All Will Fade to Black [Closed]

Edward looked at her. "Did Sarah catch the dicks who did this to you?" he asked tentatively. If they didn't, he knew that he would catch them himself. Whoever did this to Rose would pay for what they did. And it wouldn't just be death, oh no, it would be worse than death. Torture beyond belief was in store for them.

Rose wanted to nod, but there were still a few out there, a few they couldn't pin down on a young girls opinion alone. So she shook her head slightly. "Sarah.. was just visiting... it wasn't her case... She is a officer in Louisiana not Georgia... but being one.... helped keep me... from being put... in jail for... prostitution..." She didn't like talking about it, but it had to be done. She already started so she had to finished not bothering with the tears going down her face.

"The guy... w-who... kidnapped me... is in jail... the others that.... participated.... don't know where they are... don't know what happened to them.... never... said their full names..." Her eyes drifted over to the letter. "B-but... from.... t-that lett-ter... he e-either... g-g-got out... or e-e....... escaped..." She said with some fear in her voice.. She didn't want to go through that again. She sniffled a few times, and tried to keep herself from crying.

His eyes darkened. So there would be some time for ass-kicking after all. All he needed to do was figure out the names of the sons of bitches that did it. "At least one person is in jail. The rest. Well, the guy who kidnapped you should count himself lucky." he said in a dangerously quiet voice. Who would do such a thing to such a little girl? There were some sick people in the world, and that was coming from a trained killer.

She looked down, and kept her gaze away from the winter boy. "I.. I don't remember... how many years he got.... I just remember... Sarah... saying he didn't get as many... as he should have..." Rose said. She remembered everything all so clearly... some people were lucky, and the events became fuzzy to them, where as for her it was all too clear... there were too many constant reminders, too many reminders... She even remembered one of his 'friends' call her a shattered flower... She hated her name because it reminded her of him, but she loved her name because that was all she had left of her real mother. Sarah offered a name change, but she didn't want it.. She just took their last name. Though she accepted them calling her Rose Ann as a nickname.

"You know, I've said before that I'd have to pay that place a visit. Now I have even more of a reason." he said, clenching one of his fists. He didn't understand how those people's minds worked. Why in the hell would they do something like that to anyone, especially a little girl like Rose?

Rose shifted in her spot just a tiny bit. She was scared of what Ed might do to those guys if he found them, but at the same time she didn't care. Her brain said it was wrong that the court would get them eventually, but her other half said they would deserve every ounce of whatever Ed was going to do to them. "I don't know what to do anymore..." She managed to get a whole sentence out. "I have tried.... everything... and I'm still... I still remember... I can't... deal with it...." She said. Her hands fumbling with what ever loose piece of clothing she could get her hands on.

He shook his head. This mirrored his own dilemma almost perfectly, back when he was only 12. "That's the thing. You won't ever be able to forget. I know that all too well." he responded. "And you know how I dealt with it? I just pushed it down and moved on. Not exactly healthy, but it's what I had to do to survive." In all honestly, he had no idea how to deal with it in a healthy way. Maybe if had dealt with it that way he would be better off.

Rose shook her head. His advice wouldn't work, she has tried it before. "I've.... tried... It works for a... bit... then it comes back... in a really terrible nightmare..." Those nightmares were usually ones here she relived one of those nights in extreme detail. When those happened she would have to miss whatever activities she had for that day, and just sit and try to recover. "Anything... just seems... useless... at this point.... even talking to a consular..." She wanted to try, but it seemed easier to give up, because no matter what she did this wasn't going to go away it seemed.

He sighed sadly. "I'm gonna let you in on a secret." he began, "I get nightmares too. Almost every night. It's honestly better if I don't sleep." he said, noticing for the first time how big Rose's eyes truly seemed. She just looked so young and innocent, yet he knew different. He knew what she had been through. And he could relate, at least in some aspects. He wondered what she saw in him. What she thought about him. Whether or not she thought he was a monster. After all, he did basically confess his life story to her. About the killings, and the torture, and the "training." All of it. Just not quite in full detail. Not yet. And maybe not ever. He'd like to forget a majority of his life. But he couldn't. Not now, not ever. Even if it were possible, he wouldn't do it. It was those experiences that taught him how to survive, and it was what kept him alive all those years. It was fortunate he was able to adapt the way he did. Others like him weren't so lucky. Over his years in Argona's clutches, he'd seen kids with great potential die. For absolutely no other reason than the fact that they didn't want to kill. He watched his superiors murder those innocent children without a second thought. So he learned to just do whatever they said. Even if it broke him inside. And there had been breaking. He'd been enraged and broken past the point of no return and entered a strange calmness. It was that calmness that kept him alive. It was that calmness that taught him how to survive. Not any of the goons that trained him to kill. Not even Argona herself. He was broken, and nobody wanted him. Not his brother, not his brother's friends, nobody. Except for two people. Rose and Ava. Both of them understood what it was like. And it was true, those who suffer similar fates tended to befriend each other. And in some cases, like him and Ava, become lovers even.

Despite his outer appearance of not giving a single fuck about anything, and the billowing rage beneath the calm, he felt useless. Like he doesn't deserve a second chance at life. It was why when he was interrogating Destiny on Diane's Hill and that giant skeleton came in, he asked for it to be over quick. To have the skeleton swat him like the bug he was and erase his existence from this earth. Or when he was in the courtyard with Lamia, Magic, and Maria. He had literally begged for death, and he knew that Magic was the only one capable of doing it to him without a second thought. Why? Because Magic, too, was broken, just in his own way. Warren and probably many others had done something irreparable to Magic.

Edward did not want to go on. But he had to. Because, at the same time, he wanted another chance, even if he didn't think he deserved it. He wanted his brother to accept him, along with Barry's friends. He just wanted a normal life. He knew it would take time, and maybe eventually it would happen, but not for a long while, if ever. Barry had some healing to do as well, as did Magic. And Lamia, well, something told the Winter that she wasn't doing too well either. The speedster shook his head, clearing his mind. He realized that he had been lost in thought for what seemed like ages. He looked at Rose and sighed again. He didn't know what else to say to the girl. He was utterly clueless. "I'm sorry..." he said quietly, averting his gaze from the smaller girl.

Better to not sleep? She blinked at those words and let them sink into her mind.. Her mind was still moving still processing, but it was still at a rather slow rate. It was still clouded, still filled with static from the panic attack moments before. Still fogged from her break down. Would not sleeping help her? Or would it just make things worse? She still lacked energy even if she managed to get a decent night's sleep, what would happen if she didn't sleep? Would she end up with more energy? Or would she just end up with less? Would she develop insomnia which would help her get away with less sleep or would she end up in a crazed state because of lack of sleep? Should she try it? Everything she tried came with something negative.. Talking it out lead her to reliving memories, pushing it down lead to big backlash. What would happen if she didn't sleep?

She didn't even realize Ed was lost in his own thoughts, for she was lost in her own. Her brown eyes starred at the ground before, tears still dripping free, and sniffles still escaping her. Her teeth clenched together tightly, as her thoughts ran through her mind. Her lips drew back as her eyes narrowed, and more tears flowed free. She suffered for five years. There were other girls like her who have suffered for longer.. The thoughts angered her. She slammed a hand down on the ground, ignoring Ed's apology. "Why am I so fucking useless?!" She shouted breaking away from her usual personality once again. A small spark of who she used to be.

Rose's sudden intensity startled him. That wasn't like her at all. "You're not useless." he said quietly but forcefully. What would make her think that? He thought that way, but that was for different reasons. But why would she? He knew that wasn't true, but he didn't know if he could make her believe it.

Her hands went back to clutching her head. "If only I knew of my gift sooner... I could have ran away... I could have helped other girls.... I could have done something..." She said the tears coming back. She probably wouldn't have come to this school, and feel so unsafe as she does. This school wasn't safe. She wanted to go home. "I wanna go home..." She sniffed out. "I wanna be safe... I wanna be with my parents..."

The Winter hadn't known what safe was for years. He moved closer to the girl and put his arm around her, moving her closer to his body. "I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe." he said. Edward didn't know what else to say. He wasn't experienced in situations like these. So he said the first thing that came to mind. "I can take you home. At least for a little while, if you'd like."

Protect her? It seemed he was hardly ever around anymore... She probably wasn't that important. There was always someone or something more important than her it seemed. She clenched her teeth tightly and bit back some words. They didn't need to be said just yet. She just sat there in silence for the moment leaning against Ed. Thoughts running through her mind of various degrees, most of them held some form of self hated. Others held concern for her safety. Then he mentioned abut being able to take her home for a short time. She wanted to so badly.. she wanted to be with her parents. "If... if you did... that I probably wouldn't... come back..." She would probably wind up at the point of dreading coming back that something would happen to where she wouldn't have to..

Edward smirked. "And if you wouldn't come back, I'd carry you back myself. Despite popular belief, this is the safest place for you right now." he responded. The girl was definitely small enough for him to simply pick her up and carry her back here. Besides, if she was here, it would be easier to protect her. Beata also happened to be the safest place for the Winter as well. Everytime he went any farther than Rosebury, he was always paranoid that some goon would come try and kill him, which was more of an inconvenience than a serious issue, but still. It's nice not to have Argona breathing down his neck.