The Blood-Stained Rivers of a Dying World

[heliacalRebirth]

​

Setting

It's 2050. Post-apocalyptic survivors dwindled in number. Silence devastated the war-torn landscape. Battles against the turned humans had left most of the world pocketed with artillery blasts, burnt wood and decaying bodies. A perpetual smog permeated the air, making the sun barely visible through dark grey clouds. The temperatures dropped dramatically. Food is scarce… and the ever present threat of being hunted hung in the air. Most survivors took what food they could and headed toward the countryside, where less shambling corpses would be. Others congregated together at the cities and took it upon themselves to eliminate the undead.

They didn't last long.

Driven by the instinct to survive, the human race had become solitary and dangerous. Trust was thin and alliances were quick to be dispelled. The silence was not peaceful. No, it was a deathly still silence. It felt as if your every move was being watched… and for all you knew, maybe it was.

Plot

You are a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. While driving in a rural location, your car finally runs out of gas close to an abandoned plantation-style farmhouse. You note that there are many, many cars that all were parked close to the farm. Was it a coincidence? The house seems uninhabited, but one can't be too careful anymore. It had been the only house you have seen in miles, hours of driving. There doesn't seem to be anything else in sight… so you step out of your car...

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Skelly

[spoili]

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Sexual Orientation:

Appearance:

Personality:

Likes/Dislikes:

Weapons/Equipment:

Other:

[/spoili]

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Name: Rene (ruh-nay) Stegall

Age: 21

Gender: F

Sexual Orientation: Straight



Personality: Quiet intellectual, with a habit of getting lost in thought. Usually cannot sleep because of the ever prevalent threat of zombies. Contemplates if it's really worth living anymore when the world is completely lost. Soft-spoken.

Likes/Dislikes: Likes nature, winter, nighttime and books and shelter (duh). Dislikes soldiers, canned food, multiple story buildings and loud noises.

Weapons/Equipment: Has a G19 (handgun thing) but without ammunition. Also carries rope, has some food, a blanket and a lot of yarn n stuff.

Other: She is good at sewing, being the daughter of a late tailor. Does not seem highly motivated to survive, but instead makes it sound as if she is surviving for a particular reason.

 

[captchakiller]

Name: Jace Vaughn

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Sexual Orientation: Hetero

Appearance: Not exactly fitting but you get the idea


Personality: Tends to be reclusive, but a strong leader when need be. He sees where his people stumble, and makes weaknesses stronger. Not one to flinch in the face of danger. Slightly headstrong, sometimes thinks he is invincible, which can/could/will lead to complications. He isnt always a hardass though, often he shows his lighter side, often seen as a flickering candle in this otherwise dark time.

Likes: Strategy, thinking, DotA 2, walking, trees, camping, reading

Dislikes:
Losing time, loud noises, complications, League of Legends, small children, Kansas, tomatoes, onions, mosquitos

Weapons/Equipment:
In car:
Roadside emergency kit
Jumper cables
PFTE hose, 5'
Duct Tape, 3'
Parachute Cord, 10'
Reflectors, 2
Salt Flares, 4
Space Blanket, 2
Protein bar, 3
Box of ammunition, 9mm, 5.56mm
Knife
Rifle, AR-15

On Person:
Glock 18
Knife
Backpack with misc things
Small first aid kit

 

[captchakiller]

Well, he knew it would happen eventually. Gas really wasn't easy to come by nowadays exactly. He sighed, and casually opened the door. The old rusted out pickup he found on the side of the road served him well up to here. As he walked to the front of the car he looked around. Nothing. In fact, it was so vast and empty, he was convinced that this would be the very definition of nothing. Thats what it was now.

The virus showed up without warning. Small, isolated outbreaks, in far parts of the globe. Russia, China, Vietnam, just otherwise random places. It didn't stay isolated long though. It spread. Like wildfire. Ripping cities apart. Families, flesh from bone. It was brutal. To escape unscathed was impossible. Desecrated bodies lined the streets. Some missing everything, others intact. Hospitals lined walls with wrapped bodies like boxes on packing crates.

Thats all everything was now. Nothing.

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Rene stared at the car she "borrowed". It slowed down, sputtered, and finally gave out. Staring at the gas icon on her dashboard, the brunette sat in silence. She was tired, and she really didn't want to leave the relative safety of her car. Looking around, she pulled her brows together in thought. Why are there so many cars here..? Where is here? Her eyes lingered on the three other cars parked in front of her. She then peered out of the passenger-side window. A farmhouse stood unscathed about six meters from the road. "Weird…" She really did not want to deal with other survivors. They're all probably bat-shit crazy by now anyway. Looking back through her window, she looked from where she came. The only thing that met her eye was the vast expanses of yellowed grass.

"Well, looks like I better check things out," she looked down at the passenger seat, where a toy cat -looking just as battered as the rest of the world- sat. One of it's button eyes had fallen off, and it stared sadly at her. She patted it's head and gave a tired smile. Opening the car door, a cool breeze rustled her hair. It's become a lot colder since the war, and the sky still hung pregnant with the residue of it all. It was eerily quiet, as always. Decay hadn't come with the wind, and Rene took that as a good sign.

Walking toward the other cars, she peered into the windows for supplies. They had a fair amount of dust gathered on them, so she assumed they had been abandoned for quite some time. She opened one of the doors to the first car. Nobody needed to lock their cars anymore. There didn't appear to be anything of interest besides an old flashlight in the center drawer. I guess it could come in useful… Rene pocketed the item.

Suddenly, she heard loud sputtering. Swiveling around, she instantly put her hand on her hip, where a very useless gun hung. Approaching her was another car that seemed to be in the same condition as her own. Spent. Shit… that's definitely someone alright. Ducking behind the open door, she peered at the newcomer. He seemed just as perplexed by the line of cars, and he seemed more perplexed at his own car. She watched at she got out and examined the vehicle. Well… I won't look very friendly hiding behind a car with a gun… She bit her lip. Maybe he'll walk away? Yeah. Right.

Sighing, she stood up and intentionally -loudly- coughed, leaning back on the car and hoping he didn't have a trigger-happy finger.

 

[captchakiller]

His head snapped around, hair on the back of his head on end. "Who is there?! Show yourself!" He reached inside of his jacket, putting his hand on his pistol. Cautiously he looked around. There she stood. Average height. Brunette hair. Brown eyes. Easily he could take her, if necessary. "Who are you? How long have you been here?" Questions flooded his head. Finally, something other than a blasted screaming, rotting, flesh-hungry corpse.

Slowly he walked toward her. Relaxing his figure a bit, he removed his hand from his jacket. "Well, you must be friendly, considering you haven'y shot me yet." Maybe he could swing her over to his side. Increase chances of survival. Maybe he could actually get some sleep at night. But, the problems. Another mouth to feed, to watch, it would just make things complicated. The plusses outweighed the negatives, perhaps it would be a good idea.

"Oh where are my manners, the world may have come to an end but human decency hasn't gone with it. Jace." He outstretched his hand. He studied her, he could see something within her, her eyes told stories. Of tragedy, loss. Only common things now.

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Rene looked at the man abrasively. He's way too friendly. I don't like that. Instead of taking his hand she simply nodded. Her guard was still up. She couldn't tell if he was mentally intact still or not. Realizing he still had his hand out, she sighed and gingerly took it. "Rene. Car just broke down. There's three more cars in front of mine, too." she replied, indicating the vehicles in the distance. They stood there for a bit. Averting her eyes from the strange man, she turned to look at the house. It seemed pretty abandoned and it great condition. She yearned to sleep in a bed again, yet something boded ill with the petite white farmhouse in front of her.

Without looking back, she asked the blonde man, "Do you know where we are?" Her hand gripped the useless gun once more. A comfort thing. Her eyes shifted from the cars to the man, raising her eyebrows as if asking if he knew why all these cars were here.

 

[captchakiller]

He could tell she was wary of him. Everyone had the right to be. His eyes glanced down to her waist, where her pistol sat in her waistband. Not sure if loaded or not, he sure didn't want to take chances either. "Oklahoma. I saw it on the plates of cars I passed by on the way up here." He looked up at her. His mom always told him to look at people in the eyes when talking to them. He always thought it was too intimidating, but it could get you places.

"Well, we're both stranded here. And it's getting late. Let's go check out that house up there." 2 stories, detached shed. A window was cracked, they must have taken everything and left. There really was only one way to find out.

 

[heliacalRebirth]

"O-oh", Rene was caught off guard by the forwardness that Jace showed. She didn't know what to make of the man. For all I know he could be a serial killer. She eyed the man again. …Nah. She was about to walk toward the house with him, but then stopped. Before letting him ask questions, she bolted to her car. "I am going to look so dumb for this…" she muttered and grabbed the cat, wrapping it up in her blanket she kept in the backseat. On the return trip, she cast another glance at the cars. They really didn't feel right. None of this did.

Once more walking alongside Jace, Rene approached the house. The door was shut, a good sign that the dead hadn't arrived just yet. "No blood smears, no bits of flesh… great!" she said cheerily to the cat in her arms. She smiled to conceal her disbelief. Houses unscathed are rare. Too bad I have to share it. right before they reached the door, she turned toward the blonde. "There might be other people here…. or worse. I…" she paused. Should I say it? "…I don't have any ammo for my gun so if we need to shoot, it's all on you." Rene watched the man carefully, observing any changes in emotion. There were none. Well… at least I'm pretty sure he won't kill me.

 

[captchakiller]

"The safety was on too." he said, an obvious smile in his voice. What did she go back for? he wondered. Before he opened the door he turned around. A bundle of blankets. Internally he shrugged, and quietly turned the knob on the door. He reached in and pulled out his pistol. He pushed the door open, quickly readying his gun. "Clear." he said "Go check the kitchen. There shouldn't be anything here."

He walked in to the small would-be living room. The walls were bare. Once where generations of family photos hung, now as barren and desolate as the surrounding landscape. He walked up the stairs that made up part of the wall. 2 bedrooms. 1 bathroom. Convenient. Everything was so fortunate lately, it was... Unsettling.

He opened up the closet in the closest bedroom. Empty hangars, a few discarded shirts on the floor of the closet. A pair of dress shoes, a belt, a couple pairs of slacks. Clearly not zombie survival wear. He ran his hands up on the shelf. A box of candles. Hopefully there were some matches somewhere.

Walking over to the second bedroom a mouse scurried by. He opened the bedside table. A bible, matches, a rosary. This must be the master bedroom. Opening the closet only confirmed this. Almost the same thing as the other bedroom. Nothing of great interest. It was good enough that the beds were made. It seemed so out of place, seeing that. Order in an otherwise chaotic world.

Suddenly there was a loud crash and a yelp. Jace bolted down the stairs...

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Rene walked into the kitchen and immediately began scouring the cabinets for anything, really. Setting the cat down, she began her search. The pantry housed a lot of rotting vegetables, and she crinkled her nose is distaste, shutting the door very quietly. Something wasn't right about the place. It looked too nice, even if there was nothing in it. There were no signs of rush or struggle on the main floor. The furniture was all in place, a few blankets were still neatly folded in a hemp basket. "Weird…" Rene whispered again. Everything just felt… foreboding. Like they weren't supposed to be there.

Even though it was futile, the brunette still opened the fridge door. Like she suspected, everything was gone, most likely raided by the other people whose cars broke down here. It's such a nice place… I'm not sure why they didn't stay. Suddenly her eyes caught sight of something shoved into the very back of the fridge. Squatting down, she reached down and picked up what appeared to be a heavy stained-wood box. Inspecting it, she couldn't seem to find any sort of latch or opening. She shook it, and was startled by the sound it made. Somethings in there. Curiosity briefly kept her attention, but she soon lost interest. Food was more important than a dumb box. Reaching down to set the box on the counter, a flash of movement caught her off guard. Skittering pounded in her ears, and she involuntarily let out a scream, and the box fell with a thud-

-right on top of a rat.

Bones cracked and she covered her mouth in shock. The rat squealed in pain and horror, still trying to flee. Footsteps pounded down the stairs, but Rene couldn't turn around. Blood began to seep from under the box, and the rat's feet twitched. Her eyes widened and she gave the box an accusatory and hostile glare. She could shoot up zombies all day, but what just happened traumatized her. She felt dizzy and she really just wanted to leave the house. Why was it running, anyway? She scanned the path in which the rat would've taken… straight to the broken window.

 

[captchakiller]

He stormed into the kitchen, met by a pale and clearly shocked Rene. She was staring at the ground, at a heavy wooden box specifically. There was a small pool of blood under it. He crouched down, and examined the box. Tiny feet protruded from the side, slowly he reached and grabbed it with both hands. Rene still stood there, hands on her mouth. Her eyes followed him as he put the box on the counter.

He looked it over. It was built relatively solid. It was old too. The stain was dark and faded in some places, scratched and worn smooth. It looked nearly seamless. Almost lost in examining the box, something snapped him out of his trance. A shuffling, gurgling sound came from around the corner. He motioned her to stay quiet. Not like thats going to be an issue really. He stalked up to the end of the kitchen, reaching for his knife and pulling it out. Admiring the weight and balance of the object, he peered around the corner.

Obviously it didn't know they were here. The sound of the box hitting the counter must have attracted it. Luckily, it was facing away from him, and he lurched forward, shoving the blade into its back with both hands. It must have been surprised, a gurgling, labored scream emanated from its mouth. Yanking up with the knife he pulled it out, and threw the reanimated corpse onto the floor. He stabbed again, aiming for the heart, feeling bones scrape and break in the process. Dead again. He sighed heavily. "Well, lets just hope more don't show up. We should try and be a little more careful. The upstairs rooms are clear, pick a bed, regain your bearings. I'm going to go look in the shed for some boards and nails."

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Rene watched the man leave. Why should I stay here? It's creepy. She scooped up the wrapped cat and made her way to the front door. "Oh. Right. That's why." she glanced down at the putrid corpse. It's face resembled very little of what it had originally looked like. Probably a successful and healthy individual, now reduced to a decaying flesh eater. Swallowing a bit of bile that rose to her throat, she turned and made her way upstairs.

The floor was creaky, each step sounded like gunfire to her. She tip-toed into the master bedroom. It was as if she was looking into heaven itself. She hadn't lain in a bed for over a month, and the condition of the queen sized mattress was pristine. Her limbs ached and her eyelids felt heavy. Everything in her body told her to lay down, but her mind said otherwise. What about Jace? What if he doesn't shut the door and more zombies come in…? What if he… Rene frowned and turned her attention to the still wrapped kitty. She took the stuffed toy out of it's protective binding and hugged it. Surveying the room, she kissed her cat and set it down on the bed, placing her hand knit blanket over it.

The master bathroom was caked in dust. Rene stepped forward and tried the lights to no avail. A small privacy window shed a few streaks of dim light, enough to illuminate the mirror and reflect small amounts of light into the rest of the room. An ancient-looking porcelain bathtub was to her right, dust and mildew prevalent in the basin. To the left was a mirror and a sink. "Oh my god, I'm filthy." Rene murmured, making out her smudgy image. "I could sure use a shower…" her eyes drifted to the bathtub. "I suppose it's worth a shot." Turning both the knobs, they reluctantly moved until they were at their extent. At first, nothing happened. Then… a trickle of water began to pour out of the spout. The trickle soon became larger.

"No way!" Rene grinned. The plumbing must be connected to a well instead of a water line. It was really far out in the countryside. She let the water wash away the majority of the dirt, then she peeled away her dirt-caked clothes. A bar of soap sat on the ledge, but there was suspicious green dots on it. Instead, the girl took a container of shampoo and hopped into the halfway full tub. "Ah!" she cringed. The water might work, but the heater obviously didn't. She slowly relaxed, the cold water biting deep into her skin. This shouldn't take long… I just need to get all this dirt and blood off of me.

 

[captchakiller]

Casually he walked over to the detached shed. Not like anything was going to pop out any time soon. They were far enough in the middle of nowhere, nobody could find them. He was even shocked to find a zombie here. It looked like the horde hasn't reached this far yet. Standing in front of the solid shed door, he jiggled the knob. Locked. Perplexed, he wondered as to why the shed would be locked but the house left completely ajar. It really was odd times, wasn't it. "Alright. Now, lets just figure out how to get you open..." Scanning the area for a decently sized rock, and suddenly, it hit him. "Oh. Duh. Let's hope that there is a tire iron in one of these cars."

Jace jogged over to what was Rene's car, and opened the trunk. He pushed aside a couple of stray balls of yarn and popped open the compartment. Jack, crank, donut tire, no iron. Unfortunate. Jogging over to his car, he grabbed his other spare things. Shoving everything into his bag, he slung it over his shoulder. Looking in the compartment of this car, he found nothing. The other 3 cars up the road were pretty far away, and he really didn't want to leave Rene too alone. Not after what happened to his girlfriend. Not again. He weighed the odds. Safety for the night, or safety of another. Numbers were good, yes, especially ones that could watch your back. Almost more valuable than the guns you'd use to protect it with.

Reluctantly, he started toward the other cars ahead. He could afford to relax a little, they were in nowhere after all. Coming up to the cars, he rummaged through the cab. Newspapers about the epidemic, this one covering New York, he decided to keep it for reading material. Inside the glovebox were papers, nothing important. Walking back over to the drivers side he pulled the lever, and the latch in the back of the car disengaged with a satisfactory click. Excellent, things might just work out after all. Flinging the door open, he stumbled backwards, arms covering his face reflexively and gasping sharply. "Well that was certainly unexpected." He decided to skip this car.

Moving on to the next, he found more of the same stuff. Papers, single shoes, ice scrapers, dumb stuff. Not what he needed. Opening the trunk of the car he quickly found himself greatly pleased. In its glory, there sat a tire iron. A peaceful nights sleep was only a door away. Among the trunk, he found a discarded jewelry box. He tilted his head sideways, and shut the trunk. Hurriedly he ran back to the shed, backpack bouncing all over. He shoved the wedged side of the now prybar into the jamb of the door and pushed with all of his strength. Grunting and panting the frame began to crack, pushing a few more times, he decided to finish the job. Stepping back, he steadied himself, and planted the heel of his foot right beside the knob.

The door exploded inward with shards of wood flying everywhere. Saws, hammers, nails, plenty of wood, power tools, everything. A dusty grandfather clock stood proudly in the corner. Laughing to himself, he began to stack the smaller boards together and carry them over to the house, grabbing plenty of nails and two hammers in the process. Oh boy, I hope she likes work. And he started towards the house. Setting everything on the porch, he grabbed a handful of nails and put them in his pocket. He started stacking sets of boards under the windows. "Just making things easier" he said to himself. And he started putting the planks in the windows.

 

[heliacalRebirth]

Rene was dripping wet. I forgot a towel… smart. She blinked. "….and clothes. I forgot clothes." A slight blush managed to creep onto her pale skin as she stood shivering in the dusty bathroom. She opened a cabinet and- "Thank God" the brunette chattered as she pulled out a black towel. Wrapping it around her after drying off, she quietly padded into the bedroom. A rhythmic banging was echoing from downstairs. Oh, I should probably lend a hand soon… But first, clothes. Hurriedly, the girl opened the closet. A long dark blue button down shirt was crumpled up on the floor, and she quickly snatched it up. It was for a man, but the more coverage, the better. Using the towel once more for another quick dry-off, she slipped the shirt on. It went down to about mid thigh.

"How do I look?" she posed for the cat, still shivering from the ice cold water. Turning to the dresser, she rummaged through the drawers. I really don't want to wear someone else's underwear but… She continued searching. There were lots of multicolored ties, watches, and other masculine items. There didn't seem to be any female clothes. Rene sighed exasperatedly. Resigning, she pulled on a pair of grey boxers, hoping that they were washed. The fit fairly snugly. Despite herself, she snickered. Realizing that wearing oversized pants would me impractical, she suddenly stopped. Another blush rose to her cheeks. Oh no…. this is going to be so awkward… The brunette put a hand through her slightly damp hair and prepared herself for whatever remark her new ally would make.

Shutting all the drawers but one, she rummaged through the uppermost container. Aha. She pulled out a lighter. "Well isn't that handy." Putting the item in the shirt pocket, she then made her way downstairs. As she neared the bottom, she gently creeped up until she was about a meter from Jace. He was busily nailing away at a window. She studied the man for a moment, seeing his muscles ripple as both an attraction and a threat. Realizing she was being slightly creepy, she forced the returning blush away and spoke, "Erm… do you need… help?"

 

[captchakiller]

Jace looked up, "Uhh..." he was slightly confused. "Shouldn't you be wearing... Pants?" feeling a slight hotness rise to his face. "Uh. Yes. Help. There is another... Err... Hammer over there." he motioned with his head. Continuing along, he quickly finished up the second window. "Just a few more and we can sleep easy tonight." he exclaimed triumphantly.

"So, I take it while I was out slaving around in the ever-so-dangerous wilderness, you were making yourself all nice and cozy, hmm?" he said with a joking tone. "Hopefully you didn't hog all of the hot water now, did you?"

 

[heliacalRebirth]

"Y-yeah… I… couldn't find…. any…" Rene trailed off, looking away. Her face burned. She quickly walked off toward the direction Jace pointed and retrieved said hammer. The windows were getting shut off, and the light was slowly decreasing.

Rene began to space out until a snide remark from Jace brought her back to reality. She snorted. "Hot water? As if there were any. I would of been happy to bathe in a pond with the amount of dirt on me." She glanced apologetically at the man, "But… I'm sorry. I should've went with you," Shaking her head, she realized it was getting harder to see. "Um…" she started, "unless you have night vision then I suppose we'll need another source of light now…"

 

[captchakiller]

"Probably, I found some candles insiiiide..."his boice trailed off as he suddenly remembered that dead zombie on the floor. Still. On the floor. "Hey, Rene, remember the zombie i killed earlier? Well I hate to rain on your just showered parade but we still have to move that." He sighed really heavily. "But, still. Candles. I'll go grab those."

Ugh. I can't wait to sleep tonight.

 

[heliacalRebirth]

"I don't want to touch it," she pouted, backing up even further from the corpse. She feigned disgust and laughed at Jace's exasperated expression at her stubbornness. Wow, I haven't laughed in a long time. "Alright, alright. I can pull my weight around too," she made her way toward the zombie. "Oh… but I wouldn't dare move this thing without light. You better hurry up, it'll start making the house smell." she winked at him, mimicking his sarcastic tone. Pulling her shirt down further, disappearing into the dark.