Realistic or Modern The Beginning of the End

[Aldur]

"Gimme that!"


Tina took Nick's bottle away from him. She couldn't stand watching him turn into her father.


Everytime she saw a stranger drunk she would cringe and get frustrated.


"You've had enough."


If only Nick wasn't so drunk he could see she was trying to help him. That the fact he was drowning himself in alcohol went a little deeper than one might think.


Her stomach gave some indication she was getting hungry. Ridiculous! A drunkard, an emotionless know-it-all who likes cold water, and an angry girl with daddy issues.


At least now someone won't bathe in hypothermia inducing water. 
@TheHarlequinnCat

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Yeah, I'll do it next time." Daniel said confidently, nodding once. ".. Are we gonna' be able to catch more stuff? Like rabbit and deer?" He asked, looking up at him with wide and anticipating eyes. (@Beowulf) 

Brad slowly moved away from her and turned away; he dug through his pockets and took a sigh. He threw some items down onto the coffee table in front of the deadened and black-screened TV. It was his wallet which flopped open onto the surface, displaying old stuff that just made him look like he was holding onto the past; there were old receipts, bank cards, driver's license - and finally, behind everything else, it seemed like there was a couple of small photograph crumpled up and tucked in. He dropped his car keys onto the table, and then some loose change. He sniffled a couple of times and then wiped his eyes.
".. I don't know... I'm going up to the roof to see if there's any alternatives. I need a minute anyway." He said, his voice becoming more weak with every word he spoke out. He gently patted her on the shoulder as he walked by and headed out of the room - she heard him climbing a ladder, and then that was it - he certainly didn't lie and run off without her. He went to the roof and just left all of his unimportant stuff behind. Or maybe some of the stuff there was important - Delaney just didn't know it yet.


Brad stayed on the roof and took a few deep breaths as the gentle snowflakes began to strike his face and melt on his warm skin - he scratched his developing beard again and took another look around to small down they were in. It was so dangerously silent. So dead and decrepit and... evil. He didn't like what he was sensing, he just couldn't shake the feeling that he had a dozen pair of eyes just staring at him, like cheetahs or lions waiting for the perfect moment to pounce in and take everything that held value to him, and maybe even his own life as well. It was how he'd been acting over the past month. Very wary and anxious about the environment around them and what was going to happen. (@TheHarlequinnCat)

Alex heard a knock on the window and jumped up, instantly pulling out the American Joe Colt M1911. Eric and Hunter and Tom were already long-gone, so he had a chance here. He slowly creaked the window open and peaked down from below it. He saw a woman standing there, a woman he recognized and someone who he'd never imagined to see ever again. He couldn't help but burst into laughter - it was his health teacher.
"Missus Bonnefoy?! HAHA!" He said in sheer shock as he forced the window open fully. "Jesus Christ. You're ALIVE?!" He added in a yell. Any walkers in the area had certainly heard them now. (@TheHarlequinnCat

 
(@TheHarlequinnCat - Fucked the tag up, sorry.)

 

[DrCompton]

Tom had stepped back and let Eric handle the entire ordeal with Jay and remained silent. He smiled as Jay pulled the trigger killing the man. As Eric walked out, Tom walked with him. "Good job." He patted his back, "But I think we should wait til morning to find that camp. Suns starting to go down already, and in the dark, we could walk right past it and not even know."

 

[DrTrollinski]

(I think you've got some confusion, @DrCompton. Not only is it morning/early afternoon, but Jay's the one that was killed, not the one that walked out ;P)


"There's no need. We can still make tracks - it's only about twelve o'clock, maybe a little later, but--" He was cut off as he saw the helicopter fly overhead and begin to land down atop the roof of the mall. ".. Oh, shit..." He muttered, looking up at Tom instantly as if to say 'this isn't looking good. (@DrCompton, @Vyork Ashfin)

 

[DrCompton]

(Woops!)


Tom looked up with Eric, "Get your brother to find the others and get them all some where safe, Grab yourself and your best shot, and meet met at the roof access door, which you will also need to point me in the right direction of." He looked at Hunter, "Can you stay with the others and protect them if whoever this is gets past Eric and Myself?"

 

[DrTrollinski]

".. That's military... It's carrying supplies!" Eric said as he pointed off at the large supply stockpile that was hooked underneath the chopper. "I say we don't shoot anyone just yet." He stated, shrugging a little and propping the hood of his jacket up a little more. (@Soul OMU)

 

[TheHarlequinnCat]

(That was so helpful for me! No but I have had a pretty rough week, so sorry for the lack of response xD )


Delaney looked down, listening as he crept up the stairs; not for a moment did she think he would leave her, she knew he wouldn't. But she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he was changing, withdrawing... He certainly wasn't the same man she met singing around a campfire a little over a month ago. Now his eyes were glassy, his methods hasty, and his demeanor tense. It rubbed off on her, because she remained as stiff and untrusting as he was; with the natives around them, they didn't have much an option as it was. Subconsciously rubbing her growing stomach, her gaze fell onto the wallet that lay strewn open by the TV. Once again, she checked to make sure he wouldn't be back. Slowly, at first, she cautiously took a step forward; like a deer in the headlights. Then she bolted and began to rummage through it with her delicate hands, looking for some sign of who he was before the apocalypse. Her hands found their way to the small photo of what looked to be him with another woman; she predicted it was someone he once loved. Brows furrowing, she set it down gently and wondered what it meant.


---


The sixteen year old's previously poker faced expression suddenly lit up, and she couldn't help but feel herself grin as well. "Alex!" She chirped, noting that he had changed from the apocalypse; his eyes were tired, his body still, and his hair grown a little too long. Glancing around, she heard a stray moan or two from when he'd yelled. She scurried inside, looking around; in alertness, not nervousness. Helping him board the mall back up, she started her questions, "How have you been?" With a small smile, now, she proved that she was rather strong despite what her smaller size would lead on. A little softer, she asked, "Who are you with?" She knew he'd eventually ask the same for her, and she'd have to tell him that one of the school's more beloved teachers had actually been her travel-buddy during the outbreak; and now she was alone.


@DryPunishment

 

[Soviet Panda]

"We'll get something else later. Might have you set up a snare and see what you catch. But right now, you're going to cook this here squirrel." Connor replied, gently blowing on the little flame that had taken up residence.


(@DrTrollinski )

 

[Aldur]

"You sure he didn't just pass out from all that booze he drank?" She crossed her arms and then got up and hit the door with her fist 3 times.


"Hurry up! I smell and I literally am going insane. I haven't had a shower in WEEKS."


After a few seconds of silence her tone raised.


"Don't make me come in there!"


She looked at Levi.


"I'm gonna hide every bottle of booze I find. You should too. Every.Single.One."


She opened the door.


@TheHarlequinnCat

 

[DrTrollinski]

(Ah ah ah, you do not control my character's past )


It was in fact a picture of him and two other people. They were specific though. A boy and a girl, no older than nine or ten. The boy looked stunningly similar to Brad himself; written on the back of the photo were the words 'the small are the heavy.' There was no indication to what that meant, but something was revealed about Brad right there. There was no woman in the picture, just Brad with the two kids on either side of him, all of them smiling.


--


"I'm good, I'm good... I'm with my brothers and a few other people. What about you?" He closed the window over and smiled at her. (@TheHarlequinnCat)


---


"Okay..." He went around the kitchen to gather up some stuff. A grill, some spices, and a skewer. He placed them down in front of Conner. "Is this everything?" He asked. (@Beowulf)

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Basically. Now put the grill on, then the squirrel. Keep an eye on it. I doubt Mary wants the smell of burnt squirrel in her kitchen." Flipping it, he sits back on his heels. Daniel was a fast learner, he'd get the hang of it. "I don't usually put stuff on it, but if you feel like it then sprinkle something on. Don't waste any, I doubt Mary would like that less then a burnt squirrel."


(@DrTrollinski )

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Okay..." He added a little bit of salt and pepper to it and that was all. He took a spatula and continued to carefully monitor the squirrel that was cooking and surprisingly smelt quite good. (@Beowulf)

 

[TheHarlequinnCat]

(FUUU sorry didn't reread ^^")


Levi didn't react to her, just motioned with his hand that she should be quiet; they could be loud in their last home, but now they needed to pretend they were shadows on the wall. There wasn't much room to trip up, and when she started hounding on Nick again for his drinking, all Levi could do was sigh and try to practice the breathing exercises his doctor had given him for his own anxiety; it was crippling at one point, so he was no stranger to Nick's method of trying to pretend it didn't exist. Then again, his was before the apocalypse; and in the apocalypse he reacted strongly, without his fiancee he didn't need pills to calm him down. Nothing really mattered anymore, so he just faded away; his hollow shell still surviving, but his heart had iced over long before the winter. He didn't feel the need to hide the stray bottles of alcohol, there wasn't much left anyways; he just hoped Nick was sensible enough to come to terms with it himself, hopefully this 'Wellington' place would snap him out of it. There were clearly some underlying patterns, that he was more interested in deciphering than stopping.


The bathroom door opened, as Nick wasn't one to close it, he stood there staring at himself in the mirror; shirt off and pants unzipped, just observing his figure. It wasn't in the way you would've pictured, though, he seemed to be in some forlorn sadness; the filth on his face acting like a mask, his skin was much richer, it was light after the winter but still had a different tone underneath that indicated he did tan well. He wasn't anything extraordinary, just a normal not-quite-fit but still strong from year on the farm body. The only thing that could've possibly been seen as strange was the fact the very bottom of his ribs were already becoming more visible, and he had a few stray scars trailing down the sides of his abdomen to where his pants hid; from himself. It clearly startled him when he saw Tina, he physically jumped and barked at her "Hey! Can't a guy get a little privacy?" He radiated such anger, grumbling as he pushed her out again with the door; not hesitating more than a moment to take the rest of his clothes off and get in the shower, seeing as she was impatient.


@DryPunishment


---


Delaney cursed her fading eyesight, grabbing the picture again; that wasn't just a small woman, as she saw her own wedding picture... They were, only children. This concerned her more so, and she shoved it back where she found it; unable to take their perfectly amicable smiles, unaware of whatever would happen to them. She wanted to ask, but she couldn't; it was terrifying. A certain sadness came over her, and she shook her head; just wanting some peace. Pulling on her coat, she crept up to the roof where Brad was. She was going to keep him company. Not saying a word, she sat by him and gazed out onto the horizon. Eventually, she quietly mused "It's so cold out... But soon it will be spring, and everything will come back to life." She smiled, looking at him; in the natural light he looked so much worse, she couldn't even picture what she looked like.


--


Mabel chuckled quietly, despite their grim situation, "Believe it or not I traveled with Mr. Gardiner and his daughter." That was the only teacher she assumed he would've known, based on his popularity with the students. The man was awkward, sarcastic, and blatantly eccentric; but he was smart and he was great at connecting with those he taught. Everyone knew about him, he was a single father raising his 1 year old; and he was as able-minded as he was able-bodied. She shrugged, "We got lost trying to look for supplies.." Almost right on cue, Turtle poked her head out of the backpack. "Oh! I almost forgot, Turtle's a tag-along." The little cat sniffed the air a few times before going back into her hiding place. The small blonde looked around, observing her surroundings, "Wow... You really have a good setup here. I was staying in an SUV for the past month."


@DrTrollinski

 

[Korean Ghoul]

"No. BLOODY NO! Fuck this is the first time I've ever killed someone and I don't want to but I can't stand by while he killed the girl I loved alright?" Luke looked away.

 

[DrTrollinski]

He nodded gently a couple of times as he took a deep breath in through his nose, the crisp winter air stinging his lungs. He glanced around the dead streets of the small town they were in and then nodded gently once again as he took his leather jacket off and placed it over her shoulders. He was wearing a thick sweater underneath, so he'd live in the cold for at least a little while. ".. The cold's always the hardest part." He said, setting a hand on her shoulder. ".. Even before now the cold was hard. I used to work at a shootin' range before everything... happened." He shuddered at the last part. ".. During the winter this one time... we had people out there and shooting at the targets, and so on... We didn't see that the ice behind the counters where everyone was were all iced over... One man slipped while holding a three-five-seven, fell directly onto it, one bullet went straight into his heart." He tapped his chest with his free hand and sighed. ".. I almost quit after that. I had too much to worry about to risk my life, but... Thankfully I was only the specialist who told the rednecks what'd be best for them." He cracked a very faint smile but it quickly faded.


There seemed to be a strange sort of atmosphere that suddenly coated the town and everything went dead silent. Brad looked around in slight worry and then inched closer to Delaney, his eyes rolling around the area like big solid marbles; there wasn't anything out of the ordinary in sight, but it certainly felt like there was. ".. I can't wait for the Spring. There's some states that are just... So beautiful, and peaceful. I ain't good with promises, but once we hit the spring I'll take you to this one place I know - I used to go there when I--.." He paused. ".. Before things happened." He gave a sad smile and looked around again.


---


"We've been here for the most part of the month. Spent the first two weeks clearing shit and the bodies out." He said, behind the counter in the store they were in was a man, severely injured with a bullet in his head. Alex sighed as he looked down at him. "You're welcome to stay, just ignore the bodies - This guy here tried killing my brother and one man who severely hates bandits. You can probably understand how he ended up..." He looked down. "Like this." He sighed again and slowly looked back up at her. "You remember Eric, right? You ever meet him?" He asked. (@TheHarlequinnCat)


---


Trevor felt a tinge of humor but also disgust as he thought to himself for a minute. After they went by the second block, he missed the turn off completely and continued going in a straight. "My friend, if you kill him or any of his family members, that makes you a murderer, no matter how you wanna' put it - You ain't needin' to kill. Yeah, he killed the one you loved, but his family? His family ain't done shit to deserve the pain it'd bring them if he died, and they certainly-fuckin'-don't deserve to die as well... You know what it feels like to look death in the face, son?" He asked in a murmur. (@Korean Ghoul)

 

[Korean Ghoul]

"Yeah. Been mugged a few. Been beat down, almost hung. Been near death. Until my dog came along and ripped their asses. I just want him dead." Luke pulled down the window, and put his head out. "So damn gloomy."

 

[DrTrollinski]

"Shit, this state's a fucked up place. We ain't killin' him and his family - We'd look like fuckin' savages. Here's what's happenin' - we're gonna' be good little boys, we're gonna' fuck off, find some military camp, raid the shit out of it - survive." He said, oh it all sounded so simple and beautiful, didn't it? "He'll be dead, in time. People can only sit on their asses for so long before they get hungry - he may die tomorrow, next week, or next month, but know that regardless, he's gonna' die at some point. Karma's a funny thing, kiddo." He added, leaning back in his chair and keeping only one hand on the driver's wheel. (@Korean Ghoul)

 

[Korean Ghoul]

"Damn straight. If we're gonna do that, we gotta find a base first. Where's the nearest military camp?"

 

[DrTrollinski]

".. What do I look like to you? Commander Shepherd of the Fifth Battalion?" He said, grinning a little. "Nah, just kidding. There's the National Guard Northwest in this city. We'll stick to this car, get some fuel, guns, food, water, and then we'll piss off elsewhere where it's more quiet." He said, quickly swerving the car around the corner to head off towards the new destination. "Sound good, buddy?" He asked. (@Korean Ghoul)

 

[Aldur]

"Then hurry the fuck up!"


She hit the door one last time in a really forceful manner. She didn't know what else to do. She was stuck with these...


Tina sighed.


"I can't believe my luck..." She said under her breath.


No more music. She didn't even sing since the apocalypse name. It felt as if she was going insane. She couldn't stand the silence Levi forced on them almost everytime.


She slowly became more and more embarrassed to sing,which she never felt.


Tina leaned against the wall and dropped down hugging her knees.


Her body had grown thin. She couldn't leave them,right? Right? This idea came around 3 days ago. Nick's obsession with Wellington was really getting the best of him and Levi? Levi was just...there. He didn't talk much and he was acting like he was the leader...Maybe somewhere in her subconcious Tina knew that it was true,but she won't accept it.


@TheHarlequinnCat

 

[TheHarlequinnCat]

Nick heard someone slump against the bathroom door and slide down into themselves, he waited to hear soft sobs; but then decided he didn't want to hear them, he didn't want to know if Tina would break down. He did nearly every night, and it was the most hopeless feeling; even with his depression pre-dating the apocalypse, diagnosed but he refused the medication for it, he knew that other people had these problems developing. He felt selfish, he was afraid that he might find West dead and gone; or worse, that he wouldn't care. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't love him the way he had before; the thought was terrifying. West was all he had now, that was his reason to live; and the boy was flirtatious and arrogant, and he was so blatantly amazing... Why would he want someone like Nick? This problematic drunk who couldn't even ask his apocalypse-buddy if she was okay. The shower was burning hot, and the floor of the shower was filthy from the short time he'd been in. Soap still in his hair, trailing down his body, he pulled a towel around his hips to give himself a bit of modesty, and poked his head out the door. Seeing Tina crumpled in on herself, clearly distressed, he spoke to her in his natural voice. Without enforcing that grating bite to his tone, he spoke in that raspy melodic murmur that she had mimicked when they first met; "You can come in if you want to." It was childish, awkwardly-put, but that didn't matter in comparison to his genuinely concerned expression. Somehow, there wasn't any sort of underlying sexual message tainting it; he was just afraid for what might happen to her mental state.


--


Delaney felt a small sad smile tug at her face, she stared out as well; not minding that he got closer to her. She sighed, heaving out puffs of cold air from her system. "If you told me a month ago that I'd be here, I would've called you crazy." She couldn't do much other than find the sliver of dramatic irony in their situation here, but it didn't bother her. She didn't push for him to tell her anything, just looked out at the clouds and the bleak skies. Her wild curls were beginning to pop out of their lazy bun, as her hair just got a bit longer and the curls got wilder. She had the type of hair that looked like she'd gotten one too many perms, but it was natural; and she had long since stopped caring about it. Her makeup had completely rubbed off in the month, but she still had a small bag of it from the pharmacy; just to feel something normal. Sometimes she put on a light lipstick, but it didn't matter; it was just a little thing she did for herself when she had the energy. "I don't think I even miss my old life anymore... It all seems like some sort of dream."


@DrTrollinski


---


The bodies were off-putting, enough to make her smile dwindle into nearly nothing; but the pleasantness in her eyes was calming in itself. She nodded, pushing one over with her foot; murmuring that they could use the bodies to their advantage, to move them and use them as walker bait. Following that, she noticed that one of the first things he brought up was his brother; he'd always been so protective of them, even when he was her student. Mabel hummed the blues, trying to recall if she had, "I think I saw him stop by during a parent conference." She observed him closely, seeing that his face fell when she mentioned his parents; that was enough for her to know what happened, and she said under her breath "Sorry." It wasn't awkward, somehow, it was just reassuring; she knew without him even having to open up the flood of emotions.

 

[Aldur]

"About time."


She got up and went inside the bathroom not even looking at him.


Tina quickly undressed the dirty clothes and got inside the shower. Once the water came pouring down she felt so warm and so comfortable. She couldn't believe how good it felt. This was the first shower in 5 weeks. Her hair was all oily and sticky. Her anger vanished in an instant and she started singing a sweet tune. Again...first time in 5 weeks.Tina was not a bad singer at all. She remembered the times when she sung at the local bars to get the money to pay for her expensive equipment. It was all worth it and the bars weren't even half as bad. Until one night. She suddenly stopped singing remembering that. It doesn't matter anymore it's been so long and now she wasn't the scrawny punk who couldn't take care of herself.


She went silent for a few minutes and then came back out of the bathroom completely clean and half-dry.


The guys were also silent for some reason.


@TheHarlequinnCat

 

[DrTrollinski]

He thought to himself in silence for a moment and then took a deep breath as he put the arm around both of her shoulders instead. ".. Yeah, me either." He said hesitantly. He wasn't sure how he felt, but he know that a part of him felt happy about it all being gone now. ".. Life wasn't perfect before all this. It ain't now, but... It's like a redemption, I guess." He smiled but it quickly fell to a frown. "There's still a lot of things I miss, but... I'll live." He said, sighing.


---


".. It's fine... I had to shoot our parents, so I don't feel the pain from it as much as Eric and our youngest brother does. You never met the youngest one, did you...?" Alex asked her, one eyebrow raised. (@TheHarlequinnCat)

 

[TheHarlequinnCat]

Nick had to rinse out just a bit of soap from his hair, he'd been in for about 17 minutes prior; while Levi had been in for what he thought must've been roughly an hour. He did this while she got undressed, and when she turned to him; he avoided looking at her 'lady bits', simply reassured her with "I swing for the other team anyways." He didn't stick around to see what he assumed would be her face twisting in disgust and her trust in him dying, but for some reason it just slipped out. He brought out his clothes; feeling almost like a new people, his skin clean, his hair squeaky, and his face nearly clean-shaven. It wasn't the closest shave he'd ever had, still a bit rugged, but he looked a lot better. However, with the fact he was clean, it was obvious that the bags under his eyes weren't just dirt or dried blood. Nick had gotten himself dressed, wearing a warm long-sleeved shirt with three buttons at the top and jeans. It was a nice change from his many-pocketed hunting pants, which he was bound to return to. He had to go back downstairs for Levi to help him with the brace, stepping tentatively on his leg without it. He definitely felt like something was rickety down there, and prayed that the brace was doing more help than it did harm. He had probably given himself permanent scarring from where the belts chaffed deep into his thigh.


As Levi got to aligning the metal rods and securing them with the belts, they heard a voice start to grow from in the shower. Nick smirked, "So guess she's a singer?" He was trying to connect with Levi too, they both had been for a while. The older man seemed completely closed off for them, choosing Tina for her survival skills but Nick for his loyalty. Levi's expression was indistinguishable as irritated or intrigued by the singing, he just shrugged and pulled the belt a little too tightly. Nick hissed, gritting his teeth together, clearly Levi wasn't interested in small-talk.


"We're going to Wellington tonight." Levi stated, as blandly as possible; his thick glasses hiding whatever his eyes read. Upon hearing this, the farm boy seemed to withdraw into himself a bit. Levi felt vaguely reminded of how his fiancee sang in the shower, but shook the thought away and finished up on Nick's leg. He wore a more serious outfit than before; dark pants, black boots, shirt, and an additional sweater.


"What do you mean we're going tonight?" Nick asked, voice dropping.


"I want to see if it exists, and if it does then we will watch to see if it is worth our time. We cannot just walk in, we need to see what is going on." He paused before adding "This place doesn't seem right."


@DryPunishment


---


Delaney looked to him, "What was your life like before all.. This?" She seemed so easy to talk to in that moment, so willing to actually open up. Her shy exterior was actual breaking down, if just a little bit; she was growing more accustomed to Brad, and actually wanted to know more about him.


--


Mabel was slightly drawn back by just how blunt her student had been about it, he must've only been 16 at this point. But, she wasn't surprised; she'd heard her fair share of horror stories, people killing their families, their friends, or being killed by them. It was enough to make her heart break when she found that more of her students were the undead than the living, seeing Alex was a massive relief; and he still had most of his family intact, even if his parents were gone. "I don't know if I ever did." She said, pleasant tone and level-head as she addressed him. Mabel glanced to where the windows were, "Where is everyone?"


@DrTrollinski

 

[DrTrollinski]

".. I don't know... It was--.." He looked away for a moment and shook his head. "It was just as good as it was bad... It was probably over ten years ago that it started to turn to shit, and that's something I haven't looked back on... The whole ten years I tried not to dwell on it, but I did... I lost--.. I lost everything, or... mostly everything. I didn't lose everything until this started." He sighed gently and looked around the quiet town once again.


---


".. Some went out, others stayed here... They're spread out. You want to come and meet the little one? He likes meeting new people." He smiled softly at her and tilted his head quickly back towards the exit of the store. (@TheHarlequinnCat)