"Uh, I don't really know. Maybe Audrey has something for you to do," Still a slightly embarrassed Gabriel left the kitchen and began looking for Audrey. He had no idea where she would normally be at this time of day, hopefully somewhere inside. He really didn't want to go out there, back to a place where if you couldn't constantly protect yourself you were dead.

"Audrey?" Gabe called out, not really looking that hard for her. She had to be around somewhere.

@The Critic @MissCapnCrunch

Audrey had originally planned on making breakfast, but with some of the boys sleeping, and Aaron leaving to go help their neighbor at the video store bury her parents- plans changed. They often did in these times. Audrey hadn't heard the new boy came in, as she was wrapped up in her own daily duties. Even slipping a nap in for a half hour in one of the back rooms where no one could disturb her. She began heading back to the kitchen area when she heard Gabriel calling for her. "Yes?" she asked, looking at yet another new face in front of her. "Oh hello! Welcome. I'm Audrey." she said, a bit surprised. She was thankful he looked older than a few of the boys that had recently joined their group. Someone who she could maybe relate to more.

The one who must've been Audrey entered the room. Isaac nodded at her.
"Hi, the guy out front sent me in. I've heard you're in charge around here, more or less. I just wanted to say thank you for the hospitality. If there's anything in particular you need, it's the least I could do to repay all of you." Isaac was wondering where everyone else was, it couldn't have just been the three of them here, considering that the entire store was boarded up instead of just a small section.
@MissCapnCrunch

Ivan slowly woke up, sniffling as he reached up to run bis eyes only to remember he was wearing a gas mask. He removed it, revealing his pale childish face which now was flushed and slightly sweaty. "Vhat's going on..." He mumbled, looking around the room.

@DriveEMOut

Sarah buried them face-down just in case they turned into one of those things. At Aaron's offer, she shrugged. "Got nowhere else to go.... I can bring all my videos also so we can watch some movies...Stronger than with just one thing to trade, I think...."

@Nikki Moonlight
Aaron started to take her to the grocery store. "Yeah. Wow, I never really hung out with you before...it....happened."

@DriveEMOut

Sarah nodded. "I never made friends, really...Even before the virus hit... I was deemed a sociopath by doctors...Other's feelings just don't seem real to me..."

Aaron kept his face emotionless until they got to the gate. He opened it, and let her inside. "If you want to help me barricade, it would be appreciated, but you can do what you want." One thing was inevitable. They would have to leave eventually. Aaron planned to get two more SUVs before they left from the car dealership group, they would trade for the food Asron wouldn't be able to bring. He took off his gas mask and shouted. "All right! Meeting in the dining area!"
@The Critic@Nikki Moonlight@MissCapnCrunch@Vortex@LordofthePies

Isaac heard the announcement and chuckled to himself. "Well, I guess we'll find out if I can help or not!" Isaac vaguely remembered the way he was guided through the store, and headed back to the main entrance. After stumbling his way through the aisles, he eventually found the main gate again and noticed the guy who had invited him inside with yet another person. He waved. "Hi, I'm not sure where the dining area is, so if it's alright with you I can just follow you there." He nodded to the girl with him as way of a greeting.

@DriveEMOut@Vortex

Sarah helped him barricade the store and she sighed softly, then went toward the meeting, then froze when she saw Charles come in, but she sat down anyway, ignoring him.

Aaron walked the man to the cleared out area, and saw the others. "Alright. There's no easy way to put this...but we're going to have to leave soon. Take all the food that will last long and gather it up. Try and sort it, too. Audrey, Charles, and Sarah, try and help me get two SUVs from the dealership group. We'll get the food that won't last as long, that we won't take with us, so we can trade. Alright, get to work."
@The Critic@Nikki Moonlight@LordofthePies@MissCapnCrunch@Vortex

Isaac decided he might as well pitch in. "I don't currently have any gasoline, and it's a mile or two away, but I have a Honda coupe. If there's any fuel around here, we could use my car as well. If it's all the same I'd like to keep my car." He hoped that he could, but if not it wouldn't be the end of the world. "Regardless, I'm willing to help however you want."
@DriveEMOut

Diary Entry 1: The New Wild West...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The paint horse gently trotted along the desolate stretch of highway, flanked on all sides by abandoned cars, some burned to a blackened char....as were the decomposing corpses that sat as though a collection of macabre statues in the driver and passenger seats. Harley, the young cowgirl who sat atop her trusty steed, she didn't show it upon her stoic face, almost void of any expression at all but a blank and empty stare, but on the inside she was grimacing at the disturbing visage of an untimely and definitely gruesome demise. But....maybe being burned alive or dying in a wreck was a more welcomed way to die....than being slowly eaten alive by...them. The next town...it was only a few feet away now, and Harley desperately needed to gather supplies. Her stomach growled intensely, slightly startling poor Riley, who like his friend, hasn't had anything to eat in days.

Something appeared to Harley now upon the distance, at first a rather few discernible objects, square in shape and a dull gray, but as Riley strode closer to it hoof by hoof, the objects in question soon came into better view amidst the humid, mirage-like haze, and Harley had hoped to God above that it wasn't a mirage. They were buildings, or more properly.....a gas station with a grocery store next to it. Now while horses didn't run off gas, they still ran out of fuel after traveling a long time, especially from Whitesboro all they way to God knows where in this ravaged and God forsaken country, and the same could be said for their riders.

"C'mon boy. Reckon there's still some food in there." Harley spoke to her trusty steed, giving him a slight nudge in the side with her boot. The horse let out a sharp neigh, which startled Harley.

"Damn boy! Y'all wanna wake the whole town?" Cautiously her eyes darted back and forth, making sure they didn't hear anything at all that would alert the presence of....fresh meat.

It wasn't just the nightcrawlers she dreaded. No...when the virus hit her sleepy little town back in Texas...everything came crashing down. Law and order no longer existed. Savages ran rampant, taking whatever they wanted...whoever they wanted.

It was as if the west was wild once again...

Harley had to conserve what ammo she had. It might be mighty hard to fight off hordes of scavengers with just a Bowie knife...especially on an empty stomach.

Her stomach...damn, would it ever quit growling?
@DriveEMOut@The Critic@Nikki Moonlight@LordofthePies@MissCapnCrunch@Vortex

Ivan had fallen back asleep, slumping over onto Charles again. He dropped his gas mask to the floor, sniffling quietly as he slipped into a heavy unconsciousness. He seemed to be having trouble staying awake this morning, to say the least.
@Vortex

"Go back to sleep child" Charles whispered to little Ivan as the boy was still clearly shaken to his core. And as Ivan did so, Charles spent a few more moments in the morning solitude with the boy in his lap. Charles knew that he must enjoy the serenity of it while it lasted because, as last night had perfectly demonstrated, it was not likely to last long. The peace was disturbed once more when Aaron called for a group meeting, and Charles thought it would probably be important enough to warrant his attention. He gently lifted Ivan off him and rested him against the wall, "Martel, stay with the lad" he told his feathered companion who he knew would provide a watchful eye over him and hopefully give him some company if Charles was not back when he woke back up.

Charles brushed himself down, straightened his clothes and combed back his hair as he entered the dining room. As he entered, he was not welcomed by a pleasant sight, the girl from yesterday, Sarah he recalled her name was, the girl who he had pointed a gun at and who had pointed a gun at him was now with them "Oh christ save us" he muttered to himself as he looked scornfully at Sarah who gave him no reply. Charles made a note to himself to question Aaron or Audrey, or whoever let her in, on their judgement for letting her in but he knew that now was not the place.

Charles was so focused on Sarah that he failed to realise that there was also another new addition to the team and so was slightly taken aback when he spoke. "Oh hello there my friend, I dont believe we've met. I am Charles Justinian Banesworth the Second, from the house of God and all things just and it is a pleasure to meet you" he said with a boy to the man "And might I know your name?"

@The Critic

@Vortex@DriveEmOut

Sarah heard Charles mutter something, but she rolled her rose-colored eyes at the man's introduction to the other new addition to the group. She got up and got herself busy packing up food that wouldn't last as long into the one SUV they were going to the dealership with. She ignored Charles completely, her sniper on her back. Then she went to Aaron. "Aaron I think we might be able to trade some videos as well."

Aaron thought. "Sounds good. Alright, anyone who wants to try and trade, come with us. If things get ugly, try and fight your way out." He started to walk outside, freezing when he saw a girl who looked a bit older than him. He didn't have time to get his rifle from his back, so he ripped a knife out of its sheath on his calf. "Well then."
@Nikki Moonlight@Flightless_Soul

@DriveEMOut@Flightless_Soul

Sarah took her rifle out, holding it lowered but still at the ready, willing to shoot if the girl before them wasn't friendly.

@DriveEMOut@Nikki Moonlight

As soon as she heard the *shing* of a knife leaving it's sheath, Harley whirled around whipping out her revolver and leveled it on the boy and girl, a cold, hesitant glare to her amber eyes.

"Drop it!" She hollered in a thick southern drawl, clicking back the hammer, Riley letting out a frightened neigh. "I said it drop it, hear? Don't y'all be gittin' any funny ideas!"

Ivan slept on against the wall, showing no signs of waking up anytime soon. He shivered slightly in his sleep, unconsciously holding on to the falcon for comfort.