Hello reader.
It's now summer break and I have a little bit more time on my hands. I'm gonna try to update my story more often - something like at least once a week. Stay tuned and please comment!
Also, new poll.
Thanks!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Chapter 20 - Departure
June 13th, 2008
9:58am
Upstairs Headquarters
The normal morning routine had degraded over time. What had begun as a clockwork schedule was now a free for all, as each survivor slept as late as they dared. Ears plugged, they all traded vigilance for the peaceful embrace of sleep, trusting in the fragile security of their apartment fortress.
Ryan took full advantage of this fact as he laid still, eyes closed, on his bedroll. He had heard the third watch come back from the roof, and a few of the other Fools had awoken since then. He could feel the footsteps around him as his compatriots each started the day as they saw fit. Most would head to the kitchen for their allotted rations and water as breakfast, and the grim ritual that followed.
The Zed Check.
A few days into the siege, Beard and Ryan had attempted to make a reasonable assessment of the number of undead outside, at least those within view. If they didn't survive, at least their notes might. It was hard for them to shake a feeling of responsibility to science, even in the most dire circumstances. Besides, it was a way to make use of the morbid curiosity of the Fools as they glanced out the windows each day.
Peering through the blinds, they averaged the estimates of each Fool in the approximate area they could see out of each window, and then calculated how that number might apply across the campus, across the city, or even further. The Zed Count also included a listing of the dwindling daily rations and any other items of note.
T.Rex could hear Kamikaze counting under her breath just feet away, and it made it difficult to concentrate. He needed some time to think, as he'd made up his mind the night before to do a number of unpleasant things. And soon.
The others were undoubtedly living in fear for their friends and family, Ryan thought, laying still and pretending to be asleep. But at least they're far from here, where there's a rapidly decreasing chance they are safe from the onslaught. He could not help but think of his Jennifer, slightly more than a mile away, and yet separated by an entire campus filled with hundreds or thousands of terrifying creatures.
I had honestly hoped - no, counted on - that The Plan would have protected us, he thought to himself, keeping us alive long enough to be rescued. That by now we would've seen the police, a SWAT team, the National Guard, the entire US Armed forces, hell, even campus ROTC. And now, six long days later, we are still on our own. We're in a bad situation, and all it seems like we're doing is depleting our rations.
Ryan was resolute. I can no longer sit idly by and hope for the cavalry to come riding to save the day, trumpets blaring and guns blazing. If fiction is any guide, the military probably has no idea how to combat the threat before them, or worse, they're just sitting around with their thumbs up their asses. No, I can no longer wait. He was going to leave tonight to go rescue Jenny himself - if something hadn't happened to her already.
He allowed himself to be "woken" by an errant foot as the Fools went about their business. Though his mind was buzzing, a mental checklist of preparations flying through his brain, he pretended to be groggy and aloof as to not arouse suspicion of his impending departure.
Still, the group knew him well. Perhaps too well. He couldn't count how many shows and practices they'd been through together, a portion of every week of every semester he'd been with the group since joining in the spring of his Freshman year. Their club was drilled in reading body language and subtle changes of tone in order to act as a team on stage.
Ryan felt as though everyone could see right through him.
It was maddening. He needed time alone to complete his preparations, and yet he couldn't seem to find two seconds without running into somebody. One thousand square feet never felt so small. He tried to convince himself it was the tension of the circumstances that caused his paranoia.
Around dinnertime, T.Rex reached his breaking point. The heat, the same granola bar rations, and the constant pressure of the outside threat was too much this day. The Fools were taken aback as he suddenly snapped. He shouted, ordering them all out of the kitchen. They obeyed, reluctantly, and it pained Ryan immediately afterwards - both because they were his close friends, and because he would be leaving soon.
His pack was close by, like always. The privacy of the kitchen now secure, T.Rex somberly removed nearly all of his rations and placed them in an empty cupboard. With them he placed some of his backup supplies and equipment. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and began to scribble a note:
He knew it was foolish, and yet, that was never really a part of his plan. The group could last longer with one less person. Perhaps more importantly, he could not endanger their lives - it pained him to imagine one of them getting hurt (or worse) on his own rescue mission, which he considered first and foremost his own risk and responsibility.
Blinking away misty eyes, he went and apologized for his earlier outburst. He suggested that the Fools decided to blow off some steam with the remaining hours by playing some improv games, and Ryan tried to channel his emotion into his characters to better conceal it.
That night, the Fools turned in as usual. Angel Hair and Peace took the first watch, and T.Rex once again feigned sleep. It was his night off from watch, which fit his plan perfectly. He decided to wait until the second watch of Beard and Rubble to make his flight, because it seemed reasonable that those sleeping would be less likely to notice. There was no trouble staying awake, as adrenaline coursed through his body while he nervously awaited the change of watch.
Eventually the soft shuffle of feet on carpet alerted him to the change. He waited a few extra minutes to assure the two were on the roof before silently slipping from his bedroll. Fortunately, the earplugs the other Fools wore worked to his advantage. He stole a few dirty towels from the kitchen and stuffed them under his blanket. It wouldn't fool anybody for very long, so with a quick glance around at his friends he retrieved the rope ladder from the hallway.
Gathering up his survival pack, T.Rex gently unlocked and coaxed the door open, balancing the risk of an errant noise with the fear of a breeze or scent awakening somebody. Forcing himself to not look back, he shut the door and threw the rope ladder over the railing of the stairway balcony. He had one foot over the railing before he suddenly remembered the note still in his pocket.
I almost left without leaving the note, he chuckled to himself. Very quietly he climbed back up and crept in, setting the note under his pillow with a corner peeking out. He exited once more and descended the ladder.
He had one foot on the ground when a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed his shoulder.
Current Word Count: 26,089
9:58am
Upstairs Headquarters
The normal morning routine had degraded over time. What had begun as a clockwork schedule was now a free for all, as each survivor slept as late as they dared. Ears plugged, they all traded vigilance for the peaceful embrace of sleep, trusting in the fragile security of their apartment fortress.
Ryan took full advantage of this fact as he laid still, eyes closed, on his bedroll. He had heard the third watch come back from the roof, and a few of the other Fools had awoken since then. He could feel the footsteps around him as his compatriots each started the day as they saw fit. Most would head to the kitchen for their allotted rations and water as breakfast, and the grim ritual that followed.
The Zed Check.
A few days into the siege, Beard and Ryan had attempted to make a reasonable assessment of the number of undead outside, at least those within view. If they didn't survive, at least their notes might. It was hard for them to shake a feeling of responsibility to science, even in the most dire circumstances. Besides, it was a way to make use of the morbid curiosity of the Fools as they glanced out the windows each day.
Peering through the blinds, they averaged the estimates of each Fool in the approximate area they could see out of each window, and then calculated how that number might apply across the campus, across the city, or even further. The Zed Count also included a listing of the dwindling daily rations and any other items of note.
T.Rex could hear Kamikaze counting under her breath just feet away, and it made it difficult to concentrate. He needed some time to think, as he'd made up his mind the night before to do a number of unpleasant things. And soon.
The others were undoubtedly living in fear for their friends and family, Ryan thought, laying still and pretending to be asleep. But at least they're far from here, where there's a rapidly decreasing chance they are safe from the onslaught. He could not help but think of his Jennifer, slightly more than a mile away, and yet separated by an entire campus filled with hundreds or thousands of terrifying creatures.
I had honestly hoped - no, counted on - that The Plan would have protected us, he thought to himself, keeping us alive long enough to be rescued. That by now we would've seen the police, a SWAT team, the National Guard, the entire US Armed forces, hell, even campus ROTC. And now, six long days later, we are still on our own. We're in a bad situation, and all it seems like we're doing is depleting our rations.
Ryan was resolute. I can no longer sit idly by and hope for the cavalry to come riding to save the day, trumpets blaring and guns blazing. If fiction is any guide, the military probably has no idea how to combat the threat before them, or worse, they're just sitting around with their thumbs up their asses. No, I can no longer wait. He was going to leave tonight to go rescue Jenny himself - if something hadn't happened to her already.
He allowed himself to be "woken" by an errant foot as the Fools went about their business. Though his mind was buzzing, a mental checklist of preparations flying through his brain, he pretended to be groggy and aloof as to not arouse suspicion of his impending departure.
Still, the group knew him well. Perhaps too well. He couldn't count how many shows and practices they'd been through together, a portion of every week of every semester he'd been with the group since joining in the spring of his Freshman year. Their club was drilled in reading body language and subtle changes of tone in order to act as a team on stage.
Ryan felt as though everyone could see right through him.
It was maddening. He needed time alone to complete his preparations, and yet he couldn't seem to find two seconds without running into somebody. One thousand square feet never felt so small. He tried to convince himself it was the tension of the circumstances that caused his paranoia.
Around dinnertime, T.Rex reached his breaking point. The heat, the same granola bar rations, and the constant pressure of the outside threat was too much this day. The Fools were taken aback as he suddenly snapped. He shouted, ordering them all out of the kitchen. They obeyed, reluctantly, and it pained Ryan immediately afterwards - both because they were his close friends, and because he would be leaving soon.
His pack was close by, like always. The privacy of the kitchen now secure, T.Rex somberly removed nearly all of his rations and placed them in an empty cupboard. With them he placed some of his backup supplies and equipment. He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, and began to scribble a note:
FoolsRyan placed the note in his pocket and checked his pack once more to be sure it contained the essential items. I sure do have my work cut out for me, he thought with a sigh. First, sneak out of the apartment in the night avoiding my best friends. Then, trek across a mile of dense campus filled with an unknown number of zombies. Once I get to Hillenbrand, break in and find Jenny. From there, we head West and attempt to find more supplies and a place to rest.
By the time you will read this, I will be long gone. I have left under cover of darkness to go rescue Jennifer, and I have done so alone. I have left supplies and rations in the cupboard above the fridge. They will help you last a bit longer, especially with one less mouth to feed.
Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to follow me. I will bring my phone and attempt to contact you at regular intervals. Stick with The Emergency Zed Plan and the preparations we have managed for as long as you can, and then - only then - should you leave to find a new hiding place. Remember the survival guide and trust each other. I leave you under Beard's capable leadership.
Boiler Up,
T.Rex
He knew it was foolish, and yet, that was never really a part of his plan. The group could last longer with one less person. Perhaps more importantly, he could not endanger their lives - it pained him to imagine one of them getting hurt (or worse) on his own rescue mission, which he considered first and foremost his own risk and responsibility.
Blinking away misty eyes, he went and apologized for his earlier outburst. He suggested that the Fools decided to blow off some steam with the remaining hours by playing some improv games, and Ryan tried to channel his emotion into his characters to better conceal it.
That night, the Fools turned in as usual. Angel Hair and Peace took the first watch, and T.Rex once again feigned sleep. It was his night off from watch, which fit his plan perfectly. He decided to wait until the second watch of Beard and Rubble to make his flight, because it seemed reasonable that those sleeping would be less likely to notice. There was no trouble staying awake, as adrenaline coursed through his body while he nervously awaited the change of watch.
Eventually the soft shuffle of feet on carpet alerted him to the change. He waited a few extra minutes to assure the two were on the roof before silently slipping from his bedroll. Fortunately, the earplugs the other Fools wore worked to his advantage. He stole a few dirty towels from the kitchen and stuffed them under his blanket. It wouldn't fool anybody for very long, so with a quick glance around at his friends he retrieved the rope ladder from the hallway.
Gathering up his survival pack, T.Rex gently unlocked and coaxed the door open, balancing the risk of an errant noise with the fear of a breeze or scent awakening somebody. Forcing himself to not look back, he shut the door and threw the rope ladder over the railing of the stairway balcony. He had one foot over the railing before he suddenly remembered the note still in his pocket.
I almost left without leaving the note, he chuckled to himself. Very quietly he climbed back up and crept in, setting the note under his pillow with a corner peeking out. He exited once more and descended the ladder.
He had one foot on the ground when a hand reached out from the darkness and grabbed his shoulder.
Current Word Count: 26,089
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Chapter 19 - Breaking Point
June 12th, 2008
1:10am
Neighbor's Roof
Ryan stomped his foot in frustration. "How did I miss that one?" he said aloud to nobody in particular.
"It's okay," Angel Hair tried to console him as he sat, nursing his injured ankle. "I didn't think of it either. But I did get a really great look around. The bad news, of course, is that there are zombies pretty much everywhere. he good news, though, is that I saw a light on in the back of Lilly, past the greenhouses."
"What, like they have power?" T.Rex fought back excitement.
"No, more like a flashlight, but I'm pretty sure it was another living person. I also saw a few other faint sources of light, but most were just flickers. One was from the roof of the Animal Sciences building."
Ryan felt a renewed sense of determination at the news that others might be surviving, and his thoughts turned momentarily to Jenny. He began to think of her, barricaded in her room at Hillenbrand. He shook his head and tried to focus on the task at hand - namely, finding a way back across to the apartment.
Angel Hair began to brainstorm aloud. "Well, we could try and jump back across, but the other roof is too high. The stairs are closer, but the railing is gonna get in the way if we jump. We could...we could call...somebody...on the phones we don't have. Oh, okay, let's just wait for the next shift! They'll get up around three, come looking for us to relieve us, and then when we aren't there, they will come looking for us?"
Ryan began surveying the distance between the two roofs. He started to untie the knots that kept the binocular cord anchored to the lid of the case. Once he had them untied, he gently began to work the cord out until there was a generous pile at his feet. He then began the same process for the cord around the binoculars themselves. "I think I have an idea," said T.Rex.
Angel Hair looked on as Ryan fashioned a rough lasso from the cord of the binoculars. "Even if the others wake up and realize we're gone, they're gonna have fun trying to get us back over," said T.Rex. "I sure as hell am not going to just sit here and be a victim. C'mon, we're engineers. We solve problems. Watch this."
Ryan gently tossed the binocular cord lasso across the gap between the two roofs. It sailed clear out to nowhere before falling to the ground. T.Rex hauled it back up for another try.
"What exactly are you going for, there?" asked Angel Hair.
"Tryin' to snag that gutter pipe," T.Rex said as he heaved the cord once more. This time the dark cord actually made it across the gap and smacked against the siding before falling to the ground. He very gingerly shuffled two steps closer to the edge of the roof before raising the lasso in his right arm. "I'm channeling Cowboy here with this one," he said as he began rotating his wrist to get the loop of cord spinning. Once more he launched the cord, and the spinning motion sent it flying into Angel Hair's lap.
"Heh, sorry about that. I make a better comedian than a rancher, I guess. Lemme keep trying," Ryan said.
Angel Hair kept rubbing his ankle and watching Ryan's attempt to lasso the pipe. "No worries."
Several awful throws later, Ryan finally managed to consistently hit the gutter with his lasso, gaining accuracy slowly. Finally, he tossed the cord with a beautiful arc, and it landed on the roof just above the gutter. Ryan tugged slightly on the cord and it scraped against the roof shingles before dropping over the edge and snaring the gutter.
"Yes!" both Angel Hair and T.Rex whispered together.
"Now, my plan is to pull the aluminum gutter out of its brackets. If I can do it just right, it'll fold about oh, let's say two-thirds down that sixth section - do you see it?" T.Rex said to Angel Hair.
Angel Hair counted softly. "One, two, three...yeah, I think I get it. That way it'll bend down from the roof, over the stairs to the apartment over there, and down to us over on this roof, right?"
T.Rex nodded. "That way we can shimmy up the gutter, across the gap, and to the stairway balcony. Do you think you can climb with your leg like that?"
"Oh, no problem." Angel Hair winced as he stood.
"My only worry is that gutter fold. I know our landlord never bothers to fix those gutters, so the brackets shouldn't be a problem. If the gutter bends in the wrong place, though, it could break."
"Well, check this out," Angel Hair said as he hobbled towards the chimney. He carefully moved to the backside and his upper torso disappeared into the branches. There was a snap, and he returned with a long thick branch. He maneuvered over to the edge of the roof and poked the stick into the gutter at the crucial spot, creasing it.
"Better?" Angel Hair asked, grinning.
"Quite," said T.Rex. "On three, I'll pull, you push the stick to make sure the gutter folds there." Angel Hair nodded.
"One...two...three!" T.Rex whispered as he pulled the cord taut. There was a metallic groan as the aluminum gutter resisted. The tip of the gutter began to shudder, and suddenly the first bracket gave way and popped loose. It fell to the ground, passing through the space where the stairs used to be. The gutter continued to whine as it was slowly folded lower.
As the second bracket popped loose, Ryan noticed a few of the creatures on the ground had begun to notice their efforts. Two of them shuffled closer, arms outstretched and hungry for food. He was tempted to pull harder, but didn't want to risk the cord breaking, or the gutter being damaged. The moan of the zombies below masked the groan of the gutter as the final bracket gave way. Finally free, the gutter slowly but steadily bent downwards and came within arm's reach of the roof T.Rex and Angel Hair were stranded on.
"Go, Angel Hair!" Ryan urged, as he pulled the gutter down to the shingles and held it steady. Angel Hair very tenderly grabbed onto the gutter and began to hoist himself up, wincing every time he put weight on his ankle.
"Just a few more feet, and you'll get to the railing!" T.Rex whispered in encouragement. Angel Hair reached the rail and clambered over, flopping down onto the wood, panting. Ignoring the increasing number of zombies gathering below the staircase, Ryan quickly pulled the binocular cord lasso from the gutter and stuffed it into his pocket before grabbing onto the gutter himself.
The gutter shifted wildly under the weight, and T.Rex found the smooth aluminum was much harder to climb with sweaty palms. He grabbed the gutter so hard at first it began to crinkle, so he shifted more effort to his thighs and struggled upwards. Angel Hair reached over the edge and grabbed T.Rex's wrist once he was in reach. Together, they both reached the stairwell.
T.Rex rose and very cautiously rapped on the door. There was an ominous pause.
"Shank?" came a muffled voice from the other side. It was a verbal challenge.
"n Shiv!" T.Rex hissed the correct response back. The sounds of a pair of locks could be heard before the door opened. Peace and Rubble stood at the door looking drowsy. Beard emerged silently from the shadows behind them, fully awake and gun drawn.
"What the hell is going on?" Beard growled.
Brant, having not noticed Beard until that moment, jumped back. "I thought you were asleep! Your shift isn't until later!"
"Yeah, well, Beard is part ninja," Peace said nonchalantly, as if this was perfectly normal behavior.
"Look, long story, let's just get inside," T.Rex urged. Angel Hair followed him back into the upstairs apartment and they locked the door back tightly. T.Rex debriefed Beard, Rubble, and Peace on the evening's events before heading back to the living room to lay down. Angel Hair was already fast asleep.
Just before drifting into a slumber, T.Rex decided that enough was enough. He made up his mind that he would be leaving soon.
Current Word Count: 24,267
1:10am
Neighbor's Roof
Ryan stomped his foot in frustration. "How did I miss that one?" he said aloud to nobody in particular.
"It's okay," Angel Hair tried to console him as he sat, nursing his injured ankle. "I didn't think of it either. But I did get a really great look around. The bad news, of course, is that there are zombies pretty much everywhere. he good news, though, is that I saw a light on in the back of Lilly, past the greenhouses."
"What, like they have power?" T.Rex fought back excitement.
"No, more like a flashlight, but I'm pretty sure it was another living person. I also saw a few other faint sources of light, but most were just flickers. One was from the roof of the Animal Sciences building."
Ryan felt a renewed sense of determination at the news that others might be surviving, and his thoughts turned momentarily to Jenny. He began to think of her, barricaded in her room at Hillenbrand. He shook his head and tried to focus on the task at hand - namely, finding a way back across to the apartment.
Angel Hair began to brainstorm aloud. "Well, we could try and jump back across, but the other roof is too high. The stairs are closer, but the railing is gonna get in the way if we jump. We could...we could call...somebody...on the phones we don't have. Oh, okay, let's just wait for the next shift! They'll get up around three, come looking for us to relieve us, and then when we aren't there, they will come looking for us?"
Ryan began surveying the distance between the two roofs. He started to untie the knots that kept the binocular cord anchored to the lid of the case. Once he had them untied, he gently began to work the cord out until there was a generous pile at his feet. He then began the same process for the cord around the binoculars themselves. "I think I have an idea," said T.Rex.
Angel Hair looked on as Ryan fashioned a rough lasso from the cord of the binoculars. "Even if the others wake up and realize we're gone, they're gonna have fun trying to get us back over," said T.Rex. "I sure as hell am not going to just sit here and be a victim. C'mon, we're engineers. We solve problems. Watch this."
Ryan gently tossed the binocular cord lasso across the gap between the two roofs. It sailed clear out to nowhere before falling to the ground. T.Rex hauled it back up for another try.
"What exactly are you going for, there?" asked Angel Hair.
"Tryin' to snag that gutter pipe," T.Rex said as he heaved the cord once more. This time the dark cord actually made it across the gap and smacked against the siding before falling to the ground. He very gingerly shuffled two steps closer to the edge of the roof before raising the lasso in his right arm. "I'm channeling Cowboy here with this one," he said as he began rotating his wrist to get the loop of cord spinning. Once more he launched the cord, and the spinning motion sent it flying into Angel Hair's lap.
"Heh, sorry about that. I make a better comedian than a rancher, I guess. Lemme keep trying," Ryan said.
Angel Hair kept rubbing his ankle and watching Ryan's attempt to lasso the pipe. "No worries."
Several awful throws later, Ryan finally managed to consistently hit the gutter with his lasso, gaining accuracy slowly. Finally, he tossed the cord with a beautiful arc, and it landed on the roof just above the gutter. Ryan tugged slightly on the cord and it scraped against the roof shingles before dropping over the edge and snaring the gutter.
"Yes!" both Angel Hair and T.Rex whispered together.
"Now, my plan is to pull the aluminum gutter out of its brackets. If I can do it just right, it'll fold about oh, let's say two-thirds down that sixth section - do you see it?" T.Rex said to Angel Hair.
Angel Hair counted softly. "One, two, three...yeah, I think I get it. That way it'll bend down from the roof, over the stairs to the apartment over there, and down to us over on this roof, right?"
T.Rex nodded. "That way we can shimmy up the gutter, across the gap, and to the stairway balcony. Do you think you can climb with your leg like that?"
"Oh, no problem." Angel Hair winced as he stood.
"My only worry is that gutter fold. I know our landlord never bothers to fix those gutters, so the brackets shouldn't be a problem. If the gutter bends in the wrong place, though, it could break."
"Well, check this out," Angel Hair said as he hobbled towards the chimney. He carefully moved to the backside and his upper torso disappeared into the branches. There was a snap, and he returned with a long thick branch. He maneuvered over to the edge of the roof and poked the stick into the gutter at the crucial spot, creasing it.
"Better?" Angel Hair asked, grinning.
"Quite," said T.Rex. "On three, I'll pull, you push the stick to make sure the gutter folds there." Angel Hair nodded.
"One...two...three!" T.Rex whispered as he pulled the cord taut. There was a metallic groan as the aluminum gutter resisted. The tip of the gutter began to shudder, and suddenly the first bracket gave way and popped loose. It fell to the ground, passing through the space where the stairs used to be. The gutter continued to whine as it was slowly folded lower.
As the second bracket popped loose, Ryan noticed a few of the creatures on the ground had begun to notice their efforts. Two of them shuffled closer, arms outstretched and hungry for food. He was tempted to pull harder, but didn't want to risk the cord breaking, or the gutter being damaged. The moan of the zombies below masked the groan of the gutter as the final bracket gave way. Finally free, the gutter slowly but steadily bent downwards and came within arm's reach of the roof T.Rex and Angel Hair were stranded on.
"Go, Angel Hair!" Ryan urged, as he pulled the gutter down to the shingles and held it steady. Angel Hair very tenderly grabbed onto the gutter and began to hoist himself up, wincing every time he put weight on his ankle.
"Just a few more feet, and you'll get to the railing!" T.Rex whispered in encouragement. Angel Hair reached the rail and clambered over, flopping down onto the wood, panting. Ignoring the increasing number of zombies gathering below the staircase, Ryan quickly pulled the binocular cord lasso from the gutter and stuffed it into his pocket before grabbing onto the gutter himself.
The gutter shifted wildly under the weight, and T.Rex found the smooth aluminum was much harder to climb with sweaty palms. He grabbed the gutter so hard at first it began to crinkle, so he shifted more effort to his thighs and struggled upwards. Angel Hair reached over the edge and grabbed T.Rex's wrist once he was in reach. Together, they both reached the stairwell.
T.Rex rose and very cautiously rapped on the door. There was an ominous pause.
"Shank?" came a muffled voice from the other side. It was a verbal challenge.
"n Shiv!" T.Rex hissed the correct response back. The sounds of a pair of locks could be heard before the door opened. Peace and Rubble stood at the door looking drowsy. Beard emerged silently from the shadows behind them, fully awake and gun drawn.
"What the hell is going on?" Beard growled.
Brant, having not noticed Beard until that moment, jumped back. "I thought you were asleep! Your shift isn't until later!"
"Yeah, well, Beard is part ninja," Peace said nonchalantly, as if this was perfectly normal behavior.
"Look, long story, let's just get inside," T.Rex urged. Angel Hair followed him back into the upstairs apartment and they locked the door back tightly. T.Rex debriefed Beard, Rubble, and Peace on the evening's events before heading back to the living room to lay down. Angel Hair was already fast asleep.
Just before drifting into a slumber, T.Rex decided that enough was enough. He made up his mind that he would be leaving soon.
Current Word Count: 24,267
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Disclaimer
Hey reader.
Please note that this story is rated R for violence, language, and other things. If this isn't your cup of tea, try some other blog.
Please also note that I'm posting my chapters chronologically. If you're new here, find the earlier posts on the right sidebar. If you're coming back to read the next chapter(s), you'll find them closer to the top of the page.
This post is dated for the last day of the month as a gentle reminder to me that time is ticking, and also to keep this post at the top of the page. Thanks.
Please note that this story is rated R for violence, language, and other things. If this isn't your cup of tea, try some other blog.
Please also note that I'm posting my chapters chronologically. If you're new here, find the earlier posts on the right sidebar. If you're coming back to read the next chapter(s), you'll find them closer to the top of the page.
This post is dated for the last day of the month as a gentle reminder to me that time is ticking, and also to keep this post at the top of the page. Thanks.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Withdraw From the Race
For those of you keeping track at home, in order for me to "win" NaNoWriMo by midnight this Friday I would need to write about 27,000 words in less than four days. That's about 7k per day which isn't gonna happen.
That said, I'm officially giving up on NaNoWriMo, because the pace is a little too crazy for me. I have two big things, notably spending time with my family and getting my academics on track that take precedence over trying to crank out a new chapter every evening.
My story, however, will continue. At irregular intervals I will post chapters as I see fit, ending on whatever word count I end up on when the story I have in mind is told. Thanks for your support, comments, and readership to this point.
That said, I'm officially giving up on NaNoWriMo, because the pace is a little too crazy for me. I have two big things, notably spending time with my family and getting my academics on track that take precedence over trying to crank out a new chapter every evening.
My story, however, will continue. At irregular intervals I will post chapters as I see fit, ending on whatever word count I end up on when the story I have in mind is told. Thanks for your support, comments, and readership to this point.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Chapter 18 - One Way
June 12th, 2008
12:02am
Upstairs Headquarters
T.Rex and Angel Hair headed towards the roof to start their night watch shift. As they climbed into the attic, Ryan tried to make sense of his spinning thoughts.
"So what was that all about?" Angel Hair asked. "You said something about Jenny and looked like you were having a bad dream."
"Quite the opposite," T.Rex said. "I dreamed that Benji drove here in his car. Except it wasn't his normal car, it was like a souped-up battle chariot, and he had a chainsaw and a shotgun. We slaughtered an entire crowd of zombies and rode out of town packed in like sardines. It was only after we were clear that I remembered Jenny, and then I woke up all confused."
Angel Hair pulled the tarp that covered the roof hole and took a deep breath of the cool nighttime air. "Sounds awful."
"I don't know what was worse, that we forgot my girlfriend or that I woke up in the first place," T.Rex admitted. Together the two Fools shared a pensive stare into the foliage behind the apartment, trying to see more than shadows. Normally, street lights, porch lights, and a host of electronics kept the night at bay. Tonight, just the moon shone dimly on the group of survivors and the horde of zombies infesting the campus.
The longer Ryan sat staring into the dark, the more he began to worry. The Fools had been trapped in their upstairs apartment for one day shy of one week, and there was no sign of help. Worse, signs of life seemed to be deteriorating around Purdue. Power had not been restored, phone service was degrading, and they hadn't seen any signs or sounds of normalcy in quite some time.
T.Rex grabbed his pack of equipment and rummaged through it until he found his binoculars. He silently motioned for Angel Hair follow quietly, and then indicated he was going to scout around with an exaggerated sweeping spyglass motion. Hanging them around his neck, he very gently climbed out of the hole cut in the roof and rested his body on the rough shingles, trusting in friction to hold him on the roof.
Together they army crawled to the peak of the roof. Ryan motioned silently to Angel Hair to remove his glasses before they continued, and once he did they peered very slowly over the top of the roof.
The sight they saw was much more frightening than peering out of a window. Hundreds of shambling creatures in various states of decay walked the streets uncontested. Their horrible groans and stutter step on the gravel weren't nearly as bad as the awful stench that corrupted the air. The same breeze that brought temporarily relief from the humidity also carried a putrid decomposing odor. Ryan's nose rankled as he glanced around. Apartments and trees blocked a good portion of the view.
"Here's the plan," he whispered to Angel Hair. "We need to get a better look of the neighborhood. I'm gonna shuffle to the edge of the roof and hop on that awning over there. After that, I should be able to climb on the neighbor's roof. Watch for me to cross and wait for my signal to follow."
Angel Hair nodded silently and tapped his temple with two fingers. Ryan very gently slid down a few feet, out of sight of the front side of the apartment, and worked his way to the edge of the roof.
Sure would be great if I had some sort of loud distraction, Ryan thought. Perhaps some fireworks. He very gently reached his short leg out to try and test the sturdiness of the overhang he would land on, but it was several feet out of reach. T.Rex gripped his binoculars, gritted his teeth, and launched himself from the roof.
He landed on the awning with little room to spare, and the resultant clatter seemed like a percussion feature in the relatively still night. Ryan quickly scrambled across and reached the neighboring roof, and began to climb. Fearing the noise had attracted the creatures nearby, he carefully maneuvered behind the chimney and paused to let his heart stop pounding.
Ryan brushed aside a nearby branch and held up his hand for Angel Hair to see. He splayed all his fingers to form the "Run Play Five" signal. Nodding, Angel Hair slowly worked his way to the edge of the roof and also took a leap. He cleared the gap, and Ryan very carefully extended his arm to help him up.
They climbed to the peak of the roof and very carefully stood up, legs planted apart for balance. Ryan gave Angel Hair the binoculars and leaned against the chimney. He cupped his hands and nodded upward, and very carefully he hoisted Angel Hair on top of the brick chimney. From there Angel Hair was able to reach up and grab a nearby branch.
He climbed slowly up into an enormous tree that hugged the building. The branches thinned at the top and so did the leaves, which gave Angel Hair a massive view of the surrounding area. Carefully wedging his skinny body between two branches and removed the binoculars. He peered down the entirety of Harrison street to the west, South Grant street to the south, to the Wood street parking garage to the north, and to South Chauncey Avenue to the east.
Ryan held onto the chimney for support as he craned his neck upward, trying to see his partner through the foliage and darkness. Several uncomfortable minutes passed in relative silence. He shook a nearby branch three times to get Angel Hair's attention.
"Status report?" Ryan whispered, trying to project his voice above him.
"I've got a really great view," came a muffled reply. "I want to stay up here for a bit and really study things, confirm?"
"Confirmed. Shake three times when you're coming back down." Ryan carefully sat down behind the chimney and waited, shifting uncomfortably every few minutes. Attempting to distract himself, T.Rex silently rhymed names in his head for Do Run Run.
Finally, there was a distinct trio of leafy rustles and Ryan stood up. Angel Hair carefully descended from the branches and back onto the chimney before looking down, nervously.
"C'mon," T.Rex urged.
"I don't think I can," Angel Hair admitted. "It was tall enough that I needed a boost up, and when I jump I'm gonna land on either angle, break my leg, and roll off onto the ground. And then I'll be crippled and zombie bait."
Ryan held out his arms and curled his fingers in a supportive posture. "C'mon, and I promise I won't let you fall. Toss me my binoculars, first."
Angel Hair lowered the binoculars by the strap and then very tenderly slid his body from the top of the chimney. Still holding onto the rim with his arms with a death grip, he flopped over until he was dangling. Ryan grabbed Angel Hair's pant legs just as he fell, and when he hit the rooftop his right foot rolled inward.
There was a very stifled yelp as Angel Hair's ankle folded awkwardly, but T.Rex hang on and kept him from going over the edge.
"Oh damnit," Ryan said quietly.
"It's fine, I think I just twisted my ankle," said Angel Hair.
T.Rex paused. "No, not that. I mean, props for staying quiet and I'm glad you're okay, but I just realized something."
"What?" Angel Hair said nervously.
"We jumped down onto this roof," Ryan said. "I wonder how we're gonna get back across to the upstairs apartment..."
Current Word Count: 23,226
12:02am
Upstairs Headquarters
T.Rex and Angel Hair headed towards the roof to start their night watch shift. As they climbed into the attic, Ryan tried to make sense of his spinning thoughts.
"So what was that all about?" Angel Hair asked. "You said something about Jenny and looked like you were having a bad dream."
"Quite the opposite," T.Rex said. "I dreamed that Benji drove here in his car. Except it wasn't his normal car, it was like a souped-up battle chariot, and he had a chainsaw and a shotgun. We slaughtered an entire crowd of zombies and rode out of town packed in like sardines. It was only after we were clear that I remembered Jenny, and then I woke up all confused."
Angel Hair pulled the tarp that covered the roof hole and took a deep breath of the cool nighttime air. "Sounds awful."
"I don't know what was worse, that we forgot my girlfriend or that I woke up in the first place," T.Rex admitted. Together the two Fools shared a pensive stare into the foliage behind the apartment, trying to see more than shadows. Normally, street lights, porch lights, and a host of electronics kept the night at bay. Tonight, just the moon shone dimly on the group of survivors and the horde of zombies infesting the campus.
The longer Ryan sat staring into the dark, the more he began to worry. The Fools had been trapped in their upstairs apartment for one day shy of one week, and there was no sign of help. Worse, signs of life seemed to be deteriorating around Purdue. Power had not been restored, phone service was degrading, and they hadn't seen any signs or sounds of normalcy in quite some time.
T.Rex grabbed his pack of equipment and rummaged through it until he found his binoculars. He silently motioned for Angel Hair follow quietly, and then indicated he was going to scout around with an exaggerated sweeping spyglass motion. Hanging them around his neck, he very gently climbed out of the hole cut in the roof and rested his body on the rough shingles, trusting in friction to hold him on the roof.
Together they army crawled to the peak of the roof. Ryan motioned silently to Angel Hair to remove his glasses before they continued, and once he did they peered very slowly over the top of the roof.
The sight they saw was much more frightening than peering out of a window. Hundreds of shambling creatures in various states of decay walked the streets uncontested. Their horrible groans and stutter step on the gravel weren't nearly as bad as the awful stench that corrupted the air. The same breeze that brought temporarily relief from the humidity also carried a putrid decomposing odor. Ryan's nose rankled as he glanced around. Apartments and trees blocked a good portion of the view.
"Here's the plan," he whispered to Angel Hair. "We need to get a better look of the neighborhood. I'm gonna shuffle to the edge of the roof and hop on that awning over there. After that, I should be able to climb on the neighbor's roof. Watch for me to cross and wait for my signal to follow."
Angel Hair nodded silently and tapped his temple with two fingers. Ryan very gently slid down a few feet, out of sight of the front side of the apartment, and worked his way to the edge of the roof.
Sure would be great if I had some sort of loud distraction, Ryan thought. Perhaps some fireworks. He very gently reached his short leg out to try and test the sturdiness of the overhang he would land on, but it was several feet out of reach. T.Rex gripped his binoculars, gritted his teeth, and launched himself from the roof.
He landed on the awning with little room to spare, and the resultant clatter seemed like a percussion feature in the relatively still night. Ryan quickly scrambled across and reached the neighboring roof, and began to climb. Fearing the noise had attracted the creatures nearby, he carefully maneuvered behind the chimney and paused to let his heart stop pounding.
Ryan brushed aside a nearby branch and held up his hand for Angel Hair to see. He splayed all his fingers to form the "Run Play Five" signal. Nodding, Angel Hair slowly worked his way to the edge of the roof and also took a leap. He cleared the gap, and Ryan very carefully extended his arm to help him up.
They climbed to the peak of the roof and very carefully stood up, legs planted apart for balance. Ryan gave Angel Hair the binoculars and leaned against the chimney. He cupped his hands and nodded upward, and very carefully he hoisted Angel Hair on top of the brick chimney. From there Angel Hair was able to reach up and grab a nearby branch.
He climbed slowly up into an enormous tree that hugged the building. The branches thinned at the top and so did the leaves, which gave Angel Hair a massive view of the surrounding area. Carefully wedging his skinny body between two branches and removed the binoculars. He peered down the entirety of Harrison street to the west, South Grant street to the south, to the Wood street parking garage to the north, and to South Chauncey Avenue to the east.
Ryan held onto the chimney for support as he craned his neck upward, trying to see his partner through the foliage and darkness. Several uncomfortable minutes passed in relative silence. He shook a nearby branch three times to get Angel Hair's attention.
"Status report?" Ryan whispered, trying to project his voice above him.
"I've got a really great view," came a muffled reply. "I want to stay up here for a bit and really study things, confirm?"
"Confirmed. Shake three times when you're coming back down." Ryan carefully sat down behind the chimney and waited, shifting uncomfortably every few minutes. Attempting to distract himself, T.Rex silently rhymed names in his head for Do Run Run.
Finally, there was a distinct trio of leafy rustles and Ryan stood up. Angel Hair carefully descended from the branches and back onto the chimney before looking down, nervously.
"C'mon," T.Rex urged.
"I don't think I can," Angel Hair admitted. "It was tall enough that I needed a boost up, and when I jump I'm gonna land on either angle, break my leg, and roll off onto the ground. And then I'll be crippled and zombie bait."
Ryan held out his arms and curled his fingers in a supportive posture. "C'mon, and I promise I won't let you fall. Toss me my binoculars, first."
Angel Hair lowered the binoculars by the strap and then very tenderly slid his body from the top of the chimney. Still holding onto the rim with his arms with a death grip, he flopped over until he was dangling. Ryan grabbed Angel Hair's pant legs just as he fell, and when he hit the rooftop his right foot rolled inward.
There was a very stifled yelp as Angel Hair's ankle folded awkwardly, but T.Rex hang on and kept him from going over the edge.
"Oh damnit," Ryan said quietly.
"It's fine, I think I just twisted my ankle," said Angel Hair.
T.Rex paused. "No, not that. I mean, props for staying quiet and I'm glad you're okay, but I just realized something."
"What?" Angel Hair said nervously.
"We jumped down onto this roof," Ryan said. "I wonder how we're gonna get back across to the upstairs apartment..."
Current Word Count: 23,226
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Chapter 17 - Head Games
June 10th, 2008
2:36pm
Apartment Parking Lot
Every zombie in the immediate area was trying desperately to get to Benji. The Fools took full advantage of the distraction and immediately began attacking the closest zombies which had their backs to the group.
The first kill by a Fool went to Beard. He ran forward and buried his hatchet in the skull of the first zombie before wrestling it free and attacking again and again. Directly to his right was Peace who wasted no time with own hatchet, covering Beard's flank. They worked in tandem and very quickly had created a salient into the horde of living dead.
Angel Hair and Rubble formed a similar duo, each wielding a pool cue. Rubble swung his with enough momentum that the thicker end would crack into the enemy skull and drop the foe to the ground. Angel Hair preferred to use the sharpened end of his as a spear, deftly stabbing into select eye sockets between Rubble's attacks to kill those that stumbled too close.
Cowboy went crazy with his bat like a kid in a candy store, wildly smashing any skull within arm's reach. Kamikaze was a bit more select with her machete attacks, carefully lopping off heads and only occasionally grinning like she enjoyed it.
T.Rex hung back with his crowbar, attempting to observe the others in action. He wanted to make sure that he had a good grasp of the Fools in combat for future encounters, if it came to that. He also made sure that nobody needed help or got flanked in a moment of concentration. He earned his first kill when a straggler came from around the side of the neighbor's house. He bobbed well away from the creature's outstretched arm, sidestepped, and brought the curved end of his crowbar down with all of his might onto the zombie's skull. It gave way with a crunch of bone and Ryan couldn't help but grin at the massive offense the group had displayed, including the dead zombie at his feet.
He turned and began to work his way closer to the center of the group, killing enemies that stood between himself and Valerie. Benji, in the meanwhile, had jumped into the fray and was carving a brutal swath of destruction with his chainsaw. He carved through undead flesh like a hot knife through butter, messily decapitating and amputating with medical precision.
"If they knew how to retreat," Ryan shouted over the roar of the saw, "do you think they would have given up by now?"
Benji brought the rotating blades onto a zombie skull, the spray coating Valerie's passenger door with more zombie slurry. "If they knew what was good for them, perhaps!" Benji shouted back. "So what happened to your arm? If it was a bite, Beard would've taken care of you by now, I'm assuming." Benji conversed with ease as he continued to slice and dice creatures in ever-widening arcs around his car.
Ryan grunted as he struck another skull with his crowbar, noting that after nearly a dozen skulls his attacks seemed more fluid and natural. "Oh, just some glass. Nothing to worry about." The wall of zombies separating the Fools from Benji was rapidly dwindling, even if the creatures could not make a sound tactical decision to save their lives.
T.Rex quickly scanned the area and saw the Fools in pairs and individually mopping up patches of zombies in the parking lot. "Hey guys," he shouted to them, "let's start closing in and get the hell out of here!"
On his command the Fools took a careful retreat, and T.Rex was happy to note most of them didn't just break and run, but instead surveyed the situation and then decided. As they returned, Ryan took the shotgun from Benji's back and removed the spent shells. "Left pocket," Benji said as he planted his feet and dispatched another zombie.
T.Rex reached into Benji's bulging front pocket and extracted two fresh shotgun shells and loaded the weapon before replacing it in the holster. The rest of the Fools reached Valerie safely and formed a loose protective semicircle around the passenger side. Beard subtly looked over each Fool for injuries, including accidental bites or scratches.
Benji instructed all the Fools to stow their gear in Val's trunk as he provided cover. He glared menacingly at the few zombies that had come to investigate the noise and his posture dared them to shuffle over to meet their doom. The chainsaw suddenly sputtered violently and then died, and Benji tossed it aside with a shrug.
"You're just going to leave that?" Cowboy said.
Benji replied calmly, "Dead weight, no fuel."
"Wait, are we all supposed to fit in here?" Angel Hair asked.
"Pretend it's a Yaris," Kamikaze said as she climbed into the back seat. She was referencing an earlier outing the year before, where they all attempted to fit into SoG's car
The rest of the Fools stuffed into Valerie any way they could, piling uncomfortably next to and on top of each other. Instead of complaining, they made it into a bizarre game of twister involving all three rear seat belts. Benji and Ryan waited for the other six to pile in before taking the driver and passenger's seat, respectively. Valerie roared to life with the turn of the key and Benji sat there, patiently for a few moments.
There was awkward silence before Beard, muffled under at least three limbs and an armpit said, "I don't mean to be rude, but can we get going already?"
Benji held up five fingers and silently ticked them away to an unknown timer. When the last of his fingers joined his fist, the Fools heard a massive amount of noise behind them. Only three Fools could actually turn behind to see a massive display of fireworks erupt from a dumpster behind Krannert Hall.
"What the...?" Peace trailed off.
"It's a distraction," Benji explained. "The sound and lights will draw zombies that way," he pointed backwards. "While we drive that way," and pointed foward. "On that note, make rockets go now!" he said as he floored the accelerator, and Valerie peeled out of the apartment parking lot, spraying three determined zombies with gravel.
As they drove, they saw Purdue as a disaster zone. Buildings were looted, broken glass and trash lay strewn about and the once vibrant campus was reduced to a shell of its former self. Students were horrible gruesome creatures, and the red brick buildings were dark. The power plant, in the distance, was on fire.
Benji did his best to navigate his way out of Lafayette, avoiding all but the smallest of backroads. Twice they had to find an alternate route around a road clogged with hundreds of wrecked cars, but the ad-hoc armor plating welded onto the car gave them protection from most of the stray zombies they met on the roadways.
Once they had cleared the city limits, they pulled over into an abandoned field of short grass and unpacked the Fools from the rear for a stretch and better ventilation. Benji put on some Beach Boys music to calm their shaking nerves, and Ryan nearly wept at the sweet sounds of technology. It was only once they were away from Purdue that Ryan noticed he was visibly shaking. His bandaged arm felt sore, and he started to get light headed.
Benji, a certified nurse, took notice right away and gently guided Ryan to the car and had him sit in the passenger seat slightly reclined. T.Rex sipped from his water bottle and rested as the other Fools stretched. A few minutes later a low moan was heard on the wind, and Benji motioned the others to cram back into his Pontiac. As they drove along the back roads into the setting sun, Ryan felt very weak. The air conditioner seemed to be only capable of delivering humid air, but he trusted Benji to deliver them to safety as he rested his eyes and slumped against the seatbelt.
---
"Ryan!" Kamikaze said as she shook his shoulder.
"We have to go get Jenny!" T.Rex shouted into the darkness.
"Shhh! Be quiet, or you'll wake the others. It's midnight, and your turn for watch, okay?"
Ryan woke up on a sleeping bag, confused. He looked around and saw the dark apartment as Angel Hair waited for him in the hallway. To his right was Peace, sleeping soundly, and to his left lay his own pack of equipment, untouched.
Current Word Count: 21,949
2:36pm
Apartment Parking Lot
Every zombie in the immediate area was trying desperately to get to Benji. The Fools took full advantage of the distraction and immediately began attacking the closest zombies which had their backs to the group.
The first kill by a Fool went to Beard. He ran forward and buried his hatchet in the skull of the first zombie before wrestling it free and attacking again and again. Directly to his right was Peace who wasted no time with own hatchet, covering Beard's flank. They worked in tandem and very quickly had created a salient into the horde of living dead.
Angel Hair and Rubble formed a similar duo, each wielding a pool cue. Rubble swung his with enough momentum that the thicker end would crack into the enemy skull and drop the foe to the ground. Angel Hair preferred to use the sharpened end of his as a spear, deftly stabbing into select eye sockets between Rubble's attacks to kill those that stumbled too close.
Cowboy went crazy with his bat like a kid in a candy store, wildly smashing any skull within arm's reach. Kamikaze was a bit more select with her machete attacks, carefully lopping off heads and only occasionally grinning like she enjoyed it.
T.Rex hung back with his crowbar, attempting to observe the others in action. He wanted to make sure that he had a good grasp of the Fools in combat for future encounters, if it came to that. He also made sure that nobody needed help or got flanked in a moment of concentration. He earned his first kill when a straggler came from around the side of the neighbor's house. He bobbed well away from the creature's outstretched arm, sidestepped, and brought the curved end of his crowbar down with all of his might onto the zombie's skull. It gave way with a crunch of bone and Ryan couldn't help but grin at the massive offense the group had displayed, including the dead zombie at his feet.
He turned and began to work his way closer to the center of the group, killing enemies that stood between himself and Valerie. Benji, in the meanwhile, had jumped into the fray and was carving a brutal swath of destruction with his chainsaw. He carved through undead flesh like a hot knife through butter, messily decapitating and amputating with medical precision.
"If they knew how to retreat," Ryan shouted over the roar of the saw, "do you think they would have given up by now?"
Benji brought the rotating blades onto a zombie skull, the spray coating Valerie's passenger door with more zombie slurry. "If they knew what was good for them, perhaps!" Benji shouted back. "So what happened to your arm? If it was a bite, Beard would've taken care of you by now, I'm assuming." Benji conversed with ease as he continued to slice and dice creatures in ever-widening arcs around his car.
Ryan grunted as he struck another skull with his crowbar, noting that after nearly a dozen skulls his attacks seemed more fluid and natural. "Oh, just some glass. Nothing to worry about." The wall of zombies separating the Fools from Benji was rapidly dwindling, even if the creatures could not make a sound tactical decision to save their lives.
T.Rex quickly scanned the area and saw the Fools in pairs and individually mopping up patches of zombies in the parking lot. "Hey guys," he shouted to them, "let's start closing in and get the hell out of here!"
On his command the Fools took a careful retreat, and T.Rex was happy to note most of them didn't just break and run, but instead surveyed the situation and then decided. As they returned, Ryan took the shotgun from Benji's back and removed the spent shells. "Left pocket," Benji said as he planted his feet and dispatched another zombie.
T.Rex reached into Benji's bulging front pocket and extracted two fresh shotgun shells and loaded the weapon before replacing it in the holster. The rest of the Fools reached Valerie safely and formed a loose protective semicircle around the passenger side. Beard subtly looked over each Fool for injuries, including accidental bites or scratches.
Benji instructed all the Fools to stow their gear in Val's trunk as he provided cover. He glared menacingly at the few zombies that had come to investigate the noise and his posture dared them to shuffle over to meet their doom. The chainsaw suddenly sputtered violently and then died, and Benji tossed it aside with a shrug.
"You're just going to leave that?" Cowboy said.
Benji replied calmly, "Dead weight, no fuel."
"Wait, are we all supposed to fit in here?" Angel Hair asked.
"Pretend it's a Yaris," Kamikaze said as she climbed into the back seat. She was referencing an earlier outing the year before, where they all attempted to fit into SoG's car
The rest of the Fools stuffed into Valerie any way they could, piling uncomfortably next to and on top of each other. Instead of complaining, they made it into a bizarre game of twister involving all three rear seat belts. Benji and Ryan waited for the other six to pile in before taking the driver and passenger's seat, respectively. Valerie roared to life with the turn of the key and Benji sat there, patiently for a few moments.
There was awkward silence before Beard, muffled under at least three limbs and an armpit said, "I don't mean to be rude, but can we get going already?"
Benji held up five fingers and silently ticked them away to an unknown timer. When the last of his fingers joined his fist, the Fools heard a massive amount of noise behind them. Only three Fools could actually turn behind to see a massive display of fireworks erupt from a dumpster behind Krannert Hall.
"What the...?" Peace trailed off.
"It's a distraction," Benji explained. "The sound and lights will draw zombies that way," he pointed backwards. "While we drive that way," and pointed foward. "On that note, make rockets go now!" he said as he floored the accelerator, and Valerie peeled out of the apartment parking lot, spraying three determined zombies with gravel.
As they drove, they saw Purdue as a disaster zone. Buildings were looted, broken glass and trash lay strewn about and the once vibrant campus was reduced to a shell of its former self. Students were horrible gruesome creatures, and the red brick buildings were dark. The power plant, in the distance, was on fire.
Benji did his best to navigate his way out of Lafayette, avoiding all but the smallest of backroads. Twice they had to find an alternate route around a road clogged with hundreds of wrecked cars, but the ad-hoc armor plating welded onto the car gave them protection from most of the stray zombies they met on the roadways.
Once they had cleared the city limits, they pulled over into an abandoned field of short grass and unpacked the Fools from the rear for a stretch and better ventilation. Benji put on some Beach Boys music to calm their shaking nerves, and Ryan nearly wept at the sweet sounds of technology. It was only once they were away from Purdue that Ryan noticed he was visibly shaking. His bandaged arm felt sore, and he started to get light headed.
Benji, a certified nurse, took notice right away and gently guided Ryan to the car and had him sit in the passenger seat slightly reclined. T.Rex sipped from his water bottle and rested as the other Fools stretched. A few minutes later a low moan was heard on the wind, and Benji motioned the others to cram back into his Pontiac. As they drove along the back roads into the setting sun, Ryan felt very weak. The air conditioner seemed to be only capable of delivering humid air, but he trusted Benji to deliver them to safety as he rested his eyes and slumped against the seatbelt.
---
"Ryan!" Kamikaze said as she shook his shoulder.
"We have to go get Jenny!" T.Rex shouted into the darkness.
"Shhh! Be quiet, or you'll wake the others. It's midnight, and your turn for watch, okay?"
Ryan woke up on a sleeping bag, confused. He looked around and saw the dark apartment as Angel Hair waited for him in the hallway. To his right was Peace, sleeping soundly, and to his left lay his own pack of equipment, untouched.
Current Word Count: 21,949
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