Lack of Color IC

[DaPenguin]

Adelaide opened her dark eyes gradually to the same torn up ceiling. The room above was visible in a few spots. Another day doing nothing other than surviving. She wasn't sure what the point of surviving was considering barely anyone was alive but it felt like the right thing to do. Her Addie kicked the covers off with some struggle. The fabric had rapped snuggly around her feet as she tossled and turned during the night.
-
She finally brought her feet around the edge and on to the coldness of the tile floor. The tile had been weathered down weeks ago. The wallpaper had been ripped off and the walls were now dull and cracked. Small pieces of debri rained down from the ceiling. She groaned, wincing as she stood up on sore feet. She had ran around all day yesterday scavenging for food. Adelaide's gaze fell upon on the window to the right of her. A dim reflection of a girl with tossled brown hair, wearing undergarments. Looking through that reflection, she saw that fog, as always, was accumulating outside and thickening. Addie woke up every day with the hope of seeing the sun peeking through the clouds. It never happened. She missed the feeling of the warmth of the sun against her cheek and the smell of sweets and other confections in the morning. A bakery had been right by their apartment. It always smelled like home baked cookies. The thought of cookies made her mouth water.
-
She sighed and tore her eyes away from the window. There was no reason to depress herself more. She dressed in a tank top at random, some jeans and a particularly nice jacket Adelaide had found. Addie pulled on some sneakers and opened the door to the darkened apartment. Most of the furniture had been destroyed. Heaps of debri and brick covered every inch of the floor. The ceiling was torn up and the whole place just looked inhabitable. The board of health would have normally kicked them out of this shithole right away. Fortunately, they couldn't do such a thing considering they were all dead.
-
Adelaide watched a mouse scurry across the floor and considered killing it for meat. She grimaced at the mere thought of that; she wasn't that starving just yet. Yesterday, she had managed to find a few cans of food. Nothing too appetizing though. She still had a small amount that survived the disaster but it still wasn't enough to last her. She'd have to keep looking later on. The mouse disappeared into a hole in the wall. She hurried over to her kitchen and began looking for a piece of cheese she had been trying to keep fresh. Addie found it and took off a small piece and rewrapped it.She headed over to the hole and set the cheese in front of it.
-
"You survived too, huh? At least I'm not completely alone."Adelaide said quietly. She watched the mouse reluctantly step out and head over to cheese to nibble on it. She smiled faintly and got up and went back over to the kitchen counter.
-
The fridge was totally broken so she had to find other ways of keeping food fresh. Earlier on, she had discovered a survival book in an old library. It had not been easy considering everything was covered in ash and dust.
It was an old method using pots and it seemed to be working. She had a two buckets of stream water here as well. One had a jug of milk in it and some other products. Addie really had no idea what she was doing. The other bucket was for drinking.
The weather was starting to get colder now and ice would be really helpful.
-
Adelaide treated herself to a few peanuts for breakfast and headed toward the door, grabbing only her rifle and two way radio on her way out.

[VaultBoy]

Ash drove through the wasteland. He had been driving for weeks with no direction now and he thought he could see the outlines of some buildings. He grinned, he had a slightly lower than medium amount of canned food that he had raided from the store he worked in when the apocalypse had just started. As he drove through the fog he decided to turn on the fog-lights that he had strapped to the top of his car. He done this as to alert anyone in the city either that he would help them or not to fuck with him.

10 minutes passed before he reached the city. He stopped his car near a sidewalk before getting out and locking the door. The windows were covered with metal that had bits cut out in it so he had no worry of someone breaking in. He looked at a nearby parking toll as he got out before snickering and kicking a dent in it.
"Never liked those things in the first place" he muttered to himself. He moved to the back of his car then opening the door and taking his shotgun out. Ash started to flip the shotgun around his finger every now and then while looking around for resources or equipment. He whistled a low tune, wanting to attract either allies or people to kill and take equipment from.

[Malevolence]

Her swift footsteps were unheard as she maneuvered through the vacant alleys of the city limits. Her heinous, slate grey glare remained transfixed on the dismal scene before her: the desolate streets and foul remnants of the previous society visible to her beyond the shadows in which she lurked. She froze, halting her movements as she crouched beneath an overhang provided by a collapsed building foundation, her senses on end as she glanced to the pile of crumbled stone blocking the entrance to the alley in which she hid, a voice heard beyond the pile. She shifted her weight slowly, guiding herself around the shattered glass and ashen remains buildings. Her malevolent gaze engrossed in her target as she dragged her tongue across her teeth, pressing herself close to the far wall and sliding through the shadows and climbing the stone pile expertly, cautious not to make a sound. She peeked over the pile, catching sight of the speaker of the voice: a young man, aged no more then 20, traveling alongside a female child, who gripped his arm as a low whimper escaped the child's lips.
-
Mary-Kate tugged on the fabrics of her brother's winter coat, her eyes darting to the alley as she tried to pull her brother back to the shelter of the far building in which they came. She squinted through the fogged scene, the brisk air nipping at her revealed flesh as she spoke in a low whisper, "I think someones watching us..." she choked as the shattering of a glass bottle echoed from the alley to the pair's right.
-
Colton's eyes darted to the alley as he instinctively pulled Mary-Kate behind him, raising a gun and speaking in a hoarse, but trembling, growl, "Who's there?" He demanded this as he loaded the gun and positioned it towards the alley. His question was answered in a chilling silence that strangled him, his words lost in a lump forming in his throat as he swallowed his fear and spoke again, "S-Show yourself." At his words, a glass bottle rolled from the pile of debris and came to a halt as it hit Colton's boot.
-
Colton glanced downward, and just as his eyes locked with the bottle, he heard MK release a shrill screech of surprise. Colton raising his weapon and pointing forward, hesitating as his eyes met those of a young woman. She was petite in build, her red lips parted slightly as she held an unreadable glare across her visage. Colton swallowed and held the weapon pointed at her, "W-Who are you." he commanded, feeling Mary-Kate cling to him from behind.
-
The girl remained silent, holding a statuelike poise before the pairing as she held her ground closer to the shadows of the building. Her posture was stiff, the breeze blowing her blonde locks gently as her demonic eyes scanned them, her lips curling into a wicked sneer as a low snicker escaped her throat, as though she were heavily amused with their obvious fear.
-
"W-What do you want..." Colton croaked, instinctively taking a step back from the oncoming foe as he felt MK tighten her grip on the exterior of his garments. He held the gun with a trembling hand, taking yet another step back as the stranger advanced a single step forward.
-
"Pain." the words rolled off the girl's tongue in a venomous hiss as MK watched her lunge forward, dodging the shot that sounded from Colton's weapon as MK was shoved backwards, the girl being thrown like a ragdoll to the cracked streets as she crawled backwards, seeing the girl withdraw two concealed blades from her cloak and knock her brother to the ground.... her brother landing in a heavy heap upon the ground and trembling madly, his voice lost as saliva trickled from the sides of his lips as the color drained from his face: MK locked eyes with the girl. Mk's eyes widened in horror as she realized that the grey stare of the newcomer had shifted into an opaque black, her dark irises glistening with the satisfaction of bloodlust.
-
-

Mary Kate Drew's eyes flew open with a start as tears flooded her gaze, her head whipped around as she quickly processed the room in which she had just awoken in. The ceiling was a worn and decayed shade from the previous white it once was. The wallpaper peeled from the walls, revealing the rotted wooden frame foundation of the building. She sat up, sweat clinging to her young brow as she lowered her socked feet to the tarnished tiled floor. She cautiously crept across the floor, careful to avoid the rotted sections of wood, pulling the blanket from the bed and encasing herself within it. She hurried along and emerged into the next room, sprinting forward and into Colton's arms as she burrowed her face into his bare torso, feeling his hand skim over her skull and ruffle her chestnut curls.
-
"What's wrong, MK? Are you alright?" his voice was worried as he glanced downward, touching his sister with a trembling hand as she tightened her embrace around him.
-
"I-I just had a bad dream..." MK choked, finding her words momentarily lost as the door behind them opened; she twisted abruptly as her eyes widened in momentary fear before her body relaxed, her eyes meeting that of a traveler they had met several weeks ago.
-
Levi dropped a small parcel on the floor and lowered himself to the floor, most of the furniture in the home being destroyed and rotted weeks ago. He did not acknowledge the siblings and spoke more to himself, "This city became even more of a shithole than it was before...and I didn't think that was possible." he growled this lowly as he ran his fingers through his dirty brown locks, wiping his face with his hand before releasing a disgruntled sigh.

[DaStormz]

Iris gasped in pain and shot upright. She was laying in a pile of rubble nearby a couple of ruined buildings that she had collapsed next to. The buildings had collapsed in one one another, or otherwise against one another. The windows were shattered and had large pieces of it missing. The door to a one building was hanging off of its' hinges. Burnt newspapers flitted passed her before being picked up by the wind and flying away. She tried to grab one, but she was unable to. Iris groaned. It could have told her where she was or have given her an idea. She tried recalling the past events but nothing came to mind. How she had come here was foreign to her. She had no idea what state or city she was in. Was she even in the United States anymore? It boggled her mind, but she pushed it out of her mind forcefully. It wouldn't do her any good to ponder it. She groaned and rolled onto all fours weakly, gasping for air from the struggle. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and stood up wobbly, emaciated legs. Starving, dehydrated, injured, lonely, and soaking wet, Iris began scavenging for food. As she did so, she passed a puddle, indicating that it had rained recently. She looked at her soaking wet clothes and sighed lightly, pressing a hand to her ribcage. Removing her hand, she stared down at her reflection.

She had long, dark brown hair that was currently braided down the side. A few pieces of hair were sticking out or were singed. Named after her exotic eye color, she stared at her iris-coloured eyes. That was the feature that she liked most about herself, save for her hair and body type. Along with her iris colored eyes, she had long, dark eyelashes, accompanied with straight thin eyebrows. Her hair, when it was down, framed her smooth, round face. The features on her face were pointed but innocent. She had a medium sized nose, with rosy pink cheeks and high cheekbones. Her lips were full and pink, and upon smiling, would reveal straight white teeth. Iris' chin was pointed, and she had a fair complexion. Iris had slender and lithe frame. More often than not, she towered over people. Her clothes wore tattered and torn clothing, her blouse no longer having sleeves. Not to mention that she was soaking wet from the rain. Iris wished that she could find better clothing, but for now she couldn't so she had to deal with it.

She searched for a couple minutes longer before she slowly sank to her knees, too exhausted to go on. Iris gripped the rubble tightly and squeezed it, clinging to life. Suddenly, she realized that she was going to die on her own. Death was welcomed, but she didn't want to die. What stung was that she didn't know if any of her loved ones had survived. If they had, she wanted to help them. She loved them all so much and she didn't know if they were okay or not. Had she tears to cry, they would have filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks onto the rubble beneath her. Iris couldn't exactly think straight either, what with being starving, exhausted, dehydrated and weak. The street began to spin and she felt nausea rise inside of her. Heaving and gagging, Iris let out a moan. It didn't do anything but hurt her frail body and remind her of how hungry and dehydrated she was.

"Can somebody help me?" she called out weakly, her usual wind-chime voice raspy and hoarse. "Anyone?" Iris crawled forward before her arms and knees gave out. Iris let out a sob as she hit the ground and pain shot through her. Letting out a silent scream, she curled up on her side as best she could without jostling anything else. "Someone!" Her throat was burning from dehydration, and her calling was making it evne worse. She let out another muffled sob while her vision faded in and out spontaneously.

She managed to pick her head up and gazed around at where she'd fallen. There was rubble here, too, and she was blocked from view on either side and somewhat in the back. There was an overturned truck right beside her, which also shielded her. She had no idea if she could even be found or if anyone was even nearby. What if a hell hound found her instead? Terror shot through her and as quickly as she could, rolled underneath it. The minor movement only created more pain and misery for her. Nonetheless, she was fortune for it. It was a safe place to be underneath. There, she waited for help to come; if there even was any.

-

"Stupid dog."

Drake turned around lazily struck the hell hound down in the chest as deep as he could viciously. It whimpered and then fell over, and he exhaled with relief. The thing had been stalking him for a while and he hadn't been able to chase it off. Drake had began to ignore it in the hopes that it would find him boring and leave him alone, but it hadn't relented. He hated killing, and he especially hated killing the hell-hound, but what else could he do? At least it was one less mutated animal that would hunt down other people and murder them. Drake sighed, took his sword out, cleaned it off on a rock, and then quickly tied it back to belt loop.

Pushing overgrown black hair out of his face, Drake walked down the street. Even as he had pushed his hair out of his eyes, it fell right back in. Drake sighed. He wished he could cut it himself but he didn't know how to. Shoving the thoughts of his mind, he focused on the present. The street he was on was destroyed. It was lonely and totally ruined, but he was used to it. The young man glanced around wildly, his hazel eyes fixating on the surroundings. Drake let out a sigh, glanced at an apartment building. Memories rushed to his minds' eye as he thought of friends. Had they survived? If so, were they doing okay? A special someone filled his mind's eye, and in the despair and gloom of everything, it made him smile. He missed them so much it hurt, but he figured that they were dead. How anyone could survive this was insane. He didn't even know how he had. Drake found himself stopping as the memories raced through his mind.

Drake shook his head to clear his mind and sighed. A window nearby showed him is reflection. He barely recognized himself. His long, jet-black hair was overgrown and hanging in his eyes. He didn't bother to push it out his eyes this time. Drake's hazel eyes stared back at him, accompanied with dark eyelashes and dark eyebrows. He had a soft, narrow round face with equally soft but striking features. With a narrow face, his hair complimented it nicely. His nose was narrow and medium-sized while his cheekbones were high. Drake's lips were pink and narrow, and would curve up into a charming and boyish smile if he smiled. He wore a tank top with a pair of dark-washed jeans with rips and tears in the knees and combat boots. The belt looped through he loopholes was carrying his weapons. Around his waist was a hoodie, which he was thankful for. If he had found the special someone again, he was going to give his hoodie to them.

Over his shoulder, he carried a drawstring bag filled with band-aids, ace bandages, knives that he couldn't fit in his belt, and food. There were chips, Ziploc bags filled with rice, cookies, and canned food as well. He had only ate as much as he needed to survive and didn't waste. In addition, her he had things to disinfect water and also a wallet filled with photographs of his loved ones. Pausing a moment, he glanced around, wishing that he could see his brother again, but he didn't know where he was. With a sigh, he looked around and leaned agaisnt an overturned garbage can that was unfortunately empty.

A low growl behind him caused him to jump and move away from the garbage can. Hot breath was exhaled upon his neck. Instinctively, he felt his hand go to the hilt of his sword and slowly untie it. Muscles tensing, he radiated an aura of being clam and collected so he didn't startle it. Remaining still, he waited to strike the hell-hound. It must have sensed a presence and had snuck up on him. As soon as the beast went to attack, Drake made a surprise attack. He spun on his heels and expertly struck the beast in the heart. It looked shocked then let out a wail, and collapsed before him. Drake jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding the beast falling on top of him. He waited a few seconds then pulled his sword out and glared at it.

"Stupid dog," he repeated venomously.

[WeepingLiberty]

The girl sat perched on a pile of rubble that overlooked her current campsite and the surrounding area. With one knee hugged to her chest and the other leg dangling over the edge of the rubble, Ava's pale blue eyes scanned the scene before her. It was terrible, it truly was. The sight of her broken city broke her heart but there wasn't any time for crying, nobody could truly afford the risk. With a drawn out sigh she pulled her surprisingly well kept hair back into a high ponytail, the deep black sucking in what little light they acquired through the fog. Below her a man stirred, awakening from the nap he had desperately needed. "Oh good, you're awake. I was hoping to get moving soon." The nineteen year old picked her way down the pile of rubble carefully, hopping down the last few feet to the ground. She dusted off her tattered black jeans and straightened the dull black camisole before stretching her arms into air with a yawn. While the man collected his little amount of belongings, Ava rounded up a few of her own. She slipped into a strange coat that she had with her from before the whole event went down. A long coat that reached down to her calves and fit close to her body and arms, that also had a hood that brushed between her shoulder blades.. It was something she had picked up as an anime fan in the past and was a surprisingly handy a costume for survival. Walking over to her travel partner she strapped her belt around her waist, the one that had two blades sheathed horizontally in opposite direction across her lower back. Some might say the whole thing looked showy, and it probably did, but not much mattered concerning appearances anymore. What counted was that she knew how to use her weapons to protect not only herself but the man she was traveling with.
~
~
"Are you sure you don't need a moment to rest Evangelista? I could keep watch for a few hours." Damen looked down at the suited up girl, already expecting the refusal. As if on cue Ava shook her head and scowled. "I thought I told you to call me Ava, and no I'm perfectly alright. I slept last, it was your turn." Her voice cracked, giving away the thirst she had been hiding. "Sorry Ava, but your first name is just so pretty I forget to shorten it sometimes." He smiled slyly, often calling her by her full first name to annoy her when he wasn't actually forgetting. "Yeah right, are you ready to go? We have a few blocks to move through before we make it to the park. After that we can finally make our way to the other side and begin the walk to the coast line." Damen nodded and tucked the larger of his two guns into the waistband of his jeans while placing the revolver in his jacket pocket. He didn't feel the need to put his jacket on over his dirty tee, the temperature not yet cold enough to bother him. Instead he rolled up the garment and placed it strategically in a backpack that he shouldered and strapped to his chest. His dark brown hair looked lighter and dirty as the dust and debris settled from the air onto his head, and more often then not he wondered how Ava's hair stayed relatively neat. It was a secret she wasn't willing to share. Once they had picked everything they chose to carry, Ava and Damen began their hike in the direction of what used to be Central Park. The two had met shortly after the incident, battered up and confused. They had both been on the same side of the city, inland from the coast line. It was his idea to try and go to the Statue of Liberty to seek a more permanent shelter, that was if it even still stood. Even if it didn't, neither thought about it and instead focused on getting to the coast first. It was long hours of walking and running and hiding about the destroyed buildings, and all the while the scene was drab and depressing and falling apart. They had no way of finding out if anyone else was alive, they hadn't been in contact with anybody else but the creatures that hunted them. Off in the distance the dying cries of a Hell Hound could be heard. Ava raised her head to listen before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess he got in a fight with another one." She said before leading Damen on down through a path that she had picked out when keeping watch.

[Emma Tarin]

Lia laid on her back, staring at the arched stone ceiling, and the broken stained glass windows, that had once depicted a scene of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus along with some beautiful angels, but now was just a few jagged blue and green shards framing the foggy gray sky, and decimated buildings outside. She had been staying in this crumbling church for the last two days, without food and on her last drops of drinkable water. The city sewage system had back up into the water pipes and the river, so the only source of water came from water bottles found when raiding the deteriorated stores and homes. She was alone, hungry and clueless as to what she should do now. Her two friends Tiana, and Madison had been killed by hell hounds three days ago.

Before the dooms day, it had been a perfectly normal day. Lia and Madison had been driving through Ohio on there way to Cincinnati, doing the whole college road trip thing, and the next thing Lia knew Madison's screaming woke her. Madison arm was broken you could see the bone and there was a lot of blood, buildings burning, black smoke filled skies. Lia's phone didn't work, nothing worked, and things were exploding all around them. Lia and Madison found a car and were able to make it to the hospital, not that that did any good, there were no doctors, no patient, no nurses, no people anywhere, but there where some bodies. In the end they met Tiana a 28 year old Medical student who helped fix up Madison's arm, and they had been surviving together since.

Three days ago they had been walking through the city looking for a working car, and some food, when a pack of hell hounds came out of nowhere and chased them. Tiana asthma got the best of her, she said to just keep running, that she would hold them off. Lia's last glimpse of Tiana was of her in the mouth of a beast. They ran as fast as they could, they could hear the haggard breathing and howls of the hounds right behind them. Lia had jumped down a hole in the street yelling for Madison to follow, as she dropped 10 feet down into the twisted metal underground that was once a subway system, landing on her feet, cutting the side of her hands on the sharp protruding point of broken tracks. Madison had been just behind Lia, but she was nowhere to be seen now, and then Lia heard a high pitched scream followed by beastly growling. She struggled to catch her breath, as she covered her mouth to hold back her sobs.

That had only been three days ago, and after being stuck in the subway for a whole day she had finally found a way out, and ended up in the church that they had made their meeting place if they had ever gotten separated. She needed water, and food. She laid in the middle of the chapel room on a pew with her hand in the air slowly moving it through the dusty beam of light that was coming through a hole in the ceiling. Watching the dust particles float around, as she examined the long cut on the side of her hands. It hurt, but it wasn't that deep, and thankfully not infected. She was slowly coming to accept the fact that Madison and Tiana were gone and never coming back, and that she need to get going.
-------------------------------------

Kevin opened the can of peaches he had found in the cabinets of a random apartment he had spent the night in, it had been a lucky find, most of the stuff in the place was ash, but there was three surviving cans of food, and a jar of tomato sauce. Sleep had not been easy, when you knew what was out there, sleeping peacefully was impossible. His family was dead, he knew that. His three younger sisters and his parents had been home when the explosions happened, and his apartment building was just a pile of rubble now. He had found the body of his 13 year old sister Kelsey, after spending days digging through fragments of stone, brick, concrete, wood, and metal. Kevin had only seen one other living human and that old guy had been so ill from infection, he died a week later. New York City had been his home his whole life, and seeing it the way it was now was terrible.

He downed the last of the canned peaches, stuck the jar of tomato sauce in his backpack and left the building. It was safer to travel in the daytime, the wolves seemed to be primarily nocturnal, and the other insane creatures, like horse sized spiders and six foot tall Godzilla lizards he saw less of during the day. Flying snakes on the other hand never seemed to be to far away. Kevin ran his fingers through his hair as he walked through the empty ruined streets, he was on his way to the closest radio station to see if it worked like the old guy had told him. Seeing as phones, tvs, and computers were extinct, it had never occurred to Kevin to check out radios.

[Silyan]

The quick jab to her side, started the twin up, Nikita shot up and looked around. A deep sigh of relied escaped her lips as she realized who had done it, her twin, Mariah. "Don't scare me like that sis! I thought someone was in here!" Nikita sighed, rolling her eyes as Mariah snickered. "Come on. It's time to get up. We're finally getting out of here." Mariah said, her eyes longingly looking to their now wrecked apartment. For as long as they could manage, they had managed to sustain their lives here and make somwhat of a normalcy in their lives. But it was getting to dangerous to stay.

"Do we have to go?" Nikita asked softly, her eyes cast down to the ground as she shrugged a plain black messenger bag. A solemn nod was the only response that she was given by her sister, much to her dismay. A sigh escaped Mariah's lips as she threw a bag on her shoulder, floating beside her sister's shoulder and eyeing the door carefully. "Let's go. Now." Mariah demanded, Nikita's trembling hand slowly wrapping around the door knob.

A set of eyes scanned the streets from above for any dangers before the young woman drifted down below, her feet dropping to the ground softly. "We're clear. Just be careful. And Ready." Mariah warned, looking to her sister from the corner of her eyes as she hitched her bat on her shoulder. Nikita nodded silently, her eyes staring forward. "I'm sorry. For not being able to sto-" Mariah began. "Just stop Maree. You can't stop fate. So don't worry about it. I don't blame you." Nikita stated, smiling softly as they walked. Mariah forced a smile, acting as if it really didn't, even thiugh it did tobher at least. Mariah had always been the one who would steo up, and take responsibility for everything. It hurt that she couldn't protect her only family left now.

[Kirra]

A set of footprints trailed through the sand and rubble besides the road heading towards New York. To an average person, the footprints seemed to appear from an unseen force trudging forward. During past when superstitions ran ramped throughout the world, people might have thought the footprints were being created by a ghost. However, times have changed, even more since the apocalypse started. It wasn’t uncommon to find a person mutated with abilities beyond the normal, just as the invisible girl had. The fourteen-year-old had blonde hair, obviously uncared for and had streaks throughout her hair of pink. Her petite and lean stature showed signs of being underfed even before the apocalypse.

As she walked beside the road, with New York in sight, the girl heard the rumble of a car behind her. Turing around, the girl saw fog lights from an oncoming car and couched towards the ground as she waited for the car to pass. As it dove past her, she saw that the car held only a single passenger with a chainsaw. She wasn’t sure who the man was or if he was affiliated with the hunters, but knew that she didn’t want to have anything to do with the man, or rather anyone at all. That was one of the rules for survival for the girl, something she held onto even before the apocalypse. She had had three basic rules she made for herself that she followed almost religiously.

1) Make sure to have all the necessities at all cost.

Break into stores/houses, steal from unsuspecting people, even the hunters if you are desperate so that you have this list:

• Food for the day? CHECK! You would’t have the energy to do anything if you didn’t…
  
• Food for the week? EVEN BETTER
  
• Water for the day? CHECK! You would be a nimrod if you didn’t…
  
• Water for the week? EVEN BETTER
  
• Weapon? CHECK! Invisibility would work but even then accidents do happen…
  
• Radio? CHECK! Keep it off or on the lowest volume level so that no one will hear you…
  
• Shelter? Sure… It’s not a necessity…
  
• Fellow companions? NOPE! That would break rule two…

2) Trust no one

There are two types of people in the world

• Those out to harm you such as the hunters, thieves and the police (that is when they were still in business)
  
• Those that bring harm to you. They are the people that don’t want to bring trouble to you, but do so anyways such as social workers, fellow refugees that attract the attention of Hell Hounds and the stupid people. Don’t get attached to these type of people under any circumstance.

3) Stay away from unneeded danger

If you break one or both of the first tow rules, you are breaking the last. Don’t be a stupid person and bring trouble to yourself. Don’t try to be a hero and always be on guard.

A small smile crept onto the girl’s face as she mentally went through he rules and commentary for each rule. There was a few tweaks she had to make when the apocalypse hit, but the three base rules stuck with her ever since she made them. She even wrote then in a notebook when she first came up with them years ago, but the notebook was gone now but she still remembered the title. “Zoey’s rules of survival in a stupid world.”

~.~.~.~.~

A small smile crept on Jake’s face as he drove down the road. He was able to gather supplies needed for the hunters, which was currently in the bed of the pickup truck he was in. He still had some ways to go before he caught up to the hunters and there was no one nearby him, that is no one alive. Looking in the rearview mirror, Jake could see a pack of Hell Hounds gathered in a small circle. Even though he couldn’t see what the hounds were doing at the distance he was at, Jake knew that the hounds were enjoying a wonderful snack.

It all started a few days ago when Jake and a man named Cole left the hunters to scavenge for some food and supplies and were to meet up with the group later on. Things went well when they found a campsite that was still held supplies. From the signs of the camp, it was obvious that whoever lived there left just moments before they arrived. He could still feel their fear lingering around the camp. Lucky for the them, Cole was dim-witted and didn’t notice their hasty departure. However, even though Cole wasn’t a bright person, he was someone that could easily intimidate someone. Standing at 6’3” and at lease 250 pounds, he could cause a lot of trouble even without his powers. Cole was a brutal man, a person that enjoyed the suffering of others, something that was of value to the hunters that eventually brought him into the ranks of one of the leaders, even though very few people liked him.

Jake hated this man. There were many reasons why, but the biggest reason was what he did to Anna. Luckily, Jake didn’t need to do anything. As the two were raiding the supplies and were loading the truck, Cole saw the whistle that Jake had sitting in the passenger seat of the truck. As Jake climbed into the truck, he was that Cole had the whistle near the bed of the truck and was about to blow it. The whistle is a dangerous weapon. Just like how a dog whistle grabs the attention of dogs, the whistle that Jake had did the same thing, except it was for the Hell Hounds. It doesn’t give the person that blows the whistle any control over the hounds, but the hounds treat it as if it was a dinner bell ringing for then and thus will attack anything nearby. Jake didn’t wait for Cole to get into the truck and drove as fast as he could away from the campsite, hoping that whoever was previously there was able to escape. As he drove, Jake could see hounds rush towards the campsite as they locked onto their target, Cole. Stopping the car a few miles away, Jake turned the car off and waited for the time to pass. He knew he couldn’t go back to the campsite too soon the retrieve the whistle, that is if he could find the whistle, or the hounds would be after him. After half an hour passes and the hounds dispersed, Jake decided to go back to the campsite. However, before doing so, he decided to make a call to the hunters. Grabbing the radio out of the glove box, Jake turned to the station that the hunters were on. “Hey, it’s Jake. I’ve got good news, I have a truckload of stuff that will be heading your way. I should be there in less than half an hour. However, I’ve got some bad news as well which I’ll tell ya’ll once I am there.”

[RangingWolf]

Elijah awoke from his few hours of pitiful sleep. He never slept much anymore. For one couldn't sleep in this type of place for to long without. He threw off the child's blanket that he looted one day. It wasn't much but it did it's job. Elijah went over to where his backpack was he strapped on his pistol holster. Placed his M92 Vertec pistol into the holster after making sure it was loaded. Elijah then brought the bag near the door that he used to exit the building. He grabbed everything that he took out of his bag which wasn't much just the blanket and a small pillow. He then closed the rucksack and adjusted it so that it was tight against his back which made it feel lighter and also made it easier to run. Elijah then grabbed his bokken which was one of the longer ones they had. Elijah was lucky that he had found such a weapon. He wished he found the real thing, but the Shinto shrine that he prayed at didn't have one when he went back to it a few weeks after the apocalypse. He unbarricaded the door that was the exit to the building. Today he had to find a new place to stay at and some food and if his Gods felt generous perhaps a new weapon. Elijah then left the building and made his way out into the foggy streets. He kept his bokken at the ready in case something did pop out and Elijah needed to defend himself. Elijah made his way into one of the shops district of New York. There he went into the first building he saw.(I'll continue after more people post)

[Emma Tarin]

Kevin walked quickly, keeping close to the buildings, and listening for any sounds around him as he saw the abandon fallen radio station ahead of him. It was the place the old guy had told him to go to. Getting to the front of the building he carefully pushed the heavy door out of the way, and went inside. The place was a mess of papers, broken CDs, and radio equipment, but with the flip of the on switch followed by a static sound he could hear two people talking over the radio. Some guy called Jake talking about supplies, and someone that sounded like a crazy old lady with a smoking habit ranting about salvation, and Santa. "Hello, this is Kevin Chance, in New York City, anyone hear me out there?" Kevin said into the microphone. He heard his voice echo throughout the room but no one responded, so he tried again this time pressing a button, but he got no response. He had no idea how to use the stuff, so he tried a few more times until he started digging through all of the drawers and stuff on the floor, there had to be a Manuel somewhere in here. After about two hours he decided to come back later, seeing a he was getting pissed and disheartened. Leaving the radio station he looked up at the cold gray sky, and back down at the cracked debris ridden road, when he heard the sound of an engine, and could see headlights far off in the distance.

Kevin ducked down under a fallen door, and watched as a car slowly drove by, through the foggy deserted street. Well it didn't look like any car he had ever seen, and the man driving it looked rather menacing with a chainsaw in his hand?, but it was the only human Kevin had seen in a long time, so without much thought he came out from his hiding place, and waved his arms around getting the attention of the driver hopefully, he wasn't going to yell out or anything noisy like that. Loud noise attracted beasts, and no one wanted that. As he was getting the attention of the driver guy it occurred to Kevin that this guy might just try and kill him for his stuff, but Kevin brushed the thought away, benefit of the doubt was needed in these times, yet Kevin was ready to fight if need be.

---------------
Lia sat up, and leaned over to grab her boots and put them on over her dirty gray socks. What she wouldn't give for a shower, clean clothes, and a hot meal at the moment. She had enough clothes with her to last until she found clean water, as long as she didn't fall in some mud or something. She changed into her jean cargo pants, black top, and gray sweatshirt. She started stuffing her shirts, pants, water bottle, and sweaters into her peach backpack. In her oversize messenger bag she had a flashlight, batteries, a hunting knife, hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush, a purple sharpie, hair ties, lighter, matches, a candle, 9mm bullets, small blanket, and a bar of lavender soap. She stood up put her coat on, checking the pockets to reassure herself that her gun, pepper spray, and other hunting knife were in reach at all times. Lia yawned and walked over to the door, looking out a crack in the wall to make sure it was safe to leave. She didn't see anything outside, and she didn't hear anything ether. Using her elbow to dust the ash of the wall, and her other hand to get out her marker, she wrote in her girly cursive writing on the wall. Find me in NYC - Natalia M. Foy

She stepped outside still hoping Madison was alive, that Tiana had gotten away somehow, and they would see her note. Lia walked quietly through the alleys, and streets, looking in windows, doorways, and cracks of buildings for anything edible, or drinkable. Also any car she came across that look intact she would hot wire to see if it worked. She finally came across a minivan that worked and started up. The engine roaring to life, it had a little over half a tank of gas left, and the radio started blasting show tunes from Annie. 'ITS A HARD-KNOCK LIFE FOR Uhh...' She pushed the off button as fast as she could, and listened to the quite engine, and silent city, hoping none of the mutant animals heard. After a few minuets she tossed her bags into the passenger seat and started driving for about a half hour. She found a relativity undamaged grocery store right on the edge of the city, and raided it, taking a shopping cart and filling it with packs of water bottles, rice, jars of Peanut butter, jam, cans of fruit, veggies, tuna, sardines, and boxes of crackers. Filling the car with it all, as she drove she downed four water bottles, a pack of crackers, and a can of cold green beans. New York city was about 8 hours away from were she was in Columbus Ohio. She had thought to go to Chicago which was only five hours away, see if her parents were ok, but her older brothers Alexander and Dawson had been on vacation in New York City when the shit hit the fan. So she drove down the highway as fast as she could weaving through the broken, totaled cars.