[center]Collab between finalcatharsis and Exit
Part II[/center]

----

“Wooo! That was close. Can you sit up to drink?” Daniel went to his knees next to the guy, and that's when his thighs started burning. He held out the can with one hand and put his other on the ground, shifting some of his weight forward. If the guy couldn't sit up to take a drink himself, he'd help him.

Abel considered the question after having been thrown to the floor. He'd almost forgotten that the entire world wasn't covered in snow. When he was pushed, he failed to do anything to stop his descent and landed hard, his shoulder hitting the carpeted floor and the side of his head bouncing against it. He simply laid there in a daze, his head spinning and a few stars appearing in his eyes. When he'd recovered enough to sit up, he pushed himself to a seated position.

[b]"Ya..."[/b] He weezed. He'd coughed a few times now, his breath having been knocked out by the fall. He grasped the cup in between two numb hands, trying to get a feel for the metal and slowly... carefully tilted the rim up between his lips. He kept his eyes on the man as cool liquid slid into his mouth... over his tongue... down his throat. It felt amazing... soft, refreshing. He couldn't help himself and closed his eyes as he focused on the sensation of simply drinking water. It was silly really, the things he cherished now when compared to his former life. He'd passed up water for anything with flavor but here he was simply infatuated with the taste. There was nothing special in the tap but he could feel his body stir... feel some of the energy he'd lost come back to him.

When he'd finally finished the drink having drained the cup to the last drop, he stopped and looked at the man... a priest. There were no priests left... there couldn't be.

[b]"...For what?"[/b] He tipped the empty cup in the air between them, gesturing at it. Nothing in the world was free... even more so now.

Finally, when it seemed everything was in the clear and the guy was inside with water, he let himself continue with his break day. At this moment, that meant laying on his back, closing his eyes and sprawling his arms and legs out for a nice stretch. Every once in a while he peeked an eye open to look at the man while he was drinking. This man seemed totally different from the one that had pointed his gun at him not ten minutes earlier. Daniel had nearly forgotten that he might have died then.

When the guy spoke he pushed himself up onto his forearms. By now he had forgotten about his wet clothes. Danny tilted his head to the side at the question. [i]For what?[/i] He definitely did not understand. “What do you mean?” He thought the man might still be confused from his tumble in the snow. “Do you want more? There's a sink in there-” He lazily pointed to the open door that led to the sacristy. “It's filled. Help yourself.” He returned his back to the floor. “I mean, I'd get it for you, but I need a rest.” He chuckled a bit and rubbed his thumb and index finger back and forth over his eyebrows.

Daniel took a few more deep breaths before he propped himself up to talk to the man properly. Maybe he had forgotten some of his manners since the world ended. “I'm Dan, by the way.” He stuck out his right hand for a shake. That's when he finally took a chance to look the guy over properly. He looked like he had been out there for a while. He was bigger than Daniel and older too. He looked thoroughly worn out. His short blonde hair was a mess and the wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead were lined with dirt. The skin near one of his eyes was red. [i]Shit. Is that where I hit him with the snowball?[/i] Danny felt bad now for having constructed it so well and for having packed the snow so tight. Then again, he thought he was aiming at a zombie.

Abel refused the hand as he looked the man over. He was oddly relaxed... too relaxed... maybe oblivious? He had walked up to him earlier with not a care in the world and had his gun been loaded, he'd been lying in a puddle of his own blood. He started to put pieces together like a puzzle and that's when his mind receded into that dark place... where he looked at people like... like there were some unfinished painting. He'd been given water, helped to his feet and literally thrown to safety, he was being offered a handshake and they'd only just met. It was then that he realized where he was... This wasn't a church... it was more like a time capsule or so it seemed. The reason he didn't know exactly what to do next was because he'd been away from a world where people were genuinly kind to each other for far too long. Everything was an agenda... a means to survive... nothing was free and nothing was what you thought it was. But in these walls, isolated, safe... This man [i]was[/i] a priest. At this point he didn't bother retracing his steps to his first question. The water was clearly free of charge... In fact...

He slowly held his hand out to the man, taking his in a firm grasp... a gesture he hadn't expressed in a long while. [b]"Abel.."[/b] He said slowly. He wasn't being cautious anymore... he was simply in shock.

[i]Abel. The second born son. The first human to die. The martyr before Jesus.[/i] Dan did his best to match Abel's strong grip. The words shared with him by his mentor from his teenage years returned to him once more. They were becoming prophetic. [i]Gods wisdom is infinite and unknown.[/i] Sometimes they raised more questions than they answered.

When the shake was over he took to shivering again. Dan had only buttoned a few of the thirty nine buttons on his cassock, just enough to keep it from falling off. Now he unbuttoned them all and pulled it off to reveal his black pants and long-sleeved shirt. He then stood and draped it over his arm.

“Well, Abel, I don't know about you, but I'm cold and wet. Gonna change in there.“ He tilted his head back over his shoulder to motion to the vesting sacristy. “The Rector had a few changes of his own back there too. I'll set some out for you.” The head priest had been a bit... rounder... than Dan. Perhaps the clothes would fit Abel better. “Then maybe we can eat somethin'.” He winked at the man before doing exactly as he said he would do. Luckily the Rector had a more casual outfit tucked away. Whether the man changed or not didn't matter much to him, but he figured he'd offer anyway.

Daniel closed the door but popped out again moments later and tossed a pair of wool socks out.

Abel simply stared at them. He'd completely forgotten about his clothing, how he was sitting on the ground in clothes that were still wet. He could feel the cold piecrcing his skin now, could hear the water dripping onto the rug. He needed to change but his mind was still lost somewhere else... still trying to believe that he was indeed being offered food and water and clean clothes. He looked down at himself, taking in everything that he was. Dirty, wet, cold... hungry. His pants were competely soaked as were the socks he had on under his boots and the more he thought about it, the more enticing the pair of wool socks became. The last time he'd put on a pair of fresh clothes had been almost four days ago. Between that time and now, he hadn't changed, cleaned... his hygiene was entirely something else. He hadn't shaved or cut his hair and the smell... 

While Daniel was changing in the other room, Abel pulled his boots, socks, and shoes off and placed them to the side in front of one of the pews. His jacket came off next along with the gas mask and the scarf around his neck. He folded the black cloth up until he could hold it comfortably in one hand and began to dry his legs and his feet. Next came the wool socks, which slid on with ease. It was something he'd done since he was a child: The first thing he'd do when getting dressed was cover his feet. After the socks came the blue jeans that had been laid out for him to take and finally, he picked up his jacket and wrapped it around himself. It hung off his shoulders, draping across his back while his arms hung loose and free between himself and the inside walls of the thick fabric. When he was finally done, he walked back over to the sacristy, found the sink and poured himself another drink. At this point, although he was still surprised at the man's hospitality even if he was a priest, he would no longer refuse the gestures. If there was something to be demanded from him later in return, he'd pay it... depending. He made his way back to his seat before Daniel returned, sitting on the inside of the closest pew to the altar, his arms were in his lap, his hands wrapped around the cup and his eyes on the cross against the wall.

When Daniel emerged about five minutes later, he didn't look much different. Still in all black with his white collar. The only exception was a dark brown zip-up sweater that he had layered on top to replace the more formal robe. The priest carefully laid out his garments to dry over the altar rails. He ran both palms back through his hair to get it out of his face. He looked around to see where Abel had gotten to, but quickly found him in a pew with more water. That was good.

[b]"Thank you... again. For... not leaving me out there... and the water... and clothes."[/b] The words were awkward... awkward for Abel as much as he was sure they sounded to Daniel. It was strange in the fact that he [i]was[/i] thankful. It was an odd emotion that left this warm tinge in his gut. [b]"And uh..."[/b] He thought about the snowball that had struck him just above his right eye. He thought about the possibility of it having been a bullet and how different an outcome it'd have been if it was. He'd come to terms with his death a long time ago knowing full well that it was coming. He was going to die along with everyone else and he should of. But instead... a snowball hit him in the face... a snowball...

[b]"What were you doing throwing snowballs at me?"[/b] It was the question he'd been meaning to ask since he'd fallen on his ass outside. With time healing some wounds however, all the added explitives he'd wanted to express had been filtered out. He had been livid, he remembered, after taking the hit to the face but all the anger subsided when he was brought inside and cared for. Of course he still wanted answers.

Dan lazily made his way back down the altar stairs toward Abel. He had stopped a few feet short and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted. Dan's mind was like a childs, constantly distracted and moving from one thing to the next. It was hard to make him settle down, but when he heard those words he froze, not expecting to hear them so soon. He didn't respond, just smiled. In his mind, he only did what anyone else would have done. Not to mention, [i]he[/i] was partly to blame for the incident. And then the inevitable question. Dan had misbehaved and it was time to repent. His face turned red and he got an almost comical look of dread in his eyes. He took a few steps closer.

"Abel. I.. uhh. I'm [b]so, so[/b] sorry about that..." The Reverend gave him a sincere confession from the heart. He realized now that this whole thing was his fault. He bent down and put his palms on his knees. He edged his face closer to Abel's and looked at the red mark above his eye. He remained there a few seconds before standing back up and crossing his arms over his chest. The fingers on his right hand found their way to his lips. He tugged on them while he went over his supply stores in his head. "I thought you were a zombie. I wouldn't have thrown it otherwise." Danny wasn't a fan of excuses, but thought Abel might like to know. "I think I still might have an untouched med kit." The other two had been used by anyone who filtered in with an injury in the first few months. Thinking on it now, he felt himself incredibly lucky to have lay ministers that cared enough to keep the place well stocked in case of emergencies. "I... can get it... If you like." Daniel pouted and forced himself wait for a response before running off again.

Abel shook his head, still alittle unnerved about the man leaning in to look at whatever it was on his face. He could feel the dull pain but couldn't tell if it was an actual cut or not. However, he was used to having to take care of himself and much preferred it that way... when he could manage. Water and food at the moment were something else... but a small bump on his face. He was sure he could live with it. When compared to the rest of his weary demeanor, it made little difference anyways.

[b]"No..."[/b] He began as he held a hand up with the palm facing toward Daniel. [b]"I'll be fine.."[/b] He was looking at the ground as more questions began to appear... literally. He could feel himself... receding... his mind pulling out the complex and unfinished puzzle of the man before him. Each piece was labeled with something... questions... the more promient ones clear and at the top of the pile. He shook his head as he tried to clear made them dissappear. [b]"You should save your supplies..."[/b] Not just referring to the first aid offered, he jiggled the cup around in his hand. Suddenly, white letters began to appear from thin air, forming a single word. The first letter attached itself to the side of the cup in such a way that when he tilted it back, the rest followed.. like they were all one thing.

[i][center]...Altruistic...[/center][/i]

He looked up and saw more of these words begin to litter the church, all of them labeling something important. A few folded out from behind Daniel.

[i][center]...Priest...[/center][/i]

Yes... he'd figured that already.

[i][center]...Isolated...?...[/center][/i]

The question marked popped up at the end.

[b]"Have you been here since the Rise?"[/b] He finally met Daniel's gaze. This question was more of a result of the games in his head. He needed to find the missing pieces to this puzzle in order really believe and understand why anyone... even a priest would still care for another stranger despite being shot at.

When he heard the word 'no,' his mind was onto the next thing. Food. Surely the guy had to be hungry. And then there was also the matter of his guitar, which he had abandoned on the roof when he ran down to retrieve Abel. But maybe that could wait since it was sunny out. And maybe the food could wait until Abel asked for some. In fact, it seemed that right now all the man wanted was a chance to take a breather. A second to take in his surroundings. Dan was so used to this place by now that it wasn't even a second thought for him. Maybe the guy had never even been religious, despite his name. If that was the case, then he might even be feeling pretty uncomfortable. Danny ran through all of the possible scenarios in his head.

The priest finally took a seat on the pew a few feet down from him. He slouched back into it and let his legs hang open and out-stretched. He looked back over when he made the comment about supplies. He'd heard the same thing from several others. While he was careful to keep a close watch on his inventory, he had never been one to selfishly deny it to others when he saw they were in need. Even after the world went to hell.

Then there was a second inevitable question. By now he was sinking into the pew so much that his head was resting comfortably on the back of the pew, but craned in Abel's direction.

"Yeah. I have." He grinned oddly a bit, but hesitated to provide further details, knowing it would only make him recall things that were better left forgotten. And those things always brought with them memories of his family. [I] However...[/I] "Not always alone like this though." He paused. Now that he thought about it... maybe he wasn't so upset that he'd nailed Abel with the snowball. It had been far too long since he'd had contact with someone else, and that alone was reason to forgive the man for attempted murder.

"What about you? What were you doing out there alone?" If Abel stuck around, he'd go into more detail about his water collection and food stores later.

Abel blinked. The answer was open ended but his follow up was diverted by Daniel's own. He tore his eyes from the man and looked up at the ceiling as he thought about his reply. His eyes rested on a flat white surface... like a canvas... like a piece of paper for him to write on and perfect what he was going to say. Dark letters began to scrawl themselves out above him.

[i][center]...I killed two people to survive...wandered...no I ran away...[/i][/center]

Up there, even if he couldn't believe it was the truth. He stared at the words for a moment, trying to understand them better and quickly realizing that he couldn't. Letters were erased and exchanged until a vague representation of what the truth was remained.

[i][center]...I've been alone...[/i][/center]

[b]"...Lost..."[/b] He slowly turned toward Daniel again. It wasn't a lie. [b]"I've been... lost. Stumbling around Missouri for a while on my own. Came across the church and I saw the water catchers on the roof. Thought I might find shelter here for the night and then continue on."[/b] He paused as he stared at the man. [b]"Found more than I expected..."[/b]

The priest's response to his first question still burned in his mind. He could understand him not being alone at first... There had been plenty of people strong in their faith flocking to their altars and shrines for protection and comfort... but for the Priest to remain behind alone when everyone else had abandoned him...

[b]"Why did you stay?"[/b]

Daniel finally decided to straighten up a bit as the conversation continued and sit like a... normal person... whatever that meant now. Listening to Abel, it seemed like the water catchers had served more than one purpose. He wondered if there had been any others like Abel who thought about coming inside... and if there were, why hadn't they tried? He was saddened at the thought. The only thing that had kept him going this long was the thought that there was still some chance for everyone to be saved... but that wasn't possible if everyone had lost hope. Maybe he had been losing hope himself this entire time. Had he been blindly wasting away the hours while the despair stealthily creeped into his heart? It was too much for him to think about right now. He gave his head a little shake.

Daniel already feared what might happen next. He had always been a rebel in the Episcopal community. His beliefs were anything but typical compared to others. While the main facets of his faith held true, he questioned everything. He struggled to find the appropriate words.

"I guess I stayed because something in me told I should." It was his way of saying that, as indecisive as he was, he really hadn't known where to turn, and he hadn't really seen much of a reason to leave. There was no way his family could still be alive. It had become relatively safe here after the first five months, and he had food and water. Or maybe it was out of fear. He had seen things. He had heard things. Not only had the dead come back to life, but most of the living had become some form of monster too.

Now there was something Abel could relate to. The thing in Daniel... in himself.. in everyone telling them all what to do or what they should do. 

"You spend your whole life living one way and then everything changes. You have the option to change with it or fight for what once was. Either way, you have to move on." He laughed to himself.