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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,949 Views) | |
| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 23 2015, 03:14 AM Post #1906 |
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Is that so?
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Nolan held the newly bandaged arm out in front of him. It hurt, but it felt better. Had he left it unattended any longer, it may have gotten infected something fierce. Of course, he had been planning on starving or shooting himself originally before the anything like an infection set in. "Yeah. I grabbed Jon and Alicia and we ran straight for the old tree at the south end of campus. My guard buddy; I had him deliver notes to the others about an escape plan we had and I hoped that they would head down there. It was dark, but apparently someone saw us running from the building. Sprayed bullets after us as we ran." Nolan cringed. "Alicia... she went down pretty quickly. We couldn't go back for her. Jon got injured pretty bad and didn't make it off the school grounds either. Somehow I got away with only getting shot in the arm." Truthfully, he had been grazed. A very rough graze. It had dug out a pretty good chunk of flesh and he was pretty sure it had fractured one of the bones as well. "Not sure if that makes me the lucky one or not anymore." Nolan smiled somberly. "I fuckin' miss those guys..." * * * * * Emily's levity forced a small laugh out of Willow. She visibly cringed and clutched at her chest a little, but kept laughing regardless. A good laugh was definitely worth a lot these days, and Willow found herself doing it more and more often despite herself. Jen and Emily both brought a sense of levity that the group had been missing. She really did appreciate that -- it was a distraction from the otherwise almost overbearing doom and gloom. "Sorry, I just... that's cute." Willow returned the wry smile. "I never had anyone like that when I was a kid. Some of us more unlucky girls gotta steal to survive." There was actually something Willow had wanted to ask Emily. She overheard her talking with Antonio just a moment ago and figured this was as good a time as any to bring it up. Hell, probably the best time. "You know, you don't need to go your own way if you don't want to, right?" Willow told her bluntly. "Brandon has seemed a lot happier since you showed up. Old friendships like that... those are rare. It's hard to replace these days. I don't know your reasons for wanting to leave and I won't pry, but if it's because you think you're unwelcome, I just want you to know that's not the case." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Jun 23 2015, 03:27 AM Post #1907 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“You’re lucky, believe me,” Eli said with confidence. “It’s true,” Annie added. “You lived. So did your sister. And you found each other. That’s not true for a lot of people.” At that, Eli couldn’t help but glance at Emmett. The big man remained mostly stone-faced, but Eli could make out the twitch on his lips at the memory of Evan. “I gotta ask,” Eli said, eager to change the topic. “What do you think happened to all those guards? We found plenty of bodies, but I think those were your fellow refugees. You think the guards are out there somewhere? You think they might be a threat?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 23 2015, 03:42 AM Post #1908 |
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Is that so?
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Nolan did not immediately answer. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the ground for a few long seconds. "Personally, I would want to shoot them on sight for what they did. They murdered my friends and everyone I knew from here. I don't know what you guys found at the school, and honestly, I'd rather not know. Every atrocity committed there will just make my blood boil knowing that they got away with it all." He paused and again and let out a sharp sigh, this time closing his eyes. "And this next part isn't easy to say, but I know rationally that these guys were just terrified of what was going on. At the time, nobody had any information and the line between fact and fiction was blurry as hell. I was afraid that people were going to start turning into these things all of the sudden. I was scared I would drop dead and come back to life just like that one woman did; even without a bite. Everyone in there was mortified of the implications. The only difference was that one side had guns and the other didn't. If their cowardly asses are still alive, they're probably just hiding in some little military bunker somewhere. And all I can do is pray to God that every time they close their eyes, they see the faces of people they murdered and it haunts them. But I seriously doubt they will be a threat to you guys as you travel westward." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Jun 23 2015, 03:53 AM Post #1909 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“That’s… relieving, thanks,” Eli said. He allowed himself to lean back in the chair again. As far as he was concerned, he had done it. He had filled Nolan in and vice versa. They were all caught up. “This is all pretty sudden, I know,” he added. “You’re probably gonna sleep on it and come up with a million questions. You got any for me now, though? I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Figure you deserve that.” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 23 2015, 04:39 AM Post #1910 |
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Is that so?
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A million questions might well be an understatement. At least, Nolan figured it would be. Like Eli said, he would probably wake up with a million of them. "Honestly, man... all of this is just still so overwhelming." Nolan rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm gonna need a full night of rest to really process everything. And if Flint is as nice as you guys say it is, that shouldn't be difficult at all." On the one hand, Nolan did want to continue his dad's legacy. He had been pumped for it and ready to go. But taking care of Kelsey took precedence over all of that. And the descriptions of Flint had left a fairly pleasant impression. If he was going to keep Kelsey safe, then he might as well do it in the most comfortable way possible. The more he thought about, the more a warm shower was starting to sound like a good substitute to saving the world. Assuming the cure is real. "I do have one question though. Can I see it? The cure, I mean." |
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| Strompy | Jun 23 2015, 08:52 AM Post #1911 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Yeah I know. I've just been thinking about what you told me last night. Even though, for a lot of reasons I want to stick around, I'm not sure I should." Emily admitted quietly, so the others wouldn't hear. "I think everyone wants to save the world, even if they can't find the balls to do it they at least wish they could. I do want to save the world, and I do have the balls to do it. And I want to stay with Brandon. He's the only friend I've got left. But if you guys are serious about taking this thing to California I think you might want to reevaluate your team. Say I come, and Father Antonio, and Nolan too. That's eleven people. Logistically speaking that's a fucking nightmare. That's at least two vehicles, using two vehicles worth of gas. Eleven people, eating eleven people's worth of food. It's taken you over a week to come this far. Even if you pack enough for twice that long to get to California, you've lost something like three vehicles so far? One of them with a good amount of food and ammo. With eleven mouths to feed that's a big problem. This seems like a job for maybe six skilled and able bodied people. You've got two children. Children. You've been shot to pieces and had half your lung removed. That Nolan guy might have been impressive before this but at the moment he looks like he might lose a one-on-one with an anorexic toddler. I can tell you guys are the type to throw yourselves into the lion's mouth for each other, if one of you gets in trouble it will jeopardize the whole group. And if it jeopardizes the whole group it jeopardizes the cure, which concerns everyone in the world." Emily said hoping what she said didn't come across as critical, really she was just thinking aloud. "All of you are tough. You've proven it by coming this far, but California is a long way away. I'm not saying I'd be wrong to come along or that I'm not coming, or that any of you are wrong to go. All I'm saying is that there isn't always strength in numbers. It might be a mistake to go and I think it's worth discussing with everyone. I know I'm new and all and I don't want to bust up the family, but everyone still alive has a stake in what's happening here." she continued. With a heavy sigh she leaned back and looked up at the sky. Her eyes wandering and her head bobbing to and fro as she ran an internal dialogue with her own warring thoughts. Finally she shook her head and looked back at Willow. "Jesus I don't know what to think about any of it. This is the biggest thing in the world. It is actually the most important thing. How did you ever come to a decision about something so huge? Why'd you leave Mount Kisco? Why'd you leave Flint?" she asked, desperate for some help. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 23 2015, 01:12 PM Post #1912 |
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Is that so?
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Willow could sympathize with Emily's dilemma. Her points were not necessarily wrong either. The group was starting to feel a little inflated. Which was odd, since yesterday it was feeling so small and flimsy. "This is gonna sound stupid, but bear with me here. Like, part of me wanted to be one of the heroes that saved the world, because who wouldn't want to be? But I really left Mount Kisco because so many people and friends had died there and I felt like I had nothing left anymore. By the time we got to Flint, that little group of people had become my new family. The thought of them going on without me was torture." Willow's lips curled into a smile. She never made a big habit out of bragging but she felt this was an appropriate time and place for it. "I've been on the sidelines a lot because Eli is being cautious, but don't mistake that for weakness. I'm still the best shot in the group. And Brandon knows more about firearms and survival than anyone I know -- it was kinda weird at first, but God has it been valuable. Emmett is actually a pretty smart guy and has come up with a lot of clever ideas to keep us alive. Annie is an amazing doctor and I can tell you that from experience. Randall was a damn good leader who could make the best decision with the information he had, no matter how desperate the situation was. And hell, look at that." Willow tilted her head towards the parking lot where Antonio was standing near his truck, still showing Jen how to maintain a vehicle. Jen was the one under the hood doing most of the work, but Antonio was overlooking it, adding input and pointing things out for her as she worked. Guiding her through the process. "Who knew Father Mendez was such a hotshot with cars, eh? I could keep going, but the point here is that, even though we are kind of a big group now, everyone who is here brings something to the table. Even the kids. They remind us what we are doing all this for. Corny, I know. But it's hard to look at them and not feel invigorated to end all of this shit." She paused briefly and glanced at Emily beside her. "You're talking about this like it was a huge decision for all of us to make. But I don't think that's it. I think for a lot of us, it was never really a decision at all, you know?" |
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| DoctorYerishi | Jun 23 2015, 03:27 PM Post #1913 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“Sure,” Eli said with a shrug. His bag was in the room. It didn’t take much effort to retrieve it and dig out the black canister – the one that had sent them on a mission through hell, the one that might just save the world. “It’s not a lot to look at, but here it is,” Eli said, holding it up for Nolan to see. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 23 2015, 03:38 PM Post #1914 |
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Is that so?
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Nolan pulled himself to his feet and approached Eli. He held his hand out and Eli, perhaps a little apprehensively, handed it over to him. It really was just a black canister. A canister that a handful of people had already died for. Including his father. His father had died for this little black canister on the hope that it was real. Glenda, Julie, and Mac had died for it as well. And more were likely to follow. "It's... heavier than I expected." Nolan smiled grimly as he held it back out for Eli to take. "Now if this works, I can say that I held the cure that saved humanity, if only for a few seconds." |
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| Strompy | Jun 23 2015, 07:50 PM Post #1915 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Emily nodded her head contemplatively. What Willow said made sense. It certainly felt better than her own thoughts did. She had to think things through though. The last time she madexa decision without thinking she ended up on top of a truck surtounded by creeps. If she had thought it through she would have run and lead the creeps away, then come back once she lost them. If she had done that though, she may have ended up missing Brandon. "I know what you mean. Ahhhh that's just given me more to think about." she lamented with another heavy sigh. "Anyway, last night when you were trying to change the subject you asked what Brandon said about you? He said he's never seen anybody more naturally gifted with a gun, which is a big deal to him. That you're better in pretty much every regard than you seem to think, especially that you're sexier than you think. Said he found that annoying but was also glad because it meant you didn't realize you could have literally anyone you wanted. He said you're the absolute best thing that could have ever happened to him. It was kind of sickening to listen to." Emily explained with a look of disgust that wasn't completely in jest. "He also said he's afraid of you, for all those reasons and more." she added. At least he realized how insane he was being. This sort of thing was just too... this sort of thing never actually happened, or if it did it never lasts long. Once two people really get to know each other that all goes away. Nobody finds a perfect mate. If those two were falling this fast they were going to hit the ground really soon and it would be fucking ugly. Still, what did it matter? They were probably all going to be dead really soon. Let them have their passion while it lasted. They'd have plenty of time to grow bored of each other if they delivered this cure. "Speak of the devil. I think your boy wants you." she said, gesturing to Brandon who stood looking at them from the front door. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 23 2015, 09:55 PM Post #1916 |
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Is that so?
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Willow turned away halfway through Emily's recollection. Brandon had apparently been very generous on the praise. He was probably right about it too, but that didn't make it any less flustering for her to listen to. Every word was sending giddy, bubbly feelings into her gut while simultaneously embarrassing the hell out of her. It also meant that Brandon really never did have any intention of cheating on her. He was a lot more than she deserved for sure. She resolved at that moment to be more confident. Not just for him, but for herself as well. "I'm reeaaally sorry about that, Emily." Willow sheepishly apologized as she looked over her shoulder to see Brandon at the front door. "You know how he can be." She almost complimented him back. Even while it was just her and Emily, but she withheld it. It must be awkward for her. Even if Brandon was the wrong sex for her, they did have a long history. They even were fiances back in elementary school. They were really close. To find him again after so long and find him head over heels for someone else... Willow imagined it must have stung at least a little. Of course, it could also be that she was just more cynical than she let on and just didn't like that kind of doting. Either way, it wasn't her business to pry on the matter. "Better go see what he wants." Willow said with a sly smile she couldn't hide. She gave Emily the best nod of encouragement she could before departing. She knew Emily had a lot on her mind and Willow wanted her to know that she was there in case she needed someone to talk to. She had been pretty harsh with her and Antonio at first and she kind of regretted it now. Sure, she was just being cautious, but it still felt dirty. They had both proven to be good people, at least to her. They didn't give off the same vibe that Maxwell -- may he rot in hell -- had. "What's up, babe?" Willow brushed a few strands of hair from her face and shot Brandon a grin as she approached. She probably would have kissed him. If Emily wasn't watching. Willow didn't know if that was awkward or not. But it kind of felt like it would be. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Jun 24 2015, 02:52 AM Post #1917 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“A story for the grandkids,” Eli agreed. It was feigned optimism, but he thought he sold it well. “Annie, are you all done or…?” he asked. “Yes, all set,” Annie said, standing up. “Great,” Eli said, reaching out to take the cure back. As he replaced it in his bag, he continued. “We’ll find a vehicle for you, don’t worry about that. An’ Annie or Jen will draw you a map, make sure you don’t get lost on the way back to Flint, if that’s what you decide.” “I’ll take care of that,” Annie said, giving Nolan a smile and a nod. “In the meantime, we’ll give you two some space,” Eli jumped in again. “Again – was good to meet you, Nolan. Kelsey.” He reached out to shake Nolan’s hand once more, then gave Kelsey an uncomfortable nod goodbye. He recalled the events of last night, when he had appeared to her exhausted and bloody. It wasn’t his finest hour. He would apologize to her, but he meant everything he said. He just regretted how he said it. Probably a good thing she’s going, then, he thought to himself. Reuniting her with Nolan, getting her to safety – finally something I was able to get right. “Me too,” Emmett said in his soft grumble. He reached out to shake Nolan’s hand after Eli was done. “Good to meet you.” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Jun 24 2015, 04:12 AM Post #1918 |
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Is that so?
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"Yeah, you guys too. It was good to meet you all." Nolan shook Eli and Emmett's hands; they both had strong handshakes. "And really, thanks for looking after Kels." Nolan could feel a little of his former strength coming back, but he would need a few more hearty meals to get there. At the first opportunity, he sat back down on his spot at the couch. His body was still tired at the end of the day despite the rest and the food. He feared it would be for a while. If he started exercising as he did, he was pretty sure he could quickly regain any lost muscle mass. In the past, he had worked out for his own vanity and to make himself a better athlete. And admittedly, that first reason was still valid, but there was a far more practical application to strength now too. Everyone that had made it this far needed the strength, physical and mental both, to survive. Beside him, Kelsey was looking at everyone silently, a complicated expression written on her face. Nolan couldn't quite get a read on it. Admittedly, he didn't really know his sister well enough to see through the walls she had always put up. There was definitely some happiness in there still, but that wasn't the whole equation. "And sorry for eating your food." He apologized to Eli with a wry smile. "I know it was only a bag of jerky, but it was the best damn jerky I've had all month. Couldn't stop myself." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Jun 24 2015, 04:21 AM Post #1919 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Eli waved the apology off – literally. “Please, ’mano,” he said. “I can’t apologize to you about Randall, you can’t apologize to us about that. You’re Randall’s family, and that makes you our family. So you’re welcome to it. I’ll see you in a bit.” With that, Eli headed out the room. Emmett was right behind him, and Annie behind Emmett. |
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| Strompy | Jun 24 2015, 09:15 AM Post #1920 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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With a word Brandon brought the sheathed bowie knife out from behind his back and presented it to Willow with both hands. He flipped it over to reveal the inscription he had just finished. Kiddo, in clear cursive. "This was the only keepsake of Glenda's I could think of to keep for you. Sorry it took me so long, the plan was always for you to have it, I just had to borrow it awhile since I gave my knife to Connor. Glenda was... amazing with this thing. Figured if it went to you, then she's still looking out for you in a sense." he explained. |
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7:29 PM Jul 10