Fantasy The Liberated

[Caffeine Freak]

Rick observed the girl for a moment. Usually if someone was this friendly with him, he'd have a reason to get suspicious, but she hadn't tried to kill him yet - so that made her the most trustworthy person he'd met since the outbreak. "As long as you don't stumble over a bear trap or something, we should be fine." He pulled out his compass. Sure enough, the girl was pointing east despite her blindness. "Maybe once we get there someone might have some damned answers." He muttered, pocketing the compass. "Aight, kid. Let's move out."


They'd been walking for at least an hour now. The urban sprawl was left behind, and abandoned ruins amidst the scorched desert stretched out in front of them. Silence apart from the occasional gunshot covered the land, and repetitive scenery apart from the odd shack or graveyard filled the scene.


"You mentioned something about powers." Rick commented, unslinging one of his many refilled canteens and tossing it to Misty. "What.. power, exactly?" He thought about his confinement within his suit, wondering if that even counted as a special power.


@Dkingow

 

[housekat]

The California sun beat down on her, though she didn't notice much. She's lived here her whole life, so she's gotten used to the sun's abuse. "Hm? Oh, yeah that's probably a good idea." She sat down onto the ground and stretched her legs. Suddenly feeling claustrophobic with all the hair on her head, she attempts the tie it up with a rubber band that's on her wrist, but since her hair is too thick it snaps. Running a hand through her hair, she commented "I might cut it short. It was quite a hassle before the plague to take care of, but now it feels more like a nuisance." She laughs nervously "But I'm... I'm scared to cut it. That sounds dumb but hear me out." A pause. "I used to hate cutting it as a child. My parents would have to drag me in, screaming and crying. Up to before my parents died, I still avoided getting it cut. It's just one of those irrational things I held onto since childhood. But now, it feels like it's the one part of me that hasn't changed, for better or for worse. Should I get rid of it because that would be the objectively right thing to do, or not because it's a part of myself from the past? I don't know."


@Alexander9223

 

[razzledazzle66]

@Dkingow[/URL]

Misty looked away when he mentioned it and got hit by the canteen. She bent down to pick it up hearing where it fell. "Well..." She started not sure how to explain it. "Before, it was just that I could see visions of what I assumed were the future. At first I thought they were just random, but as I went through and noticed things that happened were what I saw I made the assumption that it was in fact the future." She looked back towards him blushing a bit. "I was able to see exactly what would happen during that fight, but I saw it through many different angles. Like that one little change was met with opposition. Then I saw the one that lead us to stay alive." She looked down. "I saw you die in 3 out of the 15 visions. I died in most of the others." She shuttered a bit. "Imaging seeing how you will die, so many times over." She said trying to prove what he power was. "The only downside, is that depending on how long in the future the vision is, seems to determine how long I am blind for. "Most of the times it's a few hours, but this time will test what happens when I see a vision of only a few moments ahead." She said as her sight started to come back. "Speaking of which, I can see now." She said smiling a bit. "You never know how much you miss light till you are in total darkness." She said a bit cryptic.

 

[Alexander9223]

He thought for a moment looking her hair over as he thought on how to answer the question, he took another chug from his water bottle before answering. "Well in my opinion you look nice with long hair, and you seem to like it long anyway, so don't cut it because sometimes its even just the little things that keep us going, make us feel like most of the world hasn't died, even if only for a few short moments." That had been one of the more emotional things he had said but his face drifted from a soft smile, to a sadder and softer smile as he thought of his family once more,his siblings five of them, his parents, grandparents and his fiance, she got sick with cancer before the plague and when he had returned from one of his tours in the middle east she had been dead. It had been to much for him he couldn't bare to stay in the U.K any longer and moved away leaving the S.A.S for good.


He looked at her once more. "Keep your hair however you like it, that's what should matter really." He sighed before sitting down to rest taking another chug of his water.


@verifiedkat

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Misty looked away when he mentioned it and got hit by the canteen. She bent down to pick it up hearing where it fell. "Well..." She started not sure how to explain it. "Before, it was just that I could see visions of what I assumed were the future. At first I thought they were just random, but as I went through and noticed things that happened were what I saw I made the assumption that it was in fact the future." She looked back towards him blushing a bit. "I was able to see exactly what would happen during that fight, but I saw it through many different angles. Like that one little change was met with opposition. Then I saw the one that lead us to stay alive." She looked down. "I saw you die in 3 out of the 15 visions. I died in most of the others." She shuttered a bit. "Imaging seeing how you will die, so many times over." She said trying to prove what he power was. "The only downside, is that depending on how long in the future the vision is, seems to determine how long I am blind for. "Most of the times it's a few hours, but this time will test what happens when I see a vision of only a few moments ahead." She said as her sight started to come back. "Speaking of which, I can see now." She said smiling a bit. "You never know how much you miss light till you are in total darkness." She said a bit cryptic.

"So every time you use it.." He pondered a little, rubbing the scalp of his helmet. "..you turn blind for a while - that it?" It wasn't until she told him what to do back there that she seemed to lose her sight, it was a matter of piecing the two things together. "Three outta fifteen." He muttered, slightly disappointed. "More than fair I guess - but against some junkies? I'm actually gettin' worse." He turned back to Misty. "See this thing?" He tugged on the front of his armor. "Doesn't come off. Ever. You can try cuttin' it, rippin' at it, burnin' it - it just grows right back." His determination shrank a little bit as he remembered his imprisonment. "Hopefully though.. I may just find a way to get rid of it once and for all."


@Dkingow

 

[housekat]

She played with the ends of her hair. "That makes sense. Thanks for taking it seriously." Her neck craned to look up at the setting sun. "It's going to be night soon and I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm going to sleep now." She paused to yawn and stretch. "Thank you for doing all this!" She beams with a tired smile before bounding up the steps to the large house.


Before she makes it to her room, she looks at a bottle of aspirin on the coffee table. Her headache had gone away for the night, but theres no telling when it'd be back. Her hand darts out quickly to grab the bottle, as if it were shameful, and sets it on her nightstand when in her room. She now finally settles into bed.


@Alexander9223

 

[razzledazzle66]

@Dkingow[/URL]

Misty smiled softy. "We all hope to go back to normal." She said as they continued to walk. It was getting late and she wanted to make i to the house before it got to dark. "Do you maybe know where this house is. I saw it in a vision, but the path I was following seems to have been lost in my mind." She said realizing what she had said. "I mean, I know it is this way, but I don't know how far." She said giggling a bit. "Can't determine distance well in a vision." She said as they kept going. They needed to make sure they got there before it was to late.

 

[Alexander9223]

He smiled at her and waved as she headed back into the house. He knew he probably wouldn't get much sleep that night anyway so he took out a bottle of 5 hour energy and chugged it before finishing up the last few grave. Afterwards he searched the neighborhood to figure out the name of each dead person as best he could, once he had figured out all he could he found a far off house and began to work in it building engraved coffins for each person whom's name he could discover he was going to spend the whole night in there building coffins for as many people as he could, it was the least he could for them, he couldn't just toss their body into a hole and forget they ever existed.


(Not speaking to anyone in specific this time.)

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Misty smiled softy. "We all hope to go back to normal." She said as they continued to walk. It was getting late and she wanted to make i to the house before it got to dark. "Do you maybe know where this house is. I saw it in a vision, but the path I was following seems to have been lost in my mind." She said realizing what she had said. "I mean, I know it is this way, but I don't know how far." She said giggling a bit. "Can't determine distance well in a vision." She said as they kept going. They needed to make sure they got there before it was to late.

"Now that you mention it.." Maverick recalled a vague image of a building in his dream for just a brief second - but it could be anywhere within a hundred kilometer radius. "No luck." He sighed, trudging onwards. "Would it be alone out here? In another settlement? Maybe even in a cluster of abandoned ruins?" His empty questions left his mouth, any indications where non existent. Rick turned his attention to the sun, settling on a dusk in the distance. As it got darker, he swore he could see flitting shapes darting behind the dunes - but it was impossible to tell with his limited visibility.


"Are we being.. followed?" He muttered.

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty looked around confused. "I think your paranoid." She said as they came up to a large hill. When they stopped on the top it hit her where she was. "We are on the right path. We just need to follow this road for another hour or so and we should be there." She said with excitement. She wasn't sure what he was worried about. She assumed he would be able to protect himself. She looked to the sky and realized what time it was. "We need to get indoors now. I should be having a vision soon and can't move well while blinded." She said not knowing this area at all. As if on queue she fell to the ground. @Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Kid?" Maverick turned round, spotting Misty collapsed on the sand. "Hey.. are you-" Rick stopped, noticing the sizeable, jagged rock under her head. As he trudged over, he saw the blood that began trickling down it. "No, no, no, no," He echoed nervously, shifting the girl onto her back. "Misty? C'mon, wake up.." He lightly shook her. Frantically, he tried feeling for a pulse - but the thick gloves that covered his hand denied it. "Damnit!" He was about to slam his own hand down on the rock if it wasn't for the sound of shifting sand behind him. Rick twisted round, and a shadow vanished as it entered his view.


"We can't stay here.." He muttered, looking at the fading sun. He slung up Misty's weapons and began hauling Misty herself down the hill, throwing backwards glances the entire way.


Forty minutes later, miraculously, a lake stretched out in front of them. Rick carefully set Misty down before refilling the canteens and placing one beside her. He managed to swipe a few supplies from the hospital earlier when they left, and although his bandagework was crude, the bleeding had stopped. "Well at least you ain't dead." He murmured, sinking to the floor and pouring the contents of his canteen through his respirator. It was dark, and although there were no more shadows, Rick didn't feel safe whatsoever. Still, he'd dragged Misty as far as he could. All that he could do now is pray that she woke up soon.


@Dkingow

 

[razzledazzle66]

Water.... Water all around. In a lake, the ocean... She looked around. "I'm in a shower?" She said to herself in her dream. She stepped out to see she was still clothed, none of her clothes were wet. She turned off the shower and walked out the door. She looked around. "I'm in the house." She said to herself as she walked to the window of the room she was in. Looking over the land she could see a few buildings. It was peaceful. As if nothing could happen. Then the earth was moving around her. She watched the scene as it moved. She was heading East, then North, then East some more. "So we need to go West, Southwest." She said as she took in some of the surrounding area. She was suddenly at a lake. She saw her body laying on the ground with a gash in it. Rick was drinking. "Wow he drinks weird." She said as a few figures appeared from behind. 5 to be exact. One stood over her body watching her while the others came up behind Rick. They pulled out guns and shot him. "NOOOO!!!!!" She screamed but no one could hear her in her dream. The walked over to her, looking at her unconscious body. One of the reached down and stroked her hair, before snapping her neck. She couldn't see their faces, no markings of who they were. "Why would they just kill us?" She thought as she was thrown into darkness.


"Rick behind you!" She screamed as she sat up pulling out her pistol and aiming it at the guys crotch. She fired causing him to scream as the others pulled their guns. "We do not want to harm you." One said as he aimed his gun at Misty. "We just want to talk." She knew it was a lie. But could she tell Rick in time. @Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Rick huffed, unslinging his MG and leveling it at the materialized figure. If Misty hadn't pointed them out, all it would take was a bullet in the back of the neck- "We do not want to harm you. We just want to talk." The apparent ring leader had his own gun zeroed on Misty. Something about these guys was different from the street thugs earlier, though. These guys were wearing suits, and had a more... professional vibe to them. Nobody's too professional for a bullet, though. Rick thought.


"I.. don't buy that. Like, not even a little bit." Rick rattled his MG as one of them tried to take a step closer, the other guy was still clutching his groin.


"Come now, we can work something out-"


The ringleader tried to take a step forward himself, Rick raised his gun.


"One step closer and the only thing you'll be workin' out is the hot lead outta your organs." He hoped his threats were working, because his MG wasn't loaded. He could feel the weight of the 50 cal belt in his back pouch - but by the time it would take him to reload - his armor would be shredded by their guns. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Rick cursed his short-sightedness.


@Dkingow

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty looked over to the voices. "What do you purpose?" She asked trying to get his side of the story. "What do you want with us. We are just travelers." She knew her pistol only have two shots. If the got into a firefight she was dead. She could take the leader but that's about it.


"All we are asking is for information. We want to know who is trying to set up a new colony. We cannot let that happen." The ring leader said looking to Misty. "You understand why don't you." He smirked. "We still need to be in control. We cannot let others try to make a "safe" haven." He said as he put his gun away. He pulled out a card and handed it to Rick. "Just think about it." He said as they all walked away before disappearing.


Misty let out a breath. "That was a close one." She looked over to Rick. "Are you okay?" She was worried, she didn't really know why though. She had not worried about anyone since she started this trip, so why now.


@Caffeine Freak

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Fine." Rick breathed, staring at the card in his hand. It wasn't just a plain business card, something was scrawled across it, something-


He pocketed it before Misty had a chance to look. "Just a plain business card." He sighed. "Obscure to say the least, but, I guess now we have an idea about why they're followin' us.." He drifted off as he turned his head to the path ahead. "We should get moving now you're up. It's safe to saw that we've hardly seen the last of those spooks." This time, he fished out his belt of ammo and fed it into his gun before slinging it back over his shoulder.


Better safe than dead. He thought bitterly before trudging onwards.


It wasn't long into the final trek before he asked the lingering question on his mind. "You said you had one of them visions. Did you know those guys were comin'?" Rick shuddered a little. If Misty wasn't there to warn him, he'd be a bulky laundry pile in the middle of the desert.


@Dkingow

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty had regained her sight along the way to the house. "I did. I was at the house and it back tracked to where we were. When I saw the lake I saw people appear and attack you. They killed us in my vision and I wasn't even awake at that point. Something isn't right. They wanted to kill us, so what were they waiting for." She said as she sighed and they came up on the house. "There it is." She said smiling happily. She hoped someone was awake, because she was hungry and tired. "Let's put it behind us for now." She said taking his hand and pulling him to the front door. She knocked a few times. "Hello?"


@Caffeine Freak @verifiedkat

 

[housekat]

Rinon's awoke when she heard a hesitant knocking at the door. Her muscles screamed for her to just lay there and ignore it. The sleep she got was not refreshing, like always. Even if her muscles felt like blocks of stone, grin cut across her features and, she flew out of bed like a child at Christmas.


She fumbled with the door, which was already unlocked, "Hello! I'm Rinon" She said excitedly to the girl and man at the door. If she remembers correctly, the girl was Misty and the armor-clad man was Rick. "It's so good to see more people! Come in! You an set your stuff down in some of the vacant rooms and theres some crackers in the living room. She prances farther inside the house and sits on one of the couches. Her face contorts in brief remembrance before she yells, "Alexander! There are people here!"


@Dkingow @Caffeine Freak @Alexander9223

 

[Alexander9223]

Alexander had finished the last coffin an hour before and had been taking a long rest at that point wondering what today would bring when he heard Rinon yell his name. He begrudgingly go up from the chair he was in before running out back over to Rinon's house to see why she was calling him. He jogs over to the house and straight up to the door noticing the two other people as he did. He paused for a moment to think and stopped in his tracks as he did. @Dkingow @Caffeine Freak @verifiedkat

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty was confused at what was going on and started to walk in when someone came up from behind them. She quickly pulled her gun and aimed it at the guy expecting him to be dangerous. She knew in this world everyone was a threat, she just didn't know how much of one. She looked him up and down waiting for him to speak or the girl, Rinon, to come back out. "Rick, what do you think? Think he's dangerous?" She asked looking towards him.


@Caffeine Freak @verifiedkat @Alexander9223

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Well, he's not pointing a gun at us." Rick observed. "So he's probably the friendliest person we've met all day." He carefully placed a hand on Misty's weapon. "Sorry 'bout that, name's Rick, and this here's Misty." His attention shifted to the living room. "Now if I recall correctly, the girl mentioned crackers on the table. Nobody better shoot eachother at least until I've helped myself to a few of those." It'd been a while since Rick had eaten anything, and foods other than packed rations were delicacies. With that thought in mind, he proceeded into the living room - slipping as many crackers as he could into his pouches.


@verifiedkat @Alexander9223 @Dkingow

 

[razzledazzle66]

Misty lowered her weapon and walked in with Rick. She sat down next to him. She didn't know why but she felt so safe next to him. It was a feeling that she had never expected to feel with someone. She looked at the girl and could just tell she was the happy character. "So why are we all here?" She asked here expecting some form of an answer. She thought back to the guys her and Rick met earlier. "The dream we had, wasn't a dream was it?" She asked trying to get answers. "It was a message from you."


@verifiedkat @Alexander9223 @Caffeine Freak

 

[housekat]

Rinon nodded enthusiastically. "I can project myself into others minds. I invited everyone here so nobody has to be in danger from the violent people that seem to be lurking. But let's sit down." She sits on the living room couch and eats some crackers. "I currently don't have any perishables that we can eat because I have no form of refrigeration, but I do have crackers and some canned food if you want to go get some."


@Dkingow @Caffeine Freak @Alexander9223

 

[razzledazzle66]

Rinon nodded enthusiastically. "I can project myself into others minds. I invited everyone here so nobody has to be in danger from the violent people that seem to be lurking. But let's sit down." She sits on the living room couch and eats some crackers. "I currently don't have any perishables that we can eat because I have no form of refrigeration, but I do have crackers and some canned food if you want to go get some."
@Dkingow @Caffeine Freak @Alexander9223

Misty looked at her a bit pissed. "You brought us all this way... to be 'safe'... and you have no real food?" She was angry at this point. If she had stayed back in Florida she could have survived on her own. This place was no better then the hell she came from. She got up to storm out and fell over. "Not again." She said as she passed out.


Vision:


10 men surrounded the house. There were a few more people in here then the girl suggested. They held out for as long as they could. Bullet holes everywhere. A fire set in the basement. It seemed as if all was lost. Misty watched as the place got torched. She tired to find the time, or day, anything to tell her how long they had to run. She went into the house. She was holding Rinon, dead. Bullet hole in her forehead. Rick was laying down suppressive fire, while the others ran out the back door. Then they dropped as they were surrounded. She found a calendar, the date that was circled was in 2 weeks. 'Two weeks to get the hell out of here.' She thought as everything went black and she woke up.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"One of these days you're going to pass out and fall into a pit of spikes, ya know that?" Rick had set Misty down on the couch as soon as she passed out. By the look in her eyes, his tone reeled. "Not good huh?" He breathed, wondering what kind of horror she saw this time. Rick couldn't imagine seeing himself die in the future at a regular basis. "A voice in my dream told me to come here." He started, turned back to Rinon. "That there was a way- a way to get this thing off." He tugged at his armor. "Don't suppose you have it lying around here?" Wistful thinking seemed to be Rick's forte for the day.

 

[housekat]

Rinon's face changed expressions from blinding happiness to sadness as if she was doused with water when Misty got angry with her. What was so wrong about being with others you know you can trust? Seclusion goes against human nature. Humans naturally deviate toward each other. Is it so wrong to try and create a community full of people you can trust? Before the red- haired girl could respond, the girl collapsed. Rick, the large man in armor, picked her up and set her on the couch. Rinon walked over to the couch and sat on the ground next to the couch Misty was laying at.


"A voice in my dream told me to come here." The man started, and turned back to her."That there was a way- a way to get this thing off." Rick tugged at his armor. "Don't suppose you have it lying around here?" Rinon bounced back from her depressive state. "I currently don't have any sort of panacea here, no. However, I studied cell biology when I went to university. I have some theories about what might work. If not, I'm sure we could find someone who can help. I won't stop until we find something." She was forced to drop out after her CFS became debilitatingly bad. But she did learn some things before she had to leave and she did actually have theories.


@Caffeine Freak @Dkingow @Alexander9223