Forsaken (Rae&Zeta)

[Raerae]

James

​

"Dutch and Kingston were neck and neck. I won't lie, I doubted our horse for a minute there. Lucky for us, King's jockey added weight, and Dutch went all out last second," James buried his hands to the pits of his silky trench coat pockets, noting the nip in the air that always seized Chicago early and silently wishing he'd worn the gloves he'd bought specifically for days like these. "Do you care where we eat? I just know I need a coffee, been up since six this morning, you'll be dragging me in about an hour."


"Would it be egotistical to recommend Starbucks?" James cracked a little smile, jabbing the crosswalk button to enable their crossing.


Autumn had only just begun to show, tainting the greenery golden, stocking the market shelves with Halloween decorations and encouraging the gossip about the always anticipated Black Friday. Little caught his attention, especially considering you couldn't see the scenery on any of the main streets, hell, you could hardly see the sky! But the city wasn't all bad, he'd met a few decent folk, like Gerald, lived through the evening traffic, and genuinely enjoyed observing the nightlife when he wasn't falling asleep in his office chair from working overtime.

Rae

​

Despite the chill in the air, the gathered students and humane society volunteers were hard at work, running kiosks, serving sugary delicacies, and most importantly, finding homes for nearly one hundred animals, half of which were likely to be euthanized within the week if they didn't find a home, and others simply taking up too much room in extremely crowded shelters. Some were back at the kennel, but had their photos set up on flyers posted along the street with captions like 'adopt me!' And 'it's for a great paws' and then little informational packets attached. Quite a few dogs were patiently awaiting selection behind fences or, if puppies, from within crates. From pit bulls, Dobermans, and Dutch hounds to tea cup Chihuahuas and pugs, barking clipped the air, fur clung to black and white tops like a new designer pattern, and tails wagged constantly.


"Ohohoh, Jack, be a good boy now," Came a voice oozing patience, and then the soft jingle of a bell as the young woman tugged at the collar of a uniquely patched, Siberian husky. His left eye was blue, and the right an odd bronze, shades of jet black were splashed over snow white tufts, framing his face almost with a heart outlining. "I promised you you'd get a home today, just relax, okay? I won't let them take you back there. Someone's gunna love you."


With a tilt of his head and a nasally whined Rae could practically read his mind, who're you trying to convince, lady?





"Oh, don't give me that look." She chided, and then nodded her head to the left, and he obediently followed alongside her, unmoved by the crowd engulfing the adoption event, though he did sniff curiously at the oversized crates holding six little golden retrievers, all piling on top of another to escape. As she maneuvered through, somewhat advertising the canine at her side, she texted one handed, with ease, checking up on a recent friend of hers.


Amanda! This place is overrun! Any luck on your side? I know it's crazy, but thank you sososososo much for helping.

 

[Zerataku]

Gerald Higgins-

"Honestly, I thought we were goners there for a second. We got lucky, real lucky, on that one, indeed."


He wanted to high-five James, but thought it best to let him keep his hands in his pockets. Gerald was, after all, wearing his black leather gloves, so he had nothing to worry about when it came to the early morning chill. One trip back to the car and he could have offered James a pair, the spare he keeps in his glove compartment, but that would have been way too much trouble in this morning traffic.


"I don't care where we go, although I hear there's this new place down the street. You can't have Starbucks all the time, you know, and it's not often that new places open up around here."


He gave a deep, muffled chuckle as he put his hands over his face for a moment, the chilly air nipping at his now-pink nose. It was this time of year that he disliked the most, when the leaves started turning golden brown and orange and the Halloween decorations began appearing all around the city. Just thinking about it made him shiver. He would never understand what anyone liked about that holiday.

Amanda Teegan-

Amanda had been up since six o'clock helping set up the event. She hadn't just volunteered to help adopt out the animals, she had spent the last few days putting up fliers all around the city, per Rae's suggestion. She was tired from all the extra work she had been doing, but the excitement was enough to keep her awake and energized. She couldn't help but 'aww' and 'ooo' at every precious animal she saw, and was hesitant to give them away because she wanted them all for herself, but she knew, or hoped at least, that they were all going to great homes.


"Oh she's very precious, Merriam, and very laid back. I promise you she won't give you any trouble! I know you'll enjoy having her as a furrbaby. It has been hard to find a good home for her, so we really appreciate this."


She was in the process of handing over an older, blind cat she had just adopted out to an elderly woman, when her cell phone beeped. She ignored it long enough to hand over the cat and receive the paperwork, then walked over to a more secluded part of the room, sat down on the nearest bench, and took out her phone to check the messages. She could use a short break, after all, and perhaps even a pastry from the stand.

Recipient

them

Amanda! This place is overrun! Any luck on your side? I know it's crazy, but thank you sososososo much for helping.

me

It's going gr8! Adopted 3 cats & 4 dogs. Ads really helped! Great idea hun. Meet me @ the pastry stand? I could totally go for a cupcake.

 

[Raerae]

James



​

"Can't have it all the time? It's so organic and trendy," James retorted jokingly, half referring to the companies world renown reputation, and inwardly mimicking the drones that served the board. True, their mottos and hashtags sold product, which ensures his paychecks, but he'd shaken his head at so much modern verbiage, he was bound to dislodge his skull. "I think most of America has an addiction, honestly. Whatever separates Jekyll from Hyde in the morning, right?"


Gerald had led the way to the suggested destination, an establishment that nestled in quite naturally amidst the chain of restaurants and boutiques, with the exception of a fresh, smooth coating of paint on every panel, and considerably more customers due to it's freshness. The glass door jingled as customers came in and out, and soft, golden lighting kept the cafe vibe prominent from behind crystal clear windows. A warmth emanated from the inside as they drew nearer, and when James reached for the door and held it open, he was almost immediately revived as the strong scent of coffee beans engulfed him. "Ahhh," He inhaled dramatically, still emitting a lighthearted and joking vibe. "Sanctuary."


The businessman in him wanted to scope out the premises and see what his own company could do to improve, if anything; but the rest of him disagreed strongly, simply beckoning for a steaming cup of joe, a light yawn signaling he really needed a boost. "And to think I'll be this dog tired again tomorrow. Great."

Rae
​

Recipient

them

It's going gr8! Adopted 3 cats & 4 dogs. Ads really helped! Great idea hun. Meet me @ the pastry stand? I could totally go for a cupcake.

me

Roger that. Maple syrup bars are calling me.

For the briefest moment, Rae had slowed her pace, staring at the messages on her phone and then glancing down at Jack as if for moral support. It's legit, you're friends, enjoy it, she wanted him to say, willed him even. But he simply peered up at her with curious, mismatched eyes before his tongue flopped out and hung over the side of his bottom jaw, the steady panting warm against her hand as she stroked his snout.


"You're such a stud, Jack," He barked once in response and the pair picked up their pace, maneuvering throughout a thinner portion of the sea of people, her destination, the sweets kiosk.


Amiable as she was, genuinely socializing and nodding politely just to get by were distinctly different, the latter basically her lingo, the prior... considerably harder to deal with. She didn't want to be the walled off, victimized type, it made her down, brown eyes roll dramatically just considering it; friendship was undoubtedly hard to come by, though, and most of the disappointment came from Rae, herself, wanting more substance than there was. Foundation, commitment, connection. Like what she had with animals, they were dependable... kind of? ...At least they always got excited to see her.


"Amanda?" She kept her grip light on the other end of the leash, greeting the junior, Becca as her little sticker stated, that worked the stand, her braces glinting in the faint sunlight, blue eyes crisp and lovely. "Hey you, got any maple bars?"


"You already had like, three already," Becca laughed lightly, though her eyes gave away the belief she had that it was odd. "Doesn't your stomach hurt? You're so skinny! M'God!"


Rae just rolled her eyes, holding out an expectant hand and waiting for the teen to dish up another pastry. So she had a little bit of a sugar addiction, it wasn't major, and it kept her adopting out their furry friends coherently, right? Skinny comments aside, she was entitled to a little indulgence every now and then.

 

[Zerataku]

Gerald Higgins-



"Hey, organic and trendy isn't always the best thing for you pal. Sometimes you need a break from the lines of hipster teens paying it forward to the next frameless-glassed laden teen behind them." He laughed as he walked, his brown pennyloafers clacking against the pavement on the sidewalk. He knew he should have opted out of the ones with a metal tip on the sole, but hey; if he ever needed to kick someone's butt, they would definitely come in handy.




"An addiction? Oh it's more than that. You're a drug dealer, James! And what a kingpin you are." He gave him a slap on the back, silently praising his success as the CEO of Starbucks. As they walked in the store, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans infiltrated his senses. Hopefully there was something in here from Italy, because he was craving something real.




"Take a seat and I'll order for you. What do you want? It's on me." He pulled out his wallet and raised his eyebrow in a quirky manner as he offered to pay for his coffee.

Amanda Teegan-
Amanda smiled as she read the text. Maple bars? She was sure she had probably ate about five of them during her shift, but she didn't blame her. Sugar was a good thing, after all. She walked up to the kiosk and gently bumped into Rae's side with her own, just in time to overhear the kiosk lady commenting on how many maple bars she had had.




"Hey now, maple bars make the world go round. It'd do you good to have a few yourself." She then nodded at the girl and ordered one for herself, as well as a raspberry filled. It wasn't often that she could resist one of those. When she received her pastries in a cute little box bordered with black and blue pawprints, she turned to Rae.

She poked the cheeks of the puppy she was carrying with her, then took a bite of the raspberry doughnut and began talking with her mouth half-full of dough and red filling. "Oh my goodness, who is this cute little guy? Keeping him for yourself, hm? I don't blame you, I want every animal here."

 

[Raerae]

James

​

"We both know nothing beats red wine anyways. Don't think I'll be marketing that, though," he checked over his shoulder, still intrigued by the interior design, and also a little introspective.


In a way, Gerald was right, pumping the next generation full of caffeine would surely be more of an impact than the culinary experts care to take into consideration, in a way, their dependency on sweets and non natural methods of adjusting to the early morning rush was indeed like drug dealing. But he'd weighed his morals in comparison to potential success when he was first offered the position, and figured if it's not Starbucks, everyone would just flock somewhere else, desperate to spend six fifty a morning.


"Pumpkin spice, make it large with an extra shot in there," James said over his shoulder, assuming they'd have some thing similar to what he wanted, now focused on stimulating himself somewhere. He knew better than to argue modestly with Gerald, amiable as he was, the man had obvious distastes, and pleading modesty was one of them.


With a soft exhale, he sat in a rather high chair, his gaze quick to fall on the bulletin board across the way, flyers for volunteer positions for the humane society triumphing any other business card. That would explain the backed up traffic, and the way the street was blocked off like they would for a huge event. Maybe he needed a cat or something. "Oh, God, nono, no pets for company. Might as well tattoo loner on my forehead."

Rae

​

"Amen sister, screw the health nuts," Rae meant that jokingly, of course. She, herself, tried to stick to a relatively healthy eating style. Course she crashed and burned every couple days. If you needed proof was, she was quite comically, just licking the icing off, not even finishing the breaded part. After a moment, she shook her head, "I'll regret this. Always do."


"Oh, this little guy is Jack, he's trying to get adopted, but people find his eyes disconcerting. I think they're amazing," Rae adjusted the pup in her hold so Amanda could get a better look, and Jack pressed his cold snout to the blondes arm, licking at the splatter of raspberry while his tail thudded lightly against Rae's side. "I'd keep him myself, but I can't afford the deposit. Apartment wants three hundred down for a pet, and then charge twenty five extra for..."


"Baby, what's wrong?" The brunette asked, and concern washed over her face as Jack suddenly started whining, piercing the air with every sharp exhale. After a moment, he calmed down, tail wagging and his nose back to Amanda's arm, but Rae could feel his little heart beat pounding against her arm. "Huh. Maybe he's stressed in all this. I bet they all are. Wanna walk bubba?"


She placed him on the floor, gripping his leash and cooing him her way. But he was more alert than before, ears perked, snout to the air after two sneezes, his tail swaying slowly. "I hope no one brought any cigarettes around them. That's probably it."

 

[Zerataku]

Gerald nodded, then went to stand in line with the rest of the people. There weren't many customers here, but that was understandable seeing as how it was a new business and all. He looked around as he waited patiently, staring at the modern art on the wall. He was a sucker for such things. One piece in particular, that portrayed a young couple holding an umbrella under red rain, caught his eye. As the line began moving forward, the guy in front of him refused to move with it. Gerald tapped him on the shoulder, but the man refused to pay attention, only giving out a short moan as if he had just gotten out of bed. "Excuse me, sir? Can you move with the line please?" He urged him on, but nothing seemed to work. Finally he decided he wasn't going to wait anymore, and passed the guy up, who didn't seem to care either way. He just stood there in the middle of the room, zombie-like. Gerald shook his head. Now that was someone who needed to get some better sleep. No coffee in the world would help him.

​

"There's no time for regret in this world, honey." Amanda started licking the powdered sugar off the top of the doughnut, but some raspberry splattered onto her arm in the process. Before she had time to wipe it off herself, the dog was doing it for her. She guessed he needed his daily fill of sugar too. She giggled as his tongue tickled her arm. "You know, that's the problem with people nowadays. They want perfect kittens, not animals with any hint of abnormality. They don't want the blind older cats or the handicapped dog, but they need homes too!"

She was just about to comment on the outrageous price for animals to live in an apartment, but the dog began going haywire before she had the chance. Amanda looked around wide eyed to see if anyone was staring, because God forbid someone think they were hurting the dog, but it seemed to be too loud in here for anyone other than those a few inches away from them to hear anything. "I'd be stressed too if I was a little guy like him in all this, but if it was cigarettes don't you think some of the other animals would have noticed too? Either way, why don't we take him outside for a little bit?"

​

​

When he reached the counter, he ordered a pumpkin spice latte with a double shot for James, and a white chocolate iced mocha for himself. Even in weather like this, he still preferred something cold on the lips, and nothing was better than iced caffeinated sugar. He took the drinks in hand and made his way back to the table, sitting down in one of the high chairs James had chosen as he scooted his drink over to him. "Did you see that guy?" He held his hand up to his shoulder, using his thumb to point toward the line, agitation evident in his voice. "He's just standing there like he's on drugs." He shook his head, then took a large chug of his iced coffee.​

​

 

[Raerae]

James

​

"I think everyone's on something," James chortled, though just like Gerald, he found the situation a little disconcerting, the guy still hadn't budged amidst the line, and another individual had verbally expressed his disdain before shoving past him. What if he was sitting here, making light of a non-epileptic seizure, or someone with a disability who didn't have a translator?


"Don't tell me I'm the one who has to play good samaritan," James indulged in his hesitation, taking two gingerly sips of his beloved, spiced coffee and watching as the following customers just swerved or shoved past the guy, who hardly made a sound and seemed unfazed by the gradually increasing tension. Not even the management came out to assess the situation, and James shook his head in disbelief while slowly rising to his feet. "Yeah, looks like I am. And to think I admired this place for a second there. I'll go tell the manager-"


Mid sentence, James's head snapped up at the sound of screeching tires, piercing the air even from outside of the cafe. A blue Chevy was dealing with the recoil of slamming on its breaks, despite the bright green light looming overhead, as there were a couple people standing in the middle of the crosswalk, though what they did next made James's blood run cold. Due to the unexpected stop, there was a car pile up, a consistent chain that went farther than he could see from their point of view, rear ending each other at least six cars down the line. But the individuals in front didn't even flinch, and instead seemed to move with the same lethargy as the customer within the cafe, almost as if they were numb, towards the first drivers door, where they began to beat against the window like savages.


The man in the driver's seat flung his door open, shouting something indistinct until he was grabbed forcefully, slammed against the side of the Chevy and taken down to suffer something the cafe dwellers couldn't see from here. "Oh my God... Hey!" James turned around to see the fearful faces of other customers that'd seen what happened, though the staff still went about their rounds, filling styrofoam containers and tufts of whipped cream like nothing. "Call 911, there's been a pile up and a... a..."


A what? He hadn't actually seen what happened past the initial grab and fall. Assumedly, a fight of some kind? His pleading was rendered pointless, however, as the situation he was unknowingly addressing unfolded right before his eyes.

Rae

​

"You're right, I just don't know why he'd freak out like that and smoke agitation is the simpler answer. Did I hold you too tight? I'm sorry, buddy," Rae cooed to little Jack, not at all expecting a response, though she didn't seem to care if the casual human-to-animal conversation was odd to another or not. With a subtle tug on the leash, the brunette followed her blonde companion towards the front doors, but as they came nearer, Jack seemed to dig his paws into the ground, nearly encouraging her to drag him over the threshold.


"Jack? What has gotten into you?" Her voice quavered with concern and, once they'd stepped outside, he mirrored the same discontent. Car alarms were bleeping throughout the streets, accompanied by distant, wailing sirens, repeatedly honked horns and screams that blended in like the finishing touch to an unfolding horror movie.


While Rae scanned the events perimeters as far as she could see, Jack became a lump of bricks, refusing to budge and pressing his ears back, whining and piercing the air again. "Amanda, what the hell is going on?" She had an obvious quaver to her voice, unnerved by the thick air of uncertainty. "M... Maybe we should... head back inside," Though there wasn't really a reason she was aware of yet, what Rae really wanted to do was to hide in her car.

 

[Zerataku]

Gerald watched as the patrons shoved past the man, more angry than anything else. All they wanted to do was get their coffee and be on their way, when it was obvious that something was wrong. He shrugged it off though, because he had done the same thing. Why hadn't he informed anyone of the problem? "I guess you're gonna have to be the hero James." He gave him a small smile, but the smile was short lived. He cringed at the sound that was heard from outside, and he jerked his head to attention immediately. He watched in disbelief as people crowded the roads, looking back and forth between them and the guy in the room. When he looked back, his jaw dropped at the sight of someone being attacked behind the blue Chevy. He ran toward the door, eager to help the person, but was stopped by people banging on the windows. "What the f..." He stepped back slowly, grabbing onto the shoulder of James's trenchcoat. "James.. we gotta get outta here." He said, all the while never taking his eyes off the people beating on the windows.

​

Once they were outside, it was evident why the dog had been so uneasy. The sound of car alarms and cop sirens was enough to make Amanda cover her ears. She looked left and right, down the lines of cars, but couldn't see far enough to understand what had happened. She figured it was a car accident, but the air around them screamed of something much more sinister. She stared off into the distance even as Rae suggested they go inside, her curiosity getting the best of her, and that's when she noticed a few people walking slowly down the street. They weren't walking normal like most humans, but she couldn't make out exactly what to call it. Did they need help? She wondered if they were hurt, but opted out of finding out because she had more important matters to tend to. "I think you're right Rae. Let's get inside." With that she urged them both inside, unsure of what to do next. "Let's just go on like everything's normal. I'm sure if it's something serious, we'll find out about it. It's probably just an accident."

 

[Raerae]

James had heard his friends plea, but was far too focused on the man they'd discussed earlier. He was a little hunched now, and seemed to drag his feet in a bit of a one eighty before aggressively reaching forward, and grabbing the barista by her ponytail. She let out a shriek, and whirled around, swinging her fist his way, but he nearly snatched her arm and bared his teeth, as if he'd bite.


"Hey! Let go of her!" James had moved with a burst of adrenaline, grabbing one of the high chairs, swinging it upwards and slamming the legs into him, allowing the woman a chance to escape, but pausing afterwards to study the individual.


It, seemed like a more fitting title, as James caught a better glimpse of the face and noted the odd pigmentation, glazed over eyes and unnaturally prominent veins. If it was some sort of sickness, it wasn't one he had any intentions of asserting. "I'm... I'm right behind you," he told Gerald, and half expected to have a camera crew run in and hold him liable for an actors injury. "Don't... touch anyone."


-


Back inside, there'd been a moment of quiet, and for a second there the atmosphere seemed like the picture of solace compared to whatever travesty had erupted outside. Rae let out a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves when Jack began to growl menacingly as a pup could manage, directing it at an unfamiliar character looming just within the adoption event. "Jack, what is it?"


The dog whined and tugged at the end of his leash, blue eyes beckoning. Rae knew better than to ignore a concerned animal, but if Amanda was right and he was just stressed over the crowd, she couldn't let him act up and lose his chance at a home. What could she do?


"Oh. My. God! Get him out of here!" Came the distinct voice.of Kelly, a woman Rae knew to be the events organizer. When she shouted out, it seemed like panick had spread like a wave over the entire area, and then there were screams, followed by the upset barking and hissing of frightened animals. "He bit one of the dogs, get him out of here and call the police!"


A wailing pug filled the atmosphere, and Jack went into hysterics again, barking and snarling while Rae covered her ears and tried to think rationally. Everyone was upset and someone was biting a dog? What'd they just walk into? "Please! Stop freaking out, you're upsetting the animals!" She beckoned, but was ignored mostly and fought with finding out the problem and coddling the furry beasts till they calmed down.

 

[Zerataku]

Gerald gasped as he watched the event go down, the leg of the chair breaking off and falling to the floor. He half wanted to join in with him, and take the sucker out, but he didn't have the violence in him. "I never knew you had that in you." He stared at the man when he turned around, and noticed the sickly color of his skin, and his lifeless eyes. He looked back at the people banging on the windows, realizing that they looked the same. He couldn't help but stare, but knew that he had to snap out of it. "You don't have to tell me twice. They're sick with something, James. Come on." He motioned for him to follow him, and ran out of the doors of the coffee shop. He turned left so they could avoid the few trying to get in the store, but failing miserably, and ran down the street. "We'll take my car, go to my house, and figure out what's going on. Cover your mouth, if they're sick then it might be airborne."


_______________________________________________________________


Amanda appreciated the moment of silence in the room. It was nice to hear the quiet hustle and bustle of people discussing animals and showing joy over cute little kittens, but the moment was soon over as screams erupted throughout the room. She became wide-eyed and alert, her eyes darting all over the room. They fixated upon the man trying to chew on a pug, and the woman yelling for the police. She hastily made her way over to them, grabbing the arm of the man as she pushed him into the wall. When he looked up at her, he was pale with glazed over eyes. She grimaced and backed away, but lost her footing and fell to the floor. The man then came at her, his arms outstretched toward her body, but she rolled out of the way and stood up as quickly as possible. "Rae, let's get the hell out of here!" She screamed at her. "Get your keys. We have to go!"

 

[Raerae]

James

​

"I didn't either," James murmured, but they were outside and immersed in their horror movie before the brunette could look back and really see what he'd done.


Outside, chaos was washing over Chicago in waves, cop cars sped around collisions and ambulances rushed to save those who couldn't be saved. Most of those in the streets either ran for their lives, holing up in stores surrounded by the sick, like moths to a flame. Some of them were still coherent and begged for help, expressing pains and dizziness, while others lunged and snarled animalistic like. Many assumed they were smart by attempting to drive out of the mess, but that led to more collisions, which prevented a lot of maneuverability and, thus, made more susceptible to attacks.


Like Gerald instructed, James put a hand over his mouth, though with all the confusion and the civilians hastening around them, it seemed like such an inconvenient gesture. "Like I said, right behind you! They're aggressive so keep your guard up!" Alongside his companion he picked up the pace, reluctantly shoving his way past those who were just as stubborn. Psychosis? Viral brain tumors? Ebola? New drugs? Any and all diagnostics he had ever heard of ran through his mind, but nothing added up, and the stress of just getting from point A to point B kept him from being logical about it, if there was any way to be initially.


Their attempt to turn had been sudden and forced, and inevitably led him to collide with another, and while he stumbled back yet managed to catch himself, the frail figure he'd briefly felt against his chest was knocked back with a disconcerting thud against the pavement.


"Are you okay??"

Rae

​

Though her heart ached for all the animals left to defend themselves against the unseen blight, Rae couldn't ignore Amanda's urgency. She scooped Jack in her arms, they both grabbed their bags, and once again they were thrust into the city, though it was far from the friendly downtown area they'd seen that morning. "Come on, my cars not far, look for the sage green Wrangler," Inquisitve as she was, common sense was stronger and pleaded the brunette stay focused on the task at hand- getting the hell out of this.


Running down the street had brought her to feel like a pinball, being jostled around with ease between waves of people, though she kept her hold on Jack tight, and her eyes trained on Amanda to make sure they weren't separated. Had she been totally alone in whatever this was, out on the sidewalk would probably have been as far as she made it. Ironically enough, she still didn't get past the curb.


The wind was immediately knocked out of her as she slammed into someone, she then felt her head hit the sidewalk, and Jack roll out of her arms. It scared her more than anything, and in a matter of seconds she was sitting up, momentarily frozen in shock, until she felt the pups cold nose against her arm, and then a hand gently reached out and gripped her forearm. She let whoever it was guide her back onto her feet, glancing up and expecting to see Amanda, but it was a man, taller than her by a few inches and baring the most sincere apology hazel eyes like those could hold.


"Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked her, and Rae mumbled two, much to his relief. "I can't even tell you how sorry I am-"


"It's... It's alright." She glanced around for Amanda, scooping Jack back into her arms when he stood on his hind legs and begged her to, attempting to ignore the oncoming throb in the back of her head. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, she just needed the safety of her front seat, where she could claim a little control and get as far from here as a full tank of gas would get her.

 

[Zerataku]

Gerald tried to keep his hand over his mouth as he ran, but it just wasn't working. Through all of the bumping into people and almost tripping over his own feet, he ignored the gesture completely, but would hold his hand over his mouth any chance he happened to remember. He decided would put on a doctor's mask when he had the chance. He jumped out of the way of a hostile that came toward him, the man's arms grabbing at his waist, then turned around and punched the man in the face as he kept coming after him. "Did you see that, James? Did you see that?" He wasn't trying to make a sport out of it, but the violence had given him a bit of an adrenaline rush. He coughed as he realized it was childish. This was much more serious than that. "Sorry." He turned back around just in time to see James bump into a woman. "Oh my god, are you okay?" He was quick to offer his help, but James seemed to have it covered already, so his attention was immediately drawn to the blonde woman standing next to her. "Do you know what's going on here?" He asked, before realizing that she was out of breath and holding her side. "Do you need help, ma'am?" Concern washed over his face.


________________________________________________________________________________


Amanda ran as fast as she could, but even that was nothing. There were way too many people and cars crowding the roads and streets for her to move as quickly as she wanted them to. Her eyes were darting all around her as she tried to figure out what was going on. Her attention was caught by a bleeding man being dragged across the sidewalk on the other side of the street, and she did she best she could to hold back the need to vomit. She stared too long, however, and bumped into the fender of a car that had situated itself halfway onto the sidewalk. She grunted in pain and grabbed her side for a moment, then stopped dead in her tracks as Rae went flying onto the pavement. She looked up at the man who had knocked into her. "Hey!" She shouted, before the man began helping Rae. When she glanced around, Amanda reassured her that she was right there next to her by rubbing her shoulder.


Her eyes then wondered toward the man who was speaking to her. He was polite, and cute, with deep blue eyes that spoke of something meaningful. She rubbed her side, a grimace appearing on her thin lips for just a few moments, but she couldn't help but smile at the guy when he showed concern for her. "I'm fine. I just ran into a car, but thanks for asking. We were on our way out of here, but that's out of the question if she's hurt." She nodded toward Rae, then offered her her hand and waited for her to grab it. "We probably know just as much as you do about what's happening. Where are you two headed, anyway?" She looked back and forth between the two men, waiting for either one of them to answer.

 

[Raerae]

James

​

"His car is parked about two blocks away, we underestimated the distance with all of this going on, though," James answered honestly, though his eyes were fixed on the commotion around them, holding all the curiosity in the world for the disturbance had yet to really sink in. "I don't even know if we could drive around all the pile ups, these intersections are crammed as is-"


"Course you can," the brunette assured, though her tone heavily foreshadowed an unconventional way of driving that, in any other situation, he'd have questioned outright. But all he wanted to do was get out of sight, and if anyone with their brain still intact had a method, he was all ears. "Well, I can. My Wrangler was made for tough spots, all we have to do is get to the university lot, just across from here."


"Are you... sure you're alright?" He asked again, "You hit your head pretty hard. We really should get some ice on that, it'll be one hell of a bruise."

Rae

​

"Yeah, I'll just waltz into that boutique full of cannibals and ask for a cup of ice, to go." Rae didn't seem to think much of her fall, not with the adrenaline coating the oncoming pain. Guilt poked at her for e sarcasm though, and despite the fact apologies seemed pointless at the moment, she still addressed James while biting the inside of her cheek, "Thank you, but I'm fine."


Rae responded to Amanda without missing a beat, "We'll all be screwed if we stick around the curb, though. Can you run? We can make it if we go when there's a break, no stopping for anyone," She gestured towards the sea of individuals, more and more of which were taking on that same, pale faced, lethargic appearance. "And yes, we. Strangers or not, if you guys are questioning things that means we all have some common sense. More rare than you think. We'll head back to my place since it's in a gated community, figure out what's happening and... go from there."


"Go from there?" James reiterated, "You make it sound like this won't just blow over."


"Trust me," Rae leaned over the trunk of a car, narrowing her eyes at the sea of people. "It won't."