bad about making it an orphan, but at the same time he liked Tom alive.

Number of posts : 1888 Age : 40 Registration date : 2007-06-25

"Mm..." Tom rocked it gently. "Mother animals are more violent, aren't they? I must have scared her." The newborn puppy mewed quietly, staring up at Tom with large green eyes. "Look at it..." He tentatively patted its head.