Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Wcrp. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,953 Views)
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Willow groaned and threw her head back after Emily had left.

I am gonna get so chewed out if anyone finds out about this.

The thought was, simply, a little terrifying. Hopefully Annie had not overheard what just happened. Though Emily had gotten pretty excited, even if she was whispering the whole time. She decided to take an extra minute or two to rest.

After her break, she crawled back to her feet and returned to the room she and Brandon had adopted for the night. Brandon had already beaten her back and was asleep on their makeshift bed sprawled along the floor. Kelsey, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen. She had expected the young girl to be here upon her return. Had she gone and sneaked off again? Willow was admittedly concerned about her. She left the room and went to look for Kelsey. Even if she was just sleeping with someone else, she wanted to make sure that was all that was going on.

* * * * *

Kelsey loitered by the sign out on the lawn again. It was getting fairly brisk, so she was getting ready to go inside and find Brandon and Willow. She wanted to take Jen up on her offer too, but she was probably asleep. She wasn't sure what had come over her for that hour or so there, but she knew why it happened. It had taken Brandon kind of pull her out of that dark place, but the pain was still there. And she still didn't know how to cope with it entirely.

As she made a move to get out of the cold night and go back inside, she heard the door of the church open behind her.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
17… 18… 19…

Eli’s body wasn’t screaming anymore – it was wailing like a banshee, demanding he stop. He wasn’t listening.

CRASH!

The bar in the closet made a screeching sound as one side tore through the wall and out of place. Eli heard the sound a split second before his back hit the ground and the air escaped from his lungs.

“Fuh…” he tried to talk but coughed. A few seconds later, he managed it. “Fuck…

With a weak arm, he brushed the bar he had been using off his chest.

Fuck…” he repeated, then he gritted his teeth and cringed as he forced himself to get up. “The fuck am I doing?”

He stumbled unsteadily out of the closet and back into the room. He could no longer exercise, but he was no closer to sleep. He had practically tortured himself, but it hadn’t calmed his mind. Without a clear and present objective, his thoughts couldn’t help but go to the people they had lost. Especially Randall. If it hadn’t been for his example, Eli would never have joined the crew leaving Mount Kisco. He would have left the camp alone, heading north. Maybe he would have been successfully robbed at the border. Maybe he would have been killed. Maybe he owed Randall his life.

He kept walking, not sure where he was going. He left his jacket behind without thinking about it. As he moved, he looked at his bare arms – there was a scratch on his bicep, brand new. He must have earned it just now, but he wasn’t sure how. He definitely didn’t feel it as it happened

He also got a whiff of something metallic, and felt his upper lip get damp. A nose bleed, he realized in the corner of his mind. Happened sometimes when he overdid it. He casually wiped the blood away with his arm and kept moving.

Sweaty and dishevelled, he moved towards the cold air. Some part of him decided that’s what he needed now. That was going to be the cure to his restless condition.

He walked through the open door to the church, then stopped suddenly. There was someone out there already. Someone small. Kelsey.

He looked at her, stunned for a second. She must have heard the door open, because she looked and met his gaze. When she did, his eyes darkened – not with malice, but with fierce determination.

He cleared his throat, then reached out to grab the doorframe with his arm, steadying himself.

“Hey,” he said.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
It was Eli. Even Kelsey could tell he looked more worn and weary than normal, and she had barely even been able to talk to anyone today.

"Hey." She managed weakly.

Even physically and emotionally drained as she was, she still would have bluntly disregarded Eli had it not been for Brandon's little pep talk earlier. Despite that, she wasn't sure if she was really in the mood for more talking right now. She started making her way back to the door with the intention of heading inside to sleep.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“You don’t know me very well,” Eli said suddenly, and darkly.

He didn’t move from his spot under the doorframe. He was a wobbly statue, shaky from his over-exertion but fixed in place.

With the arm he wasn't using to steady himself, he wiped his nose clean of blood again. His eyes didn't move from Kelsey.

“That’s my fault,” he said after. “I’m not good with kids. But you need to know one thing.”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Eli's darker tone chilled Kelsey slightly. She paused and turned her small head upwards to look at his face. Now that she was closer, she could really see just how messed up he looked even in the dark. Blood leaked from his nose and arm. His eyes looked wild. It sent another chill down her spine to see him this way; but he was a friend of her dad's. Right?

She couldn't get a read on him, so she silently waited to see what he was going to say.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“I’m never going to let anything bad happen to you,” he said, looking down and into her round eyes. “Ever.

His tone remained just as dark. He didn’t mean it to be, it’s just how the words came out. He was too tired – mentally and emotionally – to control that.

“I’ll die first.”

With that, Eli removed his arm from the doorway and unsteadily headed back, leaving Kelsey alone once again.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Kelsey frowned as Eli left.

You can't. Too many people have died for me already.

She wanted to tell him that. She had to tell him that! She wouldn't be able to live with herself if people just kept dying for her; that was the whole reason she had been putting distance between herself and everyone else! She took a step towards the door to chase after him. But stopped. She couldn't take another step. She couldn't keep going. Eli was acting... scary. Like he was a different person. She hadn't really spoken to him much, but he was different. She wasn't sure if talking to him was the best idea right now. But she had to! She could feel herself panicking even at the idea that Eli would do that.

"Hey, sport." Another familiar voice cut in; it was Willow at the door that Eli had been in just a minute or two ago. "What are you doiii- h-hey, is everything okay?"

Willow must have noticed the terrified look in her eyes. But Kelsey couldn't really speak. All she could do is tear up at the perceived hopelessness of the situation and cry. Mom and dad had died for her and that was tough enough, but now other people were saying they were going to do it too? How was she going to move on like that? How!?

"Oh, shit. Oohhh shit!" Willow scrambled down and gave Kelsey a hug. "It's alright, Kels. I'm here now, I'm here."

* * * * *

"I haven't seen a place this quiet in a long time." Jen mused.

The entire night had passed and they hadn't even seen a single rotter enter the vicinity of the church. Even now, everyone was packing up their stuff for another day on the road and only Jen and Willow were on watch. It was like being behind the walls of Flint again. Except with less walls. And the constant awareness that they were not there and rotters could appear at any time. After all, there had been plenty just on the other side of the university. And a few large blocks down at the stadium.

"Almost a shame we have to leave, huh?" Willow added. "It's gonna be another cold day it looks like. Would be nice to stay inside and relax."

It was already nine in the morning, but the skies were still overcast and the temperature hadn't warmed up at all since yesterday. Jen was just glad she still had her jacket. It was more of a windbreaker really, but anything helped. Willow was far more dressed for the occasion; she shouldn't be complaining. Jen made a mental note to look for a good sweater and jacket next time they made a stop.

"That's what the heating in the cars are for." Jen assured her. "Besides, we got ourselves a family to unite today!"

"I know that, but..."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Jen sighed and ran a hand through her newly cut hair (which she was still not used to). "I was just being a smart ass. I know what you meant."

Beside her, Jen could hear Willow chuckle lightly.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie yawned as she joined Willow and Jen. It had been a restless night for her, and it felt like just as soon as she fell to sleep, the sun had woken her up.

There was no time or opportunity to be grumpy, though, and it would be in poor taste to complain about a lack of coffee. Instead, she wrapped the arms of her hot pink jacket around her tight to shield herself from the cold.

“Good morning,” she said, summoning a strained smile, fighting her tiredness.

She nodded to Willow. Really, she was nodding to her new haircut, which she was seeing for the first time in the stark light of day. It was now more blonde than pink. It was quite a change.

“I almost didn’t recognise you,” she said.

* * *

Connor had woken up before his mom. Almost an hour before, even. Most of that time he spent staring at the ceiling, cycling through thoughts and fears he couldn’t possibly hope to organize.

When his mom had finally open her eyes and greeted him, he asked permission to take a look around. She had granted it. She was hesitant – that much was obvious – but once he promised not to leave the premises of the church, she had given him the nod.

Exploring the church was boring. Mostly, he found closed doors he didn’t dare to open and risk waking one of the adults up. He didn’t know most of them, so that would be awkward.

Antonio was the first person he found awake. Connor shadowed him for a while. Eventually, he followed him outside, watching him as he helped the others pack. He was wearing the same robes he was wearing when they found him. It was in poor condition. Tattered and covered in the blood of those… things. Rotters, he reminded himself.

He gulped as he stepped forward. He wasn’t sure if the older man knew he was even there. He hadn’t been hiding, necessarily, but he was small and quiet and others had told him in the past that he scared them when he popped up like this.

“Hi, mister….” Connor started, but trailed off when he realized he didn’t know how to formally address him. “Antonio, right?”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
"I looked at myself in the mirror and almost didn't recognize myself. Haven't seen this much blonde in years." Willow smirked at the thought and ran a hand through her hair. "As much as I liked the pink though, I kinda missed the blonde."

Ever since high school, when she dyed her hair pink for the first time, she had maintained it pretty well. There were always blonde streaks, but the pink always outweighed it. After her cut, it was a pretty solid 50/50 split between the two colors. Given another few months, there may not be much pink left at all if she kept up on her haircuts. It was really a weird thought. Of course, she first had to survive those few months.

"You, on the other hand, look terrible." Jen quipped lightheartedly. "Even worse than Willow."

"Hey!"

"You doing okay?" She ignored Willow's protest and asked Annie directly.

* * * * *

As usual, Antonio had woken up earlier than everyone else. He had eaten and partaken in his daily religious rituals. The Bible served as a beacon of guidance for him now more than ever; others may think it insane, but he drew strength from the idea that all of this was ordained and that there was a plan behind all of it. Come what may, God would win in the end. And that gave him strength.

Of course, now they had just finished rounding up everything they would need for the trip. They were going to locate Haskins and, hopefully, find Nolan. And after that... Antonio did not know. He was unsure if his path was to help these people survive or if it was to go his own way and help others. He knew these people had killed and that made him conflicted. Even if it were necessary, it was a step he himself had not taken and had no desire to take.

He was interrupted by one of the children talking to him. He tilted his head and looked down at the child. Young teenager would have probably been a more accurate word.

"Good morning, Connor." He nodded his head gently to him and gave him a small smile. "I know the church is a little rustic, but I hope you were able to rest well last night."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“You mean the hair?” Annie dug a hand out of her jacket pocket and felt at her new bob. She tilted her head and smiled light-heartedly. “I’ll live.”

That was when Emmett re-appeared. He looked rested, relatively, and carried himself with his usual guardedness. But if Willow looked different, Emmett looked almost unrecognizable. It was downright odd seeing so much of his face. At least, so much of the top half of it. His veil of greasy hair may have been gone, but the beard was still Grizzly Adams-worthy. Baby steps.

“Emmett, good morning,” Annie greeted him with a polite nod. “We were just talking about haircuts.”

“I see,” Emmett said.

“How are you finding yours?”

He took a second to answer. “It’s… fine,” he said. “I’ll meet you by the car.”

He started to move. Annie thought that would be it, so she turned back to face Willow and Jen. Emmett stopped after taking just one step, though, and she turned again back to him.

“And, uh, good morning,” he added.

Then he headed off for real.

Baby steps, Annie thought, once again.

* * *

Connor gave the priest a small shrug.

“It was okay,” he said, and he was pretty much behind honest. “I’m surprised it’s so… big. So many rooms.”

He took another step forward, emboldened by Antonio’s friendliness.

“Your, uh, your robe… thing…” he said, gesturing towards him. “Do you always wear that?”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
"Morning." Willow replied to Emmett with a wave, though if the big man heard her he made little indication.

"I think it came out looking pretty good. You look pretty different with short hair. In a good way." Jen mused with a smile. "You know the hair wasn't what I was asking about though."

* * * * *

Antonio chuckled at Connor's question.

"My cassock? Right now, this is my third and last one; next stop I find I am changing into something a little more practical. And clean." Antonio finally replied with a smile. "But before all of this? No. Just for my ceremonies and for my work -- it was like my work uniform. But now with so much uncertainty, I've found that wearing it makes me look more approachable and helps people trust me. It has helped me make friends and save people."

Antonio paused for a few moments. He was reminded of the cold air.

"Though it is pretty warm."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
Emily had a hard time getting any sleep that night. The cure was on her mind constantly. They could go back. There was no undoing what had happened but they could arrest the descent into hell and bring the world back from the brink. Back to order, back to safety and hope. The world wasn't doomed. All she wanted to do was get up and demand to see it for herself, but that would mean breaking her word to Willow and would probably be very unwelcome. Still part of her felt outraged that they had kept it secret, as if they had the right to dictate who could or could not help see it delivered, even though their reasons for doing so made perfect sense.

She changed into a clean or at least clean-ish uniform, sans hat. Obviously she couldn't iron it which ruined the effect a bit but even so she looked the part of the professional. She knew it was srange to keep wearing the thing but it inspired a sense of competence and dependability, for herself and others who respected law enforcement maybe. It just felt familiar.

With a sigh she considered herself in the mirror. Officer Emily Mableson. Probably the most respectable member of her family. What with her father in prison for credit fraud, her brother a washed out meth-head and her mother a neurotic nervous wreck with hoarding tendencies she turned out pretty damn good. She was a cop. It wasn't all there was to her but it was important. Now it was just a uniform. Emily lifted her chin and put on a professional expression, completing the look.

She walked outside to meet up with the others. The first person she bumped into was the bald one, Eli. She gathered that he was effectively the leader of the group, Willow seemed particularly concerned about him finding out she let the cat out of the bag.

"Eli." she greeted him simply.

...

What little sleep Brandon got was sound. He woke up with a nervous energy. Today was either going to be very good or very bad. He'd managed to squeeze in a little knife practice with the others. Connor had managed the some grudging input he had before, clearly violence was not part of his nature. Brandon would have a hard time getting him to embrace wgat he had to teach. Kelsey was distracted to say the least. He wished they would take a more active interest since it might save their lives, but he understood why they couldn't just yet.

Afterward he approached Kelsey. The day promised to be cold and he never was a fan of the cold.

"Got you a present." he said sarcastically before pulling an ugly Christmas beanie from behind his back and placing it on her head.

He gave her an amused smile. Only a kid could wear that without looking ridiculous. They get a free pass on awful clothing even before necessity was all that mattered.

"How did you sleep last night?" he asked, being serious again.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
"Thanks." Kelsey managed and pulled the hat down a little further over her head.

Sleep had been difficult last night. Willow had taken her back to the room where she and Brandon were sleeping. Willow had let Kelsey sleep close beside her, but Kelsey was crying too much from her encounter with Eli. When she finally did sleep, it was not for long and it was hardly peaceful. Her mind was gripped by memories of her parents and thoughts of everyone dying. The wounds were simply too fresh for her to get any sleep. By the time morning came, her entire body ached from her restlessness and she didn't feel like she had gotten an ounce of sleep. Brandon's knife practice was something she was barely even there for -- mentally and physically. All she wanted to do was sit down and do nothing, it was all she had energy for.

"I slept fine."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"Good." Brandon said, brushing her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ears.

If they didn't find Nolan today... Brandon's stomach was in knots at the idea. What that blow might do to Kelsey was unthinkable. She might not ever recover. She needed some hope more than anyone, just something to show her there was a reason to care and to have courage. The world had to give her something back.

"We were supposed to get our hair cut yesterday. You wanna come with me and have Willow do something about it real quick? Everyone else looks pretty good." he asked.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
"I know," Annie said. "Like I said, I'll live."

She kept her smile where it was. She didn't want to descend into melancholy right now. She just wanted to keep her head up and help reunite Kelsey with her brother.

* * *

Eli's sleep was brief but deep, and there were no dreams to be had. He was too tired for them. His mind had simply – and finally – shut-down for a couple hours and soaked in the much-needed rest.

When he woke, however, his muscles ached and there was dried blood on his lips. He had to wonder if the rest was even worth it.

He washed up briefly with half of a water bottle he had been storing in his backpack. After drinking the other half, he headed outside. Emily was his first encounter. He nodded back at her.

“Emily,” he said with a grunt, and he thought he sounded like Emmett a little bit.

He moved on, not up for any more conversation than that. He was ready to go.

“Everybody ready?” he asked, just as soon as he emerged into the morning light.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Fully Featured & Customizable Free Forums
Learn More · Sign-up for Free
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Roleplaying · Next Topic »
Add Reply