Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha Location: Police Station
“Are either of you hurt? Did everyone get out?” Katrina
asked as Ryan slammed the door shut behind them.
“Aisha, throw me that chair,” he said before shoving the
back beneath the handle, securing them all inside. “Alright, first thing’s
first, how much ammo do you have?” he asked of Katrina who was still having a
mini-meltdown near the back of the room.
“Ammo? How could that be your first concern? Our friends are
missing and we have no idea if any of them have been hurt. And now there is a
hallway full of zombies out there and the only thing separating us from them is
a tiny metal chair!”
“Exactly! And if they get in here, I’d like to know we’d at
least have a fighting chance. Focus, Katrina, ammo, how much?” Ryan repeated,
cutting through the shit.
“I think…half a clip,” Katrina said. Removing her weapon,
she checked the load and nodded to confirm her answer. Down to eight bullets.
There was at least twice that amount of undead waiting outside the door.
Panic overwhelmed Aisha as she gazed down at hands covered
in blood and trembling. She was tired but she couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to.
The images played out on the back of her eyelids were unpleasant enough without
having to recount them over and over. This had been her hell since that night.
And it all started with her parents. That night on the bridge and every night
since. She had been trying to cope with the death. The loss. The never-ending
loneliness and the constant fighting.
She’d watched as the Joe Mason Bridge collapsed. Stood by
helplessly as hundreds of people trying to drive out of town were sucked into
the giant pit the military had blown into the ground. They claimed they were
there to help, but Aisha saw it much differently. She and her parents were on
their way out of town to one of many “safe zones” the military had set up. But
once they arrived, they realized it was anything but safe.
They had constructed a fence and everyone was forced into a
containment area until they were given clearance to proceed inside; no
infection detected. Aisha made it, her parents were not so lucky. Dozens of
cars flooded the bridge. People were jumping out of them, rushing the gates,
all running from the undead and trying to get into the walls; to safety. The
safe zone was quickly overrun with the living and the others.
Given the go ahead to “take control” the military opened
fire. Aisha watched as innocent people were gunned down by those sworn to serve
and protect. Men, women and children were murdered in cold blood, dying beside
the undead only ten feet away from the gates.
Her dad held her mom. She watched in horror with just a
fence between them as their bodies were riddled with bullets and left on the
street like roadkill. The last thing she remembered was the sound of the rocket
hitting the bridge and exploding one of the main supports. Hundreds of people
were dead and she was carted off by the U.S. Government.
“We’re all going to die in here, aren’t we?” Aisha
whimpered, her voice shaking just as bad as the rest of her.
“Stop!” Katrina said. “Stop that right now. Ryan’s right. We
need to focus. We need to keep our eyes ahead. Stay calm. We can get through
this. We’ll be fine.” She repeated the words as though she was trying to
convince herself. “We’ll be fine.”
“Get that table over here,” Dominic instructed, keeping the
double doors sealed shut as he felt the force of the zombies pushing against
it. “Hurry it up!” Mathew and Troy shoved more objects in front of the door,
barring themselves inside from the monsters trying to get in.
“Did you see which way the others went?” Mathew asked,
finally able to take a breath.
“No. There were too many. We’re lucky to have even made it
inside,” Troy replied.
“Luck…” Dominic scoffed. “It’ll be luck if we survive the
night. We never should have come up here. I led us here; I did this. And now…”
“Enough!” Troy shouted, cutting off Dominic’s sentence. “We
don’t have time for this. We need to figure out a plan.” Dominic was tired. He
could see it in his face, but he was tired too. And he was also determined to
not let today be his last day on earth.
“Alright, Troy, what do you suggest?” Mathew asked, slumping
down into a chair beside him.
Continue----> (Clicking this continues the story in order. If you would like to move to the next part of this group’s story. Click the # below.) #7---->
---------------------------------------
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Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha Location: Police Station
Aisha waited out in the hallway as Katrina entered the
office. The foul odor of death permeated the room, seeping into the walls. She
thought she would have been used to it by now, but it still caused a reaction
in the pit of her stomach. Inhaling a deep breath, and releasing it slowly
through her mouth, she advanced, carefully looking over the partitions and in
the corners for any surprises.
Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha Location: Police Station
Aisha stood there, palms sweating, heart pounding, watching Ryan
and Troy struggling to hold back the mounting horde. Dominic and the others had
pushed tables in front of the doors to relieve some of the strain, but it
was obvious the exertion was taking a physical toll. Their faces contorted in
pain as the monsters on the other side threw their rotting bodies against the
door again and again.
“This isn’t going to hold for very long!” Troy said, backing
up a little as Mathew placed a heavy filing cabinet in front of the growing
barricade. “We need to find another way!”
“We need to take some out,” Ryan suggested. “Loosen the
tension.”
“Ryan’s right,” Katrina agreed. “Dom, remember how we took
out the door at the convenience store? It’s the same concept. We need to get
them back. Line bodies at the front to keep the others from getting close.”
“We had guns at the store, Kat. Molotov cocktails and enough
ammo to keep us sustained. All of our stuff is outside.”
“Then we get it!” she said, stepping away from the door. “I
didn’t fight this hard against those monsters out there only to starve to death
now or to let them corner me until they eventually break in and rip us apart!”
“She’s right. And if what Aisha said is true, there’s still more heading this way,” Mat added. “We need to get to those trucks before that
happens.”
“Fine,” Dominic sighed. He knew they were both right. He
also knew no one would be up to the task. With limited ammo and a lot of heavy
equipment to get into the building it was a dangerous gambit. “Mat
and I will go. We can keep Ryan and Troy here at the door, make sure they don’t
break through the barricade before we get back. Kat, you and Aisha look for
more stuff to keep this area protected. If you find some way of boarding it up,
even better.”
Katrina nodded and led Aisha from the room. Grabbing a handgun from the
duffel bag she’d brought inside, she gestured for the teen to stay behind her
but follow close. They moved back along the stairs and towards the main office.
Pushing against a closed door, Katrina tried desperately to pry it open but to
no avail. The door wasn’t locked, but something was blocking it.
The smell of blood and viscera drifted through the metal causing
them both to suppress their gag reflexes. Aisha’s stomach lurched and Katrina
could tell she would be sick if she continued behind her. Motioning for her to
remain put, Katrina continued forward, searching for another way inside. Gazing
over the partition, she quickly located the source of the foul stench; a woman,
likely a desk sergeant from the way she was dressed, was lying against the door.
The lower half of her body was partially disintegrated and rats were feeding
off of her rotting flesh.
At first she was set to ignore it and keep searching the
rest of the building for more material, but something caught her eye. Something
glinted beside the woman’s left hand that, if they were lucky, would be
their answer to everything.
Dominic scanned the street outside, searching for signs of
the undead. Nothing. Nothing except for the warm glow of the sun splashing its
rays across the pavement, the road, highlighting the destruction that took
place over night. Beaming over the smashed and abandoned cars and the bodies rotting out in
the heat. His breathing was short and shallow, fast like his heartbeat which
pulsed powerfully in his ears as he prepared himself for what he had to do. Mat
and the others would be safe inside. He, on the other hand, would be faced with
the possibility of never seeing another sunrise.
Barely able to breathe, he clutched the handle to the door,
threatening to tear it from the frame. “You ready for this?” Mat asked, situating
himself inside the stairwell. He was positioned in such a way to systematically dismantle
any threat that would approach Dominic while leaving him room to get in and out
of the building.
“No. But that doesn’t matter at this point. It has to be
done. You better be good with that thing. If something gets me, I’m coming back
to personally chew a hole in your ass.”
“I got your six, Dominic, don’t worry about that.”
Dominic bit his tongue. He wasn’t about to tell the man what
he thought of him while he had to count on him to keep him alive. And thanks to
Troy’s curiosity they were stuck together through this mess. It was time they
learned whether or not their new friends could be trusted. With a deep breath,
he pulled the door open and started to creep out into the parking lot,
listening carefully for any unwelcomed intruders. By the time he reached the
military transport, his heart was beating so hard he could feel his pulse in
every part of his body. Stepping near the back, he took in three deep breaths,
preparing himself for the work ahead.
*Author’s note: You may have noticed the lack of pictures.
Yep. I was betting on you being in a sugar coma by this time of night (or
other vice) so you wouldn’t, BUT, it’s not Halloween yet. Well, there’s a great
explanation for this. And I’d tell you but what fun would that be? Ok, ok. The
game was not cooperating, alright? Stop looking at me like that. I tried. I
did. And like previous nights I knew it would run late (yep, that’s why 8
starting time is more like 10). I think there is a gremlin inside my machine
and it’s causing all sorts of trouble. It takes a full hour to load my game.
And then most times it freezes on startup and well…we get 10pm EST post nights.
Anyway, just want to let you know why things have been slow on my end and
apologize. It sucks. But I am seeing this thing through, like always. Thanks
for your understanding!*
Continue----> (Clicking this continues the story in order. If you would like to move to the next part of this group’s story. Click the # below.)
The polls are now open. Vote for your chance to control the action! Remember, you can add your own choice to the plot through the comments section or the poll below. Polls close at 12 noon EST tomorrow and reopen at 8 pm EST.
Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha Location: Police Station
Ryan reached the end of the parking lot first with Troy
right behind him. Looking around, nothing seemed out of place. For the moment,
the sound had stopped. Ryan glanced back at Troy as if to say “told you so” and
began loading more rounds into his weapon. “Come on let’s…” the last of Troy’s
words were swallowed as the thumping sound returned, this time louder and
closer.
“The trunk,” Ryan nodded, motioning towards the early model
sedan parked midways down the lot. “I think someone’s inside. Take a look, I’ll cover you.”
Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha Location: Police Station
“We’re here,” Dominic announced as he pulled the truck into
an available spot in front of the Cabot Creek Police Department. Glancing in
the rearview mirror he watched as their new friends found a spot nearby.
“You sure about this?” Katrina asked, watching the large
transport vehicle navigate into the parking spot.
“No. Which is exactly why we need to remain on guard at all
times,” Dominic said, grabbing his weapon from the center console before
hopping out.
“This the place?” Mat asked, stepping around the truck as he
took in the large, vacant building. “Doesn’t seem like anyone’s home.”
“As we may have mentioned before,” Katrina snapped. “Nothing
and no one is around besides rotting corpses. Whatever news report brought you
here was a lie.”
Group 2: Katrina, Troy, Dominic, Mathew, Ryan, Aisha Location: Police Station
Dominic drove, passing over the dry dirt of the desert
towards the heavily used trail they’d trekked on numerous occasions before. Katrina
kept his company while Troy snored in the backseat. They’d been driving for nearly
an hour, stopping only once to refuel the truck before continuing on to their
destination. For most of the trip the scenery was pretty peaceful, aside from
the occasional zombie, they hadn’t encountered anything rather unusual. Still,
Katrina remained on guard just to be sure.
“Oh my god! Someone just crashed into the car where Dom is
hiding!” Veronica shouted. Soon after, something that sounded like firecrackers rattled off
outside and she quickly stepped away from the door. “And now someone’s
shooting!”
“Shooting? Shooting what?” JC carefully stepped closer and
peered out. “I see a truck…someone’s pulling into the station.”
“Who’s shooting?” Jeremiah asked.
“I don’t know. There are two…three people with guns; two
guys and a girl and another girl is carrying a few bags with her. Whoa,
wait…wait a second, they see Dom! They’re getting to Dom!”
“Where are we going?” Liz asked as Johnathan sped down the road.
She and Nina took over the backseat and she held the little girl’s hand as they
watched the scenery go by in blurs of green and gold. The occasional zombie
would stray out in front of Johnathan’s bumper and he’d plow them down without
hesitation.
“I don’t know. Anywhere we can find life.”
“Well, it’ll have to be somewhere with a gas station. You’re
almost on E,” Fadil replied.
“Damn it, you’re right. This is why Nina and I ended up at
the Roadhouse in the first place,” Johnathan said, kicking himself. “Great. Now
what are we going to do?”
“There’s a station coming up soon, turn here,” Fadil
directed.
“Are you going to explain yourself or should we throw you
outside to that creature?” Reggie asked, taking a closer step towards
Johnathan.
“No! You can’t hurt my daddy!” Nina exclaimed and rushed
into Johnathan’s arms. “Please. He’s all I have left.”
Johnathan kissed her cheek and bowed his head with a sigh.
“You’re right, Reggie. I haven’t been completely honest with you,” he started
as Fadil entered the room. “I told you all that I was the projects supervisor.
What I didn’t say was there were several projects happening over the course of eight
years.” He took a seat as the others gathered around him. “The original working
project was to find a cure for cancer and other diseases that manipulate cell
structure and DNA and we were close…at least I thought we were.”
“Liz, hand me that shovel,” Fadil groaned as he struggled to
keep the doors shut. She rushed over to the wall and snatched the gardening
tool from the rack. Fadil shoved it between the handles of the door and quickly
backed away. “We have three maybe four minutes tops before whatever’s out there
gets inside. Look for something, anything that can be used to fight them off.”
“What about the riding mower?” Liz suggested. Fadil took a
look at the gas gauge and sighed.
“We don’t have weapons! We can’t fight them all!” Fadil
shouted as he checked the security monitors again. “There are too many of
them.”
“Why are they all coming here?” Liz asked, moving beside
Fadil. “What do they want?”
“Weren’t you listening earlier?” Fadil sighed and turned to
face the group. “We’re their food source. They’re probably guessing the best
place to feed is a restaurant.”
“Great! That’s just fucking great!”
“Daddy, are they gonna get inside? Are they going to hurt us
like they hurt Mommy?”
“I’ll go,” Reggie spoke up. “It’s my restaurant, I know what
to do. But, I’m not going alone. Someone needs to be lookout in case there are
more of them on the roof. Someone, preferably with a weapon.” He glanced
towards Johnathan and sighed. “Well don’t all speak at once.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Daddy, no!”
“Nina, you’ll be fine. I’m not going far, I promise.”
Johnathan stood and slowly approached Liz. “Keep an eye on her for me, please?”
“Nina!” Johnathan rushed forward and pulled his daughter
back. Moving towards his luggage, he quickly sifted through the piles of
perfectly folded shirts and grabbed the 9mm handgun from beneath. Hurrying back
to the restaurant’s main entrance and the rapidly disintegrating glass doors, he
aimed and fired two shots. The first went wide. The second shot hit the
approaching zombie center mass. “Damn,” he growled and moved a little closer.
Aiming his weapon once more, Johnathan caught the man in the
forehead and he instantly dropped to the ground. The growling and smashing stopped
and the group appeared safe…for now. “What the hell…did you see that?” Liz
stammered, clambering to her feet. She’d dropped beneath a table as the
shooting started but kept an eye on the action. “He…you shot him but it didn’t
seem to have an effect. He just kept coming!”
“Everyone get away from the windows!” Johnathan Young instructed
as the sound of screeching tires echoed through the walls. Another car joined
the pile of twisted metal on the end of the highway in a large fireball that
lit up the sky. Countless residents wandered the streets, screaming and running
from other townies that appeared injured and disoriented. They were attacking
without provocation; biting and scratching innocent bystanders and tearing
through car windows and front doors.
“They’re insane!” Liz Parnell shrieked as she stood up from
her favorite corner booth and moved closer to the action. “All of them! Look at
their eyes! They’re like animals.”
