[center][h1][color=steelblue]Ashton[/color], [color=cyan]Riley[/color], [color=yellow]Niesha[/color][/h1]
[img]https://lh4.ggpht.com/-IlNGTuYmpTA/Tqjyilbtg_I/AAAAAAAAAQM/lkF6q9Ww05A/s800/oiu.gif
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[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/0d55b471-c5e5-4224-a6dd-f93f52f38ebd.png[/img]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/0b/24/040b24448d684a23925dbde97988dcd6.gif[/img]
[i]Location: Outside of the Funeral, North of the Franklin Wall[/I][/center]
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	With Riley's help Niesha climbed into the monstrosity. Before she would have wondered why anyone needed such a car, now... now she knew it was well suited to this life. She used the doorframe to balance, looking towards Newman, desperate to see if there was any signs of life. Yet it seemed Mother Nature was not done with them, the earth once more shaking, and Niesha was forced to sit down in the cab, or fall out the vehicle and onto her ass. Or head. Would that be mercy? She could be with Sophia then... her gaze drawn towards the flames, Niesha couldn't help the despair fill her, the sight of her last hope dying away, burned to a crisp like no doubt Newman would be soon. 

	Could anyone survive that? Niesha knew the answer was no, but it still didn't stop her wanting to race out there... She turned from the horrific sight, dropping her face into her hands. No survivors. She knew that unless they had gotten out in time... no one was coming out. 

	Victor... he'd given her a chance, when he probably shouldn't have. She'd tried hard to make up for past mistakes... and now... it was all gone. No Kristina.. she'd been there for her, and hadn't given up on her... And Niesha couldn't do anything for her anymore. [color=yellow]"We can't do anything, can we?"[/color]

	Riley was still processing the loss of Chloe as well as Ravi, though she truly would never be able to get to know him anymore, her eyes stared over towards his body, then at the funeral home. Riley was truly hoping that Amelia would have at least made it out of there alive, she just didn't want to lose anyone else that she cared for today. Riley then felt the earth starting to shake again as her eyes then turned to the plume of smoke that was coming out from their former home.

	Riley looked towards Niesha and shook her head slowly, going back in would pretty much be a death sentence to anyone who tried to get in there and find out who was still alive. [color=B0C4DE]"Going back in there would be suicide."[/color] Riley said softly before leaning back in the seat looking over at the pack that belonged to Chloe and grabbed it holding it close to her chest.

	The moment the two women were secure in the Hordebuster, Ash shifted the big truck into gear and eased his foot onto the accelerator. Booze-powered torque pushed the truck away from the widening chasm in the ground that used to be home to so many people. The amount of death was staggering. All of the people he got out of Virginia when the horde came, for all that he knew, had just perished swiftly and pointlessly. Just like James. Just like Alicia. Just like Leann. All of the Franklin people. The Locals. Even Ryan's life was wasted, and Ash didn't particularly like the man. The epic quest for survivors netted him two. Out of forty or fifty, he was able to rescue [i]two[/i]. It was something, at least, but it still felt like half a failure. The only thing he could allow himself to dwell on was numbly keeping him, Niesha, and Riley alive - even thinking about Thana and the others to the south threatened to compromise him. Stay stoic, stay sharp. This was Ash's mantra. Put some distance between them and Newnan, and figure it out from there. 

	Niesha suddenly wished she had taken more then what she had. What did she have to her name now? She felt foolish for not stopping like she’d planned and getting some food, first aid supplies. Be prepared, expect the worst and hope for the best. Why hadn’t she? She sighed, looking down at her hands, before she shifted, taking her pack off and shoving it down between her feet, de-stringing the bow.

	[color=fff200]”was there anyone else with you when the quake hit?”[/color] she asked Ash softly. 

     	Riley could feel the Hordebuster starting to move as Ash started to pull away from their former home, her hand slowly went towards her pocket and pulled out the cross that was on Chloe when she had died. She whipped away a few tears as she looked forward and then leaned forward. She regretted not running in and grabbing the supplies that they could use to survive, but they did at least have a working vehicle to get around. Riley then started to look down at her feet thinking what was going to happen now, she wasn't sure what the escape plan was. [color=B0C4DE]"Whats the plan anyway?"[/color] Riley finally asked looking towards Ashton, then looking over towards Niesha when she asked if there was anyone else where he was maybe there was a chance that Amelia was with another group that managed to get out. 

	Niesha's question hit Ash with surprise. He hadn't considered how he would tell anybody what he had seen, or even if he would at all. It would have to be told eventually; one more story of lost life amid an avalanche of several similar stories, possibly to be lumped together in the blanket statement of "We lost them when Newnan collapsed". It seemed to tie everything up in a neat little package, not to mention spare him the awkward moment he found himself in just then. Well, Ash was a blunt guy as it came to hard news. He may as well get it out. 

	As he opened his mouth to speak, the sight of a very familiar face caught his eye. Between the front seats, perched atop his pack and bow was a man with whom he shared a surname. The Hordebuster jerked to one side of the road as Ash came to grips with this fresh piece of psychological hell. Righting the path of his truck, he quietly mumbled the word, [color=steelblue]"...Aspen..."[/color] This was new. This was someone that he could not confirm was actually dead, and if he was not, could quite possibly be the other remaining "Son" on the label of his family's brand of mountain whiskey, "Holloway & Sons". They were not particularly close. Still, they were family, and the image of him remained sitting right there, swilling their family's label without the use of a common table glass, staring at nothing in particular. Ash glanced from the road to this new apparition, back and forth. Finally he was able to get out, [color=steelblue]"James didn't make it. Neither did Ryan. Beatrice and Thana are alright,"[/color] he stopped for a second, hovering over Thana's name before continuing, [color=steelblue]"They made some friends out there. Using the confusion to attack Eden. It might give the rest of us a chance to escape their notice."[/color] It galled him that he could not be a part of that assault. He looked down to his brother, who was still sipping away, comfortable on top of Ash's pack. [color=steelblue]"The plan is to make our way to Zebulon. From there, I'm headed to Mexico Beach in Florida. Anyone who's with me follows my lead, period. Are we clear?"[/color] This is was survival, no matter what else. So he was crazy. What else was new? They were going to live, and he was going to see Thana again. 

	

       Niesha waited silently for Ash to respond, part of her not expecting him too. He seemed a little out of sorts, she supposed they all were. Her mind went back to her theory that maybe the citizens of Newman had been drugged in some way, it would explain Ravi thinking he held a razor... Richard with the axe in his head... Sophia. She looked down at her hands as Ash spoke. More people dead. Part of her had hoped that there would have been a fair group. But she knew that was wistful thinking. 

       [color=fff200]"so few... "[/color] she said softly, closing her eyes for a moment, [color=fff200]"is it wise to attack Eden? Although I suppose there isn't a choice.,, they'd come and prey on us... "[/color] she opened her eyes, glancing to Riley. She'd do whatever Riley did. She would keep her alive. [color=fff200]"I've gotten good at doing what I'm told"[/color] she said, trying for a smile but failing.

          Riley looked towards Ashton hearing him mumble something, she wasn't sure but waited until he answered her Zebulon was their intended destination. She just hoped Amelia would know their destination as well, her eyes wondered over towards the window when she paused and stared out the window like she had seen a ghost. Chloe waving to her, seeing the needle sticking out of her arm and half her face blown away she knew that Chloe was dead she was even there when her sister ended her own life.

[color=B0C4DE]"Fuck this day.."[/color] Riley said mumbling to herself as she did her best to hold back away her tears, her sister even though they didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things Riley always had Chloe's back. Riley wipped away her tears before turning to Niesha giving her a slight smile and nodded towards her, and Ashton she still wasn't sure if Amelia made it or not. [color=B0C4DE]"I'll go wherever the hell you guys are going.."[/color] Riley finally said before leaning back in the seat.         

	Absently, Ash resolved to keep his eyes on the road, not giving what he hoped was just a stress-based hallucination. He wasn't even one hundred percent sure that his brother was dead, but logic should have dictated that he was, without doubt, was [i]not[/i] sitting in the floor of the Hordebuster. But there he was. The difficulty with ignoring the image was that he knew it was still there, camped out like an unwanted visitor. Just don't look. Focus on the road. Then Riley said something out loud that he wholeheartedly agreed with. Indeed, [i]fuck this day[/i]. He started to turn his head to verbally concur with the woman purely out of reflex, only to catch the sight of his brother again from the corner of his eye. This time, he held up his bottle, offering it to Ash. 

	He wasn't sure why he did it, but the beleaguered Captain casually reached out and grabbed the bottle. Shock colored his face as his hand closed around it - it was solid! The damned bottle felt exactly like it should have were it an actual container of homebrewed sipping whiskey. It was hard, cool, sloshed around with the distilled contents... This couldn't be real. None of it. Incredulously, he raised the bottle to his face, twisting it open. The tang of alcohol hit his nose and eyes. No. Couldn't be. His hand shook just a little as he brought the bottle to his lips, and with nigh-suicidal decision making, braved a sip. Part of it made its way down his gullet. Part of it turned to vapor as he spit it in front of him, surprised beyond the capacity of rational thought on the matter. [color=steelblue]"Holy shit, it's [i]real[/i]?"[/color] 

	Niesha hesitated, watching Ash grab a bottle from the bag next to him, and take a swig of it. At his exclimation, Niesha bit her lip, watching him with concern, her mind frantically trying to catch up with what was happening, had been happening. Something had been on fire... could the smoke from that be causing them hallucinations? But no... she'd experienced Sophia's voice before then, saw Richard before returning to Newman- or trying to. Something else, then... was she back to drugs in the water supply? 

	[color=yellow]"It is... Can I have it?"[/color] She reached out for the bottle, a little hesitantly, unsure of what he was seeing, what his reaction would be. She flicked a worried glanced to Riley, not sure what they could do.