Floyd - FoundThe day was not over, for it had just seem to begun. The New Orleans' sun graced the redneck's toned arm muscles, activating his tiny sweat glands, perspiration oozing through his sores. It seemed like an excess drought flooded his entire anatomy, but Floyd was merely overreacting. He'd been walking for hours on end, not finding a single indication that anyone had gone in the direction he was going. There were no tracks, there were no marks of burned rubber.......nothing. He traveled in an endless maze, heading somewhere, but ending up nowhere. His mind was set on finding Jessalyn, he had failed her once, he would not do it again. But it all seemed hopeless. He struggled through the hardship of survival, facing walkers in his condition. He had not eaten since their departure, burning calories like the nicotine of a cigarette. He had many thoughts of giving up, setting camp and finding a way to hunt for food, but his conscious didn't grant him such blessing. It forced his legs to continue walking, putting aside his wound and focusing on finding the girl. Before, he did not want any attachment with her, but after experiencing the effects of being alone in this new world, aside from his past, Floyd finally came to his senses. He concluded that his life would be taken if he had nobody to help him keep it. For so long he'd been alone that that little event with Jessalyn, the talk in the woods, changed his perspective. Though in that incident Floyd was not graceful of having her around, - instead he pushed her away - after walking hours in solitary, the Lone Ranger finally decided to abandon his sobriquet.
But even with his never ending attempts, the journey before him did not seem to aid him in his task. After so long, he knew he was heading in the wrong direction, but could not stop because he wasn't one-hundred percent assured. Through those long hours, Floyd had put down about three or four walkers, not many, but enough to worsen the status of his wound. In a few hours, a cut like that would not completely close, if not at all. His bandanna was still wrapped around it, completely soaked in sweat and blood. He limped as he walked, forcing himself through the aching pain. It had gone numb just a couple of minutes before he started seeing cabins and small homes along the forest side. Most of the doors along there were all wide open. The windows were shattered and the glass lay on the empty porches. If Jessalyn was in one of them, the doors would of obviously been closed. So he kept moving, keeping his near-shut eyes as open as he possibly could. He felt that if he clenched them close for even a second, he'd miss her. The blood down his chin had finally dried up, allowing him to easily wipe it off with the collar of his tank. He still had a stream of red running down the side of his face though, but that didn't bother him any.
Soon enough, a shadow could be seen in the distance. Floyd couldn't make anything of it because of the barricading heat waves on the road. Seconds after catching that first shadow, three or four more decided to form around it. Without keen eyesight, one would not be able to see the shadow in the first place. That's when the peaceful sound of the New Orleans' breeze and swamps came to halt. The Prairie Warblers stopped their chirping as crows roamed the overhead sky, filling it with their black taint. It was indicated through mother nature and the innocent those shadows were not neighborly. With that in mind, Floyd used whatever strength he stored to rush into the tawny woods. His olive-green tank provided him extra protection through camouflage. He threw himself on the grass and dirt, falling victim to the descending leaves, getting covered like a sprinkled doughnut. Floyd waited there silently and motionless, praying to JC that whatever entity he had seen, did not return their gaze. If whoever was out there were to see him, he was most definitely outnumbered. From where he lay, he still had visual of those shadows. He could see their movements perfectly, they wouldn't get the jump on him. But suddenly, the entire situation changed.
The shadows started to jog up the road, the one in front pointing towards Floyd's general location. Floyd could then hear them starting to speak, but could not make anything of their words. It was most definitely English, but still incomprehensible. As they got closer, Floyd started to crawl backwards, still not certain if it was he they saw. Then, their sentences were understandable when they reached about twenty feet from Floyd. "He's in there gents! In them woods! Get em'!" the leader of the group said. The two beside him started first as the head honcho stayed behind. Another man appeared from nowhere, so that made a total of four armed rugged men. With knowing their intentions, Floyd stood and started rushing through the woods at a decent pace. But his handicap didn't allow him to run as fast as he possibly could. As he ran, his boots broke tree branches underneath them, causing a cracking sound every step he took. He turned his head to see two of the men following him at a distance. One of them suddenly started to shoot, missing his target by a couple feet. They were catching up to Floyd, because they were running faster than him. In attempt to lose them, Floyd turned left and hid in some bushes blocked off by a giant tree. The two men then stood before the bush, looking around as they spoke to each other.
"Where the hell did he go? Dammit, this always happens when Smith is leading the group. Tyler's gonna be pissed if we don't come back with something" one of the men told the other. The other one just nodded in agreement, sweat running down both their faces. "C'mon, lets keep going, he couldn't of gotten far."
After the two armed men were way out of reach and sight, Floyd came out of the large bush, using the tree to regain his balance. Since his knees were locked up for a while, it was hard to get back up. He looked in the direction of the men, then turned to walk in the opposite, but was met by the stock of a rifle. It was jammed into the side of his head hard enough to knock him unconscious. "We caught our self quite a trophy here didn't we Smith?!" the armed man called out. Smith, the man in charge at the time, just laughed hysterically. Floyd's eyes then completely shut as his entire being went black.
Eli - The RoadIt had been about thirty minutes of travel so far and everything outside the van windows was still the same. The trees seemed the same height, the grass was equally cut even though there was nobody to maintain it. The clouds in the sky seemed symmetrical, but they were obviously not the same. Eli's eyes were playing tricks on him, presenting him with false hope. He was locked in the darkness of a van heading to meet up with Haywood's benefactor. For some many years he'd been the pawn of a man who thought himself a king. In the process of doing business, he lost the person he loved the most - his wife.
It happened three months after the finalized creation of Haywood, which was actually nameless until the incident. Survivors from all around the area started to populate the complex. Rooms were going as fast as walkers inhabited New Orleans. But as Haywood continued to increase in personas, materials declined quickly. The supply of food was quickly fading, not even Mr. Levi's armada could hunt fast enough to resupply. Medicine and clothing were also distributed faster than they could be replenished. It was chaos in Haywood as people fought for rations. Mr. Levi of course stopped these materialistic feuds as quickly as they started, but this continued for yet another month. Then it all changed when Mr. Levi met a man named Tyler during a hunting mission. According to Mr. Levi, Tyler and his group had enough supplies to last them years. But the man's views and beliefs differed from Mr. Levi's. The two were completely different, yet they knew how to run a business. They set up a contract with each other in order to help Haywood get supplies from Tyler. Tyler would supply Haywood with necessities, as long as Haywood provides Tyler and his society with women. At first, Mr. Levi hesitated to the underlined degree of the pact, but he feared the death of his creation. He was a power-hungry man in search of a nation he alone could govern. Before the virus spread, it was said that Mr. Levi was a politician. Nobody can vouch for that information though. Anyhow, the contract was set up and in advance, Tyler gave Mr. Levi food, medicine, water, clothing, etc. But in return, he waited to be presented with two women of high caliber. Tyler said that he wishes to repopulate the world or something like that. That vision is very obscure, it doesn't make much sense. But it didn't seem that Mr. Levi cared what the women were used for, he would sacrifice as many of them as he possibly could in order to continue his reign. Haywood was said to be a democracy, but it was more of a monarchy where one person held supreme power over all.
Eli was close to Bruce because he saw Haywood as a haven. He did everything he could to further its progress, just like Bruce. They became close because Eli actually saved the man's life once from a hoard of walkers during a scouting mission. Bruce named him number two because of their mutual trust. Eli didn't find out of the contract Bruce had with Tyler until he figured it out. Week by week young women started to disappear, taken by Mr. Bruce himself by pairs. Eli questioned this incident and brought it up with Mr. Levi. The mayor hesitated to give explanation, but since he trusted Eli, he decided it was time to share the truth. Eli was also a businessman, but could not enforce such trade relations with anybody. He questioned the actions of his Mayor, having a hard time to accept it. In due time though, he understood Mr. Levi's reasoning for carrying out such malevolence. He and his wife had everything they needed because of Mr. Levi's ultimate decision of sacrificing life. It was most definitely wrong, but in this new world, one must do everything in their power to survive, it was the new law of the land.
About six months into Haywood, young women used for trade were beginning to be scarce. Haywood's population persisted of men, the elderly, and children under fifteen years of age. Tyler was very picky when he obtained his women. He inspected them like if it were a vehicle, making sure nothing was wrong with it at all. But as women became scarce, Mr. Levi had no choice but to give away the eldest female children. From what Eli remembers, Bruce had traded about five or six girls ranging from twelve to fifteen. It was a horrific sight for a man who would soon be a father. Eli's wife at the time was pregnant, she was three months into motherhood. The man known as Tyler visited during that third month. He came to scout the remaining women of Haywood, trying to see what he could take in order to continue their monthly trade consistency. And ironically, Tyler had his eyes set on Eli's wife. She was already with child, which would give even greater purpose to Tyler's vision. She was already set to provide the world with yet another human being. It was the perfect woman for Tyler. But of course, Eli fought this arrangement. He was not going to allow his wife to be abducted by such a demonic being.
That day, Eli was called into the administration office by Bruce Levi. The mayor instructed Eli that he shall allow his wife to be taken. Eli became furious by this and punched Bruce in the face, telling him off and going against his will. With complete calmness, Bruce returned to tell him
why he should allow his wife to go with Tyler. He explained that Haywood was no longer getting the necessary materials to continue running and that without this trade, they would have no way of surviving another six months. He told him that Tyler agreed to pay them double the usual for the pregnant woman, that he had more use for them because of their fertility. This trade would give the people of Haywood, which were about thirty at the moment, in addition to the armed guards, and would allow them haven for future months. For those who don't know, Bruce Levi was a great motivational speaker during his era, his words could conform to the listener, making them understand the topics of which he spoke of. He could change ones views within minutes into his speeches, it was an incredible skill. That is why all the people of Haywood respect him, because he knows how to make them believe he is right. But Eli did not fall for such wordplay. He forced himself to reject Bruce's decision, fighting against him verbally to stop the trade of his wife. With the jerk of his wrist, armed men had entered the office and escorted Eli into the cells. He was forced into complete isolation and darkness for weeks, allowing him to understand why Bruce did what he did. When one is alone for more than three weeks, he starts to think, to develop new ways of seeing things. People say that the apocalypse changes people, Eli says that people cause change. But in that time, he learned to accept what had happened and also changed as a person. He understood that survival didn't belong to those who cared for others, but for those who only cared for themselves and their own personal status. Though he cared for his wife, her sacrifice was the basis of his own survival. For his sacrifice, Bruce named their haven after Elijah. The town of Haywood
Bruce - MonarchA soldier entered the office, knocking at Bruce's door gently. Of course, he was allowed in and started to speak with respect. "Mr. Levi, there was yet another incident in the mess hall. The woman attacked one of our men, stabbing him in the arm. From what I was informed, it was he who started to verbally abuse the girl, forcing her hand."
"Is that all soldier?" Mr. Levi asked.
"Yes sir" the soldier answered, arms tightly by his side. Bruce wrote something down on a sheet a paper before him. The soldier was hoping it had nothing to do with him, which it didn't. "What was the soldiers pass number?" Bruce added. "Pass number 3351 sir. His name is Antonio Ward" the soldier answered. Bruce nodded pleasingly, writing down everything the soldier had informed him. He then stood up, walked around his desk, and patted the soldier's shoulder. "Thank you soldier. Now, call everyone forth for a town meeting. I will be giving a speech in the center of Haywood in neutral zone. Make sure everyone is there, keep a count of all the people that attend. Make sure the numbers equal these" Bruce commanded, handing the soldier another piece of paper with all the tenant's names. He then walked out of his office and headed for the buildings exit-entrance doors, ready to go into town.
"Where is Antonio Ward now?" he asked the soldier. "He is in the infirmary sir, having the doctor attend his wound." With a nod, Bruce now walked through town heading for the infirmary. It was a short walk due to it being right across the administration office in neutral zone. Neutral zone was the region of Haywood where all tenants were allowed. The private sector of town was where only those with passes were authorized. If a tenant entered the private sector with malice intention, then he/she would be given a warning by the guards to return to neutral zone. If that certain tenant did not listen, then probable force of action would be employed.
After Bruce reached the infirmary, he had a talk with Antonio Ward about what happened. He said it was fine and that he shouldn't do it again, to prevent any further incident with the girl. From Antonio's point of view, he had been forgiven by the mayor. But after Bruce exited the infirmary building, two armed men entered and dragged Ward out and towards the cell located outside of Haywood gates. Some may have called it overreacting, but this girl was basically priceless at this time. Eli is the man that would deal with Tyler and make a perfect trade. Before he left, Bruce had informed Eli that he wanted triple the usual for this girl. She was young and in perfect condition. Her complexion was clear and white and had vibrant colored hair.
As the soldier called forth all the people of Haywood, Bruce slowly walked towards the center of the complex. He watched people exit their rooms and walk in his direction with a smile. He couldn't help but smile back, feeling how truly powerful he was, having all these people's lives on the palm of his hand. They were nearly uninformed puppets, waiting to be controlled by his strings. He stood on a podium, behind him, a statue of Andrew Jackson on a horse, holding his hat highly in praise. He took that statue from central New Orleans, forced his men to waste their day to obtain such a treasure and symbol. And now, he stood before it like a god, facing his people head on with his hands held high. Now he waited for everyone to appear, it was the time of revelation. It was time for unity.
