RedDusk

And the Dead Shall Rise

Stairs creaked, especially old ones. Jagred had found the sound adoring before, as it reminded him of the house he grew up in, but now in this particular setting, it was a nuisance. He frowned as he descended the steps, keeping his foot as light as possible. However, the wooden panels groaned just the same, and he feared for his cover. Fortunately, no corpses appeared to be waiting around at the foot of the stairs, else they would have come running by now. Then where was the noise from earlier? Hopefully from somewhere else in the building, as stairs were often not ideal fighting positions. Awful footholds, not to mention the awkward firing angel.

Just as he was reaching the turn in the stairwell, Jagred heard another creak. He stopped dead in his track. That was not his. He only got time to aim the crossbow straight ahead when a loud shout reached his ears. The dead had always been quiet, so this one really took him by surprise, his finger almost pulled the trigger when a figure appeared, carrying a bloody bat, and was most definitely not a corpse. Jagred stopped himself just short of putting a bolt in the newcomer’s ribcage, and once he recognized who she was, he knew he would have regretted it if he had been slower.

“Oh, you.”-In response to the young woman’s awkward greetings, Jagred uttered, still haven’t got over his initial shock. Once he realized his weapon was still pointed at her, he lowered his arms, swallowing dry before taking a few steps toward.-“Quite an entrance there. Love the scream.”-His lips formed a half-smiled, but no sarcasm sipped into his voice.

And the Dead Shall Rise

Oh, this is back on. Nice.

And the Dead Shall Rise

The bag turned out to be one of Jagred’s best find that entire week. Food had always been a luxury since the whole walking corpses deal, snack even more so. Frankly, he was sure he remembered the taste of a granola bar correctly. After hastily stuffing the entire box into his backpack, he continued searching through the bag, crossbow forgotten on the floor. A can of dog food turned up, along with several bullets for what he could only assume a very big pistol. Jagred had never been much of a gun nut, never felt the need to be. With his financial state before the outbreak, he wouldn’t been able to afford a pair of shoes, let alone a weapon. However, he took the bullets anyway, as well as the dog food. Desperate time called for desperate measures, and besides, he wasn’t exactly picky about his food.

The wet, crunching sound of a skull being bashed in jerked him back into reality. Immediately, he reached for the crossbow, before turning toward where the noise had come from. No one was there, but he was sure he heard something. Again, the dead didn’t use weapons, so there must be another survivor around. Jagred narrowed his eyes, then decided to move toward the noise, steps light and bow ready. Sometimes, it was the living you had to look out for.

And the Dead Shall Rise

Well, we don't celebrate Halloween here but thanks anyway.

And the Dead Shall Rise

After the corpse dropped to the floor, Jagred rushed over to retrieve the bolt. Ammunition was rare in these parts, mostly since the VP had already picked the entire block clean. Ever since his arrival, he had tried to salvage what he could, but nothing worthwhile turned up. However, it seemed his luck had taken a different turn. Jagred quickly reloaded the bloody bolt, then moved toward the bag of loot.

And the Dead Shall Rise

Using the short pause, Jagred reached for the bolt and pulled it out the stilled corpse, hoping he was quick enough to avoid detection from the other corpse. He needed to get out as fast as possible, this apartment, with its foreign landscape and unpredictable turns, was a death trap. He would knew, he used to live in one. There was no telling which door would a corpse come shambling out of next, and on the list of things Jagred hated, surprises of any kind was quite close to the top. Reloading his crossbow as fast as possible, he kept a careful eye on the corpse, ready to run whenever it turned his way. Once he was done, Jagred lifted his crossbow and fired again, determined to get rid of another obstacle on his path to the exit.

And the Dead Shall Rise

Well the oods were hardly in your favor. Jagred has like...3 of them to deal with? Fair enough

And the Dead Shall Rise

Jagred had managed to get out of the room alive, but he soon knew that fate was determined to rectify that. There was a corpse right outside, almost as if it was waiting for him. As soon as the door closed behind him, Jagred lifted the loaded crossbow and fire at its rotting face, hoping for a headshot. He could see just one, but inside this apartment complex, there was no telling how many more was waiting. Or how many more supplies the living might have left behind. This could turn out well for him, but more like, he might have just picked his grave. And not a very good choice either.

And the Dead Shall Rise

His chances were definitely not looking good, especially with three deads at such close range. Jagred tried to avoid close combat for obvious reasons, but apparently there was no way out of this one. He eyed the corpses carefully, crossbow trailed on them, ready for any sudden movement. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have notice him yet, so for now, he had a little breathing room to come up with an escape. It was then his eyes fell on the unguarded door leading down into the hall. There was no guarantee the dead wouldn’t be waiting out there, but it was still far better than being stuck in one room with three of them. However, he had to make sure they wouldn’t chase after him. Might be a long shot, but it sure beat serving as food for the dead. Taking a battery out of his pocket, Jagred tossed it in the other side of the room, hoping the corpses would take notice, before making a mad dash toward the door.

And the Dead Shall Rise

Jagred's in a tight spot...I knew I should've put a few points in melee. Well. Too late now.