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| Dead Men Walking | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (71,028 Views) | |
| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 26 2015, 02:12 PM Post #721 |
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Is that so?
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Willow smirked at Brandon's poop story. It just seemed so much like stereotypical kid stuff. Hell, it even reminded her a little bit of her school life. "I think I can relate, actually. Only my closest friends knew why I was called Babe Ruth or Baby Ruth. Everyone else just overheard it and wanted to repeat it, thinking it was funny. All the guys got the idea that it was because I must have done something poop-related to earn the name because, let's be fair, we all know Baby Ruth bars look like poop." She paused to sip the warm water that Eli had given her. She was tired as hell. She hadn't slept all night, and to boot she still had a lot of alcohol in her system. It was already on the way out, but the inevitable hangover was going to suck. She tried to put it in the back of her mind and just keep enjoying herself in the now. "And to answer your question, Middle School. Nobody is named Wilma anymore, by the time I was entering Middle School I just wanted the Flintstones jokes to stop. It was kind of relentless and I actually think it set the stage for the anxiety problems I started to develop in the coming years." This was getting a little deeper than she had thought it would. She didn't want to dour the mood with that sort of talk. Unless he actually wanted to know, she wouldn't delve into it any deeper right now. "I learned Willow was not only a name, but a pretty one at that. And, you know... Wilma Lowe, it was actually an awesome fit, so I fell in love with it. Of course, I was named after my great grandmother, who was 'the woman that made our family rich', so the very fact I would try to hide it and go by a 'hippy name' made my parents really mad when they found out." |
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| Strompy | Mar 26 2015, 05:08 PM Post #722 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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"I can understand that, but they should have seen it coming though. All kids have to do is be able to rhyme your name with something and it's a sick burn. Wilma? They practically painted a target on you." Brandon said with an amused yet sympathetic smile. He was enjoying himself for the first time in what seemed like ages. It was only the day before that he had spoken to her. He didn't regret what he said to her, but just wished he'd maybe practiced a little more tact or decorum. The brought to mind another question though, which may not have had an easy answer. He knew they'd be interrupted by the reality of their situation at any moment and it was something he was intensely curious about. He had to ask. "Yesterday, when I spoke to you, you seemed surprised by what I was saying. I was blunt, so I get that, but it seemed like you'd never heard something like that before. Why?" he asked, meeting her eyes and holding that stare. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 26 2015, 05:34 PM Post #723 |
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Is that so?
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Willow turned away from Brandon and looked down at the glass of water to hide her embarrassment. She knew what he was really getting at, so she figured she might as well explain it to him now so he didn't think she was a total loser. "Well, I won't say I never received hints or confessions or anything. I received a few, but it was hard for me to get attached? Between the low self-esteem, working my ass off to keep good grades, and obsessive parents that would probably kill any boy I got close to, I was too worried to even try getting close to anyone, you know? So, I kind of got by ignoring all of that attention. It made my teenage and young adult years kinda shitty, but I got by." Willow took another sip of water. "But I survived my first month living independently. It wasn't quite how I saw it but..." She added sarcastically before turning her gaze back to Brandon. "But it put a lot of things in perspective. For example... when a hot guy came up to me and says he wants me in the most bold confession I've ever heard, I realized that for the first time in my life that I had absolutely no reason or desire to say no. My problem was just that I didn't know how to say yes." |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 26 2015, 06:05 PM Post #724 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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“Better late than never,” Eli toasted, taking a pull from his glass of rum. “L’chaim,” Jeff drowsily cheered beside him. “Or something like that.” Jeff took a drink from his water, Glenda from her cut-rate Rusty Nail. They talked for a while about nothing in particular, and Eli occasionally glanced back to Brandon and Willow off on their own. They were two young, attractive people in a bar. It almost looked like a date. Then there was a beep sound from the transceiver at the table, and their conversation was cut off. Everyone got quiet. The levity evaporated from the room, though Eli’s expression didn’t change. “Are you there?” Eli grabbed the radio before Randall could. He pressed the button. “We’re here.” There was a long pause of silence. Could be that the guy on the other end was expecting Randall’s voice. Maybe he somehow knew it was Eli’s he heard instead. “There’s a farm directly west of you. Red house, green mailbox. Bring Eli and no more than one other person. Come unarmed.” There was a beep that indicated he was done, so Eli pressed the button himself. “That everything?” Another long period of silence followed. Finally, another beep came. “You have one hour. Randall, remember what I said.” Eli put the transceiver down. He was pretty sure the conversation was over. “Well shit,” Jeff spoke first. “So what’s the plan?” “No plan,” Eli said. “This time, we try it his way.” From his expression, Jeff’s bafflement at Eli’s behaviour had clearly hit new heights. He looked at him like he was a cartoon come to life, or a sea creature that had grown legs. “The fuck do you mean, we try it his way? His way is you --” Eli cut him off, countering his excitement and anger with calm. “I got this,” he said, and cracked the slightest hint of a smile. He looked to the other table, at his younger blonde-haired friend. “Hey, Brandon. You up for a drive?” |
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| Strompy | Mar 26 2015, 06:07 PM Post #725 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Brandon broke out in a stupid grin, at Willow's words. He moved his leg under the table, rubbing his calf against hers. "You just say "Yes"." he informed her. He turned to Eli. Their time was up. "You know I am." he responded. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 26 2015, 06:10 PM Post #726 |
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Is that so?
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The party was over. Randall downed the rest of his drink. It was time to do or die. "So, Eli..." Randall cautiously leaned over. "You do have a plan, right?" |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 26 2015, 06:25 PM Post #727 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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Eli’s smile widened at Brandon’s quick response. When he turned back to Randall, he started unhooking his belt. “Sure I do,” he said. “I’m gonna get Kelsey back.” He finished taking off his belt and put it on the table – it had his Supergrade, his baton, his ka-bar, and several magazines worth of ammo. “Take care of this stuff for me, okay? Oh, and there’s a grenade in my backpack. Be careful with that.” Eli looked down at his clothes. They were filthy, drenched with sweat and blood and rotter stink. If his sense of smell hadn’t been so obliterated the past month, wearing this stuff probably would have him puke. No point changing now, though. “Keys are on the bar,” he said to Brandon, nodding in their direction. Then he turned to face the rest of the group, glancing at each of them individually. As he stood there, he wondered if he should say something. If there was some sort of speech he ought to make. He decided there wasn’t. The last 15 minutes had been his goodbye. “We say this a lot – and I dunno if any of us have followed through on it even once, but hey,” he started, still smiling a little. “Stay safe.” With that, he headed for the exit. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 26 2015, 07:20 PM Post #728 |
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Is that so?
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"Hey, wait a second!" Randall burst to his feet at the bar, but the sudden movement ended up being too much for him and he collapsed onto one knee, only saving himself from a fall by catching the bar with his left hand. If Eli was doing what he thought he was doing, he had to stop him. He couldn't let him go through with it. There had to be another way. "We can think of something Eli... you know that, right?" He didn't want to sound like he was begging. But he was. He didn't want another death on his conscious. |
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| Strompy | Mar 26 2015, 07:23 PM Post #729 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Brandon didn't know what was going on. He trusted that Eli had some kind of plan in the works, and grabbed the keys from the bar. There was no way they were really just giving up. He gave the keys a squeeze as he mentally prepared himself for what may happen next. The pair of scissors in his pocket found a new home inside his boot as he knelt down to re-tie his laces. He didn't think anybody noticed the slight-of-hand, if they did they raised no objection to it. Brandon picked up the radio and pressed down the button. "Eli and I are on our way. I'm letting you know that I will be bringing a pistol, if you're watching our position I will show it to you once I go out the front door. When Eli and I arrive, I will stand out in the open, unload the weapon and place it on the roof of the car. I know you said no weapons, but please understand we cannot go out of doors completely unarmed. It isn't safe, and if I'm bringing the girls back with me I need to be able to defend us." Brandon spoke assertively. "Will you please allow me that?" he asked, with genuine concern. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 26 2015, 08:01 PM Post #730 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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There was no response on the radio. A beep never came. “Forget it,” Eli advised. “If he’s talking on the radio, he can’t be too far away, so this won’t take long. We’ll be okay.” Then he turned to look at Randall, on the ground on one knee. Eli gave him a sympathetic look. “I know,” he said, as comforting as he could. “Like I said, though – I got this.” * * * Emmett stared at the transceiver for a full minute after delivering his final message. Randall, remember what I said. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing more to add. When a third voice he didn’t recognize responded with talk of a pistol, he remained silent and let that be his answer. Randall, remember what I said. He hoped desperately that he would. He was ready for this to be over, probably as much as everyone else was. Finally, he put the walkie talkie away, and then stared at his trailer, where the girls were still locked tight away. He had opened it briefly after returning from the bar to make sure his prisoners were still okay – they were – and to let some air in. He would be grateful when he no longer had to worry about them. All he wanted to worry about now was Evan’s killer. He moved to the ladder he found on the property shortly after he arrived, after he took the girls and circling around to confuse any pursuers. He picked it because it seemed sturdy and a line of trees isolated it from the road. He thought it would be a good place to wait out the approaching horde of roamers, and it was. At the top of that ladder, he stepped out onto the roof of the farm house, watching his step carefully. From there, while staring through his binoculars, he could see over the wall of trees and onto the road. He’d see any vehicles approaching from miles away. He took a seat. Deadpan and alert, he surveyed the horizon. He waited patiently for a sign of the group’s SUV, and with it, the chance to finally make up for his mistakes. He promised to protect Evan. He promised Evan and his mother. Instead, he left him alone in that place. He let him get caught up in their bullshit and he wasn’t there to guard him when he needed him most. He was going to make that right. One way or another. * * * Eli stared forward as the Explorer bounced along. He watched the pavement stretch on between miles of grass and farmland with only some trees to obscure the view. A couple days ago, he found travelling this kind of road monotonous. At the moment, he found it peaceful. It was like the decision he had come to had given him a new lease on life. He wondered – but wasn’t worried about – how long that lease was going to last. He thought back to his mindset in Buffalo, before the group crossed the bridge and Mac got shot, setting them down the path they were now approaching the end of. He told himself that whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen. He didn’t believe it back then. At the time, the thought didn’t do much to calm him. Now, though, he got it. He knew in his heart that what came next wasn’t up to him. This time, it did give him comfort. “You know, my full name is actually Elian Anthony Alvarez,” he said, interrupting the silence. “Figured at least somebody should know that.” Almost as soon as he said that, the green mailbox the man had mentioned came into view, and the SUV approached a driveway leading into a red house. Eli nodded to it, but stayed relaxed in his seat. “Looks like we’re here,” he said. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 26 2015, 08:20 PM Post #731 |
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Is that so?
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Glenda rushed over to help Randall back into his seat. Between taking care of Jeff and Randall, she felt like she had been doing a lot of babysitting recently. This was not the first time she helped Randall back up and she doubted it would be the last time either. "It didn't feel real when Kelsey and Julie were missing to me... it was like a dream, almost... because it all happened while I was unconscious and dying... I felt like I was able to stay controlled, because a part of me expected her to just walk back in the room..." Randall looked somewhere between stunned and defeated; the levity he felt before erased as Eli simply walked away from them, presumably to his death. "But this... this feels real... it feels like Mac again and it's on my-" THWACK! He was cut off mid-sentence by a package of beef jerky hitting him in the face. Glenda had thrown it from the other side of the bar. "Eat." She commanded him simply. "Eli is doing what he needs to do, so trust him. Meanwhile, would you mind explaining to the rest of us what exactly is going on here?" |
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| Strompy | Mar 26 2015, 08:30 PM Post #732 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Brandon had given up his knife and pistol with a heavy sigh. After the events of the previous day he felt naked without them. He committed Eli's full name to memory, in the event they lost another friend he'd like the world to know the names of the people who saved them. Brandon exhaled his nerves as he pulled into the drive. With purpose he got out with his hands raised, and slowly pulled his jacket open to reveal he was carrying no weapons and then turned and lifted his shirt to demonstrate he had no pistol tucked there. This guy was watching them from somewhere nearby, he was certain. |
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| DoctorYerishi | Mar 26 2015, 09:58 PM Post #733 |
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
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When Emmett saw the car in the distance, he descended down the ladder and made a bee-line for the trailer. He was excited, but didn’t betray that with his demeanour. He still moved calmly and methodically, and when he opened the back once again, his expression was neutral. “This is almost over,” he said. He looked between the two girls, but his eyes stuck on Kelsey. He could see some of her dad’s features on her. It was a painful reminder of the concept of family, and seeing her trapped here – even by his own hand – was an even more painful reminder of how easily familial bonds can be broken. She’s not Evan, though, he told himself. She’ll get to see her family again. Evan won’t. “Come on,” he said after a long pause. His voice was harder, if only barely. * * * Eli glanced at Brandon as he revealed he was unarmed, then followed his lead and did the same. When he was finished turning, a man had materialized from nearby. He was slightly taller than Eli, and just as bulky. His long brown hair and beard reminded Eli of a lion. “Get on the ground,” he said, pointing his gun at Brandon then Eli and back. He sounded serious, but not angry. It matched what Randall had said. This wasn’t an evil guy. This was a wounded animal, lashing out. And Eli was the one who did the wounding. In recognition of that, Eli didn’t argue. He got to his knees, and then lowered himself onto his stomach. His jeans and shirt were messed up enough already; some more dirt wouldn’t hurt him. Once Brandon had done the same, the man strafed around them, holding the MAC-10 steady to their backs. Eli didn’t want to provoke him, but he did risk looking over his shoulder long enough to see Emmett quickly searching the SUV, most likely for weapons. “You can get up,” his voice said after a minute. He must have been satisfied they truly did come unarmed. Eli climbed to his feet and kept his hands in the air. “We did everything you said,” he said, trying to sound calm and not provocative. “Where are the girls?” The man stared back at Eli in response. He seemed to absorb his words, but wasn’t reacting to them. Instead, his brown eyes just bore into Eli’s with uncomfortable silent intensity. Eli could also tell he was breathing harder. Sadly, he knew exactly what he was going through right now. “Don’t move,” he said finally, then started walking backwards. He kept his MAC-10 on them until he disappeared from view. Eli looked to Brandon and took a deep breath to keep his nerves at bay. Whatever is gonna happen, it’s gonna happen, he reminded himself. That was still as true as it would ever be. No more than 10 seconds later, the man reappeared – no longer alone. Eli let out another deep breath, this time from relief. Julie and Kelsey stood in front of him. Their hands were bound behind their backs, but otherwise they seemed unharmed. “You can go,” the man said. He was staring at Eli, but those three words were directed to everyone but. |
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| Make-7-Up-Yours | Mar 26 2015, 10:13 PM Post #734 |
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Is that so?
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After being stuck in a trailer for who-knows-how-long, Kelsey was overjoyed that this ordeal was finally over. She was worried she and Julie would be killed or worse and had done her best to be as cold and tough as she could, but it was hard to maintain. But they were getting out of this alive. The relief washed over her and she could hardly help herself as she ran over to Eli and gave him a hug. She always thought Eli was a little scary, but he was smart and dad liked him, so she did too. Plus he was here now helping them out. Then she moved over to Brandon and hugged him too, or at least as best she could manage for her height. She was glad to see Brandon. He reminded her of Nolan. "Is dad okay?" She quietly asked him. |
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| Strompy | Mar 26 2015, 10:50 PM Post #735 |
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More posts, more Busey.
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Julie had been in a frozen state. The man hadn't done anything to them, and it was abundantly clear he didn't want to. Her initial apprehension turned to resentment but eventually that dissipated as he gave them no real reason for it. Julie was glad to have had Kelsey there with her, she was pretty good company for a ten year old. They passed the time with bad jokes and generally talked about nothing of any importance. Julie gave her a crash course in rock through the 60s, 70s and 80s, occasionally delivery a rendition of some more significant songs of those decades. She avoided talking about their situation. So she was caught in a neutral state neither afraid or angry, but still wary and slightly curious. When they were finally brought outside for more than a bathroom break though, she had to fight to hold back a relieved sigh. As soon as she saw Eli and Brandon she wanted to break into a run to be away from their captor and back with people she knew even if only slightly. ... Brandon stiffled a relieved gasp as the girls came into view. He couldn't contain his smile though. He returned Kelsey's hug gratefully and extended anarm and brought Julie in too. They were almost clear of this mess. "Your dad's okay. He's a little different now, but he's okay. Everybody is." he informed them both. He looked over at Eli for direction. What now? |
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7:30 PM Jul 10