[center][h1][color=26b4cf]AJ Beaufort[/color][/h1]
[img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/88f8ddf9a58f837b76fb1a3789acb5e4/c9ecce81c26c5caa-c5/s540x810/457ae1801f4c1e9f9ddcdc928c5426b41dbea817.gif[/img]

[i]Location: West Caldwell Streets
Skills: N/A[/i][/center][hr][hr]AJ had ran as fast as she could; perhaps faster than ever. 

She didn't know where she had been running to, having cut path across yard and street whose names she paid no heed to. Her mind had been focused elsewhere, racked by the carnal fear that now pounded in her chest. It told her to keep running. To not stop. To not look back. To ignore the screams of death behind her.

And so she did. 

Without thinking, AJ had ran far, far away into West Caldwell. When she finally came to a stop, the world looked unfamiliar. Her head swiveled like a crane, desperately searching for any sign of her fellow classmates. Sophia Strickland, number 04. Ella Lowe, number 10. Not even Ashley Henson, number 07, and one of her longtime best friends.

[color=26b4cf]"Ashley?"[/color] AJ called out. [color=26b4cf]"Sophia? Ella?"[/color]

There was no response. Not even from the buildings AJ now stood in front of.

She had feared the worst. Tears began to well in her eyes. They had seen what had happened to Mr. Everett, and now perhaps the same had befallen her friends. AJ wanted to scream, loudly and at the top of her lungs.  She wanted to curl up and give into the madness. It hadn't been fair. It hadn't been right. People didn't just... [i]eat[/i] each other, tearing away at flesh and bone. But regardless of what she thought, AJ had seen it happen. She had seen Mr. Everett bleed out as his throat was ripped from his neck. The memory had been burned in her mind, replaying on loop. Whatever she had thought fantasy was now very much real.

AJ roughly rubbed her eyes with her arm, wiping away tears. She thought back to her parents, remembering all the times they had encouraged her when things felt [i]terrifying[/i]. Like when she had been learning how to ride her bright pink Barbie "grown-up bike" (as she had declared it then) for the first time without training wheels. The unsteadiness had felt like she had been riding a tight rope. And yet, she had made it out alive and in one piece, her fears be damned.

Looking at her duffel bag, AJ felt an idea spark. She could make it out of this. She could make it back home to her parents, wherever they had been. They must've still been working, AJ could only figure. Working, and unaware... of all this.

Swinging the bag over her shoulder, AJ laid it on the ground. She unzipped the main pouch, and began to pull out each piece of her gear to don over her uniform. Of course, it hadn't been the proper usage of her equipment, knowing that her parents had spent a considerable chunk of change on each piece she owned, but putting as much as she could between herself and those [i]things[/i] seemed like a swell idea. If any of it broke, she could only hope her parents understood.

Pulling her helmet over her head, AJ grabbed her duffel bag and stick. She gripped the goalie stick tight in her hands, pressing it against the suede material her gloves were made of. If any of those [i]freaks[/i] were bound to come after her, she would take them down like it was the final moments before a buzzer beater.

Or so she tried to make herself believe.

[color=26b4cf]"Alright, AJ,"[/color] She spoke, hyping herself up as best as she could in the situation. It wasn't likely to help, given the circumstances, but she knew it was at least worth trying. [color=26b4cf]"You've got this. Like dad said. Anything's possible if you put your mind to it."[/color]

With her pitiful attempt at encouragement, AJ carefully set out. She wasn't certain what was the proper route to take, but the sound of cars passing by was enough for AJ to decide where to go. Her eyes scanned the road like radar as she walked down the street, carefully looking out for anyone that might've looked even the slightest bit suspicious.

In this case, however, suspicious had meant anyone right now. Anyone, including a bike-riding Korean woman that was quickly headed straight first in her direction.

[color=26b4cf]"Stay back!"[/color] AJ demanded, taking a defensive stance as newfound adrenaline rushed freely into her veins. She had yet to register the woman's bike, having instead been spooked by the sudden appearance of the woman coming out from seemingly nowhere. In one fell swoop, she swung the crosse forward as she came within range. [color=26b4cf]"I said back!"[/color]

[center][h1]
[color=7E8C54]Alexis "Lex" Karczewski[/color][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/hBPI7rQ.gif[/img]

[i]Location: West Caldwell, Shell Gas Station
Skills: N/A[/i][/center][hr][hr]Relieved to be out of the city, Lex let herself relax for a moment. There was no cannibals ready to eat her brains in New Jersey, at least as far as she had seen. However, she hadn't known if that was a good thing or not. The military was said to have been preparing to blow the bridges to Manhattan, but what if it had already spread past the city? It had been a point Billie had brought up; that the "rabies" could already be here. Lex could only hope that the military could properly contain it, but a piece of her feared otherwise.

[color=7E8C54]"You've got it, boss."[/color] Lex responded, attempting to brush away her personal worries. Another woman, Kali she had come to known, mentioned what she'd would be looking for—water. A fair idea, given that Lex hadn't seen much water bottles between them all. [color=7E8C54]"I'll see if they have any toilet paper. I don't know about you all, but if I can avoid having to wipe my butt with leaves, I'm going to take it."[/color]

Standing up from her seat, Lex began to follow those who were disembarking out of the MRAP. As foot hit station concrete, the sudden sound of [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWu_gL1mAh0]fighter jets buzzing the I-95[/url] snatched her attention upwards to the sky.

[color=7e8c54]"Looks like we got out at the right time,"[/color] Lex spoke up, noting the fighter wing roaring above the town. Everyone knew what was coming, and so she chose to approach the sight with a light-hearted response to break any tension that might have been lingering in the air. [color=7e8c54]"Can't say the same for everyone, though. I don't want to think about how many people they're leaving behind."[/color]
[center][h1]
[color=a52a2a]Kali Nordstrom[/color][/h1]
[img]https://24.media.tumblr.com/38619db973a198367e8cb461a0e0e158/tumblr_mjrhwbLFrs1rdfrnpo1_500.gif[/img]

[i]Location: West Caldwell, Shell Gas Station
Skills: N/A[/i][/center][hr][hr]The grand escape had gone well, and they had safely evacuated Manhattan and into the border of New Jersey with the aid of strangers.

Kali watched as the MRAP they escaped with drove up to an open pump, having pulled into the local Shell gas station. One of them—Gus, she had come to know—mentioned he was planning on filling the vehicle up with fuel, and asked if they could go gather some more supplies before they left. Standing up from her seat, Kali went to join them, feeling like an extra pair of hands (and some cash, though she doubted that mattered given their already stolen vehicle and looted snacks) could help in the long run.

[color=a52a2a]"I'll help with the water,"[/color] Kali noted to Billie, who had been expressing concern as they began to leave the MRAP. [color=a52a2a]"As much water as we can carry would be best in case we have to boil later on."[/color]

As Kali began to walk down the aisle, however, she noticed Isaac, who had been sweating bullets as if he had come down with a sudden fever or the like. As he was frequently in the kitchen, Kali was used to Isaac fighting the heat, and she'd often offer him a glass of water or towel. It was something she wouldn't have thought much about had it been any other day. Given the day's circumstances, though, she thought to check on him, just in-case. 

[color=a52a2a]"Isaac,"[/color] Kali asked, moving to sit near him. [color=a52a2a]"Are you alright? Do you want me to fetch you a Gatorade or something from the coolers?"[/color]