Parental Madness

Mels fell asleep really fast, although she did murmur in her sleep. At one point in the night, she pulled the clothes she was on, closer to herself as if she was trying to hold onto them in place of a person. Mels murmured again and made a noise, but she kept on sleeping. She was really tired from what happened today and sleep was bliss to the young girl. In her dreams, nothing bad and horrible was going on. Her family was still whole and happy.


Summer looked at her young cousin. She had gone through so much today and it made Summer ache in a way she had not thought she would. At least not for a very long time. But unlike her cousin, Summers forced herself not to be deluded back into memories of her old life. She had to accept that this was the way things were going to be from now on. As much as she hated it. As much as she wanted to go back to the way things were, they could never.


Summer looked over at the person who was standing watch with her. He was kind of cute and Summer looked away for a moment.


'Get a gripe Sums,' she thought to herself, referring to herself by her father's nickname for her. As if her actual name wasn't bad enough he had to call her 'Sums'. Of course now he'd be calling her much worse, she assumed. 'Yes keep thinking that way. You'll doing a lovely job of staying positive.'


Summer looked back at Grey and decided even if they didn't have time for a crush or anything, although she noted that two of the members were already in a relationship and two of the others might end up in one. She could still admire the man right? Summer smiled a little and moved closer to him, wanting to start a conversation and see if he was worth a crush.


Jillian was surprised when Max moved closer to him. He blushed a little at the closeness, but he had just watched Leigh kiss him. Still it was nice to be near the guy without his girlfriend around. When Max said they would talk in the morning, Jillian nodded. He would be happy to be able to talk to him some more. He went to sleep in a sort of good mood. At least the happiest since this had all went down.





----


Calvin Bridges was ready for this attack on the kids. He had been angered when he had lost not only Summer, his daughter, but her little cousin as well. Both had managed to escape, but he was sure of where to find them once he joined in with the other adults. The only good thing for today was Jaden, but Calvin knew he could have done better with the boy. At least he might be able to make up for it with the girls.





Calvin nodded and listened to the woman. She was talking about four of the ones inside being her's. Well she didn't have to worry about that. Calvin had his own targets in mind. The little ***** was going to pay for escaping him and taking her cousin with her. He also wondered how many others might be inside as well. How many more could he take out as well. Calvin couldn't wait, though he was a patient man. As long as he got to watch Summers struggle as he choked the life out of her. Maybe make her watch as he kills Melanie first.


Calvin got ready for the attack. There was no running away now.


----


Summer let out a shriek when the window was broken. She turned to Grey to see if he was aware that it had broken, before moving to the nearest person to herself. This was Jared and she gave him a good shove.


"WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!"


She hurried over to her cousin Mels, who was awoken as well by the sound, but still very tired and half-asleep.


"Summer?"


"Ssh Mels. It will all be okay. Don't worry." But Summer wasn't sure if she believed that. Still she would protect her cousin with her life.


Jillian himself was only half-awaken as well by the noise. What really got his attention those and distracted him was the presence of am arm around him. Jillian blushed a deep red and turned to see who it could be, although he knew the answer. Jillian's face got hotter and he cursed choosing to sleep near him. At least he was the one who woke up first.


Jillian, trying to look away and calm himself, saw that something was going down. He drew his gun and shook Max. "Hey wake up. I think we're under attack."


 
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!"


As hands shook him roughly back and forth, Jared's eyes flew open, and he immediately sat up, his eyes darting. He had just begun to enter REM sleep, and he is disoriented, his eyes unfocused as he tries to piece together where he is, what has happened. For a few seconds he cannot seem to recall, and then it all floods back.


Yesterday...the adults...Lydia...school...


All around him the others are awake and being awakened, and he cannot at first understand why. And then there comes another smashing noise as the glass window breaks apart, the wooden boards they had nailed over it beginning to crack, and everything clicks into place.


They're being attacked...right here, right now, they're being invaded. And that can only mean one thing. Adults. Adults had found their hide out...adults were coming after them.


Jumping to his feet, Jared looked around somewhat wildly, taking stock of all the other children and teens with him. Most were awake by now. Angie was sitting up, wide-eyed and motionless, and Leigh's arms were around her, her own eyes large and terrified. As they met Jared's, she cried out in a loud hissing whisper that cracked with her fear.


"Jared...what are we gonna do, oh god, they're HERE..."


"Everyone get a weapon from the closet," he said, trying to decide himself in the moment. "Except Angie. Nobody go to the cafeteria...no! No...children to the cafeteria, go to the freezer, the one without the bodies, and lock it from the inside! They shouldn't be able to break in, the door is too heavy. That means you, Leigh, and Mels, Angie...all three of you go to the freezer and stay there! The rest of you, you can either go with them, or you can stay here with Grey, Rai, and me, and fight them off. But make your choice and make it fast, because they're coming."


Leigh was starting to stand, still holding Angelina close to her, and opened her mouth, but Jared hollered over her, seizing one of the saws from the woodshop he had stashed in the closet earlier. "GO! NOW!"


Leigh took off running, dragging Angelina after her, and it was great timing, because just then the boards cracked in two, caving inward, and a face appeared in the gap, as the baseball bat moved back and forth, clearing out the space to make it large enough for a reasonably thin person to squeeze through. The woman at the window paused, then smiled slowly as she made eye contact.


"Hey, son," said his mother. "We've got a few things to work out here, don't we?"
 
Rai watched as people around her began to freak out, all getting scared, worried, and as Summer shook Jared awake she felt a bit of burden lift from her shoulders. But still. She wasn't sure if any of them here had the nerve to shoot an adult. Kurt for instance, if it was Kurt's parents behind that window he wouldn't be able to pull the trigger, after what Rai had seen of him in the hallway, she didn't think he was ready yet to kill his own flesh and blood.


Rai already had. So she had nothing to lose.


When Jared began organizing people - as he did best - and told the kids to go lock themselves in the body-less freezer, Rai merely nodded in approval. "Jared's right guys, anyone who doesn't want to fight follow Leigh" She cleverly avoided saying any kids, because she had an inkling that even some of the olders - like Jillian and Kurt - weren't quite ready yet to pull a trigger on someone, not that she could blame them of course.


Rai also loved how he instantly included her in the fighting group, since that was where she knew she belonged. And as she kept her gun levelled at the window, watching it break apart, she wondered how many adults were on the other side, how many would they have to kill, and who? What if it was one of these kids' parents?


Her question was quickly answered as a female face appeared, and addressed Jared as her son. Her eyes narrowed, hardening as she moved the gun every so slightly so that it was perfectly aimed at the woman's forehead. The only thing that was keeping her from shooting was that this killer was Jared's mum. She had killed Lydia. But it was Jared's job to say if he wanted to kill her himself, or whether he'd want Rai to do it.


She was standing next to Jared, gun still pointed and loaded, ready for use as she spoke lightly to him, softly almost, "You want to take care of this?" She could understand if he didn't, but she would have to. This bit*ch wasn't getting anywhere near the Sherwoods that she had already found herself becoming attached to.


-----------------


Hunter watched the window, hackles raised as he began growling softly, teeth bared in anger. He wouldn't let these evil beings harm his mistress, no matter what. And when the face appeared, he of course didn't have the same thoughts of Rai, not thinking about Jared or even knowing that this evil thing belonged to him, so he growled and made a step forward to leap at the female and attack, but then Rai's voice called out to him, "Hunter, back. Not yet."


He looked to Rai, then the evil one, then Rai again, then stepped back, going protectively closer to Rai, but kept his eyes on the lady at the window, still with his sharpened canine teeth showing dangerously, hackles still raised as he waited for his chance to take her down. As soon as his Rai gave the word.
 
Jared was relieved when Leigh ran with Angelina as he had asked with no protests, and fervently hoped that there were no others posted at windows along the way, that no one had already reached the cafeteria. There were a lot of windows there, a lot of opportunity for the girls to be trapped or caught or...no. Now he had to focus, there was a threat right here, right now, wearing his mother's name and face. Leigh had saved Angelina once before. She would do it again. He would not allow another thought of it into his head as he looked his mother in the eye, firmly gripping his saw. Now that he held it he was thinking he should have grabbed a gun from the closet instead, that it was a fast and more effective weapon.


But could he do it? Could he shoot his mother in the face, or let Rai do it?


Rai was asking, but he could not answer. He looked his mother in the eye, and all he could think was that this was his mother...his MOTHER.


Granted, Vicky hadn't been much of a mother, well, ever. To the point that only Angelina of her children did not call her by her first name. But she had lived with them all their life, even if she was out more than in. She had given birth to them, and Jared loved her because she was his mother, even if there was little other reason.


But she had murdered Lydia. She had murdered his sister, and she would murder him too.


He knew she had to die. He knew it. But still, when she started to climb through the window, he could not bring himself to tell Rai any response at all.


But then another man, impatient to get to the children, pulled her back, and began fighting his way through himself. He was larger than her and required more effort to get inside, but with a few good strains he was inside, grabbing the closest person he saw, a large knife in his hand. And more were streaming in after him, the window's hole made wider by his body. Vicky was not inside yet, but she would be soon, and Jared could tell that there were at least ten people out there...and only three four were coming through this window. The others were scattering off to others, finding their own way in.


How many were there...how were they going to fight them all? Were more coming? Leigh and Angelina, the other children, what if they'd already been stopped?


He swung the saw's blade at the closest man, catching him in the throat and nearly oblivious to the blood spraying out at him. He couldn't let these people out of the room. He couldn't let others inside. This was literally life or death.


(whoever wants to be the grabbed one, just say in your post)
 
Grey gave the girl a quick once over, a force of habit. She looked almost… delicate. Knowing that looks could be deceiving and that she could use it to her advantage in a fight if she was more than appeared to be Grey gave the girl a half smile when she sat closer to him as he finished up the emergency packs.


Before anyone could get comfortable there was a crashing noise in a distance. “Jared!” he called out to his friend as Summer went to shake him awake. Hesitating only long enough to make sure Jared was awake and alert he almost missed that a third party had a gun as well. Knowing he had kept all but one gun on his person, of which Jared should have on him, Grey couldn’t help but to smile; it looked like someone else knew how to pack heat, hopefully she was experienced as well. Nodding to the ones awake he stalked out into the hallway, gun drawn and ready.


The barriers were holding somewhat, hell a guy with a crowbar didn’t even make a big enough hole to climb through before he was tasting metal. Sure Grey had his knife and could have easily slit his throat if he timed it right, but by the sounds of things there were multiple adults breaking in and he didn’t mind drawing attention to his location instead the kids’, and if a dead body or two with gun wounds scared any attackers off Grey could live with that as well.


A second man less disoriented than the first had managed to break down the barrier of his own window and Grey shot him down as he peeked his head inside, most likely trying to make sure the coast was clear before entering fully. Before the second body fell a scream broke his concentration; a scream that reminded him of a quiet girl that didn’t talk much. Biting his lip in exasperation Grey gave himself a moment to decide his next course of action. He could run back to see what was going on and try to save her, but seconds were precious in moments like these and she could be good as dead before he got there, and he could risk the chance of the school being overrun outside their perimeter, making it that much harder to protect within it. With a sigh he went off running, it didn’t matter, something was happening to the group and he couldn’t risk leaving it to the others, he couldn’t fail them like he had failed Sara.


Anthros’ lip trembled, no that was her whole body shaking. She was lucky for a empty bladder, otherwise the girl just may have wet herself then and there. To be honest she had no idea what had happened. Jared had said to hide if you couldn’t fight. She had… stood up in a daze, uncertain of what to do. Ah that was how she had been grabbed. Panic stricken she looked towards the one she now knew was Jared, unable to focus on the one that held her, unable to focus on what could be her last moments. ‘help me’ she cried out in her head, her voice once more failing her as she thought back to her father when he had grabbed her, tried to kill her. It seemed that someone wanted to finish the job.
 
Rai watched as more people filed into the one, one grabbing a kid, but before Rai could shoot him in the face, Jared had moved away and another man had run at her, bat in hand, ready to swing at her, and a grin crept across her face as she grabbed the thicker end of the bat, pulling it down so sharply that it swung up and smashed into the man's chin, his teeth cracking and a bit of blood slipping out from where he had bit his lip, hard. She then spun the bat, ripping it from his grip and smashing it into his head so that he hit the ground unconciously, she muttered to herself as she looked around, "What's with all the bats? No chainsaws, just bats."


Rai obviously jinxed herself, because as she said that a man came through the window, chainsaw in hand, and Rai's eyes widened. "Oh sh*t." She sees the man head for someone, a twisted grin on his face, and she levels the gun before letting out a bullet with hits the guy square in the head, his blood splatting out as he drops to the ground, chainsaw falling just inches away from the kid that he almost got.


She shrugged, "Right. How many to go?" Looking around, she saw some of the other adults had been taken down already, but she spotted one, with an axe, heading in the direction of the cafeteria, and her eyes hardened as she remembered the kids, they had gone that way. That man was planning to kill them. She couldn't let that happen. She glanced to her dog, who was darting everywhere, nipping and even tearing at some of the adults whenever he could, she called him over. "Hunter, attack! Any adults you see, just attack!" Knowing her clever dog could understand her, and that he would stick close to her, she headed after the man - who had now left the room and entered the hallway.


Upon seeing the back of his head, she pointed her pistol and aimed for his head, "Hunter. Fetch." She whispered, the dog understood and ran at the adult leaping at their back and knocking them to the floor, the axe flying from their hands. He growled viciously and the man spun around to lay on his back, his eyes widening slightly at the canine's sharp teeth. Rai walked over slowly, gun pointed at the man still as he looked to her and glared. "Why are you doing this?" Rai questioned, the man simply grinned, didn't answer her, and Rai's grip on the gun tightened, her voice barely controlled. "Did you not hear me? I said. Why are you doing this? Why do all adults want to kill us now? Did you take a drug? Are you all going insane?" The man then shoved Hunter off, grabbed his axe and Rai shot at him instantly.


Too bad she was out of bullets. Her eyes widened and the man smirked maliciously, "What now girl?" The man spoke her gender as if being a girl made her weak. And that was one thing Rai couldn't stand. Not even from an armed, strong killer who had years on her. "Oh no you didn't." Rai growled out and dropped her useless gun, the man swung at her with the axe, aiming for her stomach, she ducked down so the blade nearly caught the tips of her hair, but missed, and reached up gripping the weapon's handle while striking upwards with her foot to hit the guy in the chin. He stumbled back, and Rai managed to grip the weapon before pulling back and standing up. Instantly, she swung at the man's neck, but he also ducked, only for Hunter to latch onto his arm with his jaws and tug the guy so he fell onto his butt, trying to shake the dog off. He made a move to strike Hunter away, but then his body twitched as his head rolled away. She glared at the corpse, "Rule one. Don't use girl as an insult. Rule two. Don't EVER touch my dog." Hunter released the body and bounded to Rai's side, glad he and his mistress had taken down an evil one together.


(You can decide if you were the almost-chainsawed kid by the way xD )
 
Everywhere Jared looked there were people in his way and in his face, both the innocent and the attacking, and it was massively confusing and difficult to defend his life, those of others if possible, AND to avoid accidentally hurting someone who he wouldn't want to hurt. He had quickly realized that those with guns only had the advantage if they had excellent aim and a clear shot, because with the other kids still in the room with them, it was very easy for bullets to be able to richochet or be misaimed and instead hit someone uintended. The room was crammed with at least a dozen people, fiercely fighting each other, and it was difficult to tell what was going on overall, or even which side was winning out.


Jared was doing all he could simply to beat back the adults who had already forced their way inside and who were still trying to do so. Some had come in through other windows and were now at the doorway, trying to enter with the rest, and this is where he stationed himself, determined to let no adults either out of the room into the hallway, where they could chase Leigh and Angelina and the others with them, nor to let them into the classroom to come after the kids still inside. He swung the saw blade first into the faces, chests, and throats of any coming near him, wherever he could reach easily, and had no time to be bothered by anything so trivial as blood or other bodily fluids, or even severed limbs. He could hear people screaming and did not take the tiime to see if it was any of the kids or if it was adults. He could not take the time to try to watch their backs. If they were here, it was every man for themselves. The children were out of the room, and any who remained behind to fight would have to do exactly that.


He had not yet seen his mother, and that was what remained in the back of his mind as he fought through those near him. Where was she? Had she already been killed? Or was she going for Leigh and Angelina...was she walking the halls of the school, calling out their names?


He couldn't know, of course, that this was nearly exactly what she was doing. That once she saw the swarms of people heading into Jared's location, she had decided to take her time, knowing they had agreed that he was her kill alone, and instead seek out her daughters. She leisurely walked about the area that the children had blockaded, peeking into each room and inside each bathroom stall, under desks and inside closets, all the while humming to herself. In the cafeteria, she scanned the rows of tables and chairs with her eyes, and all the while she called out softly.


"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."


Inside the freezer, Leigh is huddled back against the shelves as far as she can wedge herself, Angelina in her arms, shivering from fear as much as from the cold. Angelina's thumb is in her mouth, and she sucks noisily, her eyes huge. They do not acknowledge the other occupants of the freezer, for they can faintly hear Vicky's voice, and recognize it. And she does not appear to be leaving soon.


It occurs to Vicky then to check the kitchen, and she tries the freezer with the bodies first, chuckling as she sees its contents. She paws through them, as though to make sure no live children were hiding among them, and then tried the next freezer. Finding it locked, her smile grew.


"Aha...."


She knocked, softly at first, then harder, insistent, threatening.


"Children...it's very rude to hide from your mother. Come out now, or you're gonna be...punished."
 
(Ooooooooo, can Rai fight her? :D I won't let her kill Vicky unless you say it's okay in the next post, but Rai thinks it's Jared's job anyway, that he might get mad if she does it for him)





Rai, having taken the axe and left the useless pistol behind, turns to head back to the room where Jared is, planning to go help him when Hunter suddenly lets out a short bark and his hackles raise. Rai frowns and looks at him, he glances back at his owner to check she was following before speeding off in the direction of the cafeteria. Rai frowned then her eyes widened. Leigh. Angie. She chased the dog, feet light yet speedy.


Hunter could feel it, he could smell it. He could smell the evil human and all he knew was that his little being, the small one with the curly coat of fur, had gone this way, as he could smell her faint scent aswell, and that the evil was heading the same way. He wouldn't let anything hurt the little one, his Rai had told him to protect her, and protect her he shall. He sped into the cafeteria, seeing the evil being near the freezer and he knew, he just KNEW the little human was inside that freezer, along with some other smaller beings. Hunter let out a low, dangerous growl, teeth bared with even a bit of blood on them as his hackles remained rose.


Rai followed Hunter quickly and silently as he ran into the cafeteria. She froze as she saw Jared's mum, Leigh and Angie's mum. Lydia's mum. At the freezer door, knocking, she just heard the whispered threat about coming out or being punished, and she let her own voice fill the gap between the two. She could have just swung at the woman's neck and sliced her head off, but this was Jared's mum. It wouldn't be fair to kill the woman if he wanted to do it himself.


"They're not coming out Vicky. And you won't be punishing them anytime soon, or at all infact." She spoke in a low, almost dangerous tone, eyes fixed on the woman for any move she may make. She remembered Leigh had mentioned the woman's name, and she was pretty sure Jared had too. Just like her, they seemed to have some sort of issues with the woman even before this tragedy happened.


Rai then tilted her head, even smirking lightly as she spoke, "Why don't you warm up by TRYING to kill me first Vicky? The kids aren't going anywhere any time soon." She spoke with the obvious intention of getting the woman away from the freezer. Just because she couldn't kill the adult without Jared's permission didn't mean she wouldn't mind cutting an arm or leg off.


Hunter stood by his mistress, still in the attacking, threatening stance as he waited for the evil being to make the first move.
 
Jared is too occupied to notice Rai leaving the room and so does not follow her out. From inside the freezer, Leigh is whimpering, her mouth pressed against the top of Angelina's head in an attempt to muffle the sounds, and she is crying and trying not to, her nails digging into her little sister's arms as she holds her tightly. Angelina makes no sound at all, other that the continued rhythmic sucking of her thumb, and her small bare legs are cold against Leigh's.


Leigh's head snaps up when she hears another voice join her mother's...Rai? Rai is provoking her, Rai is...going to help them? Is Rai going to KILL Vicky?


Somehow this thought is not any less frightening than the thought of she and Angelina being killed themselves, and Leigh's breathing grows faster, almost hyperventilating. The walls of the freezer seem closer than they were a few minutes ago. She does not want to die, but she doesn't want her mother to die either. She closes her eyes tightly, trying not to picture this occurring.


Vicky turned slowly, interest glowing her in gaze at this new arrival, and she looks Rai up and down before smiling at her.


"You look like the kind of girl none of mine would turn out like...the kind of girl who's not much of a girl at all, right? You want me to kill you, you're right, it would be a good warm up."


Baseball bat in hand, she chokes up, then takes a hard swing, aiming towards Rai's face.


(yeah don't kill her, or cut off an arm or leg either. You can cut her decently where she'd choose to get away, especially if someone comes to back rai up, but I want Vicky to live for now.)
 
Rai watches Vicky as she turned to face her, axe in her tight grip and Hunter by her feet, ready to strike, she narrows her eyes as the woman speaks, already, within barely a few seconds, Vicky has found the thing that irritates her the most, the thing Jennifer and her clones used against Rai. So what if she wasn't a girly girl? So what if she didn't care about chipping a nail, or have a whole wardrobe full of shoes? And why did it matter if she didn't flaunt herself in short dresses and high heels that were high enough to break her ankle?


She had survived so far. Jennifer hadn't. Being a tom-boyish girl is what kept Rai alive.


So when Vicky swings at her, Rai had been waiting for this, and she holds up her axe, point towards the bat, and watches as the bat is effectively stopped, caught even, on the sharpened edge of her axe. "Hunter, get her!"


Hunter, unlike Rai, had such good hearing that he could infact hear sounds of sadness coming from where his little being is, what is it that humans do when they are sad? He thinks the word is crying, but isn't entirely sure. So he is full on ready to attack the evil, knowing it was upsetting the humans that were hiding, and when his Rai gives the order he darts behind Vicky, grabbing the back of her top and tugging her backwards so sharply that it is likely she will fall on her butt. He darts back around to Rai in an instant, about to leap at the woman's neck when Rai, who has pulled her axe away from the bat so she can swing, speaks out, "Hunter no, don't kill her." Hunter looks to his mistress, confused as to why she won't allow the evil being to die, when Rai looks to Vicky and then swings her axe at the woman's leg, not her throat.


She wouldn't let Hunter kill Vicky, it was up to Jared who killed his Mother, Rai just hoped that he knew it had to be done.


(She can dodge so the axe only cuts her leg, rather than takes it off)
 
Summer was glad to see that Jared woke up pretty easily. She turned back to Mels and then nodded at her. Mels was shaking in fear as the adults started to make their way into the room. She had never seen her cousin so frighten besides when they first escaped from the terror. And now it was back and Summer cursed their luck. Why couldn't they at least get a day. Just one day.


"Go with the other girls Mels," Summer told the young girl, talking about Leigh and Angie. She did not want Mels to be around when the fighting began. It was already happening. She could hear it. But Mels shook her head, not wanting to part from her cousin.


"Summer I want to stay with you."


This was going to be hard for Summer. She knew she couldn't allow Mels to stay here with the adults and the chaos that would be the fighting. She'd hate herself if she let the girl get hurt, but it was going to hurt to force the terrified girl to go as well.


"Don't worry Melanie," she said, smoothing the girl's hair and trying to give her a reassuring look. "I'll come for you when it's all safe. Now go."


"Are you sure she should be going so soon?" Summer stiffen at the familiar male voice that talked but she did not turn around. "Go now Mels," she told her cousin again. Mels looked at her uncertain, then nodded and started off after the other girls. She turned back just in time to see a bat swung down right next to Summer. She let out a shriek and forced herself to hurry away. Summer was going to be okay. She had to believe that.


Summer cursed that she was not able to arm herself at all nor neither the others for any assistant. She turned anyways as the bat smashed the ground next to her. She let out a scream, trying to choke it back. She sent out a fist, punching her father in the face. The sound of a crack startled her and she realize she had broken his nose.


Blood poured down his face and he started laughing. "Always thought you were strong Sums," Calvin told his daughter with a smirk. "Never thought I'd find out how strong. It almost makes me proud."


He swung again and Summer moved backwards, trying hard not to fall. If she fell she was sure that might be the last thing she ever did before the bat smashed against her skull. Her father swung again, this time connecting with her leg. She felt it break and let out a cry of pain, beginning to cry. This was not going well at all. She looked to the others to see how well they were doing, but the pain was too intense for her to focus on anything more than getting away.


"Oh look at you. Crying like a baby. It's only a broken leg. I thought my little girl was stronger than that."


"I am.... not your little girl," Summer managed to get out. Calvin swung again, this time connecting with her left hip. Summer's vision blacked out for a moment as pain overtook her. "Please stop.... Dad... stop. Why are you doing this?"


"Don't worry Sums, it'll end soon," her father told her. Calvin's voice was as it was when Summer got really sick. Reassuring and concerned, loving even. It was hurting Summer on the inside too. "Soon you'll see your brother again."


"Jaden..."


Summer fell down, almost ready to give up. Her father raised the bat and took a swing and Summer closed her eyes, waiting for it to hit her and take her life away. She could only pray that Mels was safe.


----


Mels shivered in the freezer, but she found it hard to be too close to the other girls inside the place. She had no idea what was happening outside of it and it hurt to cry in the freezer. She tried to stifle her tears, wishing so hard that no one would be killed. That Summer would be okay. She looked to the other girls as outside the door there was a woman's voice.


She spoke to Leigh and Angie and Summer assumed she was their mother. Summer was glad that her Uncle was not here though. Her Uncle... Mels had looked up to the man. He was her favorite Uncle and now he was trying to hurt Summer, his own daughter.


Mels thought the worse but then some of the older ones appeared or at least that is what she assumed by their voices and Mels breathed a sigh of relief, though she remained where she was, still frozen in fear. Even if the woman didn't know she was here, Mels had a feeling she wasn't going to just get away.


----


Jillian did not want to fight. He did not want to relive the moment of when he took his father's life. When he shot him and stopped him from killing Jillian.


Jillian swallowed hard. He knew he was being a coward. Going off to hide with the little girls. But he had no choice in the matter he felt. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill again. It would be too much for him. As he started to go, he looked to see if his mother was here. If she was going to try and kill him, but no. Jillian could not see her anywhere. He felt relieved, but he had a feeling that there would be more chances for her to show up.


If he didn't die tonight first.


Jillian gripped the gun tightly and moved as fast as he could, but he was stopped by the plead of "help me". He looked to see a girl, not one of the ones he knew well, having been grabbed. Jillian raised his gun and took a shot, his whole body shaking at the body of the adult went wide-eyed and dropped. Jillian was happy he did not eat. He was sure he might have thrown up. He had killed again.


"An...Anthros," Jillian said, trying to pull up her name. "You...good?"


But Jillian was caught off guard by a chainsaw barely missing him. He cried out and moved again, looking down at the thing as if it was alive itself. He was happy that it had missed, but would the next time one of them tried to kill him actually work. He looked back at Anthros, wondering how many shots he had left.
 
Vicky yelps when Hunter yanks at her shirt's hem, stumbling back and nearly falling, but regaining her balance. Her jerking away from him has ripped out a large section of the back of her shirt, and she swings her ax at him with all her strength.


"Mangy, smelly little mutt..."


But as she is swinging at Hunter, Rai is already swinging her ax at Vicky, and it catches her in the back of the thigh, slicing through her pants and giving her a deep slice to the meat of her leg before she has managed to throw herself out of its path the rest of the way, preventing herself from having her leg severed. By having to fling herself out of the way, her attempt to hit Hunter was throw askew, and it's unlikely she more than grazed him with the bat's tip. Vicky does not fall, but she is heavily limping, blood flowing strongly from her thigh, and she has accidentally dropped her bat. Looking up at Rai, she knows that the girl is uninjured, probably faster...and she has the dog on her side. She needs back up.


Having just buried his saw blade in another man's throat, Jared turns wildly, eyes darting to assess the others. There is only a couple of adults still alive...and that is when he sees the man just behind him, raising a bat high in preparation of taking a swing straight at Summer's head. Jared seized the bat with one fist, elbowing the man in the back of the neck with his other arm, and began to wrest the bat away from him, yelling out for Summer to back away. He could not look up, not in this moment, but Rai came to his thoughts, as well as his sisters. Where were they? Were they safe? Had they made it?


(up to you if or how Calvin dies, I'll probably send Jared to the caf my next post to back up Rai)
 
Summer waited and waited. But the hit never came. She opened her eyes just in time to hear her father cry out and stumble forward, the bat wrenched from his hands. Summer was confused for a moment and then saw that someone had come to her rescue.


Summer wasn't sure how she would make it up to Jared later for saving her life. She had just met these people and he had come to help her out. Summer felt touched and she was surely going to try and repay Jared later if they all survived this. She had to. Summer was not going to let someone save her life and then act as if it never happened. But that was for later. She had to focus on the now.


Summer tried to stand, but went dizzy from the pain that erupted from her hip and leg. She bit her lower lip, trying not to cry out. She watched as her father turned, trying to pull the bat away. Summer saw a nearby knife and grabbed it. If Jared came to help her and then got hurt, Summer wouldn't know how she'd feel. She moved forward, trying to not fall and stabbed down.


Calvin did not expect anyone to interfere. He assumed no one would come to the aid of Summer. Melanie was gone and the other children were distracted by the adults. He thought it would be these easy for him. So when Jared came at him, he was caught off-guard. He felt the bat begin to be yanked out of his grasp before he felt a pain on his neck and felt himself be almost thrown over. He loosened on the bat as it became hard to breathe for a moment, but he wasn't going to let it go. He also did not expect Summer to attack him as well and as her blade was buried in his leg, he let out, spatting out curses.


Summer fell again, but her father was down as well and weaponless. Summer licked her lips and looked to Jared as she pulled herself to her knees.


"Go. Thanks. I...I got this." If anyone was going to take out her father, Summer knew it should be her.
 
Jared hesitated, his instinct to simply take Summer's father out of the way and out of the world entirely. Summer is injured, and he is unsure of how badly. But so is her father, and he has no weapon...and if this is what Summer wants, it is her right, her kill.


He gives a brief nod, then with a fast glance around the room, leaves the few remaining adults to Grey and the others with him to take care of. Leaving the room, he heads to the cafeteria at a fast clip, saw in hand, his head turning rapidly as he tries to see from all angles at once. Please let his sisters and Rai be okay, and the other little girl, Mels...please, please...


He stops short in the doorway when he sees his mother, standing several feet from the freezer door...his mother, face to face with Rai. Vicky is bleeding from the thigh, her teeth bared with hatred, and though she has no weapon, and Rai does, Rai has not yet ended her life. Why? Is Vicky blocking the girls? Are they safe, are they okay?


He meets Rai's eyes, and advances forward, still holding the saw tightly in his hands. Vicky's eyes shift to meet his, and her bared teeth become a near grin. But there is nothing happy about it, and looking at her, he barely recognizes his mother at all.


He should kill her right now. It's the best shot he's had yet. But can he?
 
Still holding the bloody axe tightly in her hand, Rai stares at Vicky with a hard gaze as Hunter darts beside his mistress and remains there, hackles raised, growling furiously. It is taking all Rai has to not chop the damn woman's head right off. First she goes and kills Lydia, the only person who Rai could even consider a friend in high school, then she goes after sweet Angie and Leigh, and THEN she tries to hurt Hunter!


Yeah. Rai was annoyed.


But still, she couldn't kill her. It was Jared's job. Speaking of which, she heard heavy footsteps, matching them to his and confirming her suspicions with a quick flick of the eyes, she looked to Vicky, still with her axe gripped tightly, as she took one step back. Jared was here. She just hoped he could do it.


"Jared." She spoke lightly, not wanting to make him angry, even though he had every right to be. This woman had killed his sister. "She was trying to get to the girls." She paused, not wanting to shove the fact on him that he needed to kill her, and now. She stepped a bit further away from Vicky, still keeping an eye on the woman as she looked to Jared softly, "You need to stop her."





Was there any good way to tell someone they needed to kill their Mother? Rai didn't think so.
 
There was a lot of yelling, and shaking, was Maxwell in an earthquake? No, that was Jillian’s voice… he was trying to get him to wake up, which he eventually did; sitting up drearily and wiping the drool from his face. The boy was still half asleep and blinking a lot, but he forced himself up, trying to get coherent by moving around. Besides, it seemed like something was happening; was it already a new scene to the movie? He thought it would be over already.


With the thought, everything from yesterday hits him, and there’s a short pause before the realization of this moment gets him. Suddenly he’s reacting; unfortunately he doesn’t get the cue to grab a weapon and rather stays by Jillian’s side. The boy had a gun in his hand after all, and that made Max feeling less vulnerable, but the boy seemed to be contemplating going with Leigh and Angie. Just as the boy runs away, fortunately, or unfortunately, he isn’t really sure; Jillian is willed into saving Anthros.


Although she was the one that had laughed at Max back in the cafeteria, he was happy that she made Jillian stay. A chainsaw did almost desecrate his friend though, and feeling rather useless as a character waiting to be killed, he picks up the offending object. It immediately felt wrong, bloodied already by the adult’s use of it, and heavy in his hands, but he started it up all the same.


The scene reminded him of the Texas chainsaw massacre, and his blank eyes immediately turned to some of the adults left in the room. Grey and Jared had taken care of most of them, and Summer seemed to lay beaten next to a still live one. He approached, but the likeness of the two prevented him from killing and he worriedly asks, “Are you okay?”.Maxwell probably didn’t look all that inviting with a running chainsaw in his two hands.
 
(@Reviour @Nivrad00 [MENTION=2373]AlwaysChaos[/MENTION] I'm about to move them along within a few posts, so please post soon :P )


Jared hears Rai speaking to him, understands her words, but he cannot move. Rai says that Vicky was "trying" to get the girls...did that mean they were okay? That they were in the freezer? Vicky was hurt...by Rai?


He looked his mother in the face and saw that she was smiling back at him, almost patient, almost sweet. She was smiling at him, and what struck him, what hit him straight to the heart, was that she looked sane. How could she look sane, and be ready to kill them...desiring nothing more than to end their lives?


"Rai, I have to say, I don't like your choice of...is that a girl?" Vicky said pleasantly, nodding towards Rai, and despite her snide words about Rai, she is still smiling, still looking at Jared as though she is simply in the midst of a casual conversation with him. She ignores her bleeding for now, and does not yet make a move towards him. "Listen to her, no respect for her elders...is that really the kind of girl you're proud to take home to mom?"


"I haven't called you Mom since I was eleven," Jared ground out, not yet moving towards her, his grip tightening on his saw. "You're not my mother...you're not now, and you weren't much of one then."


"Now listen to you...you see what a bad influence that girl is on you? Get around a girl and all you can think about is being a smartass, no gratitude...kids these days," Vicky rolled her eyes, but her expression was hard now, and she took a step forward. "Maybe it's time you got put in your place."


She started towards him then, weaponless or not, and so Jared lunged forward, ready to swing...ready to kill. But just then another adult, a large male, stumbled into the cafeteria, gun in hand, and started firing, narrowly missing Jared and Rai both. Jared ducked, screaming for Rai to do so as well, and then threw the saw with all his strength, terrified it would miss. But no, it knocked into the man's hand, knocking the gun to the floor. From inside the freezer he could hear Leigh screaming but blocked it out, scrambling to get the gun and knock the saw out of the man's reach before he could get to it. From the corner of his eye he could see Vicky running away, scrambling through a broken window, but he could not think about her escape right now. This man was reaching for the gun, Jared had to have it first.


He wrested it away, then shot the man in the face, not once but three times. Staring at the body before him, the gun now loose in his hands, he realized he was breathing hard, bile rising in his throat. Leigh was still screaming from the freezer, now sobbing out his name and Max's as well, but for now, he could not yet move to go to her. His eyes shifted to Rai's, and the only thing he could be glad of then, however distantly, was that she was still there beside him.
 
Summer gripped the bat that her father once held. She managed to get herself to her knees, huffing and groaning at the pain that coursed through her body. She wondered if any of the others had gotten hurt. But she couldn't let herself think of them. She had to focus on what she had to do now. She sent a tiny prayer for Mels safety.


Summer watched Jared go. She had meant what she said. This was something she had to do. She couldn't allow someone else to take her kill, no matter how much she wanted it. Summer did not want blood on her hands, but if she had to, well, Summer knew what kind of world this had become. Kill or be killed. Summer let out a cry as she stood, watching her father, who was staring back. Grinning at her inbetween slight moments of pain.


It was then that she realize someone else had approached her. She identified him as Max. She thought about the pain, the burning pain in her leg and hip and nodded.


'I'll." she swallowed, fighting to get the words out. "I'll be okay. But thank you." She looked at her father and shook her head. "You bastard. How could you kill Jaden, you're own son?"


"I was quite easy actually. You see-" Calvin paused as Summer raised the bat, ready to swing down at him. He could see the rage burning in her. The anger of him killing his son, her brother. Laughter welled up from inside of him and he watched his daughter grip the bat tighter. But she did not swing. Did not move. "Come on then. Take your best hit. I'm sure your friend here will love to watch as you kill your father."


"You aren't my father. Not anymore." But Summer could not do it. She couldn't kill him as much as she wanted to. She knew her time was running out, but it was so hard.
 
Rai is controlling herself as Vicky speaks to her son, ignoring her snide words and just focusing on Jared. Can he do it?


When Vicky started forward, Rai found herself also moving, as though to stop Vicky from getting to Jared. But then he is running at her, ready to attack, and Rai stills. He can do this. She has to believe he can do this. But then there are bullets, and Rai takes Jared's warning, hitting the ground as the bullets zoom above her. She goes to grab her gun, but then remembers she left it back in the hallway, out of bullets, and curses her bad luck.


Then three more shots rang out, and Jared was standing infront of a dead body, the dead body of the adult, and his chest was rising up and down rapidly. Rai could hear Leigh's screams, but as Jared looked to her numbly, and she left the axe on the floor as she pushed herself up and walked over to him, not saying a word as she pulled him into a tight hug, her head resting on his chest as she whispered, "It's ok. The girls are safe, we're safe." She assumed by now that all the adults were dead, since there were only about 10 or 11 of them to start with, and they had killed quite a few already. She knew it wasn't ok. Not at all. But they had survived. Sure Vicky had gotten away, but she was injured, she hadn't hurt any of her kids, she would think twice now before coming back.


Despite their situation, ignoring the dead body on the floor and the fact that the adults of the world were insane killers, on any normal day, it would be okay for Rai to think about how nice Jared actually smelt, and how strong he felt when she hugged him like this, and of course it would be fine to think about how he was the perfect height for Rai to be able to hug him comfortably.


But today wasn't a normal day, and yet she still couldn't help thinking those thoughts even as she pulled out of the long hug. "I should check on the others, and you should probably go speak to Leigh and Angie." She murmured now, wishing they didn't have to go, wishing she could just hug Jared again, and not let go.


---------------


Hunter, once Jared had killed the evil man, had ran in the direction where Vicky had gone, growling, but then stopped as he realized she was long gone. And that Rai wasn't following. He looked back to see her close to the alpha human, so close they were actually touching, and he moved towards them. If that Alpha thought he was going to make Rai have puppies...then he had another thing co-----Oh good. Rai pulled away.


Glad that he didn't have to worry about them having puppies....yet, Hunter ran over to the freezer, sensing the upset of the little one and some other pups inside, he scratched on the door, whining slightly before looking back to his Rai and the Alpha human. He needed to check up on his little being.
 
"It's okay...the girls are safe. We're safe..."


The words meant little to Jared, and were nothing at all compared to the arms wrapped around him so tightly, to Rai's head against his chest, the feel of her breath against him, her heart beating fast, detectable against his arm. He is dazed, but concentrating on Rai, on the solid weight of her against him, he is able to close his arms around her. She is centering him, presenting him with the conviction to continue.


Looking down at Rai- Rai, the perfect size to tuck her head beneath his chin- Jared's thoughts are lingering on his mother, on the dead people now scattered around their quarters, dead people whom he had killed. It is so terrible that he would have to be made of stone to not feel deeply affected by what has happened, what he has done. And yet...still he wants then to simply lean down and kiss Rai until she has no breath at all.


He is disappointed when she pulls back, until she mentions his sisters, and the faint sounds of Leigh's sobbing clicks in his head. He nods to Rai, briefly taking her arm before letting her go.


"Careful...come back here." He pauses, then says softly, "Thank you."


Turning to the freezer, he comes to stand outside it, knocking softly as he calls to his sisters and Mels inside.


"Leigh? Angie? It's Jared...it's okay, you can open up. It's okay. Are you guys okay? Come open up now."


It seems forever before he hears someone messing with the lock on the door, and when Leigh opens, blinking at him wearily, Jared looks her over, then past her to Mels and Angie, checking that they're all in one piece. Leigh is shivering, goosebumps riddling her bare legs and arms, and tears are frozen to her face. Behind her, Angie too is shivering, and her lips and face are so pale that they seem to be tinging blue. Leigh throws her arms around Jared, clinging around his neck in a way that makes him think she wants him to lift her like a much younger child as her sobbing renews.


"I thought you were dead...Vicky was here...did you k-kill her? Where's Max...Jared, where's Max?!"


Jared hugs her back, rubbing her back as he tries to calm her down. "Leigh, it's okay...it's okay. No, I...I didn't kill her...but she's hurt, she's not going to..."


"Where's Max?" she demands almost hysterically, pulling back to look at him, "Is he okay?!"


The truth was that Jared didn't know. Max had hardly been his top priority back there, and he hugs Leigh quickly again before letting go, addressing the girls behind her.


"We'll get the others soon. Mels, you okay...Angie?" he asked his little sister, but Angelina made no move. She appeared to be literally near frozen to the floor, and Jared moved forward hurriedly, lifting her up and adjusting her stiff body so that he was carrying her close to him. Angelina too, he noticed, was crying, but her tears were slow and silent, freezing as soon as they emerged, and he tried to rub some warmth into her cheeks as he carried her out of the freezer, Leigh on his heels, clinging to his arm.


"Shh, it's okay...we have to leave now. You know that, right? We...we'll find somewhere else to go. Rai's getting the others...we'll find somewhere else to go."


But where would THAT be?
 
Will woke up to basically the same thing he had just been dreaming about.


Immediately alerted by the shouts, the boy gave a start, bolted up and took a staggering step back. His thoughts caught up to him after a second, as did the surroundings; there was a broken window nearby, a classroom full of escapees, and Jared administrating orders. He hadn't been dreaming about any of those things, though. No, it had been the psychotic adults. They were there too. Right outside the window.


"What- crap!" said Will, nearly tripping over a chair they'd pulled by the wall as he retreated towards the back of the room. A woman was in the windowsill now, and events had proceeded before the teen could collect himself. The children were leaving, and the others were arming themselves. A couple deep sleepers were stumbling awake.


Jared had posed a choice... Fight, or retreat. Could Will take a weapons and end a man's life? Would he? Others... Grey, Rai, and Jared, definitely, seemed to have no doubts. Ready to spill blood....


He didn't want to leave with the girls. Fighting was the "correct" option; helping defend the school that they'd work so hard to fortify. The adults were the enemies, and their past lives had disappeared long ago. Kill, or be killed was the law now.


Will had never even killed spiders.


Anthony seemed to be having second thoughts for a different reason. He was holding a saw in one hand, having equipped himself quietly, but he was obviously uncertain. With only his weaker arm to use, he might just be a liability. The boy was postponing moral quandaries until after the crisis, trying to think logically instead; figuring out which way he could best help.


Both boys thought for too long. There was a swing of a saw, and a crack of a crowbar, and then suddenly there wasn't any time for standing around.


Rai, Jared, and Gray were doing the most, killing adults before they could come in farther. Will shrank back as the blood started to fly, but Anthony was distracted by a man who had broken through a different window. With a cry of alarm, Anthony leaped back and swung his own weapon. The adult's knife missed him nearly. His saw flew wide as well, and the assailant lunged in to try to stab him. Will was frozen- unable to assist- but Anthony again scrambled back.


The chair that had tripped Will earlier- Anthony stumbled over it. And then there was the adult, his momentum still carrying him towards the boy. His hurt arm was shrieking in pain, but Anthony desperately swung his saw and felt it bite into the man's skin.


The boy scrambled off the floor even as the adult collapsed, crying out in pain. Anthony, with his shirt blood-splattered and his heart racing, stumbled towards the wall and away from the action; he cradled his arm, and took a few heaving breaths. The man wasn't quite dead, but incapitated. In agony.


The boy swallowed- no, he definitely wouldn't be useful in this fight.


Will, also, thought himself quite silly. Kill or be killed, indeed! He wasn't a fighter. He couldn't be. Blood sickened him.


Anthony was stumbling to the exit. Will, keeping a sharp lookout for stray adults, followed. He had to deaden his ears to the sounds of pain and terror from behind him, as well as the man who's misery neither of them had even been able to considering ending. Their friends were fighting behind them- in trouble, crying out- but Will was leaving. He felt like the worst type of coward. Horrid, but helpless.


There was a body in the hall too. They didn't look too closely.


Where was the best to go? Will was breathing slower now, but he was still alert- so much so that he jumped every time there was a noise. Anthony, grimacing, led the way slowly away from the fighting.


"Maybe we should..." Will took a breath. "Join the kids in the cafeteria..."


Anthony didn't like needing to hide with the little girls, but that wasn't important right now.


They had turned into the largest hallway, almost to the cafeteria, when they saw a familiar form. Will exhaled. "Rai!" he called. He felt safer just being in the girl's vicinity; her confidence was almost contagious. His voice echoed slightly in te large hall.


Anthony also noticed the body lying in the doorway to the cafeteria. But what was another corpse, really?
 
(Love how everyone's using Rai's phrase now :P Kill or be killed.)





Rai nodded at Jared and moved to go, but when he grabbed her arm, she found herself and time slowing, looking up at him as he tells her to come back, and as he thanks her. Well, Rai has never heard two words spoken in such a heartfelt way before, filled with such emotion that she knows with all his heart he is truly thankful and she smiles, nodding.


Plus, it takes a lot for a guy to say Thank You, right? To admit that the girl was helpful, that they needed help, wasn't that a big no-no for guys? Well, every guy Rai had ever met saw it as a big no-no. But she knew Jared was different anyway. The kind of different Rai found herself liking more and more.


When she exits the cafeteria, she has the axe in hand, and Hunter at her side, she has thrown away what happened back in the cafeteria for now, and she is focused on eliminating any more adults before they can hurt any more kids. Kill or be killed Rai. Kill or be killed.


She is walking, Hunter by her side, when she sees two figures in the distance, she glances to Hunter, and he isn't growling, even wagging his tail very lightly, so she knows it must be kids. Even more so when she hears - is that Will? - yeah, Will's voice shout out her name. A smile spreads across her face at seeing the two alive and she bounds over; Hunter following of course.


"Hey guys! You both alright? Jared's in the cafeteria with the girls, how many adults are left? Is everyone alright?" Realising that she may be scaring them with all the questions, she stops and pauses, also realising that they both look a bit pale, one injured, one a tinge green and maybe about to vomit, she finds a quick way to let them out of this. "Can you two do me a favour and go help Jared with the girls? They're a bit scared back there and safety in numbers right?" She smiles at them, wasn't the best way to get a guy to do something is to make it seem like it would be helping you out?


"I'll go help the others with the adults, okay?"
 
Mels had slowly crept closer to the other girls while they were in the freezer. She could hear the fight outside, muffled by the door, but still loud enough to be heard. She squeezed her eyes shut even if she didn't have to close them. It's not like she could actually see what was occurring on the outside. But it made her feel better. At one moment, she grabbed onto the nearest girl's arm and then let go, moving a way a bit. She looked at then and wondered if they were as afraid as she was. She thought maybe. They had a brother out there.


She sent a prayer for Summer's safety. Why did she have to force her to go? If Mels thought rationally she would say it was because she wanted the girl out of the way of harm, but she wasn't thinking rationally. She was a scared 11 year old and she wanted her older cousin. No she wanted her parents.


When the door opened, Mels let out a sob of joy. It was not an adult ready to hurt them. She didn't move for a while but when Jared addressed her, she nodded, standing and moving.


"Is Summer okay?"
 
Anthros felt a shiver down to her spine as the shot went off, splattering crimson onto her clothes but freeing her from her captor. Losing grace and her forced dinner from only hours before she fell to her knees before hurling. With a now red face the teen wiped away at her mouth taking a deep breath as she hears her name. Once somewhat centered Anthros looks up to her savior, Jillian and offers a smile “I’m fine. Thank you” her voice is somewhat shaky at first but her two words of appreciation are filled with something as she swears to herself that she will learn to be of use, and no longer a simple victim to be protected.


Her eyes widen at the man with a chainsaw, a shout barely getting out as he dodges and the attempt fails and thankfully misses. Once more another adult is downed by one of the older teens, Anthros can’t help but to laugh some before calling out to him “You ok?” She quickly brushes herself off, not caring to think too much of the wet spots on her shirt as she stands up albeit somewhat shaky.


Grey cleared out the hallways before making his way back to the battle zone that had been not a few hours prior a safe zone they had been resting at. He barely managed to step back inside and register just how many adults had made their way in before an ax is bearing down at him. Without enough time to counter it he only dodges some at the last moment so as to not throw off the attackers momentum so that it lodges some into the meat of the wall. Now with his attacker thrown off and their weapon unavailable he reaches for the arm connected and grips them so that his punch thrown into the gut keeps true to target. Eyes widen and the man bends in pain, giving Grey the advantage he needed to twist their head to the side with a satisfying combination of noises that told him one more was dead.


Most the adults were downed and Grey managed to help clear the room of the few remainders, his guns now back away, not wanting to chance wasted or worse yet stray bullets in this chaotic place. It was only then that he allowed himself to take in the room and the damaged, all of the blood and broken bodies, and attempt to do a headcount of who was left. There were familiar voices echoing some from a slight distance, speaking of the cafeteria and Jared if he heard correctly. From what he gathered the group had to be intact even if it was split, though he couldn’t be sure until they regrouped and everyone was accounted for. With a sigh he went towards where the packs were stashed and began to think about where they could go now.


They were a larger group ranging from energetic youth to able young adults, each with their own pros and cons. His first thought may have been the woods if not for the small children, for they would scare easily or hell even run off, it was too much a chance. It seemed that any other public service building would only attract adults, and it was just safer to avoid that entirely, which of course kept their options down. A home away from the suburbs, perhaps one like his own could be the ideal, or even the lake. Either one was more solitary, and had land to hunt off of for food, he would have to talk to Jared about it, see what his friend had come up with. The sooner the better, for now the adults knew where they were and they were only sitting ducks out here.
 
Still holding Angelina close to himself, Jared looks down at Mels, trying to smile at her, as he nods his head. "Summer's...well, she's hurt a little, Mels, but she'll be okay. Let's...well, let's go check, okay? I"m pretty sure everyone...all the adults...have been dealt with."


There was no way to know if more were coming or if more knew where they were though, and Jared knew, though he didn't say so out loud, it was time they moved, as fast as possible. He gave Mels another quick smile and motioned for her to stand.


"Come on, girls, let's go...we're gonna have to move out of here, so I need your help to get us going. Mels, are you riding in your sister's car? Because she may not be able to drive, she...sort of hurt her leg. But maybe Jillian can drive, or Max."


He starts to tell Leigh that she can't drive with Max, but then stops himself when he looks at her again and sees she's still trying to control her tears, barely listening to him. Angelina still on his hip, her face buried against his shoulder, he extends an arm to Leigh and hugs her again, not quite as long this time, but in as comforting a manner he can manage for her.


"Leigh, we'll figure it out...okay?"


"Where are we going to go?" she asked in a small voice as she followed him out of the cafeteria to meet the others in the hall outside the gory classroom, practically stepping on his heels. "They'll keep finding us..."


"Nah, we'll pick somewhere better this time," Jared said with feigned confidence, but he privately agreed. There was no such thing as a truly safe place, not now, not anymore...but it wasn't helpful to say that now.He tried to talk to Angelina too, who was again not saying a single word, though he could feel her snuffling against his shirt.


"Hey, Angie, let's go see Hunter, okay? Hunter was being really brave, he helped save everyone...Hunter and Rai were doing a great job protecting you. Let's go give him a hug."


She didn't respond, but he hoped she would once she saw him again. As they gathered outside the classroom, Leigh tugged on Jared. "Where's Max?"


But Jared, hearing noises from inside the room, tugs the girls away from it and positions himself in front of it, so that whoever is inside will first have to go through him. "Leigh, it seems like Max...is still doing with something. Stay back," he warned her, and realized he didn't see Summer either.


Putting Angelina down beside Hunter. Immediately the little girl hugged him, putting her face against his fur, and Jared was startled to realize that it was she, rather than Leigh, who was crying now. He patted her back once, then let her be, figuring that the dog was better with her than he could think to be. He scanned the others' faces, relieved to see that everyone was alive, if not well, other than Max and Summer, still in the classroom, and seeing Rai again, smiled at her gratefully, then impulsively took her hand and squeezed it. To hell with this being the right time or people watching.


"We have to go. Now," he said to the older kids at large, before turning to Grey specifically. "We need to get all the food and blankets, clothes, cooking stuff, weapons, of course, everything we'll need...toilet paper and soap, even. Towels. I was thinking...there will be no such thing as a house that an adult isn't living in or near. So those are out. All I can think of right now is the woods. If anyone else has a better idea, great...if not...that's where I think we need to go. At least for tonight."
 
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