Fantasy Reclaiming Humanity

[LetsGoGuy]

Adam sat pressed up against the door, wondering if he would make it through the day. On the floor beside him was his M9 and his KBAR combat knife, the latter boasting a brownish red sheen that seemed to announce it had done its job. Further in front of him lay two bodies, pools of blood thickening and congealing around them. He had cleared out the room, hoping to use it as his own personal set up, a small and likely temporary base of operations from which to probe for a better and safer location.

The door behind him gave another thud as he heard another moan join the small chorus. He looked over in anger at one of the bodies, a neat hole where an eye should have been. He had seen the first one while clearing the room, quickly plunging his knife through the back of the infected’s neck. As that one fell to the floor, however, it must’ve awoken one that was hiding under the bed. It had grabbed his ankle and pulled itself over to bite his leg, and thankfully, Adam had quick reflexes. He had pulled his side arm and put a clear shot through the creature’s head, ending its attempt before it could succeed. Unfortunately, the crack of his sidearm had echoed through the hotel. Before Adam could even reach the door, he heard the moans and shuffling of infected in the hall. He snuck back towards the door, hoping to see only one or two of the creatures milling about, but instead he saw at least a handful moving with purpose down the hall in his direction. He glanced down the other side of the hall and noticed three more stumble out of an open doorway, and begin to walk his way. He could never clear out that many with just his knife, and any more gunfire would be sure to bring down more of the creatures on him. With both paths cut off, he had no choice but to bunker down. Adam softly closed the door and propped his body against it, using his rifle as an additional brace against any particularly hard shoves. After the first few anxious minutes of pushing and moaning, Adam had settled into the position he found himself now.



Adam dug in his pack, trying to come up with a way out of this mess. He set aside his box of rations, water tablets, the extra magazines, but he couldn’t think of anything. He sat, frustrated, as he heard the infected continuing to claw at the door. It was a thick wooden door, so it would hold for a while. But the problem was, they wouldn’t give up. They didn’t care if their nails peeled off or they ground their fingers to nubs, because they didn’t feel pain. They likely wouldn’t stop until they got into this room. Adam knew he could put down the infected outside, but there likely were many in the building, and he couldn’t clear it out all on his own. He would make some noise, some mistake, some slip up, and the mission would be completely in vain.

Outside the hotel was no better. The seaside town of Cascade had once been a source of attraction and fun, but now was a place of death. People had come from a few hours around during the summer seasons to enjoy the rides and game stalls that lined the long boardwalk that stretched parallel to the beach. Population of the town was usually low, but during the tourist season, that number could have doubled, or even tripled. The town was in the busiest weeks of the summer, tourists and visitors from all over flocking the hotels and bed and breakfasts when news of the infections began to spread. Many people began to flee, searching for loved ones back home, which decreased the heavy number of people from far away, but there were still a number of locals and people who simply couldn't leave. The military and government had made some attempt to stop the flow of people to the coast and had blown two of the major bridges that connected the small island to the rest of the coast, hoping to use it as a sort of staging platform for some of their naval forces, as well as enjoy the protection the heavy guns and few remaining helicopters offered them. That left only one avenue between the mainland and the island, but by then it was too late. Infected people had either run the blockade, been in hiding on the island, or sneaked through the marshes. Whatever the case, the number of infected soon spiraled out of control and the military had to abandon the island.



Adam remembered his mission and shook himself out of his thoughts. He would have time to plan and think later, for now he needed a plan of action to get him out of this. He turned his eyes to his walkie talkie and began to tune through the stations. If anyone is out there, maybe they will hear this. I don't need an army to get me out of this, just a handful of reasonable individuals who are capable of following simple orders and not mindlessly killing anything that moves. Adam smiled for the first time in a while, realizing that reasonable and kind people were in short supply. Regardless, all he needed was a few. Even one would be a blessing. After he had found the first station that he could connect to, he began to slowly make his way through the stations, confidently but quietly whispering the same message through the channels.

“This is call sign Joker-2. If anybody reads this, I need your help. I’m trapped in a three-story hotel overlooking the ocean. Hotel name is Stairway to Heaven. I am in room number 204. There are at least three infected outside the door, and I can hear more in the halls. Luckily none of my weapons are out of ammo, but I don’t want to draw more attention. I’m down to a knife as my remaining option. If you come to save me, I can promise a bit of food and water to start, and maybe a whole lot more to follow. Please hurry, I don’t know how long I can hold this door shut for.”

After he had called each station at least twice, he settled down, hoping someone had heard him. If he was lucky, this could be the start of his mission. He could soon begin to get real work done.​

 

[Tjek]

"Gee gee gee gee, baby baby baby", JJ sung along quietly to her MP3 player.

It had been a while since the world became the land of the dead and already things but somehow things seemed to be getting worse instead of better. Most people would see going out to scavenge for batteries to keep a MP3 player going as a dumb and risky thing to do in the apocalypse but not JJ. JJ knew the risk that came with doing this but that MP3 player filled with music was one of the few things she had left from the old world.

/CRACK/ The sound of a single gunshot going off was enough to make JJ stop her quest for batteries. From past experiences of being robbed, and much worse, being done to her by strangers JJ should've stayed away but she couldn't help herself. JJ covered her face with her medical mask and turned her music all the way up before sprinting straight for the gunfire.

Eventually JJ came to a hotel named the Stairway to Heaven. Judging by the lack of people, both undead and living, JJ could determine that the risk couldn't be that bad to investigate. JJ quietly made her way through the hotel's first floor with no signs of any movement or sound. Honestly she couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing. Having found the stairwell to the next floor, she made her way up slowly making sure to avoid what she hoped was an actually dead hotel working that was slumped over in the stairwell.

"Ugh...", The sound of moaning ahead was all JJ needed to know she was heading in the right direction. Early on she had learned that the deadies, a nickname for the undead, reacted moreso to sound than anything else. So the fact that there was any noise at all from the undead ment that whoever fired that shot was on the second floor and had some undead company.

JJ made her way out of the stairwell and hid behind a wall as she entered the second floor's hallway. Peaking past the wall and down the hall she could see four of the deadies scratching and pounding against a door like dogs waiting to be let in. Thinking quick on her feet, JJ picked up an empty pop bottle that was on the floor and threw down the otherside of the hallway. Just as planned the noise the bottle made was enough to get the deadies to move away from the door.

Once the small pack of four had shambled away from the door JJ took the chance to hustle over to it. JJ pondered for a second on how to let the person was stuck in the room know she was human and not a zombie trying to get its daily meal. If she made noise she would regain their attention but then again she didn't want to be stuck in the hallway any longer then she had to.

"Hey!", JJ realizing she didn't have any other choice whispered quietly to the door hoping not only that the human behind the door could hear her, but also that the infected down the hallway didn't hear her.

 

[Mystikelh]

This rest stop had been a blessing to him. It was well hidden, the small dirt path that used to lead there had disappeared under the grass a long time ago, making it hard to see it without looking for it. It was in a state of disarray, yes, since nature had taken back everything it could, but the ranger's office and the small market were still standing pretty well. As for the occupants, he had only found a very old corpse inside the ranger's office. There was also a lot of empty cans of food in there. They probably hid here, ran out of food, and died. This had exasperated Wren. If they were to die like a coward, they could have at least left the food for him!

But luckily he was able to find a few things left, fallen under shelves. Whoever that person was, they were also not very good at looking. He had found two cans of fruits, one can of beans, and a pack of cereal bars. He also found the cigarette locker. But unfortunately, they were all pretty old and worthless. And the rain had leaked into it from a hole in the roof. All he was able to salvage was one pack. And not even the kind he likes. Still, better than nothing.

He had gotten rid of the corpse inside the office and made it his safety hole. His trip down the river hadn't been kind. His fingers had bled from grabbing so hard at the big piece of drifting wood that he had used as a floatation device, and his left leg had caught on something, pulling his muscle in a very painful way. Limping down the road until he found the stop hadn't been pleasing. So he had spent a few days here, resting his leg and reading the large map in the ranger's office. He had traveled quite far from his hometown... Which was probably for the best. He survived, but he completely failed to protect the cargo. His father would have been furious if he came back after such a failure. He would probably be dead before he could even apologize.

Wren huffed at that thought, leaning back into the chair in front of the desk, his left leg on the surface of the latter. When resources started to dwindle, his father had become harsher with them. And paying with your life for what you lost became normal. But they all accepted it because they were safe. Their main base was like a stronghold. Nobody, not even the rival gangs, could take over. That's why they attacked them outside. Well, now he could never go back without forfeiting his life. But his father was an asshole, so he was probably better off like that.

He looked down at his rations. Only a few cereal bars left... He would need to leave soon. No way he was dying here alone like the other coward. He looked back up to the map hanged to the wall. He needed to decide in which direction to go. Which town. He never really had to think about that before. All he had to do was to shut up and obey. How does one find another group to be part of? Without being captured by some bandits, that is.

He sighed, picking the pack of cigarettes and the lighter he had also found, putting one between his lips and taking a deep breath of the intoxication smoke as he lit it up. He threw the lighter back on the desk and exhaled slowly, returning to reading the map for what felt like the 100th time.

 

[Crazy Trey-n]

Dietrich - Abandoned Sea-Side Home

Dietrich crouched, raising one hand to nudge his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. In any other case the environment would be almost pleasant. The sound of waves lapping at the sand in the distance for once muted the sounds of groaning infected, a scented candle - cinnamon and apple, perhaps - burning away on a dusty shelf in one corner of the room, and rays of sunlight darkened by the curtains of the nearest window cast a dim light through the boarded windows, causing shadows to shift like dancers across the floorboards... floorboards that were stained with semi-dried blood. It seemed as though the couple that had hunkered down here in each other's arms had decided it was best to go out on their own terms, instead of at the hands of either something else, or someone else; he didn't know which would be worse. It didn't take much effort for Rich to drape a sheet from the nearby bed over them and leave the room, closing the door behind him for possibly the last time.

"Another day in paradise."

It hadn't been long since he'd heard the staticky, chopped-up message through the radio. The group he was with at the time had been a cynical bunch, rather unwilling to investigate such a vague and potentially fake SOS call, but Dietrich was of a different mindset. They'd been expressing thoughts of turning to banditry anyway. While some groups he'd had a hard time leaving, this one was a relief to bail from. He "borrowed" a beat-up walkie talkie that the group wouldn't miss, said his goodbyes to those few gentle souls in the group, then slipped away unseen the same day.

While he wasn't overly familiar with the area and even less knowledgeable on how to survive in it, Dietrich paved his way across the land for a few hours, taking shelter every now and then underneath anything with a roof and walls or something resembling it until he reached the bridge. While it was tricky to cross, he eventually found himself on the other side with everything in one piece and had been searching for the hotel mentioned in the message ever since.

Something that had been proving mildly difficult considering the multitude of hotels lining the coast and the sheer volume of infected roaming the streets.

His search was momentarily postponed in favor of finding food. The promise of food and water from the messenger was only worth it if he had enough to live off of for the time being, so he set about rummaging through the cabinets of the abandoned home. "Hope they don't mind if I help myself to a few things," Dietrich murmured to himself, the frown now gone in favor of a melancholic smile. His fingers every now and then found their way to his chest, grasping at the ring only he knew was there. Don't let the world get to you, Richie... Words that were only a vague memory now.

It simply wasn't always easy to remain positive in the world they lived in now, but he tried his best. When he'd initially entered the home, the first room he'd attempted to enter housed vibrant pink hues and a crib veiled by a blanket that concealed anything that may have been beneath it. Dietrich hadn't even entered the room before sealing that path without a second thought. His coming here, to this island plagued by echoes of it's former glory and shambling shadows of it's former occupants, was yet another attempt to find people who he could somehow stick with. Hopefully, he'd be lucky enough to finally make a real change, shake a bit of his past away, and fulfill promises he made in another life.

 

[frogmilk]

Daniela Ryder
Daniela was roaming down a road with forest on both sides, clutching her gun with one hand and holding her water bottle in the other. It had been a while since she was part of a group, which she didn’t mind, but it had started to get a bit old. Though enjoying her own company, she had to admit it was nice being around people. That is, as long as they weren’t plotting to rob or kill you… which happened more often than Daniela first anticipated, though less than she had come to expect.

While Daniela was used to not really knowing where she was going, this time she was a little stressed. She usually had a good stock of food in her backpack, enough to last her around a week, but this time she was running low. Besides, the canned beans weren’t exactly her favorite meal. She took a gulp of water and was reminded that she was running low on that, too. Frustrated, she came to a halt. The road seemed to go on forever, so she put her bottle back in her backpack and decided to take to the forest instead.

Just as she started to doubt if the forest actually was a good idea, she stumbled on what looked like an overgrown path. She had little choice but to follow it, so she did. Eventually arriving at what seemed to be a worn-down rest stop. Daniela stopped, tightening the grip on her gun with both hands, making sure it was loaded and that the safety was off before carefully making her way towards the shop. She was surprised to find that it had held up nicely, despite having been abandoned for at least a year. As she peaked through the window there seemed to be no bodies, nor zombies, which worried her slightly. She glanced over her shoulder before stepping into the little market. There didn’t seem to be anything to salvage, indicating that someone had already been there. “Well, that’s just great…” she muttered; disappointment evident in her face. She made another round of the small market before walking back outside, drawing a deep breath before continuing to the cabin.

She was unsure if going in through the front door was a good idea. What if there were zombies in there? Worse yet, what if there was someone else alive in there? A knock would work nicely to see if there were any dead, but then again, what if there were survivors? Daniela wasn’t keen on alerting them of her presence, she wanted to keep the ball in her own court. She stood in front of the door contemplating what the best course of action would be for a little while longer than was probably necessary before deciding to just open it. She was quick to raise her gun, just in case, though the place seemed empty.

A few timid steps in and the smell of tobacco made its way to her nose. She froze. What the hell do I do now? Her grip on the silenced gun tightened as her heartbeat started racing. Quietly, she moved herself to the wall and slowly made her way towards the source of the smoke. She wasn’t entirely sure why she didn’t just walk right out of there, but it could very well have been the deprivation of human contact that made her move forward. What she did not realize was that she had left the door open. She felt a breeze before the door slammed shut, alarming whoever was smoking the cigarette and causing her to jump, a quiet gasp escaping her lips.

 

[Le Sigh]

One Week Ago

Desolation.

For the first two years following the zombie apocalypse, Judith had had trouble coming up with an adequate word to describe what had happened since the outbreak. The collapse of society. The death -and ensuing undeath - of millions, if not billions of people worldwide. The fallout of old emnities, augmented by the anxiety and fear of death until climaxing in a bloodbath of hate, revenge and rebellion. The last twinkling lights of civilization, finally winking out in the first time in... well, for the first time ever.

Ever since the near-death experience that was her fleeing her dead-infested apartment, ever since coming across the survivors and saving them from harm, ever since the night when the dead broke through their barricades and killed all but her and the therapist, Judith had been searching for a word to describe what had happened to the world. And she had finally found it.

Desolation. A state of complete emptiness and destruction. The first part was evident in the silence that had filled the once-bustling city she had once called home. No more were the honking cars; no more was the blaring music; no more was the sound of thousands upon thousands of feet listlessly walking through the urban sprawl, caught up in a crowd of similarly mindless individuals going everywhere and nowhere at all.

Well, maybe that last one was still true. Regardless.

The destruction could be seen in what had happened when more than fifty years of relative peace came crashing down. Massive car wrecks turned the formerly orderly streets of the city into a gauntlet run of rusting metal, with the infected hiding around every corner. Many buildings were worn down either from battles which occurred there, or simply from neglect.

Desolation; it was the perfect word for what had happened to the world she had once known.

This was what was going through Judith's mind as she slowly crept towards the mouth of an alleyway. She could hear the moaning of the dead immediately outside. Just one; from the vocalizations, she believed it to be a male. Probably one of thousands of businessmen who had been walking about the city when the terrible news came to the world. Judith had her baton out; despite having a silenced gun, she preferred melee when assassinating lone targets, as bullets were scarce these days and a resource highly treasured. Reaching the end of the alley, she paused, crouched low against the ground. Stilling her breathing, she closely listened. The moaning sounded closer to her left ear. Lips tightened into a grim line, Judith dodged around the corner, grasped the head of the infected man to the immediate left of the alley, and gave a hard twist. With a harsh snap, the creature dropped.

Judith took a look around. There were no undead in the immediate area. She was lucky. Many of her previous techniques of murder were now rendered impossible when facing off against the undead. The only way to "kill" them was by destroying the brain and/or nervous system - thus she had to resort to such blunt tactics as neck-snaps and bashing the head of a victim against a hard surface. Breaking the spinal cord worked as well, but it could sometimes result in a "crawler", as an old friend had called it. With no other enemies in sight, the former assassin entered the shop.

It was a small grocers and produce shop located in the former market area of this city, one of the few that had not been driven out of business by the giant grocery stores that had been springing up over the years. Judith (and countless others besides herself) preferred such places for several reasons, one being that they were not as looted as the aforementioned grocery stores, and the other being that because of the first reason, those stores would be swarmed with the undead, even two years after the outbreak. Most of the produce here had turned to fetid mush, but a small counter in the back of the shop held a hydroponic garden that had been cultivated quite recently, due to their freshness. The former gardener had apparently succumbed to the infection, and he'd been inside when she opened the door. She had ended his misery with three quick slaps of her baton.

In the room was a hunting rifle with no ammunition, a trunk full of clothes and personal items, and an old ham radio. Judith had been filling a bag with the fresh produce that had been grown here when the radio squawked to life. Judith tensed up, worried that the noise would attract the undead. More luck; she heard no moans nearby. She listened to the radio while continuing to collect the fruits and vegetables. It was someone calling for aid, somewhere in the nearby area. Judith had heard things like that several times before; one member of her former group had gone off to lend aid to one such person who'd called for help, and they'd found him dead and still walking a couple days later. She considered just brushing it off, but decided she might as well tell Rhyse, just in case she found it of any import. Judith was skeptical of their chances of actually reaching the place, but she would jump that hurtle when she came to it.

Content, Judith gently slung the bag over her shoulder and began the steady walk back towards her base.

 

[This Name is unavailable]

A slight breeze drifted through the foliage of the expansive woodlands. It gently shook the leaves that hung over head, making it seem, as if the trees were talking to one another. A lone figure slowly shuffled upon the forest floor below their canopies. As the silhouette moved ungracefully amongst the century old titans they seemed to whisper and groan at it's presence. The figure below showed no real reaction to the happenings around it and continued to move without a purpose in its initial direction. A raspy grown escaped it's cracked lips, as it stumbled its way through the dirt, and it's stringy black hair blew with the wind. Years of decay changed it's body to little more than skin and bones, leaving little to identify whether it was male or female. The clothes upon what remained of its body seemed to suggest that it may have been a woman at one point as it closely resembled a dress.

As it moved through the forest it stopped its head lifting up just a little and swiveling about, as if it heard something, but by then it was too late. An extremely quick flash of silver flowed through the air and the next second black blood spurted out of a wound to the side of its head. The jaw goes slack as it slumps to the ground and standing behind it is a man. There is a look of indifference within his eyes and in one hand he holds a hunting knife. He bends down and uses the undeads clothes to wipe away the blood from its edge.

Daniel sighs as he finishes cleaning his blade. He had been wondering through the woodlands for a while now and this was the fifth one he's had to lay to rest. It made him slightly worried that he had seen so many in the wilds. It possibly meant that there wasn't very much food left in the cities and that they were looking for more else where.

He places his knife back into its sheath before continuing on his way.

His footsteps are silent even amongst the undergrowth, years of practice, made him like a ghost within the embrace of the trees. He looks up towards the sun, checking the time of day, and making sure that he was still heading in the right direction. After nodding his head in satisfaction he readjust his course a little and proceeds on his way. It had been some time ago when he had heard the message upon the radio. He didn't really know what was driving him to go, maybe it was loneliness, the need to hear another persons voice. It caused a slight smirk to pull at his lips, because he found it strange, taking into consideration that he used to avoid social interaction like the plague.

He returned his thoughts towards more useful tasks, checking to make sure that his catch was still there-a rabbit he caught early in the morning, was tied to his belt by a string of rope. It was just as he was taking stock of the arrows within his quiver that he heard a strange sound. It was one that didn't belong to nature, like that of a slamming door, and he crouched low. Daniel smoothly removes his bow from around his shoulders, knocking an arrow, before moving silently like a cat towards the suspicious noise. After stalking through the forest for a few more feet he begins to make out the outline of what to appears to be a rest stop resting within a clearing of the trees. Daniel quiets his breath, hiding himself within the shadows, and focuses all his senses on the area around him. Waiting for any sign of danger.

 

[Nephalem]

Dr. Matilda King

The ocean was truly a triumph of beauty. From the therapeutic symphony of it's waves hissing, washing, and seething against the shoreline to the grandeur of its shimmery blue vastness that, when scouring the very end of the horizon, seemed to amalgamate with the sky; people from all walks of life often found themselves flocking to the edge of the sea to simply admire it. One aspect of the ocean that made it so magnificent was its ability to restore itself. No matter how violently the waves could thrash, or how intensely the wind whipped it, no matter who or what inhabited it, eventually it would return to its former state.

Two years into what Matilda could only believe was the end humanity and here she was, ankle deep in the ocean and wishing civilization could be just a little more similar to the ocean. The sun blazed mercilessly, casting burning rays down at her as she watched far off waves dissipate before reaching shore. She had always fancied a beach day with no one around. Now, she longed for the congested shoreline and raucous vocalizations of thrilled youth.

Stepping away from the cool water, Matilda found a relatively dry spot to sit and dust off her sandy feet before replacing her socks and shoes. During this tedious and uncomfortable process, movement in her peripheral vision prompted her to swivel around and face the source. An amused grin blossomed upon Tilly's face as she watched Dooley's sporadic freedom run through the shallow water. Initially, their stop to the beach was to rest and refresh their aching feet. They had been walking nearly nonstop for days since she abandoned her old hideout and frankly, Tilly's feet were beginning to become fragrant. However, Dooley was taking this opportunity to drop his guard and be the fun-loving puppy dog he once was. Matilda's smile died quickly when she realized they had spent enough time here and had to get a move on or risk a confrontation.

"Hey big boy," Tilly called. Dooley halted abruptly, launching a spray of water forward. He looked towards Tilly, tongue lolling out and tail wagging. "It's 'bout time we head out, love". Dooley trotted out of the water and towards her, his attitude unfazed by Tilly's desire to leave. Matilda's heart swooned. She cherished this dog for the unrelenting love he supplied her. She couldn't imagine surviving for as long as she had without him. Matilda had only taken down a handful of the Undead so far, often with tools found in her general vicinity and only due to necessity. Dooley and her usually performed the "U-IE", a distraction based tactic where Dooley catches the attention of any slow individuals that become a threat, buying Matilda enough time to escape before ditching the Undead and catching up with an anxious Tilly who often scoops him up and sprints away. Despite this, avoiding danger altogether is their main strategy for survival.

In only a few moments Tilly had Dooley dressed and fastened in his harness, scooped up and swung her backpack over her shoulder, and together they resumed their journey to locate tonight's safe haven.

After an hour or so of walking, exhaustion began to set in. Sleep seemed to be the scarcest resource of all nowadays. Identifying one issue only made Tilly painfully aware of all the others she suppressed, like her painfully empty stomach. Traveling under these conditions would only make her more susceptible to making a fatal mistake. It was still early, but she needed to find a place to rest and eat. After observing her surroundings and playing a quick game of " eenie, meeny, miney, moe", Matilda picked a forsaken beach-front home to scout as a potential temporary safe house. Most of the house's exterior resembled a Cornflower blue, a shade she only knew existed due to the several stressful months spent picking out the perfect shade of blue for her old house. The porch railing and window trim was once painted white, but various forms of debris polluted the original pristine color. Despite being in desperate need of a pressure washing, the front of the building was in good condition. She tapped her leg, signaling for Dooley to follow, and nimbly made her way up front steps and to the front door, her heart racing faster with each step. She took a moment to listen, pushing her ear onto the wooden door to try and catch any vibrations. She heard nothing. Matilda raised a fist and knocked politely. She pressed her ear to the door a second time. Still nothing. A sudden rush of anxiety threatened to send her away from the house and back down the street, but a glance down at Dooley staved it off. He needed a break as much as she did.

Praying that the door is even unlocked, Matilda slowly turns the knob. The door pops open, creaking quietly as it drifts backwards from the crisp ocean breeze. Together, her and Dooley cautiously step into the house. Tilly's eyes thoroughly scan for any signs of life, nearby tools she could use in a fight, and alternative exits the moment she enters the room. The door emits a soft click as it is closed. Tilly and her canine companion step further into the home, peeking into the nearest rooms or behind furniture for enemies. A spark of confidence ignites inside of her as her search for danger continuously comes up empty. Matilda makes her way forward, spotting the corner of what looks like a kitchen. With the hope of finding food empowering her, Matilda rushes to round the corner when Dooley abruptly breaks the eerie silence with a low, warning growl. His hackles are raised and his teeth are bared, an attempt intimidate whatever it is around the corner. They are not alone.

Matilda grabs the nearest object, a lamp, fumbles with the lampshade for a moment before finally casting it aside, and readies herself. "I have a weapon!" she attempts to say in a clear, powerful tone. Instead, her voice comes out as a hoarse whisper.

 

[Mystikelh]

The door slamming in the other room startled Wren, then the small gasp sent him into alert. Wren scrambled to his feet, grabbing the handgun in his inner pocket and pointing it at the open door behind him. When nothing happened, he slowly approached the door, soon meeting with a woman who was also pointing a gun at him.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Where do you come from?"

He hadn't seen anybody, not even zombies, since he escaped the river. What this another survivor just going around alone or did she had a group? If it was the second, he might be in trouble. But with her pointing her gun at him at such a short distance, he couldn't escape. Luckily, it was the same for her. She couldn't shoot or escape without risk either. He just needed to find a way out for himself if it came to it.

The ranger's radio behind him suddenly made a series of white noise. He barely looked to the side before focusing again on the stranger in front of him.

".....is call sign Joker-2. If anybody reads this ....your help. I'm trapped in a three-story hotel overlooking the ocean. I am in ro....ber 204. Infected.....utside the door, and I can here more coming....apons are out of ammunition an....wn to a knife. If you come to save me.....romise food and water to start, and a whole lot more to fol...Please hurry. I don't know how long I ha....."

An SOS message? This sounded like military jargon, too. Were there still militaries active now? He was sure they were all gone. Our he was just a stray ex-soldier that got into trouble. Otherwise, why would he need help from random people on the radio?

He turned his attention back to the lady in front of him. "Look. You and I both know nothing will come from this. So let's lower our gun slooowly, alright?"
As a sign of goodwill, he slowly took his finger from the trigger.

___
(OOC: Gosh, I hope it's not too short.)

 

[snalien]

Caroline had heard the radio message yesterday, and wasn't at all considering going, until she woke up the next day and saw that her base was raided in the night. The shed was almost completely empty, and the window was open, letting a slight breeze into the room. More food and water would be good to have, and getting across the bridge couldn't be that hard. Luckily, whoever came didn't take anything from her backpack, probably thinking it was too risky. Though, she only had a few days worth of food in there. "Well..I guess I should get going," she whispered to herself. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, grabbed her bat, and cautiously made her way out of the small shed she had been staying in.

Getting to the bridge was no problem. It only took about two days, and there weren't many distractions or difficulties getting there, but getting across was a little harder than she expected, as she didn't know how to swim. She made it across the cold water under the bridge using a stray piece of wood she found near the waters shore. She made it across, and didn't lose anything other than her wooden bat, which wasn't a big deal.

When she made it to the other side of the bridge, she was surprised by the amount of zombies that were occupying the streets. She was also running very low on food, so she decided to try and find some before she started her search for the hotel.

She found a cluster of small houses on the beach, and picked one with a white and yellow exterior. It looked the most beat up, so hopefully no one would be inside. She checked the windows, and listened at the door. It didn't look or sound like anyone was in there. She opened the door, and it seemed clear.

Inside, the walls and floor were covered in mold and dust, and it smelt of rotting flesh, which was common. There were two bodies on the floor, barely covered by a thin sheet. "Gross," Caroline said with a frown as she made her way to the tiny kitchen. She quickly looked the cabinets and found that the only things that were even almost edible were a can of green beans that expired December 2nd of 1989. She checked all of the drawers, and then under the sink and found a half full jug of bleach, which she took and put in her backpack. She left the moldy house and sat outside the door, thinking of where to go next.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Adam had sent the last message over the radio only a few minutes before he heard the undead shifting around outside the door. He picked up his pistol and knife and held them close to his chest. He knew that if they were moving or diverted from their original goal, that something more promising or easier to get to must've appeared. He heard one or two of them stumble off down the hall, and then a few more, and he was surprised by the momentary quiet that he found. Something had drawn all their attention. He almost released a sigh of relief when he heard someone whisper "hey" through the door. He slowly eased himself away from the door, and slid the gun into his holster. He knew a few things. First, he would need to get this person inside quietly. Second, he would need to make sure they weren't infected. Third, he needed to make sure they weren't planning on just taking his things and torturing him or killing him. He didn't plan to suffer for no cause.

"I'm opening the door. Stand back a bit." He whispered through the door. He made sure his voice was just audible for whoever was behind the door.

The next events happened practically in a blur. Practice after practice of breech training had given him the skills to pull the maneuver off quickly and, more importantly, almost without a sound. Adam pulled the door open, grabbed a handful of the person's shirt and pulled them into the room. He then pushed them back against the door as he closed it, their body holding it closed. His knife was in the same hand that was gripping the individual's shirt, so they seemed to freeze up a bit. Only once he was sure that the door was secure and they were held in place did he look at them.

To his surprise it was a girl. She looked like she was in her young twenties. She also seemed to be practically weaponless, as he didn't see any weapons strapped to her back or her side. She must be one of the people who tries to avoid the infected instead of taking them out. It made sense then, that the undead outside the door had walked off. She had likely made some sort of suitable distraction. Returning his thoughts to the present, he contemplated the reasonable method of approach. He institutionally wanted to let her go, but he wanted to be safe, not sorry.

"I'm sorry for the rough greeting. I'm Adam Scheld, a soldier in the US military. Or, what remains of it. I take it you're here because of the message?" He asked, but he continued, without waiting for an answer.

"I'm afraid I'll need to see your arms and legs. I need to check for bites. I'm sorry, but I just can't take any chances." He said. He stepped back a step or two, keeping his knife at the ready, but giving her breathing room.

 

[Tjek]

JJ, having just been thrown against a door, felt a little bit thrown off. One moment she was outside of the room trying to avoid a pack of deadies and the next she was grabbed by her shirt and thrown against the door. Despite this rapid turn of events and the sudden jolt of pain that was now shooting through her body, JJ looked at the person who had pulled her in.

It was soldier, or at least somebody dressed up as one. JJ noticed that the guy was armed to the teeth which almost instantly made her feel uncomfrotable. The last time she was alone in a room alone with a heavily armed man didn't really end well for either person in the situation to say the least. Wanting to help break the tension of the moment after hearing the soldier guy's request to expose her arms and legs, JJ kmew what she had to do.

"Normally guys don't throw me around and ask me to strip until after dinner", JJ joked with the soldier guy as she did as he requested. She removed her mask revealing her face to the man, before doing the same so he could see her neck and arms. For her pants she rolled both of legs up to her knees before looking at the guy and extending her hand out.

"Nice to meet you Adam! I'm JJ", JJ smiled her best attempt at an innocent and friendly smile. Given their current situation she wasn't sure what else she could do but smile and hope that this guy is who he says he is.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Adam watched the girl cautiously for a moment, before he chuckled at her remark. It was good to see that some people still maintained a sense of humor despite all that had happened. He watched as the girl pulled off her mask, revealing more of her face. Before the apocalypse, she would likely have been extremely beautiful, but due to the lack of hygiene that comes with the end of the world, it was clear the girl had seen better times. She had a small scar that ran down her her cheek, likely from some altercation, and Adam noticed the rough condition she was in.

Once the girl had showed him that she had no bites, he sheathed the knife. After it was secured was when he began to speak.

"Yes, well, apologies. It has been over a year since I last saw a girl as beautiful as you." He teased. "But, in all seriousness, I didn't know quite who was outside the door, and I wanted to protect myself."

Adam reached out and gave JJ a firm handshake. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance JJ. You must've been nearby to come so quickly. I'm glad to have some company, especially someone so cunning as to distract the undead like you did. I must admit that thought didn't cross my mind when I first got trapped in here." He confessed.

Adam once again made sure his rifle was propping up the door, but he didn't know if he would need it. He could still hear the undead's moans from down the hall, but once they left his door, he didn't hear them return. Likely they were stumbling around, looking for another meal. No sooner had he thought as much when he heard his stomach grumble. He groaned as he looked around the room for a moment.

"JJ, if you don't mind, perhaps you would share a bit of your story over food? It's nothing stellar, just some military field rations, but it's filling at least. I'll get rid of those," Adam said, gesturing to the two bodies laying on the floor.

"Dig around in my backpack and find one that you like. I'll take whatever sounds good to you. Just pour some water in them and warm them up with your hands. Then, by the time I'm done disposing of those two, we can eat." Adam said.

Adam then walked over and picked up the first body. He made sure to try and grab it by the shirt, even though that was filthy. It lasted well until he got it to the balcony. He then had to pick it up and tip it over the railing. He turned and went for the second one, not wishing to listen to the corpse's impact on the ground outside the apartment. The second one was likewise as easy to dispose of, tumbling over the railing and toward the ground. Adam walked over to the hotel bathroom, searching it for a few minutes before he found what he was looking for. An unused, wrapped, bar of soap. He briefly thanked God for smiling on him before he walked over to the sink. He turned one of the handles, praying that it would turn on. A rumbling in the pipes was all that came, and after a few moments a small drip of water came out, the last efforts of some water system deep inside the hotel. Adam quickly used the system's last kindness to wash down his hands and replace the bar back on the counter. Now that he had cleaned his hands, he could eat. He walked back into the main part of the room, ready to sit down and listen to JJ for a while.

 

[Tjek]

JJ watched as Adam disposed of the two bodies. She couldn't help but think about the man's beautiful comment. Even though she was filthy and probably didn't smell all too fresh, the man still somplimented her. As Adam walked into the bathroom JJ walked over to a mirror that was in the hotel room and looked at herself.

She was covered in dirt, had small cuts here and there, her hair was in the worst condition possible, and of course she still had that scar on her cheek. JJ decided to use the water she was going to use for her meal to instead wash herself up a bit.

JJ poured a small amount of the water into her hands and splashed it on her face. She let the water run down to her neck before wiping it off with a nearby blanket that was before the apocalypse. JJ almost came to tears seeing her now, somewhat presentable, bare face. After cleaning her face she poured what was left of the bottle on her head and tried her best to fix her hair. It was clumpy and tangled but after a few moments of tugging and pulling she eventually fixed it up to an okay looking level. She came to the conclusion that given the current state of the world this was going to be her best looking unless she was blessed with finding a running shower or an abandoned makeup shop.

When Adam returned from the bathroom, JJ smiled half heartedly and joined him. Hearing Adam's request JJ felt a little anxious. It's been a while since she had spoken to somebody and the last person she spoke to really wasn't all that nice.

"Well I guess to start off with my full name is Janet, Janet Jung, but back when my friends were still around they called me JJ", Janet felt a clump in her throat when she thought about her college friends but she decided to continue speaking.

"Originally I'm from San Diego but I moved out here to attend college to be a vet. Before the outbreak I was living it up, going to parties, hanging out, everything. Then one day I was attending a lecture when the world turned. The campus was quckly overrun. For like the first year and a half I stuck with a guy that I knew from before the outbreak. Then one day he tried to do something and I fought back, that's how I got my scar. Since then I've been on my own kind of just doing my own thing. So what about you Adam the soldier man, why are you here?", JJ asked as she pulled one of the MRE's labeled menu seven, beef brisket. She opened the brown plastic packaging and dry heaved when she smelt the "food" she was about to consume. Given her current shortage on food she sucked it up and took a bite of the mystery meat chunk.

 

[frogmilk]

Daniela Ryder

Heartbeat racing and hands getting clammy, Daniela didn’t take her eyes off the door from which the smoke was emitting. A sudden feeling of despair took over her body; how the hell had the world come to this? Admittedly it wasn’t the first time she was caught in a situation like this, though they never got any easier. A small man with a black ponytail came into her field of vision, pointing a gun at her. She took a deep breath and steadied her hands. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, the man before her spoke up. “Who are you? Where do you come from?” She looked the man up and down, not sure what to answer him.

She cleared her throat. “What’s it to you?” It had been a while since she had seen another survivor and while this was not the ideal first meeting, she figured the fact he had not yet tried to shoot her was a good sign. Just as Daniela had decided to tell him her name, she was interrupted by the radio. She didn’t pay much attention to it until the radioman got to the part about food and a whole lot more. Daniela was very low on resources, not that she was capable of carrying a lot without weighing her down, but it did sound promising. She wondered why someone would call for help in such a way, making themselves so vulnerable to alerting some not very nice people. As Daniela noticed her mind had started to drift to something that was not the situation at hand, she quickly snapped out of it and returned her full attention to the short man.

Daniela had just started to investigate a way out of the situation when the man spoke up again. “Look. You and I both know nothing will come from this. So let’s lower our guns slowly, alright?” He removed his finger from the trigger, leaving her in a position where she could have shot him right then and there. Of course, there was no reason for her to do that. She gave him a long look before slowly raising both of her arms, though never taking her finger off the trigger.

“You’re right.” She said. While she was very uncomfortable with the lack of control she had of the situation, her finger on the trigger served as the only thing calming her down. “Are you alone?” she asked, praying he would say yes and slowly lowering her arms to rest on her sides. Daniela had a hard time reading him. He obviously didn’t look like a threat, physically, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t one. It made her uneasy, though a lot of things managed to do that nowadays.

“What do you say we… check up on that radio message?” she asked, carefully. She suddenly felt a little awkward, but she didn’t really have much to lose.

 

[LetsGoGuy]

When he entered the room, he noticed something was different about JJ. He wasn't quite sure what it was for a moment, but when he saw a drop or two of water drip off her hair, he realized what it was. She had used some of the water from his canteen to clean herself up a bit. He knew he should be trying to conserve his supplies, but he didn't think it would be in his best interest to chastise his new companion. So, he sat down and grabbed a meal at random from his bag. He looked at the label and saw he had drawn menu seven, which was chicken noodle soup. Surprisingly, this was one of the ones he somewhat enjoyed. He opened it, and as usual was hit with the smell of all of the preservatives. However, he knew from experience that the smell was worse then the taste. He used his metal spoon and spun the food together before taking a few tentative bites. He ate quietly as he listened to JJ speak. Honestly, he could tell that she had been through a lot, and he could read through the things that were unsaid.

Adam put his meal to the side as he leaned back against the side of the bed, thinking about where to start.

"Well, as to why I am here, in this hotel, is a fairly simple reason. I was scouting out several ideal locations to set up a small base of operations for ou-myself. As I was clearing out the room, I drew a little more attention then I desired, and when I went to escape, the infected had me trapped. So I hunkered down here, made a risky but needed call for help, and only a few minutes later I was graced with your wonderful presence." He said with a chuckle.

"Excuse me, sorry if I joke too much. It's something I don't get to do much anymore. The military was never a place for laughter, and since the outbreak, the men I was stationed with up until now were very serious." He added, picking up his meal and taking another bite or two. He wondered if he should continue or should he reserve the information for later. He decided to tell her now, and he could elaborate to others if he needed.

"If, however, you were asking more of why I am here in general, it's a bit more complicated. I've been sent on a humanitarian effort of sorts." He explained. He pulled out a map and laid it down in between them. It was nothing special, just a simple tourist map, but it was essential for him to know where he was and where things were.

​

"This is the Island of Cascade. As you can notice, most of the island is surrounded by water, with only three direct paths to the mainland. The bridges to the north and south," he said, indicating the left and right bridge, "were blown a year after the outbreak. From what I know it was a thorough job, so we don't need to worry about more infected coming in from those routes. The remaining bridge was fortified, but later abandoned when the military fled the island. This island, therefore, is removed somewhat from the infection, and we don't need to worry about more infected coming than are already here." He finished, leaving the map on the floor as he finished.

"My mission is to try, as impossible as it may seem, to retake this island. Or, to at least diminish the infect population to the point that it could easily retaken by the military forces that I am in contact with. I have some plans on how to do that, but for the moment, I'm tasked with making a resistance of locals who might help me. You're the first one here, so, if you wanted to stay, I'd be very appreciative." He confessed. He finally paused, waiting to let the girl think things over.

 

[Reecie]

Rhyse
Today

It took a lot of insisting from herself about the radio transmission. Rhyse remembered hearing the transmission on the small radio she kept on her. After losing a member of their group to the same thing, Rhyse had almost got rid of the little radio. However, it was her clients radio. She had kept it after he turned to remind herself to always help others and be full of hope for a better society. It helped in times when everything seemed to be going wrong. It was silly to be getting emotional over a silly little radio, but she couldn't help it. She attached the radio with a little metal clip to a belt ring on her jeans. Her alien backpack was a mess. Covered in dirt, but still working to hold all her stuff.

Her eyes looked around the small home. The boarded up windows to keep any zombies from seeing in. She remembered putting those up with their old group members before Judith came along. It was the base they came back to after Judith had rescued her and the other man. She didn't want to think about him though, losing him hurt as much as losing one of her clients. Finding him as a zombie had been such a shock to her. Rhyse checked around again, this time focusing on the stuff. Her bag was packed and ready to go with all her stuff. Her baseball bat in her hand. They were getting ready to leave for the hotel.

Judith had not wanted to go. After what happened with their last member Judith was more than happy to ignore the message. Rhyse however knew they needed to go. Judith had been doing so much just for her already. They needed someone who knew their way around a gun and had ammo. Judith was great at what she did, but Rhyse felt like she was unable to do what Judith needed. She still struggled to kill zombies. It wasn't that she physically couldn't. No, Rhyse could easily swing her bat and break a zombies neck. Rhyse struggled with killing people. Older zombies had been easier to kill for her. New zombies had been much more harder for her to kill. Rhyse tried making it up in other ways for Judith. She would go get water from the near by creek. She would go to the houses in the neighborhood for cans and whatever they could eat still. Rhyse would cook as well.

However, it was time. They needed more than the two of them. They had a better chance staying together than their member had. He had left on his own. She let out a small sigh before moving her dirty hair from her face and looking over at Judith. "I am ready to go." She said, giving a small hopeful smile to Judith.

 

[Tjek]

"Retake the island?", JJ couldn't help but find herself comoletely amazed by the concept of the idea.

Sure if they had more guys like Adam, actual trained soldiers, they could reclaim the island but his plan was to use regular citizens. JJ continued to eat the mysterious brown "meat" and when she finished she looked at her stuffed teddy bear and thought hard. If she joined him she would have protection and some supplies but he could also just be putting on a story to lure her in. Despite everything in her being screaming no, JJ had made up her mind.

"I'll try my best to help. I'm not sure how much of a help I can be though. I'm not really a fighter and I don't know much except for Kpop and some vet stuff from college", JJ said softly as she herself wondered how she managed to survive for as long as she has. Maybe it was dumb luck or maybe it was just a game of chance, either way it was odd for somebody like her to have survived.

 

[Crazy Trey-n]

Dietrich - Abandoned Sea-Side Home

The knock on the door was unnaturally loud; a stark contrast to the desolate silence that'd been hanging about the abandoned home. It'd taken him so off-guard that he actually froze up mid-action, fingers clasped tightly around a can of spinach. He hadn't even realized that the front door of the house was opening until he saw just how white his knuckles were growing and a slow, silent breath escaped past pursed lips and a clenched jaw. Apparently the tension of being snuck up on was still something he wasn't familiar with, nor comfortable with. The thought that he should ever have to become used to it was unnerving on its own.

Dietrich was all too quick to press his back up against the nearest wall, his free hand instinctively lowering to the smooth pommel of the hunting knife at his side. It wouldn't have taken an overly practiced ear to pick up on the movements just outside of the kitchen. One - no, two sets of footsteps, one more erratic and far too soft to be that of a normal human's. Go figure; it was only a matter of time before he finally got cornered by a pair of infected and luck had never been on his side. His body prepared for the encounter without conscious coercion, coiling like a spring ready to burst, one hand deliberately withdrawing the knife from its sheath at an excruciatingly slow rate.

Then came the growl. Then, the discordant clatter of something skidding across the ground. Then came the voice.

It was intended to be threat, there was no doubt about that. "And I have..." Rich had been about to respond in kind. The suddenness of it all had him on his toes, so very close to lunging around the corner and tackling the "guest" without another thought. But that was the thing: he thought first and acted second. Knocking on the door? Announcing yourself? Not to mention the fact that the woman's tone of voice had hardly been threatening enough to suit the words she spoke, or that he wasn't already being torn limb by limb by her companion who'd broken the silence.

When he finished the sentence, it was without any of the suspicion he had before. "...dinner?"

Rich wasn't sure why he'd said that. Perhaps it was the fact that he'd glanced between the knife at one side and the can of food clenched at the other, or perhaps he was just a fool. Certainly not as foolish as someone kind enough knock before entering a house in this world. The thought almost made him burst out into a fit of sentimental laughter - sometimes he missed the past and surely he wasn't alone in that.

"I'm going to come out and I'm not armed." The knife was back in its sheath just moments before Dietrich turned one-eighty, pivoting on one foot so that his body would come into view. The muscles beneath his dirty clothing were still taught with anticipation, as he hadn't forgotten about the growling from before. In fact, that was what he turned his attention to first: the quite ferocious dog at this stranger's side. Rich briefly wondered how long it had been since he'd seen a dog that wasn't mangy and starving or dead on the side of the road. This one may have been a welcome sight if it didn't look as though it wanted him far away from here.

Far away from the woman by his side. He studied her closely for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not she really was as threatening as she seemed to want to sound. He'd be lying to himself if he pretended to know. All he was sure of was that the weapon of choice - a lamp of all things - was hardly one that'd scare even the faintest of heart. It was such an odd, relieving sight that his shoulders loosened up a bit and the faint, almost imperceptible ghost of a smile somehow broke through the tired features of his face. "Well, at least it's not sharp."

His arms lowered slightly, though he made sure to stay on guard as he carried on. "I have no intentions of hurting anyone, just to be clear. I'm here to get food, take a breather, then find someone on this island who sent out an SOS." There was a short pause before he continued, glancing back at the kitchen, then at Dooley, then at her. "You both seem at least as hungry as I do and the kitchen here seems to have enough to share... if you like spinach, beans and canned meat that is."

 

[Le Sigh]

Present

"I am ready to go," said Rhyse.
Judith looked up from her bowl of fruit. They'd already eaten most of it by the end of the week; the rest had gone into a carefully-wrapped satchel they would take on their trip.
"Excellent," Judith said, rising. She as well was prepared; she had her jury-rigged leather armor on, with her sniper rifle slung across her back and her 9mm in a holster on her belt. The assassin pulled a worn-looking map out of her pocket and showed it to the therapist, tracing her finger along the paths as she spoke. Two lines lead from the city (which had once been called "Philadelphia" before it had fallen to chaos and ruin) to a small town in coastal New Jersey, called Cascade.

"The first path," Judith explained, "Will take us directly south to Cascade, the town I was able to trace the signal to. We would take the 55 south, past Vineland, and at about Woodbine we would switch to the 47 and then to 9. This trip would take us an estimated three days to reach from our current location, as the route does not take us through many urban areas and would thus result in a faster trip. However, it would take up directly through Nineteenth Bloc territory - who, I would remind you, still have a grudge against us after Michael and I had taken out their boss' son." The Nineteenth Bloc was a coalition of formerly rival gangs that had sought to take over the old city of Philadelphia and rebuild it in their own image. The thugs weren't dangerous by weapons alone and not very tactics-savvy, but for what they lacked in brains and brawn, they made up for with sheer numbers - and a canny boss whose intellect made up for all of theirs. Judith had worked for him before. It was a shame she'd had to kill his son.
"The second path," she continued, "will take us east into Mt Laurel Township, avoiding the Nineteenth Bloc entirely. From there we would skirt around the Wharton State Forest until we reached Egg Harbor Township, from where we would continue along 9 to Cascade. While we would avoid the dangers of the Nineteenth Bloc by doing this, it would be a considerable longer journey - at least six days, if not longer. In addition, we would have to travel through much more urban area than we would with the first path - urban areas we have no knowledge of, and for all we know could be filled with thousands of hordes of the infected.
"I have spent the last week planning the various routes we could take. I would prefer taking the first path, but if we were to go through the Nineteenth Bloc, I will need you to be dependable and stalwart. I will need you to run fast, stick with me, and if it comes down to it, I need to depend on you to hold your own in any combat. Due to your... inefficiencies in that area, I believe the choice should be up to you, as my cl-" Judith cut herself off from calling Rhyse her client. The term would raise too many suspicions, of which there were probably many surrounding her. She had still not told Rhyse of her history. "As my close companion."

(OOC Note: Yes, ik the map says "Wildwood". I didn't feel like editing it out. Sue me.)

 

[Mystikelh]

Wren, who had stopped breathing for a moment after he took his finger off the trigger, slowly let out of a breath of relief. He lowered his gun slowly, but he still kept himself ready to defend himself if he needed to. If his life of crime had thought him anything, it was that allies didn't mean anything. Sometimes they just acted friendly to get something out of you. So trusting a stranger, especially in those hard times, was completely stupid. But he could be sure that woman knew that too. This little apocalypse had lasted long enough to weed out all the overly trusting, naive people. Those who couldn't adapt simply died out.

The lady asked him if he was alone. He considered lying, but really what would it give him? He had nobody to back him up, at all. It did leave him a bit more vulnerable, though. What if she had a group and was about to ambush him? Not like he had anything on him to be taken...

"Yes," he answered. "Used to be with a group, but for my own good, I had to leave."

As she mentioned the radio message, he turned toward the desk, making sure to take a few steps back into the room to be able to see both the woman and the radio at the same time. His field of view was pretty limited with only one eye, which caused him a lot of problems when he tried to survey various things at the same time. That's also why he was never on watch duty back at the base... But it didn't come with only downsides. Now he was much more aware of sounds around him. Any little sound he took very seriously, and it had saved his butt a few times.

He glanced at the map, finding the little island town that was mentioned. It wasn't too far, but with his leg, it would still be a pain. It had gotten better with the rest he had taken, but it still felt stiff and sore. But that message had been interesting. Food, lots of it. A military man that might know more than them about this whole thing. Maybe he had somewhere safer, too. Of course, that message could also attract the bad kind of people. But it was worth checking from a distance, at least.

"Why not, it's not like I have any other plan," he told her with a half shrug and a single dry chuckle. "So let's just go and see what's up down there."

He took a few steps toward the desk, keeping her at the corner of his eye, using his free hand to grab the backpack he had also retrieved, dropping its whole content on the desk, which was only two water bottles, to join the pack of cigarette and two cereal bars that were already on the desk.

"That's all I have. I had to leave my group in an unfortunate hurry. So, in the hypothetical scenario that you, or maybe a group you had, were here to take my belonging, then be my guest. I'd rather just give them to you than risk my life," he explained, making clear he didn't trust her fully.

Hesitating for a second, he decided to at least show he was open to cooperation by extending his free hand. "My name is Wren, by the way. Wren Kingsley."

 

[frogmilk]

Daniela Ryder

Daniela kept her gaze on the man as he backed into the room from which he had come again, she took a couple of steps in his direction to be able to see into it, still wary. He had told her he was alone, which seemed to be the case, but she could never be a hundred percent sure. Daniela watched as the man emptied his backpack on the desk, explaining to her that was all he had. Just like her, he was running low on food. Though, his situation was a tad more dire, as all he seemed to have left was two cereal bars. She felt a little offended that he thought she was here to raid him but quickly realised they had been pointing a gun at each other mere moments ago, besides, she would have thought the exact same thing in his situation.

“I take it you didn’t find much in that market either, then.” She said, gesturing to the things on the desk. “I’m not familiar with this area, but if we can get to that hotel soon, I’ve got… a couple of canned beans. And more of those granola bars.” Daniela attempted a smile, make the situation feel a little less tense. Sharing the last of your supplies with a stranger was not something she would recommend to anyone, but it appeared as though the two would have to work together to get to the hotel and this guy didn’t seem to have much to offer in the way of food. The gun was put in the side of her black jeans before Daniela brushed her clammy hands on her thighs. Her heartbeat had started to get back to normal, something she appreciated greatly. It made it a lot harder for her to think when she got nervous like that.

The man had extended his hand and introduced himself; “My name is Wren, by the way. Wren Kingsley.” She stepped forward and shook his hand before telling him her own name. “Daniela. Ryder, in case last names are still important in this day and age.” She took a step back to look at the big map that was hung in the ranger’s office. She assumed the hotel mentioned on the radio was on the island. “Is this where we’re going?” Daniela asked, pointing at the area called Cascade.

They left together, going into the forest to get back to the main road. Daniela still had the safety off and the gun was back in her hand, though this time it was not so much because of Wren. She disliked the woods, there were too many places for enemies to hide. She looked down to make sure her knives were still strapped to her; just in case she would need them. It did feel better walking through the forest with company, well, as long as that company didn’t have more company waiting to ambush her. They went on their way, though Daniela had a feeling they might not be alone.

 

[This Name is unavailable]

Daniel had sat there for a few minutes, listening as intently as he could, though he did realize that he would never hear anything coming from within; so he silently inched closer. He made sure to keep his arm ready to loose the arrow whenever he needed to as he drew nearer. He proceeds to the door and very carefully put his door and slows his breathing, seeing if he can hear something, on the other side. After a few seconds of getting his breathing under control and focusing his hearing he picks up on something on the other side of the door. It sounds like two voices, one male, and one female.

"Look. You and I both know nothing will come from this. So let's lower our gun slooowly, alright?" Deeper, more gruff sounding, this must be the male.

“You’re right...What do you say we… check up on that radio message?” This one's definitely the female.

It's at this point that Daniel then retreats from the door to the side of the building. He is able to piece together that they are also looking for the source of the SOS message he had heard earlier. He feels slightly conflicted because he isn't sure if these people are of the more, friendly, type. Though on the other hand they didn't sound like they knew each other; as the man had clearly indicated that they had been in a standoff before asking if they could lower their weapons. It was at this moment that Daniel recalled all of the lessons his father taught him about survival. "Never act before you know the whole situation. If you don't, you may end up dead, the world is unforgiving to those who aren't prepared."

So Daniel took a deep breath. He would see how this next part played out first before he revealed himself. So he made sure to watch the door, making sure he was in a position where he wouldn't be seen, and waited for them to come out. If the were friendly then may be able to join them in their search. If not? Well, then he would live to see another day, and he could continue on his own to his destination ahead.

 

[Songbird500]

Charlie had been on the move since the very start of the outbreak and was well aware of the effect it was having on her mental wellbeing. She had one goal, and this was to find the rest of her family.

The last time she’d been in contact with them, her younger brother and sister had planned a break away and had been staying in Cascade, a seaside town where they had a holiday home. From what they had told her, their mother had stayed in the city in their penthouse and wasn’t going to make it to the holiday home for a couple of days, of course the apocalypse had arrived and after much consideration Charlie had decided it best not to head there first. It hadn’t been a difficult decision to make, especially when you considered the fact that cities had been hit the worst due to its high population, but also, she’d been fairly certain that neither her brother nor sister what have risked trying to make it back to the penthouse.

However, things had changed upon Charlie’s arrival into Cascade. The very journey into the seaside town had been fraught with difficulties, not only because most of the bridges had been destroyed but also because of the sheer population of infected people. The town was near overrun and it was difficult to move anywhere without running into something that wanted to eat your face. Such a revelation had almost broken Charlie’s spirit as she contemplated that maybe she was already too late to save her family. What hadn’t helped was how slow the process had been trying to get closer to their holiday home. Because of the numbers of infected, Charlie had been extra cautious, traveling only in the day and then clearing some form of building to hold up for the night. She’d met very few people on her travels and every person she had met she’d made sure to keep her distance from. She was afraid they might distract her, or even worse, rob her or kill her. This she couldn’t afford, not if there was even the smallest chance her family was still alive, a chance that was getting smaller the more she stayed in Cascade. She worried that if she didn’t find them soon, everything she’d been fighting for would be for naught and it might just break her.

Charlie had been hauled up in a shop when she’d heard the announcement over the radio. She didn't usually keep such things around because they could attract the attention of the infected but after a particularly stressful day, she'd not had the energy to remove it. It had been a SOS and while some of the message had appeared militaristic and she couldn't be sure of the voice, Charlie couldn't help but hope that maybe it was her brother. It was a risk. One she wouldn't normally take but Charlie had started to become desperate. She'd managed to make her way to Hotel but instead of taking the usual route and battling with whatever was inside, Charlie had decided to tackle the riskier route, scaling the trellis and climbing up the outside of the hotel. She knew that some of the rooms had balconies and had just witnessed the disposing of two infected bodies from one of said rooms and made this her target. She managed to manoeuvre herself up the side of the building and while a slip would be fatal and Charlie had to stop to catch her breath and nerves she finally made it to the balcony. Slipping down onto the Balcony, she unsheathed her hockey stick and knocked gently on the window of the balcony doors. Hopefully anyone inside wouldn't be so surprised by her arrival that she would get hurt.

LetsGoGuy Tjek

 

[LetsGoGuy]

Adam watched as JJ seemed to debate on what she wanted to do. He couldn't blame her if she didn't want to stay, and honestly, he wasn't sure exactly how he was going to go about doing this. If he had a squad of men he could periodically start to sweep buildings and to make headway, but with just civilians and random survivors, he didn't know what to expect. He also realized now that he had put himself in a lot of danger by broadcasting that message. It would be one thing if friendly and cooperative people came, but what about those who were not cooperative? It would be one thing for him to die, but what about civilians? Simple men and women who were trying to pick up the broken pieces after the outbreak and had come to him for help? JJ was a college student for God's sake, how could he keep her safe from the numerous unsavory people who could be coming down on them this very instant?

All of this was going through Adam's head until JJ interrupted him to tell him she would stay. His spirits rose a bit, until she began to tell of her deficiencies. Adam looked downcast, if but for a moment, before he began to think of things she could do. Everyone has a part to play, even if it is a small part. He smiled before answering.

"That's fine. Everyone has different skills and abilities, and as long as we carry our own weight and look out for each other, I think that I can more than make up for any weaknesses that may arise. For now, it's honestly a good start to just have a partner. Every person we add to our group is a better chance we have of actually succeeding." Adam said as he stood up. He put the empty MRE packet on the edge of the bed for a moment before he extended a hand to help JJ up.

"K-Pop eh? I was always more of an alternative man. The Ramones, Arctic Monkeys, the Killers. God, I would kill for some music again..." he said as he pulled the girl to his feet. He had just turned to throw the packet out when he heard a tapping come from the balcony. What the hell could that be? Adam thought. He quickly pushed JJ behind him and drew his pistol, slowly walking toward the door. He saw a.... hockey stick? It must be another survivor.

"Come in... but keep your hands up. I have a gun, but I don't want to use it. I imagine you're also here because of the message." He said as he approached the screen door.