[IC] ⌠𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 ╼ 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋⌡

[Mao Mao]

It has been two weeks since Theodore Ochoa had returned from Panama. He was sent there by his business to investigate in possible locations for their office. The business was well-known in Central America and parts of Mexico for their help in improving the lives of millions of low-income civilians. The management of the company, Driftonic Tech, wanted to build an office within one of the Central American countries. The company was founded by a German woman named Elena Dietrich back in 2010. She made the company famous back in 2017, where they aided in the Mexican earthquake by providing free solar panels to millions. After that, Driftonic Tech and their solar panels sold like crazy all over Mexico and Central America. They decided to set their other office in Panama and sent Theodore there.

It only took him two weeks before finding the perfect location. Panama City didn’t have any good locations and their office lots were too small for the tech company. Then, he went to Tocumen next for the perfect office building. During the trip, he found an office lot for sale in the downtown area. He contacted the management and sent the location before heading back to the states. They told him to call them once he found the “perfect lot” and give them all of the information about the buyer and the location. After that, he went back to Panama City and took the plane ride home.

During the several hour plane ride, he developed a cough out of nowhere. A stranger offered him some coughing drops and Theodore took it. He and the stranger thought that he just had the common cold. The coughing stopped for the remaining plane ride and his walk to his car. Then, it came back more violently. That was when that he started to cough up blood. He was scared more than ever. He debated whether or not to go to one of the hospitals; but, he decided that he would take the ferry back to Bainbridge Island. He had a fear of hospitals since the outbreak in the late 2010s.

The ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge took thirty five minutes as usual. This wasn’t his first trip out of Washington, but it was the first time that he suddenly developed an unusual cold. It got worse during the ride and people on the ferry began to notice that. Suddenly, a woman walked up to him with some cold medicine. She said that she always keeps one for her five children. He accepted the medicine and took some of it before handing the bottle back to the mother. She walked back to her car and children. It helped him for the remaining boat ride and the drive out of the downtown area.

Once his car got out of downtown, he began to sweat as he got to the suburbs. Theodore became confused and tired as he couldn’t look forward. His head kept going down as he tried to make it stay straight. The coughing got worse as he entered the street where he lived and he started to get a fever. He parked his car in the driveway and got out of it as he slammed the door close. The keys to the house were on his hands as he went to unlock the door. He entered the house and closed the door behind him. He climbed the stairs up and dropped his suitcase about halfway up.

Once Theodore was on the second floor of his house, he rushed towards his bedroom as he saw his bed for the first time in two weeks. He’d thought that with some rest that he could easily get better. If not, he would just call work and tell them that he was taking a sick day. He thought that he was going to rest tomorrow and get better. He thought all of it as he collapsed onto the bed and passed out.

⋙ 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⋘

One of Baltham Police Force’s police cars stopped in front of the home. It was the standard green and white police car that you’d see in a small town somewhere in the forests. An officer exited out of the car without his police uniform. His friend, Benjamin Dunnings, soon stepped out of the car and looked at the house. “You sure about this, mate?” the officer asked again.

“Yes.” he answered, “He hasn’t been seen outside of his home in a day. I am worried and you should be too.”

One of Theodore’s neighbors called Benjamin and told him of the situation. It had been almost a day since he returned home during the night. His car was parked at the driveway, but no-one saw him. Benjamin told Officer Callum Lewis of Theodore’s absence from the outside world. He told Benjamin that he would use his lunch break to go to the house to calm Benjamin down; but, he believed that everyone’s taking it too far.

“Come on, Ben, we aren’t his parents.” Officer Callum jested towards his other friend.

“You should be also concerned for him!” he snapped. Benjamin usually didn’t snap or get annoyed that easily, but Officer Callum often does that to him. He breathed before he said anything that he would regret and apologized. The officer forgave him and ensured that he cared for his other friend. He knew how much Benjamin cared for his close friends. The pair of friends walked up to the door, knocked on it, and waited for some sort of response.

Benjamin grabbed the doorknob and twisted it as the door opened. “Theodore?” Benjamin called out his friend’s name for some kind of response. He didn’t hear anything for his friend or his dog, Wrex. Callum started to feel unease about the silence and looked at the stairs to his bedroom and soon saw his suitcase. He didn’t bothered to pick it as he looked at it for a few seconds. Benjamin looked at the stairs and started to climb it.

He stopped for a moment as he heard chewing sounds. “Theodore?” he asked once more as he got to the top and slowly walked towards the bedroom door. Callum went towards the living room for a bit to look around for any clues. He didn’t find anything that stood out in his eyes, but he then saw a picture of Theo, his son, and his ex-wife. Theodore married to his college sweetheart during their graduation ceremony. The marriage only last for six years as the stress of having a kid was too much for them. Now, Theodore and his ex-wife have to share custody of their son.

He kept looking at the picture until he heard Benjamin calling out Callum’s name. He walked away from the picture and headed for the second floor. Ben was getting ready to open the bedroom door, but he still heard the chewing sounds. Ben opened the door as soon as Callum got near him and saw Theodore kneeling on the ground. He was eating something as Benjamin got closed and called out, “Theodore..?”

Theodore dropped the thing that he was eating and turned towards them, revealing his bloody mouth. Benjamin looked worried as he ran towards Theodore to check out his mouth. He kneeled down to get a closer look. His head turned towards Callum as he said, “Oh God, call an ambulance.”

Benjamin couldn’t finish the sentence as Theodore bit into Benjamin’s neck. He yelled as his friend was biting his neck while Callum rushed towards them. Callum grabbed his upper chest and managed for him to stop biting Ben’s neck. A piece of fresh from his neck fell near him as Ben crawled backwards from the two men. Theodore’s mouth was more bloody as Callum shoved him towards the bathtub in the bathroom. He tripped over the dead dog and fell into the tub. Since there wasn’t a bathroom door, Callum rushed towards to Ben and check if he was alright.

Ben was in shock as he held on the bite mark on his neck with his hands. Callum decided to get Ben to his police car and call for help. He lift Ben up as he heard sounds coming from the bathroom. They decided to not stick around as the pair left the bedroom and carefully walked down the stairs. When they were almost at the first floor, Callum saw that Theodore managed to get out of the bathroom and bedroom. He began to walk faster towards them, but he forgot about the stairs as he lost his footing and started to fall down to the first level.

Callum saw Theodore falling down the stairs and took Ben outside before he fell onto the floor. They raced towards the cop car and Callum set Benjamin down by the car. Ben was still crying out in pain as he held on the bite mark. Neighbors began to gather nearby the police car and wanted to help the man out. Some went inside their homes to call for help. Others stayed outside to record the whole thing. Callum didn’t care for the gathering as he went into his car and looked for his pistol and the first aid kit.

He first found the first aid kit and placed it on top of the car. Then, he reached for his gun and saw Theodore at the front door. He quickly grabbed it, closed the car door, and rushed towards Benjamin. He raised the palm of his hand as the other hand held onto the pistol. “Stop moving!” he shouted at his best friend. Theodore kept moving forward.

“Stop it, goddammnit!” he shouted once more. But, Theodore didn’t listen as he kept moving.

“I gave you several warnings to stop!” he declared, “I am sorry...friend..”

With both hands on the pistol, he aimed it at the chest of his friend and fired once. That would of sent someone to the ground, but Theodore wasn't on the ground. It only sent him backwards before pausing for a moment and then walking forward once more. Confused and shocked as his friend didn’t go down right away, he fired a second time. The same thing happened again. The crowd, that had formed earlier, ran away from the scene as gunfire rang out.

Callum didn’t understand what was happening as his friend should of died. He aimed his gun for Theodore’s head and fired it as he quickly closed his eyes. The third shot had finally killed his friend as he fell backwards towards the ground. The officer turned away from the body as he opened his eyes and placed the gun nearby the first aid kit. ‘Fuck’ was the first word that he said since killing his best friend. He breathed slowly to control his emotions and grabbed the first aid kit.

Benjamin was speechless as he saw his best friend killed by his other friend. He kept putting pressure on the bite mark, so he won’t lose anymore blood that he already did. Callum placed the first aid kit nearby him and started to work on the bite mark. He was still working on the bite mark as the ambulance and more police cars arrived at the scene. He didn't want to kill his best friend, but he had to protect his friend and the large crowd. It was his job after all.

[JackalopeLove]

Sadie Douglas

It was 4:30 AM when Sadie awoke, the sun has yet to rise and the birds have yet to begin to chirp. Sadie rose to a sitting position in her bed and raised her arms far above her head to stretch from a good night’s rest. Then she flung her feet to the side and slide her right foot into her slipper but for some reason, the left slipper was not there. She thought to herself that it was very odd for her slipper to be missing because of it always being in the same spot every morning where she leaves it every single night. She shrugged it off and continued to get ready for work. It was a simple routine and it was always the same every day, shower, make up, get dressed and get out of the house. Today she wore a white T-shirt, jeans and a jean jacket with her white converse. She grabbed her keys and her pre-bagged lunch and walked out the door of her small one bedroom apartment only 3 blocks away from the radio station.

She walked to the station around 5:45 AM, she was always the first one there, which is why they gave her the keys to open up the place. She has been doing the same routine for 3 years now and she loves every day of it. She made sure the coffee was brewing for everyone and then she started to get set up in the booth for today’s show. Plugging in her flash drive to the laptop on her desk, she was able to load her talking points and news she got the night before. Samuel the technician showed up about 10 minutes after Sadie, like usual. He sat down outside the booth with coffee in his hand and large bags under his eyes, it was clear he did not enjoy his job nearly as much as Sadie did.

As Sadie pulled the microphone closer to her face she could see Samuel starting the countdown on his hand. 3... 2... 1... "Good morning Baltham, Washington it looks like it is going to be another cloudy day and I’m going to be spending it with all of you while playing all the hits. This is 91.3 The Mesh and I am your host Sadie Douglas lets kick it off with the Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays.” With that her microphone was turned off and the melody started playing over the radio. For Sadie this is her life, broadcasting to hundreds of people and for some people, her voice might be the first one they hear in the morning, it makes Sadie happy knowing that she has an effect on people she doesn’t even know.

Soon the Boomtown Rats were winding down and Sadie had to start up again. She pulled the microphone close and waited for the song to end, she took a sharp breath and began, “Welcome to anyone that is joining us now, that was the Boomtown Rats- I don’t like Mondays and let’s just say I am sure they are not the only ones. It is going to be another cloudy day here in Baltham, Washington, which is good because it gives me an excuse for always being so pale! Coming up next we have an extremely easy way to burn 150 calories in an hour, I’ll give you a hint it requires hitting your head against a wall. Stay tuned, this is Sadie Douglas on 91.3 The Mesh.” This time, she sent them to commercials, it was a cushy job, not much work when you are there but putting a few extra hours after never hurts anyone.

Her day went on like that for a few more hours until lunch. Sadie always packs her own lunch and the station puts on music for 30 minutes non-stop rock, while she is eating. Sadie likes to eat in the studio with the other workers, the just loves being in the building in general. She normally finishes her meal quickly and chats with her coworkers but today something happened. Samuel busted into the lounge where Sadie was eating, “There was a shooting you need to go on now” He said excitedly. Sadie had a mouthful of a sandwich but still jumped out of her seat and ran with Samuel back to the booth. When she walked in Samuel handed her a slip of paper with all of the information they had which was almost none at all but still Sadie’s job was to keep the public informed if something like this happened.

The song that was playing faded out and Sadie began “We have some breaking news folks, there has been a shooting on Bainbridge Island. The only information we have is that three men were involved one of them being an officer. It seems as though one man was attacking the other and the officer stepped in and used unnecessary force. As far as we are aware the victim was unarmed but also not willing to cooperate with the officer. We will keep you updated as we find out more information, stay safe out there everyone.” As Sadie’s voice disappeared the next song started to play Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege.

[Dion]

Artyom Dimitri Ekaterina Petrovka

_{Артем Димитрий Екатерина Петрова}



∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵ ∴ ∵

Artyom had woken up early - five AM - as his shift started early today. Something about loading a large freighter that was sailing to Amsterdam to deliver goods. Apparently it was for a local company, the T.C. Trading Company. Not that Artyom had ever heard of the place, but it was always different to work for locals. Sometimes they'd pay a visit to see how it was going. On more than one occasion they would offer needless comments that were not required at all. But a lowly dock worker would hardly be in a position to tell them to shut up. That'd be biting the hand that feeds you. And Artyom knew he needed every penny he could get right now.

His morning routine was simple - from five to six he'd eat, wash up, brush his teeth and dress for work. Most dock companies had some loose policies on work, but not that of Artyom. He wore a black beanie to shelter him from the cold of working near the sea, with a grey sweater under it. Underneath his sweater he'd sport some light working jeans, with the bottom of his pants tucked into his heavy brown-leather working boots. But that was not all. For work purposes he also had to wear a cloth overall which was a light grey color. Some reflective patches on the shoulder meant that they could even work at night-times.

It was ugly for sure, but it was policy and that meant he had to wear it if he wanted to work and earn money today. Once he was finished with his morning routine, he'd step outside and lock the door behind him. A single glance around him in the street showed him that he was indeed living in Washington D.C. The place looked good and it was reflected in the rents - it'd been a few months since he'd been able to send money home. And rents kept rising, and his paycheck stayed the same. It was becoming a problem.

With a sigh he walked up to his car - a downtrodden pickup truck of indistinguishable brand, though from the model most likely a Ford. He stepped into the drivers seat and smashed the door closed, shaking the car a bit under his weight. He started the car and changed the radio station to another channel. Without realizing it he tuned into 91.3. Something called 'The Mesh'. Not really listening to the woman on the radio, he put his foot down on the gas and drove off.

He seemed to have tuned in in the middle of a damn commercial break, but whatever. The background noise was welcome, because traffic was driving him nuts already. From his apartment to the bridge was always a mess, but after that it generally cleared up, since nobody really drove to the dock areas at these times. It was just those damn corporate assholes in their fancy cars that were mucking up the traffic.

When he pulled up into the parking lot outside the docks, he could already see most of his colleagues standing around at the big truck that delivered the goods. At least today was a small shipment - meaning, small packages and general items you could carry easily - compared to the regular large crates that required forklifts, cranes and other tools. He parked his car, pulled the keys out of the ignition, and got out, slamming the door shut behind him.

As he walked towards the truck to mingle with his colleagues, he pulled out a cigarette pack and stuck one in his mouth, putting the pack away again and retrieving a lighter from his pocket. He wasn't a heavy smoker - just wanted one to start the day. He lit the cigarette and put the lighter away in the pockets of his overalls. “Privet,” he greeted one of his Russian coworkers, who merely nodded at him. “Kak dela?”

The two conversed in Russian for a bit before the American foreman showed up. For a crowd filled with Russians, Poles, Bulgarians and even some Romanians, it was only fitting for an American to lead their shift. “Alright, lissen' up!” the man bellowed as he stood on the open end of the truck. There were about eight dockworkers right now, since it was just the morning shift. “We have a shipment here right now, from T.C. Trading Company, which is a local company here. That means you work carefully. We want to keep them as our customers. Then, in two hours, we have a second shipment coming in which is going on the same boat. Boat is going to Europe, so mark the crates properly, understood?” The crowd nodded, since nobody wanted to answer the fat foreman. In general, answering foremen was a bad idea regardless, because they were usually American hard-asses that thought they knew all the answers because they had worked as a dockworker themselves.

“Alright, get to work! Andrzej, where's your overalls?”

Artyom inhaled from the cigarette once more, deeply, before he threw the cigarette away. Pulling his beanie closer over his ears he stepped into warehouse where the truck was parked and got one of the carts that they used to roll the small shipments to the ships with. He rolled it all the way to the truck, then he and a colleague (which he thought was a Polak) filled the cart with smaller packages first. While they filled it, Artyom tried to start some conversation using the best Polish he knew. Unluckily he did not know much more Polish than you'd expect from someone who only heard it in passing during work. “Siema.. co.. co u ciebie?” The Polak looked at Artyom through his eyebrows while he was bent over, but didn't answer.

Nice way to start the day, Artyom thought.

As the day progressed and the end of his shift drew closer, Artyom rolled the last cart to the docks. As he passed through the warehouse, he took note of the radio, which was saying something about the new.

“...folks, there has been a shooting on Bainbridge Island. The only information we have is that three men were involved one of them being an officer. It seems as though one man was attacking the other and the officer stepped in and used...”

Just another day in the USA, right? He listened for a minute before continuing on his way to the docks. The sooner they got this shipment loaded, the sooner they could start on the second, larger shipment.

[Squad 404]

Ashley groaned as she stirred on her couch. The TV spat static at her and caused her to blink repeatedly at the sudden light. Last night should have ended early, but the jeers for an encore proved to be overwhelming. Ashley had negotiated a day off from the club after that, since they were there seven hours longer than they needed to be and had to use the songs they were saving for tomorrow to satisfy the crowd. Feeling around for the remote, Ashley turned on the TV properly and hit the guide button. Swearing as she saw it was twelve thirty, Ashley sprang up out of her makeshift bed and wobbled for a moment as the blood rushed to her head before she began to head for her bathroom to shower.

Turning on the radio she kept in her bathroom, Ashley turned it to 91.3 as she began to peel off her smelly clothes. Giving a smile to herself in the mirror, as was her custom, Ashley turned up the radio and started her shower. About halfway through scrubbing herself clean of the few drinks thrown at the stage each night Ashley perked up when she heard Sadie mention some breaking news about an officer shooting an unarmed civilian who wasn’t cooperating with him. Staring at her radio in worry Ashley froze for a few moments as she processed this information. Bainbridge island was a pretty peaceful place, so this was a rather unnerving turn of events. Ashley tried to sing along with Sacrilege, but the worrisome news sealed her tongue to the roof of her mouth

Finishing her shower and drying herself, Ashley headed into her rarely used bedroom and began to dress herself in a clone of the outfit she had peeled off earlier. She liked the design, and was always annoyed at having to wash her clothes constantly. Though Ashley knew that was merely part of the occupational hazard that came with playing at bars and clubs. The more people drank, the more that throwing their drinks seemed like a good idea. This was also the reason why Ashely kept her hair so short: Less to scrub.

Pulling on one of the swimsuits she wore underneath her clothes, Ashley took a moment to adjust it so it fit properly before pulling on a pair of nylon stockings. Pulling on her pants, shirt, and jacket Ashley stepped into her boots and pulled the laces and straps snug before checking over her appearance in the mirror to make sure that everything was in place. Smiling to herself again, Ashley gave a thumbs up and headed out the door. It would seem weird to people when she did that, but keeping herself confident was something Ashley took great pride in. Stopping in her tracks and smacking herself in the forehead Ashley turned around and went back inside.

Gathering her dirty clothes, Ashley packed them into the washing machine and got it started. Every time she ran it the washing machine was set to thorough scrub. It was the only way to get the smell out of her clothes. Grabbing the keys to her jeep Ashley locked the front door and turned off the TV before heading into the garage and opening the main door.

Closing the door to the house behind her Ashley got into her jeep and started the car. Backing out, Ashley closed the garage door and drove off. For many people, getting food at a bar wasn’t something that they found to be wholesome and filling, but Ashley knew that it was better than it looked most of the time. Parking neatly between two other cars Ashley got out of her jeep and closed the door behind her. Pressing the lock key once, she heard the doors click. A second press elicited a beep from the car. Satisfied in its security Ashley headed into the bar and sat down at, well, the bar. Asking for chicken fingers, Ashley idly stared at a nearby TV while she waited for her food.

[Bayaz]

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Conn McReid

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"What kind of bar opens at ten-in-the-goddamn-morning?" Conn asked himself as he ran a hand through his hair. His dirty mirror showed him to be what he was. Tired. He'd slept in until ten, which is more than could be said for most of the working population of the Island, but he'd stayed up until four. Such was life. Stay up late, have a blast, wake up hating life, rinse and repeat. It suited him fine.

He threw on an old Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt from high school that was maybe just a bit too small. A pair of thrift-store jeans that were maybe a size too big, but well secured with a belt. A pair of new, but off-brand converse. He looked himself over in the mirror.

God, He thought, cringing. I look like a high schooler that's trying way too hard to be cool.

But he didn't change. Instead, he raced out of his apartment, once he'd seen the clock. The elevator was still out, as it had been for close to eight months. So, he bounded down the stairs, instead. He got to the front of the building, thanking God and his older brother's gym membership card that he wasn't out of breath yet. He scrambled to get the keys for his bike lock out of his pocket. Once he did, he swung his leg over the mountain bike and shoved the lock into his backpack. He pedaled as hard as he could, and arrived outside the bar in what must have been record time. He locked up his bike, turned on his heel, and threw open the door. He ran into the kitchen, tossed his backpack on the floor and pulled out his apron. Once he had that securely on, he clocked in, right as the clock struck ten.

---

"Order of chicken wings!" One of the waiters called back into the kitchen.

"On it!" Connor called back, gathering up everything he needed with a smile. Say one thing for Connor McReid, say he's a good cook. Within a few minutes, the chicken strips were done and plated. He walked out into the main part of the bar, and smiled wider when he saw who had ordered the chicken. He set it down in front of her. "Well, well. If it isn't my favorite local club singer." He grinned, toothily. "How we doing today, Ash?"

[Squad 404]

Breaking her idle staring contest with the TV, Ashley returned Connor’s smile. Flattered by the praise of being Connor’s favorite club singer Ashley answered his question with a simple. “Not too shabby Conman. Did you hear the news this morning?” As Ashley waited for Connor, or Conman as she liked to call him from time to time, to answer Ashley began to munch on the chicken strips. Most of the time people found bar food unappealing. This was doubly so since it was usually heavily salted and fatty to keep the drinks, and thus the profit, flowing. Ashley, however, had been eating the stuff for years by now, and was rather accustomed to the taste.

Ashley had a gut feeling that Connor was feeling more than friendship with the way he greeted her, but she knew not to address it. Most guys didn’t like it when the object of their affection brought such affection to attention before they did. Leaving the feelings to season for now would give them a chance to be tested. Taking a bite out of one of the strips, Ashley chewed away as she gave a brief glance around at the other early bar patrons. Some people simply couldn’t wait to get their booze on, though the place was still relatively calm and quiet.

It was a totally different atmosphere when Ashley was usually on stage, though. More often than not by the time she took to the microphone the crowds were large and usually well drunk. This was part of the reason why Ashley usually ended up covered in various types of alcohol, sometimes accidental, sometimes not. In her early gigs Ashley had been quite repulsed by the act, although by now it was simply part of the show. Routine, even. That’s why Ashley owned several sets of the same clothes and had to wash them daily. This was also the reason why Ashley wore a one piece swimsuit underneath all of her clothes rather than traditional undergarments: They took being wet a lot better than most clothes did. A bikini was an option, though Ashley found the one piece suits more supportive and thus more comfortable to wear for extended periods of time.

Popping the last of her first chicken strip into her mouth, Ashley chewed and swallowed it down, and would probably begin to answer Connor should he have spoken by this point. If Connor hadn’t, Ashley would simply go on munching on her food. It was funny, most people would revile eating bar food for breakfast, but for Ashley it was just another day. That basically summed up Ashley’s current life: Strange or disgusting things to other people were just another day to Ashley, and she wouldn’t have changed it for the world. The independance was extremely satisfying, and Ashley would likely never tire of singing.

Ashley fished around in her pockets for her phone, then scowled as she remembered it’s presence on the small side table near the couch. Ashley’s parents were accustomed to receiving a check-in text from her on a regular basis. They’d gone on a trip to Hawaii recently, and had left their house in her care. Ashley’s dad was especially paranoid about it, since his old army stuff was still there and he kept feeling like someone would want to steal it.

Resigning herself to go and check on the house later, Ashley turned her wandering thoughts back to the situation at hand: Chicken strips for breakfast and the conversation with Connor.

[HowlsOfWinter]

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Cling. Cling. Cling.

"Welcome."

The day was just beginning as Valerie welcomed her first client. It was Alex; the man who got a large dragon tattooed on his back. He was here for his last session. Valerie welcomed him with a small smile and gestured for him to have a seat. She began to sterilize the tools as her first client waited patiently, fiddling with his phone.

"Have you heard the news this morning, Miss Val?" He asked, his voice deep and husky. He was a large man who looked to be in his 40's. His beard was scruffy, and his hair long enough to be tied back into a bun. She gave him a sideway glance. "Nope. Anything important?" She asked, not particularly interested as she continued to prepare her tools. "There was a shooting in Brainbridge. Details aren't clear. But you should watch out, yeah? You work alone in this parlor--and you're a woman."

Valerie tried not to scoff at his last comment. "Appreciate the concern," she said flatly. She opened a drawer and pulled out a gun, cocking an eyebrow and shooting him a smug smile before putting it back in the drawer. Alex raised his hands, both surprised and impressed. "Remind me not to mess with ya," he laughed.

As soon as she finished sterilizing the tools and pouring ink, she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail. With a tray full of tools in hand, she walked toward Alex and gently set it down on the table beside him. She proceeded to put on clean rubber gloves, now gesturing for him to remove his shirt. "Let's finish up this bad boy, shall we?"

--

It was time for breakfast.

Valerie flipped the sign from OPEN to CLOSED. She locked the door and quickly double-checked before leaving for the nearby bar, which was just a few blocks down the road; she had seen it just the other day and decided she would check the place out. It was a warm day outside, and Valerie was glad she had chosen to wear a loose blouse today. She paired it with her favorite skinny jeans and black ankle boots. She pulled her hair tie and let her brown waves hang loose.

Valerie reached the bar within a few minutes. She sat at a vacant table by the window and began scanning the menu. Something good but not too heavy... she thought as her index finger trailed down the menu.

"Excuse me," she raised her hand to call on the waitress. The waitress quickly grabbed a pen and walked toward her. "Yes, may I have your order?" she asked with a small smile as she clicked her pen. "I'll have one order of Fish and Chips," she said as her eyes continued to scan the list of drinks. "-and one beer." The waitress quickly wrote down her order. "Anything else?"

"None, thank you."

Valerie sat quietly as she waited, her eyes scanning the room. There was a small stage, a few round tables and chairs, and some abstract paintings on the wall. It was a pretty decent place, and there were only a few other people besides her.

Without another glance, she turned her attention to the TV and gently massaged her temples, regretting her decision to stay up all night playing billiards on her phone.

[Sugar and Spite]

Emily & Cleo

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_{A lovely collab between @SouffleGirl123 and @HaleyTheRandom}

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A giggle erupted from painted blood red lips as long legs stumbled along the sidewalk, often missing the confines of the path. The young woman with the bouncing orange waves giggled once more the sound piercing the silence of the dark and otherwise quiet streets as she brought a half-full tequila bottle leftover from the wild night to her lips. The party had left no overnight lovers and with it avoiding the awkward next morning that came with it or, as Emily most commonly did if she wasn't too hungover, an early morning departure, leaving her one night stand short of money or a valuable item. Eventually she came to the house of Cleo, placing the tequila bottle next to the door, failing to do so upright she did so side on, small bits of tequlia leaking from the bottle until there was not enough of the liquor to reach the bottle's brim. She fumbled in her pocket pulling out it'a contents, some cash, her fake ID (it had been a house party but you never know where you might end up) and the key to the house. After a few lousy attempts between chuckles at her failures she was able to unlock the door. She placed her items into her pocket before swiping up her beloved tequila before swinging open the door and yelling "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'M HOOOOOOOOOOOOME," her words slurred as she stumbled into the house, not bothering to close the door. If Cleo wasn't up at this hour, 3 in the morning for that fact, it would be hard for her to not have been awoken.

Cleo had just come home from work around two in the morning. She had showered and eat a little something right before laying down to the comfort of her warm bed around two-thirty. In the back of her mind, Cleo couldn’t help but think that she hadn’t seen any sign of Emily. However, that didn’t mean that she just had to be out partying, right? She could have been in the spare bedroom for all Cleo knew. But then again, the late-night party owl that her so called adoptive daughter was, she most likely would have been by the TV. No matter if Emily wasn’t technically her daughter or not, Cleo still seen her as her own. Sighing and turning off the bed-side lamp, Cleo would roll over to find herself quickly falling asleep. That was until she heard the slamming off the door.
The woman would quickly find herself awoken, sitting straight up in bed as she turned the lamp back on. Who the hell would barge into the house like that? ”Emily,” she sighed. Of course. So her presumptions of the girl not being home were correct.

Slinging the covers off and rolling out of bed, her feet landing on the floor with a soft thud as the cool air hit the bare skin that wasn’t covered by her shorts or tank-top, Cleo would open her bedroom door and find herself walking quickly down the steps to a scene she was all too familiar with: Emily with tequila in hand. Not that Cleo had all that much room to talk, considering whiskey was her weakness, but still, could the girl not have come in any louder. ”Emily,” she shouted, her voice having a slight groggy sound to it due to her little spot of slumber. ”What on God’s green earth are you doing barging into the house at this hour of the morning?” It wasn’t like she had to ask, as Cleo already knew the answer, but it was always the start to the cycle that she had ever so cleverly nicknamed ‘Emily’s ‘I’m Home’ Extravaganza.” Coming further down the stairs, it was apparent that the red haired girl was, indeed, drunk.

"Cherishing it! And it's sweet... refreshments," she slurs, raising the bottle toast fashion before bringing it to lips. After taking a large gulp she lowers the bottle before tilting her head, a look of faux sympathy spread over her lips. "What's wrong Cleo? Oh let loose! Yer meant t' be a bartender, ain't ya? You should be wasted by now." she replies, raising the bottle to her lips once more

Cleo rolled her eyes, walking over to the other girl. "You're drunk, Em... again." She marched over, snatching the bottle away as the small amount of liquid that was left in the bottle splashed against the sides. "Let loose my ass. Bartenders serve responsible people. Bartenders are the responsible people to take things like car keys from irresponsible people," she said, holding the bottle in front of her before walking over to poor the small amount of liquid down the drain.

"I'm an adult!" she slurs, "Screw tha law, screw yer judgement. Imma be drunk if I wanna be," Soon enough the older woman took her beloved tequila. "Hey!" she yelps, attempting to grab the liquor bottle only to stumble forward. "I wasn' finished with that. Who died an' made you the boss of me? I'm an adult!" she protests, stumbling closer to Cleo.

Seeing someone as tall as Emily stumble was a bit funny to Cleo, having been shorter than her since she was around fifteen. Darlin' sit down before you break something. The law is the reason you ended up in juvy, remember?" She turned back around to look at the other woman. An adult who can't hold down a job, doesn't have an actual place to go and stays half drunk all the time," she asked, her hands on her hips, eyebrows arched. "That's not being an adult. That's being stupid and proving that you're still a child, rather you are legal age or not."

"I still wasn't finished with that," she murmurs, throwing herself onto thecoich in an inelegant fashion. "Why else do you think I hate it? Although that guy was fun." she mutters.
Words words words. Gosh, that woman knew how to nag. Emily would have argued, if she hadn't passed out, face buried in the couch, snoring loudly.

Cleo was about to say something, right before she heard the loud snores coming from Em, who was actually on the couch as she had ordered. Oh well, she'd sleep it off. Cleo walked back up the stairs once more to find herself back in her bed, asleep.

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Waking up the next morning, around nine o'clock, Cleo would get out of bed, dress in her skinny jeans, gray t-shirt and black converse, before brushing her hair. Why the bar opened at ten, she had no idea. She walked down the stairs, seeing that Emily was still asleep, before making herself a bowl of cereal and eating it silently. Next, she put on a pot off coffee and wrote a note for Em on a sticky-note.

Em, you know the drill. Hot shower, coffee's in the pot. Just make sure you sleep off last nights shenanigans before you do anything stupid again.

She walked over, gently pressing it to the other woman's forehead before walking out grabbing her things and walking out the door. She quickly drove to the bar, walking in, she would see that some other people were already there as she walked to the back and hung up her jacket. "Hey guys," she called out.

Emily gave a groan as she woke. Her head was pounding. With a yawn she rolled over on the couch only to roll off with a thud. She groaned once more, sitting up groggily. She felt around her forehead to retrieve the sticky note which sat there as usual after a big night. "Such a mother," She complains to herself, however, she truthfully saw the woman's care as sweet. Running a hand through the rat's nest her hair had become at overnight, well over-morning, she sets to going through her normal hangover routine.

[Mao Mao]

Jake Elliott woke up from his six hours sleep at five in the morning. That was his usual time to get ready for the day. He showered after his morning run, got dressed, and spent his days either inside or outside of his home. The first thing that he did was his work as a freelance journalist and edited some of the articles that he was working on. They were about the lamest things that you could imagine. He listened to the popular radio station in both Baltham and Bainbridge Island: 91.3 The Mesh. There were several radio stations that he often heard while he typed away, but he liked to hear Sadie Douglas talk about the local news once in awhile. At noon, he decided to make a ham sandwich from his kitchen and took a break. It was suppose to be quick until Dustin called him. Dustin Pardey, a freelance photographer, was a close friend to Jack since they met in college. They often teamed up together on interesting stories that was worth cash. If Dustin is calling him, then something important had just happened. He reached for his smartphone as Sadie went into her ‘breaking news’ moment. The ‘breaking news’ was a shooting in Bainbridge Island. Three men were involved in the shooting, but information was limited. That was why Dustin called.

“Hey,” Dustin said towards Jack, “have you heard of the shooting?”

“Yeah, thanks to Miss. Douglas.” he joked as he walked towards his notepad and grabbed it. It was going to be a busy day for the two of them. He knew that Dustin was driving to the scene so he could get any interesting pictures. And Jack couldn’t miss this moment in history for Bainbridge Island. There hasn’t been a shooting since ‘04 and this was going to be story worthy material.

“You coming?” Dustin asked.

“Of course, I am coming—won’t miss this opportunity to get more cash.” he answered truly as he headed out of his apartment room and raced down the stairs. They talked about any additional information that each one had about the shooting, but nothing new came out of that. By the time that Jack was near his car, Dustin had arrived at the scene. Jack immediately got inside his car, buckled his seatbelt, and started up his jeep as he drove towards the scene.

It only took Jack five minutes to drive to the scene, thanks to Dustin for giving the address. He parked his jeep two blocks away and walked towards Dustin’s location. At the street, it was full of neighbors, officers, and paramedics. Two cop cars blocked the entrances of the street and two ambulances and another cop car were parked nearby a house. Dustin managed to get some good pictures of an officer and a person with blood all over his neck. Paramedics placed him and another person on stretchers.

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A news reporter and his cameraman from WFXL (Fox-31) were getting ready to shoot the ‘breaking story.’ Dustin managed to get a couple pictures of the reporter before aiming his camera towards the paramedics. The reporter, Colton Butler, was a newcomer to the news channel; however, he quickly became one of the most beloved. The cameraman quickly set up as the reporter scanned the entire area. The officers didn’t tell the reporter much and explained that more information will come out later on. Thankfully, the neighbors were helpful by giving the names of the three men involved in the shooting: Benjamin Dunnings , Theodore Ochoa, and Callum. One of the neighbors called Benjamin to report that Theodore hasn’t been out of his house, so he said that he and his friend would go inside. They only told this to WFXL and this was their chance to report it before anyone else. It was also going to be live for the viewers to hear any additional information.

Colton smiled as he heard the voice of the newscaster, Stanley Booth, and began to speak.

“Colton Butler, reporting live from Bainbridge Island. Tragedy has struck in this small city. Theodore Ochoa attacked a young man, Benjamin Dunnings. The only officer at the scene was Officer Callum. Neighbors told me that he and Benjamin went inside Theodore’s house to check on him as he hasn't been seen outside in a day. Then, Callum fired at Benjamin several times before he managed to fall to the ground…”

“He’s alive!” one of the paramedics shouted as several more rushed towards the wounded man. An officer suddenly rushed towards the scene while he shouted out ‘Benjamin.’ He shoved one of the paramedics as he wanted to see if his friend was fine. The paramedics were nearby as the officer checked on his friend. Then, Benjamin grabbed the officer as he lift up and bit into his neck. He let out a high scream as paramedics tried to get the man off of the officer.

Several bystanders screamed out in horror as the paramedics managed to get him off and moved the officer away. The camera was aimed towards Benjamin and the paramedics. He got off of the stretcher, walked towards one of the paramedics, and grabbed him. He managed to bite his arm before the paramedic pushed him towards the stretcher, which fell to the ground. “Take him out!” one of the officer said as two of the officers opened fired. The bystanders ran away from the scene as gunshots rang out. The officers fired three times in the chest area as Benjamin walked towards them. “He’s not going down!” one of the officers repeated as he kept firing at the chest.

Finally, one of the officers fired a shot at the head and he managed to finally collapse. His body fell into the ground and the shooting was finally over. Everyone was in shock as they looked at the body. The reporter was speechless as he dropped his microphone and then looked at the camera before realizing that it caught everything.

“Jesus Christ, put the camera down! No-one should of seen that!” he shouted towards the cameraman as he slapped the camera down towards the ground.

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Dustin and Jack didn’t managed to see the whole thing as the spectators ran away from the scene when the officers opened fire. They also ran away and headed for Jack's jeep to get away from the scene as far as possible. “Holy fuck!” Dustin shouted out loud, “What the actual fuck just happened!?”

“I don’t know, dude…” Jack said as he wanted to throw up, but he couldn’t do it. He still had his notepad and placed it on the hood of the jeep. Dustin breathed slowly as he walked around the jeep to calm down. Jack picked up his phone and went to his contacts as he was looking for Valerie’s number. He finally found it and called the number. It took around ten seconds before it went to voicemail.

Jack started to speak as soon as he heard the beep, “Hey, Valerie, it has been awhile since that story we did together. Listen, you must of heard or saw that shit on the news. My friend managed to get some pictures and I saw parts of it before things went to shit… Do you want to make extra money by helping us write the story? Please call or text me back as soon as possible.”

He hung up and put the phone back into his pocket as he grabbed his notepad and entered his jeep. Dustin walked towards the jeep and asked Jack, “Where are you going?”

“Home.” he said as he sounded sick, “The gunshots made me feel like crap. I will call you back later, alright?” He drove off before Dustin could even answer as he wanted to go back home. He needed something to drink and take a quick nap so he could forget the events.

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The mother of five was driving her minivan as usual besides the fact that her kids weren’t with her. They were at a local hospital because they got violently sick. She was also sick as she drove to her favorite bar to get a drink and use the bathroom before visiting her kids. The van entered the parking lot and she managed to stop the van before getting a massive headache. She breathed slowed as she grabbed her purse and stepped out of the van. The woman coughed as she walked towards the bar. A person, that was leaving, held the door for her as she entered the building. The place was busy as she saw several people all over the place, but she didn’t care about them at the moment. She just needed a drink and a bathroom break before going to the hospital. The bartender noticed her and said to her, “Nicole, you don’t look so good? Are you alright?”

“Yeah, Chris.” she answered, “I am just need a drink and use the bathroom. My kids, on the other hand, aren’t doing well. They are getting checked up at the local hospital.”

Chris nodded as he grabbed a cup, filled it with water, and added some ice in it. He handed her the cup and said to her, “Drink it and then go to the bathroom. Once you come back, I will refill your cup and you can talk about your kids.”

Nicole rolled her eyes as she grabbed the cup and drank it before placing the glass down at the counter. She smiled and said as she walked towards the bathroom, “Alright, I will come back for the refill.” She entered the bathroom and shut the door close as she walked towards the sink. The mirror revealed her face to look bad despite the makeup. She had bags under her eyes, her nose was running, and the coughing was getting worse. She let out several coughs as she tried to turn on the sink. Her headache returned and it was so unbearable that she passed out and landed on the bathroom floor. It has been eight minutes since Nicole entered the bathroom, but she never returned for the refill. The bartender waited for the bathroom door to open, but nothing happened.

He looked at several customers and told them, “If some woman would to check the restroom, their next drink will be on the house.”

[Squad 404]

Ashley heard the bartender ask for someone to go and check on the woman who had been through recently. Thinking back to snippets of the conversation she had picked up the woman was evidently sick. Seeing that no other woman at the bar was budging Ashley set the chicken strip she was munching on down and scooted out of her seat while saying. "I'll go ahead and check." Looking over to Connor who didn't seem to have any kind of response to her previous statements and was simply content to stare Ashley gave him a quick smirk and said. "You coming? She might be passed out in there and carrying her is going to take two people." With or without Connor, Ashley began to head to the bathroom door.

When she got to the women's bathroom, Ashley gave it several hard knocks and called. "Everything alright in there?" Ashley's knocking caused the door to shake a bit and open slightly, though not enough to actually allow viewing into the bathroom. The door closed before Ashley could see anything regardless of how keen her eyesight was. As a precaution Ashley backed away from the door slightly encase a vomiting Nicole made herself present. Ashley had seen too many people suddenly vomit to take any chances with someone who was actually sick rather than having simply drank too much. This was also the reason why Ashley didn't want to simply walk into the bathroom. They were notoriously hard to get out of if someone was sick inside, or worse.

If Ashley got sick or hurt, that would put her singing out of commission for a while, and no singing meant no money. No money meant several large and long term problems. Ashley would give Nicole a few moments to open the door before she would call out to the rest of the bar patrons. "Whoever went into the bathroom is unresponsive! Need some help with this one!" since dragging someone across the floor was not a good way to make sure their injuries didn't worsen.

If Nicole opened the door and was well, Ashley wouldn't yell for assistance since Nicole could move on her own. If Nicole opened the door and wasn't well, Ashley would probably start backing up away to avoid getting vomited on. Either way, Ashley would have to wait and see what happened. Time had to flow before Ashley could say or do anything and Ashley couldn't make it flow faster or slower.

[Mao Mao]

Chris kept on working at the bar while someone decided to check on Nicole in the woman's bathroom. It only took thirty seconds before the woman began to call for help. Chris, the bartender, rushed towards the woman and looked in the bathroom to see Nicole on the ground. He didn't care if anyone was in there or not, he ran towards Nicole as he called out her name several times. The customers began to gather around as they wanted to see what was happening. Some of them got out their phones and began filming it while others left the bar. Chris looked at the crowd and shouted towards them, "Won't someone help me carry her?!"

It wasn't until another man and a woman ran in the bathroom to help. The man got on the other side of Nicole while the woman began to call for an ambulance. On the count of three, they managed to get Nicole from the ground as they carried her out of the bathroom. The customers that had gathered began to move away as the two men tried to set her down on top of the bar counter. The woman, still on the phone, managed to move enough bottles and glasses that Nicole could easily lay down. Chris and the man set her down slowly as the customers were still filming. An ambulance drove pass the bar as its sirens rang out, followed by several police cars. Something crazy was going on.

Everyone was still looking at the ill woman as Chris started to do CPR on her. "Nicole, please don't do this to me. Think about your kids!" he said to her as he kept going. Then, he heard coughing coming from Nicole and he stopped as her mouth began to move. Nicole's eyes weren't open all the way as she managed to wrap her hand around the back of his head. All of a sudden, she forced his head to come down to her mouth and started to bite into his mouth. Despite his mouth covered, he tried to scream out loud as the other man stepped back to see what was happening. The customers were in shock as some of them started to leave while others were too scared to move. The woman began to yell out for help towards her phone as the dispatcher kept telling her that help was going to be there. Chris kept on 'screaming' as Nicole still held on to his mouth. A moment later, the man forced the woman off of him as a piece of the mouth fell out.

Chris was now holding his mouth as he started to cry because of the pain. The woman tried to bite into the other man, but he shoved her against the shelves. Bottles began to fall to the ground as the ill woman hit the shelves and fell to the ground as well. The man looked at the crowd and shouted at them, "Get the hell out!"

The crowd began to leave before the woman could get up and start attacking someone else. They were only caring about themselves as they tried to leave the area. Chris looked at everyone as they started to leave and tried to call out for help, but he couldn't because of the pain. The woman on the phone wanted to help out, but she was dragged out by the man. Nicole was trying to get up from the ground. There was enough time that someone could help the bartender get out of harm's way. Or, it was enough time to get out of harm's way without helping the man. Is someone willing to risk their life to help out a caring bartender.

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Jack Elliott finally got back home as he rushed towards the bathroom and started to throw up. It wasn't something that everyone was used to see every day. He was in the bathroom for two minutes until he finally got out to grab something to drink from the kitchen. The remote to the TV was on the table as he grabbed it and turned it on. He wasn't going to be surprised to hear about the shootings in the same area. He grabbed a bottled water and started to drink it as he heard Fox 31 news anchors talking about the breaking news story. The nation had now heard about the shootings in Baltham and Bainbridge Island. Twitter and other social media sites are blowing up with hashtags like "#Baltham" and "#PrayforBaltham."

Washington's governor, Robin Medina, told everyone in a press conference that government officials are looking into the shootings; however, he wasn't going to issue a state of emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement that said they were going to take "a closer look as those cases in the coming days." The White House and other government officials haven't commented yet.

Jack watched the television as the anchors kept on talking until his phone rang out. He thought that it was finally Valerie, but it was Dustin. He picked up the phone and walked towards the living room as he placed the remote on the coffee table and answered the call. "Hey, man. How are you doing?" he asked Dustin.

"Shouldn't I ask you that?" Dustin dodged the question.

"Well, I did throw up as soon as I came home. Overall, I am fine now that I drank some water." he answered as he was still watching the news. "Are you watching the news?"

"No, why?" Dustin asked his pal.

"Well, the entire nation knows about the shootings now. Twitter is freaking out as usual and other shit is going on as well." he told Dustin all of that as he started to look at the television. A commercial about the ‘latest phone’ started as Jack was still talking to Dustin. “Yeah, this should blow over soon enough. Why did you call me by the way?”

“I just wanted to see if you were alright.” Dustin quickly said to Jack, “Anyway, I will let you take a nap or whatever you were doing. Call me if something comes up.”

“Will do.” Jack said as they said their goodbyes and hung up as he put his phone on the coffee table. He lay down on the couch and started to take a nap before he began to work on the computer. Maybe Valerie would finally call back once he woke up. He knew that the crazy shit that happened today was finally over with. The government was going to do what they usually do and solve the shootings in the matter of days. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but he was thankful that it was finally over. His eyes shut as he was finally taking a well needed nap.