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The Walking Dead: Among the Ruined - Cottonwood Falls
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John Irving - Chase County Courthouse - General Public (Thursday, June 13, 2013)

"Yup! Looks like you're right Mrs. Laura. I'll make sure those boys don't step around here any more, you've got my word," Chase County's favorite (and only) Sheriff - John Irving - promised. Grizzled, sweaty and scowling, the officer made his way down the rocky slope to his golden cruiser. The Kansas sun beamed above them wildly this June which affected moral around Cottonwood Falls - so futile calls to the department were coming in more often than not. With a smile and a slight nod, he and deputy Gerald Joe hopped in the cruiser, sank into its ancient leather seats and made themselves as comfortable as allowed. The vehicle had outlived its prime for more than twenty years at this point, just like its owner John.

"Why you let that woman think them boys keep poisoning her flowers?" Gerald asked, wiping his bowling ball head with a raggedy old bandana his little girl made for him when she was seven (hard to believe he still had the damn thing).

Sheriff John shrugged and shook his head unknowingly. Those flowers kept dying because the poor old woman never watered them. Maybe his little lie was a form of sympathy for her husband's sickness - a hard working old man with guns of steel and a pristine mustache that made any man a little bit jealous. Without him able to man the farm her lands started rotting as soon as summer hit and she had no one else to do anything about it. The last thing John wanted was to aggravate her current state of wellbeing. In a way, his little white lies were a way to preserve the innocent and make everything seem alright - even if it wasn't. Fortunately those lies never seemed to bite him in hindsight.

"I just want to make sure she's taken care of."

---

The officers started their journey back to the Chase County Courthouse where residents gathered to attend the final public debate for tomorrows mayoral election. Current Mayor William Stan was facing off against veteran native Damian Wale. The race was close according to reports and John was still undecided on who he would give his vote. He had history with both men and knew them and their families personally. Over the years he's had the privilege to work side by side with William Stan and understands the man's resolve to preserve the heritage of Cottonwood Falls. He also had history with the mayor trailing back to his time in Wichita - we could say there were some favors owed.

However, residents were calling on change and Wale was called upon to get them done. John had admiration for Damian, the only man brave enough to challenge the powerhouse that was Stan. Stan didn't have more money than anyone but he had years of service under his belt. The years of service Wale had were in the military - an honorable feat, but was it enough to win him the position? John didn't know and he wasn't about to make a blind decision before hearing them out one last time.

Hence the cruiser road through the dirt roads and flint hills as they neared the town. The poor car had a shaky motor so it clanked loudly at slow speeds - not very efficient for stakeouts. At ten miles an hour they wheeled over the brick roads of their home town. Unlike most of Falls which was dirt roads and gravel, the town was modernized to appeal to tourists and younger crowds. Unfortunately pretty brick roads were as far as its advancements went. The only real attractions was the oldest operating courthouse in Kansas and a couple historical museums. Aside from that the view was limited to run-down shops in all directions, a couple cars from the seventies and old-timers with their war stories.

"Look, here we go!" Gerald uttered, sticking his head out the window and watching the large crowd fill the streets. Almost everyone in town was out there now, getting ready for their candidates arrival. John pulled the car over, parking in front of the general store so the two could join the party. "Gerald, get a hold of Sam and let her know to stay close to the radios. We'll call for backup if we need it. Hopefully we won't," John commanded, strolling slowly down the sidewalk and making his way closer to the podiums.

---

The crowd began to roar in cheer as the candidates rolled out and took their place on the podiums. Each individual was allowed to be accompanied by their family. Mayor Willam Stan was joined by his wife Sherry and his two children, Albert and Rachel. Mayor Stan and his family addressed the crowd with smiles and waves. John watched from a distance behind the crowd. He walked around upholding the peace and reading some of the flyers supporters brought. Judge Jennifer Holden took the stage to introduce both candidates, explaining the rules of the debate and how everything would pan out.

The silent nature of Cottonwood Falls showcased as the crowd started to grow quiet. People of all different shapes and sizes took to the center of town to watch the final debate. Election Day this year was bigger than it has been for a decade - there's real competition. In the back of his head John started to hear a bit of buzzing. It was very faint and it didn't seem like anyone else was noticing. He turned around and away from the crowd and started walking at a distance from the courthouse. He covered the sun with his head, burying his palm over his brow. His eyes squinted under his natural scowl to better see from a distance.

Far, far away, miles out appeared to be choppers in the sky - flying over the flat terrain. John couldn't really see them well, but there were close to five maybe six helicopters heading northbound. Lowering his hand he reached for his walkie, bringing it over his lips before speaking over to the department. "Hey Sam, anything going on in Manhattan or Topeka today? Over."

"No sir. Why? What's going on?" she responded over the radio. John bit his lower lip in question. He'd never seen helicopters fly over Falls before, this was a first. His sheriff curiosity took over so he strapped down his walkie, dug in his pocket for his cellphone and started dialing the City of Topeka. The phone immediately disconnected and didn't dial. "What the hell?"

John tried again - same outcome. He went to dial the Police Department in Manhattan - no connection. Looking over his cellphone he noticed he had no signal. No bars, no wifi, no nothing. Quickly he retuned to his walkie; "Sam, get a hold of the department over in Manhattan for me will you, I'm heading to the office right now. Over"

"Already tried sir. We've lost signal. I can't reach......anyone."



 
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Aurora Miller (Jane) | Cotton Woods Animal Clinic | Liam Miller – General Audience


The room had fallen eerily quiet, with the only sounds being the clock ticking and the occasional sigh. Jane stood awkwardly behind the counter, looking at the fragile elderly man that twiddled his thumbs as he thought of something to say. The woman cleared her throat and finally broke the silence as she mustered up enough courage to speak, “Mr. Willow, I am really sorry about your loss today, but please know that you did everything you could. Winnie was a sweet girl and you were with her until the last breath. I have put down many animals in my life, Mr. Willow, and I know that they are eternally grateful when their owners are with them until the end.” She watched as her words sunk in, seeming to give the elderly man a bit of life and color. He nodded, looking up at Jane and managing so smile. His mouth opened up to speak but was stopped by someone else speaking up.


“Mourning is okay Mr. Willow, but the best way to honor those that have passed are by remembering them and staying strong.”


Both Jane and her customer turned to see Liam walk in, his hair a bit ruffled by the wind and cheeks pink from the sun hitting them. He seemed happier than usual and waltzed right in the clinic’s greeting area, waving at Mr. Willow before going around the counter and hugging his mom. Mr. Willow let out a chuckle before pushing his delicate glasses up his nose to see better. “Looks like someone inherited your ways of speaking, Aurora. He sounds just like your father when he was that age too.” Jane smiled, hiding the fact that she wanted to cringe at the sound of her first name being used. It was, in her opinion, antiquated. She would spend her days correcting her elders in hopes of them using her middle name. Unfortunately, they seemed a bit too stuck in their ways.


“Thank you, Mr. Willow. Like I said before, you know where I am if you need anything at all. If you and the misses are feeling lonely, I also have some pups that need rescuing. I’m sure the grandchildren would love that.” She gave him an apologetic smile before saying her goodbyes, turning to her son once the man had left.


Liam had dropped his backpack off in his mom’s office before heading to the back wing to give the animals water and food as quickly as he could. Usually he would take his time to play with the dogs and pet the cats, but today he was in a rush. It only took him a few minutes, and by the time he was back at the front desk, Mr. Willow had left and only his mom stood there with her arms crossed.


“Liam Scott Miller, what are you doing here this early? It’s 12 pm…. Want to explain what’s going on?” Jane raised an eyebrow as Liam’s grin reached ear to ear before he laughed out loud. He shook his head before walking towards the clinic’s break room, his mother in tow. “Mom, did you really forget what today is?” She continued watching, confused, as he reaching in the fridge for a CapriSun. “Mom, it’s debate day. I told you last week they were letting us out at 11:30 am so we could attend the debate with our parents. You said you would pick me up.”


Jane’s mouth dropped into an O shape as she realized what had happened. “Oh my god, that’s today!? Wait, but how did you even get here?!” She quickly reached for her phone and texted the young man that was supposed to come in for the afternoon shift. She quickly typed up a text and hit sent, not checking if it went through before shoving her phone back into her back pocket. “Jerry’s mom brought me. I tried calling you but my phone was acting really funky and none of the calls went through.” Jane frowned a bit, feeling bad for having forgotten to pick up her son. She sighed before shrugging, then looked at her watch. “We still have time to get something to eat before the debate, come on, I’ll lock up and Tim can open the shop when he gets here.” Liam smiled as he nodded, running off to the office to grab his backpack before the two headed out.

~~~~
Driving back into the old town, Jane had realized that everyone would be parking closer to the event, which would make things a little harder for them when it came time to leaving. She decided to park her black 2002 Ford pick up by the general store before her and her son hopped off.


As the two of them walked slowly towards the are where the debate would be, Liam happily licked away at an ice cream she had bought him to keep him entertained. It was a breezy afternoon, the town buzzing with anticipation as people went back and forth about who they would be voting for. Everyone seemed to have the same idea, to wear something a little more decent than what they would on a normal day. Jane herself had opted for her black boots, dark blue jeans, and a black t-shirt as well as letting her hair down. She recalled Liam’s eyes when he realized his mom had put a bit of make up on and let her hair down. He had slow clapped for her and cheered, knowing that she never did anything like this. Her make up had hardly been touched since her husband’s disappearance, and her hair was always up in a ponytail or a messy bun.


The young woman stayed quiet as the two walked slowly, hearing the gravel crunch under each footstep. It wasn’t until Liam spoke that Jane looked up. “Mom, look at those!” Automatically, the woman followed her son’s action, looking up towards where he was pointing. “Oh wow, helicopters. I haven’t seen those in a long time.” She recalled the times that her husband had taken her on base with him, she had been mesmerized by the planes that flew above them and the helicopters that were sitting in their docs. She could never go near them due to security reasons, but she always stared at them as her husband picked up whatever he needed from his command.


“Hey ma, uncle Austin and Nate want to take me shooting again. They said they’ll be at gram’s not this weekend, but the next. Can I go?”


Jane looked down at Liam, her eyes narrowing as she watched the ice cream drip from his hands. She always hated when he left her alone on the weekends. She didn’t have anything to do and would simply sleep away her days or argue with her mom on the phone.


“Well, is that weekend one where you get to go to grandma’s?”


His eyebrows furrowed as he went deep into thought, likely doing the math of when it was grandma’s weekend. His eyes quickly lit up and he turned nodding rapidly, causing Jane to laugh. “Then yes, you can go since you’ll already be there. Just remember to be careful because your uncles are insane. You’re probably smarter than both of them combined.” Liam snickered at his moms comment, going back to his ice cream as they kept walking peacefully.
 
Marichel Rozario-Pacheco - Rozario-Pacheco Farms - General Public

Her day had begun as uneventfully as it always did. Waking up early, preparing breakfast for her siblings, tending to the rows upon rows of crops... Life trudged along as per usual. Chel always had her mind on other things, of course. Traveling, university, actually doing something with her life: all things that she had yet to achieve. The heat beat down on her and her family as they toiled away at the maize in their fields, all of them hoping for a good harvest that year. Thankfully, Chel had managed to escape to the town with her siblings after all their manual labour, for an hour or two of fun, even if there was very little 'fun' to be had in the tiny town of Cottonwood Falls.

Hands in the pocket of her worn bomber jacket, she walked with Luna, Ximena and Renata, watching the youngest bounce about, pointing at birds, clouds and bugs on the ground, babbling in spanish to her sisters. Their farmhouse wasn't too far off of a walk, but it didn't take them all long to notice the large crowd around the courthouse, along with all the signs.

Ah, election day.

Chel hadn't paid much attention to politics. Whatever happened in the town didn't concern her much: she was simply looking for a way to save up enough to leave, after all. Still, her siblings grew interested, dragging her over to watch the debate. It didn't sound like an event that would be entertaining at all to the 7 year old Renata, but hey, if that's what she wanted.

The siblings stood in the crowd, Chel only staring up into the sky briefly when she noticed a helicopter whizzing on past. It was odd, for sure, but she shrugged it off, staring down at the outstretched hands of Renata, asking to sit on her shoulders.

"Alright, alright. Up now." she chuckled, carrying the tiny girl so she could get a better view over the crowd.

---​

Theodore Ivankov - Cottonwood Falls General Clinic - General Public

He was bored.

Playing sudoku for two hours after waking up with not a single soul stepping into the clinic? Perhaps it wasn't the worst thing he could ever dream up, but surely something or someone would come along with something other than math puzzles to busy him. Theo wasn't the type to seek out social interactions, but he would be lying if he said that the sleepy town of Cottonwood Falls did not bore him on a day to day basis. With his grandfather practically bedridden and the rest of his family off in the big city, he could only wonder why he'd agreed to come back after university to help with the clinic when there was never anything to do around here.

Not bothering to take off his lab coat, he set down his sudoku book and pencil on his desk, stretching out his limbs then heading out of the clinic, setting out an 'out for lunch' sign on the door. He didn't have any appointments and he was sure that nothing terrible would happen during a quick 30 minute break.

A quick walk would be ideal, perhaps a quick stop at the bakery... Just something to get him to stop being so restless by the time he returned to his post.

He ignored the crowd gathering around the courthouse when he neared it: he was quite certain that the election this year would be the same as usual. Debates weren't really of interest to him either, thus he breezed right on by, only to find that the majority of the shops were closed down as well to attend. His everlasting frown only grew even more ornery.

Seating himself down on a bench, he sighed, closing his eyes to let the sun shine down on his face. Well, this was relaxing enough, he supposed.
 
Damian Wale - Cottonwood Falls - General Public/Podium

He was more or less busy working at the mill for the most time. Little did he know that he would be running for the position of Mayor in their small town. The people, or at least some of them wanted change because not much had happened over many, many years.

Damian did agree to some point, and even his mother pushed him for that position. The man had been through a lot during his military service and was now taking a seat back from all the action. Mostly, he used his time with his nieces or nephews, or his work and little sister. He was basically trying to keep his family whole.

Today was also the day where he would step up on one of those podiums and be in a debate with the opposing team, the current Mayor; William Stan. "I can't promise you anything, ma." Damian added, giving his mother a kiss on the forehead. This was never actually something he had planned, but now he was here, trying to become something he wasn't.

Well, perhaps his dead father would have been surprised or proud by what he was trying to accomplish on behalf of some people in the town he grew up in. Damian waved his hands to the crowd. He could see his sister who was nothing but a mess. Her kids were with her. She waved back. Walking up to the podium, where his mother joined him as well.

Damian was not wearing anything special. Just a simple thin leather jacket and a casual t-shirt with jeans and boots. What else would one wear in a small town like theirs? Besides, he wasn't one to wear a suit to most things, and he also wanted to be himself, and not something he wasn't. In his opinion, it was all about honesty and to mend broken promises.

As both candidates met in the middle, they shook hands with respect before he returned back to his position. His eyes landed on a few helicopters in the sky far away. He did not pay them much mind because of all the distraction right in front of him.
 
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William Stan - Chase County Courthouse - Damian Wale (@Akashi)

Outside the Chase County Courthouse the town of Cottonwood Falls came together for the final public debate between current Mayor William Stan and veteran Damian Wale. Over the timespan of three months the two have campaigned against one another before the residents of their small town. Each individual brining to the table different visions of the future of Falls, but both showcasing the mission to better the situation of all the residents. In this final debate, Judge Jennifer Holden quieted the crowd and prepared for the first question to kick start the event.

"This question is for Mayor William Stan. Mayor Stan, you have been head of Cottonwood Falls for over a decade. Despite some astonishing accomplishments some residents still believe that nothing has changed over your directive in those years. How is this year and those to come any different?"

Stan immediately smiled and thanked Jennifer for asking the question she asked. He also thanked the concerned residents for their adherence to present the important questions. Clearing his throat he moved into the podium and fixed the microphone. "I have served this town for many years as you mentioned Miss Jennifer. Over my time here I have helped each and every single person in this crowd in some way, I'm sure you could all attest. I have preserved the heritage of Cottonwood Falls, disallowing large corporations like those in Wichita or in Topeka to destroy your homes to build shopping malls or office buildings. The farmer and the small shop owner is the heart of our town. The heart of the people. I will continue to fight for the small folk as those are our values in Cottonwood Falls."

The mayor's response received praise predominately, but there were those that booed his political return. William Stan was known as a man that held the values of the town before the values of the people. Many believed in that message because they have not suffered the effects of a crippling economy because money circulated within Falls, never outside of it. Stan saw Falls as the perfect town, a place that could triumph independently (as it has over his administration) without external aid. However, his vision was timeworn and that's where Damian Wale came in.

"My next question is for Damian Wale. Mr. Wale, you have served in our military for a very long time. I'm certain you have experienced many hardships during this time. If you become the new Mayor of Cottonwood Falls tomorrow, where do you start? What do you tackle first?"

---

John Irving - Chase County Courthouse - Aurora and Liam (@Wolverbells)

The coincidence which forced communication down exactly as the military vessels traveled their skies was a troubling. John didn't believe in coincidence or freak accidents, instead the event spiked many red flags. He handled his radio again and brought it towards his lips before speaking. "Sam, you know what, send Gerald out there to the cell tower, see if anything may have been tampered with. It's possible that some kids may have taken this debate as a means to fuck shit up. I'll look for Tim here, hopefully the boy can get the comms back up. Over."

Cottonwood Falls was living in the stone ages and had one single cell tower near the outer rim of the city. Many of the land owners could see the thing from their ranges, but it was Timothy Holm who maintained the equipment. Timothy was known as the 'nerd' of Falls and was typically teased for his intelligence and appearance. The poor man was diagnosed with kyphosis as a young boy and has since walked about with a overly aggressive hunch. Nevertheless he was one of the smartest people in the town and if he was out there, communications would be up shortly.

Catching one last glimpse at the fading helicopters, John turned back around towards the debate as the Q&A rung about. He listened to Stan answer the question with his Obama fluff and clapped dishonestly alongside the loyal fans. A lot of what came out of the man's mouth was never direct and always full of pampered loopholes. He said exactly what the people wanted to hear and nothing more. While listening, John kept his eyes out for Timothy, looking thoroughly through the crowd in hopes of catching him.

Unfortunately his search was disrupted when he accidentally ran into a young boy - Aurora's son. "Oh shit!" he let slip as his knee crashed against the twelve year old and sent him tumbling to the ground. He had completely ran over him without realizing and caught himself stepping over the boy awkwardly to prevent any further damage. "I'm sorry son," he added, quickly stepping aside and helping him back to his feet. He turned over to the mother before pleading his case. "I didn't see him ma'am, my apologies. Ooh, he's bleeding..." The youngster's elbow had been scraped by the impact with the ground.

"Hey how about we head to the clinic real quickly, I'm sure doc wouldn't mind taking a look and cleaning it up?" he asked before inciting anything else. It wasn't the first time he'd tackle a kid, but this one felt like a low blow if there ever was one. He hoped to god Aurora didn't make his day a living hell over a little accident, especially in front of all those people. He'd seen women explode when their children simply spoke with an adult without consent and now you've got a grown man running over little boys? Yikes. Let's see what happens.​
 
Damian Wale - Chase County Courthouse - William Stan (@-QT-)
Damian stood on his side during the debate, listening to what Jennifer asked the current Mayor of Cottonwood Falls. The man never had anything against Stan whatsoever, but the people wanted more than just preserving the heritage of their town.

Watchin the crowd, and his opponent respond to the question, it did not take long before Damian had his own turn at the podium. Walking over to it, he stood there for a second to let the crowd settle. Obviously, just like before, not everyone watching were thrilled with someone like him attempting to become the next Mayor.

"Thank you, Jennifer." Damian began, before he took a brief pause before continuing, clearing his throat in the process.

"As you said, I've been through a lot of hardships while in the military, but I'll be honest to the town and be straightforward. I never believed I'd ever have interest in politics. Or hell, even to become the Mayor of Cottonwood Falls. But let me be clear."

"I do appreciate what the current Mayor has done for the town over the many years he's had the position. I am in-experienced as a Mayor. That's also where the people of the town come in. I want to work with you, together. To build the town. I want to preserve our heritage as well, but we also need to move forward."

"We need to create more opportunities for the people who are struggling."

"Just like you, I am an ordinary person. And if I do become the Mayor, I am still the same. I want to work side by side with the people of the town."

"This town is stagnant. It's not moving forward. We're basically going around in circles. What I want to do is break that circle. Create more paths for ourselves. Give the people the ability to contribute more, and to give those who are unable to find work, a job."

"We need to think about the future, and the next generation. That's where I come in. I want us to do better, for a better future." Damian truly wanted what Stan wanted as well. He wanted to preserve the heritage of the town, but he also wanted the town to have more. They just can't be stuck in the past. They need to get with the time and move forward.
 
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Pedro Antonio Rosario - Marisa's Bakery

The smell of breshly baked bread plagued Marisa's Bakery's outsides. Normally, people would be lining up at the counter around this time. It was good bread. But today, wasn't a normal day. "Pero que pedazo de mierda," Pedro muttered to himself when Marc, one of the newer employees, dropped a cup of flour. The kid was trying to prepare the table for softening some mass, but he didn't get the butter off his fingers, and the damn thing slipped through them to the until-now inmaculate floor. "Sorry boss," Marc said, looking almost like a puppy. He'd heard of Pedro's temper, and he prepared for the worst, and normally, Pedro'd give it to him. But today, wasn't a normal day. Pedro breathed deeply, counted up to three in spanish, and said "Clean it up. Now. Wash your hands, and remember to not leave the empanadas outside for long." Then took off the apron, put on a plain black jacket, and left.

Today was the mayoral debate. Big day for the town. Pedro personally didn't care much for any of it, honestly. As long as he could keep the bakery without any problems, and he doubted anyone'd give him problems. Marisa's was one of the few bakeries in town. It was that kind of town. Pedro remembers living in back in Santo Domingo, and passing by four and five panaderos around the neighborhood. At first, it felt odd, to only smell his own bread, but he soon became thankful for the lack of competition. Not that that was good, he knew. He'd probably close down if there were any, not because the product was bad, mind you, but because he'd gotten comfortable, and he knew how hard it was to getting him out of that bubble.

He carried in his pocket most of the employees' votes. It was obvious that not all of them could go to the debate, he wouldn't close shop for it. Who knew who might come along craving some steaming hot bread, or a tasty empanada filled with ground beef and veggies, or a loaf of honey-glazed cornbread.

The older employees, the veterens, prefered the current mayor. "Ain't fix what ain't broke," they said. Pedro certainly agreed with the old saying, but he did have some reservations about the current mayor, like how commerce simply couldn't grow out of their small town, and the town wasn't getting smaller, so it was obvious they'd need to expand, and they needed commerce for that. He himself wanted to upgrade the bakery, buy the building next door and outfit it with larger ovens so they could take even bigger and riskier orders.

On the other hand, the younglings like Marc, wanted change. And who could blame them? Look at the time we live in, Pedro told himself. Change is the only constant for these newer generations. Changing phones and other forms of technology almost yearly, they needed change, not because something outside them required it, but because they'd grown with it. Change wasn't bad, Pedro thought, but it was sure as el diablo hard to get used to for him.

Chase County Courthouse

He reached the courthouse, and basically everyone and their mothers were there. Some helicopters passed by, but Pedro's attention was quickly regained by the speakers as they began their intercourse. "It's gonna be a long day," Pedro murmured.
 
Ellis Park -- Home, Emporia & Chase County Courthouse -- No one in particular

As she opened her eyes, she was met by the hot Kansas sun on her face. She sighed and turned away as she rolled over to where there was shadow in her bed. She had no desire of getting up but when she saw it was already about noon, she sighed and sat up slowly. She stretched and looked outside the window, seeing the beautiful backyard she still tried to take care of, despite this ridiculous weather.

She slowly stepped out of her bed, sliding her feet into a pair of slippers as she walked over to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and kicked off her slippers, got undressed and put her clothes in the nearby laundry basket. She stared at the running water for a bit and slowly got under it, the cold water hitting her body and calmly streaming down. She washed her hair and body and then just stood there for a bit, looking down at herself. Her body was covered in a lot of smaller scars, and she only knew why. It made her feel sad but she knew that this helped her... somewhat.

A quick shower was all she needed to feel more refreshed. She got back to her room and opened her ferret's cage, taking him out and putting him on her bed. "Hey there Huck~. Are you ready to go out riding today?" She smiled and ran a finger over its head, stopping when she walked towards her closet to look for some clothing. She got some black jeans, and a short sleeve grey shirt. She got her leather jacket and a red and black checkered bandana.

As she walked downstairs she was tying her hair up in a knot, the bandana going around her head to cover her forehead for all the sweat. She stepped into her shin high black leather boots and grabbed her keys. She knew she'd get no calls today so she could spend all her time out. Meanwhile Huck had followed her downstairs, already running around her knowing they'd go for a ride. She put on her jacket, leaving the top open a little so she could put Huck in the inside pocket, which she had modified a bit so he'd fit in there. She grabbed her sunglasses and went out to the garage.

Opening the garage, she was met by the sight of her precious motorcycle. She smiled and opened the garage door, being met with a bombardment of sunlight. She quickly put on her sunglasses to make sure she wouldn't be near-blinded by the rays of bright warmth and got on her motorcycle. She inserted the keys, turning them as she revved the engine, anyone nearby would be able to hear it.

She put her helmet on, making sure to have the garage close as she rode off towards the highway. It was amazing weather out, not a cloud at the sky, as she raced across the road. It was so empty, with no other cars in sight so far, seemed to be that she had avoided the rush hour so far. And so, she would spend hours riding around, taking breaks at the side of the highway to drink from a bottle of water, ass he looked out at the scenery and gave Huck some snacks to nibble on.

~~~~​

It was a few hours later when she returned to Cottonwood Falls. She had gone to Emporia and gotten herself some nice take out Chinese takeout in a rather large sized on-hand box. It was when she rode back into her small hometown, that she noticed all the people at the Court Hall. She then remembered that the debate between the two candidates for mayor was going on. Though not interested in voting, she decided to stop behind the crowd. She turned off her motorcycle, putting it on its stand as she took off her helmet. She hung it from the right handlebar and laid back on the seat, one foot on top of it as the other was supporting her on the ground.

She took out the box of Chinese and some chopsticks, opening it up as she watched and calmly ate some noodles and chicken sate, with the occasional spring roll in there. She quietly slurped up the noodles, and was only disturbed by the random helicopters flying over. She raised her eyebrow, wondering what was going on. She shrugged, taking out her smartphone to check emails but... no signal. Which was weird because even here at the courthouse she could have a signal. She tried to fix it but to no avail, so she put her phone back in her pocket, sighing as she went back to eating, giving Huck a snack every now and then when he poked his head up.
 
Liam Miller | Chase Country Courthouse | John Irving @-QT-

The walk to the courthouse had been, for the most part, quiet with the exception of the small talk that Liam’s mom would make. He was more so interested in finishing the ice cream that he was eating in order to be done by the time they arrived at the doors. The school had let the children out early in order to be able to attend the debate, but not without a catch. The students would each have to pick three questions out of the debates and choose which candidate responded better and why. The paper was to be just one page long, but Liam was striving to be the best not only in his class but in his school. He knew this would be a major grade and he had his eyes set on the prize. He had tried to make his mom move faster, wanting to get good seats next to his friends, but it seemed like she wasn’t in any kind of mood to be out and about.

He had noticed his mom seem more and more down as the days went by, becoming more forgetful and having little to no energy to go out and do things any more. This was part of the reason her uncle was coming into town. He had heard his mom and his uncle speaking through the phone in their living room. He had used the excuse of coming to spend a few days with them, a week at most, so he could spend time with Liam in their old house. In truth, Liam knew it was to check up on his mom and try to convince her to leave the old town. The boy wasn’t against it; he would miss his friends but he would also have the opportunity of being able to get more out of life.

They had finally arrived to the courthouse but it became a never ending journey to get to the seats as people would pass by his mom and stop to talk to her. His grandfather had just passed, not even a year ago, and she had just shut herself away. This was a rare occurrence, having her out in public, so people took to offering their condolences (whatever that meant).

Liam had tried to be patient up until the point that he saw one of his friends run into the seated crowd, which made Liam grin from ear to ear before he left his mom behind.

The twelve-year-old had pulled a speed walk up until the point where he was coming up on the threshold of the entrance, that was before he felt like a brick wall hit him. His breath left him momentarily as his small body hit the ground, scraping something that he couldn’t pinpoint at the moment. “Ow!” He immediately looked towards where he had felt the pain the most, hearing the voice of a man in the background. It wasn’t until the man apologized and called him ‘son’ that he looked up and glared.

“Oh my god, Liam are you okay?!”

His mom’s voice rang out as she ran over, forcing Liam to stop glaring at the sheriff and look over at his mom. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Her voice was a bit frantic as she crouched down to look at where he had hit himself, helping him up along with the sheriff. She had agreed hastily when Sheriff Irving had mentioned taking Liam to the clinic, as he had been bleeding, but it wasn’t like he hadn’t had injuries before. Surely his skating wounds had been much worse than the scrape he had at the moment. He tried to argue against their demands but gave up quickly as he watched his mother try to hurry out of the establishment. “Mom, but what about my homework?”



Aurora Miller (Jane) | Chase Country Courthouse to Cottonwood Falls General Clinic | John Irving @-QT- Theodore Ivankov @PavellumPendulum


Jane had wanted to leave the moment the two had arrived to the courthouse. Seeing many people that knew not only her father but her husband put the young woman in an anxiety driven state, causing her to jump any time that she would be touched. The many condolences caused her to remember the weeks after her father’s passing, and the hushed whispers of those that she would pass by slowly became about her as Jane’s anxiety got the best of her. She wasn’t thankful that her son had been shoved into the ground, but she was glad that an opportunity had risen to which she could escape the crowd.

She had shot the sheriff a glare or two but had complied in regards to them leaving to the clinic. Liam’s questions rang clear in both John’s ears as well as Jane’s, causing her to clear her throat before speaking up. “I think Sheriff Irving here can come up with a report of some sort stating what happened and why you weren’t able to see the debate, sweetie. Right sheriff?” Jane looked at the police officer walking next to her and smiled almost too sweetly, making it known that she was being sarcastic in her actions. She wasn’t asking in any way shape or form; she was demanding that he clear his mess up with her son’s teachers. “Plus, I think I can make some calls to find out some questions that were asked and answered if it’s that serious.” She tried to offer her son a smile in order to reassure him, reaching over and running a hand through his ruffled hair.

Fortunately for all parties involved, the walk to the clinic wasn’t long. Jane had entertained the Sheriff’s small talk, but found herself a bit awkward due to not knowing what to respond. Her son walked in between the two, suddenly smiling big as he looked back and forth from one adult to the other. She had caught quick glimpses and knew the boy was overanalyzing the situation, trying to imagine something that would never come across her own mind.

“Well, we’re here!” Jane grinned, trying to ease her own awkwardness as she noticed the doors were shut, looking around to see if she could find whoever worked there. She brought Liam over to her side before noticing something strange. The young man that was supposed to be closing the shop was walking towards the courthouse from across the street with some other teenagers, leaving Jane utterly confused. She quickly took out her phone and looked to see if she had received any texts, realizing that the text she had sent him earlier returned as failed. “Uh, John, I mean Sheriff…” She paused a bit before putting her phone back in her back pocket and looking up at the man. “Is there something wrong with the cell tower? Liam’s phone wasn’t connecting today and mine hasn’t been either. Do you know if the kids have been messing with it again?”​
 
Theodore Ivankov - Cottonwood Falls General Clinic - John Irving @-QT- Aurora & Liam @Wolverbells

He'd spent the next few minutes just staring off at the sky, idly watching helicopters fly on by. He could only assume they were medical helicopters or something of the like, since the area was so rural. There were no close by hospitals, meaning accidents had to be picked up via aircraft. The drone of the crowd and the debate echoed near him, though he most definitely was not paying enough attention to know whether it was going well or not. Standing up and brushing himself off, since he was now getting a bit too sweaty for his comfort in the sun, he began his short walk back to the clinic, assuming that no one had been waiting for him, since everyone seemed to be gathered for the politics of the day.

Well, he was wrong about that.

A whole party of three had gathered outside the clinic: the sheriff, a kid and presumably, his mother. Theo wasn't well acquainted with most in the town, having left when he was younger, only to return when his grandfather requested it due to his age. He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the group as a form of greeting, sidestepping to get around them and remove the sign while unlocking the door to let them in.

"Sorry. I was on lunch." he stated, gesturing for them to enter the tiny clinic, that only had a small waiting room, one treatment room and a washroom, with everything else being the living quarters on the second floor. He hastily grabbed a few papers off of the front desk, moving them out of view before turning to the others, staring silently before turning his gaze downwards, hands in the pockets of his lab coat.

"Ah. Had a tumble, I guess?" he asked, though his voice was as monotone as it normally was.
 

Jon Irving - Cottonwood Falls General Clinic - Aurora and Liam Miller @Wolverbells , Theodore Ivankov @PavellumPendulum


The mayoral debate continue in the background as Sheriff John Irving accompanied the young boy and his mother over to the infirmary to check up on his small cut. Despite stepping away from the crowd, John found himself glancing over his shoulder every time the crowd wooed or booed for one of the candidates. It wasn’t until Aurora sarcastically requested his assistance with Liam’s school work that his attention circled back to the family and his current situation. “Definitely, we’ll get it squared away,” he answered enthusiastically - putting the boy at ease. Soon the three found themselves at the clinic’s doorstep and were joined by Doctor Theodore Ivankov who returned from his lunch to greet them.

John did not know Theodore well, instead relied on the confirmation of the doctor’s clients to make a conclusion of his character. He remembered his grandfather Ansel, but the two bloodbond individuals presented themselves quite differently. It was hard to see the old man in his grandson, but picking up the mantel to Cottonwood’s only clinic was not for the faint of heart. If anything, John could relate the importance of family and the guts it took him to step up when no one else would. In John’s opinion that was a sign of true strength.

“I’ve got a man out there right now Miss Miller. We’re looking into it, but it shouldn’t be too long before the power returns,” John responded to Aurora’s inquiry over the loss of cellular connection. Unfortunately that statement couldn't be further from the truth. Unknown to John, the events that would soon transpire would change everything he ever believed in and test the town’s human nature. As the group settled near the front desk of the clinic and Liam was attended to, the lights shut off unexpectedly. John instantly turned towards the ceiling and raised an eyebrow at the panels. “What the-” he murmured to himself, moving towards the light switch near the front door. Flickering the controls on and off, John hoped to light up the room once again - but his efforts led to no avail. “This happen often Doc?” he asked Theodore, not surprised if it did since Cottonwood Falls still relied heavily on outdated breakers and power towers.

Since Mayor Stan took hold of the town, technology had not seen any kind of advancement. This led to issues with electricity, communication, clean water and transportation. The rise of these key issues were the reason for Damian Wale’s unforseen support. Unfortunately the occurrences were not frequent enough to catch everyone’s awareness and some people believed them as issues of ‘mother nature’ instead. Nonetheless, why were they happening now? Coincidence? No, John didn’t think so. “First the cell tower, now we're losing power? What the hell is going on here?” he asked himself internally, looking out the front windows to see other business losing power as well.

Amidst the silence that followed, an abrupt call came through John’s radio. “Sheriff?! You there?!” Deputy Gerald’s voice came through, displaying a tone of absolute urgency. Before John could react, the emergency call came again. Quickly he unhinged the radio from his belt and brought it near his face. “Sheriff Irving here. Over,” John responded, excusing himself from the others. “Nort- Look- Outsi-” Gerald came back, radio becoming nothing more but a static box. “Gerald? Deputy Gerald can you hear me? Respond.”

John peaked back through the clinic window, eyes quickly examining the expanse. At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary besides the sudden loss of power. Then he noticed the crowd gathered outside the courthouse. Every single individual had turned their back on the podiums with wide eyes and gaping mouths. John slowly made his way out of the clinic, looking towards everyone. Even Mayor Stan mimicked the same expression - a look of fear and surprise. With heavy shoulders, John turned around to see what the fuss was all about. “Fucking Christ…”

Northbound in the distance over the mountains and hills that encompassed Cottonwood Falls and roughly one hundred miles away rose a monstrous nuclear cloud over what once was the city of Kansas. Fire bloomed under the prodigious mushroom and lit up the sky with its grandeur. John’s heart rate elevated, his skin crawling with nerves. He looked back towards the crowd watching their faces turn pale and hopeless. Parents bringing their children close, strangers holding each other’s hands. Kansas City in one second was reduced to ashes, claiming thousands of innocent lives. Cottonwood Falls would now have to prepare themselves to deal with the radioactive aftermath of the nuclear event. Their town however was not prepared for such a task.

Additional Tags: @Akashi , @Hell Hound Woof , @Zackymas , @MrCalcium and @Mr.Scales ⚖
 
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Marichel Rozario-Pacheco - Chase County Courthouse - General Public

There was an awful lot of talking going on at this debate. Of course, that made sense, but it didn't change the fact that Chel was incredibly bored. The droning of the talking, speaking of events she didn't want to be in the town for, was torture to her, but her siblings watched on, as if this were the most interesting thing they'd seen all day. How on earth that could be true, Chel still did not know. Her shoulders were getting sore with Renata squirming around so much excitedly, and she put a hand up to still her, as if to silently tell her that she'd no longer get this privilege if she continued to move, but----

The boom, unlike anything she'd heard before, resonated. Everyone turned. Her, her siblings, the crowd. Her mouth was agape as she watched the puff of smoke billowing up over Kansas City, leaving the crowd stunned in silence. Ximena and Luna, both old enough to be equally disturbed, grabbed a bit of her shirt each, frozen in their tracks.

Renata, on the other hand, was amazed.

"Fireworks?!?!?!?!" she exclaimed aloud, eyes glimmering. Normally, Chel would be embarrassed, but the fear that overtook her could not process this.
 
Jane Miller (Aurora) | Falls General Clinic to the Miller House | John Irving and Theodore Ivankov - anyone else

Time had passed by quickly enough as the three stood in front of the clinic. It hadn’t taken long before the town doctor arrived and briefly apologized for his absence, to which Jane responded for him not to worry.

The woman had watched the doctor move about before settling, her hands reaching down to gently guide Liam in front of her, speaking only after the young man had broken the silence. “I, uh, I actually don’t know what happened or how this came to be.” She smiled, a bit embarrassed by the fact that she had not been watching after her own child when the accident took place. Almost immediately after she spoke, Liam quickly interjected with his own story.

“Sheriff Irving kiiiinda knocked me down. Still don’t know whether he did it on accident or on purpose.”

Jane let out a small laugh, looking nervously at John before shaking her head for him not believe her son. She hoped that he wouldn’t take it seriously. “I’m guessing it was a bit of an accident, honey. It’s really not that bad, just about the same as the skating accidents you’ve patched up before doc.” She let the doctor work on her son’s injury as she looked around, carefully looking at pamphlets. One second, her eyes were reading about the flu vaccine, the next she was needing to readjust her eyesight as the building lost power.

Her head turned towards John and her son, to which she walked over to. She listened to Sheriff Irving ask what was going on and grabbed Liam’s shoulder so that he could be next to her. Surely it was just a rolling black out, right? Seconds turned to minutes as they waited for its return before some squawking came out of the Sheriff’s radio. Jane followed suit, wanting to see what was going on outside along with everyone. The woman’s eyes widened as she stepped outside, her eyes taking in the sight that was miles off into the distance.

“Mom what is it? –“

“Liam go back inside!” She had stood there, dumbfounded, with her mouth gaping open. It was her son’s question and the sound of the door opening that kicked Jane into a panic. She ran back to the door and yanked her son in, immediately receiving ow’s and stop it’s from him.

“Mom?! What happened? Why can’t I see?”

“Liam, we need to get home… I think the US has gone into nuclear warfare.” Her voice was shrill as she tried to gather her thoughts, her eyes glued to the street that they could see past the windows. “We’re in war?!” She could feel Liam becoming more uneasy as the seconds went by but Jane’s mind was racing, trying to do the math of how big the nuclear cloud looked. She knew that it would at least affect 100 miles from the center of impact. Her father and brothers, along with her husband, had all talked about it at one point, but she couldn’t remember the rest of the details. They needed to get home, they needed to go into their basement, and they needed to stay hidden until at least 24 hours past. “Baby we need to go now, we need to go home –””Uncle Nate should be there!” Jane looked down quickly as Liam shouted about his uncle being back at the house. She had completely forgotten that they were expecting her brother to be in town for at least a week. Surely he would know what was going on, seeing as how he lived near a city. With that thought in mind, Jane held her son close and they began to make their way towards the front of the building, knowing that it would have to be a run back to the truck for fear of their safety.
@-QT- @PavellumPendulum
 
Damian Wale - Chase County Courthouse - William Stan (@-QT- )
As the debate beteween William Stan and Damian Wale continued, something else caught their attention. The sound of a big explosion and the mushroom cloud which emerged from the direction of where the helicopters flew. Everyone was startled by what they could see. It took a few moments for it to sink in.

Damian knew what it meant. The aftermath of that mushroom is nothing but danger to anyone close to it. "What the--" He just couldn't comprehend that a nuclear bomb had just went off. Not only that, but the town had not been notified of something like that. Nor was there any evacuation order.

His eyes narrowed down, before he glanced at the Mayor. Their eyes met for a brief second, before Damian turned his attention towards the crowd. "Alright everyone." He spoke up, but with a rather grim expression plastered on his face.

"The election debate is over." Once again, he looked at the Mayor. Obviously, the old man probably had an idea about what was to come.

"Everyone needs to head back home and get your belongings. We need to leave this town now!" Damian raised his voice. Trying to speak as calm as possible, but also with an intense voice.

"What was that.. Back there?" Someone from within the crowd asked.

A sigh escaped Damian's lips. "That was a nuclear warhead. Before we're swept up by the aftermath and the radiation, we need to leave the town for a while." Still trying to wrap his head around what just had happened, he assumed or at least hoped that the military would show up and guide the people out. But that should have happened before that mushroom cloud.

"I'll try--" The moment he revealed what that bomb was to the crowd, panic ensued.

"Listen.. Listen. I'll find out what happened, but for now. Do not panic. It will only create chaos amongst ourselves. I'm sure the police are trying to get to the bottom of this."

At this point, Damian did not know what would happen next. Irving wasn't around either. "Damian dear, what happened?" His mother asked, all curious.

Damian walked up to her, and stepped down from the podium. While some still panicked, others tried to do what Damian said. His sister approached him as well.

"Damian.. Damian! What's going on?"

"I dont know, but I want you to do something for me--" He looked down at her kids, Connor and Tessa, before a short smile was plastered on his face for a brief second.

"Take mom with you. Get your kids in your car and drive out of town. Drive as far away from this town, and in the opposite direction of that mushroom cloud."

"We don't have much time to waste. We need to get away, or else the town will be swept away by the radiation."

"But Damia--"

"Listen Emily! I dont have time to talk. I need to get home and see if I can get in touch with my pals back in the military. Find out what the hell's going on."

"I'll get my radio and I'll give you a call." Pulling his phone out, he gave the reception a quick glance. It wasn't there.

Instead of telling her mother or sister anything about that, he pushed her towards her car. "Go.. Go now!"

Obviously, during the commotion and the confusion, his family listened. Lucky for him, his ex wife and daughter lived too far away for him to worry about them being effected by this. Was it only happening here though?

"O-- Okay Damian. You better call me!"

"I will.." Once again, he looked at his phone. "What the hell is going on!" Walking in the opposite direction, he made his way towards his truck. It was time to get back home as soon as possible and grab his military radio and get answers to his many questions.
 
Lincoln & Tania Hunsucker - Highway 50 into Cottonwood Falls

The singing of squeaky hinges echoed from the chassis of a 1984 Dodge B van as it sped down I-35 from Kansas City. The driver's right index and middle finger lazily drummed on the linen wrapped steering wheel to the tune of Kansas's 'Questions of my Childhood'. Below his smudge covered aviators bounced a long hand rolled cylinder of peace and love as he mumbled along with the lyrics. The driver's long brown hair blew behind him with trails of smoke furrowing through it. The smoke then flew into the back of the van affronting a teenage girl just trying to listen to her i-Phone. In the rearview mirror her father could see her legs reaching up the ceiling. From his view he could tell she was wearing her boots and pressing them into the cotton cloth lined ceiling of their main home. He scoffed loudly as he stared at her. Looking back to the road he raised his left hand to clasp the joint in his mouth. With one long inhale he removed the joint from his lips before turning into the backseat to release the massive cloud from his lungs. The teenager in the backseat dropped her boots to the floor as she sat up on the extendable bed that filled the width of the back. Her father immediately turned his head back to the road, nonchalantly ashing out the window. She threw him a disapproving look through the mirror as he replaced the joint in his mouth.

He mumbled something through the filter in his mouth about an ungrateful brat which prompted his daughter to remove a single earbud. He mumbled again but this time even less intelligibly in an attempt to goad her on. The other earbud dropped as her lips mouthed to him what must have been a slew of spanish slurs. He placed his left hand on the wheel then raised his right over his shoulder to wave his daughter to him. She slipped off the edge of the bed to begin shuffling her way to the shotgun seat. With the vehicle bouncing around the road her legs had a hard time maintaining balance. Ahead in the road a rather large pothole could be seen coming into view. A small twitch in the corner of the drivers mouth crept across his face turning into a devilish smirk. As the pothole fell under his view of the hood he swerved harshly into the middle of the road. A yelp then a thud. He turned into the backseat for a moment then turned his gaze downward. He saw his daughter was now collapsed into a mass against the twin side doors on the right side of the vehicle which prompted from him a hearty laugh.

"Asshole!" His daughter shouted from the ground as she threw a leg up at his face, "The hell are you thinking?!"

"Eaaasy..." Lincoln droned, "Easy, ain't no reason to get upset over a practical joke."

"Tonto blanco hijo de puta madre," Tania spat back rapidly.

"Muy malo," Lincoln repeated as he had many times before, "Soy tonto. Yo se, Yo se."

"Y'know you could've thrown me out the door right?" She sighed as she crawled into the shotgun seat.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?" Her father retorted sarcastically, "You think Uncle Allen's Slam Van cant handle your little butt?"

"Awful phrasing pops, just awful..." His daughter replied before stuffing her ears full of plastic.

The above Spanish was just about the length of his knowledge but he certainly understood what his daughter was saying. His former lover, Tania's mother, Maria had constantly berated him in Spanish when they had been together. After a few years together he could figure out the good words from the bad. The pair were good together once but after Lincoln's 15 year sentence the pair grew apart. Eventually hardly speaking except through their shared daughter's letters to the prison. When Lincoln was released his first move had been to try and rekindle their love for one another but too many years had passed. Maria was a changed woman but Lincoln wasnt even the same man. He was hardly even that if you could call him human. The only part of him that reminded her off the young man Maria had known was the letter's he sent their daughter while inside. Seeing him in person with so many more scars, inside and out, she could hardly contain her sadness. After a week together the pair knew they could never be what they once were. That was almost a year and half ago now. At that time Lincoln was struggling to find a place to stay and a job. Without his daughter's help he likely would have wound up once again incarcerated. She convinced him to try to work against the person he normally was for her benefit. After some time Lincoln was managing to make choices like any other adult not always the best but rarely the worst. Only a year ago the father daughter duo made their plans for a great exodus across the states. The poor girl didnt realize what she had signed herself up for then. Tania was right about the phrasing but for Lincoln this vehicle was only one thing. The Slam Van. His brother's previous shack. In the back seat it held a bed, sink, closet and refrigerator then in an above canopy a short cabin that fit a bed. In Lincoln's youth he and his brother had often taken this van on patrol through the streets their hometown. In his mind there was no reason to sacrifice the name of such a legend for his daughter's sake. For Tania it was a chance to get to know her father and take time from her overbearing mother.

While for Lincoln it was certainly a bonding experience he did have ulterior motives. Neither his daughter nor his ex wife knew he was the subject of a manhunt that originated in his home state of South Carolina. His father and eldest brother Morris had recently been put on trial for their involvement in a shooting that took place some months before Lincoln left town. The authorities began their search when evidence came back to support a theory about a third gunmen. After ballistics testing ruling out Lincoln's older brother Allen due to his being confined to a wheelchair they knew to look for a 6 foot tall shooter. There was no further proof than that to substantiate that Lincoln had been there but that was plenty for him. He knew how quick a previous offender like himself would be sent back inside. The father in him refused to allow anyone to take him away from his daughter. Thus his plan. Since then Tania and Lincoln had been from Florida to New York then Virginia to Ohio, next to Tennessee then through Louisiana to Texas. After Austin, TX they made a beeline to Kansas City. In every other town or so in between their destination's Lincoln had tried to find enough stable work to keep Tania and himself fed. It was rare the two went hungry even if it came down to performing some petty theft for a decent bite. The experience for Tania was unlike anything she had ever done before. As the next song on the Kansas' Leftoverture album began playing Lincoln lowered the volume. Looking to his daughter he realized she was hardly paying attention to him but rather staring out the window longingly. As he took another drag the thought crossed his mind of what she was moping over. He pushed out the smoke in his lung and with it the thought that his daughter was unhappy. He reached into the glove compartment as the synths of 'Cheyenne Anthem' began to blare. After pushing some paraphernalia out of his way he found the map the pair were using for directions. Tania happily took the map in her hands removing the red marker clipped on the edge then unfolding it into her lap. Across the eastern coast of the US there were a series of connected dots that formed a misshapen N over half the country.

"Where next Sweet Tea?" Her father said as he removed the joint from his mouth then lowered it in front of his daughter.

She looked up at him from the corner of her eye skeptically. His face was stone cold but she knew behind the sun glasses he had a smile in his eyes. Tania's father was a big fan of narcotics but she herself never saw the appeal of any of them. Maybe it was because her father had spent over half her life in a cell for his involvement. Maybe it was something to do with the general lack of control she felt in general. For her there was little in the world that could convince her to even let him smoke. While she sat there judging him he opened his mouth into a smile that let loose trails of smoke through his teeth. A chuckle escaped from his daughter looking at her father's attempt at a wholesome moment. Lincoln stared and smiled broadly at his daughter waiting on her decision. Their last town had been Topeka where Lincoln had been a security guard for the Kansas Museum of History. Tania couldnt get over how badly her father had managed to get fired. During his time there he had actually made a good go of things. His boss liked him. Lincoln liked the job. Things were good for almost a whole month. The museum granted an old civil war era artillery cannon to the local Rotary Club for their Freedom Festival's reenactment. Lincoln along with two other guards were hired to guard the props. The Hunsuckers looked forward to for the event for some time. It was shaping up to be an opportunity for Tania to meet people her age while Lincoln would be able to prove himself a loyal employee. When the day came Lincoln and the other guards prepared for any and all scenarios. One of the guards had prepared for one scenario where the security team got plastered. As the battle began the three guards began attacking a large cooler filled with beer. After some food Tania gladly took a seat close to the pyrotechnic area where the cannon had been set up. The security guards stuck in their uniforms hung back a little ways from the main crowd but kept their eyes on the cannon. From his vantage point Lincoln could make out where his daughter was sitting then noticed a figure sitting next to her. After a few beers the fatherly instinct in him was provoked by his coworkers jests and jeers towards his daughter. An intoxicated Lincoln tread through the crowd stomping on hands before he plopped down next to his daughter. Tania in a flustered state introduced her dad to the pimple faced youth. Without giving the young man much of a chance Lincoln delivered a torrent of insults. To Tania's surprise the young man came back at him with his own snappy response. Lincoln without any other way of knocking the kid down a peg decided to leave or so Tania thought. The foolish drunken hooligan in him decided to hijack the artillery cannon, aim it into the crowd and discharge a false round. The event made the news within hours of Lincoln being fired. The two piece family removed themselves from the public eye for a bit before leaving town. If only her father hadnt been so brash.

He sat there still staring at the beauty she got from her mother. He could place the one thing she got from him, her nose. Unlike his it wasnt slightly crooked to one side instead a perfect reflection of his nose as a child. While he was staring the vehicle had begun to list of the road a moment. The warble of the buffer line on the side of the road broke his concentration. Quickly he collapsed his right hand around the joint effectively shielding his daughter from the ember then with his left corrected the wheel slightly.

"Maybe you oughta lay off," She replied cheekily, "It kinda reeks in here."

Lincoln chuckled, "Oh you think so do you officer?"

"I'm just saying if we get pulled over I'm not the one going to..."


The ringtone of an android phone interrupted the conversation.


"Well I wonder who that is?" Lincoln said before planting the joint back in his mouth then digging into his pocket with his right hand to produce an android phone, "Oh look."

"Well it is about that time," Tania said as she pulled out her own phone and began drumming her thumbs against it. Lincoln raised the phone to his ear then when he didnt hear anything he quickly looked back down at it. On the screen he saw the green answer button next to the red to decline. He tapped the green button, then again, then finally he thrust the phone in front of his daughter. She looked down at the name on the phone which read 'Heart Breaker' then scoffed at her father. She extended her middle finger then swiped sideways on the green button before throwing a snarky remark.

"Dude? Seriously?"

"Yeah dude," He said mockingly, before greeting his ex lover over the phone, "Hey darlin.' I coulda sworn I was just talking to you. What? I would never... No. I mean yeah but I... Well you'd have to ask her... Of course it did. Some fucking kid... I swear... No I swear to... Woman... I mean Maria...Maria..."

The phone fell into his lap as the screen blinked repeatedly to indicate the call had been disconnected. His daughter looked at him with an eyebrow raised expecting him to begin making his case to her. Instead the ex con let a long sigh fall out of his mouth as he raised his right hand. Lincoln blew on the ember he now held in front of his face before taking a long drag. Tania sat waiting for her father to say something about the phone call as he stared ahead. She laid her hand out in front of her then rolled it through the air causing her bracelets to jingle. Lincoln exhaled then a defeated chuckle escaped as his daughter gestured for him to speak. Lincoln's right hand reached the volume dial on the radio then twisted to the right. As 'Magnum Opus' blared a wave of helicopters flew overhead. Lincoln seemed confused at the sight and almost frightened. He raised his index finger and pointed out the windshield to show his daughter. Before he got the chance Tania's music cut off abruptly causing her to look down at her phone. In the corner of her screen she saw the words 'No Service'. Strange and unbearable timing as now her father was blaring his own music. She found their route on the map and discerned they were on interstate 35 south. The next step was figuring out where they were. She stared ahead searching for a mile marker as the van's CD player continued playing Kansas. Instead of saying something about it she chose to pretend her music was still on to ignore her father. In the driver's seat Lincoln sat fuming over his daughter and her mother's attitudes. He wasnt shocked over how Maria took to the news. He was surprised she had managed to hear about it but then chalked it up to his daughter's doing. Maria had reprimanded him for making his public stunt in full view of their daughter over something a teenager had said. Then for trying to shirk the responsibility onto his daughter. The conversation had been brief but her tone was clear cut disappointment. Then just hanging up on him. Though he knew she wanted nothing romantically to do with him her approval mattered. She stood as one of the only ways he could measure the good man he used to be against the man he was now. After how abruptly the call had ended he was going to make himself content with them not speaking for a while. He knew how she was. His daughter was the main issue. Especially if she was feeding information to her mother about her father's actions. He began devising ways to mess up their communication stream without getting himself further in the hole he dug with Maria. After a moment of thinking he came up stumped. In the corner of his eye he saw his daughter's left hand tracing the map along I-35. He raised his right hand to jab his index finger into the map on the line marked Highway 50. His daughter looked over at him then rolled her eyes before looking forward in the sky seeing the helicopters dissapearing off into the distance. For a moment Tania questioned why a group of helicopters would be flying in formation over Kansas but was interrupted by her father.

"We passed a sign saying Highway 50 West," Lincoln said as they neared four-way stop, "Think next town is Cedar Falls or something..."

"You meant Cottonwood Falls," Tania said after glancing at the map briefly, "No Cedar Falls around here."

"Whatever you say Sweet Tea... Oh..." He trailed off a moment as he watched the sky brighten intensely in the rearview, "Oh my fuck..."

"Dad! What's going on?!"

"I... I uhm..." Lincoln could hardly form thoughts much less words. As the light dissipated he began pressing his foot against the brake pedal. The fatherly instinct in him moved to grab Tania in order to keep her close. The vehicle rolled to a stop then he turned in his seat as did his daughter. The pair sat in awe watching as thick waves of flame and ash pushed against each other trying to claw their way to the top. The joint fell from his mouth as the evergrowing mushroom cloud billowed up into the sky. It sat on his lap burning another hole in his already tattered shirt. As it increased it's insurmountable height it began forming coils of red hot smoke around it's mass. A single halo of fire began to rise then as it crested the top of the cloud it tightened. The smoke atop the cloud billowed out around the crown a moment. For a brief moment the thought crossed Lincoln's mind that the devil was staring at him now. A simple rationalization but one easily reached given the experience. Even as the crown disappeared the cloud furrowed up higher to claim more space in God's sky. Lincoln looked away from the explosion to his daughter. Tania sat with her jaw hung loose and her hand clutching Lincoln's own so hard her nails were beginning to draw blood. Lincoln looked at his hand a moment confused that he had felt nothing. Thinking about it he realized what was happening. Both were in shock. He felt the ember burning a hole in his pants now so instinctively he smashed the remainder of the joint against his leg to kill the flame. Finally breaking himself free of the shock he realized something. Not more than a few hours ago had they woken up in their hotel in Olathe, a small part of Kansas City. He had just woken her then with McGriddles and coffee. Tania could scarcely comprehend the fact that had it not been for her father's folly she would have been there today. She might have been with the young man she met the other day. Tania twitched a moment feeling jarred by the thought. Lincoln sat there a moment watching his daughter before he felt the vehicle rock forward a moment as if from a gust of wind. He looked back to where the cloud stood looming over the flat Kansas landscape. It seemed so out of place here. No government or terrorist faction he could think of had any reason to attack Kansas City. Some new war. The sheer magnitude of such an explosion baffled him but he knew. Only one thing on the planet could do that and it was highly radioactive. Lincoln reached over with his left hand to put the vehicle in park. Afterwards his left hand raised to his right and unhinged his daughters claws from it.

"Hey darling," He said feigning calmness, "I need you to call your mother. That was a nuke, I dont know how far we are but I dont think we wanna risk traveling after that. We're finding somewhere we can shelter up and call your mother."

"Dad..."

"What?"

"There is no signal..."

Lincoln reached into his lap to snatch his phone up then checked to see if he had any signal. Nothing. He groaned in frustration before trying a phone call. The smart phone in his hands was more complicated than a pad lock but he tried nonetheless. After several seconds of clicking he grew angrier. The 'Magnum Opus' still played over the radio which didnt help the ex con's mood. As it began the synthetic crescendo just about halfway into the song Lincoln began to lose his temper. He looked to his daughter and gestured for her to do the same. Tania bewildered for a moment tried her phone in vain. No signal meant no signal. She set her phone in her lap again which primed her father's irate reaction. He grabbed his phone by the corner of the screen and slung it into the radio. The music played still which caused him further anger. He cocked his right hand into a fist next to his shoulder then drove it down into the radio dial. His knuckles cracked the small plastic knob in half and shattered the plastic framing around the radio's display. Lincoln's face twisted a moment before he ran his hands through his hair trying to calm himself. A low growl escaped his lips as he threw his hands over the steering wheel and began shaking the van. He saw his daughter clinging to the side of the door in fear as she had been unprepared for his outburst. He groaned as he relinquished his grip on the steering wheel to step out of the car. As he threw the door open his booted feet ran slammed onto the pavement. He clenched his fists before letting out a long expletive then striking the van door harshly. He walked away from the window Tania watched him from inside. While her father acted out his emotions on the vehicle she tried again to call her mother. Then she tried the number of the boy she had met in Kansas City. No luck at all. She began going down her list of contacts trying each and everyone. Without any signal she couldnt make anything happen. Lincoln laid a booted kick into one of the tires on the side of his van as he stared at the cloud a moment longer. He chuckled. How could things get any worse?

He turned back to the driver side door to clasp the handle. He exhaled, took one deep inhale then exhaled again. He pulled the door open then grabbed the wheel to climbed inside. Tania watched as her father took his seat with a huff then threw the vehicle in gear. As he turned the remaining half of the radio dial their van sped off down the road. It was only a few minutes before he was driving erratically. As he began pushing 70mph he could see a town coming into view over the horizon which gave him cause to pump the break a bit. As a sign came into view on the side of the road he made out the words Strong City. Driving into the town he managed to decrease his speed to just about 10mph above the legal limit. The first building he shot past in the town was a cafe of some kind but in the front window it had a closed sign hung in it. As he looked around the town his hope for a phone seemed to diminish. The next two buildings he passed were unmarked then the next was a Subway with another closed sign. A feed store. A gas station. He pulled into the gas station briefly then realizing it as well was closed sped off down the road. The town itself seemed damn near deserted which made Tania worry if they had missed some kind of evacuation notice. The next place was a rodeo and the next a church. 'God' Tania thought, 'We're in the fuckin boonies'. Her father continued to drive like a madman through the rural town. He saw the edge of the town not far ahead. He decided it would be too risky to chance riding to a whole other town with possible nuclear fallout landing around him. Reading a sign that said Cottonwood St. he took a sharp left and began rocketing down the road. He began to pass houses on either side of the road and started to slow down slightly. Eventually the road came to a four-way stop where Lincoln looked both ways then decided to keep moving down the residential road hoping to find someone outside he could talk to. As he drove around he couldnt find a single person on the street. After nearly 10 minutes he came to cross a bridge over a small river. On reaching the other side he seemed to be in a different town. Driving further into the town he could hardly figure where anyone was. On his left he read a store sign that read 'Cottonwood Falls City Shop'. The Hunsucker's stared intently around the streets hoping to find someone as they drove around the edge of the town. Lincoln kept his eyes out the left of the vehicle to spot anyone working while Tania stared out the right hoping to spot someone in the homes they were passing.

"WAIT!" Tania screeched from the passenger seat, "Back up. Right quick!"

Lincoln's foot slammed into the break pad causing the tires to lock and grind against the pavement. He quickly slid the gear into reverse then drew his foot off the brake and onto the gas pedal. As he reversed he looked out the right of the vehicle to see a brick road that led into the residential area. Further down that road he could see a mass of people gathered in the street. Lincoln backed up more then threw the gear shift into drive and began hurtling down the road. The chassis of his vehicle bounced with each of the many imperfections on the road until he slowed down as the houses on either side of him changed into businesses. As the mass of people in the street became more distinct he could hear them. They all seemed gathered around a rather ornate building sitting on a nice spot of land. Lincoln assumed it was either a courthouse or the city hall which would warrant such a gathering. As he cautiously inched his truck closer he recognized the large wheels and cannon tube of a piece of historical artillery. It would have been funny if not for the consideration that the one he had operated just the other day was probably now a few pieces of dust. As the family got closer they could see two men on a stage seemingly poised for a debate of some kind. That brought up a new thought to Lincoln that perhaps the bomb had been totally unannounced. The thought scared him even more considering there could be another strike. Lincoln noticed some of the crowd had begun dispersing. Clutching loved ones and carrying children over their shoulders. His blood began to boil thinking about his daughter sitting there next to him. He didnt know what to do. He wasnt a crisis response guy, he was the crisis cause guy. The best he could think of was to start asking questions. Lincoln looked to Tania then reached into his glovebox to retrieve an object wrapped in a black bandana. As he unfolded the bandana Tania had already begun refusing him but he ignored her. A small .38 revolver with a tape wrapped handle was held gingerly in his right hand before it was placed on his daughter's leg. Lincoln looked at her and nodded as he began tying his hair behind his head. He knew she would be smart enough to lock the doors behind him but he couldnt risk anything happening to her. He stuffed the bandana in his pocket as he checked his breath with the other hand. With a firearm to protect herself nobody would dare touch her. With that thought in his mind he opened the door then made a heart over his chest with his hands before slamming the door and rushing into the crowd of people.

As he got closer to the thick of the crowd he spotted one of the men on the stage speaking to the public for a moment. Lincoln waited long enough to hear him announce the nature of the explosion then after began to ask around if anyone had any cell signal. The first person he spoke to seemed off put by his appearance then kindly told him they had none. He realized he likely looked out of place. Gruffly shaven with hair in a bun, a shirt with holes and a pair of dirty boots stuck to the end of his jeans. All these people here were dressed for a nice day out. Looking around he began asking others and got the same answers. As the scene progressed the crowd became more agitated and he became more frustrated with his situation. He was thousands of miles from home with his daughter in tow surrounded by a bunch of bumpkins panicking. He looked above the crowd around for a moment and managed to see the older gentleman from the stage trying to calm the people down. Lincoln began weaving his muscular frame between the masses of people until he was close enough to hear. More talking of a nuclear strike, people asking absurd questions, some panicking. Lincoln didnt care he needed to know more. As he began to push past a couple some tall man wearing a dark blue flannel stepped in front of him. The man's back was to Lincoln but it clearly was his intent. Lincoln stood straight for a moment then tightened his chest preparing for the guy to say something or something to happen. Nothing did. Lincoln tried to move again but another man blocked his path. This time Lincoln decided to tuck his shoulder and keep walking into the man. When he did so the man didnt resist so much as Lincoln had thought he was going to but instead was easily pushed forward and into the couple Lincoln had been trying to press past before. The tall man in the flannel turned around to look at Lincoln with a bewildered look on his face as thought Lincoln were the problem. Lincoln returned the look more incredulously before looking to the man he'd pushed. This man's mustache could easily have made Wyatt Earp jealous then again so could his manners.

"Who the hell do you think you are pushing around like that?!" The man shouted with his mustache bouncing above his lip, "We're in a state of emergency and you go pushing people?"

@Wolverbells @-QT- @Zackymas @MrCalcium
 
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Pedro Antonio Rosario - Chase County Courthouse ( @Hell Hound Woof )

The debate drooled on. Both candidates talked the usual political riff raff. Pedro was familiar with it. He hadn’t been to the Dominican in a long time, but he still remembered the politicians. He remembered the fake smiles covered with makeup. He remembered the expensive suits and jeepetas they used. He remembered the shady endeavors. He remembered the empty promises and corruption. He remembered his grandmother’s house terrain sold by the state to some company, what was its name? Golden Bridge? Whatever. It didn’t matter now. Pedro hadn’t realised he was clutching his phone inside his pocket. He was going to break it. He let go and pulled it out. He felt the need to check out on the bakery. What if those idiots had left the door unlocked? He checked the phone and realised there was no signal. Odd. He’d have to go and check by himself later.


A gunshot somewhere surprised Pedro for a moment. He looked up and swirled his head around trying to find the source, and saw something he’d only seen on game nights with his friends. Something he remembered seeing in a spy movie, something that even in that spy movie, was just a very old recording. What he saw in that movie couldn’t compare to what he saw. He saw a smoke cloud rise in the form of a mushroom rise in the distance. It wasn't a gunshot.


There was a thought locked up somewhere in the back of his mind. Adrenaline built up in his system and it made him forget that thought. That one thought. Something bubbled up in him, and he wasn’t sure whether it was anger or fear, or some combination of both. What was that thought? He couldn’t remember. It had to be important. Something his mother had once said. Suddenly, he felt like punching something, someone. He wouldn’t do it, this wasn’t the first time he felt that urge, he’d never felt it so deeply though. He had to leave that place.


Damian, the wanna-be mayor, addressed the public. He looked so calm. Pedro wanted to punch him. He wouldn’t do it. That wasn’t right. Was he angry? At who? Why? Was he scared? Of what? His mind seemed to not be able to process those simple questions. He had to book it. His eyes moved around their sockets before Pedro realised he could also move his head to try and find some way out. Out. He had to get out. Out of where? Why of town of course. He had. Out. Out. Where? Out. His head twirled and spun looking for more. More. Out. To people around him, he must’ve looked like a loose screw. Not like he had a loose screw, but like he was a loose screw.


What was it his mother had told him? He needed to remember. Why were these thoughts racking at his head? Questions. No answers. Out.


He was about to head up to that girl in the mo- Out. When a- Out- broad and muscular man start-Out-ed pushing around the cro-Out-wd. Out. The man pushed by Pedro, and before he could see what he- Out- was doing, he grabbed the man by the shoulder and all his fear, anger and confusion took the shape of a left hook, melting in the man’s nose. His breathing heaved.


“Yo quiero sabe’ quien e’ que te dio permiso de empuja’me, tu maldita madre.”
 
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Malia Monaghan

It had been over a month since Malia and Mason had moved into Cottonwood Falls, it took some time to get comfortable and while they weren't at home just yet, things were starting to become normal. Malia had decided to get a couple of hours added onto her schedule since the cafe would be closing early today due to the debate, but not without a lot of begging and determination. She had not been watching the clock but knew it was close to the end of her shift when she watched table after table quickly being vacated.

"Hey, Malia do you mind cleaning up the rest of the tables? I'll let the boss know and he'll put an extra hour on your pay." Her young coworker asked Malia knowing that she most likely wanted to be one of the first at the courthouse, likely to get a good seat. "Uh... yeah, it's cool." Malia was thrown off almost on her ass from a girl giving her a bear hug, clearly not knowing any personal space. "Thanks, Maley love you!" Malia barely knew her for the month and she had already made a nickname for her, which she hated.

After close to an hour of cleanup, Malia felt exhausted from the dozen tables, cleaning, and washing of dishes she had to do, she did not get paid enough for this type of labor. Malia dropped down on one of the benches that were last to be cleaned and let out an exhausted exhale, feeling like she could fall asleep right then and there. Malia took her phone out of her pocket to check if she got any messages when her eyes widen to see that it was almost 12:30, quickly Malia grabbed her things and ran out the door towards her car, she had lost track of time and was supposed to pick Mason up for twelve.

Mason Monaghan

Mason had been elated when the clock finally hit 11:30 Am, the boy was almost trampled by all the excited kids ready to get out of school for the day, but thankfully the boy decided to wait in his seat until every kid quickly ran into the hallway. Mason began picking up his books and sliding them in his bag when his teacher called his name. "Hey Mason, could I talk to you for a minute?" The boy turned to his teacher and nodded then bent down to pick up his bag, the teacher, Mrs. Carlow saw down on the desk on the desk beside him.

"Don't worry you're not in trouble, actually, in fact, you are doing remarkably well, Your grades are excellent, you haven't gotten an assignment late at all and your always on task, but..." His teacher acknowledging him made him feel proud and accomplished, the smile soon faded when his teacher continued to speak. "Well, I notice that you don't socialize as much as others and you eat alone, is everything okay?" The boy looked down at his feet and made a shrug. "I don't know, just kinda hard to talk to people." His teacher smiled and put a light hand on his back. "I know that it must be hard moving to a new school, but you're a bright kid and I know It'll be easy if you put yourself out there." Mason felt a lot better after his teacher's speech, he just had to get out of his own shell. "Thanks, Mrs. Carlow, I'll try." Mrs. Carlow patted the boy on the back and went back to her desk. "Now get outta here and enjoy the rest of your day." Mason grabbed his bag and waved goodbye to his teacher.


.........

When Malia finally got to the school, it was around twelve o' clock and was feeling awful about being late to pick up her brother. After getting to the front of the school she saw her brother sitting on the pavement waiting for her. "Hey, dude I'm so sorry I lost track of time." Mason climbed into the car obviously looking disappointed. "It's okay," Mason replied and pulled his seatbelt over his lap. "I suck I know, how about we go get some ice cream and pick up a movie to watch?" Mason looked over at his sister in confusion. "Aren't we going to the debate?" Malia was hoping to not go to the debate, she found them pointless and knew that they were going to have to move soon. "Well, I was thinking you'd just be bored from it anyway." Mason was a bit disappointed about not going to the courthouse, but he wasn't going to make a big deal about it.

As they continued to drive, Malia looked out her window to see something she something that left a shiver down her spine, there was a giant orange cloud in the sky, looking like hell had crossed onto the earth. "Malia watch out!" By the time Malia was able to turn her eyes back to the road she was already hitting a parked car in front of her, thankfully Malia was able to stop the impact of the airbag from hitting her brother with the impact of her arm.

Malia woke up thirty seconds later after the accident to see Mason pulling at her brother. "Thank god you're awake, I thought..." Mason was almost to the verge of crying. "I'm okay bud, Are you hurt?" Mason gave Malia a huge hug, a feeling she really missed. "No, I'm okay, but you're bleeding!" Malia all of a sudden started to feel a major migraine and felt her head, noticing some blood on her hand. "There's a clinic over there, we need to get you help!" Malia nodded in agreement and the family stumbled out of the vehicle. "Here hold onto me." Mason lent out his shoulder to help his sister and the two journeyed down the block until they saw the clinic sign. "Look there it is!" The two walked into the clinic barely getting into the doors before Malia hit the floor. "Please, can you help my sister we were in an accident!"

 
John Irving - Cottonwood Falls Courthouse - Samantha Collins (NPC) | Aurora and Liam (@Wolverbells) | Malia and Mason (@Mr.Scales ⚖) | Damian (@Akashi) | Theodore and Marichel (@PavellumPendulum)


Momentary deafness struck John as he witnessed nuclear armageddon for the first time in his life. His body felt stiff and unmoving as the crowd entered a state of disturbance. Debate attendees trampled over each other in hopes of reaching safety first. Individuals initiated in senseless acts of violence - fighting one another for unexplained reasons and targeting defenseless shops to steal from. It was like the world turned upside down and Sheriff John could not jump into action. Like most, he was afraid and became rather immobilized by the idea of extinction. It was not until he was approached by Officer Samantha Collins that John regained his standard motor functions and was able to witness the uproar that ensued around him.

"Sheriff Irving! I rushed over as fast as I could!" Sam affirmed, surveying the crowd and their ongoing panic. Her eyes bubbled widely at the sight of Cottonwood's alerting state. Never had she dealt with such a paramount plight and her nerves were getting the best of her. Even her naturally white complexion turned ghostly. "Calm down Sam, it's going to be fine," John proclaimed, turning over his left shoulder to assess the situation. His eyes hovered over the scene, pinpointing dangers that needed to be addressed immediately and situations that could wait. However, out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of two individuals diving into the clinic, one looking to be in critical condition.

The two officers then raced into the office after them. “Is everyone okay?!” They all had that same facial expression - like the world was coming to an end and there wasn’t anything they could do about it. It was hopeless to try and raise moral, but John didn’t have a choice - it was his job. “I know it all looks grim right now, but we’ll be alright. We’ll make it out of this,” he stated, kneeling over to check Malia’s condition. “She’s going to okay, don’t worry,” John reassured, trying to calm the little boy. “Doc, need your help here.”

Removing himself from the doctor’s space, he returned to the front door. “Everyone please, I need you all to listen up. Things are about to get tricky in the next twenty four hours, so stick together and get out of here as soon as you can. I know it’s a big ask, but there isn’t much time. Doc, get whatever you need and get this girl out of here. It’s getting violent out there ...”

---

Returning to the fray, John prepared for impact as the street became flooded with bodies. Looking over at the podiums, John saw Damian Wale rush offstage seconds after addressing the crowd. His fast pacing and rush to exit alerted John, a man with his background might know exactly what they were in for.

Turning back to Sam, John placed both his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to do something very important for me....." he started, residents shifting into a state fueled by rage. "I need you to stop these senseless fights right now, keep everyone safe, I need to do something!" Before Sam could respond, John hastened away through the crowd. "Shit!" Samantha cursed to herself, rushing to keep order in an orderless function. "Stop fighting!"

On the opposite side of the chaos, Mayor William Stan took to the podium to rally his residents. "Please stay calm! We will get through this! Just return home and stay put until it's safe!" he emphasized, disturbed by his people's inability to heath command. At this point the residents were no longer themselves and acted purely on instinct. "Please!" he begged, his daughter and son grasping his linens in hopes of getting somewhere safe before it was too late. Seeing his own children’s hopelessness adduced that Cottonwood Falls would not overcome the nuclear disaster.

Despite the realization, the old man continued to speak through the microphone. His words amounted to nothing as the people continued their fury. “Damian!” John called out, ramming through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. For a second time that day, the poor officer found himself crashing against yet more children - this time a number of them. “Jesus Christ, not again!” John cursed with a heavy breath. “Here, take my hand,” he said, lifting each kid back to their feet. “You’re that farmer’s daughter, aren't you?” John realized, looking around for a mere second to see if he could spot her parents. With neither in site John made the decision to help the youngsters out of the smothering rabble. “Stay with me!”

Freeing himself from the mass, he approached the vehicle’s passenger window with the four girls - signalling Damian to let him in. “I need your help, we’re short handed and ………. Nevermind, just take these girls with you please, get them home! I’ll talk with you later, if we survive this thing!” he stated, eyeing the crowd and their relentlessness in destroying Falls. John could not even begin to comprehend the human nature behind their actions. One second they’re cheering to help the town, the next their destroying it - it was terrifying. Furthermore what drove their actions was simply fear of the unknown.

---

John returned to crowd control, helping people back to their feet and away from havoc. Unfortunately he was not able to speak with Damian as he wanted to - the circumstances changed drastically in a fraction of a second. The lives of children was a more important matter than to know what was going on. John truly did believe Damian could help him figure out why the bomb was dropped, but there wasn’t time for those questions.

“Stop! Get the-” he struggled, pushing a man trying to break into the locked grocery store. “You’re better than that Stanley!” he yelled at him, shoving him away. He knew all the people in this town, that came with the territory. In desperate situations people showed their real self and it was a sad sight to see. He felt his hand reaching for his weapon every time someone bumped into him, but would pull away against the nature to defend himself. He didn’t want to think he could shoot any of these people, but maybe even he was beginning to show his true self.​
 
Damian Wale - Chase County Courthouse > Damian's House - John Irving (@-QT-)
Walking away from the crowd that was worse than before, he kept his eyes glued on his car that was right next to him. Approaching it, he opened it up and placed the key in the ignition. Before he could start the car up and head back home, John showed up. Not only was he not there, next to him, but he had four girls with him.

Damian could recognize the girls. Anyone could in some way, recognize everyone in their town. A sigh escaped his lips, but he could imagine how difficult this entire situation must be for John and the cops. "Alright, get in, girls!"

Stepping out of the car, he helped the four girls in. Once they were comfortable, he took a seat and drove off. The girls were nervous, scared and confused. "Don't worry, I'll get you home safe." A short smile plastered on his face. To be honest, he had no idea what was going on. Just that a nuclear bomb was used.

The town was in commotion. If people were stepping on one another, it wouldn't be surprising. Looking at the streets, he could see that some of the people were rushing back to their home. Some were getting in their cars. Others were obviously looting whatever store they could. Right now, they were not his concern. He also had much more responsibility placed upon him by John before he left the debate.

Damian could not blame him. He would also help in any way possible. His grasp on the steering wheel was tighter than ever, he was driving a bit too fast. "Sorry girls, I need to get something from my home before I can get you guys to your parents. Do you know where they might be?"

It took a few moments for the girls to respond.

Damian listened to what the girls had to say. Most likely, their parents were watching the debate, or were close by. At this rate, they would either go back home in hopes of seing their children, or, they would be caught up in the mess happening in town. "Alright." Once again, he smiled, only to ease the tension in the air.

Despite their situation, he wanted the girls to calm down. Eventually, he drove his car to the driveway of his house. Opening up the door, he looked at the girls. "Stay here, I'll be right back. I'll be inside the house if anything happens."

Once the girls nodded and agreed, he rushed to the house. Entering, he walked up to the second floor. He opened up his closet and found a black steel box. It was dusty and old. He pulled it out and placed it on the bed. Opening it up. He saw more than one passport there. Some money. A gun, a radio and his dog tags.

Picking up the gun first, he made sure it was loaded. Putting it behind his back, between his jeans to conceal it, he eventually reached for the military radio. Damian turned it on, and changed to the appropriate frequency to get in touch with his buddies. "Jason, are you there. If you are, this Damian."

A few seconds went by, but there was no response. All he got in return was static. He tried the same thing again. He changed the frequency to something else, but there was just no response from anyone. It was static, static and static. "What the hell Jason! Answer the damn radio!"

Unfortunately, he was still unable to get a response. A sigh of disappointment escaped his lips. Returning to his closet, he picked up a small go-bag. It was empty, but good enough to put his radio in. Maybe the cell reception had something to do with the radio reception as well. However, in his mind, that would be impossible because the radio has its own, amplified, sattelite reception. This is precisely the reason why the military radio is supposed to wkr.

With no answers, he placed the radio, his dog tags and a few other, neccessary things in his bag. He exited the house and walked back to his car. Got in and drove back into town. "Sorry for the wait girls. Now lets get you to your parents." The first thing he wanted to do, before actually returning them to their houses, was to return to the debate location and see if he could find them there.

Perhaps finding John as well could help him somehow. He also had to find a way to get in touch with his sister and mother.
 
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Lincoln & Tania Hunsucker -Cottonwood Falls Courthouse- Pedro Rosario, William Stan,

"Fucker..." Lincoln groaned clutching his now bleeding nose.

As briefly as the making of acquaintances had been the last thing Lincoln saw before he felt the bridge of his nose smashed in was the face of the mustached man. The blow came as a violent surprise that forced a few bloody snorts out of Lincoln's now crooked nose. Being in a number of fights in his life the nose wasnt crippling but damned if it didnt hurt. While he stumbled a moment from the force of the strike Lincoln managed to retain his stance. Lincoln's jaw set then his nostrils flared as his fingers curled into a fist. Thinking about it more he gave in to stoking the fire inside him. He looked at the tall man and the mustached man trying to decide who to prioritize. In his anger he couldnt remember who's fist it had been. But in his mouth he could taste the blood drizzling over his lips. He hated being hit in the nose. Over his shoulder a rattle of spanish words came from a tall tanned man. The words he could discern drove him further over the edge as he raised his fist then planted it across the mustached mans nose. Lincoln's own sharp knuckles easily broke the mans nose causing a spurt of blood to coat his facial hair. Before Lincoln could raise his hand again to strike he felt the hand on his shoulder move to restrain his left arm. Lincoln looked backwards to see the hispanic man.

"You want permission to do what with my mother?" Lincoln said viciously as he reached over his left shoulder with the same right fist.

The blow came into contact just below the jaw crest driving the man's jaw downward. Lincoln turned to him as the man's hand fell from his shoulder then raised his own hands in front of his chest before extending them. The force of the shove sent the hispanic back. Lincoln stood at an angle between the man who had been behind him and the two men in front of him. Lincoln's head whipped around with a wild look in his eye assessing the crowd. The nearest person to him was the tall man in the flannel. The man's face was a mix of shock and anger after having seeing his friend struck for no reason. The tall man's hand moved closer which gave Lincoln no shortage of cause. He drove his right elbow into the man's stomach then pivoted to face the tall man as he doubled over in pain. Lincoln raised his arms in front of his face ready to strike at the big man. As Lincoln did so the mustached man returned with fists raised to box. The ex convict smiled through the blood drizzling over his face then spit at the man. Lincoln probed his foot forward and watched as the man with the mustache shifted his own feet. Lincoln's smile fell realizing it could be a fair fight. Before any of the three men could make a move Lincoln felt a pair of hands shoot up under his arm pits and wrap around his head. He let loose an animalistic growl as he felt his arms extend to his sides then his neck forced down by a pair of hands. Feeling his footing shift Lincoln knew he had to do something fast before the arms wrapped around his torso and neck locked. His blood stained teeth exposed themselves in a toothy grin as he looked at the tall man for a moment. He was still quite close to Lincoln but not as close as the mustached man who approached him now. He got close enough to talk to into Lincoln's ear if he wanted to which seemed like a good idea at the time. Lincoln's head rocked back a moment then jutted forward into the other man's forehead. The pain was shared between the two but the ex con knew he had moments before he would be incapacitated. Lincoln's knees bent and his arms tightened in front of his chest. As he interlocked his fingers he extended his legs while leaning backwards, forcing the man behind him and he to begin falling. As Lincoln fell he could see the big man still standing in front of him and raised his booted feet together in front of him. Upon extending his legs the second time both heels of his boot were driven into the cheekbones of the tall man. The blow would certainly send him reeling into the crowd undoubtedly collapsing into some person or persons. A short strained laugh could be heard as Lincoln's body fell to the ground on top of his assailant. The pair rolled away from each other trying to adjust to their new pavement backdrop.

"You..." Lincoln uttered taking a knee, "You're fuckin dead asshole..."

Lincoln pounced from his crouched position and attacked the man with a flurry of fists and knees from above. The scene looked like a caveman diving at a gourmet meal. The tan man below him managed to keep his hands up. Effectively he blocked most of the blows but the ones that made it through were no love taps. Lincoln was smiling wildly as he threw his hands downward using both the force of gravity and his own strength. He felt free for these few moments. Peaceful even perhaps blissful. The thought was interrupted as an arm wrapped around Lincoln's throat jarring him from his thoughts and opponent. Though he couldnt see who it was he was willing to wager it was the man with the mustache coming back for his piece of the action. Lincoln was raised away from Pedro as the man behind him dragged him by the neck. In fury Lincoln began throwing elbows over his shoulder into the man's thigh trying to halt his progress. While Lincoln was dragged the mayor seemed to be taking the stage again trying to calm the residents. Desperately trying to claw his way back to Pedro he threw his legs at the man on the ground. Lincoln felt something strike the side of his face then turned to see. As his eyes locked onto the unconscious form of the man in the blue flannel then two women kneeling next to him. Regret passed through Lincoln's mind. Not important now. He pushed the thought from his mind. He was loosing air. The realization came as Lincoln tried to figure why he had trouble focusing. As he rasped for air he raised his left hand and clutched the arm of his assailant trying to pry it away from him. As he did so he worked one of his legs underneath him so that he had some stability. Lincoln felt another strike to his face in the same place and looked up to see the mustached man retracting his hand. Before another blow could hit him Lincoln raised his right hand to the side of his face to cover himself. The mustached man's fist collided with Lincoln's knuckles which only seemed to lessen the blow slightly. His vision was starting to get blurry now causing him to considered the options ahead of him. He tensed his neck and released his grip on the mans arm then with both arms wrapped the man's right leg. He extended his knee and threw the man slightly off balance. Long enough to loosen the hold on Lincoln's neck which was plenty of time for him to escape. Lincoln landed under the man with his leg over his stomach. Lincoln raised one elbow over the mans groin and drove it down. The mustached man's legs immediately curled up into his stomach as a low groan resonated in his mouth. Lincoln released and rolled away from the wounded man rasping as he caught some air. Lincoln crawled to the man then delivered a cruel final punch to his temple that forced his skull to collide with the ground. Lincoln was satisfied assuming the man was most likely out of the fight now. As he got up from his stomach Lincoln felt the side of his face swelling along with the bridge of his nose beginning to tense. His eyes rolled in his skull trying to take in the people around him. Trying to focus on the situation as he regained his breath. The only thing left was the hispanic man who attacked him and the crowd around him. Lincoln stood with his hands at his sides fists balled and face bloody. He looked around him for a minute or so then made out the roof of his van down the street. Over the heads of all these strangers he could barely make it out. So many strangers. A thought crossed his mind about fleeing town with his daughter before a sharp cramp struck his back then suddenly spread to his arms and neck then finally it stopped.

"Holy shi...eitutitit" , Lincoln stuttered as his body felt another surge of shocks and cramps this time stronger. This time it seemed to drag out longer. He felt his muscles surging with varying intensities of electricity as he writhed on the ground. After a minute of intense shaking Lincoln was released from it. Immediately he tried to raise himself from the ground but before he could even get his palms flat on the concrete he was struck on the back of the head by an acrylic baton. One arm was grabbed from his side then pinned to his back by someone's knee. He felt the familiarity of cool metal around his wrist then felt his other arm drawn behind his back as well. The weight of the knee shifted off his arm and onto his shoulders. Driving his chest and chin into the asphalt in a rather uncomfortable way.

"You look like you know the drill," A female voice said from behind as she secured his second hand in the cuffs, "I dont know where you come from but I do know where you're going."

With the crowd growing more frantic the policewoman began reloaded her stun gun. Lincoln looked up from the concrete to see the mustached man approaching quickly and angrily. The lady cop stepped over Lincoln with her taser raised at him in warning. Lincoln could hardly help but smile at the thought. With one of his assailants occupied Lincoln considered the other. He threw his eyes towards Pedro to see him still there on the ground. Perhaps the man was in shock wrestling with the situation. The mustached man raised his arms above his head in submission. He spat at Lincoln as he began to walk away wiping his bloody mouth.

"Go home Warren!" Samantha shouted over the crowd, "Listen to the Mayor! Everyone needs to get home, lock your doors and windows and wait for the authorities!"

"Lady!" Lincoln shouted from the ground as he rolled to sit up, "I was defending myself! Arrest these guys!"


The lady cop threw him a look of disgust for a moment before she took a knee at the man in the blue shirts side. She holstered her taser then wrapped her arms around the two women overlooking the man. Lincoln realized for the first time that he may have killed the tall man with that kick. In general blows to the skull were dangerous but a tall man hitting a concrete floor was worse. He saw one of the girls the sheriff held that couldnt have been older than his daughter. A more grim realization now crept over him. He very well could have killed the woman's husband, brother, friend or lover. As he stared at them in fearful anticipation he thought about his daughter sitting in their van alone as the crowd plunged further into chaos. He had to get back to her. He noticed the tall man in the blue plaid shirt begin to raise his head as his family began coaxing him on. Lincoln now sat on the pavement looking around him expecting someone to attack from some random angle. Before he managed to get to his feet the lady cop returned to him with her taser aimed at him. She reached out with one hand grabbing him by the shoulder and positioning his face directly in front of the two prongs sticking from the barrel of the stun gun.

"Name!" She said clearly upset.

"Lincoln," He stated, "I'm just passing..."

"What happened here?" She spoke more forcefully now realizing this man was not a resident of the town.

"I'm just passing through with my daughter and..."

"What happened here?"

"That friend of yours... Wally! He broke my nose so I was just returning the favor."

"Why'd Warren hit you?" She asked lowering her weapon slightly, "Believe it or not I have time for the details."

"I'm passing through with my daughter, that nuke came down." Lincoln began, "I stopped here because we needed somewhere to hunker down. I started asking around and these pricks got pushy. Mustache busted up my nose so I busted up his. Other people got involved."

"Stop. You said you had a daughter, where?"

Lincoln smiled lightly realizing she was going to help him, "She's in the van parked down the street if you just uncuff me I can..."

Before Lincoln had the chance to talk further she moved behind him quickly giving him just enough time to make out her badge, 'Collins'. She grabbed him by the cuffs raising him from his seated position. The movement was surprisingly swift for the petite policewoman which gave Lincoln a shock. He hastily steadied himself then nodded his head in the direction of his van. The pair exchanged a momentary glance seeming to establish the sincerity of the situation. She gave him a light push to guide him forward down the street through the crowd. Lincoln began looking around for the man he'd pounced on earlier but couldnt see him as they made their way down the block. Somewhere in this mob he was around. He shrugged then looked back to the lady cop as she urged him forward. As he looked Sam in the eye he could see why she was so quick to taser him before. She was fresh to this chaos which gave Lincoln no reassurance. Looking around him as he pressed on towards the van he saw many of the town folk beginning to loot local stores. It was almost comical to him that such a situation would prompt such change in the people here. Being from a crime affected area he almost felt compelled let them know you shouldnt loot until dark. He scoffed then brought his attention to the teenager in the van. They were close now. Just under a block away. Beginning to break from the crowd Lincoln could now see the windshield of his vehicle. The officer released her grips on Lincoln's handcuffs as the pair walked down the sidewalk. Lincoln opened his mouth to ask the officer if she knew anything about the explosion or if there was any plan for the town but stopped. His mouth hung open as he stood stock still staring through the windshield of his vehicle. His eye twitched. Officer Samantha Collins looked at him confused but before she could speak he broke into a sprint. Through the glass he could see his daughter wasnt in the van anymore. Samantha kept pace with him angrily ordering him to calm down but to no avail. He just kept running to the van. As he reached the van he began looking through all the window's circling it like mad. Inside the cabin he didnt see any sign of struggle. No blood, no bullet hole and no gun either. It meant the gun he had given his daughter was still with her. Hopefully. The Officer had her hand on her weapon now anticipating Lincoln's next move. The man before her looked like he was losing his mind. Panic stricken and breathing heavily while his eyes darted around. Strangely she felt bad for him. A thought crossed her mind about releasing him to let him figure it out on his own which would certainly make her job easier. Of the many people she needed to help this stranger was seeming low on the list.

"What's wrong?" She asked quickly, "Where is she?"

"My daughter is fucking gone!" Lincoln before slamming his head against the window, "FUCK!"

"Calm down," Samantha began before being cut off rudely by a belligerent Lincoln.

"Calm down? What are you touched in the head?" His tone was fierce and pressing, "That girl is everything to me... I lost the one thing in the world that fuckin' matters!"

"I understand sir..."

"Do you?! MY child is on her own in the middle of this shit-hole! These people just jumped me! A nuke just dropped in the middle of Kansas. Topping it off I've got these cuffs, thanks to Officer Minnie T. Mouse! Lady I dont think you've got any inkling of understanding."

"My name is Officer Collins." She said as she removed her taser from it's holster, "I just need your keys to search the vehicle for any evidence,"

"It's unlocked." Lincoln huffed as he leaned against the vehicle, "Un-fuckin-believable..."

"Just cool it buster," Sam snapped at him, "I'm helping you so dont forget it."

Lincoln looked down at the woman with eyebrow cocked and eyes wide. She opened the door then leaned inside the van. It had been a while since someone talked to him like with such nonchalance. The officer set her taser on the seat in front of her then began going through the car. The thought struck Lincoln about what was actually in the car. Angrily he cursed himself and kicked the side of the van pushing away from it. If the officer hadnt already acknowledged the smell inside of the van something else would tip her off. He knew that inside the glove compartment he held two misdemeanors and a possible felony. Under his seat sat his loaded and unregistered handgun covered in his fingerprints. In the back he was sure an illegal firework or two but they likely could go unnoticed. In a moment of desperation Lincoln considered knocking the officer out and trying to free himself. He looked around to see if anyone was in range to stop him from doing such a thing. Too many people were in the street. Surely he would be seen. The thought crossed his mind that if he didnt play by the rules he may never find his daughter. His conscious countered with the consideration that following the rules could mean he would never see her unless through glass. Lincoln loomed over the woman who was now searching the glove compartment for any sign of identification. Lincoln hastily thought of how to prevent her from focusing on the wrong things right now. He needed her to help find his daughter not put him in jail. Immediately an idea came to mind.

"So you like guys in handcuffs?"

"Excuse me?" She said as she began to exit the vehicle to face him, "Why would you... Well well."

"Shit..." Lincoln sighed. The woman picked up the burned roach from the floor of his vehicle but that wasnt all she found. Upon looking at the floor of the vehicle she noticed a shiny black 1911. The weapon wasnt dissimilar to her own however this one actually looked older. She was surprised at that. She ejected the magazine then upon realizing it was loaded racked the slide to eject the chambered round. A single .45 ACP round clinked against the pavement while Lincoln sat there with a blank face waiting on the woman to say something. She exited the cab then faced him with the pistol hanging from her finger, the roach pinched between the same finger and her thumb. She stood looking at him a moment seeming to wait on him to make an excuse. Lincoln in the interest of time decided to try and acquit himself so he could get back to finding his daughter.

"Aint mine officer, must've been my daughter's..." He began.

"What about the loaded firearm?" She asked plainly.

"Gift from my old man when I was a kid," Lincoln said quickly, "Look maybe my daughter got all wigged out and tried to find me. I have to find her right now before this shit get's any worse."

"I'll help you find her," Officer Collins said with a softness to her voice, "but you are going to jail. I'm sorry but right now with all this it's the best I can do. I'm witness to at least one felony along with that assault you pulled earlier. We're gonna go to my cruiser then you're gonna get in a cell and then after we know what's going on we'll find your daughter."

"Lady... I have to find my daughter now," He growled through his teeth looking down at her, "If there's another one we could all be dead... You wanna let me get flash fried in a cell without knowing my daughter's okay?"

"I'm sorry but there arent any other options," She said as she tucked his pistol into her belt-line, "C'mon I'm parked by the courthouse."

"You must be fuckin crazy if you think I'm running around handcuffed in a town where I just got jumped?"

Samantha's lip wavered then stiffened, "You managed to shatter both of my father's orbitals. You practically broke his face, I think you'll be just fine."

Lincoln shut up. He knew he was pressing her. Thinking about it he knew she knew the tall man in blue. There wasnt much he could do about it now but as he had been asking to save his own family she had been helping the man who hurt hers. It hadnt really occurred to him the line between duty and responsibility was one she had to walk but seeing her reaction now he knew. He knew if he pressed further he risked being permanently removed from his daughter. Lincoln looked at her plainly and nodded. Now he had to play nice enough to find his daughter. For now at least.

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