'HOPE' - A Tale of Survival

Hecatoncheires · May 12, 2012

[size=+3]PART ONE: STILL STANDING[/size]

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Three days, sixteen hours and thirty-two minutes since everything went to hell.

It feels like it's been longer than that. Three days of desperate survival blending together into one long, painful blur.

The reality of what has happened is still setting in for us, I think. I'm sure some of us are waiting for the tanks to come rolling by any day now, for someone or something to come and put things right. Don't get me wrong, nothing would please me more if it did indeed happen, if a minute from now the National Guard came cresting over the hill in a long convoy of military hardware ready to go and take back control of the city.

But we need to be realistic here. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

We've stopped the bus several days away from the Seattle in the hope that out here we can avoid the chaos that's consuming everything closer to it, currently resting up at a small gas station in the middle of nowhere. No power, of course, but we're getting by. It's not a bad place to hide out, all in all; you can see what's coming for miles around, it's nice and isolated, and there's plenty of supplies here to stalk up on.

Well, we could stock up if it weren't for dear old Mister Moores.

I don't know if he owns the place of if he's just the manager, but Mister Moores is the fine fellow we met when we first stopped here. You'd think the rotten old bastard would be pleased to see other human faces, but evidence seems to be to the contrary; he's been nothing but a pain in the ass since we arrived. Sullen, ill-tempered, reacting badly whenever we try and take some of "his" supplies. I get the impression he really doesn't know how bad it is out there, that this is just some illness that's going to go away.

If only we all could labour under such delusions.

Finishing the cigarette I've been nursing for the last ten minutes on the edge of the gas station premises, I flick the stub into the asphalt and wander back over to the bus. The others are around the place. I've recommended they all stay nearby in case something happens; we've lost a couple people to sudden attacks by them, and so I guess we're learning to be ready for anything. Mister Moore's inside the station, sitting behind the counter with a book whilst pointedly ignoring us all. The old fuck's been little more than an annoyance so far, though, and I'm hoping he stays that way.

So here we are. Eleven strangers thrown together by chance, having survived events that have claimed the lives of others. We've all lost people; you can see that just by looking at us.

But we're not beaten yet.

We're still standing. And that's more than most can say.

Three days have passed since the outbreaks began in Seattle; the group who escaped the chaos of the city aboard Harry's bus have now made it out into the countryside in the hope that things will be less chaotic. They have stopped at an isolated gas station run by the ill-tempered Mister Moore, who doesn't seem to realise just how bad things are out there and doesn't like the survivors stocking up on his property.

Harry has been smoking just off the edge of the gas station lot; he's now returned to the bus, having recommended the others don't go wandering off too far in case they are attacked.

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Cassondrah · May 12, 2012

Chelseas head was awkwardly tilted to rest on the bus window. She had been that way for what seemed like forever. She had been staring out the window and then finally figured it would be okay to sleep, there wasn't anything interesting to look at anyway.

The bus had stopped and she heard Harry telling everyone to stay close. They stopped in the middle of no where and that was all she could tell. She looked across from her through the window on the other side. There was a small gas station, she got up hurriedly, shoving her mirror back in her back pocket and practically flew down the bus isle and out of the bus.

It felt so good to stretch her legs, she leaned against the bus and looked around then turned around and began stretching her entire body using the side of the bus. After she was done stretching and popping she turned to the gas station and walked in. The little bell for the door dinged and she looked over at the man behind the counter, he seemed gruff, not worth her time but she figured she would be nice. Maybe if he became a "thing" hed remember she was nice and not eat her.
She smiled, dipped her head to him and went straight to the candy section her mouth watered at the site of the delicious sweets in front of her. She bent over and shoved a couple packs of gum in her bra and a piece in her mouth, she hadn't brushed her teeth for three days it was starting to get bad, she could taste it.

She felt in her pockets for any change and found a dollar in quarters. Chelsea wandered around until she found the restrooms which luckily were unlocked. She stared at the tampon dispenser and put all the quarters she had, in it. It plopped out four tampons. She had to use these wisely. Chelsea was unsure of when her next period was but she wasn't going to chance being embarrassed plus you can use tampons for all sorts of things. she thought.

She stared at the packaged tubes and looked around for something that could be used as a bag. She looked in the stall and at the box where you're suppose to put used "applicators" and took the bag from the box and placed the four tubes in the bag. Satisfied with her action and thought process she turned to stare at herself in the dirty mirror.

Chelsea wasn't use to seeing herself like this, she always was pretty well put together but since she hadn't had makeup or really anything else to beautify herself she looked kind of grungy.
She turned on the sink and began wetting her hair and combing it out with her fingers, she fixed the makeup streaks around her eyes and patted her cheeks for a nice rosy look. Her caramel eyes looked sweet but tainted by the memories of her playboy friends eating one another, her soft bronze skin was firm and clean, for now. Her thick onyx hair was knotted and messy, though she tried her best to fix it.
She stood back from the mirror and pulled the chap-stick out of her front pocket and applied it. She licked her lips, "mmm" she smiled skittle flavored chap-stick was her favorite.

She turned to the one stall and stared at the toilet, it was pretty dirty, didnt seem like it had been cleaned for a really long time. She tired hoovering over the toilet seat as she relived herself but gave up said Fuck it. in her head and sat down.

After rinsing her hands she walked out of the bathroom and back over to the candy isle she really really wanted some skittles. She looked over at the guy behind the counter and with one swift move shoved a package of skittles in her pants and walked out of the gas station. This was the first time she had to steal to get what she wanted it wasnt as fun as spending money but the gum was going to be useful and the skittles, well that was just for her. She sat on the bus pulled the gum out of her bra the skittles out of her pants and placed them in her little bag.

All she had to do now was wait for the others.

~Summary~
[Chelsea is on the bus with a small garbage bag containing a couple packs of stolen gum, a bag of stolen skittles and four unopened tampons. Shes chewing a piece of gum waiting for everyone else to get back on the bus.]

Astaroth · May 12, 2012

The ribbed rubber tracking of the floor left candy stripes down the length of Kit's forearms where she'd propped them while fussing with her iPad. She lay sprawled on her stomach between the seats at the back of the bus, blue-green eyes sharp on the blank screen and the fingernails of her right hand in her teeth as she gnawed ponderously at a hangnail. On the seat above her lay a beaten-up denim backpack with the zipper half-open- she paused in her activities to reach up and pull it fully closed- and stowed beneath the seat itself, so close that it bumped her hip, was a black and red aluminum baseball bat.

Kit was proud of that bat.

The iPad, though, was being a nuisance. Namely, because the battery was dead, and thus she found the device entirely useless at present. There was a car charger coiled at the bottom of her backpack's depths, Kit knew, but she'd seen the dashboard of the bus; there wasn't a port for it. Maybe if she could get at the wiring...

Wiggling forward to peer out into the aisle, she caught a glimpse of another passenger and immediately ducked back out of sight, scrunching herself up to fit completely out of view. If she twisted just right, though, she could see what the woman was doing. It was one of the younger ones, she thought, and not the one with the sword. Kit didn't know her name; didn't know anyone's name, really, except for Harry the bus driver. As Kit watched, the lady was furtively fishing packets of candy and gum out of her clothes. Gross. The girl felt her lip curl into a scowl. It was obvious that the candy contraband had been shoplifted.

Sure, that might not seem important to some people, given the circumstances. But it mattered to Kit. You don't steal.

Unlike some of the others, Kit hadn't gone into the store after they'd pulled up to the station, preferring to remain on the bus. Well, no, that wasn't entirely accurate. She'd gone in long enough to use the restroom, but the place smelled terrible and she couldn't stand to be in there for any longer than bodily functions required. It smelled, the air was too stuffy, and she didn't like the way the man in the store scowled at everyone. He was clearly a jerk.

She wondered what he'd do if he realized his candy had been pilfered. He'd probably blame Kit, since she was the only kid around, and that was just one more reason not to go into the store. Huffing to herself, she craned her neck further to glance around the bus from her hiding place, checking for the rest of the group.

Kit is hiding on the floor between seats at the back of the bus, lamenting the lack of power to her iPad. She refuses to go into the store. She sees Chelsea's shoplifted goodies, and looks around to see who else is on the bus without giving away her location.

EquinoxSol · May 12, 2012

Drumming her fingers to a beat on the windowsill next to her, Karola looks up when she feels the bus stopping. She hadn't really exercised in the last several days, and her body needed an outlet to get rid of all that pent up energy. Her fingernails were bitten to the nub, another by-product of her restlessness.

One of the first to get up and off the bus, she runs a quick lap around the gas station before going inside. Feeling a little better, she walks in, nodding at the man behind the counter, who only grunted at her entrance. She had left her sword in the bus, figuring that showing any sort of hostility would be bad.

Moving to an aisle with basic utilities, like band-aids and sleeping pills, and, kneeling down low so that the shopkeep couldn't see, she took inventory of what was there. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She had never stolen before, even though the survival of many outweighed the survival of one. Band-aids and sleeping pills might be little, but they could prevent someone from dying. That meant that they were useful.

Taking a deep breath, she silently grabs a small packet of energy capsules and an even smaller tube of Neosporin. Realizing she wouldn't be able to smuggle out a box of band-aids and a bottle of rubbing alcohol, she walks to the counter, the tinier items now in her back pocket.

"H-hey...any way I can persuade you into giving me these for free? I'm afraid I haven't got any money, not that money really means anything right now…how about, I know the phone number of someone very high up in the government. I can get you somewhere safer than this unprotected gas station. Just tell the operator that answers, 'five one two six'. That's the area password. Then tell them your location and they'll send a humvee to get you." She was lying, but already scribbling the first phone number that came to mind, a joke number. If the lines were still up, which wasn't hopeful, a "mental health hotline" would answer. Shoving the paper into his hands, she took a step back, hoping he'd go for it.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Chelsea walk out of the store, the bulge in the back of her pants telling Karola what she'd done. While the two women were close in age, Karola hadn't really talked to her, preferring the company of herself, and her guitar, which currently sat in a middle seat on the bus next to her small suitcase.

Finally, figuring that it didn't matter much anymore, she said, "You know what? I think I'll just leave these here with you." Karola said, sniffing snobbishly and turning on her heel, pretending to act disinterested as she strode out the door. Getting back on the bus, she nods to everyone else on it, sitting down next to her stuff, and discretely checking to see if anything was missing. Finding everything in place, she checks on her wakizashi and guitar.

The sword was traditionally called a ko-wakizashi, being much shorter than its larger counterpart. The instrument was a traditional acoustic, the only thing to give it individuality being the mosaic of stickers that dotted it on all sides. Sighing, Karola took the guitar from its position, and begins tuning it softly.

[SPOILI]Karola got off the bus at the gas station, taking a packet of energy pills and is trying to persuade Mr. Moore to give her medical supplies with a quickly-made story about knowing someone who can direct him to safety. Leaving them, she goes back to the bus, and begins tuning her guitar, needing something to do.[/SPOILI]

Jumi · May 12, 2012

Kelly

So they want to get their snacks, n' shit? Fine. Won't do any good to have a snicker's bar when something's gnawing on your leg. Kelly mused in his head as he stood just outside the bus, blunt in hand, a lighter in the other. He was restless, and hadn't slept well during their escape from the city. Taking large puff, he choked down the thick heavy smoke like a pro, and then slowly swished it around in his mouth before exhaling, letting a slow numb pass through his body. He'd have gone inside himself, if it weren't for the fact his clothes screamed CONVICT, and he thought it best to keep a low profile... that is until he could figure out this group here some.

A smile did happen to cross his face as his eyes looked down to his arm. His newest tattoo, courtesy of a fountain pen had turned out nicely. The words 'Eat Me' seemed very appropriate. "Harry..." Kelly's deep voice was an odd sound as he hadn't said much during the last three days, unless you consider dodging questions to be conversation. "Where we going? It's got to be just as bad anywhere else by now, you've seen the movies..." Taking another heavy hit, he looked over his shoulder at the driver's side window, and flicked his dead blunt to the ground. Not leaving Harry any time to answer, Kelly turned to grab the numerous gas cans that would be stored inside the bus so they could keep the bus running. Lugging the four cans inside easily, Kelly bungied them in the back of the bus, and then stepped up to the front.

Passing by Kit, Karola, and Chelsea, he stopped at the front of the bus, next to Harry, and simply stared out the front window. Of any in the group, Harry was initially trusted more, most likely like the others thought. Having watched a few of the man's amateur boxing bouts, Kelly felt like he at least knew something about him. "I could always go in, and get some more stuff, like I did the gas..." Kelly offered quietly, so none of the others could hear him. In his mind getting what they needed under any circumstances was what needed to be done, and he could do it without hurting Moores. "You're in charge since you've got the bus, chief." Turning his head, he looked at the entrance to the gas station. His mind was already turning with a plan to ransack the place, and just how to incapacitate Moores. Cruel it was to knock an old man out, but crueler still was it to leave a group of fellow survivors to die without the tools they'd need due to a misconstrued sense of life as it was now.

Looking over his shoulder briefly at those left in the bus, he chewed at the corner of his lips a moment, before taking a step towards the exit of the bus.

After siphoning some gas, and storing it on the bus, Kelly talks with Harry to see if he should go, and suggest Mister Moore be a good summeritan, and donate to their cause.

Effort · May 12, 2012

Dave had been a sleep for most of the three days, what little conversation that had passed between them wasn't enough to distract his itching desire to get out and run or climb or do something outside of this bus, there had been only enough from some people to find out what their names were. So he slept. When not asleep he listened to the few words everyone said or just observed their behavior. Dave had been a little unnerved when he had seen Kelly but he had known a fair amount of former convicts back from his hometown and most of them were good guys; he wasn't really worried.

The bus start slowing down and was coming to a stop and the change in momentum woke Dave from his half-sleep before it came to a full stop. Harry explained to everyone why they should all stick close by and after that Dave nodded off again and fell back to sleep but roused himself soon after, realizing he could now stretch his legs and get some fresh air. His eyes opened again and he blinked a few times to rid his sight of the sleepy blur that marred his vision and once it was clear he could see Chelsea and Karola sitting back in their seats, Kelly was at the front of the bus about to exit. Dave widened his eyes and stretched his face to further shake off the sleep so he would be more alert when he got off the bus. As he stood up he noticed a motion and looked forwards and a little to the right to see a backpack being pulled under a seat. It was the girl, Kit. The iPad she was trying to use had lost power, kids these days relied a lot on technology to entertain themselves, it was a pity because at a time like this kids were going to be pretty bored and may resort to doing stupid things for entertainment or die of boredom.

With a yawn and a stretch Dave finished standing up and walked down the aisle, plucking a stick of gum from Chelsea as he walked past, a little quirk amongst his beard indicating a grin. He scooted passed Kelly with an "Excuse me" and trotted into the gas station. First things first, Dave relieved himself in the unpleasant bathroom and washed his hands with the generic soap, the dispenser was broken and they only had a bag of soap sitting on the sink. Then he browsed the aisles, the snacks he had packed didn't last longer than the first day since he had quietly shared with everyone. Tossing several types of chips and small baked goods and several kinds of 99 cent drinks,along with some hardware supplies, into a basket he had grabbed and brought everything to the front counter, giving Mr.Moores a friendly smile. Mr.Moores grunted, giving him a dirty look and regarding him and the items with suspicion. It didn't take long for Dave's smile to fade, he chewed on the piece of gum in his mouth as he fished out a wallet from his pocket and threw all the money he had in it, around one hundred fifty dollars, onto the counter and left with all the stuff in his arms and brought it back onto the bus. Dave had brought the money along but two days into their journey he realized society soon wasn't going to be structured enough for paper currency.

He trudged back onto the bus, putting one of the decks of cards he had bought into his pocket along with the hardware before dumping everything onto an empty seat and then picked up all the things that had fallen onto the ground and stacked them orderly onto the seat. Straightening up he cleared his throat and said "I uh got snacks and drinks for everyone..." he picked up an Arizona tea drink and walked to the back of the bus. Spotting Kit again he sat on the seat in front of her and swung his head down so he was looking at her upside down. "Are you having trouble?" he said, regarding the iPad.

Dave wakes up and goes into the little store, plucking a stick of gum from Chelsea along the way, to use the bathroom and buy two armfullls of snacks, drinks, a few decks of cards and some hardware supplies. Dave had given all the money he had to Mr.Mores before finding out the total price, having realized that paper money will soon have no value. He placed the snacks, drinks, and cards on an empty seat to share with everyone and went to the back of the bus where he started talking to Kit.

LadyHarpy · May 12, 2012

Gail sat in her own bus seat quietly, her back hunched as she started into the small screen of her cell phone. It was fully charged at the moment, but in her rush she had left behind her charger. Thankfully, these days replacement ones were being sold all over the place. The screen suddenly went dark and clear, her thumb pulling off of the button used to turn it on and off. Even though she was thinking that she'd find a charger jut anywhere, that did not stop her from being prepared and shutting her phone off...It wasn't much use anyway if there was now working wireless towers.

With her phone now on off she tucked it into a small pocket on her carrying case. She opened it and started to organize what she had collected in her small rush. Plenty of clothing, that was for sure. She'd be fine on clothes as long as she rotated it on a regular bases. As long as she did that then she wouldn't have to worry about figuring out how to wash it. The small first aid kit was pulled out, along with her sleeping pills. The jar was half full, but it was thankfully a rather large jar. She'd have to ration them out for herself and keep others in mind if need be. She only shuffled her last two items, one being a large cast iron skillet and the other being her assortment of knives. They were all in their special slots in the carrying case. She had just been lucky enough to have a case that had plenty of spare room for extra tools.

With a little more neatness than she had shown in her first packing attempt, she placed all of her stuff back. As she did that she started to check some of the spare pockets on the case. The first few she found nothing but lint and broken string. However, in a smaller pocket she found a wad of bills. For a moment she was surprised, glancing around quickly as she turned away from the others to count it. It must have been from some bets during her last family hunting trip, just a couple of weeks before the attack. Thank heavens for a memory slip like that. It turned out to be eighty bucks, an amount that she was even surprised to have. Also thank heaven for a large betting family.

Just as she tucked the wad of cash into her front pocket, one of the men came onto the bus with full bags. Dave was his name...or so she believed, she had been a little on the shaky and hysterical side around the time they were introduced to each other. She eyed the food and drinks quietly for a moment before getting up and grabbing a bottle of soda. She needed the caffeine boost. After sending smile in Dave's direction as thanks she shuffled towards the front. If he was nice enough to bring snacks, then she could at least use her money to pay for some things as well...though exactly what she wasn't sure. That was why she was going over toward Harry, who had just finished speaking with Kelly, the obvious former prisoner.

"Harry..." She said softly as she stood near him. "Is there anything that we need badly on the bus? I found some money...and since this will probably be the only place to accept it with the way things are, I figure that I should spend it now. So...If there is anything in need, I'll get it." She offered.

Gail looks over her cellphone, it having a full charge but it now lacking a charger. She turns it off and organizes her items before stumbling upon $80 in cash. When Dave returns she takes a soda from him and smiles in thanks before slipping to the front with Harry and offering to use her cash to buy supplies for the bus since there is a large chance that it will soon be very useless.

EquinoxSol · May 12, 2012

Her guitar must be the finest-tuned one out there, that's how much time Karola had spent tuning it. There wasn't much else to do: most else she had brought with her was her iPod and her blade. So, in the three days she had spent on the bus, the young woman had spent the seemingly never-ending hours aboard the bus tuning her guitar.

Seeing Dave get on the bus with bags full of food, she quietly waits until she deems that she has waited enough to not seem too eager, and gets up, reaching for a soda and a pack of playing cards. She didn't normally drink soda, but when it's the end of the world, what does it matter? At least, that was her take on the situation. What other explanation was there?

Glancing back, she saw Dave speaking with the girl. What was her name? Kitty, Kat, no…Kit! That's what it was. Moving to the back of the bus, she notices the girl's powered down iPad, and said, "You know, I can teach you a way to have fun without technology, if you're willing to learn." Karola was hoping to at least make the ride to wherever they were going pleasant by being friends with everyone. So, hopefully, she could start with Dave and Kit. Kelly was just a little intimidating, to say the least, and his hardened look certainly didn't help debunk that theory. Harry was busy, and Chelsea looked like she didn't want to be bothered, so Dave and Kit it was.

Sitting next to Dave, at a respective distance, she takes out the cards, shuffling them expertly, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

[SPOILI]Karola, seeing Dave walk in with food from the gas station, grabs a soda and pack of cards, deciding to make friends to make their trek as pleasurable as possible. Moving to the back of the bus, to Dave, she offers to teach Dave and Kit how to play cards.[/SPOILI]

Moonlit Blade · May 12, 2012

For the most part, Tony had sat next to a window during the ride. Legs crossed, he simply stared out the window, or had been playing his PSP. He knew that the battery wouldn't last forever, so he had played with the back-light on the dimmest setting and the volume off. He didn't play constantly, just during the generally quiet times. When conversation picked up, he quickly shut it off, instead choosing to listen to everyone else and conserving battery power. He had a charger, and was currently sitting in the gas station, charging his handheld. He had his pack next to him, but was sitting in plain view of Mister Moores. He didn't want to be accused of stealing, especially not from that guy. He could easily outrun him, Tony knew, but he didn't want to cause problems for everyone else. It wasn't long before his PSP was fully charged, since he hadn't played all that much. He put the charger and handheld away, then started standing up.

His clumsiness, however, was out to get him. He accidentally knocked over a row of chips, and he blinked in shock. "Wh-whoa... Hey. Uh.. I'm sorry. Hold on... Let me.. Uh..." Moores just have him a pissed-off look, moving to put them back. However, Tony moved fast. He had all of the bags up on the shelf again, sorted better than they had been previously. Unbeknownst to Moores, though, Tony had tossed two bags of potato chips into his bag. Tony didn't mean to, he just did it without thinking. What would two bags of potato chips do, you know? He stood up, his bag zipped and on his back, and cleared his throat. "S-sorry 'bout that... Didn't mean to, I kinda stumbled..." Before Moores could say another word, Tony was out of the building and running back to the bus. The door was still opened, and he walked in, tossing his bag in an empty seat. He cleared his throat again, and nodded to everyone. Man, it's a good thing there's so many of us... This shit... It's insane... Zombies?ZOMBIES!? Man... Who would've thought... And now, I've got no one... Well... No relatives... But, for now, there's these guys...

He didn't really know anyone here. But he knew names. For now, that's all that mattered. There was Harry, the bus driver. Tony remembered thanking him when he had first stopped the bus. Tony saw that not everyone was in the bus, and hoped everyone listened to Harry's advice about not straying too far. Grabbing his baseball bat, Tony walked out of the bus, leaning against the passenger side. He was carefully looking around, making sure there was no sign of any zombies. He carried a gun with him, but he really didn't know how to use it. The one time he did, he knew he had been lucky. He had shown Harry, when no one had been paying attention. Hopefully, no one had been. He told Harry that it had just half a magazine, but was available. Nonetheless, Tony preferred his bat, and would simply keep using it.

Tony is in the gas station mart charging his PSP. He gets up, puts his stuff away, and accidentally knocks chips over. He put them back on the shelf, but managed to swipe two bags of potato chips. He heads back to the bus, puts his bag on an empty seat, and remembers telling Harry about his semi-automatic pistol. Afterwards, he walks out of the bus, bat in hand, and leans against the side of the bus, watching for any zombies that might shamble over.

Hecatoncheires · May 13, 2012

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The others are already settling in by the time I reach my bus.

The youngest amongst us, Kit, sits up at the back fiddling with one of those iPad devices. Never seen the attraction of the thing, to be honest; always seemed like a glorified mobile phone to me, and it's of even less use now that there's few places to charge it. Still, it's giving her something to do, I suppose. I keep meaning to ask if she has any family nearby, but I'm worried about broaching the subject; we've all lost people close to us, and I don't want to drag up painful memories.

Chelsea and Karola return to the bus as Kelly approaches me. The tattoos and orange-jumpsuit does give the impression that he doesn't exactly have the most savoury of backgrounds, but he's been no trouble so far. In fact, he's actually been helpful; the guy knows how to fight.

He's asking me what the plan is, where we're headed, as he loads gas cans into the bus. Not for the first time I find myself cringing inwardly as I realise these people are looking to me for guidance. For leadership. That's not ever really been something I've sought, yet here I find myself responsible for the lives of the ten strangers I pulled from the streets of Seattle.

Life's a bitch like that, I suppose.

Dave returns from the shop next, with an armful of supplies.
"I, uh, got snacks and food for everyone…" he mutters on the way past. I flash him a quick smile and nod. These people are resourceful, at least. We all seem to know the scale of what we're experiencing right now, that this could go on for a while. As hard as it is to accept it's just as well that we are; deluding ourselves that it'll all be over soon isn't going to help.

Kelly and I are now standing alone at the front of the bus. It's clear he's got an idea he wants to share with me.
"I could always go in, and get some more stuff, like I did the gas..." he mutters quietly. I know what he's suggesting. I hope we're not that desperate yet. "You're in charge since you've got the bus, chief." There's that phrase again. 'In charge'.
"That's a last resort plan, I think," I say before he walks off to the store, "We're survivors, not bandits; if that fat fuck wants to charge for his stuff that's fair enough. This'll probably be the last chance to actually make use of paper currency for anything other than kindling."

As if on cue, Gail approaches us and offers to help pay for some of the supplies if we need it. I smile at her quickly; the woman's got good timing. "That's very kind of you, Gail. We'll need to figure out what sort of supplies we're gonna need and see if Moore has got them in-stock. Food that lasts, batteries, bottled water. That sort of thing." I look back over to Kelly. "How about Gail and I handle getting supplies from the shop and you help Tony keep watch? We need to make sure they don't get the drop on us."

I've got several reasons for wanting Kelly on watch. He's got a good pair of eyes on him, for one, but I also know for a fact that Mister Moore will flip his shit if a heavily-built convict comes wandering into his shop. I'd prefer to avoid any unpleasant incidents with the man if at all possible. So if he wants money, he can have it. It'll be fuck-all use soon enough anyway.

Harry talks things over with Kelly and Gail inside the bus. Not wanting to cause an incident with Mister Moore, he suggests that he and Gail handle getting supplies from the shop whilst Kelly helps Tony keep watch.

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LadyHarpy · May 13, 2012

Gail nodded her head in understanding as she looked between Harry and Kelly. She had to agree with Harry about the orange jump suit wearing man staying behind. He was more of a use protecting their ticket out of there than he was around a gas station worker who was probably suspicious of the whole lot of them. Also, last thing they needed to be accused of was robbery...Things might start getting nasty at that point.

"Sounds good to me. I have the money in my pocket so whenever you are ready to go Harry, just let me know. I've got eighty dollars to spend and there are plenty of things that we need to buy." She said as she looked back over to the smoker.

She want to get the shopping done rather quickly in truth. She did not feel comfortable stay still when only a few hundred miles away was a horde of those creatures lurking in her home town, picking off the last of whoever could not make it out in time. They'd be on the move again and probably in their direction if people like Moore was still alive and healthy...well, alive anyway. Along with that, Gail wanted to check to see if they had any...'lady supplies' in packages. The bathroom dispenser that was there probably only had a few things left if any. Her best bet would be to try and bride the fat man into selling him a box from his stock, but that might eat into the money she had. If anything she could use some car rags in emergencies...but the mess that those could cause seemed to be even worse in her mind.

She'd ask Harry about it, though with a little more class. Food and batteries were just as important. Though, she had a feeling that the conversation about it was definitely going to be awkward...Hopefully not awkward enough to make the shopping difficult.

Gail agrees with Harry's plan and tells him that she is ready whenever he is. While waiting for an answer she thinks about a few things that she'd like to buy with her money, the main item being tampons or pads if available. She also contemplates asking Moore if he'd be willing to sell her a box from his stock, something that she also hoped would not cost too much. After thinking for a minute, Gail decides to talk to Harry about it, though telling herself she'll he a little more subtle than she was in her head, not wanting to make things awkward.

Iliana · May 13, 2012

So everybody is a damn Houdini.

It was hard for him not to flat out guffaw at everyone who had managed to pile out of the bus and pile back in with an item or two in toe. He had been in there, only to feel the air conditioner as opposed to the gas and murk filled air, and had saw how everything had went down. Well, how most of everything went down. The people that were bored with him on that dingy bus took pride in getting what they wanted and at any cost too. Chelsea took her possessions in swift strides, like some kind of heron and a football field-sized lake with one fish in it. That Karola chick that he talked to before, telling her she had better kept the volume down so as not to arize a hoard, was flat out stupid. Drew himself chewed over the thought of approaching Mister Moored, but his mind screamed 'Damn that' more than his need for those pills and meditative ointment.

He could have been thinking too soon though. The worst had not even begun and what he had seen already was pretty bad. One human gnawing away at the femur of a carcass. A fucking carcass. Not one rope of skin remain on the open body before Drew half sprinted, half stumbled behind the school bus that was speeding. Curses had flown as he damned the driver. Who whips school bus like that? Apparently, Harry did, and Drew had not one thing to say about it. The guy had practically save all of their asses, so Drew decided to become familiar with the group.

He couldn't remember everything he had said, but he got names, a couple of murmurs, and even a laughter from someone (he forgot) and now it turned out that they were all expert thieves! Drew's current location was leaning on the wall outside the store, bending low to make sure he still had those ones he had gotten from that girl as a tip three days ago. She was a fine looking girl too, a blondie, short khaki's, flip flops. Drew chuckled when the mound that protruded from his socks met his fingers. He'd be fucked if he did something with that girl before things had went to shit. That would've been the last thing he remembered about 'real life', because the shit they were in now did not seem real at all. The only thing that seemed real was the store items which Mr.Moore was having a piss-fit over.

A few of the others, Tony, Dave, and Gail, went back into the bus. That was where Kelly and Harry were at the moment. Drew was wary of the two of them. For starters, Kelly looked like that criminal he heard about on the news and wouldn't be surprised if he was. He had the smile to him. All criminals had some sort of signature grin. Harry was too....caring. He picked up a bunch of random people he didn't know and brought them to a supply store. Who the hell was that guy? Drew was sure he would have done the same but Harry just didn't look like the type. The smoking was probably what threw off the persona.

Again, he propped his right foot against the brick wall his back was on, left foot still flat on the ground. The bus looked off against the grainy, dank atmosphere that was around it, some of it being more tainted with the smoke patterns of Kelly's and Harry's smokes. A thin layer of tobacco crossed his eyes before he noticed the bright streak of hair at the back of the bus. Kit, he thought that was what she called herself, was too busy staring at everyone else to try to go get something from the store. Everyone else seemed to do just fine with stealing. You're a horrible influence, he told himself before her reached down to grab a stray, grey pebble.

Hoping to hell that Harry wouldn't see, he tossed the rock directly at the window, probably startling her right out of her cute little clothes, and graced her with a half wave. He could only imagine how traumatizing it was for her, being the youngest. He was the second just by taking a sweeping glance at everyone else.

"Some childhood memory this shit is turning out to be," he said out loud to no one in particular. He was just ready to go. Go where? He didn't know. Where would Harry possibly take them?

Drew went inside the store earlier, just for some fresh air, and finds out everyone supposedly has sticky fingers. He leaves without even bothering to toy with the owner, leans against a wall and does his mental thoughts on the people he had met thus far. Spotting Kit's hair, he tossed a rock at the window, hoping Harry wasn't looking, and waved at her as a positive reassurance from the second youngest person of the group.

Jumi · May 13, 2012

Kelly

Harry was reasonable and patient. Kelly was actually thankful for that considering he wasn't, and if it were just him, Moores, would be laid out behind the counter, as Kelly stocked up enough to make for someplace else. "Yeah, alright... I'll keep watch." Kelly answers, grabbing a large wrench that's leaned against the dashboard, hefting it against his should like some ancient coliseum gladiator.

Stepping off the bus, Kelly glances at Tony, and his bat. The kid didn't look like much of a scrapper, but he'd never argue with someone with a bat in hand. People often surprised you, and that was something he'd learned time, and time again in his life. Take a position at the front of the bus, Kelly then rested the wrench over his shoulders, placing his arms over it.

Kelly yawned, and cracked his neck as the sound of something ricocheting off one of the bus's windows. Turning towards the sound, his eyes swept the parking lot, where he saw Drew. The kid couldn't walk a straight line if would save his life, and a couple of times, Kelly had picked him up from the ground. But that wasn't really that bad. In fact, the past three days, had given him something to do with his time. It had been a long time since he'd had people to look after, and perhaps this was God's way of letting him set the record straight... or at least wash his soul clean, though it would get much dirtier before then.

"God these things are starting to fuckin' itch..." Kelly murmured in annoyance. Unlike most, he was probably one of the more cleanlier members of the group, having taken a water hose bath, only a half hour ago behind the gas station. Thick polyester fabric of his jumpsuit however wasn't doing much for breathing. He felt like he was sitting in a pool of fiberglass. Hacking slightly, he spat onto the concrete in disgust. The taste of gasoline was still fresh in his mouth from siphoning it from the tanks. Planing to have a beer or two to wash it away, Kelly just shifted his weight onto his other foot, and looked down the long highway. Nothing but distance in any direction... "Thank god for that..."

Though he couldn't help the fact, that he felt like something wasn't quite right... something other than the fact there was the walking undead.

Kelly listens to Harry's advice, and takes a position outside the bus with Tony, and begins keeping an eye on their surroundings, and takes a moment to contemplate life so far.

Moonlit Blade · May 13, 2012

Tony listened to the conversation inside while still maintaining his vigil. If he had any good skills, multitasking was one of them. That was why he wasn't surprised when Kelly stepped out of the bus to keep watch with him. All Tony knew was that Kelly had been in prison. For what, he had no clue. He didn't really watch TV, and when he did, it wasn't the news. Something bad was always happening. But he wasn't about to ask Kelly why he had been a prisoner. Things like that, they were big. Not something you ask someone you met not three days ago. When Kelly fidgeted with his jumpsuit, muttering about their uncomfortable fabric, Tony laughed. Though a bit nervously. "Yeah. I think you'll be able to get a change of clothes soon enough, though. I dunno if we're heading to any major cities... I mean, on one hand, there may be people gathered there, holding the zombies off... On the other, there may just be a lot of zombies... I mean, if we do, we could probably get more supplies. The gas station can only have so much... And that Moores guy... He's a bit, y'know... Greedy."

Tony kept his gaze to the horizon. Luckily, the general geography was flat, so they'd be able to tell if any zombies were heading their way. The gas station was pretty out of the way, which was good. "Then again, we could try and stay close to small towns. Really small. Less risk of zombies. And if there are, less zombies. y'know? And every small town has a grocery store and place for clothing. That's my idea. But it's up to Harry, really. I guess we kinda made him the unspoken leader. A lot of weight on his shoulders.... But I'll be honest, better him than me, y'know? He seems like the kind of guy we could look to, for safety."

He bit his lower lip, then glanced at Kelly. "And, I'll just say, I've got no problem, you being a prisoner and all. I mean, I don't know your story, and it's not my place to judge. But we're up against things like zombies... That just.. Kinda supersedes all that moral stuff. We need to stay alive, and you're the kinda guy we need. I mean, looking at you, you're a pretty strong guy. Just wanted to let you know, you won't have any problems from me. If I learned anything from being outcasted my whole life, is to give everyone a chance, and even a second one, sometimes."

Tony listened to Harry speak with some of the others, while maintaining his vigil. When Kelly came out of the bus to stand guard as well, Tony spoke to him about what he figured safe routes would be, to survival. He then let Kelly know Tony wouldn't judge him based on a past Tony didn't know about, and that Kelly would expect no trouble from Tony, about things like that, even going so far as to saying the rest of the group needed a guy like Kelly around.

Cassondrah · May 13, 2012

Chelsea twirled her long dark hair and began changing seats in search of a more bouncy one, passing a couple people on her way to the front.
She giggled and settled with one closer to the bus door. Her window was cracked open a little and she listened to what Tony and Kelly were talking about while eating a couple skittles and bouncing. Kelly? Isnt that a girls name? she looked down at him and giggled a little. With his hair from above he kinda did look like a girl, just with no fashion sense, and kinda dirty. She began to think and she remembered that her best friend from High School was named Kelly, her face drooped a little. Wonder if shes ok? she was hopeful about her friend but then again she was surprised she was still alive.

She stared at his tattoos admiring them and looked at her own for a little. Her favorite one was the one on her front right shoulder it was a pretty bow with little red hearts in it. She had several tattoos but she wanted more. Getting inked was addicting. She hoped he knew how to tattoo or she might go crazy.

The dark haired girl stood and opened the window all the way, she didnt know much about any one on the bus and wasnt interested at first; but now she finally figured out that these people are going to be around, for as long as she is alive, or they are. "Hi!" she smiled twirling her hair again. Her caramel eyes drifted between the two guys below. "I- hi, I was wondering if- uh- you guys wanted... some um oh! some skittles?!" shoving her favorite candy at them she hoped to start a conversation. Quickly realizing what she said made her come off as a stupid playmate with no common sense she sighed and pulled the skittles close to her, "What I meant was... Hi!" she paused for a second. "I'm Chelsea, We've met, briefly but, we've met." she smiled waiting for their response.

(oh good gracious I'm sorry its so short)

~Summary~
[Chelsea tries talking to Kelly and Tony hoping to make friends. And secretly for now wants to know if Kelly knows how to tattoo.]

Jumi · May 14, 2012

Kelly

Putting the idea out of his mind, Kelly leaned back against the bus, and placed a cigarette between his lips, lighting it.

"Yeah. I think you'll be able to get a change of clothes soon enough, though. I dunno if we're heading to any major cities... I mean, on one hand, there may be people gathered there, holding the zombies off... On the other, there may just be a lot of zombies... I mean, if we do, we could probably get more supplies. The gas station can only have so much... And that Moores guy... He's a bit, y'know... Greedy."

The kid had a point. If they hit any major city, they might just be fucked something fierce... though the idea of hitting up smaller towns didn't sit well with him either. He'd never been to those places, and he hated the idea of being somewhere he wasn't slightly familiar with.

"Then again, we could try and stay close to small towns. Really small. Less risk of zombies. And if there are, less zombies. y'know? And every small town has a grocery store and place for clothing. That's my idea. But it's up to Harry, really. I guess we kinda made him the unspoken leader. A lot of weight on his shoulders.... But I'll be honest, better him than me, y'know? He seems like the kind of guy we could look to, for safety."

Smirking slightly at that, Kelly couldn't help but find some humor in it. Harry was a good enough guy, but this would have to be hell on his nerves. The bus driver had probably had his share of shit to deal with, but leading a rag-tag of zombie outbreak survivors had to be hell.. specially when one was a smoker.

Then there was that last little bit. Tony went on about how he wouldn't judge the convict, and that he was deserving of another chance and the like. "Funny how it takes an apocalypse for that to happen. It's always acceptable to bless evil when it saves people asses." Kelly's tone was certainly annoyed, though it wasn't at Tony... just the fact that the kid had brought up some unneeded memories at the moment. Fuckin' prosecutors and their word spinning... I hope they're worm food now. Feeling the intense hatred for the memories welling up, he simply spat onto the ground, and ground it out with empty thoughts... and silence. But then... there was Chelsea.

"Hi!

Looking up at her over his shoulder, Kelly did his best to not have that prison scowl that had almost etched itself into his face. The girl seemed rather bubbly.

"I- hi, I was wondering if- uh- you guys wanted... some um oh! some skittles?!"

Skittles? He found himself thinking briefly on it. He couldn't recall what they tasted like, and that fact hit him like a gut check. All that time, and I forgot what skittles taste like. Closing his eyes for a moment, Kelly then remembered... that was Aila's guilty pleasure when they'd been married. That woman absolutely loved skittles...

"Not much of a sweet tooth." Kelly answered absently. Seeing that the girl was trying her best to be friendly, he exhaled cigarette smoke gently, and bit his tongue. No need to be all sour, and moody just yet. There was plenty of time for lamenting, and regret. That is he didn't get eaten alive in the meantime. "Kelly." He said softly. It felt weird saying his name to a stranger, or rather someone who could possibly be one of the last friendly person he'd meet. Seeing Chelsea's eyes trailing the various tattoos that were visible, Kelly folds his arms, and looks back towards the horizon to keep watch though he wasn't trying to stone wall the girl.

Kelly retorts to Tony's words, and regrets the tone he uses, but hopes that people chalk it up to his cicumstances. Though in truth it's no excuse with things as they are. When Chelsea tries to start a conversation with him, and Tony, he does his best to be sociable, but is obviously having a hard time.

Hecatoncheires · May 16, 2012

[size=+1]

Kelly agrees without complaint, which sets a decent precedent I suppose; though he may as well have a large sign floating above his head emblazoned with the words 'ESCAPED CONVICT' he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Though I imagine the others might feel differently. We need to find him some new clothes. That will hopefully prevent any problems if we run into any remaining law enforcement.

'Any remaining'. Christ, what a depressing sentiment.

"Eighty dollars should cover most of what we need," I reply to Gail, stepping down off the bus, "We should see if Moore has got any camping equipment too; y'know, stoves, tents and the--" I'm cut short when my eyes fall upon the second youngest of the group, Drew, flinging something at one of my bus windows. Goddammit, he better not have broken anything. "Drew, try not to break my bus would you?" I call over to him as I walk towards him. Normally when dealing with some teenage kid throwing shit at my bus I'd be a little more on the aggressive side, but that doesn't seem like the best approach in this case.

Moving over to where the pebble struck, I check the window for cracks. Fortunately, Drew seems to have been careful enough; no damage sustained. I turn back to the kid and flash him a quick grin. "I'd tell you that you're paying for any damage, but y'know…" I leave the joke hanging, pausing for a moment, before starting forwards and clapping a hand on Drew's shoulder to steer him towards the store with Gail and I. "C'mon; you can help us grab supplies if you're not doing anything else."

The three of us push open the windowed door to the gas station store and are greeted by the smell of musty air. Mister Moore apparently isn't a fan of air-conditioning. The man sits behind a counter reading a book, letting out a grunt by way of acknowledgement that we've entered. I can feel his eyes on us from the minute we step inside.

Seriously, the guy really rubs me the wrong way. I don't know why. He just seems… off.

I grab one of the rickety old baskets at the door and hand it to Drew. "Gail, take Drew and see what supplies you can find in here. Remember, we need stuff that lasts; tinned food, non-perishables, that sort of--"
"Hope you folks are planning on paying for what you're grabbing," Moore interrupts, looking at us from over his book. I sigh and turn to face him.
"We've got cash, don't worry." He grunts and looks back down to his book; I resist the urge to call him an asshole.

Leaving Gail and Drew to locate supplies, I wander over to the checkout where Moore sits. If he's got any camping supplies I'll probably need to ask him about it. Not a prospect that fills me with joy, but we're going to need something to cook things with. His small eyes glance up at me from the book, magnified to unnerving proportions through his glasses.
"Help you?"
"Uh, yeah. I was wandering if you had any camping supplies or stuff like that? Stoves, cooking equipment?" There's a ten second pause as the man just stares at me. A very long ten seconds. Just as I'm starting to think he's not going to say anything he sighs and pulls himself out of his chair.
"Got some stuff through back. Come have a look if you want."
"Thanks." I look over to Gail and Drew, calling, "There's some camping stuff through back. I'll go take a look." Moore waddles out from behind the checkout and over to a door marked 'Private', grunting at me to follow.

Yeah, follow the strange, sour-tempered fuck into the back room. This is a fucking great idea, Harry.

At least Gail and Drew know where I am.

Harry catches Drew throwing the pebble at his bus and ropes the teenager into helping him and Gail get supplies from the shop. He asks Gail and Drew to handle finding supplies as he talks to Mister Moore about camping supplies. Moore informs him that there's some equipment through the camp, though Harry isn't thrilled about the prospect of following Moore further into the station.

[/size]

EquinoxSol · May 16, 2012

Shaking her head and sighing at Dave and Kit's silence, she gets up, and returns to her seat. Fine, if they weren't going to be friendly to her, why should she be friendly to them? Of course, that wasn't a very good philosophy, but what did it matter anymore. Sitting back down, she checks her stuff again.

It wasn't that she didn't trust everyone; it's just that she knows that it'll get bad when the food runs out, and they'll have to hunt. She couldn't bear the thought of eating an animal, even now, and was certain that it would probably make her sick, what with her not having eaten meat in over fifteen years.

Finding everything in place, she again takes her instrument from its case, but this time she isn't going to tune it. Sitting up straight, she positions herself, and begins playing, singing softly, under her breath, smiling at the bittersweet memories of her in New York, performing at coffee shops and bars, libraries and basements of department book stores. Now, she wasn't sure if she would ever experience singing in front of an audience, no matter how small. The world was changing, too fast for her to keep up, and it had no need for the performing arts anymore, she realized with a sigh.

Finishing the song, she looks up, brushing away a tear. She only lasted three days, how pitiful, three days before she broke down. And over a silly thing such as music. She scoffs at her weakness, putting away her guitar and taking out her iPod. Turning it to full volume, knowing that she couldn't hear the individuality of the songs without it, she turned on her old band. Fiction of the Valentine, they were called. They were sort of silly, really, none of them expecting to go anywhere, but they believed in what they sung, and that gathered fans. And then, Jasper…he…no, resolved Karola. She wouldn't let herself go along that train of thought. Shaking her head to clear it, she rests her head against the window, her eyes half closed.

[SPOILI]Karola leaves the silent Dave and Kit, instead moving back to her original seat. After playing a song softly, she realizes that it brings back too sad memories, and instead listens to music on her iPod, not sure of what else to do.[/SPOILI]

LadyHarpy · May 16, 2012

Gail follows after Harry in silence, stepping off the bus and standing near him. She had only gotten off the bus once to use the rest room, wiping herself down at the skin and freshening up as much as she could muster in that nasty place that Moore called a rest room for women. Otherwise she had stayed on the bus, it was like a security blanket, a safe place in this unsafe world. The moment Harry spoke at Drew she looked over to the young teen. Poor guy was barely out of high school and then all of this had to happen, she couldn't think of a worse time to be a teen or a kid like little Kit back on the bus. I was a 'every man for himself' type of world and the only thing keeping their group together was the bus, without it every would probably be riding solo.

Well, because of Drew's obvious boredom, now having taken up throwing rocks at the bus, he was dragged into the store with Harry and herself, now a mule for grabbing items and such. As they all entered they were hit with the musty air of the shop, a grimace forming on her face for a second as she felt like it was a sauna in there. Gail paused near the door and listened to Harry give directions, looking at the basket for a second until Moore spoke. That guy was rubbing her the wrong way, not only making them pay but also not having the best attitude. Guy probably had no clue what was happening to the world at all.

With Harry dealing with the fat man behind the counter and get camping supplies, she starts to tug Drew towards the food section and supplies section. She lingers a bit near the medicine aisle, trying to see if there was any prepackages lady products but finding that there were none, she'd have to raid the bathroom it seemed...or at least try to buy a box out of storage. Anyway, that could be planned out later, they still had to keep in mind the cost of whatever Harry was looking at back there.

"Alright...We have 80 bucks to spend and we need a lot...Also have to keep in mind the price of whatever Harry finds back there...Man, it's at times like this I wish I didn't need a calculator to do pricing math." She said as she started to look over the canned goods that the place had. It was all knock off brand stuff so it was rather cheap, they'd be able to get a lot for a little it seemed.

"Okay...Let's start with supplies like batteries and medicine, that way we'll at least have some stuff on hand just in case someone gets sick or or we need some power." She mumbled a bit, moving down the aisle as she crouched down and started to read all the prices.

Gail follows Harry out of the bus and witnesses the conversation with Drew. Then while Harry goes with Moore to look at camping supplies, Gail thinks about where to start before deciding that they sound work on things like medicine and batteries, since it looks like the canned food is all really cheap. She does mention however that she wishes she had a calculator as she isn't to sure about which would give them the most for what they have.

Iliana · May 16, 2012

He felt wrong to put it in those kinds of words, but dammit, he felt like Kelly when Harry's eyes landed directly on him after the rock throwing ensued. He didn't cringe, flinch, or make any other gestures one would make when being caught red handed, but that embarrassed/adrenaline-induced fire filled his head and cheeks when Harry actually told him to stop. Drew cursed himself over again in his head, he enjoyed cursing. Cursing made the bad things seem not so bad, like a crumb to an ant kind of scenario. He only wished the curse words gave him the strength to hold 50 times his weight like those little guys. He wouldn't dare curse to Harry, though, not yet at least. He owed the guy his life, even though there was still something in the back of his mind that thought that if Harry hadn't of looked in his rear view, he would of been filet to those cannibalistic asshats.

"My bad. I was tryna'...Never mind, my bad."he said shrugging. If he wanted to be taken seriously by all of those people with him, he had to act mature, but the kid was 19, and had a mind that only looked skyward. What was the term for it? Headstrong? Whatever the case was, he should probably do something constructive in his time other than further scare little girls. God, is this what his entertainment resorted to? Not that he meant to scare her, but...

His thoughts were soon interrupted when Harry lurked over to him. Drew's eyes locked with the man's instantly and had felt something fearful gargle in his stomach at the simple walk. It was dark, musky, and a skinny man with white hair was walking towards him with an eerie, yellow school bus behind him. Not good. One could tell that Drew often sneaked off from his theater duties to watch Horror films and such. Not a good mindset in the current situation. Drew gulped and quickly felt how dry his throat actually was. It burned and screamed for moisture, most likely from all the talking he had done with the group previously. Harry, on the other hand, didn't seem too mad at all when he inspected the said 'damage' of the window. He had probably scared Kit as well, appearing on the side of her window like that!

"I have 12 dollars and I don't think that'll do much for you."Drew said, not sure if he was catching along with the joke or not. He didn't know Harry so he could only hope that he was trying to be funny. If not, then the guy was in close enough range to punch him straight in the gut. Drew had undead out for him. He didn't need smoking bus drivers punching him in his shit as well.

His dark green eyes snapped to Harry's as soon as the hand clapped against his scrawny shoulder, and, on pure negative instinct, he shrugged it away. There was a lot that could be said about Harry's gesture but to Drew, it was just too fatherly. That guy didn't know Drew from hole in the ground so physical contact was instantly discouraged. Especially one that was...fatherly. A mixture of bile and something else bubbled in his throat at the pure thought of that guy actually caring about him. Drew didn't need that shit and it seemed like Harry didn't either, because he just dumped him over to that Yale lady. Thank God.

The Yale woman reminded him a lot of one of the substitute teachers that would fill in for his bitch of an Literature teacher. She and his old sub had long brown hair that reminded him of a horse's mane. Seriously, all jokes aside, he saw somewhat of a farmer girl in her appearance alone, which made him wonder how did she end up on the bus with everyone else. Drew also hoped that the lady was as nice as Miss Bourbon. He didn't want to have a naggy lady telling him what not to touch when they went in the store.

"Gail, take Drew and see what supplies you can find in here."

"Oh, damn, your name is Gail? I thought it was Yale this whole time!"he said, laughing more at himself than anything. It was the only way to suppress the uncomfortable thoughts of Harry's motion and back on to the task at hand: surviving. Though sooner or later, he'd apologize to the man for acting like a..well...19 year old, and he guessed an apology to Gail now, too.. The three of them walked in the store (Drew tripped by the welcome mat for a second or two) and was hit with a foul stench. Drew chuckled at it in amusement. This is just like the damn movies. Harry began explaining SURVIVAL ITEMS 101 when that store clerk burst through his sentence like cotton candy. Drew was going to curse the man out for Harry but sided it, for then. It's cool to act mature but not like you can magically become a body builder in .349 seconds and sumo wrestle Mr.Moores.

Figuring Harry had everything under control, he turned to Gail and shoved his hands in his pockets and listened to her set the price. She was too much like his Mom when she admitted she wasn't so good with numbers.

"Yeah, not alotta people are. They're confusing little...bastards, I'll tell you that."he said, pausing when he said the word 'bastard' just due to the similarity of his sub teacher. He pulled off his grey toboggan for a second and scratched his head, trying to rattle his gears and get them rolling. Harry's voice cut through the dank, store air, saying he would be in the back. 'The back'? With Mr.Moores? Come on, that's simple math right there.

"We're looking at around $46.73 cents right now if we wanna get 2 packs of batteries, $7.16....some canned goods that are about $1.98 a can. Bread, 2.57 a pound, we need one. It'll spoil so we gotta eat that shit fast, and if we're getting bread, might as well get some meat."he said, eyes shifting to the fridge section next to the sodas. "Spiced ham expires slowly...6.95...3 of those..."he murmured, his brain hauling ass every time he spotted a price tag.

Drew gets slightly scared when Harry caught him throwing the rock but quickly shoved it away. When Harry put a hand to Drew's shoulder, he shrugged it off, feeling that it was too fatherly and made him uncomfortable. After openly exclaiming that he didn't know Gail's name, he went into the store with her and instantly began expertly calculating the prices of items, still wary about Harry leaving with Mr.Moores.

'HOPE' - A Tale of Survival

Hecatoncheires

un jour je serai de retour près de toi

Cassondrah

Guest

Astaroth

[*screaming into the void intensifies*]

EquinoxSol

Guest

Jumi

Guest

Effort

Guest

LadyHarpy

Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

EquinoxSol

Guest

Moonlit Blade

Guest

Hecatoncheires

un jour je serai de retour près de toi

LadyHarpy

Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

Iliana

Guest

Jumi

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Moonlit Blade

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Cassondrah

Guest

Jumi

Guest

Hecatoncheires

un jour je serai de retour près de toi

EquinoxSol

Guest

LadyHarpy

Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread

Iliana

Guest

[screaming into the void intensifies]