Insatiable (Zombie Survival RP)

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=1]Chapter 1: St. Louis Blues[/HEADING]
[small]For those interested in joining...[/small]
[HEADING=2]October 18th, 201 [small]9:38:02[/small][/HEADING]

The End of Days. The Apocalypse. Ragnarok. Z-Day. Armageddon. Didn't really matter what you called it, 'cause it all happened. Now, here we are. Just animals, vultures picking off the rotting carcass that we once knew as civilized living. Hell, you could hardly even call us men before the outbreak. We were all just ants, insignificant little things that crawled around in the dirt, following whichever lines we felt suited us. Ants with more technology then we knew what to do with, more food than we ever needed, and much too much time on our hands. We took too many things for granted, never having realized what we had until it was all taken from our grasp and torn apart right before our very eyes.

That bus ride you felt took too much time out of your busy schedule? That burger you felt the need to send back because it was more cooked than you'd have preferred? That half-empty can of soda you tossed simply because you thought it sat out for too long and had long since gone flat? It's funny how you don't think much of all that until you're barely scraping by with the remainder of a cold can of beans and some water that you're certain has more dirt than your fingernails can hide. Then again, when you've reached that level of desperation, few things cross your mind other than how far you'll go to ensure you'll remain among the living...

[HEADING=3]Ted Scheffield[/HEADING]
Five months ago, Ted would never have even imagined he'd find himself sleeping in an abandoned freight car. Now, it was a Godsend that he managed to reach one to get him through the night. Darkness had fallen just before he could reach Brooklyn, and it was too much of a risk to press on alone, especially in the dark. With a light for comfort and sleeping bag for warmth, the relative safety of the train car all but made up for the fact he'd neither food nor water that day. Fortunately, he'd lasted the night without unwelcome guests and was awoken by a bright shaft of sunshine that lit his face from the hole in the heavily rusted roof. It didn't take long before he was completely awake, what with the cool air and deep growling in the pit of his stomach pulling his mind from the remnants of his dream and into the real world.

[HEADING=3]Ashlyn Tarpley[/HEADING]
Well, there she was, leaving the ticking time bomb that was the small community of well-armed Walmartians and heading off for safer pastures. Route 231 was littered with abandoned cars, many of which were wrecked, along with assorted debris, human remains included. Visibility up the road was diminished by the low clouds that misty morning, but all appeared to be still. The silence that enveloped the surrounding area was eerie, but not entirely unwelcome. No sound meant no movement, be it the living or the undead, and either could mean bad news. She may be well armed, but could she defend herself if need be? Shooting experience only goes so far, and the noise could certainly attract the wrong attention. Without a doubt, there'd be a time she'd have to test her mettle. Though when that time would come around, no one could say for certain. Despite the danger, there was something that drove her, something other than need for safety. That was her personal quest for the savory tons of liquid gold that the Anheuser-Busch Brewery housed.

[HEADING=3]Alex Mathis[/HEADING]
Honestly, how someone could manage to overshoot a place like St. Louis was beyond most human understanding, and yet Alex had managed to accomplish that feat. He'd trekked several miles into Illinois before coming to the conclusion that he strayed too far north before crossing the Mississippi and found himself passing right over Mound City. By the time he managed to turn off of I-270 and make his way down the aptly-named Lewis and Clark Boulevard, the skies grew dark and he sheltered himself in a storage facility just off the road. On a makeshift bed of old clothes and bedding, he slept 'til morning and continued his journey, thankfully heading in the right direction this time around.

[HEADING=3]Ryker Hampton[/HEADING]
The former convict had been making his way through the St. Louis suburbs, traversing through the backyards so as not to leave himself out in the open. His path through the many wooden fences was made easy by the fact someone decided to take the same route earlier, though in a black Ford F-150 XLT. He knew it not by the splintered boards and thick tire treads that drew out the trail ahead, but by the fact that the truck was currently engine deep into the trunk of a tree with the driver splayed on the wrecked hood. At least the top half of him was - the bottom half was sitting in the seat, his foot was still on the gas, and a whole mess of blood and innards were being used as dashboard polish. The road had long since ended for the driver, and it seemed Ryker's path had come to a close as well. Beyond nature's road block, the yard had opened up to the narrow neighborhood road. And just beyond that road, was Lafayette Park. Not entirely concealing, but not terribly open either. Would certainly be much better for keeping a low profile than walking along the roads, that much was clear.

[HEADING=3]Naomi Blackwell[/HEADING]
It was a good plan to stick to the woodlands, to remain hidden by the treeline, but that could only get someone so far. While closing the distance between her and Plaza Frontenac fairly well, she would have have to settle for small town roads as she drew nearer the urban wasteland that lied ahead. She left Edgar M. Queeny County Park through a small housing development that threw her right down the road from a large shopping center. Now her options were to either scrounge what houses were once homes or try the center up north.

[HEADING=3]Pvt. Jacob Robin[/HEADING]
Survival. That's what the man was built and trained for. At the moment, that was the only thing on his mind. He'd had minor setback in a fruitless search for food and stumbled onto a horde of the undead that was ambling through the streets of Chesterfield. Making a stand there would prove to be futile - there were simply too many of them to fight. Left with the only option of running, that's just what he did. He headed southeast, keeping just beneath the I-64 the whole way. Cutting through small forests, parking lots, and neighborhoods, he had to stop immediately after entering the lot of what appeared to be a hospital, Sisters of Mercy as the name suggested. Scanning the treeline, it appeared he had lost even the most persistent of walking corpses, at least for the time being.

[HEADING=3]Dana Nakamura[/HEADING]
As much as the drummer wished she could've been behind the wheel of something, anything, she could only walk along the barren I-270. The nearer she drew to St. Louis, the more choked the eastbound lanes became. The head of the traffic jam was an overturned freight truck with its load of heavy metal pipes creating a blockade. Dana walked along the median, scanning the wrecked vehicles and the occasional decaying corpses that were in and around them. From the looks of things, most anything that was worth scavenging had already been scavenged. There was a large break in the conga line of cars and carcasses where an overpass had completely collapsed. She stopped to look around for a moment seeing as her path was cut off momentarily and something had caught her eye. It was a brown sign with white lettering that indicated "Tri-City Speedway" was fairly near. Perhaps there were some well-kept vehicles in store, but then again, perhaps not. There was no telling for sure, but it could be worth taking a look. Either way, she certainly couldn't afford to stand at the edge of the crumbled overpass all day.

[HEADING=3]Herman Downing[/HEADING]
The untidy IT worker had wound up sheltering himself in a smoke shop called Captain Z's. The extravagant amenities were no small thing, the most prominent of which was the fact that it kept him hidden from the flesh-eating undead throughout the night. He had some provisions, though they were nothing more than meager, and that most certainly was the case with his water supply. In the dim light of the dreary day, Herman could finally see just how messed up the place really was. The walk-in humidor across the room was obviously raided in what had to be the most uncivil manner imaginable, as there was broken glass practically covering the floor. A smoking man would be most devastated to see the condition in which many of the cigars were in, having been torn and trampled in a mad scramble to grab everything in sight. Tragic destruction of fine cigars aside, it was the start of a new day, and the new struggle for survival that comes with it.

[HEADING=3]Evelyn Lanford[/HEADING]
The night was cold, but the little girl that was hardened by the harsh world deteriorating all around her managed to endure. It did, however, make it known to her that she couldn't sleep outside forever. She prepared to clamber down the tree when she caught movement or of the corner of her eye, something near the pond. Someone just sat down near the edge of water and just remained there completely still. The person's back was turned to her, so she couldn't get a clear view of it, which was somewhat relieving to know it couldn't see her. There was a good chance she could slip out unnoticed, though her only option if she was would be to run. After all, her arrows were useless, having the soft tips they were equipped with. Of course, she could wait around and see if the person moved away, though there was no telling how long that would take.

[HEADING=3]Darek Mason[/HEADING]
After having slept in the back of a cab of a freight truck, Darek wasn't particularly well-rested, but it was certainly much more comfortable than the various molded concrete structures that took up most of the square footage of the Kienstra Precast's dirt lot. The experienced climber had quite the day ahead of him, mainly scouting and scavenging - a constant task that consumed nearly every waking minute. Though given the current state of the world, calling it a job was a monumental understand. It had become a way of life - a means of living. Cold, hard facts Darek knew all too well, especially now that he was on his own.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=2]Standing Roster[/HEADING]

Spoiler: Ted Sheffield

Name: Ted Sheffield
Age: 32
Gender: Male

Personality: Self described as normal, he tries to stay calm in all situations.  Although he never panics, he does get torn between the instinct of self-preservation and his training to help others.

Appearance: Brown hair, 5'11, strong build with thick shoulders.  He is in great shape due to his occupation but is a tad short sighted so he wears glasses at all times.  He has an ear missing, cut off during an altercation with a group of bandits.  Wears blue jean shorts and a plain white T-shirt.  Has a warm, black bunnyhug to wear in cool weather.

Notable Skills: Fire safety, fire fighting, limited medical aid training and familiarity with long guns.  Is well used to handling an axe.

Weapons: One splitting axe, one folding camping knife.

Gear/Miscellany: One large flashlight, two canteens, a ripped but warm sleeping bag and matches.

Bio: Ted Sheffield was a firefighter hailing from Swift Current, Saskatchewan in Canada.  Ted and his family were caught up in the outbreak while on vacation.  They were camping at Horseshoe Lake after attending his sister-in-law's wedding.  His wife Tammi and his son Preston were with him during the hellish traffic disaster on the way to Granite City, where citizens were urged to gather for evacuation. The creatures came then and in the confusion Ted was separated from Tammi.  He ran onwards, clutching his 8 year old son, vowing to keep him safe.  That night however Preston was taken from where they were hiding and Ted was awoke to the sight of his boy being eaten alive.  Since then he has concentrated on survival, vowing to reunite with his wife and escape the disaster.  He fell in with a few groups of survivors but was turned away a few times due to being an 'outsider' or fled when they started shooting each other.  This is the fourth group he's decided to join and he's getting tired of living on the edge.  He's far closer to mental breakdown than he'd care to admit and he retreats into his fireman persona to escape the neverending guilt he feels about his family's fate.

Other Notes: Although he was a personable guy before the outbreak, he has become very introverted after seeing Preston eaten by the beasts.  He still allies himself with others but he works hard to remain detached from the fates of others.  After all, everyone could be dead by the next morning.  He'll still try to save others if there is a chance of success but numerous rescues of people who later turned on him has made him stop bothering to be the hero.  If you're surrounded, don't look for Ted.  He's gone.

Spoiler: Better than Zoey or Rochelle

Name: Ashlyn Tarpley
Age: 24
Gender: Female

Personality: Ashlyn is a tomboy, a result of her father's upbringing. She gets offended when it's suggested that she is unable to do anything, and will then demand to do it anyway, even if she has no idea how. She also takes insults and criticism very harshly, and will snipe back with her own remarks, no matter how justified they my be. Despite this, she will not hesitate to dish out insults unprovoked, especially if she sees someone acting in a manner unfitting of an ideal country man.

She has a soft spot for children, thanks to her role as the oldest sibling in the rural family as she can spot traits of her sisters in almost any little girl.

Appearance: Ashlyn stands 5'6", weighing 120 lbs. She has dirty blonde hair that hangs down to between her shoulder blades, longer than it usually is due to her not trusting herself to cut her own hair. Her eyes are light blue, and her skin is pale, as she hasn't seen much sunlight since the outbreak began. Her body is lithe, nothing too drastic in the curve department, but her legs show the signs of a runner, very well toned.

Her current outfit consists of a red St. Louis Cardinals hat, a white "Property of St. Louis Rams M" form fit t-shirt underneath a dark brown heavy leather jacket, a pair of light brown cargo pants held up by dark brown braided leather belt, and a pair of UK Gear Winter running shoes. Looking somewhat out of place on the outfit are the pair of diamond studs in her pierced ears and the blue sapphire pendant hanging around her neck, but they are there just as much for their former monetary value as looking pretty (You get unlimited unguarded access to a store, you're taking the most expensive stuff that you can carry and still outrun zombies with).

Notable Skills: Ashlyn has an athletic background, having played soccer and kicked for the football team at Central High. In addition she spent a lot of her time helping her father out with chores on the house they maintained in the woods outside the city. In the fall, the Tarpleys would grab a couple rifles and take hunting excursions into the deeper woods of Scott County, and Ashlyn is well versed in shooting as a result. Working at Enterprise has given her a decent amount of knowledge regarding St. Louis' layout, but she is still not as well versed as a native.

Weapons: Ashlyn wields a Sig Sauer M400 rifle [http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sig-Sauer-M400-with-Prismatic-Scope/21677320] for long range shooting, and a Mossberg 500 twenty gage shotgun [http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mossberg-500-All-Purpose-20ga-Shotgun/21692519] for closer combat. She currently carries five boxes of standard rounds for the Sig and two boxes of shells for the Mossberg.

Gear/Miscellany: Carries the following in addition to her weapons and ammunition: One backpack, one sleeping bag, a few NutriGrain bars, four bottles of water, one Sheffield multi-tool, one large bottle of anti-bacterial soap, one crank flashlight and a small first aid kit.

Bio: Born in Cape Girardeau and raised on the outskirts of town, Ashlyn grew up in the southeast corner of Missouri with the influence of the Ozarks reaching in to help raise her. Her father owned a hardware store in town, with her mother staying at home to raise the four girls. Ashlyn was the oldest and became the surrogate son for Pappy Tarpley. He took her out on hunting trips. He encouraged her to try out for the football team, even though the school board would only allow her to play kicker. No matter what she wanted to do, Pappy Tarpley helped Ashlyn work towards it, no matter what the cost.

At least until the Waltons made their move on the small businesses of the Cape. They went for the kill in the late 2000s and between the lower prices and the rising lease costs, Roy's Hardware was one of the stores that got swept under as people took all their cash to the big box stores. Money got tight, and Pappy was forced to choke down the Wall's offer of a vest job at half his peak pay to keep the family home from being turned over to the bank. With times getting tough on their family, and no jobs in the immediate area that weren't on par with the going rate in Wally World, Ashlyn made the sacrifice and moved out, looking for fortune up north in St. Louis against Pappy's wishes.

After attempting to try out for St. Louis Athletica before being told there was no money for new players anyway, Ashlyn picked up a job as a rep for Enterprise while working towards a degree at Hickey College. Every bit of extra cash that wasn't put towards her social life was sent back to the family. Once she graduated, she stayed on with Enterprise helping maintain their network of rent-a-cars, and somewhat enjoying the city life right until the Outbreak occurred.

Ashlyn was somewhat lucky in that her first encounter with the zombies happened while she was driving a retired-rental Chevy Cobalt. However, it was unlucky she was driving to the gas station at the time. With limited fuel she looked for a place that she could use as a shelter from this shambling storm. Sadly, the only one within eyesight was that malevolent force that forced her north. Wal-Mart. Swallowing her pride, she bulldozed through the horde giving her Cobalt the usual rental treatment until she managed to make contact with the survivors inside and convince them that she was still alive and not shopping for brains.

Once she was brought in, Ashlyn assumed a role with the small group of survivors inside; patrolling the garage for possible breaks in defence, cooking the meagre meals of Mr. Noodles and chicken nuggets using the Coleman Stoves from the camping section, fixing the HELP sign on the roof spelled out in tires and women's blouses. With everyone raiding the store for whatever they could have wanted, things were great at first. But after a few months inside the superstore, tensions were rising. The food supply was dwindling, no help appeared on the horizon and the small crew was getting trigger happy. The large stash of unused ammunition wasn't helping matters. Convinced that it was getting as dangerous inside as it was outside, Ashlyn planned to make a break towards a more secure location. Maybe even swinging by the Busch Brewery if possible to restock on the major thing lacking in Wal-Mart.

Other Notes: Ashlyn is a fan of the Rams, Cardinals, Chicago Fire, Grizzlies, and Blues, in that order (and the Blues are pretty distant).

Spoiler: Alex Mathis

Name: Alex Mathis

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Personality: In a past life, Alex was a cheerful soul who surrounded himself with a strong support system. He always believed that the people around him gave him purpose and strength. This belief led Alex to be excessively personable and trusting to the people around him in the hope that it would help his friends accept him.

However, over the past five months, this has changed. As the world has descended further into chaos, Alex has become further and further detached from humanity. His trusting ways were shattered in the face of the unspeakable cruelties that he endured in the waning days of civilization. Because of this, Alex has forced himself to become self-sufficient and has grown more and more skeptical about the integrity of those who also wander the wastes. Although he still harbors his optimistic traits deep inside, his daily life is now dominated by cynicism and doubt.

Appearance: At 5?8? and 156lbs, Alex is not an impressive or imposing force. His body is lean and his ribs can be seen readily protruding from under his pale skin. He keeps his shaggy brown hair covered in a dirty knit cap and his hazel eyes hidden behind his dark-rimmed glasses. He prefers to wear a light tee shirt covered by his ratty brown zip hoodie that has only been washed twice since the outbreak began. He is rarely seen without his leather messenger bag that he uses to carry his supplies and books.

Notable Skills: Intermediate field medical skills, good interpersonal communication abilities, average athletic conditioning.

Weapons: 1 .38 Special Revolver, 13 Unspent Rounds (3 Chambered), 1 crowbar (because of utility/huge nerd factor).

Gear/Miscellany: 1 Thorough First Aid Kit (Bandages, Gauze, Disinfectant, Needle & Thread, etc.), 1 Pocket Medical Text, Two Days Light Rations, 1 Large Canteen (Water), 1 Small Flask (Vodka, 1/2 Full), 1 Roll of Duct Tape, 1 Broken iPod

Bio: Alex Mathis was born on a scorching summer day in a small hospital outside of Kearny, Nebraska. His childhood could only be described as ideal: His father was a small-town preacher with a fear of God in his heart and his mother was a civil engineer who designed roads for the state. Although the union made little sense to those outside the family, the marriage of faith and reason made for a wonderful environment for Alex and his older sister to thrive.  Both earned excellent grades throughout their high school careers and graduated in the top 10% of their classes.

Alex continued his education at the University of Nebraska in Omaha. His first year and a half there were an exercise in indulgence; there was very little direction in Alex?s life except to party with his newfound friends and drunkenly engage in spirited rounds of Left for Dead. His studies took a backseat to all the wonderful freedom he was now experiencing.

And then his father was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Once the shock from the news had faded away, Alex began to focus his studies intensely. He majored in pre-med and organized his friends into study groups that allowed them to accomplish so much more than they would have on their own. Although he still had time to occasionally goof off and play to his vices, the sophomore had a sense of purpose that he had never before experienced.

Although Alex?s father battled valiantly against the disease for almost two years, he passed away in the mid-December of 2010. Alex?s entire family was at his father?s bedside as the man they all loved peacefully departed from this world. On that day, Alex redoubled both his studies and his faith in God, finishing his degree in pre-med in the May of 2011 and going on to attend medical school at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Life advanced from there as one would expect until the day the zombies came.

While the public was in mass panic, Alex and three of his friends kept a cool head. They had spent many long nights discussing this exact scenario in long winded hypothetical terms. As quickly as they could, they barred themselves in a small house that was both easily defensible and close enough to a nearby supermarket to allow for easy scavenging. This setup treated them quite well for several months?until the bandits began showing up in the area to deliver the bluntest of reality checks. Alex narrowly escaped from a raid that killed all three of his friends. Knowing that there was nothing left for him in Minneapolis, Alex commandeered an abandoned vehicle and started making his way back to Kearny to see if he could somehow rendezvous with his mother.

When he finally reached home, he did not like the welcoming sight.

Left with no other options, Alex opted to cast his last hope into the wind. His sister had been living in St. Louis at the time of the outbreak. It was doubtful that she was still alive, but if she was...

Other Notes: Alex is not skilled in combat and has mostly survived on a policy of avoidance and methodical skepticism. He no longer falls for traps easily and is not fast to trust those he doesn?t know. His medical training has been the one of the greatest boons on his journey so far.

Spoiler: Naomi Blackwell

Name: Naomi Blackwell
Age: 30
Gender: Female

Personality: Determined and optimistic, and of the belief that there's nothing that some hard work and sweat can't solve. She constantly pushes her limits, a fitness and adrenaline junkie. She doesn't let anything, even the zombie apocalypse, get her down.

Appearance: Naomi has short blonde hair in a pixie cut, with previously red highlights that have faded to orange, and light brown eyes. She's 6 feet tall, with a slim, athletic build.

She normally wears a white sweatband, a purple sweater over a black tank top, loose cargo pants with several pockets and sneakers with metal cleats.



Notable Skills: Peak physical condition, wilderness survival techniques, hunting and scavenging skills, basic self defense

Weapons: A pocket knife, a pair of ice tools, and a Beretta with an extra clip of bullets.

Gear/Miscellany: Climbing ropes, a lighter, a tube of heat rub, 2 bottles of dishwashing soap (one watered down, one concentrated)

Bio: Naomi was born and raised in California, her sun kissed skin a product of the sandy beaches of Malibu. She got her fitness obsession from her parents, who were health nuts. In high school she was in Volleyball and Track, easily making the varsity teams while keeping her grades reasonable. There was nothing she loved more than feeling the wind on her face, exploring the unknown, and adventure.

In college she majored in Plant Sciences. It was easy, it was useful in the wild, and it was a degree. What she was really concerned about were her extracurricular activities, which ranged from rock climbing to swimming and snorkeling. She met her husband during one such activity: biking. It was love at first sight. They spent their honeymoon on Mount Everest (although they didn't make it to the top), rappelling hundreds of feet down the cliff faces. After their marriage, Naomi happily became a housewife for her engineer husband, making dinner and cleaning the house in between running marathons.

Her drive for everything athletic temporarily changed when she found out she was pregnant. Naomi and Daniel were ecstatic. They had been trying for years to get pregnant. For the next 6 months she ate nothing but chicken, salad, and water (not like that was far from her normal diet). She attended prenatal yoga sessions every other day. On March 25, the Blackwells were gifted with a healthy baby boy, named Blake.

They spent a lot of time outdoors on camping trips, especially in Yosemite. It was during one such trip that the zombie outbreak occurred. The family had taken a trip to St. Louis, Castlewood Park, to be exact, for Blake's 6th birthday. They stayed in the wilderness for a few days until they encountered their first member of the undead. The man ambled towards them, moaning, clearly not... alive. Who hadn't watched horror movies? Still, it was hard to actually have to kill it. Daniel shot it once in the chest and once in the head when it tried to grab Blake.

From there it was a mad dash to the nearest road as they tried to get help. They only had enough supplies for 2 more days in the wilderness, and the roads were crawling with the undead. Naomi was separated from her husband and son when their car crashed and they were forced to make a run through the woods to safety. Thankfully, they had already came up with a contingency plan. If they ever got separated, they would meet at Plaza Frontenac, the only real landmark they all remembered in the city.

Spoiler: Pvt. Jacob Robin

Name: Jacob "Jake" Robin
Age: 19
Gender: Male

Personality: Although he tries to play himself off as being brave and heroic, he is in fact neither of these things. He fears for his own life more than he'd care to admit, but honestly wants to be the hero he believes he should be. Beyond that, Jacob is also fairly kind, if a bit dim. He likes to be part of a group, and will commit himself to that group to the best of his ability. His training in the Army has made him a very by-the-books person and he has great respect for rules and laws, something that becomes more and more rare as the days go by.

Appearance: White, 6 foot, with messy brown hair. He's usually wearing his sun glasses and Army gear.

Notable Skills: Marksmanship and hand to hand combat are Jacob's strong suits. He's also become skilled in stealth since the outbreak.

Weapons: Silenced M4A1 Carbine, Beretta M9, combat knife.

Gear/Miscellany: 60 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, 30 rounds of 9mm ammo, canteen, Army Combat Uniform, lighter(scavenged), sleeping bag (scavenged), gun cleaning supplies (scavenged and supply is running low).

Bio:
Up until graduation, Jake had spent his entire life in the ghettos of Chicago. His father left when he was 3, and Jake still doesn't know his name or what he looks like. His mother had to raise him by herself, and was away most of the time working one of her three jobs. With so little parental guidance, Jake fell in with a bad crowd almost instantly. He would frequently skip school to shoplift, do drugs and get into fights, all with the constant encouragement of his friends. He had the rest of his life planned out; he would drop out as soon as he could, join one of the local gangs, and spend the rest of his life working his way through the ranks. He would have gone through with it too, if his friend hadn't been gunned down when he was 15. The friend had been the victim of a drug deal gone bad, and this taste of real gang violence shocked Jake out of his life style. He realized that he was leading a life that would put him in an early grave over a few grams of crack. Jake rethought his life and eventually decided that he wanted to join the Army, hoping that the military would impose some level of order on his life. He turned his back on his former friends and started getting his grades up. One he graduated, Jake enlisted in the US Army and left Chicago for good in 2013.

Jake was sent to basic training and trained as a "Combat Specialist"; a fancy way of saying grunt. Jake was fine with this; most other jobs were too technical for him. After training, he expected to be sent over seas, to Afghanistan or maybe Korea. Instead he was assigned to homeland security. He was happy to hear it; he thought it meant that he wouldn't see any combat. For the few months that Jake was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, the Army was everything he hoped it would be. The discipline and rigid structure of life appealed to him, and the nationalism and commitment to duty of his peers slowly rubbed off on him. But when Jake's unit was ordered to set up a quarantine around St. Louis, he couldn't help but have questions. They weren't told what kind of disease they were containing, only that no one was allowed into or out of the city. But it wasn't Jake's duty to ask questions, so he didn't. None of them did.

A 12 foot tall barbed wire fence was set up along the perimeter. Jake was one of a handful in charge of stopping traffic on route 70 just outside the fence. The quarantine held for about 3 days. The last night is forever burned in Jake's memory. Before that night, he had never seen one of the zombies, but he'd heard their moans from behind the fence. He remembers hearing gunfire in the distance, cries from the radio, and then yells and clattering from the closest part of fence. He and his squad turned to see a horde of dead bodies bashing against the chain link, their decaying forms falling apart as they pressed against the metal. As more zombies joined in, the more the fence buckled under their force. At some point, the Sargent snapped out of the shock that had gripped the squad and ordered them to fire at the horde. Jake switched his carbine to full-auto and started firing blindly into the mass of bodies. Around the city, other G.I's were doing the same, but it wasn't enough. The fence fell under the combined weight of thousands of undead, leaving nothing between them and the Army. It is at this point that Jake turned and ran, leaving his fellow soldiers behind. He turned back after about 20 yards to look at his comrades. Upon seeing the state they were in, he keep on going.

Jake wound up camping over night near Mark Twain Lake, and has maintained a base camp there for the last few months. He did join with another group of survivors for a short time, but left after a very heated disagreement over the treatment of helpless women. He regularly goes into one of the surrounding towns to scavenge what he can (one time he even found a suppressor that was compatible with his M4A1) but dwindling resources will soon force him into the city.

Other Notes: Jake has survivor's guilt over the death of his squad. He feels he shouldn't be alive and should have died with his comrades.

<spoiler=Yasei>Name: Dana "Yasei" Nakamura

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Personality: Laid back most of the time, but can easily become energetic and enthusiastic when motivated. It doesn't take much to motivate her either, and she prefers remaining optimistic rather than breaking down and crying. She can't stand negative people or whining, it gets on her nerves. Dana doesn't have an endless reserve of energy though, which is why she tries to remain calm normally. She likes quoting lyrics from songs when speaking.

Appearance: Dana is of asian heritage, but was born in California in the US, to a japanese father and an american mother. Her body is well trained and muscular, with quite large arms, but not in a way that it looks unnatural. She keeps her long blue hair back with a black bandana, which has the band name "Inspired plague" written in white letters across it. Dana wears a black sleeveless shirt, which arms has been cut off. Her pants are grey regular jeans, with a couple of large chains attached to them. She also has rocker boots and a short leather jacket, with her band name written on the back, over an image of a plague doctor's mask, with a red snake slithering through its eyes. She is 170 cm, with green eyes and asian looking facial features.

Notable Skills: She can speak japanese and english fluently, and knows some german too, not nearly as much, but she can get by when talking with others. Dana can drive a variety of vehicles and has licenses for most of them. The ones she has driving licenses for are cars, motorcycles and lorries. Her occupation before the outbreak was as a drummer in the band Inspired Plague, and whenever she had time she would practice her drumming, which drove her family crazy at times during her teens.

Weapons: A baseball bat and katana strapped to her backpack.

Gear/Miscellany: Two pair of drumsticks, a lockpick toolkit, a package of batteries, two bottles of water, a backpack, a large bag of weed, some chicken sandwiches, headphones and an mp3 that runs on batteries.

Bio: She was born in California, to a wealthy family. Her mother was a surgeon and her father was the CEO of an international company, that made cars. As such, money was never a problem for her and she had a spoiled childhood at the family's mansion. Her family consisted of her two older brothers, a couple of guard dogs and a butler. The family's butler spent more time with the children than their parents, who were both busy working.

Dana went to a private school, that her parents paid for, but she rarely felt motivated to study. The only subjects she actually enjoyed were music and language. She was taught Japanese and English, from an early age, on her parents request, but later chose to study German as well. The reason she chose to study german was because of Rammstein, one of her top thirty bands.

Despite learning three languages, the songs she tried to write often fell short. The lyrics were no good, or had no real emotion to them. They might be grammatically correct, but that didn't make them better than people who believed in what they wrote or had experienced a lot in their lives. Her sheltered life as the daughter of wealthy parents had limited her ability to write.

It frustrated her, and she took out most of her frustration while drumming instead. She had enough anger for her parents absence, their dislike of her choice to study music and the world in general, to drum for years during her teens. It was her rebellious period, but it did end up making her a great drummer. She didn't care about any other instruments or that she couldn't write towards the end, instead Dana would spend most of her waking time drumming or working out. Practice makes perfect, and she needed the energy she got from working out to be able to drum for longer.  

Her brothers both went to universities, to study, but Dana had no real interest in doing so. She was eventually forced to by her parents, but they compromised and she ended up studying music and language again. It wasn't the best university, as her parents didn't want to waste money on such an education, but she did meet her future band members at her new school.

Their lead singer, an older boy who came from a troubled background and wrote most of their songs, which Dana would later edit. The two female guitarists, who were sisters and did basically everything together. The introverted bassist, who didn't speak much, but certainly knew how to play his instrument.

None of them completed their education, as they went on a roadtrip during the summer vacation to tour the country. They were unknown at the start of their trip, but towards the end they had gained a smaller fanbase. A record company offered them a contract when they got back home, and after their first album, which became a hit within the metal community, they went on to tour North America on larger stages. They also toured Europe at one point and were on their second tour of North America, when the outbreak happened.

Her father bought her a Hennesy Venom 1000, when she turned eighteen and had a driver's license. He figured it would fit his daugther, even if her mother didn't approve entirely. It created a much stronger bond between them, as Dana suddenly got an interest in cars. She talked with her father more, and got him to pay for her to learn how to drive more than cars.
She's gotten caught two times for speeding and one time for road rage. She spent some nights in prison because of it, but her family bailed her out every time, and it was lucky that no one ever got badly hurt.

Dana got separated from her band when the outbreak happened, which she suspects might have gotten killed by now. She found an abandoned lorry and used it to escape from Boston, mowing down a shitload of zombies in her wake, while blaring Iron Maiden loudly in the lorries speaker, with open windows. Whoever had owned it before the outbreak had a good taste in music.

The truck eventually broke down, somewhere between Pittsburgh and Columbus. She had little knowledge of how to repair the vehicles she drove, and couldn't do much. She's been making her way back home to California, but it's been going slow since she lost her truck. Most of the items she's currently carrying she's scavenged from dead bodies, except for the headphones, drumsticks and her katana, which she originally bought as a joke to appear more badass. It's of good quality though. The mp3 was a lucky break for her, as her own didn't run on batteries and something to charge it with was nigh impossible after the outbreak. Batteries were easier. She thought that the lockpick toolkit she found would come in handy, but still hasn't figured out how to use it properly.

Spoiler

Name: Herman Downing
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Personality:
Herman has always been very reserved and shy. Socially awkward, he possesses no leadership qualities and is sometimes barely able to hold conversation. Herman is not brave, and has spent his professional and personal life avoiding danger and risk because of that. More a follower than a leader, Herman will often look to others for guidance and direction. Despite his cowardice, Herman is compassionate and loyal, especially to those precious few that will take the time to get to know him and help him along.

Appearance:
Herman had been very meticulous about his appearance before the Outbreak. He owned multiple copies of the same dress shirt and khaki pants that he had cleaned and pressed every day before going to work. He combed his short black hair the exact same way, and always cleaned his glasses before placing them over his blue eyes. Since the Outbreak, Herman has grown a bit of stubble on his skinny face and has let his hair fall in a shaggy mess atop his head. His suite is gone, replaced by a t-shirt and dark jeans, with running shoes that have seen their fair share of running. Herman is five foot seven inches tall, and Caucasian. He is by all means a small and insignificant man, the sort one passes on the street and completely forgets an hour later.
Notable Skills:
Herman is very talented with computers and other electronics. Fixing and building things like radios, computers, watches, and other trinkets was a hobby of his before the outbreak. He also took the time to jog around his neighborhood on weekends, so his cardiovascular endurance is above average.
Weapons:
One round medium length of steel pipe, bloodied from use.
Gear/Miscellany:
- Small hiking backpack with 2 water bottles, one empty and one full. 
- A half dozen snack bars
- Previously used handkerchief/scrap piece of cloth
- Old belt
- Flashlight with 2 spare batteries

Bio:
Before the Outbreak, Herman was a quiet, reserved man with few friends. He lived in St. Louis and worked in the IT department of a small telemarketing firm. He kept to himself, did his job, went home, and worked on his many trinkets. On the weekends he would jog around the neighborhood, giving nervous greetings to anyone he passed on his route.
The closest thing he had to a friend was Conner Jennings, a fellow IT worker. Conner and Herman worked together for many years, and always stuck by each other. Conner was much more confident and capable than Herman, and was always willing to give his friend a helping hand in the social arena. Be it through inviting him to parties, or trying to fix him up with a nice girl, Conner would constantly be looking for ways to help Herman branch out and gain more confidence, though to no avail.
When the Outbreak hit, Conner and Herman stuck together through the initial days. Together they managed to scrape together enough resources to get by, and eventually they found a group willing to help them survive. Conner thrived in the group, and Herman fell into the background, most people within the group believing he couldn?t pull his own weight.
A few weeks after the group formed, they came across a woman and her husband, pushing a shopping cart full of blankets, food, and other resources. The group had been running low on food lately, and the growing panic among the population was beginning to affect people in dramatic ways. Most of the group wanted to kill the couple and take the supplies, but Herman wouldn?t go along. It was then that Conner turned his back on his longtime friend, his desire to survive outweighing his obligation to Herman. Under the pretense of giving them shelter and helping them to find more resources, the group managed to separate the couple from each other and their cart, killing them quietly and taking the resources for themselves. Herman decided shortly after to strike out on his own, not able or willing to face his friend after what he?d been part of.

Since then Herman has tried his best to survive alone, having seen the damage that a large group of survivors is capable of. His strategy of avoiding conflict and being quick and quiet when gathering the resources he needs to live has paid off thus far.
Other Notes:

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=3]Standing Roster cont'd[/HEADING]

Spoiler: Evelyn Lanford

Name: Evelyn Lanford
Age: 9 years
Gender: Female

Personality: Evelyn is energetic and cheerful on most days, with a large sense of loyalty added into her as well. She loves making her parents proud, and providing moral support for her friends when they're feeling down. She's very much a tomboy, and has as much love for mischief as she does with nature.

Appearance: Evelyn is a Caucasian female who stands at 3' 10" tall, and weighs a solid 60 lbs. She has long auburn hair that falls down to the small of her back when allowed to fall straight, but most of the time it is kept to a pony-tail for convenience. Her eyes are emerald green, and they usually always have some sort of mischievous glint to them. Very much a tomboy, she prefers to wear cargo shorts and pants over skirts or dresses.

Her current outfit consists of tan cargo shorts that fall to her knees, a green t-shirt with a four leaf clover on the front (her 'lucky' shirt), white socks and green and white sneakers. Around her neck and tucked under her shirt is a silver-chained necklass with her birth stone, the Ruby, at the end of it. On her back, she carries a quiver for her bow, currently stocked with 12 soft tip (ie: useless) arrows.

Notable Skills: Evelyn loves going on 'adventures', which usually consist of her climbing the local trees. She's become great at climbing because of this, and her sense of balance is above average (for her age) as well.

She can also forage for food, having learned just what kinds of berries, mushrooms and leaves are safe to eat or not through both experience and study.

At her request (aka constant whining), her parents had gotten her a starter archery set [http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4014732&cp=4406646.4413993.4414427.4414430] when she was seven. She has since become fairly accurate and consistant with it but her arrows are all soft tips, and are no good for hunting. Given real arrows, or sharpened sticks, she could be helpful in limited combat.

Weapons: Youth compound bow [http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4014732&cp=4406646.4413993.4414427.4414430] with 12 soft tip arrows.

Gear/Miscellany:  Evelyn is currently carrying four snack bars in her front pockets (two in each), two bottles of water in each of her two cargo pockets and a pack of gum in her left rear pocket. In her right rear pocket is a small 'pocket guide for adventurers of nature', which has tips and guides for safe to eat plants, where to set up camps, how to start a fire and things like that.

Bio: Born and raised in St. Louis, Evelyn knows almost all of the ins and outs of her local neighborhood, which consists of most of the blocks surrounding Lafayette Park. A proud and energetic tomboy, she is willing to explore dark alleys that most kids shy away from, and can climb a tree or fence in almost no time at all. She is well liked by the kids in her school because of her can-do attitude and willingness to help them out in their times of need, but most of her time is spent around nature, or reading about it in a book.

When the outbreak occurred, she was in Hodgen's Elementary School at the time, and the children were all contained within the building. Well, most of them. Evelyn quickly found a way out through a ground floor window. Quickly scaling the surrounding fence, she ran home to her parents, going through the alleys and other 'safe' areas. Her parents had been holding off the zombies fairly well, and gave her enough time to 'reinforce' the position by shooting arrows from her bow at the zombies.

Her parents knew that they would eventually be overrun, and that they needed to retreat to a safer area. Gunshots could be heard all around, but her parents decided that the nearby Lehmann House Inn was fortified enough to be safe. The current occupants allowed them in since they could be added to the defense. Even Evelyn helped out by bringing supplies around to the various floors.  Things got hard when ammo was running low, and the group decided to go out for supplies, and find a new place to fortify. This became their undoing.

While out, most of the group ran out of ammo, and the zombies made quick work of them. Evelyn's parents were included in this. Despite her best efforts to get back to them and help, the group leader picked her up and fled, knowing that it was futile to save them. As soon as she was let down, Evelyn fled from the group, thinking that they were now her enemies. Now alone, Evelyn makes sure to only move when there are no zombies around, and most of her time is spent high in the treetops, where she is safe from the zombies below.

Other Notes: Evelyn's favorite color is green if it wasn't obvious already, and her current location is high in a tree in Lafayette Park with her supplies listed above.

Spoiler: Character Darek Mason.

Name: Darek Mason
Age: 25

Gender: Male

Personality: He enjoys his athleticism. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor anymore, and when he does show it it is usually a very dry humor. He is willing to do things most people would find unwholesome. If their is a danger to his survival he will "take care of it." Whether taking care of it means a civil and rational discussion or a more immediate and violent answer. He is not a callous man. He is very practical. He takes no joy int he things he has to do. He is kind at heart. Events in his life have caused him to develop a shield to keep him from becoming too attached to people. It is the only way he sees to deal with the survival and the death all around him.

Appearance: White about 6 foot 2 inches. Was originally about 180 pounds. He has lost some muscle weight and body fat do to lack of a steady diet since the outbreak. Now he is about 165-170 pounds. Has dark blond hair. His eyes are a light amber color. Since the outbreak he has tried to keep it short, but it is grown out and unruly. He also has fairly thick stubble because of the lack of time he has for shaving. He also wears a beanie to keep sweat and hair out of his eyes, and also for warmth. He wears a coat made of a heavy cloth that is olive drab in color. Under hit coat he wears a gray shirt. He also wears a pair of dark gray jeans. He also wears his mountaineering boots.

Notable Skills: Before the outbreak he was a mountain climber, and spelunker. He learned to shoot from his brother who was in the military. He only learned to shoot basic guns like handguns, and shotguns.

Weapons: A Remington Home defense shotgun with a tactical stock that has no shells. The shotgun uses 12 gauge shells. The shotgun has a sling so he carries it slung on on his back. Has a colt M1911 handgun with 3 mags of .45 rounds for it. thats 7 rounds per mag. He has a holster for the handgun, he keeps 2 mags in his coat pocket and the third in his pack. He also has a crowbar for silent kills. Well as silent as you can be when bashing a skull in.

Gear/Miscellany: Has a knife with an 11 inch blade. It's got a serrated back for cutting rope, and the like. Not great for stabbing, because the tip is more of a wedge. He also carries a crowbar for prying open locked doors, and other things. He also uses this crowbar as a silent/melee weapon.

He carries roughly 90 feet of climbing rope spooled on his pack. His Pack is a fairly large internal frame backpack he used to use when climbing mountains, and spelunking. He also carries a large canteen, and 5 Clif Bars, and a couple MREs he found earlier. He carries a basic climbing kit along with the rope. He has a rolled up blanket in his kit as well.

Bio: He was born and raised in Denver Colorado. He was a good student during his time at school. He was quiet, and intelligent. He even played team sports. He enjoyed the physicality of sports, but did not enjoy the restriction of the rules. Around 16 years of age he went on a mountain climbing trick with a friend who was going with his father. This was what he wanted no rules to hold him back. The only thing that stood between him and failure was his body and will. Ever since then he would climb as much as he could.

At 19 years of age that very same friend was finally able to talk him into cave spelunking. He has never been very interested in cave spelunking. Something about the psychological effect of being under so much earth, and the darkness mixed with the claustrophobic feel of caves always had set him off the idea. He finally tried it, and enjoyed it. Not nearly as much as he did climbing mountains, but it was a nice change of pace.

His family lived comfortably financially they had a decent amount of money with decent disposable income. His family wanted him to study law, but he was never really interested in it. He went to school because his family was paying for it, and he hadn't found anything else hew as interested in studying. He took a semester of psychology, and it really clicked with him. When he told his parents he wanted to study psychology they were very much against it. His parents never particularly believed psychology to be a legitimate thing. He compromised with his parents they would pay as long as he still took law classes. While he was 22 years old he met Karen. They met at a party. He was told he tried to very clumsy attempt of hitting on her. He didn't really remember that night too well. He wrote it off as a missed attempt. About a week later he found out they had a mutual friend. They learned later that friend had set them up to meet again. Thinking that they would hit it off if Darek wasn't blazed out of his mind. Hit it off they did. They became a couple almost without realizing it.

2 years later Karen has decided to move in with her sister in St. Louis. She asked Darek to move up with her. He decided a long distance relationship wasn't going to work so he moved with her. He started classes there. He also got a part time job so he could help pay rent. Skip ahead 1 year. The living situation has been strained, Karen's sister can't keep a job, and Darek feels overworked. Karen is getting into fights with her sister as well. All those problems were solved one day.

Darek left campus early one day because of all the news pouring in about riots and civil unrest. He went home to make sure Karen, and her sister were okay. He got there, and it was a charnel house. Their was blood sprayed up on the walls, and a pool of it by the front door and the living room couch was saturated. He grabbed his old survival knife from his climbing kit by the door. He had been planning to take Karen on a simple climb as a sort of mini vacation. He walked into the kitchen. There were two fingers on the tiles, and more blood. He continues on, and was attacked by a man he barely knew. It had been one of their neighbors. He was forced to club the mans skull in with an iron pot. Now covered in gore he walked into the back of the house. He found the corpse of Karen's sister in front of his, and Karen's bedroom. He walked in and saw what he dreaded most. She had become a slavering monster just like the neighbor. A being of rage and hunger. When she lunged at him he recoiled and tripped over the body of Karen's sister. Karen fell on him, and he kept her face away from his throat. Her teeth were gnashing inches away. He flung her off kicked her in the side of the head and rammed his knife through her right eye.

Little else needs to be said The rest has been survival by any means. He has been with a  group of people before. They more or less exiled him because he "took care" of a danger to the group. Now he survives on his own if he can help someone he will he isn't a callous man just practical.
Other Notes: Wraps wire gauze that he scavenged from chimneys around his forearms and calves. He does protect himself from bites because the limbs are what seem to get bit most. Also has his basic climbing kit.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

The young girl considered her chances of running if she were spotted by the figure by the pond. While she might be able to get away from the one, there was always the chance that she would run into more of the creatures during her retreat. If she was surrounded, it would all be over. Shaking her head, she sat back down, pulled her legs close to her for warmth and huddled closely against the trunk of her tree. Her branch was nice and thick, so it easily provided her with a secure place to rest without worry of falling. She had grown accustomed to sleeping in the trees, but she knew that it would only get colder in the weeks to come. She needed to find a secure shelter, if only until it grew warm again.

Taking in her surroundings, she could only see the natural setting of Lafayette Park. In the past it had provided her entertainment and wonder, playing Hide and Seek with her friends among the trees. Now, she was playing a more deadlier game of Hide and Seek, and it was one she couldn't afford to lose. Quietly taking an arrow out of her quiver, she pouted at the soft tip and mumbled to herself. "I knew I should have asked for real arrows..At least they would have helped me..I might have even helped mommy and daddy." The memory of her parents being overrun and killed flashed in her mind, and she huddled a little tighter for comfort. She needed to leave the tree soon, but not right now.

 

[KelevraBD]

Sleep wasn't something Herman had really experienced since the Break. He had taken to referring to the world's current standing as "the Break" as a shorthand version of "outbreak", but more in reference to the breakdown of society, government, and just about everything else that followed the dead. Everything seemed broken, and for once he wasn't able to fix any of it. Instead he was cowering in what remained of a smoke shop, its content's tossed or looted a long time ago. despite the shelter and the relative safety of the smoke shop, Herman still hadn't managed more than an hour or two of sleep. And now with the sun coming back up, it was time to move on. You're running out of food. Take a look around, maybe there's something here you missed. Something you can use.

Herman got to his feet, picked his backpack up off the ground, and decided to start his search at the humidor. Careful not to cut himself on the shards of glass that littered the floor, Herman knelt down and began looking for anything he could possibly use. An idea struck him, and he unzipped his backpack and withdrew the cloth he'd kept there. Carefully Herman laid the cloth out and began placing shards of glass in the center. When he was satisfied with the amount, Herman folded the cloth back up and tucked it back into his pack. Lay that out in a doorway and those things will walk right over it, the noise should give you enough warning to collect yourself and get out. Good thinking

Just as Herman was about to get up and continue his search, something in the glass caught his eye. Looters must have missed it. Go on, take it. Herman reached a finger gingerly out, pushing the remaining glass aside until he could see it clearly. A cigar, laying almost untouched amongst it's ripped and ravaged brethren. Herman picked the cigar up and turned it in his fingers, examining the thing like it was some alien artifact. The label was worn, but the gold lettering on a red background could still be made out to read "Partagas" You don't speak Spanish, do you?. Herman decided to keep the cigar, packing it along with the rest of his meager supplies. He resolved to light it one day, to celebrate. Not alot worth celebrating these days.Time was being wasted, and Herman still needed to find more food and water. He got to his feet and slung the backpack over his shoulder, turning his attention to the back rooms he spotted the previous night. It had been too dark to get a proper look at them without wasting some of his flashlight's juice, and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

Herman stepped quickly and quietly to the back rooms, not wanting to waste any time. The doorway leading in was wide open as he'd expected it to be, probably having been smashed by the first wave of looters. Inside was nothing but disapointment. The rooms had been picked clean, though stains and footprints along the floors indicated that at some point people had used the rooms for shelter. They ran, you should too. Herman made sure to look very carefully around before resigning himself to the fact that there was nothing left in the smoke shop for him. He figured he might have better luck with the surrounding storerooms and pressed onwards towards the front door of the smoke shop, glancing out to make sure his path to the outside was clear before proceeding.

 

[NeoAC]

"Come on," the woman softly pleaded as she tried to make the engine turn over, but not a sound was coming out of the abandoned Kia. She tried again, flipping the key back and forth, but there was a reason why the Sedona was still sitting there. "Damn it," she cursed herself as she slunk back out of the drivers seat and onto the pavement. "How the heck am I gonna find a car in this area?"

Ashlyn continued to trudge North on Telegraph Road, hoping to find something she could use to get around easier. After five months on lockdown in that dingy Supercenter, she felt at risk being out in the open without a metal plating between her and the elements. The coin flip upon leaving Wal-Mart seemed to be a mistake. Rather than risk being out in the open on the 255 trying to get across town and get back to Enterprise, she opted for the low road along the 231, hoping to be able to snake a car along the way and find a new place to hunker down, preferably a place with beer. Shoulda known better than that.

The smell of oil and rotting flesh hung in the air around Ashlyn. Many of the cars were destroyed, and the remnants of their occupants stained the wrecks. If they were lucky, they died on impact. If not, it was the zombies that got them. The few cars that were in a drivable state were rendered unusable either due to a lack of gas or some other undistinguishable problem. However, there was little action to speak of on the Z-Front. Perhaps it was the nippy autumn weather starting to force them into a state of hibernation. Be great if I could just keep walking like this and not have to worry about no zombies or nothing coming after me. Least till I find some wheels. Her rifle back at the ready after her attempt to bring the Sedona to life failed, Ashlyn moved on down the 231.

 

[Link_to_Future]

Alex stared blankly through the windshield of his weathered Grand Prix into the parking lot of his makeshift shelter. The golden rays of the new day?s sun glistened from the east almost as though they were taunting him.

Oh yes, keep coming this way today. You don?t need to stop in St. Louis.

Deep down, Alex had always known that the proposition was foolhardy. Even during the best of times finding a specific person in the cities without proper communication would have been like finding a needle in a haystack. But now?now it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack where all the hay is either trying to eat you or shoot you. Maybe missing all the exits yesterday had been a blessing in disguise? Maybe God was trying to send a warning?

He shook his head and rested it on the steering wheel. Sarah could still be in the city somewhere. Giving up now was not an option. He would dive into this hornet?s nest for the off chance that there was still one person in this world that he could trust.

So what?s first on the agenda then?

The wheels of Alex?s mind cranked as he evaluated his situation. The exits from the interstate had claimed that he was just entering Granite City, Illinois. The highway he had left behind was probably no longer an option if the Shufflers had heard him driving by the day before. Either he would have to wait for them to disperse again or he would have to find another way to cross back over the Mississippi. He had about a quarter tank of gas left in his beaten Pontiac and enough food for two lean days.

?Maybe I?ll scavenge the area today,? he mumbled to himself, ?see if any of the other vultures left a scrap of meat on this skeleton of a town. Then I?ll start working out how to get back over the river. ?

He stuck the key in the ignition. Hopefully today would be better than yesterday.

?And a map. I need to find a map.?

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

The sound of the zombies still echoed in his mind and the screaming of Preston... It was the same nightmare as the last night and the night before. There were variations to be sure but Ted could never save his son. Sometimes he was the one chewing his sons ears off, ripping his flesh open... It served no purpose to dwell on dreams. The living nightmare was bad enough. He lay there for a second, listening to the birds outside. He rose and stretched carefully. It was important to stay limber before heading off. His throat felt dry and he shook his two canteens despite already knowing he wouldn't hear water in them. It was a ritual. Water first, food if he was lucky and moving West. West was a city. Brooklyn if he remembered rightly.

"Would Tammi go there? She did say that if The Walking Dead happened she would die in a mall..."

A pleasant memory flashed through his mind. They were sitting on the couch watching something stupid on TV and she took his face and... Ted grabbed onto it. He needed it. A memory a day kept the insanity away and it kept him focused. This American city would be full of danger. The campsite group he had been a part of only a few weeks ago made it obvious that survivors were getting almost as dangerous as the undead creatures who wandered around everywhere. No doubt there would be more there. More zombies too. Ted walked along the walls of the freight car. It was the best shelter he had run into in days. It almost seemed a waste to abandon its safety. But they would come. And they would bite. He walked over to his axe. It was a heavy wood splitter, sharpened and still almost new. He had stolen it from a half ton during the early days... When he thought there was a plan. But now there was only one plan. His plan. Get water, find food, get safe for the night.

"Tammi, god.... Tammi I need you right now!" he said, pulling out his wallet. He ran a finger over the slender figure in the picture standing beside him grinning. How could he have ever known the world was going to end? He would have spent it at home or would have fled to the farm in Paradise Hill to hold up with his father until the end...

Reality crashed in. There was the sound of a moan. Not close but... It was time to go. He rolled up his sleeping bag with his flashlight inside deftly. He patted his matches in his back pocket and picked up the axe. Sliding open the door as slowly as possible, it only gave off a small squeal. Hopefully that wasn't loud enough... He stopped. Silent as a cat. No alerted growl. He stepped off onto the railbed and slinked off into the woods, clutching the sleeping bag under is left arm and holding the axe with his right. West.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

Dana decided to head for the Tri-City Speedway, where she would hopefully be able to get a real car. She backtracked her steps away from the collapsed overpass and headed down one of the roads which were usually used to get onto the I-270, but now there was no traffic, just more and more cars. While some of them might still be in working condition, she couldn't get them out of the line and didn't want to wake one of the dead. They probably wouldn't move, but why take the chance?

She got down on the road below, and continued walking towards the speedway. She reached for the baseball bat attached to her backpack, while turning on her MP3 to Grief by Dir En Grey, but made sure to not turn the volume up too much. These dead groupies weren't hard to notice, with their moaning and odd movements, but she didn't like the thought of several of them getting the jump on her either.

It had been tough ever since she lost her lorry, and slow. Her goal was to get back home to Cali and hope that their money had protected her family, but it had been months since the outbreak, and even longer since she had last spoken with them. She didn't take time to contact them while on tour, since her mother didn't really approve of her life choice, at least her father had grown to accept it with the years.

"Sousa warai kurue" She whispered, when Kyo sang it. "I'm damned."

Dana had watched enough movies to believe that her situation was not going to get any better. She kept going, because she thought it was better than giving up. The only regret she had was that she wouldn't get to perform or play drums again, since that would attract too much attention from the groupies.

She arrived at the Tri-City Speedway, after walking for a while, unsure of how long. She hoped that her days on foot had been numbered, as she began searching the area for a car that she could actually use, that wasn't just a piece of useless metal.

 

[Link_to_Future]

The sharp tapping of the rubber soles of his Converse against the concrete seemed echo into infinity as he strode ever closer towards the abandoned convenience store. Every nerve in his body stood on high alert; his every sense searched for any incongruous detail. At a glance, nothing set off the warning bells. There were clear warning bells that Alex had learned to hastily retreat from: a moan far off in the distance, a sign warning off intruders, even a simple shuffling of feet against the ground. And yet these signs seemed almost conspicuously absent as the young man approached the worn down shop.

This deafening silence only served to enhance his acute sense of cultivated paranoia.

He had left the car a few blocks back to avoid having to drive through town. Any sound could attract the Shufflers; in his experience, nothing signaled the arrival of fresh meat more clearly than the roar of an engine. It was far better to kill the noise if one planned on actually sifting through the refuse left behind by the panicked masses attempting to escape the inevitable. There was no reason to stack the odds further against yourself. The dangers of this world were far sharper than one could imagine from the movies and media of yore.

Alex found himself crouching almost unconciously as he stepped ever closer toward the potential death trap under the sign of a Route 66. If there was any food to be had, it would still be sitting on the shelves inside the building. If there was any fuel to be pumped, it would need to be turned on behind the front desk. If there were any maps of the surrounding area, they would be nestled in some dark corner of the store that no one would ever venture towards since a map had been rendered completely obsolete in a recently bygone era.

No matter how he sliced it, Alex was going to have to push through the glass doors and face whatever threat that lay poised to strike when he least expected it. These were risks that he wanted to avoid at all costs. However, if he just moved on now he knew that these potential supplies would only grow more scarce and more dangerous to obtain as he moved into the formerly densely populated zones of the world.

His eyes began to dart even more erratically behind his thick rimmed glasses with every quiet thud of his feet. Sweat began to soak his dirty white tee shirt and his dirtier brown hair despite the chilled October breeze that should have cut through his light autumn clothing. His heart was thumping vigorously as though it were trying to escape from his chest. Anymore, these signs were normal. They meant that he was on the top of his game, ready to respond to any threat that could jump from the shadows. His fingers were tightly wrapped around the steel crowbar in his fist and the tiny revolver was tucked between his fabric belt and his worn jeans.

He was ready.

There was only a moment's hesitation while he peaked through the dusty glass door. At this point, he was only trying to make sure the building wasn't filled to bursting with Shufflers. His earlier circling of the area had given no indication that any living being had bunkered down in this enclosure. So long as he was careful and quiet, Alex felt he could drop on any straggler remaining in the area, be they living or dead.

With a deep breath caught in his throat and a calculated fear of the unknown in his heart, Alex slowly and quietly opened the glass door.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Darting between the patches of trees and the clearings where more rail lines cut through the brush, Ted crept along in the brush. The fog that had formed was a concern. It wasn't very thick but anything that limited Ted's vision concerned him. The woods were full of fallen leaves making Ted move slower than he wanted to. Too slow and something would catch his scent. Too fast and the sound of rustling leaves might bring them on him. The ground was wet and frozen under his feet, melting frost from a sun still warm enough to chase away the ice. For now anyway. Eventually, after hiding around trees and moving along to the building he had spotted earlier he came upon a grassy area.

It was a recreational area and the building beyond must have been a school before the crash of civilization. He walked across a small paved parking area onto the field. It was empty and silent here.

"I must be in Brooklyn Tammi. Are you here?" he said quietly.

He came upon a basketball court in the fog. Hanging from the net was a corpse. It had been here for awhile Ted concluded, judging by the amount of decay. The chain around its neck was deep into the rotting flesh and there was a single bullet hole through its forehead.

At least the residents knew how to stop them from coming back.

Leaving the grisly sight, he walked along a little aimlessly. He was hoping for a discarded bottle of water or something from the day of the panic. He came upon a bleacher for a baseball diamond. There was a bag there and he opened it. Chocolate bars, an iPod, a binder full of schoolwork. Ted took the bars and ate them immediately. It wasn't much but it was something at least. The iPod he slipped into his back pocket and he grabbed a few pens and a handful of loose blank sheets of lined paper. He folded them carefully and put them into his Bunnyhug's pocket. Never know when one will want to leave a message behind... Not that it was likely anyone would find it or read it.

He went into the bench area for the players. No baseball bats. That would have been nice. He did take a helmet though, trying it on. Too small. Well, whatever. He wasn't a baseball fan anyway. He tried to gauge the fog and if it was getting thicker or dying off. It just kind of hung there, like an invisible tarp, showering the distance in white. He made it to the back wall of the school. Still no sounds of any undead. He reached for a handle and twisted.

A school has got to have some supplies. At the very least, some water maybe...

Spoiler: OOC

Current location: Brooklyn High School

Possessions on hand: Rolled up sleeping bag, flashlight, two canteens, a box of matches, a dead iPod with earphones, two dozen sheets of looseleaf, four pens, a folding camping knife and one sharp splitting axe.

 

[njrk97]

A strange calm had fallen over Ryker as he re-entered the city it was as if his attachment to here had been eaten by the zombies. He really was not sure where to go but he managed to cling to the roof tops for most of the time and avoided almost all confrontation with zombies. He knew that he could not afford to waste a bolt as they were not common around these parts. Ryker stopped and removed the canteen from his back, taking a sip he decided where to go.

He ran across the roof tops slipping between antennas and chimneys as the green jungle in the centre of the city approached. The main park was almost completely unaffected by the apocalypse, the trees still rustled in the wind and Ryker could still hear the faint sound of the children playing, a happy time one of peace but that was not something to reminisce about now. Without the roof tops he could not be able to remain out of the zombie?s path for long, most of the trees branches were frail.

Ryker made his way between a few trees keeping quit and out of sight, he stopped at a large oak breathing heavily. He did not notice the other figure in the tree above.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Evelyn's main focus had been on the creature at the lake, but that didn't mean she wasn't paying attention to the rest of her surroundings. Movement in the corner of her eye caused her to turn away from the lake to see another figure moving through the trees. This one was walking quietly, seemed healthy, and most importantly, wasn't growling. Excitement and relief filled her mind while she thought about how she could approach the person. Staying in the trees was definitely the safest route to take, so that much was a given. Sending him a silent message to alert him to her presence was also a given, since she didn't know if the creature by the lake had good hearing.

Deciding on a plan of action, she nodded her head and silently adjusted herself so that she was facing in the man's direction. Next, she took an arrow from her quiver and, after checking her surroundings, gently tossed it so that it would land harmlessly near him. If the man were to notice her from just that, she would bring her finger to her lips in a 'shush' motion before pointing out the creature by the lake. She would then suggest that he climb a tree to be safe by making an 'up' movement with her hands.

 

[njrk97]

Something fell next to Ryker, almost instinctively he pulled his crossbows out and snapped around firing at the tree and nearly hitting the figure in it. He quickly realized that the human was not undead.

?Crap? he whispered

?You?re lucky my shot was off?

He re-sheathed his crossbow and was now one bolt down luckily the cross bow was silent and the shot had not alerted any off the undead .He made quick work of climbing up the tree, latching onto branches and twisting himself up silently as the zombie near the lake still sat oblivious to his actions. It was not until a single twig crack on the branch did the zombie turn around, Ryker was not sure he had noticed him but if he did he would make quick work of it. His real concern was with the Women in the tree. Giving away her location could have been a deadly decision but Ryker had no intention of killing her.

 

[warrcry13]

Darek woke up stiff and bleary eyed. The cab wasn't most comfortable bed he ever had. He opened the cab door and tossed his pack out. As he exited the cab he stood still for a few moments and just listened. He didn't hear any of the warning sounds; no moaning or growling. Deciding it was safe enough he started to stretch the stiffness out of his limbs. After he finished stretching he climbed back into the truck and began to search inside of it. He had been so tired last night when he found this place to sleep he had just crawled in, and passed out.

The only things he found were some old water bottles rolling around on the floor that were full of old piss. Before he gave up and left he checked the glove compartment. He found a bag of beef jerky. "At least I have something to eat this morning." He said as he pulled the bag out. Once he had the bag out he spotted a pair of leather work gloves that were underneath it. After that it was time to go he needed to find some more food, and water. He didn't want to start in on his back up supply yet. He left the Kienstra Precast, and went west on bend road. He remembered seeing a sign last night that said Brooklyn was pretty close.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

A small squeak escaped the small nine year old's mouth when she heard, and saw, the crossbow bolt lodged into the trunk just next to her. Her heart racing from the shock of how quickly he had determined her location, she waited until he was up in the tree with her before whispering. "I-I'm sorry if I scared you or made you angry, I-I was just trying to get your attention." While saying this, she tried to pull the bolt out of the tree, but found it was lodged in pretty deep. Giving up on that, she looked back to the zombie, which had left the lake in search of a noise, but it seemed it couldn't tell where it came from, so it simply ambled about.

She wanted to get off on a better start with the man in the tree, so she whispered to him, while keeping a close eye on the zombie. "My name's Evelyn. I was just thinking about leaving the area in search of a building that can at least keep me from freezing during the winter. Can you think of any place like that, mister? It would really help me." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a snack bar, granola with chocolate chips, before continuing. "Are you hungry? It's only a snack bar, but it's better than nothing, right?"

 

[TheBlueShotgun0]

Jake sat against a car and tried to catch his breath. Stupid, stupid, stupid. he thought to himself. I knew I should have stayed hidden. I keep this up, I'll get myself killed.

Brushing such thoughts aside, Jake took in his surroundings. He was in the parking lot of a hospital next to the highway. All he remembered was running, he wasn't really sure which direction he had come from. He looked up towards the roof of the building. If he could get up there, he should be able to get his bearings. But getting up there would require going through the hospital itself, and Jake knew from experience how formidable zombies were in close quarters. He gripped his M4A1 carbine in his hands. Then again, I'm not exactly helpless either. With the gun reassuring him, Jake got up and walked up to the door. It was locked, but a quick strike with the butt of his gun changed that. He proceeded into the building, mind alert and gun ready.

 

[njrk97]

Ryker only just realized that the person in the tree was a little girl she was very young only 10 at most. A pang of sympathy enveloped Ryker it I didn?t seem fair that such a young girl had to see all this happen and the fact that he just scared her half to death made it even worse

"I-I'm sorry if I scared you or made you angry, I-I was just trying to get your attention." She whimpered

?I'm so sorry I didn?t realize? Ryker put on his most sympathetic voice
?I?m not angry at you nor am I scared what I did was stupid?

Ryker was watching the zombie idling away from the lake when he heard the girl speak again

"My name's Evelyn. I was just thinking about leaving the area in search of a building that can at least keep me from freezing during the winter. Can you think of any place like that, mister? It would really help me."

This poor girl was all alone and Ryker was glad to help her
?My old house is very easily barricaded and it only a short walk from here we can stay there the night and find more food tomorrow? He said and put his hand up when she offered him her small amount of food

?You look thirsty would you like a drink? Ryker took out his water bottle which was nearly empty his own needs seemed rather trivial now that there was this little girl here.

 

[Kuroneko Aisha]

Evelyn was a little surprised by how quickly the man seemed to change after realizing that she had made an honest mistake. He even sounded concerned for her, which was nice to hear since she would be relying on him for support for a while, it seemed. He was recommending that they go to his house and take shelter there for a while. She knew how hard it was to fortify a single house, so she said. "That sounds like a good idea. As soon as it's safe, we should make our way over there, right?"

Seeing him offering her some water, she shook her head and said. "It looks like you're the one in need of water, mister. Your bottle's almost empty." She giggled a little bit before reaching into her cargo pocket and pulling out a fresh bottle of water. Holding it out for him, she said with a smile. "Here, let's trade. Don't worry, I have another full bottle in my other pocket. Ever since the monsters started appearing, mommy and daddy always made sure that I have plenty to eat and drink with me at all times." Having supplies didn't help them against the zombies though.

For a split second, her eyes showed sadness before returning to normal. Not thinking about it anymore, she said. "Say, I gave you my name, so what's your name mister? I'm usually not allowed to talk to strangers but..I think I need to make an exception for a little while."

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

[HEADING=3]Herman Downing[/HEADING]
Outside, the only bodies in sight were the charred piles of burned corpses in the dusty clearing across the street. As for the buildings around him, if the sign in the lot proved to be true, the only once-operational establishment in the elongated complex other than the smoke shop was a nail salon two leasing spaces down. As far as scavenging prospects went, the immediate area seemed to be fairly sparse.

[HEADING=3]Ashlyn Tarpley[/HEADING]
With not a single functioning vehicle in sight, she pressed onward on foot, the current leading mode of transportation in the US. There was an RV sales lot approaching on her right, an auto parts store further down the road with an auto sales lot right across, it was easy to believe someone with the right knowledge and skills could make at least one vehicle function right.

[HEADING=3]Dana Nakamura[/HEADING]
Few things in the dust lot appeared to be in any decent condition, let alone operational. In fact, many of the vehicles were the unfortunate victims of a rather intense demolition derby. There were, however, a few rather large garages occupying space aside the tracks. There was no telling if she'd find anything of use, though. Not without taking a look for herself.

[HEADING=3]Alex Mathis[/HEADING]
Inside the store, the air was stale and smelled of rot, though if exactly what, the man couldn't be sure. Trash littered nearly every inch of the floor he could see in the dim room, and if he looked closely he could see no one had been inside for weeks. There were blood spatters on some of the shelves and floor, though they had dried long before he arrived. If there were any chance of locating supplies, it would take more than just a peek inside to really know for sure.

[HEADING=3]Ted Sheffield[/HEADING]
The door creaked much louder than he would've liked as he slowly pushed it open. What lied behind it was the school's auditorium which, by the looks of it, was set up for students' lunches at the time of abandonment. Most of the food that was once on the tables had already been eaten by maggots or was taken by the desperate few who had the fortune to find packaged goods that had yet to spoil. On the floors of the lunch hall, tables and chairs were overturned, backpacks lay torn and forgotten, and the corpses of few that were now dried, withered husks.

[HEADING=3]Darek Mason[/HEADING]
Small town houses entered the man's view as he walked into the Brooklyn area. One of the homes was unfortunate enough to be drastically renovated by an SUV that somehow plowed its way through the front wall. Neither time nor nature had been very kind to the homes, as most were in shambles or had tree branches thrown onto, or sometimes even through them by the powerful gusts of the early autumn.

[HEADING=3]Jacob Robin[/HEADING]
The former soldier was met with a very dim waiting room, barely brightened by the soft light that shone through the open door. Makeshift cots had taken place of the normal furnishings, and as haunting a sight it was, the fact that no bodies remained was quite worrisome. It was likely that most of the undead occupants had left, but there was no reason to take that as a given fact.

[HEADING=3]Ryker & Evelyn[/HEADING]
The sound was faint, but it was present. Footsteps sloshing through mud, the heavy, ragged breathing of a man who didn't have much run left in him, and the loud crack of the occasional pistol shot. A man in a flannel shirt with an old Colt was now backpedaling through the park, fumbling with a full magazine, trying to keep the group of the undead following him in sight. The man very nearly managed to slide in another set of .45's before he was caught off guard by the walker that migrated from the pond to fetch a meal. The walker's arms, with surprising speed and strength, pulled the man's head back and bit hard into his face, tearing the flesh of his cheek back. He screamed loud and cried out in protest, but that did little to sway his attacker. It didn't take long for the group he had originally been running from to choose in on their prey and join in the consumption. Ryker and Evelyn were helpless, there just simply wasn't anything they could do to help the poor man.