ZRP-2: Chapter Two, Paradise in Hell

(J)

I lead Tyler and kids over and whisper.

"How are we going to get the kids?"

I link my fingers and crouch.
"You go first." I whisper, keeping an eye on the zombie.

I push the kids over to the women before I pull out one of my knives. Ready to impale the zomies nearest to us.

(J)

I step in her hand and push my self up grabbing on to the top of the wall. I pull my self on it and sit with my hand lowered.

"Pass me up the kids, I lower them on the other side."

I slid down the hill, or not exactly a tumble. More of a falling down it. But, considering all the noise I had made, this area was empty of maggot sacks, or zombies, to be polite. I got up, dusting myself off. The small supermarket I had hoped would have some supplies in was pretty close now, so I checked my equipment, and began walking towards my hope of survival. Not exactly my only hope of survival, but it would make it much easier.

(James)
=I ran as fast as I could, through the town square and past people, guards and civilians. Some of the guards seemed to be running in the same direction as me, towards the south side of town. I dimly heard the sound of children screaming=
"HARRY!!!"

=I ran faster=

*Harry*
=He had gotten separated in the confusion, people were running alongside the kids, the people that came to help. All he knew was that he wanted to find somewhere safe. But for him, safe was home, family. His family was dead=

=I was dimly aware that I was supposed to be in pain, the adrenaline pumping through my veins acting as an anesthetic=

I'll pay for it in the future...fuck it for right now...

=I then hear the 416 click and I bite back a curse, saving the mag and slinging the rifle over my shoulder. I then switch to my crossbow and open fire again=

(James)
=I got close to the wall on the south end, and I saw two things: one was some walkers heading for a group of people by the wall. The second were the kids in that group. I didn't even hesitate, pulling out my pistol and shooting one of the walkers in the head, then another=

Arrows and bullets flew past James and into the walkers, sig ifying the arrival of Eve and Hibiki.
"They ok?" Hibiki asked as Eve advanced, firing as she went.

=I then sling my crossbow on my back running forward through the crowd of people=

There's going to be hell to pay...and soon...

=I then unholster my .44 magnum, the revolver's thunderous report echoing in my ears=

Screw convention...situation is already fucked up as it is...

=I continue forward, pausing only to reload the .44=

(James)
=I did a quick headcount. Jaime....Tom....where was Harry?=
"Jaime, Tom, where's Harry?"

*Jaime*
=She was shaken, scared even but she managed to look around and when she didn't see Harry she turned back to James=
"I....I don't know. He was behind me and...."

(James)
"FUCK!! You two, keep them safe."
=I then turned and ran back towards the town=

*Harry*
=He ran for somewhere to hide, and ended up taking cover in some nearby bushes=

James?
I don't have a moment to think about it. So I turn back to the two women. Or teenagers? Whichever. I pick up the young girl and lift her up to Jennifer..

(J)

I grab the girl and pull her over, I then help her down on the other side.


(Allie)

I spot James running and rise from my crouch position on the roof.

"James!"

I quickly grab and lift the boy to her again. Next would be the other girl. Then I'll find myself another way out.

Hibiki hung back to watch the kids as Eve ran after James, expertly running and...bow-ing? Hibiki just sighed.
"I'll cover you guys."

Meanwhile, Miranda sat in the HMG. Waiting.

=I fire the .44 six more times, then reloading and holstering the revolver, my adrenaline ebbing=

Wow...okay, that was not a smart idea...

=I grip my injured arm, the pain flodding back, and biting back a string of curses=

Well...this is going to hurt...and I have a feeling this day isn't over yet...

*Harry*
=He remained silent, hand clamped over his mouth as he saw the walker shuffling in front of the bushes, moaning. He dared not move an inch for fear of alerting it to his hiding spot, and only when it moved away did he finally climb out of the bush, and ran again back for the inn. He had to run past a few buildings along the road in town=

(James)
"Harry! Harry where are you?"
=It was all I could think about. Where was he, where was he? I couldn't save his family, but I couldn't, I just couldn't fail to save him this time. And then, I saw him, running up the street towards me=

"Harry! Over here!"

*Harry*
=When he saw James, hope soared in his chest and he ran faster, not caring what was around him. There was his friend, the man that treated him like a brother. He was safe......until he passed in front of an alley between the stores, and a walker shuffling out grabbed him. He screamed in terror, followed by pain as the walker bit into his arm=

(James)
"NO!!!!"
=Pistol still in my hand, I shot once at the walker, hitting it right in the head. The head jerked back, a bullet hole right between the eyes and a spray of blood out the back. Even as it went down and clear of Harry, I kept firing the gun, unloading the clip into the damned corpse as my vision went red=

=I sit behind a building, nursing my wounded shoulder when I hear an agonized scream. A scream I was all too familiar with. Whatever happened, it couldn't have been good=

That can't be good, that can't be good at all...

=I slowly get up and wander around the building, and head towards the scream=

It's not going to be good, whatever it is...

Eve lowered her bow, letting the arrow drop. Soon the weapon followed.
She took a step forward.
"Harry..." she choked out

=I then walk forward, my pain becoming the least of my worries=

Come on Andrew...fight through the pain...

=As I get closer I can make out the figures of James and Eve, and a body lay near James's feet. I slowly put two and two together as I recognize who the body was=

Oh no...oh no...this is not good at all...

=I continue to walk forward, eventually making it to James=

(James)
"Harry? Harry....."
=I got on my knees before him, tears already welling up in my eyes. The bite was bad, the teeth having torn into his arm, breaking the skin and....there was blood. His blood stained my fingers as I examined the wound, and I knew, we both knew all too well what this meant=

"Oh God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry Harry."

*Harry*
"James....am I going to turn? Am I going to...."

(James)
=I choked out a single sob, as I pulled him close to me in a brotherly hug=
"Yes....I'm so sorry Harry. I failed you."

If there really was a God still in all this hell, then please, please don't take Harry. Not him, anyone but him. I couldn't save his family, but please let me save him.

Eve collapsed onto her knnes by Harry, hands resting on his other arm.
Eve cried. She couldn't sleak. She couldn't think. She just cried.

=I walk forward a bit more, watching the scene in fascinated horror=

Oh man...this isn't good...

=I stand beside James, putting a hand on his shoulder, knowing I went through something much similar to this=

This just brings back some memories...very bad memories...

=I close my eyes and silently pray, willing my pain not to distract me=

=Black and Bones walked on and on through the forest for hours, but did not feel like nearly so long. The sights and sounds, the isolation from the problems of outside, the atmosphere in general was so relaxing. That was of course until they were interrupted. Three young men in their twenties brandishing large knives and baseball bats stepped out onto the road in front of the traveling pair. Bandits. There was a brief exchange of words before the bandits rushed them. They were weak, uncoordinated, untrained, and far out-gunned so to speak. They stood no chance. By the end, one of the bandits had a hole in his chest from the impalement of Black's sword, another had one less arm and was quickly loosing consciousness, and the last, who was the first to fall, was now wearing an obvious crack in his skull, the result of Bones' weapon. Bones carried very little by way of actual fighting equipment. A revolver with only three rounds, which he never even unholstered, a wooden shield he had fashioned himself to protect against the Wraiths, and a large steel Spade, which had a number of functions. It was long enough to be used as a walking stick, heavy enough to provide a good bludgeoning weapon, stable enough to be used as a spear, and sharp enough to act as a halberd, as well as the obvious use one should expect of a shovel. The pair took some of what they found useful off the bandits, which was not stealing because they attacked first and thus was ruled by the International Law of "go fuck yourself". With a net profit of five cans of food and one of those plastic water bottles with the Brita filters in the cap, they set out down the path Northwest, hoping to steer clear of more potential trouble out East=

(Allie)

I spotted Andrew heading the same way as James. I couldn't see many walkers from my position anymore, and most of the people had found shelter. I Slide of the roof, landing in a crouch. I jog towards where I saw Andrew and James go and round the corner of the building.

"Hey Andrew I-... Oh shit..."

I stop in my tracks as I see the scene before me. I walk up slowly and stand a few feet back not knowing what to do.

I look to the last woman here. I nod at her and interlock my fingers near shin level.
"Ready?"

(James)
=I was dimly aware that there was a hand on my shoulder, but honestly I don't think I would have cared if it was a knife jammed into my back. Knowing what was happening to Harry right now, what would have to be done.....I just...I didn't know if I could go through with it=
"Harry....I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

*Harry*
=He was crying still, tears running down his cheek as he hugged James=
"I don't hate you James. It's not your fault."

(James)
"I was supposed to protect you. I swore to your mother that I would, and I couldn't do even that."

Eve slid her arms around Harry as best as she could.
"You were James. You left to protect his future..." she sighed sadly, tears covering her cheeks. She kissed Harry's head then broke off, and started to stumble around.
"Sam." She covered her face. "SAM!"

(Sam)
=After I had parked the car, I had run into town, SPAS shotgun in my arms (James and I had traded before we left St. Louis) and like him, I was desperately searching for the kids. All of a sudden, I could hear Eve's voice screaming my name, and I ran towards her voice, forsaking the children for her. I soon found out why she was screaming, rounding the corner to find James on his knees in front of Harry, blood running down the kids arm from a wound. Eve stood away from them, hands over her face, and I ran towards her=
"Eve....."

(James)
=Still gibbering, I held onto Harry, who already was starting to feel feverish=

Eve threw her arms around Sam, pressing against her and burying her face into Sam's chest. She held tightly, in a vice grip. She had a fresh bought of tear coming forth as she cried without a forseeable end into Sam.

(James)
"Harry....you're burning up. It's already starting."
=The virus within the walkers wasn't what really killed people. Between blood loss from the wounds (not to mention being ripped apart) the bite had more than the virus. Decaying flesh from past meals, and the simple fact that it was a decomposing body to begin with, gave the walkers a septic bite. Infection would spread from the wound, carrying the virus with it and slowly kill the victim. We'd seen it before, in the caravan. Someone got bitten, they got a fever, and soon after they died.....and then we had to do what I was going to have to do to Harry=

(Sam)
=I just held her close to me, letting her cry. Not once did I look at her though, and I was ashamed to say it. But the real focus of my emotions right now.....was Harry, and James. James knew just as well as I, and Andrew, what needed to be done soon. And I knew he was going to be the one to do it=

Eve cried. She had nothing left to do but cry.

Hibiki was on one knee with the kids, Tyler, and Jennifer. She was scanning the area, but couldn't see any threats.
"Watch them." She ordered Tyler and Jennifer before rising and leaving them behind to search for her fiance and daughter. And stepdaughter... she thought. Can't leave Sam out.

(James)
=Standing up, I realized now how badly I was shaking. My breathing came in ragged gasps, I was on the verge of hyperventilating. I looked down, seeing the pistol still in my hand=
"Oh god......please, don't make me do this."

=I honestly did not know if I was just saying that to everyone in general, or to the same God I said I no longer believed in. I sure as hell knew that at this moment, with what I was faced with now, I had no good reason to believe in him whatsoever=

Hibiki had arrived.
She only let her arms hang uselessly as she watched the man she loved and the girls she considers her daughters cry.
She stood there helpless, as Eve cried.

(James)
=I may not have felt the hand on my shoulder. I may not have truly heard Eve crying. But of all the things there with me, around me, that I could have noticed, the one thing I noticed even more than Harry, was the presence behind me. An all too familiar feeling, I slowly turned to see Hibiki, standing helplessly behind me and Harry. Tears still ran down my cheeks as I silently mouthed her name, my throat too tight to actually speak=

Hibiki laid a hand on San's shoulder, then ran it down her arm to stroke Eve's face as she passed. She came up to James...and held her arms open for him.

(James)
=She was holding her arms open for me, offering a hug of compassion, warmth. A balm for the pain I was in right now, and I wanted nothing more than to take the offer of that hug. But I didn't deserve. It's what I felt, it's what I believed. I didn't deserve to have my pain eased, or wiped away. I left Harry alone, and he was going to turn because of that choice. Every ounce of hurt, grief, and depression I felt was earned by that choice. So I stared at her with eyes that showed nothing but pain and grief, and shook my head, my face struggling not to twist up in sorrow=

(Sam)
=I saw the look he gave to Hibiki. It was a look I hadn't seen in a very long time, and it was a look I knew showed how much pain he was in=

=I keep a grip on James's shoulder, knowing he was going through a pain I knew all too well. It was the same feeling I had when my sister was cut down in front of me, and I was powerless to stop it. I knew James wasn't much of a religious man, but I felt this certain compunction to do something, as if someone was tapping me on my shoulder. I then spoke a poem that my father taught me=

Do not go gently into that good night...

=I recited the poem, word for word, in hopes that it might bring James a certain level of comfort and release=

(James)
=The edges of my vision were starting to go red again, and there was a harsh edge to my voice as the hatred, anger, and grief writhing inside me lashed out at Andrew=
"Shut the fuck up Andrew. And get your fucking hand off of me."

=I wasn't angry at him really. That hate was towards the Shepherds, for organizing this. My grief mixed well with it, and they both wanted a target. Andrew just had the piss poor luck of being that target. The whole time Harry was still crying, his arms wrapped around my waist as he clung to me=

=I pull away, recoiling visibly as if I was burned=

Back away Andrew...just back away...

=I back away, my hands up in a gesture of surrender. I knew that this wasn't a good time, and that the best thing at this point was to let him cool off=

(Allie)

I cringe and look at Andrew.

He doesn't mean it... He just needs space..

I hope Andrew understood, I turn back to James and Hibiki.

(Sam)
"James.....please, I know what you're feeling. Harry's my little brother too, remember?"
=My voice shook, I was on the verge of crying myself=

(James)
=My tone softened just a little, though there was still an edge to it=
"I know exactly what both you, and Andrew are feeling. We all know what this means and more importantly what needs to be done."

=It took all I had to look down at Harry. His face was pressed against the side of my leg, eyes shut. I had a feeling he was wishing this was all a nightmare. Hell, so was I=
"It....it won't be long before it happens. Can you guys.....can you leave us alone for a minute?"

Eve's crying slowed to a choked sob before she started to sing quietly. Her mind, so destroyed by the Shepherds and a fragile castle of glass, took the only out she had ever had. A song from an anime she had loved.
She sang quietly, and everyone who was close could hear her, albeit quietly.

Song Lyrics

(Allie)

I nodd and turn away walking a few yards and stand guard for nore walkers.

=I nod understandingly. I know he was going to have to do something no man should have to do to another=

Sure. I understand.

=I back away a bit more, keeping my distance, old memories flooding back like a tidal wave=

Well. With both kids, Jennifer and this stranger up on the wall. It's safer up there then down here. So I call up.
"Stay up there okay? It's safer then over the wall. Just stay put. I'll be right here."
I have my gun out now and I'm looking around for any Zombies. I would try to get up on there but I'm afraid I weigh too much.
Too much so combined with the other random chick, Jennifer and the two kids, the wall might break. If it isn't right now.

(James)
=I waited for them to walk away. Even Sam dragged Eve away to go back to the Inn. I saw that behind them, walking to us from the wall, was Marcus. He stopped though, when he saw me and Harry standing together, the blood on his arm. His eyes went wide, his head bowed, and he walked off to the sheriff's office. Hibiki still stood there, shocked. I wasn't sure what to say to her though=

Eve stopped singing, letting Sam drag her away. Her crying were now just quiet sobs as she refused to let go of Sam.

Hibiki let her gun drop and jerk against her shoulder. She ignored the strap's jerk. She just slid to her knees, unable to even cry.

(James)
=I wanted to go over to her, to my fiancee and lift her to her feet. But I felt more and more that I needed to stay with Harry. Still though, taking Harry's hand in mine, I dragged him with me over to her, and knelt down before her. I wasn't sure what else to do though=

(J)

Now that we were on the wall, the walker noticed us, and started to come at us with a awkward shuffle like he knew we weren't going anywhere.

(Allie)

I spot a lone walker shuffling in between two buildings and towards the wall, not wanting to disturb James and Hibiki, I pull my bowie knife out and sneak up on it. It was distracted by something and didn't even notice me. I come up from behind and cut off its head, my knife cutting through its rotting neck like butter. I let the corpse drop and clean off my blade before sheathing it. I look to see what had its attention and find four people huddled on top of the wall.

"Hey, the worst part is over. Most of the Shepherds are gone and the walkers are mainly dealt with. Its safe to come down, just watch yourselves and stick close to someone."

(J)

I look at Tyler then back at her.