Topic: The Ends (Read 59221 times)

Friday · « **Reply #420 on:** April 09, 2009, 03:55:50 PM »

And then she wrote more.

Get ready, I feel a fairly strong stint coming on. No promises, I may get distracted by a cowboy or cowgirl.

1. "Are you OK? What's wrong?"

The girl doesn't reply, but instead suddenly grabs you around the waist and buries her face in your chest.

A bit surprised and put off, you awkwardly pat her back a few times.

"Uh, it's OK. Everything's gonna be OK," you say, mustering as much conviction behind the words as you can. Given that you're not even remotely sure anything at all is going to be OK, you hope it's enough.

After a few moments, she pushes away from you, and turns, wiping at her face with her arms and hands. "I'm sorry," she says.

"Nothing to be sorry about," you reply. "We've all been through a lot."

She sniffles a bit and takes a deep breath. "It's just... I haven't seen anyone since... well, since..."

"Don't worry about it. Really," you interrupt. "I've been on my own for a while, too. It can be... hard."

She turns back to face you. Her face is still a bit moist, but she looks composed. She stares right at you with her one eye. You notice it's a very icy blue. She was probably quite striking before she lost the other one.

Hell, you think, she still is. Even under all the dirt and blood.

"You from around here?" Jesse asks, breaking you out of your thoughts.

"Yeah, sort of. I'm from a city back a ways. It got... destroyed. Infected everywhere. I was forced to move on."

"All alone?"

"Uhh..."

***********************************

1. Tell her your story. Leave out the going crazy parts.

2. Tell her everything.

3. Tell her a brief overview. Explain you're looking for Nicole and David.

4. Lie. Tell her you're alone, looking for safety.

5. On second thought, you don't want company. Politely take your leave.

6. Ask her about her story, instead.

***********************************

Romosome · « **Reply #421 on:** April 09, 2009, 04:02:18 PM »

Tempted to say 3, but...

Heck, 2. God knows when we'll have another quiet moment.

Norondor · « **Reply #422 on:** April 09, 2009, 04:26:12 PM »

3. For now.

Cthulhu-chan · « **Reply #423 on:** April 09, 2009, 07:06:06 PM »

3 sounds good. Time waits for no man, after all.

Zaratustra · « **Reply #424 on:** April 09, 2009, 08:26:18 PM »

McDohl · « **Reply #425 on:** April 09, 2009, 08:40:28 PM »

3 seems solid.

Friday · « **Reply #426 on:** April 09, 2009, 10:06:23 PM »

3. Tell her a brief overview. Explain you're looking for Nicole and David.

"It's a long story," you say. "Can we go back inside?"

Jesse nods, absently brushing a blonde strand away from her eye. You follow her back into the cabin.

With both of you sitting, the birds still chirping away, you give a quick rundown of what's happened to you. Meeting David, Nicole and Jacob at the vet, deciding to leave town, Jacob's death, your near death, and then David and Nicole suddenly vanishing. Although you talk about your discovery of how alcohol has an effect on the infestation, you leave out Benny entirely, and likewise skip over the weird dreams.

Jesse listens silently, nodding here and there, asking a question or two along the way. Mostly she seems calm and cool, collected. The lapse that occurred just a minute ago is gone from her face.

"And then I pulled up into here," you say, leaning back in your chair. "And you know the rest."

Jesse cups her chin in one hand, and her eye drifts away from you, out the window. She also leans back on the couch.

"You're not telling me everything," she says finally.

You shift a bit, uncomfortable. Trying to think of something to say, you begin to open your mouth, but Jesse cuts you off before you can speak.

"It's alright, though," she says thoughtfully. "I wouldn't tell just anyone everything I've been through, either. And also..." she trails off, her gaze coming back to rest on your face.

You cock your head at her. "Also?"

"I think you're an OK guy," she says, and smiles a little. Just a bit. You raise one eyebrow at her and smile back, thinking how much better she looks when she smiles.

Christ, you think. I didn't know I had a thing for jail bait girls.

That reminds you. "How old are you, anyway?"

Jesse shrugs. "What does it matter? Worried I'm not old enough to do this?"

She reaches into a nearby cooler and pulls out a warm beer, pops the lid, and chugs it with visible distaste. After finishing, she reaches in again and tosses you another can.

"Heh. No. Just curious," you say, opening it. "So... what now?"

Jesse shrugs. "I guess you keep going. You know. Find your friends. That little girl needs your help. I'm glad she's got some people looking out for her."

You nod, plug your nose, and pour the beer down your throat, trying to taste it as little as possible. Again, there is a feeling of some sort of fog in your head burning away. This can goes down a lot easier than the first. Seems like your humanity is returning.

Jesse is still staring at you. Her eye seems to be measuring you. Like she's waiting for something.

*************************************

1. "Why don't you come with me? It's a lot safer for us to stick together. I promise, I don't bite."

2. "I'd be grateful if you could give me any supplies you could spare, especially any alcohol. And, uh, my flaregun back."

3. "So what's your story, then?"

4. "No, seriously. I'm curious. How old are you?"

*************************************

Romosome · « **Reply #427 on:** April 09, 2009, 10:16:37 PM »

3. I've talked enough about myself, let's hear this poor girl's story...if she wants to tell it.

Cthulhu-chan · « **Reply #428 on:** April 10, 2009, 12:35:35 AM »

3. Curiosssssssity killed the cat...

No, seriously. I'm interested.

Transportation · « **Reply #429 on:** April 10, 2009, 09:20:59 AM »

3. The sharing of stories promotes group cohesion!

Unless she had her family brutally murdered in front of her eyes, but otherwise

Lady Duke · « **Reply #430 on:** April 10, 2009, 11:25:50 AM »

3 plz.
Maybe she'll mention some crazy shit dreams.

Friday · « **Reply #431 on:** April 10, 2009, 01:32:11 PM »

3. "So what's your story, then?"

Jesse blinks. "Huh."

You frown. "What?"

"Nothing," she says, shrugging. "Just not what I was expecting you to say."

"Oh?" you ask. "What were you expecting?"

She doesn't reply, instead staring out the window. You follow her gaze and see a small bird, brown, with white flecks, alight on a nearby branch and chirp back at some other bird.

A minute or so passes. You remain quiet, waiting.

"My family owned this cabin," Jesse says, finally, softly. "We lived in Limestone. When the infected first showed up, we came here."

"Then Limestone is intact? It wasn't... destroyed?"

Jesse turns to look back at you, folding her hands in her lap. "No."

You wait.

"I... had a little brother. Johnny. He was ten."

You nod.

"We had been out here for about two weeks. No sign of anyone. We brought plenty of supplies, my dad, he was... sort of a survival nut. You know. Jugs of fresh water and beans in the basement, all that. No guns, though. My mom hated guns. Wouldn't let him keep any. Anyway. You'd be surprised how fast you go through food, clean water. Four people. Johnny started to get sick."

You start to say something, but Jesse cuts you off. "No, not infected. Just... sick. Started with a cough, sore throat. Turned into a fever. He got delirious. The aspirin we had wasn't helping much. He was just laying in bed all day, burning up. My dad decided to go back to the city. Said he'd bring medicine, more supplies. Said he knew a guy, some friend of his, survival nut like him, but not married, so free to fully delve into his obsessions with 'being prepared.' He'd only be gone a day, two at the most. He promised."

Somehow, you know the rest already.

"Almost a week passed. Mom was frantic. Johnny got better on his own. I wish he'd have died then. Five days, maybe six, my dad comes back. He's wounded. Said the city was a warzone. He barely made it out alive. Said his friend was dead. He got into a fight with one of those things, and... he was missing an eye."

Silence falls in the room. The birds have gone elsewhere.

"You know the rest. I buried them in the back. All of them." Her voice does not crack. He face is straight, wooden.

"I'm so sorry," you say.

Jesse nods, and stands.

"There's a little country market not far from here. I'll show you the way. It's off the main highway. Hasn't been looted, since I was there last, at least. I make trips there to get more beer and supplies. With the bridge out, you can make it to Limestone from there." She flips the flaregun off her hip and hands it to you, butt first.

You take it, and sit for a moment, thinking.

*******************************

1. Ask her for more. Any dreams? How did she get the rifle? How did she find out about using beer to suppress the infection?

2. "Why don't you come with me to Limestone? It's a lot safer for us to stick together. I promise, I don't bite."

3. "Alright. Thanks."

*******************************

Lady Duke · « **Reply #432 on:** April 10, 2009, 02:13:17 PM »

I'm terribly curious--1

Also, I have obviously been reading too much middle english because I thought you spelled owned wrong. Owened. Silly me.

Kayma · « **Reply #433 on:** April 10, 2009, 02:24:01 PM »

1. I really want her to come with usss, but I dunno if she'll agree if we ask too soon. Still, I'm curious.

Romosome · « **Reply #434 on:** April 10, 2009, 04:32:49 PM »

2. I don't think it's a good idea to press too far after just meeting her. She seemed almost disappointed we didn't ask her to come with right then, too. Asking now seems like a good plan.

EDIT: hurr, wrong number, wow.

Zaratustra · « **Reply #435 on:** April 10, 2009, 05:27:13 PM »

Brentai · « **Reply #436 on:** April 10, 2009, 06:19:18 PM »

Cthulhu-chan · « **Reply #437 on:** April 10, 2009, 06:21:05 PM »

1. These are terribly good questions.

Angry Beaver · « **Reply #438 on:** April 10, 2009, 09:00:40 PM »

Transportation · « **Reply #439 on:** April 11, 2009, 08:25:36 AM »

2. Let us keep the discussion of crazy dreams to a minimum.

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Author Topic: The Ends (Read 59221 times)