World War Z

[Zihark Faroda]

Ricard turned around and saw the worry in Ashley's face; saw how her body was ever so slightly trembling. He walked over to her and put one hand on her shoulder, and with the other grabbed her chin and lifted her head so she was staring directly at him. "If we're lucky," Ricard began with as confidant a tone as he could, "we'll be able to escape behind the motel and find someplace nearby where we can wait them out. If there are zombies coming from that direction too, well then we'll just have to secure ourselves here and wait for the worst of it to be over."  

[Nikki Faroda]

Ashley was surprised at the confidence in his voice. "Then we should get moving?" She wasn't sure what to do but as long as her and Harley were safe that was all that matter. They needed to get going and fast if they were going to get "lucky" as he put it.  

[Zihark Faroda]

"Right," Ricard returned with a cocky smile. Without a moment's hesitation he whirled around, grabbed his gear and crowbar, and headed straight for the door. The long metal poles had been left with the motorcycle, so he and Ashley were going to have to relay on the shorter handheld weapons if trouble came to pass. There were already a couple zombies beginning their shambling up the motel stairs, but having the high ground Ricard quickly and easily dispatched them. Back on street level, Ricard glanced behind the motel and spotted only loose knits of zombies approaching. He, Ashley and Harley could easily slip through them and find someplace safe to hold out. There were mostly residences, but Ricard could also see several shops along the way. "Alright Ashley," he called out to her, "the way is mostly clear. Just got to find someplace safe now."  

[Nikki Faroda]

Ashley kept a close eye on Harley making sure the brave puppy was between Ricard and her. "After the horde passes we're going back for the rest of our stuff right? And possible a ride?" She knew this wasn't the time but she wanted to know. While waiting for his answer, she looked at a few of the shops trying to find the best one to stay safe in. Ashley was also watching for any Zombies that might try to sneak up on them. The adrenaline was pumping through her veins so fast that it made the world around them seem like it was almost moving in slow motion.  

[Zihark Faroda]

"We'll cross that bridge when the time comes," Ricard stated flatly as he charged forward, keeping his eyes peeled for both zombies and a safe haven alike. Time was of the essense, and every second lost brought them closer to their own deaths. He scanned each store front, hoping against all odds to find one that would suit their needs, but the problem with stores was they had big glass windows and doors to entice customers to enter, things that would easily crumble against the massive horde coming their way. They could always go farther of course, but that brought even more problems, since they had no idea what trouble they might run into around the next corner, and the farther away from the motel they got, the harder it would be to return. Just as Ricard was about to give up and suggest they go down another block, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye, or rather several somethings hanging above the windows and door of one of the stores.

It was shutters, metal shutters. The store was a jewelry store, and as such had the shutters for protection against thieves, and in this case might just save his and Ashley's necks. "This way," Ricard commanded, and took off toward the store. Upon reaching the store Ricard wasted no time at all in pulling down the shutters over the windows and securing them. "Quickly, get inside." Once Ashley and Harley were safely inside the store, Ricard went in himself and began pulling down the shutter over the door. Before he secured it he took one last look from where they had just come, and noticed the horde just now beginning to appear. Hoping that they hadn't noticed where they went, Ricard secured the shutter, locked the door, and went into the store.  

[Nikki Faroda]

"Ok" Ashley said as she followed him absent mindedly. When he saw the store, she heard a change in his voice and breathing pattern. She looked up to investigate why. When she saw her aunt's favorite jewelry store she grabbed Harley's collar and ran inside before he told her to. She quickly ran behind the counter and grabbed the crowbar that the manger/owner kept for robbers. Holding the crowbar in a defensive way, she scanned the store for zombies going through every section carefully. Then she headed to the back rooms calling for Ricard to follow her.  

[Zihark Faroda]

Ricard rested with his back against the door, trying now to catch his breath. He closed his eyes, breathing in and out deeply, assuring himself that Ashley and Harley would've taken care of any zombies inside the store and that it was safe to relax. After what seemed like minutes, though was probably more like seconds, there was a quick banging and scratching of the shudders behind Ricard, as if someone had run or jumped straight into them. He jumped in alarm, reaching for his crowbar and spinning to face the door. There were maybe three or four zombies, the small lattice-like structure of the shutters gave only a partial view, trying to claw their way through. They couldn't have been a part of the horde, not this quickly, which only meant they had been stragglers that had been close by, and Ricard never even noticed them.

"s**t, if I'm not more careful about my surroundings, it could get us killed," he whispered to himself. Ashley's calls caught his attention, and taking one last look to make sure the shutters were holding, he turned and walked into the back rooms where Ashley was.  

[Nikki Faroda]

After a long and careful search they found a few zombies and took care of them immediately. Supplies was next, the owner, Lena, had been her aunt's best friend in high school back when as they put it they didn't know how dangerous guys were. "i wonder if Lena is still alive or a zombie" Ashley thought out loud. The back room was nicely sized, and looked as if someone had stacked up. There was food and drinks everywhere.  

[Zihark Faroda]

"Who's Lena?" Ricard asked as he walked into the room, hearing Ashley talking aloud. The smell caught his nose before the sight did of the several zombies now littering the floor. Judging by her reaction, this Lena person was not among them. He walked around them, intending to dispose of the bodies later, and looked around him at the room. His eyes immediately became focused on the food and drink stores. Ricard brought up his crowbar to a defensive position and began scanning around them. "Ashley, be careful," he whispered, "we may not be alone here."  

[Nikki Faroda]

"Lena was my aunt's best friend from high school. Maybe she's here." Ashley starts yelling "Lena, Lena are you hear?" Harley starts sniffing around the piles as they hear something up stairs. Ashley looks at Ricard "What do you think it is? Could it be Lena?" Ashley starting running up the stairs as fast as she could. Harley tried to stop her but failed.  

[Zihark Faroda]

"I see," Ricard replied as he continued searching his surroundings. The store was bigger than he originally thought, but then again because of the horde after them he didn't give it more than a cursory glance. There was a chance the dead zombies on the ground had brought the supplies, but there was an equal chance those same zombies had either chased the original occupant away or into hiding. With Ashley believing that Lena was there, Ricard concluded that she either worked at the store, or owned it. Either way, it seemed Ashley knew the place, so that could help them.

Before he could ask any questions Ashley was yelling out for her aunt's friend. Ricard's eyes grew wide as he whipped around to face her. Before he could tell her to shut up, there was a noise from above them. Ricard didn't even know there was a second floor. Ashley asked him what it could be, but she said it so fast and was running out of the room so fast to find out it took him a few seconds to process what she even said. She was already gone before he could stop her. "********!" Ricard shouted out to himself. "Ashley, wait!" he shouted out as he sped off after her.  

[Nikki Faroda]

Ashley was on the second floor within minutes and the sight when she got there was terrifying. Lena was a zombie eating her brother Charles' guts and then she turned on Ashley. The only thing she could do was stand there in shock. A quiet sound escaped her lips as the crowbar tumbled to the floor. Lena stepped closer and Ashley stepped back until she was at the edge of the stairs. She was about to fall down them when Ricard took the last one and enter the room.  

[Zihark Faroda]

Even though Ricard didn't know the building, following Ashley wasn't difficult at all due to him being able to hear every footfall she made as she ran. While a blessing, it was also bad in that it would alert anyone else in the building to her as well. He reached the bottom of the stairs just as the crowbar Ashley had came tumbling down them. Without a second to spare Ricard bounded up the staircase, taking two steps at a time, crowbar clenched and ready to bash whomever, or whatever was up there. Ashley had now backed herself up to the edge of the stairs, but there was just enough room as Ricard slipped right passed her and brought the crowbar down hard ontop of the approaching zombie's skull. The crowbar smashed the woman's skull with a sickening crack, small bits of blood and flesh splattering the walls. The zombie fell to the ground dead, and after a quick survey to ensure there were no others, Ricard finally let his gaurd down to take stock of what exactly happened.  

[Nikki Faroda]

Ashley couldn't move, but to fall on her knees. "Lena was the strongest person i know. If she didn't wake it how can... No this is not the time nor is it the place you are not a coward or a weakling you will fight until you die if you have to." Her voice changed in mid sentence. She called Harley to her side and stood up." We have to pack as much of the supplies in boxes as we can Lena has a big and quiet car out in the back alley we can take it. She wouldn't mind." Ashley walked carefully down the steps and started packing.  

[Zihark Faroda]

Ricard looked down at the body lying beneath him, and at the crowbar he was still holding, blood dripping down to form a pool. So that was Lena. That was why Ashley froze. Ricard made to go over to her, to comfort her, but before he could she was back on her feet, her voice taking a turn he wasn't quite sure he liked. In fact, it sent a shiver down his spine. The way she was starting to take charge was refreshing, but she still said it with a certain solemness to her voice.

"Well, I hope that means it's an electric car," Ricard said as he followed down the stairs after her, "because from what we've seen so far even the slightest noise will attract their attention. Besides, we're not going anywhere just yet. That horde will have reached us by now, and unless we have a tank at our disposal I'm not going to attempt to plow through a couple hundred people. This isn't GTA." Ricard's biggest concern at the moment, however, was Ashley. She wasn't allowing herself to grieve. While that may be useful in the short term, if she didn't find a way to cope soon the long term effects could become more dangerous than the things outside. Ricard just hoped it wouldn't go that far though.