As soon as he saw the girl standibg behind Magnus draw her bow and nock an arrow, he pulled Richard away from the cell's bars. He sent the woman a sincerely pissed-off glare as he managed to get Richard to back away. He heard Luke step forwards and calmly ask the questions everyone wanted to but noone dared, fearing the answers to come. Looking at this Magnus person he felt that whatever would happen, he would not trust the man. It was the entire belittling, all-knowing, calm and fatherly act the man pulled on them that only made him feel more disgusted and distressed. He didn't show it though. They had been taken by force, together with many others judging at the people inside with them. They were willing to go great lengths to gather people, judging by the amount of force they used on them, explosives and all. Whatever this Magnus dude meant with 'helping us', Alex knew it was not going to be pleasant.
Groaning at the performance going on at the front of the cell, Shannon stepped closer to the man named Damian. She looked him in the eyes and glared, not caring he was an acquaintance of Rob's. "You've been here longer, so you must have some idea what's happening. If I think you're holding out on us, almost my entire group is in here with us, so don't think I won't try to get it out of you." Damian shot Rob a look He seemed to think her out of line, but Shannon didn't care.
"Holly's here too," Damian said to Rob's question, talking slowly. Richard's shouting caused him to pause, but eventually he continued and said, "Her and I managed to get away, but it was way too chaotic. The area I had secured was suddenly overflowing with the monsters. We tried to clear another area out, but eventually I made the call to travel to a smaller city." Sighing, the man crossed his arms. "So, here we are. I've only been in here for a few days, to be honest. That guy has told me the same things he's told your group. He's pulled people away and I swear I've heard them screaming, but maybe I'm just losing it."
He looked to Richard now, who seemed to be losing it himself. "What, you going to shoot me?!" Richard cried, staring at the girl with the boy. "You won't do it. You could have done that before locking me in here." When Alex tried to pull him away, Richard shook him out of his grasp. Luke tried to calm him down next, but Richard outright pushed him away. Shannon felt this cell was becoming too chaotic. She looked to Danny, for she knew he was Richard's friend, but he was sitting with his head in the sand. She left Damian and grabbed her best friend by the arm.
"Dan, come on. Say something. Do something."
Danny gave her a heavy sigh, still not looking up. "We're all fucking angry, Shannon. Does it matter?"
Did she ever want to hit him. With a vexed noise, Shannon stood up and approached Richard as he slammed against the bars once again. Luke seemed unsure if he wanted to try and stop him once again, but Shannon knew what would get Danny's attention. She grabbed Richard now, attempting to push him against the wall. He wasn't the biggest man, but he had enough strength to angrily retaliate, caring little for her gender. She fell backwards on to the floor, with a yelp, playing up the pain in the situation. Richard stared down at her, realizing what he'd done, just in time for Danny to slam him against the wall. Not the biggest guy himself, it was enough to shock Richard into submission as he slowly slid against the wall and to the ground.
"Fucking hell," Danny grumbled, turning around. "I'm not the leader here. I shouldn't be expected to do this." He looked to Luke and Alex, and shrugged. "Aside from me, you two are the veterans here. Figure it out." With that, Danny moved to sit down once again.
Looking uncharacteristically unsure with himself, Luke turned to Magnus once again. "I'm sorry about that. What are you... attempting to fix?"
---
Monica - Dilapidated Building - Emma/Ellis
Emma was only just stirring awake now, so Monica greeted her warmly in the next room over. With the home mostly in disrepair, this was the only room they could really sit and relax in; Emma needed all the relaxation she could get until her wounds were fully healed. Monica sat down in one the two chairs and placed a bottle of water next to a plate of crackers and apple slices. She smiled, offering it to Emma, though Monica wasn't happy to have to give the girl fruit stolen from another group to eat. "It's not much, but I've been on my own for a while. I can live off a little if I try, but I can't let you do that. I'll get more for tomorrow."
A moment of silence stretched out between them, Monica eventually getting up to look out the window. The glass had broken in at some point, so Monica had managed to install a clear plastic panel in its place. It wouldn't keep out biters too well, but it wasn't biters Monica was afraid of. People were less likely to check out a building as rough as this one.
Though, it seemed that didn't appear to be the case for everyone. A boy stepped out from behind a tree across the street, alarming Monica and causing her to duck down from the window. He had been walking toward the building, so she figured he must have seen her. She held out a hand to indicate that Emma should keep silent, stepping up to the doorway with a knife gripped in her hand. She waited a moment until she figured he was outside the door before speaking through it. It wasn't very sturdy, so no doubt he'd hear her without her having to yell. "You've seen this place," she said. "We don't have anything."
It was a short walk off the highway, and through a ditch, into an unfenced suburb. Here, he found himself in a backyard, once well-tended and obviously loved, it was overgrown and ugly. Just like the rest of the world. The chef looked around and realized he had to be in a cul-de-sac, since there were yards to either side, that seemed to curve away, and he could see another similar situation on his left. Clearly this had once been a place full of life. Now it was full of the stench of death, and probably the undead too. Not liking that idea, the man moved slowly and quietly, creeping up on the closest house. The door was open, having been kicked in. He didn't anticipate finding anything, and decided not to look too hard if there were any zombies inside. His creeping was well-served, however, as the only ghoul in the house was too occupied with munching on a corpse to notice him. Someone had apparently killed themselves, and now what had probably been their significant other was feasting on their entrails.
He'd never understood that part. Why were the zombies eating the digestive tract? It looked good in movies, obviously, since intestines are long and stringy and easy to make disgusting, but even in reality the monsters seemed content to dine on what was really little more than a vessel for excrement. He pushed the thought away, deciding he didn't need to throw up while the thing was still alive. Instead, he hacked off the zombie's head with a hard swing of his larger knife, and then stabbed it through the eye once the thing came to rest on the floor. From there, he checked on the corpse, but was disappointed. The man's revolver was a .44 special, not a .38, and it was rusted to shit regardless. On top of that, there had only been one round in the thing. Empty boxes he found in another room confirmed his suspicions, and Ricky thought no more of securing anything useful as far as weapons. Some people seemed inclined to grab whatever they could, but it was useless dead weight if it didn't get used.
With that in mind, he managed to find a sealed bag of beef jerky that had been forgotten in a cupboard. He wondered at that, as he grabbed it, and hoped he had not just walked into a trap. He trusted to logic, though, and based on the way the house had been trashed, it was likely that looters had fled a zombie attack, which meant that the jerky was fair game. A pleasant thought, if ever there was one in this destroyed world. He tucked his loot into his bag, and decided to leave, poking his head out the front door. Then he realized he needed to make a decision. "Left or right?" he asked, and then nodded as he heard a zombie moan in the distance. "Right it is." he declared in a whisper, chuckling before he stepped onto the front porch and heading for the next house on the right. This one was very similar to the last, at least externally, and he expected its innards to be just as recognizable. Indeed, thanks to the suburbia mentality, looting this neighbourhood was going to be easy. Every corner, every hallway and door, they were all in the same places. Nothing changed. It was like running the same trapline over and over again in quick succession. Of course, he wasn't nearly as successful as he might have been had this been an actual trapline.
"Fuck. I should just go live in the swamp." he realized, knowing that he could probably live just fine out there. "I need another person, though..." he added, talking to himself like he was two people, just to alleviate the boredom. "Someone needs to work the boat... What about Greg? He can't be dead..." he knew Greg couldn't be dead because that man had lived through anything. He'd probably fought in every major conflict since the American Revolution. That man was as old as dirt and even harder to get rid of. He was also an impossible man to find, Ricky remembered with a frown. He was probably still running his traplines, just a little slower without help. And a little less since he only had to feed himself.
"I should never have left the swamp." he concluded with a groan. A groan that was echoed behind him as he continued to sweep through the fourth house on the block. He spun effortlessly and shoved his knife through another undead eye socket. He shuddered. realizing how close he had just been to dying, and then continued with his search. This time he managed to find a bottle of water. It looked like it had been part of a much greater stash that had been removed for greener pastures, though this one hadn't managed to go along. That only made things easier, though, since it meant he now had a decent lunch. He wasn't really sure what time it was any more, but lunch sounded good, so he settled in the basement for a meal, figuring that he'd have the upper hand if someone else decided they wanted a piece of him.
With that in mind, the chef sat down under the stairs, and placed his revolver at his right side. It always went right next to his knee, a hand's breadth from the joint. His reflexes were so good at this point, that he couldn't miss it, and he'd have it pointed in the right direction faster than most people could realize what was going on in the room they had just kicked in the door of. Comfortable, he chowed down on his beef jerky and water, and then tossed the packaging. He might have a need for a plastic bottle, but wasn't going to carry it around for a "might". And beef jerky wrappers weren't much use to him. He holstered his piece once more as he stood, and took a deep breath. Now he needed to continue with his search.
Stop. Just stop. You don't have to do this. a little voice said in his head. He knew it wasn't the crazy one, as he'd taken his meds not long ago. I do, though. If I stop, I'll die. he thought back, exasperated. It was tempting, to just stop, but he couldn't do that. Not without dying. There was no other way to put it. If he gave in, he'd wind up prey to some other person who hadn't given up yet. But even with that voice discouraging him, he planned to keep going until his death at the hands of someone or something more unfortunate, or deadly than he. The voice seemed to quiet, though he knew it was still there. That feeling, that longing to stop, it was right there, waiting for him. All he had to do was sit back down. That wasn't an option now, though, he was already creeping from the basement, to the front door. He needed to get out of this place, and find somewhere with more supplies. He wondered if he might find a Wal-Mart or a Target with bikes, or even a gator still intact. Such a thing would make his trip much easier. He supposed he might as well keep moving for the moment, however...
Rob let his head fall into his head as Damian responded. "Great..." He sighed deeply. "Screaming? That's.....nice" Rob looked up as the group bickered. His head turned to Shannon as she got up to try calm Richard now. He looked to Damian grimly as Richard pushed Shannon. "Oh, They're all fighting...that will help guys." Rob let his hands slide down his face.
His eyes darted back to Damian. "Wait....they're taking people? Like...taking and not coming back!?" Worry was heard in Rob's voice. "Why exactly would they do that...."
Magnus - Cells- Danny and co./Kery/Aubrey
Magnus smirk widened as the group fought. "Please, I do request that you don't fight between yourselves. Such hostile actions are a shame to watch" Magnus eyes flickered to Richard. His face turned sour for a second before returning to the faint smirk.
"Aubrey" He turned to her and grinned. "Feel free to send an arrow in that man if he stands up. Such...resistance is not appreciated. Actually, feel free to send an arrow in any of them if they continue to be hostile. Not anyone that kills them...but make sure it hurts" Magnus face became fixed on Luke.
"Well-" Magnus chuckled faintly. "What is the only thing we can fix?" Magnus seemed to think before going on. "You'll see....Trust me, if we achieve our goal-" Magnus leaned in. "The apocalypse will be no more. We will find a cure" Magnus smiled before taking a step back.
"And you're all going to help, without you all. This simply won't be possible. And so I'll start off now by thanking each and every one of you. You'll truly help the future generations"
Liam - Motel - Samantha/Leah/Gorge/Abram
"M-My name's Liam....." Liam whimpered out. He wiped his eyes clear of tears as Samantha lashed out at George. Liam felt bad for George. Being held at gun point then getting nearly punched by a random women for not doing anything.
Liam looked at Samantha ever so slightly wary. He was slightly scared from first impressions. But the name of Tina made him take a step back. It felt weird for him to go back. After they left because they were doing something strange. But Liam gave it some thought through the tears, and decided that it was the most safest place. He remember the trucks that were patrolling around the city. They would kill him...
"Y-Yes" Liam stuttered out. Liam took a step before taking a look at the man standing there. He scared him...he looked...like he could kill him.
Emma had enjoyed the 2 days of rest Monica had allowed her. Even still, it nagged her that she was laying around while Enrique and the others where off only God knew where. When Monica woke her up that morning, she'd instantly felt the same soreness she experienced every time she'd tried to move over the past days. She pulled the thread-bare blanket over her shoulders, instantly reminded that her simple, black tank-top did nothing to keep the cold from her skin.
When Monica left the room, Emma waited a couple beats before slipping from the bed. Her socks, which she didn’t dare to smell for fear of knocking herself, touched the wood floor and she could slightly feel a chill. She reached into her backpack pulling out her only spare shirt, reminding herself that she'd have to find more clothes before long.
She slid her arms through the shirt, buttoning it to the second to last button. She didn't bother picking up her jacket; it was so tattered that it didn't serve a purpose any longer. She added a jacket to the list of things she needed, and stepped to the door. She opened the door and met Monica in the other room, wolfing down the plate she was given.
Her eating was interrupted when Monica threw her hand up in caution. She glanced out the window and saw the boy: from what she could tell, her looked her age. His hair was a lighter shade of red than hers, but his face wasn't as hard set as hers. She guessed he probably wasn't as agressive as her, either.
The boy didn't look too threatening, but if she'd learned anything over the past 8 months, it was that people were naturally deceptive. Despite objections from Monica, Emma went to the back of the room, opening a window to the alley. She jumped to the ground, checking to make sure no walkers threatened her safety. She confirmed that she was good to go and rounded the building.
She took her gun from her waistband, aiming it straight at the boy. She eyed his weapon and called for his attention. "Hey! Put it down, now!"
Groaning at the performance going on at the front of the cell, Shannon stepped closer to the man named Damian. She looked him in the eyes and glared, not caring he was an acquaintance of Rob's. "You've been here longer, so you must have some idea what's happening. If I think you're holding out on us, almost my entire group is in here with us, so don't think I won't try to get it out of you." Damian shot Rob a look He seemed to think her out of line, but Shannon didn't care.
"Holly's here too," Damian said to Rob's question, talking slowly. Richard's shouting caused him to pause, but eventually he continued and said, "Her and I managed to get away, but it was way too chaotic. The area I had secured was suddenly overflowing with the monsters. We tried to clear another area out, but eventually I made the call to travel to a smaller city." Sighing, the man crossed his arms. "So, here we are. I've only been in here for a few days, to be honest. That guy has told me the same things he's told your group. He's pulled people away and I swear I've heard them screaming, but maybe I'm just losing it."
He looked to Richard now, who seemed to be losing it himself. "What, you going to shoot me?!" Richard cried, staring at the girl with the boy. "You won't do it. You could have done that before locking me in here." When Alex tried to pull him away, Richard shook him out of his grasp. Luke tried to calm him down next, but Richard outright pushed him away. Shannon felt this cell was becoming too chaotic. She looked to Danny, for she knew he was Richard's friend, but he was sitting with his head in the sand. She left Damian and grabbed her best friend by the arm.
"Dan, come on. Say something. Do something."
Danny gave her a heavy sigh, still not looking up. "We're all fucking angry, Shannon. Does it matter?"
Did she ever want to hit him. With a vexed noise, Shannon stood up and approached Richard as he slammed against the bars once again. Luke seemed unsure if he wanted to try and stop him once again, but Shannon knew what would get Danny's attention. She grabbed Richard now, attempting to push him against the wall. He wasn't the biggest man, but he had enough strength to angrily retaliate, caring little for her gender. She fell backwards on to the floor, with a yelp, playing up the pain in the situation. Richard stared down at her, realizing what he'd done, just in time for Danny to slam him against the wall. Not the biggest guy himself, it was enough to shock Richard into submission as he slowly slid against the wall and to the ground.
"Fucking hell," Danny grumbled, turning around. "I'm not the leader here. I shouldn't be expected to do this." He looked to Luke and Alex, and shrugged. "Aside from me, you two are the veterans here. Figure it out." With that, Danny moved to sit down once again.
Looking uncharacteristically unsure with himself, Luke turned to Magnus once again. "I'm sorry about that. What are you... attempting to fix?"
---
Monica - Dilapidated Building - Emma/Ellis
Emma was only just stirring awake now, so Monica greeted her warmly in the next room over. With the home mostly in disrepair, this was the only room they could really sit and relax in; Emma needed all the relaxation she could get until her wounds were fully healed. Monica sat down in one the two chairs and placed a bottle of water next to a plate of crackers and apple slices. She smiled, offering it to Emma, though Monica wasn't happy to have to give the girl fruit stolen from another group to eat. "It's not much, but I've been on my own for a while. I can live off a little if I try, but I can't let you do that. I'll get more for tomorrow."
A moment of silence stretched out between them, Monica eventually getting up to look out the window. The glass had broken in at some point, so Monica had managed to install a clear plastic panel in its place. It wouldn't keep out biters too well, but it wasn't biters Monica was afraid of. People were less likely to check out a building as rough as this one.
Though, it seemed that didn't appear to be the case for everyone. A boy stepped out from behind a tree across the street, alarming Monica and causing her to duck down from the window. He had been walking toward the building, so she figured he must have seen her. She held out a hand to indicate that Emma should keep silent, stepping up to the doorway with a knife gripped in her hand. She waited a moment until she figured he was outside the door before speaking through it. It wasn't very sturdy, so no doubt he'd hear her without her having to yell. "You've seen this place," she said. "We don't have anything."
Emma - Building - Monica/Ellis
Emma had enjoyed the 2 days of rest Monica had allowed her. Even still, it nagged her that she was laying around while Enrique and the others where off only God knew where. When Monica woke her up that morning, she'd instantly felt the same soreness she experienced every time she'd tried to move over the past days. She pulled the thread-bare blanket over her shoulders, instantly reminded that her simple, black tank-top did nothing to keep the cold from her skin.
When Monica left the room, Emma waited a couple beats before slipping from the bed. Her socks, which she didn’t dare to smell for fear of knocking herself, touched the wood floor and she could slightly feel a chill. She reached into her backpack pulling out her only spare shirt, reminding herself that she'd have to find more clothes before long.
She slid her arms through the shirt, buttoning it to the second to last button. She didn't bother picking up her jacket; it was so tattered that it didn't serve a purpose any longer. She added a jacket to the list of things she needed, and stepped to the door. She opened the door and met Monica in the other room, wolfing down the plate she was given.
Her eating was interrupted when Monica threw her hand up in caution. She glanced out the window and saw the boy: from what she could tell, her looked her age. His hair was a lighter shade of red than hers, but his face wasn't as hard set as hers. She guessed he probably wasn't as agressive as her, either.
The boy didn't look too threatening, but if she'd learned anything over the past 8 months, it was that people were naturally deceptive. Despite objections from Monica, Emma went to the back of the room, opening a window to the alley. She jumped to the ground, checking to make sure no walkers threatened her safety. She confirmed that she was good to go and rounded the building.
She took her gun from her waistband, aiming it straight at the boy. She eyed his weapon and called for his attention. "Hey! Put it down, now!"
Ellis-Building-Monica/Emma
Ellis waited by the crumbling door only for a moment or two before a older women spoke, the door was in such bad shape that she didn't even need to yell for Ellis to hear through it. In reality, the whole house that he saw the two girls in was in bad shape, only the desperate would resign in such a place. Where is the other girl anyway? thought Ellis before he called out to the older women,
"I gathered that you two had nothing, if I thought differently, and was willing to, I would already of been inside, and had at least one of you hurt. I only wanted to talk, I haven't seen another human in 6 months" said Ellis as he heard the "stomping" of the other female. That made Ellis only curios, and of course he knew the two reasons another person would sneak up on him in a apocalypse, either they were raiders, or they viewed him as a threat. Either way, he still approached the corner he heard the sound come from, and as he did, the other girl turned it, as he raised his Stockmon knife to her throat, she raised her gun from the holster, its barrel pointed at the right side of his chest. There body's would of been touching if the gun wasn't between them. She called for Ellis to drop his weapon, but of course he didn't.
"well maybe I would if you didn't point your gun at me," started Ellis as he stared into the young girls eyes,
"and If you didn't try to sneak up on me and go flat out, you would of had a better advantage, but it seemed that you were careless, and since I'm nackered, I should of had a smaller chance to catch you." stated Ellis, it seemed his strong Australian accent showed when he spoke.
What stuck out to Chae the most, as she and her companion Miguel silently wandered through "The Woods'" ample amount of pavilions, was how very desolate it all seemed. They had slept in the lodges and found they weren't the first vagabonds to have the idea, nor were they the first to have the idea of scavenging the lodges for supplies. Chae, typically thorough in her looting, hadn't been able to find anything particularly useful in her search. Most consumables appeared to have been ripped open by claw and tooth, anything else useful seemed to have gone with the people who came in and out of "The Woods" to seek a respite in their travels. People came and left, but no one seemed to want to stay and build it into anything more.
The marriage lodges had been reduced to a post-apocalypse rest stop. Chae wasn't sure how she felt about it... Another thought occurred to her.
Where were the trees?
This place was called Shenandoh's Woods, and yet it was devoid of trees. There was wood; in the lodges, and the pavilions that dotted the rolling hills of the acres. But did just HAVING wooden structures really earn this place the nickname of 'The Woods?' The place was acres, and there didn't seem to be a single tree on the property. There didn't seem to be anything living on the property-- or dead! The place held the type of silence her time traveling had taught her to be wary of. The pair wandered, for what seemed like hours, from empty pavilion to empty pavilion.
Had she died? Was this some purgatory? Or hell? Had someone killed her in her sleep, and her personal hell was an infinite, derelict, middle-class honeymooners pavilion hell scape? Because that would like, really suck. Like, reeeally suck.
Chae almost let out an 'Oh, thank God...' when they came across the horrific sight, earning her a quirked eyebrow from Chito. The two infected in the pavilion ahead of them, presumably man and wife, dressed fittingly in ripped and aged tux and white dress, were feasting on some small animal. They had apparently only just managed to kill the poor thing, judging from the vigor with which they were eating. They could have just left the pain be... and yet...
As Chito turn to leave, Chae continued forward, "Don't make any jokes about ''till death do us part' or whatever..." She whispered a growing smirk on her face, she pulled a screwdriver that had seen better days from it's makeshift holster-- her belt.
"What the hell are you doing, Chi?" Miguel whispered back, a resigned annoyance tinged his voice.
"Relax, it's only two. I just wanna see what the happy couple caught for breakfast." An afterthought, she added "Plus, I think they deserve some piece, you know?" If he had any objections, it was already too late to voice them. With skill and speed, she thrust the screwdriver into the head of the woman through her feasting neck. Before she could even register what was happening, Chae drove the screwdriver far enough into her infected brain to put her down. Like clockwork.
Her eyes widened. As she tugged at the screwdriver lodged in the bride's head, her groom was already turning from his... cat? To the main course. Chae fell back, instinctively moving her arms to hold away the chomping mouth-- the struggle lasted a moment, before they both fell to the ground, Chae still, muscles tensed, adrenaline pumping, was barely managing to hold the heavy man back. But managing.
That went to shit fast!
Chito had already began running over at the first sign of a struggle. No sooner was she able to completely register her position than the teenage ball of muscle tackled the infected beast, freeing her and pinning it to the ground.
Okay. Screwdriver's gone-- what's next?
Acting on equal parts intuition and logic, she pulled out a mostly empty bottle of Jack Daniels from her bag-- smashed it on the wooden floor of the pavilion and practically felling, sharp-end of the bottle first, onto the pinned infected man's skull. With all of her weight and the energy she could summon, she stabbed the broken glass as deep into it's brain as she could force it. Until the tuxedoed man, finally, stopped struggling from under Chito's death pin.
They fell back. Chito rolled off the groom onto his back, and Chae sat, overlooking the freshly re-killed couple. If there were any more infected nearby, they would have heard the bottle smashing. But the longer they sat in relative silence, the still desolate air of the "The Woods" only interrupted by the waning pants coming from the two following the unnecessary encounter.
"So..." Chae began, leaning from where she sat crisscrossed to overlook Chito, "I think it was a cat."
The man, in response, gave a glare, resembling the expression of a frustrated father.
Chae leaned back, musing, "What would a cat be doing living here?" She sighed, "I mean, I don't think it's a stray? Why the fuck would a stray wander here of all places, you know? Maybe the owners had one? Like, a mascot cat or something?" Chae stood, walking over to the eviscerated remains of the orange tabby, she was obviously well fed, "How did she live here... alone? It looks like she just got caught. So she's been eating all this time..."
The images of the clawed and bitten food packages returned to her mind.
"That was you..." She whispered to the remains of the cat-- stepping around the bride, "Smart cat."
"Not smart enough," Chito quipped, sitting up with a groan, "Okay, so riddle me this, gato Sherlock; What happened to the people here?"
Chae tilted her head, and looked off into space, eyes occasionally darting to the man and woman, before responding several minutes later, "I think they killed themselves."
"What?"
"I said I think they killed themselves." Chae retorted, matter-of-factually. She ran a hand along the sun-stained, curdled milk white fabric of the woman's wedding dress.
"Y-yeah, but like.." Chito scratched his head, "What?"
"I think..." She looked back towards the lodges, "I think these two were on honeymoon before, y'know... like, a day or two before the evacuations and everything... and I think... that they were left behind. That the staff fled, and they either didn't know these lovebirds were still there..." Chae twirled the grimy rotted gray hair between her fingers, the bride must have had beautiful blonde hair, "Or maybe they didn't care?" She grimaced at the thought, "So they were here, right? Stranded, with food and a smart cat, sure, but they had to deal with the new world all on their own, young lovers... and I guess they couldn't deal? I dunno how long they lasted. Like, a week? A month? Not too long, they look pretty raw... but I... I dunno, I think they went in their sleep? They probably poisoned themselves, Romeo & Juliet style." As she paused, a small smirk came across her face, "Except, I guess the Capulets and Montagues would just be the infected? And the Cat's obvs Mercutio, because Mercutio was based as--"
Chito scoffed, a slight dry laugh followed as he stood to survey the empty hills that surrounded them, "How could you know any of that?"
Chae shrugged, "If they could choose, I think most women would probably choose to die in their wedding dress."
The boy rolled his eyes, "You know what, fine whatever. It doesn't really matter, just don't go fighting the nzumbi without a plan again, o-okay?"
"But how did our Mercutio die?" She asked, ignoring Miguel's request. It was almost as if the cat's curiosity had been transferred to her being.
"I don't know? It probably just fucked up. Are we going anytime soon, Chi chi?"
"Just fucked up...?" She parroted his words, considering them like a fine wine. "Nah, I don't think it's that. I think there was a reason this went down..."
"Really?" Chito asked with sarcastic interest.
"Yeah," She continued, more to herself than anything else, "I mean... Mercutio here survived for weeks... months just, like, on her own. She was smart enough to eat-- hunt-- and avoid the ghouls while they were in the lodges. She wouldn't just like... up and fuck up."
"Mhmm." Chito, an expert of hiding his annoyance, resorted to replies in onomatopoeia. He'd traveled with Chae long enough to know that when she got eccentric like this about something, it was always best to just let her play it out.
She sighed, "Yeah, I guess we couldn't--"
"...mew..."
Chae perked up, "Did you hear that?"
"No." He actually hadn't, but his disinterest wasn't helping.
"...mew..."
"There it was again!" Chae began to craw towards the sound, seeming to be from somewhere in the interlaced shrubbery that surrounded all the pavilions. On foot Chito followed a few steps behind, his apathy beginning to wane.
"My new kitty," Chae replied, digging through her backpack for a very specific can of food.
Chito made a face, a scrunched up face of disapproval, disgust, and a desire to say something. Instead, he sighed.
"What is it?" Although there was concern in her voice, she didn't look up from the task at hand. She fished out a can of a limited brand of tuna flavored spam, she had long ago relegated is as 'emergency food.' She began to pry open the small aluminum rectangle.
"I uhh..." He lowered his voice, looking away, "I'm... scared of cats..."
Chae stopped where she was. Immediately looking up to where Miguel stood, for a moment that must have been an eternity for the post-pubescent teen, Chae merely stared.
He stuttered, "W-well it's not I'm super scared or anything. It's just, you know. They've got some dark voodoo."
She couldn't contain herself any longer. Chae broke down in sanguine laughter-- tearful laughter. If breaking the bottle hadn't attracted any infected, this definitely would. But it didn't matter, Chae couldn't help but think, as she laughed at her, overly muscular, silent and manly companions feline-based phobia.
"H-hey!" Miguel shot out, a crack appearing in his cool facade, "You know what? Fuck you too, Chae!" Miguel, revealing that he was still a child, capable of being flustered, stormed off. "I'll be waiting on the main road! Have fun with your gato inferino!"
As the mirth subsided, she brushed the remaining tears out of her eyes, and continued with the tuna spam. Taking about a fourth of the horrible brew for herself, she pushed the container into the cat's hovel and waited as the cat began to eat. It couldn't have been more than a few months old-- she wondered if it could even eat solid food...?
~~~
After about 10 minutes, she received her answer. Intruding on the kit's space once more, she pulled out the rectangular spam dish-- licked clean. Of course, 10 minutes was quite a lapse of time. The small horde that had appeared on the horizon in that time had begun to approach the pavilions, her pavilion, as an increasing pace. She needed to meet up with Miguel back at the main road-- soon. Stashing the empty tin in her bag for a potential later use, she finally went back in the kit's bush sanctuary. This time it looked more wary than fearful-- it was confused, freshly without a mother-- this strange thing gave it food and now it wants you. As Chae's hand approached the kitten, it puffed out it's fur.
Getting ready to fight instead of running away? That food did you some good, huh?
She didn't stop her approach. She needed to get the kit now, the horde's approach was imminent.
The kitten met her gumption with some of it's own. With all the strength it's tiny body had, he lunged forward and bit down on Chae's finger. Chae flinched, but didn't move. For a moment, the pair simply remained like that. The kitten, anxious and scared, biting down on the finger of a being many times bigger with wavering pressure, and the woman who tolerated it, with a strained smile. The world didn't stop, and the ghouls were closer by the second, but in a instant, the two came to something of an understanding. The kit relented from it's bite, and almost regretfully, began to lick away the blood from the wound he had caused.
Chae scooped up the kit, her things, and got the hell out of dodge.
Chae, Miguel, a kitten - Heading to Walmart - Anyone
"Where you wanna go next?" Chito asked, unfolding his map as they walked.
Chae, holding him in her left hand, brushed the kitten with her right, "You don't wanna try to find your family?" Miguel grimaced, that question was loaded. They both knew it. The sooner they dedicated themselves to that task, the sooner the youth would receive a depressing, awful, horrible, disappointment. Chae hadn't been able to spare herself from it, she'd gone to Tybee within days of the Outbreak. But Miguel... he could put it off. Chae sighed, "It's cool man, we'll go later."
"Right." His tone was somber.
"Hey!" Chae said, perking up, "Are there any, like... stores around here? I prefer to have something other than this shitty 6 shooter. Stocking up on some food wouldn't be bad. Plus we're outta booze."
"Actually..." He put down the map, looking around, some of the settings seemingly familiar, "Actually, yeah! I think there's a Walmart nearby. I remember going to it when I was younger."
A smirk came to her face, "It's probably looted to hell, but it can't all be gone. So that's cool. A plan then." She said, halfheartedly. It felt like busy work almost, in a sense. Going to a place just to go to a place. Truthfully, that's what this all was beginning to feel like-- a long difficult journey that didn't amount to anything except a pointless challenge. It was--
The kitten purred loudly in her arms, distracting her from the dark thoughts.
"They'll definitely have some formula for lil' Moksha, here..." As if controlled by some other force, she slipped the headphones into her ears. "Tell us when we get there, alright?"
"I GOT THE NASTY IN MY TAXI-- YOU NEED A LIFT?" She bobbed her head along with the small kitten in her arms in time with the beat, "YOU CAN SIT BETWEEN THE BACKSEAT AND MY DICK."
Aubrey had kept herself from shooting, having not received the order to do so yet. Everyone was starting to get rowdy and it somewhat frightened her. What if they started rioting in there?
Aubrey looked from Kerry to Magnus with wide and worried eyes, trying to pry out an order from them.
Finally, Magnus addressed her and gave her the green light to shoot. It sent a wave of relief over Aubrey and she nodded once, turning to the people in the cell. She had already made up her mind in who she would wound. The man that pushed the young woman. If there was something that she despised more than lying, it was men who did what they wanted with females.
Without hesitation, Aubrey lifted the bow and arrow, raising her elbow and pulling back, closing an eye to aim between the cell bars and breathing in to steady herself. It all took less than ten seconds to do, but in her mind, everything was in slow motion. Every move she made was perfectly calculated and executed. Hesitation would be her downfall, so she had to make up her mind and not overthink. She watched the man named Richard stand up at seeing her aim, giving her a perfect shot at his thigh. Exhaling, the young woman let the arrow fly, watching as it pierced the man's flesh in a matter of seconds. For a moment, the entire room went dead as the people acknowledged what had just happened. Yes. The girl that wasn't even twenty years old had just shot a grown man without giving a damn.
Showing no remorse, Aubrey took out yet another arrow and held it angling down at a forty five degree angle, keeping it at the ready. "Keep the arrow as a welcome gift."
_______________________
Samantha - Hotel - Abram/Liam/Leah/George
Samantha listened closely to Liam as he spoke, the tears that streamed down his face tearing her heart into pieces. "I'm so sorry you've had to go through this. No kid should." Samantha walked over to him and slowly reached to him, not wanting to scare him. Once she saw he wouldn't run, she wrapped an arm around him then the next, hugging him tightly. "You're safe with me. I promise. I have a feeling Scarlett would end me if she found out I let anything happen to you."
She let go of him after a bit and turned to Abram, biting her lip as she repeated Liam's question. He seemed fearful, but then again, what kid wouldn't. "This is Abram, he's helped me stay alive so far. He's a good man." Sam's voice broke at the end of her sentence as a sob threatened to make its way to the surface and tears began to pool in her bright blue eyes. She had made eye contact with Abram and for some reason, it brought back the tears from earlier. All she wanted was to find Scarlett and find a place where they could stay safe. She also wanted to head back to Arizona.
She knew that it was foolish to start crying again but she couldn't help at feeling lost and out of control of what was happening around her. She was used to the exact opposite; her being in charge and always having someone by her side. At least she had Abram, which was more than she could ask for.
Emma was surprised by the boy's speed, and she had to force herself not to fire a shot the moment he moved. She found herself backed into the wall, the guy's knife against her throat. Doing her best to stay calm, she kept the barrel to his chest. "Hey!" She said, shifting under the blade, he had a size advantage on her (but then again, so did most people...), but she could end it all with the pull of her trigger.
She leaned back as far as she could into the wall, and pushed against his chest, putting a couple feet between them. "Two choices - be a douchebag, and I can shoot you, or put the knife down and let us talk this out and possibly not have to kill anyone."
Abram - Hotel - Samantha/Liam/George
When Samantha curled close to him, he didn't try to comfort her. He waited until she was finished, supporting her the while. When she seemed okay enough to address the situation, he let her talk.
He smiled to the kid when Sam introduced him. "Hey, little man." He said, then turning to Leah, "This is Leah. How bout the two of you give me and your friend a minute to talk, then we can get somewhere safer."
He turned to the man, a sad and understanding expression dawning his face. "Abram Chamberlin. I'm sorry for whatever just happened here. We're gonna do everything we can to help you get your friends back."
Ricky had never claimed to be an expert on this place. He'd spent more him around here than in Canada, sure, but he hadn't spent a whole lot of time near Baton Rouge, which was where the signs were telling him he was, give or take. And after almost a year of zombies ruining things, the world was starting to look a whole lot different. Of course, that didn't stop him from making his way toward the nearest Walmart. Or that was at least where he thought he was going. The world was too messed up to really be sure. But he didn't have much choice. These houses had been cleaned out, and his only hope was scavenging something useful out of the twenty-four-hour Supercenter he was sure had been around here somewhere. So he moved quietly and hoped. Hope usually wasn't the best resource to rely on, but he'd found himself leaning on it more and more lately. With things already sent to hell in the proverbial handbasket, there wasn't much else left to work with.
So he kept that in mind as he headed for what was likely salvation and damnation in equal measure. Sure, there might be things in the Walmart, but he was sure to have to fight for them. If it was him there, with enough people he trusted, he would most certainly start running a gang. There had to be enough furniture and non-perishable food there to last years. Even tempered with reason, though, hope was still a sketchy thing to use as a means for anything. The chef pushed aside his existential crisis once more as he decided to pick up the pace. There was a surprisingly undamaged bicycle just sitting in another yard. It was a child's bike, sure, but it was better than nothing. With no shame now that the world was pretty well destroyed, he thought nothing of adjusting the bright-pink contraption, lifting the seat and handlebars as high as they would go before hopping on. He could still manage a running pace on the ridiculously undersized bicycle. The glittery rainbow streamers trailing from the handlebars lent a comedy to the otherwise cripplingly depressing situation, and Ricky caught himself smile, but too late.
Even as he was making good time on his new ride, he spotted a dog. But this wasn't a normal dog, not any more. It was still alive, for better or for worse, but the shock of having to adapt to a hostile environment had left it mentally unwell. Something brightly-coloured and moving quickly had to be food at this point. It barked once, and another half-dozen animals appeared, more dogs. The golden retriever in the lead was the largest of them, looking ragged and soaked in blood. The rest appeared to be mutts of varying colouration. However they all shared the same, tattered, bloody look of the pack leader. Then, as the chef dared to hope he might be in the clear, the alpha barked once more, and all seven dogs took off after him, running faster than he could pedal the hot pink Supercycle.
There was only going to be one answer to this problem. Or rather, there were six of them tucked against the small of his back, however the .38 slugs weren't ideal for putting down compliant animals, let along probably-rabid dogs. "Fuck my life." he muttered, pedalling as hard as he could for the end of the street. Someone had left a dumpster there, on a little hill probably four feet from an eight-foot chainlink fence. The dumpster was overflowing, however, and there was a pile of garbage beside it, with a six-foot piece of plywood draped over it at an angle. It was like the perfect ramp. All he had to do was get over the fence and he'd be okay. The pack of dogs was getting closer, though, and he was sure this wasn't going to be an easy task.
And then, because Murphy was probably the worst person to ever grace the earth with his scumbaggery. Things went south faster than the CF-105 project, and Ricky was soon left in a panic. He hit the makeshift ramp and watched the plywood disintegrate. He was tossed over the handlebars of his too-small bicycle, and went head-over-heels through the back end of the garbage pile. None of the bags had been compromised, miraculously, so he had that going for him, but the tumble down the hill was the opposite of enjoyable. And now that he had really slowed down, the predators chasing him were catching up faster than he liked. And of course, he soon discovered the flaw in his original plan, on top of all that. At the bottom of the hill, where the fence was set up, he found a hole, big enough that the largest of dogs could squeeze through it. That meant he would fit too, but it also meant that, even as he scrambled for safety, he was going to have a lot more scrambling ahead of him.
The survivor managed to get through the chainlink fence without too much trouble, but now his pursuers were about to get through the fence too. Luckily for him, they had to take turns running through the hole, so he spun around long enough to draw his piece and pop off two rounds. Of course, the first one missed, and while the second one struck home, that left one dog down, and another six still chasing him. And now zombies would be moving toward him, hoping for an easy meal. He cursed up and down and took off sprinting again while the dogs struggled with moving the fastest of them out of the way. He wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings any more, he was too busy seeking anywhere he might escape the vicious appetites of the dogs behind him. His vision had tunnelled in so far, he could barely see what was in front of him. Too far in the black to care, he couldn't remember there was a revolver in his hand, though he did manage to pull the trigger while it was pointed at a zombie that seemed to appear out of nowhere. A doorway appeared, and he dashed through it, trying to close a door that no longer existed. He couldn't hear himself calling for help. Indeed, he was on the verge of passing out at this point. Something caught his foot, and Ricky fell, his hard landing setting off his revolver once more, leaving him with only two rounds, though he wasn't coherent enough to use them effectively anyway. That didn't stop him from rolling over and continuing his attempt at escape while flailing in front of him like a giant canine was about to jump on him at any moment...
She watched as Luke's face went pale at the answer Magnus had given him. "Working on a cure...?" he muttered, looking about ready to fall over. She reached out and took him by the arm in case he really did fall over. "Jesus Christ, don't tell me you--"
But an arrow flying between the bars interrupted Luke as it lodged into Richard's shoulder. The man cried out in pain and pushed himself back against the wall. Spurned into action once again, Danny ran across the cell to his injured his friend. "The fuck is wrong with you?" he practically growled. "He'd stopped, for fuck's sake!"
Shannon stepped forward, moving just before the bars of the cell. "If you need us so bad, then you better help him. We won't act up more, just--"
"No!" Luke said from behind her. She looked back at him, shocked to find him as white as a ghost. "He's keeping us to use as test subjects," Luke said, his voice barely above a whisper. Shannon's mouth went dry at the revelation. How had she not considered that? "We keep Richard in here, as long as we can" Luke said.
Shannon exchanged a glance with Danny, who nodded. "I, uh, I don't fucking know what to do with this arrow. It needs to come out, but... one of you tear off some clothing so we can wrap the wound, unless one of you knows more than I do about this."
---
Monica - Dilapidated House- Emma/Ellis
The boy's response was aloof and matter-of-fact, which Monica found a bit odd considering the situation. He seemed honest, but Monica had learned even honest people were dangerous these days. She turned her head slightly, only noticing Emma leaping out the window until the girl was already gone. Monica didn't approve of the idea, but she'd always been an overly cautious individual. "We're talking right now, aren't we? Tell me your name, and I'll tell you mine."
She waited a moment for a response, but when she got none, she grew concerned. Once she heard talking coming from further away from the door, Monica quickly stepped out with her weapon at the ready. She found Emma and the boy locked in a stand-off, both of their weapons on each other. She felt her heart leap into her throat at the scene-- she'd never been one for these tense moments. "I don't want any bloodshed," she said. "Let's all just put our guns and knives down for now."
Everything happened so fast again. As soon as Magnus had started talking about a cure, he had quickly come to the same realisation as Luke. They were stuck here to be used as test subjects for some moronic fuckwit doctor who thought he had a chance to find the cure. Fan-fucking-tastic. However, as he contemplated that option and the possibility for escaping, an arrow was suddenly shot through Richard's shoulder.
Stepping forwards reluctantly, keeping a close eye on the batshit crazy girl with the bow, he spoke up. "I know what to do." He said, kneeling down besides Richard who stared at the arrow syticking through his shoulder in shock. "I mean, I wrote a paper about a medieval surgeon once, who handled this topic." He added. He didn't want to make himself out to be a skilled medic or anything, or give anyone false hope, but the fact that it was an arrow made it hilariously fortunate he was a history student. Having made jokes for ages that his subject of studies would only get him a practical job at McDonalds was far behind him and gave the entire situation a grim sort of humor. Henry V of England, thanks for your physician's historical sources.
Thankfully, due to the close range and the simple shape of the arrowhead, the arrow had gone through his entire shoulder, sticking out both sides. "Danny, secure the shaft sticking out of his shoulder, yes, from the back." Alex said as he wondered about how he could break the shaft with the least effort, and thu pain for Richard. "Luke, hold the bloody arrowshaft sticking out of the front side, here." He said, directing both, ignoring the fuckfaces standing outside the cell. He wondered why they were even talking to those twats anyways. It was not like they were here to reassure them or anything. They were their prisoners, and the only reason this Magnus dude was here was because he liked to be here, talking to helpless prisoners.
"I'm going to break the shaft, to hold it thightly. Richard, bite on your fucking sleeve." He said, giving the other guy an empathic look. As soon as Richard did so, he quickly snapped the arrowshaft just where Luke held it, and then helped holding Richard as he violently shocked in pain. Quickly moving to his back he pulled out the arrow from the back. Judging from where it had hit it should've only hit muscle and bone. It passed just under the sternum so it should be mostly okay, he guessed. Not that he knew much about it. Ripping off some fabric from his mostly clean second layer of t-shirt, he pressed it against the wound, wishing they had some sort of alcohol.
He sincerely hoped that he had pissed off the girl by breaking the arrow.
Ellis sighed, it was a low toned sigh, but none the less a sign of his frustration. If these strangers kept this up he would only grow more angry and unstable till his split personality surfaced, and he knew the only solution Andy would want. He lowered his Stockman knife and looked to the young girl,
"I'm not being anything but kind, so that's bull dust. Pig's arse to drop my weapon though, so I'll just put it away, and if that's not right, then shoot me dead." Ellis finished his sentence with a chilly tone, while his accent and Australian slang stuck out like a red thumb. Ellis looked to the older women as she approached the two,
"neither do I." stated Ellis as he placed his knife inside his jacket pocket. Ellis looked to the young girl,
"Happy?" he asked, holding his hands in the air for both of the survivors to see.
Emma knew one thing - she didn't like this guy. He seemed arrogant... Monica was probably the only the stopping her from shooting him - she'd killed enough people, one more couldn't hurt. When the boy lowered his knife, Emma (though reluctantly) followed suit. She lowered her gun, and let it rest by her hip. She was still ready to put a bullet in him if he came at either one of them.
She looked at him with as silence settled. He was taller than her, and looked like he could definitely handle himself in a fight. He was also kinda cute... She suddenly became aware of her worn clothes and ratty mess of hair. She kept her face straight, however, and glared at him.
12 months ago "I swear June it'll only be for a month. I haven't seen my mom in three years."
11 months ago "Mandy! Victor! Run." Elenore had tears on her face, her leg was broken. There was no hope she'd be able to make it out of the city like that. She held a lighter waiting until the two were gone to click it on. Each second that ticked by the room filled more with the gas used in the stoves, propane. Victor dragged Mandy from the kitchen, he was the only left of the restaurant staff.
4 months ago "I can't." His sign was weak, but Mandy understood. She tapped her chest with her thumb, all fingers splayed out. She didn't wait for his response; she turned around and walked away.
Two weeks ago "Don't move!" Victor yelled. Mandy moved not hearing him. He paused before shooting as the girl came into his range. That face, though thinner than he remembered, was familiar. He lowered the gun "Mandy?" He signed. She blinked and nodded, tapping her heart with a V hand shape. Victor dropped the gun the rest of the way and pulled Mandy into a hug. "I never thought I'd see you again."
Victor & Mandy - Street of Walker, Louisiana - Each other
Mandy was watching their backs as Victor checked ahead. So far the pair had been lucky in Walker, Louisiana. It was if someone had just been through clearing the very path they were taking. Victor took the street slower than he normally would have, expecting at any moment an ambush of living people.
Victor waved, the movement catching Mandy's attention. A universal come on gesture and Mandy caught up with him. Victor's sign was lacking so when he had particularly important stuff to say that he didn't want misunderstood he wrote it down for Mandy. The white board had some old tic tack toe marks on it that Victor whipped away. He wrote "I don't think there is anyone living near by. I see a store up the road we should head for it, see if there is anything in it." Mandy nodded in response. Victor slid the white board into the side pocket of his back pack, then started down the street again.
Mandy read the name of the store Fresh 'n Easy. She smiled. June and her would have made a joke about it. Victor didn't smile, even when Mandy pointed at the sign. He was just so... plain.
He started to push open the door, but stopped. Mandy nearly ran into him. She raised one hand and held it at a slight angle all fingers out and slid it side to side. Victor gave her a shushing sign in return. That was no answer. Mandy held back a heavy sigh, and waited. Victor made a P hand shape and made a circle with it. Mandy froze.
People.
Her heart speed up. Zombies were one thing... people were a totally different thing. They were more dangerous. Victor held up a hand in the universal stop, and then pointed to a spot away from windows for Mandy to stand and wait. She did as told.
Victor pushed open the door, and in his best kitchen boss voice said, "Hello?"
Anastasia had been walking for a while in the bright sun. Thankfully, the heat wasn't too merciless in January. With her walking stick in her right hand and her water bottle in her left, she trekked down the shoulder of the highway. Presently, she reached tucked her bottle into the side-pocket of her rucksack and brushed her dirty, blonde hair behind her ear. Thankfully she hadn't seen any infected in a while, so she traversed the road with ease.
After another couple minutes of walking, she felt stomach rumble. "Время для отдыха..." She muttered to herself. She sighed and set her stick on the ground, sliding her pack from her shoulders. She unzipped it and rifled through the cans and supplies, finding a large protein bar under a full roll of duct tape. She took her time in eating the snack - it’d been a couple hours since she’d eaten.
When she finished, she washed it down by emptying the last bit of her water bottle. She pursed her lips looked at the empty bottle. Unfortunately, she only had two, and now they were both depleted. She sighed again, glancing around. The last stop was about a mile back. She looked up the road ahead of her - a green sign read something in English that she didn’t understand. She had no ideas what the words meant, but she had figured out that most of the ramps lead to gas stations - stops for traveling cars before the outbreak. She was glad that American roads were similar to those in Russia.
She decided to try her luck with the exit ahead, picking up pack and stick and walking towards the turn-off. She regarded her blue jacket and decided to unzip it, tying it around the waste. It was getting a bit hot, and she was sweating lightly - so she tied it around her waist. Shouldering her backpack, she set off towards the exit sign. When she neared the sign, she saw an infected come up the shoulder of the road, sauntering towards her.
She let it come close, gripping her hiking stick tightly. When it was within reach, she pointed the sharp end of the stick at it, jabbing it. The thing protested as it got stuck on the end. Anastasia pushed hard, sending it to the ground. Before it could get back up, she stabbed it in the head with the tip. “Хорошая игра.” She said wiping the gore off the stick with the infecteds shirt.
She turned her head and began walking up the incline, past the green sign. When she reached the top of the hill, she saw a couple buildings. There were no infected on the roads, so she assumed that they were all inside the buildings. She glanced at a building - “Walker Discount Liqour!” - Yet, again, she stared innocently at the sign, oblivious to meaning of the words.
Victor - 'Fresh 'n Easy' Walker, Louisiana - June Hunter-Darling, Augusta Hunter and Malcolm Okada
"Don't want any trouble either." Victor gave her a small nod. "Just looking for anything to eat." He didn't want to give away Mandy, but if these guys turned out to be okay then he didn't want to start a relationship with a lie. "No, I'm not. My friend is waiting outside." Victor's voice was calm. Victor was tempted to call to Mandy, but then he remembered how useless that would be. "How about we split what we find? I'm an excellent cook and I can probably whip something up that is edible if you want. Then we can all share it, and go our separate ways tomorrow." He wasn't going to suggest any longer, Mandy didn't like staying in one place. She was too determined to find her friend.
Mandy - Outside the 'Fresh 'n Easy' Walker, Louisiana - Annie Mandy waited. She hated that part. It would be a lot easier if Victor just trusted her. Maybe he did. Trusted her to watch his back at least. She had made it just fine on her own.
That was lie. She sighed and leaned against the wall. She wanted to take a peek inside and see what was going on, see who Victor had found. Maybe they were nice. Of course she hoped it'd be June, she always did, but it never was. June was probably dead. Died doing some stupid stunt most likely. Maybe jumping her motorcycle over a group of zombies with a bomb attached to her to save her siblings.
Anger flared up. Anger being only a secondary emotion she knew she was scared. Scared for June, scared for herself, sacred for the human race.
That was it. Mandy needed to walk. To be away from Victor. She lifted herself from the wall and walked away. Avoiding being seen through the windows of the store. Victor was going to be pissed enough when he figured it out. Mandy rolled her shoulders. They had been traveling together too long. There weren't many people she liked to be around for a long time, and the one she really wanted to be with was probably dead.
Mandy turned down a deserted street. No not deserted there was someone standing staring at a liquor store sign.
Aubrey had patiently watched as Magnus' prisoners went rather crazy over the arrow in the man's shoulder. She had a pleased smile on her face the entire time, and kept watching with amusement and interest as one of the other men stepped up to help. She had never met anyone that knew how to take an arrow out so this was a new.
Although what actions were been taken in the cells had held her interest for a bit, she now was plagued with the thought of not having enough arrows. She had just shot one, and back in her room, she didn't have anymore stored for a rainy day. She had used them all in the last run that they had made which was a few weeks back.
"I'll be going now." She didn't look at Magnus as she spoke, her eyes still on the people in the cell. By now they had completely helped the wounded victim and once again, most eyes were on her. If it wasn't for the fact that she was so OCD with her arrows, she would have sent another flying at someone else just to keep toying with them. She made eye contact with the man that had taken the bloody arrow out and smiled at him. It wasn't a too friendly smile, but more of a congratulatory smile. In all honesty, she wanted to shoot an arrow at him, to see how he'd take that one out.
_______________________________________________
After she had left the cells and ignored the many questions of what she was doing, Aubrey found herself slinking through a few alleyways. She never really took the streets or the sidewalks, not wanting to be seen by others. Undead or living.
One of the cons about going through the back way, though, was the fact that she couldn't tell what door led to what store.
