[IC] The Dead and the Dying

[Sol Grim]

"Dallen, right?" Raven asked as the lawyer brought a bag of supplies into the farm house. "Small world."

Dallen recognized the woman immediately, as it was only the other morning they had met in that subway. He nodded to her in agreement.

"Very small," he added. "You know these people?"

"No," she said. "Just came in the other night. Found Johnny and Reena in a car accident, ended up here. You?"

"I followed a fallen helicopter, ended up here. Good to see you alive, we'll catch up. There's a lot to be done now, though."

"Yeah," Raven agreed.

Raven turned and saw Alyssa finally waking up through the cracked open door to the bedroom. She grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs from the kitchen counter and brought them to the girl.

"You slept like a rock," Raven said to Alyssa as she came in and set the plate at the girl's bedside. "I'm not sure if we ever properly met yet, I'm Raven. You slept through breakfast so I figured I'd save you a plate. Gotta keep up your strength, you know."

She tried to sound polite and optimistic to their whole situation, but deep down all she really felt was fear. She could also see that same feeling in Alyssa. A lot of people had died the last few days, and only now she realized they had a moment to catch their breath.

"The others brought back some supplies," Raven continued. "They just got back. I know you're scared, I am to. You have to know the truth regardless. They said they were all attacked by a horde down a few miles back, they could be coming this way." Raven slipped her a kitchen knife onto the bed. "Just in case. We're on a slight hill though, so some of them believe they won't make it here. How are you doing with all of this?"

"I call bullshit," Johnny said as he walked back up to Dallen. He was good and stoned now, which if it didn't make him paranoid it made him think about things.

"Excuse me?" Dallen replied, dropping his bag of automatic rifles to the dirt.

"You were a marine, and now a lawyer," Johnny said. "Law school takes years. You just happened to quit the marines to become a lawyer?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Well, how old are you?"

"Fifty," Dallen responded, giving off an annoyed sigh afterward.

"Really?" Johnny eyed the man. "You age well, sir." Dallen shook his head and then just walked on by ignoring him. Johnny huffed as if he had just lost some kind of argument. He walked over to Frank and gave him a stern look. "I don't know about that one."

Ethan had wandered around the house to be alone. He walked over to the orange trees that loomed atop the hill, overlooking the vast fields beyond. His memory lost in thoughts of his family as a cool breeze began to set in. He fell to his knees and debated with suicide, even putting his gun to his temple, until he saw something far off in the distance. It was a red pickup truck heading toward them on one of the many dirt trails. It seemed to be traveling fast, as the dirt behind the vehicle kept getting larger as it approached. Ethan ran back to warn the others. "Someone's coming!" he yelled.

Dallen quickly tossed anyone around him an automatic rifle, then made his way around the house. "Take a flanking position Johnny," Dallen told him.

"Who made you the boss?" Johnny spat. "Why don't you take a flanking position and let me handle this?"

"Because you're stoned as shit."

"So?" Johnny replied. "I'm in my prime old man."

Regardless of the conversation, Johnny still went off to a flanking position at the other end of the house. Dallen notioned for Reena to watch his back as he went out to the hill, while Ethan stayed a few feet behind all of them.

The truck half u-turned and stopped, facing them all sideways. They came to a halt with a bit of distance between both parties, but close enough to be heard by a loud voice. Dallen quickly sized them up, seeing three armed men in the truck bed, with two, possibly three, inside.

"How y'all doin' today?" one of the men in the back of the truck spoke. No weapons were raised in attack, but everyone kept them close by. Dallen turned to look at Reena, giving her a look as if to ask if she knew these guys. Dallen turned back toward the strangers and shrugged.

"Not much of a talker then, I see," the man continued. "We see you're armed and have numbers, we don't mean a fight to happen here. We just, uh, got run out of our place. There's a horde of those things back there, leavin' a trail of death behind 'em. They killed three of our own. You guys are tippity top of the hill 'round these parts. Be oftly nice to stay with 'yall. Maybe...help each other out?"

"We're not letting anyone else in," Johnny shouted, giving up his cover and giving Dallen another headache.

"You heard him," Dallen said.

"This is a...nice big ol farm," the man continued. "You got plenty of room."

"There's plenty of other places," Dallen said.

"You know, shit I didn't even introduce myself," the man said. "I'm Ernie. These here are my friends. You gonna let...us lose our home and be stranded on our own?"

"Yes," replied Dallen.

Ernie gave Dallen a cold look, then just nodded and tapped the roof of the truck. It started up, and they were off again heading back the way they came.

"They'll be back," Dallen said to Reena and Ethan. "We have a lot of work to do."

[CloseEnough]

@Sol Grim @Always

"Yeah, we'll be lucky if we can keep that place for a year. World wide disastrous have a thing for taking what is keeping you alive." Reena began to think of the words Johnny gave, he seemed like a loner, but an opportunist as well. There were just so many that she had to keep tabs on, Ethan originally was fine, but the man just lost his family. People tend to grow distant after that. "Hey, listen, you saved mine and James lives in the time we knew you. I owe you, so tell me if you need something, or if you notice anything."

Than there was Dallen, "you seem to be full of surprises. Came from a few hundred acer ranch, been doing stuff like this before I could read. Minus the killing of humans and, well, whatever they are." It was only right to give up something, she was a survivalist. Not as good as a shot as Dallen is, the man was a marine, trained for this kind of combat, the kind of world when people turned on each other. It kind of worried her. The way he stood, he seemed completely at ease, everyone else faired well but they still had some kind of fidget or shuffle. Even herself, one could tell she was worried when she kept making sure her crossbow was still there.
"Come on, faster we get back home the better."

It was a good thing they did, when they finally arrived at the end of the road to her farm. Reena began to spot the forms of Vader and Roach. "Guess they knew home was safe" jumping out of the car she began to look around, Epona whinnying from the barn, and Azazel inside. Now all that was left was, "Gandalf!" She called, trying to spot the gentle giant. He couldn't be that hard to find with his white coat and towering back. "Gandaaaalf!" Yet the horse was no where in sight, she was greeted by the mule instead, the animal nudging her with his head earning a pat. "James, take care of them would you please? We need to get some things settled, maybe go get Gandalf later, poor guy probably couldn't keep up and got lost."
Nodding his head, the boy left inside the barn, looking over his shoulder just in time to see Ethan once again vanish.

----

When the stranger came, they were met with the narrowed gaze of a red head. "Sorry folks, this here is for family only, can't go trusting anyone else." It was an easy lie, even easier with the slight accent she held. Her arms crossed and voice not made to budge, she could see from the corner of her eye, James watching from the hayloft.
"Your right, we do need to get this place secure. I got land, I got supplies, horses, everything someone would want and need." She couldn't be picky with her team now, Dallen was trained, he knew what he was doing. Johnny was a drug dealer, he had to have some kind of cut throat quality that would come in handy.
"Back inside."

She was back at her table, maps showing her property she began to draw on them. "I use these for the new kids so they don't get lost. Now, I got three gates, here, here, and here." Circling each one, the size of the property began to sink in. "Don't need to focus on that large of a space, what we need protected is the barn, shed, house and garden, so all this right here." Drawing in a smaller circle she leaned back.
"You got a good view in the hay loft, there is also a tree house right on the edge of the property. Thank gods this place is so far out of the way. But we're gonna need more guns. All I got is a 10mm, hunting rifle, and shotgun. Gonna need more than that, I'd say we could raid my ex's house......"

She grew silent for a moment the memory of the light leaving someone that was once so close to her burned in her mind. Still, she leaned back, taking a deep breath and continues.

" Johnny you met him, guy was crazy, but he was one of those game hunters and compensated with weaponry. It might be dangerous if his father or one of his buds are there looking for him. But his room is full of hunting equipment. Than there is the firearms store further in town, but that place may be cleared out."
Running a hand through her hair, she sighed. "Aright, who can I trust with going on weapon raids, and who wants to stay here and guard the place? I have to go track down Gandalf, if he's injured than he's going to start attracting something. If not, than we have a draft horse on our side still who's trained in pulling, great animal for this kind of work."

James was not paying as much attention as he should. Instead he was in the kitchen, cooking some eggs and toast. He wasn't the best, but at least it was something. Grabbing a bottle of ketchup, and filling a glass with juice, the kid walked up stairs to the guest room, laying the plat and drink down before knocking on the door and leaving. He knew Ethan needed space, but he couldn't let the man starve to death.
"He's just a kid!"
Ethan saved his life in the city, same as Johnny, he had a family. He was a good guy. James himself was never really close to his mother, the woman was always drinking, forgetting him, forgetting she had a child sometimes and so had to rely on Reena. Why couldn't she loose a family she would never miss instead of Ethan?
"Just leave the plate outside when your done....." His voice off, he began to scurry back downstairs. For once, a small needle prick of regret was stabbing at his mind.

[Always]

@Sol Grim@CloseEnough

Alyssa eyed the girl as she nodded. So her dream wasn't so much of a dream as she had suspected. She shivered at the thought of something so crazy, but she knew she couldn't deny it any more than she has. But when she did see them, at least she knew she wasn't going crazy, at least the only one going crazy.

"Sounds about right." She joked lightly. She has been told that way to many times in her life, especially when people were trying to wake her up. " I know, but did I really sleep that long?" She asked. She was tired, but she didn't think she could of been that tired. "What time is it?"

She nodded at the strength comemt and grabbed the plate as she placed it on her legs as she looked up at the girl. " Thanks." She said as she began to take a couple of bites of it. It tastes good, she hard to admit who ever made it was a good cook but she didn't know who. It could of been raven or someone else in the group. It didn't feel nessesary to ask.

She nodded a bit at the group getting supplies and getting back. She was glad they were okay. As he mentioned the horde they came by she looked up slightly and nodded. "Everyone's okay, no one harmed?" She asked. She bit her lip as she heard they may be coming here. "Doesn't that mean we have to move?"

She took a few more bites of her eggs as she thought about her fear. She didn't like to think of it. She knew she would have to overcome it and face it soon. "Yeah me to" She stated hesitantly. It was rare that she admitted to things, but everything she said seemed to be correct about her thoughts. "But its not like I can let that stop me. " She added on.

She finished up, eating about half of it. She grabbed a piece of toast and handed the plate back to Raven. " I'm done, and yea I'm fine." She stated. She eyed the knife as she sighed. " I have a pocket knife it that'll help at all." She stated.

[Sol Grim]

Ethan couldn't touch the food. He simply sat at the window of the room and stared out, holding his firearm in his hand. His whole world had crashed down. He kept staring back and forth from his weapon to the window. There was nothing left to live for, but he still couldn't end his own life just yet. He had to go back and find his wife's body, then bury her. Only then would everything he felt he needed to do would be complete. He waited for the others to figure out what they were going to do, not quite sure yet what exactly he intended to do himself. All he knew was he had to bury her.

"Yeah that guy was a douche," Johnny added. "I'll go with you."

"Back when I saw that horde in the quarry, I noticed they had tents set up," Dallen spoke. "Medical tents, food rations, and maybe even some weapons as well. I'll go back there in the jeep, pick up what I can."

"What?" Raven jumped in. "You're all leaving us again? You just got back! And now there's some assholes that probably kinda most likely are comig back to take this place!! You can't leave me and Alyssa alone with a guy locked up in his room and a kid! Come on!"

"If they do show up again today, it'll be after dark," Dallen assured her.

"How the hell would you know that!?" Raven spat.

"Just a hunch, though they probably won't come back for a few days," Dallen said.

"Yeah, hello?? Still not staying here alone without protection!"

"James is legit protection," Johnny added in. He put a fist out for a fistbump toward the kid.

"Fine, I'll stay," Dallen said. "Johnny, you guys wanna go to the quarry afterward?"

"Not particularly," Johnny said, then gave a shrug. "If we find the time. Otherwise, lets just make that a tomorrow thing. Everyone out there's dead, as you said..."

"Those people that weren't letting anyone in back at the gates," Raven started. "They can't all be dead or creeps, right? Maybe they're held up as a group somewhere out there to. Reena said she didn't know the guys that came here, but she knows the ones from the gates. If you find them, maybe we can get them on our side. More people, better chance of survival? Well, unless you're Bear Grylls, he's better on his own....I wonder if he's alive right now."

"Yeah, we'll see," Johnny said, not liking the idea very much. "Alright, lets roll."

He picked out an ar-15, one of the rifles Dallen brought back from the helicopter, and reloaded his glock. He took one of the many knifes that were lain across the table and followed Reena.

"I'll be on watch until you get back," Dallen said. "The rest of you...if you hear shooting, come help me."

[moonfaerie]

The heavy blow against her chest knocked the wind out of her as she stumbled backwards. Reaching out with one arm she grabbed a hold of a tree. The rough bark scratched her hands and pulled back the skin. Hissing through her teeth at the sting, she had barely regained her balance when she felt someone or something grab her wrist. Frantically she tried to pull away.

“Liz! Liz! It's me...stop!” Only when she heard the voice of her fiance did she stop fighting and actually look at her captor. Throwing her arms around him in a death grip, he hugged her back though he quickly added, “We gotta get out of here.”

“Nate, where's Julie?” she demanded. The last time she'd seen her daughter she was in his arms. The man could only look at her, mouth hanging open with nothing except a string of silence coming out. A knot twisting in her stomach as she felt sick, tears began blurring her vision as she let out a meek, “No...”

Screams filled the city. Cars were starting to pile up as people panicked and crashed trying to make their way out. People were biting each other, ripping them to shreds, and pulling their insides out through their abdomen. As someone came stumbling with their intestines trailing behind, Elizabeth gasped and dodged beneath the waving arms trying to get a hold of her. Making a second attempt to get at her, she felt a tug on her arm urging her to move.

Her feet pounded against the pavement as she weaved through the throng of people at top speed. Managing to keep up with Nate, his arm stretching out as a barricade had her skidding to a stop. Something coming from the mouth of the ugly disfigured thing in front of them, the man started yelling in agony and clawing at his face, clumps of flesh coming off in his hands.

The only thing Elizabeth could do was scream and turn in the opposite direction. With running and getting out of the city the only thing in her mind, she didn't have time to stop and think about everything that had just happened. Fueled by pure adrenaline, it was nothing short of a miracle that she'd made it out of the city, pilfering weapons from the dead in order to survive. Her legs were aching and her lungs burned as she sucked in gulps of precious air, but somehow she'd made it out.

Stopping by a stream to wash the blood and grime from her hands, only now could the events that had happened earlier sink in. The young woman felt completely numb. Escaping felt like a Pyrrhic victory; without her family, what was the point? Too stressed and distraught to sleep, all she could do was stare out at the water through the night into the next morning. In denial, she rocked her body while hoping at any moment to wake up.

A snap of a twig alerting her, Elizabeth hastily stood. Though she was completely exhausted, she forced herself to stand when she saw what was coming her way. Hesitant to go near it at first, remembering how the one had mutilated Nate within close range, she picked up a nearby rock and hauled it at the creature. Head jerking towards the sound it started shambling towards it. Giving a loud huff, she shuffled on down the river checking the weapon she'd stolen with shaky hands while trying to figure out how to properly use it.

She couldn't think about what had happened back in the city. She couldn't accept it. The moment she did was the moment she would become completely useless; she would die and their deaths would be in vain.

[Sol Grim]

The day turned to the late hours of night, as all around the farmhouse remained calm and still. Johnny and Reena were out on their run while the others waited patiently for an attack that would not come. Weariness took to most of them, save for Dallen who still remained in the barn overlooking the area. Ethan waited until after midnight, then he crept out along the haystacks and wooden fences until he was back out in the woods.

Day 3 since the outbreak:

The high school teacher dressed warm, wearing a large overcoat with a hood, and wielding a hatchet and a handgun at either side of his waist. On his back he carried a long shovel, as he intended to bury his wife so he could move on. He traveled slow and quiet, remaining as aware as he could to the sounds surrounding him.

He reached the fire department building a few hours later, which was now clear of all life and undead at the moment. He made his way to the roof and took a deep breath, then looked at his wife's body. Tears swelled his eyes, and he sat there for hours more, crying and remembering her the best he could. Finally, as the sun began to rise just beyond the mountains, he was ready to do what he came to do.

He covered her in sheets from the station, then carried her down and out into the woods. He walked straight until he reached a small river, then continued until he found a suitable area. Gently laying her down, he started digging up the dirt. The soft soothing sound of the water crashing against the rocks was all he could hear as his thoughts stayed on his family. He didn't hear the twigs snapping just behind him, nor the slight groan of the walker approaching. Only when it was a few feet behind him, ready to tear into his flesh, did he look up to see someone down the riverbed. A woman, red haired, and alive.

Ethan raised an eyebrow and squinted to make sure he saw correctly. A second later he heard the step behind him, as he turned and was met face to face with a decayed walker lunging forward. It grappled him, and together the two fell into the grave hole he had been digging. His back slammed against the dirt, while his arms stayed firm and upright, barely holding the creature away. It snapped its jaws just inches from his face, as panic overcame the high school teacher. He desperately tried to grab his fallen hatchet, but the constant pressure from the undead on top of him made it nearly impossible.

[CloseEnough]

Riding through the woods, trying to get to the house that Reena marked on her map, had been a rather calming experience for the red head. Her crossbow thumping against her back, Epona's head down in a relaxed state, while Roach, even though he had ran from a army of walkers a few days ago, was acting normal again beneath Johnny.

"Hold on a sec"
Pulling back the reins, Reena dismounted. Kneeling by a set of tracks, they were new, probably only half an hour old. Deep from something heavy and larger than Epona. "Gandalf went through here, I'm gonna look around a little bit. See if I can find him." He was the only horse not to come back to the barn in the last few days. And honestly, she was worried about him, he was larger and slower than the others, a gentle giant that had a almost white coat so he was easily spotted.
Following the tracks, going down hill, Reena began to see them more and more clearly. Twigs broken and soil turned about from him charging through. "Something spooked him.."
It only took about ten minutes of looking for her to find her gelding. Her heart sinking at the sight as she bit her lip, a little choked at what she found.

Gandalf lay in the grass, whimpers of pain escaping him, his leg twisted and sides shredded. The walkers had gotten to him, he was just to slow. "Hey boy, easy, easy." She failed to realize that the bodies around him were shot, kneeling by his head only for a cool rage to consume her when she saw his flank was tagged in blue spray paint. The word "whore" marking his once beautiful coat.

Her eyes slightly wet from tears, but soon blinked away. Reena cradled Gandalf's head. The horse slapping his lips at her arm, ears twitching at her direction. His remaining eye looking at her as if asking for help. "I'm sorry sweet heart, I can't help you this time..." Instead she laid him down, the horse trying to get up for her in a pitiful response until she told him to stay still. Instead, she took the 10mm from Johnny, and shot her companion once directly in the side of the head to end his suffering. The other two horses jumping slightly, but both were trained enough to not run.
"Someone I knew did this....I just don't know which one..."

Running her hands through her hair, taking a deep breath to end the tears that kept trying to fall, she gave the weapon back. Mounting Epona and turning the horse away. "Come on, the scant is going to attract something. We're almost at Rick's place anyway, might as well get in and get out."
Riding away, she could not bring herself to look back at the horse. From the back he seemed to be sleeping, a giant that had never done harm to anyone, not even the smallest child she would place on his back.

The house she mentioned was more of a garage than anything. Cars littering the yard, old cans for shooting practice, a few dirt bikes here, a bonfire there. It was the classic stereotype. Jumping from the mare, she hid both horses behind a truck. Using a key under one of the seats to unlock the door and be greeted with a disgusting smell of rotting meat. "Stay quiet, and keep close." Her crossbow was already drawn, the guy had friends that would often sleep on his couch. Another reason to be careful.

It was a place where beer cans stacked were treated like works of art. Heads of great elk mounted the wall, their horns decorated with random objects like socks or Christmas lights, a dart board with a average of always missing. Leather couches torn to pieces from the cat that ate the old food. The carpet a strange yellow color, stained brown in some areas, broken by a table that had bags and canes arranged in a sort of, artistic format, least thats what it would be called in such a strange place.

Her shirt pulled over her nose, Reena began to look around. The events that had happened only moments ago would have to be pushed back for a later time. She could not allow things to cloud her mind when in such situations. Instead she kept looking over her shoulder every now and again, taking in comfort that she had someone to watch her back at the vary least.

[moonfaerie]

Dirt caked beneath her fingernails as she dug through the rich soil near the riverbed. Fingers grasping at the squirming worm when it emerged, she pulled it from the ground. Tilting her head back with a grimace, the woman braced herself before placing it in her mouth. It wasn't a feast, but in her haste to leave the city she hadn't exactly made any preparations. Grasshoppers were another thing she could force herself to eat if she didn't think too much about it. Luckily, right now she was running on autopilot. There was no thinking; she was just reacting to the environment around her.

The sound of someone or something nearby catching her attention, Elizabeth's head whirled around quickly. Wild eyes scanning her surroundings they lingered on a figure down the river unsure whether or not the person was friendly. She had no reason to believe otherwise, but she could remember people in the city shoving each other, pushing others in the line of danger to save their own skins.

Keeping a doubtful eye on him, she noticed something wrapped in sheets laying beside him. It was only then she noticed that the man was crying. She looked away. Understanding what he must have been feeling, she refused to let herself empathize. She couldn't. She wasn't ready to cope or feel her own emotions just yet.

Trying to ignore the nearby person, she went back to her own digging. It was the snap of twigs that made her look back. Thinking she would be watching his departure, her shoulders sagged while an exasperated expression appeared on her face. Hoping that she wasn't about to witness this man die, she silently urged him to turn around and do something. Watching him notice it a little too late, she found herself standing, watching on in shock and horror, paralyzed as to what her next move should be.

Cursing as she scrounged around and grabbed the first thing she could find which was a large stick, she rushed to the deep hole the two had fallen in during their struggle. Seeing the two wrestle, she gripped the stick in her hand and tried to aim for the ghastly creature on top. With a grunt of effort, she took a swing bludgeoning it repeatedly on the head until the skull finally caved in.

Clasping the stick tighter in her hand, she narrowed her brows and stared down into the hole trying to determine whether or not the man she'd seen was turning. Jerking backward, she poised the large stick above her head ready to start raining down on him with it if needed.

[Sol Grim]

"I like that name," Johnny said about the horse he was riding, Roach. He smirked as he trotted alongside Reena, still green at riding but already getting a bit of it down. It was a lot easier when he didn't think about it.

He could see a few bonfires far out in the distance nestled within the seemingly never ending forest. It had only been a few days since all hell broke loose, but the idea of other survivors out there still worried the man. It was to early to tell, but he had a feeling things would soon get a lot worse than just the dead coming back to life. People without law and order under intense surviving situations could potentially be the worst kind of problem for them, assuming they didn't lose it themselves. He wondered if anyone was alive back in the city. Here he was, looking for weapons in the wilderness, when in the city he and his crew had an arsenal. If only he thought about it back when it all started, but then of course he might be dead right now if they never came across James.

When he saw Gandalf torn open, he rested his hand on Reena's shoulder to tell her how sorry he was. He personally didn't get choked up about animals dying, but he knew the horse was close to her like family. Though he didn't even hardly know the girl at all, surviving with someone just sort of brought an untold respect. He already felt like he knew Reena and James better than most of his life long friends, the ones that never became anything in life and drugged themselves away. None of it mattered now. He was just glad he never wasted time on getting a real job, how pointless that would of been.

When she told him to follow close, he took it a little to literally. His attention was observing the house, but also listening around, and in doing so he didn't realize Reena was going slower than him and he bumped into her.

"Shit, sorry," he whispered.

He continued looking for the weapons, searching room to room. He didn't find them, but he did spot an acoustic guitar by a stand. He instinctfully picked it up and strapped it around to his back. Assuming these were the end days, he figured there would be quite a lot of time to kill between now and whenever it happened. Just as he was going back to find Reena, he spotted headlights coming up from the outside. They were far enough away to maybe be going somewhere else, but if they were coming here then it meant bad news.

"Reena," Johnny whispered a bit louder. "Someones coming."

---------------------------------

Raven spent her day until sundown tending to the chickens and cows. James taught her what she needed to know, and within a few hours of work she almost forgot about the threat of everything around the farm. It was hard work, but the kind of work she enjoyed. As a former hairstylist, it felt good to get her hands dirty again. Granted it was a completely different and worse kind of dirty, but she didn't much mind the change.

"James!" Raven yelled. "I think if things go back to the way they were, I might stay out in a place like this. I'm a city girl, but I never realized how much I'd like this!"

Dallen revealed himself from the top of the barn, a 30 ot 6 strapped around one shoulder. He had a view of the entire downhill plains and forests, enjoying the scenery as the sun faded from the sky.

"They back yet?" Dallen asked Raven.

"You're the one watching everything, you don't know?"

Dallen sighed.

"Have you even slept yet?" Raven asked. "Wanna help us with the cows?"

"No," he grunted, then went back to his post.

---------------------------------------

"Not dead!!" Ethan shouted, unsure as if the woman was about to smash his brains in as well. His hands were up defensively as he looked up at his savior. Blood from the creature covered his face and it didn't stop pouring out from the thing's broken in head.

Ethan brought himself up and attempted to wipe the blood off with his jacket, spitting to the ground in the process. He picked up the dead one and chucked it out onto level ground, then climbed out himself. He then dragged the dead one's body and tossed it in the river, watching it slowly get pushed down and away before he ackowledged the girl again.

"Thank you," he said, breathing slightly hard from both the physical pressure and the adrenaline. "I'm not bit, you can put the stick down."

He walked by her and went for his wife's corpse, dragging it back to the hole. Once she was in, he got out and started tossing in dirt to cover her up. As he did, he realized the uncomfortableness of the situation, and so he turned to the girl again.

"I'm sorry, I'm Ethan," he said, leaning against the shovel upright. "I owe you my life. But before I get to that, I have this to do."

He started covering the grave again. He wanted this to be done alone, but it was hard to say that to someone who literally just saved you from getting your flesh torn off. Without asking her anything else, he felt compelled to talk about his wife.

"She, uh, she deserved better than this," he said. "She's the mother of my children. Heh, I remember when we first met. We're both teachers at Valley Graves High, by the way." He could almost tell that this stranger could care less, but he cleared his throat and continued on anyway. "My first day, she showed me around the school at lunch time. I found out later that she didn't have to do that, she just liked me so she did. I remember tripping on a chord in the break room and spilling apple juice all over her new clothes. Heh heh. I tried to clean her shirt with a towel, but all the ladies in the room kept telling me to stop because we're not allowed to touch women there. I never would have imagined she would be the one. Anyway, like I said, I have to finish this."

He continued to put dirt over the grave.

"You from around here?"

[moonfaerie]

Despite his shouting, Elizabeth maintained her hold on the stick. Though still on edge she relaxed slowly, eying him as though she didn't fully believe him. His face was now covered in the thing's blood and she scrunched her nose in disgust. The man didn't look well at all. She said nothing as she watched him haul the dead out of the grave and pushed it into the river. Opening her mouth to protest, she was a little too late to actually stop him. Letting out a defeated sigh as her shoulders slumped slightly, she only hoped the body hadn't contaminated the water somehow. Right now that was the only water source she really had. Even if it was still find, she would have a hard time forcing herself to drink it now knowing that the corpse was floating somewhere downstream.

The only reason Elizabeth lingered was to make sure he was okay and that he wasn't going to turn into one of those things. So far he was in the clear. Preoccupied with her scrutinizing stares, she hadn't paid much attention to the awkward silence or the fact that the man might have been uncomfortable by her presence. She was just doing what she felt she had to in order; if he was going to be any trouble then she wanted to make sure she cut it off at the root before it grew any bigger.

Arcing a brow as he introduced himself, her eyes shifted around the area. He didn't owe her shit. Sure, he'd almost gotten eaten, but she was just doing what any other respectable person would do. At least she hoped; she wasn't too sure of anything anymore.

Whether it was because he felt a need to talk about his wife or because he just felt like he had to make up for the silence, it was Elizabeth's turn now to feel uncomfortable. She didn't want to hear the stories about how they'd met or fallen in love and her face gave a visible grimace when he started to tell his tale. But more than that, she couldn't help but think about her own situation. About her own fiance and daughter and the fate they'd met. She could feel her chest constricting and making it difficult to breathe. Pulling at her shirt thinking the collar was suffocating her, she took in quick short breaths of air and was close to hyperventilating.

When he asked her where she was from she just looked at him. “Shut up,” she said. She didn't care about what he had to do, where he was from, and she sure as hell didn't want to hear his life story. Rolling her shoulders uneasily, she shook her head and clinched the stick in her hands. “Just try to be more careful.” Not wanting to stay there any longer in case he started reminiscing out loud again, Elizabeth started trekking back to her original spot away from him.

[Sol Grim]

Once the girl spoke, something immediately clicked for Ethan. He realized he wasn't alone, and that everyone had lost somebody to this horror. He wasn't the only one, it took her distance from him for him to start to realize just how ridiculous he was being. No one wanted a sob story as everyone now had one, they all just wanted to survive...somehow. He let the stranger walk back away from him as he stood in thought for a moment, then, once he was satisfied with his wife being buried, he followed her. She didn't go far, but it was clear to him that she didn't know what she was doing. She was just...doing.

"You don't want to go that way," he told her. That way led to the horde they had just recently escaped. Whether the dead were still out there or not, that way also led to the entrance gate. He wasn't sure how the situation was out there, but he knew there once were a lot of angry people not but a few days ago. Dead or not, they seemed a little unfriendly to anyone.

He was debating within himself to tell her of the safehouse he was from. Yeah, he owed her his life, but on the one hand she seemed very independent, and on the other he didn't know a thing about her. Even though he didn't know a thing about the others he was surviving with back at the farmhouse, he could tell they were decent people. He had to find out if she would be a problem before any conflict arose, though his instincts told him she was just trying to get by.

"What do I call you?" He asked. He didn't ask her name because he felt she didn't want to get close, maybe even so with a nickname, but he didn't really care to much. Either she needed help, or she was going to die.

------------------------------------------

Dallen sat in his perch simply waiting. He wanted to be out there, doing something. Though, he knew his place was here for now. If those people came back by, he was the only one ready to fight back. He owed these people nothing, however, they were the first group he met that seemed decent besides the twins he met in the tunnels. He wondered if they were okay, and sort of wished he brought them along. A couple kids on their own was horrible, but he left them and that was that. Every man for himself. The main thing that kept him here was the fact that they had a farm, which meant food and other supplies. He had whole hearted intention of using them, then going back out on his own. But how long would he last on his own, he wondered.

"I'm taking over," came Raven's voice as she climbed up to his position. "You need rest, Mr.Lawyer."

"I'm in my prime," he told her, notioning with a hand for her to leave.

She swapped his hand away and slightly shoved his shoulder.

"You're a human, not a machine," she said. "Seriously, rest. I'm starting to believe those baddies won't be coming back after all."

"Oh, they'll be back," was his response.

"Then you need rest."

Maybe she was right. He submitted, simply lying back in a stack of hay. He motioned a hand as to say, go ahead.

"Well if you're gonna stay up here while you rest," Raven started. "Maybe we should talk a little. Get to know..."

"No, that's okay," Dallen replied. He closed his eyes and lay his head back into the hay.

"Ugh, figures," Raven said.

[moonfaerie]

“And how do you know which way I want to go?” she asked. But still she found herself stopping and looking for an alternate route just in case the man knew something she didn't. But which direction would she go? Though she hadn't answered his previous question, if she had then she would have told him she wasn't from around the area and had no idea where anything was. Her and her fiance had only been in town to tell his parents the news of their engagement—and then all of this had happened. The area was completely foreign.

Scratching her head and breathing from the corner of her mouth to blow a strand of hair away from her peripheral vision, she was weighing her options when he asked how he should address her. “Why? You don't actually plan on sticking around, do you?” she blurted out. It wasn't anything against Ethan, the stranger, but things weren't exactly looking up. The fact that she'd had to save him didn't exactly bode too well for them either. It meant that he knew even less than she did and she didn't know a damned thing.

But it was because she was lost and didn't know what the hell that she was doing that she didn't just tell him to fuck off. Though a part of her brain was screaming it was probably a bad idea, she had to admit that having someone there to watch her back did sound appealing. And she guessed that she could do the same courtesy as well in return.

“Liz,” she finally replied, shoving her stick in the ground and leaning her weight against it. Eyes flicking towards the direction she'd originally been heading in, she gave a nod towards it with her head. “If I don't wanna go that way, which way do I want to go then?” With nothing to lose and everything to gain, she figured she would give this Ethan a shot.

[CloseEnough]

"Stead fit for a witcer and can outrun the wild hunt." A small laugh escaping her. Reena shook her head. Though the light heartedness was dispersed quickly from Gandlf's death. She couldn't help but feel a little grateful at the action of Johnny. It was a simple gesture of sympathy, but in a world where everything was going to shit. Where people had the gull to spray paint a dying animal, it made all the difference in keeping her sanity.

---
She's been here more than enough times to know her way around. Her steps light she made her way to the back, Rick housing a closet full of hunting equipment that he would often show off to the red head. Before she could even reach the master bedroom that held such a closet, she felt a impact in her back, causing the woman to lurch forward slightly. "Its fine, just be careful" Johnny looking through room after room. She began her search once more. Only for the blood in her veins to run like the icy rivers of winter.

Without a word she grabbed Johnny, almost throwing him under the bed inside when she heard the group. There had to be at least three or four. A truck load, and they were laughing....laughing at a time like this. They had to be Rick's friends, they probably had no idea that his corpse was rotting away at the Tomb Thumb still.
Carefully she creeped around the room, hiding beneath the entertainment system and pulling a rolling chair close to block her appearance. The smell of old cloths hitting her hard, she began to hide under the foul smell, it was better than what could happen if they found one of them.

Heavy boots paraded through the front door, laughter, pushing and shoving. Knocking over the cans of beer that were so sloppily stacked on the table. She was already unlatching her crossbow from her back, hitching a arrow and leaned it into her arm. If someone found her, she would be ready.
"Man, they didn't know what hit em"
"I know right? Guy pissed his pants!"
"Had some good shit on em to."

Reena began to hold her breath. Were they talking about her farm? No, no they could not have. There was no way they would have been able to take down her home. And even so they could ride away, use the jeep, the truck, a horse.
Eyes going wide she began to shake. Roach and Epona were hidden but for how long would it be before they were used as target practice? She was not going to let that happen again, her jaw began to grow tight, biting the inside of her cheek as she dared take a look at Johnny who was under the bed. The expression within her Golden eyes seeming to tell all that was needed.

-----

"If you like working here, I'll have to teach you to ride sometime!" Sweat beading down his brow, James kept looking over his shoulder, always pausing to listen to what was going on. Even if it seemed like a normal day, he knew it was anything but. He could see Vander prancing in his pasture, Azazel close by, the road coated mule having a laid back look yet he still seemed to be looking around, waiting for anything to break the peace.

He wondered how Reena and Johnny were doing. Probably fine, he remembered how the red head had waited hours for a elk to move into her range once on a hunting trip. Even with a full head of red hair that stuck out like fire, she still took out the creature with a single arrow and a knife. Him and his mom ate well that year, she barley touched her kill. Mostly giving the pieces to friends and family.
No, Reena knew how to kill, and he was sure Johnny could do the same.

Hours passing and the sky growing dark, James thought it was a good idea to check on Ethan. The guy just lost his entire family, he was in a dark place.
Entering the home, he walked back up stairs to the guest room, knocking on the door only to get no answer once more. "Ethan...its me James. I, I was wondering if you wanted food or anything." Still greeted with silence, the boy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please come out? Come on man, you need to at least drink some water or something."
Again he was met with silence. Opening the door, he was met with a empty room. His chest tightening at the sight he looked around, a uneasiness in his gate. Yet not a sign that the man had been here stood.

Walking back out, the blond made his way to Raven and Dallen. "Guys, you know what happened to Ethan?" He tried to keep the worry out of his voice as he looked around, where could he have gone? Did he leave when he was walking around the area? He was looking for anything that could attract a walker, dead animals or slopes. He was gone for a while from doing so.
"How dose everything look? Think the other guys will try to come back tonight?"

[Sol Grim]

"It's not about sticking around, it's about sticking together," Ethan told her. "Everyone's scared, everyone's lost someone. I see that now. You look hungry, and I'm not sure how you've survived out here through the night, but its only getting colder. You need warm clothes, food. I have a place that can provide that for you."

The revving of engines suddenly took his attention, somewhere just beyond the trees to the west. He instinctfully ducked down as if bullets were flying by, but quickly realized they were not yet noticed, and actually had the upper advantage of the situation. He grabbed Liz's arm and yanked her down to his level.

"Shhh," he spat.

He slowly moved toward the sounds, staying low and hesitant. Unintentionally, he dragged Liz along with him. Just a few steps beyond the shrubs, then he saw what created the sound. There were three trucks on the other side, and numerous men about. They all were circled around one another as if a meeting were to take place.

"If we stay out here, we're all going to die," Ernie spoke. "They took over our homes, but I have a solution. There's a farm at the top of the hill, a safehaven if you will. The only problem, is there are people still there. Quite a few, actually. Nothing we can't handle. I say we go up there tonight when its dark, and take it for ourselves."

The others seemed to agree. They continued discussing the situation as Ethan slowly backed away with Liz. He brought her back through the brush to where they were before.

"They're talking about the place I'm from," Ethan told Liz. "I have to warn them. You have to come with me. Or...go back to being alone. See how long you last. I promise you, if you help me now, my group will take you in. Otherwise, those guys might get ahold of you, and who knows what they want..."

----------------------------------------------------

"He's not in his room?" Raven shouted down from the barn. The look on the boy's face told her no. "Haven't seen him. Maybe he just wandered off somewhere, wanting to be alone?"

Dallen snored in his sleep, making Raven winch.
-----------------------------------------------------

Johnny was under the bed, seeing where Reena had hid, all they could do was wait. There were muffled voices, seemingly drunk, but after awhile they calmed down to a singular voice.

"Check the house again, who knows if those creepers got in or not," it spoke. "Check every crack and cranny."

Moments later, johnny saw the door to the room he was in open. A man's feet walked in, though the stumbling and the slurs of speech told him he was drunk. The group of men were talking to one another as they searched the house, all seemingly drunk and uncaring. The one in the room went over to the area Reena was hiding.

Johnny slowly pulled out his pocket knife. He waited until the conversation throughout the household continued. A few of them, in a room not to far away, started getting into a heated conversation about survivalism. As the voices grew louder, Johnny got more prepared. He slowly eased out from the bed, behind the man in the room. As the man began to open the closets, Johnny rushed behind him and pulled his blade to his neck. The unsuspecting man instinctfully raised his arms in defense, which gave Johnny enough means to swipe the blade and tear his flesh from his throat out. It was quick, and quiet. Johnny held the lifeless body and laid it down gently. He then dragged the corpse into the space with Reena.

"I have a feeling they would kill us withought a thought,"Johnny said. "Are you ready?"

He wasn't sure if she was. All he knew was that, at least in his mind, they were going to have to kill every single one of them. It would only be moments now until they figured out one of their own was missing. Until they found them.

[CloseEnough]

@Sol Grim

She was holding her breath the entire time, she dared not even allow her heart to beat. Reena could see the details in his boots he was so close. It was David, Rick and him would come over all the time when they were together, trashing her barn cause she was so far away and no one would hear the noise.
Reaching for her knife, she began to tense up, he was going to see her, he was going to find her and snap her neck without a second thought. It wouldn't take that much effort would it? No, he was at least twice her size, she would put up a fight though, maybe every time he pissed it would be agony if she kicked him hard enough.

Yet before he could find her, opening her space even. She watched Johnny climb from his hiding spot, he moved like a trained killer, a clean cut with more effort than needed, even carefully lowering him down. A splatter of blood landing on her shirt, slowly she moved from her spot, covering the body with the clothes she was hiding under. Her heart finally allowing itself to beat, yet now it was just painful in her chest.

She only nodded her head, too scared that her voice would carry and they would hear. Instead she slung the bow on her arm, her hunting knife still in hand she took a deep breath. Her voice barely above a whisper, gold eye flickering back to the door encase someone decided to check out the room. "We go out the window, wait for them to enter back here and just pick them off. They aren’t sober enough to get out from here...." Pointing the bow at the awaiting door she mentioned to the window. "You first, if something happens, get Epona, tell her home and she'll take you there, just hang on."

Waiting to hear Johnny leave, she began to back up, eyes trained on the door, feet slow to keep away the sound till she felt the wall on her back and about to climb out only for Paul to walk in. She did not hesitate, letting her arrow fly as it embedded it's self in his jugular. Quickly climbing out she ducked close to the wall, eyes wide in slight panic the red head began to move. They couldn't stay there, they were bound to find them if they stayed there.
Crouched low, she jogged around the other side of the house to hear questions, yelling and slamming doors. Its obvious they found the bodies, now it was only a matter of time before a shoot out began. She's never been in this situation, only going based on hunting and what she heard from her friends and brothers.

Giving her companion a look over the shoulder, her back to the wall, she held her breath, trying to calm down. It was all or nothing Reena, it's like your father said, humans are always the best sport, and your a great hunter. Don't think of them as people you knew, they really would kill her, after Johnny slit David's throat and how Rick tried to end her at Tom Thumb's it was obvious that she was a target for them.
Gun shots heard from the back of the house, angry shouts caused her to breath. "Good, they're angry. I never done this, have you?" Already loading her bolt, she brought it close, moving to the front door, looking through to see that indeed, they were all checking the place out.

------

"I don't know if I should look for him or not. The guy just lost his wife he's not in a good mind set right now.." Worry setting in James's mind, he was forced to stay. What if someone came here while Reena was gone? What if they needed him? He knew his way around the place, they didn't....

"Crap, why dose this always happen. Don't people watch the movies, you never split up!"

[Sol Grim]

Johnny gave a nod to the question. "I'm not...I wasn't a good person before Reena," he whispered. In all honesty, he couldn't figure out himself why he even stayed with the current group at the farm. Maybe it was a new start in life, or maybe he didn't know if he'd make it on his own. He had never really had the time to think since getting out here, and this moment was no different.

The slurred groans and moans of the dead could be heard coming from the backyard. He heard someone yell "We got company!" The majority of them went out to the back porch and began opening fire on the undead. This would be the perfect moment for the two to escape, however they still didn't have what they came for, and also these people knew where the farm was. It was only a matter of time before they headed that way.

"We have to kill them all," Johnny quickly said. "They'll eventually get to the farm. Go on ahead if you can't take it, but I'm finishing this before it even starts."

Johnny went back to the side of the house, peeking around to see them popping off the infected one by one. He turned the corner and aimed, shooting the guy closest to the door directly in the head. He fell in a thud, turning the others around in the process. Johnny opened fire, hitting all of them multiple times until he was out of ammo, not all of them died instantly like the first, but it was only seconds later that the remaining dead swarmed them. He watched as they were torn apart, almost smirking at the act. He couldn't help his coldness. He actually enjoyed killing them.

Moments later the screams turned into muffled gargles. Another group of guys suddenly stormed out, quickly opening fire on the dead. They noticed Johnny's position and shot at him to, as he dove behind a set of stacked tires and a rusty broken down vehicle.

"Shit," he said, releasing his clip and struggling to insert the next one. There were maybe three of them, and after the undead were gunned down and they reloaded, they started walking toward his position, continuing to fire in his direction.

Johnny ducked under the vehicle and shot one of them in the shin, causing him to fall to the floor, then he shot him in his face. The others scattered and found cover for themselves, still randomly firing blindly as more and more of the undead began pouring into the area.

"Mother fucker, you're dead!" one yelled.

A walker crept up on Johnny's side of the yard, staggering slowly toward him. At the same time, one of the attackers pushed forward from the other side of the vehicle. The walker lunged down on Johnny, but he caught it by the throat and held it inches from his face, as the attacker came around the corner. He stuck his firearm into the walker's temple and blasted its entire head off. Blood and brains showered over Johnny as he lie on the ground, but the man trying to kill him was already in view and Johnny's gun was tucked under the being that just fell on top of him.

"I told you you're dead," he said, aiming his rifle at him. "Better to see you get torn apart."

Three more walkers came around the fence and were heading toward Johnny. The attacker smiled, then held his weapon ready. If Johnny was to try to get away, he'd gun him down, and if he stayed he'd be torn apart.

[CloseEnough]

"Like I said, you have my back and I won't care if your the devil himself."
Gun fire could be heard for miles. It was a war zone, Roach and Epona ran for the trees, the horses taking cover yet Reena called them back, making sure their means of escape was at the vary least within running range. Their coats already lathered in sweat, pacing the foliage as they awaited their owner. Loyalty and instincts fighting behind the crazed thoughts in their gaze.

Reena's own blood began to run cold at the words. She knew she was going to start killing others, but people she knew? And so soon? Her hands were already stained, her breathing coming out in gasps, but she could not let Johnny fight them off himself. All she could do was nod, putting another bolt in her bow before taking off, her head down and moves quick, her target locked within golden orbs as she dove for the truck they rode in on.
There had to be something, anything. She heard a bullet tare through the bed, the ripping of iron causing her heart to jump. Two of her brother's went to war, was this what it was like? If so she was going to have to toughen up. Counting the shots that whizzed by her head, she quickly made a break for it and looked in the bed, grabbing a duffel bag only to feel her arm being dragged by the weight as she almost threw it right out to her side.

If it's heavy, than it's useful. Yet she did not expect to find a bag filled to the brim with guns, more than enough to arm everyone at the farm. They may not be able to reach Rick's closet with the deal crawling about, but this was going to make the trip worth while. A smile on her features she could not help but mentally cheer. That was until she saw a can of blue spray paint roll out of the door.
Fear turned to anger when the image of Gandalf appeared in her mind. With his twisted leg and ripped sides, the word whore sprayed into his coat. It was obvious what happened, but she didn't want to think that. With evidence on her side though, she found herself no longer thinking of the fools that shot through the air as human....

About to move again though, slinging the bag over her shoulder she felt something grab her boot, instincts kicking in she smashed the face of a corpse, teeth and gums breaking apart from the force. She couldn't stand still, so with a second wind she ran, grabbing the first gun she could find only to see a semi-automatic riffle lean into her shoulder. "Where the fuck did they get these!?" No time to think on that, only move to her next cover, practically rolling behind another car that sat on a few wooden blocks.

Pulling back she heard the satisfying click of a loaded baby in her hands. She forced herself to calm down, end her breath while she had Ron in her sights, "I'm finishing this before it even starts." Johnny may be a person to cause disdain from normal folk, bit to Reena he was someone who spoke sense. She needed to take care of these guys, they killed her companion, they allowed something useful to meet a horrid end, and he had nothing to do with what she had. She could only imagine their plans they had for her farm....BANG
"Mother fucker!!" Clutching her shoulder, Reena bent over in pain for a moment, it was just a graze, yet it tore at the skin causing it to dye her shirt and fire to burn through her vines.

With her mind made up she pulled the trigger, watching the male she once called friend, the one that she would go drink with explode in a shower of crimson, like a fire work lit night. She was slightly sluggish from the wound, but her aim true as walker after walker began to fall around Johnny, she was not letting that guy get eaten, not after he saved her skin. "Returning the favour." She had to admit, while they worked well together, they were as different as night and day when it came to shooting. Reena never wasted a bullet, she had a eye for shots, a gun in her hand since she was a child.

The noise of shooting growing quite, she was found to hear something else instead, moaning that echoed in the valley they were in. It was like a harmonized choir of nightmare. "We gotta go!" She had some weapons, her horses were still close by, and when she looked at the house, it was nothing but a moving mass of the dead.

As fast as she could with the weight, she ran, a white box with a cross on it causing her to bend in her run and snatch it up before making her way to Johnny, sweat dripping from her brow and breath having to be painfully pushed from her lungs. She did not speak, only shove the riffle in his hands and grab his arm. Every second they could get away was needed, so she even helped him mount up faster, slapping Roach's hide to get him moving before jumping to Epona's back and catching up easily.

Her seat elevated she clung to the mare's sides, leaning into her neck, her gaze focused only on what lay before her. Her back ached with the weight of the bag, and it shown, but she did not slow until they climbed a ways up. Roach following after the red head, fear pushing him that it would have taken a bit of force to get him to stray from her.

The sounds of the dead began to pass as they went to an abandoned trail, she remembered this trail, it was one that overlooked the city. Often she used it to see the Petersons to make sure they were okay. It used to be such a calming ride, but now it was hellish. For the view that the opening in the trees, the overhang of grass that provided the best resting spot to see the city caused a chill to run down her spine.

the city was in smoke, a war zone lay before her, it looked like a bad dream, one of ashes that threatened to black out the sky. "Its all gone, that place is nothing but a grave yard now." She could hear the sounds of helicopters hovering over, yet as one strayed to close she watched in horror as it was shot down, exploding in a inferno. "There's no way James's mom got out....or Kaite, jess, Keenin... No way we can get supplies from there for a while." She shook her head, running a hand through the red mane that seemed to catch fire in setting sun. Blood was splattered on her face, her shoulder seeming to have been grazed by something, it all caused a thought to rise to her mind. Anything to ease her ill train.

"How bout this, we get home, we get a drink, maybe eight. And I get a bath." Epona snorting was enough to cause the woman to smile a little, yet it was a bitter sweet thing. She just killed her friends, and for what? A few guns, after they had killed Gandalf. "They were the ones that painted my horse, so...thanks, for the help, not many out there that are willing to do what you did and it vary well may have saved my life."

Opening the bag she gave out a whistle, yeah, there was a lot. They had to have cleaned out the gun shop before anyone else, or killed anyone that had gotten there before them. "Why don't you take one before the others, think of it as payment, besides, I'm good with just a bow, less recoil."

Even as she spoke, she could not stop shaking. She never even noticed it but after the shock of killing her old friends, running from the dead and getting shot. She began to slow, feeling as if her body was made of lead and ice had been poured over her back.

[moonfaerie]

The thought of warm clothes and food was enticing to say the least. A city girl by heart, she wasn't accustomed to living in these conditions and quite honestly didn't know how she had made it so long herself. But that wasn't something the would admit to anyone; her pride wouldn't let her. Debating it over in her head, she didn't get a chance to say anything before he grabbed her. Looking offended as he shushed her, Elizabeth remained silent because it was the smart thing to do; she was bristling beside him though.

She didn't plan to move until he dragged her along anyway and she was forced to go with him. Elizabeth quietly fought against him every bit of the way by trying to yank her arm back, but his grip on her was tight; unless she wanted to make a scene by squirming against him—which would result in unwanted attention—she had to relent.

Whatever these men were talking about didn't interest her any though she made a mental note not to go to any farm at the top of any hill. These people weren't exactly friendly looking types. Dragged back out by Ethan while they discussed their plan to take the place, when they were out of range she finally jerked her arm away from him with a glare. “Don't ever do that again,” she hissed, keeping her voice low to stay on the safe side.

At the revelation the were talking about the place Ethan had mentioned, Elizabeth just arched a brow as the first thought that went through her head was that it wouldn't be able to provide anything for her now. Finding herself scoffing in amusement at how he was trying to convince her to help him, she crossed her arms in front of her and shifted her weight to one foot. “I don't have to do anything,” she informed him. “In case you forgot, I was the one who just had to save your ass. From where I'm standing, it looks like you need me a hell of a lot more than I need you.” If she stayed far away from both these guys and the barn, she couldn't see how they would get her; she wouldn't be anywhere near them.

“Or,” Elizabeth began. “You could come with me. And we could both do the smart thing by, you know, going away from the danger,” she suggested with emphasis on going the opposite direction. Whoever was back at the barn wasn't anything to her and she didn't see why she should risk her life going there when they knew there was going to be an attack. She was barely surviving as it was; she couldn't fight and against those men they didn't stand a chance. Going to the barn now was suicide in her opinion—though, if she were to be completely honest, she had nothing against the thought of dying right now; she'd already lost everything. "But if you're really hell bent on being stupid about this, I guess I can help watch your back. If you ask me nicely."

[Sol Grim]

"Tempting, but you're probably right," Ethan said, they could hear the nearby vehicles driving away. "I don't even know those people at the farm either. I'm no hero, I'm just a high school history teacher who lost his family. Maybe we should just go...but, I kind of have the feeling you would slit my throat in the night and take my axe."

A light whistle quickly caught their attention. Ethan spun around to see two men kneeling in the shrubs. They aimed ak47's at the pair with grins on their faces. "We kinda had the sense we was bein' watched. Oh, and did you say 'people at the farm'?"

Ethan and Elizabeth were taken, bound at the hands and a bag placed over their heads. They were shoved into the back of a gray van with one of the kidnappers with them.

"You were supposed to be watching behind me!" Ethan said to Liz. He could feel the bumpy road beneath them as they moved, inching them closer and closer to where they were already heading, he knew.

-------------------------------

Johnny watched as one by one the dead fell before him, all shot to the head. He shoved the dead body off of him and followed Reena to the horses.

"Thanks." He only could catch a breath once they reached the viewpoint of the city. "Yeah, a few drinks sounds amazing right now. I need to get shitfaced." He nearly forgot about the pack of smokes he grabbed from the trailer house, pulling it out and lighting one up with his zippo. "I have a feeling we're gonna get used to saving each others lives." He grabbed a .45 revolver and traded out his handgun, then put a mp5 around a shoulder. There were even grenades in the bag, of which at first he was hesitant about, but then grabbed one anyway and clipped it to his belt. Just in case of ferals.

It felt good to be alive, he knew that was all that mattered anymore. Seeing that Reena's wound wasn't so bad, the two slowly trotted down the path toward home. The path led into a more difficult one than the earlier used trail, heading at a long upward angle until they reached the beginning of the hill. The horses easily moved upward as Johnny saw a few walkers stuck at the base. There was dark mud all around them as they tried to head toward the farmhouse, but were blocked from that direction. Instead of going back the way they came, they just sort of got stuck there. Johnny made a mental note to come back later and take care of them.

A few gunshots rang out from around the farmhouse. Johnny raised a brow and then took the horses to some cover, just outside of view from the house. Reena didn't look all to well, so he handed her roach's strap and got to the ground. "Stay here, I'll see what's up." He took two steps, then turned back. "Yeah, just in case." He reached back into the gun bag.

----------

"Why don'tcha all just come on out now!" Ernie yelled from the front yard. The groups vehicles, including the one with Ethan and Liz, were all parked together facing the farmhouse. They all stood outside, behind their doors with weapons drawn. Ernie motioned to another, who brought out Ethan and Liz to the front. "We gotchur people here. Come on out and lets talk about...moving out."

There was a silence. The farmhouse seemed empty, with the sun high enough in the sky now to notice anyone hiding in the trees near the front. Ernie and another of his men took the two hostages, and moved forward.

"We're coming in!" Ernie said aloud. "We gotchur people."

"What if they ain't home?" his partner asked.

"Even better," Ernie said, now standing in front of the door. He dragged Ethan in with him, staying behind his body. The man holding Liz stayed outside, gripping her arm harshly and holding her close. "Maybe they don't even give a fuck about you, guy."

Ernie moved from room to room, clearing the entire house as best he could with a hostage in front of him. Nothing. Empty. The man grunted and then began to head out.

Johnny crawled on all fours under the high grass until he was close enough. He pulled out the pin to his grenade, then got up and started running as fast as he could, throwing it in the center of the group. They noticed him as he started to run, but within seconds they exploded in a loud eruption. A few of them were instantly killed, becoming slobs of meat on the grass. A few in the front of the group made it, being thrown forward and losing a body part or two. Johnny was also knocked to the ground, but he quickly regained his senses and got back up. He shot the remaining people on the ground multiple times until he was satisfied, then looked up to see the man holding Liz hostage at the front door.

"What the---" the man grabbed Liz by her hair, through the mask on her face, and was reaching his weapon around to shoot her.

A silently muffled shot rang through from the treeline and struck the man in his face, tossing his body away from the girl while also pulling off her mask simultaneously. Johnny turned to the trees, not seeing anything but the leaves moving.

The explosion set Ernie back, giving Ethan enough time to run away back outside. His mask obscured his vision, but he was able to make it out to the porch, where he tripped and fell face first into the dirt. Ernie came rushing after him, taking a second to look at all of his vehicles that were now destroyed. All of his men, dead. The second was to long, as a sniper's bullet struck his forehead, killing him instantly.

Johnny ran over to Ethan, who was knocked out unconscious, and pulled the bag off his head and untied him. He slapped Ethan in the face a little, then looked over to Liz. "...who the hell are you?"

Dallen came out from the shrubs to Reena, a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder. He grabbed her horse and walked with her back to the farmhouse. "They came back," he said. "Idiots, now they're dead."

Raven and the others came out from their hidden room and peered out the windows, seeing that their group were the ones left standing. Dallen helped Reena down and motioned the first aid toward the kid, James.

"She's hurt," Dallen told him. "Johnny, what the hell was that?"

He was going to argue with Johnny on his 'tactics', but realized the man was busy staring at the newcomer. He walked along side as well.

"Ethan's out cold," Johnny said, then turned back to Liz. "I say we keep her in binds until he wakes up."

Dallen just shrugged, then turned toward the others. "We have a lot of cleaning up to do."

[CloseEnough]

@Sol Grim

"I guess we will be dragging each other from hell from now on."
A small smile on her features, Reena began to take her legs out of the sturips and let them hang lifelessly for a bit. It was nice to think that, to know you have someone who could have your back. It even made her feel better knowing she can do the same. This world had turned to shit, and you can't survive it on your own any more.

---
When she heard her home being raided though, the red head found a rage boiling in her belly. About to dismount herself, her arm slightly shaky, she found Johnny being the hero. Telling her to stay put as though she were a child, but she still held her tongue. After what they had just been through, she could let him have his fun for a moment.

Explosions causing Epona to brace, Reena began to duck closer to the saddle, leaning into her neck as gunfire rang through the air harsher than any whiplash. They needed help, where was the others? She could only hear the other party, where was James? Raven? Dallen? Where did the others go!?

As if to answer her thoughts, a bullet whizzed through the air. A perfect shot, one well trained and as it lodged into the poor soul's cranium with a sickening crack, she turned to see the foliage parting way for Dallan. "Good to know your good with a gun."

---
James ran to Reena's side, worry clearly etched on his face as he offered for the red head to lean on him. Yet she simply brushed him off as always, she never did like to be taken care of. "Come on, you need that looked at." Again she shook her head, taking the horses reins. "I need to bed these two down, don't need them getting a saddle sore or linked joint."

Running a hand through his hair, he glared at the woman. But was unable to say anything till he saw who was the hostage. "Ethan!" Moving to the male's side his eyes wide, he began looking to him and the new woman that came with him. "What happened? Are you okay? And who is this?"
He couldn't help the questions, he was actually worried about the guy the moment he realized he was gone. He actually thought he was trying to leave to find a place to die. And the thought made his blood run cold. "When I saw that you were gone I thought you......"

"No one is to go out there by themselves any more. Not unless your leaving for good. I don't need someone leading a even bigger band to my farm."
Reena's voice cutting through the air, he watched as she began to lead the horses, her golden gaze having a glaze of ice over the lenses. He could get an idea why she was angry, she left to get protection for them, got hurt in doing so. And one of them brought danger here while she was gone. Ethan lost her trust, and it would be a while to get it back from her.

Hours passing by, James found himself cleaning the bodies. Taking the black thoroughbred Vader, and a tarp, he dragged each body on the slap and made a make shift harness to tie around the horse's chest so he could lead them away easier. The sound of the dragging blue plastic sounded like a funeral march as they pulled through the grass that grabbed at them like hungry fingers. "I'm gonna burn them, Raven? Do you think you can come with me? Watch my back?"

The horse would toss his head, snort and paw at the ground. He was a proud beast, one that he never really liked working with. But he didn't want to make Azazl do the job. He wished he had Gandalf right now, the gentle giant was great at pulling carts, he could do this without any fuss. He made a mental note to go look for the horse later.

Taking them down to a deep pit, he tied Vader to a near by tree before rolling each and every body down the narrow slop. "So, what do you think is gonna happen now? Eventually there are going to be more people, more desperate and brutal." Speaking as he worked, he took a canister of gasoline, dabbing the liquid on their back before taking out a match. "I would have done the same in your situation, but I still want you to rot in hell."

As the words fell from his lips, he let the match leave his fingers, igniting the corpses in a blaze that lit up the darkening sky. The smell of burning flesh entering his nose, but he did not move to cover it.

----
Reena took a bath after she cared for the horses. For some reason finding a guitar on roach that she set back inside the house. Boiling water in a fire pit outside so she could save her propane tank, Reena dragged the pot of water to the tub to enjoy something for the night. It's been a while since she just sat down and relaxed. Leaning her head back, closing her eyes even as the water eased the pain in her joints. She stayed in the darkening water far more than she needed to. "Enjoy the little things while you can." Her hair cleaned it began to take that fire like glow again, her few freckles actually showing up on her face again through the grim. She began to look like herself, a normal woman.

Reluctantly she left the tub, draining the water, there was too much filth in there to share. The signs of battle, a hunting knife on the edge of the tub she put it on the sink. Drying her hair and getting changed in sweat pants and a Witcher shirt. Putting the knife on a belt. She could never be left unarmed now.
Leaving the bath room, she found her feet move on autopilot, going to the small bar in her kitchen she pushed in the code to revile a bottle collection that she gathered over the years. She was never a big drinker, but her fellow nerds always let her keep the main bottle when they went out during a comic con.

"If anyone wants a bath, I can set you up, but for now."
She didn't even pour herself a glass, a bottle of fire ball whisky in her hand she turned her head back and took a long drink. She didn't care, she just wanted to fuzzy her gaze a bit, get slightly tipsy to fog her memory of all the shit that happened today. The liquid running hot down her throat, burning her insides.
She was thankful that the power was still running, she didn't have to use her generator yet, but it also allowed her to think that she was just having a few friends over.
Sadly, this won't last, not forever
The thought running through her head, she took another drink before offering the bottle.

"How's the new girl? I want to know who she is, how you met her. I don't know her, so I don't like her yet. I don't even know what happened to you guys." She needed to at least get things straight as she relaxed. Moving to the counter she pulled up a stool, looking at the woman still tied, Renna began to study her, leaning on her elbows the huntress kept watching for any signs that could give information.
She seemed dainty, fit yes. But someone that was not really used to harsh labour. Thats all she could gain from her thoughts, and it frustrated her.
"Johnny? Whats the loot? How much were we able to grab?"