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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 16, 2007 14:28:18 GMT -5
((This thread will be closed for a bit, open for Red and Kin at the moment. It will be opened to all down the road.
I'm going to try something a bit unorthodox with the opening post, nothing too outrageous))
Palms and feet padded quickly across the broken sidewalks of Wyke Hills; occasionally the figure would return to an upright position as it moved through the rubble of the ruined buildings of the southern suburb of Malton. It wasn't the first time that this had happened, and it was apparent in the reactions to the surroundings. The muscles were more adapted to its deteriorated state, moving with a much more fluid gait than those who had recently joined the ranks of the undead. There was the instinctive knowledge of what the hands and teeth could do to a victim, as well as some of the rudimentary actions that those who lived possessed. A doorknob wasn't some odd detail on a wall - it was a means to open it and venture inside... to get at the prey within.
The pace slowed. The body lowered. The man that came into view was one of the living, the chest moving rhythmically as it took in air. In a blur of motion, the individual was down on the ground and flesh was rended asunder. The attacks were not hampered by the rucksack on its back and soon the breathing had ended. As flesh and blood warmed the back of the mouth, the mind began to wander. It was a sea of greys, with no distinctive thoughts or images - memories of motion were the most prominent. A long nomadic journey - a search for food perhaps, it was all unclear - and then a return to familiar hunting grounds. They weren't as familiar as they once were; landmarks mixed with those from a different place. And through all of this, all that the red-haired predator could recall distinctly was an odd beeping...
Activity was increasing with the summer heat. More and more shamblers had been filtering into the south, disrupting the relative calm that had been present for a handful of weeks. But the last trip to the mall had changed that perspective - it had been overrun by zombies. He had made his way there to bargain for a few odd pieces of electronics, some things that Kin had been looking for. Luckily, they had not spread out to the surrounding areas, and it was easy to find a safe house to hole up in before heading back to the Cosway. When he had returned, the news was taken with mixed reactions, but he understood that each of the residents knew that the break would not last that long. But business continued as normal, albeit with a higher level of alertness.
Then, one day, as he was looking for fuel for the generator, his phone beeped. His brow furrowed slightly at the text message he found on his battered cell phone. He had no time to waste, he had to move immediately. She was in danger, and he needed to get to the Needs as quickly as possible. He couldn't spare any precious seconds returning to the hotel despite the cries of reason in the back of his head. Red took the plankways in long strides, his rucksack bouncing dangerously against his back as he took the narrow bridges, revolver in hand. There was no way in hell he was going to leave Kin alone to deal with this. He had to get to her... and get her out of that lab as quickly as possible.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 16, 2007 21:10:08 GMT -5
She had left for the Needs with the intent of continuing her research. That was normal in and of itself. Every couple of days, Kin would take off to do just that. She had learned to space out her trips a bit more lately due to the fact that she often spent several days down South. She found she didn't crash as hard if she had a few days of rest inbetween.
Then the warnings had come and she had agreed to help. A horde of zombies was moving in on them fast and, like always, the NT buildings were primary targets. There were few fighters amongst those gathered at the Needs, but so long as they made the effort, they may be able to hold the building. They all had stakes in it, after all.
As the day wore on and the situation looked more and more grim, Kin began to panic. Her supplies were depleting quickly. Her friends knew she was here, but not about the danger. What if the zombies moved North after this? She had to warn them.
Fa had been the first person to come to mind since she had met the woman. Kin had depended on the other blonde; trusted her and confided in her. Yet now, when the situation was most dire, Kin could not bring herself to trouble the busy leader. Not with a baby in the house.
Her message had been short and to the point. Though her hands shook as she typed it, she managed to omit any spelling errors. Then it was sent, and all Kin had to do was pray.
Pray and survive. God willing, she'd live to see tomorrow.
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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 17, 2007 8:57:09 GMT -5
((I was hoping that Red and Kin could have a few posts at the Needs prior to it all going to hell... but I'm cool with anything . I'm planning on doing parallel posts separated by a horizontal rule - kind of a flash forward/back, with the first part being from a dead man's perspective and the second part being the living aspects of the event. I'm basically challenging myself to link the two parts in some overall way - motion and the text for this first one - but I don't expect anyone else to follow suit. I didn't want to hamper the thread too much by having a whole lot of solo Ded Rawson posts. But, back to the original question, I was going to have Red arrive at the Needs in my next post.))
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 17, 2007 10:11:30 GMT -5
((Ooooh! Okay. I had trouble figuring out where in the timeline you were. I'm going to go back and edit my post then so that she's still alive when he gets there. Then we can mess with them.))
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 17, 2007 19:01:36 GMT -5
((Okay! Post is fixed and waiting for your next one. ))
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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 18, 2007 15:33:19 GMT -5
The small meal did nothing to slack the thirst. It never did. It was a constant hunger and, although the taste was satisfying at first, as soon as the blood ran cool, it became like ash on the tongue. With no other motion apparent on the streets, it was time to check the dens for any other prey. The back of the mind knew that they were buildings, knew that the lights were on because of the acrid metal box that the herd kept active. Although the stone structure wasn't lit, the closed door and light barricaded windows implied activity. The bloodstained hands, as quietly as possible, pulled and pushed on the boards. There was no real pack mentality in this one, stealth was valued more than unending, excessive force.
The lack of response - despite the aim for silence, the undead hands could only work so well - was both promising and disappointing at once. It was more likely than not that the den would have been vacant, the prey tending to stick in groups for their own protection. But as the final board had been removed and the interior was brought into a clearer view, what once seemed to be just another corpse moved slightly, and the somewhat steady motion of the torso was all the signs needed to quicken the pace. By the time the injured woman, drained by fatigue and recent blood loss, turned towards the charging zombie, it was too late
The chaos outside the Needs did nothing to satisfy Red's hopes that this would be simple. The sight of the shamblers pounding with all their collective might on the barricades made his blood run cold. He crossed the last few feet of the plank crossing in one stride and, before he knew it, he was heading down the stairwell. The fluorescent light tubes above were out but if it was just to throw off the horde outside or if the generator was damaged during an initial attack, Red wasn't sure. He didn't smell an excessive amount of petrol in the air so he hoped that it was the former. The lack of activity on the upper levels did not alarm him; odds were that most of the occupants were down below, maintaining the barricades or bravely taking a sortie out to thin the pack.
It was too quiet for his taste when Red got near the area that Kin worked at. He reached his hand out and pulled the wooden office door open, the half damaged hinges requiring a little bit of effort. He didn't have to look inside to know that she wasn't there but seeing that much of the items she had were not ready to go - of course most of the offices here always looked like they were in a perpetual state of disorganization to him - he was sure that she was probably down with the other defenders. Red made his way down to the lower active levels, occasionally shouting out Kin's name when he happened to catch sight of a blond woman in the crowd. Eventually he did spot Kin and ran towards her, hoping that she was not one of the injured.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 18, 2007 15:43:33 GMT -5
"Red!" she cried out, relief and surprise flooding into her voice. She had been distantly aware of her name being called over the tumlut of shouted orders and cries for help, but she had brushed off each call as a trick of her mind. That was until she began to recognize the voice, and then saw the familiar red hair and flannel shirt that defined Red standing out sharply from the crowd.
In an instant she was on her feet and pushing through the crowd to get to him. She stepped carefully around the injured laid out on the floor, a niggle of impatience sitting in her chest as each step seemed to be slowed by some obstacle or another.
Finally she was free of restraints. She ran the last few steps to meet him and her arms flew open to wrap around his neck, pulling him into a grateful embrace.
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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 20, 2007 12:37:08 GMT -5
It was soon silent once more in the abandoned building, still as if oblivious to the event that just occurred. Both bodies remained motionless after the attack had concluded. The woman, who had barely escaped her last encounter, laid in a pool of her own blood. Given time, she would rise once more, an attestation to that eerie cycle that plagued the city of Malton. The blood had not chilled enough to become unsatisfying to the necrotic taste buds but still the undead above her remained as a statue, the only movement being the steady red drips that fell from the lips. The eyes were frozen on the woman's hair. It was blond. The woman meant nothing to him but there was some strange recollection that stayed his hunger...
Red brought his arms around her, drawing her close to him. The chaotic swirl around them seemed to drone down to a faint background hum and, for that long moment, he was content to just hold Kin near. He didn't recall his eyes closing but, when they did open, he noticed the revolver in his hand and he slowly loosened his hold.
"Are you alright?" he managed to say quietly despite the urgency beneath the words; his empty hand reaching up to brush away some stray locks from her face. With all the injured around, it was hard not to get a bit of blood on yourself and Red looking Kin over quickly just to confirm that whatever crimson splotches she might have collected weren't her own.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 20, 2007 20:46:30 GMT -5
"I- I'm fine," she admitted in a bewildered stammer. Though the noise around them was a continuous, low drone puncuated by bangs on the barricades, Kin's quiet voice carried over all of it. There was something about her mousy voice that seemed to grab attention, despite all her attempts to avoid it.
"What're you doing here?" she pressed after the initial surprise and relief had worn off. "I sent you that message to warn everyone up at the Cosway. Things are-" Kin stopped abruptly when a particularly loud bang on the barricades and a crack made her jump nearly out of her skin. She looked warily towards the front lobby and tighted her grip on him subconsciously. "Things have been getting bad here."
Though Kin looked as if she'd gone swimming in a pool of blood, none of it seemed to be her own. She had been careful so far not to get scratched or bitten. The fear of her own virus spreading this far South made her doubly self-conscious about each action. Thankfully, those survivors that needed tending to from this side were still alive enough not to try chewing on her neck while she fixed them up.
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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 21, 2007 0:07:22 GMT -5
The distant bang of a gunshot jerked the attention away from the still woman. There was a hint, a reminder that the sounds were more frequent earlier but they had died down considerably as of late. Still, the sound let him know that there was others about, and not the easy kills. Eventually, the prey hunting the hunters would want to hole up for a bit to regain their strength and this den was a viable choice for them. Scrambling on all fours until the dimming sunlight streaming through the open window touched the flesh, the rotter resumed a two-legged run for speed. A less suitable dwelling was needed, something close by to pop in once more for another potentially unwary meal, was needed.
Listening to her words, the bit of relief he was feeling slowly was replaced by a sense of guilt. How could he explain that he didn't let the others know? His mouth began to form words but then the loud crack went off at the barricades. Before Kin could finish her interrupted sentence, Red had his revolver trained at the source of the noise.
"That's why I came straight here," he said as he lowered his revolver. He knew the Cosway could handle themselves. Here - he had no idea and, from the look of things, Red wasn't reassured. He looked back to her with urgency in his eyes. "We need to get out of here. We need to get moving now." There were a couple stops nearby that hadn't been overwhelmed that they could hole up in before getting back to the hotel.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 21, 2007 5:51:27 GMT -5
"I can't," she said in a small voice. She held his gaze, though she felt greatly diminished all of a sudden. Here he was risking life and limb to get her out, and she wanted to stay. Yet her reasoning was solid. This place, these people were more important than her life. "I need to stay and help."
Another loud crack on the door made her jump again. The barricades were falling. She glanced briefly towards the renewed frenzy of activity around the front, knowing that those brave men and women would need help soon, then turned her attention back to Red.
"You go. Tell the others to be on the lookout for a horde moving up their way." If she couldn't be convinced about her own safety, maybe she could take comfort in his.
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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 21, 2007 12:41:28 GMT -5
The lone shambler made its way into the dark shadows of an abandoned factory away from the now sporadic gunshots. The thought of coming back later for stragglers soon left his mind... that and the horde of rotters moving in that general direction. Soon the large pack would be upon the armed prey and a vicious battle to the death would occur - a mass of undead bodies pouring in on the living, taking casualties until finally the defenders would be motionless or in full retreat. The instincts for that hive mentality were not as strong as that of the lone predator. It knew what was important and, whenever possible, it focused all of its attention and energy on what it needed. A culling of the herd so to speak - taking enough to get by without drawing too much attention.
Still, there was something in the fuzzed memories that sometimes invaded the reflexive actions, unbalancing that killer instinct... the blond woman in the office building kept pulling out faded images of another from the depths of the mind.
His auburn hair swayed some, emphasizing the slight nod he gave when she told him she had to stay. Neither one of them were really sociable yet they both knew the importance of gathering together for strength. Red was sure that some of these people may have assisted Kin in some small way and you just don't back away from such a humble and rare offer.
The next loud bang brought his eyes briefly to the door before returning his gaze to her. He knew it was only a matter of time before the crashing bodies outside would begin to pour through the broken opening. He couldn't leave her; she was too important to him. He also knew what was important to her. No matter what happened to them, they would be revived, and the thought of being near her was all he wanted. But what she had been working might not be so easily salvaged.
"Is your research safe?" The finality in his voice solidified the notion that he wasn't going anywhere and, if he could buy her some time to secure it, he would.
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 21, 2007 19:32:03 GMT -5
It took Kin a moment to understand what he meant by that comment. He had entirely disregarded her request for him to go home, where it was safe, but she couldn't fault him for it. In fact, she felt a little bit relieved knowing that he was staying with her. Kin allowed a small smile to cut across the worried expression dominating her face.
"As much as it can be," she replied with a shrug. There was little she could do to protect her research without moving it entirely, yet she'd already done what she could. Just as all of them had. And just like the rest of them, she hoped and prayed that the barricades would hold.
Yet as another resounding crack heralded the first break in the thick, wooden boards that provided the front to the barricades, Kin's hope dwindled a little.
"Kin!" someone else called frantically from the crowd. The scientist jumped again, feeling her heart beating somewhere close to her tonsils. It was hard to avoid noticing that this was the breaking point. That knowledge and seeing the wild-eyed young man pop out of nowhere to take ahold of her arm only made her heart beat faster. "Kin, come on! My brother he- He was alive when I left him. You gotta bring him back!"
Kin felt her grip slipping away from Red. She looked back at him and feared for a fleeting moment that it would be the last time. But such thoughts were common when the tension was this high, she reasoned. She would see him again. Later, after she'd helped in the fight.
"Red!" she called as she lead along, half-turned towards him still. "I have to help. Don't go far!"
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Post by Red Dawson on Aug 22, 2007 9:57:21 GMT -5
Deep inside the relative safety of the old abandoned factory, the two-legged approach was abandoned once more for all-fours - a preferred stance that allowed a bit more stealth and concealment amongst the various crates and machinery in the ruined facility. The thought process was becoming more and more blurred and distorted, a tell-tale sign that the internal drive of what kept the dead of Malton 'alive' needed to recover, rejuvenate, much like a normal person needed sleep. It was as if the body shut itself down, becoming the closest thing to dead that the city's inhabitants could ever hope to achieve. Finding a busted up wooden shipping box, the shambler crawled inside, going into a fetal position in order to fit in the cramped area within. As the mind droned out to the nothingness that is the realm of the true dead, another out-of-focus memory slowly pulled into view: the crashing of wood, an endless wave of feral and hungry shadows, the popping of gunfire, and the familiar face of a blond woman being dragged away from him, lost in the chaos and confusion...
'Don't go far?' he asked himself. He had no intention of leaving her side through all of this. If she was going to stay and help then he was going to help her. But, after the initial surprise of her being pulled away from him, he only made it about three steps before the barricade finally gave way. Reflexively, he went low behind a desk - most of the shamblers didn't have keen minds and went after the first living target they saw - and began firing his revolver, adding its noise to the rest of the firearms being discharged. The horde outside was surprisingly fast however, and they tore through those closest to the barricades in what seemed to be seconds. Red holstered his revolver, looking back to where Kin had went as he pulled out his shotgun. She was no longer in view. He took the limited amount of reassurance that gave him and turned to fire once more at the enemy, getting two shots off before his body got hit from two directions. His head hit the floor and he drew himself into a ball for what little protection that would provide as his vision slowly turned to black...
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Post by kinrrataiyath on Aug 22, 2007 21:18:09 GMT -5
Death did not come swiftly to her. She had wished it would. By the end, she was screaming for the final blow.
And as the world turned black, she hated herself for it.
Kin woke to a world of silence. The fighting had finished several hours before, but few of the dead had risen yet. Those that had started on the other side shambled away as soon as the last survivor fell and the last drop of blood cooled. The only thing that had kept Kin down for so long was a rent in her neck that had taken longer than usual to heal. She had survived to the last, but they had taken their vengence in blood.
Slowly, the bloodied corpse rose to her feet. She swayed on the spot like a sickly twig stuck in the mud, lacking direction or even a good breeze to give her a push. But as she stood there, her mind began to coelesce. Things began to fall into place; memories, feelings, and base thoughts. She was hungry. She was awake. And she was angry.
The fury washed over her in a sudden wave that made her stiff, stringy limbs shudder from the impact. There was no one around to bear her rage, but she knew where to find them. They were to blame. They had caused this. They would pay the price.
A low, gutteral moan rattled up her broken throat as she began to move. Step by step she made her way towards the door, picking up speed along the way. The smell of blood was fresh in the air. It was time to hunt.
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