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 Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:06 am
☖ DAY ZERO ENTRY PROMPT ☖ It was another long evening of studying, meaning that Kelly was stuck in the Library prepping for a major test the next day. She had her laptop and her headphones on, ignoring the people around her and focusing on her reading and the music. It was because of her focus that she lost track of time, and eventually the Library was closing down for the night.
Shocked out of a rapping on the table, Kelly rubbed her eyes before quickly packing everything up and walking down the stairs. It was only a 15 minute warning, but she didn't want to be caught when the campus security did their last rounds.
As she was walking out of the doors to the large common area outside of the library, the lights suddenly cut off. It was silent for a long moment, before a soft buzz of the other students outside began to rise. Kelly felt her heart race, the thought of what could be out in the door distributing. It only took a second for her to talk herself out of it, and she let out a laugh.
Then, there were screams.
Pushing herself back against the now locked doors, her eyes darted around in the darkness as the screams grew louder, and she saw people being chased.
Students scrambled into cars to run, and they began to crash into one another as they left. Kelly, frozen in fear, felt her hand grabbing blindly for the library doors. She spun and began to slam on the glass, hoping to get attention of the workers so they'd let her in. Tears began to stream down her eyes before a flashlight illuminated her form, and someone demanded what was going on.
Pushing past, she demanded they close the door, mumbling about monsters and attacks and screams. The worker was terrified, but took one look outside before dragging her in and to the main office where they could lock the door.
Both hid, in silence, as the windows began to illuminate with lights from fires, and screams began to fill the air.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:08 am
☖ One Month Later... ☖ Link ☖ Here
Word Count ☖ 230
Kelly rolled out of bed as the muted sunlight began to filter into the dorm room, already hearing the cries for role call and quickly putting on her jersey over her leggings. Everything had become a habit, second nature almost, thanks to the leadership in the dorms. It was tedious, but it had gotten them this far without dying, so Kelly was in no place to complain. Moving out of the door and to the roll, she tried to avoid nipping at her nails as she looked around for a familiar face.
It seemed that everyone who had to be there was there - always a good sign. Suddenly, her anxiety seemed to wane for something different, something unfamiliar since day zero.
Was it hope?
Kelly focused on those around her, and realized that yes, there was some sort of energy that seemed to be coming off. Maybe it was optimism for the day ahead, maybe it was a sign she was finally going crazy, but she dared to take a moment and hope. Today would be different, today they would come and they would find an answer.
She had to believe, she had to accept it. She couldn't let her anxiety and hyper-awareness throw her in the same funk and depression. Something good was going to happen, and as long as everyone returned at night, their luck might just stick.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:09 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 7:57 pm
☖ Scavenging Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖ 375
Credit Received ☖ 1
Kelly reported to the commons for her day of scavenging, and collected her reusable plastic bag and flashlight. Today, she was on her own, but she knew she needed to stick to the right locations and get back as soon as possible. So, she spoke with a few others and decided the dining hall would be the best place to start. It was already picked clean, but the kitchen seemed to be a good spot for some leftover hunting.
Moving into the darker area, Kelly used her flashlight to first check she shelves. Almost immediately, she found a back full of cereal, and it was the sugary kind. Grinning with optimism, Kelly pocketed the food for later, and felt that luck was on her side.
However, that luck seemed to quickly turn. For some reason, she felt like going in the fridge, and found it empty save for a few strange boxes she didn't think were worth opening. The cabinet was the same, only this one had a notable stench. Slamming the door shut, Kelly backed out of the dining hall with her meager spoils, ready to report to her next location and get back to the dorms.
After she got back to the group, Kelly was relieved of the cereal and sent to the Chem Lab. It was a bit of a hike, but she rushed anyway so she could get the search underway. Almost immediately, she stepped in and heard a crinkling under her worn shoes. Bending over, she picked up a poster with a wary smile - the irony was a bit much for her taste. Dropping it for someone who might enjoy the humor, she moved on.
As she moved to the cabinets, she found a large stash of glassware, and smirked. It would all work really well in the camp, and it was well worth its weight. Gently bringing the box down, Kelly set it to the side before realizing there was more, only the bottles were filled with unmarked chemicals. Not being a scientist, she didn't even bother touching the stuff.
With her glass stash in hand, she made her way back to the group and grinned at the leaders, glad to have accomplished something to make the day worthwhile.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:07 pm
☖ Food Prep Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖ 501
Credit Received ☖ 7
First she had to salvage, now she had to prep.
Kelly wasn't sure which was worse, considering she never really made her own food. Often, it was either something fast or something simple, straight out of the box and into her microwave. After day zero, however, food prep and preservation seemed to change everything. It was all about making portions last, and being able to do the best thing possible in order to prevent anything from spoiling.
Food was a rarity, and bags of cereal did not grow on trees.
Most of what they could find often would be meat from hunting, or cans from houses around the city. Those cans would be in different states, and required re-packaging so they would last longer. It wasn't a glorious process, but it was necessary for survival, and so no one would really complain when assigned to the food storage. Kelly actually preferred it to going out into the dark campus and risking being chased by undying. At least she was (somewhat) safe, and if she had to hold up, she had food to survive.
Stepping into the food storage units, Kelly was glad she didn't have to actually cook anything. Her fellow survivors for the task were determined to keep silent, so she allowed them to move away and went to her own area. Let's see...what was the first thing she needed to do again? Oh, to organize everything by type. Perishable and non-perishables needed to be separated so they could be properly stored.
Stepping up to the pile of items, Kelly quickly went through and organized the fifteen products into their respectful sides. It took about fifteen minutes to determine what each thing was, as well as evaluate if they needed to be re-packaged or if they were ready to go. As she was getting close to the end, she heard one of her peers call out, and tell her that they had enough to add to her re-package side.
Instead of a small amount, she was faced with a large pile of items needing to be packaged. Thankfully, her meticulous evaluation helped her identify the key parts needing to be sealed or closed, and so she was able to focus on exactly where each thing required an adjustment. Unlike the sorting, this step seemed to fly by, as all of the products were superficial.
Stepping back, she eyed her piles and grinned, happy to see she had finished before the others. Kelly grabbed the cans and food and began to take them to their respected location, putting them away on shelves and moving around to fill the time before the other workers finished. It seemed her efficiency was noticed, as the others complained and gave her more to do to help fill the time.
Kelly didn't mind, and she suddenly became a runner to help put away the items the other workers finished re-sealing. It seemed to go fast, and Kelly actually found herself talking to the once-quiet survivors.
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:21 am
☖ Building Maintenance Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖
Credit Received ☖ Ongoing
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 11:32 am
☖ Cleaning Day Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖
Credit Received ☖ Ongoing
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 4:37 pm
☖ Food Prep Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖ 501
Credit Received ☖ 4
Kelly was back in the food prep team, key in hand as she stomped through the door and eyed what needed to be done. Everything was already counted (thank goodness) and it seemed her work was a bit easier this time around. Moving past her teammates and to the proper station, she looked to her pile to see one single can.
Really?
Glancing about a quick second, she gave a shrug before lifting the can and slowly inspecting it for any issues. Even with her delay, it still took no more than three minutes for her to determine it was perfectly acceptable and place it in the non-perishable pile. Maybe she got lucky and the person who worked prior shifts got ahead of schedule. She wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, after all.
Stepping away from her table, she moved to where one of the other teammates was dealing with a large pile.
"I've got my set done and time to spare...need anything repackaged?"
Almost immediately, she was shoved a pile of food amounting to about ten bags worth, all with torn or open seams.
"Thanks, seems every thing I got was something broken or ripped...and I'd rather not sit here all day."
Kelly nodded with understanding, agreeing quickly that the storage was one of the more mundane places to work. It was meaningful, but it was slow with no natural light. Although, natural light was a bit rare these days anyway.
Walking back to her spot, she set everything down and systematically went through each item. The cans were easy to re-seal, at least they didn't take too long, but Kelly found herself walking back and forth to find tape for the bags, and sometimes a bag was too far gone to even salvage. Eventually, her director told her to just consolidate and call it a day.
And so, Kelly began to take some of the smaller bags and package them together, making sure that the overseer was aware of the change of count based on packaging. It was a bit of an argument, but eventually they agreed that the numbers were fine.
She didn't want to get dragged back, presumed to have taken any rations.
Feeling her thirst hit her yet again, Kelly sped up her pace a bit as she moved to store all of the items, one by one. Her hands easy reached up to the required shelves, but this still was possibly the longest part of the process, especially when the (now assumed freeloader) worker called her for more help. It may be boring, but it wasn't as if it was a difficult job, and Kelly seemed to glare at the person's back as they took longer and packed away less. Hopefully, any future jobs would not involve the lazy fool.
As she placed the last package on the shelf, she moved back and returned the key, nodding and showing the leader that she had nothing in her pockets and nothing was leaving the storage. Once again, she understood the action, but that didn't stop her from feeling disgruntled.
She really needed to get some food and water, her mood was falling fast and she felt a bit light headed as she walked out into the open air.
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 4:42 pm
☖ Guard Duty Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖
Credit Received ☖ Ongoing
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Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2015 4:58 pm
☖ Healing 101 Quest ☖ Link ☖ Here
Words ☖ 360
Credit Received ☖ 4
Kelly was a bit excited for this type of practice, possibly because it was so practical. Sure, she was anxious about a few things, but that didn't mean she wasn't excited anxious. As she walked into the Health Department, she smiled toward the staff and helpers and listened closely to their instructions.
When they were released to look around, she quickly moved toward the wall and evaluated the items there. She eyed the height and weight scale, and put her foot on it to see it was actually working. Although it was an older model (and didn't seem to need electricity) it still was cool.
Moving past when she got a look, she eyed a metal table and walked over slowly. Her eyes widened as she saw all the equipment on the table, and she took a long look at each in turn. A saw, pliers, and many other items she had never seen in the medical dramas lined the table. Thankfully, both the table and the items were cleaned (and sterilized, or so she hoped).
Kelly felt her nerves come up when they called for the practical. Shifting, she was directed toward a table with a knife. Although it was slim, it still had a sharp edge. Glancing to her partner, she grimaced before the instructor came over.
"You wont be practicing with this on your partner. Just cut up those peaches. It's practically the same thing."
Frowning, Kelly glanced to her partner yet again before grabbing the knife and slowly cutting peaches. What was this, food prep?
It seemed that they went from bad to worse as they were taken to a needle and thread. Gulping, Kelly glanced to her partner yet again, who looked green as well. They had no wounds, so would they be sewing random bits of flesh?
"Just sew up this cloth, it's an easy substitution and will help with the nerves. If you ever have to sew skin, just imagine it as this."
Being thrust the cloth, Kelly tried to remember her home-econ lessons as she worked to avoid poking her fingers.
I guess it was pretty practical, both with clothing and wounds.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 8:09 am
☖ Zone 1: Objective 3 ☖ Link ☖ Here
Word Count ☖ 293
Credit Received ☖ Random Clothing and District Point
Kelly's heart hammered as she rushed down the road, jumping at every noise, movement, and shuffle around her. She was not the type to do covert-operations, and so she nearly screamed when she saw a mob around the corner. Scrambling back into the alley, she let them past and tried to not cry at the thought of almost being caught, and what her fate would be thereafter.
When everything became silent once more, Kelly peeked out and ran at a dead sprint to the tower, shutting the door behind her and listening to the silence. Moving up the steps, she saw the large wall of wires and groaned aloud.
"Well, guess I'll blindly attempt..."
Grabbing a random wire and turning it on, she listened and soon heard the warning on the radio before Day Zero, a repeating message announcing caution in the wake of the disaster.
Flipping another switch, Kelly listened closely for a long moment.
"-- you don't know me but I'm here to help you. Don't listen to anything they tell you. They have it wrong. -- Listen closely. -- undying are not the problem. The thorns are. They cannot be destroyed. Avoid them -- contagious -- do not touch. -- spread. That's how the virus replicates. -- too late for you. They will not let you leave."
Her mouth slowly dropped as her heart raced. All at once, she tried to remember if she saw any thorns while she was exploring. Had she brushed against any? Did she get too close? Was there one in the room right now? Pushing away quickly from the radio tower, she cut the line and rushed down the steps, all but running out the door and back toward the university.
Someone needed to know this, and they needed to know now.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 12:06 pm
☖ Zone 1: Objective 1 ☖ Link ☖ Here
Word Count ☖ 439
Loot Received ☖ Sweater, Random Food, Supplies
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 12:45 pm
☖ Zone 1: Let's Hunt! ☖ Link ☖ Here
Word Count ☖ 132
Loot Received ☖ Sweater
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:40 pm
☖ Zone 1: Objective 4 ☖ Word Count ☖ 298
Loot Received ☖ Healing Item and Supplies
Kelly moved away from the crowd, rubbing her head and cursing herself for her injury. But then she remembered the boy she had been traveling with, and immediately cursed herself for being foolish. Finding a good place to stop, she made sure no one was around to cause any issues and settled against a wall. There, she pulled out the torn book they asked her to make a log of her time, and began to recall the last 30 days.
Had it only been a month? It felt like a year considering everything that had happened. It all started with the black out, and her being stuck in the library. To begin, the Library seemed pretty safe. Sturdy walls, lots of room, vending machines to ration off. But then the external glass broke, and they were forced to flee from the side exit and around the undying. They found the dorms where others had gathered, and then Corey took control of the situation. Kelly had been grateful of that.
She didn't realize how stressful things had been on her own.
After that, it was basically deciding location for housing, and recovery. They needed to count the wounded, and scavenge the area. There was no time to laze about or question, it was all about building protection and getting supplies. Kelly wasn't one to go out much - she preferred being indoors - but she did have a hand in everything. That's just what was expected. They were a community, they were a unit, and they were fighting for survival.
It was no wonder the last month went by in a haze. It was just that, busy work until they got answers.Waiting and seeing.
Setting down the log, Kelly questioned which was better. Being in the dark, or being here?
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:24 pm
☖ Zone 1: Objective 2 ☖ Link ☖ Here
Word Count ☖ 269
Loot Received ☖ Drink item and supplies
Kelly searched the staples with nerves shaking her arms. She didn't like the dim lighting, or the dark corridors. It was too easy for something to find her. It also didn't help that she tripped not once, but twice over empty beer bottles. Had the workers hid in here and decided to have some fun and wait? Maybe that's why it was so quiet, because no one survived. She wasn't sure if she would even find any supplies here anyway.
As she turned a corner she caught sight of a stapler, something she might be able to use. Yet, once she got close enough she noticed it was lodged onto an arm. Letting out a groan, she moved away from the decaying item and continued her search.
It seemed she wouldn't find anything when she heard a noise. Looking around, she began to sweat as she tried to imagine what could be hiding in the darkness. She never could have thought that a shadow would dart out from under the shelving, and a cat would appear.
"Oh, my goodness..." She laughed, before bending down and holding out a hand. After a long moment, the cat hissed and swiped, and Kelly narrowly avoided getting hit.
Cursing, she stood up and brushed her legs off, "This isn't worth it...there is nothing..."
That said, she rushed for the front entrance and snuck back out, heading as quickly as she could to check back in. She explained what little she saw, as well as the decaying body, to the leader, before being dismissed to go do something more worthwhile to the cause.
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