Roleplayer Guild - Forum Roleplaying Games

Arm flung lazily across her eyes, guarded from the sun, the rest of her jump suit clad form laid sprawled across the ground. Chest heaved up and down as she gulped breaths down; ignoring the ambling of her fellows as they slowly trickled in one by one as they finished the course. Axelle still felt this whole charade was a crock, a sad attempt to pacify the growing numbers of adults as their fatalities rose and rose and rose. Two months back the respective governments began their own perspective programs to gather youths into so-called “boarding schools” that seemed more akin to camps for refugees. The exceptions being that they were far better fed and were schooled daily, which included the bi-weekly death-run.

It had started with a great find dug up from under Africa. She could still remember watching the news, excited as her active imagination was caught up in it; an entirely new civilization was found. Scholars and other avid academics became caught up in it themselves. Murmurs about if this could, somehow, be a part of the lost Atlantis. A sister city? Axelle learned more mythology in the following months than she had in her entire life. Then people started coughing, falling ill, some taking only days and others lingered for months, but eventually any adult who caught it succumbed and died. The dying quickly grew in number, and the only reason anyone still talked about those ruins was in whispers about their connection to this new sickness that they had started calling “Captain Trips”. So dubbed after the infamous virus from Stephen King’s own viral novel.

She had been visiting her father, the great Military Man, when they closed the borders in what would turn out to be a futile attempt to keep Captain Trips from spreading. Not even his high-rank was enough to put fear into the hearts of men to allow his only daughter a return trip home. He was allowed clearance to those top secret files, and even through his lack of medical knowledge, she saw the fear in his eyes. Heard it in his voice when he admitted to her that even if she were to return home, it would not save her from the hell this world was dissolving into. The only condolence he had that, as not yet an adult, Axelle was safe from the death that had becoming a part of day to day life. When he allowed this foreign government to escort her and the other international children to these boarding schools, she saw him calmly cough into his ancient handkerchief.

Now grass tickled the back of her neck while she thought and longed for home and family. This country, while a fine one, was not hers and she was sorely feeling homesick. She didn’t know what was to become of her with a world gone crazy. All of her plans to join the service after her four years in the Academy were lost. Her first year of early admittance seemed so insignificant now, all the work meaningless by an onslaught that none could protect themselves from, but could only be spared. It made her think of the religious fanatics that screamed for penitence and salvation, which caused her to shudder from the memory of half crazed spitting loonies.

“Winchcombe!” Jerked out of her thoughts, she shot forward to her feet as if yanked to attention by some invisible hand. The gentle rattle of beads clanking at the ends of black braids, bistre eyes wide and attentive as she looked at the man in front of her, waiting to see what he wanted from her. “You’re wanted at the office. Someone is here to pick you up to take you to your father, so go grab your things from your room.”

What was left of her soft heart died two days later with her father’s last exhale.