forum There are Eyes Everywhere //Large apocalyptic group roleplay //OPEN//

Started December 12, 2023 by @Celeste_X0X0_ group

tune

Rachel was just walking Colt through the mostly, empty streets at 3 am. She enjoyed going on walks during the early hours of the day because it meant fewer people. She did not want to interact with people and said no to everyone who wanted to pet Colt. Then have them get upset at you because you made their child cry by saying no.

It's not her fault that they didn't know how to say no to their child.

She sighed, one hand on Colt's leash and the other in her jacket pocket. It wasn't too cold out, but it was cold enough to need a jacket. the snow glistened in what was left of the moonlight as she walked past it. She let Colt do his business in the bushes before moving to start heading back to her house. Colt started growling at something in the distance, but she figured it was just a squirrel or a rabbit until she heard some low growling.

she squinted her eyes and realized it was coming from what looked like the silhouette of a person.
"Hey! I don't want any trouble; I just want to head home with my dog. Alright?" she called out and waited for a response before realizing that she wouldn't get a response out of them. The closer they got the more she could smell a stench that was all too familiar to her.

The scent of rotting flesh, the iron tang of blood. It hit her almost immediately, and she backed up from the person walking forward, hand on her back where her concealed carry was. When they came into the light, she saw it. The rotting corpse staggered towards her before it charged at her.
She hesitated a few seconds, before aiming her gun at the creature and firing multiple rounds of bullets into its head and watching as it fell to the ground.
she didn't waste any time telling colt to leave it and rushing back to her house. If there was one of those things, there was bound to be more. She wasn't sticking around to find out.

She locked the door behind her as soon as she and colt got inside and shut all of her curtains.

Well.
Jake hadn't made it far with his injuries. He had planned to go to Andre's but the guy's place was a bit aways from the building he had just come from. Getting assaulted and then ripping those men a new one hadn't been on his list of things to do that night but it seemed the universe never gave him a break and it was a constant fight for his life.
If only he'd known what was to come.

Jake painstakingly made his way to the back end of a gas station after having decided that it was a good idea to hit up an empty drugstore. It had been odd for lack of a better word. Seeing the open building with the lights on, yet no one in sight. Jake had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with screams down the street where he had originally been heading, but in a last-split decision decided that it was better to stop somewhere and hide to take care of his wounds- possibly wait out whatever hell was going down on the other end of the city.

Because there wasn't a closer place he could have stayed without getting caught and asked invasive questions about what was going on with him, he had taken refuge in the storage area of the gas station's store. He liked the thought of being wrapped in darkness on the off chance someone would come looking, now ripping open a gauze pack with his teeth and applying as much pressure to his shoulder with a towel, courtesy of the drug store he had stolen from- other items littered beside him.

This side of the city seemed moderately calm compared to the other one, but even now he noted how fairly desolate it seemed, knowing there weren't as many people as there could be even at this hour of the night, gang members and other shady people nowhere in sight. There were gas station workers however which was curious. Not everyone had left just yet.

Jake settled down in a corner, using the walls as support as he wrapped the large stab wound, nearly stuffing it with gauze as he tightly bound himself, working blindly as he hadn't bothered to search for a light switch. There was a strained look on his face as he applied increasing amounts of pressure on himself- that was till he heard the door open, knowing that company had just joined him. He froze mid wrap, a million thoughts crossing his mind. Maybe the workers had spotted him and came to check the area to see if there were any potential dangers.

He stood, now abandoning his project and opting to hold onto the bandage itself without tying off one end. It wouldn't matter much if he had to fight this newcomer, knowing the bandage would unravel as soon as he used his arm despite himself.

"…fuck me" He caught the tail end of the sentence as the door closed behind whoever had come in.
Jake knew that to be on top and win, he had to find out first, so against his will, he had approached the sounds of who had come in, the black heels on his person that served more like boots and came up to hug his thighs, giving him away as he made himself known.

"Oh, I'd love to" Came Jake's sultry yet challenging voice as his eyes landed on the other male. There was something off about him however as his arms seemed pinned behind him- looking to be restricted for whatever reason.
Jake had stopped a bit aways from Min-Hyuk in case the other thought him to be something that needed removing. He wouldn't give the guy the chance to have the upper hand on him.
"What are you doing here?" Jake nearly snapped, a bite to his tone as if to try and fend off Min-Hyuk so there wouldn't be a need to fight if that was on the table. Still, he needed to understand his motives before he made any assumptions and found himself in an even shittier situation.

Well you see, Evan didn’t know that zombies were coming to life and attacking people. He just kinda conveniently left the areas right before it was about to happen. He figured he would go to a gas station, just to get some snacks. He frowned as he noticed it was a bit empty, hoping everything was alright with all of the staff inside.

He walked into store, turning his hearing aids on so that he could more accurately judge the situation. Scanning around, it almost seemed like a ghost town. He started walking through the stores isles, and checking for people. He decided that was a lost effort and went towards the counter, checking behind it. When he found no one… he debated leaving. That’s until he heard very faint voices. It was more so that he could feel the vibrations of footsteps that alerted him then the talking.

People? People were here? Oh that was good, he hoped they were alright. He also hoped that they wouldn’t mind if he bought something from them. He really didn’t understand the bleak situation they were all going to be in. He made his way towards the back, “hello? Are their people back there? I wanted to ask if you guys were still open or if someone forgot to lock the door.”

Min-Hyuk holds the gun behind his back without much of a choice while he searches the back of the store for a pen or a paperclip to get these cuffs off.
His cat-like eyes squint in the dark room, not daring to turn on the lights for fear of drawing someone else in. Dead or undead.
"did nobody keep a pen back here? Damn" he whispers to himself, clearly frustrated. And with the footsteps growing closer, panic rose in his chest and the need to find the pen grew.
Hearing a voice call back to his hilarious comment, Min-Hyuk's head shoots up and he looks around like a deer at the sound of a twig snapping. He was vulnerable in this position and now he knew for a fact he wasn't alone.
"What are you doing here?" He hears another harsh tone travel in his direction. His mind races, thinking of what to say. He didn't want to sound like a threat. Not here. Not now. Not with his hands cuffed behind his back. Quickly, he looked for a place to stash the gun so whoever was in there couldn't take it. He drops it to the ground and slides it into a small crack underneath a shelf.
Great, now I'm defenseless and I have my hands forced behind my back. He sighs, sounds like I'm in a porno but without the money
He opens his mouth to speak but another voice chimes in. And by the sound of it, he wasn't with anybody else. But it also sounded like he was an idiot. Was he not aware of what's happening?
"yeah we're open!" he calls out "back here!"
Min-Hyuk figured if he could lead those two together, he would have a chance to slither his way out of the gas station. But Min-Hyuks' plans didn't always work out how he wanted them to.

Cherry took a bite of the pastry she had taken along with her as she closed up shop, slipping the key into her purse as she made sure the doors were securely locked.
A slight hum left her as she turned to go, but just as she was about to take a step forward she paused. People had always told Cherry how oddly terrifying it was that she picked up on the smallest things, from noises to changes in her environment.
She looked around, now feeling deeply unsettled- like something was wrong but not being able to put her finger on it.
Cautiously, she finally moved from her spot to walk onto the streets, her hand reaching into her purse once more to pull something out.

She held on tightly to a small thin dagger, the handle filled with flowers that were floating in brown-yellowish resin, giving it a vintage vibe. It had been a gift from her partner and she had always joked about how if she ever used it, it would be the end of the world. She thought the dagger to be too pretty to use and had sworn to keep it clean and sharpened- carrying it on her person at all times per her fiance's request.
She hoped that tonight wouldn't change that.

For a while now, she had been hearing sirens from police cars and ambulances throughout the night as she worked on the finances of her cafe but now it was….eerily quiet. Like the city had packed up their bags and left unanimously. She hadn't paid much attention to the news these past few days- her friends always talked about new occurrences, Cherry half-listening when they had mentioned a highly infectious virus, many having been sentenced to death after they had caught it.
Still. She knew that it was a bit farfetched for everyone to just leave, there were probably others around even at this time, she just so happened to step out when they had gone elsewhere- or maybe it was just the fact that it was so late at night that everything had gotten still.

Cherry pressed forward as she kept trying to soothe herself and rationalize things. All she had to do was get home and sleep. Maybe she really had just spiked her own anxiety with so much work she had taken on.

---

Jake hadn't fully exposed himself just yet, hiding off to the side behind a shelf to keep his blood-drenched self hidden, yet still having a good eyeshot of the figure in the dark. He didn't know what to think, but if there was something he knew for an absolute fact, it was that you never showed anyone you were vulnerable, physically or emotionally. It only got you hurt further, something he had learned the hard way over and over again.

Jake gritted his teeth when Min-Hyuk called out to the person who somehow had wandered close enough to the back to hear them. This motherfucker… Jake annoyingly thought. He only had two options here, reveal himself and hoped to fuck that the guy with the cuffs wasn't the fighting type. Jake nearly let out an incredulous laugh at that, Min-Hyuk's cuffs clearly giving away that he was. The other option however wasn't a flavorful one either. He could run but he had left his supplies on the floor to take care of whoever had come in. He was in no position to go anywhere. In fact, he could feel the beginning stages of lightheadedness start to sweep him over, his mind in a foggy state as he tried to assess what the best course of action would be.
He huffed, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, then opening them as if to reset his vision. Jake struggled to push all his energy into keeping himself standing but after a second finally gathered the courage to speak again.

"Listen…!" Jake called out, sounding out of breath even though he was trying his best to keep all emotion or any signs that would give him away out of his voice. "I only asked! I'm not looking to start anything! Hell knows I fucking can't…" He muttered at the end.

Evan came around to the back where the two boys were. He noticed Jake in front of him, and then the closer he got he realized Min Hyuk was there as well. As he approached the two boys, he noticed how Jake seemed to be ready to collapse at any moment, swiftly rushing over to support him from behind.
"Woah-! be careful, please! you could hit your head from passing out." He spoke, immediately concerned about Jake, moving to help him stand up. He thought about whether or not it would be better for Jake to lean against something or just sit down. He sighed, jake needed to be hydrated, at the very least. He glanced up to say something in Min-hyuk's direction only to realize that his arms were behind his back.
Well, that doesn't instill him with confidence.
"Hello, are you the one that called me back here…? Do you work here, or did you call me back here so I could help your friend." He spoke, cautiously. He wasn't sure what was going on with these two, and while he wanted to think the best of them…there was a chance he needed to be cautious.
Like his mother said, you can be nice, and safe at the same time.
"He needs water…and some bandages, would you be able to get those…?"

Jax’s eyes darted back and forth between the kitchen and Dominic’s room. His stomach dropped, a nauseous feeling heaving its way into his throat. He shook his head. He could play games right now! This cramped, dull air suffocated him. It was nothing but filthy and dry. He gripped his arm, looking up at Val. The other stared at him with wonder. Val smiled, putting the board game back in the cabinet he got it from. The ginger sauntered over to Jax and placed a comforting hand on his back. Jax leaned into Val’s touch.

“Maybe we should step outside…” Val murmured. Jax nodded his head. The two of them walked toward the front door. Jax looked around the foyer, noting the picture of him and his family. That was when times were simpler. There was no trying to make it on your own. However, it was also a time without Val. He couldn’t imagine living in this shattered world without him.

They had met at a café. Jax had gone to drink tea and work on a short story idea. It calmed his nerves when anxiety decided to attack him. His nightmares became less frequent but still happened. All Jax needed was something to distract his mind. Val had come in, grabbing a latte. He had been one of those to see a poor soul down on their luck and start up a random conversation. Apparently, Jax looked depressed enough to draw Val over. The ginger sat with him, trying to strike up a small conversation. Jax didn’t reciprocate the attempt, looking away to stare at other strangers. Eventually, the two got talking. They even exchanged phone numbers!

Jax shook his head. Where would he be if Val wasn’t outgoing like that? The pair walked down the concrete steps, stepping onto the sidewalk. Crickets chirped a peaceful symphony as lightning bugs flashed small beads of light. Silence. That’s all Jax needed. Fresh air. It filled his lungs, breathing new life into him. Maybe the world wasn’t as fucked. The pair walked down the moonlit street, speaking to each other in hushed tones. Jax smiled slightly, trying to accept his situation. He’d have to live without his brother. Whatever disease he caught had progressed further, infesting his systems. He bit his lip.

“You stick with me, right?” He rubbed his arm. “You know — in the event everything goes wrong.” He needed reassurance. Jax needed his best friend.

Val eagerly nodded his head, a grin forming on his face. “Of course, I will! Someone needs to be there to annoy you. If not me, then who else?” He bumped his shoulder into Jax’s, oddly showing his affection. He wasn’t one for sappy moments. Val couldn’t emotionally handle them, so he opted for something different.

Jax smiled. “Thanks.” He swayed from Val knocking into him. They walked along the road together, discussing what would happen in the future.

Min-Hyuk pauses, his eyes latching onto a shiny object he spots in the corner of his eye. While the man closest to him spoke, he leans over and grabs the object. A pen.
He starts to take it apart, unscrewing the tip and letting the spring fall out. The rest of the pen clatters to the floor as he shakily pulls the thin metal apart, straightening the spring.
While the men talk, he listens intently, hyper aware of his surroundings as panic fills his mind. The longer this took, the more his anxiety grew. He was never going to get out of these cuffs. He was going to get caught and brought to jail. Where he belonged.

Having little to no luck, Min-Hyuk continues to subtly try and get the cuffs off from around his wrists, the metal irritating and scraping against the thin skin of his wrists as he wedges the straightened pen spring around in the lock hole. Wiggling it from side to side, he observes the two men, noticing one of them was badly injured and exhausted from the looks of it. Had he just survived an attack from one of those crazy's like he had? Though it looked as if this man was significantly unluckier than Min had been with his attack.
He steps back when the other boy comes into sight, finally being able to put a face to the voice he had heard from earlier.
So they do know each other?" He thinks to himself as he watches the interaction quietly, confused.
"Hell no" he states in reaction to the newer mans question. "not until you tell me what happened?" he orders the injured man, still trying to get the cuffs off. He didn't know where this guy had come from or if he was injured for a reason. Maybe he was dangerous and he was attempting to appear to be in a weaker state than he really was in an attempt at manipulation. Taking advantage of someone in a state of panic. And it seemed to be working for the boys who looked to be too nice for his own good.
But then again, was Min-Hyuk being too cold? Too paranoid?
No. From what he just had to fight off, the pit in his stomach told him that this world wasn't for the weak or the kind. It was for the strong and the unsympathetic.

The rattle of the large wheels on the dirt road fill the air in the rv as she presses hard on the gas. She looks back at her truck parked in front of where the rv used to be with a tinge of grief, not wanting to have left her truck back there. Watching as bullets fly through the air and into the metal of her beloved truck, she lets out a heavy sigh before returning her eyes back to the road.
Her hand pulls itself instinctively up to her mouth as she coughs, blood dripping off her tongue and through her fingers. "shit" she curses, her eyes watering and her vision fading in and out as she drives, looking back to the dog sitting on the bed every few minutes.
Soon she reaches a small neighborhood that didn't look too occupied at the moment. The absence of cars or much sound quickly showed her that as she makes her way down the road. Deciding she had gone deep enough into the neighborhood for anyone who was looking to find her, she stops a ways away from a house with a singular car parked out front. Being about a block away, she squints to see what was happening. Was someone there? Could they help?

Screams and cries of what seemed to be a small child could be heard from within the house, doors slamming and yelling filling the air. Jesse turns off the rv, pulling the key from the ignition so she wouldn't attract any unwanted attention as she looks out the window and into the house window.
Spotting two large men dragging a small girl up the stairs, she decides she's seen enough.
Jesse weakly slips out of the seat, stumbling around her small kitchen for her first aid kit and yanking it down to the floor to patch herself up. For now she would only be able to stop the bleeding. And that would have to be enough for now.

Jesse sits on the counter with her shirt next to her as she wraps her shoulder in gauze and medical tape, wincing in pain whenever she moved it, the bullet in her shoulder shifting in her torn muscle with every movement. She shoves a handful of crackers into her mouth, crumbs messily falling down onto her lap as she does so, needing some sort of food in her system to keep her from passing out.
Slipping her shirt back on, she looks out the window to see two more of those undead beings making their way up to the door. She figured the screams had attracted them.
Grabbing the sniper rifle from earlier, she opens the latch that lead to the top of the RV, climbing up on top of the vehicle and aiming at the door, waiting to see who would answer the flesh eating animals.

Jaspers's head shot up as soon as she heard the pounding on the doors and the familiar growling from the monster earlier. she tried to make herself as small as possible, and maybe they wouldn't notice her. Of course, that was if they got in the house.
They didn't, the window slid open, and a bullet was fired at every zombie. They went down with two thuds. The gun had a silencer on it, so it wouldn't alert other zombies to their location. Then, the door opened and a burly man wearing a black beanie and a flannel stepped out. He picked up the corpses and moved to bring them inside.
Once he was inside, the door was shut. The window shut as well.
Jasper flinched when she heard the two thuds, and she just held herself.

Jesse's caramel eyes focus on the men as they drag the bodies outside, waiting for the opportune moment. She didn't want to shoot them immediately, wanting to see what they had to offer. What she could gain from them.
Jesse was no stranger of taking advantage of people, in fact it was quite the opposite. Its what she does for a living. Well…its what she did for a living. Assuming the world has gone to shit, she could only assume she wouldn't get any more bounties. She still had her burner phone in tact, and her personal cell on her person as well, so there was still a chance. But for now, she needed to focus on what's in front of her.
Weapons, food, ammo, and possibly more awaited for her inside of this house.
She curses to herself for not shooting when she had the chance before they shut the door. Though she didn't know how many men were in there so she needed to be cautious.
Her moment arises as she watched one of the men close the window. She had to be precise shooting through a window, but she could make it work.
Aiming for the head, raising her chances of shooting him in the chest, she grips the trigger hard.
With a loud BOOM the gunpowder explodes, shooting the tip of the sniper's bullet soaring through the air and into the window. Slightly miscalculating her shot, the bullet tears through the man's throat as he drops to the ground, choking on his own blood.
And with that, she slides back into the RV. Setting the rifle down on the counter, she picks up her machete and adjusts the pistol on her belt before making her way towards the house on foot. She ducks down low and keeps to the side of the houses she passed so she had less of a chance to be seen. She knew they would be looking for her and it was only a matter of time before they started to fire back. She was sure of it.

She heard the gun go off and flinched, hearing the rushing of all of the men around the house. Another thud, probably one of the men dropping down to the floor. Maybe there were other creatures…? That wouldn't make sense because she couldn't hear them growling…She moved to get up from behind the bed and snuck over to the door to press her ear against it to see if she could hear anything.
The men started firing back as soon as the first one went down. One was firing relentlessly at the RV, and the other one rushed down the hallway to retrieve Jasper. They moved down the hallway and opened the door with the keys, grabbing her arm. "Be quiet. One peep out of you and you're dead."
Jasper nodded, keeping silent as they dragged her back down the hallway into the kitchen. The man stepped out for a moment, allowing her time to grab a knife off the counter. she quickly hid it behind her back, and he came back into the kitchen.
"We are leaving, let's go." He spoke, before turning around.
"No."
"What-" They didn't have time to say anything else.
She plunged the knife into their back. and pulled it out pushing it in and over and over again until they fell to the ground.
She followed them to the floor, making sure they wouldn't get back up.

Watching as bullets rain down on the RV, Jesse curses under her breath, hoping the dog was okay. Shaking her head, she continues to make her way towards the house, having more important things to worry about. Looking down her sights, she fires her pistol in the man’s general direction. Coughing, she loses her balance, stumbling to the ground. Blood straining her lips, not bothering to wipe it off as she aims, firing the bullet into the man’s knee, causing him to fall to the ground. On his way down one of the bullets hit Jesse’s leg as well while she tried to stand. Pushing herself up against the wall of the house, she rounds the corner, hiding behind it to catch her breath. Looking down, crimson blood soaks her pant leg. And quick. Wincing in pain, her and shakes as she pulls her pant leg up. The bullet went into her upper calf, not going straight through.
“just breathe. You can get it out later” she whispers to herself.
in. Out. In. Out
Whipping around the corner, she unloads her clip until the man collapses to the ground, lifeless. She slides down to the ground, quickly attempting to tend to her new wound. Raspy breath rake through her lungs and throat as she slides her previously blood soaked bandana from around her wrist and wraps it tight around her calf.
Her head whips around to the sound of talking, then nothing. Silence followed by a thud.
*There’s another one? *
Jesse quickly reloads her pistol, slipping the bullets into the clip with shaky, blood soaked fingers.
She groans, pushing herself from the ground. She makes her way to the front door, gun in hand. Nobody was around. Who did she hear then?
Rounding the corner, she freezes at the sight of a small child standing over one of the large men’s body. His back soaked in blood and stab wounds scattered along the skin visible through the rips in his shirt.
Her eyes flick back to the child, holding her gun up to her as she slowly kneels to pick up the man’s gun from the ground. Keeping the gun on her, she curses under her breath in German.
“Put the knife down” she demands, her voice load and firm with a raspy touch to it. Her accent was thick as well as the blood dripping from her mouth.
Had this girl killed him? It sure looked like it. But comparing sizes, recourses and strength, she didn’t look like she stood a chance.
Jesse noted the child’s intelligence. To catch them off guard, especially if you don’t have any advantages.
“Are there any more?” She asks, her eyes darting around the room every now and again, though still fixated on the child.

Jake's eyes widened as soon as he felt someone behind him. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't all there that had brought his guard down, but it seemed to snap him back to reality, if only for a split second as he jolted when he felt the presence, now moving to jerk away from the individual who had snuck up on him.
It made Jake lose balance momentarily, completely stepping out of his hiding place and crashing into the wall significantly closer to Min-Hyuk. His eyes had a wild panic in them as he was caught between both men, there was no way out and now Jake had to make a decision.

"I got into a fight, alright? Three against one and I really overshot my ability to take them all on." He paused. "Well, not that I had a choice." He spoke, his voice becoming even more strained as he kept a wary eye on both guys, not trusting either.
"The real question should be why the hell are you in cuffs? Either you're a real piece of work the cops are after or a kinky bastard with no shame" Jake mused, the edges of his lips twitching into a near-nervous smile as he kept pressure on his wound, his hand covered in blood.
Jake's eyes flickered over to the light switch that was beside him, hitting the lights. There was no use, they all might as well see who they were talking to.

"And you…" Jake gave Evan a look of disbelief. "Do you always sneak up on others? I could be anyone you know, hurt or not- for example, I could have a knife? Or a gun?" Jake said, gesturing dramatically with his hand despite the vertigo he was currently experiencing from stumbling out into the open, now having nothing to lean on as he tried to maintain a somewhat "healthy" look. He refused to let the parties involved know how bad it really was, opting to not use the wall beside him as support and keep himself upright. It took a lot of effort but Jake pulled it off.
Kind of.
There wasn't a whole lot he could do in this situation and if either guy decided to stick him with something sharp or fill him with bullets, so be it. He wouldn't lay down and take it, but if he died here in the back of a shitty gas station, that was just bad luck and meant the universe had a twisted sense of humor.

"Hey- wait- be careful!" He stumbled a bit when Jake immediately pushed away from him and crashed into the wall.
He was still pretty concerned about Jake and his ability to stay standing. He knows that he probably won't last long forcing himself up straight. He doesn't know how bad Jake is…but he knows it's impacting him. He listened to the two talk to each other, before hearing something unfamiliar to him.
He's not sure if he should just straight up ask about it. I mean, you are supposed to ask questions when you don't understand something…but now really didn't seem like the right time. They both seemed pretty tense at the moment, and he didn't want to make it more tense.
"What-? No- I was trying to help you since you seemed like you were about to fall! I didn't want you to hurt your head or worsen anything that may be happening. Doesn't matter who you are or what you have, I still plan on helping you." He huffed a bit, looking up and down at Jake to check for any obvious injuries.
He was keeping an eye on Min-Hyuk because he wasn't sure what kind of character he was, and wanted to make sure Jake was alright be anything else.

//TW mild gore//

Val kicked a rock, watching as it bounced off a metal drain with a pang. He bit his bottom lip, listening to the frogs croak their somber melody. Jax lumbered behind him, barely making it along the road. Val shoved his hands into his pockets, looking at the darkened city. A few lights cast an orange glow on the desolate road. The lights brought forth moths and other bugs. It was late, and they should be in bed, not stalking the streets. He checked his watch, the glow of the screen illuminating his face. Val stopped in the middle of the street, turning to face Jax. The older man hung his head, peering up at Val through his eyelashes. Val smiled softly, glancing up at the night sky. It was void of stars, nothing more than a washed-out moon attempting to provide light.

"We should turn back." Val whispered, flicking his eyes over to Jax. Jax picked up his head, shrugging his shoulders. Compared to being cramped in that dark house, he seemed happier out here, but it still didn’t fix the years of pain. Blotches of dark purple skin gathered under his eyes, and it looked like it stung. Val started to walk back, grabbing Jax by the arm. He could be rational when he wanted to be, but he kept up his goofy facade to warm his friend. Val wasn’t that stupid, was he? He shook off his thoughts.

It wasn’t long until they reached the house. Val had let go of Jax’s arm and turned the silver knob to shove open the door. They hadn’t been gone very long, and the air of the house had already changed. It was odd. Everything in Val’s body told him to flee, to drag Jax out of this place. Jax pushed past him to go check on his brother, and Val followed. They both knew Dominic wouldn’t survive very long. Hell, he could have died in the few minutes they were gone. Alternatively, Jax might have believed Dominic was hanging on by a thread due to his sleep-deprived brain. Jax called him in a panic a couple of days ago, screeching about how his brother had fallen ill. They assumed that since it was winter, he had caught the flu, but Dominic declined rapidly. They found it troubling but didn’t question it. Val had caught the smell of rot in the house but didn’t think much of it.

Jax walked into the dimly lit bedroom, his eyes landing on Dominic. Or, well, where Dominic had previously laid. A few tears streamed down Jax’s face. He looked back at Val, not understanding where his elder brother could have disappeared off to. That man was dying, not in the shape to get up and walk. His mind had been fuzzy lately, Some small part of him knew he had been watching over a corpse, but that couldn’t be true. Dominic couldn’t be dead. No! Jax looked around, scanning the room. Other than the tiny areas that the salt lamp illuminated, nothing was visible.

"Dominic?" Jax called out. Something rustled within the room. Val bounced on the balls of his feet. At this point, he knew grief had hit his friend, and it was keeping him from processing the feasible fact his brother was dead. Why hadn’t he noticed it earlier? Another rustle came from beside the bed, and both men looked over at the closet. Light pink bathed the white doors, but the inside was pitch black. Jax moved toward the closet, opening the door wider. A figure moved clumsily in the dark, turning around to face Jax. It came at him, moaning and groaning. Jax screamed, backing away as the figure tried to push itself on him. He vaguely noticed it matched his brother’s description.

"D-Dominic?" Jax asked feebly. He stood still, lowering his shoulders. He stared at his brother, his brows furrowed. "This isn’t funny.." But the figure never stopped. It growled, seeming to be disoriented and hungry. Jax reached out toward Dominic, flinching as two gunshots rang out. Two bullets entered Dominic’s head, blood dripping down the pale face. He fell to the floor, blood pooling under his body. Jax stared at the corpse, his body shocked into remembering when his brother ceased to be. He breathed heavily, retching until he bent over and threw up. Small amounts of blood splattered the walls and floor. Val dropped the gun, racing to Jax’s side. He placed a hand on Jax’s back, only to be shoved off.

"You killed my brother!" Jax spat, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Tears pricked at his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. He took in harsh breaths, trying to grip reality.

Val bit his tongue. He didn’t know how to handle this. "Jax, he was already too far gone. He could have hurt you!" He glanced at the blood body. "It definitely wasn’t the flu…" He stood, urging Jax to his feet. “I’m sorry.”

Jax shoved Val out of his way, leaving the room. He walked out into the foyer, leaving the house. He wondered if the gunshots woke anyone up. Jax doubted it. He sat on the porch, the cold concrete uncomfortable to sit on. Val followed him out onto the porch, standing close by.

“What the hell was that?” Jax questioned. He tried to process what just happened, a pit forming in his stomach.

Val shrugged. “Rabies? Maybe he got bit by a rabid dog? Or maybe chronic wasting disease finally jumped to humans.” Both fell silent, listening to the crickets. "Jax, I-"

Jax gritted his teeth. "Just shut up." He hissed. He wrapped his arms around himself. Jax should be at odds with Val, but something told him it was for the best. Dominic was put out of his misery. Oh, for heaven’s sake! He was a mess. "Chronic wasting disease? You’re smart, but not that smart." He scoffed.

Val frowned, seemingly close to tears. “Well, nothing else explains it. Rabies was the only thing, unless he managed to catch a brain-eating amoeba."

Jax rolled his eyes. "Haha, very funny." He looked up into the night sky. This was ridiculous.

Min-Hyuk's cat-like eyes narrow towards the two men, distrust and confusion written all over his face. His eyebrows raise whilst the injured one speaks, impressed with what he was telling him. Three against one were no easy odds, yet this guy still got out alive?
He had to be worse than he was letting on, there was no way. No matter the balls on a man, someone this size couldn't take out that much manpower and still be standing. His eyes scan him up and down as he takes a step back, his fingers still focusing on getting the cuffs off from around his wrists. The metal chafing up against the thin skin on his wrists, they had already turned red and bruising had started due to all the movement and struggle he's put them through.
"not that he had a choice? What does he mean by that? Were they what he saw earlier??" he thinks to himself skeptically as he tries to assist the situation. Taking one three of those brain-dead freaks sounded much more realistic than humans with actual motor skill and intelligence that was for sure.
At the mans comment, he shrugs, "why can't i be both?" he teases, still keeping his distance.
Min-Hyuk wasn't about to get near anyone he didn't know what's going to all of the sudden try to tear his flesh off of his bones, so he made sure to be cautious.
His gaze averts from one man to another, the more timid one. The nicer one. By their exchange of words Min-Hyuk assumed they didn't know each other, but that still didn't explain the second man's actions. Did he have no survival instincts?
He shakes his head, "wait…do you guys know what's happening outside of there?" he asks, concern and confusion filling his voice.

(sorry this isn't as long as my usual ones. i simply did not have all of the energy to write up that whole entire page again so this is all yall get for now im sorry)

Jake's sharp eyes slowly panned over to Evan, his head turning with the motion of his eyes. There was a slight twitch in his right eye as Evan kept talking.
It was a bit sickening to Jake to see someone being concerned about him. He knew there were those types out there that would rush to help a stranger but he hadn't encountered anyone like that before. The industry he was in and the people who he associated himself with were the opposite of that. Everyone took care of themselves and backstabbed each other if it was in their best interest to do so.
"I may be hurt but I can still kick your ass and I will if you so much as get a foot close to me. I don't need your help, I can take care of myself" Jake hissed. Some of his words held truth. He would kick the guy's ass if he touched him again without permission but he wouldn't hurt him if he got close to him, though Jake didn't appreciate his personal space being invaded by a stranger.

Jake's eyes flickered over at Min-Hyuk again when he spoke.
"Mmm, got a point" He cooed, a faint smile on his face, though it quickly faded as the pain in his body was persistent. Jake's eyes looked down at Min-Hyuk's midsection, noting the way he shifted, wanting to get out of the cuffs.
"Out there?" Jake repeats. "I know a lot of people are freaking out on the other side of where I live but I can't say I do." He paused. "I did get free supplies out of the empty pharmacy though" He hummed proudly.
There was a moment of silence as Jake thought of what to do to get himself out of talking with these two.
But before he could assess if this was something he wanted to do, his mouth was moving and he was impulsively making another decision.
"You want help with that?" Jake motioned to Min-Hyuk's cuffs. He had been in them multiple times before and knew they weren't the most comfortable things. "Just promise you won't try to kill me and I'll lend a hand." He offered, though, he wasn't sure how wise that was.
But to hell with it. He had never been one to think about things too hard. There was something about tempting death that Jake couldn't get enough of.

Watching as bullets rain down on the RV, Jesse curses under her breath, hoping the dog was okay. Shaking her head, she continues to make her way towards the house, having more important things to worry about. Looking down her sights, she fires her pistol in the man’s general direction. Coughing, she loses her balance, stumbling to the ground. Blood straining her lips, not bothering to wipe it off as she aims, firing the bullet into the man’s knee, causing him to fall to the ground. On his way down one of the bullets hit Jesse’s leg as well while she tried to stand. Pushing herself up against the wall of the house, she rounds the corner, hiding behind it to catch her breath. Looking down, crimson blood soaks her pant leg. And quick. Wincing in pain, her and shakes as she pulls her pant leg up. The bullet went into her upper calf, not going straight through.
“just breathe. You can get it out later” she whispers to herself.
in. Out. In. Out
Whipping around the corner, she unloads her clip until the man collapses to the ground, lifeless. She slides down to the ground, quickly attempting to tend to her new wound. Raspy breath rake through her lungs and throat as she slides her previously blood soaked bandana from around her wrist and wraps it tight around her calf.
Her head whips around to the sound of talking, then nothing. Silence followed by a thud.
*There’s another one? *
Jesse quickly reloads her pistol, slipping the bullets into the clip with shaky, blood soaked fingers.
She groans, pushing herself from the ground. She makes her way to the front door, gun in hand. Nobody was around. Who did she hear then?
Rounding the corner, she freezes at the sight of a small child standing over one of the large men’s body. His back soaked in blood and stab wounds scattered along the skin visible through the rips in his shirt.
Her eyes flick back to the child, holding her gun up to her as she slowly kneels to pick up the man’s gun from the ground. Keeping the gun on her, she curses under her breath in German.
“Put the knife down” she demands, her voice load and firm with a raspy touch to it. Her accent was thick as well as the blood dripping from her mouth.
Had this girl killed him? It sure looked like it. But comparing sizes, recourses and strength, she didn’t look like she stood a chance.
Jesse noted the child’s intelligence. To catch them off guard, especially if you don’t have any advantages.
“Are there any more?” She asks, her eyes darting around the room every now and again, though still fixated on the child.

She stared Jesse down, processing her words as she just stood there holding the blade. The poor girl couldn't have looked that old, long dark hair matted down to her butt. She gripped the blade with both hands, her knuckles white from how hard he was holding onto it. she was covered in the blood that splattered back onto her. Her clothes looked tight on her skin, and as if they were almost choking her.

"any…more?" she spoke, almost in question. her voice was incredibly raspy, and she let out a cough at the fact of how dry her throat was. She noticed the gun was being pointed back at her and held the knife up towards Jesse. Her whole body was trembling where it stood.
"Not…not going back, can't make me." she shook her head at Jesse. She didn't understand what was going on, but for all she knew Jesse could be on their side. she was pointing something at her, the things that made loud noises and killed people. she didn't want it to happen to her.

she stood warily of Jesse, looking around the room and how she could possibly escape jessed if she needed too.

Jake's eyes widened as soon as he felt someone behind him. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't all there that had brought his guard down, but it seemed to snap him back to reality, if only for a split second as he jolted when he felt the presence, now moving to jerk away from the individual who had snuck up on him.
It made Jake lose balance momentarily, completely stepping out of his hiding place and crashing into the wall significantly closer to Min-Hyuk. His eyes had a wild panic in them as he was caught between both men, there was no way out and now Jake had to make a decision.

"I got into a fight, alright? Three against one and I really overshot my ability to take them all on." He paused. "Well, not that I had a choice." He spoke, his voice becoming even more strained as he kept a wary eye on both guys, not trusting either.
"The real question should be why the hell are you in cuffs? Either you're a real piece of work the cops are after or a kinky bastard with no shame" Jake mused, the edges of his lips twitching into a near-nervous smile as he kept pressure on his wound, his hand covered in blood.
Jake's eyes flickered over to the light switch that was beside him, hitting the lights. There was no use, they all might as well see who they were talking to.

"And you…" Jake gave Evan a look of disbelief. "Do you always sneak up on others? I could be anyone you know, hurt or not- for example, I could have a knife? Or a gun?" Jake said, gesturing dramatically with his hand despite the vertigo he was currently experiencing from stumbling out into the open, now having nothing to lean on as he tried to maintain a somewhat "healthy" look. He refused to let the parties involved know how bad it really was, opting to not use the wall beside him as support and keep himself upright. It took a lot of effort but Jake pulled it off.
Kind of.
There wasn't a whole lot he could do in this situation and if either guy decided to stick him with something sharp or fill him with bullets, so be it. He wouldn't lay down and take it, but if he died here in the back of a shitty gas station, that was just bad luck and meant the universe had a twisted sense of humor.

He shrugged, "Uh- no I didn't mean to sneak up on you, I swear! I was just coming from behind you because there wasn't any other way to enter the room and one of you called me back here." He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a nervous chuckle. "I wouldn't have cared about if you had a knife or a gun…I just noticed that you needed help and I wanted to help you. I still do…you don't look like you're doing good." He spoke, a look of concern as he stared at Jake.

He sighed softly, looking over at Min Hyuk, "Do you need some sort of help…? I can see your movement…but I don't quite understand what you're doing." He didn't know the story of either of these two…but he still wanted to help as best he could.

He didn't have anything on him to defend himself, even if he wanted too. So if anyone tried to attack him, all he would have is his fists.

Jake stared suspiciously back at Evan, the distrust clearly written all over his face in that moment.
"Yeah… alright.." Jake muttered back, shifting to position himself in a more comfortable position, however, seeming to stagger as he did.

"I really have no business being here and should really leave" Jake suddenly spoke up again, most of it was him covering for the fact that he had a few seconds before his body decided to give up on him. He absolutely did not want these strangers around him should he pass out, there was too much uncertainty and if he could help it, he'd pass out somewhere on the streets where it was empty.
He paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath before he decided to risk it and move, and as soon as he did, everything spun. He hadn't even taken the first step towards leaving but his body was burnt out, most of his energy gone.
"Fuck…" Jake breathed as he slid down the wall and sat himself down on the floor in hopes that maybe he could recompose himself. Maybe Jake didn't trust these guys but there was some sort of level being put into them not doing anything as he tried not to nod off. He was exhausted and falling into unconsciousness was very tempting- not just now, it was always tempting, but especially now that he felt like he had reached the end of the line.

Min-Hyuk stands back, still fidgeting with the small paperclip he had wedged into the keyhole of the handcuffs. His mind racing with his eyes as they dart from one to the other of the boys as they speak to eachother. Offering a stranger help was crazy enough to him in the situation Min-Hyuk-unlike the others- was well aware they were in, but MIn-Hyuk forced himself to take into account that neither of them knew to the full extent what was actually happening outside of the gas station walls they had encased themselves in. His only hope was that he could get out of these cuffs quick enough to either barricade the doors to buy himself time from the inevitable or to run, leaving these two behind.
His eyes narrow as the injured man stumbles to the wall and then to the floor, almost thankful he was weaker than he let on even if now the man was significantly closer to him now.
Focusing on the cuffs the paperclip clicks into place in the back of the keyhole before the latch releases itself from his left hand. Min-Hyuk lets out a heavy sigh before deciding to keep his hands behind his back for a moment as the man helps the other out. Taking yet another step back towards the shelf he previously kicked the gun under, his attention is stolen once more.
“Oh no im good i think i can handle myself so you can focus on Mr. Tough Guy over there” Min-Hyuk replies to Evan, holding his hand up as the silver cuff dangles from his wrist. He stoops down to the floor and sweeps the gun out of from underneath the shelf. Standing back up he makes the decision to put the gun in his back pocket for now as he didnt see either of these men much of a threat.
“Look, its not safe out there anymore,” he starts, taking a deep breath. “There are….i dont even know what to call them…sick-people out there. They’re cannibalizing people in the streets left and right with no care in the world. I just got attacked by one of these freaks while getting arrested, and im telling you theyre no joke. You can break in their kneecaps, rip open their stomach, nothing affects them. Tore off the face of the pig trying to take me to jail too so i guess theyre not all that bad” he says with a shrug, trying his best to find the humor in everything.
“I dont know what happened to you,” Min gestures to Jack on the ground “but id whip yourself back into shape ASAP because as soon as you step out of this gas station youll have to be able to defend yourself and im not planning on sticking around to see you guys get mauled so im out” he finishes, now trying to wedge the paperclip into the other handcuff on his hand.

(Jesse's part coming in a sec)

Jesse lets out a sigh and biting the inside of her lip as she thinks about her next move. The child very obviously thought she was trying to take her. Take her where though? Where had they been keeping her and why is she out now?
She slowly holsters the gun to her side and puts her hands up, “i am not them” she says calmly, wincing in pain from her multiple injuries but the most concerning one being her leg. The tight bandana had hopefully stopped the bleeding but that didnt stop her from feeling lightheaded and weak, though she tries to push past it.
This kid needed help both physically and mentally it was obvious, but how was Jesse expected to do so? Theres nobody else around and from what she had just witnessed not long beforehand she couldnt just leave her. She wouldn't stand a chance out there.
“I can help you but you have to listen,” she says taking a slow step towards the girl, her eyes darting back from the blade in her white knuckles up to her fear-filled face. She felt a pit in her stomach as she looked at the girl, reminding her of herself when she was younger. Scared and lost, covered in blood and ready to claw anyone to death if need be. Nothing a child should have to feel that way, let alone in the circumstances the world appears to be in.
“Are you hungry? I have food in my RV” she offers as a last ditch effort to get her out of her and fast enough to tend to her wounds before anyone else could show up. She didnt think she could take on any more men before regaining her strength first.

Jasper didn't move from her position until she saw Jesse putting the loud thing away, noticing that her hands were empty. She swallowed, her throat dry from lack of water recently. She felt the itch in her throat and fought to ignore it as her eyes trained on Jesse as she spoke.

She …she wasn't with them? Could that really be true? She hadn't seen any others with them besides men in all the time she had been there…and she didn't freak out when she saw that Jasper had killed one of the bad men….maybe it was the truth? Though, she wasn't sure how much she could trust this women…she was seemingly like her only chance to get free from this place.

She noticed a wince in pain from the other girl Infront of her, and her eyes drifted down to how the girl was standing, and the strange cloth wrapped around her leg. Was the lady hurt? How did she get hurt? That's when it hit her …the other men weren't coming to investigate. Normally they would have all come here by now, did she get rid of all them? Is that why she's hurt?

"…did you…did you kill the bad men?" She lowered her blade as she asked her, she didn't drop it completely, but she did lower it enough to be less of a threat to Jesse. Though, when Jesse mention food, her stomach started grumbling loud enough for the other girl to hear. She was really hungry….and thirsty. She waited to hear a response though. She took a step back from Jesse when she took a step forward towards her, she didn't like being approached.

Jesse’s eyes focus on the girls hand, the knife now lowering but not granting her any relief nonetheless. She nods, “ja but ve need to go” she explains, her accent thick, “there are more” She says, half lying. Jesse didn’t know if there were any more of the men that she assumed kept her here but she did know there were more of those things from earlier and they weren’t about to wait for for the two girls to get themselves gathered out of the kindness of their hearts. She knew they had to get out of here and fast so she’d tell the girl anything she needed to hear.
“You are hungry, come, eat” she waves her hand to the girl gesturing for her to follow her out to the RV before taking a few steps back out of the kitchen and into the entryway of the house, holding the door open as she scans her surroundings. Her pulse pounding in her ears and her raspy, heavy breath didn't help with the fact that she was trying to focus on hearing whether or not someone was coming so the longer she waited the more anxious she grew.

(omg im so sorry this is so short)

Jake blinked up tiredly at Min-Hyuk as the other man spoke, a bit of his sass lost to the pain and wounds.
He didn't quite understand what the other was saying - sick people? On the streets? Did a hospital get raided or something? He didn't know, and he wasn't willing to think about it for any more than three seconds.

However, when the word "cannibalize" hit him, he started at it, eyes now suspiciously on Min-Hyuk. Was this guy crazy?

"That's fine-" Jake strained as he put pressure on the still bleeding wound. "I'll take my chances..-" he rasped, eyes trained to the floor as they found the bandages he had been using to wrap himself with.
When had he ever not found himself in a predicament? This wasn't anything new, he'd get through this, too.
…
Except that this was something new, and not something he was equipped with handling - yet. But he'd figure out. He always did. Though… it seemed less and less likely that he would as Min-Hyuk kept rambling about whatever was happening outside. Jake seemed to wilt slightly at the words.
"Safe" had never been a word that had found itself in his vocabulary, and neither had dying, but there was a first time for everything, wasn't there?

Jake kept eyeing Min-Hyuk, searching for the lie in his eyes that he didn't find in the end. He sighed heavily, tilting his head back against the wall at hearing the last words from the other.
"Yeah, alright." he gritted his teeth, now moving to stand and straining with the weight that was his body. "Thanks for the heads up anyhow. I'll get a move on once I fix myself up," he spoke softly, eyes panning down to his bloodied hand once he took it off the affected area.

Her eyes widdened as she listened to her answer, despite her accent being so thick she understood what she got across. The answer was yes. She had set her free, and killed everyone in the house … Would she actually get a taste of freedom? Of fresh air? Would she get to go outside and feel the seasons rush through her hair?

She didn't have time to think about it as she noticed that girl taking a few slow steps backwards away from her…insisting that other men were coming soon and that they needed to leave. She nodded, quick to follow after her. She kept the knife in her hand as she ran after the women, though she was quick to notice that her savior was injured and struggling a bit.

She popped her head out in search of any creatures nearby…and she didn't see any, or smell any either. She nodded for the all clear to the girl next to her. "Seems safe to me." She whispered softly to her, careful not to bring any attention to themselves.

Though she was a bit in awe as she looked around…the world seemed so big, much bigger than she had ever seen in the small little room of hers. Is this what everyone experienced? How far did it go? It seemed like it was going on and on and on and never stopping! It was so….cool, and a bit scary to think about something unfamilar that never ended. She ended up clinging to Jesse a little bit.