Welcome to the New Age

Nydia Braadsgard| | I'm no place without you.

She used to joke about the end of the world with her elder brother, Finn. And then it happened. Not like the way the books and shows predicted. She and Finn thought it'd be zombies, it was in reality much worse. She doesn't remember how it started, the news sites went black pretty soon after people started getting infected. It started with fever, which turned into vivid hallucinations. Excessive salivation, rashes all over your body, cysts and boils. Loss of sight, motor control, and eventually your skin began to eat itself. Like... Rotting while you were still alive. And she'd watched almost everyone she knew go through this. From what Nydia could gather was it was airborne, but she had no way of confirming this. Instead she watched helplessly as the world went to hell in a hand basket. The first to get sick was Finn, her elder brother. Her mother fell next while tending to Finn. It was all Nydia could do as she lost both mother, and brother over the course of the week. Each day they slipped away in agony until there was nothing left. They were gone, and with no one to protect her from he bands of thieves and scavengers she decided to hole herself up in the house and wait for death.

It never came. What came instead was Shay, her brother's best friend looking for survivors, for friends. Whatever was going on, it hadn't affected him; but like her own circumstances it had affected his family. There was no one left to turn to, so the two decided to stick together. It wasn't safe for either on their own and Nydia needed the familiarity of a friend. At first they didn't know what the hell to do with themselves. She wanted to stay put, stay with her family, but it was too dangerous and Shay convinced her they needed to move on. For the first few months they wandered around the area pretty aimlessly. It wasn't easy, and every day Nydia went to sleep wondering if this would be the last time she'd wake up. If she was going to get sick next, or if some bandit was going to slit her throat while she slept. Things changed when Shay managed to get a car radio working. On the emergency broadcast that was being played, it announced that to any survivors there was a camp, though it was nearly halfway across the country. But it was safe from pillagers and bandits. They would have a warm bed to sleep and food to eat. It hadn't been a long discussion as they both agreed to head west towards California, find this camp and keep each other safe.

Saying, was easier than doing. Halfway across the country was a long hike, on foot. Most of the highways were jam-packed with cars, making travel by car nearly impossible. So, the two had to stock up. She mostly took food, while Shay had managed to find two bows, with arrows for them, along with a couple knives and a plethora of lighters for fires. In sobriety they set off to some radio-promised land. That had been a month ago. Currently big, fat drops of rain poured down, soaking the earth. Afraid of catching a cold Nydia had made Shay stop at an abandoned gas station. It's windows were broken and shelves void of anything useful, so there wasn't anything usable. Instead Nydia sat on the counter her face turned to the windows watching the rain come down. Since the world had gone dark, it almost always stunk like something was rotting. Whether it be bodies or spoiled food, it was omnipresent. This station wasn't too bad, and the smell of gas even lingered in the air. Shay was leaned against a shelf, his body stiff and tense; alert for any signs of trouble. Nydia found herself entranced by him, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd hoped it'd been Finn who survived instead of her.

Some days, when things felt particularly helpless- she wished it was her instead of Finn. She knew the two had been like brothers, and she'd never really known Shay as well as Finn had. Almost as if he felt her gaze Shay turned, his Aegean depths flickering to her duller, darker ones; as if asking a question. "I miss them. All of them. Mom and Finn especially..." She spoke, her voice nothing more than a ripple in the otherwise quiet store. She spoke the truth, as it was evident by the pain in her eyes. They hadn't even been able to bury them, as Shay wasn't sure how this virus was contracted. And they couldn't risk getting sick. Outside rain fell in heavy, cold sheets. It would take months to reach California, and that's if they made good time. It was a long way to go, and a long way to survive until then. "I wonder if they'll come up with a cure. Maybe they can study our blood or something when we get there. And everyone else who hasn't gotten sick." She offered, a quiet thought that felt almost out of place.

____________________________________________________________________________________________



Kai Davenport | | But even forever, doesn't last that long

For better or for worse, when the world went to shit Kai Davenport managed to worm his way out of death. When the outbreak first struck- he thought he was going to die. Had gotten the fever, the hallucinations- but then he'd gotten better. Almost as if death itself didn't want him. And that was fine, he didn't plan on dying anytime soon. Before the outbreak, Kai didn't have much of anything, and after the outbreak he at first didn't have much of anything. He only raided stores for what he needed and as long as people, the pitiful few that survived, didn't get violent with him, Kai wouldn't get violent with them. And it worked at first. Maybe it was the gun at his hip that scared people into leaving him be. For the first month of the outbreak, he was a lone survivor. The small town he'd been born in had become nearly vacant; and nearly everyone he'd known was dead. It was a month and a half into the outbreak did Kai meet her. It had been a scavenge run, food to restock the small home he'd taken residence in a small home close to the store-section of town. He was accustomed to the place being empty; so one could imagine his surprise when he'd entered the store to find a girl. If his brain was in a relaxed mode, he would of thought she was beautiful.

Maybe it was the apocalypse or maybe she'd always been that way; but she was fierce, graceful in the way she quietly tiptoed around the store, picking up cans for inspection before putting them back into her knapsack. The fight or flight mode of his brain however was teetering on making a noise, alerting her to his presence, or just turning and coming back another day when he heard the back door bang open. She had heard it too and like a deer she froze, quickly shoving the can of food into her sack before making her way to the door. She never made it far as the group, if three men could be called a group, seemed to melt out of the shadows to surround her. Kai only recognized one kid from town, the others were strangers so he must of joined up with. They were mean looking, like wild dogs as they cornered the girl. It was one reached out for the girl, their voices too low for him to make out did Kai step forward. He crept ever so quietly through the shadows, until he was right behind the men. Clearing his throat, cocking his gun Kai had spoken in a gruff tone. "Get the fuck outta here if you dont' want to end up with a slug in your skulls."

His voice was soft, but deadly. The leader had turned around, taken one look at Kai in his dark fury before taking off- his lackeys following. Smirking, holstering the gun once again he turned the girl and offered a tentative smile. "Sorry about that. World goes to shit and people lose their fucking manners, go figure." His mouth was profane as it ever was, but there was a lightheartedness to it. In that aisle, Kai and the gir- who's name turned out to be Ashlyn, agreed to form their own little group. And fast forward two and a half months into the apocalypse and Kai was still alive. Ashlyn had proved to be a big help, around the home and with food runs. More people meant more mouths to feed, but more arms to carry food back. For another six weeks things were good- and then the stores food began to get depleted. A week ago Ashlyn and Kai had made the decision to up and go. Where Kai had no idea, he suggested they look out for a farm. Maybe group up a few more people and find a more sustainable way of living- but for now, for the last two weeks they'd been nomadic. They never stayed in a house for more than two days, and they were both pretty quick on their feet, meaning for quick travel.

Today they were rifling through a grocery store with the windows smashed out. This town was particularly disgusting. Corpses were on the streets, on porches- some in yards. Hell, even the grocery had a clerk who'd apparently kicked it at the register. The stench of rot filled the air, but the bandanna soaked in mint oil that was tied over his nose helped combat the reeking, poignant smell of rotting flesh. "I vote we do not stay here long." He called to Ashlyn who was a few isles away trying to find some still edible frozen food. "Find anything good Ash? I got chicken noodle soup." He informed. When Ashlyn was not in his line of vision, Kai had a habit of shouting to her, maintaining a conversation so that he knew his friend was okay. Fighting together was as seamless as water flowing, but fighting apart? That's when things got tricky. If a group managed to get Ashlyn, he'd give up his gun in exchange for her without a second thought- which would be a dangerous situation for them both. "I was thinking, we should get you a gun. We haven't raided a police station before, we should go see if they have some pieces. And, we should start learning how to hunt. Before we are doomed to eternal chicken noodle soup." He suggested, grabbing another can of tomato soup. Not fancy... But it would tide them over.

@ mollymurach


Shay Huxley

Everyone was gone. Shay didn't know how or why, but everyone was just... gone in a blink of an eye. The news stations promised that the virus was a phase and there was 'nothing to worry about'. Well, they were clearly wrong. The first person to present symptoms was his best friend, Finn. After his decline, he could barely recognize the man laying in the bed on his last few breaths. Finn's dying words were to take care of his family, and Shay promised he would. The whole situation continued to spiral out of control, and it easily claimed at least half the city. The virus took any victim that it could get its hands on. Mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, coworkers. It wasn't long before Shay found himself all alone. His entire family either fled or passed away from the virus. He sat in his house for what seemed like days, unable to figure out what the future meant. Was there anything to look forward to anymore? But he couldn't find it within himself to lay down and accept death. To let this virus eat away at him like it did to so many others, especially with his oath to Finn.

That day he found Nydia curled into a ball amidst the remains of the Bradsgard family. The stench of death and rotting flesh was in the air. She had given up, but Shay wasn't about to let her. It took more convincing than he would have liked but he managed to get her on her feet. They couldn't even give their families the proper burial to feel some kind of closure before heading out of town in search of a better life. It was too risky with the virus spreading airborne. Shay hoped silently hoped that there would be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. As if a cure would come out of the blue or their departed family would come back and explain what a horrible joke this all was. Neither had yet to make an appearance. Most of the scientists who attempted to tackle the virus either died or only found dead ends. It really seemed like the end of the world was coming until Nydia repaired the radio. A weight lifted off of his chest, and he felt hope battling with despair. Now, they had a goal, a purpose - California. There was a place that offered safety from all of this. Without needing more than a moment, they both agreed that this would be the best idea.

Currently, they were holed up in an abandoned gas station just off the highway. Shay had no idea what state they were in other than the fact that they had been traveling for months. He figured once they found the ocean that would be it. They would find California. The rain poured down, smashing against the roof before sliding down into puddles. A couple years ago he would have been calmed by the sound, but it only irked him now. It hindered them from continuing their journey. Another day wasted. Shay settled against the shelf with his arms crossed over his chest. His lips pressed into a firm line as his gaze focused on a point in the far off distance, scanning for potential threats. It wasn't until he felt Nydia's gaze that he snapped out of the trance. I miss them. All of them. Mom and Finn especially... "I miss them, too," He mumbled back, feeling the dull ache in his heart. His husky voice barely heard above the sheets of rain pouring down against the windows. In the end, they were both still torn up with their losses. At this rate, the didn't seem as though it would lighten up any time soon. If Finn were still around, he would know a way to brighten the mood. It was his super power. The only person who knew how to make any person laugh or bring a smile to his face. Sometimes Shay even wondered why Nydia decided to go with him that day. He was just her brother's best friend. Other than the occasional greeting, they barely spoke to each other.

"I wonder if they'll come up with a cure. Maybe they can study our blood or something when we get there. And everyone else who hasn't gotten sick." "I don't know, Nyd. The last time we heard anything about a cure was months ago," Shay admitted, shaking his head slightly. The chances of a cure were minimal, especially since the virus had a one hundred percent mortality rate. "We should just focus on getting to California first. That's the only thing that we need to think about," He finished, pushing off of the shelf to approach the window. Outside, rows upon rows of cars scattered on the highway. Most of them were abandoned by their owners in terror. Only a few months ago were people frantic about moving to other cities. Now, it was a ghost town. "How are we doing on supplies?," He asked, finding her reflection in the window. All the stores were like the gas station. The shelves wiped out clean to the bubble gum in the machines.

---

Ashlyn Davenport

Ashlyn was used to being alone. After running away from her foster family, she lived on the streets or in whatever alley she could find. Her real parents never wanted her and her foster family never wanted her either. For her, alone was all she knew. When the virus finally hit, it never had a significant impact on her life other than the part where she had to avoid it. She was used to swiping an item from convenience stores every now and then, waiting for the perfect moment where the clerk looked away. Those skills were put to use when the world went to shit. People only started to look out for themselves, doing whatever they could to get supplies. It appeared that anything was fair game now. For the first month, she easily hid underneath the radar and stocked up on food and water from holes in the wall. People never thought to look to restaurants or small convenience stores, always going for grocery stores. In their hind sight, she gained the edge. All was going well until the one day she stumbled upon a group of men.

Running low on canned goods, she slipped into a nearby store. Ashlyn's eyes sparked at the few cans scattered about the shelves. Carefully, she made her way over and happily sighed as she placed the cans into her messenger bag. Her plan appeared to be going her way until the front door of the store slammed closed. Dropping to the floor, she attempted to hide among the shadows and slide out the back door, but the men had spied her first. They circled around her like prey, waiting for the moment to pounce. "Oh, what do we have here?" One stated with glee that made Ashlyn's skin crawl. Her eyes scanned around for a path out, but only found the men closing in on her. "It's our lucky day. We found a pretty one," The leader announced, reaching out to wrap a finger around her obsidian locks. That was when he stepped out from the shadows. Her eyes snapped over toward him, seeing the barrel of the gun pressed against the leader's skull. Get the fuck outta here if you dont' want to end up with a slug in your skulls. That was all it took for the men to scatter off with their tails between their legs.

Turning her gaze back to the guy with the gun, her eyes narrowed slightly. People didn't just help out others for no reason, at least not in her world. "Sorry about that. World goes to shit and people lose their fucking manners, go figure." However, she heard no animosity in his tone. It was difficult to place her finger on exactly why but Ash felt a sense of security with him. Her instinct told her to trust him, so they formed an alliance. Two months later, Ash found her gut to be true. Kai proved to be a valuable resource and a trusted friend. They worked seamlessly together as one, but their resources were running out. The stores were drying up, especially as more people were moving through the area. So, they decided to find another place to inhabit but that was a difficult task to accomplish. Days upon days of traveling only to find the town already pillaged and drained of resources. Even Ashlyn was finding herself discouraged with their results.

Entering into their latest target, Ashlyn held back the urge to gag and pulled her shirt over her nose. "Oh god," She mustered, gritting her teeth to hold herself together. Splitting up, the dark haired girl moved to the frozen section. The broken lights flickered, showcasing the empty shelves. She found a bag of peas nestled into the corner at the end of the aisle but were rotten. The smell made her wish she never opened the glass door. "I vote we do not stay here long." She couldn't agree with that statement more. The air was filled with the stench of rotten corpses mingled together with expired food. It was beginning to make her eyes water. "I'm not seein' anything over here. All rotten stuff. Must've defrosted at least a few months ago," She responded, letting him know her situation. Over the weeks, she found that Kai talked a lot. It was odd having someone to maintain a conversation with her, but she tried her best knowing that he wanted to ensure her whereabouts. "I was thinking, we should get you a gun. We haven't raided a police station before, we should go see if they have some pieces. And, we should start learning how to hunt. Before we are doomed to eternal chicken noodle soup." Ashlyn groaned since this wasn't the first time they had this conversation. "Kai, we've been over this. No gun for me. I...I can't," She refused, scared of the destruction it brought. Ashlyn was a pacifist, even in a situation like this. The idea of carrying around a weapon like that was impossible for her to wrap her mind around.

Nydia Braadsgard| | I'm no place without you.

Her face dimmed slightly as Shay reminded her of the reality of the situation. If there was a cure, it was a slim chance. There was even the possibility that they would never find a cure. That those with immunity would be safe as long as the strain of... Of whatever this was. They didn't even have a name for it. Maybe that was the frustrating part. Nydia didn't even have a name for this stupid thing. "Yeah... I guess you're right. California's the most important." Her agreement was spoke softly, as she sat on the counter, next to the dust ridden cash register. It almost felt like a relic. No one gave a damn about money anymore. Food had become more important than anything, food, water, and a place to sleep. The rain gave no sign of letting up, and she was entertaining the idea of setting camp up here for the night before continuing on their way when Shay spoke again. "How are we doing on supplies?" She looked almost remorseful at this. "We can probably get through another couple days before we need to raid something if we stretch rations out more."

That was just about the only thing they could do at this point. Nydia hadn't been hungry enough to hunt anything that was actually still alive. "If you wanna try trekking out in the rain, we can maybe find a house. See if they have any good food. Maybe real beds." The idea certainly was tantalizing for the young woman. The things she missed the most about life before the end of the world? The little things. Waking up to smell bacon cooking, or spending days with her mother on the patio, Finn listening to Nydia whenever she had a particularly stressful day, college break... Beds, showers- those kinds of things. At these kinds of thoughts the girl's eyes nearly welled with tears as her throat thickened. No, she wouldn't cry. Not anymore. When her mother and Finn had gotten sick; she was a blubbering mess. When they died, it was like... She couldn't cry. No that would make everything real. One day she hoped to wake up to find this was all just a dream.

Mindlessly she crossed her arms over her midriff, forcing her mind off of the subject of loss. At least she had Shay; and while sometimes she felt like she slowed him down; he never lost his patience with her. The only time he'd gotten mad was when she'd wandered a little too far away in search of food and he had a hard time finding her. That was understandable to her; after all Nydia panicked too when he'd scout ahead for danger without her. "If there's a gas station here, the town can't be too far away. Maybe... Twenty minutes walking?" She suggested, hopping off the counter to approach him. The ragged backpack slung haphazardly off her shoulder rattled with lighters and cans. Her jacket, light green and already tattered from the wear she put it through. It was large on her, one of Finn's jacket's she'd taken. A small reminder of him. Around her neck, she had her mother's wedding ring tucked beneath her shirt on a long simple silver chain. Nydia's father had run out years before, so she didn't have or want anything of his.

"Ah, I've been thinking too.." She spoke somewhat tentatively garnering Shay's attention once again. "We're probably not going to get to California before winter... Which means snow. Hypothermia, so we should make a plan if we get stuck for the winter." She didn't mean to point out the quick-paced timer they were up against to get into warmer weather before the climate began changing. But unfortunately it was something they had to think about. Nydia didn't want to survive all this time only for them to freeze to death in the middle of a storm. It was a lot to think about, but the slender brunette figured it was best to be overly prepared, rather than caught off guard. Because as much as she wanted to get to California for this supposed safe-haven Nydia didn't want to perish along the way. It almost felt like that game she used to play as a kid, Oregon Trail. The thought brought a small smile to the crest of her pale lips. That seemed to be another side-effect of living through the end of the world, no one smiled as much anymore, and that included herself.

____________________________________________________________________________________________



Kai Davenport | | But even forever, doesn't last that long

Great, another dead end. That farm idea was looking more appealing to him by the minute. The power was one of the first things to go. Which meant more often than not frozen food was rotted. Kai had seen people eating dog food, and he really didn't want to resort to that. "'S' alright. Don't worry about the frozen food. I have enough canned goods to keep us going for a week. And in that week we just keep moving. Keep moving." He called, getting to his feet and brushing his knees of dust. Next they'd check out the back of the store; and then along the way they could check houses. They were going to be okay, Kai had to make sure of it. There was no way he was going to kick the ass of a virus and then starve to death. Not him, nu-uh, no way. If he was going to go out in a manner that wasn't old age, it was going to be in blazing glory. That was a fucking promise. "Kai, we've been over this. No gun for me. I...I can't." Smiling wryly to himself he nodded even though the male knew his companion couldn't see it.

"Ah, I know. I know. Sorry for pushing it on you; but I do want to stop by. See if I can find more ammo. You don't have to come along, if it makes you uncomfortable. Would you mind if I got you a billy club? You know I get nervous about you running into groups scavenging. I know you're careful... But people were shitbags before the world ended. Now they're worse." His mouth was profane as normal, though it never seemed to phase Ashlyn. Which was good as he always had a hard time censoring himself. Used to get Kai into a lot of trouble as a kid. Walking from his aisle and heading towards the back he hoped there was more food. That wasn't soup, god he was really hoping for some canned peaches or something. "I'm going in the back, c'mon. We need to stay together." He called to his partner, making his way towards the doors. "Thank god it wasn't zombies right?" The two often played a game, listing ways that this whole end of the world could be worse. Kai thought for starters, zombies would make it so much worse.

As he pushed the doors open, squinting his eyes against the cloud of dust he noted that this place had already been raided- but not thoroughly. A gleeful laugh of sorts burst past his lips as he jogged into the backroom. The stench of rotting food was the strongest back here and to his disgust he noted rodents and bugs swarming around a few boxes of meats, milk so curdled it looked like cottage cheese and various other foods that probably used to be fruits. At the footsteps of humans the vermin scattered; leaving his stomach queasy. "Nasty. Maybe... Maybe we shouldn't take food from back here. I mean- do you think they could of gotten into cans?" He knew rats were gross creatures. Wild rats, not the pet rat his best friend used to have. They were alright he supposed. He sighed, crossing his arms. This was a possible good food source. "As long as we don't eat anything that looks like something's gotten into it- and cook the food really well I suppose we should be okay." Kai sighed, stepping further into the room.

His worn combat boots squished and squashed in strewn rotting food. Wrinkling his nose he set to work. The first five boxes he went through were rotting food. It wasn't until he wandered all the way to the back of the back. There were a few shelves stocked with cans. Their labels were somewhat faded, but best of all they were kept above the ground, so hopefully few creatures even made their way up the shelves. Examining each can carefully, if he deemed them good enough he'd stick them into his bag. Kai almost jumped for joy when he noted seven whole cans of canned peaches. "Town must of kicked it before too much raiding could happen! Seven cans of peaches. Don't look broken into or anything. Anyway I pretty much cleaned my section out. What should we do now? Police station, or find a place to bunker down?" He called, shoving the last of the cans into his bag, heavier than it had been in a week. "Up to you." He was quieter as he approached Ashlyn, still putting cans away.

@ mollymurach

Shay Huxley


A pang of guilt hit Shay, seeing the light dim from her eyes. His pessimistic side had decided to make an appearance at the wrong time. “Sorry,” He quickly apologized, wanting to rewind the past few seconds. “I only meant that it’s slim chance but…but it’s still there.” It was a poor attempt on his part to repair the damage but he tried, wanting even the faintest of smiles from Nydia. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. California’s the most important.” “Maybe, once we get there, someone will be working on a cure. Then, they can take our blood or whatever they want to sort this whole thing sorted out,” Shay encouraged. At this point, the least he could do was keep their morale up. The odds were stacked against them and giving up was taking the easy way out, especially with their difficulty to find supplies. No, they were going to get to California, help find a cure, and defeat this virus. Hearing that they were running low, he heavily sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Shay silently hoped that they would have at least a week left but that wasn’t the case. Neither of them ate much other than the essentials to keep moving but the appearance of food was so scare now. Squinting his eyes, he tried to peer through the sheets of rain only to be met with more blurred vision.

“If you wanna try trekking out in this rain, we can maybe find a house. See if they have any good food. Maybe real beds.” The mere thought of a mattress and a pillow tucked beneath his head made Shay weak in the knees. After spending months on the road, he had slept on every single type of flooring: concrete, wood, stone, tiled. Everything but an actual bed. “Yeah, that would be nice. God, I can’t even remember the last time I had a hot shower,” He sighed, reminiscing at the distant memory. The most mundane of things were rare occurrences now. Shay would trade anything to make everything return back to normal. He would give anything to have Finn, his family, and everyone on this planet who fell victim to the virus back. “All I know is that this place is only providing shelter. No food. No water. It’s dry. I think we’d have better luck making the trek to find a house.” At least that was his opinion. Shay was never one to make absolute decisions for the both of them. He valued Nydia’s opinion and thoughts, and they were a team. If she’d rather stay behind, he would make do with the ground.

His eyes followed her reflection as she hopped off of the counter to meet him by the window. “It’s raining pretty hard out there though, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to let up. You okay with walking outside?” Shay questioned, knowing they would be soaked to the bone within a minute. It was a risk to move out in this weather. Little visibility and no absolute certainty they would find shelter nearby. Their clothes were tattered from previous journeys, and Shay’s signature black hoodie provided minimal coverage from the elements. Despite his skepticism, Nydia appeared determined to find a better roof over their heads. There was an undeniable glimmer in her warm, golden flecked eyes. “We’re probably not going to get to California before winter…Which means snow. Hypothermia, so we should make a plan if we get stuck for the winter.” And yet another problem for them to tackle. At this point, Shay figured that they were somewhere in the Midwest where the winters were bitter and unforgiving. The freeze seemed to creep up on people, especially with no convenience of the weather app. “Alright, let’s grab our stuff and head out then,” He resolved while pulling up his hoodie, heading back over to pick up his backpack from the counter.

Pushing out into the storm, Shay braced himself against the sheets of rain that threatened hold him back. He jerked his head in the general direction of where he was headed before moving. They had to remain close, considering how easy it would be to lose each other. Every few steps he would pause to check on Nydia, making sure that she was never far out of reach. Although they walked for twenties minutes, it felt like ages and the first thing they found was an abandoned house at the edge of town. Its steps creaked underneath their weight and appeared as though it would collapse at the slightest breeze. Shay cautiously placed a finger over his lips, wanting to stay on the cautious side. He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and carefully opened the door inch by inch. The entrance opened up into what appeared to be the living room that was completely trashed. Graffiti coated the walls, accompanied by the scent of rotting food. The abysmal furniture deflated without its stuffing. Shay stepped inside of the room and made his way around the apartment once or twice before deeming it clear.

“Seems like we’re safe here,” He concluded, wiping the droplets of rain from his face. Pulling off his hoodie, his set it off to the side on one of the couches to dry. His t-shirt clung to his body and emphasized every muscle that was usually hidden. Despite being in an apocalypse, he still managed to maintain his physique. “We need to find something to keep us warm.,” His stated, wondering if there were matches around or firewood. As he predicted, the rain thoroughly soaked them and even Shay had to admit that he was shivering. “There’s a shower upstairs, but it’s leaking some brown liquid. I don’t even want to know, but I thought you would be happy to hear that there is a bed. The sheets are stripped off but it’s a bed. You can have it. I’ll sleep down here for the night.” When his eyes finally lifted to meet her gaze, Shay couldn’t overlook the way her clothes outlined every curve in her body. Her hair curled around her cheeks and droplets dripped from the ends before disappearing beneath her neckline. He automatically looked away, hoping to block any inappropriate thoughts that crossed his mind. This was Finn’s sister. He promised to take care of her and to treat her like his own sister. Those thoughts were far from it.

---

Ashlyn Davenport


Pinching her nose, the brunette steered away from the frozen section and chose a random aisle to venture down. Anything had to be better than what she just inhaled. She ran her fingertips along the empty shelves, noting how much dust collected. Judging by the amount that coated her hand, Ashlyn would have guessed that the mart was cleaned out about a month ago. Although Kai tried to keep her at ease, she worried about where they would find their next resources. It seemed like every place was completely empty. The only items left behind were inedible or dead. “Ah, I know. I know. Sorry for pushing it on you; but I do want to stop by. See if I can find more ammo. You don’t have to come along, if it makes you uncomfortable. Would you mind if I got you a billy club? You know I get nervous about you running into groups scavenging. I know you’re careful…But people were shitbags before the world ended. Now they’re worse.” It always caught her off guard about how he cared for her safety, considering her background. Ashlyn never had another person worry about her whereabouts or what might happen when she was out of his sight. Out in the world, she learned how to take care of herself without needing weapons and she wasn’t about to change that now. “Trust me. I know that people are awful in general,” She stated yet refused to elaborate. “If you find a pocketknife or something, I’ll take that. Just no guns for me. That’s all you. But, of course, I’ll go with you.”

She followed his lead toward the back, tucking the single can of beans into her bag. “Thank god it wasn’t zombies right?” Cracking the smallest of smiles, she quickly retorted, “Mm, nuclear explosions are worse. We’d be radioactive. Do you think we would be glowing green right now?” Ashlyn peeked out from behind Kai’s shoulder to survey the situation. It looked even worse than the front of the store with overturned boxes and the sounds of flies buzzing around rotten meat. She wrinkled her nose at the growing intensity of the smell, giving him a look. There couldn’t possibly be anything of use to them back here. “Yes, they definitely could,” She confirmed, seeing it firsthand. On one of her first nights on the street, she fought with a rat for a can of corn. Her hands were on it first but the sneaky bastard sunk his teeth into it while her back was turned. Needless to say, Ashlyn couldn’t trust animals any more than she did humans. “If you find anything, it’d be a miracle but go wild. I’ll be over here away from that god awful smell,” She encouraged, choosing the lesser of the evils. Whatever was making that odor couldn’t be any better than the vermin that she was currently stuck with.

“Found a couple of cans over here,” Ashlyn announced, turning over the faded labels. She couldn’t quite make out what it said but she figured that it was better than having no food. Worst came to worst, it was inedible. Her boots lightly crunched over the broken glass bottles as she made her way back over to where they separated. Moments passed by without Kai communicating with her, making her worried. This boy barely stopped talking and now there was radio silence. He must have either found a gold mine of food or something happened. Ashlyn opened her mouth to call out to him until his voice cut through the silence, exclaiming about finding peaches. It was at this moment that she realized that she cared for him as a wave of relief washed over her. She was no longer used to or enjoyed solitude. Now, she looked forward to the companionship and having a person to greet in the mornings and bid goodnight to. Despite disappearing for a second, all types of scenarios ran through her head about what could have happened to him. It took a moment for Ashlyn to pull her thoughts together and register the question that he posed. “Police station, or find a place to bunker down?” She glanced past Kai to check on their time situation before calculating that they had a couple hours before the sun set. “Let’s head to the police station and see if we can find anything,” She resolved, finding his form through the shadows.

Exiting the store, she found herself back on the main road of the town and backtracked to the police station they found on the way in. “We should be really careful. If anyone has a brain, a police station would be the ideal place to hole up. You have the ammo and the perfect security system,” She thought aloud, standing a few feet away from the entrance. There was a multitude of abandoned cop cars with the windows smashed in from scavengers, even down to the opened gas tanks. People really knew how to make use of their resources after the world ended. Ashlyn eyes scanned over the barred windows and figured that this place was too quiet for its own good. They had yet to run into one person the whole entire day in the town. By now, they would have run into another group of people or at least a person who was infected. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to just waltz right in there,” She honestly shared, wondering if there was another way around. Walking around the side of the building, she requested a height boost from Kai to see inside of a clouded window. Papers were scattered about the room as two gruff men paced around and argued with each other. They were blaming each other for eating the last of their supplies and were both clearly drunk off of whatever booze they had. Ignoring them, she found the locked arsenal a few feet away. They were well armed with enough ammo for a small force.

Ashlyn turned her eyes back to the two men, listening in on their conversation. Apparently, both of them were infected and one blamed the other for it. Anything they could throw at each other was thrown, destroying the room even further. However, that was all she could grab since one of the men turned his head in her direction. She quickly ducked her head with widened eyes. “There are two men in there and a ton of weapons,” She informed him, requesting to be put down. “It’s locked though, and I’m going to bet that one of them has the key. They are super drunk, so I don’t think it’ll be hard to get around them, but they're also infected. It’s just…actually getting the key from one them.” Goosebumps formed on her skin at the thought of their alcohol ridden breath and grubby hands. Her heart raced while she suddenly felt light-headed as if all the oxygen left her system. “Do you think you can grab it?” She tried to remain strong with the situation but there was a hint of fear in her eyes. Ashlyn’s past situations that dealt with drunk men never ended well.

Nydia Braadsgard| | I'm no place without you.

“Alright, let’s grab our stuff and head out then.” He agreed to her idea to venture out into the rain. It'd been late spring when the virus hit, so Nydia would venture they were mid to late summer. Fall breeze would soon be in the air, which meant unfortunately the rain would not be a warm one. Sliding her arm through the other arm of her backpack she nodded, "Okay let's go then." She tried to sound... well not totally dreading going out into that rain. But they were losing time the longer they stayed in the gas station. Shay went first, as he normally did but Nydia stayed at most three steps behind him. The moment she stepped out into the squall, rain pelted her slender figure from all sides it felt like. The wind was blowing something awful, howling and shrieking as if the skies were tearing themselves apart. It made her feel... Small. So tiny in this empty world. Within minutes of walking Nydia's hair was slicked to her scalp, rivulets of water rushing off her cheeks, blinding her at times. It was miserable.

At times the sheets of rain came down so heavy that Nydia nearly thought that she lost Shay a few times. Each time it happened her heart would double it's beats, panic flooding her system. Impulsively, she'd throw her hands out in front of her, and somehow they always found the familiar black fabric of his hoodie. He'd glance behind his shoulder, and Nydia thought that maybe once or twice he smiled at her, a silent promise he was still there. And when the rain picked up or the wind was particularly loud he'd pause, waiting for her. The rain was heavy enough that it pooled in her beaten up converse sneakers, making it feel as though she was wading through a constant stream. It was probably about twenty, twenty-five minutes of walking before they came upon a house. It sagged beneath the onslaught of wind and rain; and had Nydia not felt desperate to get out of the squall, she'd of continued walking. However, she and Shay were exhausted.

All she wanted was to lie down, curl up and sleep. However as she followed Shay up the sorry-looking porch he paused turning back and putting a finger to his lips. Slowly he turned the knob, and if it made a noise she couldn't hear it beneath the sounds of the storm. It was a crack of thunder that made Nydia flinch. Shay made his way in first, and Nydia quietly poked her head into the house. She stayed put however, until he came back from making sure it was safe, and as clean as it could be. Which for their standards? Usually meant no corpses around. "Seems like we’re safe here." He came back, and with that seal of approval she was quick to hurry further into the threshold, shutting the door and getting the locks. If it worked she had no idea. Nydia knew that if a group of bandits came through and they wanted to get into the house, a set of locks wasn't going to stop them. But it gave her an illogical sense of comfort. Stepping towards the living room Nydia noted the layers of graffiti. Someone had used this house before them; and she couldn't help but wonder what happened.

Had they died? or simply moved on? The smell of rotted food was notable, but not as bad as some other places they slept in. Following Shay's suit Nydia shrugged out of Finn's jacket, and after a moments hesitation laid it out beside Shay's hoodie. This left her in her thin, gray tank-top and jeans and shoes, which were also soon removed so she could at least try to dry off. She herself however was shivering somewhat violently from the rain. Soon as she dried off she'd be fine. God she missed inside heating. “There’s a shower upstairs, but it’s leaking some brown liquid. I don’t even want to know, but I thought you would be happy to hear that there is a bed. The sheets are stripped off but it’s a bed. You can have it. I’ll sleep down here for the night.” Glancing to the couch her nose wrinkled. If it ever had any stuffing, it'd been strewn on the floor. The cushions were slashed, and it was basically cloth tatters on springs. Protest was clear in her large dark eyes as she turned back to him. It was rare to see him out of his hoodie and Nydia did her best not to stare appreciatively. This was her big brother's best friend- she'd known him since she was in fourth grade. It'd likely weird him out.

"We can share." The offer was impulsive, and Nydia felt her cheeks flushing as she rushed to continue her explanation. "If we pull the mattress off the frame and put it on the floor, it'll be fine. So that way if the woods rotted it won't snap beneath our weight. That couch is ruined, and you'll be sore for days. Plus if there's no blankets it'll be warmer, and if we have surprise guests we won't be separated. We may as well get the mattress off the bed-frame now, and we can crack open a can of whatever the hell we have left, and get some shuteye." She made a face at this, in a perfect she'd like a hot meal. Maybe some chicken, or pasta, or... Well anything that didn't come out of a can. But standing here, wishing for things that she couldn't have were doing her no good. She'd begun up the stairs and noted that Shay was still standing near the couch. He had an odd expression on his face, and she scrunched her nose with curiosity. "Are you coming? Sooner we get this done, sooner we can sleep and then onto California."

____________________________________________________________________________________________



Kai Davenport | | But even forever, doesn't last that long

“Let’s head to the police station and see if we can find anything,” He perked up at this. More ammo meant more times he could defend them. Kai was a pacifist when the circumstances allowed it. But should it come to someone putting a hunk of lead in their heads- or him putting lead in someone else? He'd always go with someone else. "Good, 'cos I know you'd miss my company. We're like... Robin Hood and that other dude. I never remember." He paused or added in a more playful tone, "Or you could be Marian. Or Bonnie and Clyde." There was an kittenish sparkle in his eyes as he practically crooned that at Ashlyn. He was always teasing her like this, trying to make her laugh. Because the end of the world? Totally better when she was smiling at him. "Well then, outwards and onward." Making sure their cans were secured in the backpack, he set off. They were already downtown so, the police station had to be nearby. Right? He was betting on it anyway. As they exited the store, he slipped his bandanna back up over his nose beginning to lead the way when he noted that Ashlyn had slipped her shirt over her nose; eyes scrunched up.

The mint soaked bandanna pretty much blocked a lot of smells, so the town was bearable for him. Pausing he doubled back until he was standing behind Ashlyn. Untying the thing, he carefully tied it around her, securing it over his partner's nose. "There. I'll make you one when we get back. The house we're at still has vanilla extract." Casually he yanked up his shirt over his nose, his eyes watering a bit as the wind blew a particularly revolting gust of decaying flesh in his face. "Alright, let's get this over and done with. The more ammo, the more guns, the safer we'll be." The gun he had now was a cop's. The man had been dying, and Kai had noticed the gun. It didn't take long for him to take it, and figure out how it works. The two wandered around for a little bit before they came upon the police station again. It was modestly sized, and deathly quiet. "Either a good sign, or a bad sign." Ashlyn looked worried as she threw him a glance. “We should be really careful. If anyone has a brain, a police station would be the ideal place to hole up. You have the ammo and the perfect security system.”

That was very true. "Well, we just have to hope that luck is on our side. And if it's not- we tell death not today and carry on." He was a more reckless being than Ashlyn. Which was probably a good thing. They balanced each other out nicely. While he wanted to charge into somewhere she'd suggested pausing, taking a moment to scout the place to make sure they weren't walking into danger. Approaching the police station he paused glancing around. The outside was a wreck. The police car's windows were all smashed in. Glass glistened on the pavement and in seats. The gas was gone and some cars were even stripped for parts. It was almost impressive how crafty people had gotten. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to just waltz right in there,” Humming his agreement he siddled up to the side of the station just beneath the barred windows. When she requested a height boost, he was quick to comply. Strong arms steadily held her up as she peered through the windows. The fading sunlight beat down on his broad shoulders, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. Oh, he'd be happy to get back to their hideout.

There are two men in there and a ton of weapons,” Crap. They should just run. People had not found the spirit of kindness and generosity in the face of the world. “It’s locked though, and I’m going to bet that one of them has the key. They are super drunk, so I don’t think it’ll be hard to get around them, but they're also infected. It’s just…actually getting the key from one them.” If they charged in fast enough, without giving them time to react then yeah, that might work. “Do you think you can grab it? He began to lower her down, in time to catch the flicker of fear in her eye. It welled concern in his chest; but they almost had an unspoken agreement. Don't pry into each other's past, unless information was volunteered up. This hadn't happened yet. "Uh... Yeah I could probably get in there, disarm them before they open the guns. Get the keys... They're dying anyway. Or if they're super drunk they'll pass out eventually... But that could take hours- alright I'll head in there. They won't have time to react. Do you want to wait out here? I can handle it on my own if you'd feel better that way. I don't think this is going to be exactly a... violence free conversation."

@ mollymurach

Shay Huxley


“We can share.” Shay’s eyes widened at the sudden proposal. Did she understand what she had offered? Elaborating on her words, he relaxed under her explanation yet remained flustered. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t decide on the words to respond, especially when she started up the stairs. This was all happening too quickly. “Are you coming? Sooner we get this done, sooner we can sleep and onto California.” Wiping his blank expression, he hurried after her to the second floor landing. “H-Honestly, it’s not a big deal that I sleep downstairs. If you change your mind, don’t be afraid to tell me,” He reiterated, guiding her to the bedroom down the hall. Shay pushed back the door lightly to reveal the small room that smelled just as vile as the rest of the house. The wallpaper was torn and peeled off of the walls accompanied by the stained carpets. A few months ago he would assumed they were wine stains but now he knew better. Luckily, the blood was dried and well over a couple weeks old, posing no threat to them. The mattress lay at the corner of the room on top of a wired frame, looking like the most comfortable piece of furniture he’d seen in months. His eyes fixated on it as he crossed the bedroom to pull it off of the frame, resisting the urge to dive right in. “I’ll grab this end. Can you get the other?” He instructed, taking the left side of the bed.

Once they managed to get the mattress on the floor, he automatically settled down onto it with a heavy sigh. Shay lazily stretched out onto it as his limbs spread across its cotton surface. “God, I never thought I would miss a crappy mattress this much,” He mumbled to himself, letting its springs support his weight. Their weeks of traveling was beginning to take a toll on him, especially since they had little progress. After the bliss passed, he realized that another person needed a place beside him. “Sorry, got carried away,” He quickly apologized, moving off away from the center of the bed. Shay propped himself up onto his elbows before reaching out to pat the spot next to him. If he was this exhausted, he could only imagine how much Nydia could use a proper rest. Shay turned on his side to face away from her, attempting to give the illusion of a barrier. A moment passed until the springs creaked once more with the addition of her weight. Shay did have to admit that he felt more reassured that she would be safe with her so close to his side. “I’m going to skip dinner tonight and just head straight to sleep. Night, Nyd,” His eyes fluttered close as his body surrendered to all the fatigue in his body.

When the morning came, Shay found himself wrapped around Nydia. It seemed that they both craved warmth from the freezing rain. His arm found its way securely around her waist with her back flush against his chest. As much as he hated to admit it, this was the most comfortable he had been in all of his nights since the outbreak. They were warm, safe, and supplied. However, he didn’t want to take advantage of her kindness, and he removed himself, shivering under the sudden brisk air. Shay sat up to slide off of the mattress, peering over his shoulder to see her stir. “I didn’t mean to wake you,” He stated, unable to meet her eyes. All he felt was embarrassment and shame for allowing those types of thoughts to invade his mind. Nydia only saw him a brotherly figure, and he should have only seen her as a sisterly figure. Until he could get that straight, he couldn’t look at her. He glanced around the room to find an empty can of beans from the previous night. At least one of them had dinner. Shay reached out to grab his backpack and fished out a can of whatever he could find. This time it was assorted fruits. “We should head out whenever we get the chance. Don’t want to waste any daylight..”

---

Ashlyn Davenport


Do you want to wait out here? Ashlyn drew in a shaky breath as her eyes wandered back to the building. The mere idea of entering inside made her chest tighten, making it difficult to breathe. It was as if his hands were wrapped around her neck once more and squeezing while she writhed helplessly underneath the grip. She reached out for Kai to steady herself, waiting for the haze to clear. Just a few months ago, Ashlyn would have laughed at the prospect of relying on another but she was wrong. Here she was leaning on him. “I-I’ll wait out here,” She concluded, knowing she wouldn’t make it two steps inside. Swallowing hard, she finally met his worried gaze but offered no explanation. Their silent promise worked. She never pushed him to offer the past and vice versa. Any lingering demons could only be dealt by her, that she was sure of. That is where the line was drawn in the sand. “Be careful,” She whispered, looking into his Aegean depths. “I want you back in one piece.”

Back inside of the police station, Brian and Steve circled around each other with an empty bottle of beer in one hand and a gun in the other. “I can’t believe you got me fucking infected,” Steve complained, almost stumbling over himself. Two more bodies lay a few feet away that were consumed by the virus. Their buddies were the first to go when they realized something was wrong. “You think I wanted to sign up for this shit? And then write your name down, too? Bullshit!” Brian slurred, waving the gun around. The two had been yelling at each other for the past two hours. It appeared the only thing they agreed on was that they needed more booze as if they weren’t drunk enough already. “Shit, man. Shit,” Steve choked back tears, afraid of what death might hold. Both were currently at the stage where they were beginning to cough up blood. It would be a few more hours until the virus shut down their vital organs. “This is all your fault!” Brian accused this time, cocking the gun. And the circle continued with each man blaming the other.

“And I didn’t hook up with that infected bi- Hey, did you hear that?” Steve paused mid-sentence to scan the room. His vision was so blurred that everything appeared to be a blob. “Steve, you’re going bat shit insane. There’s no one here,” The other responded, giving a shake of the head. Unconvinced, Steve broke away from their circle to move about the room with his gun at the ready. Whether or not he would be a steady shot was another story. The drunken man stumbled around, barely getting one foot over the other. He waved his gun around for show and peeked his head out from behind the wall. Steve giggled to himself as he thought of playing a cop, which had been his dream job before the world ended. “Come out with your hands up!” He yelled the open room, opting for a New York accent. When there was no response, he moved from behind the wall and stood his ground. “This is your last chance!,” He slurred once more, jerked the gun from one direction to the other. “Steve, what the fuck are you doing?” Brian questioned, coming up from behind him yet paused to violently cough. Blood soaked his plaid shirt as he silently cursed. “Ah, we’re going to hell.”

@ mollymurach