Already, the atmosphere was tense. Heloise closed up the windows as much as possible to not let any light out and only a bit in, making Zornitsa strongly remember the darkness of her room, and the subsequent warnings about water didn't help to calm her now tense spirit. Then, carnivorous deer, an idea which made Zornitsa feel quite uneasy indeed, and it only got worse from there. Heloise's expression darkened and Zornitsa found herself anxiously flexing the prosthetic's fingers as she listened, making an ever so slight sound of whirring motors. The mention of mutated genes had her freeze for a moment, but she kept quiet as she continued. Why, she did not know, but she mentally bookmarked it for later. That was only the beginning, however, and Zornitsa got a very disheartening feeling over the idea of the military burning down Lenox. Something about it felt familiar. She found herself horrified, however, by the mention of cannibalism. All the matters mentioned by Heloise were almost like a crescendo of terror...

[quote=Heloise]"...as the military began to use force, to destroy people, places, things, and it just got worse and worse.[/quote]
	Zornitsa froze. That, was something she knew. Though she couldn't exactly recall it, if the report in her passport was to be believed, she had a role in that. It felt like her heart had stopped, the rest of Heloise's recollection becoming nothing but white noise as Zornitsa attempted to remember anything in more detail. Nothing came, but it all was very worrying to her. Heloise paused for a moment and Zornitsa regained herself, taking a deep breath and looking at her companion, waiting for her to go on. It didn't get much better from there, so far, not a single bright side was in sight, especially at the mention of "monsters". Finally, Zornitsa knew why she felt like she was being watched, why Heloise had her wait outside while she cleared the house. And perhaps, the reason for the military presence in Seattle. Maybe even the riots of months earlier, anything was possible. In any case, even with a pistol and a hatchet, formidable weapons against an animal and probably humans too, Zornitsa felt very unsafe indeed. Twenty rounds would be nothing against a crowd of ruthless, unfeeling cannibals, who could probably take a bullet and keep on walking, just to have their next meal.

	No electricity, fuel, distribution of supplies, running water, no cellular networks and complete anarchy. The human world had collapsed and it seems the natural one wasn't doing much better, if animals and water were contaminated. Food could sometimes be a danger and Zornitsa now sincerely hoped her earlier shower had been clean. How long had her room been sealed? The food had all been well packaged and the water bottle she had drunk from hadn't once been opened as of yet, but she wasn't sure about the water in the bathroom. Seeing as the tank had no signs of mineral residue, it had to either be recent or be distilled. Fingers crossed it was the latter. Zornitsa had to wonder just how this "blackwater" thing spread. Liquid was a likely idea, based on the name, but she couldn't be sure. No one could, probably. There were at least a few people who weren't infected, so it was at least probable that it wasn't airborne. The two were now both in silence as they thought over the things just told by Heloise. It wasn't anything for anyone to be happy about, that's for sure.

	Now she was curious, though. Was the military really in control of the area? Could they do anything? She had planned on going to them, but was that really the best idea? Now, she didn't really know where to go, so she kept quiet and instead listened to Heloise, hoping for her to perhaps give an indication of what her plans were. Her expression did seem to be brightening up a tiny bit though, maybe talking had helped her slightly. This, at least, brought some warmth to Zornitsa and she relaxed into the couch, now less anxiously flexing her fingers. 

	[quote=Heloise]"I don't know what's been going on, since I made my way home, to find my mother. I've just been...traveling. Trying to survive. Trying not to run into too many people. I don't know if there's any sort of help on the way, or if all that's out there is just a handful of survivors and then the dead and the creepy. I don't know if we're the only country affected, or if the whole world is. I just know that I've been surviving, eating tinned food, catching whatever water I can, rummaging houses for toilet paper, of all things!"[/quote]

	She laughed and Zornitsa giggled a bit herself. Amazingly, that had been the first time she had laughed in months, if she wasn't mistaken. It felt good, for sure, and she appreciated Heloise ever more for making her do it. She smiled for a moment, until the redhead told her of what she had been doing until then. It was a story that didn't make Zornitsa too optimistic, but she did sympathize with her, in a way she couldn't quite put her finger on, she already began thinking of ways she could help her in whatever way possible. It's not like she had anywhere better to go, as more and more doubts surfaced about her chances with the Army. The conviction to help her was strengthened even more when she laughed once again. Someone she could laugh with, who managed to make her laugh in such times, was definitely someone she could get along with. Then, she moved on, after warily checking the wrapping on a water bottle, before taking a sip from it. 

	[quote=Heloise] "Basically, we're on our own. We can't just sit around waiting for help. We are the Calvary. There is no other help out there. If someone stumbles along, and decides they can help, fantastic! We'll be in a better position then we were, but right now, we're it."[/quote]
	That settled it. Beyond asking if the Army had any records, there was no chance with them. If Heloise was to be believed, they weren't in a better condition than anyone else and they couldn't do anything. They simply had to survive on their own, even if Zornitsa had a hard time coming to terms with that idea. Still, it was better than giving up outright and if anything, it seemed the two had determination in common. Heloise then looked around the house and Zornitsa did the same, making a mental note to block the door so no one could come in, but so they could also make an easy exit. Thankfully, the drapes and curtains were of a darker color, so if they could find some candles or a lantern, they'd have some light, using the lighter Zornitsa had found in her pants earlier. 

	[quote=Heloise] "I think we should be okay in this place for the rest of the day. I assume you know how to use that gun, but we'll find a butcher knife or something as well. Sometimes silence is best. You'll learn to run again pretty quickly. You have to, or you'll die"[/quote]
	[i]Oh boy.[/i] Zornitsa thought somberly. It might be a while before she got used to the leg and even then, she needed to build up some muscle mass. Had food been in better quantity, she could probably exercise in the free time she had, but with the energy bars she had, she'd tire fast. Along with that, slashing with any sharp weapon would be a challenge, her arms weren't in much better condition than her legs. They'd have to figure something out, fast. Heloise's next remark, after sighing, was definitely something Zornitsa could agree on, though. Considering how the world was, she was lucky the first person she had literally stumbled upon had been so kind to her. Had it been someone or some[i]thing[/i] else, she would probably be dead. And with how she had been so far, it'd be hard to lose her. Still, together, they could probably survive for at least a good while. Zornitsa felt she could rely on her.

	[quote=Heloise]"We can survive. We just have to want to. It's not going to be fun, or pretty. But we can do it." [/quote]
	That gave a lot of hope to Zornitsa, she smiled and nodded as vigorously as she could manage when Heloise said it, looking at her directly. And maybe, they could smile while doing it, if they were lucky. Though now, it was her turn to answer some questions, so she cleared her throat and thought for a moment before beginning. "I woke up in my room, I think, it seemed very familiar to me and I had a feeling of knowing where everything was. Not that it helped much, the place was empty except for some furniture. I must have recently moved, there was just the bed I was in, a dresser, the coffee table and couch and a TV. There wasn't anyone there, just some notes, some supplies left for me, and some documents giving me the news and telling me who I am. A passport, a doctor's report, stuff like that. The report said I've been in a coma since July, when I was... in a helicopter accident during the riots in Tucson." She paused, rolling up her sleeve to show her mechanical arm, her pant leg to show her prosthetic there and brushing aside her hair to show the scars. "I can't remember much of anything, so I'm going on what the report says. I spent the first few days after I first woke getting used to my body again and training my voice with a tape. Believe it or not, before you, the only voice I had heard besides my own was from someone speaking over a hundred years ago!" She laughed a bit to make her point, before continuing. "There weren't any signs of trouble, everything looked alright except for the lack of electricity and running water and the door being locked shut and barricaded on the other side, with a vent open so I could get outside. I lived in Madrona, east of here, near Lake Washington, so it was pretty quiet. I figured since... I was in the Army, apparently, I'd head deeper into town and make contact with the presence here, but since talking to you, I've had my doubts." She gulped when she mentioned being in the Army, she was afraid for a moment that Heloise would hold it against her, due to the events over the last few months.

	"Sorry, I don't know much, I just remember things not looking great in Madrona. Doors smashed down, signs of violence, but it was quiet. I guess the infected you mentioned were hiding?" She finished and took a sip of water herself, from a bottle well-sealed and marked for being over a year old. "What are your plans from here? What should we do?"