Kara opened the door and ascended the rotting stairs and stood in her house. What remained of it anyway. The top floor of the house had collapsed onto the bottom, there was nothing apart from a few standing walls around the house. She spent maybe half an hour searching through the rubble only to find nothing. As she began to walked to the front of the house she tripped over something, quickly jumping up and dusting herself off she turned to look at what she had tripped on. It was an arm sticking out from under the rubble. At first she felt like throwing up but held it back and then her stomach dropped and her heart jumped into her throat.

Could this have been her parents under here? Not ten feet from making it to their makeshift bunker, she had to know. Kara began moving what she could and after ten minutes of rubble shifting she hauled one last slab off the body only to be met with the sight of the two rotting corpses of her parents. Where her heart was in her throat it jumped to her head and her stomach shot to her throat no matter how hard she tried to stop it the contents of her stomach emptied onto the debris and her eyes flooded and she ran.

Jumping over the debris and running down the street she sobbed, she tried to keep the noise down but she couldn’t, her parents had been ten feet from the bunker. She stopped and doubled over a little clutching her side due to a stitch. She wiped her eyes and hobbled of a little still clutching her side. She didn’t know where she was going all she knew was she needed to get away from her old home, anywhere. All she knew now was she was alone, for all she knew she could be the last person alive in America, she carried on walking with the image of her parents in her head the only thing stopping her from throwing up again was the fact that there was nothing left to throw up.

HELEN RAINDANCER – Basemant of McMarsten’s Pub – June 2078

Helen hung the last of the magazine-paper lanterns from the low ceiling using string and tape. She wondered what the purpose of the string or the tape was – Travis had stocked it as well as the food items – and smiled to herself as she looked at the newly decorated shelter. Over the past several…days? Hours? She simply didn’t know anymore…she had become increasingly obsessed with leaving the shelter. Whenever she passed the window, she would get up onto the chair and look out. Helen was certain she’d seen a bird or two fly by at least once.

It simply couldn’t be that bad out there, not anymore. Surely the fallout had passed by then. Helen thought she remembered something about radiation half life or some such concept from school all those years ago.

The world must have restarted by then. It had been nearly a year. Stores and banks must be open again, the survivors must be rebuilding.

There was enough alcohol in the actual storage section for the pub. She could re-open the business, start cooking real food again on a real stove, and go back to living her life.

Right?

If that’s at all possible, then what the [censored] happened to Travis? Why didn’t he return?

Helen frowned, then sighed. She realized she’d wandered back over to the window while caught in her passage of thought and was looking out the window. The sun was setting and the sky was stratified colour layers of pink and orange. A breeze caused some debris and dead leaves to swirl against the building across the alley before depositing it against one of the basemant windows.

It looked peaceful.

It looked empty.

It didn’t really look like a place she really wanted to go back to.

And yet…she was just so bored. Her life had wound down to a near-halt in terms of its progress before the bombs, what did she really have to lose by venturing out there?

Maybe Travis got killed. Maybe I’d get killed, too.

But maybe it was worth taking that risk in order to simply have a change from the petty existence she was conducting. Besides, once the food ran out, she would inevitably die, anyway.

She gazed up toward the sky, or at least, what she could see of it. Her mind was made up, and she was going to take the chance with the outside world.

…in the morning.

Terrance Oakley,
Island Crest Way,
Mercer Island, Seattle

Oakley covered his mouth with the back of his arm as he ascended the stairs into the remains of his kitchen, the brunt and decomposing body of the looter from months ago was fouler than he remembered; gagging he staggered away from the body and out of the backdoor into his former modest garden, now decidedly barren. Looking around the mess that was the other gardens of his former neighbours was dis-heartening; it would have been about this time old Mortimer would have been sat watching the birds in his back-garden and Mrs Henderson shouting for her children to come inside – but alas no longer. Though proud that he had taken the first steps out of his shelter in so long he had no idea where he was going to go.

“Maybe just a quick walk around the block before returning to the shelter,” he said to himself. “Maybe I could make it to Mount Weather, a few months is all it would take,” hating himself for suggesting it he brought his foot down through the rotten planks of his garden bench, behind him, in fury; that place would be sealed tight for years and after such a long period of exposure he’d never get in.

The clanging of metal somewhere behind him forced him to turn around, it was coming from the street behind his house; he drew his laser pistol and tried to remember his practice training, instead relying on an old movie he’d saw on how to hold his pistol whilst running. He passed the body without incident this time and darted through his kitchen, hall and up the stairs to his bedroom on the first floor; peeping through the draqes he saw nothing in the street before the noise came again. A tin-can was rolling down the road and clanging as it fell through the holes in the cracked tarmac.

“There’s nobody here, maybe I’m the last man alive on the whole island.”

He stepped out on the road and looked around; the suburban district was entirely two-story ideal American houses and had emerged structurally unscathed aside from that over-the-road, half-of-which had collapsed due to the hole left by a Chrysalis that had evidently ploughed through the wall. He headed east, looking for a way to get to the mainland – it seemed like the most valuable piece of intelligence to have; joining Island Crest Way which he began to follow north to the only bridge too and from the island.

OOC: Short post but I wanted to ask if anyone was on or near Mercer Island first

Nick Sanders-Seattle, Washington

Nick passed in between the cars that rested on the highway. He had never rode a motorcycle. He hit a rock and nearly crashed. [censored] it! [censored] motorcycles! Nick thought as he went towards a ramp. The ramp lead towards the university. Here's to hoping there's some people there. Nick turned his head to see if anyone was behind him, but he didn't see the car in front of him. Nick hit the car and the motorcycle launched. Nick held onto the handlebars with a death grip. "OM MY [censored] GOD!" Nick screamed at the top of his lungs.

Nick's motorcycle hit a light pole and Nick went flying. He screamed at the top of his lungs. Nick's forehead hit a gutter at high velocity. Killing him instantly. Nick last memory was of course beating up the bullies that bullied him. He died with a smile on his face and felt no pain.

Jonas Lattimore
Seattle, Washington


As he walked through the desolate streets, Jonas pulled his green and black shemagh tightly about his neck, trying to keep warm in the cold damp air. He looked around at the dilapidated buildings, the rusting cars, bents light poles that touched the very streets, rotted away by the harsh environment and lack of maintenance. Peering into the windows of an old diner, Jonas saw the skeletons of several people.

"What the hell were you were doing... What were you thinking?" Jonas said under his breath, wondering why anyone would possibly stop into a diner on Dooms' Day. "I hope it was a good last meal... at least." Jonas crossed himself and said a prayer for the dead, then kept on moving.

All over the streets, bits of debris blew in the slight breeze that came along every so often. Stopping for a second, Jonas slipped off his pack and brought out the old geiger counter his grandfather had used when he worked for the government. Adjusting the knobs accordingly, Jonas flipped on the switch and walked over to a nearby car. Looking inside, he saw the thin rotting corpse of what he could only imagine were a mother and child, clinging to each other in their last moments of life. A pang of sadness shot through the young man, and once more he crossed himself and said a quick prayer for the two.

Soon enough, he regained his composure and pressed on the button activating the geiger counter. The old piece of pre-war tech buzzed to life, the counter giving of a reading of 20 rads. Jonas quickly backed away.

"Holy [censored], can't be to careful." He said, taking a heavy panicked breath. Slipping the counter back in his bag, Jonas continued down the street. Making a right, Jonas saw his first destination, the pharmacy. He needed certain medications, antibiotics and anti-inflamitories to be precise.

"Well," Jonas said, reaching into his pocket pulling out a Med-X tablet, popping it in his mouth, "Here we go." He chambered a round in his Ak and set off towards the old store. God only knows what he would find.

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1355219-the-kingston-road/page__p__20440850#entry20440850
Stanford Apartments
42nd Street, Seattle WA

Once the adrenaline rush subsided and Lea stopped shacking, she bend down and picked the baseball bat back up. For a brief moment, she tightened her grip on the handle until the whites of her knuckles were visible. Then she relaxed and inhaled slowly. A new, grim, determination replaced her usual sunny disposition. The incident in her apartment has taught her one thing: assume that everyone is out to get you, unless proven otherwise. The rules have changed. There was no place in this world for someone who thought that everyone she met had good intentions.

Say good bye, naive Lea, she thought with a grim smile, while executing a jump-kick.

Lea had taken Karate lessons almost 2 years ago, but she still remembered the basic moves. However, in the past 8 months, she had other things to worry about, than to begin training again. Now, she saw that it was not a fad anymore, but a necessity. She would start training again, as soon as she got back to the University shelter. Maybe she could even teach others how to defend themselves. Her thoughts turned immediately to Cammy and she hoped the girl was ok.

After a thorough sweep of her apartment, Lea was able to salvage food, water, a couple fission batteries and two change of clothes. She then proceeded to check the other apartments on her floor and once she was satisfied with her haul (and couldn't carry anymore), she returned to the University.

Jacob “Jake” Mercer
Seattle, Washington

After a bit of walking, Jake decided to take a break for a bit, have something to eat, and most certainly have something drink. Calmly, he walked over to a house, it wasn’t in too bad of shape, not like it’s neighbors, but still bad enough. He took a seat on the porch, and started pulling out some food and water.

After he’d hungrily eaten and drunken his water, he svcked up his courage to go inside the house. The front door was jammed, and Jake had to kick it several times before it went swinging open. He pulled his Woodsman from his belt, and made sure a round was in the chamber, as he searched the house. It didn’t have a basemant, just a main floor with the old water heater in a closet by the kitchen. The rooms were empty, and by the bedroom, Jake figured the house had once been a young couples. It was the pictures in the bedroom which gave him the idea, the pictures were of nothing but a young man and woman together, smiling and holding each other.

“Poor bastards,” Jake said as he picked up one of the photos. It was of the couple on their wedding day, the woman was kissing the man as he looked at the camera. “Poor bastards,” he repeated again and set the photo down.

As he searched the bedroom some more, he learned more about the couple. Not only were they newly weds two days before the bombs, but apparently the girl’s parents were loaded. Her last name rang a bell, but Jake couldn’t exactly place it. It wasn’t until he found a piece of paper, that he remembered. The woman’s family ran a diner chain, and Jake had eaten at one of their diners in Canada. To his surprise, he learned the husband was a soldier. In a box in their closet, was a couple of medals, Purple Hearts, which the man had received in Alaska or China. His name on the papers had since worn away, but he could make out the first name as probably “Henry.”

“Henry?” Jake said, “what a guy, this Henry.” He couldn’t find a name for the woman, so he just decided her name was, “Jenny”, since she looked like a Jenny. He looked at the picture of them again, thinking to himself about Henry and Jenny.

What a life you two got to lead, he thought, such a life and now look at you two. Probably dead somewhere, huh? He put the photo of them face down, not wanting to look at them anymore. The sight of them started to sicken him, as he rummaged through more of their closet and things. There wasn’t anything useful though, so he finally gave up, moving to another room but finding nothing of worth there either.

For a [censored] soldier, you’d think he’d at least have one rifle or pistol? Jake thought to himself. He gave up though, figuring that Henry didn’t have any guns, and just left. It wasn’t a place he wanted to rest either, not with the memories it probably held.

Outside, he spotted another house down the street, that looked as good to look over as Jenny and Henry’s place. He quickly made his way down, this time not having to kick in any door, it was unlocked. But the moment he opened the door, he slammed it shut. The stench of death nearly sent him falling flat before he caught himself on the porch railing.

“[censored],” he said reeling from it. “Not this house,” and he quietly moved on, getting rid of the smell.

Dalton Warner

He stumbled through the alley; it was warm still, as the sun had risen high above the town. It's presence warmed him, He thought it might have been boiling but dismissed it as just his imagination. He was walking carefully trying not to trip and fall on the rubble. He didn't want to make any noise, he didn't want anything coming for him. That was his worst fear now, he’d seen a large rat earlier today, and now he was scared to death they would find him and eat him.

He continued to move through the alley between the towering apartment complexes. They were partly rubble, partly intact but he didn’t care, he didn’t want to rest in them, especially with the rats nearby. He could hear their squeaking as they crawled through the area, searching for food he supposed. And he knew if he fell he would be their next meal. But now he’d come upon a dead end. He’d run himself up to a wall and he had to turn around.

“Dammit, waste of time,” he said to himself. He rubbed his damp hands together and breathed on them trying to warm them up, they were the only part of his body that was cold. He was sweating now, his jacket, his pants his whole body was damp. He was very warm, he was getting thirsty. The squeaking was getting louder too; he needed to find somewhere to stay, a place to lay low that was cold. He would make it through this day but he didn’t know how much longer he would last carrying on like this. He slumped his back around his body to his front and rummaged through it . He saw debris, exposed dripping pipes, a few dumpsters and a bicycle. Beside it lay a dead burnt skeleton.

Dalton knew the biker might have something and that the bike might be useful and approached the scene. He knelt down beside it and examined the bike. It was in all likelihood useless. The rubber tires were melted badly it wouldn’t be ridable. But the man’s pack although twisted and burnt leather looked to have some contents. He grabbed it and tore open the old bag. Inside were the charred remains of newspapers and one bottle of Nuka-Cola.

“Thank God in heaven!” Dalton said. He popped off the cap and threw it down, it rolled around making little clinking noises against the pavement. He drank greedily downing half the bottle. The liquid tasted absolutely fantastic. He pocketed it and got up, it gave him the much needed vigor to carry on.

Michael Westin
Seattle, Washington
Maple Valley, Bomb Shelter

Michael stood at the door of the shelter, quite irritable from his inability to get any rest. Nightmares of horrific mutants awaiting him on the outside still plagued his thoughts. He shifts the weight of his backpack of supplies several times and uneasily shuffles his feet as he looks at the door handle.

Alright Westin you can do this. If I had a choice I wouldn't leave but my circumstances leave me with little choice but to try luck back out in the world.

Taking a deep breath Michael undoes the myriad of locks and opens the inner door. Stepping outside he immediately shields his eyes from the sun which nearly blinds him. He takes a moment to let his eyes adjust to his surrounds before taking in everything around him. All the houses were still intact, though they were all in quite a state, every window was broken and all the paint was either broken or peeled off. What little grass remained was dry, wilted, and brown.

Things look pretty bad but nothing has attacked me yet. Thank goodness for small favors.

Before moving out to explore he instinctively shut the door to his shelter. While he was quite unsure if he would return to his haven he didn't want anyone else to use it. Once his task was complete he stalked off to his house to search for anything that could be of use.

Lea Brunner
University Shelter

Lea stood a moment at the top of the stairs, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit interior of the University shelter. It is then that she noticed the shelter had only one way in and one way out. There was no back door, no windows, nothing that could help in a quick escape, should they be attacked. Every since she took a man's life, her thoughts had turned towards fight or flight situations. How would they defend themselves? What if intruders threw grenades down the stairs? What if a fire started?

Stop it, Lea told herself and slowly made her way down the stairs.

She unloaded her bags onto a table, near the entrance. For a moment she rummaged around, until she found the Fission batteries. Judging by the dim light, another battery was depleted and needed to be replaced.

When she turned around, with batteries in hand, she noticed Cammy, standing next to Taylor. She rushed over, pressed the batteries into Taylor's hands and then hugged Cammy.

"I was so worried about you, girl," she said, as she let go of the girl and look at her face. "You look skinny, when was the last time you ate?" Lea mockingly admonished the girl. "Come, come, we can talk after you ate," she said and pulled the girl to an area in the back, that was set up as an improvised kitchen and dining area. She prepared some Pork and Beans on a hot plate and handed a plate to Cammy, together with a bottle of purified water.

"Now, eat and then tell me what you have been up to, since you left eight months ago," she said with a smile and brushed a stray strand of hair out of the girl's eyes.

Cammy Bernstein - University fallout shelter

Professor Taylor was calming Cammy down when someone walked in behind them. Cammy had no sooner got turned to see who it was when Ms. Brunner wrapped her arms around her.

"I was so worried about you, girl," Ms. Brunner exclaimed, as she let go of the girl and looked her in the face.

Tears welled up in Cammy's eyes, "I was worried about you to Ms. Brunner."

"You look skinny, when was the last time you ate?" Lea mockingly admonished the girl. Before Cammy had a chance to answer Ms. Brunner continued speaking, "Come, come, we can talk after you've ate," she said and pulled Cammy to an area in the back, that was set up as an improvised kitchen and dining area. She prepared some Pork and Beans on a hot plate and handed a plate to Cammy, together with a bottle of purified water.

Cammy took the food and beverage and smiled the best she could. "Now, eat and then tell me what you have been up to, since you left eight months ago," Ms. Brunner said with a smile and brushed a stray strand of hair out of the Cammy's eyes.

Cammy chewed on the pork-n-beans, it was much better the can she had ate at home, all dried out from rationing it out. Washing it down with a drink of water was refreshing.

"I..." Cammy choked back tears, "waiting for Mom and Dad to come home," she sat the plate down and buried her head into Ms. Brunner's shoulder, "they never came back," she sobbed.

Regaining her composure, Cammy pulled her head back and wiped her nose with the back of hand, "I don't know if they made it, I just hope they did." Cammy reached for her backpack and pulled out her pink teddy bear, her eyes scanned the room as she blushed, "But Dazzle kept me company, silly and immature I know, but she was all I had."

Then Cammy sprang up from her seat, "I saw these ginormous flies, and a guy who looked like he walked through a fire!!!!" She said with a mixture of excitement, disgust, and just plain scared. "I had a wagon load of food and stuff, but broke my wagon when I ran from those HUGE flies. I lost almost everything, except my family pictures."

Cammy pulled an eight by ten framed photo of her with her parents. A tear ran down her cheek as she caressed her parents faces.

"How have you been Ms. Brunner? You will help me keep safe won't you? Are we gonna stay here from now on and be safe?" A rush of questions streamed from the teenagers mouth.

Lea Brunner
University Shelter

Lea watched as Cammy ate her Pork-n-Beans with gusto.

Poor kid, wonder when she last ate, she wondered.

When Cammy burst into tears, Lea had a hard time holding back her own tears. It broke her heart to see her favorite student in such distress. Actually, Cammy was much more than just a student. Lea had often thought that if she had kids, she wished for a daughter just like Cammy. The girl had retained her innocence, in a world that was filled with so much hate and violence.

"I'm so proud of you Cammy, you know that? You kept it together and survived for a long eight months and I'm really glad you had Dazzle for company. I don't think it's immature at all," she added with a smile. "And then," she continued, "you were brave enough to step outside into a strange, new world. Those flies you've mentioned sounded right nasty and same for that guy you met. But you are here now, and I'm sure your parents would be proud of you as well." Lea smiled at the girl, but then turned serious.

"Now Cammy, listen to me. You have seen it with your own eyes. War has changed our world and we really need to watch ourselves out there. People will be out to take your things, it's all about the strongest survive. I want you to be strong, so I decided to take up Karate practice again and I want you to join me," she added with a wink, to lighten her speech.

Then she looked around the shelter, it felt more and more like a death trap and she knew it wouldn't keep them safe for much longer. They would come and they would find them and there would be no way out. Lea shuddered at the dark pictures her mind painted.

She turned back to Cammy, who looked at her expectantly. "Cammy, I promise you one thing, I will keep you safe, but we can't stay here. People are coming out of their shelters, they will look for food and clean water. If they find us, I'm not sure if they will ask politely. This place has only one exit, not a good place to be, if people decide to come and take what they want," she added and sadness colored her voice. "Plus, you don't want to stay in a dark hole when there must be better places up top?" Lea said and tried to smile enthusiastically.

Cammy Bernstein - University shelter

Cammy mustered up a tiny smile, she hugged Dazzle tightly, "Thanks. And they were terrible, one was...was...feeding on Buella. That man, he was gross!"

Ms. Brunner's face got serious for a moment, "Now Cammy, listen to me. You have seen it with your own eyes. War has changed our world and we really need to watch ourselves out there. People will be out to take your things, it's all about the strongest survive. I want you to be strong, so I decided to take up Karate practice again and I want you to join me," she added with a wink.

Cammy looked, her mouth fell open and with eyes the size of saucers said, "You know Karate? That is really neat, and you want to teach me??? WOW!!!" her mouth snapped shut and she furrowed her brow, "But there is still alot of things left, why would they want what I have? I don't get it, I just have pictures and Dazzle."

Ms. Brunner then looked around the shelter, something seemed to bother her, it hinted in her look and facial expression. Cammy watched curiously, waiting for Ms. Brunner to speak.

"Cammy, I promise you one thing, I will keep you safe, but we can't stay here. People are coming out of their shelters, they will look for food and clean water. If they find us, I'm not sure if they will ask politely. This place has only one exit, not a good place to be, if people decide to come and take what they want," Ms. Brunner stated as sadness colored her voice. "Plus, you don't want to stay in a dark hole when there must be better places up top?" She said with a smile, trying to brighten things up.

"You will?" Cammy squeezed her arms around Ms. Brunner's waist and hugged her tight, "Do you think there is anywhere that will be like it used to be?"

Cammy scarfed down the remainder of pork-n-beans, followed by the water. She shifted, turning her head and let out a quite burp, "sorry, the stuff I had taste like dog food it was so dried out," she giggled.

Cammy toed the floor, brushing her hands down her legs. "They're not coming back are they Ms. Brunner? My parents I mean."

Lea Brunner
University Shelter

Cammy looked, her mouth fell open and with eyes the size of saucers said, "You know Karate? That is really neat, and you want to teach me??? WOW!!!" her mouth snapped shut and she furrowed her brow, "But there is still alot of things left, why would they want what I have? I don't get it, I just have pictures and Dazzle."

Lea laughed. It felt good to laugh. Some of the tension she had felt melted away. "My dear, dear girl, thanks for coaxing a laugh out of me. Now, don't get too excited. My knowledge of Karate covers the basic self-defense moves and it's been almost two years, since I've done some active training. But yes, what ever I know, I will share with you," she said with a wink. Then she pondered Cammy's question. "Well, yes, I guess there are a lot of things still left in the world, lots of stuff we and others can scavange. Just look at it this way, a lot of the things in the world are poisoned with radiation though. We, however, have clean food and clean water, because we know how to get rid of rads. Now, some people might be too lazy to figure out or to learn from others on how to deal with rads, so what do you think they will do? They will go after the things others have already treated and cleaned. Plus, I really don't think that all our former laws still apply or that people would even care about them. It's a dog eat dog world now, only that it's humans and I don't mean that humans eat each other," Lea rolled her eyes, shrugged and laughed again.

When she told the girl, she would keep her safe, she meant it. She would do everything in her abilities to protect Cammy and to find a place to begin again.

"You will?" Cammy squeezed her arms around Ms. Brunner's waist and hugged her tight, "Do you think there is anywhere that will be like it used to be?"

Lea held Cammy close for a moment and stroked her hair. "Of course I will. We just have to find a place where we can settle down, start over, start a new life, a new community," Lea said.
Then she sat back down at the table and watched Cammy finish off the Beans.

Then she added,"I'm sorry Cammy, I'm so sorry, but I think your parents would have returned if they could." Then her eyes lit up. "Maybe, maybe they found shelter somewhere and weren't able to reach you? Where did you say they were going? Up North? Maybe we could go and look for them and while were out there, we could look for a suitable place to establish a new colony. I'm sure there are other survivors out there, who are looking for a safe place to start over," she concluded and looked at the girl expectantly.

Cammy Bernstein - University shelter

"I'm sorry Cammy, I'm so sorry, but I think your parents would have returned if they could." Said Ms. Brunner, Cammy looked up and Ms. Brunner's eyes lit up. "Maybe, maybe they found shelter somewhere and weren't able to reach you? Where did you say they were going? Up North? Maybe we could go and look for them and while were out there, we could look for a suitable place to establish a new colony. I'm sure there are other survivors out there, who are looking for a safe place to start over," she concluded and looked at the girl expectantly.

Cammy's face brightened up, "Yeah, maybe they just couldn't get to me. My Mom went to a bridal show at the Eastern Seattle Conference Hall. My Dad though...he had to goto Bakersfield California to deliver some special, prototype I think, Chryslus cars." She bit her lip, "He is so far away," then Cammy's face turned to one of shock, "What if...I mean, if he does go home, how will he know where I am? If we go north, we will pass the conference hall, so we might find my Mom."

Cammy quickly straightened up where she sat, folding her hands on her lap. She watched Travis walk in and grab a package of snack cakes, his sandy blonde hair was swept across his forehead to the side, his blue eyes were warm. Cammy blushed as she gave him a small wave, he nodded back while chewing on a cake. He swallowed the snack, "Hey Cammy, what's up?" And he walked out of the room. Cammy looked up at Ms. Brunner with a shy smile.

"He's so cute, and he said hi, he has only ever done that like twice," her eye were dreamy.

Cammy's eyes cast off into space for a moment, she let out a little sigh and relaxed. Thoughts ran rampant through her teenage mind, then as she saw the pile of dwindling food and water she focused back on Ms. Brunner, "Do we have enough stuff to go north? If we do, when should we leave?"

Lea Brunner
University Shelter

Lea watched Travis and Cammy interact and smiled.

Young love, she thought with an inward sigh, how wonderful that somethings never change, fallout or no fallout.

"He's so cute, and he said hi, he has only ever done that like twice," her eye were dreamy.

Cammy's words brought her out of her reverie. "Oh yes, yes, he certainly is," she replied, rather absentminded.

Her thoughts were still centered around what Cammy had said, especially the last questions. Lea studied the table in front of her, as if it could reveal the future. Then she looked up.

"Well, I don't think we can do much about your father, dear. He's well out of our reach. But, we can certainly head north and check the conference hall for signs of survivors." A smile lit up Lea's face, because there was hope, there had to be hope. Even so the world went to pots, she couldn't loose hope, right?

"We will first back track your steps, get your little red wagon, if it's still there and then we will leave your dad a note in your shelter. Somewhere where he will see it, but we also have to make sure that nobody else will take it," Lea said with conviction. Her mind was made up. Hope, remember there was always hope.

"And don't worry about the big ol' fly," she said and leaned closer to Cammy and waved her closer. "I know where Bryan, I mean Dr. Taylor, keeps his .45 auto pistol," she told Cammy with a conspiratorial wink. "And yes, I do know how to shoot a gun," she quickly added. "And before you ask, Dr. Taylor and Dean Black won't be coming with us. They will remain here, at the University, utilizing the various research labs to help the community back on its feet. Most of the students have left as soon as it was save to go back outside. We can ask the others if they would like to come with us," Lea said and added with a wink, "including Travis."

"Lets go check our gear, I need to talk to Mitch and Bryan, and once you get some rest, we can head out," she said full of enthusiasm.

Empty post is empty.

EDIT: Nobody likes Bacon so I have to remove the post I just made.

Cammy Bernstein - University shelter


"Lets go check our gear, I need to talk to Mitch and Bryan, and once you get some rest, we can head out," Ms. Brunner said full of enthusiasm. Cammy still couldn't believe that Ms. Brunner knew how to use a "real" gun, her father wouldn't let her use anything but the BB gun at home.

Cammy's thoughts snapped back to Travis, she shook her head at Ms. Brunner, "OK, I'll go ask Travis really quick." She jumped up and went towards where Travis had gone. Cammy rounded the corner and saw him rummaging through a satchel, she straightened her dress and adjusted her bosom before she approached him. "Ahem," she cleared her throat, Travis looked up offering a smile once he saw her, "Say Travis, Ms. Brunner and I are going out, back to my house." She paused, "Would you like to come with us?"

Travis shrugged, "Nah, think I'll stay here."

"Have you even been out to see...what's left?" Cammy tried to remain chipper.

"Meh, actually, I was going to head out tomorrow, go see what's left of our dorm, then head downtown to my Dad's apartment." Travis shoved two bottles of water into the satchel.

Cammy felt shot down, she quickly thought of anything to pry him from his plans, "Well, Ms. Brunner knows Karate and is gonna teach me, maybe she could teach you too? And, she knows how to shoot a gun, a real one!!"

"Hmm, that's nice, but I don't like Karate. I'd rather play baseball, so I can use a bat if I need to. Besides, my Dad taught me how to shoot a gun when I was ten years old, it's no big deal," Travis brushed her off.

Cammy's heart sunk, "Ba..."

Travis held up his hand, "Look Cammy, you're nice and all, but a bit of a goodie two shoes. I have a girl and I doubt she'd like me to bring another one with me, she doesn't swing that way if ya know what I mean. You go with Ms. Brunner and I'll go my own way, been stuck down here for [censored] ever. Would you mind leaving me alone so I can finish gettin' my [censored] around?" Something seemed to strike Travis and he looked up, "Damn, I didn't think you'd pester me if I said hi. Let me put this bluntly, I'm. Not. Interested, now leave me alone, I have [censored] to deal with."

Cammy bit her lip, her palms were clammy, "Yep," she turned as her eyes glassed over. He's such a jerk, what did I ever do to him? Cammy stomped off back to her belongings, she rifled through her backpack. She pulled the string from the hood of her raincoat and used it to tie her pictures together. She grumbled as she placed her items neatly back inside the pack. Next she went into the bathroom and changed back into her T-shirt and olive green, rubber waders. The over-sized boots of the waders slapped her calves as she returned to her things.

"You're a goodie two shoes," she mocked Travis' words and snatched up her raincoat, throwing her arms into it and buttoning it up. Pulling on her backpack, she went back over to where she had sat with Ms. Brunner, she slumped down in the chair; folding her arms on the table and resting her head on her arms.

"Betcha didn't squash a giant fly did ya Travis?" She mumbled into her arms.

Lea Brunner
University Shelter

Lea headed over to speak with Mitch and Bryan about her plan to leave with Cammy and return to the girl's home.

"Mitch, are you sure you don't want to join us? What about you Bryan, you still set to stay here, at the University?" Lea asked and looked from one man to the other.

"You know you won't be able to get me away from here. The building is mostly intact, minus some broken windows. We have all the equipment here to research radiation, fallout, maybe even develop a cure for radiation sickness. I think we can do much more good here, than traipsing around the city, to find who knows what," Bryan insisted and then reached for his gun, which he pressed into Lea's hand. "Here, you take it, you will need it more than I," he said with a wink and then grew serious. "Watch yourself out there and sent word if you can," he added.

Mitch only nodded and then hugged her. "Be careful, Lea. We'll be here, so stop by before you head north," he said and padded her back.

"Well, if that's your final decision, then so be it," Lea said with a sigh. She knew very well that nothing she said now would sway the men to join her.

Besides Travis, only ten other students remained. She offered each one the chance to join her and Cammy, once they returned and got ready for their journey north. Travis declined outright, the others said they would think about it.

Lea then re-packed her gear. She made sure the gun was in easy reach, strapped to her belt. Then she turned to the girl, who was dressed in her over-sized waders, sitting at the table, resting her head on her arms. Lea was overcome with a tenderness and a protectiveness that was new to her. She reached out and stroked the girl's hair.

"Come on, Darlin', we've got some quite a way ahead of us," she said with a smile.

She adjusted the pack on her back and lead Cammy out of the shelter. Not much time had gone by and by the position of the sun, Lea thought it might only be mid-morning. Yet, it seemed as so much more time should have passed, judging by all that had happened.

Cammy Bernstein - University shelter

Cammy closed her eyes, but not her thoughts, she felt rejected and hurt. She was cursing Travis to herself, assuming he was more concerned with sleeping with someone as apposed to a genuine friendship that could blossom. Cammy sighed just as someone started stroking her hair, she looked up to see Ms. Brunner.

"Come on, Darlin', we've got some quite a way ahead of us," Ms. Brunner said with a smile.

Cammy jumped up, she was happy to be leaving, maybe when they returned, Travis would already be gone. She hooked her thumbs under the straps of her backpack, "OK Ms. Brunner, I'm ready."

Ms. Brunner adjusted the pack on her back and lead Cammy out of the shelter. Cammy had made good time, running from the large flies and burnt man, as it was still morning time, she hoped they would be back before dark. "Sure has been a long day so far, huh Ms. Brunner?"

"I live...lived," a frown came upon her face, "this way Ms. Brunner." Cammy walked along side Ms. Brunner back towards her house. When they had walked a decent clip Cammy tugged on Ms. Brunner's hand, "Up there is where I saw the burnt man at."

She looked around, "I don't see him now, would you really shoot him?" Cammy questioned as she looked at the pistol hanging from Ms. Brunner's waist.

Dalton Warner

Dalton was chasing his dreams, he kept pretending the next building would have water but it never did. He had been searching every place he could that he passed to find the precious liquid. He knew there would be some at the university, but that was too far, he didn’t think he could make it. The outside was warm even for a June day. He thought maybe the nuclear war had destroyed the atmosphere and that the sun was coming down on the little planet twice as hard.

It’s definitely true, I’m like a meteorologist, I’d know!!

He kept his mind thinking, it was the only way he could keep his mind off his burning and dry throat. He paused and tried to find shade amongst the old buildings frequently. It did some good, but after some more traveling his skin was turning red, and peeling away.

I really don’t want a bad sunburn. This is inconvenient.

He kept marching down the road, and came upon an old pharmacy. It was as good a place as any to look for water. He might find some medicine in there too. He walked up the store front and hopped in through the blown open window. The store was still intact and upright, but most everything had been blown off the shelves. As he walked he crunched through old pills, and stepped over strewn shelves. He was looking up to the ceiling to the signs pointing around store, giving directions of where things would be. He got to an aisle he was looking for. Apparently it would have been filled with bottled water at one point. But now they were all just broken and strewn across the floor, a water stain tarnishing the floor where it was spilled. If he’d been 8 months earlier he would have found water.

He kept looking up and down all the aisles, this place was still filled with at least a few goodies he could take. After an half hour of looking he had found some snack foods and pills. But best of all aloe. He rubbed it on his sun burnt arms. The cool liquid soothed his burns and made him relax and forget about his dehydration for a second. He decided to lay down and just get some rest right there.

OOC: sorry for being absent, just moved house, i think its ok for a few peple to meet up I dont wat this Rp to too loose pace or slow down because people are getting bored, sorry for the short post also was meant to be longer.

Kara carried on walking down the street, she'd been walking quite a while now and the sun was beggining to drop as a slight chill overcame here she hugged herself and closed her jacket in a little. She took care to avoid a crack in the street, shed been doing this for hours now, she hadnt noticed anyone or seen anything so she began inventing games for herself and this so hapened to be one of them. she reached twards the pack on her back and retrieved a bottle of water, her mouth was so dry it almost watered at the prospect of drinking something. As she unscrewed the lid she dropped it, no matter with the last swig of the bottle it was empty and so she threw it away making it smash on the ground.

For the last ten minutes Kara could of sworn she heard some sniffing and scuttling behind her, but no matter how many times she looked behind her there was nothing as she approached a more dense area of buildings and shops she heard the noise again
"Who's following me?" she called out as she spun round but was met with nothing but an empty road and a small sign swinging in the gentle breeze. As she turned back around something caught her eye, snapping her head back she could see two dogs sprinting at her not thinking she turned on her heels and ran. Normally Kara liked dogs but not these ones, she sprinted as fast as she could past numerous shops and even the old police station. Taing the next left she jumped through a colapsed wall into an old building but she tripped up slightly as she did which slowed her down causing one of the dogs to get a bite on her ankle. Falling to the floor she scurried away and ended up with her back against a wall to face the two mongrels. She was met with the sight of two dogs, or awhat remained of them. They where stripped of much hair and their flesh was rotting and peeling before the bombs they may have been rotweilers. Kara picked up a pieve of debris and threw it at the dogs one wimpered as the chunk hit its leg. The only other thing she could think of was her knife which she drew and waited staring down the dogs, if they where anything like pre war dogs there was a chance they might back dwn if you stood your ground enugh, but it didnt work and one lunged for her but it lost its foot in some debris and slid towards her so Kara quickly plunged the knife into its throat. She then turned back t the other dog just in time to see it lunge, ducking the dog went face first into the wall which killed it instantly with a sickening crack as its head split.

'At least i cant thrw up any more, wait [censored] the wat...' she thought to herself before vilontly vomiting over the broken dog followed by a coughing fit. She groaned slightly and held her stomach, she literally felt empty, as if even her stomach acids had vacated the vicinity as well. Flipping her pack on her front Kara retrieved a bandage and began to wrap it round her ankle just after washing it with some water from another bottle. Tieing a knot in the bandage she laid her head back against the wall and groaned a little more, for both her stomach and her ankle.