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Post by Shale Salot on May 3, 2009 19:34:05 GMT -7
"Tucker, shut the hell up!" I reached the top of the ladder and swatted Tucker along the ears. He stopped barking instantly. I listened intently, then the sound hit me like a huge wave. Snatches of sounds and voices registering on my ears one after another.
Shots rang out The clack of a rifle's bolt being drawn The loud kicks of a distant pistol
"-'ve gotta move!"
More shots.
"-ss come on!"
A loud roar.
"-ight behind you."
The scream of a hunter in pain.
"-ucking suicide!"
The whoosh of an exploding molotov.
"C'mon boy, lets go help!"
More shots rang through the air as I ran along the open wall, dodging crates and sliding through scaffolding. I could tell by the sounds that i was getting closer. The tell-tale sound of gun fire growing. Suddenly, the gun shots stopped. The voices disappeared. The crackling of the fire dimmed. A stunning roar sounded out, long and angry, followed by the sound of a wall being torn out of its foundations.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck we're too late!" I said aloud as I rounded the last corner. I saw the hindquarters of a monstrous creature disappear up a ladder. It killed them. It killed Kass. Blinding rage rose through me. I unslung the rifle and started towards the ladder. "Tucker, stay." Tucker whined loud and long as i reached the ladder. As I started up, he tried to climb up after me. "I said stay!" I kicked tucker and he fell back down the ladders. In the back of my mind, I knew that this wasn't me. I wouldn't do that to Tuck. He looked up at me whining, then ran around the corner. I turned my attention to the ladder and continued my ascent to find the beast that killed my Kass. The last thing I heard before reaching the top was Tucker whining around the corner. Then the sound of his claws scratching on something...Metallic?
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Kass
Smoker
Rhi is Sexy.
Posts: 83
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Post by Kass on May 3, 2009 19:47:34 GMT -7
The room has quieted down significantly since we all arrived. My gaze falls on the two people I'm most concerned about right now. Erik's gone quiet and I assume he's sleeping. I stop in front of him and lightly brush the hair out of his face, my fingers lingering on his cheek for a moment. There are many things I wish to say to him but it will have to wait. Paul seems to have gone into some kind of trance where I can't tell if he's awake or sleeping. I hope it's the latter. I feel my heart ache a little but push it away. There's a scratching at the door. I draw my machete and ease towards it, listening. I swear I make out the sound of whining.
An animal? I cautiously peer out the window and see that there's nothing around. I slide the latch back and unlock the door, slowly opening it. I look down and can't believe my eyes. It's been a while but I'd recognize him anywhere.
"Tucker?" My voice is a whisper and I reach my hand out to him, letting him smell me. His tail starts to wag a little but there's something seriously wrong. I coax him inside, gently petting him and murmuring assurances.
"If you're here... Then where's Shale?" I look at him, expecting him to answer me. But hope soars in my chest for a moment. If Tucker's here then Shale, my closest and dearest friend, can't be too far behind.
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Rogen
Horde
Penis
Posts: 48
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Post by Rogen on May 3, 2009 19:49:14 GMT -7
Joey groaned a bit as he began to awaken from his knock to the head. He shuffled on the table, sliding to a sitting possition. Think they could at least let me sleep peacefully if they are gonna knock me out. He thought, shaking off the sleepies. He opened his eyes, glaring around the room, giving a smirk, "Well now... seems we all survived genecide, shall we go eat some ice cream while were at it?" He offered sarcastically. He didn't care if they listened, honestly. He hopped off the table, looking to the big bearly one, "If memory serves, your the one that knocked the shit outta me." He chuckled, "Good. I hope you'll have the same thought process should someone else become as much an... obstacle, as you percieved me." He still held his gun, amazingly, and holstered it in his back waist band.
He stretched a bit, before speaking, "So, plans anyone?" He offered the floor, sliding back against a wall. His head still throbbed, but he hid his pain, he wasn't weak mentally. He glanced to the girl, rolling his eyes, "Dead, probably?" he offered in the tone that he was actually trying to help.
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Kass
Smoker
Rhi is Sexy.
Posts: 83
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Post by Kass on May 3, 2009 19:54:38 GMT -7
I leave Tucker be for a moment and smile at Joey. I walk towards him, crouch down for a second, look directly into his eyes and then backhand him. "Go. Fuck. Yourself." I stand up and grin even more. "I was going to ask you how you were feeling, but I changed my mind."
I walk back across the room, pat Tucker on the head and look out the window. I know he's out there. I know I have to find him.
These damn men and their running off.
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Post by Francis on May 3, 2009 20:03:47 GMT -7
Tank William
I hear footsteps behind me. I stop at the edge of the ladder. I turn to face my follower. He finds his way to the top of the ladder. Before he gets out of the hole, he looks up. "Oh shi-" Grasping him by his shirt, I lift him to my face. Roaring into his face, he flinches and closes his eyes. My chest rises and falls with each breath. My breathing getting heavier and raspy. My arm swings forward and nearly misses his lower body, and he frees himself from my grasp. Hopping aside, he dives between my legs. I give chase. The boy is quick. He makes another dive past my reach, but I catch him this time. Struggling in my grasp, I swing him around by his ankle. I slam him against the ground. His body bounces a bit, and he spits blood everywhere. Holding him by his throat, I pull his face into mine. Struggling to breathe, he mutters, "Fuck you..". Then he spits in my face. I find myself laughing. Why? I don't know. With a swift motion, his body is dropped down the ladder shaft. I hear a soft thud, as his body lands on his back. He is not dead. He is a message to the survivors..
I will be waiting. Come to me.
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Kass
Smoker
Rhi is Sexy.
Posts: 83
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Post by Kass on May 3, 2009 20:17:15 GMT -7
I feel cold race up my spine and look towards the door. Tucker senses this and lets out a soft whine. Something is not right. I glance up at Francis and make eye contact.
"What is it?" He walks over and I'm extremely comforted by his size. A mountain of a man. His gaze drifts down to the dog.
"He belongs to a friend. If I go out there..." "You're not going alone."
Tucker's whines increase and I feel my anxiety racing. I reach for the door and turn the knob. Something drives me and I move fast, kicking a zombie that makes the mistake of getting in front of me before I shoot it in the head. Tucker's at my side and I can only guess that he's leading me straight to Shale.
There's a body. The dark hair, the torn jacket. I let out a soft cry and race towards him. My heart ripping in my chest. I kneel beside him, resting my head against his chest and hearing a heart beat.
"Shale? SHALE!" Francis comes to my side and gently pushes me away, although I'm more than hesitant to leave.
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Erik
Horde
Smilie Face.
No, you don't win.
Posts: 44
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Post by Erik on May 3, 2009 20:21:39 GMT -7
A breeze gently rolls across the grass, the tree providing comfort as we gaze at the stars, her head laying on my chest as I gently stroke her hair, our hands interlocked. She shivers against me, the breeze making her cold, shifting her head so she's looking up at me, a smile on her face. She shifts her body until she's laying on her side, pressed against me as she wraps her free arm around my waist, getting lost in her beautiful eyes. "It's so pretty out tonight," she whispers, sending a warm feeling through my body as I hold her close, kissing her forehead lightly. "It is, it was a good night to do this," I whisper back, never wanting to feel the emptiness that's left when she leaves my arms.
She kisses my neck softly, sending chills down my spine, feeling her nuzzle against it gently. I roll onto my side to face her, pressing our foreheads together gently, kissing the tip of her nose with a smile on my face, finding all the answers in the world in her beautiful eyes, whispering "I love you." "I love you too."
Black. Darkness, nothing but darkness. No, no, why is this happening? Why did I just get ripped away from the place I want to be? The darkness slowly starts fading away, slowly revealing a new location, my heart pounding slightly, wishing I was back on that blanket with her. A door, a gray door in front of me, my hand on the knob. No, oh God no, please, not this. My hand twists the knob, gently pushing the door open, the silence worrying me as I walk inside. "Hey, you here? I came to check up on you, you weren-" I stop dead in my tracks, not believing what I'm seeing, feeling like I just want to break down, that nothing isn't making sense anymore. The image of her lifeless body, laying on that black couch, no, I can't handle this, no, make it stop.
My eyes flicker open, finding tears rolling down my face, the grip on my legs tighter then when I fell asleep. "You're not going alone." I hear the words, but consider it to be a figment of my imagination, thinking no one in their right mind would want to go out there, not after seeing what's happened to Paul. I keep my head pressed to my knees, wanting so desperately to go back, to go back to laying with her on the blanket, needing to feel her warmth beside me. A sob escapes my lips, closing my eyes once more, drifting back asleep.
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Paul
Boomer
Posts: 57
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Post by Paul on May 4, 2009 6:15:37 GMT -7
"Grey" I whisper. Motion kept in lock and key. The black smith and the beast. I look at him. Pathetic, weak, insignificant........lost. Who am I? I nudge him. He does not move but looks at me from the corner of his eye. "Grey," I whisper again, "she is never one to say. But perhaps you can hold her from change." The look goes odd, I dismiss it. Standing was harder than running. Balance, balance, good. Names, what were they? The girl........white............glasses........shoes.....new faces. Zoey..........zoey............... "Zoey..." She turns and looks at me, with what? No sense of words. Disbelief? Perhaps. "No tears for the wicked." They flow out. I have no control. She is still struck silent. The new co-...............foreign. Glasses he wore and arrogance he wore with it. Nothing for him, I was not ready. When she comes, I will be too unprepared to come along. No Francis, no Kass. I hear them. Animal, dog, sorrow............rot. DANGER. He was empty, how many left? 14, 14 exact. 2 cycles and it was out. Whicking, clicking. I go to find them. So much rot. Never alone.
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Post by Zoey on May 4, 2009 10:00:38 GMT -7
“No! Paul!” I yelled after him but i was much to late to stop him, the red door slamming in my face. They had just dragged him in here! Why on Earth would he go back out? Foolishness! I screamed in anger. These people were becoming more and more frustrating! Why go backwards? We had all barely survived returning from that direction! Standing up I grabbed my shotgun, swinging the bag over my shoulder once more. I pulled out a water bottle and tossed it at the new guy with the glasses. I did not speak, just looked at him, before turning my back and exiting out the red door that we were supposed to; the one that led to our freedom. I would live, even if I was the only one. Foolish, I knew. To leave by myself was very dangerous. But turning back was dangerous; having so many people to drag us down was dangerous. Emotions were dangerous...
(This is where 5. The Rooftop begins)
I ran quickly from that door, shutting off my flashlight so the zombies would barely notice me. I jumped over their heads, weaved around the ones that stood against walls, checking my corners so very briefly. I turned a corner that was lit to find an open elevator shaft, and many zombies. They all turned to look at me, faces mangles by sores and rot. They howled, I ran. Running through them proved to be much more of a challenge, their gangly arms seemed to be everywhere. I pushed through, having not even fired a single shot since leaving the safe room. My toes reached the edge of the empty shaft, and I did not stop. I jumped, reaching out as far as I could.
My heart was pounding so hard when my smooth hands caught the cold railing across the hole. As I hung there I looked back, watching zombies jump in to the hole and plummet to their deaths.
I hoisted myself up and over the other side of the railing, smirking. A ladder was ahead, and I carefully gripped the rungs and hoisted myself up again. I actually began to believe I could do this all myself. It was a pathetic lie I told myself, whether I was seeking death or to relieve frustration, this was not the place to do it. Still I pushed on. At the top of the first ladder, a few zombies stumbled in their dark dance, swaying back and forth but always keeping surprisingly good balance. I destroyed this, and pushed all three of them over the railing edge. Their howls heard for nearly a minute before a small but satisfying thud.
Looking up the final ladder I inhaled deeply. Outside air... clear and free of rotting flesh. We had been cooped up in this hospital for weeks... I was ready to leave.
ALWAYS alone.
Hunter Grey
Foolishness.
What had I done now? I let him escape, even though I wanted blood. I would have sat there and watched the tank smash him in to puree. Vici... what to do about him?
What did I want? To be a beast, or to be human?
It was much too late for me to make that choice now. I was one of them; I had better act like it. No more saving humans... I couldn’t afford to save everyone. Even if I let them live, it wouldn’t be like I could go back with them, to survive in daily life. Hell, society probably wasn’t accepting the outbreak, and if there were any people living normal lives, the outbreaks were nothing but fiction. Human mistakes, erased from history.
Always to be repeated...
I would rip them all apart. I did not bother to look for my brother, just gripped the side of the slick, wet building and climbed up to the roof. I would shed their blood... no human pointed a gun at my head and dare not finish the job. That man was going to bleed, and scream and pray and gasp a final breath... by my hand.
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Post by Francis on May 4, 2009 14:28:05 GMT -7
The man was badly injured. He would live though. Easily placing his body over my shoulder, I nodded towards Kass. She understood. We made our way back through the hallways into the safe room. Before me stood the door. Pushing the door open, I step inside. I lay the mans body over top of the table, and I ask Kass to administer first aid. I look behind me. "Zoey-......" "...Zoey?" I look through the room, and she is nowhere to be found. The opposite door was missing it's bar. "FUCK!" I shout out. MY anger rises, and my breathing gets heavy. The moans of excited undead outside of the door are loud. I press out into the new hallway. No weapon in hand. A zombie attempts to attack me. In a very artistic fashion of blind rage, I toss him aside, and break his neck. Never breaking my walk of anger. My pace is even, and it is picked up. I reach an elevator shaft, and step aside from the shaft, into a vent. Making my way around to the ladder, I begin my ascent. Zoey's scent is fresh in the air. I know her smell, having had it many times myself. I would make sure to teach her a lesson for running off.
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Rogen
Horde
Penis
Posts: 48
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Post by Rogen on May 4, 2009 14:43:46 GMT -7
Joey smirks, watching the big one and the girl slip out of the room. Soon enough the deranged one slips out as well, taking with him the young girl. Joey only shook his head, catching the bottle and storing it under his arm. Least I won't have to waste ammo on them. He thought, listening to the door slam shut behind them.
Soon enough, Francis and Kass return with an injured man, who Joey raises and eyebrow at, his face contorting into something that of disgust, "He could be infected for all you know." Joey said as he closed the door behind them, "Then again, we all could be infected I suppose." He added, shrugging. He needed favor still, they were his way out, they needed to live just a bit longer.
Joey slid the rail into the slot for the door, the click rang in his mind as he thought. Two were out into the building, one losing his mind, the other was trying to get him back into his senses. Joey didn't bother telling Francis the low-down on the Zoey Paul situation, he'd find out soon enough. Joey turned around, smirking a bit, "Well well well..." He said with the sound of a chipper young boy, "Incompasitated man, one slowly going out of his mind in his corner, a girl, and a genius. Wonder how this joke will end." Joey said the last part dryly, walking to the other side of the room and slamming the door shut, re-sealing it. "When they're dead, we'll leave, assuming you want to wait for this man to wake up and be healed to an extent?" Joey said.
For some reason, Joey felt everyone thought the same way he did, logically, not emotionally. "Or if you want, I can put him out of his misery so that we may proceed further?" He offered, and as hell would accept him, he meant it as a literal offer, "I mean, he won't enjoy life when he wakes up, obviously." Joey gave Kass a dry look, as if everyone in this room were inconvieniencing him.... and they were. Kass's glare did nothing but make Joey wonder when he'd get rid of her, his eyes watching as she wrapped the man's minor external wounds, "Should really let a nur- oh right, their all dead." He quirked his lips a bit, leaning on the wall, crossing his arms, looking bored. He reached into his back pocket for his lighter and cigarrets, pulling the thin slip of death to his lips, lighting it, and taking a deep drag. He pulled the stick from his lips, and blew, sighing softly.
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Erik
Horde
Smilie Face.
No, you don't win.
Posts: 44
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Post by Erik on May 4, 2009 19:02:45 GMT -7
"...oh right, they're all dead." Something snapped inside me, something wasn't right, something about it bothered me greatly.
Rage, blind rage, my head snapping up, glaring at him, standing up, finding myself wanting nothing more then to hurt, no, kill him so badly. I quickly walk towards him, taking large strides until I'm right in front of him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and shoving him into the wall. I keep the pressure, my blood boiling, seemingly having more strength from the hatred then I've ever had before, lifting him off the ground, everything and everyone else seemingly disappearing around us, keeping my eyes locked on his. "You're dead."
I pull my arms back, throwing him into the floor hard, hearing a couple cracks indicating at least a couple fractured ribs, moving towards him once more. Oh how I'm going to enjoy this. I kick him right in the middle of his rib cage so many times, so very hard, not stopping as I hear even more cracks, hearing him wheezing before coughing up blood. I grab the back of his head, a handful of hair in my hand as I lift him off the ground, wanting him to feel the pain and suffering I've been through, wanting him to feel hell itself, leaning in to his ear, whispering "Apologize sincerely right now, or you won't be waking up for a long time."
No response. What a poor decision. I smirk, a satisfying smirk, lifting his head up even more before slamming it hard into the floor. I stood there, breathing heavy, wiping the sweat off of my forehead, taking in what I had just done, yet finding myself craving more, wanting nothing more then to be rid of this human being, staring at the unconscious Joey slumped on the floor. I glance over at Kass, seeing a pale, scared expression on her face, my mind racing. No, what did I just do? This isn't like me at all. I lift my hands up and look at them, not believing this was me, backing slowly into the wall, my eyes wide, my breathing hard to control. I grip my head, feeling so lost, like my emotions have been twisted all into one, not being able to tell the difference between right and wrong anymore.
I slide down the wall until I'm sitting again, still holding my head in my hands, feeling tears building up once again. What have I become, I promised myself I wouldn't become him, that I wouldn't become my father. They roll down my face, letting out a sob, wanting to disappear, wanting to not have Kass see me like this, not wanting her to see me like this.
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Post by Shale Salot on May 4, 2009 20:21:50 GMT -7
I tasted blood. I couldn't remember where i was. I looked around me at the strangers in the room
A man slumped against the wall, sobbing. A second, lying out cold on the floor. A do-..."Tucker?"
I mumble through broken teeth. "C'mere boy." He sidles up to me and looks at me a long time, squirming and whining. "It's ok, I wont hurt you..." I dropped my voice and hung my head. "Again."
He whined some more, then came close and licked my face. My initial grin turned into a grimace as i shifted my weight. Then i remembered. That beast. The ladder. It killed Kass. My eyes blazed as i attempted to sit up, intending to find the door to the outside. I would avenge her, whether it meant certain death or not.
A female voice sounded above me. "Stop moving around. Let me finish patching you up first."
I looked up at the face above mine, ready to push whoever it was away so i could stand up. My eyes locked onto hers, and my jaw dropped.
"B-b-but, you, the beast, the ladder...Kass?!"
She looked down at me, her eyes wet with tears. She looked at me, her eyes mirroring her emotions. First relief. Then...ange- "Ow! What the hell!"
My cheek stung where she had backhanded it. I spit out two of the teeth that had been knocked out after being loosened by my fight with the monster. The look in her eyes was a strange combination of happiness and anger.
"What the hell were you thinking?" She shouted at me. "That thing could have killed you if it wanted! I looked at her beautiful face, remembering the Kass that i had known and loved. I grinned at her sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, i thought i was avenging your death. I should have realized that the Giant Man-Beast upstairs had nothing on my Kassy."
She looked at me, her face incredulous. She slowly raised her hand again. I lowered my head, prepared for the blow. Then i felt her arms close around my waist, pulling me into a hug. I grinned at her. "How did you find me?" I asked.
"Tucker." She released my waist and nodded at the dog sniffing my hand. "He showed up at the door. I recognized him and assumed you were close by. Your lucky he did, or you would have been done for."
I looked over at the dog, extremely proud of the little bastard. "Thanks buddy, I owe you one." I looked up at Kass and grinned.
"Jeez girl, you look like you've been through some kinda zombie hell. What have we gotten ourselves into?"
"Well, I was getting ready for a rest, but i had to save your ass." She grinned and grabbed my waist again. I returned the hug fiercely, pouring my emotion into the simple gesture.
She looked at me intently for a moment, then her gaze softened. "I missed you Shale."
I couldn't contain myself any longer. I grabbed her shoulders and drew her close to me, planting a kiss hard on her sweet, soft lips. I held her in that kiss for a long time. She neither pulled away nor returned the favor. When i finally pulled away, i looked shyly at the shocked look on her face and murmured, "14 years Kass. 14 years I loved you, and I never once did a thing about it. I'm sorry, but I saw my chance and god take me if I were to turn it down."
I stepped away and looked into her eyes, waiting for her response.
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Post by Zoey on May 4, 2009 20:28:01 GMT -7
I was shaking so horribly, just the gun sitting coldly in my hands. Everytime a zombie came near me i fired, barely recognizing friend from foe; just motion and then death. Sitting in this corner there was only way for them to come at me... from the front. Run forward or die.
I wanted out of this place... now.
I shuddered remembering the voice on the other side of that radio. “Someone’s alive out there?! We’re sending the chopper right now. Hang in there!” I remembered that man looking at me, his beard much overgrown and ragged. He patted my shoulder, and told me it would be alright. Even though we had just met. Now he lay dead beside me. Cold, bloody, and forever lost to the world. To die in such a place, the horror it would bring to whatever remained beyond. So many zombies, so many lost souls. We were murderers.
“I had an... incident. We will get there as soon as we can!” A voice broke my thoughts. It echoed through static on the radio. Hopefully the others made it to the roof in time for the helicopter to arrive. In the least my impatience would do some good.
Hunter Grey
She had called a rescue. Now, I did not know what to do. Remain here? Hunt these people? I wanted that mans blood so very badly. I would have it, and if I could not have it here then I would have it wherever they were going to be taken.
Perched high in the shadows I waited, smelling the blood, tasting the fear. My vision clouding orange more and more...
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Kass
Smoker
Rhi is Sexy.
Posts: 83
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Post by Kass on May 4, 2009 22:01:39 GMT -7
"14 years Kass. 14 years I loved you, and I never once did a thing about it. I'm sorry, but I saw my chance and god take me if I were to turn it down." I can't fight the blush and smile that spreads across my face. I look up into those blue eyes I've stared into so many times before. Always seeing him as the friend and never really knowing til now. "Shale... I... " My words catch in my throat but I softly kiss him once more, smiling into it before I reluctantly pull away. "There's so much to say and do and there's people and ...." "Kass." "Hm?" "I'm here," Shale's fingers brush across my cheek and he smiles "and I'm not going anywhere. Not without you." Relief washes over me like a cool breeze on a summer's night. It sends tingles up my spine and for a moment, all of the darkness and trauma vanishes. I look around the room then, holding onto Shale's hand, needing his strength. Francis, Zoey and Paul are all gone. Erik is experiencing his own personal hell after kicking the shit out of Joey. I don't know where to begin. My heart is torn in three. One for the man I've known for several years. One for the man I've just recently met. One for the man I want to know.
Their faces and names and voices all blend into one. I feel my heart breaking and I let myself fall into his arms then, not knowing if it's his chest I want to be pressed against... or Paul's.... or Erik's. I don't know anything. All I know is that I need the warmth and safety. I need to know that there is something here besides the darkness.
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