Colorado Springs - Afternoon
Cameron had left Boulder almost three weeks ago now. It had been pretty easy finding a camping ground in Cheyenne Mountain State Park and at this time of the year, there weren't a whole lot of people for him to run in. Which suited him fine. He picked a spot as high up in the mountains as possible. He occasionally ran into someone, but most people left him alone. He rarely stayed around long enough to be found anyway, taking into the woods for most of his stay there.
He knew his way well, remembered all the trails they'd taken during the Ori occupation. He followed them unconsciously, remembering everything he'd been trying so hard to escape. Two days ago he'd found the campsite where Jones had set up the ambush for them. The scar on his arm had itched in remembrance. All the memories of what happened, he'd lived through them all, found them lingering between the trees, a mirage of a world lost to him. One that had kept haunting him every single day.
He'd locked himself up in Sam's apartment, got a job that was as far away from everything he'd ever wanted. He tried to lock it all out, tried to forget and all that time, he hadn't realised how he was suffocating. How the memories were cramped together inside the four walls of his bedroom, pressing in on him and making it hard to move.
Out here, it was different. Out here, it stretched out. It covered whole mountain ranges, but there was air. There was that small hint of hope that they'd all fought for. Hope to live, hope to protect. Hope to keep going no matter what. He'd forgotten that, had allowed himself to get caught in the same space. Nowhere to go, nowhere to remember.
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"Get out of here alive."
He'd gotten out. He'd just forgotten to be alive. His whole mind was stuck in that dead world. He wondered if the houses were still standing empty, how long it would take for them to crumble down. The summer storms would have done their work. He wasn't going to forget, not ever, but for the first time that morning he had looked up at the mountains rising high above him and he had seen more than memories.
He'd been strangely aware of the town that lay below, of the live inside it. He'd fought to protect one world. He'd failed. God, he'd failed so badly, but owed this to them. Owed it to every one who'd laid down his life to protect and preserve, he owed it to them to fight for this world like they had done for his.
So that morning, he picked up the bag he'd kept with him for all these months. The dogtags clinked together as he shouldered it and moved up the mountain trail. He'd find the right place there, looking over the valley below. He'd bury them, looking out over the place they died to protect.
((NFI since there's no way to contact him. OOC is cool!))
He knew his way well, remembered all the trails they'd taken during the Ori occupation. He followed them unconsciously, remembering everything he'd been trying so hard to escape. Two days ago he'd found the campsite where Jones had set up the ambush for them. The scar on his arm had itched in remembrance. All the memories of what happened, he'd lived through them all, found them lingering between the trees, a mirage of a world lost to him. One that had kept haunting him every single day.
He'd locked himself up in Sam's apartment, got a job that was as far away from everything he'd ever wanted. He tried to lock it all out, tried to forget and all that time, he hadn't realised how he was suffocating. How the memories were cramped together inside the four walls of his bedroom, pressing in on him and making it hard to move.
Out here, it was different. Out here, it stretched out. It covered whole mountain ranges, but there was air. There was that small hint of hope that they'd all fought for. Hope to live, hope to protect. Hope to keep going no matter what. He'd forgotten that, had allowed himself to get caught in the same space. Nowhere to go, nowhere to remember.
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"Get out of here alive."
He'd gotten out. He'd just forgotten to be alive. His whole mind was stuck in that dead world. He wondered if the houses were still standing empty, how long it would take for them to crumble down. The summer storms would have done their work. He wasn't going to forget, not ever, but for the first time that morning he had looked up at the mountains rising high above him and he had seen more than memories.
He'd been strangely aware of the town that lay below, of the live inside it. He'd fought to protect one world. He'd failed. God, he'd failed so badly, but owed this to them. Owed it to every one who'd laid down his life to protect and preserve, he owed it to them to fight for this world like they had done for his.
So that morning, he picked up the bag he'd kept with him for all these months. The dogtags clinked together as he shouldered it and moved up the mountain trail. He'd find the right place there, looking over the valley below. He'd bury them, looking out over the place they died to protect.
((NFI since there's no way to contact him. OOC is cool!))