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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (71,044 Views) | |
| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 10 2015, 03:50 AM Post #481 |
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Is that so?
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Was I not intimidating enough? Maybe I need to puff my chest out more? Be more obvious in my threats? Kelsey thought she was being intimidating; she wanted them to think they were stealing from a big camp with a lot of people. Armed people. She should have said more. Maybe then they could have gotten more out of this. After all, there were nine people they had to feed and only six of them! And they didn't even kill the deer! She couldn't blame Brandon for what he did; he took what he could get. They outnumbered them at the moment and could have done worse. But the fact that they just walked up and stole that deer made her mad. It was different from the guys that shot Mac; that was a shock and it all happened to fast that there was barely time for her to grieve or feel that anger. But this was different; they robbed them broad daylight and tried to act like good guys about it. This felt personal, like a bully stealing your lunch money and acting like you were best buds afterwards. Nice to meet you. She had said; yeah, she wondered if they would still think that if she and Brandon had just stolen their dinner. "Did you find out where those guys lived?" She asked him after a while of silence. It turned out she had been so caught up in her internal monologue that she failed to notice Brandon get a jogging head start on her; so she picked up the pace and followed after him. ********** "Shit!" Willow hadn't even seen the second rotter get the jump on Jeff. As it pinned Jeff to the tree, Willow realized something. Every rotter she had killed had been at a range. Unlike Glenda or Randall or most other people, she had never gotten close to a still 'living' rotter with the intent of killing it. And her aim was good, but she didn't trust herself to fire that rifle at a target so close to Jeff; not to mention the sound could attract even more of these things! It was obvious she only had one choice and she wasn't about to just let Jeff die. She slammed the butt of her rifle into the rotter's head. The woman in the plaid shirt was stunned by the strike, but didn't fall. So Willow hit her again, and again, and again, until she eventually fell limp and slid off Jeff onto the ground. Unfortunately, she made the biggest mistake that she could have made in that process -- she took her eyes off the other rotter. While she was still off balance from the final strike, the first rotter careened into her, gnashing its teeth like a machine. Oh my God, it's going to bite me! The thought raced through Willow's mind; the teeth of the giant rotter going straight for her unprotected neck. She couldn't move in time; so she let herself fall down. The rotter's bite narrowly missed her as she fell back and crashed on the ground, losing her grip on her rifle in the process. With no time to think, she grabbed the nearest object she could find, which ended up being a stick, and quickly rammed it into the rotter's mouth like a gag as it came down at her. Unfortunately, this was only a temporary solution; it kept wildly thrashing as it came at her, but it couldn't get any closer. But she was also pinned under a very large mass of dead flesh and wasn't able to move either. A stalemate. She heard the stick start to crack. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!" |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 10 2015, 04:22 AM Post #482 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Jeff reeled from a mixture of terror and disgust as Willow repeatedly slammed the head of the girl rotter. Somehow, though, he managed to keep a firm grip on its scalp. When its skull finally caved in and its body went limp, Jeff eagerly let go and took a step back, as if it was a bomb he was afraid was about to go off. That's when he noticed the other rotter fall on Willow. Fortunately, she reacted in time, using a stick to keep its drooling mouth away. Jeff was scared and confused, but tried to gather his wits. He remembered he still had a gun in his hand. His arm shaking, he aimed it at the back of the rotter's head as the stick started to crack. Wait, wait, wait, he thought, just before he fired. What if the bullet goes through and hits Willow? He had to decide on a different angle, and quickly. Just as the stick cracked in two, Jeff grabbed the downed rotter by its hair, like he did the other one. He dragged it backwards, towards his chest. He craned his arm so he was aiming the .22 into the rotter's ear and -- BLAM! Blood shot out the other ear and the rotter collapsed just like the first one. It took Jeff a second to remember to let go and step away this time. He was out of breath when his gaze shifted to Willow. In his panic, he had been taking fast short breaths without even realizing it. That panic was still evident on his face for several silent seconds. Soon, though, just the hint of a smirk appeared at one end of his mouth. "Bullseye," he said. "Hey!" Eli's voice interrupted. "Is everyone alright!?" Jeff turned to see the bigger guy running to the scene, clearly favoring one leg. He was holding his fancy pistol in both hands and waving it around, looking for threats like he was on a SWAT team and clearing a room. Jeff lazily made an 'a-okay' sign with his thumb and index finger, and allowed himself to lean back against the tree he had been pinned against. |
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| Strompy | Mar 10 2015, 05:16 AM Post #483 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Yeah, they told me where to find them." Brandon answered with a querying tone. She seemed pretty annoyed by what just happened. It was understanddable, she was ten, maybe she couldn't appreciate the situation. Then again maybe he should be more annoyed. Maybe he was being a little too generous, a little to eager to think better of people after what happened the day before. Was he in denial? Did they really just get robbed? No. They had as much claim to that deer as the others, but instead of taking everything which they had the ability and as they saw it the right to do, they decided to share and then trust him with their location. "So. What did you think about the gutting? Think you could give it a try with these rabbits?" he asked, changing the topic. There was another shot. That was strange, but he didn't want to fly into a panic over potentially nothing. He increased his speed slightly, but stayed at a pace Kelsey could keep. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 10 2015, 01:19 PM Post #484 |
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Is that so?
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Before she could answer Brandon, she thought she saw some movement up ahead. "I think that's them!" She called out. ********** "Y-yeah!" Willow called out to Eli after she regained her bearings a little. "We're fine." Her heart was still pounding and she was still a little short of breath, but once again she had gotten out of that close call alive. Thanks to Jeff of all people! She caught herself on that last thought; they really weren't all that different. She just got a hold of herself a little faster than Jeff did out here. Or at least enough of a hold to fight back. She grabbed her rifle up off the ground and slipped out from underneath the now dead rotter and got back to her feet, where she was able to return the smirk from Jeff. "Nice shot." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 10 2015, 03:28 PM Post #485 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Jeff's smirk widened, and he sunk further into the tree, regaining his bearings. The incident had happened -- and then been resolved -- so goddamn fast. If Willow had been a couple seconds late to react, or if he had, one or both of them could have been bit. It was another wake up call in a long line of them about just how fragile life was these days. Jeff tensed up again when he heard some more leaves cracking under footsteps. No moans, though. That told him something. Beside him, Eli raised his pistol in the direction of the noise. He lowered it -- and Jeff calmed down -- when Kelsey and Brandon emerged in the clearing. Maybe they heard the shots and rushed back to help. “Hey Brandon, good news,” Jeff said. “Turns out I’m a pretty good shot at point blank range. I think that’s something we can build on." He paused, then raised an eyebrow. "Hey, if you guys are here, who's guarding the deer?" |
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| Strompy | Mar 10 2015, 04:32 PM Post #486 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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It was an odd feeling showing up to the aftermath of a incident you missed. Everything was fine but there was no relief because there was no concern in the first place. It was an uncomfortable sort of middle ground between the two. Jeff joked about shooting at point blank range but that was actually a perfect use for a .22 pistol. It was a favorite of hired killers for that purpose. It had a low audible distance and could be easily muffled. If it weren't so relatively quiet out there the sounds could have easily been missed. Brandon tensed up as Jeff asked about the deer. How could he put it? "Another group disputed our claim to it, and I wasn't in a position to argue. They gave us a good portion of it though, and extended an invitation to us if we need their help in the future." he explained with a little formality as if presenting a case. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 10 2015, 05:03 PM Post #487 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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"Oh," Jeff said, surprised. "Well -- you're okay, at least, that's something." "Wait, you guys shot a deer?" Eli interjected. "Willow did," Jeff said. "We were on our way back to get some rope. Now I guess we're just on our way back." Eli cocked his head, struggling a little to catch up. "Hold up -- you shot a deer, some other people showed up and took it, and then told you where to find them? I got that right?" |
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| Strompy | Mar 10 2015, 05:12 PM Post #488 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"Yep." Brandon said simply continuing on towards the house. "What have you been up to?" he asked. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 10 2015, 06:35 PM Post #489 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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"Looked around a bit, rested," Eli answered, as he fell in line with Brandon. "Killed a rotter, but it was hanging from a rope, so it wasn't much of a fair fight. Looks like you guys got all the real excitement." He sounded distracted, in Jeff's opinion. And Jeff could understand. The fact that Brandon and Kelsey had run into other survivors -- and gotten mixed messages about just how friendly they might be -- was pretty distressing. Jeff considered that as he pushed himself off the tree and started following the others back. His heart was still beating fast from the encounter he just survived. "They take your loot out from under you, then they give you their address," Eli repeated, as if in disbelief. "The hell they playing at?" |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 10 2015, 08:10 PM Post #490 |
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Is that so?
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"That's what I said." Kelsey pouted. "It's alright, kid." Willow assured her with a pat on the head. "At least they gave us this much and let you guys come back safely. It could have gone down like at the border." A contemplative look crossed Willow's face. "But you know, speaking of that, I think we should be more careful. Especially with guns. The rotters Jeff and I ran into were probably drawn in by it, and I wouldn't be surprised if those other people were too." |
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| Strompy | Mar 10 2015, 08:50 PM Post #491 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"A .22 is about as safe as it gets, aside from your pistol maybe. Though with our ammo starting to be a concern it could pay to show you guys a few things about using a knife. As for the deer, the way they saw the whole thing it was their deer. They'd been tracking it for hours, and we did just luck out. I'd feel ripped off if I were them, so I'm not mad about it. I get the feeling they do want to keep things amicable though, and I'm pretty eager to accept that. One deer isn't worth the hard feelings." Brandon mused. "Anyway, we've got this much, and two rabbits that Kelsey's going to help me gut and skin when we get back." he continued as they made their back to the house. The sun was high in the sky now, the day had truly started. As they walked Brandon kept his conversation and his mind on mundane things. About how they'd need to get their hands on a cleaning kit for the guns if they were going to keep using them this much. About how he'd set up some targets for Jeff and Kelsey to shoot a few rounds at. Also his concern about just how much ammo they had left. Nothing existential, and certainly not Willow. As soon as they returned he set about skinning and dressing the rabbits. He called for Kelsey and anybody else interested in learning to follow him. He used some disinfectant from the kitchen to clean his knife and washed it off with little bottled water from the fridge. The rest of that he'd need for the rabbits. Taking a spool of string as well, he carried the rabbits outside. With no ceremony he laid a rabbit on a tree stump outside and cut its head off with a firm press of his knife. He then tied a string around its leg and hung it from a post letting it drain from the neck. He went about gutting it much the same way as he did the deer, a more challenging process due to his knife being bigger than ideal for the small animals. He made several cuts alone the rabbits hide and then with several solid yanks, pulled it's skin off like a sock. "That's one way to skin skin a rabbit. Their skin is so thin you don't even need a knife actually, just a good grip. Or, you can gut it after to skin it, again, you don't even need a knife for that." he said regarding his work thoughtfully. "Kelsey, you want to give it a try?" he asked nodding towards the other rabbit. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 11 2015, 01:08 AM Post #492 |
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Is that so?
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While everyone else went about their business, Maxwell took to being alone. Nobody really wanted to converse with him anyway, so he figured he would make use of the time. Maxwell had been a troubled child and his first long-term psychologist had him write down everything he was thinking into a diary to help sort out his thoughts. While it hardly seemed necessary, and could even be detrimental, Maxwell had continued this habit even during this 'crisis'. He found it helped relax him at times when he was pent up or bothered. It really was therapeutic. And now, with his dirtied notebook open in his lap and a rather nice pen in his right hand, he jotted down all of his thoughts. Thoughts that ranged from his opinions on his new traveling companions, his current situation, what he would like to do when he got some time alone, so forth and so on. It was fairly convoluted, anybody else who opened this and read it would find just a jumbled collection of thoughts. He would make sure that nobody would read it. Many of them were very private thoughts. Nevertheless, his opinions on his new companions varied but he needed them in order to stay alive. And to Maxwell, that was fairly important. "Sure!" He heard Kelsey respond to Brandon nearby. Apparently she was helping him prepare the rabbit they would be eating tonight. He afforded her a glance; she was getting the job done, but it hardly seemed professional. Still, not bad for a first timer. He shrugged and turned his attention back to the book. Having rabbit and deer tonight. He scribbled near the bottom of the page. Haven't had either in a long time. Looking forward to eating some real food; Nicole's cooking was terrible, so anything would be a step up. |
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| Strompy | Mar 11 2015, 03:58 AM Post #493 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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At least one person shared Brandon's enthusiasm for hunting, even if it was a ten year old. Being honest though he suspected she was just happy to be learning something new. Either way, everything is more enjoyable when enjoyed with others, and he took immense satisfaction in killing his own food. It also reminded him of his family and there trips together. Thinking about them... didn't hurt just then though. Brandon washed both carcasses with the water he brought, and then got work on the leg. Fine looking meat. He and Kelsey washed their hands with rest of the water. Kelsey left, likely to tell her dad about what she'd done, while Brandon set about finding her and Jeff some targets. Empty jars, cans and bottles. Even, heartlessly, some stuffed toys. His mind returned to what he'd said to Willow. At the time he'd felt so certain of himself. He was a little out of his comfort zone to say the least, with cannibalistic dead people everywhere aside. They were travelling together, likely spending a lot of time together, this wasn't a club and neither of them were even slightly drunk. He could pick up but that wasn't exactly what he wanted. He'd never actually had anything meaningful before. This was a really shitty time for this to happen. Where did she grow up? What was her family like? Did she go to college? What did she study? What's her favorite food, movie, song, game? Was sheore of a dog person or a cat person? How is it she could be so beautiful and not seem to know it? Why'd she dye her hair pink anyway? The pink hair was kind of doing it for him though. Shit, what was her last name? Why was she so unsure of herself? Why was she still a virgin? Did she used to get picked on? Did somebody reject her in highschool or something? "Oh fuck." he cursed as his brain fired a torrent of questions he had. "Oh fuck?" Julie asked from behind him, she looked happy about something. "I hit on Willow. Hard." he admitted. "So?" she asked. "I... really really don't want her to shut me down. I've never cared about that before." he said, realizing how pitiful that sounded. Julie gave him an amused pleading look and slapped him on the back with a laugh, which he joined in with. He felt like a nervous teenager or something, it was ridiculous. "Come on, bring some toys to shoot." he told her. "Okay, oh and if you get the chance, I think something is really bugging Eli. Maybe you should ask him about it." she told him back, stooping to grab a teddy bear. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 11 2015, 07:53 AM Post #494 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Jeff sat down and idly tapped the holster of his gun. Nearby, Brandon and Kelsey were gathering miscellaneous objects so the group could have some target practice before setting off. Jeff was actually eager to partake after all his missed shots today. First, though, he was sticking around for an impromptu little conference Eli had assembled with Randall, Glenda and Willow. They had just relayed everything Brandon told them about the other hunters they ran into, and now Eli stood with his arms folded in the center of the living room, looking serious. "It's not so much the deer that's bugging me, that's fair enough. It's the other thing," Eli said to the group. "Kelsey told them we had a larger group. If they believed her, giving us their location is an odd move. In their mind, who's to say we don't come at them in numbers and take what we want? Either they're way too trusting for these times, or it's some sort of trap." Jeff nodded thoughtfully. He hadn't really considered that, but after what happened at the border, it seemed very possible. "We're gonna be gone soon, so I say we just keep our distance," Eli added. "Let's not poke the hornet's nest -- let's not even get close enough to get stung. And until we get out of here, we stay alert." "Shit, you think they might have followed us back?" Jeff added, his eyes narrowing in concern. Again, he hadn't thought of that. "I dunno," Eli answered, then he raised one of his arms, showing off the bandages he had showed up at the hospital with. "What I do know -- it doesn't pay to be careless." Jeff frowned sympathetically. He stood up, thinking the meeting was winding down, when a light bulb went off in his head. "God, I almost forgot," he said. Eli looked over at him expectantly. "When we were out, I heard a motorcycle," Jeff said. "Pretty sure I did, at least. I could also be going nuts, can't deny that's a real possibility. Willow was with me, though, maybe she heard it too. Think that's got anything to do with those hunters?" Eli's eyes narrowed, like Jeff's had. "Dunno," he said again. "But it's one more reason to keep a lookout until we're gone." |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 11 2015, 11:57 AM Post #495 |
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Is that so?
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"I agree with Eli." Willow, surprisingly, spoke up about her opinion immediately following Eli. "After the stuff at the border, I don't want to instigate another shootout. Despite everything, we got lucky last time. We should finish our business here and just leave, to be on the safe side." Randall crossed his arms from his position on the couch. More people. In a way, he expected this. Canada's colder climate and sparser population would make it more likely to find survivors; both natives and those who came from the States seeking refuge. But he didn't think they would find two different groups in 24 hours. Even out here. Regardless of their motives, the thought alone was a little troubling. How many other groups were out there? How many of them were dangerous? "I'm not sold on those guys in the woods being bandits; if they had wanted to start a war, they could have just shot Brandon and Kelsey dead and taken the entire deer for themselves. Frankly, I think they are just too kind for their own good." Randall paused, furling his brow as he thought about his next words. "What concerns me more is the motorcycle. We don't have a clear connection between the hunters Brandon met and the motorcycle. It could be a third party we don't know about yet. It could even be a scout from those assholes at the border. Or it could just be some survivor. Either way, it's a complete unknown. And unknowns are dangerous." "So what do you think we should do?" Glenda asked the next obvious question. "I hate to say it like this, but there isn't a lot we can do except just be careful." Randall conceded. "But apparently this area is hot real estate, so I say we get ready to leave as soon as we finish eating. Are there any objections?" "None." Glenda added. "I got nothing." Willow shook her head. Randall looked expectantly at Jeff and Eli. |
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7:30 PM Jul 10