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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,887 Views) | |
| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 04:43 AM Post #2836 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“Not so much,” Noah said. “Not like the priests I know, anyway.” He sat down on the bed again. “You know, my grandfather told me a story a few times, when he wanted to freak me out,” he said. “It was about the Wendigo. Ever heard of it?” * * * “I guess we both have a ways to go,” Hank said. He found a plate of his own, and assembled what remained of the leftovers. He decided to change the topic to something less heady. “Literally, in your case,” he said. “California, huh?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Sep 21 2015, 01:13 PM Post #2837 |
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Is that so?
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Antonio was glad when Noah decided to move the topic away from his thoughts and beliefs. He expressed his doubts, but in doing so he only felt like he was committing an affront to God by not having steadfast faith in His plan. "I have heard the name, yes. But I can't say I know much about it beyond that." * * * * * Oh, right. The cover story about a safe zone in California. Nolan almost forgot about that before Hank brought it up with him. Thankfully, it was a pretty easy story to build around. "Well, that's been the plan." Nolan told him between bites of food. "I guess it's subject to change depending on what we find at Salt Lake City though. But nobody here is optimistic about its chances." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 01:28 PM Post #2838 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“Okay, so basically it’s an ancient Native American spirit that takes over a human’s body,” Noah said. “They say Wendigo’s have an intense craving for human flesh. They’re, like, embodiments of gluttony, greed, that kind of thing. Never satisfied with killing one person, they gotta constantly search for new victims. Sound like anyone you know?” He smirked at the dark joke before continuing. “The way my grandpa told it, humans who committed cannibalism got possessed, but some versions I’ve heard have it that you just need to be overpowered by greed. I’m not saying I believe it, necessarily, but maybe that’s what is going on – maybe the human race crossed a line, and now we’re all possessed by the Wendigo.” He paused. His smirk turned into a slightly frown, despite his best efforts. He’d been having these thoughts for weeks now, and he had been trying not to take them too seriously. He pushed on. “I mean, my grandpa also used to say the Wendigo were super-strong and good hunters at night, so not all the pieces fit, but still. Could be the stories got a few details wrong. Could be that this disease isn’t man or God.” * * * “Optimistic about Salt Lake or about California?” Hank asked in between bites. “And why not?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Sep 21 2015, 02:03 PM Post #2839 |
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Is that so?
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"Could be." Antonio surprisingly agreed. Though what else could there be beyond man and God? All that left then was demons. Though that only served to reinforce Antonio's thoughts on it. "A part of me hopes that it is man made though. My attempts to exorcise them early on were met with nothing but failure, so if this is any sort of possession, then it is none we can deal with. But a man made pandemic... there would be hope for a cure out there somewhere, if not now than further down the road." * * * * * "Salt Lake. Before they found me, these guys found a community in Flint, Michigan. They had walls, gates, electricity, running water... pretty much anything you could ask for. But they still got attacked by people. Broke through the walls, shot up a lot of the leadership, and left the place battered. They lost a couple of their own in the fighting too. And they weren't even actively advertising itself like Salt Lake seems to be. Assuming it's not just a trap to lure people in, then it will be attracting a lot of the wrong people." Nolan let out a long sigh after he finished explaining his thoughts. In his head it felt like he was giving Hank a friendly warning, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being pretty pessimistic right now. And if there was one thing he knew, optimism and pessimism could be pretty contagious. He didn't want to bring everyone else down with him, especially these new guys. "Sorry, I don't mean to be Mr. Doom and Gloom; normally I'm a lot more optimistic. Just been a rough few weeks and days for me. I could be entirely wrong about all of it." Nolan added with a shrug. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 02:11 PM Post #2840 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“No, it’s… It’s okay,” Hank said, somewhat distractedly. The distraction was what Nolan said just a moment ago, about Flint, Michigan and all its amenities. “So what happened to that community? You said it was attacked, but is it still… standing?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Sep 21 2015, 02:14 PM Post #2841 |
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Is that so?
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Nolan paused and glanced up at Hank. "From what I understand, yeah. It is still standing." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 02:19 PM Post #2842 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“That’s… wow.” Hank blinked. That was big news. That was first-hand knowledge of a surviving community – a community with electricity and running water. It was an even better lead than Salt Lake City, which only had some billboards to vouch for it. If Hank had any idea about this beforehand, he’d have been taking his family north, not west. It gave him some thinking to do. It gave him some questions to ask Nolan’s friends, the ones that had actually lived through it. It also gave him a question for Nolan, Hank realized. “Wait, so… why keep going to the safe zone in Chicago?” he asked. “And why all the way across the country to California?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Sep 21 2015, 02:29 PM Post #2843 |
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Is that so?
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Shit. Nolan bought himself a few seconds of time by taking another bite from his plate and chewing a little slower than he had before. It only just now occurred to him that he might have said too much. Maybe it was best now that he withdraw and let someone else take the hit. All he had to do was play dumb to it. "I dunno." He finally answered. "I didn't meet up with these guys until Iowa City, so I can't really say much about what happened in Flint or Chicago. I just kind of assumed my dad was determined to find me. He was the leader of the group. Well... before Chicago, he was." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 02:50 PM Post #2844 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“Ah,” Hank said. “I’m sorry.” Willow had mentioned Kelsey’s father, too, but not when he died. Hank imagined it had to be tough for Nolan, knowing his dad was so close at the time. He gave him a sympathetic look, which wasn’t hard to muster – he knew the feeling well. He had more questions, still – for example, after they found Nolan, why didn’t they turn back? Michigan would have just been a couple states east. California was more than a few west. Why would they walk away from a relative paradise these days, even if it had taken some hits? These were questions for someone else, though, someone who had been there. He went back to eating. “Well, either way, I’m actually kind of envious,” he said. “California sounds pretty nice right about now. Personally, I miss the ocean. And as far as I know, biters can’t swim.” * * * Noah smirked. A cure – not for the Wendigo, certainly. According to his grandpa’s stories, the only cure for that was silver, burning, or a stabbing to the head. The stabbing certainly worked out. The burning took too long, however, and made a mess. Noah hadn’t yet tried the silver. “Well, I hope so, Tony,” he said anyway. “A cure would be pretty nice.” He stood up again. “I’m gonna stretch my legs – you know, just as much as I can stretch them walking from here to the other room,” he said. “Feel free to get some sleep. I’m not likely to get any more with the blender going off like that, so I can keep an eye out.” He nodded to Andy’s sleeping form – the blender he was talking about. His snoring had provided a steady musical score to Noah and Antonio’s whole conversation. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Sep 21 2015, 03:21 PM Post #2845 |
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Is that so?
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Nolan appreciated the sympathy from Hank, but there wasn't much the man could say to make him feel better. Thankfully it did prompt Hank to change the topic away from Flint, which had been the point all along -- even if it irritated some emotional wounds. "Even if there's no safe zone, there's plenty of open land over there if you stay away from LA and San Francisco. And beach front property has never been cheaper either." Nolan conceded wryly. "I'm from more inland New York, so I've always wanted to go swimming in the ocean. Guess it gives me something to look forward to for once." Skinny dipping in the ocean might have been more appropriate; it was one of Nolan's little hobbies despite the trouble it occasionally had gotten him into. And since he lived inland, he had never had many opportunities to go to the beach. Although he was comfortable with his body and the activity itself, he didn't think Hank particularly cared about that minor detail. So he left it out. "What do you think you'll end up doing if Salt Lake City doesn't pan out? Since it sounds like you've got options now." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 10:20 PM Post #2846 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Hank wiped some crumbs away from the scruff over his lip as he considered the question. “I guess you’re right about that,” he said. “I don’t know. I’d have to talk it over with the others. What about you? If California’s not everything it’s supposed to be, where do you guys go?” |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Sep 21 2015, 10:56 PM Post #2847 |
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Is that so?
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"I don't know either. I'm not really the one calling the shots. If it were up me, maybe we could find a nice little beach house. I bet the rotters are terrible on sand. Maybe go up north, see if the colder temperatures freeze them solid. Maybe go back to Flint, because running water sounds amazing." Nolan explained a few of the options on his mind. Really, it might have been easier to list off the things he wouldn't do, since he was pretty open to suggestions. Of course, if what Eli said was true, then there would be a lab there. And they wouldn't need to worry about where to go to avoid rotters. They could think about their actual lives. "I almost forgot what warm showers felt like. I bet you can't afford to waste RV water on that sort of luxury though." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 21 2015, 11:05 PM Post #2848 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Hank smiled. “We try to save it for emergencies,” he said. “Like the time I got a biter at a bad angle, and got soaked, so to speak. Or if one of us gets sprayed by a skunk – surprisingly, that was my daughter. Week one of our trip.” He was finished with his small plate, and he stood up. He was enjoying his talk with Nolan well enough – the kid seemed like a good one – but he was also feeling sleep tugging gently at his eyelids. He didn’t want to fight it off and risk it going too far. The prospect of sleeping through this ordeal was too appealing. “It was good speaking with you, Nolan,” he said, extending his hand. “I’ll see you in the morning – or whenever this ends, at least.” * * * Noah coughed as he headed into the storage room, and quickly realized why. With one hand, Lowell was taking a puff from a cigarette, and with the other he was spinning his lighter. Fortunately, it didn’t look like he could be far into it. The small room wasn’t yet choked with smoke. “Put that away man, what the fuck,” Noah said – he was no longer talking to a priest, so the bad language came a little more readily. Lowell gave him an annoyed frown. “Seriously? What are you, the hall monitor?” “Yeah, seriously,” Noah said. “The windows are boarded up, remember? Where’s that shit supposed to go?” “Fine. Okay? Chill.” Lowell flicked the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. “Thank you.” “No problem,” Lowell said, still looking annoyed. A few moments of silence passed as Noah swatted at the air, dispersing what little smoke Lowell had created. He figured Lowell must have been tense, bored, or both. That’s what usually drove his friend to cigarettes. “Who were you talking to before?” Lowell asked, breaking the silence. “Tony,” Noah answered. “Just random shit. Killing time.” “What’s everyone else doing?” “Sleeping, mostly,” Noah answered again, this time with a shrug. “Andy’s snoring up a storm.” “Alma?” “You know her, she can sleep through a storm.” “Yeah,” Lowell said. He leaned against the wall. “I do know.” Noah leaned against a wall opposite him. He sighed. “So this is boring as shit, huh?” “I don’t even get why we’re here,” Lowell said. Noah rolled his eyes. Not this again. He lowered his voice, since Antonio was still awake and he didn’t want him hearing this argument – “Please don’t start talking about Mexico.” Lowell lowered his voice too, but didn’t heed his request. “We should be going south. Not west.” “You really think Mexico’s got it any better?” Noah found himself in the same argument he’d had a dozen times already. “Alma’s cousin…” “The hell does Alma’s cousin know?” Noah cut him off. “Alma’s cousin’s a pothead.” Jorge was his name – he said the virus hadn’t made it south of the border and that whole plazas were living life like the biter apocalypse never even happened. Like their hometown, for example, where most of their extended family still lived. Jorge said that’s where he was going, and he advised Alma to join him. Noah wasn’t there at the time, and after they reunited he didn’t believe the story. Lowell did, for some reason. “Her family’s there,” Lowell insisted quietly. “Her family’s probably dead,” Noah said. They hadn’t just had this argument before, they’d had that exact exchange. Noah realized that and grimaced. “Look – it doesn’t matter now,” he added. “We’re not going anywhere now.” And they really weren’t. They were stuck in this cabin, and even when this crisis ended, they still wouldn’t have any wheels or supplies. Just like they didn’t when Hank and his family found them and pulled them out of a fire, figuratively speaking. They were headed to Mexico at that time, but the journey wasn’t going so well, and when Hank offered them a spot on team Kelly, Noah made the executive decision to take it. Salt Lake City seemed like a safer bet than Sinaloa anyway. It was closer, too. Of course, Lowell didn’t like it. He went along, but he didn’t like it then and he didn’t like it now. On the upside, he had at least stopped making certain suggestions. A few days ago, he had finally taken the hint that Noah wasn’t on board and he hadn’t brought them up since. Lowell sighed. “You need to take care of her, you know.” “Huh – what?” Noah frowned. “What are we talking about now?” “Alma,” Lowell said. “Oh – well, yeah, I know,” Noah said. “She’s special,” Lowell said. “She’s not like other girls.” “I know,” Noah repeated. This was another conversation they weren’t having for the first time. Lowell and Alma, Noah thought with a shake of his head. He was her biggest booster. “And look,” he added. “Maybe after we get to Salt Lake, we can stock up. If you and Al’ still want to look south…” Lowell still didn’t look happy about it. “Yeah, okay,” he said anyway. * * * All night. That’s how long Eli sat awake in his chair in the living room – at least, close to awake. Despite his best efforts, he was several times defeated by the evil spectre of sleep, but never for long. His eyes would close for a minute, and they would open again. Images of Darren, Cory, and Evan would disappear as soon as they appeared, replaced by the darkness of the cabin. Every time he jolted awake, it was to the sound of muffled groaning and shuffling, as a long and crowded procession of rotters lurched their way across the ranch. He still heard that sound now, but he could swear the intensity was decreasing. He let himself hope they were nearing the end of it. He made sure the radio’s volume was low before he pressed the button and whispered into it. “You awake?” he asked. “Am now, amigo,” Jimmy answered after a short delay. “Let me guess – you’d like a status report.” “Please,” Eli said. There was another short delay, as Jimmy presumably scanned the area. Eli waited. “Good news,” Jimmy said. “We’re at the tail end of this parade. I’m talking 15, 20 minutes to go.” “Thank you,” Eli said back, and let out an audible sigh of relief. He needed the rest, but he didn’t want it. He wanted to be moving. He wanted to get the cure back on the road, and he didn’t want to be at the mercy of rotters for another second longer. But he could take 15 minutes. He could survive that. “See you soon,” Jimmy said. “Over.” Eli put the radio down and looked around at the living rooms occupants – Hank, Riley and Emily. He didn’t know if they were awake, or if maybe they maybe were awake now, because of his conversation. "Em?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. |
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| Strompy | Sep 22 2015, 10:34 AM Post #2849 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Brandon lay next to Willow with one arm around her. The pain made it hard to sleep now that he was recovering. A few minutes beforehand a thud had woken him and for a moment he worried they'd been made. There were no more after that so he assumed it was just a rotter bumping into the cabin and then walking on. After that he just lay there and watched her breath, feeling incredibly lucky. His birthday present from her couldn't have been a pleasent considering he hadn't bathed in a couple days. She did it for him. She did a lot for him. Endured a lot. He would have been lucky to find somebody like that even before everyone died. He gently peeled himself away from her, pulling the blankets up around her as he did. he stretched painfully and cracked his jaw, it had been more than a little stiff after Cory had done some work on it. It was almost pitch black inside but his eyes, or eye now, had adjusted to it somewhat. He fumbled around quietly looking for Willow's bag. Once he found it he opened up the pocket where he knew she was keeping her pills. He didn't like taking pain killers, it felt good but also really wrong. He'd been beaten half to death and shot three times now, pain was natural. He couldn't sleep like this though, and if he could take some of the edge off then he could get the rest he needed. He took inventory of what he found. Once of the bottles was empty now. Last time he saw these was two days ago. He only eyeballed them but he was fairly certain that if Willow was sticking to her dosage she shouldn't have an empty bottle yet. He'd talk to her about cutting down once she woke up, for now he popped two pills into his mouth and took a drink of water. ... Emily snorted as she woke up. She was having a weird and uncomfortable dream. They were all going to San Francisco to save her brother who could only be cured by a gay doctor. When she woke up she remembered that Damien was probably dead, it took her by surprise and she was struck by a renewed sense of loss. Even if she hated him she hoped he was still alive. The "Em" had woken her up. Only Damien and their dad had ever called her Em. The name was like a burr. If he was still alive the plus side would be he'd have a hard time getting his hands on whatever vice he was into now. It was meth last time he bothered to remind everyone he existed by coming to their mom to guilt her out of more of her money. Was he robbing people right now? That was probably how he'd get by. He din't give a shit about anyone before all this, why would he sart now? She was at peace again with the idea of him being dead just as suddenly as she had come to mourn him. "Ugh, don't call me that. My turn?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Sep 22 2015, 01:02 PM Post #2850 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“My bad,” Eli said, as he finished rubbing his. “An’ no, it’s nobody’s turn. I hear this is almost done.” He stood up and stretched, grabbing his elbow with one hand and lifting it up. He cringed slightly at the smell that wafted from his armpit – he’d need to do something about that, though he wasn’t sure when he’d get the chance. “Is it… is it morning?” Hank’s voice groaned to life next. Eli turned to see him lift his head from the back of the recliner. He heard another low groan and saw that it was Riley, rolling awake on the couch. “Not sure,” Eli answered. “I think so.” “Is it… over?” Riley asked next. “Just about.” Eli’s mind shifted to the next step. He and everyone else, as far as he knew, were too concentrated on making it through the night to give any serious consideration as to what happened afterwards. Eli knew Hank’s group was headed in roughly the same direction as his – and unlike them, they had the wheels to do it. Eight would be a tight squeeze in their RV, and unsustainable in the long run, but it could get them the rest of the way to Salt Lake. But no way would 11 fit in Jimmy’s truck alone. Guess we’re walking, Eli figured. Well, that'll be fun. |
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7:28 PM Jul 10