Sol Grim

The Dead and the Dying

At work atm, will respond asap. Basically all you need is a name and a faceclaim, ill add the other info when I get home.

The Dead and the Dying

double post cause I can! but really that was all supposed to be one post but I got tired of writing. XD

The Dead and the Dying

Blake stayed at the entrance. He was to keep an eye on the outside, and to bring up the van in case of an emergency. Dallen and Gwen made quick work of their time, talking little and moving quickly. Their packs were both half way full of medicines when they could hear the helicopter from outside. Gwen ran to a window and looked out, seeing the shadow of it pass by over the building.

"What's he doing?" Gwen muttered. She saw Blake running from his post and after the helicopter. She quickly pulled out her radio. "-Blake! Blake, what's going on?-"

Blake chased after the chopper as it flew by overhead. He was waving his arms and trying to get its attention. He ran over to the top of the hill, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. Breathing heavily, he grabbed his radio to respond. "-Military helicopter just flew by.- -They didn't see me.-"

"Good," Dallen said.

"-Get back to your post!-" Gwen said in the radio.

"-We might have a problem-" Blake replied back. From the vantage point of the hill he was now on, he could see down the quarry on the other side. There were hundreds of vultures flying in circles in the air, the smell of rot and death passing by with the wind changes. Blake climbed the hill a bit further to see what was below the birds. Hundreds of the undead, all seemingly motionless and all huddled together as one giant crowd. Without flesh to eat, they all seemed to stay still. Other walkers wandered off here and there, but altogether they moved as one massive force.

"-What's the problem?-" Gwen asked.

"-I think I found where the town people ended up-" he replied.

The helicopter came back, as it circled around the quarry and seemed to take a good look at the horde of undead within in. The loudness from the blades of the chopper stirred the crowd of walkers, and they all took notice to it as it again flew away. Blake watched in fear as the helicopter passed by over his head again, and as the undead started all moving in his direction. It took seconds for one of the walkers to spot him, and instantly it let out a shriek into the air that could be heard within the hospital. Blake's eyes widened as the herd started to move, slowly at first, but then faster and faster as they went. Dropping the radio, Blake ran his ass off back toward the van. He made it in and started it up, but the dead were already about to reach him. Instead of driving back to pick up the others, he took off on his own. Through the rear view mirror, he watched as the horde of infected swarmed the entire hospital building. He stepped on the gas harder and sped off.

Dallen and Gwen didn't need to speak to know what was happening. They both ran back down the stairs and to the entrance to meet up with Blake and the van, making it just in time to watch him drive off. "He left us?" Gwen said.

"Move!" Dallen shouted. The infected ran toward the entrances and windows, smashing through them with relative ease. The two ran down the halls, closing and barricading doors with whatever was available to them. They made it to a nursing room and hid, hearing the dead scratching at the walls all around them.

"We're trapped," Gwen said, just now realizing that she had dropped her radio.

The Dead and the Dying

DAY 4

Dallen gave a wave back to Erin, as Lucy took him to the side with a stressed look on her face. The two hadn't spoken to each other much, and things felt like they were going a little too fast. She felt she knew Dallen enough to know that he was just keeping himself busy. She knew he was defeated inside and was just wearing a mask to the others.

"You should stay," Lucy told him. "You just lost your daughter Dallen, you need time to grieve. Stop putting others before yourself, let me go instead. I can hold my own with these runners."

"It's been four days since this all started," Dallen began. "In four days, Mecha city was destroyed. If the dead come here, everyone will die. The only chance any of us have is to gather what we need now, that way we can be better prepared. There's no time to grieve."

Kenjen and Gwen set a large sheet of paper down on the hood of the van they were going to take. Gwen drew a rough outline of the hospital she spotted a few days ago, marking the entrances.

"Mercy hospital, four stories high and built like a fort," Gwen stated. "It's surrounded by trees, no other large buildings around it. When this all started, the news said people were being evacuated from there, as well as the county it belongs to. Trumble county."

"I've been there before," Blake added. "Just a normal hospital. It's a small residential area."

"If it was evacuated, that would have been just a few days ago," Kenjen said. "There's a good chance it's still stocked with supplies. Everyone gets a backpack, fill it with as much as you can carry. If you have any questions out there, Gwen's a doctor!"

"-Nurse," she corrected him. "And I was still in school, but I'll help if I can."

"We have two teams, team A and team B," Kenjen said. "I will control team A, Elizabeth and Lucy, you're with me. We enter here." He pointed it out on the map. "Gwen, Dallen, and Blake, you enter here. Go in, stay together, and clear as much as you can. We meet back here." Again, he pointed it out. It's 18 miles out, so we should get started."

They all entered the van together, with Gwen driving and Kenjen in the passenger seat. The rest piled into the back, and they were off.

The drive was relatively quiet. Some were busy with their own thoughts, while others just didn't want to speak out with all to hear. Lucy sat next to Dallen, but she said no more to him. Instead she just stared out the window at the farms and the trees pass by.

"There's a lot of places out here we still can check out," Kenjen said as they passed a small town. "Those places might have to be another day, though."

They were still on the mountain, driving away from the ranger station. The mountains in this area were massive and had many open areas. So large that little towns and businesses were built amongst them. The farms were off in the distance, down the slopes and closer to the flat grounds. The view was beautiful, but the sun was at its peak in the sky and the harshness of its heat reigned down on them all.

When they arrived, the van was parked atop a hill overlooking Mercy hospital. It was eerily quiet and the building appeared to be empty, with only few abandoned vehicles still left in the parking lot. The group all got together with their team of three, and they headed out. The plan was to scavenge for thirty minutes, then head back to the van.

Kenjen led Elizabeth and Lucy down toward the back entrance where the emergency room was. The double doors were wide open, and inside was dark and dank. Lucy took to the rear, she carried a handgun and stepped carefully as they approached. Kenjen also held a gun in his hands, going slow as to avoid any unnecessary mistakes. He hadn't dealt with the undead yet, but he knew how fast they were. He knew how one could turn into many in just a few moments, as was seen on the news broadcasts early on.

"So, Elizabeth, is it?" Kenjen asked. "That little girl, Erin, is she yours or...I mean, regardless, she completely trusts you. I can tell."

They entered the hospital emergency room, keeping their voices at a whisper and their toes quiet. They could see that the initial room was completely emptied, and so were the hallways the branched out from it. Lucy jumped behind the counter and started opening up some medical cabinets, tossing a few things into her backpack as Kenjen talked with Elizabeth.

The Dead and the Dying

Dallen felt a few different emotions pass through him. He almost broke down in front of everyone, Gwen being the only one to notice him pull himself back together. "Come on," Dallen told the little girl. "Tell me all about it." He led her into the lodge, where pies and bread sticks were being cooked. "You have to try the cinnamon sticks, I think you'll like them."

...

Hours later.

A coloring book and crayons were gifted to Erin, found from Gwen when they first made sure this place was safe. Dallen sat a few tables down, drinking some coffee as Gwen sat on the couch beside him.

"Do you remember our conversation last night," Gwen asked with a half smile. "...you kinda blacked out in the middle of it..."

"Then no," Dallen replied, watching over Erin as she continued to color something in the pages of her book.

"Heh, I know seeing that little girl over there makes this harder for you," she said, and also caught Dallen's full attention now. "You said you wanted to go back and bury your daughter...I just want you to know, I'll help you. I'll go with you."

Dallen took another glance at Erin, a smile forming at his lips. "That means a lot," he said to her. "Thank you Gwen. But no, I've led too many people to their deaths already. Besides, Erin's alive, and she's here. Right here, right now. Going back will just get me killed." He did want to, but he was also a realist. He had dealt with the undead first hand, and he knew his chances of survival would be slim if he were to go back. Kelsey would want him to live.

"Okay, I think you've made the right choice," Gwen ended with, as Lucy walked into the lodge fresh from a bath. Gwen put her hand on dallen's in a friendly gesture, then got up and left him alone. Lucy's first impulse was jealousy, but she quickly tried to shake the feeling away as she didn't want to become the immature one in the group of survivalists. Instead, she went over and started eating with Riley.

Everyone seemed to be in or near the lodge at mid-day. It was the perfect opportunity for a group meeting, and so Kenjen and Pastor Book took to the front of the room, beside the unlit fireplace.

"Everyone, please gather around," Kenjen spoke clearly, as the people gathered together.

"Pick it up, people!" Leroy shouted to a few lagging behind.

"Everyone, it's been a few days since this thing all started," Kenjen began. "We're tired, but we're alive. We've all lost people, none of that is anyone here's fault. This is bigger than that. Here, we have a chance. I know a lot of you are already anxious to leave, but we've been scouting. There's nothing out there for miles. We need to stay here and stay low for a while, then start to rebuild if necessary. If anyone wants to leave then, then I won't argue with you. For now, we have enough supplies to last us up to the winter. We'll have to scavenge when winter comes, but we'll have plenty of time to do that."

"Jobs are being appointed out to everyone," the pastor spoke in. "Security, farming, healthcare, and whatever else we need. Please work with us, we're all in this together now."

"We need more runners," kenjen continued, himself and Gwen being the only two good ones. "Gwen spotted a hospital 18 miles out. She said it looked untouched from the inside. The one thing we lack here are medical supplies, so we need to send a team to get them. Right now it's just Gwen and myself. Any takers?"

"I'll go," Dallen said after a slight beat. It was either hide away in a room and cry over his daughter, or spring into action for those that were still alive. He didn't want to lead anyone, but he would help and follow if for anything, just to keep himself busy. He didn't even know what would happen to himself if he dwelled on the recent horrible events.

"Me too," Lucy spoke up, she wanted to help, but she also wanted to prove that her help was needed. She was even more athletic than Dallen was, and if he could do it, so could she.

"I wanna go too," Steven added.

"No," Briggs butted in. "I need you here with me. We've got a lot more security measures to clear up before I sleep comfortable at night here. They only need a small group."

Steven shrugged, looking over to Ethan who shook his head against the act.

"Count me in," the former bartender of the lodge spoke up. "I'm Blake, I was the bartender here when things were...normal. Closed bar until I return, heh." He wasn't much of a runner type, as his idea of a workout was going up and down the stairs in his house. His intentions were, however, for Gwen. The pair had just met at the lodge, but he felt a connection with her that he felt strong about. He had feelings for her, and felt less like a man when she would go out and scavenge by herself. This time, he wanted to prove to her that he could be a viable member of the group.

Kenjen nodded to everyone as they joined the runner group. Everyone else would pitch in, one way or another. Briggs was already in charge of security, with Stevens and Ethan helping him out. Others were to help in building up a fence that had been previously knocked down during some storm long ago. Most of the woman would have duties in the kitchens, or with the fish that the fisherman brought back. The skiiers would recon the entire mountain slope, making sure no signs of a threat would enter the ranger station.

"We head out in an hour," Kenjen ordered.

The Dead and the Dying

It took a moment for Dallen to react to the woman, his thoughts still shedding at his mind over his daughter's death. Not only hers, but he got Ava killed as well, and he also felt somewhat responsible for the others along the way. All he ever wanted was Kelsey's safety, now he had no direction. The only thing left was survival. These ranger station people probably weren't going to make it. He was able to snap out of his thoughts, and after he wiped his eyes of tears he took her hand in a friendly manner.

"Dallen," he replied, now turning his attention back to the bottle of booze in front of him. The bartender, Blake, cleaned the last bit of spilt drink from the counter top, slapped his dirty towel over his shoulder, and headed out for the night. The fact that he was still bartending four days into the apocalypse told Dallen how much these people really believed things would get back together. Maybe they would, eventually. Who knew, but the chances seemed very slim that this thing was only based in a single city.

"I don't need anything," he added. "But, thank you." He took another shot and lit up another cigarette. Just before the girl would turn away, he couldn't help but to let it all out. He was trying so hard to hold himself together, but the liquor and the emotions rose too high. "My daughter was killed, just a few hours ago." He took a deep hit. "I left her back there. I have to bury her..." Even his head ached at the task he had just set for himself, knowing it to be a suicide run. "I failed her. I failed everyone..."

...

The tunnel from the church led out to a large open under passing, just under the highway. They were met there by Kenjen, who now drove a van to fit everyone in. The area surrounding them was quiet, and the burning city could still be seen from the distance across the hills.

"Kenjen, you are a true friend to the church and god," Pastor Leroy Book spoke as they met and embraced. "This is the last of them, the last to survive the city that now belongs to the dead." He spoke of Elizabeth, Erin, Axe, his brother and the few others that made it to the safety of the church during the attacks. "Come, we still have to travel up the mountain. By morning, we will reach our destination."

Kenjen knelt down when he saw the young ones in the group. He offered a friendly smile and handed them over some baked cookies. "Just a taste of what's to come," Kenjen said, then they all piled into the van and were on their way.

...

DAY 4 of the APOCALYPSE
Morning

Briggs, being the only amongst the group that seemed to have any experience with firearms, suddenly found himself appointed as head ranger, at least for the time they would all be up here. The real rangers weren't even on the mountain for the weekend, as they were all somewhere else when the outbreak occurred. The mountain, instead, was filled with party people, skiiers, tourists, and the locals. None of them seemed to know what was to be done, yet they all stayed together for the time being. Be it through fear, or whatever it was that kept them all here. The former court house head security guard gave out the weapons amongst who deemed most responsible, and also set out some watchpoints to keep everyone safe.

By the time Kenjen drove the van of the church group up to the station, Dallen awoke from his drunken state. The morning sun pierced and blinded his eyes, his headache growing by the second. The commotion around the lodge was that kenjen was back, and he again brought more survivors.

"Dallen," Ethan shouted from the staircase, he was already looking out the window as the newcomers were getting out of the van. "You'll never guess who just showed up."

Dallen cracked his neck, then his interest forced him outside into the cool morning air. He instantly saw Elizabeth's red hair, then couldn't help but to break a smile when he saw Erin still alive and well with her. His original reaction wanted to scold her for abandoning them before, but seeing them safely here put all that away.

"Erin?" Dallen said, kneeling down to give the girl a hug. "You made it out." He hugged her, giving Elizabeth a nod as he did. There was a lot more to her than he originally thought.

The Dead and the Dying

@Axel steel

Axe, just to let you know, if we don't hear from you whether from a post or ooc by sunday, we will move on. You're characters will be untouched npcs in the background of the community we're in. You can always resume control of them in this state. However, when the story moves forward from there, if still no reply from you, then they will be killed at the next event. Most likely from zombies.

This is not to rush you, please let me know if you're busy. Rather, it's to keep things moving forward...and in this rp, that usually means death.

The Dead and the Dying

Moonfaerie, make a bio pic thingy for Gwen! I'd skype you but I'm working. Is Gwen the blonde chick?

edit: forgot how lazy you were...

The Dead and the Dying

The trek up the mountain path was made with ease, as Kenjen had a jeep parked close by the shore. The group took in one last look at the destroyed city on the other side of the bay, the flames still burning bright. The ranger station sat halfway up Mt. Charleston, it was a large log cabin with a small parking lot in the front of it. There were a few outhouses by it, as well as a larger cabin just behind it down the dirt path. The larger cabin was an old motel, three stories high, and it held the majority of the people here.

Most of the group were soaking wet and missing some clothes, so the first thing they all did was dry off. There were fresh clothes and warm towels waiting for them in the bathrooms of the station. Dallen and Briggs were the only to want to keep their clothing after they dried, as the rest happily changed into the random employee outfits of the lodge, sage green color shirts that read: Ash Tavern.

"Welcome to the ranger station," Kenjen said as they all came back out. "Let me show you around." The station itself was self explanatory, as there wasn't much inside the cabin but a bathroom, loft area, and a small arsenal that was locked behind a desk.

"We could use those guns," Briggs said upon seeing it, and after they all had lost their weapons to the sea.

"We will, but your safe for now," Kenjen replied.

He led the way back outside, down the short dirt path and through the tall trees, to the motel tavern. There were a few covered hot tubs and outside dining areas, but it was currently too cold out for their use. "There's a small town a few miles down the path," kenjen informed. "Everyone came up here, but we still have some supplies down there we need to get."

"How many people are here?" Lucy added in.

"Let me show you," Kenjen said and opened the doors to the tavern. The place was bursting with life, as people were all around on the inside doing various activities. Some drank at a bar, others ate or sat and talked in the dining area, where there were sets of large, long tables. A fireplace was going strong in a corner, where others were drinking tea. Everyone paused to notice the newcomers, but then quickly went back to their activities.

"We have enough supplies to last awhile," Kenjen said. "Give us a good head start, anyway. This mountain is full of game, too, so there's that. Plenty of space for all of you. All we ask, is that you pitch in. Give back, but we'll get more into that stuff tomorrow. Feel free to rest, take any room that doesn't have a marker on the doorknob. We have at least 30 open rooms. We can all hold out here together, until the military finds a solution to this."

"The military tried to kill us," Dallen said.

"It was chaos," Briggs added. "We were at the bridge. The infected got through, then they started shooting everybody."

"...we've been here for the past couple weeks or so, watched the whole thing from here," kenjen said. "We have guardposts, if those things get to us we have an evacuation plan. Basically, if you hear bells, it's time to go."

"You have power, so what about the news?" Lucy asked. "Anything?"

"The grid shut down yesterday," he answered. "Before it was just a lot of confusion, but this thing wasn't worldwide. It affected Mecha city and those around it, but things moved so fast. As far as we can tell, though, the disease isn't on this mountain. Please, make yourselves at home, I have word that more people need my help in getting here, so I might be out for a few days. If you need anything, talk to Gwen over there." He pointed her out through the people, then made his leave with others in his group.

Dallen went to the bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and a pack of smokes from the machine that was busted open. "Hell yeah, lets get wasted!" Ethan said, joining him. They all eventually joined, realizing that they all needed a drink.

"Booze won't last with us around," Steven added as they all downed a shot together.

"It's okay, we've earned it," Briggs said, smiling for the first time since leaving the court house building.

"I'll go find us a room," Lucy said to Dallen, she tried to kiss him but he wasn't in the mood. She left, asking one of the many people for directions.

"These people are lucky," Ethan said. "Very lucky."

"Yeah, I don't think they realize how bad things are," Steven said. "I mean, everyone knows what's going on...but, to actually see the dead. To actually have to run for your life...I still don't feel very safe here."

"That's because you're not," Dallen added in, pouring the guys another round. "Just be ready."

The rest of the night was peaceful. The people here were nice, feeding them and engaging in conversations. Eventually, they all grew tired and went to their rooms. Dallen was the last of his group to stay up, still drinking casually. He opened a new bottle up, not planning to stop until he passed out.

The Dead and the Dying

There would be plenty of food and water for Axe and his little brother, for Elizabeth and Erin, and everyone else. As introductions were being made within the church's underground, the bombs fell on Mecha city overhead. The entire area shook violently as they all had no other choice but to wait it out. When it was finally over, and the surface was completely on fire, Pastor Leroy Book moved over to the table in the room and picked up the radio.

"-Kenjen, it's Leroy, copy?-"

There was a slight pause. "-...Leroy, good to hear you're still alive...-"

"-I told you there would be others in need, we're on route to you-"

"-Copy that-"

Once the people were calmed that they were still alive, Leroy spoke to all of them. "People hear me! God has brought you to us, as he has told me to wait for you. There is still a light, and we shall find it together! There is a passageway that leads through the sewers, and outside the city. I have arranged safe passage to the mountains, where a group of good people await. They have more food, supplies, everything we shall need to get through this dark time. When you are ready and able, please follow me to the carts!"

They would go even deeper underground, to an old passage where a few golf carts awaited them. The drive through the tunnels would be a long one, long enough for them to sleep if need be, or simply rest. For the extra people, a few of the carts carried a storage crate behind it. It held a good number of them per one, though the ride would be slightly uncomfortable.

Leroy sat in the passenger cart of one, and behind him in the pull storage he turned to face the newcomers. "Forgive me if I was brief before," he said to them. "But now we are safe. There is no more to fear."

...

"Help!" Riley fell further underwater. He tried desperately to stay above it, but his sides were aching. They had been swimming for an hour now, the bright blazes from the burning city still shining over the water they swam.

Dallen and Lucy pulled him up, the three of them now back padalling together as one. Lucy tried to speak, but her exhaustion was becoming to high. Same with Dallen, however his mind was elsewhere; his daughter's death was still fresh in his mind. The constant wave and lack of oxygen kept his mind sharp enough to at least focus.

"Yo, what if the sharks are infected, too?" Ethan spat out.

He was ignored, as the rest continued to swim toward land. What they left behind was covered with the undead, and the flames from the napalm. It was either make it, or drown.

"Hey, hey something's out there!" Steven yelled.

Ethan almost freaked out, until they all noticed it was a small fishing boat. Their morale was raised slightly as the boat came up to them, a single asian man in a dark overcoat was in control.

"You all picked a bad time to go swimming," he said, then helped them in. "I'm Kenjen, how's it going?"

While the others caught their breaths, Ethan slapped a big hug on the man.

"I'm with a group at the ranger station, up there in the mountains," he told them, trying his best to point it out in the distance. "We watched the bombs fall, but luckily for you guys one of our own spotted you with thier binoculars. Don't give up hope, yet." He gave Dallen a friendly nudge, but the man gave him a cold glare that made Kenjen uncomfortable.

"He just lost his daughter," Lucy told him.

"I'm sorry," Kenjen said, and the rest of the trip was made in silence.