czechmate46

"Broken Souls" - Zombie Survival (Closed)

After they had taken care of the walkers in the back of the pharmacy, Petra helped Hunter with going through the shelves and collecting whatever they could use. While it was clear that the pharmacy had already been raided, she did manage to find some useful medicine and medical aid should anything happen. It felt strange to be on the ground, off the rooftop and out of the apartment buidling. When Petra had left the rooftop that morning, she knew it would be her last time scavenging the building but not her last time on the rooftop. It had served her well but it was time to move on.

As she went through the shelves alongside Hunter, she almost grinned at his comment. It had been a long time since she had smiled. And even longer since she had allowed herself to laugh.

She didn't see herself as a better fighter than Hunter, she just figured he was shocked to see that a close to middle age woman could handle herself in such a way. "In another life," she told him, when he asked about where she had learned to fight. Bringing up anything from her life before the outbreak was pointless. All those who had been a part of it were most likely dead, or wandering mindlessly and growling at their shadow. "What about you? Not too many people can handle a hatchet like that," she told Hunter. Petra was not exactly a social butterfly, and her self consciousness regarding her accent was a barrier. But she knew, in order to gain the trust of others, she needed to attempt to be friendly and not reclusive as she had always been.

Dust To Dust (czechmate46 & badfool)

If it were any other day, Jack would have snickered at Declan's remark, or at least cracked a grin. But it seemed nothing could cause the young man's lips to curve upward. Having another person speak to him began to let it sink in what he had just done. He had killed three men. It was not an accident, like when his father was young and he went swimming in a pond with his younger brother and had accidentally drowned him while playing. Jack's hand hadn't accidentally slipped on the trigger, none of this could be seen as manslaughter. Jack Reed, at the ripe age of nineteen had killed three men in cold blood. The astounding fact was that he was prepared to kill three more, and anyone who stood in his way.

Jack merely shook his head at Declan's remark after shaking his hand. "I don't have any quarrel with you," he stated. It was this point that he actually began to inspect the man he had saved. He appeared to age at least five years older than Jack and his clothing and car told him that this depression wasn't exactly been kneeing him in the gut. This made Jack wonder what Declan did for a living. And what he was doing out here, in the midst of abandonded farms and storms of dust?

It seemed that the criminals, who now laid strewn across the dust road in a pool of their own blood, had not gotten away with a single possession of Declan's. And they had not severely injured, as they might have if Jack didn't intervene. At this point, Jack wasn't really thinking about getting anything in return for his intervention, or even cared for so much as a thank you. When he first came across the sitation, he set out to save Declan but it quickly became about killing the kind of men who took his family only hours earier. All that Jack cared about now was making sure Declan was set to travel again and then mounting his horse and resuming his tracking.

"I'mma be on my way," Jack informed Declan as he began to walk back to Clover. "You set to get going again?" Jack had assumed, with the way Declan was dressed, that he was on his way somewhere.

"Broken Souls" - Zombie Survival (Closed)

Petra moved as fast as she could, holding the hand gun at the ready while her mind kept reminding her to reach for the axe on her belt. It didn't help that she usually was armed with the axe while she was running, not having it dangle off of her belt. Just as she had predicted it would, the extra weight slowed her down and she was quite a few paces behind Hunter. He had already fired off the shotgun a fair amount of times, she didn't want to fire off the hand gun to attract anymore attention. Whatever walkers got in her way got pistol whipped to the ground. Petra didn't exactly care about killing them at this point - just getting them out of her way.

Seeing that Hunter had already gotten into the pharmacy and was now waiting for her, Petra sprinted the rest of the way, her free hand holding the axe still, so it wouldn't tug on her belt.

"Close the door!" she exclaimed once she had gotten into the pharmacy, bending over to catch her breath. But there wasn't time to rest. Their rather boisterous entry had summoned the walkers that had been hiding in the back of the pharmacy. Nodding to Hunter, Petra advanced towards them. She had stuffed the hand gun in her jacket pocket for now and wielded the axe. She needed time to get reacquainted with it and the axe was better suited for a silent, close quartered brawl.

There were three walkers that Petra readily spotted. She acted fast with her axe, swinging it at the sides of their heads. Groaning from the back of the pharmacy told the two survivors that there were more than just the three walkers.

Dust To Dust (czechmate46 & badfool)

Jack merely grunted at the man's response, only slightly lightened by the fact that the man had managed to come out of the attack without any major injuries. His mind was on the crawling pathetic exuse for a man some ways down the road. He would get to him with time, he just wanted to make sure he didn't manage to pull something while Jack wasn't paying attention. He felt it was his personal duty to rid the world of these men. While they had not wronged him nor gotten away with their attempted robbery of the man that stood next to him, Jack was sure they had gotten away with the robbery and murder of others.

The man's question prompted a pain in the back of Jack's throat, the urge to cry tugging at his eyes. He would've thought that, after crying for seven hours straight, he wouldn't have any tears left in him to shed. Such an assumption would be wrong. Furrowing his brow and blinking the tears back, Jack gained eye contact with the man for the first time. "My father." He then pulled one of the pistols from his holster and began to stride forward towards the crawling man. "'Scuse me for a minute."

It didn't take long for Jack to catch up with the last man, a trail of blood leading Jack straight to him. He seemed so pathetic, squirming and dragging himself under the unforgiving sun. The dust swirled about with each gust of wind and even when Jack pulled along side the man, he continued to move forward. It was not until Jack physically stood in the man's path with his gun drawn that he began to plead.

"You don't have to do this. I won't go the authorities about what you did, I promise. It was all their idea anyway. They blackmailed me into helping them, I wanted no part of this! Just let-"

The man's voice was replaced by the piercing sound of a gun shot, a neat hole now ran through his head.

"Shut up."

With that, Jack returned back to the scene of the crime, holstering his weapon as he walked. He wasn't necessarily worried about the man who had been ambushed. He doubted he would go to the authorities with what Jack did after he had saved him his life, his possessions, and money. Besides, the man looked as if he were the type of person to look the other way.

Returning to the scene, Jack ran a hand through his hair once more before saying another word and extending his hand.

"Name's Jack."

"Broken Souls" - Zombie Survival (Closed)

After the corpse had been moved out of the way, the two stood away from the door. Petra took a step back from Hunter as she listened to him speak. She hadn't really been out on the streets but she was sure she could handle whatever they were about to encounter. She had scavenged through the apartment building a handfull of times and had to deal with numerous walkers and unfriendly survivors. However, she knew this was still going to be a challenge.

Petra almost chuckled when Hunter asked her if she knew how to use a hand gun. She remembered back to when she was involved with her brother's gang and firearm distribution was practically part of her job description. When she had moved and pursued a more wholesome source of income, she refused to own a gun of any kind. If she knew that the apocalypse was going to happen any time soon, she might have reconsidered that decision. Of course she knew how to shoot a hand gun. But to Hunter, she probably looked like a helpless little girl, despite the fact that she was most likely older than him. It didn't bother her much though - she had bigger problems than what others thought about her. And she understood the stereotype.

"Alright. Let's get going then," Petra said. She had little to input at this time and she had no reason to question Hunter about his authenticity. She could tell by his demeanor that he had no intent of wrong doing towards her. He was just a man with a migraine. And a lot of guns.

Dust To Dust (czechmate46 & badfool)

The sudden attack by the man on the ground caused Jack's eyes to dart away from his target momentarily. He hadn't noticed that the man was awake yet. Upon the attack, the one man left standing had made a run for it, his boots kicking up dust as he ran. He was smart enough not to waste his time with starting up the car but stupid enough to believe Jack was going to let him get away unscathed. The rage had driven him mad - his hesitance to shoot or kill had nearly dissolved. His discretion barely functioned at this point. He wouldn't be traced for a crime committed against a couple of robbers out in the desert land.

Narrowing his eyes, Jack adjusted his pistol, aiming it at the running man's foot. He shot at it twice, watching the man tumble to the ground, a flurry of dust flouting up as he fell. It was at this point that he turned his attention to the two men on the ground. The one man had lacerations and bruises scattered all over his face and appeared in bad shape. The thought occurred to Jack that, if he had not intervened, this man would have met the same fate as his family.

With swiftness, he dismounted the horse, pacing over to the robber on the ground. Without any hesitation or warning, Jack laid into the man's face with his fist, hitting him until he passed out. Panting heavily, he straightened up again and pushed his hair away from his face with a blood stained hand. It scared him that he could do such acts without the thinnest shred of guilt. Jack had never felt such a burning rage before. The desire to kill or harm another man had rarely occurred to him throughout his life. He was known as the peaceful child. The only that consistently obeyed and made sacrifices to keep the peace. Now, peace was the last thing on his mind.

"You hurt bad?" Jack finally addressed the man that had been ambushed, extending his hand to him to help him to his feet. The third robber was about fifteen feet away, attempting to get back to his feet. Jack, however, was not worried about him. He had something in mind for him and he wouldn't be going far in his condition.

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Dust To Dust (czechmate46 & badfool)

The morning came quickly, the sunlight accompanying the sound of singing birds. With each waking hour, Jack's rage grew and grew. It swelled inside him until it almost nearly consumed him. He dug a plot in the yard near his mother and brother's graves, big enough for the three of his family members to fit in. Perhaps if he wasn't in such a rush, he would have taken the time to dig three individual plots. But vengeance waits for no man.

Upon buring his father, brother, and sister, Jack returned to the house. He searched every corner, every hole, every square inch of that house, nearly turning it inside out in the process. If he was going to set out on this quest, he would need to bring whatever food and money the family had left. After nearly two hours of searching, it was not looking good for Jack. The men had taken a good portion of what little the family had left. By the time 9:00 am rolled around, he had nothing more but twenty five dollars and two jars of beans. That was until he perched on an old trunk in his parent's bedroom, burrowing his face in his hands out of frustration. He kicked his heel back against the trunk out of anger, only to hear a loud thud. The trunk certainly contained more than Jack had originally thought.

Out of both confusion and curiosity, Jack opened the trunk. He had gone through it earlier that morning only to find clothing. But there was definitely something more in there. He threw out all the clothing onto the floor until he reached the bottom of the trunk. This time, he noticed that the bottom of the trunk was not only uneven but was not sealed. Reaching down, Jack pulled up the flat piece of wood to reveal a folded blanket. He unraveled it carefully, finding an aged hand gun and an envelope. Inside the envelope was a thin wad of cash, adding up to $200. Whatever excitement Jack had was being suppressed. He couldn't bring himself to smile yet. But he couldn't help but feel more optimistic.

Everything was set. His bags were packed, his guns loaded, his money secure. It was nearing noon by the time Jack exited the house and made his way to the stable. Without a car to travel, Jack was left with only one option - horseback. The Reed's had sold close to all of their livestock earlier on. However, two animals remained. One of which was Clover, his father's horse. Clover was remarkably healthy and was well fed as he was the only horse left. Jack was unsure how long Clover could help him for but he intended to keep him alive and safe as long as possible. With the sun beating down on the thirsty land, Jack took off, headed north.

The tire tracks in the dust pointed north. Jack's father was the real tracker of the family but Jack had picked up quite a bit from him. He intended to keep on the trail of the tracks until they went off the road. Jack was sure these criminals did not live in the city.

As his horse maintained a slow gallop, Jack began to make out something in the distance. He squinted through the swirling dust, trying to make out the scene that was at least a hundred feet infront of him. As he neared closer, he could faintly make out two cars and three humanoid figures. No, four. One was collapsed on the ground, barely moving. It appeared that the other three men were searching the man on the ground...and then shredding through the contents of his vehicle. Jack's stomach quickly began to spin, an odd mixture of anxiousness and excitement inside him. Were those the men? Could he really be so lucky as to stumble upon them after a mere twenty minutes? Only time would tell.

Approaching the scene, Jack pulled Clover to a stop and pulled the two hand guns that were holstered at his hip. If he acted now, he could catch them off guard, as they were preoccupied with the car. "Good afternoon, men," he announced his presence before shooting the third man in the gut and holding the other two at gunpoint. He noted the close to unconscious man laying on the road, as one of the men had what looked to be an instrument case in his hands. Looking at them now, in the daylight, he knew these weren't the men from last night. He could just take off right now if he wanted to. But what kind of man would that make him?

"That don't belong to you," the young man said from atop his horse. The whole thing was very unlike him. But this new found rage had turned him into an entirely different person.

"Broken Souls" - Zombie Survival (Closed)

Petra exhaled lightly when the man lowered the gun, now feeling more free to lift her head up completely and settle both feet on the same step. It was remarkable how clear the stairwell was. For some reason, the walkers didn't congregate there.

"Petra," she introduced herself in a slow but steady voice. She listened to Hunter's proposal with a blank expression, hearing him out. The idea of getting into the pharmacy did sound good to her, but it also sounded like a risk. But, then again, this was a risk too. Petra had a good mind to believe the pharmacy was ransacked and they would arrive only to find a mess of empty shelves. But she also knew that she wouldn't get anywhere without at least trying.

"I will come with you to the pharmacy," she announced. She quickly recognized what Hunter was trying to do, and joined him in pushing against the door.

Dust To Dust (czechmate46 & badfool)

Name: Jack Reed

Age: 20

Height: 5'11

Hair color: brown

Eye color: hazel

Family:
Joseph Reed - Father, murdered
Margaret Reed - mother, died from illness
Tom Reed - brother, died from illness
Fredrick Reed - brother, murdered
Deborah Reed - sister, murdered

Personality:
Jack is timid, polite, and reserved. He was known as the peace keeper child, always appeasing and sacrificing to keep things running smoothly between his siblings. Dependent on others. Usually a very calm and light hearted person. When troubles came, he tried to be optimistic. However, after the death of his family, Jack is even more reserved than before and is fueled by a burning anger and hatred inside of him. Will not often act upon his anger but he is no longer gentle and can be easily triggered these days. However, he does his best to keep it together infront of strangers.

Bio:
Being the second oldest of the Reed children, Jack grew up in his brother, Tom's shadow. He was an obedient child growing up and valued his family dearly. He did not attend school past the sixth grade, as his help was needed at the farm. He was the closest child to his father, as the two of them would often go on hunting trips alone. His mother was more fond of Tom, and while his father did have a strong fondness of Tom as well, he always had a special bond with Jack.

Life carried on as normal, not having any real change until the depression hit and their land began to turn to dust. His parents no longer got along and each family member was in low spirits. It was not until Margaret came down with a strong illness that things truly began to go sour. The family resorted to selling most, if not all, of their valuable possessions including jewelry, family heirlooms, the family car, and numerous livestock. However, they still did not have enough money for medicine or a doctor. A few weeks into Margaret's illness, Tom came down with a similar affliction. With the eldest son unable to function, the task was now up to Jack. About a month an a half later, Margaret passed away. Tom followed her three weeks later. The youngest sibling, Deborah had also come down with an illness at this point. It had proven to not be as severe as Margaret or Tom's but it did a toll on her young body. This drew Jack, his brother Fredrick, and their father even closer. They vigorously tried to reap crops from their land but obtained no such luck. The men began taking turns of riding into the city to find work, often coming back empty handed.

Seven months after the death of Tom, true tragedy struck the family. In the early hours of the night, a band of criminals attacked the farm house. Said criminals took whatever food or semi valuable possessions they could find, killing Joseph, Fredrick, and Deborah in the process. They had knocked Jack out by smacking him over the back of the head with a rifle. Thinking him dead, they took off. When Jack came to, he discovered his home to be ransacked, his brother and sister dead from gunshot wounds, and his father dying in a pool of blood on the floor. He held his father in his arms for the last few minutes of his life and vowed to kill the men who did this to him.