Cell (By Stephen King)

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WriterFreak

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Original poster
Chad walked briskly in the cool October afternoon, determined to not be late to his meeting. He checked his watch and sighed. It was three o'clock and he was going to be late- that was now inevitable now that he didn't have a car, as it had died that morning on his way to see his sister to check if she was all set up for her first day of college. He sighed again, loosening his tie as he walked.
A scream pierced the air and he looked up in concern to see a woman, running into a brick wall over and over again, blood dripping down from the injury on her forehead. She screamed again, and Chad wondered if she was an escapee from some mental hospital.
"Miss?" He called as he drew near. She stopped and stared at him blankly for a moment, then screamed for the third time and flew at him, her fingers reaching for his throat. He automatically threw his forearm into her neck, simultaneously throwing his fist into her diaphragm. She reeled back, gasping, and he gave a swift uppercut to her jaw and she fell to the ground, stunned. He looked around and saw the town was in chaos. He swallowed something hard in his throat as he saw the bodies, the screaming people like the woman and the afraid people that were sane. He looked back towards the woman and noticed that she held a crushed cell phone in her hand. He glanced around to see that in fact everyone that was insane had one clipped to their belt, attached to their ear, held in their hand, or being crushed on the ground. Someone screamed again and this time Chad could tell it was the scream of someone in danger, not in lunacy. He ran towards the direction of the cry.

***
Tessa was afraid. Her brother lay dead on the ground beside her, his glassy eyes staring at nothing and his bloody hand still reaching towards her, to kill her. Someone else, though, had killed him, another one of them. But she couldn't cry now, refused to show weakness as the murderer, a woman, round on her again. She didn't have any weapons- they were back in her apartment. She screamed as the woman kicked her, and wondered why the woman didn't go for her throat like she had with Nathan. "Hey, bitch!" a voice called, and a bang echoed throughout the street she opened her eyes and watched the woman fall, her forehead displaying a large hole with something pink scattered over her face. Tessa looked down at herself and saw the same stuff on her as well as the woman's blood. She choked back her rising nausea and looked up at the man who had saved her life, afraid he might be another one of them.
But he smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Chad," he said to her, and she nearly collasped into his arms in tears as he pulled her up, but didn't and smiled back in relief. "Tessa," she replied. "Let's hope there's not just us, eh?" he gave a short, humorless bark of laughter and pulled her along behind him. "Weapons?" He asked, looking behind him. Tessa shook her head and he pulled her into a hunting store. "Take your pick," he said. She looked around and grabbed aSig Saucer 1911 centerfire pistol and a fifteen inch blade. He nodded as the door behind them opened and the both turned quickly, ready to fight.
To kill.
 
Sidney pulled her hood up to fight the chill of the early afternoon. she hurridly walked walked into the department store to find things she needed. As she entered the store she was terrified to hear people screaming from within. she ran into the closest store which was a athletics store and hid behind the counter. a group of people fighting broke the display window next to the cash register and bats being displayed flew across the floor in multiple directions. She quickly picked up a bat to scared to look around and hid again. she could see the group writhing on the floor but she could tell what had happened that created this chaos. One of the people struggling on the ground stopped moving and the other two kept fighting. Sidney watched them struggle to scared to help one of them. Soon one of them got the upper hand punching the other in the head then bashed his head onto the ground. Sidney needed to get away but when she moved she must have moved something because the man stopped and turned towards her. "please don't hurt me." she muttered softly. but the man let out a scream of fury and ran at her. she brought the bat up to protect her and bashed the man in the head he lay on the ground unmoving. ran from the store before she could do anything else. The streets were in utter chaos she moved quick trying not to get sick from what had happened. she walked into a hunting store to get away from the chaos outside.
 
Flint ran into her apartment where her and her parents lived, that is before her parents became one of them. Great,13 and alone with all of them out there. I should probably go to the hunting store get what I can and get out. She looked out here window and saw what she dreaded. Oh,shit,this is a problem. She thought to herself. what she saw made her heart sink to the floor. She saw about 30 of them outside her apartment. This is probably the stupidest thing I could do. She opened the door,bat in hand and ran outside into the middle of them and ran as fast as she could to the hunting store. the only time she looked back was when she got into the store. She saw that every single one of them had followed her. she ran and hid behind the desk of the gun counter.
 
(Xephos, I'm sorry, but this is not a jump in roleplay, so please search this title name and click on the PLOT DISCUSSION link and post a character skeleton prior to reading the first post and wait for my accepting post before proceeding.)

Chad stared at the girl, seeing if she was one of them, but from the scared, animated look in her eyes and the way she held her weapon- a bat- with trembling hands, he relaxed slightly and nodded tersely at her. It was then the door burst open again, almost hitting the newcomer, and a figure dashed dashed behind the counter. He looked outside and saw a crowd of them, screaming and killing each other as it followed the girl. He pushed Tessa out of sight of the door and pulled the girl away, barricading the door with a chair. He hid, too, making sure no one was in the sight line of the door. The crowd outside kept hurting each other but no longer seemed to care about the people inside the store. He stood very still and whispered to the silent store, "Don't move, not any of you. They don't focus on one thing for very long if it goes out of their line of vision." he smiled grimly. "Out of sight, out of mind."

***
Tessa nodded and wondered who was behind the counter briefly before shaking off her wariness. If it was on of them, she reasoned, they would have attacked them all by now. They wouldn't have run from their own people, not really. She let her eyes wander to the floor, and noticed a scrap piece of paper on the spotless floor. She picked it up and it read, in big red letters,

Survivors. Rally to the Grocery Store on 5th Avenue for shelter. Godspeed.

She showed it to Chad, and he nodded and put a finger to his lips. Wait, he mouthed.
 
Rick got out of his apartment, Thinking it was probably time to dye his silvery hair red, though he just dyed yesterday. Anyway it's not so important, but he wanted his hair to match his coat. He now got down on his bike and about to start the ignition, when he heard screeching from across the street. As Rick looked, there is car accidents everywhere, to the point his took his ornate blades as got off his bike. Who knows, three seconds later, he could of been toasted himself. He's already tan, but burning like a toasted breakfast isn't simply what he had in mind. And then he then saw some people who didn't feel right. They were walking strangely, they were also drooling and a bit deranged and mindless. They were still thirty feet from him but he simply didn't have time to think. He took a a match and lit it up, as he open as a gas tank put it in, and ran immediately, as the car itself explodes not too long after, burning five or six of them alive, as they continues to walk and tries to chase the guy.
 
Chad tensed as he heard the explosion. He felt everyone looking at him, so he stood and chanced looking out the door and almost vomited. There were about six bodies burning, some of them still moving feebly as they died. There was a boy, standing with a purpose that was unlike the other creatures. He knew the boy was one of them. A survivor. He opened the door of the hunting store quickly, moving the chair away, and called out in a low voice to the boy, who was standing only a few feet away. "You, out there. With the silver hair. Come inside, quickly."
***
Tessa wasn't sure what was out there, but she was nervous as she started to hear the moaning of injured and dying people. A shudder went through her and she could smell, even from inside, the charred and burning human flesh. She gagged quietly, turning her head to one side and covering her nose with a hand covered in dried blood. She stared at it cross-eyed and sighed. Chad opened the door, then, and she tensed. What was he doing? She wondered. Trying to get us killed?
But no- he was calling out to a survivor, she realized. One of us. She smiled faintly and shifted her weight slightly before scooting backwards. They were going to need more room. She glanced at the paper in her hand again, wondering how they were going to get there without being killed. Or worse.
 
Kelven (or Cross as he preferred) was alone and had been alone for some time. His bar was getting no more business due to half the population of people outside being turned into some sort of ravenous monsters. He was so thankful he hadn't been harmed by whatever it was harming them. He didn't want to be turned insane like them and he certainly didn't want to be killed. He had been holed up in his bar for some time now, bored as could be. He was a bit scared, too.
After all, this was a terrifying thing. They were out there and he was in here, but sooner or later that would change. Either they'd come in or he'd have to leave to find more food or to find help.
He heard them outside quite often and a short bit ago heard some sort of explosion out the window. It was time to act.

He'd been debating leaving for a bit now and, finally deciding, dug around in his room upstairs for his sword. It was a busted up old thing, but at least it was sharp. He wouldn't do to have a boring old display sword. No no, this one was real. It was an 'antique' the man at the store called it, not 'a toy.'
Too bad Cross didn't care. It was his now and soon his play practice with it was going to be put to use. He wondered at that point if it was murder to kill a snarling psycho who went insane and tried to kill him first.
Shrugging, and again not caring, Cross stepped back down to the bar and headed for the front door. He pushed it open slowly and crept out, looking around cautiously. He didn't see too many of the psychos, but he also didn't think he saw any sane people fighting them off. Hmm, maybe there were no sane people left except him.
Sighing, he started walking, keeping against the wall of the buildings and trying not to be seen.
 
Sid was scared her body shaking thinking about what had happened she couldn't believe everyone was insane no there were people like her and the others she scanned the counters for a better weapon than her bat maybe a gun? she thought scrounging the counter for something better a pistol sitting on the counter caught her eye she had watched enough TV to know what it was a 9mm she fumbled with the gun unloaded of course. (She wasn't stupid.) after she thought she knew what she was doing she tried to find ammo for it but couldn't find any. she tried the door at her side of the store (it was cut in half by the glass door) she was afraid they might see her. She tried the door it was locked she looked around for a key but couldn't find one. she kicked the door and it broke open swinging on its hinges the lock had been ripped out of the frame. inside was a small storage/ supply room that held ammo and assorted items for the weapons in the store. but something was wrong a strong smell came from the room. She quickly signaled the man across the room with her arms about the room and grabbed her bat just in case.
 
As Ironhide ran, he heard a voice. A voice of relief, coming from someone who still has all his marbles together. And it came from a hunting store. So, he ran in the store, just to get safe from those mindless animals. "Thank you", said Rick, panting and a bit. Blowing body to bits was a great idea, as the cars are still immolating, but the flames are not going to last long.
 
Chad nodded. grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him out of sight of the doors, and spotting someone walking quickly in the shadow of a building, someone, Chad could tell, was sane, from the way the other boy walked- hands in his pockets, head low, trying not to be seen. Someone else walked behind him, no, staggered, a knife raised and blood streaming out of multiple lacerations.

Chad didn't hesitate. He sprinted out the door, across the street, and tackled the insane man, pressing his gun to its head and pulling the trigger. He turned to the sane one, putting away his gun. "Careful," he said, knowing that more have spotted them. "You almost got killed."

***
Tessa pulled the silver-haired boy down beside her. "Be quiet," she whispered in his ear. "It's safer that way. Wait for Chad to get back."
 
Sid was confused to see one of the survivors run out of the door. she carefully crossed the room using the display cases as cover to where the other girl in the group was crouched with a boy with silver hair. "are you okay?" she said whispering to the two of them. She had no clue what was going on but she wasn't sure were the first boy had gone. looking back at the door she found she thought there might be another exit through the storage room she was unsure the other boy had run outside before she was able to check. looking around she could see something huddled behind the store counter but was unsure of what it was. She also noticed that the other insane had gotten rallied up by something outside. was that boy okay? she agreed with herself and waited patiently bat in hand and gun in her pocket (safety on).
 
Cross didn't notice anyone or anything behind him as he walked for he was too zoned into finding a door or somewhere he could go.
He saw nothing until it was too late and something was tackled directly at his back. He whipped around in fear, drawing his sword as he heard a gunshot.
"H.. Holy.." he managed to gasp out, startled almost to the point he couldn't stand.
He gulped and nodded as the one with the gun got back up. Right, he thought, Need to be careful...
"Thank you," he said, trying to regain his composure, "You.. You saved my life. I should have been watching better.."
 
Sweating, Ironhide thanked the man for helping him , since a few seconds more, and he would of been mince meat. He listens to Tessa and Nods, for now. Rick doesn't want the man, namely Chad die just now, but with the things he has on him, it wouldn't help him much, so he keeps his mouth shut and waits.
 
"Yep," Chad said, frowning at all the freaks around them. They were staring at them, oddly quiet. Suddenly one shrieked, its voice inhuman, caught in between woman and animal. Chad grimly aimed from his hip and fired, watching in disgust as the injured woman's neck was snapped by another freak. "I can't shoot all of them," he grumbled, "But I can run." The freaks were closing in on them, their voices rising together in a twisted form of music, like the moaning and wailing heardin the haunted houses teenagers liked to flock to. He grabbed the boy's wrist and sprinted, almost dragging the poor kid as he used the butt of his gun to keep them away. He shoved the boy roughly into the hunting shop, who sprawled on the floor next to the silver-haired boy, Tessa, and the other girl he couldn't name. He once again bolted the door shut with the chair and moved out of sight himself, next to everyone else. "Sorry," he whispered to the boy he had just saved. He felt he was shaking, and Tessa put a hand on his shoulder in concern. He nodded tightly to show he was okay and she dropped her hand.
***
"We're alright, I believe," she whispered to the girl, then looked over at Chad. He was shaking and his face was whiter than the wall behind him. She lifted a hand to his shoulder, and he nodded, so she drew her hand away. She looked around at their little raggedy group, from the newcomer sprawled on the floor to the silver-haired boy to the girl and finally to Chad, who wasn't looking at anyone. She sighed quietly and noticed suddenly the noises had stopped almost abruptly. She stood and crossed over to the doorway. Night had come quickly, and the streets were deserted. Odd. Chad looked at her, and she saw her confusion reflected on his face. "Where are they?" he wondered, speaking in full volume for the first time, and Tessa shrugged. "Good riddance."

She looked over the group, and her gaze landed on the newcomer, still sprawled on the floor. "We'll start with you," she said. "What's your name?"
 
Sid a little buzzed by the screams looked around again to examine the new faces. The boy with the silver hair, the boy sprawled on the floor and the two she met before. She heard a question asked to the group "Whats your name?"but she wasn't sure who it was directed at so she spoke. "M-My n-names Sid." she managed to stutter she was unsure about the others names but she was glad she wasn't alone anymore. "D-did anyone see the back room." She stammered "It l-looks like it would have some use-useful things in it. But i-it smells horrible in there."
She pointed to the door that was ajar in the back of the room with a shaky finger.
 
Cross was getting a bit frantic with the sudden movement of the freakish people and the gunshot he heard to dispatch one. He didn't anticipate that it would be such mayhem out here so fast.
Before he knew what was going on anymore, they were sprinting towards a shop and he was suddenly on the floor.
He groaned and sat up, rubbing his head and feeling a bit dizzy.

He wasn't entirely certain what he really just happened, he only knew there were now others looking at him and someone was asking for a name.
"I'm.. Kelven.." he replied in answer, "But I'm... everyone usually calls me 'Cross'. What are.."
Glancing around at the others a moment, he started again, "Who are all you? Survivors? Are there more..? Or.. or just us?"
He looked at the one called Sid as she spoke then took a quick peek towards the 'back room' she mentioned, "Hmm.. interesting."
 
Chad stood, a sick feeling in his stomach. He looked resigned as he crossed to the backroom they had been speaking of. "Take care of Cross," he threw over his shoulder. "But, Sid, I don't think anything in that room will be helpful to anyone anymore." He paused with his hand on the doorknob, steeling himself for what he was to see.

He couldn't see into the room at first, but he smelled it- the stench of rotting meat, sickly sweet. He fumbled for a light switch, and almost lost it when he saw the body. The man had obviously been one of the people affected; a cell phone lay near the man's feet. a screwdriver had been, ironically, plunged through his neck. He turned away, flipping off the switch and closing the door behind him. His face was grim. "Don't go in there," he said.

***
Tessa moved to look at the boy's injury and winced. "Your head's a bit swollen in one place," she told Cross, lightly sweeping over it with her finger. The bump was black and purple and showed no signs of reducing its size. She looked up at Chad's words. "Chad-" his grim look cut her off. "Cross needs ice," she said. "We need to move to the refuge." she pulled the slip out of her pocket.
 
"R-rick", the man said. The words seemed hard to reach his lips. Why though? Was if fright? Surprise, about The fact Chad went out. He isn't too sure. But then he tries to get up, as he tries to clear his mind, of the atrocities he saw up until now.
 
Cross hadn't realized he was injured at all. He was too busy watching as the one called Chad moved over to inspect the back room as the other one named Sid suggested.
While he watched him move from the back room, he suddenly winced a little as something touched his head.
So he was hurt there!

"Ah.. ow.." he managed, looking at the girl who touched him.
He smiled slightly when she said he needed ice.
"Thank you," he managed, "Both of you.. I'm grateful that there's.. others around besides me."
He waited for her to move her hand a bit so he could inspect the bump himself. He rubbed it more roughly than she had and grimaced a little. Now that he was aware of it, it was starting to hurt.
 
Chad took the slip from her and read it again, then read it aloud to the group." 'Survivors. Rally to the Grocery Store on 5th Avenue for shelter. Godspeed.' " Chad frowned, and saw Tessa roll her eyes. "They don't have minds anymore, remember? Besides, we need to get moving before the sun rises," she said, still near Cross. Chad looked over at him. "I'm not sorry," he grunted. "It was either that or death."
***
Tessa rolled her eyes again, and moved behind the counter, where two people were crouching, obviously afraid. She recognized them vaguely- hadn't she talked to them, once, as she was on her way to her dorm? What was their names...? "Comon," she said quietly, holding a hand out to the girl. "We've gotta go."

((OOC: I know the user I'm referring to ^^ hasn't posted yet, but she should be, soon.I was talking to her about it yesterday.))
 
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