Post by EZRA on Jan 9, 2024 3:05:38 GMT -5
DEC 27
He had held onto his sanity as best as he could after the truth about Ezekiel was revealed as well as the full breadth of the assault laid upon him all those years ago. Nora had sensed that something was amiss but no one else had seen that he was slipping away. Finding out the long-standing effects of the medication he was on was the straw that broke the camel’s back. After destroying their bathroom in a fit of rage, he knew he couldn’t face Nora. He hadn’t expected her to come home when she did, and he tried to hold a strong front that obviously didn’t last. He didn’t know where he was going to go. He just knew he couldn’t go home.
Unfortunately, Chicago had some of the worst winters imaginable, and he had only a few people he could discreetly stay with. He had brought his wallet with him when he left home for Horizons, but in his fractured state of mind, that meant he could be tracked. He considered sleeping on the street even though it was freezing outside. After tossing the idea around in his head, he decided to go to his friend’s tattoo shop/apartment. He had planned to stay here a few days before going home. But that’s not what happened.
It only took a few minutes for Bismarck to realize that something was wrong. He didn’t pry or push. He simply tried to get his friend to open up. Before Ezra could stop himself, he grabbed Bismarck by the shirt and rushed him backwards into the wall. Bismarck retaliated with a swift right cross which sent Ezra spinning. Once he regained his balance, Ezra jetted from the apartment and disappeared into the night. The next few days were a blur of him walking the streets. He had stolen a jacket and gloves from a store, hoping it would make it harder for someone to identify him if they were out looking while also keeping him warm.
Of all the people who would find him, the one who did was possibly the most unexpected. And it was complete happenstance that their paths crossed in Illinois considering the two men had only met once before in a completely different state. Ezra had dubbed him the ‘Shaman’ due to the sage advice given to him by the stranger in the dispensary. The two had passed each other in the street and the Shaman had recognized him after a second glance. He had grabbed Ezra by the shoulder to turn him around which almost warranted an instinctual attack by Ezra.
The Shaman gripped Ezra in a strong hug while trying to uncover what was going on inside the mind of his acquaintance. Ezra had attempted to struggle but after days of little to no sleep, he had no strength left to shake off the embrace. And now he found himself in a room inside of a home on the outskirts of Chicago. The Shaman had taken a post in the doorway as a friend of his with medical experience had decided to take in Ezra, even if it somewhat amounted to kidnapping.
The Shaman changed his ticket so he could stay a bit longer in support of helping, but he couldn’t stay in Chicago forever. He had only planned on visiting for Christmas and now that was over. His friend had guaranteed that he would continue trying to help Ezra through this temporary loss in sanity and the Shaman promised he would recoup any costs for what the ‘help’ would require. As the Shaman got in his Lyft to go to the airport, the friend assured him that everything would be okay. As the friend went back to check on Ezra, he knew that may be far from the truth as the wild-eyed young man sat rocking on the edge of the bed. He had made some progress but refused any form of medication, which meant this task was going to be a difficult one.
----------
He had held onto his sanity as best as he could after the truth about Ezekiel was revealed as well as the full breadth of the assault laid upon him all those years ago. Nora had sensed that something was amiss but no one else had seen that he was slipping away. Finding out the long-standing effects of the medication he was on was the straw that broke the camel’s back. After destroying their bathroom in a fit of rage, he knew he couldn’t face Nora. He hadn’t expected her to come home when she did, and he tried to hold a strong front that obviously didn’t last. He didn’t know where he was going to go. He just knew he couldn’t go home.
Unfortunately, Chicago had some of the worst winters imaginable, and he had only a few people he could discreetly stay with. He had brought his wallet with him when he left home for Horizons, but in his fractured state of mind, that meant he could be tracked. He considered sleeping on the street even though it was freezing outside. After tossing the idea around in his head, he decided to go to his friend’s tattoo shop/apartment. He had planned to stay here a few days before going home. But that’s not what happened.
It only took a few minutes for Bismarck to realize that something was wrong. He didn’t pry or push. He simply tried to get his friend to open up. Before Ezra could stop himself, he grabbed Bismarck by the shirt and rushed him backwards into the wall. Bismarck retaliated with a swift right cross which sent Ezra spinning. Once he regained his balance, Ezra jetted from the apartment and disappeared into the night. The next few days were a blur of him walking the streets. He had stolen a jacket and gloves from a store, hoping it would make it harder for someone to identify him if they were out looking while also keeping him warm.
Of all the people who would find him, the one who did was possibly the most unexpected. And it was complete happenstance that their paths crossed in Illinois considering the two men had only met once before in a completely different state. Ezra had dubbed him the ‘Shaman’ due to the sage advice given to him by the stranger in the dispensary. The two had passed each other in the street and the Shaman had recognized him after a second glance. He had grabbed Ezra by the shoulder to turn him around which almost warranted an instinctual attack by Ezra.
The Shaman gripped Ezra in a strong hug while trying to uncover what was going on inside the mind of his acquaintance. Ezra had attempted to struggle but after days of little to no sleep, he had no strength left to shake off the embrace. And now he found himself in a room inside of a home on the outskirts of Chicago. The Shaman had taken a post in the doorway as a friend of his with medical experience had decided to take in Ezra, even if it somewhat amounted to kidnapping.
The Shaman changed his ticket so he could stay a bit longer in support of helping, but he couldn’t stay in Chicago forever. He had only planned on visiting for Christmas and now that was over. His friend had guaranteed that he would continue trying to help Ezra through this temporary loss in sanity and the Shaman promised he would recoup any costs for what the ‘help’ would require. As the Shaman got in his Lyft to go to the airport, the friend assured him that everything would be okay. As the friend went back to check on Ezra, he knew that may be far from the truth as the wild-eyed young man sat rocking on the edge of the bed. He had made some progress but refused any form of medication, which meant this task was going to be a difficult one.
----------