Perhaps it wasn't so safe to be on one's own given the circumstances of current events. The road deserted of cars stretched behind her was littered with trash, tire tracks and several smears of blood; a sad sight for anyone to come across. The sun hid behind a cover of clouds, threatening to bring rain close by. There wasn't a single sound in the air - not even one bird singing, not one dog barking, and there was no signs of life anywhere.
The only thing Jade could hear was the light clicking and metallic noises coming from the keyhole lock she was trying to get into. Bobby pins really came in handy when it came to picking locks. Jade didn't know where she'd be without them. The last satisfying click was like music to her ears, and she proudly turned the handle and walked into the building, the words 'pharmacy' on the sign above, picking up her used-to-be trusty baseball bat to come with her. The first thing she did once inside was look for something - anything - to use for a new weapon. There were shards of broken glass all over the floor, empty boxes of medication and bottles with the contents spilled. The place had already been looted for most of the good stuff, but that didn't stop Jade from looking anyway. She rifled through the shelves, finding not much that would help her in the long run. She slid her backpack off her shoulders, putting inside a half empty bottle of sterilization fluid, some almost depleted bandages before turning to the cabinet under the desk that contained more medicines. The glass had also been smashed and some of the items taken. However, Jade took a box of painkillers, and hurriedly stashed them away. They'd come in handy. There was a stairway that lead presumably to the roof, as the store didn't have a second floor. Upon a quick inspection, there was nothing useful up there.
However, she knew what she needed more than anything was something decent to defend herself with. Her baseball bat wasn't so sturdy anymore, and it was painted with dried blood. She knew it wouldn't do her much good any longer than a few more hits, but it was the only thing she could see that could get rid of those things. Guns were definitely something she wasn't used to, despite her grandfather being one who loved the thrill of the hunt. It had never been in her nature to point a gun at anyone to begin with, but when things came down to this, she wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for having to bash a few heads together. She much preferred to sneak around them if it was possible.
Jade frowned, sliding the bag over her shoulders again, and running her hand through her newly cut hair. It was dangerous to have long hair while those... things were around. It was a good way to pull her down or grab her, and now everything had happened, she couldn't give a damn about it anymore. She wanted to survive, and nothing was more important. She picked up her feet and started out of the pharmacy, eyes darkened in thought. When she heard news of the outbreak on television, it felt like something out of a horror movie. Hell, it still did.
As she stepped out of the once automatic doors, she stopped in her tracks, taking a sharp breath in. The street was now crowded with them. Their eyes looked rolled back in their heads, skin discoloured and clothes ripped. They hardly looked like they used to be people anymore. It made Jade's stomach churn to see them look like that. They all had lives at one point, families and friends. Her eyes darted back and forth, trying to carefully step back into the pharmacy. Her grip tightened on her bat, but she stopped as she bumped into the cracked window, and the shatter of glass rang in her ears. It caught the unwanted attention of most of the walkers, and slowly but sure as hell, they started to advance towards the building.
Jade felt her eyes widen and her hands start to shake. s**t! There wasn't even a back door in this ******** building! She hurriedly started moving things in front of the gap in the broken automatic doors; tables, chairs, shelves, anything she was strong enough to push. She turned on her heel and started to the roof, closing the door behind her. She cursed profusely, trying to figure some kind of way out of the situation. The street was still crawling with them, and she could guarantee at least a sprain if she were to jump anyway. She could hear the grunts get louder and closer, and she felt the drop in her chest that was almost certain doom.
[********]
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It was a miserable day. Clouds covered the sun that provided the only warmth on this dismal planet, and they were dark with the threat of a heavy rain storm. Not that he minded so much. In fact, he whistling quite a happy little tune as he walked down the deserted street, a fireman's axe propped on his shoulder. Clyde was in a relatively good mood, despite the Hell humanity was going through right now. If there even was a human left besides him. He highly doubted it. Still, it was fun to go around and smashing the zombies heads in, their blood spattering everything nearby.
The raven-haired male stood at about five feet eleven inches, muscled body due to his training to become a fireman. ((Sexy right!?)) His pale blue eyes were said to be his most prominent feature, but there was a secret behind those eyes. Even though Clyde used to save people for a living, he got more of a thrill by killing people. He never hurt an innocent, but he loved the feeling of something falling at your feet, lifeless, void of choice or reason. Even though these things were that anyways. He didn't care; it was all so much fun!
As he turned a corner, his whistling stopped as the street became flooded with zombies. A smirk spread over his lips as he looked around at the bloody scene he was about to cause when, suddenly, he heard something on the other side of the mob. Glass shattering? Another survivor? He stood on his toes to get a better look, finally seeing someone pressed against the glass of the pharmacy. Those things turned and headed toward the sound, driven only by that sense alone, not being able to see or smell well. He shook his head. What to do: save the only other human being possibly alive, or keep moving and be the possibly only human being alive? Save the other!
He glanced around, looking for some way to save the person when he saw them on the roof, looking around for an escape. It was a female! My, my, my, he thought to himself with surprise. Definitely save her now. Clyde hopped on his toes, hoping the movement would make him think faster. "Hey assholes!" he shouted, and swung the metal part of his axe against a light post. The sound echoed through the street and all shuffling of feet stopped as the creatures turned to their new, closer, prey. That was all the time he needed because within seconds he was gone, headed around the long way with the hopes that he would meet up with that girl.
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Jade was busy praying for her life as she heard the sounds of groans and grunt and shuffling of feet grow louder with the quantity of zombies closing in. She couldn't see much of a way out aside from leaping down, but there were even walkers that would outnumber her if she were to land and hurt her legs or ankles. She leaned cautiously over the edge of the roof, counting each one individually. How many of them would get a decent meal out of her? Her eyes narrowed. She was going to try it. Try and jump down and make a hasty getaway. She swung her legs over the edge and sat there taking deep intakes of breath to prepare herself. She never had been one for heights, but wimping out was the last thing on her mind. She shuffled more and more closer to the very edge, teetering very near to jumping when she heard a voice. And it wasn't a mangled gargle like most of the voices on the undead. It was a human voice. It was like music to Jade's ears. She immediately thought against her idea on jumping, and pushed herself back to the safety of the roof again, watching as the zombies turned and started to head another direction.
Her eyes wandered to the keeper of the voice and in her eyes, he looked as good as a night in shining armour. The thing was, though, how could she be so sure he was doing this to help her? In her time out in the open during the outbreak, she'd found people were hard to trust, and although he was helping her escape this building, perhaps she needed to stay on her toes.
She waited quietly for them to move away from the doorways before moving to make her escape. She grabbed her bat, looking around for anything else she could use. She scanned the roof until she came across some rickety pipes going down the building. She knelt down and secured herself with one foot and took the pipe with both hands, attempting to rip it away. Her teeth clenched and she fueled herself with the thought that this was the closest thing she could get to a good weapon so far. It suddenly came loose and she was able to pull it out. She fell on her back from the sudden break from the pipes, but she gathered herself and started her way back down the stairs. The pharmacy was deserted, and in even more of a mess than it was when she first came in. She stepped through the now broken window, and quickly started down the street. Even if she was spotted by a few of them, they were slow and stupid. She could outrun them fine as long as they weren't scattered everywhere. She made a mental note to thank her saviour if she were to come across him in a more safer area.
Now thinking about it, Jade wondered if he'd be okay with all those things following him. He looked pretty confident, and as he was armed with an axe - a much better weapon than the ones she had to make do with. She looked around, wondering which ways to turn. She'd been wandering for a while. She hardly had a clue where this place even was, and if there was anything useful. That guy was the only survivor she'd met through this whole ordeal so far. She sure as hell hoped he wasn't the only one. She ran her hand through her hair with a long sigh. This zombie stuff was exhausting. She used to get hyped up playing video games, let alone the real thing. She wished she had appreciated those days more now.
Perhaps it was best to go looking for the man that helped her out. It was ballsy enough to attract the attention of so many of them at once, but doing it alone must have been a big challenge. Plus, she didn't want to feel like she was the only one around any more. It was so daunting. She shifted the pipe to the other hand, and pressed her back against the wall of the nearest building, that lead into the nearest alleyway leading to the next road. There was a single one of the undead in there, her clothes ripped up and stained and splattered with blood. It was enough to make Jade want to be sick, but she advanced closer and swung the pipe into the once-girl's head. A horrible cracking sound filled the air, and Jade's eyes closed up tight as the blood managed to hit her face and clothes. A couple more smashes to make sure, and the body laid lifeless on the floor. She walked to the next road, looking out for the other survivor. It wasn't wise to call out, but she tried to spot him out, as well as look for places that looked deserted enough for her to change places to.
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As he ran, he glanced over his shoulder once or twice to make sure they were all following him. They were. Stupid creatures. Clyde shook his head as he ran down the street, taking a sharp turn here and a sharp turn there, when he came back onto the main road behind the mass of undead flesh. He had gotten out alive! Wonderful! Now to find that woman...
He dashed down a street, looking for a living female. There were other females, but not of the living kind, and he would dare not venture that territory, thank you very much! He came to a mechanics hut, the garage door wide open, and only one zombie walking around inside. Easy kill, good fortification, maybe actually even get some sleep! The raven-haired male stepped forward towards the one wanderer and smashed the axe into his head, his brain being severed into two symmetrical pieces. Yummy.
He turned his attention back to the road after having dragged the dead carcass out and searched for the young woman. There she was! He raised his arms and waved her over, wanting to shout to her and call her name, but there were a couple things: one, he didn't know her name, two, those things would follow him again and he'd have nowhere to sleep, and three, he couldn't seem to find his voice at a time like this.
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Jade quickly found the dark haired man thanks to his flailing, most likely to get her attention, considering he was looking straight at her. Nearby to him was a now dead body, its head sliced into two pieces. Well, that was one way to make sure they wouldn't come back.
While she waved her free hand casually back to the man, she couldn't help but smile and feel like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wasn't alone anymore. She didn't have to go through this by herself, and even just the thought and the idea that other may even be alive was comforting. Jade quickly checked both sides of the street, seeing on one side the crowd of zombies that had originally been after her, and that he had chased away. Seems like he'd given them the slip; they were both lucky those things were so dumb.
She quickly skittered across the road, while on her way a raincloud went over her relieving thoughts. What if he was dangerous? There were some dangerous people out here, and she was sure that if there were other survivors, not all of them were going to be friendly. She needed to keep on her toes around him. Figure him out and keep suspicious.
She got across the road and peered inside the building that the new face had appeared to clear out. Only the one in there? Today was a good day when it came to the quantity of these guys. And not the alive one either. She carefully stepped inside, and turned on her heel to face him.
"Thanks." She said quickly. "For, you know.." She gestured using her pipe outside towards the direction of the horde. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's your name? How long have you been here?" She had so many questions for him. "Are you all by yourself?" While she waited for him to finish answering her incoming questions, she continued to look around the mechanic's hut. Was he thinking of staying here for a while? It looked pretty secure to spend a while in. Maybe it would be pushing her luck to wonder if there was any food in this place. Any vending machines or water coolers, for example. It couldn't hurt to look, right? She kept hold of her only weapon, keeping her eyes fixed on her saviour. She wasn't going to lie, he was extremely attractive. Especially since he probably didn't have much time to clean himself up physically. She'd always loved the rugged types. Jade tried to keep focused, finally managing to tear her eyes away for a few minutes to look around. It was going to be hard to keep her guard up when she wanted to get to know him. He must've had his own interesting story about how he came to be here.
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Clyde nodded to her as she thanked him for the rescue. She was incredibly beautiful, even though he was much fonder of women with long hair, but she suited the short hair. And he figured she had short hair because those things dragged you down pretty hard to whatever they could latch on to. Her clothes were ragged, ripped, and dirty, but she wore them with pride as if to say at least I'm alive. His clothes were pretty much the same, but his jeans he had ripped into shorts for easier movement; kinda hard to run when you've got so much restrictions.
Then she asked for his name, how long he'd been here, and if he was by himself. Well, for starters, "Clyde Donovan, and I've been wandering around this town for a few days, and yes, I'm all by myself. Your turn." He hadn't meant to sound rude, but now wasn't really a time for formalities. He wanted to see if he could trust this woman before offering her a place for the night before they go their own ways. Maybe they didn't have to go their own ways; maybe they could even stick together. They may have to repopulate the Earth though...NO Stop it, Clyde! Don't think like that, perv!
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Jade's brow furrowed slightly, her lips twisting into a small frown. She knew it wasn't the time to exactly have a nice chat and smiles and laughs as if nothing was going on, but it couldn't hurt to at least sound a little nicer and less blunt. She huffed lightly, finally letting her defenses down to cross her arms over her chest. "My name's Jade Palmer." She started, glancing over her shoulder at Clyde. "I only just got here this morning. That pharmacy was my first stop. I'm pretty good with keeping in the shadows and sneaking around and picking locks, so I've been surviving so far." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm on my own too... It's not really the best idea though."
She turned around to face him again, allowing her eyes to settle on the good looking guy again. Damn him and his rugged looks! She was supposed to be keeping on her toes around him! Near to him was the doorway they came through to the building. In the spot she was standing, she couldn't see any zombies close enough to see them, considering they couldn't see well anyway. Perhaps they were safe for now. The idea of a rest made Jade's eyes twinkle. Even a wink of sleep was exciting! "Are you planning on staying here for the night?" She couldn't help but ask, a hint of hopefulness in her voice.
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He couldn't help but stare at her. Had it really been so long since he'd seen an attractive female that he couldn't even have the proper manners to look away? Well, in this day and age...yes! A twinkle shone through Jade's eyes as an idea seemed to come to her head and she asked if he was staying there for the night. "Well, I was planning on it," he said, taking a quick glance around, "and you're welcome to stay here, too. I could use the extra set of eyes. We gotta get the garage door closed and gather anything else we need before it gets dark. Ready?" Clyde was determined at that moment to keep her safe, because if they were the last two humans left a live on this planet, he sure as hell didn't want to be reproducing with himself. ((Had to, it was funny!))
After the garage door was closed, everything was rummaged through the grocery part of the attached store, and as many safety precautions taken as necessary, Clyde finally set down his weapons and pulled his shoes off. His feet were horrendously sore and he could feel blisters forming on the bottom of them. This was not his best time. "So where were you when this all happened?" he asked Jade, beginning to rub his own feet.
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Jade sighed outward in relief. Finally, a safe place to stay for a while. And to be honest, maybe some company would be good for her. And probably for Clyde too. Who knew how long he'd been by himself? She nodded her head in agreement. They did need supplies. Food and some kind of drink mostly. "Sure thing." She said. "I've got some medical supplies in my backpack from when I saw you at the pharmacy." She slid it off from around her shoulders, gently putting it down on the floor next to her. "There wasn't too much left, but I got into some of the medical cabinets and got a few packs of painkillers and some bandages." She felt rather proud of herself for her accomplishment, even if it wasn't really much of an appropriate time to be patting herself on the back. Picking a few locks was nothing compared to what some others had to do to stay alive. She was sure not everyone who had their life taken from them recently wasn't always a zombie. Jade felt goosebumps rise on her skin to think about what else happened.
She spent the next several hours with Clyde, securing the building as well as looting the small store for things to keep them nourished. She occasionally kept sneaking glances through the shelves at her new companion. Damn he was hot, she could only just keep herself concentrated enough to keep helping out. She checked all the alarms to disarm any of them that were left on, but there was no sign of any power whatsoever, which was relieving. While she could handle her way around disarming small appliances, she wasn't exactly a bomb defuser.
Jade was as exhausted as Clyde was when they made their way to sit down and finally rest. It felt so good to be able to let her defenses down for a while and relax. She hadn't felt like that in a long time. She turned her head to Clyde when he started up another conversation, asking her where she was when the outbreak started. She glanced away, frowning.
"Well naturally, I didn't really believe it when I heard about it on the news." She began, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, it's the kind of thing you only hear about in video games or movies." She stifled a laugh, but it was short and wasn't very sincere. "But once you hear the moans and them all banging on your doors and windows it suddenly hits you, it's so surreal." She propped her hands up with her elbows and rested her head down in them, sighing deeply. "My family all live in the countryside, I have no idea whether they're okay or not. The phone lines are all dead." She sat in the same position for a while, letting it all sink in slowly. Even now it was hard to believe. She lifted her head up shortly after, smiling bravely. "No matter. I'm sure they're fine. What about you?" She asked in return, genuinely curious. Not that she wanted to pry, of course. Everyone had a story.
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He pulled his shoes back on as she spoke and dusted his hands off. She had no family alive, that she knew of. So she truly was alone. It was sad to think that such a sweet girl had nobody, and she was out here all on her own. Clyde didn't mind so much for him, he preferred to work alone really. Even in the fire department he was known as reckless because he would rush in ahead of the group, alone, and do the job. He did a good job, regardless of how unorthodox it was. He glanced over at her with his blue eyes and nodded, understanding that it would be hard to accept. Then she asked about him. "I was in the fire department when it all went to hell. I was on a call when I first saw one. Before it really got onto television. The burning corpse coming towards me, moaning like they do. I thought it was a person, until it decided to lunge at me. Killed that ******** right then and there," he said and winced at the language he used, remembering his manners. "After that, it just started to spread. I was at home when the first broadcast went out. And by the time I got to my sisters' house, she was already dead along with her family. Three kids, all toddlers."
Clyde was silent for a moment, remembering the charred bodies of his family. His brother-in-law, the husband, had burned the house when he realized he had killed his family in order not to die, and then he fled. The fireman had no idea where he was. Probably dead. Probably alive. Maybe he found somewhere safe. Clyde turned his head back to Jade and gave her a weak smile. "Let's not remember horrible stuff, we live in it enough already. What do you like to do?" he asked, anything to get away from the horrible memories.
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Jade raised her eyebrows in interest as Clyde mentioned getting a call from the fire department. That must have meant he used to work as a fireman. She didn't dwell on it too much as she carried on listening to his story, about how he not so hesitantly killed his first zombie. Then again, what was he supposed to do? If he hadn't done that, he probably would've been bitten. He wouldn't even be here right now.
She felt her heart sink in her chest when he mentioned his sister and her family were dead by the time he got there. That must've been rough to see. Part of her wanted to lean over and just hug him tight. Then again, he looked like he was strong and able to keep going even after. The guy must have been made of steel. Jade felt slightly sick to keep thinking of such a horrible sight, and she put her hand over her mouth as she tried to take her mind off of it. She turned her head back to Clyde, pulling her hand away from her mouth and giving him a reassuring smile back.
"I played in a band before... everything started." She said. "I played the keyboard, but I used to play piano sometimes too. I have a great love for music." She grinned. It felt great to remember the happier times. "Dancing and playing music. It sounds kind of old fashioned to say it." She laughed lightly, leaning back against the wall. Sure, it wasn't as great as lounging around on a couch back home, but she couldn't complain. They were both safe from the zombies for the time being. "So you were a firefighter? That's awesome! I bet you couldn't keep the ladies away from you." She lightly joked.
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He chuckled as she commented how old fashioned it seemed to dance and play music. True, it did seem old fashioned, but it was a great thing to be thinking about in a time like this. Especially in a time like this. He could hear piano playing in his head, his father tapping away at the keys as his mother sang during their Christmas parties when he was young. He remembered sneaking down the stairs to listen and watch the drunken folk sing together. He snapped back to the present when Jade's voice continued, but with a question. The ladies? Clyde laughed quietly, not wanting to attract too much attention of the zombies outside. "I did get a lot of phone numbers, but that was never my idea of meeting a woman," he said and repositioned himself, this time laying on his back with his hands behind his head. "Honestly, I was waiting for the right one to come along. I met a few girls here and there, but none of them fit what I wanted or needed. God, I sound kinda gay."
Clyde chuckled at his own comment as he ran a hand over his face, peaking a glance at Jade from between his fingers. She was beautiful, and he never thought he'd like a woman with short hair; it seemed to suit his new companion quite well. It was sad the circumstances otherwise he would have figured she may be the one. But, with those things wandering around, there was no time to tell if she was. They couldn't go on dates, they couldn't fall asleep in each others' arms, they couldn't make love or raise a family. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he didn't realize he had made a sound...
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Jade brought her knees to her chest and watched Clyde as he replied to her question on the girls. A soft smile came to her lips, and she shook her head softly at him. "It doesn't make you sound gay." She said, the amusement clear in her voice. "You just sound like a guy who knows what he likes and doesn't like." She grinned. "It's kind of cute." She laid back her head against the wall and closed her eyes for a brief moment. It was getting cold without the power to heat the place up. As it got darker, it got a lot colder. She brought her arms around her legs and held her hands, making herself curl into a tighter ball, feeling goosebumps start to rise up on her arms and shoulders. She opened her eyes and turned her head when she heard the small sigh come from Clyde, and she raised one eyebrow to see him looking at her, the smile from earlier still on her face.
"Didn't do a good job on my hair, right?" She joked, figuring that must have been what he was looking at. "I needed all my bobby pins to pick locks so I just decided I'd grow it all back another time." If she wasn't dead in that long amount of time. She fumbled with her fingers uncomfortably at the thought. Hopefully, now she had a companion with her, the chances of them getting hurt was less than before. She hoped with every fiber in her body that there'd be some other people out there. Alive ones at that. There were plenty of people out there who didn't happen to still be alive. Not in the good way, anyway.
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As she commented how cute it was that he knew what he wanted, he moved his hands away and looked at her full on, as she continued to talk about her hair. Jade assumed he was looking because it was bad. Clyde sat upright quickly and turned to face her, his legs crossed. "No, no, no, not at all," he said hastily, putting his hands up to stop her from continuing on berating herself. "It's beautiful, just sad to think of the reason why you cut your hair. You know...with those things around." Almost as if on queue, a moan could be heard from outside the garage as one of those things ambled by, it's arm hitting the door at one point.
When it passed, Clyde resumed to looked at Jade and noticed she had little goosebumps and seemed to shiver from time to time. "Are you cold? Here," he said, and shifted positions to sit next to her and draped his arm over her shoulders. This was no time for modesty, and more a time for chivalry, to warm up the woman you saved. Sounded a little romantic, but again, this wasn't a good time to ponder. "I would build a fire, but there's no ventilation and we'd die of smoke inhalation before the zombies even figured out there were people in here. I hope you don't mind I'm doing this." He shut his mouth loudly, realizing he was rambling. You'd think he'd never been around a woman before the way he was going on!
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Jade blinked when Clyde moved his hands up to deny that being what he meant. She smiled sheepishly as he complimented it instead, her hand instinctively moving up to run her hand through it again. "Oh, yeah, you're right." She said, referring to the reason she cut it. She glowed with new found confidence in her new hairstyle as she shifted herself around to face him with her own legs crossed. She looked down at her arms dotted with goosebumps as he asked her if she was cold. The next thing she knew, once she lifted her head, he was sitting next to her. She could feel the body heat from him already radiating onto her, and even more so when he put his arm around her.
"That's actually a lot better." She said with a smile. She lightly shuffled up closer, not being able to help but be drawn in by the warmth. She frowned as he spoke, talking about how the idea of making a fire was too dangerous. "I guess you're right." She replied, nodding her head thoughtfully.
She turned her head to look at his face as he closed his mouth after openly wondering if she didn't mind him being so close. She shook her head. "We've got to do what we've got to do to survive. Now's not the time for needing personal space. Thank you, by the way. Maybe it'd be best if we slept together like this." That was the time for her to shut her own mouth, feeling her face heat up slightly. "I mean, um, you know. Fall asleep close by so we can keep warm."
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He glanced down at her from the corner of his eyes and snickered, giving her shoulders a firm squeeze. "I know what you meant," he said and smiled reassuringly to her. Was she thinking of re-population of the Earth as well, or was he just imagining things? "That's a good idea, though, Jade. These autumn nights are more like winter these days, that's never a good sign. So, let's get more comfortable shall we?" He removed his arm from the woman's shoulders, albeit reluctantly, and shuffled over to his backpack to pull out a blanket and small plastic packages. These packages were gel filled that grew warm as they moved, making it easier to warm up the body. He pulled the blanket over Jade first and then himself, putting his arm around her again.
"You know, I've never felt closer to someone before now," he commented quietly, the day's events and the scare of the creatures outside slowly dwindling away as he grew more comfortable and more relaxed. "Also, I'm a light sleeper, so don't worry about staying awake for a watch or anything like that. I gotcha ya."
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Jade felt her heartbeat slow once again at the reassuring smile from Clyde and the squeeze on her shoulder. To be honest, while she did know some time she'd probably have to help repopulate as long as there were only a few humans left on the earth... She glanced at Clyde, spying through her half-closed eyes. Of course, as long as they were together that way in the first place! She turned away to try and not think about that at the moment. There could've been plenty of people left anyway! She let him move away for a while to get the blanket from his backpack before coming back again, and soon she felt the warmth from him once again. She pulled the blanket around herself, making sure to leave space for him to have some as well.
She allowed herself to lean into Clyde, getting herself comfortable. The blanket was already warming her up; especially when there was the warmth of another human being next to her as well. She nodded her head slowly as he told her he was a light sleeper, smiling. "Thanks, Clyde." She said. "And you're right. We're going to have to stick together from now on, I think. Being out there by ourselves is a sure deathtrap." She closed her eyes, feeling like a weight was let off her shoulders. Finally, a decent sleep for the first time in several days. She already felt herself drifting off into a gentle sleep, feeling safe now.
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He waited until she had fallen asleep completely before he began to drift off, wanting to make sure everything was okay for now. It seemed that way, the shuffling of those things could be heard outside, but they were in no immediate danger. Clyde rested his head against the wall behind him, thinking about his past and stuff the lead up to meeting Jade. He glanced down at her peaceful face, the lines and wrinkles of stress and exhaustion easing away with every passing second. He felt his eyes close, and then he was asleep.
A few hours later, he awoke, his eyes opening wide quickly and glancing around the dark room, completely forgetting where he was and who he was with. He felt a warm body against him and glanced at the female, a small smile spreading across his lips. That's right, he'd met a girl and they'd slept together! He chuckled at that thought and the way it sounded, shifting the blankets to cover the woman more. They had both fallen over at one point, and he was laying behind her, spooning, but it kept them both warm. He reached an arm over her waist and pulled her closer, his eyes closing once more into sleep...
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Nice dreams about spending time with family weren't about to remake an appearance for Jade. As they had been for the past few weeks, she uncomfortably squirmed around under the blanket; occasionally sitting upright and feeling around to make sure she wasn't by herself. The feel of the clothing of another person next to her made her feel better, and the groans from outside didn't seem so loud after that. The warmth and the solitude, aside from Clyde was nice for a change, instead of resorting to raiding stores just to get a fix of coffee to keep her up for another night.
By the time she woke up, she assumed it was early morning. The birds had stopped singing since the outbreak started, so she couldn't really tell much. She wished this place was more stocked so the two of them could stay for longer, but it was pretty empty.
She moved to sit up, but stopped to feel an arm wrapped around her waist, and she suddenly became aware of the closeness between the two. She pursed her lips, lying back down. She didn't want to wake the poor guy. He probably hadn't had much sleep recently either. They both needed it. She turned around instead, so she was facing him. He looked at peace and calm, which made her feel a lot more relaxed too. She wriggled closer and found a nice spot to rest her head in the crook of his neck, where it was extremely comfy. After all, it was warm. That's what they were so close for. Sure. The warmth.
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Clyde breathed in deeply, catching a whiff of something he hadn't smelled in a long time: a woman's natural scent. Sounds gross, but he liked it. His eyes opened for the final time and he glanced down to see Jade facing him, her head in the crook of his neck. He smiled absently and ran a hand through her hair, when he realized what he was doing and that she was awake. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and removed his hand, raising it above his head in surrender. "Still tired, ya know? What time is it? We should probably get moving regardless, this place is getting empty and we can't stay here for long."
He pulled the blanket off of them, immediately moving so the warmth would stay in his body and began packing up his things and whatever he could carry...
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Jade raised her eyebrows, twitching slightly in surprise at the touch on her hair. It felt nice and comforting, but before she could open her mouth to say hello, he pulled back and she did so as well, feeling the cold air come between them as she sat up. Her head was sore from lying on the hard ground, so she put her hand in that spot and rubbed as she moved to kneel while Clyde got up to pack his things.
She got up and started the same, lazily crawling over to her backpack and picking it up. She checked inside for the things she already had, before going around to look at the other things around the place. They hadn't found too much in their search the night before, but it couldn't hurt just to check again. She slung her bag over her shoulders again, securing it tightly. She turned to him and smiled, smoothing down her clothes after they'd been wrinkled. Not that it mattered much, anyway. "Whenever you're ready." She said, and picked up her weapon from the floor. "We'd better be ready to smash some heads if needed, too." She said grimly. "I don't know how many'll be outside the door."
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He nodded, his face passive, showing no emotion. It was clear, however, that he resented the fact such a beautiful woman had to resort to violence to stay alive in this cruel, forsaken world, but so did he. He hoisted his axe onto his shoulder, and pulled his backpack straps tighter on his shoulders, readying himself. He bent down near the garage door, ready to open it. Clyde looked to Jade for confirmation that she was ready. "There's a small apartment building about three blocks from here, we should head there," he said and opened the large door to be momentarily blinded by sunlight, confirming it was about midday. His eyes adjusted quickly, knowing those things were around and that him and Jade could be in mortal danger. Fear makes you see better, apparently.
The grating sound of metal on metal alerted the walkers nearby, all turning their heads as they made their way towards the two humans. Clyde could feel his heart begin to slow as he calmed, going to that place he had feared of going to in front of Jade. He turned to her and grabbed her hand, forcing them both to run towards the apartment building he had told her about earlier. If he could delay the blood-crazed warrior inside him, maybe just maybe, she would stick around longer.
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Jade shielded her eyes with her hand as the door opened, the loud noise of grinding metal alerting her. Those things could obviously hear that. The sense of hearing was the best thing those zombies had to find food. So much for keeping quiet. She nodded her head to his idea. "Sounds good to me." She said, not bothering to keep her voice down. She knew for a fact the walkers would be on their way now. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the light before starting to walk out, ready for anything. She raised her weapon and held her breath. Her head was spinning with nerves already, and her legs felt like jelly. She didn't want to fight if she didn't have to. She watched as the shuffling footsteps of the things drew closer.
But before she could even touch a walker with her weapon, she felt a grasp on her free hand, and a sharp pull in the direction he was starting to run. Her legs followed suit and she started to sprint as well, her mouth open to speak. She felt a rotten hand reach out and try to grab her by the shirt, only being able to get a light grip on it before she had run out of its range. They were too slow to be chased by for too long, and they didn't have to sharpest attention spans either. "s**t! What if one of us gets grabbed?" She asked between breaths, trying hard to keep up with Clyde.
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As he pulled her, he could hear his heart beating in his ears, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he ran, resisting the urge to kill. From over his beating heart he heard Jade ask about being grabbed. Without turning to face her, and without stopping their run, he replied, "Then we fight to keep each other alive."
He rounded the corner with his new companion in tow when he skidded on his heels. There, in front of them, was the apartment building he had mentioned. They were almost there! But, as fate would have it, there was also a small band of zombies milling about. The duo hadn't been detected yet, but it would only be a few moments before the ones behind them caught up. "s**t," he whispered, still grasping Jade's hand. He was very aware of her presence then, and how he had to keep her alive at least. That would be the firefighter mentality coming back. "We gotta kill them, to get there. Ready?"
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Jade only stopped when she realized Clyde had stopped, but her legs didn't seem to stop in time and she ran into him, bumping hard into him and grunting. She took the opportunity to stop and take several deep, long breaths, her hand still holding onto Clyde's hand. His longer strides took her breath away from her after having to run after him to avoid him pulling her arm off. She only then looked up, her eyes firstly moving up at the tall apartment building, and then dauntingly down at the crowd of walkers; the only things standing between the two and the next place of (somewhat) safety. She frowned. Nothing could be easy for them, could it? Her fingers tightened on her current weapon. She glanced over to her partner with eyes that showed hesitation and reluctance. She felt guilty for doing it, but it wasn't like those things would stop if she did. There wasn't much else she could do about it.
Looking back at the horde, she swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. "Yeah," She said. "I'm ready." She head the groans behind them get closer. "Maybe one of us can take the ones behind and the others in front?" She suggested. "We're close by to each, other, so we can always call to each other for help."
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His face showed annoyance and sadness. He wasn't ready to fight to the death with someone he just met, but it meant their survival and that's what they needed. Clyde turned to her and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. He smiled and turned to the group behind him.Raising his axe as he let Jade's fingers slide from his, and suddenly his face turned dark and wild. His eyes flashed with anger and, what appeared to be, hunger. Winking at her, he let out a feral growl as he charged to the group behind, causing a little confusion with the dumb creatures as he hacked and slashed the brains out.
Within mere minutes he had already cleared through three zombies, his energy and enthusiasm never dying down. It was almost like he lived for the moment, the blood only adding to the frenzied beast inside of him. Clyde had cleared the back group of seven zombies within the exact amount of time and turned to check on Jade...
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Jade chased after Clyde's lips as he pulled away, although the confusion on her face was clear. She'd only just met the guy and he was kissing her? Not so long ago, she had no idea whether he was safe to be around or not.
Speaking of being safe to be around, her eyes widened as she saw the change in Clyde. His eyes darkened, filled with the look of blood-lust. She pursed her lips, feeling her heart thump in her throat. The kiss he gave her was suddenly not all she was thinking about. The growl he let out made her cheeks burn and she turned away as he ran off, cursing under her breath. Stupid little crushes weren't something she should've been dealing with. Not now. She peeked over her shoulder as he smashed through each zombie effortlessly, getting covered in their dark thick blood. She soon turned around to her own group of enemies, all slowly but surely making their way towards her. She raised her weapon and moved forward to bring the metal pipe down on one of the walkers' heads. It crushed through the skull, and blood poured out, staining her clothes and skin instantly. She watched it fall to the floor, and hit it once more for good measure, making sure that one was completely dead.
While she was making sure, she felt a grab on her arm, yanking her away and on the ground. The closest zombie was starting to fall on their knees to bite her, so Jade kicked her legs and swiped them underneath the zombie, knocking it down too. She scrambled to her feet, and hastily stomped her foot down on the fallen one's head. She brought her hand up and wiped the blood from her face, smearing it over her cheek and hands. Perhaps there was a working water supply in the apartments where she could wash some of this stuff. She continued to throw kicks and hit the zombies, although the occasional grab was always there. She was nowhere near as talented as Clyde when it came to this. As a matter of fact, she didn't think she could hold it up much longer. She felt a hand wrap around her ankle, and she fell to the floor again, grunting as she heard the sound of her metal weapon hit the floor with a loud clang. "********!" She exclaimed. She desperately looked to Clyde. "Clyde!" She yelled. "Are you okay to help me?"
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Just as Clyde turned to check on her, he heard the loudest curse and the heavy sound of metal on concrete. He turned fully as the last of his attackers fell to the ground to see Jade on the ground wrestling with one of those creatures. She called out to him, asking for help.Not even taking the second to register that she was in danger, too consumed with killing those things, he charged forward and headbutted the zombie nearest her right in the chest, sending it reeling back. Clyde rubbed the top of his head and reached a hand down to help the young woman up. The blood-lust still evident in his eyes as he yanked her up roughly, wrapping his arm around her waist and swinging his axe behind her, beheading the creature that had dared to venture to close.
Then, there was no noise. No shuffling, no moaning. They were all dead. A dozen or so of the creatures lay around them, blood everywhere and the stench of death heavy in the air. The smell was so known to these two travelers though, that it didn't seem noxious or exotic. Clyde still held Jade close to his body, and his breathing was still haggard, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he tried to calm down and return to his humanity. After about ten seconds, he looked down at her. "You okay?"
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Jade shut her eyes tightly, praying for Clyde to come in soon and help her out. They only opened again when she felt no movement of anyone to bite her or eat her, and she exhaled deeply and sat up, turning her head to see him holding a hand out for her to grab, and she took it, quickly scurrying to her feet. She didn't object to how close the two were, but soon she became aware that Clyde had more or less gone on a merciless killing spree just now, and to her, it looked like he enjoyed every second. Her chest heaved up and down as her deep breathing slowed down, and she looked across the ground at the lifeless bodies littering the floor. She looked up at her savior, seeing he was starting to calm down now, and then he asked if she was okay.
"I think so..." She said, in one deep breath. "I'm not as... accustomed to killing these things as much as you seem to be." She looked down at the one he had headbutted, and send crashing to the floor, and back to Clyde as his breathing had started to slow down again, bringing him back down to earth from his frenzy. She had to be honest; seeing him riled up and rough like that was kind of... hot. "Anyway, we should be going." She said, changing the subject for herself more than anything. "You're okay too, right? I've got some bandages and painkillers if you need any."
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He released her from his embrace as his breathing became regular, his dark eyes darting around at the dead bodies littered on the pavement. He was very much aware of how animalistic he had been, and how aroused he was at the sight of the blood. Not sexually, but just...aroused. Clyde turned to Jade as she confirmed she was okay, and asked him the same. He nodded and looked to the apartment building. "We should get going before more of them come," he said and started walking. He was silent now, contemplating whether he should leave Jade or not. He didn't want to, but part of him figured she would take off anyways after seeing him like that, and he didn't want the pain of being alone, so he'd force himself to be alone. What stupidity...
As they neared the building, he led them around to the side alley where there was a fire escape staircase leading up to the roof. It'd be preferable to stay in one of the apartments, out of the weather and see if any had running water, but would they have such luck? Unfortunately, the one ladder leading upwards was too high to pull down, and he knew they may both be too tired to jump. "If I lift you, you think you can pull that down?" he asked her, pointing to the ladder above them.
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Jade eyed Clyde carefully as he started walking, stepping over the lifeless bodies in order to get to the apartment. She pressed her lips together in deep thought, going over what had just happened as she picked up her own feet and followed behind. He looked back to normal now, not some kind of animal-like frenzied man anymore. She kept thinking of things to ask him, but whenever she opened her mouth to speak, she thought twice and shut it again. She didn't feel she should complain about him. She'd have been dead if he wasn't with her, and his... skill was going to be very useful for him in times like this.
When they stopped at the fire exit from the apartments, she glanced at him and nodded in confirmation to his question. "Sure," She said with a small tired smile. "And by the way, thanks for helping me back then. You sure kicked some a**." She returned the wink he had given her before his small episode, and then held her arms out for him to pick her up.
Once she was high enough, she grabbed the ladder and used both her weight and a hard tug to pull it down. It made a sound similar to the metal grating that they had uncovered from lifting the door from their last shelter, but it soon came down nearly to the floor, low enough to climb from the floor. "Okay, let's go and see if there's anything useful in this place." She said.
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He gave her a half smile when presented with the wink and hoisted her up, visually thanking her for the comment. Clyde's past as a fireman definitely helped out now, easily holding Jade in place as she pulled down the ladder so they could climb up. As they ascended the ladder, he looked through the windows of the homes to see if there was an empty one. Unfortunately, there seemed to be either a dead body on the floor or a dead one walking around. Up another flight of stairs, and the same result. "We should be near the fire escape in case we need to...well, escape," he explained his thoughts aloud, looking through each window. Then, on the third floor to the right, there was an apparently empty apartment. "This one looks like it should do."
Going ahead of her, he opened the window and jumped through, immediately crouching down. His axe was raised above his head should anything come flying at him, but there seemed to be nothing around. He took a whiff of the place and it smelled empty. Apparently, whoever had lived here, wasn't here when everything went down and the place remained untouched. Even by raiders, which was unusual especially now. "Looks safe," he said to her and held out his hand for her to take to help her inside
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Jade concentrated on climbing the ladder up the floors, being careful not to look down and make herself nervous. The last thing she needed right now was to slip or fall from that far. She felt pretty relieved once Clyde found a place to get into that was safe, and she waited until he saw it was all clear before she took his hand and climbed over the window, landing not so gracefully on her feet. She brushed herself down, letting go of Clyde's hand, and looked around the room. All of the furniture was clean and untouched, paintings and photographs were on the walls and the place looked like there wasn't an apocalypse going on outside.
"Wow," She said, visibly stunned by the look of the place. "This is the first place I've seen in days that is actually blood and brains free." She almost didn't want to touch anything and stain the stuff, but she doubted anyone would be worrying about the state of their furniture at a time like this. She pulled her backpack away from her shoulders again and put it down on the floor, but kept her pipe in hand. "We should check the place and make sure it is actually empty. All the rooms, closets, stuff like that. We don't want any unexpected guests." She crossed from what she guessed was the living room and walked into the join-on kitchen. "We should also check for some kind of water as well." She liked to feel in charge when she knew what she was doing, it was just she couldn't cope very well under combat. Anything else and she felt much more confident.
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He nodded and headed down the nearest hallway, which took a sharp turn to the right past the main, small hallway, which evidently led one to believe was the main entrance. Clyde checked the linen closet as he passed: empty. Then the bedroom next to it: empty, as was the closet there. The next bedroom: empty. The bathroom: empty. The last room, apparently an office, was empty as well. He retraced his steps back to the bathroom and tested the faucet, not expecting anything to happen. It gurgled and spat for a second, as if trying to find the life it once had, and then came down in a steady stream. Water! "Jade," he called out gently, placing his hands under it. It grew hotter, as he had turned the hot water tap on, and he could feel it burn his hands, but it was a welcome feeling. God really was on their side!
He turned around and tried the faucet on the bathtub: it, too, gurgled and spat and then sprang to life. Hot water. They could shower and actually be clean. And for one brief moment, everything felt like it was back to normal. Until an image of naked Jade flashed into his mind and he remembered he didn't actually know her, and then the memory of how they met came back and his happiness suddenly faded. Right, the zombies. Well, they were safe for now, worry about them later and enjoy the little things. Now, to see if there were any Twinkies around...
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Jade started to scope out the rooms Clyde wasn't checking, and thoroughly walked through each of them, making sure there wasn't any sign of life anywhere. Behind the doors, underneath or also behind furniture, even places a normal human couldn't fit in. But hey, anything felt possible now. She also checked the kitchen cabinets and fridge, finding several boxes of long-life products like crackers, cereals, and canned foods like soup. She piled them all on the counter. Perhaps it would be wise for them to eat something for now. Then again, if their food supply was going to be hard to come by from now on, perhaps it would be smart to ration it out and share a lot.
From a small distance away, she could hear the sound of gurgles and what sounded like a pipe choking, before then hearing a sound she didn't think she would ever hear again. Running water.
The call of her name only confirmed her hopes, and without any hesitation she rushed through the apartment until she found the bathroom. The water that came through the tap was crystal clear and clean, and as she stuck her hand underneath, it was hot too. She grinned. "You're brilliant, Clyde!" She said happily. She put her other hand under the water for a brief moment and then rubbed her face with wet hands, scrubbing away the old blood from just earlier. "Do you think we should draw straws for who gets to shower first?" She joked. She was in a much more optimistic mood for now, and wanted to keep as happy as she could be for as long as she could be.
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It was nice to actually be able to see Jade's face now, uncovered with blood and dirt and grime. The small smile she gave him earlier was still present as she joked about drawing straws. She was just so beautiful, so charming, and so happy. Happy to be alive. Happy to have found a companion, as was he. Clyde's eyes darkened a little in a lustful gaze as he regarded her, and commented, "We may have to conserve the water though, so maybe shower together?" He chuckled and threw her a playful wink, only half joking. On the one hand, they may have to. Who knew if it was septic tank based or river based or whatever? He wasn't a fireman of this town, so he didn't know the source. On the other hand, he figured the sexual innuendo wouldn't go so well.
It was probably strange to look at this blossoming relationship from the outside. Surrounded by death and decay, and here this man was making a complete a** of himself to try and impress and coax a woman into the shower with him. In any other situation, this may have seemed normal, but now it just seemed ridiculous. Clyde smiled as he threw back his head in laughter at the thought, shaking his head. "You go first, regardless, ladies first and you're the only female," he said and turned around to walk out.
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Jade burned crimson at his suggestion, even if she could sense the light amusement in his words, and the wink only proved it further. She couldn't help but laugh a little back, mostly anxiously as she glanced at the shower. It did look big enough to fit two people in, but they'd be awfully close together. She watched Clyde walk to the door, but said his name before he could leave. Now how was she going to agree with him without sounding like some kind of pervert?
"Ah, um.." She started. So far so good. "Perhaps... it would be sensible to er, you know." She glanced at the shower, her heart thumping hard in her chest. Maybe it sounded like she was making it a big deal, but to share a shower with someone she hardly knew, it was unnerving. "I wouldn't want to spend ages in there and use up all the water if it's limited or something." She was only thinking about his well being, right? Her eyes skimmed over his upper body, being able to see his well built form under his clothes. She turned away from him and quickly lifted her shirt over her head. "It's just like wearing a swimsuit anyway." She said, mostly to calm her own embarrassment.
She then stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. "Well, I mean, you don't have to if you don't want, of course." She flashed him another reassuring smile. "Whatever you think we should do." Water was very rare to come by, and wasting all of it on two showers would be a bit of a dampener. They wanted some to drink as well, after all. Sometimes you had to make sacrifices. Not that she'd complain about seeing him under the shower.
Phoebe Majere Community Member 
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