((Raymond Dawson and Annaliese Hansen continued from What Goes Up...))
Ray and Annaliese had a fairly uneventful time from when they left the mountain on the prior day. Every so often they'd hear a scream, maybe scattered gunfire here and there as they wandered. Business as usual.
Of course, there still wasn't hide nor tail of Robert or Neill. Annaliese managed to take his mind off Ray's growing worry as they travelled; once or twice he even managed to recognize one of the pop culture references she made. He was feeling like he should have gotten points on some cosmic scoreboard.
They had caught sight of the infirmary as the announcements for the morning had come on. Again, Danya read off a bunch of names of people he'd seen around the school, might've gotten to know under better circumstances. At least Robert and Neill weren't on them; business as usual.
Ray gently made Annaliese avoid the infirmary, though it might have been a good idea to see if maybe his erstwhile companions had met there in case he had come back. Too many memories to be dealt with now, memories of placing a sheet over two girls that had killed each other in fits of senseless rage.
So it was that the pair found their current location. There was a residential area marked off on the map, and they headed there in hopes of restocking. There was a grocery store, and maybe somebody's house had a pantry with some non-perishable eats. If they were lucky, maybe even a mechanical can opener.
Upon making it there, they decided to take a much-needed rest in one of the houses. And it was during this rest Annaliese reaffirmed something for Ray. He stank.
Maybe it was utterly stupid vanity that drove him to want to bathe, but once the idea was in his head, he couldn't get it out. It was as if bathing would cleanse him of some of what he'd seen and dealt with over the past seven days. He wanted to wash the island off of him, he wanted to fix his hair, he wanted to get back some of what he didn't have since getting dumped on the island.
The house had no electricity, of course, so that meant no hot water. But at this point Ray didn't give much of a shit. He just wanted to be clean. He'd taken showers in nasty water before, just had to keep his mouth closed.
He stood by the bathroom door now, barechested (he'd stripped his shirt off once the idea took him), and leaned on the frame, telling Annaliese just what he needed from her.
"Keep watch. Soon as you hear or see somebody, you get me. I don't care if I'm still bare-ass naked, you get me. I'm gonna keep the door a little open, and you just holler in. Cool?"
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Annaliese giggled at the mental image of Ray bare assed. "Yeah sure, you betcha," she confirmed as she spun in a lazy circle. The walk from the mountain to the residential area had been nice. No one had tried to threaten them or kill them. Sure, they could hear some kind of carnage off in the distance, but they had been able to travel unchallenged. This was less like a senior trip and more like surviving a zombie apocalypse.
"Where are Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley when you need them? They would totally help us." Ceasing her twirling with a frown, she reflected on the nature of that thought. Ray was battle weary and seemingly skilled at fighting off the forces of evil. Plus, he was a protector, just like the cop Ving Rhames played in the movie. Sarah Polley had been all alone until she had run into Ving Rhames. That was when her true potential had been tapped. Was she...were they? Was it possible?
With a gleeful clap, Annaliese abandoned her look out position to bounce over to door Ray had left cracked open. "Ray! Ray! Guess what I just figured out," she cheerfully announced. "I've given it serious thought, and you're Ving Rhames and I'm Sarah Polley. This is epically awesome! Now all we need is for someone to get run over by a speeding ambulance and life will be perfect!"
"Where are Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley when you need them? They would totally help us." Ceasing her twirling with a frown, she reflected on the nature of that thought. Ray was battle weary and seemingly skilled at fighting off the forces of evil. Plus, he was a protector, just like the cop Ving Rhames played in the movie. Sarah Polley had been all alone until she had run into Ving Rhames. That was when her true potential had been tapped. Was she...were they? Was it possible?
With a gleeful clap, Annaliese abandoned her look out position to bounce over to door Ray had left cracked open. "Ray! Ray! Guess what I just figured out," she cheerfully announced. "I've given it serious thought, and you're Ving Rhames and I'm Sarah Polley. This is epically awesome! Now all we need is for someone to get run over by a speeding ambulance and life will be perfect!"
Ray was halfway out of his jeans when Annaliese came running up to the door, and so he nearly tripped over himself pulling his pants back up as fast as he could. He was about to protest when Annaliese saw fit to compare him to Ving Rhames. He was happy that he had at least seen the movie she was referencing, and here were one of his few moments he could provide further input.
"Yeah, but I'd rather have his shotgun! And a friend with a sniper rifle on a rooftop, you know?" He said, almost grinning in spite of himself. "Alright, now get back out there and guard, dude."
Once he was sure Annaliese was standing watch again, he stripped off the rest of his clothes and set them on the sink. There was a washcloth left on the rack inside the tub, along with a dusty bar of soap. Again, the prior tenants probably didn't miss any of the stuff, so he helped himself. He knocked the dust off the soap and brandished the washcloth in his left hand.
Ray turned the dial in the tub (the hot one, out of habit), and soon tepid water was spilling out of the faucet. He hit the button for the shower, and the showerhead erupted. Ray nearly gasped as the water hit him and cascaded off of his naked body, as he hadn't completely prepared himself for taking a cold shower. It still felt good, being the first contact with bathing he'd had in a whole goddamn week.
Too late, he realized there might have been a camera or something in the bathroom, but he didn't quite care at this point. Let them watch. He probably wasn't going to be alive much longer anyway.
He lathered up the rag with the soap after standing there for a minute, content to sit in the water and let it roll off of his body and soak his hair. With the rag properly soaped up, he started wiping himself down with one hand, letting the water rinse off the lather whenever he finished an area. With his other hand he began tugging at his cornrows, freeing them up from the braids completely. He'd have to find a hair tie or a rubber band or after he was done; he'd be damned if he was going to run around the island with a nappy afro.
"Probably the last shower I'll ever take." He muttered as he bathed.
"Yeah, but I'd rather have his shotgun! And a friend with a sniper rifle on a rooftop, you know?" He said, almost grinning in spite of himself. "Alright, now get back out there and guard, dude."
Once he was sure Annaliese was standing watch again, he stripped off the rest of his clothes and set them on the sink. There was a washcloth left on the rack inside the tub, along with a dusty bar of soap. Again, the prior tenants probably didn't miss any of the stuff, so he helped himself. He knocked the dust off the soap and brandished the washcloth in his left hand.
Ray turned the dial in the tub (the hot one, out of habit), and soon tepid water was spilling out of the faucet. He hit the button for the shower, and the showerhead erupted. Ray nearly gasped as the water hit him and cascaded off of his naked body, as he hadn't completely prepared himself for taking a cold shower. It still felt good, being the first contact with bathing he'd had in a whole goddamn week.
Too late, he realized there might have been a camera or something in the bathroom, but he didn't quite care at this point. Let them watch. He probably wasn't going to be alive much longer anyway.
He lathered up the rag with the soap after standing there for a minute, content to sit in the water and let it roll off of his body and soak his hair. With the rag properly soaped up, he started wiping himself down with one hand, letting the water rinse off the lather whenever he finished an area. With his other hand he began tugging at his cornrows, freeing them up from the braids completely. He'd have to find a hair tie or a rubber band or after he was done; he'd be damned if he was going to run around the island with a nappy afro.
"Probably the last shower I'll ever take." He muttered as he bathed.
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Pleased that Ray not only got the reference but added to it, Annaliese grinned and nodded before heading back to her position. The steady thrum of water from Ray's shower filled the air. She leaned against the wall, watching the world outside the window. There was no movement on the street, which made the small enclave of houses seem detached from reality and eerie.
There was something unsettling about the slightly dilapidated condition of the houses, the emptiness of the street, and general air of decay that permeated the scene. Like maybe there really was a zombie apocalypse going on and nobody bothered to inform her. After all, in case of a real zombie outbreak, it wasn't like she would stay in her own house. She would have to move, making carefully coordinated jumps from safe house to safe house until she met up with a plucky band of survivors and they could hole up some place secure. Like a mall. Or a Walmart.
As much as she disliked Walmart for their unfair hiring practices, exploitation of their workers, and the general economic destruction they visited upon the small, independent stores of the cities they operated in, Annaliese had to admit that they were probably easy to secure and chocked full of the supplies one would need to successfully survive a zombie apocalypse.
Shivering at the thought, she glanced over her shoulder at the cracked bathroom door. Ray wasn't singing or talking or making any sound. There was only the steady rush of the water. If she didn't know better, she would think that she was all alone here. In this empty house. By herself. With no one to stand beside her to face the coming zombie onslaught. As she stood in the unbarricaded window, an easy snack for any of the walking undead.
A creak somewhere behind her made her jump, whirling towards the sound. Her heart hammered in her throat, urging her towards action. She wanted to scream but only a strangled squeak emerged. Wide eyed, she stared in the direction of the sound, waiting for the shambling, decaying creature to show itself. But nothing came as the seconds ticked by.
Feeling incredibly foolish, she chastised herself. "See, it's nothing. You're being silly." Her eyes flicked back to the bathroom door. She could call out to Ray, just to see if he would answer. Which he totally would, since he was still there. She wasn't all alone. He would be back out in a few minutes, just as soon as he finished cleaning himself.
She fought the urge to creep back towards the door and call out to him, just to hear him respond. "You are a big girl and there's no such thing as zombies," she firmly reminded herself. "Stop being a baby. If it's bothering you that much, go find something to barricade the window with." A plan in mind, sort of, Annaliese cast one last fretful glace out the window before beginning to prowl around, looking for something to make a barricade with.
There was something unsettling about the slightly dilapidated condition of the houses, the emptiness of the street, and general air of decay that permeated the scene. Like maybe there really was a zombie apocalypse going on and nobody bothered to inform her. After all, in case of a real zombie outbreak, it wasn't like she would stay in her own house. She would have to move, making carefully coordinated jumps from safe house to safe house until she met up with a plucky band of survivors and they could hole up some place secure. Like a mall. Or a Walmart.
As much as she disliked Walmart for their unfair hiring practices, exploitation of their workers, and the general economic destruction they visited upon the small, independent stores of the cities they operated in, Annaliese had to admit that they were probably easy to secure and chocked full of the supplies one would need to successfully survive a zombie apocalypse.
Shivering at the thought, she glanced over her shoulder at the cracked bathroom door. Ray wasn't singing or talking or making any sound. There was only the steady rush of the water. If she didn't know better, she would think that she was all alone here. In this empty house. By herself. With no one to stand beside her to face the coming zombie onslaught. As she stood in the unbarricaded window, an easy snack for any of the walking undead.
A creak somewhere behind her made her jump, whirling towards the sound. Her heart hammered in her throat, urging her towards action. She wanted to scream but only a strangled squeak emerged. Wide eyed, she stared in the direction of the sound, waiting for the shambling, decaying creature to show itself. But nothing came as the seconds ticked by.
Feeling incredibly foolish, she chastised herself. "See, it's nothing. You're being silly." Her eyes flicked back to the bathroom door. She could call out to Ray, just to see if he would answer. Which he totally would, since he was still there. She wasn't all alone. He would be back out in a few minutes, just as soon as he finished cleaning himself.
She fought the urge to creep back towards the door and call out to him, just to hear him respond. "You are a big girl and there's no such thing as zombies," she firmly reminded herself. "Stop being a baby. If it's bothering you that much, go find something to barricade the window with." A plan in mind, sort of, Annaliese cast one last fretful glace out the window before beginning to prowl around, looking for something to make a barricade with.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
((Isabel Guerra continued from -.-- -.-- --.. ))
Isabel had been running. She had run for hours and hours. It wasn't the best use of her limited remaining energy, but it had always calmed her down. It made her feel like she was going towards something, like she had a destination, a purpose. She had been running ever since the attack on the group right after they'd gotten out the island's location on the trumpet. Then she realized she was lost in the woods and had separated from everyone else. She couldn't go back, not when there was a chance of running into a psycho with a gun. So she started running again. She was looking for the others, Dave, Helen, Winnie, Kitty, Leila. Roland. Isabel had to make sure they were okay. She was also looking for Hayley. Isabel needed to tell Hayley to stop killing people. She had taken Ethan's letter and the location of the island, folded them in half and stuck them down her shirt. She could show Hayley how they'd done it. She'd believe her then that they called for help. They were going to be rescued.
Isabel came upon an area of houses. She stumbled forward, dragging her feet as she walked. She hadn't stopped moving since she had lost the group, always running. The announcements went off overhead again. Her head lolled and she closed her eyes even as she shuffled towards the houses. She couldn't hear the names really; they were just a buzzing noise slightly outside her realm of consciousness. Her whole body felt like it was being pulled towards the ground.
She hadn't slept for three days. She hadn't eaten for two days. She was out of food and water. Her bag hung off of her shoulder as emaciated looking as its owner. All that was left inside was her trumpet, a large shard of jagged mirror from the mirror house, her travel sized toiletries and three empty water bottles.
She had been exerting herself too much. She had pushed too hard without stopping or refueling. It was a problem Isabel often had when exercising; she never knew when she had pushed herself too far.
She lifted her head and walked past a rusty little gate to the backyard of one of the houses.
I'm going to die. I feel like I'm dying. I'm going to die here.
The world tilted under her feet and she fell to her knees in the dirt. She put her hands forward and her fingers dug into the soil. Her head leaned down under the burden of its own weight and her curls hung, almost brushing the ground.
"Someone help me. Oh god, please. Please someone help me," she whispered.
Weak little girl.
Everything blurred in front of her eyes. She was crying. Sharp stabs of air were sucked down when she opened her mouth. She couldn't control her breathing.
"I can take it," she whispered. "I'm not weak. I......I can........I can take it" she choked out.
She squeezed her eyes shut and little droplets fell near her fingers. Roland had taken out his sword when he saw the intruders. He was only trying to protect them. Isabel desperately hoped that Roland hadn't died trying to protect them like Feo had. She wanted to see the others so badly it hurt, just to know they were all safe. Or perhaps she was to the point here merely being awake hurt. Despite what she hoped, deep down she knew Roland hadn't made it out. There was just some feeling that told her so.
"It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I took responsibility and it was my fault when things went wrong. The whole group, you were good people. Great people. I let you down, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said quietly between sobs.
Sitting there in the dirt, nearly dead of exhaustion, she wondered why she was alive. Why had she made it this far when there were people who were much stronger, smarter, more capable who had died? What was she living for? The questions were too complex for her to think about. Time slowed. She couldn't even remember her name. Isabel's arms crumpled and she slumped forward. Isabel lay motionless in the middle of the neglected garden.
Isabel had been running. She had run for hours and hours. It wasn't the best use of her limited remaining energy, but it had always calmed her down. It made her feel like she was going towards something, like she had a destination, a purpose. She had been running ever since the attack on the group right after they'd gotten out the island's location on the trumpet. Then she realized she was lost in the woods and had separated from everyone else. She couldn't go back, not when there was a chance of running into a psycho with a gun. So she started running again. She was looking for the others, Dave, Helen, Winnie, Kitty, Leila. Roland. Isabel had to make sure they were okay. She was also looking for Hayley. Isabel needed to tell Hayley to stop killing people. She had taken Ethan's letter and the location of the island, folded them in half and stuck them down her shirt. She could show Hayley how they'd done it. She'd believe her then that they called for help. They were going to be rescued.
Isabel came upon an area of houses. She stumbled forward, dragging her feet as she walked. She hadn't stopped moving since she had lost the group, always running. The announcements went off overhead again. Her head lolled and she closed her eyes even as she shuffled towards the houses. She couldn't hear the names really; they were just a buzzing noise slightly outside her realm of consciousness. Her whole body felt like it was being pulled towards the ground.
She hadn't slept for three days. She hadn't eaten for two days. She was out of food and water. Her bag hung off of her shoulder as emaciated looking as its owner. All that was left inside was her trumpet, a large shard of jagged mirror from the mirror house, her travel sized toiletries and three empty water bottles.
She had been exerting herself too much. She had pushed too hard without stopping or refueling. It was a problem Isabel often had when exercising; she never knew when she had pushed herself too far.
She lifted her head and walked past a rusty little gate to the backyard of one of the houses.
I'm going to die. I feel like I'm dying. I'm going to die here.
The world tilted under her feet and she fell to her knees in the dirt. She put her hands forward and her fingers dug into the soil. Her head leaned down under the burden of its own weight and her curls hung, almost brushing the ground.
"Someone help me. Oh god, please. Please someone help me," she whispered.
Weak little girl.
Everything blurred in front of her eyes. She was crying. Sharp stabs of air were sucked down when she opened her mouth. She couldn't control her breathing.
"I can take it," she whispered. "I'm not weak. I......I can........I can take it" she choked out.
She squeezed her eyes shut and little droplets fell near her fingers. Roland had taken out his sword when he saw the intruders. He was only trying to protect them. Isabel desperately hoped that Roland hadn't died trying to protect them like Feo had. She wanted to see the others so badly it hurt, just to know they were all safe. Or perhaps she was to the point here merely being awake hurt. Despite what she hoped, deep down she knew Roland hadn't made it out. There was just some feeling that told her so.
"It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I took responsibility and it was my fault when things went wrong. The whole group, you were good people. Great people. I let you down, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said quietly between sobs.
Sitting there in the dirt, nearly dead of exhaustion, she wondered why she was alive. Why had she made it this far when there were people who were much stronger, smarter, more capable who had died? What was she living for? The questions were too complex for her to think about. Time slowed. She couldn't even remember her name. Isabel's arms crumpled and she slumped forward. Isabel lay motionless in the middle of the neglected garden.
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Happy to be in motion doing something productive, Annaliese hummed to herself as she dragged a piece of a bed frame towards her guard post. It was a little unwieldy but not unmanageable. The scavenged piece should make a great first piece of her window blockade. Slightly winded, she stopped for a second to catch her breath.
"This shouldn't be this hard," she reminded herself. "I've hauled way heavier stuff way farther." Exhaling heavily, Annaliese looked to her right and spotted the large glass sliding door that lead to the house's backyard. "Oh, damnit to Hell. That's not gonna stop any zombie."
Sighing, she moved closer to inspect the door's track, trying to see if it could at least be jammed closed. A flutter of movement outside caught her attention. She took a step to the left to get a better view. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.
There was someone outside. There was a raggedy someone outside. There was a raggedy someone stumbling around outside. The information quickly clicked together to form the only rational conclusion. THERE WAS A ZOMBIE OUTSIDE!
"Uh, Ray? Ray?" She was surprised at how calm she sounded as she called for her partner.
It was only a momentary calm which dissipated like fog as the sun rose. Her heart began to race and she broke out into a cold sweat. "Ray, I know it can't possibly be true and I'm gonna sound like a total crackhead but..." Annaliese watched as the zombie in the yard sat down and eventually fell over.
"Ray," she called out, her voice high and thready. "Ray, there's a zombie in our yard."
"This shouldn't be this hard," she reminded herself. "I've hauled way heavier stuff way farther." Exhaling heavily, Annaliese looked to her right and spotted the large glass sliding door that lead to the house's backyard. "Oh, damnit to Hell. That's not gonna stop any zombie."
Sighing, she moved closer to inspect the door's track, trying to see if it could at least be jammed closed. A flutter of movement outside caught her attention. She took a step to the left to get a better view. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.
There was someone outside. There was a raggedy someone outside. There was a raggedy someone stumbling around outside. The information quickly clicked together to form the only rational conclusion. THERE WAS A ZOMBIE OUTSIDE!
"Uh, Ray? Ray?" She was surprised at how calm she sounded as she called for her partner.
It was only a momentary calm which dissipated like fog as the sun rose. Her heart began to race and she broke out into a cold sweat. "Ray, I know it can't possibly be true and I'm gonna sound like a total crackhead but..." Annaliese watched as the zombie in the yard sat down and eventually fell over.
"Ray," she called out, her voice high and thready. "Ray, there's a zombie in our yard."
When Annaliese was working on building her anti-zombie barricade, Ray was pretty much done with the shower. By now he was just standing underneath the water, letting it roll off of his skin, soak in his hair, let it take a week's worth of weight off of his shoulders. The sound of the water and the feel of it rolling down his muscles took his mind off of a lot of things.
All good things came to an end, of course, as Annaliese came to the door and told him that...
Huh?
Zombie?
Maybe the girl had finally lost her mind in his absence or something. Ray killed the shower and hopped out, stopping long enough to put on his boxers and his pants before heading out.
"What, now?" He asked, but just looking out the back door he could see what she was talking about. There was a girl passed out on the lawn.
"Stay in here." He said, and swung open the sliding door. He headed out, slowly at first, to get a closer look.
The girl had fallen facedown, so Ray gently pushed her over to her back. She was Hispanic, probably one of the countless people he'd seen in the hallways. She looked out nearly cold.
"Hey." He poked her with his foot. She didn't move. She didn't look like she had weapons either.
"You goddamn lucky, you know that?" Ray muttered, and bent down to pick the girl up. She was more solidly built than Annaliese, and she was dead weight, so it was a little more difficult, but Ray participated in a sport where one regularly picked up other guys. He tried to make sure the girl's rather short skirt stayed down as he had her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
He carried her back to the house and shut the door behind him with his free hand.
"Get some of the food and water we got left. I don't think she's a zombie. Just half-dead." He said to Annaliese, and proceeded to carry the girl to the house's bedroom. There was a twin in the room, and Ray set the girl down on it.
Since it would've been hard to get this girl to eat something while unconscious, Ray set about waking her up. He grabbed her shoulders, started shaking gently. "Hey, wake up."
All good things came to an end, of course, as Annaliese came to the door and told him that...
Huh?
Zombie?
Maybe the girl had finally lost her mind in his absence or something. Ray killed the shower and hopped out, stopping long enough to put on his boxers and his pants before heading out.
"What, now?" He asked, but just looking out the back door he could see what she was talking about. There was a girl passed out on the lawn.
"Stay in here." He said, and swung open the sliding door. He headed out, slowly at first, to get a closer look.
The girl had fallen facedown, so Ray gently pushed her over to her back. She was Hispanic, probably one of the countless people he'd seen in the hallways. She looked out nearly cold.
"Hey." He poked her with his foot. She didn't move. She didn't look like she had weapons either.
"You goddamn lucky, you know that?" Ray muttered, and bent down to pick the girl up. She was more solidly built than Annaliese, and she was dead weight, so it was a little more difficult, but Ray participated in a sport where one regularly picked up other guys. He tried to make sure the girl's rather short skirt stayed down as he had her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
He carried her back to the house and shut the door behind him with his free hand.
"Get some of the food and water we got left. I don't think she's a zombie. Just half-dead." He said to Annaliese, and proceeded to carry the girl to the house's bedroom. There was a twin in the room, and Ray set the girl down on it.
Since it would've been hard to get this girl to eat something while unconscious, Ray set about waking her up. He grabbed her shoulders, started shaking gently. "Hey, wake up."
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
I wanted to be with you alone! And talk about the weather. But traditions I can trace against the child in your face-
Isabel rolled over as her alarm went off. She blinked as the streams of light creeping in through the blinds hit her eyes. Squinting, she looked over at the ihome/ alarm clock. The digital numbers blinked 7:30.
"Oh crap!"
She rolled over and hit the floor in a bundle of blankets.
You keep your distance with a system of touch~
Isabel ran into her closet and pulled out an old white button down of her dad's and a black and white mini skirt, stripping her pjs at lightening speed. She pulled her messy hair up into a pony tail after brushing her teeth and grabbing her ipod out of the charging dock and ran to the front door.
"Excuse you!"
She whipped around to see her mother holding a pair of sandals in her hand.
"Mom I really don't have time-"
"Do shoes belong in the living room?!"
Isabel stared at her. Ah the "Where do the shoes belong?" game.
"Nope. You win!" Isabel quipped and ran out the door. She'd catch hell for that when she got home. Oh well.
Isabel walked to school bobbing her head to the song that had woken her up. She was actually about ten minutes early. Maybe she could have taken a shower after all.
The school was bustling. As she walked the tennis team came by, a boy with glasses looked extremely annoyed as a very busty blonde chatted away. They must have just had morning practice, she thought as she made her way to her locker. Isabel spun the dial left and right. At the last second her hand slipped and she passed the right number. Some kind of commotion had distracted her.
Behind her Phil Ward was being scolded while Jimmy Brennan held what looked like an injured eye. Isabel turned back to the lock. Next to her there were two girls talking. The shorter one brushed back the hair of the tall girl covered in scars.
Isabel pulled out her books and closed the locker. She walked over to a small table where a boy looked to be having difficulty getting the straw into a Capri Sun juice drink.
"Come on, Remi, focus," he mumbled
She smiled a bit to herself and zipped her bag. When she looked up she noticed that on the other side of the bench was Simon Fletcher, reading.
"Hey! Simon!" she called.
It took him a moment to figure out who'd called his name but when he saw Isabel he smiled and waved.
"Are you going to the cooking club at lunch?" she asked.
"I dunno. Maybe. Are you?"
"We'll if you do I might. Oh man, I've got to go. I'll see you later."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and waved goodbye. Up ahead she could see a blonde girl about her hight handing out flyers for something. She was shouting about genocide in Africa. Isabel didn't like the prospect of getting stopped and turned down another hall just as a some goth girl ran up to the girl with the fliers talking about how man is borne with the taste of misery in their black souls.
Down the other hall was much less populated. It only looked like Brook and his Australian friend talking. Isabel blushed and tilted her head a bit as she walked past. It seemed that Brook wasn't really paying attention to his friend so much as staring at a pretty girl on the other side of the hallway.
Almost at her class now. Just when she turned the last corner Jay Holland jumped out at her.
"Hey Izz!"
"Er, hi Jay," she said with an awkward smile.
"So a bunch of people are coming over after school, my mom is like, I dunno, doing some parent stuff out of the house and we're gonna you know, relax. You in?"
"Um, I've sort of got a lot of homework tonight," she said shifting her books. "I bet Hayley'd go though. Speaking of, have you seen her? I feel like I really need to talk to her."
"Yeah, I just saw her in there. Well, let me know if you decided to come over."
He ran off. Isabel took a peak inside her class. Allen was sitting by her vacant seat with Rena Peter's writing in a note book on the other side. When he saw her look in he waved to her. She waved back. It looked like the teacher hadn't come in yet.
"Mmm"
Isabel decided to go to the room Jay had pointed to. She peaked inside and saw the back of Hayley's head.
"Hayley! Oh thank goodness, I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Hayley turned around. Head to toe she was covered in blood.
Isabel's heart dropped. She dropped her bag and let out a blood curdling scream that seemed to shake the entire room. The room was shaking and she was dizzy and-
And she was being shook awake by some boy.
"D-dave?" Isabel blinked a few times and her vision started to focus again. No. It wasn't Dave. It was someone else trying to get her to wake up. She shook her head slightly and looked up at him. She realized someone had brought her inside. She assumed it was this boy. She also realized that he was without a shirt....and touching her. Isabel gave a small squeak and scrambled backwards away from him on the bed. This wasn't a good idea as she didn't have extra energy to be wasting and put her hand to her head as the room took another spin.
"Where am I?" she said looking around. It was coming back now. She had passed out after running around looking for the group she'd been with. "You-You brought me inside? Thank you. That ummm, that was really decent of you."
There was a girl too. The girl handing out the flyers in her dream. "I'm Isabel."
Isabel rolled over as her alarm went off. She blinked as the streams of light creeping in through the blinds hit her eyes. Squinting, she looked over at the ihome/ alarm clock. The digital numbers blinked 7:30.
"Oh crap!"
She rolled over and hit the floor in a bundle of blankets.
You keep your distance with a system of touch~
Isabel ran into her closet and pulled out an old white button down of her dad's and a black and white mini skirt, stripping her pjs at lightening speed. She pulled her messy hair up into a pony tail after brushing her teeth and grabbing her ipod out of the charging dock and ran to the front door.
"Excuse you!"
She whipped around to see her mother holding a pair of sandals in her hand.
"Mom I really don't have time-"
"Do shoes belong in the living room?!"
Isabel stared at her. Ah the "Where do the shoes belong?" game.
"Nope. You win!" Isabel quipped and ran out the door. She'd catch hell for that when she got home. Oh well.
Isabel walked to school bobbing her head to the song that had woken her up. She was actually about ten minutes early. Maybe she could have taken a shower after all.
The school was bustling. As she walked the tennis team came by, a boy with glasses looked extremely annoyed as a very busty blonde chatted away. They must have just had morning practice, she thought as she made her way to her locker. Isabel spun the dial left and right. At the last second her hand slipped and she passed the right number. Some kind of commotion had distracted her.
Behind her Phil Ward was being scolded while Jimmy Brennan held what looked like an injured eye. Isabel turned back to the lock. Next to her there were two girls talking. The shorter one brushed back the hair of the tall girl covered in scars.
Isabel pulled out her books and closed the locker. She walked over to a small table where a boy looked to be having difficulty getting the straw into a Capri Sun juice drink.
"Come on, Remi, focus," he mumbled
She smiled a bit to herself and zipped her bag. When she looked up she noticed that on the other side of the bench was Simon Fletcher, reading.
"Hey! Simon!" she called.
It took him a moment to figure out who'd called his name but when he saw Isabel he smiled and waved.
"Are you going to the cooking club at lunch?" she asked.
"I dunno. Maybe. Are you?"
"We'll if you do I might. Oh man, I've got to go. I'll see you later."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and waved goodbye. Up ahead she could see a blonde girl about her hight handing out flyers for something. She was shouting about genocide in Africa. Isabel didn't like the prospect of getting stopped and turned down another hall just as a some goth girl ran up to the girl with the fliers talking about how man is borne with the taste of misery in their black souls.
Down the other hall was much less populated. It only looked like Brook and his Australian friend talking. Isabel blushed and tilted her head a bit as she walked past. It seemed that Brook wasn't really paying attention to his friend so much as staring at a pretty girl on the other side of the hallway.
Almost at her class now. Just when she turned the last corner Jay Holland jumped out at her.
"Hey Izz!"
"Er, hi Jay," she said with an awkward smile.
"So a bunch of people are coming over after school, my mom is like, I dunno, doing some parent stuff out of the house and we're gonna you know, relax. You in?"
"Um, I've sort of got a lot of homework tonight," she said shifting her books. "I bet Hayley'd go though. Speaking of, have you seen her? I feel like I really need to talk to her."
"Yeah, I just saw her in there. Well, let me know if you decided to come over."
He ran off. Isabel took a peak inside her class. Allen was sitting by her vacant seat with Rena Peter's writing in a note book on the other side. When he saw her look in he waved to her. She waved back. It looked like the teacher hadn't come in yet.
"Mmm"
Isabel decided to go to the room Jay had pointed to. She peaked inside and saw the back of Hayley's head.
"Hayley! Oh thank goodness, I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Hayley turned around. Head to toe she was covered in blood.
Isabel's heart dropped. She dropped her bag and let out a blood curdling scream that seemed to shake the entire room. The room was shaking and she was dizzy and-
And she was being shook awake by some boy.
"D-dave?" Isabel blinked a few times and her vision started to focus again. No. It wasn't Dave. It was someone else trying to get her to wake up. She shook her head slightly and looked up at him. She realized someone had brought her inside. She assumed it was this boy. She also realized that he was without a shirt....and touching her. Isabel gave a small squeak and scrambled backwards away from him on the bed. This wasn't a good idea as she didn't have extra energy to be wasting and put her hand to her head as the room took another spin.
"Where am I?" she said looking around. It was coming back now. She had passed out after running around looking for the group she'd been with. "You-You brought me inside? Thank you. That ummm, that was really decent of you."
There was a girl too. The girl handing out the flyers in her dream. "I'm Isabel."
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
((Sorry I took so long. I just go back from Faire. Make of this what you will.))
Annaliese pulled a face, feeling extremely uncomfortable about Ray's decision to bring the potential rage virus carrier into their sanctuary. Sure, she looked harmless and, you know, not conscious but if there was anything that years of television and movie watching had taught her, it was that those that are helpless looking end up being the biggest threat to your safety.
She frowned at the unconscious girl who was now upsetting the vibe of their little Fortress of Solitude. "Yeah, sure. I'll get her some food but I'm outta water. Unless, like, she can drink the shower water or you got some in your bag?" Annaliese let her voice trail off as she twisted her fingers in the hem of her t-shirt. Ray didn't answer since he was busy with the newcomer, so Annaliese decided she'd just figure it out herself.
Moving with purpose, she sprinted towards the pile of their gear. With a few quick movement, she had gathered up a small portion of their rapidly dwindling supply of anti-lembas bread and a bottle of water from Ray's bag. Terrified to leave Ray alone with the girl, Annaliese nearly fumbled the water as she climbed to her feet.
Running back, she skidded into the room just in time for the mystery girl to stare at her and announce that she was Isabel. Annaliese nodded, as if the name had some meaning for her. She had seen Isabel around school, in the hallways and such, but she didn't think they had any classes together except for maybe PE and some brainless elective like maybe keyboarding? She couldn't really remember and it wasn't really important.
"Hey, I guess." Looking down at the objects in her hand, she remembered why she had left Ray alone with Isabel. "Oh, um, yeah. Here," she said, lamely holding out the objects to Ray. "Since you're sure she's not a rage carrier or anything, I guess I should go back to keeping watch? I guess?"
Annaliese pulled a face, feeling extremely uncomfortable about Ray's decision to bring the potential rage virus carrier into their sanctuary. Sure, she looked harmless and, you know, not conscious but if there was anything that years of television and movie watching had taught her, it was that those that are helpless looking end up being the biggest threat to your safety.
She frowned at the unconscious girl who was now upsetting the vibe of their little Fortress of Solitude. "Yeah, sure. I'll get her some food but I'm outta water. Unless, like, she can drink the shower water or you got some in your bag?" Annaliese let her voice trail off as she twisted her fingers in the hem of her t-shirt. Ray didn't answer since he was busy with the newcomer, so Annaliese decided she'd just figure it out herself.
Moving with purpose, she sprinted towards the pile of their gear. With a few quick movement, she had gathered up a small portion of their rapidly dwindling supply of anti-lembas bread and a bottle of water from Ray's bag. Terrified to leave Ray alone with the girl, Annaliese nearly fumbled the water as she climbed to her feet.
Running back, she skidded into the room just in time for the mystery girl to stare at her and announce that she was Isabel. Annaliese nodded, as if the name had some meaning for her. She had seen Isabel around school, in the hallways and such, but she didn't think they had any classes together except for maybe PE and some brainless elective like maybe keyboarding? She couldn't really remember and it wasn't really important.
"Hey, I guess." Looking down at the objects in her hand, she remembered why she had left Ray alone with Isabel. "Oh, um, yeah. Here," she said, lamely holding out the objects to Ray. "Since you're sure she's not a rage carrier or anything, I guess I should go back to keeping watch? I guess?"
Ray was taken aback as Isabel tried to put some real estate between him and her, worried that maybe it was here that he'd finally fucked up and he was about to get killed because the girl had a handgun or some shit hidden in her clothes, but she calmed down, and he could breathe some of the air stuck in his lungs out. He could understand, anyway. Having a shirtless black man with crazy hair shake you awake wasn't a completely welcome thing to wake up to.
Ray waved off Isabel's comment. "Don't worry about it. I'd like to think somebody'd do the same for me around here, you know?" Maybe not. Maybe he was hoping for too much.
"Isabel? I'm Ray. And this-" he waited until Annaliese came back in with the water and the bread. "Is Annaliese." He took the water and the bread, popped the cap on the water bottle and took a sip before passing the bottle and the bread to Isabel.
"You're lucky we found you before someone not so decent did. Here. Eat. You look like you need this more than we do."
He turned to Annaliese, responding to her comment.
"Yeah, keep a watch. Gonna talk to our new friend here a minute. Cause she's a friend. And not a zombie. Right?"
As he talked he ran his hair through his freshly liberated hair. Need to find a goddamn hairtie.
Ray waved off Isabel's comment. "Don't worry about it. I'd like to think somebody'd do the same for me around here, you know?" Maybe not. Maybe he was hoping for too much.
"Isabel? I'm Ray. And this-" he waited until Annaliese came back in with the water and the bread. "Is Annaliese." He took the water and the bread, popped the cap on the water bottle and took a sip before passing the bottle and the bread to Isabel.
"You're lucky we found you before someone not so decent did. Here. Eat. You look like you need this more than we do."
He turned to Annaliese, responding to her comment.
"Yeah, keep a watch. Gonna talk to our new friend here a minute. Cause she's a friend. And not a zombie. Right?"
As he talked he ran his hair through his freshly liberated hair. Need to find a goddamn hairtie.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
"Rage carrier?" Isabel asked. Her mouth pulled up into a half smile. It'd been a long while since she'd smiled. "Like from 28 Days Later? Like one of those really fast zombies? I wish. Then I'd just win this stupid game by messing up whoever I found with my rage-y zombie powers."
Isabel sighed deeply. "No, I'm afraid not."
Even when the girl went back to stand guard, there was still the hint of a smile left over in Isabel's face. It dropped when Ray offered her the bread and water.
"No, I really couldn't," she said looking sideways at the food. "It's your food. You probably don't have much of it left. And you've done so much already. I'd.....well, I'd feel bad. It's my own fault that I ate my food," she said.
"Also my own fault that I gave the last of my food to Liz Polanski but what are you gonna do?" she grumbled.
Isabel looked hesitantly at the food. She couldn't deny she'd never been more hungry in her whole life than she was now. Slowly she took it from him, glancing up at him every so often as if asking if it was really okay. She ripped the bread in half and gave the slightly larger half back. Isabel nibbled on the edge of the piece of bread.
"So....Annaliese and Ray," she said checking to see she had the names down, "how'd you end up here?"
Isabel sighed deeply. "No, I'm afraid not."
Even when the girl went back to stand guard, there was still the hint of a smile left over in Isabel's face. It dropped when Ray offered her the bread and water.
"No, I really couldn't," she said looking sideways at the food. "It's your food. You probably don't have much of it left. And you've done so much already. I'd.....well, I'd feel bad. It's my own fault that I ate my food," she said.
"Also my own fault that I gave the last of my food to Liz Polanski but what are you gonna do?" she grumbled.
Isabel looked hesitantly at the food. She couldn't deny she'd never been more hungry in her whole life than she was now. Slowly she took it from him, glancing up at him every so often as if asking if it was really okay. She ripped the bread in half and gave the slightly larger half back. Isabel nibbled on the edge of the piece of bread.
"So....Annaliese and Ray," she said checking to see she had the names down, "how'd you end up here?"
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Annaliese nodded yet again, hearing Ray's words but not really paying attention. His hair was totally distracting her. As Ray ran his hands through his hair, in her mind, he segued from Ving Rhames Junior to Sideshow Bob. It's like his hair is eating his head. Welcome, Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, to Suckfest Island.
It was nice that Newcomer Isabel was willing to confirm that she wasn't a dreaded rage carrier, but Annaliese still couldn't shake the feeling that this little get-together was like the exposition of some horror flick. The main characters had unwittingly stumbled into a situation beyond their comprehension. Being the fine, upstanding character that he is, Ray selflessly helped the damsel-in-distress. A decision that would not go unpunished since by helping Isabel, he had accidentally exposed them to attack by the unholy hordes that were chasing the damsel. That the impending doom was just slowly building until it crashed down on them, intent on destroying them.
She silently eyed Isabel, wondering which of the two damsel categories the other girl fell in. Was Isabel the wholesome sacrifice who escaped from the forces of darkness and they were now expected to stand as a barrier between Isabel and a terrible, bloody demise in order save the world? Or was Isabel the unwitting scientist who blurred the lines between man and God and now her well-intentioned but inherently evil creations were looking to destroy her?
"Also my own fault that I gave the last of my food to Liz Polanski but what are you gonna do?"
That single line told her exactly where Isabel fell. Doctor Isabel would lead destruction to their doorway since she was in league with Liz Polanski. Great. Just...fucking great. Heaving a sigh, Annaliese tried to console herself with the knowledge that at least she knew what kind of evil she should expect to see coming.
Without another word, she slipped from the room, leaving Ray to get the rest of the information. She had a zombie barricade to be working on. Maybe if she built it sturdily enough, she would have time to bring up the rear and follow Ray and Isabel when the inevitable blitz attack occurred.
It was nice that Newcomer Isabel was willing to confirm that she wasn't a dreaded rage carrier, but Annaliese still couldn't shake the feeling that this little get-together was like the exposition of some horror flick. The main characters had unwittingly stumbled into a situation beyond their comprehension. Being the fine, upstanding character that he is, Ray selflessly helped the damsel-in-distress. A decision that would not go unpunished since by helping Isabel, he had accidentally exposed them to attack by the unholy hordes that were chasing the damsel. That the impending doom was just slowly building until it crashed down on them, intent on destroying them.
She silently eyed Isabel, wondering which of the two damsel categories the other girl fell in. Was Isabel the wholesome sacrifice who escaped from the forces of darkness and they were now expected to stand as a barrier between Isabel and a terrible, bloody demise in order save the world? Or was Isabel the unwitting scientist who blurred the lines between man and God and now her well-intentioned but inherently evil creations were looking to destroy her?
"Also my own fault that I gave the last of my food to Liz Polanski but what are you gonna do?"
That single line told her exactly where Isabel fell. Doctor Isabel would lead destruction to their doorway since she was in league with Liz Polanski. Great. Just...fucking great. Heaving a sigh, Annaliese tried to console herself with the knowledge that at least she knew what kind of evil she should expect to see coming.
Without another word, she slipped from the room, leaving Ray to get the rest of the information. She had a zombie barricade to be working on. Maybe if she built it sturdily enough, she would have time to bring up the rear and follow Ray and Isabel when the inevitable blitz attack occurred.
Ray frowned as Isabel. "We ain't done nothing, yet. Eat." Isabel rejected the water, so Ray held it out again, with more urgency. "And drink. We'll find more later. Don't worry about it."
He watched as Annaliese walked out to "keep watch", and smiled as he looked back to Isabel. "She's a trip, ain't she? Girl's got her heart in the right place, but sometimes I wonder where her head is."
Then Isabel asked him how he got here. He wondered if he was going to make the smart ass remark, or if he was going to tell her straight. He compromised.
"Some asshole gassed us and threw us on an island." Ray tilted his neck, working a dry pop out of it that had been lingering since he'd taken the shower. "I ended up at the infirmary, met some guys. Watched some girls kill each other. First day of the rest of my life, you know?
We left there, then we saw some religious nut go ahead and kill another kid. Then we ended up on the logging road, almost got knifed by some kid who had lost his shit. We get separated, and I end up finding Annaliese. Well, after almost fucking with Kris Hartmann in the middle of a funeral, or something. Whatever she thought it was she was doing. We got down off the mountain and ended up here after that."
Ray sighed, nibbled a small piece of the bread Isabel handed back. "You can see a pattern in there, I guess. Honestly the last couple days have been the calmest since landing on this fucking island. Except I really need to find those guys I was talking about."
Ray's eyes lit up for a second, taken with an idea.
"Hey, you seen 'em, maybe? Bobby Barron, Neill Robertson? Couple of white boys who haven't lost their shit yet?" He thought that was specific enough. From the sounds of the announcements, grips on sanity were being lost everywhere.
He watched as Annaliese walked out to "keep watch", and smiled as he looked back to Isabel. "She's a trip, ain't she? Girl's got her heart in the right place, but sometimes I wonder where her head is."
Then Isabel asked him how he got here. He wondered if he was going to make the smart ass remark, or if he was going to tell her straight. He compromised.
"Some asshole gassed us and threw us on an island." Ray tilted his neck, working a dry pop out of it that had been lingering since he'd taken the shower. "I ended up at the infirmary, met some guys. Watched some girls kill each other. First day of the rest of my life, you know?
We left there, then we saw some religious nut go ahead and kill another kid. Then we ended up on the logging road, almost got knifed by some kid who had lost his shit. We get separated, and I end up finding Annaliese. Well, after almost fucking with Kris Hartmann in the middle of a funeral, or something. Whatever she thought it was she was doing. We got down off the mountain and ended up here after that."
Ray sighed, nibbled a small piece of the bread Isabel handed back. "You can see a pattern in there, I guess. Honestly the last couple days have been the calmest since landing on this fucking island. Except I really need to find those guys I was talking about."
Ray's eyes lit up for a second, taken with an idea.
"Hey, you seen 'em, maybe? Bobby Barron, Neill Robertson? Couple of white boys who haven't lost their shit yet?" He thought that was specific enough. From the sounds of the announcements, grips on sanity were being lost everywhere.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Isabel took the water and took a sip. However she was so thirsty that sip turned into a gulp and another gulp before she tore the bottle away from herself, panting. Her composure was briefly lost to desperation.
"Sorry," she said passing it back.
Isabel looked over at Annaliese as she left again. Another smile.
"She seems like a good girl. And hey, I'm not going to knock anyone for being too cautious."
Isabel looked between the pair. They weren't anything like the people she had just left, but she liked them. She felt a little bit bad for intruding on the duo. She also had to admit that she had been incredibly lucky that they were the ones to find her. Especially with the letters in her shirt.
Ray started talking about his time on the island. Isabel leaned forward with her chin resting in her hand.
"Really? Gassed and thrown on an island you say? Well that must have been just awful," she said with a spark of good natured sarcasm.
She listened as he recapped over his week spent on the island. It surprised her to know that he and Annaliese hadn't been together that long. She thought for sure they'd been like she and Dave had been.
"Sounds pretty rough. Bobby Barron, Neill Robertson," she repeated trying to see if the names sounded familiar.
"No, sorry. I haven't encountered really very many people at all actually. We were really lucky until yesterday. I woke up in the mirror house with these two guys, Roland and Dave. Dave and I split when there was a..... misunderstanding and we ran through the forest until we found a cheerleader and the three of us fell asleep in some bushes. Then we all walked around for a while until we got to the greens and met errmm.....Helen Wilson and Winnie and we slept. Then the whole group went to the river and that's where we found Liz Polanski right after she melted her collar," she explained.
"We didn't know what she did, just that she was hurt so we helped her but right after we saved her life, Danya came on the announcements and told us what she did and that we'd die if we stayed with her so we split. Personally, I think it was a stupid plan and she executed it poorly and because of her five people are dead and I had I known she cared so little about killing random people I would have considered stabbing her then and there," she said, her voice rising. She took a deep breath and calmed, starting again.
"But there's nothing to be done about that now," she said with a sigh. This next part would be tricky. No doubt the terrorists were listening to what she had to say about the station. "We got to a ranger station with a dead boy out front and we stayed there for a while until it became a danger zone and ran to the swamp. We were sitting around and trying to help this girl who we found, she'd been badly messed up, when Raidon started shooting at us. We all ran and I lost my group," she finished.
"One of the people I was with, Roland, he pretended to be hurt to draw the shooter away so we could have time to escape. He told me to look after the rest of the group but I got lost and I tried to find them but I ended up unconscious on your lawn, right?" she said biting her lip. "It's so weird being without Dave. We were together every minute from when we woke up until I lost sight of him. I'm really bad at this," she said, her voice cracking. "I couldn't even stay with them to make sure they would be okay. I dunno, I didn't use to really get attached too much to people back home but I guess they really got under my skin. And of course I screwed it up and now they could be...." She leaned forward and covered her eyes with a groan.
Mud splashed around her feet and overflowed into her socks and shoes making a disgusting squishing when she stomped through the soggy swamp. They were running away from Raidon who had opened fire on their group. To her left she saw Kitty keeping pace and Roland to her right with his sword at the ready. Suddenly her foot was caught in a gnarled tree root under the mud and she fell forward with her right knee and both arms plunging straight into the muck.
Oh god. I'm THAT girl. The one who falls!
A hand was at her arm in an instant and pulled her up from the mud. It was Roland.
"You, you stopped for me," she mumbled in disbelief. He hadn't seemed to hear her.
"Isabel, we can't get far with them after us like this."
A gunshot rang through the air, close by. Roland's head snapped back and Isabel flinched at the sound. He turned back to her.
"Scatter, try to meet up somewhere later. I'm the only one with a weapon, I'll take off, distract them for awhile. Find the others, make sure they're okay. I know you'll do just fine."
Her eyebrows came up and her mouth parted slightly for a moment before setting firm.
"No. I'm not going to leave you. The other's can scatter and get somewhere safe and I'll stay with you and we can-"
"Don't be stupid, Isabel. Get out of here. You're gonna fucking die if you stay here. I've got this covered. Just go. Keep them safe. I'll meet up with you all later," he said sternly.
Her eyes became misty and she closed them, nodding her head curtly.
Isabel ran a few paces forward and then stopped and turned to look back at Roland one last time.
Roland motioned frantically for her to run.
"I'm on your team. Now and always," she called out. Isabel turned quickly and sprinted away.
"Sorry," she said passing it back.
Isabel looked over at Annaliese as she left again. Another smile.
"She seems like a good girl. And hey, I'm not going to knock anyone for being too cautious."
Isabel looked between the pair. They weren't anything like the people she had just left, but she liked them. She felt a little bit bad for intruding on the duo. She also had to admit that she had been incredibly lucky that they were the ones to find her. Especially with the letters in her shirt.
Ray started talking about his time on the island. Isabel leaned forward with her chin resting in her hand.
"Really? Gassed and thrown on an island you say? Well that must have been just awful," she said with a spark of good natured sarcasm.
She listened as he recapped over his week spent on the island. It surprised her to know that he and Annaliese hadn't been together that long. She thought for sure they'd been like she and Dave had been.
"Sounds pretty rough. Bobby Barron, Neill Robertson," she repeated trying to see if the names sounded familiar.
"No, sorry. I haven't encountered really very many people at all actually. We were really lucky until yesterday. I woke up in the mirror house with these two guys, Roland and Dave. Dave and I split when there was a..... misunderstanding and we ran through the forest until we found a cheerleader and the three of us fell asleep in some bushes. Then we all walked around for a while until we got to the greens and met errmm.....Helen Wilson and Winnie and we slept. Then the whole group went to the river and that's where we found Liz Polanski right after she melted her collar," she explained.
"We didn't know what she did, just that she was hurt so we helped her but right after we saved her life, Danya came on the announcements and told us what she did and that we'd die if we stayed with her so we split. Personally, I think it was a stupid plan and she executed it poorly and because of her five people are dead and I had I known she cared so little about killing random people I would have considered stabbing her then and there," she said, her voice rising. She took a deep breath and calmed, starting again.
"But there's nothing to be done about that now," she said with a sigh. This next part would be tricky. No doubt the terrorists were listening to what she had to say about the station. "We got to a ranger station with a dead boy out front and we stayed there for a while until it became a danger zone and ran to the swamp. We were sitting around and trying to help this girl who we found, she'd been badly messed up, when Raidon started shooting at us. We all ran and I lost my group," she finished.
"One of the people I was with, Roland, he pretended to be hurt to draw the shooter away so we could have time to escape. He told me to look after the rest of the group but I got lost and I tried to find them but I ended up unconscious on your lawn, right?" she said biting her lip. "It's so weird being without Dave. We were together every minute from when we woke up until I lost sight of him. I'm really bad at this," she said, her voice cracking. "I couldn't even stay with them to make sure they would be okay. I dunno, I didn't use to really get attached too much to people back home but I guess they really got under my skin. And of course I screwed it up and now they could be...." She leaned forward and covered her eyes with a groan.
Mud splashed around her feet and overflowed into her socks and shoes making a disgusting squishing when she stomped through the soggy swamp. They were running away from Raidon who had opened fire on their group. To her left she saw Kitty keeping pace and Roland to her right with his sword at the ready. Suddenly her foot was caught in a gnarled tree root under the mud and she fell forward with her right knee and both arms plunging straight into the muck.
Oh god. I'm THAT girl. The one who falls!
A hand was at her arm in an instant and pulled her up from the mud. It was Roland.
"You, you stopped for me," she mumbled in disbelief. He hadn't seemed to hear her.
"Isabel, we can't get far with them after us like this."
A gunshot rang through the air, close by. Roland's head snapped back and Isabel flinched at the sound. He turned back to her.
"Scatter, try to meet up somewhere later. I'm the only one with a weapon, I'll take off, distract them for awhile. Find the others, make sure they're okay. I know you'll do just fine."
Her eyebrows came up and her mouth parted slightly for a moment before setting firm.
"No. I'm not going to leave you. The other's can scatter and get somewhere safe and I'll stay with you and we can-"
"Don't be stupid, Isabel. Get out of here. You're gonna fucking die if you stay here. I've got this covered. Just go. Keep them safe. I'll meet up with you all later," he said sternly.
Her eyes became misty and she closed them, nodding her head curtly.
Isabel ran a few paces forward and then stopped and turned to look back at Roland one last time.
Roland motioned frantically for her to run.
"I'm on your team. Now and always," she called out. Isabel turned quickly and sprinted away.
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BetaKnight
- Posts: 428
- Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 4:05 am
Annaliese went back to the unguarded portal to Hell, more commonly known as the sliding glass door, and retrieved her piece of wood. She chewed her bottom lip and debated where she should start her zombie barricade, here or at the front window where she had started Zombie Watch 2008.
"If I block this door and more helpless characters come wandering in, needing Ray to rescue them, he won't be able to get out there quickly to save them. But if I don't block the door, the forces of evil will just steamroll right in here. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions."
She listened to the indistinct sounds of Isabel and Ray coming from the bedroom. It was nice to hear normal conversation, without anyone screaming and threatening to kill everyone. For a second, she could almost pretend things were normal.
Maybe this house was their house, hers, Isabel's, and Ray's. Maybe they were all just broke-as-Hell college students, struggling through their first year of classes and being away from home. That explained the general lack of food stuffs. Maybe Isabel or Ray would get a job at a restaurant or the school cafeteria and smuggle home food for the others to eat.
She would have joined at least a dozen different clubs, trying to suss out which were legitimately trying to make a difference and which ones were just excuses to hang out and get altered together. In the evening, the three of them would hang out and laugh and talk about their day and their classes. Life could be good.
Resting her head against the cool glass, Annaliese willingly lost herself in her happy little daydream.
"If I block this door and more helpless characters come wandering in, needing Ray to rescue them, he won't be able to get out there quickly to save them. But if I don't block the door, the forces of evil will just steamroll right in here. Hmmmm...decisions, decisions."
She listened to the indistinct sounds of Isabel and Ray coming from the bedroom. It was nice to hear normal conversation, without anyone screaming and threatening to kill everyone. For a second, she could almost pretend things were normal.
Maybe this house was their house, hers, Isabel's, and Ray's. Maybe they were all just broke-as-Hell college students, struggling through their first year of classes and being away from home. That explained the general lack of food stuffs. Maybe Isabel or Ray would get a job at a restaurant or the school cafeteria and smuggle home food for the others to eat.
She would have joined at least a dozen different clubs, trying to suss out which were legitimately trying to make a difference and which ones were just excuses to hang out and get altered together. In the evening, the three of them would hang out and laugh and talk about their day and their classes. Life could be good.
Resting her head against the cool glass, Annaliese willingly lost herself in her happy little daydream.