Snippet #1916596

"Never said you were," He replied levelly through a mouthful of granola, "I'm just sayin': I'm not up for more of..that, back there," Waggling his hand back up the alley and the slaughterhouse it had turned into. He was coming down from that high a lot sooner than he wanted, and his limbs were beginning to feel heavy. Time to get moving, before that rot settled in.
"And I'm not trying to imply that I'm okay with it either," He went on, habitually wiping at the corner of his mouth before he wadded up those wrappers and wearily worked himself up to his feet, forced to lean against the brick wall to even make it that far, "Radical jihadists and bomb-makers are one thing, but these are- were fellow Americans," He corrected bitterly, carefully lifting the very corner of the polymer dumpster lid to squeeze the fistful of wrappers through and just as delicately set it back down again without so much a sound, "These were friends; these were family; these were typical, everyday soccer moms and office workers; normal people just like you, and just like me," The words stung even worse in his head than they did on his tongue. The vicious irony that forced him to put down the very same people he'd raised his right hand in oath to protect was almost a laughable thing. But these were trying times, and everyone was doomed to do regrettable things. He wasn't about to lose sleep over it, "There's an easy way to justify it, though, if you can believe it," As if anyone could ever believe that. What he was getting at was almost borderline insanity. He was a bit of a misanthrope sure, but there were very few people he'd ever wish this on. The rest? Well; this was the very least they deserved, as far as he was concerned.
"Ever ask yourself how many of'm were rapists or child molesters?" He started on an abruptly alternate and morbid tangent, tilting his head at her almost accusingly, "How many of'm were thieves and murderers? Ever ask yourself how many of'm were crooked cops or corrupt politicians?" An almost smug ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lip as he smoothed over his jacket and habitually tugged down the protruding corners of his hoodie - obsessively even, so the corners were flush, "That's how I justify it; by kiddin' myself into thinkin' that every one of these things I blow away or cut down is someone like that, and I'm actually doin' the world a favor instead of just adding to a body count. But I guess that can only last for so long, eh?" Chuckling at the thought, he just shook his head and scooped his bag up again.
"In any case, we need to get moving," Adjusting the strap on his shoulder, he considered the woman briefly, and whether or not telling her his name was really a good idea. Hell; she had to call him something, right? It wasn't really fair to her that he was so..distrustful, and it wasn't fair to hold her to the same low-ball standard as other, more selfish people he'd run across. But then again, life couldn't be all roses, could it?
"And you can call me Monday," He answered shortly as he crept up toward the mouth of the alley and peeked the corner. It wasn't his real name, but it wasn't a lie, either. It'd have to do for now. Peering around the corner of the building, the streets were only sparsely scattered with Walkers from what he could tell, and none of them seemed to be paying any particular attention. Fair enough he figured, with the rest of them probably still on the other side of the block after the incident with the Screamer. Fair enough, and lucky for them; this was going to be easier than he thought.
Stooping to pick up a palm-sized stone, he beckoned back down the alley at her urgently before he hucked that stone as far as he could down the street. Sure enough, what few Walkers were paying attention turned to see what it was that was skipping down the pavement, and he didn't waste any time. Without another word, or any further gesture, he skated out into the street and down the opposite alley between the two adjacent convenience stores straight ahead of them. Not long now! Almost home free!