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Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,842 Views)
Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Willow stirred to a relatively alert state. She had been trying to sleep under the assumption that she would feel better if she was unconscious. It had not gone well -- when she did sleep, it was haunted with bizarre fever dreams that pulled her away from any peaceful slumber she might have otherwise enjoyed. And so that had been that way for the entirety of the trip for her since Salt Lake City. Barring the occasional stop which stirred her into wakefulness, such as when she had moved seats recently or the one earlier where the found dead kids, or something.

That did happen, right? I'm not making that up or anything, am I? Fuck...

Willow was forced back to reality with a tapping on her shoulder. It was Annie. Offering her a pill. Willow's gaze lingered on the pill for a few seconds as she contemplated whether or not she actually wanted one of those right now.

"No. I gotta... I gotta kick this thing." Willow groaned. "Don't wanna do this again. Didn't think it would suck this much. But thanks."
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
Connor's dad cheated on Annie? The idea was strange to him in a lot of ways. Annie was an impressive woman, and incredibly beautiful. Brandon wasn't married to her though so he had no insight. Another reason it seemed strange was how solid his own parents marriage was. He and Kyle only ever really got hints of their arguments. He was sure they had them, but they kept it all well hidden. Brandon sort of regretted that, he never really got to know his parents as anything other than "mom and dad".

"That must have been upsetting for the both of you. Whatever happened between them though, he at least sounds like he was a good dad. Being funny is a big part of the job I think, or at least trying to be." Brandon commiserated.

"My dad tried to be funny, but all he had were lame dad jokes and the occasional well timed fart. He was akso a pretty confusing person." he offered his own experience.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Annie gave her the smallest of shrugs. She was surprised by Willow’s newfound commitment. She wasn’t sure going cold turkey was the right call – she knew of people that had died going through withdrawal – but she wasn’t about to force a pill down Willow’s throat, either. If she thinks she can handle it…

She put the pull in the cup-holder anyway.

“Just in case you change your mind,” she said.

* * *

Connor offered Brandon a slight smile from the corner of his mouth.

“Your parents were still together?” he asked.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Willow's eyes followed the pill into the cup in the same way she might watch a lover cross a room.

God she wanted to take that pill right now. And, ironically, if she hadn't been going through this withdrawal thing, she probably would have without so much as a second thought. But now that she was certain that this sickness was being caused by withdrawal, she could feel how dependent her body had become to those pills in just one week. God only knew how bad this could end up being if she kept giving into her desire to pop a few extra pills and let herself be dependent for another week, or even another month. The stories of people dying with withdrawal suddenly felt a lot more real than they had ever felt before. Truth be told, that little pill was starting to scare her.

"If this is what a week feels like, I don't think I wanna take them any more. This sucks." Willow wiped another few droplets of sweat from her forehead and craned her head to look behind her. "But I'll survive. Is Emmett okay?"
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Strompy
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"Twenty eight years. High school sweet hearts, reconnected at their ten year reunion." Brandon verified.

They passed several fast food places that would probably have something they could take, even if it was just pickled ingredients and condiments. Brandon shook his head and the car continued on. He was hoping they could find a supermarket or something, people tended to ovrrlook some of the less appetizing options there, which to his prepper mindset was incredibly wasteful and short sighted. They could hit the fast food places on the way back.

"I don't know why they became preppers. Maybe it was just something to do, for whatever reason they started teaching my brother and I all sots of shit we didn't think would ever be helpful. Actually some of the stuff might even be considered child abusenow that I think about it. I mean having your kids fight each other isn't exactly normal. I have so many wuestiond for them now they're gone." Brandon mused.

A building came up on their right that looked like it might be what they were looking for. Antonio saw it too of course and slowed down ad they came up to it. Swensons it read above the front in big lettering. A supermarket. Brandon counted four rotters in the immeduate vicinty with acouple more down the street that took notice of them. If they had too, Antonio and Brandon could take them all, but Brandon was hurt badly and he knew it might end up being more dangerous for Connor in the long run to leave him out of it. It was good practice with melee combat. Show him what he was capable of, maybe show him what some of his limitations were. Connor was the best judge of how to work around those and he could only figure them out for himself. Brandon readied a knife in one hand and the suppressed HK in the other.

"This shoukd only take us ten minutes in total, okay? You guys ready?" he asked.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Connor glanced back to the ditch blade, which was waiting in the backseat. He had to resist the urge to chew a nail nervously.

“I am,” he said. “I’m ready.”

He wished he could just use his pistol – if he could, he knew he could rid the street of rotters in a second. He wasn’t so sure he could do the same with a long bladed weapon like the one behind him. He had to try though, he knew that.

“Just give the order,” he said.

* * *

Annie spared a brief glance Emmett’s way as she leaned back. It didn’t look like his condition had changed since she last checked on him. The only difference was there was a little less dopamine in his IV.

“I hope so,” she said. “I really do.”
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Strompy
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"Okay. Remember they're bad on their feet, bring them down where you can control them. You've git reach and power with that thing. Go." Brandon said as the car came to a stop.

He opened the door and stepped out on his sore leg with a slight groan. The rotters were spread out. They hadn't had any time to bunch up. That was good. Brandon pointed at the nearest to them, a gangly teen in life.

"That one. Take him." he instructed Connor and fell in behind the boy, ready ti intercede if things went bad.

...

Emily found an out of the way spot to park the cars behind a woodworkers, across from a gas station they could make use of.

"Well something I'm noticing is that this group doesn't die easy. Emmett's not done yet. I'm gonna go check on the Kellys. If you need to answer the call take a gun and a buddy with you." she informed the two other women before getting out and walking over to the Kellys car.

She didn't need to ask how they were. It was written all over their faces. Still, it was only right to check in on them.

"Kelly family. Anything I can do for you guys?" shs asked.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Connor took a deep breath, then went for it. He dragged the ditch blade out behind him and bee-lined to the youngest and most spindly rotter in the vicinity. He grunted as he swung the long weapon at its legs. The leg bit into an ankle and caused the rotter to crumple.

Connor grunted again as he pulled back, freeing the ditch blade for another strike.

“I…”

He grunted one more as he raised the blade, then brought it down hard into the downed rotter’s skull.

“I got it!” he cheered.

* * *

The radio connecting the cars was still active from when Brandon turned it on, so Annie heard Emily ask the question. She also heard the answer.

“No,” Riley’s voice said, her tone caustic, even through the static. “You've done enough."
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Strompy
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"Good." Brandon praised Connor simply with a light pat on the shoulder.

He moved toward the next closest and brought his knife down into its skull with an overhead strike. Brandon was taken aback by how much that action took out of him. He was already breathing heavily. Emily tried to warn him, he didn't listen. He shook his head slightly and pointed to another incoming rotter, a short asian woman.

"Again." he instructed.

He didn't like the idea of possibly using valuable ammo to dispatch some rotters, but now he was very glad to have that pistol on him.

...

Emily sucked her teeth as she considered Riley's response. She tried not letting it get to her, reminding herself that Riley, like all the Kellys, was distraught. Still it stuck in her craw a little. From the outset Riley had been standoffish with them. Then they got to Salt Lake City and she seemed perfectly at ease with Leonora and her people, who ended up kidnapping her and killing her friend. Maybe Brandon fired the first shot back there but he didn't shoot Andy, and that fight was only part of a war that those people started. Emily sighed and rapped her hand on the roof lightly.

"Okay." she said before walking away.

Then she stopped.

Leave it. a part of her reminded her. She didn't listen to it.

"Did they even have to drug you to get you on that train?" she asked as she turned on the spot.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Connor choked up on the handle of the weapon, then put his foot down on the back of the dead rotter’s head. He grunted and cringed as he dislodged the blade, then looked to the next target Brandon had identified.

He took another deep breath before approaching it and repeating the same process. He took out its legs with his first swing, then its brain with the next. It was a draining process, and not exactly quick, but it seemed like something he could do as long as he was only facing down one at a time.

“Done,” he announced, as he dislodged the blade again.

* * *

Riley’s tone was even less friendly when she answered.

They told us Hank was there, and then they put guns to our backs and threatened to hurt us when we realized he wasn’t,” she said. “And I didn’t see Annie getting drugged either. Go away.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Antonio watched from nearby as Brandon taught Connor a little bit about surviving and fighting. He had been silently overlooking the display with his cutlass in hand.

A few days ago, he wouldn't have been on board with what he was doing. He had a history of trying to protect the kids. But he had been wrong. He could see it now. The children needed to know how to defend themselves in case something happened. And while Brandon was a good teacher for this sort of thing, Antonio was ready to jump in at a moment's notice due to the young man's extensive injuries.

* * * * *

Willow looked at the pill that Annie had left her again. God it was tempting. But she preferred her drugs with less intense withdrawal symptoms. She couldn't wait to get back on weed and alcohol after this -- they were the only painkillers for her. And they didn't make her feel like she was dying if she missed a day either.

"Emily." Willow said weakly. "Don't. Not now."

She wasn't even sure if Emily could hear her through the radio or not.
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Strompy
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"Better. That was much better." Brandon affirmed.

Brandon shifted in place and cracked his neck as he readied himself to charge the next rotter. The heftier rotter lumbered toward him and he brought his knife up in both hands before driving it into its skull. He let out a breath as his shoulder screamed with pain, causing his arm to shake. He stopped a moment and switched his pistol to his right, much stronger hand. Looking at Antonio he shook his head and gestured for him to take up his position beside Connor. He was too weak to keep fighting like this unless he absolutely had too, instead he'd cover the pair from behind.

...

"You know what? Fine." Emily answered Riley gritted teeth, matching her with her own venom.

She got back into the driver's seat and closed the door firmly. She gripped the wheel tightly. Emily noticed the radio next to her was still on and angrily slammed her fist against the dash before turning it off. For a few seconds she just sat there fuming.

"That woman has done nothing but treat us like we're diseased since we met them. She and her family fucked around with three massive assholes for days, one of whom is a god damned psychotic. They walked into that depot like wide-eyed clueless tourists and got taken for a ride by their creepy song-and-dance. None of us bought that shit. None of us. I wanted to leave. Anotonio wanted to leave. Eli wanted to leave. Brandon was the only person who wanted to stay behind and it was because he was worried about them. Those people can't protect themselves and they don't even want to learn how. They had their three amigos before and their entire plan was to find somewhere to fucking hide where other people did the fighting and dying for them. I want to help them but it looks like they're going to die out here. Maybe Eli was right about people, maybe we should only look out for ours from now on, because dragging those civilians around is dangerous for us. We're the only people who actually give a shit about their lives without some alterior motive, and somehow we're the bad guys?" Emily ranted.

"I need to go kill something. I'll be back soon." she declared before exiting the car and drawing her machete.

Contrary to her previous instruction she hustled off on her own. As she crossed the street she caught the eye of a wandering rotter and with more force than necessary split its head down the middle. She proceeded to go out of her way to kill two more in similar fashion. A few moments later she emerged from the gas station with a shopping bag full of loot. As she got back into the car it turned out it was mostly cigarettes and magazines, but she also got a few Gatorades for herself and the others which she offered to them.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Antonio nodded knowingly -- and with no small amount of relief -- at Brandon's wordless signal. If Willow could see him, she would probably be scolding him right now. It was for the best that he stepped aside.

"I gotcha." The former Catholic priest said to nobody in particular as he took up Brandon's old position behind Connor with his cutlass at the ready.

Redeeming some fallen should remind me of what I am doing. Though phrasing it like that just makes me feel like one of those damned cultists.

* * * * *

"I'm good." Willow feebly lifted a hand up as she declined Emily's offer for a Gatorade. "It won't stay down, it'll just make my barf more colorful."

She eyed the bag full of magazines that Emily had brought back. Her hopes of finding a NetGeo or something in there were probably not great; after all, what kind of gas station had good magazines that weren't porn? Though to be fair, she had never actually looked for magazines in a gas station, so she couldn't be sure. Maybe Emily had gotten something good in there.

Before Willow was even aware of it, she was asking Emily: "I'll take a magazine though if you got one you'd recommend."

Probably a mistake. Who knew what Emily thought was a good magazine. God, anything but Cosmopolitan, please.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
The final two rotters – the stragglers from down the street – approached Connor and Antonio’s position. Connor looked up at the priest before he made his move.

“I’ll take the one on the left,” he said.

He looked forward again, but realized he had just given an order, sort of. He didn’t want it to be taken the wrong way.

“If that’s okay with you,” he added quickly.

He got the sense that it was, so he readied his ditch blade for a third time. When the rotter on the left got close, he swung again for its lower legs. This rotter was taller and thicker than the teen rotter and the short Asian woman, however. The blade bit into its thigh – and it kept moving.

Connor blinked hard in surprise, and let go of the handle. His heart started beating faster as the rotter advanced on him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Antonio take care of his target. Out the front of eye, Connor saw his own target to bend over and reach down for him.

His survival instincts kicked in just in time – he ducked under the rotter’s reach and darted forward to get behind it. He turned around as it started to turn around. He saw Brandon and Antonio moving to intervene.

“I’m okay!” he insisted quickly.

He wasn't sure why, but he felt like he had to do this himself. He wanted to do this himself.

He caught the handle of the ditch blade again when the rotter finished his turn. It was still stuck in his thigh. Connor yanked it backwards and free. Then he thrust it forward again, just as the rotter went for its second lunge. The sharp part went right through the rotter’s face, felling it.

Connor smiled.

“See?” he said. “I’m okay.”

* * *

Annie rolled her eyes slightly at Willow’s response. She did accept Emily’s offer of Gatorade, but only took a quick sip before immediately offering it back to Willow.

“Don’t be silly,” she said. “You need to stay hydrated. Especially if you’re emptying your stomach. Don’t worry about the colour, just drink.”
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Strompy
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Part of Brandon wanted to, or rather felt he should, rebuke Connor for insisting he take that rotter out himself when he seemed to have trouble with it. The bigger part of him was just proud. Proud of Connor. Proud that he'd had something to do with him. This was always why he started teaching him after all, so that if Connor found himself without anyone around he could keep himself alive. He found himself smiling warmly at him.

"Okay. Once we're in we look everywhere. Under the shelves, behind the counter, in the staff areas, in the bathrooms. We check every inch of the place then we bag what we can and get as fast as humanly possible." Brandon said.

He knew the instructions were fairly redundant, Connor wasn't an idiot and Antonio had done this before. This was Connor's first supply run though, which was a pretty big deal. As they approached the doors Brandon noticed something strange. They weren't broken or open. He could see a rotter inside already but the fact all the doors and windows looked to be intact was reassuring.

"Hey you know I don't think this place has been hit since the power went out. That means we've probably got a real good chance of finding some good stuff in there." Brandon observed.

He picked up a small sign nearby the door and struck the glass door. The tempered glass shrugged of his effort and he took a step back to wind up another shot. His second strike broke the glass, sending granular glass scattering everywhere. Rather than waste more time waiting for the rotter inside to come to them Brandon entered the store and put a bullet in it's head with a sharp chirp from his HK. Guy worked there. There were three tell tale bullet holes in his chest. A victim of the initial panic. In a way he was lucky not to see what came after. Connor and Brandon went one way while Antonio went another and maybe to Connor's disappointment there weren't anymore rotters to be found.

"Okay. Let's get to work."

...

"Yeah it's got electrolytes an' shit. As for reading material, you can take your pick." Emily added as she started on her own bottle.

She reached into the bag and then held up a selection of tabloid gossip magazines, hunting magazines a shooting magazines. Emily never used to like celebrity magazines but now that the majority of them, maybe all of them, were dead those magazines had a quaint nostalgic appeal to her. She also took a wicked glee in the absurdity of public obsession with the minutia of celebrity lives through her post apocalyptic restrospective.

"I think some of them have crosswords or something. Ohhhh latest news on the Kardashians; they're all dead." she said with an evil grin.
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