[hr][hr][center][color=00aeef][h1][b]Madeline Thompson[/b][/h1][/color][/center]
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4 MAY 2074, 1127 HOURS
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

Madeline woke to the sound of hysteria —along with a little shattering glass.  It seemed the zeds had found this small refuge, just as she knew they would.  She had just hoped it would've been later rather than sooner.  By the time she was on her feet the tile floors were already slick with blood.  She started backing up while reaching for the M9 that was holstered on her hip.  Madeline unclipped the gun, bringing it up while chambering a round...just to have it knocked out of her hand by a nearby zed.  [color=00aeef]"Fuck!"[/color] she yelled, turning around to run for the back door.  Something caught her backpack as she tried to run; between that and the slick floors she almost lost her footing.  She shrugged the pack off, sprinting now towards the open door.  One zed laid outside it, writhing to get back up, having apparently just been knocked down.  She sidestepped its flailing appendages before running for the trees.  [color=00aeef][i]Too close[/i][/color] she thought as she met up with the other survivors.

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5 MAY 2074, 0530 HOURS
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA

A loud banging woke Maddie from her sleep.  She jolted up, curled fists ready to fight off whatever had come to kill them this time.  The guy standing in the door was lucky; if she hadn't lost her gun at the station Madeline might've turned its sights on him.  [i]Shoot first, ask questions later.[/i]  Her grandfather had taught her that, though thinking of [i]him[/i] now would be too much to bear.  She yawned, rubbing sleep from her fatigued eyes.  Her body ached, longing to lay back down.  She knew, however, that she had to work hard if she was to earn the survivors' trust; after all, she had only been at the station for one day before the attack.

Madeline glanced around at the others' faces.  A mixture of worry, fear, anger, and fatigue looked back at her.  She saw one woman quietly slink away from the group towards a work bench.  Madeline knew having a good weapon would be much more important than arguing, so she followed discreetly.  She moved fluidly, gracefully to where shorter woman stood, careful not to startle her.  [color=00aeef]"Anything worthwhile?"[/color] Madeline asked in a warm voice, almost whispering.