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day 5 whumptober prompt: sunburn | heatstroke
it’s been 14 hours and 36 minutes since abram left his mother’s bones buried in the sand
he’s walking down a sand covered road with nothing but low bushes and a flower here and there
the sun is beginning to set, and yet abram doesn’t remember much about the last 14 hours and 38 minutes apart from the fact that it’s been that long
he was keeping count
and yet
he doesn’t know anything else about what’s happened today, he doesn’t know where he is, he doesn’t know if he’s any closer to san francisco than he was when mary died
the words she made him repeat over and over again before she passed echo around his head
don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone.
don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone.
don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone.
don't look back, don't slow down-
it’s been 16 hours and 14 minutes since abram left his mother’s bones buried in the sand, when he finally approaches what looks like a small coastal town
nighttime is well underway, but he hopes there’s a convenience store open somewhere
he ends up in a gas station store, grabbing the essentials (a water bottle, an apple, a packet of raising and oatmeal cookies, a map of california) with shaking hands he does not feel
“jesus christ kid, did you spend the entire day outside without sunblock?”
the cashier’s voice is the first thing that’s able to get through the fog around him
“i’m sorry?”
she’s an older lady, staring at him with wide eyes and a concerned twinge in her gaze
“darling, you’re red as a lobster! are you okay?”
abram hadn’t felt a thing all day, beyond the faint pain deep in his chest that he refused to let himself feel completely
if he let himself grieve mary, he wouldn’t be able to keep his promises to her
so noticing the red and pink patches on his skin comes as a surprise, as does the sudden tension and warmth coming from his entire body
huh
well would you look at that
his arms are actually swollen
now that he’s aware of the heat that had crawled beneath his skin, the pain of holding on to the simple objects nearly makes him drop them and his head is pulsing with one of the strongest headaches he’s had recently
it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay
it doesn’t even hurt
he’s fine, it’s fine
you’re fine, abram, it’s just a little sunburn, can’t you stand a little bit of pain?
he’s going to be fucking sick
the old cashier lady is still looking at him with worry
it takes more energy than he has to give her a faint smile that is sure to look more like a grimace, but it’s everything he can give
“don’t worry about it, i found out i can’t get a tan the hard way, should have listened to my mom when she warned me it wouldn’t work”
“oh my, you sweet boy, do you have any lotion to put on, here let me give you this one, free of charge-”
“you really don’t need to do that, i can just ask my mom for some when i get home”
“not to be rude kid, but i know i haven’t seen you around, by the time you get home with your friends or whoever you’re with, because i know your mom would never allow you to get that burnt, you’re gonna regret it”
it takes herculean effort not to cry at just how right she is, despite being so utterly wrong
“i wouldn’t want to bother you”
“oh trust me darling, it does not bother me at all to help out a kid, i just hope you learn that some of us tan and some of you don’t, why don’t you go get a sports drink while i charge you for this?”
the kindness of this complete stranger hurts, almost enough to drown out the grief that’s been threatening to overwhelm him throughout this entire interaction
abram doesn’t deserve that
he’s… he’s the reason mary is dead, it’s all his fault, he should have noticed earlier that there was something going on, that he should have saved her, that he could have saved her
he can’t stand his own skin by the time he’s sitting in a bus heading towards san francisco, it burns and it hurts and blisters are starting to appear in his hands
his head feels like it’s gonna explode or float straight off his neck
the sports drink makes him feel a little more aware of himself, but exhaustion weights down on him
he wonders if a sunburn can kill you
he doesn’t think the universe is that kind